Magnimar Special Investigations Unit One (Inactive)

Game Master Nazard

As Awgin steps off the stairs and moves towards the vault, he hears a man's voice call out from inside in an unknown language.

At the words, the three elementals leave their pounding and make their way towards Awgin and Heward.

And here we go, our first combat. I'll roll initiative for everybody, as I'm sure there will be calls for help as soon as things start to get nasty.

Calatin Initiative: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (16) + 2 = 18
Auriel Initiative: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 2 = 14
Laya Initiative: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (1) + 0 = 1
Awgin Initiative: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (10) + 2 = 12
Heward Initiative: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (16) + 1 = 17
Markiv Initiative (fused): 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 = 8
Elemental 1 Initiative: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (2) - 1 = 1
Elemental 2 Initiative: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (17) - 1 = 16
Elemental 3 Initiative: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (2) - 1 = 1
Man with the voice Initiative: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (11) + 5 = 16

Initiative Order:
Calatin
Heward
Man with Voice
Elemental 2
Auriel
Awgin
Markiv
Laya
Elemental 1
Elemental 3

ROUND 1

Up next: Calatin, Heward, Man with Voice

UPSTAIRS MAP UPDATED

CELLAR MAP UPDATED
I'm assuming that Awgin or Heward shout up a warning that the elementals are about to engage them (and that there's a man inside the vault). If they choose to keep that information to themselves for some strange reason, Calatin is unable to use his turn. Therefore, can one of you please confirm that you communicate with those upstairs?

Enjoy our first combat, folks.

"Right behind you," Heward replies. He isn't sure they shouldn't try to stop the stone men, and he is sure that the cellar is a terribly stupid place to be right now, but he's not going to let the half-orc act more bravely than he, and the Watch takes care of its own. He won't abandon Awgin down here,

"Right behind you," Heward replies. He isn't sure they shouldn't try to stop the stone men, and he is sure that the cellar is a terribly stupid place to be right now, but he's not going to let the half-orc act more bravely than he, and the Watch takes care of its own. He won't abandon Awgin down here,

Is that a shout up the stairs? ;)

To get things going, I'll use my turn thus...

Caught mind wide open in the middle of communing with his familiar, Calatin feels... something. Something awry.

"There's something wrong downstairs!" he calls out, still trying to figure out the confusing sensations. "Someone else down there... Angwin and Heward need our help!"

Calatin, drawing on his diviner training, shouts out a warning to those upstairs.

Up next: Heward, Man with Voice, Elemental 2, Auriel, Awgin

"Awgin, 'ware the stone men!" Heward shouts to the half-orc.

"Stop in the name of Magnimar!" He roars at the stone men. He doesn't really think the stone men will stop and is already dropping his halberd into a thrusting position.

ROund 1

old business

Heward Wallas wrote:

"Right behind you," Heward replies. He isn't sure they shouldn't try to stop the stone men, and he is sure that the cellar is a terribly stupid place to be right now, but he's not going to let the half-orc act more bravely than he, and the Watch takes care of its own. He won't abandon Awgin down here,

Is that a shout up the stairs? ;)

No, you ninja'd my last post with your announcement to go to rounds. (It takes me forever to compose and I don't always look to see if anyone posted while I was writing. } "right behind you" was me letting Awgin know I had his back.

Heward steps to L34 and thrusts his halberd against the earth elemental. Sparks fly as the metal blade finds a crack and widens it considerably.

Sorry, folks, I forgot that I was planning on giving you their ACs, hps and saves, so that you can resolve your own attacks with whatever narrative you wish. The elementals will just vanish as soon as they are brought to 0 hps.

Elemental 1: AC 17/t10/ff17; hp: 17/17; F+4/R-1/W+3
Elemental 2: AC 17/t10/ff17; hp: 10/17; F+4/R-1/W+3
Elemental 3: AC 17/t10/ff17; hp: 17/17; F+4/R-1/W+3

Awgin feels a breath of wind, as if somebody just ran past him out of the vault towards the stairs. He can see or hear nothing.

Elemental 2 swings at Heward.
Attack: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (2) + 7 = 9
The thunderous blow whooshes harmlessly through Heward's legs, a scant three inches from rendering him permanently sopranoish.

Up next: Auriel, Awgin, Markiv

"There's something wrong downstairs!" he calls out, still trying to figure out the confusing sensations. "Someone else down there... Angwin and Heward need our help!"

