[OutPost III, PFS(2)] PFS(2) 1-10 Tarnbreaker's Trail (Inactive)

Game Master Blake's Tiger

Do we need to do anything to rescue Frankie?

No. Frankie just needs to decide if she wants to push her luck. Afterwards, she could probably use a judicious application of the Medicine skill or something.

Feldspar, now that Tam is ready to assist Frankie, will dig through the packs for his spare cold weather gear, shouting as he runs - "Frankie, did you bring a spare set of gear?"

If Frankie has his own spares, Feldspar will search for them. If not, he'll dig out his own. It will either not fit at all or fit badly, but probably safer than being wet in this weather.

"At least the marshals have a decent fire going."

"Feldspar, don't go out on that ice! Or, you'll simply make the situation worse! Wait a moment, we don't need two of you wet and freezing to death!" Tam Sa Gi shouts. While still watching the scene, she reaches into her pack and pulls out her bedroll and places it at the top of her pack; so that when Frankie out of the water, she can instantly be covered by the fire by something dry after she removes her cold wet clothes. Tam Sa Gi also readies her healer's kit because she's fairly sure she'll need it after that spill.

Moving on.

Frankie clambers out of the pond and back to shore, freezing and wet. You help the dwarf--as modesty allows--change out of the wet clothes and into a dry set of clothes and set her down by a fire.

Status: Frankie (12/22 hp)

Once the marshals use magic to mend the ribbon and seal it back into the ice, the Bluetongue Brawlers begin their attempts to capture the ribbon. You overhear a brief argument between the team and the marshal about them not being allowed to attempt it naked and with one leg tied up to their arm.

Two Houses and Wyrding Wayfinders have yet to show. You notice the officials are beginning to take down their tents and pack supplies onto a sleigh. "Best hurry up," a passing marshal says. "The trek is almost finished. Weather's clear, so press on if you intend to finish."

You can deal with Frankie's injury and then we'll move on to the next scene.

(sorry for the no-post yesterday. The month of stay-at-home is getting to me, and days are kinda drifting together... I thought about the game this morning, and had absolutely no clue how many days had passes since my last post - was relieved to see it as only 1 day without a post.)

The ever-increasingly sour-spirited dwarf gets her sopping we body out of the pond, and grumbles as she makes her way back tot he fire to warm up and change clothes. She can feel pain in her leg from the icy water and rubs at it and applies a heating salve from her medicine kit.

When she see the judges start packing up she gets up form the campfire, and tells the group she'll back in a minute and ready to go, and heads over to the officials.
"I want another crack at it" is all she says - and starts heading back out on the ice, not waiting for a response form the judges.

On the way back to her group, Frankie notices her leg is still bothering her from the earlier icy dip, and she tries to swiftly fix it with the old Dwarven technique of 'Medical Slapping'

"Good work on that last go!" Tam Sa Gi says, patting Frankie on the back for taking another attempt at it whether or not it mattered. "Now, let's go!" With that, she throws her pack onto her back and begins to, again, try to set a trail for the others to follow.
Acrobatics: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (9) + 7 = 16

Don't worry about it. I think everyone is having those types of days at this point.

Barb: +1 Hero Point

With Frankie's frostbite tended to and serious injury prevented, you pack up and make to press onward to the finish. The Bluetongue Brawlers are sending their last woman out onto the ice and the Two Houses reach the edge of camp as you cast one last look over your shoulder.

The sky is clear and the weather is mild as you begin. The sun reflecting off of the snow is both beautiful and blinding. As you progress, you notice that the snow is less and less bright and eventually notice that clouds have covered the sky. A frigid wind sweeps down upon you, chilling you despite your heavy clothing. Then the snow begins to fall heavy and fast. Your vision is limited by the heavy precipitation and the swiftly blow snowflakes sting any exposed skin.

