conversations: human
conversations:  Party #2: Primary offensive strategy vs. Displacers is Spike Growth combined with ranged attacks. Primary defensive strategy is a zone of pain composed of Spike Growth, Careful Web, and Repelling Blast.
  
   party 2 rolled 7 initiative 
  
  
  Rolled Stats:
  13	16	8	14	8	15
  10	12	13	12	10	16
  
  Cardinal Ramsey (corrupt cleric, inspired by Cardinal Woolsey and Zhaspahr Clyntahn)
  Acolyte Human Fighter 1/Fiendlock 2/Wild Sorcerer 4
  Str 15 Dex 8 Con 14 Int 13 Wis 8 Cha 19 - ruddy, round, jowly, choleric and bad-tempered, forceful
  HP 50, AC 21 [Plate armor, shield, defense Style]
  Feats: Heavy Armor Master, [ASI: Cha 17 =&gt; 19]
  Skills: Athletics, Deception, Religion, Intimidation, Insight
  Invocations: Agonizing Blast, Repelling Blast
  Metamagic: Quickened Spell, Careful spell
  Cantrips: Eldritch Blast, Booming Blade, Thunderclap, Greenflame Blade, Minor Illusion, Blade Ward, Friends
  Warlock spells: Expeditious Retreat, Hex, Armor of Agathys
  Sorcerer spells: Disguise Self, Suggestion, Shield, Detect Thoughts, Blur
  Spell slots: 4/3 and 2
  
  Grey Strider (pragmatic mercenary/assassin, inspired by Captain Demos from Codex Aliera and Goodman Grey from Dresden Files)
  Human Sailor Hunter 5/Rogue 2
  Str 12 Dex 18 Con 14 Int 10 Wis 13 Cha 10 - quiet, nonchalant, self-confident, amoral, occasionally witty
  HP 58, AC 16 [studded leather] or 18 [w/ shield]
  Archery style
  Feats: Sharpshooter, [ASI: Dex 17=&gt;18, Con 13=&gt;14]
  Skills: (Expert)Stealth, Perception, (Expert)Athletics, Acrobatics, Deception
  Spells: Longstrider, Spike Growth, Pass Without Trace, Fog Cloud
  Spell slots: 4/2
  
  
  Party #2: Sometime in the hour before finding himself in the cube, Cardinal Ramsey casts Armor of Agathys II and Disguise Self to look like a scrawny balding fellow in a blue robe. Grey Strider casts Longstrider on himself.
  
  Ramsey's remaining slots: 4/1 and 1.
  Grey's remaining slots: 3/2
  Ramsey is wielding a battleaxe and shield
  Grey has his shield and rapier slung but his longbow out
  
  
   DM ruling needed: Web ensnares creatures who start their turn in the web or enter the web during their turn. Does casting a web on yourself and other creatures count as "entering the web during your turn" for only the caster, for all creatures, or for nobody? Who has to make a saving throw? 
  
  I'd have everyone make their save immediately. This is because creatures moving before their turn (battlemaster's powers, etc) might escape a web without even making a save, and it's probably not intended.
  
  Initiative for battle #2
  
  Results:
  [1d20+2]-&gt;[7+2] = 9
  [1d20+2]-&gt;[18+2] = 20
  [1d20+2]-&gt;[14+2] = 16
  [1d20+2]-&gt;[11+2] = 13
  [1d20+2]-&gt;[2+2] = 4
  [1d20+2]-&gt;[13+2] = 15
  
  All beasts but #5 go before characters; then PCs, then every beast cycling over.
  
  All beasts charge their prey. They are not stopping to delay or ready action, as they not smart enough (int 6). They also do not realize that they might (or might not) better be served to wait until their prey are in a position they can all attack.
  They end up encircling their prey, but only #4 gets to attack Ramsey. The others are dashing to get to their positions.
  Those that can't get to their prey are just hanging back, circling and waiting for an opportunity.
  
  Beasts attack:
  [1d20+6]-&gt;[10+6] = 16
  [1d20+6]-&gt;[18+6] = 24
  
  #4 hits ramsey once, for
  [1d6+4]-&gt;[5+4] = 9
  [1d6]-&gt;[3+0] = 3
  
  12 damage, which gets reduced to 9 by Ramsey's armor (i would rule that one attack = one DR, at least for physical attacks)
  Ramsey doesn't take any damage, but his Armor of Agathys only has 1 hp remaining before it fades.
  #4 takes 5 cold damage.
  
