The tilting deck throws the crew off of their feet, and towards the water on the starboard side.
The creature roars as it lands on its feet, seaweed and water sloshing from around it. Praxim's arrow hits dead on, and it roars again, this time from pain. Kellen's crossbow bolt bounces harmlessly off its tough hide, as it ducks the dwarf's swing. At that moment, the grease spell covers the floor under its feet, and already off-balance, it crashes to the deck.
Another of the huge creatures grabs a hold of the rail, and begins to climb over the side. The prone monster swipes at Thordak with a claw, but misses.
The Swamp Rat continues to tilt, the far rail getting closer to the water as the river, and now the weight of the two creatures forces it down.
Praxim takes aim at the new one, hoping to take it down and dislodge it from its perch.
Arrow 1:
Damage:
Arrow 2:
Damage:
Arrow 3:
Damage:
66 damage total
Edit: I didn't understand that last part of your post, but now I think you mean we need to make checks to stay afoot? Dex: just in case
As Rhianni's mind remembers the stories of the pirates of Riddleport, she blurts out "Trolls...Sea Trolls...Captain Tremain the Blackheart fought creatures such as these on the high seas, they tried to steal his treasure of gold and pearl." Her words getting clearer as she gets closer to Tomaru, before she stops and waves her arms dramatically as she speaks words of arcane power, then blows into her hand as though creating a cloud of fortune for her shipmates.
School transmutation; Level bard 3, sorcerer/wizard 3
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, M (a shaving of licorice root)
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Targets one creature/level, no two of which can be more than 30 ft. apart
Duration 1 round/level
Saving Throw Fortitude negates (harmless); Spell Resistance yes (harmless)
The transmuted creatures move and act more quickly than normal. This extra speed has several effects.
When making a full attack action, a hasted creature may make one extra attack with one natural or manufactured weapon. The attack is made using the creature's full base attack bonus, plus any modifiers appropriate to the situation. (This effect is not cumulative with similar effects, such as that provided by a speed weapon, nor does it actually grant an extra action, so you can't use it to cast a second spell or otherwise take an extra action in the round.)
A hasted creature gains a +1 bonus on attack rolls and a +1 dodge bonus to AC and Reflex saves. Any condition that makes you lose your Dexterity bonus to Armor Class (if any) also makes you lose dodge bonuses.
All of the hasted creature's modes of movement (including land movement, burrow, climb, fly, and swim) increase by 30 feet, to a maximum of twice the subject's normal speed using that form of movement. This increase counts as an enhancement bonus, and it affects the creature's jumping distance as normal for increased speed. Multiple haste effects don't stack. Haste dispels and counters slow.
Moving quickly as if the deck were still level, Kellen pulls his blades to attack the second creature - hoping to take advantage of it's awkward climb.
Bleeding damage: 3/round until healed.
Bleeding Attack: With a sneak attack, attack causes the target to take 1 additional point of damage each round for each die of the rogue's sneak attack (3d6 equals 3 points of bleed). Bleeding creatures take that amount of damage every round at the start of each of their turns. The bleeding can be stopped by a DC 15 Heal check or the application of any effect that heals hit point damage. Bleeding damage bypasses any damage reduction the creature might possess.
As another of the creatures rises upon the boat, concern rises within Thordak as he takes a step back and swings furiously, again and again, hoping to bring down the sea troll quickly before the weight of the beast and his allies capsize them.
Edit:
Tomaru tries to keep his footing.
Acrobatics
Cloak flapping about her shoulders like a pair of wings as the wind catches its folds, Lym makes her way forward, somehow managing not to fall despite the ship's tilting. Her eyes widen behind the veil when she sees what has come to accost the vessel!
"Conveneant flammas rubras," she chants as she weaves her hands in arcane gestures. "Conveneat ignis urens! Sphaeram ignis expandentis e manu meu evolet!"
A tiny bead of light flies away from the Wizard's hand and comes to a stop behind the scrag currently trying to get on board -- and there expands into a sphere of rolling, roaring flame, which hungrily licks the beast's back! The flames spill out, touching the prone monster as well before they die out.
Bow, blade, and fire decimate the two trolls on deck. The first dies in a heap amid the grease on deck, the second lets go and slips back into the water. The barge heaves back to port, becoming a bit more level.
