Dwaer Depths (4e)

[King Tius]

There is only one place to begin the telling of this tale: the
mountains. Known by many tongues to many peoples, stretching across
endless miles of ancient lands, they stand as timeless sentinels to
the turbulent lands below. In these later, darker times they are most
often called the Arrow Mountains, for were you to view them from the
heavens, you would see that they run arrow-straight from their tapered
point in the uncharted East to their flared end in the West, their
fletchings forming a dense cluster of peaks that have yet to see the
footprints of mortal ilk. The Arrow peaks are sharp and capped in
white, a column of arrowheads that cuts the world in twain.

Among these ancient crags lie a pair of mountains, brother and sister,
that reach towards the sky with all their might. So great is their
upward pull that their faces are nearly cliffs, almost unscalable to
all but the most sure-footed mountain beasts. These two are known as
the Pillars (East and West) and stretch so far abreast that to pass
around them would take weeks. Fortunately for all those not born with
wings, the Pillars are thus named not only for their stature, but also
because between them lies a pass. While still treacherous and fraught
with all the perils of mountain travel, this gap, the Pillar Pass, is
the best route across the Arrows within two fortnights in either
direction.

With this being the main vein of travel through the mountains (located
just amid the Arrow’s shaft), it is not surprising that a city lies on
either side of it. We shall turn our attention upon the southern city,
known as Echo Bend. Located along the western banks of the Horseshoe
River which springs from West Pillar, Echo Bend is the first place
along the river where it is safe to dock boats. This bend in the river
came to be known as Echo Bend due to its proximity to the sheer faces
of the Pillars, off of which all manners of sounds will bounce (even
from a great distance).

As the first place to launch a boat for the southern trade route, Echo
Bend also serves as the last bastion of civilization for northbound
caravans braving the pass. The city’s population swells with the
seasons like the river beside it. During fair weather the city is
teaming as the Great Road bustles with traffic to and from Cliffshade
(Echo’s northern sister). As winter approaches the population dwindles
as the pass becomes inhospitable. Many a caravan is left stranded in
Echo Bend in late Septembyr* and the city’s population is full of
travelers who decided to wait out the winter and never bothered to
leave.

It is at this time, just as the last bold caravans are departing for
Pillar Pass, that our story begins. The city boasts a large contingent
of hunters, trackers, and guides, all ready to assist travelers across
the pass for the right coin. Most of the town is human and Dwarven.
The stout mountain men run a mine in West Pillar and the sounds of
their quarry often come rumbling down on the city. For whatever
reason, our adventurers have found themselves (stranded) in Echo Bend
with signs of a harsh winter on the air. In these darker months the
city’s population is such that those with skills such as yours find it
hard to go completely unnoticed. Though you have turned down several
frivolous or suicidal job opportunities, you cannot help but
investigate the one that has just been presented to each of you.

Written in the script of someone who clearly makes their trade with a
quill, you receive a letter which briefly details your individual
skill sets and requests your participation in a research expedition.
No additional information is given, other than a meeting place and
time. The letter is signed “ Trygal Runestone, Assistant Archivist,
Hammerfist Hold** Historical Hall.” It requests you meet at the local
tavern at three in the afternoon of the day you receive the letter.

Upon entering the Frozen Flagon, you find the place to be nearly
deserted save for the barkeep and four patrons. The first is a rather
annoyed looking Dragonborn who sits at a table with all manner of
adventuring equipment splayed out on the table. He cleans his
greatsword with steadied practice and pays you no attention as any of
you enter. The second patron is a young Dwarven woman who sits in the
corner of the establishment, surrounded by stacks of books on her
table. She wears the sort of glasses that make her eyes seem
impossibly large and is so engrossed in the tome she is studying that
she does not seem to be aware of what goes on around her. The final
two patrons are (apparently) unemployed half-elf trail guides who are
doing their best to get absolutely wasted before four pm rolls around.

In this fantasy world the months are just like ours with “y”s for the “e”s.
** Please throw a Knowledge check in your first post to try and ID
where/what this is.

[Zoobity]

Gillard

Gil Emra is a regular at the Frozen Flagon, so he immediately notices the dwarfmaid in the corner and assumes this is who he's looking for. He makes a quick stop at the bar, throws down some copper and downs a shot of the warmest thing he can get. He quietly walks over to the woman, his hands tucked in his pockets. He is unarmed and wrapped in a thick cloak and scarf. He knocks his knuckles on one of the books. "Sorry to interrupt you, Miss Runestone, if I'm not mistaken, but I believe that you sent this letter to me." He produces the letter from a hidden pocket. "There are really enough dark and mysterious things in these mountains; your intent doesn't need to add to the shadows. Why did you call me here?" he says, as if he wouldn't be here anyway.

OOC: Are there knowledge checks in 4e? I was under the impression that the "knowledge" skill family was subsumed into other skills. In other news, how do I do the GitP auto-dice roll? I never got the hang of it.

[King Tius]

OOC: You're right, knowledge is now a subset of many of the other skills. You can make a Religion, History, Nature, Arcana, Streetwise, or Dungeoneering check as your "Knowledge" check.

DICE ROLLING:
*1d20+5*
without the "*"s

to roll "best of" like roll five, keep the top three, your roll should be 5d6b3.

Also it is worth noting that if you "preview" your post with rolls in it, the forum messes up and won't do them. Additionally, you can't edit a post and insert dice rolls after it has been posted.

[Zoobity]

Religion Check: [roll0]

[King Tius]

OOG: You recognize the name as a Dwarven City far to the south. In particular, it boasts an especially large temple to Moradin.

The Dwarf woman doesn't seem to hear Gil at first, so lost is she in her reading. Once she realizes that she is being spoken too, however, she nearly jumps out of her seat in surprise. "Oh my, where are my manner?!" As she turns to regard you through her glasses, they make her eyes seem very, very large. "I'm putting together an expedition into the mountains. We're off to find an ancient Dwarven city. I'll explain more once the others arrive. Does that sound like something you'd be interested in?"

[Sky Forest]

A hooded hulk clad in a massive fur ducks beneath the tavern door of the Frozen Flagon. He smells the air carefully, nods, and pulls back his hood, revealing veins of gold tattooed across fiercely angled face. Seeing the dwarf, his face softens somewhat, and he picks his way to her table. He kneels low and politely places a fist across his forehead. "Runestone, do ya?" he greets her in a gently voiced dialect. "Mountains hear ye and yours, I beg. I am Tol, may it do ye fine." He retrieves the now ragged scrap of paper, smooths it on the table, and finds a comfortable squat, waiting for instruction.

