You've reached the climax of this chapter - defending the sea gate against a horde of enemies. While it's very possible to do this as a standard combat encounter, that would take FOREVER in the PbP format, so we'll be turning it into a modified Skill Challenge similar to the beginning of the AP.
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Goal: keep the sea gate open for 10 rounds. After that, your allies will have made it through, and the Duchess' forces will have bigger problems to deal with. We'll resolve this challenge in 1min increments.
Locations: there are three locations. Inside Lighthouse, Outside Lighthouse, and Sea Wall. Each round, you can move to any location and remain there until the beginning of your next turn. Moving through a location occupied by enemies will require a Stealth check DC 8 to avoid being stuck there.
Actions: on your turn, you can move (if desired) and take a single action. Here are some examples:
- Assemble Barricades (requires STR or Know(engineering) DC 15) to slow enemy progress. This cannot be done on the Sea Wall or on a location currently occupied by enemies.
- Battle requires no rolls but leaves you open to counterattack unless you're sniping from Inside Lighthouse or the Sea Wall and make a Stealth check DC 18
- Boiling Oil can only be done once and requires 3 PCs to spend their action simultaneously Inside Lighthouse. You'll use the beacon's fuel to attack nearby enemies.
- Brace (requires STR or CON DC 10) the lighthouse door shut to help Inside Lighthouse barricades last longer
- Sabotage the Gate (requires INT DC 15 OR Technologist) to keep it open longer in case you're overwhelmed by the enemy
- Set Trap (requires Craft[traps] or Disable Device DC 15) to hinder enemy progress. This cannot be done in a location currently occupied by enemies.
- Set Ward (requires Spellcraft DC 15) expends a spell (or spell point) to set a magic trap that hinders enemy progress.
- Stall (requires Bluff, Diplomacy, or Intimidate) to slow the enemy advance. The DC is based on the party's actions and any situational modifiers.
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Naturally, other actions are possible; the above are just the most likely. Each round, in addition to movement and your action, you can cast spells/use potions/read scrolls/etc as desired. However, for each spell cast (or anything that takes a standard action), you'll take a cumulative -1 penalty to your action check for the round. For instance, whoever fires the signal rocket to alert the Risuri fleet can take other actions Round One, but will do so with a -1 penalty.
Check the Campaign Header for a positioning diagram. Former Brig Group, I've decided that the Danoran Officer will take charge of the freed prisoners. That way you won't have to worry about them and can participate in the encounter. As a reward, the initial wave of attackers is delayed slightly, and you'll get some mission-critical information later (if you survive). XD
The brown shape on the map is a barricade, should you choose to use it. Sea Wall can't be barricaded. Outside Lighthouse can have up to 20. Inside Lighthouse can have up to 10, but having 5+ will make it difficult to enter/exit the lighthouse and impart a -5 penalty to actions that round.
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Good Luck!
Heh...So far, so Good.
I have knowledge (engineering) at +8 and diplomacy +8, so I will happily assemble barricades or Stall when I can. failing that; Disable Device +5 or sabotage the Sea gate +4 seem my best options.
Holding the gate sounds amazing! As for the "rocket", I've shot a flare, but I seem to remember that our signal was the scroll of pyrotechnics
Officially, the signal's the scroll of pyrotechnics, but rockets and flares are equally-valid options if you brought them. After all, the scroll has combat uses as well, so that's another possible use. XD
Miselle will sabotage the gate controls first thing, 'cos I can do it automatically, and then I can either set up traps since I have Disable Device or Barricades if we don't have enough of those.
Once the enemy arrives, I'll start sniping.
For my own benefit, make sure Gameplay posts during this encounter include your action and movement (if applicable). Everything else is essentially flavor text that may or may not have a large effect. At the end of each Round, I'll give a play-by-play and update the map.
Just so no-one forgets, we do still have a hostage.
HEH, I'm probably about to run across him now.
Wait, am I really the only person who took any damage?
