Overview

@Chaz Hoosier? I've seen it ruled either way. Stirge's are "effectively" grappling once they succeed on a touch attack, but they never really "initiate a grapple" per the PH. Does Daurant get an AoO when the stirge touches him..?

BTW, you should get an AoO on the stirge anyways first...

When Daurant is hit by the bloodthirsty Stirge, Christo 'freely' yells, "Get it off him! Burn it like a tick!"

Have the net, spotty and slow, for now. Trying to catch up. Post will be short.

Sure!

OK Sorithar, do you want Urd to risk shooting Daurant to get the stirge off? ;)

Net down all night and morning. It just came back, but slow and spotty. They are still working on it at the hotel. Posting delayed.

Sugrin Velicent, Illusionist Extraordinaire Male Gnome Illusionist 3 Init 1 | HP 14/14 | AC 12, Touch 12, FF 11 | Fort 4, Ref 2, Will 4 Sugrin would move to the base of the ramp onto the cavern floor while drawing his wand, holding his torch up defensively while scanning the area for signs of more bloodsuckers. He would call out, sounding mildly panicked, but looking alert. "Where are the rest of them?" Show Mechanics Continuing Effects: None

Urd shoots one of the stirges out of the air. The next one buzzes towards Daurant, well remembering his sweet blood from a couple days prior. It settles on Daurant and sinks its needle like snout into his flesh for his next feast. Round 1 @snugglepooh@RedRajah May go. The stirge counts as grappling (AC 12) Initiative Order Sugrin Urd Stirges Daurant Gerbimble Christo Map Link

Yikes, Terran! Stay safe!

We were hit by the huge tropical storm here in western NC. It was the worst storm in over half a century. We still have no electricity, no water, no cable, no internet, no landlines, no local radio station, no gasoline for 500 miles because the pipeline was knocked offline, no cell service and everything is closed other than a few churches and first responders. Hundreds and hundreds of thousands of trees down just over the roads, tens of thousands of electric lines down, all bridges closed due to flooding, a three-story hospital had to be evacuated by helicopter from the roof because the waters were so high, state of emergency declared, 95% of all roads are blocked, and every interstate highway is also closed due to massive mudslides with trees and boulders and flooding over the top of interstate highway bridges the rivers are so deep. I was trapped outside the home, so had to drive to find a hotel. All hotels with 500 miles were completely sold out, even if they didn't have power. I ended up driving halfway to FLorida for 10 hours all the way to the Atlantic Ocean covering 3 states just to find a hotel with vacancy and gasoline. On the trip winding our way on dirt roads and ridgetops to stay out of the flood zones, all of which were impassible, I ended up having a flat tire from debris and had to change the tire in the mud. Finally made it to a hotel with power, took a shower and collapsed in bed until now. I have to relocate today since they will only rent rooms for one day at a time and were sold out for Sunday night, have to shop for clothes and personal item just to shave and have clean clothes, and of course car repairs. I will try to put up minimalist posts, as time allows and if possible. Late tonight or tomorrow I should be able to get online again after relocating to another hotel further south and west to another vacancy for one day, but I confirmed they have power on and internet working. Sorry, this storm hit us worse than hurricane Katrina decades ago.

Daurant, Holy Warrior of Moradin Axe in hand Daurant prepares to strike any stirge that nears him. "This again?!" Show Mechanics Stat Block

Brother Christo Vanleaf, Grey Elf Bard-Cleric QUICK STATS: AC=19, Touch=14, FF=17 / HP=19/19 / Init=2 / Saves: Fort=4, Reflex=5, Will = 6 _____________________________________________________________________________ Standing watch in the middle of the group next to Sugrin, Brother Vanleaf sighs but is ready with his loaded bow in hand when a pair of Stirges are sighted. Show Mechanics Continuing Effects: None

"Two stirges up there!" Urd cried out, dashing in front of Daraunt in order to hopefully get a better shot off at one of those accursed bloodsuckers. The last thing she wanted was more of their party being drained of their very vitality AGAIN. The dwarven scout let her arrow fly.... Actions Statblock

Oh! Sorry. I will modify the post (and keep the moving forward part)

I originally thought we were going to have another go at the locked gate, but I appreciate you pushing us forward, Chaz. 🙂Initiative

The gate turns out to merely be blocked with things like old mattresses and bits of wood. It turns out to lead back to the orcs' common area. You head back down to the lower level and pass the dark side passage that a stream flows into. The descending fissure opens up abruptly into a very high cavern, with a ceiling easily 40 feet or more overhead. The stairway continues to wind down, descending a ledge along the north wall of the chamber. A fast moving stream about 5 feet wide runs across the floor of the chamber and disappears under a low stone overhang to the south, while larger passageways exit to the southeast and northeast. You look up nervously at the ceiling, though only Urd spots two striges stirring above. Surprise Round @RedRajah@snugglepooh@Lazeram@Terran@Sorithar Roll Initiative! Urd gets to act during the surprise round. Map Link

Sugrin Velicent, Illusionist Extraordinaire Male Gnome Illusionist 3 Init 1 | HP 14/14 | AC 12, Touch 12, FF 11 | Fort 4, Ref 2, Will 4 Sugrin would move along next to Christo, holding the torch for both of them to see but staying further back from the dwarves to keep from interfering with their darkvision. Show Mechanics Continuing Effects: None

Back to scouting, Urd crept back towards that one frustrating gate. Once more, she got her longspoon tools ready, elongating them out to hopefully avoid the traps. A silent prayer to Dumathoin flittered across her lips as she hunkered down to work... Actions Statblock

Daurant, Holy Warrior of Moradin Only a few steps behind Urd, Daurant tries to keep outside the radius of the torchlight. "Scrambles me eyes da torchlight in the dark!" Show Mechanics Stat Block

Brother Christo Vanleaf, Grey Elf Bard-Cleric QUICK STATS: AC=19, Touch=14, FF=17 / HP=19/19 / Init=2 / Saves: Fort=4, Reflex=5, Will = 6 _____________________________________________________________________________ Brother Vanleaf sighs and begins poking around in the orc's junk. After a few minutes, the Eleven holy man produces a handful of torches, as well as some materials for the wick end if more need made in the future. Christo says, "Eureka, found what we're looking for," as he hands out a torch or two to anyone who wants one before placing the extra torches, as well as the materials in his handy haversack, and then washing his hands. After drawing his long bow and nocking an arrow, the Domain Priest smiles as he mumbles a silent prayer of thankfulness and then says, "I'm prepared to move out to 'Stirgeville' when everyone else is ready to go!" Once the group starts heading toward the doors they wish to check and then most likely down below, the padre will stay in the middle of the formation next to Sugrin keeping his eyes and ears focused on the immediate environs. Show Mechanics Continuing Effects: None

Sure, there is a ready supply of mundane torches to be had in the orc's junk.

Okay, that was funny! But, just for clarity (and to facilitate my next post): 1. Have we seen any unlit torches during our exhaustive exploration of the first level? 2. If not, have we encountered any materials that could be made into such torches? -- If not, we can likely make torches from the junk we carry. 3. Do we need to do that now, or can we presume mundane torches were gathered or made during the 2 days of downtime for healing a few of the PCs?

If memory serves me correctly, that Shaman's name was "Tiki." You know Ole Tiki has a torch!

Weren’t there crates of stolen goods? There may be some that we’re overlooked, since orca have darkvision.