Dungeon 5 Turn 39
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Macadamia takes one of the picks after giving away one of his rings, but he can no longer carry anything else. As the rest of the group heads to the right at Kamau’s urging, Ricki grabs some defensive gear from her friends and gives away her weapon and thieves’ tools to make room in inventory. She then rides Daisy past the two insectoid beetles and loots the chest, finding a heavy pick. She runs past again and rejoins the group, taking only 1 point of damage on the way.
After chalking up his first point of Remorse for this dungeon, Kamau grapples the giant scorpion, toughing out its sting attack in order to allow everyone else to run past safely and descend the ladder.
“So, seriously. What’s going on down here?”
“We told you we aren’t sure.”
“Okay, but that red kobold back there had some hardcore crazy eyes, like even worse than the rest of the miners.”
“It’s a look I’ve seen before. Is there some kind of cult operating down here? What god do kobold miners worship?”
“Historically, kobolds have never worshipped gods.”
“Until the Emperor, of course.”
“…Sure.”
“My grandparents told me that some kobolds used to worship their dragon masters, back in the bad old days before we were liberated and brought into the Empire.”
“But all the dragons are extinct now! The Emperor killed the last one almost a hundred years ago.”
“The last one that we KNOW of, you mean.”
A terrible wave of heat rises from below. Peering down the ladder shaft, the party can see a bizarre creature dragging its swollen belly across the floor. It doesn’t match the descriptions of dragons that they’ve all heard before, but something tells them there isn’t much practical difference between the two right now.
Ricki can sense that there is an exit to the dungeon nearby. If they can just get past this final obstacle, they should all be home free.
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PICK, HEAVY
Weapon
Atk +4, 2-handed, 20% chance to deal +3 damage.
Weight 2, Cost 17
D’awwsw
Okaaay. We want info on this, for Ricki to try out unlocking that chest, and to get this beastie turned around just in case it has a directional area attack, like a fire breath. To that end
Kamau: Run down the ladder. Get the potion of shield from Lara in return for oxidicer. Drink the potion of shield and then retrieve the ring of protection from Ricki. Wait for Macadamia to smif his ring, then give him the hearth to fill his new empty inventory slot. Wearing the ring of protection, your plate armor and holding your trusty shield, descend the ladder and try to turn/lead the Salamander to the right to prep for a speedy retreat/slaying next turn. Hopefully it’ll turn around to face you and follow you a bit.
Lara: Lens the salamander thing with your magic lens but NOT the encyclopedia. Give Macadamia the robe in exchange for his leather armor and wear the leather armor.
Macadamia: Wear your new robe. Smif your regular pick with the copper ring to make another ring of aggresssion then get the hearth from Kamau.
Ricki: Give Lara your heavy pick and shield in return for your lockpicks. She should have room for all that after using the lens. Attempt to pick the doubly locked chest. If fate smiles and your lockpicks don’t get expended after the first lock, pick the second lock to loot the chest.
SPECIFICALLY THE SMALL PICK. Not the big one.
TNIM fixed it.
Nothing to add to or remove from this plan.
Three thoughts:
last point: especially catch Macadamia. Other kobolds may have at least 2 hp, as kids are usually easily bruised, but take a fall from a small tree and no broken bones/etc. Mac on the other hand, we know is on the edge.
also, the ladder is actually burnt! nice one LSN! (anyways, not even the same level of coolness as the salamander, it’s just awesome)
Lifting/catching Ricki didn’t take an action before so I think everyone can be caught by one tall person without a problem.
Also it is possible there is something useful in the chest for the task.
The key was definitely for this chest (as the only locked item accessible after getting the key). Also, expect that it will take two turns to open this chest. I wonder if having the key would make a difference, but generally opening one lock is one action.
I don’t think there’s a problem with dropping from the ladder, it has been established in the Tavern Basement that a 1/4 room drop doesn’t involve damage. The issue with the ladder is that we can’t easily get back up afterwards. Tall folks should be able to boost our small folks back up if needed, which seems most likely to help if we alpha strike the salamander and then send Ricki back up to pick the second lock on the turn we leave the dungeon.
Having the key could make the difference, since anyone can use the key, and only Ricky can use lockpicks. Opening w/o key = 2 turns for Ricky. With one key = 1 turn for one lock for i.e. Lara, and Ricky picks the other lock at the same turn. With two keys = any two persons open the chest in one turn.
That’s all the “worst case” scenarios.
However, considering the complexity of the action, I’d argue that picking a lock with lockpicks if far more complicated than opening a lock with matching key, so maybe if we have all the required keys we can do them all as one action. I wish 🙂
One thought: It’s hot there. Why? The creature itself is hot. I think it may spill fire or lava jets when its skin is pierced. I hope we learn from the lens that I’m wrong.
I am glad that we saved the lens for this one. Good plan. I would like to have an idea of what this thing is going to do before we engage it. If we can safely get the Kobolds to the exit while we are fighting this thing, we should do so and clear the Secondary objective.
