-9HP
Dolgrin will consolidate the gear but take it all with him.
As the party is getting ready to set out for the day, four giant ants are approaching the vicinity of your camp.
Cast Mage Armor
Let's try and avoid them if at all possible. Worse comes to worse, I'll try my ranger charms on them.
Anvil flies up out of harm's way and awaits to see what the ants do.
The ants cautiously approach your camp, antennae twitching.
Any actions? Movement?
Dolgrin crouches quietly hoping the ants will pass the party by.
Just in case they do not he readies his rangerly skills and will attempt to use his wild empathy to improve their attitudes and move them along.
A ranger can improve the initial attitude of an animal. This ability functions just like a Diplomacy check to improve the attitude of a person (see Using Skills). The ranger rolls 1d20 and adds his ranger level and his Charisma bonus to determine the wild empathy check result. The typical domestic animal has a starting attitude of indifferent, while wild animals are usually unfriendly.
To use wild empathy, the ranger and the animal must be within 30 feet of one another under normal visibility conditions. Generally, influencing an animal in this way takes 1 minute, but, as with influencing people, it might take more or less time.
The ranger can also use this ability to influence a magical beast with an Intelligence score of 1 or 2, but he takes a –4 penalty on the check.
I will aid him by thinking nice ant thoughts with my high charisma...
Dolgrin crouches quietly hoping the ants will pass the party by.
Just in case they do not he readies his rangerly skills and will attempt to use his wild empathy to improve their attitudes and move them along.
[dice=wild empathy]1d20+2
A ranger can improve the initial attitude of an animal. This ability functions just like a Diplomacy check to improve the attitude of a person (see Using Skills). The ranger rolls 1d20 and adds his ranger level and his Charisma bonus to determine the wild empathy check result. The typical domestic animal has a starting attitude of indifferent, while wild animals are usually unfriendly.
To use wild empathy, the ranger and the animal must be within 30 feet of one another under normal visibility conditions. Generally, influencing an animal in this way takes 1 minute, but, as with influencing people, it might take more or less time.
The ranger can also use this ability to influence a magical beast with an Intelligence score of 1 or 2, but he takes a –4 penalty on the check.
Ants are classified in the Bestiary as Vermin, not Animals or Magical Beasts, so unless you can convince me otherwise wild empathy will not work. However, Dolgrin would know better than to try wild empathy on ants so I will let you take a different action.
I ready a color spray...
Knowledge nature rolls please.
Dolgrin unconsciously holds his breath as the giant ants move into the camp area. He knows if they are just scouts a non-threatening approach may just spare the party from combat. None the less, he has his great sword ready for action in case things take a more combative turn.
Dol realizes the ants might sense food scraps in the camp and that moving slowly away may prevent conflict.
Hsst, Maqej...I think they smell our dinner from last night. Let's move back a bit and let them do what they need to.
Dolgring slowly falls back and observes the ants waiting for them to depart before going back to pack up his gear.
I also slowly retreat...
The ants move through your former camp looking for scraps for about 5 minutes then move off, more or less in the direction from which you came but not following your specific path.
Dolgrin heads back to the camp shaking his head-Sometimes things are just easier than you think they are going to be. You can probably come down now you 'brave' beetle! Let's pack up and get going.
follow the drow/zombie trail
You follow the drow trail again all day, you notice ant trails occassionally cross the drow path. The drow trail ends at a great underground lake. Off in the distance you can see an island due to some lighting out there.
Dolgrin looks over at Maqej-Don't suppose you have some magics for this type of thing, do you? I must confess I'm not the best swimmer. Although I could probably make it out there, not sure I would be of any use once I did.
Look around for any type of craft to traverse the lake or anything else on the shore of use.
How big/wide/long is the lake? Any other features we can see besides the island? Any idea how big the island is?
The lake is vast though the cavern itself could be even bigger so you may be able to go left or right and possibly go around the lake. You estimate the island is a few miles wide but you cant tell how long it is. There are a couple miles of water between you and the island, you don't believe you could swim it unless the water is shallow enough to allow you to stand and rest, and who knows what creatures must be lurking beneath the surface. Along the shore there is evidence of some sort of craft being previously beached.
You also see humanoid and ant tracks in your vicinity, maybe a couple of days old.
Dolgrin looks at Maqej-No offense son, but this is where we will miss Char. Her knowledge of these depths would be a great aid and she was wise beyond her years. None the less, do you have any ideas? Otherwise I think we should follow the freshest tracks and keep an eye out on the waters.
No offense taken Dol. I'm with you, let's give it a shot.
The humanoid tracks in the vicinity are for the most part the ones you have been following for days, you infer they came ashore and then headed in the direction of the passage you came down.
There is one set of humanoid tracks that leads off to your left and there are lots of ant tracks pretty much heading in every direction.
Dolgrin ponders the varying tracks for a few moments before making up his mind. We'll follow these that head off to the left side of the water. We could find a discreet vantage point nearby to watch the lake but I hate to just sit idle and Stone only knows what might find us while we are waiting around. I think movement is our friend at this point.
The humanoid tracks end up joining up with some ant tracks and lead down into a hole in the ground.
Dolgrin sighs as he sees the hole. Watch the back Maqej. If we need to leave we are going to need to leave in a hurry. Let's go bug you are on the ceiling.
Dolgrin watches Anvil climb up onto the ceiling of the tunnel and heads down himself, blade at the ready.
A savage looking giant ant with extra large mandibles lunges at Dolgrin from a small side alcove as he descends into the tunnel/hole.
Dol's left arm is caught in the ant's jaws. You can swing great sword 1 handed as a long sword +4 to hit, or try to break free, CMB roll.
-17HP
Dolgrin gasps as the massive ant's mandibles crush his arm, STONE!
Seeing the futility of trying his greatsword he drops it to the ground and rips his dwarven waraxe from its holster. It's been a while sweetie; hope you are hungry for ant!
Ant foe!
The scrappy beetle drops to a flanking position on the ant's side and takes a bite:
Cast infernal Heal on Dol.
Dol and Anvil both connect but do minimal damage to the ant.
The ant continues to savage Dol's arm.
Cast Elemental Ray1
Max Damage!! Sweet!!
-26HP
1/10 IH
-25HP
One of us is gonna give, but it won't be me!
The ant succumbs to the group's savagery! However, the jaw is still locked on Dolgrin's arm.
-16HP
Dolgrin tries to pry the jaw of the dead ant of his battered arm.
Help me out there Maqej, would you?
I press the jaws at just the right spot to disengage them, if that doesn't work I pry them apart, otherwise I savage them with my dagger.
After working on the jaws for a few minutes with his dagger, Maq is finally able to get Dol's arm free.
Massaging his arm, Dolgrin grimaces-Well this is not an auspicious start if I do say so myself. To the ceiling bug, and watch out for your fellows.
The dwarf sets off down the tunnel with Anvil above.
Cast another infernal heal on Dol
-6HP
Thanks Maqej. Didn't want to be a whiner about it, but my arm hasn't felt that weak since my first days on the forge. Let's hope we don't have to face too many more death ants. Dolgrin cracks a rare smile as he continues down the tunnel.
A pair of menacing ants moves up the tunnel towards you.
Party action.
Cast Burning hands
on the most apparently wounded
will drop bow and draw GS next round if they reach melee
Anvil delays until the ants are in melee and then drops down behind, flanking, and bites and the most wounded looking one.