Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 salrantol Jun 24, 2009 7:01:30	This is a quest for LinkN's team, Sehanine's Stalkers. No one but LinkN or myself is to post in this thread. Ninja monkeys are on call 24/7 to remedy any other posts with violent force. Sehanine's Stalkers Aventhressa Aventhressa Female Drow Rogue Diety: Sehanine Hit Points....33......Bloodied....16 Healing Surge.8......Surges/day..6 Initiative....+6......Speed.......6 AC: 19 (22 vs Opportunity Attacks) Fort: 12 Reflex: 19 Will: 15 Attacks: Melee Basic...+11(Dagger).....Damage: 1d4+7 (+1 level, +5 dex, +3 prof, +1 enh, +1 misc) Ranged Basic..+11(Dagger).....Damage: 1d4+7...Range 5/10 (+1 level, +5 Dex, +3 prof, +1 enh, +1 misc) At-Will Powers: Sly Flourish Rogue Attack 1, Standard Action Melee or Range, + 11 vs. AC Hit: 1d4+10 damage Deft Strike Rogue Attack 1, Standard Action Melee or Range, + 11 vs. AC SpeciaL: Move 2 squares before attack Hit: 1d4+7 damage Fleeting Ghost Rogue Utility 2, Move Action Effect: Aventhressa moves her speed and can make a Stealth check after the move. She does not take the normal -5 penalty for movement on this check. Encounter Powers: Dazing Strike Rogue Attack 1, Standard Action Melee, +11 vs. AC Hit: 1d4+7 damage, target is dazed until end of Aventhressa's next turn. Bait and Switch Rogue Attack 3, Standard Action Melee, +11 vs. Will Hit: 2d4+7 damage, switch places with the target, and shift 3 squares. Cloud of Darkness Drow Racial, Minor Action Close burst 1 Effect: Creates a zone of darkness until end of Aventhressa's next turn; all other creatures are blind while in area, grants full concealment to all creatures in area, blocks Line of Sight. Special: Can only use Cloud of Darkness or Darkfire once per encounter. Darkfire Drow Racial, Minor Action Ranged 10, +6 vs Reflex Hit: Target grants combat advantage to all attackers and cannot benefit from invisibility or concealment (but can benefit from cover) until end of Aventhressa's next turn. Special: Can only use Cloud of Darkness or Darkfire once per encounter. Daily Powers: Blinding Barrage Rogue Attack 1, Standard Action Close blast 3, + 11 vs. AC, target all enemies in blast Hit: 2d4+7 damage; target is blind until end of Aventhressa's next turn. Miss: Half damage, no blind. Item Powers: [b]Duelist's Dagger[/b] Critical: +1d6 (+1d8 if Aventhressa has combat advantage) Daily Power, Minor Action Effect: Aventhressa has combat advantage against the next creature she attacks with the Duelist's Dagger this turn. [b]Cloak of Resistance[/b] Daily Power, Minor Action Effect: Gain resist 5 all until the start of Aventhressa's next turn. Ability Scores STR 10 (+0) [0 pts] [10 base, +0 racial, +0 advancement] CON 11 (+0) [1 pts] [10 base, +0 racial, +0 advancement] DEX 20 (+5) [16 pts] [18 base, +2 racial, +0 advancement] INT 10 (+0) [0 pts] [10 base, +0 racial, +0 advancement] WIS 8 (-1) [0 pts] [9 base, +0 racial, +0 advancement] CHA 16 (+3) [5 pts] [14 base, +2 racial, +0 advancement] Feats Melee Training (Dex): Can use Dex in place of Str for damage/attack rolls on basic melee attacks. Weapon Focus (Light Blades): +1 damage with light blades Class Features First Strike (at start of encounter, get combat advantage against foes that haven't acted yet) Artful Dodger (Add Cha mod (+3) to AC against opportunity attacks) Rogue Weapon Talent (Shuriken damage die increased by 1, +1 to attacks with daggers) Sneak Attack (once/round, if Aventhressa has combat advantage and hits with light blade, sling, or hand crossbow, deal 2d6 extra damage) Racial Features Trance: Meditate 4 hours instead of sleep. Lolthtouched: Gain access to the Darkfire and Cloud of Darkness powers. Fey Origin: Origin is fey, not natural. Skills Acrobatics.......+11 (Trained) Arcana...........+0 Athletics........+6 (Trained) Bluff............+4 Diplomacy........+4 Dungeoneering....+1 Endurance........+1 Heal.............+1 History..........+0 Insight..........+1 Intimidate.......+6 Nature...........+1 Perception.......+6 (Trained) Religion.........+0 Stealth..........+13 (Trained) Streetwise.......+9 (Trained) Thievery.........+11 (Trained) Equipment: Leather Armor +1 [360 gp][15 lb] Duelist's Dagger +1 [680 gp][1 lb] Cloak of Resistance +1 [520 gp][3 lb] Total: 1560/1750 gp, 19/100 lb
#2 salrantol Jun 24, 2009 7:02:35	The latest bounty for Sehanine's Stalkers struck a chord with the duo. Neither had ever been married, but they certainly wouldn't imagine it to end as it did for these men's wives. A group of four men from a village in Daerten came to them with a story they could scarcely imagine, let alone tolerate. Their archduke claimed the right to the first night with each newlywed bride, a barbaric practice seen far too widely itself. He, however, took it to a new low. If he found the woman comely enough, he anulled their marriage and forced them into concubinage. None ever returned to their husbands, being placed instead into forced labor should they cease to be pleasing. These four had recently had their wives taken, as had a friend of theirs. The friend had tried to recover his wife himself, and had had a great deal in success trying to infiltrate the archduke's keep before being found out and executed. He had been able to obtain a map of the manor house from a disgruntled former cook, but couldn't get a reliable map of the bailey. The outer walls were tall and sheer enough that a direct assault through the gate would have the highest likelihood of success, but they were guarded by a sharpshooter in addition to the normal guard complement. Behind the guard towers at the gate were stairs to the towers which they could use to reach the sharpshooter if they so desired. And so Aventhressa and Sethala set out. Pitlord Notes Aventhressa used 5 healing surges, Blinding Barrage, and an action point. Sethala used 4 healing surges.
#3 salrantol Jun 24, 2009 7:20:23	Ignore (for now) You can include any of your own RP before reachihng the keep, of course. Then you get to pick any spot on the north or west edge of the map to enter the battle. No cover available, so no surprise round. The Stalkers come upon the keep in the night, but there are still a great many guards posted. Either this archduke is paranoid, or he thinks the man he executed had co-conspirators, or he knows these two are coming. The duo of unlikely companions notice the sharpshooter on the wall of the bailey, ducking between crenellations, and they know they'll not get a clear shot at him. Two guards flank the gate, but occasionally the Stalkers see others come out to speak with them and can infer that they are either patrolling the bailey or posted guards inside the gate for backup. Neither Sethala nor Aventhressa can be sure how many they'll have to fight at the gate. Monster Lore Please do not look up the monsters in the MM. Treat it like a normal, blind encounter, with only the information your characters know available. Sniper Dwarf Bolter Medium Natural Humanoid Warhammer (basic melee attack) standard, at-will Crossbow standard, at-will Aimed Shot: bonuses against creatures without cover Stand Your Ground: resistant to forced movement and falling prone
#4 LinkN Jun 24, 2009 12:48:55	I do wish you had allowed me a bit more chance for RP before the battle, as I had something else in mind... For this quest I'll use Red for Aventhressa and Blue for Sethala. An archduke abusing his power to make a harem? Sounds like something we can take care of. There's quite a few guards, though. Getting in won't be easy. No, and I'm sure they've posted more since that idiot tried to get in by himself. Still, I have a plan... If I'm thinking what you're thinking, I like this plan already... *to the clients*We'll need supplies. Get us a large trunk, a bunch of harem dresses, and enough magical reagents for a few illusion spells. You do make good plans. While they gather supplies, we better figure out where to go once we're inside. If it's not obvious, the plan involves the Stalkers dressing up as girls wanting to join the Archduke's harem, keeping their equipment hidden in the trunk. A few illusion spells for themselves and one for the trunk to keep the guard from guessing their true identity. Sadly, this won't be anywhere near as comical as it would be if they were guys trying this approach...
