Ember Patrol: Death by Desert

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Skid
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Ember Patrol: Death by Desert

Post by Skid »

Ember Patrol will be played in #Gowers, using the Subcypher Ruleset.

Recruits! Fresh faces of the Ember Patrol!

From the Capitol to the coast, every caravan, every oasis, and every one-legged beggar is under your protection.

I will not deceive you. This is a deadly commission. Marauders and beasts stalk the weak. Charlatans entrap the uncertain. The Widow herself devours any who misjudge her whims, and the night has no mercy.

Do not be bowed by the powerful! Outside city walls you answer to none but the Dawn Ember commanders, and we answer only to the Emperor.

Do not be tempted by wealth! Gold gained by dishonesty is a betrayal of your order and a curse.

Finally, do not fear the darkness! You are the inferno that defies the night and the embers that greet the dawn.

Dismissed!

The Widow's Sea

Region Map

This spreading desert has consumed more territory than all the Empire's enemies. Cities languish and die without water, but trade must carry on. Valuable minerals and magics flow through these lands. Sandstorms make the desert unpredictable and dangerous, burying oases and unearthing canyons overnight. Deep below the dunes an endless network of caverns and subterranean rivers provides shelter to untold horrors and treasure.

In the best of conditions, a caravan with camels can travel roughly 25 miles a day, making the journey from Balor's Conquest to Cairnport a two-week trek.

The Ember Patrol stronghold lies in Safe Wells; a village abandoned save for the ancient Dawn Fortress. Recruits are brought here to face the second-worst the desert has to offer. Its archive securely houses some of the most dangerous artifacts in the region, and the library contains maps leading to many more.

Current Assignments
Single-session drop-in players are welcome. I'll be around before and after most missions to discuss character creation/development.

We need a retrieval team. The Ember Patrol has located a dragon's egg, and much reach it under the ancient city of Rindtis before the Dragon Cult manages to get their claws in it. Tuesday, 6 PM PDT. (Seeking Any Number of Players, New Mission)

The Shop:

The currency of the empire is Commons, Nobles, and Royals, each worth 100 of the last. This is a list of some of the common or sought-after items you might want to purchase between or during missions. This shop is far from complete. If you want an item not listed or listed with a variable price, ask for specifics.

You can convert your XP into Nobles at a rate of 1 XP to 25 Nobles. This represents spending your time between missions earning extra cash rather than honing your skills.

You can also sell items for roughly half their value, but that can be improved with negotiation or haggling skill.

A Drink - 2c
A Meal - 5c

Rope (20ft) - 1n: Tough rope capable of supporting several hundred pounds of weight.
Caltrops (50) - 10n: Spread over a small area these spikes slow or harm anyone trying to cross.
Flashbang Grenade - 15n: Temporarily blinds and deafens anyone caught within its blast.
Smoke Bomb - 10n: Fills a small area with vision-blocking smoke.
Healing Salve - 12n: Heals 5 HP over 10 minutes.
Healing Serum - 30n: Heals 5 HP in 1 action, rumored to have side effects if used excessively.

Common Weapon - 20n to 50n: A weapon of common design and workmanship that deals regular damage.

Masterwork weapon - 2r to 10r: The finest workmanship grants this weapon additional damage potential, and possibly an additional minor effect.

Deepglow Steel Item - 20n to 5r: The properties of this metal make the item glow when exposed to magical energies, reflecting the type of magic being used. Often applied decoratively.

Blackwood Item - 50n to 50r: The magical wood integrated into this item allows it to react with a degree of intelligence to its surroundings. Usually paired with an enchantment for automatic activation of an effect.

Enchanted Item - 5r to infinity: A piece of refined aether has been folded into this item, granting it a reservoir of unnatural power and a magical effect. The most powerful of these draw jealous and dangerous attention.


Character Creation:

The desert is a harsh and unforgiving place and many of the dangers will not come from mortal foes. Warriors, rangers, navigators, trackers, medics, investigators, negotiators, and even archeologists will all have a part to play in enforcing the safety of The Widow’s Sea.

Every recruit will be supplied with standard Ember Patrol gear, on top of what they pack as their personal kit. This equipment includes: an Ember Patrol Badge(Deepglow steel detects magic), a large backpack, a signal mirror, a dark lantern, a firestarter, a coil of rope (30ft), climbing pitons, a head wrap (protection from sandstorms), a camouflage cloak (asset to stealth in desert terrain), a dagger (2 damage, light), rations, a large canteen (carries 1 day of water), and a bedroll.

In addition to the regular character creation options listed in the Subcypher Ruleset, you also start with 7 free XP that you can save or spend on anything except weapon skills.

Include in your bio a two-word summary of your character concept (fire mage, paranoid investigator, berserking warrior, etc), a physical description of your character, their hometown, the reason they joined the Ember Patrol, and at least one personal ambition they have.

This world is a fantasy kitchen sink verging on industrial revolution, with all sorts of oddities wandering the wastes. Take advantage of the custom upgrade rules if you want to spend your XP on becoming a werewolf, a wizard, or worse. Talk to me in #gowers and I’m sure we can work something out.

For inspiration on special abilities you might want to buy with XP, see this list:

Special Abilities

This list only contains examples of abilities. You are not limited to selecting from this list. Discuss any special ability purchases with me before picking them, as they may not be appropriate to your character background.

Might

Toxic Adaptation (6 XP) - Costs 3 might points. You concentrate for a moment and make a might defense vs. any negative chemical or poison effects that are harming you. If you succeed the effect immediately ends and you gain immunity to it for 24 hours. If you fail, you may not use this ability again until you make a recovery roll.

Sweeping Strike (6 XP) - Costs 2 might points. Requires a heavy weapon. You make separate attacks with a melee weapon against every enemy within its reach.

Brutal Impact (6 XP) - Costs 3 might points. On a successful melee attack you may make a strength check vs. your opponent’s level to knock them prone.

Defender of the Weak (6 XP) - Costs 4 might points. You designate a single ally within 10 feet as protected. Any time they are attacked for the next minute, you apply your complete armor rating to reduce the attack damage. This is in place of their own armor.

Breaker of Barriers (8 XP) - Costs 3 might points. You may ask the GM for a specific target number for breaking any wall, door, or other solid barricade. You gain 2 assets to smashing that obstacle through brute force.

Resilient (10 XP) - You have a remarkably tough constitution and gain 1 level of inherent armor rating that applies to all forms of damage, even those that would normally bypass armor.

Speed

Charge (4 XP) - Costs 2 Speed points. You move up to 25 feet to make a standard melee attack on an enemy in a single action.

Hot Pursuit (6 XP) - Costs 3 Speed points. Declare a single fleeing creature that you are in pursuit of. For the next minute, any time you make a movement check to close in on them, roll the dice twice and keep the result you prefer.

Flurry of Strikes (6 XP) - Costs 4 Speed points. You make an attack roll against an enemy, hitting an extra time for every level you exceed their target number by. You may not apply effort to damage for this attack.

Wind Up (8 XP) - Costs 4 Speed points. You reserve an action to be taken later, but within the next minute. You may use it any time, including out-of-turn. You may only hold a single action in reserve at a single time.

Improbable Parkour (10XP) - Costs 6 Speed points. You make a run check treating walls, cliffsides, and other obstructing but stable terrain as if it was flat ground.

Intelligence

Incendiary touch (4 XP) - Costs 1 Intellect point. You produce a small magical flame in your hand which lasts up to 10 minutes. It can be used to ignite fuel sources, provide light to a small radius, or add 1 fire damage to unarmed attacks.

Suppress Magic (6 XP) - Costs 2 Intellect points. For 10 minutes, any enchanted equipment you carry or magic inherent to your character is suppressed, and does not show up on deepglow steel or other magical sensory systems. Activating enchantments or spells cancels this effect.

Sphere Shield (6 XP) - Costs 2 Intellect points. Cast a protective bubble shield around yourself. Provides 1 bonus armor rating for 1 minute, and 1 additional level of armor for every level of intellect effort applied to activating the shield.

