F Human Fighter (Gunslinger)/4 (HP 32 | AC 14 | Str -1 | Dex +3 | Con +1 | Int +0 | Wis +2 | Cha +2 | Init:+3] | Speed 30)
Finn changed the name on The Nivea's deed of ownership to Jade Elizabeth Keane. The small cannons were fixed to The Nivea, and the pinnace was sold to Harmen McDude.
Jade dropped off the 9 original crew members of The Nivea in the town of Hallast. Her own crew has received some sailor training, lessons in Common, and has reached a basic understanding of how to hold a sword without dropping it or cutting oneself.
A spyglass and compass were purchased, and Emery's musket repaired. Basic equipment for the crew was also purchased, along with some ammunition for cannons. Orders were placed for more cannons and ammunition.
To do list:
- Salvage more cannons from the sunken ship and maybe recover the other loot inside
- Train new crew to sail (and fight)
- Pick up the ordered cannons and ammunition for The Nivea
- Purchase black powder
- Purchase materials to repair The Nivea in case it's damaged
- Chase down the 2 sister slave ships of The Nivea
- Change The Nivea's name
F Human Fighter (Gunslinger)/4 (HP 32 | AC 14 | Str -1 | Dex +3 | Con +1 | Int +0 | Wis +2 | Cha +2 | Init:+3] | Speed 30)
To do list:
- Change the name on The Nivea's deed of ownership
- Drop off the 9 original crew members of The Nivea some place safe
- Buy a spyglass
- Fix Emery's musket
- Salvage more cannons from the sunken ship and maybe recover the other loot inside
- Fix (all) cannons to The Nivea
- Sell the pinnace
- Get black powder and ammunition for The Nivea
- Chase down the 2 sister slave ships of The Nivea
- Maybe change The Nivea's name some place in an official port, also getting an entirely new and original deed of ownership in the process
F Human Fighter (Gunslinger)/4 (HP 32 | AC 14 | Str -1 | Dex +3 | Con +1 | Int +0 | Wis +2 | Cha +2 | Init:+3] | Speed 30)
Deze keer:
The next day Jade goes shopping. She's pulled aside by a man when she leaves a shop and asked what happened to his crew. When she figures out which crew he means, Jade tells him the ship's sunk and she didn't see any survivors.
Jade buys some fishing gear for one of her crew members at All the Wares. When she leaves All's shop she faces some guards, who escort her to the office of Captain McDude. The man who pulled her aside is also there, and accuses Jade of having sunk his ship. Jade does a godawful job explaining what happened while the man's a very convincing liar, but McDude notices a major fallacy in the man's reasoning and tells him to get lost.
Captain McDude tells Jade he has a job for her, and if she succeeds all charges against her will be dropped. Figuring she has little choice, unless she wants to burn yet another bridge she's crossed, Jade decides to ask what the job entails. When she hears the job involves taking out the captain of a slave ship she's quite eager to accept.
Jade learns the slave ship's named the Nivea and decided she wants to own it. Figuring here might be a need for black powder, either for her cannons or to create a distraction, Jade strikes a deal with All.
Jade sets out to meet the slaver's ship, forming several plans along the way. The way she ends up encountering the enemy ship, half a kilometer out of the coast, scraps plans A and B. Plans C, D, E and F are formed, but most end up getting scrapped as well. She's invited aboard the slaver's ship after making their captain believe she's headed in the same direction. Meanwhile Valda's manages to climb onto the enemy ship without being noticed, which is the only part of all of Jade's plans that's actually succeeded thus far.
Jade and the captain play a game of dice for some time, and Jade eventually figures she has no idea how to approach the situation. She leaves the captain's quarters with an excuse, yells really loudly as she pretends to fall, giving all of her own crew the signal to attack. After a messy fight the enemy captain falls and Jade intimidates everyone into submission, once more confirming intimidation's more up her alley than negotiating.
Ben meanwhile has the time of his life, nearly facing a second near-death experience as he barely manages to avoid the two ships from colliding after having nearly been cut in half during the fight.
The slaves are freed, some opting to stay with Jade. Of the enemy ship's original crew the boatswain's requited into Jade's crew. Jade finds some maps in the captain's quarters that reveal details about two sister ships, as well as The Nivea's deed of ownership.
The enemy guards and some of their crew's dropped off at the pirates' den's recruitment office, and Jade goes to report to Captain McDude. McDude seems pleased with the results and takes half of the loot from The Nivea. Jade then visits All to conclude their deal, returning his dubious quality black powder to him.
F Human Fighter (Gunslinger)/4 (HP 32 | AC 14 | Str -1 | Dex +3 | Con +1 | Int +0 | Wis +2 | Cha +2 | Init:+3] | Speed 30)
Vorige keer:
In the morning there's an encounter with will-o-the-wisps, which nearly lure Valda and Brew into the swamps. Jade and her crew manage to flee after pinning their hypnotized allies down, and they reach the pirates' den later that day.
While getting her bearings around town Jade runs into a man named Bart, who offers her a job. She accepts the job, which is to locate and find out what happened to a ship that went upriver. Jade and her crew make the necessary preparations and head upstream, where they eventually reach the mountains and a small lake with a waterfall. The lake's surrounded by ancient buildings reminiscent of a lost elven culture, and there are more buildings inside the face of the mountain.
The ship Jade was looking for is located easily, its mast protruding from the water's surface. Closer inspection reveals it sank after being hit by a large boulder, and it doesn't take long before a troll emerges from beyond the waterfall. Battle ensues, and the troll falls. Having witnessed its regenerative ability, Jade makes sure the troll's turned into a pile of minced meat that'll never rise again.
