• Was the encounter supposed to be so violent? NPCs were falling right and left. And not in nice ways.
Thanks for the comments. The answer to the above question is "sort of" for the first part, and "I'm not sure there are nice ways for NPCs to fall" for the second. Less gratuitous, maybe, but I certainly wasn't attempting to add violence for violence('s) sake.
The encounter is basically this: the party is in a bar with eight other patrons, three of whom are playing cards at the back table, one behind the bar (they are statted-up as Human Rabble from the MM). The doors burst open and over the course of the next four rounds, 10 Hobgoblin minions and 2 goblin blackblades rush in and attack anything that moves (mostly NPCs the first two rounds until they wake up to the fact that the party is the main threat).
Read this way, no, the encounter isn't particular violent. But we took a little while to get going, so I had to put a face on these otherwise faceless NPCs. Andronsius and Jen are in the adventure (well, Jen's in the second episode of the AP, but whatever). Hess, Earod, Ellice, and Fina (and the Halfling bargemen) were all mine.
Unfortunately, when you put a face on the rabble, and the rabble are there to bite it, the violence quotient goes way up. It was an unintended consequence to trying to make the NPCs more than collateral damage and ended up playing like a Sam Peckinpah movie. Or, like Monty Python spoofing a Sam Peckinpah movie.
On the flip side, it personalizes the violence for the characters and gives them another source of motivation to get involved. I am sorry if it was over-the-top, though.
Ceelie's dagger slips under the hobgoblin's gorget and pierces his fatty gullet. Aelwyn's arrow catches the dead hobgoblin between the eyes before his body hits the ground.
Initiative order is over.
It takes some doing, but you manage, with Hess's help, to get Earod out of his burning tavern by carrying Ellice's body outdoors. The other patrons--including one of the halfling bargemen--manage to drag out the body of another fallen customer before the rafters and the roof above are engulfed. Fina's remains, on the far end of the tavern, are unreachable--the inferno claims her for its own.
Battered members of Brindol's watch run up and down the street in front of the tavern, instructing citizens to line up and form a bucket brigade, more to keep the buildings adjacent the Antler and Thistle from catching fire than to douse the tavern itself.
It is obvious that--despite the recent surge in goblinoid activity--the town watch was unprepared for such an attack, the misty night sky flickers from the dozens of fires that have been set between here, the market square, and the river's edge beyond. The street is littered with the bodies of watchmen and goblinoids alike--every goblin wearing a dirty tabbard with a crude red hand pained upon it, upside down.
The Red Hand, it appears, is in deed on the march again!
It is at this point that the first encounter ends, and much like the attack on Sandpoint in ROTR, the characters have the opportunity to catch their breaths--a short rest--before being ushered to the next battle in the AP. I won't give it away in case Fabes wants to run that one, nor will I indicate where I was headed with Hess, Andronsius, Jen, or Eoffram Troyas for the same reason. Suffice to say, I had put some thought into how they interacted with the party and the roles I wanted them to play in the future.
As I stated in the discussion thread, this encounter is valued at 580 xp, or 116 xp per character. Seemed a little overvalued at first, but I was surprised that--in the end--I managed to bloody one of you. In conjunction with the second battle, I think the xp total is actually pretty spot-on.
Lastly, I know I rushed some of the descriptions during the battle in favor of advancing through the combat--that was more a function of my RL schedule than a preference of mine. Though I never reckoned that coming up with different ways to say, "you killed that guy," was going to be that difficult! Aside from that, honest feedback on my first foray in a long time as a DM would be appreciated. I know that it's just one encounter, but we've been at it for nearly a month. What worked, and what could've been better? And I'm asking about my DMing, not about whether the 4th Edition worked for you or not. Perhaps over on the discussion thread...
The bolt of energy hits the goblin in the face, its life force pulled from its mouth with its third--and final--scream of pain. The goblin falls lifeless to the floor.
