A Road Home pbp

[Uriel De'Mar]

"No idea, but I usually find it easier to sneak around dead bodies. 9 times out of 10 I think it works", says Uriel as he wipes some of the "rage drool" from his beard.

[Xabulba]

The group gets back to the rendezvous camp sure that they are being followed. Setting your defenses you lay in wait for the reprisal but not really expecting what followed them back to the camp.

MAP

You see 2 large heavaly armored warforged, a big beetle and a slaughterstone slicer.
Leading the group is ir'Ruing weilding the rod that was attached to the control slaad tank.

Place yourselves and initiative please. You have a suprise round also.

[Rennik Ilzander]

Initiative 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (14) + 8 = 22

Which area are we in? Also, this won't matter for Rennik but will for everyone else, but was that sufficient time for a short rest by any chance?

[Xabulba]

You did have time for a short rest and because you knew they were comming you can place yourselfs anywhere on the map.

[Malick]

Have we passed a milestone yet?

"Time to talk to Blondie. What fun."

Anyone else think capturing Ruing might be a really good idea at this point?

1d20 + 8 ⇒ (11) + 8 = 19
Everyone add 2 to your init rolls if you're within 10 squares of him.
Put him at AA13. Should give him cover and makes him nice and central. This is Malick we're dealing with, so he's perfectly happy to chat while everyone gets ready to pounce.

[Uriel De'Mar]

Xabulba, can I have one power activated before the battle? I usually like to use Virtue whenever I expect combat, kinda like a "shields" up manuever. Also I'll be at S-25, hiding and with my armor changed to cloth for added stealth.

Initiative: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (17) + 10 = 27, subtract 2 from score if Malick isn't within 10 of me.
Stealth: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (13) + 8 = 21

"Sounds grand", says Uriel between swigs of wine, "I sez' we ambush tha' forged' as they cross between the trees and try ta' restrict their movement."

Letting them get to XYZ-10 thru 13 and then ambushing them could work, giving them less room to manuever, maybe have someone come from the rear as well.

I'd also like to place my Battle Standard of Might at BB-9

Spoiler:

Power(encounter*zone): Standard Action; When you plant the battle standard in your space or an adjacent square, it creates a zone in a close burst 5. While within the zone, you and your allies gain a +1 power bonus on dmg rolls. This effect lasts until the end of the encounter or until the battle standard is removed from the ground. Any character in or adjacent to a battle standard can remove it from the ground as a standard action

[Ragna]

X8

initiative: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (16) + 14 = 30

[Uriel De'Mar]

lol actually I'd rather be at W-19, sorry bout that :)

[Flint Blackblade]

S25
Initiative Check, 1d20+12=14
Stealth Check, 1d20+17=21

[Rennik Ilzander]

X17

Malick wrote:

Have we passed a milestone yet?

We passed one after the last combat (the one in the warehouse).

[Ferdinand Salatic]

I'll take X20. Initiative: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (3) + 8 = 11

Also, assuming Uriel doesn't go running off before my turn in the surprise round, my action in the surprise round will be using Radiant Sigil on his sword.(Any attack with this weapon heals 3HP for the user, the user can end this effect as a free action to make the target of his attack dazed(save ends) and can spend a healing surge, +3HP healed)

[Typhus Aurelius]

AND I'll form the HEAD!

I mean, X-19 for me, please.

[Xabulba]

Uriel De'Mar wrote:

Xabulba, can I have one power activated before the battle? I usually like to use Virtue whenever I expect combat, kinda like a "shields" up manuever. Also I'll be at S-25, hiding and with my armor changed to cloth for added stealth.

Initiative: 1d20+10, subtract 2 from score if Malick isn't within 10 of me.
Stealth: 1d20+8

"Sounds grand", says Uriel between swigs of wine, "I sez' we ambush tha' forged' as they cross between the trees and try ta' restrict their movement."

Letting them get to XYZ-10 thru 13 and then ambushing them could work, giving them less room to manuever, maybe have someone come from the rear as well.

I'd also like to place my Battle Standard of Might at BB-9 ** spoiler omitted **

You can activate the power on your surprise round.

[Xabulba]

Typhus Aurelius wrote:

AND I'll form the HEAD!

I mean, X-19 for me, please.

Initiative please.

