Trapping More Than Fur - 36

[K Man]

{This is a long post. Read thoroughly, let me know if there are any questions about what happens.}

---

Reacting quickly, Belle moves forward and unleashes some energy waves of her own. These bands of energy form from solid whisps and wrap around the body of the human, strangling the life out of him. [SR Check (The Human wears SR armor) @ +10]
[dice=20]
[Results = Good, Grapple Checks, +16 Vs. +5]
[dice=20]
[dice=20]
{Narkonnen is grappled.}

Tham follows suit, coming to the mouth of this room and unleashing a torrent of fire and flame of faith. [Beat SR checks, REF Saves for Neophysis @ +6, Narkonnen @ +5]
[dice=20]
[dice=20]
[Results = Neophysis success 20 Damage, 40 Damage to Narkonnen ] The blast of flame is hot and burning, nearly destroying the man on the ground.

The Dark Elf finishes her gestures, but must focus on the pain received this round. [Concentration Check, @ + 19 Vs. DC 30]
[dice=20]
[Results = 38, Good. Spell goes off...prestidigitation] The Dark Elf finishes her gestures and the waves of energy radiate out from her as though she was a burning star in the night sky. The waves pulsate and grow, eventually reaching your party.

At first, you feel nothing, then...a sharp pain begins in one of your hands. It is like ice or frost climbing up your arm and eveloping your chest slowly. It creeps across your sternum, flowing down your legs and even up to your head. It is debilitating, corrupting and you can think of nothing else but the pain...

---

{You guys have just been hit with Narkonnen's Rings, a modified cursed item based on the Robe of Powerlessness; As far as I remember, everyone is wearing one.

Narkonnen's Ring of Powerlessness

A ring of powerlessness appears to be a magic ring of another sort. The ring is technically inert and will not show any signs of power, even when a character dons this item. However, once a command word is spoken (within hearing range) a character takes a -10 penalty to Strength (STR), Intelligence (INT), and Wisdom (WIS) [Minimum of 1] forgetting spells and magic knowledge accordingly while wearing the ring. The character is also fatigued from the effects of the ring initially, but may rest normally.

The ring cannot be removed easily--only a remove curse, severing the finger the ring is on, wish, limited wish or similar effect will remove the ring.

The Dark Elf (Neophysis) just muttered the command word during her motioning and gesturing--repeating it will do nothing. I will modify the actions for those after the rings' activation accordingly. Keep me honest and let me know if I missed anything.}

---

The large skeletons advance, quickly closing off the entrance to the room. They bring their bone-sharp claws upon Hildigunn and Tham. [2 on Hildy, 1 on Tham @ +8 in that order]
[dice=20]
[dice=20]
[dice=20]
{Results = 2 hits on Hildy for 15 damage} The skeletons manage to land blows on the barbarian, raking her skin with claws.

Loopmottin [current WIS 8, can't cast 1st level spells] tries to muster the strength to call upon faith to protect Hildigunn, but it fails. The magic gone, the memory of his faithful devotion and words of wisdon gone from his mind...

Caatrah downs a potion, barely able to drink the thing when it touches his lips. [Current STR = 10] He waits for the battle to grow in intensity.

Narkonnen, entangled in the grasp of the energy strands of Belle, reaches at his side and activates an item. [Activate an item while grappling, Wand of Cure Moderate Wounds, 20 hp back to Narkonnen] Despite being trapped, he manages to shout loud enough to be heard.



"Surrender and we shall take mercy!"[/i]

The huge skeleton advances, talons clacking on the stone floor. But it cannot reach anything through the waller of smaller, yet still huge skeletons.

Hildigunn is next, raging despite the burning ring on her finger. [Current STR = 16 (12 +4 Rage), Attack Roll Actually = 15, still good to hit. Damage Result = 34] The blow is still devastating, but it is far short of what the raging Hildigunn is capable of. (5/39 hp left)

Lastly, the large undead shuffle forward, pushing in behind the Huge skeleton and large skeletons...

