[Pathfinder Encounters] The Red Tree of the Devil Chimps (Inactive)

Game Master CaptainMarvelous

Bartleby will kick a handful of dirt on the chimp corpses, also making sure they are all truly dead. He will do a little ritual, hopefully they won't haunt the place or whatever and menace next year's apple pickers. He isn't terribly concerned about such things, but monkeys are cool, even devil ones. He keeps his pony nearby, although he has a 40' move for a good hour, and always keeps his attention focused on the trees and the team. When he gets around to it, (probably after the apples are safely acquired), he will strap the loot to My Lil' War Pony.

Calling out..
"Hey guys, see any sign of a nest up there? Apes and Monkeys usually have a nest of some sort, maybe fashioned out of branches and leaves. Maybe there is more ill gotten gains and shiny things in their nest."

Knowledge Nature: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (1) + 7 = 8

Their hands full of apples, the two adventurers suddenly hear the sound of rapidly cracking branches, and the almost human howling and utterly inhuman stink that has become all too familiar to you.

Both chimps are charging, leaping rapidly from branch to branch, but straight down rather than forward. With the agility that only an ape could have in a tree the devil chimps come rushing down at you.

HEY Bull Rush: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (20) + 4 = 24
Max Bull Rush: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (7) + 4 = 11

Your weapons aren't out, you're grabbing apples, so I didn't roll an AoO but if any of you have fancy AoO shenanigans you both have one coming from the chimp charges. We can retroactively stick it in there.

Max is actually able to maneuver around some branches and avoid being pushed off the tree, the chimp coming to rest in the square immediately above him, but HEY YOU is not so lucky. He is knocked, violently, from the tree, apples and all.

Acrobatics Check: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (17) + 5 = 22

Real Damage, then Non-Lethal: 1d6 ⇒ 61d6 ⇒ 1

HEY YOU gets banged up pretty bad, and will be hurting tomorrow, but he manages to avoid a potentially fatal injury by rolling with the fall. He is even able to save one of his apples in the process, although two of them are destroyed in the fall.

Updated Map

Combat again, new actions plus initiative please.

Depending on Surprise/Initiative ruling Bartleby will channel healing energy at first chance to heal HEY YOU. Thinking the chimps are still unwounded, even if they come down, we should be ok.

Initiative: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 3 = 9

Holding aloft his somewhat-holy symbol, Bartleby channels...
Channel Healing (second use today): 1d6 ⇒ 5

Initiative: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (19) + 1 = 20

HEY YOU picks himself up (move action) and groans in pain, then in relief as Bartleby heals him up. Before doing anything else, he hands his unblemished apple off (move action).

Down 3HP

initiative: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (19) + 3 = 22
" Argh!! More devilish monkeys!!!"
Pulling his magic endowed crossbow off his back, Elric sights and fires at the nearest of the two attackers.
attack: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (2) + 6 = 8
damage: 1d10 + 1 ⇒ (9) + 1 = 10
threat confirm: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (2) + 6 = 8
crit damage: 1d10 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5
Darn.

Initiative: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4
Leena casts Magic Missile At the nearest living Chimp if any.
Magic Missile: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2
If both chimps are dead she sheathes her sword and draws a chakram.

I do not understand how bull rush works, I understand it works off of CMB or CMD, but it is something I never use, I never bother to mess with that stuff with my character and I never bother to DM anything that uses CMB or CMD, I normally just ignore it. Was I hit by the bull rush and do I have to roll anything? anyway init and actions

init: 8 + 1d20 ⇒ 8 + (3) = 11
Max will take a 5 foot step away from the chimp if it is possible to safely do so, if not, he stays there.
He will then cast his final level 1 spell, Magic missile at the chimp damage: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4

Devil Chimp Init: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (14) + 2 = 16

Erlic takes aim and fires his crossbow up into the tree, shooting at the chimp that pushed HEY YOU, but the bolt embeds itself instead in the branch the chimp is perched on.

HEY YOU stumbles to his feet and hands off his only undamaged apple.

The chimp that attempted to push Max takes a 5 ft. climb down so he is directly adjacent to Max, then lashes out at the sorcerer.

2 Slams: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 2 = 71d20 + 2 ⇒ (11) + 2 = 13
Slam Damage: 1d4 ⇒ 4

Max is able to climb out of the way of the first attack, but he is not accustomed to maneuvering in trees and the second attack connects, the chimp's arm slamming into him and jostling the branch he is on.

