Well, I might as well ride this trainwreck to its conclusion.
Jya dodges in after the creature, trading blows and attacks, but whipping out her shield for extra defense probably don't increase my AC, since I'm accidentally getting too much already.
Diplomacy:1d20 + 8 ⇒ (2) + 8 = 10or +9=11; sigh, sometimes you can't win for losing.
"Not exactly how I wanted to be interacting with you, lovey, but - uff! - if you'd rather play rough... unf... I'll work with you on that!"
I'm reducing damage to +2 instead of +3, because it's no longer held two-handed for extra damage, since she's now holding her shield.
She'll basically trade blows with the thing until she wins or it does, or until it stops attacking. If it stops or wins... well, we'll find out what happens, won't we! :)
In general, without special abilities, you won't be charming monsters with 2 INT.
The creature presses its attack, emboldened by its earlier success. Unfortunately for it, however, you're so talented at... avoiding things... that only the pinnacle of its own excellence is enough to really hurt you. Your first blow goes just barely wide as the creature dodges, and in response...
After three more attempts to hit you (and three misses), the creature's movements seem to be getting... agitated. That's when another blow of yours slams into it, pounding its flesh and weakening it even more. 12/24 HP remaining.
After what seems like endless failures on both your sides (seriously, this creature should NOT be dodging that effectively! It's flat-out abnormal!), it finally scores another blow against you. -4 HP. You have 7 HP remaining. More worryingly, its tendrils reach out again...
Grapple:1d20 + 5 ⇒ (10) + 5 = 15
...but your excellent skills in wiggling thwart it once again as you break free and are able to begin your counterattack.
The creature fights with renewed vigor after its success - until a lucky hit crashes into it and finally brings the monster down. Perhaps this situation is going to be a little more... challenging... than expected. Either that or you're just not used to your weapons yet. You did triumph in the end, but you may not be so lucky in the next match, especially if your health remains so low.
Jya nods, firmly, condescendingly. "Hmp." she says in it's general direction. "You should know better!"
She sways, woozily.
Then, she instinctively began casting a spell, expending a fragment of her divine power. Inflict Light Wounds, her lips carefully utter in Abyssal-arcane phraseology. Healing from Inflict:1d8 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4
No, seriously, dice. This is just... stupid.
Finding the experience... lacking... she utters the phrases again. Healing from Inflict:1d8 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5
It is substantially more acceptable, though she's none too pleased with her fickle nature at present.
She carefully looks around... and takes a close look at whatever hit her.
Unfortunately, you're unable to recognize the creature lying crushed on the floor... and it's hard to get a good sense of what it was really supposed to look like after the way you bludgeoned it. However, now that it's gone, you have the opportunity to look around properly - and hear the sudden sound of horns as you reach the middle of the chamber. Nothing else happens, however, though you do spot three empty flasks near the southern wall.
To the southwest of your position is a familiar-looking door - the locked iron one that would bring you back to the entrance, which you never managed to open. On the southeast side of the room is an open archway that seems to go right into another hall. On the northwest side of the room is a stuck door made of good wood, which it does seem like you could get through if you really wanted to (Break DC 18; hard 5, 15 hp). The northern door is locked... and with a darn good one at that (DC 40), but it seems to be the only way forward. However, as a simple wooden door, it would be much easier to break through (DC 15), or at least smash to pieces the way you did the portcullis (hard 5, 15 hp).
Following the path of least resistance heading down the southeast side, Jya finds herself in another hall. Noticing the strange rocks down the tunnel, there, she nods, sketches the fact that a trap exists, and checks out the side corridor.
Taking 20. Presuming no nasty surprises... If she finds the hallway trapped with a DC of 10 or less (unlikely), she'd try rolling it. If she finds the hallway trapped with anything else, she'll just mark it and move on.
After a thorough search, she lets out a minor "arg" in frustration. She thought she was dealing with mortals. What mortals, in their right mind, would create places like these? It's all well and good for immortals like she is - er, well, was, she supposes - but for mortals? She sighs. She was finding fewer qualms about actually causing the priest - whoever they were - to fall right into Hot-crossed-buns' greedy, clutching fingers. Stupid traps.
Jya grumpily heads over to the simple wooden door.
STR:1d20 + 2 ⇒ (14) + 2 = 16
With a surge of furious strength, she simply shoves, and, to her own shock, succeeds: a brief flash of her ancient power, might, and... her ancient form... could be seen by any onlookers. Jya herself could even feel the fury and change rising up within her, before fading as quickly as it came. Thirsty, it was. Thirsty it left her. Truly thirsty for something liquid, jaws aching for that flavor... but also thirsty for her old power... her old nature. She... craved. Curious.
She shrugs, noting it mentally, and (after pausing to acquire the lock from the now-broken door), continues on, carefully searching for anything of interest.
It doesn't take long at all to see things that are of interest - and your gaze immediately notes a few things about the room. The floor, for one, is a bit like a chessboard in that it's made of alternating white and black tiles, and a stream of what looks like oil is running through a channel in the center of the floor. More notably, however, your total destruction of the door has caught the attention of those inside, and four skeletons turn to face you. On the bright side, your current position just south of the door means they can only approach you one at a time.
