"Mashed torbles," Waifrin replies with false cheerfulness. "Goblins say they're delicious on toast, I hear. Let's get around the corner, at least then we can ambush these Hellknights you brought us if we can't get away from them."
She glances at the others to confirm this plan.
"I think I can manage one more blast," she mutters aside to Zarabeta, "then I'm out. How are your spells?"
"If our targets aren't acid-dripping mindless vermin, I'm full of options," Zarabeta says grimly, stepping back to be out of view of anyone running from the direction Akorian and Raven are coming from.
"Come this way and get behind us, Morosino," she says.
"Well, aren't you ladies a sight for sore eyes," Akorian jokingly greets Waifrin and Zarabeta's appearance as he and Raven arrive. As everyone readies themselves, he faces back the way they came and raises his crossbow to cover the tunnel.
"Sorry to bring such ill company with us," he explains, "But apparently all the rats down here morphed into Hellknights."
Marius slips around the coner and flttens against the wall just out of sight..the first Hell Knight round the corner will be having his last surprise he thinks
"Well, if they're close behind, there's not much else we can do. Get ready, kids," Mother advices as she crouches, ready to tackle any Hellknights that come her way.
"How about you give us room to shoot at them this time - perhaps thin the ranks?" Waifrin asks. She hops over the sewage channel to the other side, falling back far enough to not be visible any earlier than the others, and takes aim with the crossbow.
"Cover the lights," she urges, "we'll aim by theirs."
Acrobatics (Jump) 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (16) + 6 = 22
OK, here is the Map, positions please? (I can expand to right or left as needed, depending on which way we are going to go). Edited: Both the party and the Hellknights came from the bottom of the map, this is the same area that the torbles attacked us in. Waifrin will be in either N14 or F14 depending on if the party swing left or right ... or we could be mean and hit them from both sides.
Are the bad-guys coming from the south? If so, Zarabeta carefully jumps across as well to either L12 or H12 (whichever one Waifrin isn't already in). She'll take 10 on her Acrobatics check for a 13, as she's not currently being threatened or distracted.
Are the bad-guys coming from the south? If so, Zarabeta carefully jumps across as well to either L12 or H12 (whichever one Waifrin isn't already in). She'll take 10 on her Acrobatics check for a 13, as she's not currently being threatened or distracted.
Brain-death. I meant jump to L14 or H14, whichever one Waifrin isn't in, not 12!
Seeing how everyone is arranged, Waifrin will edge forward to G14, this leaves:
Waifrin G14
Raven H14
Zarebeta L14
Mother Vangelis H12
Marius L12
Akorian, Janiven and Morisino to place.
"Marius! Mother!" Waifrin hisses softly. "When they come, let them pause a moment, and we'll soften them up before you hit them!" She crouches down with her stolen crossbow, using her cloak to cover herself as much as possible, taking aim at K10-12, the point at which the approaching Hellknights may spot them.
Janiven -M12, Morosino C15. A tunnel branches off in column C. Otherwise nothing remarkable.
"Morosino, check that tunnel," Janiven hisses pointing down the left branch of the "T". "Everyone else, aim low. I don't want to kill them if we can help it." As Morosino turns the corner into the side tunnel your light dims noticeably.
Who has the other sunrod and what are you doing with it?
The Hellknights have strung out somewhat during the pursuit. The first is coming up column K. The second man has the lantern, about 3 squares behind in column I. Not clear how many are behind him. You will have surprise. Let me know in what square you will fire.
Waifrin will wait until the Hellknight in column K gets to K11, which as far as she thinks he can approach with seeing any of us for certain unless he is day-dreaming, or until he is in sight and seems to see us, and whispers:
"Now!" to Raven as she shoots the crossbow.
Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (18) + 4 = 22 (to make sure she marks if he's about to see us)
Attack: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (15) + 3 = 18
Damage 1d8 ⇒ 7
Up-to-date map, I will edit this to add Akorian and the Hellknights as needed.
Since the hand crossbow has a range of 30 ft., same as the sneak attack, Raven (H14) will be firing a bolt as soon as a knight gets within that range, i.e. K10 I think. He will be aiming low as Janiven suggested.
"If we draw their attention to us, they might not notice Janiven, Marius and Zarabeta on the other side just yet," he whispers back to the silver-haired woman as he lets loose a bolt.
Since Waifrin and Raven have the best shots at Row K, and I presume the meleers are waiting for ranged fire, I'll go with their posts as law.
