Terquem |
The group pauses at the makeshift elevator. The mood is tense, and everyone eyes the apparatus with suspicion.
Luca Shatterstone |
Luca finds a pebble and casts light on it before throwing it up into the shaft.
A move plus at least two standards. If there's no pebbles, she casts it on her hammer before holding it aloft.
"No sense in not knowin' how many somethin's"
Rownig Fleetfoot |
Rownig sheaths his hand axes and takes his bow out threading an arrow. [/b]"Luca, can ye do dat 'gain on me arrow?"[/b] Rownig, then, carefully places his body against the side of the cave as he peers up the shaft.
stealth to hide in shadows: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (10) + 7 = 17
Terquem |
The darkened chamber is illuminated by the pebble Luca throws into the air, and in the sudden light, four creatures scurry across the ceiling, running for shadows. The pebble falls as others ready weapons. Rowning slide a few steps toward the wall and Luca follows him. As she casts light on an arrow Rownig has readied, the light on the pebble winks out.
Moralane readies her bow and crouches. Her face gives away her fear, While Atharessa grips her sword with both hands and stays close to Azram.
Rownig aims at the area of the ceiling above the shaft in the floor, where the ropes and pulles hang, and lets the arrow fly. It striles a beam, and sticks and there is more movement as the creatures hiding in the recess space above the shaft scurry out of the light. As yet these things, whatever they are, have made no threatening movements.
As they move to the darkness of the edged of the chamber, you all get a look at them, briefly. They are vaguely humanoid, about the size of Halflings with disproportionally long arms and legs. Their skin appears to me mottled blacks and greys, a perfect camoflauge for the dark ceiling.
Knowledge Checks can be made to identify the creatures. A sense Motive check, with a very high result, may shed some light on their behavior.
Luca Shatterstone |
Sense Motive: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (12) + 3 = 15
"Hallister. I doon't think yer singin' is gonna cause as many nightmares as this place."
Luca readies her hammer, her eyes glimmer as the scrawny dwarf shifts her stance to one more suited to fighting. It's not the twinkle of someone excited about something about to happen, but the gleam of someone one who's fears are beginning to surface.
Mazrim Deacon |
Knowledge (Dungeoneering): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (8) + 6 = 14
Knowledge (History): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (6) + 6 = 12
Knowledge (Nature): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (3) + 6 = 9
Knowledge (Religion): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (18) + 6 = 24
sense motive: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (13) + 6 = 19
Cautiously waiting for any imminent attack Mazrim will try to study the creatures.
Terquem |
Rownig Fleetfoot |
"Seems like 'dese creatures a lurking fer easy prey wit the 'levator shaft." He pauses and contemplates, "if we are goin' ta use the 'levator, we's need ta do sumthing 'bout 'em...perhaps smoke 'em out. They's have a long reach so be careful."
Luca Shatterstone |
"We're probably gonna have ta come back this way, an' they'll be waitin'. I say start shootin'."
Light plays in Luca's eyes as a flames like a forge fire's begin to flicker to life.
If no one presents another option, Luca's going to throw some fire around.
Terquem |
[ooc]No trees, bushes or grass, but there is plenty of wood, from the stairs. However, lighting a fire in an underground cave is usually not a safe thing to do. You would known that.{ooc]
"Maybe four of us should stay here, keep them away from the shaft, while the rest make for the box. We don't have all day," Moralane says as she notches an arrow.
Rownig Fleetfoot |
"Ain't nuthin' guud 'bout splittin' the party." Rownig draws another arrow, he bites off a bit of the fletching and lets it fire at one of the creatures.
Short bow: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 3 = 7;damage: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3
Grumbling at the sorry attempt.
Terquem |
The arrow imbeds into a bracing member on the ceiling, and for a moment there is only the sound of the echo of the impact. Then there is a shriek, a high pitched whistle, and several grunts and howls. The creatures on the ceiling scurry toward the party,
Roll for initiative
creatures 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (8) + 6 = 14
Rownig Fleetfoot |
Rd 1 Action:
"Aye time t'fight! As Rownig draws another arrow and lets it fly at the nearest creature.
Sh Bow: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6;damage: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2
"Blasted dang gone bow be cursed..." he grumbles loudly.
*The +1 damage is due to tunnel fighter trait.
