Good a time as any. Get yourselfs up quick! Dai will cast Bless on the party.
Mal pulls up his bow and holds his shot until the sentries in the back come into view, "I'll get on last to give you all cover!"
Mahath will ready an action to blast any one that tries to tamper with the grappling hook. Force Missile, damage
The two sentries on the forward deck are the only ones in position. Garnstn ties the rope extra securely to the boat. Kat slips initially, but begins the climb
A blessing from above seems to guide your weapons as Dain touches his holy symbol and chants quickly. The wizard blasts an unerring bolt that catches a sentry in the shoulder. He looks horrified at the small, smoking hole in his tunic.
He returns fire at the wizard. The other fires at Kat on the rope.
Both bolts miss!! The injured sentry loses his nerve, drops his crossbow, and dives into the water. He keeps his balance with a passable jackknife and cuts the water hands first in front of him before he sinks below the water out of sight.
The lone sentry on decks says: "Balls!! Need help up here."
Two sentries scramble below shouting: "Smoke. Smoke."
Mahath, with his amazing hearing informs you--One sentry from the back is climbing the ladder to the fore deck.
Slip comments: "These boys are not seasoned veterans. They don't look up for a fight."
From under the helm Slip brings up a heavy crossbow and fires it at the sentry under cove on the deck. The older weapon seems to misfire and a heavy barbed bolt passes near Mahath and lodges itself firmly in the side of Slip's ship. He comments: "I am charging more for combat action here. This was not just a normal ferry job!!"
ORDER OF ACTION - bold to act
Kat is climbing this turn (1/4 movement speed on rope)
Mahath
Garnstn (0' on rope)
Mal (0' on rope)
Dain (0' on rope)
Crew of Nixie
Garnstn moves to climb the rope.
15'
5'
The lone sentry left above them will be Mahath's target. Having never been in battle before, he musters his will and utters an arcane syllable, hoping it will be enough.
Ray of frost, to hit ranged touch attack.
Damage
Alas, the adrenaline of combat throws off his aim, and even the potency of the spell.
Mal fires at the Sentry as well.
Longbow - - Damage
Dain will keep providing covering fire with his crossbow.
Garnstn continues the climb, reaching the deck and swinging at the sentry on deck but failing to connect. Dain hits the sentry with his crossbow, causing the crewman to retreat nursing a nasty wound. He follows his friend with a leap into the water on the other side of the boat. Kat continues has made it half way across (10') but has made no further progress.
A bellowing is heard as more crew pour out of the hold to confront Garnstn alone on the deck.
ORDER OF ACTION - bold to act
Kat (10'/20') across
Mahath
Garnstn (on deck!)
Mal (0' on rope)
Dain (0' on rope)
Crew of Nixie
Dain keeps covering and will shoot at any sailor that becomes visible
Mal fires another arrow as Garn's foes make themselves visible.
Longbow - - Damage .
"Can we get another line up? Garn needs help!"
Given how elusive the crossbowman seems to be, Mahath switches to a more reliable tactic. The air around his hand seems to warp and form a sphere. An instant later, the tiny sphere zips unerringly toward the crossbowman, dissipating as soon as it strikes.
Force Missile, damage
Garnstn moves to bring his blades to bear on one of the crewmen.
5' Step
Kat makes it on deck. Garnstn slices a thug in half, and Dain puts a bolt in the eye of a thug as he tries to reach the deck. Five thugs remain, including the leader.
The thugs rush Kat and Garnstn. The leader swings a blow over Kat's head, but his girlfriend cuts Kat (2 damage). Three thugs attack Garnstn and two hit (7damage). One rapier misses hitting Garnstn in the eye.
Party Up in any order
The melee become a press of attackers as Kat and Garnstn are engaged by the five remaining thugs.
Dain shoots another thug that is in range
Mahath will send another force missile up, targeting the woman that just cut Kat. Force missile damage damage.
Mal slings his bow across his back and heads up the rope.
