"Wyeth, do you mind if I cut this so I can make slings for more than one egg? If you don't mind, I will do so, and buy you a new rope when we return to civilization."
Should be able to get 2 or 3 slings from one length of rope, I would hope, if not, then she won't cut it, and just make the one.
The party, eggs stowed, begin to head out. However, a few hundred yards from the dinosaur nest, the ravine suddenly falls silent—no birds, monkeys, or other jungle creatures are audible. A few heartbeats later, a bellowing roar echoes through the ravine, causing countless small birds and animals to abandon their hiding places and scatter as quickly as possible. A series of great shuddering cracks herald the downfall of several trees in the distance, and a second thunderous roar pierces the air, followed by the frantic shouts of panicked humanoids. Suddenly, a massive dinosaur bursts out of the jungle to the southwest, pursuing a dozen leather-clad explorers through the ravine. The furious creature sweeps up a straggler into its massive jaws and flings the screaming victim off into the jungle, roars, and rushes toward its next target. The remaining men and women run towards the party, bringing the massive tyrannosaur into their path!
We now enter a reverse chase! Instead of chasing someone, you are being chased by a creature who can literally swallow you whole! The rules for this are a bit different, which are as follows:
Chase Rules
Each PC chooses either to use a check against one of two obstacles or use an ability (such as a spell). The highest check result is the one used and anyone beating 10 is assumed to aid.
If an ability is successfully used to either slow down the T-Rex or Aspis members (or to help overcome an obstacle), the highest roll receives a +2 to +4 bonus depending on how effective it was.[/ooc]
Because of our tier; each PC will receive a -1 penalty on checks against the listed DC's.
Someone in the party used take some time to make a DC 15 Handle Animal check to keep the mule moving with the party during the chase; that person will receive a -2 penalty on the skill check. Failing that check means the PC must spend his/her entire turn trying to guide the mule. If the result of the roll is a Natural 1 (regardless of success or failure), I will roll a DC 15 Reflex save for the mule to see if one of the eggs break.
Likewise, if Marduk, Wyeth, or Hakime roll a Natural 1 on one of the skill checks, they must make a DC 15 Reflex save or break an egg!
Regardless of success, the party will then move on the next obstacle. Your overall success is determined by how many obstacles you fail to bypass effectively.
The listed obstacles are shown in the Scions maps link.
With that, here we go!
First Obstacle-Coming Through!
The Aspis Consortium members try to run past the party, hoping to use them as bait for the angry dinosaur!
Aspex isn't carrying a 30 pound egg with a 8 Str, sorry. She can use the Barkskin wand if nobody has dibs on it.
Aspex frowns at the blood for a few seconds. "That blood isn't more than an hour old. The Aspis group is close by. They went..." she points up the sloping ridge before then down the ravine, "that way, with more lizardmen on their heels."
"Did the grippli say how many were in their group? They've already lost 2."
I'm not sure I understand all this... I hate the chase rules... lol.. are there any more minuses to rolls for carrying an egg? do I roll both or just one of the two?
@Hakime: There would be more minuses if you were carrying two eggs, but one egg, no penalty! You also only roll against one of the obstacles. The only penalties otherwise are just the -1 for tier/number of players and the -2 to whoever takes care of the mule.
Gob attempts to slow down the Aspis with a explosion of bright shiny glitter. "Hopefully they hate glitter as much as I do." Gob says as he proceeds to flee.
DC 16 will save for blinded. At the end of each round they get another save to remove the blind condition.
HP 5/32 (0 NL) | AC 16; T 12; FF 14 | CMD 19 | Fort +2 | Ref +3 | Will +4; ++2 vs. enchantments; immune to sleep | Init +4 | Percept +9 | L1: 7/7 L2: 4/4
Hakime, if it's any consolation -- in a "misery loves company" sort of way -- I've only ever done one chase myself, and there was no joy in Mudville.
"Ohhhhhkay," Wyeth says, tapping the egg he's carrying and then pointing into the distance. "I'm guessing that's either Mommy or Daddy."
Wyeth's at like minus a jillion for Acrobatics thanks to "eggcumbrance" :op so he's going for interference. Not sure if that'd be a straight CMB roll or a normal Trip maneuver.
He steps aside while eyeing the men fleeing through the ravine. Just as they reach the party, he squats and swings his fauchard horizontally across the path in an effort to trip the lot of them.
