A thorough search of the hut reveals a small jar containing a root in a yellowish liquid that is labeled 'Rat's Tail Root' behind several jars containing soils and oils. The searching also uncovers the following items-
-3 stone statuettes of primitive Shaonti make that have had most of their detail worn off over several hundred years. They depict a warrior-god, a shamanlike-god, and a fat-pregnant goddess of fertility. (Worth about 10gp each)
-5 semi-rare stones polished to a smooth sheen. {Worth 5gp each}
-A pouch containing 14 dried humanoid fingertips and a nose that looks to be trollish. {no apparent worth}
-Enough material components for the equivalent of 4 spell component pouches.
-12gp, 4sp, 8cp
-a tall glass jar with a blue-green liquid in it. Within the liquid is what appears to be a wand that appears to vibrate slightly when viewed closely. It does not radiate magic. [ooc]Any arcanist will recognize wand as a Combat Wand.
Combat Wands
I think this concept works better for a spellcaster than having a wizard using a crossbow. It fits them more, flavor-wise, in my opinion. Attacks with Combat wands are ranged touch attacks.
These wands are made by saturating the wand in rare resins and alchemical substances that are infused with the energy type of the wand to be made.
Although they channel arcane energy, most wands are not magical themselves. For purposes of further enchanting them, they are considered masterwork weapons which are limited to only being able to receive enhancement bonuses (+1 through +5) and not the special abilities of weapons.
Special- For every 3 points the wielder’s concentration check exceeds the wand’s DC, the wielder may add 1 point of their ability bonus (of their primary casting ability, determined by highest caster level) to damage. So a wizard who exceeds the DC by 9 may add up to +3 points of his/her intelligence modifier to damage.
Special- Combat wands are considered one handed weapons for the purposes of two weapon fighting. They require great mental training and focus to use.
Special- Any effect that applies a penalty of bonus to the wielder’s attack, is also applied to the concentration check. Examples: Two weapon fighting penalties, being prone, recipient of a Bless spell.
Special- An attack with a Combat wand is treated as a ranged attack for determining things like attacks of opportunity.
This wand is a Type 1 Sonic wand. It has a maximum range of 40', 1d4 sonic damage, and requires a DC10 concentration/spellcraft check to fire off. If removed from the liguid it will take 24 hours to dry out before becoming usable.
-A small, fist-sized shrunken head on a long braided necklace that looks to be dwarven in appearance with its eyes and mouth sewn shut with metal cord. This disgusting item radiates an aura of illusion magicks.
The party rests for the night undisturbed.
BTW-I am back and will be posting as normal!
Yes, it is the source. You can't seem to figure out what it is suppose to do but it radiates magic of a higher level than you have seen in a long time (don't get too excited, you are 1st level!). Perhaps a mage could identify what it does for you, you have heard of someone in town who charges to cast some spells....maybe he can identify it.
-3 stone statuettes of primitive Shaonti make that have had most of their detail worn off over several hundred years. They depict a warrior-god, a shamanlike-god, and a fat-pregnant goddess of fertility. (Worth about 10gp each)
-5 semi-rare stones polished to a smooth sheen. {Worth 5gp each}
-A pouch containing 14 dried humanoid fingertips and a nose that looks to be trollish. {no apparent worth}
-12gp, 4sp, 8cp
-A small, fist-sized shrunken head on a long braided necklace that looks to be dwarven in appearance with its eyes and mouth sewn shut with metal cord. This disgusting item radiates an aura of illusion magicks.
Keegan cackles as he cavalierly sorts through the junk in the hut.
"See, oh, oh, shinies..."
The scout surreptitiously slips the polished stones into one of his many pockets. He makes a face at the small pile of money, but immediately brightens after seeing the pouch of fingers. Picking it up, he sifts through it, then tucks it into his belt. He does likewise with the troll nose.
He turns to the three statuettes.
"Hmmm, droogies, what have we..."
Keegan cackles as he cavalierly sorts through the junk in the hut.
"See, oh, oh, shinies..."
The scout surreptitiously slips the polished stones into one of his many pockets. He makes a face at the small pile of money, but immediately brightens after seeing the pouch of fingers. Picking it up, he sifts through it, then tucks it into his belt. He does likewise with the troll nose.
He turns to the three statuettes.
"Hmmm, droogies, what have we..."
The intelligence roll doesn't reveal any further revelations on the objects de art.
The party rests for the night undisturbed.
BTW-I am back and will be posting as normal!
"Ayup... Laural in Falcon's Hollow knows all about magics. We should ask her." The little statuettes remind Hozs of the secrets the forest tells him about.
With a flourish Hozs holds up a pair apple twigs with and a piece of hematite wound together with a thin strip of leather. "Tada!" Not noticing that no one notices his accomplishment. Hozs pulls more twigs and things from his pouch. "This one is for healing," he tells no one in particular. Miss Squeeker curls up on his toes.
Keegan cackles as he cavalierly sorts through the junk in the hut.
"See, oh, oh, shinies..."