Pertinent Question (6 XP) - Costs 3 Intellect points. You cleverly ask an oblivious person a simple question and they answer it honestly and without thinking. They may become resentful as soon as they catch on to what you did, however. Intelligent creatures will immediately learn to resist future attempts to retrieve information in this way.

Detect Life (6 XP) - Costs 4 Intellect points. You reach out with your mind, picking up the rough location and size of all living creatures within 100 feet, regardless of obstructing terrain. May be thwarted by magical warding.

Battlefield Analysis (6 XP) - Costs 3 Intellect points. You pick a visible creature and learn its overall level and most obvious strength and weakness, if any.

Sleight of Mind (8 XP) - You may substitute intellect pool and edge for speed when applying effort to stealth checks.

Enemy of Technology (12 XP) - Costs 7 Intellect points. You make an intellect roll to indiscriminately disable all mechanical devices within 50 feet. Items that fail to resist suffer a temporary malfunction for 1 minute. Gears bind, springs stiffen, gunpowder doesn’t ignite, and grease sticks. Effort can be applied to extend this effect to 10 minutes or an hour.

Misc

Tumbler (4 XP) - Any time you are wearing no armor weight, are not grappled, and would normally be knocked prone, you may instead choose to move 10 feet to remain upright.

Empath (6 XP) - You are sensitive to the feelings of others and can immediately pick up on their general emotional state after the briefest of observations. However, you receive a small penalty to intimidation and mental defense rolls.

Lightning Recovery (8 XP) - 10 minute and 1 hour recovery rolls can each be taken in a single action.

Terrifying Assault (8 XP) - Every time a significant foe you have dealt damage to is defeated you gain an asset to intimidation, up to the cap of 3 assets. Assets remain for 10 minutes.

Edge of Death (12 XP) - Whenever one of your pools is reduced to zero by injury, you immediately take an extra action. This includes your last pool.

Character Template:

Name:
Skills:
Might Pool (0) Edge (0):
Speed Pool (0) Edge (0) :
Intellect Pool (0) Edge (0) :
Recovery Rolls (1d6+1): 1A ( ) 10M ( ) 1H ( ) 10H ( )
Effort Cap: 1
Experience: 0
Special Abilties:
Equipment:
Stash:
Bio:

Post your character in the Character Sheets thread, and remember to update your character sheet after each session. You don't want to lose track of your equipment and XP.

Active Players:

bookworm - Combat Mage
Tikvah - Acrobatic Scout
LIGHTNING - Animal Shapeshifter
Penguin - Athletic Axeman
Woody - Tank of the Wilds
Last edited by Skid on Sat Aug 01, 2015 7:41 pm, edited 21 times in total.
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Lark
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Post by Lark »

I would like to join. Lemme know if I need to change anything.

Name: Lucina
Skills: Specialized in Stealth, trained in healing, trained in diplomacy, and dodging.
Might Pool (8) Edge (0): 8
Speed Pool (12) Edge (1) :12
Intellect Pool (10) Edge (1) : 10
Recovery Rolls (1d6 1): 1A ( ) 10M ( ) 1H ( ) 10H ( )
Effort Cap: 1
Experience: 3
Special Abilities:
Equipment: First Aid kit, 6 smoke bombs, and a light bow, and 3 numbing potions, and Ember Patrol Gear.
Bio: She has no idea who her parents are, and where they might be. She joined the team at age twelve and has been doing it ever since.
Last edited by Lark on Sat Apr 11, 2015 12:12 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Skid
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Post by Skid »

Looks mostly good. Two changes: You should have 3 XP remaining rather than 4 XP, since you bought a skill for 4 XP. And It would be good if you added more detail to your bio. If you'd like I can help you flesh it out. Make those tweaks and you're golden.

Having a detailed background story gives me more places where I can say "your character would know these things" and give you extra knowledge about a situation or area. It also gives you contacts and relationships with NPCs that may be willing to help if you're old friends.

And having a detailed character gives you a chance at earning extra roleplaying XP when you play the character with a personality and motivations as you designed them.
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Lark
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Post by Lark »

Great! I couldn't remember how much it cost..... I'll work on the bio too, though it might not be up for a while.
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Blitz
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Post by Blitz »

I can't play. Way to late for me.
Last edited by Blitz on Fri Apr 10, 2015 1:28 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Online family
Christian's nephew
Sammy's Bro and moderator between Sammy and Woody and her partner in randomnes
Woody's younger brother and best friend And married to Joy and forgot about it Dolls third cousin
Yes, since my sweetheart lives in the clouds
I must float on them. - Limerick

Blitz....do not flirt when you have a gf already!!!! Gahhhhhh..these tweens need to learn proper gentlemanly behaviour!!!
Blitz: I am a teen
* Black_Ghost buries the two peeps...err chicks...err dude and a chick
'Here lies blitz the dude, and IT the chick.
* IrishTiger is not being buried beside Blitz.
Doll knows everything about her sweet baboo
BECAUSE SHE STALKS HIM
Woody
Check out my blog by order of the king.
http://blitzkrieglight.blogspot.com/
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Skid
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Post by Skid »

What time zone are you in?
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Blitz
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Post by Blitz »

GMT, we are like eight hours different.
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Online family
Christian's nephew
Sammy's Bro and moderator between Sammy and Woody and her partner in randomnes
Woody's younger brother and best friend And married to Joy and forgot about it Dolls third cousin
Yes, since my sweetheart lives in the clouds
I must float on them. - Limerick

Blitz....do not flirt when you have a gf already!!!! Gahhhhhh..these tweens need to learn proper gentlemanly behaviour!!!
Blitz: I am a teen
* Black_Ghost buries the two peeps...err chicks...err dude and a chick
'Here lies blitz the dude, and IT the chick.
* IrishTiger is not being buried beside Blitz.
Doll knows everything about her sweet baboo
BECAUSE SHE STALKS HIM
Woody
Check out my blog by order of the king.
http://blitzkrieglight.blogspot.com/
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bookworm
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Post by bookworm »

* This is the character as originally introduced - This sheet is updated to reflect development *


Name: Gareth Trevelyan
Skills: Specialized in Magical Knowledge, Trained in Perception, Trained in Dodging
Might Pool (10) Edge (0): 10
Speed Pool (5) Edge (0): 5
Intellect Pool (15) Edge (2): 15
Recovery Rolls (1d6+1): 1A ( ) 10M ( ) 1H ( ) 10H ( )
Effort Cap: 1
Experience: 1
Special Abilities: Plasma Bolt - Cost: 1 Int Point. Range: 100 ft. On a successful attack, deals 4 points of electrified damage to enemy. ; Force Push - Cost: 3 Int Points. Range: 25 ft. On a successful attack, throws an enemy or object up to twice your mass backwards 25 ft. Effort can be used to increase the knockback distance.
Equipment: sword (medium), journal, pipe, glowstone (Deepglow gem, channel magic into it every hour to cast dim light in a radius of about 10 ft), Ember Patrol gear
Bio: Gareth Trevelyan, a combat mage, is in his late twenties, slightly above average height, with dark hair and eyes. He discovered he had an affinity for magic at an early age and developed it all his life, eventually graduating from the grand university in Balor's Conquest. He prefers to engage in battle from a distance by casting spells, but has decent skill with a blade if close combat becomes necessary. Always eager to increase his knowledge of magic, and the world in general, he takes advantage of opportunities for study. He has great interest in lore and artifacts and joined the Ember Patrol in hopes to gain some of their knowledge of the lands and their treasures.
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Skid
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Post by Skid »

Okay, we're delaying tonight's session an hour so that bookworm can join. So 7 PM PDT. Looks like we've got three people on the attack team if bookworm, Sameria_ZX, and Tikvah all play.

Since we've only got a few people playing and they're all new, the attack group will have Commander Ursa as backup. But extra XP will be rewarded if you don't need to use him.

