Trial by Fire (Part 2)

[Cointhief]

The goblin's heavy weaponry pierces the largest leftover piece of the once graceful, now obliterated Flying Fish with a satisfying *clonk*. The dense, arced keel of the vessel trawls the gravity plane like a net trawling the high seas as Yahs pulls with all her plasmoid power. After a moment, she realizes that although the wreckage is weightless...inertia still exists and once the massive object is yanked into motion it crashes along staying in motion.

Much of the debris is now much closer to the cadet's vessel, as if a gambler swiped up all the winnings with a quick forearm. But with the center of mass now reduced, the Flying Fish's air envelope also now merges with the cadet's...bringing a befouled, off-color and slightly fruity musk along with it. Still, at this point it is trivial for the Captain's transmuted telekinesis to snatch the log before Lazuli dives into the frozen flotsam.

Popsicle bursts into an old-timey, sea shanty to celebrate...but after a few verses you realize he is just making it up on the fly and saying 'Yo Ho' over and over when he can't really think of anything of true lyrical substance. Still, its uplifting somehow to see a tiny bird beak make such manly baritones.

The log has been collected. If you don't want to linger here, what remains is to navigate back out of the asteroid field in a (last I promise) Skill Challenge. Skills are same as the one before for the asteroid field.

[BobtheWizard]

"Lou" Louis Dufray (Goblin Ranger 2) sheet

---

AC: 16 | HP: 24/24 | Initiative: +3 | Passive Perception: 17 | FeaturesAdv. on saves vs. charm
60' Darkvision
BA Hide or Disengage
Fury of Small: 2/2 LR
Favored Foe: 2 /2 LR
Hit Dice: 1 / 1d10+2 LR
Conditions: none

---

Recognizing that this is a simulation and not reality, Lou refrains from exploring and looting the damaged vessel. While he normally would look for anything useful and transport it to our ship, he knows we don't need to spend that time here.

"Let's cut her loose."

He takes his scimitar and tries to slice the rope holding the two vessels together, but misses terribly and gets his scimitar stuck in between two planks in the deck. Instead of helping, he spends the rest of the time trying to get his scimitar out of the deck.

---

Mechanics Main Hand: none Off Hand: none Action: slice rope Move: none Manipulate: none Bonus Action: none Gnarley's Knack: You have Advantage on the next roll you make regarding ship repairs or ship weaponry.

 

Edited December 27, 2023 by BobtheWizard (see edit history)

[KingGoblin]

Lazuli Lazali Lulura, AKA Squishy

AC 17 | HP 19/19 | HD 1/1 | Inspiration No | P.Perception 15

Saves: Str -1 | Dex +3 | Con +1 | Int +2 | Wis +5 | Cha +0

Resistances: Acid and Poison

---

Lazuli cheers happily. It sounds more like squeaky flatulence, but the emotion is there. "We have the book! Now, we just need to get back alive, and... I didn't just jinx it, did I?" she asks, wetly.

 

Once everything is prepared, and assuming the Captain approves, she carefully tries to navigate back out of the asteroid field.

[JubalBreakbottle]

Celsior Loriniscil, Prince of Alfheim

Inspiration Yes | HP 14/14 | HD 2/2 | Step 2/2 | Shield 1/1

Bladesong 2/2 | Recovery 1/1 | 1st-level 3/3

---

After getting the logbook aboard, Celsior says, “aye Squishy. Home please. Best course. We make our own luck.”

Mechanics

Skill challenge: Persuasion

[DM-Tareth]

Yahs Anirys Plasmoid Monk 2 CG

AC: 16 | HP: 16/16 | HD: 2/2 | PP: 13 | Inspiration: No | Speed: 40 ft | GP: 60
Str 11 (0) Dex 16 (3) Con 12 (1) Wis 16 (3) Int 11 (0) Cha 9 (-1)

Attacks: Spear (P)1d20+5;1d6+3 | Unarmed(B) 1d20+5;1d4+3 | Sling(B)1d20+5;1d4+3 | Quarterstaff-Mop(B) 1d20+5;1d6+3
Magic: Sacred Flame (DEX vs DC13; 1d8) | Shield of Faith(Bonus; +2AC) | Ki Pool: 2/2

---

Seeing Lou struggling to free his embedded scimitar and hearing the captain give the order to get underway Yahs scrambles quickly to grab the spear she has never used and cut the rope binding the two ships together. Unfortunately the lack of use has also equated to a lack of proper care for the weapon and its dull blade doesn't appear up to the task. Her ocular centers grow wide with worry as the rope tightens and the wooden rail groans under the pull of the wreck.

