GM bluedove's Ravenloft Romp (Inactive)

Game Master bluedove

regaining control of her rage the druid doll calms. Yes, of course you are right. It is the dolls that must be destroyed AFTER we regain our own bodies. I am Cinder and I am a healer and herbalist, when I am not in a rage. She manages to laugh at herself. But I do have a hot temper at times. If I could rest at dawn I could better prepare spells to that end. I fear I am mostly prepared to burn things at the moment.

"Sir Artegal speaks true, we were ambushed by little puppets that stole our bodies with a simple needle, but in that ambush also sits our hope, for they so easily overcame us that we must hope we can do the same to them now that we are the puppets. We had no chance against their strikes, our fates sealed before we could even resist, so we must posses the same subterfuge as those dastardly creatures, at least I hope it is so."

Shi-ru listens to the man speak with her head tilted attentively, or as much as her head can. She chuckles when he finishes.

"Big words! You speak like a fire. Well, I have nowhere else to be, tcha? Shi-ru will follow you. I wonder if these doll bodies are needing food... I can cook."

Shi-ru follows along on the windowsill, holding her paintbrush over her shoulders like she might a pole to carry water, with her puppet-hands dangling over the brush.

"Needles and dolls. It is all very strange cursing, yes? I am a stranger here. Why these bad men take me for this, I do not know. I am having no enemies. Tcha...

"Wait. This means, someone has Shi-ru's drinking jug? Someone who made this happen? No! This cannot be allowed. I will swear the oaths too! Death and dolls, they will not stop Shi-ru from her drinking jug!"

South is fine by me.

"I bet the poor sap who stole your body is looking for you to give it back, old lady!" The sewn mouth of the scary doll almost looks like it is grinning as the harsh words emerge, perhaps softening them to be almost endearing between the young tough and the grandmotherly Shi-ru...

"Ha! Person with Shi-ru's body is lucky! Person with your body gets skinny little sneaky body, Shi-ru is betting!" Shi-ru retorts cheerfully.

"True, true. Hey, you said you ate some bad sausage? Maybe we should just follow our noses to your stinky old lady body! I bet we could even hear your farting all the way up here..." he jibes. Fuurrrmmmppppp!!! Lanarial giggles as he makes the weird noise, imitating a gassy Shi-ru.

"Ugg!" If wooden faces can grimace then Nicu does, "For once I'm glad for this puppet body, bad sausage percolating in an old person makes a wooden nose seem like a blessing instead of a curse!"

Rannveig comes nearer to the window, still awkward in the simian form of the money puppet. She holds her nose aloft, and then growls in frustration. No sense of smell with wooden nostrils and no lungs to move the air in her hollowed chest, but she must find Ylva.
"I would welcome any smells if I could but find a trace of Ylva."

"I will try and touch my wolf nature... I do not know if I can like this, but it will help me find my sister-wolf. This creature's condition makes me worry for her even more, if that is possible." She indicates Gatto sadly and then settles into a crouch as she tries to connect with her animal side.

Her monkey snout and ears seem to elongate by some trick of the light, becoming more canine and she raises her snout into the wind again this time seeming more satisfied with the result.
"Yes, I am ready. I think Ylva is not far. Let us follow the feline south."

The ledge will only support a single file marching order, so give me your preferred order and any stealth or perception checks you wish to make. Luc and Donovan will stay behind with the intention of ambushing the toymaker or the master puppet if they return here.

Shi-ru makes a rude scoffing noise at Lanariel's quip, then makes an overdone shussssshing gesture at both him and Nicu.

"See? Now listen to this other! It is important business, no wagging your jaws so much! Shi-ru can be more quiet than you in my sleep!"

And with that, the little stone lawn-gnome hops onto the sill and sets out first along the ledge, as if she were ignorant of any dangers that might wait ahead.

In truth, Shi-ru has considerable confidence in her own sharp eyes, puppet-form or not. But she will not insist on leading if another wishes the position.

Stealth: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (5) + 14 = 19 Everyone, remember you get an innate +8 to Stealth for our tiny sizes
Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (18) + 8 = 26

Lanarial, not to be outdone by the lawn gnome, will follow in the shadows. He won't lead... No - Lanarial has ever been the follower.

