.
As the mercenary turns to flee, Swiftpaws instincts take over and as any wolf would do in front of a fleing prey, he bites the moving figure, then tries to trip him.
Attack damage
Trip action
As the Orc steps back to flee, Swiftpaws instincts take over. As any wolf would do when their prey starts to flee, he pounces on it and bites the retreating leg to trip it.
Attack damage
Trip action
Seeing the Orc trying to dash off to his encampment, with Swiftpaws on his heels,
Durnast will go ahead and let loose with some Scorching Rays, blowing his own Invisibility:
1st: for dmg. 2nd: for dmg.
Montegue sprints ahead, coalescing into view just behind the wrathful Artimus (which startles the half-orc) and passing into the boarding house.
Montegue,
** spoiler omitted **
Swiftpaws moves close to the Clantock mercenary and holds her (his?) action. The wolf can't get into a flanking position, as such, without stepping out of the invisibility sphere, but is delaying a standard action within a 5'-step of the half-orc, if it comes to that.
Camomile notices nothing dangerous in the immediate area. But something from the house to the west sure smells good!
The half-orc is genuinely taken aback by Artimus' fury, and certainly surprised by Montegue's magical appearance. He also looks over to Swiftpaws, as if he can tell that something is there. (Perhaps he noticed the footprints in the dirt? Hard to say.) He takes a step back, and then runs back west to the Furious Fourteen's encampment.
Does Swiftpaws attack, or let the half-orc raise whatever commotion he can?
Durnast, do you still want to cast the minor image, for anyone else who might be watching, or do you want to save that spell for when the Clantock boys come back?
Alia delays until after Artimus.
Tinthariel...
Montague smiles at the other gnome, and continues his pursuit of the first objective. If necessary I'll make an acrobatics check to avoid an attack of Opportunity.
Acrobatics. NOTE: Move is 50' at the moment.
Chris and everyone else, can you check the map and positions ?
Looks good, Alia. Nice job, and my thanks.
The Clantock fellow was indeed taken down. Swiftpaws does damage, but it looks like the guy can take quite a bit more.
A prone defender gains a +4 bonus to Armor Class against ranged attacks, but takes a –4 penalty to AC against melee attacks.
Durnast's scorching rays both miss.
Montegue:
You arrive in time to see the gnome slip through a trapdoor, about 3' square, in the floor, and pull the door shut behind him.
Camomile: It smells like chicken stew. Now, where would somebody get a chicken around here? Oh, and Swiftpaws has taken down the orc on the street. It's shouting something in a language you never bothered to learn, probably in order to raise a ruckas.
The half-orc draws his bastard sword and attacks Swiftpaws, even while prone. He strikes and does points of damage.
Inside, Artimus, the second gnome's expression changes as Montegue runs off down the west hall and you charge in. He appears to recognize you, and says, "enough of this." He raises his left hand (dropping the towel to reveal a meat cleaver in his right hand) and casts a spell. You recognize it as a conjuration spell designed to summon a misty, oily vapor. A pea-soup fog settles in the room. You can see the dank-brown couch between you and him, but nothing further away.
Spellcraft to exactly ID spell as it's being cast (DC 15 + Spell Level): Me Cam
If I can ID the spell, I let everybody know exactly what the risk is via Message.
Cam will Delay to see what Alia and Artimus do, for now...
(if the Orc isn't dropped, he will probably Move to Aid Another to help Swiftpaw's AC)
When the Orc blow connects with Swiftpaws, Alia bow comes up reflexively and she fires at the crouched orc.
Attack with deadly aim (-4 for the prone target) , damage
Spellcraft to exactly ID spell as it's being cast (DC 15 + Spell Level): Me 1d20+14 Cam 1d20+9
If I can ID the spell, I let everybody know exactly what the risk is via Message.Cam will Delay to see what Alia and Artimus do, for now...
(if the Orc isn't dropped, he will probably Move to Aid Another to help Swiftpaw's AC)
Montague rushes into the room after the speedy Gnome, and tries to lift the trapdoor, staying behind it as he lifts in case there is a waiting crossbow bolt or something. He will then quickly peak over the edge exposing as little of himself as possible.
