Lost Crown of Neverwinter - Session 5

In case you missed it here is a link to my Session 4 Report 

One quick note before I begin. I forgot to mention that the last session was run with the assistance of my new ASUS Transformer Tablet using the Android App DM's Assistant and it worked like a charm. This week I attempted to use the same app and it failed in no uncertain terms. Sadly I think a large part of the problem could be found somewhere between the chair and the keyboard. So before I write the app off and delete it I will be giving it another try. Maybe even for Lair Assault this coming weekend. If any of you have other suggestions for Android Apps to try out please comment. I am completely new to the Android platform.

I took time during the morning to do some prep for the encounter ND thought it was going to be a walk through for the PC. That couldn't have been further from the truth. Honestly in retrospect I would have to say this was one of the toughest encounters to date.

There were a couple of small changes to the table that should be mentioned. This week we are running with 7 players. So we have a new Bladesinger. Also Locke our Halfling thief is back with his deadly sling. Sadly our normal Bladesinger is still MIA.  

This weeks table of 7

Our party left the gates and continued in the carriage to the bridge. I gave them a brief description of the Lord Protector's efforts to rebuild and the current state of the city. Then they arrived at the bridge, where they were greeted by the guards. I described them as moving with military precision and that they were on high alert. 

The guards made it clear that due to the civil unrest that the bridge had been closed to the public. The group quickly flashed their new badges and were allowed across. Once the guards had seen the badges they pretty much ignored the group and sent them on their way across the bridge on foot. As far as the guards were concerned anyone who had a badge and wanted to go across should be able to take care of themselves.

Starting positions

As soon as the group was across the Plaguechanged creatures rushed out of the ruined houses and attacked. The party reacted much faster then the enemy might have hoped and were able to get the drop on them. Our new Bladesinger rushed to one side and smacked on of the for a respectable amount of damage and followed it up with a Mage Hand attack that tried and failed to push one of the monsters into the river but knocked it prone.

Next up was the ranger who put an arrow into one of them, then back on to the bridge to keep the distance between him and the monsters. Locke, our thief, hurried past the fountain and hit the one the Bladesinger had already damaged with devastating surprise attack.

The impact was enough to bloody the creature which then unleashed a massive forest blast. Locke was out of range of the burst but the Bladesinger took the blunt of the attack. He was left bloody as well. 

Darbeck, the Dwarven cleric, and Fondle the great, both moved in and attacked on opposite sides of the battle field. They each attacked and cause minimal damage. However they did position themselves where they would keep the monsters off the archers. The cleric was also able to do a healing word and keep the new Bladesinger in the battle.

The plaguechanged wretches moved in to attack.  Their positioning was heavily dependent on keeping as many of the party in their blast radius as possible.  These creatures were under no delusion that they would get bloody before the fight was over.  They did some damage throughout the party; including making the Bladesinger blood again and hitting Darbeck and Fondle pretty hard.

The Broxa another of the groups scouts opened up at range and nailed one of the wretches. The hit was enough to bloody and the resulting explosion of blue plaguechanged flames was enough to blood the Drow Bladesinger and the Dwarven priest.  Afterward followed the other Ranger’s example and backed up on to the bridge

James why of commenting on the number of
pictures I was taking

Broxa’s attack was the third time one of the creatures had exploded after being hit with a ranged attack.  This led to a bit conjecture that the explosive attacks were the results of being hit by ranged attacks. One of the players also pointed out that after each of the ranged attacks the creatures were also bloodied.  I just smiled and listened to the ideas and left it up to them to decide.

The plaguechanged Wretches were the last to go and they charged in at the closest enemies.  One went after Fondle and significant damage.  The hit it delivered along with the other damage Fondle already absorbed was more than enough to drop him. 

 The next few rounds didn’t go well for the party.  Some of the characters were two afraid to attack out of fear of setting off another burst reaction and further injury party members.  This fear was so prevalent that one of the Rangers used his standard action to scan the area for other dangers.  The rest of the players called for him to do more but he refused. Of the 7 characters 5 of them were unconscious at one point in the battle.  As a DM i was honestly concerned about the possibility of a TPK.  At might have helped the group had I not rolled 5 natural twenties over the course of the night.  The joke by the end of the session was that I was warming up for Lair Assault.

In the end the party made a massive turn around.  Darbeck rolled high enough to spend a healing surge on his Death Save.  Then Ander, who was up right afterwards rolled a natural 20 on his Death save and spent a healing surge.  Once Darbeck was up a healing word got the Bladesinger back into the fight. Together the party was able to finish off the last of them.  Sadly they couldn’t do it before Fondle the Great was Fondle the Dead.

When the combat was over we played through the initiative order until everyone else was healed and back up.  Broxia was the last to be saved.  That didn’t happen before the group’s thief, Locke, was able to get in there and become the proud owner of a second set of badges.  It will be interesting to see what becomes of those in the future.

I didn't get the chance to talk with the other DM's after the session but apparently one of the tables had something of a chain reaction happen. The party and the monsters were all grouped tightly tighter and fighting it out at the base of the Wing Wyvern Bridge. Then when one of the Plaguechanged Retches exploded several others were caught in the blast. Then when they were hit they all went off. Sorry to say I don't know how the whole thing turned out. Either way it would have made for a nasty attack if the majority of them hit.