SR's - Great Southern Isles (PbP) (Inactive)

Game Master stormraven

Ushari nods, glancing about her as the gnolls pour around the group intending to devour them.

This will be fun... she thinks as her rapier flashes seeking their blood. She then squeaks for Skitter to help protect Jofram.

Somewhere between the second and third flat punch into the mailed gnoll's head, Jayse reflects on their opponents. While the more heavily armored gnolls are tougher than the rest, all of the snarling mob are big and strong. There are no runts in this litter, and no women. After dropping the warrior, the monk delivers a snapkick to the ribs of another gnoll... and nearly drops the beast.

Ushari retreats towards Jayse, going back to back. She leaves a heavily wounded hyena in her wake.

Jofram, your turn.
Ushari - do you want me to decide on Skitter's actions?

Another ember emerges from the gnome's hand and streaks near the trees before detonating. More gnolls die in the blast.

Fireball
RANGE: 400' + 40'/level ; 20' radius
EFFECT: 7d6 + 7 ⇒ (2, 2, 4, 1, 5, 1, 2) + 7 = 24 Damage

Round: 3

ORDER: Jofram, Jayse, Straehan, Ushari, Gnolls & Friends

Gnollapalooza

Ja's HPs: 48|62
Jo's HPs: 48|68
Us's HPs: 45|45
St's HPs: 53|53

Skitter leaps down from his mistress' shoulder, lands on the wounded hyena, and buries its claws in the beast's eyes before dropping into the space Ushari vacated.

Claw HIT 1d20 + 7 + 5 ⇒ (9) + 7 + 5 = 21 DAM 1d4 + 2 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 2 + 3 = 7
Claw HIT 1d20 + 7 + 5 ⇒ (6) + 7 + 5 = 18 DAM 1d4 + 2 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 2 + 3 = 8

As he blinks away the afterimage of Straehan's fireball, Jofram spins to face the gnolls he sensed approaching on their flank. Continuing his battle chant, he sends a volley of missiles at the putrid beasts.

"Strae! Get between Jayse and me!" Is there a way for us to both 5' step and switch in a sort of castle maneuver?

I'll take a look through the rules and see if you can swap places on a 5' step normally. I'm pretty sure there is a feat that does something similar to that. In the meantime, let's resolve the damage cuz you inflicted a lot of it. :)

Heedless of his adversaries, Jofram knocks two arrows, twirls around in a crouch while turning his bow horizontal, and fires. The twin darts streak in a blur of colored fletching and slam into the throat of the lead gnoll. It dies mid-sprint and completes its charge in a tumble of lifeless limbs. The ranger knocks another two arrows and sends them down range after their brothers. The first arrow catches the second gnoll in the belly. The second arrow seeks and finds the left eye... adding a second body to the pile of gnoll limbs.

Seeing a moment of distraction, the hyena at Jofram's back lunges at the exposed flank of the crouching archer but the powerful eldritch armor and weave of magical protection surrounding the group ensure the slavering jaws catch only air.

Jofram AC:23 CMD:25
Bite AoO (20/x2) HIT: 1d20 + 3 - 1 ⇒ (16) + 3 - 1 = 18 DAM: 1d6 + 3 - 1 ⇒ (6) + 3 - 1 = 8 + Trip, prayer
--> Trip HIT: 1d20 + 3 - 1 ⇒ (12) + 3 - 1 = 14 v CMD

Next up... GNOLLS

OK, after a bit of research the short answer is 'No', you can't 'castle' with Straehan without getting the Swap Places feat. So, do you want to maintain your position or change it a bit? I could have Strae move out of that space so you can take it but it will create a hole in your line somewhere since Straehan won't be able to take your exact spot.

It's fine, I'll stay in place for now - I just think the caster shouldn't be exposed so much.

Thanks for the concern. Strae will handle this rabble (or expect you to rescue his ass if he fails to handle them). :)

A hyena pushes through the bushes to flank the gnome and draws a set of draconic claws across the ribs for it.

Claw AoO (19/x2) HIT: 1d20 + 10 + 5 ⇒ (19) + 10 + 5 = 34 Ghost-Touch, Keen, Cumulative Crit?
Claw AoO (19/x2) HIT: 1d20 + 10 + 5 ⇒ (4) + 10 + 5 = 19 Yes

DAM: 6 + 2 + 3 + 1d6 + 2 + 3 ⇒ 6 + 2 + 3 + (4) + 2 + 3 = 20 Ghost-Touch, Keen, Cumulative

The enemy swarms around you, seeking to kill with fang or spear. But such is the strength of your magic and skill that no weapon penetrates your defenses except for one cunning hyena that clamps down on the Ushari's wrist as she is slow in recovering from a lunge with her rapier.

