GM DSP presents Crown's Reach! (Inactive)

Game Master Darksmokepuncher

Sounds like Brynn will actually be making the map. However, you guys should describe what kinds of things you want from an ambush sight so he has something to work with.

High ground. Narrow passage so only one can attack at a time. The kind of place where a couple of grannies with broom handles could hold off a barbarian horde.

Fire makes for a great distraction. Make sure there's plenty of smoke so it's hard to see and in all the confusion maybe we can take out a few people?

Well, let's talk about what we want. Do we want the pit to drop the commander in? Are we going to spring this in the forest, near the road?

Well, let's talk about what we want. Do we want the pit to drop the commander in? Are we going to spring this in the forest, near the road?

I think a big pit to drop them in would be a great start. Steep edges with some kind of loose soil walls to make climbing harder. Then we could use some kind of cover Trees I presume. I'd rather have some sort of escape route. I don't want to get too far out the tree line.

Agreed on the pit. We could put a few thick branches made into spikes around the lip to discourage anyone climbing out in addition to the loose soil. If the casters have clear line of sight from a vantage point into the pit, then I'd feel a lot better.

DSP, there wouldn't happen to be a river or lake very, very close by would there?

Waiting for input from DSP for answering questions, then maybe any suggestions from Armen, and I'll get on it.

My idea so far is a line of trees off to one side for anyone that needs to cast or hide at range, maybe some traps set up in there. A pit maybe on the south end (quick sand?), not sure how easily we'll come across a natural pit, though. Maybe a disguised cliff? Possibly have a chase scene (no, not the game mechanic) where Owen is carrying a commander through the woods with an army chasing after him, he runs through a bush that overlooks a cliff and he starts flying where the first few people run off after him and the rest of the army's momentum keeps the rest falling off? We'll likely have a hill to get a vantage point from, maybe a pair of hills when they come up over the first and approach the second, a trap is sprung from the first.

Let's think of some scenarios, because it looks like the sandbox is ours for the most part.

If the cliff slopes downward before ending you could get Cecil to grease it. That way even once they realize it's a cliff they'll have trouble stopping.

I see a large river near Narv on the map, but I'm unsure of scale so I'm not sure what the actual distance is.

If the cliff slopes downward before ending you could get Cecil to grease it. That way even once they realize it's a cliff they'll have trouble stopping.

I see a large river near Narv on the map, but I'm unsure of scale so I'm not sure what the actual distance is.

Grease is a 10 X 10 square. Just keep that in mind.

As long as we have a way out of our trap, should things go south, I think we're on to something.

As long as we have a way out of our trap, should things go south, I think we're on to something.

Just have a knotted rope tied off nearby. We can throw it to anyone who we want to be able to get out of the pit. Also having us not shooting at them will be helpful.

As soon as we get the map posted we can get this party started. ;-)

not just the pit, the whole ambush area. we need an easy and controllable way out so we don't get backed into any corners. regardless of the skill level of combatants, we can get crushed by sheer numbers very easily.

When you saw the army, you were at the bend in the road between the two crops of forest coming from Ryn.

You could attempt to get around to the river, but it means stealth checks or much backtracking.

Bummer...okay. I imagined some nice drownings as Owen dropped folks into the river.

Alright, check out what I've got so far. I just conferred with DSP about placement on the map where this is taking place and unfortunately I've drawn it upside down and backwards according to said map, but because there's no easy way to edit it, we're playing it as is.

However, that goes without saying we can still get some input on what else to throw in here. Alright, so some explanation is needed.

We're playing in a forest lining a canyon of a dried up river bed. The canyon is about 10ft deep at the top right, where at the end of the light grey it's about 15ft. The darker grey represents a bit steeper of a grade where it ends in about 25 feet deep before it drops off into black -- a 100ft drop of an old waterfall.

Near the end of the canyon, it appears there has been a clearing at one point where we as characters will re-clear into a makeshift stairway of tree roots. This will be difficult terrain and a tight space that is hard to spot, but if we know it's there and get stuck in the canyon, will provide a way out.