I think we possibly have no time for this (see my comment below).
LSN I can’t edit this post but I know the inventory management above doesn’t work. Please have the trades be this. The only real difference is that Kamau can’t give away the oxidicer to Lara and instead keeps it.
Kamau:
Gives hearth to Macadamia to fill the empty spot left from his smiffing the pick and ring. Takes the potion of shield from Lara, consumes it. One empty slot.
Macadamia:
Loses pick through smiffing, takes hearth. Full
Lara:
Trades away shield potion. Consumes Lens. Trades away lockpicks for Ricki’s heavy pick and shield. Full.
Ricki:
Trades away shield and heavy pick for lockpick. Two empty slots.
All actions same as main plan, and only real adjustment is to remove the trade with Oxidicer. Just begging for mercy/a graceful failure of the oxidicer trade that allows Kamau to get the shield potion once he gives away the hearth.
He’s drinking the potion, and D2T24 established that it isn’t a problem to drink a potion with full inventory, at least without enemies around to interfere. Should be fine.
Actions:
Kamau: Tell the family to wait then jump down and Interpose.
Everyone Else: Jump down and fight! Attack the back in case of Fire breath attacks.
Lara should attack with the Whip and Maca should use a Rat Tail with the Rat Fang
Item shuffling:
Ricki: Give Lara the Shield and give Maca the Ring of Protection.
Kamau: No trades, only Interposing.
Lara: Give Maca the Fire Dragon Robe and Spiked Buckler and equip the Leather Armor you’re given and the whip you already have.
Maca: Give Lara the Leather Armor and Pickaxe and equip the items you’re given.
This gives Maca and Ricki 5 Defense and Lara 4 Defense against Fire in case of Group Fire Attack and Ricki still has 5 Defense. This will attack for at least 24 Damage.
5 Damage from Ricki with the Heavy Pick, 6 from Lara with the Whip, 4 from Maca with the Rat Tail and Rat Fang, 3 from Daisy, 5 from the Spider, and an additional 1 from whoever has the Ring of Aggression.
The Spiked Buckler adds another 1 if the monster has a group attack, the Spider can deal 6 Damage instead of 5, and there’s a 20% chance of the Heavy Pick dealing 3 extra Damage.
Not the safest plan, but someone had to suggest the Leroy Jenkins plan.
Alternative: We can prepare and Leroy next turn.
Ricki: Drink the Potion of Rage unless the info Lara gets shows you don’t need to too OHKO the monster.
Lara: Use the Magic Lens and Encyclopedia Apocrypha on the monster
Kamau: Stay up there but Interpose because you’ve been doing that almost every turn.
Maca: Smif a Ring with the small Pickaxe.
I’m not suggesting picking the chest because it’s only a 50% chance with only one Thieves’ Tools and it’s a waste of a Thieves’ Tools if we fail.
actually, we’re at the exit, we won’t need thievestools here anymore, and we could use an inventory slot if we defeat the salamander, or open the chest
I was thinking about saving the Thieves’ Tools for the next Dungeon.
Salamander, Discord dubs thee Sally!
ALL GLORY TO THE HYP… SALLY
Perfect 😀
Burn detail on the ladder looks really nice!
Random ideas, probably mostly useless now:
1) considering how kobold made a hole in the wall with smallpick, the heavypick probably could have been used to make a hole in the floor at the flyguy’s place
2) the red monster really reminds me of a frog. We have a fly-type monster there. I have no ideas how to exploit that though
3) the red-froggy sits right at the end of the vertical shaft, and there’s some rubble there. If the miners were dumping their rubble there, the pile would be MUCH larger. I think the monster may be consuming it, hence the pile is small. We’ve had a miningcart there, probably movable. One room right from the entrance to the mines, there was a pile of rock with a pickaxe stuck in it. And no kobold. I think it may be a hint for us to actually mine it and throw it into the shaft. If the monster feeds on that rubble, it’d be distracted and grant us a free pass.
(3.5) also, just pushing the mining cart down the shaft, the crash below would probably make the salamander turn around
4) monster eats at its own pace. considering how quick Rusty was, we actually might have to use (1:useless) and try to make that hole in the floor so at least small kobolds can take a shortcut. But I think we’re way out of time for this, and we don’t know if we really can dig a hole there, so nope.
The rocks likely would be the way to bypass it if we were weaker (so that the Guard would be farther away)
Next turn-40 Guards will be in the room with the scorpion. Am I correct?
Turn-41 – our current room.
If that is true then we have no time even to try to open the chest. We need to distract the monster (if it is possible with the spider attacking from the right) and to move to the exit the next turn(-40).
If I’m wrong, please, correct me.
Upd. The spider can climb down the wall behind the monster and attack it (maybe Lara needs to shoot him from a distance while Kamau is interposing).
