(5A) Ancient Fortress of Kotelia - Table A (Inactive)

Game Master mdt

As per usual, map link at top, you might want to check it if you haven't Pasternak.

Oho, mountainside. Hello there. That's fine, I got a climb speed. But I wonder...is that giant guy visible or not?

perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (15) + 6 = 21

Mr. Pasternack would likely have to move straight ahead, treading along the side of the mountain to where he would likely gain sight of the giant man, with the little gap between the rocks, and make his throw. He stumbled a bit, but his climbing skills are superb.

Climb check is 18, due to climb speed.

He has partial cover. Please move your character on the map, and indicate your path with a line, thanks.

Cygnus howls! +1 Treestumps and Rocks for Gork, +returning Javelin for Pasternack! +Keen for Ciaran (or +1, can't remember if she got rid of her magic weapon!), +Flaming for Kayniik, +1 Magic for all 42 teefers of Cygnus! All nonmagical ranged weapons of allies also get a +1 bonus.

Cygnus looks up to the top of the hill, wondering briefly if it were wise for the enemy to announce itself, before leaning back on his haunches and howling, the magic of his voice reverberating in his ally's weapons and taking on their preferred aspects.

Botting Ciaren

Ciaren draws a weapon and takes cover behind the slope.

Botting Kayniik

Kayniik draws a weapon and also takes cover behind the slope.

The Cyclops points his crossbow at the flatfooted two-headed ogre, as the most dangerous creature there, and strikes him neck, where the two heads meet!

Attack: 20 = 20
Confirm: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (19) + 5 = 24 Confirmed

Damage: 6d8 ⇒ (7, 1, 7, 5, 8, 5) = 33

Reposting Init
Init, Kayniik Goldvolt: 24
Init, Ciaran Shalquoir: 23
Init, Mr. Pasternack: 16
Init, Cygnus: 13
Init, Cyclops: 12
Init, Mork&Gork: 10

Kayniik, Ciaran, Pasternack, Cygnus

Mr. Pasternack ducked, as he was fond of doing, as the giant guy fired his crossbow. Lifting his brow, "He's armed! Well look at that.." Scrambling up the side, just as his javelin returned to him, he lept up and clambered ontop of the rock (if it was 10 feet tall or shorter, that is). Adapting a combat-esque stance, he would kick at the giant to distract him from that crossbow of his.

Attack: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (3) + 6 = 9
damage: 1d3 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5

Sorry I've been here I just read the initiative order as thought I had to wait untill the Cyclops.

Kayniik aims his crossbow carefully at the cyclops and knocks a bolt fly.
attack: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (20) + 8 = 28
damage: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7
flaming: 1d6 ⇒ 6

Confirm: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (18) + 8 = 26
damage: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2

"You no hit Kayniik's friends." After that increidble shot Kayniik starts reloading the crossbow setting a new bolt ready for next shot.

Never mind, sorry, GM brain death. You failed your perception check, so you didn'go last turn. My bad.

Happens to us all, I even do it during the live games I run sometimes.

Mork lets out a load roar of pain as the arrow pierces his neck. Splitting pain runs through his body
"Gaaaaaahgr! Mork goin to thunp you gud!"

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MDT:

[dice=Attack]20 No dice! Just a 20! :O Why you do dis!?
[dice=Confirm]1d20+5 Confirmed

[dice=Damage]6d8

"I don't suppose someone speaks his language? Think he speaks giant?" Cygnus asks as his magic reverberates around them, he then calls out in Sylvan, "We come in peace! Drop the crossbow and we'll stop attacking!" After the previous misunderstanding (which was surely explained by now), Cygnus was less willing to simply dive into a fight without questioning it.

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (5) + 8 = 13 Ah, well.

Using Sylvan assumes that it's generally assumed that the language of Kotelia isn't really used outside its walls.

Botting Ciaran again

Ciaren moves along the wall, hugging it to avoid being hit by anything.

The cyclops moves back, dropping it's crossbow, and unlumbers a massive axe!

Attack, Pasternak: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (14) + 11 = 25
Damage: 3d6 + 7 ⇒ (2, 3, 6) + 7 = 18

The massive axe bites deeply into Pasternak, and sends a spray of blood out, raining down on his companions with little red pitter patters!

Mork & Gork, then everyone else again.

