Sigma and Co.'s Reign of Winter

Game Master Justin Harrell 615

Oh ok thought I would be Flat-footed, Dwarf Up

"By Torag that was too close."

I guess I'll take the High road. Also, are we using the same attack roll that was against Feinmeir? If so, my current AC is 17, so the log wouldn't hit.

Yeah, alot of these traps either target normal AC or your CMD. You should be okay, Feinmeir. Rub more of your dice bad luck off on the GM. And we were kinda on guard after the zombies coming out of the carriage, expecting something ravenous to pop out and eat your face.

nah...

low v. high 4 Ikky: 1d20 ⇒ 16

and you're far enough away!

Ikkis feels the wind created from the sheer force of the log. He cringes with the thought of what that could have done to him.

"Gozreh's leaves! You bet that was too close! I guess whomever did those terrible deeds to the carriages' passengers knew they would be followed..."

Connor immediately drops to the snowy ground as the giant log goes sailing overhead. He gives it a moment to slow its momentum on the backswing before popping back up and looking around, "Everyone okay? He walks over to Feinmeir by the chest and looks inside it, "So what did we almost get a faceful of splinters for?"

When you look inside the chest, its completely empty.

Well that figures.

"Where does the trail lead from here?"

Survival, for s$~%s and giggles: 1d20 - 2 ⇒ (13) - 2 = 11

Ikkis looks around on the ground for signs of anything, but is not confident in his own skills.

Connor growls as he picks up the chest and throws it at a nearby tree, "They don't even have the decency to bait a trap with some cheese!"

Rawr! Connor smash! Puny furniture.

Doesn't hit my AC anyways, so I'll pass. LOL

Before he can even duck the log sails past, thankfully missing everybody. Another snort of amusement as the chest proves empty, he downright laughs as the barbarian hurls the chest in a rage.

That over with, he lets whoever thinks they can track well lead on, winding his way back to Demona's side.

After smashing the chest against a nearby tree, you notice the gleam of metal in the sun buried under where the chest was. When you dig it out, you find armor and weapons with emblems of Taldan nobility over the hearts. and stamped into the steal. You can safely assume these once belonged to the slain guards.

lots of mundane stuff but a few goodies.
5 leather armor,
3 studded leather armor
1 masterwork chain shirt
2 light wooden shields
7 long swords
2 spears
1 masterwork dagger
3 light crossbows w/bolts that you don't need to keep track of

next time know, I roll different attacks for different players. Its fine this time since you guys don't know.

Feinmeir grabs a light wooden shield for a little bit of extra protection. "I suggest we bury this stuff till we come back, we can mark it with the shattered chest."

"Well, if you boys ever wanted to dress up as a Taldane Honor Guard, you'd be all set!" Demona says at the sight of the treasure.

Arthrax will grab the chain shirt and dagger, if no one else does. They are too valuable to leave just buried in the snow, is his thinking.

Hmmmmm....Demona actually speaks sense for once. He probably will keep a set of the leather armor on the way back for their travels through the rest of Taldor, just to make life easier. She was a smart little brat, at times.

After packing up their new belongings, he nods to the others, ready to continue towards the next peril.

You continue making your way southwest through the woods. The snow is becoming increasingly deeper as you get farther in the forest, more so since you've entered a windswept gully that carves a path through a tree-covered ridge. A soft cascade of snow falls from an overhead branch, hissing softly as it strikes the ground.

"Ah!" Ikkis exclaims excitedly, pointing at the dagger and shirt that Arthrax has lifted, "Now those I can use! Arthrax, you're more of a heavier-weapon-and-armor guy, right? Mind if I use those two for a while?"

He also picks up a crossbow and some bolts. Just in case.

You continue making your way southwest through the woods. The snow is becoming increasingly deeper as you get farther in the forest, more so since you've entered a windswept gully that carves a path through a tree-covered ridge. A soft cascade of snow falls from an overhead branch, hissing softly as it strikes the ground.

I've never felt uncomfortable in the cold before, but maybe I should have brought winter clothes after all...

Arthrax nods and hands over the chain shirt and dagger to Ikkis, since he has no immediate use for them.

He looks up in the tree, looking for any causes, besides the wind, of the snowfall.

