Running with the Bulls (Inactive)

Game Master Gilthanis

game on

Indeed, again.

/

Still in...

Back at the market, a man comes by, passing out fliers to all bodies who seem to be adventurers. He plasters them all around, ion every tavern, inn, shady district...EVERYWHERE. Exposure and free publicity can never be a bad thing, right?

On the flier, it mentions that the annual Running with the Bulls will be taking place in Katapesh this year. Would be tamers of the bull, should bring their courage, intestinal fortitude and most importantly...their coin pouches.

You decide that anytime the flier says to bring your coin pouch, it can never be a bad thing. You take a portal into the strictly guarded Katapeshi magic district. Once you have been thoroughly checked and deemed safe, you are allowed to enter. You arrived two days in advance of the Running with the Bulls.
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You get a room at the inn, and inquire about what this festival actually is.

The local barkeep, tells you it is a fetival that travels, and is usually not in the same town twice. Adventurers, from around Golarion, put their name in the hat. There are different tiers that they can sign up for: noobie, advanced, or legendary. There are different entry fees, for each one, as well as different hazards and rewards to be had should you survive and make it to the end.

You decide that entering, while foolish as it may be, cannot be horrible, as you are poor, broke adventurers, and any chance to gain money is a good thing.
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You go down to the organizing office, ad you add your name to the list.

I just need to know which one you each sign up for. Noobie, advacned or expert. The entry fee is as follows: noobie is 25gp, advanced is 100gp, and legendary is 1000gp.

Rayne puts his name underneath the Legendary column, figuring that the entrance fee is so great the reward must be exemplary. Anyway, even though dying may be painful, it'd be worth it to go out with a bang. He'd lived a good life, better than some.

I'm not going to try to die, but as long as I don't die too soon, I'll be happy :P

"This is not in my idiom..." Tagatha thinks to himself. He has worked well with Rayne before, so he decides to go for it.

Put me down in legendary...

Rayne and Tagatha are legendary. Still awaiting on Jacaranda and one other

Day 1:

Once through the portal, Jac became enamored with the sites and sounds of Katapesh. The thriving populace nestled in the middle of the harsh deserts, the flaunting of fashion and wealth and most importantly, the huge and confusing markets. He danced from booth to booth, stall to stall and plain carpets piled with knick-knacks. He purchased a small pot of paint for the next day as his own supply was running low in addition to a meal with a name he could not pronounce, much to the delight of the shop-keep that served him.

The sun waned in the west as it was time to book a room and find out more about the festival he would take part in. The innkeeper was curt and rude but the gnome didn't mind for he knew her to be a busy woman under a lot of stress. A smile and shiny coin lightened the mood considerably and helped him prepare for the challenge ahead.

Day 2:

He was getting nervous now, he only had a plan for one of his spells but, he was saving that for later tonight. He ate, he paced around in his room and, hours later, did something he hasn't done in a while: gave himself a reading...

He cleared a spot on a table and shuffled the cards. He spoke aloud, "Will I survive the Running of the Bulls tomorrow?" A deep breath later he drew his Role Card from the Suit of Shields (the suit representing pain...). The Tangled Briar stared back at him, the card of ancient deeds.

"This is a ominous start..." he muttered to himself. Next, he shuffled again and dealt 9 cards in a 3 x 3 grid with practiced ease. Finally, they were revealed and interpreted with a professional eye. The three most important cards were The Unicorn, The Trumpet and The Dance. Their placement and significance intrigued Jac and he surmised that all should be well as long as he kept a watchful eye for his surroundings.

He cast his last spell for the day before studying for the next day and went to bed.

Day Of:

Jac raced toward the organizing office and put his name down under Noobie ("Whatever that means.") and prepared for the start of the event.

Cast a secret spell the night before, set spells for next day entered my name and difficulty.

"I wish I had the means to be legendary" Glyn mutters as he puts himself down under Advanced "This will be a tale told by the bards throughout the ages, of daring deed, of fantastical failures and of legendary bulls"
put me down under advanced

The man, taking down names and what course they wish to run, looks at Rayne and Tagatha.

