Anyone need to restock mundane weapons?
Lleidr will pass the enchanted arrows over to one of the smarter casters to try to identify.
Selia will detect magic and try to determine the special properties.
The arrows are +2 enchantment, with shocking burst.
Know Arcana
Selia considers the magical properties of the lizards.
Unfortunately, neither of you are familiar with such a strange beast, other than a brief description of it: this dog-sized lizard has two horns, one on either side of its head, and green scales that crackle with sparks of lightning.
Once the arrows and discussion of lizard properties is done, Lleidr will move up to the northeast tunnel and stand ready to move on.
The passage slopes down as you come around a sharp corner and then descends NW at a steep pitch into blackness. Hissing and spitting sounds begin to fade into the dark, and are similar sounds to what you just hear from the Shocker Lizards. To the east, where the wall is flat, your eyes easily see the outline of a door hidden with canny skill, set within the bare rock.
Just to be safe, Lleidr will check the door.
Detect Magic
Detect Poison
If everything looks good, he'll say, "Friend," and open the door a bit to peek through.
Selia follows, if all looks clear. Bizrip will peak down the other passage to warn if lizards approach.
(I apologize for the zoomed out view here. The scale on this map is not great.)
Just as the Black Arrow rangers promised, the barracks sit snug up against the hidden cave entrance. The building's crawlspace is packed with lumber, sheltered from the incessant rain. From the snoring, it is evident that many large creatures are in deep slumber within the structure.
North of where you stand lie the keep's outer wall, and a ruined gate leading inside. The courtyard is littered with signs of violence - broken weapons, smashed crates, and dead horses. There's little activity, but from the sounds, you hear ogres at the fort's south gate and another singing a tune, from a near-by open air structure sitting across from the barracks.
So, what all do we have for making a fire? Lleidr has the Spark cantrip; he just needs some Fine or smaller pieces (bark, broken up arrows, whatever) to target. It has a range of 30', so he can start several without having to move around a lot.
Should we worry about the nearby crooner? I guess he's the one most likely to raise a ruckus once the fire gets going.
"There's lots of wood here. I can whittle you some shavings if you need some tinder."
If you want to carve out a gee gaw or doohickey, I promise not to smirk at your old man habits :)
But seriously, I was wondering if anyone had another resource that might get the job done more quickly? Oil and torches, or whatever? If Lleidr's spark cantrips are our best option, he's more'n happy to light a few fires.
So, are you definitely setting the building on fire or waiting for more input from the party?
If it were done when 'tis done, then 'twere well
It were done quickly
Yeah, if no one else speaks up, Lleidr will gather up a few piles of tinder and use Spark to get 'em burning.
Light em if you got em.
The dry tinder catches fire quickly, and grows within minutes so that it's large enough to smolder the barrack's joists. The crawlspace fills with rolling clouds of smoke.
Soon after that, you can tell the inside of the building has started to burn. Cries of dismay from ogres newly awakened come from inside the barracks. They roar in anger and despair.
Then, an alarm sounds near the north gate and you see a couple of ogres rush towards the sound. The entrance to the main keep is nearby. Or, you could target points of interest inside the courtyard. It seems lightly guarded, but that will change fast if Jakardros is indeed assaulting the north gate, as planned.
Where will you go next?
We don't want to burn the whole place down...do we? Do the Arrows want to retake this place?
Should we move towards the north gate to help out the Arrows? If they're trying to breach the gate, I feel they're too wussy to survive on their own.
"Let's see if there is a way onto the walls from here. We could control the battle from above. I can use my crossbow, and summon some friends to help on the ground."
Yes, you could take the outer curtain wall from where you stand, inside the courtyard. I'd like to hear from Nich & Ned as well before proceeding.
"Well we can't stay here. It's likely to get toasty. I'm good with heading up on the wall.
I as well
The barracks quickly becomes an inferno and is much too hot to stay nearby. As you venture out into the courtyard, 4 massive ogres come running out.
"Jolly, they's burnin' up in there!" says the first ogre, pointing at the burning building.
The one called Jolly whoops in surprise at seeing you. "Nevermin bout that. Lookit! We gots ranger friends poking their noses where they don't belong."
The only egress to the top of the walls is via the gatehouses (or climbing/flying). Also, you can see that the north gate is impassible. Rock and debris have been piled up from inside the walls. The rangers will never get in that way. And, there's more ogre shouts coming from the south gate.
Initiative:
Lleidr
Parthen
Nich
Selia
Ned
Ogres
Parthen will move behind the fighters and give Ned a +2 AC enhancement bonus (lasts 3 rounds).
Please note the scale on this map is twice the size it would appear from the size of your tokens. Each square you see is 20'.
