Ember Patrol: Death by Desert

Subcypher Chatroom RPG

The place where role players come to play! If you want to start an interactive war, chat with real citizens of the town, or find other uses for your faction, this field can accommodate those desires. As with anything else, please try to keep your role playing appropriate... but you're still welcome to have a little fun!
User avatar
bookworm
ToO Historian
ToO Historian
Posts: 16248
Joined: July 2006
Contact:

Post by bookworm »

LIGHTNING wrote:@bookworm's friends
(Is he always the stickler? The Debate Thread's name, my poll, the XP you gave... I guess we need one stickler in the works, we love him secretly I am sure, but what made him this way? ;) )
Somewhat off topic in this thread, but I must respond to defend my character:

I had no stake in the debate thread - Woody was the one that made it an 'issue'! I was simply supplying clarifying information.
Your poll was against the rules, so yes I informed you as any good member would (and at least one other did).
I was not complaining about giving you the XP, as I clearly stated in the post, I was just stating the fact that having more allies in on a battle increases the probability the party will survive, so you leaving the battle against a creature we were uncertain of the strength of could have backfired. Fortunately it didn’t, but it’s generally better safe than sorry. The only reason I brought it up was because of the particular way he described why he was selecting you, as if your being the first arrival was due to a significant ability you displayed, when in fact it was simply because you ran ahead instead of helping us fight. Anyone else could have just as easily been the first person there had we done the same, we just didn’t because we wanted to be sure everyone survived!

But yes, this is the way I am. ;)
Image
User avatar
Tikvah
Catspaw Rocks!
Posts: 801
Joined: December 2012
Location: The balmy frozen north.

Post by Tikvah »

For all it's worth, I agree with Bookworm on the battle strategy.
User avatar
bookworm
ToO Historian
ToO Historian
Posts: 16248
Joined: July 2006
Contact:

Post by bookworm »

Tikvah wrote:For all it's worth, I agree with Bookworm on the battle strategy.
Heh, ‘strategy’ :P It doesn’t take Sun Tzu to determine that the more you outnumber an enemy the better your chances of winning probably are. ;)
Image
User avatar
Tikvah
Catspaw Rocks!
Posts: 801
Joined: December 2012
Location: The balmy frozen north.

Post by Tikvah »

It is still a strategy, though a very basic one.
User avatar
LIGHTNING
Pilgrim
Posts: 255
Joined: February 2015
Location: NC > KY > NV

Post by LIGHTNING »

Name: Ezra Hunter

Skills: Trained in Detecting Deception, Trained in Stealth, Trained in Dodging Skills, Trained in Poison Knowledge, Trained in Blowpipe.

Might Pool (6) Edge (0): 6

Speed Pool (12) Edge (1): 12

Intellect Pool (12) Edge (1): 12

Recovery Rolls: (1d6+1): 1A [ ] 10M [ ] 1H [ ] 10H [ ]

Effort Cap: 1

Experience: 5

Money: Copper Commons: 0 Silver Nobles: 25 Gold Royals: 0

Special Abilities: Lesser Shapeshift (Wolf) - Costs 4 intellect points. Activating this ability transforms you into a wolf, or back to a human. Takes one action to complete. When you transform, all equipment falls to the ground. Your wolf form gains 8 Might points (lost on reversion to human) and attacks with its jaws as a medium weapon. Your nose is an asset to smelling-related tasks.

Equipment: [PERSONAL KIT] Blowpipe, unlimited L1 poisoned darts, long throwing dagger, 1 smoke bombs, 4 acid grenades, small pouch of flare powder, 1 5HP healing serums, flameproof/water proof side pouch, light gloves, running shoes, dark brown shirt and pants, leather belt, undergarments, small knife and second blowpipe hidden under my left pant leg. [EMBER PATROL KIT] Ember Patrol Badge (Deepglow steel detects magic), large backpack, signal mirror, dark lantern, fire starter, coil of rope (30ft), climbing pitons, head wrap (protection from sandstorms), camouflage cloak (asset to stealth in desert terrain), dagger (2 damage, light), rations, large canteen (carries 1 day of water), bedroll.

Bio: A bartender stands in the shadows, quietly awaiting someone to request a drink or directions. I walk over to the counter and bacon to him. "How can I help you stranger?" he asks. "I am wondering if you know anything about a man by the name of Ezra Hunter. He is a Rogue Shapeshifter." He studies me closely. "Why would you be wanting to know anything about him?" I show him my Ember Patrol Badge. "I just want to know what you know, I have been told you met him once. He is wanting to join us, but we want to know a bit about him first." The bartender sighs and sits down. "Well, that one, he had quite a lot on him mind when he came in here, oh, about half a year ago it was I think. Sat himself down right over there with a look that said the desert herself has spat at him. I went over to ask him if there was much amiss, and he was quite a sight. Looked like he had been on the road for weeks. He looked like he needed someone to talk to, so I-" "Hold up." I interject. "Are you sure you are thinking of the right Ezra? This sounds nothing like him." The bartender frowns. "Ezra Hunter... Somewhere in his early 20s, he stands an almost awkward 6' 7", and with only 168 lb. to spread for it. Dark hair worn in a simple style, slightly tanned skin, and emerald green eyes give him a level of attractiveness to counter a less that muscular looking build. He has a nice smile, if you ever see it." I nod. "Yes, that is him I would say. Continue." "Well, he does not know who his parents are, or even if he has any. He holds a man by the name of David Hunter in the rank of older brother, although adopted father would fit better. He has not seen David in years though, and wonders often as to his fate. He knows he once lived in a cabin located in a woody and mountainous area, however he is unsure as to its exact location. He had lived there with David until age 12, at which point David did not return from a standard expedition for supplies. After searching for almost two months, Ezra decided to tend the cabin himself with hopes of seeing David stumble in someday with tails of adventure. David never did return however, and Ezra never found any sign of him in the years to follow. Ezra first learned of his ability at 14 when returning from a hunting trip. As he was walking home, a small pack of wolfs ambushed him. Having not enough ammunition for the packs numbers, Ezra began to run. For unknown reasons, Ezra found himself easily outrunning the beasts, and after a short time, found himself safe in the cabin. Exhausted from an adrenaline crash, Ezra collapsed onto the floor, however in doing so he noticed that he was on all fours already. Looking down he was shocked to discover that he was in fact a wolf himself. This startling discovery jolted him to a mental standing position, thus causing him to shift back. Although he originally passed it off as a dream the next day, in time he learned that his ability was indeed real, and since has mastered it. At age 19, or as best as he could tell, (for Ezra's birthday had been based upon the date that David had found him), Ezra decided to leave the cabin and explore. He had little reason other than that after seven years on his own, he had grown tired of the solidarity. Ezra met a small group just a few dozen miles away from his old home, but events of a tragic level caused him to run down this way in search of something or someone. Now when he arrived here, he-" I motion for him to stop. "Tragic events you said, what events?" He shakes his head. "You will have to ask him that, he did not tell me, or not in so many words at to convey much more than what I have already told you." I stare at the counter. "Why do you think he would want to join the patrol?" I say looking up. "Well, I could only guess. Maybe to forget something, maybe he is out for revenge, he was generous with his life story but none to open with whatever resent events had caused his such distress." I worry at his suspicion of revenge. "Do you think he is trustworthy? What I mean is..." I search for the diplomatic words, but the bartender raises his hand. "Ezra has a lot on him, do doubt should be made there, but he is a good man, if indeed he is even a man. From even our few hours together, I would confidently trust my life to him. I get a lot of different souls passing through here, I know the full spectrum, Ezra is trustworthy." I nod and stand. "I believe you, I can sense that as well in him. This only confirms what I thought." The bartender stands as well. "Tell him to drop by some time, I would not mind another chat with him." I head for the door. "I will let him know." I begin to exit, but he shouts to me one last thing. "One thing!" I turn. "Yes?" He hesitates. "Don't bring up, well, avoid..." He pauses, looking off into the shadows. "Just, he had a lot he was working through. That's all." I stare at him. "Are you sure that's all?" He sighs. "Yeah, I'm sure." I nod slowly. "Well, thank you for your time." He heads back to the shadows where he stood when I first arrived. "No trouble at all."
Last edited by LIGHTNING on Sat Apr 25, 2015 4:54 am, edited 1 time in total.
Image
User avatar
Skid
Still standing tall
Posts: 1343
Joined: November 2006
Location: The Frozen North

Post by Skid »

