The March of Kings

Game Master Daniel Rust

I don't think we can absorb the backed up water with anything, we'll have to make do. Suggest we take up ambush positions and wait for the bad guys. The mule and our prisoner should be concealed beyond the dam, so there's no chance of the other bandits stumbling on them first.

I suggest that the first act of combat should be the attack of Sanglamore's summoned creature, and then it's a free-for-all.

Do we need a map?

I always say you need a map, but in this case, it may depend on a) if they actually come out to investigate and b) then how many....if it's just two NPC then I reckon we could possibly avoid a map ... i.e. "you all behind trees and wait for them to arrive at the dam ; roll hide, then hopefully roll initiative!". 5 on 2 should be a quick win, even though one of the five is me (and i'm rubbish in combat!)

Hey Guys! The Paizo website has suddenly started working again so I am back on. Remember to add guidance to out of combat skill rolls like dam building.

Sanglamore will dismiss Rhaegal, reassuring him that it is only to keep his strength in reserve for the big fight. The bandits will come to investigate the blockage anyway, so I don't think a summoned Pony will add much as an additional lure.

Being the powerhouse that he is, he will use his strength to move fallen logs and such like to aid the others in the dam construction. He will then find a spot to hide behind a tree. His first summon will be a celestial dog.

You all find a place to hide around the dam and wait, keeping out of the boggy area.

Stealth please and also perception.

Unless you have anything else you particularly want to do now, you wait.

Also, roll initiative. Good to be prepared.

Perception: 1d20 + 6 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (20) + 6 + 2 + 1 = 29
Stealth: 1d20 + 7 + 1 ⇒ (19) + 7 + 1 = 27

Initiative: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (18) + 5 = 23

Good job!

Perception:1d20 - 1 ⇒ (11) - 1 = 10
Stealth (including guidance):1d20 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5

Initiative:1d20 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 4 = 20

Okay so that could have been better. I didn't hide, and didn't see them coming. At least I reacted quickly, its just a shame about the surprise round . . .

Perception:1d20 + 6 ⇒ (7) + 6 = 13

Stealth(shield wielded): 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 2 = 14

Init:1d20 + 1 ⇒ (13) + 1 = 14

slowest combat evah!

Battlemap is here:

Move your token to the appropriate place on the map where you're hiding, click the Pass Turn button and copy the new url here.

FYI the marshy bit around the river is difficult terrain, the trees offer cover, the little shrubs don't offer much at all unless you're prone.

Guðrún moves to take up a position concealed behind a tree at the very edge of the marshy area. She watches the track that

Guðrún's position assumes that the bad guys are heading from the bottom of the map toward the dam. If they're likely to come from some other direction, then I might want to change where she's standing.

Also because I've tweaked Guðrún's stats her Initiative is now 22, and her Stealth is now 26 rather than the results above.

right i've moved Jorquimo (and Gudrun again - neil please check)
i've passed the turn : here's the new url (I hope)
Updated Map

Jorquimo moves into position in one of the other trees, draw his sword and shield, raises a little prayer to Gorum and waits.

Initiative: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (15) + 1 = 16

please note - due to dead email address - i've ported Joquimo to a new Alias on a new Paizo account

1d20 + 2 ⇒ (13) + 2 = 15
1d20 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 2 = 10
1d20 + 0 ⇒ (15) + 0 = 15
1d20 + 0 ⇒ (1) + 0 = 1

I'm going to wait until Sanglamore and Rhaegel confirm their positions until I reveal what those dice rolls mean...

Right, I have placed Sanglamore, though he had dismissed Rhaegal for this fight, so I have taken the beast off the map. The plan was to start summoning creatures using Sanglamore's SLA as soon as the enemy is sighted

Jorquimo sees one man approaching the marshy area from the south. He is dressed in battered leather and carries a bow at the ready. You're sure he hasn't seen you.

Guðrún sees two men enter. One of them has definitely seen Jorquimo and Sanglamore. He is frantically waving at the second man but can't catch his eye. Neither has seen you.

Sanglamore sees no-one at all.

I'll add them to the bottom of the map when I get home.

G and J can act

Map updated. The one on the right has been seen by Jorquimo and is oblivious to the situation himself. The one on the left has seen Jorquimo and Sanglamore but only Guðrún has seen him.

We're not in initiative unless someone does a combat-type thing.

First of all these two guys look just like Valin and Kreg from the last fight. Kressle's bandits are obviously all clones...

