Knowledge [Adventuring]: 1d2011. He doesn't know much about them, but that is no matter whatsoever.
Thadd the Great smiled as he saw the Shadows form in the light of his torch. Now THIS is the way to start an epic adventure! he thought as he advanced on the Shadows, brandishing his sword and torch.
"Back you fiends or face the flaming fury of Thadd the Great!" he shouted. His theme music rose as to match his mood.
Me fail English? That's unpossible. - Ralph Wiggum
The elf blinks, turning around and seeing a commotion near thr party. He feels himself groan at the realization that he did a rather poor job as a watchman, while realizing that he's quite a bit further away then he'd have liked to be.
Am I dead? Am I alive? The answer may surprise you!
------------
"What a week, huh?" "Doc, it's only Wednesday."
Reva lets loose an arrow at the shadowy fiends. The arrow just passes through the immaterial shades, before they move in to attack!
As they move into the clearing of the path you can now identify that there are four of these foul creatures. One moves next to Thadd, and tries to grab him but he flashes the torch just in time, the shadow cowering under the bright light. Another one closes in with Yarl and stabs at him with its slender fingers. The smith feels an icy cold pain in his shoulder, where the shadowy claw connects. The third creature approaches Rachel and embraces her with darkness. The girl can feel the chilling touch in her very soul. Reva is also the target of one of the shadows, which purchases on her surprise to fly through her entirely. The feeling of impending death and the bite of the chilling touch is overwhelming.
The rest of the party is up. These shadows are minions. Given that Rachel matched the DC of the knowledge check, the "immunity to normal weapons" means that the creatures are immune to normal damage bellow the 1 degree threshold, any attack that would deal more than one degree of success will kill the shadow. I considered not revealing this, but it I think this metagaming is acceptable for the first fight.
"By the gods," Yarl exclaims and he grits his teeth. "What foul creatures have a touch like ice?" He swings his hammer at the creature that attacked him.
But he can't even tell if he hit the shadowy creature or the darkness around it.
Rachel shivered and shook, nearly dropping her staff, but she focused her will, holding firm against the painful chill. She took a step back, and NOW she dropped her staff, instead bringing up her crossbow. For all the good it would do, she fired into what seemed to be the thickest part of the shadowy creature...
Mot scuttled back toward the main group a hand pulling stones from a pouch. From 20 feet away Mot flung out his hand launching three smooth, flat triangular stones, shaped by Mot's own blunted but granite-hard claws. The three strike for the Shadow on Rachel.
Attack1d20+818
Thrown Rock Barrage +8 to hit, DC16 Toughness, Multiattack
So +2DC if hit was by 5 or more
Reva Vanel
HP : 2, now 1
Condition : bruised, greatly annoyed what passes for her luck
OOC : the rolls Toughness vs DC19: 1d20+56
THERE'S the foul, malignant excuse of pustulent luck that I have !
Spending a HP so she DOESN'T get staggered right out of the gate ! Reattempt Tou vs DC19: 1d20+57
?!?!?!?!?!!?!?!!??!!?!?????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!??!?!? With the +10, counts as a 17. Merely bruised (-1 to all future checks)
Fort Vs DC10: 1d20+424
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAND a Critical is wasted !
Reva's fought against some strange creatures with strange abilities before, but creatures that can pass THROUGH you ? It was not an attack she was expecting, nor had a good defense against.
She felt her bones begin to freeze, but her sheer orneriness thawed them right out.
As he approached quickly as much grace and quiet as he could, Alanari made sure to adjust the wrappings of his right arm just so. The crossbow he kept on hand for stealthy assassination would serve just as well here against these strange, shadowy beasts. Once he felt he had reached a sufficient enough range, he raised his arm up to the closest creature and pressed two fingers into the center of his palm. The wooden bolt was sent sailing with a muffled swish of air.
Moving up 30 feet to try and get in a good position, probably still affected by his stealth?
DC 18 Crossbow bolt, Subtle (DC 20 against potential surprise attack): 19
Am I dead? Am I alive? The answer may surprise you!
------------
"What a week, huh?" "Doc, it's only Wednesday."
Yarl's wild swing did nothing but disturb the air around the creature with an audible "swoosh". Fido tried to bite the shadow attacking his master, but his claw also find nothing but air, as the undead apparition moved out of the way.
As Rachel pulls off from her attacker, she can see the shadow's eyes. While, lifeless, seeking to consume her. And in those eyes she aimed her crossbow. The bolt flew true, piercing the creature in between the eyes. The bolt passed through the creature with such force that most of the head dissolved with it. With a shriek that chilled the bones the shadow dissolved in a powdery gray mist.
Mot was not as lucky, and his pebbles flew through the body of the shadow harmlessly. The same fate seems to go for Alanari's stealthy attack. The wooden bolt sinks in the bark of the tree behind the shadow, with a neat "tugg". But then you see the shadow grabbing at a hole in its chest. The hole grows fast, dissolving the shadow into nothingness in the blink of an eye
"Have at thee vile shadow...things!!!" Thadd shouted as he swung back at the shadow that attacked him with his sword, eschewing the advice about the fire that Rachel had given. Surely these foul creatures are just as susceptible to the fire for justice that burns in my soul! he thought.
Reva Vanel
HP : 1
Condition : bruised (-1 Tou checks)
Reva decided she didn't like how this was going, but noted that the creatures COULD be harmed via normal attacks.
So she loosed another arrow at one of the still functioning shadows ...
Yarl adjusts his grip and tries to strike the shadow again. But again, he is more use to targets that are solid and standing still. Warhammer DC 22 (crit 19-20): 1d20+36
Fido also bites at the shadow. Fido is mildly confused by not feeling sinew and bone crunch between his jaws as he does so. Bite DC 20: 1d20+520
The aim of the huntress is true! Reva's arrow sinks in the darkness of the shadow, but produces no sign of harm to the undead creature.
The shadows also have trouble hitting our brave adventurers. The weary travellers can now predict the movements of the creatures are move away. Reva ducks bellow a claw swipe of the shadow harassing her. Thadd is able to simply side step the pitiful creature, and counterattacks! His sword splits the creature in halves, so strong is the blow! Each half disintegrates soon, leaving Thadd The This-Time-Quite-Great, standing victorious. This had been more glorious than he could have ever dreamt of. Yarl and Fido corner the remaining shadow, but the smith's aim proves poor in the darkness, and Fido's steel claw inefectual against the insubstantial nature of the shadows.
Combat stats Reva
Shadow 1 Destroyed
Shadow 2 Destroyed
Shadow 3 Hit by reva: pass toughness; Hit by Fido: 17 toughness, so it takes no damage.
Shadow 4 Hit by Thad, rolls a 1 vs a critic
Yarl & Fido
Thadd
Rachel
Alanari
Mot Rachel Alanari and Mot remain to act this turn, and then Reva again.
Unwilling to get closer, Mot launches more rocks at the last Shadow remaining. Mot makes sure to pick the shiny-est rocks in the bag that they might catch the torchlight better as they fly through the inky creature.
With only two of the shadowy creatures left, and a number of stout compatriots who were FAR better suited to directly facing them (and who were, incidentally, potentially in danger if she took another shot), Rachel stepped back another pace and scanned the area. There might be other threats nearby, waiting for the group to focus on these shadowy creatures...
>OOC: Move back another step and scan for other threats
-Perception 1d20+5= 24; roll https://orokos.com/roll/720094
(She has low-light vision, if that helps)