with the first hit dropping Firas, the red brimorak would have directed its follow up swing to the next closest target, that being Coop. you already said you would use the immediate to activate the focus, which will negate the damage. will need to mark off your expenditure... and this will prevent you from casting haste...
Immediate actions wrote:
You cannot use another immediate action or a swift action until after your next turn if you have used an immediate action when it is not currently your turn (effectively, using an immediate action before your turn is equivalent to using your swift action for the coming turn).
With a two quick swings, Coop turns the small goat into yesterdays news, with a spray of fiery blood.
Blood:1d4 ⇒ 4
Yellow takes a 5ft step and turns its attention to Tetsu.
Male Half-orc SW Skald 6/PS Oracle (Lore) 1/Mythic 1 | HP 65/65 | AC 20 (15 touch, 15 FF, 17 CMD) | F/R/W 9/9/11 | Perc +4 | SMotive +17 | Song 18/day |Skald 4*/6/4|Oracle 4*/5 | Uncanny Dodge
Forgot about being invisible. Not using my Spirit slam to continue to be invisible. Will not spend on song. So 2 rounds of Lingering Composition left.
George moves over to his fallen friend. With a wave of his hand and a chanted "Mister Cellophane", Firas disappears. Drawing on his mythic power he taps Firas with the wand.
CMW @ 3st:2d8 + 3 ⇒ (7, 1) + 3 = 11
You are momentarily unseen. Take a moment to recover, then rejoin the fight. If you haven't got your health, you haven't got anything.
Free, move, standard (Vanish), swift (Mythic use wand) Skald 5, 4 | Oracle 3 | Song starts 15 | Destiny Touch 7 | MP 4 | Reaction Available
half-orc Oath of the Crusade Paladin 7-Guardian 1 | HP 98/98 | AC 24* (11* touch, 23 FF, 22* CMD) | F/R/W 13/9*/11 | Perc +11| SMotive +5 | Resist Elec 20 | Threaten 10' with AoOs |smite 2/3 (+4/+7) | LoH 3/7 (3d6) | Divine Bond 0/1 (+1 for 7m) | Prepared: Paladin's Sacrifice, Divine Favor (+3), Hero's Defiance | 3/5 MP
I just realized I completely forgot about using Sudden Block. I also forgot about greater mercy. Ah well. Thank you very much, George!
I will use a swift for lay on hands, then standing up and vital strike.
With a bit of healing from George and then Firas calling on another blessing, the paladin is able to get back in the fight quickly. His swing however is quite uncoordinated and nearly slips from his grasp.
Orange steps to try to capitalize on the positioning of its ally to battle Tetsu.
Before Orange is able to attack, Tetsu attempts to block it's attack with a counterstrike, then concentrates on Orange.
Immediate action to expend 1 mythic for Sudden Block, meaning it has to roll twice and take the worst, and AC goes up to 21 so the crit is not confirmed
half-orc Oath of the Crusade Paladin 7-Guardian 1 | HP 98/98 | AC 24* (11* touch, 23 FF, 22* CMD) | F/R/W 13/9*/11 | Perc +11| SMotive +5 | Resist Elec 20 | Threaten 10' with AoOs |smite 2/3 (+4/+7) | LoH 3/7 (3d6) | Divine Bond 0/1 (+1 for 7m) | Prepared: Paladin's Sacrifice, Divine Favor (+3), Hero's Defiance | 3/5 MP
" It looks like those temptresses have fled. I cannot sense their filth any longer. Let's secure this tower quickly before they can send reinforcements. "
Male Half-orc SW Skald 6/PS Oracle (Lore) 1/Mythic 1 | HP 65/65 | AC 20 (15 touch, 15 FF, 17 CMD) | F/R/W 9/9/11 | Perc +4 | SMotive +17 | Song 18/day |Skald 4*/6/4|Oracle 4*/5 | Uncanny Dodge
George will bring out the Infernal Healing wand and use a charge on both Coop and himself. (These are slow acting but efficient. Can use another on Tetsu if she wants. Not sure if we are staying in rounds, but this covers a few. I think I am still invisible, so will make sure to make some noise so they know I am around.)
Things are quite and calm atop the tower now that the dust has settled.
Searching the bodies of the brimoraks each carried a mundane longsword, the magicks that had been fueling them quickly faded after their owners perished. The fallen succubus carries nothing of value.
Coop:
In your head you hear a quiet voice.
"Be a good little boy and act natural. There may come a time, when I need you, but for now, let us see how this all plays out."
There is a brief pause and then the voice continues.
"Oh, and of course, don't tell anyone you're hearing voices. They'll think you've gone mad."
Tetsu examines the machinery and looks for a way to sabotage them.
