LCDM thanks for all your work. It is appreciated. Anyone else going to GenCon this year?
I concur. Keep up the good work...
I am going, yup.
I cannot go. I would like to check it out one time.
I'll be at Gencon from Wed morning through Sunday evening.
me too.
Can we easily get from the stairs to each tier of the pyramid? How much of the camp can I see from the first tier?
I am also still uncertain if I learned Wizard Lock.
Lastly, do we have any ranged weapons that I could borrow and what would my THAC0 be since I'm not proficient?
|
Can we easily get from the stairs to each tier of the pyramid? How much of the camp can I see from the first tier?
By first tier you mean the top? Or the 1st "step" down where the secret door comes out? In either case, in daylight you can see the camp pretty well.
I am also still uncertain if I learned Wizard Lock.
From the book? I'll look that up.
Knock was in the Wizard's spellbook and if you learned that you also get wizard lock which is the reverse. You had time so unless Ana did that one, then yes, we can assume you have it.
Lastly, do we have any ranged weapons that I could borrow and what would my THAC0 be since I'm not proficient?
If you try to use a weapon you are not proficient with, you treat your THAC0 as if you are a 0-level human (so your progression is 0). For you that's not so bad... basically a -1 compared to your THAC0 for stuff you are proficient in.
Many of the goblins you killed on a number of occaisions had low-quality shortbows. These will deal 1d4 damage because of their poor quality. I don't think you have found any other ranged weapons aside from throwable things.
Zynazyr can use Brathas's shortbow while the thief is running around doing his thing. Better quality than the goblin ones.
I think Ferrous as well as a lot of the others will be located on the 20' Map do you want us to place our icons on there.
haven't heard from Ana or Fistep in awhile are they still here?
I did reply on Monday. :)
Yes, Ana is still here. Waiting to do my part. :)
yeehaw! forums are up!
Just a note to let everyone know that I am in the direct path of Hurricane Gordon. This should be fairly routine (I've weathered many such storms), but in case we lose power or I am otherwise out for a few days, that's what has happened. If you are in my game, stand tight and I'll be back. If I am in your, please bot me as necessary.
Just wanted to say I was checking but I wasnt seeing notifications of new posts. I will post later today. Until then assume Ferrous is going to fire his crossbow as soon as he is able.
Wow, that's a lot of gnolls. Are we firing to draw their attention and hope we can paralyze all of them? If we don't, they overrun us and we're done. Otherwise, we retreat and hope we can take them out in smaller groups in the pyramid. Although they were able to take out the other groups so that may not be practical either. Brathas could also be stuck if we change plans. Any thoughts?
Brathas's plan was to form up a tough front line on the steps, to limit how many gnolls can attack at once, and use the scepter - which covers a big area.
Taking them on was a huge risk, but I don't know what else we could do. They were carving a path through the pyramid with ease, slaughtering everyone and capturing some of our allies.
Maybe we'll pull this out. It will be an epic triumph if we do. Brathas is both invisible and fast, so I'm not too concerned about him... Though the gnolls have way more shamans than I thought.
Ok best I can tell Ferrous grabbed a heavy crossbow at the very start of the campaign from a trap so that is good news. Bad news I don't think he has any bolts.
He gave the only bolt he found to Bruno the Fat. So this is a slight oversight on my part. I can't believe I failed to ever get bolts.
Imagine the thought going through Ferrous's head as he sees near 60 gnolls at perfect heavy crossbow range goes to load his crossbow and realizes that he never found any bolts to fire it.
|
|
Ok best I can tell Ferrous grabbed a heavy crossbow at the very start of the campaign from a trap so that is good news. Bad news I don't think he has any bolts.
He gave the only bolt he found to Bruno the Fat. So this is a slight oversight on my part. I can't believe I failed to ever get bolts.
Imagine the thought going through Ferrous's head as he sees near 60 gnolls at perfect heavy crossbow range goes to load his crossbow and realizes that he never found any bolts to fire it.
Actually you found some crossbow bolts when you investigated the Gorm headquarters (which had been abandoned for several days). I didn't realize anyone was using a crossbow at the time so I didn't specify how many, but we'll call it an even dozen. There were also three magical bolts +1.
I have no problem assuming you picked these up.
Range for a heavy crossbow is:
Heavy Crossbow 5 - 80 / 81 - 160 / 161 - 240
So you could actually start shooting from where you are, and you would be at long range. The heavy crossbow deals 1d10 damage but is not modified by strength.
It does take 1 round to reload though. So you can shoot in one round and then reload the next.
So, I'm thinking for my new character I will try a halfling. How about you guys?
A gnome maybe :)
Level 5 thief.
Well Brathas may survive after freeing our replacement characters.
You guys have it easier than Brathas does if this goes badly. Fall back into the pyramid and use Wizard Lock on interior doors - doors deep enough in the pyramid that the gnolls can't tunnel around them without risking a collapse. Maybe Brathas can catch up to you before you start locking doors and maybe not - right now, he's staying near the camp in hopes of freeing the prisoners.