Jade recovers the sunken ship's flag, so she can show Bart some kind of proof of the ship's fate. She's unable to recover Bart's money from the hold, but does manage to secure two small cannons for her own ship. Jade then explores the troll's cave, beyond the waterfall. She frees a pixie the troll had captured, and has a confusing moment as the little creature speaks to her in a jittering language and abruptly vanishes. Continuing the exploration of the ship, Jade finds some coins and a very beautiful elven short sword.
Having returned to the pirates' den, Jade reports to Bart. She leaves out some details while talking to Bart, not mentioning the sword, the pixie and the troll. He notices Jade's not telling everything so Jade ends up telling about the troll after all, informing him she left that part out due to how incredulous it sounds. Bart's seemingly still not entirely convinced she's told him everything, but pays Jade anyway and they part ways.
F Human Fighter (Gunslinger)/4 (HP 32 | AC 14 | Str -1 | Dex +3 | Con +1 | Int +0 | Wis +2 | Cha +2 | Init:+3] | Speed 30)
Jade spends the day talking to her small crew, forging bonds as she gets to know the new members.
The next day she tells everyone which positions to take: "Karz and Henry, I want you to watch the rear and man the ballistas in case they're needed. Valda and Brew, come to the front with me and help me keep watch of what's ahead. Everyone else, stay away from the sides and keep your eyes open."
She doesn't tell Emery what to do; her navigator's already at the helm.
F Human Fighter (Gunslinger)/4 (HP 32 | AC 14 | Str -1 | Dex +3 | Con +1 | Int +0 | Wis +2 | Cha +2 | Init:+3] | Speed 30)
Having escaped from the town of Dring with a stolen vessel and two dozen freed slaves, Jade and her companions follow the river upstream. In her mind Jade can already hear the words of her often repeated speech to freed slaves, but for now she allows them a moment of respite. There's little rest for Jade though, as she keeps a constant watch at their rear to see if they're being followed.
When the town of Runeigh comes into view, Jade calls everyone to attention and delivers her speech:
"My name's Jade Keane, leader of the Jade Pirates. Like you, I used to be a slave. Captured like an animal, and sold off to the highest bidder. I wasn't a person. I was an object. A tool to be used, and discarded once dulled.
But I did not become dull. I became sharper with every passing day, until I was sharp enough to cut loose and free myself. Glad to leave behind the terrible life I'd escaped, I started a new life. A good life, surrounded by kinder people. Yet this life wasn't for me...
There are those who deem themselves better than their fellow man. Those who think themselves superior and would enslave others to do their bidding. I can't let this happen. I won't stand for it. And so I vowed to put an end to slavery.
I freed you with the intention to let you choose your own paths in life. To offer you the same options any other free man or woman has. Some of you will have a family to return to. Some of you will have dreams to fulfill. Others may just want to find a quiet place to settle down. It's all up to you.
My task is hard. Impossible, some would say. Yet for those who wish to fight for justice, and are willing to stake their own lives against the freedom of their brothers and sisters, there's a place aboard this ship.
We're approaching the town of Runeigh. You can see it ahead of us. We will make a stop there, and it is there that I have to ask you to make your choice. For the marshes beyond Runeigh are filled with dangers, as is the place we're headed. Anyone who wants to leave, should leave before we enter the marshes.
Do not feel forced to come along in an effort to repay us. Go live your own lives, be it with us or elsewhere. You all deserve to choose your own futures."
As the boat moors a brief distance from Runeigh, Jade approaches Emery and Valda: "Help me inspect the boat and question those who were doing maintenance on it. We stole a bunch of tar along with it, and I want to know if there's any unfinished work."
Investigation:1d20 + 0 ⇒ (10) + 0 = 10
Niet zeker of dit nodig is, maar ik gooi het er ook maar bij: Persuasion:1d20 + 4 ⇒ (7) + 4 = 11
--- Later ---
With everyone having made their choice, Jade says farewell to the people who've decided to leave. She then walks up to the four men and the woman who decided to stay.
"Thank you for opting to stay," Jade says with a kind smile. "What are your names?"
After introductions have been made, Jade talks some more with the new recruits while trying to find out if they have any useful skills.
Aangezien het nieuwe mensen zijn: Persuasion, Man 1:1d20 + 4 ⇒ (8) + 4 = 12 Persuasion, Man 2:1d20 + 4 ⇒ (19) + 4 = 23 Persuasion, Man 3:1d20 + 4 ⇒ (15) + 4 = 19 Persuasion, Man 4:1d20 + 4 ⇒ (13) + 4 = 17 Persuasion, Woman:1d20 + 4 ⇒ (12) + 4 = 16
Ik wacht even af wat er allemaal naar voren komt, voordat ik post hoe en wat met het moeras.
F Human Fighter (Gunslinger)/4 (HP 32 | AC 14 | Str -1 | Dex +3 | Con +1 | Int +0 | Wis +2 | Cha +2 | Init:+3] | Speed 30)
Stealth:1d20 + 3 ⇒ (17) + 3 = 20
Jade nods at Brew, puts away her pistol, and turns around to move back to Karz and Jean. Quietly and carefully, just to be sure no one sees her leave the kitchen.
"Karz, why don't you go ahead and ask the keys of the guard on the first floor?" Jade suggests. "I'll search the storage room with Jean, considering I know what to look for."
"The guard shouldn't be aware of the floor you're supposed to be at. Just tell him you have a prisoner, and you need to know which cell's empty. If he asks; your mate's in the storage with the prisoner and will be right up, okay?"
Jade then gets to searching her friends' belongings, also describing what she's looking for to Jean. "The musket's the most valuable object and should stand out. Maybe the rest of their gear's lumped in the same corner... some daggers, thieves' tools, armor, and of course their normal clothes."
Advantage, omdat ik weet waar ik naar op zoek ben en een musket nogal opvalt?