You sure about that you two. That course has only been attempted by 10 individuals. 9 of whom reside in the graveyard on the outskirts of town? If so, may whatever god you pay homage to, be with you two.

Please confirm you wish to do the legendary course.

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The man looks to the four of you who had entered their names.

If you wish to place a wager, you may do so at any local establishment. You have one day to prepare for the event. Good luck to you all. The gold taken from the total number of participants, will make up the bulk of the pot to be split to the winner. Should there be more than one person to reach the finish line, it will be the one who finishes the fastest. Should there still be a tie, then it will be up to the winners if they wish to split the pot, or go on another run one-on-one to determine a single winner.

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Noobie race: 20 racers total
Advanced race: 15 total racers
Legendary race: 10 total racers

Racer odds will be posted in discussion thread shortly

Jacaranda, if you cast a spell, please tell me what we cast :)

"You only live once." Tagatha grins at the man. "Leave me in legendary."

Rayne looks offended. "You mean, back down from this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity? No way!"

In dice we trust.

Heading to a local establishment, Rayne places a wager (150 gp) on himself, 150 gp on Tagatha, and 97 gp on Glyn. (Sorry Jacaranda - I'd bet on you, but the return is so small!)

Can I bet like that? If not, I'll just put all 397 gp on myself!

Following Rayne's example, Tagatha bets 150 on himself and 150 on Rayne.

You can bet on whomever you wish. Split bets if you want, etc. Those bets are legal

Jac was relieved to hear he had one more day to prepare. Upon reaching his inn he mulled over the idea of placing a wager. The idea was swiftly ignored however. He had very little in his pocket after the entry fee and whatever was left would be enough to buy himself a nice plot and coffin in the local graveyard he'd heard so much about.

Nay, he'd have a nice drink and sleep well before the big day instead.

Jac casts the same spell as last night, studies ave goes to bed.

Glyn casually strolls over to the voting booth "Put me down for... 45gp on Ranye, the same on Tagatha, and 30 on Yours Truly" handing over some coins to the man at the booth

45 on Rayne, Tagatha, and 30 on Glyn

It is the day of the Running. Everyone gathers, spectators and runners alike.

Jacaranda is in a pen, when a staggering 19 others, awaiting for the Running of the Bulls to begin. In a holding cell, a good 30 feet behind the runners is a single caged up Auroch. It's black, dirty hide is a fearsome aight as its horns are sharpened to a point. It is not fully grown, but still a formidable foe.

Glyn, is in a pen with 14 others, too waiting for the Running to start. 30 feet behind everyone, is a fully grown Auroch with brown hide and equally sharp horns.

Tagatha and Rayne are in with 9 very, brave, souls taking on the legendary course. 30 feet behind everyone, a single caged bison. It looks to be a used slightly to make sure it is feisty for the Running.

Wveryone can make their first check. Links at the top of the page. To move one square: chose ONE task and beat the DC. To move 3 squares: beat both tasks at the set DC. Now, let the running begin.

Do I have time to cast a spell? And: is there time in the chase mechanic to cast as well when necessary?

You have 1 round before the Running starts. You can cast during if you wish. The bull release isn't until everyone is out of the gate, essentially you all get 1 square head start. You can cast during, it takes a standard action to you can move 1 square then cast. Teleportation spells/effects are banned and is an instant DQ. Move enhancing like long strider and expeditious retreat while frowned upon are not DQ worthy. I will roll for the various NPC, and probably spoiler tag them as to not clutter up the Game thread.

' পুরোনো যাদুকর বর্ম ', Tagatha casts a quick Mage Armor spell.

In the map, it says we attempt the challenge when we leave the square? Doesn't that mean that we won't be facing any challenges in the first round, because it would require a move action to move into a square, a move action to move out of the square, and a standard action to face the challenge as you move out?

Rayne quickly reviews his life experiences, and gains slightly quicker reactions as a result. Afterwards, he runs into the "Get out of the gates" square, to face the challenge next round.