#5 salrantol Jun 24, 2009 13:55:38	You have all the RP time in the world. But I'd be very impressed if you could avoid this fight with RP :P As the clients rush to gather the necessary equipment, Sethala and Aventhressa look over the map they have of the keep. It is roughly made, but it shows an outline of a bailey, roughly circular, but with straight wall sections. A few huts within, but the Stalkers can't be sure that the map places them accurately. The map of the manor house, though, is detailed. There are two ground floor doors, the main door to the south and the kitchen door in the northeast corner. The archduke's bedroom is in the southeast corner of the upstairs level, noted on the map as the First Floor. On their copy of the map, the word "Monsters" is scrawled over that room as well. In short order, their supplies arrive, well, some of them anyway. One of the husbands says, "We tried to find resources for that illusion spell you wanted, but they simply couldn't be found. We can get your gear disguised, but you're going in as you, and there's no two ways about that."
#6 LinkN Jun 24, 2009 14:33:26	Of course, I'll still have four fights to do. But I just might be able to avoid the fight at the gate (and instead have an extra fight inside - essentially, schrodinger's gun). It just really doesn't fit with the Stalkers to charge in the front door, weapons drawn. And there's no point in fighting your way in when you can just smile and be welcomed in. But, it's always good to have a backup plan. Just in case. On a sidenote, assuming you won't let me skip the encounter at the gate, can I assume that the Stalkers were able to disguise themselves to look like harem girls but still have their gear equipped? This will be a bit more difficult without a proper illusion spell... but I think we can manage. We'll need our normal equipment inside there, so we need to disguise it as part of our "dress". I can make a pocket inside the clothes to hide my dagger, but what are you going to do about that bow of yours? We'll have to hide it in plain sight. It'll be part of my costume. We can paint it and make it look like some cheap prop. Unless someone looks close enough and knows enough about Elven longbows, they won't be able to tell the difference. Sounds good. We'll have to have the guys help us with the armor, and my cloak. Thankfully this stuff's magical, otherwise it wouldn't have much of a practical use after we're done with it.
#7 salrantol Jun 24, 2009 15:16:04	I think I've figured out a way to adapt the quest to you sneaking in. Do you want to leave your equipment in the trunk or do you want to roll Thievery checks for each item?
#8 LinkN Jun 24, 2009 15:29:13	They'll hide the gear in the trunk. They'll try to hide the weapons someplace easily reached though, and if the guards try to stop them at the gate, the Stalkers will try to run so they can try a different plan.
#9 salrantol Jun 24, 2009 16:16:07	As the Stalkers approach the gate, bearing a trunk with odd decorative handles on both the top and sides, the guards look them over appreciatively. One of them leers at Aventhressa and says, "Well, what have we 'ere? More unexpected concubines?" Another, without taking his ogling eyes from Sethala, turns to him and says, "After that fella came in the other day, almost got at His Highness, we better make 'em strip down so's we can check that they's womens." The disgusting grins on their faces would make most women cringe. "I don't know," adds the first, "maybe they's gots some illusions to fool the eyes. Gonna have to give 'em a good feel to be sure."
#10 LinkN Jun 24, 2009 18:34:12	We've come to give ourselves to the Archduke, not some lowly guards. You may search us, but we will only display ourselves to his Highness. Replace "his highness" with whatever title is appropriate for an archduke; I (the player) don't know what it is, but I'm assuming Aventhressa does... Also: If anyone makes a natural 1 on a bluff or diplomacy check, it means they blurted out "No, we couldn't get any illusion spell reagents". And again: much more comical if one/both of the Stalkers were guys...
#11 salrantol Jun 24, 2009 19:36:27	"Ooh, I think I'll get to search the cheeky one," winks the first guard to his companion. "Although, to be clear, sweet cheeks, we don't take our orders from you. We don't get concubines just up and volunteering, so we gets to have a look-see before you get in to the Archduke, make sure you gots no weapons or poison." His leer gets a bit stronger as he adds, "If you wants to preserve your modesty, I can take ya into the guard tower for the search." Both guards cackle loudly at that line. "I think to be sure, we better check every possible hiding place real thorough like to look for poisons." He grabs Sethala's chin and adds, "I got a real good poison-finding tool. I think you'll like it." And again the duo break into loud peals of laughter.
#12 LinkN Jun 24, 2009 19:48:22	Hm... and now I realize I should have tweaked the plan to involve a friend of the girls taking them as "prisoners" and presenting them as "gifts" to the Archduke... ah well, have to make do with what's at hand. Of course, this isn't some volunteer work. We're a traveling show, going from town to town and performing for various royalty. OOC sidenote: are dukes considered royalty? We were hoping to perform for your archduke, and perhaps stay for a few days doing performances and... other services *wink*. Buut, if you think the archduke would be more interested in hearing how some of his guards would rather send us away, then I guess you would know best.
#13 salrantol Jun 24, 2009 22:11:26	"Hey, we ain't sendin' you away, darlin', we're just doin' our job! Performers or no, you want to see the Archduke, you gonna let us search you. Odd costumes for performers, though, huh?" he adds to his partner. The pair perform a simple, albeit overly thorough, pat-down search for weapons. "You can set up your tents in the central plaza or on the other side of the manor," he points to the southeast opposite the gate. "We'll send word to the steward and he'll arrange for an audience. Be sure to let us know when you're performin', 'cuz we'd sure like to see some more of you." And with a wink, that was that.
#14 LinkN Jun 24, 2009 22:34:00	Thank you, that will be appreciated. I'm assuming the guard is letting them stay inside the grounds behind the main gate, yes? Anyway, if the girls are allowed to enter the keep itself, they'll do so, find a quiet place to pull out their weapons and armor, and attempt to sneak their way to the Archduke. If they can't get in until it's time to perform, they'll do so and then attempt to convince the duke to let them stay inside the keep itself, then continue with the rescue/assassination.
#15 salrantol Jun 25, 2009 7:35:12	If, by the keep, you mean the manor, the archduke's personal residence, then no, they will not be allowed inside until the performances. You are perfectly free to stay within the outer walls though, either behind the manor house or in the middle of all the huts. Either site would be in sight of the manor house.
#16 LinkN Jun 25, 2009 13:57:53	Keep, manor, whatever. I think you called it a keep at one point, though. But it's the big building I'm talking about. Both girls will set up the tent they brought with, and change into more "normal" clothes while they wait. And now I realize I never actually said what they brought with. I'm assuming you aren't going to let me continue the adventure carrying around a Schrodinger's Trunk, so I'll spill it out now... -Standard adventurer's kit. -A tent, made to look very flashy. -An extra performance suit for each girl, as well as more casual clothing. -The girls' normal equipment, modified to look like performer's suits. -The map that the clients providied. I'm assuming that there's guards in front of the manor, and it's impossible for someone to sneak in unnoticed right now? If not, however... Aventhressa, after setting up the tent and changing, will (as stealthily as possible) enter the manor and head to the kitchens, where she'll grab some fruit. While holding said fruit, she'll explore the manor and attempt to scout out more of the terrain.
#17 salrantol Jun 25, 2009 15:19:46	The keep is the whole compound, the manor is the building in which the archduke resides. And no guards are visible outside the manor. The northeast door leads directly to the kitchen, but the south door is the main door. Which door is Aventhressa going to use?
#18 LinkN Jun 25, 2009 15:50:40	Ah, gotcha. Northeast door. She'll also try to grab some alcohol and take a few sips, but not actually swallow (spit it out somewhere). She'll then head in further from the kitchens and try to explore without being noticed. If she gets noticed: She'll act drunk, say that she wanted to get some food (gesturing at the fruit), and say that she got lost.
#19 salrantol Jun 25, 2009 16:30:18	Aventhressa enters the kitchen and is spotted by a guard posted to the interior door of the kitchen. "Oy, you there! You ain't supposed to be in here!" Aventhressa staggers about, acting drunk, and the guard just comes over to escort her out. "The food ain't free, not for strangers leastwise, so get out!" While Aventhressa is out, Sethala is visited by the steward, who is somewhat dismayed by the absence of Aventhressa. "The guards told me there were two of you? Oh, dear, we can't have strangers wandering about the grounds. The archduke won't like it, not one bit. Where is she?"