The battle goes on...but you're not sure for how long with these rings burning on your fingers...their draining powers are killing you.

[Initiative: Belle (22), Tham (18), Neophysis (17), Large Skeletons (17), LoopMottin (16), Caatrah (15) + Narkonnen (15) + Huge Skeleton (15), Hildigunn (10), Large Undead (0)]

Map;

 _______________
|               |
|               |
|               |
|               |
|               |

|\  UU          |
| \ UU          |
|‡| UU          |
|‡| UU          |
| / UU          |
|/  UU          |
         
|     SSS       |
|   UUSSS       |
|   UUSSS       |
|  UUSSSSSSUU   |
|__UUSSSSSSUU___|
      |TH |
      |BL |
      |   |
      | C |
      |   |
      |   |
      |   |<-
      |   |
      |   |
      |   |
      |   |
      |   |
      |   |
      |   |
      |   |
      |   |
    __|. .|__
       ^^^
       ^^^

[/pre]<<<LEGEND>>>
L = Loopmottin (Mounted)
H = Hildigunn
B = Lobelia (Belle)
T = Tham
C = Caatrah

N = Narkonnen (On the South Throne) (49/69)
O = Neophysis (On the North Throne) (55/65)



^^ = Stairs up, temple entrance
‡ = Throne

<- = Loop's Badger detects the scent of undead within 30' at this point.

SSS
SSS
SSS = Huge Skeleton {78/78, AC 14 t11, ff11, +9/+4/+4 (2d8+5, 1d8+2 and 2d6 +2) sp 60 ft}

UU
UU = Large Zombie {55/55, AC 15, t7 ff15, +9 (2d8+9) 30ft, singel actions only}

SS
SS = Large Skeleton {39/39, AC 14, t12, ff1, +8/+8/+3 (1d6+6, 1d6+3) 30ft}

---

---

Okay, before the major outrage strikes, I want you all to know out of the 20+ players that have been through this Adventure, you're in with the 85-90% that have put on the rings. There were several clues that the setup wasn't on the level, those clues are here;

- Ol' Jack mentioning this all happened last week.

- Ol' Jack mentions the 'Dark Woman' is a human. {When you encounter her, she's a Drow}

- Ol' Jack's hut full of books...odd for a man that can't spell or even annunciate.

- The interior of the Inn being old and dusty, rarely used.

- The interior of the church being the same way.

- Re-iteration of the town being damaged long ago, dust covered and burned down.

- A stone temple so close to town when supposedly this happened a week ago.

And of course, there is always a way out of this. Don't fret.

EDIT:Sorry, had to edit the fatigue effect of the ring.
EDIT Some more: I translated these rings from an old adventure I actually designed/built in 2nd edition. I forgot to specify that the penalties cannot reduce you to 0 in an ability score. The minimum is 1. [rand=602959547862384407010086871986221107176961603797427254712870529825]

[Wicksy]

OOC: Well, that really takes the biscuit! One of the greatest ploys i've seen playing d&d. Brilliant! We fell for that hook, line and sinker. Well done
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The nasty elf had made magic to hurt us, so we hurt her back.

Caatrah, now with an intelligence paling in comparison to Loop's badger's stupid younger brother charges headlong at the undead in the corridor while raging (temp str = 26, tempory con = 20)

temp hp = 127/127
AC 22 (this round 20)

[dice=20] + 22 = 24

[dice=6][dice=6][dice=6] + 10 = 19 damage[rand=03626217545784777074132530614408270476939338786401822815228620550526]

[chunker]

{I'll assume these cursed rings are an exception to the "A character can only effectively wear two magic rings. A third magic ring doesn't work if the wearer is already wearing two magic rings." since it's Loophole's 3rd ring. And aren't you dead if you're reduced to 0 in an ability score?}

Reduced to animal intelligence (2), the gnome does the only thing he can think of to deal with the debilitating pain eminating from his finger. He slashes off the offending digit with his sword.

