Up Yours, Atropus! IC Team 2

[Ghostfoot]

Behold the death of your world. There, cresting the
horizon. Yes, that faint body is he, and he comes
for me . . . for us all. Rejoice, for the end is near,
and all life, all pain, all suffering shall be silenced
in the perfect eternity of undeath.”

—Caira Xasten, mad astronomer and ur-priest


http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/forgottenrealms/images/a/a0/Atropus.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20091124231708

Atropus, the World Born Dead, drifts through the gulfs of space, searching for worlds to consume and, when it finds them, erasing all life with its gruesome touch. As the afterbirth of creation, it is committed to unmaking all things. Nothing, not even the gods, can halt its relentless progress.

Background:

Those few sages who even know of Atropus debate the origins of this elder evil. They agree that Atropus was spawned when Ao created the first gods, but where they differ is in how Atropus was formed. Some claim the elder evil gained awareness from the divine amniotic fluid surrounding the first god of death, while others claim Atropus was the last god Ao created, but it was stillborn. Atropus has never come close to Faerûn, but those aware of him are ever watchful of the heavens, waiting for the day when the moonlet circles the tapestry of night.

The moonlet is one of the drifting bodies forming the ring around the dull gray planet known as Glyth, one of the Five Wanderers that do not follow the ordinary paths of the stars. Little do the mortals of Faerûn realize the cataclysm affecting this distant world. Drawn by the widespread death and destruction meted out by mind flayer overlords, Atropus drew close, masking its approach behind the belt of debris forming the ring around the planet. While the illithids waged their interminable wars against the native humanoids, Atropus descended and wiped out all life, leaving Glyth an empty husk. Now Atropus turns its attention to Faerûn and begins its slide toward a world ripe for the taking.

Atropus is as much a place as it is a being. It is a small moonlet spinning through the void, waiting to be ensnared by the pull of the planets it nears. To those on the surface of the chosen world, it appears as a speck in the sky. At night it is almost invisible, blending in with the darkness, but during twilight and dawn, it looks like a moving pinhole of darkness.

As it draws closer and its sign intensifies, it grows, expanding from a tiny dot to a small disk until it dominates the sky. Pitted and slick with the black slime of the putrid amniotic fluid of its birth, it hangs above, always drifting away from the light of the sun and lurking overhead when the sun has fled. It has the appearance of a huge chunk of black stone, but from certain angles, it looks like a great hairless head, black eyes glassy and soulless.

The story so far...

Caira Xasten, driven mad with grief at the loss of her husband, vows revenge on the gods. Having heard wild rumors of the World Born Dead, she sent out her minions to steal a manuscript held in a vault beneath the Waukeen abbey of Goldspires in the city of Athkatla. Her minions succeeded and snatched the book, leaving scores of priests dead. You managed to recover the book, but not before Caira had a chance to learn its mysteries.

The priests contacted you once more. Having deciphered the old tome, the clerics suspected whoever sought the book intended to summon the World Born Dead. The manuscript offered few details, and the clerics were unable to elicit any concrete answers with their divinations. They did uncover the name of another tome: The book of vile darkness. You were tasked with locating this book before you arch-enemy Caira uncovered it, all the while facing innumerable cultists who sought the same end. However even as you researched this tome, you heard reports from all over about how the dead have begun to rise from their graves.

Meanwhile, sensing an opportunity to make a decisive strike against his ancient enemy, the Demon Lord Orcus dispatched his legions, led by a bodak named Gorguth, to invade Demogorgon’s layer, the Gaping Maw. This strike plunges the Abyss into widespread war, with demon lords and princes lining up against one another to settle old scores. The Dark Eight of the Nine Hells perceived this infighting as a weakness and for the first time mounted a successful invasion into the Infinite Layers of the Abyss. During the interplanar wars, Gorguth forswore his allegiance to Orcus and led his undead armies into the Material Plane through a gate created by the cultists in the service of Atropus.

Now, as you were caught up trying to stem the flow of demon armies and undead hordes, Caira has recovered the book of vile darkness and has begun to decipher it's secrets. Across Faerun, the undead outnumber the living, spreading like a cancer. Gorguth’s armies beat back the defenders, filling their depleted ranks by turning their fallen adversaries into undead. Even now the Bleak General marches toward Athkatla where he intends to rendezvous with Caira to greet the Wold Born Dead when it arrives. The remaining defenders in this last bastion of humanity frantically prepare their defences even as resigned wizards plan to save those that they can. Somewhere deep beneath the city, Caira is finalizing her research and beginning the daylong casting of fell sorcery that will finally bring Atropus to Faerun and extinguish all life....!