While he waits, he quietly orders a flagon of whatever the elf is drinking, in a proportionally larger bowl, and with an eye on his neighbors drink, begins an unspoken drinking contest, doing his best to stay a sip ahead.


(1d20+3) for the Hammerfist check

[Sky Forest]

(Still getting the hang of rolling)

[roll0]

[Loquacius]

A half-elf, cloaked warmly like everyone else, strides purposefully into the tavern. He appears youngish, but really, who can tell with all that elf blood swimming around his veins? As he enters, he smacks one of the other half-elves playfully on the side of the head. "So much ale, Alistair! Do you intend to hibernate until the next caravan season? Well, good luck with that goal; you can't be more than a flagon or two away from it!" He winks, flips a coin to the bartender who has already poured a flagon of his usual, and scans the bar for his new contact.

That dragonborn looks like the interesting sort; he might have to have a conversation with him at some point... Aha! Some dwarven bookworm he's never seen before, a mountain of tough-looking Goliath (probably fresh down from the ranges), and (surprise surprise) dear, sweet, cuddly old Gil Emra. Such a high concentration of weirdos at this time of day MUST be the group he's looking for! He takes a pull of ale and moseys on over.

"Afternoon, Gil. Should have known a meeting at the Flagon would feature your fearsome presence." There's that wink again. To the others: "Salutations, sir and madame. Thad Faust, local eccentric. Pleased to make your acquaintance. I gather from your sending of this epistle" (he brandishes the letter) "that you make more of certain tales I've been heard to tell regarding my wanderings in the Wilds than most do, and have an opportunity to offer that would take us far beyond the reaches of this boring, boring town. You may gather from my presence that I am interested." He sits. "Let's talk business!"

(Streetwise check: 1d20+10) [roll0]

EDIT: Uhhh, when I actually made the roll I forgot to add an additional +5 for being trained in the skill, despite having just typed it 10 seconds earlier (as you can see from the extraneous "1d20+5"), so that result should actually be a 12. Still an abysmal roll, but hopefully my generous bonus should help there.

[Threlyn]

OOC: Sorry for delay. Finals, blah blah blah. I don't have a fully fleshed out character yet, so I'm kind of winging it. also I don't have my skills set up, so I'll just roll a d20 without any bonuses.

The doors to the Frozen Flagon slowly open, revealing a thoroughly underwhelming figure. The man is covered in rags and a heavily worn cloak. A stained hood remains draped over his head, hiding his identity for the moment. The figure slowly makes his way over to the nearest bar stool, stumbling as he takes his first step. Although the man is hunched over, a perceptive eye might notice that there is indeed a formidable figure hiding underneath the pile of worthless garments.

As the unknown man makes his way over, he glances at the other figures. He recognizes none of them. This isn't surprising, as he has not been able to recognize anyone for weeks. He silently attempts to remember the patrons' faces, but makes no promises to himself. For the moment, he simply wants to sit and enjoy the warmth of the tavern. As he takes a seat next to Gil, any nearby patron can instantly notice the smell of rotten garbage emanating from the unappealing character. He is clearly a bum...but at least he isn't the loud and/or insane kind.

Shivering hands pull the hood away, revealing a face smeared in dirt and covered by a mop of crusty, black hair. Despite the man's disgusting hygiene, his uncannily elegant facial features clearly indicate that he is a Deva. He turns to Gil, speaking in a quiet voice, "Where am I? Is this the Frozen Flagon?"

History Check: 1d20+10 = 15

[King Tius]

Once everyone has come round the table, the young dwarf smiles and nods to everyone. "Hello, hello. I'm Trygal Runestone, Assistant Archivist of Hammerfist Hold waaaay down to the South." She smiles at the amnesiac Deva and says quietly "don't worry, you're in the right place." Clearing her throat, she drags a large tome off the pile next to her and opens it, a look of glee on her face. "I've called you all here for an expedition into the mountains."

Trygal looks down into her book and places her finger next to a line of text. "There was once a great Dwarven city cut deep into the Arrows. The small town that sat on top of it was nothing in comparison to the vast inverted tower of a city below it. Massive caverns containing small forests and untold wonders were hewn from the earth by my greatest of ancestors. The city thrived for years untold as its tunnels crept outward like tree roots. Then, my ancestors dug too deep, uncovering holes into the dark places of the world that nobody should tread. A horde of demons was unleashed upon the city, attacking from below like some beast in the oceans. With all of its defenses near the surface, the city fell before anyone above ground knew what happened. This city was known for its dwaers and magics, and fortunately those near the surface were able to seal the great doors, keeping the demons trapped under stone and rune. For over a thousand years the location of this city has been lost to us Runestones, but I've found it! I've found it here, in my books! I've tried to convince my kin to help me retake the city, but they've no interest in it. However, a few have agreed that if I can prove the city exists and can establish a camp nearby, they will send me aid to retake what was ours! I've hired you to help me do just that." She pauses in her story, now panting from excitement. "There were a series of outposts along the perimeter of the city's reign. If we can retake one and active that ancient magics, I'll be able to prove to my kin that the city is real. Any questions? Surely you must have some."

[Zoobity]

Gil Emra

When Thad pulls up his seat, Gil laughs. "Yeah, great, a fearsome appearance. I can never hear that enough." He leans over to Thad once their, eh, stranger companions sit down. "It's moments like this where I think to myself, 'Gil, you've finally arrived. You get to travel with the hill folk and the demi-god of the trash heap.'" He shows everyone a smirk once Runestone starts talking, trying to establish a friendly rapport. When she finishes her story, Gil asks, "Ok, so you want us to 'activate' some magics? What exactly do we have to do to activate them? And dare I ask why the four of us should go instead of yourself? You seem to know the territory better than anyone else." Gil leans back and folds his arms, pressing his holy symbol against his chest.

[King Tius]

"Oh, no no no! You'd be escorting me! I've read these tomes I found and I have the blood necessary to activate the old dwaers, but I'm no warrior. I need your help to get in there, clear the place out, and keep me alive! As for payment, I have a bit of money to give you up front and you'll be paid handsomely once I've convinced my kin to fund further reconstruction. Also, anything we find that isn't a prized artifact of my kin is yours to keep."