If the door is latched, he will search some way to secure it from the room, to ensure nobody sneaks up on the party from that door. (bolt, latch, heavy furniture, peg shut)
Round One
The gnome in the foyer: run to the trapdoor, open it
Montague: run into the boarding house and down the hallway
Swiftpaws the Wolf: delay
Camomile the Pseudo-Dragon: scout
Clantock's Half-orc: try to get away
Swiftpaws (new initiative): attack half-orc
Second gnome: enter foyer, address Montegue
Durnast: cast scorching ray
Alia: delay
Tinthariel: delay
Artimus: move to the foyer, encounter the gnome there
Alia (new initiative): shoots at half-orc
Round Two
The gnome in the foyer: moves through the trapdoor, does something else
Montague: gets to the trapdoor, and opens it, revealing a very narrow tunnel running under the floorboards. The crawlspace there is tight for a gnome. If you enter, you can scrunch up and push your way through slowly, but your high Dexterity will be useless..
Camomile the Pseudo-Dragon: Aids Swiftpaws' attack against the half-orc. [ooc]Camomile is mostly outside, keeping an eye on things, and helping with the half-orc. He's not inside the boarding house, which is where he'd have to be, to take an Attack of Opportunity against the caster.)
Clantock's Half-orc: Attacks Swiftpaws.
Swiftpaws the Wolf: The half-orc is still there. I presume Swiftpaws will attack, with the +2 from Camomile's assistance?
Second gnome: casts a spell that Durnast recognizes as obscuring mist. Durnast, you can also tell that the gnome casts the spell correctly, but with limited understanding. There are "spell theory" classes that Wizards take, and this little guy has never heard of them.
Durnast: up next
Artimus: on deck
Alia:
Tinthariel:
Round Two
Swiftpaws the Wolf: The half-orc is still there. I presume Swiftpaws will attack, with the +2 from Camomile's assistance?
As blood flows from the wound on Swiftpaws, he bites the Half-Orc, trying to reach the throat.
Standard action attack damage
He will then take a 5 foot step back to avoid any attack from the prone half orc.
With the dense fog inside the house and Swiftpaws wild miss, Alia opts to finish the prone half-orc before turning on the now hidden gnome and aiming for his expected position.
Full round attack
1st Attack with deadly aim, point blanck shot manyshot and rapid shot
, damage + damage
2nd Attack with deadly aim, point blank shot and rapid shot , damage
3rd Attack with deadly aim, point blank shot , damage
Swiftpaws misses.
Alia, after Artimus acts, the half-orc will fall to your first shot. You'll then whip around and fire the other to arrows into the fog. You won't be able to tell if they hit anything or not; there won't be any loud outcry.
Durnast and Artimus?
Montague seeing the space is to tight to function properly, does the next best thing and tries to block it off as a possible entry/exit...ie spike door shut, bolt it, move something heavy on it. Then runs back out towards the rest of the party.
Artimus will rush towards where the gnome who cast the spell before he lost sight of him in the fog. Assuming that the gnome is still within 5 feet of that spot, he will call down a smite on him and swing at him with a power attack, trying to take him out of commission as quickly as possible.
If when I get to where the gnome was and I don't see him, I will activate my divine bond on the sword to make it flaming and try and listen to pick up where the gnome went.
+1 Adamantine Longsword Attack roll
Damage
Perception if needed
Round Two
The gnome in the foyer: moves through the trapdoor.
Montague: gets to the trapdoor and opens it.
Camomile the Pseudo-Dragon: aids Swiftpaws' attack.
Clantock's Half-orc: attacks Swiftpaws.
Swiftpaws the Wolf: attacks and steps back.
Second gnome: casts obscuring mist.
Durnast: delaying
Artimus: rushes forward. You see the vague form of a figure, about 4-foot high, standing there in the gloom. At first, you thought you'd lost him, but then you realize he's crouched down; he's assumed a position you recognize as an opportunity-fighter's stance, probably similar to Chyressa's fighting style.
You swing with your Smite and don't connect; whether that's because of the fog or his wily maneuvering, you can't tell.
Alia: fires one arrow into the half-orc, who now lies still and bleeding on the ground, and two into the supernatural mists filling the boarding house. Neither the gnome nor Artimus cry out.
