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I like unlocking Grumblejack before the assault. That way as soon as we strike, he can charge. No reason to leave a big ogre behind as a spectator.
Tkaara is actually a pretty decent combatant, especially if you give her drugs, since this will eliminate the sickened condition. Then she will just be faking being sick to cover anyone else's noise. However, with her +9 bluff, I figure this will work as a +2 assist on everyone else's stealth checks. As soon as you all strike, she will join the melee. Unless she has a weapon, she is not going to draw AoO, but can easily assist others without a weapon.
chances are likely one of us will fail a stealth check at some point anyway (looking at you, Hecate :-P)!
Yeah, stealth isn't my strength.
I'm liking the plans; can I suggest a first "stealth" wave whose sole focus is to grab/ grease the horn, and a second "bruiser" wave whose focus is on combat?
That way we have the best chance of getting out of here without raising the alarm, while also getting out of here alive.
Felrin wraps stealth and bruising up in one package, so I’m fine with the two-wave approach Hecate suggests. It will be helpful to have Etna be part of the first wave, obviously, since she’ll be casting grease, but she doesn’t have to get very close for that.
Since no plan actually proceeds as written, I’ll just stay as close to it as I can. I’ll wait a bit so we can have input from the whole gang.
Ok, I got something wrong: Wishbound Arcana ups the CL, not DC. :/ Still useful, tough.
How many time will lapse from the two wawes? Like Stealth wave in the surprise round, and bruiser in the next?
I also support the idea to free Grumblejack as soon as possible:I just hope that he fits trough the door. <.<
Enough time so that my lack of stealth won't be a hindrance ;) Waiting for the surprise round sounds like a plan; it depends on what the DM rules in terms of when a Stealth check would be needed for which actions. If I can leave the cell and walk to the door without a Stealth check, for example, that's a completely different proposition...
Stealth checks would be needed not to make noise. The faster you move per turn the greater the risk. The check is an opposed check versus the guards perception. The guards get a -1 to their perception roll for every ten feet they are away from you. If you move at 1/4 your normal speed then it is a straight opposed roll and you could take 10 on it if you wanted to. At 1/2 speed your check would be at -1, -2 for 3/4 speed and -3 for full speed.
All the above is for the guards hearing your approach, if they can see you from their position then it would still be opposed checks but once you enter within 20 feet of a torch then you can no longer stealth against sight because you can not stealth in full light against sight.
The door that leads to the guardroom is much like a celldoor, it is just bars and not a solid door, so theoretically grease could be cast through it, but then the door would have to be unlocked if it were locked before access could be granted. It also allows line of sight once you turn the corner and head for the cell door if a guard was in the correct spot in the room.
Once everyone is in position where a planned attack would begin then the group would gain the surprise if not detected to that point. During the surprise round everyone would get a standard action or a move action. Once the surprise round is over then Initiative would be rolled and the first round will begin. So it might be possible to get off a surprise round action and a full round action before the guards went if your Init was high enough.
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One other option is that Tkaara can cast Obscuring Mist (ok, she does not know that she can, but divine powers work in strange ways). She could cast it to block all sight into the cell area. I am not sure from the description whether the guards can see into the cell block, or whether there is a closed door leading from the cells to the guardroom. If there is a door, then I would not thing that visual stealth would be a problem. However, getting through the door silently could be an issue.
Felrin's stealth bonus is +10, but if he changes into a goblin it'll be +15 (+1 from Dex change, +4 size bonus). While he's getting everyone unlocked, he can Take 10 on stealth and disable device and get them all open in 6 or 7 turns.
While obscuring mist would hide our approach, it would pretty much give the game away that something was happening.
I'm ready to proceed with the plan, but I feel I need to wait until I know we've tricked the guard who came in to check out Felrin's manacles, and that nothing else happens between now and when we plan to break out.
Looking at the map, it would seem that unless the guards have low-light vision we could get within 25 feet of the door and still not be seen. From there, it looks like a single move to either side of the door (U16 and X16) would get two people into a position where no one would spot them unless they were right by the door.
Oh, and no to the obscuring mist: your spell slots are likely going to be needed for spamming CLW!
EDIT: evil thought - why not bring the horn to us? Get two people into position at U16 and X16, with Etna and others out of sight at row 11; Etna casts ghost sound to get their attention and the guard with the horn will walk right out! The two at U16 and X16 will get a strike each; if he's still standing, Etna casts grease on the horn (if he's down by that point she can do something else, like grease the other two guards) and if that fails then Hecate is in reserve with sleep.
And this is just the first obstacle of the first book of the campaign...
@Tkaara: Yup, I think that's the plan.
