Aubrey's Rise of the Runelords campaign (Inactive)

Game Master Aubrey the Malformed

Init: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (9) + 5 = 14

Any chance someone could cast fly on Poor Camlo? Even taking the -5 to the climb check he can only go 10ft, and will basically be useless... With fly he can get behind the damned think, and do some real damage when the other folks come up.

Any chance someone could cast fly on Poor Camlo? Even taking the -5 to the climb check he can only go 10ft, and will basically be useless... With fly he can get behind the damned think, and do some real damage when the other folks come up.

Well, for fly you'd need to talk to the Transmuter. However, what I can do is dimension door myself and two other characters... but that should probably wait until at least a few party members have joined the fray. It... might also be a tremendous waste of a 4th-level spell. I should probably save it, since there's no other pressing threats at the moment.

Elisile has already mentioned that she can cast fly on someone. If Camlo asks, she can probably see clear to do so ... assuming he asks before she takes off herself!

Init and positions:

Bear: 22 (position shown on map)
Vethran: 21 (V18)
Elisile: 20 (V19)
Camlo: 14 (?)
Ettin: 11 (position shown on map)
Alwyn: 8 (P18)
Hudak: 7 (?)
Dravite: ?
Illes: ?

Init: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 2 = 10 S19
Am I right in assuming that we can't actually see the ettin and bear, nor he us until we get to about L,M,N or so on the map because of the red/orange rocky peaks?

Map updated.

Map re-posted.

I'll take O19

Init: 1d20 + 2 S19

Am I right in assuming that we can't actually see the ettin and bear, nor he us until we get to about L,M,N or so on the map because of the red/orange rocky peaks?

The brownish bit blocks line of sight.

V20

Camlo catches up to Elisile, "Ah, that spell of, errm, flight, you possess, would it be possible to cast it on myself? i find it most difficult to keep up with you larger folk, and it does cause a problem at times."

Since FH hasn’t posted for a week, T18 for Dravite, initiative: 17. Twenty five of his crossbow bolts are flaming thanks to the flame arrow spell Elisile cast earlier.

Init:

Bear: 22
Vethran: 21
Elisile: 20
Dravite: 17
Camlo: 14
Ettin: 11
Illes: 10
Alwyn: 8
Hudak: 7

Elisile asked a while back whether she could balance on top of the brown rocky bit. Arguably it doesn't matter. since she can fky and hover, but yes.

Map updated.

She's limited to rounds per day with her transmuter flying ability. Probably wanted to get a sniper position and turn it off.

Oh, thought she had cast the spell.

The ettin lets slip the bear of war and it pounds down the stairs, roaring.

Vethran.

Map updated.

You had it right. I didn't notice she had actually cast the spell.

Vethran moves to ascend the gigantic staircase at least enough to get a better view of the foe.

Move to S17. 2 climb checks (DC 7): 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (16) + 1 = 17 and 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (9) + 1 = 10. I believe that's 30' of movement, yeah? Each climb counts as 2 squares?

Once there, he enacts a defensive spell upon himself and prepares for battle. (casting mage armor)

You had it right. I didn't notice she had actually cast the spell.

Yeah, Elisile did cast fly on herself – I was thinking of a rule from a previous edition of the game (3.5? 2nd?), where you took a cumulative -1 penalty to hit with ranged attacks whilst flying (‘cos the momentum threw you off balance or something). After a perusal of the rules book last night I am pleased to see that the rule in question didn’t make it into PF.

V20

Camlo catches up to Elisile, "Ah, that spell of, errm, flight, you possess, would it be possible to cast it on myself? i find it most difficult to keep up with you larger folk, and it does cause a problem at times."

Elisile nods briefly, quickly retrieves a scroll from her pack, and reading the mystical phrases, bestows the power of flight on Camlo. You can fly! Caster Level 5.

Dravite.

FH hasn't been seen or heard for a week or so, so just to keep things rolling:

Dravite climbs up a couple of the monstrous stairs. Seeing the big bear, he lets an arrow fly.

Move to R18; climb checks 9+9=18 and 11+9=20. He then fires at the bear using Manyshot and Deadly Aim: attack roll 12+11+1(Big Game Hunter)-2(Deadly Aim)=AC 22, damage 9+8+4(Big Game Hunter+8(Deadly Aim)=29.

Camlo!

FH hasn't been seen or heard for a week or so, so just to keep things rolling:

Dravite climbs up a couple of the monstrous stairs. Seeing the big bear, he lets an arrow fly.

