Grea |
Approx village population and demographics. Is Hedla a decent head-woman other than her appeasement policy? What's village opinion of this plan likely to be? Hostage numbers and demographics. Brief description of the immediate vicinity outside the village. I've got this image of canyon cliffside dwelling, but don't know if that's right.
Morthak the Mad |
In the meantime (trying to gloss over my inactivity) is there any other information you want beyond the village layout?
Places to hide... animal pens, hay stacks, etc? We'll probably need to construct some kind of drop/gate to block their escape.
Jaryx Twice-born |
Thinking out loud - but this won't come from Jaryx: If we spring our trap and don't catch them all in it, what's the route they will take to escape? Can we catch them with Morthak's suggestion or create an enticing (and false) escape route?
Arakan |
Possibly covered under the demographics question from Grea, how many are/are not willing to stand and fight with us (besides the 3 newcomers)? Average number of arrivals from the raider's tribute group, and size overall (# of draft animals/wagons).
Jaryx Twice-born |
Do the raiders have an SOP when they collect tribute? That is, do they bring draft animals/wagons as Arakan suggests, do they leave two of their number to protect them, do they recruit a villager or two to hold the reins while they conduct business, any behavior that's consistent enough to reasonably expect again?
Aubrey the Demented/Malformed |
I might be delayed with the map due to computer issues. The village isn't all that big - say, fifty people, half of them adults. All of the adults are capable of holding a spear, but they might not be all that good at using one. They are mostly cowed and fear for themselves and their loved ones. There is some consternation about what might happen if this doesn't work. Hedla is an OK headwoman but the dominance of the raiders means she doesn't have much room for manoeuvre.
The raiders bring a couple is inix plus the kanks they ride, but no wagon (the terrain is too rough). There's normally about five or six of them. The standard process is to enter the village, strut about a bit while the villagers put the tribute into the packs carried by the inix, and then ride out again.
Changing the layout of the entrance might be tricky - it just a gap in the wall, into which they drag cut thorn bushes as an obstacle. A drop gate would be extremely obvious, nevermind the difficulty you might have in constructing one in the time available. Hiding places and so on will become clearer with a map, but there are a few obvious places - a couple of huts and the cave entrances.
Aubrey the Demented/Malformed |
I can't design the map on my phone, so I'll have to update this at home (using my newly upgraded, solid-state drive and Windows 10-enabled computer).
Inix are primarily beasts of burden rather than war beasts, though they can be dangerous. They are basically big lizards. Kanks are mounts (I think Morthak has one, though the rest of the party have crodlus). They are effectively giant riding beetles, and have a poison bite.
Aubrey the Demented/Malformed |
Aubrey the Demented/Malformed |
OK, the map is as follows:
The pale orange is just the ground - no difficult terrain. The pink is the cliff, which is about 50 feet high and sheer. The light grey are the caves. The blue is the small spring which provides it with water.
The dark grey is the wall. It's effectively piled and heaped boulders about eight feet high. It's quite rough and not difficult to climb, but the villagers can also use it as a platform for attacking people below.
The huts are marked in bright orange. They are dry stone walled enclosures with roofs of woven grass. Likewise the foodstore. The red is the bonfire which is lit each night to ward off predators and provide light for the guards.
Jareen |
Very rough plan, would be we set up the meeting as it would normally be, with our high Diplo' characters taking he place of villiagers as far as possible. Everyone else hides in/around the huts and we ambush them when they are inside. I think.
Specifics will be decided by those who are better at it ;)
Djal |
-Cahel and Jaryx in the two huts on each side of the gate. They'll block it and spring the trap.
-Arakan and Jareen replacing a villager and in the open, along with Djal, who's a villager after all.
-Morthak in the cave to the left of the food store.
-Grea in the cave to the right of the food store.
-Our archer in the hut in front of the food store, but just left of the bonfire.
Sounds ok?
Jareen |
Sounds perfect. Based on past experience you'll have a hard time convincing Arakan he needs to be anywhere other than at the back of the caves ;) Best get started on that....
