He moves toward the window to see what he can see outside.
Looking out the window you can see from the light cast by several discarded torches that lay sputtering on the ground that the street seems strangely devoid of people, a handful of assorted armaments; swords, shields, spear or two are cast about. You see that the town to your left is relatively dark while the town to your right seems to be cast in an orangeish hue as if illuminated by a large fire.
Putting his pack-digging on hold at the sound of battle, Legiald turns his head toward the window, watching Lugdro approach it. As Nera speaks, he sets his pack closed and on. Bow drawn and without word, Legiald moves to open the door leading outside to open it. After taking a few steps out, he too scans and draws an arrow. From this point, he waits until another steps out to go alongside them.
Dolelan can barely follow the bewildering array of accusations and conjecture being thrown about, so he simply keeps quiet and listens while getting his armor on. He straps on his sword, but doesn't draw it just yet out of concern for further upsetting the apparently unbalanced human woman.
"Ummm... I know it may be a bit forward... but would any of you mind if I warded you all with an invisible mark....if we run into a shape shifter....like umm... hag...or something...I'd like to you know.... have a method for distinguishing you all from a poly-morphed beast of pure evil and wickedness...you know if you don't mind or anything."
Finally! A sensible suggestion! There is one issue though, "If you would hold off for just a minute, miss, I'd like to check us for any residual magical auras or lingering effects from that... whatever it was. I'd rather not have to sort out the residue of another spell."
Eventually noting the sound of battle Dolelan draws his sword, invokes an authoritative-sounding phrase in the language of magic, and joins Legaid in moving toward the combat. Once on the street he looks for signs of what to expect- a riot, an attack by bandits, or these Shadows that everyone has been in a furor over.
"Sensible suggestions from you both. I will freely submit to your spells. I apologize for my snappishness, but I tend to meet priggish truculence with priggish truculence."
Lugdro casts Detect magic out the window as he scans the area.
Lugdro casts Detect magic out the window as he scans the area.
Look, up there!
Dolelan points at the rooftops, then casts Light on several pebbles and begins tossing them onto the rooftops and around the street. He'll give the others a minute or so to get their gear together and join him and Legaid, but not much more than a minute...
To Nera," It's ok, I don't think Walter is my type anyhow. Although, I do tend to find most people are not as picky as you would think. I'll pass on the spell, I think marks on our chest was enough for me today."
Seeing Legiald and the other man, walk toward the door. Charon gathers the rest of her gear and says "Nera you or Legiald take point. I'd be better left to scout in the shadows. If I see anything I'll whistle."
Charon steps out the door and into the closest shadow.
(stealth:)
When the stranger states, "Look up there!" Charon tries to see what he seen.
(perception:)
Look, up there!
Dolelan points at the rooftops, then casts Light on several pebbles and begins tossing them onto the rooftops and around the street. He'll give the others a minute or so to get their gear together and join him and Legaid, but not much more than a minute...
You throw the illuminated pebble onto the rooftop and like roaches in the light several creatures scatter and you all hear this screech "Vvvhheeee"
Charon steps out the door and into the closest shadow.
(stealth:1d20 + 12)When the stranger states, "Look up there!" Charon tries to see what he seen.
(perception:1d20 + 4)
You fade into the shadows but fail to spot what the stranger is talking about, you see the movement as something scatters but you fail to pick out individual shapes, just blurs.
Perception:
With a glance back to Charon before she takes to the shadows, he nods. "If I must. Come, Nera, to my si-" He is cut off by Dolelan's exclamation, drawing the arrow and following his indication.
As the blurs move and scatter, Charon waits patiently waits for the other to catch up. Perhaps shadow running is not such a great idea, she's thinking. But either way she stays hidden.
Nera seems interested by the banter, but while it's going on she casts detect magic scanning the room for anything obviously not one of her fellow cohorts possessions.
After spending a few moments gathering what she needs and casting arcane marks on those that allow her she turns to leave.
Nera exclaims calmly to the rest of the group.. "...Well are you coming?" as she pulls out what seems to be a small pebble covered in scattered runes. She speaks softly in draconic activating the magic word as her ioun torch lights itself and shimmers above her radiating a golden glow around her lighting her path.
With her sword drawn she exits the room and joins Charon..."ummmm charon I see you'd prefer to stalk the shadows...and ummm... that's well and good....but it seems our foes could find strength within them...I would feel more comfortable if you stayed close among the protection of my light....lest you know....be swollowed up by the creatures before I get to....you know... beat you at a duel" she says worried tone in her voice obviously concerned about her safety.
Lugdro moves tentatively, wand ready in one hand, staying near Nera, but not before going ahead and casting Mage Armor on himself.
As the sound echos through the street you all look around for the source but everything seems quiet, aside from the sounds of fighting coming from the lit part of town.