Mini-mission, Ezra vs. Desert Ants. He earned 1 Mission XP and and 1 GM intrusion XP.
17:28 LIGHTNING is now known as Ezra
17:28 <Skid>: Okay. Your mission starts out from Obsid. You've been attached to a small trading caravan travelling to the Great Oasis. It's normally a safe route, which makes it appropriate for a rookie's first solo mission.
17:30 <Skid>: The first couple of days are uneventful as you climb from rocky scrubland to the featureless dunes of the sea.
17:33 <Skid>: Do you range around to scout out the terrain, stick with the caravan, or do something else?
17:34 <Ezra>: I stay close to the caravan, but do a short scout ahead.
17:35 <Skid>: You climb one of the higher dunes and take a look around. Make a perception check.
17:36 <Ezra>: !roll d20 perception
17:36 <Dicebot>: Ezra, perception: 9
17:37 <Skid>: Okay, ahead of the caravan, you see some dark spots moving across the desert about two miles away.
17:39 <Skid>: The caravan will cross paths with them in a couple hours.
17:39 <Skid>: What do?
17:41 <Ezra>: I won't worry about them until we get within 30mins of each other, I adjust the caravans path so we are heading in their direction, so if it is a group of bandits we will not be flanked.
17:42 <Skid>: All right. You go down to warn the caravan leader?
17:43 <Skid>: He looks alarmed. None of the caravaneers want to get into a fight they can avoid.
17:43 <Skid>: "Can't we just stop and let them pass?"
17:44 <Skid>: Note that you can't see the spots from down where the caravan is.
17:44 <Ezra>: "We need to keep moving, but if you believe we can afford the time, we could take a longer arc around them."
17:46 <Skid>: "Let us do that then."
17:47 <Ezra>: "Very well, let me scout out another path." I move ahead again and look to see which way the other group is moving.
17:49 <Skid>: The specks are closer, but haven't changed course that you can see.
17:50 <Skid>: They're close enough to make out that they are very low to the ground in build, not likely human.
17:50 <Ezra>: I look for any signs of rising dust that may give me an idea which way they have come from.
17:51 <Skid>: Roll a perception check.
17:51 <Ezra>: !roll d20 perception
17:51 <Dicebot>: Ezra, perception: 4
17:51 <Ezra>: [why]
17:52 <Skid>: The sand here is too coarse for much of a cloud to be raised.
17:52 <Ezra>: [who is in the caravan by the way]
17:54 <Skid>: You've got about a dozen camels, 8 men of which four seem trained in bow combat, and half a dozen women.
17:54 <Ezra>: [good to know]
17:55 <Skid>: And you've got about 5 dots closing on your position, unless you've actually started moving.
17:56 <Ezra>: I go back to the caravan. "Let us head left, and tell your archers to stay sharp. The group does not look human. Don't worry the rest of the group though."
17:57 <Skid>: "Very good. Everyone, move out."
17:59 <Skid>: The caravan turns and waves between the dunes, staying low to prevent detection.
17:59 <Ezra>: I turn and look all around us for any signs of other groups.
18:01 <Skid>: Okay. When you get your next look they're just crossing your old position. Make another perception check.
18:01 <Ezra>: !roll d20 perception
18:01 <Dicebot>: Ezra, perception: 20
18:01 <Ezra>: [yes]
18:04 <Skid>: As the shapes reach your old position you see that they stop and circle for a moment, examining the site. You get a good look at them. They're low, black, and insectoid. After a couple minutes they begin following your trail.
18:05 <Skid>: They're roughly the size of a large dog.
18:06 <Ezra>: I quickly go to the leader. "Tell the caravan to speed up, move the archers to the back, women to the front."
18:07 <Skid>: "What's happening?"
18:08 <Skid>: The leader orders his men to obey.
18:08 <Ezra>: "We are being followed, five animals. They look like insects, but they are the size of dogs. Do you know what they are?'
18:10 <Skid>: "I have never heard of such a creature."
18:11 <Ezra>: "Well, tell the archers not to fire until I say so. They may yet be non-hostile."
18:11 <Skid>: "You're an Ember, you can stop them, right?"
18:13 <Ezra>: "I hope so, keep moving, if they attack me, shoot. Do not come back for me under any circumstances." I use my stealth training to run back, trying not to be seen. I try to get a better look at them, and get closer.
18:13 <Skid>: Okay, roll a stealth check.
18:14 <Ezra>: !roll d20 stealth
18:14 <Dicebot>: Ezra, stealth: 19
18:14 <Ezra>: [thank God]
18:15 <Skid>: And a good thing too. Running around is normally a negative for being stealthy...
18:15 <Ezra>: [well, by run, I mean fast walk of course]
18:16 <Ezra>: [low and swift, as the kings of elemora said]
18:16 <Skid>: Still.
18:16 <Skid>: Moving around is less stealthy than not doing so, especially when your enemy is coming to you.
18:16 <Ezra>: [hm, and in a desert, yes... point taken]
18:17 <Skid>: In any case you succeed in gaining a vantage point on these things. What do you want to learn about them?
18:18 <Ezra>: I look to see what weapons and cargo they have, and I try to judge their intentions.
18:19 <Skid>: They're unarmed and naked saved for vicious-looking mandibles and shiny chitinous armor.
18:20 <Skid>: They are following the caravan's tracks in the sand.
18:21 <Skid>: They don't seem the emotional type of bug, so judging their intentions is difficult.
18:21 <Ezra>: I listen to hear if they are making any kind of communicative noise.
18:22 <Skid>: Ah. Perception check.
18:22 <Ezra>: !roll d20 perception
18:22 <Dicebot>: Ezra, perception: 5
18:24 <Skid>: They occasionally make low chittering sounds.
18:24 <Ezra>: [where are they compared to me and the caravan]
18:25 <Skid>: You're on a dune above them, about 50 feet away. The caravan still has about half a mile's lead on them.
18:26 <Ezra>: I look for any weak points on their body.
18:29 <Skid>: They've got heavy armor across their heads and upper bodies, but their legs look moderately fragile, and their bellies might be a weakpoint.
18:29 <Ezra>: I return to the caravan.
18:30 <Skid>: Okay. The caravan is still threading a winding path through the dunes to the northwest.
18:30 <Ezra>: [am I back now?]
18:30 <Skid>: Yes.
18:31 <Ezra>: I go to the leader. "Tell the archers to only fire a warning shot first."
18:31 <Skid>: "Why?"
18:32 <Ezra>: "We do not yet know of their intentions. If they stop, then so be it. If they continue on, fire at their legs."
18:32 <Skid>: "I know you're an Ember and all, but if big evil bugs are coming to eat my people, I'm going to shoot them first chance I get."
18:33 <Ezra>: "Listen to me, fire a warning shot first. We may not yet be enemies, but as soon as we attack, there is no going back."
18:34 <Skid>: Hmm. Roll a diplomacy check.
18:35 <Ezra>: !roll d20 diplomacy
18:35 <Dicebot>: Ezra, diplomacy: 18
18:37 <Skid>: "Why don't you go talk to them before they reach us?"
18:38 <Ezra>: "I have heard them speak, they don't seem to be able to talk as we do. If you wish, I could try. Do you have a horn?"
18:40 <Skid>: "A horn?"
18:40 <Skid>: "Do they whistle?"
18:40 <Ezra>: "To signal to them from a distance..."
18:41 <Skid>: "I have one here, you can try it, but I don't see what it will do."
18:42 <Skid>: He gives you an animal horn, hollowed out into a primitive trumpet.
18:43 <Ezra>: "Thanks." I return down the path made by the caravan. When in sight of the creatures, I blow the horn.
18:44 <Skid>: The creatures all turn towards you and start moving in your direction.
18:45 <Ezra>: I shoot a dart, aiming for in front of the leader.
18:45 <Skid>: They aren't speaking. You've got about five actions before the leader reaches you.
18:46 <Skid>: He doesn't noticably react.
18:46 <Ezra>: [4] I shoot again, aiming for its leg.
18:47 <Skid>: Okay. Roll.
18:47 <Ezra>: !roll d20
18:47 <Dicebot>: Ezra: 1
18:47 <Ezra>: [nooo, of all times why now]
18:48 <Skid>: The first creature moves with terrifying speed, closing in before you have time to fire a second shot. He's now right in your face, and the others aren't far behind.
18:50 <Ezra>: I shift into wolf, and go for his legs, trying to avoid his mandibles. Hoping the archers see.
18:51 <Skid>: Shifting into a wolf will take an action. It will attack you before you have a chance to go for it.
18:51 <Ezra>: [oh, wait then]
18:51 <Skid>: And the archers can't see you. They would attack as soon as the creatures appeared.
18:52 <Ezra>: I jump back, slashing at its legs, trying to avoid his mandibles.
18:52 <Ezra>: [with my dagger]
18:52 <Skid>: Okay. Roll an attack.
18:53 <Skid>: Are you using effort?
18:53 <Ezra>: !roll d20 attack
18:53 <Dicebot>: Ezra, attack: 15
18:53 <Ezra>: (yes)
18:53 <Skid>: To hit or damage?
18:53 <Ezra>:
18:53 <Ezra>: [hit]
18:54 <Skid>: Okay, you definitely hit, and peel one of its legs off. It stumbles, but snaps at you anyway. Roll a dodge.
18:55 <Ezra>: !roll d20 dodge
18:55 <Dicebot>: Ezra, dodge: 7
18:55 <Ezra>: [yes, I am trained]
18:56 <Skid>: So you just barely sidestep its scything mandibles. Two of its companions have moved up, and are now alongside you.
18:56 <Skid>: Your turn.
18:57 <Ezra>: I throw a smoke bomb at them and run for the caravan.
18:58 <Skid>: Okay, a smoke bomb explodes in front of you, and the world vanishes in a haze. Something slashes at your leg. Dodge.
18:58 <Ezra>: !roll d20 dodge
18:58 <Dicebot>: Ezra, dodge: 15
18:59 <Ezra>: [trained, sorry, keep forgetting to say]
18:59 <Skid>: You make it clear.
18:59 <Skid>: Your go.
18:59 <Ezra>: [am I back yet?]
19:00 <Skid>: Your action was deploying a smoke bomb.
19:00 <Ezra>: [okay, I see how this works]
19:01 <Ezra>: I sprint as fast as I can back to the caravan. "FIRE!" I shout. "FIRE INTO THE SMOKE!!!"
19:01 <Skid>: So now you can start fleeing. The sand is a bit hard to move fast in, but a good run will get you to archer cover in a few turns.
19:03 <Skid>: So okay. You run, four of the creature hot on your tail.
19:03 <Skid>: Make movement check.
19:03 <Skid>: Running, in this case.
19:04 <Ezra>: !roll d20 running
19:04 <Dicebot>: Ezra, running: 15
19:05 <Skid>: Good enough. You manage to gain some distance, and pop over a ridge into the view of the archers.
19:06 <Skid>: What do you do?
19:07 SirWhit has joined #Gowers
19:08 <SirWhit>: *spectates*
19:09 <Ezra>: "Fire at their legs!!!" I shout again. I continue to run, reloading my blowpipe as I do so.
19:09 <Ezra>: !roll d20 running
19:09 <Dicebot>: Ezra, running: 2
19:09 <Ezra>: [this is bad]
19:09 <Ezra>: [how much of a lead did you say I had?]
19:10 <Skid>: Don't roll unless I say to.
19:11 <Ezra>: [oh, sorry, okay.]
19:11 <Skid>: You've got about 50 feet on them.
19:11 <Ezra>: [seeing the roll was so low, a scolding on procedure does not sting that bad.]
19:12 <Skid>: And that's why. Because if you don't roll, you can't roll badly. =p
19:12 <Ezra>: [what say you then?]
19:12 <Ezra>: [ha, very true!]
19:12 <Skid>: Okay, the archers fire as the first of the creatures top the ridge.
19:13 <Skid>: Are you stopping here, or still running?
19:14 <Ezra>: I turn and fire at the legs of the insects.
19:14 <Ezra>: [50 ft. is good enough for a few shots]
19:14 <Ezra>:
19:14 <Skid>: It's good enough for... 1 before they reach melee range.
19:15 <Ezra>: [then I will no doubt run after this, but maybe it will do some good]
19:15 <Skid>: Roll your attack.
19:16 <Ezra>: !roll d20 blowpipe trained
19:16 <Dicebot>: Ezra, blowpipe trained: 18
19:16 <Skid>: Also, what range did I mark down for the blowgun?
19:16 <SirWhit>: [niiice]
19:17 <Skid>: And you hit, though you can't see that it makes any difference.
19:18 <Ezra>: [hmph, it should do something! such a small beast and right on the target too... well, is it their turn?
19:19 <Skid>: They're level 3 with 9 HP. The poison does 3 damage, so...
19:19 <Skid>: The creatures close distance, and the arrows cripple one and send it rolling down the hill past you.
19:20 <Ezra>: [at this point, how far away are they to me, and me to the caravan?]
19:21 <Skid>: They're 25 feet from you, and there are 75 feet from you to the archers.
19:22 <Ezra>: [and yeah, that is 1/3 of all their health... Surely that does something... But so be it if not... I know what I am upgrading right away, that is for sure.]
19:22 <Skid>: It's needle. It's not going to make limbs explode. Isn't the whole ponit of darts being subtle?
19:22 <SirWhit>: [ezra you better ruuuuuuuuuuuun]
19:23 <Ezra>: [yes, but you would think it would be a bit groggy now..."
19:23 <Skid>: Do you know how to tell if a giant ant is groggy by watching it for five seconds?
19:23 <SirWhit>: Heh
19:24 <Ezra>: [I need to give the archers more time, there are four left. and point taken Skid... :/ ]
19:25 <Ezra>: I throw my long dagger at the closest one.
19:25 <Skid>: Roll for attack.
19:26 <Ezra>: !roll d20 attack
19:26 <Dicebot>: Ezra, attack: 12
19:26 <Ezra>: [what will this do...]
19:29 <Skid>: The dagger strikes its armored head, and lodges there.
19:29 <Ezra>: [well, that is somthing]
19:29 <Skid>: The ant turn towards you, and lashes out with its jaws. Roll a dodge.
19:30 <SirWhit>: [yikes]
19:30 <Ezra>: !roll d20 dodge trained
19:30 <Dicebot>: Ezra, dodge trained: 15
19:31 <Skid>: Quit rolling so high on your dodges all the time.
19:31 <Ezra>: [lol, I will take that as a complement]
19:32 <Skid>: You're clean. The archers take down another ant, and a second ant, badly injured, closes in on you.
19:32 <Skid>: Your go.
19:33 <Ezra>: I slash at the legs of the one that had my throwing dagger in it's head with my Ember issue dagger.