Ursa Profile:
Name: Commander "Ursa"
Skills: Specialized in Armor Wearing, Specialized in Intimidation, Trained in Hammers, Trained in Tactics, Trained in Animal Handling
Might Pool (24) Edge (2): 24
Speed Pool (8) Edge (0) : 8
Intellect Pool (12) Edge (1) : 12
Recovery Rolls (1d6+3): 1A ( ) 10M ( ) 1H ( ) 10H ( )
Effort Cap: 2
Experience: 0 (total XP value of character: ~50)
Special Abilities: Bear's Berserk - Costs 6 int points. When you are injured you can choose to enter a berserker rage that immediately adds 10 points to your might pool regardless of might cap, increases your might edge by 2, and increases your resistance to mental attacks by 2 levels. While in this state you can only attack, move to attack, or attempt break out of your rage (Level 3 int task). The berserk rage will expire after 1 minute.
Equipment: Orange Commander's cloak, "Lilly" hammer (Heavy, 8 damage, asset to intimidation), heavy leather armor (2 weight, 2 protection).
Bio: Ursa is a mountain of a man, towering head-and-shoulders over most humans. His wild orange hair is trapped under a metal cap and his nose has been broken an impossible number of times. He’s quick to laugh and quick to anger, and rages with supernatural strength. He's a native of Blacktree, which he describes a stifling, creepy little town. He joined the Ember Patrol to seek revenge after his older sister was killed trying to repel a bandit raid. Now he trains rookie Embers to survive their first missions. Under his protection the small graveyard beside Dawn Fortress will stay small.
Last edited by Skid on Sat Apr 11, 2015 6:08 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by Tikvah »

Name: Olwen Salismon
Skills: Trained in archery, dodging, acrobatics. Specialized in perception
Might Pool (7) Edge (0):
Speed Pool (15) Edge (3) :
Intellect Pool (8) Edge (0) :
Recovery Rolls (1d6 1): 1A ( ) 10M ( ) 1H ( ) 10H ( )
Effort Cap: 1
Experience: 1
Special abilities: Lesser Dark Vision - Costs 2 Int points. Concentrating allows you to see in complete darkness as if it were dim light for 10 minutes. Flexible Shooter - While not wearing armor, shot accuracy is not negatively altered by your footing or stance, unless it absolutely prohibits shooting. Note that you need two hands free to wield a bow.
Equipment:Bow (4d,m,100ft), cooking pot, Ember Patrol Gear.
Bio: Olwen, an acrobatic scout, is below average height and has dusty blonde hair. Due to a childhood encounter Olwen is certain that she is allergic to unicorns.
Originally from Blacktree, Olwen was gifted a bow as a child and practiced with it daily. At age 15 she joined a group of traveling performers as a trick shot and acrobat, in hopes of one day visiting Balor's Conquest. Three years later after a bandit attack north of Dragon's Maw the group broke apart and Olwen decided to join the Ember Patrol.

XP Log:
2 XP for boss battle
1 XP for Journal entry
2 XP for completed mission
1 XP for journal entry
1 XP from Bookworm
-6 XP for Speed edge upgrade
Last edited by Tikvah on Thu Apr 30, 2015 8:09 am, edited 3 times in total.
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Skid
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Post by Skid »

Well, the first session went swimmingly though play was a little slower than I expected, and I really need to toughen up the bad guys because that was incredibly lethal with just two players. So we're about halfway through the first mission, with the big boss attacked while he was asleep in his own bed. The Dawn Patrol has no honor.

Gareth and Olwen each earn 2 XP for their efforts and tactical use of the environment.

I'll write up a full summary of events before the next session for players dropping in. If anyone else wants to write their character's own journal entries, that would be welcome. And could be worth a bonus XP.
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Post by Lark »

Sorry I wasn't there. My father had banished me from the computer for the rest of the night. :(
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bookworm
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Post by bookworm »

Excerpt from the journal of Gareth Trevelyan
Dispatched on my first mission for the Ember Patrol. It was more intensive than I expected they would give a team of rookies; not scouting or escort, a full infiltration. Get into a slaver base and free the captives. They did send Commander Ursa with us at least to make sure we didn't get over our heads. Made introductions with the archer Olwen. I feel she has good character and good focus. I think we should work together well for however long we are assigned to be teamed.

If the original description of our task was not enough to be wary, our contact provided solemning news. These weren't just ordinary slavers, they had a mage with them. Seemed to specialize in mind control, rendering their victims completely docile. He also informed us of a positive development however. A secondary entrance allowed us access straight to the heart of the mine without needing to fight our way in, and better still it was said to be unguarded. I questioned whether this might be a trap, finding it too convenient, but he seemed confident so we set out in optimistic caution.

It turned out I was correct that things weren't to be as simple as expected. On approaching the vent we discovered with dismay that there was in fact a guard. We were able to make our way to him without being noticed, but the skirmish to subdue him took longer than expected and I feared someone had surely heard the commotion and informed those inside of our approach. I must give some consideration to studying an incapacitating spell to make future stealth tasks less difficult. This part of our mission would have been quite straightforward if we had been able to simply render the guard asleep or unconscious instead of having to engage in combat.

Finally able to descend the mineshaft we took care in proceeding in case the slavers were now aware and waiting for us. Olwen took lead as she was using heighten vision. I thought I could follow without difficulty but apparently underestimated the disorientation of the darkness and slipped on my way down. Or perhaps the ladder was flimsy. After regrouping Olwen jumped down to the passageway, but as I prepared to follow a figure appeared in the end blocking out what little light there was. I considered retrieving my glowstone to provide some aid, but decided against it because I didn't want whoever was down there to notice the light. In hindsight the risk of detection should probably have given way to the risk of injury as my dismount from the ladder was less than graceful and the noise from the stumble almost caused us to be found out anyway, but fortunately the figure took it to just be his comrade being clumsy and didn't investigate.

We carefully made our way down the passage and the pattern of the mission not going as planned did not fail to continue emerging. We came upon a sleeping quarters, and there in a bed was the mind controlling mage. At this point I became rather disgusted with how fate was choosing to unravel this evening. Our entrance to the mine was supposed to be uneventful, but there had been a guard where there was not supposed to be a guard, I was unable to descend a simple ladder, and now this. The mage was not supposed to be here, the reason we were sneaking in at night was so he would be out pillaging. After giving each other knowing looks of disappointment, at least I assume that's what we did, I can only speak for myself as the darkness obscured Olwen's face, we continued forward to the entrance of the room to determine our course of action.

We decided that our only option was to attack immediately, giving us two actions of advantage before the mage woke. I'm sure if an outside party witnessed this it would appear honorless, but my conscience is clear. We were led to believe this mage was a great formidable foe, and indeed he revealed himself to be, we cannot be faulted for seizing what little upper hand was available. A fierce battle ensued against the mage and a knight who came to his assistance. He was an impressive sight in his armor, but proved to be more a vision of power than a possessor of one and was rather easily fended off. The mage however was a challenge, using the objects in the room as cover.

It appeared we were in for a drawn out confrontation of trading blows, but the tide was turned by a chance event as if fate were attempting to atone for the difficulties it had made us suffer before. There came a point in the battle where the torch was thrown from the room into the corridor where I was, leaving our enemies in darkness. Not feeling the confidence to fire spells blindly and hope to connect, I kicked the torch back into the room. My intention was merely to reilluminate the battle, but it happened that the torch landed at the bed and ignited it in flames! This forced the mage out from cover where we could land better attacks. In a last show of power he managed to catch Olwen in a vicious spell, but after that we took him down.

