Search Posts
I understand the feeling well. Thanks for playing and feel free to check back if you feel you can later. Even without Pyrrhus, the group is unusually strong. The addition of the dragonkin still makes the team very strong. It's summertime and hopefully the livin' is easy, so post when you can.
On the Table:
Malesinder:
Pyrrhus: Nevra: Talsune: Initiative Order:
The attack on the enemy supply depot starts in the middle of the night. Every nonflying participant is given a ride on a dragonkin. The attack goes as planned with the main force attacking a supply depot near General Malesinder's encampment. As planned, the general's guards join in the fight to preserve supplies, leaving the General alone near her tent. Before she can call in any reinforcements for her own protection, the force attacking her lands at the edge of her camp.
I'll set up the attack on the dragonkin general soon.
Sorry for the delay in posting. We had a storm on Thursday and it knocked out our power for about 30 hours and since then I've been busy with another project or two. Everyone should post something on the Gameplay thread to respond to the plan of Commander Pharamol to take out the Drakeland's general. I think you can succeed without much chance of anyone dying, but it would be a similar fight to others already conducted. You can agree and do the encounter, or agree but we can take it as read that you succeeded to keep things moving along, or you can decline and receive the double-headed eagle as a reward for help rendered, at which point we'll move on to the last part of the adventure, which is infiltrating a Drakeland fortress to locate the other Dancing Hut key. These adventures can be a chance to test how the Dragonkin/rider partnerships work out.
Talsune listens intently to Pemta, asks questions, and muses about how a partnership would work in various combat situations. "If we work as a partnership, your stealth will be perhaps limited by the impossibility for me to avoid notice. I suppose if you can go unnoticed as I threaten an enemy, they may think I have no rider and then you can strike unexpectedly. We would need to make a saddle that might not look like a saddle at first glance, so as to enhance your stealth." Talsune eventually agrees to partner with Pemta for a trial period, to see how it works out. The counsel meeting still wishes to resolve the question of whether the visitors and their new partners are willing to attempt to eliminate the dragonkin leader of the enemy armies while her position is known and her defenses may be drawn away by a diversionary attack.
I'll be away from home the next two nights, so I'll resume posting after that.
Nevra enthusiastically agrees to spend some time with Crasius to explore how well they work together. She says she will arrange a leave of absence from her seneschal duties. Talsune waits in confused silence as Pemta stammers and then falls silent. Crasius' words touch him and he smiles at Pemta. "We usually bond with larger humanoid types. Tell me about what you bring to a fight, so I can consider how we might make such a partnership work."
I'll look into options. At first, I'll run the dragonkin as NPCs.
The dragonkin explain that bonding happens in many ways. Sensing where this is heading, they focus on the ways that are relevant to their personal situations. Talsune says, "I bonded with Grithis after carrying her in an emergency that arose needing pairs of fighters. We worked together so well we bonded quickly and were gradually deepening our relationship. Sadly, she died fighting a year ago. Now I feel I am incomplete fighting without a partner." Nevra add, "I've done my duty as sheneshal and am ready to bond with someone and become more active in defense of our freedom. Talsune is right to point out that many pairs bond by fighting together to see how well they work together."
Long ago, there were no true dragons on Triaxus, Nevra explains. "There were dragonkin like us and also drakes. Then the True Dragons arrived and spread. The evil ones began to subjugate the drakes and dragonkin, as well as the other humanoids of the world. This happened in the Drakelands, which is west of these mountains. To the east are the Allied Territories, which were just various humanoid nations until the threat of the dragons forced them into a united federation to defend themselves. The battles were joined in these mountains and from that conflict came the Skyfire Mandate, a union between the dragons and dragonkin who could not tolerate the enslavement to the Drakelands rulers and the most aggressive defenders of the Allied Territories. This situation evolved into some dragonkin and some humanoids choosing to fight together to make both stronger and better able to defend the border with the Drakelands." "At first, it was just a utilitarian union," Talsune picks up the explanation. "But as the conflict wore on, riders and dragonkin became friends first and then ritualized their friendship with a bonding ceremony. Nevra and I are both without a bonded partner. I had a partner until she died in combat a few months ago. I have grieved her long enough, however, and am open to bonding with someone new." "I have yet to bond," Nevra explains. "I have been fulfilling the role of seneschal at Spurhorn, but I would prefer to be able to fight alongside the bonded partners of the Mandate and let someone else carried on the administration of the fortress." The two are happy to answer questions but they also are very curious to know about the strangers' world and story.
