With the heart of the Stolen Lands explored and the bandits who ruled there scattered, the long-contested realm finally lies open for pioneers and settlers to stake their claims.:
Amid the rush of opportunistic travelers, the PCs find themselves stewards over a new domain, tasked with the responsibility of guiding and guarding a fledgling nation struggling to grow upon a treacherous borderland. Yet the threats to this new nation quickly prove themselves greater than mere bandits and wild beasts, as the monstrous natives of the hills and forests rampage forth to slaughter all who have trespassed upon their territory. Can the PCs hold the land they’ve fought so hard to explore and tame? Or will their legend be just one more lost to the fangs of the Stolen Lands?
hp 21/21 AC 19, 16, 14 saves F 4, R 7, W 3, bab 2, init +3, spd 40, cmb 4, cmd 17 tiger
skills:
acro 8, climb 1, perc 6, stealth 7/11, swim 1
that was just fluff because she double moved to get there, and had to move not in a straight line so it couldn't be a charge... not trying to intimidate or anything.
Gnome Sorcerer 4 | AC: 15, TAC: 13, FAC: 13, CMD: 11 | HP 7/23 | Fort +2, Ref +3, Will +6 | Init +5 | Perception +9, Sense Motive +2, Darkvision 60' |
Resources:
Spell Slots available: 1st: 5/8 2nd: 3/4 Claws: 8/8 rounds left SLAs: Dancing Lights, Prestidigitation, Flare, Produce Flame
RPGGGM wrote:
Maps updated. The first slide has our running bandits on it. Slide two is their camp (where most of you are). As they are running there is now a 100 foot gap between the two maps along the noted edge to simulate the distance without the need for a third slide. The narrow confines give people cover between the two maps.
If that is true then a double move will leave me in the gap between the two maps, 20' off the south edge of the map with the running bandits on it. Is it a straight line? Can Sir Didymus run? I assume he can as Alia wouldn't have been able to get where she is without the run action.
"Run, Sir Didymus! Let's go!"
Sir Didymus bounds ahead up the defile. When he reaches the corner, he sees the group ahead of him.
"Hah!" he shouts as he hurls another ball of fire at the fleeing men.
Another firebolt, this time at "Planchet" as it looks like I have a clear shot.
Why would I need to run. I was back with you others, and a double-move with 60 feet speed puts me 120 feet up. If I had been running, I would have been 240 feet away or 120 feet ahead of them. I felt it worthwhile to use my free spell to prevent their escape. If running is easily possible, then I would not have wasted it.
I'm going with Running as possible here (even though you can only find reference to the straight line rule under 'Combat' and not 'Movement'). The gorge floor is level enough, and the curve soft enough to allow it as a believable form of movement in a way that running through the sharp 90 degree angles of the, gelatinous cubelette-filled Dungeon of Spite would not have. Besides I just like the visual of Fat Norry trying to run.
However, as Alia has a speed of 30' it is hard to see how she could catch up to bandits who had about 60 foot head-start, without some sort of magic or other outside help. So if you want to, and have the full-round action (last round, or at least starting last round) and the movement to spare you could get ahead of them.
Zokon hops down the last 5 feet of the rock like a wounded gazelle.
As he does he gets a good look at the lightening valley to the south. A great grassy bowl on who's opposite lip sits a squat fort of some sort sitting on a promontory over a slash flat that might be the Tuskwater, the great lake that bounds the south-southwestern edge of your charter.
There are a number of smokey campfires coming from it and the land immediately around it. Maybe a dozen in all.
Planchet makes a most unmanly scream as he falls to the ground.
Dirty Jeb screams too as Luna closes in on him.
Fat Norry concentrates on pumping his stout legs. Don't die. Don't die.
Conditions The sun is up now so normal light conditions are in effect. Of the bandits only Dovan and Valkeri are currently in their armor.