[At least his strength bonus is -2 right now vs. +4
[dice=6]-2+[dice=6]electric damage (electric should help burn the wound closed)][rand=1742489741405600624244082458192057635523085580830627157515736332277]

[Japic]

wicksy said:

OOC: Well, that really takes the biscuit! One of the greatest ploys i've seen playing d&d. Brilliant! We fell for that hook, line and sinker. Well done

{Yah; he snowed us all in the home game the first time through; then in each of the following times he's run it. It's always interesting to see how we cope with what's coming.}

By the way; although KMan didn't say it before the fact that our rings are dragging us down should be mostly an OOC. She cast a spell and we're in pain; unless somenone Spellcraft's the spell; we don't know that she didn't just do this.

---

Feeling strange but unable to put her finger (no pun intended) on just why, Hildi continue her attack on the undead.

Str 16
AC 13 (+9 armor -4 dex -2 rage)
62/143hp (4 temporary damage)

[dice=20]+14 to hit damaged skeleton =24
[dice=8]+9 damage =13 dam

Cleave
[dice=20]+14 to undamaged skeleton =34
[dice=8]+9= 16 dam

2nd Atk
[dice=20]+9 against new damaged skeleton =26
[dice=8]+9 = 14 dam (30 total to 2nd skeleton)
[rand=44988636412362401131650369002446309803514181125348578860103624231]

[K Man]

chunker said:

{I'll assume these cursed rings are an exception to the "A character can only effectively wear two magic rings. A third magic ring doesn't work if the wearer is already wearing two magic rings." since it's Loophole's 3rd ring. And aren't you dead if you're reduced to 0 in an ability score?}

{Step into the ring with the Ali(s) of rules and see what I get. Like I said, this is an adapted very old adventure so I'm going with what I know. Based on the fact that a character can only wear two rings at once, I'm going with the following options;

1) The cursed ring works anyway, regardless of items already worn because it is cursed. It's not a beneficial magic item so it's exempt from the rules.

2) A character (assuming they know) is aware that more than two rings don't work, so they remove one other ring to make way for this one counting on its latent protection powers per Ol' Jack's story.

3) When activated, the cursed ring supercedes one of the magical rings the character already is wearing, thus 'deactivating' the beneficial ring while the cursed one is worn.

4) The cursed ring doesn't function at all if a character already wears two magical rings.

I honesly can't explain my way any further than that. I'm open to suggestions.

Again, the rings can only reduce an ability score to 1 as a minimum.}

[TheZebraShakes™]

Wand of Cure Moderate Wounds, 20 hp back to Narkonnen]

That's the most godly 2d8+3 I've ever seen. I'll assume that it's one of those REALLY expensive wands.

------------------------------
Jeez, I guess there's the "Trapping" part.
---------------------------------------

[glow=forestgreen,2,300]Barely able to keep himself and his shield upright due to the complete loss of strength which seemed to happen so suddenly, Tham feels the burning metal on his finger.

The ring.

He tries in vain to call forth the power of his god in the form of a divine spell, barely able to keep his thoughts together.

There were so many undeads surrounding him.

Make them go away.

He raises his holy symbol and makes that request of his god. Putting the index finger of that very hand into his mouth and attempting to pry off the heated metal with his teeth.[/glow]

Turn undead
[dice=20]+5
he can get whatever's there I guess.

[dice=6][dice=6]+13=21 hit dice worth[rand=982349319903117520071234245517178401107812447847938617441574338633]

[Lin]

Not sure how to approach this sudden feeling of loss, Belle attempts to keep the offending human down. He was calling for there surrender, but if she could choke him hard enough, he soon might be the one begging for mercy.

Grapple check is now +11 due to lowered intellegence, concentrating on telekinesis to pin the human.