Initiative:1d20 + 6 ⇒ (20) + 6 = 26...Let's just save some time and say they go first. XD Even with perfect rolls and adding in Mythic Surge, you could only tie, and they'd go first anyway because of their higher modifier.
The first skeleton comes out swinging, lashing out with a broken scimitar before following up with a bony jab of its arm.
...It's not a very talented skeleton. Which is great for you, because they're likely to have a reaaaaaally hard time hurting you unless they get lucky.
Okay, if the skellies survive all of this, she's going to presume they're actually skeletal champions and thus open to seduction/diplomacy. And/or, she's already dead.
Jya adjusts herself, ready to slam into the profaned bodies. Nice work, that., she admires. She always did appreciate the mortal form. Oh, the irony of that now, though.
"Come on, boneheads! Let's see what you've got!" she challenges.
The first attack of yours misses, but so does the next blow from the skeleton - and your followup instantly smashes it to pieces, blowing it backwards. The second skeleton steps forward, missing entirely, and you trade blows several times before it, too, is smashed to pieces. However, the claws from the third skeleton are a legitimate threat. -2 HP. However, that skeleton goes down with your next blow. The fourth skeleton endures several more rounds, also scoring on you. -4 HP. However, it finally collapses into a pile of bones, leaving the room clear for you to explore. Whatever was wrong with that... that abyssal tentacled creature didn't seem to have helped the skeletons very much.
You've earned 200 XP! Also, I'm keeping track of EXP gain on the campaign info tab, in case you'd like to have a reference.
The details of the room are as you saw before, though a bookcase in the northeast comes into view as you actually pass into the chamber. However, there does seem to be a distinct lack of doors to pass through... it seems like you'll need to find the passage if you want to proceed.
If she has the ability without crossing the board, she will look at the shelf, scan for magic, and claim any she finds. If she has to cross through the room, however, she claims the spot for a Queen (presuming there is a chess-like number/form).
A closer examination reveals that the tiles are just a pattern for the flooring, and don't seem to support any kind of gameplay. At least, not any game you're familiar with... who knows what strange people do in their spare time with unusual parts of dungeons? That said, the shelf doesn't seem to possess any kind of magic, either inherent to it or contained in a smaller item. There are a number of mundane books sitting on it, though, with titles like '101 Curses to Use on Fools' and 'The Secret Rituals of the Unholy Legions'. The complete lack of power coming from the tomes suggests they're nothing more than entertaining reading material, though... and not in especially good taste.
Jya nods to herself as she ticks off the list, getting a mental picture of the sort that builds a dungeon like this. She was having substantially less problem, over-time, following through with her mission.
"Uh-huh." she says. Looking, up, then down, then pulling out the Temptations scroll and looking at with a sincere (unfaked and unforced) look of concern and compassion, she says, "... you sure you want this guy?I mean... really sure? I can go ahead and give you a **** **** ****, special, if you want, instead. It's not to late! I honestly don't mind - everyone makes mistakes every once in a while!" she lets her "patron" know.
She sighs, hearing no response, putting everything away again, and readying her weaponry to fight whatever other weird things the doofy little cultist happened to throw her way.
She carefully checks out the large room, once again, and thoroughly explores all of the unlocked places first.
Basically, she continues as I've noted previously: she thoroughly explores the rooms and hallways, taking 20, searching for any leads or clues. She chooses everything that's not locked before handling anything that is. If there is nothing else to discover down the twisty-little side passages, then she goes back to the one door she's not seen the other side of yet. She valiantly tries to unlock it - she's not here to wreck all the things - but she can't, so she hammers it down with her lucerne. It'll take a while.
As it turns out, you don't need to go very far in order to find the next passage... careful examination reveals that the back of the bookcase is actually part of an unlocked, good wooden door that swings open once you finally locate the knob - and a buzzing sound fills the air as a creature shoots through the air and straight towards you.
However, you're easily able to establish and orient yourself in-time to react to the creature and... deal with it as you see fit. It's a tiny little thing, though, and may not be too easy to hit with your weapon unless it messes up somehow... which it might.
Lack of training can be a real problem when it comes to identifying enemies... there are so many things you seem to have forgotten, even as others have utterly forgotten you. On the bright side, your weapon blow slams straight into the creature, sending it bouncing into the ground. 11/20 HP. It hops back up a moment later, however, and buzzes right towards your face to bite you with its oversized jaw.
It's quite a miss, and wouldn't have been very dangerous anyway - though the creature has more than enough attitude to make up for it. "Go bother someone else! Your kind ain't welcome here!" Even the greatest of diplomatic skills will often fail when creatures are hostile to start with...
I realized in retrospect, that I've got two effects that, I think, should still be active that net be a +4/+2 to diplomacy checks. I don't have my third +2, as I didn't use my at-will orison to get it.
"... well, I've got to say: I wasn't expecting an intelligible response!"
