Lost in the desert! The party gets separated from a desert caravan during a sandstorm. Parched and starving, they stumble on a ruined city in the middle of the desert. The pyramid at the center of the city seems mostly intact, and they find a secret door leading inside...
Fistep's shot staggers the gnoll, bit it remains standing. Fistep, Ana, and Zynazyr all fall back up the steps of the pyramid.
Ana, you had exceeded your move by a "half" square. I'll allow you to move half a square upwards rather than rounding down since your move will end up as an odd number. Same goes for Ferrous and Wallia.
Zynazyr: I moved your token the full distance possible but you need not move that far. You could also move laterally as well. If you don't want to move that far then pull your figure back.
The gnolls at the north edge of the camp continue to rush towards the pyramid and up the stairs, including one of the shamans. The ones at the southeast edge of the camp continue to chase fleeing camels, while the gnolls in the centre try to calm the hyaenas in the pen. The gnolls are able to get two of the hyaenas that jumped the fence of the pen back into it.
In the lower left part of the page with the camp map you will see several camels and a couple gnolls off the map. These camels have fled the map and the gnolls have chased them off the map. These creatures are unlikely to return during the combat.
The chief steps away from the shaman to watch the progress of the gnolls as they ascend the stairs, but makes no move to join them.
Male Dwarven Axe-man (Level 3) hp 22/37 || AC 1 || F11 A15 C12 D11 H6 W8 || THAC0 17 || Mv 20' || Infravision 60
waiting to see if the hyena is downed by that shot. Also mechanically is there a way for Ferrous to pick up and carry Ana further up the pyramid steps?
M Half-Elf CORE Rog 1 | HP 11/11 | AC 18 (T15, FF 13, CMD 19) | F +2 R +7 W +2 | Mv 30' | Per +9 (+10 vs traps), low-light vision | Init +5
Brathas moves more carefully, moving to enter the side of the camp near the slave pen (this is 60' of movement, so a double move). Now that he is is on firmer ground, he can move faster if he needs to.
Wallia single moves and slings a bullet at the hyena 17-1d20-1 if hits 1d4
Wallia's sling stone strikes the hyaena soundly. The canine yelps and shakes its head but continues to charge up the steps.
Wallia, since you can only move at 1/2 speed up the steps, and your move is 15', that is 1.5 squares. I moved your icon back.
Brathas wrote:
(this is 60' of movement, so a double move).
FYI anything more than a single move counts as a run action, if that matters to you.
Ferrous Grimgond wrote:
waiting to see if the hyena is downed by that shot. Also mechanically is there a way for Ferrous to pick up and carry Ana further up the pyramid steps?
The hyaena is still up.
Since Ana is slowed by her plate mail, carrying Ana up the stairs would involve you carrying that load along with the weight of Ana, so this would not be any faster than Ana going up the stairs herself. FYI Ana, Fistep, and Wallia all move at the same speed.
M Half-Elf CORE Rog 1 | HP 11/11 | AC 18 (T15, FF 13, CMD 19) | F +2 R +7 W +2 | Mv 30' | Per +9 (+10 vs traps), low-light vision | Init +5
Fine, moved back, sticking to a single move so I can hopefully use Stealth and have the hyena lose me. I need the gnolls away from the prisoner cage before I can do anything there anyway.
The bolt strikes the hyaena dead on, and it staggers and yowls in pain, but somehow remains standing!
More gnolls continue to pour towards the pyramid, yowling and screeching as they come. Many more reach the stairs.
Some other gnolls run off to the east, chasing the fleeing camels, while a few others wrestle camels back to their pens and begin tying them up again. The gnoll to the south looses his hyaena while tying up the camel he has caught. They hyaena runs forward and begins sniffing the ground where Brathas was standing a few seconds ago.
Brathas can see the gnolls in the center of the camp and it is clear that the gnoll king is not committing his whole tribe to the assault of the pyramid. He turns back to the gnolls tending to the wounded nyaenas and continues to bark orders at them. Some of the gnolls head to the tent south of the central "square" and come out gain with damp cloths to soothe the hyaenas' wounds.
The shaman leader continues to talk back to the chief.
Technically yes, though I should check to see if using a wand requires concentration (which would halve her movement again). But since I don't want this scene to drag more than it already has, we'll consider her turn done.
