Xylian steps behind Jin to get a better sight on the plant, conveniently passing behind the goblinoid just as the plant emits some kind of defensive flash of light, and squeezes off an accurate shot of supercooled ice shards at the mutant fern.
Cabizo keeps getting sold defective pistols, as his attempt with the laser gun also fails.
The fronds and tentacles of the moonflower retract protectively as the trunk of the mutant plant swells and then bursts forth a large, fibrous pod! The silhouette of someone trapped inside the pod can be seen moving about, trying to escape, and muffled screams of agony can be heard over the sound of the battle!
The dark green circle to the north of the moonflower is the pod. The moonflower has done total defense this round while expelling it, but now has room for more prey--so watch out!
Male NG Kanabo Guard Soldier 7 | SP 56/56 HP 33/55 | RP 8/6 | EAC 16; KAC 18 | Fort +6; Ref +4; Will +6 | Init: +2 | Perc: +11, SM: +1, Darkvision 60 ft. | Speed 25ft | 1/day — disguise self, supercharge weapon; Frenzied Fighting: +3 melee dmg, will save and -1 AC, +7 temp HP | Coordinated Shot, Lunge, Fire Resistance 7, Piercing DR 7
Aware of the creature's eating habits, Jin decides to hold his position! He grabs the returning disk, moves a bit to the south for better positioning and throws it again:
Sopranino singing disk vs. EAC:1d20 + 8 ⇒ (3) + 8 = 11 Sonic damage:1d4 + 9 ⇒ (4) + 9 = 13
Male Telia Mechanic (Experimental Armor Prototype) 7 / Soldier 1 (Blitz) Tinker SP 81/81 HP 55/55 RP 8/8 EAC 19 KAC 21 INIT +5 SPD 35' FORT +10 REF +6 WILL +7 PER +16 60' Darkvision Resistance (cold and fire) 5
Hani checks his stance and optimizes the settings on his armor.
Using a move action to calibrate defenses. This gives Hani a +1 AC shield bonus vs. the mutant plant.
Hani fights carefully as he probes the defenses of the creature. "HEY! Why don't you try to swallow me! Once you get past my shell, I'm delicious!"
Going on full defense this round. This will be an additional +6 to AC due to Hani's racial abilities. For those of you keeping score at home, he is EAC 20 / KAC 22 this round (and he has extra HP from last rounds activation of his energy shield).
Xylian rushes to the south, hopping over a low wall and landing on the far side where he has a better line of sight. Bracing his carbine against the wall, he squeezes off another shot.
Cabizo's laser blast dissipates harmlessly against the moist fiber of the moonflower. It then rears up and tries to chomp into Hani, but the telia swats it away!
Male Telia Mechanic (Experimental Armor Prototype) 7 / Soldier 1 (Blitz) Tinker SP 81/81 HP 55/55 RP 8/8 EAC 19 KAC 21 INIT +5 SPD 35' FORT +10 REF +6 WILL +7 PER +16 60' Darkvision Resistance (cold and fire) 5
Hani steps over with the "seed" and grabs it.
Can I guarded step, grab the pod, and make a move action? If so, I think he'll move 20' away with the pod. If not, he'll be in the square with the pod for this round.
Cabizo gets out his knife, ready to cut the seed pod open the second it's clear of the moonflower's grasping vines and maw. The barathu inside is clearly struggling, and time is of the essence!
Botting Cabizo. Move action to draw survival knife, ready an action to attack the seed pod if it gets adjacent.
The seed pod has an EAC & KAC, plus a certain number of hit points of damage that need to be inflicted to cut it open. Any successful attack against the seed pod will also deal some damage to the inhabitant unless you spend a full-round action to make a careful attack with a bladed weapon.
The moonflower's central stalk opens wide into a fang-like maw and bites down hard on Hani--and it won't let go!
Hani, you take 10 points of Bludgeoning damage. You are also grappled and at risk of being swallowed next round!
Grappled Condition:
You are restrained by a creature, effect, or trap. You can’t move, and you take a –2 penalty to your Armor Class, attack rolls, Reflex saving throws, initiative checks, and Dexterity-based skill and ability checks, except those made to grapple your opponent in turn or to escape a grapple. In addition, you can’t take actions that require two hands (or other limbs) to perform. You can’t make attacks of opportunity.
You can’t use Stealth to hide from the creature grappling you, even if a special ability allows you to hide when you normally couldn’t. If you become invisible, through a Spell or other ability, you gain a +2 circumstance bonus to your check to escape being grappled, but you receive no other benefit.
Xylian fires another blast of ice at the plant in an attempt get it to... duck into Jin's blades or something. It's a plant, its combat tactics are beyond the understanding of mortal men.
Harrying Fire (Jin):1d20 + 6 ⇒ (1) + 6 = 7 You can use your standard action to make a ranged attack that distracts a foe in your line of effect. Make an attack roll against AC 15. If you hit, you deal no damage, but the next ally to attack that foe gains a +2 circumstance bonus to her next attack roll, as long as that attack occurs before your next turn.
Male Telia Mechanic (Experimental Armor Prototype) 7 / Soldier 1 (Blitz) Tinker SP 81/81 HP 55/55 RP 8/8 EAC 19 KAC 21 INIT +5 SPD 35' FORT +10 REF +6 WILL +7 PER +16 60' Darkvision Resistance (cold and fire) 5
Doesn't look like I have a lot of options here. I can make an attack against the plants CMD to break the grapple, but that is almost certainly ungodly high. Hani would have no chance to break the grapple. With that in mind, he'll use one action to drop the pod, and a standard action to attack the mutant geranium (fishing for a 20).
Hani flops around as he is picked up and held by the creature. He lets go of the pod, attempting to toss it away from the plant.
When the opportunity presents itself, he slams his battleglove into the creature.
to hit with Prestine's penalty and grappled penalty:1d20 + 2 - 2 - 2 ⇒ (8) + 2 - 2 - 2 = 6
Cabizo hustles up on a piece of debris to get a good angle and opens fire again. The laser beam hits the moonflower square on, but isn't powerful enough to penetrate its thick hide!
Botting Cabizo. It's clear the moonflower has some resistance to fire.
With a sudden gulp, the moonflower swallows Hani completely!
Hani, you take 7 B and are swallowed. You still have the grappled condition.
Swallowed:
The target can attempt to cut its way out by dealing [__] points of damage (though any non-slashing damage deals only half normal damage) vs [EAC __, KAC __]. (If a target cuts its way out of the creature, the creature cannot use swallow hole again until that damage is healed.) A swallowed creature can also attempt to climb out, but must make both a grapple check against the creature’s internal KAC+8 and a [DC __] Athletics check to climb, and each of these actions take a full round. If both checks are successful, the targets ends up in an open square adjacent to the creature.
Jin and Xylian continue punching holes in the mutant moonflower. How much more punishment can it take? Meanwhile, Zharis carefully slices open the fibrous seed pod and saves the life of the acid-scarred barathu within.
Jin's and Xylian's attacks both hit, though Xylian's attack didn't do full damage. Good job getting the barathu out of the seed pod--another round would probably have killed him.
“There you go - right this way.” Cabizo walks over, grabs the merchant’s hand, and starts gently-but-firmly pulling him away from the still-angry plant. “I understand that there might be a lot of shock and confusion going on right now for you and a lot of stress chemicals rushing through your system, but right now the most important thing is to take a step back from the problem and take a deep, relaxing breath.”
Not really much Cabizo can do in this encounter I’m afraid. Moonflowers are usually weak to fire damage, so I was hopeful he’d be able to contribute more than just moral support. Oh well. XD
