TOZ's Bones of Biting Ants [Outpost II] (Inactive)

Game Master TriOmegaZero

Reflex: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (12) + 9 = 21

The mngwa evades both burning flames, narrowly ducking under Sunny's acidic lick. Roaring in rage, the beast backs away from Jebediah's shovel before turning and fleeing into the darkness. Withdrawn action up and to the right, AoO for Sunny! Naevys can see the beast moving far out, beyond the range of her darkvision and disappearing.

Kenza (Damage: 19)
Naevys (Damage: 7)
Jebediah (Damage: 5)
Chance (On Fire!)

Can Thaia or Jeb put Chance out before he has to save again? If he makes the save, it won't matter, but it could save some damage.

Stuinvolk slowly regains his composure, his face still pale and haunted. "Every scream..." he starts, pausing with a shiver. "Every sound that thing made was a scream I'd heard those nights. Gods be good, what IS it?"

Will take an AoO from prone if I can. I had drawn my longsword last action

Longsword: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (14) + 2 = 16, 1d8 ⇒ 2

Let it be known that Sunny for all her faults, dumb looks, and slime trails.. is one vindictive SOB. She lashes out with her tongue at the cat as it runs off. However, she's used to tonguing up leaves and shrooms, not ferocious feline beasts.

Tongue + Acid: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 101d4 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 3 + 1 = 5

While her spells proved 100% useless vs the creature, Mae is relieved they drove it off at least, most likely thanks to the loud smoke sticks the women wielded. "One can hope it will not return..."

She drops her shield and moves to help heal the fallen with her wand.
If you need healing feel free to make the rolls yourselves.

Naevys will sheathe her longsword and retrieve her wand and gun, putting everything safely away before tapping herself with her wand of Infernal Healing. Thanks for the offer May. I'm good with my trusty devil's blood here.
She turns to Chance "Chance, thank you. I was wrong to doubt your expertise. It will not happen again. My apologies."
She then turns and winks at Jeb with an evil gleam in her eyes that might be her own and might be from the spell, "And thank you Jeb for your quick action when I went down."
With that she sighs and moved back to set her bedroll aright again, hoping to return to sleep soon or the morning spell preparation will be disastrous.

Hells, it's getting away... Jed clutches his side against the pain, and then jams his shovel into the dirt. Turning, he sees the flaming halfling, and runs over with his cure light wounds wand at the ready. Can't put someone else out without drenching them, and alas, I can't. Don't speak Aquan.

Over the next few moments, Jed will cure Chance and whoever else requires it, finishing with himself unless the bleed damage gets so bad he is in danger of falling over. If you need it, go ahead and roll.

At Naevys' words, he turns beet red and quickly turns away to examine the ground intently. "'S no problem, ma'am... saves me some diggin' if'n you don't die. "

Jed will look at the creature's tracks, and try to learn what he can from them and the tactics displayed, already thinking of the creature's return.

CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7
CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2
CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 = 8

Can Thaia or Jeb put Chance out before he has to save again? If he makes the save, it won't matter, but it could save some damage.

You know Jeb, you could just beat the fire out with the shovel. Well, that's what Thaia would have done anyhow. Put junk in front of my tent door will you?

Jakob pours the contents of the waterskin he's been carrying out on the halfling when the coast is clear.

Essentially this is Thaia taking the action. She just can't be seen doing anything she considers 'too menial' when other people are at hand to do it for her. ;)

I considered that, but strangely there's no rules for doing it - unless that's what the "aid another" action would look like? ;)

"Do not for get to refill that before we break camp, Jakob." Thaia says in a concerned tone.

Fire rules are some of the most overdone ones I've seen. I'll count the waterskin as a +4 circumstance bonus to Chance's save. It's not quite enough to automatically douse the flame.

REF save with 'Stop, Drop, Roll' and Waterskin: 1d20 + 5 + 4 + 4 ⇒ (8) + 5 + 4 + 4 = 21

Mae bobs her head a few times when the demon lady refuses healing "Ok, the spirits thank you." Not sure the spirits would like healing someone with tainted blood. I should ask.

When she does see the Halfling starting to catch fire she summons in a downpour over his head and unfortunately the camp fire. WHOOOOSH As the smoke and steam billow into the night sky. "All better yes?" She asks, not really a huge fan of the fire pit anyhow. She follows that dousing with one over Sunny as well to help calm her down and keep her in camp.