As the troops from the palisade rush to clash with your team, two figures remain a few steps back - a massive gnoll in full chainmail and an oversized hyena in chain barding with a steel snout protector. With a snarl, the gnoll leader orders a couple of his troops out of the way - both near Jayse. They practically trip over themselves getting out of the way as the massive war leader jogs into place drawing a rough, blackened greatsword off his back. The barded hyena rushes to the other spot and awaits its masters attack.

The gnoll leader regards your group as he approaches. Having heard Ushari call upon her deity, he declares his own allegiance in his growling version of the common tongue. "Flesh, bones, and SOULS for Yeenoghu!" Without further comment, and far faster than you'd think possible, he whips the black blade in a horizontal arc. Hemmed in by gnoll spears and hyena jaws, Jayse can't evade the ravening blade that shears brutally through the bottom of his rib-cage, almost eviscerating the monk. The blade barely slows down as it slashes through his body and cuts deeply into Jofram's side. The ranger can feel his ribs flex as the gnoll wrenches the massive blade free and readies it for another blowing - looking to fell both men like young saplings.

Jayse staggers to one side and feels the crushing jaws of the barded hyena take a bite out of his thigh.

Round: 4

ORDER: Jofram, Jayse, Straehan, Ushari, Gnolls & Friends

Gnollapalooza

Ja's HPs: 11|62
Jo's HPs: 28|68
Us's HPs: 42|45
St's HPs: 53|53

The fire along his midsection is mirrored by a thundering fire racing across the surface of the Calm, and even Jayse's mental strength is tested... barely keepin him focused. Burn 5 pp (4 remaining) to negate 10 damage. 21 hp remaining.

His blue eyes flare with an inner power as he flings himself back into the fray, throwing a sweeping leg to trip the new gnoll before flying through a vicious flurry of blade forms. His Mindblade hisses and hums as it seeks the animal's blood, appearing almost as a luminous blue sphere around him.

His words are a pain-filled hiss through his bloodied teeth, "I hope you mounted your b%*## one last time before you came out here, mutt, cause I'm about to send you to meet whatever god your kind barks to..."

"Flesh, bones, and SOULS for Yeenoghu!"

"I guess we should send her your head, then!"

In a blur of motion, Jofram's ethereal bow vanishes as he draws his curved blade - the metal shines in an arc as he swings the blade toward the lead gnoll's face.

One, two! One, two! And through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!

That tears it then...they were definitely waiting for us! But who tipped them off we would be here?

Ushari sees the leader of the gnoll war band and knows if she could incapacitate him she could end this battle. She focuses her divine energy on him and wills him to freeze in position, even as she calls on her healing powers to heal her companions.

Hmm... I'm not seeing anything in your spoiler.

Jofram's bow vanishes as he traps the gnoll's massive sword, pinning his opponent in place. He frees his own blade in a blur of motion. The curved blade cuts diagonally upward, separating the chainmail over the gnoll's ribs and opening a wound. Sparks fly as the blade continues upward across the creature's massive mailed chest. Not finished, Jofram's spins the blade and hacks down at the gnoll's neck. His blow catches the monster on the side of the head - liberating a chunk of ear. The gnoll roars, its fury.

Jayse steps in... and delivers a precise stamp kick to the gnoll's groin bringing it to its knees before driving a second kick to its temple. The gnoll shakes its furry head to clear the stars it is seeing as the blue blade springs into Jayse's hand. He drives the occult blade through the creature's chest. It slumps, coughing up a lungful of blood. With demonic will, it latches a hairy claw onto Jayse's arm and begins to pull itself up. Jayse shakes loose of the weakening grip, pulls his blade free and strikes again. Faultlessly the blue blade swings towards the gnoll's thick neck... the head springs free and rolls into the bushes as the massive form drops.

The monk slings the blood free from his shearing blade and drives it behind him, into the maw of the barded hyena. It gives a cry of pain and fury at the death of its companion.

Ushari - would you care to amend your actions? I don't mind you casting Hold Person on a corpse, but it is up to you. :)

Concerned the northern outliers might summon more help, Straehan makes an odd set of gestures and a dancing, blue firebolt drops onto one gnoll - incinerating it - before jumping to his companion and giving him a healthy, though not fatal, charring.

Weird - I just wanted to continue Inspire this round.

WHAT?? You mean the two combat gods actually did WELL in COMBAT?? Sacrilege!! (He he.) Anyway, SR go ahead and change 'Shari's action to just a Channel Energy as a Standard Action then.

Waitaminute...I gots that scroll, the one to aminate corpses.... MWUHAHAHAHA!!!

Skitter is a whirl of claws, slashing the gnoll in front of him.

