Mended Wall's PBP for beginners (Inactive)

Game Master Hoary and Wizened

So, your saying I should use the sleep wand instead of another Burning Hands?

YES! Another burning hands would wake up everyone I just knocked out! Put the rest of them to sleep and we'll CdG their asses.

readies an action to use the slumber hex on the closest kobold still standing [or riding] after Dolok's burning hands spell goes off.

From my last post. I am near certain that the kobold desribed was killed by the burning hands, so although my readied action might have been forgotten it was nugatory anyway. I am going to wait to see which kobolds are still up to sleep those. Remember my hex only lasts 3 rounds, so coup de grace those first.

Dolok will take the Sleep wand and activate it, and if he still caan he will take a 5 ft step back to allow Goruck up front.

Kobold (Orange) Will Save:: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (10) - 1 = 9
Kobold (Blue) Will Save:: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (6) - 1 = 5
Kobold (Green) Will Save:: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (3) - 1 = 2
Kobold (Yellow) Will Save:: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (13) - 1 = 12
Kobold (Purple) Will Save:: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (20) - 1 = 19
Kobold (Cyan) Will Save:: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (14) - 1 = 13

I don't know for sure that all that info is correct or not, I just copied Illiam's die roll, so I guess/hope it is?

Dolok will take the Sleep wand and activate it, and if he still caan he will take a 5 ft step back to allow Goruck up front.

[dice=Kobold (Orange) Will Save:]1d20 - 1
[dice=Kobold (Blue) Will Save:]1d20 - 1
[dice=Kobold (Green) Will Save:]1d20 - 1
[dice=Kobold (Yellow) Will Save:]1d20 - 1
[dice=Kobold (Purple) Will Save:]1d20 - 1
[dice=Kobold (Cyan) Will Save:]1d20 - 1

I don't know for sure that all that info is correct or not, I just copied Illiam's die roll, so I guess/hope it is?

You probably want to target one square higher, to exclude blue (who already failed his save) and instead include red and his slurk in the area of effect.

Stepping forward into range of the sleeping kobold with the solemn air of an excutioner, Goruck intones, "I will not tolerate such blatant lack of honor and respect. May your passing be swift." Gripping Glintaxe, the half orc slams the axe head into the helpless Kobold.

CdG-Bane of the Honorless-Blue: 3d8 + 18 ⇒ (6, 8, 7) + 18 = 39

From what I could gather, blue is sleeping. If not, please correct me. I 5 ft stepped into place. Also, I have missed this!

You probably want to target one square higher, to exclude blue (who already failed his save) and instead include red and his slurk in the area of effect.

Yes, if Mended will allow I'll make that change in targets.

Ouch. A 3... Also, change of targets for sleep is fine. I won't be able to get a post up continuing the action here until after lunch,
so not until after 1:00 PM DST.

Edit: Kairon, you forgot the +1 for bless, and also, didn't you want to step up and CDG? The following rolls are for my later reference.

Kepmack Will Save: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (10) + 1 = 11 and the tie goes to the runner. :)
Slurk Will Save: 1d20 ⇒ 16

Yay! Covert Revision!

I knew there was a lot going on in that snarl of tokens, but I had no condition tags to reference. Apologies for the faux pas.

Coop-dee-graycie@Dashed Green?: 3d8 + 12 ⇒ (3, 2, 5) + 12 = 22

Illiam and Dolok use Kerrdremak's gifted wand of Sleep to put every enemy except one kobold (dashed purple - made both saves!) the slurk, and his rider, the crossbow wielding ranger, on the ground unconscious.

Immediately their resident muscle goes to work.