The trek becomes hard going, and you begin to wonder if you will make it to the finish before sun down or, worse, if you've become lost. While you press onward to the best of your skill, the snowfall begins to lighten some and the wind less antagonistic to your goal if still deathly freezing. A large shadow looms before your path, becoming more distinct as you draw closer.

A broken sled lies in the snow at the edge of the path beside an old bridge. Fresh blood marks are clearly visible against the white snow as large, crimson swaths. Equipment is scattered across the snow and onto the frozen surface of the lake.

Map Updated

For ease of my reference, I have started Tam Sa Gi in the bottom right corner. The map extends 26 squares left from Tam Sa Gi and 21 squares up from Tam Sa Gi.

The sled is on an island in an ice field 10 up and 3 left of Tam Sa Gi's starting position.

A red arrow points at a 45 degree angle from the sled representing the blood and scattered equipment trail.

Ice is Difficult Terrain: each square requires 10 ft of movement (not particularly important right this moment).

Carmelizzia heads toward the old bridge, then take a quick look at it. If she thinks it can hold her weight, she uses it to cross over toward the broken sled to see if she finds any explanation of what happened.

One of us on the bridge at a time, I don't know how much weight it can take.

Caremelizzia finds that the old bridge, despite being in now shape to hold anyone's weight above water, is well supported by the solid ice beneath it. The bridge provides a less slick path to the small island. Once at the wreckage of the sled, she can tell that a brutal and bloody battle was waged here. Claw marks are found on the wood of the sled. Among the rubble, the Varisian finds two crystal vials containing a ruby red fluid.

Blood trails and large tracks in the snow lead further onto the lake.

"This doesn't look good, Shakkah," Barb mutters as she follows Carmelizzia to investigate.

Feldspar surveys the scene, trying to work out where the attack might have originated.

I'm going to take a different shot at describing the scene, as much to work out what level of detail works well for Tam

The bridge, beginning almost immediately to our right runs fifteen feet north (12 oclock) to a roughly oval island perhaps thirty five feet long and twenty five wide, running from 6:30 to 12:30, more or less.

The blood trail begins close to the north side of the island, perhaps thirty feet due north of the end of the bridge.

The trail continues to a similar island about a 125 feet away from the first, at about 10 oclock from the center of the first island, which puts it perhaps 140 feet northeast of where Tam now stands. There is a cave or snow-covered structure of some type on that distant island with an opening facing just north of 3:00. The structure takes up most of the islands 25 by 20 size, leaving about five feet of open ground to the south, east, and north and almosr none to the west.

About half way between the two larger islands are three smaller patches that could be small islands or just snowdrifts; Feldspar is too far away to know - and he thinks he could be wrong about any of that.

"Whatever attacked is probably hiding up there." He gestures at the distant island. "But given that the fight happened right there, I'm not certain.

Feldspar will make sure his mage armor is up, and move to the north end of the bridge.

I appreciate your trying to help Tam Sa Gi out with the description, and it's my fault for not placing a fog of war overlay, but the reason I had not yet described those details is because they are not yet visible through the snow storm.

Thanks for the description, guys

Tam Sa Gi comes up to the bloody scene and examines it.

She shakes her head, "Obviously, someone is in need or maybe dead. We should probably find out. I think that's more important than a race. Yes?" Tam Sa Gi looks to the others for agreement.

Carmelizzia tries to determine how fresh the fight is while agreeing “Not helping hadn’t even occurred to me.”. She pauses. “There’s no body here so let’s try to find if anyone is alive, the blood path continues over there.” She moves in that direction, expecting to be followed.

The fight is fresh enough that the heavy snowfall has accumulated only a small amount on the sled.

That's two for helping so I'll move you in the direction of the tracks Soon(tm). Wife is about to leave for work and children are too young to be left alone but too old to put in a playpen (without screaming their heads off).

