Shifty PFS Group Alpha (Inactive)

Game Master Nik B.

Can a creature with an int of 2 would be able to think that? It is a serious question, I want to at least incorporate my familiar outside combat then into combat once he levels up.

LOL no the creature with 2 int couldn't think that, but the high int Witch certainly might :)

Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 5 = 12
Grim looks about, suspicious of the silence, looking for danger or perhaps a trap. "Where is that smell coming from?" he wonders aloud...

If he sees/senses nothing, Grim states, "So the river can be forded. One of us should cross with one end of a rope that we can use as a handhold. I can secure this end and be the last to cross..."

Tikrit steps towards the stream, drawing his bow and nocking an arrow, and peers into the trees.

Perception 1d20 ⇒ 9

Far off in the distance behind you, you see a tiny figure seated on what at first looks to be a bumpy dog approaching. As they draw nearer, you can see that it is in fact a halfling riding a wolf wearing leather barding. The halfling has a black beard and hair and is dressed in heavy furs. He stops a 100 meters out and looks at all of you with some suspicion before urging his canine mount forward again and calling, "Helloooo! Hellooo! Are you Pathfinders?"

Tikrit cringes as the Halfling approaches, shouting at the top of his lungs. "Keep your voice down. We are being watched!" he hisses.

The source of the smell is eventually found to be a deer carcass, it has been clawed and gutted - parts of it devoured.

The wolf (with Haemish on his back) pads over to the carcass and gives it a quick sniff. Is it still edible?

The body still looks mostly edible by the wolf, but frankly the smell puts Haemish quite off, even as a Halfling. All the cranberry sauce in the world could not save that dish.

"Not meaning to be rude, but can we do niceties on the other side of the river? Mandrak, can you be our other anchor on the far side?" Grim says while removing his rope and tying a loop on both ends for the 'anchors' to sling over their shoulders...

"This must be the work of the 'great cat' the Centaurs mentioned. We'll have to keep our eyes peeled on this journey, lest we go the way of that deer." Kishara scans the area, looking warily for signs that the predator may still be nearby.

Kishara nods to the newcomer, "You must be our sixth. I suppose halflings are standard issue for Pathfinder parties these days, yes?" She arches an eyebrow at the halfling with a sideways smirk, sizing him up. "I'm Kishara. Don't mind Grim and Tik. They're always grumpy until they've stuck a sword into something." She flashes a roguish grin at her friends and turns her probing eye toward the river, tapping her lips with her forefinger.

"I'll take your rope across, Grim. Maybe I can tie it to a tree or something." Holding the spear for leverage and protection Kishara nimbly skips across the log and looks for somewhere to secure it on the other side. Provided she is satisfied that the predator is no longer nearby.

Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (8) + 8 = 16
Acrobatics to cross the log: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (16) + 8 = 24

"Aaaand you don't want that something to be you now,"

Yhen prepares to cross the river next,

"Ladies first, I hope you sword sticking people don't mind."

Acrobatics: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (13) + 2 = 15 + the bonuses the rope provides.

"Thank you Kish,"

The body still looks mostly edible by the wolf, but frankly the smell puts Haemish quite off, even as a Halfling. All the cranberry sauce in the world could not save that dish.

Haemish will let his wolf feed a bit on the carcass, although he himself will get off, not wishing to be that close to the fragrant dismemberment. He pulls his slingstaff off the wolf's pack and loads it with a slingstone after he hears word of a predator nearby. "Canna be too careful, that's for aye."

He quickly scans the treeline to see if he can pick out anything unusual lurking amidst the underbrush. Perception: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (17) + 1 = 18

His attention is quickly interrupted when the half-elf speaks to him. He puffs out his chest and strides over to her, slicking back his hair and smoothing out his beard. When he reaches her he makes a deep bow with a little flourish of his fur cape. "Haemish of the city of Wati at your service, fine lady. Haemish the Unlucky some call me, but that's a longer story." He then gives Kishara a flirtatious wink as he twirls the end of his mustache.

Tikrit chuckles, while keeping his eyes on the treeline. "Then we will have to hear that story at camp tonight." he says. "Grimaldus, you may wish to go now while there are people on both sides of the river who can fish you out if your armor makes it impossible to cross that precarious span." he says to the big warrior with a wink.

Nothing obvious stands out to any of the observers, and with a little wrangling, Kish is able to establish a rope bridge allowing for safe passage to the far side.

