GB Chapter 48: The Dread Queen

General Summary

Admin

• Based on the rulings mid-session and fairness, I won't be enforcing the "two spells in one turn" rule until after this fight is over. In fact, the new rule (takes effect post-fight) will be as follows: "If you cast a leveled spell as an Action or Bonus Action on your turn, you can only cast a cantrip or low-level spell (1/2 the first spell's level) with your remaining Action/Bonus Action. This rule does not apply to spells cast with Reactions."
• Balcazar: you have a Fate Flipper. If you wish to use your Reaction to use this when Solya downed you, you could use this to potentially stay up.
• Others: you guys found one Fate Flipper amongst MBs items. Out of game, it makes the most sense/fairness for Chazzle to take this since it was an item Nick bought. In game, there's no specific justification for either character to have it more than another, but only one Fate Flipper can be held in a singular person's possession (they repel like magnets). Decide amongst yourselves who should have it, keeping in mind who has healing/reviving items and/or spells (your characters would have logically had this conversation, so I don't consider it to be metagaming).
• Fork: Defibrillate (4th level Goultani spell) restores 4d8 HP plus your spellcasting modifier (Constitution for you I forgot about that spell during the session and didn't have time to look it up mid-game. When you guys took a Short Rest, you also could have switched around your Gaioforce spells, if yuou wanted to. As such, since this was all based off miscommunication/the one healing spell being lost in a sea of spells and you based your Round 4 activities based on that information, I will allow you to use your RP judgement and retcon your part of that turn if you believe Fork would have done that.
• Balcazar: Since you were unclear on how Short Rests worked vs. Long Rests and may have overcast some spells that you might not have had the slots for, I'll just say you expended your slots for that level (if you casted more than you had) and not retcon the events of the session.
• Chazzle: The Candy Cane Javelins don't fully freeze a person; they partially freeze them and give them the grappled conditions, but they can still do stuff. I misunderstood what you were telling me about the friozen ability, but since Draconius is free from his icy binds and it made for funny RP, we'll let what happened stand.
• Item Catalog has been updated; I gave you guys more group loot from the dragon, since it makes sense that you would've gotten it. Some of your items are bufffed/modified, so be sure to check that out too. You also got 21,000 XP from the previous session.
• Hit dice retcons: Chazzle got himself to full using ?? of their hit dice (he never sent me the Discord DM detailing how much HP he regained and how many hit dice he used). I'm going to assume that half were expended, unless Nick can give me a better number. Draconius used all his hit dice.
• Rule proposal: currently, nat20 & nat1 rules apply to attack rolls and saving throws (in 5e Rules as Written, it would only apply to attack rolls). To put it to a vote, would you guys (as a party) prefer to keep this rule the same, or would you like to add ability/skill checks to the rule as well?

The Session

Combat: Gaiobros vs. Dread Qeen Solya & Darkjaw

Initiative

• Darkjaw: 24 (200/200 HP, 2/4 1st, 3/3 2nd, 3/3 3rd, 2/3 4th, 0/1 5th). Damage/spell slots accurate up to end of Darkjaw's Round 3 turn.
• Lair Action: 20
• Chazzle: 22
• Fork: 19
• Master Obu: 18
• Sevira (The Girl): goes after Obu (61/70 HP, 4/4 1st, 3/3 2nd, 3/3 3rd, 3/3 4th, 1/2 5th, 1/1 6th, 1/1 7th)
• Dread Queen Solya: 18 (150/150 HP, 4/4 1st, 2/3 2nd, 2/3 3rd, 1/3 4th, 0/2 5th, 1/1 6th, 0/1 7th, 0/1 8th, 0/1 9th)
• Balcazar: 14
• Stonius: 12 (??/150 HP, 4/4 1st, 3/3 2nd, 3/3 3rd, 2/2 4th. Took 39 damage this session, didn't use any spell slots this session but the slots aren't updated from last time)
• Mummy Blight 1: 10 (41/58 HP, 1/1 Fungal Swarm, 1/1 Barkwhip Bonus Action, 0/1 Fungal Rush Bonus Action)
• Mummy Blight 2: 10 (0/58 HP, 1/1 Fungal Swarm, 0/1 Barkwhip Bonus Action, 1/1 Fungal Rush Bonus Action)
• Mummy Blight 3: 10 (0/58 HP, 1/1 Fungal Swarm, 1/1 Barkwhip Bonus Action, 0/1 Fungal Rush Bonus Action)
• Draconius: 3 (0/95 HP, 4/4 1st, 3/3 2nd, 1/3 3rd, 3/3 4th, 0/2 5th, 1/1 6th, 0/1 7th, 1/1 8th. Slots might not be updated since last session)
• Amon (The Boy): goes after Draconius (60/70 HP, 4/4 1st, 3/3 2nd, 3/3 3rd, 3/3 4th, 1/2 5th, 1/1 6th, 1/1 7th)
• The Shade Walker: goes at the end (176/180 HP, 4/4 1st, 3/3 2nd, 3/3 3rd, 3/3 4th, 1/1 5th)

