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Ep. 116 The Final Faceoff Part 1
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Deep under the Temple of the Almenora, the Swords confront the man they've been searching for. In the middle of a ritual that seems to be able to devastate multiple planes of existence, Darnaldi has become more powerful and dangerous than the Swords ever thought possible. Its time to act, swarmed with Darnaldi's minions made of shadow and mist, our team begins the fight. The fight to save everyone and everything they have loved.
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Transcript
00:00:20
Speaker
You're listening to The Hired Swords. This episode is brought to you by, well, nobody. we don't have any sponsors. So it's it's brought to you by us. We did it.
00:00:43
Speaker
Hello everyone and welcome to another episode of The Hired Swords. I'm your Dungeon Master Michael and with me today we have Derek as Davin. Hello Derek. Hi, it's good to be here, thank you.
00:00:55
Speaker
Ah, it's good to have you here as well. Also Mikey's joining us. He's Joxer. And here today we talk about the Quatzka fruit. It has very magical properties. Yes.
00:01:06
Speaker
Magical, like your mom. Next is Ash. She's playing Gwendolyn in today's episode. Yes, and I'm here too. And Blaze. What's up, dude?
00:01:18
Speaker
going on? Yeah, good to see you, buddy. It's been a while. I'm glad to see all you guys. I'm excited that we're together again at last. can't believe it's been three years. Three whole years. The last time it was 2022.
00:01:33
Speaker
Actually, I can't. Wait, 2023. Wait, no, 2022. What year are we? Yeah, we're in 2005. We're in 2005. We're 2005. Oh, 2005. 25 staying alive. twenty oh five four in twenty or an oh twenty of five twenty lot so If we want to recap this last little situation we were in the...
00:01:52
Speaker
the in this game that we're playing here, this Dungeons and Dragons adventure. You guys were in a cavern beneath the city filled with the people of Almanora.
00:02:03
Speaker
This cavern was, you have discovered had the cradles of magic or some considered radix of the arcane or the birthplaces of magic from many different realms, different ah planes of existence in the universe. And,
00:02:20
Speaker
They had been being drained by this mist and shadow and these vines of dark, thorny goodness that had been draining the magic out of these these statues and like mechanical mechanisms and the the crystals in one section. One section was ah the tree with the Quatsika fruit, who is the cradle of magic in another realm.
00:02:44
Speaker
And you've all had your own specific encounters with your past or with a... with your patrons it was the cradle the fruit was the whoa yeah bro man it's so crazy it's like somebody thought this stuff through a little little tiny bit and then um i don't know who did but somebody did and the cradles were the fruit we seeked along the way No, literally.
00:03:09
Speaker
And inro the then you then you find yourself in the main the main sitting room in this cavern that has been turned into a sitting room and library and place of rest for...
00:03:21
Speaker
Carrick. The Caring. Yes, Gwendolyn has found Papa. She found her dad. And she is... She was a little taken aback at first at the whole situation. But now has been able to see that he... She still probably has things to to cope with and figure out. But oh all in all, he explained to her his reasoning behind joining Darnaldi to begin with and how he had been trapped by another one of these mind control necklaces.
00:03:49
Speaker
He then... gave them to some potions that they can rest that turns a short or they can drink that turns a short rest into a long rest. and they did that. They sat and rested. They listened to Carrick's stories of how he came to find the Almanora in their tribal lands.
00:04:11
Speaker
He moved them to, through a portal into this place to protect the cradle of magic from the war that was raging in greater glintry, the war that ended 10 years before this adventure started.
00:04:29
Speaker
And, uh, He left Gwendolyn in order to help these people in hopes to bring her and her mother back here. He explained all this stuff to her to them as they were resting. and um We find ourselves now the vines that were blocking the doorway in this cavern and keeping them from being able to exit this room have now seemed to be gone. This doorway seems to be Just a regular large, yes, stone vault door.
00:05:00
Speaker
But Carrick looks and says, I believe that it is passable now. If you feel that you are up to it and you are ready, I expect that they would know someone is coming because the they surely have known that the power that has been fueling this their their work down there has been drained from these magical sources. There's a chance that they just believe they achieved their goals and drained them completely, but
00:05:38
Speaker
there's also a chance that they know you're coming. So be cautious. i I warn you. Be prepared as soon as you make your way through that doorway. I've not been. I do not know what lies through that doorway.
00:05:53
Speaker
um Can I say before we took the rest that I used one of my remaining spell slots to recast haste into the ring for Jaxer? Yes.
00:06:04
Speaker
Perfect. I did that then. You did at that. I know you did. I remember when you did that.
00:06:11
Speaker
Who's next? I don't remember that. Stop it. Stop it right now. um Mage armor. Yes. Indeed. Technically, we didn't it's not been 24 hours, right?
00:06:27
Speaker
Mage Armor lasts eight hours. so Oh, well, then I'm going to recast mine too, just to be safe. Okay. Cool. I remember that because Baldur's Gate. um Sweet game.
00:06:38
Speaker
Yeah, I know. I wish I could finish it. I need to buy a better PC first. um All right. So you guys go through or anything else before you head out? Head through.
00:06:51
Speaker
ah Gwendolyn after she handed the book to Karrick and they've spoken
00:07:00
Speaker
i i hope if we return I would like to ask you more questions
00:07:08
Speaker
And she just kind of bows her head and starts walking towards the ah path. he as you walk As you begin to walk away in turn, he says, i hope we have a lot of time to catch up. Yes.
00:07:21
Speaker
The rest of our lives.
00:07:25
Speaker
um When he says that, she just kind of stops and then runs over and gives him a hug before turning away and start going down the path. He accepts it and he says...
00:07:43
Speaker
Be safe.