Raven's bolt passes over the Hellknight (in K10). Waifrin's shot hits him squarely in the thigh. He goes down, sliding in the torble guts, and tries to scramble backward while holding his shield up to block another shot. "Treachery! Ambush. "
I'm always super-confused by the maps. Dabbler? Tim? Go ahead and place Akorian wherever it makes the most sense to have a shot on the approaching Hellknights with his crossbow.
At Janiven's direction, Akorian too aims low for the legs of the Hellknights. At the very least, they could hopefully slow them down before continuing to run. That might give them the advantage to leave them behind.
Ranged attack with light crossbow and Westcrown Firebrand trait... 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6 Damage, if necessary... 1d8 ⇒ 4
Unfortunately, the dim lighting after Morosino's retreat causes the priest to miss.
OK, positions at the end of the surprise round are thus. I am assuming Akorian was behind Zarabeta, but came forwards to shoot (started in M14, advanced to K14). I think Tim will need initiatives from those who have not yet provided them <nudge>.
On her initiative (15, above), Waifrin advances to I14 and shoots again, this time aiming at the lantern barer if she cannot see an uninjured Hellknight who is a more immediate threat.
"Treachery? You bastards are the experts! Run back into the sewers, rats!"
Initiative check... 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (12) + 3 = 15 Since that beats the Hellknight initiative, I assume he goes before they do on the first round (i.e., after the surprise actions), as well.
Akorian quickly switches from his crossbow and readies his morningstar and shield, holding position in front of Zarabeta to defend her in case the Hellknights try and charge through.
That should be Akorian's standard action in the first round. He doesn't have a BAB of +1 or higher, so he can't switch weapons on the move as a free action. I'm not doing anything for his move action other than ensuring he interposes himself between the Hellknights and the less armored members of the party.
With a soft sigh, Raven reloads his crossbow. "Is this not a most unfortunate place to pick a fight? Not quite enough room to position ourselves more effectively," the elf comments to nobody in particular as he holds his position, ready to fire against any knights coming within range.
Raven uses a move action to reload the hand crossbow and readies himself for a shot if or when a foe gets within range (30 ft.). Other than that, he stays put for now.
Waifrin hits, Raven misses as described above. Zara acids the lantern bearer. His leather armour steams as the acid eats at it. Akorian misses. Mother, Janiven and Marius ready attacks. "When you go, push forward hard. I'll be right behind you, " Janiven tells Marius.
Round 1:
Since Mother, Marius and Janiven readied actions, they can go at any point. Consider them init 20 and readying unless they post otherwaise.
Raven (19) holding for ranged target take your pick down man in k10 lantern guy i7, new guy k6
Waifrin (15)
Akorian (15) readying melee
Hellknights (14) K10, I7, K6 (one more dabbler)
Zarabeta (8)
Waifrin shoulders past the elven rogue and launches a bolt at the lantern bearer. It grazes his shoulder. He crys out and drops the lantern which lands with its port facing the wall.
low light -2 to hit
"Right. Charge the bastards!" the downed man yells. The other two begin their advance.
Raven and the readied actions take effect before their attacks. have at it guys.
Zarabeta searches for a target that is neither grappled nor down (and within 25 ft.), and calls out, "Atonitus" again. The sound crashes like thunder in the mind of her target, possibly disorienting him and rendering him incapable of reacting.
With two of their pursuers already injured, Raven turns his attention to the new arrival. 'Perhaps if they are sufficiently hurt, they may try to fall back and leave us be for now,' he reasons as he takes aim.
As soon as the uninjured knight -the new guy at K6 I think- gets within 30 ft. of him, Raven will be letting loose another bolt, once again aiming low. If he can move to J14 before doing so, that is what he will do; if not, he will stay where he is at H14.
As for the -2 to hit due to low light, I am not sure whether it applies or not (elven low-light vision and Shadow Child trait) so I will leave that up to you Thom if that is alright.
The Hellknights charge in. Raven snaps off a shot which grazes the hip of the new Hellknight as he steps past his fallen comrade. As the Hellknights reach the intersection, Mother ties up the ex-lantern bearer in a grapple. He struggles without success to free himself. Marius rushes forward swinging his short swords, but the knight blocks and parries the blows. The armiger's riposte is similarly blocked.
The downed Hellknight scrambles to get a vial from his belt-pouch, which he drinks.
Zara tries her spell against Marius' foe. He looks her way, but continues fighting unimpaired.
Akorian waits across the channel for the combat to come to him.
Shadow-child or low-light will negate the -2 to hit. Thanks for the reminder, Castor. Wellard, hope you don't mind me rolling (miserably) for Marius.
Hellknights end in I12 (grappled by Mother), K12 (fighting Marius), and K10 (drinking).