Burning a use of Martial Flexibility to grant myself Improved Initiative for one minute, or until I use Martial Flexibility again.
Alternatively, for the "Screw your neighbor" challenge, is that using just base CMB, or can I use specialized CMBs? For example, I have a +7 CMB, but it increases to +10 CMB when I use the Trip combat maneuver.

If you have trip you can trip. If you had bull rush you could try to bully your way to a lead, etc

Correct, everyone gets a free square, I didn't want to be a complete dick lol

"Mayhap we should work together my friend,' Tagatha says to Rayne, "there's a lot of money to be shared here."

Once his spell is cast, Tagatha digs in his claws and sprints forward, eager to gain a quick lead.

I moved myself to the same square as Rayne. Should I not do that?

Your fine, next round you make a check once you leave the square. Or you can try to move 3 squares by making both checks.

The gnome looked around at the other contestants and seemed worried. "This many people may be a blessing or a burden..." he thought to himself. "Welp, let's get ready to leap forward."

Normally, a caster of his ilk would wave hands and chant cryptic words of power that make the very air buzz at their utterance. Jacaranda's magic was more straightforward and succinct. He reached into a cubic pouch on his belt and withdrew a playing card from the small container. The card was aged and bent from years of use and bore a picture of a wounded adventurer in a lonely throne surrounded by ghostly visages of friends and allies, while riches lay on the ground before him. "The Survivor" he spoke aloud, as the wisps of ghoststuff curled around him from the card.

An instant later the spirit armor fades along with the worry in his heart. "That should bode well." Replacing the card, Jac then began to head toward the next objective.

Rolled random Harrow Card for no mechanical benefit, Cast Mage Armor, will begin running next round. Sorry these posts are so long, they will get shorter once I've established the character more. Let's have a good, clean race.

"Aha! The Game's Afoot!" Glyn runs forward towords the gates
Glyn moves into the next square, and turns around
"Looks like a tough challenge, let's try no to slip up Glyn casts Grease in the middle of the pack of competitors.

Using his cat-like speed, Tagatha sprints ahead, trying to get out of the gates quickly.

Init Check: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (20) + 3 = 23 Woohoo!

Using his natural cat-like grace, he skids to a stop just in front of a pile of rubble...

Round 2 commences, the Bulls have been let loose on each track. Round recaps have been done in discussion thread so as not to much up this thread :). Also can someone please delete Tagatha and Rayne from the "advanced" course.

"Good Luck everyone!" Jac shouts as he starts to run out of the pen.

Initiative: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (9) + 2 = 11

The gnome pumps his legs and manages to stay with the pack of runners. At least ahead of the Auroch...

Awesome! Not dead yet folks!

"Try not to eat my dust!" Glyn yells behind him as he rushes forward, racing out of the gates

Initiative: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (13) + 3 = 16

Ref Save: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 4 = 20

Tagatha skids on the pavement as he reaches the rock fall in his way. With a leap, he manages to clear it before he runs into it.

The gnome's little legs pumped furiously toward the goal. He saw no four-legged pursuit and decided to give himself a slight edge. Jac stopped for a moment and focused his arcane energy into one hand while he pulled a new card. The Owl stared back at the witch with the image of the bird holding a needle. "Well..., I was hoping for something out of Hammers or Keys but, this'll do nicely."

Harrow Roll, Suit and Alignment: 1d6 ⇒ 51d10 ⇒ 5

Rolled for my Harrowed ability. Pulling a card from the Suit of Stars gives me a +2 to one Wisdom-based roll in the next 24 hours. Will start running in the next "turn".

Glyn leaps over the rock cluster and dashes away.
ref save: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (16) + 7 = 23

Tagatha, you would be on hex 3, not 5. You would have had to take a full riund action and best both challenges to move 3 spaces.

Jacaranda takes some time, and draws from his harrow deck. He lets fate choose his path, and he isn't super excited about the card, but rolls with the punches. The time it takes to draw, 7 of his competitors decide to leave him in the dust.

