Female Human (Iobarian) Chronicler of Worlds/Studious Librarian (Bard) 8 | HP 77/77 | AC 23 Touch 15 Flat 19 (ACP 0) CMB +8 CMD 23 | Fort +5 Ref +11 Will +8 | Speed 60 ft | Init +4; Per +19, SM +21 | Active: Daylight, Heightened Awareness, Tears to Wine | Bardic Rd: 22/23 | Hero Points: 2/3
Hadda pulls a heavy book from a pack slung on her shoulder. The book seems heavily annotated, given the number of pages dog-eared, marked with colored tags corresponding to hash marks and other tactile cues to allow for quick referencing. The librarian feels more than looks for the right spell. Ashen Path, marked with braille for A on a cut-out portion of the page, 2 hash marks for the level of the spell, a blue tag for transmutation, no dog ear for any special material components. She flips open to the right page and begins speed reading aloud, almost like an auctioneer, as her left hand tuts and twists to perform the somatic components. The four fingers and thumb on her left hand glow with a rune (the shape of which no one really has time to register) before she juts her hand out and touches the four gathered around her in turn, pressing her left thumb to her right wrist to finish the casting. The air tastes and smells sweeter now, and as she looks over her shoulder, she can see the furniture through the fog cloud.
"It sounds like Dom needs us. Let's burn the witch."
@Rurik: We learned from Seke a while ago that Caigreal has DR 5/bludgeoning, so your morningstar will do just fine. Hadda doesn't have any bludgeoning weapons, so she'll aid in other ways. Dom is also going to need some serious healing, so that might be where I focus.
Male Human Cleric 10 | HP 73/73 | AC 25 T 12 FF 24 | Fort +10 Ref +5 Will +13 | Initiative +1 | Perception +7 | Channel 5/5 | Inspired 1/1 | Liberation 10/10 | Rebuke Death 8/8
Rurik moves in to support Dom. That looks like a double move for this round.
In the southern portion of the chamber, a wall of unmortared fieldstone covers the natural cavern. A locked stone door carved with the image of a young maiden walking with a deer in a wood stands in the center of the wall. Arches in the southwest and northeast corners lead to additional corridors
With the completion of Hadda's spell, the fog seems to clear, mostly, and the objects and people formerly hidden can be seen clearly enough to deal with normally. Around the south side of the partitian, Dom is battling the 8 foot tall hag with tar-black skin. Dom is badly wounded from the hag's sharp claws and jagged teeth.
Crasius' arrow hits the oversized hag, but her tough skin prevents the arrow from penetrating and doing her any harm.
HP:93/93 I AC 29, touch 14, flat-footed 25 I Fort +10, Ref +12, Will +5(+9) I Speed 50 ft I Perception +10 (low light vision)
@GM Clebsch the bestiary says that a Megaloceros "stands fully the height of a human at its shoulder" which would mean that he can clearly see over the curtains. Would you consider that as a clear line to charge?
Everyone is under the influence of Crasius' Inspire Courage (+2), so that adds 2 to your attack and damage rolls.
Ingrit fires an arrow, Crasius' narration inspiring her to draw her bowstring a little farther. The arrow hits the hag, but her tough, leatherlike skin prevents the arrow from penetrating as deeply as it might have. Total damage is 9 with the IC effect, but DR drops it down to 4
Wapiti can see the hag's dark form, but just as he was about to drive his antlers into her, one prong caught on the partition lacings and turned his head, preventing the potentially devastating set of wounds.
As narrated above, Crasius gets off an arrow, but it doesn't get past the DR.
Rurik advances to support the fighters.
Seke is up next. Then the hag.
Caigreal has taken 42 lethal damage, is shaken, and is under the effects of a misfortune hex.
