Without hesitation I move to attack the skeleton nearest to me (located in square O5) executing a cross-step side kick for the attack.
Unarmed TAB check:
Unarmed Damage:
Potential critical threat check:
Potential extra damage for successful critical hit:
Jon looks around at his companions. He's not quite certain of all of them, but this appears to be trouble. He steps to K-8, keeping his back to his companions, pulls his mistletoe forth and casts entangle, centered on G-4.
If the plants in the area are covered in thorns, those in the area take 1 point of damage each time they fail a save against the entangle or fail a check made to break free. Other effects, depending on the local plants, might be possible at GM discretion.
Area is Difficult Terrain (all squares count as 2 for movement).
Creatures in area make a Reflex save.
Fail = entangled
Success = may move as normal
Any who enter the area make Reflex save immediately.
Fail = entangled and movement ends.
Success = may move normally
Any who remain in the area at end of casters turn must save again.
Can attempt to break free as a move action by making Strength or Escape Artist check vs. DC of the spell.
Entangled Condition Summary
Move at half speed
Cannot run or charge
–2 penalty on all attack rolls
–4 penalty to Dexterity.
Must make a concentration check (DC 15 + spell level) to cast a spell (or lose the spell).
Stave (2 handed) w/power attack:
Ref vs Entangle :
William cries out awkwardly as the vegetation around his boots comes to life and roots him firmly to the ground.
Escape Artist :
Overcoming his initial surprise, William is able to extricate himself from the plants with deft movements and quick steps. He then attempts to fall back to the rest of the group.
William cries to his companions, Be on your guard! The very forest comes alive to claim us!
All of a sudden an otherworldly chanting voice carries through the wood...it is beautiful, eerie, angelic. Its' coming from Oroupah!
Her spear is planted into the ground beside her. Upon completion of the spell she dons her shield in one hand and grips her hooked staff in the other hand.
Round 1:
Gendo strides quickly forward and launches a kick at the walking pile of bones. It back-steps nimbly, avoiding the blow by a mere inch.
Jon chants a few syllables in a strange tongue, and the trees, bushes, and even the very grasses beneath the leaf litter begin to writhe and clutch at the distant skeletons, as well as Jon and Willam! Two of the skeletons become entangled by the plants, while the other two manage to fight off the effect. Poor William finds himself grappling with a red chokeberry bush.
Auric moves around the tree to get at the skeleton from the other side. He whips the staff up and brings it down in a high arc upon the thing's head, bringing a satisfying crunch as its skull is crushed, pieces flying everywhere. The rest of the body collapses to the ground with a clatter.
The skeletons surge mindlessly forward toward the nearest living beings, zeroing in on Jon and William. The constant writhing and grasping of the vegetation keeps them from sweeping down on the two in a rush of bony talons.
William extracts himself from the bush and trudges his way to the edge of the effect, freedom mere steps away.
Oroupah plants her spear into the ground at her side, an eerie, otherworldly voice welling up from her as she shimmers briefly with an aura of power. She then gets a firm grip upon her shield.
Updated map key:
$= skeletons w/ the entangled effect
Area of effect for the entangle spell is marked.
Reflex!
Petard hoisted.
William manages to scramble the last few feet until he is free of the grasping plants.
Raising his bow the halfling cries, "We shall send you all back to rejoin the restful dead!".
He takes aim on one of the skeletons and looses an arrow at the undead menace.
Ref vs Entangle :
Shortbow :
Damage :
Oroupah, having completed her spell, realizes that she no longer has time to pull out her staff before the creatures are upon them. She keeps the shortspear handy instead and scans the battlefield preparing her next action.
Wasting no time as Auric crushes the skeleton to the ground, I turn, avoiding the area where the grass seems to have come alive and moving past Oroupah between two large trees (square I12).
"'Ware the man with faith and a big stick' might make a better axiom, eh?" Auric says as he bends for a fist sized rock in the underbrush.
"Hey! Bones! Chew on this!", he shouts as he tosses the stone at a skeleton caught in the grass.
Stone throw:
Round 2:
Gendo swiftly moves along the outside edge of the writhing vegetation, positioning himself on the southern edge.
