Re: Adventure #1 - The Jolly Toad

[Glitz]

Tightening her grip on the reins, Elodie struggles with her horse for a moment, but manages to stay seated. Once she feels secure in the saddle, she leans forward to stroke the animal's neck, speaking softly to attempt to calm the spooked animal.

Handle Animal: 9 + 1 CHA

If the horse responds receptively, then Elodie will jump down, secure the horse to the nearest tree, and start to head towards Randal. If not, she'll remain seated; after seeing two horses bolt into the woods, she's not interested in losing her ride as well.

[macksgarageusa]

Maius catches his balance mid-fall and lands on his feet, instantly he raises his arms to the air as if he did it on purpose. "Learned that one when I was little!" He dusts his clothes and checks to see if all his belongings are intact. "Does anyone present know how to recover a spooked mount?"

[Swifthand]

Used to foul tempered beasts of burden in the desert wastes of Ma'ag, Talmut-Xispur yanks hard on the horses reins toward the retreating mounts, and with a kick, lets it have its steam (Ride check 16+2=18 "spur mount").

Folding my tall frame to drop low in my saddle, I race to close the distance to the bolting horses. Steeling my resolve, and fixating on a point just in front of the farthest (Randall's) mount, I shout the Secret Name of the Fourth Congruent Axis.

"ANA SARE!"

Casting Flare, Fort. vs. 15, Concentration check 20+5=25

---

HP: 7/7	AC: 12	Fort: +1, Ref: +2, Wil: +2	Init: +2	M.W. Quarterstaff: -1Atk 1d6-2
BAB: 0	Mov: 6	CMB: -2 | CMD: 10	Per: +0	Spell Save DC=Spell Level+15, 16 Conj.

Spells Learned - 0: Acid Splash, Flare, Detect Magic; 1st: Mage Armor, Summon Monster 1, Summon Monster 1

[Malazek]

In an instant, Telmut-Xispur takes off after the bolting horses. With a gesture and a few arcane words, he causes a burst of light to explode in front of Randal's fleeing mount ... the sudden flare startles the horse, causing it to rear back and stop its forward motion. Following the lead horse, Maius's mount slows to a halt, as well. Not bad, considering the difficulty of spell-casting on horse-back.

Elodie manages to calm her horse with a soft touch and a few soft words. Dismounting, she leads the horse off the trail and tethers it to a sturdy tree trunk.

Shaken, the boy-servant stares down at Randal. "Are you alright, Uncle Randal?"

Cautiously, Jeremiah dismounts and scans the surrounding forest ... looking and listening for any sign of trouble. He hears a rustling across the stream and catches a glimpse of a shadow moving among the trees. Just then, a massive form emerges from the distant copse. The lumbering giant's beady eyes narrow in on Randal's fallen form and the monster rushes forward with speed that belies its heavy shape. It charges out of the trees and across the tiny bridge (which gives slightly under the creatures heavy step). As if Randal hadn't suffered enough, the monster brings its massive club down on Randal with a malicious and violent overhead swing ... a sharp CRACK is the only sound Randal makes. Jeremiah quickly realizes this is an Ogre.

Caught off guard, the rest of the party only now realizes what happened. Although they might not realize exactly what kind of giant this is, they are all smart enough to realize that it IS, in fact, a giant of some sort ... and if the stories are true, it can kill a man with the slightest swing of its tree-like club or rip a horse clean in two with its bare hands. This is the last thing you wanted to encounter here.

OOC: The Ogre attacked Randal during the "Surprise Round." Jeremiah and Talmut-Xisper are the only characters that gets to attack during the surprise round; Jeremiah due to his active and successful Perception check and Talmut-Xisper because he's effectively already in "combat" with the horses. After the surprise round, initiative will be as follows ...

Ogre 18 (19 on the die, -1 Initiative)
(JL) Jeremiah:15 (12 on the die +3 Initiative)*
(T-X) Talmut-Xispur: 14 (12 on the die, +2 Initiative)*
(M) Maius: 13 (11 one the die, +2 Initiative)
(E) Elodie: 8 (7 on the die, +1 Initiative)
(SW) Stephen Woods 4 (4 on the die, no modifier)
(RW) = Randal Woods

*Remember: Jeremiah and Talmut-Xispur get to take a partial action in the surprise round and then get to act again in the first full round.

