Giant Slayer beer and pretzels (Inactive)

Game Master drbuzzard

Crastor gives up his heavy armor in exchange for his chain shirt and leans against the mass trying to stay out of the way as much as possible from those working.

Orthan, Kurgan and Kaluul are at the rail pulling in the fishing net with one of the crewmen. The rail snaps. I need Reflex saves from those 3.

Reflex: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5 <sigh.>

Ref: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 10

Unsteady on his feet due to the water (or so he would claim), Kurgan was not exactly what one would call helpful. He was brute forcing the pulling of the net and was in no way ready for it breaking…

If Biruta has any discomfort or complaints about boarding a ship, she says nothing to suggest it. She does ask Captain Bloodtusk a few questions though, mostly about his business. She asks whether he tends to carry cargoes or passengers mostly, what kinds of cargoes are most common, and whether there are any settlements along the river that they will pass.

She settles in easily enough after stowing her belongings. When it comes to work assignments, Biruta angles for lookout first, since she is more familiar with the surface world in general than the others she's traveling with. If that fails, cooking is next, she's done a fair amount of it before.

Diplomacy (make a good impression with Bloodtusk): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (7) + 6 = 13

Reflex: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (13) + 5 = 18

As the boat railing snaps under the weight of the dwarves' toil, Kaalul braces his feet as best he can on the deck and tries to lean away from the fall in front of him.

Only Kaalul is able to keep is footing with the inopportune failure of the sections of railingg. Orthoon and Kurgan drop into the drink. You see a number of crocs come swimming in their direction.

We need initiative rolls.

Crocodiles
init: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 = 8 they appear to be going in a while

Initiative: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (20) + 4 = 24
Well, Orthoon has a -5 to Swim checks due to his Armor Check Penalty. So this will be fun.

Swim: 1d20 + 2 - 5 ⇒ (16) + 2 - 5 = 13 Considering the river is likely Rough Water, Orthoon doesn't make the Swim DC 15, but he could still move a quarter of his speed toward the boat as a move action.

Struggling to stay above water, Orthoon makes a plead to The Accidental God to give him strength, casting bull's strength on himself.

Init: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 = 8

Initiative: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (13) + 4 = 17

False Life: 1d10 + 4 ⇒ (7) + 4 = 11

Dolgrym sees his comrades fall over and begins moving toward the rail.

Init: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 2 = 10

Initiative: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 = 8

”Foooook…” He cursed as he went overboard.

Initiative: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (10) + 4 = 14

Kaalul mutters a prayer of thanks to Torag for dwarves' low center of gravity, but then scowls when he hears splashes as the Kegstalker brothers fall overboard.

Biruta quickly looks around for some rope so she can get a line to the brothers in the water.

Biruta quickly looks around for some rope so she can get a line to the brothers in the water.

As it is a sailing vessel, there is coiled rope handy within reach.

Biruta quickly ties a large double knot at the end of the rope she grabs since it will give it some heft for throwing it out some distance. Next she checks where each dwarf is in the water related to each other and the ship.

If one is farther away from the ship, she will throw for the more distant of the two so the closer of the two can also grab ahold as the rope is being pulled in. If the brothers are roughly the same distance from the ship, she will run several feet down opposite the ship's direction of travel before throwing. That way the rope will be pulled closer to the dwarves as it continues to move past them, giving them extra time to see and grab it before it's gone by.

"Alright! Listen up everyone!' Biruta yells out as she's readying the rope and the throw. "I need people to help pull them in when they've grabbed the rope! I also need a couple of people to be pointers, showing them where the rope is in the water! They may not be able to see the rope easily down in the water!"

"Get this ship stopped, we need a bit of time!"

The idea here is to try to get them both with a single throw rather than having to do it twice.

Move action- grab rope.
Standard action- tie knots into rope. You are done for the round.

One of the crewman drops anchor in response to Biruta's request.

Orthboon: 24 (in the water)
Biruta: 17
Kaalul: 14
Dolgrym: 10
Crastor: 8
Kurgan: 8 (in the water)
Grumpy: ?