Once everyone is girded for combat, Dolelan sets off toward the sound of fighting at a hustle. After a few worried glances up at the rooftops, he decides he is more comfortable with illumination near to hand and casts light on his sword.
I'll just assume I picked up the same stuff as Dolelan (nothing) and that Dolelan rolled consecutive 1s on either his perception check to notice Nera casting the spell or on spell-craft to identify it.
...or Dolelan's at least a little arrogant and doesn't trust anyone else to pick up on certain subtleties ;)
To Nera, " I'll keep close enough to light and the group. These things may be shadows but we're still not sure what they are. To be honest, I'd rather not take the chance of being seen by something else. I appreciate your concern, but I promise you I'll be alive for our duel."
To everyone, "We should be careful and quick. I've got a feeling the fighting ahead involves shadows and towns folk. If we are to collect our bounty best get there before shadows are dead."
Keeping to her word Charon is at the very edge of the light and shadow. Trying to keep up with the strangers(Dolelan) hustle.
(stealth: - any minuses gm thinks)
Looking towards where the lit part of town is, Charon tries to see if she can spot any of this shadowy blurs in there path.
(perception: )
Nera will stay in a hustle moving with the rest of the group towards the noises. She remains quite with a worried look on her face during all the while.
Dolelan hustles off down the street, Charon in tow trying to stay hidden but unable to at the speed he's moving.
As Nera moves she says softly to the rest of the group, "We're being pursued if you have a ranged weapon now would be the time to draw it"
She casts light on one of her arrows sheaths Walter then draws her bow and fires towards the rooftops at one of her pursuers hopefully at least managing to catch a glimpse at one of them.
(Perception:)
Seeing the shadows following Charon slows down, knowing that they could have trouble. She whistles back to rest of group to follow. She draws out both her swords.
Still trying to remain somewhat hidden in the edge of the light.
(Stealth:- what dm thinks)
d20+7
d8
d20+5
Nera's arrow flies true as it arcs, catching one of the creatures as it was jumping to the next building. You hear a yelp as if from a tiny dog come from the beast as it fails to grab hold of the next ledge and slides off the slanted roof into the street.
Lugdro stays close to Nera and raises his hand toward the beast that has just fallen to the street. If it starts to get up, he will go ahead and cast Magic Missile on the beast.
"Could anyone tell what the devil that thing was?"
Keeping pace with the others with the occasional run, Legiald keeps his bow ready.
"Or what they're doing? Nera, what do you see?"
Perception:
Seeing the beast fall, Charon moves towards the ground where the beast fell, as quick as she can. Blades drawn and prepared to strike when in distance.
*whistling* Charon signals the others in the direction to follow.
Again my attempt at identifying what I saw, recognizing what kind of creature, or making an analysis of its weaknesses/strengths;
Identify Checks (Dependent on creature type)
Nera responds, "Ah!? I'm not sure, but it looked as if covered in shadow and made up of some kind of goo, more of them followed along the rooftops I may have dropped one, stay close."
She then shoulders he bow and draws Walter. She then moves quickly towards the area where she dropped it searching for the lighted arrow that struck true hopefully using it as a beacon to find her quarry.
*whistling* Charon signals the others in the direction to follow.
Dolelan is torn between running to the aid of those who are fighting and stopping to examine the fallen shadow. Prudence wins out in the end, it might be essential to know something about what they are facing. Dolelan stops rushing toward the sound of battle and stops to examine the fallen creature.
Knowledge (Any other):
You come to where it landed, guided by the faint light coming from a broken arrowhead that lay discarded on the ground. You come into view of it as it tries to crawl away from the light, it's skin or hide, you can't tell which is a solid inky black. Charon and Dolelan moving forward, approaching the creauture. Nera, Legiald, and Lugdro standing at the ready.
Could you explain your breakdown?
Knowledge (arcana) +4 (Int) + 4 (Ranks) + 3 (Class Skill) = + 11 (Regular Bonus) + 2 (Breadth of Experience) + 4 (?) = +17
Knowledge (any other) +4 (Int) + 1 (Rank) + 3 (Class Skill) = + 11 (Regular Bonus) + 2 (Breadth of Experience) + 4 (?) = +14
I'm looking at it and thinking you put a skill point into every knowledge skill, you have your breadth of experience for the +2. But where are you getting the other +4 to you skills from?
About the perception, taking 10 is fine, just remember that you actually have to say "Taking 10 on Perception" or "Perception Check" you don't have a constant radar pinging thing going on, when I ask for perceptions it's for something reasonably obvious, when you roll perception on your own you're looking for something you wouldn't normally see if you were just walking through town.
Moving straight down the road in a walk, Legiald draws his bow up toward the creature. He scans the surrounding rooftops once more until he stops. "Quit squirmin' or get up..." he utters quietly and makes a swift draw and release.