Zynazyr sends an arrow at the hyaena but it goes wide. He then hesitates, not sure if the rest of the group is prepared to fall back as far as he is.
Zynazyr could move back much more, but since he will outrun everyone this way I'm not sure I see the point.
The gnolls and hyaenas continue to race forwards. Many of the gnolls seem usnsure of what is happening, but the exhortation of the shamans and the chief spurs them on. Two of the hyaenas manage to reach Ana; the wounded one manages to bite through a weak spot in her armor!
Ana: 5 damage.
Back in the camp, the chieftain starts shouting at the gnolls handling the hyaenas. The ones handling the healthy hyaenas pull those animals out of the corral and prepare to send them towards the group.
Male Dwarven Axe-man (Level 3) hp 22/37 || AC 1 || F11 A15 C12 D11 H6 W8 || THAC0 17 || Mv 20' || Infravision 60
Ferrous throws down his crossbow and rumbles down the steps screaming Karrack Khazad!!! He rushes up to take a position by the side of Ana. Taking out with his axe he makes a hurried slash at the wounded hyena catching the beast in the middle of the stomach and leaving a savage cut.
17 - 1d20 ⇒ 17 - (19) = -2 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 = 8 I'm at your side elf. Just keep the wand pointed towards the ugly dogs. And let's back our way slowly towards the hole.
M Half-Elf CORE Rog 1 | HP 11/11 | AC 18 (T15, FF 13, CMD 19) | F +2 R +7 W +2 | Mv 30' | Per +9 (+10 vs traps), low-light vision | Init +5
Wallia, Ana was just hit for 5 points of damage. She is now at 8/15. Did you not see that? Only she and Zynazyr can use the scepter, and Zynazyr is even squishier. Can you please try to keep her alive?
Male Dwarven Axe-man (Level 3) hp 22/37 || AC 1 || F11 A15 C12 D11 H6 W8 || THAC0 17 || Mv 20' || Infravision 60
Ferrous spares a quick glance and smirk over his shoulder as Fistep's arrow flies past the hyena clattering to the steps. Then gritting his teeth against the oncoming assault he mutters Agreed
M Half-Elf CORE Rog 1 | HP 11/11 | AC 18 (T15, FF 13, CMD 19) | F +2 R +7 W +2 | Mv 30' | Per +9 (+10 vs traps), low-light vision | Init +5
Was this counted in the hyena's hit on Ana? One of the reasons for making a stand on the stairs was to use the high ground advantage, after all.
Campaign Info wrote:
Other Modifiers: Attacking a target that has high ground gives a -1 penalty to hit. Attacking from the high ground gives a +1 bonus to hit. Attacking when exhausted gives a -2 penalty to hit, while attacking a target that is exhausted gives a +2 bonus to hit.
Male Dwarven Axe-man (Level 3) hp 22/37 || AC 1 || F11 A15 C12 D11 H6 W8 || THAC0 17 || Mv 20' || Infravision 60
Good catch hopefully it was not included as that attack just hit Ana. And good reminder about the +1 bonus to hit. Does that include missile attacks or just melee?
One of the shamans runs toward the stairs, and pulls up behind one of the well-armored gnolls. He waves his arms in the air and conjures an arrow made of red glowing energy. The arrow streaks towards Ana! It strikes her squarely, passing through her armor as if it wasn't even there!
Ana and Zynazyr both recognize the spell as magic missile.
Ana: 4 damage. At least it is not as bad as 5!
Another one of the gnolls by the hyaena pen manages to get a healthy hyaena by a lead and heads towards the pyramid. A couple others continue to try to soothe the remaining hyaenas.
Round 6 Initiative Block 1: Ana (-4), Zynazyr Block 2: Blue, Green Block 3: Ferrous, Fistep, Wallia Block 4: White Block 5: Brathas Block 6: Black, Red
Block 7: Slaves, Camels
Two gnolls (black) run up the stairs and hurl javelins at Ana, but both miss. Two more gnolls (red) reach the stairs and begin climbing up. One shaman skirts the south side of the stairs, climbing up toward the group.
On the Camp map:
More gnolls run northeast towards the pyramid, including the two remaining shamans. One more gnoll "boss" takes one of the less wounded hyaenas from the pen and begins to bring it north towards the pyramid.
The hyaena to the south begins following Brathas' trail. The gnoll's handler calls out, and several other gnolls head to the south to join him.
