Felltower: Things Fall Apart?

We kicked off where we ended, which was in deep trouble. A realization that Greater (Greatest?) Healing was not a 1-second spell meant that Sigur’s plight was still dire. -20 HP or so but free of many grapples. So very much still reeling and rolling to stay conscious each turn, with the spellcasters at low energy: Healing isn’t coming any time soon.

We start with Kel at the top of the order…the demon grunt dodges, for the second time this entire combat. Sigur hacks at a leg…hits, and the thing disappears in a puff of sulfurous smoke. So I’m not sure if the crippling did it, or just we’d finally whittled him down, but now Sigur is at -20 HP but no control points. Acting without -5 to it should be a real benefit. On the other hand, I still have to roll vs KO each turn, and while I’m HT 12, it’s really just a matter of time.

“Oh, hey, Peter, totally munchkin question…does my Higher Purpose apply to HT rolls?”
“No.”
“Yeah, I wouldn’t allow it either, but I had to ask.”

Recall thought that I’m on the happy end of Protection from Evil +5 (5 DR) and Shield 5 (+5 DB) and we’re fighting Truly Evil foes…so I’m now sporting Block-24 and Parry-24. So I’m good at -4 or -5 per repeat for something like six attacks (block and parry decrement separately).

I fend off an attempted grapple with a block, then cut again to the left leg of the target in front of me, doing a solid 15 points (my usual roll vs demons is 2d+8). I cripple his leg and he falls! Durin charges up his Acid Ball spell more. I fend off an attack from the fallen demon easily, and Belmak resists attempts to hurt him more, despite being helpless. We start targeting legs and feet, and Kel hits one with a cutting arrow to the leg.

I critically succeed my HT roll to stay conscious, so I don’t have to roll unless I take even a point of damage…that’s huge. Then I crit my attack to the leg, and do 18 cut, crippling a second one, who also falls.

Ooo, the acid ball misses and hits a friend to the leg. 10 points acid damage, less DR 6 from Armor and actual protection. Takes 4hp and loses 1 DR from the leg. Self-own. Ouch.

Demon grunt grabs at Durin, who has taken my place at the door as I walk into the fray; Durin parries. I step behind the crippled one and swing for the neck, who’s holding himself up with the grapple on Belmak, and miss by 1, hitting for 12 cut to the torso. Still up, but now the demons face me in their rear hex, and I’m free to move about the country.

The Ambassador finally pulls a Hidden Lore roll, which confirms No Brain, No Neck, No Vitals, and no special effects from crippling. So my targeting the neck is pointless, but hewing a leg is always good from a “fall down” perspective.

Durin again fends off a grapple, Belmak is squeezed to no effect. I hack away at the back of someone grappling Belmak, for 13 cut to the torso; unsurprisingly he’s still up. I get healed up to -12 HP, so I’m no longer past the first death threshold (doesn’t matter much at this point) but still if I get damaged again I’m in the “roll each turn for KO” land.

Durin gets grappled for 10 CP; he’s at -5 ST and DX, -3 to active defenses, and can’t Concentrate. We need to free him up. Demon grunt whose back is to me elects to keep squeezing Belmak to no avail. I try and sever the arm of the guy grppling Durin, but miss, rolling 17 (and that’s why skill of 16+ matters) for a normal miss.

I chop at the arm of the guy grappling Durin, hit, and roll low, only doing 11 cut, which is enough to make him let go. Woot. Durin immediately bashes the demon in the hit points for 9 damage. Desmond aims his acid ball, and we’re into the demons again. One demon has two crippled arms, a crippled leg, but still manages to kick at Durin from the floor, and he fails to block, and takes 8 hp to the torso even through DR 6. (raw damage roll was 14 HP, which is, well, a lot).

Belmak finally faces a death check at -24 HP, and critical succeeds on it…which has no effect really. The rest of us continue to pile HP of damage on the downed-and-kicking guy.

