ACG Playtest - Thornkeep Menagerie Alpha (Inactive)

Game Master Mark Sweetman

Dolph casts Prayer on the group. +1 on most things for the good guys. Minus one for the baddies.

PEnance begins casting enlarge person.

Jean - are you keeping track of Inspiration points spent? - by my reckoning you've gone through 4 of 5 after this round.

Jean is able to identify them as elementals, the one in the air an avatar of lightning and those on the bridge living mud. Major abilities and weaknesses as per PRD

As spells are cast, Huc looses a bowshot that flies wide.

The mud-men move up and slam Huc...
Slam: 1d20 + 7 - 1 ⇒ (7) + 7 - 1 = 13
Slam: 1d20 + 7 - 1 ⇒ (2) + 7 - 1 = 8

The flying storm descends to where Rodolpho chants and lashes out...
Slam: 1d20 + 8 - 1 ⇒ (16) + 8 - 1 = 23 for 1d6 + 3 - 1 + 1d4 ⇒ (3) + 3 - 1 + (3) = 8

Did Jean get all of his actions? If I’m jumping the gun, let me know.

Huc sidesteps the first slam, then grunts as he takes the second one on the side, grinning at the familiar feeling of his armor absorbing the blow.

”My turn,” he laughs as he tosses his bow up over his head, taking the half-second of its hang-time in the air to study the second mud-thing. His tail flips up and catches hold of his bow as his hands flash over his shoulder, his thick sword rasping from its sheath. It hums with arcane energy as he brings it slamming down into the bulk of the first mud-thing.

Free action to switch shortbow to tail
Move action to activate Favored Target on second mud-man (both are targeted now)
Free action to Draw Greatsword
Swift for Arcane Strike
Attack the same mud-man as before; modified by Favored Target, power attack, furious focus, arcane strike and Prayer.
.
Greatsword: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (15) + 13 = 28
Damage: 2d6 + 17 ⇒ (1, 1) + 17 = 19

To quote from the Inspiration entry:

"The investigator can use inspiration on any Knowledge, Linguistics, or Spellcraft skill checks without spending a use of inspiration, provided he’s trained in that skill."

So Jean-Pierre has technically not used any inspiration ;-)

When the mud-creatures move up, Jean-Pierre steps forward, and unleashes himself on the one hit by Huc.

Claw: 1d20 + 8 - 1 ⇒ (20) + 8 - 1 = 27, for 1d4 + 5 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 5 + 2 + 2 = 10 Magical, S/B damage.

Claw: 1d20 + 8 - 1 ⇒ (6) + 8 - 1 = 13, for 1d4 + 5 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 5 + 2 + 2 = 11 Magical, S/B damage.

Bite: 1d20 + 3 - 1 ⇒ (20) + 3 - 1 = 22, for 1d4 + 5 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 5 + 2 + 2 = 10 Magical, P/S/B damage.

Dolph will 5' step away from the storm and cast Resist Energy Electricity on himself, assuming it was electrical damage the storm dealt in the last round.

Penance Rages, Arcane Strikes, and begins singing opera while hacking apart the lightning storm as a giant goddess of war.

Penance is now Large witha 30ft. reach

1d20 + 12 - 2 ⇒ (9) + 12 - 2 = 19 Power Attack lightning elemental
2d8 + 11 + 2 + 6 ⇒ (3, 5) + 11 + 2 + 6 = 27 Damage

Jean - didn't notice that... one supposes that Bards are no longer kings of knowledge eh?

Note I checked the math, just as it's playtest and whatnot, and Penance attack checks out - you would be able to attack enemies 25 or 30 ft away, but not those within 20ft or less, yes?
Though a point of order - you'd look more like an uncanny valley freak than a goddess of war :P Aberrant blood and all.

Rodolpho - the 1d4 was electric.

The conflict burgeons anticlimactic though, as Jean and Huc dismembers one mudman and savage the second. Penance's abnormally flexible arms whip out and her bardiche carves through the lightning elemental in a single strike.

The sole remaning mudman lashes out once more...
Slam at Jean: 1d20 + 7 - 1 ⇒ (3) + 7 - 1 = 9
...before awaiting it's inevitable discorporation.

Jean - didn't notice that... one supposes that Bards are no longer kings of knowledge eh?

Note I checked the math, just as it's playtest and whatnot, and Penance attack checks out - you would be able to attack enemies 25 or 30 ft away, but not those within 20ft or less, yes?
Though a point of order - you'd look more like an uncanny valley freak than a goddess of war :P Aberrant blood and all.

Tell her that. Go ahead. Anyway Let me draw some threats and see what it looks like I think it would work with her first ten feet (or five feet) being covered by her cestus but her next 20feet (or ten feet) being covered by the polearm. I'll have to look at it visually later when I have time and it's not a quarter till 2am.

Scenting victory in the air, Jean-Pierre attempts to finish-off the final mud-man.

Claw: 1d20 + 8 - 1 ⇒ (2) + 8 - 1 = 9, for 1d4 + 5 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 5 + 2 + 2 = 10 Magical, S/B damage.

Claw: 1d20 + 8 - 1 ⇒ (19) + 8 - 1 = 26, for 1d4 + 5 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 5 + 2 + 2 = 12 Magical, S/B damage.

Bite: 1d20 + 3 - 1 ⇒ (8) + 3 - 1 = 10, for 1d4 + 5 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 5 + 2 + 2 = 10 Magical, P/S/B damage.

Jean's second swiping claw ended the inevitable and the second mud-thing fell motionless.

Combat over. Sorry for them being pathetically non-challenging, but I'm playing the module as written.

Tark:
5ft reach with reach weapon: can attack 10ft, but not 5ft
10ft reach with reach weapon: can attack 15-20ft, but not 5-10ft.
15ft reach with reach weapon: can attack 20-30ft, but not 5-15ft?
Cestus would still obviously cover out to 15ft though.

Low numbers of melee opponents are likely what we'll excel at, given our team make up.

Huc spits gritty mud onto the ground—apparently he din't get his mouth closed in the face of exploded mud-man. "Welp," he says with a sour wipe of his mouth with a gloved hand, "that went well. Keep on keeping on?"

If the group doesn't protest, he sheaths his weapons and continues on their path, whistling tunelessly now that sneaking isn't really an option.

So are we on top of the bridge now? Or crossing to the other side? If we're getting beyond it, the ropes might be unnecessary.

Jean-Pierre nods.

"That sounds like an eminently suitable suggestion to me."

Moving along the earthbridge, you reach a door and pull it open.

A tunnel of salty air is the only dry space in the next room. Surrounding the tunnel on both sides and above is a massive body of clear blue water, magically suspended and prevented from collapsing upon the passage by some invisible force. Hills of coral cover the sea floor, bristling with all manner of plants, tiny darting fish, and anemones. The tunnel leading through this watery chamber bends and forks throughout the room, leading to wooden doorways positioned on the east, and west.

Jean-Pierre raises an eyebrow.

"Well, *that* was unexpected. Anyone fancy a swim?"

Know. Nature 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (19) + 7 = 26

"Interesting, isn't it? Can't say I've ever seen a suspended body of water like this before."

Penance pokes the wall of water giggling slightly but otherwise having nothign constructive to add.

"Anyone fancy a swim?"

"Not really, but I'm wondering if we'll really have a choice. Anyone care which door we take?"

If not, Huc will head to the west.

He moves into the water corridor carefully, senses straining against the unnatural acoustics of the aquatic hall.

Perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (8) + 9 = 17