[Xabulba]

<Green square, Battle Standard, allies gain a +1 power bonus on dmg rolls in the square.>

ir’Ruing
Ragna
Warforged 1
Warforged 2
Rennik
Uriel
Malick
Big Beetle
Slicer
Flint
Ferdinand
Typhus

MAP

[Uriel De'Mar]

Sweet! I've always wanted one of those banners... :) Lets lure em to there, anyone wanna be bait? :)I was thinking of hitting them from the rear. Thanks for the enhancement Ferdinand.

Initiative was 27.

Here's my surprise round action; Minor Action: Virtue-spend a healing surge, gain hs value (23) in temp hp.

Kneeling with his head cast down, Uriel mumbles a prayer to Dol Arrah, strengthening his will to fight on no matter what the odds.

STATUS
HP: 93
TEMP HP: 23
SURGES: 9/11
AP: ?
STATUS:

Spoiler:

Any attack with this weapon heals 3HP for the user, the user can end this effect as a free action to make the target of his attack dazed(save ends) and can spend a healing surge, +3HP healed

[Typhus Aurelius]

Init 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (18) + 10 = 28

[Uriel De'Mar]

Typhus Aurelius wrote:

AND I'll form the HEAD!

I mean, X-19 for me, please.

lol I missed that, awesome :)

[Malick]

Talking is a free action. Malick's happy enough to be bait. He's a long way down the init list though.

[Uriel De'Mar]

Malick wrote:

Talking is a free action. Malick's happy enough to be bait. He's a long way down the init list though.

You still have a surprise round too to lure em by the banner. There's a nice bottle of that "impressively bad" booze init for you :)

[Rennik Ilzander]

Uriel De'Mar wrote:

Malick wrote:

Talking is a free action. Malick's happy enough to be bait. He's a long way down the init list though.

You still have a surprise round too to lure em by the banner. There's a nice bottle of that "impressively bad" booze init for you :)

Well, I may see if I can trap a couple of them (not Ruing) where they are. We can lure those that remain to the banner. (I'm a fan of divide-and-conquer.)

[Uriel De'Mar]

Rennik Ilzander wrote:

Uriel De'Mar wrote:

Malick wrote:

Talking is a free action. Malick's happy enough to be bait. He's a long way down the init list though.

You still have a surprise round too to lure em by the banner. There's a nice bottle of that "impressively bad" booze init for you :)

Well, I may see if I can trap a couple of them (not Ruing) where they are. We can lure those that remain to the banner. (I'm a fan of divide-and-conquer.)

That sounds good to me, and yes divide and conquer...if it was good enough for them romans, it's good enough for us.

[Xabulba]

<Green square, Battle Standard, allies gain a +1 power bonus on dmg rolls in the square.>

ir’Ruing
Ragna
Warforged 1
Warforged 2
Rennik
Typhus
Uriel
Malick
Big Beetle
Slicer
Flint
Ferdinand

MAP

Finish up your plans and let's get the melee started.

Edit: fixed Typhus' place on the roster.

[Uriel De'Mar]

I am set, Initiative score was 27

[Malick]

Unless anyone's got a better suggestion, Malick's planning to use the surprise round to emerge from behind the tree, amble to Y12 and say "hi" to Ruing from a distance. Uriel had better mean it about the booze.

[Rennik Ilzander]

Malick wrote:

Unless anyone's got a better suggestion, Malick's planning to use the surprise round to emerge from behind the tree, amble to Y12 and say "hi" to Ruing from a distance. Uriel had better mean it about the booze.

Do you think catching the big bug and one of the warforged in an area attack to stick them where they are will undermine you?

[Uriel De'Mar]

Malick wrote:

Unless anyone's got a better suggestion, Malick's planning to use the surprise round to emerge from behind the tree, amble to Y12 and say "hi" to Ruing from a distance. Uriel had better mean it about the booze.

In my inventory you will see that I have 3 bottles currently. One I gave to you earlier, probably about 1/4 left, 1 I’ve been nursing with 1/4 left, and 1 unopened, virgin bottle...the last one. That'll be the victory booze...then we're perilously dry until I can "requisition" some.

Rennik: Not at all, my friend, stick away :), but are you able to lure em back to Malick and Ragna if you're spotted?

[Malick]

Rennik Ilzander wrote:

Malick wrote:

Unless anyone's got a better suggestion, Malick's planning to use the surprise round to emerge from behind the tree, amble to Y12 and say "hi" to Ruing from a distance. Uriel had better mean it about the booze.

Do you think catching the big bug and one of the warforged in an area attack to stick them where they are will undermine you?

Go for it Rennick. Anything that locks some of them down is good.

