Varian is disturbed to see the bard shake off the worst parts of his spell, although the man is outlined quite brightly. The magic seems to flow off of the wolves without attaching itself as Varian expected it would.
Taerel makes a great shot. ...
-2 for range, and +4 ... +2 to his AC for (soft) cover from the adjacent wolves ... turns the roll into 16 18, ... (You're welcome. Probably should be +4, but this feels more cinematic.)
Concentration vs DC 21:1d20 + 12 ⇒ (5) + 12 = 17
The arrow slams into the bard's chest, and his spell sputters.
So this guy saw Mercutio sneak in as he was scouting in? Or did we completely ignore that?
*cough* ... totally saw that \s
Mercutio may remain hidden until his first shot, but everyone else came in closely behind. The bard was waiting for his grand welcome.
Mercutio gets a shot off, and is able to position himself well. The bard is caught off-guard, but the arrow misses due to the long range. (Even vs flat-footed, but only due to a range modifier.)
At first it doesn't look like Varian's spell had the effect he desired, but his strength of will and knowledge of arcana confirm to him that the summoned creatures appear to be affected.
Taklinn casts bless, and moves closer.
—COMBAT—
Mercutio
Varian
Doodle Taerel Taklinn Renedar
* BBEG
Those in bold may act.
Tarel fires from distance, but misjudges the range.
Missed by a range penalty.
Renedar moves closer.
Frustrated that his spell was interrupted, the bard tells his wolves to attack. They charge the closest target, Renedar, targeting him with their keen sense of smell. Each of the wolves sinks his teeth into the half-orc, and the second pulls the monk down to the ground.
bite:1d20 + 4 ⇒ (17) + 4 = 21 blind miss?:1d100 ⇒ 42 dmg:1d6 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 = 8Ouch! +free trip:1d20 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8Not tripped bite:1d20 + 4 ⇒ (14) + 4 = 18 blind miss?:1d100 ⇒ 32 dmg:1d6 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 = 8Ouch again! +free trip:1d20 + 4 ⇒ (20) + 4 = 24Tripped! Total: -16 damage and prone.
Satisfied that his wolves are acting as they should, the bard returns Varian's favor with a glitterdust of his own.
@Varian and @Taklinn, Will DC 18 or be blinded.
—COMBAT—
Mercutio
Varian
Doodle
Taerel
Taklinn
Renedar (-16, prone)
* BBEG (wolves: blinded 2 more rounds)
Those in bold may act.
The dwarf cleric charges forward, singing war yodels and wishing he'd brought his dwarven war bread.
The wolves smell him coming, even over the stench of half-orc. One moves up to bite him, while the other continues to worry Renedar. The blue wolf's sense of smell leads it astray, and it misses Taklinn by a hair's breadth. Despite its advantage against a prone opponent, the wolf fighting Renedar misses as well.
The bard hops down from the stage, and hurries behind the front row of chairs. Partial cover (+2 AC) against ranged. Consider the rows of chairs as difficult terrain, btw. He sings as he goes, a baudy, magically enhanced tune that causes Doodle to start laughing.
@Doodle, if failed DC 17 Will:
You collapse into gales of manic laughter, falling prone. You can take no actions while laughing, but are not considered helpless. On your next turn, you may attempt a new saving throw to end the effect. This is a full round action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity. If this save is successful, the effect ends. If not, the creature continues laughing until the spell ends.
hideous laughter
The wolves blink their eyes furiously and try to clear the blindness.
Blue, Will:1d20 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 = 8 Red, Will:1d20 + 1 ⇒ (13) + 1 = 14
—COMBAT—
Mercutio
Varian
Doodle
Taerel
Taklinn
Renedar (-16, prone)
* BBEG (wolves: blinded 1 more round? blue: -15)
Those in bold may act.
Male Dwarf Core Cleric/1 | HP: 11/11 | Init 6 | Fort/Ref/Will: +5/+0/+5 | Perception: +3 | AC: 16/10/16 | CMD: 12 (16 against trip and bull rush)
Wanting to get up to the melee yes, but maybe not so much to use a double move and not get off a heal to our critically wounded orc friend. Since the AoO missed anyway, I would back up the 5' and use an action to cast still.