00:07:46
Speaker
She just nods and keeps going forward. Okay. You guys go through this hall and you walk for just 50, 60 feet and you begin to see an orange glow in the distance.
00:08:00
Speaker
And, uh, you begin to hear the sounds of many people working and you hear the sounds of crates being set down and moved around and you hear people calling out orders and commands and you hear ah large group of people chanting as well in the distance. It's echoing through the chamber.
00:08:26
Speaker
um Not really able to make out what it is that they're saying. You just hear the rhythmic of a chant in the distance.
00:08:38
Speaker
And you could tell they're hard at work on something going on.
00:08:48
Speaker
Do you just continue forward? Do we want a game plan or do we just want to go and, you know, swords blazing?
00:08:59
Speaker
I'm kinda ready to be done with this. I finally found my father and I can't even think of all the things that I want to ask him. This has to be dealt with. You can see ah Joxer's jaw clenched and and firmly against his rapier. Okay.
00:09:18
Speaker
Alright, sounds like we have our answer.
00:09:23
Speaker
shall Shall I lead the way? Yeah.
00:09:28
Speaker
Uh, yeah, go ahead.
00:09:32
Speaker
All right. So you guys, you guys, uh, who's leading the way? I guess me, the one that can, you know, kill everyone. Like a, like a God.
00:09:43
Speaker
Jocks are shortly behind. Is that what you Yeah. Um, followed by Davin and Gwendolyn nearby as well. And, um, yeah, I'm going to, real quick, I'm going to cast invisibility on myself.
00:09:58
Speaker
okay
00:10:01
Speaker
Davin is invisible. Can I do something to make you invisible? I'm going to make a little ninja mask. Okay. Davin's invisible. Davin, remember you're invisible. and you walk into the entrance of this large opening in this cavern to a large room where you see people moving.
00:10:26
Speaker
all about carrying crates. You see a couple of large animal skins stretched out with markings and blood and symbols and runes. You see treasure piled in corners and chests with treasure. You see in the distance a platform that sits looking old and ancient, but it on it is...
00:10:51
Speaker
four levels of this big square platform with bright red, blood red runes etched on on the the sides of all these platform levels.
00:11:01
Speaker
And up at the center, you see ah seven people in red robes chanting with Darnaldi standing in the center of a symbol, a circular symbol with runes etched in the middle of this red symbol in this and the everything glowing in firelight of these cooking stove fires, these large candles and large torchlight.
00:11:27
Speaker
You see men in black cloaks, well, people in black cloaks all over, dozens of them, walking around, um moving things around, and nobody seems to notice you yet.
00:11:44
Speaker
You think you might have a few seconds left I'm giving everyone one surprise round. What would you like to do? Quail?
00:12:02
Speaker
um and And just so you know, there is black fog swirling around Darnaldi and these these men chanting in these red robes. Two more people stand in red robes beneath the stairs up to this pedestal.
00:12:17
Speaker
And there's a section where this this large skin has been stretched even larger and wider to the left and to the right. And there they have these black... um the black mist and fog seems to be pouring from these emblems that have seemed seem to be opening something that is almost like pumping this fog into this room.
00:12:43
Speaker
It's a large cavernous chamber. What are you guys doing with this round?
00:12:51
Speaker
Um, I'm going to move. What are these red circular things that I see on the map? Yeah, they are, um, tents and it looks like there's bed rolls and stuff laid under these tents where these people spend their rest time.
00:13:09
Speaker
Okay. I'm going to move up kind of like behind one of these tents, even though i'm invisible, but I'm going to kind of position myself over there. Great. And then I'm going to, um,
00:13:24
Speaker
not taking action right now. Okay. Um, Craig's, what are you going to
00:13:33
Speaker
Well, go big or go home. I, I wonder if that's, but we want to do this. That's so many dudes.
00:13:44
Speaker
I just want to leave. Yeah. Can I just turn around? Is that an option? Of course it is. It's always an option. Running away is always an option.
00:13:53
Speaker
Nah, Sorry, Carrick, you're all screwed. It's too scary. Too many enemies. Goodbye. I'm going cast Shield of Faith on myself.
00:14:05
Speaker
Okay. It is a bonus action, so I'm going to use my bonus action to cast Shield of Faith and get an extra coolness on myself.
00:14:21
Speaker
Okay, okay, okay. Okay.
00:14:25
Speaker
I have to remember. Sorry. You see Joxer look down at his hands as they light up, and he he thinks of something that was taught to him um while he was speaking with ah the Seeker.
00:14:47
Speaker
And he uses one of his mystic arcanums to cast Polymorph on himself. into a giant ape okay so you see joxer slowly grow into the form of a giant ape you can kill at least 100 them now yeah yeah There you go.
00:15:14
Speaker
Yeah, at least 100 for sure.
00:15:18
Speaker
All right. So we've got joxer is a giant ape. Kreesegalder casts shield of faith. Davin, you are invisible hiding behind these tents between a tent and one of these big stretched out animal skins that have been etched to the runes, looking like they're trying to conjure more shadow to pour through these this little portal they're trying to open.
00:15:34
Speaker
ah Gwendolyn, what are you doing?
00:15:41
Speaker
Are you muted, Gwendolyn? No, I'm not muted. I was counting. um Are you counting, Gwendolyn? Yeah. ah I'm making stuff on the map that people can't see. um I'm going to cast my spirit totem and we are going to do the bear spirit totem.
00:15:58
Speaker
And I will... It's the first one that is said. um Which two people out there...
00:16:10
Speaker
ah The bear spirit. The bear spirit grants you and your allies its might and endurance to each creature of your choice in the aura. no When the spirit appears, gains temporary hit points equal to five plus your druid level.
