D&D Arena: Brutal Bastards, Beegraks and von Brandt

3 Dice Rolls Pain to BR

Xdsss....grrrr!

Oh, oh! I don't think the worm liked it! But it had to be done. Good work, boys. Hope that didn't hurt too much.

Don't worry, I'll make it up to you. If you survive.

Now, get to work on that other worm. Make sure it sees you attacking it, so it can stop hitting our poor force field!

Basic Melee: 15 damage to A.
Lightning Strike: 7+7+2=16 damage to A. 3 damage to B.
Beegraks takes 8-5=3 necrotic damage. Subject to 5-5=0 ongoing necrotic damage. Save ends
Bone Worm A takes 6-10=0 necrotic damage from Divine Challenge.
Bone Worm B takes 5 force damage.

Beegraks (+1 x4), Von Brandt (+1 x7), Bone Worms

There's nowhere I can't reach.

4 Dice Rolls Did you save vs necrotic?

Looks like the all-mighty sorcerer's plumb tapped out. Ahahahaha, he's stabbing the worm. Well now, he's a darn good stabber by the looks of it. That worm's about to collapse.

Well, looks like our shield's holding up to the worm's attack. No need to bother with it if you don't want the reward. Man, we ought to get better worms next time.

12-5=7 necrotic damage to Beegraks. Taking 5-5=0 ongoing necrotic damage (save ends).
Worm B takes 5 force damage.

Beegraks (+1 x5), Von Brandt (+1 x7), Bone Worms

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Pang, how are you computing for 6 damage to B? I'm calculating 5: 3 from Storm Power, 2 from Gauntlets of Blood. Well, tiny difference of 1, but

Boy, Beegraks looks tired. Another thunder strike, and another area glassed over! The worm's finally dying! One to go!

Looks like they're both tired. Well, alright gentlemen, you can go ahead and rest now. Here's a cookie for each of you. You can eat them now as a minor action or save them for later.

You've both been very helpful, so here's your reward while our wizards deal with that worm. We have an experimental hazard here which I like to call "rocks fall, someone dies." Come closer, we don't want the audience to tip off your enemies!

We basically levitate this huge ass boulder like so. Yeah, see it hovering over your head? Now, all you got to do is to mark where you want it to fall on. And in six seconds, whichever unlucky soul it falls on is squashed flatter than a warforged's chest. For safety reasons, it will only fall within the arena. Obviously we won't use this too often - bad for business. But handy for the occasional uncontrollable beast, like that so-called Tarrasque R&D's been magicking up.

I completely understand if you don't want to deal with such a dangerous death trap. You may instead take this set of eight nearly-expired fire blastpatch bombs. Usable on your next battle - it'll lose its potency by tomorrow.

Choose between:

And oh yes, your reward for making it this far. Something you put on your hips

, and oh! 616 gold pieces. Isn't this great?

Again, enforced short rest. Last battle for today coming up after your posts.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

7 Dice Rolls A's Poison Dagger vs BR

All right then, let me teach you the sequence!

You put your right foot in, you put your left foot out;
You put your backside in, And shake it all about.
You do the Hokey-Pokey, and you turn yourself around.
That's what it's all about!

Get that? Good. The first one to do this, will trigger the sequence.

Your final fight is a another blast from the past. Don't look so worried, Beegraks. It's not you they're after this time. Seems like once they caught wind that their former "partner" is now fighting in Waterdeep, they begged us to let them join in the fray!

Cyrus, it's long past time for you to die. I have nothing else to say to you. You! Spread out, don't let him get to you with his blasts! Flank him, and cut him into pieces. Him and that pet dragon of his!

They're moving in, keeping their intervals wide! Oh, for a moment I thoguht one of them was going to slip on the glass. They know what Von Brandt is capable of. One of them is throwing a dagger at -- oh, it just bounced off Beegraks' armor!

Poison Dagger: +14 vs AC. Miss.
Thug B and both Assassins take the Total Defense Action.