"Don't let her get away and join her sisters!" Hadda says as she hears the frustration in Caigreal's voice followed by the padding steps of withdrawing flight. She dashes into the fog, able to see her footing and the curtain but not yet her companions on the other side. As she runs, she reaches into her spell component pouch, stuffing a bit of licorice root in her mouth and chewing it into a paste while she spews forth the incantation and draws a rune in the air. She tears aside the curtain and quickly scans around for her allies, realizing that they're a bit too far away for her spell to get them all. "After her!" she shouts, magical energy burbling in her hands and ready to catch as many as catch can.
Move action to get to where I am and a standard action to ready to cast Haste once we have everyone within a 30 ft diameter area of each other.
Rules Adjudication?:
Per the rules for readying, Haste will interrupt actions and then allow PCs to continue with their new speed. Ideally I can get everyone instead of only part of the party. If the GM rules that this doesn't work with the action economy, or it would prevent people from taking their full actions, then I'll prioritize getting Dom and Wapiti. (Right now, I could get a) Seke, Dom, Wapiti, Hadda; b) Dom, Wapiti, Hadda, Crasius; or c) Wapiti, Hadda, Crasius, Rurik, Ingrit.
I think a way to ensure that this messes the least with the action economy is for Rurik to move (and heal Dom, probably), for Seke to move and hex/cast a spell (probably), and then for haste to trigger once Ingrit comes into range. Through the magic of hand-waving delay shenanigans, I should be able to haste the party.
Male Human Cleric 10 | HP 73/73 | AC 25 T 12 FF 24 | Fort +10 Ref +5 Will +13 | Initiative +1 | Perception +7 | Channel 5/5 | Inspired 1/1 | Liberation 10/10 | Rebuke Death 8/8
"Don't go running off before I can get you back in fighting trim!" shouts Rurik as he closes with the wounded warrior.
Of course I'm just one square too far and have to double move to get to Dom.
If we enforce acting in initiative order and assuming Hadda, Dom, and Wapit delay while Ingrit and Crasis take a move action to get within 30 feet of the other PCs, including Seke, then Hadda's Haste spell can go off, and then those who delayed and those who took a move action can act. I'll assume the order posted becomes the new order of initiative.
Female Human (Iobarian) Chronicler of Worlds/Studious Librarian (Bard) 8 | HP 77/77 | AC 23 Touch 15 Flat 19 (ACP 0) CMB +8 CMD 23 | Fort +5 Ref +11 Will +8 | Speed 60 ft | Init +4; Per +19, SM +21 | Active: Daylight, Heightened Awareness, Tears to Wine | Bardic Rd: 22/23 | Hero Points: 2/3
Hadda cast Ashen Path on everyone but Dom and Seke. I was trying to convey in my post that she could see just fine, but that the curtain was still in her way. It was more for flavor than mechanics. Happy Haste, everyone!
HP:93/93 I AC 29, touch 14, flat-footed 25 I Fort +10, Ref +12, Will +5(+9) I Speed 50 ft I Perception +10 (low light vision)
The moment Hadda's spell takes effect, Ingrit utters the command, freeing Wapiti to go after the monster, racing down the hallway in a thundering charge.
Male Human Cleric 10 | HP 73/73 | AC 25 T 12 FF 24 | Fort +10 Ref +5 Will +13 | Initiative +1 | Perception +7 | Channel 5/5 | Inspired 1/1 | Liberation 10/10 | Rebuke Death 8/8
Not out of channels, but I'm using a touch spell.
Cure moderate wounds, because I'm out of higher-level stuff and spontaneously converting takes the whole round, empowered:2d8 + 8 ⇒ (8, 2) + 8 = 18 +5 from empowerment -> Heals 23
Both Wapiti and a rejuvenated Dom use Hadda's Haste spell to catch up to the fleeing hag and impale and stab her from behind. Wapiti does 18 and Dom does 13 to the hag. The hag is wounded further, but is still dangerous.