Jon drags himself free of his entanglement, just out of the radius of the effect.
Auric grabs a stone and then steps around a tree, shouting his challenge and hurling the stone towards a foe. However, the stone skips along the ribcage without doing any substantial damage.
The two skeletons unaffected by the entanglement continue to avoid the grasping plant life. They forge their way through, one heading for William, the other toward Gendo and Jon. As they reach them, they each lash out with a bony talon.
The first skeleton catches William with an out-thrust claw, taking advantage of an opening as William attempts to pull away from clutching underbrush. The claw grabs his throat and rakes viciously. William: The other lashes out at Gendo, raking painful wounds down his left shoulder and across his chest. Gendo:
The two entangled skeletons struggle on, impeded by the enchanted plants. The first manages to just reach Auric and claws at him. However, just as it reaches for him, Auric's spirit lantern flares up from a warm orange glow to a brighter blue-white radiance. The skeleton's claw seems to meet physical resistance as it reaches into the light and its attack misses.
William, bloodied and in peril, withdraws from his opponent to outside the reach of the entangling plants.
Oroupah steps forward to get William's opponent in range and hurls her spear. Unfortunately the spear misses, knocked off course by the grasping branches of a nearby tree. She then grasps her hooked staff in hand and raises her shield, ready for combat.
"ARGHH...Damned...deadwalker" I gasp out, before striking back.
I unleash two straight double fists directly at the skeleton in return.
Unarmed Strike Right Hand:
Unarmed Strike Right Hand potential critical threat check:
Unarmed Strike RH Damage:
USRH Damage if critical:
Unarmed Strike Left Hand:
Unarmed Strike Left Hand potential critical threat check:
Unarmed Strike LH Damage:
USLH Damage if critical:
Though I am injured, I stand my ground, not wishing for Jon to face this peril alone.
Jon hauls back with his left hand and punches out at the skeleton!
Attack:
Damage:
Auric lashes out once again with a powerful blow, emboldened further by his lantern's protection.
Quarterstaff, 2 handed w/power attack:
William staggers backward, clutching at his torn throat. He attempts to call out but manages no more than a wet gurgle as a small trickle of blood escapes his lips.
Marshaling his strength, William calls out to his companions in a strong melodic voice, "Stand together, we must keep these horrors from praying on any more of the villagers!"
Oroupah's lantern lights up. She calls out to William in her strange language and holds out her club and shield to protect him.
Round 3:
Gendo's fist smashes into the side of his opponent's skull, knocking the jaw loose before driving the entire head off the body. The bones clatter to the ground in a heap as the energy keeping them cohesive dissipates.
Jon's left hand clenches into a fist, becoming hard and covered in a grained pattern. With his opponent down, he moves to Oroupah's side and himself for the next foe.
Auric whips his staff around, bringing it crashing into the skeleton's chest. The blow shatters the sternum and drives through the ribs into the spine, sending bones spinning back into entangled area.
One of the skeletons makes its way out of the entangled area to engage Auric. It swipes at him, but he ducks aside and the clawed hand catches only air.
The other skeleton becomes entangled this round as it continues to stalk William, plowing through towards him with outstretched claws. The grasping vegetation impedes it and its strike falls short of the wounded bard.
William again falls back. As he does so his opponent takes another swing at him. The claws grasp his shoulder, tearing at his protective leathers, but draw no blood. William falls back behind Oroupah, his words inspiring the rest to fight with greater ferocity.
Jon, an opponent now in reach, lets fly with his fist, connecting with its chest, but at an awkward angle. The force of the blow simply slides along the ribs rather than through them.
Oroupah speaks a word, pointing at her spirit lantern, and it flares to light. Speaking in a strange but beautiful tongue, she puts herself in a defensive stance against the nearby skeleton.
Revised Initiative Order:
Gendo
Auric
Skeletons
Jon
Will
Oroupah
Jon, keeping up his morning wood, strikes the entangled skeleton!
Attack:
Damage:
Auric maintains his brute force solution and swings at the nearest skeleton once more, stepping around the great tree on his right.