#20 LinkN Jun 25, 2009 16:54:11	Ah, there you are, I've been waiting for ages! Lori went off to find someone to get us a needle and thread, one of our suits got ripped on the trip here. Now go, what are you standing around here for! We need it quickly if we're to be ready for the show tonight! Yes, the girls have different "show names". Aventhressa is Lori, Sethala is Tori. When Aventhressa gets back, she'll say that she couldn't get in the kitchen, and the main door will likely be guarded even more. Sethala will say that the steward seemed oddly concerned that one of the two was missing, so further excursions may be too risky. Both girls will decide to wait until after the performance to leave the tent again. They'll try to persuade the duke into letting them stay inside the manor, but if that won't work, they'll wait until nighttime to sneak in and fight their way to the duke, if needed.
#21 salrantol Jun 25, 2009 18:11:05	As he exits the tent, the steward sees Aventhressa returning. "Ah, there you are. Lori, is it? Did you find what you were looking for?"
#22 LinkN Jun 25, 2009 18:17:14	As Aventhressa walks up to the steward, Sethala makes a few slight gestures to help her pick the right words. Of course I didn't! No one's here to show me around and I get chased out of the manor as soon as I try to enter! But now that you're here, you can find something for us, right?
#23 salrantol Jun 25, 2009 18:26:02	"Yes, yes, I'll find your sewing supplies. You really should carry your own, of course, as I'm certain not all noblemen are as courteous and generous as the archduke. Anyway, now that you're both here, you will be able to perform for the archduke in the plaza at sundown. I trust you will have your outfit prepared by then?" Without waiting for a response, he scurries off, returning in a few minutes with a needle and thread, before departing again in a huff, muttering about being incredibly busy and this work being beneath him.
#24 LinkN Jun 25, 2009 18:48:33	Continue as above; both girls will wait until sundown, perform, then ask the Duke if they are able to stay in one of his rooms.
#25 salrantol Jun 25, 2009 18:49:44	What is the nature of the performance? I'm going to make you roll. :evillaugh
#26 LinkN Jun 25, 2009 18:51:14	Considering the duke's "disposition", it'll be something probably best not talked about on PG-13 forums :P
#27 salrantol Jun 25, 2009 20:17:20	I meant the public performance in the plaza that you're using as your cover.
#28 LinkN Jun 25, 2009 20:58:46	Ah, right. Still, the objective is to impress the duke and make him want to keep the Stalkers around for a while, so something along that same line of thought (it's clearly something that he likes).
#29 salrantol Jun 25, 2009 23:01:51	After an exquisite performance of physical dexterity and flexibility, bringing great applause from all viewers, especially from the leering guards they had met at the gate. At the show's conclusion, the steward approaches the duo, gestures towards the archduke, and inquires, "His Highness the Archduke would like the two of you to join him in his private quarters for a further private display of your talents." As this was the Stalkers' entire plan, they quickly accede, noting that they must return to their tent first to clean up, but will very shortly join the archduke. As they are escorted to the archduke's suite by the steward, they note two guards in the hallway on the main floor and one on the landing between the floors. In the archduke's bedroom, Sethala (but not Aventhressa) notices a goblin cutter near the end of the hallway, standing guard, but hiding rather skillfully in the shadows. She recalls that the map was labeled "Monsters" in this room. The archduke is lying prone on a large bed in the southeast corner of the room, with a look that shows that he is waiting for them very anxiously. He gestures for the steward to leave. The room is dimly lit, save for a few candles illuminating the immediate area of the bed. "Ladies, I'm sure your skills and flexibility are applicable to other areas. Perhaps if you prove yourself suitable, you will find a place amongst my concubines and will want for nothing so long as you continue to meet my approval." Monster Lore Goblin Cutter Small natural humanoid Short Sword (melee basic attack): bonus damage with combat advantage Goblin Tactics: Shift 1 when missed by melee attack
#30 LinkN Jun 26, 2009 0:36:31	Hm... is this the part where we bring out the large "Censored" sign? :P Alright, seriously now... I'm assuming that the girls switched into their disguised equipment? Also, requesting a bit of background on the area/leadership: Is there any leadership with higher authority than the Archduke, or is he basically the highest authority? Essentially, this is another RP thing, the Stalkers prefer to "set up" targets to be killed/arrested/etc, instead of kill them themselves (corpses tend to cause more problems than they solve), so they'd prefer to hand him over alive to some form of authority. If this isn't possible however, they're still willing to finish him off themselves.
#31 salrantol Jun 26, 2009 7:28:52	The Archduke is the reigning authority here. And yes, when I gave you the chance to go back to your tent to clean up, that allowed you to get your disguised equipment on. And if you're actually going to perform lewd and lascivious acts, we'll keep that out of it and start up again after you're done. I rather thought, though, that you would be avoiding those acts by taking action against the archduke.
#32 LinkN Jun 26, 2009 8:41:11	Nah, we'll strike now. The stalkers do draw the line at some point, after all. Sethala will gesture towards the cutter, letting Aventhressa know that there is a guard in the room. Oh, we have numerous ways to show you our abilities... Sethala will then pull out her skillfully-disguised bow and quickly shoot at the goblin (Twin Strike). Edit: If this isn't a surprise round, she'll quarry first.
#33 salrantol Jun 26, 2009 11:00:04	Sethala draws her bow [minor], quarries the Goblin Cutter [minor], and attacks with Twin Strike [standard]. [24-2Cn=22 vs. AC 16, 10 damage; 22-2Cn=20 vs. AC 16, 7 damage, 4 quarry damage] The goblin is reduced to a puddle of so much gobliny goo. However, from the shadows in which the goblin was hiding, a crossbow bolt strikes Sethala, and their fears are confirmed: There are monster guards here, and that most fearsome of all monsters: a gnome. [23-2Co=21 vs. AC 20, 13 damage] Sethala has 20 HP remaining. The gnome moves nearer. Another monstrous guard, which the Stalkers do not recognize, appears as it fires a bolt of radiant energy at Aventhressa, dazing her, and subsequently sliding her and trying to slide Sethala and failing. [19+2CA=21 vs. Fort 12, 6 damage; 25+2CA=27 vs. Will 15, hit; 9 vs. Will 15, miss] Aventhressa has 27 HP remaining and is dazed (save ends). Monster Lore Aventhressa, despite knowing nothing about fey creatures, knows a lot about the Gnome Skulk. Gnome Skulk Small fey humanoid War Pick (basic melee attack) bonus damage on critical hit Hand Crossbow standard, at-will Combat Advantage: bonus damage with CA Fade Away Reactive Stealth Shadow Skulk: stays hidden on missed attacks
#34 LinkN Jun 27, 2009 0:22:52	Rules clarification: I know you can't flank with an ally if that ally is dazed, but you also can't flank at all if you yourself are dazed, right? Also: I take it Aventhressa didn't get a chance to draw her dagger before the enemies attacked? Finally: What kind of duke does such "private" acts with a bunch of monster guards watching? I mean honestly... If Aventhressa didn't get to draw her dagger yet, she'll do so. If she does have it drawn, Sly Flourish on the gnome.
#35 salrantol Jun 27, 2009 7:26:31	Rules clarification: I know you can't flank with an ally if that ally is dazed, but you also can't flank at all if you yourself are dazed, right? Also: I take it Aventhressa didn't get a chance to draw her dagger before the enemies attacked? Finally: What kind of duke does such "private" acts with a bunch of monster guards watching? I mean honestly... If Aventhressa didn't get to draw her dagger yet, she'll do so. If she does have it drawn, Sly Flourish on the gnome. (1) Correct. (2) I will allow her drawing her dagger as part of triggering the combat. (3) I'll take "Paranoid Exhibitionists" for $1000, please, Alex. Aventhressa attempts to sneak in an attack as well as she is able. [1! vs. AC ??, Miss] She then recovers her wits. Sethala is up.
#36 LinkN Jun 27, 2009 10:34:32	Sheesh, what kind of place is this? And who would... oh, nevermind.... Shift 1W, quarry and Two-fanged Strike on the gnome.