Female Human (Iobarian) Chronicler of Worlds/Studious Librarian (Bard) 8 | HP 77/77 | AC 23 Touch 15 Flat 19 (ACP 0) CMB +8 CMD 23 | Fort +5 Ref +11 Will +8 | Speed 60 ft | Init +4; Per +19, SM +21 | Active: Daylight, Heightened Awareness, Tears to Wine | Bardic Rd: 22/23 | Hero Points: 2/3
No worries, GM! We know it's a busy time of the semester.
I am factoring in my lack of precise shot, but I will let you factor in the hag's cover bonus (probably +4). Also, since Hadda is attacking from concealment, I don't know if that has an impact on the hag's AC. Just laying my cards on the table.
Hadda isn't the archer that either Crasius or Ingrit are, but she's been traveling with them enough that she has started to pick up on some of their best practices. So although she especially wants to avoid sending an arrow into Dom's back, she pulls arrow after arrow out as she steps forward and shoots boldly from within the fog cloud. Caigreal's hide was thick, but if she put enough force behind it, then maybe she could begin to punch through...
We are still on the round where Hadda cast the Haste spell, so she doesn't get an attack this round. She can save these results for her nexxt round if the hag is still in range and Hadda can still fire from the fog. The RAW don't enforce a loss of Dex bonus to AC for shooting from concealment but they do for shooting from invisible. Since there is no functional difference between being invisible and being completely hidden from view, I'd grant that the target loses Dex bonus to AC in this situation.
Currently waiting for Ingrit and Seke's action. Ingrit, I believe was holding to see if the hag was defeated by Dom and Wapiti. It was not, so Ingrit can fire away.
Female Human (Iobarian) Chronicler of Worlds/Studious Librarian (Bard) 8 | HP 77/77 | AC 23 Touch 15 Flat 19 (ACP 0) CMB +8 CMD 23 | Fort +5 Ref +11 Will +8 | Speed 60 ft | Init +4; Per +19, SM +21 | Active: Daylight, Heightened Awareness, Tears to Wine | Bardic Rd: 22/23 | Hero Points: 2/3
Seke used the slumber hex on Caigreal (though she needs to move closer on the map for that to be a legal turn). To my reading, Ingrit did a double move action, using her held standard as a 2nd move action to get to her current position. So afaik we're waiting on Caigreal's will save and her turn. Sorry for jumping the gun, but an updated initiative tracker would help.
DC 24
Hag: Will:1d20 + 14 ⇒ (11) + 14 = 25
Vs Dom AC 17
Claw 1:1d20 + 17 ⇒ (2) + 17 = 19 Claw 1 damage:1d8 + 6 ⇒ (5) + 6 = 11
I think I missed the slumber hex because Seke is last in initiative and I wanted to see what others did first. I misread Ingrit's statement as saying she was holding before stating her standard action. I've been so busy and have had to put off responding to posts for a while that I'm not being very good at tracking action. I'll update the initiative tracker once I do Caigreal's action. I was waiting on things that had already happened.
Caigreal shakes off the attempt by Seke at putting her to sleep. She slashes at Dom again with her stilleto-like claws. 11 damage to Dom.
She again runs away, giving Wapiti and Dom another chance at stabbing her in the back, and runs for the room that opens up a few feet west.
Dom and Wapiti get an AOO vs the hag. Caigreal will be out of line of sight for Hadda so she'll have to repost. I'll describe what is in the next room after the AOOs have been posted.
Once the AOOs are posted for the hag's movement, those who move to the door of the room that the hag moved into may read the spoiler below. Make a perception check as well.
Room Description:
Like a harrowing cage woven from bone, wood, and sinew, a tangle of massive drying racks exhibit the splayed remains of dozens of woodland creatures, some dead, some still twitching. Narrow wooden planks serve as precarious walkways leading between the racks, with several rope ladders ascending to various levels. Bloodstained leather buckets filled with cruel and filthy vivisection tools hang from the hideous structure in several spots.
DC 15 perception:
You pot a medium size humanoid creature on the rack. It has the legs of a bald goat, a completely hairless body, and a horned head with a sinister expression. It has an assortment of vials on its torso and a third arm extends from under its right arm. Roll Knowledge (Nature), DC 16 to identify it.
