Esmeralda tosses a frost bomb onto the Yuan-ti, hitting him squarely in the chest!
Gedeon's check against SR:1d20 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6
Gedeon's dragonmark glows, but cannot seem to affect the yuan-ti man.
But Gedeon subsequently charges directly into the Yuan-ti, slashing at his hips and near-fatally wounding him. Barely conscious, he hisses
"If you wish to meet the same fate as the others who interfered with us, so be it!"
and prepares to strike back...
Acorn's turn. Remember also that you can post your action before your turn comes up.
While the others take on the Yuan-ti Acorn drops the lighted club and makes a fist. The natural bark on his hand becomes thicker and harder and grows a number of spikes. He then moves up to intercept the human and takes a swing with his club-like hand.
Wooden Fist plant domain ability is a free action, then move and strike.
Attack vs Flatfooted:1d20 + 5 ⇒ (4) + 5 = 9 my guess is a no
Damage:1d3 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7
Action Points 6/6 | Power Points 13/42 | Transfer Wounds 7/7
Helac is all about healing. If that's not necessary, he's about opponent denial. So if somebody gets hurt, he may hit them with a vigor or natural healing. If everyone is in relatively good shape and the battle seems to be going well, he will attempt a ranged touch fatigue knack, DC 14. If the battle is not going well, he may try to move/tumble into position and flank for someone.
I recommend focusing fire on Sir Hiss... He looks to be more of a combat threat than the human... though I have been wrong. Helac projects to the group, waiting for the right opportunity to strike.
Round 2
Temporary hit points 10
Shield for 1 or 2 rounds
If snake man is still alive Gedeon will cast a spell defensively and attack with his en-spelled sword.
Full round action: Spell combat cast Frostbite defensively and attack or twice if only once does not drop the thing. Concentration::1d20 + 3 + 3 ⇒ (19) + 3 + 3 = 25 Attack::1d20 + 4 + 1 - 2 ⇒ (20) + 4 + 1 - 2 = 23 Scimitar Damage::1d6 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 2 + 1 = 8 Spell Damage::1d6 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5 Cold nonlethal
If the snake man is still alive 2nd attack
Attack::1d20 + 4 + 1 - 2 ⇒ (7) + 4 + 1 - 2 = 10 Scimitar Damage::1d6 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 2 + 1 = 7 Spell Damage::1d6 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6 Cold nonlethal
If the snakeman is down before Gedeon's first attack he will cast Frostbite then move to the human.
Wow, life is hard. fortitude save:1d20 + 3 ⇒ (10) + 3 = 13
The chilling effect of Esmeralda's power slows the yuan-ti, staggering him!
Unable to move, he strikes back with his scimitar at the only target he can reach: Gedeon!
1d20 + 7 ⇒ (3) + 7 = 10
When he fails to even connect, he hisses in frustration.
Revion's turn.
Action Points 6/6 | Power Points 13/42 | Transfer Wounds 7/7
Deranged_Maniac_Ben wrote:
Wow, life is hard.
For the Yuan-ti? It's because he's cold blooded.
I'm going to be honest. I want to hit something. And I think the Yuan-ti's had enough bad luck that he'll drop soon.
Helac notes Gedeon's powerful blow on the heels of Esmeralda's nearly surprising concussive strike. He turns to the human, now the object of Acorn's not so tender mercies, and says I think I want what you have... Friend. His lips curl into a wicked grin. Free Action
He reaches out, weapon in hand, and touches the man rather than striking him with the weapon. Melee touch attack. Standard Action
Transfer Wounds/Steal Health:1d20 + 1 ⇒ (20) + 1 = 21 Transfer Health Damage:1d6 ⇒ 5
Drawing the life force from the man, he thinks We will put this to better use. and immediately channels the energy along the tendrils of thought connecting Haazek to himself. Collective Healing. Free Action.
To confirm, if you want to allow it, since it is a melee touch attack.
Transfer Wounds/Steal Health:1d20 + 1 ⇒ (19) + 1 = 20 Transfer Health Damage:1d6 ⇒ 4
If not, that's fair. If yes, and if a 21 hits and a 20 confirms, Haazek, you just got 9 hit points back. If not, you just got 5.
Haazek swings at the yuan-ti but fails to make any connection.
"If this is truly what you desire, then you may die!"
