Caydee draws her sword and swings. She misses, but squares off against the Tengu facing her, who is also holding a longsword.
{ooc}I'm going to try some basic ASCII art here to show the scene. Each character space is a 5' square. You are each the first letter of your name, or the second letter if someone else already has that letter (Ahz = A, Andreas = N, etc) and Tengu are T. * are rocks places, _ are snow places. You are each about 10' apart from each other, with Tengu next to Caydee, Andreas and Gnosh - each has a longsword, except the one in front of Gnosh has a longsword and a dagger drawn. You are in order, from north to south, Caydee, Ahz, Andreas, Sioned, Gnosh, Fubar. So, the scene looks something like this, with North being top, etc:
The Tengu with the bow again draws back and releases an arrow at Fubar...
dice:
hit roll vs. ac 24: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 = 8
...but the arrow flies completely wide and buries itself in the snow.
Meanwhile, the two Tengu with longswords swing them viciously at Caydee and Andreas...
more dice:
hit roll vs. Caydee ac.15 - 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 2 = 17
damage vs. Caydee - 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 = 8
hit roll vs. Andreas ac. 21 - 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (7) + 2 = 9
The Tengu paired off with Andreas swings wildly and misses, but alas the one facing Caydee ducks under her guard and slides his blade deeply between her ribs. Caydee gasps in pain, but grits her teeth and steps back off the sword blade.
Caydee:
You take 8 points of damage as a well-aimed sword strike stabs between your ribs.
The Tengu holding a longsword and a dagger uses a double attack against Gnosh, though he still seems a bit unsure of himself and occasionally glances at Fubar.
more more dice:
hit roll with longsword vs. Gnosh ac. 17 - 1d20 - 4 ⇒ (10) - 4 = 6
hit roll with dagger vs. Gnosh ac. 17 - 1d20 - 4 ⇒ (8) - 4 = 4
The Tengu does not seem to be trying very hard to hit Gnosh, as distracted as he is by Fubar and trying to figure out which way Gnosh is going.
Sioned mutters some arcane words as she walks towards Caydee and the Tengu assaulting her "Approach me now..."
5 foot step to get within 25' and then Command "Approach", DC 16 will save to resist. Plan is for the Tengu to move towards me and invoke attacks of opportunity from Caydee and Ahz and maybe Andreas.
{ooc} btw, I am fairly novice with playing spell casters, so if I do something grossly incorrect, please let me know.
{ooc}Sioned - unfortunately, the only 2 possibilities for a 5' step which would move you to 25' from the Tengu by Caydee would both put you next to the Tengu by Andreas, and thus open for an attack of ooprtunity if casting a spell. Because casting a spell is a standard action and you still have a move action, I will rule here that you moved to just behind Andreas (in relation to the Tengu, so East of him) and cast your command spell. With his reach weapon he should still get a shot at the Tengu if he misses his save.
Andreas - because Sioned moved to just behind you, you will be taking a 5' diagonal step.
dice rollage:
Tengu save vs. command, will DC 16: 1d20 ⇒ 10
Sioned moves to behind Andreas, mutters some words and says in common 'approach...' to the Tengu in front of Caydee.
{ooc}It must wait until its turn to comply...
Andreas takes a 5' step toward the northeast and swings his polearm around toward the Tengu in front of him. The Tengu starts to bring his sword up, but too slowly...and the blade of the polearm slices cleanly through his windpipe. He goes down without a sound.
Ahz takes a 5' step to the northeast as well and, speaking mystical words of prayer, touches his self-made holy symbol to the Caydee's back...
more dice rollage:
Ahz spontaneously turning Shield of Faith into Cure Light Wounds:
1d8 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6
...and the wound going through Caydee's chest mostly heals, leaving only some slight bleeding.
{ooc}Also remember that we have not stopped to rest since the excitement began with the fire in town - so any spells used in the first meeting with the Tengu are still used, etc.
Caydee straightens up, with her wound all but healed, and swings at the Tengu facing her. She misses, but its eyes narrow slightly as it sees the near-fatal wound it made seconds before heal.
Fubar moves to the nearest Tengu and, when it holds its ground and eyes him with hatred, swings his scimitar at its neck. The Tengu tries to move, but the scimitar slices from its neck to its chest, striking through some rather important parts, and the Tengu falls forward onto the ground.
Gnosh, who had just performed a brilliant feint against the same Tengu and was going in for the kill, was not ready for the Tengu to fall and so stabbed at midair where the Tengu jsut was, with all his might, and nearly falls over in the process.