Goruck slices head from body with one swift stroke of Glintaxe, and the kobold's veteran captain bleeds out upon the floor, an evergrowing pool of deep crimson, to the point of being purplish-black, lifeblood. Kairon, not to be outdone steps up (I took the liberty 5' step, two reasons, right over the top for the CDG, which I think you have to be, and also in range of purple for when he runs away in absolute pee-down-your-own-leg fear) and jams the steel blade of his darkwood spear so ferociously through another of the kobolds (yes, dashed green) that the metal tip actually gets temporarily lodged in the stone beneath. As he rips the spear back out of the ground, the kobold's body follows along, and for a moment, Kairon is holding up the completely lifeless, bleeding body of one the Truescale tribes better warriors, like a child's rag doll. He unceremoniously drops the body on the floor and glowers at the only kobolds left awake in the room, as if to say, "go ahead, make my day."

The ranger, on slurkback, doesn't wait around to see what else happens, as he turns his mount around and they ride out of the room faster than a ballista bolt. Looking from Kairon, to Goruck, to Dolok, to the dead bodies of his buddies, and then back around the loop, the only remaining dragon-kin makes his decision. Run! And so he does, opening up his back to Kairon's well-honed reflexes.

You have given me opportunity, now I must attack!: 1d20 + 7 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 7 + 1 = 11

Unfortunately for Kairon, the little bugger is so motivated by his fear that he slips right past the righteous warrior's blade edge.
So, we have 9 more rounds of all these scaley demons being asleep... Should we just hand-wave all the CDGs wipe clean the map and embark on? Chime in!

Having done much repetitive work in farming and manufacturing, yes, hand-wave away!

EDIT: And, this morning, it was the masterwork bonus I forgot. *facepalm* :D

Does the handwaving include the kobolds to the north, or do we have to worry about setting off the shriekers again when we go to take care of them?

Does the handwaving include the kobolds to the north, or do we have to worry about setting off the shriekers again when we go to take care of them?

I mean, your characters should sure as hell be worried about it, but you did hear them go silent when the kobolds came by... So, maybe there's a way to keep them silent, using a live kobold...? Man somtimes I tip my hand way too much, don't I?

Handwaving works fine for me, a live subject can be easily restrained ;)

Take one of the 'leader' types captive! They are more likely to know how to shut up the shriekers and other useful info. *** Apart from that, wave bye-bye you silly sleepy kobolds! (Hand-wave!)

Tying and waking up one of the kobold captains was easy enough. Making him watch as the group systematically killed the remaining sleeping kobolds, while Illiam explained to him that they needed him to either tell them how to keep the shriekers from screaming, or keep them from screaming himself, less easy, but necessary. When Igkathik, his name, was lead into the corridor with the other group of sleeping kobolds and had successfully kept the shrieking fungi from screeching their audible alarm, he too became extraneous, and Goruck had no trouble slitting his throat with Glintaxe. The spray of blood across the stone was greatly satisfying. Entering the final chamber that, according to now-dead Kerrdremak's map leads directly to Merlokrep's throne room and the sacrifice chamber beyond, and seeing not one enemy gave the entire group a strong sense of courage. The Truescale tribe is decimated, and there can be but few guards left that stand in the way of final victory, and rescuing Hollin Jabbs, the only child of the Hollow yet to be rescued. So, the full-frontal approach? Goruck in and Kairon in front stabbing and slashing with magic-users pulling up the rear? Or some stealthy scouting to see what awaits? Every moment spent in thought is another moment that Hollin's death draws closer, if he is not dead already.

Okay all, you are in the "staging area" to the final boss encounter, I'm not hiding anything, so use your character knowledge to decide how to proceed. I'll jump in whenever it's necessary.

I'm guessing that bless has expired, what with the delay?

I'm guessing that bless has expired, what with the delay?

Uh, yup.

Guess I'll just jump in...

After Illiam explains his plan, he and Kairon, Chillel and Dolok each take a turn with the wand of Summon Monster, creating four aether elementals with instructions use their kinetic throw ability to throw the outlying kobolds at the ceiling above the middle of the group (just targeting a square, so AC5, plus extra falling damage?), trying to get everyone into a 10ft radius. The last elemental is then to drop the Bead of Force in the middle of the group, trapping all of the kobolds inside while the elementals continue to attack.

