Karina Sharasik |
Karina, noticing how quickly "Puddles" was dispatched, quickly pulls out a scroll from her pack and mutters an incantation. She quips, "Isn't it past your bedtime? Shouldn't you be asleep?"
GM-jkbc |
Puddles, blessed with her new existence, raises her joules and charges directly at the BBB ending his movement in U79. Puddles attempts to take a big bite out the B^3.
I know dachsunds are energetic, but I didn't know they could raise their joules. :)
I'm not sure Aristane would have been able to do so much damage. Guns only target touch in the first range increment; a revolver is 20 so the centipede is at best in her third increment.
Deadeye would allow her to spend grit to affect the additional increments as touch, but it would have cost her 2pts/shot * 3 shots = 6 grit, but she only has 1 pt total.
Nitina rolls over onto her back, drawing her carbine. She sights along it calmly but does not fire, waiting for it to charge.
Ready an action to shoot if it comes within 30 feet.
Nitina fires at the creature at point-blank range, hitting a glancing blow.
Attack 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (9) + 6 = 15
Miss Chance 1d100 ⇒ 29
Damage 1d10 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4
DM CD |
Technically, dogs raise their hackles (erectile hairs on their back and neck) when angry or alarmed. Jowls are the lower part of the cheek, and are mainly referred to as such when they are fleshy or drooping.
Advanced Firearms: Advanced firearms resolve their attacks against touch AC when the target is within the first five range increments, but this type of attack is not considered a touch attack for the purposes of feats such as Deadly Aim. At higher range increments, the attack resolves normally, including taking the normal cumulative –2 penalty for each full-range increment. Advanced firearms have a maximum range of 10 range increments.
And yes, they do still take penalties for firing at targets in any range increment beyond first.
Also, note the spelling of her name.
Vlad stands and draws his bow, smiling creepily.
Alas poor Puddles, we hardly knew thee.
Nitina rolls over and takes aim at the creature with her carbine.
Pete stands and retrieves his shotgun.
Karina's spell has no effect on the giant centipede.
The centipede charges toward the nearest visible creature - Nitina. Nitina's readied action triggers - Nitina fires at the oncoming centipede and strikes a glancing blow, but this is not enough to stop its deadly advance. It slashes deep into Nitina with its envenomed mandibles, knocking her unconscious (19 damage).
Nitina - roll up to 6 fort saves, stopping once you get a result of 19 or higher. These are not against a Con-reducing effect, so your save modifier should remain static.
Damage: 2d6 + 9 ⇒ (5, 5) + 9 = 19
Arastine Surtova |
Arastine steps back from the massive centipede (to S68) and fires twice more at it. Despite being much closer to it than before, her first shot goes wildly awry and misses outright. Her second shot strikes it deep in the midsection. But it's still up and furious.
Rapid Shot Attack 1: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3 Miss!
Rapid Shot Attack 2: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (18) + 1 = 19 Hit!
Damage: 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (8) + 4 = 12
EDIT: Forgot miss chance! 1d100 ⇒ 69 Yep, still hits.
Vlad Sladdin |
Vlad moves a little ways from the centipede hoping not to meet the same end as the ill fated Puddles (to M68) and fires twice at horrid creature.
Rapid Shot 1: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (11) + 3 = 14 Probably a Miss
Rapid Shot 2: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 = 8Miss
Damage if it hit: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6
Vlad's smile tightens at the corners in response to how his aim has been lately.
DM CD |
Vlad miss chance: 1d100 ⇒ 65 Hit due to dex damage!
The centipede falls to the ground, twitching, with Vlad's arrow embedded in its underbelly.
It had 5 hit points left.
Combat over! Congrats, you beat what is about the 3rd or 4th nastiest thing the wandering monster tables can throw at you in this story - the advanced giant centipede.
You had several options in this encounter - stand and fight (which you did and won), or hop on the horses and run. Horses are faster than the centipede was, so you could have kited it or run away (especially once it ate that crit in the surprise round).