Stealth: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (5) + 16 = 21
Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (13) + 8 = 21

Cinder creeps along the ledge near the back of the order.

Perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (3) + 9 = 12

Stealth: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (19) + 13 = 32

Glad to be free of the toy shop, Nicu follows the other puppets.

perception: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (15) + 3 = 18

stealth: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (11) + 13 = 24

Rannveig moves into the procession, the line of puppets creeping like shadows along the narrow ledge. The thick fog swirls, seeming to morph into shapes and faces when you gaze into it.
They reach a dimly lit window and peer into the interior. Though this window is firmly shut, the one further down has been propped open some with a block of wood. Gatto scents the air ahead and lays back her ears in response, Rannveig, however, seems eager to press forward.

It looks to be a storage room for the tailor's shop below. Bolts of fabric are piled together on a table and several dressmakers dummies stand bare, shoved together in the far corner.

"Tsstt," Shi-ru murmurs, waving one of her doll hands at the others to hold them up.

As quietly as she can, she whispers, "A thing, animal maybe? Furry! Not moving. But there are moving little ones! More dolls, evil dolls? You all, go fight-- Shi-ru will stand where it is being safe, yes yes."

"Perhaps I can draw them away from the beast. Be ready - I will go to the other side of the window and shoot my splinter-arrows at them. When they come you attack them with your weapons. You too, old lady. No one is safe here tonight!" He says softly to the group.

Lanarial will move along past the open window and commence firing intot he puppets. Ranged attack: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (15) + 5 = 20 (You said we only ever do 1 point of damage, so I don't need to roll that, correct? What about sneak attack damage? Lanarial would normally get 2d6 SA damage added.)

"Hmpf," Shi-ru sniffs, unimpressed, to Lanariel's battle-plan and words aimed at her specifically. As he sidles off to start shooting his makeshift bow, she promptly crosses her arms and leans back against the edge of the windowsill. Disrespectful insolent youth, telling her what to do!

Initiative, if required: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (17) + 6 = 23

Once violence inevitably erupts, Shi-ru will cup her hands around her mouth and start yelling... helpful suggestions. Yeah. Really.

"No no no! Hit HIGHER! On the head! What are you doing?! Shi-ru is old woman and could do better! Move your feet! Pretend you are doing the dancing! One-two, hit hit!"

(Once combat actually starts, Shi-ru's first-round action will be to start 'Advice' as a standard action. It is for all intents and purposes bardic performance, so a +1 to hit/+1 to damage, if using weapons.)

Cinder stays hidden but ready to fight the other puppets, if need be. Are we sure they are not victims as well? she asks quietly.

"This whole town may be victims. It could be that every puppet we encounter was once a person in this cursed place."

I am imagining it is crowded on the ledge, and I cannot see what is ahead of us, is this correct?

Another animal? No, this can’t be. How can it be that I left the tomb, left my family to prove that I was more than just a gardener, more than just a silly Halfling dressed in silly cloths whose job it is every day to shoo badgers and squirrels away from the well kept grounds only to find myself now in the form of a humble scarecrow and called upon to save house cats and family pets from maniacal dolls?

“What is it, what is ahead, can I get past? How many of them are there?”

Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 5 = 12

Initiative, if needed: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (3) + 6 = 9

Before, apparently, the beginning of hostilities, Shi-ru the doll blinks at the words of the other dolls.

"Tcha, perhaps you are right, and these are friends: will you be calling out, to see? But the wise road perhaps is to watch a little while, so we are seeing what they are doing."

Sorry for the delay! This took the longest to catch up on as I had to finish a new map for us. My semester is done and grades are in and I have more time to devote here now. ^_^

Tailor's Storage Encounter Map

You take advantage of your yet unseen perspective to observe the other dolls and it is not long before they show their true colors.

The furry form between them suddenly jerks and raises up, yelping in pain and terror only to freeze again in another tortured position as the wicked wooden creatures stab their silver needles into her again.

An expression of sympathetic pain passes over the now canine looking puppet that houses Rannveig's soul. Then they twist into a rage and she growls "They have Ylva!" and then launches for the open window as fast as she can, loping toward the Carrionettes on all fours with needle teeth and claws bared.

