Llaelian's gladiator 1's page

Crushing Pearl would have been first order of business, yes. And I rolled an 18 for initiative. Oh well. Back to 0 rep level 4 for Rolg. It's actually the prevalence of Tanglefoots that annoys me most. They're so cheap when compared to the counter to it (solvent) that it makes it useless to buy solvent. For instance, you can buy 10 tangleshot arrows for the price of 1 solvent... not cool. But i guess it is what it is.

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I was hopign to be able to put together a build that could do fairly decent without being a ranged or magic-using combatant... that dream is being beaten down one loss at a time. :/
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I'm tryin to decide if I should just go with the flow or try to stick it out.

I think your build is really good, you have good versatility and good power versus ranged opponents/magical users. You were just very unlucky vs Liane. I also have to say I'm getting more and more experienced at fighting vs strong enlarged melee opponents.

Against Shigeharu, I think you did not employ the right defenses (protection from elements would have helped a lot).

For tangleshot vs universal unguent: it's more 2.5 for 1 (20 gp vs 50 gp), but I agree it 's a really strong effect with no save and an easy ranged touch attack.

That's my 5 cents but don't despair, you're still well into the contest at 4th level. Keep Rolg, I like him.

Had you rolled higher I guess you would have crushed Pearl :(
That runner's shirt is changing things a lot and I've come to suppose every one has one.

To be fair, I'm expecting to win initiative most of the time. I don't know how you rolled on that but I only rolled mid-range on that one.

I'm half ashamed by the last roll as it's the fisrt time i've ever rolled max damage on all the dices of a crit.

Without glee, the mounted halfling stores her bow, draws her lance and sends Pearl Flying towards the downed dwarf.
Alighting close, she hops down from Pearl and grips her lance in both hands to finish the work.

CDG1 26
CDG2 20
CDG3 22

Round 10

Swinging to L10 to get a better view of Rolg, Liane fires an arrow at the dwarf and finishes her move in K15.

Bow attack from L10 31 (crit threat), damage 10. (Rolg has half cover, so +2 to AC).
Critical confirmation 22 for 20 damage

Did you cast that defensively (swift action spells still provoke, right)? If not, it still provokes an AoO. If you did, i'd love for you to have to use what I'm assumign is an abysmal roll you just made for that tangleshot attack for your concentration roll. :D

I've check that, swift action spells do not provoque AoO, otherwise this spell would be useless in this situation.

From the SRD: "You can cast a quickened spell (see the Quicken Spell metamagic feat), or any spell whose casting time is designated as a free or swift action, as a swift action. Only one such spell can be cast in any round, and such spells don't count toward your normal limit of one spell per round. Casting a spell as a swift action doesn't incur an attack of opportunity."

Nah, I don't trust Pearl acrobatics while you're not entangled, so I'm going to use another tactics and try to entangle you again :).

Round 9

As Rolg gets into position again, Liane utters a few words and the dwarf suddenly seems to loose his reflexes. Taking advantage of this situation, Liane takes out a second weird looking arrow out of her quiver and fires it at the dwarf before flying to the south of the arena.

Cast litany of sloth on Rolg, no AoO this round,
Fire another tangleshot arrow: ranged touch attack 16, entangled for 7 rounds.
Fly to K15

Round 8

This time, Liane pushes Pearl forwards at a quicker pace trying to put up another arrow between the shield and the wall.

Pearl double move, D13 E12--E5 D4 C4 B5--B13
Liane bow attack 20, damage 10.
(the attack is from D4 (half of the movement, attack penalty of -4 already added, Rolg has no cover)

Round 7

As the dwarf moves back to look for cover, Liane reverses Pearl mid-flight. Flying from C16 to A10, she targets the part of the large dwarf still visible behind his pillar with another arrow before jerking her mount into a sharp turn between the two top-most pillars to go almost back to where she started (D13).

Movement C16_B15-A14-A10,
Bow attack from A10 22, damage 5 (Rolg has cover so +4 to AC)
Sharp turn to B10 Fly check DC15 success
Movement to C10, D11 ending up in D13.

That's fine with me as well. Let's go

Round 6

Cornered into a side of the arena, Liane reverses Pearl direction and sends the roc into a flurry of short turns and waves to try to avoid Rolg hammer. Then, once she is out of reach in A11, she turns into her saddle and fire another arrow at the dwarf before looking for cover behing a pillar and moving to C16.

Pearl acrobatics check 23 vs CMD
Liane ride check 32 vs CMD
Bow attack 17, damage 10

Ok, I'll wait then. I've put up a post in the discussion thread.