Tam Sa Gi continues tracking the beast as best she can through the combination of tracks, drag marks and blood trail. Survival: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (12) + 6 = 18 She manages to track them all the way to within sight of where the beast is and crouches down, motioning for the others to do the same, hand gesturing to the others where she sees the beast. Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (12) + 6 = 18

Tam Sa Gi and Carmelizzia lead you to another island in the frozen lake. Here there is more blood and signs of violence. Here you find a spear, a dagger, and a pair of broken skis among the blood and snow. Tam Sa Gi picks out a trail leading away from your current island and back toward the shore. Through the snow flurries, she spies a shadowed mound on another island. The mound is not nearly the size she expects the predator to be. It is the size of a humanoid or maybe a pony.

From Tam Sa Gi's new position on the second island, the blood trail leads in the 8 o'clock direction. The third island with the mound on it is 9 left and 3 down from current position.

We are walking on ice and it ain't cracking below us, I'm amazed.

So we can see about 100 feet in the snow?

Feldspar will keep watching around, in case the predator is not alone, and will try not to be at the very front of the group approaching the new island. If we are still in exploration mode, Scouting.

perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (12) + 4 = 16

60 ft, and you are still in Exploration mode

Tam Sa Gi stays low to the ground and approaches cautiously. She gets up to the third island and examines the scene to see if she can determine what happened, how long ago and what might have attacked.
Survival: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (14) + 6 = 20

I added a white circle to represent range of vision beyond which everything is Concealed. Obviously those in the back have more visibility to the rear and less to the fore but you should only need a rough approximation.

As you near the next small island, the ice and snow before it is stained heavily with blood. So too is the snow of the island more pink than white. It becomes more and more clear as you approach that the mound is a man laying on the snow. Snow has begun to cover his body. You turn him on his side and can tell that the half-orc, half-Varki--his name was Olin--is breathing. Your touch rouses him. He whispers weakly and it is hard to hear over the wind, "The beast. The beast attacked."

Olin raises an arm and points toward the northeast and into the snowstorm. In that moment--warranted or not--the hair on the back of your necks raises and a sense of anticipation grips your chest as you squint toward the swirling snow where it plays tricks on your eyes.

Encounter Mode. Round 1. Bold may act.

Frankie (shield raised)
Carmelizzia (undetected)
Tam Sa Gi
Barb
Mordack
Feldspar (you're not bold)

Tam Sa Gi stands on the third island. Olin (the Varki half-orc) is 1 square to her left. It is probably most efficient to consider all terrain Difficult Terrain because what little there is that is not is being stood upon in negligible. There is a roughly 4 x 4 island of snow visible 5 squares up from Tam Sa Gi. This would be east and not the direction Olin is pointing.

Tam Sa Gi looks at the Olin's injury's and, based on the injuries, attempts to determine what type of creature she might be dealing with. Nature: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (2) + 6 = 8

She tries to see if she can perceive if the beast is close by Perception/Seek: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (6) + 6 = 12 However, the wind and storm block her efforts.

Not able to perceive where the beast is in the storm, Tam Sa Gi gets into Wolf Stance and prepares for battle.

Barb tries to remain in a protective position while the team follow the trail. She can be heard muttering, "Of course we follow and hope to assist, there is no question."

Later in a more annoyed tone but not seemingly directed at anyone in the group, "I need your help and not your nagging. If you can not be sensible at least be quiet."

She is glad to have found one survivor and hopes that he remains so. She looks in the direction Olin indicates as the rage builds, first the tampering, now this creature attacks, all they wanted was a peaceful race and a decent showing. Barb readies her axe to defend the team and seeks the enemy in the midst of the snow.

Rage, Draw Weapon, Seek

Carmelizzia enters Tiger Stance, then moves as silently as possible in front of the wounded man while trying to detect the creature or maybe other survivors.

Tiger Stance, Move, Seek (I let you do the secret roll)

Updating my initiative tracker. We're making decent time, so I'll give Frankie and Mordack until I next update tomorrow morning.