You are a hundred or so miles northwest of the city of Athkatla, at Citadel Amnur one of the twin Citadels guarding the Cloud Peaks. The mood is grim on the northern border. As the necrotic moon hangs low in the sky above, the surviving population has all but fled to the capital city. A hardened force of 700 men and women hold the Citadel, paid well to buy time for the remnants of humanity and other mortal races to flee to what passes for safety. Throughout the land, healers and priests are confounded as minor ailments become untreatable and fatal. The dead rise and have wreaked havoc among the smaller communities. In larger towns the graveyards and mausoleums have been sealed off and completely incinerated where possible as ancient ancestors claw their way forth. Even the newly dead rise in undeath and must be quickly isolated or restrained lest they drag more of their townsfolk with them.

http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/baldursgategame/images/e/e5/Amn_map.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20140216193909

As if the inevitable spread of walking dead were not enough, the Gate far to the north spews forth an unholy legion of demons and dead straight from the Abyss. The horde of chaos advances now toward the Citadel driving with it the dead of Atropus. Ultimately it heads toward Athkatla which sits as an alluring target with so many beating hearts cowering within its walls, unaware that beneath the city the godless lunatic Caira Xasten seeks to doom them all.

Here, with the soldiers under Captain Arilan Krimmevol ready to lay down their lives (in exchange for significant remuneration), you know that you must hold off the forces of Orcus for a few more days as the main Amnian military in Athkatla prepare the city for the final siege. Yet you know that you cannot delay here too long as the cultists of Atropus must still be rooted out in Athkatla before they can destroy the world! The Council of Six works to do this in your absence but even with the priests of Waukeen and the Shadow Thieves on their payroll your assistance is vital.

Captain Krimmevol strides toward you, his face grim beneath his turbaned helm...the scouts must have returned with news of an imminent threat!

[LairdMaon]

"Ahoy, Captain! What do we know about their numbers and make up? And from which direction do we expect them from?"

Bandalore adjusts his attire and looks around as if all hell were about to walk up any moment.

[The Glyphstone]

Triad waits for the captain's reply, silent and inscrutable behind the crystalline mask that frames the upper half of his face.

[Ghostfoot]

"Countless, perhaps infinite. They come, finally. A horde straight from the Abyss that drives all before it and draws these unliving in to swell it's ranks" he speaks in southern-accented Chondathan as he gestures to the multitude of shambling humanoid and animal corpses that mill beneath the citadel walls, drawn by the breath of the living within. "As if this wasn't enough".

He shields his eyes from the morning sun and looks to the nearby hills. Even these expanses of rock and dirt shift and ripple with the aimless shuffling of the undead upon them.

"When the ledger's tallied we'll give a good account for ourselves. If it buys time for the coin-priests to find a weakness, so be it." In a time of ordinary battle Captain Krimmevol would be a good leader and capable commander. But this is not an ordinary battle and it is painfully obvious that the Captain and his soldiers have little chance against a relentless tide of undead. Minor coin-adepts move through the ranks pressing coppers to the foreheads of the troopers as they administer Waukeen's blessings.

Movement at the crest of the nearby hills sends ripples through the ranks of corpses as they are driven forward, something behind them forcing them onward, many falling and being trampled as they run out of space. Dark shapes flit on the horizon, bat-like demons and worse flying above the Abyssal host. Larger creatures appear over the crest, undead or demons, whatever they are carelessly carving a path through the lesser forms around them. Shadows envelop the land as the bloated atropal moon above eclipses the morning sun.

All of a sudden it is on, the mass of zombies moving forward in unison to smash upon the lower walls of the citadel. Bolts, arrows and fire rain down taking a dreadful toll but the horde keeps coming oblivious to the destruction. "Do what you can", Captain Krimmevol moves to his men, commanding squads along the fortifications all the while ensuring that the reserves are held back ready to plug any breach.

"Banshee!" the cry of one of the priests cuts through the din of the siege and your attention is drawn to ghostly shapes weaving and flowing across the horde below. Deathly shrieks ring out from the ghastly apparitions and what few trees remain on the slopes visibly wither. One of the incorporeal things flits up to the battlements nearby, arrows passing clean through it as it drifts toward a ballista crew. With a horrific wail a dozen soldiers fall instantly dead about it, and more stumble dropping their weapons and cowering at the impending doom...it's up to you to defend the walls!