Female Human Ranger (Skirmisher) 10: HP 78/78 : AC: 20 (21), T: 15, FF: 15 : Fort: +10 (+12 cold effects/ +15 cold environment/ +20 with cold weather outfit. +4 to all if non lethal) Reflex: + 12 Will: +5 : Perception +11 (+17 Human/+15 Giant/+13 Fey
Racing down the hall in pursuit, Ingrit hears Dom's warning, looking around as she bursts into the garish drying room, and skidding to a halt as she looks up, spotting the bizarre creature an firing off a quick shot at it, even as her brain catches up, processing the monster's nature.
I'm assuming, given the circumstances, that Hadda, Crasius, and Rurik delay the start of their round until Wapiti, Dom, and Ingrit have acted. Just before Ingrit's attack, however, some new NPCs enter the fight. Hadda, Crasius, and Rurik can act in any order after this.
The hag, assumed to be Caigreal, survives the additional wounds from Dom and Wapiti, but just barely. She dashes into the nearby room, with the two in hot pursuit. Wapiti does 17 and Dom does 13 with the AOOs. The hag has now taken a total of 115.
The strange room has a door to the south, toward which the hag is heading. To the north side of the room, is a tangle of massive drying racks with the splayed remains of dozens of woodland creatures, some dead, some still twitching. Narrow wooden planks serve as precarious walkways leading between the racks, with several rope ladders ascending to various levels. Bloodstained leather buckets filled with cruel and filthy vivisection tools hang from the hideous structure in several spots.
The racks rise up to the ceiling, 25 feet high. Climbing on the racks requires a successful DC 10 Climb check; balancing on the unsteady racks requires a successful DC 20 Acrobatics check.
The room, although well lit with torches, is cold, barely above freezing. The door has a wreath, of sorts, attached to it that is very different from anything seen so far. It is made of goat skulls woven together with catgut and cornhusks and then hardened and stuck to the doors with lime and shellac.
Inside the room, Dom and Wapiti continue attacking the hag, vying to be the one to make the killing wound. Wapiti charges, but the fleeing hag reduces the power of the animal's favorite form of attack, making it ineffective this time.
Dom pushes his falcata into an already open wound, going between her ribs and penetrating her black heart. She crashes into the door and falls into a lifeless heap. 43 damage and a killing blow.
Just as Ingrit is entering the room but before she can fire her arrow, three soft hisses sound from the rack. A small dart strikes Wapiti and Dom. The dart stings but does little damage. Dom's wound, however, immediately burns, and he begins to feel a little weaker. Wapiti takes 2 points damage and Dom takes 1 point. The darts were poisoned. Wapiti made his save, but Dom failed. Dom suffers 1 point of Strength Drain and must make a DC 19 Fort save at the start of his next round. If he fails, he takes 1d2 Strength drain and must save again at the start of next turn. If he succeeds, he need make no further saves to avoid strength drain.
Ingrit enters the room and takes a shot that hits one of the creature, who has horns like a goat or ram, hooves for feet, and an extra arm extending out from under his right arm. @Ingrit: what kind of arrow was used in her attack?
Hadda, Crasius, and Rurik may take their turns. I'll post monster lore next.
Hadda watches as the melee continues further down the hall and gives chase with supernaturally-quickened movement. She hears more than she sees what sounds like Dom striking a devastating blow as she emerges through the threshold of the vivisection room. She scans around, trying not to feel disgusted.
She sees the three ram-like creatures right before they blow darts, recognizing them instantly (as something! TBA). Recognizing the likelihood of poison from those darts, she begins her own oratory, stirring arcane energies through informative words rather than narrative ones so that she can provide her party members with a bit more extra oomph should they need it.
Move action 60 ft to current position, move action to start my own Inspire Courage pretty much for the express purpose of using saving finale the next time someone (i.e., Dom) fails a save.
