[DM Hugh] - "Faoil? Flying on top of you? I don't think so, bumblebee... sounds like a bad idea." d3=1 ; d8=6 ; d100=81 ; d100=85 ; Tuesday June 30th, 2015 9:52:04 PM
==back at the Inn==
Murphy buys 150 feet of hemp and silk rope, a 25 square foot fishing net, 4 saddle bags, and some buckles, belts and straps like would be used in the saddling of pack animals. Murphy pays the merchant 58 gold for these wares. (OOC: I need to check with DM Steven on the wand. Will send mail)
Hazel finds that the merchant does have a selection of gems and converts his coin into a form that is lighter to carry.
Alleah finds that the merchant also has a spare pony he is willing to part with. The mount is not combat trained, but is also not a nag and Alleah purchases it for the tune of 30 gold pieces. It is a chestnut mare named Thistle.
==On the road== The party was actually south east of the river. When you get to the point where you can see the river from the land, Bliss on Mookie's back flies 1000 ft into the air and does indeed see the green smudge of the blackbird forest slightly northwest of your position.
Hazel is dealing with the effects of the spectre's touch (OOC: since a few people posted before he did, I will give till next post to impact the outcome of the saving throw, so buff Hazel next post or forever hold your peace)
Murphy sets to work making a makeshift saddle with the rope, fish net, saddle bags, straps, buckles and belts. (OOC: taking rolls: Craft[leather]:12, Know[engineering]:16, Know[nature]:20, Ride 17, Fly 17) and is able to make something that looks like it will hold together for at least a day's worth of travel though at 70 pounds the makeshift saddle is a little weighty (OOC: added up the weight of what you bought to figure out how much the saddle would weigh, after the saddle is in place Murphy can carry another 48 pounds [14 str + size large creature = 118 lb light load] and still fly adjusting for saddle weight and maintaining a light load, Shel weighs 31.25 lbs including gear and Sardok weighs 59.1 lbs with gear)
Bliss is already flying on Mookie, Hazel has Faoil and Alleah has Thistle so they do not join in in the saddle experiment. Hazel asks, if it would be okay if they followed from the ground and Alleah points out that she can use flying broom if flight is needed for her.
Murphy-Eagle tries to fly with Shel, Sardok and the makeshift saddle on his back but finds that he can not get enough thrust to break free of gravity's hold.
So what do you do now? Help Hazel? Abandon the flying experiment? Adjust it in some way? Potentially still ride Murphy but have him choose a land based form? Something else?
Hazel (Bob Danderfluff LaRue) HP: 45/55 AC: 28/14/15 (2 negative levels) - Faoil: 23/23 AC 21/14/18 Wednesday July 1st, 2015 1:26:06 AM OOC: Please help Hazel! He will pay you with Kisses! A couple Guidances, and a Bear's Endurance is all he needs. Hazel thinks it out... "I can make both Alleah's new mount and Faoil move faster with some tricks I have learn..." Cast Longstrider 2 times, one for each mount, granting them +10' speed for 6 hours. "And maybe Shel, or even Sardok, can ride with me. Faoil can handle it." It is very clear he prefers Shel. Nothing personal, but she is more of his type.
Alleah -- RobC -- AC 14/13/12 -- CMD 12 -- HP 39/39 d100=12 ; Wednesday July 1st, 2015 6:17:24 AM
Alleah will absolutely do what she can to prepare Hazel for his fortitude test of the day.
Guidance - +1 Competance Bonus Resistance - +1 Resistance Bonus Bears Endurance - +4 enhancement bonus to Constitution (Leyline check: 12) Touch of Luck - For the next round, any time the target rolls a d20, he may roll twice and take the more favorable result.
"There! If that doesn't do it, well, we'll work something else out" she says from the back of Thistle.
Murphy - (Kim) Wednesday July 1st, 2015 6:49:59 AM
Murphy, at an appropriate time (and before he changed into a large bird), casts bear's endurance on Hazel. Regarding guidance - if a druid is allowed to change the four zero-level spells he uses, then Murphy would have tried to do so in the morning, knowing of Hazel's need, and cast guidance, just after bear's endurance, and just before Hazel tries to shake off the aftereffects of the spectre's touch. If he cannot change his cantrip selection, then someone else will need to provide guidance to help Hazel.
[OOC: As large animals, such as a horse, might weight 1500 lbs (but they don't fly), and some large flying critters, such as a hippogriff, weigh 1500 lbs, and a giant eagle weighs 500 lbs - and is structurally pretty much a larger version of an eagle... why couldn't Murphy, who already knows how to change into an eagle, now that he can handle larger sizes, change into a really big (large) eagle that would have similar carry weight and carrying capacity to a giant eagle - without the awkwardness of a pteranodon, or the structure of a dire bat? I guess I'm not too proficient at comprehending the 'reskinning' rule here.
An eagle can fly 80' - but I think Murphy is limited to 60' as a wild-shaped eagle
Carrying Capacity. A light load for a giant eagle is up to 300 pounds (he could handle the whole crew, weightwise, at a light load); a medium load, 301-600 pounds; and a heavy load, 601-900 pounds.
Am not wanting to cause trouble - just having trouble with some of the logic, and could use some help in better understanding things. Happy to go with whatever you rule, Hugh. /OOC]
===========
After the first unsuccessful attempt to fly saddled with two companions, Murphy realizes he needs more experience and practice in this form to be able to come close to what he intends.
He waits for his two friends to dismount, then tries flying with the saddle/harness alone. He won't try any tricky maneuvers - just straight flight for a bit, then, if that goes well, some shallow banking to see if the contraption allows him to turn. If that succeeds, he comes back to the group, and signals for Sardok to mount - and see if he take take off and fly with one friend riding along.
If that succeeds, he writes, 'Useful for crossing rivers.'
If the arrangement is too unwieldy for more than stuttering success, he returns to the group, and writes in the dirt with his claws, 'Remove saddle.'
Once removed, he takes again to the air, thinking he needs a bit more time to try different maneuvers - climbing, banking, diving (but for this he will go pretty high, and start out with shallow dives so as not to overextend himself. He takes advantage of his height to look around the terrain, get a lay of the land - and to alert the group should it appear they are likely to meet up with others along the path they take.
If it was not too much for him to fly with only one passenger, once he has spent about half an hour in getting used to his new form, he returns to ground, and offers to take up Sardok (or whoever will) again. His original plan scuttled, there may still be use to this form. Perhaps changing into a fast horse later might buy the party more speed, with practical carrying capacity.
(OOC: DM Hugh comment - I know you are not trying to be difficult and neither am I. I honestly feel your pain, because in Agents I run a shifter. I had an impassioned discussion with the PTB concerning the new wildshape rules. If it was up to me for simplicity sake I would reskin as a giant vulture which is actually an animal, but not available anymore. The problem is that giant eagles are magical beasts and druids are limited to animal forms. I did not catch this originally or I would have said something sooner. As for just mega sizing a small eagle, the problem arises from not being able to apply templates to forms using wildshape (a giant dire eagle would be size large). Therefore, if you want to take a large flying size the only option you have available as a druid from the MM1 or MM2 is pteranodon or dire bat which you can do and call an eagle. I tried to get animals back from MMIII and MMIV but it was a non-starter with the PTB. However, you are right about the x3 capacity so I was wrong in my capacity assessment. Capacity is determined by x3 str for flying mounts so you actually can carry 177 lbs as a light load so I will take this in account in my next DM post. The reason why giant eagles can carry 300 lbs is the 18 str they have. Taking a large animal form gives you +4 str giving Murphy a score of 14 str and a light load of 177 lbs as a flyer)
Shel Gerald--AC 15/14/12--CMD 14--HP 39/39 Wednesday July 1st, 2015 8:59:59 AM
As the group made their preparations for the long trip, Shel approached Alleah. "It took a bit longer than a figured, but I finally have your gold that you forwarded me to join the WLA." Shel counts out 72 gold into Alleah's hand. "And let me know if there's any interest. I'm happy to settle up completely with you...you did me a solid in advancing me. And now, heck, I don't know what I will do with all of this!"
She waits as Murphy experiments with his saddle and all of his different animal forms. He had gotten quite good at shifting forms as easy as could be. Hopefully he could find something fast that everyone could ride on, as Shel knew she was one of the slower members of the team.
Alleah -- RobC -- AC 14/13/12 -- CMD 12 -- HP 39/39 Wednesday July 1st, 2015 9:48:20 AM "Thanks Shel, but I had intended it to be a gift. You're a friend you know! I know, what about once we make it safely back to Humble's Ford, save the towers and the day, we treat everyone to a nice meal with the gold? You and me"
Sardok HP 54/54 AC 21/16/16--Atlas2112 Wednesday July 1st, 2015 10:47:58 AM
Sardok assists Murphy as best he can with his flying attempts, but clearly the druid is making good arguments against gravity itself, so he waits until either a flying form stays airborne, or the eagle turns into an elephant-sized horse or something.
Bliss (AC20, HP35) & Mookie (AC19, HP17) (Cayzle) Wednesday July 1st, 2015 5:00:49 PM
Bliss takes a break from flying. He lands and sees that Hazel continues to struggle with the negative energy that plagues him.
"Maybe my new shadow tricks can help you with that," he says to his friend. "After all, shadows got one foot in the dark and one in the light."
The tiny halfling's shadow twists and bends in response to Bliss's will. It reaches out and touches Hazel's shadow. If it feels that the negative energy is winning, it will try to grab onto the negativity and pull it out.
Kindly DM and PTB, Please Highlight to display spoiler: {[OOC: This is hopefully a decent justification for how Bliss will use a retroactive hero point if needed to help Hazel if he misses his save by just 1 or 2. Also note the recent PTB ruling that using a hero point to help a friend grants the same size bonus as to help yourself. The wiki has not yet been updated for this.]}
Hazel (Bob Danderfluff LaRue) HP: 55/55 AC: 28/14/15 - Faoil: 23/23 AC 21/14/18 Wednesday July 1st, 2015 8:43:40 PM
Hazel feels like new! OOC: Thanks guys! He gives a great kiss to Alleah! (on the cheek, of course) And even another to Murphy (on the cheek too), with Faoil jumping up and down wanting a kiss too! "That is more like it! Thank you!" OOC: Sorry, but I can't see Faoil "mounting" a big bird by any stretch of my imagination.
[DM Hugh] - "There! If that doesn't do it, well, we'll work something else out" Wednesday July 1st, 2015 10:52:33 PM Hazel receives ample help from his companions. Murphy, Alleah and Bliss all come to the Ranger's aid and he is easily able to shake off the after effects of the spectre's fell touch.
Hazel gives a great kiss of thanks to Alleah on the cheek and another to Murphy on the cheek as well, with Faoil jumping up and down wanting a kiss too.
"That is more like it! Thank you!" The ranger says.
(OOC: Murphy is able to change out his orisons)
After Hazel passes his test of fortitude, Murphy goes back to experimenting with his makeshift saddle.
(OOC: I am going to need a decision regarding what you are reskinning giant eagle as soon : Pteranodon or Dire Bat. Here is a link to the house rules on wild shape. I understand the logic in your argument, but as stated earlier, templates are not allowed. Here is a link to the PRD wildshape rules. As stated there , options for new forms include all creatures with the animal type. Giant Eagle has the magical beast type. Lastly here is a link to the house rules concerning "reskinning." Hopefully this will alleviate your confusion. The re-skinning of a dissallowed form to an allowed form for role play purposes is the solution I discussed with the PTB regarding my concerns with the loss of certain animals from the MMIII and MMIV. I believe this is the appropriate call in this situation. I am planning to use this strategy myself with Anna in Agents if it would make sense to be one of the forms lost to the banning of MMIII and MMIV.)
After the first unsuccessful attempt to fly saddled with two companions, Murphy realizes he needs more experience and practice in this form to be able to come close to what he intends.
He waited for his two friends to dismount, then tried flying with the saddle/harness alone. He didn't try any tricky maneuvers - just straight flight for a bit, then, as that went well, some shallow banking, noting that the contraption allowed him to turn though he needed slightly wider angles than without the harness. As that succeeded, he came back to the group, and signaled for Sardok to mount. He takes to the sky with Sardok on his back. After that succeeds, he writes, 'Useful for crossing rivers.' in the dirt.
Emboldened by his success with Sardok and his experience in flying with the saddle and a passenger he gives another try with both Sardok and Shel on the saddle and he is actually able to take flight. It appears all the druid needed was a little practice. (OOC: with revised carrying capacity of 177 lbs, Shel + Sardok + Harness are now doable.)
After the flying experiments are done, Shel takes the opportunity with her newly discovered wealth to attempt to pay Alleah back for the WLA membership loan.
"It took a bit longer than a figured, but I finally have your gold that you forwarded me to join the WLA." Shel counted out 72 gold into Alleah's hand. "And let me know if there's any interest. I'm happy to settle up completely with you...you did me a solid in advancing me. And now, heck, I don't know what I will do with all of this!"
Alleah responded, "Thanks Shel, but I had intended it to be a gift. You're a friend you know! I know, what about once we make it safely back to Humble's Ford, save the towers and the day, we treat everyone to a nice meal with the gold? You and me"
Hazel was going to buff Thistle and Faoil with 2 castings of longstrider, however he remembers that longstrider has a range of personal (OOC: good catch Rob; Hazel can prepare 2 different spells if he chooses.) and thinks better of it. Between Eagle-Murphy, Mookie, Faoil and Thistle, it would appear as though it is possible for the entire party to be mounted in some fashion. It does not appear that Eagle-Murphy can carry everyone, but he can manage Shel and Sardok. Alleah has her new pony, Thistle. Hazel has his trusty dog Faoil and Bliss has the wise cracking Raven familiar Mookie. It is not quite yet noon, From your current location on a shallow hill, the Peasblossom river is visible about half a mile to the North West. What do you do?
Hazel (Bob Danderfluff LaRue) HP: 55/55 AC: 28/14/15 - Faoil: 23/23 AC 21/14/18 d20+11=21 ; d20+13=25 ; d20+2=15 ; d20+9=13 ; Thursday July 2nd, 2015 12:01:42 AM
Hazel seems in a very good mood. "On the road again! I love it! Alouryn, my love, here I go!" As before Hazel, mounted on Faoil takes the lead, scanning the terrain and leading his friends on the best way. Hazel Survival Check: 21 Hazel Perception Check: 25 Faoil Aid Another Survival Check: 15 Faoil Aid Another Perception Check: 13 So it is an extra +2 from Faoil, and an extra +2 if Favored Terrain Forest
Alleah -- RobC -- AC 14/13/12 -- CMD 12 -- HP 39/39 Thursday July 2nd, 2015 12:18:06 AM
Alleah can't help but blush when Hazel kisses her cheek, and playfully pushes him away. "Alright, alright. Any more and your wife will hear about it, Mr LaRue"
Ride check if needed: 18 after Take10
In her mind, stealth isn't exactly the first priority. After all, a giant eagle, a halfling riding a raven, and another riding a dog aren't exactly inconspicuous.
Alleah keeps Thistle moving at a steady pace. "So I guess we follow the river bank north then?"
Shel Gerald--AC 15/14/12--CMD 14--HP 39/39 Thursday July 2nd, 2015 6:47:29 PM
Shel nods at Alleah's comment. "We can throw a wonderful party with the gold! I think that's a great idea. North seems to be the way to go, assuming Hazel says that's right. He's much better a tracker then I'll ever be. At least we shouldn't get lost if we stay by the river bank here."
After seeing that Hazel is fine, Bliss claps and offers his congratulations.
Then it is time to set off cross-country to go home, hopefully in time to avert the disaster. So Bliss sends Mookie off to fly overhead and scout, while tiny Bliss himself sneaks along in the shadows quiet and stealthy like. He casts his longstrider spell, so he can keep up with the donkey, right?
Bliss is hiding in plain sight when there are sufficient shadows nearby.
Perception Mookie 33
Perception Bliss 18
Stealth Bliss 41
Murphy - (Kim) d20+16=21 ; Friday July 3rd, 2015 3:25:16 AM
[Pteranodon or dire bat under the eagle skin? Whichever one gives the most lift, I suppose. If there is no difference, then he will go with dire bat. I'm fine with either. Murphy has changed into a bat form at least once in game. I don't think I posted it, but there were a few days of adventuring breaks here and there in which I figured he would try the bat again, plus a few other forms. I had a 37-hour 'day' this week, followed by two 16-hour days, so I'm kind of toast at the moment.]
Backstep: When Hazel kisses him on the cheek, Murphy smiles, and gives his friend a light punch in the upper arm just below the shoulder. "You're welcome - and welcome back - your cheeks have just lost their grey pall, buddy. You'll be much more presentable to your bride." He then turns to Alleah, and gives her the second kiss on her cheek of the day. "Well done, friend." He backs up in case she looks to haul off and slap him. "Hey, I just thought your other cheek needed the balance!" He thanks Bliss, as well, for using his shadow magic to help their ranger companion. "Mookie, you are well traveled. How else besides kisses and punches in the arm might one express approbation and appreciation? Not including worms."
To the present: Murphy remains in his avian form for the now. He attempts to get his mouth and vocal chords to speak Auran - the language of the air - but does not have much success, so listens to Shel and Sardon's conversations on his back, and scans the Wold below. He flies a bit higher, then goes a bit farther to see what lies ahead [Perception: 21], then gradually circles about to return to the groundlings. He wonders whether he ought to tell his friends that he just thought of them as 'groundlings.'
[Despite what I wrote in the paragraph above, if Sardok or Shel want to direct Eagle-Murphy elsewhere, he likely will be responsive to their direction.]
If his advance peek reveals anything worthy of note, he will trust to his passengers to relate the details to the others.
