Price of Immortality

Game Master Birch33

It doesn't take long to uncover the bodies. You find two Razmiri cultists wrapped in their own cloaks and wearing their telltale
iron masks.

It doesn't take much to reveal they were probably killed by an animal, judging by the teeth and claw marks.

You'd also say that they were likely buried no more than three days ago.

Rain turns away from the macabre task of digging up the graves, but she nods in acknowledgment at the usefulness of the idea once the bodies are exhumed. "Animals? Guess there're equally bad things here as the storm overhead. What fun."

"Sorry, Rain," When he notices her discomfort. Then he looks at the others, "What now?"

What time of day is it again?

You'd estimate it must be about midday.

"I'd hate to lose half a day huddled here. Maybe we should brave the storm? If nothing else, it might keep any vicious animals in their dens. Unless, of course, the storm is the natural state of this place." Rythan shrugged. "Staying here didn't help the cultists, anyway."

"Well something's definitely here. I just caught a glimpse of something in the treeline, maybe a wolf? Whatever it was, it looked big and quick."

Busy week so far people - I'll try to update later today.

bump

Rythan drew his sword, squinting at the treeline. "So much for the storm keeping the animals in their dens. Think they learned this was a meal spot, and are hungry for more?"

As you consider your next actions you are surprised by two pairs of wolves that come at you from different sides – catching you in a pincer movement.

The wolves are definitely usual. They are bigger and darker in colour than the wolves you’ve seen before and they appear to be deformed – with each wolf having different tumours and growths on their bodies.

You need to decide if you’re going to face Pair A or Pair B. I’ll presume that we have two separate battles until either one pair is defeated (when you can turn to face the other pair) or the PCs are defeated (when the wolves will attack the other PC group).

Initiatives

Grob: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2
Grum: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (17) + 2 = 19
Talarin: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (17) + 4 = 21
Ryanthus: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 2 = 10
Heledar: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3
Rumha: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (11) + 2 = 13

Wolf A1 = 10
Wolf A2 = 10
Wolf B1 = 10
Wolf B2 = 10

Do we have a map? :D

"Stand fast friends, back to back we stand a good chance to defend ourselves" - Heledar urges his companions, poised with his weapon ready - "Stay close Rain, I will try to prevent them from reaching you" - then conjures a spell to bolster their resolve and combat prowess.

Casting Bless -> +1 morale bonus on attack rolls and on saving throws against fear effects - and standing fast with Bardiche poised in fron to fish for some AoOs, if they present themselves.

"Hold the line" - he adds.

GM Birch, I am not sure if this is the case since the wolves may have reach and whatnot, but when a situation presents itself that may cause AoOs from Heledar, would you like me to roll them in advance? Let me know. In any case:

Muttering a colorful refrain in halfling under her breath, Rain draws the wand they'd recovered from the Razmirans from her belt. "Grob, Grum, and Rumha, think you guys can hold those ones there at bay?" She points to the wolves rushing up from the left. Nodding to the other group of wolves, she adds, "Heledar and Rythanus, let's keep these ones here off their backs, yeah?"

Move Action: draw wand
Standard Action: cast shield on self

I hate maps but...I have created one here.

Happy for you to use it to visualise, but please don't use it tactically i.e. do not tell me your character moves here or there as I can't access Dropbox from work and to create this map and the link I had to keep sending stuff from my PC to my phone and back again. Oh, and yes, the wolves do occupy two squares! I made them bigger on purpose because you asked me to draw a map ; p

Heh. The map has an error for me anyway so I can't use it tactically or otherwise

"I'll give it a try..." He does as Rain suggests, ready for the wolves on the left. When one comes within reach, he slices!

to hit:1d20 + 12 ⇒ (6) + 12 = 18
Dmg: 1d12 + 9 ⇒ (4) + 9 = 13

If it helps, here's an attack for Grum (presuming his 5th level would be in Ranger)
Longbow Attack&Damage: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (1) + 9 = 101d8 + 4 ⇒ (8) + 4 = 12

I am terrible at being Grum!

I'm getting an error on the map too.

"You got it, Rain," Rythan said, fishing a handful of colorful sand out of one of his pouches. He growled strange syllables as he gestured at the wolves, casting the sand at them in an arcane pattern.

Taking a 5' step back if necessary, then casting color spray (DC15) on the wolves to the right. I shouldn't catch Rain or Heledar, I think.

Rumha tries to identify these seemingly diseased wolves even he casts a spell, summoning a phantom sword to lash at one of the approaching wolf.