"Looks like our friends are going to have a bit of trouble storming that gate. Lleidr, maybe you could get up on the wall and drop them a rope?"
(deadly aim)
(deadly aim, multishot)
(deadly aim)
Lleidr will move 20' east, which I think will put him within 30' of the southernmost ogre? If so, he'll ready the FoE, enhance it with Arcane Strike, and throw it at the ogre, which should be flat-footed. Lleidr will also apply his Bleeding Attack talent to his sneak attack.
That ogre will bleed for 4 points of damage on its turn every round until it makes a DC 15 Heal check or receives any effect that heals hp damage.
just need an update from Nich and Selia
Monster Summoning 4.
Summoning Hound Archon
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/outsiders/archon/hound-ar chon
Its DR10 will come in handy vs those Ogres.
Selia says goodbye to Bizrip as she dismisses him, so she can summon a unicorn down on the grounds to cause some havoc.
Ft Rannick Courtyard, Round 1
Lleidr's dagger slams into the southern-most ogre, a great, ugly hulking brute. He stammers out a curse in his rage and pain.
Ned now has a +2 to AC thanks to Parthen (for 3 rounds).
With Bizrip's sudden disappearance, Nich and Selia each begin a summoning spell.
With a flurry of shots, Ned takes down the wounded ogre.
The surviving 3 ogres run awkwardly through the debris-strewn courtyard, trying to close with Lleidr. "Hoo hoo," crows Jolly. "We might have shown you some mercy with a quick death, but I warrant it'll be slow and painful. Come on, fellas, have at 'em." He thrusts a fat, stubby arm high in the air, as if to motion others to join them. Four more ogres come running from the south gate.
Actions, please ...
"Thank you for your consideration. I'll try to return the favour."
(point blank, deadly aim)
(rapid shot)
Selia's spell completes , and the unicorn chases down the closest ogre.
CG Large magical beast
Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, scent; Perception +10
Aura magic circle against evil
DEFENSE
AC 15, touch 12, flat-footed 12; (+3 Dex, +3 natural, –1 size; +2 deflection vs. evil)
hp 42 (4d10+12+8)
Fort +7, Ref +7, Will +6; +2 resistance vs. evil
Immune charm, compulsion, poison
Gains the Diehard feat
OFFENSE
Speed 60 ft.
Melee gore +10 (1d8+4+2), 2 hooves +7 (1d3+2+2)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Special Attacks powerful charge (gore, 2d8+8+2)
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 9th)
At will—detect evil (as free action), light
3/day—cure light wounds
1/day—cure moderate wounds, greater teleport (within its forest territory), neutralize poison (DC 21)
STATISTICS
Str 22, Dex 17, Con 20, Int 11, Wis 21, Cha 24
Base Atk +4; CMB +9; CMD 22 (26 vs. trip)
Feats Multiattack, Weapon Focus (horn)
Skills Acrobatics +8, Perception +10, Stealth +8, Survival +7 (+10 in forests); Racial Modifiers +3 Survival in forests, +4 Stealth
Languages Common, Sylvan
SQ magical strike, wild empathy +17
ECOLOGY
Environment temperate forests
Organization solitary, mated pair, or blessing (3–6)
Treasure none
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Magic Circle against Evil (Su) This ability continually duplicates the effect of the spell. The unicorn cannot suppress this ability.
Magical Strike (Ex) A unicorn's gore attack is treated as a magic good weapon for the purposes of damage reduction. Also as Cold Iron if necessary.
Wild Empathy (Su) This works like the druid's wild empathy class feature, except the unicorn has a +6 racial bonus on the check. Unicorns with druid levels add this racial modifier to their wild empathy checks.
As the ogres lumber towards him, Lleidr will zig and zag, moving Acrobatically NE, trying to slip around behind the northernmost of them. His standard action is a feint as some of the zigs are actually zags. Oh, and he'll keep Arcane Strike active on his weapons, just in case.
The Hound Archon charges one of the ogres and swings hard.
Attack for
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/outsiders/archon/hound-ar chon
Nicholae casts magic vestment.
------------------------------------------
Hound Archon CR 4
XP 1,200
LG Medium outsider (archon, extraplanar, good, lawful)
Init +4; Senses darkvision 60 ft., detect evil, low-light vision, scent; Perception +10
Aura aura of menace (DC 16), magic circle against evil (All creatures within the area gain the effects of a protection from evil spell).
Any hostile creature within a 20-foot radius of you must make a Will save to resist the effects of this aura. If the creature fails, it takes a –2 penalty on attack rolls and saving throws and to Armor Class for the duration of this spell, or until it successfully hits you with an attack. A creature that has resisted or broken the effect cannot be affected again by this.
