Take Two...

[OGRE MAGE]

Flambeau

Save vs. Breath 9 [1d20+1] = 18+1 = 19

Already injured, Flambeau will head for the safety of the hallway. He gives Arqos a nod as he pulls out of the battle.

[Magnus]

Are armor/shield bonuses applicable to saves under the rules as written in OSRIC?

[Zhym]

I don't see it addressed either way in OSRIC, but that's the rule in AD&D 2e (DMG, p. 81). Armor bonuses apply to the kinds of physical damage you'd expect magical armor to help against: acid (except immersion), disintegration, falling, fire, and spells that cause physical damage. The DMG is ambiguous as to whether shield bonuses also apply to saves. I'd suggest that they apply in situations where one could interpose a shield. So the shield bonus would be added to a save against a directed breath weapon, but not against falling damage or when one is caught in the middle of a fireball, for example.

[Magnus]

Hmmm...I have never played in that armor or shield bonuses apply to the wearer's saves. (And have not been playing that way in this game to date, both in combat and w/r/t treasure awards and magic items allowed.)

OSRIC is based on 1e, so I will not apply any later edition rules from it unless very specifically noted.

Anyway, based on a quick glance at the rules, OSRIC (under the "Magical Armour and Shields" heading) strongly implies that shield/armor bonuses should NOT be carried through to saves.

Sometimes magic armour and shields go beyond a simple bonus to armour class.

If you can find anything dead on to the contrary in the OSRIC rule book (or errata documents), I will allow them, but otherwise we are going to stick to the "no bonus to saves" rule since that, as far as I can tell, is most clearly supported by the RAW.

[Zhym]

That was a typo in my previous post. The rule is from 1e, not 2e.

I saw that line in the OSRIC manual. It heads up a (surprisingly short) section on magic armor and shields with special abilities: plate mail that lets the wearer become aetherial and a shield that deflects missiles. So I interpreted that as meaning "armor that does other stuff." Whether protecting against breath weapons is "other stuff" is still unclear, IMO.

OSRIC actually says precious little about how saving throws work. It's one of the things that frustrates me about OSRIC: you really can't understand it unless you're already familiar with the game mechanics, and some of the nipicky details that make Gygax's manuals baroque are just plain omitted from OSRIC. That doesn't make OSRIC any clearer.

And don't even get me started on the order monster categories are listed in the PDF. It's almost alphabetical from Demons through Undead, but there's Dragons just before the string of alphabetically-arranged categories looking like someone forgot that "r" comes after "e." "Animals" goes at the end just before "Other Creatures" for some reason, and giants line up between humanoids and dragons. Why?

The same weird ordering is going on with the magic items. Why are rings sandwiched between miscellaneous magic items and cursed items? The categories are just close enough to alphabetized to get you scrolling pointlessly.

/rant offpaused.

[Computer +1]

Vorsyin's save
[1d20] = 2

[Magnus]

[*]I see that rule now in the DMG. That said, this an OSRIC game. I do get that OSRIC is relatively streamlined and very open-ended, which has its pros and cons.

All that in mind: Unless multiple group members feel really jipped by my doing so, I am going to apply armor bonuses only in what I view as appropriate situations - straightforward physical damage, which include the last attack (particularly because there was doubt around a sensible rules question, in which doubt will go to the players). I am not going to apply shield bonuses to saves, unless it is a special quality of the shield that it also boots saves.

Will update shortly!

[Magnus]

Round 2

Vorsyin, Ethan, Arqos, Gaerys and Flambeau all scramble to avoid the Messenger's heavy shower of dragonglass shards.

Two party members are caught by the full brunt of the fearsome storm. Ethan is caught on the way down from his leap, while Vorsyin stands still like the proverbial deer in the lights of a bullseye lantern. The razor-sharp obsidian slices deeply as its sheer mass pounds each man to the ground.

Ethan manages to twist, bob and weave away from any vital damage but is still bloodied from head to toe. The fighter, having been knocked to the floor, picks himself up and readies Frostfell.