"Arakan, are you and I going to play bait in this little expedition? We probably have the best chance of our group of pretending to be villagers after all." Jareen looks at the obviously not human members of the party pointedly.
Arakan |
I would suggest, though, that Grea and Morthak be in the huts at QR-14/15, and OP-21/22. With both Half-giants in TU-15/16. This allows reaching the enemy and surrounding them faster.
We put the faux 'villagers' at about the following:
Djal at M16 (Best of the 3 to defend the food)
Jareen at I18 (weakest, and safer behind the bonfire)
Arakan at L21 (close enough to do the talking).
Guessing the hut for the archer is the one at GH-15/16 (in which I agree)? or the one further left?
Arakan shudders at the mention, "Hold up old man, bait is such a horrible term. I'm going to be nearby where I can do all the talking. I'm not bait. If I let you jibber-jabber, your fool mouth will just spout out our plans to the enemy. You never seem to know when to keep your trap shut. Here's how I think we should all be arrayed..." see spoilered plans
Arakan |
The half-elf scoffs, "By the time my 'attempts at grace' have failed, your blathering will do us no good, because the fight has already begun. That's when we rely on the weapons of the others to do the talking." He is obviously offended by the notion that he has ever failed in talking his way out of something, despite him and Jareen knowing full well that his mouth has probably gotten them into as many fights as out.
Jaryx Twice-born |
Jaryx looks back and forth between the planners. "Good! Plan! What does Jaryx do?"
Plan sounds good to me. If it matters/helps, Jaryx, Grea, and the archer are all villagers, also, so they would not necessarily need to be hiding. Jaryx for one might be conspicuous in his absence as he tends to be either where he's told to wait or where the excitement is - such as the bandits visiting.
Arakan |
Even better, the three of them can be standing in front of their respective huts instead of hiding in them.
Arakan lets a brief smile escape him at Jareen's last comment, relishing the idea of a distracted enemy being in position to allow him to slip a blade between his ribs.
Grea |
Grea shrugs. "Creep close and strike hard is all the plan I've had for any fight."
Aubrey, what's customary when the bandits come? Do all the villagers hide out, or is it just another day in dreary-ville? Does Hedla emcee the event? Are there usually guards on the wall? What is the scale on the map? Can we rally any other villagers to fight?
Grea would prefer QR14-15 to OP21-22. She wants to keep an eye on Djal. I'd suggest the archer on the wall or roof of OP21-22.
Jaryx Twice-born |
Jaryx will make himself at home in the vicinity of "his" hut (TU/15-16), placing his giant tonfa near the door, etc. Since Jaryx is a local, Cahel will have the interior of the hut more or less to himself while he waits.
For the record, Jaryx is more ranged than melee combatant though anyone with his stats should make a good first impression in a fight.
Aubrey the Demented/Malformed |
Hedla's the main point of contact with the bandits. But you will have to persuade her to help you if you want her to take part in the ambush. Likewise, you will need to rally the villagers if you want them to fight too. Getting Hedla onside would help with that. On the other hand, the tribute pick-up group isn't an army, more a few guys, and there are seven PCs (soon to be eight) plus an NPC (Th'Kal).
Arakan |
Not really looking to try and get Hedla to help, or convince the villagers. It was hard enough trying to convince the woman to let us fight for them.
Morthak the Mad |
Sorry, I missed out a couple days of plans/posts. Rough week...
Morthak Djal's plan, and Arakan's refinements are decent. "Yes, we need to make sure any avenue of escape is cut off."
I too would not try to recruit Hedla, she might just tip them off out of spite. Otherwise, nothing to add.
Nuuko Swiftwing |
Even though I haven't completed his stat block or background, Nuuko would gladly set up on the roof of OP21-22.
Nuuko crouches upon the roof of the hut, recurve bow in hand, his quiver of arrows laid out on the ground next to him so as to not draw the attention of the raiders.