Nope, in that case, Alia could not catch up with them effectively having a 120-feet headstart. Because I will not waste my single freely asigned spell slot on preventing their escape when other party members can easily do so. But IF running is possible, then that begs the question why them bandits only moved 60 feet per round, because honestly, I would expect them to run, too, if they are trying to get away. My mistake for assuming, but no reason to waste limited resources in that case. I felt the use of magic would be necessary to catch up and get to attack them(as per, they double-move through the woods to prevent charging and have cover against ranged, I can easily single-move and attack). If mundane means suffice, my read of the situation was wrong.
Alia had made her way back to the others, only to see her allies give pursuit, and the one who stabbed Zokon going down.
With Numalar eagerly rushing onwards with his dog, next to Luna and Scarlet, the unarmed bunch of bandits would not stand a chance. And while she accepted the necessity of their deaths(better here and fast), she had little desire to be the one carrying out the sentence if there was no need to.
As such, Alia instead opts to take a look around the former bandit camp, also to make sure nobody else was around, hiding or still sleeping.
Perception:1d20 + 8 ⇒ (2) + 8 = 10
Gnome Sorcerer 4 | AC: 15, TAC: 13, FAC: 13, CMD: 11 | HP 7/23 | Fort +2, Ref +3, Will +6 | Init +5 | Perception +9, Sense Motive +2, Darkvision 60' |
Resources:
Spell Slots available: 1st: 5/8 2nd: 3/4 Claws: 8/8 rounds left SLAs: Dancing Lights, Prestidigitation, Flare, Produce Flame
Alia of the Blade wrote:
Nope, in that case, Alia could not catch up with them effectively having a 120-feet headstart.
Expeditious retreat would allow you to catch up if you are willing to sprint for more than one round, but I don't think you realized how far you moved. I am not sure where on the lower map you started from, but if you were at the very top of that map (beside Numalar) then 120' of movement would have put you just south of Valkeri, the blue guy who was down already.
So when I saw your icon another 80' beyond that I assumed you would had to have used the run action. I couldn't see how else you could move 200' or more in one round.
But at this point the issue may be moot. I've never scored two hits in a row with produce flame before, but it seems like there is only one guy left to worry about, and three of us.
It was 3 move action, over 2 rounds(casting, +moving), for 180 feet. I may not have counted off exactly on those last 20 feet, but placed myself simply "out of melee range", meaning I would need to use the bow, and could not simply move and stab. Being 20 feet further back would not have changed that. 3 movement actions of expeditious retreat are worth 3 double-moves by a normal-speed creature. So with them starting in camp, and me starting 60 feet from camp, it seemed sensible that I would be near their position with them double-moving(60 ft) twice, and me moving thrice(60 ft). But yeah, as said, the only reason I did that in the first place was because I thought they would get away otherwise. Since it's an open enough area, they stuck together, did not run, and several people of our group are faster, it was a wrong tactical analysis and wrong tactical decision.
I am perfectly fine with the spell slot going to waste. I said I would use that, based on the information I had then. But when I see you riding off slinging fire and leaving smoldering corpses in your wake, Luna chasing them, and Scarlet rushing towards them, I would have felt no need to hunt them down. So, as you say, moot point, no reason to dwell on it.
Gnome Sorcerer 4 | AC: 15, TAC: 13, FAC: 13, CMD: 11 | HP 7/23 | Fort +2, Ref +3, Will +6 | Init +5 | Perception +9, Sense Motive +2, Darkvision 60' |
Resources:
Spell Slots available: 1st: 5/8 2nd: 3/4 Claws: 8/8 rounds left SLAs: Dancing Lights, Prestidigitation, Flare, Produce Flame
Alia of the Blade wrote:
It was 3 move action, over 2 rounds(casting, +moving), for 180 feet. I may not have counted off exactly on those last 20 feet, ...
Yes, I remember.
I think you forgot there is a gap of 100 feet between the two maps. If you started from the bottom of map 1 and moved 180 feet, you would not even be on map 2 yet. You would instead be in the 'gap' between the maps.
It was 3 move action, over 2 rounds(casting, +moving), for 180 feet. I may not have counted off exactly on those last 20 feet, ...
