"Fists of the Ruby Phoenix" (Campaign) w/ DM rainzax

Game Master rainzax

Cirri / Players,
I added a "Survey Wildlife" function to the Hexploration subsystem - you can check it out in the "Campaign Info" Tab!

Adding Retraining with Ingdani to Hexploration in "Campaign Info"!

Wow! You guys really suck at Perception rolls :)

Should we be putting our tokens on the new map? I take it we're at point A1a if the webs are anything to go by.

It's just... first encounter jitters, is all.

But since you volunteered to go first, enjoy!

Going last is like going first in the second round. :P

Alright gang, first combat!

Another special request set:

1) Please make liberal use of the action symbols: (◆), (◆◆), (◆◆◆), (◇), (↺)
2) This includes Reactions, as well as some help text about under what circumstances you will use them
3) When using special abilities, for the first few combats, please include links/text as I learn your characters' capabilities

Here are some examples of when I am a player in other people's games!

Example 1
Example 2
Example 3
Example 4
Example 5

Let me know if you have any questions. Cheers!

The spells that Cirry and Yagon are trying to cast have pretty long durations, I think it would be reasonable for them to have cast them before entering combat.

Right. Two of those spells last 8 hours and one lasts all day. I would have wanted to cast them when we were at the entrance to the temple, but didn't get a chance as you put us inside in the very same post.

Right. Two of those spells last 8 hours and one lasts all day. I would have wanted to cast them when we were at the entrance to the temple, but didn't get a chance as you put us inside in the very same post.

Slick has a Wand of Level 2 Longstrider which he casts during his daily preparations. The 8 hour duration usually gets him through the whole day.

You might want to think about doing the same thing with these "all-day" cast-once-and-forget spells of yours.

Are we allowed to meta-game tactics during an encounter? I'll presume we are unless otherwise told.

For example, Slick is trying to get around to the north of the spiders so that he can provide flanking and avoid being flanked himself. Once in position, he'll probably lob a Fireball at them to wake them up.

By the way, what is this temple made of? Stone I presume, except perhaps for the doors, right? I'd hate for the Fireball to burn the place down. That would definitely take care of the giant bug problem, but it would make using it as our headquarters a little awkward. How about the webs? They'll burn, right?

Players,
For some fights there will be "prep time" and for others there will not.
Also, let's take it easy on the backseat GMing please - we are going to be playing together for a long time and you will have to learn to trust me.
=)

One more thing.

Slick has the Clever Improviser feat that reads: You gain the Untrained Improvisation general feat. In addition, you can attempt skill actions that normally require you to be trained, even if you are untrained.

Would this apply to things like the (◇) Trained in Nature or Medicine from your post? I didn't want to assume it did.

I apologize if I came across as trying to backseat GM; I think we just ran into an assumption clash, which isn't unexpected since we're still getting used to each other. :)

My Recall Knowledge question for each creature. What is its AC and saves?

...or is that two (or maybe 5) questions?

All good!

That said, the kind of "backseat GMing" I do appreciate is keeping me honest in my trackers. If you see something missing that occured (forgot to subtract HPs, remove a Saving Throw reminder, notate that a character cast Shield, etc) please don't hesitate to speak up.

...

@"Temple Material" (Slick) - Stone.
@"Metagaming"? (Slick) - within reason, which I leave to you to judge.
@"Clever Improvisor"? (Slick) - yes you can open "trained" spoilers per the text.

GM, heads up on my next turn: I will cast >Animal Form<(Heightened to 5th level) assuming I don't get in trouble before my turn. I'm planning to transform into an ape and engage the spider in melee combat.

I cast Freedom of Movement before. If I climb up the webbing, will I get stuck in the webs (and need an action to escape?)

I will also use >Healing Transformation< to heal myself before I cast >Animal Form<.

I'm just giving a heads up.

EDIT: Guess it's my turn, now.

Billy: Which color Spider

Black.

I will always include the targeted enemy in my attack roll line. Also, as part of my post, I'll use in-game descriptions.

For example, from my previous post:

"...and casts Magic Missile at the near spider."
Magic Missile (5th) + IC vs. Black

Do you want me to indicate it somewhere else instead?

3rd level. I got distracted after taking my turn so I hadn't updated the status line.

One correction to your tracker. My AC is 30, 31 with shield.

Long day! Incomplete Post to move game along - will do "cleanup" post tomorrow!

Wouldn't Slick's shield cantrip have hardness 15, just like Yagon's? Your cantrips should auto-heighten to half your level rounded up, which for us is 6th.

I'll try to grapple and pull the spider down, so everyone can melee it.

Wouldn't Slick's shield cantrip have hardness 15, just like Yagon's? Your cantrips should auto-heighten to half your level rounded up, which for us is 6th.

Ah, you're right. I was just going by Slick's highest level spell slot, but that's not correct. Thanks. 5 fewer hp to worry about.

You may have noticed Slick taking the long way around to get behind the purple spider. It turns out that he could have gotten into flanking position one round earlier and gotten another Strike in if he'd instead run under the gargantuan spider as per the Moving Through the Space of Creatures of Different Sizes rules: In most cases, you can move through the space of a creature at least three sizes larger than you (Table 9-1). This means a Medium creature can move through the space of a Gargantuan creature and a Small creature can move through the space of a Huge creature. Likewise, a bigger creature can move through the space of a creature three sizes smaller than itself or smaller. You still can’t end your movement in a space occupied by a creature.

So if you find your medium-sized self wanting to get around the spider, then feel free to move through it as long as you end that movement outside the spider's space. You can string multiple move actions together if you can't get to the other side in one Stride.

