Aubrey's Eberron campaign. (Inactive)

Game Master Aubrey the Malformed

Arek curses, unable to get a clear shot in the melee. He starts jogging towards and up the stairs instead. Double move to C39 up on the walkway.

Bool likewise curses and stumbles after Rodergo, hoping for healing, not understanding that the priest has something more important to attempt. Double move to B42.

Runzyl.

Rebuking the attempts to force him off his feet yet again, Runzyl tears into the Cannith woman with cold fury, his arms pumping back and forth as his blades whip in lethal arcs against Karile.

Attacks: 22, 29!(22), 17, 11, 13. 2 possible hits (but I think only 1). Damage: 10 (+4 fire), 6 (+1 fire, +9 if crit).

It looks like Janosz activated Runzyl's rage, so I'm going to run with the assumption that it's still on. STR check to resist Bull Rush: 13 + 6 = 19. By the way, where am I now?

BTW, you get a +5 bonus to resist being chucked into the lava as there's a handrail in the way. It didn't matter now, but it might next round.

Also, I used an action point to avoid diving into molten rock last turn. Hopefully you approve.

The initiative table, once again:

Bad Ass Secretary: 20

Lightbringer: 18 (Shield of Faith, Good Devotion)
Rodergo: 17 (Bull’s Strength)
Ezreal: 17 (Protection Ritual, Good Devotion, Mage Armor)
Trose: 16 (Protection Ritual, Good Devotion)
Janosz: 15 (Protection Ritual)
Karile: 12
Arek: 10 (Good Devotion)
Bool: 9 (fatigued)
Runzyl: 6 (Protection Ritual, Bull’s Strength, Protection From Evil, Good Devotion)

The sectretary's up.

I believe LB’s Good Devotion is about to expire again. As an Immediate Action at the top of the round, he’ll burn another Turn Undead attempt to replenish it. Lightbringer, Runzyl, Ez, Rod, Arek and Bool are all in the area of effect.

The secretary disappears with a whoosh of displaced air, and appears beside Norn. She stoops and grabs him where he lies supine.

I presume there was no obvious lead-up to the teleport thingy that would have allowed LB to get an AOO?
What square is she in?
Karile is still standing after Runzyl’s attack?

“Runzyl!” Lightbringer indicates behind the elf with a nod of his head. “Save Norn!” He then renews his attack on Karile, dispensing with trying not to permanently injure her, desperate to get through her to Norn.

Attack #1: 15+10+2 (flanking) -2 (power attack) = 25. Damage: 10+5+4 (PA) = 19
On the off-chance this downs her, he’ll move past Runzyl to E49. If it doesn’t, he’ll take his second attack: 15 (again)+5+2-2 = 20. Damage: 6+5+4 = 15.
If that takes her down he’ll take a 5 foot step forward.

Shoot the secretary 1 last time; miss.

Turning.....
r22(last action point gone) 9 h.d. (or roll 17; can't remember if an ap can be added to turning for sure; Eberron book at home).
damage 15 h.d. worth.

"Be.....thou....gone!!!"

(Secretary at D51, same square as Norn.)

Runzyl's attack leaves Karile bleeding, but it takes two more blows with the flat of Lightbringer's greatsword to finally fell Karile. A burst of silver light washes from Rodergo in an expanding globe, washing over the fallen Cannith and her secretary.

The secretary looks back at Karile, her face aghast, and she gives a cry of horror, almost grief. But then she sets her jaw and starts to lift Norn by his armpits so as to dump him over the side in the lava pool below. She plainly struggles, affected by Ezreal's weakening spell.

When he sees the assistant's intention, Ezreal grabs his personal grimoire from his bag and flips it open frantically. Web... perfect. As he reads from the book the carefully prepared notes on technique and the very words of the spell flare and vanish leaving two blank pages by the time thick ropes of webbing explode out from around the assistant engulfing her, Norn and the catwalk.

MA: Retrieve book
SA: Cast web from my book, burning it like a scroll. Centered on D51, it will hit the far wall (along "A") for an extended anchor.

I thought I was about to blast her with a Ray of Enfeeblement. Even rolled a nice hit, and 8 str penalty, but then I realized I was only counting range in one dimension. With her being 30' up I couldn't pull the move and range together as one action.

Splat! Tendrils of webbing glue Norn to the catwalk. The secretary takes some shelter behind the huge drive shaft, but she is still hemmed in.

(I.e she saved, but she will have to overcome the web's strength to shift Norn. Web - nice move, didn't see that coming!)

Trose does nothing useful.

"Son of a..." Seeing the secretary's attempt to destroy Norn, Janosz keeps the hail of arrows flying.

No move, using Rapid Shot. Attack 1: 13+8=AC 21, damage 6+3=9. Attack 2: 14+8=AC 22, damage 5+3=8. Attack 3: 11+3=AC 14, damage 5+3=8. As I'm firing around the Web, there might be a miss chance.