*********

"Good plan," Kaalul announces to Biruta. He calls down to the Kegstalkers, "Stay near each other; we'll throw a rope."

Kaalul eyes the crocodiles in the river. Were they merely giant beasts, or something more?

Knowledge (nature): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (17) + 6 = 23

He unlimbers his modified crossbow and pulls out set of five bolts. Once loaded, his repeating heavy crossbow can fire each bolt without taking the time to reload the weapon between each shot. He begins the process of loading the bolts into the weapon.

Move action for drawing a weapon and another for retrieving a stored item (bolts)

Grumpy's Initiative roll: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (11) + 7 = 18

lacking the strength to pull a big 'ol dwarf out of the water, the Grump will plink the northernmost croc:

primary attack with crossbow: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (11) + 9 = 20
if AC 20 hits, then 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7 points of damage...

Dolgrym tries to give the swimmers some cover by shooting at the closest creature.

Mwk. Longbow (Str +3): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (18) + 7 = 25 Damage: 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (8) + 3 = 11

The crocodiles are crocodiles.

Large neutral animals.
Special attacks- grab, death roll.

Nothing else of note.

Grumpy and Dolgrym hits their marks

everyone (who has not gone yet) can go before the Crocs.

Kurgan needs a swim check.

Round 1
Swim (bull's strength): 1d20 + 2 + 4 - 5 ⇒ (2) + 2 + 4 - 5 = 3
Orthoon goes under the water, holding his breath. The dwarven cleric does his best to swim to the boat.

Swim: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (7) + 3 = 10

Unarmed and unarmored, there was naught the dwarf could do to defend himself. Panicking, he flopped around in the water, brute forcing himself back towards the ship. Drowning was very low on the list of acceptable ways to die!

Round 1

Crastor prepares to grab onto the rope after Biruta throws it to help tug those in the water back in.

Aid Other with the strength check to drag them back in.

Strength Check to Aid Other: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (13) + 3 = 16

Two of the dwarves apparenetly skipped the free swimming lessons at the YDMA (Young Dwarves of Moradin Association) and are sinking like boat anchors.

The crocs, being simple gentle, hungry creatures move in to give aid, otherwise known as biting. Two of them charge since they are closer, and hungrier.

Croc 1 (going from left to right)
note, I leave off enemy bonuses to hit so you can figure it out yourselves eventually
to hit: 1d20 ⇒ 20 damage: 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5 grab: 1d20 ⇒ 13
to confirm: 1d20 ⇒ 6 damage: 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8

Croc 2
to hit: 1d20 ⇒ 4 damage: 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (8) + 4 = 12 grab: 1d20 ⇒ 12

Orthoon is bit, but not critted, though he is grabbed by the critter's jaws. He takes 5 damage.

The second croc is a bit klutzy and just bonks his snout on Kurgan, in a seemingly, but probably not playful manner.

Back to the PCs.

I'm not sure which direction the ship is moving in relation to the map. That is, it could be moving in a roughly northeasterly or southwesterly direction, or for that matter it could be roughly immobile since the anchor has been dropped. Because of this, I won't move my token on the map. Instead I'll describe what any movement should do so my token can be moved accordingly.

Biruta moves to position herself before throwing the rope. She locates herself so the movement of the ship carries the rope closer to the dwarves in the water rather moving it farther away from them. She then throws the rope out, aiming for a spot where both dwarves can reach it.

Throw (ranged attack on a map square?): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (15) + 7 = 22

So, move action to position if needed, standard action to throw the rope.

The ship is not moving for the simple reason that the encounter assumes it stops since to do otherwise would be a PITA.

You are able to throw the rope where you want it.

Kurgan can grab the rope on his turn. Orthoon can try to grab it with one arm, but at a penalty due to being grappled (Orthoon has to role, Kurgan doesn't). .