When he saw the mage had been defeated the knight fled, being quite injured himself. Instead of pursuing immediately we rested a bit to recover from the battle while searching the room. The hardest part, according to our information, was over. Now we just had to deal with the remaining slavers and free the captives. But then, our information had not been the most reliable thus far. Could unknown challenges still await us further in the mine?
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Skid
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Post by Skid »

...or maybe I'll just make bookworm our official chronicler. That is indeed worth an XP.
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bookworm
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Post by bookworm »

That only gives my perception though, as GM there may be more details you want to mention. (I don't know if there are, I just mean you are the one who sees the whole picture unfold.)
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Post by Tikvah »

Journal entry from Olwen:
Combat mission, night 1:

I am on my first mission with the Ember Patrol. I and Gareth, a combat mage, were assigned the mission of destroying a nest of slavers near Bilge Mine. Commander Ursa was sent as backup. Before we began I learned that I share a hometown with this Commander. Strange that I never heard my parents speak of him. In the town we were given some information by one Ajax, a member of the patrol that appears to have been stationed there for some time. As it turned out, not all of his information was trustworthy. Arriving under cover of darkness, we discovered that the supposedly abandoned ventilation shaft we were told of was guarded. We took the guard unawares and he was regretfully killed. When we complete this mission I must spend time learning a combat form that is less lethal to my foes.
We descended the shaft (I using my enhanced vision) to a tunnel 40 feet below the surface, with some difficulty on Gareth's part. Though he is most useful in combat, he doesn't appear to be very physically agile. We were spotted, but apparently were assumed to merely be some foolery by the guard. Following down the passage, we came upon a bed chamber where the mage behind the kidnappings was asleep. Miscalculating his strength and assuming him to more powerful, I attacked him at once. He took cover behind his bed, earning him time while his re-enforcement arrive in the shape of a clumsy oaf in a suit of armor. This man tossed the torch into the passage, leaving them in darkness, but showing us clearly. I attempted to dodge past him into the dark, but Fortune played a cruel trick, and somehow he managed to block me. Gareth showed his talent at this point, skillfully kicked the torch not only back into the room, but onto the bed the mage was hiding behind. This forced him to leave cover. By now he was easily dealt with, though before he succumbed he used some sort of mental attack on me, leaving my mind practically drained. Gareth brought down the mage, while I focused my attacks on the thug, who retreated when he found his companion had fallen. Had I known the limits of this mage's power I would have confronted him in fair fight rather than killing him in his bed like a common assassin.
Choosing not to pursue the armored man, we instead spent ten minutes to rest and search the room, finding a small amount of money and a key, hopefully belonging to something useful in our quest. Gareth has proved a resourceful companion so far. I think we work together well, though we could use a heavy-hitter on our team. Now all that remains is to free the captives and subdue the remainder of slavers. This sounds easy enough, but considering the complications so far I can only hope we make it through the battle in one piece.
Last edited by Tikvah on Sun Apr 12, 2015 3:41 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by bookworm »

This is great; we get each character's impression of events, telling the same story but clearly with slightly different interpretations of some details, then we can post the transcript of what objectively occurred to fill in the blanks. :)

*cue transcript - which I won't actually have ready until tomorrow*
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Post by Skid »

Looks good, Tikvah. You earn a roleplaying XP.

Bookworm just discussed spending his accumulated 4 XP on buying a silencing spell, so that should open up some new options when dealing with stealthy situations in the future.

Some character development thoughts for non-lethal dealing with enemies:

1. Learn Illusions or Misdirection to make enemies look or go elsewhere while you sneak past.
2. Take some Intimidation skill to threaten enemies into fleeing or surrendering. Wounded or surprised enemies are especially vulnerable to this.
3. Or take Deception skill to lie about your intent and talk your way past.
4. Bribery is always a classic method for making someone look the other way. Take skills in Read Person and Diplomacy or Haggling to find out what an opponent wants and pull off under-the-table deals.
5. Poisons can be expensive and will need some Poison Knowledge to make sure they stay non-lethal, but can be applied through several methods.
6. Choke holds and take-downs can be done using various Grappling and Unarmed Striking arts, either strength or speed based. These will obviously not be silent if flubbed however, and a downed enemy may not stay down for long.
7. A blunt weapon could be used to batter an opponent into unconsciousness. Reliable on weak enemies, but requiring increasingly expensive levels of damage effort to 1-shot higher tier ones. (Level 2 thugs generally take 6 HP of damage, Level 5 brutes take 15.)
8. Magical attacks specifically designed to render an enemy unconscious or fully paralyzed are difficult to cast and require a lot of training (~10 XP, and still high int cost) Probably not worth it for the low-level enemies you'll be able to reliably cast it against. Lesser spells, creatively used, will still obviously have some utility. Certain pure-damage spells might be used to defeat an opponent non-lethally, but have the same difficulties as blunt weapons.
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bookworm
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Post by bookworm »

