Second chance - Way of the Wicked (Inactive)

Game Master Big OM

Nadine hisses as the knight is able to overcome her curse. This time she calls upon her son to curse the witch-hunter. "You'll feel the tender embrace of Asmodeus, Witch-hunter!" She steps back about 10 feet.

Evil Eye, targeting his saves. Will DC 16

Thomas moved in past Stanislav into an opportune position with Vank. Once in position, the Rogue thrust one of his blades forward.

Melee Attack w/ Flank: 1d20 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 + 2 = 8

Alchemists fire burns for 2 rounds.

Alchemist's Fire:

I have a question in additional to the one I posted to Robert in the discussion.
Thomas how are you able to flank when Stanislav are flanking with Vank and you 3 are the only ones close enough?

Saving against Evil Eye: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (18) + 6 = 24

Once I get my doubts cleared up I'll post for next round. BTW Stanislav you disarm him.

Stanislav is using a Reach weapon. I figured there was a gap between him and the Witch-Hunter that I could slip in to.

Ahh... You couldn't have know but it is gone as he succeed in his disarm and stepped forward and picked up the sword, thus filling the square. What do you want to do?

Robert is after Stanislav. And his plan to step between Stanislav and the knight would be fine. But Stanislav stepped up to pick up the sword IF the knight was disarmed. But Stanislav is savvy enough that he would not step forward into Robert's flanking position, knowing that the rogue is twice as effective with a flank with Vank. He could easily move up to either side. This is one of the issues you get without a close up battle map. As to Robert's spells - I too am somewhat confused and posted my own concern. I think that Robert is using alchemical fire to bolster his spells to do additional burn damage. These rules are under Alchemical Power Components. I am not completely familiar with them but Herolab has the following note under Alchemist's Fire for the spell Burning hands: One target that fails its reflex saving through catches on fire as if it had been struck by Alchemist's Fire.

Oh...I missed that. Okay disregard the flank, not that it makes a difference, and just spin it so I'm next to Vank.

We may be posting over each other. There is no need for Stanislav to take the flank to step up and pick up the dropped sword. If we were using a combat map that would be clear. I shall try to illustrate. below. "V"ank in A3 attacks "K"night in B3. "K"night counter attacks "V"ank."St"ansilav is in the flank at D3 and disarms the "K"night. He then has three spaces he can step up to retrieve the dropped sword: C2, C3, or C4. Knowing that "T"homes has not acted yet "St"ansilav would choose C2 or C4. from which to pick up the weapon.

1 2 3 4 5 6
A V
B K
C
D St
E T

Wouldn't that depend on where the sword lands? Can you decide that as a player performing the disarm or do I roll random. My initiate thought would be that I roll random, leaving 8 or 9 possibilities depending on how much Vank fills in his square. Can you pick a weapon up that isn't in your square? Wouldn't it require reach, not form a weapon?

I know a combat map would improve things, but I do not have the skills or time to make that.

Yes, using alchemists fire as power component. Benefit is: target fails reflex, get affected if hit by flask of fire. To wit: 1d6 burn for 2 rds. Disarm causes target to drop item in hand, assuming that is in targets square, as per description under greater disarm.

Greater Disarm:

I understand about the combat map and do not mean to be at all critical. Its just a compounding circumstance to any confusion. As I understand it the weapon falls into your square when you are disarmed, but am checking. That was my assumption, and that I had to move adjacent to the square to pick it up. Just read the core rule book. It is not clear where the item drops. Wait found it. Under Greater Disarm it says that if you have this feat the weapon is knocked 15' away from the person being disarmed. And "Normal: Disarmed weapons and gear land at the feet of the disarmed creature." To me that is the same square.

the only +1 I can think of is the divine favor spell. It only lasts 1 minute and I cast before entering the room with the zombies, I assume it has expired.

"Not bad, finally something worthy to fight." Vank says in response being hit.

When Stanislav disarms him Vank snarls "What if he surrenders now? Do I still get to kill him?