Diplomacy:1d20 + 8 + 4 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 8 + 4 + 2 = 15... I hate this auto-roller, sometimes.
Jya winces, but then grins. Opportunity, she things, even if I almost blew it, there.
Full Defense Action.
"And who might you be? And what, pray-tell, are my kind?"
Okay, dice-roller, you have got to be kidding me. Now you're just being petty. Ugh.
"I'm really just here to help! I'm supposed to be on your side, fly-bite! I was ****'n summoned here! But everything in this stupid place has attacked me since I got here!"
Unfortunately for the small entity, it didn't exactly have the ability to cut through your guard... at least, not without far more luck than it had any right to. Worse, however, it seemed completely uncaring about talking - as if it wouldn't, or possibly couldn't, be affected by such things. It snapped out with its jaw again as it buzzed around in a circle, no less nasty for its small size.
...And is just as inept at causing harm as it is talented at avoiding getting hit. One had to wonder if there was some kind of abnormal curse on this dungeon - grinding, exhausting battles could really take their toll on any combatant.
The little creature is finally smashed into the ground, unmoving and inert - and an examination reveals that it was never alive to begin with. However, it did get in a few strikes of its own before going down. -3 HP for you. On the bright side, you earned 150 XP!
Now that the small guardian is gone, there's easily enough time for examining its chamber - a large kiln and a bin of coal have been set up on the room's southern side, apparently designed to help with metalwork of some sort. A pile of bent copper coins lies nearby, though they don't seem to be worth anything - they're just the dregs of whatever happened here.
A wooden door is located to the north, as the only exit from the room - and it looks like a fairly strong one. You don't even need to approach it to see that it has a sturdy lock (DC 40), or that its overall construction is quite resistant to damage (Break DC 25, hardness 5, and 20 hp). Whoever built this place seemed to be quite fond of sturdy doors... more so than one would usually expect, considering how inconvenient all of this must be.
Semi-thwarted (and slightly daunted at the idea of hacking her way through another door: seriously, whoever left her there could have been courteous enough to give her tools, for ****, sake), she carefully and thoroughly examines the room for details, hidden doors, and the like.
Stepping out, she marks, as before, the hidden door in the room with the bookcase.
Heading back out, she follows her earlier plans of leaving nothing unchecked: she approaches the open hallway to the south, and cautiously explores everything she can down that way noting any traps she comes across, and then if she finds a dead end, she explores her options with the locked door from earlier.
Quote:
On the northwest side of the room is a stuck door made of good wood, which it does seem like you could get through if you really wanted to (Break DC 18; hard 5, 15 hp).
She sighs.
Then she knocks. "Hello? Anyone there that wants to negotiate or eat me?" she asks, rapping on the solid door.
If there are, let them come to me first. Jya thinks to herself, annoyed at this guy. Seriously not the way to handle a lady.
After re-reading the earlier posts, I'm not entirely sure if I did this, already - not the knocking and asking, thing, but the exploring the south-west hallway thing. If so, just ignore that part. That's player being doofy. Either way, she'd mark things up to read later and keep herself oriented.
There seems to be nothing of particular interest down the open hallway - aside from that one trap blocking the way, of course. However, there's no sound from behind the door - if anything is there, it's being quiet, but it may just be a small, unused hallway - one wouldn't normally let a major door be stuck that way.
More problematic is the locked door to the north - there also seems to be a heavy trap, which you did notice before crossing into its area of activation, and it seems like a location-triggered threat (DC 22 to Disable). This might be a case where deliberately triggering it and trying to avoid the fallout would be a better plan... since it seems like the only way forward.
"Well," Jya says, as much to herself as anyone else, "damned if you do..."
She does a running tumble, using the wall and door itself to bounce out of the way of the trap (hopefully).
Reflex:1d20 + 6 ⇒ (10) + 6 = 16, plus any circumstance bonus for using the terrain?, Acrobatics:1d20 - 5 ⇒ (18) - 5 = 13, plus any circumstance bonus for using the terrain? (I'm dubious of the utility of these as circumstance bonuses, so I didn't include them. I made about the best acrobatics check I could hope for, though!)
Incidentally, it would be great if you could keep a running total of your HP in your stat bar. ^^
With a bellowing roar, a large chunk of the ceiling smashes downward, triggered by getting too close to the door... ten feet in length and width, it's an especially nasty setup.
Oof. I had 7 hp at the start of this. I'd missed noting the loss from the skeletons in my mind, originally, leaving me 6 fewer hp than I was thinking. So... now I'm at 7-11 = -4! Woohoo! Dying! From a trap I knew was there! And purposefully sprung! I'm really smart, you guys! :D
One thing that was very true about certain people was... they could be difficult to totally eliminate. Indeed, despite the injury from the trap, your body is resilient enough to quickly stabilize and avoid rapidly bleeding out. That's the good news.
The bad news? You're still trapped under a massive rock that's pressing down on top of you, and you can't move your body to resist the lingering pressure or force. Worse, despite your stabilized condition, you're still unconscious... and being stable doesn't prevent additional damage from what's effectively a form of collapse.