I'm just going to leave this here. I'm outta work and got some errands to run. I'll be back later tonight, probably 4-5 hours unless my girlfriend needs me for anything.

stealth: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (3) + 17 = 20

Arthrax Perception: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6
Ikky Perception: 1d20 - 2 ⇒ (19) - 2 = 17
Connor Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (17) + 6 = 23 is it +6 or +7? I take it one is normal and the other is skin shift?
Feinmeir Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 10
Demona Perception: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (16) + 1 = 17
Meri Perception: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (13) + 2 = 15

It is normally +6 unless I'm shifted into my Skinwalker bestial form. I get a +2 to Wisdom in that form that bumps all Wisdom-based skills, etc, up, thus the +7 in parenthesis.

Should nothing attack him immediately, Ikkis thinks back to the concealed log trap, wondering if perhaps more of it's ilk, or worse, was in store for them. He brings his hands together and recites a prayer aloud. Though he understands the words emanating from his mouth, they sound somehow alien to his ears.

"Skï Faðir, sýna mér hættur framundan þannig að ég kann að þjóna þér betur."

He then looks at the area ahead of him with new eyes, seeing, and somehow sensing, if there's anything he missed.

Ikkis casts detect magic and does a quick sweep of the area around him. If he senses no magical auras within 60 feet above, below, and around his person, he will focus on the tree from which the snow fell.

Spellcraft: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (19) + 9 = 28

Ikkis the incantation you used earlier is that of a Cure light wounds spell, it is mostly used to heal those wounded but it can also damage those that are powered by negative energy like undead. In our case i would strongly advice to use it only in the healing ways for the moment. You see both Connor and Feinmer could use a healing spell. You see still there wounds there and there? If you need i can show you the proper incantation forms and words of power if you want to control this spell.

Ikkis was stunned. Merisel had just turned everything he had thought about his own magic on its head.

"In... incantation? Wait, a healing spell? You mean... I'm sorry, I just thought..."

He actually had to hold back tears. For almost a decade he had felt disabled and cursed by the world to only cause destruction. All of his abilities had manifested in strange elemental ways. But healing? The possibility that he could actually heal someone else, the idea that he wasn't some sort of jinx was... amazing.

"Yes, of course! I've been so stupid! I think I can do this... on my own, actually. I think I can control it. Umm... Feinmeir? Connor? Care for some, erm, healing? Or would you rather wait, now that I think about it. My guess is that I can only do this a certain number of times per day."

Again, if nothing is attacking us at the moment, Ikkis will continue this line of discourse and will probably heal Feinmeir, as Connor hasn't yet been healed by Merisel's Healing Hex.

Of course you can do it on your own, just use the wait i have shown you. That spell you used is more commonly named CLW. Eventually you will be able to harness more magical powers and cast many more spells she says with a smile lightly touching Connors on his shoulder and releasing yet again the storming power inside her Healing hands: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3

Demona lays a hand on Icky's shoulder, oddly comforting. "I can't heal anybody, just flay them with fire. Healing's cool!"

"Please don't flay me lass, and Ikkis if you want to try on me you can but we need to keep moving." Feinmeir said looking at the two of them.

Connor holds up a hand for the others to stop as he suddenly comes to a stand still instead of continuing to plow through the deep snow of the gully. His eyes dart across the snow-laced path in front of them and then the trees as he next tilts his head to listen to something.

Looking at Connor's signal, Ikkis thinks it may be the wrong time for his epiphany.

He readies his knife with one hand, his shield held out in the other.

"Looks like we may have company."

Ikkis readies an attack action with his dagger.

Hmph...Arthrax hears the others attempt to comfort Ikkis and furrows his brow. He remembers back to when he was first blooded several years ago. They hadn't gathered together in some kind of sissy feel good moment then. His captain had clapped him on the back and told him good job. Still, he had to make an effort.

He reaches forward and claps Ikkis on the shoulder. Good job.

He reaches forward and claps Ikkis on the shoulder. Good job.

"Oh... uh... thanks! I really didn't do much, though. I'll try to do better in the future."

Here's the fun part where we play with our imaginations. There's no official map for the next couple scenarios so we're going to pretend there's snow everywhere on the map. The path is difficult terrain, the grass is super difficult (4 squares), and the rocks are mounds of snow that you can dig through if you really want. I dunno how many movements that would be but yeah. I got you guys in a tentative marching formation, though feel free to arrange yourselves along the path anyway you see fit.

Did Connor learn anything from that Perception check? Did I detect any magic?

I think he's waiting for position confirmation before we proceed to that part.

position is good for me

I was also sleeping. But I'm awake now! Congratulations Connor, you get to move in the surprise round.