I try and set up macros in Foundry for “I kill him in the hit points” (swing for torso at SM -1 target) and “ouch, I hit” (2d+8 cut).

The demons continue their maniacal focus on Belmak, giving us a mostly unhindered path to whittle down-and-kicking into dust, eventually. Kel arrows down-and-kicking for 10 basic damage, which finally kills him. Poof. With a deep basso grown, it disintegrates into dust.

Ooo, my macros work and all, and I hit one of the guys grappling Belmak (the one with a crippled leg) for a max damage 20hp hit to the torso. We all start piling on Legless McDemonpants now, and I take him down.

I stay where I am, knowing I can step into the demon’s side hex, and hoping to entice them to step to me; I remain safe for now, but I don’t expect them to chase me. They don’t. I do step in and deliver 15 cut to the left arm of the demon, which doesn’t cripple it. I suspect the arm is armored. We’ll see if a Leg hit next time helps.

We’re all stepping into the room now, angling for dogpile shots past Belmak. Much to my surprise, we’re in the wrap-up unless something bad happens.

Minor damage from Kel, and a crippling leg hit to the new target from me; the claw must have been armored, but the leg not so much. More torso hewing coming up. People keep going with their strengths; Belmak gets healed by something like 18 HP, which is good, since he’s at minus huge right now.

I shift to rapid strikes, still rolling vs a net of 15, to see if I can accelerate HP depletion. Kel does 9 HP, and I hit twice for 29 HP total, but demon grunt is still up. One more demon drops, and 14 HP to a fresh one cripples a new one’s leg.

I’m the beneficiary of another 8 HP healing spell, bringing me to -4 HP…almost positive. Desmond builds up his acid ball more, and I deliver 24 HP in two rapid strikes to one of the two remaining demon’s torso. Even so, we’re dealing with a matter of time as long as we can keep up pressure.

Desmond flings a 3d acid ball at one of the demons for only 9 HP. Belmak takes a few more HP of damage. Kel targets the same guy for 7HP. I continue to chop logs…30 HP total. I’ve hit this guy for 85 HP in the last three turns and he’s still up. Lather rinse repeat finally kills him. One left.

I chop twice at its left arm for 14HP each, crippling the arm and dropping all the Control Points from Belmak as he lets go. Gollum voice: “Belmak is freeeeee.” We slowly edge up the healing on Belmek, and I’m about ready to start hewing torso until it’s over.

Belmek gets grabbed again by the remaining demon, and he must parry or dodge because he ran out without his shield, oh, and he’s not holding a weapon, so he retreating dodges…and that’s half as well due to massive damage. 14 Control on Belmek. Kel shoots and hits for 8HP, Belmek must roll consciousness and try to break free. I chop logs for 31 HP.

A final arrow from Kel and the remaining demon grunt dies. Finally.

We spend a bit of time patching up as best we can. Belmek gets a major healing potion, I get a minor one, but we’re both still in deep trouble, Sigur at 0 HP and Belmek at -19…I get a bit more ministration and am brought to reeling (3HP), with another 2HP needed to get me out of that status. Belmek is now at +15HP though, so that’s quite good.

Those of us who are able poke around in the trash. Broken jugs (a few), cracked mug, two 2×2 cushions smelling old and mildewy, rolls of cotton-like material, most of a spear, some partially burned papyrus…Sigur finds a boot and bootheel that match. Durin finds a broken short sword, but embedded in the hilt are 7 gemstones, so that’s not bad. A box filled with glass bottles, three of which have liquid in them. They’re very delicate. Another broken sword, into three pieces (we don’t find the middle piece), and an ironbound crate. Belmek steps up to open the crate by force, and we wrap the delicate glass bottles in the cotton batting for safety…but as we wrap it, a pair of bottles fall out of the cotton, one of them smashing on the ground. We grab the pieces of the broken longsword (tip and hilt).