Earod, shaken from his inactivity by Ben's magical thunder and fire, moves to shield his daughter's body from harm (to G12). The other patrons freeze, too scared to move--even as the bar, and the roses above it, catch fire. The rafters are next. The Antler and Thistle is on fire.
Round 4
The goblin, still screaming in pain and anger, seems to hesitate a moment (he delays). But the hobgoblin does not. Advancing (to D11), he attacks Ben with his longsword! (1d20+6=26) Swinging, he opens a nasty gash along Ben's chest (5 points of damage).
Suddenly, the goblin darts out from under the table (to F11) and flanks Ben, slashing at the mage with his sword! (1d20+7=15, 1d6+2=4, 1d6=1)That's a total of 5 points, for 10 total hit points of damage this round. Ben is Bloodied.
Ben: regarding your last post. If you take damage before the end of your next turn (as you just were) is how Hellish Rebuke works--not before the end of the encounter.
I have to be more careful with my color commentary! Let's say that the table and chairs have all shifted one square south. They now occupy squares E,F-13,14 like this (LINK). Gobby still has cover for now.
Yes, Ben can use an action point to make an extra attack. I do not believe that he can shift and do so (since he's already shifted his turn), but someone please correct me if I'm wrong about that.
Two things, mind your position and Earod's if you make an area attack. And, two, let me know if you plan to use an action point soon (if you read this today), and I'll hold off on posting. Otherwise, I'd like to wrap-up my actions by this afternoon so that others can post over the weekend.
EDIT: From your current position, Thunderwave will push the bugger South, not East. Sorry Dravos.
As we come down the home stretch of the short-lived Elsir Vale campaign (perhaps one-off is more correct), I'd like to make some notes about the encounter and 4E in general. Opinionated notes, to be sure. Here goes...
First, thanks for sticking with this even after it became apparent that it would be a temporary game rather than the longer campaign that it was shaping up to be. I appreciated the life you gave to your characters and am really glad that Fabes is taking over (in some fashion) after the last (Hob)goblin falls. I feel like I got a good first experience at running 4E which is what I wanted in the first place, so thanks for that as well.
Some notes on the encounter as written. It's a level 1 encounter worth 580 xp. I didn't change the number or power level of the opponents at all, I just changed the number that entered the bar during round 3. It was only supposed to be two hobgoblins with the final hobgoblin and goblin entering in round 4. The hogoblins were (of course) all minions, and the goblins were goblin blackblades. The hobgoblins storm the bar, attack patrons, light the place up, and don't really start focusing on the party until round 3--they attack whoever is in their way until then (the patrons, or human rabble).
Ridiculous.
Though I haven't looked back, I get the sense that invisible castle was rolling hot for you guys, but even taking that into account, this encounter was a yawner--an appetizer for new players to 4E or D&D in general. Inexperienced players might have struggled with this encounter, but for you guys it was a breeze (though these last two holdouts might prove me wrong). Had I anticipated this more adequately, I would've sent these guys into the bar in two waves on rounds 1 and 2, or 1 and 3, and been done with it. I would also have sent in the two goblins together--they're hampered by working seperately. Lesson(s) learned.
In terms of 4E, I'm a convert. There's just no denying that from the DM's seat, the game is less of a headache all the way around. I really thought that tracking conditions, especially on a PbP, was going to be a pain. This encounter wasn't a good example of that one way or the other, but I get the sense that it's not all that hard to keep track of things. Around a real table, I think the various suggestions in the DMG (note cards, etc.) would work just fine. Heaving a lot of that on players would also be helpful. For a PbP, there's the added advantage of being able to scroll up to previous posts to see what was what--bonus!
Similarly, I found that it was helpful (and hopefully you did too) to update the encounter map more than once a round. I think that went a long way in cutting down confusion--especially since, by mid-round, several of the chracter's positions would change.