You cannot move through the solid tree trunks, but you could jump or climb over the tree stumps, if necessary. Movement is halved in the water. Everyone go ahead and post your actions for the first round. I will sort it all out and put it in initiative order with a "Recap & Resolution" afterwards.



OOC: Since this is the first experience many of you have had with grid combat, I will throw out some advice. 1) Use the terrain to your advantage, if you can.

OOC: Sorry the map-quality is so cheesy looking. I am trying to create combat maps that are both easier to create and easier to use.

[Swifthand]

Surprise - I wheel my mount to C-D 11 and then rein him in to stop calmly amongst the other two horses (Handle Animal 20=20 (holy crap another natch!) "handle an animal").

Round 1 - I dismount and grab the reins of the two bolters, calming them in a deep bass voice (Handle Animal 12=12 "handle an animal"). If I have time, I will quickly loop all 3 reins on a close tree.

---

HP: 7/7	AC: 12	Fort: +1, Ref: +2, Wil: +2	Init: +2	M.W. Quarterstaff: -1Atk 1d6-2
BAB: 0	Mov: 6	CMB: -2 | CMD: 10	Per: +0	Spell Save DC=Spell Level+15, 16 Conj.

Spells Learned - 0: Acid Splash, Flare, Detect Magic; 1st: Mage Armor, Summon Monster 1, Summon Monster 1

[Glitz]

After securing her horse to a nearby tree, Elodie is startled to look up and see what some members of her party have already spotted--a giant, brandishing a club and towering over Randal, who is not looking so great. Feeding off of the burst of adrenaline that jolts through her veins, Elodie raises her hands outward and narrows her eyes at the giant, attempting to call forth the power of the fire spirits.

Casting Fire Bolt, Attack Role = 8 (11 + 1 Dex, -4 for firing into melee)
Damage = 4
DM Edit: I added a penalty for firing into melee.

Afterwards, she moves backwards slightly, stepping behind the tree that she has just tethered her horse to.

Standard: Cast Fire Bolt
Move: Move to G14
Swift: --

[Alpha Omega]

Surprise Round: With anger coursing through his veins at the sight of the Ogre, Jeremiah immediately pulls out his bow, aims for the head and fires an arrow.

Free: "Hey, over here you dirty Ogre"
Standard: L.Bow: Attk +6 | DMG 1d8 + 2 (Favored Enemy - Giant)
-Attack Roll: 21 (19 on the die + 6 bonus - 4 firing into melee = 21)
-Damage = 8
Move: N/A
Swift: N/A

Round 1:

Free: "I have more if you liked the way that tasted"
Standard: L.Bow: Attk +6 | DMG 1d8 + 2 (Favored Enemy - Giant)
-Attack Roll: (20 + 6 = 26) Verify: Fail
-Damage = 10
Move: N/A
Swift: N/A

OOC:

---

HP: 11/11	AC: 18	Fort: 3, Ref: 5, Wil: 3	Init: +3	H. Axe: +3Atk 1d6+2
Mov: 4 Sq	BAB +1	CMB: +2 | CMD: 15	Per: +7	L.Bow: +4Atk 1d8

[Malazek]

RECAP & RESOLUTION

SURPRISE ROUND

Initiative 18
The Ogre darts forth from the woods and crushes Randal with his club (as described above).

Initiative 15
Shouting insults at the giant, Jeremiah fires a well-placed arrow into the face of the lumbering monster. The mighty giant roars in agony, "AAAARRRRR!"

Initiative 14
Talmut-Xispur reigns in his horse, directing it to move in front of the two startled horses, thus blocking their escape.

ROUND ONE

Initiative 18
Now wounded, the Ogre looks around in furious objection. Stumbling over the stumps before him, he immediately bounds toward Jeremiah, with intent to kill. His club hits with such violent force that it leaves an impression in the ground, after Jeremiah nimbly dodges it.

