Part 8: Session 5 Part 2: Come to Rainbow Rock! *Clap* *Clap*

Everyone done leveling up? What feats did everyone take?


I got Diehard.
Nice. You know, that feat also allows you to stay conscious in negative points. You shouldn’t push it, though, since you’ll still lose hit points for taking standard actions.

Lewis, what about you?

Combat Casting, naturally. I’ll need that considering how often I’ll be wading into melee.


Weapon Finesse for me. Hopefully now I can actually hit things.

Suzie, what did you get?

Just Dodge.



Hal, did you really use your free spells to get buff spells?

They’re pretty much the best thing available for Wizard 2 spells. Plus I got Craft Wondrous Item.
Why? Don’t you lose experience for crafting magic items?
Since there are no large cities where we’re going, Bob won’t let us buy equipment straight out of the DMG, and there won’t be enough standard buff items in the module, so Hal and I decided this was the next best thing. Besides, D&D 3.5 uses catch-up XP, so Hal will never lag too far behind.
Plus I totally get to claim workshops now. I’m gonna be a one-dwarf crafting supercenter. Not that we really have the money to buy items even at half off yet.
Speaking of which, Bob, what did the giant have on him?


Damn! Now that is what I’m talking about!
Mind you, it’s still fairly short of where level 3 characters should be for individual wealth.

Does that include the +1 Holy Sword?

Liquid assets are also important.



What if I told you about the magic Elven Chain and magic cloak on the ground nearby?

Now we’re getting somewhere (although I suppose we’ll drop 100 gold for each magic item we need to identify). Go ahead and mark it down, William, but don’t wear it yet; I wouldn’t put cursed items past Bob.

Especially not after what you did to that poor giant.

So is that it for the Meadows?
No, we still need to find that Rainbow Rock. You remember, the one we came to find from the beginning?
Oh yeah, I keep forgetting about that thing!



So after a few more skeleton attacks, some rest,



And finally a little diversity just for the hell of it…


Found it!



Underneath the stone, you discover a modest cache of coins, a few pearls and a ring, the High Priest’s lost holy symbol, a strange figurine, and a crumpled note.

What does the note—


Suddenly, even more skeletons erupt from the ground! Three have long pikes, while the fourth casts a spell. Roll Spellcraft…alright, the spell is Desecrate.
Damn, so much for the easy way out.
Desecrate makes Turn Undead impossible, then?
It gives me a penalty to the Charisma check, and since I already have a negative there, there’s basically no way I’ll be able to turn these guys. By the way, I think piling on the priest will be our best bet, folks.


…Hal?
Embiggening, usual target. You are huge, William! You must destroy their huge guts!
But they’re skeletons. They don’t have guts.
You don’t let me have any fun.


I can still hit him, though. So with the damage reduction, that should make it 13.
We really should have brought some bludgeoning weapons.
I guess I fell too much in love with the greatsword. Oh well, at least it’s not as bad as it could be.


The skeletal priest casts Shield of Faith, and the other three take five-foot steps to get out of retaliation range.
I think I’m starting to hate five-foot steps.
Well it’s not that hard to declare that you’re doing the same.

But it is hard when you have to pull it out of a three-deep radial menu instead of just freaking clicking!


…11 damage, not too bad. How is the priest looking now?
It’s pretty worn down. You think another hard strike or two might finish it off.
Well, get to it, William.


…No, see on the app? The only way you can use Burning Hands without getting in range of the pikes or hitting your allies is to hit the one to the side here.
Oh, fine then. Man, I’m still not used to this “frail as a reed” aspect of mages.
It comes with the territory. Phenomenal Cosmic Power…_{itty bitty hit point count.}


…That’ll do. The skeletal priest is no more.
Cool.


…Damn, that’s enough to make me dying.
“Don’t worry, Garrett, I shall avenge you!”


Well, that’s the last one.
Finally. It’s like the rest of you can’t even hit half the time.
Well, at least we softened them up for you.

Maybe a bit, but what I didn’t mention before was that William was dealing almost their full hit points in damage each time he connected with one of the pike skeletons.

Jesus.
So he basically killed all the pike skeletons himself? Who killed the priest, then?
Also me.


Oh, right. Bob, I’m going to take the skeleton priest’s mace, even if it’s nonmagical. Hopefully I can at least deal better damage next time.
By the way, William, how come you didn’t bother Raging today? I think both the giant and the priest fights would have been good times to do that. It’s not like it takes any time to do, either.
Sorry. Keep forgetting.
Wait, so if he was off by so little before…do you mean William could have killed the pike skeletons in one hit each if he had Raged?

Looks like it, yeah.



We should probably pack up, guys. Between the combat and the leveling, it’s gotten pretty late.

Good game, people. Maybe we can do the Moathouse next time. And William, remember to Rage next time!
Just repeat to yourself, “WILLIAM ANGRY! WILLIAM SMASH!”
Yeah, I’ll keep that in mind.