The mage, unfortunately, is struck unconscious by the sheer force of the attack. He lies curled in a bloody knot on the floor.

Ethan/Vor - 24 damage!!! Ethan stunned for 1 round. VOR DOWN!!!

Gaerys and Flambeau are quicker to move. They scramble into the hallway, but are each nicked up by the hail. The remainder of the party (sans Lorath - see below) stays sheltered in the narrow sloping, hallway leading to the Temple.

G & F - 12 damage.

Arqos stands tall, shaking off the horrid shower with nary a flinch. The huge paladin beats back the inky mass with his bright burning blade, though it stays high above the paladin, preventing any real damage from being done. The Messenger rises to the ceiling and then begins to pour itself into one of the pillars (the second from the West). The pillar begins to suck up the mass of smoke, almost like a sponge.

Arqos - 12 damage.

Lorath begins chanting a powerful, yet familiar, spell...he does not see Vorsyin from his vantage point.

DECLARE ACTIONS!!!

HP:
Vorsyin: -6!!!/49 [-1 level...let's sort out the XP afterwards]
Gaerys: 21/69 (!)
Hollis: 8/52 (!!!)
Lorath: 9/40 (!!!)
Ethan: 52/71
Olaf: 12/75
Arqos: 95/114
Flambeau: 43/75

MAP:

dungeonassault (3).jpg (248.26 KiB) Viewed 1740 times

[Zhym]

Gaerys dashes back into the room and drags Vorsyin back into the hallway out of the blast range of Lorath's fireball.

[OGRE MAGE]

Flambeau covers the Ranger with his hammer, ready to bask in the heat of the magical flames.

[Computer +1]

arghhhh struck down in my prime

[Magnus]

I think we only need arqos and I can advance...will have time this weekend for a post or two...

[Zhym]

Arqos backs up toward the corridor to get out of blast range, making sure he is always between the smoke monster and the rest of the party.

[Magnus]

Round 3

The Messenger takes a large initiative* over the heroes...but fortunately, at least for the moment, the mysterious, terrifying smoke form seems intent on retreat. It disappears totally into the pillar. The pillar begins to shake firmly and crack at the edges...almost as if it is taking another shape.

*1 to 6 - largest difference possible.

Having finally collected their bearings, the party - even Ethan and the Paladin - retreats all into the hallway, with Gaerys grabbing Vorsyin by the rear of his robe and dragging the mage back into the hallway and Flambeau providing cover. The Ranger and Cleric of the Lord of Light are closest to the Temple.

Lorath lets his spell fly, centered upon the shaking pillar. The great ball of flame explodes in the Temple with a great flourish...and when the smoke clears, the pillar is unaffected. The pillar continues to writhe as more obsidian cracks off of it, revealing a rough surface below.

You all watch as this happens, and have but a moment to collect your thoughts. One thing is clear: a decisive, logical move would mean great victory - or at least escape - for the party. Uncertainty will likely spell the party's doom.

The party has struck deeply into this stronghold of evil, freeing captives and laying waste to the foes they encountered. These victories have come at a cost...a bleeding, unconscious mage among three other heroes essentially incapable of fighting. This could be a war, not a battle - even the Lord of Light would know this. The path to retreat appeared to be clear for now.

However, the Messenger remained, as did whatever is in the cave(s)? beneath the party And who knew what became of the cruel spirit last masquerading as Vorsyin's deceased bride? Other of the heroes remained at near full strength. And what is surely the driving force behind the planned attack remained before them ...

DECLARE ACTIONS!!!

HP:
Vorsyin: -6!!!/49 [-1 level...let's sort out the XP afterwards]
Gaerys: 21/69 (!)
Hollis: 8/52 (!!!)
Lorath: 9/40 (!!!)
Ethan: 52/71
Olaf: 12/75
Arqos: 95/114
Flambeau: 43/75

[Zhym]

Arqos is not ready to concede the battle to the Messenger just yet. "Run to safety!" he calls to the others. He then charges the re-forming Messenger.