I made this a combat encounter because I felt I needed to showcase exactly how dangerous the stolen lands can be and to make you show a little respect for the critters within it. Not all encounters will be anywhere near as dangerous as this one - indeed, most will not be anywhere near so hard-hitting. Also, I redesigned the tables in the knowledge that half or more of the party will be using advanced firearms, and am using the version calibrated for 6 party members, so you can expect encounters to be a little harder than they would be with 4 characters.
Peter Wilhelm |
"Ah, crap on mah doorhandle. It got the nun! And do these things even sleep, ever?" Pete was about to blast into the creature with both barrels, but seeing as how it's no longer an issue he hobbles towards Nitina, places his hand on the gut wound and yells out "Heavens above, don't let no damn oversized bug kill her! That's just wrong!" Apparently the heavens were listening, and her wounds begin to close up quite rapidly.
Cure Light Wounds: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 9
Karina Sharasik |
Knowledge Nature:1d20 + 5 ⇒ (20) + 5 = 25
"That's a nasty fella. It's a giant whiptail centipede, an old one at that. We're really lucky he only got one of us. These guys have venom in their bites, and if Nitina pulls through, she'll probably be less coordinated for a little while."
Sister Nitina |
HP: 1/11
Stupid mindless vermin. I was sure it would charge the person shooting it.
Fort Save 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (9) + 3 = 12
Fort Save 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6
Fort Save 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (17) + 2 = 19<-- stop here
Fort Save 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 2 = 10
Fort Save 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (11) + 2 = 13
Fort Save 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 2 = 7
Dex damage 2d4 ⇒ (3, 4) = 7<--OUCH. Especially without restoration, that's a week of recovery I'll need.
Nitina responds to Vlad. I'll live. Not that I wouldn't mind returning to Oleg's to recuperate in a real bed...
Arastine Surtova |
It did charge a person who shot it...
EDIT: Only with advanced firearms! Early firearms still only target touch in the first range increment, and using deadeye with them costs 1 grit point per range increment beyond the first.
"How badly affected are you by the venom, Nitina? Do you need to return to Oleg's or can we press on and explore this region?"
It's up to you guys whether you want to press on or return to the trading post.
Sense Motive: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (9) - 1 = 8
DM CD |
Now that things have calmed down...
The rest of Arastine and Karina's watch goes quietly. Apart from the noise generated by songbirds, so does that of Pete and Klinn. Nysro catches and eats a frog. You wake up rested.
Spells refresh, and you heal HD + con score hit points, plus 1 point of Dex, Nitina.
What's the plan, folks? Do you explore the hex, go back to the trading post, or something else?
Vlad Sladdin |
Vlad thinks for a minute taking pulls from his cigarette We could continue onward and simply keep Nitina flanked between some of us so that she can keep from being hit and we can continue on with our tracking.
Vlad learning his lesson from last night draws his bows and keeps it drawn after he mounts his horse Clarence.
Arastine Surtova |
"So Nitina, are you well enough to travel, or shall we drop you off at the trading post?"
Arastine looks around for a while before saying, "That battle with the centipede must have scuffed up the bandits' trail. I can't seem to find it again."
Survival: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (9) + 3 = 12 Failure
Karina Sharasik |
"For what it's worth, just because we found that critter last night, it doesn't mean we'll find others just like it nearby. Those things tend to hunt on their own at night and live under the ground. If you lost the trail, why don't we explore the area a bit? That is, unless Nitina needs to go back to the trading post to recover."
Arastine Surtova |
Assuming no one objects...
You spend the day exploring the area, and discover that while most of it consists of plains, the southwestern portion becomes heavily forested. The forest appears to stretch to the south and to the west.
Map updated. It is now late afternoon. Where do you want to go next?
"I still can't find the trail. Which way should we go?"
Karina Sharasik |
"Well, omens or not, we shouldn't stick around here."
Untrained Survival to look for the trail:1d20 ⇒ 8
"I don't see any signs of anything. Maybe we could head south and see if we find anything of interest. Supposedly the bandit camp and that temple are down there somewhere."