Murphy - (Kim) d20+11=25 ; d20+6=20 ; Friday July 3rd, 2015 3:27:14 AM
Two rolls I forgot to include: Survival: 25 Knowledge, geography: 20
Bliss (AC20, HP35) & Mookie (AC19, HP17) (Cayzle) Friday July 3rd, 2015 7:49:49 AM "Mookie, you are well traveled. How else besides kisses and punches in the arm might one express approbation and appreciation? Not including worms."
Mookie caws with laughter. "If I ever want to 'express approbation and appreciation,' I'll let you know. Have not felt the need to do that yet!"
[DM Hugh] - "On the road again! I love it! Alouryn, my love, here I go!" d8=6 ; Friday July 3rd, 2015 2:07:43 PM
(OOC1: Sorry about not posting last night...had a personal thing come up; OOC2: Pteranodon technically can fly faster at 50 ft[clumsy] = -10 to fly checks but bat can fly better at 40 ft[good] = +2 to fly checks; not sure if that matters to you, carrying capacity is the same as you get the same +4 str buff with either form)
The party set's off along the river trail to the North.
Mookie and Eagle-Murphy carrying Shel and Sardok fly overhead and in advance of those on the ground.
Hazel on the back of Faoil takes point position and tries to find the best path for the stealthy longstriding Bliss and Alleah riding Thistle.
With this arrangement those on the ground are traveling at 3 miles per hour and those above are traveling at 4 miles per hour. (OOC: groundlings can only go as fast as their leader and Faoil with his load has a 30 foot base speed; As for the fliers, I am assuming either Dire Bat form or if Pteranodon form, Eagle-Murphy is keeping pace with Mookie)
The joy of being on the road again is short lived. The weather is unusually warm. The sun burns down mercilessly overhead and those on the ground are frequently pestered by roving swarms of gnats, horse flies, mosquitos and other bugs. Despite this unpleasantness you are able to get 18 miles of traveling in before Eagle-Murphy has to revert back to his halfling form. The sun is close to setting. Humble's Ford has a decision to make. Do you camp for the night or press on?
Murphy - (Kim) d20+11=13 ; d20+16=20 ; Friday July 3rd, 2015 3:16:38 PM
[Will go with the slower, but more nimble, dire bat, then - when responsible for the lives of two excellent friends, Murphy does not want awkwardness to place them in dire jeopardy.]
After changing back to his normal self, the druid goes through a series of stretches, making little sounds in an effort to quiet his challenged muscles. "So, how was the ride?" he asks Shel and Sardok.
He adds, "I could change to a horse or the like, but with the day soon to be done, what do you all think about finding a decent spot to camp? And I'm famished!"
Apparently the work he has performed over the past six hours has left Murphy a bit lightheaded.
"I just flew in from Kosh Marr, and boy are my arms tired," says Mookie. "I mean, my wings."
"I'm tired too," says Bliss. "Can we go to sleep now? We'll take third watch."
Bliss casts a witchy spell, spell fail chance 31 = a-ok, and a small cauldron appears. He tosses a big bunch of leaves and his backpack inside, then hops in and curls up. He looks at the action figure of his mom and says his nightly prayers. Within seconds he falls asleep.
Mookie perches on the lip of the cauldron, peeks in and nods, tucks his head under his wing, and goes to sleep too.
Shel Gerald--AC 15/14/12--CMD 14--HP 39/39 Friday July 3rd, 2015 7:03:26 PM "It was a little uncomfortable at first, Murhpy, but after a few minutes, it became all right. Kind of neat actually...flying was very fun. I simply must learn how to do that someday. The wind blowing through my hair kept me pretty cool, even in this heat. Now the gnats and bugs were a different matter altogether. Aleah, do you have any mosquito netting in that satchel of yours? They might eat us to death while we camp."
Shel stretches. "But yes, a rest would do me fine. I'll take first watch, so that I can get a good rest after my turn is over."
Murphy - (Kim) Saturday July 4th, 2015 12:46:27 AM
"Ah, good. I am glad it was fun, Shel. I need to adjust the saddle harness a bit though. It was not bad, but after a few hours there was some chafing along the front edge of my right shoulder... I mean, my wing. Sorry, but I don't have mosquito webbing among my gear here. I usually just put my hood all the way over to cover my face when too many bugs are about." He thinks for a moment. "I could change back to a bat, and eat a lot of bugs." He shrugs his shoulders. "But I don't think I will, tonight. I will take last watch, then."
Rather than making busy setting up camp, since most of his camping gear is back with his ponies in Humble's Ford, Murphy sits down with the saddle harness, and makes some adjustments here and there. He asks if he can cut two thin lines of cloth from someone's blanket. "It's for the crisscross area across the chest, so the leather does not rub so much."
Hazel (Bob Danderfluff LaRue) HP: 55/55 AC: 28/14/15 - Faoil: 23/23 AC 21/14/18 Saturday July 4th, 2015 1:40:45 AM OOC: Why 30'? Faoil's load, with Hazel, barding and everything, is 111 lbs, so it is light encumbered (limit 114 lbs). The "math" is on the Equipment tab in the spreadsheet. Hazel looks for water so all of his friends can wash, and try to take the dust off, as well as refresh after the hot day. "Tomorrow I think I can do some salve so we handle the sun better, but I will be only able to do enough for two people. Maybe you can help me with something similar?" OOC: Hazel will use his two spells on Endure Elements, for Alleah and Shel at least. I guess you can "pool" more spells so we all handle the conditions better?
Alleah -- RobC -- AC 14/13/12 -- CMD 12 -- HP 39/39 d20+11=17 ; Saturday July 4th, 2015 6:44:21 AM
Alleah grins to Hazel "That's ok. Endure Elements is a cantrip for me. I should have mentioned it sooner. Perhaps that could mean you could prepare other spells though?"
She then sets to sorting through her kit. "Insect net... insect net... Huh. No insect net. Not even some insect repellent. You know, one day I might be able to cast the spell Spectral Hand and have that slap the bugs for us?" It's kind of hard to tell if Alleah is joking or not.
Alleah will take whatever watch Sardok is on. She's still curious if he's going to disappear again, and wants to keep an eye on him.
Perception: 17
[DM Hugh] - "Insect net... insect net... Huh. No insect net. Not even some insect repellent." d4=3 ; d10=2 ; d12=12 ; d100=63 ; d100=100 ; d100=56 ; d100=80 ; d100=16 ; d100=7 ; d100=88 ; d100=41 ; Saturday July 4th, 2015 3:59:30 PM
(OOC: Corsario, you really need to update the Faoil tab on your sheet. At the top it said base:40; Actual 30...I assumed that that was correct; also you can share spells with Faoil so longstrider is viable on him, just not on Thistle...sorry about all this back and forth.)
Humble's Sword stops to camp for the night. Murphy, now a halfling again, goes through a series of stretches after several hours flight.
"So, how was the ride?" he asks Shel and Sardok.
Shel responds, "It was a little uncomfortable at first, Murphy, but after a few minutes, it became all right. Kind of neat actually...flying was very fun. I simply must learn how to do that someday. The wind blowing through my hair kept me pretty cool, even in this heat. Now the gnats and bugs were a different matter altogether. Alleah, do you have any mosquito netting in that satchel of yours? They might eat us to death while we camp."
She then volunteers to take first watch.
Neither Murphy nor Alleah have any mosquito netting nor repellent.
Murphy sets to work on the harness, trying to make it more comfortable. He also volunteers to take last watch.
Hazel looks for water so the group can refresh before coordinating with Alleah to come up with a better plan to ward against the elements for tomorrow's journey.
Meanwhile, Bliss and Mookie waste no time in catching some shuteye. Bliss summons a cauldron large enough for him to rest in, says his prayers and beds down for the night. Mookie lands on the lip of the cauldron, puts his head under his wing and also goes to sleep.
The order of the watch is Shel first, Sardok and Alleah second, Hazel 3rd and Murphy 4th. After the sun sets the young moon provides little light. Some clouds roll in and blanket the stars. After the eeriness of the purple moon sky in Koshe Marr, a dark night in the Wold seems tame in comparison.
The night though dark passes uneventfully and the clouds have dissipated by the time the sun crowns the eastern horizon. Alleah notes that Sardok did not disappear like he did that night in Koshe Marr. Without bug netting or bug spray, the insect population of Izen was not deterred and you wake up with a variety of new bites and stings. Luckily, though it would seem that no one was exposed to any diseases and the discomfort of the bites are all the party suffers. What now?
Shel Gerald--AC 15/14/12--CMD 14--HP 39/39 Saturday July 4th, 2015 9:28:40 PM
Shel stretches, and scratches all her various bug bites. "I didn't sleep worth a darn with all those bugs biting me! Let's press on, and try to get out of range of all these critters. We made good time yesterday. Hopefully we can do so again."
She looks around, and feels the temperature starting up again. "Did one of you say something about being able to help us deal with this heat? The wind while flying was nice, but it would be more pleasant to be cool.". She wraps her sleeve around her face, trying to make a makeshift bug shield.
Hazel (Bob Danderfluff LaRue) HP: 55/55 AC: 28/14/15 - Faoil: 23/23 AC 21/14/18 Sunday July 5th, 2015 12:44:31 AM OOC: You are right Hugh! My bad! Sheet fixed. "Alleah will help us! Even Faoil will be protected!" OOC: He prepares (and casts on Faoil) Longstrinder (50' base speed for 6 hours) and Pass without trace
Alleah -- RobC -- AC 14/13/12 -- CMD 12 -- HP 39/39 Sunday July 5th, 2015 4:54:38 AM "Alright, but only if you PROMISE not to kiss me again" Alleah teases. It only takes a few moments for her to cast Endure Elements on everyone, including Faoil.
She'll follow this up with some castings of Create Water, either for people to drink or to use to try and ease some of the larger insect bites. She'll even make sure Thistle (her pony) gets a good drink. "We've got a lot of travel to do today, girl. I'm sorry I don't have a brush right now, but once we get back to Humble's Ford you'll be well taken care of"
---------------------------------------------------------- Spells In Effect Endure Elements - Dur 24hrs - Entire party
Abilities Available Agile Feet - 7/7 Uses Available Bit of Luck - 7/7 Uses Available Calming Touch - 7/7 Uses Available
Hazel (Bob Danderfluff LaRue) HP: 55/55 AC: 28/14/15 - Faoil: 23/23 AC 21/14/18 Sunday July 5th, 2015 8:59:29 AM
Hazel smiles at Alleah. "You know I can't promise that, but I'll do my best."
Bliss (AC20, HP35) & Mookie (AC19, HP17) (Cayzle) d20+14=26 ; d20+12=17 ; d20+23=36 ; Monday July 6th, 2015 9:54:18 AM
New day, same job. Mookie flies with Murphy as a scout; Bliss walks alongside Faoil.
Murphy tells the group, "I could fly again today, as yesterday. But as I have just been learning how to fly this way, I think I could go faster in the form of a horse. That way Faoil and I could keep pace, and travel about as fast as Mookie flies, and, overall, we will make better time.
"Tactically, however, flying may have its advantages. I'm willing to go either way." He pauses a moment, then says, "I know. I'll start the day flying. After I no longer can, perhaps I can change into horse form, and see how that goes for the balance of the day. Sound good?"
He then adds, "Shel and Sardok - if I am going to make a sudden move, I will voice a quiet chirp twice quickly. That means, 'hang on tightly!' I will move my head left just before I bank left, and right just before I bank right. If I am going to dive, then I will lift my head up briefly and drop it down quickly. So, once we are in the air, shall we practice those moves? I'll do them gently at first."
The saddle and ropes are set up so that they can be anchored on each leg and around the waist, with an additional looped rope in front of them to hang on to, and wrap around their wrists. Once set in, they likely will be safe even if they fall asleep or, heavens forfend, fall unconscious.
If he hears no objections, that is what he does. Before being saddled and taking his friends, though, he takes about ten minutes to fly, dive, change directions with increasing sharpness until he feels the limits of his maneuverability. Finally he alights, lets his friends saddle him up. Once they are safely mounted, with a combination of vigor and care, Eagle-Murphy takes to the air.
[DM Hugh] - "Let's press on, and try to get out of range of all these critters. We made good time yesterday. Hopefully we can do so again." d12=12 ; d12=12 ; d12=1 ; d8=2 ; d20+9=19 ; d20+9=24 ; d20+9=24 ; Monday July 6th, 2015 7:40:34 PM
The party wakes and makes preparations for another day of travel.
Shel did not sleep well due to all the bugs. She also pointed out that the temperature is on the rise.
Hazel said, "Alleah will help us! Even Faoil will be protected!" before preparing and casting some spells on Faoil.
"Alright, but only if you PROMISE not to kiss me again" Alleah teased. It only took a few moments for her to cast Endure Elements on everyone, including Faoil.
She follows this up with some castings of Create Water for both drinking and the soothing of bug bites. She even makes sure Thistle gets a good drink. "We've got a lot of travel to do today, girl. I'm sorry I don't have a brush right now, but once we get back to Humble's Ford you'll be well taken care of"
Hazel smiled at Alleah. "You know I can't promise that, but I'll do my best."
Murphy told the group, "I could fly again today, as yesterday. But as I have just been learning how to fly this way, I think I could go faster in the form of a horse. That way Faoil and I could keep pace, and travel about as fast as Mookie flies, and, overall, we will make better time.
"Tactically, however, flying may have its advantages. I'm willing to go either way." He pauses a moment, then says, "I know. I'll start the day flying. After I no longer can, perhaps I can change into horse form, and see how that goes for the balance of the day. Sound good?"
Murphy then goes over some new signals with his riders and takes a brief warm up flight as Eagle-Murphy before the group once again sets out.
Mookie once again takes to the air while Bliss runs stealthily on the ground.
You travel for about 2 hours, when the fliers spot something.
Mookie / Eagle-Murphy Highlight to display spoiler: { You spot three horse-sized wasps covered in yellow and black vertical stripes with stingers the size of swords, flying at a lower altitude. Mookie sees them 260 feet away and Murphy 250 feet away. The giant insects appear to move faster than you can and are headed in the general direction toward those on the ground. }
The rest of the group Perception DC: 24 Highlight to display spoiler: {You spot three horse-sized wasps covered in yellow and black vertical stripes with stingers the size of swords, flying lower than your fliers are. They are 240 feet away from your position. }
Shel was beginning to enjoy the feeling of flight. She had her eyes closed as the wind rushed through her hair. Her worries went away as she relaxed for the first time in a while. Unfortunately, her see of calm caused her to not notice anything out of the ordinary.
Alleah -- RobC -- AC 14/13/12 -- CMD 12 -- HP 39/39 d20+11=22 ; Monday July 6th, 2015 9:36:17 PM Perception check vs DC24: 22=Fail
"... and then the bartender says "I said ale, not tail!"" Alleah laughs as she tells the punchline of the joke to Hazel.
A good nights sleep under Wardd's moon and Alleah is feeling much better for it. Indeed, it is a nice day for a quiet ride home.
Murphy - (Kim) Monday July 6th, 2015 10:59:15 PM
Murphy makes a quiet chirp twice, then flies downward toward the wasps. So as not to cause undo commotion, he does not move as precipitiously as he might were not two of his good friends riding with him - but trusts they will see the threat as he makes his way downward. He aims to intersect the path of the one farthest behind the others.
Hazel (Bob Danderfluff LaRue) HP: 55/55 AC: 28/14/15 - Faoil: 23/23 AC 21/14/18 d20+13=14 ; Tuesday July 7th, 2015 12:30:48 AM
Hazel laughs loudly at Alleah's joke. He sure likes the girl.
Bliss (AC20, HP35) & Mookie (AC19, HP17) (Cayzle) Tuesday July 7th, 2015 7:41:46 AM
Bliss suddenly speaks up: "Trouble! There's trouble!" He immediately looks for a nearby patch of shadow, hides in it, and takes out his bah.
Mookie flies down to the group to give a warning.
"Caw!" he squawks. "Big ol' wasps ahead! With stingers to match!" He flies down to where Bliss is, more or less, and says, "Kid, watch out!"
Bliss looks in his pack for some antitoxin.
Sardok HP 54/54 AC 21/16/16--Atlas2112 d20=8 ; d20=8 ; Tuesday July 7th, 2015 5:12:14 PM
Sardok has been lowering his head to keep the wind from biting his unshielded eyes, so while he's ignorant of the environment, he does manage to catch the sudden movement from the bird.
He taps eagle-Murphy on the back and says, loud enough for Murphy and Shell to hear him.
"The crow just dropped from formation and said something to the land group, and I can't see Bliss anymore; he probably went dark. Murphy, turn around and start heading away. Let's let Bliss and his bowcraft have a chance at whatever it is that he sees. Set us down some distance away and then all three of us can advance more surely."
Bliss (AC20, HP35) & Mookie (AC19, HP17) (Cayzle) Tuesday July 7th, 2015 6:12:13 PM
If Bliss hear that, he is enthusiastic! "Yeah, you guys all back off and let me snipe the heck out of these wasps all by myself."
Mookie cocks his head. "Um, is that really a good idea?"
Bliss says, "A hero can do it!"
[OOC: Please friends, do not let Bliss tackle the entire encounter by himself!]
[DM Hugh] - "Big ol' wasps ahead! With stingers to match!" Tuesday July 7th, 2015 7:39:58 PM Shel is enjoying the ride on the back of Eagle-Murphy.
Alleah and Hazel are sharing a joke.
Bliss suddenly speaks up: "Trouble! There's trouble!" He immediately looks for a nearby patch of shadow, hides in it, and takes out his bah.
Mookie flies down to the group to give a warning.