Yes, I remember.
I think you forgot there is a gap of 100 feet between the two maps. If you started from the bottom of map 1 and moved 180 feet, you would not even be on map 2 yet. You would instead be in the 'gap' between the maps.
There is no need to try and school me. I have not forgotten the gap. I already explained that I simply assumed that the bandits double-moved for 30 feet per movement, then assumed I could catch up without paying attention to the squares. (And since running was possible, I would have moved 60+240 feet or a total of 300 feet, which is plenty enough to end up near the top of map 2 even if I start at the bottom of map 1 - just wanted to point that out)
Still, my reading of the situation at hand was in error, and I made a mistake - because you guys can easily catch up with them and take care of it. Which means Alia won't have to kill them - and would not go out of her way to do that. And obviously I added another mistake explaining why I estimated distances, rather than spell out that I messed up in doing so, or correcting the distance for a run action with expeditious retreat active instead of a double-move after learning run was actually possible). My spell slot is used(since it was, in the end, my decision not to give pursuit, but my tactical decision was to have the possibility of doing so), I'm back in their camp. If I explicitly state that I made a mistake in my analysis, will that be satisfactory for you and we can move on? Because I already said I was reading things wrong 2 posts ago) and then asked not to dwell on it 1 post ago after saying it was a wrong analysis(they moved sufficient for a run, rather than a double-move. Which means I would run too, allowing me to catch up. If we all only double-move, I am correct, if we all can run, I am correct - I messed up in not seeing them run and instead doing a double-move, which is not sufficient) and wrong decision(to cast the spell and give pursuit, when it was completely unnecessary) - what exactly do you want to read to let it go?
Gnome Sorcerer 4 | AC: 15, TAC: 13, FAC: 13, CMD: 11 | HP 7/23 | Fort +2, Ref +3, Will +6 | Init +5 | Perception +9, Sense Motive +2, Darkvision 60' |
Resources:
Spell Slots available: 1st: 5/8 2nd: 3/4 Claws: 8/8 rounds left SLAs: Dancing Lights, Prestidigitation, Flare, Produce Flame
Alia of the Blade wrote:
I already explained that I simply assumed that the bandits double-moved for 30 feet per movement, then assumed I could catch up without paying attention to the squares.
Ah, now I understand. This was not clear before. I thought you were counting distance.
Gnome Sorcerer 4 | AC: 15, TAC: 13, FAC: 13, CMD: 11 | HP 7/23 | Fort +2, Ref +3, Will +6 | Init +5 | Perception +9, Sense Motive +2, Darkvision 60' |
Resources:
Spell Slots available: 1st: 5/8 2nd: 3/4 Claws: 8/8 rounds left SLAs: Dancing Lights, Prestidigitation, Flare, Produce Flame
Fat Norry and Dirty Jeb don't seem to have moved since my last action. Is that right? I moved up by a single move but will move double if they move double and run if they run. In my current position I don't think Jeb has cover.
Numalar and Sir \didymus continue to pound ahead.
"All right, once more with feeling!"
Numalar looses another bolt at Dirty Jeb. The flames on his hand go out. But the shot goes wide.
produce flame vs touch:1d20 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 81d6 + 5 ⇒ (1) + 5 = 6
Celyne seems to have missed her last rounds action, so could probably have healed you after Zokon landed like a wounded gazelle. Maybe I just missed it but I think only Luna acted last time they were up.
Celyne seems to have missed her last rounds action, so could probably have healed you after Zokon landed like a wounded gazelle. Maybe I just missed it but I think only Luna acted last time they were up.
I would have said that, but there was no readied action declared, I really don't want to have to guess what a player character may or may not due on their with turn. You guys only have one character (or one character and a side-kick or two) to run each--I get everyone else. I don't mind cutting giving hints, advice or clarifications, but I don't want to bot your character while you are present. Also, it does sort of fit with Celyne's indecisive, slightly dreamy nature, that she ponders a bit during combat. It also kind of makes sense that she can be as diplomatic as she is even if she comes off as shy. I figure she sees things from every angle, which probably makes her insightful, but prone to second (and third) guessing. Now Posh, well.... ;) Besides you all basically have this situation in hand.