Climb
Gannstn shifts to the north, getting a thug between Kat and himself. He then lunges in with his two blades.
A force bolt hits a thug, but Kat and Garnstn miss. The crossbow shot now misses. Unable to fire effectively, the ranger climbs a third of the way across the rope. The thug hit was the woman, and she seems made of sterner stuff than the male thugs. She sticks around and continues to fight.
Garnstn is hit by two rapier swings as two thugs flank him and falls to the ground. (7 more damage)
The Thug leader misses Kat, and so does his girlfriend, but one slightly wounds Kat (3 damage).
Kat faces five thugs including the leader.
ORDER OF ACTION - bold to act
Kat (on deck)
Mahath (0' on rope)
Garnstn (unconscious!)
Mal (7.5/20' across)
Dain (0' on rope)
Crew of Nixie
Dain shuffles around and then channels so he can heal his allies on the boat while not healing the thugs.
"Damn." Mahath mutters when he sees Garnst go down. He takes the rope in his hand and starts to climb up where his more powerful spells can be put to use.
Climb
Dain heals Kat back to full health, but cannot reach Garnstn from the ship. Mahath makes it halfway across.
Real bedlam begins in earnest on the Nixie as smoke continues to pour out of the hold. It appears someone has set the Nixie on fire, either unintentionally or intentionally.
On the crowded foredeck, Kat is facing the thug leader, his injured female companion, and three other lesser thugs.
Mal continues his Climb
Next round, Dain attempts to climb.
Move: Touch of Good +1 Skills
Move: Climb
Kat destroys the injured woman, drawing a snarl from the leader. She steps over her body to allow the ranger to slip next to her on deck.
Dain makes it 5' across.
The leader hits Kat hard (7) as his cronies miss.
All to act but Garnstn
Mahath will continue his climb across, biting his lip in concern as to what he'll find when he makes it the rest of the way.
Climb
Mal pushes one of the lesser thugs out of the way to make room for his companions.
Bull Rush
Kat continues to get the wrath of the bandits after hitting the female bandit. With Mal on deck, he makes room for the wizard to make his way on deck too.
The leader and three thugs swing at Kat. Three hit, one missing her neck (12 damage). After she falls, the leader takes her spot.
Order
Kat (on deck unconscious)
Mahath (on deck)
Garnstn (on deck unconscious)
Mal (on deck)
Dain (15' on rope)
Crew of Nixie
Dain keeps going up
Mahath makes it over the railing and chokes back a cry of alarm when he sees his two allies down and bleeding. Struggling to hold his composure, Mahath tries to cast a powerful spell to take down as many as possible.
Cast defensively if he can't 5' step away from the sailors. Color Spray DC 17
Mal moves aside giving Dain room to enter, and casts a spell to avoid being hit. He loses concentration and the magic slips away.
"Dwarf we could use your healing skills about now!" he shouts as he takes a swing at one of the Pixie Crew.
Melee Attack –
Long Sword Melee Damage –
Thank you for clarifying. Mahath would have cast defensively to avoid the AoO, so per the roll above, he loses the spell.
Dain tries to struggle onto the deck.
He then draws his warhammer.
I'll get right to you!
Malstei cuts down a crewman, leaving the leader and two left.
Two bandits square off vs the magic-user. And both strike at the wizard's neck, one misses hitting an artery, but the other doesn't, and bright red blood escapes in a rush.
The leader strikes the ranger under his arm, hitting a vital spot but doing little damage for a hit there. The moral of the crew was beginning to waver, but their impressive strikes seem to keep them fighting.
ORDER
Malstei
Dain
Crew of Nixie
Dain steps away from combat and converts Divine favor to CLW and heals Tuskerhill
Malstei grunts as he takes the hit and tries to deliver one back to the leader
Melee Attack
Melee Damage
Dain attempts to heal.
After the ranger misses, Dain heals Kat with a wash of healing. Kat finds herself prone with her weapon on the ground next to her.
Order
Kat (prone, emptyhanded}
Nixie crew