DEFENSE
AC 19, touch 10, flat-footed 19 (+9 natural; +2 deflection vs. evil)
hp 39 (6d10+6)
Fort +6, Ref +5, Will +5; +4 vs. poison, +2 resistance vs. evil
DR 10/evil; Immune electricity, petrification; SR 15
OFFENSE
Speed 40 ft.
Melee bite +8 (1d8+3), slam +8 (1d4+1) or mwk greatsword +9/+4 (2d6+3), bite +3 (1d8+2)
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 6th)
Constant—detect evil, magic circle against evil
At Will—aid, continual flame, greater teleport (self plus 50 lbs. of objects only), message
STATISTICS
Str 15, Dex 10, Con 13, Int 10, Wis 13, Cha 12
Base Atk +6; CMB +8; CMD 18
Feats Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Power Attack
Skills Acrobatics +9, Intimidate +10, Perception +10, Sense Motive +10, Stealth +13, Survival +14; Racial Modifiers +4 Stealth, +4 Survival
Languages Celestial, Draconic, Infernal; truespeech
SQ change shape (beast shape II)
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Change Shape (Su)
A hound archon can assume any canine form of Small to Large size, as if using beast shape II. While in canine form, the hound archon loses its bite, slam, and greatsword attacks, but gains the bite attack of the form it chooses. For the purposes of this ability, canines include any dog-like or wolf-like creature of the animal type.
Selia, don't you get an action this round, since you spent your action last round doing a full-round summoning?
Ft Rannick Courtyard, Round 2
Lleidr dashes in between the lumbering brutes, dodging their weapons and meaty fists. He winds up right behind the northern ogre, who has a confused look on his face.
Parthen takes a step forward, and mastering arcane forces with but a quick gesture and murmuring, causes a spout of scarlet flame to burst from his mouth. The two nearest ogres are caught dead in the midst of the blast.
Nich summons an archon and blesses rainment with defensive power. The archon slames into the approaching ogres from the south. At the creature's approach, the ogres faces fall into shadows of dismay for a moment, before their determination returns.
Selia has brought forth a unicorn, which immediately gallops over and fells the closest enemy.
Ned launches another trio of arrows, the first two of which find their mark, upon another of the southern ogres. The ogre's knees nearly buckle from the onslaught, but he rights himself and continues to charge at the group.
Jolly sneers. "You may try, but I warrant you'll fail, little one. After we deal with you, we'll finish off your friends at the north gate!" Jolly nears the unicorn, his face twisted in anger and promising violence. His giant club whistles through the cold air as he brings down atop the summoned animal (21 hp dmg).
The ogre nearest Lleidr wheels around, trying to find him, swinging his weapon madly through the air in vain.
One of the southern ogres runs towards the unicorn, hitting it again (15 dmg). While two of the southern ogres attack the archon (13 dmg), the 4th ogre, Jolly's equal in size and bearing, makes for the group, coming right atop Nich and Selia. You see the spittle flying from his mouth and feel his hot breath on your arms. "Won't be such a pretty lass after we're through with you, heh!"
NOTE - for clarity, I'm taking off the fallen ogres from the map
Still light on his feet, Lleidr activates Arcane Strike on his weapons and stabs at the confused ogre. Inferring from your description that the feint worked, the big lug is denied his DEX adjustment to AC, so Lleidr will apply his Bleeding Attack talent to his sneak attack.
That ogre will bleed for 4 points of damage on its turn every round until it makes a DC 15 Heal check or receives any effect that heals hp damage.
Dammit, after all that set up :(
I actually missed its DR. Help me out ... the ogres are evil, so the DR wouldn't apply to them? or the DR only applies to evil creatures? If it's the latter ,the archon only takes 3 hp dmg.
I did check it's aura effect, however!
The DR does not apply only with evil aligned spells/weapons.
I thought it meant that the DR applies unless the creature has the Evil subtype or the melee/ranged/natural weapon or spell has an Evil descriptor (via align weapon or other effect). The ogres have an evil alignment, but they don't have the Evil subtype, so the DR should apply, right?
Selia, don't you get an action this round, since you spent your action last round doing a full-round summoning?
OK, the archon only took 3 hp dmg then.
So what'chall doin ??? Starting a new round!
Ned will QuickDraw his greatsword and take a 5' step...
(power attack, monster hunter)
No need to roll damage :-(
Probably still no need (sigh) but I'll roll anyway
Parthen will cast Bull's Strength on Ned (duration = 8 minutes). Since Parthen acts prior to Ned, that should increase your 2nd roll to a 16, but correct me if I'm wrong.
I believe we still need actions from Nich and Selia.