Slaver Infiltration, Session 1 of 2:
Continued by Part 2
We need an assault team. A gang of slave-takers have been hitting villages around Bildge Mine. Our scouts have located their base of operations in an abandoned mine to the west. Free the captives and deal with all hostiles.
19:07 <Skid_GMing>: Okay, let's go. For this mission your team gets two healing salves (heals 5 pool points each over 10 minutes), and directions to go to the Crystal Sword Tavern in Bildge Mine to meet your information contact.
19:07 <Skid_GMing>: Since this is the first mission for many of you, Commander Ursa will be joining you. He will step in if things go bad, but has promised your team an extra reward if you can complete the mission without his direct intervention.
19:08 <Skid_GMing>: After a long but fairly uneventful journey, your party reaches Bildge Mine as the sun descends in the west. It's a bustling hub of filthy industry and roughly 10,000 citizens. The smoke of metal refining rises in every direction, then descends to choke the streets. Far to the Northwest you see an iridescent tempest hovering over The Spire and rising into infinity. To the east, Bildge Lake collects sewage and toxic runoff.
19:09 <Skid_GMing>: You find The Crystal Sword. It's a lopsided-shack that seems to have absorbed several building around it. The result is a labyrinthine tavern, general store, and bunkhouse that appeals to the lowest standards.
19:09 <Skid_GMing>: The scruffy old bartender greets your group with a friendly nod. "Ya'll be looking for the Ember boy? He's in the corner booth. Shame about those slavers."
19:09 <Skid_GMing>: Okay, go. ->
19:11 <Skid_GMing>: Now you chan choose what to do next. Talk to people, go meet your contact, ask for more description of things, etc.
19:11 <Tikvah>: Are we supposed to talk in first person, third person, or what?
19:11 <bookworm>: I approach the booth.
19:11 <Skid_GMing>: You guys can use first person. You could also switch your names to your character names to make things easy.
19:12 Tikvah is now known as Olwen
19:12 <Olwen>: I follow Gareth.
19:12 <Skid_GMing>: All right. You go to the booth and find your contact. He's a wiry young man, without any signature gear except his badge, which lies on the table.
19:13 <Skid_GMing>: He grins as you approach, and rises to salute Commander Ursa.
19:13 bookworm is now known as Gareth
19:13 <Olwen>: I greet him.
19:14 <Skid_GMing>: Ajax: "Scout Ajax reporting. Not much of an assault team, but I hope you know what you're doing."
19:14 <Skid_GMing>: Ajax: "Have a seat and we can get down to the details."
19:16 <Olwen>: I sit down.
19:17 <Skid_GMing>: Ajax: "I think you know the basics. Slavers. Attack at night. But it gets a bit weird. Not a drop of blood in all the attacks. People just up and vanished most of the time."
19:18 <Skid_GMing>: Ajax: "Hadn't a clue how they were doing it until I caught the old hag that was tipping them off. She was selling people out for a handful of commons. Handed her over to the city guard and they got some good stuff out of her"
19:18 <Skid_GMing>: Ajax: " Turns out the scum have a spellcaster. He does some mumbo-jumbo, everyone passes out, and they waltz right in take what they want."
19:18 <Olwen>: "Do we know any witnesses?"
19:20 <Skid_GMing>: Ajax: "None with useful information. But squeezing the beggar got us what we need. They're holed up in an old mine a dozen miles west of here."
19:21 <Gareth>: "How many?"
19:21 <Skid_GMing>: Ajax: "I've been out to take a look. Counting all the traffic in and out there's at most a dozen of them down there at any time. Half that if some are off raiding. They've always got a sentry at the front entrance, and he's got a nasty dog."
19:22 <Olwen>: "Anything else we should know?"
19:23 <Skid_GMing>: Ajax: "There is!" And he pauses to look pleased with himself. "I talked to an old miner that knew the area. He told me there's a vent shaft that goes straight down into the heart of the mine."
19:24 <Skid_GMing>: Ajax: "I didn't see any guard near it either."
19:25 <Olwen>: "where does this shaft come out?"
19:26 <Skid_GMing>: Ajax: "Top of the cliff, about 200 paces back."
19:27 <Gareth>: "Are we sure we can trust this information?"
19:28 <Skid_GMing>: Ajax: "The old codger hasn't been to the mine in 40 years. But he didn't seem senile."
19:28 <Olwen>: "Where's the cliff?"
19:28 <Gareth>: "I meant that it wasn't a trap, more than wasn't accurate."
19:29 <Skid_GMing>: Ajax: "The cliff the mine entrance is at the base of. You'll see it when we get there, no missing it. I found a side trail that'll take you to the top with getting spotted."
19:30 <Skid_GMing>: Ajax: "Well, I'm pretty good at reading people, and the old man didn't look like the slave-taking type. But you've got the Commander with you. What could go wrong?"
19:31 <Olwen>: "When are we to leave?"
19:32 <Skid_GMing>: Ajax: "Well, we could hike out there now and get there around midnight. Might catch some of them out on a raid. Or you wait and go in the daytime, have a chance of watching them before you strike."
19:33 <Olwen>: "What do you think, Gareth?"
19:33 <Skid_GMing>: Ajax: "Not a lot to see during the day though, they're probably mostly asleep."
19:34 <Gareth>: "I'm eager to get this dealt with swiftly, but if there is a chance to gather further information before moving in a delay may be prudent..."
19:36 <Olwen>: "Indeed. It would perhaps be best to wait till daylight."
19:36 <Olwen>: "What if we were to arrive at sunrise? They may be active then."
19:37 <Skid_GMing>: Ajax: "Barkeep here will put you up for the night if you choose to stay. I've got to go, some of my favorite scoundrels get leaky this time of night when you put enough ale in them."
19:39 <Olwen>: "Thanks for your help."
19:39 <Gareth>: I nod to him.
19:39 <Skid_GMing>: Ajax conceals his badge in a pocket, and passes a hand over his face. His features instantly shift, becoming unrecognizable. He smiles through his other-man's face and disappears into the night with a wave.
19:40 <Skid_GMing>: All right. What time do you guys want to arrive at the mine?
19:41 <Olwen>: "I think we should leave now and catch them unawares."
19:42 <Gareth>: OOC: in the dark? Or were we waiting until morning?
19:43 <Skid_GMing>: Commander Ursa points out that if you attack while the spellcaster is away, you might have an easier time.
19:43 <Gareth>: Do we know when that is?
19:44 <Skid_GMing>: He's what the slavers use to take their prisoners without a fight.
19:44 <Olwen>: "Ajax said they most likely raid at night."
19:45 <Gareth>: Ah right. "I concur."
19:45 <Olwen>: "Do we need any additional supplies like food?"
19:45 <Skid_GMing>: It's a day trip. You'll be fine.
19:46 <Olwen>: "Shall we leave then?"
19:48 <Skid_GMing>: Okay, you set out towards the mine. Do you want to approach from the top of the cliff (vent shaft) or the bottom (front door)?
19:49 <Olwen>: I vote vent shaft.
19:49 <Gareth>: I have no strong preference, so sure
19:50 <Skid_GMing>: Okay. You travel along the top edge of the cliff until you approach the location of the mine. Roll perception checks.
19:51 <Olwen>: !roll d20 specialized perception.
19:51 <Dicebot>: Olwen, specialized perception.: 1
19:51 <Gareth>: !roll d20
19:51 <Dicebot>: Gareth: 12
19:52 <Gareth>: Oh, trained perception
19:52 <Skid_GMing>: GM intrustion! Olwen, you see a glimmer of lamplight where you would expect the shaft to be.
19:53 <Skid_GMing>: Gareth: There appears to be some sort of shelter over the shaft, the shadow of a seated man is cast against the fabric.
19:53 <Gareth>: OOC: was that a 1 ?
19:53 <Skid_GMing>: It was indeed.
19:53 <Gareth>: Nice, on our first ever roll!
19:54 <Skid_GMing>: It means it can only get better from here. =p
19:54 <Gareth>: Ha
19:55 <Skid_GMing>: You're currently about 200 meters away from him, and the night is dark. However, the distance between is wind-swept rock with very little cover.
19:56 <Skid_GMing>: He doesn't appear to have noticed you yet.
19:56 <Gareth>: "Guarded."
19:56 <Olwen>: "Can you do anything about it?"
19:56 <Olwen>: "knock him out or something?"
19:57 <Gareth>: "I'm sure we could take him, the question I'd if it would cause too much commotion."
19:58 <Olwen>: "Know any sleeping spells?"
19:58 <Gareth>: OOC: not on my sheet; do I Skid?
19:59 <Skid_GMing>: You just have what's on your sheet.
19:59 <Skid_GMing>: You know they exist, since your enemy spellcaster has them, but you can't use them currently.
19:59 <Olwen>: Can I use my Lesser Dark Vision now?
20:00 <Skid_GMing>: Yes. Spend two intellect points.
20:00 <Olwen>: OK.
20:00 <Skid_GMing>: And make a perception check.
20:00 <Gareth>: "If they learn we're here, we'll be sitting ducks descending the shaft. The advantage of this over the entrance was surprise wasn't it?"
20:01 <Olwen>: !roll d20 specialised perception, 2 Int on Lesser Dark Vision
20:01 <Dicebot>: Olwen, specialised perception, 2 Int on Lesser Dark Vision: 3
20:02 <Skid_GMing>: Well, that's 9 total... you don't see much more, but you realize that the man is looking at something in his lap, and only rarely looking up.
20:02 <Olwen>: "I think we can sneak up on him."
20:04 <Gareth>: "I suppose it's worth attempting. If they notice us there's not much difference if it's up here or at the door."
20:04 <Olwen>: I sneak towards the guard.
20:05 <Skid_GMing>: Roll a stealth check. I recommend effort.
20:05 <Olwen>: !roll d20 1 effort
20:05 <Dicebot>: Olwen, 1 effort: 19
20:07 <Skid_GMing>: Olwen: You streak across the open ground like a shadow until you are right behind the guard. There is only a thin layer of fabric between you with his shadow projected on it clearly. What now?
20:07 <Skid_GMing>: Your next few actions will be covered by that same stealth roll.
20:08 <Olwen>: Which pool does that effort come out of?
20:08 <Skid_GMing>: Speed.