Telekinetic throw: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 5 = 81d8 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 2 = 7
Telekinetic throw: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (19) + 5 = 241d8 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 = 8
Telekinetic throw: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (10) + 5 = 151d8 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 2 = 10

Target the bombardier first, then the slurk rider, then the slurk itself. DC12 to resist being thrown.

Fort save: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 2 = 7 not sure about this bonus, but the others should be correct...
Fort save: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 2 = 10
Fort save: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (1) + 6 = 7

Looks like those all landed, so the fourth elemental throws down the bead of force in the middle of the group.

Bead of force damage: 5d6 ⇒ (1, 6, 3, 5, 4) = 19

The elementals then use their telekinetic throw against any kobolds still alive inside the sphere for the next two rounds.

Okay, some housekeeping here. My reading of the kinetic throw is that you are actually targeting the creature, not just the square. So you have to hit the target's AC in order to do the 1d8 damage, and, in my mind, in order to throw them as well. So, I'm saying the bombardier both didn't take damage, and didn't get thrown. Which won't matter all that much in the grand scheme. As for the kinetic throw ability, I understandt the Fort Save is there so the target has a chance to avoid being thrown, which, I'll say, I don't really understand, because shouldn't it just be a CMD check? It's like a long range combat maneuver, but specific trumps general, and the aether elemental's stat block says DC 12 Fort save. Speaking of which... The rider of the slurk is not a typical kobold, he's a named NPC "Kapmek" and as such his Fort save is actually a +4 (because class levels), which would mean he beat the DC and didn't get thrown, BUT (that's a big but), he's currently stuck in the saddle to a slurk, who did not make his Fort save, so he's getting thrown whether he likes it or not. Which brings me to this little tidbit: "to throw the outlying kobolds at the ceiling above the middle of the group." The actual operation of that language means that the slurk got thrown from a wall to ceiling, and it has a climb speed, so it would absolutely have reached out and grabbed a hold there, in order to avoid falling, and we're talking about 30' ceilings here, which would have put the slurk/rider outside of the range of the bead of force as well. Now, having said that, I realize that the intent of these "best laid plans" was to have as many enemies as possible take the force damage, and end up stuck in the sphere, created by the bead of force. So I'll take the intent of the words there to mean, "above the floor" not "on the ceiling." Which means the slurk/rider will take the full brunt of the force damage, and 1d6 falling damage, and will also not be able to make the reflex save to avoid being caught in the sphere. That same does not hold true for the other kobolds, though. They all, the ones that survive the 19 force damage anyway, get a reflex save to avoid being caught in the resilient sphere created by the bead. It says so right in the descriptive text of the BoF. So...

Kapmek Falling/Crushing Damage: 2d6 ⇒ (2, 2) = 4
Merlokrep Reflex Save: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 4 = 20
Jekkajak Reflex Save: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (7) + 4 = 11

Illiam's plan explodes into action, literally, aether elementals throw out kinetic damage and a bead of force in rapid succession before anyone in Merlokrep's throne room has time to react. Well, everyone except Merlokrep himself. When the dust clears and the resilient sphere shimmers in the middle of the room, Merlokrep stands outside the sphere, just on the edge of his royal dais. His bombardier also avoids any damage from the elementals and the sphere. Kapmek was not so lucky, and he currently writhes in agonizing pain on the floor, crushed under a dying Slurk. Jekkajak stands trapped inside the sphere with four dead or dying soldiers, a dead slurk, a dying ranger, and four aether elementals. Clearly, his fate is sealed, behind a wall of force. :P Merlokrep and his bombardiers ability to escape the sphere does present a rather unique problem, one that may not have been anticipated. The sphere is currently blocking the envoy's ability to get past the throne room into the chamber beyond where Hollin Jabbs must be imprisoned.

Initiative = Merlokrep, Illiam, Kairon, Bombardier, Chillel, Dolok, Goruck. I'm really inclined to just handwave what happens inside the sphere, with four elementals all focusing on Jekkajak for two more rounds, I'm fairly certain that he's going to be toast. If you all would rather play that out, let me know. Otherwise, I'll be back after lunch to post Merlokrep's actions...