Combat Maneuver (Trip, Maneuver Mastery):1d20 + 8 - 1 ⇒ (15) + 8 - 1 = 22+1 if Chase rules allow getting a Guidance in, -2 if I was supposed to use straight CMB.
Normally I'd need someone to Handle Animal the mule, but since Shasta/Marduk haven't acted yet, we'll say success!
Several Aspis members are blinded; the others are tripped up by Wyeth as Hakime darts back and forth. Shasta keeps the mule going while Marduk helps Aspex keep up with the party!
Looking over their shoulder, they see the Aspis number thinned down as one is trampled by the large creature and another ripped in half, severed by the array of sharp teeth of the tyrannosaur. Still, the chase continues!
Chase Round 2- Falling Boulders
Map with the new obstacle updated!
The booming steps of the mother tyrannosaur causes some rocks in the ravine to crash in the party's path!
M Half-Orc Monk of the 4 winds/QingGong lvl 4 HP 39/39 AC: 17/17/12 F.+6 R.+8 W.+5 Perc+6 Init+4, speed 40ft
As everything went quiet, Marduk casually mentions.
"Wyeth, yet another expanse thing that reminds me of our first mission.
The total silence...probably followed by a roar of..."cue roar ....not a gorilla! By Irori's bald scalp, run team, RUN!"
Marduk lets his leg muscles do some talking, as he makes a large leap.
Acrobatics:1d20 + 10 ⇒ (12) + 10 = 22
HP 5/32 (0 NL) | AC 16; T 12; FF 14 | CMD 19 | Fort +2 | Ref +3 | Will +4; ++2 vs. enchantments; immune to sleep | Init +4 | Percept +9 | L1: 7/7 L2: 4/4
"Rockslide!" Wyeth needlessly shouts as Marduk urges everyone to run. Having hung back to trip up the Aspis -- combined with his slower speed thanks to his infirmity -- he judges the timing too tight for safety, and backpedals as the rocks thunder down the slope.
Fortunately the slide isn't extreme and, once the dust settles, it becomes obvious that moving one particular boulder will allow him to slip through. He puts his shoulder against the rock and pushes...
HP 5/32 (0 NL) | AC 16; T 12; FF 14 | CMD 19 | Fort +2 | Ref +3 | Will +4; ++2 vs. enchantments; immune to sleep | Init +4 | Percept +9 | L1: 7/7 L2: 4/4
Wyeth snorts derisively as he leans into the boulder again. "At the current rate of inflation his wardrobe may soon be worth more than his life. I'm pretty sure that was a 500 GP suit when we met him."
Aspex snorts. "It was a 600 gold suit before we started this. Maybe all the mud is making it worth more." She makes a face but leans against the boulder to try to move it out of the way with the others.
Trying to Aid Another on the Str check:1d20 - 1 ⇒ (16) - 1 = 15
Once again, Shasta is using her entire turn to control the mule, which is fine since the others' teamwork succeeded!
With their combined might, the party manages to move a boulder out of the way enough to allow passage for them and their mule. Of course, the Tyrannosaurus makes quick work of the large stones and continues to give chase. The Aspis members have now seemingly disappeared, taking another turn instead of going for the rocks earlier.
Chase Round 3 - She's Right Behind Us!
The party reaches a relatively large open patch of ground; the lack of large trees and rocks slowing doing the megasaur gives the angry t-rex room to charge at the party at full sprint!
Map with the new goals updated! If you do decide to fend her off with a melee or ranged attack, give me a damage roll, too!
Well, we'll just go to the next obstacle then. Well done Hakime!
With her darkvision and wisdom, Hakime realizes that the party must get out of the open road to survive. She directs the party towards a thin clump of trees that thicken back into the jungle forest, once again slowing the angry mother's warpath.
Chase Obstacle 4: Piranha Peril!
The mother is still in pursuit and the party makes great progress... until a flowing river, fed from a nearby waterfall, impedes progress. Worse, the water teems with sharp-toothed fish that leap out of the water with anticipation of a meal. With the tyrannosaur closing in, crossing the river must be done quickly and safely.
