GM Bigrin's Giantslayer (Inactive)

Game Master bigrin42

@Sander - oops. I forgot to multiply by the range increment, thank you.

@Storn - your enlarged personage will not happen until Molly's turn in the initiative order on Round 4, FYI

The giant on the hill staggered again when one of Quill's magically enhanced arrows took it in the chest, followed by another of Sanders' bombs and the ineffectual hacking of Storn's summoned sword. Seeing the archer completely out from behind the rocks now, the giant switched its aim, and hurled the head-sized rock in his fist straight at Quill. The stone took the elf in the chest, nearly knocking him from his feet.

On the other side of the battlefield, Kipa waited to see how Storn would handle the giant, even as Molly began casting her spell. The giant stomped forward, whipping a chain of spiked steel links through the air with an audible whistle. The chain slammed into Storn, ripping and tearing at armor and flesh alike, leaving the big man a little dazed and bleeding from a dozen wounds.

Seeing his chance to strike, Kipa springs out from behind STorn and go after the giant.

Using his jacket's extract again, Sander lets another bomb fly. Target will depend on Quill's results; if he doesn't kill the giant on the cliff, I'll target that one; otherwise, I'll aim at AU-23, which means I would NOT have the -2 to hit included below.

Bomb (ranged touch), -2 for range: 1d20 + 11 + 1 - 2 ⇒ (3) + 11 + 1 - 2 = 13
Damage (cold damage), plus DC 14 Fort or be staggered next round: 4d6 + 3 ⇒ (3, 3, 3, 6) + 3 = 18
Splash damage: 7 (DC 14 for half)
Miss direction: 1d8 ⇒ 6

Round 4

Quill steps to AX34 and fires twice with his new fancy bow hoping for similar results.

1d20 + 8 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 8 + 3 + 2 = 17 to hit; (+DF,+bane)
1d8 + 9 + 3 + 2d6 ⇒ (3) + 9 + 3 + (4, 6) = 25 cold iron damage.

1d20 + 8 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (14) + 8 + 3 + 2 = 27 to hit; (+DF,+bane)
1d8 + 9 + 3 + 2d6 ⇒ (7) + 9 + 3 + (3, 1) = 23 cold iron damage.

Div Favor (3/10).

As soon as she finishes her incantation and Storn starts to grow, Molly darts forward and casts another spell on him, mending cuts and breaks and bruises.

Molly moves to AV 26 and casts CLW on Storn for 1d8 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 5 = 8 hp. Immediate action to set AC vs the new giant: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (9) + 14 = 23

Storn can just delay until Molly goes, so I will do just that and bump myself down in initiative order.

Storn feels the familiar sensation of being embiggened as he reacts to being viciously scored by the chain. "ALRIGHT YOU SWEATER WEARING SANDAL-PETTER! STOOOOORRRN!"

Mega-Storn roars his challenge before he brings his greatsword down. As he does so, it bursts into flames.

Power Attack: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (11) + 9 = 20 Damage+Enlarge+Flaming: 3d6 + 14 + 1d6 ⇒ (5, 3, 3) + 14 + (3) = 28

Activating sacred weapon to grant flaming.

Kipa lunged at the giant engaged with Storn, but his short stature wasn't enough to shield him from the giant's gaze. The spiked chain crunched into his back as he rolled in. The pain was horrific, but the halfling still managed to drive his rapier upward into the back of the giant's knee. Quill launched another pair of arrows, and though one missed his target, the other brought the giant on the cliffside down. Sander, seeing the distant target fall, switched his aim and lobbed a bomb at the nearer foe. The giant was coated in frost, but madder than a hornet. As Storn grew to match the giant in size, Molly healed him. Storn lashed out with a flaming sword, but the giant turned it aside. It seemed to hesitate a moment, trying to decide between squashing the ant that was stinging him from below, and the now-equally sized threat of Storn. Giant ego won out, and the spiked chain came whipping around to crash into Storn's armor and exposed flesh.

Spitting out some blood from the hit, Kipa tries to make the best of the situation. He starts to line himself up more so the giant is between him & Storn and takes a shot at doing some more damage.

Seeing opportunity, Molly darts forward while the giant is busy with Storn and claps a hand to its leg. The Witch hisses words of necromantic power...

Molly uses Snake Style as an immediate action. AC vs. Giant = 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (9) + 14 = 23.
Next, she uses Acrobatics to avoid AoO while getting to AT 24, going into flanking position with Kipa; 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (13) + 17 = 30.
Flanking touch attack to cast Bestow curse on the giant to inflict a penalty of -4 to attack rolls, saves, ability checks, and skill checks: 1d20 + 5 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 5 + 2 = 13. Will save DC 17 to negate.

