Trekking the Darkmoon Vale - time to grow up boys and girls! (Inactive)

Game Master Edeldhur

Lokeemon aproaches the tent searching for clues along the way.
Can I take 10 in aid another?
I try to help recognising the scales.

Assuming I don't find anything else relevant I try to follow the tracks to understand where they are headed. I don't want to wander to far, just need to understand the direction of the tracks:
Take 10: 10+7 = 17 I'm trained in survival

Saktar, since you didn't make the DC10 for Aid Another, no bonuses are added to Tsin Tao's result :P

And nope, you can't take 10 when aiding another ;)

Lokeemon takes a look around the area slowly and methodically, and eventually finds the tracks he was looking for, heading in a general northern direction, and toward the thick forest of the dreaded Darkmoon Vale.

So no one can recognise these scales? Who they came from?
Alright then, Lokeemon lead the way. We'll follow the tracks for a while and see what we can see.

I want to take some of these scales with me, just in case.

Aid another to recognise the scales: Knowledge(local): 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 9

How big are the scales?

Lokeemon, the scales are small, smaller than the palm of your hand.

I have knowledge planes (+3) if it helps knowing something about the scales
Knowledge Planes: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (8) + 3 = 11

If knowledge planes can’t be used I try to aid Tsin
Knowledge local: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (13) + 0 = 13

If none of the above helps, I let Lokeemon take the lead and I keep a watch on our surroundings while we move
Take the lead Tiefling, I’ll watch your back

Duncan, Knowldedge (Planes) doesn't help. Knowledge (Local) does, but it is still not enough to know any more details. You would have needed one more successful Aid Another ;)

I'll wait for your decision on how to proceed - Lokeemon informed he was simply checking where the tracks were headed - you already know where.

Guys I can follow the tracks but I'm not very stealthy... pay attention to our surroundings
When everyone is ready I start following the tracks.

Alright, I'll follow you guys at a distance and keep hidden. That way I can be your backup.

That's what I'm doing then. I follow the group at a distance where I can find cover and still see them.

Stealth: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (5) + 9 = 14

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (2) + 6 = 8 (if needed)

Damn dice!

Sounds like a good plan. Take the lead Tiefling, I cover your back.
Saktar you coming with us on the front?

Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (17) + 4 = 21

Let's go, I wanna blast something already!

Let's go then
Lokeemon starts following the tracks paying attention to the surroundings.
Perception taking 10: 10+6 = 16
Survival Take 10: 10+7 = 17

Lokeemon leads the group toward the forest, and they plunge under its heavy boughs - the canopy above is so thick, you have the feeling even at high noon little light probably breaches it, let alone in the dark of night. The darkness is nearly full, almost as if you had entered a cave.

As the Warpriest is taking his time to follow the tracks, and the woods are quite thick, your progression is slow, still you plod onwards.

GM Friendly Reminder: Characters who do not get a full night's sleep may suffer the effects of fatigue. If a PC does not get at least 6 hours of sleep, she must make a DC 15 Fortitude save or be fatigued and take a –1 penalty on all other checks and saving throws against sleep effects. A second night without sleep requires another DC 15 Fortitude save. A failed save results in the character becoming exhausted and the penalties increasing to –2. A third failed save on the next night increases the penalties to –3.

After about two hours travel in a general northeastern direction, your lead tracker (Lokeemon) hears distinct voices in the distance. Even though he cannot make out what they are saying, it seems to be a loud discussion.

Lokeemon proceeds as follows:
- turns his face to the group and make a "shhh" (silence) signal
- I hide myself from the origin of the sounds (maybe I need to move a little bit)
- Gesture towards Tsin Tao to approach.

Alright, I come over.

Whispering, What's up?

I hide and try to understand what’s going on.
How far from us are the voices?

In case it's needed
Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (8) + 4 = 12

I'll stay down and wait for more info

Go check it out Tsin

whispering to Tsin Tao: I hear voices in that direction.
Can you go and see who or what is over there?

Alright, I try to hear the voices first and make out the direction by myself as well.

Taking 10 on Perception = 16

Once I'm happy that we have the same direction, I find the best route to approach stealthily and start moving.

Taking 10 on Stealth = 19

I stop when I can see where the voices are coming from and I can make out the words. I speak Common and Orc.
Then I stay for a while listening and observing.

