Empire of Night: Way of the Wicked (Vampire Campaign)

Game Master Neil Mansell

Anton raises an eyebrow at the shadowy woman's nonsensical words and changes in mood. Volatile and a little clueless. Let's see if this strange attitude carries over into something that matters. I'd rather she continue with what she'd been doing before... He gives a wry smile as he looks at the woman before turning to the others.

"Cards mean drink and distraction, while moving now potentially runs a better chance at an alarm going off. Still... I suppose we have an advantage of numbers and surprise, for now."

He grabs a set of common clothes and looks at it with disdain. "Well, I suppose it's better than prison rags," he mutters before donning them.

At this point I'm going to assume you guys are heading down the steps.
Are there any preferences with marching order? In the Rolld20 map I have: monk & fighter in front, then sorcerer & witch. Anti-paladin and Bard covering the back.
Change as you wish.

The room at the bottom of the steps is empty and safe to move into.

Yeah, that seems alright to me.

Mordesel steps quietly the door. He looks to see if he can find any cracks or holes to peek through.

Take ten=18

The wooden door is quite solid and fairly thick. You see no cracks or holes. The door is not locked (indeed, it has no keyhole).

You cannot hear anything on the other side of the door.

Sion slowly opens the door a crack and peeks out. If he sees no one he will signal the all clear and move through the door.

In front of you is a long hall made from dismal stone. It is lit by two torches held in sconces on the wall (midway down the passage).

At the end of the hall is a set of double-doors, closed. Two guards lean lazily in each corner.
Perception: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (7) + 2 = 9
Perception: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (16) + 2 = 18
One of them looks up, noticing the door creaking slightly. He calls out curiously.
"Walen? That you?"

Sion moves back and readies his weapon to attack.

Whispering, he says, "There are two more guards guarding a large double-door. Be ready in case they come closer. I think they saw the door open."

s!%!. should have let a stealthy person try that lol. Oh well. Anyone got ghost sound? :P

Ghost sound can't do specific people or words sadly, that's a job for ventriloquism!

Blast! Looks like we're about to have some company...

Donovan quickly moves to cracked open door, and in his best attempt at imitating the once-living guard, calls out just loudly enough for the two men at the end of the hallway.

Both of you, upstairs quickly! There's trouble with the prisoners!
Bluff: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (10) + 11 = 21

Then moving back a few steps he whispers to his companions, Be ready friends, hopefully I was convincing enough and we can surprise them on their way to the stairs.

Readied ray of frost.

ooc: Tricky to make a bluff like that. You're trying to imitate a voice you've only heard briefly, without proper protocol (signal horn is traditional).
Let the Sense Motive roll decide.
Sense Motive: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (13) + 7 = 20
Sense Motive: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (2) + 7 = 9
Lucky. :)
"What? Impossible!"
They both move down the hall towards your position, clearly convinced of the bluff. One of them draws his longsword while yelling at the other.
"The signal horn! We'll need reinforcements! NOW!!"
The other, a younger man, nods and pulls out a signal horn attached to his belt.

I think that's cue for initiative:

Not taking my action. Just letting you know I'm waiting on Anton.

Mordesel snarls. The horn.

He turns to Anton. You able to try that trick again? Getting that guard on our side?

Dane bellows through the door, "We already sent out the signal you deaf bastards, now get up here!" Then drawing his sword, he prepares to meet the guards as they come through the entrance.

May change actions based on the people ahead of me in initiative.

Bluff: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (16) + 3 = 19

Anton looks down the stairs to Mordesel and shakes his head. "I used the last of such 'tricks' to heal the ogre," he replies, glancing behind him at Grumblejack and over to the fireplace. Perhaps I should get somewhere closer to an escape route... He moves back behind the creature, out of sight of the floor below should the guards appear but prepared to urge the group to battle confidently.

Move action to top floor.
Standard action ready to Inspire Courage once the battle is joined.

Donovan steps up beside Dane, still preparing himself to fire off a beam of cold at the first guard to come through.