Talsune, a male copper dragonkin with large horns and thickly ridged shoulders, stands and bows elegantly to the two who approached him. "Welcome heroes! I was not able to witness your fighting myself, but I understand you saved the lives of many Dragon Legionnaires. We are in your debt. What would you like to know?" His voice is deep and stately. Nevra stands as well and nods in agreement as Talsune addresses Pemta and Crasius. She sits and listens politely and with interest.
Just prior to the meeting with Commander Pharamol, as other members of the council are still enroute, Nevra and Talsune, the two dragonkin members without a bonded mate, are present. Anyone wishing to broach the subject of a potential bonding, this is an opportunity to present yourself as a candidate. Perception DC 25:
Both Nevra and Talsune appear to have taken care to look their bests, with clean clothes and armor polished. DC 15 Sense motive: Both Nevra and Talsune, each in their own way, appear open to conversations with the PCs, making eye contact and praising their heroics during the battles just concluded.
It's an exotic saddle. A riding saddle costs 30 gp and weighs 30 lb. A military saddle (This saddle braces the rider, providing a +2 circumstance bonus on Ride checks related to staying in the saddle. If the rider is knocked unconscious while in a military saddle, he has a 75% chance to stay in the saddle.) costs 60 gp and weighs 40 lb. She'll probably want to invest in the Ride skill next level up. Both types are available in the fortress. See the gameplay thread for more.
After double checking, I don't think there is anything in the rules to prevent a small PC (like a gnome) from riding on a large mount (such as a horse or a dragonkin. It would likely need a specially sized saddle, so I'd consider doubling the cost of any saddle you like. You could, of course, ride bareback, but there are some penalties to ride checks. In case you are still interested, here are the NPC dragonkin's mentioned in the book as lacking a bonded rider and available for a PC. I could come up with others if none of these are appealing, since the battle probably led to the deaths of some riders. Nevra, Shatha, or Talsune Nevra (NG female blue dragonkin): Armed with a masterwork glaive, Nevra is a beautiful dragonkin with a slim neck and sleek body. One of only a few dragonkin in Spurhorn without a bonded partner, Nevra serves as the aerie’s seneschal, though she would love to find the right person to bond with and give up her mundane responsibilities inside Spurhorn’s walls for the thrill of battle and adventure in the open air. Nevra is open and curious about the PCs, and responds favorably toward them. Talsune (N male copper dragonkin): Talsune has large horns and thickly ridged shoulders, and wields a masterwork greatsword in combat. He is intent and determined, and listens carefully to the PCs before he makes up his mind about them. Talsune is currently without a bonded rider; his last partner, Grithis, died in battle a few months ago, and Talsune feels at least partially responsible for her death. Although he has not yet chosen a new rider to bond with, Talsune is slowly coming to grips with the loss of Grithis and may soon start looking for a new partner. Shatha (NG male silver dragonkin): This one was almost killed in the last encounter, so presumably, a PC who helped him recover after the battle, perhaps providing a healing spell or potion, would be the impetus for the bond. No personality is given by the book, so one would be free to flesh out the persona. Adding a CR 9 NPC or two to the party would force me to beef up enemies even more, since it would be effectively a party of 8. If it unbalances the encounters too much, I might have to rule that when the PCs move on to follow the trail of Baba Yaga, the dragonkins would feel duty bound to remain behind to continue the fight with the others of their kind.
Mostly better. Still some lingering congestion, but otherwise, recovered. Thanks. This last battle, if accepted will end this section. Having fought valiantly, the commander won't insist on his plan to kill the enemy leader and the PCs have done enough to earn the promised gift of the double-headed eagle, if you wish to skip the combat. If any one wishes to bond with a dragonkin, there are some lone members of the fortress who could be persuaded. See this link for details. We should role play the interaction and maybe make a diplomacy roll. This would primarily be only for medium size humanoids, since traditionally, the human partner rides the dragonkin and they fight together. After that, the book has two more sections to work through. I'd be willing to abridge the 3rd section to speed things up and this would get you to 12th level before the final set of challenges to get the other Dancing Hut key. Let me know your thoughts on how much of the 3rd section you want to do.