But we haven't even used the scepter yet. At the moment, the party has a massive range advantage while the gnolls are disorganized and don't know what's going on. And if they get close to you, the scepter will probably paralyze more than half of the gnolls it catches in each shot.
You don't have to paralyze ALL the gnolls in one shot to defeat them. Paralyzed ones will clog attack lanes and further reduce the number that can get to you at any one time. Just make good use of positioning and the stairs and, if needed, corridors.
This is a brief message to let everyone know that I am going to be on vacation from Sunday, 23 September until 1 October. As many of you may be aware, my wife is 90% blind from glaucoma. She wanted to see Walt Disney World through the eyes of friends who have never been (or haven't been in many years) before she can't see at all. So I, she, and 9 of our friends are all going to Walt Disney World for a week!
During this time, my posting will be greatly curtailed, if not nonexistent. If you are in my game, I will continue upon my return, just sit tight. If I am in your game, please feel free to bot me as required.
During this week leading up to my vacation, I will be very busy and may be slowed, but I will try to get a post out before leaving for the week.
|
|
Hey, guys.
Sorry I haven't posted much lately. I had to work extra time two weekends in a row. I've been pretty beat lately.
Next two weekends though I have extra time off, though so hopefully I'll get my energy back.
Looks like I'm going to have to do another map for the stairs. I'll get to that soon.
No worries. Hope you continue to get better.
|
|
Hey, guys. I'm sorry this has taken so long.
You will find that there is a new map on the Tactical Map slideshow. It shows the pyramid stairs and the current positions of everyone other than Brathas.
The left edge of the map corresponds to the top of the map of the gnoll camp. The maps overlap slightly. The purple "X" and "Y" markers correspond to the same markers on the map of the camp.
The hole in the stairs that leads to the tunnel into the pyramid is the black thing marked "Hole." The various tiers are indicated by the various shades of grey. The borders between the tiers are not quite sheer but may as well be for combat purposes. They are fairly worn though and could potentially be climbed.
You will note that the tiers are 40' wide but the stairs are only 30' of this. That last 10' is a 'landing' so you can walk out on the rest of the tier.
The big purple triangle at the top is an AoE template for Ana's wand of Paralysis.
I'll have a gameplay post shortly.
Np. Thanks for sticking with the game. I know this battle is going to take a while and take a lot of work on your part.
The gnolls moved across the sand faster than I expected. We have 2 paralyzed youth in front of me that can be killed but 4 adults at the bottom of the stairs. I don't think they will be able to attack if they move up the stairs. It seems we have 3 options:
1. Fighters run to move up to my position and we make our stand trying to kill any gnolls that Ana can paralyze.
2. Ana and I fall back to the second tier and fighters move up to top of stairs to make our stand.
3. We all turn and run for the hole.
LCDM - can we get the slide with a map of the interior put back up?
The stairs are a lot wider than I had thought. And the gnolls are faster than I had thought too.
The paralysis lasts a long time. As in turns. With no subsequent saves to throw it off. Don't worry about killing paralyzed ones now. Better to let them clog up the stairs and provide cover.
I would suggest you fall back towards the fighters. I would not suggest anybody advancing on the gnolls. Our fighters are much slower than theirs. If things get bad you can drop in the hole.
The maps of the interior are still up (Tier 1, Tier 2, etc).
lol. oops. was on the tactical map and forgot about the others. thanks.
also thanks for the reminder on the duration. I was thinking more like a sleep spell where the other gnolls could "wake them up".
|
|
Yes, the paralysis will last for 1 hour, which is rather killer. Dispel magic or remove paralysis would be necessary to free them before that.
The stairs are 40 feet wide, but that is still narrow enough that the armored characters can form a line with a 5' game between each one, and the gnolls will have to come within reach of someone to get past.
The gnolls move at the same speed as humans. The youths have no armor and are quite fast. The adult gnolls have leather armor and are a bit slower. But the gnolls are not slowed down by the sand the way humans are.
Nothing too troubling was found which is good.
We should make our stand at my current position or right by the hole. What's our plan?
The scepter is doing a good job. I don't know at what level of casualties the gnolls will rout but they're already at almost 20% paralyzed or dead.
There are a couple of shamans coming up. Don't know what they can do.
Ana should move back this round if she can. And maybe next round use the Mirror of Protection to summon some Mirror Images for herself.
Walia should maybe start delaying, so he can come out of delay and heal Ana if she gets hit.
Is Ana carrying Ferrous' magic shield? That would help her AC.
There still is one more Oil of Smoldering. And Brathas may try to get the one that the spirit was carrying (unless the gnolls took it).
I don't think we gave Ana Ferrous's shield.
Does she have a shield at all? Like Ferrous' old non-magic shield?
AC 3 is pretty good but could be better.
I don't think she took a shield because she uses a two-handed sword and bow. Not sure that we changed everything just for when she had the wand and what would happen after the wand ran out of charges. Would make sense to have a normal shield and then just drop it and the wand when it ran out of charges. Not sure what was done though.
She did not specifically say that was the case, so I am of the assumption that she has no shield (unless the GM wants to retcon it).