# Party Tactics and Rules III: Shock and Awe



## andargor (Mar 29, 2003)

*Background*

This is the continuation of the saga of our poor party, trying to resolve the mystery surrounding the disappearance of spellcasters in their region. One of the casters in question was Semeren's sister, Jelyneth. This was initially narrated to give some background to rule questions from my group.

The rule questions are in D&D Rules, and the thread can be found here

*Cast of Characters*

Makou (Human Mnk6)
Sa'Keb (Human Clr6)
Semeren (Human Ftr6)
Melian (Half-Elf Mnk3/Sor3)
Firingon (Elf Mnk1/Wiz5)
Khaira (Elf Rog4?)

In the first installment, Party Tactics and Rules, our party was investigating some mines where we thought some of the bad guys were holed up. The party was not disappointed, and that narrative relates the battle against two clerics and a fighter, and their undead cohorts. (Khaira mysteriously disappeared during this adventure.) The party was in way over its head (party level: 4, enemies: Clr6, Clr4, Ftr6, a dozen zombies), but prevailed. A cloak and a ring belonging to Jelyneth was found on one of the clerics. Large double-doors leading yet onwards beckoned...

In the second installment, Party Tactics and Rules II: The Path to Stupidity, our fearless Makou decides to (somewhat chaoticly) knock on the doors, which results in the exhausted party fighting against advance elements of an orc army, hidden underground. By sheer luck, good tactics, and judicious use of items found in the previous fight, they managed to kill dozens of orcs and their large lizard-like mounts, although not without losing one of the party's members: Hybrahim (R.I.P). The party rose by 2 levels following this encounter.

*What the Party Knows*

The party had interrogated some captured bandits, and had learned that an evil cleric named Ranchefus was responsible for the caster kidnappings. Ranchefus uses powerful adventurers to do his bidding, using a special domination potion that make the imbiber smell like fish. Semeren is keen to track him down and find his sister. The party also discovered the possible location of his base: the Spiral Tower, a fortress in a large thorn forest nearby. The party is also warned that the fortress is defended not only by Ranchefus' bandit forces, but also by traps guarding its approaches. Hopefully, the captured casters, including Semeren's sister, are there.

After healing their wounds, and mastering their new abilities, they set off to assault the hideout and rid the world of Ranchefus.

(This is a summary of about two to three game sessions. I've only given you this much information for the sake of brevity)

*Operation Caster Freedom*

*thwack*

Semeren glistens with sweat as he swings his mighty greatsword yet again to clear a path through the thorns. He suddenly stops, and whispers to the others that he sees a possible clearing ahead. The fortress is near.

Firingon uses his boots of levitation and rises above the thorns, which extend 40' into the air. He drops back down, and confirms that a clearing is ahead. The party progresses slowly towards its edge.

Indeed it is the fortress.

A sandy clearing extends 100' from the Tower in every direction. Yet, Spiral Tower is now a misnomer for the ancient stronghold, as its pride has crumbled onto the clearing floor, leaving only the actual fort fairly intact. The wall facing the party is riddled with arrowslits.

Khaira's skills in trap finding are sorely missing, as she is still not to be found, so the party decides to send Melian, the fearless sorcerer, to scout. Firingon turns him invisible, and he sets out.

He makes his way around the fortress, in the clearing. Not without some difficulty: he gets trapped by a rope and falls into a few well-hidden spike pits. His Feather Fall spell comes in handy...

He discovers that the base of the ancient Tower is still intact, and on it a sentinel stands guard. Also, only three of the walls have arrowslits, the wall facing away from the party's position is devoid of them. After a few more traps, slightly bleeding, he thinks it wise to return to the forest edge on the other side and return to the party. The fort remains quiet, the triggered traps did not seem to raise the alarm.

In the meantime, the party has a pleasant surprise: Khaira reappears. She is confused, as her last memory was being in the mines. She does not exactly know where she has been, or how much time had passed. After verifying that this is no trick from the enemy, the party welcomes her with some relief and brings her up to speed with current events.

A quick plan is drawn, not without some bickering. Makou proposes a bold plan to simply walk up and attack the sentinel head-on. But after the "knocking" incident, the casters tell him to mind his own business, and leave the planning to them. "Be a nice Monk and hit what we tell you to hit. Now go over there and sharpen your hands or something". They also specificly warn him to stay away from doors... Makou sullenly complies.

The casters decide, with Sa'Keb's blessing, to make their way around the clearing at the forest's edge to where the base of the tower, and the sentinel, are. There, Melian will attempt to kill the sentinel using _Magic Missiles_, assisted by Khaira's bow and Semeren's sling.

Firingon, who would rather have cast _Sleep_ on the sentinel, reluctantly agrees to the plan and will act as a backup in case the sentinel does not straightaway fall. Hopefully, the sentinel will not have time to raise the alarm. Then the party will advance to the ruined Tower's base, and enter the fortress from there.

As the party decides to start getting into position, they are ambushed.

Javelins streak through the air, and one hits Firingon in the back. Six orcs, on patrol, have surprised the party from the rear. Firingon promptly levitates into the thorny canopy to seek cover, thereby confirming the nickname his companions fondly give him: "chicken". The others burst into action, and make short work of the inferior and poorly equipped enemy forces.