Yes the knight will get aoo on Stanislav with any readied weapon, shield bash maybe or quick draw but not that works.

Lets say the weapon drops in his square and trying to take it provides an AoO, we can get the right ruling later.

Robert Are you still using burning hands as your round 1 action?

Thomas you can flank with Vank with Stanislav remaining behind you.

Damage dealt 27

While Vank and Stanislav managed to wound Sir Balin severely and disarm him, the night evaded both Thomas' blade and Nadine's curse.

Ending Round 1 and beginning round 2, We'll adjust for Roberts round 1 action later.

Round 2 begin.

Robert, seeing everyone dog-pile on the burning witch-hunter, adopts a defensive position.

"Join us, Sir Balin. You don't know the power of our patron. He can grant you strength, wealth, and power beyond your wildest dreams!

Fighting defensively, attempt to aid Thomas for his attack with dagger

1d20 - 8 ⇒ (6) - 8 = -2 Aid Another

I agree that reaching into the knights square and picking up the blade will provoke.

And he provokes from all of you if he reaches down to pick up his own sword too.

I am getting it on my turn. Lets let him fight with his shield. :)

All right ready to go, Vank what is your action?

"Never," the knight replies to Roberts temptations.

"Well then, Knight, you shall die."

[/Palpatine]

"Good, your bravery proves you worth of having your soul join the storm fist tribe. This life of yours will be short but your next will be glorious."

Vank swings again.
Attack: 1d20 + 5 + 2 ⇒ (17) + 5 + 2 = 24
Damage: 2d6 + 6 + 1 ⇒ (4, 2) + 6 + 1 = 13

Bringing both of his blades to bare, Thomas stabbed forward, hoping to hit a vital spot.

Melee Attack 1: 1d20 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (17) + 2 + 2 = 21

Damage 1: 1d6 + 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (2) + (1) + 1 = 4 +1 Bleed/round until healed.

Melee Attack 2: 1d20 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (7) + 2 + 2 = 11

Once again Vank's swing is true and graces the unprotected head of Sir Balin. Blood gushes forth from the wound and the knight seems dizzy. Seeing his blade is on the ground the knight draws his dagger trying to stab Vank, even though his is partially blinded by blood he finds his mark and burries the dagger in Vank's left thigh. With his back to Thomas the rogue's options are open and a quick stab to the right kidney causes the good knight to tremble and fall to his knees unable to carry the weight of his armour. "Mitra cursh you," are the last words to leave his lips before he goes to meet his maker.

Dagger: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (13) + 9 = 22
Damage: 1d4 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7

A quick search of the room reveals nothing besides food, water and dirty bed cloths. The real treasure is the knight. Assessing his equipment you find a masterworked full plate. A dark blue cape of fine quality, a little to well kept compaired to the rest of the clothes. A longsword, a dagger, a heavy steel shield and on his neck is a silver chain holding an eight pointed blue sapphire star set in silver.

Vank nods to Thomas "Good blow, and a good death. He fought bravely and was skilled his soul deserves a good rebirth, which it is unlikely to get given his faith in his god. Thomas by the right of conquest the heart is yours if you want it."

Turning to everyone else "We have the cardinal's pendant. If anyone wants to keep the squire as a servant." he says glancing at Nadine "He should be escorted out separately as he will no doubt recognise the knight's equipment."

Assuming Thomas refuses the offer of his heart.
"Forgive me for a moment, I must save his soul before it is lost to his god." Vank efficiently slices the straps holding the breastplate on and carve into the knight's crest and digs out the heart which he consumes.

Just for confirmation.

Thomas looked at the Hobgoblin, "Uh...I'll pass thank you, it's not my kind of thing." Taking up the cloak before it became soaked in too much blood, he offered it to Nadine. "For you, Milady."

Nadine gives a high pitched squeel as she sees Sir Balin's body fall dead. "Oh Bravo, gentlemen! Wonderful to see such sanctimonious blood watering the ground!" As Vank cuts out the man's heart, Nadine touches the man's face, playing with his nose, cheeks and eyes. "Not so righteous now are we? Hunting poor witches into the ground. Now this 'witch' will see your bones rot!"