#37 salrantol Jun 27, 2009 12:03:58	Sethala steps away [move], declares the Gnome Skulk her quarry [minor], and fires two quick shots at him [standard]. [16-2Cn=14 vs. AC 16, miss; 14-2Cn=12 vs. AC 16, miss] The gnome hesitates briefly as his companion acts. [Delay] The other monster slides Sethala back into place and tries to dazzle Aventhressa again. [21 vs. Will 15, Hit][18 vs. Fort 12, 8 damage] Aventhressa has 19 HP remaining and is dazed (save ends). The gnome attacks the now-dazed Aventhressa with his war pick. [12+2CA=14 vs. AC 19, Miss] The archduke, recovered from the shock of his latest trophies attacking his guards, screams for help. Aventhressa and Sethala are up.
#38 LinkN Jun 27, 2009 12:47:49	What does the gnome get concealment from? Bah... stand still, will you? Aventhressa will Sly Flourish on the gnome again. Sethala will shift 1W and Shadow Wasp Strike on it.
#39 salrantol Jun 27, 2009 13:02:10	You don't know, you failed your monster lore check :P Aventhressa attacks the gnome again, hitting him slyly. [22-2Cn=20 vs. AC 16, 11 damage] She continues to be dazed. Sethala shifts away and attacks the gnome with an armor-penetrating shot. [19-2Cn=17 vs. Reflex 14, 24 damage] The gnome is dead. The monster in the shadows tries to daze Sethala, fails, and slides her back to the dead gnome on the second try. [12 vs. Fort 13, Miss][13 vs. Will 15, Miss][25 vs. Will 15, Hit] Aventhressa and Sethala are up.
#40 LinkN Jun 27, 2009 13:57:28	Ah yes, I remember sending a few of these "unknown monsters" at my party... :P (Don't worry, not going to use out-of-character knowledge for tactics.) Although, what skill did you use for monster knowledge - Arcane? I was under the impression that natural fey creatures were Nature... Also: I've done 35 damage to the gnome skulk, right? Is it bloodied by now? Bah, little buggers just don't know when to give up! Aventhressa will Sly Flourish again, Sethala will shift away and use Twin Strike.
#41 salrantol Jun 27, 2009 14:05:45	Ah yes, I remember sending a few of these "unknown monsters" at my party... :P Hey, you're the one who wanted to skip the "normal" fights and go straight for my gnome fetish. Also: I've done 35 damage to the gnome skulk, right? Is it bloodied by now? Oh, crap. I somehow looked at the wrong HP total. The gnome skulk is dead. I'll edit out his attack above. New actions?
#42 LinkN Jun 27, 2009 14:09:28	Aventhressa will charge the gnome arcanist "unknown monster", Sethala will Twin Strike him. Realized I forgot to use Elven Accuracy on her earlier two-fanged strike, so she'll use it on the first missed attack of the encounter.
#43 salrantol Jun 27, 2009 14:26:48	Aventhressa charges the gnome arcanist. [18-2Cn=16 vs. AC ??, 9 damage] She also manages to shake off her dazedness as the gnome disappears. [Fade Away] Does this change Sethala's action?
#44 LinkN Jun 27, 2009 14:37:17	Ready a Twin Strike on the gnome as soon as it appears, then.
#45 salrantol Jun 27, 2009 14:42:18	The gnome, still invisible, teleports next to Sethala and hurls its ball of radiant energy at Aventhressa. [9 vs. Fort 12, Miss] Does Sethala take her readied action and provoke a OA from the gnome?
#46 LinkN Jun 27, 2009 15:00:56	No, she doesn't. Edit: If the gnome's next to Sethala, doesn't he provoke an OA from her? It's only unarmed/improvised weapon, but still... Also, looking at the roller, Aventhressa's charge should only deal 9 damage (1d4+7, not 1d4+10).
#47 salrantol Jun 27, 2009 15:20:42	No, she doesn't. Edit: If the gnome's next to Sethala, doesn't he provoke an OA from her? It's only unarmed/improvised weapon, but still... Also, looking at the roller, Aventhressa's charge should only deal 9 damage (1d4+7, not 1d4+10). You don't get OAs against invisible foes. And recheck the damage above. The 1d4+10 was for the Sly Flourish before I realized the gnome was dead, but when I posted the charge, I made the change. The Stalkers hear a commotion on the stairs outside. It appears someone heard the archduke's yell. Aventhressa and Sethala are now up.
#48 LinkN Jun 27, 2009 15:34:00	Don't know what I was thinking with that, then... Can I get a map of current positions?
#49 salrantol Jun 27, 2009 15:34:37
#50 LinkN Jun 27, 2009 16:08:00	Hah, that gnome's spells finally wore off for a bit... now to finish him off. Aventhressa will delay for Sethala. Sethala will shift, quarry, and twin strike the gnome. Aventhressa will then move, Cloud of Darkness, and Sly Flourish the gnome.
#51 salrantol Jun 27, 2009 17:42:39	Sethala shifts away, quarries the remaining monster, and fires two shots at it. [15-2Cn=13 vs. AC ??, Miss; Elven Accuracy: 25-2=23 vs. AC ??, 3 damage; 26-2Cn=24 vs. AC ??, 8 damage, 5 quarry damage] The arcanist is bloodied. Aventhressa then moves into the fray, summons magical darkness, and attacks the gnome. [28-2Cn+2CA=28 vs. AC ??, 19 damage] The gnome shifts away from Aventhressa and hurls more sparkles at Sethala. [16 vs. Fort 13, 9 damage] Sethala has 11 HP remaining, is bloodied, and is dazed (save ends). Sethala and Aventhressa are up.
#52 LinkN Jun 27, 2009 18:07:38	Finish him, Av, I need to rest a moment... Sethala will Second Wind and move as below. Aventhressa will shift 1 SW and use Bait and Switch on the gnome, moving as such if it hits: Note that since the gnome can't see Aventhressa, she has CA for the attack.
#53 salrantol Jun 27, 2009 18:23:25	Sethala will Second Wind and move as below. Umm, dazed only lets you take one action. I'm going to assume you want Second Wind. Sethala catches her breath. She has 19 HP and is no longer bloodied or dazed. Aventhressa attempts to comply with Sethala's request. [16-2Cn+2CA=16 vs. Will 13, 17 damage] The gnome is dead and Aventhressa dances around his corpse for a bit. Fight One is complete. Sethala has 19 HP. Aventhressa has 19 HP. An interrogation, discussion, restraining, or humiliation session with the archduke can constitute a short rest, allowing either or both Stalkers to spend a healing surge or two and recover encounter powers. Fight One was a level 3 encounter and grants .5 VP. The guards have been alerted. Sethala has spent one healing surge.
#54 LinkN Jun 27, 2009 18:52:55	Both characters will spend one healing surge. They'll interrogate the Duke a bit - mainly asking about his security, what other types of guards or traps they can expect, and where the other girls are kept. Aventhressa will use Intimidate for it, Sethala will watch the doorway while this is going on. Also, did the clients expect us to get rid of the Duke, or do they just want their wives back? If they want us to get rid of him, the Stalkers will oblige. If not, they'll just tie him up and gag him.
#55 salrantol Jun 27, 2009 22:21:04	Your clients' exact words were that he be "taught a lesson." You can interpret that as you wish. Aventhressa attempts to bully the archduke into divulging information about his security, but he just keeps yelling for help until she gags him.
#56 LinkN Jun 28, 2009 0:22:51	This is said well within earshot of the duke, as it's intended for him to hear it. Well, we've got him, what should we do with him? We could just kill him. That'll keep him from causing trouble. Could cause problems though. Killing a ruler isn't exactly the best idea, especially one that's the highest authority in an area. Think he'll wise up if we just leave him alive? Well, let's ask him. Hey Duke, we're gonna head off and rescue those women you've taken from their husbands. We'll leave you alive however, but only if you promise to never do anything like this again. What do you say? If the duke agrees: Good. We'll leave you tied up for now, but we'll try to not rough up your guards... too much. Just remember, if this happens again, we won't be so lenient. And then the girls will head towards where the Duke keeps his "posessions". They'll stop by whatever room is likely to hold other treasures (the kind with a monetary value) and grab whatever they can bring with them easily. If the duke doesn't agree: Well, we just can't have that now, can we? Sure you won't... reconsider? Aventhressa will threaten him with her dagger. If he still refuses, both girls will CDG the helpless archduke.