In ooc, this means I'd advocate going SE off this hex, I believe we numbered that as direction #3.
Sister Nitina |
HP 5/11; Dex 8/14
All right.
Nitina is clumsier on her horse now and generally stiff, but she keeps up through sheer determination.
Fortunately, I'm not as crippled by -1 Dex modifier as most ranged characters would be (Zen Riflery) though it hurts my damage and my AC/Reflex.
Untrained survival 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (7) + 4 = 11
DM CD |
No. The centipede knocked her to -8. You healed her for 9 (1 HP) and 2 (3 HP). Natural healing healed her another 2 points (to her current 5 HP). Also, Nitina, just remember that it does hurt your carbine damage.
Nitina, Karina and Vlad also fail to find the trail.
Traveling southeast via direction 3...
You travel for a few hours and soon find yourself in the forest. The undergrowth is thick with thorned bushes bearing berries, and you hear the occasional birdsong in the evening.
You make camp without incident and the night passes uneventfully (if no one objects, I'll just skip over the making camp process when nothing particularly interesting happens). It is now the third day of your expedition (you left Oleg's trading post on day 1).
Do you want to explore this hex, wander off, or what?
1d100 ⇒ 78
Arastine Surtova |
Arastine, clearly the only member of the group used to riding, has no difficulty whatsoever with her horse (I'd hope not, given how expensive it was!). She occasionally offers advice on how to situate oneself more comfortably on a saddle or how best to manage a horse.
Unless anyone objects, I'll assume the group follows the same watch order every night until someone wants to change it.
Also, as the group has lost the bandits' trail, you will need to explore this hex if you hope to be able to find it again (assuming they passed through this hex at all).
Peter Wilhelm |
1d8 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3
1d8 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3 <--boom goes the healamite
1d8 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 9
1d8 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3
Peter once again meditates on whether the party should explore this area.
Karina Sharasik |
K(Nature) on the thorned berries:1d20 + 4 ⇒ (14) + 4 = 18
(What are they/are they safe to eat?)
"We might as well see if the bandits passed through here. With some dumb luck, maybe we'll catch their trail again."
If we explore here:
Untrained Survival to find trail:1d20 ⇒ 10
DM CD |
All right, then. Let's go.
You start to explore the forest, pausing in a thicket of trees around noon to feast on some delicious-looking berries and fruits. There are enough berries and fruit in this area to sustain your group for 1d4 ⇒ 4 days.
In the trees above you lurk two clawed, serpentine creatures. They are eying your group hungrily.
Perception Checks:
Arastine: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (9) + 3 = 12
Peter: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (8) + 5 = 13
Karina: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (12) + 4 = 16
Vlad: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 3 = 7
Nitina: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (7) + 8 = 15
Klinn: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (5) - 1 = 4
Nysro: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (7) + 4 = 11
No one made the perception check to spot the critters before they attacked - seriously, the highest raw die result was 12...
As you snack on the berries and fruit, you hear a sudden rustling from the trees above you. A moment later, two clawed, serpentine creatures drop to the forest floor, biting and grabbing Vlad and Nitina (4 damage each, and both are grappled). The creatures are as green as the surrounding foliage and at least eight feet in length. Each has a dragon’s head filled with sharp teeth, and two arms ending in grasping claws. Clouds of greenish vapor waft from their gaping maws.
Vlad and Nitina have been pulled into the creatures' spaces in D8 and H8, respectively.
End surprise round!
Initiative Order:
Karina (22)
Peter (19)
Arastine (17)
Vlad (11)
DM (9)
Nitina (with Dex currently at 9/14 - 6)
Klinn (3)
Vlad may have fallen prey to the "in heat" comment in the creatures' entry - he hits on everyone, so the Tatzlwurm thought he was in heat. As for Nitina, who knows...
