GM DFang |
You are in Absalom, the mighty City at the Center of the World, and you’ve always longed to explore one of the countless ruins of failed conquerors that litter the plains outside the city’s walls. You’ve heard rumors that one of the sealed siege castles has been laid open by a minor earthquake. Word on the street is that no one has yet entered the tower, which folks are calling the “Fallen Fortress.” What better way to start a life of excitement and adventure than by exploring its long-abandoned, dusty halls and perhaps claiming its ancient treasures?
You have meet each other one bright morning in front of Absalom's Eagle Garrison and saw a posting from a local wealthy collector looking for any relics inside the Fallen Tower. It looked exciting and seemed like a simple task for a group of start-up adventurers. Agreeing to tackle the tower together and share the prize, you meet each other at the nearest city gate towards the Cairnlands after a couple of hours of preparation.
You guys have enough time to do some last minute purchases in Absalom before starting. I'll open up the Discussion tab for your introduction to each other.
Ashen Nyteshade |
Dotting
The pale young girl to one side. Keeping to herself. Luckley it was early. So a lot less people around
Copper Tam |
Tam appears at the Eagle Garrison bright and early, with a spring in her step.
She strips off her armor and places it against the city wall, adjusts her tunic, and proceeds to engage in a regimen of stretching exercises. She punctuates each pose with a prayer.
Brand Windstrider |
Brand approaches the city gate at a run, stopping as he recognizes his new adventuring companions from the advertised posting.
Lucky me, how often does a single male get to adventure with an all woman party! This should be much more interesting than the last party I went with.
Brand waves, "ਦੋਸਤ ਹੈਲੋ! ਕਿਸ ਤੁਹਾਨੂੰ ਸਭ ਨੂੰ ਅੱਜ ਹੋ?"he stops for second, as if habitually and takes a breath. "Apologies. Hello my friends. How are you all today?"
The foreign language text is supposed to represent infernal. My apologies for picking a real-life language to represent devil-speak. It's not meant to be racist, but it's just easier to use Google Translate. For reference, it's Punjabi.
Isabella Aldori |
Next to arrive is Isabella. She is leading a mule.
"Good morning Brand! I trust you had a good night? Morning Tam and Ashen! You might want to tone down on those exercises a bit Tam, unless you wanted to have this kind of attention."
Isabella points to the few men that have gathered to gawk at Tam. She then takes a whetstone and starts honing her sword. You might notice that it is not really necessary, the blade is in excellent condition.
Copper Tam |
Tam stops and blushes slightly. "Attention? Just... tryingtowakeup"
She hastily pulls her armor back on and picks up her spear. "Protection like this is necessary," she muses, "but I'd rather be clad in faith."
Hearing the chuckles behind her, she whirls around to look at the men. For the most part, they just move on about their way. Sizing up a straggler, though, she simply stares straight at him and adds, "Don't."
Ashen Nyteshade |
Ashen blushes behind her mask, she could never do such things when people were looking. Especially boys. Those who have seen her without her mask did comment on her looks, but she never believed them. So she kept her mask on most of the time
Brand Windstrider |
Brand pulls out a copper piece and flips it repetitively as he chats with the group.
"A good night indeed! I could hardly sleep from the excitement that today can bring. Imagine an abandoned tower! ਮੈਨੂੰਅੰਦਰਕੀਹੈਹੈਰਾਨ!?"
Obvious disappointment appears on his face as Isabella alerts the goggled woman to the looks she was drawing during her stretching. "Awww..." followed by a laugh as she addresses a stranger in the crowd.
"So what do you think we'll find? Where's the other one? The angel lady? Are we ready to go? Do you think we'll need any other gear?"
Ashen Nyteshade |
Ashen looked at the newcomer. Another of her kind, but obviously not the same bloodline. Nothing like herself. She admired her courage and strong will
Isabella Aldori |
we are at the gates, not in a room
"One day we will duel for that remark, but that day is not today."
Isabella sheathes her sword and stands up. "Can we finally go now that miss sunshine has had her beauty sleep?"
Ashen Nyteshade |
Please don't fight so early... please dont fight she says in a whispering voice
Isabella Aldori |
"Oh, we are not fighting. This is just playful banter."
Isabella leads the mule through the gates and strives to catch up with Tam.
Brand Windstrider |
Brand snatches his coin into his palm, "Playful banter? Remind me not to start a fight with you two!"
Then he runs up to the masked woman, placing a hand on her shoulder briefly, and whispers, "They wouldn't hurt each other. I don't think. It'd be fun to watch though!" He smiles for a second, thinking that he has been genuinely comforting.
Then he speed-walks to the front of the party and resumes flipping his copper piece.
GM DFang |
@ Elsabeth - I still need you to setup the quick info bar underneath your alias...
Your journey was peaceful, allowing you time to see the litter among hills and fields of the Cairnlands. The forts and ruins you pass by look to be well visited by previous adventurers, and along the road you find broken relics from the past wars. Soon enough, you see the top of your destination over a hill and you pause for a while at its peak to see the tower in full.
