DMDM's Fingerprints of the Fiend

Game Master Douglas Muir 406

-- Huh, based on the discussion thread, looks like Grinceroy's psychic houseplant attack does in fact kill swarms.

Man, I don't even know what that looks like. Elemental plant energy? I guess... a plant appears in Grinceroy's hand, like a wooden staff but with flowering branches? And when he swings it, there's a blast of... pollen? And all the bats sneeze once, very hard, and then fall dead or helpless to the ground.

From the descriptions in Wood Blast, I imagined it as a mace made out of vines that exploded on impact, shredding the air around it?

Grinceroy charges forward, running at full speed towards the three men with bows (mooks). He finally pulls himself to a stop about 40 feet away from them.

Attero nodded to himself. It was all unfolding as he had forseen it. The enemy had split its own forces, but its OWN idea. Even now they were dancing to his tune, making themselves weaker, all the while thinking it was their own idea.

He clenched his spiked fists, antipating the impetuous leaders' attack, knowing that all they had to do was maintain their own phalanx and victory would be assured...

...and then Grinceroy charged into the open, a short distance away from the two leaders, and in danger of being cut off!

Grinceroy, the Boss and Overseer just moved 120, so if they changed direction and attacked you, they would surround you, and we wouldn't be able to get to you for at least 2 rounds. Which, I fear, would be too long. Also, I think there is still one swarm left? I wish you had stayed with us.

Fearing for the Monk's safety, Aterro CHARGES the Overseer.

Also his summoned Earth Elemental appears on the Overseer's rear and pummels him.

Range on Summ Mon is 55'. ^_^ Swift Action to cast Divine Favor.
Also, GUYS! Don't forget about your Blessing of War (see above).
Like now, I'm using it for +1 AC until next round. AC=22.

Earth Elemental Pummel w/ Earth Mastery and Flank!: 1d20 + 6 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 6 + 1 + 2 = 14
Earth Elemental Pummel!: 1d6 + 6 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 6 + 1 = 10

Charging Fist w/ Flank!!: 1d20 + 10 + 2 + 3 ⇒ (11) + 10 + 2 + 3 = 26
Fist of Righteousness!: 1d8 + 7 + 2 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 7 + 2 + 3 = 15

thanks for reminder on Blessing -- and also for earth elemental flank for my next round charge to join you!

Aterro - can't help thinking that the smart tactical play would be to hang back and stick to what's working, but (in-character) I approve your attempt to remedy Grinceroy's foolhardiness!

I'm not saying that I don't agree with you. =) But I can't risk next round Grinceroy facing a, um, seven on one. O.o

Technically, it would be 7 to 2. I closed 30' with the boss and overseer, so if they surround Grince, I'll be behind them as well.
Nevertheless, glad Attero is in the mix, his damage potential is much higher than mine.

If Grinceroy is rushing forward -- and it looks like he is -- then right away he's going to eat an AoO from either Overseer or Boss. He can pick which one. Grinceroy?

Eh? We're not fighting in a tunnel here. He can't run around them?

One has reach, so together they threaten an area 30' across.

Also: running negates your dex bonus, and opens you to SA damage? Huh: I guess that makes sense; live and learn. But SA still has a range of 30'. So, Callinda needs to tell me whether she's moved within 30' of Overseer. Callinda?

One has reach,

Are you talking about the whip? SRD: "you don't threaten the area into which you can make an attack. " You have no idea how much consternation trying to use a whip has caused me. ^_^

...unless you're a whip specialist and have a feat that lets you threaten.

Confound! You win this round old man! =p

ah, you're right - no sneak attack, used move action to switch studies targets

Well, I wouldn't have been aware that the whip guy could have gotten me from that far, so him.

Okay, a lot going on here. First off, Morvius' shot strikes true! Except... the Overseer literally slaps the arrow out of the air, so that it goes flying off harmlessly to one side!

Next, Grinceroy gets within reach of the whip. ssshhhKRACK! The whip lashes out. 1d20 ⇒ 15

Grinceroy is tripped and falls prone!

The Overseer steps forward and delivers a vicious kick to the side of Grinceroy's head! 1d20 ⇒ 15 TWF, or a feat that gives him an AoO, or... anyway, you'll have to trust me that it's legal under RAW. This is what the Overseer does; he gets people down on the ground, and then he kicks and clubs them to death. It's literally what he's built for.

Grinceroy takes 1d4 + 6 ⇒ (2) + 6 = 8 points of damage and must make a DC 15 Fortitude save.

Ha, it's nice when you spend some time on a build and get a chance to actually use it. I don't expect the poor Overseer to survive very long, but at least he gets to show what he can do!

OH MAN I TOOK COMBAT REFLEXES! THIS IS THE BEST BUILD EVER!

ahem.

