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I came up with 26 after that last barrage. Did you perhaps count damage from attacks that missed? Perhaps I did. I'll go with what you come up with since I can't seem to get it right. Though I've totally forgotten what my total healthy number should be. I'm sorry. I suck at this.Today just isn't a good thinking day for me. I'll explain why things like this happen sometime if you like.
Okay, I'm confused. I did some math, and my tally shows you having taken 26 damage so far. Did you have some unhealed damage going into this fight or something? Maybe I miscalculated. I did the math twice and ended up at 28 damage before the last and final attack. I'll recheck, but either way I'm below 0. You're right. It was 26. I'm at -6.
I'm down, at -6 HP.
Desperate and hampered by the webbing, I swing my morningstar for what may be the last time. ,
Growing desperate, I take a 5 foot step back and cast Magic Missile.
"Bloody Hells!", I grab the morningstar from its loop on Rosie's saddle and take a look at the thing. But even as I'm trying to figure out what it is I take my weapon and swing overhand as hard as possible.
So it's like a typical day here in Arkansas... lol
Winded by the effort, but grateful beyond words to have my companion is safe and sound, I check her over for injuries again and take stock of the situation. The rain could go on for hours or days, making the cliff line more dangerous, and the forest could add extra time to the trip. I watch more mud slowly slide down from the top and decide to turn around and head back to the forest. It'll slow me down and likely have unforeseen dangers, but at least falling won't be one of them. If it were just me on foot I'd try the cliff line again, but I can't risk losing a horse (not only is she my companion she also belongs to the Hellbenders and I'd be liable for the cost of replacing her). The forest trail it is.
I take my rope and tie it to Rosie's saddle horn. I then turn and as carefully as possible begin to slowly make my way up the slope to find something solid or at least heavy enough to secure the other end to. Then, with our combined strength I hope to pull her up the rest of the way.
Very carefully, I stand and slog my way through the mud to take her bridle in my hand and, taking a long deep breath, begin trying to lead her through the muck and to a safer edge of the landslide. I know that if I fall I have a way of saving myself. It's her I'm more concerned about.
Working the folding shovel from my backpack, I carefully dismounted and make a few experimental attempts with it. Knowing I need to work fast, I began digging and pushing mud aside and away from her. If things start to go badly I'm not sure what I'll do yet.
Not seeing anything useful, I try to urge Rosie forward, to see how badly stuck she might be.
I look around for a small, stable looking outcropping of rock, a large boulder, or tree still rooted in the ground within 15 feet.
"DAMMIT!" I shout, pulling my weapon and swinging it at the creature. ,
Angrily, I mutter "I hate bugs!" before casting my last damaging spell, Magic Missile at it. I could try and swat it with my morningstar, but might also lose my balance and fall into the mud, which would certainly be disadvantageous. Magic Missile
Trapped in the muck, I cast Burning Hands in hopes of wounding them or at least driving them back.
It might be late tonight or even tomorrow before I get to post my turn. Real world stuff interfering.
Not wanting to backtrack, I put on my cloak and pull up the hood, keeping the rain out of my eyes as best I can. Securing the spellbook back in the saddle bag, we continue on along the cliff line, ever more alert for the sound of falling rocks. I know this is a dangerous route, but for some reason I feel time is of the essence. Another rock slide could cover the ruins once again.
Frustrated by the thick forest, I decide to head west and follow the cliff line rather than take a chance on getting lost in the woods. I'll just have to be extra watchful for rock slides. After studying the map a bit, I turn Rosie westward and proceed fairly slowly, picking our way along the edge of the tangled forest making our way to the cliffs.
After leading Rosie about by the bridle for awhile and looking for a safe place to cross, I sigh and give up. Knowing she could easily get stuck crossing the wide flooded shallows I look for a place where the rapids gradually widen out but before the stream enters into the broad, swampy area. Mounting up, I slowly ease Rosie into the stream, doing my best to look ahead in the churning water for safe passage between the rocks.
Mildly winded from encounter, I poke at the beetles with the head of my morningstar and decide they're not worth any more time. I look around for a suitable campsite, preferably with a high stone or under a ledge so that my back is at least covered. If not, any fairly level place will do. Finding a decent spot, I first unsaddle Rosie and drive a stout wooden stake into the ground on which to secure her reins so that she doesn't wander off in the night. Deciding it's warm enough to not worry about a fire, I eat a supper of dried beef and dried fruit and try to plan out the next day and what I'll do if the river is too dangerous to cross.