It was a different bug, hit me too. Looks like it's gone now.
For my last round, I didn't move, I tried to Stall and I fired a flare (action).
Had the same issue earlier; fixed itself within hours.
Also, if you all didn't see, there's a new playtest for Spheres of Might here. The Duelist sphere is absolutely perfect for Ellena, I'm practically salivating here.
A quick clarification, as I feel like my rules dump was a bit confusing. Each of the ten Rounds takes 1min. As such, you can take multiple minor actions each round, but doing so will give a penalty to your Action (stall, barricade, fight, etc). For example, moved and healed herself (minor action) but still has an Action available (with a -1 penalty). She could even cast additional spells, drink potions, and activate scrolls during this Round, but doing so would increase the penalty when she Stalls/Barricades/Fights/etc.
Hopefully this clears up any confusion.
Yeah, I'm hoping the Spheres Playtest is ready by the time we can level up. There's some stuff in the Sniping and Barrage Spheres that has me licking my lips.
There's definitely some good stuff in there. It's particularly nice to see extensive support for less-efficient fighting styles. My improvised weapon brawler is quite excited. XD
I also like the idea that I can, with the help of the Two Shield Fighting and the Shield Sphere's Tower Shield Adept, I can finally make a Paladin that dual wields Tower Shields.
Because I'm a bad person, and the mental image appeals to me.
Myself, I'm in love with the Armiger and its ability to switch styles back and forth. I may or may not have set up a tentative build >_>
About the battle: I think that right now our best strategy would be to have the ranged characters run inside the lighthouse to snipe, me and Ellena on the outside holding the line on swordpoint, and Jeb and Corynne doing utility (engineering for barricades, warding, stalling, possibly boiling oil).
I haven't even looked at the Spheres of Battle stuff yet, but y'all make it sound pretty awesome.
I haven't even looked at the Spheres of Battle stuff yet, but y'all make it sound pretty awesome.
It really is; I've read through about 2/3rds of it now and I haven't seen anything I haven't liked. Plus the Duelist Sphere is the first thing I've seen that can actually synergize with the Swordmaster; most everything else either takes up actions or lowers my to-hit.
About the battle: I think that right now our best strategy would be to have the ranged characters run inside the lighthouse to snipe, me and Ellena on the outside holding the line on swordpoint, and Jeb and Corynne doing utility (engineering for barricades, warding, stalling, possibly boiling oil).
Works for me.
Well, I'm really big into Spheres of Power, the magic system.
This one is more Martial focused (although some of the Spheres stuff is pretty martial based) and is partially designed to take over from feats. One of the options for classes that don't have a Spheres of Might archetype or don't want to use it is to trade in some or all of their feats to gain access to Spheres of Might, which means some Spheres count as the feat they're based on (so the Dual Wielding Sphere doubles as Two-Weapon Fighting).
But it also opens up various unusual tricks. One of the players in one of my games is testing out Spheres of Might, and they're using the Lancer Sphere. they literally stabbed the enemy through and pinned them.
For Aazghal, the most interesting Spheres are likely the Barrage Sphere and the Sniping Sphere. Although some of the others could be nice too...
So far Spheres of Power is substantially weaker than standard spell casting. I'll have to see how it works with combat based characters. Haven't really looked into it.
Only time (and extensive playtesting) will tell.
One of the players in one of my games is testing out Spheres of Might, and they're using the Lancer Sphere. they literally stabbed the enemy through and pinned them.
Well, sounds like a very handsome player.
...more pretty, really, given the character. But pretty works for me.
But hey, at least no one will likely try and eat Alice.
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...more pretty, really, given the character. But pretty works for me.
But hey, at least no one will likely try and eat Alice.
But hey, at least no one eat Alice . Who knows where the campaign will take us (aside from YBD)?