Round 2
Swim (bull's strength): 1d20 + 2 + 4 - 5 ⇒ (5) + 2 + 4 - 5 = 6
<sigh> Orthoon is still underwater, and fighting for his life. The dwarven pulls his waraxe and tries to make the crocodile let him go.

MW Dwarven Waraxe: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (17) + 9 = 26
Dmg.: 1d10 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 3 + 2 = 7

The moment that the Crocodile grabs one of his companions, Crastor speaks a word and Orthoon seems to twist and squirm!

I cast Liberating Command as an Immediate Action before Orthoon would go and that gives him an Escape Artist check at +8 vs the CMD of the Croc. Sadly, I did not post this 10 minutes earlier.

Once they are both on he starts dragging the rope to get them out.

Strength to Aid: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (13) + 3 = 16

Escape Artist: 1d20 - 3 + 8 ⇒ (5) - 3 + 8 = 10

Oh well, I doubt that frees you anyway.

Swim: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 3 = 7

”Broth-“ He called out, causing him to swallow water. Panicking he quickly began to sink.

You are able to grab the rope at least Kurgan.

Seeing the crocs engaging his comrades he aims a little more carefully as he fires trying to hit the one he did last time.

Mwk. Longbow (Str +3): 1d20 + 6 - 4 ⇒ (19) + 6 - 4 = 21 Damage: 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5

Hit.

Hit. The croc seems to be quite injured.

Kaalul frantically finishes loading his repeating crossbow.

Full round action.

Nobody appears to be interested in grabbing the rope. Perhaps something else needs to be tried.

One of the sailors speaks up "I'll go in after them if you can clear out those crocs."

Biruta casts a glance about at all the small minds all around her. They seem to think this is about killing crocodiles, which it certainly is not. There's no need to bother with the crocodiles at all if there's nobody in the water to be eaten by them. Besides there are, by her count, four crocs, too many to kill before the brothers are dead.

"What about 'help me pull then in', BY PULLING ON THIS ROPE WITH ME, did you not understand? Do you want to help them or not?"

Biruta starts pulling Kurgan in.

Grabbing the rope, the dwarf tried to call out for his brother to be saved. All that came out was gurgling and coughing as his lungs took on a life of their own as the water was forcefully expelled.

Round 3
Swim, bull's strength: 1d20 + 2 + 4 - 5 ⇒ (19) + 2 + 4 - 5 = 20
"BAAH!" Orthoon gasps as he finally makes it to the surface, still grappled by the crocodile.

"Farking..lizzard!!"
MW Dwarven Waraxe: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (12) + 9 = 21
Dmg.: 1d10 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 3 + 2 = 7

Biruta is very relieved to see Orthoon break the surface of the water. She shouts out to him.

"Grab ahold of the rope!"

She hopes his brother will urge him to do the same.

Orthoon hits the croc which is chewing on him again.

Orthoon sputters in the water. "AS SOON AS I GET THIS FARKING CROC OFFA ME!!"

round 2
Grumpy steps up behind Dolgrym, and tries a DEADLY AIM shot at the croc that Orthoon just chopped into:

primary attack with crossbow: 1d20 + 9 - 2 ⇒ (12) + 9 - 2 = 19 . I think that hits...
but only does 1d8 + 1 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 1 + 4 = 6 points of damage...

being surprisingly scrawny for a dwarf (ST=10), El Grumpo realizes if he tries grabbing rope, he is more likely to wind up with himself pulled into the water, rather than helping pull one of his heavily armored cousins out...

(Grumpy has Point-Blank Shot -- so if his position behind Dolgrym puts the Bolt Ace within 30' of his target, please add one to the damage done)

You hit, it is outside of 30' so 6 damage. This makes the croc release Orthoon and it slowly drifts away with the current.

The other one takes a bite at Kurgan.

to hit: 1d20 ⇒ 8 damage: 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10 grab: 1d20 ⇒ 15

This one hits the unarmored dwarf and latches on (grappled).

The other 2 swim over, but don't want to get into the middle of their fellow's meal.

Back to the PCs.