Yes. That is the sucky part. She has some level of concealment now because she is at the center. I should have put her closer to the edge, but I didn't think of it when I was posting. Runzyl can cut through the webbing with his flaming blade. If anyone else has fire, you can help him cut the path to her. Was the only thing I could come up with to surely prevent Norn from hitting the lava.

If you have at least 5 feet of web between you and an opponent, it provides cover. If you have at least 20 feet of web between you, it provides total cover.

The strands of a web spell are flammable. A magic flaming sword can slash them away as easily as a hand brushes away cobwebs. Any fire can set the webs alight and burn away 5 square feet in 1 round. All creatures within flaming webs take 2d4 points of fire damage from the flames.

I was so sure that burning the a page from the spellbook as a scroll was kosher, but Fates and the chatroom have convinced me that I grandfathered in an older 2e rule. So- I'll throw in my last 2 AP to semi-legitimize my rulebreaking there and try to remember that I'm playing 3.5 in the future ;)

I was so sure that burning the a page from the spellbook as a scroll was kosher, but Fates and the chatroom have convinced me that I grandfathered in an older 2e rule. So- I'll throw in my last 2 AP to semi-legitimize my rulebreaking there and try to remember that I'm playing 3.5 in the future ;)

Sorry to rain on your parade, Ithy! :( I saw that and was like "Wow! You can do that?!? How did I not know this?!?" Then I realized... you can't. :P

(Maybe we can legitimise a rule to burn a spell in a spellbook with an AP.)

(Karile is down, so it is Arek, Bool and then Runzyl.)

The secretary manages to dodge all of Janosz's arrows.

The remaing Alphabet Brothers watch the unfolding drama with both fascination and frustration. Deciding that getting into melee would be nearly impossible, they launch missiles at Karile's assistant instead.

Bool takes a 5' step to A42 and chucks a javelin at the remaining enemy. Attack roll 7=AC blah. Arek does not move and fires his bow. Attack roll 17+5=AC 22, damage 7+3=10.

Runzyl's up.

The Valenar wields his burning blade with wicked intent, wading into the webs and watching as they turn to ash around him.

Does it count as an attack action even though really just the PRESENCE of the flaming sword is burning the webbing away? If it doesn't count as an attack, I'd like to just burn myself a path and then drop the sword to grapple the secretary.

srd wrote:

If you have at least 5 feet of web between you and an opponent, it provides cover. If you have at least 20 feet of web between you, it provides total cover.

The strands of a web spell are flammable. A magic flaming sword can slash them away as easily as a hand brushes away cobwebs. Any fire can set the webs alight and burn away 5 square feet in 1 round. All creatures within flaming webs take 2d4 points of fire damage from the flames.

Aubrey’s call of course, but brushing cobwebs aside with your hand doesn’t sound like an attack to me. I think you’d probably be good to go with that grapple … let’s hope so, or Norn’s toast.

(Agreed - you can just move normally.)

Okay then, moving to the nearest square adjacent to the secretary.

Runzyl blazes an ash-strewn path through the webbing until at last he stands before the secretary, dropping Falla Caesenri (perhaps for the first time ever) and reaching forward to wrest her away from the prone Norn.

According to the grapple rules, if she's already grappling Norn, then my grapple check automatically succeeds and she gets no AoO. If not, then... Grapple: 16 + 12 = 28.

Runzyl grabs the secretary, stopping her from hauling Norn over the side. She twists round in his grasp, aiming to gouge his eyes, but Runzyl deflects the blow.

OK, Runzyl has her grappled for the moment, so she can only attack him. She tried that and missed. LB.

She and Norn pick up 3+4 = 7 fire damage from the flaming webs- unless you read that as a condition only related to actual fire burning out a 5' square. On second thought, it may be that you would only take the fire damage from that.

I guess they take the damage, but only once as the webs burn away. It's not enough to kill either of them.

LB.

Lightbringer calls back “Someone see to Karile,” and pounds up the stairs. Dropping his sword onto the platform he grabs the secretary, trying to help Runzyl hold and pin her.

Grab automatically succeeds. 13+9 = 22 on opposed grapple check to hold secretary.

Run up the stairs; make it to e41. Where is Karile? Okay, she's in e46. I'm heading there as soon as I can.

Thick webbing blocks his view of the fight entirely, but Ezreal is confident that Lightbringer and Runzyl have the secretary well in hand. She should have a difficult time eluding them at this point. So instead, he rises from where he has been crouching behind the machinery and walks over to Ceshto to confirm whether he is really beyond saving. The mage kneels over the mercenary placing a finger under his nose to feel for breath and shakes his head sadly making the sign of the Host.

What do you intend to do to the secretary? She is still fighting.

I assume LB and Runzyl are going to grapple her into submission and knock her out if necessary. I can't get a visual on her for Ray of Enfeeblement right now, but I might start to move in next turn if they are having trouble. Otherwise Magic Missile is my only option. I'll probably do that on the next while moving into position just to soften her up- unless they have it well in hand.