Round 5

Quill moves to AV30 and fires once at the giant.

1d20 + 10 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 10 + 3 + 2 = 30 to hit; (+DF,+bane)
1d8 + 9 + 3 + 2d6 ⇒ (6) + 9 + 3 + (6, 4) = 28 cold iron damage.

Div Favor (4/10).

Sander moves to clear Giant Storn from his line of sight, and launches another bomb when the opportunity allows.

Holding until after Storn, then move to AZ-25 and attack (excluding Kipa's square)
Bomb (ranged touch), -2 for range: 1d20 + 11 + 1 - 2 ⇒ (10) + 11 + 1 - 2 = 20
Damage (cold damage), plus DC 14 Fort or be staggered next round: 4d6 + 3 ⇒ (6, 3, 3, 2) + 3 = 17
Splash damage: 7 (DC 14 for half)
Miss direction: 1d8 ⇒ 6

Storn is a frightful mess, blood covering his entire body. He doesn't even notice Molly's very, very welcome healing as he continues to trade blows with the massive giant. As he does so, his wounds start healing.

CMW: 2d8 + 7 ⇒ (7, 6) + 7 = 20

"BWAWRARAGHGH!"

Attack: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (16) + 9 = 25 Damage: 3d6 + 14 + 1d6 ⇒ (2, 1, 3) + 14 + (5) = 25

Storn's flaming sword cuts down once more, this time with far, far deadlier accuracy.

Swift action to use a fervor to cast CMW (burning second lesser resto). Also to roll garbage on my damage dice.

I should have posted this in my action post. HP status: 31 out of 52

Holding until after Storn, then move to AZ-25 and attack (excluding Kipa's square)

Oy. Mind you exclude mine as well. 0_0;

Fair enough.

The second giant was momentarily astonished by the sheer fury of the defense, as arrow and bomb, steel and fire pummeled into him. He reared back to lash Storn again with that deadly spiked chain and continued to go that direction. The giant's knees buckled and he hit the ground with a thud that nearly knocked Kipa off his feet. The hillsides were quiet again.

Quill seems relieved as the other giant falls, mindful of the injuries just two giants would wreak upon the party.

"Wow. That hurt," Quill says, clutching his own boulder shattered shoulder. "But my bow worked great, Molly...so there is that!"

Quill smiles and holds up his new bow, trying to remember its fancy name. He cannot, but will ponder it, trying to remember. Those are the first two giants this bow has ever kilt. I should keep track.

"Step close, everyone! I shall ask the Elf that Hugs the World to help heal us." He will raise his holy symbol and hope this works...

2d6 ⇒ (3, 4) = 7 Channel Energy

"Oh! That was nice! The Elf that Hugs the World loves you all, I think." Quill smiles happily.

"Thanks, kid. If anyone needs a top-up after that, come see me. I'll Hex you the rest of the way," Molly offers. "Storn! Why don't you frisk the corpses while you're still plus-sized? It'll be easier."

Sanders looks concerned.

"I know giant attacks aren't unheard of, but did anyone else think this seemed a bit odd of a coincidence? It seemed like they were waiting for us, but how would they know where we are? Or about us at all?"

He goes to try to collect his pony before something else can kill and eat it.

"Maybe some of the survivors from Grenseldek's joint told the Storm Tyrant we croaked her, and he figures we need to be taken out before we wreck any of his other lackeys," Molly suggests.

"STOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORRRN!" roars Mega-Storn, his bellowing voice shaking the hillside. His sword stops flaming with a 'woof'. He kicks the body before meticulously cleaning his blade off and sheathing it. He grunts approvingly over to Quill as the Elf Who Cries In the Bath's divine magic washes over him.

"Good fight. You're getting very good at slaughter, Quill. I'm sure that girl you were making moony eyes with would be impressed. We can bring a head back if you like." He grabs his healing wand and jabs it into a wound.

CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 = 8

With that he gets to work looting the bodies, looking for anything interesting and/or shining.

Detect magic while looting. I am annoyed the [bigger] BBcode isn't working any more.

I am right there with you

Unsurprisingly, the giants' equipment was all too large to fit on any of you, except while under the influence of an enlarge spell. However, the boots and cloak were of the resizeable kind. The armor and weapons were both magical, but too large, though they could be resized based by the right crafter. There were a few other things that did not resize, which is probably a good thing in this case seeing as they were a pair of jet chunks the size of Storn's fist, worth several hundred gold.

"Maybe, but he didn't seem to really care about her in his note," Sander replies. "Why would he care about some people who ... um, well, killed her?"