Now that we're all armed, we'll really see just how tough these Branderscar guards are...

Anton and Donovan readying actions.
Need actions for Mordesel and Nikita.
Dane is probably readying an action.

If the bluff doesn't take up my turn, then yeah, I was positioning to engage if the bluff didn't work, so let's say a ready action to move up to the nearest guard once the door opens.

Mordesel steps back, leaving a space for the guards to step into and readys himself to attack.

Ready an attack, hoping that the bluff worked.

"I will put the second guard to sleep when they come through the door. Please put a knife in his heart quickly as you'll have about 6 seconds."

Nikita will use her slumber hex on the second guard through the door. Will save, DC 15, Duration 1 rnd.

Both guards continue down the hall.
The guard with the horn (on left) is distracted by Dane's order and hesitates, momentarily confused. He draws his sword with his free hand instead.
The one of without the horn (on right) yells back at Dane as he readies his shield.
"We sure as nine hells didn't hear it! Sound it again!"

ooc: Sense motive rolls already rolled. They gained a bonus to the roll due to various factors. Still failed by one though. See previous post.

Grumblejack moves down the steps. Although tempted to open the door he hesitates, seeing the rest of the group preparing an ambush.

Sion hadn't realised he was holding his breath waiting to see if the guards would walk into the trap. His longsword is held high, waiting for a guard to open the door...

Attack: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (16) + 5 = 21
Damage: 1d8 + 6 ⇒ (8) + 6 = 14 boo yea!

Round 2 begins
Okay, it looks like everyone's holding their actions. I'll give it 24 hours then I'll proceed to the Prison Guard's actions. Post if you want to change your action in that time.

Yeah, I'm keeping my readied action.

We'll see what happens, maintaining action.

Maintained.

c'mon you bastard guards, come to papa.

I am so antsy for this fight to begin. I've been checking all day even though you said 24 hours.

Meh, let's get this show on the road.
The guard on the right, shield and sword drawn, rushes to the door. He opens the door and is met by the anti-paladin Sion. The guard's shock quickly turns to horror as drow cuts him down in the doorway.

The other, suddenly realising the trap, sounds the horn. The noise echoes down the hall, easily audible to anyone in the building and probably beyond.

With the alarm being sounded, he throws the horn to the ground and readies his shield.

Guards have acted. One left. Normal initiative order. Starting with Sion.

Not sure if I can charge over an enemy body so i'll do a normal move attack moving 20ft(3 squares) diagonally.

Attack: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (1) + 5 = 6

Sion runs towards the guard doing a diagonal slice across the front of the guard but the guard manages to dodge it.

Dane bursts forth into the room, with eerily quiet purpose. Readied action Seeing the drow's failing attacks, Dane swings his longsword with cold purpose, aiming for the neck.

Attack: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 5 = 12
Damage: 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10

Not that the attack matters much since that's probably a miss, but we'll see if the guard actually survives till my initiative or no.

I believe that all I need is line of sight for my curse, if he lives that long.

Donovan follows the battle, sidestepping the dying guard at the doorway as he moves against the wall.

Tia su'o'ng he hisses, sending an icy beam at the other guard.

Ray of Frost: 1d20 - 2 ⇒ (20) - 2 = 18 I take -4 for firing into melee correct?
Crit Confirmation: 1d20 - 2 ⇒ (1) - 2 = -1 Wow, what are the chances?
Damage: 1d3 ⇒ 3

Mordesel moves through the hall, sliding past Donovan and surrounding the remaining guard.

Double move to get flanking. Should take effect before Dane's attack, but after Sion's.

Anton curses under his breath at the sound of the horn. Fools! Now we'll have the whole of the guard against us in short order. Rather than using his abilities to urge the group on, Anton instead preserves his remaining paltry magics. "I think we are now on a tight schedule," he mutters darkly to the shadowed woman nearby. He then glances over at the opening to the fireplace below. Perhaps I shall remain close to that, in case I need a different way of escape. A few burns are better than the headsman's axe.

