So in the interests of keeping the fight moving along...
* Tobias had a delayed action to put him now in the same initiative grouping as Fethryh and Anneca, so he still can go for Round 5. Now he's in the same grouping with Anneca so that may make coordination between them easier.
* Jesselle still has a standard action if desired, as I considered the Perception Check something that would take less than a SA. You don't have to take the remainder of your action, but take it now if you want it.
* Anneca may go as normal - the door is closed (move action to open) but is not locked.
* Fethryth may go as normal - the far catwalk door adjacent to her is open, but note the door past the bookshelves is now CLOSED by a guard-guy determined to keep it that way!
* Gemma will no longer be fascinated, and can act normally at the top of Round 6.
Questions? You guys...um...were very creative in how you split up and went at this encounter, so it's very involved with a lot of different areas and such. I'm eager to see how things go in the next couple of rounds for you...
Creative is one word for it lol. I want to try and break the door down. Is that a pure Strength check?
Creative is one word for it lol. I want to try and break the door down. Is that a pure Strength check?
After looking at the Core Rulebook, I'm going to say that you need to make two successful checks at the same time, since there is opposition here. I can put them in the combat notes for next posting, but here's what I would need Fethryth to do:
* Break Down Simple Door - DC 13 (STR check)
* Bull Rush (no AoO) - CMD 12
Success on both of those would break open the door and push back the guard to get through it. Failure means the door is still held closed by the guard.
Does anyone within earshot of the two gnomes want to tell the idiots that Nilassa is dead and that we would prefer they help us find her killers?
Emerson would do it but technically he's not there.
My apologies all, as I've been on a business trip from Wednesday to Friday. Doing some blueberry picking with the family this morning but I'll get an updated post in to advance the round today.
Posting tonight
Hi All - looking to get things going again this morning...the good news is that some of you have actually made contact with your opponents, so the next couple of rounds will be interesting!
Same action this round. I've got law school semester finals.
If you've dropped a weapon earlier, just remember that you have since this has been a long fight. I believe Emerson dropped his musket, Gemma dropped her tonfa and Tobias dropped his falchion blade.
So I think Tobias can act this round, as the dazed effect essentially substituted for the frightened effect in the end of the last round, but let me know if I'm not understanding that right.
It's been a long fight...the question remains if the group can finish this out to a solid conclusion? Who's going to step up next and bend this to their will? For Risur!
Yep a concealment chance is a d100 dice roll, and rolling higher is better (so a 01-20 misses)
Danisca gets to make an AoO against me from the trip maneuver
Would Emerson even be able to take a shot at Blander, considering that he's invisible?
On one hand he can only see Danisca. On the other, he knows Blander was right behind her and possibly has the ability to become invisible.
Danisca gets to make an AoO against me from the trip maneuver
I'll put that in on the next post - at 1d3-2 it won't impact the round as it is currently, but fair is fair :)
Would Emerson even be able to take a shot at Blander, considering that he's invisible?
On one hand he can only see Danisca. On the other, he knows Blander was right behind her and possibly has the ability to become invisible.
I'll allow that it's reasonable, as it could be tipped off by Tobias in free speech or possibly in relation to how Danisca is situated next to him. It certainly doesn't seem likely that Blander would just be "gone" and had left her on the stairs, given what had been witnessed and heard in the top of the other shoppe.
All right Tobias - you've been scared and dazed and burnt in this encounter - what are you putting down for the end of Round 9?
Jinkies...well that was a two-month fight! I think that's the longest one I've experienced in PbP - it certainly played out in an interesting fashion there.
So obviously you have the opportunity to get yourselves sorted out and have some serious words with the Wareyes, which this encounter victory certainly entitles you to do. Sundown is approaching in a couple of hours with former Nilasa's planned smuggling event by elements of 'The Family' occurring this very night, so remember back to the fact that the Wareyes are your ticket to unraveling the night's activities.
You also still have the R.H.C. cutter Audacious tied up at the upper Pine Island governmental docks with two former prisoners and Ian Smithe the naval engineer, so just know you have that.
EDIT: Some linked posts back on Page 44 to jog your memory if you need some references...
Lot of running, but it ended fairly quickly when we actually caught them.
Well, my idea for getting them to talk didn't work out. Maybe we should split them up? Blander might spill more without his wife there to shut him up
My thoughts exactly.
So it's the last days of school for the kids with award ceremonies plus a birthday for one of them tomorrow, so I don't have the ability to do up a big narrative post on all you could learn from the Wareyes. I figured I can keep up on shorter posts to your questions and such in dialogue form over the next couple of days, and then I'll have time later this week to set a good transition post to the next event. So ask your questions three (or more, or less) and receive answers to what you want to know - if the Wareyes don't know it or refute one of your assumptions, you can assume what they say is true like you had automatic Sense Motive successes.
Throwing an idea out here so it doesn't clog up gameplay.
What if we got the two Blanders to do the meet in exchange for their release. We could monitor and follow them to the Silvo and ultimately the exchange. Then scoop all of them and the goods up later that evening.
Anyone think that has the slightest opportunity of succeeding?
