-- Session 2 Begins --
Me: You make your way along the side of the Nautiloid only a short distance. There is a gap in the walkway. Damage was done to it, creating a 5 foot gap. You can see straight down to the flaming river below. There is no other way to go. You must jump it. Roll Athletics.
Diadell: (She rolls a 4 with only a +2 Athletics) And I fall to my death. Game over. Time to start over.
Me: No. You land on the other side, but you take some damage and fall prone. (I roll 1d4 and get a 3.) You lose 3 HP. Basically, you try to make the jump and land hard on your belly, knocking the wind out of you. Failure doesn't necessarily mean total failure and death you know. It may just mean you take a bit of damage or something bad happens. You get to your feet and race along the outside again. There's another opening in the side of the Nautiloid. It is dark within. You can't really see inside because of the blazing brightness of Avernus all around you. You are almost there when someone drops down from above, blocking your path. It is the Githyanki female you saw in the pod. She says, "Abomination! This is your end." Suddenly, as your eyes lock with hers, you feel a strange sensation. Your head throbs and your skin tingles. Visions rush past: a dragon's wing, a silver sword - and a flash of your face seen through the strange woman's eyes. "My head. What is this... ngh," the Gith says. "Tsk'va. You are no thrall. Vlaakith blesses me this day! Together we might survive. Imps block the path forward." You look past her to see imps moving about in the darkness of the chamber inside the hole in the side of the ship. "You will assist me in destroying them. We must reach the helm before we transform.
Diadell: Oh? I have to assist you?
Me: (Doing my best Lae'zel impersonation) Yes. You WILL assist me. Do you have a choice? We don't have time to talk.
Diadell: I guess not. Wait. What do you mean transform?
Me: (still doing Lae'zel's voice) We carry mind flayer parasites. Unless we escape - unless we are cleansed - our bodies and minds will be tainted and twisted. Within days, we will be ghaik." Seeing you have no idea what a ghaik is, she adds, "Mind flayers."
Diadell: Are you freaking kidding me? I'm going to turn into a Mind Flayer? What the crap?
Me: (as Lae'zel) We can do nothing until we escape. That must be our priority. Your only hope is to work with me.
Diadell: Fine. Then let's not waste anymore time.
Me: (as Lae'zel) First, we exterminate the imps. Then we find the helm and take control of the ship. We will address the matter of a cure for this infection once we reach the Material Plane.
Diadell: Okay. I said let's go.
Me: Then she gestures to the opening. "Lead on," she says. "I will support you."
Diadell: Ah! I see how this is playing out. You want me to draw their attention while you lay in wait. Well, screw that. I'm doing this my way. I sneak into the chamber. I want to try to sneak up and attack the closest one without it seeing me.
Me: Make a Stealth roll. (She rolls a 9 with a +5 for Stealth because she has proficiency. I roll a 12. Imps get a +1 because of Wisdom 12 and have no proficiency in Perception. Therefore, I roll a 13 total.) You succeed in sneaking up behind the closest Imp as he turns his back on you. There are three in total. They are all patrolling the chamber. So you are able to sneak your way up on him from behind, passing from shadow to shadow. Make an attack roll.
Diadell: I'm using both of my short swords I just got. I'm using my Sneak Attack. (She rolls a 9 with +5 to hit for her Short Sword.) 14. Tell me I hit.
Me: AC is 13. That's a hit. Roll for damage.
Diadell: (Rolls a 2d6 and gets a 3 and 1.) I get +3 for my main hand weapon. That's 7 off. He's dead.
Me: Nope. He has 10 HP and is resistant to piercing and slashing weapons. He's not dead. You only do half damage, so you only take off 3. He still has 7 HP. Instead, he screams and spins around. The others are now aware of you. Roll for initiative. (I roll Initiative for each imp and get 8, 4, and 12 as my totals. For Lae'zel, I get a 19 total. Diadell rolls a 15 total.) Lae'zel goes first. She also follows your lead and gets a surprise round. She has moved into position to hit with her bow and fires. (I roll the dice, get a 20.) Natural 20! She has a shortbow, so damage is 2d6 (rolling the 1d6 damage dice twice because of a Critical Hit. I roll a 10. She gets +2 for her attack and damage. So her damage is a total of 6 after resistance is applied.) Imp 1 has only 1 HP left. Lae'zel goes first in initiative order, so she goes again. (I roll a 15 and hit and then roll a 1d6+2 and get a total of 4.) Imp 1 is dead. Your turn.
Diadell: How close is the next closest imp?
Me: Imp 2 is on a raised platform about 10 feet from you. Imp 3 is on the other side of the raised platform. You can't even see him right now.
Diadell: I want my two attacks. Can I reach Imp 3?
Me: If you use your full move to skirt around the raised platform, you can reach him. Yes.
Diadell: Ok. I rush up and attack him with both swords. I want to use my Sneak Attack with my off hand.
Me: Can't do that. You don't have advantage against him nor is an ally flanking him.
Diadell: But I'm coming up on him from behind.
Me: He is aware of you, and as you approach he spins around and faces you. He's watching for you because he knows you're there. You can't surprise him like that.
Diadell: Grrr... Fine. I attack anyway. (She rolls a 12 and a 9.) +5 with both attacks to hit, so 17 and 14 each attack. Hit and hit. (She rolls 2d6, 1d6 for each attack. She rolls a 4 and a 2.) I do 7 and 5 damage.
Me: You apply your damage bonus only on the first attack, your main hand attack. That's how it works. So you do 7 damage on the first and 2 on the second. With damage resistance, you do 3 on the first attack and 1 on the second for a total of 4 HP off. He still has 6 HP.
Diadell: Couldn't I have just slipped past them both? Why am I fighting them?