~ Round 1 ~
STAND: Cast Spiritual Weapon

Knowledge: Religion (are these guys undead or just mutated) 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (3) + 9 = 12

Rnd 1 of 5
Spirit Longsword (19-20/x2)
HIT: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (2) + 8 = 10
DAM: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 = 8

Forget anything fancy and try this:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/gei1c19ixkc4sjc/Photo%2003-04-2014%2015%2051%2058 .jpg

Sometimes the boards puts a space into the url when I embed it in text

Edit - checked and it wants to add a space before the .jpg - as I see it now there is no space, once I post, it adds one! I'll keep trying...but you can cut and paste and then remove the erroneous space

In a few moments a lot happens. Heledar and Talarin cast spells and Grum fires an arrow that misses.

Then Rythanus casts a spell and the wolves to the right stop in their tracks, clearly affected.

Rumha casts another spell and a longsword appears in front of the wolves to the left. Despite the fancy blade work, it fails to connect with the wolves.

The wolves on the right do not attack yet but the ones on the left do. One bites Grob and the other bites Rumha. Both of them are also tripped by the wolves in the action.

Grob takes 5 hp and Rumha 3hp

Grob to act now

map link!

I'm... a bit confused. Did I hit earlier?

"I'll give it a try..." He does as Rain suggests, ready for the wolves on the left. When one comes within reach, he slices!

to hit:1d20 + 12 ⇒ (6) + 12 = 18
Dmg: 1d12 + 9 ⇒ (4) + 9 = 13

The wolves have a higher initiative, so put you on your a** before you had a chance to swing - and Heldar's spell came after the wolves' attack. My bad for that one

"We only have a few seconds to take the stunned wolves down," Rythan told Heledar and Rain. "Hang in there, Rumha and Grob!"

Rythan moved forward to slice one of the wolves on the right.

2h scimitar attack: 1d20 + 8 + 1 ⇒ (19) + 8 + 1 = 28 Bless
dmg: 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7
confirm crit: 1d20 + 8 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 8 + 1 = 13
crit dmg: 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8

Grobradon grumbles as he's torn down, I do not get what Grum sees as so darn wonderful about nature And he whirls his great sword about with surprising speed creating a barrier of sorts of pure steel.

Shield of Swings feat: "During a full-round attack with a 2-handed weapon, you may halve your damage to gain +4 AC and CMD until the beginning of your next turn." so AC makes up for being prone

To hit: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (5) + 12 = 17
Dmg: 1d12 + 9 ⇒ (10) + 9 = 19
Edit: So 9 points dmg, maybe 10 if you round up

Grob swings from the ground but it makes no difference as he is able to hit one of the wolves with a mightly blow. It's still on its feet but heavily injured.

Next round...

Rythanus is able to hit one of the wolves on the right with a powerful blow.

All four wolves are still alive, two are injured

"We still need to lines, back to back, lest we be flanked by these creatures - press the left side. I will keep alert for the right one" - Heledar urges his companions, as their wounds heal, and his body takes on their woes.

If the wolves are attacking Grob and Rumha, and we are back to back, since Heledar has a reach weapon, he should be able to attack them back, over the two that have been tripped, right? If so:

Bardiche attack on wolf facing Grob: 1d20 + 7 + 1 ⇒ (18) + 7 + 1 = 26
Damage if it hits: 1d10 + 12 ⇒ (5) + 12 = 17

Also, from Life Link, Grob heals up his 5 points of damage, and Heledar takes 5 damage. Rumha is not healed because he has not taken 5 or more hp of damage.

--Status--
HP: 46/50
AC: 19
Spells spent: 1/6 lvl1

Saw your post Heledar - will respond once everyone else has acted

The priest doesn't even bother getting up. He commands the sword to continue its attack on one wolf. Then he touches the warrior, twisting the web of fate...

~ Round 2 ~
FREE: Control Spirit Weapon
STAND: Touch Grum with Bit o' Luck
MOVE: If the wolf facing the spirit weapon falls, move the sword to a fresh target

Rnd 2 of 5
Spirit Longsword (19-20/x2)
HIT: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (9) + 8 = 17
DAM: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 9

CONCENTRATION v DC:16 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (7) + 16 = 23 Success
Cast Bit o' Luck (defensively) on Grum... Whoever rolls for Grum - for every d20 roll you make this round, roll twice and take the better roll.

Rumha manages to continue to control the sword, despite being on the ground. Unfortunately, being prone affects the sword's effectiveness and it fails to hit the wolf.