Initiative
Banshee (1d20+7)[12]
Triad (1d20+5)[8]
Bandalore (1d20+9)[25]
Jaszak & co(1d20+6)[18]
Amrivir & co(1d20+2)[17]

All long-term buffs can be pre-cast if desired.

http://i1355.photobucket.com/albums/q710/Ghostfoot/Battlements%201%20team%202_zpsxpg22jhc.png
Please feel free to start mounted if you would prefer, or let me know if you'd prefer companions (ie Bogon etc)to be treated differently.

Banshees are elevated 10ft above ground

=> Bandalore, Jaszak & co, Amrivir & co

[LairdMaon]

Bandalore looks at the banshee floating their way. With a thought he sends a message to the spectre


To Hit
To Hurt [ROLL]1d8+2d6+21


To Hit
To Hurt [ROLL]1d8+2d6+21


To Hit
To Hurt [ROLL]1d8+2d6+21

[LairdMaon]

Return-> To Hurt [roll0]+[roll1]+21=33
to-> To Hurt [roll2]+[roll3]+21=39
death!-> To Hurt [roll4]+[roll5]+21=32

[Cavir]

Jaszak, known as Nature's Right Hand among nature's creatures, joins the others in meeting the captain, striding forth in the form of a human sized steel dragon. As well as the party, Jaszak's companions joining them there include Calabus the dire bear, Ulzarus the unicorn, and a squad of bariaur- half-human half-ram warriors. His Bogun scout is 50' up and out past the wall keeping watch.

Even before Captain Krimmevol completes his orders, Jaszak is already casting spells to prepare for battle. The steel dragon normally glows with holy light, but now the light shines even brighter, blinding to those trying to attack him. Calabus glows just as brightly.

The cry of "Banshee!" rings out. It is too late for those at that battlement, but it is time for action. The steel dragon calls out in Chondathan.

"Beware of getting close to that without protections. Ulzarus, stay with the group. Calabus, with me. Ysgard defenders, loose!"

Jaszak and Calabus rush forward, the dragon flying low and the bear galloping to keep up. Jaszak breathes a line of acid at the banshee. The bariaurs raise their composite longbows and fire.

The steel dragon calls out to the banshee in Chondathan and Elven. "Here I am! Good and living, everything that you hate! Come get me!"


The bariaurs are just to our east:
A: AI5/AJ6
B: AI8/AJ9
C: AI11/AI12
D: AF5/AG6

Ulzarus: AE11/AF12. Magic circle against evil

Cast during briefing: Sheltered Vitality
Greater Luminous Armor
Wind Walk: Me+5: Calabus, Ulzarus, Bandalore, Triad, Amrivir

Active Spells: (also active on Calabus the bear)
Primal Instinct
Enhance Wild Shape (+2 CON)
Greater Luminous Armor (+Daylight spell effect, extra -4 to hit me)
Superior Resistance
Primal Speed
Wind Walk
Sheltered Vitality
Death Ward

-2 for range,

A:
Longbow: [roll0] crit: [roll1]
damage: [roll2] crit: [roll3]
Miss chance (miss on a 1) [roll4]

Longbow: [roll5] crit: [roll6]
damage: [roll7] crit: [roll8]
Miss chance (miss on a 1) [roll9]

B:
Longbow: [roll10] crit: [roll11]
damage: [roll12] crit: [roll13]
Miss chance (miss on a 1) [roll14]

Longbow: [roll15] crit: [roll16]
damage: [roll17] crit: [roll18]
Miss chance (miss on a 1) [roll19]

C:
Longbow: [roll20] crit: [roll21]
damage: [roll22] crit: [roll23]
Miss chance (miss on a 1) [roll24]

Longbow: [roll25] crit: [roll26]
damage: [roll27] crit: [roll28]
Miss chance (miss on a 1) [roll29]

D:
Longbow: [roll30] crit: [roll31]
damage: [roll32] crit: [roll33]
Miss chance (miss on a 1) [roll34]

Longbow: [roll35] crit: [roll36]
damage: [roll37] crit: [roll38]
Miss chance (miss on a 1) [roll39]

