GM SpiderBeard's Second Darkness (DrEvil Group) (Inactive)

Game Master Barvo Delancy

Oof. With Manyshot and Spring Heeled Style, Zoso and Saphren just got a big upgrade. Very cool.

Barbarian (armored hulk) 9

+1 BAB
+1 Ref and Will saves
+11 hit points (7 class, +3 Con, +1 favored class)

Class features: +1 resilience of steel

Skills: +1 each of: Intimidate, Knowledge (nature), Perception, Survival, Swim; Appraise, Linguistics

Language learned: Undercommon

Feat: Greater Overrun (FEAR ME)

Arcanist 9

+1 Fort and Reflex
HP: +4 (base) +3 (Con) +1 (preferred) = 8

Exploit: Spell Improvisation

Feat: Superior Summoning

Skills:
+4 Linguistics (Terran, Ignan, Aquan, Auran), +1 Know/Dungeoneering, +1 Know/Nobility

I also have to pick two new spells, but not tonight - I've gotta sleep!

Oof. With Manyshot and Spring Heeled Style, Zoso and Saphren just got a big upgrade. Very cool.

I'm going to really start putting this RNG to work on full attacks! Pretty solid upgrades all around though, I'm sure these Drow didn't get equal goodies in the next part... (flashbacks of heightened fireball)

For new spell, weighing between Jester's Jaunt and Find Fault

Besh has an ability that is similar to Find Fault:

Reveal Weakness: As a standard action, you select a foe within 30 feet. That creature takes a penalty to its AC and on saving throws equal to 1/2 your caster level (currently -4) for 1 round.

I haven't used it very often bc we usually kill everything in one round :)

Oh, I should have mentioned, I am open to suggestions for new spells - it's a lot to read through!

Doomed Hero wrote:

Oof. With Manyshot and Spring Heeled Style, Zoso and Saphren just got a big upgrade. Very cool.

I'm going to really start putting this RNG to work on full attacks! Pretty solid upgrades all around though, I'm sure these Drow didn't get equal goodies in the next part... (flashbacks of heightened fireball)

For new spell, weighing between Jester's Jaunt and Find Fault

I believe Jester’s Jaunt is superior.

Besh has an ability that is similar to Find Fault:

Reveal Weakness: As a standard action, you select a foe within 30 feet. That creature takes a penalty to its AC and on saving throws equal to 1/2 your caster level (currently -4) for 1 round.

I haven't used it very often bc we usually kill everything in one round :)

Oh, I should have mentioned, I am open to suggestions for new spells - it's a lot to read through!

Lets see, since you are 9th level you must still be talking 4th level spells. You know a lot of spells already - darn nice spellbook by the way:

4th level:
Black Tentacles
Enervation
Greater Invisibility
Hallucinatory Terrain
Illusory Wall
Phantasmal Killer
Rainbow Pattern
Shadow Conjuration
Stoneskin
Summon Monster IV

I know you have spell focus conjuration so maybe at least one conjuration spell; Maybe Acid Pit? And the large hole I see that you are missing is Dimension Door. Love that spell. Ball Lightning is a nice spell to keep damage going on something. And Confusion is always a must for me at some point. Dimensional Anchor is great to have in your book. Some people like Greater False Life. And Resilient Sphere is awesome to take out cleric types.

I can't claim any credit - I mostly just used Novelniss's spellbook.

I haven't picked up Dimension Door as it is partially covered by Dimensional Slide (though Slide is only self and it's line of sight). Acid Pit is great - I'll definitely take it.

Taking something that is particularly good against clerics is likely going to be useful very soon, but you might have to explain the strategy of Resilient Sphere.

You just put the resilient sphere around the enemy cleric. It's a Ref save, which clerics are bad at. It isolates them so they can't cast spells to affect the battlefield - no healing their allies, summoning monsters, hold person against us, etc.

Yep. It will make you very happy when the evil cleric fails his reflex save and is all bubbled up. Bad when they have the travel domain and can dimensional step out of it.

My Doors to Anywhere ability works as Dimension Door now, but can only take me, and requires a doorway at the origin and ending point.

You just put the resilient sphere around the enemy cleric. It's a Ref save, which clerics are bad at. It isolates them so they can't cast spells to affect the battlefield - no healing their allies, summoning monsters, hold person against us, etc.

Cool, thanks! I didn't realize from the description that they wouldn't be able to cast from inside, which is why I hesitant.