Terrain: Red shades: slippery; blue shades: difficult and blocks line of effect
Von Brandt (+1 x7), Beegraks (+1 x5), Mercenary Wizard, Street Thugs, Death Squad Assassins

Defenses:
Street Thug: AC 21 Fort 19 Ref 20 Will 17
Assassins: AC 21 Fort 18 Ref 20 Will 19
Wizard: AC 19 Fort 16 Ref 20 Will 20

I was speaking idiomatically.

9 Dice Rolls *Damage with Combat Advantage

Really, Cyrus? You think that's what this is about? Please. It was bad enough you sold me as artwork. But no. You stole my life. My love. My dignity. My savings. You took everything I had, and now you're going to pay for that, you greedy son of a bitch.

You may be somewhat resistant to lightning, but no matter. Let's see you shrug this off!

Spoiler:

As a former comrade, Von Brandt has full knowledge of Reynolds' abilities. And vice versa.

6 lightning damage to Von Brandt. 5 ongoing poison and slowed (save ends both)

Well folks, looks like an interesting magic contest between sorcerer and wizard! And using the same base element to boot! Who will win this fight?

Oh, and Cyrus? My comrades-at-arms are not hirelings. Everyone here has been wronged by you at some point. It's all about revenge.

Three hundred pieces. Three hundred! Aaaaaaaaarghhhh!

Wow, they're distraught. I wonder what Von Brandt did to them. Another dagger at Beegraks, they're charging him... and...

Everything's totally missing Beegraks today. What a lucky guy!

Don't think the guild of assassins have forgotten your treachery in Baldur's Gate, Von Brandt!

Hey look, is that a naked half elf in the audience?!

Whoo, he almost slips on the glass, but he's way too agile! He skates right through it! He's reached Von Brandt now! Ow!

Assassin A takes double-move through rubble.
Shapeshifter's Feint: 10 vs Reflex. Hit. Von Brandt grants combat advantage to Assassin B until the end of its next turn.
Assassin's Longblade: 12 vs AC. Hit. 14 damage to Von Brandt.

Von Brandt (+1 x7), Beegraks (+1 x5), Mercenary Wizard, Street Thugs, Death Squad Assassins

The ones engaging Beegraks are thugs. The assassins are adjacent to Von Brandt

How ya doing, buddy?

9 Dice Rolls Wizard am have no ongoing

Gggh, I see you picked up a new trick. Won't nearly be enough to save you.

5 poison damage to Von Brandt.

What... was that?! Truly a magnificent feat of magical redirection, folks! And now he's gone and kick more sand in their faces!

Oh yes, "Searing Sands". Pathetic. Let's see how well you can withstand my MAGIC MISSILE!

...

5 untyped to Wizard. Magic Missile misses.

That spell goes wild, deflected by Von Brandt's miniature sandstorm! That's not deterring the assassins though!

He's over there.... I think! Come on! Flank and kill! You go outside the ring, I----whoops!

Oh, one of them just slipped on Von Brandt's glass! How awkward! Still, Von Brandt's distracted with bouts of laughter! The other assassin's circling him... Folks, stop throwing that fruit! There's a force field there, can't penetrate it! Not deterring them from stabbing Von Brandt to death!

Assassin B falls prone, helpless. Assassin A takes 5 force damage.
Longsword hits: 12 - 2 [concealment] - 2 [prone] + 2 [combat advantage] + 14 = 24 > 20
Assassin's Quarry misses: 10 + 7 +2 [flanking] - 2 [concealment] = 17 < 18
Reflex.
20 damage to Von Brandt; bloodied.

The human thugs are content enough to swing around that mace at Beegraks. I hope his face is insured.

Morningstar: +14 vs AC. 9 damage to Beegraks; marked by Thug A until end of thug's next turn.