Jaszak: 85' fly to O7, landing
Breath weapon: Reflex DC 24 for half [roll]5d6]/roll] Acid
Miss chance (miss on a 1) [roll40]

Calabus: Double move to Q8/R9

Ulzarus: Moves to where Calabus was, AG7/AH8

Char sheets:
Jaszak base (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=1031087)
Jaszak in Steel Dragon form (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=1057618)
Calabus (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=1038672)
Bariaurs (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=1057490)
Bogun (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=1039580)

[rypt]

At the sound of the priest's warning, Amrivir dons his helmet with one hand and takes hold of Arwydar's reigns with the other. Without a moment's hesitation or a word between them, rider and mount turn to face the ghastly threat, dazzling color blossoming across the rampart as Arwydar unfurls his enormous gossamer wings. Corded muscles shift and tense beneath scales as thick as dwarven plate, and as the knight reaches for his blades, the dragon charges forward. Two bounding strides and a great downward stroke of its wings carry the pair aloft, racing over the heads of their companions as they seek to silence the banshee before she can loose another wail. A flurry of tooth and claw, a flash of deadly steel, and the dragon lands beside the spirit with a thunderous crash and a shower of shattered stone.

I'm going to assume Amrivir is already mounted atop Arwydar.

As a full-round action, Arwydar will charge the banshee. He has a flight speed of 160 ft., so distance is not an issue. Due to the banshee's elevation, they'll technically be airborne at the moment of their attacks (I9:J10), but will be on the ground next round.

Per the Ranger Knight's Overwhelming Charge ability, Amrivir is entitled to an attack with each of his swords and does not suffer the -2 AC penalty normally associated with a charge. His attacks deal double damage due to Spirited Charge. Arwydar has natural weapon pounce courtesy of his Sphinx Claws.

Longsword attack (+27 base modifier, +2 charge bonus, -2 two-weapon fighting, +1 attacking medium creature from large mount): [roll0]
Longsword damage (1d8+9 base, +6 favored enemy, doubled): [roll1]
Longsword crit Confirm: [roll2]
Longsword crit damage: [roll3]
Incorporeal miss chance (low misses): [roll4]

Short sword attack (+26 base, +2 charge bonus, -2 two-weapon fighting, +1 attacking medium creature from large mount): [roll5]
Short sword damage (1d6+9 base, +6 favored enemy, doubles): [roll6]
Short sword crit Confirm: [roll7]
Short sword crit damage: [roll8]
Incorporeal miss chance (low misses): [roll9]

Bite attack (+33 base, +2 charge bonus, -7 power attack): [roll10]
Bite damage (2d8+13 base, +7 power attack): [roll11]
Bite crit confirm: [roll12]
Bite crit damage: [roll13]
Incorporeal miss chance (low misses): [roll14]

Claw 1 attack (+33 base, +2 charge bonus, -7 power attack, -2 multiattack): [roll15]
Claw 1 damage (2d6+7 base, +7 power attack): [roll16]
Claw 1 crit confirm: [roll17]
Claw 1 crit damage: [roll18]
Incorporeal miss chance (low misses): [roll19]

Claw 2 attack (+33 base, +2 charge bonus, -7 power attack, -2 multiattack): [roll20]
Claw 2 damage (2d6+7 base, +7 power attack): [roll21]
Claw 2 crit confirm: [roll22]
Claw 2 crit damage: [roll23]
Incorporeal miss chance (low misses): [roll24]

Wing 1 attack (+33 base, +2 charge bonus, -7 power attack, -2 multiattack): [roll25]
Wing 1 damage (1d8+7 base, +7 power attack): [roll26]
Wing 1 crit confirm: [roll27]
Wing 1 crit damage: [roll28]
Incorporeal miss chance (low misses): [roll29]

Wing 2 attack (+33 base, +2 charge bonus, -7 power attack, -2 multiattack): [roll30]
Wing 2 damage (1d8+7 base, +7 power attack): [roll31]
Wing 2 crit confirm: [roll32]
Wing 2 crit damage: [roll33]
Incorporeal miss chance (low misses): [roll34]

Tail slap attack (+33 base, +2 charge bonus, -7 power attack, -2 multiattack): [roll35]
Tail slap damage (2d8+24 base, +7 power attack): [roll36]
Tail slap crit confirm: [roll37]
Tail slap crit damage: [roll38]
Incorporeal miss chance (low misses): [roll39]

[Ghostfoot]

As the apparition swoops toward you Bandalore sends his mental message assaulting the thing for 104 damage. A hail of arrows from the bariaur vanguard rain down on it, most passing harmlessly through but several striking for a total of 22 damage. Steel dragon and dire bear launch themselves forward the blast of acid scalding the battlements but the shrieking banshee unscathed.

