Whisper vanished into the trees as the ranger watched with a small smile on his lips. The big wolf would find game to hunt easily enough, and meet him in this same spot come morning. For now, he was in need of food and a good night's sleep. He sniffed a bit and nodded. Maybe a bath as well. It had been a long journey.
Making his way through the early evening shadows, Horek approached the city gates and went through whatever customs they required of visitors without complaint. "Where's a good place to eat and get a night's sleep? Somewhere close to the gate, if you please." The ranger asked of the guardsman as he was waved through.
With those directions in mind, he moved off into the city, eager for a hot dinner and a soft bed. Oh yes, and perhaps a bath as well. If there was any hot water to be had at the inn.
Dang, you don't happen to be in VA? I know power is out around here after that snowstorm. For myself, I wound up with COVID as a New Year's present! Ugh... Fortunately I'm boosted, so symptoms have been very mild. Today I actually feel just fine, so at least now I'm probably extra boosted what with all the vaccines I've had and now some natural immunity to boot. I think my O blood also helped, after reading a few articles about blood type and COVID.
In any case, I'm ready to go after getting the HP squared away for Horek and Whisper now!
Present! I'm good, thanks Zinnath! Oh, and how are we rolling for HP? Max at 1st level and then rolling for subsequent? Or using the standard PFS method?
Hey, I think I actually have that grey box sitting on my bookcase shelf! I'll have to check when I get home... In the meantime, I'd like to submit my ranger (skirmisher) Horek and his companion Whisper. Will tweak a bit, as he's currently 8th level.
Horek is all set I believe. Ranger (skirmisher) with a black panther animal companion named Whisper. Definitely a front-line fighter specializing in two-handed weapons and working in tandem with his companion. I've got a background that ties him into the Darklands specifically, if that works okay for you. Thanks!
I'd created this PFS character for another campaign, which fell apart pretty quickly. I liked the build though, so I'll throw my hat in the ring! Gotta level him up one though, and I'll modify his background and some class ability choices to better suit this adventure.
Thanks! Is 'average' considered middle of the dice +1? So a '6' for a d10? Just wanted to make sure... I think my character sheet is ready to go, though wasn't sure about the feats allowed. I took 'Boon Companion' from Ultimate Wilderness, but I can find another if that sourcebook isn't allowed for feats. Also took Armor Expert and Acrobat (both from Ultimate Campaign) as traits, but again can change those up if needed.
My Ranger (Skirmisher) with a level of Barbarian is ready to go I think. Just need to roll HP - wanted to know if it's the usual max HP at 1st level and rolling randomly thereafter. Considering the 'pulp' setting, maybe a minimum on the die if one rolls really poorly?
And, asking for my animal companion, do they follow the same rules?
Big fan of the classic 1e games, and I've never actually played or GM'd this one! I've got a 7th level character I made some time ago, but the adventure fizzled. Let's see if he gets luckier this time around! I'll stick with the same character concept, but get him into a Forgotten Realms background instead of classic Greyhawk.
Just noticed that the ogre probably did hit Horek with that rolling pin, as his AC is currently 20. Whisper has a better AC than the ranger thanks to that Mage Armor spell (by the way, though Mage Armor is an Armor bonus, it DOES grant bonus to 'touch' AC because it's force - right?) Maybe It was Whisper's AC that you were looking at on my 'signature' line? I've adjusted my HP accordingly (assuming that's correct that I got whopped by that ogre), though I didn't mention the hit in my earlier post since I didn't realize at the time it should have been a hit.
Horek grits his teeth as the cleaver carves a shallow wound into his bicep and lays into the giant in front of him with the enormous obsidian axe, trying to hack his way further into the kitchen to allow others to get in behind him.
Full round attack, and if the giant in front of him falls he will take a 5' step into the room to try and get a foothold in there so others can get inside as well. Since Eldric made an attack I'm guessing he's next to me at the door, correct? Looks like the room is 20' wide when we get through the doors, so hopefully Whisper can join him next round. GM, based on the 'size' you made Whisper (I presume you made him that size, as I can't adjust the token myself) in Roll 20, do you consider the wolf to take up a 5' space in width and 10' in length?