The real difference, for me, is the darned stat-block. Holy Cow! I know it sounds silly, but I cannot say enough about how easy it is to read the new stat-blocks. I literally don't think I even refered to the stat-blocks after the first couple of (real time) days other than to jot down goblin hit points. I remember my first 3E encounter as DM--the experiences are night and day. I'd feel super-confident running a 4E campaign right now, not so with 3.5. That's kind of a big deal for me.
On the flip-side of things, I'm excited at the thought of creating a 4E character (I haven't yet, if you can believe it). I can see where an arguement can be made that there are fewer options and more limitations on flexibility in the 4E character-creation process than in 3E, but it's not something that I'm hung up on any longer. I kind of like the paring-down that has happened, but that's just a preference thing.
There's more that I could say (I haven't even talked about the new Forgotten Realms guide that I flipped through recently), but I think the bottom-line is this: I'd be happy playing a character in either edition of D&D in the future. But if I were to DM a game, it'd be a 4E game, hands-down.
Lastly, like JSL, the more I get into and understand 4E and its rules, the more dismayed I am at the direction Paizo chose to take with Pathfinder. Golarion is a very cool place that feels like it's tied to an albatros of a game system--one that seems to be getting more bloated in PfRPG rather than less. Unfortunately, I think they missed a golden opportunity. A 4E Golarion would have been so much more appealing to me than any setting I've seen (FR included) out of WoTC.
That's more than two cents, but they're my cents nevertheless.
Okay, perhaps I'm a pushover, but I really like Ben's post (with some notable adjustments to the details as you'll see in a moment). The poor guy has waited three rounds to do something besides snipe a guy with Magic Missile and he misses. So, watch what I'm going to do--partially because I like the dramatic tone of the action, partially out of the goodness of my heart, partially because I'm in a giving mood...and partially because I want to get this over with (no need to prolong this battle, eh, NSpicer? *Harumph!*).
Ben steps forward to get out of the flames (to E11), tries to pull the "waitress" out of the way, not noticing that it is Earod he is speaking to, and casts his spell.
Everyone in the room flinches as thunder emanates from Ben's staff, a wave of force knocking tables and chairs towards the back wall and--catching Earod in the spell's wake--nearly toppling the barman as well, much to Ben's (and Earod's) momentary horror!
Again, Ben is standing in E11 (you don't draw another OA until next round and only if you leave that square AND only if the Hobgoblin maintains his position). Thunderwave covers squares D,E,F - 12,13,14. Your die roll above causes you to miss...Earod. Roll twice more, first roll for the Hobgoblin (Fort 15) and second roll for the Goblin (Fort 12). Apply the damage roll from above (5) to whomever you do hit just to keep it snappy.
I read nimble strike as a ranged weapon power, but I don't have a PHB in front of me either and don't have time to use DDI. You can attack and shift anyway, though.
Aelwyn
Aelwyn quickly strikes-and-moves, and the Hobgoblin blocks with his shield. Aelwyn's longsword chops a gash in the wooden shield and dislodges Ceelie's embedded dagger which skitters across the floor.
The dagger whirls towards the Hobgoblin and makes a soft thunk as it sinks into his shield. The monster grins a toothy grin.
Aelwyn and then Ben. Ben, you've got to move out of your square on your turn or take fire damage from the sputtering torch.
Everyone keep track of new mid-round positions; I'm not going to be able to update the map today. There's only one Hobgoblin left in D12 and one goblin under the table (so he has cover) in F13.
Question about the whole Sly Flourish thing. It confers no additional attack bonus, just additional damage, correct? Just want to make sure I'm reading this correctly and don't have the PHB in front of me.
Kriv's mind perceives the weave of magic surrounding all things, and he pulls a thread from that weave and ties it to his next dart. It flies towards the hobgoblin warrior, trailing blue arcane energy! The magic wire entwines around the two evil brutes, driving barbs into their life-force...
