I drank a shield extract after the hag fight, we should be good on shield. Thankfully. Wisdom:1d20 + 3 ⇒ (19) + 3 = 22
Reynard sways unsteadily for a moment, unused to the sight of so much of his own blood at once. Then he redoubles his efforts to finish Lucrecia *now*.
If I check every time I see a post, I end up forgetting where we're at, paradoxically. Or else dominating conversations during non-battle. So I try to watch my campaign page and check in every 4-5 posts, to give the rest of the party space to take their turns/respond to dialogue. Which can be an issue if the DM asked me something immediately after I posted, everyone is waiting on my answer, and I'm not checking because I only see 1 New Post.
Reynard rushes forward, trying to catch up to the others.
Double Move. GM, do the sides of the hallway we're in go all the way to the ceiling, or could we go up over them and attack the giant and other guy to our left?
Reynard dashes forward, reaching roughly level with Trox.
Double Move. I can't tell from the map what's going on with the terrain. If it's difficult or in some other way would slow me down, I use my mutagen-granted wings to fly over it and avoid being slowed down.
Just to be sure, it looks like I've got flanking there, but I'm not 100% sure that the fog cloud wouldn't prevent that. If so, drop the last +2 to attack and +4d6 damage.
"They're not going to come to us. If we can't dissipate this fog, we've got to fight in it." Reynard says, before downing an extract of Shield and stepping into the fog.
Reynard uses some (relatively) clean scraps of cloth to clean the giant gore from his hands and face. "Ugh, ogre blood is disgusting." he says, spitting some out onto the ground.
Reynard springs forward, aiming to sink his claws deeply into the ogre Skarn wounded.
Pounce! But only with claws, due to the limitations of the spell. Attack, +1 Claw:1d20 + 16 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 16 + 2 = 26 Damage, Magical/Piercing/Slashing:1d6 + 16 ⇒ (1) + 16 = 17
We're on the same page there. When I update my sheet in a minute, I'll be sure and check the spikes as primary weapon in HeroLab so the minuses are in there. Then I'll only need to remember to take them off if for some reason I'm only using natural weapons, which should be a very odd circumstance.
Is that right? I thought TWF only applied to two manufactured weapons, not one manufactured mixed with natural. Might want to retrain the bone-spike discovery in that case, not sure one additional attack is worth the penalties.
Reynard, it hadn't occurred to me to check into this in detail before, but how is it that you get two bone spike attacks, and don't take a penalty for multiple attacks? The feral mutagen gives you the claw/claw/bite all primary attacks, but as I read the description of the bone-spike mutagen it's treated as an off-hand attack (and thus adding two-weapon fighting penalties) because you're already making a primary attack. The description of armor spikes also states that you can't make an attack with them if you've already made an attack with another off-hand weapon, which I interpret to mean that having made one off-hand attack with them you can't make another. Since the bone spikes are an off-hand attack you should only get half your STR bonus to damage with them, unless I've missed something. I see that you don't have the Two-Weapon Fighting feat, which even with Elephant in the Room is necessary to avoid a -4 penalty for your claws and bite and a -8 penalty for the bone spikes. Can you walk me through how you've been getting your attack sequence and bonuses to hit and to damage?
ETA: While I'm thinking about it, how is it that your extracts can be used by other characters? It doesn't look like you have the Infusion discovery, unless I missed something.
I thought I'd taken Infusion, but you're right, I'm clearly mixing that up with a similar alchemist I played previously in a different campaign. Everyone please ignore that last post (which I think is the first time it's come up, honestly.)
As for the Bone Spikes, I'm not reading what you are about them only being an off-hand weapon, here's what I have:
Spoiler:
Bone-Spike Mutagen (Su) When the alchemist imbibes a mutagen, he mutates his skeletal structure, causing the bones on his elbows, knuckles, spine, and shoulder blades to grow massive and pierce his skin, exposing themselves as large spikes. While the mutagen is in effect, the alchemist’s natural armor bonus granted by the mutagen increases by 2. The spikes count as masterwork armor spikes with which the alchemist is proficient. An alchemist must be at least 6th level before selecting this discovery.
Armor spikes: You can have spikes added to your armor, which allow you to deal extra piercing damage on a successful grapple attack (see “spiked armor” on Table 1–5: Martial Weapons). The spikes count as a martial weapon. If you are not proficient with them, you take a –4 penalty on grapple checks when you try to use them. You can also make a regular melee attack (or off-hand attack) with the spikes, and they count as a light weapon in this case. (You can’t also make an attack with armor spikes if you have already made an attack with another off-hand weapon, and vice versa.) An enhancement bonus to a suit of armor does not improve the spikes’ effectiveness, but the spikes can be made into magic weapons in their own right.
I've just been using them as my one "manufactured" weapon. But you're absolutely right that I should be taking penalties to my claw/claw/bite when using a manufactured weapon. I guess I've just been spacing on that, reading the numbers off my sheet and forgetting to apply the penalty. I'll take Multiattack as my feat this level to partially mitigate that. Thanks for checking; I feel stupid applying it wrong the whole time, but better fixed now than later.
After finishing his own extracts (save one short-duration one he's saving for just before combat*), Reynard holds up a flask containing a blueish liquid. "If someone wants a hands-free shield, I've got a spare." He pauses, then withdraws a couple of whitish vials. "Almost forgot, anyone need to fly?" Extract of Shield, +4 Shield bonus for 8 minutes, 2 of Fly, 8 minutes. My mutagen grants a flight speed now, so I don't need them.
*Pouncing Fury, which will only run for 8 rounds. I'll keep it in hand and drink it just before we hit initiative.
As I understand the combat rules, until their first regular turn, the ogres are flat-footed, so sneak attack damage should apply. If I'm wrong, subtract that 4d6 from my damage
If that mist lasts long enough for us to get there, I can bring one of them, of that I'm pretty sure. Just let me use these before you cast it." Reynard says, holding up his vials.
"Nobody knows the Silence spell, do they? I'd be happy to cast it, but my spells don't really work like that." Reynard says, holding up a couple of stoppered tubes full of poisonous-looking liquids. "It'd be a good way to keep them calling for help, though."
Reynard quickly identifies the creature as a pixie, and exactly where to put his new cold iron spear, should the need arise. Fascinating anatomies, such creatures have. Amazing that such tiny organs can even function. I would like to dissect one, if I ever get the chance.
While the group's in town, Reynard will try to find a cold iron weapon for himself as well. Preferably a spear, since alchemists only have simple weapon proficiency, but I'm open to other possibilities. Dagger? Mace? If I'm proficient I'll take it.
"Tell us of this wizard who bound you. To bind such a devil, he must have been powerful indeed." Reynard says, his curiosity piqued at the idea of a wizard powerful enough to bind a pit fiend.
