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Post by venger on Sept 30, 2013 11:09:05 GMT -5
or the Lion of Mitra in Dan's ring. I'm OK with a Lion of Mitra coming forth automatically seeing as Dan is in mortal danger and, as I mentioned at the end of the session, there might have been an extra specialized attack or two on the bad guy's side... and after next round all your characters will probably be unconscious... Also this guy sounds awesome: Hopefully the Son of Set is hedged by our protection from evil. I would not count on that as part of your strategy. I wondered what happened to Infidel-Bane. I thought he was suppose to take out some of these town dwellers. As I recall-- Moram Infidel-Bane cautioned that a direct assault on the town, while brave, might not be the best approach. He wanted to go commando into the dungeon through the stable entrance and meet up with the party somewhere in the middle, for the big fight. But then the party indicated the grave danger to the members of the caravan and he felt shamed into protecting them until they got to the ship. If we survive we should get some nice stuff. Not the least of which is the Sword of Krone - +3 broadsword, detect traps, secret doors and evil. Grimstone the Elf might have something to say about that.
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Post by Wolfgar on Sept 30, 2013 12:03:14 GMT -5
I thought Grimstone was dead since we rolled the percentile dice for him going down. If he is still alive then of course he would keep the sword.
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Post by Wolfgar on Sept 30, 2013 12:33:35 GMT -5
and after next round all your characters will probably be unconscious... I think we have a couple of rounds at least. The fighters on Dan have used their charges. So they will need to advance before attacking again. That will allow Nordel and Azhbar to get off some shots. Trommer still has a great AC so he can probably hold off the other guys for a bit. He might be better served defending while he waits for support. Maybe Haddiq can get off an Orison of Lesser Healing and bring Dan, Paavo (assuming he is not killed out right), Grimstone and Vastavar back up. Colby just needs to distract the Son of Set while we get better odds on the fighters. Hold Monster would be nice but it is unlikely he could get it off in time.
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Post by venger on Sept 30, 2013 13:16:33 GMT -5
I thought Grimstone was dead since we rolled the percentile dice for him going down. If he is still alive then of course he would keep the sword. Vastavaar Speartongue, 2nd level fighter (14HP) equipped in padded armor, shield and scimitar went down during the fight. Grimstone is holding his own actually. He'd be doing better if he were proficient in broadsword. I'll get the photos posted later, and current HP totals and a link to character sheets with inventories. That should make it clearer and help with strategizing. Whenever blood is spilled in the temple percentile dice are rolled, everyone gets a really bad feeling and the eyes of the statue glow brighter. Hit point loss not being a representation of physical injury, I'm only counting downed combatants as "shedding blood." I think we have a couple of rounds at least. Oh, that was just referring to Dan who is already unconscious and Paavo who has literally 2HP. Though I guess you can play Grimstone. Considering the party's magic items and spell capabilities, I wouldn't have thought this fight too difficult. Trommer has like 68HP. Nordel was only hit once, so he's in the high 40's or 50's. Azhbar and Basmadoos should have 20 or 30HP. Haddiq is either at 12 or in single digits. Haidar has 7HP. Grimstone looks tough. The White Tower is like 2 rounds away, assuming 12" movement rate... The half-snakeman cleric, Aphris has again retreated for reinforcements... The bad guys are going to need to determine if they want to press the attack or attempt to withdraw with their own wounded/downed allies. Vrednii, The Eater of Corpses, doesn't look like he is all that particular about what corpses he eats.
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Post by venger on Oct 1, 2013 8:36:34 GMT -5
HP: Nordel: 46/58 Paavo: 2/48+10 Dan: 0/40 Trommer: 68/87 Colby: 43/39+4 Haddiq: 11/23 Azhbar: 20/28 Basmadoos: 30/33 Haidar: 7/7 Vastavaar Speartongue: 0/14 Grimstone the Elf: 40/48
I'll get spells and inventories this evening. Already late for work. :-/
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Post by venger on Oct 1, 2013 9:44:56 GMT -5
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Post by venger on Oct 1, 2013 10:11:17 GMT -5
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Post by venger on Oct 1, 2013 20:46:06 GMT -5
Character sheets & party accountsSpells currently--- Trommer: Feather Fall Haidar: Unseen Servant, Sanctuary, PfE Dan: Detect Magic, Sanctuary, Create Water, Endure Heat Hold Person, Silence 15' Prayer, Dispel Magic x2 PfE 10' x2 Haddiq: Bless, Light, PfE Aid, Hold Person Castigate, Death's Door, Prayer PfE 10' Colby: (43HP mage shield) Magic Missile x2, Shield, Unseen Servant Web, Stinking Cloud, Alacrity Fireball x2, Lightning Bolt x2, Dispel Magic Polymorph Self, Wall of Fire, Dimension Door Hold Monster, Telekinesis
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Post by Wolfgar on Oct 2, 2013 8:52:45 GMT -5
Everyone appears to be in fine shape other than Paavo and Dan.
Haidar should try the wand of paralyzation along the line that contains Seth and Merth (nice photo) or maybe the rod of terror (still not sure how this works). Actually Paavo MR would likely protect Merth.