F Human Fighter (Gunslinger)/4 (HP 32 | AC 14 | Str -1 | Dex +3 | Con +1 | Int +0 | Wis +2 | Cha +2 | Init:+3] | Speed 30)
"Where's the kitchen? I'll go 'help' him," Jade responds. "We can't have him blowing our escape route. You stay here with Jean, move toward the storage room and take your sweet time not removing Jean's gear."
Stealth:1d20 + 3 ⇒ (15) + 3 = 18
Jade opens the cellar door with as little noise as possible and, using Karz's directions, quietly moves toward the kitchen. As soon as she feels she's put enough distance between Bert and herself, she quickens her pace.
F Human Fighter (Gunslinger)/4 (HP 32 | AC 14 | Str -1 | Dex +3 | Con +1 | Int +0 | Wis +2 | Cha +2 | Init:+3] | Speed 30)
Background:
Jade grew up in a small fishing town called Rayall, on the coast of Malyss. Her father, Ivan, was one of the town’s many fishermen and her mother, Julia, helped him sell the fish to people in other towns. Jade admired her father and often went fishing with him. Ivan taught his daughter much about the sea, fishing, and much more while they were on his boat. On one such day they spent together on the fishing boat, a ship sailing a black flag with three skulls and a crescent moon on it approached the town. Before the ship would spot them, Ivan sailed his boat as far away from the town as he could. He’d recognized the flag for what it was: a pirate flag.
Two days later Ivan and Jade carefully made their way back to the town, which they found razed. There were many corpses scattered in and near the razed buildings, but there wasn’t a single sign of Julia. Ivan and Jade eventually headed back to the boat and sailed west, to Bretona. The large city state was only a couple of days removed from their town and Ivan hoped his wife had fled there, because it was where her sister lived. Once they arrived in Bretona, they were shocked to see the very same pirate ship that attacked their town in the city’s port.
Ivan immediately headed to the authorities, but he was told the ship’s captain was a privateer named Baxter Morley and in the service of Lord-Mayor Haldmeer Grobaras. The city’s guards refused to take any action against Morley and his crew. In a fit of rage Ivan took matters into his own hands and went to the tavern where the privateer’s crew was spending part of their loot on drinks, demanding they’d tell him where his wife was. The men feigned ignorance and mocked Ivan, telling him that if they’d come across his wife they’d take good care of her for him. Ivan’s rage grew and, completely forgetting who he was up against, grabbed a chair and hit one of the men on his head. In the moment that followed Jade saw Morley rise from his seat and shoot the strong father she admired so much in his chest.
In all the commotion that ensued nobody paid attention to ten-year-old Jade. Before Morley saw it coming, his pistol was pulled from his hand and another shot could be heard. The tavern grew quiet as the privateer’s hand went to his face. The shot hadn’t killed him, but it had destroyed one of his eyes. Jade pulled the trigger again, but the pistol had no more bullets in it. Morley then hit Jade with his other hand, knocking her out.
Jade woke up aboard Morley’s ship, amid other captives. Despite the painful loss of her father and her own capture, Jade was filled with relief when she spotted her mother next to her. Julia wrapped an arm around her daughter and they both cried. It didn’t take the ship’s crew very long to realize that Julia was Jade’s mother, and so their happy reunion didn’t last long. Morley had heard that Jade had awoken and had ordered one of his men to bring her and Julia to his cabin. There he made Jade watch how her mother was beaten up, as punishment for the loss of his eye. Morley made the beating part of his daily routine.
One day Morley and his crew ported in Mag-Abyra. Morley had grown tired of beating up Julia and decided to sell both her and Jade as slaves. He found a minor noble, Harbin Alazar, who was interested in buying the two women. In the years that followed, Jade and Julia worked in the Alazar household as servants. Their lives were good compared to those of other slaves, which was mainly due to their pretty faces. The humans who weren’t as blessed as them all magically disappeared soon after their purchase. Yet as Jade became prettier with the years, Julia’s beauty slowly waned. What was more, old injuries from Morley's beatings gave Julia more and more trouble keeping up with her household chores.
Not long after Jade had reached the age of nineteen, she overheard Harbin and one of his relatives talk about replacing Julia with a younger maid. Julia was to have an accident and Jade shouldn’t learn about it, because they wanted to keep Jade around. Jade told her mother about the Alazars’ plan and together they made a plan of their own. That evening dinner was served with poison, and Jade and Julia escaped the Alazar mansion. They made their way to the port, where they hid aboard a ship that set sail next morning. It was only when they were already at sea that they did realize they’d accidentally boarded a slaver’s ship, headed toward distant shores to catch new slaves. If the ship’s crew would discover them aboard the ship, Jade and Julia would be in deep trouble.
The next day, however, the women’s luck took a turn for the best. An Aroulan warship approached that of the slavers, and due to the tide the slavers were unable to escape it. The slaver’s ship was boarded, the slavers killed, and the Aroulans didn’t take long to find Jade and Julia hidden on the lower deck of the slaver’s ship. The Aroulans’ captain, James Kirkwood, and his crew treated Jade and Julia well. They were allowed to use the captain’s cabin during the night, while he himself slept with his crew, and were given clean clothes and proper food.
As the ship made its way to Synéra, Jade helped the crew with whatever task she could. The many things her father once taught her on his fishing boat quickly earned her the trust of the crew, who taught her much more in the days they spent together. Meanwhile Julia found comfort in James’s presence, and the feelings were mutual. In the year that followed the women’s escape from Mag-Abyra and arrival in Synéra, Julia and James married.
Jade joined the Aroulan navy, determined to follow James’s example to fight against slavery. Due to her motivation and prior experience, Jade was quickly accepted by the crew aboard the warship where she was stationed. She rose through the ranks at an incredible speed and two years after her escape from Mag-Abyra, at age twenty-one, Jade became the right hand of captain Audrey Warden. All went well, until one day Audrey’s ship encountered a ship sailing a black flag with three skulls and a crescent moon on it.