The scout surreptitiously slips the polished stones into one of his many pockets. He makes a face at the small pile of money, but immediately brightens after seeing the pouch of fingers. Picking it up, he sifts through it, then tucks it into his belt. He does likewise with the troll nose.
He turns to the three statuettes.
"Hmmm, droogies, what have we..."
The intelligence roll doesn't reveal any further revelations on the objects de art.
Keegan rubs his hands over the little statues, smelling them, listening to them, even tasting them. After a couple of minutes, he shoves them into his kit bag as well.
Pointing towards the dwarf skull, he grins wickedly.
"'Ay gnomers, yous got 'nother likkle man headbone o'er there."
He cackles, remembering something that he had overheard in a tavern about how gnomes would rather be mistaken for small, effeminate dwarves than be correctly identified as gnomes.
"Heh heh heh..."
"Uhmmm... Keegan?"
Raph snorts in disdain. "Bah, old crone must have taken the good stuff with her. Pity she didn't leave her spellbook..."
"Uhmmm... Keegan?"
"Was 'it, Hoss me droogy?"
"Uhmmm... Keegan?""Was 'it, Hoss me droogy?"
"Uhmmm...." The squeek of a voice coming from such a large man seems childlike. "...Nothing."
"I guess."
Raph chuckles. "Let him play with the trinkets. They're worth nothing to me."
The night passes uneventfully except for one instance of several wolves howling to each other from a ways off to the west that awakens the party with their unearthly howls before fading to silence several minutes later.
The morning brings overcast skies and a slight misty rain that almost seems like a fog in relation to the size and number of drops falling.
"Aroo...?"
"AwOo...?"
"ArWoowoo?"
"I am not sure how they made their howls so unearthly last night." "ArOOO...?"
Raph mutters, "Darkmoon Vale's a strange place..."
Keegan whistles to himself, all the while stringing the mess of fingers into a necklace.
"Reckon th' trollish nob makin' a shiny dagger grip..."
You believe you are heading in the right direction to run into the dwarven ruins that are marked on the map, but the forest is getting denser and the rain is starting to come down harder. All of this is making your going slow. Sloshing boot-step after sloshing boot-step, the day passes miserably but undisturbed by violence and the gray sky starts to darken....a fallen tree is spotted, the hollow left by its torn-free roots and the overhang provided by those roots seems to be making for a relatively dry spot to hunker down for the night if you wish to do so.
By your reckoning there should be a couple more hours of traveling to reach the edge of the wood and the beginning of the rocky landscape said to hold the ruins in the shadow of Droskar's Crag.
Keegan whistles to himself, all the while stringing the mess of fingers into a necklace.
"Reckon th' trollish nob makin' a shiny dagger grip..."
Faldor shakes his head, "No your going about it all wrong, the knuckles should frame the nose as the center piece witch would make it look a thing of power like the 'Tale of Merrish the Troll Eater.' That way you can have a sinister look that will go with..." Faldor stops before he can give the man any more ideas.
As they continue on Faldor finishes covering his lute with canvas to protect it and rolls his pants up over his knees trying to keep some of the mud from ruining them entirely. Then he whistles a low war march to show his mood.
"Laural wants us to hurry, and we only have one thing more to find. I think," Hozs does not notice the snickering when those two words come out of his mouth, "we can keep going."
Intrigued, Effan extracts the wand from the jar. He turns it over in his hands, examining it closely. there's something here. "If no one minds I'll hold on to this. I think I might be able to do something with it."
"Keegan, there's magic in the shrunken head. Not too strong, and I don't know what it is, but its there. Maybe you should let me or Dadarrin hold it."
During the day Effan tramps along in the line of adventurers, continually trying to pull his cloak tighter to warm up. Discouraged by the weather, he says very little.
When the fallen tree presents itself, Effan is all for stopping. "Look, it's no good going on in the dark. Without the stars to guide us we'd likely wander off course. Let's stop here. We can tie my tent to these exposed roots and those trees there. That should give us plenty of dry space."
Keegan sits down, cross-legged in the dryest part of the hollow. Drawing the dwarf's head out of his bag, he eyes it a moment, makes a sick face, then tosses the grisly object over his shoulder.
"Uhmmm... Oh! Ayup, that will give me a chance to finish storing more forest secrets." With a soggy grin, and soggier critters, Hozs climbs into the small shelter and pulls out his bundle of stuffs. A moment later he sticks a leaf and a bit of fur on his tongue. His face seems to develop a snout as his jaw stretches out before him. "Uhmmm... Squeekity Yip, squeek squeekap?"
The fox manages to dig out a fairly large area that could accommodate the legs of a couple sleeping humans while the rat manages to look really busy (without doing much actual work). Yip-a-Yap also found a nice nook slightly above ground level that she can curl up in that looks like it could hold a halfling or gnome. Not so cramped now.
As darkness falls the rain begins to pound the tent viciously. The sound of the large droplets slamming into the waxed canvas slowly goes from an annoying sound to a soothing sound and sleep is drawn from the steady tattoo of nature's fury upon the tent material.
Jaden takes frist watch, keeping (if possable) a fire going. He leaves his axe in it's sheith, makeing use of his crossbow.