"Caw!" he squawks. "Big ol' wasps ahead! With stingers to match!" He flies down to where Bliss is, more or less, and says, "Kid, watch out!"
Bliss looks in his pack for some antitoxin.
Sardok has been lowering his head to keep the wind from biting his unshielded eyes, so while he's ignorant of the environment, he does manage to catch the sudden movement from the bird.
He taps eagle-Murphy on the back and says, loud enough for Murphy and Shell to hear him.
"The crow just dropped from formation and said something to the land group, and I can't see Bliss anymore; he probably went dark. Murphy, turn around and start heading away. Let's let Bliss and his bowcraft have a chance at whatever it is that he sees. Set us down some distance away and then all three of us can advance more surely."
Eagle-Murphy makes a quiet chirp twice, then flies downward as Sardok directed. So as not to cause undo commotion, he does not move as precipitiously as he might were not two of his good friends riding with him. (OOC: Since Eagle-Murphy;s posts generally defer to Shel and Satdok...I hope this is ok)
The giant wasps are about 120 feet away. Everyone can see them now. The wasps are definitely coming your way.
Shel Gerald--AC 15/14/12--CMD 14--HP 39/39 Tuesday July 7th, 2015 7:52:15 PM "Murphy, let the others get closer to us, so that I can get everyone in my spell eNge," Shel orders upon seeing the wasps. Assuming eagle-Murphy complies, Shel casts Haste on as six of the group, excluding herself. "You should really be able to fly now, Murphy!"
OOC: everyone remember their Haste bonuses, please!
Alleah -- RobC -- AC 14/13/12 -- CMD 12 -- HP 39/39 d100=33 ; Tuesday July 7th, 2015 11:36:46 PM
Alleah isn't the kind to strike first. However, she's also not the kind to let her guard down. She prepares herself to defend the group.
(Ready action: If the Wasps attack, cast Hold Animal on the nearest one. Leyline check:33=Pass. Wasp to make DC18 Will Save or be paralysed. A winged creature who is paralyzed cannot flap its wings and falls. Each round on its turn, the subject may attempt a new saving throw to end the effect.)
---------------------------------------------------------- Spells In Effect Endure Elements - Dur 24hrs - Entire party Haste - From Shel
Abilities Available Agile Feet - 7/7 Uses Available Bit of Luck - 7/7 Uses Available Calming Touch - 7/7 Uses Available
Hazel (Bob Danderfluff LaRue) HP: 55/55 AC: 28/14/15 - Faoil: 23/23 AC 21/14/18 d20+5=14 ; d20+10=22 ; d20+10=12 ; d20+10=21 ; d6+2=3 ; d6+2=7 ; d6+2=5 ; d6+2=4 ; Wednesday July 8th, 2015 12:53:06 AM Knowledge (Nature) about the wasps: 14 "Be careful! I would like to be stung by those things!" Hazel quickly makes Faoil stop and fires a stream of bullets against the W1 wasp. Attack Rolls (Rapid shot and Haste, forgot the -2 because of range): 20, 10, 19 With Manyshot the first attack throws two bullets, they both hit or they both miss. Damage Rolls: 3, 7, 5, 4
Bliss (AC20, HP35) & Mookie (AC19, HP17) (Cayzle) d20+9=20 ; d6+2=4 ; Wednesday July 8th, 2015 6:45:45 AM
"Good luck, Kid. I don't do wasps." Mookie flies 140 ft due south away directly from the flying venomous insects.
Bliss swears, "WOWSY! I knew I shoulda bought that antivenom. Gosh Darn It." It seems he thought about it but failed to make the purchase! He looks up, sees Mookie already hightailing it (literally) out of the fight. That gives him an idea, and he grins.
Bliss moves 60 ft with haste. He moves due west, calling and shouting. "Hey goofy wasps! Here I am! Come chase me!" He is not trying to hide or to use his Hide in Plain Sight ability.
Then the tiny fellow fires a bolt at Wasp W1, from 120+ ft away, that's a -2 range penalty. Bliss hits AC20 for 4 damage.
OOC: The map is pretty bare. Is this a meadow or plain? Are there shadows big enough for tiny Bliss to use HiPS if he wanted to (for example, if he succeeds in drawing a wasp or three toward himself?) Is that a stream to the east? How deep?
Bliss (AC20, HP35) & Mookie (AC19, HP17) (Cayzle) Wednesday July 8th, 2015 12:44:25 PM
Hazel shouts, "Be careful! I would like to be stung by those things!"
Bliss gets the giggles. "Me too!" he shouts. "Come on wasps! I would like to be stung too! Over here!"
Murphy - (Kim) Wednesday July 8th, 2015 3:32:10 PM
Murphy complied with Shel's request, but also turned his head and screeched, moved his left wing down, shook his body a bit, moved his head back a couple of times, somehow trying to communicate that Sardok and Shel should get off, unless they want to be in for a wild ride. He'll give them this round to dismount, if they are going to, then will take wing and gain altitude, going toward the east, and a touch of north.
Shel Gerald--AC 15/14/12--CMD 14--HP 39/39 Wednesday July 8th, 2015 4:58:49 PM
If Murphy swoops down to ground level, Shel will use the opportunity to dismount and get to the ground, with her move action.
[DM Hugh] -"Be careful! I would like to be stung by those things!" d100=84 ; d20+6=23 ; d8+6=11 ; d2=1 ; Wednesday July 8th, 2015 8:27:23 PM
(OOC: Sorry the Map is a little plain, in the words of Bob Ross, I am adding some happy little trees. Had technical difficulties yesterday. I swear I just need to save a sheet that has that grid on it w/ nothing else next time I figure this out...anyway the river is 20 feet deep in the center. The 2 sides are at steep 45 slopes...also Bliss could totally H.I.P.S. in the shadows of those trees and I'm not just throwing shade)
Shel hastes the party except herself, Mookie and Thistle. This means that Murphy, Sardok, Alleah, Bliss, Faoil and Hazel are all hasted.
Alleah readies an action. Alleah DC 21 Know[nature] : Highlight to display spoiler: {Giant wasps are considered vermin not animals, Since you remembered this you retain your spell as you think better of casting it.}
Hazel holds Faoil back and rapidly slings at wasp 1. 3 of 4 stones hit their mark.
Mookie prudently flies away. "Good luck, Kid. I don't do wasps."
Bliss swears, "WOWSY! I knew I shoulda bought that antivenom. Gosh Darn It." It seems he thought about it but failed to make the purchase! He looks up, sees Mookie already hightailing it (literally) out of the fight. That gives him an idea, and he grins.
Bliss moves 60 ft with haste. He moves due west, calling and shouting. "Hey goofy wasps! Here I am! Come chase me!"
Then the tiny fellow fires a bolt at Wasp W1, stinging the wasp with his missile.
Eagle-Murphy complied with Shel's request, but also turned his head and screeched, moved his left wing down, shook his body a bit, moved his head back a couple of times, somehow trying to communicate that Sardok and Shel should get off, unless they want to be in for a wild ride. Eagle Murphy then takes to the sky moving a little ways diagonally (OOC: the map should be editable by anyone w/ the link)
Both Shel and Sardok get the message and dismount (OOC: I am not penalizing Sardok for bad Wednesdays)
Wasp 3 uses a double move to chase after Bliss.
Wasp 1 uses a double move to maneuver to be able to attack Hazel easily next round.
Wasp 2 uses a single move and then attacks Eagle-Murphy. Eagle-Murphy is stung for 11 damage and must make a DC 18 fort save or take 1 point of Strength damage. (OOC: we are in combat...please update Murphy's header)
If Alleah made the knowledge check she thought better of casting the spell she readied. If she did not then Alleah's spell fizzled, either way none of the wasps were targeted.
Shel Gerald--AC 15/14/12--CMD 14--HP 39/39 Wednesday July 8th, 2015 8:50:12 PM OOc: DM, is Wasp 1 threatening Shel, or is it in the air above her? Basically, I'm asking if I need to cast defensively to cast a spell without taking an AoO.
"Wowsy!" says Bliss. His plan to keep running away and firing has not survived contact with the enemy. They are too fast! Bliss stumbles back five feet (to space as moved on the map).
Then he fires two bolts into the belly of the beast!
He hits AC27 and misses with a nat 1. His hit is for 4 hp damage.
[AC adjusted up by one with haste as noted in revised header]
Shel Gerald--AC 15/14/12--CMD 14--HP 39/39 3d4+3=10 ; Wednesday July 8th, 2015 9:21:52 PM
Shel fires an extra powerful Magic Missile at Wasp 1, as three bolts of energy smash into it.
OOC: 10 damage plus five for Empower spell equals 15 points of damage. Second 3rd level spell of the day used.
Alleah -- Corsario for RobC -- AC 14/13/12 -- CMD 12 -- HP 39/39 Thursday July 9th, 2015 1:25:05 AM
Alleah moves her horse to the middle of her friends (avoiding getting near the wasps), and once there casts Bless, granting all of the Humble's Sword a +1 morale bonus on attack rolls and on saving throws against fear effects. ---------------------------------------------------------- Spells In Effect Endure Elements - Dur 24hrs - Entire party Haste - From Shel Bless - From Alleah
Abilities Available Agile Feet - 7/7 Uses Available Bit of Luck - 7/7 Uses Available Calming Touch - 7/7 Uses Available
Hazel (Bob Danderfluff LaRue) HP: 55/55 AC: 28/14/15 - Faoil: 23/23 AC 21/14/18 d20+7=18 ; d20+7=22 ; d6+4=10 ; d6+4=7 ; d20+12=17 ; d6+2=7 ; d6+2=8 ; d20+12=16 ; d20+12=29 ; d6+2=5 ; d6+2=4 ; Thursday July 9th, 2015 1:43:16 AM
Hazel seems to be in a very good mood. "If I got stung maybe I would become a giant!" He lets Faoil attack the wasp. Hasted, Faoil tries two bites (+1 bless, +1 haste). As Hazel has a +11 ride modifier I think he doesn't even need to roll "Fight with a Combat-Trained Mount" or "Guide with Knees" checks. Attack Rolls: 18, 22 Damage Rolls: 10, 7 If the wasp is still alive Hazel commands Faoil to move 5' away from the wasp, and he attacks firing a full stream of bullets, the first multishot attack against W2, and the last two against W1 (or against W2 if W1 dies). Attack Roll vs W2 (Multishot, Rapid shot +1 Haste and +1 Bless): 17 Damage Multishot: 7, 8 With Manyshot the first attack throws two bullets, they both hit or they both miss. Attack Rolls vs W1 (or W2 if dead) (Rapid shot, Haste +1 Haste and +1 Bless): 16, 29 Damage Rolls: 5, 4
Murphy Giant Eagle (Dire Bat) AC - (Kim) d20+5=9 ; d20+5=22 ; d8+4=10 ; Thursday July 9th, 2015 5:28:20 AM
[Made Fort save - see post private to DMs earlier - of 24 (18 needed)]
Murphy's beak nips once just shy of the wasp's abdomen, yet that same beak quickly rips the upper thorax as he turns his head in their passing flight [hit AC 24, 10 hp damage]. After passing by the wasp, he continues in the northwesterly direction he was originally traveling (placed Mu to upper right of tree opposite W2), gaining 10' in altitude.
One of the druid's names is 'Bumblebee' - and he is well acquainted with bees and wasps and their multiple variations. One of the few things he likes about wasps are their paper-like nests. He found with great care one might write and paint upon the fragile material, with a soft brush, and great patience. He wonders if these wasps create similar structures. And that sting - somehow it did not envenom him, though it certainly hurt.
[Note 1: flying opponents don't generally remain statically positioned in the air, going toe-to-toe as it were, but rather tend to cover ground, turning, attacking, evading, etc.
Note 2: I'm giving Eagle Murphy only the single bite of a dire bat, rather than the three attacks of an eagle. Please let me know if this is proper - or if he can have the full use of his talons in battle.]
====== Hasted: Fly 70; +1 bonus on attack rolls and a +1 dodge bonus to AC and Reflex saves Blessed: +1 morale bonus on attack rolls and on saving throws against fear effects Endure Elements: A creature protected by endure elements suffers no harm from being in a hot or cold environment. It can exist comfortably in conditions between --50 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit without having to make Fortitude saves
(DM Hugh Edit: You are correct, you just have the beak / bite attack)
[DM Hugh] -"If I got stung maybe I would become a giant!" d20+3=16 ; d20+6=9 ; d20+3=10 ; d20+6=11 ; 3d6=5 ; Thursday July 9th, 2015 8:40:13 PM
"Wowsy!" says Bliss. Bliss stumbles back five feet. Then he fires two bolts into the belly of the wasp 3! 1 hits, the other flies wide.
Shel fires an extra powerful Magic Missile at Wasp 1.
Alleah moves her horse to the middle of her friends and once there casts Bless, granting all of the Humble's Sword.
Hazel seems to be in a very good mood. "If I got stung maybe I would become a giant!"
He lets Faoil attack the wasp. Hasted, Faoil tries two bites and both hit home. Between Shel's Force missiles and Faoil wasp 1 is dead.
Hazel fires off 4 sling bullets against wasp 2. This time all of his bullets hit their mark.
Eagle-Murphy's beak nips once just shy of the wasp's abdomen, yet that same beak quickly rips the upper thorax as he turns his head in their passing flight. After passing by the wasp, he continues in the northwesterly direction he was originally traveling, gaining 10' in altitude.
Wasp 3 is flying pretty low to the ground, but it continues following Bliss. The tiny nimble halfling is able to avoid getting impaled by the much larger wasp's stinger.
Wasp 2 continues its dogged pursuit of Murphy, This time the wasp misses with it's poisoned sting. And then falls from the sky taking 5 fall damage.
W1: pining for the fjords W2: 39 dmg, unconscious W3: 4 dmg
Shel Gerald--AC 15/14/12--CMD 14--HP 39/39 3d4+3=7 ; Thursday July 9th, 2015 9:29:44 PM
Shel uses another normal style Magic Missile at the last wasp.
OOC: 7 total damage.
Hazel (Bob Danderfluff LaRue) HP: 55/55 AC: 28/14/15 - Faoil: 23/23 AC 21/14/18 d20+14=30 ; d20+14=19 ; d6+2=4 ; d6+2=3 ; d20+9=19 ; d6+4=6 ; Friday July 10th, 2015 12:43:13 AM
Hazel realizes he is almost out of bullets. Only 2 remaining. The rest are stashed in Faoil's saddlebags. He lets the haste magic do it's thing and fires twice at the Wasp. So he doesn't use Rapid Shot or Multishot now, just two attacks, normal and hasted. +1 Haste +1 Bless Attack Rolls: 30,19 Damage Rolls: 4,3 OUT OF AMMO! He then spurs Faoil so the dog charges the wasp. "CHARGE!!!" +2 Charge, +1 Haste, +1 Bless Attack roll: 19 Damage: 6
Alleah -- Corsario for RobC -- AC 14/13/12 -- CMD 12 -- HP 39/39 Friday July 10th, 2015 12:50:25 AM
Alleah gets her Light Crossbow out and loads it.
Murphy Giant Eagle (Dire Bat) AC - (Kim) d20+16=21 ; Friday July 10th, 2015 1:55:09 AM
Murphy sees the wasps down, dying, or already dead. He takes advantage of his additional speed, and flies upwards in a wide spiral, gaining altitude, and taking in more of the countryside around them. His eye follows the path of the river, to see what lies ahead - as well as to discern whether any other wasps or other creatures are in the vicinity.
Bliss takes another step back and fires twice again, emptying his clip at the wasp. He hits AC20 for 3 damage and AC28 for 3 more damage.
Alleah -- RobC -- AC 14/13/12 -- CMD 12 -- HP 39/39 d20+8=26 ; d100=74 ; Friday July 10th, 2015 9:38:09 PM
Alleah has second thoughts about using her crossbow. These are living creatures after all, and her oath as a Walker prevents her from doing any lethal damage to them. She spurs Thistle towards Wasp #2. If it is indeed dying, she will cast Stabilise on it to prevent it from going to the big hive in the sky (Leyline check: 74=Pass).
(OOC: Thanks everyone for covering for me :)
I'm assuming that Alleah can reach down from the back of her pony to reach the large wasp. Otherwise fast dismount check: 26=Pass! Alleah can dismount as a free action)
[DM Hugh] -"CHARGE!!!" d20+3=12 ; d20+6=8 ; Friday July 10th, 2015 10:58:36 PM Shel uses another normal style Magic Missile at the last wasp.
Hazel realizes he is almost out of bullets. Only 2 remaining. The rest are stashed in Faoil's saddlebags. He lets the haste magic do it's thing and fires twice at the Wasp. Both bullets hit home.
He then spurs Faoil so the dog charges the wasp. The dog's bite hits.
Murphy sees the wasps down, dying, or already dead. He takes advantage of his additional speed, and flies upwards in a wide spiral, gaining altitude, and taking in more of the countryside around them. His eye follows the path of the river, to see what lies ahead - as well as to discern whether any other wasps or other creatures are in the vicinity. The river continues on. There are no wasps or other creatures near you.
Bliss takes another step back and fires twice again, emptying his clip at the wasp. Both bolts hit
Alleah has second thoughts about using her crossbow. These are living creatures after all, and her oath as a Walker prevents her from doing any lethal damage to them. She spurs Thistle towards Wasp #2. If it is indeed dying, she will cast Stabilise on it to prevent it from going to the big hive in the sky.
Wasp 3 attacks Faoil, misses and then flies away from its foes provoking AOOs from Faoil and Hazel.