Bit by bit, the stone pushes down on you. There are no companions to set you free, lifting the stone and digging you out. Any residents from further inside may not have even noticed the collapse yet, or at least assumed that a trap was doing its job. They certainly have no reason to save you... and a fleshy body that's so weak can't resist the inevitable forever. With a final sickening squish, the massive rock's weight ends things.
------
In a world with so much magic, there are beings who have died more than once. However, death itself is not so easily forgotten by any soul that experiences it, even the soul of a god. The first thing you see is the infinite universe spreading out beyond you as your soul is pulled away from the Material Plane. Ahead of you, close and yet unreachable, is an impossibly tall tower - and the lights of uncountable souls flow alongside you, each heading to the place of judgment. There is a purity, there - a sense of purpose, of completeness, and of the universe functioning the way it was intended. It is neither lawful nor chaotic, good or evil... it simply is, and you catch one glimpse of a figure whose greatness surpasses the ability of a mortal to comprehend.
And then your journey ceases. The souls of other beings flow unimpeded through the aether. Some of them shine with the radiance of goodly folk, others are tarnished and corrupted, while most seem to be somewhere between. Then, abruptly, you begin to move once more. If you had gone back, it might have been a sign of someone resurrecting your corpse. If it had been forward, it would only be the natural course of things. This movement is different.
Wrapped around one of your feet is a skeletal hand, attached to an arm of impossible length. You don't even know the word to describe how many joints it have, but the arm pulls you away from the tunnel heading towards the Boneyard, and away from the edges of all the planes. The pulling motion begins to go faster and faster, until you're pulled through a void between Abaddon and the Abyss. Another figure can be seen, there - a cloaked figure atop a horse, who begins to ride towards you as you pass... only to stop, then turn around and ride back towards his throne. The descent continues, past planes unknown to the minds of beings as weak as mortals, constantly speeding up...
Until everything stops. After an uncountable time spent pulled through the reaches of space, you find yourself flat on your face, lying on a cool floor of some kind. As you raise your head, a figure comes into view. Twin skulls dangle from her ears, even as a ragged black cloak billows out behind her. In one of her hands is a scythe - and even the faintest glance at it sends an unquenchable wave of terror through you. Despite all of this, however, she seems welcoming... and very amused.
"You got here faster than I expected." she said, taking a bite out of an apple. "Honestly, I was betting on some kind of ancient dragon doing you in... hm. Welcome to my realm, H'ecks-pha-czu'whaugh." Her calling of your true name is easy, unhurried - and shows that she knows exactly who and what you are. "I'm sure you've got questions, so ask. Time is one thing I've got plenty of."
"Okay, first off: hello. Second: who the **** are you? (Pardon my elven.) Third: **** **** **** **** **** **** ****in' **** **** ****-**** ****. You don't need to answer the last one: I should have known better, but I'm having a bit of a bad day."
Hexy breathily sucks in air and blows it all out in large, heavy sigh.
"So, are you going to tell me the truth-slash-am I an equal, or am I here as a manipulated pawn? If it's the latter, I'm actually okay with that, by the way, and I've got quite a bargain for you." She grins.
Then, getting 'distracted', she says "Ooh! Also, nice place you have here! I love the decor! And right in between Abaddon and the Abyss! Cute! Cozy! And I love the teeth and dress!"
"And what was my mission, exactly? Fireshorts left some information out."
Then, suddenly 'remembering' her manners, "Oh, and what's you're name sweetie-pie? You seem to have the advantage of me. Not that I mind someone taking advantage of me..." she smiles, coyly.
EDIT: Also, the 'Countenance abilities may kick in to make her one (if hostile and within one step of alignment) or two (if anything other than hostile and within one step of alignment) steps more friendly; if she is helpful before one or both of the 'Countenance abilities kick in, Hexy gets a +5 (if one moves her to helpful, and the other augments it) or +10 bonus to Diplomacy checks (if neither are needed to move her toward helpful). She's really hoping that this is a solid allied encounter.
The woman simply smiled. "Is that what they're called? There are so many of those little planes that it's hard for me to keep track... especially when the same names are used so often." She lifted the edges of her cloak and curtsied slightly. "However, you may simply think of me as Death. I manage a small part of the infinite planes, keeping watch over the souls of beings that have been obliterated from the higher levels... as well as the souls of gods." She took another bite of the apple, looking perfectly at ease as she crossed her long, slender legs and sat on the air itself, floating there without concern. "Normally I'd just send you out to one of the areas that've been prepared... but for certain reasons - and no, I'm not going to tell you what they are no matter how nicely you ask - I'm going to give you the chance to reincarnate back into your universe. Of course, you'll have to earn the journey home, but that's just part of the fun. And if you fail, well..." Her smile widened, but she didn't elaborate. The implication was clear, though - one way or another, you would eventually become a true resident of this place. It didn't make much of a difference to her if that day came sooner rather than later.
