GM/Lictor Lane's Who Needs Parenting? = CoT Team 1 IC Thread (Inactive)

Game Master michaelane

Xianae enters the building. Inside she sees a large table, scarred with many nail-holes, gouges from carving tools, and other similar wear. A smaller square table is flipped upside down in the back. The corners of the room are cluttered with tiny nails, a finishing hammer, and several incomplete wooden chairs. A set of stairs leads upstairs.

Coran follows behind Xianae ready to help if more of the undead show.

Nothing else stirs as Xianae enters the building. All is still.

I look around but see nothing of danger, so I head towards the stairs, I look back at Coran and whisper, "There's stairs going up's."

Jo will follow behind Coran.

Emmett will do his best to find a spot in the middle of the group. "What about the bells we heard earlier? Should we worry about those?" he asks, knowing the answer...

Whispering Back "Let's go up, but be alert we don't want to be taken by surprise."

Perception 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (8) + 6 = 14

Byron nods.

"I think any chance *we* had of gaining surprise has been shot to Hell. I would hate for the tables to be turned."

I listen carefully to what everyone is saying and head on up, being extra cautious.

Perception : 1d20 ⇒ 12

Single file. Order is Xianae, Coran, Jo, Emmett, Byron?

Sounds right.

I am happy with that too.

Xianae leads the way up the steps. There is only room above for Xianae, Coran and Jo on the landing. Emmett stops on the stairs and Byron at the bottom. Xianae and Coran find a well-made bed with blankets and sheets, a chair and a small table.

Round 1: Coran, Jo, Enemies, Byron, Xianae, Emmett

Emmett reminisces his youth. Thalev Bottomwind might have been right after all. I am that stupid!

Coran and Jo continue looking through things upstairs, oblivious to what is happening down below. It is soon clear that this was probably used as a bedroom about a month or so ago, but not recently.

Round 1: Coran, Jo, Enemies, Byron, Xianae, Emmett

I am still here, just waiting to see what Byron does before I post my actions.

Xianae - go ahead and go. I'm thinking I may adapt an alternative which basically puts everyone after the enemies on the same initiative and whoever posts first goes first. I think it might speed things up. The other thing that would help me is if everyone could replicate the status bar in a way similar to what Coran has done. Just add it to your Class line in your profile. You can hide it in a spoiler tag if you prefer.

I would go, but currently I am up the stairs and have no idea that anything is happening, so if Byron calls out, then I shall see if I can help. Otherwise I will just be looking around the room.

Fair enough :)

Byron curses loudly when everything goes dark, then yelps when he feels the sting of a blade.

"Guys, I think there down here - it's pitch black, and I am being stabbed by something!"

Byron then fumbles in the direction of the front door.

There is pretty much nothing I can do effectively in the dark - I can't go total defense, since that is a dodge bonus, and I am flat-footed in the dark. I can't withdraw, either, so take whatever AoOs you need to as he fumbles for the exit.

Hearing Byron, I turn about, "Comin'!" With that I turn and try to go downstairs. Also provoking attacks from anything within reach.

I have my Axe in hand and I also have Darkvision : 60 feet)

Round 1: Coran, Jo, Enemies, Byron, Xianae, Emmett
Round 2: Coran, Jo, Enemies, Byron, Xianae, Emmett

Emmett, not sure how best to deal with the threat, tries to bring light, hoping it might work.

Casting Dancing Lights, where Byron was.

"3 foes', 2 with crossbow's 'n' 1 with a sword's!"

If the one in front of me (with the sword) is within reach I will attack with my axe.

Battle-Axe Attack : 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (10) + 4 = 14
Battle-Axe Damage : 1d8 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 5 = 8

If he is not within reach, then I shall move towards the 2 with the bows, so I am standing beside them.

Xianae, you'res till 5 feet from the one with the sword and the table is between you and the others. So, your best bet is probably to stay put or to move closer to the one with the sword. You'd still threaten one of the crossbowmen from there.

Jo heads back down the stairs following Xianae

Jo, we'll see what Xianae does to determine where you end up. Things turn black as soon as you reach Emmett.

I will move around the table, so that I am beside both of the archers. That way Jo has room to come down and take care of the guy with the sword.

Xianae, you are the only person that can see - none of the rest of us has Darkvision, and we need a 3rd level or higher light spell to counteract Darkness :-/

Emmett's lights blink out as soon as he tries to summon them.

For some reason I completely got the wrong end of the darkness, not thinking it was the spell. But just the lights going out.

