Council of Song - DM Guild Master's All Bards Council of Thieves AP (Inactive)

Game Master Dennis Harry

"Who said there won't be casualties?" Bakuno asks, frowning. "This is a plan born of desperation. If you want out, then stay here."

"But don't talk of our deaths on the eve of battle. You will help them defeat us before a weapon is even lifted. Instead, talk of how we should act to win rather than what you should do if we are dead."

Bakuno stands, and gets ready to leave.

"I for one am only concerned with dying well. If it were possible for my bones to be returned to the Skoan Quah in the cinderlands, then that would make my spirit happy. But so many of my people have died unshriven against these Chelaxians that I consider it no loss to be buried here as long as I have a good death. None of your words would be necessary."

"Is there anything else that needs to be said before we leave?"

Sia: Your stat line and profile show 1st level stats but I think you are supposed to be second level.

"Jing, I am not counting on raw warrior prowess to free Arael. I am counting on wits, magic, trickery, and courage.
We are a disparate group and I imagine we'll all use whatever skills we have. We don't have a lot of time to coordinate, but we must do what we can. Try to be an ensemble rather than a hodgepodge of ten soloists singing their own pieces.
I will say that if any of you can curse, intimidate, or otherwise weaken the will of an opponent, it will make my spells of fear more likely to succeed. And conversely, even if my spell fails, it will still leave the target more vulnerable to spells or tricks of yours."
Blackspire's main tactic will be his DC 16 Cause Fear. Even on a successful save the target is shaken for 1 round, which could help another spell land.
He's also got Ray of Enfeeblement and Touch of Fatigue if it does come down to melee.
But we really do need to figure out who is the vanguard, who is magical support, who is on healing duty, and so on.

"If it is the will of the Gods that I am to fall, then so be it. Still, I will do what I must."
Fukushu is definitely not a vanguard. He will work best as a one-on-one fighter, dropping down some Darkness and taking advantage of an enemy trapped in it. At later levels his Bardic Performance will be of use against undead and outsiders and can give the party Protection from Evil

Thanks. I've fixed the profile. Sia is going for dervish dancer.
Her IC only affect herself, but she can move further with it activated.

I figured that most people's bardic performances would be something interesting so I kept mine with the basic inspire courage.

I am ready to go whenever.

Can Mask use his Fearsome Guise trick on Blackspire before we attack the caravan? The Disguise Self aspect would be very useful. Blackspire could appear as, say, a kobold.

Sure. Assume we talk basic tactics and put that up before we move in.

Arael's Rescue

Janiven and the Rebels provide you all with horses and exit the city in groups of two or three to ensure that the sentries do not see a large ensemble allowing for ease of recognition of the group assuming the ambush is successful.

A staff is easy enough to procure in this time period.

A mile outside of the city the group gathers and heads towards the "ambush point". Janiven and the rebels also have caltrops which Janiven claims she will "put to good use".

The group crosses the bridge where the ambush point is, Janiven speaks, "We will position ourselves at the far end of the road. Under the bridge and in the bushes here by the bridge should be sufficient cover for you all.

Behind the tree line, we will drop caltrops, I hate to injure the horses but..."

Ermolos places a hand on her shoulder, "We must do what we must do".

She nods, "Once their mounted forces chase us down, your ambush should begin..."

OK, last chance to chime in on the plan before the ambush begins.

"Simple tell me where you wish the world to go black for our foes and I shall make it so."

Bakuno goes down and hides himself in the bushes, preparing for battle.

His features then begin to shift; his face and body sprout hair and long fangs grow in his mouth. Soon his visage looks much like that of a tiger!

"When I would fight in the arena, I looked like this. The crowds seemed to like it."

Shifting into bestial form - activating the see in darkness ability.

"I sense that you are changed, Bakuno. Perhaps you and I can fight well, together."

Jing raises his brows at the sight of the man "I see someone was jealous of my look." he said simply.

He prepares his disguise for the time being, not wanting to be known if things go sour in some way.

Disguise to appear as a different pelted Catfolk: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (8) + 11 = 19

He looked himself over and checks to make sure most of his discerning marks are covered.

I'm not sure if coloration is purely "minor details" if so, I get a +5 to my disguise check ^_^

He then prepares himself. "Just know, in battle I am not the strongest fighter, I'll mostly be providing back up and a bit of support." he says as he pulls out a sling.