#57 salrantol Jun 28, 2009 6:48:28	"Yes, please, take them, whatever. I won't do it again, I swear, just let me live!" As the Stalkers go about the upper floor, liberating the harem and gathering what items of value they can, they notice that the guard on the landing below is gone. They have a group of some twenty women in the upper hallway.
#58 LinkN Jun 28, 2009 16:35:59	Have the Stalkers rescued everyone, are there still more captives to rescue, or do the Stalkers not know for sure?
#59 salrantol Jun 28, 2009 17:07:13	They do not know for sure, but the rescued women do not know of any others.
#60 LinkN Jun 28, 2009 18:07:47	The Stalkers would rather not leave anyone behind, so they'll check any remaining rooms that they haven't been to. Aventhressa will try to pick the lock on any locked doors. They'll be stealthy about it, of course... at least, as stealthy as you can be when you've got twenty ex-harem girls following you around... After that, they'll try to head out of the keep. I'm assuming that it won't quite be smooth sailing from here, as I've only had one encounter thus far, but...
#61 salrantol Jun 28, 2009 22:38:46	Pitlord/Spectators Only Initiative Halfling Stout E Halfling Stout H Halfling Stout F Halfling Stout G Aventhressa Halfling Thief Human Guard Sethala
#62 LinkN Jun 28, 2009 23:12:23	Alright, terrain: Walls, block LoS and movement. Stairs, difficult terrain? Anything else special about this place? More guards... I'd prefer not to kill these ones though. Rough 'em up a bit, but don't hit vitals. Tactics: Sethala will Twin Strike, shooting one arrow each at yellow and white halflings. (I'm assuming yellow has no cover and white has partial cover.) Aventhressa will move to the bottom of the stairs, stopping 1 square SE of brown, and hit brown with a Sly Flourish. Attacks will be non-lethal. Oh joy, human guard. Another enemy I've thrown at my PCs recently.
#63 salrantol Jun 28, 2009 23:44:59	Regarding cover: White has cover courtesy of brown and yellow. Yellow has no cover. Brown has cover from the wall. (I know, the map doesn't line up well, but if you have any questionis about how something lines up, just ask, I have it in my head.) Olive has cover from yellow. Also, I should have said that only Aventhressa was up. You can change Sethala's actions. Aventhressa bursts into the fray and attacks a halfling. [27-2Co=25 vs. AC 16, Hit; Second Chance: 16-2Co=14 vs. AC 16, Miss] A new halfling joins the fray, throwing a dagger at Aventhressa from behind the corner. [15+2CA=17 vs. AC 19, Miss] Both Stalkers recognize it as a halfling thief. The human guard moves into position to attack Aventhressa. [13 vs. AC 19, Miss] Pitlord/Spectators Only Initiative: Halfling Stout Olive Halfling Stout Brown X Halfling Stout White Halfling Stout Yellow Aventhressa Halfling Thief Human Guard Sethala
#64 LinkN Jun 29, 2009 0:02:15	All of the halfling stouts have partial cover, yes? Sethala will still Twin Strike on two different minions. Brown will be one of them unless Sethala can get attacks without cover on two different minions.
#65 salrantol Jun 29, 2009 7:12:25	All of the halfling stouts have partial cover, yes? Sethala will still Twin Strike on two different minions. Brown will be one of them unless Sethala can get attacks without cover on two different minions. (1) Yes. (2) Who said anything about there being minions? CHEATER! Sethala fires two shots at the halflings. [Brown: 14-2Co=12 vs. AC 16, Miss][Yellow: 1!-2Co vs. AC 16, Miss] The halflings use their slings, Brown his short sword, to attack Aventhressa. [Olive: 20! vs. AC 19, 4 damage][Brown: 10-2Co=8 vs. AC 19, Miss][White: 20 vs. AC 19, 4 damage][Yellow: 24 vs. AC 19, 4 damage] Aventhressa has 15 HP remaining and is bloodied. Aventhressa is up.
#66 LinkN Jun 29, 2009 12:08:19	(2) Who said anything about there being minions? CHEATER! Well, they crit for 4 damage, so... Also: Stop rolling low for me! I thought you were a better shot than that! Cloud of Darkness, then Sly Flourish on the guard.
#67 salrantol Jun 29, 2009 12:52:55	Aventhressa summons an inky cloud of shadowy darkness, then uses it as cover to attack the human. [27+2CA=29 vs. AC 18, 20 damage] The halfling thief and human guard, confident Aventhressa has not moved, attack. [Thief: 26-5TCo=21 vs. AC 19, 4 damage][Guard: 15-5TCo=10 vs. AC 19, Miss] Aventhressa has 11 HP remaining. Sethala is up.
#68 LinkN Jun 29, 2009 13:29:52	Bah, realized too late that I should have had her move as well... oh well, too late now. Sethala, being unable to actually see anything, will use her Second Wind.
#69 salrantol Jun 29, 2009 13:49:53	Sethala takes a moment to catch her breath. She has 23 HP and is no longer bloodied. She has +2 to all defenses until the start of her next turn. Having more ammunition than they could possibly use in this encounter, the stouts all (except brown who uses his short sword) sling another bullet at Aventhressa. [Olive: 10-5TCn=5 vs. AC 19, Miss][Brown: 24-2Co-5TCn=17 vs. AC 19, Miss][White: 24-5TCn=19 vs. AC 19, 4 damage][Yellow: 21-5TCn=16 vs. AC 19, Miss] Aventhressa has 7 HP remaining. Aventhressa is up. The Cloud of Darkness ends at the end of her turn.
#70 LinkN Jun 29, 2009 14:39:40	Blinding Barrage. I think you can guess where I'm centering it... If she hits both the guard and the thief, SA damage on the guard unless she crits on the thief. Otherwise, SA damage on whatever non-minion she hit. She's not done with her turn after that, extra actions (and possibly AP) depend on what's hit and what isn't.
#71 salrantol Jun 29, 2009 15:08:29	Aventhressa hurls her dagger at a blinding pace at every enemy in the room. [Guard: 13+2CA=15 vs. AC 18, Miss][Thief: 17+2CA-2Co=17 vs. AC 16, Hit; Second Chance: 28+2CA-2Co=28 vs. AC 16, 17 damage][Olive: 21+2CA=23 vs. AC 16, Hit; Second Chance: 29+2CA=31 vs. AC 16, 11 damage][Brown: 24+2CA=26 vs. AC 16, 11 damage][White: 23+2CA=25 vs. AC 16, Hit; Second Chance: 18+2CA=20 vs. AC 16, 11 damage][Yellow: 30+2CA=32 vs. AC 16, Hit; Second Chance: 13+2CA=15 vs. AC 16, Miss] Olive, Brown, and White halfling stouts are unconscious. The halfling thief is blinded until the end of Sethala's next turn and is bloodied. Pitlord/Spectators Only Initiative: Halfling Stout Yellow X Aventhressa Human Guard Halfling Thief X Sethala
#72 LinkN Jun 29, 2009 15:33:38	Ah, finally some good luck. Also: Is the guard bloodied yet? He's taken 25 damage so far... AP for Second Wind, shift back 1 square, try to hide from the halfling.
#73 salrantol Jun 29, 2009 18:06:37	The guard has only been hit by the sneak attack Sly Flourish for 20 damage. I don't see any other hits on him. And no, with 20 damage, he's not bloodied. Aventhressa takes this opportunity to catch her breath. She has 15 HP and gets +2 to all defenses until the start of her next turn. The halfling, blinded, ducks south behind a corner and out of sight. The human attacks Aventhressa. [1! vs. AC 19+2SW=21, Miss] He curses up a storm, having missed her thrice consecutively. Sethala is up. Her bonus to defenses from Second Wind has ended.
#74 LinkN Jun 29, 2009 18:21:25	Plus 5 for the missed Blinding Barrage... Nice shots. Let's see if I can finish off that guard. Quarry and Shadow Wasp Strike on the guard. Elven Accuracy if it misses.
#75 salrantol Jun 29, 2009 19:14:06	Yeah, because Blinding Barrage was underpowered without a Miss effect... In that case, he is bloodied. Sethala declares the human her quarry and tries to sting him from afar. [14 vs. Reflex 15, Miss; Elven Accuracy: 22 vs. Reflex 15, 17 damage] The surviving stout fires another shot at Aventhressa. [17 vs. AC 19+2SW=21, Miss] Aventhressa is up.
