Kingmaker in the Forgotten Realms [IC thread]

[BluesEclipse]

Korlann frowns as he sees the beast shake off his Ki, though the expression quickly turns into a grimace of pain as its jaws catch him, and the gash in his side proves enough to prevent him from rolling properly with the fall.

And then the boulder hits him, and everything goes white for a couple of moments, his mouth open in a silent cry of pain as the air is violently forced from his lungs.

Regaining his senses, and taking a couple of wheezing breaths, Korlann rolls over and pushes himself to his feet, turning a baleful gaze towards the giant. "That..." he pants out, "was entirely... unnecessary." Neither knowing nor caring whether their assailant heard him or not, he forces his battered body into motion, taking cover behind one of the large boulders nearby.

Spoiler: Mechanics

Show

Korlann stands from prone and moves to U15.

[Mercurion 2]

A horrible yowling arose next to Ruk’s ear as Dergosh turned his head skyward and screamed like a mountain tomcat. The cleric’s eyes briefly flashed yellow with slitted black pupils and his fingernails extended into sharp claws before retracting again. The cleric swung right around the boulder, sprinting into the field of battle with an unusual fluency of movement.

He expected to find the dire wolf’s flank exposed and its ribs a ripe target for a crushing blow from his thrumming mace. Instead he found Korlann sprawled on the ground with a good-sized chunk of rock still lying half across his chest. He grabbed the man’s hand to help him to his feet and gave him a push towards cover.

Finding himself suddenly alone in the open with an angry boulder-hurling giant, he eyed the huge figure with a lopsided grin on his scarred face, bellowing, “Hey! Ugly! You look like ingrown hair on goblin’s arse! Try to hit this!” he says waving both his mace and shield in the air.

Spoiler: Actions

Show

Dergosh casts cat’s grace on himself and moves right around the boulder. As the wolf wasn’t where he expected it to be, he would be inclined to take cover again as he worked himself into range of the giant, but seeing his ally sprawled on the ground there is no way he would have left him there. Having already cast a spell this round he can’t heal Korlann and can only help him to cover. He moves to R12 and bellows at the giant. AC improves to 18/14 FF/14 T from cat’s grace.

[Saintheart]

Hills, the Stolen Lands
Late night, Twenty-first of Kythorn, Year of Lightning Storms (1374 DR)

"Hurrrrrr." It was the first noise they'd heard from the hill giant (aside from the whistling of air past thrown boulders, that was). And it had certainly heard Dergosh. The sickly-looking creature had fixed its gaze on the half-orc, who was out in the open. It began to fumble for another rock, a hateful look in its eye...

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Welp, Dergosh has got its attention. Absent anything greatly more compelling happening this round, the next boulder is most likely coming your favourite Cler/barian's way.

[jdizzlean]

diseased giants, unruly wolves, and now rocks hurtling through the air. couldn't a girl just go for a nice relaxing walk once in awhile? if it's war they want, it's war they'll get. as he old instructor used to say, unleash hell!

with a gleam in her eye, and a snarl in her throat she follows that mantra. this wolf will learn that she is no easy meat.

Spoiler

Show

from the map, it looks like wolf is in the next square, so it's a fireburst. 5ft range, dc 18 REF for half

(5d8+3)[27]

a rolling explosion of fire roils outward, hopefully the smell of burned meat rolls back in.

[Saintheart]

Hills, the Stolen Lands
Late night, Twenty-first of Kythorn, Year of Lightning Storms (1374 DR)

Her indignation raging as much as the spell she intended on casting, Akara began to chant the words of the sp--

White teeth lashed in at her, and ripped at her arm. Pain burst through her existence, the red of blood quenching the fire she was summoning, and her concentration failed, the spell sputtering and dying.

Then she, too, found herself flying. Great drops of her blood fanned from her body.
For a second.
The dire wolf had thrown her into the air. And then there was the awful impact again as she struck the ground, prone, before the beast that snarled its rage and began to dip its maw towards her supine form...

