Wholeness of Body x2 + sleep:2d8 + 24 + 12 ⇒ (8, 8) + 24 + 12 = 52 Pocky can get herself to full HP the next day.
Pocky gladly accepts the hug, and she takes Ci-Ci’s hands. Ci-Ci can feel something being slipped into her palm—a sapphire ring.
I won’t leave the game with party loot.
“This ring may have made the difference between falling in battle and not.”
Had I not jumped, the sheep’s spell would have had me at 1HP or -8.
“And you fly a lot.” She’s worried Ci-Ci will get shot down from midair. And if Boomhand tries something funny, Pocky won’t jump off a cliff to avoid her.
She says of the Dawnflower. “Yours is a beautiful faith, Mara. I believe the Dawnflower and the Cloud Sisters would get along very well. Iris and Nephele, anyway. Aella is more the avenge-your-sisters type.
“For Boomhand’s sake, I hope she does not try to betray me.” She smiles at Dervak when she says that, but Pocky is genuinely confident she will not be easily fooled by a fellow monk, and she thinks Boomhand would stand even less of a chance without falchions intervening. (Dervak’s as well as Cracknail’s, to be fair.)
“It may be a fool’s errand, but I’m willing to chance it. Sleeping will be the tricky part, so I’ll do very little of it.”Lv.12/Ki Metabolism
“But if I succeed, she will be instrumental in freeing slaves. She knows the business. And if my hunch is correct, she lives for the fight, not the cause. Even so, the question that remains is whether she’ll want to avenge her sisters. I know I would.”
Pocky says, “It will be a burden on me as well… a coup de grace would save me a lot of trouble. And she could refuse, which would make me regret waking her. I will kill her if she would rather be with her sisters.
“I would hope I’d make that choice if my convent were attacked, and I was the sole survivor. Boomhand may be blind to the evil in this.” She gestures to the courtyard, surely where slaves kill each other for fun and profit.
Pocky thanks Mara, and is relieved at Dervak’s approval of taking Boomhand alive. “It’s Boomhand’s choice as well. If any of you doubt her word to me, please warn me so I know to end her.
“I just couldn’t bring myself to kill her after the exhilaration of dodging her blows—all but one. It was weak… but in perfect form.” She looks down at the sleeping foe, and at the two giants who did not receive mercy. “I know I said all slavers must die… and maybe when she awakens, her words may confirm I had it right the first time.
“But I have to know… can a slaver be redeemed? Should it even matter, after how mistreated the people here clearly are?”
Pocky returns, bloodied as hell. “Sorry for the flying leap. I anticipated you had things under control.”
She stands over Boomhand.
“I spared the monk. Her style is inferior to mine, which means I can handle her, and she knows it. Her choice is cooperation and atonement through servitude… or death.
“I think she can earn her right to live by successfully helping us move the slaves out without any other gnoll slavers or authorities making trouble for us.”
@GM, just gonna RP. (Not sure how far I can get, but 80ft move with Haste could probably double-move me back in one round. I still am near-dead though and would rather not eat the party’s remaining CSW. I think the party can win this in two rounds which is what I’d need to move up and heal.)
Pocky quietly assures the slaves, “Only Biting Lash and remains standing, and perhaps she has an invisible friend. I am badly hurt, but I am in the worst shape of our group. Surely Biting Lash already senses her defeat is inevitable.”
Weak from battle, surprised she’s still standing, Pocky contemplates how to get out of this alive without abandoning her teammates.
The looming giant will hurt Dervak or Allegra—but with the giant toppled, Allegra can get Biting Lash. As for the flying ones, surely they won’t desert their leader to chase a halfling who, as far as they know, will die from the fall.
This Sapphire ring and that demon are my escape.
“Allegra, in case these words are my last, kill the leader.”
“Pray that mine is the face you see when you awaken, Hunter Boomhand.”
Pocky then strikes the rival monk with nonlethal blows, simply because she respects her style. The idea of an all-female fighting force intrigues Pocky as well, but they are still slavers. Should Boomhand fall unconscious, Pocky will turn on Cracknail with intent to kill.
(I only intend to spare the monk.)
Pocky was going to say something about the element of surprise, but the archon is quick to obey. She waits for it to leave before saying, “Potions of invisibility might help a couple of us guess close to an enemy that may be otherwise unapproachable.”
“You handle your beast well. Unfortunately, I am a beast you cannot handle.
“Die.”
Pocky flying kicks the rider, and beats the crap out of him. If he falls, she takes out the mount, too!
