GM ShadowLord's Ironfang Invasion (Inactive)

Game Master The Rising Phoenix

Ok, how about this then just to get a plan started.

We head back out of the briar patch and approach the watch tower, but stay out of sight. Maybe we can see how many guards are there. I will drink the potion of invisibility and move up to the watch tower and attack. After I attack some of you come to join me while the others watch the stairs and pick off anyone that is coming up the stairs. Hopefully by then we will have dealt with the tower and can either fight at the stairs where it is a choke point and we have the high ground or we retreat back into the woods and possibly use the briar patch entrance to get back into the camp again after the animals are gone.

So, I also wanted to recommend that everyone joins the Discord channel Here

Since almost everyone has a smart phone now a days you can download the Discord app for your phone and that way we can communicate in near real time rather than having to take a week to come up with a plan. It helps in situations like this. You can set it so you only get notifications from our one group channel or even just have it set for someone to actually require to specifically ping you for you to get a notification. Just a thought to help us continuing moving things along.

I like that plan, Jillian. I'll plan to come up and join you as I'm better at melee combat than ranged.

Since the map changed, I'm not as clear on where everything is. I'm not sure how Jillian is getting to the watch tower or where the rest will be while she does that. But if Emil is going to provide cover fire with his bow, he'll cast Barkskin on himself and use the +1 bow for better accuracy. If Caspan is going to be battling, Emil can cast Bull's Strength on him at the last moment before they're needed in the fight.

Once Jillian's ready to go, Emil can cast Summon Monster II but use the option to summon 1d3 celestial eagles from the Summon I list. They can attack any hobgoblins that are attacking Jillian and otherwise just attack whatever hobgoblin allies are exposed.

I'll try to check back as I can but I'm at work and have a lot to do, so I may not get to really compose a post until I get home, around 11:30 PM (EDT).

I like Jillian's plan--let's run with it!

I'll also start the plan by casting Summon Monster II.

Sounds like a plan to me. Wren will magic missile the heck out of the targets she can see.

Spoke with the GM last night on Discord and got everyone moved to the clearing since that is where I mentioned we would attack from in the agreed upon plan. As such, with the summoned eagles, they were moved back and need to be re-placed on the appropriate targets.

I think we should focus on the watchtower to try and deal with that before they can signal the camp and then if we have to shift focus toward the stairs coming up from the camp if a signal goes off. Everyone should start moving up in addition to their action they posted. So I think before the GM can move on Thael/Selde need to place their eagles, since their range is close I would imagine their first turn would be spent moving. Then Caspan and Emil need to post their actions (maybe just double moving to get closer to the watch tower/steps?

I wouldn't do anything at this point to attack/alert the camp below as we might be able to get a surprise round off on them as well. Let's get this rolling again!

Yeah, this one has taken longer than normal to set up.

After reviewing the range of Summon Monster, I actually think the place they are on the map is about as far as I can put them (25 ft + 10 ft) away from me.

Given that they would mostly be moving, why don't I change my action and cast Glitterdust on the two in the tower (DC 18 Will)? That would hopefully disable them enough for Jillian to handle them alone?

I can then summon more eagles next round (so maybe leave them on the map).

Oh, forgot Caspan posted he was away, so looks like we are just waiting on Selde/Emil.

Emil maybe move up and ready an action to cast entangle if they get the alarm of instead of actually casting it? Otherwise if we deal with the guards and you cast the spell you are alerting them anyway.

Additionally, depending on how steep the drop is I Don't know if you could actually see where you want to cast to from where you are.

If I can retcon the post to ready the spell after moving, I'll do that, but it looks moot since I don't think the guards are going to be incapacitated before their turn to act.

I'm super swamped at work and will be pulling a late shift. Feel free to bot me to keep things going. I have produce flame and entangle prepared but other than that Selde will just shoot her bow.

Getting ready to leave again, for PaizoCon. I'll be back Tuesday.

Thanks for the heads up on schedules guys, I really appreciate it! Enjoy your trip Caspan, I really want to go one year...

It's a lot of fun, and I say that as someone who typically does NOT like Cons. (That said, I'm also looking forward to being back and playing Caspan again.)

I rotate going to GenCon, Origins and PAX Unplugged pretty frequently, but I've never made it out to PaizoCon. I will definitely make it one of these years!

The only vegetation in the bottom of the ravine was the briars in the center. The only area that had any was the area which you entangled (the circle).

I wish you had indicated this immediately after I cast the spell. I described the area covered as follows:

He reads the scroll and directs the magic to fill the camp below with bushes, trees, and all manner of vines, such that entire camp is affected from west, just at the stairs, all the way to the east entry way and points north.

So it would have been nice to have a heads up that much less of the camp was in fact affected. I might have withdrawn the spell in favor of using it when it would be more effective.

All of the area on the bottom is visually depicted without anything green other than the briars. You cast the entangle spell which added vegetation and then cast the plant growth on that area which affected nearly the entire camp all the way up to the palisade walls. You caught a dozen creatures who are essentially unable to move, I’m unclear exactly what you have an issue with here.