Luca Shatterstone |
init: 1d20 ⇒ 14
Flame Bolt 5/6 left: 1d20 - 2 ⇒ (13) - 2 = 11
Fire Damage: 1d6 ⇒ 5
Flames congeal in Luca's hand as she mutters a prayer for victory. Picking one of the creatures out, she sends a fiery bolt streaking towards the unnatural thing.
"Ne'er thought I'd see anythin' that ugly."
Terquem |
Okay I might make a few of you angry but this is what I think is how it’s supposed to work.
some of these things were already mentioned in the discussion thread
Ready Actions: A couple of you have stated you will “ready and action” to do something, but as I understand it you cannot ready an action until you have actually reached your turn in combat (that is to say you can’t go around with a ready action all of the time just waiting for combat to occur). So even though you are all standing around watching these dangerous creatures wondering if, and when, they will attack, you cannot “ready an action” while you are waiting.
So technically, the round begins at the moment Rownig acts (in response to his “belief” the monsters are attacking) at Initiative count 22. At 15, Mazrim can ready an action to attack a creature as soon as it is within range of his reach weapon, or he can move before the creatures are close enough and attack immediately. At 14 Luca acts and the creatures move into positions to attack the party. The creatures have reach and can attack up to 4 of the party members (there are 4 of the creatures). Mazrim can now make an attack (his readied action if he did not act on his initiative) before the creatures attacks are resolved, and strangely enough his initiative is reset, because of the readied action, to 15 (weird I know). Hallister can now ready an actions to do something before his initiative in the next round or he can try to attack a creature that has attacked him, but because he does not have a reach weapon, or a ranged weapon, his attack is futile (he swings upward at the creature on the ceiling but it is out of reach).
Now here is a strange thing: If a monster uses natural attacks and has reach, can a character attack the part of the body that is used in the reach attack? I’m not sure about this one and might ask in the rules forums.
Terquem |
An arrow flies, striking the ceiling behind one of the monsters and across the room a bolt of fire streaks toward the ceiling as well with the same misfortune.
The monsters scurry across the ceiling with unnatural speed and attack. They move into a position just above the character and strike out with one long arm.
Against Rownig 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (20) + 6 = 26
Against Atharessa 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (2) + 6 = 8
Against Luca 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (16) + 6 = 22
And against Mazrim, who strikes upward as the monster closes in on him, but misses 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (7) + 6 = 13
Terquem |
Both Luca and Rownig are grabbed by the neck.
In order to drag the characters closer to them the monsters will have to lift them. In the next round, on the monsters initiative, I will make an oppsed strength check for each of you, and if the monsters win, you are lifted. Since both of you can act before the monsters can try to lift you, you gain a bonus of +2 to your grapple check, on your turn, to try and break the hold. If you do not break the hold, and the monster does not lift you off the ground, it will have a -2 modifier to maintain the hold. If you do not break the hold and the monster does lift you off the ground it can make a normal grapple check (doing constrict damage as normal if it succeeds). Any questions?
Moralane will shoot an arrow at the monster holding Rowning He has not been moved closer to the monster, so she is not shooting into close combat 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (14) + 4 = 18
damage 1d6 ⇒ 3
Atharessa will rush to help Luca, giving her a +2 bonus on any Combat maneuver check she makes on her turn in round two.
Azram moves toward Luca as well
end of round one
Mazrim Deacon |
Theres a specific feat to allow people to attack a monsters limbs when attacked with reach actually. Its called Strike back.
Round two if Mazrim can use a five foot step to move into range of the creature grappling Luca he will attack that one, otherwise he will attack the closest one.
attack roll: 1d20 + 4 - 2 ⇒ (4) + 4 - 2 = 6damage: 2d4 + 3 ⇒ (4, 2) + 3 = 9
...and flail about uselessly
Terquem |
The monster holding onto Rownig, struggles, and pulls hard trying to lift him off of the ground strength check1d20 + 3 ⇒ (9) + 3 = 12, this is an opposed check. The monster must succeed or it will suffer a -2 penalty to its grapple check to do constrict damage.
Just a short distance away Luca wrenches the rubbery tentacle from her own neck and is free, but the monster pulls that arm back with a snap, and lashes out with the other as Mazrim closes in on it with threatening attacks
Attack against Luca1d20 + 6 ⇒ (13) + 6 = 19
damage 1d4 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 3 = 7 attempt to grapple 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (12) + 8 = 20
the impact of the arm around Luca’s neck knocks her unconscious.