Reflex save vs. entangle effect:
Quarterstaff, two-handed w/power attack:
I make a double move toward Auric, pasing between William and Oroupah on my way.
If one/both of the skeletons are still standing , William will cease his call to arms, move to a spot with the clearest shot and fire on the nearest skeleton.
Shortbow :
Damage :
If both skeletons are vanquished William will move alongside Jon and Oroupah and scan the trees for any additional threats.
Perception :
If there are no immediate threats William turns to his companions, clutching his torn neck with his free hand, "It appears I have been perforated, I don't suppose any of you would have any skill with first aid?"
Round 4:
Gendo bounds across the battlefield, skirting one of the skirmishes, headed in Auric's direction.
Auric steps around the tree, avoiding the grasping plants, and smashes his staff into the skeleton, blasting it apart.
The remaining skeleton, now free of the clutching green, lashes out with both its clawed hands at Oroupah. As it does, her spirit lantern flares to life. The first claw misses, but it takes the oracle across the midsection with its second attack.
Jon, keeping up his morning wood, strikes the entangled skeleton!
Jon lands a hook to the side of the skeleton's head with his wooden fist, knocking the skull from its shoulders and sending it bouncing along the ground until it settles at Gendo's feet.
The party stands ready for a few breathless seconds, then the realization occurs that all their opponents are down and victory is theirs.
Panting, the beautiful woman is somewhat dishevelled and bloody...Oroupah looks around to the hafling with concern. Summoning him to her she gingerly examines his wounds, uttering angelic whispers.
Big, sparkling tears begin to flow down her flushed cheeks. She gathers them in a little towel and holds them to his throat.
William gingerly touches the freshly mended flesh with his fingertips, "Thank you my lady. Truly you are touched by the celestial realms."
Williams expression hardens again as he casts his gaze back to the forest, "We must resume our search for the missing runners, with such dangers in the forest we must make every effort to find them quickly!"
With the battle having been won, I take a moment to catch my breath. Unfortunately, all it does is allow me to fully realize the pain of the wound along my shoulder and chest. Though not as grieviously wounded as William, the wound obviously causing a great deal of pain. As I catch my breath, I close my eyes, performing a simple mental exercise, pushing the pain aside.
Looking at Auric, "No, just ware the man with faith, especially when he can back it up." obvious amusement in my voice as I point to his staff.
My face becomes more serious as I look to William and listen to his ernest words. With some reluctance, "While I am concerned greatly for the missing people, and do not wish to offend or sound callous, haste leads to folly. We will do them no favors getting killed ourselves. If the lanterns provided any aid, then I agree we should continue our search. If not, then I say we return to the village with all do haste and inform Master Steadwatch and the guard what we have come across." Other than my skin becoming a bit paler and the wound itself, nothing about my body language or voice betrays how badly I am injured .
Auric barks a laugh at Gendo's response.
"Heh. You're all right."
But he sobers quickly looking at the wounds he and Oroupah had suffered.
"Sorry. I can mend a hauberk or a rusted scythe, but people? No idea. These woods aren't too big. Let's just try to keep quiet and look about- take a breather, maybe get some cover and I'll holler for any survivors. Oroupah, Jon? Any other healing magics? Boy are we lucky you two have the talent for that sort o' thing."
Jon frowns. "I may be able to help. Allow me to see what herbs rest nearby."
Jon moves a short distance away from the party, heading north towards the sound of the nearby stream. He finds a sizeable blackberry bush nearby. Carefully pushing through the prickly branches for the center of the bush, he finds a few that have not been picked or eaten by animals.
Just after he casts his spell, he (and the rest of the party) hears a voice calling from somewhere nearby.
"Helloooo! Help! Is someone there? Hellooooooooo!"
Perception:
"Hey... Do you hear something?"
Perception:
Jon pockets the affected blackberries and eats the rest.
William holds his hand up to silence his companions as he scans the surrounding trees.
Perception :
Jon points at a tree near a stream. "Over there! Two teens. Looks like they're a bit... disrobed. (Louder) Stay there! We'll come to you!"