The 'human' hisses, and dismisses a spell effect. At once its body morphs into its true form: not a human but another yuan-ti. This one, however, looks far less human than his companions: while his body mostly resembles that of a human, his skin is covered in scales, and each of his arms is a snake with its own head. One of his arms shoots out at Helac, the other at Acorn:
attack Helac:1d20 + 10 ⇒ (4) + 10 = 14
The first one hits, but is unable to harm the Elan.
attack Acorn:1d20 + 10 ⇒ (7) + 10 = 17 piercing damage:1d4 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6
As the creature's hand's fangs pierce Acorn's body, it releases some venom into him draining his life energy:
DC 15 fortitude save or take 1d6 constitution damage. It's a poison effect.
"When the Tyranny of Secrets returns to the world, you shall not be around to witness it!"
Gedeon easily downs the weaker yuan-ti, gashing out his bones and leaving him barely alive. Then he swings at the more powerful yuan-ti with snake-arms but misses.
Esmeralda's turn.
I cast barkskin before the battle began and its 10 min per level. My AC is 19. I will post that from on, on each of my posts to avoid any more confusion.
Oops, I forgot about that.
The snake's teeth are unable to pierce Acorn's tough hide.
Looking back you described casting bark skin, and its effects, but without explicitly saying you were casting bark skin. I'll still count it this time, but next time make it clearer which spell you are casting, in case you have multiple abilities with similar but slightly different effects.
Action Points 6/6 | Power Points 13/42 | Transfer Wounds 7/7
Round 1 ... Just for my own edification.
Actions:
Deranged_Maniac_Ben wrote:
Initiative Order:
Esmeralda--18+ X bomb (11 lethal)
Acorn--18 X domain ability/attack
Gedeon--18- X spell/attack (17 lethal/8 non lethal)
Yuan-ti--17 Revion--14 X attack
Haazek--12+ X attack
Helac--12- X attack (9 damage)/heal (9 hit points)
"Human"--8 X attack/attack
So... Round 2. Fight!
When it gets closer to my turn, I might step back to give everyone room and maybe attempt a ranged touch fatigue, or should I just step around a bit to give a flank to Acorn?
Time is limited... Sir. You should surrender now... your friend might yet be saved. Helac growls at the snake trinity standing before him. Free Action
Esmeralda's arrow strikes right on the yuan-ti's arm, piercing his skin and burning him with acid!
"My time, limited? Ouch!" He calls as Esmeralda strikes him. "You are aging faster than as I!"
Acorn's turn.
Round 3
Last round for Shield
2 charges on Frostbite left
Gedeon shows momentary shock at the "humans" transformation then gets a determined grin on his face and attacks the creature. Then he draws a wand from his belt.
Standard action: Attack Attack::1d20 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 4 + 1 = 8 Spell resistance::1d20 + 3 ⇒ (15) + 3 = 18 Damage::1d6 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 2 + 1 = 5 Spell Damage::1d6 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 3 = 7Cold Nonlethal Move Action:Draw Everlasting wand of shield OK had to balance out those last few rolls
A subtle chime rings once in the minds of the surrounding creatures as a nearly invisible wave of distortion arcs from Helac the Yuan-ti.
Fortitude Save DC 14 or fatigued for 3 rounds. It will probably still miss now that I think about it due to technically firing into melee.
Revion manages a direct hit on the yuan-ti.
"If you are tired of being attacked--" he screams momentarily as Revion's attack connects
"putting me down shall do you no good! There will always be more who will seek your demise!"
Helac attempts to channel his mental energy into the yuan-ti:
1d20 + 3 ⇒ (12) + 3 = 15
But the man is able to shake off the effect of Helac's power.
Haazek's turn.
Haazek lands a direct hit!
The yuan-ti sputters, heavily wounded and barely conscious. He is hurt too much to attack without injuring himself. With the last of his breath, he coughs
"Then do it! Take " *cough* "my life if you dare! Once my lady has the Shadows Tooth it shan't" *cough* "matter. In my next life I shall be" *cough* "avenged..."
He kneels down, unmoving but still aware.
The ground above you rumbles, and the pit/slide starts to shake.
Spellcraft::1d20 + 9 ⇒ (10) + 9 = 19 Ok we have to make a quick decision the tunnel is going to collapse soon. Do we retreat up or go forward and investigate that city, hoping to find another way up.Gedeon quickly dispatches the dieing yuan-ti. then sheaths both wand and scimitar.