Encounter Mode. Round 1. Bold may act.

Frankie (shield raised)
Carmelizzia (undetected) (Tiger Stance)
Tam Sa Gi (Wolf Stance)
Barb
Mordack
Feldspar (you're not bold)

Barb sees movement in the snow--something other than her imagination--but it is too late. A large, white bear-like creature with a disturbingly short, blood stained muzzle emerges from the snow in the direction that Olin is pointing. It charges straight toward Barb and snatches her off of the island with a powerful swing of its clawed forearm, pulling her into its embrace.

Rush: Hit, Grab

Encounter Mode. Round 1/2. Bold may act.

Giant Short-Faced Bear
Feldspar
Frankie
Carmelizzia (Tiger Stance)
Tam Sa Gi (Wolf Stance)
Barb (16/23) (grabbed)
Mordack

AAARGH! the team, and anyone else in the near vicinity can hear the rage and frustration in Barb's voice. She immediately applies her axe to the problem and then tries to break free from the creature before attacking again. (Successful or not she will attack again for her third action.)

Greataxe attack, raging: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (15) + 7 = 22 potential slashing damage: 1d12 + 6 ⇒ (12) + 6 = 18

Athletics to escape - MAP: 1d20 + 7 - 5 ⇒ (19) + 7 - 5 = 21

Greataxe (3rd) attack, raging: 1d20 - 3 ⇒ (7) - 3 = 4 potential slashing damage: 1d12 + 6 ⇒ (3) + 6 = 9

Frankie moves (1) up to get between the beast and the fallen body of Olin, Striking (2) at the Giant Short-faced Bear with her flail, before raising her shield (3) and shouting to her fellow Pathfinders, "Pull him out of harm's way!"
Flail Attack: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (11) + 9 = 20
Bludgeoning Damage: 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (5) + 4 = 9

Barb swings with all her might. The blow is glancing, but the amount of power behind it still makes it significant. Unfortunately, she seems to have spent her strength in the blow for she cannot break free of the bear's ferocious claws. She flails with her axe afterwards.

Frankie feels a significant resistance in the beast's hide as her flail strikes.

Encounter Mode. Round 1/2. Bold may act.

Terrain: Ice (most of the map) is difficult terrain.

Giant Short-Faced Bear (-18)
Feldspar
--2--
Frankie
Carmelizzia (Tiger Stance)
Tam Sa Gi (Wolf Stance)
Barb (20/23; rage) (grabbed)
Mordack

Bear's position relative to Tam Sa Gi: the bear is 2 Up and 3 Left. Fastest route to bear is 2 Up-Left diagonals for 25 ft of movement. Fastest route to a flanking position with Barb is 50 ft of movement, placing Tam Sa Gi 4 Up and 4 Left form current position (not the route to take but the end position).

Carmelizzia leaps up to get to the bear then with a shout, releases her ki to slash the bear with all her force.

<1> Leap: 10 feet, Dancing Leaf feat adds 5 feet to that. I moved NE of the bear.
<1> Ki Strike (focus spell): pick force damage and do a Flurry of Blows.
Tiger Claw: 1d20 + 9 + 1 ⇒ (19) + 9 + 1 = 29 for Slashing+Force: 1d8 + 2 + 1d6 ⇒ (5) + 2 + (1) = 8. In case it is a critical hit and it does damage, the target takes 1d4 persistent bleed damage.
Tiger Claw: 1d20 + 9 + 1 - 4 ⇒ (18) + 9 + 1 - 4 = 24 for Slashing+Force: 1d8 + 2 + 1d6 ⇒ (1) + 2 + (2) = 5.
<1> Tiger Claw: 1d20 + 9 + 1 - 8 ⇒ (7) + 9 + 1 - 8 = 9 for Slashing: 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4 in case that hits.

Alas, that was not a critical hit, as pretty as it was.