@Hecate: I'm not sure that the door to the guardroom is that one, but I agree with luring them out of the guardroom with Ghost Sound.
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One option is for Etna to use silent image to make it look like we are all in the cell, when in fact it is only Tkaara happily coughing away. The other prisoners will be hiding behind the door into the cell area. When the guards have passed through and into the cells so that they are to a point where they would be checking on us, perhaps even unlocking the cell to come and play with Felrin again, the rest at that point move in and charge the horn blower.
Doing it this way, we should have 3 people, Felrin, Erevan and the Doctor hitting the one with the signal. As soon as they make their move, Grumblejack charges out and attacks the guards in the cell hallway.
If Etna maintains the silent image, perhaps from within an unlocked cell, or even in the cell with Grumblejack, then the two guards in the hall will be more confused as to what is going on versus just having her drop the silent image as soon as the attack starts.
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Another possibility might be to use some of the other items on the veil. I am not sure what the window does, but, assuming it somehow makes a window, we could use that to either escape out the side of the building (mind you we do not know if the outside is underground, up in the air, or over water.) Or, we could use it to enter the guard room from behind. I believe that the not-so-good doctor should know the layout of the guard room. If we can access the guard area from say CC/16 where there is low light, then this would allow the Doctor, Felrin and Erevan to get behind the whistle blower and trap the guards so that they cannot flee away to call for help.
Also, this would allow the three of them to hide in the low light area making it very hard for the guards to see them when they went by to check the cells.
I think trying out the window (and the rope) is a very good idea. I know we won't know where it puts us, but leaving the cell without the guards knowing for a bit would be very helpful.
Maybe we can let out Grumblejack as a way of distracting them as we leave.
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Remember, if we escape out a side of the prison, then the next time the guards change, we will have the alert raised. We really need to neutralize the guards so that they cannot start tooting their horns.
Thus, my second thought about going through the wall with the window so that we get into the guards area and block them off from calling out of the cell area for help.
I'd prefer to use Hecate's plan, using only Ghost Sound to lure them out and then Grease and pummel them. I prefer it as it is a more simple and resource lite solution, and one where we have both me and Hecate Ready to incapacitate the whistle using guard:beside, we are basing ourselves on the assumption that the window creates a window when it could do something else entirely.
I'm inclined to keep the window as a fallback plan for now, in case we need to get out of somewhere quickly.
Since picking the lock into the guardroom while under fire or observation will not be easy, and may give us away, I'm thinking we wait until the next torch change, when the guardroom door will be open, then pounce. Etna can cast silent image in the hallway, creating the illusion of all of us still chained and the cell door closed. We can be behind the illusion, with the cell door open, and charge through the illusion and take out the guards. At that point, Etna could drop her concentration and cast grease on the horn.
And we should ask Grumblejack to be quiet until we tell him it's okay to talk and move around. Maybe he'll listen...
Edit: I like Hecate's plan too, but I'm not sure how we get anyone to U16 and X16 without getting spotted.
Good plans all. Felrin, your SLA uses should have refreshed at midnight, it's a new day, after all!
I like the idea of having someone near the horn-guard, if only to stop him running off and raising the alarm some other way. But I agree, getting there without getting spotted is a challenge - unless we use the window, which might not do what we hope it does. I may try and sleep him even if Etna's spell works, just to get him completely out of the picture.
Please, please would someone give the veil to Hecate, she needs to examine it - hoping it has spell components; possibly even alchemical reagents, eh Doc?
You raise an interesting point, Hecate.
@DM Asmodeus - do my SLA's refresh at midnight or is it a 24-hour cycle?
I think sleeping the horn-blowing guard is a fine idea - we could even try to time it so we sleep them both as they come through the door for torch change, so we have two sleeping guards and an open door.
Aaand I'm back. Finally using a keyboard.
We know that when the guards exit to check on something, the horn guard stays in front of the door of the guardroom. Technically, we know which one of the room is the guardroom because the doctor was brought here, so if DM Asmodeus tells us which is it, we can position.
If the entrance to the guardroom is X-Y 12-13: I hide in the corner at T9, and someone else at T10, and Hecate at T8 with everyone else behind at S 10 and 9. I cast Ghost Sound targeting the area around BB9. The guards will come out: as soon as the horn one is in range, me and Hecate 5ft. step in range and cast Grease and Sleep. Whoever is in T10 can charge, and then the others follow.
If the entrance is at V-W 16: As above, only that in this case someone may be able to hide at U 16 (Probably Erevan because he's the sneakiest) and go for an extra strike. Here, tough, Hecate is the only one that could incapacitate the horn guard in the surprise round: even Wishcrafted, my Grease won't probably reach the guard.
