The Winds of Oblivion

[Pent]

Spoiler: that was a perception check

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I swear today has not been my day.

[DeathbyFlossing]

Grunting from the pain, Storms pops a potion and assesses the situation.

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potion of CLW (1d8+1)[3], Perception check (1d20+11)[31]

[DeathbyFlossing]

Storms digs deep into his power pouring it around himself in an aura aligning him toward Good. He then speaks in a terrible voice, saying NONE SHALL HARM THE CREW OF THIS SHIP.

Spoiler

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Storms spends 1 spell point and uses the Hallow talent of the Fate Sphere, Aligning himself toward Good and gaining a +1 sacred bonus on attack rolls, AC, and saving throws agains Evil opponents for 3 minutes. He also gains immunity to mind influencing effects originating from evil opponents (basically a protection from evil effect.) he then casts the Judgement talent of he Fate Sphere, creating a 20-foot radius sphere around him where a specific action is required of prohibited. In this case, he prohibited harming the crew of the apparition. He is casting the latter through concentration, up to 3 minutes. He can also spend a spell point to have it last for three minutes without concentrating.he also takes 1 point of non-lethal damage and must make a dc 11 save to avoid addiction.

[DeathbyFlossing]

Spoiler

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forgot to actually roll the save. Fortitude save DC 10 (1d20+9)[18]

[AlphaLuke]

The fire engulfs Storms. He shuts his eyes against the flash. Feels the scorching of his skin. Smells his hair burning. For a moment, his mind stops. His heart races. He wants to run. He remembers fire. The Cinderlands. The screams. He squashes the instinct to flee. Instead, he intones words of power that wash over the crew around him. Golden red energy swathes the area around him in protective light. Scar-eye roars nearby and rushes to the side of his master.

The bloodrager quaffs a potion to heal the most minor of his burns. Then, he looks around. The fire continues to fall. The thundercloud looms closer and closer. And no enemy is yet visible.

Spoiler

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Storms, you are currently under the effect of your Burned Drawback.

When you use the Judgement talent, anyone trying to defy your Judgement gets a Will save. Please provide that DC.

Zeph sees the stormcloud spitting gobs of molten death in great, horrible arcs. He hears the screams of crewmen and the scrambling for weapons. He smells the ozone and burnt sulfur in the wind. He notices the wind, still blowing against the onrushing thundercloud. An impossibility. Thunderheads follow the wind. This is an illusion. A massive illusions behind anything he's ever seen, but an illusion nonetheless. That means that there's a source. A caster. Zeph's mind's eye opens to the flows of magic. It nearly blinds him but he's able to divine the weft and weave of the magical eddies swirling around him. The fire is magic. The stormcloud is magic. The ship is magic.

And the dragon flying toward them through the storm is magic.

[Pent]

That illusory thunderhead is preventing the crew of the Apparition from engaging properly. Zeph can help!

Zeph casts Dispel Magic at the illusory thunderhead.

Spoiler: Dispel check

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Just a caster level check, right? (1d20+6)[15]

[AlphaLuke]

Zeph fires a bolt of disruptive energy into the thunderhead. It fizzles, unable to overcome the magic.

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Failed dispel check. Having interacted with the illusion, Zeph is entitled to a Spellcraft check to determine the spell and see what could possibly counter it.

[Pent]

Zeph peers deeper into the invisible swirls of magic to see how the illusion can be countered.

Spoiler

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SPELLCRAFT (1d20+11)[27]

[AlphaLuke]

Zeph sees the subtle weavings of a Major Image, stretched thin and broad. The spell is relatively common, but the caster has shown only the front of the thunderhead and thus increased its efficacy against the Apparition in Time. From only slightly to the side, the illusion would be quite useless. Additionally, from his memory of Illusions courses at the Arcanamirium, image spells react poorly to being struck. No crewman has opened fire on the thunderhead because one doesn't shoot clouds. But, if attacks, the figment would vanish and the true enemy would be revealed.