In the battle that ensued between the two ships, Audrey was killed when a cannonball hit her ship and caused one of the masts to collapse on top of her. Morale plummeted on the Aroulan side, and even more so when Morley’s crew boarded their ship. Jade, now highest in command on the Aroulan vessel, led what was now her crew in the melee versus Morley’s men. It was a heated battle, but eventually Morley had his men retreat. Morley’s crew had suffered massive losses and the privateer realized he had to retreat. With one of its masts down the Aroulan ship was unable to pursue the enemy ship, but as the distance between the ships grew there was a moment when Jade and Morley locked eyes. Slowly, an expression that was a mixture of surprise and anger appeared on Morley’s face. Then, what seemed like a hint of fear or regret.
After the Aroulan ship had returned to Synéra news spread quickly and Jade was given a hero’s welcome at Fort Synéra, the headquarters of Admiral Harley Corby, head of the Aroulan navy and an elected member of the City Council. With her quick and coolheaded thinking, Jade had successfully assumed command of the ship in the captain’s absence and thus avoided the deaths of her fellow marines. Jade was promoted to captain and was to be given command of Audrey’s vessel and crew, as soon as the ship had been repaired and the crew had enjoyed some rest.
Jade requested permission to pursue Morley, but it was denied. Admiral Corby told her that actively pursuing Morley could lead to severe political friction with Bretona, and that the City Council wanted to avoid war with the large port city. Even though the Aroulan navy would not cooperate, Jade vowed to herself that she’d deal with Morley one way or another. He had to be brought to justice, and she’d make sure it’d happen.
In the weeks that followed Jade’s return to Synéra, she carefully asked around if there were fellow marines with sympathetic minds. Marines who wanted to fight for a good cause, but saw themselves restricted by the bureaucracy the navy imposed on them. The first person Jade approached was Emery Bray. Emery was the navigator on what was about to become Jade’s own ship, and they had become the best of friends over the past two years. She turned out to be sympathetic to Jade’s ideas, and together they decided to pursue Morley. Together they started recruiting other people in secret. Ex-marines, current marines, former slaves, sailors, and many more. It did, however, not take the navy long to find out.
Jade and Emery were summoned to Fort Synéra by Admiral Corby and informed that he had heard of their plans. Though he said that he regretted having to do it, he stripped both of them from their ranks for high treason and ordered them to be imprisoned till there would be a trial. Jade’s short lived crew was disbanded before it was even properly formed and both she and Emery ended up in Synéra’s prison. It was here that they met their next best friend.
Two days after Jade and Emery were imprisoned another prisoner was brought in. A half-elven woman about the same age as Jade and Emery, who introduced herself as “just Valda.” The women talked about the reasons why they’d been imprisoned. It turned out Valda had had a hard time earning food the proper way, eventually turning to theft to feed herself. Valda showed a lot of interest in Jade and Emery’s plan to take justice in their own hands, but didn’t really comment on it. Later that night, Jade woke when someone gave her a push. When Jade opened her eyes, Valda was standing next to her. The half-elf grinned and asked Jade if there was room for a petty thief among her crew, and Jade replied there most certainly was.
With the aid of some small tools Valda had managed to hide on her person, the three women were able to get to their gear. Through intimidation and reluctance from the guards, as those had heard the heroic stories about Jade, they escaped Synéra’s prison. The women made their way out of the city and traveled to Malyss on foot.
After a month or so they reached the city state Maxon. Though slavery was officially not condoned in Maxon, there was a black market for slaves. Jade and her friends went aboard a slavers’ ship and killed the slavers. Jade then gave the slaves aboard the ship a simple option: “You can get off wherever we stop, or you can continue to sail with me. For now, let’s just get out of Maxon!”
Before anyone else in the city was aware of what had happened, the small ship with the three women and former slaves had left Maxon’s harbor. They sailed to various places on the Malyssian coast, dropping off former slaves. Yet a portion of the former slaves stuck with Jade and her friends, becoming Jade’s crew. In the course of the months that followed, Jade and her crew became known as the Jade Pirates. They freed slaves by attacking Gyrdanian slavers’ ships and slave markets, and earned gold by selling said ships and the possessions of the slavers in neighboring countries.
Nearly a month ago Jade heard a rumor that Morley had recently returned to Bretona after a long voyage. Jade had constantly kept an ear and eye open for information about him, but thus far she’d never had the resources to face Morley in battle. However, Jade had recently traded her former slaver’s ship in for a proper pirate ship, with which she expected she could defeat Morley. Thus the Jade Pirates headed to Bretona, where they coincidentally arrived at the exact moment Morley’s ship left the port. In the battle that ensued, Jade’s ship came too close to Bretona and received fire from both Morley's ship and the city's fort. The ship sank, and most of the Jade Pirates with it. Those of the Jade Pirates who made it to shore, like Emery and Valda, were quickly captured by Bretona’s guards. Jade saw this happen and, unable to do anything against it, hid between the floating wreckage of her ship. When she finally got to shore Jade fled to the nearest town, Fort Willow, and stayed there until she had recovered.
Now, two weeks after her ship sank, Jade’s headed back to Bretona. She’s heard rumors that part of her crew, among which her two closest friends, are being held in Bretona’s prison. Jade’s determined to infiltrate the prison and escape with them.
Jade arrived in Bretona, having disguised herself to draw less suspicion. While in the city she learned her face wasn't really known to the people in the city, which was a relief.
Using her anonymity and the name Jay Wilson, Jade applied for a job at the Bretonan guard. Claiming experience in diplomatic affairs and paperwork, Jade was hired for an office job. While working for the Bretonan guard Jade was able to read their records. She learned her friends Emery and Valda were imprisoned in Bretona's prison, and on which floor and in which cell they were being kept. Sadly, there were no records of any other crew mates. Knowing most of her crew wasn't able to swim, Jade realized everyone else had probably drowned.
