Since people could hear the conversation, I'm saying the distance from wood to tower is 75 feet. In adition, to reload a crossbow takes awhile.
- As an old DM I have no idea of the INT on a cav's mount? Does it have normal or supernatural INT?
Can't edit, too much time has gone by, lets call it a miss
The Heavy warhammer whistles through the air, but fails to score a hit on the agile old man....
-As the wood elf darts across the field, and drops, a pair of bolts is fired from the tower...
Bolts: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 2 = 17
Bolts: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 2 = 17
Both whistle over the prone elf's head...
Mother *$@$one of the men curses.
Sorry I'm working 8 hours on weekends...posting on monday.
As the party reacts to the conflict between Vuk and the Inquisitor, I'm going to give them each one extra round, and from then on handle initiative as normal. So Vuk will get off his attack...
-As Vuk reaches for his weapon, the elderly man pulls a pair of short swords with amazing speed for one so old, and swings at Vuk's neck with one of them, trying to slash his throat open...
Attack: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 = 8
-Perhaps his age or excitment causes the blow to go wide...but he sidesteps the knight's clumsy counterattack, avoiding the deadly hammerblow.
-You can do better than that, sirHe taunts, before taking up a defensive posture, one sword raised above his head, the other held in a back hand stance, grasping the hilt rather than the handle.
-If there are guards in the tower, they are waiting behind the arrow slits. They can't fire at the base of the tower, as the tower lacks murder holes.
Init: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (11) + 3 = 14
more to come
And what proof or answer would you like? A skull? A 20 year old woman? A few old rags? Pardon my rudeness, but what, exactly were you expecting to find after all this time?
His mood switches from one of confusion to one of mockery...he continues
If I give you my word the woman is long dead, would that satisfy this new boyar? Then we can all be about out business, sir knight.
No worries, I'm always checking in.
Waiting to see Vuk tries to hide a weapon or something...
At this range you are fairly certain that the guards can't hear you, and if the dogs can, they can't speak...In addition since the guards are using the arrow slits, they have very poor visibility.You heard two voices, and it seems likely there are more
I'm thinking with a new baby we may need to give Vuk a little more time...
Make a perception check, 12 you hear it, 10 you hear them talking but can't make out the words...
-The dogs, though barking, do not jump the gates of the kennels, and start chewing the rabbit. The barks change to snarls as they fight and tear the rabbit into bits. Holiday is over, I'm back
-As Garian crawls towards the kennels, he must have been unwashed, or perhaps snapped a twig, as the dogs start barking at his approach! You hear raised voices from the tower, shouting Alarm, defensive positions!
You can take a 20 on the hiding spots, certainly, but there is an element of risk getting close enough to the dogs without them smelling you, so I need a role for that...and obviously a roll for whateer Vuk says or does....
Once you all agree on a plan, you can put it into action, I'd suggest bluff or diplmoacy on Vuk's part, and stealth rolls for the scouts. Also some text to describe your actions.
Using the earlier survival roles
The patrols are along the very path that you used to get to the area, there are horse tracks ,some old some recent, along the trail, and so many that it seems the trail get's heavy use. You notice that right now, there are no signs of any horses at the tower, so it is posible that the main force is out, and only a few people are left to defend the tower. This would explain why you haven't noticed much activity from the tower.
I have been unclear, but the dogs are inside the kennel, they could, if angry, jump the gate, but somebody will need to open it for them. Imagine the kennel as a 'U' shape, closed on three sides, with a waist high gate on the open end...
-The elves think they could pick some toxic mushrooms to sicken the dogs, but are not sure how effective, or how long the symptoms will take to show. There is also the issue of getting meat to the dogs, without them making noises.
The windows are narrow, only 6(15cm) inches wide, though almost 1m high. They are indeed intended as arrow slits, and for light and ventilation, not access.
-The kennels are simple wooden structures, with a roof, but they are open in the front, the kennel gates are about a 1m high as well. The dogs are kept in as much by their defensive training, and lazy nature, but could likely jump the gate should they wish to.
-You can make a knowledge nature check to decide what herbs, mushrooms or natural ingredients would make a a digestive posion.
Nice scouting rolls
-The two scouts get within 100m of the tower, using the long shadows of dawn to their advantage. The tower is a large structure, with a single iron door at the base. There are no windows for the the first 4m, meaning it will be difficult to get inside. The tower is 15m high, and 5m wide, and circular.
-You stay downwind from the kennels, which are built in a covered lean-to against the east side of the tower. You see several sleeping war dogs, which are indeed black, and the largest dogs you have ever seen. They wear spiked collars, but are not chained. The dogs coats are in excellent condition, and their noses look moist.
-Based on the path worn into the ground, it would seem the tower sees patrols come and go at least once a day, and there is white smoke coming from one of the windows, likely a charcoal fire.
You can retcon for more details, or return to camp
Vuk regains hp as normal for 8 hours rest
Could I have roles for who ever will undertake a scouting/recon mission at dawn? Stealth, Survival, and Perception checks.
-Around the time the moon rises, you hear the sounds of dogs barking, from the distance, and guess that it is feeding time at the kennel. You'd guess there are at a half dozen large dogs,more or less based on the noise.
-Will anybody scout the area at night, or do you wait for dawn?
Way to waste a twenty
The wood elf quickly finds a spring of pure water, several dry pre cut logs, and a rabbit throws itself into the stew pot.
At this point I think only somebody with an INT of 5 wouldn't know that the Black Dogs do indeed have war dogs.