[Zoobity]

Gil Emra
Gil sputters out a laugh. "But you're dwarves. Every artifact is prized. I've seen your mantlepieces and your bookshelves." Despite his sharp words, Gil can't surpress a smile at the thought of all that art and magical metals.

[Sky Forest]

"Demons, do ye say so? Dangerous, I ken it." Tol nods seriously, considering the clear risks, then grins. "Well, we're hardheaded stonnen, and if'n there be blood -your folken, Runestones, ye ken it? - then go ye must." Tol's eyes narrow at the mention of dwarven treasures, but chuckles at Gil's comment. "Hear him, he speaks true."

When the conversation seems over, Tol asks, "If'n you're eager, the wind seems right, ye ken? I'd be going sooner than later."

[Loquacius]

OOG: Sorry if I've been a bit slow after that first post; I was under the impression that Giants would email me whenever anyone else posted, but apparently it only did after the first reply. I'll have to look into that...

...oh, and also, did my Streetwise check (note that it actually resulted in 12 and not 7) turn up anything?

Thaddeus

Thad chuckles discreetly at Gil's jab. "Well, I'm afraid the last caravan of kings, warlords and archmages left just yesterday, so we'll just have to make do with the hill folk!" (another wink) "At any rate, in my experience, fate works in mysterious ways and fortune's where you find it. If nothing else it should be a nice diversion."

After Trygal's exposition: "So, just to be extra clear on this point, the great doors with the stones and the runes and the demons on the other side, those are staying closed for the immediate future, correct? Until such time as your relatives send an army of at least moderate size? If that's the case, and if all we're to do is see you safely to one of those outposts and let you do your thing, I suppose this is as good a use of my time as any. This town is and always will be my home, but I'm really beginning to see the wisdom in seeking my fortune elsewhere, at least during the slow season. I'm in."

[Narwhal]

The front door is pushed open. Anyone looking notices the man now standing in it takes up most of the entryway. He walks through and gives a glance around. Seeing the group of people congregating around the dwarf he walks over. Pushing aside his cloak, you can see that his size doesn't so much as come from his body as it does from the heavy suit of plate mail he is wearing. Across his breast place in an ornate enameled sun.

"I apologize for arriving late. Is there someone here named Miss Runestone?"

Dirk stands during any introductions and finds himself a seat. He is quiet as he listens in to the others talking in order to try and catch up on any information he has already missed. On the mention of demons in this abandoned city, "How much do you know of these demons your ancestors uncovered. If they have been trapped in this city for so long, is it wise to risk giving them a chance at the surface?"

Knowledge
[roll0]

[King Tius]

"Oh we won't be going anywhere NEAR the city proper! All we have to do is travel to one of the outposts and awaken the sleeping magics within. If we can reset the dwaers, I'll be able to contact my kin. While I have a general idea of where this city lies, I don't have an exact map, nor do I know if any dwaer stones have even survived. We'll make a few stops en route to gather information and look for smaller dwaers, such as at way-stations, small towns, and the sunken highway (an underground road). I'll be keeping detailed records of our progress and discoveries and will try my hand at cartography along the way. Our first point of interest is the Great Bridge spanning the Avandra's Falls Canyon. It will take us only four days of travel on foot."

The RPing at this tavern may continue retroactively for as long as you like. In the interest of getting this party started, I am going to move forward so we can get our swords wet!

Just before dawn on the following day you meet Trygal at the gates Echo Bend. She is dressed in the heavy travel clothes necessary for travel, though they are not bound up tight as it is still only Septembyr. She is busy fastening a pouch to the side of a laden donkey, one of a pair who apparently are joining you on this journey. The second donkey, you notice, has a saddle. As you all join up, Trygal beams with excitement and wrings her hands nervously.

"Time to go! These here are Hasufel and Arod, two of the sturdiest donkeys in all the Bend. I've already paid the ferryman to take us across the river, so we'd better hurry!"

With that, you lead your donkeys to the ferry and head across the river to begin your journey! The four days of travel pass without incident and you can soon see the towering cliffs and thundering waterfall off in the distance. You have been traveling through temperate forest at the tailing end of Fall, so the scenery is a breathtaking swirl of colors. As you are following the remnants of the abandoned road, it slowly curves around a large hill to your left. The trees are thicker here and the wind through the branches almost drowns out the peculiar sound on the air.

Over the gentle rushing of the wind you hear the loud keening of some kind of creature in distress. While at first you thought it was some kind of beast, you can tell that it is wailing in Goblin, though none of you understand what it is saying. The sound is close, perhaps no more than 50 yards further up the road. You move forward cautiously till you can just make out a small figure up ahead. The little goblin appears to have its foot caught in some kind of bear trap and it clutches its leg and cries in pain, oblivious to your presence.

If you'd like, you may make Perception checks or any other check you feel is appropriate.

[Zoobity]

Gil rubs his ear and sets down his pack next to the donkeys. Perception Check: [roll0]

He'll wait for the results of his skill check before continuing on.

[Loquacius]

Thaddeus

At the Flagon, upon Dirk's approach, Thad whistles. "Quite a fashion statement you're making there, my iron-plated friend. Do you always dress so when you visit empty taverns at midday? S'pose it'd cause a certain level of civility one doesn't usually find among the common barfly. Well, have a seat, Clanks. My name's Thaddeus Faust, this distinguished young lady here is Miss Runestone, and we were just discussing the finer points of exploiting folklore for fun and profit."

On the trail, upon seeing the trapped Goblin, Thad raises an eyebrow. Who'd put a bear trap this close to the road? It might be a setup for an ambush. It's PROBABLY a setup for an ambush. To the others: "No sudden moves just yet, guys." He examines the goblin to try to determine if it really is just in incredible pain, or if it's faking, or if it has any kind of underlying motive. (Insight roll) [roll0]

[King Tius]

Gil doesn't spot anything out of the ordinary. Thaddeus deduces that the Goblin is clearly faking being caught in a trap, though he is doing a fairly convincing job.

[Loquacius]

Thaddeus

Thaddeus nods. "Yep, definitely a trap. Don't help him, he's faking." He pulls out his Rod. On the off-chance that the goblin or someone in his (as yet unseen) group speaks Common: "Come off it already, you can't con a conman. Come on out and let's try and kill each other like civilized people." To the others, particularly Tol: "Anyone see anybody hiding off the side of the path? Probably more goblins?"