If allowed...
Taklinn moves in and casts Cure Light Wounds on Renedar.
Cure Light Wounds:1d8 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 = 8
Sorry for the delay. My day yesterday was nothing but solid student visits (midterms!) and a late class to teach.
Mercutio's arrow flies true, and he's disappointed when the bard turns at the last minute and the arrow only clips his ear.
Varian releases another glitterdust. The bard, practiced in the arcane arts, covers his eyes at the right time and avoids the worst of the spell. The wolf is not so lucky.
Will, bard:1d20 + 6 ⇒ (15) + 6 = 21Saved again! Will, red:1d20 + 1 ⇒ (10) + 1 = 11
Doodle shrugs off the laughter spell as if it's something that gnomes do every day. Her claws extend quickly, and she slashes at the blue wolf, tearing flesh and fur, and leaving it bleeding on the ground.
Taerel inches forward, arrow nocked, waiting for the bard to act.
Yes, those above get cover from their position. At least +4, possibly +6 depending on my mood and the phases of the moon.
Taklinn, Will:1d20 + 5 ⇒ (11) + 5 = 16I don't see where Taklinn resolved the glitterdust save from two rounds ago. This roll fails, but two rounds have passed "blind"
Taklin, hearing Renedar's cries of pain, hurries forward and heals him.
Renedar shows some monkish skill, and severely wounds the remaining wolf with a move that must have been passed down as a secret through generations.
—COMBAT—
Mercutio
Varian
Doodle
Taerel
Taklinn (blind 3/7)
Renedar (-16+8 = -8, prone)
* BBEG (red wolf blinded 2 more rounds; -15)
Those in bold may act.
GM notes:
B: -10
b: -19 X
Have to run. I'll get the enemies' actions in about an hour.
The bard moves up next to the blind wolf, and sings a song of terror, with harsh, discordant notes. Taerel, anticipating this eventuality, fires an arrow, hoping to disrupt the song, but he misses. The song goes on, catching Renedar, Taklinn, and Doodle in its wake. DC 18 Will save
If succeeded on DC 18 Will:
You are shaken for one round.
A shaken character takes a –2 penalty on attack rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks. Shaken is a less severe state of fear than frightened or panicked.
If failed DC 18 Will:
You are panicked for 7 rounds.
A panicked creature must drop anything it holds and flee at top speed from the source of its fear, as well as any other dangers it encounters, along a random path. It can't take any other actions. In addition, the creature takes a –2 penalty on all saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks. If cornered, a panicked creature cowers and does not attack, typically using the total defense action in combat. A panicked creature can use special abilities, including spells, to flee; indeed, the creature must use such means if they are the only way to escape.
The wolf snaps at Renedar again, tired of being treated like a punching bag, grows visibly more dire. It tries to sinks its teeth deep into Renedar's side, and would severely wound the half orc, except the wolf misjudges Renedar's position, and bites at empty air.
bite:1d20 + 4 ⇒ (15) + 4 = 19 blind?:1d100 ⇒ 96How very luck for you!
—COMBAT—
Mercutio
Varian
Doodle (shaken or worse)
Taerel
Taklinn (blind 3/7; shaken or worse)
Renedar (-8, prone; shaken or worse)
* BBEG (red wolf blinded 2 more rounds; -15)
Those in bold may act.
Mercutio shoots, but misses as he focuses on witty banter instead of aiming.
Varian tries yet another glitterdust, and is smugly satisfied when the bard finally succumbs.
Will:1d20 + 6 ⇒ (5) + 6 = 11
Taklinn, Will:1d20 + 5 ⇒ (11) + 5 = 16
Doodle and Renedar see something fierce in the bard, and run away screaming. Taklinn, unable to see, feels an impending sense of dread and joins them in their frantic retreat.
1 of 7 rounds Not clear is Renedar stood to run, or is scuttling backwards while prone. Either way, he'll provoke as he's too scared to withdraw, so let's say he stood to run.