M Half-Elf CORE Rog 1 | HP 11/11 | AC 18 (T15, FF 13, CMD 19) | F +2 R +7 W +2 | Mv 30' | Per +9 (+10 vs traps), low-light vision | Init +5
Where is the gate to the slave pen? Does Brathas know where the dropped Oil of Smoldering is? And who has the other Oil of Smoldering? Brathas suggested that Walia take it (June 26) but I don't know what came of that. Should Zynazyr go before White and Red in Round 7 or his initiative penalized for some reason?
Male Dwarven Axe-man (Level 3) hp 22/37 || AC 1 || F11 A15 C12 D11 H6 W8 || THAC0 17 || Mv 20' || Infravision 60
I moved you back a square and 1/2 Ana. Also so everyone is aware I dropped a crossbow icon where Ferrous dropped his crossbow. If someone needs a missile weapon. Would it be possible for Ferrous to use his shield to cover Ana basically transferring the AC bonus from him to Ana?
* The slave pen doesn't really have a gate, just a very flimsy fence with two horizontal rails. It would be trivially easy to "break out" - the pen mostly just designates where they have to sleep rather than actually keeping them in.
Brathas wrote:
Does Brathas know where the dropped Oil of Smoldering is?
* Approximately, yes. He can't actually see it seeing as it dropped in the sand.
Brathas wrote:
And who has the other Oil of Smoldering? Brathas suggested that Walia take it (June 26) but I don't know what came of that.
* Beats me... but I'm fine with Wallia having it even if it is a retcon.
Brathas wrote:
Should Zynazyr go before White and Red in Round 7 or his initiative penalized for some reason?
* Why do you ask? Were you peeking behind the GM screen? :)
For the record, there were too many initiative blocks so I fudged it to speed things up. Sometimes that fudging has been in your favor. Leave it as it is. But you shouldn't be looking in those spoiler tags.
Ferrous Grimgond wrote:
Would it be possible for Ferrous to use his shield to cover Ana basically transferring the AC bonus from him to Ana?
* Interesting... sure, as long as you are adjacent, she is to your left, and the attack is from the front. That would penalize your AC by 3 and improve hers by 3.
Note though that while you are adjacent diagonally as you are now, the "front" would represent enemies to the southwest.
Another flash of light engulfs the gnolls ascending the stairs.
dice:
gnoll save 13:1d20 ⇒ 6 gnoll save 13:1d20 ⇒ 8 gnoll save 13:1d20 ⇒ 6 gnoll save 13:1d20 ⇒ 20 gnoll save 13:1d20 ⇒ 19 gnoll save 13:1d20 ⇒ 5 gnoll save 13:1d20 ⇒ 17 gnoll save 13:1d20 ⇒ 1 gnoll save 13:1d20 ⇒ 20 Shaman save 12:1d20 ⇒ 2 Boss save 12:1d20 ⇒ 4 Hyaena save 12:1d20 ⇒ 6
Seven more gnolls, plus the hyaena, are all frozen in place!
M Half-Elf CORE Rog 1 | HP 11/11 | AC 18 (T15, FF 13, CMD 19) | F +2 R +7 W +2 | Mv 30' | Per +9 (+10 vs traps), low-light vision | Init +5
Lost City DM wrote:
* Why do you ask? Were you peeking behind the GM screen? :)
For the record, there were too many initiative blocks so I fudged it to speed things up. Sometimes that fudging has been in your favor. Leave it as it is. But you shouldn't be looking in those spoiler tags.
Okay, understood and my apologies. When I GM the dice are 'in the open' but I sometimes spoiler-tag them just to avoid cluttering up the post. So all your 'dice' spoilers are GM only. Will adhere to that in the future.
Brathas shouts to the prisoners, "By Usamigaras, this is your chance! Break out, grab a camel, and ride!"
Then he runs, cutting through the camp and moving faster on the hard ground.
Male Dwarven Axe-man (Level 3) hp 22/37 || AC 1 || F11 A15 C12 D11 H6 W8 || THAC0 17 || Mv 20' || Infravision 60
Just to clarify we are waiting to see if any slaves respond to Brathas's call to run. Then it will be Green White and Red enemies. Then Brathas, Z and me. Priority targets are the Shaman's the can auto hit Ana with MM. This is what Ferrous would shot as soon as it is his turn.