I know flying/mounted combat is not highly detailed in the rules as the game is made to be played in 2D. Since I'm playing Liane, I've run into lots of issues/imprecisions that did not occur to me until then.
If you agree with that, we'll go with two rolls of acrobatics to avoid AoO and you can target the one(s) fails her (their) roll(s)
Good point on swift actions, though. I'll go with that.

Can somebody have a look at pit 6. I've got a question on AoO, acrobatics and mounted combat.

Okay, I've got one question that I was not able to answer and I would prefer it solved before my move. It may need a ruling.

I haven't seen anything about not using acrobatics to avoid AoO while being mounted. But I haven't seen it done or how it could be done. MY idea would be to roll acrobatics both for the mount and for the rider, but I open to suggestion/discussion.

One other question I have is if you can use a move action instead of a swift action to perform something that needs only a swift action.

Round 4

As the massive dwarf comes near, Liane sends Pearl in an acrobatic manoeuver. Hugging the walls, they move fro E20 to B17, then to A13 where she fires at the dwarf before ending their move in B6.

Bow attack 28, damage 7

As Rolg moves forwards to F/G 10/11, he notices Liam and Pearl in E20

Round 4

Seeing an enlarged dwarf stepping into view, Liane draws an arrow with a vial like head and, directing Pearl to B16, fires it at the dwarf. She then flies back to E20.

Tangleshot ranged touch attack 30, entangled for 4 rounds, Fort DC10 or be glued to the ground.

Round 3

Mounted on Pearl, Liane emerges from her hiding place, this time with her bow ready. As she spots the dwarf, she strikes the first blow, before spurring Pearl back behind the pillar.

Bow attack 31, damage 6
Crit threat 30, extra damage 18

Round 2

Liane draws a scroll and casts another spell then spurs her mount in a circle around the eastern pillar eventually disappearing behind it.

Round 1

Calling for Erastil protection, Liane casts another spell, then directs Pearl to E19 where she whisltes to the roc.

** spoiler omitted **

Did you mean B4? Or maybe B13? B3 is in the wall.

Sorry, It's B4 assuming I started in A row. I've corrected it in the post.

Surprise round

Barely faster than her opponent, Liane vaults into her saddle, unrolls the scroll and casts a spell. Dropping the scroll, she then sends Pearl flying to B4, 20 ft up (maximum height possible).

For ease of reference, I'm calling 0 feet up the first square of height (0 to 5 ft), 5 ft up the second square and 20 ft up the fifth square and maximal height in the Pits (20 to 25 ft)

Liane enters on the opposite side wielding her longbow in one hand and with a scroll in the other one. Seing the furious dwarf on the other side, she eyes him first with her left eye, then with her right.

At her side, Pearl cope her movements, crouching on her legs and ready to fly off.

Hearing the dwarf mutterings, Liane shows her teeth, then open her mouth and sticks out her tongue at him.

Initiative 21

Ready to go.

Another link on the subject, this time from Jason Bulmahn. This is actually the post I had found a few weeks before and clearly states the case for Pathfinder.

To come back on the scroll issue, I remembered having found an official answer on the message boards, where it says you cannot use scrolls as a ranger or paladin below level 4. It is from Joshua Frost and for Pathfinder society.Here is the link

Liane is ready for level 4.

Concerning the paladin issue, I've checked it for building a character for the mock-up arena. My reading of the rules says the opposite. It is clearly stated that before level 4, paladin and cleric have no caster level and not that they have a zero caster level. Even with a high wisdom or charisma bonus, they do not have bonus spells before level 4 and cannot cast them.
For me the tern no caster level clearly means for me that they cannot use a scroll and do not have a spell list until that level.

Hello again, Liane. Can you send it to me and/or Eben as well? We're kind of "deputy arbiters" and have a google docs with all of the character sheets.

Btw, in the interest of transparency--if anyone thinks it's unfair that I have access to your character sheet and wants to see Arian's (or Shigeharu's still-unupgraded sheet) just let me know and I'll PM it to you.

Done. I've added to the PM a question about Liane abilities.

After a bigger hiatus than planned, Liane is ready at level 4. Character sheet is sent to the arbiter.

mbauers, thanks again for the fight and your fair play spirit.

Liane is now getting updated for level 4 once Jehova has validated the win. I think this is where my luck will run out as I know the three opponents I may face are well armed to kill her :(

Good game, that'll do it--I assumed you had Mounted Combat, but I figured I'd go for it just in case you didn't.

