The Stolen Empire

Game Master Vethcyr

It's still overcast and the stars/moon are obscured. Without low-light vision or a light source, you're stumbling around in the dark.

Also, whose horse is pulling the cart + Pete?

May I suggest one of the horses that didn't get spooked pulls the cart? Also, no one has a one-handed firearm they're willing to swap for the shotty?

"So before we were blind, and now we'll flare up like a beacon to wandering bandits and monsters. Great. I'll be hiding in the cart." He can't hide very well, but who's going to target a cart-bound, old, unarmed man in the darkness? With Pete's luck, just about everything.

HP: 10/13

Klinn's horse is pulling the cart and Klinn is driving, Pete is sitting (Standing? Laying? Juggling? Hiding? I don't care) in the back. We have two lanterns, so we won't be totally in the dark. Also, let's take inventory of our HP, shall we? We are asking for an encounter if we continue tonight, so we should probably get some healing done now.

"Well Pete, we'll fare much better if you tend our wounds before you cower in the wagon." Klinn takes no care to hide his disdain for Pete's cowardice.

By this point Vlad looks much better as he no longer looks like he is sitting on death's doorstep. At some point during the day he has drawn his bow.
"I say we keep going if the lanterns work. I would really like to see Oleg and see what new wares he might have now. Besides that it would be nice to sleep in a bed for once.

Using both lanterns will use two pints of oil per six hours traveled. Also, unless Nitina is feeling generous, I think Pete's SOL on the one-handed firearm question.

"I'm already half dead as it is. I'm not gonna be a target the rest of the way just because you're in a hurry. 'Sides, you don't want me going down anyway. Speaking of which, you better change your tone if you want any tendin' to your wounds." Pete will gingerly climb his way out of the cart and limp towards Nitina.

Cure Light Wounds, 4/5 spells 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7

"So, uh, how's that carbine treatin' ya?"

You know OOC I love you all. If you think 3 HP is worth a Cure I'll do it.

Also, who is carrying the lanterns? They provide cones of light, so facing does matter for them. I'm guessing Klinn will want one for the cart, but does one of the riders want the other? Arastine will carry it if no one else wants to.

DM, I'm swapping one of my freshly acquired ranks to Kn(Religion) for flava'.

It's treating me fine, thank you. I understand you want to help, but in your current state, and given your past luck, you'll probably be more useful lying low should we encounter trouble.

She considers for a long moment, then takes the antique pistol-dagger from her belt, along with the powder horn and bag of shot. She tosses them into the cart next to Pete. Take good care of her.

"You say I should lie low now, but I'll be out there risking my remaining fingers and back bones to bring you back to consciousness in less than an hour. With this, assuming I remember how to load it, I can help you a little. I bet it fires better than the damn shotgun anyway."

You set out into the night. Arastine leads your little column on horseback, carrying one of the lanterns. Klinn (carrying the other lantern) sits atop his horse as it pulls the cart where Pete rides. Karina rides alongside the cart, while on Klinn's opposite side Nysro stalks along. Nitina and Vlad ride in the middle of the group, between Arastine and the cart.

Map

After an hours travel, you hear a loud howl from behind you, and a small flask smashes into the cart, exploding into flames (centered in F36, but not targeting Pete, who takes 1 point of splash fire damage). The cart catches fire and Klinn's horse panics (Klinn, you are the driver, checks made to control the cart and your horse are DC 20 Handle Animal).

End Surprise Round

Initiative:
DM: 20
Karina: 16
Klinn: 15+
Nitina: 15-
Arastine: 14
Pete: 9
Vlad: 7

Round 1 Map

Rules for vehicles in combat

DM has acted. Karina et al are up!

Any extra movement required to get out of the cart?

Difficult terrain + acrobatics DC 10 (check is a nonaction) to keep balance if you hop out while the cart is moving.

K(Nature):1d20 + 5 ⇒ (12) + 5 = 17
Do I have any idea what kind of creature would make a howl like that?

Karina yells, "Behind us! Defend the cart!" and draws her whip. She readies an action to attack any enemy that comes into range of the cart.

Nitina wheels her horse in place.

Lord, yours is the darkness. Withdraw it!

(Cast Light on the rear of the cart).

[ooc]Nitina, Light has range touch. I'll update soon, but as a non-action, when Klinn hears the howl, he turns the lanturn around.

On his turn, Klinn attempts to keep the cart going (move) 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (1) + 8 = 9. (Which fails, but "failing the check keeps the speed constant.") He then turns his upper body and lanturn toward the back of the cart. I'll take more actions tomorrow morning, assuming a map is up. Also, Nysro has darkvision 60ft so unless the badguys have something to hide behind, they have no stealth check from Nysro.

Well that's just stupid. I guess I'll need to invest in Reach Spell for just that purpose. ;-P Given that I'm after Klinn, I'll wait for an updated map before retconning my action.

I know. They do, however, get a stealth check if they're more than 60 feet away or invisible...

Post-Klinn Map

Also, the cart is on fire. It's basically a supersized torch already.

It's still dark. Nitina delays.

Pete's action depends on Arastine's position, but I'll keep refreshing the thread.

Because I just realized that something interesting happens during Klinn's turn (he's driving the cart)...

Klinn tries to keep his panicked horse under control, but the horse, realizing that it is secured to a flaming cart, bolts north-northeast as fast as it can (accelerating to full towing speed).

New Map

MapTools is being stupid and not displaying the flames right. I'll sort it out tomorrow. Just imagine that the map depicts the cart as being on fire, because it is.

Arastine and Klinn are now illuminating the same area with their lanterns.

On Arastine's turn...

