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?
Serena does as Durgan suggests, focusing her attention upon the stone circle and seeking the presence of evil intent. Serenrae, lend me your eyes. Let me see the presence of the wicked!
haste ended last round, as it only has 5 rounds after casting.
Corrected.
Serena Mistcastle wrote:
Serena does as Durgan suggests, focusing her attention upon the stone circle and seeking the presence of evil intent. Serenrae, lend me your eyes. Let me see the presence of the wicked!
Pausing the skalding for now I think, will resume once enemy attacks :)
Also wild guess time: Lind is of ice witch decent. Girl is runaway witchling or something. Trolls will take both home to ice witch land. Lind is somewhat confident that he can get ice witch family to bully trolls?
And stone circle might look like fey gate?
"Yeah no let's grab both and get away from here! Nothing strange happening in that circle yet? Great." Illthir decides and withdraws the same way Zokon was going.
M Dwarf | AC 27, T 12, FF 25, CMD 24 | HP 65/75 | F +11 R +7 W +13 (+3 vs spells/SLA/poison) | Move 30' | Init +1 | Per +17 | Active: Vestment, GMW, Barkskin, Flight, Tongues, Haste
"Can't grab them and get out of here - they are chained to a rock!"
Durgan casts Bull's Strength on himself.
Profession(Elven Smith):1d20 + 4 ⇒ (14) + 4 = 18 "You don't break the chain. You break a link. Use a piece of metal, place it in one of the rings, then apply brute force to the back of it - it will widen the ring and cause the link to snap -", Alia offers helpful advice in handling the chains.
In other news - If Argentov was chained to a rock as well, won't "finding" him in the mist be as easy as following the chain? He cast and moved - even if he has some means to unlock himself, he should still be contained for now...
Balzeros looks on in exasperation when people encourage movement after his words, but exhales in relief when Durgan echoes his words.
"Break the chain, break the link, what's the difference? Do you have metal and a hammer or something to do this?" he asks Alia, not really sure what to make of her words. Ideally we'd have an anvil too, but we don't!
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Aid (This Turn):1d20 ⇒ 9 Aid (Next Turn):1d20 ⇒ 14 If someone goes to break the chain, he will aid. Durgan seems set to do so next turn, so I rolled an aid for both turns to not slow us up waiting for a 50% chance for a +2.
Considering I am a Smith, and just spent the 2 days before our departure at a Forge enchanting Durgans Armor, and have Masterwork Tools for doing so, yes, I do have metal and a hammer - I dare say I left those with the ship, though. (Also I spent the time on the ship crafting durable metal arrows...) The concept still applies, lay the chain on the ground, stick a dagger through a link, hammer down on the dagger with a rock or tree limb - easier than trying to "cut" or "smash" a link - it was meant as a remote aid check using my experience as smith. As for my portable anvil, that is with the donkey. I just don't know where the donkey went. @GM: And yes, I am still concentrating.
"A big rock? Dammit!" The skald cursed herself for paying more attention to fire breathing fey and strange men then the mundane problems. She hesitated a little and then threw her old hammer back at them. "Use this!"
She has only moved about 30' - I'll move her back is she tried to go further - and her Lucerne Hammer is a hammer with a hefty lever being a pole weapon and all. It also has +2 to sunder medium/heavy armour which might apply to chains (or rocks!) if one asks the GM nicely :)
One official ankle manacle (usually about a DC 30 to slip out of) which is attached via a length of chain the other end of which is attached by a thick metal staple hammered into the stone megalith.
The hafts of weapons like Illthir's hammer are probably too thick to stick in between the links. That and if you used them as a lever would probably break. Hafted weapons naturally break easier than swords, because there is more wood involved in their construction.
For those interested in damaging the chain, a person can stand in the same space as it (basically leaning over it) to avoid having to roll the 20% (or 50% if you are further than 5' away) miss chance caused by the sudden fog. Only one person at a time can do this though. The broken megaliths of course provide you with enough stone to work on.
The lucerne hammer has a decent sized spike at the back side of the hammer bit like so which would be what one would jam into the chain links. The head is attached with a decent length of metal and one could limit the lever length to that bit if one were really worried. Depends on how big the links actually are of course!
Just hooking it into the link closes to the rock and prying the whole thing out of the rock might be another workable approach - again a question of how big of a chain we are actually talking about :D
The lucerne hammer has a decent sized spike at the back side of the hammer bit like so which would be what one would jam into the chain links.
