True Heroes, IC

[Prehysterical]

"I feel that the enemy is not above raising their own dead to head off a second assault. Is there any way that you can consecrate the area around the temple? Also, I have heard that some priests are capable of walling off enemies with pure light. Is such a thing possible?"

Spoiler: Mechanics

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I was thinking the consecrate and wall of good spells if no one else has any suggestions.

[GameSpawn]

The ranger leads Hyacinth along a path until they reach a fallen tree where a wounded man, presumably the man they've been trailing. He doesn't appear to have seen them.

Spoiler

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I'll allow you to do masterwork grant bonuses to 2 (or more) skills if such an item exists in a source book somewhere, otherwise one skill per craft. Does that sound reasonable?

The priestess nods, "We can certainly consecrate the ground...I will have to pray and consider the wall of light."

Spoiler

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I'm afb right now and for the next 3 months with regards to the SpC. On that note, sorry for the delay in posting. I've been busy moving/doing things related to moving.

[Qwertystop]

Hyacinth cautiously raises a crossbow and fires for the man's ankle, aiming to cripple him for easier capture.

Spoiler: Crunch

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Crafting a Heavy Crossbow, with +1 and Seeking. Single shot according to given rules (-2 for aiming to cripple, against +4 AC for size, +1 to hit because of point-blank shot).

Attack: (1d20+17)[23]
Damage: (1d6+2)[4]

Hide check with -20, to hide after sniping.
(1d20+8)[16]

[GameSpawn]

After pausing for a moment, the priestess shakes her head as if to clear her eyes, "Oh, yes, actually. A wall of light. That should be possible, but not as something permanent; it would last less than 2 hours."

Hyacinth's bolt finds a home in the man's ankle and he goes down. Spinning around he looks at her and glares, "What? From the temple?" He starts to hobble away, then appears to give up and draws a knife, raising it as if prepared to attack, but not actually making a move to do so.

[Prehysterical]

"Is there any way that your priests can have the spell prepared to drop at command? I fear that doing so immediately will only cause them to delay their plans. We want to catch them off-guard so that we can put an end to this."

[Qwertystop]

Hyacinth ignores the man's question and calls softly to the ranger, but looking past the man instead of towards her - "You did bring rope, right?"

If he is distracted, she attempts to hide again, still covering him with her crossbow.

Spoiler: Crunch

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Bluff check to create diversion to hide: (1d20+12)[23]
Hide check: (1d20+28)[36]
Move Silently check, if moving is required to hide: (1d20+24)[42]

[GameSpawn]

The priestess nods slowly, "Only a few of our priests can cast such a spell, but it should be possible for those that do."

The ranger flushes, "Er. No, actually. Just a few feet; not enough to tie a person up."

When Hyacinth fakes, her query looks away, and she's able to conceal herself once more.

[Qwertystop]

Hyacinth barely suppresses a groan - at the ranger for not bringing any equipment, at herself for forgetting that other people need to do that.

She sneaks over to her ally, manifests a long spool of rope, hands one end to her, and tries to sneak around to be opposite their quarry.

Spoiler: Crunch

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Not much here. 50' of hemp rope is 10', so that's still within a light load. Then it's just movement and Hide and Move Silently checks. Not sure if you want more than one for this, so here's two of each.
I no longer have a crossbow shaped, just the rope and the sneaking tools. Wish I could get silk rope, but I didn't think to put points in Use Rope and you need that to make skill tools.

Hide (1d20+28)[31]
Move Silently (1d20+24)[43]
Hide (1d20+28)[33]
Move Silently (1d20+24)[26]

EDIT: Crossposting this edit from OOC: Ooh, posted and then realized a problem. "To manifest a tool or skill kit, you must have at least 1 rank in its associated skill." Does this include basic things (hemp rope), or only the masterwork-tool version (silk rope)? Leaving the post up but will delete if this invalidates it.

[Prehysterical]

The paladin nods. "Have them ready. I shall go check on the rearguard."

[GameSpawn]

The priest nods at the Paladin's words, "We will be able to prepare these spells come tomorrow."

The ranger marvels for a moment as Hyacinth produces a rope out of nowhere, and holds on to her end tightly, as if eager to avoid making another mistake. As Hyacinth sneaks around her target, he keeps his eyes aimed at her old location, apparently not noticing her movement. When Hyacinth moves, the ranger has to move slightly to keep the rope from becoming obvious, but their quarry seems oblivious to this as well.

[Qwertystop]

Hyacinth, abandoning stealth, flies up a bit and rushes back across at an angle and back to the ranger, looping the rope around their target. "Come on, then!"

Spoiler: OOC

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I've no idea what rolls I should make for this... none? Stealth to move to a position where rushing back across would actually loop it around him? Something to hold onto the rope?

[Prehysterical]

The paladin skulks to the back of the temple, where Dirt and the other refugees stand guard. "What do you make of all this, landforged? Do our enemies yet gather strength? Surely, this is not all that they have to muster."

[GameSpawn]

Dirt considers for a minute before answering, "I have seen some I believe to be agents of the mistress in this area that were not part of this attack party. Whether they will gather for another assault now or later I cannot say, but I cannot imagine her abandoning this area entirely."

Hyacinth succeeds in looping her shadowy rope around the man, and the ranger keeps a hold on her end. The man apparently startled by Hyacinth's sudden appearance attempts to pull himself out of the rope.

Spoiler

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Hyacinth make an opposed strength check. The ranger is stronger than you, so you'll actually be helping her in rules terms, even though in IC terms, it's the other way around.