[Narwhal]

At the inn: "Yes I suppose your right, but I don't tend to frequent bars in the first place so you'll have to clue me in on the nuances."

Dirk looks to Thadeus. "You sure he's fine?" Assuming Thadeus confirms he is, Dirk slings he shield from over his shoulder and gets it ready. He stays toward the front of the party and scans the woods.

Perception [roll0]

[Sky Forest]

"A trap? Do ye say so?" Tol's eyes twinkle like garnets. "If'n so, we'd best be springing it, do ye ken? Points for first blood and kills, but the win goes to him that stays with our guide, I say thank ye." With that, the giant man throws off his furry cloak to reveal the stony body beneath, raises his immense halberd, and moves out in front of the party. As they seem to be some distance away, he waits to see how the goblins respond to Thaddeus' challenge as he scans the forest for irregularities. (could I use a Nature check for that? if so: 6+9=15)

[King Tius]

The Goblin does not respond to Thadeus's taunt. In fact, it doesn't seem that it heard him at all. Both Dirk and Tol scan the surrounding woods, but neither are able to discern anything out of the ordinary. (Working on a map, should be up within the next few hours.)

[Loquacius]

Thaddeus

Thaddeus grins. All of the following is said quite loudly, in a continuing attempt to call attention to himself: "Quite a conundrum! A creature in such desperate straits that finds itself with visitors will usually either call out to them for help or cower in fear if it feels itself in danger, but this particular wretch has done and" (assuming this is still true) "continues to do absolutely nothing! How completely and utterly inexplicable!"

Assuming that there is still no reaction from this or any other Goblin, more quietly: "Keep your distance, guys, it might be an illusion. Whether it is or not, the fact that it still hasn't reacted means something wants us to get closer to it. So let's stick around here. If it isn't an illusion, though, this should get its attention." Thad raises his rod in front of him, closes his eyes, and takes a deep breath. When he opens his eyes again, they subtly glow in many colors, and his voice both is and is not his own.

"Foolish creature! You think to bring me and mine low by such pathetic subterfuge as this? I serve the Radiant! And he of many colors does not take such impertinence lightly! I place his curse upon you, and should you test me any further you will learn exactly what that means. I suggest therefore that you cease your floundering and make way." With that, Thad places his Warlock's Curse on the goblin. He looks around carefully for sign of any other emerging threat before doing anything else.

(OOG: That was not a directly harmful action, but it was a combat action. So, I may or may not have just caused everyone to need to roll initiative. On that note, [roll0])

[Sky Forest]

Initiative: [roll0]

[King Tius]

Alright Jesse, rock and roll time! Jesse places his curse on the little Goblin and he stops faking being trapped. He points at you and shouts out something in Goblin, though none of you understand it! Two crossbow bolts come flying from the hill to your left, though you can't see who shot them as the Goblins have this great ability that lets them stay hidden. Everyone roll(else) roll initiatives and post your combat/intended combat actions. Also, please give me grid locations when you move. At the sight of all this, Trygal grabs hold of Arod's reigns (she has been riding him) and looks nervous.

"They could be anywhere!"

THE MAP

http://img42.imageshack.us/img42/2463/ga1b.jpg
Light Green = Grass
Dark Green = Slope (difficult terrain)
Brown = Trees
Grey = Rocks (difficult terrain, partial cover)
Blue = Water

[Narwhal]

Initiative [roll0]

"Well looks like were getting into it." Dirk draws his sword and moves to J21, pending little dudes jumping out infront of him.

[Loquacius]

Thaddeus

Thad grins. Things are definitely starting to make sense now. In the same booming, echo-y voice as before: "You are in the Radiant's domain. You assail his champion. You bear his curse. Suffer." With that, a strange, incorporeal blast of color -- one could go so far as to call it an Eldritch Blast -- flies from the tip of his wand toward G1.

ATTACK: ELDRITCH BLAST
To Hit:
Damage: [roll]1d10+1d6+5 (bonus 1d6 from Curse; +4 from CHA; +1 enhancement bonus)

[Loquacius]

Hmm. Apparently I can't do that. Two separate rolls it is!

Base damage: [roll0]
Curse damage: [roll1]

[King Tius]

OOG: I am going to use Jesse as an example, but please always post what that attack is against e.g. AC, Ref, Will, Fort. I would prefer if I don't have to look up each power every time someone uses it.

[Loquacius]

OOG: Oops, my bad. First 4e game and everything. Eldritch Blast is CHA vs Reflex.

[Sky Forest]

The goliath chews a mouthful of leaves and spits them to the ground with a roar, laughing as broad-leafed brush leaps from the path to shield he and his allies from the pathetic potshots of cowardly goblins (Nature's Abundance; 5x5 sq from B24 to F20 - party is considered to have 'cover' while within square). He tucks Runestone beneath a handy bush and places himself between her and the bolts, eagerly gripping his great halberd.

[Threlyn]

Seven looks at the others as they begin their attacks. Initially unaware that there was an impending conflict, a wide smile appears on his face when he realizes that there is going to be conflict.

"War."

Out of his rags, he produces an opaque sphere that proceeds to float a few inches above his outstretched hand. The sphere suddenly sends a distortion out towards the nearest enemy. It bends light around it, projecting a clear path of movement, but is otherwise invisible.

Initiative - [roll0]

Phantom Bolt
hit vs. will: [roll1]
dmg: [roll2]

[Zoobity]

OOG: Sorry, didn't realize how few e-mail warnings I'd get.

Initiative: [roll0]

Gil pulls his holy symbol out from under his armor and spins it about on its chain. "Aye, enough foreplay already. Nothing warms the heart quite like vanquishing evil. Except maybe for a good drink. I'll stay back and guard our guide."

His attacks are all well out of range so he urges the party toward N20 and the bend in the path, though he stays within three squares of the dwarfess at all times.

[King Tius]

(20) Dirk
The young paladin draws his weapon and moves into cover behind a tree.

(18) Cutters
G1 picks a short sword off the ground and takes off towards Dirk.
G2 appears from behind a nearby tree (E14) and attacks Tol [roll0] vs. AC, 4 damage
G3 moves into flanking position from behind a rock (L24) and stabs at Dirk [roll1] vs. AC, 4 damage
G4 rushes down from R20 and also moves in on Dirk, though it can’t attack this round.