Should Merth's attacks split Trommer's and Paavo's? Beginning of round Merth/Trommer/Merth, end of round Merth/Trommer/Merth. That seems to be what the DMG says on pages 61-62.
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Post by Wolfgar on Oct 2, 2013 9:17:45 GMT -5
I think we may be missing a +1 ring of protection. I count 4 on the party spreadsheet. Here there are 5. Any idea what happened to the one listed under Trommer? And what about the one left behind by Bolo?
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Post by venger on Oct 2, 2013 10:37:48 GMT -5
the line that contains Seth and Merth (nice photo) I really like the way that one came out, the angle of the photo makes the characters look especially heroic. Should Merth's attacks split Trommer's and Paavo's? Beginning of round Merth/Trommer/Merth, end of round Merth/Trommer/Merth. That seems to be what the DMG says on pages 61-62. Here's the relevant text: "When the attack routine may be used twice, then allow the side with this advantage to attack FIRST and LAST with those members of its group who have this advantage. If it is possessed by both parties, the initiative roll determines which group strikes FIRST and THIRD, which group strikes SECOND and LAST." Then there's some text about a 3/1 creature vs. a 1/1 creature and how they should "dice" to see who "strikes first in the mid-point of the round." Then it says: "Extrapolate for routines which occur four or more times in a round by following the method above." Trommer and Paavo are both 2/1 while Merth is hasted at 4/1. It's my belief that haste/magical speed should automatically win initiative rolls.Merth is getting FIRST FIRST THIRD THIRD attacks every round. Both Paavo and Trommer are attacking SECOND AND LAST. Since they're both on the same initiative, Trommer's 18 dexterity means he hits before Paavo does. Gorstead and Hannon are 3/2. On the off-rounds, when they get only one attack, they do so in the middle of the round - after Merth has attacked twice and Paavo and Trommer have attacked once. 10 segment round-- segment -1 (haste) MERTH, MERTH segment 0 (dex + specialized) TROMMER segment 0 (spec) PAAVO segment X (initiative) GORSTEAD THE GRIM, HANNON HELLRISER segment 9.99999 (haste) MERTH, MERTH segment 10 (dex + specialized) TROMMER segment 10 (specialized) PAAVO I think we may be missing a +1 ring of protection. I count 4 on the party spreadsheet. Here there are 5. The one listed there for Dan has a quantity of 0. At this point there are only 4 rings of protection +1 floating around the party. Ingrid Friedrich Mary Haddiq Finnious also has one, recovered from the very first adventure. Although a while ago there was a duplication of rings of protection +1 because I was swapping a ring back and forth and I had accidentally selected all the worksheets on the master spreadsheet... so there might be one extra floating around.
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Post by venger on Oct 2, 2013 10:41:52 GMT -5
Merth is getting FIRST FIRST THIRD THIRD attacks every round. Both Paavo and Trommer are attacking SECOND AND LAST. Maybe an extrapolation would look more like this: FIRST - Merth SECOND - Trommer, Paavo THIRD - Merth FOURTH - Merth FIFTH - Trommer, Paavo SIXTH - Merth He's not 2/1 with two attacks each time, like a rod of flailing or a claw/bite. He's 4/1, with four individual attack routines.
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Post by Wolfgar on Oct 2, 2013 11:43:28 GMT -5
That is what I was thinking. Someone who is 4/1 attacking someone who is 2/1 is like someone who is 2/1 attacking someone who is 1/1.
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Post by venger on Oct 2, 2013 11:54:14 GMT -5
Conceivably then, going FIRST, THIRD, FOURTH AND SIXTH, he could parry FIRST, attack THIRD, parry FOURTH and attack again SIXTH, giving him a super-low negative AC whenever Paavo or Trommer have the opportunity to strike him.
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Post by Wolfgar on Oct 2, 2013 12:24:01 GMT -5
According to PHB p. 104, parrying is a full round action. One of the four possible actions a melee fighter can opt to do (attack, parry, fall back or flee). Though I have never really liked the parrying rules. It doesn't account for different rates of attack. Also I think it should consider level differential or better yet THAC0 differential. A 10th level fighter should be able to deflect most blows from a 1st level fighter if he choose to defend instead of attack.
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Post by Bolo on Oct 2, 2013 12:29:23 GMT -5
The wand of paralyzation is a good option for Haidar, but DMG says "as soon as the ray touches 1 creature it stops; the wand can attack only 1 target per round." So unless this isn't the DMG version, there's no line, just Seth.
Would it be better to try to paralyze Vrednii the Eater of Corpses? The wand's 6" range looks close but maybe just long enough, depending on where Vrednii has moved to by segment 5. If he flies up to attack Colby (which would be my choice if I were the crafty and malevolent wise and benevolent DM) then there should be no problem with line of sight. I'm pretty sure Vrednii is a higher-value target than Seth, but his save against the wand is also probably a lot better.
AIUI, the rod of terror is a weapon. Getting into melee range is probably not an attractive option for Haidar, with 7 HP and a 7 AC. Please correct me if there is another way to use this rod.