Von Brandt (+1 x7), Beegraks (+1 x3), Mercenary Wizard, Street Thugs, Death Squad Assassins

FELIPE NO

12 Dice Rolls Assassin's Quarry vs BR

Let's just assume Beegraks uses a +2 token.
Assassin A bloodied by Thunder Bomb.
Assassin B takes massive damage from Ardent Strike exactly equal to his bloodied value (31). Dies instantly.

What... was that?! Did you see that? The sheer brutality. And everybody's loving it!

Crowd is chanting Beegraks' name, giving him a +5 arena bonus to damage rolls until end of his next turn.

Y-you assassinated him! You... You... I'LL KILL YOU FOR THIS!

Focus on the matter at hand! Mourn your friend later, when we've all had our revenge!

Cyrus! Here's your own spell right back at you! The very one you taught me! LIGHTNING BOLT!

...

Sigh. Figures the bastard would teach me the weak form.

5 ongoing damage to wizard.
3 lightning damage to Von Brandt. 4 lightning damage to Beegraks.

I am so going to enjoy cutting you down to shreds, you monster. CUT YOU... TO FIVE HUNDRED PIECES!

Thug B's Charge vs Von Brandt, ending with Morningstar. Miss.
Thug A's Rattling Smash vs Von Brandt, +12 vs Will. Miss.

Hey look, up there in the sky! Did that ice dragon just come back? Ahahaha, made you -- dammit, how could I miss?

Shapeshifter's Feint vs Beegraks. Hit. Grants CA for 2 rounds.
Assassin's Quarry vs Beegraks. Miss.
Fuck.

Idiots. I'm surrounded by idiots.

All right, folks! Apparently our challengers have just temporarily suffered from a... bout of incompetence! Please forget the past six seconds!

Von Brandt (+1 x7), Beegraks (+1 x1), Mercenary Wizard, Street Thugs, Death Squad Assassin

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

8 Dice Rolls *Damage with Combat Advantage

That's disgusting, Smothas. Don't you know children are watching? This sort of thing is not permissible in polite society! Much less in a public arena!

Engaging in fisticuffs, Cyrus? I suppose it fits your thuggish ways. And enough with your lies. If you were serious about single combat, your dragon stooge will not be right here beside me.

Still, I must confess I've always wanted to hit you on the head with this staff. En garde!

...

Agh. You. Lizard. I don't know what it was you did, but you're not getting away with it!

5 ongoing damage to wizard
Quarterstaff vs Von Brandt: +12 vs AC, miss.
6 necrotic damage thanks to divine sanction. Bloodied
Eat morningstar, Von Brat! Yeah, that's right! How you like them apples, huh?!

14 damage; marked until end of Thug A's next turn.

Stop looking at my legs like that, you MONSTER!

Critical hit! Beegraks takes 28 damage, is bloodied, and takes -2 penalty to attack rolls for 1 round.

Save some for me! I want a piece of him too!

Longblade hits. Beegraks takes 18 damage.

Looks like our challengers are making up for lost time! They've got Beegraks on the ropes now!

Item powers. Don't forget 'em, Ry.

Von Brandt (+1 x8), Beegraks (+1 x2), Street Thugs, Mercenary Wizard, Death Squad Assassin

Jam it back in, in the dark.

4 Dice Rolls Wizard saves vs ongoing?

Beegraks' Second Wind regains 42 HP. Unless there's an official ruling to the contrary, you are not "your ally", so Belt of Sacrifice will not trigger. Von Brandt will not get a +1 boost to surge value either, if he's using Beegraks' surge value.

Beegraks is now drunk. Until he sobers up, he gets a +1 power bonus to all rolls and grants combat advantage. He sobers up when he (a) spends a healing surge, (b) takes an extended rest, (c) becomes bloodied, or (d) voluntarily makes and succeeds on a saving throw.

Oh? The great Cyrus Von Brandt? Actually admitting that someone is not his stooge? Who are you, and what have you done with the real Cyrus Von Brandt?

You know what? You've grown soft, Cyrus. I'm not even going to bother stick-fighting with you - if that's even really you.