Female Human Bard 7/UC Rogue (Szarni Swinder) 2 [HP: 45/53; AC 25| T 14| FF 18 ; CMD 21; Fort +3 Ref +12+2 Will +6; Init: +3; Perception: +10; bardic perf: 7/20; Lore Master: 1/1; Spells: 3rd 0/2; 2nd: 0/4; 1st: 5/5] | Active effects: Triple Time +10 feet Speed (40 ft), Planetary Adaption, Good Hope, Blessing of Fervor
Ye gads, 41 posts since I last looked! I've got to get to work and may not have time to get caught up until later today or tonight. I will do so as soon as possible.
No worries Shasta; TLDR version is that you are being chased by a T-rex after securing the eggs. This is a modified chase. Rules are reprinted here for your benefit
Chase Rules
Each PC chooses either to use a check against one of two obstacles or use an ability (such as a spell). The highest check result is the one used and anyone beating 10 is assumed to aid.
If an ability is successfully used to either slow down the T-Rex or Aspis members (or to help overcome an obstacle), the highest roll receives a +2 to +4 bonus depending on how effective it was.[/ooc]
Because of our tier; each PC will receive a -1 penalty on checks against the listed DC's.
Someone in the party used take some time to make a DC 15 Handle Animal check to keep the mule moving with the party during the chase; that person will receive a -2 penalty on the skill check. Failing that check means the PC must spend his/her entire turn trying to guide the mule. If the result of the roll is a Natural 1 (regardless of success or failure), I will roll a DC 15 Reflex save for the mule to see if one of the eggs break.
Likewise, if Marduk, Wyeth, or Hakime roll a Natural 1 on one of the skill checks, they must make a DC 15 Reflex save or break an egg!
Regardless of success, the party will then move on the next obstacle. Your overall success is determined by how many obstacles you fail to bypass effectively.
Well you guys are just destroying these obstacles!
Aspex, following a stunning example from Marduk earlier, finds a good spot to leap. The others follow her direction, safely making across with only a scant nip on the mule's tail. Across the other side, the party continues to run, the thundering sound of the aggressive predator still echoing from behind.
Chase obstacle 5: Hanging Around
The party sees the escaping Aspis agents not too far ahead, trying to cross a deep pit by swinging on vines. With the mother t-rex approaching, the party can choose to slow down their foes or work their way around the pit.
Map updated! As before, if you make the ranged attack roll (with any weapon), throw in a damage roll, too :)
@Gob: Easily. I also like two others for being well done and balanced.
Chase scenarios:
Merchant's wake has something similar to this one; you're not following someone as so much as trying to reach an objective.
Rise of the Goblin Guild has the best actual chase, just because it accounts for both tiers and has an interesting target :P
For the sake of things, I'm going to say success!
Marduk's shurikens make quick work of a pair of vines, sending two Aspis agents falling down below, one with a bone-shattering snap. Meanwhile Gob blasts another vine, the man screaming as he falls down below, trying to get out only to realize that mother rex is coming.
With easier, weaker targets between them and the dinosaur, the party continues to press forward!
Obstacle 6: Dense Foliage
The party approaches a near dead end, thick foliage covering anything that would look like a path. But, if the group is having a hard time with this, the T-rex will have an even harder time if the party can navigate the dense plantlife.
M Half-Orc Monk of the 4 winds/QingGong lvl 4 HP 39/39 AC: 17/17/12 F.+6 R.+8 W.+5 Perc+6 Init+4, speed 40ft
Ah well...here goes nothing.
But i'm soooo going to invest in that skill next lvl.
Escape Artist:1d20 + 8 ⇒ (18) + 8 = 26
Argh...someone aid please? :)
Or guidance, if someone has it.
Edit: Wyeth, you have guidance, i'm getting you a drink if you cast it so i can beat the Escape Artist DC.
Edit:
Str, open foilage for the others?:1d20 + 2 ⇒ (10) + 2 = 12
@Marduk: can't help others, too. Of course they can aid also by making it. More so since everyone has a -1 penalty to their skill checks to make up for the tier.
M Half-Orc Monk of the 4 winds/QingGong lvl 4 HP 39/39 AC: 17/17/12 F.+6 R.+8 W.+5 Perc+6 Init+4, speed 40ft
Huh? How's that logical, to penalize on skill checks?
The DC aren't exactly low to start with.
Also, what if Gob fails his Kn. Nature check, is it insta-death for us?