The young Auroch seems eager as ever to impale the many running people before it. It storms out if the gates and gains ground looking to gore not only Jacaranda but the few others with him.

bull initiative: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (14) + 1 = 15

bull is in same square as you Jacaranda (square 3). It can attempt a trample only if you fail next check and I succeed

The unfortunate competitors who couldn't get out of the blocks each get a swift ass kicking from the bulls horns. None can escape the punishment, you see medics come out afterwards and tend to the injured.

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On the advanced course, Glyn takes off and easily beats a cart majority of his competitors out of the gate. A few keep up with him despite his athleticism. He then easily evades the rock in the way of the track.

The angry black bull gets out of the gates and keeps up with the runners. It also easy evades the rock in the way and is staring down Glyn, hoping he will slip up and he can sink his sharp horns into him.

Auroch init: 1d20 ⇒ 12
bull per: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (15) + 9 = 24

The unfortunate competitors who couldn't get out of the blocks each get a swift ass kicking from the bulls horns. None can escape the punishment, you see medics come out afterwards and tend to the injured.

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On the legendary course, Rayne decides that the risk is too great and withdraws. He is able to get 1/2 his fee back out of sympathy, but the ither 1/2 is forfeit to the Runners. Tagatha on the other hand is more than willing to give it a go, and with cat-like reflexes gets out of the gate and perouettes out of the way of the hazard. Too bad the bull is quick on its feet and keep up with the nimble cat.

The unfortunate competitors who couldn't get out of the blocks each get a swift ass kicking from the bulls horns. None can escape the punishment, you see medics come out afterwards and tend to the injured.

bull init: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (17) + 2 = 19
per: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (9) + 13 = 22

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Round 3 starts now :)

Jacaranda: +2 wisdom check, on hex 3 with bull in same square.
Glyn: on hex 4, no NPC with you, bull on hex 3
Tagatha: on hex 4, 1 NPC with you, bull on hex 3

Tagatha, you would be on hex 3, not 5. You would have had to take a full riund action and best both challenges to move 3 spaces.

I thought each square gives you a choice on which square to move to. So you are saying I move left-to-right, then down a row, then left-to right again, and so on? I confess I don't know what square is '3' and the bull isn't moving so I don't really follow what is happening.

At what point can I see/target the bull?

DM Stylz wrote:

Tagatha, you would be on hex 3, not 5. You would have had to take a full riund action and best both challenges to move 3 spaces.

I thought each square gives you a choice on which square to move to. So you are saying I move left-to-right, then down a row, then left-to right again, and so on? I confess I don't know what square is '3' and the bull isn't moving so I don't really follow what is happening.

Sorry, my fault for not making the "path" clear. Just follow the path that has increasing DC.

Each square represents 30'. You can target the bull with anything that could target within the range. Since the bull is a hex behind you, it is 30' behind you so go for it.

Tagatha points his finger at the bull, taking care to not be noticed.

' দুর্বলতা '

Ranged Touch Att: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (15) + 5 = 20
Ray of Enfeeblement: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6Str dmg, DC14 Fort save for half.

Hoping to weaken the bull for the inevitable crash, he grins as he strikes it. "MOVE!" He shouts as he sprints forward.

Intimidate: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 3 = 9

Unfortunately, no one moves...

Tagatha, attempting an obstacle is a standard action and casting a spell is a standard. Please choose one of them, you cannot do 2 standard action :)

Tagatha, attempting an obstacle is a standard action and casting a spell is a standard. Please choose one of them, you cannot do 2 standard action :)

So there's no point in casting spells in this scenario. I won't be able to move. I guess I would have taken the Intimidate then, which I failed. This should be quick...

Both are viable options. I have to pass the check as well, and the only way I gore you is by actuakky passing you on the square. You could cast long strider to give you more speed. Enfeeble the bull to make its gore less effective, hinder strength based skills etc. I will let you decide which action to take sto, confirm either way.

If I get the choice, I'd go with the Enfeeblement I already cast then. That was part of the plan all along, to be honest.

I am gonna call it, it seems nobody is still around, all entrance fees are returned at full value. Sorry I bit off more than I could chew, but thank you for allowing me to try with this idea.

Inactivate then , please.