19:34 <Skid>: Are you using effort?
19:34 <Ezra>: [do I have any left?]
19:34 <Skid>: Do you have points in your speed pool?
19:34 <Skid>: If you haven't spent all of them, then you have effort left.
19:35 <Ezra>: [good, how many points do I use for this?]
19:36 <Skid>: It costs 3 speed points. But you have 1 speed edge, correct?
19:36 <Ezra>: [yes]
19:36 <Skid>: So it'll cost you 2 speed points.
19:37 <Skid>: And since you don't seem to have any trouble hitting these things, I'd recommend using effort to damage.
19:38 <Ezra>: [I am understanding how this works now! and yes, I use effort for damage]
19:38 <Skid>: Roll for it.
19:39 <Ezra>: !roll d20 attack
19:39 <Dicebot>: Ezra, attack: 13
19:39 <Ezra>: [should I say attack effort?]
19:39 <Skid>: "Effort to damage"
19:40 <Skid>: You stab deep into the creature's neck, and the body starts to spasm mindlessly.
19:41 <Ezra>: [if I don't miss my count, we are 3/5]
19:41 <Skid>: Effectively, yes.
19:45 <Skid>: GM intrusion! (you get an XP in exchange for me doing this to you.) While you're busy, the other ant grabs your leg in its jaws and deals 3 might damage. A spine shoots into your leg from inside its mouth and begins pumping venom into you.
19:45 <Skid>: The archers finish off the last other ant. Your turn.
19:46 <Ezra>: [why? really? you are mad because I am so good at dodging? ha, jk, kinda, I need all the xp I can get]
19:46 <Skid>: Because the encounter needs drama.
19:47 <Ezra>: [ahhh, thanks bro......]
19:47 <Skid>: And what better drama than your death?
19:47 <Ezra>: [...]
19:47 <Skid>: So, what do you do?
19:47 <Ezra>: [is there any moisture in it's mouth? how close am I, am I still standing?]
19:48 <Skid>: You're standing at the moment. Its mouth is wet with your blood.
19:49 <Ezra>: [right... not good enough for that then... fine, I need the might to save me from the venom, so...]
19:50 <Ezra>: I shift into wolf form and attack the last insect.
19:50 <Skid>: Shifting is still a full action. Are you sure?
19:50 <Ezra>: [explain]
19:51 <Skid>: If you shift, the ant will get a turn before you get a chance to attack.
19:51 <Ezra>: [oh... hm... how much HP have I?]
19:52 <Skid>: You hitponits are the sum of all your pools, but you take penalties as soon as a pool becomes empty.
19:53 <Ezra>: [right, hm...]
19:54 <Skid>: Most damage happens to the might pool, so it's the closest you have to normal HP.
19:55 <Ezra>: [then I have only 3 left in it... What happeneds if it hits 0?]
19:56 <Skid>: You're impaired, and everything you do is 1 level more difficult.
19:56 <Ezra>: [right, I need the might points... I with risk it.]
19:56 <Skid>: Want to learn recovery rolls now?
19:56 <Ezra>: I shift into wolf form.
19:57 <Ezra>: [wait]
19:57 <Ezra>: [what do you mean?]
19:57 <Skid>: You have a 1-action recovery roll you can make in combat to recover pool points.
19:58 <Skid>: Might not be the time to do it here, won't pay for itself with a bad roll.
19:59 <Skid>: Okay, roll a might check.
19:59 <Ezra>: [oh... that would be useful... well, I get 8 points as Zevox, the wolf... what is the max I could gain by doing a recovory roll?
19:59 <Skid>: Not nearly that amount.
19:59 <Skid>: Oh, right. I forgot about the huge might boost.
20:00 <Skid>: Anyway, roll for might defense.
20:00 <Ezra>: [okay]
20:00 <Ezra>: [wait, might defence? what is this then?]
20:01 <Skid>: This is to see if shapeshifting breaks you out of the ant's grip.
20:01 <Ezra>: [cool]
20:01 <Ezra>: !roll d20 might defence
20:01 <Dicebot>: Ezra, might defence: 5
20:01 <Ezra>: [could be worse? i hope...]
20:02 <Skid>: Well, it's still got you, and your leg is turning red and swollen. You take another 3 might damage. The archers aren't firing for fear of hitting you. What do you do?
20:03 <Ezra>: I go for its belly with my teeth.
20:03 <Skid>: Roll your attack.
20:04 <Ezra>: !roll d20 attack
20:04 <Dicebot>: Ezra, attack: 20
20:04 <Ezra>: [yes!]
20:04 <Skid>: Pick your cinematic action.
20:04 <Ezra>: [wh?]
20:04 <Skid>: Extra action, extra damage, or something you think up?
20:05 <Skid>: Also, you hit, obviously.
20:05 <Ezra>: [killing blow? or can you not say]
20:05 <Skid>: In this case, you can definitely get a killshot with extra damage.
20:06 <Ezra>: [do it]
20:07 <Skid>: You're hampered by its grip, but you twist beneath it and bite down on vital tissues, instantly slaying the ant. It twitches feebly and releases you.
20:07 <Ezra>: [how do I say it?]
20:07 <Ezra>: [right.]
20:07 <Ezra>: [wow]
20:08 <Skid>: You're still poisoned, however. And take another 2 might damage. Roll a poisons knowledge check.
20:08 <Ezra>: [I would rather use my serum, but okay.]
20:09 <Ezra>: !roll d20 poison knowledge trained
20:09 <Dicebot>: Ezra, poison knowledge trained: 5
20:09 <Skid>: I guess you'll have to.
20:10 <Ezra>: [what happens?]
20:10 <Skid>: The poison seems to be acid of some kind.
20:10 <Ezra>: [like a bee then, not a wasp... grand...]
20:11 <Ezra>: [do I need to shift back to use my serum?]
20:11 <Skid>: You will, yes.
20:12 <Ezra>: I shift back to human.
20:12 <Ezra>: [what are the guys back in the caravan up to?]
20:13 <Skid>: Some of them are running forward to you, stopping to finish off the ants that rolled to a rest at the bottom of the dune.
20:13 <Ezra>: [my turn again then?]
20:14 <Skid>: Yes.
20:14 <Ezra>: I dive for a serum and drink it.
20:15 <Ezra>: [I assume I drink them...]
20:15 <Skid>: Sure.
20:15 <Ezra>: [then there]
20:15 <Skid>: It tastes like death, but it restores 5 might points.
20:16 <Ezra>: [better than the real thing]
20:16 <Ezra>: [how am I doing?]
20:17 <Skid>: You lose 2 more might points as the acid continues to burn through your leg.
20:17 <Ezra>: [WHAT DO I DO]
20:18 <Skid>: Well, if you wait, it'll neutralize itself.
20:18 <Skid>: Its progress is much less rapid than it was before.
20:18 <Ezra>: [here, acid right? well is it my turn?]
20:18 <Skid>: Yes.
20:19 <Ezra>: I grab one of my smoke bombs, open it, and carefully pour it on my leg.
20:19 <Ezra>: [that is alkaline]
20:19 <Skid>: ...what's in the smoke bomb?
20:20 <Skid>: Liquid or powder?
20:21 <Ezra>: [liquid in a shell]
20:22 <Ezra>: [it becomes volatile when exposed to air, and if it is jostled enough there after, it expands into smoke rapidly]
20:22 <Skid>: What chemical, exactly?
20:23 <Ezra>: [you want me to check online? i don't know of the top of my head the number... or should I make something up?]
20:24 <Skid>: Well, if it's lye or something equally potent, then pouring it on a leg falls under terrible ideas.
20:25 <Ezra>: [no no, ha, not lye or anything that strong... let me look]
20:25 <Ezra>: [but i mean, if you can get the expanded stuff all over you, why not the liquid?]
20:27 <Skid>: Because the chemical reaction is what produces the smoke, generally. It's a neutral byproduct of two volatile chemicals.
20:28 <Skid>: Unless your smoke bomb actually just contains compressed smoke?
20:29 <Ezra>: [air is the catalyst though, just like in those hot-pocket hand warmer things... Nope, no real smoke in there...]
20:30 <Skid>: It's not a catalyst though. Or even if it was, that means that there is a chemical reaction going on.
20:31 <Ezra>: [yup, looking...]
20:31 <Skid>: Okay, have your character roll a chemical knowlede check to determine the contents of their smoke bomb.
20:32 <Skid>: Let's hurry this along a bit.
20:32 <Ezra>: [potassium nitrate maybe?]
20:32 <Ezra>: [oh, right]
20:33 <Ezra>: [*closes google*]
20:33 <Ezra>: !roll d20 chemical knowlede check
20:33 <Dicebot>: Ezra, chemical knowlede check: 19
20:33 <Ezra>: [ironic]
20:34 <Skid>: Well, you luck out. Your leg burns as the chemicals interact and neutralize. You take one last 2 points of might damage.
20:34 <Ezra>: [see? :D and now we know...]
20:35 <Skid>: One of the archers reaches you. "How badly are you injured?"
20:35 <Ezra>: [where are the caravan chaps in all this science of mine? :[ )
20:36 <Ezra>: "Bad enough, but I will live. How is everyone else?"
20:36 <Skid>: He sniffs the air and makes a face at the smell of burning leg and chemicals.
20:37 <Ezra>: [is that his action? :S]
20:37 <Skid>: We're not doing turns. Combat is over.
20:37 <Skid>: "Aye, could have been worse. I'm glad you took the field. This doesn't look like the kind of glory I need a part in."
20:38 <Ezra>: "I am Ember, it is just my job." I try to stand...
20:39 <Skid>: It hurts, but you manage to gain your feet with the man's help.
20:39 <Ezra>: "Thanks mate."
20:39 <Ezra>: I gather my things off the ground, and get my dagger out of the ant's head.
20:40 <Skid>: One of the men crouches down next to an ant, examining it.
20:41 <Skid>: "You use poisons, right?"
20:41 <Ezra>: "Yeah, one. Why? Do any of your men need healing?"
20:42 <Skid>: He starts dissecting the head, pulling out the spike and two bulbs attached to the base of it.
20:42 <Ezra>: "Oh, sorry mate, my head is still spinning... But yes, I used poison too..."
20:43 <Ezra>: I watch him, a bit foggy from the fight still.
20:43 <Skid>: Now would be a good time to make recovery rolls.
20:44 <Ezra>: !roll d20 recovery
20:44 <Dicebot>: Ezra, recovery: 19
20:44 <Ezra>: [much needed]
20:44 <Ezra>: [what does that do for me?]
20:45 <Skid>: Oh, recovery rolls are a bit of a different system. You see where it says d6+1 on your character sheet?
20:45 <Ezra>: [yes]
20:46 <Skid>: Okay. Roll that for your recovery roll. I'm going to assume you're using your 10 minute recovery.
20:47 <Ezra>: [no idea]
20:47 <Skid>: !roll d6+1
20:47 <Ezra>: !roll d6+1 recovery
20:47 <Dicebot>: Ezra, recovery: 2:1+1
20:48 <Ezra>: [eh?]
20:48 <Skid>: Well, you get 2 points to add to whatever pool you want.
20:48 <Skid>: Up to the point where they're refilled.
20:49 <Ezra>: [so 1 to intellect and one to might]
20:49 <Skid>: Did you spend intelect this session?
20:49 <Skid>: Oh, right, transforming.
20:49 <Ezra>: [4, and I lost one in the fight]
20:50 <Ezra>: [also down 2 on my speed, might is at 1 now]
20:51 <Skid>: You should be 4 down on speed. You did attack effort twice.
20:51 <Skid>: And did you take any might damage while might was at zero?
20:52 <Ezra>: [should I do anything with my card's pool? I have been keeping the stats in my head so far...]
20:52 <Ezra>: [no]
20:52 <Skid>: Okay.
20:52 <Ezra>: [oh wait, 1 actually]
20:53 <Ezra>: [um, wait, so...]
20:53 <Ezra>: [the wolf adds 8... I had 3 at the time,]
20:53 <Ezra>: [I lost 4 as wolf, 2 as human]
20:54 <Ezra>: [but I healed first]
20:54 <Ezra>: [okay, so I never went below 3 actually]
20:55 <Skid>: You lose those 8 points when you shift to human, so if you had more than your human cap when you shifted back, you would have lost those.
20:55 <Skid>: It makes for more accurate tracking if you write them down somewhere.
20:55 <Ezra>: [okay]
20:56 <Skid>: Well, if you were in the middle of a campaign, yes. You should save your pools to the card so it carried over between mssions. For a skirmish like this it doesn't matter much, since you'll have time to rest and fully recover.
20:57 <Ezra>: [so might 3 intellect 12 speed 8, and I use my 2 roll points in might]
20:57 <Ezra>: [5 might then]
20:57 <Skid>: All right.
20:58 <Ezra>: "What are you doing mate?"
20:59 <Skid>: He twists the acid sacs free and ties them off. "Improvising."
21:01 <Skid>: "I'm betting a pod of this stuff would be pretty nasty if you got it splattered on you, eh?"
21:01 <Ezra>: "Yesss..... I would agree."
21:02 <Ezra>: "Why?"
21:03 <Skid>: He hands you one and flings his own against the dead ant's shell. It pops and splatters, eating through the armor.
21:04 <Ezra>: I hold the pod carefully, impressed at its effectiveness.
21:06 <Skid>: Okay, let's wrap this up since it's getting late. You gain 4 acid grenades from dissecting the rest of the ants, 1 XP for the mission, and 1 XP for intrusion. You get five Nobles pay.
21:06 <Ezra>: Nice!
21:06 <Skid>: You've fought an enemy that was completely unfamiliar in this part of the desert.
21:07 <Ezra>: Meaning?
21:07 <Skid>: Meaning that it's worth noting the threat and maybe telling people about it.
21:07 <Skid>: Make sure to track the smoke bombs and other stuff you spent on the mission.
21:08 <Ezra>: Will do, how can I get more?
21:09 <Skid>: I'll post a "shop" to spend pay in while I'm preparing stuff for tomorrow's session.
21:09 <Ezra>: And what coordinates are we at on the map?
21:10 <Skid>: Your remaining journey to the Great Oasis is uneventful save for the regular mix of sandstorms.
21:10 <Ezra>: good to know
21:10 <Ezra>: When do I take the X out of my 10min recovery slot?
21:10 <Skid>: When you spend 10 hours resting. So right now.
21:11 <Ezra>: okay
21:11 <Skid>: You relax at The Mean Minotaur in Great Oasis and drink iced beverages served by the bartender/ice mage.
21:11 <Ezra>: And where on the map where we?
21:12 <Skid>: The ants were near the last "t" in "Setter's Pit".
21:13 <Skid>: You're at Great Oasis in the middle now.
21:13 <Ezra>: Okay, thanks for the intell... Will keep this in mind.
14:32 <Ezra>: Right, you can copy and send me the transcript now if you want.
21:14 <Ezra>: Unless there is more to do.
21:21 <Skid> I can post the logs in the main thread.
21:22 <Ezra>: If you like. :)
21:22 <Skid>: Well, it was a mission, and people will want to know where you're getting loot and XP from.
21:23 <Ezra>: True, okay, do it. :)
User avatar
bookworm
ToO Historian
ToO Historian
Posts: 16248
Joined: July 2006
Contact:

Post by bookworm »

I thought training missions were just to familiarize with the procedure. If I knew we actually got XP from them I would have done one. :P
Image
User avatar
Skid
Still standing tall
Posts: 1343
Joined: November 2006
Location: The Frozen North

Post by Skid »

This wasn't really a training mission so much as an informal we-have-time-to-kill mission. If you want to go on one bug me some night and I'll send you off to be eaten by grues.

Also, I've posted some info on the first post about money stuff, so if you want to spend your pay on gadgets or help me expand the list of items, you can do so now.

-- Sun Apr 26, 2015 11:29 am --

Well, after an epic battle against an ancient tree wielding a crossbow, our heroes descended into a trap-filled dungeon ruled by the mad hermit Malvert. To be continued...

Scheduling is now weird, since I'll be busy next Saturday and players won't be around to finish this mission until Tuesday next week, since it isn't a good mission for other players to show up in the middle of. I'll work that over the rest of the weekend.
User avatar
bookworm
ToO Historian
ToO Historian
Posts: 16248
Joined: July 2006
Contact:

Post by bookworm »

Excerpt from the journal of Gareth Trevelyan
Our group was tasked with bringing an old lunatic into custody. Apparently he's been up to his paranoid antics for years, but more an annoyance than a danger, until he finally snapped... even more I guess? and began setting traps around his property. Fortunately the only casualty so far had been a cow, we were sent to make sure things didn't get worse.

We faced our first challenge immediately upon reaching our destination. A giant tree out front had been trained to fire a crossbow at intruders. We assumed we needed to incapacitate the tree, the crossbow having been shown to be lethal, and so each attempted various manors of setting it ablaze but to no substantial avail. We finally abandoned that plan and attempted simply bypassing the trap, which was surprisingly simple to accomplish. Apparently the tree was not as great a danger as it had seemed to be presented as.

We located an entry to the man's bunker and proceeded onward. We soon encountered another trap; the floor of the passageway became covered in tiles, some grey and some red. We of course determined that the red ones likely triggered defenses and tested this by pressuring a grey tile by throwing a clod of dirt. Nothing happened. Before we could share thoughts on how to proceed however Ezra triggered a red tile! Shocked and incredulous, I demanded what he was thinking taking such rash action. He said it was to determine what the traps in this room were like. I of course had gathered that much of the intent, that was not my point. I explained that we cannot assume a trap will only target the area that triggered it, it may have affected the whole room. The walls could have closed in for all we knew! Thank goodness that was not the case here, but it easily could have been. Ezra means well, but he appears to be too quick to action. He would do well to take in the surroundings and consider possible consequences of actions before immediately jumping into the first response he thinks of. Especially when there are others involved! He can be reckless out on his own if he needs to be, but I would be greatly angered if myself or another party member were to be injured as a result of his hasty actions.

As it was we ended up getting across the tiles without incident. After considering several ways of carefully avoiding them, from attempting to jump over to securing a rope and climbing, Olwen managed to grab onto a root in the ceiling and swing across. It was an impressive sight, though she is trained in acrobatics. That isn't to detract from her skill, it was still a great feat, I only say it to note that she was the only one who could cross in that manner. Ezra and I continued looking for our own way to traverse. This was when it finally dawned on me that we were most likely approaching this with much more caution than was required. Always error on caution, of course, but be reasonable. This wasn't a masterfully cunning opponent, it was a lunatic. He was probably not going to have grand traps that were complex and thorough, he was just throwing up whatever makeshift obstacles he thought would foil the "lizard people" from coming in. I chose a straight path that was all grey but one tile and started across it. Reaching the red tile I simply stepped over it and continued forward. I reached the end. I felt somewhat irritated we had so unnecessarily over thought it, but what mattered was we were moving on.