Carmelizzia leaps across the slippery ice to land beside the massive beast as it snaps at her with its broad teeth. She claws the left side of its disturbingly human-like face, drawing blood, and then claws the right side of its face, also drawing blood. The bear looks surprised.

Encounter Mode. Round 1/2. Bold may act.

Terrain: Ice (most of the map) is difficult terrain.

Giant Short-Faced Bear (-31)
Feldspar
--2--
Frankie
Carmelizzia (Tiger Stance)
Tam Sa Gi (Wolf Stance)
Barb (20/23; rage) (grabbed)
Mordack

Mordack moves out 15 feet and casts Hydraulic Push on the bear hit: 6 + 1d20 ⇒ 6 + (17) = 23
dmg: 3d6 ⇒ (1, 6, 6) = 13 blunt damage and it will be knocked back 5 feet if it hits, or 10 feet if I crit.

"We're not going to outrun a bear across a frozen lake!"

Feldspar raises his hand an casts a three-action magic missile at the bear.

Magic Missile(3action): 3d4 + 3 ⇒ (2, 1, 2) + 3 = 8

Feldspar invokes a mentally taxing spell that releases three bolts of translucent energy. The snow swirls in the wake of their path as they zip toward the strange bear. They land with less impact than the wizard might have hoped.

The goblin sorcerer demonstrates his instinctual magic's superiority as a veritable geyser erupts from his hands and shoves the bear its prey away from him.

For Tam Sa Gi: the bear has been moved to 2 Up and 3 Left from your current position. Achieving flanking is no longer possible, I believe. It will take 2 Move actions to reach any facet of the bear.

Encounter Mode. Round 2. Bold may act.

Terrain: Ice (most of the map) is difficult terrain.

Giant Short-Faced Bear (-52)
Feldspar
--2--
Frankie
Carmelizzia (Tiger Stance)
Tam Sa Gi (Wolf Stance)
Barb (20/23; rage) (grabbed)
Mordack

Tam Sa Gi is going to use all 3 actions to get to a flanking position behind the bear. Or, as close to a flanking position as I can get in 3 actions.

The bear-like creature roars in frustration as it is continually pelted by supernatural forces. As Tam Sa Gi rounds behind it, the beast nearly rips Barb in two as it throws her through the air before it bounds away back to its cave.

Mauling Throw, Stride, Wasted Action

Since there is at least one of you who can see the cave island, I don't want you wandering around due to bad luck with the weather generator, I'll forgo the need for a Point Out action and just say you can all be guided in the general direction easily enough to get it in sight soon enough. I.e. consider the whole map visible to your character now.

Encounter Mode. Round 2/3. Bold may act.

Terrain: Ice (most of the map) is difficult terrain.

Giant Short-Faced Bear (-52)
Feldspar
--3--
Frankie
Carmelizzia (Tiger Stance)
Tam Sa Gi (Wolf Stance)
Barb (4/23; rage) (prone)
Mordack

Tam Sa Gi can get to the creature in 25 ft of movement if nobody takes the lower right corner of the beast before that. That space is 1 Up and 3 Left of current position. Beast is 2 up and 4 Left of current position and occupies 2 x 2 square.

As the bear starts its retreat, Frankie Gives it another strike to send it on it's way.
Attack of Opportunity: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (4) + 9 = 13
potential Bludgeoning damage: 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10
===============================================
Once the bear has moved far enough that its claws are no longer a threat, Frankie drops her flail and shield (Free) and turns to the fallen body of Olin "Hang in there big guy.. Let me see what I can do about those wounds"
Pulling out her healing tools from her bandolier, she falls back on her field medic training from her time in the Taggoret Guard, and tries to patch Olin up (1).
Battle Medicine/Treat Wounds (DC15): 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (10) + 5 = 15
potential hp healed: 2d8 ⇒ (4, 7) = 11

Frankie then grabs her shield again (2) and raises it (3) for protection.