Edit: I also just realized,
One of the options for classes that don't have a Spheres of Might archetype or don't want to use it is to trade in some or all of their feats to gain access to Spheres of Might, which means some Spheres count as the feat they're based on (so the Dual Wielding Sphere doubles as Two-Weapon Fighting).
That was actually pulled from the playtest 'while they try and iron out some issues'. Best I can figure, at the moment you've two options for acquiring talents: The Extra Combat Talent feat, which has no pre-reqs and can be taken by anyone, and a Martial Tradition, wherein if you have at least Martial Weapon Proficiency you can trade all your proficiencies for a martial tradition.
Darn working on outdated information!
If I read the rules correctly, we also have the option to take a series of standard actions? Can I take more shots at the attackers, each one with a cumulative -2 penalty? Will probably only hit once or twice, but...
That's covered by the Battle action. Essentially, by taking that action, you'll automatically kill at least one enemy. The 'extra standard actions' is for utility things like healing/buffing/etc. For example, a Druid PC could cast entangle, shillelagh, and cure light wounds, but would then take a -3 to that Round's Battle/Barricade/Stall/etc attempt.
It's not entirely realistic, but using an abstract system like this keeps me from needing to track stats for (eventually) 20+ enemies for the next 100ish combat rounds. XD
Corynne, perhaps you'd be best setting up wards, since you are our best caster.
Good point.
Sorry for missing Easter Sunday, y'all! Always a busy time for me.
I'm assuming the warmage that was mentioned earlier has already been brought down, yes? Want to make sure I understand that right.
@Azaghal: Nobody's specifically targeted the warmage, so I'll be rolling percentiles to see if a Battler got him.
I'll give Spheres of power one thing for sure....they may have come up with the only viable way to play Erza Scarlett
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In fairness, the destruction Sphere and the ability to add it to some physical attacks, along with adding various powers and effects, makes it really easy to do most of the other Wizards from Fairy Tail.
...well, there style of magic. I'm pretty sure at this point the cast of Fairy Tail is so far over level 20 it's not even funny. But you can do something in the rough vein of the character, at least.
Especially if you gestalt.
...no, I've never considered running a Fairy Tail game for my kids. Not at all.
I need to pick Fairy Tail back up. I used to read it every time a new issue released, but now I've been away from it for a long time. Like...a year or two, probably.
My kids enjoy the anime (and so do I, but I'm far too adult to admit it) and I read the manga, so...
I think we're waiting on you, Az.
Sorry sorry! I didn't realize I was holding the game up.
What check do we have to roll for setting up the barricades?
Assemble Barricades (requires STR or Know(engineering) DC 15) to slow enemy progress. This cannot be done on the Sea Wall or on a location currently occupied by enemies.
If I battle as well, Az can try to build us another barricade outside the lighthouse. If he fails the check, it'd probably be best for us if we moved inside.
Just waiting on Azaghal.
Sorry for being slow to post the last few days guys; had a busy weekend at the Georgia Renaissance Festival!
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That... is a lot of enemies. Might I recommend holding the line long enough for them to reach the outer lighthouse, then bombing the place to smithereens while retreating to the inner lighthouse?
I'd suggest someone joins Asaghal and I in the Lighthouse first. When they enter the area outside we can introduce them to the joys of boiling oil, but it takes three of us. Should wipe out most of a group though.
Then we can use the bomb on the next lot.
I'm inside now. After healing the injured I went back inside and currently crossbow sniping from the ground floor
I like the combination of ideas. Hold to draw them in. Bomb.
Smoke clears they move in, withdraw to lighthouse, burning oil.
I think I'd do it the other way round...depending on if the bomb would sets the oil now coating the outer area on fire. Fire of awesome!
GM?
The only issue with Miselle's suggestion is the burning oil would probably trap you inside the lighthouse, making melee combat rather difficult.
I'd go with bomb first, oil later, particularly since I'll get hit by the bomb as well. Oil might cover my retreat if I manage to shuffle towards the lighthouse.
Should we try a hostage situation with the wizard?