We next came upon a pit blocking our way. It appeared full of refuse glass and metal, whatever he had that was sharp and would be unpleasant to fall into. Knowing now we didn't have to make things overly complicated, we took in the surroundings for a way across. The ceiling had a grate in it with gaps large enough to grab onto, we all realized what to do without needing to confer. Jumping to grab the grate, even nonacrobat I made it across effortlessly. We were getting a better understanding of the situation, and ready to continue on with a renewed confidence.
Image
User avatar
LIGHTNING
Pilgrim
Posts: 255
Joined: February 2015
Location: NC > KY > NV

Post by LIGHTNING »

Right, will stay tuned.
Last edited by LIGHTNING on Sun Apr 26, 2015 9:16 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Image
User avatar
Tikvah
Catspaw Rocks!
Posts: 801
Joined: December 2012
Location: The balmy frozen north.

Post by Tikvah »

Segment of Olwen's journal:
This mission Gareth, Ezra and I were called to my old hometown to contain a lunatic, one Malvert. I remember him vaguely. The town constable led us to his tree, which he had trained to fire a crossbow at anything within range. Fortunately the only casualty so far has been a cow. I used one of it's bolts -with grass dipped in oil tied around the end and attempted to catch it afire. this didn't work for the bolt had no point and dropped harmlessly to the ground, where Malvert popped from a hole in the ground and extinguished it. Gareth tried to reason with him but to no avail.
While I prepared another (using one of my own arrows this time) Ezra, (headstrong fellow that he is) tried to dash up and throw acid on it. He succeeded in making a small burn on the tree, but was shot in the leg in return. I fired my arrow, and it actually stuck this time, but took so long to burn anything that we had to find an alternative. Gareth tried shooting lightning at it, but since this didn't work either we decided to look around and see if we couldn't find another way in.
We located a trap door and went in, (For once having no misfortune upon the ladder) the others lighting their lanterns. We came upon a tiled area, grey tiles interspersed with red. I threw a lump of dirt upon a grey tile to see if it was safe. It didn't appear to respond. Before giving any kind of warning Ezra then took up some dirt and threw it on a red tile. Thank goodness he only triggered a bow shot from across the tiles, instead of collapsing the tunnel or something. Gareth scolded him for it. However valuable Ezra may be, he needs to learn to work with this team, instead of going solo, as he has done too many times in my time with him. Eventually I climbed up to the roof and climbed across that way. On the other side I discovered holes, presumable where the bolt had fired from. I jammed them with arrows and the others came across, carefully avoiding the red tiles.
We continued on to a pit, filled with metal, glass, and other refuse. It being clear that these traps were only as good as Malvert thought he needed to keep out the "lizard people", we assumed we were being overly cautious. I tried firing an arrow with a rope tied on it to the other wall, but it didn't seem capable of bearing my weight. The next alternative was the grating on the ceiling that stretched across the hole. We leaped up, and catching hold made our way to the other side without difficulty.
It's hard to believe we spent almost the whole session fighting a tree and walking across a tiled floor. :p
User avatar
bookworm
ToO Historian
ToO Historian
Posts: 16248
Joined: July 2006
Contact:

Post by bookworm »

Well, we were lead to believe we needed to be more cautious and thorough than ended up being necessary.
Image
User avatar
LIGHTNING
Pilgrim
Posts: 255
Joined: February 2015
Location: NC > KY > NV

Post by LIGHTNING »

Oh, bookworm! Do you have the logs?
Image
User avatar
Skid
Still standing tall
Posts: 1343
Joined: November 2006
Location: The Frozen North

Post by Skid »

You've been a very risk-adverse party so far, yes. Nobody has come within a long, long distance of getting killed up to this point.

It looks like I won't have time to run an alternate session this week, so we'll finish up this mission next week, and get back to regular Saturday sessions on the 9th.
User avatar
bookworm
ToO Historian
ToO Historian
Posts: 16248
Joined: July 2006
Contact:

Post by bookworm »

LIGHTNING wrote:Oh, bookworm! Do you have the logs?
Yes, I will always have and post a log from our Saturday sessions, I just won't usually have it ready until the following Monday, sometimes Tuesday. :)
This one should be up later today.
Image
User avatar
Pengwin
Penguin-tastic
Penguin-tastic
Posts: 1593
Joined: December 2012
Location: The Great Country of Texas

Post by Pengwin »

Sorry I was unable to make it to the recent one even though I was in #aio at the time. I was studying and couldn't give enough attention to the chat let alone the RPG so I wasn't able to play. =[
Image
:wacky: :wacky: :wacky: :wacky: :wacky: :wacky: :wacky:
User avatar
bookworm
ToO Historian
ToO Historian
Posts: 16248
Joined: July 2006
Contact:

Post by bookworm »