00:16:23
Speaker
In addition, you and your allies gain advantage on strength chest strength saving throws while in the war And I will draw a square or circle on thing.
00:16:37
Speaker
And I will do Wild Shape, but that'll probably be on my actual turn, and I'll move up a bit. Okay. So, Strength Totem. Yes. they're in the There's a red circle there near where Davin is. He's currently in the totem.
00:16:52
Speaker
um So, all of this activity... Davin, you cause no response. But immediately, Kriggs, when you cast the spell you cast in order to do your Shield of Faith...
00:17:06
Speaker
And Joxer, you begin to morph and shape your body changing shape. And Gwendolyn, you start casting your totem. Attention on these nearby cloaked, black cloaked cultists.
00:17:18
Speaker
They all turn and face you, realizing that there's there's intruders here. And that's when we're rolling initiative, please. Should have fireballed them all.
00:17:31
Speaker
Twin spelled fireball. Blast them.
00:17:35
Speaker
but happy So, Joxer, did you roll already? Yeah, 17 plus 3. So you rolled 20? Perfect. Oh, God. Oh, God. My rolled a 0.
00:17:52
Speaker
Oh, no. That's a 1 minus 1. So 5. And a... That's so bad.
00:18:06
Speaker
That might be the worst roll I've ever done. I guess the spirit tone is a bonus action, so I'll be changing into a Rhinoiserys. Should have Fireballed.
00:18:20
Speaker
Should have Fireballed.
00:18:24
Speaker
All right. Kriegs, what'd you roll? Say it again. Zero. Whoa. Gwendolyn.
00:18:33
Speaker
I didn't roll. ah We should do that. yeah I'm sorry. 21. Dang.
00:18:42
Speaker
Gwendolyn with a nat one for a total of three. That's what awesome I get. also rolled a nat one, but I have a negative one. Awesome. right. um So we're going to start off here and Darnoldi actually starts just hollering his his enchantment.
00:19:03
Speaker
And as he does, he doesn't seem to be paying attention to you yet at this point. um And when he does, he um moves his hands around in a circle and the mist starts to form around him and spin and turn and it's starting to accelerate its speed and as it accelerates its speed it starts to thicken and more starts to pour out of these two a little these two like places where the the animal skin is spread thin on the sides almost two big like drying racks almost but the
00:19:37
Speaker
as the smoke is billowing through those, it starts to shoot up towards this top of this altar platform that he's casting this spell in, and it's spinning around him, growing and getting bigger and bigger as it's beginning to form something.
00:19:52
Speaker
Davin, the turn is yours, my friend. Okay. I am going to
00:20:02
Speaker
um
00:20:05
Speaker
cast
00:20:08
Speaker
Alright, I'm going to cast um Crown... What is it called? Crown of Stars. Okay. So again, you see like this halo of like seven motes that appear above my head and just start circling around my head, like glowing and sparking with lightning.
00:20:25
Speaker
um And then I'm going to spend two sorcery points so that I can cast a spell as a bonus action.
00:20:35
Speaker
And that is going to be Chain Lightning. Okay. And as soon as I can find it, geez.
00:20:47
Speaker
um
00:20:51
Speaker
There it is, finally. um So I'm going to cast it at the group of guys on the left side. There's, what, one, two, three, four, five, so like a dozen little guys dressed black over there.
00:21:02
Speaker
um So I'm going to cast at the nearest guy to me. I've got a range of 150 feet, I've got plenty of range. Okay. So the the nearest guy you can see would be the one back here standing right before the little prayer altar that has a little prayer book on it.
00:21:15
Speaker
um That'd be the one that's the most line of sight easiest to target. Okay. That's fine. um And so it's going to the lightning's going to hit him, and then it's going to spark off of him and then separate and hit the three guys kind of standing behind him, the nearest three guys standing behind him.
00:21:34
Speaker
Okay. um And all of them have to make a dexterity saving throw. Okay. And if they lose, they take a lot of lightning damage. they Do they take any if they succeed?
00:21:48
Speaker
um It's half damage if they succeed. Okay.
00:21:52
Speaker
So have a 2, 7, and 1. So they all fail. They all fail. So they all take 54 points of lightning damage.
00:22:05
Speaker
Wow. Okay. They all just poof into black fog and absorb into the fog that... um is billowing up to the ah up to the um the platform up there. Okay. There should have been four total, right?
00:22:24
Speaker
Because one and then bounces to three more. Yes, yes, yes, yes. Sorry. Okay, cool. This guy too.
00:22:30
Speaker
All right. Is that your whole turn? Oh, gosh. That was fun. Next.
00:22:38
Speaker
Is it just me or did Davin get kind of hot? Same. um Joxer, your turn.
00:22:47
Speaker
That lightning shoots it just and just... You're now a giant ape looking at this room full of these cultists. Yeah. ah Runs 40 feet straight forward, which puts him there.
00:23:03
Speaker
And sees this first little cultist, and he has multi-attack, so he can either fist or rock, and he will fist. Okay. um So...
00:23:15
Speaker
First fist attack will plus what's the nine, 20 hits.
00:23:28
Speaker
Okay. ah That'll be 3d10.
00:23:33
Speaker
ah Real quick. I still can't cast two major spells. um So I'm going to say I didn't do the quicken spell. I just did the lightning by itself. Okay. So I don't have the crown of stars. Gotcha. Okay.
00:23:47
Speaker
so 12 plus 6 18 damage it all right this guy poofs into mist this fog joins the fog shooting up onto the platform um what do you do now how far is darnaldi he's about 65 feet from you well i'm gonna try throwing rock okay might not hit um okay It's 50 to 100, so that means it's a to disadvantage?