"Ooh! Exciting! So, 'Death', I'm intrigued about this whole 'reincarnate' thing you've got going on, and I'm curious about the soul Hotpants wanted me to go collect for him. What's the whole 'earning' thing? What's up next? What are the rules of this particular game?"
Death smiles - and the information suddenly comes into your mind, like a memory you'd only just recalled.
This time around, Death has something of a gauntlet for you to pass through. A series of five duels bar the way to a door that will return you to the material plane, forming a new body for you to reside in. However, you currently lack the health and vitality of a living being - so by engaging in these duels, you will ultimately be risking your very soul. Essentially, each point of damage you take will reduce your progress to the next level by 1%... though it's also true that defeating all five foes before your knowledge disappears entirely would be quite rewarding in its own right, especially if you can minimize your losses. Losing one hundred percent of your gathered knowledge and experience will render you unable to advance, and Death will claim your soul permanently... the books must be balanced, and only through risk can you receive your reward. Incidentally, healing spells cannot restore your knowledge.
Death simply grinned. "You have a pronounced tendency to waste your power on things that bring you no reward." she said. "Still, what's a god who can't impose their will on the world?" She waved a finger slightly. "Use it wisely or not at all - it's all the same to be."
You have gained one temporary Mythic Power. After each of the first four fights, you will gain another temporary point of Mythic Power - all of these uses will disappear at the end of the fifth fight, whether you've used them or not.
Death simply smiled as she reached over and held up her scythe. A flick of her wrist moved the weapon through the air - but instead of simply passing by, the edge seemed to catch on something and rip open a portal of some kind. The tear in space moves forward to envelop you, and the last you see of Death is a wide smile. There's no sensation of movement as the hole in space passes over you - instead, you're simply standing in one place and then another. That sort of thing probably shouldn't be possible, not in that way... but the rules may be a little bit different here.
Your host didn't seem to be kidding when she gave you the information you needed - the arena you're in is circular, and perhaps a hundred feet across, with raised walls surrounding a sandy floor. Standing about twenty-five feet away is a figure, generally humanoid... but most humans don't have four arms, or look entirely willing to duel.
Knowledge:1d20 + 3 ⇒ (16) + 3 = 19max DC 10, except for dungeoneering and religion
Sense Motive:1d20 ⇒ 8to figure out their relative power
"Don't know what, exactly you are, handsome - or do I?! - but I like the arms: hot!"
Bluff:1d20 + 9 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 9 + 2 = 23 to feint Nevermind: it's a standard action to feint, so I couldn't do that and charge, but I don't need to feint, as I've won initiative anyway, meaning he's flat-footed, meaning I get my sneak attack off. Yay! Finally! Hm: sneak attacks+solo+no way to sneak... maybe I chose poorly. ;P :D Ah well. Fits the character idea better.
Charge Attack!:1d20 + 5 ⇒ (16) + 5 = 21Lucerne Hammer Damage:1d12 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 = 8Sneak Attack Damage:1d6 ⇒ 6 Note: -2 AC until the start of my next turn.
Heal:1d20 + 4 ⇒ (12) + 4 = 16Check how he's doing/assess his damage. Charisma:1d20 + 4 + 2 ⇒ (20) + 4 + 2 = 26To make the whole thing fun for both of us. Hexy doesn't actually want to make an enemy.... of... her... enemy... (whatever), and is hoping to earn respect and enjoyment, over-all, unlikely as it is.
EDIT: SERIOUSLY, DICE-ROLLER?! THAT THE NATURAL 20 I RECEIVE?! Great. Just... just great.
EDIT 2: Okay, yeah, considering this' Hexy's 50th post, it seems kind of fitting somehow. Not terribly useful, mind, but fitting, nonetheless. EDIT 3: Added +2 to CHA-based skills. That ability should still be active.
It seems you aren't familiar with the creature opposing you - Knowledge: Local to identify - and your blow is a solid, heavy one that sinks into the warrior's body. He's an unusually healthy specimen of his kind, though, and still has some health left. 8/22 HP.
Done with that, however, two of the warrior's hands punch out in heavy blows. An unarmed warrior wouldn't normally be a huge threat... but it's an entirely different story when they're well-trained as a monk and are unleashing a flurry of furious blows.
Attack Roll (Flurry of Blows):1d20 + 2 ⇒ (17) + 2 = 19 for Lethal Unarmed Damage:1d6 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4 Attack Roll (Flurry of Blows):1d20 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 2 = 7 for Lethal Unarmed Damage:1d6 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4
Unfortunately for him, however, it doesn't seem like either of his blows was quite accurate enough to land.
Hexy takes a 5-ft. step away to negate the monk's ability to use flurry on any given round as well as any AoO's he might otherwise recieve, and uses her hammer (with reach) in order to hit him anyway.
Let me know if I have to revise my round-by-round otherwise.
[ooc]Round 2: Attack:1d20 + 3 ⇒ (7) + 3 = 10damage:1d12 + 3 ⇒ (11) + 3 = 14; swing and a miss!