"Well of course there's something wrong down there!" Auriel starts to shout back crossly, when she suddenly realizes that the pounding has stopped. "Oh, good job, guys," she breathes, as she dashes down the stairs. Seeing the rock-monsters, she gives them a wide berth as she pushes past Awgin to the vault door. Perception to search for anything matching the enjoiner's description 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (17) + 5 = 22

Depending on how much stuff of the jewelry variety is in here, this could be a needle in a haystack. She won't spend more than one round on this at this point in time.

Calatin ab'Halla wrote:

"There's something wrong downstairs!" he calls out, still trying to figure out the confusing sensations. "Someone else down there... Angwin and Heward need our help!"

"Well of course there's something wrong down there!" Auriel starts to shout back crossly, when she suddenly realizes that the pounding has stopped. "Oh, good job, guys," she breathes, as she dashes down the stairs. Seeing the rock-monsters, she gives them a wide berth as she pushes past Awgin to the vault door. Perception to search for anything matching the enjoiner's description 1d20+5

Depending on how much stuff of the jewelry variety is in here, this could be a needle in a haystack. She won't spend more than one round on this at this point in time.

Auriel sees a fortune in gems and jewelry cramming every shelf on every wall of the vault. She's about to give up her search when her toe kicks a small stand, the kind used for displaying necklaces. It was lying, empty, on the floor, and a shelf above it shows clear evidence of being disturbed, as if somebody had grabbed something quickly.

Up next: Awgin, Markiv, Laya

When my turn comes around Markiv will do a thrilling double move.

"Snap! I think something just went past me." Awgin turns around and rushes back upstairs. {b]"He's invisible or something. Look out for him."[/b]

Free action to speak?

"He has it!" Auriel shouts from the vault. "He has the fragment!"

Folks, to make things easier/clearer, please give me co-ordinates or some other description for your final destination when you move. There are a ton of reasons why I need to know where your characters are, not the least of which is are you going to be inside this building if it comes crashing down! For now, I'll take guesses as to where Heward and Awgin end up, and give Markiv a chance to decide if he's heading down into the cellar or not now that Awgin has abandoned Heward to face three CR 2 critters on his own...I mean, pursued the suspect.

Awgin dashes up the stairs, looking wildly about for signs of the invisible presence he felt. He finds none. Technically, Awgin and Auriel are in the same "square" at the moment, though Auriel is in one half on the stairway leading up, while Awgin is on the stairs leading down into the cellar, both of which take up half a square.

Up next: Markiv, Laya, Elemental 1, Elemental 3

And yes, Auriel, always a free and immediate action to speak, so long as it is of "reasonable" length.

UPSTAIRS MAP UPDATED

CELLAR MAP UPDATED

Folks, to make things easier/clearer, please give me co-ordinates or some other description for your final destination when you move. .... Technically, Awgin and Auriel are in the same "square" at the moment, though Auriel is in one half on the stairway leading up, while Awgin is on the stairs leading down into the cellar, both of which take up half a square.

Auriel actually said she was at the vault door, which is M 32 or 33, unless she couldn't get that far with a double move. I wasn't sure how much movement it would take to go up and down stairs.

Nazard wrote:

Folks, to make things easier/clearer, please give me co-ordinates or some other description for your final destination when you move. .... Technically, Awgin and Auriel are in the same "square" at the moment, though Auriel is in one half on the stairway leading up, while Awgin is on the stairs leading down into the cellar, both of which take up half a square.

Auriel actually said she was at the vault door, which is M 32 or 33, unless she couldn't get that far with a double move. I wasn't sure how much movement it would take to go up and down stairs.

OOPS! My goof there. I'll remedy that immediately.

UPSTAIRS MAP UPDATED

CELLAR MAP UPDATED

Fixed.

Being a fairly solid fellow*, Calatin will position himself so as to block the exit from the building. Invisible or not, our adversary is going to have to shove to get by him!

*Yeah, I know. Obese is the word.

Can we see the 'armed fellow' or is he invisible?

Can we see the 'armed fellow' or is he invisible?

The armed man is visible, though still flickering fitfully from Awgin barreling through him. It's an illusion.

What is there to the left of the map, i.e. in columns 1, 0, -1, etc.? Laya's still quite convinced the main culprit is outside somewhere, and is likely to start checking every alley. :)

I think Markiv can reach a baddie...