Damage is Bashing/Magic/Cold.Iron/Silver/Law
_
Targets are
• Rider (flying kick)
• Mount (stunning fist)
Pocky glares at the hyena! “I’m going to kick that grin off of your face. It won’t be pretty.” Damage is Bashing/Magic/Cold.Iron/Silver/Law
_
Targets are
• Mount — jab dance to rider if it falls
• Rider
Pocky wonders if her proximity to the other animals will cause chaos, or will the riders keep them under control?
DC20 Handle Animal or Ride
Warded Against Nature:
Animals do not willingly approach within 30 feet of you, unless you or the animal’s master succeeds at a DC 20 Handle Animal, Ride, or wild empathy check. Animal companions, familiars, and mounts granted by your class abilities are immune to this effect.
Pocky moves swiftly. She trips the red gnoll, and adds injury to insult.
Trip:1d20 + 27 ⇒ (10) + 27 = 37 “Slavery is a sickness,” she says as she stomps the gnoll right in the snout.
AoO Kick, Sicken:1d20 + 24 ⇒ (10) + 24 = 34 Damage:1d8 + 8 ⇒ (1) + 8 = 9 AoO, if trip succeeded.
Sickened if stunning fist hit and DC19 fort save failed.
Pocky is ready to kick some asses!
Damage is Bashing/Magic/Cold.Iron/Silver/Law
_
Targets are
• Green SE — jab dance north first hit
• Green NE — jab dance north first hit
• Red — first attack vs. red is both Flying Kick w/ Stun (Fort DC19)
If holding the bars and breaking the cell doors is working, Pocky keeps it up! Else, she stays still and assures the slaves, “Eyes shut. Live to taste freedom!”
Since GM is fast-forwarding, I won’t bother rolling.
Pocky works on one door until it falls, then uses the bars to her left to volley herself to the next door.
Flying kick with handrails triggered by the first door breaking.
Pocky hears the warnings… and as she approaches she sees the statues who were once slave-girls, and the surviving gnoll. She does not pass anyone from the party. (Needed a double move to get as far as I did.) She fixes her gaze on the women covering their eyes.
Pocky places her hands on the cell door and speaks to the slaves.
“Keep your eyes covered. We’re going to free you, but you mustn’t look until we tell you it’s safe.”
Pocky shuts her eyes. She hopes nothing will prevent her from opening them again, such as becoming a statue.
If she hits it more than once, her jab dance puts her in reach of the red tiger as well!
Attack:1d20 + 23 ⇒ (6) + 23 = 29 Damage:1d8 + 8 + 5d6 ⇒ (1) + 8 + (5, 2, 6, 5, 5) = 32 14 if first, 22 if second
Attack (Ki Strike):1d20 + 23 ⇒ (2) + 23 = 25 Damage:1d8 + 8 + 5d6 ⇒ (4) + 8 + (5, 6, 3, 3, 5) = 34 17 if first, 26 if second
If Red survived, Pocky kicks him again. Else, she flies to Green.
Kick Red if he’s alive; else, Flying Kick to Green:1d20 + 23 ⇒ (4) + 23 = 27 Damage:1d8 + 8 + 2d6 ⇒ (2) + 8 + (4, 6) = 20 10 if first
Once she fights green, she dance steps with each successful hit.
Kick Green, Stun:1d20 + 23 ⇒ (6) + 23 = 29 Damage:1d8 + 8 + 2d6 ⇒ (5) + 8 + (6, 4) = 23 13 if first
DC19 fort save vs. stun
Reflex Save, Hero:1d20 + 19 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 19 + 3 = 25 (I don’t think I’m affected since it’s vs. Evil, but here’s a successful save if Pocky jab-danced into Ci-Ci’s spell.)
Pocky does not come up to Allegra’s knee once the transformation is complete. “Well, if you’re ready to squeeze through the door, I will gladly follow.”
She says to Allegra, “If we move as one, we can overwhelm the remaining foes. Dervak is correct that escape is not guaranteed. The tigers may delay the gnolls’ exit, but escorting starved prisoners will be slow, whether we save one or twenty-one. And the law is on the side of Biting Lash; they need not chase us at all. A sending stone could spell our doom.”
Well... several. 25 words only gets you so far, unless they just say things like ‘short nun bad.’
She tightens her little fists. “The dead cannot send magical warnings across the land.”
Pocky replies, “They are not safe. They are malnourished. I am indifferent to killing the slavers ourselves or using the tigers to distract as we escape.
“I have my opinion on what course is best, but as long as we can all agree to the goal to take every slave out alive, I’m game for fight or flight.” She asks, “Which do you honestly think best accomplishes this?”
Pocky replies to the woman, “By perish forever… you mean it is not just your body, but your soul that is in danger?”
She turns to the others. “I want to kill every slaver here, but… if my riling the unleashed tigers provides cover for escape, perhaps we should consider this a successful rescue, and move out.”
