RED OAK: Return to the Pass of the Hounds

[Longman]

If I open the door an inch, Talin would be able to fire arrows outside, but with a limited firing angle...

Maybe that would work. But, several things happen in the meantime. It is going into early nighttime...

While you are pondering how to rig the door up just right so that it would open enough to allow shots but not entry...you can no longer hear the worm outside.

What you can hear is the sounds of something above ground. It sounds like cries, and possibly a battle. They are distant and muffled, but Abigall and Freya can both hear them. The sounds of dogs / wolves barking is part of the noise, as well as the shouts of humanoids.

In answer to your question - you might be able to rig the door in the way you ask, but no guarantee that the spikes would not break if the worm pushed the door. Also, Talin would maybe get one decent shot if the worm attacked, and then it would have good cover.

[Woe]

They are going to try that anyway. Hammer the stakes farther away from the opening, which will leave a ~6" gap once opened. Then open the door with Talin's bow ready to fire (and Freya's too, if there is space). The two dwarves will be providing backpressure on the door. Abigall can be ready with her sling, Tiana with her net, and Fido with a massive bark ready to rip.

And an anti-climatic nothing awaits outside of the door.

[Longman]

As expected - there is now worm outside the door. Freya listens out and can't hear where it is. Nor can anyone else. The door is now open 6" and spiked.

The sound above grows slightly louder with the door open. Either dogs or wolves.

[Woe]

Did Talin find mice in the worm's stomach? Maybe mice are not interesting fare.

If Abigall wants to scout ahead, she should go for it. Otherwise, Tiana will animate a something vaguely human-like (cloak, helmet, etc -- not the skeleton!) and have it go marching around a bit to see if they can draw it out.

Are the noises loud enough to suspect the outer door is open?

[Longman]

You do not think the outer door is open. The main sound is of baying dogs ./wolves and some shouting. Freya and Abigall also thought they heard steel on steel.

rats, a rabbit, some toads, and some smaller lizards.

You'll have to animate one of your own cloaks. That'the only thing that would suit.

Tiana has to be within line of sight of the animated object to control it - so you'd have to go outside the secret room, or at least open the door wider than 6 inches. Is she doing that?

[Woe]

Or she can animate it in a straight line from the crack outwards. That seems safest, and the dwarves can then decide whether to extend the opening further. The spell lasts for 10 rounds so that's lots of time to play with the opening if needed.

[Longman]

And a cloak does indeed wight 1 pound according to core rules. You are good to go.

Tiana animates the cloak and moves it out into the room beyond the secret door, wiggling it about in a (hopefully) realistic fashion.

She spends 2 of the ten rounds moving it about within her line of sight, Talin behind her, bow at ready, a thin beam of light coming from his magic helmet...




The creature does not come. She can move it as far as 40' away, which is out into the skeleton room, but only within direct lien of sight of the door. The creature still doesn't show itself.

What are you doing with the remaining 8 rounds of the spell?

[Woe]

When I first saw that image, I thought the skeleton had risen!

The dwarves will respike and allow the door to be opened the door further. At this point, they'll try to keep the door wide enough for Tiana to slip through if needed, but tight enough where the giant worm can't enter. Eventually the door will be fairly wide open and the party will decide it's safe. Once that happens...

Assume standard marching order for the party, and they'll first check whether they can see worm sign. Was the barricade smashed in again? If so, Talin will make a somewhat pointed comment about the construction of the dwarves, and how it can't even keep back a worm.

But with no worm around, the party will scout up to the door, listen a bit, then head back for tuckins and sweet dreams.

[Longman]

Re: the barricade - the building supplies you really need are upstairs at the bottom of the gump tower. The barricade is actually just made out of bits of old furniture piled up together, with flower pots, cushions, etc. It's to hide behind so missiles can't hit you. You did not have access to any nails or real tools. But you can be hard on the dwarves if you want...

You walk out into the dungeon in your old marching order with the mage continuing to send the cloak of mystery forward. You move out into the skeleton room and see that the barricade has once again been pushed out of the way...

And then you hear the sound of something slithering an clicking, in the upper area of the dungeon. The elves and Abigall confer quickly and think the creature is coming down past the statue, and down the western set of stairs to the lower area. In another round it will be in the empty room just to the north of the skeleton room, and probably trying to come through the door.

The door from the skeleton room into that room is unlocked and partially ajar. That was how you found it and you never changed it.

You have a round to act. You could run back to safety in the secret room, or close the door. All of you get to act...if Tiana wants to run she will have to drop concentration.

[Woe]

Which way does the door close, and is it a wooden or stone door? I don't want to close the door just to have the wormtooth barge through it (see what I did there?)

Most likely, secret door room, here we come! Is the door spiked wider than the wormtooth is wide?