Climb check: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6

The assault loosens Max's grip and he plummets from the tree.

Acrobatics check: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (7) + 6 = 13

Falling Damage: 3d6 ⇒ (2, 5, 6) = 13

Max falls to the ground in a heap, unconscious. His apples splay out everywhere and are destroyed in the impact.

Bartleby channels positive energy into the area, stabilizing Max's condition but still not providing enough healing to wake him up.

Leena flings off a magic missile at the chimp that attacked Max, and it screams in pain as the arcane attack hits.

Updated Map

New round, new actions.

Bartleby swing up on My Lil' War Pony attempting a Fast Mount (if successful this is a free action, if not this costs a move action).

Ride Check Fast Mount DC 20: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (8) + 10 = 18

If the chimps are within melee range of he and his mount, he directs My Lil' War Pony to pummel the chimps with his vicious hooves. This should be successful and also a free action allowing me to still act.

Ride Check Fight with Combat Trained Mount DC 10: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (13) + 10 = 23

Hoof attack #1: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (16) - 1 = 15

Hoof #1 damage: 1d3 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3

Hoof attack #2: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (12) - 1 = 11

Hoof #2 damage: 1d3 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5

After this we will move Southeast towards Max as a 5' (putting us 1 to his left). I can do this as a free action with a DC 5 Ride check using my knees.

Ride check DC 5: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (19) + 10 = 29 should auto-succeed barring any unknown penalties.

If any chimp attacks me I use an immediate action to drop to the side of my pony to provide cover (+4 AC bonus).

Ride check DC 15: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (14) + 10 = 24

If a chimp attacks My Lil' War Pony I will attempt to negate the hit as an immediate action (Mounted Combat Feat), succeeding if my ride check exceeds its attack roll.

Ride check: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (15) + 10 = 25

Having failed my rapid mount, that actually cost me a move action. If a chimp swung at me, and I had to use cover maneuver, it costs me a move action to return to the saddle so I have no remaining actions. If I was not attacked, I will fire my crossbow at a remaining chimp as long as I am not threatened by melee. My preference for targets is as follows:
first priority: A chimp not in melee ( so I don't suffer -4 to attack)
second priority: most visibly wounded if I can tell.

Crossbow attack: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (19) + 3 = 22 ( possible -4 )

Crossbow damage: 1d6 ⇒ 3

If the chimps stay in the trees, I will channel energy instead to heal Max.

Channel Energy (third use): 1d6 ⇒ 4

sorry if this seems excessively complicated. Just trying to prepare for likely scenarios.

No chimps fall and nearby chimp still alive in tree
Leena Draws a chakram and throws it at the nearby Chimp
Chakram Attack: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5 Chakram Damage: 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6

Any Chimp falls but still is alive
Leena will move in and attack with with her longsword
Longsword Attack: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (10) + 4 = 14 Longsword Damage: 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 = 8

If no chimps are alive
Leena Sheathes her longsword and draws a chakram

If the nearest chimp dies but other one is still alive
Leena attempts to climb up the rope and then draws a chakram.
Climb DC 5: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (2) + 5 = 7

heh. last round I previewed my attack then added the initiative roll ABOVE it. it used my attack roll for the init so I missed instead of almost criting! X(
" Aggh. He fell n broke all the apples."
Grumbling in frustration, Elric will sling his crossbow and climb the rope.
climb check, knotted rope DC 5: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (19) + 6 = 25

HEY YOU grumbles and chucks a rock at the chimp above him.
Attack: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 = 8
Damage: 1d3 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7
Miss Chance: 1d100 ⇒ 33

Erlic easily climbs the rope to the upper branches.

Frustrated, HEY YOU throws a rock he never expected to hit, and it doesn't.

Bartleby against draws forth positive energy into this plane, and this time the healing is enough to bring Max around. At one hp.

Leena flings a chakram at the wounded chimp. The chakram cuts deep into the chimp's back before becoming lodged in some branches. The blood loss causes the chimp to fall unconscious and loses it's grip.

3d6 ⇒ (2, 1, 1) = 4

It is unconscious and bleeding out, but there might still be some life in the dirty little thing.

Updated Map

New round, new actions.

If the chimp in trees is alive
Leena Draws a chakram and throws it at the chimp
Acid Splash: 1d20 + 2 - 2 ⇒ (16) + 2 - 2 = 16 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4.

Otherwise
Leena sheathes her longsword and and draws a chakram.