One day, on her way from 'work' to the inn where she stayed, Jade saw a man being beaten up in an alley. She came to his rescue, and tried to chase off the thugs who beat him. They wouldn't leave, claiming the man owed them money he'd borrowed for medicines. Using the wage she'd earned working for the guards, Jade paid off the man's debt.
The man's name turned out to be Brew. His mother had fallen ill and he'd been forced to borrow money from shady people in order to buy medicines, which ultimately didn't help her recover from her fatal illness. Jade and Brew spent some time talking in a nearby tavern before parting ways.
During her off hours Jade had made contact with an underground organization, which was trying to fight the government's corruption. She struck a deal with their boss, Henry Oval. Jade would be given a small sailboat to escape Bretona with her friends, if she'd agree to also free on of their own from the prison; a halfling named Devi Horner.
And so a crude plan formed in Jade's mind. The prison was situated next to the water, at the city's edge. There were docks, which were often used by the city's guards. She figured she could sail to the docks and enter the prison if tasked with something that required her to be there. She already knew where to go inside the prison to find her friends, and was also able to learn where Devi was being kept. If the situation would permit it, she even knew where to find the storage room where her friends' non-sunken possessions would be kept.
Jade approached one of her fellow guards, a half-orc named Karz. Jade had learned Karz's only reason to have joined the guards was that half-orcs were often discriminated against and being part of the guard ensured people couldn't harass him without repercussions. Karz didn't like Bretona at all, but he had nowhere else to go. Jade revealed to him who she truly was, and proposed to him to join her crew so he could help her create a better world. Longing for change, Karz agreed to join her.
The next day Karz was assigned to locate the whereabouts of a man named Jean Devilious, who performed satiric speeches all over the city to expose the corruption of the city's government. Jade saw an opportunity, and asked Karz to request assistance in the task. Jade stepped up, referring to the experience in diplomatic affairs she'd claimed previously and how she could be valuable in locating Jean.
Together, Jade and Karz learned when and where Jean would be giving his next speech. They followed him after his speech and cornered him. However, instead of arresting him, they struck a deal: to ridicule the government, Jean would let Jade and Karz publicly 'capture' him on a later date and escort him to the prison. There they would free Jade's two friends and the halfling, after which they'd escape.
Jade's plan had just become less crude. She would have a prisoner to deliver to the prison, which would allow her to enter. She also had the help of Karz, who'd been out in the field for some time and had been to the prison before. However, Jade wasn't fully content with her plan. She feared their escape would be too slow if her sailboat would be moored. That's when she remembered Brew.
During their conversation after Jade had rescued him, Brew had told Jade where he lived. She figured she could perhaps recruit him to her cause, seeing as he had told her he had nothing left in Bretona. Jade figured he could stay on the boat while she, Karz and Jean went inside the prison. The moment they'd exit the prison, Brew could detach the boat from the docks and raise the sails to allow them a faster escape.
It wasn't hard to find Brew, but it turned out he was completely wasted after he'd decided to drown his sorrows. After sobering him up by pushing him off the docks and into the water, and giving him some time to get rid of his headache, Jade proposed her plan to him. Brew agreed to help, though Jade would first have to teach him how to raise a sail. Thus the next day was mostly spent making minor repairs to the sailboat and teaching Brew how to raise a sail.
With her plan as ready as it could be, and not wanting to wait any longer after more than a month of planning, Jade set her plan in motion. She and Karz 'captured' Jean during one of his public speeches, causing a lot of discontent among the people in the crowd who supported Jean's ideas. They used a planned escape route to escape the angry mob that followed and made it to the docks, where Brew was already waiting on the sailboat Jade had been given. Together they sailed to the prison, where they moored the boat.
Now, Jade was about to enter and free her friends...
F Human Fighter (Gunslinger)/4 (HP 32 | AC 14 | Str -1 | Dex +3 | Con +1 | Int +0 | Wis +2 | Cha +2 | Init:+3] | Speed 30)
Where did the strong guard next to the caster and the guard on the stairs go? Did Karz take the former out as well, and did the prisoners get the one on the stairs?
F Human Fighter (Gunslinger)/4 (HP 32 | AC 14 | Str -1 | Dex +3 | Con +1 | Int +0 | Wis +2 | Cha +2 | Init:+3] | Speed 30)
"Keep trying, Jean! I saw Karz move!"
Jade takes a (5-foot) step away from the stairs when she hears the inmates coming up, figuring she should make some room to avoid being overrun. She then attacks the guard twice while looking for weaknesses in his defense.
F Human Fighter (Gunslinger)/4 (HP 32 | AC 14 | Str -1 | Dex +3 | Con +1 | Int +0 | Wis +2 | Cha +2 | Init:+3] | Speed 30)
Jade takes a stab at the already wounded guard while replying to Jean: "Don't bards know spells? Anything you could use versus the caster upstairs, or to snap Karz out of it? Help in combat would be preferable over opening doors right now."
F Human Fighter (Gunslinger)/4 (HP 32 | AC 14 | Str -1 | Dex +3 | Con +1 | Int +0 | Wis +2 | Cha +2 | Init:+3] | Speed 30)
Jade's about to answer Jean's questions when the voice speaks. She shuts her mouth again and takes a look around, to try to determine where the voice came from.
Perception, to locate where the voice came from:1d20 + 11 ⇒ (7) + 11 = 18
I'll post my other actions when I have the info from my Perception check.
F Human Fighter (Gunslinger)/4 (HP 32 | AC 14 | Str -1 | Dex +3 | Con +1 | Int +0 | Wis +2 | Cha +2 | Init:+3] | Speed 30)
Yes, indeed!