Not sure how many rolls you need but I'll give several. Not including any bonuses from others, but including the Heroism bonus from the Knight's Pennon that I keep forgetting I have, or if there is no penalty for failure, a take 20 is total 36 for each roll
Taking a bit of time, Tetsu is able to confidently disable the siege weapon. Moving as quickly as possible, the group repeats the process for the other three towers. Each standing as a silent sentinel over the city.
Nothing of value is to be found in any of the towers.
half-orc Oath of the Crusade Paladin 7-Guardian 1 | HP 98/98 | AC 24* (11* touch, 23 FF, 22* CMD) | F/R/W 13/9*/11 | Perc +11| SMotive +5 | Resist Elec 20 | Threaten 10' with AoOs |smite 2/3 (+4/+7) | LoH 3/7 (3d6) | Divine Bond 0/1 (+1 for 7m) | Prepared: Paladin's Sacrifice, Divine Favor (+3), Hero's Defiance | 3/5 MP
"Agreed. It seems the minor obstacles have been cleared and only the daunting task of assaulting the fortress remains. Let's gather our strength and rally our forces."
So what can you lay out for us for the next phase of this? Please set the scene so we can quickly discuss strategy and then move on.
the path forward to the castle seems clear, and with the siege weapons disabled, you can now bring the army closer to it in order to attempt to raid or set up a closer encampment for the potentially protracted engagement. but, the Knights of Kenabres are still outside the walls at this time, so you'll most likely want to go retrieve them
Male Half-orc SW Skald 6/PS Oracle (Lore) 1/Mythic 1 | HP 65/65 | AC 20 (15 touch, 15 FF, 17 CMD) | F/R/W 9/9/11 | Perc +4 | SMotive +17 | Song 18/day |Skald 4*/6/4|Oracle 4*/5 | Uncanny Dodge
Longish post. We may need to splurge on Healing stuff. The Infernal wand is still at 34 charges, but is slow. Only 3 charges left on the CMW wand. A few potions. My Oracle CLW as frozen at level 1. My skald ones are only CLW at lvl 5. We might need Firas to channel once if 3 or more of us are wounded badly. George will like being invisible, and will keep the group informed of his location. Or carry an object so they can see where he is.
If i read the combat correctly we saw a spell cast on Coop and then Firas mentioned he was acting strange, and after the Protection from Evil he was okay for a bit. Enough to think enchantment of some sort. He has Sense Motive at +17, so might notice some thing strange long term. Would like to take a moment to use Focus Trance for a +32 knowledge (planes) on the demon. Enchantment spells and what they do to teleport. Is it self only, or can she bring willing passenger.
Coop has a bunch of long duration spells going at the end of combat. But I am assuming George would have cast Detect Magic to look over the loot. Would be worthwhile to look over the group. I do not think I can do Auras, but someday Coop might be able to check auras for things that do not belong. (Shades of Ruins might be filtering in.)
Now for the sucky part. If we confirm possession/domination/charm, what next? I can see quietly asking the cleric NPC to pray for Detect Charm and lots of Dispel Magic spells. Just spam 3 or more in a row and hope it works...
Once this area stabilizes do we need to ask the blind wizard to come here? We are lacking in higher spells.
half-orc Oath of the Crusade Paladin 7-Guardian 1 | HP 98/98 | AC 24* (11* touch, 23 FF, 22* CMD) | F/R/W 13/9*/11 | Perc +11| SMotive +5 | Resist Elec 20 | Threaten 10' with AoOs |smite 2/3 (+4/+7) | LoH 3/7 (3d6) | Divine Bond 0/1 (+1 for 7m) | Prepared: Paladin's Sacrifice, Divine Favor (+3), Hero's Defiance | 3/5 MP
Yeah, I don't think we did much, if any, prebuffing. Even so, I think we might be a bit light on resources to launch the big battle. Also from the GM's post, it sounds like we aren't immediately going into the main assault (we need to retrieve the Knights outside the city). So buffs are probably moot but we should be safe to use the Infernal Wand. Either way channel is a great idea, I will roll for that.
channel:3d6 ⇒ (1, 1, 6) = 8+6 extra healing to myself thanks to Fey Foundling
As for the potential charm/dominate, I thought that we broke that with the protection from evil? If not, that seems dangerously close to metagaming to me. As you said, George, you have a monster Sense Motive check, so if there are shenanigans going on, you should catch it eventually. Now, rolling for monster knowledge is a great idea either way. It would be good to know if they can easily teleport right back in, could just be invisible lurking around, etc. I also like the idea of calling on our NPC wizard buddy for help. In fact we can probably lean on our cleric/paladin NPCs to ease the healing burden a bit.