- Attack roll: 14 (miss).
- Note: Maius, Stephen, and Elodie do not get Opportunity Attacks, because they are still flat-footed.

Initiative 15
With a witty remark, Jeremiah sinks another arrow into the Ogre, but the monster strikes again just as the arrow is released ... this time, his club hits home, crushing Jeremiah and sending his limp body flailing to the ground. But the arrow does strike true.

- OOC: The Ogre gets an OA, because Jeremiah fired a ranged weapon within his threatened area.
- Attack Roll: 21 (Hit)
- Damage: 13 damage (Unconscious, but not dead).

Initiative 14
Talmut-Xispur tries to calm the horses with his voice, as he grabs their reigns. Though the horses are still a bit twitchy, the outlander manages to get them tethered to a nearby tree.

Initiative 13 (OOC: Invoking the 24 hour rule).
The bard rushes over and saps the Ogre. That's right: saps him.

- Attack Roll: Natural 20!
- Verification Roll: 4 (2 on the die). So, it's not a crit, but it's still a hit.
- Damage: 3 points of nonlethal damage

Initiative 8
Elodie beckons the power of fire and burns the Ogre with powerful magical ray. Immediately afterward, she seeks cover behind a tree. With two arrows jutting from his chest and nasty burns on his back (not to mention a recent sapping), the Ogre isn't looking as ferocious as he was a moment ago.

Initiative 4
Stephen gets off of his horse and checks on his Uncle, still lying in the dirt.

ROUND TWO

Initiative 18
The wounded Ogre tries to make a break for it, but is unexpectedly knocked-out by the wily storyteller.

- The Ogre triggers an OA as he leaves Maius's threatened area.
- Attack Roll: Natural 20!
- Verification Roll: 19 (17 on the die). It's a crit!
- Damage Roll: 14 Nonlethal! (That's two 6's on 2d6+2)

- OOC: WTF? I hope Mack doesn't take this to mean I should roll for him all the time.

With the Ogre lying on the ground, beaten into unconsciousness, everyone breathes a sigh of relief ... and then remembers, suddenly, their two fallen comrades.

[macksgarageusa]

O.o.C.: Car troubles last two days, just got home. Gimme a few, I'll add some "flavor" text also. B.T.W., Nice rolls! Thanx

Maius regains his composure just in time to see the giant. He is amazed by how quickly the creature moves over the obstacles and attacks the ranger. He seizes his opportunity as the giant attempts to flee, and hits it with his sap.

"Kill that beast or tie him up, I don't care which one! Just make sure he can't get at us again!" Maius immediately turns his attention to Randal. "Fair adventurer your time is not over, I reach my hands to the sky and bring the fire of battle to revive you!" He stretches his arms out wide and brings his hands together in front of him, kneeling down he places one hand on Randal's shoulder and the other on his opposite side. "May your pain be lessened by the by the fact we have brought down that mighty foe!"

Move: To L14
Standard: Cast Cure Light Wounds
Attack:
Swift:
Free: Shout to kill giant

Cure Light Wounds: d8+1(level)= 3

O.o.C.2: Do any other mods get added to that spell roll?

DM Edit: OOC: S'all good. Did you get the car up and running?
And you added-up the CLW perfectly; I don't believe any other modifiers add to it.

[Glitz]

Elodie gives a short cheer as the ogre falls, shocked to see the ranger and the bard bring the beast down in such a short amount of time. She sees the bard crouch to take care of Randal, so she turns her attention to the ranger, who is looking a little...crushed. Pressing her palm to his chest, she inhales deeply. As she exhales, healing power harnessed from the spirits flows from her palm.

Cast Cure Light Wounds, d8+1(level)=9 (sweet!)

Looking around at the group, Elodie calls out, "Is everyone else okay?"