"Ahh Thankyou, Celyne.. that stopped that nasty bleeding.. i'm sore still but not dying now."
If that's correct Zokon would be off running 120ft?
Not this time, but bonus comedy points for chasing down the healer. Besides it's a great moral quandary let a comrade bleed to death or by her own command letting her best friend in the world devolve into a heartless killing machine by taking another life in savage fashion--Heh. Who am I kidding here? ;)
Wounded guy - "MEDIC!" Medic - "This looks bad. What you need is a good bleeding." Wounded guy (now on the verge of tears) - "But I'm already bleeding."
Jeb and Norry continue to flee, though Jeb seems to be screaming while he does.
Celyne makes to follow Luna but stops at Zokon's insistence that he may be bleeding to death. Everyone who's got Google suddenly thinks they're a doctor. Sheesh!
Scarlet now has a choice to make as the cliff trail begins to peter out, slow down difficult terrain, or climb, or jump down, 20 feet or perhaps come up with her own unique option.
Conditions The sun is up now so normal light conditions are in effect. Of the bandits only Dovan and Valkeri are currently in their armor.
Round 3
The Bold May Act!
_________________
__ Zokon -16 hp
__ Poshment
__ Numalar (Sir Didymus)
__ Celyne (Luna)
__ Fat Norry
__ Dirty Jeb -10 hp
__ Scarlet -5 hp
__ Alia
Considering what she overheared earlier thanks to her fine Elven Senses, Alia ignores the camp for now, content that no more bandits seem to hide, and instead scales the cliff, making her way to the bleeding and unconscious Dovan.
"Stag Lords number 3, hu? I'll not let them make a spectacle of your hanging, but before your life is forfeit, there are things we need you to tell us."
She proceeds to check his medical condition and stabilize him as far as her skills allow, before proceeding to bind him.(but that's a story for another round)
Climb Take 10:10 + 7 = 17 Heal to stabilize:1d20 ⇒ 15
Scarlet drops her swords, draws her bow and pushes through the undergrowth.
Fat Norry is wide open, so she lets an arrow fly.
It lands in the grass.
"Nah!" Fat Norry shouts between between wheezing gasps.
Jeb falls. Norry doesn't look back.
Numalar Auritonius wrote:
Fat Norry and Dirty Jeb don't seem to have moved since my last action. Is that right? I moved up by a single move but will move double if they move double and run if they run. In my current position I don't think Jeb has cover.
It's not that I just haven't had the time/willpower to update the map or pull out full on chase rules. As it stands Norry outpaces Sir Didymus by 40 ft/round every time Numalar stops him to more accurately hurl fire at him (Didymus's 80 ft double move to Norry's 120 run speed). Without running, no one can catch him, and then only characters on mounts, or with a 40 ft speed can actually out pace the man.
To keep things running along, Norry keeps running, and ends up out of sight in relation to the entire party. At this point Numalar is basically the only one that can decide to continue chasing him. Celyne can't see him to point him out as a threat, and Luna doesn't see him either. Even Scarlet from her higher vantage point can's see around the gorge walls to locate him. Tracking Norry is a bit more time consuming and is another option. I don't know that Sir Didymus is trained for tracking. He has the racial bonus, but getting a dog to track anything but milk bones is a trick.
Other characters could still move up in that direction but they will be depending on Numalar to follow the right trail, assuming that you could find him first, as he and Didymus are out of line of sight as well.
If Numalar decides to stop pursuit combat ends.
Conditions The sun is up now so normal light conditions are in effect. Of the bandits only Dovan and Valkeri are currently in their armor.
Considering what she overheared earlier thanks to her fine Elven Senses, Alia ignores the camp for now, content that no more bandits seem to hide, and instead scales the cliff, making her way to the bleeding and unconscious Dovan.