"Uhhhh...Captain!" She shouts, drawing attention to the goblin wrestling his stuck sword and her own frantic but utterly useless sawing at the rope. "We've a bit of trouble here."

DEX(Acrobatics)

Edited December 28, 2023 by DM-Tareth (see edit history)

[Cointhief]

No sooner have the words burbled forth from Yahs' sonic orifice when the capstan holding the linking rope splinters and shatters free. The forgotten spearpoint turns a bright red, blushing at its own inadequacies and reflecting on happier times back in the keep's armory. ~This wouldn't have happened with Jarnathan, oil and a whetstone every tenday...humming merry tunes of care...~ the lance's apex further lamented with just a tinge of spite leveled towards its new owner.

Lou fares little better, the odd chemical reaction between the wood varnish and Mr. Bubbles giving the deck planks dense, unyielding striations...holding the scimitar firm. This turns out to be a bit of a blessing in disguise however, as the linking rope's sharp tug rolls the hammerhead to nearly a 90 degree attitude...offering the goblin a convenient handhold as everything tumbles to the left.

Lazuli waits only long enough to hear the clear order from her captain before leaping to tactical speed, snapping the rope quick and righting the course. This time the squishy spelljammer seems to predict the small asteroid's seemingly random movements with much greater accuracy...maintaining a high speed with the occasional deft juke up, down or sideways as space allowed.

But just as Coliar's geological jumble is left behind, another ship appears from behind a craggy rock. Its sleek frame is painted in a wild shade of pink...pirate colors. Starlight reflects off the ship's squid-like hull...illuminating two turret-mounted ballistae rotating slowly to face your ship. Little yellow men scramble all over the deck, snarling death chants and pointing their silver cutlasses aggressively. Githyanki.

Through the spyglass, its clear they are preparing the mangonel...nearly ready to fire it as well. Despite the cold, almost primitive aggression they are definitely well-organized...taking almost no time to yaw to flank and let loose a scattershot of heavy bolts, targeting your wide hull and attempting to blast you out of the skies. One of the shots is nearly a direct hit, scraping just under the keel...

---

Cadet ship starts battle with 300/400 hp from entering the asteroids poorly. Crew avoided other hp penalties from the other 3 skill challenges however, so that's a plus.

This battle starts at ship-to-ship combat distance, boarding isn't quite possible yet. Fleeing is an option. I'll be using the Spelljammer ship combat rules here (initiative is raw d20 for both sides), but might change to Saltmarsh rules later based on how it goes (raw d20 is modified by crew quality score).

The current range is 220 ft, which is disadvantage for all weapons. Closing 20 ft would allow the use of mangonel without disadvantage, but of course open you up for the same. 150 would be needed for regular longbows. Since you wisely prepared the weaponry ahead of time, the mangonels will only take 3 actions to fire and the ballista 2 actions (read: people). That is for the first shots only, then it will revert to 5 and 3 respectively. You have 2 mangonels separated a foot distance of about 120 ft.

You can place yourselves wherever you'd like on deck to start combat, including Popsicle and Zibbles. Everyone has their normal action economy in addition to whatever the ship does, including the Spelljammer. However actions are spent should you participate in using the heavy weapons.

The hammership's tactical speed is 35 ft. You would need to close to a range of 5 feet to board absent the use of spells etc. The use of ramming weapons (which both ships have here) happens when you move into another ship's space (both ships take damage from such tactics).

With an Int (space vehicles) check you could for example know the speed or other characteristics of the enemy ship.

Link to previously posted Hammerhead ship deck layout

---

Round 1:

Squidship Pirates (range 220)

Academy Hammership <--UP

Edited December 28, 2023 by Cointhief (see edit history)

[DM-Tareth]

Yahs Anirys Plasmoid Monk 2 CG

AC: 16 | HP: 16/16 | HD: 2/2 | PP: 13 | Inspiration: No | Speed: 40 ft | GP: 60
Str 11 (0) Dex 16 (3) Con 12 (1) Wis 16 (3) Int 11 (0) Cha 9 (-1)

Attacks: Spear (P)1d20+5;1d6+3 | Unarmed(B) 1d20+5;1d4+3 | Sling(B)1d20+5;1d4+3 | Quarterstaff-Mop(B) 1d20+5;1d6+3
Magic: Sacred Flame (DEX vs DC13; 1d8) | Shield of Faith(Bonus; +2AC) | Ki Pool: 2/2

---

Grabbing her much more trustworthy mop, Yahs hurries to take up her position manning the stern mangonel. After shouting out her readiness, she awaits the captain's order to fire or flee while watching the pirate ship rapidly close the distance.