Uh-oh. That can't be good. Does this mean Ceelie is denied combat advantage as well?
Not at all. Dravos has combat advantage (as does Ceelie), but the Hobgoblin has an ability called Phalanx Soldier. As long as he's next to another Hobgoblin, he's harder to hit (+2 to AC). The rest is just fanciful writing. Sorry for the confusion.
Spitting curses, Dravos darts to the side and swings at one of the hobgoblins.
Dravos
You'd be hard-pressed to explain it, but your tactics seem less effective than you had anticipated. His partner seems positioned in such a way that your target doesn't seem particularly fazed to be between two enemies--your attack bounces harmlessly off of your target's shield.
The fire engulfs the shelves of alcohol across the back of the bar and the flames start to lick the rafters and the assorted items hanging there. The objects that at one time seemed artfully hung now have the appearance of so much kindling.
Round 3
But there is no time to ponder the fire! Three more Hobgoblins storm the building as does another goblin--this last heaves a burning, spitting torch at Ben which which hits him in the chest (for a whole 1 hp of damage) and lands at Ben's feet. Whatever oil is on the torch spreads, however, the flames licking Ben's boots and long leather coat. The goblin then ducks under the table (in D13) and draws its blade.
The Hobgoblins charge, missing Aelwyn spectacularly, but connecting with Ceelie and getting past Dravos' armor to wound you both (for 5 hp of damage).
Uninspired descriptions, but I'm a little busy today. Sorry.
P.S. This is it. As written, these last four foes would be two hobgoblins now, and a hobgoblin and goblin in Round 4. I'm speeding things up a little. Go get'em!
The goblin spins away from one of Aelwyn's arrows . . . and squarely into Ben's. The small glowing bolt hits the goblin in the chest--his sword clattering in the stone as he falls, dead.
Before Dravos and Kriv post, please note that I have more NPCs and enemies to post for. In other words, we are still in initiative. Though at this rate, not for much longer!
Some bar patrons rush out the front doors, but Hess and Earod remain rooted in their places. Earod is oblivious to the destruction happening in his bar while Hess sits wide-eyed at the violence playing out before him. Hess's jaw drops open as Ben's Magic Missile rips into the goblin.
Hess grabs the mage and yells above the din of battle, "They got him, Ben! They got Adron--"
But he is interrupted by the sound of running jackboots. More Hobgoblins rush the tavern and attack the party!
I'll resolve this in the afternoon. We're winding this up folks!
OK, I don't get it. What would I have needed to roll in order to clear the bar? 20 isn't good enough? If I had known it was going to be a failure, I would have just adjusted her movement to walk around the bar. (Much less entertaining, I think.) *huffs*
Short answer: 25 with a standing start, 10 with a 2-square running start. Failing either by 5 or more, you land prone in your starting square, by 4 or less you land prone in your target square. See the "Read Me" spoiler in one of the above posts for comparisons to jumping on the bar.
Won't post again until Monday at the earliest. Have a good weekend everyone.
A couple of things...I'm not purposely trying to ignore the "we're bummed out" vibe on this and the RotR discussion thread. I just don't know what to contribute to that discussion other than to say that I feel largely responsible for the cloud that has settled over both. I feel confident in my choice, but I also feel badly over leaving so abruptly and causing some of you to feel discouraged or unmotivated to continue. Certainly a consequence of my actions, but just as certainly an unintended one.
In terms of this game, at the pace we're going, I suspect that it'll be another week before we're done with the last round of combat. I don't think it'll go much more than four rounds unless the Invisible Castle winds change direction. That being the case, does anyone desire to continue this thread as DM? I don't mind if someone would like to pick up where I leave off.
Elsir Vale looks promising for a mini-campaign, the AP in Dungeon less so as written. The second installment of the AP looks better than the first, but it really amounts to yet another dungeon crawl with some RPing bits mixed in. Running the AP will present problems after October when Dungeon and the rest of DDI becomes subscription-based. (At least I think that happens after October.) So, that's a factor in someone picking this up--unless said someone wants to create a homebrew campaign.