W1: pining for the fjords W2: 39 dmg, unconscious, stable W3: 29 dmg
Hazel (Bob Danderfluff LaRue) HP: 55/55 AC: 28/14/15 - Faoil: 23/23 AC 21/14/18 d20+11=29 ; d4+3=4 ; d20+5=22 ; d6+4=10 ; Friday July 10th, 2015 11:43:53 PM Hazel AoO: 31(Forgot the Hasted and Blessed bonus) Damage: 4 Faoil AoO: 22 Damage: 10 "I think we got this under control!"
Alleah -- RobC -- AC 14/13/12 -- CMD 12 -- HP 39/39 Saturday July 11th, 2015 12:23:29 AM "Please don't kill them if you can help it. We may have been the aggressors here and have inadvertently ventured close to their hive"
All the same, Alleah doesn't plan on getting too close to the one that is still attacking.
Murphy Giant Eagle (Dire Bat) AC - (Kim) d20+16=21 ; Saturday July 11th, 2015 2:22:46 AM
Murphy spirals upwards for another round. He loves the height. Although, he is feeling sore from where the giant wasp struck him with his stinger. He barely picks up what Alleah says about us being the aggressors. Wasps and hornets take offense with zeal.
Shel Gerald--AC 15/14/12--CMD 14--HP 39/39 3d4+3=11 ; Saturday July 11th, 2015 8:01:24 AM
Shel holds her magic, expecting her friends to finish the vermin without much more trouble. "Watch out for that stinger," she warns.
Only if the monster is still threatening the others will she waste another magic missile. If that occurs, the wasp will take 11 points of damage.
The last wasp is killed as it tries to fly away. Bliss looks at the dead ones, and at the one Alleah is trying to save.
Bliss remembers what it is like to be dead. He sniffs and wipes the back of his hand on his nose.
"I'm sorry I helped to kill you," he says to the dead wasps.
He thanks Alleah, too. "It would be good if you could save one," he says.
"Is it okay to say a prayer?"
"Now we lay you down to rest. Gargul take you to his breast. Now your life has come to cease. Pray that you will find your peace."
"Miss Alleah, what can I do? I shoot my bah, that's what I know. But then creatures get hurt."
Bliss looks sad.
Alleah -- RobC -- AC 14/13/12 -- CMD 12 -- HP 39/39 Saturday July 11th, 2015 8:40:29 PM "Well, they attacked us and we were only defending ourselves. I guess if they look like they're really hurt or if they're trying to flee, maybe we should let them? You know, assuming they're not evil of course"
This must be one of the difficulties Walkers face: not to push their views on others. If others in the party wish to see combat go to the death, that is their choice and Alleah will certainly not tell them otherwise. What she WILL do is see that both sides are treated properly once the combat stops.
"Of course, if you wanted a non-lethal option, perhaps a merciful weapon?"
Bliss (AC21, HP35) & Mookie (AC19, HP17) (Cayzle) Monday July 13th, 2015 7:04:33 AM
Bliss asks for more detail and listens eagerly to Alleah describing what a "merciful" weapon is and does.
"Wowsy," the tiny halfling says, "That sounds great! I would be an even better shooter with a magic bah, and nobody gets killed! I like that. AND I could turn it off to fight zombies and ghouls and things Lord Gargul hates."
Bliss looks thoughtful. "I gotta save up for that."
Murphy Giant Eagle (Dire Bat) HP 32/43 - (Kim) d20+16=21 ; Monday July 13th, 2015 1:37:02 PM
Well, the river wends northward, and the path looks clear for now. Murphy levels off, takes one more circuit to view ahead, to the left, to the right, and behind, then descends back to the group, landing near Shel, and looking at his companions.
[DM Hugh] -"I think we got this under control!" Monday July 13th, 2015 7:25:54 PM
Both of Hazel and Faoil's provoked attacks hit. The remaining wasp also falls to the ground, however this one did not have as far to fall so it did not fall far enough to take damage.
Shel holds her magic, expecting her friends to finish the vermin without much more trouble. "Watch out for that stinger," she warns.
"Please don't kill them if you can help it. We may have been the aggressors here and have inadvertently ventured close to their hive." Alleah says, still giving the wasp a wide berth.
(OOC: Only 1 wasp died, the other wasps are either stable or dying)
Bliss sniffs and wipes the back of his hand on his nose.
"I'm sorry I helped to kill you," he says to the dead wasps.
He thanks Alleah, too. "It would be good if you could save one," he says.
"Is it okay to say a prayer?"
"Now we lay you down to rest. Gargul take you to his breast. Now your life has come to cease. Pray that you will find your peace."
"Miss Alleah, what can I do? I shoot my bah, that's what I know. But then creatures get hurt."
Bliss looks sad.
Alleah and Bliss discuss the merits of the merciful enchantment while Murphy scouts the terrain from on high one last time. To the east he sees Blackbird lake, to the West he sees Izen, behind them he sees what looks to be a barge coming down the river towards them, but it is still a ways away.
The Wasps are either dead, dying or unconscious, the battleground is silent. What now?
Shel Gerald--AC 15/14/12--CMD 14--HP 39/39 Monday July 13th, 2015 7:57:36 PM "Well, those things came at us first. We had no choice but to defend ourselves from them. We need to get back on our trip...it's still a long way to the Ford. If everyone feels healthy enough, we shouldn't delay."
Alleah -- RobC -- AC 14/13/12 -- CMD 12 -- HP 39/39 Monday July 13th, 2015 9:51:21 PM
Alleah will try and take a small token from the deceased wasp. A tuft of hair perhaps? Something that will act as a memento of the encounter, yet not so much as to desecrate its body.
Murphy Giant Eagle (Dire Bat) HP 32/43 - (Kim) d20+16=33 ; Monday July 13th, 2015 10:11:54 PM
Murphy takes a few moments to scratch a map in the ground with his talons. He shows the course of the river, a square on the river where the barge is, along with an estimate of how long before they will draw parallel with us, 'us' where we are, as well as the location of Blackbird Lake, and Izen, scratching out the words in the dirt.
When all are ready, he waits for his passengers to embark, secure themselves, then will take to wing (when the party is ready to leave this spot).
Hazel (Bob Danderfluff LaRue) HP: 55/55 AC: 28/14/15 - Faoil: 23/23 AC 21/14/18 Tuesday July 14th, 2015 12:38:33 AM "Hey! We didn't go throwing stones to their hives! They attacked, we finish them. No hard feelings. And if we teach them animals is ok to attack good folks, what will happen when they attack a child. So don't feel bad. It's nature's way."
Alleah -- RobC -- AC 14/13/12 -- CMD 12 -- HP 39/39 Tuesday July 14th, 2015 6:37:21 AM "It's ok, Hazel. I'm not judging anyone or suggesting people do anything differently." Alleah tries to settle any disruption she may have caused
Bliss (AC21, HP35) & Mookie (AC19, HP17) (Cayzle) d100=65 ; Tuesday July 14th, 2015 6:56:59 AM
Bliss is still unconvinced the wasp had to die. "Maybe they woulda flown away."
But no matter. When he gets his trusty bah all magicked up, things like this won't happen so much.
Meanwhile, Murph-eagle is scritching and scratching in the dirt!
"What's that you're drawin', Mister Murphy?" Bliss asks. "Is that a balloon on a string? I never seen a square balloon."
"Mookie, you're a bird, talk to him."
Mookie cocks his head and stares at his "master." "Kid, you're the witch, cast a spell or something."
Bliss looks blank for a minute, then says, "Oh yeah!"
He casts Speak to Animals, a first level witch spell. Ley check 65 = A-OK.
He talks to Murphy and gets it all figured out.
"Mister Murphy says that there's a boat coming down the river! Come on, everybody, let's go check it out. And maybe not kill everything this time, right?"
Bliss leads the way to the river and the barge, after renewing his Reduce.
[DM Hugh] -"Come on, everybody, let's go check it out. And maybe not kill everything this time, right?" Tuesday July 14th, 2015 8:09:51 PM
In the aftermath of the encounter with the giant wasps, the party continues it's discussion of the rightness or wrongness in taking the life of the wasp.
Shel says, "Well, those things came at us first. We had no choice but to defend ourselves from them. We need to get back on our trip...it's still a long way to the Ford. If everyone feels healthy enough, we shouldn't delay."
Hazel states, "Hey! We didn't go throwing stones to their hives! They attacked, we finish them. No hard feelings. And if we teach them animals is ok to attack good folks, what will happen when they attack a child. So don't feel bad. It's nature's way."
Bliss is still unconvinced the wasp had to die. "Maybe they woulda flown away."
Alleah tries to settle any disruption she may have caused, "It's ok, Hazel. I'm not judging anyone or suggesting people do anything differently." She then grabs a tuft of wasp fur from the fallen creature.
Meanwhile Eagle-Murphy is scratching a map in the dirt. Then he waits for his passengers to embark.
Bliss eventually notices this and asks, "What's that you're drawin', Mister Murphy?" Bliss asks. "Is that a balloon on a string? I never seen a square balloon."
"Mookie, you're a bird, talk to him." He says to his spirit companion.
Mookie cocks his head and stares at his "master." "Kid, you're the witch, cast a spell or something."
Bliss looks blank for a minute, then says, "Oh yeah!"
He casts Speak to Animals, then talks to Murphy and gets it all figured out.
"Mister Murphy says that there's a boat coming down the river! Come on, everybody, let's go check it out. And maybe not kill everything this time, right?"
Bliss leads the way to the river and the barge, after renewing his Reduce.
The barge is making good time and as the party is longstriding/riding/ or flying towards it is only a half hour before you intersect with it. A group of humans is on board. They appear friendly for they wave to the Humble's Sword, so Bliss's talk of not killing anything just may come to pass.
At the rudder stands a portly human with a handlebar mustache and a tricorne hat. He has ruddy cheeks and a twinkle in his blue eyes. His cape is billowing in the breeze and at his side there is sheathed a rapier. His outfit is well made and although he is not wearing armor, you notice a pair of bracers adorn his wrists.
Manning one of the poles is a wiry young adult human with shaggy brown hair and hazel eyes. He is wearing plane leather armor and has a handaxe at his side and a bow and quiver of arrows on his back. This man has stubble on his face.
Manning the other pole is a solidly built gruff looking man with long black hair and beard. He has brown eyes. He looks older than the other punter and has two handaxes at either hip and a crossbow and case of bolts at his back. His chain shirt glints in the sunlight. At his side stands an Akita.
Another lithe yet curmudgeonly looking man stands at the stern of the barge, his eyes on the lookout for any danger. A falchion and a quiver are strapped to his back and he carries a longbow in his hand. This man is also wearing a chain shirt but has a blonde mullet and a goatee with connected mustache.
The barge itself is made of wood and has an open deck. Several crates, boxes and barrels are strapped to it.
The man at the rudder working with the polers manages to weigh anchor close to the shore.
After the barge has stopped moving the rudder man stands and bellows "What ho and well met, my good halflings! What news from Izen?"
Perception DC: 20 or Appraise DC:15 Highlight to display spoiler: {It looks like the chain shirts the man at the stern and the man with dog are wearing are made from mithril}
Shel Gerald--AC 15/14/12--CMD 14--HP 39/39 Tuesday July 14th, 2015 8:34:53 PM "You wouldn't believe it if we told you," Shel says as she waves her hand at the strangers. "You probably wouldn't believe me if I told you, but we've met some goblins that weren't evil. At least they didn't seem evil...maybe a little pragmatic, if nothing else. But that's neither here nor there. We are trying to get back to our town, Humble's Ford. We've been gone a long ...well, we've not been home for some time," Shel scratches her head. Maybe we won't have been gone for long if we get home soon. Maybe?
Alleah -- RobC -- AC 14/13/12 -- CMD 12 -- HP 39/39 d20+11=18 ; d20+7=15 ; d20+5=7 ; Tuesday July 14th, 2015 9:56:43 PM Perception vs DC20: 18 = Fail Appraise vs DC15: 15 = Pass
Alleah smiles widely. What luck that a barge would be passing by at this very moment. This must surely be a blessing from Wardd! She looks up to the clouds and gives a knowing wink.
"Any chance you are heading that way?" Alleah asks hopefully. It's not one of her finer diplomatic moments. (Diplomacy: 7)
Murphy Giant Eagle (Dire Bat) HP 32/43 - (Kim) d20+6=17 ; d20+6=14 ; Wednesday July 15th, 2015 2:42:55 AM
Eagle-Murphy signals to Sardok and Shel that they should dismount. He calls out a greeting to those on the barge, then takes off parallel to the river, gains altitude for a few hundred feet, scanning the river below, then wings over into a dive. Swiftly he descends, almost levels out near the water's surface, then his head disappears below the water, and an instant later, a fair-sized fish is in his beak [hit AC 17]. Upward he heads, back toward the shore opposite his companions. He again banks, and flies perhaps fifty feet above the barge. He opens his beak, and the fish drops, bouncing once, onto the deck of the barge below [hit AC 14 - I figure that's close enough to hit a large wooden surface].
He comes to land a short distance behind his companions, and calls out again.
Perhaps someone notices he still has a wound where the wasp stabbed him (down 11 hp).
Hazel (Bob Danderfluff LaRue) HP: 55/55 AC: 28/14/15 - Faoil: 23/23 AC 21/14/18 d20+13=33 ; Wednesday July 15th, 2015 10:59:12 AM
Hazel, his sling staff ready, looks at how the meeting proceeds, cautiously. Perception: Natural 20! 33 He mutters under his breath. "Fancy equipment! Mithril I guess. By the way, better if he heal our "eagle"..." Faoil moves up to smell and greet the Akita, in a dogly kind of way.
"Hello Mister Humans!" calls out Bliss. "Hello doggie!"
Bliss watches the boat and tries to figure out which is faster ... boating or longstriding/flying.
Bliss sees very well (perception 33) that Eagle Murphy is hurting, so he casts a Cure Light Wounds on him. Ley check 88. Murphy cures 5 hp damage.
If Bliss thinks that the boat is faster than walking, he calls out, "Hey Captain! Captain of the boat! Would you let us ride on your boat downrivers a ways?" Untrained Diplomacy is an 8.
He listens to what these gents say. Do they seem trustworthy? Sense Motive 28 nat 20 woo hoo!
[DM Hugh] -"Hey Captain! Captain of the boat! Would you let us ride on your boat downrivers a ways?" Wednesday July 15th, 2015 9:14:41 PM
Humble's Sword engages the crew of the barge in conversation.
In response to the rudder man's inquiry Shel scratches her head and says, "You wouldn't believe it if we told you," Shel says as she waves her hand at the strangers. "You probably wouldn't believe me if I told you, but we've met some goblins that weren't evil. At least they didn't seem evil...maybe a little pragmatic, if nothing else. But that's neither here nor there. We are trying to get back to our town, Humble's Ford. We've been gone a long ...well, we've not been home for some time."
Alleah smiles widely. What luck that a barge would be passing by at this very moment. This must surely be a blessing from Wardd! She looks up to the clouds and gives a knowing wink.
"Any chance you are heading that way?" she asks hopefully. It's not one of her finer diplomatic moments.
Eagle-Murphy signals to Sardok and Shel that they should dismount. He calls out a greeting to those on the barge, then takes off parallel to the river, gains altitude for a few hundred feet, scanning the river below, then wings over into a dive. Swiftly he descends, almost levels out near the water's surface, then his head disappears below the water, and an instant later, a fair-sized fish is in his beak.
Upward he heads, back toward the shore opposite his companions. He again banks, and flies perhaps fifty feet above the barge. He opens his beak, and the fish drops, bouncing once, onto the deck of the barge below.
Hazel, his sling staff ready, looks at how the meeting proceeds, cautiously. . "Fancy equipment! Mithril I guess. By the way, better if he heal our "eagle"..."
Faoil moves up to smell and greet the Akita, in a dogly kind of way.
"Hello Mister Humans!" calls out Bliss. "Hello doggie!"
Bliss watches the boat and determines that it is moving faster than the party had been.
Bliss also casts a cure spell on Eagle-Murphy.
He then calls out, "Hey Captain! Captain of the boat! Would you let us ride on your boat downrivers a ways?"
The captain introduces himself, "I'm Captain Angus Lurchengo, owner and operator of this here barge. The lad is Damian Poeneskian, my deckhand and apprentice," At that introduction the younger man waves.
"A pleasure." Damian says.
"My guards are those 2 rangers, Dwayne Thayer and Lucius Attadan and Dwayne's companion is named Coerian" he says indicating first the dark haired man, then the blonde haired man and lastly the dog.
"Well met" Dwayne says
Coerian also greats Faoil in kind.
Lucius says, "Hullo."
Captain Angus says, "Wardd smiles on our meeting. I happen to be heading North to Angel's Spring myself. I confess, I have heard of Humble's Ford," he squints as he tries to recall the details, "isn't it that small settlement before reaching the most important city in the entire Crescent Valley?" he asks.
He then says, "Tell me, how does a group of halflings from the Crescent Valley end up all the way South of Izen?! It must be quite the tail indeed. Why the telling of the tale alone would probably be worth a few days passage, but I have a different transaction in mind. How about I take you all the way to Humble's Ford on my barge? All I ask in return is that you help defend the barge if we are attacked and help out with the tasks that need doing on the barge. I still would like to hear how you found yourselves here, but you can take your time in telling me as we sail towards our destinations. Deal?"
"One of the tasks is hunting or fishing as game becomes available and your eagle just caught tonight's dinner by the look of it. What do you say?"
Those of you attempting to sense the motives of these men, detect nothing hostile or dishonest about these men and the offer of helping out as auxiliary crew in exchange for passage seems genuine.