#76 LinkN Jun 29, 2009 19:50:22	I can take him from here. Can I see a current map, please?
#77 salrantol Jun 29, 2009 20:36:03	And the halfling thief is out of sight south of his previous location somewhere.
#78 LinkN Jun 29, 2009 21:11:04	I think Aventhressa was supposed to move one square back towards Sethala... oh well, not gonna worry about it right now. Bait and Switch on the guard. If it hits, shift back to where Aventhressa started, then move to 1N of Sethala and try to hide.
#79 salrantol Jun 29, 2009 22:07:14	Bah, I scrolled up and checked, and you did say to shift back towards Sethala. That may change your action. Sorry about the mistake. The map has been updated.
#80 LinkN Jun 29, 2009 22:45:47	Can I hide from yellow around the corner north of Seth? If so, Sly Flourish at range on the guard and move there to hide. If not, move up to the guard, Bait and Switch, no extra movement.
#81 salrantol Jun 29, 2009 23:03:32	No, he has LoS to both of the southern corners of that square. Aventhressa, bored with such things as keeping the team together and not granting enemies combat advantage, switches places with the human guard. [16 vs. Will 14, 11 damage] The human guard falls unconscious. The halfling thief moves back into view and makes a Mobile Melee Attack, wherein he makes the attack while he is in Yellow's square. [19 vs. AC 19, 6 damage] Aventhressa has 9 HP remaining.
#82 LinkN Jun 29, 2009 23:42:52	The guard should have 53 damage - 20 from Sly Flourish, 5 from missed Blinding Barrage, 17 from Shadow Wasp Strike, 11 from Bait and Switch. Considering that he was bloodied at 25, this should make him quite dead unconscious, and unable to attack or flank. Sadly, the halfling still hits, but he shouldn't get the extra 1d6, putting Aventhressa at 9 HP, assuming I'm right about the guard. Assuming that all of the above is correct, Sethala will Twin Strike, one attack at each halfling.
#83 salrantol Jun 30, 2009 7:41:18	Yeah, that's what it says up there. You need to read more carefully :P But seriously, even though I got it wrong, now you see why I started *trying* to record the damage monsters have taken so I don't make that same mistake again.... Sethala fires two shots into the fray. [Thief: 14 vs. AC 16, Miss][Stout: 20 vs. AC 16, 4 damage] The halfling stout drops unconscious. Aventhressa is up.
#84 LinkN Jun 30, 2009 9:53:43	Nice shots. Let's see if I can finish this one... Dazing Strike on the halfling. If it hits, move 2E. If it misses, shift east.
#85 salrantol Jun 30, 2009 10:19:07	Aventhressa swings for the halfling's head, hoping to buy herself some time to get away. [29 vs. AC 16, 9 damage] The halfling thief has taken 26 damage, is bloodied, and is dazed until the end of Aventhressa's next turn. The halfling thief makes a Mobile Melee Attack on Aventhressa. [1! vs. AC 19, Miss] Sethala is up. If I missed some damage on this guy, too, please let me know, but I'm pretty sure I have this right.
#86 LinkN Jun 30, 2009 11:15:38	I don't think so, but I haven't been focusing on him too much. I just had to call out the guard because Aventhressa's attack pretty much relied on downing the guard (the shifting/swapping didn't matter, just that I was hitting Will instead of AC) Also, how do you get two characters on the same space in the mapper like that? Sethala will quarry and Two-fanged Strike the halfling. If he's still up, Aventhressa will Sly Flourish him.
#87 salrantol Jun 30, 2009 11:26:07	Also, how do you get two characters on the same space in the mapper like that? You manually enter the second one into the text output. Sethala focuses her attention on the halfling's weaknesses and attempts to exploit them. [13 vs. AC 16, Miss; 25 vs. AC 16, 19 damage] The halfling falls unconscious. Thus ends fight 2 of the quest. Wrap-up to follow soon.
#88 LinkN Jun 30, 2009 11:52:07	During the rest, the Stalkers will tie up the prisoners and attempt to interrogate them somewhat when they wake up. Important topics are what other guards are in the keep, and if there's any other prisoners.
#89 salrantol Jun 30, 2009 11:54:19	Fight Two is complete. Sethala has 23 HP. Aventhressa has 9 HP. Securing and searching the first floor before continuing can constitute a short rest, allowing either or both Stalkers to spend healing surges and recover encounter powers. Fight Two was a level 5 encounter and grants 1.5 VP, bringing the quest total thus far to 2 VP. Aventhressa and Sethala each spent one healing surge in this encounter. The Stalkers know that, even if they managed to do so, these women would not be able to scale the keep's walls, so their escape must go right out the front gate. They do not know how many guards are in the bailey or stationed at the gate, but they recall that guards were stationed in both locations. Two doors exit the manor, one to the northeast, one to the south.
#90 LinkN Jun 30, 2009 12:24:50	Are we able to question the guards we just fought about the conditions outside? (IIRC, enemies knocked unconscious instead of killed wake up after a short rest, don't remember where it says that, though.) Also, so far Sethala's spent 3 surges and Aventhressa's spent 2, right? Aventhressa will spend 3 surges to bring herself up to full, Sethala will spend one to bring her to 31 HP. Yeesh, I'm going into the third fight with only one surge for Aventhressa and two for Sethala... I'll have to try avoiding more damage. Lucky rolls for the halflings really didn't help here...
#91 salrantol Jun 30, 2009 12:34:08	Yes, you can question them. How will they be restrained (since they are about to wake up)? How do you intend to question them? i.e. what skill, what questions? Aventhressa has 33 HP. Sethala has 31 HP.
#92 LinkN Jun 30, 2009 13:00:31	First off, search them for weapons and take everything away, just in case they do try something. If the stalkers have some rope on them still, use that to restrain them... if not, search for something in the area. Interrogate them with Aventhressa's intimidate. Sethala will try to aid her if you'll allow it. Main questions are asking about what guards are still out there, if there's any other prisoners, things like that. Knock them unconscious again after the questioning, and gag them.
#93 salrantol Jun 30, 2009 13:05:08	Aventhressa tries to bully the restrained guards into revealing further details of the security of the keep, while Sethala glowers at them behind her, but apparently Aventhressa's wounds came in places such that the tears in her clothing allowed the guards' eyes to wander a bit and made it difficult for them to take her seriously. The Stalkers gag the guards and leave them unconscious. Which door do the Stalkers take?
#94 LinkN Jun 30, 2009 13:41:35	The Stalkers will take whichever door is closest to the keep's exit - it's time for them to leave, and quickly. If they set up their tent near the exit, they'll stop by and grab some of their things. If not however, they'll leave it behind - nothing important was left behind.
#95 salrantol Jun 30, 2009 14:31:23	As the Stalkers try to cross the bailey, they square off against the bailey's guards. Fortunately, they are stealthy enough to buy themselves a surprise round. Monster Lore Human Berserker Medium natural humanoid Greataxe (melee basic attack) bonus damage on critical hit Battle Fury (free attack with bonuses to hit and damage when first bloodied) Handaxe: standard at-will ranged attack, ranged 5/10 No resistances; no vulnerabilities
#96 LinkN Jun 30, 2009 14:47:31	We'll have to take these guys out as well. Focus on the berserker first, and stay spread out so the mage can't hit us both with a thunder burst. Got it. We gonna let these guys live too? As far as I can tell they've done nothing wrong, aside from poor taste in employers. Rough them up, don't kill them. Aventhressa will move as such. Sethala will open up with a Two-fanged Strike on the berserker, elven accuracy to reroll if either attack misses.
#97 salrantol Jun 30, 2009 17:54:10	Sethala fires two shots at the berserker. [1! vs. AC ??, Miss; Elven Accuracy: 13 vs. AC ??, Miss; 28 vs. AC ??, 8 damage] The berserker has taken 8 damage. Aventhressa moves in to avoid the duo both being caught in a burst. The mage, hearing their plans and knowing he is unlikely to get a good shot at both of them, and hearing through the grapevine that Aventhressa is easy (to daze), drops a burst of thunder on Aventhressa's head. [10 vs. Fort 12, Miss] He then ducks behind the building. [Last square seen entering is shown.] Sethala is up.