One note for future fights, though. Even though your +9 ride is an automatic success, I believe you still have to roll the d20, since the roll does occur (if we were playing in person, for example). That would mean that your good attack roll would have gone toward the ride check, therefore requiring another roll for your actual bow attack (which could have been a 1 or 2, for all we know). At this point it doesn't really matter as I have no chance and I'm not about to make you reroll on a technicality. But in other, closer matches it could very well matter. Good luck at level 4!

Thanks for your comment. I have never made any of the rolls when there is an automatic success (like DC5 ride checks every turn). So it's not as if I am chosing sometimes to roll and sometimes not. But I'll ask the Arbiter to make a ruling about it and will conform me to it. I just clarified the fact that I was not rolling because had I not, you would fairly have asked me if I had not forgotten that roll.

And thanks for the game. I know Liane build is frustrating to play because it's a defensive build and I've tried to find ways to limit most of the offensive abilities of others. But you've come up with ideas I had not considered like the poisoned shuriken. I'm going to give it further thought for the next level.

Round 6 reaction

As the vial reaches Pearl, Liane hurls herself on the side, spurring Pearl to do the same and the vial barely miss the Roc and crashes on the wall behind, showering Liane and Pearl with fire.

Ride check immediate action 23.
As Liane is back to a wall, I suppose both Liane and Pearl will take splash damage (1 for each),
Thus Pearl has to make a fly check to avoid loosing altitude vs DC 10. As she has a fly bonus of +9, it is an automatic success and I did not roll it.

Round 7

For the first time, Liane answers her opponent. "Pearl not cooked yet. You die before us."

Taking out another arrow, she fires it a the furious half-elf. And flyes

Bow attack 27, damage 9

Comments on the roc: Its powerfull (high AC and attack) but has low hit points, plus you have to be a druid, which is not the best arena buuild. I had to fiddle a lot with multiple classes to get it to work. There are lots of overpowered builds but it depends against who: The Frost wielding Magus is one, for example. Or an enlarged fighter with a range weapon that can also chase me all around the arena...

Round 5

Liane fires another arrow at the half-elf then spurs Pearl over him to B4.

Bow attack 30 (crit threat) for 8 damage.
The crit does not confirm with a 15.

Round 4

Liane swings her mount back to K4, moving her bow to her left hand and drawing a first arrow. As she gets a full view of her opponent, she lets the arrow fly.

Bow attack 31 (nat 20) for 8 damage, critical confirmation 25 for an extra 15 damage.

EDIT: I'm awfully lucky with the dice roller right now, but there's going to be payback at some point.

Round 3

Liane directs Pearl to K17, same elevation and casts another spell. Her face changes appearance, eyes growing and turning golden and feather sprouting on both sides.

Went back to check the numbers, the DC to fly less than half speed is 10. The one for hovering is 15.

Hovering is a DC20 fly check and moving less than half speed is a DC15 fly check. Otherwise, as long as you move only the mount speed i.e. 80 ft for a roc, you can cast a spell and attack without penalties. If you move more, you get penalties on attack or concentration check on casting. And no, she does not have to land at any point.

Liane has a single quiver (around 20 arrows) and another bag plus two pouches.

If you plan to wait before I've exhausted my arrows, this will last very long.... I've got multiple back up plans for that:)

To be clear about the way you could catch Liane and because 3D fight is not easy to figure, if you are enlarged you just need to jump 5 foot up to reach Liane, a DC20 acrobatics check because you occupy a 10 ft tall cube and have a 10 foot reach. This was discussed and established in my last fight.If you are not enlarged, then its a DC60 :(

Round 2

Puzzled by her opponent action, Liane keeps to her plan. She directs Pearls in a lazy curved flight towards K4 while she draws her bow with her right hand (the hand with the buckler on) and casts another spell.

IMHO, It's unlabelled because you can't reach it. From what I understood, there's a big portcullis blocking the issues. But that does not really matter because you're not provoquing and AoO and I'm not about to attack you yet...

Liane is shaken for this round and the next.

Round 1

Visibly shaken by the ferocity of her oponent and wishing to avoid a fate similar to her near death at the hands of Basha, Liane directs Pearl back to E3, 25 foot elevation, stores her guisarme in her back and casts a spell.

Can you tell me how many visible vials do you have?

I should not post at 2 AM. I'm afraid my description was wrong (a bad copy and paste)

Corrected description.
Liane has her scimetar on her back alongside her lance and bow and she wields a small glaive guisarme. When she enters, you realize her hair and armor look dirtier than last time.

Liane vaults effortlessly on Pearl who takes flight straight towards Arian up to C10 10 feet up in the air.
With her long weapon, she tries to shear the rope of Arian's weapon.