Okay, so the Overseer ALSO gets an AoO on Brother Atterus. Here goes nothin': 1d20 ⇒ 1

Aww... okay, so he takes damage from Brother D's attack.

Bedtime here, coming around to Team Slaver's turn in the morning.

You have no idea how much consternation trying to use a whip has caused me. ^_^

Whip builds are hard. They're feat-heavy, and then they're super situational -- they tend to be either awesome or useless. In the current system, a PC whip build is probably going for style and fun; you're certainly not going to max out DPR.

As for the Overseer, I built this guy thinking "what would a successful slave overseer need to have?" So, he's optimized for the situation where a bunch of slaves suddenly charge him. Combat Reflexes and Improved Trip for multiple AoOs to get them down, then some monk levels to give him Unarmed Strike. And then there's a feat that gives you an AoO when you trip someone. So, slaves charge him -> he trips them and gets them on the ground fast, then Power Attack + Stunning Fist = he kicks and stomps them out of action. If more slaves keep coming he can flurry. Deflect Arrows was just gravy. Oh, he also has respectable Intimidate, not that it's likely to become an issue.

The mooks shoot. Fwip Fwip Fwip! 1d20 ⇒ 31d20 ⇒ 171d20 ⇒ 6

One hit on Morvius! Morvius, take 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5 points of damage.

The Boss swerves and charges Brother D! Roaring, he whips his bastard sword in a vicious arc, two-handed. Power attack! Will dropping sword-and-board for two-handed pay off?

1d20 ⇒ 17

Woo yes it will!

Brother D, take 1d10 + 11 ⇒ (7) + 11 = 18 points of damage.

And that leaves Weasel and Overseer. Overseer is flanking Brother D right now. His action will depend on whether Grinceroy made his Stunning Fist save or not. Grinceroy?

Oh, and: Boss looks... strange. He wobbles and wavers, as if you're seeing him through fog or water. It's a little hard to draw a bead on him. 20% miss chance when attacking Boss.

The only thing I don't get is how he get's to close the distance with an AOO. As for his action depending, would there be any sign of success before my turn?

Fort: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (10) + 7 = 17

Bah.

Okay, Overseer will attack Brother D because he's the more immediate threat -- he wants to get un-flanked. So, trip attempt! 1d20 ⇒ 17

CRASH -- the good brother goes down! Hey, flanked and prone. I'm good with it. That triggers a free AoO 1d20 ⇒ 20 oooooh.

Attempt to confirm! 1d20 ⇒ 7 mumble AC 21 prone flanked buuuut chose the wrong round to power attack darn Okay, that's just 1d4 + 6 ⇒ (1) + 6 = 7 points of damage to Brother D.

And... is this a new round? I guess it is. DC 15 Fortitude save or be stunned, please.

The only thing I don't get is how he get's to close the distance with an AOO.

Because I forgot a roll. He must succeed at something first, against your CMD. 1d20 ⇒ 19 Okay! He actually used the whip to yank you closer so that he could kick you. Whip builds... situational, but when they work, it's fun.

Meanwhile, the two mooks have closed to 110' (which puts them 60' from the combat) and Weasel and the revived mook are at 170'.

And Weasel throws another spell: more bats! The bats appear in a cloud behind Boss. Specifically, they're making a barrier between Boss and the other three party members. So if you want to melee or otherwise get within 5' of him, you'll have to walk right into the swarm. Weasel has a limited repertoire of useful spells, so he's trying to get the most out of them.

Meanwhile, just for fun:

Spoilers are on the honor system.

know(local): 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 4 = 20

"'Let them come to us,' worked great!" Callinda exclaims to Morvius in chipper exasperation. Dropping her bow and pulling her blades, she rushes to join the fray, hoping to hit the leader with enough force to make up for the fact that she can't quite see himn --

I don't think I'm allowed to charge through a swarm, so I'll use the +10 movement from Blessing of War to join the flank line against Boss, and plan to eat the swarm damage

scimitar power attack, studied, flank, slaver: 1d20 + 7 + 2 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (19) + 7 + 2 + 2 + 1 = 31 for: 1d6 + 9 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 9 + 2 + 1 = 17 unless <20%: 1d100 ⇒ 77
possible crit, confirm: 1d20 + 7 + 2 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (10) + 7 + 2 + 2 + 1 = 22crit damage: 1d6 + 9 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 9 + 2 + 1 = 13

"So it goes," is Morvius' insouciant response to Callinda's complaint. No plan survives contact with the enemy, after all.

Still holding his bow, he ambles forward toward the whip-wielder, although not close enough to be in range.

(Move 20 ft)

"You have some neat tricks with that whip - but I'll wager Andoran élan against Chelish folly that you've never had to face anyone who fought back. Flee now, and you won't have to. Or stay, and find out. Your funeral."