Looks okay?
Er, X-Y 12-13 looks like it is the entrance to an empty cell. Or am I misreading the map?
That's how I read it too, but it would be good to get confirmation that the guardroom door is the one at the southern edge of the map.
Speaking of doors - where is the door to Grumblejack's cell? I presume it's somewhere around I 8-9.
And for the record, Felrin is sneakier than Erevan. :P
Out of curiosity, how has Felrin managed to get +10 to Stealth? 1 rank + 3 (being a class skill) + 3 (Dexterity modifier) + ...?
DM Asmodeus asked the same thing, Erevan. Felrin took the Heretic archetype, which allows him to add Wisdom as well as Dexterity to Bluff and Stealth, so:
Stealth: +10 = +1 rank, +3 class, +3 Dex, +3 Wis for Heretic
And when he becomes a small creature he gets +2 to his Dex score, which adds +1 to his Stealth, and small size adds +4, for a total of +15.
But I don't know as much about monsters as a typical inquisitor.
@DM Asmodeus - do my SLA's refresh at midnight or is it a 24-hour cycle?
Info gleaned from the section on Magic in the PRD.
Recharge Limit
Spells and Daily items have a recharge limit
"Recent Casting Limit: As with arcane spells, at the time of preparation any spells cast within the previous 8 hours counts against the number of spells that can be prepared."
So any spell cast recently counts against the number that can be prepared, and for daily spell-like effects this means once used they cannot be reused (effectively their 'slot' is used) until 8 hours later. This is why casters usually get a night's sleep before preparing their spells!
But why are daily items treated like spells?
How do daily items recharge?
Daily spell-like abilities recharge whenever the caster would normally be able to relearn spells as noted at the bottom of the Magic section by Special Abilities:
(Emphasis mine)
"Spell-Like Abilities: Usually, a spell-like ability works just like the spell of that name. A spell-like ability has no verbal, somatic, or material component, nor does it require a focus. The user activates it mentally. Armour never affects a spell-like ability's use, even if the ability resembles an arcane spell with a somatic component. A spell-like ability has a casting time of 1 standard action unless noted otherwise in the ability or spell description. In all other ways, a spell-like ability functions just like a spell."
Therefore daily spells will be recovered by the caster whenever they would normally recover a spell and daily items are limited by the recharge limit as well.
Relearning Spells (For completeness)
For arcane spellcasters this would be after an 8 hour period of rest, for divine spellcasters this would be at the set time that they recover spells. For non-spellcasters that have a spell as a special ability I would require them to complete a period of rest to regain their spells.
Added to this the caster needs a small amount of time to prepare their spells.
Wizards Require an hour, or a minimum of 15 minutes to add/remove other spells (proportionally lower)
Sorcerers/Bards Require 15 minutes of concentration to update their spells.
Divine casters have the same praying preparation time as Wizards (1 hour or 15 minutes reduced)
There is a wizard feat to prepare spells faster, I'm sure, but I can't find it at the moment...
The door to the guardroom is the cell door just below V-W 16.
Grumblejack's cell door is at I-7 - I-9 (Covers three squares.)
To clarify:
Felrin used his ability between 4 and 5pm. He rested/slept in his shackles from 6:00pm until 2:00am (8 hours) so he gained the full use of his spell like ability back just before the escape attempt.
I have a lot of stuff to work up for the next update, but will update shortly.
Thanks for the clarification, that's good news! And thanks, Hecate, for mentioning it in the first place. I was trying to get whatever rest I could, with the hope of something like that, glad it worked out.
I've been thinking I should pick up the spell recharge innate magic, since it effectively gives me a second level spell for a first-level spell slot.
Since there are several turns during which the rest of the group can act, I'll hold off a bit on Felrin's next move. But I plan to have him unlock the cell door next, so it's open before we make any noise with the ankle chains. I'm considering going down the hall to unlock Grumblejack's door at that point also, though I'll run out of my time as a goblin before I can do that and get back.
Thoughts?
I wouldn't open Grumblejack's door yet, he might just charge off! But do unlock our door, it's one less thing to worry about. Probably best to do the chain while you're at your sneakiest. As for the what to do with the chain, maybe the ogre would like a nice (reach) weapon...? He has reach already, so that would make him really formidable!
Speaking of formidable, assuming there are spell components in the veil (and AU is right, I can't see it so someone's going to have to do that for me) I can cast Mage Armour; I was thinking of casting it on Erevan simply because that would give him AC 19, making him pretty damn tanky without messing up his stealth in any way - the mooks would really struggle to hit him. Or I could cast it on Felrin or Ottakar, to try and give them a bit of survivability.