20:08 <Olwen>: OK
20:09 <Skid_GMing>: Gareth: Do you move into range or follow her?
20:09 <Gareth>: I just move closer, not all the way up
20:10 <Skid_GMing>: Okay, roll a stealth check.
20:11 <Skid_GMing>: Easier, since you aren't getting as close.
20:11 <Olwen>: Can I choke him through the tent fabric?
20:12 <Gareth>: Oh if I need one for either I may as well just follow
20:12 <Skid_GMing>: Hmm. You think you might be able to tear the fabric and grab him, but it would be tricky.
20:13 <Gareth>: !roll d20
20:13 <Dicebot>: Gareth: 15
20:14 <Skid_GMing>: Gareth: You make it to Olwin's side safely.
20:14 <Skid_GMing>: Note: you both still have the drop on this guy, so anything you want to do to him will be two levels easier.
20:15 <Olwen>: Can I hold a knife to his throat?
20:16 <Skid_GMing>: You could hold it to the back of his neck easily, to get arm around is still a bit harder.
20:16 <Skid_GMing>: Both are speed actions.
20:16 <Gareth>: Are we not killing people?
20:16 <Olwen>: He might make noise.
20:16 <Skid_GMing>: Well, I can see being a bit squeamish about just killing a guy who doesn't see you.
20:17 <Skid_GMing>: In any case, he's going to look around in a few seconds, so decide fast.
20:17 <Gareth>: It's the silent option isn't it?
20:17 <Gareth>: Can we hit him unconscious with something?
20:17 <Skid_GMing>: You can try.
20:18 <Olwen>: What about a water canteen?
20:18 <Skid_GMing>: Worth a shot?
20:18 <Olwen>: You have more Might than I do.
20:18 <Gareth>: What kind of structure is this?
20:18 <Gareth>: Are there walls?
20:18 <Skid_GMing>: It's a flimsy little half-tent.
20:18 <Skid_GMing>: There's a wall on the side you are on.
20:19 <Skid_GMing>: The others are open.
20:19 <Gareth>: Oh nevermind then
20:19 <Gareth>: That wouldn't work :p
20:19 <Olwen>: We can knock him through the wall.
20:20 <Skid_GMing>: You could take actions together before he does anything, since you have initative.
20:20 <Olwen>: So, I could cut the wall open and Gareth can take care of the gaurd?
20:21 <Skid_GMing>: Worth a try.
20:21 <Gareth>: I was going to force push him into the wall. At this range I'm sure the velocity would knock him out
20:21 <Gareth>: Would probably make noise though :p
20:21 <Olwen>: I use my dagger to cut through the wall.
20:21 <Skid_GMing>: It's not a /real/ wall. You could force push him /through/ the wall.
20:22 <Skid_GMing>: Okay, don't even roll for that. There's now a gaping hole in the tent. THe guard starts to turn around.
20:22 <Skid_GMing>: You can see that he's holding a lump of something in one hand and a dagger in the other.
20:27 <Gareth>: What's behind him? If I push does he hit something or just tumble out of here?
20:27 <Skid_GMing>: He's in a flimsy tent with four open sides, you can't see what's directly in front of him though.
20:28 <Olwen>: We're behind him.
20:28 <Skid_GMing>: If you want to throw him, he will probably go far.
20:30 <Skid_GMing>: Also, for combat strength reference, the average thug is level 3. Your abilties put you roughly at level 4.
20:31 <Gareth>: I use plasma bolt
20:31 <Skid_GMing>: Okay. Just straight up zap him? Any efforts?
20:32 <Skid_GMing>: Roll your attack.
20:32 <Gareth>: Not this move
20:32 <Gareth>: !roll d20
20:32 <Dicebot>: Gareth: 14
20:33 <Skid_GMing>: You hit. He is shocked for 4 damage. He lets out a sort of strangled-half scream.
20:33 <Gareth>: Oops
20:33 <Olwen>: Is he dead?
20:33 <Skid_GMing>: He is not.
20:34 <Gareth>: Doesn't matter they heard
20:34 <Skid_GMing>: Turn order is Olwen, Gareth, Guard.
20:34 <Olwen>: I shoot him.
20:34 <Skid_GMing>: The guard slices at Olwen.
20:34 <Skid_GMing>: You need to dodge first.
20:35 <Olwen>: !roll d20 trained dodging
20:35 <Dicebot>: Olwen, trained dodging: 8
20:35 <Skid_GMing>: You step back and he misses. Now shoot.
20:35 <Skid_GMing>: Oh. Gareth, roll a perception check.
20:36 <Gareth>: For?
20:36 <Olwen>: !roll d20 specialized archery, special skill flexible Shooter.
20:36 <Dicebot>: Olwen, specialized archery, special skill flexible Shooter.: 20
20:36 <Skid_GMing>: Oh.
20:36 <Olwen>: Ooop, trained in archery.
20:36 <Olwen>: Sorry.
20:37 <Skid_GMing>: Well, he dies. Very dead. Cinematic action?
20:37 <Gareth>: !roll d20 trained perception
20:37 <Dicebot>: Gareth, trained perception: 20
20:37 <Gareth>: Lol
20:38 <Skid_GMing>: Okay, his body is lying right next to the open vent, which has a rickety rope ladder descending into it. Tiny whisps of vile smoke and heat are floatling out of it.
20:38 <Olwen>: What was he holding?
20:39 <Skid_GMing>: It's a tiny carving of a reptile, half finished.
20:39 <Gareth>: Loot the body; I know that much :p
20:39 <Skid_GMing>: Well, he has a regular dagger, skimpy leather armor, and... 7 copper commons.
20:40 <Skid_GMing>: Also some lame tribal tattoos.
20:40 <Gareth>: That's money?
20:40 <Skid_GMing>: Yes.
20:40 <Gareth>: I take that
20:41 <Skid_GMing>: A common will buy you a drink or a piece of bread. Your pay for a mission is usually 50 commons.
20:41 <Gareth>: Never hurts to have extra ;)
20:41 <Skid_GMing>: All right. Any interest in the shaft?
20:41 <Olwen>: Should we go down?
20:42 <Olwen>: Would it help if we put on our camaflouge cloaks?
20:42 <Gareth>: I suppose, that's why we came up here. Though they probably heard the fight
20:42 <Skid_GMing>: I'm assuming you're wearing them.
20:42 <Olwen>: Good.
20:42 <Skid_GMing>: If you're looking down the shaft make perception checks.
20:43 <Olwen>: I look down the shaft.
20:43 <Olwen>: !roll d20 Specialized perception
20:43 <Dicebot>: Olwen, Specialized perception: 20
20:43 <Gareth>: I listen at the shaft to hear if there's someone waiting below
20:45 <Skid_GMing>: Aaand your night vision is still active. So about 40 feet below you see a tunnel branching to the west. About 50 feet down, you see the glimmer of firelight and hear the gentle clatter of cutlery. Beyond that is darkness.
20:46 <Olwen>: How about we follow the tunnel to the West?
20:46 <Gareth>: I'll follow whatever you do since you can see
20:47 <Skid_GMing>: Okay, climbing checks to descend.
20:47 <Skid_GMing>: Who is going first?
20:47 <Olwen>: !roll d20
20:47 <Dicebot>: Olwen: 18
20:47 <Gareth>: She is
20:47 <Olwen>: I am.
20:47 <Olwen>: I can see.
20:47 <Gareth>: !roll d20
20:47 <Dicebot>: Gareth: 6
20:48 <Skid_GMing>: You're good. Olwen, you silently descend the ladder to the upper level... Until Gareth slips and clatters down a few steps, ending up with his feet in your face.
20:49 <Gareth>: "It's dark."
20:49 <Skid_GMing>: You're easy jumping distance from the western tunnel.
20:50 <Olwen>: I jump to the tunnel.
20:50 <Gareth>: I follow
20:50 <Olwen>: Roll?
20:50 <Skid_GMing>: Okay. You make it. Gareth, you're still on the ladder. The shaft below suddenly gets darker as something enters it below.
20:51 <Gareth>: Now I jump down?
20:51 <Skid_GMing>: Unknown, male: "Dueth, you idiot. What are you doing?"
20:52 <Skid_GMing>: If that's what you want.
20:52 <Skid_GMing>: You can't see, so make a check for it.
20:52 <Gareth>: Oh boy
20:53 <Gareth>: !roll d20
20:53 <Dicebot>: Gareth: 9
20:53 <Skid_GMing>: You jump and catch the side of the ledge, scrabbling for a hold.
20:53 <Gareth>: I glare in what I believe to be Olwen's direction
20:54 <Olwen>: I help Gareth up.
20:54 <Skid_GMing>: Unknown, male: "Man, I am not scraping your brains off the floor, you hear?"
20:55 <Skid_GMing>: Okay, You're now in the corridor. It goes west about 15 feet before turning suddenly to the left. The walls are rough-hewn and braced with timbers.
20:56 <Skid_GMing>: ...you could strike a light.
20:56 <Skid_GMing>: You have a lantern. And a glowstone.
20:56 <Olwen>: Can I still see?
20:56 <Skid_GMing>: Yes.
20:56 <Gareth>: I think we should hold off on light as long as we can, because they would see it right?
20:57 <Olwen>: I follow the corridor.
20:57 <Gareth>: Or I would have used my stone to get off the ladder :p
20:58 <Olwen>: :D
20:58 <Skid_GMing>: Okay. After the turn it continues on arrow-straight for a couple hundred feet. About 30 paces in front of you is a larger, torch-lit room with beds and various personal items scattered around.
20:59 <Gareth>: I carefully follow Olwen
20:59 <Skid_GMing>: Roll perception checks.
20:59 <Olwen>: !roll d20 Specialized perception
20:59 <Dicebot>: Olwen, Specialized perception: 16
21:00 <Gareth>: !roll d20 trained perception
21:00 <Dicebot>: Gareth, trained perception: 18
21:00 <Skid_GMing>: And Gareth, roll a magic knowledge check.
21:01 <Gareth>: !roll d20 specialized magic knowledge
21:01 <Dicebot>: Gareth, specialized magic knowledge: 6
21:02 <Skid_GMing>: Okay, there is someone under the covers in one of the finer beds. At the foot of there bed is a dark robe. Your badges tint with purple magical energy.
21:02 <Skid_GMing>: Gareth, this figure is a mage that deals in mental attacks.
21:03 <Gareth>: So I gathered
21:03 <Gareth>: I whisper "I thought he was supposed to be gone!"
21:03 <Olwen>: Looks like we found the sleeping spell person.
21:03 <Olwen>: "I thought so as well."
21:03 <Skid_GMing>: Also, he has an active detection ward set up in the corridor beyond the room.
21:04 <Olwen>: Have we passed it yet?
21:04 <Skid_GMing>: No. You have to pass him first.
21:04 <Skid_GMing>: Well, that you've seen.
21:04 <Olwen>: "Should we go back, or forwards?"
21:06 <Gareth>: OOC: How tough is he?
21:07 <Olwen>: Can I shoot him?
21:07 <Skid_GMing>: You're many paces away and his magic is overwriting your own magic's signature on your badge.
21:07 <Skid_GMing>: You can shoot him.
21:07 <Olwen>: "Should I try and shoot him?"
21:07 <Gareth>: I make this face: >_>
21:08 <Skid_GMing>: Footsteps sound far, far down the hallway. They echo a lot, like metal on stone.
21:09 <Skid_GMing>: And they get closer.
21:09 <Olwen>: Do I have time to get closer before the echoing steps arrive?