So to add to what Cromlich is bringing up, I'll lay out three general options for the majority of you to choose from:
1) Engage Deorn Feldman, his crew and the Family bravuras at the Smuggler's Wharf tonight before they set out, sometime before 11pm. How you do that (direct assault, use the Wareyes as a ruse, raid from land, raid from seaside) has to be worked out by you all. Assuming you're successful, you'd then have to decide if you're going after the Crisillyiri ship separately afterwards.
2) Engage Deorn Feldman, his crew and the Family bravuras on the open water after they set out, but before they meet with the Crisillyiri ship, sometime before midnight. You have the Audacious at your command. Assuming you're successful, you'd then have to decide if you're going after the Crisillyiri ship separately afterwards.
3) Engage Deorn Feldman, his crew, the Family bravuras AND the Crisillyiri ship and its crew when they meet "somewhere" in the ocean, at approximately midnight. You have the Audacious at your command. Of course you don't know the meeting point AND that would be 1 vs. 2 ships, but hey anything is possible I suppose.
4) Engage Deorn Feldman, his crew and the Family bravuras at the Smuggler's Wharf AFTER they return from the smuggler's meet, sometime around 1am on the 4th. Assuming they actually return there with the goods.
Golly, don't everyone shout all at once now!
I'll leave this decision point open for another day, but if there's nothing to the contrary I'll write up a scene where #1 is your chosen option...perhaps where you take Blander with you to confirm the smuggler's wharf locale and leave Danisca under guard back on the Audacious at the main docks.
Well... we are supposed to lock up smugglers and stop the weapons
I guess option 1 does that... but does leave a lot of ways for escape and reinforcement.
#2 is not a bad option... only limited by our lack of skill with ship to ship combat. (Something I hope to but rank(s) in next level to help for future forays on the water.)
#3 is a huge gamble, considering the Crisillyiri could have a much lager ship... If we did it though, it would be something to tell great stories of!
I like #2... and perhaps convince those that are captured to tell us where the rendezvous is and try to get the weapons and take down the family as well.
Anyone else?
I think #1 or #2 has the best chance. That way we are not battling two ships on open water.
3 and 4 are pretty bad options IMO. Between 1 and 2 I'm stuck; both have pros and cons attached to them. I am leaning towards 1, because if the Wareyes don't show up to the dinner they'll know something is up.
Hi Gang!
In the interests of getting you all to the pivotal event of your Day 3 struggles in Pine Island, I'm going to do a modified #1 for you that I think you'll like and makes sense. It's going to take a couple of Diplomacy (or Intimidate) rolls on your part to use the Prestige system, but that might be a good way for you to see how you can use it to benefit you in the story anyway. So more on this as I lay it out and start to get all the tactical maps together - I'll work to get the setup going so you can interact and "buff" and get a feel for the tactics.
I had someone I know do a sketch of Fethryth for me. It's here if you guys want to check it out; I think it came out super well :D
I had someone I know do a sketch of Fethryth for me. It's here if you guys want to check it out; I think it came out super well :D
WOW -- that's really impressive Feth! Very cool!
Went to an eye appointment yesterday evening after work, so couldn't handle writing with the fuzzy screen when I got home - I'll look to update posts tonight.
If Jesselle and company can't pull off the bigger Risur Prestige option (2x Diplomacy checks DC24), it's okay to try for the smaller one to at least get the Audacious in play somewhat, but you have to be clear on what checks (especially aid another) are going for what.
EDIT: I think you all actually got it though with Tobias and Anneca's aids! I'll have to check tonight, but a quick look before heading to work seems like you just hit it.
Very cool sketch!!
Okay friends - my apologies for the day delay but I have the general tactical map in place for you to peruse, and you have time to do any prep-buff actions prior to starting up a combat. NPC's aren't placed yet, but you can get a general feel for the wharf and its approach - light sources will be a factor in this combat.
The docked ship is the Silvo, and you can assume that once the fighting starts the Audacious will sail in from the top-right of the map, blocking off escape of the smugglers by sea. I have a fun add for you all since you scored the cadet squad to help you, but I'll lay that out in combat posts once it starts.
So what do you think? This is potentially the final combat of Summer 3 and the culmination of the "Smuggler's" thread of The Dying Skyseer, so prep and ask questions here.
Looking at the map it's going to take anyone a good 3 rounds at a double move to get to the main platform unless we are allowed maybe one round of full run speed. I say the fastest melee's should get the 'Vanish' spells.
Would it be possible to pretend to be Blander's guards and just walk up there? I understand if it's too much of a stretch.
If not I say we get Gill to watch Blander so he doesn't run off.
For Jesselle: She has Stealth +6... Still have the use of 2 1st level spells... Silent Image is a possibility that might mask an approach, range 480 ft, 5 10 ft cubes... Ghost sounds.
Emerson has a thought...
Another idea or two... One, two, could also swim through the water to get around instead of just the wharf.
There is also two, three at most pretend to be drunk and lost wandering this far out. While others use alternate methods of disguise and move around.
Thought with Silent Image is to use it to make an image of the wharf looking exactly as it does to those who may look out a window/door of the first building while we move up behind the illusion undetected.