Malqazar diguises himself as well, emphasising his human features, trying to look like a member of the Wiscrani middle class.

Disguise: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (11) + 14 = 25

One that is done he says to the group, "I am not really a fighter at all. I defend myself, but that is about it. My true talents lie in the manipulation and confusion of the enemy. It would be best if my safety were assured."

"I do better blade to blade, to be sure," Fiarra brags as they make their way to the ambush point. "If we're getting the jump on them, we could make quick work of the devils. Just makes sure you don't LOOK like you don't know how to fight"

"Yeah, you know, acting." Max said with overly dramatic emphasis. "Just pretend like you're really dangerous."

Max set a pair of bear traps in front of their ranged weapon wielders as well as a couple of traps that looked something like shallow collapsable buckets which he set into the ground by digging shallow holes. Some scattered branches and leaves later and they were all but invisible.

Setting 2 bear traps and 2 Tresspasser's boots in front of the archer's nest. For the sake of expedience, I recommend using the same Perception and DD checks for the bear traps as the boots.

"Mal, you can hang out back here with the shooters."

He loaded a crossbow and ducked out of sight behind a tree.

Taking 20 on stealth for 25 before combat starts.

Blackspire Thundergloom is rather distressed at the unspoken decision to use lethal force.

"No Malqazar, I do not believe you should hide in back. I believe you with your magic should be on the front lines with me, trying to defeat the Hellknights without killing them."

"Janiven, is what you said before still true? Do you wish us to limit our confrontations with the Hellknights as much as possible? To not appear as rabble rousers or rioters? Or should we attempt to kill them?
I had hoped we could defeat them with magic. Spells such as Cause Fear, Command, Hideous Laughter and Unnatural Lust. Rescue Arael without killing any Hellknights. But many of my allies here seem ready to kill. I fear that would bring down the full wrath of their entire order. Where if this patrol loses a prisoner while they were running away or caressing each other, we remain their problem to deal with.
If we have archers firing at the Hellknights, I will have to devote all my time to healing any Hellknights before they die."

And I hate having to go to Janiven but the entire setup to this encounter seemed to suggest that killing Hellknights is a bad idea; that our mission is not open rebellion. And we are a party of bards, a class supremely well suited to dealing with humanoid foes non-lethally with either magic or trickery.

Tsura furrows her eyebrows. "Blackspire, if you choose to be a wool-headed fool, be my guest. But if you threaten our mission or endanger yourself, don't expect us to pull you out of the fire."

She draws her blade and whips it through the air in a tight spiral. "I am ready."

"I will attempt to disable the Hellknights without killing them, but if it doesn't look like this is going to work. I will use lethal force. We can't be caught." Sia responds to Blackspire and Tsura's conversation.

She does check her weapon, but doesn't look as if she is willing to use it. "I don't want the Hellknights coming down on us."

"What's the problem with killing them? They're hellknights? Killing them is a good thing." Max seemed confused.

Jing raised his brow at Mask's words. "While they may be corrupt in their own ways. They do actually serve the city and protect the masses. It is not the Hellknights that anyone should have true issue with but the hands of the strings that move them." he said simply.

He did however agree with the others "I do not mind the concept of hopefully settling this without killing but I do agree that we shouldn't be ready to do so. If it looks like we are discovered for who we really are, it would be best to make certain we don't end up with bounties on our heads." he said grimly.

"I'm alright having an issue with both. They might serve the city, but the masses I've known don't feel very protected. Mostly what the Hellknights do is enforce a brutal social hierarchy. Look around Westcrown sometime. The laws they enforce are unjust and the authority they serve is corrupt."

"There might be a few individuals among their ranks who are decent people, but as long as they wear the uniform, they're the bad guys."

"Which is more important? Rescuing the prisoner? Or not antagonizing the hellknights?"

"I don't know what methods you use, but I possess no means to incapacitate a hellknight that would not impair my ability to fight. I could try to use my Earth Breaker to strike a stunning blow, but that... would be tricky. The Hellknights wear heavy armor and I might not get through."

"I would prefer to take less chances. I for one do not care if we kill any of them. We would all be better off without them."