MechanicsWill hold action. If distance closes to within non-disadvantage range, then she will go ahead and fire the mangonel.

[BobtheWizard]

"Lou" Louis Dufray (Goblin Ranger 2) sheet

---

AC: 16 | HP: 24/24 | Initiative: +3 | Passive Perception: 17 | FeaturesAdv. on saves vs. charm
60' Darkvision
BA Hide or Disengage
Fury of Small: 2/2 LR
Favored Foe: 2 /2 LR
Hit Dice: 1 / 1d10+2 LR
Conditions: none

---

Lou finally pulls his scimitar free just in time. He sees the other ship and starts towards the nearest mangonel, gathering whatever NPC crew he can to help him with the loading. As the others load the mangonel, he aims it and estimates the projectile's arc in the astral gravity fields. Once he is satisfied, and the mangonel is ready, he launches a boulder at the githyanki ship.

"Alright, boys. Let's let them have it."

---

Mechanics Main Hand: none Off Hand: none Action: fire mangonel Move: none Manipulate: none Bonus Action: none Gnarley's Knack: You have Advantage on the next roll you make regarding ship repairs or ship weaponry.

 

[JubalBreakbottle]

Celsior Loriniscil, Prince of Alfheim

Inspiration Yes | HP 14/14 | HD 2/2 | Step 2/2 | Shield 1/1

Bladesong 2/2 | Recovery 1/1 | 1st-level 3/3

---

At the sight of the pirates, Celsior surveys the battlefield. After a second, the captain calls out, "Squishy, close enough with the squid ship to bring us into range of the mangonel!"

"Everyone else to the mangonel! On Lou's signal, pull!"

Mechanics

Move: to the mangonel

Action: help fire the mangonel

[Cointhief]

@BobtheWizard Lou, assuming Lazuli follows orders, that is a hit (AC 15) if you'd like to roll damage as well please. 5d10

Edited December 29, 2023 by Cointhief (see edit history)

[KingGoblin]

Lazuli Lazali Lulura, AKA Squishy

AC 17 | HP 19/19 | HD 1/1 | Inspiration No | P.Perception 15

Saves: Str -1 | Dex +3 | Con +1 | Int +2 | Wis +5 | Cha +0

Resistances: Acid and Poison

---

"By your orders, Captain!" Lazuli enthuses, and moves their ship towards the pirate ship. "Ramming speed?" she asks, hopefully.

 

OOC

So, she can do other things while flying? Or she can do other things if she isn't moving the ship? I know she can't cast, while attuned to the ship, but I am uncertain of any other particulars. Or, honestly, what she would roll if she tried to ram.

 

[Cointhief]

*CHOOOM*

Zibbles hadn't cracked a smile since giving up that sweet, sweet Thrill Joy, finding little in life to match the drug's phantasms. Seeing the hammership's stone crack the pirate squid's hull, hearing the gith lamenting cries of 'shka'keth' and 'tsk'va'...their resolving cries of 'htak'a'...the sheer blood fury of the battle that had just been unleashed caused the Space Clown's smile to slowly curl at one edge of his rotten mouth.

"Oh, you put a hole in it. I think that's working, I can hear them screaming. I think one of those words means 'asshole'." Popsicle astutely indicated, rolling up another stone. 

A chorus chant of 'Hta'zith' heralds the enemy projectile heading your way, whatever it means, the squid's spelljammer tactfully peeling again out of range after the launch. Momentarily lost in the darkness of space, the tumbling stone reappeared suddenly off the port side, crashing into the rails in a tremendous blast!

Round 2:
Squidship Pirates [284/300] (range 230)
Academy Hammership [279/400] <--UP

---

You guys did what was needed to be successful with the attack here, just for future reference. You were in range. You hit the ship AC. You overcame the ship's Damage Threshold (just barely) meaning it took all 16 points instead of 0.

Worth reminding, you can attack the weapons themselves as well at similar AC to the ships. However, they have quite a few hp (typically 100 for mangonels, 50 for ballistae).

@KingGoblin

Lazuli, no worries but I would appreciate in the future you tell me how much of the 35 ft of movement speed you are using...so I don't have to guess or make incorrect assumptions. Here I assumed you only closed to 200 as the Captain directed, and no more. It just helps me track whats up and make decisions on the enemy side as well. Also...

