Doug M's Way of the Wicked
Game Master Douglas Muir 406

Hey, let's give these pathetic bakers a couple of Perception checks!

1d20 ⇒ 2
1d20 ⇒ 19

Ruh roh!

"What the hell was that?!? Did you see that?"

I assume you let the rope dangle, so others can come down the chimney with a DC 5 climb check. They'll still have to make an Acrobatics check to get past the flame unless someone puts it out.

but I had a 20 to their 19

Is the chimney big enough for Morsum to get down? He is medium.

If so, he will climb down.

Climb: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (5) + 7 = 12
Acrobatics: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (8) + 5 = 13

but I had a 20 to their 19

DM rolled a 19, you do not know what their Perception modifiers are. I do this all the time as a DM. For instance I might just post a 4d20 with nothing else knowing what they mean.

Correct. When I roll an unmodified d20, that means you don't know what the modifier is. In this case, apparently the plump man had at least +1.

That's Morsum's action for Round 1. He'll be able to act in Round 2. He takes 1d6 damage:

1d6 ⇒ 2

The shadow-thing hisses as it steps out of the flames.

ahh...duh. My fake dice are failing me

Bref leaps at the unsuspecting baker...whichever one looks weaker if they both come into the room, keeping himself out of a flank. Hoping they are not armed and provoke from him.

bite1d20 + 6 - 1 ⇒ (1) + 6 - 1 = 6 vs FF for1d4 + 1d6 - 1 ⇒ (2) + (4) - 1 = 5

After attacking Bref's eye is caught by a small piece of bread on the floor, he grabs it.

advantageous distraction for +2 ac

If the chimney is too small for a person, wouldn't it be too small for the medium sized shadow too?

dang! bad time to roll a nat 1.

Bref leaps at the baker, but slips on a bit of flour on the floor. By the time he has recovered himself, the baker is screaming.

"Oh, sweet Mitra, it's one of the prisoners! Guards! GUARDS! WE HAVE A - A - A THING ON THE LOOSE HERE!"

The baker makes a clumsy swing at you with his rolling pin. 1d20 ⇒ 2 Clearly he is no sort of fighter. Loud, though.

That was the surprise round. We're now in Round 1: Morsum takes a FRA to come down the chimney. Bref, you go, then the two bakers. Moustached yelling guy is no longer flat-footed, so you can't get a sneak on him. The other baker -- a plump woman with her hair in a bun -- is still flat-footed, so you could still get a sneak on her. However, you'd have to move away from Moustache, thereby giving him an AoO with that rolling pin.

Jax, good point! Morsum should make an Escape Artist check.

1d20 + 1 ⇒ (12) + 1 = 13

Whoops -- looks like Morsum is stuck for at least one round.

Worrisome. The best way to die in this scenario is to get zerg-swarmed by the guards. Well: I'm going to bed in about 20 minutes, so if you have actions get them in now -- otherwise we'll resolve tomorrow.

Going to assume we can hear the screaming but just in case: 1d20 ⇒ 4<--Perception

It looks like our sneaky friend is not so sneaky this time. He'll wave a hand at the dangling rope. Shall we? Edwin, if you go first I'll follow behind you.

1d20 + 10 - 1 ⇒ (15) + 10 - 1 = 24

Bref dodges out of the path of the baker, and chomps down on the face of the other.

bite1d20 + 6 - 1 ⇒ (18) + 6 - 1 = 23 vs FF for1d4 + 1d6 - 1 ⇒ (3) + (6) - 1 = 8

sorry guys, should have been an easy removal of two and then supplies for us...

GM is Bref on the floor just below us?

below the guard room

Sorry I'm at work, I will relate Messages from Bref to our group as needed, please run Cуровую for me in the meantime, I have notes on the discussion thread. Good luck!

That is why I asked whether the chimney was big enough for a medium sized person, Morsum would not have gone down if he was likely to get stuck.

I was about to have him head down the stairs and begin to inspect that way when our friendly goblin decided to sample the local cooking, er, I mean cooks.

Rosa, yes he is.

Bref bobs and weaves, his skinny body lurching from side to side. Suddenly, he turns and lunges for the other baker.

