RQG 217 - Last Stand

## Summary

Join Alex, Helen, Bryn, Lydia, and Ben as they stand together one last time. This week Hamid lends his luck, Azu takes a leap, Cel takes a hit, and Zolf makes a pact.

## Synopsis

A strange wave has rolled over the world; chunks of stone have been clawed from the tower and dust has kicked up, but no one seems to have been affected at all beyond having a strange sort of double vision for a moment. Azu notices that the plant creatures seem to have stumbled a bit from whatever the pulse of energy was. The reinforcements who were brought by Einstein begin to fan out and attack the rest of the plant creatures alongside Azu. Babbage’s pack pulses again and Topaz, Vesseek, Barnes, Carter and Brutor all get hit; for a moment, they appear to be incorporeal. Cel realizes that they have genuinely been turned ghostlike, and that it’s a temporary effect (they will not be hit by attacks, but similarly cannot attack since they will not be able to connect).

One of the plant creatures leaps at Azu and with the added weight, the platform collapses under them. Everyone else is fine or flying, but Azu falls, desperately trying to grab onto something so she doesn’t fall into the fire underneath her. Hamid manages to grab Azu’s collar as she falls and lift her enough so that she can hold onto the side of the tower.

The plant creatures continue to swarm the tower, with more coming every second. The ones who are already there seem to be acting strangely, as though they are rooting down.

Zolf, meanwhile, realizes that the fight between Guivres and Apophis is not going well; it is genuinely starting to decimate the city, and Apophis is being swarmed heavily by a number of the plant creatures. In the distance, there is an explosion where The One Who Got Away used to be. It probably decimated a city block, and a mushroom cloud forms in the sky.

The Babbage orb pulses again, this time much more strangely, and there is a crackling of static as a psychic wave swells through the city. It affects Cel, Azu, Topaz, Ed, Carter, and Brutor; they get hit incredibly hard, with Ed and Carter looking particularly bad off. It also sweeps the remaining plant creatures away from the tower.

Zolf hears the orb activate, and Ada’s voice come through, letting them know that she’s there. Azu manages to get back onto the walkway and heals everyone around her, including Einstein, who finally wakes up and seems shocked to see Azu that large in front of him, and says “surprise help!”

Zolf can see that the dust in the air from the bomb mushroom cloud is starting to settle, and a bunch of the blue veined humanoids are dashing toward the tower. It’s nearly impossible for him to see London underneath the sheer amount of people who are are rushing it. Guivres, meanwhile, is starting to extricate herself from Apophis; she’s clearly mortally wounded, but with the plant creatures swarming Apophis, she seems to be making a good go of it and then finally does, breathing fire directly at Zolf and Babbage. In the moment before the firebreath hits, Zolf hears Wilde’s voice behind him and feels a hand on his shoulder. He curls up around Babbage, and the fire connects. Zolf falls unconscious as they are all enveloped by fire, and there’s a final pulse from the top of the tower as the world whites out for everyone.

## Dice rolls and Mechanics

Everyone makes a perception check after the wave: Zolf gets 21, Azu gets a nat 20, Hamid gets 22, Cel gets 31

Zolf makes a knowledge planes roll; Hamid and Cel make a knowledge arcana roll: Zolf gets 15, Hamid gets 21, Cel gets 41

Zolf makes a perception check: 15

Zolf makes another perception check: 28

## Combat Breakdown

[Editor’s note: Alex, having put himself in charge of a frankly ridiculous number of NPCs, has made things easier for himself by simplifying the rules for NPC combat on his end and grouped them together]

Initiative rolls from 214: Azu gets 20, Zolf gets 24, Skraak gets 24, Hamid gets 9, Cel gets 10 (Wilde rolled lower than 9 but the amount is not said)

The reinforcements (Kiko, Ed, Brutor, etc.) all attack - Ed swings and misses, Emeka is ready to flank, Vesseek is shooting at the plant creature near Azu but missing most of them, Brutor is preparing to attack, and Barnes and Carter are guarding the Eastern walkway.

Wilde casts a bard spell and helps the people around him. (The spell and effect is not said apart from a +3 to will; he is also doing things that the players are not aware of)

The Babbage orb pulses another wave. Everyone makes a will save: Azu gets 35, Zolf gets 41, Hamid gets 29, Cel gets 22, Topaz gets 9. Topaz, Vesseek, Barnes, Carter and Brutor all get hit by the pulse, and for a moment appear to be incorporeal.

Azu hits the plant creature in front of her; she hits on a 34 and kills the plant creature (her attack modifier and damage modifier at this point is so high that it automatically will hit them and kill them, so the rolls are sometimes not said). She goes after the second plant creature and misses on a natural one. She re-swings and hits on a 25, killing the creature. Quickly, she tells Topaz to flee to Barnes and Carter, provoking an attack of opportunity that misses.

Zolf casts Sanctuary on Babbage.

One of the plant creatures leaps at Azu, lands on the walkway, and triggers an attack of opportunity; she hits on a 27 and deals 18 damage. The platform collapses under them. Everyone else is fine or flying, but Azu has to make a reflex save: a natural 1. Hamid uses Lucky Halfling, which allows him to reroll a reflex save for Azu. Azu now gets a 24, and is able to leap toward the edge of the tower and hold on to the side.

Six more plant creatures appear on the top of the tower.

Apophis and Guivres continue to fight, and Apophis is being swarmed by plant creatures.

Cel throws a bomb in the southwest corner of the tower; they miss on a 19 and throw another bomb, hitting on a 33, dealing 27 damage (+14 splash). They throw another, hitting on a 25 (+ some bonuses) and deal 29 damage (+14 splash). Both die.

Hamid casts Fireball on two of the remaining plant creatures and two coming up the tower; all plant creatures miss and take 47 damage, dying immediately. He remains hovering where he is.

Barnes and Carter move to the southeast corner; they seem to start solidifying.

Wilde does something that the party can’t see.

Everyone makes a perception check: Azu gets 19, Zolf gets 21, Hamid gets 25, Cel gets 22. There is an explosion in the distance.

The Babbage orb pulses another wave. Everyone makes a will save: Azu gets 23, Zolf gets 37, Hamid gets 28, Cel gets 20, Topaz gets 24. Cel, Topaz, Ed, Brutor, Carter, and Azu take 40 psychic damage.

Azu hauls herself up to the walkway (she doesn’t make a roll for it) near Kiko and Emeka. She casts Channel Positive Energy, and everyone heals for 16 points; Einstein finally wakes up.

Zolf casts Life Pact on Babbage. Basically, saves Zolf and Babbage from an instakill hit if Guivres manages to hit.

The horde gains some ground.

Guivres beelines upwards and takes a deep breath; she shoots slightly past the tower and breathes fire specifically at Zolf, Babbage, and Wilde (who seems to be standing behind Zolf). Everyone makes a reflex save: Azu gets 24, Cel gets 20, Hamid gets 18, Topaz gets 15, Zolf gets 24. Zolf, Babbage, and (presumably) Wilde take 120 fire damage. Zolf falls unconscious.