(16) Gil
Gil moves forward but stays within distance of Trygal. (Enemies now in range, feel free to make an attack).

(14) Tol
Tol drops his cover spell and shifts backwards towards Trygal, avoiding an attack of opportunity from his goblin assailant.

(13) Warriors
Out from the rocks come four goblins holding spears. They crash down towards Gil and Dirk, though none are able to attack this round.

(10) Sharpshooters
No bolts come flying out of nowhere this round.

(6) Thaddeus
The warlock blasts, and easily kills, G1.

(4) Seven
Turning to face the new warrior threat, Seven blasts W2 with his force orb.

(4)Trygal
The frightened Dwarven woman screams and hops off her donkey. She turns and moves behind the second one with her head low. With the sudden appearance of flying leaves and branches, the donkeys are agitated but don’t go anywhere.

THE MAP

http://img69.imageshack.us/img69/6500/ga2f.jpg

[Loquacius]

Thaddeus

Still in creepy mode, Thaddeus speaks to no one and everyone: "THE RADIANT RULES THESE FORESTS. BOW BEFORE THE MIGHT OF YOUR LIEGE."

Dirk is clearly getting swarmed -- as a heavy-armor type he can probably handle it for a few rounds, but it'd be cooler if he didn't have to. As such, Thad refrains from using his Misty Step (although it is cool) and stays put.

Using his minor action, he communicates the Warlock's Curse to W4 (I have line-of-sight on him, right?) and thereby gains +1 to his AC for the rest of this round (due to the effects of his Rod of Dark Reward). After a particularly violent motion of this rod, silver fire bursts forth from W4's ragged clothing, eyes and mouth (unless he saves, in which case it doesn't).

Attack: Witchfire (Encounter)
To Hit: CHA vs Reflex. [roll0]
Base Damage: [roll1]
Curse Damage: [roll2]
Special effect: If this attack hits, the target takes a -4 penalty to attack rolls until the end of Thaddeus's next turn. (2+Int mod)

EDIT: Upon further reflection, I noticed that I added the CHA/enhancement damage modifier to both the curse damage AND the base damage, when it should have been only one; therefore subtract 5 from that damage roll for a total of 15. Still really good (I LIKE this character!) but not gamebreakingly so.

[Sky Forest]

(Boy I hope I get the mechanics right on this)

Tol wades into the battle (moving to D20), snarling at his enemies (Nature's Wrath (PHB2 pg. 153: G2 and W2 are adjacent, so are now 'marked' - if they attack an ally, the interrupt 'Warden's Fury' begins).

The goliath leans forward on his toes like a ram poised to strike and hammers his halberd home with a crack of thunder! (Thunder Ram Assault: Str vs. AC attack on W2, Hit: 1W + Str mod and pushes target 3 sq, Secondary: Str vs. Fort, close burst 3 does 1d6 thunder dmg and pushes targets 1 sq).

So...
Attack: [roll0]
Dmg: [roll1] (thats 1d10 for halberd plus 4 for str, plus 2 for bracers, plus 2 for Greatweapon feat)

If that hits:

Secondary attack: [roll2]
Dmg: [roll3]

And that secondary damage is dealt equally to all enemies in the 3 sq blast

[Threlyn]

Seven's orb suddenly turns a fiery orange. Flames lick up around his arms but seem to do no damage to the wizard. With a smooth motion, he slams the orb into the ground, causing a fire to erupt to the square just left of G3. The fire suddenly rises out of the ground around it as well, engulfing everyone except the donkey, Trygal, and Tol (assuming present positions). Interestingly, the flames seem to only harm enemies, and simply brush by Seven and his allies. Ok here we go:

Orbmaster's Incendiary Explosion (Int. vs. Reflex) + Orb of Imposition bonus

G1:
Attack: [roll0]
Hit: [roll1]

G2:
Attack: [roll2]
Hit: [roll3]

G3:
Attack: [roll4]
Hit: [roll5]

G4:
Attack: [roll6]
Hit: [roll7]

W1:
Attack: [roll8]
Hit: [roll9]

W2:
Attack: [roll10]
Hit: [roll11]

W3:
Attack: [roll12]
Hit: [roll13]

W4:
Attack: [roll14]
Hit: [roll15]

All damage is fire. Any enemy starting in the giant burst 3 range (probably all of them) will take 2 fire damage next round.

[Zoobity]

Gillard Emra

Gil shifts to G21, holds up his holy symbol, and uses Divine Glow (close blast 3). He channels the divine power of Correlon, bolstering his allies (Dirk +2 ATK until my next turn) and potentially damaging the following foes for [roll0]

WIS vs REF
G3: [roll1]

G4: [roll2]

G1: [roll3]

W1: [roll4]

[Narwhal]

Sorry I seem to have dropped the ball for a few days there


After getting hit by one Goblin, Dirk grits his teeth and gets ready to fight. When the others jump out/move to surround him, he says in sort of a high pitched yell, "Ahhh...Come on...." To the goblins around him. "I can't blame you guys. Picking between me or creepy guy over there isn't really a hard choice."

Attacking G4 with Valiant Strike STR vs AC
Attack [roll0] +9 (my stuff) +3 (V.S. +1 per adjacent) +2 (Gill)
DMG [roll1]


I didn't get hit right? My AC is 21. Are you gonna look at what our stuff is or should we just report when our hp changes?

[King Tius]

(20) Dirk
Fueled by the cleric and the enemies around him, the paladin delivers a crushing blow to G4, slicing the goblin in two.

(16) Gil
Gil shifts forward a square and raises his holy symbol. With a prayer to the Elven God he blasts to the ground and wounds W1 and W4 (I moved your blast up one square since G4 is dead).

Unfortunately, using an area attack provokes Attacks of Opportunity, and both G3 and W3 get to take swings before his spell fires off.

G3: [roll0] vs AC. 4 Damage
W3: [roll1] vs. AC. [roll2] Damage

(14) Tol
The Big Guy winds up with his halberd and slams W2 back against the tree near Dirk. The blast from his ferocious assault pushes W3 back a square as well.

OOG: I’m happy to do all the pushin’ for you, but just so you know, you’re allowed to designate exactly where the blasted goblins end up, for the future.

(6) Thaddeus
The self-appointed supreme ruler of this battle map blasts w4 with Witchfire, setting the poor thing alight and hindering its attacks.