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Tale of the tape:

Attack of Opportunity from Mr Wolf. 1d20+11 vs. AC 19. He rolled 12 for a total of 23, thus, hit. Damage = 1d8+10 = rolled 12 (13 before DR 1 was factored in.) This puts Akara at 13/25.
Concentration check to not lose the spell accordingly is DC 24. Concentration check at 1d20+8 = rolled 3. Total 11. Fail. Spell lost, no damage done.
Trip attack from wolf at +11: 19 total. +11 check vs. Akara's +4. Wolf rolls 4. Akara ... rolls a natural 1. Akara is tripped and now prone in her square. Mr Wolf sure looks like he'd like another bite.

[Mercurion 2]

Dergosh heard the kerfuffle occurring behind him and spared a moment to glance back over his shoulder in the midst of antagonizing the hill giant. He shook his head. Wooftooth spending battle on backs. He swiveled back to the giant and screamed at him again as the towering figure reached for another boulder. “Stop playing with rocks! Baby goblins play with rocks! You ugly and baby goblin??? Come get me!” he bellowed, throwing out his exposed chest.*

* Before throwing his shield back up when a rock comes his way

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Free action to yell loudly, which is Dergosh’s prime ability. Yes, he knows the giant is now focused in on him, which is his intention. Neither Korlann nor Three can afford to eat another rock at the moment, and he needs the entire clan on their feet and participating in the battle; this hopefully buys them time to heal a bit. He also wants to taunt the giant into moving towards him where everyone can reach him more easily.

[bcool999]

Kuros

Seeing Akara getting knocked to the ground with the wolf looming over her, Kuros rushes forth to assist. Weaving through scattered stones on the ground, Kuros closes the distance before raising his hammer high overhead and charging at the fell beast. "You will not hurt her Beast!" Kuros cries as his arms bulge grotesquely with the power he puts into the hammer dropping onto the Wolf's skull.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Very technical movement incoming.
Move action: Move from U6 to Q5 sidestepping around R5 to avoid the difficult terrain there (Path U6>T5>S5>R4>Q5)

Standard Action: I am going to go ahead and make this my Inspired Action (Inspiration lowered to 0 on sheet) calling on my Community ideal of looking out for each other. To get Advantage on this charge attack.
Charge from Q5>P4>O4>N3 Power attacking for -3 to hit +6 damage with hammer. Wolf will technically get Cover from this as Akara is in between my reach weapon and the wolf even if she is prone.
Attack: (1d20+8)[24] Crit threat on 28
Advantage: (1d20+8)[26] Crit threat on 28
Damage: (2d4+13)[18] Bludgeoning

Kuros' AC is reduced to 23.

[Saintheart]

Hills, the Stolen Lands
Late night, Twenty-first of Kythorn, Year of Lightning Storms (1374 DR)

The head of Kuros's hammer whistled in the night air ... and made a horrible sort of crunch as it caved the dire wolf's head in. The creature's snarl of rage cut off midway through, and the creature immediately crashed to the ground, dead.

[Zombulian]

Breathing a sigh of relief following Kuros’ dispatching of the dire wolf, Ruk decided it was time to point that many-armed manowar at the living artillery that Dergosh was currently taunting.
He darted out from behind his hiding place and scrambled up the field. He stopped and turned to the warrior, eyes fixated on his form and position. His pupils dilated. His eyes closed, his form vibrated and crackled momentarily, and then he was next to Akara.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Ruk moves to Q14 and makes use of one of his 3 daily uses of Benign Transposition.

[almondsAndRain]

Three was keeping her attention focused in the direction of the giant as she was directing the mules to hide behind boulders, so it would have been hard for her to not have seen what happened to Korlann. And even if she hadn’t been watching her friend be brutalized, she would have noticed the shadow of a large, snarling monster pass right over her wooden head. Moving the wagon further away from the wolf would probably have been the best short-term action she could have taken - but long-term, these monsters needed to be defeated if the Company is to survive.