Maps cannot always be trusted to depict vegetation. When a player misinterprets a map content or a spell effect, a GM should tell the player. A simple correction to my description would have been helpful and appreciated.

First and foremost I hope you know that I am not purposely trying to deceive you or the such. It is not the GM's job to read the players mind and I suppose the problem is that I didn't/don't see the misinterpretation. If the player has a question he should ask instead of assume the GM knows what was intended.

The way that I saw it you completed what you intended by covering the area with two spells and debilitating all of the forces within. I don't see where the disconnect is here. I can't tell you something that I don't see.

Let's move on.

FYI, GM Shadowlord posted this in the discussion thread of another game I'm in:

I was in a car accident today and have a concussion. I will be offline a few days as I'm not supposed to be be using any electronic devices.

Oh s@#~, hope he is doing okay. Concussions are no fun.

Get well soon, Shadowlord!!! Not fun!

@All for anyone who hadn't seen in Discord, GM expects to be back in a day or two.

Just wanted to post this in all my games. Please bare with me over the next month. Some life stuff has complicated my schedule so my posting is a bit slower than usual if you haven't noticed :D.

Long story short, I'm not in my usual office at work, my work hours have changed for the summer and I have one of my graduate classes that meets 2 nights a week for 5 hours each night. Suffice to say its a little hectic. I will do my best to get in at least one post a day but it may be ever other day at least for the next few weeks.

You have classes that meet for five hours at a time? That is the worst thing I’ve ever heard.

In undergrad, occasionally, we’d have a night class that would go 2:45, counting a 15 mi Ute break. But five hours? Geez.

Yeah it sucks, luckily it is only for a month... If it was a normal full semester class it would be 2:30 hours but this one is a half-semester so they double up the hours and make it a 5 hour class 2 nights a week.

Hope ShadowLord recovers swiftly, but no rush to get back to the game. Concussions are serious. Father Emil will channel energy your way.

You have classes that meet for five hours at a time? That is the worst thing I’ve ever heard.

In undergrad, occasionally, we’d have a night class that would go 2:45, counting a 15 mi Ute break. But five hours? Geez.

I teach at a university that has 4 five hour classes a week for 5 week terms (although two of those are always 3 hours a night for the classes I teach). It's intense, but it makes it possible to get a full degree faster than at a regular semester type program. I'm teaching at night for the next week and then I'll be back to a better schedule, although I'll still be busier than normal for a few months as we develop a new physics course.

Man, you guys are tougher than I was. Keeping my attention for one hour intervals was a chore for me, let alone the amounts of time you all have to put in.

Even in law school we didn’t have a class that was near that long.

I clearly got through school at the right time. Now, I’d have no chance!

I visited the concussion doctor yesterday and found out that this head injury thing takes longer to recover that I was hoping. I'm not allowed to return to work this week yet, but I'm slowly trying to do more. I'm having vision and concentration problems, so reading is hard. I'll try to start getting posts in, but my level of posting will probably be lower for awhile yet.

Thanks for being patient!

Take your time to get better, GM. Reading is supposed to be bad, so we can wait.

Please take all the time you need to heal! I'm glad nothing more serious happened.

Yeah definitely take your time to heal up. Head injuries are no joke.

Just an update for everyone in case you didn't see in Discord. GM is still recovering but making progress.

Get well soon, GM!

Welcome back!

Thanks! I'm still nowhere near 100%, so my posting will still be slow for awhile BUT I'm pushing through it. :)

Emil might have been right in his last post. The dice don’t seem to be with us so far. Do we want to try a retreat now, or is everyone okay with pressing on against poor odds?

Everyone is still at full health and we've only used one heal (?) Plus most of them are stuck/slowed in entangles and the like. I think we are ok to continue on at least for the time being.

I agree with Jillian.

Yeah it doesn't feel like it's time to run quite yet.

Im going to delay and see if Caspan and Jillian can finish the two in front of them before declaring my action.

Especially with the GM not able to post as regularly right now, it might be better to do either/or actions. What do you do if we do finish them, what do you do if we don't.

Hey all,

I just wanted to let you know I'll be on a road trip with limited internet access from today through June 26 (we're hitting Yosemite, Sequoia, Newport Beach, and the new Star Wars Land at Disney before it opens).

Please bot me, as necessary!

Please enjoy the new Star Wars land. I am sooooooooooo jealous.

I see Thael has Create Pit memorized. It’d be pretty nifty to drop a pit on a gobbie or two from distance, I think.

I love create pit. One of my absolute favorite spells.

Alright, my class is over so I'm going to work on getting back in the routine of checking the boards regularly. Just wanted to provide an update on my games I am in.

Caspan I will try and keep this updated with screenshots until you are back up and running.

Caspan's Maps

I will use it for both games and just have a second page as needed.

Thank you, Jillian. Knowing what's going on with the dogs helps -- I'd like to instead move in that direction, please, since Emil seems to have the stairs covered.

I'm headed to the beach until 7/15. I'll check in occasionally, but posting will be slower for the next week and a half.

Enjoy.