You can assume the boardwalk portion is patrolled by two unscrupulous individuals, so you wouldn't be able to just run through that portion. There's also some waist-high wooden fencing along the boardwalk and along the front of the wharf that provides cover. Many others seem to be collected in the house having dinner, but there are a few sailors on the Silvo and the backside of the wharf, busy starting to load supplies onto the ship. All told with Blander's knowledge, you may be looking at a total of a dozen men there, counting sailors, bravuras and Deorn.
There are two rowboats not shown on the map (I didn't try to draw or insert them), one by the wharf-end of the boardwalk and one next to the Silvo.
Lighting is provided by several lit oil lanterns, both on the wharf and a smaller one at the mast of the Silvo. The rings of illumination (normal light and dim light) assume normal vision, so Fethryth has double radius on those with her lowlight vision.
There are cypress trees in the water across the map, providing a canopy of branches and such over the area. Who knows what else lurks in the waters of a cypress bayou swamp? It doesn't look clean and inviting. Remember that swimming would be quarter-speed move actions - it's calm water (DC 10). Due to the wooden fencing along the wharf you can't just climb up to the wharf at any point, but you can climb up (move action) to the open side of the boardwalk at any point.
Even Emerson would think "drunken fools wandering out" this far would never be believed by anyone, given the remoteness of the location and distance from the road and from Pine Island district proper.
Go with any minutes or hours-long buffs you'd like (such as Fethryth who I know really likes someone to cast mage armor from her wand) - three of you have odd ancient coins from Axis that you may want to review your once-per-day powers. Review your scrolls and wands, and some of you have ranged weapons with long increments, while others do not.
Tobias has quite a few "scrolls" and spells he can use to cause some mayhem (grease, cause fear, charm person, sleep) and can cast Ghost Sound as a distraction as well. He's got decent stealth, but I've had less than favorable luck in melee combat so far, so leaving maybe Gemma and Feth the Vanish spells would seem to be best?
He's got similar stealth to Jesselle, so with a good roll might be able to get in close without notice. Maybe we could try and take one of those row boats and hide beneatht the docks while we use our illusion magic?
Since a few of you are interested in sneaking and subterfuge, how about I start this up with a series of round 0 rounds with some opposed skill checks to see how far you get? The formal initiative and combat rounds would start once a PC attacks or is discovered. It just means not everyone is going to have something equal to do.
I would appreciate one of the vanish spells being used on me, as my ranged abilities are pretty much non-existent.
Just a heads up, I'm going camping this week. I'll be leaving early Thursday and will be back late Monday. I'm not going to have much cell service so don't hesitate to bot me. :D
So I'm assuming there is no chance that we are gonig to use Blander's meeting as subterfuge.
Emerson would be content with using his musket to cover any fellows sneaking up on the docks and then bringing up the rear.
If there is a possibility for him to sneak forward when possible to get into the dark areas of the dock, he would do so.
Alright chums, the special "pre-combat" 00 round has started, so please carefully review my notes in that post as well as the revised map with peoples and such. All PC's may go first in any order, and once you're done I'll run NPC movements and checks accordingly. If you are needing a NPC Blander Vanish spell (2 available), just incorporate that into your post action.
Gemma would happily take a Vanish spell and try and sneak up. She definitely wouldn't be down with trying to go into the water if she can help it. She has range weapons but does better in melee (when the dice actually are on my side...which seems to be rare unfortunately).
Does anyone have anything or have the ability to lock or seal the door to the shack that has all the men in it? Maybe to buy us some time?
I am not ssure if I want to attempt the stealth option... risky. Although, illusions can be the same way. I know that I could use the Silent image to make some characters appear smaller than they are as they walk up the warf, after all they are expecting 2 gnomes... Instead of a wall... use the cubes of illusion to go up the boardwalk and than maintain concentration...
My vote is for Feth and Gemma to use the Vanish spells and move up into position on the dock to take out the first guy. I don't know how good Feth's swim is if she wants to take an alternate route in the water along the dock or if she just wants to move up with Gemma. The rest of the group can help with ranged weapons initially after the alarm gets sounded once the first guy is engaged. I'm assuming that the men on the dock closest to the boat will probably try and take to the boat and run. I believe Anneca still has a pyrotechnics scroll to use if needed?
I agree with Jesselle that stealth might not be the best option...too slow.
What kind of roll would it be for the row boat? And how fast do they move?
Gemma could make it to the first guy in three rounds at full move.
Emerson can cast Shield of Faith on both Feth and Gemma to help with a +2 deflection bonus to their AC. It would last 1 minute.
I also vote for a frontal assault. If we get too cute it could backfire. Overwhelming force projected forward may help intimidating the unsuspecting thugs.
I'd be down with Shield of Faith in addition to the Vanish
Shield of Faith would be great. My Swim's untrained, and I'd much rather be on top of the boardwalk where I can Charge someone if needed. I think Gemma and I should just start down the boardwalk with Vanish on us and try to get to the first guard without being spotted. We could try to trip him or otherwise just push him into the canal?