Horek - No Current Buffs
Whisper - Bull's Strength (+4 STR) - for 4 more minutes or so; Mage Armor (+4 AC) - for 7 more hours or so.
Thanks Mazrak - I wasn't sure if that was just a suggested plan or if it actually happened. I usually look at the OOC to see what the player actually did as opposed to IC talk about ideas that may or may not be implemented. If Haste was indeed cast, then Horek will have a +1 to his attack roll noted above.
Just moved Horek into the front rank! Of course, with those 10x10 foot giants and ogres standing in the way of the entrance, it's gonna be tough to move in there. But at least they'll have the same problem getting at us! Also, is Haste still active? I'm thinking it'd have expired by now - unless somebody cast it again?
Horek - No Current Buffs
Whisper - Bull's Strength (+4 STR) - for 4 more minutes or so; Mage Armor (+4 AC) - for 7 more hours or so.
I'll be on a camping vacation until Monday, so no updates this weekend. Feel free to bot me if needed, but I'm low on the initiative so my turn might come up when I get back anyway. You've got a good idea of Horek's tactics thus far if needed though!
Horek grunts as he moves away from the door and faces Eldric, then the others. "There may be upwards of thirty giants and their kin beyond that door, from the sounds of it. If we are to go on the offense, even if they are very drunk and surprised, we must hit them hard and be able and willing to withdraw swiftly if necessary."
Horek wipes the blood from his axe upon the furs in the room, then takes a look around for anything of value before regarding the doors to the south, taking a listen to see if he can hear anything useful.
Perception Check:1d20 + 11 ⇒ (17) + 11 = 28
"If the noise is any indication, there must be a good number of the enemy to be found there. On the one hand, we could leave that gathering to deal with last. Stay unseen and unheard and kill those in the other chambers without alerting the large gathering. Once those within have been isolated, we will strike. But there is another way as well. Strike the gathering now, while we are nearly at full strength for such a battle. If the combat begins to go against us, we have a path of retreat. They are drunk, and the element of surprise is with us. But if we do not defeat them, they will regroup and be ready for us when we return." The plainsman looks to the others to see which strategy they lean toward.
Rolled a pretty good Perception check, can Horek glean anything from taking a listen to the door? A ballpark on the potential numbers of giants, for instance? Part of me says it's not wise to take on a room of partying giants just yet! Though there is also the sound argument that we are at full strength with most of our magical resources still available. We could see what we're up against now, hit them as hard as we can and pull back if the fight looks impossible to win. Sounds as though most of them are probably drunk, which might give us an advantage. If we continue to clear out the steading room by room, our resources will dwindle for the big fight. For myself, I'm torn - though I think I'm leaning toward striking the gathering now. Do we still have some Fireballs and the like? I know we have Haste, which would be very useful. How much healing do we have - whether through spell, wand or potion?
Horek steps further into the room, swing the axe in grim silence as Whisper darts in beside him, aiding her two-legged companion in bringing down these brutes - quite literally if possible!
I'm a bit far back in the initiative order, but will take a 5' step and attack the nearest ogre with a full attack. Whisper will move in by Horek's side and maybe draw an AoO (though once again will use Hunter's Trick to give her a +4 to AC and 1/2 damage if the AoO hits), attacking first to try and 'trip' the target to give Horek an additional +4 to the attack roll (not counted above). If that nearest ogre goes down, will move to attack the second ogre and only get a single standard attack. Again, Whisper will go in and draw the AoO so Horek doesn't have to take it.
Horek - Haste (+30' movement, +1 to attack rolls & AC/Reflex Saves, extra attack with full attack action) - for 1 more round
Whisper -Haste (+30' movement, +1 to attack rolls & AC/Reflex Saves, extra attack with full attack action) - for 1 more round; Bull's Strength (+4 STR) - for 5 more minutes or so; Mage Armor (+4 AC) - for 7 more hours or so.
I don't think it'll take much to put down that wounded ogre. I think, according to the map, that some of you out in the corridor have line of sight on the ogre through the open door - even if he's got pretty good cover. An arrow or a magic missile might be enough to put it down. Then that'll clear some space for others to move into the room itself.
The room is cramped, and Horek doesn't want to give up the element of surprise - not against just three of these things. The plainsman grins and holds up three fingers before stepping into the room, slashing at the nearest with his axe!