After another half dozen miles of trekking through the woods the sun begins to fall and the ground begins to ascend into the passes, you begin to establish a campsite.

Campsite

Any area development?

Piquet list? Double staggered or single?

"Let there be fire!"

Yhen casts Spark to make fire

"Although this is not the same as sleeping on a nice bed, this fire is cozy enough. This will do."

Yhen will only sleep for the minimum amount of hours to not be fatigued, then she will join the watch.

"Come here little fella,"

Spells Prepared:
Lvl 0 - Daze, Light, Guidance
Lvl 1 - Ear-Piercing Scream, Daze

Grimaldus will look about for fallen logs or thick branches and use his rope to secure them together into a semblance of a wall to block the path to the west. He will also see if there is enough brush or other branches to help block off the woods around them (basically making it a bit more difficult to just walk into the campsite...) Of course, if there is limited dead wood, he will pile it all by the fire ring.

"We should keep the fire small to limit smoke and light tonight in case others are looking for us. But, if we are attacked, we can push the rest of this wood in to make a blaze to frighten off any predators, like this cat."

"Tikrit and Mandrak - how's your night vision? Can you see well in the dark like Kish? I recommend one of you stand each watch for your vision - Yhen, Haemish and I will partner up with you. Standard three hour, two-person watch rotation - 2100-0000; 0000-0300; 0300-0600. Since cats are usually night hunters, I will take the mid-watch."

Unless someone goes hunting, Grim will break out his trail rations and start to eat, offering to share if anyone is short of food. "So, Haemish, how did you manage to find us out here? Haven't seen you around the Society headquarters, but the place is so large it doesn't surprise me. I am Grimaldus, Corporal in the Silver Dragon Chapter of the Adeptus Astartes and liaison to the Pathfinder Society. Tactical supremacy in warfare is my bread and butter...Welcome to the group."

Shifty - Grim will NOT sleep in his armor...in fact, if he can find a stream nearby, he will even go so far as to wash himself a bit before retiring for some sleep. And no, Kishara, wading through the stream did NOT count as his monthly bath... ;P

Gee I always depend upon a two man double staggered personally :p

Giving the others a chance to jump in

Tikrit drops his pack and smoothes out his feathers. "I can see better in the dark than many, but not if there is no light at all." he says.

"I agree to what Grim suggested, I'll take the last, and no you can't eat that dog" says Yhen to her little raptor.

Piquet list? Double staggered or single?

Um... huh? I even looked up piquet, and I'm still confused. I don't think we're talking about a card came, right? O_o

Kishara will help Grim with his rope wall and string a weave of twine with a hanging bell through the foliage north and east of the camp, hoping that anything passing through the area will disturb the line and ring the bell.

She nods in agreement with Grim's watch schedule. "I'd wager Mandrak can see better than all of us, so he should probably take the darkest watch. I can take the first watch, the fresh air of the open wilds is invigorating, yes? I doubt I would be able to sleep soon anyway, despite the hike. But Master Rees, I think it would be best if you bed-down inside the circle of sleepers. We are charged with your safety, yes?"

She munches her trail rations and enjoys the conversation with old friends and getting to know the new ones. Chuckling at Grim's overly formal tone as he rattles off his title, she interjects, "Don't forget leaping before you look... that's definitely your meat and potatoes." She puts her hand to her mouth and leans toward Tikrit, stage-whispering, "Did Moll tell you about the man-eating well? That was quite a sight!" She snickers into her hand and winks at Grim, teasingly.

""Twas not my doing! One minute I'm walking towards a moaning well, and the next I'm at the bottom with a twisted knee! Possessed, it was!" Grim replies, blushing furiously and knowing it, which makes him blush all the more, until he is so flustered he stalks away from the campsite looking for a stream to wash his face in...(or soak his head in - either way!)

Haemish listens to the tales told round the camp fire as he pulls out a few nibbles for himself. When address, he responds to Grimaldus, "I am quite new to the Pathfinder Society, as least the one here in Absalom. I did a bit of work for the Lodge in Sothis a wee bit back. I had a bit of trouble getting back through the Tapestry from Varisia, which is why I was late to the journey." He gets up to undo his wolf's barding before letting her go off to hunt as the sun is setting. He leaves his own lamellar armor on until it is time to sleep. He always stands watch in his armor and puts Lady's barding on for that as well.