The warforged tossed herself out of the wagon, fully prepared to aid Akara against the wolf - but Kuros got to it first, and did what Kuros does best. Three turned and ran around the rear of the wagon, avoiding the rocks on the ground to join her companions in a united front against the giant. One of her hands unleashed a purple glow as she began muttering the words of power for an infusion, and she placed it over the gaping wound in her chest. The splintered steel and wood grew outward, and the newly manifested materials snapped into place. It was almost as if she had never been hit at all.

She stopped moving not too far from the Company’s cleric, who had been doing what he did best too: being the loudest creature this side of Toril. He seemed to have pulled the giant’s attention long enough for Korlann to escape, and for Ruk to replace himself with Kuros. Three called out to the orc, confident that the Company had this victory all-but sealed with only one enemy remaining, “So, Dergosh! What trophy are you taking from the giant?”

Spoiler: Mechanics

Show

Free Action: She successfully performed a DC 20 Fast Dismount, putting her in 06.

Move Action: 5 ft to P5, 5 to Q6, then 25 more to Q10. So 35/35 movement speed is used up.

Standard Action: Three casts Repair Light Damage (Eberron Campaign Setting, 114) on herself, healing: (1d8+7)[8] points of damage. +4 from her caster level, +1 from her Infuse Self class feature, and +2 from her Charisma due to her Tools of War class feature.

Edit: Three is now at 16/19 Hit Points.

Notes: Three has two first level infusions remaining today.

[Mercurion 2]

“So, Dergosh! What trophy are you taking from the giant?”

"Not his manhood!" Dergosh taunted loudly to ensure the giant heard him. "It too small, like droopy, tiny worm!"

The cleric pointed his mace up at the giant and bellowed, "He too weak to come fight us! We have pig that fight better than you! That right, a pig!"

[Saintheart]

Hills, the Stolen Lands
Late night, Twenty-first of Kythorn, Year of Lightning Storms (1374 DR)

The death of his wolfen companion didn’t seem to have particularly distracted the hill giant. Nor did Ruk’s sending Kuros flickering across the field of battle in the blink of an eye. No, the giant’s eye was firmly on Dergosh, standing out in the open, and on Three who joined him.

And now he responded. The giant took a massive rock from his oversized sack, took another look at Dergosh, and then hurled the boulder with all his strength. The missile came screaming in at the half-orc, blasted his shield aside, and half-smashed the young cleric’s upper body. A distant, more numerical part of Dergosh’s brain registered that three of his ribs had been cracked. But the same part of his brain also decided it wasn’t a good idea to let his legs give out at that moment, and the half-orc managed to stay erect.

The giant started to look for another rock…

Spoiler: Tactical Map

Show

Spoiler: Tactical Notes

Show

Oh, boy. Hill giant rolls a natural 20, and then rolls a 16. Confirmed critical hit for 23 hitpoints of damage, which leaves Dergosh at 11/34 by my count. And he seems to be lining up for another one …

NB: The current map is slightly incorrect - Kuros should be sitting at Q14 rather than W11, but otherwise it should be as written. I'll correct the map when I get a chance...

Initiative Order:
Dergosh: +10 – 24 (11/38)
Akara: +8 - 13 (13/25)
Kuros: +4 – 11
Three: +9 – 10 (16/19)
Korlann: +3 – 9 (8/34)
Ruk: +0 – 7
Hill Giant – 4

[Zombulian]

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Kuros should be at Q14, not W11. Ruk moved before transpositioning.

[Mercurion 2]

“HA! Missed me!” Dergosh yelled, or tried to, as his taunt came out as more of a rasp due to one lung not inflating entirely properly. “Come’n get me!” he added as sauntered backwards, arms outstretched to the side, before tucking into cover beside Kuros. “That’ll teach him,” he wheezed to his companion. “Now we hit him from all sides when he get off big rock.”