Hate to go all Leroy Jenkins, but since Horek is unnoticed, I'm figuring he'll get a surprise round action? I'm concerned that if we start planning something with the door open we'll run the risk of being heard and/or spotted. Horek will take a 5' step and standard attack against the nearest ogre. I'll try and move further into the room on my turn in Round 1, but by the map there's not enough room to send in Mr. Stinky anyway as it looks like there's only a 5' wide strip of space that's about 10' (or maybe 15'?) long at the entrance - the zombie giant takes up a 10' square space. Once this nearest ogre goes down (cruddy attack roll during surprise round, but I think it's enough - and with max damage rolled, maybe 29 damage will be enough to kill it before Round 1 begins?), we will have room to send in the zombie giant and the rest can follow. Not sure how many more rounds of Haste we have, I'm thinking 2 rounds more at best...
Horek - Haste (+30' movement, +1 to attack rolls & AC/Reflex Saves, extra attack with full attack action) - for 2 more rounds?
Whisper - Haste (+30' movement, +1 to attack rolls & AC/Reflex Saves, extra attack with full attack action)- for 2 more rounds?; Bull's Strength (+4 STR) - for 5 more minutes or so; Mage Armor (+4 AC) - for 7 more hours or so.
Unless someone stops him, Horek eases the door open (Stealth Check result was 22) to take a look inside and see what's going on. If he deems it's a combat situation that he and the others can handle, he'll charge on in. If they're outnumbered badly or facing otherwise discouraging odds, he'll ease the door closed and speaks quietly with the others about what he saw.
Horek failed the Perception check, and nobody else listened to the door so I'm thinking he opened it cautiously to take a look inside and see what's there. But as stated, he's being stealthy and rolled a 22 for the Stealth check in my previous post. Depending on what he sees, he'll either motion the others to silence and ease the door closed again, or he'll lead the charge in with his axe swinging! I'll await your post on what he sees to make that decision. In case he tries to close the door and withdraw if things look too dicey, let me know if you'd like me to make a second Stealth check to accomplish that.
Horek glances at the lumbering zombie giant and turns to Mazrak. "Better that we take a listen to doors and open them quietly first. We'll have a better chance of drawing less attention than if we send that... thing in first."
The plainsman continues forward, listening to the doors alongside Jeeves. The noise of the party was coming from somewhere, and Horek figures its best to avoid a giant congregation of... giants for the moment. Whittling down their forces little by little is appealing to the battle scout.
I numbered the doors 1, 2 and 3 as an option for checking out rooms in order, in case there is nothing of interest in some of them. Thinking that Horek and Jeeves can each take a listen, and if the room sounds empty (or at least not packed with scores of partying giants) Horek will open the door stealthily. I've made rolls for each door on the map in case we fast forward through one or two of them. My Perception rolls sucked, but the Stealth checks were pretty good. Hopefully Jeeves will back me up!
Horek - Haste (+30' movement, +1 to attack rolls & AC/Reflex Saves, extra attack with full attack action) - for 3 more rounds? Whisper - Haste (+30' movement, +1 to attack rolls & AC/Reflex Saves, extra attack with full attack action)- for 3 more rounds?; Bull's Strength (+4 STR) - for 6 more minutes or so; Mage Armor (+4 AC) - for 7 more hours or so.
Horek glances at Jeeves. "The dying orc indicated his bretheren were 'below' - maybe in caves or in the basement of this structure. We should keep our eyes open for stairs or ramps leading down. Or speak with any other orcs we run across. I had presumed they were allies of the giants, but it sounds as though that might not be the case."
Horek is in agreement with going room to room so as not to leave an enemy presence at their back. He considers the words of the dying orc, once Seltyn translates. "If the orcs are abused by the giants and can be convinced to fight against them, we might seek them out. The giants numbers sound many, and we are few. These orcs that dwell below could become valuable allies, if we promise to help them gain their freedom. But these lizard folk and the unmaker shrine? Maybe the orcs will know more about those."
The plainsman moves to listen to the door, trying to determine if there are enemies beyond, and in what numbers.