Standard: Cast Cure Light Wounds
Move: To H17
Swift:
Free: Call to group

[Malazek]

Maius's efforts to revive Randal do not work ... your guide is certainly dead (or close enough that only more powerful magicks would have any chance of saving him). Seeing the bard's spell fail, young Stephen begins to sob uncontrollably. "Uncle? ... < buah > ... Uncle, get up ... < snif, snif > ... Uncle Randal, get up! ... < buah, buah > ... the monster is dead, Uncle Randal ... < snif >"

Meanwhile, Elodie's magic has done wonders for Jeremiah, who was hit pretty hard, but wasn't quite dead ... or at least, not as dead as Randal. (Actually, he was only knocked out). That woodsman is back on his feet, still a bit wounded, but definitely alive.

Talmut-Xispur manages to drag the horses back over to the party ... but without their guide, what will the party do?

[Swifthand]

Talmut tugs his beard as he approaches the boy, laying a consoling hand on his shoulder.

"There will be time for tears after you are out of danger. Do you have more family in Umberfall?"

[Alpha Omega]

Pulling himself to his feet, he is surprised how fast that Ogre moved on him. Some of the best lessons are those learned the hard way, he tells himself. Looking to the girl,"Thanks...It seems I owe you one." Remembering Randall was struck to the ground he turns to approach, "I wonder if those healing potions will get him back up?"

OOC: If not, a looting we will go...

---

HP: 7/11	AC: 18	Fort: 3, Ref: 5, Wil: 3	Init: +3	H. Axe: +3Atk 1d6+2
Mov: 4 Sq	BAB +1	CMB: +2 | CMD: 15	Per: +7	L.Bow: +4Atk 1d8

[Glitz]

Elodie nods to the ranger, and then turns toward Randal's horse. "Good question. Let's see what he has here." Elodie starts to look through the bags on Randal's horse to see if she sees any potions that might help.

[Malazek]

The kid answers Talmut-Xispur's question, "Yeah, my mom. I live with my mom."

Wiping his tears on his sleeve, he gets up and approaches Elodie as she digs through the saddle bags. The druid finds a small wooden case, containing four unadorned glass vials, each containing a blood-colored substance. Also in the saddle bags, she finds a block-and-tackle, a grappling hook, an iron pot, soap, 3 torches, a whet stone, two empty sacks, enough trail rations for a week, and five sewing needles stuck to the inside flap. Strapped to the outside of the bags, she also finds a bedroll, a crowbar, a common lantern, a shovel, three hemp ropes, a tent, a small wooden chest, and a full water-skin. Anything else he was carrying must have been on his person.

At this, Randal's nephew speaks up, "He's not getting up. Don't waste the potions, we might need 'em ... I've done this enough times to lead us to the ruins; I'll finish the job. So, let's pack up and get moving. Somebody help me get his body onto a horse, so we can give him a proper burial when we get back home ... and everyone heard Sir Maius; bind that Ogre, before he gets back up!!"

He starts to walk back to his horse, and suddenly stops as if pondering a dilemma. "... but first ... we have to follow this creature's tracks back to its den. If there's more of them, I can't allow them to live ... besides, they might have treasure; that's what you all love most, right? Treasure?"

[Alpha Omega]

Now realizing the Ogre is still alive, Jeremiah walks over and buries his axe into its neck trying to behead the Ogre. "Save the rope we might need it, this foul beast deserves death not restraints."

Then thinking about the ease at which the Ogre was able to drop Randall and himself, "What do you plan on doing if there are more Ogres? This wasn't exactly easy and look what it cost us."

After the head comes off Jeremiah will search the Ogre.

Perception Roll: (12+9) = 21

"If that's what we want to do, however, I will start tracking after I finish here."

OOC: Do you need a roll for the coup de gras? Also, does anyone want to volunteer for party quartermaster? I made an Inventory sheet https://arcaneasylum.rpg-board.net/t160-party-inventory

DM Edit: You do not have to roll to hit; it's an auto hit, auto crit. Normally, you do roll damage, but since the Ogre isn't getting up any time soon, it's a moot point. You lop-off his head.