1d20 ⇒ 8

The baker with the moustache waves his rolling pin ineffectively as Bref leaps for the throat of the plump woman. There is a horrible ripping sound, the beginning of a scream abruptly cut off, and then a short, ghastly gurgle.

Bref licks his lips. He and the surviving baker confront each other over the woman's body.

The baker turns and flees. "OH SWEET GODS IT KILLED EVA HELP ME PLEASE SOMEBODY HELP MEEEEEEEE"

You moved out of reach to kill the other one, so no AoO.

Judge, that's fair. He could go down the stairs. Unfortunately, there's not a direct access from the stairwell to the kitchen. Other hand, he doesn't know that... so if he didn't go down the chimney, he's now down the stairs, glaring at a shut door out of the stairwell.

Jax, if you want to get down that chimney, better have a rank or two in Escape Artist -- otherwise, it might take several attempts.

Chase like the wind and attack as I can. Any shot my having blocked the doorway so he is within reach?

bite1d20 + 6 - 1 ⇒ (5) + 6 - 1 = 10 vs FF for1d4 - 1 ⇒ (4) - 1 = 3

sorry not FF. Dice failed me again. You all should flee let me die.

You both have a 30' move... wait, let me check something.

1d100 ⇒ 3

The big door to the kitchen was shut. So he has to use a move action to open it. That means he used his FRA to move to the door and open it, and he's now standing in the open door.

edit dmdm that would have to have been a charge for more movemnt so add +2 so maybe I hit, still prob would charge if he is standing there

He's AC 10, so no.

At the bottom of the stairs, Morsum tests the door to see if it can be opened. If so, he will proceed through.

Stealth: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (17) + 13 = 30

Edmin mutters something and runs to the grate blocking the stairs. "I am not built to fit that way we have to go on the offensive and shut up that screamer."

Edmin slows as he sees the judges shadow, giving the thing time to do it's job before moving forward.

So maybe a chance...Morsum you show off with your stealth

Morsum can just stand there in the hall as the guards rush by, and the hit them from behind. Lol.

can we here the baker below from our room GM?]

I thought we could hear them. Also, with the armor check penalty I would just be rolling a 20 with no mods and don't want to take the chance of getting stuck.

It is getting stuck and then having to avoid the fire, and even then it is 2 rounds if you are lucky and make all the rolls.

Zumi and Toothpick have Message up, so I assume Toothpick was relating things to us.

Asuming that he tries to run, if not my AC is at a 13 after charging.And dice failed me again!

If Rosa can here the call so it can travel out to the other guards she will say.

"Well it was good wile it lasted, we are blown, now they will come here to see who's missing so lets get to them before they get to us, we can hit them fast if we are quick."

If not then

"We need to get down to him fast and work from there, we could use the window on the floor but its some thing I would not like to wast just yet. Waiting here may no longer be a good idea so lets get going"

Hate to break off just as things are getting interesting, but I have to sleep soon -- two late nights, and a busy morning tomorrow.

The shouts of the baker come faintly but clearly up the chimney. Clearly, Bref is encountering difficulties.

Round One, Edmin and Morsum went down the stairs. So, beginning of Round Two, Morsum opens the door and oozes through.

Morsum sees a large stone hall -- seventy-five feet long and twenty feet wide, running from south to north, with a high ceiling arching fifteen feet overhead. Once this was a grand hall, decorated with tapestries and banners. It's bare and spartan now, as befits a prison. It's lit by two torches at the north end; these provide full illumination for the northern half of the hall, but the southern half (where Morsum is) is dimly lit and shadowy.

1d20 + 4 ⇒ (15) + 4 = 19

Morsum has opened the door out of the stairwell, which is at the south end of the hall. There are four side doors: two to his left (west) and two to the right (east). Screaming is coming from behind the closer of the two doors on the right.

There are two guards at the north end of the hall. Clearly they have heard the screaming and are going to respond.

The guards are out of charging range now, but if they move south down the hall to one of the doors, they'll just barely be in range for a charge (60'); Morsum and Edmin could hold initiative and attack them. Or, you can move through the door to your right -- it appears to lead to the kitchen -- and join Bref in there. Opening the door is a move action, though, so in that case.you wouldn't act until Round Three.