The thread ate my original response. Grr. If you want an explanation as to how I arrived at this ruling, I'll give you one in the discussion thread. Otherwise, here-it-goes:
Seeing the fire racing up the wall and towards her, Aelwyn leaps, rump-first onto the bar. She is surprised by how slick the polished surface is (thanks to Earod's constant wiping, no doubt) and she slides off, onto the floor (she is prone in D11).
Since standing is a move action, I'm going to assume a couple of things just so that we can keep things moving. I'm pretty sure that Dravos is the only one to use an action point so far. For the cost of one action point, I'm going to say that Aelwyn gets another move action to stand up and that she can retain her standard action to make her attack as described above. Aelwyn, please deduct your action point--you're now standing in D11.
Despite falling, Aelwyn springs up, draws, and fires two shots with her bow with cat-like grace. The first of which hits the goblin squarely--causing him to choke on his curse--the second just misses his left ear.
The Goblin (d6) is bloodied. To say the least.
Celia 'Ceelie' Merveaux wrote:
What's the 4e ruling on firing into melee? Is Ceelie in any danger?
There is none--there's no penalty for doing so. I like it--keeps things moving.
Ben, you're up. And look, there's still one creature left for you to kill!
Dravos had already dropped E7, he is now extra-crispy.
As Kriv inhales, the Hobgoblin (C6) thrusts with his longsword and punctures Kriv's torso. An opportunity attack on Kriv for 5 hp damage. His desperate thrust opens him fully to the fury of Kriv's fiery breath. The monster drops, reduced to a pile of burned flesh and gristle.
The Goblin (D6) ducks, but his cloak and back are singed. He screams a curse in Goblin:
Goblin:
Spoiler:
"AAARGH! Scaleykind, I'll kill you and the one who hatched you!!!"
The remaining Hobgoblin (D7) puts up his shield which effectively blocks the brunt of Kriv's breath. He is missed and, therefore, still up and still ugly.
Essentially to do what Ben describes doing, you'll have to "buy down" your standard action and make it a move action. To keep things moving, I'm placing Ben at E16, peering out the door. You spent two move actions getting there and a minor action to carefully peer around the corner. Make a stealth check, please.
As Ben peers out the front doors, all hell breaks loose in the Antler and Thistle.
Earod, screaming, rushes to his daughter's side and cradles her body in his arms. Hess, still blood stained, rolls over the bar and skids over to the hearth, hardly able to stop his momentum. Most patrons make for the front door, but one of the Halflings stoops next to a fallen human man and tries to staunch his bleeding. Fina screams and rushes down the back hall.
"No! Fina, don't go tha--" Yells Hess after her.
Round 2:
But as Fina reaches for the handle of the back door, it implodes and three hobgoblins spill through, cutting her down as they rush into the bar. A smaller creature follows them, a wicked blade in one hand and a torch--spitting and dripping all over the place--in the other hand.
Shields raised, the Hobgoblins attack Kriv and Ceelie, hitting Kriv in the arm and Ceelie in her thigh.
...which bounces off his chest, sending a shower of sparks into his face but not alighting his clothing. The torch lands at Kriv's feet and immediately the flames begin to spread along the floor behind the bar towards the wall and shelves containing the bottles of alcohol!
Kriv's square (C7) is on fire. If he does not move on his turn, he will take additional fire damage. The fire is quickly spreading to the shelves of alcohol that run behind the bar (from B7 to B12).
Everybody just hold your water! Dravos, Kriv, sit back down, please. We're still in initiative order, people *clap, clap*! I'll take your posts as possible/intended actions, but for now Ben, and only Ben is up. Sheesh!