Dergosh flexed his fingers in the shape of claws and Kuros heard the growl of an immense cave bear as a pair of 4-foot long claws briefly enveloped the cleric before turning to brittle black dust and falling to the ground.

Spoiler: Actions

Show

Move to cover at V10. Convert cause fear to CLW healing (1d8+3)[8] hit points. Note that his max hit points are 38 rather than 34.

[Saintheart]

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Max HP noted and the correct position of Kuros. I don't know how those got past...

[bcool999]

Kuros startles as he recovers from the teleportation, but then hones in on his enemy. With quick strides, Kuros makes his way to the foot of the boulder the Giant perches on.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Double move from Q14 to K18 only one square of difficult terrain by my reckoning so I can make it. Giant should be in reach of Kuros' Hammer though depending on how steep that boulder is he may have some form of cover. But if he has cover from Kuros, Kuros should have cover from him as well.

[jdizzlean]

that stupid wolf almost ruined her perfectly good armor. I mean, really, where was she supposed to find a smith out here to get these big stupid teeth marks out of the side, now here outfit is just a little bit off! RUDE! Rolling over, she sees its master in the distance, and on him she'll exact her revenge. With a twitch of her wings, she's off like a bullet, intent on dealing some damage.

Spoiler

Show

i can't find rules about this, so i'm going to go with it works, and you'll tell me if it doesn't. it normally takes a standard action to stand from prone. however, i'm not going to stand, but instead simply just go directly into flight and move to K15 which is 60 feet away, my move distance. that puts me in cover to this stupid giant. then i'll use my standard action that i've saved by not standing back there to attack w/ a spell.


ok then, stand up, then fly to k15 and hunker down for this round

---

* post roll count doesn't match database

[BluesEclipse]

Korlann takes a breath, pushing down the pain as he centers himself. Glancing out from his cover, he sees his allies moving into positions to better strike at the giant, and nods as he slips around the boulder towards the giant, positioning himself to hopefully strike at their foe from behind once Kuros engages it directly.

Spoiler: Mechanics

Show

Double move to O24.

[almondsAndRain]

Three’s original plan was to follow Dergosh behind the large boulder, perhaps taunting the giant into climbing down so that he could be swarmed by the Company. At the very least, without any viable targets, the giant may have preferred his chances with easier prey and left to find a lone wanderer or something. But she could not leave Kuros to fight that beast alone - the giant was strong, even for him.

The warforged took Kuros’ place against the boulder, hoping the boulder could intercept some of the giant’s rocks. Three brought her crossbow up and aimed at center mass. Hoping to keep the giant’s attention on herself rather than Kuros, as he would be vulnerable while climbing to reach the giant, she yelled out: “Hey, ugly! I owe you a chest wound!”

Spoiler: Mechanics

Show

Move Action: Three moves to Q14.

Standard Action: Three attacks the giant with her +1 Light Crossbow.

Attack Roll: (1d20+6)[18].

This threatens a critical on a 19 or 20, so a rolled 25 or 26.
+1 from the enchantment, +3 from her Dexterity, +2 from her Base Attack Bonus.

Critical Confirmation Roll: (1d20+6)[8].
Damage: (1d8+1)[4]

+1 from the enchantment.

Critical Damage: (1d8+1)[2]

Notes: Three has 34 bolts remaining.

[Zombulian]

The company was now on the offensive. Ruk scrambled to a new hiding place, closer to the giant, hoping to coordinate with the party in a dogpile.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Ruk moves to D11.

[Saintheart]

Hills, the Stolen Lands
Late night, Twenty-first of Kythorn, Year of Lightning Storms (1374 DR)

Three’s shot went buzzing into the giant’s hip, but it barely seemed to notice. That said, the creature’s wound was definitely bleeding, and it didn’t seem to have anything in the way of magical healing.