The remaining sword-wielding Tengu looks toward Sioned and moves over to her, opening itself up for attacks from Caydee...
dice rolls:
1/3 chance for Ahz as well, high is good for players, so a 3 on 1d3: 1d3 ⇒ 2
...and Andreas.
Caydee and Andreas:
Make attacks of opportunity
The Tengu with the bow takes another shot at Fubar...
dice rolls again:
to hit vs. AC 20: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (9) + 2 = 11
...and again misses widely. He then disappears behind the rocks along with the last rays of the setting sun.
{ooc}Fubar and Gnosh - posting early did help the battle move along quickly, which is a good thing, though it took away some opportunities - for example Gnosh could have taken a 5' step for flanking, or could have moved and possibly attacked another Tengu. As it is, Gnosh you still have a move action left, so if you would like to, you can move (and switch your initiative to just after the Tengu), or you can stay where you are and keep your initiative where it is. Your call.
I have been thinking about it, and I have decided to partly incorporate a house rule I have. Now, my house rule I call 'more and bigger crits and fumbles' and basically that is what it is. But, in order not to throw off the balance of the pathfinder rules too much (it does have a decent size effect on my home games), I am only going to partly incorporate it. Basically, it goes like this - if you roll a potential crit, confirm it as normal. If the first roll to hit, and the roll to confirm, were both natural 20s, you have a bigger crit - roll again, and if that die comes up natural 20, roll one more time, and the 'size' of the crit depend on those two extra die rolls. Conversely, if you roll a natural 1, roll again. If you roll another natural 1, you have (probably) fumbled. Again, after the initial two rolls, roll again, and if it is another natural 1, roll one last time. In case you are curious, the charts for effects of bigger crits an fumbles are:
crits:
first die:
1-14 +1 multiple (that is, a x2 crit weapon does a x3 crit instead, etc)
15-19 +2 multiples
20 roll again
second die (only rolled if first came up natural 20):
1-14 +4 multiples
15-19 +6 multiples
20 Death Shot
fumbles(person taking damage is equal chance of you or any allies within range of the weapon you are using, and is calculated as normal, using strength, etc):
first die:
18-20 simply a bad miss
13-17 miss, and you lose your next attack, as you are stunned (no dex/dodge to ac, cannot opportunity attack, etc) until just after that next attack
8-12 hit self/ally - roll damage as normal, and stunned for 1 attack
4-7 hit self/ally for double damage, and stunned for 1 full round (until next round, just after this # attack, in case you get multiple attacks)
2-3 hit self/ally for triple damage, stunned for full round
1 roll again
second die(only rolled if first came up a natural 1):
11-20 hit self/ally for quadruple damage, stunned for 2 full rounds
6-10 hit self/ally for x6 damage, stunned for 2 full rounds
2-5 hit self/ally for x8 damage, stunned for 2 full rounds
1 hit self/ally, Death Shot, stunned for 3 full rounds if not self
In case you are wondering, thats a 1 in 400 chance of a greater crit or some kind of funble, and a 1 in 160,000 chance of a death shot on a friend or foe. In my home game you need 1 less natural 1 or 20, so it is a 1 in 8000 chance, and I have seen each maybe twice in the last 5 years. So, neither will probably come in to play - but I do find it spices it up a little with extreme (good or bad) luck.
By the way, if anyone is very opposed to this I will not implement it, so let me know. If I do not hear otherwise, add these extra rolls as necessary from now on while I am DMing.
Gnosh, thanks for the map, it was great! I'll find a pic for Ahz on eof these days :).
Current map, after the opportunity attacks and if the tengu survives them, but not counting Gnosh movement if he takes it:
________C_________***
_________A________***
__________________***
*_______TN________***
**_______S________***
***_______________***
**________________***
*_________________***
________G_________***
________F_________***
__________________***
Critical Hit/Fumble rules look fine to me. Always good to know there's a chance of cutting off my own head. If you want it to apply for that one:
1d20 ⇒ 6 1d20 ⇒ 14
By the rule, Gnosh would have hit himself for 22 points of damage and died instantly, or maybe would have hit Fubar for the same. Thoughts?
{ooc}Gnosh, actually to get a fumble here you need to roll two natural 1s in a row, so it wasn't a fumble at all. Yes, in my tabletop game you would have lopped off Fubar's head or your own foot and bled to death with the following roll of 6, so double damage. Nice roll on damage there :). But in this case, it isn't a fumble - and one of the reason I am adding the extra roll to 'verify' the fumble.
