Oh, btw:
For the Dwarf-speaking people, if they want it.
http://www.bugmansbrewery.com/tutorials/article/115-dwarf-language-english- to-khazalid-dictionary/
Perhaps I should mention, my thought behind Aldarion's offer to barter rather than pay coins stems from his very rural lifestyle of many years. He's accustomed to people bartering trade goods for services and other goods... coins are for the occasional trip to the city.
Nice link Egon. Tolkien's own khuzdul (dwarvish) was not given as much attention as his Elvish dialects and is much harder to employ.
Nice to see the boards are back up. I was halfway through writing my new post last night when the big crash hit. I should be back later tonight to finish it up and post, just checking in for now.
I'd like to attack the bandits on horseback, but don't know whether I would get in the way of the other players since it's a Large animal.
Thoughts ?
I say go for it. I'm sure there is going to be enough times when you wont be able to use your horse, so take advantage of while you can. Besides, if the bandits try to run, you can cut them down.
My idea is to find some plants, dig them up, and place them with a ball of soil each in burlap bags. Place them about the open area of the fort, so that after the bandits enter the fort, they will think they're merely for sale perhaps. But really, after the last one enters, someone hiding behind the gates slams the doors shut behind them, and then I cast entangle. We all then come out of hiding to attack. I would leave a 5 ft. wide path all around the edge of buildings for us to travel on foot that's out of reach of the entangling plants (e.g. strategically place the plants so none are able to reach this path). This is for any melee combatants to swing at adjacent foes in the entanglement, and to force the bandits to dismount if mounted (losing their higher ground advantage) if they want a chance to traverse the 5 ft. wide path. However, this makes it hard for any of us to fight on horseback. Anyway, anyone good at archery or with guns (and I do see a few in this party) could perhaps from either the rooftop or the walkway around the fort's walls fire at the now easier-to-hit bandits. If the plants I find have thorns, they take a little damage too when they fail their saves.
I expect we'd need two strong characters for the two doors. I, not being particularly strong, would be on the walkway perhaps hiding behind the stables or the guesthouse, along with two others who want to shoot at range from above.
I could also drop the spell at any time, to allow Egon to mount and chase anyone who might manage to escape on horseback?
And Aldarion could be by one of the ladders, to climb down and heal anyone in melee that needs it, and assist with his staff. Or maybe hide on the ground floor and come out to attack/heal...
EDIT: But I'm fine modifying or dropping my plan, if you'd prefer a more direct assault from horseback, Egon (especially being a cavalier, lol). Aldarion's not going to be as much use in combat, though he does have a trick or two up his sleeves should that be our course of action.
I'd prefer the entanglement.
I think Aldarion's plan is solid. Torin can hide out on a rooftop of maybe in one of the inn's upper windows.
@Enora: See Oleg's on page 1 of the gameplay thread. It's a link to a map.
Dolgan will hide behind a barrel of beer because he's a bro. Plus, partial or total concealment, I guess.
We can timeskip the gathering of the thorny bushes if nothing interesting happens.
In battle I'll just be on foot, our "snipers" can put holes in anyone who tries to escape. Between the entanglement and our ranged attackers, I don't htink we should waste time closing the gate.
After Egon has slept, he'll hide in the stable, assuming the ambush area is A1 and not the area directly behind the gate.
I am thinking area A1 as well, yes. If they have more than a couple in numbers, then they'd likely fill the area at the moment of Aldarion's casting.
So Aldarion will hide behind the guesthouse (A2), as Sir Egon is wisely taking cover in the stable (A3). The area A1 is to be entirely entangled by plants save for a 5 ft. square around its edge, for us to traverse around with ease.
Perhaps keep one gate opened, leave one closed, and have just one gate-closer such as Dred? I would suggest it's probably best to close the gate after the last bandit enters, ideally simultaneously with Aldarion's casting (e.g. on a surprise round, should we have one), just to ENSURE no bandit escapes. Doing so would force a bandit to dismount, approach the gate, pull it open, mount, and then finally be able to flee... provoking up to three AoO's per PC adjacent to them in the process.
If none of our ranged attackers are hiding on the wall-walk, or in one of the towers, they'd need to take the time climbing up there to get line of sight on fleeing riders. And even if they hit a fleeing horseman, that's no guarantee of knocking them unconscious or dead.
A mounted chase is risky, and we may end up catching up only while entering their encampment and possibly be outnumbered, and without the element of surprise. If a mounted chase proves needed though, Aldarion will end the spell, and we should keep our mounts saddled and prepped for a rapid mounting.
Torin actually is fairly stealthy, so he can be posted in one of the towers or on the southern walkway. If he starts prone, they shouldn't even have LOS on him.
Dred will be the gate closer. He will behind A2 and sneak up and close the gate once the trap is sprung. He will then physically block their access to the doors. If any bandits are not trapped he will move in to engage them.
"Can those covered pits in the back be used to store prisoners should we take any?"
A good question. I believe they are refuse pits from my previous, albeit very short-lived, run of Kingmaker. Perhaps our GM can enlighten us further about the notable details of this and maybe other trade post features... I imagine we'd all have taken a short tour by now of the place.
refuse pits
Would it be cruel or practical to store them in there ;) Let's ask Oleg.