INITIATIVE!
Arthrax: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (14) + 3 = 17
Feinmeir: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 2 = 7
Merisiel: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (16) + 1 = 17
Demona: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (16) + 1 = 17
Connor: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 9
Ikkis: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6
Tatzlwyrm: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (9) + 2 = 11

demona roll off: 1d20 ⇒ 19
Merisiel roll off: 1d20 ⇒ 11

and the monster's target is the 1d6 ⇒ 6 person down (Ikky)

Initative! Round 1:
Arthrax
Demona
Merisiel
Tatzlwyrm
Connor
Feinmeir
Ikkis

Connor, make your post. It'll go after the tatzlwyrm. I gotta make a quick errand but I'll be back with the attack. guys in bold go after Connor and I do surprise round.

The nearby snow pile erupts as a serpentine draconic monster bursts out, striking at Ikkis, teeth bared.

charging bite: 1d2 + 10 ⇒ (2) + 10 = 12
damage: 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10
free grapple: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (6) + 10 = 16

and i missed so nothing happens

Just so I'm clear, a tatzlwyrm is attacking Ikkis from stealth?

Surprise Round
hp 9(11)/16(18)
AC 14/13/9
Effect: Bloodrage(+4 morale bonus to Strength and Constitution, +2 moral bonus to Will saves, -2 to AC)

Free Action: Initiate Bloodrage mode, activate!
Stanard Action: Attack tatzlwyrm.

Glaive-guisarme Attack w/ Power Attack and Bloodrage: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (9) + 5 = 14
Glaive-guisarme Damage: 1d10 + 10 ⇒ (5) + 10 = 15

As if to punctuate his call to stop, the snow erupts to the side as something long and serpentine comes for Ikkis. Connor roars as he quickly snaps out with his polearm, the long blade of the glaive-guisarme slicing at the evasive creature while lumps of snow go flying in every which direction.

yes. He was hiding in a big ol' pile of snow and now he jumped out and said "SURPRISE" and tried to bite Ikky.

The glaive-guisarme glides across the white scales of the monoster. It turns its attention to Connor and roars back at him.

those in bold can go now.

Arthrax jumps back as the monster lunges out at Ikkis, eyes widening in alarm. Dammit, of course he was on the other side of Demona. He sees her reacting, and says, "Blast it, then back up!"

He dons his shield as he plows ahead, moving forward to help Connor engage the wyrm and protect the more vulnerable members of the party.

Free action to speak, delay until after Demona, double move diagonal down and left and straight down to place Arthrax between the creature and the sorceress (can't map update at work). I believe that's five movement, so no further action this round.

so are you reading your action for after demona or delaying to full on after demona which means moving after she attacks. Just wanna be sure before i update the map for you.

I will perform all of my actions after she attacks. Assuming she attacks. If she does jumping jacks I will go after that, as well.

Knowledge Arcana: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (17) + 8 = 25

Demona casts a spell, and a small dragon of fire appears in her hands. The flaming dragon zigzags across the battlefield, swerving around Ikky, and collides with the other dragon with a bang and a flash.

Damage: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4 fire and it needs to make a Reflex save DC 16 for half damage or be dazzled

Then she backs away.

You get three bits for that monster knowledge.

mad reflexes: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (16) + 6 = 22

Are you wanting me to ask? If so, she'd want to know its special attacks, defenses, and a general sense of how tough the thing is.

Round 1

Merisiel will try to daze the creature if the creature is humanoid , i can't see on the picture. If it isn't she will delay after it.

Metagame, the creature is definitely not humanoid.

Are you wanting me to ask? If so, she'd want to know its special attacks, defenses, and a general sense of how tough the thing is.

Sorry, i'm used to my players doing monster knowledge checks, and then asking for three specific bits of info. bonuses and specific scores aren't given.

1. special attacks - the dude can pounce and rake
2. defenses - got typical generic dragon defenses (paralysis and sleep)
3. general toughness - he just needs one good go to really mess up one of you guys.

@ Meri - he is not humanoid. he's a dragon... thing. this is a normal Tatzlwyrm. The one you're fighting now is an arctic version so he's white instead of green.

Ok then delay after it for round 1

Arthrax, you delayed till after Demona and she went. you going to come off delay or are you going to wait a little longer as well?

Nope, I move up to protect her and provide another target so Ikkus doesn't get mauled. Hope it goes after Connor, though.