[Pent]

"Captain!" Zeph yells as he points at their enemy. "That thunderhead is an illusion! One shot should be enough to dispel it!"

[AlphaLuke]

Captain Morales turns those ember eyes towards the cloud. He doesn't question Zeph. Not even for an instant.

"Mournholdt! Main guns! Target the cloud!"

"Aye, Sir!" Mournholdt shouts back, though his voice is rather muted by his helm. "About starboard! Prepare for broadside!"

Archie pulls a hard turn and shows the Apparition's broadside to the coming storm. Four thick guns sit on the starboard side of the main deck.

"FIRE!"

What happens next is an orchestra of pure violence.

The four guns are too loud. Zeph has heard cannon before, and more than four, but these are thunderclaps directly next to his ear. Their report shears the air even as their heavy shot shears into the cloud. And the cloud dissipates! It unravels like some great tapestry. On the other side, a dragon flies straight for the Apparition. The beast's scales are a dull reddish purple, the color of a fresh bruise. Astride its back, a rider prepares to hurl another flaming sphere at the ship.

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Now we can roll initiative. The dragon ain't landing yet so there's no need for a battlemap.

[Pent]

Spoiler: Zeph initiative

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Zeph initiative (1d20+7)[11]

[DeathbyFlossing]

Spoiler

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the save for Judgement is 15, FYI. Initiative roll (1d20)[20]

[DeathbyFlossing]

Storms-as-He-Walks gathers power in his hands, preparing to unleash a blast of energy the second his target comes in range.

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Storms readies an action to cast the Crafted Blast talent at the dragon’s rider as soon as said rider is within 60 ft.

[AlphaLuke]

Storms draws a bead on the dragon rider, waiting for him to come in range of his magic. First Officer Kalinda shouts orders to soldiers rushing to and fro, but they're lost in the din of battle and the roar of gunfire. Mournholdt leads the gunnery teams, shouting at them to reload faster and aim for the dragon. Archie turns the Apparition about, letting Mournholdt's port-side cannons get their shots. They crack with the same ferocity of the starboard salvo, but this time they're aiming at something. They fire in a measured sequence, rangefinding and leading their target. Still, it's a dragon on the wing 200 feet away. All four shots hit nothing but air. The order to reload is given. The Captain climbs the aftcastle to stand near Archie. He places his hand on the pilot's shoulder and speaks calmly into his ear.

The dragon roars and flies straight for the Apparition. Its rider tosses another flaming boulder at the deck, sending deckhands sprawling and screaming. The dragon unleashes its breath, strafing the ship. It breathes a cone of rippling gas down to the deck. Men and women begin to choke and cough as the gas pushes the breathable air away.

Desperately attempting to concentrate, Storms unleashes his blast.

Spoiler

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Storms and Zeph both need to make Fort saves. If either of you try to cast, you'll need to make concentration checks.

Roll your ranged attack roll, Storms. After it's resolved, it'll be Zeph's turn.

[Pent]

Spoiler: Zeph fort save

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Fort save - (1d20+6)[7]

[DeathbyFlossing]

Storms struggles to work through the pain and get his spell off.

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Fort Save (1d20+9)[24], and casts Crafted blast for 1 spell point, taking 1 non lethal damage and a dc 13 Fort save to avoid magic addiction (1d20+9)[25]. Ranged touch attack roll (1d20+3)[20] and as it is a Crafted blast, I substitute Slashing damage for the default bludgeoning and treat all rolls of 1 or 2 in damage dice as 3s, so I will roll the damage dice separately: (1d6)[3], (1d6)[5]

[DeathbyFlossing]

Spoiler

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also since I don’t think I mentioned it, the destructive blast power of the destruction sphere, which Crafted blast is an enhancement of, has bypassing dr/magic as a basic feature. Just in case that’s relevant.

[AlphaLuke]

Storms-as-he-walks muscles through the gaseous attack, holding his breath and grunting out the final words of power to unleash his destructive blast. Blades of translucent power rip through the air in front of Storms' outstretched hand and tear into the rider atop the dragon. A shout and a spray of blood, but the rider stays astride his dread mount.