Move to R18; climb checks 9+9=18 and 11+9=20. He then fires at the bear using Manyshot and Deadly Aim: attack roll 12+11+1(Big Game Hunter)-2(Deadly Aim)=AC 22, damage 9+8+4(Big Game Hunter+8(Deadly Aim)=29.

Camlo!

Unfortunately Manyshot won’t apply here, as you need to use it as part of a full attack action*. On the flip side, 25 of Dravite’s arrows are currently flaming, so you can add d6 fire damage.

*This is one of those tricky little changes from 3.5 to PF.

Blah! In that care, he does 6+4+2+4=16+5 fire damage. Still not bad for a single arrow.

I am pleased to see that the rule in question didn’t make it into PF.

It still exists for levitate.

2 climb checks (DC 7): 1d20+1 and 1d20+1. I believe that's 30' of movement, yeah? Each climb counts as 2 squares?

Climbing is 1/4 speed, or 1/2 speed with a +5 DC. Each square of stairs (which are not the whole of the track, only the bits marked with steps) effectively requires five squares of movement (four squares up and one square across), or three (two squares up and one across) if you are prepared to take a DC 12 instead of a DC 7. Your movement seems to be enough to get you to S17, however. To save time, I'll need one Climb roll per step, rather than one per move action.

FH hasn't been seen or heard for a week or so, so just to keep things rolling:

Dravite climbs up a couple of the monstrous stairs. Seeing the big bear, he lets an arrow fly.

Since he wouldn't otherwise have the movement for that, let's assume he cast Longstrider on himself in the buffing phase.

Dravite's arrow bites deeply into its furry hide.

Camlo.

Map updated.

Camlo moves up grinning broadly at his new found freedom, and begins to move up and past the others. He wobbles a bit, but soon gets into it.

He stops around 20ft above the others, and a little in front, aiming to come down once they get into combat with the bear...

Q20, about 20ft above the path

The ettin follows its pet down the stairs.

Map updated.

Illes.

Elisile Starbrow wrote:

I am pleased to see that the rule in question didn’t make it into PF.

It still exists for levitate.

Hmmm ... maybe that was what I was thinking of all along.

Once the two headed giant is on the move, Illes feels a bit silly struggling up the steps. He stops and draws his wand concentrating on it, "Don't let me down you sorry piece of junk!"

I imagine if I were bigger I wouldn't need to make the climb checks? UMD 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (16) + 17 = 33
1 round activation.

Alwyn and Hudak.

5' step to P19 before casting Spiritual weapon, which attacks the well-spoken big fella. Attack 1: 9+11=AC 20, damage 6+2=8. Attack 2: 13+6=AC 19, damage 5+2=7.

The glowing sword slashes a superficial wound across the ettin's left face.

HUUUUUUUDAAAAAAAAK!!

It just occurred to me that taking that 5' step forward was incredibly, possibly lethally, stupid - this way, if we need to take a 5' step in to reach the bear, we'll need to climb up a set of stairs and thus incur all sorts of penalties and AoOs. So can I take a 5' step backwards to P17 instead?

Alwyn puts his hand on Hudak's shoulder and pulls him backwards. "Let them come to us; we don't want to anyone up stairs like these."

Chug potion of enlarge.

Now I am in N.O. 19-20.

heh heh.

And you have Lunge...

Alwyn puts his hand on Hudak's shoulder and pulls him backwards. "Let them come to us; we don't want to anyone up stairs like these."

That should have been "...we don't want to fight anyone up stairs like these." One word makes a difference. :(

The bear charges down the stairs and rears on on its hind legs over the enlarged Hudak. It thes swipes at him with its claws.

Claw attack: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (17) + 13 = 30, damage 1d6 + 7 ⇒ (1) + 7 = 8

Map updated.

Vethran.

Can we take 10 on these climb checks if we're not actively engaged in combat?

Vethran ascends another level of the stairs (Climb: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5 or taking 10 if allowed). Moving to S18.

Edit: My action is kind of dependant on whether or not I can take 10, because I see that I failed the check. If I cannot take 10, then I will attempt the climb again: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (14) + 1 = 15. If I can, I will target the bear with a ray of enfeeblement: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (14) + 7 = 21 to hit touch AC, 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6 STR penalty for 8 rounds (Fort DC 17 half).

"Yaaaaaaow!!!"

Can we take 10 on these climb checks if we're not actively engaged in combat?