00:24:17
Speaker
um If I'm on the yeah higher range? of Yeah, if it's over 50. Okay, so that one was a 19 plus 9. 11 plus 9, unnatural 20. Yeah, that's going to hit.
00:24:31
Speaker
Okay. That is going to be 3. It's 76 plus
00:24:42
Speaker
plus two five
00:24:46
Speaker
two seven not great uh plus three it's ten two more uh six so sixteen another six so twenty two twenty two
00:25:07
Speaker
bludgeoning damage. So you threw a rock at him? that what it was? Yeah, just pick up like, you know, something you up big chunk of this floor, break it off, and you hurl it at him, and it smacks him right in the chest.
00:25:19
Speaker
And it... er And he looks up and he says... u We have company. and he And he continues to swirl his hands around as the as the mist and fog around him quickens and gets faster.
00:25:35
Speaker
He says, handle this, please. And um that takes us. if you If that's all, is that your whole turn? Yeah, that's all I got. Monkey jocks? Okay. hear me That takes us. You know, yeah slobber coming out of my face and, you know, screaming.
00:25:50
Speaker
Yep, that takes us to these red-cloaked cultists. um These guys are going to...
00:26:02
Speaker
ah This one up here closest to you... um standing near the stairs. they They close in on the steps, standing in front of them, both of these guys do. And there's two of them standing right in front of the stairs now that lead up this platform up to this platform.
00:26:19
Speaker
And um they... ah Let me see. They both begin to move their hands and arms around, casting a spell.
00:26:32
Speaker
They both reach out to you and they cast...
00:26:38
Speaker
ah they cast They begin casting spells and at jocker at monkey joxer. And um as they point, both of them unleash these blasts of bluish-green, white, cold air and ice shooting from their hands as they cast Cone of Cold.
00:26:56
Speaker
um I need you to make a constitution saving throw as this monkey person. Okay. Okay. That is a plus four. Twelve plus four, sixteen?
00:27:14
Speaker
ah Sixteen. um it will...
00:27:22
Speaker
fail on this one. so ah So you take of one of them. Make one for the other guy. So that's two saves. There's two guys casting. The first guy sends out 10d8 damage.
00:27:38
Speaker
Alright, so both fails. Okay. So it's going to be damage? Yeah. Wow.
00:27:52
Speaker
So...
00:27:55
Speaker
The first one does... 24 plus 17.
00:28:03
Speaker
I gotta do math. A 41, and the second one does 48.
00:28:09
Speaker
Still monkey. Still a monkey! Nice. monkey... so monkey ah Monkey takes 89 hit points of damage from this this cold cone that is shot how his way um from these two guys. And then um the other the other seven in the red cloaks seem to continue doing their casting, trying to help keep this powerful spell casted on top of this.
00:28:39
Speaker
They don't seem to engage with any of you. But that takes us to the other cultists. um These guys... um begin to work together. Three of them here each step up together and they begin to... ah i' I'm talking about three that are to the left of Kriggs and Gwendolyn about 40 feet to your left.
00:29:04
Speaker
And they step around one of these one of these banners that has these runes and stuff on it and they work together each of them ah casting...
00:29:19
Speaker
at Gwyn and Kriggs together, ah casting. Yep. Fireball.
00:29:29
Speaker
But that was plan
00:29:32
Speaker
so, oops, I did the wrong. Well, that'll work. So the first one is ah it's a fireball right in the center of you guys.
00:29:44
Speaker
And, um,
00:29:47
Speaker
ah You get... Let's see. Fireball. So what happens when I cast a fireball is you're going to ah have to make a dexterity saving throw and you have to beat 14.
00:30:01
Speaker
a
00:30:05
Speaker
god. Gwyn makes a 17. Blaze, what does Kriggs make? blaze what does griggs make Four.
00:30:19
Speaker
All right. So, Kriggs fails. um So, you take... So, there is a number of... ah eight d six fire damage.
00:30:30
Speaker
Jesus. Jesus.
00:30:36
Speaker
That's 38 fire damage for Kriggs. And half that for Ash. 19. For Gwynn. which would be, what's that, 35?
00:30:48
Speaker
No, not 35. 15 plus... and not thirty five fifteen plus four Four, 14. 19. 19. So Sorry, 19. I'm a dumb, take minus four.
00:31:01
Speaker
My brain's in six places. shouldn't have to do math while you are DMing. ah So, go ahead. So I use my reaction elemental paragon when I suffer fire damage or other things. Uh-huh, uh-huh.
00:31:18
Speaker
I use my reaction to gain resistance to the triggering damage until the start of my next turn. And additionally, next time I hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, the target takes the damage equal to the damage I resisted. So I only take resistance is half. So 19. Cool.
00:31:35
Speaker
cool Got it. All right. And then um Ash, Gwen took 19 as well.
00:31:45
Speaker
Cool. Alrighty. Now... No, I'm a rhinoceros. You are? Yeah. Well, these guys still have turns. There's like 15 of these dudes.
00:31:56
Speaker
Okay, great. She says... ah the You get fire bolts coming from behind these guys. ah Jockser, from these other guys behind this tent over here. These fire bolts are shot at you, I believe. Let me double check the range on that.
00:32:12
Speaker
Fire bolt is a cantrip, so... Oh, it's 120 feet. So, yeah. So you get a couple... You get fire bolts from both sides. Five of them total. um So I'm going to roll five fire bolt attacks.
00:32:25
Speaker
ah The first one is a... Plus six. So a 21. Aiming for a 12 or but above.
00:32:37
Speaker
Okay. ah That's a nine. So the second one misses. Yeah, the monkey's 12. Oh. ah ah Another nine, so two misses, one hit.