I will have to take... your word for it. Since the female took the Tooth... that way... and they seem to have something potent planned... it might be best to see it through.
If we decide to stay down here, I might attune Adharc temporarily and tell him to hop down here/come... which may not work as well as I hope, but I'd be sad to be stuck without my oversized pet.
"Heading on to the city sounds reasonable to me, too," says Haazek, cautiously looking around to make sure they're clear of anything that might crush them in a collapse.
Action Points 6/6 | Power Points 13/42 | Transfer Wounds 7/7
Thinking Revion has needed his help least so far, Helac takes a moment to concentrate. Dropping Revion as a free action. Attuning Adharc as a standard action. Then taking another standard action to manifest vigor on Adharc. 1 pp.
Adharc. Come.
Falling damage:1d6 ⇒ 6
The elk manages entrance to the pit, sliding down ungracefully to land in a heap. Helac hurries over to the animal to checking for damage. After he determines there is no lasting harm, he strokes Adharc's neck for a moment, checks the tightness of the packs, and turns back to his compatriots.
Well... let's be off then.
Lastly, he'll take another free/standard action as long as there is no interruption, to drop Adharc and re-attune Revion to the collective.
The rumbling grows stronger, and new rocks appear where the pit had been, sealing the group below the ground.
It doesn't take long to reach the ancient city. There are a dozen large, dome-shaped buildings in a rough circle around a sort of courtyard. Behind them, a sharp cliff drops deeper into the mountain, where the rest of the city lies. The buildings are decorated with with carvings of battles between whispy, cloud-like creatures. There are no easily audible sounds, and no sight of the fleeing yuan-ti.
Knowledge (engineering) 15:
The architecture of the buildings dates to around 1500 years ago, about the time that quori first came to Eberron and became the kalashtar. It appears to have been burried naturally over time by the shifting of earth within the mountains.
Knowledge (history) 15:
1500 years ago, a group of good quori fled Dal Quor and merged with humans, becoming the kalashtar. Their earliest settlements were like this one, and mostly in Adar. The battles depicted on the buildings are likely from the struggle between the different sects of quori within Dal Quor, which preceded the formation of the kalashtar.
The city may contain records of the kalashtar's origins, as well as artifacts crucial to the quori.
...more information 'might' be available from higher check results.
I'm having a long week, so posting will be slow for the next couple of days.
Two of the twelve buildings in the circle are considerably larger than the others. If the one closest to you is the '6' on a clock, and the one furthest from you is the '12', then the largest two buildings are at 4 and 7.
The '4' building has an enourmous front door, big enough for a gargantuan creature to fit through. While there are no knobs on the door, there is a large, dark, crystal ball.
knowledge (psionics) 10:
The door in mentally activated.
The '7' building is carved mostly of marble. It has no visible doors, but a big chunk of the roof is absent. You can't see what is inside it from here, though.
The building at '2' is a far smaller mud hut, barely large enough for one human-sized person to live in. It has a stone chimney which, naturally, appears empty at first glance.
perception, 15:
There are subtle, stone impressions on the side of the '7' building, big enough to use as footholds to climb up.
Also, there is a faint but definite noise coming out of the '4' building--sort of like human voices, but not in any comprehensible language.
Action Points 6/6 | Power Points 13/42 | Transfer Wounds 7/7
Yay! I can attempt those!
Glancing around and noticing the odd configuration of the buildings, Helac and Eroh take a moment to just look around.
Aid Another:1d20 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7 That is a big door.
Knowledge (Psionics):1d20 + 6 ⇒ (15) + 6 = 21 I remember that design. While there are no knobs, that large crystal serves as a focus to open and shut the door using mental energy. You don't see that design too often.
Aid Another:1d20 + 6 ⇒ (11) + 6 = 17 Are those handholds? That's not very efficient.
Perception:1d20 + 12 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 12 + 2 = 29 Maybe not... but they could still be useful. And those voices... I think we will need to get closer before I can place the language... possibly.
Helac quirks his head sideways and extends his neck a little, pantomiming the universal body language indicators for listening. Acorn, Gedeon, Haazek, Revion. Does anyone else notices those voices? I don't think I can... place the language.
I hear them as well but cannot make out what language. We should start there. Helac can you open the strange door? Gedeon then approaches the door drawing sword and wand again. Hmmm, Snake people, possessed folk trying to breach the barriers between planes, and an evil empire, with all that running around who is going to care about aberrant dragonmarks.