Jaden makes use of a few of the hides from the ambush to make a warmer cover from the rain.
Keegan takes second watch. As he sleeps, he mutters in a strange language.
Effan volunteers for the third watch. He spends much of the watch working with the combat wand, feeling out its properties as a magical conduit, trying to focus power through it. Catharine watches lazily from her nook among the tree roots.
As dawn lightens the sky, Effan is rewarded with a loud shriek from the wand, a metallic squeal capable of piercing the heaviest slumber. Catharine hisses in annoyance. "Sorry," Effan mutters to any who awaken, but he is grinning, proud of channeling some power through the wand.
The fire warms the impromptu shelter surprisingly well, and dries out most of the clothing and gear of the party within hours. As Jaden wakes Keegan the rain comes to an abrupt halt. The clean smell of fresh rain in undisturbed wood is a smell that will linger in your memories for years...as will the unearthly howl of wolves that pierces the night. Closer this time, but still a ways off. Jaden settles in to sleep while Keegan stirs the embers and tends the fire.
Just as Keegan's watch is ending and he is waking Effan the silence of the wood is rent asunder by the ear-piercing howl of a wolf. Gods! He must be damn near in the camp! The howl that came from ahead is answered by another from the left and still another from the right.
The entire party is awake and the wolves can be heard advancing through the underbrush beyond the range of your campfire light....
Roll initiative.
Wolves 1d20 2=11
initiative 1d20+2=10
Hozs grips his staff a little sleepily, but the noise eventually has his nerves on high alert. Uhmm... I may not be able to use Miss Stick in the tight quarters of this den.
Init (1d20 4=9)
"Blasted forest creatures disturbing my well-deserved rest..."
"Wolfens. Mighten be gettin' this some wolfie skins, here."
Keegan is so wound up in planning his attack that he accidentally grabs his new sword by the blade.
"Owww..."
Raph snatches his sword up and waits for someone else to go out and check what the commotion is.
"KICK OUT THE JAMS, MOTHERF$$~ERS!"
Keegan draws his cutlass with a dramatic flourish, then catches it on a root.
Effan tucks the combat wand up his left sleeve, casts {i]light [/i]on a rock and tosses it a short distance north into the woods to expand our field of vision. If he has time after that he'll load the crossbow. Catharine hisses and shrinks into her nook in the roots.
Effan tucks the combat wand up his left sleeve, casts {i]light [/i]on a rock and tosses it a short distance north into the woods to expand our field of vision. If he has time after that he'll load the crossbow. Catharine hisses and shrinks into her nook in the roots.
You can cast light on a rock and toss it into the woods in the first round.
You need to roll initiative and see if you go before the wolves to get another round of actions to load and move or shoot.
Uhmmm.. I will go left. Right. Uhmmm..." Hozs steps to the east not sure if that means left or right. He is casting a spell as he does so and his hands begin to glow. The glowing shapes around his fists like a translucent over-sized hoof of gold. When he touches his fists together sparks fly like horseshoes on cobblestone.
I should say something catchy... Say something catchy.... Hmmm, something catchy. ...what's a cobblestone?
Effan tucks the combat wand up his left sleeve, casts {i]light [/i]on a rock and tosses it a short distance north into the woods to expand our field of vision. If he has time after that he'll load the crossbow. Catharine hisses and shrinks into her nook in the roots.You can cast light on a rock and toss it into the woods in the first round.
You need to roll initiative and see if you go before the wolves to get another round of actions to load and move or shoot.
Initiative wolf fight (1d20+6=11)
Jaden hears the howl of the wolves. Jumps to his feet, and bolts out of the tent, takeing his stance near the light of the fire.
"Getup, the beast are hungry.Don't show them your backs lads."
... "Getup, the beast are hungry.Don't show them your backs lads."
Or your ankles. Wolves like ankles.
Faldor brings his crossbow out and places himself with his back to the fire so that he cannot be caught from behind. Making sure his weapon is ready to fire he begins scanning the darkness.
Initiative.
Effan's hastily thrown rock of illumination helps to reveal a large wolf charging through the underbrush making it's way to camp with eyes gleaming in the unwavering light. Two crossbow bolts leap from the campsite, courtesy of Faldor and Jaden, at the wolf, both hitting the beast in the chest. The canine falls, sliding 15' through the underbrush before ending his movement in a bloody and tangled mess.
One down.
One beast leaps from the shadows and practically bowls over Hozs in it's bloodlust, 1d20 3=17, 1d6 1=7 ripping a savage wound in the druid's shoulder.
Another arrives from the opposite side of the camp and looks to grab at Raphael's ankle to drag him from behind Jaden, 1d20 3=21, 1d6 1=5 tearing his calf deeply but not enough to drag the fencer down.
Faldor drops his spent weapon and begins moving his fingers with a low calming chant as he raises his life force to begin his next task hoping that his kin would be able to finish what he starts.
Faldor drops his spent weapon and begins moving his fingers with a low calming chant as he raises his life force to begin his next task hoping that his kin would be able to finish what he starts.
Where are you aiming it? Trying to get just one wolf or centering the burst on you to get both (and the party)?