00:32:49
Speaker
A 12, or no, no, that's actually a 15. ah fifteen And then the next one is a, yeah, hits. So three hits, two misses on the fire bolt.
00:33:01
Speaker
It's a D10 fire damage. You take three D10 fire damage. We'll just roll those as one, as three big.
00:33:08
Speaker
So 20 damage to jocks are there.
00:33:14
Speaker
20 damage to joxer from the fire bolts from the guys all around him there. And then ah those three did. Those two. Kriggs, you get two more fire bolts shot at you or two fire bolts shot at you from these other two that didn't cast fire ball.
00:33:31
Speaker
um As they throw flames your way. That is a
00:33:43
Speaker
ah
00:33:46
Speaker
15 and a 18. Neither will hit. All right. So the fire bolts fly wide and hit the wall behind you. um that believe these two guys kind of start running up this direction. They actually run right past...
00:34:06
Speaker
Davin running to see what's going on to try to help out. These two guys run to the stairs. There's two guys that, two of the black cloaked oo cultists that were up on the step, up on the platforms guarding.
00:34:18
Speaker
They're going to run down and kind of help these other two red cloaked guys guard and keep an eye on what Joxer is doing. And actually they're both going to cast magic missile at Joxer.
00:34:28
Speaker
um So they're going to cast them at...
00:34:34
Speaker
They're going to cast them all at fifth level. So they're going to cast, they're going to throw six magic missiles at joxer each for a total of 12 magic missiles, um which is 12 D4 of damage, right?
00:34:52
Speaker
Yeah. Plus their modifier. 19 plus 15 for the monkey joxer.
00:35:05
Speaker
It's 34 plus... plus um
00:35:11
Speaker
Plus 12. 46 damage to Monkey Joxer. Monkey Joxer is still Monkey. Oh, man. No way. That's amazing.
00:35:24
Speaker
It's just barely. Monkey. That's amazing. All right. So just barely Monkey hanging on, barely bleeding from every hole in its face. And that is the end of ah those guys' turn. We're now at Gwendolyn.
00:35:42
Speaker
Yay! So in between that and coming to me now, I was transforming into rhinoceros. Because my spirit toon is a bonus action.
00:35:54
Speaker
But I still got hit in the process. um What you're going to see right next to you, Kriggs, is... It looks like a typical rhinoceros, but it's going to have a weird coloring and actually have some fur.
00:36:07
Speaker
Like as if part cow. Because one of the markings are going to look like Dale. So I'm going to have black and white stripes down my back. That's cute. And I'm going to charge towards this guy. That's right in front of me on my left.
00:36:29
Speaker
This guy here. okay And he should be 20 feet, I believe.
00:36:35
Speaker
Yes. Yep, 20 feet away from you. Just over this little cart that's in front in between you guys. And I am going to gore him. going to send you the sheet so you have it. You're going run at him to hit him?
00:36:49
Speaker
Yep. And we're going to do an attack called gore. Alright. It is a melee weapon attack, so let me see if I hit. and I get a plus 7. Uh-oh.
00:37:05
Speaker
Six plus seven is 13.
00:37:08
Speaker
13 hits. Yay. not only do I get to do 2d8 plus five, but because I ran toward him with a charge, I do an extra 2d8. Oh, dang.
00:37:21
Speaker
oh dang Yeah. all right. Well, I'm going to say that the first DA, a ah the first damage kills this guy. And so your momentum can carry you into the guy that's literally right behind him.
00:37:35
Speaker
If you want to make another attack roll to see if you hit him with the with the remaining damage that you get to do. Fine by me. Fine by me.
00:37:45
Speaker
17! Yeah, 17 definitely hits. Of course. Great. So you can carry... So the first guy disintegrates into fog and mist. The second guy you hit, you dump how much damage into him?
00:37:57
Speaker
So this would be... Oh, that was three d twenty Sorry. ha! that's a lot of damage So 18 plus 5. Yeah. He also poofs into mist as these guys seem to be squishy as heck and maybe not even made of, like, real people. um So... I stomp and stab them.
00:38:20
Speaker
And I just look at the next guys. You're over here now, right? Correct. um So you've overjoined them. you've You're amongst some crates and cages and right next to one of these big...
00:38:32
Speaker
big mats that they've stretched out of animal animal skin and carved the runes into. And what are you doing to these guys? i am going to prepare to hit them again. um For when it's my turn again, because I can't do it again. it. Okay.
00:38:47
Speaker
I'm going to leave my spirit tone where it's at, so that way... Okay. Davin has 23. Davin, you're not invisible anymore, are you? No. Oh, see, I'd said these guys ran by invisible ja invisible Davin, but they definitely saw you there.
00:39:03
Speaker
So um they get confused. They turn back and look at you, and now I'm going to say they realized they can go ahead and do something, so they're going to each cast magic missile at you as well.
00:39:16
Speaker
Okay. um Just because... Um, that's silly to, um, i before you go too far into this, don't I have a but bla shield, um, gives you a plus five AC and you take no damage from magic missile.
00:39:34
Speaker
All right. So shield goes up just as a magic missile goes at you and you just, you get under that shield and the magic or the, the shield is peppered with these magic missiles as, ah as 12 of these things just shook at the ah tap off the front of that shield.
00:39:52
Speaker
um And they, they, now they've kind of focused on you after that um failure for those to hit. And the shield, does it last until your next turn? Is that right? Yes.
00:40:04
Speaker
Yeah, I thought so. Okay. ah So anyway, but that was kind of a retcon apologies. Kriggs, it's your turn. All right, cool.
00:40:14
Speaker
So... I've never understood this in D&D necessarily. A 20-foot radius is just going to be a 20-foot sphere. Correct. Yeah. I mean, its radius is from one line to the neck to the other on each side. Okay.