So are we all in agreement that our next move is to hurry outside the city and retrieve the Knights of Kenabres, and then move all of our forces up to the fortress?
half-orc Oath of the Crusade Paladin 7-Guardian 1 | HP 98/98 | AC 24* (11* touch, 23 FF, 22* CMD) | F/R/W 13/9*/11 | Perc +11| SMotive +5 | Resist Elec 20 | Threaten 10' with AoOs |smite 2/3 (+4/+7) | LoH 3/7 (3d6) | Divine Bond 0/1 (+1 for 7m) | Prepared: Paladin's Sacrifice, Divine Favor (+3), Hero's Defiance | 3/5 MP
FWIW, here is how my resources stand:
smite 2/3 (+4/+7)
LoH 3/7 (3d6)
Divine Bond 0/1 (+1 for 7m)
Spells: Paladin's Sacrifice, Divine Favor (+3), Hero's Defiance
MP 3/5
Likewise, by my count our HP totals are:
George 51/65
Firas 55/98
Tetsu 65/96
Coop 51/81
So we need to secure more healing one way or another before our next fight. I am still hopeful that our many NPC allies can come to our aid on this.
@GM?
With the city somewhat safe and the enemy defenses reduced, the group heads back towards the army encampment. The weight of their recent battles fresh in their minds. Small clusters of enemies can be spotted, but they quickly flee from sight and avoid conflict, and all seems well.
Until the roar.
A great and malevolent sound ripples through the streets, shaking the buildings and rattling the teeth of our heroes.
Looking for the source of the sound, eventually you spot a grey/white shape in the skies above the city. It also seems to take note of you and draws its wings in, hurtling towards the ground.
Stopping suddenly a mere twenty feet above, the beast lets out another, yet tamer roar as it flaps its wings menacingly. Snow white fur and scales blend the amalgam of monsters, so you can't tell where one ends and the next begins, but the beast with the heads of a snow leopard, a white dragon, and a mountain goat clearly seeks prey, and you are it.
Coop and Firas feel the full effect, while George manages to avoid some, and Tetsu twists and turns only catching a small dusting of snow from the powerful blast. The best then settles down to the ground, poised for battle.
Combat Tracker wrote:
Round 1
White
Tetsu 95/96
George 45/65
White
Firas 64/98
Coop 48/81
and since it will probably come up as a question, no, that's not a typo. this one creature is on the initiative tracker twice. Spellcraft for monster ID
Was it save to avoid completely? I don't have Evasion, so should have taken 6 from the cold, and whatever from the piercing
Tetsu takes a step to the side to get a clear shot at the creature and studies it for a moment, then fires a cold iron arrow at the creature, assuming it to be some kind of demon, but is somewhat unsure and so the arrow flies wildly off
Male Half-orc SW Skald 6/PS Oracle (Lore) 1/Mythic 1 | HP 65/65 | AC 20 (15 touch, 15 FF, 17 CMD) | F/R/W 9/9/11 | Perc +4 | SMotive +17 | Song 18/day |Skald 4*/6/4|Oracle 4*/5 | Uncanny Dodge
Spellcraft? Only +8 but will give it a shot. Since not religion or arcane, assuming for now it is not a fiend and will give out Fire and Keen.
George whips his cestus like fanning a torch back to life. "Here comes the Hotstepper" The tip of the weapon starts to crackle in a low flame, while shades form around the group. Magical weapons become Flaming and Keen. Spirit Slam is +9 for 1d4+5. Unless adjacent melee 20% miss.
George reaches over to tap Coop's shoulder. "Installing Firewall"Protection vs evil, and will spend Timely Inspiration if needed. Then George heads to get under the canopy and near the walls.
@tetsu, ah... thought you did have evasion. yep, aoe with just a standard save for half. i'll update damage
@george, standard to start song, standard to cast prot evil, and then move? were you using a MP to cast prot evil?
Spellcraft:1d20 + 8 ⇒ (19) + 8 = 27
George:
This is the fabled chimera, Soltengrebbe. Long rumored as a pet to one of the higher ranking demons in the region. The speed and movement seem heightened for a creature of it's type, and you sense some sort of inner power, not unlike your own.
27 by itself was not a success to identify, but you had heard rumors back in Kenabres and this thing lines up with what the people there had said, so, i gave a small bonus
Tetsu shakes off the chill, but finds herself unsteady in the face of the monstrous beast, sending her shot wide.
George begins his rhythmic chant, bolstering his allies... before he ducks over towards some presumable safety.
The beast taps its claws before lurching forward and hammering away at the paladin. Claws scratching across metal, while horns and fangs try to puncture skin.
As the snow leopard and the dragon heads bite at Firas, a subtle green glow suffuses them. Their bites seem to latch on and start to crush the half-orc in his armor, sending a shock of pain through him.