Composite Longbow: (minus penalty) for
Critical threat!
Moving straight down the road in a walk, Legiald draws his bow up toward the creature. He scans the surrounding rooftops once more until he stops. "Quit squirmin' or get up..." he utters quietly and makes a swift draw and release.
Composite Longbow: 1d20+7 (minus penalty) for 1d8+4
Critical threat! 1d20+7
That's not a critical hit but a nat 20 hits no matter the circumstances. Your arrow flies, you hit the creature center mass and from even the dim illumination at the edge of torch range you see the inky blackness sort of explode off of it all at once in a sort of porcupine looking thing before jumping back onto the body. You see it struggle to it's feet and it starts making this humming noise. "Hmmmmmm" Soon, you hear another humming sound...and another...and another. Looking up you can see silhouetted against the dark, unlit sky lining the buildings like gargoyles on a clocktower they stand waiting...
Initiative
Charon looks for closest shadow figure to attack. With trying to keep in the light radius.
force damage
Twin darts of blueish magical energy streak out of Lugdro's raised fingers and streak into the thing that just raised back to it's feet. Lugdro makes a nervous grimace as he surveys the threat above him.
Ah not sure how you want to run combat for the rest of the game, but for the record any time we would need to roll initiative I'm perfectly fine with you rolling for us as it should speed up play.
Jerrold brandishes his glowing sword as he advances at the one on the ground.
You have an epiphany in the middle of combat and you'll hear the story unfold in your mind as if it was the day you first heard/read about it, for the first two rounds you'll take a -2 to all attack rolls and concentration checks.
You've heard of these creatures in stories from the old lands beyond the sea when the dark necromancer Tibald Makestuffdead (he renamed himself after he first gained power, apparently he was very vain and self conscious of his previous last name which has been lost to the annals of history) tried to extend his influence to areas beyond the waking sea (the oceans around the eastern lands i.e here). He sent small groups of cultists armed with powerful artifacts that were able to bend and shape the will of beasts and as more creatures fell under the control of the artifact eventually even people would fall under it's effects. The artifacts were rounded up and destroyed by the Wardens after The Brotherhood, the western lands equivalent of the Wardens defeated Tibald in his castle after a lengthy Seige.
Each artifact was unique to the cult that held it but they all had one thing in common, all of them contained a beating human heart.
2d4+2force damage
1d20-2
Twin darts of blueish magical energy streak out of Lugdro's raised fingers and streak into the thing that just raised back to it's feet. Lugdro makes a nervous grimace as he surveys the threat above him.
Lugdro, your blasts of arcane energy eat through the creature, burning visible holes into it's body, you see the arcane energy leave two fist sized holes. As it struggles to it's feet some of the inky blackness drips to the ground forming small puddles of the dark ichor.
Charon - 21
Lugdro - 15
Nera - 12
Creature 2: 0
Creature 3: 0
Creature 4: 0
Creature 5: 0
Creature 6: 0
Creature 7: 0
Creature 8: 0
Creature 9: 0
Creature 10: 0
I6-->F3 and attack
I'm getting:
To hit: (3, BAB)+(2,STR)+(2,Heroism)+(1 Naturalist*)+(1,Masterwork) = +9 (should be 1 higher, mitheral should count at a masterwork weapon for a +1 to attack rolls);
Damage: (2,STR)+(1, Arcane Strike?*)
*you recieve the naturalist bonus to hit if you successfully identify a creature with knowledge roll. You rolled high so I'm assuming you did, but it's still GM fiat if the roll was successful.
**you can add +1 to damage if you use a swift action w/ arcane strike, I believe you do need to declare it though.
You also seem to be under the impression that the crit damage is in addition to your standard damage. From my understanding this isn't the case, though I could easily be incorrect.
Either way, this is what I get from your rolls;
To hit: 28; (20 is auto hit)
Confirm crit: 23
Regular damage: 6/7 *7 if you used arcane strike;
IF you confirmed the crit: 15/17 *17 if you used arcane strike;
Possible sources of error: (Believing that BAB gives bonus to dmg rolls, Believing that (Heroism/Naturalist/Masterwork) gave bonus to dmg rolls, Believing crit damage is added in addition to standard weapon dmg)
I could easily be wrong about any of the above I was just concerned about it and interested in you either pointing it out to me anything I missed or if I am incorrect on any of the rules regarding play as it would be helpful to know such things.
So if we're not taking into account DR/Temp HP. The monster should have damage dealt to it somewhere along these lines:
Monster: (1dmg, Nera's bow) + (6dmg, Lugdro) + ([6/7 or 15/17) = 13/14 or 22/24 *If Dolelan used arcane strike and/or confirmed a crit.