"Stag Lords number 3, hu? I'll not let them make a spectacle of your hanging, but before your life is forfeit, there are things we need you to tell us."
She proceeds to check his medical condition and stabilize him as far as her skills allow, before proceeding to bind him.(but that's a story for another round)
Note: (Not that anyone else has ;)) that you normally move at 1/4 speed per climb check, so clearing a 20 foot climb is a normally three move actions and rolls. Dovan accelerated his climb to half normal speed by taking a -5 penalty to his roll. Hand-waved this time.
Ah, thanks. Then again, I do have 60-feet speed currently, so a double move would have sufficed, then I can find out he's already fine anyway :) - Same outcome, less fishy, thanks for the wave.
Not seeing any more threats, Celyne will casually hustle along to Luna's side (double moves) until she gets there... Hopefully Luna won't have eaten anything of value by then. She sighs when she sees the fat man is missing... but shrugs, not seeing any chance of catching him now.
Gnome Sorcerer 4 | AC: 15, TAC: 13, FAC: 13, CMD: 11 | HP 7/23 | Fort +2, Ref +3, Will +6 | Init +5 | Perception +9, Sense Motive +2, Darkvision 60' |
Resources:
Spell Slots available: 1st: 5/8 2nd: 3/4 Claws: 8/8 rounds left SLAs: Dancing Lights, Prestidigitation, Flare, Produce Flame
RPGGGM wrote:
At this point Numalar is basically the only one that can decide to continue chasing him.
I expect that people don't want me to let him get away. Numalar's heart is going out of the chase though since Fat Norry hasn't turned around to fight, he is just fleeing in terror.
But Sir Didymus can certainly outdistance Norry, unless Norry has some feats he hasn't used yet.
Numalar hoists his longspear high, letting the tattered banner flutter in the wind.
Hopefully that will make me more visible at a distance.
He pulls up abreast of Norry.
If possible I'd like to keep 10' between Norry and myself.
"Excuse me," Numalar calls over to Norry. "Where are we going exactly?"
Numalar hoists his longspear high, letting the tattered banner flutter in the wind.
He pulls up abreast of Norry.
"Excuse me," Numalar calls over to Norry. "Where are we going exactly?"
dice:
1d20 + 8 ⇒ (10) + 8 = 18
Norry doesn't answer, except to give an unnerved little grunt, around whatever it is he seems to be chewing on aside from breath.
The flag helps a little, probably more once you break from the rocks. So long as Sir Didmus is running you can keep pace, and out of arm's reach.
Was anyone else (aside from Zokon) planning on aiding in the pursuit? For those who are in the chase you are still in Combat Rounds. Everyone else is Out of Combat--and assuming nothing weird happens can act normally.
Not seeing any more threats, Celyne will casually hustle along to Luna's side (double moves) until she gets there... Hopefully Luna won't have eaten anything of value by then. She sighs when she sees the fat man is missing... but shrugs, not seeing any chance of catching him now.
I'm pretty sure 'attack' is until they are down, or the target becomes a non-threat unless you command otherwise, so you should be set. Luna probably sighs too. The fat man looked to be good eating, though now that he's run off he would probably taste gamy.
Reading back it appears we had a single horse with us, that was back with Posh
If he can Zokon will run back to the horse.. whenever he eventually gets there he will mount up and go after the fatman.
No problem. Heading back to where arrived, mounting and riding back is only a matter of about two rounds. Picking up the trail after that should not be to difficult considering it's what rangers do best. Assuming you make all the right turns you are about 5 rounds back from Norry.
Celyne will tend the fallen, using her healing skill, not wanting to waste valuable resources on them...
heal:1d20 + 6 ⇒ (2) + 6 = 8 heal:1d20 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 10 heal:1d20 + 6 ⇒ (1) + 6 = 7not sure if there were 2 or 3 here with Norry run off and Dovan elsewhere, so ignore any extra rolls, not that it matters anyway with rolls like these... sigh
Celyne proceeds to relieve the fallen of anything of value, including any tokens, sigils, or signs of their affiliation with the staglord. She casts 'detect magic' on them as well to make sure she hasn't missed anything important.