Shel Gerald--AC 15/14/12--CMD 14--HP 39/39 Wednesday July 15th, 2015 9:42:11 PM
Shel starts telling the story. "Somehow we were transported to the Nightmare Land along with a couple goblins. Then we were pursued by some Huntsman and we ran away. We soaked for days and finally found a safe spot, some strange inn. It was safe there. We tried to get back to the Ford but we needed to get the goblin child home first. We did that, but as you know it's a long trip to the Ford."
Shel laid out the skeleton, and allowed the others to fill in the other missing details.
"Thanks for granting us passage. We can really use it. We just want to get home as fast as we can."
Hazel (Bob Danderfluff LaRue) HP: 55/55 AC: 28/14/15 - Faoil: 23/23 AC 21/14/18 Thursday July 16th, 2015 12:23:29 AM "If you take us all the way home, of course we will gladly help you defending your barge, and helping about in all that we can!"
Alleah -- RobC -- AC 14/13/12 -- CMD 12 -- HP 39/39 d8+1=9 ; d20+11=23 ; Thursday July 16th, 2015 3:21:18 AM
Alleah comes to a realisation. Her Walker oath will prevent her from fishing. Unless she implemented a catch & release program of course.
Still, she could forage for food. Perhaps some herbs, berries or roots?
For the moment though, she turns her attention to Murph-eagle. With a tap from the CLW wand he starts to look a little better (Murphy is healed for 9pts damage)
After that it is greeting each of the men on the barge. Alleah introduces herself and goes to shake each mans hand. "I don't know how I'll fare at hunting, but I do happen to have some ale with me if you care to join us in a drink later"
"So what are you guys transporting? Any of it for sale?"
Sense Motive: 23
----------------------- (Can I assume Alleah is carrying the party CLW Wand?)
Murphy Giant Eagle (Dire Bat) HP 32/43 - (Kim) Thursday July 16th, 2015 6:01:34 AM
As Shel starts pouring out the gist of their story, Eagle-Murphy nudges her shoulder with his beak. He scratches in the dirt, "Take time to chew. Good story, true. Whole story at once like filling mouth with whole banquet at once."
He nods his head in affirmation of Hazel's words, then preens a feather in need of preening.
He stretches in appreciation as Alleah heals his wound. He bows his head by way of showing gratitude for her kind ministrations.
Bliss (AC20, HP43) & Mookie (AC19, HP21) (Cayzle) Thursday July 16th, 2015 12:39:22 PM
Bliss hops up on the barge.
"Well hello Captain Angus and Mister Damian and Mister Dwayne and Mister Lucius and Coerian!"
The little guy is clearly trying to set the names in his head.
"I'm Bliss, got no last name, but my mom is Vauhwyt the famous liontaur of Dirt City and Acid City and Blackbird Forest. I'm at your service. I'm a shadow witch and bah specialist. And this is my friend Mookie, who is older than me."
"Charmed, I'm sure," says Mookie. Sense motive DC5: Highlight to display spoiler: {Mookie is not charmed}
"Sure we'll help you keep your boat safe. That's what a hero would do, and I want to be a hero, just like my mom."
"Oh, and I'm in the WLA!," says Bliss enthusiastically. "Check out this nifty badge I got for joining!"
He shows off his badge, the one that looks like a tower with a glyph written over it.
[OOC: And I just remembered, per the new rules, I get a +1 on my diplomacy rolls because of my badge when dealing with noble races. That means I should roll Diplomacy again ...
Diplomacy (untrained) 1d20+3 ... ooh! a 9!]
[DM Hugh] -"So what are you guys transporting? Any of it for sale?" d20+13=26 ; d20+6=9 ; d20+1=11 ; d20+1=9 ; Thursday July 16th, 2015 8:09:35 PM Shel starts telling the story that Capt. Angus asked about, she starts out with "Somehow we were transported to the Nightmare Land along with a couple goblins. Then we were pursued by some Huntsman and we ran away..."
Her haste was interrupted by Eagle-Murphy who nudges her shoulder with his beak. He scratches in the dirt, "Take time to chew. Good story, true. Whole story at once like filling mouth with whole banquet at once."
Shel then says, "Thanks for granting us passage. We can really use it. We just want to get home as fast as we can."
Hazel chimes in, "If you take us all the way home, of course we will gladly help you defending your barge, and helping about in all that we can!"
Eagle-Murphy nods his head in affirmation of Hazel's words, then preens a feather in need of preening.
Alleah realizes that her Walker oath will prevent her from hunting or fishing then turns her attention to Eagle-Murphy using the party's Wand of CLW to finish the job Bliss started. Eagle-Murphy stretches in appreciation as Alleah heals his wound. He bows his head by way of showing gratitude for her kind ministrations.
Bliss hops up on the barge.
"Well hello Captain Angus and Mister Damian and Mister Dwayne and Mister Lucius and Coerian!" Bliss says trying to keep the new names straight in his head.
"I'm Bliss, got no last name, but my mom is Vauhwyt the famous liontaur of Dirt City and Acid City and Blackbird Forest. I'm at your service. I'm a shadow witch and bah specialist. And this is my friend Mookie, who is older than me."
"Charmed, I'm sure," says Mookie.
Captain Angus (Sense Motive: 26) asks the bird, "Are you really?"
"I don't think it is, Cap'n" says Damian (Sense Motive:9)
Dwayne and Lucius each Harrumph. (Sense Motive: 11 and 9 respectively)
"Sure we'll help you keep your boat safe. That's what a hero would do, and I want to be a hero, just like my mom."
Bliss then shows off his WLA badge.
Alleah also boards the barge and greets each of the men on the barge, introducing herself and shaking each mans hand. "I don't know how I'll fare at hunting, but I do happen to have some ale with me if you care to join us in a drink later"
She then asks, "So what are you guys transporting? Any of it for sale?"
"We are transporting a variety of trade goods, sundries, fabrics, and other items. Based on the tale your charming friend started and the fact that you tamed and trained a dire eagle no less, you are obviously a party of adventurers. I think I have something that will be of interest to you, especially since our river journey will take us close to the Culverwood, a forest known for its enchanting qualities and fey influence." Angus answers and claps his hands.
Damian hops to and pries the lid off of one of the containers revealing a small arsenal of cold iron weapons and ammunition of differing quality (OOC: some masterwork and some normal)
Angus continues his pitch, "It is said a good adventurer is a well prepared one. Some creatures can only be harmed by weapons crafted from special substances. As you see I have in my possession various weapons crafted out of cold iron guaranteed effective against fey creatures and certain creatures of the abyss. Any or all of these weapons can be yours for the right price. Any takers?"
(OOC: Angus is selling cold iron weapons and ammunition, he has at least 1 of each simple or martial weapon listed in the core equipment (Non APG) that could be conceivably crafted from cold iron. For exotic cold iron weapons availability roll a d100, anything above 50 he has in stock, if 50 or below he is out of. The cost is standard cost of a cold iron weapon, masterwork or non depending on the quality you want)
The rest of Humble's Sword boards the barge and begins to peruse the offerings. In the words of dear Captain Angus, Any Takers?
Shel Gerald--AC 15/14/12--CMD 14--HP 39/39 Thursday July 16th, 2015 8:48:24 PM "No thanks, weapons aren't really my specialty. Those sure look mighty fine, though.". She looks at some crates, trying to help the others pick out something nice. She will also try to detect magic to see if there are any magical weapons or other items in the crates.
"Would you tell us more about this Culverwood? I haven't heard much about it before."
OOC: Speaking of the WLA, I'm going to do some studying about it this weekend, and see what I need to do to keep my membership in good standing. I might have to email the group, to be sure I'm doing things correctly.
Hazel (Bob Danderfluff LaRue) HP: 55/55 AC: 28/14/15 - Faoil: 23/23 AC 21/14/18 d100=12 ; Friday July 17th, 2015 1:01:48 AM "I am a workshipper of the Culverwood. Do you have Cold Iron bullets? Seems not, right?"
Alleah -- RobC -- AC 14/13/12 -- CMD 12 -- HP 39/39 Friday July 17th, 2015 1:43:05 AM "Cold iron, you say? A very nice metal. Though I must admit I prefer the subtle shine of mithral. Would you be prepared to sell that fine chain shirt you're wearing?" Alleah grins and admires the mithral shirt once more "In new condition, I'd value it at, oh, close to 1100 gold pieces. But it has obviously been worn. Now, I couldn't help but notice you thanked Wardd for this meeting. Perhaps if you'd be willing to sell, then you'd also be willing to let Wardd set the final price? Nothing complicated mind you, just a simple coin toss. If you win, I would gladly pay 1110 gold. 10 more than it's worth. If I win, you take 10 gold pieces away from the price. What say you? Up for a little wager?"
Alleah continues to grin. She wants the setting to be friendly, and by no means wants to challenge the man. Only to have a friendly little wager...
------------------ OOC: Alleah has her share from the loot split, and is looking to buy a mithral shirt in the near future. If Angus is willing to sell, Alleah is proposing a simple coin toss for the final price: 1110gp or 1090gp depending on the result :) She does have a rank in Profession(Gambler) after all. Otherwise she is quite happy to pay the full book price of 1100 if the man - or any other - is willing to sell
(OOC: DM Hugh edit Angus is not wearing Mithral...Only Lucius and Dwayne are...he is wearing Bracers of Armor and a cape (cloak) of resistance
Rob: Alleah will wheel & deal with any of them! :)
Bliss (AC20, HP43) & Mookie (AC19, HP21) (Cayzle) Friday July 17th, 2015 10:46:34 AM
"Oh, yes please! I'll take five five-bolt clips of cold iron bolts for my bah, thanks! How much does that cost?" Bliss is enthusiastic about weapons, as always.
Mookie coughs -- I mean caws -- and says, "So, what fairy invasion you guys plan to stop, anyway?"
Murphy Giant Eagle (Dire Bat) HP 32/43 - (Kim) Friday July 17th, 2015 3:37:20 PM
Eagle-Murphy figures he should take advantage of his present form to handle the food situation for tomorrow, too. He takes the time to capture two more decent-sized fish, presenting them in a less dramatic form that previously by landing on the edge of the barge, and dropping each more gently than before onto the deck. After the second one, he transforms back into his own coverall-wearing halfling form. "Hello. My name is Murphy," he announces to the crew and captain.
Once his introduction to them is covered, and he shares his friends' enthusiasm at accompanying them on the barge, he expresses an interest in a quantity of cold iron sling bullets - so long as any are left after Hazel has acquired his share. "Did you know that, according to Eberyon, halflings are fey? At least, that's what he told my sister and brother and a few of my cousins on the day he was reborn some years back." He also considers getting a dagger.
As the river they are on like as not flows southward, and they are heading northward, he first looks to see if he can figure it out, then, if not, he asks how they are propelling themselves upstream so swiftly.
[DM Hugh] -"So, what fairy invasion you guys plan to stop, anyway?" Friday July 17th, 2015 8:25:59 PM
(OOC:First off, Murphy gets a hero point for his attention to detail for pointing out that the barge was making great time going against the current...he caught something that us DMs missed when writing this module...We promise to pay better attention to detail in the future)
Humble's Sword continues their business and discussion with Captain Angus and company. (OOC: Fun fact - The first name of the titular character of the tv show MacGyver is actually Angus.)
"No thanks, weapons aren't really my specialty. Those sure look mighty fine, though." Shel says, before casting detect magic and checking out some of the other containers. Nothing in the containers radiate magic besides a small box that radiates a very faint aura. It contains shot glasses shaped like mount bone.
Captain Angus noticing Shel's interest in the shot glasses says, "Oh, you noticed the novelty Mount Bone shot glasses, these things are sure to be a hit at your next social gathering." He takes one from the box and grabs his water skin, filling the glass with liquid. The appearance of the shot glass changes from transparent clear glass to an opaque off-white color that resembles an imperfectly bleached bone. "A true bargain at 2 gp a piece."
Shel Highlight to display spoiler: { You note that nothing else in the containers radiate magic, though the Captain's Bracers and Cape as well as 2 of his pockets do. Nothing belonging to Damian does, but the chain shirts belonging to Dwayne and Lucius do as well as 3 of Lucius's pockets and 2 of Dwayne's. The barge itself radiates a moderate aura.}
Shel then asks, "Would you tell us more about this Culverwood? I haven't heard much about it before."
"At the heart of the Elennian Peninsula there lies one of the 7 magical forest of Yrth. According to the legends the forest can feel, and act, that the routes through it seem to change, that some folks wander for days only to end up where they started without ever getting where they wanted to go, and some folk who enter never come out. They say unwary travelers will usually disappear never to be seen again, but those who honor the Culverwood and treat it with love and respect can find it to be the most beautiful and wonderful places in the Wold. There are even rumors that there are passages within the Culverwood that lead to the magical forests of the Valley of Twilight where Queen Ma'ab rules." says Captain Angus.
Almost as if on queue Hazel states, "I am a workshipper of the Culverwood. Do you have Cold Iron bullets? Seems not, right?"
"Oh ho, then you can tell us if any of the stories, legends, rumors are true; though if it is strong enough to attract the veneration of a noble adventurer such as yourself then I'd wager some of the stories to be true at least. I have plenty of cold iron sling bullets in 2 levels of quality. How many do you want? Each pouch of 10 normal cold iron bullets costs 2 silver pieces and each pouch of high quality cold iron bullets cost 120 gold and 2 silver."
Alleah is impressed. "Cold iron, you say? A very nice metal. Though I must admit I prefer the subtle shine of mithral. Would either of your men be prepared to sell either of those fine chain shirts that they're wearing?"
Alleah grins and admires one of the mithral shirts once more "In new condition, I'd value it at, oh, close to 1100 gold pieces. But it has obviously been worn. Now, I couldn't help but notice your Captain thanked Wardd for this meeting. Perhaps if you'd be willing to sell, then you'd also be willing to let Wardd set the final price? Nothing complicated mind you, just a simple coin toss. If you win, I would gladly pay 1110 gold. 10 more than it's worth. If I win, you take 10 gold pieces away from the price. What say you? Up for a little wager?"
Dwayne and Lucius look at each other and then at Alleah. Dwayne then says "To be frank. Miss the answer is no. We were hired to protect the Captain's barge and we can't do that effectively without armor to protect us from any rough business that may happen. You understand."
Lucius then chimes in, "You are an ambitious negotiator I will give you that. Our shirts are enchanted so you low balled that estimate by about 1000 gold."
Alleah continues to grin. She wants the setting to be friendly, and by no means wants to challenge the men.
"No hard feelings though, miss and if you want to have a wager we can wager on who can complete more chores or wrestling or knuckle fighting. There are more things to be done on this bucket than just hunting and fishing. Heck, maybe we can even have a game of cards." Lucius says.
While Alleah was attempting to wager with the 2 rangers, Bliss was talking to Captain Angus "Oh, yes please! I'll take five five-bolt clips of cold iron bolts for my bah, thanks! How much does that cost?" Bliss is enthusiastic about weapons, as always.
"Do you want high quality or standard? Standard will run you 2 gold pieces per clip so 10 gp for 5 standard clips. High quality will run you 62 gold pieces per clip so 310 gold pieces for 5 high quality clips."
Mookie caws and says, "So, what fairy invasion you guys plan to stop, anyway?"
Captain Angus says, "Those fey are a tricky lot, you never know when they may do something unexpected and as I said there is supposed to be strong connection between the Culverwood and Ma'ab. I heard a rumor the other day that Ma'ab is up to something. A story about how her emissaries were turning mortal adventurers she deemed worthy into fairies. Not all adventurers are good. If there is any truth to this story, cold iron could prove handy indeed."
Meanwhile Eagle-Murphy figures he should take advantage of his present form to handle the food situation for tomorrow, too. He takes the time to capture two more decent-sized fish, presenting them in a less dramatic form that previously by landing on the edge of the barge, and dropping each more gently than before onto the deck.
After the second one, he transforms back into his own coverall-wearing halfling form. "Hello. My name is Murphy," he announces to the crew and captain.
"Well I'll be, the dire eagle wasn't a dire eagle, but a druid. Fancy that." Angus says at Murphy's transformation.
Once his introduction to them is covered, and he shares his friends' enthusiasm at accompanying them on the barge, he expresses an interest in a quantity of cold iron sling bullets - so long as any are left after Hazel has acquired his share. "Did you know that, according to Eberyon, halflings are fey? At least, that's what he told my sister and brother and a few of my cousins on the day he was reborn some years back." He also considers getting a dagger.
"If there is any truth in that statement, I would imagine you may be closer to the fey than others. Isn't turning into plants and animals supposed to be a fey trick, too? As I told Hazel, Each pouch of 10 normal cold iron bullets costs 2 silver pieces and each pouch of high quality cold iron bullets cost 120 gold and 2 silver. I have plenty of ammunition for both of you. As for a dagger made of cold iron, a normal quality one will run you 4 gold and a high quality one will run you 604 gold."
(OOC: To wrap up sales transaction in your next post just include how much and what you are buying and deduct the gold from your sheet)
Murphy asks Captain Angus how the barge is making such good time traveling against the current.
"This barge is magical, my good halfing. It reverses the polarity of the water around it. It has been enchanted to move against a current as if it was moving with the current. The enchantment can be turned on and off with a command word, which is handy, considering that if it couldn't, it would be real hard to move downriver on this thing."
With business concluded and enough food for both this night and the next night's meal secured, the containers are re-closed, Humble's Sword and Thistle find places on the barge for themselves and once again the party is on the move.
You travel 6 more hours before stopping for the night. When the barge is stopped the second opportunity to help with chores on the barge presents itself. Someone has to prepare the fish that Murphy caught. (OOC: If interested roll survival or Profession[cook]; I will allow allow sous chefs, so you can do the standard aid another vs DC 10 to help the lead chef)
Also Damian has a job for some of Humble's Sword, the magic barge has sustained minor damage and the deckhand would like some of you to help him fix it. (OOC: If interested roll Profession[sailor] or Craft[ship])
(OOC: Please note that like that competition at the beginning of the campaign these chores are mutually exclusive so a single character can either attempt to help cook or help with repairs, not both)
Sometimes to be a hero means to help out, so choose a chore and chose wisely.