Erlic stands fast, holding on to the rope, he slowly begins to wind it up.
" Anybody else got any rope? I'ma use this here one up here..."
perception: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (13) + 1 = 14
He will look around as he does so, looking for Devil Chimps and to see how far away the nearest other branches are.
Looking mostly for a nearby branch above him. Like 10 or 15' say...

Bartleby reloads his crossbow and fires into the trees.

Attack roll: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (9) + 3 = 12

Other rolls as needed:

perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (19) + 5 = 24

miss chance for concealment: 1d100 ⇒ 90

damage: 1d6 ⇒ 5

The Half-Orc fires off another stone at the chimps.

Attack: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (20) + 1 = 21
Damage: 1d3 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7
Confirm: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (12) + 1 = 13
Damage: 1d3 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7

Max looks around perception: 1d20 ⇒ 12 and if he can see it he will fire at the closest chimp an acid splash. attack: 2 + 1d20 ⇒ 2 + (7) = 9 vs touch ac

damage: 1d3 ⇒ 2 acid damage.

Erlic sees a few suitable branches, but there's a perfect one just 15 feet above him. The only chimps he can see is the one to his immediate south west.

HEY YOU throws a stone up at this same chimp, and hits it hard.

Climb check: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (1) + 8 = 9

The stone knocks the wind out of the chimp and even the expert climber loses it's grip. The chimps falls from the tree.

Falling Damage: 3d6 ⇒ (2, 6, 3) = 11

The chimp smashes into the ground, out cold but still breathing.

You know there is at least one other chimp up in the tree somewhere, but it hasn't shown it's face since their initial retreat.

Max, Bartleby and Leena hold off their attacks, having no targets. Leena sheathes her sword and draws a chakram.

Combat ends for now.

Max carefully walks all the way around the tree and he takes his time and goes slow so as not to piss of he chimps He is taking 20 on perception for a total of 20, assuming he isn't interrupted and he reports the info about the chimps to the group quietly so as not disturb them with noise.

Max methodically checks out the tree, but there's no sign from the ground of any chimps. He can see pretty high up into the tree so that last chimp must be hiding somewhere deep in the branches near the top. There's no sign of him to within 100 feet or so of the lower part of the upper branches where you guys have been climbing to, that's as far as you can see from the ground.

"Here's some more rope, Eb!" HEY YOU pulls out a long coil of rope and tosses it up to the Dwarf.

Max won't be doing anything for a while, because taking 20 takes 2 minutes, I'm still reading this, so I can't do anything until 20 rounds pass or if combat happens, I'll jump in, but all the PCs would have gotten 20 rounds in during my take 20, trying to be fair about it, but don't wait for me.

Bartleby will reload his crossbow and take a look at the unconscious chimps on the ground.

"I may want to keep one alive for questioning. I can speak with animals, if they qualify...otherwise..." He makes a finger across the throat motion.

"I can channel again, but we may wish to save it in case someone falls from the trees."

If there is any free non-combat time, I will go around the group on the ground and give everyone resistance orison. ( +1 all saves for 10 rounds ).

Probably not needed, but might help dodge a desperate monkey dive bomb.

Leena looks around for a suitable branch and casts mage hand on a branch containing 1d4 ⇒ 1 apples. Then throws a chakram to sever branch
chakram: 1d20 + 2 - 2 ⇒ (11) + 2 - 2 = 11damage: 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5

Leena is able to sever a branch and then, carefully catching it in her spell, lower the apple down.

You now have 4 apples, a third of the way to your goal.

While Leena does this, Bartleby casts Resistance on all of you.

"Hmm.hmmp."
Humming in concentration, Elric ties the rope to the branch he is standing on, then throws it over the branch above him. Taking his time (unless interrupted) he then ties it around his waist, untying some of the knots if needed to extend the length of the rope. Now when he falls he only falls about a foot or so. Sliding the rope along the branch above him, he walks outward to a fresh area and starts to pick apples, stuffing them into his pack worn on the front side, again he will stop and untie every so often to loosen knots and extend the length, then re-tie it around himself. .
apple pickin': 1d4 ⇒ 1
If attacked or hearing sounds of attack he will grab his crossbow and load it.

The dwarf is able to securely tie himself to the tree so that he will now dangle instead of fall. He also picks a single apple and puts it away in his backpack.

There is no sign anywhere of the chimp.

Leena will walk around retrieving any chakrams she can and will again do the chakram and mage hand combo.