[Xabulba]

Suprise round:

Rennik is up.

MAP

[Uriel De'Mar]

Uriel De'Mar wrote:

Sweet! I've always wanted one of those banners... :) Lets lure em to there, anyone wanna be bait? :)I was thinking of hitting them from the rear. Thanks for the enhancement Ferdinand.

Initiative was 27.

Here's my surprise round action; Minor Action: Virtue-spend a healing surge, gain hs value (23) in temp hp.

Kneeling with his head cast down, Uriel mumbles a prayer to Dol Arrah, strengthening his will to fight on no matter what the odds.

STATUS
HP: 93
TEMP HP: 23
SURGES: 9/11
AP: ?
STATUS: ** spoiler omitted **

Just in case, posted my actions for the surprise round previously for when my turn comes up, Xabulba.

[Rennik Ilzander]

I'm not sure why I'm going first, but I can't imagine it matters much.

Rennik conjures a complex illusion to confound some of Ruing's goons and make it appear that all about them is destruction.

Visions of Ruin centered on N14.

Effect: The burst creates a zone of illusory safety. A target that is forced to leave the zone takes 2d8 + Intelligence modifier psychic damage, and this effect ends for it. The zone lasts until no creature is subject to this effect.

Vs big beetle 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (1) + 16 = 17 vs Will. Vs Warforged2 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (1) + 16 = 17

Hit: The target is affected by visions of ruin (save ends). While affected by visions of ruin, it cannot voluntarily leave the zone, and it does not have line of sight to targets outside the zone.
Miss: Until the end of your next turn, the target cannot voluntarily leave the zone, and it does not have line of sight to targets outside the zone.
Special: A creature whose space is partly within the zone can move only into squares within the zone.

Not sure if I have CA against them because they are surprised. If so, add 2 to the attack.

[Rennik Ilzander]

Well now that's just highly improbable. I guess read the miss effect stuff.

[Uriel De'Mar]

Rennik Ilzander wrote:

Well now that's just highly improbable. I guess read the miss effect stuff.

Ouch, two 1s in a row...sometimes that autodice roller makes me cry. But at least its got miss effects.

[Rennik Ilzander]

Uriel De'Mar wrote:

Rennik Ilzander wrote:

Well now that's just highly improbable. I guess read the miss effect stuff.

Ouch, two 1s in a row...sometimes that autodice roller makes me cry. But at least its got miss effects.

True. It still feels like a waste of a daily. On the other hand, the "effect" stuff at the top applied to a hit or a miss, so anyone who can compel either of them to move out of the zone will still get that bonus damage.

[Malick]

Not a great feeling rolling snake eyes on a daily. Ouch. We'lll just have to try and make the most of the effects.

[Xabulba]

Rennik is only partially successful in panicking his targets limiting their movement for only a short time.

Missed Ragna's turn, sorry.

<Green square, Battle Standard, allies gain a +1 power bonus on dmg rolls in the square.>
<Beetle and WF1 can't move away from N14 untill after Rennik's next turn.>

ir’Ruing
Ragna
Warforged 1
Warforged 2
Rennik
Typhus
Uriel
Malick
Big Beetle
Slicer
Flint
Ferdinand

Ragna is now up.

[Ragna]

Move to X11

minor: Divine Challenge Warforged 1 (While a target is marked, it takes -2 penalty to attack rolls for any attack that doesn't inlcude me as a target. Also, it takes 11 radiant damage and the target ally regains +9 hit points even on a miss.)

standard: ranged basic attack throwing my last hand axe at warforged 1

1d20 + 8 ⇒ (7) + 8 = 15 vs ac; 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (7) + 3 = 10

Ragna throws her last axe at the warforged and issues a challenge,
"Come and get me if you think you can handle it, you walking piece of junk."

[Xabulba]

Ragna wrote:

Move to X11

minor: Divine Challenge Warforged 1 (While a target is marked, it takes -2 penalty to attack rolls for any attack that doesn't inlcude me as a target. Also, it takes 11 radiant damage and the target ally regains +9 hit points even on a miss.)

standard: ranged basic attack throwing my last hand axe at warforged 1

1d20+8 vs ac; 1d8+3

Ragna throws her last axe at the warforged and issues a challenge,
"Come and get me if you think you can handle it, you walking piece of junk."

Limited Action: If you get to act in the surprise

round, you can take a standard action, a move
action, or a minor action (see “Action Types”). You
can also take free actions, but you can’t spend action
points. After every nonsurprised combatant has
acted, the surprise round ends, and you can act normally
in subsequent rounds.

