To Live in Infamy - a Skull and Shackles AP

Game Master Nayr Trebrot

Slavers.

Tap, let us deploy that mirror image trick we discussed. Open sea is all they'll see

Under which flag do these sail? Letting slavers continue to breathe turns my stomach.

Knowledge Local to see if we recognize slavers/pirates: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (17) + 4 = 21

Rush looks at the ships and thinks out loud with a small chuckle, Talk about hooking onto a sinking ship. Louder, he continues, Captain, looks like an easy target. Permission to sound quarters and prepare to fight?

[]Aye. Let's plunder the ships, and free some slaves. I WILL NOT DEAL IN SLAVES AS BOOTY HERE.[/b]

Prepare to board. I will produce an illusion that may prevent them from noticing our approach immediately. Tap begins to dance a jog, and hum a tune. His magic was so awkward sometimes.

Rush calls out, Wake the night crew! Arms and armor! Safety lines! Load that ballista!

Watching the crew prepare to assault the slaver ship, Malvessa smiles.
And now I can see them in action. I just have to figure out where I can best fit myself in with the crew's normal tactics.

What's the plan sir?"

Also, because Tap is casting; she'll try to identify the spell.
Spellcraft: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (7) + 14 = 21

Silent Image of ocean and sky

Jack will quaff potion of blur prior to boarding.

We need to add Malvessa to the loot sheet!

Rush steers the ship in line with drifting smoke and adjusts the sails to properly catch the wind. As you begin your approach, Tap creates a small image on the horizon, far out from where the Oncoming Storm is, in order to hide your approach at least for now.

The idea that we bantered about before is that due to the extreme range on the image spell, Tap could create the image way ahead of your ship, where it would be large enough to conceal the ship as it approaches - at least until you get closer.

The two ships are more clear as you approach, and you can definitely see that the Chelish ship - the attacker apparently - has four ballistae on it, all loaded and ready. The other ship is burning fast, and you think you hear a sound on the wind - a scream of pain.

It's going to take a few rounds to get within any feasible range. Let me know if there are any other preparations you want to make. Otherwise, we'll fast forward this to initiative and combat. Rush, please include a profession sailor check with your turn, please

Profession (Sailor): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (17) + 8 = 25

Rush will cast guidance on Capt. Tap (repeating as necessary if it wears off before we enter initiative).

Jack has a bad feeling about this.

Who will use our ballista?

Getting a better look at the other ships as they close the gap, Malvessa recognizes the Chellish ship, and her teeth involuntarily grind together.

"Devil loving bastards!" she says, the hatred and venom clear as daylight in her tone..

Rush hears Malvessa's words and smiles inwardly to himself....

You unfortunately don't have an officer designated to be the gunner, or a "gunner crew" established, so you won't get any bonuses. But, the carpenter can fire it fine, he'll just need some help reloading.

You continue on, the Oncoming Storm progressing behind the veil of an image. With the sailors on the Chelish ship apparently concerned only with the task at hand, none of them even look up towards your western approach. Until...they do! At about three hundred feet out, one of the sailors looks out at to see the oncoming ship. Ho! Ho! He rushes about on the deck, motioning towards your ship. We have company!

You can see that the Chelish ship has a bare skeleton crew of men onboard, the rest presumably finishing their battle on the smoking ship.

Initiative and actions please! Rush's initiative will count as the ship's init...normally opposed by the other captain's. However, since their ship has sails furled and is attached to the other ship...this isn't going to be a seadog-fight.

Carpenter! You, Belliot, Sunyata, and Kerruk--ready the ballista!

Still out of range. I assume its ready to fire. We can target their ballista, or members of the crew. The ship itself would be a nice prize.

initiative: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (4) + 8 = 12

Jack quaffs his potion of blur.

Target their sails, I want their ballistas!
Tap begins inspire courage +2/+2 to all attack and damage rolls to all his crew.

Rush Initiative: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 3 = 9

Rush will give himself guidance.
Gozreh, we go now to send souls into the dark embrace of the deep waters. Guide our hands.

Initiative: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (17) + 6 = 23

Malvessa invokes her powers and gives herself the ability to fly.

Standard Action: Activate the Flight Hex, but remain down on the deck.
Move action: Retrieve her Hanbo from her handy haversack.

Initiative: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (20) + 6 = 26
The Captain goes first

opposing captain: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8
opposing pirates: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (13) + 1 = 14

Okay, sorry - was wrong about that - the ship actually goes on the Captain's initiative! So, the Oncoming Storm is up, and assuming your actions take place when you both get into Ballista range.

The Chelish ship seems to be a blur of activity, as the apparent slaves are pushed below. There only seems to be a skeleton crew aboard the ship, as many of them are on board the burning ship. They are hurriedly calling men back, but will it be in time?

Captain, you can move straight ahead and fire the ballista, double move, change direction of the ship as a standard action, whatever you like. If you guys put the ballista in the front, and I think you did, then you can fire. The other ship has two in the front and two rear, but they only have enough men on deck to arm and load one of them. They will begin loading the other on their captain's turn.

Rush stays focused, grim faced, his knuckles white as they grip the wheel. His breathing is fast and deep, nervous to those who know what to look for, but stoic for those who don't. He quietly mumbles prayers under his breath as they sail closer and closer to death. The only question left is who's death it will be.

Jack shouts.

Pirates, take up yer bows and crossbows. Try to kill those manning their ballistas.

Jack shoots his bow.

bow-attack: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (15) + 4 = 19apply range penalty if needed
damage: 1d6 ⇒ 4

Reaching to ensure that Kaloh is safely in his carrier, Malvessa chants off a few words and a brief glow flashes, then settles in around her before fading out of sight.