#98 LinkN Jun 30, 2009 20:33:24	First off: How the heck is the mage able to hear us talking? He's like, at least 60 feet away! :P Anyway, quarry Green and Shadow Wasp Strike him. Roll me a crit this time, ok?
#99 salrantol Jun 30, 2009 21:19:38	First off: How the heck is the mage able to hear us talking? He's like, at least 60 feet away! :P Magic. Sethala takes a moment to pick out the berserker's weaknesses, then fires an armor-piercing shot. [28 vs. Reflex ??, 34 damage] The berserker has taken 42 damage and is bloodied. The berserker approaches and charges Aventhressa. [21+1chg=22 vs. AC 19, 12 damage] Aventhressa has 21 HP remaining. Aventhressa is up.
#100 LinkN Jun 30, 2009 21:54:23	Sadly, no CA for attacking before an enemy acts... Aventhressa will Cloud of Darkness and Sly Flourish on the berserker, then shift as shown and hide. Edit: If the berserker moves and provokes an OA, Aventhressa will take it.
#101 salrantol Jun 30, 2009 23:05:18	In a totally uncharacteristic move, Aventhressa summons darkness engulfing both herself and her target, the human berserker. As though it were born there, her dagger appears in the berserker's heart, nonlethally of course. [20! vs. AC ??, 31 damage] The berserker has taken 73 damage and is unconscious. I don't think he'll be provoking any OAs from Aventhressa this round. The mage reappears from around the corner and launches a magical missile of some sort at Sethala. [24 vs. Reflex 18, 11 damage] Sethala has 20 HP remaining. The mage has cover from both Stalkers in his current location. [Only the squares that are mostly building count as building, for simplicity's sake.] Sethala is up.
#102 LinkN Jun 30, 2009 23:57:27	Nice one. I'll get the mage. I'm assuming the mage still has partial cover against Sethala after the movement. Move as shown, quarry, Twin Strike. Since I have 2 AP on Sethala and only one fight after this one, AP for another Twin Strike. Assuming Aventhressa is up next, she will Sly Flourish from her position if the mage only has partial cover against her.
#103 salrantol Jul 01, 2009 7:28:09	Sethala maneuvers into position, susses out the mage's weaknesses, and fires four shots in rapid succession. [15-2Co=13 vs. AC ??, Miss; 1!-2Co vs. AC ??, Miss][23-2Co=21 vs. AC ??, 13 damage; 27-2Co=25 vs. AC ??, 7 damage] The mage has taken 20 damage. Aventhressa hurls her dagger at the sliver of the mage she can see. [13+2CA-2Co=13 vs. AC ??, Miss] The Cloud of Darkness disappears. The mage, now seeing both Stalkers, hurls lightning at them and her fallen comrade. [Aventhressa: 16 vs. Reflex 19, Miss; Sethala: 11 vs. Reflex 18, Miss; Berserker: 12-2Pr=10 vs. Reflex ??-5Unc=??, 5 damage] Sethala and Aventhressa are up again.
#104 LinkN Jul 01, 2009 16:26:17	As far as I can tell, there aren't any spaces on the map where one of my characters can have cover against the mage and still be able to make a ranged attack against him. Is that correct? If I'm mistaken and there is a place to move and still have concealment, Aventhressa's turn will change, Sethala's won't. Sethala will move and Twin Strike the mage. Aventhressa will move and throw her dagger with another Sly Flourish.
#105 salrantol Jul 01, 2009 22:39:25	Sethala approaches the mage and fires her signature two shots. [25 vs. AC ??, 7 damage; 17 vs. AC ??, 4 damage] The mage has taken 31 damage and is bloodied. Aventhressa moves forward, stumbling over her own feet as she hurls her dagger. [1!-2Co vs. AC ??, Miss] The mage fires a magic missile at the most apparent threat, Sethala. [10 vs. Reflex 18, Miss] Sethala and Aventhressa are up.
#106 LinkN Jul 01, 2009 23:00:18	Sethala will delay for Aventhressa Aventhressa will move as such and Dazing Strike the mage, then Sethala will Twin Strike again.
#107 salrantol Jul 02, 2009 7:39:19	Sethala pauses momentarily to give Aventhressa a chance to strike. Aventhressa's dagger swings for the mage's head, to shake him up for a moment. [20 vs. AC ??, 8 damage] The mage has taken 39 damage and is dazed until the end of Aventhressa's next turn. Sethala now fires her two shots. [24+2CA=26 vs. AC ??, 12 damage; 26+2CA=28 vs. AC ??, 7 damage] The mage has taken 58 damage and is unconscious. Fight Three is complete. Sethala has 20 HP. Aventhressa has 21 HP. Checking the huts before continuing can constitute a short rest, allowing either or both Stalkers to spend healing surges and recover encounter powers. Fight Three was a level 4 encounter and grants 1 VP, bringing the quest total thus far to 3 VP. The Stalkers remembered the warning about a sniper above the gate, which could make their exit difficult, especially for the other women. They know that many of the women will die if they do not eliminate the full complement of guards from the gate before leading the women out. From their vantage point, they can see four humans, which Sethala recognizes as human rabble. On the parapets, hiding in a crenellation, they see a dwarf bolter, probably the sniper they were warned about. The shaded area on the southeast side of the towers conceal a stairway upon which the Stalkers could climb the wall, taking six squares of movement to reach the top. Pitlord/Spectators Only Initiative Order Human Rabble White Human Rabble Yellow Human Rabble Brown Human Rabble Peach Sethala Dwarf Bolter Human Rabble Pink Aventhressa Human Rabble Olive
#108 LinkN Jul 02, 2009 16:06:16	Aventhressa will spend one surge, Sethala will spend 2 (should put them at 29 and 33 HP, respectively). Also, terrain questions: -Does the bolter have cover/concealment from ranged attacks on the ground? -Is it possible to stand under the gate (i.e. lure out the sniper)? -Anything else special here other than the keep walls?
#109 salrantol Jul 02, 2009 18:24:10	(1) The bolter has superior cover due to the crenellations. (2) Yes, you can stand under the gate. (3) No, just the keep wall, the gate, and the stairs. My kids are begging to go outside, so this combat will begin later this evening.
#110 LinkN Jul 02, 2009 18:53:29	Considering that we have 3 weeks to do this battle, I think we're fine with waiting a few hours... :P
#111 salrantol Jul 02, 2009 19:18:58	NO! IT'S NOT ENOUGH TIME!!!! Several of the guards spot the Stalkers, yell to each other, and rush in, clubs flailing. [White vs. Aventhressa: 14+1chg=15 vs. AC 19, Miss][Yellow vs. Sethala: 25+1chg=26 vs. AC 20, 4 damage][Brown vs. Aventhressa: 19+1chg=20 vs. AC 19, 4 damage][Peach vs. Sethala: 15+1chg=16 vs. AC 20, Miss] Sethala has 29 HP remaining. Aventhressa has 25 HP remaining. Sethala is up.
#112 LinkN Jul 03, 2009 1:58:15	Ok, since the human rabble got to kinda box us in... is it possible for my team to move beyond the edge of the map? Or am I just kinda sunk? More guards... we can't get through with these girls unless we get rid of them, too. Sethala will shift SE and Twin Strike yellow and white. AP for another attack against whoever survived the first attack plus brown, or against brown and... uh, the other color (peach?) if the first Twin Strike hit both targets.
#113 salrantol Jul 03, 2009 5:10:21	Ok, since the human rabble got to kinda box us in... is it possible for my team to move beyond the edge of the map? Or am I just kinda sunk? Just keep it close so the map isn't totally worthless. If you didn't suck in all four fights at rolling initiative, this wouldn't have been an issue. Sethala steps away briefly and fires two quick volleys of two shots each. [Yellow: 20 vs. AC ??+2??=??, 5 damage; White: 14 vs. AC??+2??=??, Miss][White: 26 vs. AC ??+2??=??, 12 damage; Brown: 14 vs. AC??+2??=??, Miss] Yellow and White fall down, unconscious. The bolter fires his first shot, carefully aimed at Aventhressa. [1! vs. AC 19, Miss] A sixth guard comes from the outward side of the gate, pursuing the stalkers. He charges Sethala. [8 vs. AC 20, Miss] [Stuff in the SE corner is shifted one square north on the map.] Aventhressa is up.