She turns and stands as Thomas offers her the cloak. "Oh how lovely. Like a trophy, yes?" She allows him to settle it on her shoulders.

-Posted with Wayfinder

"Can't we simply kill the boy? He is a useless mewling quim. He would be unfit for any purpose."

-Posted with Wayfinder

After finished with the knight Vank picks up the body slinging it over his shoulder. "I have no problem killing him, I just didn't wanted to deprive someone the opportunity to play with him and corrupt him. Shall we go? I assume going out the way we came in rather than the stairs in trap room."

Nadine please roll an identify, I believe it is spellcraft.

And I forgot 240+120 xp each

Well fought all. We are becoming a team. I am pleased. Lady Nadine, can you discern what items belonging to the knight have magical enchantments on them? If any are enchanted, perhaps you can tell us what manner of enchantment they possess.

As to the squire, Stanislav says: He is the property of the Cardinal. We should not kill him without need. He seems to know things of the outside world that could be useful later. I do no know enough of the area he is from to know what to ask him at the moment.

Stanislav is also slowly becoming a vampire. He does not want to disposes of living victims knowing that if the transformation is ever complete he may need them to feed. :)

"Of course." Nadine casts a detection spell and looks over the items and the room.

Detect magic.
Spellcraft: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (15) + 10 = 25

-Posted with Wayfinder

It is a cloak of resistance +1, no other magic items.

As soon as you finish the incantation you feel Robbie's excitement. It is almost as if he is tucking at the cloak on you shoulders. Feeling the fabric yourself you recognise the strains of magic weaved in between the cloth fibres. Roobie is uninterested in any and all of the remaining equipment.

An acceptable way to describe your spell? Let me know how we should handle it.

That was perfect.

Nadine smiles as she feels the magic settles around her shoulders. "Only this cloak is magical, though I'm sure the weapons are useful. Something of a protective charm on this."

"Well, if you want to keep the boy alive, that's up to you. Perhaps the Cardinal will have use for him. But you can't let him know who you are or what's happened. He'll never work with you then unless you break him."

"Well, perhaps we should make our way back to the Cardinal? We can leave the boy until he decides what to do."

Right. Let us exit the way we came in.

The walk back is rather uneventful and when you reach the heavy doors you feel it was to easy, never the less Asmodeus favours his own and the heavy doors open when you lay your force into it.

I forgot are you close to leveling or is there something from last time you didn't get?

We're nowhere near 3rd level, though I won't argue if it's granted. My count has us at 3254xp. We did skip a room (or more, I suppose) and I doubt we got the xp for the squire, but there's no way that all accounts to nearly 1800xp.

I am unaware of anything we did not get, but I am not sure we were awarded experience for everything we did do. I find that these story based games work best when you level at story points and not exp.

I am happy with you just telling us to level when we need it or when it would be appropriate time to level.

Vank will look for a servant on the way to the Cardinal's rooms. He will give the servant the knights people telling him to take him to the kitchen and if the chef doesn't know what to do with him he'll come by later.

As you return upstairs, Nadine begins to toy with the circlet's magic again. By the time you arrive outside the Cardinal's rooms, she's in the guise of a fresh-faced young woman with pale blonde hair pulled into a pony tail adorned with a silver clip. She's wearing a short leather jacket, dark breeches, and high riding boots.

"Oh, I know it was pity about the undead creature, Robbie. But I think you'll have a chance again. The Cardinal has great plans for us! Perhaps we can even study how to animate the Witch-Hunter's corpse. How ironic that would be, yes?"

Stanislav pauses to clean up so that he is presentable and then gathers the group to present the pendent to the Cardinal.

"That was a bit...harrowing. Well fought, everyone."

Robert shakes off the grime and dust of the dungeon as well as he can, allowing his normal appearance to take over once more.

"So, do we bring the squire with us?"

Adrastus sits in his study seeming almost as he has moved not an inch from where he gave you your orders at dusk yesterday. “You’ve returned.”

