The stream is about 2 ft deep. The trees are about 30 ft tall, and the underbrush is not wet, but not dry either. Basically, it probably rained a few days ago here.
The trees offer some cover, but not total cover.
Ruin i think. more solid cover
Waiting for Wilhelm to respond...
I'm inclined towards the triangular spot as long as the river is fairly wide. If it's only 15-20 feet across, I'd prefer to move a bit further into the tree cover as they could set up shots from across the river on the hill. It does protect our flanks fairly well though, but if we decided to run we're a little boxed in.
I think I'm inclined towards the ruins, personally, with no fire and a distraction fire of some sort on the hill overlooking the creek. More hard cover close at hand. The only thing I don't like is the hill overlooking it, but I'm not sure what we can do about that. I've marked where I think we should camp with a cross.
That leaves the count fairly balanced between the two, I think.
Yes, so I need a decision. If it's the ruins, I'll need a day or two to expand the map further out around the ruins. That shouldn't go into your decision, just letting you know I'll need the time.
Unless someone strenuously objects, I think we'll set up in the ruins. :)
Ok, it'll be a couple of days.
Cool map, MDT. :)
Basically a Pathfinder map that's been copy/pasted over and over again until it's all but unrecognizable. I rope trees, ground, river, etc and keep overlaying little bits of other bits of the map to make it bigger and bigger. Takes forever, but let's me generate unique maps for what I need.
Blech, I hate making maps.
Ok, so, I've put everyone on the map. Put in where you're tying up the horses, where you're camping out, and where you are when on watch...
Thanks for the work on the map, mdt. It looks great! :)
Quick clarifying question, how high are the walls of the ruins, generally?
I'm thinking we keep our camp in the middle of the ruins with the horses tied up near the entrances to the center of the square. I've moved them to roughly what I was thinking of. Thoughts on this layout?
Edit: As I have it now, Wilhelm and Natalie are on watch and the others are in place to prove they can actually fit. Horses are set up nearby at the main approaches to the sleeping folks. Guards are placed to maximize their field of vision, while staying in decent cover to make them harder to spot. The downside is that they're not next to each other for support if they get snuck up on.
They vary from 1 foot to 10 feet. The larger L section is 10ft int he corner and goes down at roughly 45 angles to 1ft. The rest of the little sections are 1 to 2 feet high.
So how do you purpose we stand guard around the ruins? are we focusing more on the open areas and leave the area behind the walls a little on the low?
I think defensively, it might make sense to bring Ubagub in a little tighter. Basically between him and the horses, it forces someone to shoot or go through them to get to where the sleeping folks are. If you did want more space, you can move him back.
So how do you purpose we stand guard around the ruins? are we focusing more on the open areas and leave the area behind the walls a little on the low?
If I'm understanding your question correctly, then yes. I was thinking we'd focus on the approaches to the ruins (remaining hidden in cover) and then relying on the horses/Ubagub to keep an ear out for anything that might make it past us. Basically just trying to give us reaction time.
I think defensively, it might make sense to bring Ubagub in a little tighter. Basically between him and the horses, it forces someone to shoot or go through them to get to where the sleeping folks are. If you did want more space, you can move him back.
That seems reasonable to me and his placement seems ok.
Edit: Also, Wilhelm is sleeping in his armor (fatigued in the morning). Just thought it bore mentioning. I will cure my fatigue with 1 use of Lay on Hands when we wake.
In that case, then please place everyone on the map where they'd be. Don't forget the horses.
I think we might be there now. Using horses, Ubagub and walls to create something of a perimeter around the sleepers.
Ok, I'll give everyone the day to post corrections, and go with what's on the map tonight.
It looks good - still looking good : )
Only thing I would note is that the spots Natalie and Will occupies are probably the generic guard spots. Given which of us that got to roll perception I guess Fhârn and Pruett have those when things go down.
Correct, please put the correct people on watch when things go down.
I did some repositioning. Fhârn, Wilhelm, Natalie, please correct as needed/wanted.
Ikit will stick with Natalie
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Needless to say the screaming horses have woken everyone up this round. Everyone who wasn't on watch can take an action next round. Those on watch have a full action this round.
Fhârn is just heavily invested in that Air-aligned Mephit plan, that is all :P
Also you know if Lumnia is hidden somewhere on the map or should I smack her down?
I couldn't find her on the previous map, figured you'd add her again.
There : )
I think they are goblins they clearly hate horses :p
Just a note, my assumption was the horses broke their tethers in fright. This was mostly the GM wanting to avoid excessive trampling rolls. If they'd been tethered good enough not to break them in a panic, then they'd have been trampling the PCs heavily trying to break free.
Chasing the kobolds in the dark may be annoying...
But on the other hand - odds are slim they had time both to pursue us on horseback while tracking and have time to dig some traps. Fhârn is certainly thinking of activating Fly and using Lumnia to chase down some of them (mainly to discourage future attacks).
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@Horses - This is truly the perfect opportunity for Fhârn to pitch Craft Construct and swing together some mechanical griffons or something :D
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@Triumph - What is his CMD?