Ceelie deftly spins around Ben (to D8), her cloak flaring around her, her dagger catching the Hobgoblin unaware as he stares down Dravos. The Hobgoblin falls to the ground with Ceelie's dagger protruding from his neck.
Aelwyn switches targets at the last moment (to the Hobgoblin at I14) and catches the other Hobgoblin through his back and sending him to his knees and then the floor.
I switched Aelwyn's target given the resolution of Ceelie's action. I also consider myself educated on the use of Hobgoblins in combat. Though the floor is cleared (so far), we're not out of initiative yet. Ben, you're up.
Map UPDATE reflecting where we're at so far. Oops, Ctrl+refresh to see Aelwyn's new position.
The hobgoblin (G13) yanks his sword out of Ellice's belly and looks up as Kriv takes his shot. He raises his shield...too late. The bolt just clears the top of the shield and sinks deeply into the monster's eye. The hobgoblin's head jerks back violently, and he slumps to the floor.
Case in point, had the hobgoblin been standing next to his comrade, Kriv's shot would've missed. Ceelie's up.
Stop apologizing about the metagaming! I find it as helpful as anyone. On one thing you noted, it'll be interesting to see how difficult this really ends up being. I suspect that it'll either be a yawner or ridiculously hard. Kriv's up.
You can end your movement in B14--let's not split hairs.
Dravos
Your throw off-balance and on-the-move, the hammer sails over the head of the hobgoblin, who spins to face you. He grins and gnashes his teeth but remains disciplined and stands his ground.
The first hobgoblin through the door, dirty tabard sporting a crudely painted and upside-down red hand upon it, rushes to cut down Earod but stops suddenly and collapses at the man's feet, Aelwyn's arrow protruding from its larynx.
Ellice and another tavern patron--a human man--are not so lucky. Before anyone can react, both are cut down--dead before hitting the stone floor of the tavern.
Seems like that'd be fair. Take a basic ranged attack vs. one of the Hobgoblins; this'll occur before entering initiative (it'll be like you readied an action and take it on a surprise round). Since you're plugging one as it comes through the door (rather than one in it's current position), you roll the attack, and I'll randomly determine which one you end up attacking. Also, since you get to fire as they squeeze through, they'll be harder to hit as they'll be side-by-side (due to a special phalanx ability). Which is also a clue.
I've chosen to go with Goblin (which should still cover all goblinoids, right?)...
Yep. Goblins, Hobgoblins, and Bugbears. Oh my! There are only 10 languages in 4E: Common, Deep Speech, Draconic, Dwarven, Elven, Giant (Orcs, Ogres), Goblin, Primordial (elementals, etc.), Supernal (angels, devils), and Abyssal (demons, gnolls).
R(E) is Earod, R(e) is Ellice, R(n) is Fina (whom I should have named Nina since I keep thinking that's her name). Earod was on his way to get your hammer, but the Hobgoblins busted through first. Note that Dravos's marker is Green/Blue--that's Hess on his back. Keep reading...
The bar isn't that tall (waist-high on a six foot man is about 3.5 feet, right?) provides cover to a Medium creature standing behind it, superior cover to a small creature, and concealment to a prone creature (like Hess, maybe). From a standing start, it takes a DC 30 Athletics check to jump on top of, DC 15 with a two-square run.
Tables, when tipped over using a standard action, provide cover to a standing creature and superior cover to a prone one. It costs one square of movement to jump on top of one. Small creatures can move under a non-tipped table for cover.
Improvised weapons. Review my initial description of the Antler and Thistle. There is more than enough crap in here to use as a one-handed (1d4) or two-handed (1d8) improvised weapon.
JSL: As far as I'm concerned, Dravos dropped his hammer (which I took to mean his Warhammer) and his shield on the floor, both in B15; he's still got his throwing hammer (it's on his belt, right?) and dagger.
Kriv: There are only the three windows up front. These are opaque windows with diamond-shaped panes. At night one could only make out a person standing outside if he or she were standing directly in front of the window. Right now only occasional light sources against the overall darkness outside can be made out as they pass by. Torches, most likely.