Invisibility Sphere: Those affected by this spell can see each other and themselves as if unaffected by the spell. Any affected creature moving out of the area becomes visible, but creatures moving into the area after the spell is cast do not become invisible. Affected creatures (other than the recipient) who attack negate the invisibility only for themselves. If the spell recipient attacks, the invisibility sphere ends.

There aren't a lot of details about Invisibility Sphere - it doesn't even have a Duration - which raises a number of questions:

- If you all leave the sphere, can you still see Besh? Or does ze become invisible to you too?
- If you leave the sphere and then move back into its radius, do you disappear again?

Besh would probably stick close to anyone who wants to stay invisible, but that's likely pretty difficult when we are choosing mounts, and will likely be impossible while we are climbing on the ceiling. Ze will continue to stay invisible for as long as possible, however (not that there's much choice - it doesn't look like it can be dismissed), so you'll have (at least) one riderless gecko with you. If you're worried about that looking suspicious, we could have it led by whoever rolled a decent Ride check (e.g., Zoso).

I think it's "as invisibility"

Besh, don't you make spell resistance rolls for each target individually?

Right!
Thanks for reminding me - it was pretty late when I posted and I didn't think of that until I was in bed :)

Maybe it'll blow up their mounts and then everybody just falls off the wall?

Oh yeah - stats on the geckos:

Those things are tougher than I was thinking. Are the combat trained mounts? What do we have to do to get them to attack our enemies?

It doesn't say anywhere, but it would be lame if they weren't. The geckos are war-trained. DC 10 ride check to get them to attack since they know a fight. That is in addition to the check required to get them to move.

Ok, marked my wall. I had to leave one unsnagged, but I think Brenna and Sahpren can take care of that one. The rest are in for a rough time.

OK. This combat is quite cool. :) I still need a little more info before I can act with good tactics.

First, are the ride checks for riding these things on a vertical wall the same as riding a horse in combat? Here are those ride checks.

Task Ride DC
Guide with knees 5
Stay in saddle 5
Get mount to fight 10
Cover 15
Soft fall 15
Leap 15
Spur mount 15
Control mount in battle 20
Fast mount or dismount 20

So its only a DC 5 ride check to simply get the mount to rid forward. Saphren will tap that, even being untrained in riding, which is nice.

Second, I still need to know how the enemy is armed. If we are facing drow cavaliers with lances that plan ride by attacks, etc, I want a hint of that by seeing the lances. And if they are all holding those hand held crossbows ready to shoot us with sleep arrows I sorta need to know that too. lol.

Third, I'd like to know how high up on the wall we are. Would a fall be fatal? Back in 3.5 I think all drow could feather fall, but I am betting they cannot if they are strapped to a large lizard mount. :) But can they do something like swift action (or immediately action) release themselves from their saddles?

And, just an observation, but I doubt we are gonna quickly drop these mounts. Still, they will be easier to hit that the drow even if they have more HP than all of is but Brenna.

I'm not sure, of course, but since we didn't get Featherfall with our Bloodlink Amulets, I would assume standard drow don't have that either (nobles, on the other hand, have Levitate iirc). Besh has Featherfall prepared, though, so you're covered on that front (even if you can't get out of your saddle right away).

Saphren - the unfamiliarity of the geckos and the fact you're on a vertical surface cranks up the DC to 14. The book is really explicit about that one.

The enemy is armed with lances. You're around 80' in the air at the centre of the map. A fall would not likely kill a party member who fell, but you wouldn't want to fall.

Actually, I'm looking at the stats of the soldiers as provided and the DC is high enough they're not moving 1/3 of the time and this is their job. I'm going to drop the DC to 9 and arbitrate a +4 difficulty for being on a vertical surface.

Hmm. I feared lances. I do hope they are not all cavaliers. lol.

It might be worth it for everyone to quickly review mounted combat. Brenna, I know it seems wrong but you can indeed have your mount double move and still make an attack at the end of that movement. But now I am confused about this being a surprise round. If we are still in the surprise round you can only make a standard action.

Did all the drow inside the thorn wall pull free on their actions? Is that what I'm seeing, or are some of them still stuck? Did they take damage?

They moved inwards and took damage from being in it when the spell was cast and then moving in. Just uh, laziness on my part. >.>

no problem. I just wanted to check.

If I did everything right, the lizards shouldn't be able to squeeze though the gap in the back, but the drow might be able to. I couldn't quite make it one solid ring.

These guys are so f+*~ed. :D

I just noticed that the post I made for Vex's Surprise Round action isn't there. I guess the Postmonster got it.

The short version: Vex went invisible.

I have never yet played a character who ever had to use mounted combat, so I'm just rusty.