William quickly moves towards the two teens, "We're here to help! What happened to you? Have you seen any other undead?"
Perception check
I look to where Jon is pointing, taking note of the teenagers. A smile blooms on my face, "Undead, William? I don't think it was dead walkers they saw, so much as flowers?" I comment with a bemused voice. I turn my attention to look for tracks or other signs of the passage of the undead through the forest, in hopes of finding when whence they came.
Perception
The two teens are perched on a high branch in a tall horse chestnut tree. A gangly young man and his short blond woman clutch the tree trunk. The male looks down at you in relief, while his companion sits with her eyes squeezed tightly shut. Auric recognizes them as Arik and Lena. Arik is the chandler's apprentice; Lena works at the Huntsman's Rest. They're known to be sweethearts. Judging by their lack of warm clothing, chances are they weren't out here as part of the footrace.
As you call out to them, Lena open her eyes and looks down. She turns slightly green and shuts her eyes tightly again, hugging the tree trunk. Apparently, she's not fond of heights. Arik addresses you as you approach.
"Oh, thank Baal! We thought we were going to freeze to death up in this tree," says Arik. "We could use a little help getting down." At this point, Arik speaks gently to Lena, trying to coax her to climb down. She seems reluctant to do so. At this point, they're about 25 feet up.
Gendo:These skeletons are old, yellowed, and have dirt clinging to them. Their state seems to indicate that they were not buried in coffins, but rather directly in the earth. They have no remnants of armor or clothing upon them. You do note that one has cuts in in two concurrent ribs. Another has a gold piece sized hole in the skull. This damage appears old and does not coincide with your party's weapons and attacks.
You note signs of their passage coming from the direction of the tree the two are sitting in. There are also signs of footprints, some shod, some not. Apparently many of the racers came pell-mell through the area, running west. It's possible that many of them simply fled the skeletons by the most direct route, possibly turning south towards town once they'd lost their pursuers. The skeletons may have been milling about around the tree before they were alerted to your party's presence.
"You're safe now; come on down. Just take your time, we're here to catch you. If you got yourself up there, you can get back down.", Auric says, mostly to Lena.
Diplomacy:
Despite the commotion, Oroupah notices the pallor on Gendo's skin and sees that her talent is needed. Her eyes well up a again, and with her tears glistening on her fingertips she touches the man. A prickling sensation, a burning chill - overcomes the wound and then melts away....
Auric manages to calm the girl enough that Arik can help her down. Once on the lowest branch, it's easy enough for Auric to lift the girl and set her on the ground.
Once down, Arik moves off a short distance and grabs a blanket and some clothes, handing some of them to Lena. Looking a little embarrassed, she dresses herself quickly.
I look up from examinings as I feel the warmth of healing magic flow into my body from Oroupah, my eyes betraying my wonder as my torn flesh knits back together with nary a scar.
Bowing, "Thank you, my lady,["/b] my voice echoing the gratitude of my words, as I return to standing erect.
[b]"It seems that the other racers came through here, quite possibly fleeing from the dead walkers. I point to the west indicating the direction the racers ran. "It may be wise, to escort these doves back to town and mayhap discover if any other racers returned."
Auric turns away to let the young lovers get dressed, suddenly finding something fascinating about the view in the opposite direction.
"Right. I know you were, uh, distracted, but did you happen to see what happened here and where these skeletons came from? See or hear anything strange- besides walking dead without the decency to wear clothes... or skin or muscle?"
Arik runs a hand through his hair, while trying to sort things out in his head.
"It all happened so fast. We were over there," he says, pointing to the spot where he gathered the blanket and clothes, "and the other folk from the race came from that way," indicating the trees to the east, towards the direction the road heads.
"All the racers came tearing through here screaming bloody murder. That's when those skeletons came by, walkin' like there was still flesh and sinew on their bones. They were just chasin' after one person and then another, all willy nilly. We had a chance to get to this tree, so I lifted Lena up to the first branch, then hopped up and grabbed it myself. We got as high up as we could get and waited for them to go away. Problem is, once the runners were gone, there was just us to see, so they stuck around, until you got here, that is."