The high priest holds the trinket and pauses as if in deep contemplation. He watches the holy symbol glitter in the light. “A pretty enough thing, eh?” he muses. “This is a holy symbol of Mitra in particular the sort favoured by the Knights of the Alerion. Perhaps you already knew that."

“Remember this symbol. This is the mark of those who destroyed our faith and sought to banish all trace of the worship of our Father from these shores. These, my friends, are your enemies.”

He tosses the holy symbol to whomever gave it to him.

“Keep it. It may aid you in disguising yourself.”

He smiles. “You have done well. Escaping from Branderscar, slaughtering Sir Balin … yes, you are worthy. Now, let us complete your training…”

I think we are going to stop counting xp then. You have now reached level 3 and head to the discussion thread and pick a trait from the list or write me if you have an idea for a unique one.

I'll add more later, when I know what you have chosen.

Lets bring the squire out and let the Cardinal know that we think he has intel on some of the outside world that may become important.

"Thank you for Sir Balin. He was... fun. We left his weakling squire down there. He didn't seem worth killing and the Captain thinks he might have important intelligence of the kingdom or he was related to someone important or something."

"More taining would be good, have to got any more Sir Balin's stashed away to practice on?"

"Oh, he might not be worth the killing, but he certainly isn't worthy of staying alive. He's a sniveling cry-baby. But yes, the Captain believes him to have some knowledgeable value."

Lets go with Vank's suggestions to a montage. What I want you to take away from this is that the cardinal is a great but ruthless instructor. He drills you as an individual and as a group.

"Excellent, you are ready," the cardinal proclaims and claps his hands as you finish your last drill as a group. He really pushed you this time, the small cuts and the sweat confirms this. "As a group you are more than the sum of each individual," he continues, still smiling. "Tonight we feast, to celebrate our progress my Nessian Knot," he concludes, this is the first time he has used that name referring to your group.

Later that evening you are seated by the now familiar table but this time the slaves have outdone themselves presenting an elaborate banquet to your honour.

When the feast is concluded the cardinal rests his glass on the table. Suddently he is focussed and says in a serious voice: "And now for the important part," then waves his hand indicating your are done. The slaves understands this and clears the room of everything including table and chairs. Tiadora leads the salves into the room. All heavy dominated and stands silently by her side waiting. The cardinal steps to the centre of the room and begins chanting. The air cracks as foul magic fills the air. The ritual concludes and a barbed devil claws is way into reality. "Choose one," Thorn says gesturing towards the slaves. The unlucky chosen is gleefully ripped apart by the devil, the unholy incarnation feasting on the human blood. Once done cardinal Thorn punchtures an athame and pierce the devil's skin, drawing some of its blood. This is joined by the slave's blood and with the mixture he traces the unholy symbol of Asmodeus on your foreheads. "The Nessian Knot is forged, he proclaims."

“Just in time,” Cardinal Thorn remarks glancing out of the windows. “My ship has arrived.” On the river dock behind the manor under cover of darkness, a square-sailed longship sails into the slip. It sits heavily in the water, laden with a substantial cargo.

I'll post more tomorrow, there is nothing here that requires a response from you but you are welcome to post if you have anything to add. I'll be moving on tomorrow.

Stanislav trains hard, but at the feast he picks at his food and is somewhat ashen in complexion. He drinks more deeply than normal. You might notice that he unconsciously lips his lips at the sight of all the blood and has to shake himself away from the scene as if waking from a deep dream. I am not sure if he needs to confide in the Cardinal about his condition or not. I would assume the Cardinal knows.

At some point in the training he reminds his cardinal of his opinion that the squire may have some useful information about troop strengths, fort layouts, guard posting, etc and that he soul be fully questioned.

At the summoning of the ship he peers out into the darkness, pleased.

Do we have any loot that needs to be divided?

That is up to you, thou he might learn it later on.

Yes, he will confide in the Cardinal about it even though he may already know. The Cardinal may need to help him obtain coffins by 5th level.