Claw HIT 1d20 + 7 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 7 + 5 = 15 DAM 1d4 + 2 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 2 + 3 = 8
Claw HIT 1d20 + 7 + 5 ⇒ (9) + 7 + 5 = 21 DAM 1d4 + 2 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 2 + 3 = 6

Losing their leader takes the heart from most of the tribe. Their blows smack of desperation not ferocity and are turned by your blades, hands, and armor. Only Ushari, distracted by the hyena sneaking up on her rear, is caught out. She finds herself skewered on a boarspear.

Round: 5

ORDER: Jofram, Jayse, Straehan, Ushari, Gnolls & Friends

Gnollapalooza

Ja's HPs: 30|62
Jo's HPs: 37|68
Us's HPs: 32|45
St's HPs: 53|53

Jofram's blade blurs into an aura of silver and crimson as he attacks the encroaching opponents. Strike! Pivot. Slash! pivot. Lunge! Old training from a time and place forgotten by his mind; but the memory lives on in his body. Muscles and sinew move with complex coordination, spurred only by a simple thought. Kill them all...

The snarls of two hyenas and a gnoll end abruptly, courtesy of Jofram's blade. Flesh meets steel and only the steel remains as the bodies drop lifeless, or nearly so, onto the forest floor.

Next Up... Jayse, Straehan, Ushari

The mixture of hyena and gnoll blood from Jofram's prodigious bloodletting spatters across the gnome. He turns in time to see the corpses drop. Straehan's jaw drops and then he waves at the group of enemies surrounding him. "I'm neck deep in these cutthroats. Stop playing with those litter runts and help me out!"

Straehan slides up to the cooling hyena body 5' step to AQ29 and casts a familiar spell. A sheet of flame scorches fur and flesh. While only the weakened hyena dies, none escape serious injury.

The metallic crab hamstrings and slays the gnoll AU28 that already bore wounds from the odd little construct.

Claw HIT 1d20 + 7 + 5 ⇒ (4) + 7 + 5 = 16 DAM 1d4 + 2 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 2 + 3 = 8
Claw HIT 1d20 + 7 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 7 + 5 = 19 DAM 1d4 + 2 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 2 + 3 = 9

Next up... Jayse & Ushari

Jayse spares a heartbeat to look over Strae at the remaining gnolls by him, "Give me a few seconds. Someone get those two to the north."

All the while he continues his blade forms, arcane blade sliding from form to form, tracing ribbons of dark canine blood through the air.

Jayse slays at will among his opponents. His first slash drives a gnoll into unconsciousness while his second cleaves the hyena's steel snout protector and the skull beneath it. Jayse leaps onto the corpse and drives his blade into the throat of the gaping gnoll behind it - sending the warrior to quickly join the hyena in death. His final blow is a negligent slash at the hyena leaping to defend its dead littermate. Jayse feels the blow connect and hears a satisfying yelp. His strike carves a bloody gash down the hyena's side severing enough muscle to cause the beast to half collapse as it lands roughly.

Next up... Ushari

Ushari glances in grim satisfaction about her at the carnage visited on these beasts by her companions. Her gaze locks on the two gnolls further back.

You are NOT getting away!

She flits off quickly after them, using her graceful movements to their fullest, hopefully delaying the retreat of the gnolls.

Ushari cartwheels with impunity across the battlefield. With a leap she vaults over the northern-most gnoll, stunning him with a light tap on his furry oversized skull, and lands with a delicate flourish - preventing the other gnoll from escaping.

Next up... Gnolls

The ferocity of the gnolls ebb with the death of all of their leaders. They continue to fight... but more cautiously and seeking every advantage - sliding among their enemies to flank for their companions. No more Power Attacks

Again their strikes are largely in vain, easily turned by our heroes skills and magic. But, isolated from the rest of her team, Ushari finds herself prey to the large desperate gnoll as its rusty spear slashes open her thigh.

Round: 6

ORDER: Jofram, Jayse, Straehan, Ushari, Gnolls & Friends

Gnollapalooza

Ja's HPs: 30|62
Jo's HPs: 37|68
Us's HPs: 23|45
St's HPs: 53|53

Last round for Haste. Be afraid... these gnolls are about to get in your grill. :)

Point of order...Ushari's AC is currently 22, due to the Haste spell. A hasted creature gains a +1 bonus on attack rolls and a +1 dodge bonus to AC and Reflex saves.

So it is...

Ushari looks down at the horrid rent in her thigh and realises, with relief, that it is a vicious cut to her clothing not her flesh.

I'll adjust your HP.

As Jayse's blue frenzy continues with a sidestep taking him back to his original position, he gives a mirthless chuckle, "Strae is asking for help and Ushari is dancing with the opponent in melee... that mutt hit me harder than I thought."

Also, I completely forgot, but my crits with my Mindblade now also deal 1d6 ⇒ 1. Guess it wouldn't have made much of a different in this fight, but I needs to get in the habit of using it.

Jayse's blue blade strikes down three more opponents...

