The toad does move towards the wide gate.
[I am sorry, I have made an error that has arisen from the break and my memory having too many things to track. I'd like to retcon something. This gate IS the gate you saw in the vision; with wooden doors fifteen feet high and each seven feet wide. The doors are wide open. The bottoms of the door are frozen in place and cannot be moved. There is nothing to prevent the party from moving through the wall and deeper into the cavern ... from beyond there are sounds of croaking: a hollow, resounding echo, that never ceases ...
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32 comments:
[That's funny, I always considered this as being _the_ gate, visions and past descriptions not always being 20/20]
Any thoughts, my fellowship? It is still 2 hexes inside the fenced area, but we know how this is going to turn out. Hold your fire for now, no point in loosing missiles before it crosses the threshold.
Alexis, I'm assuming I'm the one closest to the toad, is this correct?
(slight correction: toad is 4 hexes inside the gate. This would be easier with a diagram that showed our individual positions)
It can pounce 5 hexes, which it may well be preparing to do.
Mikael: do you really have a spell that can negate his croak ability? That would go a ways to making this manageable.
I can stun the toad for a round, but since we doj't know if magic can cross the threshold, I would need to step inside
Ok, yeah, don't do that. We were warned specifically NOT to pass through the gate. We'll have to draw it out. Englehart, can you toss me a healing salve before we get this thing fighting?
[Also, I really really hope that a Croak spell works on the giant toad!!]
I wish I had tested if magic crosses the barrier. Mikael is focusing on the toad now.
Should we continue our retreat, and see if the toad follows?
The croak cantrip that Mikael mentions could stun-lock the toad for a round, yes; but the point of the cantrip is to make the toad croak. If the croak has an effect (and Engelhart is basing his conclusion upon the toad's earlier croak and upon what I wrote about giant frogs recently, so it hasn't been confirmed yet), then Mikael's cantrip will CAUSE that effect by making the toad croak.
Sorry about the lack of an image, Engelhart. Working on different projects; and I have to find an apartment this month, in the few days I have off from work. If the party turns and fights, I'll create a map, but not until then please.
So words I threw around casually such as "negate" and "stun" may have been a tad strong, but I can force it to use its ability. So there is that.
The cantrip also gives the creature a saving throw.
Alexis: by all means; All I wished was to situate our party members as currently I've got no inkling as to our positioning relative to the toad.
(for what it is worth, with our reduced speed in this terrain, I doubt avoiding confrontation is even possible)
Edit: I can *maybe* force it to use its ability.
It sounds like an ordered retreat is still the plan. If the toad attacks, we will handle it at thelat time. Unless the group believes the toad moving nearer the gate changes the plan.
I wouldn't be too worried about activating its croaking (if it indeed has that ability), Mikael, due to the fact that the first ranged hit will trigger it, regardless. You're better off sticking a dart in the thing as it will activate the croak just as surely and with some inflicted damage, to boot.
The thing is, our abundant success with the previous encounter left us devoid of information, bar the cold aura, which is indeed an absolute killer.
I speculated the croak based on Alexis' recent MM output of a comparable monster entry as well as its behaviour on the previous combat.
Its ability to jump and spellcasting are completely speculative (though a toad that jumps is a near-given).
Once Alexis clarifies our collective positioning (we can't all be 7 hexes away from the Toad, for one), then proper deliberation can begin.
I will ask this one right out the gate though, Alexis: how much in AP to apply a batch of healing salve?
I'm perfectly fine with your being closest to the toad, Engelhart; because of the cold and the wind, I feel the party would clump together. I've created an image and proposed a position; please feel free to correct your location on the map, so long as you don't post yourself more than two hexes from any other character.
Applying the salve comes under eating and drinking: 1 AP = "cost per ounce of food consumed or per 2 ounces of liquid consumed. A potion will normally consist of 8 ounces of fluid, so quaffing a potion will require 4 AP. A healing salve typically measures 2 ounces."
So it will either follow us, or it won't. If it will follow us, we should continue our retreat to lure it outside. If it won't, are we going in to fight it?
As I believe the answer to that last question is a "no," we should probably continue our retreat. I would advise splitting up so it cannot jump on us and get us all in its aura
[much obliged for the map, it immediately shed some clarity]
Alexis: just 1 AP? That means I could conceivably go hog-happy on healing salves and consume four in a round?
Mikael: it certainly seems that we can keep our distance for now. And if possible we should endeavour to do just that.
1 AP per ounce; a healing salve is two ounces. Therefore, 2 AP per salve. Remember that this does not include fetching the item from your person (1 AP) or from your backpack (1 to 3 full rounds).
Apologise my rather basic questions: I've never actually used a salve before (and it's not immediately perceptible in the Wiki's table of examples).
So, it comes down to either "salve or move" for me. Tough choices.
Mikael & fellow party members: regarding splitting up, remember that Alexis has allowed us to edit our positioning up to a point. I'm staying where I am following through with my statement that I'd be the last to depart.
Maybe Lothar and Englehart hang back a moment to heal, Rob, Embla and myself move a few hexes away (not many, just like 4-5)?
Let me step in. We need to sort out the starting positions first. Engelhart has given his; Mikael, I'll rule that you're clearly happy with yours.
Embla, Lothar, Rob ... Good with where you are right now?
I'm good with where I'm at.
I'm ok as well with my position.
And i think that the toad may be trying to bait is to cross the door. Better to retreat a little and have him cross the threshold.
My position is good.
I concur with Rob here.
Definitely agreed.
Alexis: now that everyone's aboard, should we declare actions?
[Yes, that did take a while, didn't it? For those of you who are champing at the bit, I am sorry. I've got a lot going on; I hope to explain some of the stranger parts of it in a few months, but I can't talk about it now except to say that it involves a lawyer. I did say I was going to be moving slow. Often it is easier for me to be wrapped up in the comparative escape of writing a post than answering a single comment here; just now, this is the earliest I was able to address Embla's contribution that I read this morning]
Because the toad is not being aggressive, I will give any initiative to the party. Please describe your actions this round. Anybody I don't hear from by 10 EST tomorrow will be counted as not moving.
[Oof, I am an attorney and speaking with us is no fun. I hope all is well.]
I move back 5 hexes (presumably 0714), I want to make sure nothing is using our distracted state to launch an attack (not that I am really expecting one; but as we have decided against crossing the threshold, any future attacking is on hold until either the frog or some other force chooses to attack)
(Mikael, remember that each hex is 1.5 AP, that's part of what's keeping us here)
I move back one hex to 0708 and begin casting Withdraw.
Lothar: your request didn't pass me by, I just don't yet know if I'll have the AP to indulge you. Do use the one salve you've got on you in the meantime.
Thank you Englehart, my memory is absolute garbage. I pull back 3 squares, to 0712.
I pull out and drink my salve. I hope they taste okay.
This is noted. Engelhart beat me to correcting Mikael.
[and aha, I see that 5e reference to squares]
[I'm nowhere near the content to upgrade and create a new map and post; someone kick me in 8 hours and tell me to do so; I want to write the 23rd class tonight and I don't want to forget the campaign while I do that]
The next post is up.
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