Mr. Pasternack takes the axe to the shoulder, his fur wet with his own blood. His body shook with the shock of pain and he gritted his teeth, lifting his head to look at the giant. And he smiled, closing his eyes, "It's probably better this way..." Quietly, "Nobody likes a spy."

He's gonna fight defensively and snatch the giant's crossbow, probably take an axe swing and toss it back and die a tragic death, down the cliffside.

Mork lumbers forward. Angry and very upset. As he does. He unslings his trusty stump

double move towards Cyclops

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I've changed my mind, let's go risk and reward all the way. It's unlikely that the cyclops will miss, so Mr. Pasternack will grab the weapon, 5-foot-shift up onto the rock and away from the cyclops, and then move 20 feet down the mountain side. That is, if the cyclops doesn't drop him in a crit and if he can still move after being struck.

Pasternack has 6 hit points. If he provokes an AoO by trying to grab the crossbow, he will be be downed on a hit, even at minimum damage, then he'll take fall damage from falling off the mountain. I suggest he Withdraw, he currently can do so without an AoO by going back down.

"Oh greatfather at the forge.
Grant this lowly one you holy fire.
To heal the wounds and mend the flesh."

Channel: 2d6 ⇒ (1, 4) = 5

You are obviously found wanting, Theologian

What if...He 5-foot shifts inward, so he's too close to swing at and then picks up the crossbow? Provokes, but can't be hit because he's too close. 5-foot shift inward, pick up, wait! No, we don't do defense. Terrible idea. Instead, we use that standard action to ready an action. Should the giant take a 5-foot shift, Mr. Pasternack will take a 5-foot shift towards him.

Watching the giant man take a step back sparked a realization, his axe head is on the end of a long stick! He slides off the rock and wedges himself in between the cracks where the giant once stood and picked up the larger crossbow, holding it in front of him as he looked behind him , planning his next move, "Seems you've dropped something, old friend. Let me pick that up for you." The wound of his bleeding shoulder closed a little, but it still looked gnarly under that fur and leather. Holding the crossbow, he peeks over the top of it, "How about we dance for it? I've got some really nice foot-work that you've got to see with all of your...one eye."

I just want to confirm, Pasternack is going to provoke an attack of opportunity to pick up the large crossbow? The great axe is on a long stick, but it's not a reach weapon, so the creature can attack with it at 5 or 10 feet. He stepped back to avoid ranged attacks from the others while he killed you.

Well drats. Just thought it was 10ft reach all around for the large critter. Never made much sense to me to have gauntlets or spiked armor for PC's when they can just attack with their non-reach weapons anyway, when enlarged. There should be an improved pick-up feat. Any way I could full withdraw and kick my javelin down the cliff-side in the process? I assume it didn't hit, so it landed somewhere. Or is the enchantment on it and can I just call it back to me?

It's enchanted for return right? Then it teleports to your hand after you throw it.

Mr. Pasternack finally points his pointy javelin at the giant, "You win then. I still want that mountain view though." Remember that, you giant you. He turned tail and slid down the mountain side, catching sight of Mork + Gork running around the corner, calling after him, "Oi! Big fellow, let's leave this one be. He's pretty in the right for protecting his mountain from us and it's not worth it. Better leave before he picks that weapon back up too."

Full withdraw, for now.

"We should withdraw for now, mend our wounds, then come back. Two of us are heavily injured, and I'm not taking casualties." Cygnus says as he flicks his head towards the way they'd come. "We've got a few moments while he retrieves his crossbow and reloads it unless he comes down to us. Now go!"

Ciaran gladly follows the order the fall back but gets ready to dodge in case of a counter attack, if she could draw some attention she might be able to help the injured get away.

"I'll try and cover the escape." She would try to toss a few rocks towards the creatures general direction to draw it's attention to her.

Intimidate, taunt?: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 2 = 7

total defense for 24 ac and a move action back the way we came

"Mork hurt bad... Mork follow... arrow make very ouch... Mork will return it" he was struggling to speak with the amount of blood he lost. Not to mention the pain from the arrow

10/38 HP

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Amdog will also full defense; he's able to teleport around making him the most capable of getting away, even if injured.

Kayniik escape, not very fast but can take a hit or two while moving if needded."

Mr. Pasternack will dramatically point to the giant, and slide to the cliff's edge, turning around and climbing down. He'll meet up with the others once they reach the base of the mountain.

The group beats a hasty retreat back down the path, while the cyclops retrieves it's crossbow and then comes down the path.

