Enjoying my Weapon Whilst it Lasts
Our final battle with the exarch of Orcus continues. His minions have been whittled down a little but he is still protected by a leech (or lich, his accent is unclear) and an immoleth. I have got myself next to exarch Kalarel, hoping to draw his attacks away from the more vulnerable Adoni-zedek who he has picked on until now. Kalarel indeed chooses me as his next victim, striking with his sword and following with a choke attack. 'Kalarel attacks you, hitting an armour class of 32.' That's a hit. 'Oh, he stands up first, if that changes anything.' It makes him look a little more threatening, but it's still a hit.
'The exarch's weapon deals necrotic damage', to which I am immune. 'It also starts an ongoing damage effect, save ends.' My weapon's Nightbringer enchantment lets me make an immediate saving throw against any effect an undead creature inflicts upon me, and I succeed in negating the ongoing damage before it can even begin. 'And his choke deals necrotic damage', to which I am still immune, 'and does an ongoing effect, save ends', which Nightbringer lets me successfully save.
It is tempting to say that this fight will be easy, but I started the fight shrugging off several attacks in much the same way only to be beaten near to unconsciousness, and my allies also dropping to the ground a couple of times. I think I'll just be grateful that I survive the exarch's two attacks.
The leech returns to the fight, having disappeared briefly to recover from its wounds. 'The leech raises a finger and points it at the vampire minion, saying 'it is your turn', and it crumbles in to dust.'
'...his finger crumbles to dust?' No, the minion, apparently, restoring life force to the leech from the vampire. We ought to try to destroy the leech before the exarch, particularly after it strikes with shadowy force against most of us at once, sucking more life force from us to heal itself.
Adran combines his efforts with some beneficial spells from Lughar and Adoni-zedek, teleporting himself in to range of the leech to unleash a devastating attack. The first attack is an automatic critical, thanks to our deva's power, the second 'hits an armour class of 29'.
'Are you adding your +2?' He is. 'Then it's a hit.' We're not quite sure what the result would have been had he forgotten to add the extra two to the die roll, and encourage a quick roll of the damage dice to shake off the confusion. The critical hit and secondary normal hit obliterates the leech, leaving us little more to deal with than the exarch himself.