Aubrey's Other Eberron Campaign - The Unbinding (Inactive)

Game Master Aubrey the Malformed

Cole steps into the trees, seeking cover from the crossfire as he stabs at his brethren to the south.

Move to M.21 (should gain cover from the archers). Continue rage and power attack W3.
Longspear: 1d20 + 11 - 2 ⇒ (10) + 11 - 2 = 19
damage: 1d8 + 9 + 6 ⇒ (8) + 9 + 6 = 23

Initiatives
Skeleton 23
Wultram 20
Nalverren 18+
Vaard 18-
Ashshar 15+
Cole 15-
Rehil 14+
Eshsheth 14-
Warforged 11+
Otto 11-

Map updated.

Cole punches a hole squarely through the warforged's chest plate. It gives a strangled warble and keels over.

W2 down.

Rehil.

Rehil steps back onto the path and hurries forward. He pauses just short of the swarm to fire at the closest enemy.

Shortbow v W8, point blank, cover: 1d20 + 8 + 1 - 4 ⇒ (3) + 8 + 1 - 4 = 8... damage: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7

Move to O17.

Last turn Eshsheth double moved to N11.

Eshsheth's eagle whirls in the air and circles toward its next victim.

Eagle flies to L23.
Eagle, talon: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 3 = 9 ... damage: 1d4 ⇒ 4

Eshsheth moves to Q17.

Eshsheth's eagle only lasts a round. Crummy spell, to be honest, at least at low levels.

Doh! ~ smiles weakly~ At least it missed?

So enemy warforged are up!

Map updated.

With two of their number down and likely to suffer more attrition, the warforged fall back over the crest of the hill. Beyond, looking down into the dip, Cole can see what lies beyond. The path descends before rising again to another crest. At the top of this, some of the undergrowth has been cleared to provide a clear space. Two constructs that look like ballistas, but seem to be loading themselves without help from their attendants, sit on either side. Behind them looms the boxy shape of a warforged titan the size of a small cottage. As well as some more warforged archers, two humans seem to be in charge.

The warforged carry out a withdrawal manoeuvre.

Arcane ballista 1 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (6) - 1 = 5
Arcane ballista 2 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (6) - 1 = 5
Warforged titan 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (11) - 1 = 10
Commander 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3
Artificer 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3

Initiatives
Skeleton 23
Wultram 20
Nalverren 18+
Vaard 18-
Ashshar 15+
Cole 15-
Rehil 14+
Eshsheth 14-
Warforged 11+
Otto 11-
Warforged Titan 10
Arcane Ballistas 5
Commander 3+
Artificer 3-

None of the newcomers get a turn this round, so it is Otto next, then Skellie.

...

The warforged carry out a withdrawal manoeuvre.

...

Cowards! Why can't they stay and die like men?

That's some serious defense in depth.

And are there some obviously nice bows lying next to some dead warforged?

Perception: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (1) + 11 = 12

warforged titan definitely seems out of our league. that thing probably has more HP than all of us combined.

The warforged have some nice bows - each of the two lying on the ground has one. They are masterwork composite longbows with a +2 STR bonus. They also have 18 arrows each.

Otto rushes up to the ridge only to notice clear doom lying in wait.

"I hate to say this, but a frontal assault seems ill-thought..." he says, asking forgiveness to Dol Arrah.

Delay.

Are the warforged that were downed dead or inert? Or can we even tell such a thing?

"I must concur with the human, much as it pains me to admit."

"Yes, We should probably take a path through the woods that isn't as heavily guarded."

You can't tell if the warforged are dead or inert - warforged don't have obvious vital signs.

OK, the newcomers don't have turns until next turn, so it is the skeleton next.

Figured that was the case, thought Cole might have enough experience to see something or if dead damage being so massive that it would be obvious.

"Grab one of the downed ones and retreat!" Wultram shouts an order to the skeleton. The undead creature snatches up the closest one and starts heading back towards the path.

"GET AWAY FROM THE SWARM!" The mage shouts at the top of his lungs, cursing his own shortsightedness. Since there is not a whole lot else he can do about the matter he starts returning along the path they came in.

I assumed picking up the body would be a standard action for skellie who then moves to N-15(another assumption was that it would go into medium/heavy load)

Wultram stops the concentration of the spell. And moves to M-5. "If no living creatures are within its area, the swarm attacks or pursues the nearest creature as best it can. The caster has no control over its target or direction of travel." The swarm will persist this and next round.

Warforged are heavy - it weighs about 250lbs or more, as much as a big person wearing armour, so it's too heavy for the skellie to just carry with STR 16. Two or more of you could manage it, is someone takes its arms and someone takes its legs, but you'll be moving at half speed due to the awkwardness.

So presumably the swarm gets an action now as well?

Assumed the description earlier of sleeker model ment lesser weight I suppose It grabs what it cans, if someone joins in then double carry if not then starts dragging it away, next round(as that is full round action). Yeah swarm would move now as well, presumably to Ashshar as he is closest, unless the swarm would default to getting as many people in it's area as possible while still going for the closest one. I think the former.

Earlier

Rehil skirts the swarm, scoops up one of the nice bows, and runs after the others in pursuit of the retreating warforged. While running, he hefts the bow and, still holding his own bow, tries the draw. Kind of long, but I bet it has some draw to it. Nice to be on even footing with them.

Aubrey, any other gear on the warforged? Don't want to search or loot yet except the bow. Just want to see what's obvious. Rehil could use a spare dagger and they might be carrying repair potions.

At the crest

Reaching the crest, he stops short of the others milling there. His expression falls at the sight of warforged reinforcements.