(4) Seven
With the insane power that only a wizard can muster, the mysterious party member makes almost every goblin here explode with fire. W3 is scorched while W2 and W4 are killed outright.

(4)Trygal
The terrified woman peaks out form underneath the donkeys. At the sight of how well you all seem to be doing against the Goblins, she lets out an excited “whoop!”

(18) Cutters
The only Goblin in the immediate vicinity who WASN’T blasted by Tol’s attack takes a quick stab at him.
G2: [roll3] vs AC. 4 Damage


(13) Warriors
W1 attacks Dirk and W3 goes after Gil.

W1: [roll4] vs. AC. [roll5] Damage
W3: [roll6] vs. AC. [roll7] Damage

(10) Sharpshooters
Two bolts fire from the rocks above, one at Gil and one at Dirk.
SS1 at Gil: [roll8] vs. AC. [roll9] Damage
SS2 at Dirk: [roll10] vs. AC. [roll11] Damage

Because SS1 landed a hit, you can see where he is!

THE MAP

http://img684.imageshack.us/img684/9620/ga3y.jpg



OOG1: I would ask that you keep running HP tallies in combat at the top of your post. Also, if you have any effects that are active or are being given to allies, make sure to include that so they know. When you make your attack rolls, only include personal status stuff. I will handle cover, combat advantage, and other positioning bonuses to your rolls. As for interrupts, declare them before hand if you are planning to use them, otherwise we will just have to do our best!

OOG2: For map purposes, dead bodies disappear from the map after one round, unless you need them for something ?!?

OOG3: When an enemy has a black background and white text, they are dead!

OOG4: I would just like to point out that you guys are posting AWESOMELY. DMing is so much easier for me with you guys being so thorough.

[Loquacius]

Thaddeus, HP 30/30
(Current effects: Rod of Dark Reward-- +1 to AC)

When W4 is killed by two distinct kinds of fire, Thad (clicking his tongue angrily at Seven's blatant kill-stealing) huffily dissolves into a fine mist which reforms at F19. As soon as he regains his corporeal form, Thad curses S1 good (thus extending the effects of his Rod Of Dark Reward for one more round), then pulls out the big guns. "Suffer," he reiterates, and (should this attack hit) S1 wails, claws at his eyes, and staggers drunkenly as though trying to avoid some ghastly horror visible only to him in his terrible waking nightmare.

Attack: Curse of the Dark Dream (Daily)
To Hit: CHA vs Will [roll0]
Base Damage: [roll1]
Curse Damage: [roll2]
Special Effect: If the attack hits, S1 is knocked back 3 squares; if it misses, S1 shakes off the psychic assault but is still staggered 1 square in doing so.

EDIT: Uhhh, so if I roll a natural 1 in 4e (like I just did) do I have to do anything special to avoid cursing myself with eternal waking or setting Gil on fire or something?

[King Tius]

OOG: Nope, a 1 always misses, a 20 always hits. If you roll a 20 and the attack would normally hit, the attack does max damage, otherwise it just does normal damage.

For example, you roll a nat 20 against something with an AC of 24. The attack hits and with your +7, a 27 beats the 24, so you do MAX damage. If the AC was 34, though, you'd just roll normal damage. Most magic weapons/implements do extra damage on a crit. No dropping weapons or anything silly like that.

[Loquacius]

OOG: Ah. I guess that's good, even if this is still a complete waste of a daily power. Such is life.

[Threlyn]

Seven turns his attention to the sharpshooters. He'll have to minimize their threat while the others finish the enemy warriors and move in. He lifts his orb and it dissolves into a fine mist that somehow float cohesively around his hand. Suddenly a cloud of ice shards pour out of the air next to (by next to, I mean on the same square as) S1:

Chilling Cloud (Int vs Fort):
Attack: [roll0]
Hit: dmg = int mod = 4hp, enemy takes -2 to attack until my next turn

OOG: Also, enemies starting in the burst of my last attack or moving into it takes 2 damage.

[Narwhal]

Dirk ***** his head at W1, in his best goblin accent "Ah **** man, I'm screwed."
Dirk marks the goblin with Divine challenge (MA) then attacks.
(he takes -2 whenever he attacks someone other than me and the first time he does he take 5 radiant dmg)

Regular attack Str vs AC
Attack [roll0]
dmg [roll1]

[Sky Forest]

OOG: Since I can't access my character sheet, I'll stick to a basic attack.



Tol turns to G2 with a grin and promptly flattens him.
[roll0]

dmg: [roll1]

[Zoobity]

OOG: I can't get to my sheet, either, so I'll have to tally up my HP and damage next round. As for now...

Gil with 17 HP damage, probably

Gil shifts to G21 and fires of his Lance of Radiance at W3.

WIS vs REF: [roll0]
Damage: [roll]1d8+5]

and Thad has a +2 to hit against him next round.

[King Tius]

Thaddeus
Thad mist-steps (not to be confused with missteps) to F19 and assaults S1. Though the sharpshooter does not take any damage, he stumbles out from behind his cover from the psychic assault.

Seven
Now exposed, the little goblin is assaulted by the mage’s icy blast. The blast’s effect lingers in the area, creating a hazard for any other nearby goblins.

Dirk
The young Paladin shines his holy light in the young goblin’s face, marking him. He takes a swing but the goblin is too quick for him. It shifts back a square in response to his attack.

Tol
The gargantuan warden attempts to pound the little runt in front of him but it, too, proves to be too wily. The goblin shifts to C20 as Tol’s weapon goes flying by.

Gil
With a quick backstep, Gil unloads on W3, lancing it with divine light.

Goblins
G2 attacks Tol:[roll0] vs AC, 4 damage
W1 goes running up the path, turning to hurl a javelin at Dirk before continuing running. Attack: [roll1] vs AC. [roll2] damage
W3 jams a spear into Thaddeus before shifting to the other side of the rock.
[roll3] vs AC, [roll4] damage
S1 takes 2 damage from the icy blast before moving further up the hill. He fires at Seven to return the favor. [roll5] vs AC, [roll6] damage.
S2 fires at Seven as well: [roll7] vs AC, [roll8] damage.

Trygal
The cowering continues!

The Map

http://img121.imageshack.us/img121/5046/ga4iq.jpg

whoops, W3 is actually at H19

[Zoobity]

Gil 12/29HP

Gil fires a lance of faith at W3:

WIS vs REF: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[Sky Forest]

36 HP

Tol neatly sidesteps the clumsy attack and swings a smooth, wide arc meant to part the goblin's head from his shoulders, aiming more carefully after his previous swing ended with his blade in the dirt.