At this point, we decide discretion is the better part of valor, take what we can, and leave the room, intent on leaving the delve and headed back to Town. No free lunch, though: we “watch those corners” and head back to the stairs bit by bit. Back to level 2…and gather up my old armor so we can sell it back in town. It doesn’t formally count as loot, but we can probably get a few hundred silver for it.

We slowly proceed … but we get hit with an evil rune dehydrate trap. Belmek and Kel both take some damage; Sigur is protected by a good HT roll and Higher Purpose. Evil Runes are persistent, so this is something we mark on the map for later.

Break for Lunch, then Delver Up and Re-Enter

We vote, and of five players we have three votes to rest for one day and refresh spells, and then push harder for more loot.

We also do a bit of selective healing, so we’re all mostly healed up. We cautiously return to the “junk room” and slowly try the door into it, which is locked. We break it down, explore a bit, and then start trying (stuck) doors. The first one is a short room, second is a hallway, so is the third, and the fourth is … also a hallway. We head down the hall that looks like it has a branch to it, which moves to map “north,” then heads west, then curves back down south again. Folks really liked twisty passages here.

We continue for a while, and eventually reach another door, which Belmek opens easily. We see multiple sources of flickering torchlight ahead, and some people as well. It looks like a classic torture chamber, with two hooded figures in black robes standing in front of an old man looking badly beaten. Someone in distress? (“Maybe we’ll get a little cheddar…and if not, well…”) Combat time.

We’re not subtle, and as we enter, one of the guys yells “Kill him!” And as we enter the room, one of the torturers draws a shortsword and stabs the guy in the chest, presumably the vitals. He lets out a tired groan.

Our scout enters the room and lets fly with an arrow, attempting to hit the guy in the vitals, but he dodges. After a bit of motion, someone comes out from behind Desmond and grapples him for 5 CP, and suddenly there are two (or more) bad guys on the board.

Some striking into combat, some attempts to break free ensue. Belmek continues to charge. One of the special guest torturers tries to stab Desmond from behind; chinks in armor to the vitals with a very sharp knife, but only for 3 injury (1 penetrating), and of course the blade is poisoned, for another 2 toxic damage.

Kelee gets garroted, Desmond tries to break free, but he’s being held up by his grappler. Des crit-fails a grapple to break free and tears a muscle. Ook. -3 to any actions until the injury (right arm) heals due to pain.

Kel is being grappled and tries to draw an arrow; he F-Ds an arrow (making a lot of rolls in the process). He tries to shoot the guy over his shoulder (?!) like the Heroic Archer he is. Doesn’t work. More flailing, and ineffectual attempts both to stab and counter-grapple. Master torturer then casts Fear on Belmek of the Will-10; causes -3 to rolls vs that guy.

I grapple the guy attacking Kel with my axe (armed grapple to the arm), and Durinn crit fails something and flings his weapon away from him. Sigh. Keystone Cops. And what happens when strikers and scouts go and engage grapplers in Medieval Martial Arts. Also, wizards and scouts should not get grappled. Rule of thumb.

Belmek gets stabbed in the eye with a shortsword for 8 injury; his right eye is blinded and he has to make a HT roll vs poison, which he makes. This isn’t even a major wound for him, though, so … still in the fight. Very aggressive scratched cornea, and the poisoned sword does an extra 6 toxic. That’s more serious.

I attack to pull the guy on Kell off, which works; Kell’s no longer grappled or being strangled. At least at the moment. Now if I can come back around to my turn, I can start trying to throw telling blows. Maybe Kel can shoot him in the foot or something, but evil cult guy is going to get a chance to attack Kel or me first. He stabs Kel in the vitals from the back for 9 injury.

Kel and Desmond both get KO’d by various attacks. Belmek gets stabbed at, but missed. I swing at my de-grappled foe and barely am dodged. I may need to set this one up. Belmek hits and KO’s one of the non-master torturers (3d+8 will do that to you).