Arastine: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (14) + 3 = 17
Peter: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (18) + 1 = 19
Karina: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (20) + 2 = 22
Vlad: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (8) + 3 = 11
Nitina: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (7) - 1 = 6
Klinn: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3
Critter 1 Attack vs Vlad (FF): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (19) + 7 = 26 Hit!
Critter 1 Grab vs Vlad (FF): 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (14) + 11 = 25 Grapple Initiated!
Damage: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4
Critter 2 Attack vs Nitina (FF): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (14) + 7 = 21 Hit!
Critter 2 Grab vs Nitina (FF): 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (3) + 11 = 14 Grapple Initiated!
Damage: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4
Peter Wilhelm |
"Ah crap." Peter stumbles toward the rest of the group. He then lets out a booming (but still phlegmy) roar at the beast grabbing Nitina: "The lords above command ye, get off her and git, you big scaly spawn of a newt!"
Moving to G11/drawing the Shotgun, then casting Command (flee) on the creature grabbing Nitina. Will DC 16. Too bad Nysro's flat footed, or I would have tried for some AoO fun. Just thought of something; I hope these things don't have some special "AoO while grappled" ability. Oh well, here goes.
Klinn Sharasik |
Pete could, however, shift (non-action) away from the big ugly snake thing and then draw your shotgun and cast your spell, sending it 4 move increments away from us in the other direction.
The thing is, aren't we all on horseback? Where are our horses? First, stay in the saddle checks? Second, "Mounts that do not possess combat training are frightened by combat" and "A frightened creature flees from the source of its fear as best it can." So do all our mounts get perception checks (at +6) to run away from the snakes before they attack? Unless you don't think the snakes are scary to the horses...? Third, now we must dismount and risk losing our horses or have DC 20 ride checks to not waist entire rounds attempting to control the beasts.
I just realized that all this can be resolved if we were stopped for lunch and tied up our horses. Please?
Also, just realized Nitina has an effective dex of 3... poor Nitina... We'll get you out of there!
EDIT: Karina, you stepped right into Nysro's Path! Now he can't charge. :(
Vlad Sladdin |
I know what's for dinner tonight! Whatever this thing is once I rip it apart! Vlad roars, eyes gleaming, teeth bared, looking for all the world like he will tear this creature's throat out with his teeth.
Vlad then begins to wrestle with the creature.
Grapple: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 2 = 14
Not very successfully.
He roars and spits his burning cigarette at the creature, as he drops his bow and draws his blade. Vlad's smile tightens Now your mine
DM CD |
Karina's whip strike is impressive. It cleaves a branch in two. Sadly, the creature is unimpressed and keeps trying to eat Vlad's face.
Arastine's shot strikes the creature grappling Nitina. It is hurt, but not down.
Vlad fails to out-wrestle the creature hanging on to him. His cigarette has little effect.
The creature attacking Nitina drops her and flees to J3.
The creature holding onto Vlad slashes at him with both claws. The first strike skitters off his armor, but the second slips beneath his armor and slits open his entire gut and stomach, spouting massive amounts of blood from the wound (Double Critical - with the same effect on each. 14 damage and 4 bleed. Also, you can't swallow...). It drops the paladin and slithers to E8, snarling furiously.
Maintain Grapple vs Vlad: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (12) + 14 = 26 Success
Rake 1 vs Vlad: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (6) + 5 = 11 Miss
Rake 2 vs Vlad: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (20) + 5 = 25 Crit threat!
Damage: 1d4 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6
Crit confirmation: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (20) + 5 = 25 Double threat! It also confirms...
Crit 2 confirmation: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (19) + 5 = 24 Good grief, we nearly had a triple 20...
Crit Deck 1: 1d52 ⇒ 28 Gut Slash!
Crit Deck 2: 1d52 ⇒ 28 Gut Slash! Seriously, what's up with all the double rolls lately?
Additional Critical hit damage: 2d4 + 4 ⇒ (2, 2) + 4 = 8
Bleed 1: 1d4 ⇒ 2
Bleed 2: 1d4 ⇒ 4
You were saying, Vlad?