Warrant Service, Session 1 of 2
Continued by Part 2
We need a warrant served. Paranoid Malvert's traps have finally obliterated one of the neighbour's cows. We need a squad to venture in through his gauntlet and bring him out to the Blackwater constabulary to face justice.
17:10 LIGHTNING is now known as Ezra
18:59 bookworm is now known as Gareth
18:59 Tikvah is now known as Olwen
19:00 <Gareth>: So how much time has past?
19:01 <Ezra>: Two weeks?
19:01 <Skid_GMing>: A couple weeks.
19:01 <Gareth>: I examine my carving
19:01 <Gareth>: Talent check
19:01 <Gareth>: !roll d20
19:01 <Dicebot>: Gareth: 11
19:02 <Gareth>: Needs more work
19:02 <Skid_GMing>: Heh.
19:02 <Skid_GMing>: Generally, don't actually roll unless I say to, that way you can't crit-fail, and I don't have to inflict horrors upon you. =p
19:03 <Gareth>: I know
19:03 <Gareth>: We didn't start though
19:03 <Skid_GMing>: Well, hush while I set up the scenario then. =p
19:03 <Ezra>: xD
19:04 <Skid_GMing>: Your party has escorted other caravans, done a few minor tasks, and are now on the outskirts of Blackwood. It's a bustling lumber town of about 20,000 souls. The local constable has arrived to brief you on your task.
19:05 <Skid_GMing>: He's a portly man who looks like he hasn't actually chased a felon down in decades.
19:05 <Olwen>: Question; I can't find Blackwood on the map.
19:06 <Skid_GMing>: Blacktree. Sorry.
19:06 <Skid_GMing>: Blackwood is the stuff that grows there.
19:06 <Olwen>: :D That's where I came from!
19:06 <Skid_GMing>: "Name's Gaston. I take it you're here to take down crazy Malvert?"
19:07 <Olwen>: "Who is he?"
19:08 <Ezra>: "Quite so, please, tell us what you know of this Malvert."
19:08 <Skid_GMing>: "Loony old woodcrafter. Lives alone off the edge of town. Says the lizard men are coming to take him away. Builds traps when he isn't down at the pub shouting at people."
19:09 <Olwen>: "Do we know anything about these 'lizards'?"
19:10 <Skid_GMing>: "Flights of his imagination, as far as I can tell. He says they killed the emperor and wear his skin."
19:10 <Skid_GMing>: "And ain't that a likely story?"
19:10 <Ezra>: I judge how honest the man is.
19:10 <Olwen>: "Alright, Where is Malvert now?"
19:10 <Skid_GMing>: Roll detect deception.
19:11 <Ezra>: !roll d20 detect deception trained
19:11 <Dicebot>: Ezra, detect deception trained: 18
19:11 <Skid_GMing>: He seems honest, if a little less than bright.
19:11 <Ezra>: [and now I know]
19:12 <Skid_GMing>: "Under his tree. We called you lot because he finally stuck a big old crossbow in the top of it and taught it to shoot at strangers. Killed a neighbour's cow. Could have been much worse."
19:12 <Olwen>: Do I know anything about Malvert? Since I came from here?
19:13 <Ezra>: "Right, we will deal with him. Don't worry."
19:13 <Olwen>: "Wait, he taught a crossbow?"
19:13 <Skid_GMing>: You vaguely remember that some old man was living out the end of town and screaming at people in the taverns.
19:14 <Ezra>: "Will you lead us there?"
19:15 <Skid_GMing>: "He taught his tree. Blackwood, you know? Never seen anyone who could do something that fancy, but there you have it."
19:15 <Skid_GMing>: "Sure thing. Follow me right this way."
19:15 <Olwen>: How much do I know about the trees?
19:15 <Olwen>: I follow the Constable.
19:16 <Ezra>: "Guys, let me handle this. I have my darts, he does not sound that evil."
19:16 <Olwen>: "Seriously? We were sent as a team."
19:16 <Skid_GMing>: Blackwood is a sort of sentient wood that has a limited ability to interact with its surroundings, and can be taught simple commands through conditioning and repetition.
19:17 <Olwen>: Alright.
19:17 <Skid_GMing>: It's often used for children's toys.
19:17 <Skid_GMing>: And some more serious mechanical purposes.
19:18 <Ezra>: I walk along behind Gaston.
19:19 <Skid_GMing>: Okay, the constable leads you out the end of town. At the edge of a clearing, the constable stops and takes cover behind a tree. In the center of the brushy clearing, about 100 feet away, stand a huge and ancient Blackwood, adorned with scraps of metal and hanging sawblades. It twists rythmically back and forth, as if surveying the area.
19:20 <Olwen>: Where is Gareth?
19:20 <Gareth>: Behind you
19:20 <Ezra>: "Where is Mal?"
19:21 <Skid_GMing>: "That there is where you're going. He's under that tree somewhere, down his old foxhole."
19:22 <Ezra>: "Right, let us first take out that bow, eh?"
19:22 <Olwen>: "You gonna do that with your poisoned darts?"
19:22 <Gareth>: I check my memory for any effective ways to neutralize or otherwise effectively deal with Blackwood.
19:23 <Skid_GMing>: Burn it.
19:23 <Ezra>: "Do we have a fire mage about?"
19:23 <Olwen>: "Gareth, can you catch it on fire?"
19:23 <Gareth>: No ways to neutralize the magic?
19:23 <Ezra>: [how far away is the tree?]
19:23 <Skid_GMing>: It doesn't have supernatural senses however, and relies on touch or very poor vision to detect the world around.
19:24 <Skid_GMing>: 100 ft away.
19:24 <Gareth>: I see.
19:24 <Ezra>: "Who here is the best thrower?"
19:24 <Gareth>: "Flaming arrows."
19:24 <Olwen>: "Alright then."
19:24 <Olwen>: "Anything burnable I can put on my arrow?"
19:25 <Gareth>: They're wooden aren't they?
19:25 <Ezra>: "Hm... Can you wet the tip?"
19:25 <Gareth>: Light the actual arrow?
19:25 <Olwen>: "Not sure it would stay lit."
19:26 <Ezra>: "I still think I have a better way..."
19:26 <Skid_GMing>: If you scan the area for a bit longer you'll notice that there are dozens of 4-foot bolts dotting the clearing, fired without any apparent target.
19:26 <Olwen>: Are any within reach?
19:27 <Ezra>: "They may be trigger points, careful!"
19:27 <Skid_GMing>: Yes. There are some that were shot into the forest.
19:27 <Olwen>: I go to one and look for any signs of a trap.
19:27 <Ezra>: "Try not to touch anything around where they landed if you do go for them."
19:27 <Skid_GMing>: Roll perception.
19:28 <Olwen>: !roll d20 trained
19:28 <Dicebot>: Olwen, trained: 19
19:28 <Skid_GMing>: It looks perfectly safe. The shaft of the bolt has bark on it, and there is no fletching.
19:29 <Olwen>: I grab it.
19:29 <Skid_GMing>: Okay, you've got a 4-foot stick, blunt on both ends.
19:29 <Ezra>: "What do you plan to do with it?"
19:29 <Olwen>: I scan the area for anything burnable.
19:30 <Ezra>: I study the blackwood bow.
19:30 <Skid_GMing>: It appears that the tree grows its own ammunition. You have your lamps with lamp oil.
19:30 <Skid_GMing>: You can't currently see the weapon. The tree seems to be hiding it in its branches.
19:30 <Olwen>: I dip one end of the bolt in oil.
19:30 <Ezra>: [nice trick tree]
19:31 <Gareth>: Who has the highest speed pool?
19:31 <Olwen>: I light it and fire at the tree.
19:31 <Skid_GMing>: The end of the stick is oily, but might not stay lit without a wicking substance.
19:31 <Olwen>: Bother.
19:31 <Skid_GMing>: Okay, roll your attack.
19:32 <Olwen>: Can I retract that since I didn't see what you posted?
19:32 <Skid_GMing>: Sure.
19:32 <Olwen>: Any grass around?
19:32 <Gareth>: Was going to say whoever ends up throwing this should use effort to accuracy, so should be the one with speed points to spare.
19:33 <Gareth>: But if you're shooting it still then nvm.
19:33 <Skid_GMing>: Yeah, there's grass.
19:33 <Olwen>: I should shoot it, I just need to make sure it burns.
19:34 <Olwen>: I tie grass onto my arrow oil it again.
19:34 <Skid_GMing>: You're using an arrow for this?
19:34 <Olwen>: Gah, no.
19:35 <Olwen>: I meant the bolt.
19:35 <Ezra>: I watch, slightly confused.
19:35 <Skid_GMing>: Okay, fire away.
19:35 <Olwen>: I fire at the tree.
19:35 <Ezra>: I watch the shot...
19:35 <Skid_GMing>: Roll.
19:36 <Olwen>: !roll d20 trained archery, special skill flexible archer, one affort to accuracy.
19:36 <Dicebot>: Olwen, trained archery, special skill flexible archer, one affort to accuracy.: 11
19:36 <Ezra>: ...as it...
19:36 <Skid_GMing>: Okay. The bolt disappear into its branches.
19:37 <Skid_GMing>: And then the splintered, flaming pieces fall to the base of the tree.
19:37 <Ezra>: ...flys into the branches.
19:37 <Ezra>: "This may work..."
19:38 <Olwen>: "That didn't work"
19:38 <Olwen>: "Should I try again?"
19:38 <Skid_GMing>: The tree whips around and the crossbow appears from the greenery, firing a shot wildly above your heads.
19:38 <Ezra>: "Guys, let me..."
19:38 <Olwen>: "Let you what?"
19:38 <Gareth>: I was thinking stick it in the trunk
19:39 <Ezra>: "I can destroy the tree."
19:39 <Skid_GMing>: Hard to do when the bolt doesn't have a point.
19:39 <Gareth>: I thought it was on an arrow.
19:39 <Olwen>: "How are you planning on doing that?"
19:39 <Ezra>: "Here, trust me on this."
19:39 <Ezra>: "Which one of you has the best throwing arm?"
19:40 <Gareth>: Not me
19:40 <Gareth>: 5 speed
19:40 <Skid_GMing>: Smoke rises from the base of the tree.
19:40 <Ezra>: "Right, let me do this then..." Looks over at the tree's smoke.
19:41 <Skid_GMing>: If it looks like a tree could panic, this one would be. It flails its limbs, trying to reach and smother the fire.
19:41 <Olwen>: "Why don't we wait?"
19:42 <Ezra>: It is distracted now!
19:42 <Ezra>: "This is the perfect time!"
19:42 <Gareth>: "Are you sure?"
19:42 <Olwen>: "It's also catching on fire!"
19:42 <Skid_GMing>: Perception checks.
19:43 <Gareth>: "How do we know it can't see two things at once?"
19:43 <Olwen>: !roll d20 specialized
19:43 <Dicebot>: Olwen, specialized: 7
19:43 <Gareth>: !roll d20 trained perception
19:43 <Dicebot>: Gareth, trained perception: 18
19:43 <Olwen>: -_-
19:43 <Ezra>: [ha, it was me no doubt as well]
19:44 <Skid_GMing>: All right, you guys see a bald man pop out of the undergrowth and throw water on the fire. Then he disappears back into the earth.
19:44 <Ezra>: "Right, see? There is only one way to do this."
19:44 <Ezra>: I very slowly edge closer to the tree using stealth, ready to dodge should it turn my way.
19:45 <Skid_GMing>: "YOU THINK YOU CAN TAKE ME THAT EASILY? I PREPARED FOR EVERYTHING! EVERYTHING!"
19:45 <Ezra>: "or is he" I think
19:45 <Olwen>: I fire at the tree same as before, only with an arrow this time.
19:45 <Skid_GMing>: "YOU AND YOUR LIZARD TRICKS WILL NEVER TAKE ME ALIVE."
19:46 <Ezra>: [Should I roll a stealth check Skid?]
19:46 <Skid_GMing>: Roll.
19:46 <Skid_GMing>: You're sneaking up on the tree?
19:46 <Ezra>: [YES]
19:46 <Gareth>: "What's this loon's name again?"