Time to end him, boys. Grab him!
Cyrus is grabbed. Immobilized.

Wowzers, the street thugs have Von Brandt in a vise! He's not going to wriggle away anytime soon! What is Reynolds doing? He's putting his left foot -- oh! Okay!

Pay no attention to that massive 100x5-foot spiked boulder that just appeared over the arena, folks. You're all completely safe!

Get the Flash Player to play this audio file:
Reynolds takes 5 ongoing damage and is granting combat advantage to everyone for one round.
Doesn't save from ongoing.

If you think cowering under that cloak is going to protect you from my wrath...

Crud.

Longblade misses.

Von Brandt (+1 x8), Beegraks (+1 x2), Street Thugs, Mercenary Wizard, Death Squad Assassin

There's nowhere I can't reach.

2 Dice Rolls Damage!

Imbecile! You just let him go? What, those muscles just for show? We could have squashed him flat!

Lightning Strike, eh Cyrus? I see what you're doing there. Seen it a hundred times. Take this!

Yessss! Finally got you!

Opportunity attack: 6 damage to Von Brandt. Bloodied.
Lightning Strike reduces Reynolds' HP to single digits.

Carry on, Rychord.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

11 Dice Rolls Assassin's Longblade vs BR

YOU... DON'T... GET. TO. TALK. ABOUT. MY. DEAR DEPARTED. MA. IN THAT MANNER! MOE! GO AROUND AND HELP ME MAKE HIM A CYRUS SANDWICH!

Thug A shifts to K13. Critical roll! Cyrus grabbed, immobilized.
Damn, out of actions. I didn't think this through.
Thug B moves to M14. Morningstar connects: 7 damage to Von Brandt. Marked until end of thug's next turn.
Divine Sanction! 6 necrotic damage to Thug B.

Lizard, I'd have preferred to focus my fire on Cyrus, but I feel a magical compulsion to strike you down. Get out of my way. MAGIC MISSILE!

...

WAIT YOU FOOL! DON'T STAND THERE! THERE'S NO TI--

5 ongoing damage to Reynolds.
Ignore the OA rolls - he shifts to K12. Magic Missile misses.

Get the Flash Player to play this audio file:
SPLUT. Thug A is squashed flat. Dies instantly.
Everyone adjacent to K13 knocked 1 square backwards.
K13 is now impassable and blocks line of sight and line of effect.

Reynolds, you and your team were fully briefed on the exact nature of the enchantment we're giving you. As per the standard waiver you have signed, the Waterdeep Arena Corporation bears no liability for the improper use of any tool or implement we provide!

Well, I suppose that's one less thug roaming the streets of our fair city. But our intrepid duo is not out of the woods yet!

Hey lizard. Look at my rack. I shape-shifted it just for you! Ahahaha, got-- oh crap, missed again!

Beegraks granting combat advantage to assassin till end of its next turn. Longblade misses.

Von Brandt (+1 x8), Beegraks (+1 x2), Street Thug, Mercenary Wizard <- is about to die of ongoing damage, Death Squad Assassin

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

1 Die Roll Morningstar to the head

Ggggggg... Cy....rus... I'll.... haunt... y--y--!
Assassin A dies from Lightning Strike. Wizard takes 5 ongoing and dies.

And just like that, the tables are turned, ladies and gentlemen! Only one thug left - his revenge is going to have to go unfulfilled!

Thug bloodied by Resurgent Strike.

If I'm going down, then I'M TAKING YOU WITH ME VON BRANDT!

Divine Sanction! 6 necrotic damage.

And he misses! Dead man walking right there! Has there ever been such an anticlimactic outcome to a final battle? Mop it up, you two!

Von Brandt (+1 x8), Beegraks (+1 x2), Street Thug

How ya doing, buddy?

Aaaaand that's a wrap folks! Let's hear it for Beegraks and Von Brandt! Did you expect them to end the day standing? I didn't. Must be all the cookies. Our delicious, yummy cookies! You lucky lucky gladiators get to keep his entrance fee - a very handsome flag with his symbol on it!