Chakram: 1d20 + 2 - 2 ⇒ (18) + 2 - 2 = 18 Damage: 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4

When free from casting, Bartleby will assist with raising and lowering of apples via the pulley system. We can also use My Lil' War Pony to tether a safety line to for the climbers. He always keeps his loaded crossbow ready and will scan the trees for chimps, a nest, or anything peculiar.

Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (18) + 5 = 23

HEY YOU will climb up and assist Erlic in apple-gathering.

Working together with the set-up you rigged, you are all able to quickly gather the remaining 8 apples without further molestation from the devil chimp(s). It seems that even for such creatures, at a certain point discretion is the better part of valor.

Finally, Erlic and HEY YOU climb back down the rope with the last of the apples.

Once you're all finished, you can head back to the Elf King's palace tree (servant's entrance) and hand over the apples.

Before everyone leaves, HEY YOU doublechecks the devil chimp bodies to make sure they don't leave anything valuable.

Taking 20 on Perception for a 26.

Other than the Living Steel Shield, the Nunchaku and the chimp-quality club, the filthy animals aren't carrying anything on them. That's actually more equipment than one might ordinarily expect to find on a chimp.

Loading up the precious apples and what little loot you could scrounge from the devil chimps, the group of slightly-bruised but successful adventurers begin the trek back to the servant's entrance of the palace tree to collect their reward.

End.

Woot. Much fun,

What are we selling the nunchuks for?

Hey everyone, please post here once to confirm your participation.

You can give me coordinates if you want to be precise about your movement. Like "I move to A1".

Here to kick ass.

I moved you on my map at home, but I'm only going to update the map on here when things change significantly.

Edit: A note on magic items: at least at first the only magic items that will be available will be ones you gain in-game and ones you can buy/trade from other PCs. Eventually if we get to the point where people have too much gold and not enough gear I may allow buying magic items on a limited basis, but for now I want to emphasize the importance of found loot. Plus I'm rolling up crazy stuff on these random loot tables and I want them to see play.

Move me under to the center tree trunk, please. :-)

Post all actions in gameplay please.

Edit: I'm updating the map now since I can still edit my post.

is the apple still useable even though it is in pieces?

They're just going to mash them up anyway, but the answer is still no. Only the freshest, most intact apples will do. It's about the difficulty to acquire them, and the status that confers, not the actual plant matter.

On another note, I should have rolled an reflex saving throw to try to catch the falling apple, but I wasn't expecting the branch to break with 1 damage, too late now.

I wouldn't spend too much time trying to figure out how to harvest the apples by shooting at them and then catching them after a 30 foot drop. There are better methods.

Edit: Actually that's not fair, you use whatever method you like, but bare in mind that a 30 foot drop means that without something to cushion the fall all you get is applesauce.

Don't you guys just love clerics?

Thanks, but channel energy heals all living creatures, not just allies, however if these things get one shotted, it won't matter as you can't heal a dead one.
I'll adjust my HP once the round is over, because there is a chance one could hit me after you have healed me.

Yeah but the monkey are in the upper branches, which are 30 ft. up and higher, so they're not within range of it even if the halfling pitied them and wanted to heal them.

And they're "devil chimps", who knows if positive energy even heals them. Well, I guess me, but I seem tight lipped on the matter.

According to the falling rules you take 3d6 damage if a chimpanzee jumps on you from 30 feet. So, congratulations on those reflex saves.

You actually don't get an attack of opportunity because falling isn't a move action. Not that it matters, but still.

Ah, I thought he was entering one of my threatened squares, but I missed anyway, so no big deal. :-)

Ah, I thought he was entering one of my threatened squares, but I missed anyway, so no big deal. :-)

He was, but he was falling out of a tree at you. I treated it more like a trap, and you made your reflex save to leap out of the way so it didn't make a lot of sense to me for you also to be attacking it.

Even though captain did not describe the boss, I imagine it being the biggest monkey, so if my character doesn't know, he can aim at the biggest one assuming it is the leader.

Well one of the two monkeys, who are co-bosses, was right in front of Max so it seemed pretty obvious to me who he meant. Also I think if I had to choose between Club and Shield monkey and Nunchaku monkey, obviously the Shield one is the true leader.

Didn't get a new action from Leena overnight like I was hoping and I don't want us to lose the breakneck pace we've got going, so I'm going to puppet her character for one round. I don't usually like to do this but I want to get this round processed.

Bartleby: if you want to you can also take a shot with your crossbow, the Perception checks are free actions. You can make a new post amending your action, otherwise I'll assume you spend the round thinking and looking.

no problem did what i going to do for most part, I thought i hit post before i went to work.