Next up... Jofram

Skitter leaps on the unconscious hyena and ends its existence.

As the beasts close in, seeking advantage by surrounding their prey, Jofram reverses his grip on the sword, assuming a defensive stance. Then with a snarling laugh, his blade arcs in a semicircle, slashing toward knoll bodies. With the lightning-quick speed that it began, the blade halts in midair, a heartbeat from finding Straehan's blood.

With a single horizontal slash, Jofram vents the guts of the nearest gnolls and separates their existences from the Prime Material Plane.

Straehan raises a single eyebrow at the blade dripping gore almost even with his hairline. "Good thing I'm no taller... or I might be a head shorter."

The gnome turns to where Ushari faces off against the final gnolls and summons twin beams of fire. The gnolls spasm in the blasts of fire, like puppets until death cuts their strings.

Ja's HPs: 30|62
Jo's HPs: 37|68
Us's HPs: 32|45
St's HPs: 53|53

COMBAT OVER

OK, guys you have two regular gnolls and a Sergeant still breathing. Actions?

Straehan raises a single eyebrow at the blade dripping gore almost even with his hairline. "Good thing I'm no taller... or I might be a head shorter."

Jofram cleans his blade on the rags of one of the nearby knoll corpses. At the gnome's snarky remark, he feigns affront. “Surely you have more faith in me than that Strae. Just don’t let them get so close, next time...”

Suspecting that Jayse plans to interrogate the unconscious gnoll at some point, he moves nearby to secure the rancid beast.

Jayse wordlessly helps Jofram bind the gnolls left alive, taking the time to check them for any clues of the children.

Perception 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (17) + 15 = 32.

One question, SR, before I take many more actions. Did any of the gnolls speak common? The leader gnoll seemed to know at least a smattering of common, but was that the only indicator that any of the rest of them might be able to speak to or understand us without a lot of effort?

Ushari returns to the others after giving a nod of thanks to the gnome for his timely assistance. She walks over to the other gnolls and makes sure their bleeding is stopped. cast Stabilize on them

Once finished tending their wounds, she calls on her deities power to heal her companions Channel energy use 2/5 3d6 ⇒ (3, 6, 3) = 12, exclude gnolls from effect.

She then turns to the others, asking quietly "Do you want me to enspell him? I cannot understand their language, however."

That's a good question. The gnoll leader clearly spoke common, it was rough because of his odd canine vocal cords. None of his people seemed surprised at the use of the language so you imagine there is probably some familiarity with it. Also, the townies put the screws to the gnoll they captured and its a good bet that none of them was fluent in gnoll. So your best guess is that some or all of the troop speaks Common... which might be their 'use language' if they ran across other humanoid bands.

Jayse and Jofram secure the gnolls tightly. Jayse gives their prisoners a thorough search but finds no clues about the missing townsfolk. It strikes him again, however, that all of these gnolls - the living and the dead - are male and large.

Ushari calls upon her deity for some healing while the gnome stands around looking cute. :)

Ja's HPs: 42|62
Jo's HPs: 49|68
Us's HPs: 44|45
St's HPs: 53|53

The gnome seems contemplative as he eyes the open expanse of ground between you and the palisade. "So, shall we question these fellows first or secure their encampment?"

Ushari gazes at the wounds still covering both Jayse and Jofram. "Really, you two need to be more careful."

She then bathes them with her healing glow.

Channel energy use 3/5 3d6 ⇒ (4, 6, 4) = 14, exclude gnolls from effect.

She turns to Straehan, "I think we should check and see what these fellows have to say first."

Ja's HPs: 56|62
Jo's HPs: 63|68
Us's HPs: 45|45
St's HPs: 53|53

Is everyone good with questions first, recon after?

Jofram feigns affront. "Surely you have more faith in me than that Strae. Just don’t let them get so close, next time..."

Straehan smiles. "I have complete faith in your blade arm, my lad. And I let them get close because it kept things exciting AND gave you boys a chance to practice your hand-to-hand skills. I'm always thinking of your welfare."

"It is one of your most endearing qualities," Jayse says as the waves of healing wash over him. "And really, Ushari? Careful? I throw myself into the mix to keep you out of harms' way and the best you can say is 'be careful next time'? Sheesh... talk about ungrateful." He winks at her before sobering and turning back to the gnolls.

"Yah, I guess we should get what we can from these guys first." Without waiting, he approaches the lead gnoll, grabs his waterskin and upturns its full contents on the mutt's head. "Wake up, mutt! We have some questions for you."

Ushari steps in smoothly and chants a spell and touches the gnoll sergeant. "I think he will be more amenable to our questions now."

Cast Charm Person on it. Will save DC 16.

Jayse raises a skeptical eyebrow. He may be more amenable to your questions... I guess you should do the asking, then, if he fails his saving throw.