Markiv moves into the building, pushing past Calatin and is surprised by the flickering illusion. He moves through it down the stairs where he spots Heward standing off against the three creatures, "Don't worry, Heward, I'll assist."

Move to the closest elemental and attack.
Claw attack 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10 Probably a miss, but just in case;
Damage 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5

Initiative Order:
Calatin
Heward
Man with Voice
Elemental 2
Auriel
Awgin
Markiv
Laya
Elemental 1
Elemental 3

Elemental 1: AC 17/t10/ff17; hp: 17/17; F+4/R-1/W+3
Elemental 2: AC 17/t10/ff17; hp: 10/17; F+4/R-1/W+3
Elemental 3: AC 17/t10/ff17; hp: 17/17; F+4/R-1/W+3

Markiv clomps down the stairs in his celestial armour, brightening the cellar considerably, to J34. His clawed attack fails to find its mark on the stoneman, however.

Laya continues looking in alleys and up to rooftops, looking for their attacker.

Elemental 1 swings back at Markiv. The stone fist clangs off his armour. The stone man then takes a "5-foot step" into the packed dirt of the floor, essentially disappearing into the ground.
Attack: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (3) + 7 = 10

Elemental 3 begins pounding on one of the support columns (it's actualy in Heward's square). Cracks instantly spiderweb up the entire length of it, and dust rains down on Heward from the ceiling above.
Everybody upstairs feels the floor violently shift.

ROUND 2

Up next: Calatin, Heward, Man with Voice, Elemental 2, Auriel

Sorry, can't update map at the moment. Markiv is in J34 and Elemental 3 is in M34.

Oops! I see that Calatin had already specified his Round 2 action. I'm noticing that so far, nobody has been using the combat post format I asked for! Can we try to post in the following format:

Calatin moves back onto the porch, blocking the entire doorway with his considerable girth.

Up next: Heward, Man with voice, Elemental 2, Auriel, Awgin

UPSTAIRS MAP UPDATED
CELLAR MAP UPDATED
LAYA AND WILD GOOSE MAP UPDATED
Elemental 1: AC 17/t10/ff17; hp: 17/17; F+4/R-1/W+3
Elemental 2: AC 17/t10/ff17; hp: 10/17; F+4/R-1/W+3
Elemental 3: AC 17/t10/ff17; hp: 17/17; F+4/R-1/W+3

"Damn, damn, damn!" Auriel grits from her vantage point inside the vault. "Stop that thing before the whole shop goes over the cliff!"

Since I'm up everyone should be able to check that spoiler right away I do believe.

"I'm a little busy here! Markiv can you tie him up?"

Round 2:

Since I'm up everyone should be able to check that spoiler right away I do believe.

"I'm a little busy here! Markiv can you tie him up?"

Round 2: ** spoiler omitted **

Halberds are NOT reach weapons. I checked last round.

Cool. Please amend my post to attack elemental 2, then step back 5'. Sorry for the momentary confusion. All the other polearms are reach.

Elemental 2 steps forward and swings its fist back at Heward, chunks of rock and dirt falling off it as it does. It's fist slams into Heward hard enough that Auriel, Awgin, and Markiv can hear ribs crack, or maybe it was his spine. Heward goes down in a heap and the elemental turns its attention back towards the rear wall.
Attack: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (16) + 7 = 23; Damage: 1d6 + 10 ⇒ (4) + 10 = 14

Up next: Auriel, Awgin, Markiv

"MEDIC!! MEDIC!!"

Elementals are not immune to non-lethal damage according to the rules, although I do find that extremely odd.

Tylluan comes out of delay and comes flapping down in front of Laya, getting in her face, and pushing her towards the shop.

Auriel does her Shrieky impersonation. Awgin and Calatin both hear her call for help.

Up next: Awgin, Markiv, Laya

I just noted that Awgin is not in the right place. He ran after what ever it was that passed him by and should be upstairs.

I just noted that Awgin is not in the right place. He ran after what ever it was that passed him by and should be upstairs.

I put him at the top of the stairs leading to the top level. Just for simplicity's sake (because the main floor map is so crowded), I left him on the cellar map. If you think he would have moved further away from the cellar, give me a co-ordinate on the main map and I'll put him there.

I didn't see that. I guess I was not reading the map well.

I didn't see that. I guess I was not reading the map well.

No worries. It's not my best map, for sure. Does Awgin have any action for this round? It's his turn.