Round 3

• Darkjaw: Seeing Solya injured, Darkjaw flies into the air, taking 20 slashing/4 fire/4 rage damage (28 total) from Chazzle on the way out. He gets close enough to heal Solya 21 HP with Reptilian Regeneration (5th level). He uses his movement & Bonus Action to dash/fly towards Balcazar, stating "I can't wait to taste that tail." Solya will cast Moon Heal (5th level, 2 Legendary Actions; no more until after her turn) to recover 41 HP (doubled from nighttime+full moon thanks to Haunted Forest). In total, Solya healed 62 HP on this turn.
• Lair Action: Solya raises 3 Mummy Blights from the undead foliage, who act on initiative 10. Solya uses the lair action to give all her troops advantage against Turn Undead.
• Fork: Either Fork punches Mummy Blight 2 or 3 (can't remember; they're both dead so it doesn't matter) for some amount of damage (doesn't matter because they're dead) or he nat1s. He successfully portrays himself as drunk and disorderly to get advantager on his next attack.
• Master Obu: Succeeds on his Perception check to detect a projection of the Shadow King lurking in the darkness. Obu casts Summon Undead (3rd level) to summon a mini version of ghost Rexy.
• Sevira: Attacks Mummy Blight 1 with Cone of Cold (5th level), which does 17 damage to the mummy.
• Solya: Casts Flora Frenzy (7th level, in Spell Workshop) as an Action & Daidrosense as a Bonus Action, being successfully hidden in the shadows of Haunted Forest. This spell lasted for one round since her Concentration was broken, but I didn't record what happened. As such, whatever damage everyone recorded for themselves will stand and I'll deal 20 damage to Stonius & Sevira.
• Balcazar: Casts Melt (4th level) on Darkjaw for 14 fire damage (reduced to 7). Casts Wind Slice (5th level)/burns 2 sorcery points. Darkjaw swings the Glaive for 7 slashing/19 lightning damage to Balc (ends Terra Shield).
• Stonius: Destroys Mummy Blight 2 or 3 (whichever one Fork & Chazzle were attacking; doesn't matter because they're both dead now)
• Chazzle: 10 lightning/7 piercing/4 rage to Mummy Blight 2 or 3 (doesn't matter because they're dead)
• Mummy Blight 1: Uses Rotting Constriction on Master Obu (16 to hit) & Needle Spear on Balcazar (15 to hit), then Dreadful Glare on Sevira. Bonus Action casts Fungal Rush (acid damage) on Master Obu & Sevira; Sevira passes the saving throw and takes 9 acid damage (not recorded yet, but will bring her to 61/70 HP), while Obu will take 19 acid if he fails/succeeds. Obu does 13 damage to the Blight.
• Mummy Blight 2: Uses Rotting Constriction on Draconius (nat 1 to hit), Needle Spear on Fork (nat 1 to hit), then Dreadful Glare on Draconius (fails; is frightened until the end of the mummy's next turn). Bonus Action casts Barkwhip on Draconius & Amon; both fails the saving throw and each take 10 bludgeoning damage.
• Draconius: Breaks free of his icy bonds thanks to Photosynthesis, gaining the benefits of that spell. He then casts Dispel Magic (7th level) on Haunted Forest, dissipating its effects and revealing Solya's hiding spot.
• Amon: Attacks Mummy Blight 3 with Shadow Scorch (5th level) which kills the mummy for 50 fire damage (doubled due to vulnurability)
• The Shade Walker: Bursts from the Ethereal Plane and tackles Amon, grappling him in a big struggle (rolled a 29 Athletics against Amon's 24 Acrobatics/nat20). The Shade Walker looks to the rest of the party, then burns an Action Surge to cast Teleport (7th level) back to his master. Balcazar goes to Counterspell (3rd level), but the Shadow King's projection cast a 9th level Counterspell on his. Draconius Counterspells the Shadow King's Counterspell with a nat20, dispelling his projection & allowing Balcazar to succeed with a 19. Casts Daidrosense.

Round 4

• Darkjaw: Fires a Frostform Arrow at Balcazar & a Dragonfire Arrow at Master Obu. 11 slashing/5 fire/3 Favored Enemy/4 Foe Slayer (1/Day) to Balc, 15/8/30/3 to Obu (downs him). Casts Hunter's Mark (1st level) on Balcazar
• Lair Action: Until the next initiative count 20, any non-undead that tries to cast a spell of 4th level or lower must do something else or make a DC 16 Con save, taking 1d6 necrotic on a failed save and wasting the spell with no effect.
• Fork: Runs up and punches the Shade Walker for 9 damage & 7 damage (16 total). Flurry of Blows nat 1s
• Master Obu: Death Success.
• Sevira: Heals Obu 21 HP (4th level).
• Solya: Casts Dark Lightning (4th level) at Draconius for 44 lightning damage, downing him and giving him disadvantage on death saves until he succeeds on at least one.
• Balcazar: Casts ??? (to keep it simple, we'll call it a 1st level spell slot, say you succeeded on the DC 16 Con save and move on) on Solya (damage doesn't matter since she healed later in the round, but it does break her concentration on Flora Frenzy). Quickened Spell (2 sorcery points), then Hold Monster (5th level) on Darkjaw, but he succeeds.
• Chazzle: Javelin at Solya, 11 piercing/4 rage/7 thunder (22 total), then throws another at Darkjaw (misses).
• Soyla's Legendary Action (after Chazzle's turn): Solya casts Bio Drain (7th level, 3 Legendary Actions) and deals 25 necrotic damage to Balcazar (down), Master Obu (down), Draconius (1 Death Fail), Chazzle, Fork, Stonius & Sevira. Gains a 175 HP pool, using 58 to heal herself back to full, 105 to heal Darkjaw back to full, and flicks the remaining 12 HP as a Cold Blast to Stonius for 14 cold damage.
• Stonius (pick up next time): ???
• Mummy Blight 1 (pick up next time): ???
• Draconius (pick up next time): ???
• Amon (pick up next time): ???
• Shade Walker (pick up next time): ???

Report Date

30 Nov 2023

Primary Location

Necropolis

Secondary Location

Cyregnor

Related Plots

• Darkjaw
• The Daidrin Expedition

Related Characters

• Solya the Afterfairy