Failed Barrel Chamber Combat

Summary

In Session 10, the party's attempt to infiltrate the Underground Tunnels Beneath New Smoke ended in disaster when Sucks opened a barrel in a side corridor and was overcome by caustic fumes. Debilitated and coughing violently, Sucks attempted to feign death when two Thunder Hogs investigated the commotion. Both he and Vasso failed their combat rolls catastrophically, resulting in their capture and removal from the Barrel Chamber while Cat and Safia remained hidden and followed at a distance.

Details

After the party heard approaching Thunder Hog voices in the underground tunnels, they diverted into a side corridor containing a barrel chamber. Despite warnings from the group, Sucks opened one of the barrels and was immediately overcome by caustic fumes that burned throughout his body, giving him a constitution debility and causing violent coughing fits.

When two Thunder Hogs came to investigate the noise, the party attempted to hide. Sucks, unable to move effectively, lay in the middle of the floor trying to play dead. His theatrical pose was undermined by his ongoing coughing, making him unconvincing. As he lay there, he muttered: "You're laying there like I'm dead. Don't worry about me. Don't come over here."

The Thunder Hogs saw through the ruse immediately. When they reached down to grab him, [Sucks attempted to use his Backstab ability](timestamp://f8e3f354-a6be-4cc8-800d-e9a7bae59794/85:22) through his Shoot First class move, hoping his chest-mounted Wooden Stick Arm would punch them in the face. He rolled a 4—a complete miss. One Thunder Hog retaliated, and the GM announced: "Punches you right in the jaw. Doing five damage." Sucks' Underdog armor ability reduced the damage to 4, dropping him to 5 hit points.

Vasso stepped out of the shadows to strike with his sword's pommel, but rolled a catastrophic 3. The GM described the result: "You step out of the shadows to hit that one with the hilt. And the other one just steps forward and catches your arm. And wrenches it behind your back."

With both characters captured, the Thunder Hogs dragged them down the corridor. One Thunder Hog remarked: "So many fucking kids in here." Cat successfully used Hunt and Track to follow from a safe distance, aided by Safia's rat chirping to provide a sound trail.

Participants

Sucks — Opened the caustic barrel, gained a constitution debility, attempted to feign death, and failed his Backstab roll (rolled a 4)
Vasso — Attempted to strike from the shadows with his sword's pommel but was caught and restrained (rolled a 3)
Cat — Remained hidden and successfully used Hunt and Track to follow the captured party members
Safia — Stayed hidden and aided Cat's tracking with rat chirping sounds
Thunder Hogs — Two guards who investigated the commotion, saw through Sucks' deception, and captured both Sucks and Vasso

Consequences

Sucks gained a constitution debility from the caustic barrel fumes, causing ongoing violent coughing
Sucks took 4 damage (reduced from 5 by Underdog), dropping him to 5 hit points
Sucks and Vasso were captured by the Thunder Hogs and dragged away down the corridor
The party was split, with Cat and Safia free but following at a distance while their companions were prisoners
The infiltration plan failed, forcing a shift from stealth to a pursuit and potential rescue scenario