Standard action to Intimidate

Intimidate v Overseer: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (17) + 11 = 28

DC to Intimidate is 10+HD+Wis modifier: he's Shaken (minus 2 to all rolls) for 1 round, plus 1 additional round for every 5 by which I beat the DC.

Important question: Is the overseer carrying a shield, or something in his other hand?

Janeesa tries to move to a position where she can catch Grinceroy, Morvius and Attero all with Channel. If she gets Callinda as well, all the better.

She excludes the boss, overseer, and any goons from healing.

I know it's a little overkill at this point, but Grince is hurting and it's my only ranged heal.

Channel: 3d6 ⇒ (4, 3, 6) = 13

@Attero:

Next there's OVERSEER. Overseer is a lean agile guy in studded leather armor. His blonde hair is tied in two braids. He carries a whip and a club.

Callinda - you won't take damage from the swarm because it's just arrived and it won't act until its turn... But you probably need an Acrobatics check v Overseer to avoid him tripping you! Be a shame to lose that lovely crit that you rolled

@DMDM - the rules for Improved whip mastery are "While wielding a whip, you threaten the area of your natural reach plus 5 feet." So I read that as giving Overseer a 10 ft threatened area, not 15 ft, so he doesn't have a 30 ft threatened area. It doesn't change any of what's happened but it might be relevant in the next few rounds.

I went after Boss, so should still be 15 feet away from Overseer, with Attero and Boss between me and Mr Whippy

Important question: Is the overseer carrying a shield, or something in his other hand?

A club.

I went after Boss, so should still be 15 feet away from Overseer, with Attero and Boss between me and Mr Whippy

Okay.

Callinda - you won't take damage from the swarm because it's just arrived and it won't act until its turn... But you probably need an Acrobatics check v Overseer to avoid him tripping you! Be a shame to lose that lovely crit that you rolled

No, she'd be 15' away. Overseer - Brother D [prone] - Boss - Callinda. So she's fine.

@DMDM - the rules for Improved whip mastery are "While wielding a whip, you threaten the area of your natural reach plus 5 feet." So I read that as giving Overseer a 10 ft threatened area, not 15 ft, so he doesn't have a 30 ft threatened area. It doesn't change any of what's happened but it might be relevant in the next few rounds.

Correct -- 10' threat. (Note that if you start with a reach creature, like an ogre or giant, a whip build + Combat Reflexes can take you some crazy places. OTOH, if you're starting with a giant you have so many hair-raising options that it almost doesn't matter. Giant Trample and Sunder builds are OP, full stop.)

I've been giving this some thought, and I don't want to hold things up any more, so, since they've positioned themselves to best attack me, instead of giving them two AOOs, and more chances to damage me, I'll throw a wrench in the works.

Total Defense. Swift Action for Bull's Strength.

AC = 26

We just need Grince to go, yeah?

I've been giving this some thought, and I don't want to hold things up any more, so, since they've positioned themselves to best attack me, instead of giving them two AOOs, and more chances to damage me, I'll throw a wrench in the works.

Total Defense. Swift Action for Bull's Strength.

AC = 26

Quote:

Hm, interesting. And there's nothing that says you can't do TD while prone...

Did your elemental attack?

Quote:

We just need Grince to go, yeah?

And also that, yes.

For simplicity sake, EE will also go Total Defense.

Haven't heard from Grinceroy in a couple of days. I could DMPC him, but I'm not very familiar with the phytokineticist. Does anyone want to suggest an action for him?

I'm in the middle of writing, hold on

Grinceroy stands up, facing the overseer a determined look on his face, he pulls back as a short whip made of vines manifests in his hands. He whoops it forward into the overseer and it explodes out, in a blast of energy

Kinetic Weapon: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (13) + 9 = 22
Damage: 3d6 + 4 ⇒ (5, 4, 5) + 4 = 18

Okay, before I roll -- if he hits you with an AoO and knocks you down / does damage, how does that work? Concentration check? Or do kineticist powers not need those?

For one thing I'm pretty sure an aoo drawn on standing up cannot trip again. Secondly the damage happens before I begin the Kinetic Weapon attack. So no, I don't believe any concentration applies.

Ah, you are correct. I never loved that interpretation -- it's logical, but it doesn't actually make sense. But it's RAW, and (with rare exceptions) we are defaulting to RAW.

Right then: he kicks you in the head. That resolves while you're still prone, so he does get the +4 for kicking while you're down. 1d20 ⇒ 6 Umm... dammit, that's the second time I've missed because of using Power Attack. Bah.

The Overseer curses (the language is unfamiliar, but it's definitely a curse) as you dodge his kick and take no damage.

Okay over to Team Slaver. Heading for bed again, will resolve in the AM.