Everyone affected with the heightened perception and supernatural awareness of space and time scans the room and can see that the next moments will likely be critical if everyone is going to escape.
OOC:
OK, y'all. This is a quick talk-through coming at you.
The whole Throne Room spins around in another 360-shot and we can highlight some details in these very important upcoming seconds which in game terms I like to call....Round 3.
Special focus of topics seems reasonable with the character's uncanny vision and awareness, plus I want to talk DM to Player to make sure everything is clear as possible because the stakes on this could be high.
All indications would suggests that the 2 stone blocks will be pressed back together at the end of Round 3.
There is, as some of you may have thought of as well, an unknown factor in this. On the floor between the two blocks are the bodies of five slain Ulathi. Bryn can see that the wall is starting to push the western-most body forward as it moves. What happens when the bodies are pressed together in a final pile in the middle? Do the blocks stop? Do they crush the bodies together, and if so, how much space will be left?
Answers unknown.
But what is known (at least highly suspected) is where everyone is now and where everyone would like to be in approx 6 seconds.
Updated Grid Map.
Positioning topics:
A couple of teammates/allies are in worse shape than the rest.
Laoise: I know maybe no one cares, but still mentioning. If things were casual, she could Disengage and probably make it without risk. But time is on a crunch. She will have to Dash to ensure that she makes the distance and she knows that. Has to face the risk of a devastating Opportunity Attack.
Maeriks: Unless I'm mistaken, Big Maeriks is currently captured in a net. That means an Action must be made somehow to escape. So that means no Dash as Action. So that means just normal Movement available. If he makes the run along the direct route, depending on opponents' disposition at the time, there may be some OAs in play. And measuring out the positioning, that is going to put him somewhere right in between the stone blocks as they (theoretically, are projected to) cinch together and close shut. Yikes! And worth mentioning, because I know it is out there and Maeriks can see it, diving south to recover the Locust Spear makes all of the above circumstances even worse, if not impossible. High, high risk on that diversion. Will this be a test of the old DM water cooler theory that says Players will do ANYTHING for Magic Items (MIs)?
So that is the bad news.
Is there good news? I think so.
With all characters seeing the timing and spacing of all this in a supernatural way, it seems reasonable that everyone could really bear down on economy of action as a group to put all factors in highest favor for highly threatened teammate(s). One of the best things that could be done would be to clear a path and cut down OAs. The front melee group obviously, but are any of the more distant targets, especially those in Maeriks' projected running path, be in play for ranged attack. Probably yes if you game it right.
You guys may do well to talk it through on Admin or something and control sequence of posting, build up a step-by-step cascade of actions that would lead to highest collective results. That's not required, but definitely allowed.
Also, I'll go ahead and expose in case it has not become apparent by the numbers: Throne Room Offense delivers effectively One Shot-One Kill to "minions." Throne Room Defense still delivers Two Shots - One Kill as max necessary for any minion. Haha. Behind the DM screen scoop, right?!
Another thing I take note of: many still have an abnormal Action Surge available, boosted in from the Throne Room Clarity of Time/Space. As mentioned before, these special Action Surge allotments are given IN ADDITION TO any normal Action Surges you have stored away in your normal Fighter Class feature bank account. So some people might have 2 right now, not sure.
In all this, I hope I am not spoon feeding or driving too hard to tell anyone what to do. I knew that would be a risk when I decided to send this, but I'll take it because it makes sense to me that the characters get one last moment of clarity and a chance to capitalize on the smaller details if there are any to be had that could help out and stack the deck to a degree. If anyone disagrees, rest assured that I rarely do this, so it's not a trend. And as always, ALL ACTIONS AND OPTIONS are on the table, not just the ones that I'm highlighting above. This stuff is just info to be used for decision-making, not decision-making itself.
I celebrate it when you guys go completely off the rails and come up with crazy miraculous solutions that I never thought of or completely derail the story and scene in another direction entirely. I'm all in for any kind of "situational coup" like that as well that would pipe bomb this whole talk on classic strategy and mechanics.
And for the record, charging the Invulnerable Throne is still allowed also.
Thanks for allowing yet another DM Soapbox Moment.
J-Tactical