"What are you doing?! Didn't you see her teleport just a few seconds ago? Do you think you can pin or grapple her if she can just shift around like that?" Janosz is obviously unhappy with LB's kinder, gentler approach to fighting.

"What are you doing?! Didn't you see her teleport just a few seconds ago? Do you think you can pin or grapple her if she can just shift around like that?" Janosz is obviously unhappy with LB's kinder, gentler approach to fighting.

Erk. I actually forgot about that beleive it or not ... Ah well, too late now. Who's turn is it?

Um, that would be me... Trose, once again does nothing useful.

Janosz remains unconvinced that his companions will be able to keep the secretary immobile. Anticipating more trickery, he lays several arrows on his bowstring.

Readying an action to shoot her again if/when she reappears after another teleport.

The two remaining Alphabet Brothers prepare similar actions. Runzyl's next.

I didn't forget, but I was hoping that it was a matter of superspeed rather than actual teleportation. If that is the case, she'd have to break the grapple first. I really know next to nothing about psionics. Could have been some kind of Dimension Hop. Either way- you are right. For all we know she's about to break free.

Rod.

I'll bind Karile.
use rope r8....

bluff r15+3=18
"Secretary, give up or I finish your boss. You've killed too many of my friends today, and I'm not feeling merciful any more."

Rising up from Ceshto's body Ezreal stalks to the stairs, book under one arm pausing only to hurl three bolts of force at the still struggling secretary. They zig-zag through the webbing and slam into her with flawless aim.

MA: B43
SA: Cast MM
4+1, 2+1, 2+1 = 11

The secretary narrows her eyes and glares at Rodergo, then gasps in pain as Ezreal's missiles slam into her. She stops struggling and hangs sullenly in the grip of Lightbringer and Runzyl. She is battered, bruised and bleeding in several places.

End of combat - and an epic it was too.

"Somebody with a little more skill at these things, please bind these two."

Take 20 to stanch the secretary's bleeding wounds with a heal check if I can.

"Which one should I wake up first?"

I'll see to Norn also, heal him if need be; Faith is there too, isn't she?

No, Faith isn't there. Currently, Karile has been bashed on the head and is unconscious, the secretary is conscious, and Norn is insensible and cannot be revived.

"Blindfold her as well and do the same with Karile, just in case." Janosz runs over to Ezreal, lowering his voice. "How do we get out of here? I was thinking that we quickly set up the tent and put the prisoners, as well as Norn and Ceshto, in it and then try to just walk out. We'll keep the captives blindfolded, so they won't know what's going on."

Ezreal grins, "Not bad, but screw walking. How about flying out while invisible? We'd have to put nearly everyone in the tent to pull that off though."

I can only do one person flying and invisible. And to be honest it should probably be Trose due to high perception, stealth, and an ability to notice traps/alarms

Agreed. Janosz is a serviceable, but nowhere near as good, alternative.

"Sounds great. Let's start loading." Janosz starts moving bodies, starting with Gnarly. "Hey, Bool! Make sure the prisoner doesn't do anything funny! If she as much as looks at you the wrong way, chop her noggin right off."

Once the secretary's securely trussed up, blindfolded and gagged, we deploy the tent and throw everybody inside. Should we help ourselves to the warforged guards' swords? Anything beyond that might take too long.

You probably don't have time for that either - this isn't a dungeon.

OK. People into the tent, then we take off.

Runzyl glances over the side of the walkway, as though giving consideration to tossing the secretary into it instead of taking her prisoner, but he complies with the opinions of his companions and escorts the prisoner into the tent along with Lightbringer.

Yeah; let's do like a tree and get out of here.

Ezreal waits in front of the tent opening until everyone else is inside, then nods to Trose, "Ok, let's do this d'Tharashk..."

Casting in order:
Protection from Evil 1 min
Invisibility 4 min
Fly 5 min

The party heads into the tent, except for Trose. There is a wait - one minute, two, three.... The time stretches on. Four minutes, five, six, seven, eight....

What's happened - the spells will have run out by now, so why hasn't Trose let us out yet? Has something gone wrong...?

The wait goes on for almost half an hour. Suddenly, the entrance opens once more, and the party cautiously look out of the tent flap. The ever-incongruous tent is set up in an otherwise plain, slightly care-worn-looking room, perhaps a hall, with peeling paint and daylight coming in from a small, narrow window in the sloping ceiling.

More pertinently, there is a welcoming committee.... There is Trose, who looks as if he has taken a severe beating, and eight other men and women, dressed in loose-fitting, plain clothes. They stand, looking relaxed but alert, carefully watching the group as they shuffle out. They look human, but ....

No, wait, they are kalashtar....

One of them, a dark-haired woman, nods cooly. "Welome, I am Selkatari. I understand you have Norn d'Cannith with you. Please bring him out so we can care for his injuries."

Janosz: