Rannveig Pack-Bound's page

Hey, guys - time to make it official. I'm really bothered by this, especially for this game (Ravenloft = awesome, and I've really been into the characters and story here) but it's become pretty clear that I don't have the time/energy right now to keep up with play by posts in any reasonable fashion, so I'm having to drop out of basically all of the games I'm currently in.

I'm very sorry to do this, as these things have always been a blast and I hate to let my poor characters languish in limbo, and even more so since you just lost another player, but I hate even more to let you guys suffer waiting for my painfully slow butt. No hard feelings, I hope, and good luck - feel free to use Rannveig as an NPC for as long as you like, or (as is more likely here in Ravenloft) get her killed at your earliest convenience.

One of the monkey puppets gets up to all fours, shaking itself like a weary dog trying to shed water. After a moment, it repeats the motion. Apparently not getting the results it wanted, it makes a whining sound and climbs to its feet, looking around with obvious, though silent, confusion and distress.

To avoid cluttering up my profiles page with yet another spot, I'm just gonna add another section to Rannveig's profile page with the various adjusted combat stats, titled Wooden Wolf. Unless I'm thoroughly mistaken, I think that all of Rannveig's abilities carry over, so I'll just be adjusting for changed stats. Speaking of which, the ability suggestions seem fair, and make a bit of sense - in order to maintain some of your natural acuity within the new frame's limited capacity, you give up the inherent powers of the doll.

Spell Like Abilities are different than spells.

What he said. Lack of mental scores makes for sad spellcasters. Still, quite a bit better than not having class abilities at all.

Rannveig spins and thrashes, slashing wildly with her blade, desperate to get the horrid little puppet off her back. Ylva, too, almost goes into a frenzy to destroy the thing before it can perform its evil magic on her pack-mate and mistress.

Rann AoO: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 5 = 8
Damage: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 3 = 7
Rann Attack: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (13) + 5 = 18
Damage: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4
Ylva: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (20) + 3 = 23
Damage: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7
Trip?: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (7) + 3 = 10

Not sure if we count as flanking this thing or not. I think so? If we do, +2 to all those attacks.

^ What the man said.

Rannveig's eyes went a little wild at Gregorio's words. The horror of what was happening here began to sink in, and she could not dispel the thought: They would trap her in a body not her own. They would take her life and make it theirs.

Not again. Never again!

Her gaze flicked around the room, to her allies that still seemed to be themselves. "Donovan! Dimitrio! We have to go!"

I do believe breaking a grapple is a standard action. I should be stuck with just a move, which I won't be using.

EDIT: Actually...I think I lie. It's not exactly tactical, but I think Rannveig's using that move action to talk. Post in a minute.

As Donovan's movement distracted Gregorio from clinging to Rannveig, she wrenches back and forth, shaking free of Gregorio's grip with strength alone and throws the youth to land in front of her. Her eyes, grown wide in the struggle, flash angrily as she sets herself against the young man's continued aggression.

The moment his feet hit the ground, Ylva goes for them, the maddened she-wolf doing whatever she can to drag the young man to the ground and away from her packmate.

Attack: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (17) + 3 = 20
Damage: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3
Trip: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (15) + 3 = 18

Should probably have made that roll on the gameplay thread, but yes, that will break Gregorio's grapple.

Yeah, sorry about that. I just didn't want to disrupt the flow over there without knowing if my action was valid. Posted now.

I know we're supposed to go down, but I don't plan on making it easy for you. :)

What he said. =P

At the moment, I think I'm still being grappled by Gregorio? If that's the case, then I'll be struggling to get out, but I didn't want to post until I was sure. For reference, in case that is what's going down...

CMB to Break Grapple: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (19) + 4 = 23

That seems like it will probably do the trick, and there's also Donovan's +2, if it applies.

Aaaand I'm back. Sorry about that, guys, internet was basically entirely gone from my vacation spot. Thanks for taking my move for me, Bluedove, and also, nice narration on that.

Whoop. And I got ninja'd in the other thread. I'll delete that.

Glurg. Totally my bad the last few days, it's been a stressful week. Anyway, here we go.

Rannveig lashes out as the devilish puppet near her exposes itself for a moment to throw one of its deadly little needles. As the blade comes around, she reverses its momementum to chop down at the vicious thing once more.

Ylva, too, reacts with ferocity, attempting to savage the carrionette trying to pounce on her back.

Attack of Opportunity: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (1) + 5 = 6
Damage: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5
Regular Attack: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (8) + 5 = 13
Damage: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 = 8
Ylva Attack: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4
Damage: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6
Possible Trip: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (17) + 3 = 20

My thoughts on the whole puppet-neck-attack bit are a bit conflicted. In general, I feel like if there was no save, that's fine and seems appropriate, but it sounds like the ability was designed for if we were already helpless, yeah? Thus no save would make sense.