Sunder 24 vs flat footed CMD, damage 7, which should be enough, providing the rope is at most three inches in diameter.

I may act first :)

Liane enters the arena for the third time. She is again fully armed and armored. Her leafcloth armor seem to absorb all the light. On her back protrude a curved wooden bow and a long wooden lance. In her left hand, a scimetar is ready while a buckler is strapped to her left arm and she holds a potion in her left hand.
On her left, Pearl her roc companion hops on the ground, fully kitted with a dark saddle, wings half open.

Initiative 28

I'll face you with Arian

Accepted, master of the pits, can you make it official.

Liane is there, level 3 waiting for official decision in pit 8.

you don't need the cdg lol. I dropped dead on the spot lol. Even had I killed you I still would have died once rage ended lol. Good luck in your upcoming fights. I'm going to go buy a reach weapon now. :-)

Damn, I forgot, Orc ferocity and all...

And Liane has triumphed once more... well more of stumbled to victory by the skin of her teeth.

Waiting on the Arbiter nod though. Then I have to update my equipment and I think I had a challenge by the musket firing goblin....
Should be interesting that one.

NP your first shot drops me so funny enough the swarm attacks you lol. Nice fight! I made a big mistake sundering your bow instead of grappling you at the beginning.

Shooing the swarm away, Liane steps on the orc corpse and repeatedly pierce him through and through. "I'll give you puny mice and tigers..."

Fort save vs nauseated: 16
Coup de grace 1 damage 6 (I know that's pitiful)
Coup de grace 2 damage 14
Coup de grace 3 damage 13

Yep, you would have caught me cold before I could use my cloud/swarm tactics.
I now need to update my equimpent some more to find a way to skewer the jumping barbarians... I've got a few ideas.

Sorry, I updated my post with my action just up. Did not see you had replied.

right but that says "as part of the standard action to maintain the grapple" I still have a move action left. I don't grapple very much so I could be wrong but in which case what happens to my move action?

The problem is that when you are grappling, you cannot move except as part of the grapple. In a grapple, both creature have the grappled condition.

Quote: Grappled condition: A grappled creature is restrained by a creature, trap, or effect. Grappled creatures cannot move and take a –4 penalty to Dexterity....

Thus for your move action, you can draw something or pick-up something...basically anything that does not make you move.

I'm not an expert grappler myself, but the good thing about these fights is that they make us look at the obscure points of the rules in detail. :)

Round 10

Throat half opened by the blow, Liane gathers her last strength to finish of the injured Orc before she dies.
In the mean time, up in the air, Pearl uses both her talons and beak to take out the Dugrosh's eyes.

And the bats, after a last bite, eventually fly away.

Liane attack 20 damage 9
Pearl beak attack 6
Pearl talon 1 attack 17 damage 3
Pearl talon 1 attack 8
Swarm damage 1 + 1 bleed damage, Fortitude DC11 or nauseated.

Two things, 1. Are we in concealment where we are? 2. Remember that you need to take damage and bleed damage and save vs. nauseated as well since swarms don't discriminate. I'm traveling for work right now but I will post my actions in a bit.

1. On the ground, we are not in concealement, the fog is a half sphere and not a cylinder. I have checked that and validated that with the arbiter.

2. As for the swarm, it is only a 10 cubic foot swarm. Even if we are grappling, we are not sharing the same square and from its direction, you are still the closest target And as your size is the same of the swarm, it should stop on you.

Again, it is my understanding of the rules and I've been proven wrong a few times :)

I would say Liane is on the ground close to where you are. That would be H3 or I3
I realized I forgot to tell you you needed to roll a fortitude check DC11 each round you are on the same square with the swarm or be nauseated.

Round 9
Liane howl in dismay as the gigantic hand plugs her from her saddle and she ends up in the clutches of the large Orc.

Lifting her eyes to her mount, she calls it to attack, then she twist in her attacker’s grap, drawing her rapier and trying to skewer him
Emerging from the cloud, Pearl plunges down on the grappling melee, trying to pierce the Ogre with her beak. moving through H3, 20’ to H3, 15’, no AoO because she has concealement in H3

Meanwhile, the swarm continues its relentless pursuit of the Orc and moves on its spot, biting again.

It's not done yet.... You can still kill me in a single blow.

Do the bleed effects stack btw? I think they do but I wanted to make sure.

No, they don't. You just lose 1 HP/round once you're bitten. It's clearly stated in the Bat swarm entry.

Round 8
Liane flies back around the Ogre and disappears into the cloud again in H7.
In the mean time, the Bats again focus on Durgos, biting him again.

swarm damage is 3 +1 bleed