Kingmaker

Game Master Jovich

Having made note of a major potential source of income, the explorers continue exploring the rest of the area until nightfall.

The night passes without event, in the morning, the adventurers continue charting the unknown terrain.

Around noontime, they come to what they correctly assume is Thorn River, far downriver of the bandit camp they routed earlier. Along the banks of this area of the river, they find a rope and plank bridge that's clearly seen better days.

It occurs to the explorers that they need not cross the bridge to reach the mite lair, but if they don't, they'll be unable to explore any further in this direction.

i.e. you don't have to cross the bridge to reach your current destination, but you'll be leaving this hex unexplored.

"I -um- I guess I'm the lightest, eh? So if anything, I should go..."
Rustling through the donkey's saddlebags, she pulls out a rope. "Someone please tie me -don't laugh, Gage- tie me, so you can catch me if I fall? Don't much like this rickety thing..."

"I'll help to hold in case you fall... very nice of you to volunteer."

Says Gird with genuine admiration

"Well, sometimes being five feet nothing can help, you know? Ah, I should take off my armor to be lighter..."
Mamise removes her leather armor and gets the rope tied around her chest before venturing cautiously over the rope bridge.

Acrobatics?: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 5 = 8 Welp.

do we know if this rope bridge will hold the horse or even the wagon. Is it wide enough for the horses and wagon?

I think as long as the walkway is greater than 3ft across the base DC is 0
... just hold the ropes/rails? XD
Gage manages to grin silently as he steps up behing Gird and grabs onto the rope tied around Mamise.
"I'm sure the bridge is fine, Mamise, and we'll be ready if it isn't."

Sorry for the delay.

As Mamise inches step by step across the bridge, it whines and creaks in protest. Each step more ominous than the last.

But she makes it, without a single hair out of place.

it happens, thx for GMing for us ^^
Gage visibly relaxes and lets out a little sigh of relief. Gage cups his hands around his mouth and shouts across the bridge to Mamise.
"Told you it'd be fine!"

Gage turns to the others.
"So, who wants to watch the wagon? Maybe someone strong like Derra? Or shall we abandon it for a few hours?"

"It was fine because I'm awesome!"
Mamise ties the rope as tight as possible to the nearest tree, bracing herself in the case her knot isn't as strong enough.
"Now you can hold to the rope to come across!"

Andreas nods approval at Gage.
Derra if you are willing to remain behind with the supplies as we explore the remainder of this area, that would be very helpful. I do not see us being that long. If something bad comes your way abandon the wagon and come find us. Your life is more important that the supplies.

Boards ate my post.. was only short too

Gird will follow Mamise across the bridge, taking each step with trepidation

Acrobatics: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (8) + 8 = 16

Mamise can see there are no trees nearby, but attempts to find a rock or sturdy bush to which to tie off the rope. survival: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 9 She fails to do so.

Gird makes it across despite mild creaking and yawing which made him a bit uneasy.

Take 10 on acrobatics (10+2=12), assuming it's even necessary :P
Gage watches Gird make it across and then follows soon after.
"Well, it looks like we'll all cross ju-"
Gage pauses for a moment after an unexpected creak "Ehem, we'll be just fine if we go one by one."
Gage beckons to Andreas after finally making it to the other side.

Derra Bot 2000
Derra answers Andreas' question.
Yes I will stay behind with the wagon as a guard.

Andreas takes his time crossing the bridge. He knows that he is a large man with lots of armor on, so he is taking a long time to cross.
Taking 10 on Acrobatics will give me a 7

As the group makes short work of the dangerous bridge, they are able to finish exploring the area, and mapping it out for their future settlement. 25 xp each! By nightfall they've circled back across the bridge to the eastern most section of the area.

The night passes uneventfully, and the party continues on in their search for the mite lair.

It's not long before you see of what the bandits spoke: an enormous sycamore, easily 100' in diameter and visible even miles in the distance, despite the clouds in the sky.

"WE appear to be here."

Gird says lookng at the big tree

Perception: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (15) + 1 = 16
Following gird's gaze, Andreas see the tree and the carnage that is scattered around the area.
It appears so..and is seems we missed a battle as well.

Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (12) + 5 = 17

Gage shields his eyes from the sun as they approach the tree.
"Looks like the winner looted the fallen. I hope the looters overlooked a certain ring, I wonder if it's hidden in that tree somewhere. Anyone like climbing?"

"I wonder who won. Having warring tribes of kobolds and mites is hardly optimal if we are to settle."