I did not expect Jade to be so effective versus enemies with reach weapons. To be honest, I'd completely forgotten about Dodging Panache until you asked me if I had some swashbuckler thing I could use.
That's the funny thing about starting with a high level character; I constantly rediscover abilities I've never used yet while looking at Jade's profile.
F Human Fighter (Gunslinger)/4 (HP 32 | AC 14 | Str -1 | Dex +3 | Con +1 | Int +0 | Wis +2 | Cha +2 | Init:+3] | Speed 30)
The moment the construct attacks Jade, she uses her panache to dodge the attack and quickly close in on the construct before it can pull back any further.
Using 1 point of Panache to use the Dodging Panache deed. I gain a +3 dodge bonus versus the construct's attack, after which I get to move 5 feet without risking an AoO from my attacker. Using the 5 feet to close in with the construct.
Now standing right in front of the machine, Jade delivers two rapid stabs and hopes that's enough to deal with the metal enemy.
F Human Fighter (Gunslinger)/4 (HP 32 | AC 14 | Str -1 | Dex +3 | Con +1 | Int +0 | Wis +2 | Cha +2 | Init:+3] | Speed 30)
1. Will do!
2. Okaydokay.
3. I thought that was after its attack. My bad!
4. Dodging Panache is an immediate action that I can only use when an opponent attacks me (in melee). The construct has to attack before I can use it. It basically gives me a +3 dodge bonus versus the attack, and after the attack I'm allowed to move 5 feet.
Dodging Panache (Ex): At 1st level, when an opponent attempts a melee attack against the swashbuckler, the swashbuckler can as an immediate action spend 1 panache point to move 5 feet; doing so grants the swashbuckler a dodge bonus to AC equal to her Charisma modifier (minimum 0) against the triggering attack. This movement doesn't negate the attack, which is still resolved as if the swashbuckler had not moved from the original square. This movement is not a 5-foot step; it provokes attacks of opportunity from creatures other than the one who triggered this deed. The swashbuckler can only perform this deed while wearing light or no armor, and while carrying no heavier than a light load.
F Human Fighter (Gunslinger)/4 (HP 32 | AC 14 | Str -1 | Dex +3 | Con +1 | Int +0 | Wis +2 | Cha +2 | Init:+3] | Speed 30)
I figured I'd move this to discussion, as my post was getting a bit long due to all my questions.
AoO related questions:
I don't quite get why I provoked. The construct was two steps up, me taking a 5-foot step should easily cover that distance without provoking? (Maybe my description of taking a 'single step' didn't make clear that it was a 5-foot step. Apologies if it was unclear.)
And I remember an inmate being slaughtered when he moved near the construct, which I assumed to be the construct's AoO. Or was that just flavor? (Could of course also be that it has multiple AoOs, but then I still wonder about my 5-foot step.)
Construct's regular turn:
With Jade standing directly in front of the construct, would it not have to back away with a 5-foot step before it could attack with its reach weapon?
GM Mowque wrote:
That hits unless you have swashbuckler thing that prevents it?
I may indeed have something!
If it's a new turn in which the construct attacks, and not still the same turn in which I attacked, then I should have an immediate action available. (I think the construct acted before me when it popped up? Not entirely sure/) If I indeed have an immediate action available I'd like to use the ability in the spoiler below.
Dodging Panache (Ex):
At 1st level, when an opponent attempts a melee attack against the swashbuckler, the swashbuckler can as an immediate action spend 1 panache point to move 5 feet; doing so grants the swashbuckler a dodge bonus to AC equal to her Charisma modifier (minimum 0) against the triggering attack. This movement doesn't negate the attack, which is still resolved as if the swashbuckler had not moved from the original square. This movement is not a 5-foot step; it provokes attacks of opportunity from creatures other than the one who triggered this deed. The swashbuckler can only perform this deed while wearing light or no armor, and while carrying no heavier than a light load.
If the construct did indeed back off 5 feet to attack me with its range weapon, I'd like to use said ability to move 5 feet up to it so I'm again standing directly adjacent to it. (My Cha modifier is +3 so the attack wouldn't hit either.)
If I don't have an immediate action left this turn, then I got to eat the damage.
F Human Fighter (Gunslinger)/4 (HP 32 | AC 14 | Str -1 | Dex +3 | Con +1 | Int +0 | Wis +2 | Cha +2 | Init:+3] | Speed 30)
If I get this right, then the clockwork creature's still on the stairs leading down and the remaining guard's on the stairs leading up?
"Karz, take Jean and our other friend here one floor up," Jade says as she steps up besides the half-orc. "I'm going to hold back this thing for a moment, then I'll follow you!"
Jade then turns to the remaining guards and takes two strong stabs at him, adding panache to her first attack.
Spent 1 point of Panache, and it'll be regained if either crit confirms.
Jade quickly turns her head to Jean. "Forget the other cells here! Go up a level with Karz and open as many cells as you can there! I'll follow soon, and then we head straight to my other friends!"
F Human Fighter (Gunslinger)/4 (HP 32 | AC 14 | Str -1 | Dex +3 | Con +1 | Int +0 | Wis +2 | Cha +2 | Init:+3] | Speed 30)
Jade unlocks the door and quickly takes a step aside to let the door fly open. The moment it does Jade hooks an arm around the gnome's elbow and pulls him to her side, to avoid him being overrun by all the others pouring out of the cell.
"Jean, to me!" Jade yells. Stay close, we're going up!
Assuming he goes down with my attack:
With the Captain down, Jade takes the ring of keys from his belt.
"Keep trying, Jean. I'll see if I can open this door quickly, else I'll come over to intercept those coming from below and I want you to try this door first."
Jade takes a look at the keys on the ring. She noticed the color code earlier and remembers the Captain mentioning the 'black treatment,' so she looks for a black coded key.