Gnome Sorcerer 4 | AC: 15, TAC: 13, FAC: 13, CMD: 11 | HP 7/23 | Fort +2, Ref +3, Will +6 | Init +5 | Perception +9, Sense Motive +2, Darkvision 60' |
Resources:
Spell Slots available: 1st: 5/8 2nd: 3/4 Claws: 8/8 rounds left SLAs: Dancing Lights, Prestidigitation, Flare, Produce Flame
Round 5
Numalar and Sir Didymus pull a little ahead of Fat Norry.
By, say, 5'-10'
"Sure you know that man on foot like yourself cannot outrun a mounted man?" Numalar calls back to the running man.
Assuming there is no response...
Round 6
This also assumes we are on a relatively straight section... if we are not I will keep pace and wait until there is.
Numalar and Sir Didymus pull a ways ahead of Fat Norry (by 40' this time).
"All right, Sir Didymus. Get him."
Ordering Sir Didymus to attack. So he will take an AoO if Norry runs past, and then will still have the distance to make a charge attack next round. Hoping Didymus' trip attack brings Norry down.
Celyne will tend the fallen, using her healing skill, not wanting to waste valuable resources on them...
not sure if there were 2 or 3 here with Norry run off and Dovan elsewhere, so ignore any extra rolls, not that it matters anyway with rolls like these... sigh
Celyne proceeds to relieve the fallen of anything of value, including any tokens, sigils, or signs of their affiliation with the staglord. She casts 'detect magic' on them as well to make sure she hasn't missed anything important.
Using mostly her foot, Celyne can't find a pulse to definitively say anything about the three men's (Jeb, Valkeri, and Planchet) conditions. "I think this one's... Jeb."
I'll post the loot later today, though as I recall only Dovan has anything of great worth/magic on him. Unless you're really into basic leather armor you are probably going to bank most of it.
Numalar and Sir Didymus pull a little ahead of Fat Norry.
By, say, 5'-10'
"Sure you know that man on foot like yourself cannot outrun a mounted man?" Numalar calls back to the running man.
Assuming there is no response...
Lots of labored breathing.
Numalar Auritonius wrote:
Round 6
This also assumes we are on a relatively straight section... if we are not I will keep pace and wait until there is.
Numalar and Sir Didymus pull a ways ahead of Fat Norry (by 40' this time).
"All right, Sir Didymus. Get him."
Ordering Sir Didymus to attack. So he will take an AoO if Norry runs past, and then will still have the distance to make a charge attack next round. Hoping Didymus' trip attack brings Norry down.
You can have your AoO. By now it's flattening out (so he has more options for direction), but you have superior mobility.
Numalar, go ahead and give me 3 rounds of actions, while we wait for Zokon.
dice:
1d20 + 8 ⇒ (5) + 8 = 13
Out away from the gorge Numalar sees there are quite a few other fitful campfires in the valley ahead, and maybe a squat ruin, or old keep on the lip of the far rise miles off with another such fire coming from within.
4 average-looking daggers,
a masterwork chain shirt,
silver Stag Lord Amulet, - Appraise DC 20:
worth 20 gp
2 turquoise earrings, - Appraise DC 20:
worth 130 gp each
a small vial of translucent red liquid, - perception 20, or detect magic + spellcraft DC 20:
potion of cure serious wounds
3 pp (minted in Caliphas), 42 gp (of various mint)
The captured bandits, and the campsite collectively have: 1 set of padded armor, 1 set of leather armor, 2 sets of studded leather armor, 2 longbows, 40 arrows, 2 longswords, a club, a sap, 4 darts, 6 days of trail rations, a set of thieves' tools, a bag of caltrops, a disguise kit, 5 bed rolls, 5 blankets, a masterwork backpack, 20 gp, 200 sp (all coins of various mint).