Another option I'm considering is for Haidar to run like hell and try to bring reinforcements from Holomir and the gnomes. But I can't remember the map -- is there a reasonably direct route to the White Tower from where Haidar is standing?
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Post by Wolfgar on Oct 2, 2013 12:56:46 GMT -5
The description of the wand is interesting. It says "A save indicates the ray missed". If the ray misses then it should continue past the target to whoever else is in line.
I wouldn't be surprised if Vrednii had magic resistance in addition to a better save.
I think the rod of terror can be used as a rod instead of as a mace. I am not sure what the effect is. Maybe something like a wand of fear. We identified it but there was no explanation other than its name.
Back to Holomir: Straight down the hall, turn right, secret door on left, through the caves to the wizard locked door. Or up the stairs, through the bar, back to the temple, through the secret door and down the shaft.
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Post by venger on Oct 2, 2013 14:04:33 GMT -5
Though I have never really liked the parrying rules. It doesn't account for different rates of attack. Also I think it should consider level differential or better yet THAC0 differential. A 10th level fighter should be able to deflect most blows from a 1st level fighter if he choose to defend instead of attack. Well, I don't disagree. Sometimes I have trouble reconciling what seem like concrete to-hit & damage rolls with the abstraction that is hit points and melee combat in D&D. Supposedly its hit points (and also the lower level fighter's terrible THAC0) what protect the 10th level fighter. 9 levels of 1d10HP represent his ability to deflect and avoid enemy blows. That 60HP isn't the amount of physical injury a character can sustain from being hit by a broadsword so much as the gauge of how long a character is dodging, parrying, etc. in combat before they sustain physical injury from that broadsword. The idea being that when a character is at single digit, low hit points, their luck/skill/magic has effectively run out, and the next sword thrust becomes potentially lethal. It helps me to think of hit points as more of an action hero meter than a health bar. How many times can you run through a hail of enemy bullets or jump out of a helicopter? Arnold Schwarzenegger can do it all movie, but Johnny Six-Hit-Points is going to be out of the action after the first stunt. I can't remember the map -- is there a reasonably direct route to the White Tower from where Haidar is standing? I'll see about taking a picture of the party's maps and posting them to the board. The description of the wand is interesting. It says "A save indicates the ray missed". If the ray misses then it should continue past the target to whoever else is in line. I think maybe a bonus to the savings throw for the second person in line would be in order, seeing as how they weren't being directly targeted by the wand. I think the rod of terror can be used as a rod instead of as a mace. I am not sure what the effect is. Maybe something like a wand of fear. We identified it but there was no explanation other than its name. It's a 2e DMG item, but expending a charge from the Rod of Terror has a similar effect as: DMG pg 144- "...radiates terror in a 3" radius, and any opponent in this radius must make a saving throw versus magic or lose 50% of strength and suffer at least -3 on "to hit" dice rolls, all due to weakness caused by terror."
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Post by Wolfgar on Oct 2, 2013 16:40:50 GMT -5
How nuanced are we going to be on the word "opponent"?
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Post by Bolo on Oct 2, 2013 16:56:07 GMT -5
A 3" radius from Haidar would definitely include Seth, Wormgear, and Bolt. From the photos, it's hard to tell about Gorstead, Hannon, and Merth.
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Post by venger on Oct 2, 2013 18:25:30 GMT -5
How nuanced are we going to be on the word "opponent"? No nuance. It is limited by charges and another drawback as yet undiscovered...
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Post by Bolo on Oct 2, 2013 19:06:39 GMT -5
another drawback as yet undiscovered... Well heck, in that case, I'm sold. There's no time like the present for discovering hitherto unknown drawbacks. p.s. Do we have a date for the next session yet?
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Post by Wolfgar on Oct 2, 2013 20:00:34 GMT -5
So "opponent" means someone you are fighting against. Right? So we don't have to worry about anyone on our side being affected. Right?
A 3" radius centered on Haidar would extend just past Trommer and Basmadoos. Maybe if you hold the rod at arm's length you can encompass everyone.
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Post by venger on Oct 3, 2013 10:14:20 GMT -5
p.s. Do we have a date for the next session yet? Email sent. So "opponent" means someone you are fighting against. Right? So we don't have to worry about anyone on our side being affected. Right? The party is always squabbling amongst itself so if it makes you feel better the DM will ask each player if their character is opposed to the wielder of the rod and if so they can make a savings throw. Maybe if you hold the rod at arm's length you can encompass everyone. The Rod of Terror has to be held up above his head.
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Post by Ginger on Oct 3, 2013 10:49:38 GMT -5
Rod of Terror definitely seems like the right call for Haidar. Colby will probably Dimension Door away from the Eater, towards Haidar and Haddiq, not wanting to risk losing initiative.
I'm thinking Haddiq will either advance to behind Paavo and Trommer or Hold Person on the Constable, trusting the -2 modifier to beat his prayer bonus and high level saving throws.
I assume the answer is no, but can a character make a half move and administer a potion on segment 10?
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Post by venger on Oct 3, 2013 22:12:44 GMT -5
Administering a potion is a full round action.
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