Nikita stares at the second guard, willing it to sleep.

Slumber hex. Will save 15, Dur 1 rnd. No need for verbal, somatic or material components.

Neither Dane nor Sion can strike the guard...
Will Save: 1d20 ⇒ 5
... But Nikita easily takes him down with a well place hex. The guard slumps to the floor, snoring,

Since Nikita technically goes ahead of Dane in initiative order, would Dane hit due to the guard being prone and taking penalties for such? 'Cause I'll totally keep up the attack even if the guard passes out.

It's asleep. Coup de grace.

True enough, assuming Grumblejack doesn't beat me to the punch, I'll change my action to such.

wow hello there pretty drow. My name is Sion. ;)
If Nikita goes before your initiative, GM will probably be fine with you changing action i think.

I'm posting this assuming someone does a coup de grace. If not, I will.

Once the man is dead Mordesel looks at the doors. Then turns quickly to the front. It is time to go. I don't wish to entertain more company.

He begins moving quickly towards the large double doors at the end of the hallway. Once there he stops to make sure his companions are following.

Herp a derp derp! Now a less pretty drow. :P

Seeing the guard's sudden collapse, Dane doesn't pause to wonder the cause, plants his foot on the guard's back, and drives his sword through the back of the guard's neck. Wrenching the blade back out, Dane replies curtly to Mordesel. "Agreed, if anyone else needs a sword or shield, grab them now, leave the armor as we haven't the time."

Sion grabs a shield from the fallen guards. "No. That is the most obvious exit. Let's find another way."

Left(1) or Right(2): 1d2 ⇒ 2

"This way." Sion opens the door on the right wall and heads through.

Donovan begins upon a quick search of the two corpses, using his diligence as an excuse to hungrily eye their fast bleeding wounds.

Perhaps a just a little taste? No, not now...

Once everyone starts to leave he pulls himself away and follows the group.

Nikita maintains her position near the middle of the party.

@Dane: Yep, your attack does hit the guard while he's asleep. It doesn't quite kill him outright though. Regardless, he won't live long and I'm assuming he's dead either way.
This large room has a few wooden tables and benches. A banner emblazoned with the emblem of Branderscar prison hangs on the eastern wall. No one is here.
There is a door in the north wall and in the south wall.

No you fool! We don't have time to get lost. If there is no exit in that direction, then the guards have enough time to mobilize against us. This way. Quickly! If we go now, they will not be ready.

"If my guess is right those doors probably open into a wide open area, likely a courtyard. If you want to get cut down by who knows how many archers go ahead. I think it's a bad idea.

Anton watches the others move out from his perch at the top of the stairs and hears the potential birth of an argument in the hall below. The alarm sounded... A large group in the hall... Guards likely to arrive at any minute... Perhaps I need to try another way? Dangerous... but if they continue they could be distraction enough, and I could slip around behind their opponents... Perhaps assist from that side... or perhaps flee... But what if the fireplace is in a guardroom? He pauses for a moment and then nods to himself, No risk, no reward, as he makes for the shaft of the fireplace and leaps below, spinning through the air, unscathed by the flames into the room below.

Acrobatics DC 10: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (6) + 5 = 11
Acrobatics DC 15: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (12) + 5 = 17

He then looks around, dagger in hand, ready to bluff, threaten or fascinate any in the room with him to prevent himself from being attacked but also to prevent a further alarm.

I'm probably shooting myself in the foot, but I couldn't get Anton to follow the others. The alarm going off really threw him for a loop. He's hoping that the guard's focus will be with them allowing him to not be as visible should he help out (or giving him an opportunity to get out of dodge).

No worries, but I think you're just running in a circle, as the dive down the chimney leads you downstairs... and we went down stairs, you're probably appearing in one of the rooms to the left of the hallway.

Dane, being frustrated by this internal bickering begins walking towards the double doors at the end of the hall. "What's the matter elf? Too cowardly to even consider opening a door?" With that insult, Dane throws open the door, but doesn't go through, checking to see if the route is really as bad as Sion fears.