I marked the arrows on the loot sheet. I think we can work under the system of mark what you want to use.
There are also handy breakdowns to show how much you have compared to ohers.
I've assumed that I went ahead and enchanted Somer's bow during the travel time.
True I was just asking since I would be trading my armor for one of equal value
Tam, I assumed the same thing. If that is untrue let me know, I will be doing 1 point too much damage.
balmir how are you making 2 attacks using Vital Strike?
Maybe I'm interpreting the rules wrong. This is what it says:
When you use the attack action, you can make one attack at your highest base attack bonus that deals additional damage.
So I'm doing my attack action, using a full-round attack, and I'm applying the vital strike to one of the attacks. I get two attacks for 6th level fighter.
But since you're questioning this I'm now wondering if the rules imply:
When you use the attack action, you can make one attack at your highest base attack bonus that deals additional damage. If you use vital strike, you are limited to only one attack.
I think that the only-one interpretation would make vital strike useless for higher levels where a fighter has many attacks. I would never trade off just double dmg dice (not even mods) and give up multiple attacks.
On the other hand, the way that I'm interpreting it means I automatically get to add double dmg dice all the time. In the case of my weapon that means and extra 2d6 dmg each time.
If you all can clarify I'm fine with using the rule correctly. :-)
I thought it was basically the ability to make a more powerful swing when you cannot make a full round action.
That is the way I have seen it played
The interpretation with which I'm familiar is:
"When you use the attack action, you can make one attack at your highest base attack bonus that deals additional damage."
... meaning that when you use the attack action, instead of making a full attack, you are making one attack at your highest base attack bonus that deals additional damage.
The reason that a fighter would do this is if you are fighting something with a high AC and you think you won't hit with your iterative attacks, so instead you vital strike in hopes that you will hit once (at your highest BAB) and lump all of the bonus damage onto one hit. Vital strike generally does slightly less damage than hitting with all of your attacks, but you don't have to risk making swings at -5, -10, etc.
The reason for the interpretation rests on "you can make one attack at your highest base attack bonus..."
If the interpretation was supposed to be that you use vital strike on your highest BAB attack and then make your full attack as normal, the wording would just say "you can make one attack that deals bonus damage." There's no reason to specify "at your highest base attack bonus" if you have a choice, because except for a very narrow set of circumstances (mind-controlled), if you are swinging bonus damage on one attack out of your sequence you will always apply that bonus damage to the attack most likely to hit, that is, the one at your highest bonus.
Vital strike essentially gives you the chance to get extra damage on a single, standard-action attack, or to lump all your damage into one strike instead of risking it on iteratives.
There's a large body of discussion about it and the Paizo designers weighed in to clarify that it is a standard attack action which is a specific kind of action distinct from a full attack action. This means you can't combine it with many other kinds of special attacks like whirlwind attack.
Basically Vital Strike changes your list of available attack options to say:
Standard Attack (can be used with a Move)
Full Attack (can only be used with a 5' step or no movement)
Vital Strike (can be used with a Move)
That all makes sense to me and especially since the Paizo guys weighed in with what they meant. So we should retcon the extra 2d6 of dmg in each of my attacks. I think that means that we should give the giant back 18hp.
OK, it sounds like you have the right of it now.
Another reason to use it is against DR, where iterative attacks might not exceed the reduction.
My internet connection may be spotty from today till Friday.
Thought you could use a quick refresher on what has transpired so far in Book 2.
With the information gleaned from captured orc prisoners and the half-orc saboteur Skreed Gorewillow, Trunau’s Council of Defenders is worried that the town’s orc troubles are far from over. Thanks to our heroes, the orcs’ hill giant chieftain, Grenseldek, was unable to recover the items she sought from Uskroth’s tomb, and the council fears another attack on Trunau in the near future. To that end, Halgra asks you to go to Grenseldek’s lair— an abandoned outpost near the River Esk called Redlake Fort—and deal with the giant chieftain and her orc tribe before they can attack Trunau again.
Halgra offers a reward of 1,500 gp to put an end to Grenseldek’s aggression.
Halgra introduced you to a venerable elf named Silvermane, who has watched over Trunau’s Hopespring for as long as anyone can remember. Silvermane is mute, and communicates through a form of sign language that Halgra can understand and translate. With her help, Silvermane tells you about the Vault of Thorns, a demiplane created by the druidic Council of Thorns, of which he was once a member. The entrance to the Vault is located within Ghostlight Marsh, a swamp to
the northeast surrounding the confluence of the Kestrel and Esk rivers. Silvermane informs you that the Vault contains a cache of items that can help in their fight against the Twisted Heart menace, though he has no specific details about the items.
Halgra secured passage for you aboard a keel-boat that regularly plies the rivers of southern Belkzen. The riverboat’s captain, a half-orc named Raag Bloodtusk, has agreed to transport you to Ghostlight Marsh and then up the River Esk to a location near Redlake Fort in exchange for help sailing the boat and defending it from any threats.