[GameSpawn]

Hyacinth and her ally are unable to hold their target against his will, and pulls out of the rope, which Hyacinth's ally drops. He slashes at Hyacinth with his dagger, but she dodges without much difficulty.

[Prehysterical]

"Is there anything that you can do to make the area more defensible? I feel that, as things stand, we are exposed to the next attack. The next time they come, magic will be at work."

[Qwertystop]

Hyacinth returns to the ranger's side. "Right. Crippled, but still a lot bigger than me. You have any ideas? I'd prefer to have someone to interrogate... but we do need to make this quick." She rubs her hands together as she speaks, and lots of little black knives and needles and other sharp things fall out like dust.

[GameSpawn]

Dirt nods slowly, "I can make the plants surrounding here grow lush and difficult to penetrate, or for a short time I could make them thorny or entangling. There are perhaps other magics I can employ if I have time to prepare."

The ranger pulls a pair of saps out of her cloak, then looks questioningly at Hyacinth, "Beat him up?"

The man shrinks back a bit, as if unsure about the odds after the pairs display.

[Qwertystop]

"That works. Just give me a moment to get a... more suitable bow.

She ducks back into the undergrowth, and the shadows twist around her for a moment before vanishing into a new pair of crossbows, with bolts as slim and sharp as needles, and a bead of liquid poised on each tip.

Spoiler: Crunch

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Moving into "darkness or shadowy illumination" unobserved by the opponent to use Whisper in the Night to change out Magebane for Merciful in my prepared augments. Hide check if it's necessary to be unobserved (1d20+28)[35], then Whisper removes the concealment for a round. Releasing the Hide and Move Silently tools after that, to replace them with the two +1 Corrosive Merciful Light Crossbows.

The acid may be nonlethal, but I expect it's quite painful.

Total action count if it matters: Enough to get unobserved plus a Swift and several Frees. Probably a round unless this is a bad roll.

[Prehysterical]

The paladin nods. "Do what you can. Let us keep the foliage simple. I would rather slow their progress than briefly damage them. This is where we need them to get impatient and show what their true plan is."

[GameSpawn]

Their target doesn't wait for Hyacinth to act, and slashes at her as soon as she starts to reply. His blade cuts deep into her, but her unnatural defenses absorb most of his attack.

The ranger responds by slapping him with the flats of her sickles. Both her attacks connect, and he growns under the impact. Hyacinth succeeds in slinking out of view. The man slashes at the ranger's leg, and she gasps sharply as his attack draws blood. He turns and begins to limp away. The ranger slashes at him as he retreats, and rushes after him to attack again, but misses both times.

Spoiler

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You take 7 Damage minus your DR. It's your turn and you're hidden.

Back at the temple, Dirt nods in agreement and seems to smile slightly at the paladin's request. He walks out of the temple and begins speaking softly to the plants surrounding the temple. The paladin can see them start to grow thick, and difficult to navigate.

Spoiler

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He's casting plant growth, in case it wasn't obvious.

[Qwertystop]

"Right, then" - Hyacinth snaps her fingers, and the shadows she casts on herself congeal into some small defenses - "you've had your hit, you've bled me, now let's get on with the hostage-taking, all right? The more you run, the less I'll make it easy for you."

Tiny, glistening needles fly out from her bows, each with its drop of condensed pain.

Spoiler: Crunch

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Swift action to make (masterwork) Padded Armor. Which is just +1 AC, but any other armor would actually be less effective.

Full attacking with Rapid Shot.
Attack: (1d20+12)[17]
Damage: (1d4+1)[4] piercing + (1d6)[1] acid + (1d6)[6] whatever Merciful does, all nonlethal.

Attack: (1d20+12)[15]
Damage: (1d4+1)[5] piercing + (1d6)[3] acid + (1d6)[3] whatever Merciful does, all nonlethal.

Attack: (1d20+12)[32]
Damage: (1d4+1)[3] piercing + (1d6)[5] acid + (1d6)[3] whatever Merciful does, all nonlethal.

[GameSpawn]

Though Hyacinth's first two shots go wide, her third collides with her target, and he falls to the ground in an unconscious heap.

[Prehysterical]

Unable to think of any other ideas for the landforged, the paladin nods approvingly and sets off to find the warlock dragonforged.

[Qwertystop]

"Oh."

"That was simpler than expected."


"You carry him back, I'll keep these ready if he wakes up?"

[GameSpawn]

The Paladin finds the warlock examining one of their fallen foes. He looks up when the Paladin approaches, apparently having come to terms with the sudden plant growth surrounding him.

The ranger nods and scoops up their unconscious foe, "Perhaps he had already been injured in the previous fight?" she suggests.

[Qwertystop]

Hyacinth keeps her bows trained on him, says "I suppose," and begins to go back.

[Prehysterical]

"Have you found out anything useful," the paladin asks.

[GameSpawn]

The warforged nods, "I found several magical items, although I've yet to examine them fully." He pulls out a piece of paper, along with a lock of light blond hair. "I also find these on their leader. The paper seems to describe a sort of magical ritual. I do not believe the hair relates to the ritual, however."

The ranger hefts the unconscious man over her shoulders, and makes her way after Hyacinth, stumbling under the weight, but not complaining. As the duo approaches the temple, they see the result of Dirt's magic, with thick vegetation surrounding the formerly clear area.

[Qwertystop]

"Well, that's new. Can you get through carrying him, you think? Or should I go ahead and get someone out here to help carry?"

[GameSpawn]

The ranger pauses to catch her breath. Looking up, she moves as if to wipe the sweat out of her eyes before realizing she's using both her arms already, "I'll *huff* manage," she pants.