Chapter 2: The Lizard Hunt

The bargain is sealed, and Tailen smiles, satisfied. She takes you down to her personal armory, a storehouse of the very finest weapons and armor in the House and allows you to draw a fresh ration of equipment.

After that, preparations begin in earnest. A half-score of duerger drovers arrive, accompanied by two pairs of big heavy-hauling work-lizards and a handful of wheeled cages, linked together by heavy chains into a kind of makeshift train. The upside of this arrangement is that will enable you to haul a Hell of a lot of new kobold slaves. The downside is that it will make your caravan ponderous and unwieldy at best. Given that you're traveling into the acknowledged territory of an intelligent enemy, the odds of an ambush are so high that you may as well include it as a positive part of your plans. Nymeria therefore ensures forward and rear security--assigning herself to rear-side security in true and typical drow fashion. This leaves you and your compatriots as the heads of the convoy, in charge of reconnaissance--and therefore springing all ambushes.

With preparations complete, you form up and leave the next day, passing through Fey Crossing under the watchful ere of Quellan, House Urbasano's senior mage. Soon you find yourself on the road, leading a ponderous caravan up through a set of inky black tunnels into an area of certain danger. Still, you have a map, and you're not stuck in House Urbasano serving yet more drow. It could be worse.

You have permission to draw one magic item, level 5 or lower. Also: please roll initiative and post any other actions you want to take--including letting me know what your current light source is.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! In any case, Eduardo is going to take a harsh songblade (PB2, p. 204)

Also:

init:
Dice Roll: 1d20+2
d20 Results: 1 (Total = 3)

Eduardo's search through the armory is brief but fruitful, and he comes out of it with a usual compliment of supplies and armor, and a strange blade that seems to ring with a harsh note when sliding out of the scabbard, or when its surface impacts anything. The bard smiles at the arcane magics he feels from the sword.

When the caravan starts off, he mutters something unintelligable when Nymeria leaves them to lead form the back, and motions for Gruunk to take point. He decided to not use the sunrod at this moment, relying on basically following someone who can see in the dark, and a dimmed lantern for his way forward.

Tarner takes a Rod of Reaving from the Armory. He doesn't embed it in his arm, though, as that might tip the drow off to the existence of his hidden Rod of Corruption. Readying himself in case of ambush, Tarner strikes a Sunrod and places it into a compartment in his chest. While they move, he reviews over the contents of the book. It certainly is powerful, no doubt about that. But it is also very disturbing. If I can, I will not submit.

Dice Roll: 1d20+1z
d20 Results: 4 (Total = 5)

Initiative (5)
Tarner takes a +1 Rod of Reaving, equipping it in his main hand. He also lights a sunrod.

Gruunk Bloodfist Half-orc Barbarian (Berserker) Current HP: 39/39 Bloodied: 19 Healing Surges Used: 0/9 (9)

Resources Used: Conditions:

Gruunk peruses the armory generally impressed with the assortment of items she has collected over the years. Spying it sitting in the corner behind the countless quarrels of hand crossbow bolts and drow long knives is a largely unused greataxe. He grabs the weapon and tests its balance immediately noticing the ancient primal magicks encircling him and protecting him from harm. Satisfied, he sets out gathering other, more mundane equipment in preparation for the long trip ahead.

He looks toward the front of the column as Eduardo gestures toward it. He nods firmly not needing words. Ready to the trek, he begins leading the group into the depths of the unknown.

Unable to find the game forum

A suggestion on marching order:

1st: Gruunk
2nd: Nurse, Eduardo
3rd: Fortune, Tarner

If we are forced single file, we just slip the one on the right slips to the position behind (so Eduardo would be 3rd and Tarner 5th). We could slip Nurse up to the front row too, but her poor hit points makes me nervous. I'm open to anything though.

Fortune

Taking

Flowform Armor This armor quickly adapts to changing environments, shielding you from adverse effects. Encounter Augmentable No Action Trigger: You're subjected to an effect that a save can end. Effect: You make a saving throw against the effect. Augment 1: You gain a bonus to the saving throw equal to the armor's enhancement bonus.

Flowform Armor.

Regarding light source: If they've been given it, Fortune carries an everburning torch. If not, she'll carry a mundane lantern.

Initiative:
Dice Roll: 1d20+2
d20 Results: 7 (Total = 9)

Fortune takes her time searching through various items in the storeroom. While searching, she happens to stray very close to Eduardo, close enough that only he can hear her whispered question: "I fail to see why that question was irrelevant or inappropriate. Please enlighten me."

After a short whispered conversation, she settles for a fine silk vest. Its color is somewhere between blue and green, changing with even the slightest movement. 'Why, I hadn't expected to find such a fine item here,' she mentally smiles to herself. It fits her fine -- although a bit revealing for her taste -- with the added benefit that she can wear it under her slave robe without attracting attention.

While walking with the others, she makes sure they are not overheard when she starts discussing with the others: "If the dragon is interested in speaking with us before attacking, we could tell it -- honestly -- that Nymeria is the leader of this caravan, and we are following her orders."

Because you asking such questions can be used against you later, my dear, answers Eduardo to Fortune's question. The bard swings the sword through the air a few times, leaving trails of harsh notes as he does, and they're irrelevant. You can't resurrect someone without a corpse, and there are many ways of getting rid of a body completely. So you asking Tailen about something like this could have put our chance to see the sunlight in jeopardy if she thought we didn't know what we're doing.