"Deviloius Kowilious, I am here to free you and some others," Jade tells the gnome while fiddling with the keys. "Stay as close to me as possible, at all times. I'm going to open the flood gates here to create some chaos."
F Human Fighter (Gunslinger)/4 (HP 32 | AC 14 | Str -1 | Dex +3 | Con +1 | Int +0 | Wis +2 | Cha +2 | Init:+3] | Speed 30)
I believe kicking an item up to be an entirely different action physically and therefor not comparable with bending over and picking the item up. And nowhere does it state that the former action does provoke. The absence of such a mention for the kick up, which is a different action, would lead me to believe that it doesn't provoke. (It's not like Fast Reload, where a character just learns to do the exact same thing faster.)
But okay, I'll keep the AoO thingy in mind when I next use the feat!
On a side note: at first I felt like Kick Up required a rather heavy feat investment for the benefit of just retrieving a weapon faster, considering you need Acrobatics as prerequisite, but I now feel like both feats really fit with Jade's character!
F Human Fighter (Gunslinger)/4 (HP 32 | AC 14 | Str -1 | Dex +3 | Con +1 | Int +0 | Wis +2 | Cha +2 | Init:+3] | Speed 30)
It started a bit too early to my liking, simply because it kind of foils my plan a bit, but the combat itself is enjoyable! :)
The current situation sure adds tension to the whole goal of freeing everyone, but I'm sure really glad I didn't enter alone!
GM Mowque wrote:
Very cool, but he does still get an AoO as I read the ability,
The way I understand it is that 'pick up an item' is a specific move action that's defined as provoking an AoO, with the reasoning behind it likely being that you're bending over in the middle of combat in order to pick up the object.
'Kick Up' is a feat that allows me to retrieve an item, but I'm not doing any bending over and picking up. It's a completely different action physically, so I don't think it's really comparable in any other way than the end result also being that the item's back in my hand.
There's also the following line: "Additionally, when you kick up a weapon and attempt a feint before the end of your turn, you receive a +2 circumstance bonus on the feint attempt."
I think it'd be very weird for a combat feat that allows you to retrieve your weapon and receive a feint bonus with it to provoke an AoO while doing so. Kind of beats the whole point, as using a combat feat is supposed to give one an edge in combat and that edge would almost completely be taken away.
GM Mowque wrote:
you just still have full movement so you can attack him twice. That one crit landed so reclaim your panache.
I spent my Swift Action on the Kick Up though. So I couldn't have spent it on doubling my Precise Strike damage on the first attack, as that also requires a Swift Action.
F Human Fighter (Gunslinger)/4 (HP 32 | AC 14 | Str -1 | Dex +3 | Con +1 | Int +0 | Wis +2 | Cha +2 | Init:+3] | Speed 30)
Jade smirks when her weapon hits the ground. She steps on the pommel of her blade, causing it to move vertical like a rake, and kicks the weapon up and back into her hand.
"Alas, mate."
She then proceeds to attack, taking two more stabs at the Captain.
I'll forgo using my Swift Action to double the damage from Precise Strike, and will instead use it to Kick Up my rapier! ;)
That's -8 damage on my first attack, for a total of 11 instead of 19.
F Human Fighter (Gunslinger)/4 (HP 32 | AC 14 | Str -1 | Dex +3 | Con +1 | Int +0 | Wis +2 | Cha +2 | Init:+3] | Speed 30)
A map would be nice. Nothing fancy's required though, just a grid with some lines for walls will do.
That guard was directly behind us, wasn't he? So Karz would've had to step past him to get to those on the stairs? (Hoping the guard didn't try to stop him when I hadn't yet turned hostile.)
F Human Fighter (Gunslinger)/4 (HP 32 | AC 14 | Str -1 | Dex +3 | Con +1 | Int +0 | Wis +2 | Cha +2 | Init:+3] | Speed 30)
Jade stays quiet for a moment, to give Karz time to move over to the guards on the stairs. If he hasn't already.
"Karz, block the stairs!" Jade then yells as she draws her rapier.
Intimidate:1d20 + 7 ⇒ (5) + 7 = 12
"Know what's nice about this level?" Jade asks the Captain. "They're all screaming already. Nobody will hear it if some more scream are added. Now open that cell and let the gnome at the front out."
F Human Fighter (Gunslinger)/4 (HP 32 | AC 14 | Str -1 | Dex +3 | Con +1 | Int +0 | Wis +2 | Cha +2 | Init:+3] | Speed 30)
"Better," Jade comments to the man. "This will do."
Perception, to see if I can spot the gnome in one of the cells:1d20 + 13 ⇒ (13) + 13 = 26
If I spot the gnome, based on the description Lady Heidmarch no doubt gave me: "There are some nice rowdy types in there," Jade comments, pointing at the cell. "Let's put him in that one."
Jade motions for Karz to move toward the guards on the stairs.
Bluff, so only Karz notices it:1d20 + 7 ⇒ (14) + 7 = 21
F Human Fighter (Gunslinger)/4 (HP 32 | AC 14 | Str -1 | Dex +3 | Con +1 | Int +0 | Wis +2 | Cha +2 | Init:+3] | Speed 30)
Jade follows the Captain downstairs, seeing as she needs to descend at some point anyway.
"He should be low," Jade says in reaction to the Captain. "Together with the other scum, like those rotten Pathfinders."
She hopes her comment, in addition to what she's said earlier about the higher ups not liking Jean, will make the Captain decide to descend to the same level the gnome's at.
Jade would by the way have shared the locations of the cells with Karz, together with the names of the gnome and her friends.