Are we approaching the Sycamore? Or do we want to explore more first? Or make camp, and see if anything happens overnight?

Andreas notices that the others are anxious to move on the tree. He agrees that they should move quickly and be done with this.
Well let us take the fight to them then. Might I suggest Gird take point, Gage back him up, Mamise to follow and I will cover the rear. I am not sure what to expect so be prepared for anything. We might need light, does anyone have a spell or are we taking torches with us?

"I doubt the ones who looted the whole battlefield could've done so without living nearby; we should be alert for ambushes."
Gage gestures, leaving Gird plenty of room.
"After you."

"Torches, torches would be useful." Grabbing one from the common pack, Mamise places her hand over the flammable part, channeling a flicker of magic. "Illuminatio!"
As the unlit torch starts shining cold light, she grins. "But fire can be dangerous, so low magic will come in handy, eh?"
Casting light on any necessary torch.

"I don't need a torch, but yes it will be useful for those without my advantage."

Gird will stalk forward to the tree looking for something that indicates a lair or hiding place

Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (7) + 7 = 14

Gage follows with his hands on his whip, alert for danger.
perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (19) + 5 = 24

As the company approaches the tree, the enormity is heightened, and made ominous by the light rain that has started to fall. "This tree is easily 100 feet tall!" Gird says as he looks the tree up and down, looking for an entryway.

"Over here!" Gage waves the party over to a shaft partially covered by the tree's roots. Looking down the shaft, Gird can see that it is straight down, but lined with roots and leads to a tunnel that runs east and west. He can also tell from there that the tunnel is only about five feet in diameter.

DC 5 climb check, and medium creatures will have to stoop while inside the tunnels: -2 to attack rolls.

Andreas looks down the hole and wonders to him self
How the hell am I going to fit down there.
Well it looks like we are going down....You are our eyes Gird, lead on then
Andreas sheaves his weapon and prepares to climb down.
I will take 10 for a 7 to climb down

As the party makes their way down the hole, they find the only light they have is a spotlight at the base of the initial tunnel, and the light they're producing. An opening can be seen on either end of the tunnel at the edge of the light being given off by the magically lit torch.

The age-old question: left or right? (East or West?)

Climb: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (11) + 2 = 13

Gird will go East shortsword leading the way.

Take 10 at Climb for auto-success.

Mamise follows Gird, glad to have him carry the responsibilities.

"Can't be helped."
Take 10 (+2) to climb down
Gage casts prestidigitation and then climbs down, trying not to rub up against the dirt and cleaning himself occasionally as he goes.

Drawing his weapon, Andreas watches as the other move forward. He keep his eyes to the west for a few second and then follows the other to the east.

Sorry for the delay, we've got skills training at work...ugh.
I've put everyone on the map. Also Gird, Aasimars have low-light vision, not darkvision, you need light down here to see, but you can see twice as far from the torch, not that it matters for you yet, but for those of you who have normal vision, everything past the white line is dim light until Mamise/the torch moves closer.

[The wet-looking floor of this large cavern is crisscrossed by several shallow trenches, each containing trickles of putrid-looking fluid. You see three foul mounds of compost and dung lying heaped by the room, but you can smell more. Each mound is studded with small spherical eggs.] Paraphrased from Kingmaker Stolen Land by Tim Hitchcock.

Andreas looks over Gage's shoulder and points, "Look, it's a giant--"
"Centipedes!" Gird screams as two other giant centipedes fall teeth first from the roof of the cavern into the inquisitor. One gets in the way of the other, allowing for only one set of mandibles to sink in to Gird's flesh. 3 dmg

Gird and Gage are up.

Do I have some sort of AC penalty? Because my ac is 18 and it hit 16?

Reacting to the bugs attack on him "Gah!.. "

Gird uses studied target on the giant centipede that attacked him and strikes at with his shortsword of awesome tm.

Shortsword+st: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 5 = 12

Shortsword damage+st : 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 3 = 7

Don't we have -2 from bending down? or was that just attacks?
Knowledge(Nature): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (4) + 7 = 11
Is 11 enough to know anything about them? xD
"Ew, bugs! Time to dele- er, inspire!"
Gage starts singing a (slightly magically enhanced) battle hymn. At the same time he puts away his whip and takes a couple steps closer to the creatures.
MA -> sheath weapon (whip)
SA-> Inspire Courage (+1 atk and +1 dmg)
5' step

You were flat-footed, they surprised you. I rolled perc and stealth for everyone (that was the GM spoiler if you want to check my rolls). The -2 from bending over is just attacks.