00:40:28
Speaker
Yeah. Just wanted to make sure that I wasn't miscalculating my distance. All of these dudes look to be 15 feet, 15 feet, 15 feet. So, yeah. Okay. Just curious.
00:40:41
Speaker
Curious what the distance is between everybody. radius is half it's from the center to the edge radius is from the center so diameter radius is oh the oh the diameter is from edge to edge that's right yeah so today we learned in theory everyone on that pat platform would be like a 40 foot secret circle yeah yeah all right uh i'm feeling i'm feeling touchy uh I'm pissed off at everything that happened in the previous room, all the visions, all the craziness.
00:41:17
Speaker
I'm going step forward. ah Not a ton. I'm going step forward. Let's see.
00:41:27
Speaker
I'm going bridge the gap between Joxer and Davin, which is a good 20 foot step forward right there. So Gwendolyn is now protected from her flank and i kind of just add myself as a target for the other dudes.
00:41:43
Speaker
And I'm going to launch big old fireball right at Darnaldi. Okay.
00:41:53
Speaker
So you launch that fireball. Mm-hmm. And it explodes. 10 feet above Darnaldi. that makes sense.
00:42:07
Speaker
On the... And it you see a ah bright shimmer as the flames push out around the top of this dome-like magical shield that seems to be being summoned to as protection by this spell that these other seven mages are casting as they stand around this guy, as this invulnerability globe is above them and Darnaldi.
00:42:34
Speaker
Cool. And in the very last seconds of my turn, i'm going to say, I goofed up, guys. And then that's the end of my turn. That was super cool, though. It would have been, you know, DM. yeah Ain't a goof up now, we know. You've got to think, guys like that, think ahead in that situation. They don't.
00:42:49
Speaker
They didn't expect us, but whatever. Bad guys are idiots. um Is that your whole turn? I mean, yeah. I didn't stand next to anybody enough to do a bonus action worth doing, so.
00:43:02
Speaker
Okay. Cool. Cool turn, guys. It takes us to Darnaldi. um He continues to um he continues to shift this this fog and mist around, and and as he does, he redirects sections of it and it shoots out of the circle that is spinning around him and lands um begins to land in front of him in little piles of smoke and mist and fog and um five of these piles of
00:43:51
Speaker
of mist and fog turn into more of these cultists and they brace themselves ready to join the fray here.
00:44:02
Speaker
um
00:44:04
Speaker
And then he continues to swirl the the the mist and fog gathering and getting thicker as it um surrounds him and the other guys that are standing there casting this spell.
00:44:18
Speaker
And that's his whole turn. Davin What are you going to do? So that was from Darnell, to his kind of two-turn thing. was that the thing he was casting That was the thing he was casting since the first round?
00:44:31
Speaker
he continued No, it seems that he... I don't know. Either or he was casting that previously, or it was another thing that he was able to do.
00:44:41
Speaker
So, now, ah we are at Davin's turn, it looks like. Okay. Okay. um So my shield fades in front of me, and I just look and kind of smirk at the two guys in front of me.
00:44:56
Speaker
um As now I cast my star head thing. Star boy? It's my star boy crown. Star boy crown?
00:45:08
Speaker
Yep, my star boy crown. I'm also going to use my bonus action to bust out my wings, and then I'm going to fly up in the air 10 feet and then forward 20 feet. If I can, if I may.
00:45:20
Speaker
Of course you may. You're the master of your own destiny. And I'm like a flying angel in the air, flying around with a crown of stars. I need to give you a little icon that says you're flying.
00:45:34
Speaker
Yes. They're really flying with me. But I can't attack anything this round, so all I can do is look cool. Somebody else do something. Okay. So he's hovering, flying. That takes us now to Joxer's turn. Monkey Joxer, what are you going to do with the remaining strength that your monkey man has, your monkey form has? All right. So...
00:45:54
Speaker
I think the main focus is at least focus down at one of those red guys at the front of the stairs. And I'm going pick up some debris and make a hurl.
00:46:05
Speaker
Okay. Let's hurl. we Throw it. Do your worst. 14 plus 9. So 23. That'll hit for shizzle. All right. actually grabbed Make this a little... All right. So that's...
00:46:24
Speaker
three, four, four, four, six, and five. So that is eight, 16, 26 damage. 26. He's looking pretty hurt. That thing bounces off of him and he, ah and, and, uh, God, you know, bloody nose and face. Now is it hit him in the shoulder and face.
00:46:44
Speaker
Um, what next?
00:46:48
Speaker
guess we're just going to try to hurl another one. Got it. to you Hit him again. Yeah. Okay. Ooh, that's not as good. Does a 17 hit? A 17 does hit, yes.
00:47:01
Speaker
Ooh. You find a little shard piece of rock and you hurl it at him like a frisbee and it... particular Like Captain America's shield and what damage?
00:47:12
Speaker
18 plus 5 is 23 damage. 23. So that one hits him and it sticks in his stomach and it just...
00:47:23
Speaker
so And he looks up at you and know his nose is bleeding and his eyes are bleeding. and And he reaches his hand towards you like he's ready to cast a spell, barely hanging on to life, not quite dead yet.
00:47:36
Speaker
Oh, well, that's unfortunate. I'm going swing back and at least not be indirect.
00:47:47
Speaker
Eyeshot of them and I will... stand in between these two they i guess and tried to look at and target davin so that they have a physical beast right next to him and maybe a wall behind monkey eye okay yeah all right big old gorilla just repeat just runs right up behind those two guys um the uh the one that you injured, the, the, the one in the red cloak that you injured injured so badly, um, he will, um, he looks down at the ground and and lowers, pulls his hand down.