Me: Lae'zel could not have slipped past. She has very little stealth and Disadvantage on Stealth because of her armor. Oh dang! I forgot the brain creature. (I roll for its initative.) It also goes first. It can move real far and was stealthing it with you. It rushes up to Imp 3 and attacks. (I roll and hit.) It does 2d4+2 damage. (I roll an 8 total.) 4 HP off. The Imp has 2 HP left. That would have been its sneak attack round.
Diadell: So wait! Then I would GET to use Sneak Attack because you just said it came up and flanked Imp 3. (She rolls another 1d6.) 3. So my total damage would have been 10 damage on the first hit and with resistance it would be reduced to 5. I do 2 more damage. He's dead.
Me: You're right. Imp 3 is now dead. Not only that, but now the brain creature gets to go in the normal round. He rushes up to Imp 2. (I roll and miss.) It slashes and misses. The imp dodges. Now it's the imp's turn. It wants to try to get away to a better position to not be attacked by melee weapons. It uses Disengage and flies up into the air. Now it has the ability to see all of you, and you can't reach it with melee weapons. Back to Lae'zel.
Diadell: Wait. He doesn't attack?
Me: No. Disengage is an Action. You can't Disengage and Attack in the same turn. He used his move to avoid letting the brain creature get an Attack of Opportunity on him. He used his Action to get into a better tactical position.
Diadell: Sweet!
Me: Lae'zel moves into the room to get a better shot. She fires again. (I roll a 3.) Miss. Your turn.
Diadell: I drop my swords and pull out my bow. Can I still fire?
Me: Yes. Drawing your weapon is considered a free action as long as you only take one free action. So you could open a door as a free action or draw a weapon, etc.
Diadell: Fine. I shoot. (She rolls a 10 but gets a +5 to hit. She hits and rolls a 1d6 damage +3 for her damage bonus. She rolls 2 for damage, so a 5 total. With resistance, it is only a 2.) Do I get Sneak Attack?
Me: Nope. You have no advantage and no one is within 5 feet of it. Because the Imp is now flying, the brain creature can't do anything to attack. The Imp attacks. He has a crossbow. He fires at you. (I roll a 14. Diadell's AC is 14.) The Imp Hits. (I roll for damage and get a total of 4.) You lose 4 HP.
Diadell: Holy crap! I only have 1 HP left. That fall took 3 and you just did 4 to me. I only have 8. Are you trying to kill me?
Me: You're still alive. It's all good. Lae'zel attacks. (She hits. She does 2 damage total.) 2 off. With your 2 off, he still has 6 HP left. Your turn.
Diadell: I better use a potion. (She rolls 2d4+2 and gets a 3 and 1. The total HP healed is 6.) OK. Now I at least have 7 HP. Can I attack?
Me: Nope. Drinking a potion is an Action.
Diadell: Can I at least take cover?
Me: Yes. You can dive behind the raised platform and crouch. That'll give you full cover and unless it flies directly above you, then he can't hit you. It is his turn again, and he actually chooses to attack Lae'zel now. (I roll and hit and do 7 damage to Lae'zel.) Lae'zel uses a potion (and recovers her HP.) Your turn.
Diadell: I pop up and shoot. (She hits and does 3 damage total with resistance.) 3 HP left. I drop back down. I can do that. Right?
Me: Yes. You're back in full cover. Imp's turn. He shoots and Lae'zel again. (He hits and does 4 damage total.) Lae'zel is just going to shoot. (She misses.) She moves to cover also. Your turn.
Diadell: (She rolls again and hits and does 2 damage) Ugh! Almost dead. Die, you little freak! I scream that after hitting it.
Me: You don't draw its attention. It flies right over Lae'zel and shoots. (The imp does a Critical Hit. I roll a total of 8 damage off Lae'zel.) Lae'zel is down. She is dying.
Diadell: Dang! I don't have a choice, though. I have to kill that dang imp first. (She rolls and hits. She does 2 damage.) I killed it! Thank the gods!
Me: Lae'zel is dying. (I roll a Savings Throw, and fail.)
Diadell: After that fight, I clearly do need her to survive this. I rush up to help her. I'll try to revive her first with a Medicine roll first. If that doesn't work, I still have time to use a potion on her if that fails. Right?
Me: Yes. Roll a Medicine roll to see if you can bandage her up so she isn't dying. (She rolls a 9 and gets a +2 for Medicine because she isn't proficient.) 11. Difficulty to stabilize someone is 10. She's no longer bleeding to death and dying. She is still unconscious, but she at least isn't dying. I will tell you, at this point, that you notice another of those health regeneration chambers not far away.
Diadell: Thank the gods. Can I drag her butt over there?
Me: With the help of the brain creature, you easily drag her over to the chamber. Both you and her feel a rush of healing energy. You are both recovered to full HP. Lae'zel stirs. "You prove surprisingly adequate in battle. Perhaps we stand a chance after all."
Diadell: Adequate? I just saved your butt. Hah!
Me: (As Lae'zel) Let's move. The longer we wait, the worse our chances get.
Diadell: I'm searching the room first. We might need more potions. Hopefully we can find some more.
Me: Right. Make a Perception roll. (I do the same for Lae'zel. Neither of us rolls well. We only get a 4 and 9 total, Diadell getting the 9.) You don't find much this time. There is another potion of healing and a crossbow and axe. That's it. You also discovered another mind flayer and more of the brain creatures around the room, but they are all dead.
Diadell: Ok. Fine. Let's get the frick out of here. Where can we go from here?
Me: There is a broad stairway leading up to the upper deck of the ship. It appears to be the only way out. So you lead the way up to the top deck.
-- End of Session 2 --