21:10 <Gareth>: "Do you think we can climb back quickly and regroup? Or do we need to power through this?"
21:10 <Skid_GMing>: Yes, but that means going into the torchlight.
21:10 <Olwen>: "We don't have time."
21:10 <Skid_GMing>: You're within easy bow shot already.
21:10 <Olwen>: I sneak up closer to the sleeping mage.
21:10 <Olwen>: Nevermind.
21:10 <Olwen>: I shoot him.
21:10 <Skid_GMing>: Okay. Roll.
21:11 <Gareth>: I also shoot him because if we're attacking we need to go together while he doesn't know we're here
21:11 <Olwen>: !roll d20 trained archery, special skill flexible shooting, 1 effort.
21:11 <Dicebot>: Olwen, trained archery, special skill flexible shooting, 1 effort.: 13
21:12 <Skid_GMing>: Okay Turn order: Olwen, Gareth, mage, footsteps.
21:12 <Skid_GMing>: You stick an arrow into the lump beneath the sheets. It convulses and begins to rise.
21:12 <Gareth>: !roll d20
21:12 <Dicebot>: Gareth: 7
21:13 <Gareth>: Oh plasma
21:13 <Skid_GMing>: Well, you just miss him.
21:13 <Gareth>: Heh
21:14 <Skid_GMing>: He turns around with the bedspread pinned to him, and cringes as it pulls on the arrow.
21:15 <Skid_GMing>: The footsteps shout "Hey! Hey! What's going on?"
21:15 <Skid_GMing>: And continue approaching.
21:16 <Skid_GMing>: Olwen?
21:16 <Olwen>: I shoot the mage again.
21:16 <Skid_GMing>: Okay. Roll.
21:16 <Olwen>: !roll d20 trained archery, SS Flaxible shooter, Effort 1
21:16 <Dicebot>: Olwen, trained archery, SS Flaxible shooter, Effort 1: 12
21:17 <Skid_GMing>: That is a hit. You stick another arrow through his arm.
21:17 <Skid_GMing>: Wait, what was the effort for, damage or accuracy?
21:17 <Olwen>: damage.
21:18 <Skid_GMing>: Well, it's still a hit.
21:18 <Skid_GMing>: But just barely.
21:18 <Skid_GMing>: You think you hear bone crack.
21:18 <Skid_GMing>: Gareth?
21:20 <Gareth>: Plasma bolt
21:20 <Skid_GMing>: Roll.
21:21 <Gareth>: !roll d20
21:21 <Dicebot>: Gareth: 9
21:21 <Skid_GMing>: You miss.
21:21 <Gareth>: I know
21:21 <Gareth>: :x
21:22 <Skid_GMing>: The mage tries to find you in the darkness, then throws himself down behind the cover of the bed.
21:23 <Skid_GMing>: The footsteps enter the light. It's a man in metal armor, holding a great sword. He looks at the mage and then runs over to the torch.
21:23 <Skid_GMing>: Olwen
21:24 <Olwen>: Can I move to where I can see the mage and still shoot?
21:25 <Skid_GMing>: You would move forwards into the room, and that would put you in the light, and take your whole turn.
21:25 <Skid_GMing>: And it would still be a hard shot.
21:25 <Olwen>: OK.
21:26 <Olwen>: Is there any chance of damaging the armor-man from here?
21:26 <Skid_GMing>: You can take a shot at it.
21:26 <Skid_GMing>: Won't know until you try.
21:26 <Olwen>: I shoot at the Armor-covered man
21:26 <Skid_GMing>: Roll for it.
21:27 <Olwen>: !roll d20 Effort 1, Trained archery, SS flexible shooter.
21:27 <Dicebot>: Olwen, Effort 1, Trained archery, SS flexible shooter.: 13
21:27 <Skid_GMing>: What's the effort for?
21:27 <Olwen>: accuracy.
21:28 <Skid_GMing>: Higher damage is used to penetrate armor.
21:28 <Olwen>: soooo...
21:28 <Skid_GMing>: But you hit. The arrow barely pierces his armor.
21:28 <Olwen>: :(
21:29 <Skid_GMing>: Gareth.
21:29 <Gareth>: Plasma bolt at the new enemy
21:29 <Gareth>: !roll d20 1 effort damage
21:29 <Dicebot>: Gareth, 1 effort damage: 5
21:29 <Gareth>: Dice are stupid
21:29 <Skid_GMing>: The dice don't like you tonight, do they.
21:29 <Gareth>: I waste a point
21:29 <Skid_GMing>: The Mage does something behind the bed that you can't make out clearly.
21:30 <Skid_GMing>: The knight grabs the the torch and throws it down the hallway, illuminating your position and casting the room into darkness.
21:30 <Skid_GMing>: Olwen.
21:31 <Olwen>: I run forward into the room.
21:31 <Skid_GMing>: Okay. Where do you want to be. Next to the knight, or beyond him?
21:31 <Gareth>: We're illuminated and in darkness?
21:32 <Olwen>: beyond.
21:32 <Olwen>: He'll be backlit.
21:32 <Skid_GMing>: No, you're in the hallway, that is now lit up. The knight and mage are in the room. It is now dark.
21:32 <Skid_GMing>: Olwen can see the knight dimly with her night vision.
21:32 <Gareth>: Oh I thought we were in the room too, k
21:33 <Skid_GMing>: Roll a movement check.
21:33 <Olwen>: !roll d20
21:33 <Dicebot>: Olwen: 4
21:33 <Olwen>: :(
21:33 <Skid_GMing>: Welp, you dash forwards but the knight moves into your path.
21:33 <Olwen>: seriously?
21:33 <Skid_GMing>: Yeah, he didn't need to go far.
21:34 <Gareth>: This might be why I've never done one of these before
21:34 <Skid_GMing>: Gareth: your go.
21:34 <Olwen>: Your move.
21:35 <Skid_GMing>: You can afford to take a hit or two.
21:35 <Gareth>: I don't think I can attack anything in the dark so I kick the torch back into the room?
21:35 <Skid_GMing>: Sure. Rolll a speed check.
21:35 <Gareth>: That'll be fun
21:35 <Gareth>: !roll d20
21:35 <Dicebot>: Gareth: 18
21:36 <Olwen>: :D
21:36 <Gareth>: I'm awesome at kicking
21:36 <Skid_GMing>: You flick the torch back into the room. It lands on a bed, which catches on fire.
21:36 <Gareth>: Nothing else though
21:36 <Gareth>: I should just kick the enemies
21:37 <Skid_GMing>: The mage pops out from behind the bed. He's disentangled himself from the bedsheet and is now clad only in white loincloth. His arm hangs at an unnatural angle. His purple gaze turs towards Olwen. Make an intellect defense roll.
21:38 <Olwen>: !roll d20
21:38 <Dicebot>: Olwen: 12
21:38 <Olwen>: :(
21:38 <Skid_GMing>: Ouch. Your mental reistance is drained away. Take 5 int damage.
21:39 <Gareth>: Holy cow
21:39 <Olwen>: O_O
21:39 <Gareth>: We're dead - I blame Sam
21:39 <Olwen>: 00C: I'll have to go soon.
21:39 <Gareth>: This is clearly not a two person fight
21:39 <Skid_GMing>: You have healing items and recovery rolls.
21:40 <Skid_GMing>: The knight takes a swing at olwen, but seems awkward in his heavy armor.
21:40 <Olwen>: I shoot the knight.
21:40 <Skid_GMing>: You need to roll to dodge his attack ,even if it is a terrible one.
21:41 <Olwen>: !roll d20
21:41 <Dicebot>: Olwen: 11
21:41 <Skid_GMing>: You make it. He's terrible.
21:41 <Skid_GMing>: Okay, now do your shooting.
21:41 <Skid_GMing>: OOC: to speed things along, the mage needs one more hit to go down.
21:41 <Olwen>: !roll d20 trained archery, effort 1
21:41 <Dicebot>: Olwen, trained archery, effort 1: 6
21:41 <Olwen>: D:
21:42 <Olwen>: effort to damage
21:42 <Gareth>: Lol
21:42 <Skid_GMing>: that actually still hits mr. wears-more-armor-than-has-skill. That arrow goes deep.
21:42 <Olwen>: :D
21:42 <Skid_GMing>: Gareth?
21:43 <Skid_GMing>: Score a lucky crit on the mage and we all go home.
21:43 <Gareth>: Plasma bolt
21:43 <Skid_GMing>: Roll.
21:44 <Gareth>: !roll d20 1 effort accuracy
21:44 <Dicebot>: Gareth, 1 effort accuracy: 13
21:44 <Skid_GMing>: Shooting the mage?
21:44 <Gareth>: I thought the other was dead
21:44 <Gareth>: But yes either way
21:44 <Skid_GMing>: He convulses and collapses.
21:45 <Gareth>: Loot da body!
21:45 <Skid_GMing>: The knight looks over his shoulder at the the mage's death, and starts to retreat.
21:45 <Skid_GMing>: He backs out of the light, down the hall.
21:45 <Skid_GMing>: He's practically, naked. Man.
21:45 <Skid_GMing>: But in his robe you find an iron key.
21:46 <Gareth>: I meant the room
21:46 <Skid_GMing>: And a golden coin embossed with a coiling dragon.
21:46 <Gareth>: I look for cool magic stuff
21:46 <Olwen>: I take a recovery roll.
21:47 <Skid_GMing>: okay.
21:47 <Olwen>: !roll d6+1
21:47 <Dicebot>: Olwen: 2:1+1
21:47 <Olwen>: :(
21:47 <Gareth>: Ahahaha! Can't even heal
21:47 <Olwen>: So I get 2 points?
21:48 <Skid_GMing>: Okay, you guys take ten minute breaks while you search the room.
21:48 <Skid_GMing>: Yes.
21:48 <Gareth>: Can I apply my recovery to her? I don't need it
21:48 <Skid_GMing>: Not without specific healing magic.
21:48 <Gareth>: Didn't think so but worth checking
21:48 <Skid_GMing>: You both have healing items that'll fix 8 HP each though.
21:48 <Gareth>: !roll d6+1
21:48 <Dicebot>: Gareth: 3:2+1
21:49 <Gareth>: Int back to full
21:49 <Skid_GMing>: You find 13 silver nobles each by gonig through pockets.
21:49 <Olwen>: Who gets it?
21:49 <Gareth>: Each
21:49 <Skid_GMing>: There were 26.
21:49 <Olwen>: :)
21:50 <Skid_GMing>: Unless you want to fight over them.
21:50 <Olwen>: nah.
21:50 <Gareth>: Don't speak for me
21:50 <Gareth>: jk
21:50 <Skid_GMing>: And I guess we call it a night there? The boss is dead because you used dirty tactics. You stil need to go downstairs and deal with some goons and free the slaves.
21:51 <Olwen>: Well, if we hadn't we'd be dead.
21:51 <Skid_GMing>: Heh, it would have been a fair fight. You barely took scratches.
21:52 <Skid_GMing>: In the first dungeon I went through as a player, we got a monster that did 10 damage thrown at us.
21:52 <Gareth>: What's your health like Olwen? Do you need to use an item before next time?
21:53 <Olwen>: I only have 3 intellect, other than that I'm fine.
21:53 <Olwen>: I have to go. :(
21:53 <Gareth>: @Skid: Well if this guy did 5 a hit isn't that dead in three? I only have 15
21:54 <Skid_GMing>: Not, it's just injured. You make a recovery roll and you come back.
21:54 <Gareth>: Ooooh
21:55 <Gareth>: Gamechanger :p
21:55 Olwen quit
21:55 <Skid_GMing>: And if you stay at 0 int, every task is one level harder.
21:55 <Gareth>: Well thanks Skid this was enjoyable :)
21:56 <Skid_GMing>: You're welcome.
21:56 <Gareth>: Not sure if 'fun' yet ; stupid dice ;)
21:56 <Skid_GMing>: I see I need to throw some worse monsters at you guys.
21:56 <Gareth>: In time
21:57 <Skid_GMing>: Oh, and you each get 2 XP for boss slaying.
21:57 <Gareth>: Ah ^.^
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Pengwin
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Penguin-tastic
Posts: 1593
Joined: December 2012
Location: The Great Country of Texas