Ceelie: Closing the door is considered a minor action, but Ceelie does so before entering initiative. There's no immediately apparent way to bar the door, however. The latch will hold the door closed, but it is not locked unless you take actions on your turn to do so (like taking the time to look for the bar as an example).
Right now she knows Common, Elven, and Dwarven. What else will be worthwhile in the upcoming adventure?
Well, that's an interesting question. I've only got a limited window to look at concerning this AP (only the first two adventures are published). Off the bat, I'd say either Goblin or Giant (spoken by Orcs) if you want languages spoken by pontential enemies. Draconic if you want to speak a Dragonborn's native language. Or whatever else you think fits Ceelie.
"By all the Forge-Fires of the Deep! Blood has been spilled and it demands recompense!"
As if in response, a cacophony rises from the other side of the front double-doors. Wagon wheels turning, an indistinct thumping, and heavy footfall from the street beyond. Torchlight flickers past the windows.
A Silence.
An inhalation.
Hess wheezes from atop Dravos's back, "Hobgoblins..."
The front doors crack and explode inward, hinges straining and bending. Four Hobgoblins surge through, swords outstretched to skewer all in their way.
"For the Hand! For Sinruth!" They cry.
Roll initiative. Here's the MAP with starting positions.
THE Antler and Thistle is not well attended tonight, adding to Earod’s more-sour-than-normal mood. Aside from the singing Halflings, there are only three other patrons in the tavern, all Brindol natives and commoners by the look of them. Earod, Ellice, and Fina do their best to keep busy, but it is easy to see that they are dispirited by the meager crowd.
“Fog and chill,” grumbles Earod re-wiping the same spot in the bar for the third time.
This state of affairs works to your advantage, apparently, as Ellice keeps exchanging empty mugs with full ones in an apparent attempt to keep you in your seats. All the while, the young serving wench steals periodic glances at Kriv and blushes.
The Halflings start anew:
Remy was a dark horse!
A real runner, she!
If you put to her your money,
A player she—
“Enough!” Earod bellows from the bar, “or I’ll send you the long way back to your barge, hear?!”
The Halflings tense and bury their faces in their mugs. A silence descends on the room and Earod throws his towel onto the floor. “Fog and chill,” he says again.
Giving long looks at one another, the thought of removing to a livelier bar passes wordlessly around your table when the back door opens suddenly. A man stumbles in, down the hall, and collapses in a heap on the floor. Though his face is bloody and his apron slashed and tattered, you recognize him. It is Hess, the alchemist’s apprentice.
Who are the real savages? Those who struggle in order to eat those whom they vanquish, or those who struggle merely to kill?
~Guy de Maupassant, Sur l'Eau
"Well, when it comes to men, Jen will go about as far as she can go," Aelwyn chuckles mirthlessly. "She's hooked up with a man I knew named Corben, who also fights for Sommerfield. There are a couple of others in the group, the Elves Uulath and Reinar, twins. Sommerfield himself if a veteran of the Battle of Brindol, and they travel all over the Vale. Rare to see them in town, though... Something must be going on."
Can Aelwyn try to eavesdrop, too?
** spoiler omitted **
As you relate this information to the others, Jen turns away from Earod and quickly scans the tavern as though looking for someone. Her eyes fall on your table once again, very briefly. Her lips purse ever-so-slightly. Then, abruptly, she pulls the hood of her cloak over her bald pate, spins, and strides out the back door looking oddly like Scarlet from the child's tale involving a Man-wolf.
The two Halflings in the front corner start singing a tune to the delight of Ellice:
Oh the water, the water
Is mighty cold,
The river, the river,
A winding road.
Don't count out a bargeman,
Cause he be bold,
But don't give'im your money,
Truth be told!
Oh! Don't give'im your money,
Truth beeee told!
