Aleksandyr Rosebriar |
I'm sure Aleksandyr, being the most heavily armored, could tank a troll for a little while. However, we should focus fire if we plan to fight our way out or make it so they fight on our terms. If we could kill one of the trolls, we could funnel them towards us. I'm rocking AC 22 with a shield currently.
Gunser of Biston |
Just in case this hasn't been obvious, Gnomey has been sitting on top of the building, chucking Charm Person at you for the past three rounds.
So we've been pretty well outplanned and outplayed, right from the start, as well as a fox short. Well, I would say I hope the plan is for us to be defeated by surprise friendlies, but I expect the hammer-gutting would change that landscape some. I guess my best hope is a merciful AoO from the critter on my way to the arms of my beloved. (One when I move to Q15, one when I move to Q14). At least that would be useful of me; if it AoOs me, it would need Combat Reflexes to AoO the other warriors, so at least then they could close with it.
I'd say this will teach me not to take a Saturday AFK, but I'm not really clear on what I could have done any different.
Taurven Wess |
I'm just glad that Valerio doesn't know that deafening won't stop a bardic performance. If he did, he would probably have had to go for a kill. Seems like he should have gotten a saving throw for being instructed to attack an ally.
Gunser of Biston |
Can't play at being dead; I've got a mandated man-date (well, elf-date?). Tauvren's not Gunser's type; Gunser should have made that save, with a +4 (and +1 vs Charm from Inspire Courage?) for 15(16?) total. I've got the feeling I'm being punished for getting to the mage, so I'll make that easy to do with the AoO and spare myself figuring out just how Gunser might woo Tauvren. And if I can clear the AoO for you and Valerio, you can take out Big Blue. This is really the closest I think I can come to writing that spell effect up for Gunser/Tauvren. And it feels productive, not victimizing.
Do you mean Gunser or the whole party, moving into being flanked?
I can't see this as being a result of G moving into flank. Gunser's not beat up because he went into flank, but because he's got a 16 AC and the thing hit well. If he'd waited until it 'stood', it would have AoO'd Gunser on his way in; he'd be worse off.
I don't mind taking my lumps for a bad move, or for rolling bad. But I think we're just outgunned here. The voila, he's been charming you for three rounds from the back of an eagle, just makes it clear. Now what, we run away, him flying after, charming? This is a losing fight. Gunser would go down swinging, but that's been denied. So he'll draw fire, which feels productive, clearing the AoO of the reach-critter so the Barbarian and the Cad can kill it. Hammers don't work without anvils, and that reach is a hazard to dealing with any of the others. Range, spells, simple movement is all hazarded by that AoO/reach.
Arkwright |
@Gunser- Just seemed to me like you charged into a bunch of enemies that got flanking bonuses against you. Just a personal opinion. Though I realize that part of that was due to a misunderstanding; I didn't make it clear that the creature was already 'standing'.
You might be right about being outgunned, sure. I'll just say that its only round three so you might not want to make any rash decisions yet. Plus the critter is looking pretty beat-up.
Gunser of Biston |
@Gunser- Just seemed to me like you charged into a bunch of enemies that got flanking bonuses against you. Just a personal opinion. Though I realize that part of that was due to a misunderstanding; I didn't make it clear that the creature was already 'standing'.
They were flat-footed, and getting a man in early means our own flankers have an anvil for their hammer. We had a solid block of good initiative before they all went at 7, and it looked like we could do real damage, early. We had the opportunity, at least. We were too spread out to use it well, that's true, but Gunser didn't count off steps before acting. And yes, misunderstood, when the 'riding beast' turns out to have already been 'standing'. I expected serious payoff for Gunser's risk with flanking the 'riding beast' (not expected to have reach), and being in range to AoO the fallen mage, while the mage put himself out, and again when he rose, and maybe when he cast. Even if he tried to get away, Gunser has the Step Up feat. (Possibly bad when the mount has reach, but that's hindsight) None of that happened, and that's OK. You roll dice in this game. Heroes take chances. They lose sometimes. Badguys have surprising skills, too.
So, I'm sorry I played my part badly. I hope you can see where I thought Gunser was behaving reasonably.
These opponents are clever, prepared, and have a plan. So, we can guess they're intelligent. We shot their plan to hell, dropped their illusions, killed one of them outright and are about to kill their beast if we aren't all charmed and talked out of it first. Or they might accept the parley Gunser's offered every turn he hasn't been trying to french-kiss Taurven. Or Akari shows up with a heavy crossbow for the gnome.
You might be right about being outgunned, sure. I'll just say that its only round three so you might not want to make any rash decisions yet. Plus the critter is looking pretty beat-up.
Gunser offered parley and demonstrated why they might want to agree to it. When they run out of save-or-derp spells, they better hope using them hasn't changed their options. Twisting the minds of the paladin, the honorable cad, and the hidden Magus doesn't tend to leave us in a negotiating mood.
Gunser really wanted to talk. But I suspect it's all just XP now. For them, or for us.
Jelani |
I suspect the rider is a summoner and the beast his Ediolon, but Jelani doesn't know anything about magic. Otherwise I'd be looking for runes on their foreheads and not wasting my actions on the 'beast'.
Arkwright |
Yep yep, sound reasoning. You played fine, just bad lack and my not informing you properly.
The rider was going to demand your surrender but then Blast threw his molotov, and that set things going.
I think no one will mind if I now reveal that the 'blue critter' was a synthesist summoner with the mount evolution and Enlarge Person running. Out of surprises now :)
EDIT: damnit, I always forget about that rune. Fortunately it doesn't matter in this case, you still wouldn't have seen it.
Jelani |
I figured the rider was the summoner, so I thought it would be under his helmet. Also, like I said it would have been totally meta-gaming for Jelani to bring it up/look for it in character.
I just know that Arkwright loves summoners as much as I do :P
Arkwright |
@Valerio- hope you don't mind me denying you a Charisma check this turn, attacking the half-elf enemy didn't seem too outside something you would normally do (its positively caddish!).
@Everyone- The point buy and stat limitations Wolfman put in place are silly; seems to be a fair bit of agreement on that. I've stuck with them because I didn't want to have to make you all re-do your stat sheets, but I've decided to leave it up to you. You can either stick with his scheme, whereby-
-Stats can't be higher than 16 (after racial modifiers)
-25 point buy gaining 1 point each level (26 at level 1, 27 at level 2 etc)
Or, I'm offering a scheme where-
-Stats can't be higher than 18 (before racial modifiers)
-27 point buy
Also willing to allow you to lower stats to 5 if some of you are willing to role-play that level of min-maxing, but we can discuss that later.
What do you think?