19:46 <Skid_GMing>: Okay, roll a stealth check. You moving fast or creeping through the underbrush?
19:46 <Olwen>: "Malvert."
19:46 <Ezra>: !roll d20 stealth trained
19:46 <Dicebot>: Ezra, stealth trained: 16
19:46 <Ezra>: [creeping]
19:47 <Skid_GMing>: Okay, the tree doesn't seem to be noticing you at all.
19:47 <Gareth>: I call out "Malvert we aren't with the lizards, we just want to talk."
19:47 <Ezra>: [how close am I now?]
19:47 <Skid_GMing>: "LIZARD TRICKS!"
19:47 <Skid_GMing>: You're about halfway there.
19:47 <Ezra>: I very slowly edge closer to the tree using stealth, ready to dodge should it turn my way.
19:47 <Skid_GMing>: You hear something slam shut.
19:48 <Gareth>: "No, we're with the Ember Patrol. We're here to help you."
19:48 <Ezra>: "Don't guys, he is not going to believe anything we say."
19:48 <Gareth>: "Probably not, but it won't hurt to keep him talking."
19:48 <Gareth>: "We may establish trust, if nothing else we hear where he's at."
19:48 <Olwen>: Ahem, <Olwen> I fire at the tree same as before, only with an arrow this time.
19:48 <Ezra>: [Am I close yet?]
19:48 <Skid_GMing>: Roll for it.
19:49 <Skid_GMing>: Okay, you make your way forwards to the base of the tree, it's smouldering and steamy.
19:49 <Skid_GMing>: There's no immediate sign of the old man.
19:49 <Ezra>: I throw an acid grenade on it.
19:50 <Olwen>: !roll d20 trained archery, 1 effort to accuracy
19:50 <Dicebot>: Olwen, trained archery, 1 effort to accuracy: 13
19:50 <Ezra>: "Don't shoot at me!"
19:50 <Skid_GMing>: What part of the tree are you aiming for?
19:50 <Olwen>: The trunk.
19:50 <Ezra>: [he means me]
19:51 <Skid_GMing>: Okay, the flaming arrow strikes the tree and sticks.
19:51 <Skid_GMing>: Both of you, actually.
19:51 <Ezra>: I aim for the middle of it.
19:51 <Skid_GMing>: Your acid smokes and eats into the treebark.
19:51 <Ezra>: "Yes!"
19:51 <Skid_GMing>: Roll to dodge.
19:51 <Skid_GMing>: Ezra.
19:52 <Ezra>: !roll d20 dodge trained
19:52 <Dicebot>: Ezra, dodge trained: 2
19:52 <Ezra>: XP to reroll
19:52 <Skid_GMing>: Not a bad plan.
19:52 <Skid_GMing>: Okay.
19:52 <Ezra>: [don't want to die yet! DX]
19:52 <Ezra>: !roll d20 dodge trained
19:52 <Dicebot>: Ezra, dodge trained: 3
19:52 <Skid_GMing>: Wooow.
19:52 <Gareth>: AHAHAHA
19:52 <Ezra>: [any mercy in the world?]
19:53 <Skid_GMing>: A sawbladed limb lashed down and hits you for 4 might damage.
19:53 <Ezra>: "Ahhhgga..a...."
19:54 <Skid_GMing>: What do you do?
19:54 <Ezra>: [cry?]
19:54 <Ezra>: [what can I do?]
19:54 <Skid_GMing>: Mow away from the tree?
19:54 <Olwen>: "run!"
19:54 <Skid_GMing>: It's not going to rise from the ground and chase you.
19:55 <Ezra>: [Did my acid hit it yet?]
19:55 <Skid_GMing>: Yes. It's burning into the bark.
19:55 <Ezra>: [how fast?]
19:55 <Skid_GMing>: Not very fast. There's a lot of bark and not all that much acid. Enough to draw the tree's attention.
19:55 <Olwen>: [How is my arrow doing?]
19:55 <Skid_GMing>: There is smoke rising from the tree's upper branches.
19:56 <Ezra>: [tough wood... hm...]
19:56 <Olwen>: "Gareth, if you shoot it will it burn?"
19:56 <Gareth>: "I shoot electricity."
19:56 <Skid_GMing>: Roll.
19:56 <Ezra>: "WHAT!?"
19:57 <Ezra>: "Why did you just now tell us this?"
19:57 <Gareth>: You knew this.
19:57 <Skid_GMing>: ...it's on his character sheet. He's used it combat before.
19:57 <Gareth>: I did it a ton last mission.
19:57 <Gareth>: If the roll was for me, I was saying that not doing it Skid
19:58 <Ezra>: "Lightning and trees, classic..."
19:58 <Skid_GMing>: Okay.
19:58 <Gareth>: But I may as well try it anyway.
19:58 <Gareth>: If I'm in range.
19:58 <Ezra>: I slowly move a bit away from the tree.
19:58 <Olwen>: "Lightning catches trees on fire!"
19:58 <Gareth>: "...yes it does!"
19:59 <Skid_GMing>: Okay, roll if you're trying it.
19:59 <Ezra>: "I need to memorise you guys and gals abilities it seems... Will work on that."
19:59 <Gareth>: It's way out of range...
19:59 <Ezra>: "Use effort?"
20:00 <Gareth>: Can't for distance.
20:00 <Gareth>: The tree is distracted you say?
20:00 <Skid_GMing>: It's flailing and a little bit on fire.
20:00 <Ezra>: "Oh yeah..."
20:00 <Ezra>: "Don't forget my acid too..."
20:00 <Skid_GMing>: It also hasn't fired any more bolts.
20:00 <Ezra>: I move away a bit more.
20:01 <Gareth>: If I advance is there further cover or all open?
20:01 <Skid_GMing>: There's some low brush that makes okayish cover.
20:02 <Gareth>: How much further? All the way?
20:02 <Skid_GMing>: All the way.
20:02 <Gareth>: I carefully advance to plasma range (about 75 feet up)
20:03 <Ezra>: [How is the fire doing?]
20:03 <Skid_GMing>: The fire is doing about the same.
20:03 <Skid_GMing>: It doesn't look like the tree will burn down any time soon, but it also hasn't gone out.
20:03 <Gareth>: Have I moved?
20:04 <Skid_GMing>: Yes.
20:04 <Gareth>: If we're not doing turns yet, I fire plasma
20:04 <Ezra>: [How long unlil the acid venum gets into the trees sap?]
20:04 <Skid_GMing>: Also, your plasma bolt has a range of 100 ft.
20:04 <Gareth>: ...
20:04 <Gareth>: Oops :p
20:04 <Skid_GMing>: The acid has just about burnt itself out.
20:04 <Gareth>: Better chance to hit from closer I guess.
20:05 <Gareth>: Yeah, meant to do it.
20:05 <Ezra>: [how far has it made it into the tree then]
20:05 <Skid_GMing>: You can see green wood through holes in the bark.
20:05 <Ezra>: [ :P haha, it is okay Gareth, we know what you were doing]
20:05 <Ezra>: "Hm, aim for the hole I made!"
20:05 <Gareth>: What are the branches like? Scraggly or tightly tangled?
20:06 <Ezra>: "You could evaporate all of its sap in one hit!"
20:06 <Skid_GMing>: They're dense and drooping, like flexible tendrils covered in leaves.
20:07 <Gareth>: What would be the most effective target?
20:07 <Ezra>: "The hole?"
20:07 <Gareth>: Is the acid hole a weakness?
20:07 <Ezra>: "It is exposing green..."
20:07 <Skid_GMing>: What do you know about tree anatomy?
20:07 <Gareth>: Green wood isn't generally super combustible.
20:07 <Olwen>: Green wood doesn't burn as well. I would say the leaves.
20:07 <Ezra>: "The evaporated sap though is why trees die from lightning strikes."
20:08 <Skid_GMing>: And it's not like you have a limited number of shots...
20:08 <Skid_GMing>: Of note, this is a huge tree. The trunk is several feet across.
20:08 <Gareth>: I fire plasma bolt at the base of the branches, where they sprout from the trunk
20:09 <Skid_GMing>: You produce burn marks where you hit, and those limbs convulse.
20:09 <Ezra>: "In that case fire a few dozen everywhere. Ha!"
20:09 <Gareth>: I fire again I suppose.
20:10 <Skid_GMing>: It seems ineffective on the grand scheme of things.
20:10 <Gareth>: I try one at the acid burn.
20:10 <Skid_GMing>: You produce a small black burn mark.
20:10 <Gareth>: Mmhmm
20:11 <Skid_GMing>: Okay, to move this along, maaybe you guys should do some more recon...
20:11 <Ezra>: "Hm, maybe we just need to take out the weapon?"
20:11 <Olwen>: "Try the leaves."
20:11 <Olwen>: I scan the area.
20:11 <Ezra>: [ xD aka, come on guys, it is not thhhaattt hard! Right GM?]
20:11 <Skid_GMing>: Are you circling the clearing?
20:11 <Olwen>: Yes.
20:12 <Ezra>: I look around the tree.
20:12 <Skid_GMing>: Okay, roll a perception check.
20:12 <Olwen>: !roll d20 specialised.
20:12 <Dicebot>: Olwen, specialised.: 3
20:12 <Olwen>: -_-
20:12 <Gareth>: I follow Olwen and also look in case she misses something ;)
20:12 <Ezra>: !roll d20 perception check
20:12 <Dicebot>: Ezra, perception check: 14
20:13 <Skid_GMing>: Ezra, you find a worn path that ends suddenly under a patch of dead grass about the size of a manhole.
20:13 <Ezra>: I examine the manhole.
20:14 <Skid_GMing>: It's round and covered in grass. when you knock on it it sounds like wood.
20:14 <Ezra>: I pull up on it.
20:14 <Olwen>: I go to wherever Ezra is.
20:14 <Skid_GMing>: It lifts a couple inches and sticks.
20:14 <Ezra>: "Guys! I found somthing!"
20:15 <Skid_GMing>: Okay, you're just beyond the tree's reach, on the opposide side from where you arrived.
20:15 <Gareth>: Oh good
20:15 <Ezra>: I use my recovery roll if I may. (unless I am okay by now)
20:15 <Skid_GMing>: Your 1 action or your 10 minute?
20:16 <Ezra>: [which takes longer]
20:16 <Skid_GMing>: 1 action takes a few seconds. 10 minute takes... guess.
20:16 <Gareth>: But you should use the 10min if we're going to be messing around here.
20:16 <Gareth>: Might need to use the action in combat.
20:17 <Ezra>: [my answer is there then]
20:17 <Skid_GMing>: Okay, roll for it.
20:17 <Ezra>: 10 mins
20:17 <Ezra>: !roll 1d6+1 recovory
20:17 <Dicebot>: Ezra, recovory: 7:6+1
20:17 <Skid_GMing>: Okay, you regain 7 points to your pools.
20:18 <Ezra>: Nice! Full health!
20:18 <Gareth>: Nice!
20:18 <Skid_GMing>: You're all at the hatch now?
20:18 <Gareth>: Yes
20:18 <Ezra>: "Let us pull together."
20:18 <Olwen>: I pull on the hatch.
20:18 <Skid_GMing>: Okay, strength checks all around.
20:19 <Gareth>: !roll d20
20:19 <Dicebot>: Gareth: 18
20:19 <Olwen>: !roll d20
20:19 <Dicebot>: Olwen: 11
20:19 <Ezra>: !roll d20 strength check
20:19 <Dicebot>: Ezra, strength check: 13
20:20 <Skid_GMing>: Okay, something breaks and you pull the hatch loose. There's a ladder decending into the darkness.
20:20 <Ezra>: "Lights everybody..."
20:20 <Gareth>: "Great, darkness again."
20:20 <Ezra>: "The fun never ends!"
20:21 <Gareth>: I light my lantern.
20:21 <Ezra>: I light my lantern.
20:21 <Olwen>: I use Lesser Dark Vision.
20:21 <Skid_GMing>: Okay.
20:22 <Olwen>: I go down the ladder
20:22 <Ezra>: "Well, shall we?"
20:22 <Ezra>: I go down the ladder using stealth.
20:22 <Skid_GMing>: Roll a stealthcheck.
20:23 <Ezra>: !roll d20 stealthcheck
20:23 <Dicebot>: Ezra, stealthcheck: 16
20:23 <Ezra>: [trained]
20:23 <Skid_GMing>: You descend about 15 feet into a rounded tunnel lined with interwining roots. It's about 5 feet across and leads off to the north.
20:23 <Skid_GMing>: You feel pretty sneaky.
20:23 <Olwen>: :P
20:23 <Ezra>: [Ha! :D]
20:23 <Skid_GMing>: The floor flattens out a short distance ahead, and the floor is lined with tiles of some sort.
20:24 <Olwen>: I examine the tiles.
20:24 <Ezra>: I examin the tiles
20:24 <Ezra>: "Hold up, may be trap trigs"
20:24 <Gareth>: What is the ground? Dirt? Rocks?
20:24 <Olwen>: :( No one trusts me to check things out myself.
20:24 <Skid_GMing>: Dirt,