Soltengrebbe
Tetsu 79/96
George 45/65
Soltengrebbe
Firas 14/98, fort save, dc19 or be staggered 2rds
Coop 48/81, will save with a +2 to suppress ongoing effect
half-orc Oath of the Crusade Paladin 7-Guardian 1 | HP 98/98 | AC 24* (11* touch, 23 FF, 22* CMD) | F/R/W 13/9*/11 | Perc +11| SMotive +5 | Resist Elec 20 | Threaten 10' with AoOs |smite 2/3 (+4/+7) | LoH 3/7 (3d6) | Divine Bond 0/1 (+1 for 7m) | Prepared: Paladin's Sacrifice, Divine Favor (+3), Hero's Defiance | 3/5 MP
fort save:1d20 + 13 ⇒ (10) + 13 = 23
swift to smite, 5ft step move to draw Radiance, standard for vital strike with power attack and spending a MP for mythic power attack to ignore the attack penalty for 1 min
If this thing counts as a dragon or a demon my damage increases by 7 or by 14 if the crit confirms. I will use an immediate for sudden block on the first hit against any of us.
Taking a heavy hit from Firas, the beast shrinks back slightly. Coop however finds no luck connecting with the tough creature.
It hops back away from the paladin and lets out another gout of its icy breath. angled down and to the right, the 40ft cone will just barely reach to George, and encompasses all 4 of you
Coop is able to avoid some of the frigid blast, throwing up a mental barrier to block out the remaining effect. George, Firas, and Tetsu are not so lucky, being sliced by the icy wind.
The half-orc, stumbles and drops to a knee, the color draining from his features, before collapsing. i see you have Hard To Kill, so you're not quite dead yet, but currently downed.
Tetsu considers her options, and realizing she can't do anything to help Firas and can only help Coop, drops the bow, quickdraws her ranseur and charges the creature, with a swift to activate the Natural Armor property of the ranseur.
If it attacks via melee either Coop or I, use 1 Mythic for Sudden Block and give the attack option to Coop. Also, I don't think you accounted for Cold Resist 5 for either breath weapon
Male Half-orc SW Skald 6/PS Oracle (Lore) 1/Mythic 1 | HP 65/65 | AC 20 (15 touch, 15 FF, 17 CMD) | F/R/W 9/9/11 | Perc +4 | SMotive +17 | Song 18/day |Skald 4*/6/4|Oracle 4*/5 | Uncanny Dodge
"I'm the lyrical gansta" Spending the point to keep it going. Not sure George noticed fire did not work, but no good choices. If someone wants a change, holler out. Please use the slam if you can, especially since Shaken is out there. The damage will add up slowly.
George cautiously moves a bit closer to the action. "I'm so lucky lucky, I'm so lucky lucky" Mythic Rally. Allies within 30 feet can reroll any one d20 roll after the roll is made, keeping new roll. All of you. Pick wisely.
Will use Timely Inspiration the first one that calls it. It gives a +2 competence, so should stack with everything out there.
Tetsu makes a bold move rushing the creature, but her swing goes wide. George calls out, trying to help his allies, while giving himself a little relief from the pain.
Soltengrebbe chuffs and then attempts to blitz Coop. In a rage, the monstrous beast knocks the large occultist to the ground as well. It then slides forward, looming over Tetsu.
The abrupt attack from Coop was easily avoided by the dragon head. After the violent attack on the occultist, the beast seems to inflate itself and speaks.
Soltengrebbe, -83, shaken 1
Tetsu 7/96, fort save DC19 or be staggered 1rd
George 22/65
Soltengrebbe
Firas -1/98, stable, unconscious
Coop -1/81, stable, unconscious
Tetsu steps back and whips the ranseur around at Soltengrebbe. The blow deflecting slightly, and with a bit less power than anticipated. With one target slipping away, another advancing to the side, and a third disappearing, the beast takes a step back and breathes out its frosty breath again, to keep it's foes in check.
unfortunately the only spot that i can be to hit Tetsu and George takes the blast right through the squares of those that are downed.
Even unconscious, Coop resists some of the effect from the icy wind, but the cold proves to be too much for the group.
Soltengrebbe stomps it's feet, and looks around for a brief moment before letting out its terrifying shriek. Buildings shake and widows rattle in their frames, before the mythical beast digs in for a hearty meal.
I suppose a proper send off is in order. I’d post it to the discord, but then not everyone would be able to see it.
I’d like to thank everyone for playing and participating in the game. I know it ended on a bit of a sour note. Unfortunate, but sometimes the dice are fickle and the odds swing one way or the other.
With that said, I hope everyone finds and plays more games out there. Enjoy folks :)