Shel Gerald--AC 15/14/12--CMD 14--HP 39/39 d20+1=11 ; Friday July 17th, 2015 9:00:46 PM
Shel was equally average in the kitchen or swinging a hammer. However using some funky spices, and trying to make the fish taste good sounded much more fun. Shel didn't have the guts to take on cooking by herself, but she was quick to throw in a helping hand to assist.
"I think you cut the filets right off the bone here. As big as this fish is, the filets should feed most of us. Did add a little salt, some pepper, and some of this greed weed right here. Is that a lemon I see over there? Yeah, squeeze some juice over here for me!"
Aid another Cooking: 11, just barely a success! I'll read my spoiler tomorrow, as I'm on my iPad tonight. Shel might be interested in purchasing the magical shot glasses, depending on the spoiler.
Alleah -- RobC -- AC 14/13/12 -- CMD 12 -- HP 39/39 d20+3=15 ; d20+8=27 ; d20+11=22 ; d20+11=19 ; Friday July 17th, 2015 9:26:18 PM "So, I'm guessing you don't want to sell for 1000 gold then?" Alleah grins. Magical armor isn't something she had anticipated, nor can afford "No hard feelings. I might just take you up on that game of cards though. If you don't mind losing to a girl, that is" She gives the man a friendly elbow.
She looks through the rest of the wares and decides to purchase a Cold Iron Sickle (12gp) as well as two of those fancy shot glasses (4gp)
Finally the sun begins to set on this day.
Alleah decides that preparing a fish probably wouldn't be a good idea. She's still a bit unsure how her Witchy powers work, and getting fish guts on her hands might affect her spell casting. No, straight to helping fix the barge!
She has a fair idea of what bits go where on a barge (Untrained Craft[ship]: 15), but also has unlimited castings of a Mending cantrip to throw around. That and some castings of Guidance should help make some progress. Plus, being the packrat that she is, she has all kinds of tools that might help out - a hammer, a crowbar, and even a ladder!
If Captain Angus permits, Alleah will also take the gallon of ale from her pack and offer that around in the spirit of friendship. She doesn't want to offer it to the sailors without the captain's permission though. She's heard tales of sailors getting in trouble for that sort of thing before.
Finally, if time allows, she will take Lucious up on his offer of a little gambling. Alleah does have a cube that could function as a die (if the group want to play a game she is developing), but if the sailors have some cards, then that's her game. (Profession (Gambler): 27). She is very careful not to cast any magical spells to aid her in gambling. Such a thing would be considered cheating and would displease Wardd no end. She won't be playing high stakes either - no more than a few silver pieces maximum. Anything more might damage the developing friendship.
(Perception: 22 Sense Motive: 19)
--------------------- Spoiler to DM Highlight to display spoiler: {FYI - The Mending cantrip can repair magic items, "but you must have a caster level equal to or higher than that of the object". Alleah's caster level is 5, so she may or may not be able to use the cantrip to aid in fixing the barge}
Murphy Giant Eagle (Dire Bat) HP 32/43 - (Kim) d20+6=23 ; Saturday July 18th, 2015 4:49:58 AM
Murphy will attempt to assist with barge repairs. Knowledge, engineering: 23. He also makes generous use of the mending spell where that could help.
[cold iron dagger, masterwork; 40 cold iron sling bullets, 10 cold iron masterwork sling bullets]
Shel Gerald--AC 15/14/12--CMD 14--HP 39/39 Saturday July 18th, 2015 8:58:51 AM
Shel decides to purchase four of the shot glasses. "What a neat trick those things are! I bet no one in the Ford has ever seen something like that." She reaches over her eight gold pieces, quite pleased with her new purchase.
If Alleah does produce the ale, Shel will hand out three of her new glasses to the others, keeping one for herself, and try them out. "These are just amazing," she exclaims with every shot she takes down.
OOC: buy four magical shot glasses for eight gold.
Sardok (ADM Kim for Brian Whiteangel) Sunday July 19th, 2015 11:27:51 PM
As the barge stops for the night, Sardok, who has been uncharacteristically quiet during this leg of the trip, gathers his friends and companions. "Friends, it has been an honor and privilege to travel with you from the day I met you at market day in Humble's Ford, to the Parley House, and even into the place of dark dreams and back again. Something, though, has been gnawing at my mind, and I feel compelled to depart from you for now. I know not all that lies ahead for me. Would that we might adventure together again.
"I will take a few moments to gather my things, then I must say farewell to each and all."
Hazel (Bob Danderfluff LaRue) HP: 55/55 AC: 28/14/15 - Faoil: 23/23 AC 21/14/18 d20+2=13 ; d20+15=33 ; Monday July 20th, 2015 2:27:29 AM
Hazel smiles. "You have cold iron bullets! Great! Give me 10, the normal kind, please." OOC: Added the 10 cold iron bullets, and removed the 2 sp. Hazel tries to help cooking the fish, helped by Shel and even Faoil, lending his olfactory abilities to discenr when the fish is ready. Faoil Aid Another Survival Roll: 13 Survival Roll (+2 Shel, +2 Faoil): 33 They will have a GREAT dinner. Hazel looks at at seeing Sardok go. "We will miss you, my friend."
Bliss (AC20, HP43) & Mookie (AC19, HP21) (Cayzle) Monday July 20th, 2015 7:39:36 AM
Bliss pays for 5 clips with 5 bolts per clip.
Then he sees the tiny glasses his friends are considering buying.
"Um, wait, that's not right? I remember ... Mookie, what was that story you told me about Bone Mountain?"
The raven answers, "You mean about how that's the mountain that's full of undead and the Sons of Dread? Where Marteaus the nasty god of sniffles formed his kingdom in the Wold? Where your mom and her pals fought a trio of liches? Where she chased that rogue druid down and where all your sisters died? Where you were put in a bag of holding that was ripped to shreds? That place?"
Bliss drops the tiny glass he had been holding.
"... yeah, that's it." he says in a tiny voice.
He wipes his hand -- the one that had been holding the glass -- on his pants and takes a step back.
Alleah -- RobC -- AC 14/13/12 -- CMD 12 -- HP 39/39 d20+4=16 ; Monday July 20th, 2015 8:55:12 AM
Alleah gives Sardok a farewell hug "May Wardd see it that our paths cross again soon". He has been a worthy travel companion, and one that she will genuinely miss.
As for Bliss, Alleah can't help but try and have some fun at his expense "Uh, Bliss? Your skin is starting to fade. I think I can see your bones!" (Bluff: 16)
Bliss (AC20, HP43) & Mookie (AC19, HP21) (Cayzle) d20+8=14 ; d20+2=4 ; Monday July 20th, 2015 9:45:26 AM
Bliss sense motive: 14.
"What?!" The little guy looks down at himself wildly. He starts to blink and then to cry.
Mookie cocks his head at Alleah. Sense Motive for Mookie: 4.
"I don't see anything!" he mutters.
Murphy HP 43/43 - (Kim) d20+16=29 ; d20+7=12 ; Monday July 20th, 2015 12:13:56 PM
"Sardok, you are one of the most interesting halflings I know. And that's saying something," Murphy remarks, clapping him on the shoulder. "Good luck, friend, wherever you go. May heaven's blessings guard and sustain you. I hope we do travel together again, though for now our roads diverge."
He attends to the kerfuffle over the shot glasses. [Perception: 29. Sense motive: 12]
"Hmmm - you look just fine to me, Bliss." He shoots a look over to Alleah, raising a quizzical eyebrow.
"Let me make you some tea, Bliss. And let's sit and talk a spell."
Shel Gerald--AC 15/14/12--CMD 14--HP 39/39 Monday July 20th, 2015 3:57:38 PM "Sardok, thank you for helping us out of numerous sticky spots. It ws good getting to know you. I hate to see you go," Shel says as she too hugs the halfling before he departs.
[DM StevenVdB] - Good luck, friend, wherever you go. May heaven's blessings guard and sustain you." Monday July 20th, 2015 6:19:25 PM
(DM Kathy is unable to post atm so DM Hugh will be helping her out. As such I'm in the saddle again a bit sooner than anticapted)
The Barge is secured to the shore. One by one the Humble's Sword try their best in helping out with various chores.
Shel and Hazel team up to make something eadable with the fishes Eagle-Murphy caught earlier. First they get rid of the scales... tiny glistening scales scatter around the deck. Captain Angus looks up and warns the two not to get fish scales or dirt on his deck or they will be scrubbing the deck afterwards!
Shel messes up the first fillet, but with some guidance coming from Hazel she manages to get the second and third one clean from the bone.
"Looks like we'll be having posh style dinner Cpt'n!", Damian laughs as he sees Shel and Hazel filleting the fish. They're used to just roast the fairly inseasoned fish over a fire and eat it from the bone...
Shel and Hazel really put some effort in it and it doesn't take long for a lovely scent to land over the barge. Everyone's belly starts to growl at the smell of herbs 'n spices...
Alleah decides preparing fish won't be her forte so she follows Damian to see where she can help repairing the barge. She could never repair the barge itself, but repairing some loose planks, a hole here and there and some other minor things shouldn't be much of a problem for the Bloodwitch. Damian smiles as a token of his appreciation.
During work Alleah digs up some ale and asks permission to the captain to offer the ale to the crew in the spirit of friendship.
"First we work, then we drink!", the Captain says but quickly adds, "and when we drink I'll double the ale you have!" Shel's eager to try her newly aquired glasses but she'll have to wait untill all chores are done...
Murphy too helps out his the barge repairs.
During dinner Shel digs up the Bone Glasses she just bought. Suddenly Bliss remembers something about Bone Mountain... he drops the tiny glass he had been holding! Alleah shimes in: "Uh, Bliss? Your skin is starting to fade. I think I can see your bones!"
Bliss almost blinks and starts to cry as he looks down at himsel. Mookie doesn't grasp the joke Alleah plays on him... Nor does Muprhy who calms Bliss...
The mood darkens however after dinner when Sardok, who has been uncharacteristically quiet ,gathers his friends and companions and informs them that he has to leave for now...
Everyone says goodbye to Sardok!!
During the night Captain Angus expects his two guards to take care of the watch but he also casts an eye at you all...
Murphy HP 43/43 - (Kim) Monday July 20th, 2015 8:45:13 PM
"Good food on board. Compliments to the chef, and assistants." He goes light on the ale. He doesn't mind sipping a bit, but does not like what too much brew does to his head.
"I can take last watch, Captain. I like to rise early, anyhow," Murphy volunteers. "Do you have a protocol in the event someone, or something, shows up during a watch?"
As he was assisting with repairs during the day, he got to know the layout of the barge as much as possible, and where one might find supplies, weapons, nets, harpoons, stowage, the head, fresh water, and all sorts of things. He also inquires as to the reverse polarity in greater detail, and asks where one might find a person who can create such an effect. He knows how to call forth water, but not how to repel against it - or even to know what its polarity might be.
He checks to see if there is a place or two along the side of the barge with a ladder or some sort of convenience for climbing aboard. Speaking of which, he consults with the crew about the potability of the river water. That is, does it seem safe to drink?
How thick is the barge? Is it a bunch of logs lashed together with flat boards on top, or something more sophisticated? What is its length and breadth? Is it rectangular, or does it have a point or different shape? Since barges usually carry things, he wonders what this one might be carrying.
Shel Gerald--AC 15/14/12--CMD 14--HP 39/39 Monday July 20th, 2015 9:42:52 PM
Shel volunteers for first watch. So long as she got her eight hours straight, she didn't care which shift she drew. After Sardok took his leave, Shel did play with her new glass toys, handing them out to the others and filling them with ale, drinking a few of them. She took care to not drink too many, as she had just volunteered for first shift watch this evening. "Do we have hammocks to sleep in? I'd like to get my stuff stored away before my watch starts, if that's okay."
Alleah -- RobC -- AC 14/13/12 -- CMD 12 -- HP 39/39 d20+11=13 ; Tuesday July 21st, 2015 3:26:51 AM
Alleah starts to panic. Bliss didn't realise she was joking. "I was kidding! I was kidding, Bliss! You're ok!" She even takes a mirror from her pack so he can see for himself that he is alright. She feels absolutely terrible that he didn't get the joke.
As promised, she shares some ale around the party and the sailors - making sure Damian gets his share. She gives the barge a small kick "I think we did an ok job in fixing things today"
Assuming there are three watches, Alleah is happy to take the middle watch.
"I don't have any hammocks with me, but I do have a tent?"
Perception: 13
Bliss (AC20, HP43) & Mookie (AC19, HP21) (Cayzle) d100=55 ; Tuesday July 21st, 2015 7:34:35 AM
(It takes no sense motive check to see he is just trying not to be embarassed.)
He jumps up and helps with the clean-up after dinner.
He waves goodby to Sardok and beds down in his cauldron again for sleeping. (Ley check = OK).
Hazel (Bob Danderfluff LaRue) HP: 55/55 AC: 28/14/15 - Faoil: 23/23 AC 21/14/18 Tuesday July 21st, 2015 8:59:42 AM
Hazel will take another guard (he don't like the idea of all the halfling sleeping while the humans are awake). the last one, or other that doesn't have any Halfling on it.
[DM StevenVdB] - "Do you have a protocol in the event someone, or something, shows up during a watch?"... "Shoot first, talk later" d4=4 d4=2 Tuesday July 21st, 2015 6:53:26 PM
Murphy gives the cooks some nice compliments but does go light on the ale. After all, there's also work to do! He offers to take last watch and wonders if there's a protocol in the event someone or something shows up during a watch...
"Shoot first, talk later!" Lucius snickers and he pulls the string on his Composite Longbow to shoot an imaginary target...
By now Murphy finds his way around the barge pretty easily. He found the water storage, the cargo (an assortment of goods, fabrics, spices) and also located some harpoons. He inquires the captain about the reverse polarity. The Captain shrugs and says: "You know lad... I don't know... it just does when I press that button over there... It's just one of those things." No ladders to climbing on board. So if you decide to go for a swim make sure you have a few ropes attached to the side of the barge. The river has fresh water and it looks clean... although drinking might be risky... it's not a mountain spring after all. The Barge is pretty sturdy. About 40 ft long and 10ft wide. Barges usually are quite rectangular shaped. Near the back of the Barge is the cabin space. These are rather cramped and will never fit everyone on board atm... so at least a few will have to sleep outdoors. Lucky the sky's are clear and it promises to be a dry night.
With Muprhy in last watch, Shel takes first. Also cautious about the ale, since she's up for first watch. There are indeed a few hammocks to sleep in but there are only 6 available. The Captain and his deckhand each have one. Leaving another 4 for Lucius, Dwayne and the 5 of you.
Alleah's providing the drinks and like he promised the captain matches what she has... Captain Angus apparently cares not about watch and drinks his full... his deckhand however dares not to get drunk. Pleased with the job they did today on the barge, Alleah offers to take second watch.
Realizing he's made a complete fool of himself Bliss quickly recovers himself... after dinner he helps cleaning up and then beds down in his cauldron.
Hazel dislikes the idea of all the halfling sleeping while the humans are awake. So he takes third watch.
Lucius and Dwayne join second and last watch.
-----------------------------------------
The night passes quite uneventful and when dawn breaks Murphy rubs his eyes and wakes the rest of hte Humble's Sword.
The captain soon appears also, hardly showing any signs of last nights drinking, and scowls his deckhand around.
"Get to it lad! If we want to reach Angel's Spring before Malcolm we'd better be going!" Captain Angus shouts.
"Lucky they're only Halflings or we'd be slowed down by their weight!" Dwayne chuckles.
When the Barge sets out the captain again has some chores...
Pole the Barge (Profession Sailor or Knowledge[nature] or Wis check)
Secure the Cargo - (Profession Porter or Profession Sailor or Escape Artist)
Lookout - (Perception)
Navigate - Knowledge [Geography]
Shel Gerald--AC 15/14/12--CMD 14--HP 39/39 d20+3=8 ; Tuesday July 21st, 2015 7:57:28 PM "Who is Malcolm and why are we trying to get to Angel Springs before he does? Is he bad?". Shel begins asking questions as she tries to secure the cargo toward the hold. Unfortunately, she does an extremely poor job of knot tying, and the cargo keeps slipping loose. "Um, my bad. Sorry everyone!"
Alleah -- RobC -- AC 14/13/12 -- CMD 12 -- HP 39/39 d20+7=20 ; Tuesday July 21st, 2015 8:50:08 PM
Shel has asked the important question, so Alleah just listens in.
As for helping out on the barge... well, with muscles as small as hers, poling is not going to go well. Securing the cargo might also be a challenge. Alleah decides to draw on her skills and just go with telling people where to go. Navigating, that is. And she does quite a fair job at it (Knowl Geography: 20)
-------------- OOC: Is there enough room on the barge for the pony?
Shel Gerald--AC 15/14/12--CMD 14--HP 39/39 Tuesday July 21st, 2015 9:00:35 PM OOC: sorry, forgot to add this to my last post. Escape Artist roll result was 8. That's not good.
Bliss (AC20, HP43) & Mookie (AC19, HP21) (Cayzle) d20+3=7 ; d20+11=28 ; Tuesday July 21st, 2015 11:00:42 PM
Bliss does his best to help with the cargo, reducing to fit in small places, enlarging when some muscle is needed. he says a prayer to Lord Gargul for Guidance. Mookie does his best to help too.
Escape Artist Mookie Aid Another: 7 nope! Not really the raven's thing.