"Scrags!" yells Tolan, "Water trolls! Accursed things heal in the water! Help me right this thing!" He gets to his feet and runs to the stern. At the same time, you hear a loud "HELP!". Another troll has climbed onto the back of the Swamp Rat and is menacing one of the crewmen. He is currently attempting to fend it off with his mop, without much success. The tillerman is prone on the deck under the thing's feet, his tiller listing aimlessly. The barge begins to spin in the current, causing the sail yardarm to swing violently around the craft.
Lym curses as she loses her balance, staggering and flailing for purchase.
"Get that thing!" she shouts. "Shoot it! Shoot it!"
Kellen glances down to see the beast sink back into the water, and then barely ducks in time to avoid the yardarm. At the sounds of yelling, he will make his way towards the back of the boat.
Thordak rolls his eyes in frustration. "These blasted things heal in the water?! Ohhhh, nice! Well, I guess we let 'em come up and then burn 'em, seeing how they like water so much. Of course, that's a whole 'nother set of problems," he explains as he moves to help the crewmen.
Tomaru scrambles to keep upright
Reflex
Can I use the Agile Feet power?
Praxim unleashes more arrows as he ducks under the yardarm.
Total damage: 106
As arrow after arrow sink into the troll's hideous face, something like a smile begins to tug at the corner of Praxim's lips, as in the days of old.
Rhianni helps Tomaru, as she does she infuses Tomaru with help against the troll-like creatures.
The yard catches Kellen, Lym, and Tomaru full on as it's erratic swing takes them by surprise.
Thordak charges towards the beast, longaxe at the ready. Four arrows zip around him - over his shoulder, under each arm, and for good measure, between the legs. The troll looks around, shocked by the sudden pain, then it slumps to the deck, dead.
"GRAB THAT RUDDER!!!" yells Tolan, "BEFORE WE CAPSIZE!!!"
Lym tries to rise, but the ship's pitching combined with her headache from the impact with the yard send her sprawling on the deck again.
The Wizard forces herself to think through the pain and starts to chant, her voice reaching beyond the visible world...
Kellen picks himself off the deck, rubbing the blood off his lip where the yard arm hit him full-on. "Snapped like a reefclaw..." he mutters. Seeing that new invader is down, he scans around for other threats that might be clambering into the boat.
Rhianni quickly heeds the sailor's cry and forms her magic into the form a hand which tries to take hold of the rudder.
Concentration
Cast Hold Person on closest scrag.
Stand up.
"Nice shootin', laddie! But you're takin' all my fun!" As the captain cries for help, "I'm on it!" Thordak moves over to the rudder, drops his weapon and grabs it, holding on for dear life, unaware of the magic from Rhianni that could easily be holding it in place.
Thordak and Rhianni's efforts steady the barge, giving time for the crew of the Swamp Rat to get to their feet. They quickly take the tiller and give it a heave. "WATCH FER THAT BOOM!" yells Tolan, as the barge comes back about to face upriver. With that warning, it's fairly easy to duck under the swinging sail. "We've got to clear this area, then we kin burn these." He says, pointing to the two dead scrags on the deck. "If'n there's anythin' ye kin do to speed us up, that'd be helpful. If not, keep watch!"
One of the scrags got hit with fire the same round they took it down (as did the one that fell back in the water), so they should be dead. The one at the back will need fire or acid to kill it for good.
Given time to think about it, you know that scrags heal on contact with water. They are somewhat different from standard trolls. That means the two on deck will remain dead given they do not immerse in water, but the one who went back in the river will heal.
Praxim keeps an arrow on his bowstring, watching the water for shadows.
Kellen continues to scan the area for any threats. He preps his crossbow as he does so to loose a shot.
Lym finishes her incantation and makes a gesture. Two small fires appear, roughly human-shaped and oddly animate -- right on top of the downed scrags' heads. Without further orders, they remain in place, crackling and slow-roasting the not-yet-quite-dead water trolls.
"Someone help me up," Lym groans as she clasps the gunwhale. "Ugh! I would have summoned air elementals to speed us up... but I don't speak their language yet."
Rhianni helps the others keep watch.
The next hour is tense, watching expectantly for another attack, but the scrags do not return. Satisfied that the journey can continue, Tolan approaches you.
"Can't say I've ever seen anythin' like that." He begins. "Guess Brother Pietre was right, y'all do pack a bit of a punch! Them trolls never stood a chance! You kin ride the Swamp Rat any time ya feel! Need a job?"
