The King's Patron - Dragon Hunters - Fox's Antlers

Game Master Mardavig

Sebastian draws his blade, kissing the flat of the blade just above the hilt, and swings at the old man.

Nice map! Invoke Sacred Weapon giving the sword a +1 enhancement bonus for up to 4 rounds.

Att: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (11) + 8 = 19 Dmg: 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6

having few connections problems here, so I'm not able to use the map... you can place Anton wherever you like, probably in 2nd line not so close to the enemies approaching.

Anton casts Bless to give all the team +1 morale bonus on attack rolls and on saving throws against fear effects, for the next 4 minutes

Then use his move action to draw his longbow

Do we go in post order in our groups? Or as written by the GM? If in post order, I miss out on the Bless. Otherwise, I get an extra +1 to hit.

The idea is to go in order of groups, as much as possible. Sometimes untangling the knots of order of actions is not worth it.

In this case Sebastian hit either way, injuring an old man.

You're up carter.

On second though Carter has been absent for a week. I'll send him a reminder and hopes he rejoins us.

The Mad Hermit feints, miserably. He tries to follow that up with what he thinks is a really clever move with his sword. His blade flops uselessly about occasionally pointing at Sebastian. At this point some of you are probably wondering why you are even fighting this old coot. So am I.

Cat swings around the right flank to try and assist his master. He pounces with a bite, claw, claw. For a moment you think this attack will be just as ineffectual as the old man's but the second claw catches Sebastian in the face and cuts open his forehead. 11 damage He also has 3 bleed and will be blinded until the bleeding is stopped, as blood runs into his eyes.

Etienne and Miyuki's turn

It isn't my turn, but I will have to travel for work over the next 5 days, leaving tomorrow and returning Sunday. After this action below, npc as needed.

"Gahh!!" Sebastian cries, wiping at his forehead. We are not your 'little people' old man! We are the rightful rulers of this land! You are attacking Lady Miyuki of Emermark!" As he speaks, he summons the power of his faith and heals his wound.

Use Fervor to cast CLW as a swift action on myself, then go total defense. CLW: 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8

Etienne moves to flanking position with Sebastian and attacks the cat.
Swift action challenge cat. More dangerous opponent. All get +1 to hit cat
attack: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (13) + 13 = 261d8 + 12 + 1d6 ⇒ (4) + 12 + (5) = 21

Taking care to be out of the way miyuki will cast entangle on the madman.

Etienne destroys the cat, simply brings his sword down and executes it.

Miyuki summons crawling vines and entangling roots. The old man dances and escapes their grasp. The entire area in front of Sebastian, including where the old man is standing becomes difficult terrain.

The old man shrieks "You monsters, you killed Cat! How dare you? No supper for any of you!"

Round 2 back to the top: Sebastian, Anton and if he's still with us Carter.

Very sorry. Still here. I thought we were just taking a while to get started because I never dotted this thread. >_<
Carter will drink his Mutagen last turn and shift into Jackal form this turn.

Anton casts and fires a Deadeye's Arrow with his longbow

Longbow vs Touch AC; Electric damage: 1d20 + 6 + 1 - 4 ⇒ (18) + 6 + 1 - 4 = 211d6 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5
Shooting counts both the active Bless spell (+1) and also the penalty for firing at opponent engaged in Melee (-4); haven't added an eventual +1 to hit from Point-Blank Shot 'cause I don't know if the target is within 30ft.

Carter drank his mutagen on turn 1, on turn 2 he mutates into a jackal.

Anton fires his tazer arrow at the old hermit doing 6 damage to him.

Sebastian you are up.

Right, Sebastian said he'd be out until Sunday.

Well it's not complicated.

On his turn Sebastian bleed eyes a bit. Then, as stated above he heals himself and is able to wipe some of the blood away, clearing his vision.

Though he is a senior citizen the old man is as tough as buried root and he does not appear ready to give up.

Not one to give up on a bad idea the old man continues to flail about with his short sword trying and failing to get past Sebastian's total defense. "Why won't you die!" shrieks the old man. "Die and go back into my belly, like you always do!"

Group B.

Miyuki and Etienne are up.

Etienne in order to flank you have to stand in the zone of entanglement, just so you know.