Also I'm on the road this weekend and it turns out that
the

hotel

internet

is

very

slow

Slow hotel internet should violate the Geneva convention.

Starting this again!

Lyra:
Good Hope: +2 attacks, saves, damage, skill checks, ability checks
Inspire: +2 attacks, damage

Vex:
Good Hope: +2 attacks, saves, damage, skill checks, ability checks
Inspire: +2 attacks, damage

Brenna:
Good Hope: +2 attacks, saves, damage, skill checks, ability checks
Inspire: +2 attacks, damage

Beshtori:
Good Hope: +2 attacks, saves, damage, skill checks, ability checks
Inspire: +2 attacks, damage

Saphren:
Good Hope: +2 attacks, saves, damage, skill checks, ability checks
Inspire: +2 attacks, damage

Zoso:
Good Hope: +2 attacks, saves, damage, skill checks, ability checks
Inspire: +2 attacks, damage

And we all have Haste too!

Edit:
Actually, Haste is 1 creature/level, so Besh will target:
- Vex
- Brenna + mount
- Saphren + mount
- Besh (mount only)
- Lyr
- Zoso
- Saphan

I was looking to see what flying creatures Besh could summon to help us out, but I think it would be a lot more fun to just summon a couple of sharks and let them fall on top of these idiots :P

Thanks for the assist, Zoso!

Lyra
Life Link
Heightened Senses (80m) +2 perception, +4 init
Good Hope: (morale bonuses) +2 attacks, saves, damage, skill checks, ability checks
Inspire: (morale bonuses) +2 attacks, damage
Haste: +1 attack, +1 ac, +30' movement, +1 extra attack on full attacks

Vex
Good Hope: (morale bonuses) +2 attacks, saves, damage, skill checks, ability checks
Inspire: (morale bonuses) +2 attacks, damage
Haste: +1 attack, +1 ac, +30' movement, +1 extra attack on full attacks

Brenna
Good Hope: (morale bonuses) +2 attacks, saves, damage, skill checks, ability checks
Inspire: (morale bonuses) +2 attacks, damage
Haste: +1 attack, +1 ac, +30' movement, +1 extra attack on full attacks

Beshtori
Mage Armor (8h), +4 ac
Good Hope: (morale bonuses) +2 attacks, saves, damage, skill checks, ability checks
Inspire: (morale bonuses) +2 attacks, damage
Haste: +1 attack, +1 ac, +30' movement, +1 extra attack on full attacks

Saphren
Good Hope: (morale bonuses) +2 attacks, saves, damage, skill checks, ability checks
Inspire: (morale bonuses) +2 attacks, damage
Haste: +1 attack, +1 ac, +30' movement, +1 extra attack on full attacks

Zoso
Good Hope: (morale bonuses) +2 attacks, saves, damage, skill checks, ability checks
Inspire: (morale bonuses) +2 attacks, damage
Haste: +1 attack, +1 ac, +30' movement, +1 extra attack on full attacks

Good Hope and Inspire Courage don't really stack well, sadly. Zoso, is there anything else you can do with your Bardsong while Good Hope is up? (Or even just save your rounds)

No problem!

The attack and damage buffs are actually competence bonuses so it's only half redundant. I can just cast spells instead, though I like having it going so I can drop it for one of the Finale spells in a pinch. Another option is Fascinate and Suggestion. Funny thing, I've never use the other performances. Can Inspire Greatness now too.

I thought they were both Morale. Where'd you see Competence?

Inspire Courage: An affected ally receives a +1 morale bonus on saving throws against charm and fear effects and a +1 competence bonus on attack and weapon damage rolls.

oh cool, I'll update the tracker next round. Thanks for clearing that up for me.

Hey guys, tried to post last night but the site crashed and now I've decided it's a good time to come down with flu. Going to take it easy as I tried to re-do my post and could not will my brain to sort through the fight. Be back as soon as I am able.

Oh wow! I hope you feel better soon :)

Summer flues are the worst. Get well soon.

I'll try to keep up, but I'm out of town for a funeral. I should be home on Monday. If you need to push ahead please don't wait on my account!

GM SpiderBeard,

Can I get permission to change a feat out? Saphren has Shadow Strike, which gives him the ability to do sneak attack damage when his enemy has concealment, but not total concealment. But I recently learned that this is redundant with an unchained rogue's ability to sneak attack. The actual wording for Sneak attack is different for unchained rogues and includes this ability already.

Permission granted. *gavel gavel gavel*

If I put Freedom of Movement of Saphren would that prevent him from taking damage from the wall of thorns, or is the damage separate from the movement hindering effect?