Just to the north and right of that is a large, random boulder that will provide a bit of cover. Speaking of cover, the entirety of the light green gives everyone soft cover, which is +2 AC to ranged attacks, and +1 Reflex saves. The darker green is cover, which is +4 AC to ranged attacks, and +2 Reflex saves, however it is difficult terrain. But! This overgrowth also provides anyone needing stealth (Shinami!) to duck behind or through and retry stealthiness.

And finally there's the bridge. The light blue across the end of the canyon is a fairly sturdy 5ft-wide bridge that we can cross if things get entirely out of control. Cut the supports, light it on fire, etc, and we've got a safe escape.

Okay, input time! Anything that you can think might be in this area that would be of help to you, ask for it!

Forgot to mention my plan using the canyon. Like in an earlier post, I mentioned some kind of chase. Owen will provide chase down this canyon, hopefully holding one of the commanders (and hopefully not a powerful caster) the entire way. If he can get an entire army to chase after him, take them down this route, and have him dive through the growth of trees at the end of the cliff, where he'll fly away. This growth makes it difficult to see that there's a cliff beyond it, so it provides a perfect trap for taking at least a few dozen lives by way of the army's momentum. And possibly grease. We can have myself and maybe Osslend make some makeshift (fragile) tower shields to hide behind and help the momentum along from down in the canyon, knowing we have a way out with the stairs. If given chase, plant the tower shield in the ground to cover the escape up the stairs. All the while, people from the trees will be sniping hoes off, making sure none of them attempt to climb the canyon walls. Probably don't spring this trap until the army has stopped entirely. If we have a few combatants left, finish em off, and if we can't finish the battle, we've at least crippled their numbers enough to devise another strategy at another time. Hit-and-run tactics are some of my favorites :)

All the while, people from the trees will be sniping hoes off,

Good plan, good map.

BEST TYPO EVER.

Brynn Halistack wrote:

All the while, people from the trees will be sniping hoes off,

Good plan, good map.

BEST TYPO EVER.

Agreed on all points.

Not a typo :P What did you think it was supposed to say, haha?

Sounds good to me.

Brynn, do you imagine you and me down in the gut of the trap (D9/E9) or (I hope) more like at the mouth, stopping anyone trying to get back out (near G5 or J6)?

Remember that Kayla has a scroll of Firewall if needed. Best use may be to keep anyone from following us unless they have enough hit points to run through it and live.

Kayla hasn't really had any experience with martial tactics and would thus listen to what other people are planning.

I have also discovered something that is really annoying in another game. Someone who can take the time to make an inane little post to the ooc thread, but can't find time to say anything in the ic thread when you are in the middle of combat.

I was thinking more near the ex-waterfall (near our escape stairs), but even then, it's not completely set terrain. I can make it so we have a corner to hide behind from the stampede, too.

Also, correction from DSP after I posted: apparently the entire forest is cover enough to retry stealth every move you make, as long as you're in the green, not just the darker green overgrowth areas.

As for the firewall, what's the spell description? I'd be tempted to run the wall right down the middle of the canyon, not perpendicular to, if the spell works like I think it does.

** spoiler omitted **

FOr the scorched earth policy, because this is going to start a forest fire. A big one.

If we aren't here officially, does that mean we won't really get in trouble for causing a bit of destruction?

If we aren't here officially, does that mean we won't really get in trouble for causing a bit of destruction?

Another important note. ONly one side of the wall radiates heat, thus only one side starts fires.

If you cast in in the canyon, the canyon itself will shield most of the forest (if cast perpendicular to the walls, like the bridge is). I would use it to block newcomers and to force your "friends" to keep moving forward...but I'm not here to help...lol.

So no additions? If no one says otherwise, I'm sure DSP would love to start RPing this out tomorrow at work. Almost any change you want is yours as long it's with the terrain being to our advantage or a possible better plan.

I give my trust over to Brynn and vote for his plan :)

I give my trust over to Brynn and vote for his plan :)

Ditto.