Tinthariel: moves to the half-orc and casts a simple spell, stablizing him.
Round Three
The first gnome: unknown.
Montague: You're just outside the room when you hear faint breathing behind you. Something unseen in the far corner of the room is trying very hard to be quiet.
Camomile the Pseudo-Dragon: sees far to the east --at about the Camp commons-- that a third gnome, much like the other two, is walking alongside the Usurer. The gnome having an animated conversation, the Usurer is keeping quiet. Camomile can't tell whether they have noticed anything alarming.
Clantock's Half-orc: out of the fight
Swiftpaws the Wolf: you're up
Second gnome:
Durnast: [delayed, can act any time]
Artimus:
Alia:
Tinthariel:
Swiftpaws wines, licks his injured side and, responding to Alia low growl, cicles the house silently, looking for threats.
stealth
perception
Alia asks Artimus to confirm the gnome position. If she gets an answer, she will fire at the unseen gnome.
Full round attack
1st Attack with deadly aim, point blanck shot manyshot and rapid shot
, damage + damage , miss chance
2nd Attack with deadly aim, point blank shot and rapid shot , damage , miss chance
3rd Attack with deadly aim, point blank shot , damage , miss chance .
I whisper to Tin via Message: <Schoolmaster, why don't you drag the Orc inside, out of sight??
I also gesture to Alia's wolf Swiftpaws, hoping it might go into the Inn so we are all out of sight observers (and it's Scent could possibly help inside),
only unsure exactly how I might best communicate with it.
To everybody: <Cam spotted Brother #3 on the far side of the commons... with the Usurer.> with an added sense of urgency on the last bit.
I'm hoping Artimus and Alia can handle the situation in the front room for the time being, even with the fog,
and I'm curious what our new-found companion Montague has seen at the end of the hall, so I follow him there.
I'll declare my Standard Action once I get there and get a better view. Same thing for Cam's action.
(continuing round 3)
Clantock's Half-orc: out of the fight
Swiftpaws the Wolf: checking the area around the boarding house. So far, nothing. There is some commotion going on about a full move distant, in the direction away from the Camp commons. A small pack of humanoids, arguing among themselves. (Which is, when you come down to it, what humanoids do best.)
Speaking of which:
Second gnome: from somewhere in the mist, calls out in a meek voice, "If.. if what you want is money, we don't got much. Maybe a hundred or so iron bits. But.. but you're welcome to them! Just leave my brother at me at peace! He's got room to tidy up, and I --" he says, his voice suddenly behind Artimus, and very close, and dripping with menace: "I have meat to kill and dress!" He strikes at Artimus with his cleaver, at such an angle that your armor works with the attack; one of the armored plates pivots in and up, magnifying the force of the blow against your right kidney. It could be worse, maybe, but you'll have to stop and think to imagine how. Take 20 points of damage from the blow. A second chop swings and misses.
Durnast: warns people about what Camomile sees, and moves down the hall towards the room Montegue entered. You see him leave the room, then pause and look back. Looking in the room, you see a gnome, hiding in the corner, semi-transparent due to the invisibility spell on him.
Artimus: You're up. And please make a Fortitude saving throw.
Alia: Your arrows go flying into the mist, where you hope the gnome is waiting. You hear two arrows bite into the wood floor, but maybe not three.
Tinthariel: Alarmed, drags the body of the half-orc into the shelter of the boarding house. He's leaving a clear smear of blood.
And that would bring us to Round 4.
Fort Save
Grunting from the blow, Artimus will turn and strike down at the gnome twice, trying to cut him down with a set of powerful blows. "We are not here to rob you, you murdered our friends!"
Attack with Power Attack and Smite
Damage
Attack with Power Attack and Smite
Damage
Swift Action Lay on Hands
"Yes, we killed them, but only in self-defense! They drew weapons on us. And this morning, you've come as another band of murderers, and we'll kill you as well. And it will self-defense, again." Artimus, you can tell that his earnestness is genuine. His words might be as well, but you're not sure.
Artimus, you reach behind you to feel the wound, and your hand comes back bloody -which you expected-- and also covered in a brown, sticky substance that smells faintly of honey. Your legs tingle slightly, and you realize that it's only a matter of time before the venom forces you out of the fight.