Um... huh? I even looked up piquet, and I'm still confused. I don't think we're talking about a card came, right? O_o

No not a card game :)

Grim sets up a pile of deadfall, as well as a small ring of dead branches and other mess that would prevent being charged.

Satisfied?
Red line - charge break. Black line charge break with bell setup.

Last light ~18:00.
Double staggered, all pers get 8hrs sleep.
18:00-20:00 Yhen Haemish
20:00-22:00 Haemish Mandrak
22:00-00:00 Mandrak Grimaldus
00:00-02:00 Grimaldus Kishara
02:00-04:00 Kishara Tikrit
04:00-06:00 Tikrit Yhen

Good with the campsite setup and the watch rotation. Grim will not sleep in armor, so will require some assistance from Haemish to don his armor for his watch (and will help Haemish out of his) and then from Tikrit to take it off at the end of his watch. He will, however, sleep with the greatsword lying next to him!

Yhen on the other will not sleep naked.

"You guys do whatever you want to do, just don't let that great cat come near me,"

Ahh, ok, I understand now. Kishara will be resting in her armor tonight, and she will sleep on the outside of the circle next to Nestor Rees, with her rapier close at hand.

"Anyone want to make use of this fine spear? It's a bit heavy for me, really." If no one else wants it, she will keep watch with it in hand.

Grimaldus will ask to handle the longspear - he examines it closely, remembering his lessons at the academy with spears and pikes. This one seems to be a mix of the two...longer than a normal spear and shorter than a pike. Grim always did feel normal spears were too short for his large size and thus had never cared to carry one. This beauty, though, was a foot taller than he was and a wonderful match to his greatsword. "I could certainly use this wonderful weapon - in fact it seems to suit me, don't you think? You can still use it on your watch, if you wish!"

Kishara waves away Grim's offer to share the weapon. "No, no. You are right, it does indeed suit you. It will serve us all better in your hands, I'm sure." She smiles warmly and reaches up to pat his shoulder.

"Besides, I've yet to break in my new rapier."

Haemish holds up his hands as the spear is passed around. "Erm, it's a bit big for me."

Kish and Grim keep it fairly quiet on their watch, frequently pausing to strain their senses for any signs of trouble. It is at one such point that Kishara catches the light of the low fire glinting off a pair of eyes crossing over Grimaldus’ hasty fortification.

MAP

Her quick warning is loud enough to stir Mandrak from his sleep.

Surprise Round
Kishara
Grimaldus
Beast

Kishara uncoils from her watchful perch, shouting her warning at the top of her lungs "HAI! Tik! Mandrak! It is here! Wake up!!" She kicks the deadfall into the fire causing it to flare up brightly, hopefully disorienting the cat and helping to rouse her comrades as Grimaldus planned and moves to try and give her new rapier it's first taste of blood.

If she can trigger the fire and move to G6 and attack, she will. Do Compy and LadyWolf get perception rolls to wake up? Also, where is Nestor Rees?
Attack with Rapier: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (2) + 5 = 7

Grim moves to G5 to prevent the beast from getting too close to his sleeping comrades. He drops the spear on the way for one of his companions to use and pulls the greatsword from his back to attack...

Attack: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (1) + 5 = 6

...but he completely mis-times his swing and destroys the barrier instead!

Nester calls from the treeline that he is latrinally indisposed, but on his way. The fire is subdued, but enough to light the area reasonably well (no penalty).

Kishara's yell stirs the party to wakefulness; Mandrak has at least had time to stand.

1d2 ⇒ 1The Beast snaps its maw at Grimaldus 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 2 = 14 but to no avail!

MAP

R1
Yhen
Kishara
Haemish
Grimaldus
Tikrit
BEAST
Mandrak

Knowledge Nature: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (4) + 8 = 12 Anything we need to know about the creature?

----------
Round 1
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"Oh my, you're one sneaky... I command you to fall!"

Command (fall-drop prone) Will save DC 15

Yeah, we'll skip it this time, but Lady always should get her own Perception check (+5) as well.

