The cleric moves to CC12 and channels a burst of healing energy, excluding the bandit in Y9 or whatever bandit is standing up or alive in the area. Royston activates his Agile Feet ability again to avoid difficult terrain.
Healing 1d6
50/50 Chance Bandit at EE10 gets healed and back up.
Have we any idea where the hidden bandit is shooting from? (I presume it's an archer?) Even if it's just something like "west of the party on the line from FF7 to A21"? Did bandit at EE10 put himself back in the fight?
Silstaren steps back to get a better angle on the archer in the tree. Move to DD9
If EE10 is back in the fight, then Silstaren will spin to cut him down again. Curve blade v. bandit in EE108 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4... damage 1d10 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6
Or If EE10 stays down, Silstaren pulls a hammer from his belt and throws at the bandit in the tree. Hammer 1d20 + 3 - 2 ⇒ (17) + 3 - 2 = 18... damage 1d4 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5
Since Halloran is currently at 0 hps and can't move without putting himself at negative hps, again. He'll probably just stay where he is, he will however try to make a Perception check to see if he can locate the hidden bandit.
Better late than never, I guess :)
Rory moves out into the open to get a clear shot at the tree bandit.
Move DD10->BB7 Attack:1d20 + 6 + 1 ⇒ (18) + 6 + 1 = 25 Damage:1d6 ⇒ 2
What's our status? with Bandit 1 and the bandit in the tree down, I think the only bandit who's still standing is the hidden bandit who we haven't been able to spot yet.
I think we're going to need a new map. Either that or another Perception check, maybe both. We can't move against a threat if we don't know where it is.
Silstaren trots back to his bow, scoops it up, and slides into the brush.
How has the hidden bandit been attacking? Presumably with a ranged weapon of some sort? Have we seen arrows or whatnot whizzing by or sticking in trees or the ground?
Royston pulls everyone back from the woods, so his healing doesn't accidentally help one of the bandits. Should one of the unconscious forms be within his area of healing, he'll exclude them.
"Everyone else might have run away. If I was the only one left, I'm not so sure I'd fight all of us alone. I'd either go for help or wait until we fall asleep."
Royston looks around the area for any sign of bandits.
Well, either we go look for him or let him go, but we might want to check to see if any of these are left alive. Halloran says gesturing at the downed bandits.
We might also, want to search the camp. Halloran also looks around.
I'll get in on Royston's channel if that's OK. HP ==> 9/10
After waiting tensely for the hidden bandit to reply and hearing nothing Silstaren checks the fallen bandits to see if any have survived. He lays aside any weapons they still have, then after asking the party whether they care about survivors, attempts to staunch their wounds.
Pretty sure that Eamon will vote for patching them up. Heal checks if needed (no healing kit) :
Eamons' face is grim. "This is not Oleg's. We have no facilities for prisoners. If they live and will not immediately forswear banditry, they must be put to the sword. Yet if they will forswear, we should let them go. Few will return to their old ways after this defeat. Any who do will be killed on sight."
A little surprised by Eamon's pragmatic attitude, Silstaren nods. "I took you for a starry-eyed idealist. Out here prisoners will indeed put us a great risk. Good."
The elf returns to his task of checking the fallen.
One can be the good guy only to a certain extent before the class becomes unplayable or unbearable to others. Eamon is going to remain firmly committed to good and law, but as has often been said, good is not stupid. Another way to look at it is that he is as dedicated to law as he is to goodness. Both our charter and the laws of the River Kingdoms make banditry a crime punishable by death. Giving them a chance to forswear their past is pretty darned lenient as it is, I think.
Halloran will raise an eyebrow at Eamon's grim statement, but say nothing.
Assuming that any bandits still capable of moving have fled the area, Halloran will start searching the downed bandits. Separating them from any weapons, armor or valuables, that Silstaren might have missed.
The cleric of Desna nods at the paladin's statement.
"Freedom from harm and foul intent is the basic need of all travelers. Those who would take that away harm civilization itself. We should strive to make this a place where an old woman with a sack of gold can walk from one end of the land to the other without fear of theft or worse."
"Well, that means you're halfway to a sensible man.", Rory adds.