00:48:31
Speaker
Uh, and, uh, when he does, he kind of vanishes down into the ground in a pool ah in like a, black mist and it goes up the stairs and reappears immediately in a kind of like shadow driven misty step up the stairs in kind of a slight retreat from the um the the uh dangers of whatever has just been happening to him um the other guy in the red cloak steps around the new guys that that have just appeared and um he
00:49:10
Speaker
moves his hands around him and he does, um, you see, he kind of splits into three more versions of himself as they kind of spin around him and move around making him look, um, it may almost like a blur, hard to know what, which thing is him.
00:49:30
Speaker
And so doing that, um, he, he, you'll not, anybody has disadvantage now trying to hit him or attack him as he moves down. Um, over here to get a little closer to where you guys are.
00:49:43
Speaker
um And...
00:49:49
Speaker
These other guys continue their casting. um
00:49:56
Speaker
to to keep the in the invulnerability ah the spell going above them. And um as that ends their turn, the guys in the black cloaks will now move in.
00:50:09
Speaker
um Kriggs, you get three firebolts thrown at you. Bring it. I want you to bring it. So the firebolts are...
00:50:23
Speaker
or
00:50:26
Speaker
Oh, man, I'm sorry. Plus six to hit. So.
00:50:31
Speaker
So we got 21. That hits. Third one's a 20. That does not hit. Next one's 16. That does not hit either.
00:50:42
Speaker
One hits. Your armor class is a what? 21 currently with my got it shield of faith. That's right. Okay. So you take one hit from fireball, which is just a straight D10 damage, fire damage. Ow.
00:50:56
Speaker
Oh, no. I take four and half of that. and yeah So you take two damage from that fire, and then... And I take another two damage to add to my pool. Then one of these dark cloaked mages steps around the corner, and he, looking at you...
00:51:14
Speaker
um
00:51:18
Speaker
points a finger towards you and I need you to make a charisma saving throw. Kriggs Golder. You know, you would pick me again.
00:51:33
Speaker
How does 18 sound? 10 plus 8. 18 actually 8 plus 10. Succeeds. You needed to be to 17. So um you actually 20 plus 2 to my aura.
00:51:49
Speaker
Well, then you even extra succeed as casts Banishment on you and it fails. It fizzles out and does not send you anywhere. And um great. Now, ah Davin, these there's three guys standing here right but but right around you as you are flying up above them. How high up are you?
00:52:10
Speaker
i went 10 feet up. 200,000 feet. Just kidding. um He's going to um just shoot a fire. They're all three going to shoot fire bolts up at you. Okay.
00:52:22
Speaker
So the first one is plus six. So 13, 19, and a
00:52:33
Speaker
and day twenty two
00:52:38
Speaker
Um, I am going to cast, uh, this one. I'll cast shield again. So only one hits only one hits. Okay. So, uh, it hits you for D 10 damage.
00:52:55
Speaker
So you take six damage from that. And, uh,
00:53:05
Speaker
that flame, those three flames shoot up and your shield protects you from two of them. One of them comes up under you and just singes your legs and your leg hairs. Uh, Gwen, you have three guys right here next to you. Um, one of them is going to
00:53:25
Speaker
reach towards you and touch you and, uh, open its eyes wide. Its eyes turn to this dark, this dark, uh, black color and it looks you directly in the eyes your little rhino eyes little beady rhino eyeballs um and wisdom saving throw please beat a 17. all right beat a 14 actually beat a 14. my rhinoceros
00:54:00
Speaker
a one yeah i I do do theirs, right? It's been so too long. A wisdom would be Gwen. Okay, great.
00:54:12
Speaker
How's a 13? 13's not going to do it. So it looks you in your face and says, run away. Save yourself. It casts Suggestion.
00:54:24
Speaker
And... um Uh-oh.
00:54:30
Speaker
The, uh, that means that you have to pursue the course of action to your best of, ah best of my, of your ability.
00:54:40
Speaker
And it lasts up to eight hours, as long as this guy maintains concentration on it. So you have to run away on your turn.
00:54:51
Speaker
Okay. Um, the other guy. ah The other two guys that are standing here near you, they see that succeed. They see the eyes of the rhinoceros kind of open wide.
00:55:03
Speaker
And they...
00:55:07
Speaker
One of them jumps up on this little crate. The other one squeezes between the two and stands between the crate and the cart, and they both cast two more firebolts.
00:55:18
Speaker
They're simple little cantrips at Kriggs. One for a nine to not hit. The other is a an 11, which won't hit. So two more fireballs shoot towards you.
00:55:29
Speaker
Yeah, it's missing, but it's chaotic. Fireballs are just flying. um It's because I'm short, isn't it? It's what? It's because I'm short, isn't it? They're having a hard time. Yeah, might be, actually. Just right over the top of your head. They can't hit you. They're like, ah, shouldn't jumped up and got higher on this thing. It's even more difficult. This why I stay bald. It just... Yeah. Don't have to worry about hair singeing. Gwendolyn, it's your turn. You are suggested... Or the rhino is suggested to run away.
00:55:52
Speaker
Okay. Um... I will run away, but only from him. 2, 1... 2, 3, 5,
00:56:03
Speaker
And I'm going to run towards Kregs to try to block him. So I'm technically running away.
00:56:12
Speaker
says run away. he said run away, save yourself. Okay. She's saving herself by running to me because everyone knows. Correct. I'm running towards towards the guy who could help me. Okay.
00:56:27
Speaker
um
00:56:31
Speaker
Hang on one second. Let me read something else on this here. Okay. That's about all I do, I guess.
00:56:39
Speaker
Cool. All right. So you run over towards Kriggs. That makes it Kriggs' turn as this giant, big old rhinoceros runs over there next to you. Okay. Okay. Okay.