Rannveig Initiative: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (13) + 6 = 19
Nicu Initiative: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (17) + 6 = 23
Lanarial Initiative: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (19) + 6 = 25
Cinder Initiative: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (7) + 6 = 13

Initiative Order - Surprise
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Lanarial - Shoots and hits Clowny for 4 damage.Concealment: 1d100 ⇒ 39
Nicu
Shi-ru - Begins shouting advice.
Rannveig - Moves into the room
Cinder
Artegal

Lanarial, each die of sneak attack grants you an additional 1 point of damage. Shi-ru's advice provides a straight +1 to hit and damage though.

Glad the semester has wrapped up for you. How did you do? What are you studying by the way?: I finished my masters in 2010. Thinking about going back for something else.

Nicu scrambles forward with his spear, trying to remain stealthy in the process.

stealth: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (18) + 13 = 31

Glad the semester has wrapped up for you. How did you do? What are you studying by the way?: I finished my masters in 2010. Thinking about going back for something else.

I'm getting my BS and planning to teach biology and other sciences. The grades were not up to my usual par, but they were sufficient (B's and one C).

Still need actions from Cinder and Artegal!

Can I get into the room? You said the window we were by was closed and another, further down was open, but I don’t know that I can get passed the others safely in order to get in through the open window. If I can get passed the others I will look for a safe way down from the window into the room, or if I have to, jump and take my chances.

Cinder conjures up a small flame in her tiny hand as she moves into a position to see the "enemy". She throws the small ball of fire at the wounded enemy hoping to gain advantage from focused fire. As the flame strikes at her target a new flame rekindles in her hand replacing the one thrown.

Produce Fire: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (3) + 6 = 91d6 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4 Not sure it matters, but I was taking 2 for a buns to hid due to small size, is that correct?

Tailor's Storage Encounter Map

Enemy Initiative: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (18) + 6 = 24

Initiative Order - Surprise
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Lanarial - Shoots and hits Clowny for 4 damage.[dice=Concealment]1d100
Nicu - Moves into the room
Shi-ru - Begins shouting advice.
Rannveig - Moves into the room
Cinder - Throws flame, misses
Artegal - Moves into the room
Initiative Order - Round 1
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Lanarial
Enemies

Lanarial gets one shot before the enemy moves, I swore I had posted this already, but maybe the benedryl was playing tricks on me. >_<

Lanarial does what he has trained to do all of his life...he hides and attacks from the shadows. The first arrow flew true...time for another since that spooky clown doll has not stopped moving yet.
Ranged attack: 1d20 + 5 + 1 ⇒ (12) + 5 + 1 = 18 Damage = 4 Concealment: 1d100 ⇒ 21

Another of Lanarial's arrows snaps home as the Carrionettes turn from their latest experiment in living taxidermy to face their attackers. They both throw their silver needles like javelins, the clown's embedding itself in the dressmakers doll while the bear's needle finds it's mark, dealing 2 damage to Rannveig.

Initiative Order - Surprise
----------------------------------------------
Lanarial - Shoots and hits Clowny for 4 damage.
Nicu - Moves into the room
Shi-ru - Begins shouting advice.
Rannveig - Moves into the room
Cinder - Throws flame, misses
Artegal - Moves into the room
Initiative Order - Round 1
----------------------------------------------
Lanarial - Shoots and hits Clowny for 4 damage.
Enemies:
Clowny attack: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (4) + 5 = 9
Beary attack: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (20) + 5 = 25
Beary crit?: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (18) + 5 = 23
Nicu
Shi-ru
Rannveig
Cinder
Artegal
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Lanarial
Enemies

His spear leading the way, Nicu charges the foes. "Leave the wolf alone or become splinters!"

spear attack: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (7) + 3 = 10

Remember you have +1 hit/+1 damage, everyone. :)

Innate stealth bonus for being Tiny is a whopping +8.

Shi-ru saunters forward into the room with her paintbrush/quarterstaff slung over her shoulders, still yammering away quite unconcernedly.

"Oh, it's a dog... well! Circle around the little uglies, yes? Knock them hard, that is how you do it! No no-- not like that-- must old woman come show you how?"

Double-moving to get closer to the fight.