"I don't like that one of them feigned dead and ran away, but I hope he wasn't the leader. Let's see if we can find something about this Stag Lord the bandits mentioned." Perception:1d20 + 7 ⇒ (10) + 7 = 17
Turning back to his companions, Halloran asks Are we going after the ones who got away or letting them go? If we're letting them go, I suggest we get our horses and make camp here for the night.
Pointing at the dead bandit, Halloran says We can bury that one and he says gesturing at the wounded bandits load the rest of them up in the cart and take them back to the fort in the morning.
Dropping his hand, Halloran looks around the clearing, We should probably keep a double watch up tonight in case any of their friends come back.
you find and follow his tracks,
but he's a smart one, he went into a nearby river with a stone bed to cross.
Leaving no way to know where he got out of the river.
Silstaren tells the others that he's found the trail, but it quickly runs out in the river. His shoulders slump in defeat and annoyance.
"This river will cover his traces. Few could follow him beyond here, but my craft is not sufficient to the task. Halloran's plan is wise. Double watches tonight and carry the bandits back in the cart in the morning."
Also, Rory would probably be aiming for a Magister position in the kingdom. He would seek to reduce the influence of religion and divine magic on common people, and do what he can to draw all kinds of researchers to the Stolen Lands, perhaps even found a college.
Royston Hawkes, cleric of Erastil, reporting for duty.
Sorry about the delay, but I didn't realize I had been recruited in the second wave. I can change my guy around a bit once we know who is playing to fill any gaps.
Royston Hawkes, cleric of Erastil, reporting for duty.
Sorry about the delay, but I didn't realize I had been recruited in the second wave. I can change my guy around a bit once we know who is playing to fill any gaps.
Hopefully, everyone will check in from the new group. i've been looking through the AP, and there's only a few instances where the current selected group would be missing a helpful ability (trapfinding) but i have some ideas to take care of that.
One would be that survival and/or relevant knowledges, could apply.
for example, survival or knowledge nature would give a person some ability to spot a good location to put a trap.
There's no reason I couldn't switch my character from cleric to druid if it helps the game. We'll need to see if more people show up, but the extra skill points and options would probably be helpful to the group overall.
Yes, and there has been a sudden explosion of new interest.
I now feel confident that we will be able to start by next wednesday, as i give people time to build and/or post.
For you three, you can be thinking about the following to help us start out.
You have applied and given a charter from the Sword Lords of Brevory to explore the Stolen Lands, mapping it out and removing obstacles for settlers (bandits, dangerous beasts, etc.)
As the AP starts, the party is just about to arrive at a trading post in the Stolen Lands, and has traveled about 2 days.
What do other characters notice about you in travel, personality traits, any history/background you might have shared?
I'll work on that tonight and try to get a full profile up. Do you want me to play the cleric or druid? Both worship the same god and have an animal companion, so there's little difference. I'll get to work once I get off work tonight.
I'll work on that tonight and try to get a full profile up. Do you want me to play the cleric or druid? Both worship the same god and have an animal companion, so there's little difference. I'll get to work once I get off work tonight.
go with whichever you find better, personally i'd think druid gives you a slightly more flexible character, in terms of skill points, but slightly less healing capability.
At the moment, I'm thinking a big cat (lion, tiger, etc.). I could also see a big rhino or dino, since this critter and the group's fighter-type will be the front line of the party.
I think I'll stick with cleric given the likely group makeup. We'll probably be able to deal out a fair amount of damage but not too many high defenses. I'll have good heals, spell utility and the pet will offer extra damage and help the front line.
Here's my cleric of Eranstil. He will pick up an animal companion at fourth level, but until then he can help hold the front line himself. He'll either go for a big cat for lots of attacks or something that hits very hard once and go for vital strike and such.
He has a longbow as favored weapon, and can wade into melee thanks to his strength and domains. He can even cast Enlarge Person on himself and someone else on the front line to really lay down the damage.
He's also got a decent amount of spells and positive channeling.