As far as the in combat thing is concerned, if there's no save, I'd say they need to do something appropriately difficult like hitting the called shot or pinning us before they can pull that off. Maybe make the called shot easier if they're already clinging to your back...?

EDIT: As a sidebar - holy crap, both Rannveig and Ylva rolled natural 1's on their attack. Ravenloft is mean.

Fort Save: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 5 = 8

Rannveig growls out her frustration as her right arm falls useless at her side. Transferring her blade to her left, she lashes out at the carrionette on its perch above her even as Ylva's teeth rip at the puppet before her.

Rannveig Attack: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (12) + 5 = 17
Damage: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 3 = 9
Ylva Attack: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (9) + 3 = 12
Damage: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2
Possible Trip: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (18) + 3 = 21

Pretty sure those letters stand for Knight, Archer, and Monkey, baldwin.

Not too sure if the map is accurate. If it is, I'll shortly post something about Rannveig attacking the carrionette right next to her.

In other news - man, we are in for a spot of trouble here.

Rannveig and Ylva demur to Donovan and Luc, allowing them past then slipping in, predatory shadows following the bold warriors.

As soon as they get a chance, Ylva and Rannveig will slip in and head to opposite sides, something like Ylva to c5 and Rannveig to h5, looking to flank whatever might be in there as soon as they can.

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (7) + 6 = 13
Ylva: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (4) + 5 = 9

Rannveig and Ylva both drop into a crouch, gliding forward to follow Artegal's bold action.

Rannveig glances at Ylva, and the she-wolf makes a quiet "whuff" noise. Rannveig, in turn, nods to Luc.

The 'bad thing' Rannveig was talking about was the presence she and a couple others sensed earlier in the evening, not Azura's face in the mist. Just in case there was confusion.

Rannveig shrugs uncomfortably, anxiously casting her gaze after Giuseppe's trail. "Something is wrong here. There was a..." she pauses, struggling for the words. "A bad thing. Watching us, from the dark."

A pretty good roll, there - yay!. Unless they've taken special care to hide their scent (or Ravenloft's messing with us), I do believe that should be able to track down a fresh trail.

Rannveig will whine a little (literally) if we pause hunting Giuseppe, but she'll tag along to the candle shop if people think it's a good idea.

Rannveig's eyes flicker to the door and the mists, clearly anxious to begin hunting Giuseppe, but she waits for Donovan's say-so, or the pack's...the party's decision.

Me, I'm definitely into letting things play out as they will. I'm confident this group can keep things trucking along without us needing to be railroaded.

Rannveig moves up to Donovan's side and jerks her head towards the door where Giuseppe escaped, a sense of urgency to her motion. She has no wounds of her own, but is clearly agitated. "He moves swiftly, but we can follow him if we must." She says to Donovan and Olivia.

Dashing back into the fray, Rannveig darts in for a low strike with her blade, Ylva's fangs coming in high at the same time from the other side.

Got it. Sorry that took so long - somehow, Paizo didn't let me know there was more happening in this thread. I must've clicked it by accident at some point or something.

After only a few steps into the night, Ylva stops, whining. She glances at Rannveig, and after a moment's communion, Rannveig understands that the puppetmaster has - for the moment, at least, gotten away. The two turn back to the door and begin their run back to their companions and their deadly struggle.

Ylva, picking up the trail, howls and lopes off into the night, Rannveig protectively on the she-wolf's heels.

And I'm back in action. Sorry about that, folks.

Moving on: For reference, how Scent works has always been a little confusing, so here's the description. Generally speaking, creatures can be immediately detected within 30 feet (adjusting for wind), and following a fresh trail is typically a DC 10 Survival - so it's entirely possible that Ylva can still track down Giuseppe, if he isn't moving super fast.

On the other hand, if she can't sniff him out immediately, they'll both just turn back to the fight with the puppets.

Ylva shakes herself as her paws come under her control once more. Raising her nose again, the she-wolf sniffs the air as Rannveig watches anxiously, wishing she had some ability to help.

Survival (Tracking w/ Scent): 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (10) + 2 = 12

Agh! Sorry about not posting the last few days - I've headed out for vacation with most of my extended family, and the internet has been weird. I'm assured that the internet is going to be more solid for the rest of the time, but obviously, I'm still going to be distracted by being here, so my posting will be spotty at best.

As for Rannveig and her not-getting-stabbed, my bad, I think? I appear to be having some trouble reading the map. I could have sworn she was out of range of the puppets, although I admit to being confused how she wasn't in range in the first place - I think there must have been some mixup over where she was placed. That being said, I think she would probably just Withdraw in that case, hopping off the stage and running for the door, and go for the Transformation the next round if she couldn't figure out where Giuseppe is.