Thoroughly warmed up, the party is now ready for the task at hand.

Placing themselves into striking position, the air assault begins. Melian, Khaira and Semeren unleash their spells and missiles, and the sentinel is hit several times, but she is still standing. Before she has time to cry out, Firingon finishes her off with three devastating _Magic Missiles_. He gives the others a smug look.

Shaking their heads, the party starts for the Tower base, Khaira with her keen senses in the lead. Since haste was necessary, she misses a couple of traps, and falls into one. She is only slightly injured, and a safety rope is attached around her for the remainder of the trek, which is uneventful.

They reach the Tower base, and with a combination of climbing skills, levitation, and ropes, all members reach the top. The unconscious body of the sentinel and spiral stairs leading down are the only features in sight.

Judging that the sentinel is a security risk, Sa'Keb decides to cut her throat. The party members take no joy in this, but they consider it necessary. And it's the enemy, after all. Her body is dumped in the rubble of the fallen Tower, hidden from sight.

The adventurers descend the stairs, and arrive at what seem to be barracks. Semeren, with uncharacteristic impatience, smashes a door leading into a bedchamber. A fighter, resting within, raises the alarm. A young adolescent suddenly emerges from one of the doors, and a second fighter from another.

The party makes quick work of the fighters, and the adolescent is nearly pinned to the wall by a bolt from Melian's crossbow. He immediately begs the party to stop attacking, and surrenders.

He indicates to the party that he was forced to serve Ranchefus' forces under pain of death, and he will gladly assist the party in ridding himself of his cruel master. The party, not trusting him, tie him up and gag him.

Sa'Keb decides not to kill him, this time.

No other forces attack the group. The party notices that the fighters smell like fish. Innocents are the first casualties of war...

Searching the room, a hastily drawn map is found. It shows the layout of the basement level of the fortress, attainable by the spiral stairs which continue to that level.

One of the rooms is marked "Priest". Another is marked "Prison".

Semeren's jaw sets in grim resolve...

*Shock and Awe*

The party decides to remove the greatest threat first: Ranchefus. Hopefully, this "decapitation attack" will free the adventurers under the effect of potions and demoralize his troops, speeding the success of the operation with a minimum of collateral damage.

The map indicates that other rooms contain undead, and other unpleasantness. It also indicates that Ranchefus' room is close to the stairs, but no door is evident on the map.

The party makes its way down to the basement, and Firingon uses his keen Elf senses to look for a secret door, near the point on the map where the priest's room is supposed to be. Lo, and behold! A hidden door is found in the most probable location.

A quick plan is drawn: Makou and Semeren, the tanks, will enter the room as quickly as possible and dash for Ranchefus. Khaira will provide missile cover. Melian and Firingon, who levitates to the top of the door, will use their spells on targets of opportunity. Sa'Keb will ensure they are not flanked, and deal with any undead forces.

The forces are set. Semeren opens the door.

The party is not disappointed. Their intelligence was correct: Ranchefus is there. On either side of him, zombies. He is at the far end of the room, with a door at his back. Semeren steps into the room, followed closely by Makou. He notices two other zombies, waiting in ambush besides the door. He turns, and engages one. Makou positions himself deeper in the room, suffering an attack of opportunity by one of the zombies at the door. He can however not reach Ranchefus himself. Khaira can see one zombie from outside the room, and she fires her bow, destroying it. Sa'Keb engages another zombie.

Ranchefus casts a spell on himself, bolstering his defenses. He orders his zombies to attack, and more appear from the door at his back.

Firingon assesses the situation from the comfortable cover of the door. He peeks inside from the top, and notices that the tanks have not yet reached their target. Ranchefus is still intact. He therefore unleashes his most powerful spell on him: _Fireball_. The deafening detonation destroys the zombies near the evil cleric, and scorches him somewhat.

Semeren makes short work of the zombies at the door, and Makou can finally reach the still smoldering cleric. Using is expert Martial Arts, he trips Ranchefus, who falls painfully to the ground, and follows up with a mighty blow. More zombies and skeletons stream from the door to attack the rest of the party, but Makou's superior dexterity and combat reflexes allow him to strike and destroy many as they attempt to pass by him.

A battered Ranchefus rises from the floor, his cloak transforming itself into wings. He flies away from Makou, who strikes him yet again. The low ceiling however prevents him from getting out of reach.

But there is no escape for the brutal cleric. Melian steps in, and unleashes _Magic Missiles_ at the priest. With a great and last cry, his quarry falls to the ground.

Ranchefus, the terror of the region, is defeated.

(The DM then says, and I quote: "Shock and Awe")

*Mopping up*

The party finishes off the remaining undead, searches immediate area, and finds some items and chests, one of which is trapped with a _Glyph of Warding_. They rest, and contemplate their next actions, which will probably include clearing out the rest of the stronghold. Jelyneth and the other kidnapped casters are still to be found...

Operation Caster Freedom has just begun...

(Game session ends.)

Thanks for reading, and I hope you've enjoyed it! Stay tuned for more of our blundering!

Andargor


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