As the cavalcade has stopped and set up camp, Rory has vanished in a nearby meadow for an hour. He returned with a bag full of herbs, flowers, pebbles, and differently-coloured dirt. Producing a small cauldron out of his saddlebags, he began brewing a strange concoction. The dizzying smell has spread across the camp, and it wasn't long before one of his companions, a cleric of some sort, started complaining that he's denying them their deserved rest after a full day on horseback.
"What are you talking about?" Rory spouted, genuinely surprised. "I can't feel anything." He puffed an acrid cloud from his smoking pipe right in the face of his vis-a-vis, who immediately had a coughing fit. "Your throat is sore, kid. You better take this here powder, will help you stay in shape until we reach the border. Put it in boiling water, leave for 5 minutes under moonlight and then drink in one go. Now, off you go, before I spoiled my dose of mutagen for tomorrow".
After the brewing was over, Rory, still smoking his ever-present pipe, came up to Gunther, who was busy cleaning and oiling his musket. "So, taking care of your baby, I see? Say, I think I asked you this already, but are you sure you don't have the recipe for that black powder of yours written anywhere? I mean, you're probably going to run out of it one day, and my guess is you could use a friendly chemist who can mix up some more for you. And I could definitely use some of that powder on that one peculiar elixir I'm working on. I've already tried the oxigenated sulphur, the brown nitrogenous gas, and the ammonia hydrate, but there seems to be some crucial property missing. I'm linking it to the evanescence of the phlogistonous substance, which I think your powder might just be able to alleviate."
Ever since his early adolescence, Gunther has been on the road, and some of his journeys lasted months, so a 2 day ride is something he's used too. In the last days he has been very impatient to reach their destination as soon as possible. The opportunity to reclaim the Stolen Lands on behalf of the Swordlords of Brevoy will finally secure their relationships with Gunther's family, so the young cavalier couldn't believe his luck when the charter was given to him. He feels the pressure on him, but he's determined not to disappoint.
At the camp, the boiling concotion draws his attention, but he loses a bit of interest when he realizes that it's not something to eat. He still has to grasp who exactly his new companions are, and if he can really trust them enough to found an entire reign with their help. He keeps a corteous and respectful attitude with them, but never lets his guard down. During his years as a ambassador and a proteges he saw countless power games and betrayals, so he knows that a man deserve trust only once his actions do.
I am afraid dat I don't hav a recipe vritten down, dear Sir, but I can shov that hov to prepare the powder if you wish he replies to Rory with his thick Ustalavian accent. Dis veapon is most definitely something you need to get used to, and I'm still in the process. But I don't think dat I can help you designing dat elixir of yours, for you see in my education and upbringing, alchemy vas not included.
Still waiting for Varash to approve my character concept.
If you don't mind some advice Sir Eamon, I'd suggest you pull 3 points out of your dexterity and put them into your wisdom. That way you still have a dexterity of 14 and a wisdom of 13. Which will come in handy when your paladin starts gaining spells and give you a +1 to your Will save instead of a -1. Trust me that can be a VERY good thing to have.
Still when all is said and done this is only my opinion, it's your character you can do whatever you want with it.
If you don't mind some advice Sir Eamon, I'd suggest you pull 3 points out of your dexterity and put them into your wisdom. That way you still have a dexterity of 14 and a wisdom of 13. Which will come in handy when your paladin starts gaining spells and give you a +1 to your Will save instead of a -1. Trust me that can be a VERY good thing to have.
Still when all is said and done this is only my opinion, it's your character you can do whatever you want with it.
Not a bad idea. -If- I stay an archer paladin, I'll pull the points from Strength instead.
If you don't mind some advice Sir Eamon, I'd suggest you pull 3 points out of your dexterity and put them into your wisdom. That way you still have a dexterity of 14 and a wisdom of 13. Which will come in handy when your paladin starts gaining spells and give you a +1 to your Will save instead of a -1. Trust me that can be a VERY good thing to have.
Still when all is said and done this is only my opinion, it's your character you can do whatever you want with it.
But Paladins cast spells from Charisma, not Wisdom. Though an high Wis is certaily a good thing to have, it is not vital for a Paladin to cast spells. Halloran, I think you mixed things up with the Paladin class from D&D 3rd edition: in that edition he actually used Wis instead of Cha, but they changed it in Pathfinder.