Getting prone pretty much means any pursuit is over but being flattened on the other hand sucks too :P
Maybe it is worth the shot to use another Trip AoO ... ^^
Not sure he can survive a trip if you trip him, he's got 3-4 HP left.
Fairly sure trip does not actually deal damage - but even if it does when dealing with stampeding beasts the magical horse also has his -Con hp left. And this way he would at least be easier for Will to find :P
(Coincidentally if the kingdom treasurer* feels comfortable enough to grant Fhârn sufficient funding [and time/levels] to swing together something more impressive then mechanical mounts we can get some real trampling action! :3)
*"Oh wait that's me! HehehehehehahaHAHA"
Normally it doesn't, but he'd be galloping flat out when you tripped him. Realistically, 2400 lbs of horse flesh tripping and slamming into the ground is going to do some damage.
That's what all those [bad things happen] die rolls are for, to see if the horses step in a hole or trip or something.
Well, now you have a slurk for backup...and he's not very happy!
Gorruum is in favor of continuing combat. Mostly because this is two times now that the kobolds have hit us and it appears there will be more to come. That said, its going to be tough for us to pick off more than one or two and maybe not even that. And, its not without risk. But, I'd vote yes as long as Fharn can help us find them.
Considering how many humans are in the group, we might wait until daylight and track them to a lair? If that's not a viable choice, then I support continuing the fight. The killing of our horses is a clear tactic to slow us down so that they can harass us as we travel.
@Triumph - What is his CMD?
26 vs trips. He's smart, and will be okish... I hope... and as pointed out is sitting on 5 HP (51 - 30 - 16).
How long til dawn? That should probably weigh in. We're going to have to confront them, but they're probably going to flee then start laying ambushes/traps again. We have 3 who can see in the dark right now and Gorruum isn't the best tracker, meaning they may be difficult to follow tomorrow.
The killing of our horses is a clear tactic to slow us down so that they can harass us as we travel.
Agreed.
I think my answer depends on how long til dawn. If its a short way off (less than an hour maybe?), then perhaps we can pursue, but otherwise I'm inclined towards waiting for morning and trying to pursue them a bit then.
They hit you at the start of Fharn and Pruett's watch, about 15 minutes into it. So it's about 3.5 hours to dawn.
I vote we hunt them down and fight them tonight.
I would like to hunt them down, but in the darkness with them having a head start is going to be diffecult
People seem to want to hunt them down, and honestly at this point, that's probaly a more accurate reflection of what Wilhelm would do. So let's be clever and do that. :) Initiative it is.
I'm a little unclear, should I post again or can I keep the action I posted a (long) while ago?
GM is buried at work. Do you want to continue with that post? If so, I'll adjudicate it when I can find 10 minutes to breath.
GM is buried at work. Do you want to continue with that post? If so, I'll adjudicate it when I can find 10 minutes to breath.
No worries, just wanted to make sure I'm still good. :)
Work got so bad I had to cancel my meat game. :( Didn't get to see Pruett's player Sunday, and I'll be in Rochester until the 16th now, so no game before then.
Sorry I haven't been posting, I've been working 50+ hours a week, plus travel, plus being exhausted and/or sick on the weekends from overworking.
Things should start to return to normal again next week.
Sorry everyone, I'm trying to make more time now.
Since it's been so long, would everyone be ok with me telling what happens with the chase? They did have time to set up some traps, so those will slow down purseurs, you can likely kill one or two of them, but that's all you'll be able to get. They know where their traps are and you don't.
I will likely be able to only post a few times a week through the end of July, after that I hope it will slow back down.
It would be fine with me if we get to some area with roleplay between us.
How do they get to set up any traps? They would have had to force march all night just to catch up with us. Sneaking in requires them to move at 1/2 half speed, so more time eaten up there. Building traps is not an activity that can necessarily be done in a stealthy fashion, at any rate. Of course, caltrops are easy to deploy, should be able to drop one as a free action... Which would make a noise. Also caltrops would have to be removed from a container. That's a move action, and they already used all their actions.
At any rate, you've clamped us in a vice, MDT. We have to pursue and engage these kobolds. If we don't, they'll attack in the night again with their automatic surprise and kill more horses. Then us, the PCs, one by one.
If you have certain pre-made traps (like caltrops) you can put them down ahead of time, rather stealthfully, especially 60 or 100 or 200 ft away from the ones you're chasing. At 50 ft, hearing caltrops being carefully tossed around is a -5 to your perception check, and that's assuming they didn't take extra time to be careful putting them down gaining a bonus to stealth.
I'm not saying they dug pit traps or anything, but setting up some bear traps before closing in on your camp is quiet and easy to do, takes a minute or so. Knowing where they are, they can avoid them, you can't except by luck.
As to clamped in a vice... well, that is the kobold's plan, to keep the pressure on as hard as they can without committing suicide. They know they are outclassed, their only chance is to do hit and run tactics and keep your spellcasters from getting a good night's sleep and tire you out.
MDT is correct. 1 or 2 kobolds are a cake walk. An entire warren? Even a lvl20 fighter will be pushing his luck if he goes into a warren of kobolds alone
=^^=
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