Doing his best to keep his shaking hands steady. Zuran slowly begins to walk up the stairs. Not hearing anything as he walks up, somehow doesn't calm his already frazzled nerves.
The tiefling gives a quick glance to Garim, and then moves towards the tower, his hands now more nervous than feral as he makes his way inside.
His eyes go wider, if that is at all possible.
"Above and around! There's boots above and tracks behind the stairs!"
Three of you make it inside, and Ofelio detects evidence that there may be trouble both at the top of the stairs and behind.
Garim makes his way, frantically, towards the west tower. Bracing himself for incoming arrow fire, none does, and he makes it inside without trouble.
Round 6
Initiative: Snipers, Mastiff, Garim, Laya, Zuran, Ofelio
"We're bound to have visitors from upstairs," Laya says. "Don't go up to them. Let's draw them down. HEY UP THERE!" She then casts a spell.
Heeding Laya's suggestion. He backs down the stairs with his hands shaking from the adrenaline.
Ofelio moves protectively in front of Laya, seeing that Zuran has his eyes on the stairs. It is whatever is around the staircase that worries him.
You gather on the ground floor of the western tower, catching your breath. For the moment, nothing comes out at you, the snipers above content to wait for you, at least for now.
Round 7!!
Will this work on those with fiendish blood in their veins. Garim reaches out his hand, a soft white glow to it and touches Ofelio. The bleeding cuts of the arrow heads stops.
Garim then takes up a stand near the door, keeping an eye out into the open space beyond.
"Just be patient," Laya whispers to the others via the message spell. "I've greased the stairs. Make them come to us."
Is the plan to delay until something happens, with Garim healing people as time allows?
"Thank you, Garim." The paladin says with a unsettling-but-genuine smile. The curing seemed to work well enough.
Although you hear shuffling above you, the snipers above do not yet make an appearance.
Next round!
With the short reprieve and adrenalin levels dropping just slightly Garim begins to feel more intensely the pain of his own wounds. His hands again glow as he moves them over each of his arrow wounds.
Laya Perception:
Garim:
Ofelio:
Zuran:
I just put people randomly, but if there's a specific place your character would go, let me know.
If nothing else, this is giving us a chance to catch our breaths," Laya mutters.
Ofelio's nostrils flare.
"I apologize for running forward, but for a ruse, this has been... surprising? I think that's the word I'm looking for."
Looking at the newly applied grease an idea comes to his mind. "If they won't come down, maybe we should smoke them out. Of course that means we will have to go find another tower that is less on fire."
The mention of burning down the tower brings more life to Ofelio's face than it should.
Sadly, you do not have enough time to enact this plan of pre-emptive arson.
Stealth 1:
Stealth 2:
Stealth 3:
Stealth 4:
Laya Perception:
Garim Perception:
Ofelio Perception:
Zuran Perception:
As you discuss arson, Zuran hears the sound of wood hitting wood coming from behind the staircase. He has just enough time to warn the others before four bandits armed with longswords and wearing studded leather and heavy wooden shields come streaming from around both sides of the staircase, calling out a battle cry. At the same time, the trap door at the top of the stairs opens, and two bandits drop down and thunder down the stairs.
Reflex Bandit 5:
Reflex Bandit 6:
Both bandits hit the greasy stairs and fly head over heels down the top half of the stairs and crash through the rickety banister, dropping to the floor below.
Bandit 5 damage:
Bandit 6 damage:
Bandit 6's fall is cushioned by bandit 5.
Because of Zuran's warning, Laya can have an AoO against the bandit in G19.
Round 10:
Initiative: Laya AoO, Bandits, Garim, Laya, Zuran, Ofelio
Bandit 1:
HP 18
AC 16 (11 touch; 15 FF)
F/R/W +3/+1/-1
Bandit 2:
HP 18
AC 16 (11 touch; 15 FF)
F/R/W +3/+1/-1
Bandit 3:
HP 18
AC 16 (11 touch; 15 FF)
F/R/W +3/+1/-1
Bandit 4:
HP 18
AC 16 (11 touch; 15 FF)
F/R/W +3/+1/-1
Bandit 5:
HP 13
AC 16 (11 touch; 15 FF)
F/R/W +3/+1/-1
Bandit 6:
HP 17
AC 16 (11 touch; 15 FF)
F/R/W +3/+1/-1
Also, the light in here is dim, meaning anybody more than 5 feet away has concealment (20% miss chance), unless you have dark or low-light vision.
"I completely neglected to consider that possibility," Laya says, smacking the side of her head as the bandits pour out from beneath the stairs. She stabs with her dagger at the one passing her. Unfortunately, all she manages is a scrape along the bandit's armour.
The bandit carries a sickening stench of unwashed men as he breezes by the halfling.
Garim is up.
Terror gripping him, this wasn't play fighting as a young boy, Garim swings his morning star at the man closest to him. Fearful of getting stabbed though Garim pulls the swing short and doesn't even come close to hitting the bandit.
The bandit grins at Garim's expression. "Give up now, and you won't get hurt."
"While less predictable than dogs, people are lot more vulnerable," Laya says. "Lots of squishy bits. If you try going for..." She continues on, pointing out the vulnerable areas on their attackers.
It's knowledge Local for humanoids like humans, so +9, definitely enough for common humans.
Surprised by the men rushing in. He stumbles back a few feet . With his arrow previously knocked he let's it fly towards the closed enemy
[ooc]would that be -4 for them being too close to us?[\ooc]
Despite being startled, the arrow found its mark.