Perception Check:1d20 + 11 ⇒ (3) + 11 = 14
Listen at the 'red' door. Will advise the others of what he hears (or doesn't!) Thinking we should be on the lookout for a way down in order to speak with the orcs. And if we hear the sounds of a raging giant party behind one of these doors, let's skip that one and move on! GM, do we still hear the sounds of partying as we explore? Can we tell from what direction it's coming from?
Horek frowns as his companions seem to want to press forward swiftly. Though he understands that their magic spells will expire, as a scout the plainsman knows the value of learning more about the enemy. Still, the primal part of him is in agreement with taking the fight to the giants without hesitation.
Nodding in agreement, Horek calls Whisper to his side and moves forward in the shadow of the giant zombie.
So leave the orc to die, and follow the giant zombie forward, letting it open the doors to see what lies on the other side?
It only matters if Mazrak had the good aura class feature. If he continues to use it or Misuses it his alignment may shift but he CAN use it.
Ah! Good deal, I missed that. I like how you're handling it Chill. Makes sense that it's ostensibly for a good purpose now, but as they say 'the road to Hell is paved with good intentions...' ;)
I actually forgot that Pathfinder (and 3.5 D&D) is less forgiving about using Animate Dead than 5th edition. I'm not even sure Mazrak can cast that spell, can he? Given the dwarf is NG and the spell has the 'evil' descriptor?
Opening the door, Horek spots the lone orc muttering to itself and apparently oblivious to their presence at the moment. The ranger glances at Jeeves, whispering softly. "This is a good opportunity to learn more about this place. I'll take him alive. It is likely a servant of the giants and might be made to give us information with some persuasion."
If there is no objection, he lays a hand on Whisper's head, indicating that she wait there quietly. Then the ranger moves silently down the corridor and slams the flat of his axeblade against the orc's head, trying to knock it unconscious. If he is successful, he'll drag the body back to the others.
Unless someone suggests another course of action... Sneak up on it (20' move at half speed) and make a standard attack using Power Attack, though the Furious Focus feat allows for no penalty on this first (and only) attack roll. Also striking for non-lethal damage with a -4 penalty to the attack roll, if I remember correctly.
Horek considers the idea proposed by the dwarf and finally nods. "Having a giant with us might prove useful outside of combat as well, especially if others of their kind don't realize it's a walking corpse at first glance."
When all is ready, Horek moves toward the door to the south and quietly opens it, peering through the crack to see what lies beyond.
Stealth Check:1d20 + 8 ⇒ (19) + 8 = 27 (if needed while opening the door)
Thanks Mazrak, you're right I didn't count that earlier healing so now I'm up almost full HP. I took 35 points of damage total, and I've been healed for 30. Will open that southern door as Mazrak is animating the hill giant, if that's what we're doing. Maybe someone should quickly look over the corpses of the giants to see if they've got anything useful or valuable?
Current Buffs:
Horek - Haste (+30' movement, +1 to attack rolls & AC/Reflex Saves, extra attack with full attack action) - for 7 more rounds?
Whisper - Haste (+30' movement, +1 to attack rolls & AC/Reflex Saves, extra attack with full attack action)- for 7 more rounds?; Bull's Strength (+4 STR) - for 6 more minutes or so; Mage Armor (+4 AC) - for 7 more hours or so
Horek fixes Seltyn with a calm gaze. "I wanted to keep the giants from raising the alarm. We should not be too eager to alert the stronghold to our presence. I believe that we should proceed with stealth, taking out pockets of resistance as we encounter them and keep those we meet from escaping in order to find reinforcements."
Mazrak, I could definitely use some healing if you have some to spare. Agreed we should go on quickly, especially while we have our magic. But let's not be too eager to engage the enemy - particularly if we find ourselves outnumbered badly. Thinking we should try and cut off the bad guys from retreating when we can, like the giantesses tried to do in this last battle. Whisper is pretty quick and big, and with my Hunter's Trick I can help her negate or at least mitigate damage from AoOs. I'll try and use her to help in that regard.
Horek growls in annoyance as the giant slips past him, headed for the door. The plainsman figures this could turn ugly fast if she manages to get reinforcements and he swings his axe hard, trying to put her down fast.
As the giant goes down in a spray of blood and gore, Horek points at the giant to the east and Whisper darts to engage that one while the plainsman splits away from his companion, assisting Parvo in taking down the other.