00:56:51
Speaker
okay
00:56:56
Speaker
All right, so terrified from a giant rhinoceros running at me that's literally probably seven times my size. Not a, but you know, wears it well.
00:57:07
Speaker
um
00:57:10
Speaker
I am going to run into this cluster of dudes. With my movement. Okay. We are going straight north. There's a giant cluster of all of the shadow creatures and one red hand robe man.
00:57:30
Speaker
Cool. Let me... Whoops, I moved the wrong thing. Move myself somehow. Yeah, move yourself. Are you allowed to do so? Should be able to.
00:57:42
Speaker
Yep. Was that the spot that I chose? So you moved just up just a little bit beneath the stairs there that are... Yeah, I'm going to run right behind Mr. Man right here. I'm going to wrap him up. Standing next to one of the little prayer altars just about 10 feet from the steps up to the platform, right behind one of these shadow cultists.
00:58:07
Speaker
Yes, I'm running right behind a shadow cultist man. Yeah. you Perfect spot. ah Here, what I'm going to do is I'm going to cast, as an action, Channel Divinity Scorched Earth, one of my two Channel Divinity slots. And as an action, I can release the blast of energy that ignites the ground around me in a 20-foot radius.
00:58:29
Speaker
And creatures in that blast must make Constitution Saving Throw. So you might want to get rolling on that, big boy. They all have to make Constitution Saving Everything within 20 feet of me.
00:58:46
Speaker
10, 20. So these two. Stairboy everything, but the guy on the far right is in my range. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So one, two, three, four, five. One, two, three, four, five, six cultists and one red wet red-robed mage are making what kind of saving throw?
00:59:05
Speaker
Constitution. Con saves. They're plus zero, the lot of them. Yep. Um, go. Gotta beat a 16. Is it half damage on a 16?
00:59:17
Speaker
Mm-hmm.
00:59:20
Speaker
Okay, so i'm I'm just gonna roll normal because this is, okay, four. So, stair one fails. Okay.
00:59:29
Speaker
Stair two. Honestly. Just 14. What's it beating? Say again what it's beating? 16. 16. 14 fails. Uh... fourteen fails ah Guy furthest away on your, on Kriggs' left, five, fail.
00:59:44
Speaker
Guy right next to Kriggs there is a 19, so success. The red one, the guy in the red cloak rolled a three, he fails. The guy... the The guy right beneath him, just diagonal from the red cloak guy, rolled a 17, succeeds.
01:00:01
Speaker
The guy furthest from the red cloak to the right, rolled a nat 1, fail. The guy just above him, 4, fail. So we have two successes, failures. ah What's the damage on those guys?
01:00:13
Speaker
Everybody takes 14 points of lightning damage or half as much on a successful save. All right, so seven damage for these two successful guys.
01:00:26
Speaker
The one of them, that's still enough to kill him. So the only one left standing now is Red Cloak Man. Oh, the stair guys both failed too. Clearing house, jeez. The only one left standing is is Red Cloak Mage Man as he stands there.
01:00:41
Speaker
um Yes, damaged, but he is... um Perfect. he's He's not dead. So now for one minute... The ground in this 20-foot area continues to crackle and glow with power, and the ground is now difficult terrain.
01:00:57
Speaker
Whenever a creature moves into the space or starts their turn within it, they take two fire damage. And, yeah. and Only creatures of my choice take damage when i'm entering this terrain.
01:01:10
Speaker
Got it. so There it is. Okay, so I put a circle on the on the map there. It's actually going to be bigger than that. like this. Bigger.
01:01:21
Speaker
20 radius. There it is. So um that is crackling and lightning and energy shooting everywhere on the ground. um Is it dangerous terrain for your friends or just baddies?
01:01:33
Speaker
Just baddies. Anyone that I choose to be like okay so screwed by this. Yeah, that's what I thought. Perfect. And then um that takes us back up to the top to Darnaldi.
01:01:44
Speaker
Darnaldi begins to laugh. As he laughs and he spins his hands around and he moves them, the the ah dark fog begins to thicken and grow even more. And as it as it grows, it begins to fill the this first, this guy standing in front of you, or in front of Darnaldi. I can't get to him because of this stupid thing, but...
01:02:14
Speaker
um, it begins to, ah strengthen him as the shadow pours into his mouth and nose and eyes and ears. And, uh, it tries to shoot out towards this other red cloaked, uh, mage. And it is interrupted by the power of Kriggs's magic on the ground here.
01:02:35
Speaker
Um, but there are oh
01:02:42
Speaker
Two more um of these black cloaked guys come running out of the fog to the left side over here. And
01:02:58
Speaker
then... I've got to make myself public enemy number one where I'm standing.
01:03:05
Speaker
You'll be fine. And then two more run out of this other side as well, just under where you are, Davin, on this the to the left of where Darnaldi is standing. As the power pulsates, you all can see where this fog is forming, and it begins to take the shape of ah yeah vaguely looking like something with a giant wings and a head as this fog begins to form thicker and stronger and almost take a actual like corporeal form going in and out as Darnaldi becomes becomes more and more successful casting this spell we're making acid animals boys and that's where we're going to end this episode think we need to work faster
01:03:58
Speaker
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Ooh, spooky!
01:04:10
Speaker
Wow, that is spooky. Thanks for listening to The Hired Swords. If you like our podcast, tell a friend. If you have some ideas on what you think we should do in future podcasts when this campaign is concluded, maybe other TTRPGs we should play or, i don't know, other types of D&D content you'd like to hear, let us know. Send us an email. Find us thehiredswords.com.
01:04:30
Speaker
Thanks to again for listening. Bye-bye.