Tsin Tao, you can't take 10 on Stealth in this situation. You need to roll ;)

F!%*! Be afraid... Be very afraid...

Stealth: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (5) + 9 = 14

I head back to meet the rest of the party. Let me know if I get there safely so I can spill my guts :)

You get there safely :D

Assuming the gut was spilled

There are just 2 of them, we can kill them easily. The only problem is finding out where the rest of them are. We should let them go and then follow them to their den

whispering: I agree. Tsin follows them from cover and we follow Tsin

Whispering, I think that's a bit risky. I may lose them or they may kill the hostage.
I think we should kill them now and see what the human knows, but I'll do what the majority decides.

whispering: Maibe Tsin can go around them and attack. They should not flee from one. When they engage we attack them from here and try to get one alive for interrogation.
Tsin, also try to move them away from the human while you’re fighting.

whispering: I don’t think we can follow them without being discovered…

whispering: I’m in whatever you decide.

So it's half and half. How do we break the tie?
Whatever we do, let's do it quickly before they move on.
I still say let's just kill them and speak to the unconscious guy, before he becomes the dead guy. I flash a grin showing some tusk ;)

whispering: Duncan has a point, it's going to be real hard to follow them unnoticed.
Since we didn't found any other footprints in the camp I'm guessing they came, found the lumberjack in his tent, attacked him and are now going back to their camp.
I may be able to find the tracks of them coming from their camp.

whispering: Tsin go around them and attack. When they engage we get’em.

whispering: Let's rescue the lumberjack then.
It's 2 bugbears I believe the surprise should be enough to give us the advantage.
Tsin can aproach up to 30'from them, surprise them and fire upon them we can be at 30' ~ 60' from Tsin and charge them when they approach Tsin.

if we prepare can we interrupt the bugbears charge?
My idea is, when they approach or charge tsin I would charge 1 of them placing myself, if possible, between the bugbear and Tsin. Duncan can do the same for the other bugbear.

whispering: I’m afraid that if they don’t both charge him then one can escape or threaten the lumberjack… The part of going around them was to cut their escape. Tsin, up to you :) attack them your way and we’ll follow

I'll keep my distace and help out if needed

whispering: I hope they believe 2 can easily beat 1 ... :)

If they decide to kill the human attacking from either side won't matter ...

Well yeah, I want to get the guy out of there so I'm thinking that should be my main focus.
I'd hate to come over to rescue some kids only to get one of their relatives killed or something.

So yeah, I'll go ahead and stick to the shadows. You guys give me a 30' head start and follow back. Don't lose sight.
Once I'm close and hopefully unspotted I'll signal you to stop, wait for a moment when the bugbears are further away from the guy, rush in and place myself between him and them.

At that time you guys rush in too, kill them and bail me out. How's that?

whispering: My kind of plan :)

Let's go

Let's do it

your call Tsin

I'll take 10 (if possible) on my stealth 10-2 = 8
if it's not possible to take 10:
Stealth: 1d20 - 2 ⇒ (8) - 2 = 6

Alright, I move forward stealthily, like a snake. A flying snake, that doesn't even touch the ground. Like an owl actually. Yes, I fly forward stealthily like an owl. Or a ghost. Invisible as a ghost. I glide eerily forward, invisible like a ghost.

And then I roll some dice and realise that no, I stumble forward like a drunken monkey instead.

Stealth: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (14) + 9 = 23

Or not :) hurray dice!

I stop as close to the edge of the clearing as I can, and signal the rest of the group to stop.

Then I watch the bugbears and when they are both 6' away from the unconscious guy I use my Ki to vanish (for 3 rounds) and rush to put myself between them and the human.

By then I'm sure many things have happened that I didn't count on, but what I want to do is a sneak attack on the closest bugbear.

Tsin Tao slides forward like a shadow, ghost, thing that cannot be detected. As he approaches the clearing where the bugbears are located, the heated debate begins getting much louder, and soon breaks into a fist fight between the two.

Taking the advantage to inch closer, the ninja realizes that, about 60' to his right, and also heading to the clearing at a brisk pace, there is another bugbear, grumbling something to himself.

Tsin, you sticking to your plan?

No. Can I sneak attack bugbear #3 before he reaches the clearing?

I let the bugbear approach the camp and watch. I'll stick to the plan and wait for them to be 6' away from the human and then I invisible myself and move over like planned before.