Nerd Talk for Spelljammers

Attuning to the chair doesn't block spellcasting. While sitting in it however, it does require your Concentration. So no casting of other Concentration spells. You might consider prepping some buffs that don't require Concentration next time.

If you stand up out of the chair to go do something, you lose:

1. The ability to control the ship at both tactical and spelljamming speeds.
2. The heightened awareness of seeing and hearing anything on and around the vessel.

You get this right back the moment your fanny is reapplied to the seat, however. You don't have to reattune or anything.

Someone could run down to you and you could heal them, for example, while still flying around and sitting down. Or, if you had the movement, you could run up and toss a healing potion or something similar to someone. At the moment, you are roughly 50 ft from the stern mangonel where everyone else is (see ship layout). If you guys were going to get extremely tactical you could open both doors of the sterncastle, then people could run down on the main deck and have line of sight of your spells, ranged attacks, thrown items or whatever.

Since its Concentration based, you can end it at any time if ever needed, even on someone else's or an enemy's turn. Similarly, you can start it whenever you want (as long as you are sitting).

Ramming another ship? This first requires you chase down the enemy vessel, by being faster or outmaneuvering them. Thinking in terms of a grid, the first requirement is that your ship has to enter the enemy ship space. Then you would roll a d20+8 for the attack, and on a hit the enemy would take a whopping 16d10 damage. Your ship takes half that damage. This is how a Blunt Ram works, which is what your current (illusory) ship has. There are other types of Rams, but they work similar. The advantage of a Blunt Ram is that the ships do NOT stick together afterwards.

 

Edited December 30, 2023 by Cointhief (see edit history)

[BobtheWizard]

"Lou" Louis Dufray (Goblin Ranger 2) sheet

---

AC: 16 | HP: 24/24 | Initiative: +3 | Passive Perception: 17 | FeaturesAdv. on saves vs. charm
60' Darkvision
BA Hide or Disengage
Fury of Small: 2/2 LR
Favored Foe: 2 /2 LR
Hit Dice: 1 / 1d10+2 LR
Conditions: none

---

Lou debates sending some of the crew over to the Ballista to get two weapons up and firing, but given how long it takes to load and fire one of the weapons, he decides it's better to fire the mangonel more frequently. He looks over at Lazuli and shouts over the din of battle,

"Make sure we don't get close enough for those ballista's to get clear good shot."

Again, once the Mangonel is loaded and ready, Lou does the final preparations and launches the boulder. He is always fascinated by the trajectory of these weapons in the variable gravity of space.

---

Mechanics Main Hand: none Off Hand: none Action: fire mangonel Move: none Manipulate: none Bonus Action: none Gnarley's Knack: You have Advantage on the next roll you make regarding ship repairs or ship weaponry.

 

[Cointhief]

As the ships trade massive blows across the rainbow nebulae of Wildspace, Prince Celsior feels a familiar tickle in his memory, as if another one of his ancestors is clearing their throat and preparing to deliver some timely information. This time it is none other than Baron Arion 'Satchel Crack' Starshaper, the infamous experimenter in an elven form of the giff's black powder.

You could almost hear his voice, almost see his winkling singed blond eyebrows... ~*Eldathalas...Grace of the Cosmos. Such is our word for the cephalopod-based vessels. Fast, aye son, but yours is faster. It could not escape your ramming hammerhead, nor would it catch your easy retreat. You know which one I'd choose...he-he-he...*~ Indeed, you could almost smell the sulfur burning from Arion's reckless, finger-claiming middling.

@JubalBreakbottle

With that roll, feel free to treat anything in the squid ship stat block as character knowledge.

[DM-Tareth]

Yahs Anirys Plasmoid Monk 2 CG

AC: 16 | HP: 16/16 | HD: 2/2 | PP: 13 | Inspiration: No | Speed: 40 ft | GP: 60
Str 11 (0) Dex 16 (3) Con 12 (1) Wis 16 (3) Int 11 (0) Cha 9 (-1)

Attacks: Spear (P)1d20+5;1d6+3 | Unarmed(B) 1d20+5;1d4+3 | Sling(B)1d20+5;1d4+3 | Quarterstaff-Mop(B) 1d20+5;1d6+3
Magic: Sacred Flame (DEX vs DC13; 1d8) | Shield of Faith(Bonus; +2AC) | Ki Pool: 2/2

---

Yahs does her best to help in the reloading of the mangonel, perfectly content to add her strength to speed up Lou's chances to launch another keenly aimed shot at the enemy ship.

MechanicsSpending actions to Aide the reloading of the mangonel.