Round 3: Attack:1d20 + 3 ⇒ (10) + 3 = 13damage:1d12 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5 Round 4: Heal:1d20 + 4 ⇒ (19) + 4 = 23 to stabilize him as soon as he drops.
"There. Defeated. Alive. Likes me. All told, I think I did well."
Well, not quite as good as the one before, though the warrior is steadily advancing to close the distance. More relevant, however, is the fact that he is backing you towards a wall, and it might not be easy to keep retreating in that method...
Would you like simply roll a number of attacks, or slow it down to keep your options open?
Weird: I really thought I'd hit him with my previous attacks. Oops! Sure, let's roll a few rolls for speed. I have, at minimum, five attacks before being "cornered" - but that's only if I started at one wall (I was under the impression that we were both closer to the middle of the field). So I'll at least roll three more and see what happens.
Charisma:1d20 + 4 ⇒ (17) + 4 = 21She winks.
"I like someone who brings me to a dance!"
Bluff:1d20 + 9 ⇒ (20) + 9 = 29She swaggers as she walks, then trots around to avoid being trapped, focusing on him.
"Oh, kinky! We're not yet ready for that sort of thing, Handy!" She grins. "We need to get to know each other, first!"
Dice:1d20 + 8 ⇒ (12) + 8 = 20 or + 9
"So, who are you?" Hexy smiles. "Tell me all about yourself!"
At the last moment (just prior to hitting the wall), Hexy will take a 5 ft. step, then a full move action (beyond his reach) to net herself about 16-or-so more options for doing the same.
...but so do the warrior's, as he's clearly having trouble hitting a moving target. However, despite everything, he doesn't seem interested in talks or negotiations - and it's possible that he's not even capable of such things. Who knows what tricks Death could be playing here...? The knowledge you were given before was quite clear, though - reincarnating to the Material Plane is something that can only be earned through effort, not charm or pretty words.
He is, however, quite difficult to actually strike - as his smooth avoidance of all but your last blow show. And in return?
After your last hit, despite the low amount of damage done, the warrior teeters and falls... and vanishes as he strikes the ground. A pillar of light crashes down from the sky a moment later, most of the way across the arena - and when it vanishes several seconds later, another being is standing there. You do have to look down, though - the monster appears to be some kind of six-legged rat creature, though it has a strange duck-billed mouth filled with razor-sharp teeth.
On the bright side, the beam of light gave you more than enough time to prepare, though you'll only be able to cross the 70 feet to the enemy if you really hustle...
"Oh, how adorable! I love it!" Hexy says, delightedly. "Now I'mma smash it!" she cries, happily.
She rushes forward! Charge attack! Attack Roll:1d20 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 3 + 2 = 10 for Damage:1d12 + 2 ⇒ (9) + 2 = 11 -2 to AC for 1 round
The continued actions of forever?:
Generally, she stays at reach, as she can, and, if it looks possible, she'll use a Dirty Trick instead of an attack (choose one, below), and, when possible, she'll feint.
The small creature is known as a Baric - a small creature that often travels in groups, though this one seems to be alone. It isn't known for any particularly special powers, but it can see well in many environments and has a talent for sniffing out its foes.
Your charging blow isn't quite accurate enough to strike the small, agile creature - it nimbly hops to the side, then ferociously counters with a bite and its claws.
Attack Roll (Bite):1d20 + 3 ⇒ (16) + 3 = 19 for Damage:1d6 ⇒ 5 Attack Roll (Claw 1):1d20 + 3 ⇒ (20) + 3 = 23 for Damage:1d3 ⇒ 2 Attack Roll (Claw 2):1d20 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4 for Damage:1d3 ⇒ 1 Critical Confirm:1d20 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4Nope. Also, Three 1's in a row? Wow.
Two of its attacks utterly fail to strike, but one of its claws lands a hit - and you can feel your experience fading away. 98/100.
Your counterattack, however, lands a solid blow on the creature. 15/23 HP. Spurred into a frenzy of sorts, however, the creature begins attacking and doesn't slow down.
Before your next hit:
Attack Roll (Bite):1d20 + 3 ⇒ (15) + 3 = 18 for Damage:1d6 ⇒ 5 Attack Roll (Claw 1):1d20 + 3 ⇒ (18) + 3 = 21 for Damage:1d3 ⇒ 1 Attack Roll (Claw 2):1d20 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 3 = 9 for Damage:1d3 ⇒ 3
Attack Roll (Bite):1d20 + 3 ⇒ (14) + 3 = 17 for Damage:1d6 ⇒ 1 Attack Roll (Claw 1):1d20 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 3 = 7 for Damage:1d3 ⇒ 2 Attack Roll (Claw 2):1d20 + 3 ⇒ (20) + 3 = 23 for Damage:1d3 ⇒ 2
Attack Roll (Bite):1d20 + 3 ⇒ (11) + 3 = 14 for Damage:1d6 ⇒ 2 Attack Roll (Claw 1):1d20 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 = 8 for Damage:1d3 ⇒ 1 Attack Roll (Claw 2):1d20 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 = 8 for Damage:1d3 ⇒ 2
Critical Confirm:1d20 + 3 ⇒ (8) + 3 = 11
For all of its mad scrambling, the creature only scores a second blow on you, shaving off a little more of your knowledge before one of your swings crashes into it. 96/100 for you. 5/23 for it. Even that wasn't enough to drop it, however...