Not going there.
Etienne hits the hermit with the flat of the blade. Subdual
1d20 + 7 ⇒ (13) + 7 = 201d8 + 8 ⇒ (5) + 8 = 13

Etienne smacks the old man upside the head with the flat of his blade, but he's still up and kicking.

Back up to the top. Round 3. Group A.

Miyuki will try bungle the old man. (DC19)
If he fails he gets -20 on his next d20 attack or skill check.

The spell is effective.

Anton shoots an arrow
Longbow attack and damage: 1d20 + 6 + 3 - 4 ⇒ (19) + 6 + 3 - 4 = 241d8 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 = 8 (Point-Blank Shot, Bless and Etienne's challenge bonuses, -4 malus for firing in melee engaged)

The black furred and bandaged Carter bars his teeth as he moves around the combatants to be across the man from Sebastian.
He swings at the crazed man with his khopesh.
1d20 + 9 + 2 - 2 ⇒ (5) + 9 + 2 - 2 = 14
Adding Carter's melee attack, flanking, and entangled. Not sure what else is there.
1d8 + 6 ⇒ (2) + 6 = 8
2d6 ⇒ (5, 2) = 7

Anton's arrow threaten a critical. Roll another attack roll, at the same bonuses, to confirm.

Either way, between his and Carter's attacks he is almost certainly going down.

Just to be clear. I will allow a player to state that their "killing blow" merely incapacitates the target. So if you guys want not to kill him, which is all the more likely because of Gareth's non-lethal damage.

I'm coming for a very hard journey, having driven a car for 6 hours... and I'm actually to tired to understand why the 19 is a critical threat (the longbow crit is only 20, but x3). Also, weren't we using the automatic critical confirmation and the critical hit deck? Anyway here are mine rolls for both cases:

Longbow crit conf.: 1d20 + 6 + 3 - 4 ⇒ (15) + 6 + 3 - 4 = 20
Longbow additional damage if confirmed: 1d8 ⇒ 61d8 ⇒ 6

OR

crit deck checks: 1d52 ⇒ 161d52 ⇒ 23
16. Pinhole - Double damage and 1 bleed. Target takes 1 additional bleed each round until healed
23. In a Row - Double damage to target and normal damage to adjacent target
Choosing the 16 result (Pinhole), 'cause the 23 is not available I suppose.

The old man topples to the ground.

Etienne drags the man under a tree and helps to bind his wounds.

"Anton, can you check if this man will survive?"
Weaving a quick incanation Miyuki checks the belongings of the man. Looking around she also searches for his sleeping place.
"It seems the man has a special curse from his ancestors. We should take him with us and try to heal him."

Anton nods to Miyuki, checking the man's condition
Heal: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (6) + 8 = 14

If needed he will cast a Stabilize orison to keep him alive

Etienne and Anton are able to bind his wounds and ensure that he will suffer no lasting harm.

For now though he is unconscious and likely to stay that way unless you attempt to rouse him.

On his person the old man has leather armour, a whip, a fine short sword of elven make and an expensive looking ring.

The hollow oak nearby, which appears to be his home, appears to have other things stored in it as well.

Etienne checks the hollow oak.

I forgot to say Miyuki casts detect magic

The whip, the armour and the ring all glow with magic. Miyuki also detects magic glowing from within the tree.

As Etienne peers into the hollow tree he is forced to cover his nose. There is the stench of decomposition coming from within. Etienne, undeterred, looks in and finds the ground is littered with a thick layer of leaves but, more gruesomely, the interior of the trunk has been carved with small niches and into each one has been placed a brown, rotting skull. There are several dozen decorating the inside of the tree.

Anton recovers his durable arrow, cleaning it, and then placing with the others arrows.

"So, what are we going to do now?" asks to the rest of the team.

He also looks around to see if there is something else noteworthy
Perception: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (5) + 10 = 15

Etienne shows his evil find to the others."We have to bring him back to do justice to him!"

I'm back

"Careful friend," Sebastian says with a grimace after looking into the tree,"I am all for justice when due. Let's be sure first."

Sebastian examines the skulls to attempt to determine general racial makeup and/or cause of death.

Heal Check: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (14) + 9 = 23

Anton peers into the tree after Etienne and notices that there seems to be something buried beneath the blanket of leaves.