Your first blow is convincing. Your second swing is close enough to scratch him, but nothing worse than that.
Three arrows go whistling through the mists, from behind you and from the right, one striking the gnome.
But as he shifts his stance, you get a glimpse of him clearly, despite the roiling vapors. He's injured, that's for sure, but still on his feet. He's holding the cleaver in one hand, and his other hand is holding a fine chain, from which is swinging a large blue gem.
Round Four
Durnast, you see the gnome, and he realizes the jig is up. You've got a second to make a single action before he can do anything. What are you doing?
Montague, the wizard Durnast has run up to you. He looks into the room, and his eyes lock on something in the far corner, between the bed and the wall, where the noise came from.
Camomile, the gnome and the Usurer are approaching closer. There's some animated discussion off to the west. It's likely that something is spooking the Clantock gang.
Alia, Tinthariel carries the half-orc's body up to you. "He's in bad shape," the cleric reports. "What should we do with him?" Behind him stretches the east wing, containing a few small rooms and presumably the Bender brothers' personal chambers.
Montague takes in the area the mage is looking at and charges in that direction aiming a flying kick.
Charging Flying kick (1d20+10=15)
Miss chance (High is good) (1d100=5)
And firmly plants his foot into the wall.
Alia uses her 5 foot step from round 3 to get in the house as indicated on the map.
"Thanks, Tin. I just wanted to take him out, not to kill him. We don't need Clantock's men on our back right now. Just put him down in the corridor and check he won't die on us."
The weakening he feels from the poison simply spurs Artimus on to try and bring down the gnome quickly so he can't take out the others in such a way. He cuts twice at him quickly.
Attack(with power attack and smite)
Damage
2nd Attack
Damage
Lay on hands if applicable.
1d20+13 Attack(with power attack and smite)
1d8+17 Damage1d20+8 2nd Attack
1d8+17 Damage
Still hurting from the half orc blow, Swiftpaws crouches behind the house, ready to cut the way of anyone trying to escape the house.
stealth
perception
Round Four
Durnast:[delaying; would you like to cast glitterdust?]
Montague: kicking, missing.
Montegue, you hear someone, most likely an invisible person, tumble over Durnast and make his way out the door. You can make an Attack of Opportunity. Then something else might happen.
Camomile, Swiftpaws: nothing new outside to report.
Back in the mist-shrouded foyer, the second gnome swings his weapon at Artimus (rolling to attack, with damage ). He then takes a step back into the fog.
Artimus, you take a step forward to follow and hit the gnome again. He falls, to the weapon's blade and to the divine force guiding it. He tries to rise, fails, and slumps into a pile. He lets go of the hatchet, and the righteous smite dissipates from your sword arm.
Alia: you direct Tinthariel, and hear Durnast in the hallway to your left. "Alia! One of the gnomes is making a break for it!"
Artimus will call out "One of them is down. Where are the others, can't see a thing in this damned fog! Be on your guard, they are using poison or something, I am starting to feel a bit shakey!."
So, what Durnast immediately did upon seeing the Invisible Gnome crouched in the room (BEFORE Monty's flying jump kick) was to cast Glitterdust at the Gnome (Will DC18 or Blinded). That would make the Gnome visible to all, so Montague didn't really need to roll the Miss Chance. Also, I believe that was Montague's first attack, so he would have been Invisible up to that moment (which grants a +2 attack bonus).
I'll decide my action for THIS turn once I get an update on how all that turned out :-)
Replying to Durnast call, Alia takes a 5 foot step in the direction of the corridor and targets the "glittergnome".
"You've got nowhere to run. It's time to pay, vermin."
1st Attack with deadly aim, point blanck shot manyshot and rapid shot
, damage + damage
2nd Attack with deadly aim, point blank shot and rapid shot
, damage
3rd Attack with deadly aim, point blank shot
, damage
So, what Durnast immediately did upon seeing the Invisible Gnome crouched in the room (BEFORE Monty's flying jump kick) was to cast Glitterdust at the Gnome (Will DC18 or Blinded). That would make the Gnome visible to all, so Montague didn't really need to roll the Miss Chance. Also, I believe that was Montague's first attack, so he would have been Invisible up to that moment (which grants a +2 attack bonus).