As the Tengu turns and moves, Caydee uses the distraction to slice into its side. Blood flows at it continues its way to Sioned's side, called by her command. Andreas sees it move through his range, and swings his polearm down. The head bites into the Tengu's shoulder, and it falls to the ground, blood gushing onto the snow.
There is a strange quiet and no moving Tengu in sight.
{ooc}Gnosh, actually to get a fumble here you need to roll two natural 1s in a row, so it wasn't a fumble at all. Yes, in my tabletop game you would have lopped off Fubar's head or your own foot and bled to death with the following roll of 6, so double damage. Nice roll on damage there :). But in this case, it isn't a fumble - and one of the reason I am adding the extra roll to 'verify' the fumble.
You see nothing moving besides party members and some stray feathers blowing off in the wind, as well as steam rising up from blood still pumping onto the snow in places. The wind is howling through the pass a bit, and beyond that you can only hear your quickened breath and Ahz starting another prayer.
Ahz holds up his holy symbol and speaks a prayer. Healing energy emits from his body to all within 30', healing...
channel energy roll:1d6 ⇒ 2
...2 points of damage from those injured (which are Ahz and Caydee, each of whom have scratches of 2hp wounds iirc, so everyone should be fully healed at this time).
Gnosh walks back over and picks up his sack of gear, grunting as he slings it over his shoulder. "We oughta get out of this area, or toss these fellas off the cliff, and go make camp somewhere."
Getting a bit bleary after the long day with no sleep, Sioned casts light as needed then glances around at the lengthening shadows, eyes lingering on the cooling bodies.
"At least we know we're on the proper trail. Gnosh is right, I feel pretty exposed here...they know where we are and there isn't much for cover."
LG male human [taldan] paladin of Shelyn 1 [AC 18/12/16; hp 1/10]
Give me a moment to get my bearings; Since I arrived in Camlin I've spent a lot of time listening to the stories told by guides and explorers coming off the ice. The paladin squints in the fading light, looking for any landmarks he might recognize from those tales. Maybe I can find one of their more secure stopover points.
This is, of course, if you deem there's any such shelter near by. And if there is, whether enough light remains for a human to find it. ;D
Despite trying to be helpful, Fubar was actualyl blocking the telltale landmark with his body while not seeing anything at all interesting. As luck would have it, Sioned's light spells brighten up the rocks enough for Andreas to find the ice adventurers mark, and has spoken to guards, and mostly the innkeeper, enough to know it means there is a somewhat sheltered cave about another hours journey straight along the pass.
I'm rather reluctant to take over DMing (though I don't have anything more pressing than an ambition to watch all of season 2 Star Trek right now), though I can if no one else wants to.
Gnosh grunts at the thought of another hour of trudging in the cold, but steps forward. "Come on, let's just get there, then. Gonna have to leave here, anyway."
I'd rather hold off on duties myself for a bit. In the middle of a job search, and a possible 2 week vacation at the beginning of August.
"I agree with you, Fubar," K says, seemingly subdued, as she moves to the front to lead the way. "I don't enjoy killing anything, and I'd rather not, if given the choice."
{ooc}A couple other random things - Gnosh please write up a bit of a background story, and I think Gnosh and Fubar you still both need logins for Obsidian Portal - please make them and get Heavens Agent/Andreas your login names so you can get added to our world...builder...thing...there at http://www.obsidianportal.com/campaigns/mastersforge . I will pass along notes from Heavens Agent and notes from myself to Fubar on Obsidian Portal, and you can take it where you want from there.. Oh, remember all that we can all still add content and such there - I haven't done much but Heavens Agent did a bunch there adding writeups for places and people.
Sorry for the background delay. I've been applying and interviewing for several jobs lately after several months of being out of work, and it's eating up some time. I should be able to have that up in a couple days.
{ooc}Cool, thanks. And I understand - until April I was out of work for just over a year. With a wife and 6 year old kid, it was...not so good. Glad to be back at work though, and best luck for you as well.
"So remind me...what is the plan when we catch up to the Tengu? They were recovering a religious artifact, and they committed crimes when doing so. Is our goal to recover the item...or arrest the Tengu...or wipe them out as a threat...or try and parlay some sort of agreement between them and Camlin...or wait and see?"
Sioned keeps her head down as she follows the leaders towards their night's shelter.
"I mean, they're certainly treating us as hostile invaders or something. Since we aren't taking the hint that we aren't welcome, I think we need to establish what we plan on doing by pressing on."
{ooc}I'll step up after Fubar is done in a month. I wanted to get a feel for how PbP works before I tried my hand at GMing