Attack Roll (Bite):1d20 + 3 ⇒ (20) + 3 = 23 for Damage:1d6 ⇒ 5 Attack Roll (Claw 1):1d20 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4 for Damage:1d3 ⇒ 2 Attack Roll (Claw 2):1d20 + 3 ⇒ (8) + 3 = 11 for Damage:1d3 ⇒ 2 Critical Confirm:1d20 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 3 = 9
...And a savage bite from the beast sinks well into your leg before you can smack it away. 91/100 for you. 2/23 for it. It leaps to gnaw once more, scratching like the rodent it is.
Before your next hit:
Attack Roll (Bite):1d20 + 3 ⇒ (17) + 3 = 20 for Damage:1d6 ⇒ 4 Attack Roll (Claw 1):1d20 + 3 ⇒ (15) + 3 = 18 for Damage:1d3 ⇒ 1 Attack Roll (Claw 2):1d20 + 3 ⇒ (8) + 3 = 11 for Damage:1d3 ⇒ 2 Critical Confirm:1d20 + 3 ⇒ (19) + 3 = 22Ooh, so close!
Attack Roll (Bite):1d20 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4 for Damage:1d6 ⇒ 2 Attack Roll (Claw 1):1d20 + 3 ⇒ (16) + 3 = 19 for Damage:1d3 ⇒ 3 Attack Roll (Claw 2):1d20 + 3 ⇒ (16) + 3 = 19 for Damage:1d3 ⇒ 2
Attack Roll (Bite):1d20 + 3 ⇒ (9) + 3 = 12 for Damage:1d6 ⇒ 3 Attack Roll (Claw 1):1d20 + 3 ⇒ (11) + 3 = 14 for Damage:1d3 ⇒ 2 Attack Roll (Claw 2):1d20 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5 for Damage:1d3 ⇒ 3
The rodent manages one final blow before it's smashed away and literally bursts into flames, consumed on the spot. You are at 87/100.
What crashes down from the sky next is quite a bit larger than the rat, though still smaller than the four-armed warrior from before. It takes no special training at all to recognize the foe as a dwarf, nor to spot the axe and shield he's carrying.
...and the dwarf came into the arena quite close to you. Before you can even react to his presence, the dwarf bellows in rage, turning absolutely berserk as he rushes forward and swings his axe.
Attack Roll vs Flat-Footed:1d20 + 7 ⇒ (14) + 7 = 21 for Damage:1d10 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5
...It was a surprisingly weak blow despite that, actually. It doesn't seem like he's going to calm down anytime soon, though... and despite the weakness of the hit, he may well be a far more dangerous foe than either of the other two gladiators. You are at 82/100. Unless you have anything to help avoid that hit, anyway.
I'm... impressed the little thing has reach or could evade any attacks of opportunity! Huh!
Question: what does Infernal Healing or Inflict Light Wounds do for me, at present? Anything in particular?
Anyway, currently, I'm at 3 mythic power: 1 temp from before the first combat +1 for each combatant defeated; yes?
Her first attempt will be to take a 5 ft. step away, before doing anything else. If he has a special ability like the Step Up feat or something similar, Hexy will have Withdraw for a full round to attempt to thoroughly exceed his reach before doing any buffs - since dwarves normally have a speed of 20, she can move 60 ft. away, and he up to 40 ft. on a charge, leaving her some space to buff. If he can catch up with her (by having a barbarian's increased speed, for example), she's just going to have to change tactics entirely.
If he cannot catch her, the tentative plan is: 5 ft. step away and sanctuary herself; 5 ft. step away, down her STR-boosting mutagen, 5ft. step away DS(IS) a shield of faith spell, 5ft. step away and either DS(IS) an iron beard spell or maybe start attacking. feint and attack in turn.
While sanctuary is a will save, which dwarves are solid at (+1 from WIS and +2 from dwarfiness in general), the DC is 15 which, presuming standard rage buff of +2 (with other bonuses netting a total of +5 to will for a standard barbarian), means that he has a 50% chance (give or take) of not being able to attack at all for three rounds. Fairly decent!
Really, Hexy's options are somewhat limited at this point, as the dwarf, by nature, is resistant to everything she's built around and, though her weapon helps her with Sunder attempts against armor (like his), it's somewhat irrelevant, as she can't really damage the metal it's made of.
Alas for no chance to change out her prepared elixirs! Ah, well. Lesson learned: one day can really, really suck. :D
Besides, dwarves are just about the perfect "this sucks" for her style of anything. XD EDIT: to be clear, constructs and undead are even worse. But of the basic core races... :D
The hope is that the five-ft-step plus the reach of her weapon will keep her out of easy melee range; this means that the dwarf has to come to her before it can attack - not really much of an advantage, but it's possible that if it just moves (as it seems berserk) instead of carefully 5 ft. stepping, it'll provoke attacks of opportunity.