The wolf snaps at Renedar from behind (AoO) as he tries to run, and nips the monk's leg.
bite:1d20 + 4 ⇒ (20) + 4 = 24 CONFIRM bite:1d20 + 4 ⇒ (8) + 4 = 12 free trip:1d20 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6 dmg:1d6 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5
BOT
Taerel fires from cover at the wolf, trying to protect the escape of his friends.
bow-melee-cover:1d20 + 5 - 4 - 2 ⇒ (17) + 5 - 4 - 2 = 16 Damage:1d8 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2
The bard, thrown off balance from being blinded, grabs a potion and drinks it down. He turns invisible—as he wanted—but in his haste (and blindness) forgot about the glowing halo that still surrounds him.
He's technically invisible, but you have no concealment miss chance and can easily identify where he is, thanks to glitterdust(s).
—COMBAT—
Mercutio
Varian
Doodle (panicked 1/7)
Taerel
Taklinn (blind 3/7; panicked 1/7)
Renedar (-13; panicked 1/7)
* BBEG (blind 1/3)
Those in bold may act.
The panicked party members continue to run. 2/7 In Taklinn's case, that's mostly into walls.
Mercutio sights along an arrow and let's it fly at the glowing outline of the bard. It sinks deep into his shoulder.
No bonuses for height (good cover though), but the bard has -2 AC and loses his Dex bonus (-2) for being blind, so he's much easier to hit right now. The height does turn the cover from the seats (+4 AC) into only partial cover (+2 AC), but I figure that only works when he's adjacent to the seats, so only against one of the snipers at a time.
Varian demonstrates the poise of a trained combat caster, and releases bolts of force at the bard. They thunk soundly into the bard's center of mass.
Taerel follows Varian's example, and loses a magic missile of his own.
The bard is wounded, but not yet severely. He soldiers on, and tries another spell.
Magic washes over Varian, and sloughs off him, having no effect.
Spellcraft DC 16:
sleep
The bard draws his shortbow, and tries to make himself look smaller.
—COMBAT—
Mercutio
Varian
Doodle (panicked 2/7)
Taerel
Taklinn (blind 4/7; panicked 2/7)
Renedar (-13; panicked 2/7)
* BBEG (blind 2/3, -20)
Those in bold may act.
The bard takes another barrage of magic missiles to his center of mass, and cries in pain. He's hurting, but you still have a ways to go.
Mercutio and Taerel each continue firing, but without success.
The bard listens hard, then tries to return fire. His arrow flies off vaguely in the direction of Varian, but without any real danger of hitting him.
concealment miss chance:1d100 ⇒ 82Nope.
—COMBAT—
Mercutio
Varian
Doodle (panicked 3/7)
Taerel
Taklinn (blind 5/7; panicked 3/7)
Renedar (-13; panicked 3/7)
* BBEG (blind 3/3, -29)
Those in bold may act.
To speed things up, could those not panicked roll for a two or three rounds worth of actions?
Given that he is blind, and therefore denied his Dexterity modifier to his Touch AC, that first one should hit, and the last two will probably hit anyway ;-)
Round "2"
========
The three elves continue to rain arrows and acid on the bard. This time it is Varian and Mercutio that hit.
Knowing his schemes are coming to a bitter end, the bard continues to fight, and fires another arrow at Varian, but misses as his lifeblood continues to leak out.
shortbow:1d20 + 8 ⇒ (2) + 8 = 10
The bard is hurt, but still a couple of good hits away from his last breath.
Round "3"
========
Only Varian's acid strikes true this time, as arrows from the other archers make the theatre chairs resemble porcupines.
It might be his last strike, so he's determined to make it count. Sighting carefully along his arrow, the bard let's fly at Varian, piercing the elf's abdomen.
shortbow:1d20 + 8 ⇒ (19) + 8 = 27 dmg:1d6 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5
One or two good strikes might finish the combat...
—COMBAT—
Mercutio
Varian (-8)
Doodle (panicked 6/7)
Taerel
Taklinn (no longer blind; panicked 6/7)
Renedar (-13; panicked 6/7)
* BBEG (-52)
Those is bold may act.
Varian groans as he is hit by two arrows, but he is determined not to be taken out by a man who sings for his living, and calmly continues to fire bolts of acid at the bard.