#114 LinkN Jul 03, 2009 11:58:35	We can't get to the sniper with all these humans in the way... Sly Flourish on pink, if it hits shift into pink's square.
#115 salrantol Jul 03, 2009 15:58:56	Aventhressa tries to break the humans' line. [18 vs. AC??+2??, 12 damage] Pink falls unconscious as Aventhressa steps over his body. Olive blitzes Aventhressa, and Brown and Peach join in the attack. [19 vs. AC 19, 4 damage][15 vs. AC 19, Miss][18 vs. AC 19, Miss] Aventhressa has 21 HP remaining. Sethala is up.
#116 LinkN Jul 03, 2009 16:05:02	Well - it looks like I won't get a better chance to use it (never really had a chance for most of this quest, really), so... Split the Tree on olive and brown. Move as such after the attack. (Yes, I'll provoke OAs if I didn't hit the rabble.)
#117 salrantol Jul 03, 2009 16:46:09	It's tough to create an encounter for two characters with enough non-minions to make Split the Tree worthwhile without making the encounter a joke. Sethala fires two arrows simultaneously from her bow, but it proves too taxing for her. [15, 14][15 vs. AC??+2??=??, Miss] She then tries to sneak past the humans. [OA: 14 vs. AC 22, Miss] The sniper fires a shot at Sethala. [1! vs. AC 20, Miss] Aventhressa is up.
#118 LinkN Jul 03, 2009 17:38:24	Your dice really don't like me... You know, Seth, your archery really doesn't impress me any more. You try shooting a bow in this getup, then! I think I'll pass, thanks. Aventhressa will Cloud of Darkness, Sly Flourish olive, then move around in a circle with Fleeting Ghost to stop and hide where she started the move. She will take OAs against anyone that provokes them.
#119 salrantol Jul 03, 2009 23:48:01	Aventhressa, in the wake of taunting Sethala, summons a Cloud of Darkness so her partner can't see her miss. [13+2CA=15 vs. AC??+2??=??, Miss] Olive shifts out of the Cloud and charges Sethala. [23+1chg=24 vs. AC 20, 4 damage] Brown follows suit. [11+1chg=12 vs. AC 20, Miss] Peach shifts out and sets up a charge for next round. Sethala has 25 HP remaining. Sethala is up.
#120 LinkN Jul 03, 2009 23:55:10	Apparently you're not so good with that dagger... now stop goofing off and hit these guys! Shift 1 W and Twin Strike the two humans closest to her.
#121 salrantol Jul 04, 2009 6:30:50	Sethala takes a step back and fires a quick volley of arrows at the rabble. [Olive: 24+1PS=25 vs. AC??+2??=??, 3 damage; Brown: 17+1PS=18 vs. AC??+2??=??, 9 damage] Two rabble drop unconscious. The sniper fires a shot at Sethala. [27+2AS=29 vs. AC 20, 8 damage] Sethala has 17 HP remaining. Aventhressa is up.
#122 LinkN Jul 04, 2009 10:39:02	Ahh, now that's what I'm talking about! Move 6W and Deft Strike on Peach, moving 2W.
#123 salrantol Jul 04, 2009 19:21:17	Aventhressa approaches the sniper and decides that thirty feet nearer is not close enough. She uses her corner-attack strategy and footwork to move closer as she eliminates the last rabble. [21 vs. AC??, 8 damage] Peach falls unconscious. Sethala is up.
#124 LinkN Jul 04, 2009 21:31:28	Ok, now I'm gonna need more detail on these stairs... First off, can the sniper get a clear shot (no cover/concealment) on someone on the stairs while he's still behind his cover? Second, when you climb up the stairs, where do you "get off"? Which square, specifically? Third, is it possible to attack the dwarf while you're on the stairs without him having cover? Or do you need to go to the top to get a clear shot?
#125 salrantol Jul 04, 2009 21:41:57	The stairs are gradual enough that you can get on them at any ground level in the shaded area. The dwarf has a clear shot to the stairs. The dwarf has superior cover against any attack not from the tower level.
#126 LinkN Jul 04, 2009 22:01:48	Alright, Sethala will go to the stairs and start climbing them, then take Total Defense action.
#127 salrantol Jul 04, 2009 22:26:50	Sethala begins to climb the stairs, and readies to dodge incoming attacks. She has ascended 2/6 stairs. The bolter, concerned for his life, fires at Sethala. [15+2AS=17 vs. AC 20+2TD=22, Miss] Aventhressa is up.
#128 LinkN Jul 04, 2009 23:46:15	Sheesh, why can't they just come out and fight, instead of hiding behind that wall? And how does he get a good enough angle to hit us on the stairs, anyway? Beats me. Just cling to the wall and you should be fine. Same as Sethala - climb stairs and TD. Sethala will finish climbing the stairs and get to the back corner of the tower, then fire a Shadow Wasp Strike. Elven Accuracy if it misses, and apply her bow's daily power if it hits. Just to clarify: Both girls used their daily powers, the only encounter power used so far (aside from what Sethala's about to do) is Aventhressa's racial, and the only daily item power was Aventhressa's cloak. Both girls have 0 healing surges remaining. Correct?
#129 salrantol Jul 05, 2009 7:16:07	Correct on all points. Aventhressa rushes up the stairs as well, readying herself for pending attacks. She has completed 3/6 stairs. Sethala completes the climb and makes room for Aventhressa's ascent. She fires an armor-piercing super-accurate shot at the sniper. [25+1PS=26 vs. AC ??, 22 damage, 3 fire damage] The sniper now takes ongoing 5 fire damage (save ends). The sniper has taken 30 damage and is bloodied. The sniper fires an aimed shot at Sethala. [20+2AS=22 vs. AC 20, 14 damage] Sethala has 3 HP remaining. The sniper then puts out the flames on his clothing. Aventhressa and Sethala are up.
#130 LinkN Jul 05, 2009 16:38:40	Aventhressa has 21 HP remaining still, yes? Aventhressa will finish climbing the stairs and stand in front of the dwarf, then hit him with a Dazing Strike. She'll then AP for Bait and Switch, ending up as below if it hits: If Dazing Strike missed, she'll use her dagger's daily power before attacking with Bait and Switch.
#131 salrantol Jul 05, 2009 21:50:17	Aventhressa completes her ascent to the tower and is face to face with the dwarf. She feints low but swings for the head to give herself an opening. [24 vs. AC ??, 8 damage] The dwarf has taken 38 damage. He is bloodied, and is also dazed until the end of Aventhressa's next turn. Aventherssa takes advantage of the opening to lure the dwarf away from his hidey-hole. [25+2CA=27 vs. AC ??, 23 damage] The dwarf falls unconscious. Fight Four is complete. Sethala has 3 HP. Aventhressa has 21 HP. The Stalkers have successfully completed their quest and can take an extended rest, allowing either or both Stalkers to recover healing surges, encounter powers, daily powers, and daily magic item uses. Fight Four was a level 4 encounter and grants 1 VP, bringing the quest total to 4 VP. The Stalkers estimate it would take the next two or three days to ensure the safe return of the women to their husbands in the various villages in the area.
#132 LinkN Jul 05, 2009 22:06:04	The stalkers meet with their clients. Your wives have been rescued, along with the rest of the women held against their will. The archduke has been taught a lesson, and he shouldn't be bothering any of you again. If he does, however, let us know and we'll make sure things will be more... "final".
#133 salrantol Jul 06, 2009 5:16:35	What did you think (other than the obvious "You *really* needed to keep better track of hit points at the beginning!")?
#134 LinkN Jul 06, 2009 13:03:37	Well first off, I admit that I've been checking the MM to make sure you haven't been doing things wrong (such as not recording HP properly, hint hint). I do suggest stealing using the "combat tracker" that Douglas used for whitebaron's quest (and then whitebaron used for my quest), as it keeps all the vital info about both the PCs and the enemies at-hand. The initiative order with smilies indicating status is also nice, but not quite needed. The quest itself was entertaining, although I kind of expected something different from the "monsters" room (considering that gnomes went back to being a playable race). The only criticism I have about the encounter design is that I really wish you had done something different with the 2nd encounter, so I didn't end up being completely boxed in for the whole fight. (Yes, I realize that this is partly because I insisted going out from inside, but still...)