With a heavy crunch of shattering masonry Amrivir and Arwudar crash alongside, twin swords useless as the flashing out but useless against the thing. But against the scaled might of the arboreal dragon the banshee is overwhelmed, claws and wings buffeting it before a mighty tail slap sends it dissipating to the ether after 85 damage.

[Ghostfoot]

As Amnian troopers rush forward to deal with the bodies of their comrades, soon to join the ranks of the unliving, the party casts its attention to the horde beyond the walls searching for more significant threats. The mostly mindless sea of undead continues its unceasing press against the walls below as weaponry continues to rain down upon them.

A chorus of alarmed cries rise up from the battlements as a huge boulder sails through the air. Crash! The massive rock smashes into the fortress nearby, narrowly missing you all. Crash! Another smashes home moments later sending rubble and men flying into the courtyard below. Focusing your attention outward you spy a pair of giant humanoids in the distance. Sheltering in the summit of a squat old watchtower the 15ft tall monsters look almost like dark, hairless giant drow elves. Strange faint mists swirl about them. Heavily armoured in banded they have greataxes slung across their backs but each wrenches another slab of stone free and prepares to send it sailing! Left unchecked this assault will surely breach the citadel walls eventually and the horde will be able to pour through!

http://archive.wizards.com/dnd/images/mmiii_gallery/82992.jpg

Giants are 600ft distant and have cover.
The terrain between you and the giants is a gently gradient uphill slope. Zombies swarm the slopes (in a slow shuffle).

=> Party

[The Glyphstone]

Triad glances across the battlefield at the pair of giants, then sideways at his three companions before apparently settling on Bandalore. This might sting a bit. Reaching out with one translucent hand, he lays a fingertip on Bandalore's forehead, then dissolves into a sparkling mist that pours itself down the path of the finger into Bandalore's head.

It does indeed sting a bit, but is otherwise harmless. The effects as Triad violently tears himself free of the left dusk giant's head at the other end of the bridge, though, are not harmless, and he immediately drifts upward out of their immediate reach. From above their heads, he glares down balefully, hammering a single telepathic command into their corrupted minds.

OBEY.


Using my Uncarnate Bridge ability- Uncarnate Bridge (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/prestigeClasses/psionUncarnate.htm#uncarnateBridge) - to enter Bandalore and exit 5ft above the Dusk Giant as a standard action. This forces said giant to take a DC24 Will save or suffer [roll0] damage, then I move 45ft straight up, ending 50ft. vertical above their heads.

I will then use my Synad Multitask feature, spending 1 PP to gain a swift mental action which will be used for my Psionic Dominate (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/dominatePsionic.htm) SLA (applying Augments 1 and 4 to target giants and give a duration of 16 days). I'll expend my Psionic Focus here as well, so the DC of the Will save to resist is 29, targeting the un-wounded giant. If the two giants are within 15ft. of each other, it hits both of them via Augment 3, and the DC increases to 30.

If he only gets one, he'll command it to attack the other giant. If he gets both, they'll be told to help defend the city instead.

[LairdMaon]

Bandalore

Bandalore looks to the sky and thrusts a hand to the heavens. He shouts, "AMRIVIR! MY FRIEND! A RIDE, PLEASE!"

[Cavir]

The silver dragon watches as Triad appears suddenly above the giants. His proximity precluded several spells that Jaszak could have used.

"An up close fight it is then." He turned to his followers and the captain. "Guard the captain while we are gone. Calabus, that goes for you too. Bogun, stay here and keep me informed of any news. Captain, what the bogun knows I know. You can relay news to me that way."

The silver dragon casts a spell, then reshapes into a blink dog.

Cast Owl Insight on myself (+7 WIS for 1 hour) then fast wild shape into a blink dog (move action). Activate Blink (free action)
Next round I can Dimension Door there and be in melee. My whole entourage has to stay behind.

[rypt]

As Amrivir helps Bandalore into a safe position on the dragon's back, Arwydar climbs to the very edge of the battlement, his front claws hooking over the top of rampart to press against the front face of the citadel wall.