Gage takes 5 damage and is poisoned for 2 damage to dex. Mamise & Andreas are up.

Andreas sees that they have company and moves forward to get in front of mamise.
I will have take a five foot step if I can. If not I will take the two AOO, One from red and one from yellow.
Come here little bug.
Issue challenge to the RED centipede
He swings his sword in an downward motion trying to cave in the creatures head.
Attack: RED : 1d20 + 3 - 2 + 1 ⇒ (11) + 3 - 2 + 1 = 13
Damage: 1d10 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 2 = 7

Just making sure.. I'm not worried about your rolls.. I just didn't know why

SRD says that Aasimars have Darkvision, I'm the one with low-light.
Mamise circles Gird, skirting away from the horrid vermins. A knife flips out of her sleeve and she attacks the centipede in one elegant motion.
Attack, flanking: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (18) + 2 = 20
Damage: 1d4 ⇒ 4
"Bandits! Shambling mounds! Centipedes! Gage! Can't we EVER face something cute? Like a unicorn grove?"

Andreas and I flank the centipede in front of Gird.
MOVE to get to the centipede without provoking AoO, SWIFT to grab dagger from the spring-powered sheath, STANDARD to attack.

His character sheet says low-light; I'm guessing that's a scion of humanity thing.

As Mamise's dagger hits home, Andreas sword finds just how thick a centipede's carapice is, but not how to break it. Andreas' target retaliates, snapping at the warrior's outstretched arm 2 dmg .

Gird & Gage are up.

"With our luck, first we'll see a unicorn gra- OW that stings!"
Gage recoils as the bug bites him. He then pulls out his dagger, guarding against and thrusting at the centipede.

Attack (dagger): 1d20 + 2 - 2 - 1 + 1 ⇒ (10) + 2 - 2 - 1 + 1 = 10
Damage (dagger): 1d4 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 2 + 1 = 5

Combat Expertise: 14AC->15AC +1atk->+0atk until Gage's next turn
MA: draw dagger
SA: attack
free action: maintain performance; 5/7

Ha! I had missed updating the vision to Dark Vision on this character sheet, the original was a half-elf and thus had low-light vision.

Gird strikes at the same centipede that bit him earlier

Shortsword+st: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 5 = 12

Shortsword damage+st: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4

My bad, Gird. That's what I get for making assumptions.

Neither Gird, Gage, nor either of the centipedes before them could connect with their target, but Gage does still feel the effects of the centipede poison 1 more dex damage.

Mamise & Andreas are up.

Mamise steps to the north, dropping the knife to draw her sickle and attacking again the one she wounded.
Attack: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (16) + 2 = 18
Damage: 1d6 ⇒ 3
Move to draw weapon, Standard to attack Orange, free to 5' step north. Gird is flanking Orange, Gage is flanking Yellow.

Mamise's swing connects, and the centipede collapses from its wounds.

Andreas is up

Andreas does not seem to be phased with the resistance that the centipedes head showed him. He takes a deep breath and centers himself. He swings his weapon down at the centipede Red and leaves himself open to the other opponent.
Perception: 1d20 + 3 - 2 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (18) + 3 - 2 + 1 + 1 = 21
Perception: 1d10 + 2 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 2 + 1 + 1 = 9

Gage, disengage if you can.
Andreas turns to square himself off against the final opponent.
If the red centipede is dead then my AC vs yellow is 19. If red is alive then my AC vs RED is 19 and Ac vs yellow is 17..This is due to the challenge.

Andreas comes down hard, smashing the head of the centipede in front of Gage, causing it to collapse motionless. The centipede before the warrior takes his attack as an opportunity to get in a bite of his own, but the skilled knight is ready for it, and gives him a mouthful of armor instead. The clang of pincer on armor is echoed in the other end of the cavern by a mite who seems to have tripped over herself and shouted what you assume are curses in Undercommon. Red Mite is prone.

Party up!

All hail Mamise the Slayer, goddess of bug extermination!
Elated on success, Mamise steps laterally to attack the last remaining bug, only for her sickle to grab on a leg of the one she just fell, sending her swing wide.
Attack: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4

As she sees a mite appear behind, she tries speaking in Sylvan, the language of fey and woodland creatures.
"Is cairde muid! Ní mian linn dochar a dhéanamh leat!"

Knowledge(nature): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (8) + 7 = 15

The mite on the ground gets a puzzled expression on her face when Mamise speaks to her.