I converted the sunder to an attack because, you know, who wants to break a dead guy's shield.

Wow don't I feel dumb, I didn't realize there was a separate discussion thread. I will be a little more on top of things now ;) Sorry!

I rolled the climb check because you didn't say you were taking ten, but I think most of you guys can do that climb without having to roll so if you can auto-ten the climb just point it out to me so I don't roll by mistake.

Edit: Even Max can, I'ma go change my post. Wait until I edit this post again to post anything.

Edit 2: Okay I went back and changed my post so that Max takes ten and just grabs the apples. I don't need to keep you folks here for weeks with apples business.

Gah I rolled a 1 on my favorite animal subject. haha.

Are we re-rolling iniative? Is this a surprise round for them? I will fire off a channel burst to heal HEY YOU if we can go before them, well, I guess I will in any event, not sure if the remaining chimps are even hurt. Better that we keep our guys alive.

Heading to bed for tonight.

Thanks for reminding me: yeah it's combat again and I need new initiative. I edited my post accordingly. And that was a surprise round for the chimps.

I think HEY YOU has only 1 point of damage left, not 3. 1 real and 1 non-lethal.

I took 2pts from a thrown rock, 6 + 1 NL from the fall, and healed 5 (which also cures the NL damage).

Yeah but you were in the first healing burst after the rock, so that damage was gone by the time you fell.

Oh yeah, I forgot about that. :-D

Erlic the Unlucky, hero of many a draven tavern song.

Monkey failed his bull rush, so nothing happens to you. You would have had an AoO, because the monkey has no bull rush feats, but you had an arm full of apples.

okay, so what is my HP at, apparently I stablized and healed after I took damage? I had 9 as max.

You took 17 damage total, and healed 5, so that puts you at a stabilized -3. You're pretty beef for a sorcerer.

Edit: You haven't really broken in a primary arcane spellcaster until they've been unceremoniously knocked unconscious and revived in the same encounter.

All the chimps are in the tree. The ones with green outlines are in the upper branches.

Edit: you might consider move + heal max instead, he's still unconscious but just needs 3 HP to wake up. If you want to change your action we can all just pretend the cave toad never happened.

Don't apologize, I LOVE when players post a bunch of contingency actions. Because sometimes circumstances conspire so that the first thing you wanted to do doesn't work by the time we get to you, so having alternatives really helps me.

Ok yes, I saw that and edited my reply. added some stuff, and also fixed a horde of typos. If they stay in the tree, I will just heal Max. On phone so I have to keep flipping to check rules and edit my posts. Sorry!

Don't apologize, I LOVE when players post a bunch of contingency actions. Because sometimes circumstances conspire so that the first thing you wanted to do doesn't work by the time we get to you, so having alternatives really helps me.

I guess that is a challenge of PBP. Normally at a table in real time, you could just declare once your turn hits. Here we don't know the status really until you post for the chimps initiative. I guess ideally it would be great for everyone to able to post in their initiative order, but this might get overly difficult.

I can't even imagine how hard this might be in a big high level fight with spells flying all over, and so many potential contingent actions that could turn the tide of a battle.

Too slow to post in initiative order. I like my system, because in my version slow characters react more slowly instead of almost having a slight edge by being able to react to faster characters.

There's a new, better organized master thread for the mother game here:

Click Me!

For the record: it's the visible chimp on the right, the one near Leena and Max, that took the two magic missile hits. He's visibly covered in force burns.

I am not sure that it matters a ton currently, but Leena your HP listed in your subtitle text ( not sure what the term is ) show 9/10 hp, I am pretty sure it should be maxed. Otherwise no big deal, I think if things go reasonably well it would be maxed after this round anyhow, barring catastrophe.

That sucks. You can use the old crit the next time you shoot that crossbow this encounter to make up for it.

FYI: What I'm doing with the falling apples is, for every 5 by which you exceed the Acrobatics check needed to break your fall you can save one apple you were carrying.

I'm treating the tall branches as cover, not concealment, so you guys don't need those miss chances.

Max is up, FYI.

Map is the same except the chimp is unconscious on the ground.

This might be a good time for some of that mage hand business you were discussing before.

I did not take mage hand as a spell, wasn't expecting it to be useful, as I have never used it in a game, guess this would be the first time it would have been useful.

Nah, it was Leena. She has three of them prepared.

This thing is really in hiding.