Chapter 8: Forgotten Ossuaries

[kwll]

Lisglen nods and removes his hand from Holger's shoulder.

[under_score]

Holger grins and nods. "If I know you Northerners, you'll more than hold to that word." He brings his mallet down on the skeletal cage.

[Wouter]

With a deafening blow Holger's mallet hits the skeleton closest to him - the one which had its back turned to the party - full on its spine, shattering the vertebrae and causing the undead creature to immediately collapse. Upon their congener's slumping to the ground the remaining three skeletons release their grip on each other and draw their short swords, turning to the adventurers, determined to avenge the demise of their skeletal ally...

Please declare your actions for the next combat round...

Mechanics

Holger: mallet attack… 1d6 + 1 = 5 damage on Skeleton #1

Status

[code]
Friends Foes

# Name HP Status # Monster Dmg. Status
---------------------------------- ---------------------------
1 Dahl Kolla 7/ 7 1 Skeleton 5 DEAD
2 Memphisto 6/ 6 2 Skeleton
3 Lisglen the Sage 7/10 3 Skeleton
4 Van Illundra 7/ 7 4 Skeleton
5 Holger 7/ 7
6 Balthus 7/ 7
7 Freda Briarfoot 2/ 8
8 Albin 2/ 7
[/code]

[under_score]

"Time to honor your word, Northerner!" Holger will toss Balthus his sword and continue fighting with the mallet.

[jcftao]

Memphisto will take a crack at one of the skeletons with his staff!

[Etarr_the_Good]

"Indeed it is!" says Balthus, catching his sword tossed by Bolger. He raises his sword in defiance and will attack when skeleton advances towards him.

[kwll]

Lisglen takes hold of his staff and enters the fight.

[Wouter]

With one smooth motion Holger unsheathes his longsword and flings it over to Balthus while his other hand wields the mallet and brings it down on the skull of the next skeleton he can hit. The cracking sound cuts through bone and marrow as the skull ruptures and the skeleton falls to the ground...

Balthus catches the sword thrown by Holger by its hilt and immediately hacks away at the skeleton standing nearest to him. He severs the head clean off the body, sending the skull tumbling into the far corner as the body collapses into a pile of lifeless bones...

Memphisto tries to squeeze through and land a blow with his staff but he is unsuccessful, as is Lisglen who makes a vain attempt to knock a skeleton off its feet with the butt of his clerical staff of the True Light...

Due to the limited space the others fail to connect with the remaining enemy which backs up a few steps realizing it has been cornered and panickingly lashes out at Balthus, barely missing his arm with its sword...

Please declare your actions for the next combat round...

Mechanics

Holger throwing his sword and Balthus catching it… 1d20 = 2 < (10 + 5) / 2 => SUCCESS
Since this action is a combination of both the throwing and the catching of the weapon I decided to take the average of Holger’s and Balthus’ DEX score to obtain a roll-under-or-equal target number.

Combat mechanics

Initiative
[list]
[*]Friends... 1d6 = 5
[*]Foes... 1d6 = 4[/list]
Melee
[list]
[*]Friends
[list]
[*]Holger: mallet attack… 1d20 + 2 = 21 => HIT for 1d6 + 1 = 5 damage on Skeleton #2
Holger would have had two attacks against the ½ HD creature, but with having to unsheathe and throw his sword he loses one attack.
[*]Balthus: longsword attack… 1d20 + 2 = 14 => HIT for 1d6 + 1 = 7 damage on Skeleton #3
[*]Memphisto: staff attack… 1d20 - 1 = 1 => MISS
[*]Lisglen: staff attack… 1d20 - 2 = 0 => MISS[/list]
[*]Foes
[list]
[*]Skeleton #4: short sword attack… 1d20 = 12 => MISS[/list][/list]

Status

[code]
Friends Foes

# Name HP Status # Monster Dmg. Status
---------------------------------- ---------------------------
1 Dahl Kolla 7/ 7 1 Skeleton 5 DEAD
2 Memphisto 6/ 6 2 Skeleton 5 DEAD
3 Lisglen the Sage 7/10 3 Skeleton 7 DEAD
4 Van Illundra 7/ 7 4 Skeleton
5 Holger 7/ 7
6 Balthus 6/ 7
7 Freda Briarfoot 2/ 8
8 Albin 2/ 7
[/code]

[jcftao]

Memphisto will move back and let the fighters take care of the skeleton.

[under_score]

Holger shouts out a battlecry and presses his attack on the last skeleton.