Post by Pengwin »

Name: Deimos Rendin
Skills: Specialized in deception, trained in axes, brawling, and armor-wearing
Might Pool (15) Edge (1): 
Speed Pool (10) Edge (1) :  
Intellect Pool (5) Edge (0) :
Recovery Rolls (1d6 1): 1A ( ) 10M ( ) 1H ( ) 10H ( )
Effort Cap: 1
Experience: 2
Special Abilities: High Flying Leap - Allows a powerful jump with height 5 feet greater than normal and distance 10 feet greater.
Equipment: Heavy axe, claw gloves (medium, damage 4), lightweight armor, Ember Patrol Gear, and 20 silver nobles.
Bio: Diemos is 18 years old and is an intense fighter. He grew up in Apex. His father was a woodcutter which is how he became skilled with axes. His high flying leap ability is a result of his shapeshifter heritage. He left home at 14 years old to seek adventure. After struggling on his own for awhile, a group of thieves offered to take him in if he helped them with their mischief. Years later he learned that his mother died. He visited his father and overcome with guilt have up his lifestyle. He decided to join the Ember Patrol to redeem himself. He wishes to make his father proud.

Purchases:
Armor-Wearing: 4XP
High Flying Leap: 3XP
Last edited by Pengwin on Sun Apr 19, 2015 8:46 am, edited 2 times in total.
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