Do they have horns?
More than likely wait until they get close.

Bref, I'm going to make you use that first, crappy roll from #422. You lunge at the baker and miss. However, on his Init you'll get an AoO. You'll roll a 9... but you still have the +2 from charging! So that will hit. Unfortunately, 2 hp isn't enough to drop him. That's your Round Two.

totally fair! I will post the same and do the same again, I too am hitting the sack soon so want it to be there, whenever you get to it

1d20 + 3 ⇒ (10) + 3 = 13 Rosa gos to the top of the steps and perception any one coming up GM?

Init order is basically "everyone, then guards, then surviving baker". We're in Round Two. Bref has already acted. It sounds like Edmin and Morsum will hold initiative until the guards get close. One guard has a horn. Some big rolls coming up:

1d100 ⇒ 6
1d100 ⇒ 10

whoa whoa your luck turns! These guards have BOTH been drinking (10% chance that a guard on duty is drunk). They are stumbling confusedly towards the door.

1d100 ⇒ 97

and turns again: both guards have horns! However, being drunk, it has not occurred to them to blow them. Yet. They are just staggering towards the door, calling out in confusion.

Okay, break for the night. More tomorrow! Chat amongst yourselves meanwhile.

Morsum grins seeing the guards at the far end of the hall, and with his numerous red teeth, it is a frightening grin.

Quietly in his gritty voice to Edmin: Wait. They come to us.

Edmin is pretty sure the thing then puts its finger to its mouth as though saying to be quiet, but Edmin has trouble focusing on the shadow - or perhaps Edmin just wants to pretend the unnatural thing is not there at all.

Morsum waits and then when the opportunity arises, it charges one of the guards.

Charge Attack-bite: 1d20 + 4 + 2 ⇒ (16) + 4 + 2 = 22
Damage: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5
______________
Tohram follows his shadow down the steps, but stays in the stairwell knowing that if Morsum gets too far from him, the thing rapidly weakens.

Rosa will do some thing - To GM when hes back -
And then move down the steps halfway say so she can see Edmins back

DM DM (I like that! Sounds like a retro rapper name)

Sorry I was at work, I asked to please have Cуровую run for me in the meantime, I had notes on the discussion thread but I think due to the excitement she got left behind.

Secondly my Initiative was 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (11) + 3 = 14 on the same thread.

And where are Grumblejack and Jax?

I believe Jax said he would follow Edmin down the stairs. Can I amend that then, Morsum and Edmin followed by Cуровую and Jax?

Casting

Concentration
1d20 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (15) + 4 + 1 = 20

If the guards are close enough Cуровую will cast Charm Person on the guard that looks like he is in charge, and the one NOT being attacked by Morsum and Edmin. If they are out of range of Charm Person, I will cast Sleep on both of them instead, I can affect 4 hit dice, hopefully that's at least one guard!

DC 16 for either spell

Edit: I can delay for Morsum and Edmin, but I would only charm an unhurt guard.

Perception:1d20 + 0 ⇒ (1) + 0 = 1

Edmin pauses as the guards move towards him, the knight cocks his head to the side trying to hear if anyone is returning the call of the drunken guards.

Charge Power Attack:1d20 + 5 + 2 - 1 ⇒ (12) + 5 + 2 - 1 = 18
Damage: 1d8 + 4 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 4 + 2 = 14

Edit: I will still charge the guards if I hear anything from the other rooms, but that will change my tactics for fighting here in the long hall way.

My initial thought was to head down the stairs since they were open. Then Bref went all chimney sweep on us. I asked about the chimney and initially DMDM said that a medium could fit, when this changed from easy fit to good chance of getting stuck I sent my lovable friend down the steps. This is where we are at. Since Rosa has posted she is following us to find an alternate way to where Bref is playing "cookmunch", I assume that the others, Jax, Zima and Grumblejack would have followed.

Thinking of which, Cуровую зиму, what is your nickname? I have Zima stuck in my head for you, and while cutting and pasting the characters you use is always doable, a short nickname is always easier. I see now looking back that you typed Zimu at some point, is that the pronunciation you prefer?

Edmin we posted at the same second!