You can help yourselves to the... 50... 60... 88. 88 gold pieces that your opponents were careless enough to bring with them as well! Ah, the spoils of battle!

1,514 GP banked for both of you.

Beegraks, you're new, so let me give you some quick information. Our sponsors maintain a full value barter system - certainly terms that are more generous than anything else you can find in the outside world. We have the best artificers that gold pieces can buy, so we get the best fights this side of the Sword Coast.

Guards, escort our gladiators back to their quarters for some rest and relaxation. They've earned it.

On that point, the odds for both finishing together was 1 in 69. Do we have any winners, Larry?

1. Level up! Choose a feat, your 2 ability-up bonuses, and retrain if desired.
2. Enforced extended rest! Choose your purchases and barter trades.
3. Coercive Gauntlets have strangely disappeared from Character Builder. Please trade it in.
4. Brainzzzz. Barhah!
   

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Cyrus snapped into attention with a start, his mind still a bit fogged up. The half-elf dimly remembered the events of the past day. He's had days of arena combat now, remaining alive despite the loss of his partners. His newest partner was a lascivious dragonborn they called Beegraks. The evil paladin inexplicably survived the encounters, despite terrifying odds. Who did they face again? Some bugbears, was it? The Beeg's old girlfriend. Worms of some kind. "Holy worms", yes. Cyrus snickered at the very idea. And a loose end from Cyrus' past who he easily dispatched.

The sorcerer rises unsteadily to his feet. Well, he muses, wherever he is, it's certainly not the arena. It's completely enclosed in rock, for one, illuminated only by the odd everburning torch tightly affixed to the occasional rock wall. Second, he's not in chains and there's no guard in sight. Nor did he feel an anti-magic field anywhere in the area. The professionally-run arena would never allow its prized gladiators to wander freely without the adequate supervision. It's bad for business, after all.

Cyrus cautiously takes a step back - his back touches a wall. There's no getting out this way. Looking down, he espies a magic circle inscribed on the ground. The sorcerer is quick to recognize it as a linked portal, but it is inactive, as if out of power. So that's how we got here, he muses. At his feet lie his partner from the previous day, a Zehirite Paladin. Cyrus is a Tiamat worshipper himself, but to each his own deity.

They were in a passageway of sorts. The path extends for a good fifty yards before it terminates in a solid wall. There were multiple branches in the passage that go to the right or left, but it is impossible to determine how far they go from Cyrus' present location. All is quiet.



FELIPE NO

1 Die Roll Rolling for something

Cyrus hugs the wall to the right, cautiously inching his way forward. The "tunnel" terminates prematurely ten feet from the passage.

"Boo!"

A rusted lever set into the alcove wall is taken by surprise. It dies of fright.



How ya doing, buddy?

The groggy dragonborn rises from his sweet dream, shuffles over to his new best buddy, and immediately pulls the first lever he sees. The rusty mechanism gives way easily, but appears to have hit a snag partway down. Redoubling his efforts, Beegraks manages to force it all the way down.

He hears a faint click from somewhere ahead. An instant later, the everburning torches are snuffed out, enveloping the duo in complete darkness. As sharp as von Brandt's low-light vision may be, the half-elf can't see in the dark.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

An instant after the dragonborn clicks the lever back into its original position, the magical darkness lifts.

Sweet, sweet light!

As far as Von Brandt can see, nothing in the room has changed during the short interval of darkness. It doesn't seem like the perverted paladin has opportunistically molested him.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

1 Die Roll Lever Position (1:top, 3:dwn)

Seized by a strange impulse, the normally dead-serious sorcerer launches into a song and dance number, culminating in a show-stopping feat of acrobatics right in front of an east-bound passage.

As he suspected, the second "tunnel" from the origin point was nothing more than a nook. Though this time, there's nothing remarkable about it. The tunnel to Cyrus' left extends for about 18 feet from his current position. A large earthenware pot lies directly against its wall.