"Yes, We should probably take a path through the woods that isn't as heavily guarded."

"My first plan, but no one wanted to climb...." The elf grumbles.

...

"Grab one of the downed ones and retreat!" Wultram shouts an order to the skeleton. The undead creature snatches up the closest one and starts heading back towards the path.

"GET AWAY FROM THE SWARM!" ...[/ooc]

"I'd say just smash their heads and leave them. We don't want them rebuilt to fight us again. Take the other bow and all the arrows." Rehil unconsciously echoes the fate of Portforged. His face falls, then he shrugs. "Maybe I can keep the little ones from using the path. That will slow them." He grins. "Unless Wultram can summon more bats."

Aubrey, what's the speed on the first warforged we encountered? 30', faster, or slower?

Nalverren retreats with the others, departing the swarm's general vicinity and trying to keep sight lines obscured between the newcomers and himself.

Aubrey, are we still in rounds? and whose up? I sort of assumed that we were into narrative mode before starting a fresh fight. If we're still in rounds, feel free to place Rehil in a square appropriate to the previous post.

We are still in rounds while there is a marauding swarm in the neighbourhood.

Sorry for my absence. Weekends are generally tough for me to post, this one was especially busy.

Cole’s eyes take in the sight below. “Retreat and rethink seems the right plan.”

I don’t know what initiative we’re on, either. But CDG’ing any warforfged we’re leaving behind seems smart. Though staying out of the swarm’s reach might be smarter.

It's the skeleton's initiative. Wultram wanted it to hoist a warforged but I pointed out it would be too heavy.

I did note above it would then just hoist the warforged up, if someone joins in then good, if not then it would have to wait untill next turn as dragging is a full round action.
For the record while this is precisly why this is the first time I have used that spell, I would not be too worried about the swarm, at worst you take 2d6 damage assuming it manages to attack you on both turns.

The skeleton grabs a warforged under the arms and waits for someone to grab the legs.

Nalverren.

Map updated.

Nalverren retreats with the others, departing the swarm's general vicinity and trying to keep sight lines obscured between the newcomers and himself. think i can get to L5, half that if i can snatch a magical weapon off the nearby ground.

Sadly there are no magic weapons lying on the floor. However, if you check for then it'll be a standard action to cast Detect Magic and you would need another round to detect specific auras. While a warforged titan bears down on you. So I assume you will just head back to L5.

Vaard.

Map updated.

"My comrades, the time for retreat has come!"
Vaard lets his tough physical precense inspire the others to run even if mortally wounded.
Move action: activate Indomitable Presence

All allies within 30-ft. of his position gain the benefits of the Die Hard feat, and may add the warlord's Charisma modifier to Fortitude saves versus death effects, fatigue or exhaustion effects, or poison effects as a morale bonus.

Then the cold sun heeds his own advice and flees.

"Let's move," Cole agrees as he heads back away from the ridge, pausing long enough to grab the other end of the skeleton's prize warforged with one hand, helping the skeleton carry off their prize.

Ashshar, showing that he's the smartest of them all, beats a full retreat the way they came.

Cole grabs the other end of the warforged and moves with the skeleton. Ashshar double moves in retreat.

Rehil:

Rehil, then Eshsheth.

Map updated.

Rehil skirts the swarm and scoops up one of the fallen warforged's bows. and a quiver of arrows if possible without more delay

Then he's off and running after his companions.

Net move to O10? Got to get to work. Someone else take care of Eshsheth.

Eshsheth sighs and turns from the fight, grabbing one of the bows and a quiver of arrows as he moves back in Rehil's wake.

Eshsheth doesn't have proficiency with a bow. Is he collecting it for anyone else?

Might be he's just greedy? Or likes to copy Rehil, as he is an incorrigible fanboy?

Rehil is too cool for school.

The warforged get clear of the path.

Otto.

Map updated.

Otto.

Otto!

If we don't hear from him, let's have him double move the direction we're all headed, keeping to the trees for cover.

Relieved to hear his companions and he are on the same scroll, Otto scrambles away from the scene as fast as he can.

Double move. Sorry, busy weekend!

The warforged titan begins grinding up the path, treading carefully up the (to it) narrow path.

Map updated.

Sorry, probably should have mentioned it two days ago - the others aren't doing anything of particular consequence, so it's back to Skellie and Wultram.

The swarm pursues Cole and the skeleton up the path.

1d6 ⇒ 5 damage each from the swarm, but I suspect this is its last round.

Map updated.

%@&£#!!!! Forum monster ate my post even after showing it as posted.

Yeah swarm disappears once Wultrams turn is over.

Skeleton follows it's previous orders not troubled by the swarm by much. Wultram continues the retreat further back the path.

In game terms Skeleton delays it's initiative to match Coles so they can move together, I also think swarm damage is physical so DR applies I am not 100% on that and quick look around did not reveal one way or another. Wultram moves off the map.

Yes, DR applies.

Wultram is now off-map.

Nalverren.

Map updated.

Nalverren double moves off-map

Vaard.

Vaard dashes north away from the fighting.
Double move to M2.

Ashshar, Cole, Rehil and Eshsheth.

Map updated.

I'm possibly making more of a meal out of this than is strictly necessary. Basically, the titan is coming up quite fast behind you. If you make a run for it, you might get away (bearing in mind it doesn't tire and you do, but you generally travel faster than it does on the narrow path). However, if Skellie and Cole persist in carrying the downed warforged archer you seem keen to adopt, they will be moving at half speed which will allow the warforged to catch them up quite handily. So, you basically have a choice - drop the warforged and scarper, and (probably) get away. Or carry on carrying the warforged and say hello to his bigger chum.