Walking confidently, almost casually, around the barely visible ripples of magic that make up the resilient sphere, Merlokrep squeezes his small body into position right at the mouth of the corridor that leads to his throne room. He looks at the bombardier who avoided being caught in the magical trap, and, loudly enough so that anyone nearby could hear, says, "Tikan mynd i ladd y bachgen."

Then, he raises his voice and speaks in a perfectly articulate Common, letting his voice carry down the tunnel. "Well done! You've all but destroyed my kingdom, a feat not easily matched, and I'm guessing you saved the little whelps that that whimpering bard helped escape. Good, good. You are truly heroes of Darkmoon Vale, but I will taint your victory with sorrow. Since your own conjured sphere is blocking the way to the Truescale shrine, you can come and watch while Tikan slices the boy's throat open. Let that be the memory of your victory that sticks with you forever after." Satisfied that his words will do exactly as he intends, he begins the incantations of a magic spell, awaiting the coming combat with the resigned calm of a warrior who anticipates a worthy death.

Initiative = Illiam, Kairon, Bombardier, Chillel, Dolok, Goruck, Merlokrep...

FYI and word to the wise... those incantations are my way of letting you know that Merlokrep is using his standard to ready action a spell... So if you're planning on bum-rushing the guy, be aware, your action might get interrupted. Let's see if King Merlokrep, first of his name, lord of the Truescale, defender of draconic honor can snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

Kairon hastily advances into the hallway and threatens the doomed monarch. No, I don't think the boy will die. We haven't yet decided what to do with the hatchery -- their lives are forfeit if he is harmed!

Intimidate: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (17) + 8 = 25

Kerrdremak nearly managed to save all of you, you know? It's too bad you had him killed. But yield, and you may live to see better days.

I know I'm taking a rather hefty risk, but I think the Intimidate check may buy us some time, if the roll is decent. Worst-case, I've still given him something to think about.

Token Assist: move 30' up the hallway to the first "turn". Standard action: demoralize opponent.

EDIT: Boom!! Eat it, you scaly bastard!!!

EDIT 2: And it looks like we're too late to save the elf . . . . Too bad.

Kairon, do me a large favor, check the map and make sure that's where you wanted to go. That is 30' total feet. I will refrain from posting Merlokrep's action/reaction until I know that's what you meant.

I have to have line of sight, and he has to be able to see me clearly, per the rules. If I can get that with 25' of movement, I'll take it. Otherwise, I can only hope the shaken condition mitigates some of what I'm about to reap.

As Kairon turns the corner Merlokrep finishes the last arcane utterance and suddenly the floor is covered in a layer of slick goo, very much like Illiam likes to conjure in order to put enemies on their backs. Kairon pulls up short, startled by the sudden change in the terrain, but, having been around enough of Illiam's magical grease, he keeps his balance, and his wits. His ability to stand in the face of Merlokrep's magic gives his words more credence, and he can see the slightest tremor in the kobold king's confidence. All hope is not lost.

Merlokrep turns to Tikan and exclaims, "Dal!"

Then he turns back to Kairon. "Well played. You have not destroyed our matrons' clutch then?" Insofar as a kobold's face gives away emotional content, it appears that Merlokrep is indeed sincere in his inquiry, and in his attachment to the Truescale clutch.

The dice are with you my friend, even if Sarenrae has taken a step back... :)

No harm has come to them for our part, yet.

And I think that's just a tad more than as much language as two people could spout in 6 seconds... :) To be continued.

I'll cut it down. Sorry. Was *keenly* interested in avoiding more conflict. lol

Illiam moves forward to just outside Merlokrep's view, then carefully and stealthily moves over the grease, past Kairon, then shifts to the side, out of the grease, to prepare to attempt to sneak past Merlokrep.