Yay for glitterdust. But the monk had moved out of the invisibility sphere's effects, so he was already visible. (Indeed, the second gnome had addressed him as he sped into the boarding house, not twelve seconds ago.) So, the kick still missed, but because the gnome is wily and swift, not because he's invisible.
He makes his saving throw, too, and avoids being blinded.
Montegue, you nail the little sucker. He skips over Durnast at the door, and casts a spell.
Concentration: He gets the spell off.
Spellcraft: .Durnast, you do not recognize the spell as it's being cast. (You think that it might be because he's casting it silently, and under the effects of the glitterdust enchantment.)
Durnast, the floorboards below you give way and Jylan and Chyressa, long dead and maggot-infested, come reaching up to take you. "You wanted to share our company yesterday," hisses Jylan's corpse. "Come join us today."
Please make a Will saving throw, and then a Fortitude save as well.
I'll decide my action for THIS turn once I get an update on how all that turned out :-)
You'll act before Artimus' killing blow.
Alia, the second and third blows hit home. Two arrows fade from view, surrounded now by the nimbus of energies surrounding the gnome. He's still up.
"Yaaaah!!! It's them... Dead... Un-Dead..."
Fort Save:
Will Save:
This is extra disturbing for Durnast as his mentor was also re-animated by the denizens of Rappan Athuk...
That sounds legit, most all Poisons give multiple Saves, so would still might be a bit 'woozy' but it would prevent you from seriously deteriorating. Just making sure I understand it :-)
Yaaaah!!! It's them... Dead... Un-Dead...
As they close in on you, you do everything you can to push them away to make .. them ... gone. And like that, your mind snaps back to reality. After a second of disorientation, you realize you've been the recipient of a phantasmal killer effect.
The antitoxin affects every periodic saving throw that the character would attempt afterwards.
(There aren't "antidisease" and "anticurse" analogues to antitoxin, but that sounds like a fun mechanic to play with.)
Shaking with fury at the twisted evil evidenced by the gnome, Durnast steps back (5' away from gnome) and unleashes another set of fiery rays:
and for and .
"Yaazaaaaaa!!!
And that's enough to take him down. One foot to the jaw, two arrows, and some fiery darts are enough to kill the gnome. He fades back into visibility as his body grows still, but the glitterdust effect maintains. A small pool of blood forms under his chest.
Camomile, you hear a real ruckus inside the boarding house, and it would appear that you're not the only one. The third gnome (how many of them are there, anyway?) and the tall gaunt man are now running towards the place, and it looks like the orcs to the west are getting a party together, as well.
End of Round 4.
"Artimus, the second one is down. The third one is outside. Let's get him."
After Artimus move, Alia will come back to the entrance (5 foot step), ready to take the gnome down when she sights him. She will be very carefull not to fire on the Usurer or the Clantock men..
Artimus will nod his head towards Alia, focusing his inner strength into his sword arm, knowing that the remaining gnome is likely to be the most potent of them and then he begins making his way out towards where the gnome should be.
What is Cam's ETA for the Gnome and Usurer to get here (say, within 30'), judging from their pace? Would they be able to get here and do something this next round, or do we have one more round after this?
"Cam sees the third Gnome running with the Usurer straight this way, and it sounds like the Clantock gang is getting warmed up to the West. We may best consider avenues of retreat, as I'm not sure if we're ready to take down all comers this day...", spitting at the nearest Bender corpse, "But that Usurer is one who worries me, and I doubt he's one to let us walk away... Artimus, you know the sign to look for, when to strike an Arcanist just before their ritual completes?, To hurt them and disrupt their magics at the same time? I think we'll need it with this one."
My attention coming back to the room, I turn and glare at the over-armored Elf "Do you want to DO something!? ...Sorry... But... perhaps with your gift from ancient Arden, you could imbue... a shadow of Silence into an arrow of the Wolf Lady, ahem, Alia...?"
"Not now Tinthariel. But get ready with that silence spell if necessary.
We must pick our fights. Let's get the gnome down first, without targeting the others. Then we try to talk our way out with the Usurer and Clantock's men. Their man is still alive thanks to Tinthariel."