Guðrún understands the plan is to wait until Sanglamore's summoned celestial dog appears and attacks. So she will hold her action.

1) As soon as the dog appears, she'll attack the bandit that the dog is *not* attacking with her sling.

2) If either of these bandits start shooting at her companions before the dog appears, then she'll let loose with a sling stone at the nearest bandit.

Sanglamore scans the scene with his eyes, seeing nothing but trees.

If they do anything that makes Sanglamore aware of them, he will summon a celestial dog at the limit of its range (25ft) and will send it to attack the nearest dude that it perceives

Jorquimo will wait until either Sanglamore get his act together or the man who has not seen me gets within range of surprise round attack.Then as a swift-action he will trigger archaeologists luck and attack the man who has not seen him, hopefully with a surprise round.

note: now posting as the correct profile (I hope)

The one on the left gives up trying to signal to his mate and moves stealthily forwards to hide behind a tree, bow pointed Jorquimo and Sanglamore's way. He still doesn't see Guðrún.

The second one moves forward and is no longer hidden. Sanglamore summons his creature...

When that's done. It's G's go.

Remember that when Sanglamore summons using his SLA, it is a standard action, so it will appear immediately and can act straight away. i.e. it doesn't need to wait until the beginning of the next turn.

Dan - Do you want me to roll perception, attacks etc for the dog? Should it use Sanglamores initiative or have its own?

I certainly do remember that. You go ahead and roll them and just use Sanglamore's initiative.

They are going on:

Initiative: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (18) + 2 = 20

So, in the surprise round (one move or standard action only, including partial charge):

1) Sanglamore summons a wondrous creature which attacks
2) Guðrún does something
3) Alert bandit (to the left) does something
4) Jorquimo does something

Then in normal rounds it's:

Guðrún
Bandits
Sanglamore and gang
Jorquimo

If you want to move on the map but can't for some reason: call out the grid reference and someone else will do it.

can I charge & atk the one on the right?

Unfortunately not, as you've positioned yourself in difficult terrain (the boggy bit you created with the dam). You can't charge through difficult terrain. Otherwise you could have. You can move half speed and reach him, then attack next turn.

having reviewed the spells I have chosen... I can see I was planning for a trip with Bear Grylls and not combat.. therefore

Jorquimo moves from the Bush towards the closest enemy to engage him in combat next round. He also triggers his Archeologists luck as a swift action (+1 to Atk,Save,Skill & Dmg)

Dan, can you reposition me on the map to where I should be now please, as you understand the "moving through rough terrain limits" ....and I don't

I certainly can. It's half speed and you can't run or charge. So, if your move is 30 you can move 15 through difficult terrain. So you can squelch and squerch three sqaures on the map. Then you'll reach dry land and be ok next time.

I won't move you until the others have acted as there is a chance the guy might be dead before you even start to move. I guess, there is a small chance you might be dead then too...

Very small

Squelch and squerch! - have you been going on a bear hunt Dan?

"Grrrrrr"

Bite (Crit 20/X2)
Hit: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 2 = 10 (Confirm Critical:1d20 + 2 ⇒ (13) + 2 = 15)
Damage:1d4 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3 (Extra Critical Damage:1d4 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2)

The dog is smiting, so if he hits anything evil that will be +1 damage! Also if it can charge that will be +2 to hit

Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (16) + 8 = 24

The holy poodle appears next to Sanglamore and charges the bandit, ripping into his flesh with it's divine maw.

Jorquimo moves up through the thick oozy mud (squelch, squerch) to flank the poor chap who is barely aware of what is going on around him.

Meanwhile Guðrún...

Yes Steve, I am. I'm going to catch a big one.

Guðrún clocks the bandit nearest to her with a bullet from her sling (or at least she tries to). If she can remain partially in cover after the attach so much the better.

Hit: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (14) + 3 = 17 Confirm Critical: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (11) + 3 = 14
Damage: 1d4 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 3 = 7 Extra Critical Damage: 1d4 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6

As it's a human bandit, that would be 9 damage. Without ever knowing his murderer was there, he collapses silently to the floor.

Surprise round over. Standard initiative. The silent sling killer first (rest of order a few posts up).

Excellent work Neil and the Pooch... ooh TV series...with any luck he'll be dead before I can squelch my way to him!

Ah! Thank you for reminding me about that. Should have been an extra +2 to hit as well. Pesky humans.

Are we using the standard rules for firing into mêlée? A simple -4 to hit and no chance of accidentally braining any heroic dhampir or canine companions?