Arastine mutters an incantation, and a faint shimmering aura surrounds her for a moment.

She draws her revolver and concentrates for a second. The weapon suddenly begins to glow faintly (not a light source. Mage Bullets activated by sacrificing first-level spell slot).

She turns her lantern to face northwest after Klinn and the cart barrel past her.

Yet another map

Fixed the fire issue.

It appears Pete's action also depends on his position.

Pete clambers out of the high speed cart towards his allies. "Heavens have mercy..." He then falls flat on his face and rolls in the dirt.

Acrobatics 1d20 - 2 ⇒ (1) - 2 = -1 By dice, the unluckiest living character I've ever played.

You have to be kidding me. Pete is about to be lit on fire? Wow Pete I cannot believe your bad luck.

Vlad takes off his cloak, throws it on B36, and casts spark on it. Hoping to light it on fire to provide light.

Nitina spurs her horse forward, following the cart (To -I39 or so).

Way to suggest that, Vlad.

Right, so, to be clear, either we are dealing with something that is invisible as level 1 characters or our monster fiend has some unnatural awareness of Nysro's ability to see in the dark and took a -8 to attack against a cart with an AC of 9 (which still could hit). Nevermind that it is a full round action to prepare to throw a splash weapon, meaning that where ever the bad dude was when he prepared to throw what I presume is an alchemist's fire, it was 40 ft further behind us when it threw the grenade. (85 ft behind the cart or -16 to hit). But wait! A thrown weapon has a max range of 5 range increments (50ft for splash weapons) ... Looks like we are dealing with something invisible, folks.

Just to be clear.

Also, Pete, it would have helped if you had tried to put the flames out...

Klinn swings his lamp around forward as he attempts to regain control of his horse for the rest of the round (see ride) As soon as Nysro Notices the cart speed up, he beings to run after it, ending in -L39.

Wouldn't have been in character, though.

Understandably. :)

Klinn Ride check (DC 20): 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (17) + 1 = 18 Unsuccessful

Karina draws her whip and prepares to strike whatever comes into range with it.

Klinn swings the lantern around to face forward once more, revealing a field of boulders ahead of him. He also fails to gain control over his panicked horse.

Nitina rides north, keeping pace with the runaway cart, which Pete leaps off of. As he does so, however, he catches his foot on the edge of the cart and falls flat on his face.

Arastine readies herself for combat, and Vlad sets fire to his cloak, lighting up a small area.

End round 1

Arastine and Vlad (and Vlad's horse) need to roll will saves (DC 13) or fall asleep.

EDIT: Fire damage to cart & contents: 1d6 ⇒ 5

DM Done!

Map

Will Save: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (18) + 1 = 19

Arastine shrugs off the spell.

More to come on her turn.

Are those rocks in front of us?

Yep.

Klinn yells to the rest of the group "Come on! Help me out here!" He attempts to keep the cart going forward, avoiding the boulders. 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (10) + 8 = 18 (fail). Nysro runs around the rocks, taking care to stay close to Klinn, but not spook the horse. Klinn draws his sword.

Gonna wait to see Vlad's/Vlad's horse's saves before I pick my action.

Will save Horse: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 9 Oh no my horsey is now asleep!
Will Save Vlad: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (16) + 3 = 19

Vlad upon seeking the loot burning screams to the heavens.

"You mother--------!!!! --------!!!! ---- ---- --------! You are dead! I am going to sell your innards to make up for the lost money! I will wear you for a hat! You are going to die screaming when I see you!!!!!!!!!!

Vlad tries to see if he can recognize the howl.
Knowledge Nature: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (11) + 2 = 13

Vlad only found out as much as the other check done previously by Karina, in case anyone was waiting for me to get info before acting.

Nitina rides over towards Peter and reaches her free hand down to help him get up.

So, in the interest of not leaving Vlad by himself, what are the implications of his horse falling asleep? He can wake up the horse as a standard action, but if the horse is going to fall prone, does Vlad have to make any kinds of skill checks or save or whatever? And sorry it has taken me a little while to act this round.

Good question. Vlad needs to roll a reflex save (DC 13) or be pinned as his leg is caught beneath the sleeping horse.

Reflex Save: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 5 = 8 You have to be kidding me. I rolled a 3? I have a reflex slave of +5! I didn't even need to roll that high at all! Darn you 3!

Vlad is now pinned.

Wait a second, don't horses sleep standing up...?

Noticing Vlad trapped under his horse, Karina rides along side him (A37) and kicks his horse to wake it up. "Wake up, you dumb thing! Come on!"

Cows sometimes sleep standing up. Horses sleep laying down or with their legs underneath them. Unfortunately in my case.

From Wikipedia:

Horses are able to sleep both standing up and lying down. They are able to doze and enter light sleep while standing, an adaptation from life as a prey animal in the wild. Lying down makes an animal more vulnerable to predators.[12] Horses are able to sleep standing up because a "stay apparatus" in their legs allows them to relax their muscles and doze without collapsing. In the front legs, their equine forelimb anatomy automatically engages the stay apparatus when their muscles relax.[13] The horse engages the stay apparatus in the hind legs by shifting its hip position to lock the patella in place. At the stifle joint, a "hook" structure situated on the inside bottom end of the femur cups the patella and the medial patella ligament, preventing the leg from bending.

So, yes, they do, but they have to set themselves up for it. So yes, the horse should collapse, but maybe it gets a reflex save? lol, jk. :P

EDIT: Also, "Horses must lie down to reach REM sleep."

Wow that is actually really cool! I've only ever seen horses sleep lying down and cows sleep standing so I didn't know that they could both do it. That's cool. Thanks for looking it up.