STR VS AC [roll0]
DMG [roll1]

[Loquacius]

Thaddeus, HP 24/30

****! Thad whirls around, curses W3 in not one but two ways ("YOU FILTHY CUR, YOU DARE TO ASSAULT THE AVATAR OF YOUR LIEGE? YOU SHALL DO SO NO MORE.") and simply glares at the goblin. His eyes, already glowing, glow in many colors so brightly as to blind W3; the goblin shields his eyes and when he removes his hand (if the attack hits) Thaddeus appears to be no longer in front of him.

ATTACK: Eyebite (At-Will)
To Hit: CHA vs Will [roll0]
Base Damage: [roll1]
Curse Damage: [roll2]
Special: If this attack hits, Thaddeus is invisible to the target until the start of his (Thaddeus's) next turn.

SPECIAL: +1 to AC until next turn from Rod of Dark Reward

edit: lol, cens0rzed

[Threlyn]

HP: 23/28

Seven manages to lean away from the arrow fired by S1, but S2's arrow hits him in the chest. Fortunately, his armor protects him from much of the impact, leaving him with a fairly minor flesh wound.

Seven runs north five squares to D17 (so as to force G2 or W3 to incur an attack of opportunity should they turn to attack him) Seven's sphere becomes clear as it sends out another distortion through the air towards S1.

Phantom Bolt (Int vs. Will):
Attack: 1d20+7
Hit: 1d8+5

Um...so I messed up the rolls somehow...I think it was when I went into "preview changes". I'll use a random dice roller for this post.

Attack: 1d20+7 = 9+7 = 16
Hit: 1d8+5 = 2+5 = 7

[Narwhal]

27/27
Dirk moves to H20 to and takes a swing at W3

Regular attack vs. AC

attack [roll0] dmg[roll1]

[King Tius]

Gil
Gil takes aim at W3 again and slays the goblin with his divine lance.

Tol
Unfortunately the Warden is still unable to hit his Minion opponent. The little bugger shifts again in response to Tol’s miss, edging closer and closer to Trygal.

Thaddeus
With W3 being super dead and S1 being hidden behind a tree, Thad unleashes his eyebite (and curse) on S2 instead. The attack sends the sharpshooter reeling, though it is still up (and not bloodied).

Seven
The mysterious wizard is able to move to D17 unscathed thanks to Gil. His phantom bolt strikes S1, though it, too, is not yet bloodied.

Dirk
With his intended target dead, Dirk rushes to Tol’s side and downs the Goblin Cutter before it can get to Trygal.

Goblins
S1 moves up the hill to get a better view of Seven. He fires his crossbow at the now-exposed wizard. Attack: [roll0] vs AC, [roll1] damage.
S2 double moves for better positioning.
W1 runs forward towards Gil and hurls another Javelin Attack: [roll2] vs AC, [roll3] damage.

THE MAP

http://img716.imageshack.us/img716/2279/ga5.jpg

[Sky Forest]

Tol looks disappointed, and eyes his hands warily, as though they've betrayed him. "Two to one," he admits. Then he sprints for S2. (Is moving diagonally a one-square move? If so, with speed six, running could move me up to 12 squares, in which case, Tol heads to L13.)

[King Tius]

Yes, diagonals are one square, but moving around corners still takes 2.

[Threlyn]

HP: 18/28

S1's arrow makes a *thwunk* sound as it buries itself in Seven's chest. The wizard still seems capable of combat. His sphere phases out yet again as he unleashes another distortion in space, this time directed at S2.

Phantom Bolt (Int Vs. Will)
Attack: [roll0]
Hit: [roll1]

If the attack hits, it wraps itself around the goblin, sending him rushing south a square to L12 and right in front of Tol's awaiting blade.

OOG: I'm not sure how you want to DM this Jason, but phantom bolt allows the attack to slide the enemy one square. I interpret this as "one square in any direction", but it might just be 1 square backward from the attack. If it's the latter, ignore the slide effect of my attack.

[Threlyn]

Turns out it's a natural 20, so I'll roll for an extra 1d6 due to my +1 orb.

max hit = 8+5= 13
+1 orb bonus = [roll0]

Total = 16hp dmg

[King Tius]

A push must end further away from the attacker than it started, a pull the opposite. Slide is a freebee: you pick where they go. In all cases, you designate the square they move to, so long as it satisfies the previous condition and is in a relatively linear motion.

[Threlyn]

OOG: Ok, so then the goblin slides to L12 so Tol can smack it without having to do a move action.

[Narwhal]

Looking to the north, Dirk calls to the others. "How we doin up there guys?" He walks right 5 squares, trying to close the distance between him and W1.

OOG: How is running handled in 4e? My base movement is 5, so if I could get closer to W1, do that.

[Zoobity]

Gil 12/29

Gil uses Lance of Faith on W3, granting Thad a +2 bonus against him.

Will vs Ref: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[King Tius]

.......W3 is dead

[Zoobity]

Gil

Gil shoots W1.

[Loquacius]

OOG: DUDE. Stop stealing my kills! :smallyuk:

Thaddeus, HP 24/30

Suddenly and inexplicably losing interest in finishing off the goblin he had been targeting, Thad spins toward W1 and gives him the ol' curse-n-blast. He's spreading his love around.

Attack: Eldritch Blast (CHA vs REF)
To Hit: [roll0]
Base Damage: [roll1]
Curse Damage: [roll2]

[Loquacius]

OOG: Uh, wow, that's two natural 20s in one round. Not bad. If this attack hits, my max damage is 21 if I also get to maximize the curse damage, and 17 otherwise. From my Rod Of Dark Reward I also get +1d6. Here that goes:

Critical Hit extra damage: [roll0]

Oh yeah, and I still get +1 AC this round due to having cursed somebody.

[Sky Forest]

Tol scratches himself

[King Tius]

Tol
Tol double moves, charging up the hill like a fearsome ram. He gets to the tree that S2 is hiding behind.

Seven
Seven’s attack blasts into S2 slaying the goblin and throwing his corpse one square.

OOG: L12 is technically a tree and it takes two squares to round a corner, so he moves to M11 instead. Normally I don’t think you can slide something over difficult terrain without doing the double move. Of course, it doesn’t really matter, since he’s dead!

