Kazzor (Jeremy) AC 15/10/15 CMD 19 HP 29/29 d20+3=18 ; Monday January 30th, 2023 10:51:48 AM
Seeing all the monkeys, Kazzor thinks to himself, "It's odd that even though I've spent my whole life on this Plateau, I've never really seen it, Heck I've barely left town, and I've never even been on the lift before!" He keeps his thoughts to himself though, and just continues to plow through the jungle, leading the rag tag group of budding adventurers towards where he the map indicates the location of the orchard. He does his best to keep his eyes open for whatever, (Perception 18) though he allows anyone who has the skills to do so, (he does not) actually choose the path and log any findings.
Ezekiel (BrianW) - AC 13/13/10; HP 16/16 Monday January 30th, 2023 12:08:35 PM
"Don't worry, I can talk to monkeys," says Ezekiel.
"Don't mind us we're not here to bother you," says Ezekiel. "We are looking for an orchard. Can you point us in the right direction?"
"Unfortunately, I don't understand what they say back. Can anyone translate?"
Dapple (Kathy) Monday January 30th, 2023 5:01:24 PM
Dapple is delighted. "Hey, monkeys!" she calls when they are first spotted.
Like Ezekiel, she talks to them. Unlike Ezekiel, she does not expect a reply.
"Hello, monkey!"
"How are you doing, monkey?"
"Wow, monkey, that was some jump!"
Dapple is already one of the slowest in the party because of her small size, but now her fascination with the monkeys is threatening to slow the group to a crawl.
As Marest approaches close to one of the cautiously curious primates, Marest carefully and without trying to spook the animal, casts Speak with Animals upon herself. Marest then asks the curious primate, "if they have seen anything of interest here in the jungle and if they know where the big lizards are."
Spells cast:
Speak with Animals: Duration 2 minutes
Grim Ripr (JonathanT) AC 16 Tch 11Ffted 16 HP 30/30 CMD 13 Monday January 30th, 2023 10:07:46 PM
Grim works at chopping a decent path as they go. He knows that it will vanish in a week, but having a easily discernible path they can use to get back to town will help. Besides, if the hamlet-ers work at it, they can maintain a path to the orchard and more worth the while.
Grim ignores the monkeys. He's seen them plenty of times, eaten them at times. But when Marest starts to speak to one, in earnest and not goofing, he pays attention.
Yofiel (Kim McCoy), female elf bard AC 14/14/12 HP: 14/14 Monday January 30th, 2023 11:52:13 PM
"So, you have not been prone to wander, Kazzor," responds Yofiel to the minotaur's comment.
She is amused by Ezekiel, appreciates Dapple's enthusiasm, is impressed with Marest's spell choice, and looks forward to finding out what happens.
She turns to R.J. Muffins and asks, "So, R.J., how are you at conversing with wildlife?"
Meanwhile, as they begin to travel, Yofiel notes the position of the sun in the sky and marks the cardinal directions. She visually lines up trees and landmarks as they journey, notes on one of the sheets of blank paper landmarks, and on another begins a rough map, to help them find their way back. From time to time she turns around to see what the pathway looks like going back the direction they came. She also notes what sorts of flora and fauna they encounter in their journey, with symbols or abbreviations to use to represent them on the map, but these she places on an overlay piece of paper, so the original map does not become too cluttered.
"Grim - do you have a favorite food from the jungle?" she inquires. "My little brother favored the taste of bananas."
DM Mitch Tuesday January 31st, 2023 6:03:10 AM Kazzor thinks to himself how odd that even though he’s spent his whole life on the Plateau he’s never really seen most of it, left the town or been on the lift. He keeps these thoughts to himself and just continues to plow through the jungle keeping an eye out for whatever may challenge them. Ezekiel informs the others that he can talk to monkeys. He then proceeds to tell them not to mind them as they aren’t here to bother them and which direction is the orchard in. The problem is he doesn’t know what the monkeys say back and so he asks with help translating. Dapple gets distracted by the monkeys. Talking to them like Ezekiel but not expecting a reply as the monkeys do their general monkeying around. Marest actually can communicate with the apes and casts speak with animals upon herself asking the nearest monkey if it has seen anything interesting in the jungle and if it knows where the big lizards are. Grim Ripr takes to the task at bush whacking so he can clear a decent path they can use to get back to town and to the orchard in future return trips. He was prepared to ignore the monkeys as he’s seen them before but when Marest starts speaking to one in earnest he pays attention. Yofiel is amused by her companions but pays attention when someone uses magic to communicate with the monkeys. She does her best to keep track of directions and the path they’ve taken.
As Marest starts talking to one of the monkeys it and the others around it start in surprise at her being able to communicate with her. The one she addresses runs back a ways before running back. ”Big lizards? I know I know! First price, give me stuff.”
At that the rest of the monkey’s get set off. They start crowding around the group chatting and chirping. To Marest they are all yelling ”Stuff!” to each other with great excitement. It’s really loud and annoying and there’s a really, really big group of them now.
Sense motive 15 (10 for Marest) Highlight to display spoiler: {The monkeys are fascinated by your gear, and they seem to be gathering as there are far more than there were before, with more arriving every second. Far too many to appease even if you gave them everything you had, and the mood is turning ugly - they might try to take what they want.}
Kazzor (Jeremy) AC 15/10/15 CMD 19 HP 29/29 d20=19 ; d20=20 ; Tuesday January 31st, 2023 10:42:30 AM
Sense Motive 19
Kazzor realizes that things are about to get ugly and he shouts out to his companions, "They seem to like our gear, and I'm afraid that they may try to take it. Look alive everyone!" He then rushes forward and tries to scare away the monkeys. (Intimidate 20)
R.J. Muffins (Melvin) AC 19 (before prone)/15/15 HP 24 CMD 15 Tuesday January 31st, 2023 1:32:11 PM
"What about a warning shot," RJ grumbled. "Bet a nice explosion might give these guys some pause."