I just want to be able to use the fire wall and to pop off a fireball at someone as well. Below is my spell list, feel free to have me cast whatever else is needed. I also have Deeper Darkness memorized if we want to hide something. Use me however you need to in your plan Brynn. :)

Also, my posts may be a bit slow. My laptop stopped working so I've been borrowing my husbands whenever i can kick him off of it. :)

Nice, Kayla! Obscuring Mist and Deeper Darkness might come in super handy. Tricking some of these fools off the cliff's edge and/or helping some of us melee folk escape up the tree stairs under cover. Awesome.

I've got rope and a grapple if we want to have it near the tree stairs to help climb out. Then we can pull it up behind us.

At some point we're going to have to just bite the bullet and give it a shot. I say link the map and lets do this.

MAP!

Place your characters where you'd like to be. RP out the plan quickly and let me know who Owen goes for: hopefully he doesn't miss.

Poe tells Cecil privately that there are 3 leaderly looking folks.

One is a huge man in plate armor with a staff and a scimitar.

One is a scrawny man in flowing robes and deep sunken eyes.

The last is a tall, powerfully built woman wearing a shortsword and leaning on a bow.

MAP!

Place your characters where you'd like to be. RP out the plan quickly and let me know who Owen goes for: hopefully he doesn't miss.

Poe tells Cecil privately that there are 3 leaderly looking folks.

One is a huge man in plate armor with a staff and a scimitar.

One is a scrawny man in flowing robes and deep sunken eyes.

The last is a tall, powerfully built woman wearing a shortsword and leaning on a bow.

Cecil will place himself around F 11. Going for the most phycially weak one first is the best Bet I think.

Osslend and Virgil placed. As per the RP post in the game thread, Raleigh will attend Kayla.

i am unable to move my icon on the map. please place Armen 1 space to the right of Cecil, H11.

i will then be hurling my decrepit, stone age work computer from the window.

Lol. I'll move him for you. Just for future referrence, you click on your picture, then drag the white from that appears from the top right corner.

much obliged

Once more into the breech!

In addition, the eidolon and the summoner must remain within 100 feet of one another for the eidolon to remain at full strength. If the eidolon is beyond 100 feet but closer than 1,000 feet, its current and maximum hit point totals are reduced by 50%. If the eidolon is more than 1,000 feet away but closer than 10,000 feet, its current and maximum hit point totals are reduced by 75%. If the eidolon is more than 10,000 feet away, it is immediately returned to its home plane. Current hit points lost in this way are not restored when the eidolon gets closer to its summoner, but its maximum hit point total does return to normal.

Owen's max is 40/40. First time out he dropped to 10 current and max. When he returned it went back to 10/40. So if he goes out again it will drop to 2.5/10?

Sure sounds like it with the math.

(1/4*40) * 1/4. Ouch.

If you unsummon him, does his health go back up to full after returning back from the home plane? Can you unsummon him, resummon him to have a full health Owen?

If you unsummon him, does his health go back up to full after returning back from the home plane? Can you unsummon him, resummon him to have a full health Owen?

If I summon him via the spell he's at full HP, but with a timer.

If I summon him via the 1min ritual his HP will be the same as it was when he was dismissed. However if he dies and I summon him via the ritual he'll be at 1/2 hp (20 in this case). However, if he dies I can't summon him this way until the next day.

The summoner has some mechanical gaps.

No. He'd lose 75% of his MAXIMUM HP. That means he'd be at 10/40 and lose 30. He'd vanish.

No. He'd lose 75% of his MAXIMUM HP. That means he'd be at 10/40 and lose 30. He'd vanish.

"its current and maximum hit point totals are reduced by 50%. If the eidolon is more than 1,000 feet away but closer than 10,000 feet, its current and maximum hit point totals are reduced by 75%"

Current and maximum. Current being 10 and maximum being 40. Current reduced by 75%= 2.5 and maximum reduced by 75% being 10.

It sounds like they're keeping track of the two pools independantly.

Good catch. We'll play it that way.

Good catch. We'll play it that way.

Summoners have some weird quirks. Fun, but definitely requires DM-player communication. ;-)

HFBA

My laptop is still broken and Jason finally got his laptop working again after our 4 year old removed every single key from the keyboard on it. Our houseguests are his dad, mom and her 90 year old mom. Oh so busy.