Von Brandt glances down at his hand - he's still carrying the lever that he played with. The strain from his last enthusiastic stroke was apparently too much for the helpless shaft.



This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Uncharacteristic of someone who spent most of his life in a swamp, Smothas Beegraks shows a surprising appreciation for the arts and stops short of smashing the pot. He wracks his mind as to its provenance - sheltered and solitary as his life was, he knows he's seen that type of pot before.

Then it hit him. Merchants. While he was preying on victims traveling towards Waterdeep, he has observed caravans ferrying goods of all kinds into the City of Splendor. A particularly memorable (and delicious) expedition from the Dalelands carried this type of pot, a burial urn that depicts Kelemvor Lyonsbane, the judge of the damned.

Beegraks notices a few scraps of parchment inside the urn. There is writing on one side of each scrap, but it is impossible to determine the message until the scraps are pieced together. There appears to be too few pieces for a proper reassembly to be done.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

8 Dice Rolls Skeleton B vs VB again

Beegraks cautiously sidles into the next passage. As expected, it's yet another alcove. There's a wooden box of some sort in plain view. Perhaps there's treasure inside!

________


Von Brandt takes further leave of his senses, and barrels blindly with an urn obstructing his view. He crashes into the far end of the wall a few seconds later, utterly obliterating the urn into hundreds of shards.

Wall takes 8 HP damage.
Von Brandt takes 4 HP damage, is prone.

The sorcerer trips and falls on what he initially thought to be an indistinct pile of rocks stacked at the end of the main passage. Upon closer examination, it's actually a pile of dry bones.

And... is it a trick of the light, or...? And why is it cooler here?

Before Cyrus' dazed eyes, an ominous purple light suffuses the bones he's trampled on. Thus enervated, two skeletons abruptly rise from the pile, jabbing Cyrus in the ribs with their longswords. The half-elf feebly tries to parry, but most of the hits go through since he was completely taken by surprise.

Well, Cyrus waxes philosophically, at least they can't surround me. Not with the wall right at my back!

Skeleton Soldiers : AC 21, Fort 18, Ref 19, Will 18
Longsword, +11 vs AC (12+ to hit Cyrus, 10+ with combat advantage)

Surprise Round! Longsword vs. Cyrus x2.
Cyrus takes 10 damage.

To ARMS!
Round 1 Starts. Longsword vs. Cyrus x2.
Critical Hit! Cyrus takes 5 damage.

Von Brandt (+1 x8), Beegraks (+1 x2), ROUND-2 Skeleton Soldiers

I was speaking idiomatically.

Supremely satisfied with his jaunty pair of acrobatic boots, Von Brandt leaps to his feet with great agility, and starts flailing at what he believes to be his own skeletal system. A lucky shot catches the skeleton right in front of him by surprise; despite Cyrus' best effort not to destroy it, it collapses to the ground in 206 pieces.

AC3 skeleton dies knocked out. It's a minion.

The opening leaves the him with just enough room to maneuver. The storm sorcerer quickly streaks back towards his lizard friend like greased lightning, slightly the worse for wear. Cyrus' eyes were fast enough to catch a few glimpses of the two 'passages' he traversed past. The one closest to the far wall extends 60 feet before branching off into other paths unseen. The passage he stopped in front of was merely another nook in the wall, this time containing a wooden barrel.

Cyrus notices three new switches similar to the one he just destroyed. One is directly in front of him, embedded in a wall. He also briefly caught a glance of two others - now to his back - on both sides of the tunnel that intersects the main passage.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

5 Dice Rolls B's longsword vs BR

Beegraks barrels down the passageway at full speed. He must help get his new buddy's bones back where they belong! Alas, if only Cyrus' skeleton was so cooperative. For where there were once two, there are now four - two new sets that are rising from the bone pile to the occasion, while the skeleton Cyrus smashed up is now reassembling itself!