F Human Fighter (Gunslinger)/4 (HP 32 | AC 14 | Str -1 | Dex +3 | Con +1 | Int +0 | Wis +2 | Cha +2 | Init:+3] | Speed 30)
Diplomacy:1d20 + 10 ⇒ (14) + 10 = 24
"No," Jade says as she shakes her head. "We have been tasked with the capture of Jean Reinar and the additional task of personally seeing him to his cell. He annoyed some people higher up quite a bit, hence the different treatment."
F Human Fighter (Gunslinger)/4 (HP 32 | AC 14 | Str -1 | Dex +3 | Con +1 | Int +0 | Wis +2 | Cha +2 | Init:+3] | Speed 30)
Jade takes a deep breath, golds it for a moment, and lets it out. "Alright... Time to treat you as a prisoner again..."
She takes a rope from her haversack, the one that's now 15 feet, and gives it to Karz. "If you could please tie him up belowdecks?"
Jade then steers the ship straight at the Pillar. "You ready, Brew? Remember what I told you?" she asks, and goes over the plan one last time before they reach the Pillar's dock.
F Human Fighter (Gunslinger)/4 (HP 32 | AC 14 | Str -1 | Dex +3 | Con +1 | Int +0 | Wis +2 | Cha +2 | Init:+3] | Speed 30)
I didn't give them any gear, that's why I left the equipment sections empty. I assumed they had full gear, of a value roughly equal to Jade's, but it was either lost when the ship sank or the Aspis took it away. Kind of assumed I'd not be able to retrieve it.
The weapons I listed are things Jade would've picked up in preparation for the prison break. She'd have purchased those in Magnimar and put them inside her handy haversack, to give to Emery and Valda once they're out of their cells.
If you are however willing to present me with an opportunity to retrieve their original gear while inside the prison, I may take it and will gladly describe the full gear they would've had.
------
And yes, I'd like for you to play them. I ended up with a bit more info about them than you asked for, but I kind of just kept writing! Figured I'd add something about the bond Emery and Valda share, as they're also friends. Not just with Jade. (Also added some stuff that could be fun for some comic relief in the future!)
Emery:
Emery has an optimistic personality and is always looking for opportunities to learn/develop herself. Emery prays to Iomedae. She likes to help people and will keep her mouth shut if someone entrusts her with something, unless keeping her mouth shut would have disastrous consequences for the people she loves. Emery used to be LG while in the Andoran navy, but her principles weighted heavier than the law and she gradually switched to NG. She even studied law before enrolling in the navy, but figured she'd rather assume an active role in making the world a better place. She likes studying cultures and languages, and will try to pick up more languages over time.
Because of the aforementioned Emery will often put a point or two in Linguistics (learning 2 languages for each point) or Knowledge (Local). She's a very loyal person, and takes pride in being a good navigator. Therefor she'll always keep her Profession (Sailor) as high as possible.
Emery's urge to help others can however be a bit annoying to those who want to be left alone, because she's not good at leaving people alone. Her overenthusiastic chitchat about all the new things she's learned can sometimes annoy Valda (and possibly others).
Valda:
Valda often feels she's somewhat misunderstood, a feeling that has its roots in her mixed heritage and how people treat half-elves. She's had her fair share of misfortune and can't stand to see injustice done, which is why she decided to join Jade and Emery and became friends with them. Valda's very patient and knows how to wait and bide her chance, both in social situations and on the battlefield. Valda likes picking up as many useful skills as possible, because she's been alone for most of her life and still feels safest when knowing she's capable of doing a lot things on her own. She's glad she has some very close friends now, but deep within she fears that something may happen to them and that she might end up back alone.
Like Jade, Valda prays to Gozreh; god of the sea. The sea has always fascinated her, and she's tries to keep her Knowledge (Geography and Nature) up to date. She's learned navigating (Profession (Sailor)) from Emery and Jade, and by now knows even more about it than Jade. Valda learned Dwarven together with Emery, after informing the language enthusiast that she picked up Goblin a few years ago and had been wanting to learn Dwarven as well. Valda always tries to keep her Disable Device and Stealth skills as high as possible. She's the one who taught Jade how to use that skill.
Even though Valda likes spending time learning languages together with Emery, her friend's over-eagerness to discuss grammar sometimes gets a bit on Valda's nerves. Considering Emery's not very capable of letting things go and always tries to help and understand others, Valda can sometimes be seen quietly sneaking around the ship to avoid Emery while pressing a finger to her lips to anyone who happens to spot her.
F Human Fighter (Gunslinger)/4 (HP 32 | AC 14 | Str -1 | Dex +3 | Con +1 | Int +0 | Wis +2 | Cha +2 | Init:+3] | Speed 30)
As you can read in Jade's backstory Jade and Emery met when both serving in the Andoran navy. Emery's an accomplished markswoman when she's got her hands on a musket, but like every gunslinger she's also capable of using others martial weapons. Even if I'd have had the gold to buy one, I reckon it'd be impossible to purchase a musket anywhere in Magnimar without drawing major attention. I'd like to instead buy her a longbow with 40 regular arrows and a longsword.
Jade and Valda ironically met in the previous prison where the half-elf was held, and back then was the one who made it possible for Jade and Emery to escape. She specializes in using swordbreaker daggers to disarm opponents, then cutting them to ribbons. (Getting an extra attack on a successful disarm.) Whenever there's an opportunity to flank (that doesn't kill her), Valda takes it. Twice a day she can even give her flanking buddy an extra attack if she herself misses hers. The swordbreaker dagger is an exotic weapon, but Jade will have tried to find at least 2 of them in Magnimar (and add 2 regular daggers if no more are available). If not a single one is available, I'd like to purchase 4 regular daggers instead.
Also thinking of purchasing some cheap armor. Not that there's likely to be any time to don it while inside the prison, but it'd be nice to have after the prison break. Will wait for you to tell me if Jade was able to find (a) swordbreaker dagger(s).