Two physical ranged characters: Gunslinger and Archer Paladin
One magic ranged/support character: Wizard
Two midline healer/support characters: Chirurgeon Alchemist with sling/bombs, Cleric with bow/mace
The paladin can cover our face needs, so we just lack trap finding and someone to hold the front line.
If needed, I can switch to druid again and help hold the front line with a pet. I also can build a barbarian or ranger to do much the same thing. Barbarian has a big hit die and bonuses against traps and both barbarian and ranger have skills that would fit this game well.
I can't build anything today since I'll be traveling. I'll be with family early Monday, but that night I can whip up something if needed. Lemme know.
Two physical ranged characters: Gunslinger and Archer Paladin
One magic ranged/support character: Wizard
Two midline healer/support characters: Chirurgeon Alchemist with sling/bombs, Cleric with bow/mace
The paladin can cover our face needs, so we just lack trap finding and someone to hold the front line.
If needed, I can switch to druid again and help hold the front line with a pet. I also can build a barbarian or ranger to do much the same thing. Barbarian has a big hit die and bonuses against traps and both barbarian and ranger have skills that would fit this game well.
I can't build anything today since I'll be traveling. I'll be with family early Monday, but that night I can whip up something if needed. Lemme know.
Why should be pigeonholing ourselves into party "roles"? Physical ranged, magic support... Look, my character's an ambassador, mostly a pacifist, and he has a musket. What role is that? I don't know/care, I just want to help building a new nation. What I'm saying is: play whatever you want to play the most, don't play a druid instead than a cleric just because we lack "frontline".
Well, party roles may not be so important to figure out, but if we don't figure out combat roles, we'll be obliged to do so with our -next- characters after the TPK. Roleplaying is wonderful, but we need to survive to get to the next encounter.
I wonder if a trapfinder is so very important in an adventure said to be mostly wilderness. What worries me is our lack of a front-line warrior. More specifically, I'm concerned that my archer paladin will be obliged to ignore his strength as an archer and -be- the front line warrior.
Frankly, I'm okay with that, but I'll be a lot happier knowing that going in. I'll just make him a more traditional paladin with sword and shield or focusing on a greatsword.
@Eamon:
I'm not a rules expert, so sorry if what I'm going to say doesn't make sense, but I think you could try to make a "1-shot" archer, using the Quick Draw feat. This would allow you to start the combat with a ranged full attack (including Smites!), and if the enemies survive the initial barrage, drop the bow and switch to a 2hander as a free action. Or even to sword and shield if you have a shield with a quickdraw property. High dex is also useful to a sword and shield build.
i'm going to open a new recruitment to try and get a second group from people still wanting, and will put up the official IC thread tomorrow, and we'll get rolling, obviously Thanksgiving will be taking away from people's post times but we'll persevere :)
i'm going to open a new recruitment to try and get a second group from people still wanting, and will put up the official IC thread tomorrow, and we'll get rolling, obviously Thanksgiving will be taking away from people's post times but we'll persevere :)
Two wizards, right? Enod and Halloran?
Hey, Enod: Do you have a specialization?
Who is the Cavalier? I'd like to discuss combat roles with him or her.
I'll work on barbarian stats tonight. No pet, but lots of HP. I'll keep a very similar backstory and location. He's likely to just have less patience and more likely to help defend against wild animals and bandits.
I've never made a barbarian before, so please feel free to offer suggestions. It seems Weapon Focus, Power Attack, Cleave, Dodge and Toughness would all be good feats. I know many like Superstition; if I change it means I wouldn't benefit too much from the wizard's buffs. If I just let him go before me, that should fix the problem. Otherwise, not too many people cast buffs every round.
I think we need a cleric more than a barbarian, if anyone should be stepping up to be are frontliner, it should be the paladin with the 16 STR who wields a greatsword.
But that's just my opinion.
I've been looking over builds, and a barbarian won't be a help. The lack of armor means such a character would just require more healing since he'd take almost every hit.
So, I think I'll stick with the cleric with more of a focus on healing (since we'll have attackers in our midline).