Awgin comes up short just before bowling into Calatin. "Out of the way! Did you see him?" He tries to see if the thief has left a trail showing which way he went.
Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 5 = 8 +2 if human

Nobody has come past Calatin, invisible or not, that he's aware of, and none of the doors leading off this hallway have been opened. Awgin sees no trails.

Up next: Markiv, Laya, Elemental 1, Elemental 3, Calatin

Elemental 1: AC 17/t10/ff17; hp: 17/17; F+4/R-1/W+3 (hiding in floor)
Elemental 2: AC 17/t10/ff17; hp: 1/17; F+4/R-1/W+3 (attacking rear wall)
Elemental 3: AC 17/t10/ff17; hp: 17/17; F+4/R-1/W+3 (attacking support column)

Just in case I get delayed in posting tomorrow:

Round 3:

"Nobody - or thing - has passed by me... and I don't leave much space for anything to wriggle by," said Calatin.

Round 3

Markiv steps over the spot where the elemental disappeared and slashes at the almost destroyed elemental, ripping enough chunks off that it starts to fall apart before vanishing in a puff of arcane smoke.

Laya comes running back towards the shop.

Elemental 1 reappears in the same spot and swings at Markiv, missing wide.
Attack: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (1) + 7 = 8

Elemental 3 continues to assault the support column. The ceiling (and floor above) groan alarmingly.

ROUND 3

Up next: Calatin, Heward, Man with Voice, Auriel

Calatin remains where he is, but reaching out with his mind to Tylluan.

"What do you see, bird?"

Calatin receives mental impressions of amusement, good smells, and an image of a chattering squirrel - all images he's come to learn are Tylluan's representation of Laya.

Up next: Auriel, Awgin, Markiv

UPSTAIRS MAP UPDATED
CELLAR MAP UPDATED

Initiative Order:
Calatin
Heward
Man with Voice
Auriel
Awgin
Markiv
Laya
Elemental 1
Elemental 3

Elemental 1: AC 17/t10/ff17; hp: 17/17; F+4/R-1/W+3
Elemental 3: AC 17/t10/ff17; hp: 17/17; F+4/R-1/W+3

"Damn!" Awgin turns back and goes downstairs. He gets to J34 and strikes at the elemental.

Flail:
to hit 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (18) + 4 = 22 damage 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (8) + 4 = 12

Cracks to rival those in the building's foundations appear in Elemental 1, but it's hanging on.

Up next: Markiv, Laya

Markiv steps up to elemental 1 and lashes out with his claws.
Claw 1: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (11) + 4 = 15
Claw 2: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (9) + 4 = 13
Both claws clang harmlessly of the hard rock.

Laya ducks past Calatin and as he points down the stairs, quickly ducks down into the cellar. She arrives to see two earth elementals and Heward lying on the ground, twitching and moaning.

Elemental 1 swings at Awgin.
1d20 + 7 ⇒ (5) + 7 = 12 The stony fist clangs against his armour. Awgin can feel that if that had been unprotected flesh, he'd have a hole in his gut.

Elemental 3 gives the column one last smash, and it crumbles into rubble. With a creak and a groan, the building pitches precariously towards the cliff edge.

ROUND 4

Up next: Calatin, Heward, Man with Voice, Auriel

Thinking it's high time to get out of here, Calatin calls downstairs, "Do you need assistance down there?"

If the answer is in the affirmative, he will - against his better judgement - go & help, otherwise he will go outside.

Dust and stone chips burst from the back side of the column with each blow of the elemental's fists. They shower down on Heward and clatter off his breastplate. Dust in his right eye makes him reflexively raise his arm to try to keep more from getting in, but that movement triggers a convulsive pain that makes his body shudder.

The column collapses. Heavier chunks land on and around the Watchman. Fortunately his armor absorbs the blows without further damage to the man .

"This whole place is about to slide off the cliff and crash onto unsuspecting people below!" Auriel shouts up the stairs. "Of course we need assistance!" While still concerned to the point of distraction about the fate of Lowcleft, at this point, she can't help but take some interest in what might happen to her too if the building collapses. She hopes that the vault will provide some protection if the upper stories fall in. She keeps an uneasy eye on the elemental that just caved in the support pillar, to see where it's going next.

Delay. If the elemental moves away, she'll dash out to try to grab Heward and drag him into the vault, but she's not willing to take an AoO to save him.