Along the way, you were attacked by Skreed's love and your saboteur, Melina. You also stopped at a way stations along the river to find orcs had taken it in preparation for a larger assault against Castle Firrine. You rescued Calrianne Blix, a paladin stationed there, and she heartily thanks you and produces a map of the abandoned border fort. The knight informs you that her ancestor, a man named Fabian Blix, was the fort’s cleric. Fabian died during the final siege of the fort, but one of his sons (Calrianne’s great-grandfather) escaped through a hidden sewer tunnel. Calrianne’s map shows the majority of Redlake Fort (see the map), including the sewer tunnel (area K6), which Calrianne believes is submerged. Additionally, the knight says she’d be interested in knowing of her ancestor Fabian’s fate, should you learn anything about him while there.
Upon entering the swamp, you encountered an insane dwarf, Ingrahild Nargrymkin, cursed by a green had, Ewigga. She has also lost her brother, Umlo, to the coven or the swamp, and has agreed to join you to the fort.
Finding and defeating Ewigga, and collecting the treasure told by Silvermane, you head for Redlake Fort.
Yes. Thanks for the update. I feel like we skipped over some of that in our earlier playing.
Well that is well defended. It seems are only real option is over a short wall in into a dry moat. Thats not great since the orcs can see in the dark pretty well.
What do you guys think? Could try and flood it and cause complete chaos but I don't think we can get in and out that quick.
I have invisibility sphere.
Well 6 minutes of invisibility for us, that is pretty darn sweet.
If we camp for the night I can have invisibility ready for myself as well. I could even spend an arane point to cast it a second if we had too. That plus your sphere should be enough to get is to the grate I would think.
Any other ideas? Anyone not want to risk camping someplace?
So we sneak around. I am going to assume they have things with scent so we don't want to try going to the front gate.
Balmir likes the idea of flooding the whole mote while I (the player) think that's probably not our smartest move. The invisibility trick might work but Balmir can't climb and does make a lot of noise.
Flooding things would make it slightly easier but also harder at the same time.
It would be ideal if we could work out a different way in through the palisade without having to climb it. Anyone have access to warp wood?
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I think the main options are:
1. Try to eliminate the orcs by sabotaging the dam. We then deal with ogres later.
2. Try to work with the orcs (not directly) to get them to attack the ogres and then thin each other out. We then deal with whoever wins.
3. Sneak past the orcs and try to infiltrate the ogres to find another way to hurt both sides.
Thoughts? Any other areas you'd like me to explore in pursuit of either of these options? Any I didn't consider?
In the gameplay thread you mention giants but here you mention ogres. I know there are orcs in the dry moat. Have we seen any creatures in the fortress itself? If so, what kind of creature are they?
Ogre's are giants though, or of the giant subtype.
We aren't going to be able to fight one side without alerting the other side
You have not yet looked inside the fort, but I believe Mouser heard the word 'ogres' a few times. And you battled at least one hill giant.
I would vote for sneak in. We can be all covered by Tamaxander or spend a night and I can cast some individuals as well.
Going for the dam first is ok but I worry it would put everyone on high alert. If we can do it without being caught so it looks an accident that is great.
I an not sure how to work with the orcs without trying to negotiate with them, which might work.
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What about this:
Let's use Tam's spell to sneak in and hide in the extra tents. I can then scout around the dam more, or look for other routes we could get to without alerting all the orcs.
I think we probably will need to deal with the orcs before we try to go in. As Derrik said, if we start fighting ogres/giants, we will alert all the orcs, and then we're trapped between the suddenly not feuding allies.
I'm starting to think the only good option is clearing the orcs out with the dam first, but maybe inside we can get more info.
Tam, maybe prepare two invis. spheres in case we need to get both in and out?
I can do that. In fact I can do that right now, as I have one in my specialty school slot, and an unused arcane focus slot.
Somehow this discussion is reminding me of playing The Shadow of Mordor (PC game) and how I would sneak in and 'attract' orcs so I could pick them off one by one. If you've played that game then maybe you know what I mean. :-)
We do seem to be a bit stuck. I like Somer's idea of subtle sabotage of the dam. Does anyone have engineering skills?
Lets give it a shot then. Maybe we can find a place near by to cover you.
The damn works for me, it will be risky to do but it could really pay off. Flood out the Orcs then go inside. We just have to be aware of alerting all those on the inside that something is happening.
Aye master halfling
Should we try and get to the other side before the flood? Not sure baout Sir Dwarf swimming across. :)
Derrik won't be able to either
Maybe the bridge over the moat will remain and we can cross over that.
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Okay, so I think the consensus is that we'll cast invisibity sphere and make our way to the tents.
Once there, I'll try to find out what we need to do to sabotage the dam.
Before I do the deed, I'll find a better place for the group to hide INSIDE the keep. We'll get inside and then I'll go back out and kill the dam.
Is that pretty much our plan?
So we are going right inside?
I vote inside and work our way out since that will make the most sense.
That plan seems good. Risky but fun.
So are you entering through the sewer grate? Or just entering the moat?
Sewer grate makes the most sense to me.
It's been a couple days. Are we waiting for someone?
THe GM
Hello, everyone. I am afraid this week just got away from me with so much to do before I leave. I will be travelling until March 25, and I don't plan to have much time or access during, so I will pick this back up when I return. Thanks for you patience!