Stealth: 1d20 + 14 + 20 ⇒ (2) + 14 + 20 = 36
Acrobatics: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (20) + 3 = 23

Will need to wait until next turn to try to get past him anyway, since I don't have enough movement.

Tikan, Merlokrep's only remaining alchemist takes a few steps toward the deeper parts of the cavern, then stands fast, obeying his king's last order. With eyes on his king, he pulls a few vials of liquid from his well-stocked belt and begins the process of mixing them together. As he does so he says, "Mae Vreggma yn dal i fod yn fy ystafell wely fy mrenin. A ydw i'n mynd ac yn ei rhybuddio?"

Kairon distinctly hears the name Vreggma, but since he doesn't understand Draconic, he barely understands Common half the time, :P he has no idea what the king and his bombardier are talking about.

Immediately Merlokrep responds. "Ydw, rhybuddiwch hi, ac yna gwarchod ei siambr gyda'ch bywyd."

After Merlokrep responds the alchemist disappears out of view.

Initiative = Chillel, Dolok, Goruck, Merlokrep.

Chillel moves up behind Kairon, making sure she can see into the chamber beyond.

Perception Chillel: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8

If I need a perception roll to hear the Draconic speech I failed it. If not I will translate for others. Chillel then readies an action to Slumber Hex any of the Kobold's who attack the party. If it is feasible [see my question on the discussion thread], Athena will move forward to try to reach the boy beyond the chamber with the bead of force in it.

The DC to hear a conversation is 0, so no, you don't need a perception check to hear Merlokrep and Tikan talking. So, assume Chillel translated for Kairon at least. Also, yes, Athena can absolutely fly over the sphere and into the other room. Taking a double move would put her right where I've placed her icon on the map, by my reckoning of all the diagonals she'd have had to take. Also, just so I'm clear, your ready action will trigger by any "attack" from an enemy, does that include spellcasting?

Yes, absolutely spellcasting is included.

Not having many options at this point, Dolok will simply move up behind Chillel and be ready to use the wand of Magic Missile on any hostile he sees.

Moving up behind Dolok with unusual silence, Goruck stands with with the gleaming blade of Glintaxe resting on his armored shoulder. Without saying a word, the half orc stares at the kobold king, more reminiscent of a statue that a warrior.

Intimidate: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (20) - 1 = 19

Chillel, Kairon, and the invisible Illiam, the only heroes that can see him, watch as Merlokrep's demeanor changes from confident to borderline exhausted. His shoulders slump, his clawed fingers droop lazily, and his draconic lips exhale a deep sigh. "No good king can destroy his entire kingdom's future for a grudge." He says, with noticeable sorrow in his eyes. "Yet, I must have proof that our clutch is indeed secure, before I make concessions. Bring one of the matrons to me, let her tell me that the clutch is safe, then we can parley with equal footing." The king of the Truescale waits patiently for a response, while behind him you watch, by the light of Dolok's dancing lights, as Jekkajak, his second in command, is thrown around like a child's toy and left as nothing more than a gooey, bloody paste on the throne room floor. Invisible aether elementals carried out their orders perfectly, and the power of Falcon's Hollow is displayed in full, while "the first of his name" tries to salvage what little kingdom he has left. Then, all is silent, a somber dread falls about the entire cavern. So the question is set before you. Does the Hollow negotiate with terrorists? If Merlokrep is left alive, and his young clutch allowed to grow, what is to say that what has transpired here, won't transpire again. For a priest, is Hollin Jabb's life worth ignoring sacred tenets of your faith, lying, assuring Merlokrep of his kingdom's future, and then destroying it anyway? For some a moral dilemma presents itself, for others, perhaps, the discourse does nothing more than delay the inevitable. Let those who are men (and women) of action, act.

Initiative = Illiam, Kairon, Bombardier. Whether you parley or not, we're staying in initiative, because the situation is too tenuous not to.

Using the distraction of the muffled noises from inside the bubble and the fact that Merlokrep's attention is on his party members, Illiam looks for an opening to slip behind him unnoticed far enough to shift past where the passage is blocked.