Whisper will move 15' to engage Giant 5 and hopefully cut off that one from trying to retreat. Standard attack, and the giant gets an AoO against her. However, Horek will use his Hunter's Trick Bolster Companion if she is hit, which is an immediate action that gives her a +4 to AC. If the attack still hits, the damage is halved. Horek will take a 5' step and attack Giant 6 with a full attack. He's also trying to put himself between that giant and the doors to the south. Even though he didn't understand them, he doesn't want them to escape this room, which is why he launched himself inside to begin with.
Current Buffs:
Horek - Haste (+30' movement, +1 to attack rolls & AC/Reflex Saves, extra attack with full attack action)
Whisper - Haste (+30' movement, +1 to attack rolls & AC/Reflex Saves, extra attack with full attack action), Bull's Strength (+4 STR), Mage Armor (+4 AC)
Horek hears the giants talking to each other, but cannot understand their gutteral tongue. Perhaps he should have taken some time to learn it... In any case, he presses the attack against the one before him, trying to take it down with Whisper's help!
Wow, one crit and three natural '1's! Could be worse, I suppose... Just for a quick summary, assuming that an attack roll of 23 or greater hits the giant, the total damage done between Whisper and Horek is 97!
Also, I'm considering taking a rank in Linguistics the next time we level up to learn Giantish. Would that be possible to do? I'm kicking myself for not doing that during character creation!
Current Buffs:
Horek - Haste (+30' movement, +1 to attack rolls & AC/Reflex Saves, extra attack with full attack action)
Whisper - Haste (+30' movement, +1 to attack rolls & AC/Reflex Saves, extra attack with full attack action), Bull's Strength (+4 STR), Mage Armor (+4 AC)
Whisper launches herself at the giant that smashed its club into Horek's shoulder, nearly driving the plainsman to his knees with the force of the blow. With a snarl, she snaps at the creature even as Horek regains his balance and does what he can to protect his companion as she drives through the giant's formidable reach, his own axe slashing at this dire foe as he tries to take it down quickly, knowing another is standing a short distance behind him...
Yeesh, those are some terrible attack rolls! Whisper is moving 20' through the giant's reach and so will draw an AoO. If that attack hits her current AC of 24, Horek will use his 'Hunters Trick' of Bolster Companion as an immediate action to give her a +4 to AC (total = 28). If the attack still connects, she will only take half damage. Horek only took a 5' step to get to his current position on the map, so no AoO for him and he can take a full attack action as well. Thanks for the praise on the character build! I actually created this character a looooong time ago for another pbp Against the Giants game that never took off. Was very happy to get the chance to finally see him in action myself!
Also Mazrak, if you can get into the room far enough to touch Horek (doesn't look like you'd take an AoO so far as I can tell), I wouldn't mind some healing! :) Though if you have other plans at the moment no worries, I think I should be OK for the time being unless I take a critical hit or something!
Current Buffs:
Horek - Haste (+30' movement, +1 to attack rolls & AC/Reflex Saves, extra attack with full attack action)
Whisper - Haste (+30' movement, +1 to attack rolls & AC/Reflex Saves, extra attack with full attack action), Bull's Strength (+4 STR), Mage Armor (+4 AC)
Horek moves deeper into the fray, wrenching his axe from the split skull of the giant and hacking at the one to his left, Whisper aiding her two-legged companion as well to bring the giant down quickly.
GM, Horek's AC is currently 21, so I'm thinking the attack roll of 18 missed me? Unless I'm looking at something incorrectly. Let me know and I'll adjust my HP accordingly. Horek and Whisper both take 5' steps and full attack actions against Giant 3 (green). If that one goes down before Horek's action, he and Whisper will move to engage Giant 6 (red), with Whisper moving south to cut off any attempt on their part to retreat through that door (I think that's a door on the south wall?) Obviously those would be standard attacks since movement would be needed.
Current Buffs:
Horek - Haste (+30' movement, +1 to attack rolls & AC/Reflex Saves, extra attack with full attack action)
Whisper - Haste (+30' movement, +1 to attack rolls & AC/Reflex Saves, extra attack with full attack action), Bull's Strength (+4 STR), Mage Armor (+4 AC)
Eldric, I created a quick Google Slide of the map for you, complete with your own token if you want to move it around. I put an outline of where I suggest you go, you can confirm by moving your token there if you want.