On the other hand, it also means that the spider can move right on past your medium-sized self as long as it can get clear of you in the process.

What is the link/text for Guiding Luck?

My apologies. I blame it on my late-night post. But it shouldn't happen again. Unless I forget again.

Here's the link: Guiding Luck

Also, rainzax, 2 other things:

1) I don't believe the Combat Tracker includes Billy's 34 Force Damage vs. Black (from Magic Missile). As mentioned in my previous post, please let me know if you'd like me to identify the enemy in a different way. But I'll typically include the target in my attack roll, unless you tell me otherwise.

2) Billy's Chromatic Ray spell requires a Fort Save DC 30, or Enfeebled. I included the following in my post:

Fort Save DC 30, or Enfeebled 1 for 1 minute (Enfeebled 2 on a crit fail)

P.S. Billy whispers to Cirri: If you can remain in your current position, I'll be able to administer some Battle Medicine. So other than getting up, try not to move. :)

I figured which spider I was attacking was obvious from the map. Purple is also the only one I could reach in melee.

I did even mention it in my post:

Yagon advances hoping to finish off the spider on the ground.

The joy of reading Discussion threads before Gameplay. I guess I'm prone?

*Reads gameplay* Oof. Growing big makes you a big target.

Does grappling a creature let me move the grappled creature, or do I have to spend an action to reposition them?

Cirri is Huge thanks to Animal Form, so she can grapple creatures Gargantuan size or smaller. Also she has >Titan Wrestler< so she could grapple even colossal creatures right now.

Grabbed and Shove don't actually interact in a way that's helpful (someone trying to Shove someone you've Grabbed would also need to beat your Athletics DC to break the Immobilized condition).

@Cirri - here is the link for Grapple

So no biggie, but I'm at Dying 3, and poisoned, and bleeding out.

I have a +21 Fort Save vs DC 30, so it will be worth a hero point to reroll that.

Remember that your position in Initiative moves to just before the spider's next turn, and you don't take the persistent damage (or make a recovery check) until the end of that turn, so everyone else in the party gets to take a turn before your dying condition will increase.

Remember that your position in Initiative moves to just before the spider's next turn, and you don't take the persistent damage (or make a recovery check) until the end of that turn, so everyone else in the party gets to take a turn before your dying condition will increase.

One correction. A recovery check happens at the start of your turn. But yes, everyone else should get a turn to intervene first. Yagon can't heal anyone other than himself.

Whoops, yeah. Either way, not yet.

How about the following approach.
1) Billy heals Cirri and then moves well back
2) Cirri stands and follows Billy well out of reach of the spider
3) Aoibhean smacks the spider and then steps back until she's out of range of the spider but standing between the spider and Billy/Cirri in case the spider decides to head that way.

If the spider doesn't come down, then we used our ranged weapons/spells until it comes down, runs away, or dies. If it comes down to the ground, then Slick, Yagon and Aoibhean will chop it up into pieces.

The important thing is to keep Cirri above 0 hp until the persistent bleeding is over. As Billy knows well (*cough* Plaguestone *cough*) you do not want the Wounded with Persistent Bleeding to pick up the Dying condition; It's pretty much game over at that point, Hero Points or not. So Cirri and Billy must keep Cirri conscious until her bleeding stops.

Agreed. I'm waiting to see what Billy does before I act.

Just read all these Discussion posts now. After I posted in Gameplay. We'll just hope for the best. Even so, he would've wanted to sing before backing away. Although, to be fair, he's normally in favor of any plan that helps preserve his rugged good looks.

Just read all these Discussion posts now. After I posted in Gameplay. We'll just hope for the best. Even so, he would've wanted to sing before backing away. Although, to be fair, he's normally in favor of any plan that helps preserve his rugged good looks.

Tomorrow’s Ruby Phoenix Gazette:

Bard Sacrifices Self for Team

In the middle of battle, the famous Billy Bardy of Cirri’s Corsairs bravely nursed his team captain back to consciousness after she went down under a barrage of attacks from both a gargantuan spider and a huge dinosaur. He then refused to retreat and used the last of his soon to be curtailed life to buff his teammates. What a brave soul our Billy was. He will not be soon forgotten.

And now onto other news…

I'll dunk your body into a Healing Spring, Billy. Assuming the spider doesn't run away with it.

Covid is going through our house. I'm fairly certain I have it, but I won't get my test results back for another day or two. I'm not feeling all that well today, so I may be slow in posting.

I hope you feel better. We should have this in the bag soon...

Uh, Aoibhean? Pretty sure the spider has Reach, which means that you are not out of its reach with that Step. I'd Stride the heck out of there instead, or at least move one more square.

Because of its elevation, we were 10 feet away from each other even though we were directly adjacent on the map. If that didn't actually take me out of its reach, though, then I'd ask Rainzax to adjust the action so that I move far enough that I am not within its reach.

Giving Aoibhean until the end of the edit window, then advancing our game as posted!

From where I'm at now, am I 10 or 15 feet away from the spider? We were 10 feet apart before I moved.

Based on the Size, Space, and Reach rules, it looks like Gargantuan creatures have a default reach of 15-20 feet. This one has at least reach 10 (and is yet to show more than that), which means it can reach at least 2 squares diagonally.

With the spider 10 feet up, we need to deal with Pythagoras, but even so, you may want to give yourself an extra square or two of space there, perhaps more. We want to give the spider room to come on down.

I'm assuming it only has a reach of 10 feet since that's the distance it closed to in order to attack, but I've just gone and adjusted the action to move further away.

Well, that was fun. Almost died in my first high level encounter. I think otherwise, Slick was hit once?

I need to get used to these DCs, they're pretty beefy.