Stealth: 1d20 + 14 + 20 ⇒ (14) + 14 + 20 = 48
Acrobatics: 1d20 + 3 + 3 ⇒ (17) + 3 + 3 = 23 Using Adaptable Luck here.

Dolok thinks to himself, "Little does he know ... I am planning to burn every last egg! before leaving this place!" as Dolok lets slip an 'evil' smile.

Chillel, since you're the only one who speaks Draconic and ISN'T currently sneaking around invisibly, you should probably be the one to go find a matron, unless you want to just try to Slumber hex and CdG his ass. If that's the plan, I would appreciate at least a couple more rounds of stalling first, in case he makes his save. Have we established whether he would know that he had been attacked in that case? If he does, and he calls out to his bombardier buddy, things might get a bit interesting for Illiam. Maybe at least pretend to go looking for one of them as a stalling tactic (that might even result in him moving far enough from the bubble for you guys to gank him without the others hearing)?

Do we have any idea where we can find a matron? Beyond where their is a load of black on the map. And I think we have some conflict with Dolok brewing. Mass murder of juveniles, even Kobolds...

Eggs are NOT technically juveniles. I'm just planning a huge breakfast! :D

Do we have any idea where we can find a matron? Beyond where their is a load of black on the map. And I think we have some conflict with Dolok brewing. Mass murder of juveniles, even Kobolds...

The hatchery, Area 26, according to Kerrdremak.

Thanks Illiam.

"Very well your highness. If Hollin is harmed I will personally gut you like a fish. Prepare for an ungodly racket." With that, Chillel double moves in what she hopes is the right direction. Meanwhile Athena continues to seek out Hollin and try to free him of his restraints.

And what "grudge" are you talking about, Merlokrep? Kairon's interest becomes more focused -- the reasons why are the most telling. The next link in the chain . . . .

Ready action to attack Merlokrep if he does anything aggressive.

Illiam, those rolls are clearly good enough to get you shifted past Merlokrep to the other side of the Force Sphere. If you want to move your icon further, using up your move action, please do, but keep in mind... realization I just had this morning, that probably was a pretty decent sized mistake on my part all the way through. Owl's don't have darkvision (nor do halflings). There are zero lights in the chambers beyond the throne room, and ain't no way an owl is flying blind through these caverns. So.... Athena's gotsa stay right where she's at, the edge of Dolok's throne room Dancing Light. Which, btw, I put there because otherwise there was no light even close to where she was. This means she cannot find Hollin, or see that he is restrained by manacles and chains. Chains that are attached to a slab of stone whereon rests the dead body of one elf wizard, Tyran Moonsliver. Not only is Tyran dead, his heart has been ripped from his chest, and then stuffed into his own mouth. How's that for a gruesome image!!! Illiam if you want to move your full 20' I do believe that puts you in the square just at the western edge of the oil spill. Which oil spill? Stay tuned. Speaking of light and darkness... Chillel would have needed to cast light on something for her to go galavanting off through the caverns alone. So, let's go ahead and assume she did that. Now, back to the action?

"What grudge?! How about the complete eradication of my entire kingdom?! How about that for starters, and for finishers!?" Merlokrep blurts out with uncontrolled rage. Meanwhile behind him Athena has reached the edge of Dolok's magically provided light, and must stop. She lands on a natural ledge in the cave wall awaiting either more light, or further instructions from her master. Both she and Illiam, who has successfully shifted his way past Truescale's king, watch as Tikan throws down a glass vial of lamp oil at the juncture of the hallways, and watch further as that oil spreads out into a small puddle of viscous flammable danger.

Initiative = Chillel (already acted), Dolok, Goruck, Merlokrep.

Doesn't Illiam still have a stone with Light cast on it? I would have assumed that if he was maintaining his invisibility, he would have had Kairon refresh the Light spell when he got back to them, before the summoning. Failing that, Illiam does have some candles, and flint/steel to light one.