"That one predator nearly made a meal of us all. I wonder why your weapons didn't seem to work as well. Maybe if there is a next time try silver or cold iron?" She draws out a small gleaming dagger made of mithril. Far too small for most of them but it would be adequate for herself or Chance.

Chance manages to roll over the burning fringes, putting them out with the smothering. Then the deluge adds insult to injury, making for a cool evening. Stuinvolk collapses back into his bedroll, seemingly exhausted by the brief assault.

GM Dice: 1d20 ⇒ 10

Another morning dawns hot and clear, the blood stains around the camp the only visible signs of your ordeal. Stuinvolk appears more composed in the light of day, quickly moving to help break camp and continue on.

Per the usual, another Survival check to avoid the Mzali.

Survival, wayfinder: 1d20 + 9 + 2 ⇒ (19) + 9 + 2 = 30

Mae notices Stuinvolk's quickness to break camp so she gets on setting the crew's route for the day. "Let us not lose our way today yes?"

"'Thing'll be back again," Jed mutters. "Is there anyway ta speed our travel?" he asks the group. "Fewer nights we're here, fewer nights that thing'll attack."

The next time the group makes camp, Jed will use his silver weapon blanch on the shovel, and ensure he's got his cold iron crossbow bolts handy.

Kenza awakens on the battlefield with a jolt and leaps to her feet! ...But the battles over and the beast is nowhere to be seen. She looks around, curious if her sacrifice spared the others from death... After counting heads she lets out a quiet sigh of relief. No lives lost.

I'll take a few charges from your wand, thanks Jed.
Healing Kenza: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5
Healing Kenza: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6
Healing Kenza: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5
Leaves her at 20/23 before resting for the night.

Kenza bows deeply to Chance and Jebediah, grateful for their healing. Then she apologizes to everyone for her weakness and retires to her bed, uneasy and on edge.

----

The next morning she stays near Stuinvolk, ready to continue her duties as bodyguard.

The Ulfen man claps a hand on Kenza's shoulder as the party sets out. "My thanks for your bravery last night. Not many I know would run into teeth and claws like that. May the next fight treat you better." He offers as handsome a smile as he can to go along with the compliment.

Kenza looks baffled by the compliment. "Thank you. But, no thanks are necessary. It is my duty to protect all of you. With my life, if necessary."

Rising from the campfire, smoldering and soaked in almost equal measure, Chance takes stock and then beams with his familiar smile.
Well, that could have gone far worse.

He looks at Jakob in confusion.
Where did you come from? How did you do that? ... it's like you vanished as soon as that thing showed up.
He pauses and then looks at the barrels and crates then adds in a lower voice.
You may also want to move your Chelish mistress' beauty products out of the way somewhere. I didn't say anything about where they came from during the fight, but they did get in her way.

I'm a bit late to the party with the out-of-combat healing as I was running late this morning and could only get in a very brief post, but if anyone still needs any, please call out.
Also, GM, do our "per days" reset in the morning or was the attack late enough that we have expended them throughout the next day?

Most spellcasters refresh their abilities in the morning. I will assume that the party slept in a little bit in order to recover spells and then headed out.

Seeing the Mwanga up close reminds me. I have read about these things before. They are resistant to non-magical weaponry. They also benefit from a heal spell every night and can move almost undetected, gaining spell like abilities to aid in concealment and to leave no tracks.

Stuinvolk, I suggest you explain why you think there is any chance of stopping this creature without also killing you. Help us help you.

Stuinvolk looks at Naevys with uncertainty. "I do not follow your meaning. What is it that I must do to help?"

The party will need a successful Influence check to convince Stuinvolk to comply with Naevys' idea.

Chance looks from Naevys to Stuinvolk.

I think what she's saying is that there is something that is tying this entity to you. Perhaps something long buried in your heart and in your past. We know that this trip has brought up many old pains and it seems that this creature is seeking to bring them to the fore with its taunts and its screams. Perhaps you can tell us more about it and that may help you let go of some of that pain. Perhaps in letting go of some of that pain, it will have less power over you and less power from you.

diplomacy: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (14) + 10 = 24

He looks back to Naevys.
That about right?