For his part, RJ takes out a light handcrafted crossbow (for running and gunning), and kept an alchemists flask at the ready.
But he holds off on firing for now.
R.J. Muffins (Melvin) AC 19 (before prone)/15/15 HP 24 CMD 15 Tuesday January 31st, 2023 1:32:15 PM
"What about a warning shot," RJ grumbled. "Bet a nice explosion might give these guys some pause."
For his part, RJ takes out a light handcrafted crossbow (for running and gunning), and kept an alchemists flask at the ready.
But he holds off on firing for now.
Yofiel (Kim McCoy), female elf bard AC 14/14/12 HP: 14/14. FLAME ON d20+7=14 ; 3d10=28 ; Tuesday January 31st, 2023 6:23:21 PM
Yofiel takes a hint from RJ, reaches into a pouch, and palms two beads as she says to Marest - "Ask them if they want to be our friends, or be burnt." She could speak in much more eloquent words, but these, to paraphrase Kazzor, are a pack of greedy monkeys. She waits for the colorfully-maned drow lady to speak to the monkeys, then sees if her study of the beads of fireballs might pay off. She knows which is a 3-dice, and which a 5-dice bead.
Contingent action - if Marest does as she asks - and no one stops Yofiel first She points to the monkeys, then points to as open an area as she can find in 70' range, and casts the less potent fireball to that locale. It burst nearly as well as it possibly could, for 28 hp fire damage. Oops: That should translate to ~16 or 17 hp damage (3d6, not 3d10), in a 40' diameter sphere. Her intention is not to hit any monkeys (or party members). And, as little vegetation as possible. [DM Mitch, please advise if you deem it unreasonable for her to find such an area. It's really hard to figure without a map.]
Then she points from the explosive ball of flames back to the collection of monkeys, shrugs her shoulders, and shows her lovely white teeth. A human or elf or halfling might call it a smile. A monkey might see the smile as more of a direct challenge. She cocks her arm, as though prepared to throw again, turning in a circle at deliberate speed and peering directly into the eyes of monkey to monkey to monkey.. Marest - please tell them the redhead won't flame them if they promise to be reasonable. Or if they simply run away, and leave us alone.
Grim Ripr (JonathanT) AC 16 Tch 11Ffted 16 HP 30/30 CMD 13 d20+1=16 ; d20+8=24 ; Tuesday January 31st, 2023 6:24:48 PM
Grim watches intently the attempt to communicate with the monkeys. He has no idea what the monkey wants but starts getting riled up when they start swarming around.
Sense Motive d20+1 vs DC 15 = 16 (how bout dat!)
A couple monkeys start grabbing at Grim's backpack and Grim swats their paws away. The initiative to keep the swarm at bay is taken by Kazzor.
For Grim's part, his anger boils up as those same two monkeys grab at his belt and backpack again. He pulls out the somewhat decomposed Compy head and thrusts it at them while giving out a loud ROAR! that echoes a ways into the jungle.
Ezekiel (BrianW) - AC 13/13/10; HP 16/16 d20+4=8 ; Tuesday January 31st, 2023 8:35:16 PM
"You don't want my staff, it's haunted," says Ezekiel. He uses mage hand to make it float about on its own.
Aid Another (Initmidate): 1d20 + 4 = 8.
Marest Bralfah(Jon-Paul) AC:13 (T:13, FF:10), CMD:12, Saves:(F:5/R:2/W:3), HP:16/16 d20=2 ; d20+4=13 Tuesday January 31st, 2023 9:14:21 PM Monkeys being Monkeys
Marest takes interest in the Monkey's replies. Getting an idea of their motives, Marest is overwhelmed by the sheer number of arriving animals (Perception check). She asks instead to the Monkey that replied with ”Big lizards? I know I know! First price, give me stuff.” ..."what do you mean by give me stuff .. what kind of stuff do you like?"
Marest then begins to explain that his friends are making her friends nervous, and in pointing to Yofiel, states " the redhead won't flame them if they promise to be reasonable. Or if they simply run away, and leave us alone." Marest goes on to say to the primate, "My friends are hunters of the Big Lizards and as they are sensitive to large groups, this act of group excitement may make them treat you like Big Lizards!"
Skill Checks: Sense Motives: 2 ..Fail Perception: 13
Dapple (Kathy) d20+3=20 ; Tuesday January 31st, 2023 10:30:26 PM
Dapple remains delighted as the monkeys begin to gather, but as they become more numerous and more agitated, she gets less delighted.
Finally. she realizes [sense motive 20] that her group could be in real trouble. She echoes Kazzor's warning, and moves a hand to the hilt of one of her daggers.
Yofiel (Kim McCoy), female elf bard AC 14/14/12 HP: 14/14. FLAME ON d20+11=15 ; Tuesday January 31st, 2023 10:49:57 PM
So, after Marest points at her, Yofiel figures that's the signal to provide visual storytelling, and does as described in the prior post of 6:23:21 PM.
"Tell them the next one is for them."
============== Perception: 15 - determine the best spot to take out the most monkeys, without hitting party members, if the primates decide to continue their aggression.
LOG ON