Plus of course any damage from the fall (but that's less clear than an earlier confirmation that the arrow hit (thus damage), magic missile which always hits[magic exceptions not withstanding], and a roll of a 20 which is always at the very least a hit.)
Anywhoo sorry for the rambling... <_<;
On her turn, Nera will move to I6 and cast Daze on the creature. (DC 14 Will save; Negates)
I had glossed over some details, originally I had thought that his special weapon was the rapier but in this case it doesn't matter. When you buy a mithril weapon or armor the mwk cost is already factored into the bonus.
Cost Weapons or armors fashioned from mithral are always masterwork items as well; the masterwork cost is included in the prices given below.
Other items +500 gp/lb.
A rapier weighs 2 lbs.
In this case he's right, though it would be very helpful to clarify that it's masterwork on your statblock. Oh, and heroism doesn't give a bonus to your damage if that's where the +5 was coming from.
And indeed, as with all things that you must declare before making the roll arcane strike would be most helpful.
Charon - 21
Lugdro - 15
Nera - 12
Legiald - 6
Monsters - ?
Okay, here's how combat works, everyone post an action, if when it happens has any relevance (i.e healing/buffing)as to when in the round it happens we'll refer to the initiative, otherwise everyone post an action for this turn and I'll relay what happens at the end of the round and announce when the new round begins. Everyone's been really on the ball with posts so I'm pretty confident this won't take more than the coming day to finish.
So correction wise I'm on the ball?
The damage done is 6 or 15 depending on confirmation and if you allow him to amend for arcane strike it's slightly higher.
My build is heavily crit oriented and I was under the impression that you don't double the damage and modifiers and then add the original damage as well on a crit. I'd love a confirmation on that as my own understanding of RAW doesn't come to that conclusion, but if that's the case my Magus just got considerably better.
Am I also correct on damage dealt to the beast not accounting for any temp HP or DR. (13 or 22 + [x-for whatever falling damage])? As well as it being a source of light?
Either way I edited my post with my actions for round 1 as Legiald already goes after Nera. I was mostly holding off to see if it had SR or if it/other monsters would act before as well as to determine if I had room/movement to charge given the actions taken.
My to hit is: BAB + STR + Heroism + Masterwork. I did not use a standard action to begin the bardic performance, so naturalist does not apply yet.
I misremembered heroism and added the bonus to damage, the total should be +3 to damage. I'll make sure to remember to post the swift action to initiate arcane strike in the future.
Nera is right on the critical damage too, I was doing it wrong. The rolls should be:
To hit: 27 (not a natural 20)
Confirm crit: 22
Regular damage: 7 with arcane strike (4+3)
If I confirmed the crit: 15 with arcane strike (4+5+3+3)
Ah so your taking 4,5 as weapon damage rolls instead of (5,6) as your first roll was a 4? I would have tried to get away with the (5,6) if it was a crit. ;)
Yeah I mistook that it was a nat 20 (I skimmed and read off your initiative instead). It's still a 28 to hit though, since I'm rather sure you identified the creature (you'd almost identify a tarrasque with a 33, by RAW) your modifiers add up to a +9 total. I doubt these things have an AC over 27 so it's not like it matters.
Probably good to keep in mind for future combats, though. I will say that I'm loving the hell out of your naturalist ability so much so that I'm considering going bard next time I make a character. :)
We should probably cease with the OOC spoilers for now though.... <_< things are getting a might cluttery.
Charon moves to F-3, and strikes the fallen creature.
If the creatures come to melee with Legiald, he'll drop the bow and pull the greatsword, then striking with power attack. Otherwise, he'll fire at the closest creature on the west side of him with the bow, moving 5 feet toward the closest ally if they've moved.
Composite bow:
for damage. Critical threat! for additional.
for damage.
Greatsword: for .
Lugdro points his wand at creature Xvii and hisses out a quick knot of magic-infused words. A soft amber light surrounds the creature for just a second.
With a stab from Dolelan and a slash from Charon the creature in the alleyway between building falls to the ground. The inky blackness draining from it and pooling in the street revealing an animal beneath. It's fur is stained black and it's form is warped but it looks to be a canine of some kind.
The creatures begin to converge, Legiald aims high with his bow and fires off a pair of arrows, the first one catches Xvii as it launches itself into the air. Like water dumped into the street the dark ichor drains off of it as it falls, landing on the ground with a loud thump.
Creature Xiv Bite Bite Damage
Creature Xii Bite Bite Damage
18 Damage Taken
As the shadows converge only Legiald seems to fall prey to their attacks .
Creature 2: 0
Creature 3: 0
Creature 4: 0
Creature 5: 0
Creature 6: 0
Creature 7: Dead
Creature 8: 0
Creature 9: 0
Creature 10: 0
Charon - 21
Lugdro - 15
Nera - 12
Legiald - 6
Monsters - ?
Next Round