Cast Mage Armor

The Oncoming Storm rushes into position, your carpenter doing his job as quickly as he can. With your limited crew, it's quite difficult for him to get into position, loaded, and aimed by the time you get into range...but he just barely does! The Captain calls for straight ahead, and then...Fire!

Direct attack vs sails: 1d20 + 2 - 4 ⇒ (2) + 2 - 4 = 0

Unfortunately, the shot is way off, and it sails past the....sails to splash into the sea several dozen feet to the left of the mark.

The opposing crew begins to turn their ballista towards the Oncoming Storm, then raises it towards your sails.

Speaking as a free action....

If we'd wanted a warning shot, you'd have been told. Fire at the ship!

Wynn hangs his head lamely and shakes hit. He slams the firing mechanism with the heel of his palm and appears to curse. Sorry, boss...I can adjust now and have a better line on it! Sails again?

Sails, sailor Jack growls.

Malvessa uses her odd magics, and her feet suddenly lift off of the ground. She rises up slowly, still getting a bearing on the other ship's abilities.

Cast flight hex

The opposing ship is a whirlwind of action as crew members move about. Two of them seem to rush down below with the prisoners, perhaps to escape you or perhaps to keep order. Others rush to the rail, loading crossbows and readying to fire.

They're readying to fire, and will do so next round. You're still at 120 feet effective range, so they're holding shots till you're within range.

Rush prepares to cast Summon Monster 2, completing it next turn.

Move action to steer the ship and standard action to being a full round casting.

I shot my bow (see my post earlier); longbow, 100 feet, so I'm guess there is a -2 range penalty on my roll.

Jack shouts.

Pirates, take up yer bows and crossbows. Try to kill those manning their ballistas.

Jack shoots his bow.

bow-attack: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (15) + 4 = 19apply range penalty if needed
damage: 1d6 ⇒ 4

Oddly enough, the ship's movement and gunnery occurs on the Captain's turn and not the one Piloting the ship or shooting the seige weapon. Guess that simplifies it.

Rush begins casting, as Jack looses an arrow. At his order,some of the crew start to gather crossbows together and take aim. Jack's shot flies out and stabs into the leg of one of the men helping to load the ballista.

I applied a penalty, but it still hits.

The opposing captain, apparent now in her blood red leathers, drops her sword down, yelling out Fire! At her call, the opposing ballista fires out, targeting the sails of the Oncoming Storm!

Attack: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (11) + 3 = 14
Damage to sails: 3d8 ⇒ (6, 7, 2) = 15

The ballista rips through the sails, cutting a wide gash in one of them.

So, now we're back to the ship's action. At the end of this movement, if you're taking full move, you'd be able to go hard to starboard to come alongside of the opposite ship. But, since you're moving at 3X acceleration, it'd be a -10 to the check. Rush, we'll need a check if that's what the cap'n wants to do. You can use your nifty wind check to give you a circumstance check, if you like. You will then be able to grapple the opposing ship next round for boarding. Tap, you're also up!

Wynn spends time reloading the ballista reloaded, but it may not be needed, given the ships' proximity. It's 2 full round actions to reload

The sea of luck is with us lads! Pull alongside and let us board!

Hard To:
Profession (Sailor): 1d20 + 8 - 10 ⇒ (1) + 8 - 10 = -1

........I don't think Rush's mind is on the task.

Tap's eyes widen.

The Oncoming Storm moves forward at full speed, and Rush has more than a little difficulty adjusting to pull alongside the Chelish ship. He tugs hard at the wheel, but the sails don't seem to move fast enough to catch up with the forward momentum of the ship. A loud creaking and groaning sound accompanies the slight angling of the ship, but it's nowhere near enough to hard-to.

The Oncoming Storm seems to be about to sail past the two ships at an alarming speed!

Okay, you ended up to the NW of the ships. You're actually pointed at a slight degree to the NE and headed there pretty fast. You're too far to grapple or board, and going to move past them unless you can slow down.

All right then. We were just joking.

Well, we just got this shiny new ram.... Wanna test it out?

do we have that ram? i thought it was still being carved up in the likeness of besmara

It is....you were out piratin', then going back to get it. So, you can ram, but with the ship, not an actual ram...which is probably a bad idea.

Bring her about again. I suppose pirating is like anything, practice until you don't suck

My bad. Mis-remembered.

Aye, Captain. I'm sure I've thrown them off with that maneuver.
Rush takes full concentration and pilots better(?)
Profession Sailor: 1d20 + 8 - 10 ⇒ (20) + 8 - 10 = 18

LoL. Because why not? Natural 1 followed by Natural 20

Rush gains control of the momentum and swings around the Oncoming Storm with an expert maneuver. The ship spins to come alongside the Chelish ship, preparing to board.

Malvessa looks at one of the opposing pirates, and her eyes flash with power. The man seems to waver, his crossbow dipping down. It's a bit tough to tell in the chaos, but he seems to lose control of his bladder as well.

Will save vs misfortune: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (10) + 1 = 11

The opposing pirates move to act! While two of them fiddle at the front, trying desperately to get the ballista reloaded, the others loose their crossbow bolts at the crew of the Oncoming Storm.

Attack Rush: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (8) + 3 = 11
Attack Tap: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5
Attack Jack: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (13) + 3 = 16

They seem to be targeting the officers, but their shots are all thrown off by the quick maneuvers of the other ship, and they fly wide.

The Chelish captain begins hurling about insults and curses from the wheel.

fyi, i'm doped up on blur

The subject’s outline appears blurred, shifting, and wavering. This distortion grants the subject concealment (20% miss chance).I believe this means that even if it hits my AC, i get a 1/5 chance of it missing anyway.

so can I assist on the grapple maneuver?