Let's Go Steal a Dungeon (MotBM IC/Campaign Log)

Liron almost disinterestedly snipes the hummingbird out of the air. It falls and splinters into a pile of expensive shards.

This does not deter the orchids. They move to surround Sarnai, and she cannot evade them all. One of them grasps her, but again, she is unaffected by the weirdly tantalizing smell of its bloom. Stella, for her part, keeps the ones attacking her at arm's length.



@swirlingflight Sarnai is grappled.

It is the party's turn.

 

Something about the disintegrating corpses seems important, but before Sarnai can start to think about it, more of the flowers traipse in and surround her. One's already grabbing at her, keeping her from getting away. But that's fine. Nobody seriously injured is right here, none of the other thieves are next to her. There's a spell for times like this. And these stupid, popping, acid-spitting flowers are almost the perfect foes for using it on.

She risks a deep breath, and gestures as she exclaims, "How about you buds get away?!"

Spoiler: Actions

Action: Casting Thunderwave with a 2nd level spell slot. Any flowers that fail a Con saving throw vs 14 take damage and are pushed away 10 feet away from Sarnai. Any that succeed the check take half damage and don't get pushed.
Their full damage would be as such: rolled 9,7,18,14,17 using 3d8,3d8,3d8,3d8,3d8, counter clockwise from the top right. So 9 to upper right, 7 to upper left, 18 to the buddy on A6 holding me, 14 to lower left on B6, and 17 to lower right on B7.

Bonus action: giving a bardic inspiration die to Stella, to assist with any dodging required for anything that the damaged adjacent flowers do.

Spoiler: soundtracking

 

Two of the Orchidmen disintegrate into acidic slush. Another is knocked back through the doorway. Everyone's ears start ringing, but Stella and Sarnai both avoid getting splashed.

 

Wincing at the sound of the Thunderwave, Stella was nevertheless inspired. It'd be best to avoid further splashes, at least until everyone else could move out of the way and she could tank the acid splash herself.

Spoiler: Action (UPDATED)

Stella is going to attempt to grapple the Orchidman on B6, attempting to slam into them and push them back to A5. I'm looking up what I need to roll a grapple, but I cannot find the relevant info and I'm pretty sure it's a strength check, in which case it's 19 (14+5 (str)).

EDIT: The grapple did not work as expected, so the Extra Attack will be used for the grapple, adding the Bardic Inspiration bonus this time for a total of... Whelp. 15 (9+1(bardic inspir dice) +5(str). I'll attack with the third attack, using the Short Sword so it counts under the TWF.

And I crit (20+8). Which is good, but Sarnai, I apologize for incoming monster-goo. 2d6+5 = 12, 17 if I am supposed to add the +5 weapon damage twice as well (I do not believe so, I saw just 'double your damage dice'.

 

Alabaster blinks off the last of the strange euphoria and pulls away from Lyriae with a grateful nod. Seeing an opportunity to pop an orchidman without anyone in the splash zone, they step carefully over the puddles of acid and deliquescing bodies, pull a javelin free from where they're stowed below their pack, and hurl it at one of the remaining orchidmen.

Spoiler

Alabaster moves to C6 and throws a javelin at the orchidman straight ahead out the door on rank 6
19+0+3=22 to hit, 6+0 damage (+2 for 8 damage if the duelist bonus applies to one-handed thrown weapons)

 

Stella fights off the orchid's flailing arms, gets a grip around its trunk, and forces it back against the wall. It's like an exhibition kill in the arena: she drives her short sword up into the "neck" under its blossom, then wrenches its "head" around as she pulls the sword out and steps back so that none of the acid spray touches her.

Alabaster's javelin flies true, but doesn't stop the other plant's renewed advance. It clatters to the floor, leaving an oozing wound.



@esotericPrognosticator and @thegrimsqueaker are up.

 

Liron points past Stella and Alabaster at the wounded orchidman.

Spoiler: I am the winter knight. it's me

They cast ray of frost again, with 12+5=17 to hit, and it does 4 cold damage if it hits

 

Lyriae shakes her head, trying to dispel the ringing in her ears, and shrugs in response to Alabaster's nod. By the time she's drawn her swords again, there is only one orchidman left; it's behind Sarnai, and it looks as though it's still regaining its bearings after the concussive blast. It is very easy for her to ghost up beside it, and she even has the leisure to cross her arms and attempt to slice both swords through it at once.

Spoiler: attack rolls, etc.

Lyriae moves into the doorway beside the orchidman and attacks with her action and bonus action; first attack is 18 to hit with 9 piercing damage plus 10 sneak attack damage, and second attack is 24 to hit with 1 piercing damage and 13 sneak attack damage. her Dex roll to avoid the acid spray is 13 (...eek), and her Wis roll against euphoria is 16.)

 

Blades and magic cut the remaining orchids down as the echoes of the thunderwave die away.

Spoiler: Lyriae and Sarnai

The corridor beyond the door opens up into a truly vast space, extending more than a hundred feet ahead. Its pale gray flagstones are crisscrossed with shadows, cast by lights in the high-vaulted ceiling. Perhaps sixty feet away is a tall figure robed in black, pacing back and forth.

 

In a triumph of teamwork, the orchids are taken down before it's too much of a problem. Only one of them fell, and not so badly that they can't rest and recuperate back in the safe house, just as soon as they look around a tiny bit more---

But before she turns to prod at the plant monster remains, motion in the corridor catches her eye. There's a large hallway ahead, more enormous than large, with none of the vibrant colors of their starting chamber. And there's yet another unfamiliar figure within.

"Well. I do wish they'd rolled out the red carpets. I didn't expect us to be quite so popular, our first trip in."


eta: orchids and orchards are slightly different

 

Alabaster goes over and looks at the frosted, shattered remains of the hummingbird.

 

Definitely gemstones. Probably worth a fair amount of gold even in this state.

 

Liron goes to examine the carcasses and see if they can safely procure any samples.

 

There are bits of plant matter that aren't saturated with acid which one could possibly pick up and store.

 

Lyriae inspects the blades of her swords to see if the acid on them has damaged the metal at all.

 

Whatever it is, it seems only to eat flesh. The steel is un-corroded.

 

Sarnai steps back from the doorway and stops beside Alabaster. "How are you feeling? It looks like there's something else up the hallway, so if you're very hurt..."

 

Alabaster stows the frost-covered shards of the former hummingbird in their pack, then turns to investigate the now-dark painting.

 

It's dark.

More worrisome is the fact that when you touch it, your fingers encounter cold, dry paint. There's no vertigo shimmer or whirl of colors. You remain in the prison.

 

Upon realizing that they didn't bring their full kit for taking samples because this was supposed to be a fairly simple burglary job, Liron settles in to take notes on the plant creatures.