Relan looks over the choice of buildings and picks a one more study than the other that provides a good line of sight to where the tracks passed. There. he indicates.
The party heads over to the large building, some sort of market place, it appears, but it has been completely ransacked and abandoned. Bits of rotten food and broken furniture are all over the place.
You find no one within the building.
"Well, I could work up a couple extracts to fly and become invisible, if you guys want to try another scouting attempt," Braelex offers.
"Not that I relish becoming a pincushion like Temporary."
If we are going to play ambush games, we are going to need to know about the terrain, thus a few Q's about the building.
1) Is there more than 1 floor (basement, upper stories)?
2) How many entries/exits? Where are they
3) What about windows?
(2&3 are about what we can see, where we can attack/be attacked, and where can we retreat)
4) How heavy are the walls? (Could something strong tear right through them to get at us?)
"Relan, could you take a look at the damage and debris, and tell us what did this destruction?"
"I could help with the Invisbility if we do that. I'm not sure what to think about what happened to Temporary though. Either they're really alert in there, almost expecting attackers, or he got really unlucky, and I don't know which."
Vuloo frowns and rubs his chin. "I would still rather secure the building first. We would be better off avoiding the patrol versus attacking it. If the attack goes south they will alert the whole complex."
Survival: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (2) + 13 = 15
"Fine, but if this building is clear, as it appears to be, let's move. We have the advantage of surprise and mobility, while they are locked into whatever defensive position. It does us no good to lock down here and paint a target on our back."
A single story building but there is an attic ... it's very cramped. Various windows and holes through the facility on all sides. Two sets of double doors on each long side of the building. The building is made of wood.
Relan looks about for a spot outside the building that might offer both cover and a view of the surrounds. I can be outside and lead them back to this place. he offers. I am reasonably quick and I believe my perception is enough to spot giants.
"I'd be more concerned about the redcaps than the giants, Relan, they are vicious, tricky, and very fast. Your plan is bold, but you will be very exposed. Perhaps let us explore the rest of village together?"
We have no way of knowing when the patrol will return. But I would rather use our time productively than sit an wait. So yes, let us explore with some care for stealth.
Local from the tracker.
vs dc 10
Vuloo will assist Relan.
Andel will also help.
Relan determines after consulting with the rest of the party, that each of the three groups is comprised of both hill giants and ettins.
The party moves cautiously out of the demolished market and quickly explores the other buildings nearby which include smaller essential shops like a smith, cartwright, cobbler and others. The immediate buildings are all clear and you are getting ready to depart a small waystation which included 4 rooms that weren't as ransacked as the other buildings when you spy some dust off in the distance to the north.
A quick glance out the window and you see what appears to be a couple large neanderthalic giants carrying small tree trunks over their shoulders and a trio of two-headed humanoids decked out in bear furs. They are perhaps 100 yards off.
They trudge along, heads hung low, seemingly exhausted from wherever they are travelling from.
Relan takes what cover he can, trying for complete concealment.
Andel nods to Relan, pointing to his ring. He looks to the others for agreement before acting.
Gemel casts a message cantrip, targeting the whole party. , and then guides Nibbly out the door, keeping the building between him and the giants.
He thinks about what he knows about these creatures:
+16 Skill +1 trait
+16 Skill +1 trait
While he does so, he whispers into the message spell "I can confuse them, bu they will have to get closer . Also, If we take one of the giants prisoner, he might be able to tell us quite a bit. So leave one of the giants to me... "
Braelex raises an eyebrow. "You want me to run out there and make them chase me?"
Relan motions for Braelex to hold, points to his eyes and then to the enemy group.
Vuloo smiles at Braelex and pantomimes a chicken walking across the room.
Braelex holds, readying her crossbow.
"The pantomime stuff is really pretty funny guys, but you do know you guys can whisper back to me with a message spell... I will relay messages."
"Relan, I take it you figure they'll come closer on their own, so we don't need to lure them in?"
Lets watch and see.
The party hunkers down and readies up, the tension growing as the giants move closer and closer, lumbering along and muttering at each other. The ettin in the back is dragging its club along the ground and the giant in front turns to holler at it, spittle flying from its mouth,
The ettin reluctantly raises its club back to its shoulder in response.
The group crosses the road and then turns a bit to the west southwest, moving now on a perpendicular path to your location toward the abbey grounds defensive wall and the outbuildings there.
"Well, they are within range now... but they are out of charge range for both us and them . It doesn't look like they are going to get much closer. A couple of us, say me and Braelax, act as bait to draw them in by pretending to run away, while chucking spells and such at them?"
"Ehh, just mez them now. I'd rather not get split up and confused ourselves."
Braelex nudges Gemel with her elbow.
Braelex nudges Gemel with her elbow.
Gemel uses his message spell to whisper to all "Let them come to us."
[ooc] I'm assuming this is a surprise round, so Gemel and his mount only get a standard action. If not, once Gemel has cast, Nibbly will take a second move action and back away to to the blue circle which should put them both in cover, with the building between them and the giants...
Gemel rides Nibbly along the road to a spot where he can see between the houses and unleashes a Fireball in the center of the patrol.
Take 10 to Ride (Direct mount with knees) ⇒ 10+9 = 19 vs DC 5
+9 Skill
vs dc 13
+10 level +7 stat mod
Maintaining what cover he can, Relan 5' steps so that he can see the enemy and fires an arrow at an ettin.
Vuloo puts on his ring of invisibility and casts bless on the group.
Andel attempts to identify the giants and call out their weaknesses to the group.
Naturalist (Ex): An archivist who has identified a creature with a Knowledge check appropriate to its type can use performance to share strategies for defeating it with allies in combat. The archivist and any allies within 30 feet gain a +1 insight bonus to AC and on attack rolls and saving throws against extraordinary, supernatural, and spell-like abilities used by creatures of that specific kind of monster (e.g., frost giants, not all giants or all humanoids). This bonus increases by +1 at 5th level and every six levels thereafter. This language-dependent ability requires visual and audible components.
Braelex has No. 1 stand by the building, readied for approach. She takes cover beside it, firing at the closest target.
; and
Fireballs, arrows and bolts fly creating an explosion of fire, acid and blood. One of the giants falls dead with an arrow and a bolt in each of its eyes and the other one picks itself off the ground, slowly
The 6 heads of the ettins wail in pain, but the creatures look like blackened charred pieces of ash ... barely moving forward and looking about in stunned disbelief.