However, given the head start, the group stays ahead of the cyclops, who roars at them a couple of times in fury and then stops chasing.

End of combat

"That was not a nice creature. Very angry. Kayniik's friends hurt? Need healing?" The goblin says a bit staggered for breath, while fumbling around his backpack for the wand he brought from the armory.

Mork pulls whats left of the bolt from his neck

"Mork hurt bad... one eye hit Mork in neck"

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"After we get healed up, I think the new question is, do we head back that way? Try to catch him off-guard? Or do we adjust our route to avoid him for now? Since no one can really talk to him, our options are limited."

Mr. Pasternack sat down on a rock after all that retreating. He patted his side, "Nothing hurts more than my pride. Well, maybe where his axe head hit, that hurts just a little more than my pride." Coughing and squeezing his side, but smiling after, "I say we sneak up there to get a look. He can't stay awake forever. The moon should give us enough light to get a look-a-round."

Kayniik walks around giving a few hits with the wands Roll healing as you need it "All need sleep and we need to explore it so maybe we can sneak around oneeye or get the jump on him."

3d8 ⇒ (5, 5, 8) = 18

After a few wand zaps, Mr. Pasternack patted his side and stood up with ease, "Now that all's well...maybe we could even snag one of his weapons. That'd make it safer for other adventurers, should they do what we have done. Both are large, even for him, so they'd be bothersome to sleep with." Looking into his shirt and inspecting where the cyclops cut him, "With such a sound thrashing, a rebound attack wouldn't be too expected."

Healing: 5d8 + 5 ⇒ (1, 8, 7, 3, 4) + 5 = 28 on the dot

Mork was feeling a lot better after the wounds closed. That hurt a lot.
"What we do now? One eye hurt bad. Mork no think we try that again" he rubs his neck where the crossbow bolt hit

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"We got to get by him one way. Maybe Mork try talk. Maybe we sneak past which I find a little bit unlikely. Kayniik good sneak even in this armor, but..." The goblin seems to have lost his train of thoughts and sits down to rest his head.

"Very well. Mork will try the talky thing. Not promise. Only try" he nods and rummages through his pack
"Mork will offer ale... Mork make self"

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Cygnus bobs his head. "Can't hurt - any more than it already did - to try. Would you like to come at it from a different angle, Pasternack? I can likely hop up with relative ease, as well, if things go south. Worst case scenario, it doesn't accept our offer of friendship."

"It didn't seem to want to be friends, we can try but if it doesn't work we should let the people back home know where he is in case they send more people out this way.

"kayniik agree, but maybe it just be safer to deal with one eye quickly to spare any others traveling the area."

"Perhaps the dragons thought that of us?" Cygnus asks, tilting his head so that it's nearly upside down as he asks the question. "When they attacked our home?" he says, turning his head right side up before shaking himself. "I do not mean to say that they are innocent, or misguided, but that it seems ill-fated to treat others with that thought process... lest we come to expect others to treat us in kind."

Mr. Pasternack sat against a tree-trunk, watching the others talk. Smiling to himself and shaking his head, "Now, killing the poor fellow is probably not the best thing. It -is- his mountain, after all, and we didn't ask nicely to be on top it. However, if his crossbow were to go missing, he'd have to make another one and we get our mountain view. As long as we map out what we see from the view, there'd be no meaningful point to have the giant removed. No one would need to climb that mountain, but us friends. I'm all for temporarily disarming our mountain friend and getting that moonlit view. And we wouldn't even have to say hello."

Bending his arms behind his neck, Mr. Pasternack lifted his brows, "Hmm? Oh, I can climb that mountain from any angle. That's not a problem."

"Might be true, but Kayniik wouldn't put it past the city to decide to use the mountain for anyhting if the vantage up here is good. They might want a forward outpost or something."

"I'm uncertain of how to remove the crossbow from his person, short of him throwing it away once more. You could perhaps try to steal it... but that seems unlikely to work, and dangerous as well. If you believe you can, by all means. So, just to be clear, do you believe we must displace the cyclops, to simply disarm him, or do you feel we should at least try to talk him down, as it were?"

"Mork can try talk. All people like ale... talk over ale. Yes. Maybe come to bargain?"

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Mr. Pasternack stretches and lets out an easy breath, "We wait until he sleeps. I don't feel like attacking him in his sleep, but it wouldn't be too bad if his weapons weren't there when he woke up." Shrugging some, "They're too big for maybe, most of us, but it didn't look too big to carry."