I actually quite dislike the Take 10 mechanic. Take 20 I can get - it is repeated tries over a longish period of time and you'll eventually get there. Take 10 simply assumes you can always get an average roll (or slightly below) whenever you do, well, anything. Which rather takes to fun out of low DC irritations like these stairs. On average, with lots of tries, you will get 10.5 on a d20. Every time? No. There are occasions where it might be simpler to assume Take 10 but to be honest I think it takes away from the ethos of the game - which is to roll dice. After all, why don't we Take 10 on weapon attacks? 'Cos it's boring. So assume I'm going to say "No" to a Take 10 unless the difference it makes is very trivial, and this isn't one of these occasions.

Vethran scrabbles at a step, fails to get a grip, and then manages on the second attempt to laboriously to lever himself up.

Elisile.

Map updated.

I don't think we were eligible to take 10 anyway.

Taking 10: When your character is not in immediate danger or distracted, you may choose to take 10. Instead of rolling 1d20 for the skill check, calculate your result as if you had rolled a 10. For many routine tasks, taking 10 makes them automatically successful. Distractions or threats (such as combat) make it impossible for a character to take 10.

I would assume that once initiative is rolled taking 10 is off the table.

Elisile flies to S18, at an elevation of 20 feet above the stairs at this point, and fires her bow at the approaching ettin.

1d20 + 12 ⇒ (17) + 12 = 29 Damage:1d8 + 4 ⇒ (8) + 4 = 12 + 1d6 ⇒ 5 electricity + 1d6 ⇒ 2 fire.

The ettin casts an empowered, maximised fireball into the party massed together on the steps. Bwahahahaha! Er, or not.

Elisile's arrow plunges into the ettin's leathery hide. It howls in pain and fury and, looking for a victim on which to vent its wrath, spots the hovering halfling. It hurls a pair of javelins at Camlo before drawing two flails.

Javelin 1: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (9) + 5 = 14, damage 1d8 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 10
Javelin 2: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (12) + 5 = 17, damage 1d8 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 10

The two javlins sail right by Camlo as he spins in the air, trying to work out how to dodge them.

Am I missing something or should Dravite and Camlo go between the Elisile and the Ettin?

Er, he got carried away with the excitement.

Dravite, then Camlo.

For the same reasons as last turn:

Dravite climbs up the last step and fires again at the ettin.

Move to Q18; climb check 8+9=17. He then fires at the ettin using Deadly Aim: attack roll 13+11+1(Big Game Hunter)-2(Deadly Aim)=AC 23, damage 4+4+2(Big Game Hunter+4(Deadly Aim)=14+4 fire.

Camlo, then Illes.

Camlo floats over the bear's head, and drops down behind it, stabbing with his rapier..

Attack: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (8) + 13 = 21 Damage: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5 + sneak attack: 4d6 + 4 ⇒ (6, 1, 3, 6) + 4 = 20 = 25 damage, 4 of which keeps recurring every round...

Camlo floats over the bear's head, and drops down behind it, stabbing with his rapier..

Attack: 1d20+13 Damage: 1d4+1 + sneak attack: 4d6+4 = 25 damage, 4 of which keeps recurring every round...

Are you dropping down to ground level or staying at height? Also, what's your position? I don't doubt you can get flanking but for mapping purposes you need a position.

Acting for Illes.

Having activated his wand of enlarge person last round, he is now Large sized (occupying squares S-T 18-19) and presumably doesn’t need to make climb checks on the stairs.

The ettin-sized Illes steps over Dravite and begins booming out an old Varisian jig on his pipes. Move to P-Q 17-18 an begin Inspire Courage: +3 to hit and damage.

Alwyn and Hudak are up.

Camlo floats over the bear's head, and drops down behind it, stabbing with his rapier..

Attack: 1d20+13 Damage: 1d4+1 + sneak attack: 4d6+4 = 25 damage, 4 of which keeps recurring every round...

Camlo, keep in mind that you may well draw an AoO from the bear as you move into position, if it can see you and if it has reach. Also, by positioning yourself somewhere that you can flank it with Hudak, you are exposing yourself to be flanked or at least attacked by the ettin next round. If I’m telling you something you know, and you have a plan, all good.

Alwyn advances on the bear and lays into it with his greatsword.

5' step to P20 before attacking the bear. Attack 1: 9+10+2(flank w/Camlo+3(bard)-2(power attack)=AC 22, damage 9+5+3(bard)+6(power attack)=23. Attack 2: 12+5+2+3-2=AC 20, damage 4+5+3+6=18.

The hovering sword keeps striking the ettin.

Attack 1: 10+11=AC 21, damage 5+2=7. Attack 2: 10+6=AC 16, damage 2+2=4.

Hudak!