20:25 <Skid_GMing>: They're square chunks of pottery of a greyish color. Scattered ones are marked in red.
20:25 <Ezra>: "Let us test this..."
20:25 <Olwen>: I throw a clod of dirt onto them.
20:25 <Ezra>: [nice]
20:25 <Skid_GMing>: Onto any one in specific?
20:26 <Olwen>: A grey one.
20:26 <Ezra>: [red]
20:26 <Skid_GMing>: Nothing seems to happen.
20:26 <Ezra>: "What?"
20:26 <Ezra>: I throw dirt.
20:26 <Ezra>: onto red tile
20:26 <Skid_GMing>: You're throwing onto a red one?
20:26 <Gareth>: No...
20:26 <Ezra>: "What?"
20:26 <Skid_GMing>: !roll d3
20:26 <Dicebot>: Skid_GMing: 3
20:27 <Gareth>: Why would you do that?
20:27 <Skid_GMing>: Ezra, make a speed defense roll.
20:27 <Ezra>: "To see where the spikes or lava comes out of?"
20:27 <Ezra>: !roll d20 speed defense
20:27 <Dicebot>: Ezra, speed defense : 19
20:28 <Ezra>: [maybe trained, not sure]
20:28 <Skid_GMing>: A bolt shoots out of the dark hallway in front of you and embeds itself in the wall behind.
20:28 <Gareth>: How do you know that's what it would do? You can't assume a mystery trap would only affect the trigger point it could have done something to the entire room!
20:28 <Olwen>: "Well, now we know."
20:28 <Gareth>: Walls close in or something!
20:29 <Ezra>: "Right, ha, right..."
20:29 <Ezra>: "Good point..."
20:29 <Ezra>: I take the bolt.
20:29 <Ezra>: [may as well put this to use]
20:29 <Skid_GMing>: It's a bolt.
20:30 <Ezra>: [yup, so it is]
20:30 <Skid_GMing>: Pretty standard design.
20:30 <Ezra>: {but I don't have one yet, so upgrade]
20:30 <Skid_GMing>: So... what do you do next?
20:31 <Olwen>: How many red tiles are there?
20:31 <Gareth>: Can we cross on just grey tiles?
20:31 <Ezra>: "It makes sense though that it would be a small trap. If you think about it..."
20:31 <Skid_GMing>: Enough that you could theoretically walk across walking only on them.
20:31 <Gareth>: That's an observation question only, we don't act on it yet.
20:31 <Skid_GMing>: It's mostly grey tiles.
20:32 <Olwen>: What does the roof look like?
20:32 <Gareth>: "Throw dirt on all that would make a path to the end. Make sure they're all safe."
20:32 <Skid_GMing>: It's an arching cover of roots.
20:33 <Skid_GMing>: Are you doing or saying that?
20:33 <Gareth>: I was suggesting it to Olwen.
20:33 <Gareth>: That is, pick out a grey path and test all tiles in it. Not test ALL tiles :P
20:33 <Olwen>: Is there a chance I could climb along the roof with acrobatics?
20:34 <Skid_GMing>: It looks vaguely possible.
20:34 <Ezra>: "How long is the tile path?"
20:34 <Skid_GMing>: About 30 feet.
20:34 <Skid_GMing>: Then the tunnel turns left.
20:34 <Ezra>: "Right."
20:34 <Skid_GMing>: But there aren't tiles at the corner.
20:34 <Olwen>: "Should I try the roof?"
20:34 <Gareth>: What about the rest of us though?
20:35 <Gareth>: We all need across.
20:35 <Ezra>: "There may be an off switch at the far end..."
20:35 <Olwen>: I could fire an arrow with a rope and tie it at my end, then climb on that.
20:36 <Gareth>: "I don't know... but good to have one over anyway, whatever we decide. Have to start somewhere."
20:36 <Ezra>: "You think some of the gray tiles are wired?"
20:36 <Skid_GMing>: Let's put the damage for making a mistake in perspective: the bolt would fit a medium weapon.
20:36 <Gareth>: "Try it if you want Olwen."
20:36 <Olwen>: I attempt to climb the roof.
20:37 <Ezra>: I am ready to catch him if he falls.
20:37 <Gareth>: Her
20:37 <Skid_GMing>: Okay, roll for acrobatics.
20:37 <Olwen>: !roll d20 trained 1 effort.
20:37 <Skid_GMing>: You'll run out into the trap to catch her?
20:37 <Ezra>: [right, nice, very chivalrous of me]
20:37 <Dicebot>: Olwen, trained 1 effort.: 20
20:37 <Skid_GMing>: You swing right across safely.
20:38 <Olwen>: I look for an off switch.
20:38 <Ezra>: "Good going!"
20:38 <Skid_GMing>: Good job on you, that was a level 5 trick.
20:38 <Olwen>: :D
20:39 <Olwen>: Sooo, peception check?
20:39 <Skid_GMing>: Okay, you're at the far end of the tiles, and can see further down the tunnel. Ahead you see a pit of some kind, about 10 feet across.
20:39 <Skid_GMing>: Sure, roll perception.
20:39 <Olwen>: !roll d20 specialized
20:39 <Dicebot>: Olwen, specialized: 7
20:39 <Olwen>: And my luck is over.
20:39 <Skid_GMing>: The wall in the corner facing the tiles is a metal plate with several holes in it at waist level.
20:40 <Olwen>: I jam an arrow into one of the holes while standing to the side.
20:40 <Skid_GMing>: The arrow sticks in the hole.
20:40 <Skid_GMing>: There's another 7 holes still open.
20:41 <Olwen>: I fill those too.
20:41 <Gareth>: Is there a straight path across all grey?
20:41 <Skid_GMing>: Okay, all the holes are now jammed with arrows.
20:41 <Skid_GMing>: Straight? No.
20:41 <Ezra>: "Should we test the red tiles now?"
20:41 <Olwen>: "Try testing the red tiles now."
20:41 <Gareth>: Didn't think so.
20:41 <Skid_GMing>: But the tiles aren't too big to step over.
20:42 <Ezra>: "We could duck down now that we know where the bolt will fire?"
20:42 <Ezra>: "See if the holes stoped the trap?"
20:42 <Gareth>: I decide we need to get moving along and start traversing the path.
20:42 <Olwen>: "I think Malvert was just counting on us not checking the floor.
20:43 <Gareth>: I step over all tiles. :p
20:43 <Skid_GMing>: Okay, you step on just grey tiles?
20:43 <Ezra>: "Then there is just that way too..."
20:43 <Gareth>: No I just step over all of them if that's possible.
20:43 <Ezra>: I follow, only stepping on gray tiles.
20:43 <Skid_GMing>: Make a jump cheeck. =p
20:44 <Gareth>: I can't step over one at a time? What's the spacing like?
20:44 <Skid_GMing>: They're right next to each other, and they're about a foto and a half square each.
20:44 <Gareth>: Oh I misunderstood what we're looking at.
20:44 <Gareth>: Got it now.
20:44 <Skid_GMing>: So you can skip individual ones.
20:44 <Gareth>: Right
20:45 <Gareth>: I step on grey as far as I can in a straight forward line.
20:45 <Skid_GMing>: Okay, about halfway across you reach a red tile.
20:45 <Gareth>: The next one is grey again?
20:45 <Skid_GMing>: Yes.
20:46 <Gareth>: I sigh, step over it and continue straight.
20:46 <Skid_GMing>: Nothing happens. You make it across.
20:46 <Ezra>: I follow in the same manner.
20:46 <Skid_GMing>: You make it across.
20:46 <Gareth>: I roll my eyes and sigh with relief at the same time, conflicted on how to respond.
20:47 <Gareth>: "We made that way more tedious than it had to be."
20:47 <Olwen>: I continue on and look in the pit.
20:47 <Ezra>: "Well, we made it at least..."
20:47 <Gareth>: "But we did it."
20:47 <Skid_GMing>: It seems to be full of broken glass and metal parts.
20:48 <Olwen>: How far across?
20:48 <Gareth>: How wide?
20:48 <Skid_GMing>: 10 feet.
20:48 <Skid_GMing>: 5 feet wide.
20:48 <Olwen>: What is beyond it?
20:48 <Gareth>: "Hmm"
20:48 <Skid_GMing>: A tunnel that turns to the left.
20:48 <Skid_GMing>: It's about 10 feet deep as well.
20:49 <Gareth>: It spans the whole passage? Or we can go around?
20:49 <Skid_GMing>: It spans the whole passage.
20:49 <Olwen>: "Should I try firing a rope?"
20:49 <Gareth>: "Into what?"
20:49 <Olwen>: The wall across.
20:50 <Skid_GMing>: Above it is some sort of grate structure that covers the ceiling.
20:50 <Gareth>: "Worth a try."
20:50 <Olwen>: I tie my rope onto an arrow and fire it towards the wall.
20:50 <Skid_GMing>: Roll.
20:51 <Olwen>: !roll d20 1 effort strength.
20:51 <Dicebot>: Olwen, 1 effort strength.: 9
20:51 <Olwen>: -_-
20:51 <Skid_GMing>: You hear a solid "Thunk" in the far wall.
20:51 <Olwen>: I pull on the rope to test it.
20:51 <Skid_GMing>: You're literally shooting a wall. It's hard to miss.
20:51 <Ezra>: [Going AFK guys, sorry]
20:51 <Skid_GMing>: It doesn't feel like it would take a person's weight.
20:52 <Olwen>: "Now what?"
20:52 <Gareth>: How high is the ceiling?
20:54 <Skid_GMing>: The ceiling is about 7 feet up, and covered in a metal grate.
20:54 Ezra quit
20:54 <Gareth>: How large are the spaces?
20:54 <Gareth>: In the grate
20:54 <Olwen>: How high can I jump?
20:55 <Olwen>: (I'm goin' to have to go soon.)
20:55 <Skid_GMing>: You can jump that high. The grate has 6 inch squares.
20:55 <Gareth>: I jump and try to hook my fingers in the grate.
20:55 <Skid_GMing>: Roll acrobatics.
20:55 <Skid_GMing>: Speed action ()
20:55 <Olwen>: I jump and grab the grate.
20:56 <Gareth>: Heh
20:56 <Gareth>: !roll d20
20:56 <Dicebot>: Gareth: 16
20:56 <Skid_GMing>: Olwen auto-succeeds. Gareth makes it.
20:56 <Olwen>: I swing across.
20:56 <Skid_GMing>: Okay. You swing across the pit.
20:56 <Olwen>: Wow, that was easy.
20:57 <Gareth>: For you: acrobat
20:57 <Gareth>: I 'monkey bar' across
20:57 <Skid_GMing>: Roll for it.
20:57 <Gareth>: This should be easier than swinging :x
20:58 <Gareth>: !roll d20
20:58 <Dicebot>: Gareth: 19
20:58 <Gareth>: :)
20:58 <Skid_GMing>: And you're clear.
20:58 <Olwen>: Hehe.
20:58 <Skid_GMing>: Dang, we don't have time for the fun traps.
20:58 <Gareth>: "Next!"
20:58 <Olwen>: :(
20:58 <Olwen>: I have to go.
20:58 <Gareth>: We can do another two parter
21:18 <Skid_GMing>: We really needed penguin along so you guys could shove him into traps to figure out what they do. =p
Image
User avatar
LIGHTNING
Pilgrim
Posts: 255
Joined: February 2015
Location: NC > KY > NV

Post by LIGHTNING »

I am glad I did not miss any of the good stuff! :D
Right, so please PM me when the next one is going to be.
Image
User avatar
Skid
Still standing tall
Posts: 1343
Joined: November 2006
Location: The Frozen North

Post by Skid »

I've created a Character Sheets thread so that we don't have to dig through this thread to find them. If you can repost your character sheet to that thread it would be most helpful.

-- Thu May 07, 2015 12:59 pm --

This mission was a disaster, or was it? The madman has escaped, but leaves a pile of cryptic notes and a token of respect for the rookie Embers.

Everyone participating gets 3 XP for mission completion, 1 XP to give away to a team mate, 5 Nobles pay, and a dressing-down from the commander.

In the fallout of the next few days Malvert's tree is cut down and sold off for hundreds of Nobles in blackwood. His eviction from the area seems to be a relief for everyone.
User avatar
bookworm
ToO Historian
ToO Historian
Posts: 16248
Joined: July 2006
Contact:

Post by bookworm »

I give my XP to Tikvah for finding innovative ways to approach the obstacles holding us up.
Image
Post Reply