"Yesterday we were talking about doing good deeds to inspire the people.
Today we are jumping right to murdering the authorities?
I've never murdered anyone before.
Do you all not see how drastic a leap that is? Do you not imagine what the revenge of House Thrune will be like?
Steal from them. Embarrass them. Sure. But kill them and their superiors will avenge them -- taking out their wrath on the innocent if they can't find us.
Killing them is not smart. We don't have the resources for a full-scale rebellion. But that's the fight you are picking if you kill Hellknights."
Not meaning to be difficult, but I just can't see any way that killing Hellknights doesn't increase our problems tenfold. It would be a Pyrrhic victory.

"Well, as nearly all of my abilities are mental, I can ensure that the Hellknights come to little bodily harm. Mental scars are another issue though."

Max shrugged. "I came expecting this. Looks like most of the rest of us did too. If you aren't ready to get blood on your hands, you don't have to participate."

"How do you think this plays out, Max? How do you think Thrune will react?
In any event, I'm definitely participating. I'll try to scare them off with magic, but if any of them are dying I will save their lives -- to limit the consequences that would befall Westcrown otherwise."

"I think Thrune will react the way they react to everything. Like tyrants." Max shrugged.

Jing sighed "Relax, we will all do what we have to once the mission begins. It's folly and tiring to waste time trying to think what could happen if we do what." he said grumpily.

Honestly, if they see even one of our faces and someone goes back alive to tell the tale then us saving a man would be folly. Killing them all to the man is perhaps the most prudent course because then there would be no survivors to tell the tale of what transpired but while Jing would think that, he'd not mention it simply because he's not keen on having to go through with it once the idea is out there.

I can see Blackspire's side of things. Sia's not up for the all out murder of what passes for law in this city. However, she's not going to let anyone get hurt if she can help it even if it requires lethal force.

Sia listens to all sides.

"I will not start out with lethal force. If it comes to that, I won't hesitate though." She disguises herself carefully.

disguise: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (10) + 7 = 17

Fukushu simply waits, uninterested in the philosophical debate.

Before Arael's Rescue

Janiven sighs, "I agree with Blackspire but I can see Mask's point of view. Do your best to not slay them but if death comes to them, well, joining the Order came with risks..."

With that, she and the rest of the Rebels ride off leaving your group to set up the ambush.

Arael's Rescue

An hour goes by, quite slowly.

The stream underneath the bridge isn’t particularly cold, but it quickly reaches a depth of 4 feet. The water flows fast requiring you to stand on what little banks there are.

The bridge is quite sturdy and made of mortared stone and is a single arc span across the stream.

Then you hear it in the distance. The sound of horses and wagon wheels. The column moves slowly and quietly towards the ambush point underneath and near the bridge.

Just after they cross your pulses begin to race as you wait for a signal.

Then it happens, firecrackers!

The leader calls out, "Men, drive these bandits from the road!"

One of the soldiers on the wagon leaps off onto one of the mounts. The four horsemen and the extra footman ride hard towards where Janiven and the few other rebels on horseback are positioned. She turns and begins to ride away, you presume, into a further trap around the bend that cannot be seen.

The leader speaks once more, "Turn this wagon around. We cannot afford to move forward into the unknown!"

As the wagon begins to turn, this would seem the right time to strike!

Surprise Round!

Act in any order you all see fit.

Deciding to remain in his hiding place for now, Mask whispered an impulse into the mind of the nearest caravan guard.

Swift action, Hypnotic Stare on nearest guard. He takes a -2 penalty on Will saves.

Murderous Command, DC 18 negates.

Bakono begins to chant, stomping his feet and beating his chest to the rhythm of the chant.

"KA-MA-TE KA-MA-TE KA-O-RA KA-O-RA,
KA-MA-TE KA-MA-TE KA-O-RA KA-O-RA,
TE-NEI-TE TA-NGA-TA PU-RU HU-RU-HU-RU
NA NEI TI-KI MAI ... WHA-KA-WHI-TI TE RAAA!..."

Starting Inspire Courage Bardic Performance. Round 1 of 6.

He slowly walks out from under the bridge as he continues to chant.

I note the squares don't match the size of the figures. I want to be about 10' away from the nearest enemy.

Blackspire moves within 30', disguised as a kobold thanks to Mask's mesmerist trick, and uses Cause Fear on the nearest guard. If he can stay hidden, he will, but if he has to break cover he'll do that. (Also not sure of the scale.)

I don't think he knows which one Mask targeted, or even that Mask did anything, but the Southeast guard is slightly closer to him and the Northeast guard is slightly closer to Mask, so presumably that's who they are targeting.