If you put tank-Erevan at the front, with reach-Ogre behind him, that's a bloody formidable combination to have to face.
Ottakar seems to be possessed of damage reduction as far as I can tell, specifically 5/silver, which could prove really handy indeed tank-wise. I highly doubt the guards are in possession of silvered weapons.
Suddenly, greasing the chain seems like a REALLY GOOD IDEA
2 thoughts on that:
The guards are drunk and playing cards, it sounds like, so not super observant.
Does the grease spell have any effect on how much noise something makes?
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I would assume that the amount of noise is entirely up to the DM. However, logically if the chain is slick so that it moves easily, then it would seem that it would be clinking less, then therefore making much less noise. If I were the DM, I would take the +10 circumstance bonus for the Escape Artist, and apply it as a similar circumstance bonus to the stealth check for removing the chain.
Just my bias 2 cents since it was Tkaara's idea.
My only thought with deliberately attracting the guard is that we need a plan to deal with the signal horn... I can try and send him to sleep but I'd be much happier if we had a contingency plan as backup in case the spell fails: are you willing to trust your freedom (and the continuation of this entire AP!) to a single Will save?
I would assume that the amount of noise is entirely up to the DM. However, logically if the chain is slick so that it moves easily, then it would seem that it would be clinking less, then therefore making much less noise. If I were the DM, I would take the +10 circumstance bonus for the Escape Artist, and apply it as a similar circumstance bonus to the stealth check for removing the chain.
Just my bias 2 cents since it was Tkaara's idea.
Sounds reasonable to me, and is a clever application of the spell.
And while I agree it's a risk, these guards seem pretty slapdash in their approach to things, and less likely to stand alertly by with the horn in hand than the previous batch.
I would assume that the amount of noise is entirely up to the DM. However, logically if the chain is slick so that it moves easily, then it would seem that it would be clinking less, then therefore making much less noise. If I were the DM, I would take the +10 circumstance bonus for the Escape Artist, and apply it as a similar circumstance bonus to the stealth check for removing the chain.
Just my bias 2 cents since it was Tkaara's idea.
Sounds reasonable to me, and is a clever application of the spell.
And while I agree it's a risk, these guards seem pretty slapdash in their approach to things, and less likely to stand alertly by with the horn in hand than the previous batch.
Well, it's both a will save and a reflex one, so I think it's fairly safe.
And as I said IC, I'm ready to cast Grease on the chain to muffle it when we move. We take our positions (where? behind the corner or in the cell?), use Ghost Sound to replicate the 'rat', knock the guard sent there, and proceed to the guardroom.
We do it like this?
Okay, here’s where we stand (much of this is obvious, please bear with me as I think it through): all of our hands are free, the gentlemen are completely free, the ladies’ ankles are still shackled. The cell door is unlocked but closed. The door to the guardroom is closed and locked. (I love that all of this feels like such an accomplishment! This is definitely a tough start to an AP.)
We need to draw the guard(s) through the guardroom door, then use some combination of sleep and grease on the guard with the horn, if he bothers to get up from his game and come look. Sleep can reach him from inside our cell, but the short range of grease will require Etna to be in the hallway leading to the guardroom, which doesn’t work very well. (I must say, these are enormous cells and halls for a prison. Our cell is 1500 square feet!)
If we can hide near the door somehow, one of us might be able to charge the guard with the horn and make it very difficult for him to blow it. But if we only have a surprise round in which to do this, we’ll have to start in the hallway, which will make stealth a challenge.
In short, Etna, we do it more or less the way you describe, but I’m not sure where we can take our positions unnoticed nor how easily we can proceed to the guardroom. The guards’ first action may be to close and lock the door.
DM Asmodeus: You may have addressed this, but can we see the guardroom door through the bars of the cell just to the west of it? Put another way, would we be visible from the doorway if we tried to hide behind that cell, in square T10, for example? Given the way the light from the torches carries, I’m guessing those cell bars don’t provide adequate cover for stealth.
Also, is Grumblejack aware of us moving around? If so, we should tell him to wait quietly, and perhaps open his cell door so we have a Large-size lockpick in case we need that guardroom door open in a hurry.
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We also have CC/DD 15/16 where 2-3 people can hide. I know we have a limited number of spells, but if Etna uses Silent Image to make it appear that we are all in the cell, then all the men can hide in the darkish corner of that cell. Once the guards move past to check on us, Tkaara will chat with them, since she will still be in the cell, perhaps offer them a good time. While the guards are distracted by the silver tongued vixen, two of the guys come up from behind and take the guard/guards down. Hopefully fast enough that they cannot call for help.