"Perhaps so." Stuinvolk scans the fields stretching out before the party, pointing to a small copse of trees. "We should take shade there while we speak, to be un-distracted by the heat."

This is another influence phase, with discovery checks to learn specific methods to explore Stuinvolk's trauma and influence checks to work with him to learn how the mngwa relates to him. As I understand the scenario, multiple attempts to influence may be made this time.

Discovery checks are Sense Motive, yes?

Jed says nothing, but watches Stuinvolk intently as the others discuss the situation. He hopes to find a way to make the man tell the the entire truth behind his previous voyage here.

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (13) + 4 = 17

Correct, Sense Motive will allow the party to analyze possible methods of exploring Stuinvolk's memory.

"Yeh know, I've heard these Mngwa are very individual creatures," Jed ventures, trying to jog Stu's memory. "I 'member a story I heard down Pridon's Hearth way, how did it go..." He pulls out another Chronicle and starts thumbing through the well-worn pages. Knowledge (local), inspiration, Chronicle: 1d20 + 9 + 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (19) + 9 + (5) + 2 = 35

Mae listens on to Stuinvolk as she leads Sunny with the help of a few mushrooms she found growing in a pile of dung.

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (14) + 3 = 17

"A rest in the shade would be nice. This place needs more shade and less grass. Does it burn often?" She summons in a shower of water over herself and Sunny as they make their way to the trees.

Survival: We aren't crossing boundaries are we?: 1d20 + 9 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 9 + 2 = 19

"There is little to start a fire with across the savannah. Lightning during a storm sometimes ignites the grass and trees, but nothing else." Stuinvolk assures the grippli.

Kenza keeps watch over the others while the group talks, paying close attention to her charge.

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6

The other thing that stood out here, is that these beasts fixate with hate upon a single target and normally cannot be permanently killed while that target is still alive. This is normally evinced by things like taking on physical features of that target of that hate.

Stuinvolk, I suggest you explain why you think there is any chance of stopping this creature without also killing you. Help us help you.

sense motive: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 = 8

The man's a coward, pure and simple. Next time, if it comes to it, I will take the obvious shot. The needs of the many (and the Thaia!) outweigh the needs of the few--or the one, especially if he's a lily-livered coward.

Her pith helmet shadowing her face, Thaia steps away from the rest.

Earlier

Rising from the campfire, smoldering and soaked in almost equal measure, Chance takes stock and then beams with his familiar smile.

Well, that could have gone far worse.

He looks at Jakob in confusion.
Where did you come from? How did you do that? ... it's like you vanished as soon as that thing showed up.

The big man nods. His people are descended from old man Old-Mage Jatembe, and do not give up their secrets easily.

He pauses and then looks at the barrels and crates then adds in a lower voice.

You may also want to move your Chelish mistress' beauty products out of the way somewhere. I didn't say anything about where they came from during the fight, but they did get in her way.

"Those 'boxes' as you call them where already here when we arrived. They are one of the many strange natural features of these lands. Look there, your bed roll is still bound and unused, and yet what is that you were sleeping in last night? These are strange lands." says Jakob in pleasantly accented Taldane.

Full disclosure, the next fight is on the other map. I alternated them to keep you guessing. :) Pushed the correct one to the top of the presentation.

Did we make all the checks for Discovery and influence today? Sorry, I flaked on actually rolling the check yesterday. I will roll Sense Motive and Kn(Local) to try to help with the discovery, and automatically assist on Diplomacy, given someone already rolled the influence check.
Sense Motive for Discovery: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (13) + 2 = 15
Kn(Local) for Discovery: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (15) + 8 = 23

No problem, it's a bit of a curious system.

No other avenues of investigation come to mind for Kenza, Thaia, or Naevys, so the tiefling sits with Stuinvolk to discuss the unique nature of the beast stalking the party. "It is said that such creatures are the anger of the spirits directed at desecration of the land. I have heard tell that some tailor their appearance towards those they hunt to increase the terror they bring." the Ulfen offers amid the brainstorming.

Jed shares his conclusions with the others discreetly, without telling Stuinvolk, as we travel throughout the day.

Everyone can open and read the spoiler as Jeb shares the info.