The ruined siege castle now being called the Fallen Fortress rises out of the churned earth of the Cairnlands. No doors or windows mar the otherwise smooth expanse of the tower’s walls. The tower is quatrefoil in plan; its eastern wing has largely collapsed, exposing the interior floors to the open air. Only the topmost level seems whole, though its eastern portion hangs precariously over the mountain of rubble left by the collapse. At ground level, the rubble frames a gaping hole in the side of the building that provides access to the tower’s darkened interior.
As you approach it from the side with the collapsed wall, you notice a small pack of wild dogs come out from the other side of the rubble. As they notice your scent, they run towards your company with barks and a yelp only to suddenly stop a few yards away as if to observe their prey.
Initiative
Dogs: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7
Ashen: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (7) + 9 = 16
Brand: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (5) + 10 = 15
Copper: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (18) + 2 = 20
Elsabeth: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5
Isabella: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (2) + 5 = 7
GM DFang |
The link to the map should be at the top of this page, just underneath the thread title. You may move your tokens by yourself according to your declared actions. Warning: Any move other than your tokens that results to revealing parts of the map will incur a cumulative -2 to all your saving throws.
You may now act:
Copper
Ashen
Brand
Isabella
Copper
Ashen
Brand
Isabella
Dogs
Elsabeth
Copper Tam |
Tam pulls out her longspear, takes a step forward, and holds position.
"Let them try to get past me, first, then we can strike them down quickly."
5' step, draw longspear, ready action for brace. Note reach and Combat Reflexes.
Isabella Aldori |
Isabella shrugs "Fine with me Tam" as she draws her blade and readies herself for the first dog that comes within reach.
Readied Attack: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6
If someone attacks Isabella she will spend one panache and her single possible AoO to execute an opportune Parry and Riposte. Please roll that for me GM. This is SOP for Isabella until she has only 1 panache left.
Ashen Nyteshade |
Ashen points a finger at one of the dogs, as a perma frost beam shoots forth!
RTA: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (15) + 4 = 19
Cold: 1d3 ⇒ 1
Brand Windstrider |
Good Puppy Brand thinks to himself.
Brand pulls out his bow and walks past Ashen to get a better line of sight.
"ਸਾਨੂੰ ਉਹ ਨੂੰ ਮਾਰਨ ਬਿਨਾ ਦੂਰ ਜਾਣ ਦੀ ਪ੍ਰਾਪਤ ਕਰ ਸਕਦੇ ਹਨ ਕੋਈ ਵੀ ਮੌਕਾ?" Infernal: "Any chance we can get them to go away without killing them?"
Move action: Draw Bow.
Move action: Move 30ft west [Assumption: rubble is difficult terrain. Speed of 40]
GM DFang |
@Ashen - the dog has cover so there's soft cover penalty, but you hit either way. I'm going to assume your target is the one directly below you.
As if the pause never happened, three of the dogs dash forward madly barking all the way, while the other one seems to be staying back with a slight limp.
Charge Bite vs Copper: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (12) + 4 = 16
AoO from Copper: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (17) + 2 = 19
Damage from Copper: 2d8 + 6 ⇒ (1, 8) + 6 = 15
He slams against Copper's spear with a sudden jolt as the spear head go through it's head with a burst of blood.
Charge Bite vs Isabella: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (10) + 4 = 14
As Copper struggles to pull back her spear, another dog runs past, charging towards Isabella quickly shrugging off the beam shot from Ashen's finger. Isabella attepts to counter but her blade slices over the dogs' head as he charges but fortunately she had enough time to raise her buckler to block the bite from the dog.
@Isabella - it's your attack vs the attack of the dog for you to counter riposte right? 6 vs 14
Charge Bite vs Elsabeth: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (10) + 4 = 14
This dog runs forward with no problem, except that it tries to bit through the thicker part of Elsabeth's armor causing no damage but to a tooth.
Everyone is free to act
Ashen Nyteshade |
She shoots another beam of super cold air at the dog. Not liking to kill them, but she wasnt going to lay down dying
RTA: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6
But the beam goes off target as she flinches at the other dogs coming at them
Copper Tam |
Thanks to reach and Combat Reflexes
AoO on Dog_middle: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5
AoO on Dog_right: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6
Okay, never mind.
Shaking bits of dog off the end of her spear, she watches the other dogs rush her party-mates. She shifts position and tries to get the dog off Isabella.
Attack: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (14) + 2 = 16 Damage: 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 = 8
Isabella Aldori |
It is also not a good idea to roll after the GM has posted, because my parry and riposte rolls could change the attack when it is made.
For this attack:
Parry: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (14) + 4 = 18
This beats the 14, so the attack misses. I can now make an attack as an immediate action because I still have at least 1 panache left.
Riposte: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (17) + 4 = 21
Damage: 1d8 ⇒ 4
Isabella was quick on her feet when the dog attacked, managing to get a slash in over its ugly maw. She now attacks the nearest dog again, but misses.
Attack: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10
Damage: 1d8 ⇒ 2
Tam, I think the rightmost dog was a bit to far away for a AoO, it did not leave a threatened square.