---

HP: 7/11	AC: 18	Fort: 3, Ref: 5, Wil: 3	Init: +3	H. Axe: +3Atk 1d6+2
Mov: 4 Sq	BAB +1	CMB: +2 | CMD: 15	Per: +7	L.Bow: +4Atk 1d8

[macksgarageusa]

"As the ranger said, the risk may be too great. But I must ask, if you have been to these ruins many times, what "treasure" remains for us to find there?" He waits for a reply before suggesting to the group "Perhaps we could at least follow the tracks long enough to have an idea of where to look at a later time?"

[Malazek]

To Jeremiah, Stephen responds "I plan to kill 'em, for what they did to my Uncle. Yeah, it was hard, but we killed him, even when he got the jump on us ... but this time, we'll have the jump on them!"

"Well," he says to Maius, "The ruins are vast; nobody could possibly search 'em all ... and I always here tales of folks headin' out to the ruins with nothing but a sharp stick and returning with enough gold to never work a day in their life. My mom says some of those stories is made up and others is exaggerated, but some of 'em got to be true, because I see folks spending their gold like they can't get rid of it. Heck, the Blackbirds pro'lly found lots of treasures; they're like, rich or something."

OOC: Does anybody help him lift his Uncle to the back of the horse?

Searching the moldy sack that was tied to the ogre's belt, Jeremiah finds: a giant-sized leather pouch filled with common flour; a wooden box riddled with holes and containing a rather unconformable live chicken; a human-sized rusty handaxe; a human-sized rusty longsword; and a short bit of hemp rope, frayed at both ends (not quite 30 feet of it). On the ogre itself, he finds several matted and worn-out animal hides, layered over one another to create armor of a sort; and also its massive club. He recognizes the hide-layering approach to armor as a common habit for hill giants (not ogres), and supposes this one must have learned the behavior from hill giants, somewhere.

[Alpha Omega]

While packing the contents of the Ogres moldy sack into the party's inventory, Jeremiah sees the boy struggling. So he decides to lend a hand lifting his uncles body and strapping him on a horse.  After which he looks for a large stick to mount the decapitated head on as a warning to any other Ogre's in the area.

"Well lets put it to a vote, I think shares will have to be adjusted as well. Unless you have something to bring to the groups benefit boy? "

[Malazek]

He responds, "What do you mean? I'm the guide, now."

[Glitz]

A bit taken aback by Stephen's bossiness, Elodie responds, "You can call yourself our guide, but we paid to be led by Randal. I agree with putting it to a vote, since this isn't exactly the guided tour to the ruins we paid for." Motioning toward Randal's body, she continues, "I also think that Randal would be happiest if we laid him to rest right here, where he spent most of his time and where he was most at home, like a true adventurer. He sure wouldn't want to be dragged through the forest like piece of bait!"

[Alpha Omega]

"Ah, yes but that's only if we go to the ruins, if I track the Ogre's steps back to its habitat, how will you be assisting us? I think perhaps those loots should be split among the contributing members, but as I said before lets put it to vote. You will get a vote as well, you must however, persuade the others to a claim on the Ogre treasure that lie beyond these tracks."

Jeremiah then attempts to identify the Ogres tracks...

Survival Check: 16 + 7 + 1 + 2 = 26

[Malazek]

To Elodie, he says "Yeah, maybe you're right. Let's find a good spot, though. Not somewhere vermin will get him."

To Jeremiah, he retorts "I can fight." Pulling out his dagger, he says "I want to get my vengeance, too."

As he talks, Jeremiah easily finds evidence of the ogre's trail, coming from the west. He only finds the tracks of the one ogre, but who knows what he'll find up ahead.

[Alpha Omega]

"Well here are the tracks, but by the looks of the armor he was wearing it's possible these tracks lead to Hill Giants. I however, will need a rest before we head down either path, I still feel slightly bruised from battle."

Then feeling annoyed he helps the boy now unstrap and set down his uncles corpse. He asks "if we're to burying him, does anyone have a shovel or are we to burn him?"

[Malazek]

As Jeremiah unstraps Randal's corpse, Stephen says "Okay, let's find somewhere dry, please. And there's a shovel on his horse."

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