Two days pass without incident. Near the end of the second day, a small village on stilts heaves into view. Rising out of a widened area of the swamp, its buildings are connected by wooden boardwalks.
"Wartle." says Tolan, joining you at the rail. "Mostly swampers and trappers, that sort. We have a quick stop here an' then off. Nothin' much to see: tavern called the Lean-To, not much else. Ye have an hour if ye wants to get ashore fer a bit."
Praxim jovially declines the generous offer of employment. His mood is much improved this day, and to Rhianni and Lymn, he seems more the Praxim of old, before Markov and the barghest.
He will go ashore here, though not to the tavern. He searches out a fletcher's to stock up on arrows.
"You want to get off this boat and grab a quick drink?" Lym asks the others. "Just to feel a surface under our feet that doesn't move? ... And so we can ask whether the scrags have been acting up all up and down the water, or we were an exception?"
Taking the chance of the stop, Kellen decides to get off the barge. "Aye - I could use a spot of drink; not so much the news." He'll follow to the pub and when they sit down, he whittles on a solid piece of wood he found.
Old habits keep him glancing around the place for anyone suspicious. He does bring up the elf's milder demeanor to ask any of the others who join them:"Your friend doesn't seem so full of spittle and vinegar today. So is it the city or someone else we left back there that doesn't agree with him?"
His tone is fairly neutral and hardly inquisitive - as if he expects little by way of an answer.
The Lean-To is a building like all the others in Wartle - on stilts and somewhat ramshackle. It's only defining feature is that its stilts sit at a pretty severe angle. The local specialty drink is called Bog Grog...who's in?
Kellen - having drunk some questionable spirits in Riddleport in the past - will give it a try.
"I'll go. Anything to get my feet on solid ground for a bit."
As they make their way into the dumpy tavern, he takes a seat with the others. "I'll pass." He waves a hand, not interested in drinking anything from this hole in the ground.
Drinks are soon brought out, over dark looks from the locals. Bog Grog is about what you'd expect. Thick as mud, smells like swamp, and tastes like it too. It even has a greenish-brown color, just for effect. There is nothing in Riddleport that compares...it's possible that the only thing worse than Bog Grog might be a mugful from the hagfish tank in Jargie Quinn's place back in Sandpoint. But you can't be sure.
Soon, the hour that Tolan gave you is up and the Swamp Rat is ready to shove off.
The look on Kellen's face at having tried the brew matches the beverage's appearance - miserable. "Just as soon drunk from the river and probably would have tasted better."
Aside from the terrible drink, he goes about getting more travel rations - but otherwise is ready to go.
The Swamp Rat pushes off from the dock, the sail is set, and soon the breeze sets you on your way up river again. Within hours, the plains of southern Varisia disappear, swallowed up by a great green forest.
"The Sanos Forest," you hear Tolan say, "gnomes, fairies, and worse." The breeze dies soon after, caught by the great trees of the wood. The crew furl the sail and break out great sweeps from the rear of the barge, taking turns, two at a time. The going is slow, but the barge makes steady headway. The Yondabakari River here is wide and slow, the current being barely detectable.
A day passes, and the Sanos Forest drops away from the north bank, revealing open plains again. Late that evening, Tolan approaches you as prepare for the night. "We're comin' up on another settlement." He begins. "Whistledown. Center o' gnome population in Varisia, tho' there're as many humans gnomes, if ya ask me. We don' have any business there, but I'll stop if'n ya'll want. Whattaya say?"
Darkness is heavy on the river, and a light mist creeps out from the banks. A soft breeze blows into your face, the first from ahead of your travel direction. Tolan looks at you expectantly.
Perception:
"Sounds...interesting," Praxim says, cocking an ear. "Is it dangerous, that you'd rather avoid it and just drop anchor along the shore?"
"Sounds...interesting," Praxim says, cocking an ear. "Is it dangerous, that you'd rather avoid it and just drop anchor along the shore?"
"Dangerous? Nah, unless ya consider gnomes an' their tomfoolery dangerous."
"I thought I heard somethin' ahead. But what if it's not gnomes, hm? I'm thinkin' we'd best be ready just in case it's somethin' nasty that we can't avoid." Thordak pulls out his longaxe, leaning on it to appear non-threatening.