"Oh, damn it!" I curse out loud. Using my Spell Combat Magus ability, I swing my morningstar at one beetle and cast magic missile in the same round, sending one missile each at two of the others. , Magic Missile 1
Cleaving Attack ,
Not fancying camping on the banks of a muddy stream, and with the possibility of Dog Foot Creek being too high to cross now I decide, somewhat reluctantly, to take the longer detour into the highlands. I'll worry about the rapids when I get there. Looking at the map, I'm hopeful a bridge marked on the map is still intact. I might be able to cross there, if it hasn't washed out, though I wouldn't attempt that until tomorrow when I have full light. So, with a little luck I'll make the foothills by sunset or just past, make camp there, and head on toward the crossing at first light.
Hopefully equipped with everything I'll need I point Rosie's nose northward and walk her past the city gate where I then push her into a trot, hoping to eat up some distance before having to make camp. I figure I'll make the edge of the grasslands or maybe a little further by sunset where I can make camp near a small stream indicated on the map. Dog Foot Creek, it's called. I've crossed it many times before, but always with a cohort of the Hellbenders. I'm a little apprehensive about crossing the grasslands alone for the first time, as the tall grass hides hunting cats and the occasional bandit gang, though the latter are fairly scarce these days. Nevertheless, I press Rosie onward. She's a good, strong horse, fleet and sure of foot. She's one of the fastest in the Hellbenders' stables so I'm fairly confident that if need be I can outrun anyone I can't out fight.
“Thank you, sir. I’ll get started right away”. I roll up the map and leave his office, my heart beating rapidly. I walk quickly across the training grounds to the barracks, making mental lists of things I’ll need. I’ll also have to get my horse, Rosie, shod before leaving, as well. I take a detour away from the barracks and walk to the smithy. Peering into the smoke and wincing from the clamor of hammers on steel, I look for Karamis, one of the farriers. Spotting him, I call out, “Karamis! It’s Ardishir! Can you do me a favor? I’m leaving on a mission soon and need new shoes on my horse.” Karamis was my age and started at the Shining Academy a year after I did. He opted to stay on the grounds of the Academy and learn “a useful trade” rather than go gallivanting about the countryside digging up ruins and getting chased by things.
"Sir, if you'll approve a few days of the leave I've got coming, I'd like to investigate the site on my own, at my own expense. I have a feeling about it that something just might be worth my, er, the time." I look at him expectantly, doing my best to sound professional but at the same time hiding my hopeful eagerness that he'll approve the leave.
Ah yes, The List. lol
Ok, so I added the following: 6 potions of cure light
I like it! I'll start figuring out how to get this started, and hopefully have the opening Gameplay post up tomorrow-ish. In the meantime, it looks like you've got some shopping to do for that other two grand you've got sitting there; looks to me like a +1 cloak of resistance and +1 armor would be a good fit, or maybe some wands/scrolls, but it's up to you. Right on. I didn't want to buy any magic doohickey's w/out your say so. I'll get started on it!
I've written a brief background on Ardishir. Let me know what you think of it and if I need to change anything to fit your setting.
Good catch on the armor. I guess I wasn't thinking when I picked it out. I fixed it. I'll work on the background tomorrow. I have to hit the hay pretty soon so I'll think about it some more. And I'll certainly link the horse's stats for you. I'll think about the STR/DEX scores, too. I didn't want to make them too high as you said to just pick my stats. In my actual games, my players tend to have pretty high stats as they're my homebrew's versions of superheroes and therefore a cut above the general population. But we use a nonstandard method of rolling up characters that results in high numbers. But I know not every GM likes super characters, so I purposely held them down a bit. But if you think it's ok I might bump them up a notch. Have great evening and I'll have more for you tomorrow.
Ok, this is DMCal, posting with the alias I'll be playing under. Please take a look at what I have so far. The Perception and Sense Motive scores are low because they're not Magus skills. I've not done his background yet as I figure you have some history for the campaign that I might need to add into it. If not, I'll have something tomorrow. Let me know what you think and if I need to change or add anything!
The original "Elric" saga by Michael Moorcock could be made into an epic miniseries for the right cable network. |