It probably didn’t help momentum that we all went deer in headlights with the sheer number of options we had in how to get into the city.
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+2 if enchantment
”Great. Follow me!” Praxim makes a mad dash toward the heart of the city. Once he gets into the open area with the G, he turns right and heads towards any building that looks run down. He pauses sporadically to quickly scan for evil auras in alleyways and through doors into older buildings. If he finds an abandoned building with no evil aura, he’ll try to gain access. ”If we can slip in and out of a few buildings, we can confuse anybody tracking us from above. We just have to get out of sight and lost in the maze. If we get separated, we can meet up at that big round building on the other side of the artsy district an hour after sunset. None of you magic folks know any spells to let us communicate over long distances, do you?”
”If we leave the city then we just have to try sneaking back in later. Right now, we have a window to get in and lie low somewhere, but only if we get out of sight now! Let’s move, dwarf!”
"Thordak. This way. Let's get lost in the art district."
Definitely. With the bit of luck, I can’t imagine Praxim failing to kill one. With any luck, the city folk will just think the warning alarm was for the deva (but we never really get that lucky). Still, better a vague warning than a specific description.
”Yes but he’s going the wrong way. We need to get lost in the city not have to try and get inside again!”
Praxim is happy to do something he’s good at (sneaking not being one of them) and, after activating his haste boots, unleashes on a different creature. If at any point his target goes down, he smoothly adjusts his aim to the next creature.
Praxim follows, trying to make it naturally look like Rexil is herding them along.
Or teleport? Though we can’t keep doing that forever. Do we also have telepathic bond available? As long as we can mute Thordak when needed it would be useful.
First up is to find an abandoned building to be a base, somewhere where a group of normal-sized folk with a stone giant wouldn’t be too conspicuous. Then I think we need to just blend in and get a feel for the heartbeat of the city, gather information about the different factions at play, find out who some of these lieutenants are and where.
Finding a base within the Artisan District makes sense to me, since it’s close to the giant areas and far enough from the big fortress at the gate. Why is it the term “Entertainment District” gives me a bad feeling? We should have an evac plan, as in who teleports with whom, and to an agreed upon point within the “boundary”.
”So long as he knows it’s only an act…”
Praxim only has one ring; if everybody else has two he can take that one.
”Well, as a first step, maybe don’t shout so loudly that all the dragons hear us.”
”All right. We need some way to blend in to all that. These lieutenants we need to find are probably living in some of the nicer areas, or somewhere close to all these military preparations. Figuring out a way to disguise ourselves as locals is probably the easiest. A bit of sabotage on some of these military efforts might also be good, but it would give away our presence. Good for a bit of distraction though when it’s time to hit the mountain.”
Going camping with the kids until Thursday. Not sure on cell reception. Please bot me if needed.
Praxim will aid Thordak in taking down the frost giant, inflicting a modicum of damage.
Praxim targets the other giant with some arrows.
Praxim teleported up to the ledge with Tomaru.
Praxim delays until there are more targets, letting the elementals have their fun.
”Get us up there,” Praxim says, delaying until after Tomaru.
With Rexil providing cover, Praxim takes a deep breath and begins releasing arrows inches from his friend’s ears. ”Hold still.”
"Lym, don't you think that ledge they're hiding on would look better if it weren't there?"
If he can see a head, heads are good for arrows.
If these are also transmutation giants, that’ll do more and hit better.
He has horrid wilting. That spell is…well…horrid!! Long range, wider area than fireball, no energy resistance can stop it, and it targets Fort instead of Reflex. It’s a rogue/mage killer.
Praxim doesn't actually have a response for that. The sometimes-snooty, always snarky elf is at a loss. He glances at Tomaru with a mixture of amusement and pity, and then silently tries to hide somewhere. Rexil is big: he makes a good screen.
"Sorry, Tomaru. I tried, but you're on your own now."
Other than a level 17 druid I created once for a high-level one-off, this is the farthest I've ever gotten with a character. I'm still thrown off by just how much damage gets exchanged at these levels.
Yay!! Level 16 is actually pretty dull for Praxim. Some save boost, layon hands goes up to 8d6, another second level spell... And a fourth flippin' attack! Bwahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!! Finally, Praxim will be able to inflict some actual damage. Adventure paths are structured so that when you encounter the level 1 stuff, you're level 1. If someone like Praxim as he is now had shown up in Sandpoint when the goblins first attacked, he could have pretty much single-handedly dealt with the whole lot: same for any other PC in this group. Presumably, that kind of thing happens on a world like Golarion, and it just doesn't become big news. The hero gets some free drinks for awhile and then moves on. It doesn't become fodder for adventure paths. Has anybody ever tried taking a 16th-level character and soloing a first level adventure? Would it be any fun as just a one-off experiment?
Since none of his special abilities last longer than 16 minutes, Praxim refrains from activating any of them for now. "Whether we survive this or not, folks, it's truly been an honour to take this road with you all. Facing evil, saving the world, and the truly most difficult and dangerous task of all: teaching Lym to be a proper respectable woman who tends home and raises babies."
”I wasn’t suggesting we disguise you,” Praxim says. ”Isn’t enough red paint this side of Absalom to keep folks from seeing you coming,” he adds more quietly but not nearly quietly enough.
If we take the mountain first, stealth is going to be gone after the first encounter. We lose little by scouting the city and dealing with some of its denizens first. Plus, loot is helpful. Gotta say, evil transmuted giants is going to check off the holy, giant bane, and runeforge power boxes with Praxim’s bow. You thought he did big damage before…
”Is there any way you could describe these runes to Lym? Some disguise potential might not be the worst thing in the world to have.”
And if you go a bit further, you get to the part where Praxim, the holy paladin, suggested shoving their dead companion's body into the bag of holding like a heel of yesterday's bread.
Praxim relaxes his hand from his bow and puts it on the forearm of his cohort. "Have no fear, my lady. I will both vouch for him and protect him. We liberated his people from evil much like we did in Whitewillow, and in return for that aid, he offered himself to learn and grow and improve himself and his people. His purpose is noble, and though he doesn't yet possess the raw power and skill that the rest of us have, yet he continues to brave all the same dangers."
"Some of us are a good part mouth, too," Praxim mutters as he uneasily watches the strange form.
Praxim will hold off on bonding with his bow, since this may not be an enemy, or at least not hostile. He emerges from the shelter with Rexil and scans it for evil.
Praxim will spar with Rexil, hopefully drafting Thordak into helping as well. The ensure elements may protect from the effects of the cold, but the cold is still there, so moving about feels good. They should take turns standing guard. A summoned guard could be dismissed without a sound and thus give no warning.
Does anybody have a lantern? The warmth from a lantern would heat up a secure shelter eventually. Or Lym could setup the secure shelter, then fireball the inside before we got in.
. . . . .
Any chance of crashing at Castle Lym for the night?
Praxim looks up at the open air where the roof used to be. "Well, you know what they say, when the wendigos move in down the street, there goes the neighbourhood."
It's still up after 90 points of AoO damage? Ouch. Praxim angles his whole body upwards and unleashes straight up. 200 ft is into the first range increment, so -2 to hit.
As the creature takes off, Praxim's quick reflexes allow him to snap off another shot. |