Yes, while I've never seen this particular construction, I am quite familiar with that method of activation. Haazek shudders recalling some of the training drills. The pain will stop when you will it to stop...
Perception:1d20 + 5 ⇒ (4) + 5 = 9
The voices, however, convey little or no meaning. I can therefore only conclude that they are human...
Helac, do you have Psionic Meditation? I'd blow a full-round regaining focus if I expend, but I will if I have to.
Action Points 6/6 | Power Points 13/42 | Transfer Wounds 7/7
Revion Telthanellyn wrote:
Helac, as far as I know I am not in the telepathic bond you have set up there. Please correct me if I missed that.
Helac wrote:
. . . Helac quirks his head sideways and extends his neck a little, pantomiming the universal body language indicators for listening. Acorn, Gedeon, Haazek, Revion. Does anyone else notices those voices? I don't think I can... place the language.
Helac dropped you only to make sure that his mount had a safe fall. Afterward, he dropped the mount and reattuned Revion. :)
You are correct good, Sir. No Psionic Meditation. However, Helac doesn't have any metapsionic feats either, so just using built in augments, he rarely uses focus, though a few features require focus.
I... I will open the door... if you wish. I would say... be ready for anything... if that is what you wish. Helac projects to the group, his thoughts laced with a bit of worry.
The door creaks open, revealing a large, oval-shaped room with psionically-lit chandeliers. To the right, there is a door covered in ancient runes that resemble dragonmarks.
There is also a spiral staircase leading up. The voices seem to be coming from up the stairs. While they are not of any recognizable language, it sounds a lot like ritualistic chanting.
Action Points 6/6 | Power Points 13/42 | Transfer Wounds 7/7
Spend six seconds refocusing.
Aid Another:1d20 + 6 ⇒ (15) + 6 = 21 Perception:1d20 + 12 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 12 + 2 = 17 Trying to make out more details regarding the chanting and runes.
Aid Another:1d20 + 1 - 2 ⇒ (7) + 1 - 2 = 6 Knowledge (Psionics):1d20 + 6 ⇒ (14) + 6 = 20 Seeing if the symbols are related to psionics in any fashion since it took mental power to open the door.
And I can't even think up something dumb for Eroh to say... :\
Action Points 6/6 | Power Points 13/42 | Transfer Wounds 7/7
Quickly glancing around the room, Helac and Eroh note the functional psionic chandeliers, the possibly dragonmarked door, and the staircase from which the arcane tongue apparently radiates.
Good Fellows... Is it just me or... does the chanting seem ominous?
Hey, boss. Are those R'lyehian runes?
My bauble, you mean are those written in Kythric... and no. They are not. Are you sure you can read? Maybe that... ability of mine was lost when I imbued you with a shard of will.
...it's not like you let me practice.
Eroh. Angry Snake People. Focus. ...I will let you do something interesting when next we reach a town where we are not dealing with some problem. Otherwise, focus on maintaining life functions and discerning the environment to aid in doing so.
Dang, I had a bunch typed up and then my computer crashed and I lost it. Starting over...
Examining the runes on the door reveals...
perception (15):
The lines and symbols are actually moving, though very slowly. If they encode a message, that message is temporary.
spellcraft (20):
The runes are a fragment of the Draconic Prophecy--knowledge of the inner workings of the universe made manifest. This fragment roughly translates to
Where the body is lain, two shall arise
Knowledge (arcana, religion, or psionics), DC 20:
The Draconic Prophecy is a complex network of symbols and messages, which are believed to contain knowledge of all events in the world.
The prophecy manifests in fragments like this one seemingly at random. Dragonmarks are prophecy symbols as well, though what they mean is a mystery. Each fragment contains too little context to understand without spending thousands of years studying the prophecy, so only immortal creatures (particularly dragons) ever gain a deep understanding.
Knowledge (arcana, religion, or psionics) DC 25:
The prophecy is nondeterministic: it consists of conditional predictions and so is altered by people's choices. It also alters constantly, making perfect prediction of the future impossible even if you had complete knowledge of the prophecy (which no one does). Immortals who understand the prophecy sometimes try to use it to influence the future, by creating situations which the prophecy says will trigger circumstances the manipulator wants. Needless to say, this is extremely difficult.