The guy I almost hit fades back and rapid-strikes two to Durinn, who takes 9 injury. Master Torturer – who was supposed to be invisible thanks to drinking a potion, but Foundry messed that up for Peter – still gets a free shot to Belmek’s back and stabs him in the back for (only) 6 to the vitals, plus a HT roll at -5 for poison, which he makes. He still takes 10 toxic damage.

I step in to grapple the guy in front of me with my shield…and roll an 18, pure critical miss. I fall down. Gawdammit. One assassin, two assassin, three assassin, floor.

Belmek spins around to see the master torturer and would hit, except he critically succeeds his dodge roll, so Belmek drops his weapon instead.

Desmond is awake, tho, thanks to a spell by Durinn…but Desmond gets stabbed again by his assailant for 9 more injury.

We suck so hard. Desmond passes out again. Because I fell face-up, our torturer friend moves away from me to attack Durinn twice, though Durinn defends both times. And master torturer casts Death Vision on Belmek. Ouch. That’s a potent spell.

I do a rolling cut at the guy’s leg, which hits, his defense fails…and I roll minimum damage. Because of course I did. ARRRRR.

Belmek unstuns, so there’s that. Durinn has a free shot at the guy I just wounded for 5pts of kick-to-the-balls. Good hit, but not a major wound, but -8 from shock penalty thanks to major wound.

Desmond gets stabbed again for 9 HP more to the vitals…Desmond crits his death check, which is like a smile from a celebrity. It feels good, but that’s all that matters.

The shock penalty from the groin kick means that the guy misses by 1 on the stab to the vitals to Durinn, who blocks. Belmek gets stabbed at to the eye, but he defends.

Sigur can’t roll through the doorway, so I spend a turn getting to kneeling. That’s a waste of a good shock penalty, but such it is. Belmek gets stabbed in the eye again.

The guy in front of me is Waiting, so I stand and ready my long spear. This will presumably cause him to either attack or retreat, but either way I should be able to start engaging these guys at a distance. We shall see. He steps up, stabs at my eye, but misses. I stab him in the vitals with my long spear for 7 basic, up to 21 injury depending on his armor. He’s very badly wounded, but he’s up…but falls unconscious due to a failed HT roll the next turn.

Sigur is pretty much the only one functional at this point. Master torturer comes to me, I Wait, he decides to nope out for the moment. I start to give chase, but remember I could take healing potions off my friends.

Durinn magically awakens Kel. I hold back, Waiting, and encourage folks to help magically awaken folks. Durinn swings a potion. I step back and close the door so we can’t be approached from behind easily.

We drop out of combat time, and do what we can to patch up and get folks awake. The old man is dead; we kill the downed torturers mostly out of desperation.

We collect knives and swords, shurikens. Drag Belmek near the door. And the slog to heal Belmek…we won’t know if he’s permanently blinded until he’s fully healed. So: 6 shuriken, a short sword and 2 large knives per dead guy. We shoulder Belmek and get the hell out of dodge, trying to get to a safe(r) space so we can chill out and berate ourselves for being nearly TPK’d again twice in two delves.

We struggle unmolested out of the third level, back up to the second. We actually get map-lost on the way out, which is both realistic and par for the course.

We finally get out, and heal everyone up. We discover that Belmek is only permanently blinded in one eye, so we’ll need Restoration or Regeneration to fix it. We slog our way back to town.

Loot and Such

We wound up grabbing

• Shortsword hilt with seven gems
• Broken longsword hilt and tip
• Three vials of delicate liquid in glass, wrapped
• Two short-swords
• Four knives
• Six shuriken
• Some crossbows and cheap broadswords

Also, we should be able to get 40% of the $930 value of my old armor: $370.

One of the glass vials is stagnant water; one is a potion of eternal rest, another a potion of super-heroism.

We score XP for loot and exploration; Sigur gets some nods for killing a lot of demons, and the John Wick rolling thing and a timely Wait with a spear. So I get MVP for the session.

The gems are worth $700 total. Platinum wire in the hilt of the longsword is worth $900. We evaluate the swords, knives, and shuriken as “nothing special.”

Well…we surivived?