DC 16 Will save or Frightened for 1d4 rounds; Shaken for 1 round on a successful save.

Here we go. I wonder if this is actually going to work. Sia casts hideous laughter on one of the enemy that's within 30 feet of her.

DC 14 will save of they fall to the ground laughing for two rounds.

Malqazar stares at the Hellknight nearest to him before saying in a calm voice, ”Fear us!

Casting bane. DC 16, though the closest one will take a -2.

Jing waits for Malqazar's spell to see it's way to the man in front of him before casting his own.

Casting Discern Next of Kin DC 15, next round I will be preparing to use Bluff to give him an Order saying that X Noble knows of him and his kin and if he wishes to see them no harm, he'll stay his sword and pretend to have been knocked unconscious. If possible that is.

Casting Discern Next of Kin DC 15...

Neat idea!

"You should be so very grateful," Fiarra begins as she steps to the nearest Hellknight, punching at him with the guard of her rapier.

Nonlethal: 1d20 + 5 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 5 + 1 = 11
damage: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6 non-lethal

Fukushu's baritone, rich and full, sounds out, recalling the story of a group of the oppressed rising up and casting off the yoke of tyranny.

Begin Bardic Performance: Everyone within 30' of Fukushu gains Protection from Evil

Arael's Rescue

Effects = ALL PC's - Protection from Evil & Inspire Courage - +2 AC & +2 Saves vs. Evil Creatures [This bonus only applies to attacks by the Leader FYI] & +1 Save vs. Charm & Fear & +1 Attack & Damage.

The foe Mask targets Yellow turns his head towards the man standing next to him.

Fukushu's strike misses the mark, despite that, the man leaps off of the wagon Green and begins to flee back across the bridge.

Sia targets the other Knight at the back of the wagon Purple, he falls down hysterically laughing, right onto the wagon.

Malqazar's foe Blue shakes his head, apparently resisting his powers.

Jing is not quite close enough to target Malqazar's foe, he is able to reach the man dead center on top of the wagon Grey. Use the name Shailane.

The leader stands and bellows out, "Ambush!"

At precisely that moment, the horses ahead strike the caltrops and all hit the ground, unable to charge back to the wagon.

Round 1 -
Fukushu, Jing, and Mask - GO!
Shanwen
Blackspire, Bakuno, Tsura
Hell Knights (5 - Green fleeing/Yellow under MC/Purple Laughing)
Malqazar, Sia, and Fiarra

Moving my Painful Stare to the wagon driver (black, I think?) and using Slumber Hex. Target takes -2 to Will saves and has to make a DC 17 will save of fall asleep.

Mask stayed hidden, just glancing from foe to foe and spreading havoc.

Jing steps forwards, eyes narrowing on his target. "Ah, yes. I see the family resemblance." he says as he moves closer so that he doesn't have to be overheard.

"Come, jump down here and pretend to be defeated by me. It wouldn't be wise to fight any further, lest you wish for Shailane to succumb to disappearing. A nasty habit in this city when House Insert X Noble Name here has their business interrupted. I thought, I might warn you and spare them the agony that awaits them should I not make it back." he says, dripping venomous thoughts from his voice.

"Of course, you could defy and try to protect them from their fate...but tell me, how long do you think it'd take to find where they'd hide them and how many fingers they might lose in the process?"

Well that's not very nice of Jing: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (12) + 12 = 24

Fukushu moves over to Green, drawing his weapon as he does so. He will not let the man escape. He uses his magic, as he is wont to do, to increase the damage of his attack.

Attack: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (10) + 4 = 14
Damage (2h, arcane strike): 1d8 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 5 = 12

Jing steps forwards, eyes narrowing on his target. "Ah, yes..."

Just how much can you say in 6 seconds?

While Bakuno continues to chant he pulls out a trio of spiked balls connected by a short chain. He twirls them in the air and then hurls them at one of the knights escorting the front of the wagon Blue.

Shoanti Bolas: 1d20 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (12) + 4 + 1 = 17
Shoanti Bolas Damage: 1d4 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 3 + 1 = 5
Shoanti Bolas Trip Attack: 1d20 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (16) + 4 + 1 = 21

I mean fair. I just was going into the fluff of it. If he needs to lengthen the turns it takes to do the monologue he will ^_^