Behind the Screen:
Thorizmond's first stab with his lance finishes off the gold dragonkin, after which his additional pounding just makes sure it did not recover. Meanwhile, Ingrit, Pyrrhus, and Pemta focus arrows and rays on the white one, doing serious damage but not ending him. The wily dragon relative can tell if it presses an attack, it will perish, so it huffs and flies off, dripping blood and cursing. It uses the walls around the garden as cover and retreats.
Rurik is able to heal the fallen Spurhorn dragonkin, Shatha, after which additional support arrives from the remaining defenders. Observers on the highest battlements report the assault on Spurhorn has been abandoned with the attackers in full retreat. The two slain dragonkins possessed magic glaives which are available if any of the heroes who defeated them wishes to claim them. The next few hours are devoted to healing, resting, and eating. The evening after the battle, Commander Pharamol calls a council meeting of the surviving Dragon Legion officers in Spurhorn’s conference room. Spurhorn may have resisted the Drakelands attack, but the enemy leader, the silver dragonkin General Malesinder, survived the battle. As long as she lives, Spurhorn faces the possibility of another siege. Commander Pharamol proposes a bold counterattack to smash the enemy leadership and break the invasion force for good. Pharamol’s plan is to lead a large force of legionaries in a feint against the besiegers’ main supply depot in the encampment northwest of Spurhorn, destroying as much as they can and drawing out forces from the other encampments. At the same time, the heroes from offworld will attack Malesinder’s command post in the southeastern encampment and kill the enemy general, breaking the leadership of the army. Commander Pharamol is willing to listen to alternative plans, but he feels that removing Malesinder is the only sure way to victoriously and decisively end the siege, and the rest of the council agrees with him. "What say you?" he asks after outlining his plan.
I'm recovering from a cold, so I'm not posting much until I feel better. I'll try to post something this weekend for sure.
Feel free to review past healings cast and double check Thorizmond's status.
On the Table:
DC 17
White: The white dragonkin is hurt by the sonic attack from Rurik, but not stunned. Pyrrhus sends one arrow into the gold one, nearly finishing it off. The next two arrows whistle by without hitting at all. Thorizmond collapses, bleeding profusely.
On the Table:
AC 20
White: AC 21 Hit Miss
Thorizmond Skewers the gold dragonkin, doing serious damage. The white dragonkin flies past Ingrit, taking a swing at her with his glaive. The glaive slices into her side, leaving a deep wound. Then it flies up and away before turning back to begin another attack. The gold one attacks Thorizmond with everything it's got. He got in one good slash with the glaive.
On the Table:
DC 21
Blue: Fails: Damage 31 White: Succeeds: Damage 15 Behind the Screen:
DC 28
White: Pyrrhus' fireball does more damage to the blue dragonkin than the white. When the flames clear, blue slumps to the ground, dying. Thorizmond must find another victim. The white dragon gives no indication it sees Pemta or her shadow.
Wapiti further wounds the blue beast, driving an antler into its chest and kicking its front leg. Ingrit stabs her longspear into the white dragonkin's chest and then drives it further in for more damage.
Crasius gives everyone a sense of fighting an epic battle to strike a blow against the bullies of the world. As he does so, he sends four arrows at the gold dragonkin, hitting with the first and last. His scales are harder to penetrate than lesser members of his species.
Rurik moves to about fifteen feet southeast of Thorizmond and sends out healing energy that reaches all who have been injured.
On the Table:
DC 22 Ingrit: Wapiti: Thorizmond: Pemta:
The white dragonkin flies toward Ingrit, angling so its blast of freezing cold air cuts through to Ingrit, Wapiti, Thorizmond and Pemta. The blue dragonkin who was about to kill the fallen defender snarls, takes in a deep breath, and exhales an lightning bolt that passes through Thorizmond and Pemta. The bolt just misses Crasius. The gold dragonkin flies south and sends his breath of fire in from the east, flowing over all four defenders of the fallen dragonkin. Rurik gets his first round action. Everyone else can take their second round action.