On turn 38, Claudious said “guards are at mine entrance”, so I think at 39 (“now”) they are in the room with now-dead Rusty, but in the mines part of it. On 40, they’d be in the room with beetles, and scoprion on 41.EDIT: I didn’t check if Claudious is correct, and I assume “mine entrance” means the room with wardrobe, and means they are in the mines already, not just staring at the wardrobe and readying to enter. So this means we have 1 more turn than you thought, or more, if beetles or scorpion pose any delay. And another +1 if the did stare at the wardrobe.See below. Rusty was killed on 36. I think Flame’s analysis is correct.
Turn 36 – Rusty room (killed it)
Turn 37 – Wardrobe room
Turn 38 – Rusty room (the lowest floor)
Turn 39 – Bugs room
Turn 40 – Scorpion room
Turn 41 – Salamander (our current) room
Off by one, it’s a move to go through the wardrobe. Turn 38 is the mines entrance, turn 39 is the mine under Rusty’s room. We should have until turn 42.
This is still tight.
Yes, I think you are right.
Then +1 to my estimation.
I meant +1 TURN )))
I’m sorry! )))
The wardrobe took US movement to get through, just like any rathole or background doorway has before (see the stairs in the chapel) so
Turn 37 is wardrobe room:
Turn 38 is mines below entrance
Turn 39 mines below Rusty
Turn 40 beetle room
Turn 41 scorpion room
Turn 42 where we are.
This is worst case scenario. They could also not go down the ladder and instead venture right and waste two turns.
Or whiff a lot on the rhino beetles, but that’s wishful thinking on my part.
Agreed.
Hm.. Thank you. I checked as well. Indeed Rusty was killed on 36, so that ‘mine entrance’ on 38 was pretty missed. On 38 they were almost upon us, just one room above us. I’ll edit my post. We’re really low on time.Do we know if the Guards can use an action to move one more room? I think we are not.
If they can (and if entering the wardrobe room is count as entering the same room, which is not clear, and if the mechanics of movement is the same for the Guards) then they can move down through the wardrobe during the same turn 37.
So my previous estimation is still possible?
And if they haven’t met the team before now, they possibly moved to the right from Rusty room (the lowest floor) during turn 38 (if they are able to move two rooms during one turn).
Then:
Turn 39 – Rusty room and Bugs room (?)
Turn 40 – fighting bugs and moving to Scorpion room (?)
Turn 41 – fighting scorpion and moving to the Salamander (our current) room (?)
That is all if they can move two rooms during one turn.
But Imperial Justiciar most likely can, see turn-27 when Ricki was in the first room, then during turn-28 she moved to the Ringsmif and then the Justiciar came (so he moved two rooms, both previously unexplored…). Or he teleported to the room?..
TOO MANY QUESTIONS…
I think they can’t use actions for movement. In most rooms, they had to fight some monsters (bats, owlbear, Rusty), however the Blue base was unguarded. If they could use an action point for movement, they’d to that there, and – I believe – someone would notice that they showed up 1 turn too soon at Rusty’s place.
That’s what I think. I have not checked that thorougly.
More doubts:
That’s weird, Ricki took 1 damage from 2 enemies with 8 defense (1 base +2 armour +1 Proficiency +2 shield +1 Daisy +1 ring). Looks like beetles have 4-5 damage, or a wider spread. Odd though, those randomized attacks have usually been called out.
It is really weird, agreed. Other possibility is that they just have an ability like, beetles deal +1 damage when attacking a creature attacked by another beetle. Only the 2nd beetle would get such a bonus which could explain the difference. Or it deals more damage to fully encumbered characters and only one hit on the way back?
It may be just a matter of screen art, but only one beetle is shown as attacking. However, 9dmg for a punch from one limb from one beetle sounds a bit too much.
I also considered that Ricky could be hit four times (once on the way to, and once on the way from), but that would mean one beetle attack is 2-3dmg, so pretty low, but not impossible. But 4 hits would mean no limits for the number of opportunity attacks when someone just runs by enemies? Run back&forth a few times in one turn, and get hit a lot? I don’t think it works like that.. but I don’t remember any proof that it doesn’t.
..by the way. Why Daisy has +1 green atk? Her ability says “following a human”, and she carries Ricky and grants Def to Ricky, so Ricky is the owner. Does “following a human” simply mean any human in the team then?
Regarding the +1 Atk on Daisy – pretty sure that’s the wolf hide armor
No multi hits. How to Play, ENEMY TARGETING AND BYPASSING: However, the enemy can still only make one attack per turn.
Green icons are from armour, purple icons are for abilities. Ricki got one purple Def from Daisy’s Guard ability and another from her proficiency, and the wolf hide armour gives 2 green Def to Ricki and 1 green Atk to Daisy.
Well, since we’re not staying in combat with them, LSN likely decided it was irrelevant to add a note… I think the operative conclusion that they have variable damage is enough here.
If Sally can burn a ladder, she may be able to burn a wooden shield. Thankfully we have some to spare if that does happen