Atharessa is attacked again. The monster that attacked Mazrim follows him as he moves toward Luca, and attacks him again.
Attack against Atharessa 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (18) + 6 = 24
damage 1d4 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4 attempt t grapple 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (8) + 8 = 16
Attack against Mazrim (flanking, we have no map, but it would seem that if Mazrim moved five feet toward Luca to be able to attack the monster attacking Luca, and the monster attacking him followed with a five foot step it could be in a position to be flanking Mazrim
1d20 + 8 ⇒ (15) + 8 = 23
damage 1d4 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6 attempt to grapple 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (7) + 8 = 15
Luca, Atharessa, and Mazrim are grappled around the neck. On the next round Atharessa and Mazrim may attempt to break the grapple, and if they do not succeed they will make opposed strength checks. Luca is unconscious and unless the monster holding her is stopped it will drag her away, moving half of its movement as it is encumbered.
Hallister can act, and then Moralane and Azram
I'm going to allow attacks against the monster's arms, with a -1 penalty.
Rownig Fleetfoot |
Here is quick map that I came up with if it helps,
Tell me if this is roughly what you have described Terquem. Changes are easy enough for me to do. I haloed the enemy creatures, the other folks in the cave are our NPC party members. Again, I can adjust their locations. Unfortunately, maptools does not provide a creature with 10ft reach without making it a larger creature (taking up 4 hexes then), so I just placed the enemy creatures next to the PC's.
I could have put a crevice/shaft but the 3d aspect is pretty complicated.
Rownig Fleetfoot |
Here is quick attempt at adding the 3d aspect to an image looking downward. I need to try to figure out how to actually look upward into a shaft.
I didn't include the creatures or the npcs on this one. I just wanted to present an option.
Rownig Fleetfoot |
Terquem |
None of the links seem to work for me. I need to get back to the combat, kind of hoping Hallister can do something, not sure what, but let's see (maybe take Mazrim's Ransuer?). Oh and by the way, from a "looking down perspective the monsters are "next" to the characters they are attacking. It's just that they are above them so the five extra feet is measured in that third dimension.
Azram sees Luca’s arms drop as she loses consciousness and realizes he must do something now. He mutters a prayer, and points his hand at the monster holding Luca
Azram will cast Acid Dart
1d20 + 3 ⇒ (16) + 3 = 19 damage 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5
Moralane fires another arrow at the monster holding Luca
1d20 + 4 ⇒ (12) + 4 = 16 damage 1d6 ⇒ 2
The acid dart strikes the monster in shoulder, and it screams in pain, but Moralane's arrow misses. this monster has taken 8 points of damage
Rownig manages to brace himself and prevents the monster holding him from picking him up off of his feet. The arm around Rownig’s neck tightens attempting to choke the life out of him
Grapple check 1d20 + 8 - 2 ⇒ (9) + 8 - 2 = 15 damage 1d4 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4
Atharessa will try to break the hold
Grapple check 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4
Rownig Fleetfoot |
RD 3:
Rownig will once again try to wiggle free form the grasp.
Escape Artist: 1d20 + 7 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 7 + 2 = 21
Its a 19 if I don't get the +2 to grapple check previously provided.
If Rownig squirms free he will attempt to move away 20 feet if that does not provoke an AoO, 5ft if it does.
Terquem |
getting a bit ahead of me, but Rownig is free and he has taken a lot of damage (Escape artist is a Standard Action when escaping from a grappler, so you have a move action available in round three).
Looking at the map I would say that the shaft occupies squares B-E, 10-13, the platform occupies squares C-D, 11-12
Rownig is in B8, the monster attacking him is in B9 on the ceiling
Atharessa should be moved to square C8, the monster attacking her is in C9 on the ceiling
Mazrim is in Square D7, the monster attacking him is in square C8 above Atharessa
Luca is in square E8, the monster attacking her is in square E8 above her
Hallister is in square C7
Azram is in Square E7
Moralane is in square E5
(there are seven in the party)
Rownig Fleetfoot |
Terquem |
This is a round 2 action
Hallister takes out his large knife and throws it at the monster holding Luca
1d20 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 5 = 12
Damage 1d4 ⇒ 1
the knife misses
And then he lunges into the space where Luca is dangling, taking hold of her and adding his weight.
Round three begins with Rownig breaking free he can drop to the ground, prone, and move 10 feet in a crawl without suffering an attack of opportunity
Mazrim can try to break the grapple