"We need more light!" Waifrin calls as she loads and shoots again, aiming at the downed Hellknight (K10), reasoning that he has probably drank a healing potion.
Marius swings at the hellknight..once again he heeds the words of Javinen and tries to knock the knight unconcious rather than kill him striking a ringing blow against the mans helmet
"Considering the wounds that knight already had before she decided to see just how much he can bend, I would say she has the situation under control," Raven comments to Waifrin about Ms. Vangelis.
"Come now people! Surely you must realize you cannot win this," the rogue calls out to the knights as he reloads and fires against the one drinking from a vial. "Can you not oblige us and retreat or fall back or whatever it is you military types do?"
"We need more light!" Waifrin calls as she loads and shoots again...
At Waifrin's request...and nothing that Mother and Marius seem to have the melee well in hand, Akorian obliges by holding his morningstar aloft and offering a brief prayer to Milani.
"May the light of morning reveal our enemies..."
Casting light on the head of Akorian's morningstar. It should produce torch-equivalent illumination in a 20-foot radius. Lasts for 10 minutes.
Not wishing to risk throwing acid serpents among her allies, Zarabeta instead attempts to strike at the mind of Marius' target again, the echoes of her last casting merging with her new attempt, "Atonitus!"
Daze again, DC 14 Will save. If he is affected, she won't be able to affect him again for 1 minute, but as long as he's saved, she can keep trying.
Round 2 roundup:
Akorian casts light. (removes to hit penalty)
Mother continues to wrap up the lantern bearer. He struggles futilely in her grasp. (He's pinned)
Raven and Waifrin fire on and hit the drinking armiger. He loads his crossbow and returns fire, grazing Waifrin. (3 hp)
Marius and his opponent trade blows. The armiger doesn't show reciprocal restraint, or perhaps he's too harried to notice the nature of the gladiator's attack. His blow draws blood from a cut above Marius' wrist. (2 hp)
Zara's spell hits the armiger hard this time. His attacks lose focus and Marius brushes them off. (next round)
I think that's it. Sorry if I missed anything, just pipe up.
Expecting Marius to be able to capitalize on the reprieve she's given him, Zarabeta turns her attention to the fellow who just drank a potion. Another thick serpent of hissing golden-green corrosive force coils around her slender forearm and then launches though the air towards that Hellknight.
Ranged touch attack to hit with Acid Dart 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (20) + 3 = 23
Confirming Crit 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (14) + 3 = 17
Damage 1d6 ⇒ 4
Crit Damage, if applicable 1d6 ⇒ 6
The serpent coils around the man's outstretched arm and seems to slither under and through his armor as if it was non-existent, leaving behind terrible burns and the bitter stench of corrupting flesh.
If that foe is already felled, she'll toss the acidic viper towards Marius' foe (-4 to hit, if he's still in combat with Marius).
Mother whips her rope around the Hellknight binding him. One down.
Raven and Waifrin's missiles just brush their target. He reloads and looses another crossbow bolt at Waifrin. It slams into the wall behind. Bits of brick and mortar shower down and she can feel some slip inside her leathers.
Janiven looks at the thick brown sludge in the channel and decides that Marius is doing well enough on his own. "Drag that one out of the way!" She yells while pointing at Mother.
Zara will need to move toward Raven and Waif to target the crossbow guy in K10. Whether she can get there depends on if Akorian fills that space. Waiting on Ak and Marius
With Mother having subdued the closest Hellknight, Akorian grimly marches on the one reloading his crossbow. The light from the priest's raised morningstar falls over the man like a rebellious dawn against the night.
"You're outnumbered and overmatched!" he shouts, "Surrender now, before you get someone killed!"
He follows up his words with a stunning blow from the haft of his weapon.
If the Hellknight is prone, he suffers a -4 penalty to AC against melee attacks. Attacking with a lethal weapon to do nonlethal damage... 1d20 + 3 - 4 ⇒ (19) + 3 - 4 = 18 Damage, if necessary... 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 2 = 7
Looking at the map Akorian can reach the Hellknight in K10 if Mother Vangelis has dragged her Captive out of the square I12, so Akorian can jump there, then move and jump to K11 and just reach it. However, this will invite attacks of opportunity from the Hellknights in K10 (who doesn't have a melee weapon ready) and K12; or he could move to I10 and threaten from there. I don't see how he can cross directly to K12 as there is a Hellknight there fighting with Marius. Either way can we assume he moves to give Zara a clear shot?
Bits of brick and mortar shower down and she can feel some slip inside her leathers.
"If you have trouble getting those out later on, I am fairly certain I can find it in my heart to give you a hand," the elven scoundrel quips to Waifrin with a wink and a soft chuckle.