The chain is sturdy enough that you would probably want to use a crowbar before using the spike otherwise you are likely to turn that spike into a hook.
Fergus Bouldershoulder Ironmug wrote:
would a grease spell make slipping out of the ankle lock manageable?
A +2 circumstance bonus, but not any more. It's not exactly a grapple.
Balzeros readies to aid in breaking the chain. Fergus considers the situation.
There's a snapping sound, and a noise like a chain being tossed to the earth to the east in the fog.
The howling which had abbaited for a moment begins again but this time instead of the frantic barking and howling of before it comes as a chorus of long mournful baying.
Did Alia want to attempt to read any of the magical auras she can see? Did Serena want to continue concentrating on the EVIL!
Based on the last known position of her allies, Alia attempts to identify which of the numerous auras are not the partys items, spells, or, in general, emanating from a party member for whatever reason.
From those left, she'd focus on the strongest aura, any auras affecting the girl, and any aura overlapping with the circle, in that order.
There's also a very good chance she'll share info, so if Alia gets a spoiler, do feel free to read it. In very niche situations she may decide to remain silent but in that case just keep it as player knowledge.
M Dwarf | AC 27, T 12, FF 25, CMD 24 | HP 65/75 | F +11 R +7 W +13 (+3 vs spells/SLA/poison) | Move 30' | Init +1 | Per +17 | Active: Vestment, GMW, Barkskin, Flight, Tongues, Haste
Durgan draws his wand and heals himself.
CLW:1d8 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6 Wand at 38 charges.
Based on the last known position of her allies, Alia attempts to identify which of the numerous auras are not the partys items, spells, or, in general, emanating from a party member for whatever reason.
From those left, she'd focus on the strongest aura, any auras affecting the girl, and any aura overlapping with the circle, in that order.
There's also a very good chance she'll share info, so if Alia gets a spoiler, do feel free to read it. In very niche situations she may decide to remain silent but in that case just keep it as player knowledge.
That's going to be all, but impossible given the thick mist (full concealment beyond 5') and the very very close proximity of Fergus and Balzeros, prior to its arrival. Alia can move and still concentrate.
Detect magic => The spell can penetrate barriers, but 1 foot of stone, 1 inch of common metal, a thin sheet of lead, or 3 feet of wood or dirt blocks it. I know the fog is there, but i did not consider it a "blocking" aspect. I figured it was more like a sonar emanation where I get pings for each aura and could still focus on those? Or did you mean I can't pinpoint the girl between Balzeros and Fergus? In that case I would look towards the other end and see if I can see something on "Argentov?" Or is the overall magic aura too confusing if the fog just gets everywhere?
The latter. Without being able to see who's who and what items or people the auras are attached to Alia can't really ascertain identity without being able to see better. As for Lind, there's nothing to see in that direction However there might be a 5-foot-thick megalith in the way that he did step behind earlier. The only "posts and lintel" still upright in this stone circle is the one that the shackle chains were spiked into. There are two 'overall area' auras both are "faint". One is obviously the fog.
Well, on the off chance that it's just one of the buffs(or light) we have and I waste my round, which is the other "overall aura" that is not the fog? Knowledge Arcana:1d20 + 7 ⇒ (11) + 7 = 18
Serena and Alia find it difficult pin-point the things they are searching for with their supernatural senses due to the fog and close proximity of people and things with in it.
Precious time passes. The party mills about torn between plans of action.
M Dwarf | AC 27, T 12, FF 25, CMD 24 | HP 65/75 | F +11 R +7 W +13 (+3 vs spells/SLA/poison) | Move 30' | Init +1 | Per +17 | Active: Vestment, GMW, Barkskin, Flight, Tongues, Haste
Durgan casts Divine Favor on himself.
"Zokon, do you need a Fly spell? Don't want the trolls to get to melee with you." Assuming these trolls even are the problem... something strange is going on here.
"Can't you get the girl free? Is there anything better to use as leverage?!" Illthir had hoped that they'd be on their way out by now. "Can you just make the whole darn rock fly?"
Maybe someone with a Traveler's Any Tool can make a hacksaw or crowbar or something!
And I happily realized I am such a diligent person :D
"Here! Use this and get that girl free one way or another!" Illthir draws her traveler's any tool, for now a formless blob, and hurries back towards the rock.