Brand Windstrider |
Brand moves aside Copper and raises his bow, taking aim at the lagging mongrel. The arrow shakes as he draws the the bowstring back, and it's probably clear that he isn't entirely familiar in it's use.
He lets the arrow loose : 1d20 - 2 ⇒ (3) - 2 = 1
Move Action: 30ft South
Standard Action: Shoot Bow
GM DFang |
@Copper - Isabella is right, the dog on the right won't provoke since the first square he enters during the charge is the square he ended. Your readied action would also only apply to one charging opponent since it's a standard action. You're correct on AoO on the middle dog though; too bad it missed.
@Isabella - thanks for the clarification. I got confused by the difference between your roll for the readied action vs the parry, but it's fine now. As I understand, your move during the dog's charge was: Readied attack (miss) -> Parry (success) -> Riposte (hit).
The dog that has charged Isabella now has multiple open wounds on its side, but somehow it still manages to keep standing. Copper quickly takes advantage of its distraction and stabs it through, leaving twice the amount of gore along the shaft of her spear as she pulls it back.
Brand's shot flies high above the dog in the rear. As the arrow lands behind it however the dog barks and starts to turn around. Chance for the arrow to be recoverable > 50%: 1d100 ⇒ 97
GM DFang |
Elsabeth strikes with unerring accuracy as the dogs barks, her rapier driven through the roof of its mouth. It slumps down at the ground, twitches twice, and does not move again.
The last dog scampers away as fast as it can manage with a limp. It is now too scared to even try attacking you again.
Congratulations on finishing the first encounter! You are now free to continue towards the Fallen Tower and discover if there are indeed any relics inside.
From the companion's position, looking up the tower reveals that the collapsed eastern wall reaches up to the fourth floor. The most accessible entries are through the first floor with the widest opening, and climbing the rubble to reach the second floor does not seem that difficult either at first glance. Climbing any further looks difficult, but is possible, especially with the right tools.
Updated map to reveal the broken edges that you see.
Ashen Nyteshade |
Ashen quietly, folds her arms back into her robes. Staying quiet. This was too rowdy for her to start with
Copper Tam |
Copper grimaces as she wipes the end of her spear. "That was unfortunate, but better them than us! Onward!"
She stops as she views the overhanging tower. Looking at the damage, she adds, "What do you think, climb up into the upper floor, or just go in one of those two doorways on the bottom?"
Ashen Nyteshade |
I suggest the door, my climbing skills aren't exactly competitive she responds in her whispering voice
Brand Windstrider |
Brand takes a breath as the dog flees. He puts away his bow, and pulls his morningstar out of his backpack. "ਇਹ ਸੰਭਵ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਹੁਣ ਲਈ ਇੱਕ ਬਿਹਤਰ ਵਿਕਲਪ ਹੈ." Infernal: "This is probably a better choice for now."
He hefts the handle as if testing it, then begins to use it's strap to spin it idly in a circle. "The bottom! We shall meet trouble head on, not invite it to come at us from both sides!"
Ashen Nyteshade |
Brand takes a breath as the dog flees. He puts away his bow, and pulls his morningstar out of his backpack. "ਇਹ ਸੰਭਵ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਹੁਣ ਲਈ ਇੱਕ ਬਿਹਤਰ ਵਿਕਲਪ ਹੈ." Infernal: "This is probably a better choice for now."
As he speaks, she takes a step back, keeping a distance between herself and the elf
Isabella Aldori |
"Ok, bottom it is!"
Isabella strides to the bottom door, stopping a foot in front of them to inspect them for traps or other trouble.
Perception: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (11) + 3 = 14
Elsabeth, you might want to reread "Swashbuckler Finesse". It seems like you applied your Str bonus to your to hit instead of Dex, which you are entitled to because of Weapon Finesse.
Disclaimer: I am not trying to take over the role of the GM, just try to understand things if I think they might come in handy on one of my (other) characters.
Ashen Nyteshade |
The pale Aasimar extends her hand and a shadowy figure seems to move to the top of her hand and become more substancial as it lifts of it. A scorpion materializes
Be carefull my friend, but go have a look and see what you can find
The little scorpion scurries away into the room, if he finds nothing, he quickly returns and melds with her skin again
Stealth: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (12) + 15 = 27
Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (15) + 4 = 19
GM DFang |
The southern room is dim due to the rubble blocking most of the light but as the scorpion comes back to Ashen, it holds a greenish scale the size of a fingernail in one of its claws. It's cracked but looks fresh, and you smell a faint stink lingering as you hold it up to your face.
You need a Knowledge, Nature check to identify the scale.
Ashen Nyteshade |
Ashen hands it to who ever knows about these things. She doesn't make a sound, not wanting to alert what ever might be hiding from them
Isabella Aldori |
Isabella shrugs, she knows next to nothing about nature.
Knowledge Nature, untrained: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (17) + 1 = 18
Ashen Nyteshade |
He is a close friend. An odd friend, but a good one. His name is Tatu