Yes. I can't be bothered with working out probabilities for hitting other people.

I'm prepared to amend that if Steve's PC is the one who might be hit. I will avenge Arvan's senseless death!

Will you never let that go!

Assuming that the bandit survives Guðrúns turn and is still stood in range, Sanglamore will spot an easy kill and will scream "I will break your face" before charging in with his hammer.

Hit: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (17) + 4 = 21 (Confirm Critical:1d20 + 4 ⇒ (7) + 4 = 11)
Damage:1d12 + 7 ⇒ (5) + 7 = 12 (Extra Critical Damage:1d12 + 7 ⇒ (3) + 7 = 10)

"Yip yip"

Bite (Crit 20/X2)
Hit: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (10) + 2 = 12 (Confirm Critical:1d20 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6)
Damage:1d4 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2 (Extra Critical Damage:1d4 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2)

Thanks, but I think it may be too long a shot anyway.

Guðrún pops out from her hiding place and runs to support Jorquimo.
Map updated

At ×4 movement she almost gets there in one round.

Never, Steve, never. It's the worst thing ever done by a PC to a fellow PC in that campaign. And don't let INdran tell you otherwise.

Unfortunately Guðrún cannot run through rough terrain. If she enters the thick oozy mud she can only squelch and squerch her way across. Running also has to be in a straight line so she can't go around the marshy bit at top speed either. I've moved her back to where she could have got to at a hustle.

It's technically the bandit's go before Sanglamore but as he was only going to panic and try to stab the big poodle, it doesn't really matter.

Sanglamore breaks the poor guy's face with his hammer. Jorquimo is sprayed with blood.

Both of them are down and not moving.

Jorquimo scans the scene looking for other enemies who may out there hiding (maybe with Bows or slings).

Perception: 1d20 + 6 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 6 + 1 = 10

if he doesn't see anyone he'll turn off Archaeologists luck.
(2 rounds used I think)

"Anyone know prestidigitation?"

Dan - can you tell us when Combat has ended pls.
Then we can start the banter and the arguments about looting the bodies

Combat has ended...for now.

Banter away.

Rightio - will try to remember that. 16 years of third edition... never once read those rules...

Guðrún makes her way to her two companions to check that they're uninjured. Upon seeing Jorquimo she can't help but give him a small grin. "You should wash that off before it dries," she says, gesturing to the stream.

Guðrún suggests searching the bodies for any further intelligence about Kressle. She'll treat the bodies of the dead with respect, considering them honest enemies and fairly vanquished. As the group seems to have the time, she'll want to bury them both - somewhere out of the way, probably where Rhodeus is currently hiding. She assumes that the cleric will want to help, and possibly say a few words. She'll say a brief something over the graves - something suitably Desna-esque, such as going off on their final journey or something.

As for looting... Guðrún's got no moral objections to that. The dead have no use of their earthly trappings.

Jorquimo Offers to help move the dead bodies with Gudrun, casting a watchful stare at Sanglamore lest we get into that conversation AGAIN.

Once the opportunity for additional blood-soiling has ceased ; he will head to the stream to cleanse. Body and clothing if possible.

While carrying the bodies he will say to Guðrún,
"So what's next? Wait for the next bunch of Bandits to come out?
I suggest we'd be pretty lucky if they just sent out vitims in two's. When these two don't come back - they're more likely to come out in full force... which maybe too much for us to handle"

do we have any idea how many of them are left in the fort

Guðrún pauses in her shovelling to give the matter some thought. Mental arithmetic is not her forté.

"According to Valin there are fourteen at their camp. We killed four at Oleg and Svetlana's house, subdued Valin and Kreg, and now killed these two. That leaves.." <embarrassing pause> "... six bandits at their camp including Kressle."

"If we wait here then we may draw out some more. I doubt that all six would come... but the longer we leave it to assault their camp, the more paranoid and prepared they become. I say that now is the time be bold. There are six of them and five of us including Rhaegal. We can prevail against those odds."

Sanglamore rolls his eyes "You guys take this sh*t way too seriously, but if that's your custom, you won't hear any further objections from me" He will definitely search the bodies for valuables before they are buried though.

Sanglamore will also summon Rhaegal to stand watch while the other three are looting / burying.

"I agree with Gudrun. Although these guys clearly aren't the best of the best, they aren't stupid."

" They will wait a few hours before sending somebody to investigate their missing mates. We need to hit them before they even become suspicious that something is amiss"

Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (8) + 4 = 12