HighRollers: Lightfall/Episode 21

"TACTICAL WITHDRAW!" is the twenty-first session of High Rollers D&D. It was broadcast live on the Yogscast Twitch channel on July 17, 2016.

In this session, the adventurers are caught in a scuffle with the duergars, eventually surrendering to them. This leads the adventurers to meet Queen Charisa, a medusa. To their luck, she is willing to spare their life and gives them the Scroll of Greater Restoration, but on one condition: retrieve the researches conducted by a drow matron, from an abandoned drow enclave, who wanted to summon demons and devils.

Campaign Summary
From the previous session, upon seeing Reznak, the duergar chief collector, hurting the svirfneblin villagers, Trellimar uses Eldritch Blast and blasts at Reznak's back. Reznak stands up and grins back, with his other four men get ready to engage.

Cam, Elora and Jiǔtóu witness Trellimar dashing out of Bork's residence they were hiding in. Girly is witnessing the scene through the window. A short while later, a blast is heard from outside, followed by a voice exclaiming that he shall have his fun.

Jiǔtóu moves closer to the doorway to get a clearer view of the events unfolding, yet remains hesitant to engage the duergars. Trellimar casts Hold Person at Reznak, freezing him in place, then takes cover behind one of the stone hut. While Reznak struggles to move, Cam duplicates himself and orders his duplicate to run out and gyrates as a distraction. Cam also realise that his endowment has return to its full size, telling the others not to look as he removes the bandages from his underpants. Elora asks Girly if anyone has fought the duergars before. She says no and also unsure if anyone has defeated them before, but finds the recent developments exciting. On Elora's request on asking the other villagers to fight back, Girly is unsure if they will fight, but will still try to asks for their help. One of the duergars attack Cam's duplicate. The other runs behind the stone hut Trellimar was taking cover at. Jiǔtóu, sensing Trellimar could be in danger, dashes towards the duergar chasing Trellimar and slamming him against the wall. A third duergar flings his javelin at her. By using Deflect Missile, she not only manages to deflect the attack, she also catches the javelin, spins it and throws it back at the duergar. However, he just manages ti shield off the returning attack with his shield. A fourth duergar defends the paralysed Reznak. Girly runs over to another stone hut in an attempt to asks her community to fight back.

Jiǔtóu uses her guandao and makes several attacks at the proned duergar near her. Her first attack injures him, but he blocks her second and third attacks. Trellimar runs further behind the stone hut, narrowly missing an attack by the proned duergar, and casts Disguise Self, disguising as a duergar. However, due to the spell's inability to alter his height, Trellimar has to hunch. Reznak breaks free from his paralysis and looks around, trying to find Trellimar. Cam takes his dagger Nimbus and throws it, through the window of the stone hut, at the duergar attacking his duplicate. However, it barely makes a dent on its armour. Cam then asks Elora is they can withdraw from the battle, having noticed that the duergars are tough. Cam then orders his duplicate to distract the duergar in order to direct his attention away from the hut. Elora, noticing that the duergars are wearing metal armour, casts Heat Metal at the duergar engaging Cam's duplicate. His metal armour starts to glow bright red and he screams in great agony, desperate to take off his heated armour. The duergar, now realising that the duplicate is not real, looks around and sees Cam looking through the window. He dives through the window and lands at Cam, then punches him in agony, yelling him to get the burning armour off him. The proned duergar stands up, mutters some phrases, then burst into white, hot flame. Jiǔtóu quickly steps back from the sudden burst of fire, but she still gets hit by the now flaming duergar's battleaxe. In quick retaliation, Jiǔtóu casts Hellish Rebuke, dealing some damage back at the flaming duergar. The two remaining duergars now dashes to Jiǔtóu as she is the only foe they can see so far.

The Meta-Game
For his character, Matt uses Hold Person on his first turn, then uses Disguise Self on his next turn, both casted during an attack. As Hold Person is a concentration spell, Trott asks Dungeon Master Mark if Disguise Self is a concentration spell too, meaning that Hold Person will no longer be effective. Fortunately, Disguise Self is not a concentration spell. Trott's reminder leads to Mark commenting that Trott's character may soon be favoured by his patron Avandra again, breaking the unlucky curse.