Haemish will make a knowledge (nature) roll as well: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (11) + 5 = 16

Haemish wakes up from his sleep, "What's going on? I've done my shift already!" As he spies the great cat across the fire, he whistles to Lady and makes a few swift hand gestures, pointing at the attacker. "Go, Lady, go!" (Free Handle Animal check to get Lady to flank the great cat autosucceeds, since I have a +9 modifier and it's a DC 10 check, since she's trained to do that) Lady jumps up (move action) and dashes off into the darkness to circle around through the woods (single move action to E9). The halfling then jumps up and grabs his goblin horsechopper lying next to him, stepping past the fire to join the combat. (move action to stand and move action to pick up weapon, 5' step to H5)

This brings up an interesting point: whether animal companions who are trained to flank automatically try to avoid AoOs, of if they just take the most direct route to the far side of the flankee. I have written my actions above with the assumption of the former, but the GM may have a different interpretation of the rules.

Tikrit awakens with a squawk and scrambles to grab his Katana.

Move to stand, move to retrieve weapon.

Kishara moves to G6 and stabs at the hunting predator.
Attack w/ Rapier: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (11) + 5 = 16 Damage: 1d6 ⇒ 4

Am I right in thinking that G5, G6 and E6 are the only occupiable squares that threaten the cat? If so, we might want to try and let it come further into the clearing so we can surround it better.

In case Yhen and Kish haven't taken care of the cat yet...

Grim recovers from his last botched swing and takes another one at the cat.
Attack: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (13) + 5 = 18
Damage: 2d6 + 6 ⇒ (5, 1) + 6 = 12
This time his attack lands true...

Whether animal companions who are trained to flank automatically try to avoid AoOs

I generally take it that the animal would prefer the safest route. If the intention is to get around behind a creature the animal wouldn't try do that from front on where notionally it would have to engage and THEN try move. In reality where there aren't move/standard actions, getting that close (most direct route) is more an attack than a flank

Strangely, neither Yhen nor Haemish can accurately place the creature, something isn't quite right with it...

Save 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (10) + 1 = 11

There is a wave of activity sweeps through the camp as you all rally to face the threat. With the swing of blades and magical energies unleashing the animal is quickly put down.

A Centaur bursts into the forest clearing. Seeing the dead creature he lets out a haughty laugh, as though impressed with your achievement.

"I am too late, and now you have claimed the victory and removed a threat to the forest! Here, some fine pelts to swap for the corpse?"

"A moment, please, so that we may study our foe and perhaps learn from its corpse. Yhen, a light please?" Grim will kneel by the cat to see what he can learn from it, moving parts as needed to study it's teeth, claws, eyes, pelt, and anything else remotely interesting...

waking up... "What did i miss was there something going on?"

Kishara hurries to confirm that everyone is unharmed and greets the Centaur. "Sorry, friend. We had no choice but to defend our camp. Were you hunting the beast through the night? It must be a very bold or possibly ill or affected creature to approach us this way, yes? Do you have any idea what has made it act so strangely?"

Sense Motive(hunch for the situation): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (13) + 6 = 19

Tikrit, his Katana still in hand, surveys the situation, and seeing the enemy defeated, he sits on a stump and begins to look his blade over in the now flaring firelight. He whips around, his Katana held in both hands when the Centaur arrives unannounced, and he looks a little wild-eyed at him until it is clear he is no threat. His feathers are still ruffled from the alarm of being awoken in such a way, and he watches the interaction with the Centaur warily.

I was reading about animal companions, and they have introduced new tricks like flanking trick, so for now I think animal companions will just take the most direct and safest route.

So Yhen got the cat with the command spell, it would fall on it's knees, begging for people to chop its head off.

NVM didn't see the combat is over,

"A moment, please, so that we may study our foe and perhaps learn from its corpse. Yhen, a light please?"

Studying the creature closely reveals a few anomalies that mark it as rather different from a mundane great cat. One notable difference seems to be the rather rubbery facial skin that seems to suggest this sort of cat might bear it skull for some unfathomable reason. Clearly the beast is magical in nature.

Kishara was correct to question its behaviour, but seeing it is not merely an animal but rather a magical creature it seems that the behaviour was understandable - just an ill informed choice on its behalf.

The Cenatur continues, "I am Urdel Thunderhoof,I assume you are heading to the high passes, they often freeze and suffer harsh weather, these pelts could be of use..." he holds the collection alluringly hoping to convince you a trade is worthwhile.

So Urdel wants to trade for?

"Well I have a cold-weather outfit, so whoever does not have one cant take these pelts,"

He is offering a pile of nice pelts for what is left of the strange beast, he obviously wants to show his fellow tribesmen that the menace is no more. He seems a rather friendly sort.