If she can get away long enough to buff up, she'll do the following:[/ooc
Attack rolls:
Bluff:1d20 + 9 ⇒ (20) + 9 = 29 [ooc]feint
Attack Roll:1d20 + 5 ⇒ (6) + 5 = 11 for Damage:1d12 + 4 ⇒ (7) + 4 = 11 plus Sneak Attack if Bluff is successful:1d6 ⇒ 6
Bluff:1d20 + 9 ⇒ (15) + 9 = 24feint Attack Roll:1d20 + 5 ⇒ (12) + 5 = 17 for Damage:1d12 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10 plus Sneak Attack if Bluff is successful:1d6 ⇒ 2
Bluff:1d20 + 9 ⇒ (7) + 9 = 16feint Attack Roll:1d20 + 5 ⇒ (14) + 5 = 19 for Damage:1d12 + 4 ⇒ (10) + 4 = 14 plus Sneak Attack if Bluff is successful:1d6 ⇒ 3
Bluff:1d20 + 9 ⇒ (9) + 9 = 18feint Attack Roll:1d20 + 5 ⇒ (19) + 5 = 24 for Damage:1d12 + 4 ⇒ (5) + 4 = 9 plus Sneak Attack if Bluff is successful:1d6 ⇒ 4
Bluff:1d20 + 9 ⇒ (1) + 9 = 10feint Attack Roll:1d20 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 5 = 8 for Damage:1d12 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10 plus Sneak Attack if Bluff is successful:1d6 ⇒ 6
Bluff:1d20 + 9 ⇒ (9) + 9 = 18feint Attack Roll:1d20 + 5 ⇒ (13) + 5 = 18 for Damage:1d12 + 4 ⇒ (8) + 4 = 12 plus Sneak Attack if Bluff is successful:1d6 ⇒ 4
Bluff:1d20 + 9 ⇒ (10) + 9 = 19feint Attack Roll:1d20 + 5 ⇒ (10) + 5 = 15 for Damage:1d12 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6 plus Sneak Attack if Bluff is successful:1d6 ⇒ 3
Bluff:1d20 + 9 ⇒ (16) + 9 = 25feint Attack Roll:1d20 + 5 ⇒ (16) + 5 = 21 for Damage:1d12 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5 plus Sneak Attack if Bluff is successful:1d6 ⇒ 1
Bluff:1d20 + 9 ⇒ (11) + 9 = 20feint Attack Roll:1d20 + 5 ⇒ (5) + 5 = 10 for Damage:1d12 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7 plus Sneak Attack if Bluff is successful:1d6 ⇒ 1
Bluff:1d20 + 9 ⇒ (8) + 9 = 17feint Attack Roll:1d20 + 5 ⇒ (16) + 5 = 21 for Damage:1d12 + 4 ⇒ (10) + 4 = 14 plus Sneak Attack if Bluff is successful:1d6 ⇒ 1
Two full minutes of action (standard action: bluff/feint, then step; standard action attack, then step; repeat) should cover us to the end of the battle one way or another.
Once she's buffed up, if it charges her, she will instead, ignore the feint rolls, and use the attack rolls to Brace her lucerne hammer against his charges to deal double damage on any hits.
If the 5 ft. step doesn't work (taking her out of its reach), and the dwarf can catch up to her after a full-round withdraw action, I'll just change up strategies entirely, doing none of the above.
Even if you step away from them, I'd imagine they could take a step towards you and resume the offensive. As I mentioned above, healing spells will not help you at the moment - magic to heal wounds cannot restore knowledge and experience.
Also, as a Barbarian, this particular Dwarf has Fast Movement 10... giving him a base speed of 30 feet, rather than 20. I believe you said you'd like to change your strategies if he can catch up?
A brief sizzling sound can be heard, as a scroll appears between your hand and the shaft of your weapon, carefully wrapped around it with one end dangling open. Without even looking at it, you know what it is - the scroll of Temptations, following you to this place, which would take but a free action to sign with a thumbprint...
The "trick" with the 5 ft. plus reach, though, is that it consumes part of their action to get close. Hence, it denies them more than one attack per round. Like a monk with flurry, most creatures with natural attack routines, and anything with a full attack routine (outside of specific things, like pounce. It's the advantage of reach weapons.
Moving away was never about denying them all attacks; only denying them Attacks of Opportunity and full attacks.
The trick here, though, is that even if the barbarian attacks her once per round, she can still get a distance between them to cast, yes? So: round 1 was - Hexy 5 ft. steps back; the barbarian doesn't immediately step up to her, so she uses sanctuary? Or does he step forward before she can continue that action?
Yes, you can take the five-foot step and cast without provoking an AoO (unless the opponent has reach... which, in this case, they don't. Not as such, anyway). As usual for the game, you can take your round of actions before they respond. That seems to be the intent of the rules, anyway. XD