I will eat the AOO
"Surrender is not ideal!"
Ofelio's wide eyes look to a smelly bandit at a suitable distance, and he lunges forward with his glaive.
He rends flesh, but leaves only a superficial wound.
He could move to H17, thereby only suffering one AoO. I'll assume he does that.
AoO:
Confirm:
Damage:
Unfortunately, the bandit runs Zuran through before he can get off his arrow, and the ranger drops to the dusty floor.
Two bandits attack Ofelio, while another two attack Laya.
Ofelio:
Damage:
Ofelio: Hit!!
Damage:
Laya:
Damage:
Laya: Hit!!
Damage:
Seeing Zuran fall to the vicious cut Garim's fear is mixed with anger. An image flashes through his mind from the past. Beden, his master, being struck by a flying piece of hot metal that had slipped from Garim's hands.
Garim reaches forth his hand and one of the bandits swords begins to smoke, the dull red of the forge beginning to emanate from it. The sudden intense heat causes the man to drop his weapon, and the smell of singed flesh fouls up the air.
Standard: Cast burning disarm I-18.
Bandit reflex save (we are supposed to roll these so we can add flavor text to go with it? Or am I remembering wrong?)
Reflex save DC 14
Drop the blade and take damage.
Move: Retrieve a healing potion from pack.
5' Step to H-18
Laya gasps as Zuran falls and then gasp again as she takes a heavy blow herself. Somehow, she manages to keep on speaking through it all though. "Halflings and humans aren't all that different. Hit them in the same spot they hit me, for example, and they'll be just as hurt." She steps to the side. "They're also quite susceptible to bright light," she says and utters a single arcane word. There is a bright flash of light in the front of the face of the bandit nearest her. The bandit blinks a couple times, but seems otherwise unaffected. "It does need to be very bright," Laya adds.
Ofelio lets out an unnerving roar, though not so much as to frighten the men, he supposes.
The paladin tries to hit the same man he'd gone for previously.
... but hit shot goes wide, distracted as Ofelio is by concern for his comrades.
Two bandits move forward, flanking Ofelio on many sides.
Attack on Ofelio:
Attack on Ofelio:
Attack on Ofelio:
Attack on Ofelio:
All of their sword swings clank uselessly off his armour. Obviously, they were unnerved enough.
One bandit moves up and swings at Laya.
Attack on Laya:
The sword whistles high over her head.
Round 11
Initiative: Bandits, Garim, Laya, Zuran, Ofelio
Laya continues to point out weakness of their opponents. "Of course, as bipeds, balance can be an issue, too," she says. She sweeps her hand low and says an arcane word. "Careful of the slippery floor over here," she says as three of the bandits suddenly lose their footing and topple to the floor. "Well, I did warn you." She grins.
-- fail
-- fail
-- fail
Ofelio's roar awakens something in Garim that sends chills up and down his spine. Sensing the bandits fear of the supernatural though it also awakens an idea in Garim's mind.
Stowing the healing potion he had retrieved earlier back into a pouch, Zuran will have to wait, Garim raises one hand in a gesture, the words of magic coming almost unbidden to his lips, and the sound of a rushing wind enters the tower, starting as a low hiss of wind passing through a small opening but quickly reaching a loud howl. Garim's clothing ripples as though with a life of its own.
The bandit who passed his save, glances about at the sound of the wind, then warns his friends, "He's using magic!"
"So is she!" another calls out, moments before he winds up on his butt in a puddle of conjured grease.
Laya's attempts to hit the bandit reaching for his weapon are rather clumsy.
The adrenaline coursing through the tiefling finally pays off as he launches a devastating slash attack.
The tiefling continues to swing his glaive at the bandit adjacent to Laya, mindlessly joining in Garim's howl without realizing it in his fervor, cutting a swath of destruction in his wake.
Bandit 1:
HP 18
AC 16 (11 touch; 15 FF)
F/R/W +3/+1/-1
Bandit 2:
HP 18
AC 16 (11 touch; 15 FF)
F/R/W +3/+1/-1
Prone
Bandit 3:
HP 18
AC 16 (11 touch; 15 FF)
F/R/W +3/+1/-1
Bandit 4:
DEAD
Bandit 5:
HP 13
AC 16 (11 touch; 15 FF)
F/R/W +3/+1/-1
Prone
Bandit 6:
HP 17
AC 16 (11 touch; 15 FF)
F/R/W +3/+1/-1
Bandit 1 attacks Ofelio () and misses very wide.
Bandit 2 attempts to stand up, provoking AoOs from Laya and Ofelio (assuming he did move back). If he survives, he attempts to move off the grease (Acrobatics: ), but fails to find enough purchase to move anywhere (though he doesn't lose his balance completely).
Bandit 3 takes a 5-foot step up and attacks Ofelio (), his sword easily deflected by Ofelio's chain shirt.
Bandit 4, already on the floor because of the grease, gasps and lies still, his blood mixing with the viscous magical oil.
Bandit 5 stands and flees around behind the stairs (Acrobatics: ).
Bandit 6, seeing his nest-mate flee, backs away and attempts to run through the grease to safety (Acrobatics: ).
Edit: Just re-read and realized that Bandit 2 needs a Reflex save to avoid falling:
Round 12
Initiative: Bandits, Garim, Laya, Zuran, Ofelio
Ofelio's glaive misses the fleeing bandit.