"Stay low," says the elven knight, "and make sure to grip the saddle and not me. Should one of us fall or be knocked loose, it's best that the other not be carried with him."

Once Bandalore is secured, Arwydar's long serpentine neck swoops back to allow the dragon to inspect his new passenger. "Are you ready?" he asks of the human in Chandothan. Seeming skeptical, his eye shifts to Amrivir. "Is he ready?" he asks again, this time in Sylvan.

Amrivir smiles beneath his helmet and takes up the reigns. "He will have to be."

At that, the great green dragon seems to groan. He straightens himself, spreads his wings, and using the wall beneath him as leverage, launches himself skyward. The acceleration is tremendous, and to Bandalore, it likely feels as though he has been fired from a catapult.

As the distance to the giants rapidly closes, Amrivir raises his bow. It seems hard to imagine a more difficult shot than that taken from atop a dragon in full flight, but the elf has decades of experience. Sighting a line far short of his target, he looses four arrows in rapid succession, allowing the dragon's speed to curve the projectiles though a graceful and deadly arc.

As soon as the arrows are away, Amrivir's free hand drops back to tap Bandalore on the leg, signalling to the human that he is free to dismount whenever he sees fit.

Arwydar will take a full round action to "run" while flying towards the giants. With a 160 ft. flight speed, he is able to cover a total distance of 640 feet. My understanding is that there is an upward slope towards the giants and I'd like for Arwydar to maintain an elevation of 30 or so feet above the ground. I would also like for him to stay 30 feet from the giants once he gets there. Any extra movement will be spent circling the giants (maintaining the 30 ft. separation) in a counter-clockwise direction.

Amrivir will make a full ranged attack against the giant damaged by Triad. A running mount incurs a base attack penalty of -8. This penalty is halved once by the Mounted Archery feat to -4, and is halved again to -2 by the Ranger Knight's Mounted Archer class feature. The penalty is reduced by 1 to -1 by Arwydar's saddle. Amrivir will fire 4 regular arrows.

Attack 1 (base bonus +20, -1 from mount movement penalty): [roll0]
Damage 1 (+1 weapon enhancement bonus, +7 strength bonus): [roll1]
Crit confirm 1: [roll2]
Crit damage 1: [roll3]

Attack 2: [roll4]
Damage 2: [roll5]
Crit confirm 2: [roll6]
Crit damage 2: [roll7]

Attack 3: [roll8]
Damage 3: [roll9]
Crit confirm 3: [roll10]
Crit damage 3: [roll11]

Attack 4: [roll12]
Damage 4: [roll13]
Crit confirm 4: [roll14]
Crit damage 4: [roll15]

[Ghostfoot]

With an odd effect Triad passes into and through Bandalore only to issue forth from one of the demonic giants far across the battlefield. His mental assault hammers into their minds but to no effect, the two giants resisting and angrily reaching for their axes! Meanwhile Jaszak orders his followers to guard the walls as his form shifts from silver dragon into that of a dog, his physical being phasing in and out intermittently.

Bandalore leaps onto the green dragon as Amrivir urges his companion to the attack. Soaring swiftly across the mass of undead below they swoop and circle the attacking giants. Arrows rain down but the defiant giants swat them aside their armour plates proof against the hail.

In a few wingbeats they are closer to the huge demonic creatures. Standing fully 15ft tall they spin toward you as you appear. A swirling nimbus of ghosts cloaks each of them, coursing around their armoured limbs and across their torsos and axe hafts.

The old watchtower is a squat structure. Its crumbling foundations sit elevated some 15ft above the rocky hillside forming a clear area on which the giants are based, free from the mindless zombies that mill about on the surrounding slopes. The ruined walls of a taller signal tower rise from the middle of the platform but there is no upper storey remaining.


Initiative
Fiendish Death Giants (1d20+8)[10]
Triad (1d20+5)[24]
Bandalore (1d20+9)[12]
Jaszak & co (1d20+6)[11]
Amrivir & co (1d20+2)[7]

FDG save vs Will DC24 (1d20+19)[28] save
FDG save vs Will DC30 (1d20+19)[39] save
FDG save vs Will DC30 (1d20+19)[39] save

Arrows all miss :smallannoyed:
http://i1355.photobucket.com/albums/q710/Ghostfoot/Team%202%20Death%20Giants%201_zpsh1ckb5mt.png

You have approached from the bottom of the map, the giants having taken slight cover behind the ruined walls. Arwydar has circled the tower and is now 30ft distant from giants with Amrivir & Bandalore onboard. Triad is not noted on the map but is +50ft directly above the left giant. Jaszak still on citadel battlements. Hope that makes sense.