  #4, based on Displacer beast fluff, has seen magic before. It probably knows the prey has some kind of magic barrier, but does not form any more thoughts about that, except "more attacks -&gt; more blood next time -&gt; eat"
  It probably realizes the barrier is diminishing in power.
  
  It may or may not notice something about Ramsey's disguise (if it was important, i'd probably grant the creature a passive investigation check at disadvantage) but it wouldn't change anything as the creature is not intelligent enough to think anything about it, nor would be able to see through it even if it passed the check.
  
   
conversations: Madeiner:
conversations: human
conversations:  Ramsey's Armor of Agathys II should inflict 10 points of cold damage, not 5.
  
  However, Ramsey will Shield* to avoid the hit, instead of taking damage. (AC 26 = miss.)
  
  I'll post my moves in a followup post.
  
  * I didn't explicitly say this, but my intent was for Ramsey to have a hand free at the start of combat, since he can always draw his battleaxe on his turn if he needs to use it. If that's a problem, he doesn't have to shield, he could take the hit instead--not a big deal either way for me, but being able to Shield was my original intent.
  
  Are the DMG options for Overrun and Tumble (DMG page 272) allowed? (Use a bonus action or action to move through a hostile creature's square as difficult terrain, after succeeding on an opposed Athletics or Acrobatics check.)
conversations: MaxWilson:
conversations: human
conversations:  Originally Posted by MaxWilson 
   Ramsey's Armor of Agathys II should inflict 10 points of cold damage, not 5.
  
  However, Ramsey will Shield* to avoid the hit, instead of taking damage. (AC 26 = miss.)
  
  I'll post my moves in a followup post.
  
  * I didn't explicitly say this, but my intent was for Ramsey to have a hand free at the start of combat, since he can always draw his battleaxe on his turn if he needs to use it. If that's a problem, he doesn't have to shield, he could take the hit instead--not a big deal either way for me, but being able to Shield was my original intent.
  
  Are the DMG options for Overrun and Tumble (DMG page 272) allowed? (Use a bonus action or action to move through a hostile creature's square as difficult terrain, after succeeding on an opposed Athletics or Acrobatics check.) 
   
  
  My mistake on the armor damage. Also you can consider the PC shielded.
  Yes, feel free to use Overrun/tumble for DMG.
conversations: Madeiner:
conversations: human
conversations:  Grey casts Spike Growth.
  
  Ramsey casts Web from P2 to S5, catching beasts #1, #3, and #4 in the area. DC is 15, their Dex save is +2, so they need a 13 or better to save. In order, they roll: (1, 15, 12). #1 and #4 are restrained in the Web.
  
  Then Ramsey casts Quickened Eldritch Blast.
  
  Attacks beast #4 with the first ray: rolls at advantage against restrained target (Displacement doesn't work when restrained) (11, 8) +7 = 18, a hit! for d10+4 (7+4=11) points of damage. It is blasted 10' back over the spikes for 4d4 damage ( DM ruling needed:  does being pushed across Spike Growth still cause damage? if not ignore this roll) for (2,3,1,1=7) points of damage. Displace Beast #4 is down 18 HP but is no longer restrained and is in fact no longer within the area of the Web.
  
  Second ray of Eldritch Blast targets beast #3. Rolls at disadvantage because of Displacement (3,6) +7 = 10, misses.
  
  Finally, Ramsey moves left one square.
  
  Status: Ramsey is down to slots 4/1 and 0 (after AoA II, Web, Shield, and Disguise Self) and only 2 Sorcery Points but has full Armor of Agathys 10 remaining. Spike Growth and Web are both active. Displacer beast #1 is restrained in the web and #4 is down 18 HP.
  
   
  
  (Apologies for the messed-up AoE graphics. I drew the AoEs before the Eldritch Blast.)
conversations: MaxWilson:
conversations: human
conversations:  The PC Cardinal Ramsey. Rolled stats 13(to Int), 16(to Cha+1), 8(to Dex), 14(to Con), 8(to Wis), 15(to Str). Final stats are 15, 8, 14, 13, 8, 19 with Heavy Armor Mastery and +2 Cha as the level 4 ASI. So I think he's missing the second human stat boost as well as the boost from HAM. It's probably important to him.
conversations: Zalabim:
conversations: human
conversations:  Good catch. Bump his Con up to 16. (That is, he can put the 14 in Str and the 15 in Con, and HAM bumps Str back up to 15 while Human bumps Con up to 16.)
  
  That gives him 57 HP and +6 on Con saves. So, he is even ruddier and stockier than before.
conversations: MaxWilson: