Episode 2

Bryn Had A Torch Retcon

Point by Point:

1. I missed that so this is entirely my mistake. I apologize.

2. If I had read it at the time, I would have asked "Are you taking the existing torch out of the room with you or lighting another?"

3. Lighting another torch would have taken a round at least to draw from the bag and get a flame transferred. Leaving the room with the one and only existing torch would have engulfed the entire great room into complete darkness. Neither one of those happened, so we are going to roll with a retcon solution here.

Solution: Bryn was lightning fast, had a quick draw torch on his belt, lit that bitch up with the other torch, ran while the flame was catching on, and the final full flame finally caught and expanded fully at the round of the corner at the end of the north hall, increasingly basking the hall with the glow of torchlight.
Badass.

Revised Visuals and Effects of Bryn-Had-A-Torch Retcon

1. Bryn first saw Abros right around the corner. He has the plank bow in one hand. He was apparently just turning out the dim light in the hall by withdrawing the wick on a lantern that is hanging on a wall hanger around the corner.

2. Abros looks up to see Bryn. Bryn throws. Range approx. 10' we'll say. Hit. (A hit point burn at least, I would have described this as a near miss that would have been a hit) Note: No Sneak Attack applies. Abros begins moving away. Note: This is a big change in favor of PCs. I had envisioned that a Miss originally, because I thought it was in Darkness so applied Disadvantage.

3. Thorn rounds the corner. Throws one axe then another as Abros is trying to withdraw further. Both are Hits. This is the second big change in favor of PCs. Previously one of Thorn's throws had been a Miss in my estimation, again because I thought Disadvantage applied. This last hit by Thorn's last axe seemed like a serious blow that seemed to hit Abros in the clavicle and almost knocked him over.

4. Reeling from Thorn's last Attack. Abros fires the plank bow at Thorn. I haven't heard if that is a hit or not. Personally I hope not. There is a rather aggressive DC CON Save and further effects if so, none of which are fun for PC management.

5. Abros does Interact with Object/Environment, opening what appears to be one of SEVERAL kennel doors that run along the right (north) side of the east-bound hallway. This is a visual for PCs to take note of now that wasn't available previously. Multiple kennel doors. 3 dogs run out of the one door, raring to go to work on their mauling jobs. You know the part about the Attacks on Bryn and Thorn.

6. Iasu did NOT have to necessarily move down close to the dogs to Attack at point blank range. He could have made the shot from further back since the light was on. Still, given his effort to shout warnings to the rest of the group in the great room, I feel like in the end he is about the same place as he was in the original estimation, though I think he would Hide around the corner on the inside edge of the great room. I'll make that small adjustment on the map and hope that is acceptable.

7. Also, I failed to mention that if the dogs score a Hit on a bite, it requires a STR check DC 12 to avoid being Restrained. Since I didn't publish that originally, I'll let it stay that way and not require it for any Hits this initial Attack round for the dogs amid this retcon. It will apply in all future rounds though.

So that's it. The best I can do.
In the end it's all by the original numbers and effects are fully applied now.
In this revision, PCs are granted faster torch lighting, more Hits against an important opponent, more visual clarity about what is going on, and a pass on the Restraining bite of the hounds.
Unless you have a really REALLY compelling case of why we need to keep changing this in "If/Then" scenarios, I don't want to keep splitting hairs. Think it best to move on from here.

Bryn
R9

Bryn dodges away from the dogs and sprints away, back into the great room.

Action: Disengage
Bonus Action: Dash by Cunning Action

Round 9Required Action: Thorn publish status and send Actions

The SEVERAL is concerning regarding the kennels.
J, can you give us something more accurate? To me, several means about 5-7.

If we've got that many coming, unless we need to get through that north door now, we might want to consider a tactical withdrawal to the south. We're pretty banged up, with Thorn taunting the Reaper and Maeriks worn down. We could squeeze past the gel through the doorway.