=> Triad, Bandalore & Jaszak
Fiendish death giants are still flat-footed until their action.

[LairdMaon]

Bandalore thanks Arwydar for the ride and with no more pomp nor circumstance, he tumbles off the dragonback.

Bandalore aims himself for a nearby place to stage his assault from and chooses (P16).


To Hit [roll0]
To Hurt [roll1] + [roll2] + 21 = 37

[The Glyphstone]

Triad focuses again, driving his will in against the leftmost giant alone this time.
If you will not obey, then DIE.


Going to try a maximally augmented Death Urge this time. DC30 Will save or be compelled to start trying to kill itself.
http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/deathUrge.htm
Effect lasts for 3 rounds.

[Cavir]

Back on the battlement the blink dog, still glowing in Holy light, growls with the anger of Nature unleashed, then disappears.

Instantly it appears on the rocky hillside, close to the near left corner of the tower. Without hesitation the dog quickly transforms into a huge multi-armed green cactus, towering over the giants and the watchtower itself. Jaszak bellows to the giants.

"The undead don't care if they fall but you do. RUN! or die here and lose your soul."

The enormous cactus strikes at the nearby death giant, to make his point.

http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/sand_gallery/87634.jpg
Free action (as blink dog): dimension door to O27
Move action: Fast Wild Shape into a Saguaro Sentinel (Sandstorm p181), occupying M25/O27
Standard: With 20' reach, natural strike

Attack: [roll0] Crit [roll1]
Damage: [roll2] Crit [roll3] Good/Magic
Touch of Golden Ice: Fort DC 14 or take [roll4] + (it's CHA mod) DEX damage now then 1 minute later: Fort DC 14 or take [roll5] + (it's CHA mod) DEX damage

AC: 43 (not counting -4 to hit me from Luminous Armor)
HP: 148/148

Attack = BAB 13 + STR 13 - Size 2 + 4 VoP

Damage: Base 3d6
Warshaper: increase size -> 4d6
Str +13
Sanctified: +1 to evil
I'm assuming my thorns are included in the base damage.

Spells:
Primal Instinct (+5 Init and Survival) (24 hours)
Primal Speed (+5 Resistance bonus to Reflex, +10' mvmt) (24 hours)
Primal bonus: Uncanny Dodge as Barbarian (retain dex when flat-footed)
Permanent Spell: Telepathic Bond with Calabus (any distance on same plane)
Enhance Wild Shape: +2 CON
Superior Resistance (+6 to all)
Beget Bogun
Greater Luminous Armor (AC +8, -4 for others to hit me)
Sheltered Vitality
Wind Walk: Me+5: Calabus, Ulzarus, Bandalore, Triad, Amrivir
Death Ward

Druid:
Immunities: poisons, magical aging, detect thoughts, discern lies, attempts to discern his alignment

Warshaper:
Immunities: Stun, Crits
+4 STR/Con
Morphic Weapons: larger natural weapons
Morphic Reach: +5' reach (20ft)
Morphic Healing: Fast Healing 2

VoP:
Freedom of Movement
Endure Elements
Damage Reduction: 5/evil
Regeneration: 1hp/level/hour
DR5/Evil
Ability Enhancement: +6 WIS +4 CON +2 CHA
Energy Resist 5: acid/cold/elect/fire/sonic
Exalted Strike: +4 attack/damage, as good/magic
Immunities: detect thoughts, discern lies, attempts to discern his alignment

Saguaro:
Thorns- natural attack on me takes 1d6 piercing
Tough Flesh- no extra damage from dehydration spells
DR 10/piercing

Plants:
Low-light vision.
Immunity to all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects).
Immunity to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, polymorph, and stunning.
Not subject to critical hits.
Plants breathe and eat, but do not sleep.

Feats:
Holy Radiance (bright to 10', undead take 1d4)
Sanctify Natural Attack (BoED p46) +1 damage to evil, +d4 to evil outsiders and evil undead
Touch of Golden Ice (DC 14 1d6/2d6 DEX)

Teamwork: Joint Grapple: with Calabus: Aid Other on Grapple check gives higher of +4 or STR mod (HoB)