Pemta does not fall off Thorizmond when he collides with the blue dragonkin.
On the Table:
DC = 10 (5 plus a -5 penalty for no saddle.)
Pemta: DC 20 Rurik: Thorizmond charges the blue dragonkin side by side by Ingrit and Wapiti, driving his lance through its torso.
Pemta mounts Thorizmond and holds on for dear life, keeping a the centaur's back despite the rough ride and rapid stop.
Ingrit gets the blue dragonkin's attention with her spear and Wapiti's antlers.
As the day draws to a close, General Malesinder, the leader of the Drakelands' forces, launches her dragonkin against Spurhorn’s defenders in a final effort to capture the aerie. A lethal dance of wing and claw plays out in the skies above Spurhorn. Drakes and dragonkin slash and tear at each other’s wings to knock their foes from the skies. Mortally wounded dragons fall to their deaths, their shattered bodies lying broken and bleeding upon Spurhorn’s battlements.
As Commander Pharamol rides his golden dragonkin partner Amerenth, the battle is in full intensity. A severely wounded silver Dragon Legion dragonkin named Shatha, lacking both rider and saddle, struggles valiantly to fight off a group of Drakelands dragonkin. A gold enemy dragonkin blasts Shatha with its fiery breath weapon, while a blue one barrels into him, driving him to the ground in Spurhorn’s northwest courtyard and knocking him unconscious.
Initiative:
Crasius: Ingrit: Pemta: Pyrrhus: Rurik: Thorizmond: Blue Gold White Initiative Order
Retcon: Seeing Crasius' deadly barrage at the dracolisk, Pyrhhus instead dimension doors Thorizmond and himself near the copper dragonkin, who seems about to scraper off.
The last encounter turns out to be hours away, so Rurik will have time to heal the injured. See Ret-con in the gameplay thread.
RAW this is true. Realistically, however, the arrows would be flying as the spell was being cast and so it's unlikely IMHO that Pyrrhus could be sure the arrows would kill the beast. It's one of the things about the turn based system that it acts as if each action which takes about six seconds is technically over in the fraction of a second before the next person in initiative acts. Sill I'll leave it up to you. If Thorizmond wants to make the charge attack rolls, he may, although either way the battle is won and over. One last encounter to set up.
Crasius makes quick work of the dracolisk, sending four arrows into its torso with enough force to get through its thick scales. Thorizmond and Pyrrhus arrive via a dimensional shortcut in time to see it tumble into the garden, apparently dead. Ingrit similarly peppers the dragonkin with flaming barbs that do less damage but convince the beast there is no point in continuing the battle. It flies down below the level of the bunker walls and past the outer walls before anyone can get another attack on it.
Behind the Screen:
The dracolisk (2) moves and readies its gaze attack at the first enemy to get within 30 feet of it. On the Table:
Flyby Attack, AC 21 Thorizmond flies directly down at the wounded beast and finishes it off with a single stab of his lance. The other black dragon beast flies slowly across the garden area, its glowing eyes watching the group with an evil glint. The copper dragonkin flies across the garden at the same height as Thorizmond. As it gets within 15 feet, it swings its glaive in a powerful strike that hits the centaur square in the chest, inflicting a deep wound as it flies by and then north toward the east bastion.
Rurik moves to the edge of the wall. His closer vantage point allows him to see that the archers were apparently turned to stone, so he avoids looking directly at the monsters and keeps an eye instead on his comrades to see if anyone needs aid.
As Thorzimond flies past the wall, he sees one of the eight-legged dragons directly below him and quickly spots the other on the far end of the garden. The dragonkin flies around near the middle.
Rurik casts a protective spell on all. Ingrit flies over the wall and spots one of the black dragonlike creatures right below her and fires her arrows, which all hit, doing serious harm but not killing it yet. Pempta tries to fly using the centaur as cover, but he shifts direction unexpectedly, leaving her exposed as a shaft of noon sun breaks through the clouds.
Rurik and Pyrrhus cast spells on the party to prepare for the battle.
Yes. Conditions such as light and wind are listed in a post.