Sunfire vs. evil (THAC0 12): [1d20+4] = 2+4 = 6 Dmg [1d8+4] = 3+4 = 7 (S/M) [1d12+4] = 12+4 = 16 (L)
Sunfire vs. evil (THAC0 12): [1d20+4] = 6+4 = 10 Dmg [1d8+4] = 5+4 = 9 (S/M) [1d12+4] = 1+4 = 5 (L)

Well, now. That's an unimpressive pair of rolls.

[Zhym]

Gaerys binds Vorsyin's wounds as best he can and pulls the magic user farther away from the battle.

[OGRE MAGE]

Flambeau

Seeing Arqos pressing the attack and the injured party members heading out of the danger zone, Flam turns back just inside the doorway for another hammer throw. This vile creature must die!

Firesledge [1d20+6] = 5+6 = 11 Damage [1d6+4] = 3+4 = 7 + [1d6] = 3

[saalaria]

Hollis pulls out his scroll of CLW and stoops over the lifeless mage:

Cure Light Wounds [1d8] = 5

[Magnus]

ROUND 4

The Messenger completes the last bit of its second transformation. The pillar crumbles and cracks. A horrid ooze seems to leak from the cracks at first, but eventually the rocks fall away to reveal a 15' tall formless mass that springs six pseudopodial tentacles. A single red eye opens from its center, which gazes at the party with an unsettling absence of emotion.

Dharelen.jpg (214.78 KiB) Viewed 1675 times

*yes, the art shows 4, but there are 6 members.

The party's decisive action gives them an advantage, entitling the three party members who have remained to fight to strike first.

Arqos raises Sunfire and charges. The holy blade, however, fails to do any damage, as it does not penetrate the tough outer membrane of the bizarre, unholy being. Ethan's dual strikes are similarly ineffective - the fighter somehow also underestimated the toughness of the creature's "skin."

Flambeau moves forward more cautiously, and flings his holy hammer. It bounces off harmlessly, but returns to the cleric's hands. It appears this being could be hurt by the parties' weapons, but it will take a more direct and powerful hit to do so.

Holy shitty rolling Batman

The being seems to screech with anger...and lashes out with its six tentacles, sending three at Arqos and three at Ethan...two connect firmly with Ethan. One pummels him across the body, and wraps around him. The other encircles his feet, and yanks the fighter down to the ground!!! Ethan's head hits the stone floor with a smack! Frostfell falls to the ground, ringing as it clangs on the floor.

Ethan - 12 damage and two failed saves! Ethan stunned!!!
Arqos bats two of the tentacles away with his shield, but one lashes him across the arm, spraying a foul liquid across him as it hits.

Arqos - 6 damage, save versus poison please - armor bonus counts here.

The remainder of the party begin to flee. Olaf leads the vanguard of the group as far as the rockpile - and the coast appears clear. (The walls of fire have dropped with Vorsyin's unconsciousness.) Gaerys binds Vorsyin's wounds, while Hollis applies a healing spell from a scroll. The mage's condition stabilizes, though he remains unconscious. These two party members see the dire turn of events from the Temple out of the corner of their eye -- they remain just outside the room.

Ethan remains now at the mercy of the Messenger...but the soldiers of the Lord of Light remain strong and resolute in this fight for their lives. Do Gaerys and Hollis aid the escape or reverse course to help Ethan?

DECLARE ACTIONS!!!

HP:
Vorsyin: -1/49 [stable][-1 level...let's sort out the XP afterwards]
Gaerys: 21/69 (!)
Hollis: 8/52 (!!!)
Lorath: 9/40 (!!!)
Ethan: 40/71
Olaf: 12/75
Arqos: 89/114
Flambeau: 43/75

[Zhym]

Arqos swings harder at the newly reformed Messenger.

Sunfire vs. evil (THAC0 12): [1d20+4] = 11+4 = 15 Dmg [1d8+4] = 2+4 = 6 (S/M) [1d12+4] = 3+4 = 7 (L)