While this is going on, Hecate is in the cell across from our cell, say P15/16. She casts sleep at the angle where she can hopefully see the horn guard. At the same time, the third guy, Erevan probably, dashes through the door to make sure that nobody else gets the horn. The second he hears the first blow land, Grumblejack joins the fray and has fun pummeling little 'uns.
Also, if these two guards do not have a horn or whistle, we can ignore them and let Grumblejack charge them while all three men dash through the open door to assault the horn blower and anyone else at the card game.
We also have CC/DD 15/16 where 2-3 people can hide. I know we have a limited number of spells, but if Etna uses Silent Image to make it appear that we are all in the cell, then all the men can hide in the darkish corner of that cell. Once the guards move past to check on us, Tkaara will chat with them, since she will still be in the cell, perhaps offer them a good time. While the guards are distracted by the silver tongued vixen, two of the guys come up from behind and take the guard/guards down. Hopefully fast enough that they cannot call for help.
While this is going on, Hecate is in the cell across from our cell, say P15/16. She casts sleep at the angle where she can hopefully see the horn guard. At the same time, the third guy, Erevan probably, dashes through the door to make sure that nobody else gets the horn. The second he hears the first blow land, Grumblejack joins the fray and has fun pummeling little 'uns.
Also, if these two guards do not have a horn or whistle, we can ignore them and let Grumblejack charge them while all three men dash through the open door to assault the horn blower and anyone else at the card game.
Really like this plan. The only problematic part is to access the CC/DD 15-16 cell, as they would have to pass in front of the door to the guardroom. That's not really a problem, as the guys could hide in the same cell as Hecate.
If we do as you said, I won't even have to use Grease: Hecate can shift out of the manacles without doing any sound, while you and I remain in the cell. Even if I close the manacles gain, I only need to concentrate to keep the Silent Image of four sleeping prisoners. ;)
We also have to free Grumblejack and tell him what's going on: I'll do that, but I'm off to bed for today. :)
That sounds like a workable approach, and it doesn't use up the window, which I like.
So the next thing Felrin should do is go get Grumblejack's cell open, and convince him to wait a bit. Maybe we should get that silent image up now.
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I will be part of the silent image to add a vocal component, cough, hack, "Come her cute guards, see what I was doing and why the judges do not want my story to get out". Probably better if Etna is in another cell as she is much weaker in combat than am I. Not that I am really any good. Etna could easily hide in the back corner of Grumblejack's cell, or in the cell on the other side, say U/1, from where she can safely concentrate on the silent image of the other five of you trying to ignore my coughing and being generally really annoying.
DM Asmodeus: You may have addressed this, but can we see the guardroom door through the bars of the cell just to the west of it? Put another way, would we be visible from the doorway if we tried to hide behind that cell, in square T10, for example? Given the way the light from the torches carries, I’m guessing those cell bars don’t provide adequate cover for stealth.
Also, is Grumblejack aware of us moving around? If so, we should tell him to wait quietly, and perhaps open his cell door so we have a Large-size lockpick in case we need that guardroom door open in a hurry.
T10 is a low light square so you could stand there and make a stealth check (You can't make a stealth check in the open if full light is provided such as the areas of light marked on the map.) but if any guards are looking in the direction they would get a perception check to see you. Probably be a good negative against them seeing you probably -4/-5 for distance alone depending on where they were standing in the guardroom. They would also get a negative for the bars being in the way (Both the celldoor bars as well as the cell bars giving them another -2 for unfavorable conditions.
Grumblejack is aware and watching what is going on in your cell but he sits bright eyed but quiet. In fact he hasn't muttered a word after seeing you change back and forth between goblin forms.
Also I wouldn't waste grease on the chain unless you were just in a hurry, if you slide it slowly a little at the time, say over about a 10 minute period it can be done so quietly enough.
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The issue I see with this plan lies in the casting time on sleep: one full round. It would be best if one of us charges in to distract the horn-wielder while Hecate is busy casting. Notably, Herr Doktor is immune to sleep, so he would be best if we want to avoid the embarrassment of putting allies to sleep (like what happened the only time my bard cast it in the previous PbP I played in...).
I am rather partial to color spray myself. It did work wonderfully in my previous WotW PbP. At least at the low levels it can work wonders and, if memory serves, its casting time is a standard action.
I didn't want to tread on Tkaara's toes by taking color spray (she's going to be awesome with it!) - also, you need to get in close (15 ft cone), which is not optimal survival strategy when you have Dex 8!