Lol. With this mostly good-aligned group, probably would be a bit cruel... however, repentant bandits would likely prefer a refuse residence to being hanged until dead. :)
I expect it might be easy for them to escape (looks like somewhat easily-breakable wooden grids over them on the map). So, probably not a very practical prison. Maybe not so roomy, either. But our GM may have something else in mind.
If we do start collecting prisoners, I'm not sure Oleg and Svetlana would approve of keeping a prison of familiar bandits in their trading post. We might want to take Oleg's shovels and dig a 15 ft. deep area in the ground, not too far from the post though. 90 degree walls made too slippery to climb somehow. Put a wooden barricade over the roof and camouflage it, and use a removable rope ladder for entry and exit (or just toss prisoners down). Maybe start a labor camp intent on redemption, promising freedom after x months of labor (and execution if recaptured while caught doing banditry again). They can learn a trade while doing so, so they've got something to do legitimately after prison. Might also come in handy during the kingdom building phase of this AP?
Some things to think about for now.
We're like half a day away from a bigger city, so worse case scenario, we lug them off to there to be neck popped.
True. We could do that. Might be impractical as we go further into the Greenbelt, but for now, that might work especially if it's unfeasible to keep them at the trade post.
I like Aldarion's idea,but it may require some Sense Motive, Diplomacy, and the Paladin's expertise to see who's too evil to redeem.
Maybe we can even turn a few into conscripts or loyal soldiers.
How do I edit this thing ? Also, does the stable have windows or not ?
File is set to view. The permissions need to be changed.
Hiding in the stables. I assume that the stable door is ajar enough so that I don't have to squeeze as I come through the door. I will stay fully hidden until I hear Aldarion's spell going off, which means I cannot see what is going on until that point.
If someone escapes on horseback the snipers could consider firing a ballista at their horse.
Aldarion seems to be most fitted for springing the trap. DM, do you want us to ready actions or not ?
I went ahead and posted my intended first action. Basically, a rectangular area of 25 ft. wide x 35 ft. long has entangling vines and bushes. While the spell normally covers a 40 ft. radius, as previously noted, Aldarion placed plants only within this particular area so as to keep a 5 ft. wide path around the open area A1 for us to maneuver around unimpeded (or to force bandits to dismount while entangled in order to escape the entanglement). With GM's allowance, thorny vines are in the mix, which can deal a bit of damage.
For reference, the entangle spell.
EDIT: Btw, in case this comes up... The top of the map is North, not the right side. In my previous short run of this AP, some confusion emerged over where we were going because some thought the big N meant the right was north... that compass just under the big N indicates otherwise, but is faded and easy to miss, lol.
EDIT EDIT: Also also, if only one of us is closing gate doors, perhaps we should say that only one gate door was open? Otherwise, it will take Dred two rounds to close both doors.
Forgot that surprise round was one action only. Consider the attack my first normal turn
The bandits look at Dredd, and they all pull their weapons, seemingly agitated by his words. They spread out and attack.
By my calculations, my entangle spell should have triggered before Dred's intimidating words were spoken? Even if they somehow evaded being surprised, and even if we go by initiative rather than post order?
On another note. It might be easier just for the DM to roll initiative.
True that. You know our modifiers.
I'd like to take the Thunder Caller archetype as a Bard. I'd lose Bardic Knowledge.
Arcane Duelist loses Inspire Courage, needed for Battle Herald.
A thunder calling battle herald... sweet.
That's fine by me, and would save time, having the GM roll initiative.
Btw Dolgan, you might want to place Dolgan where he is on the map.
The "fluff" for me going Thunder Caller would be:
-picking up a few tricks from Aldarion
-"going native"to a certain extent
as for the Battle Herald, the PRC has a certain ability called "easy march". I hope it will have some use, at least in this AP.
@katataban - If it's too much of a headache, no worries about my previous post on questioning the moment of my spell being triggered. It's not going to make a huge impact if the trap is sprung before or after they have moved (as per the bandits' current positions), so we can just carry on as is.
Also, if you agree with you rolling init from now on, another time-saving measure for PbP games is to adopt block initiative. Meaning, instead of each player posting in precise initiative order (and everyone else waiting for that one player to post), all players who have initiative over the enemies post, then the GM posts for enemies, and then the rest of the party posts their turns simultaneously. It's fairly common in PbP games, as it speeds up combats that would otherwise take weeks instead of days.
@Sir Egon - Haha. :)
Any word from Katataban?
Not that I'm aware of. Seems nobody else has heard anything either; Sir Egon & I have compared notes with another of katataban's Kingmaker groups.
'Tis the curse of the River Kingdoms. I'm out. I'll hope to see you again in another campaign someday.
Life happens, I’ll check in every now and then to see if the thread has picked up.
I'd take over, but have more than my hands full with a WoD campaign right now.
Suckaroos. This is an all too common occurrence, sadly... I've never seen a PbP game last even a quarter of the way through an AP chapter. PFS games on this forum, however, I have better luck with - probably because they're very short.
It's been a short pleasure, Sir Egon. I will continue to keep watch for up to another week before moving on, just in case... never know if the cause of a GM's absence is a short-term emergency.