Dirk
Dirk double moves as well, getting closer to W1 and into striking distance for next round.

OOG: “Run” lets you move at speed +2, but you take a -5 to attacks until the end of your next turn, grant CA, and provoke Attacks of Opportunity. I would not recommend it, but you can take it if you want. Let me know and I will retroactively move you four more squares.

Gil
Gil attempts to lance W1, but the goblin proves too nimble, dodging the divine bolt.

Thaddeus
Thaddeus blasts W1 with his crazy warlock powers, slaying the goblin with his incredible blast.

OOG: Daaaaaaaaaaang (I gave you the max on the curse damage, btdubs).

Goblin
Seeing his companions defeated, S1 takes off at a run towards the large portion of rocks. With a running dive, he disappears into a hole in the rocks.

Trygal stops cowering in fear and looks around. “Wow! You guys were amazing! I knew you’d be the right men for the job!”

OOG: We’re out of combat now. To save some time, I will tell you that, upon inspection, the goblin dove into a tiny tunnel that leads down into the rocks before banking out of view. It is barely large enough for a goblin to crawl through, so you all will certainly not fit!

150 xp each

[Zoobity]

Gil 12/29

"Well," Gil says as he tucks his holy symbol back underneath his outer cloak, "That was more action than I've seen in years. This might be a lot of fun." He takes a swig from a flask he keeps in his garments. "Or, of course, a suicide mission that ends with me disembowled on a goblin altar. Nice job, team. Do you think that runaway will get reinforcements or do you think we've put the fear of the gods in them?"

He walks back over to the mules and makes sure it's all packed up, "I think we need to move on now. We can rest once we're far away from here. Best not to get ambushed in our sleep. I only have so many ears I can lose."

[Threlyn]

OOG: Since we're out of combat, Seven uses one of his healing surges. Also, I'm not quite sure yet where I'm going with this character, but I'll have a backstory soon.

hp: 25/28

Seven's sphere disappears once the battle is finished. The hunched Deva returns to the mules, muttering as he goes.

"They danced to my fires...like puppets. Then they exploded."

He seems to be referencing the goblins that the party has just dispatched, but the comment is quite vague. As the party moves on, Seven seems to be inattentive to the rest of the group, as if he were concentrating quite hard on something else. Only once does he blink, revealing a moment of clarity. He whispers to himself.

"I don't know how. But I will find out."

[Sky Forest]

Tol looks around hopefully for more goblins, sighing when he realizes that the battle is over. Returning to the group, he scratches his head, embarassed. "Guess I'm a little rusty." He helps to move the piles of goblin parts from the road. Roadkill is awful unpleasant.

[Narwhal]

Dirk cleans his sword off. He looks up to the sun and says, "Your gonna make um rot now aren't you. Why do you always do that?" He helps to clear a path as best he can. Once the road is clear, "Well lets get goin."

[Loquacius]

OOG: Not a bad first combat. One natural 1 and one natural 20. Comes out about even!

Thaddeus, HP 24/30

Grinning at the dispensing of his own brand of justice, Thad breathes a satisfied sigh. To Gil: "LET THEM COME. THE EMISSARY OF THE RAD..." He breaks off mid-sentence to go into a coughing fit. When he opens his eyes again afterward, they are again his own. "I mean, uh, we can probably handle it. Bunch of amateurs. Anyway, we should probably go through their pockets sooner than later. I'm going to be getting something like a hangover in a few minutes." (He does so. Going through their pockets, I mean, not getting a hangover yet.) Seeing the glowing, smoking remains of W1: "Gods. Did I do that? Wow. I am SEXY."

[Narwhal]

Dirk smirks at Thadeus and rolls his eyes at the sexy comment. "Well, if were gonna search them lets hurry up and do it"

[King Tius]

You search the bodies of the Goblins but find almost nothing of interest other than the weapons they attacked you with. One of them, however, has a keyring on his belt. The keys are gold and have what appear to be dwarven sigils on them. Trygal takes a look at them and reads them off, one by one.

"1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, M, B, C. I wonder, what could these be for? We should get a move on, you're right."

After moving the bodies off the road you set off again. Not half an hour after the battle first started you come round a bend and see a building. Sitting atop a steep hill lies a squat, wide building. The winding path that leads up to it branches off from the main old road. At the sight of this building Trygal dives into her books for a minute. As the donkeys clop along she riffles through pages before shouting "I know what those keys are for! Rooms! In an inn! That there was once a major stop along this road for travelers. I wonder if that's where the Goblins came from"

[Zoobity]

Gil

Realizing what the dwarfess is suggesting, "Well, I suppose it's our duty to make this road safe for travelers. We are going to be heroes. And I'm a priest any way. Doing good is part of my mission statement. Would anyone be opposed to wiping out a goblin band before we continue much farther?"

[Narwhal]

Alright, let get to it then.

[Sky Forest]

OOG: Now a really efficient party would just burn the thing down. But that wouldn't be honorable now would it.

Tol grunts his ascent and switches from halberd to warhammer.

[King Tius]

Trygal nods in agreement with Gil. "Besides, there may be clues to our mission hidden in the remains."

You turn and head up the winding road to the inn. Fortunately the Goblins don't seem to have prepared any kind of ambush for your arrival. At the top of the hill the trail levels out into the small courtyard of the inn. The large set of ancient wooden doors that mark the main opening of the establishment are closed. What will you do?

[Threlyn]

Seven remains near the back of the group, just as a good wizard should. The small, opaque, magical, sphere slowly materializes near his right hand, drifting about his arm as he moves toward the inn.

[Loquacius]

OOG: Sorry I've been kind of a deadbeat lately; I'll try to keep it from happening again.

Thad has been unusually quiet since a little while after searching the goblins. There is an unpleasant, surly expression on his face. Rubbing his head, he squints at the doors. "Okay, so, yeah. I guess we probably shouldn't knock. That seems like it'd be a pretty bad idea. Someone wanna try prying these suckers open?" (He glances pointedly at Tol and Dirk.) "Worst comes to worst, we've probably got a key now." Taking a hint from Seven, he unslings his rod (lol).

[Sky Forest]

Tol obligingly gives the doors a tug. Should they refuse to budge, he moves aside for the key.

[Narwhal]

Dirk stands next to the door waiting for it to be either opened from the inside or with a key. He has his sword readied.