I take another step towards the villain holding the sword.

"HEY! Who turned out da lights!!"

Well, they sort of have their own version of a light switch. Just need Coran before the enemies go. I'll put the confused Jo at the foot of the stairs behind Xianae.

Round 2: Coran, Jo, Enemies, Byron, Xianae, Emmett

Coran draws his blade and shield as defense and will hold his action til till he can see what is going on.

Everyone can hear the sounds of battle break out on he first floor. The clash of weapons against armor and the sound of an arrow or crossbow bolt striking wood.

Round 2: Coran, Jo, Enemies, Byron, Xianae, Emmett

Byron turns around, and takes a swing at the dimly-lit figure that he can see...

Silversheen ECB: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (18) + 5 = 23, for 1d10 + 9 ⇒ (3) + 9 = 12 Silver Slashing damage.

Miss chance (20%?): 1d100 ⇒ 24.

I grunt in pain and swing my axe at the one who just stabbed me.

Battle-Axe Attack : 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (18) + 4 = 22
Battle-Axe Damage : 1d8 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 5 = 8

Hit Points : 13 / 19

This is frustrating... thinks Emmett as he realizes his incantation will not break the darkness. He presses against the wall, not sure how to even the odds.

Perception to figure out where to put a grease spell: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8

Emmett, you can pick squares and then roll a 50% miss chance.

With a devastating tandem assault, Byron and Xianae cut down the tiefling standing by the door.

Round 3: Coran, Jo, Enemies, Byron, Xianae, Emmett

Emmett curses and waits for the others to act. He knows making the ground slippery could even the odds, but if he misses, it could spell doom for all of them.

I have not seen a map. Not that it would help being essentially blind. So I will improvise in a special Jo kind of way - rash and without much for thought.

Seeing the arrow stuck into the wall and having no shield. Jo heads back up the steps to find a door, if one is nearby, he rips it off the door jam making an improvise tower shield.

GM, I am guessing Jo will have to set Rosebud down to accomplish this action as it seems to require two hands to weild the door. He has a very simplistic idea in his head and is willing to leave Rosebud at the top of the steps.

Let me know if you require a strength check for ripping the door off its hinges.

I put a map up for Xianae if you really want to look, but I think its a little more realiztic being blind ;-) Rule of cool says there has to be a door, but I'd say its move + standard to get to the door and rip it off.

Jo bulls his way back up the steps past Emmett. Emerging back into the light in front of a shocked Coran, he rips the door at the top of the stairs off its hinges.

The tieflings curse, seeing their easiest target disappear back upstairs and then cringe at the sounds of the destruction Jo is wreaking at the top of the stairs. Desperate to turn the tide of the battle, they attack Xianae with abandon. The crossbow flies over her head and right out the door past Byron, but the one next to her with the sword manages to strike a glancing blow. 2 hp damage

In the interest of keeping things moving, I will delay Coran till after the enemies. Everyone can go. Byron, you're going to have to go into the dark if you want to get to these ones.

Round 3: Jo, Enemies, Coran, Byron, Xianae, Emmett

Byron sighs in frustration, but refuses to enter the Darkness again.

Just put him on delay for the moment.

@Xianae: you might be on your own in this fight till Jo gets down there with his "shield." Go when you're ready.

Emmett moves upstairs following Jo: "What are y- Hey! Why d- Ooooh... Nice idea Jo! Pound them for me will you!"

He keeps an eye on the darkness, waiting for something to emerge, for it to dissipate, or for the languished cries of death of his comrades.

It's a good thing Papa doesn't know about all this...

Moving things along...

Xianae lashes out with her axe at the next tiefling. She cleaves right through his leather armor dropping the tiefling to the ground.
Battle-Axe Attack : 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (15) + 4 = 19
Battle-Axe Damage : 1d8 + 5 ⇒ (6) + 5 = 11

Coran delays and I believe Byron will continue to delay, so we're top of Round 4 with Jo.

Round 4: Jo, Enemies, Xianae, Emmett, Coran, Byron

Jo will move down the step carefully using the door as a shield. As a double move, can he get to Byron and or Xianae?

"Should I follow you Jo?!" offers Emmett, definitely not happy with staying by himself.

@Jo: You can definitely move back down into the dark area as a move action. You can either try to help shield Xianae, bull rush the tiefling (with miss chance due to the dark) or try to get outside with Byron.

I am back now, quite a bit of reading to do too. Thank-ypu for GMPC'ing Xianaé as I asked.