Eduardo grins, so don't do it again, ok? If you've a question, ask yourself first 'does this make me sound like an amateur?'. If the answer is yes, don't ask it. Discuss it later in private, or do independent research.

As Eduardo and Fortune fall to bickering over the definition of a silly question, Gruunk looks ahead and sees a pair of earthen barricades across the road. Though Tarner's sunrod isn't much help in the gloom of the mortal Underdark, still, Gruunk has sharp eyes that are well accustomed to living underground. He can see that the forces arrayed against you are kobolds, and that they set up in a pair of deliberate defensive positions directly across the road ahead. To the left, a second, smaller trail branches off into what looks like a low cave.

However, before Gruunk can issue a warning call, the first kobold javelin is in the air! It strikes Nurse in the shoulder, leaving a ragged tear.

Initiative Order:

K. Javelineer 4
Gruunk
Nurse
The Rest of the Bad Guys
Fortune
Tarner
Eduardo

Bad Guys:
--- K. Javelineer 4:
- Move: From E-4 to F-3.
- STD:

Dice Roll: 1d20+6z
d20 Results: 15 (Total = 21)

Javelin vs. Nurse (AC) (21). On a hit, Nurse takes 4 damage.
- Minor: Use Shifty to shift back to E-4.

Summary:
- HIT! Nurse takes 4 damage.

Nurse and Gruunk are up. But I think THD said he has to work today, so maybe somebody can move for him?

Attached Images

Kobold 1.jpg (63.6 KB, 0 views)

Gruunk Bloodfist Half-orc Barbarian (Berserker) Current HP: 39/39 Bloodied: 19 Healing Surges Used: 0/9 (9)

Resources Used: Conditions:

Gruunk growls as the javelin flies. His defensive posture improves as he jogs wide of the northern barrier. Then with a charge, he move quickly on one of the sword-wielding beast. The attack swings wide, but he carefully watches the two sword-wielding kobolds.

Minor:

Defender's Aura At-Will Aura Minor Action Personal Effect: You activate an aura 1 that lasts until you end it as a minor action or until you fall unconscious. While in the aura, any enemy takes a -2 penalty to attack rolls when it makes an attack that does not include among its targets either you or an ally of yours who has this aura active. Marked enemies are not subject to this aura. Poised Defender: Gain a +2 bonus to AC.

Defender's Aura (yeah, I'm just never going to drop this aura...ever). Oh, and #1 and #2 are in the aura now.
Move: Move to I7
Standard: Charge #2 to F7 (roll includes +1 bonus to charge attack)

Charge attack vs. AC:
Dice Roll: 1d20+10 1d12+7
d20 Results: 3 (Total = 13)
d12 Results: 8 (Total = 15)

Having remained mostly silent during the onset of their journey, Abeyla lets loose a slight cry when the javelin pierces her shoulder, despite her leather armor. Biting her lip to the point of blood, the half-eladrin moves forward with a two handed sword visible on her back. Inching into the dimming light, she hurls a handful of black sand at the creatures behind the barricades, eliciting a cry from them as a look of cruel satisfaction washes over her.

I took a set of +1 Skald leather (phb2)
Move: Walk to J-9
Free:

At-Will * Shadow Free Action (Special), Close burst 10 Target: One enemy you can see in burst Effect: You subject the target to your shroud. If any of your shrouds are already on your target, you subject it to an additional shroud, up to a maximum of four. The shrouds last until you use the power against a different enemy or until the end of the encounter. Before you make an attack roll against the target, you can choose to invoke all of your shrouds on it, or none of them. If you invoke your shrouds, the attack deals 1d6 damage per shroud, minus one shroud if the attack misses, and all of your shrouds then vanish from the target. This damage roll never benefits from bonuses to damage rolls, and is in addition to the attack's damage if any. Level 11: 1d6+3 damage per shroud Level 21: 1d6+6 damage per shroud Speical: You can use this power only on your turn, and only once per turn.

Assassin's Shroud on Kobold Swordsman 2, using stealth check to keep him from noticing.

Stealth:
Dice Roll: 1d20+11
d20 Results: 7 (Total = 18)

Standard:

Encounter * Cold, Implement, Shadow Standard Action, Ranged 5 Target: One creature Attack: Dexterity vs Reflex. Make three attack rolls, and if any of them hit, resolve them as a single hit. Hit: 1d8 cold damage if one of the attack rolls hits, 2d8 cold damage if two hit, or 3d8 cold damage if three hit.

Shadow Darts vs the same Kobold.

Attack rolls:
Dice Roll: 1d20+10 1d20+10 1d20+10
d20 Results: 6 (Total = 16)
d20 Results: 20 (Total = 30)
d20 Results: 15 (Total = 25)

Damage:
Dice Roll: 1d8 1d8 1d8
d8 Results: 7
d8 Results: 5
d8 Results: 6

As Nurse moves up, a giant iron vice snaps at his leg. He deftly avoids it and gets off his spell, but WOW! That almost hurt.

Good Guys:
- Gruunk misses.
- With his movement, Nurse sets off a Man Trap.

Dice Roll: 1d20+4z 1d6+3z
d20 Results: 8 (Total = 12)
d6 Results: 4 (Total = 7)

ATK and Damage (vs. Reflex) (12,7) MISS!
-- Nurse's attack hits and bloodies Kobold Swordsman 2. BTW, what is Nurse's 2nd magic item?

Summary:
- No damage.

The rest of the post is coming tonight.

Attached Images

Kobold 1a.jpg (65.2 KB, 0 views)