They would soon be inundated with Cyrus bones if this keeps up.

Two skeletons immediately charge the dastardly duo with longswords pointed at their bellies - only to have the dragonborn annihilate the bones charging his buddy. He flails out a second time as another skeleton continues the charge against Von Brandt. The flail misses, but puts the skeleton so off-kilter that it missed its quarry.

Taking advantage of Beegraks' momentary distraction, the last skeleton slashes at his face. This time, it connects.

A charges Beegraks; C and D charge Von Brandt.
Beegraks destroys C with opportunity attack; misses D.
B uses longsword against Beegraks.
A and D miss; B hits. 5 damage to Beegraks.

Von Brandt (+1 x8), Beegraks (+1 x2), ROUND-3 Skeleton Soldiers

FELIPE NO

With an urgent need to quickly put Von Brandt's self-procreating bones back into his body, the pair wastes no time in dispatching the wayward skeletons. Beegraks fondles his partner's pelvic region, attempting to determine the general topology of Cyrus' waist. His hand brushes against something hard and stiff. That is odd indeed - if Von Brandt's bones are truly outside of his body, shouldn't he be nothing more than a quivering jelly-like mass of skin and meat?

Cyrus violently jumps in the air as the Smotherer Bandit caresses him. The motion interrupts the evil paladin's soothing touch. Perhaps another time, when the pair are more hard-pressed?

An examination of the disassembled skeletons show nothing amiss. Other than the fact that they were up and about until a while ago, they look like ordinary dry bones to the dragonborn. The skeletons show no sign of reanimating; it seems as though they are beyond the boundaries of whatever had energized them in the first place. However, Cyrus still feels the presence of the icy chill he experienced previously. It reeks of profane magic, though he is unable to pinpoint the exact source offhand.

Before their horrified eyes, a pair of skeletal warriors rise slowly from the bone pile. Their eye sockets flash with an unearthly malevolence as they inch forward towards the paladin. Both skeletons draw a spare tibia from the scattered bones, brandishing their improvised weapons with apparent glee, but otherwise make no move to attack... for now.

Both skeletons ready an action: charge anything that attacks or enters row Z; culminating in melee basic attack.

Von Brandt (+1 x8), Beegraks (+1 x2), ROUND-4 Skeleton Soldiers

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

4 Dice Rolls D's shortbow vs BR

Cyrus casually tosses a ball of thunder right smack into the bone pile. The resulting explosion obliterates one of the skeletons completely, and the top layer of exposed bones crumbles to dust.

Reacting quickly, the other remaining skeleton charges full tilt towards the sorcerer. Most unfortunately, it catches a heavy flail at its midsection - and without a pelvis, clatters to the ground in front of Cyrus - quite inanimate.

The skeletal pile shudders, its ominous light changing hues to a more fiery red. Four skeleton warriors rise from the bones, and slowly approach the pair. Beegraks stands ready this time, casually cutting one down with an elegant arc, and just barely missing its neighbor. He's immediately punished for the transgression, clubbed on the head with some poor unfortunate's ribs, and hit on the head with a well-thrown skull.

Bone pile takes 20 damage.
Readied action triggers: surviving skeleton charges Von Brandt. Killed by Beegraks' opportunity attack.
Z3 is now difficult terrain.
Beegraks kills new Skeleton A. Remaining skeletons attack Beegraks; B and D hit for 9 damage total.

Von Brandt (+1 x9 - roll 1d100 for free prize spin), Beegraks (+1 x2), ROUND-5 Skeleton Soldiers

Jam it back in, in the dark.

1 Die Roll How generous am I?

Cyrus' attack slams deep into the bone pile, completely obliterating the talisman secreted underneath. A blinding flash accompanies the item's destruction. Moments later, the skeletons that had attacked Smothas clatter uselessly into the ground - deader than dead.

Trap defused!

The party can regain any ONE encounter power already spent.

There's nowhere I can't reach.