Horek agrees inwardly with Mazrak and takes action, moving into the room to take the battle to his mortal enemy. He hopes his allies will follow as he pushes into the room with a shout, slashing at the nearest giant as Whisper does the same with her teeth, trying to drag her foe to the ground.
Sorry if I'm pulling a Leroy Jenkins here, but it seems like we need to take the fight to them! I also want to take advantage of the 'extra' attacks starting next round for using full round attacks with Haste before it runs out. I'm hoping that Eldric and Jeeves follow suit and take up position in the room as well so we can form a solid front all the way back to the door before the giants get their turns. Figuring Eldric can attack Green and Jeeves can go after Purple? Since they threw rocks last round, I'm thinking they are all 'unarmed' at the moment and so cannot take AoOs? I hope that's correct anyway... That crit confirmation is low, but if Wisper managed to knock orange giant down then maybe with the +4 bonus to attack roll vs. a prone opponent I'll nail it? Here's hoping!
Current Buffs:
Horek - Haste (+30' movement, +1 to attack rolls & AC/Reflex Saves, extra attack with full attack action)
Whisper - Haste (+30' movement, +1 to attack rolls & AC/Reflex Saves, extra attack with full attack action), Bull's Strength (+4 STR), Mage Armor (+4 AC)
Horek grins in anticipation. "They aren't coming out to play. I say we go in. Let the little dragon harass the ones furthest back throwing rocks and the rest of us move in behind, protecting magic casters and archers behind us. With our front line, we can keep them from slipping around us."
I suggest we go in, with Whisper and Jeeves in their Large forms and the rest of us spaced so as to keep the giants from trying to flank us so that casters and archers are safe behind the lines. Parvo has a ridiculous AC, so he can harass any giants to the rear who might look to throw rocks, making them pay by taking AoOs or drawing their attacks. I threw some suggested 'spots' on the map for our guys, leaving room in the back for those with ranged weapon or magic attacks. What do you think?
Horek moves next to Eldric and growls softly to the monk. "We cannot afford to bottleneck them all inside the room for much longer, they may seek reinforcements. We should pull back and allow them in here where we can trap them."
I'll stick with my readied attacks (my rolls are still in my last post, if that's OK?) for Whisper and Horek should any giant come within range of his axe or the wolf's teeth. I'm really thinking we need to pull back and let the giants come to us, folks. They'll be cut off to the south and we can maneuver behind them to cut off their retreat. I'd suggest we form a line to the south of the westernmost double door leading out to the north and have the fighters form a line going south to the forcewall - we could even stagger a 5' space between us since the giants are all Large. That'll allow casters/ranged types to safely stand 10' behind us along the edge of those wood slats (probably kennels?) and stay out of the giants' reach.
Horek will hold in place for now, but I'm thinking we might not want to sit out there for too awfully long. I'd hate to see them try to outflank us and pick up reinforcements as they do...
Horek is eager to get through this lump of a giant and whittle away at the others in the room beyond! Whisper turns and attacks the paralyzed creature, trying to giver her two-legged companion a path through.
Depending on how things play out, you might only use Horek's first attack. Intention is for Whisper to help take down the paralyzed giant first, and if that happens before Horek's action, he will move past the downed giant and into the room to attack the nearest of the other two giants within (with a single standard attack only, since it looks like he has to move 10' around that wall corner to get in melee range with the nearest giant in that room.) If he takes an AoO to do, that's fine. Hopefully anyway! If the paralyzed giant is still up when it's Horek's action, he'll lay into it with his axe. If it falls, he will approach more cautiously, stopping 5' away from the giants inside the door so as not to take an AoO unnecessarily (since he couldn't get in another attack anyway.) Jeez... hope all that makes sense! Pbp tactics can be hard to convey!!
Current Buffs:
Horek - Haste (+30' movement, +1 to attack rolls & AC/Reflex Saves, extra attack with full attack action)
Whisper - Haste (+30' movement, +1 to attack rolls & AC/Reflex Saves, extra attack with full attack action), Bull's Strength (+4 STR), Mage Armor (+4 AC)