The bear's resilient hide rebuffs the dwarf's strike at its backside (miss).

Frankie drops her shield and weapons and performs a miraculously swift healing of the Varki's wounds. Olin grunts in appreciation and pushes himself up to stand. "Thank you. I will get help," he says before trudging back to the shore.

Encounter Mode. Round 2/3. Bold may act.

Terrain: Ice (most of the map) is difficult terrain.

Giant Short-Faced Bear (-52)
Feldspar
--3--
Frankie
Carmelizzia (Tiger Stance)
Tam Sa Gi (Wolf Stance)
Barb (4/23; rage) (prone)
Mordack

Tam Sa Gi shouts using her Ki to rush forward to the bear Ki Rush - Accelerated by your ki, you move with such speed you become a blur. Move two times: two Strides, two Steps, or one Stride and one Step (in either order). You gain the concealed condition during this movement and until the start of your next turn. And then does a flurry of blows Melee Attack: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (12) + 7 = 19 Flurry of Blows damage: 1d6 ⇒ 31d6 ⇒ 5

Carmelizzia moves toward the creature, surprised at its retreat wondering if it’s wounded and fleeing or if it has some surprises waiting around there, so she starts looking around for traps.

2× <1> Stride and <1> Seek
Carmelizzia ended up 10 feet East of the creature

Feldspar will make his way ten feet east, which should bring him, barely, in range for what he has in mind.

10' actual == 1 whole move for 25' move speed

Drawing on his training, he extends his abilities and lashes out with fire.

Reach Spell + Produce Flame
Produce Flame: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (16) + 7 = 23
fire damage: 1d4 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8

Mordack doublemoves forward or triple moves, but he doesn't have enough actions left over to cast a spell anyway.. It is 10 squares worth of movement I moved. I didn't see a note stating the ice was difficult terrain, but I may have missed it. But with a triple move I can use up to 15 squares worth of movement. Counting each diagnol as 1.5 squares.

Barb pulls a healing potion from her bandolier and drinks it, then stands up with axe in hand.

healing: 1d8 ⇒ 3

"You and I have some things to be settled, bear. I do not like being thrown around!"

Feldspar summons a ball of flame and sends it streaking further than the average wizard can achieve. The bear roars in pain as the flame strikes. It glares at the man and licks its bloody lips.

Tam Sa Gi launches herself across the ice with such force and speed that she momentarily disappears from the rest of you in a swirl of snowflakes. She feels the bear's hot breath and smells the rot of chewed carrion as the beast's mouth snaps closed beside her. The monk's hand connects solidly with the bear, but the fat absorbs most of the impact.

Both Carmelizzia and Mordack close in on the bear. This close to the cave, the three can see the bodies of the other Varki laying inside the cave.

The bear swipes at Carmelizzia, but the agile woman manages to barely duck under the sword-like claws. As she rights herself, she is caught by a powerful swipe from the other paw. The claws dig in as the beast pulls her into its dangerous embrace.

Encounter Mode. Round 3/4. Bold may act.

Terrain: Ice (most of the map) is difficult terrain.

Giant Short-Faced Bear (-60)
Feldspar
--3--
Frankie
Carmelizzia (17/30) (Tiger Stance) (grabbed)
Tam Sa Gi (Wolf Stance) (concealed until she acts)
Barb (7/23; rage)
Mordack

Tam Sa Gi: You are on the island at the bear's lower right corner edge. Carmelizzia is on the upper right corner edge (now). The spaces around the left half of the bear are inaccessible due to the cave entrance.

Tam Sa Gi throws two Wolf Jaw strikes Melee Attack 1: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (6) + 7 = 13Melee Attack 2: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (9) + 3 = 12

Wolf Jaw #1: 1d8 ⇒ 4 Wolf Jaw #2: 1d8 ⇒ 7

Melee Attack 3: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (3) - 1 = 2

Wolf Jaws: 1d8 ⇒ 2