The sword's not prone, it's a separate floating thing, so I don't think Rumha's prone penalty would apply, would it?

Acrobatics: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (1) + 10 = 11
Acrobatics (Second Chance): 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (4) + 10 = 14

Rain spins around behind one of the wolves, tripping over a rock as she goes. She tries to turn her stumble into a deft roll, but the maneuver remains clumsy despite her quick-thinking.

Her sword slips free as she moves though, and with one of the wolves situated between her and her allies, she does her best to pierce the animal's lung.

Mwk Short Sword (flank, bless): 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (19) + 10 = 29for: 1d6 + 2d6 ⇒ (6) + (6, 3) = 15
Critical Confirmation: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (2) + 10 = 12for an additional: 1d6 ⇒ 6

If her initial move provokes an AoO and she winds up tripped, her attacks are lost as she'll spend her remaining action standing up from prone.

Unless the sword's attack roll was a straight-up miss and the description was just for color... yeah, I control the sword mentally and it would not be a prone attack.

For Grum, focused fire on a wounded wolf
Longbow Attack&Damage (bless): 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (10) + 9 = 191d8 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6
Longbow Attack (bit o' luck): 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (9) + 9 = 18

The sword's not prone, it's a separate floating thing, so I don't think Rumha's prone penalty would apply, would it?

My bad on that one...what can I say! Perhaps it was an overspill of having to do a map?

Rumha manages to continue to control the sword, despite being on the ground. Despite being prone it had no effect sword's accuracy and the first wolf goes down!

1 left in Group A (the left), two in Group B (the right)

Talarin manages to pick on the half-blinded wolves that are unable to pick on her clumsiness. She manages to drive a shortsword so deep into the wolf's ribs that she pierces the heart, ending its life.

One healthy wolf to the left, one injured one to the right

Grum is facing the wolf to the left but switches his focus and fires an arrow at the wolf on the right - hitting it and taking it out in one move.

Just the one wolf left

The remaining wolf snaps at Grob on the ground but fails to connect.

Grob and Heledar to go

GM Birch, can I go with the action I declared above?

"I swear, I may learn how to skin these things into a cape just so future wolves can get a hint..." Grobradon slashes in that wide arcing pattern once more

Same as above with Shield of Swings/ half dmg, +4 AC to balance out

To hit: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (18) + 12 = 30
dmg (Not sure why I did a 1d12 last time): 2d6 + 9 ⇒ (1, 3) + 9 = 13
Above halved for 6 points of dmg

Between Heledar and Grob the final wolf didn't stand a chance. It's hard to say who got the killing blow - arguably they both did.

Combat ends

Fortunately the map drawing had no further dire consequences :D

"I am not an expert" - Heledar quips, moving closer to one of the large animals - "But these don't look like ordinary wolves to me"

He moves in closer to examine them more in detail.

Can one take 10 or 20 in a Knowledge check? I would do so with Kn (Nature) - if not:

Knowledge (Nature): 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (9) + 5 = 14

Heledar judges the creatures to be similar to terror wolves. There is clearly something on the island that is creating the mutation you see before you. If it is natural, man-made and/or deliberate is anyone's guess at this stage.

"You boys really do bring me to the most wonderful places," Rain quips dryly as she turns away from the twisted forms of the wolves. "I can only imagine what wonders lay in store further inland." She cleans the blood from her sword before slipping it back into its sheath.

Rumha picks himself up and dusts himself off. "Shall we press on?"

You have two obvious choices (plus any others that might occur).

Firstly you can take shelter from the storm. Secondly you can follow the tracks of Iramine’s party which do not appear to have been covered (clearly not expecting to be followed).

"I still think we should wait out the storm - agreed, I have no idea of how long that may take, but still" - Heledar insists - "However if we decide to plod on, let us make haste, while we can still follow the tracks"

"It's a tough decision. What if the storm obliterates Iramine's trail?"

"All I know is being tripped by canines is embarrassing," He wipes his blade clean.

Normally, in matters of storm or the like, Grob would defer to his ranger brother ;)

"I'll go with what brother says but otherwise...I hate to let someone go and lose their tracks, but it's not worth losing what resources or people we have in that storm. My two copper so I guess I agree with Heledar."

Rythan joined the others in cleaning their weapons. He whirled his scimitar experimentally, then sheathed it with a flourish. "Iramine already has a pretty big head start - I'd rather not have her lead increase. If the storm does obliterate her trail, can Grum find her? While we have instructions, I feel a trail to follow is better than going ahead blind."