Ellice claps enthusiastically, emboldening the Halflings to lead the few other--mostly human--patrons of the tavern in a repeat performance of the verses and chorus. Earod frowns but says nothing; he resumes cleaning out mugs and glasses with a grubby towel.
All:
Spoiler:
This is the end of chapter one, but I do not have to have the final post. If there's anything that you'd like to do by way of wrapping up the meet-n'-greet section of the evening, please do so soon. I know folks are in different states of readiness for what comes next, but I'm going to start it anyway. This afternoon. Pull out the virtual dice, bookmark Invisible Castle, 'cause come 15:00 PST (give or take) I'm kickin' in the door!
Yeah, I didn't know what I was doing when I was filling out that part of my stat block. I have my calculated skill checks spoilered a little below that -- and Perception is +9. Insight is only +2; can I ask why you want it under Initiative? Did I calculate something wrong? And is there anything else you'd like to have on that line?
P.S. Today was a killer. I'll post IC tomorrow when/if I get a moment, but right now my brain is too shot.
Sorry a/b the killer day. Work-related? Pregnancy-related? All-of-the above-related? Unrelated-and-mind-your-own-beeswax-related? Hope you have time to regroup.
As to your character sheet, I'd like those two (perception and insight) listed on that line b/c (a)those are probably the most common ones I'll look at for passive checks and (b)I'd like that info. in a uniform space across character sheets and (c)I really am too lazy to click on the spoiler button. Really.
Seriously, though. Everyone did a slightly different thing in listing their skills (I actually prefer how you spoilered all of the skills and modifiers rather than just list the trained ones), but if everyone lists perception and insight under their initiative bonus, it shaves time when I've got to make a passive check in-game. Thanks. Sorry about the nit-and-pick.
FabesMinis wrote:
Absolutely possible to get +10 or more on Perception or Insight. Training +5, Skill Focus +3, then a Wis of 14 or higher and you're there. Heck, I should try that for a PC one time. Passive Perception of 20. :D hehehe
Yep, yep. Another good example and one that doesn't rely on Elf-shaped (Vulcan) ears for the +2 racial bonus. In fact...shhhh...I think Mr. Spock is listening...or is it Dr. Spock? Either would be equally creepy.
Can any of us actually have a passive perception higher than 20? We'd need a +11 or better, right? And if the DC is 20, does it have to be higher than 20? I also notice Rags has Ben listed with a +11 passive perception, but I think that's a miscalculation, right? He just went ahead and added the "take 10" value. Normally, Perception is +5 for being trained, and then add your relevant ability modifier (Wis) and any special modifiers for feats, etc. So, for Ceelie, it's +6...add 10...passive Perception is 16 total. Is that correct? I'm not trying to be nitpicky or anything. I just want to better understand this aspect of 4e correctly...
It is possible that a first level character could have the necessary +10 bonus to get a passive perception of 20, though not probable. An Elf with at least a 16 Wisdom, who's a Ranger or Rogue, and is trained in Perception is most likely. The Skill Focus feat could also help in this regard.
You've got most of the mechanic, but not all of it. The skill check mechanic is: Training (if any) + Ability Modifier (if any) + One-half your character's level (rounded down). There's also the assorted armor penalties and such as they apply, but those three components make up the basic mechanic.
I'd have to look at Rag's character sheet for Ben to see, but I think he means an 11 for passive perception. Let's take a look...
Edit: Yeah, Ben's Wisdom mod. is +1, he is untrained, and gets no bonus for being first level, so his passive perception is 11. He could either list it as "Perception +1" or "Passive Perception 11."
Check out Aelwyn, though. She's close to hitting the 20 DC. BTW, Dreamer, your perception is +9, correct? It is listed as +2 on the character sheet which is just your racial bonus. Also you've got Nature listed (I'm looking under Initiative on your character sheet). Can you put your Insight bonus on that line, instead?