Not to delay things, you guys did it all up and find:
5 potions
234 sp
40 gp
a silver locket
a finely crafter breast plate
a glaive that literally glows with magic

Etienne sees if the silver locket can be made open. Maybe there is a picture inside.

Taking a few minutes Miyuki trys to identify the items
Spellcraft: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (1) + 8 = 9 Whip
Spellcraft: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (4) + 8 = 12 Armor
Spellcraft: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (17) + 8 = 25 Ring
Spellcraft: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (19) + 8 = 27 Potion 1
Spellcraft: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (2) + 8 = 10 Potion 2
Spellcraft: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (9) + 8 = 17 Potion 3
Spellcraft: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (17) + 8 = 25 Potion 4
Spellcraft: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (11) + 8 = 19 Potion 5
Spellcraft: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (17) + 8 = 25 Glaive

Indeed it can.

Inside there is an image of a young woman, fair haired and pretty. She has two young boys with her, and there's something familiar about their faces.

Anton and Miyuki, Intelligence checks please.

Potions include: Potion od cure light wounds, invisibility, darkvision CL 3, Virtue and Feather step.

+1 leather armour, mwk elven short sword, ring of protection +1, the glaive is +1 but sheds dim light, mwk breastplate.

The whip: uncertain.

Intelligence check: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (15) + 1 = 16

Something about a hermit, and a locket and the faces in the picture remind Anton of Bokken, the potion brewing alchemist.

Anton reports to Miyuki:
"Don't you think that he and that people in the picture are very similar to Bokken? Maybe they are some kind of relatives?

Miyuki looks long and hard. int: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (20) + 2 = 22 " By Erastils arrow, you could be right. Now I am double happy we didn't kill him. Nevertheless, we need to keep him bound. But maybe bokken can solve the riddle of his identity and condition. But we should move on. By the way, who can use this polearm? Apart from etienne, I mean?"

Miyuki recalls Bokken saying something about having a brother and how that brother had a locket that belonged to his mother.

Just the a tremendous roar breaks the silence. Followed by another furious roar, coming from the south. A break in the trees reveals that many miles to the south there is a green and a blue reptilian creatures battling in the clouds.

The two fight furiously for a time, and it's somewhat hard to see because of the distance, but it appears the green exhales a cone of some noxious gas, then the blue one falls form the sky. The green dives after it.

No further noises can be heard.

"We should inspect. It could help us!"

"I am not for taking a bound prisoner with us. We should deliver him for safekeeping, or...release him. A straight ride back would not take so long, and having a hostile with us while hunt a dragon would be detrimental to our efforts."

Sebastian thinks for a moment.

"Perhaps we wake him and mention his brother? That we know him, and he is a friend of ours?"

"I second Sebastian. Going hunting a dragon while having a possible hostile prisoner is not safe.
I don't think the madness of this man can be quickly cured, unless by a powerful magic I can't invoke. And reasoning with the prisoner I don't think is an option, in his actual state of mind.

Bringing him to Bokken could be done, but we came here to solve the dragon problem...
Unless ... maybe we can split our team, some of us will only scout the dragon, and maybe his lair, but avoid engaging him, while someone else could bring a tied prisoner to the alchemist.
But you know, splitting our forces could be something dangerous too.

"Then we leave him here. I am sure you can track him later Anton!"

"I will submit to your wish, my Lady. But this man has already committed murder, it would seem. I do not think we should leave him to commit more until we can come back for him, and - maybe - find him again. Who else might he harm? I know I said that we could release him, but upon reflection, I rescind that. We have greater obligations now - to Emermark. The dragon can wait until we secure this man with the Warden."

He looks at Anton. "This is a dangerous place, proven over and over again. Splitting our team is not an option."

"We are in a dilemma. We might be able to finish booth dragons with one stroke. Those dragons will and can do a lot of harm. We do not want to set him free. How about to tie him to a tree and pick him up later? It is a dammed if we do dammed if we don´t situation anyway!"

Before the dragons and stuff.
Carter mixes up an extract and drinks it.
Identify. +10 to identify anything.
1d20 + 4 + 3 + 10 ⇒ (17) + 4 + 3 + 10 = 34
"I'll take a look at the whip."
When asked about who wants what:
"I use no weapon, but that of my grandfather. I could make use of the ring. With my fighting style, I am unfortunately easy to hit."

It's a +1 whip.