Escape Artist Bliss with +1 Guidance: 28.
Bliss smiles as he works.
Murphy HP 43/43 - (Kim) d20+16=26 ; d20+6=7 ; Wednesday July 22nd, 2015 12:53:05 AM
In the morning the druid offers to freshen the water supply, creating water to bring the stock up to full. Then, Murphy decides that standing lookout is his best contribution. He does look at the navigation option for a moment - but, what's there to navigate? [Knowledge: Geography: 7] You stay on the river, right? For some reason, he fails to apprehend that for river navigation, one wants to attend to water depth and local current flows.
So, it's lookout for him [Perception: 26]. About two hours out, he decides he has been standing on deck long enough, looking out here and there. He lets the others know he is about to take wing, and arranges a series of signals with the captain, crew, and his friends. The terse call-based vocabulary consists of direction, distance, and source of potential threat or encounter. He will alway begin with direction (1 cry north, 2 west, 3 south, 4 east. If he gives 1 cry, a short pause, then 4 cries, that is north east. 3 cries, pause, 2 cries is south west, etc.); then give distance (1 cry within 100 yards, 2 cries within 250, 3 cries 500, 4 cries within 1000 yards, 5 cries within a couple miles); and then gives source: A rising cry - from the water; a falling cry - from the air; a level cry - from the land. Finally, number in group. If none track with that, he explains he may simply fly, descending, toward the potential threat for a short distance.
He asks if any have any questions, which he will try to answer. "So, Mookie, any counsel for this rookie flyer?" Once any brief conversations are over, Murphy changes into the form of an eagle - only this time, not nearly so large as before - his wingspan is only 15', rather than 30' as the day before - yet he finds he can fly faster now. Up, up he soars, until he finds warm columns of air uplifting his wings. He rides the columns to greater heights, then glides forward, gradually losing altitude, until he encounters the next updraft.
Eagle-Murphy continually looks about, keeping within a few hundred yards horizontally of the raft most of the time, but at varying altitudes. He loves the feeling of flying.
Murphy's calling code Direction: 1-N 2-W 3-E 4-S Distance in yards: 1- <100 2- <250 3- <500 4- <1000 5- <3500 6- way out there Number in group Number of cries
Murphy CMD 14 AC 16 HP 43/43 - (Kim) -->Eagle Wednesday July 22nd, 2015 12:59:06 AM
Insertion to Murphy's calling code, just before Number in group
Source of threat rising cry - water falling cry - sky steady cry - land
Hazel (Bob Danderfluff LaRue) HP: 55/55 AC: 28/14/15 - Faoil: 23/23 AC 21/14/18 Wednesday July 22nd, 2015 1:35:38 AM
Hazel prepares Endure Elements twice for today, and offers to cast it on Shel and Alleah, if they want, so they are protected from the elements. Seeing Murphy take flight and occupy the lookout position he wanted, Hazel turns at Faoil, while hearing Murphy's calling. "Not even as a Bird can he stay quiet." He then goes to pole the barge, enjoying using his muscles with a bare torso under the sun. "Let's show this humans what a Halfling can do." He takes 10 in Knowledge (Nature), for a Total of 15. Does his 14 STR helps?
Alleah -- RobC -- AC 14/13/12 -- CMD 12 -- HP 39/39 Wednesday July 22nd, 2015 4:41:28 AM
Alleah chuckles at Hazel's remark. She also reminds him that as a witch, she can cast Endure Elements for everyone :)
[DM StevenVdB] - Not even as a Bird can he stay quiet. Wednesday July 22nd, 2015 7:08:23 PM
As the boat travels upriver again Shel inquires about 'Malcolm' while she secures the cargo.
While Hazel uses his muscles to pole the barge Alleah helps out navigating. Murphy wonders what there can be to navigate yet Alleah finds she's able to steer Hazel along a small side branch of the river that shorthens the trip by at least 4 hours! The Captain smiles appreciative at this gain.
"Malcolm's lets say my rival... He too travels the Peaseblossom with a barge. We used to work together but then he stole one of my contracts... Now... Well... We're rivals... He must be about two days ahead of us...
Murphy flies high in the sky signaling in case he perceives something. Hazel jokes about the Druid not being able to shut up even while flying around...
Bliss intends to help Shel securing the cargo. Too bad the two of them, dispite Mookie's guidance, are not paying enough attention! A rope snaps and a barrel goes over board!!
"PAY ATTENTION!!! NO... NOT THE DRIED MEAT DELICACY!! GET THAT BARREL!!", Captain Angus shouts!
Bliss (AC20, HP43) & Mookie (AC19, HP21) (Cayzle) d100=90 ; d20+8=12 ; d20=2 ; Wednesday July 22nd, 2015 8:43:48 PM
Bliss shouts "Wowsy!" and then casts a spell to help him get back that barrel.
Ley Line Check 90, free spell! Beast Shape I
In a moment, the tiny halfling is a medium squid! He dives over the side and tries to grab and wrestle the stray barrel back to the boat.
"Help him, you clods!" shouts Mookie anxiously.
Swim check (untrained, with +8 standard for having a swim speed) 12 Raw Str check? 2
Alleah -- RobC -- AC 14/13/12 -- CMD 12 -- HP 39/39 Wednesday July 22nd, 2015 11:02:30 PM
Alleah quickly grabs the ends of the broken rope and casts a Mending cantrip. Sure, there's one barrel in the water, but hopefully this might stop any more from falling in.
"Clods? I don't see you doing anything to help bird brain!" she fires back at the mouthy raven. All in fun, of course.
Shel Gerald--AC 15/14/12--CMD 14--HP 39/39 Thursday July 23rd, 2015 10:11:18 AM
Shel stands by helplessly. "I don't have any magic that would help retrieve that barrel. I could set it on fire, but I don't see that doing much to help us. I'm so sorry...I don't know how I could be so clumsy."
Assuming Bliss was able to help, Shel thanks the tiny archer effusively. "Thanks so much. I really screwed up there. I hope the Captain doesn't put us off the boat!"
And Mookie gives only a half an ear to Shel, and he scoffs. "The Kid was goofing off too, de nada."
Then the familiar sees that the barrel of meat is being treated maybe a bit too roughly. The raven shouts, "HEY! Don't jerk the jerky, you jerks!"
Murphy CMD 14 AC 16 HP 43/43 - (Kim) -->Giant Octopus d20+16=30 ; Thursday July 23rd, 2015 4:26:12 PM
Eagle-Murphy clearly hears Captain Angus' yelled order [Perception: 30], so he dives down toward the barrel. As he lands atop it, trying to avoid the tentacles of Squid-Bliss, he transforms into a giant octopus. With suction cups affixed towards the end of two tentacles wrapped around one end of the barrel - leaving barrel real estate for his squid buddy also to grasp, he uses the other six to thrust toward the barge.
As he swims toward the barge, he dips his head underwater for a moment. He finds he is looking at a trout staring at him from a few feet away.
Once they are close enough to the barge, Octopus-Murphy grabs on to the side, and begins to climb upwards. He tries to gauge Bliss' movement and actions, so that they are pulling together (aid another).
[DM StevenVdB] - "Help him, you clods!" Thursday July 23rd, 2015 7:33:00 PM "Wowsy!" ... as soon as the barrel drops into the river, Bliss dives in and shapechanges into a squid... Blissquid swims against the current and reaches out for the barrel...
"Help him, you clods!" shouts Mookie anxiously.
In order to stop more barrels from dropping into the river, Alleah casts a mending spell. As she does she shouts back at Mookie: "Clods? I don't see you doing anything to help bird brain!"
"I'm supervising, Missie!" Mookie tells Alleah.
Shel stands by helplessly. Setting the barrel on fire doesn't feel like the best solution to this problem... Right not she just hopes the captain won't throw them of the ship...
As Mookie sees Blissquid reaching out quite roughly he squaks: "HEY! Don't jerk the jerky, you jerks!"
The keen eyed, yet equally keen eared Muprheagle hears the captian shouting for the barrel. He notices the squid diving in, Shel standing quite helplessly, Hazel holding on the the Pole to keep the Barge in position and Alleah mending the ropes... assuming the squid won't manage to get the fully loaded barrel on board again, Murpheagle dives down, shapechanges as well and soon a giant Murphoctopusy swims along side Blissquid... together they manage to get the barrel back on board allowing Alleah to secure the whole lot.
"We're having calamari this evening!" Lucius shouts over to Dwayne.
With the barrel again safely on board you get the feeling the captain quickly forgets about the whole incident. His cargo is secure and the Humble's Sword have proven to be quite helpful (you get a +2 circumstance bonus in negotiating with the captain for the remainder of the travel)
The rest of the day passes quite uneventful. A nice sun shines down on the river creating a calleidoscope of colors on the water surface. A soft breeze makes the journey quite pleasant. When night falls on the second day the Barge again pulls over to the side.
"Lucius, Lucius!! Look!!"
Dwayne signals Lucius to come over to his side while he loads his Heavy Crossbow!
Those who go over to Dwayne's spot will notice a pair of mean looking crockodiles close to the river banks... they actually have zero interest in the barge...
Dwayne prepares to shoot. Lucius arms his Longbow and also prepares to take down one of the crocks.
"I take the one on the left..." Lucius hisses to his partner...
Murphy CMD 14 AC 16 HP 43/43 - (Kim) -->Giant Octopus d20+5=25 ; d20+5=13 ; d4+1=3 ; d4+1=5 ; Thursday July 23rd, 2015 7:53:38 PM
Murphoctopus works his way back under the barge once the barrel is back on board, and takes advantage of his form and ability to see well in low light to inspect the underside of the barge, to insure that all is well there. If not, he marks the condition in this mind to report to the captain. After that, he will spend a bit of time seeing if he can catch a few fish. (Hit AC 25, nat 20 - crit if AC 13 or worse, dam 3 or 8 - and he may bite if need be to put the fish to rest). He will deliver the fresh fish above, then descend to repeat that exercise two or three times until there is enough fish for the day. After fishing, he climbs back up and changes back to a somewhat damp Murphy the halfling.
As his shapechanges are done for the day, he resumes watch from the deck of the barge. Noting the planned hunting, he comes over to Lucius and Dwayne. "Um, do we need to kill the crocodiles? I'm sure they serve a purpose here, and are no threat to us at the moment." He does not physically interfere.
Shel Gerald--AC 15/14/12--CMD 14--HP 39/39 d20+7=13 ; Thursday July 23rd, 2015 8:11:25 PM "Stop, please. There's no reason to hurt those innocent crocodiles. Murphy has proven he can hunt so we don't need the meat. If they leave us alone, why don't we just leave the crocs be? We will keep you in fish as long as we are on the boat!"
OOC: Diplomacy roll 13.
Alleah -- RobC -- AC 14/13/12 -- CMD 12 -- HP 39/39 d20+5=13 ; Thursday July 23rd, 2015 9:35:17 PM
Alleah tries a different approach. She respects that the men wish to hunt, but forcing her Walker views of "peace to all creatures" onto them may not be the best way to influence their actions.
"Hmmm... I'm not sure attacking them would be the best course of action either. Firstly, I suspect they would shrug off the effects of most arrows. They would be angered and likely attack the barge. Seeing that last barrel go over, we might lose a few more. Secondly, getting blood in the water could likely attract bigger creatures or more crocs than we could handle. Finally, the sounds of combat could attract more attention to us. This is all just my opinion though.
Of course if you guys want a bit of sport, how about I throw a few targets in the air? We wager a few silvers, and whoever hits the most targets - Lucious or Dwayne - shares the pot?"
(Aid Another Shel's Diplomacy: 13. Shel gets a +2 bonus. Also, not sure if the +2 circumstance bonus can be applied here as well)
Hazel (Bob Danderfluff LaRue) HP: 55/55 AC: 28/14/15 - Faoil: 23/23 AC 21/14/18 Friday July 24th, 2015 2:20:59 AM
Hazel prepares to fire with his Sling Staff. "Hey, come on! Who doesn't like a pair of Croc shoes! I bet Alouryn would love a sack of nice Crocodile hide! What's the harm with doing some hunting while we sail?"
Murphy CMD 14 AC 16 HP 43/43 - (Kim) -->Giant Octopus d20+16=18 ; Friday July 24th, 2015 3:12:19 AM
Murphy sure appreciates his friends - all of them. Bliss's earnest entreaty; Alleah of Many-Last-Names' appeal and diversion; Hazel's joining right in for the hunt - and what might Shel think of all this?
Murphy steps back, resumes his place at lookout - for the moment looking at the opposite sides of the barge from the big crocs - just in case someone or something might be sneaking up while others' attention is diverted elsewhere. [Perception: 18]
[DM StevenVdB] - "Help him, you clods!" Friday July 24th, 2015 6:45:07 PM
Since we're down to 5 players I will wait for Bliss to post as well... DM Post this Saturday or Sunday at the latest.
Bliss wonders what a hero would do. But how can he criticize, since he opened fire on those wasps.
"Well, all I know is it seems a shame to hurt those animals if we are not hungry and they are not bothering us," he says to the two rangers.
[DM StevenVdB] - "Help him, you clods!" Sunday July 26th, 2015 5:56:56 PM
Once the barrel is safely secured on board again Murphoctopus takes advantage of his form to inspect the bottom of the barge. Apart from the usual algae and some damage from hitting a rock in the water here and there, there's nothing special about it. Since there's nothing worth mentionning about the barge, Murphy turns to collecting fish again. Several nice fresh fish land on the deck where they are quickly recovered by Damian the deckhand.
Close to nightfall Murphoctopus turns into Murphy once again and joins his friends. Damian smiles at him showing all the fish he collected! This will be quite a feast tonight!
When Lucius and Dwayne however prepare to kill a few 'innocent' crockodiles Murphy and most the Humble's Sword chime in.
Murphy: "Um, do we need to kill the crocodiles? I'm sure they serve a purpose here, and are no threat to us at the moment."
Shel: "Stop, please. There's no reason to hurt those innocent crocodiles. Murphy has proven he can hunt so we don't need the meat. If they leave us alone, why don't we just leave the crocs be? We will keep you in fish as long as we are on the boat!"
Annoyed both Dwayne and Lucius lower their weapons and turn around to stare blank at Murphy and Shel... both sigh and shrug their shoulders.
Hazel: "Hey, come on! Who doesn't like a pair of Croc shoes! I bet Alouryn would love a sack of nice Crocodile hide! What's the harm with doing some hunting while we sail?"
Lucius: "Ahh now that's more like it! C'mon lad!! We'll see who has the sharpest aim!! Come!"
Lucius and Dwayne turn their attention on the crocks again.
Bliss wonders what a hero would do and says: "Well, all I know is it seems a shame to hurt those animals if we are not hungry and they are not bothering us,"
But Alleah tries a different approach: "Hmmm... I'm not sure attacking them would be the best course of action either. Firstly, I suspect they would shrug off the effects of most arrows. They would be angered and likely attack the barge. Seeing that last barrel go over, we might lose a few more. Secondly, getting blood in the water could likely attract bigger creatures or more crocs than we could handle. Finally, the sounds of combat could attract more attention to us. This is all just my opinion though.
Of course if you guys want a bit of sport, how about I throw a few targets in the air? We wager a few silvers, and whoever hits the most targets - Lucious or Dwayne - shares the pot?"
Lucius and Dwayne once again turn around to eyeball the Humble's Sword. However this time you can see Alleah has raised their intrest!
"Well then... Miss... what do you have in mind... arm-wresteling... bare handed knuckle fight... we're in for some wager if that's what you're up to... You've been longing for some gambling since you got onto this barge in the first place! Speak up what's the bet... what'll it be or I shoot that Crock right here and right now..."
Lucius turns around and pulls the string on his Longbow... his muscles tighthen, he aims, and ... waits...
"That arrow wants to fly missy..."
Murphy CMD 14 AC 16 HP 43/43 - (Kim) -->Giant Octopus Sunday July 26th, 2015 7:57:41 PM
Murphy, on the other side of the boat, turns his head and asks, "Which one of you can throw me the farthest?" Then he returns his attention to watching over the other side of the barge.
Shel Gerald--AC 15/14/12--CMD 14--HP 39/39 Sunday July 26th, 2015 9:49:08 PM
Shel waits for the others to take an action to resolve the situation. Assuming no detente is reached, Shel will cast a spell, as the two ranger's attention were not on her. She casts Charm Person on Lucius, and calls for his attention. "Now Lucius, I don't think you want to hurt that crocodile. Why don't you take Alleah up on her game of chance? I know she loves to wager. Doesn't that sound fun?"
OOC: if the others are able to talk Lucius to leave the animals alone, Shel will not cast her spell. If that doesn't work, she will cast Silent Charm Person, with a DC 16 Will save to resist.
Alleah -- RobC -- AC 14/13/12 -- CMD 12 -- HP 39/39 d20+8=11 ; d20=18 ; Monday July 27th, 2015 3:25:04 AM "Hmmm... they seem keen to want to attack something. Best give them something to shoot at" Without being able to speak with animals, Alleah has no idea what Murph-topus was planning I'm afraid.
"How about a little target contest?" Alleah fishes about collecting as many rocks as she can. After doing so she casts "Light" on one of them "Ok, my octopus friend will fling 4 rocks into the air at a time. Whoever can shoot down the glowing rock wins the round. First to 10 wins overall. What do you think?"