He seems to feel bad that he was involved in that killing, even if it had to be done.

Quill nods to Molly suggesting he would like her healing touch. -10 hp.

He will try to identify the magics:

1d20 + 10 ⇒ (20) + 10 = 30 Spellcraft - armor
1d20 + 10 ⇒ (4) + 10 = 14 Spellcraft - spiked chain
1d20 + 10 ⇒ (6) + 10 = 16 Spellcraft - boots
1d20 + 10 ⇒ (1) + 10 = 11 Spellcraft - cloaks

"I think the real question is where the giants got this much magical arms and gear. That's the weird thing to me. Who is making this stuff?"

Edit so I don't forget: Quill will try again tomorrow morning to ID the stuff.

1d20 + 10 ⇒ (6) + 10 = 16 Spellcraft - spiked chain
1d20 + 10 ⇒ (4) + 10 = 14 Spellcraft - boots
1d20 + 10 ⇒ (3) + 10 = 13 Spellcraft - cloaks

Ugh, maybe Molly knows.

Falling onto his back after it all. Kipa raises his hand to indicate he could use a bit more healing 14 HP shy of full.

"Really it could be several people there my elf friend. Slave labor, a mage that is more interested in money then the moral standing of the person paying, or a fair number of other things. What matters is that they are down & we can now sell this stuff.... Also that we can move on to the tomb? Kipa look side to side to make sure he didnt sound too greedy there and not worried about the mission.

Molly claps a hand to Quill's shoulder and mutters something sibilant that has an immediate restorative effect.

Healing hex Quill 1d8 + 5 ⇒ (8) + 5 = 13

After that, she also takes a look at the magic swag.

Spellcraft 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (12) + 13 = 25 - spiked chain
Spellcraft 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (11) + 13 = 24 - boots
Spellcraft 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (13) + 13 = 26 - cloaks

Finally deigning to notice poor Kipa, the Witch moves over to him and prods him with her boot.
"C'mon. Get up, you slacker," she teases, even as magic blossoms into the Halfling's body, mending some of his injuries.

Healing hex Kipa 1d8 + 5 ⇒ (5) + 5 = 10

"Don't matter none that he thought Grenseldek was a ridiculous upwardly mobile schemer, Sander," she says. "She was still on his side, and we stopped her cold -- her and the troops she wanted to bring to him. A smart commander pays attention to that sort of thing. 'Sides, we're the big heroes of Trunau. If he marches up to city and first thing he does is chuck our heads over the wall, it'll kill morale. Good show for him; it means he can whittle away resistance, cheap."

"The only way I know of making gear is killing someone and taking their gear from them," he frowns. "But this is giant-sized gear. So the giant had to kill other giants to get the gear. Maybe there's a civil war. That would be handy. Of course, those giants had to kill other giants to get the gear and..."

Storn trails off into inane muttering as he encounters his first paradox.

"The Giants got their own gods, remember?" Molly says. "That half-Troll woman we talked to in Trunau mentioned them. She seemed fanatic enough, so those gods probably have priests. Clerics. Clerics with the right training and resources can craft almost as well as me. The Storm Tyrant probably has them working hard to outfit his army."

Trying to help the big guy out of his loop "Maybe they killed a bunch of smaller things and just sewed the magic items together to fit?

Looking over at Molly "Thank you for that" Getting up & stretching " We can talk about this on the road I think. We have a tomb to get to dont we? And the elf needs to look the hero or a lass"

"Might as well unburden myself a bit before we go on," Molly says, as she ferrets around in her pack. "Ah, here we go; right as rain. Here ya go, Sander. Bought these a while back, but I figure you'll have better use of them."

Molly pulls five flasks of alchemist's fire out of her pack and offers them to Sander.

Storn blinks as Kipa offers a reasonable explanation. "Oh, that makes sense." He then gets back to the business of stripping off cloaks and boots and passing them to the smart people to examine.

Molly took pity on Quill and stepped in to identify the magical items. The weapons and armor were easy enough, being basic enhancements. The boots turned out to enhance a ranger's abilities to move without leaving tracks and to adapt his skills to the current terrain. The cloaks were a matched set as well, improving the wearer's ability to sneak around in rocky terrain.

Once the loot was sorted out and you were ready to move, you sought out your horses. Fortunately, horses are pack animals and tend to stay together, even when fleeing from danger. It only took an hour or so to find them and then to recapture them. By that point, it was getting late in the day. You only managed a few more miles before finding a decent rock outcropping and stopping for the night.

The night passed uneventfully, though you posted watches just in case. In the morning, there was a bite of frost in the air, and you knew it was just going to get colder from this point, as you looked up into the peaks of the mountain range you were about to traverse.