Another benefit: the gel follows us as we go through, sealing the way behind us. Once we're out of its range, with the hounds pursuing, itll likely turn on them as scooby snacks.

We approach along the east wall while the gel is gobbling current corpses. Sprint by as a team.

So, we find another way back through the south. J, by Kray's knowledge oils that possible?

I.dont like.backing down from a fight. But J plays realism, for those that dont know. So, if we're up against 5-7 mobile dog bombs, it might be time to pack it in and live to fight another day.

We'd have to disengage then move to get from the hounds across the room. Gel would sense us and likely move northeast as we skirted the edge. Then we could skirt around. Not sure if the gel would be quick enough to seal the gap before we got through the south entrance.

Another option would be for Kray and those in good shape to hold the north entrance. There I think we'd be looking at Kray,
Trece, Bryn and Iasu. Some mix of that, perhaps Maeriks and Thorn support somehow or expose themselves minimally from the edges.

We could let a couple of the dogs edge in through the north entrance and receive them with a semi-circle kill space, guys at the edges of the door, like a swat stack. Kray and Trece with higher AC and hp could hold the center.

Like this:

.....hall...
..B.........I..
.....K..Tr....

Allowing just enough space to choke the hounds at the entrance two at a time. A killbox.

Of course, when one of those hounds drops we'd want to back away from the time bomb. So given that, it leaves us in a place of stick and move. Also, we'll be exposed to their flame breath attack, area effect.

Also, the dogs are faster than us. To escape, we might as well do a coordinated dash for the south. This would limit the dogs to opportunity attacks.

First thing is first though. Bryn and Thorn get back.

Thorn
R9

Thorn sees Bryn go and does his best to follow. The dogs are trying to close in for the kill at every opportunity. Thorn has to do everything he can to back away and keep them at bay.

They are relentless. And now they smell blood.

Disengage required. Would face 3 OAs at Advantage if Dash was exercised.

Thorn backs up into the room as far as he can. The hounds are all around him.

Helish Hounds
R9



The hounds advance at full speed with extreme prejudice. They attack their moving prey without mercy.

Movement
All Hounds Attack Thorn.
Advantage from Pack Tactics

I don't think these hounds breathe fire fellas. This is J's DT world, so they could be a different version. I don't recall them breathing fire.

Elam is already drawing at least some of the hounds attention with his death dancer skirmisher style. I say we make the kill box and hold the north entrance. We can rotate the injured off the front line as needed.

If we can bait them into the kill box, and they're hounds so it shouldn't be too difficult, we'd have a 4 on 2 combat situation to our advantage. Then the trick will be timing when to back off before they blow.

EDIT: Not looking good for Thorn.

Good luck, X. Damn this scene is intense!

Continuing The Mega-Battle in Lower Chambers of The Adriyalet House

This shit is off the chain.
Total confusion.
Everyone poised and waiting, on the brink of explosion, wondering what to do next, and operating without all information.
Coordination would be difficult, as is communication, but it is critically important.
All the while, several NPC actors in this pressure cooker are near or complete unknowns at this point.

Ez is trying to plan in OOC, and rightly so.
But in reality Kray does not have instant info on all things, and there is no time to talk it through in a lengthy strategy meet between the team.

All the while, Thorn is on death's door and every single second counts.

This calls for an adjustment on mechanics. A special program of Initiative and combat sequence that matches the circumstance with maximum realism.
I'm calling on some retro style from AD&D 2nd Edition mixed with the Unearthed Arcana revised Initiative rules.
Maximum complexity.
Cumbersome.
Slow.
Likely frustrating.
Controversial.
But that is completely what this scene would be, and it's what the meat-grinder side of DT is all about.

Administrative pause for now. I'll publish special instructions as soon as I can.
Maybe tonight, but probably tomorrow.

We are not calling the next Round R10. We are starting a new series.

Not the Avengers, but this is The Endgame.

Sounds good J. And I get you on the OOC planning, too. It's just a natural reflex and what I'd do if we were at a table.