Alleah will use her gambling knowledge to try and set some fair odds on each of the shooters. She won't be betting herself, but is trying to act as a kind of organiser (Prof Gambler: 11)
"Who's in? We have two combatants today. Lucious - well known about the southern isles as the Archer of Aisildur, the man is yet to meet a target he cannot hit with a shot from his mighty longbow. Battling him today will be 'Dead-eye' Dwayne, the most deadly man alive with a crossbow. The number of foes who have met Gargul as a result of 'Dead-eye' is incalculable. Ladies and gentlemen, place your bets please!" Once everyone who wishes to puts down a bet Alleah continues. "GENTLEMEN! ARE YOU READY!" she announces with gusto, trying to boost the excitement levels as a carnival operator might (Untrained Perform Oratory? = 18)
With some gesturing and pointing, hopefully Alleah can convey that she would like Murph-topus to throw the rocks into the air. If she was to try herself, the rocks would barely get off the ground. She needs someone with a little muscle to help pull this off.
Bliss watches the alligators, and casts Speak with Animals to find out their story. Ley check 33 = A-OK.
"Hey 'gators! Whatcha doin' down there? Please swim away so my friends do not hurt you by accident."
Mookie caws, "Tell them there's tasty fish easy to catch deep down in the direction opposite of our travel."
Bliss relays this too.
[DM StevenVdB] - "GENTLEMEN! ARE YOU READY!" Monday July 27th, 2015 5:03:41 PM
Looks like Lucius and Dwayne are up for a challenge!
Murphy turns his head and asks, "Whoch one of you can throw me the farthest?"
Lucius raises and eyebrow and smiles... "You realy want us to find that out? I'm sure we can throw you right in between those two crocks... but hey... don't expect us to shoot the crocks then! We don't want to hurt those nice animals now do we?!? Hahaha"
Shel waits for the outcome yet is prepared to cast a mind affecting spell...
Bliss watches the alligators and casts a spell on himself that allows for speaking with the dino's... "Hey 'gators! Whatcha doin' down there? Please swim away so my friends do not hurt you by accident."
The crockodiles look up... one opens his beak wide showing a full set of razor sharp teeth... yet it seems the animal is only yawning from boredom... "We ain't going no where short one... but for a snack such as yourself we'll roll over..."
The crockodiles don't move yet now have their eye on Bliss...
Alleah opens her book of tricks and displayes herself as a true gambling professional!! (mind you, Murphy is no longer in Octopus shape so you'll need to find someone else to throw rocks into the air)
""Ok, my friend will fling 4 rocks into the air at a time. Whoever can shoot down the glowing rock wins the round. First to 10 wins overall. What do you think?
Who's in? We have two combatants today. Lucious - well known about the southern isles as the Archer of Aisildur, the man is yet to meet a target he cannot hit with a shot from his mighty longbow. Battling him today will be 'Dead-eye' Dwayne, the most deadly man alive with a crossbow. The number of foes who have met Gargul as a result of 'Dead-eye' is incalculable. Ladies and gentlemen, place your bets please!" Once everyone who wishes to puts down a bet Alleah continues. "GENTLEMEN! ARE YOU READY!" she announces with gusto, trying to boost the excitement levels as a carnival operator might.
(HERO POINT AWARDED FOR ALLEAH - great RP value, wonderful post, you put a smile on your DM's face)
Lucius eyeballs Dwayne and says: "Sound like fun huh? I'm in..."
Then he turns to Alleah...
"Let there be 2 of you vs Dwayne and myself... 100Gp per person. The team with most hits takes the loot..."
Rock to hit AC10 +8 fine size +4 to pick the illuminated rock (cfr shooting into melee as there are 4 rocks flying) +4 shooting thrown rock (cfr mounted archery) Total AC of the illuminated rock AC26 (DM note - open for suggestions as there are no set rules for this)
"So missy... who's on your team?!" Lucius says while he prepares his longbow for the contest. The crocks are no longer his concern.
It seems Shel doens't need to cast her charm spell...
Shel Gerald--AC 15/14/12--CMD 14--HP 39/39 Monday July 27th, 2015 7:11:29 PM "Bliss is quite good at shooting things. How about we volunteer him? Hazel is pretty good with his slingstaff, too. I think that might be our best team.". Happy that violence was avoided, Shel offers to pay half of one of he competitor's fees. She hands 50 Gold to Alleah for safekeeping.
Alleah -- RobC -- AC 14/13/12 -- CMD 12 -- HP 39/39 Monday July 27th, 2015 9:02:49 PM "Captain, in the interest of fairness, perhaps you could throw 2 of the rocks and one of the halflings could throw the other 2?" Alleah puts to Captain Angus.
She hands 10 of Shel's gold back "With 5 of us, everyone could equally chip in 40 gold, right? Win, lose or draw, it sounds like it will be a fun game"
There is no way Alleah is volunteering to be one of the shooters. She would have no chance of hitting a barn door, let alone a flying rock.
Murphy CMD 14 AC 16 HP 43/43 - (Kim) -->Giant Octopus d20+6=25 ; Monday July 27th, 2015 10:36:33 PM
Murphy whispers to Alleah, "Uh, I can only change my shape a couple of times a day. But I'll think of something."
He asks to find out if there might be a broad, flat board to serve as a lever - and something to go underneath as a fulcrum. The druid describes what he is aiming for. "I want to make a rock launcher. Something where I can stand on a barrel, jumb down on a lever, and have the other end toss the rocks up in the air in a nice arc. It might take a couple of tries to get the right angle and all." Maybe a round shield, concave on one side, can be tied down to the rocks side, to hold them until they are cast upwards.
"My father makes a toy like this for children for launching tiny leather balls into the air. Most of the kids eventually end up putting pebbles in it, though. This one will be bigger, though, since the rocks are bigger."
He measures carefully, not wanting to jump down and have a bunch of rocks fly up only to hit him in the side of the head.
After a few tries, and watching the sample rocks gaining a suitable arc and distance, he says, "All right. I think we're ready."
[Knowledge, engineering: 25]
[Mister DM Steven: How about if you roll a suitable number of times with whatever modifications you think are appropriate for the rock launches. I think with the K:E of 25, Murphy has designed a decent, workable launcher.]
Murphy CMD 14 AC 16 HP 43/43 - (Kim) Monday July 27th, 2015 10:37:22 PM
[Note - I posted the above before I saw Alleah's post.]
Alleah -- RobC -- AC 14/13/12 -- CMD 12 -- HP 39/39 Tuesday July 28th, 2015 1:59:30 AM
Alleah marvels at Murphy's contraption "Now THAT is a launcher!" She gives Murphy a hearty slap on the back "How about it Captain? Do you approve of the launcher?"
Bliss (AC20, HP43) & Mookie (AC19, HP21) (Cayzle) d20+12=20 ; d20+12=28 ; d20+12=24 ; d20+12=30 ; Tuesday July 28th, 2015 9:43:54 AM
Bliss was busy chatting with crocs, but he laughs when he hears about the shooting contest. "Oh, that's easy! I'll try!"
He pauses for a minute. "With magic or without?" he asks.
Assuming it is with no magic spell or items -- aside from Bliss's Reduce Person, which the tiny fellow does not even think of giving up -- Bliss takes up his bah and focuses on making the shot.
Rolling 1d20 +3BAB +6Dex +2Size +1Masterwork = 20, 28, 24, 30. Bliss hits two of the four rocks.
DM Steven: Idea is to make 10 attempts to shoot the one illuminated rock from every throw. So far you made 4 rolls, already hit 2, and are allowed to make 6 more rolls... then we know your score out of 10. Please roll the additional 6 :-)
"Well, that is pretty fair shooting, Bliss," Hazel remarks. "Let's see if I can keep up."
Using his sling staff, Hazel lets go his first stone. It flies way wide of any of the rocks. "Just warming up." His second stone knocks the lighted stone out of the air. He get a sly smile on his face. He hits three more times, on his fourth, followed by three misses, during which time his countenance falls somewhat. A bit of cheer returns as his eighth and ninth attempts hit solid.
"Shoot. Only four. Thought I'd beat Bliss."
He turns his attention to the two men. "All right, your turn Lucius and Dwayne. Can you beat Bliss? Can the two of you hit more than nine times combined?"
[DM StevenVdB] - "Now THAT is a launcher!" d20+13=24 d20+13=24 d20+13=31 d20+13=16 d20+13=16 d20+13=29 d20+13=19 d20+13=29 d20+13=29 d20+13=30 d20+7=20 d20+7=8 d20+7=10 d20+7=9 d20+7=12 d20+7=8 d20+7=10 d20+7=15 d20+7=21 d20+7=11 Tuesday July 28th, 2015 5:59:42 PM
So there will be a shooting competition!
Shel suggests Bliss should be one of their champions and Hazel too has a pretty good aim with his slingstaff! Shel hands 50 gold to Alleah for safekeeping.
Alleah first checks who would be able to throw the rocks but already Murphy is building something quite nifty! The little MacGyver builds a launcher with whatever items and tools he can find on the Barge!! Awesome!
"Now THAT is a launcher!" Alleah calls out and gives Murphy a haerty slap on the back!
Lucius has Point Blank Shot taking a +1 on targets up to 30ft and he also has Precise Shot avoiding the -4 penalty on shooting into Melee. As such his AC to hit is AC22 and his Attack is at +13
Dwayne is more the melee type... he only has a +7 vs AC26
In round 1 Lucius's the only one to hit the illuminated rock! He smiles victoriously...
Round 2 both Hazel and Bliss hit their mark! Lucius too, yet Dwayne fails gruesomly with a natural 1... It's 2 vs 2!!
Round 3 once again only Lucius scores!!
Round 4 neither of the mercenaries are able to bring a point home! Lucius growls at Dwayne to aim better!
Round 5 only Bliss hits!! 5 for the Humble's Sword vs 3 for the Mercs!! Lucius is visibly shaken and angry!
Round 6 Lucius closes the gap. Dwayne hasn't even come close to hitting a rock once again with a natural 1!! Lucius is furious at his partner!
Round 7 no one is able to shoot well
Round 8 all but poor Dwayne succeed... someone hold Lucius or he's going to whack Dwayne... By now the Humble's Sword have 7 points. Team Mercs only have 5... two more rounds... if the Humble's Sword fail both rounds and Lucius scores twice it would end up a draw. With some luck Dwayne actually hits something and only then the Mercs can still win... Lucius is nervous...
Round 9 only Hazel and Lucius succeed... 8 vs 6... if both Bliss and Hazel miss... and Lucius and Dwayne hit it can still be a draw. If not, the Humble's Sword will win...
FINAL ROUND!! BLISS SCORES!!! Already the Humble's Sword have won! Hazel, happy and thrilled to have won misses his final shot. Lucius, furious makes a crack shot. Dwayne hasn't been able to hit a single rock!!
END SCORE: Humble's Sword 9 Mercenaries 7
Lucius yells at Dwayne... given the nature of this board we'll beep away all that he slings at his partner... He turns to Alleah... "Congrats Missy... but if it hadn't been because of him you could never have beaten me... bah!"
Lucius dissapears into his cabine... Dwayne lingers on the deck. Ashamed and somewhat scared to join his partner...
"Congratulations!!", the Captain says as he brings some drinks, "Don't stay up all night now... tomorrow we leave at first light again!!"
Bliss is glad to win, but he is sorry that the one fellow is a sore loser.
"Don't be like that, Mister Luscious," calls out Bliss to the retreating fellow. "You were the best shot of any of us! That's like being in first place!" Mookie snickers.
He sticks out his hand to the other fellow. "Good game, Mister Dwayne. You just had bad luck," the little guy says. "You did great too, Hazel. I was just lucky, is all!"
Shel Gerald--AC 15/14/12--CMD 14--HP 39/39 Tuesday July 28th, 2015 7:44:03 PM
Shel was pleased. She wasn't out any money, and the crocodiles were saved. Its been a good day!
"You tried hard, Dwayne. I wouldn't have done nearly as well as you, I'm afraid. Don't let your friend make you feel bad."
Shel heads below and makes sure she was able to grab a hammock. Let one of the boys worry about sleeping on the deck, she thinks to herself with a mischievous smirk.
Alleah -- RobC -- AC 14/13/12 -- CMD 12 -- HP 39/39 Tuesday July 28th, 2015 10:03:51 PM "Nah, Wardd was probably just a little more with us today. Besides, if the contest was to do with swordfighting, chances are Dwayne would have bested us all" Aleah tries to ease the sting of defeat on Lucius.
She gives a subtle pat on the back to Bliss and Hazel to congratulate them on their efforts. She doesn't want to make a big deal of the win in front of Dwayne.
Alleah fills a mug with ale and walks over to offer it to Dwayne "I think you shot pretty well! Far better than I ever could. Here." She also casts Create Water to make sure that Dwayne's dog - Akita - has something to drink
Hazel (Kim for Corsario) Wednesday July 29th, 2015 3:33:27 AM
Hazel is pleased with the win - even a little surprised, though he knew Bliss would do well. "Hey, Lucius, you outshot me by almost double. If it's the money, you two can split my share. But take it easy on being a sore loser among friends."
He nods his head with a big grin for Alleah.
After Lucius has shut himself away, he decides he wants to try the rock launcher. He gets up on the barrel, jumps down, ducking his head as he saw Murphy doing, and watches the rocks fly over to land in the river water. He restocks it with rocks, then heads over to spend some time talking with Dwayne. "So, how did you come round to riding on a barge?" He asks him if he wants to join him on watch.
Murphy CMD 14 AC 16 HP 43/43 - (Kim) d20+16=22 ; Wednesday July 29th, 2015 3:37:55 AM
"Amazing contest. Surprising finish. Some drama." Murphy remarks. He concurs with Alleah - no doubt the crew member is accomplished at close-in fighting.
"Heads up on watch tonight, friends." He thinks about putting away his mechanism after Hazel gives it a try - but decides to leave it up over night. "If anyone needs to launch rocks against someone coming from that direction, then it's all set up for you. Standing on the barrel gives you a little bit wider view of things, anyhow."
He follows soon after Shel in finding a place to sleep until he is called for last watch. The druid loves catching the sunrise, and uses that occasion from time to time to remember his devotion to Eberyon, and the power of nature. [Perception: 22]
[DM StevenVdB] - No mercy for those who have a headache!! Wednesday July 29th, 2015 6:10:55 PM
Bliss is glad to win, but he's sorry that Lucius is such a sore loser. He tries to reason with him, but the archer listens not. He does turn his head however when Mookie mocks him... it would be wise for the Raven to remember that this guy was able to shoot 7 out of 10 pebbles... what are the odds he can hit a chattering Raven...
So Bliss turns his attenion to Dwayne and sticks out his hand. Dwayne returns the hand shake politely.
Shel's pleased! She got some extra pocket change and the crockodiles were saved! Its been a good day! Atern some pleasantries Shel tries to grab a hammock.
Like the others Alleah too tries to soften the defeat on Lucius and is very considerate towards Dwayne. He would indeed wipe the floor with some if this had been a sword fighting contest... Dwayne smiles when Alleah makes sure Akita has something to drink.
Pleased with the win Hazel tries to offer Lucius some of the money back. "Don't worry about the money... Lucius loves playing games but he's just a sore loser... never mind him... he'll come around...", Dwayne says in response. Hazel takes advantage of Lucius not being here to talk to Dwayne in order to find out what they are doing here riding on a barge...
"We're mercenaries... we go where the money leads us... Today we sail on a barge, tomorrow we ride a caravan through the desert. "
After drinks are shared, oh and of course the captain returns the prize money to you (that's 400 Gold), Murphy advises his friends to keep their heads ip on tonights watch.
------------------------------------
Apart from some spooky forest noise, night passes uneventful...
------------------------------------
The next day the Captain wants to make an early start once again.
"C'mon everyone! If you can party you can work as well! No mercy for those who have a headache!!", it's is clear that all this is said in a friendly manner. THe Captain's ina good mood...
Slowly but steadily the Barge is making it's way up river.
Perception 18 spoiler: Highlight to display spoiler: {you perceive another barge a bit further up river!}
Bliss calls out, "Look everybody! There's another barge up ahead."
Bliss renews his Reduce, gets out his basket, sets it down at the front of the ship (the basket expands in size when he lets go of it), and then the tiny fellow lies down inits shadow. Bah at hand, he is ready to snipe.
Stealth 45
(If there is time, he casts Divine Grace before hand. Ley check 51.)
Alleah -- RobC -- AC 14/13/12 -- CMD 12 -- HP 39/39 d20+11=30 ; d20+7=13 ; Wednesday July 29th, 2015 11:36:14 PM
As everyone wakes for the day and prepares to work, Alleah sees to it that all benefit from an Endure Elements spell. "Can't have anyone dropping of heatstroke today now can we"
Bliss is the first to spot something, and Alleah peers off into the distance "He's right captain. There's another barge over in that direction" Alleah points.She has tried to continue her role as navigator, however it feels a little trickier today.
Perception: 30 Knowl Geography: 13
Murphy CMD 14 AC 16 HP 43/43 - (Kim) d20+18=35 ; Thursday July 30th, 2015 3:41:57 AM
Murphy changed a few of his spells in the morning. Then, shortly after the barge shoved off for the new day's journey, he decided to go back to his giant eagle form, so was a ways up in the air when he spotted the barge. He called out using the code he had mentioned the day before. He maintains height of about 600 feet, but tries to get a good idea of the size and shape of the barge, the number of creatures aboard, what type of cargo they carry. [Perception: 33 - should be d20+16, not +18]
[Is the barge ahead going the same way we are, or is it coming toward us?]
Shel Gerald--AC 15/14/12--CMD 14--HP 39/39 Thursday July 30th, 2015 7:27:33 AM
When Shel hears the others pointing out the vessel, she turns to get the Captain. "Look, Captain. A ship up ahead. Do you think that is, you know who? We've made good time, but I didn't know we'd catch up to him this quickly. If we are moving faster than he is, do you think he will just let us pass him by, or will he make a ruckus?"
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