Lady Mae leads the party on through the wilds of the Mwangi, easily avoiding the Mzali territories well into nightfall to make up for lost time.

You are welcome to make whatever preparations for the night you would like.

false life: 1d10 + 4 ⇒ (9) + 4 = 13

Naevys will also share her conclusions with the party, discretely away from Stuinvolk.

Naevys will also share her conclusions with the party, discretely away from Stuinvolk.

"Or we could just blow his fool head off." Thaia says pragmatically at their little meeting.

"Or we could just blow his fool head off." Thaia says pragmatically at their little meeting.

I'm relatively certain that's NOT what was meant when we were informed our primary mission is to help Stuinvolk "find peace".

"Yes I agree with Chance. Not the best way to solve this problem. Perhaps someone who is a master at hypnotism could help him. I am no such person, I am not very familiar with how that works." She shrugs her shoulders and pulls out a jar from her pack.

"I do have this..." She presents a capped jar with a number of drown insects inside. She unscrews the lid and takes a solid drink, slapping her lips with her long tongue.

"This is called Bufo by my people. It is an alcohol drink with soaked extra snacks. Most in this area soak poisonous frogs. My people prefer to soak certain insects. When you drink some it will sometimes make you see relaxing colors and shapes." She offers it up to anyone who wishes.

I also changed up my spells for the day. I chose camp fire wall to hopefully help, as well as faerie fire. I'll cast the fire wall when we settle down for sleeping, around when the creature tends to come around.

"Well, Thaia, that don't seem very helpful," Jed opines, taking the jar offered by Lady Mae and taking a long drink. His eyes widen as he looks at the jar, chewing thoughtfully. "'Sides, I think this thing isn't the only issue ol' Stu has... we still gotta git 'im through the journey and back. This creature..." he takes another draft of the juice, "... it's a result of his guilt, but I don't know if that's all there is."

Kenza looks at Thaia quite seriously. "Apologies. But, I cannot let you do that."

It's the first 'disobedient' thing any of you have heard her say.

Badly drawn campfire wall has been added.

Naevys will check the loads on both of her pistols, making sure both are still securely loaded with normal shot. She will leave her gun belt on when she beds down for the night, and will doze only lightly, waiting for the Mngwa to show itself again.

The party beds down in anticipation, and it is not long of a wait. The screams awaken those who dozed off, giving time to prepare before the beast bursts through the campfire wall!

Fire Damage: 1d6 ⇒ 2
Stuinvolk Will: 1d20 + 4 + 7 ⇒ (2) + 4 + 7 = 13

Growling in frustration at the light clinging to its inky fur, the monster stalks forward towards Stuinvolk, finding itself blocked from reaching him by Chance. The halfling receives the brunt of its fury instead.

Bite on Chance: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (16) + 12 = 28
Grab on Chance: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (14) + 18 = 32
Claw on Chance: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (16) + 12 = 28
Claw on Chance: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (7) + 12 = 19
Bite Damage on Chance: 1d10 + 6 ⇒ (5) + 6 = 11
Claw Damage on Chance: 1d6 + 6 ⇒ (6) + 6 = 12
Claw Damage on Chance: 1d6 + 6 ⇒ (3) + 6 = 9

"Now my friends! It is time to put this to rest!" Stuinvolk calls, before beginning a trilling Ulfen chant as he throws down his bow and draws his longsword.

17 Mngwa (Damage: 2)
13 Stuinvolk (Raging Song 1 round)
8 Thaia
8 Jebediah
7 Naevys
5 Chance (Damage: 32, Unconscious, Bleed 1d4+1)
4 Lady Mae
3 Kenza
0 Sunny

Party is up! Chance, let me know if you've got anything that will prevent some of that damage.

In the preparation round, Jed stands and casts shield on himself.

Oh, great... healer might be down.

Jed watches the creature grab Chance and shake him like a rag doll. He runs over to the wounded halfling, drawing his trusty wand of not dying from its sheath at his side.

Jed casts cure light wounds on the halfling, once again hoping he has a valid target for the spell.1d8 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 9

EDIT: cleaned up conditional orders absed on GM TOZ's post.

Wands count as weapon-like for me, as long as they are stored in a bandoleer or tucked in a belt. I'd say one round before surprise, same as last time.