Yes, it was
-The north fork is a little used track, hardly more than a path, and only a foot wide. It crosses open country, mostly tall grass, about knee high, with scattered birch trees.
-However, you find repeated, every 30 to 50 m another head impaled on a stick. Some are recent as a few days old, while others are simply skulls. These grisly totems seem to mark the trail to the tower.
-In the distance you see the tower, it is about 80 feet high, and looks, from a distance, to be in fairly good repair. You are too far away to hear any sounds coming from it.
Garian Talethiel wrote: Estimating how long he's been dead.
[dice=heal]d20+6
Estimating how long ago this may have occurred.
[dice=tracking]d20+7
Does the party decide to push ontowards the tower?
-As for the shrine of to Mokosh, it lies a little off the road, and was pulled down. The statue is broken, and the roadshine shrine vandalized. There are blood stains scattered around the area, on trees, and leaves, as well as a few on the image. Somebody was likely killed or nearly killed in the region to leave this many stains...
-The party continues down the path, which soon comes to the fork, that had been mentioned earlier. A grisly sight is at the crossroads, a man's rotten head has been stuck on a pike. The birds and insects have made it impossible to recognize any features, and it is surrounded by a cloud of flies.
-
-The sight is grim, and rather out of place, for such a poorly travelled region.
potion of CLW: 8 + 1 = 9
Vuk is brought round by the powerful curative magic, and blinks his eyes at the sun. What happened? Are we victorious?
Think that gives Vuk 7 hp
Craft checks can be made untrained...sometimes. Like now.
--You notice a few nails, green with some natural toxin, have been hammered into the opening, to snag a careless intruder. You avoid these, and pull a small chest, about 18 inches long, and 12 inches wide out of the hole. There is no lock, but the chest has been tied shut with a length of rope.
--No traps! You open the chest to find it contains several glass vials, containing a greenish liquid, as well as a healer's kit and a bag of gems.
-The Wood Elf peers at the ground, and starts following a trail of broken twigs, and bootmarks...
Campus Internet was down...back now
-The bandits are cut down, fighting to the death, and leave no surviviors. They seemed desperate, and clearly should have attacked a less skilled party, and paid with for their hubris with their lives.
-You find 6 longswords, and 2 shortbows. The armor they wear is off such party quality and repair that it would be hardly worth stripping it off, not to mention, the holes and blood stains. The bandits carried coin purses holding gold: 6d10 + 6 ⇒ (2, 6, 7, 1, 2, 1) + 6 = 25coins.
-Vuk lays face down in the middle of the forest path, bleeding to death...His horse, having brained one of the attackers, waits nervously over his body.
Yeah, you can charge...I'm sorry...It's a road...I didn't object so I though silence means consent
-The wood elf dispatches one of the bandits, with a graceful thrust to the heart. He drops instantly.
-Vuk falls from his horse, bleeding heavily -1 HP, and the horse is also seriously injured, 2hp left. The bandits turn their bloodied blades towards the giant orc...
-The city elf fires a short at the other sniper, who catches it in the upper leg, but manages to keep standing, and doesn't fall from the tree.
He fires a shot back at the elf. Attack: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 = 8 which goes wide, into the bushes...
Need a move from Kuraj, and then we will go onto round two. Didn't expect to roll a crit, and such high damage on you, Vuk, but I guess luck hates 1st level characters...
-The Iftar tosses a throwing spear into one of the charging attackers, and he takes it in the stomach. He collapses, and the three remaining bandits charge towards the mounted party...
-Vuk, on horseback finds himself surrounded, with three men trying to hack at his legs, and lower body, as he is mounted on a horse.
-As the elf lets an arrow fly, it strikes one of the snipers in the trees. The arrow passes through his neck, and pins his corpse to the tree, as his bow slides lifeless from his hands. He was killed instantly, and his companions aren't even aware of his demise...
-The bandits have also become aware of you, and with a scream they rush into action
initiative: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (13) + 1 = 14
-The men are poorly armored, but well armed, with stolen longswords. Perhaps they are army deserters, or simply sellswords fallen on hard times. They arequite drity, and look underfed, but still dangerous. There are 4 of them, and two are nesteld in the trees, as snipers.
Just ask for more information, but I prefer a more abstract, text heavy combat, to a grid. Hope that is ok. However, you can indeed charge the ones in front.
Does anybody mind hosting/posting maps for me, since I can't use googledocs here in the kingdom of heaven?
-After a peaceful night's sleep, the party wakes at dawn, bolts down a quick breakfast, and heads out on horse back. Horses are provided for any who do not have one (hehe) and the party takes the road eastward.
-The path will lead through a forested area, with poor visibility, and an obvious spot for an ambush. Riders can get by, but low hanging branches, and ditches by the sides of the path, will require you to ride in single file.
In other words, who is point...and I need perception spot checks or listen checks. So elves can apply their keen senses to hearing...if they still have one.Now is also a good time to read mounted combat rules.
Moving to a different apartment and work location this week. Very hectic.
-The bartender bends over and whispers to Sir Vuk
-A VERY drunk middle aged woman walks up to the Orc, and suddenly grabs him by the hand....trying to pull the giant out onto the dance floor for a polka... You are far stronger...so just say what you do...
You will spend the evening in town, return to the manor and talk to the boyar, and strike out in the Morning. Yes?
You have head of them, they are like the CIA everybody knows 'of' them, but wouldn't be able to recoginize them, or why. There are more clues around. And thanks, I have been working on the campaign guide for over a month, and wrote, in longhand, more than 10,000 words. In addition to all my [sarcasm]beautiful handdrawn maps[sarcasm]...
|