Fishing his grappling hook out of his bag, he hooks it into the link nearest the staple in the rock and pulls.
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Break/Release the Chain:1d20 ⇒ 14 Illthir are you where you are on the map? Balzeros will try to aid you once you get to the chain! If the tool is in reach, he'll use it in crowbar form instead of his grappling hook.
Illthir produces her everythingamajig and hands it to Balzeros, who uses it to form a hack-bar with which he sets to work on the chain with, but it is slow going.
Fergus considers his spell options somewhere he can see them more clearly.
Alia, still sped up through her own magics, rushes around the circle towards where the girls chain was anchored, while drawing her Estoc.Holding bow in hand, then dropping it after end movement.
Channeling Arcane Power into her weapon, Alia also decides to use one of her frost spells, expecting little use for it against the enemies they faced.
Concentration:1d20 + 7 ⇒ (20) + 7 = 27 Damage Spellstrike:2d4 + 8 ⇒ (3, 1) + 8 = 12Cold, halved:4d6 ⇒ (2, 6, 1, 4) = 13 => 6
20% Miss Chance:1d100 ⇒ 41 Damage Normal Attack:2d4 + 8 ⇒ (1, 4) + 8 = 13 20% Miss Chance:1d100 ⇒ 76
Addendum: I read that it seems spellstrike has the spell portion compete with hardness separately. In which case the halved damage would make it pointless(even if I rolled 4x6, that would be 2 damage after being halved and reduced by hardness(assuming 10 for metal)) - so in that case, I would omit the Frigid Touch Spellstrike. On the off-chance you rule that it works, I am willing to expend the spell so that we don't need another round or two of sundering and trying to get the chain loose.
Edit: HA, going spell combat and spellstrike I get to stab the chain twice! Muahahaha!
@Acid: I think the main problem for most easily available sources of acid is that they'll also have to overcome the hardness - which will be difficult even if they are ruled to do full damage. Otherwise it would do what MOST acids you don't want poured in your face would do to a metal chain - leave it shiny sparkling clean, but not damaged in the slightest. Unless you are a Internecivus raptus, of course :)
"Enlarge me, please - this chain needs some more strenght..." Not sure who is carrying the Wand of Enlarge Person, but if whoever has it can spend the time, I could sunder again, with 2d6+10 damage :P - usually metal has hardness 10, but this one seems particularily resilient. That, and being large and having reach would also be decent if the trolls or wolves return...so if we have time-
Balzeros grins as Alia joins the tense battle with the chain. Between her strikes, he continues to work at the chain with the hack-bar.
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GM, is the hack bar dealing damage slowly? I tried looking up what that is, but there is a web browser mod that takes the same name :)
"Hack-bar?" Sorry, I meant to say "crow-saw!" Wait. That's not right either. Basically, no, not on the first try, anyhow. Breaking something like manacles is usually a DC in the mid-20s. The staple is only marginally easier. The roll would be a Str check (+2 for your anytool (as soon as we figure out the bottle opener, and tweezer attachments), and +2 more for anyone able to aid you in the attempt). Obviously you can't have too many cooks crowding the kitchen.
M Dwarf | AC 27, T 12, FF 25, CMD 24 | HP 65/75 | F +11 R +7 W +13 (+3 vs spells/SLA/poison) | Move 30' | Init +1 | Per +17 | Active: Vestment, GMW, Barkskin, Flight, Tongues, Haste
Durgan tries to listen for trolls or wolves as a move action.
Perception:1d20 + 13 ⇒ (6) + 13 = 19 Standard action depends on what, if anything, he hears.
There are lots of sounds of straining, hammering, and cursing coming from the fog-bank to the west. All are in the voices of those Durgan travels with.
It only uses a Move action, so you can do it twice if you like.
M Dwarf | AC 27, T 12, FF 25, CMD 24 | HP 65/75 | F +11 R +7 W +13 (+3 vs spells/SLA/poison) | Move 30' | Init +1 | Per +17 | Active: Vestment, GMW, Barkskin, Flight, Tongues, Haste
Okay. "I thought we were worried about the trolls coming back... does anybody hear anything?"
There's the sound of a distant soft wump like a boulder crashing into a snow-covered valley. It's followed by the sounds of sudden battle. The voices are indistinct, but sound like trolls as their cries echo off the mountains.
The wolves stop their incessant howling a moment later.