You can only use your Divine Challenge or throw your axe or move.

[Ragna]

Sorry about that, This pbp was the first and second time I have ever had a surprise round, in over 10 years of playing. My DM hates them. I will just move.

[Xabulba]

Ragna moves into the open and shouts a challange to WF1 acting as a lure to get them to move into the area of the battle standard.

<Green square, Battle Standard, allies gain a +1 power bonus on dmg rolls in the square.>
<Beetle and WF1 can't move away from N14 untill after Rennik's next turn.>

ir’Ruing
Ragna
Warforged 1
Warforged 2
Rennik
Typhus
Uriel
Malick
Big Beetle
Slicer
Flint
Ferdinand

MAP

Typhus is up.

[Typhus Aurelius]

Typhus will move to X-14, singing softly to himself. "Oh, look, Mother's home and we've broken her vase and she'll be ever so unhappy with us, won't she?"

[Uriel De'Mar]

Just in case my surprise round post got lost in the shuffle: Minor Action: Virtue-spend a healing surge, gain hs value (23) in temp hp.

Kneeling with his head cast down, Uriel mumbles a prayer to Dol Arrah, strengthening his will to fight on no matter what the odds.

HP: 93
TEMP HP: 23
SURGES: 9/11
AP: ?
STATUS:

Spoiler:

Any attack with this weapon heals 3HP for the user, the user can end this effect as a free action to make the target of his attack dazed(save ends) and can spend a healing surge, +3HP healed

[Flint Blackblade]

Flint stays put and attempts to remain hidden
Stealth Check, 1d20+17=35

[Xabulba]

That's everyone's surprise action except for Ferdinand.

Map

[Ferdinand Salatic]

Ferdinand Salatic wrote:

Also, assuming Uriel doesn't go running off before my turn in the surprise round, my action in the surprise round will be using Radiant Sigil on his sword.(Any attack with this weapon heals 3HP for the user, the user can end this effect as a free action to make the target of his attack dazed(save ends) and can spend a healing surge, +3HP healed)

[Malick]

Malick's surprise round action is to amble around the tree and call out to Ruing.

"Been hunting for you, Blondie. Reckon it's time we had a chat. We all going to be civil or do we need to get bumptious at you? Things feel a mite tense."

Bung him at Z10

[Xabulba]

Ruing hysterically screams at Malick and Typhus, “You damm pests you’ve ruined years of planning, you’ve destroyed the last chance Khorvaire has for peace for the next thousand years.”
“I should have let you die like the rest but I just couldn’t hurt my pets. I gave you a chance to live and you threw it away to meddle in prophecy.”
“No more mercy no more kindness no more sufferance you will all die today and nevermore be a bane to my destiny.”

Ruing steps closer, raises the rod and shoots a sickly lavender ray at Malick.
Attack vs fortitude, 1d20 + 21 ⇒ (13) + 21 = 34, damage = 2d8 + 6 ⇒ (2, 2) + 6 = 10 necrotic and adj enemy takes 5 cold damage.

<Green square, Battle Standard, allies gain a +1 power bonus on dmg rolls in the square.>
<Beetle and WF1 can't move away from N14 untill after Rennik's next turn.>
<Radiant Sigil: Any attack with this weapon heals 3HP for the user, the user can end this effect as a free action to make the target of his attack dazed(save ends) and can spend a healing surge, +3HP healed>
ir’Ruing
Ragna
Warforged 1
Warforged 2
Rennik
Typhus
Uriel (Radiant Sigil)
Malick
Big Beetle
Slicer
Flint
Ferdinand

MAP

Ragna is up.

[Malick]

Malick shrugs and fails to get out of the way.

"If that's the way you want to play it. Seems a pity, but there you go."

[Ragna]

"You, I have been looking for you. We are going to have words. With a cry she throws an axe at ir'Ruing, and steps behind the cover to stop any return fire."

minor: divine challenge ir'Ruing (While a target is marked, it takes -2 penalty to attack rolls for any attack that doesn't inlcude me as a target. Also, it takes 11 radiant damage and the target ally regains +9 hit points even on a miss)
standard: throw hand axe 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (8) + 8 = 16vs AC; 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4
move: move to Y8

[Uriel De'Mar]

Let's try to lure them to my banner so we can get the +1 dmg bonus, plus it'll be less out in the open.