Late in the morning, you find yourselves at a fork in the path. The map in your hands seems to indicate the rightmost path, a steep climb littered with rockslides. A shallow pass runs parallel to the route marked, branching to the left, and looks to be a much easier path.

Which way?

"Thanks," Sander says, as Molly tries to give him the flasks. "You don't want them? I think I have several, though I guess I can certainly use more..."

"The boots and cloak resize, don't they? Maybe they came from some other travelers who were ambushed and were originally proper-sized. Or even big enough to fit humans and elves..."

Sander ponders the two routes.

"I think we should follow the map," he says with a long-suffering sigh.

Also I don't think those boots will help us at all, but those cloaks could be useful. I think one should go to Storn; anyone want the other? Kipa's already sneaky, so maybe give him another boost?

Kipa puts his hands behind his head and leans back into them some "We come to a split in the road... should we take the one lest traveled?" Picking up a pebble & giving it a slight toss on to the rocky paths, hey see some of it slide down. "Well we can tell that this way is not going to be the safest but the question is will it get us to the tomb quicker or is it the only way we can go to get there?"

I have a CLoak of Res +1 that I am not a fan of giving up really. My Fort & Will saves are low as is even with it. I can switch between them if needed though for sure if you need me to sneak ahead & scout. The other issue is that it is 2 sizes larger then what I can use.

Quill does not have a cloak. Will happily take a stonemist or Kipa's hand me down. Quill also has no use for the boots.

Quill will check both trails to see if there is some tracking knowledge that might help decide which is better.

Quill bends over to examine broken piece of grass, moved rocks, and shifting dust to see if one path is more used than the other.

1d20 + 11 ⇒ (15) + 11 = 26 Survival

"Maybe...uhm...uh...maybe...we..." Quill dithers as he tries to explain what he finds.

Storn grumbles as he looks at the two options. "I am not a climber and am loathe to move without my armour, but I will go where the group requires."

Storn would benefit from the cloak. He votes easy path just because climb checks are not my friend.

My only question is which way leads to the tomb quickest & safest? I do not remember the map that well

The cloak resizes, but you certainly don't have to take it if you like your current cloak. I say give it to Quill if he doesn't mind it.

"We don't even know if the easier path will get us to the tomb at all," Sander points out.

Let's see what Quill can tell us with that check.

Quill tried his best to explain all the little things he saw around the fork in the road, but stumbled on the meaning of the minutiae. Finally, he just explained that the more difficult trail had no signs of recent travel. The easier path was more worn, indicating that it was traveled at least occasionally.

Animal tracks? Humanoid? Giant? Monster? Anything of note?

"Let's go with the easier path," Quill explains what he's found, returning to his horse and mounting. "It's the one that has been traveled. I guess. If people often travel to the tomb."

Nope. Nothing that stands out.

Yeah Im ok w/ Quill getting the cloak
"Does the map state where the easier path goes or if there is another way to the tomb?

trying to make sure we do not get side tracked too much

The map only has the trail marked to the tomb. It does not have any markings or discussions about other paths or places, other than major cities and landmarks.

With a sigh "I have to vote for the harder path... it is the only one we know that will get us where we need to go.

"Let's just go," Molly says. "Kipa is right. We know where we need to go, so all of you quit whinging and get ready to head up."

Storn shrugs and assents. He starts clanking his way up the more difficult path.

"An important part of being a successful manager is knowing when to override your team and impose your will." -- The Pointy-Haired Boss

The "more difficult path" earns its name very quickly, as within a few hundred yards you come to a rockslide that has completely obliterated the trail. Quill can see that the trail picks up some thirty feet or so beyond the treacherous rockfall.

What do you want to do? You can go back, try and climb over, or do something extremely creative. Climbing over will require climb checks. Also, there is no way you'll be able to get the horses across by any conventional means.

Survival: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (5) + 4 = 9

"I have an extract that could let one of us fly, though it's tricky -- I can only prepare one a day. Maybe if we make Storn big, we could fly over? He could probably even carry the horses ... though if there are more slides, we'd have to camp or make a tough decision then," Sander says.

"Or, I guess we can go back and try the easier route and hope we can figure out how to get to the tomb from there. Or we can leave the poor horses here."

Can we tell how much farther it is from here to the tomb? If we leave the horses, are we just setting them free or would we presumably have enough time to leave them, go to the tomb, and come back, barring the almost inevitable disasters?

Judging from the map, you are at least a 3-4 day hike from the tomb. Maybe longer if there are more rockslides. As for the horses, it would be at least a week before you could come back for them.