Rannveig, with a whining noise, stops at the door, investigating Ylva as the wolf shakes off the mindhold that forces her to dance. Her blade waves in the air as she defends her confused friend, watching for any threat. Without the wolf, she could not hope to find the mad puppetmaster even if she was inclined to leave her behind.

Rannveig lets out a coughing noise - a bark, perhaps? - at Donovan's order, and drops to her knees, only for a second or two. When she rises, her gait is smooth and unbelievably swift - not that of a running woman, but a loping wolf, and she tears up the stairs towards the spot where Giuseppe had been. Hearing Rannveig's cough, Ylva jinks aside from the threatening motions of the puppets in front of her and runs for the same point, somewhat ahead of the girl. The she-wolf pauses at the door, her nose lifted to the night air.

Right. I'm still waiting to see what Giuseppe manages, but Rannveig will listen to Donovan and take off after him. Specifically, she'll spend her standard action to activate her Totem Transformation again, this time granting her a 50 ft base movement speed, then taking off after him, barking at Ylva to follow. Ylva, on the other hand, will take one more snap at the dolls, then break to follow after Rannveig.

I'd put this in gameplay right now, but narrating it would be tricky when I'm not sure where Giuseppe will be.

A few things: First up, I believe that Rannveig and Ylva do go separately, technically, but it's almost always easier to have them just both go when Rannveig does. Up to you.

Second, Ylva's trip attempt is only on a hit with her bite. Sorry, should have mentioned that - it's a wolf ability on a successful hit.

Finally, I'd like to know what Giuseppe manages to accomplish on his turn before I decide Rannveig's action. She's inclined to go after him if he's still in the room come her turn, while Ylva stays in position to keep attacking dolls. On the other hand, if he's already managed his escape, then she'll move to help finish the dolls before chasing him down.

Rannveig and Ylva run smoothly to either side of Donovan, fangs, steel and snarls flashing in concert.

Rannveig attack: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (6) + 5 = 11
Damage: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 3 = 9
Ylva attack: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6
Damage: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3
Ylva trip attempt: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (15) + 3 = 18

Futilely slamming her shoulder against the doorframe once, Rannveig shakes her head and continues loping down the alley.

DC 25 is beyond me, but here's the dice roll anyway.
Strength check: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (8) + 3 = 11

Rannveig doesn't hesitate. Shooting Ylva a glance, she takes off running. As one, the woman and the wolf run through the fog-shrouded night, scanning the building for a possible entrance.

Running to our left through the alleys. Probably not the best idea, tactically speaking, but here we go anyway. They'll stop to investigate any doors, windows, or other obvious possible entrances, but only long enough to determine they're solidly locked.

My bad on the initiative. It's just my dex, and can now be found underneath my name and in the defenses section of my profile.

I also appear to have forgotten: have we discussed how we're handling initiative? That is, taking our turns in combat. Are we doing it in blocks, or waiting for each character?

Currently acting under the assumption that Rannveig was close enough to catch what just happened. Hope I'm not wrong, 'cause otherwise that last post made just about no sense.

Ylva's got 50 feet of movement, so she at least is certainly fast enough to get into the street and start to close in on the doll, but I'm not sure how much time/movement it takes either of them to navigate through the crowded room.

Dimitrio - neat. I've been looking to play me some piratical nonsense, and you've got some cool ideas there. I'll throw my hat in.

Rannveig, coming cautiously down the stairs, is just clearing the second floor as the doll springs to life. She freezes for just an instant, confused, then springs forward when Artegal lashes out, growling. If her friends were ready to battle, that was good enough for her. Ylva, too, began to run, moving like a pale ghost through the little room and out the door.

Not sure if you want to go into rounds (or not) before Rannveig can make it downstairs, or if I should just illustrate her reaction to the room now.

At the bang of the opening door, Ylva's head whips towards the stairs, and she bares her teeth. Rannveig's expression never changes, but she growls loudly enough that the others upstairs can hear, and begins to prowl downwards to investigate.

Speaking for me personally, I haven't chimed in too much in game recently just because I don't think Rannveig had anything new to contribute, and I didn't want to clutter things up with random filler posts.

Never fear, though, I'm paying attention, and I'll post when Rannveig does something new. For the moment, though, she's just staying on alert in the hall, leaving the investigation to people who might be able to decipher it.

As for the game itself, I think you're doing an admirable job of laying out a world for us to play with. Honestly, I feel a little lame not contributing more to moving it along, but I feel confident that'll change when Rannveig feels a little more in tune with the situation.

Well, this is certainly the longest pause we've had so far.