Kuros had closed with it, and that seemed to occupy the giant’s attention. A misshapen smile seemed to come across its face, and it eschewed reaching for any further boulders. Instead, it reached to a leather-wrapped handle over its shoulder with one fleshy fist, gripped it, and pulled.

The weapon came out from a shortened sheath. It glinted in the moonlight, a solid seven feet of steel that rose high into the night air, tapering off like some oversized machete. And the giant swung it with all its strength at Kuros’s head below…
…who parried it with the handle of his Lucerne hammer, a great clang of noise ricocheting off the boulders like a belfry had been startled into action.

Spoiler: Three

Show

Well, that was strange. Her files had registered a match on the weapon … as a Greatcleaver, the preferred melee weapon of a sentient plant-type race known as the Cactacae. The problem being that the Cactacae existed on another plane, one that Eron’s files had listed as the world of Bas-Lag, a parallel one where the technology was … different. Darker.

Either way, the question was immediately obvious: what in the Nine Hells was it doing here, and why did a giant have it?

Spoiler: Tactical Map

Show

Spoiler: Tactical Notes

Show

Greatcleaver, 2d8 damage, 20/x3 critical hit range, Two-handed exotic melee weapon with Reach, slashing damage.

Giant takes a swing and a miss.

Initiative Order:
Dergosh: +10 – 24 (19/38)
Akara: +8 - 13 (13/25)
Kuros: +4 – 11
Three: +9 – 10 (16/19)
Korlann: +3 – 9 (8/34)
Ruk: +0 – 7
Hill Giant – 4

[Mercurion 2]

Dergosh shook his head, sauntered up behind Three, and crossed his arms, waiting to see if any further Wolftooth would end up on their backs and require his attentions.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Move to the square south of Three, in cover

[jdizzlean]

Gremlins, Wolves, Giants, messed up outfits! It was enough to make Akara see red. Shifting her body around the boulder, she points a finger at the giant and unleashes a bolt of fire straight at it, before ducking back into cover.

Spoiler

Show

ok, NOW its time for a scorching ray

ranged touch
(1d20+8)[18] for (4d6+3)[16] fire

[bcool999]

Seeing the Giant move from ranged attacks to melee, Kuros backs off a small distance and attempts to harry the giant with arrows.

Spoiler: Ooc

Show

Not sure if it gets me out of reach but will five foot step to J17 and fire my bow at the giant. Ac is 25 vs potential AOO

Attack: (1d20+9)[23] (+1 point blank, +4 bab, +4 dex) crit on roll of 29
Damage: (1d8+3)[9] (+2 bow str limit, +1 Point blank)

Crit confirm: (1d20+9)[18]
Crit damage: (2d8+6)[12]

[almondsAndRain]

The warforged’s beak-like mouth clanked shut repeatedly out of frustration. The first source of frustration was simple: Three may as well have been a mosquito for all the good her bolts would do against this thing, and she didn’t have it in her to rush another Augment Personal Weapon infusion so soon after her last. At least Kuros and Akara seemed to be having better luck in that regard.

The second source of her frustration was the weapon the giant was wielding. Another object from yet another plane of existence? Perhaps it was simply coincidence or perhaps it had great implications - whichever it was, she didn’t have time to think on it just now.

Three began the somewhat arduous effort of reloading her crossbow (she really should have just put forth the effort to learn how to use a simpler ranged weapon) and called out to her allies, who seemed to be giving the beast a run for its money: “Good! Keep the pressure up!” She raised her weapon back to eye-level and launched another bolt.

Spoiler: Mechanics

Show

Move Action: Three reloads her +1 Light Crossbow.