Aubrey the Demented/Malformed |
OK, I don't mind you turning up and suddenly starting shooting, but perhaps we might work out a suitable entrance - no one has even mentioned you yet. The other characters have roleplayed their way into the game and to this point and I think you might fancy something a bit more dramatic than, "Who's that?" "Oh, that's Nuuko. He shoots people."
Actually, you know what, the more I think on it, let's run with that after all...
One of the villagers notices the curious looks from the newcomers at the elf up on the roof. "Oh, that's Nuuko. He shoots people," she says, and shrugs.
There, job done. Roleplaying at its best!
Aubrey the Demented/Malformed |
OK, can I have a roll call of positions on the map? Don't forget Th'Kal (he'll be around for this fight, but I intend to effectively retire him after this).
The bandit tribute gang emerges from the south. There are eight guards, each riding a kank, leading a pair of inix with packs strapped to their backs. Their approach is unhurried, but in this part of the desert they remain nevertheless watch.
The lead bandit reaches the gate. "Open up!" he yells.
OK, position everyone - please tell me what square you are in (again, if necessary).
Arakan |
Arakan is in L21, and letting his natural cowardice make his 'feigned' fear of the raiders look more real. You know, for the sake of the lie... of course... not because he is afraid of getting hurt.... I mean come on, he's a professional.
Grea |
Hut QR14-15. Where's the door? Hopefully it opens onto the town square.
Do we have a pre-arranged cue to attack? Arakan says something clever like "NOW!"
How much can I stack psionic effects? When the bandits come through the gate, manifest thicken skin. When they start talking to Arakan, manifest offensive precognition. Then minor metamorphosis a few seconds into the conversation. The set up and hold psionic focus. When the fight starts engage Mantis Style as a swift action.
Is this all legal? I normally wouldn't try to stack so much, but she sees the 'no escapees' aspect of this fight as important and really wants to enforce it.
Aubrey, I made a minor edit to Grea's skills, looking over mantis style, I saw it has a prereq of 3 ranks in healing. Grea only had 1. All fixed now.
Arakan |
I only see the need to talk if they don't pull everyone inside. Once the last of them is in, and the Half-giants can bar the way, that's the go signal. Arakan would never come up with something as clever as "NOW!". He usually just lets his smart mouth say something obviously inflammatory and instigating. Otherwise, he borrows something like "Teen Titans, GO!"
Nuuko Swiftwing |
I love the sudden change of heart Aubrey. Thanks for the dramatic entrance! As stated, Nuuko is on the roof of hut OP21-22.
Hearing his name, Nuuko glances down and gives the newcomers a curt nod, then trains his eyes on the approaching riders. The time to strike was drawing very close...
Just before the signal, Nuuko will cast Gravity Bow.
Jaryx Twice-born |
Jaryx is trying to meditate, sitting before his hut, when the bandits approach. When they shout to open up, he gets to his feet and moves to the thorn-gate (I'm assuming this is a one-half-giant job, he will aid a more traditionally-sized human otherwise), look at the others for confirmation, and pull the gate aside.
Envisioning the gate rolls aside as much as 'opens', will 'roll' it toward 'my' hut. Cahel and I can roll it back into the gap quickly when the fireworks begin.
When combat begins, Jaryx will manifest biofeedback to give himself DR 2/-. He will be adjacent to the gate after it's closed. Have a preference on where we stand, Cahel?
How big is our NPC ally Th'kal? Could he and Cahel be waiting in the hut together? Cahel, what's your standard routine - melee, ranged, magic?
Cahel |
regarding standard routine, i suppose i will have to figure that out. in fact, as i was planning my actions in my head, i just now realized i was thinking of my 4e abilities, not my PF abilities. I suppose it is in melee that I do the most damage, and i will probably try my hand at melee in this fight. but i can do a little bit of everything, buff, heal, summon, melee, weak ranged; i just don't know what i want to do in particular this fight. i will probably do some melee, save my spells for healing (since that was Cahel's main role) and see how it goes.
no preference where we stand, I was still under delusions of being large sized. Th'Kal is a thri'kreen and i think they are medium. no preference where i stand, but if we are all medium we should all be able to fit in there.