Ep 1213: Do not offend a vengeance paladin

Greetings, we're back! Game last week didn't happen due to everyone adjusting to the reality of WFH. And going forward it's probably going to be a little spotty because of the reality of WFH. Spouses, kids, needing to get out of our little corners, it all adds up to sometimes we just won't have the ability to have game. Also I'm going to continue working on my dialog skills.

So when we last left this fun bunch of adventurers, Tsedek was still nowhere to be found. The main party of Magnus, Itanis, Leoven, and Elle had landed in the attics of a temple, realized that there was an undead, and taken off after it. Magnus led us straight towards an ... undead snake medusa? Still not entirely quite sure what to make of this thing.

But, it was currently right in front of Leoven, and Magnus had strode right up to it offended it was ignoring him. Weird dude, our Paladin. So let's resume the battle!

Itanis decided it was safer not to look at the undead medusa so turned around and looked the other way, cast animate objects on his caltrops, and proceeded to pummel the crap out of the medusa.

Leoven decided he didn't like being in melee range, which makes sense since he's exclusively a ranged fighter, so he scampered out of it's reach and up a wall. He also decided to not look directly at the medusa so he took a couple of pot-shots at the creature, sadly missing. Because the medusa swung at Leoven at this point through an attack of opportunity (because Leoven left melee), Magnus got a swing at the medusa and hit it solidly.

Elle the maneuvered herself to be within 15' of the medusa and 10' of Magnus, but angled so that she could shoot at the medusa without hitting Magnus, and then proceeds to lob fire at the medusa. To do this though she has to look at the medusa, hence the wanting to be within 10' of Magnus. He's got nifty savings throw bonuses for friends that are within 10'. Which she needs, she's decent with constitution savings throws but it's a freaking medusa. She makes her saving throw, and does a chunk of fire damage to the creature.

The medusa took offence to this and walked past Magnus to swing at Elle. Drats. Wound up burning a Shield spell to bring her a/c to 22 otherwise it would have hit her. But the medusa also took damage from her flames (Elle's literally on fire right now).

Magnus, of course, took offence at this (and I mean that literally, he's offended that this creepy evil undead is ignoring him) and smashed it but good. He of course will not look away from evil "I will look evil in the eye as I smite it!". Dude's a machine when it comes to ridding this world of evil undead things. Between haste and smite though it adds up quickly, so he does 121 points of damage. Seriously.

But it is not dead yet!

So back to Itanis, who decides it's wiser to not look at the medusa, but lobs his caltrops at it anyway, and does a chunk more damage.

Leoven also decides it's wiser to not look at the medusa and shoots at it again, but connects some this time. We're not used to our "machine gun" ranger not hitting!

Elle then misty steps up on to this platform, out of Magnus' bonus range, but within the range of firing fire at the medusa. I swear Magnus is rubbing off on Elle. She successfully makes her saving throw against the medusa's gaze and lobs her flames at it once again. This time, it screams and burns to ash.

Magnus, being the "must smite evil and undead" sort, takes a handy swing at the thing as it dies, further smiting it into true oblivion. This thing is barely dust and ash after Magnus and Elle are done with it. He then, of course, roars that he's killed another evil undead creature. Elle, being a brat, chimes in with "some of my 'righteous' fire may have helped with that".

But it's dead, it dropped some jewelry so we've pocketed that for future sales. Elle then offered Leoven a hug, but he shakes his head all bug-eyed and Itanis chimes in with "aren't you still on fire?" details, details ...

As we're searching for loot ... as one tends to do as an adventuring party ... Elle strikes up a conversation with Magnus.

"Magnus, when you and I actually work together we can be quite formidable."

Magnus then responds with: "I'm not sure what you're hinting at Elle. I am nothing if not an easy person to work with. We've teamed up on many battlefield tactics - almost all of them quite successful."

Elle then ponders for a moment and responds with "OK, more straight forward, got it. I'm very good at lighting things on fire and blowing them up. However, watching you and Itanis has made me aware that my combat tactics are generally less than desirable. Remember the fight in the alley, where those hooligans wanted to rob us and the buyer Tsedek had found? And you gave directions? And I actually listened? I think I'm asking for more of that. I may even listen most of the time. " She stops to grin there, then continues with "If there's a tactic or a move/spell I can do to make our combats more efficient I'm willing to learn/listen."

And no, the main party still has no idea where Tsedek is ...