Standard Action: Three attacks the giant with her +1 Light Crossbow.
Attack Roll: (1d20+6)[23].
This threatens a critical on a 19 or 20, so a rolled 25 or 26.
+1 from her enchantment, +3 from her Dexterity, +2 from her Base Attack Bonus.
Critical Confirmation Roll: (1d20+6)[15]
Damage: (1d8+1)[7].
+1 from her enchantment.
Critical Damage: (1d8+1)[9]

Notes: Three has 33 bolts remaining.

[Zombulian]

With Kuros now fully engaging the giant in melee, Ruk started the work of trying to sneak up on the great beastly thing.
He darted out from behind the rock, keeping low, and moving only when he knew he wasn’t being watched.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Ruk takes a double move at half speed to D16.
Hide: (1d20+11)[12]
+8 size modifier (small size + slight build)
+3 racial modifier (Black Heritage Dragonwrought)

[BluesEclipse]

Korlann frowns, watching the motions of the giant as best he can, and looking at the wall ahead of him. Nodding, he takes a deep breath, focusing his senses as best he can before attempting to scramble up the boulder, still keeping an eye out for any attacks that might come his way.

Spoiler: Mechanics

Show

Korlann is using Total Defense to bring his AC up to 18, and attempting to climb the boulder to reach N24.

Climb Check (at -5 for Accelerated Climbing to make the entire climb in one move action): (1d20)[3]

[Saintheart]

Hills, the Stolen Lands
Late night, Twenty-first of Kythorn, Year of Lightning Storms (1374 DR)

The giant’s mouth opened in an angry arc of jagged and uneven teeth, a roar of pain escaping its body as crossbow bolt, arrow, and bolts of flame sank into it from Three, Kuros, and Akara. Even from fifteen feet out, Kuros could smell its stinking breath.

It might have been a hill giant, and thus with all the species’ reputation for stupidity, but one didn’t get to being this ancient by being that stupid. The hill giant took a second to glance around the rock, looking for some form of cover.

And it spotted Korlann, trying and somewhat badly failing to climb the boulder to engage with it.

It grinned. And decided to oblige the young monk. The giant thumped across the top of the boulder, jumping off the rock and landing with a massive thump to the monk’s left. It was now squarely between the monk and his friends. And it unloaded a fast strike with the massive bar of sharpened metal it was holding.

Superb reflexes and all the training from the monastery kicked in, and Korlann got his head under the blow. The slipstream of the blow ruffled his hair, and there was a CRACK loud enough to wake the dead as the weapon caught the boulder instead, sparks shooting from the impact. A part of Korlann coolly noted that the weapon didn’t seem to have been damaged from the impact with the stone … even as the giant raised it, ready to strike again …

Spoiler: Tactical Map

Show

Spoiler: Tactical Notes

Show

Barely a miss from the giant there, Korlann going on the defensive was the only thing that kept him from eating seven foot of steel.

The giant’s position means it presently has cover from ranged attacks from Akara, Kuros and Three.

Initiative Order:
Dergosh: +10 – 24 (19/38)
Akara: +8 - 13 (13/25)
Kuros: +4 – 11
Three: +9 – 10 (16/19)
Korlann: +3 – 9 (8/34)
Ruk: +0 – 7
Hill Giant – 4

[Mercurion 2]

Feeling the thud on the ground as the giant leapt off his boulder, Dergosh moved out from behind the rock overhang, rounded the corner to see the giant and his huge weapon as he began to collect himself for another swing. The half-orc took a huge breath and roared, “DROP!”, a nearly visible sound wave rushing out of his rather sizable mouth.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Move to N16 and cast command. That is a DC 15 Will save or the giant drops his weapon on his turn and cannot pick it up until his following turn.

[Saintheart]

Hills, the Stolen Lands
Late night, Twenty-first of Kythorn, Year of Lightning Storms (1374 DR)

The giant flinched as palpable waves of sound hit it.

And in particular, its fingers flinched - and its Greatcleaver thumped to the ground. The giant looked at it rather stupidly.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Dergosh's spell takes effect and it drops its weapon!