Behind the Screen:
DC 17
Crasius: Pyrrhus: Rurik: Thorizmond: Crasius and Pyrrhus recognize the black dragon-like creatures. Read the general spoiler below. Crasius can read 3 additional spoilers and Pyrrhus 4. General information:
The black ones with eight legs are half-dragon half-basilisk, usually called a Dracolisk. They have some features of each relative as described below. Damage Resistance:
None. Immunities:
acid, sleep, paralysis Resistances:
None. Spell Resistance:
None. Weaknesses:
None. Special Attacks:
Breath Weapon: line of acid
Gaze (Ex) Turn to stone permanently (as flesh to stone), range 30 feet, Fort save negates. A creature petrified in this matter that is then coated (not just splashed) with fresh basilisk blood (taken from a basilisk no more than 1 hour dead) is instantly restored to flesh. A single basilisk contains enough blood to coat 1d3 Medium creatures in this manner. The save DC is Constitution-based. Spell-Like Abilities:
None Spell Casting:
None Special Qualities:
None Special Abilities: None
Initiative:
Crasius: Ingrit: Pemta: Pyrrhus: Rurik: Thorizmond: DL1: DL2: DK:
Initiative Order
The first four of Ingrit's arrows strike the triaxian sorcerer. The last arrow makes him collapse, leaving just the lone barbarian by the open bunker door. Wapiti gores the barbarian. "The Shadow" does the rest, attacking the hapless Drakelands warrior, slashing and stabbing him and leaving him a dying mess whose blood stains the new-fallen snow bright red. The battle to prevent the breach of Spurhorn succeeds. No Drakelands attackers dare to approach the opening while the strangers defend it. Soon a Dragon Legion Ice Seer shows up and seals the door with a stone shape spell. Clerics also arrive to heal those who need it and then the group returns to the defense of the fortress. Through lulls and bursts of activity as the attackers try various ways to put fighters atop the impressive structure, the team helps as needed. During one of the lulls they are afforded a break before returning to the fight as the dim Triaxian sun nears noon. Their Fly spells are renewed and they resume defensive duties atop the fortress. They are on duty watching for threats when the commander summons them to a conference room in the Lord's Tower. As they make their way toward the entrance door at the base of the tower, a shadow passes over them of three winged creatures . From a distance it is hard to tell, but the smaller one seems to be a dragonkin (similar to Efrixes, partner to Bescaylie, except his scales were red where this one's are copper colored). The larger ones look like dragons but with eight legs and glowing eyes. They descend toward a walled garden atop the keep. Archers in the towers around the keep prepare to send a barrage of arrows at the three attackers when as they fly into the midst of the archers' kill zone. Then the creatures somehow render the archers paralyzed or petrified
Pyrrhus' magic hits the wall of fire like a shock wave. The purple flame wavers, then goes out. All can now see that the barbarian has managed to break down to door. Only one of Crasius' arrows strikes the barbarian with the warhammer. Ingrit (Haste, IC 2, 5 lethal)
Round 3
On the Table:
Rurik: Hit
Hit
Wapiti:
Rurik casts a spell and a morning star made of force forms near the barbarian pounding on the door with a war hammer. Both hit and draw blood. After casting the spell, Rurik moves closer to the battle. The sorcerer moves close to his remaining comrade and casts a spell, finishing his hand movements with a finger pointing to a line starting at the edge of the bunker between Wapiti and the fallen barbarian and sweeps around to the other side. Immediately, a blazing curtain of shimmering violet fire springs up from the ground to a height of 20 feet. A wave of heat hits Wapiti, Ingrit, Pemta, and Thorizmond.
Two more bangs are heard as the barbarian continues to pound at the door. Round 3
The ray(s) hit, but some form of resistance prevented the fire from doing damage. Help me out by specifying when an attack targets Touch AC. I don't know all the details of such spells by memory and I may not notice even if I read the spell description as I may be focused on another element of the spell.
Crasius' arrow wounds the barbarian defending the one battering the door such that subsequent wounds caused him mortal injury and falls in a well armored heap. Pemta strikes the sorcerer, who did not see her coming. Her first attack hits, her second just misses. Thorizmond's arrow hits the barbarian with the warhammer but his heavy armor prevents it from wounding him.
Rurik (Haste, IC 2)
Round 3
|