Zeph sees the dragon flying overhead and gasps involuntarily . . . exactly when the dragon breathes out a choking cloud of gas onto the main deck. Zeph gets a lungful of something cloying and thick. Something that sucks every breath out of his muscles. Other crewmen cough and choke. Zeph flounders.

Spoiler

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Zeph, you unfortunately crit failed your save. You are Sickened for (1d6+1)[7] rounds. Sickened: The character takes a –2 penalty on all attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks.

It's your turn. The dragon and it's rider are 60ft away on the starboard side of the ship.

[Pent]

Oh my gods I'm dying! Zeph tries to get good air into his lungs.

It's not working too well.

Finally he's able to get a good breath. As he does he tries to remember what he knows about this kind of dragon.

Spoiler: Kn Arcana

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(1d20+8)[19]

[Pent]

Spoiler: need coffee

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Kn arcana roll = 17. Didn't see that sickened affected skill checks too.

[AlphaLuke]

Zeph catches a glimpse of the beast as it wings over the deck of the ship. Ventral ridge, webbed toes, fluked tail frill. But the color's wrong. And . . . no, it can't be. All Zeph's years of schooling tell him that this should be a Bronze Dragon. But Bronze Dragons aren't bruise colored terrors. They don't wantonly attack unprovoked and they aren't evil creatures who's breath draws the oxygen out of one's lungs. Still, this creature has the anatomy of a Bronze, even if it's phenotypically distinct.

Spoiler

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Skill check result too low to find any useful vulnerability or ability info. But, you are able to determine that this dragon is unlike anything you've seen in any book you've read thus far.

Based on a very general assessment, Zeph can recall that Bronze Dragons are immune to electricity, paralysis, & sleep.

[Pent]

Zeph is ill prepared for this dragon. But he can make the ship safer for those can hurt it. Zeph pushes a blast of wind through the deck of the Apparition to clear the deadly vapor.

Spoiler

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Zeph casts Gust of Wind

[Pent]

Spoiler: Concentration check

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(1d20+12)[25]

if Sickened affects concentration checks, subtract 2.

[AlphaLuke]

Zeph muscles through the intense pain in his lungs and the fits of coughing to thrust both hands out in an arcane gesture. The winds obey his command and he sends a massive gale of wind howling across the deck to clear away the poisonous air. The crewmen cease their choking and hurriedly begin to get back to their stations.

Spoiler

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Zeph's Gust of Wind spell has cleared the hazard form the deck of the ship. Due to his crit failure, he still maintains the sickened condition for (1d4)[2] rounds.

Storms' turn.

[AlphaLuke]

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Nevermind, Storms delayed his action. My turn.

[AlphaLuke]

Kalinda recovers from the choking gas quickly and rushes to the starboard gunwale. She begins to help Lictor Mournholdt with the gunnery teams, aiding the teams to reload their guns as quickly as possible. She orders the crews to load chain-shot. Mournholdt rises from the deck a fair bit slower than his first officer. Still, he croaks out orders to his gunnery teams and drops his shadowy sword. It dissipates into black smoke before it hits the deck. Replacing it, Mounholdt conjures a smoky javelin, long and wickedly barbed. His helmed gaze turns toward the dragon and its rider. Archie yells from the aftcastle, which was thankfully unaffected by the gaseous attack of the dragon's strafing run. "Transferring power to the starboard aegis! Looping for feedback! Prepare for another strafe, lads! Heads on a swivel!" He spins the helm, and pulls several levers, Captain still at his side.

The Starboard guns crack in a ripple of thunder. The whirring drone of spinning chain shot sounds unlike anything Storms or Zeph have ever heard before. Like monstrous wasps streaking toward their target. Three out of the four shots hit empty air, but one well-aimed crew manages to hit its target. The chain shears through dragonflesh like a hot sword through butter, amputating one of the great beast's wings with a visceral spray of blood. It immediately begins to falter and flail through the air, losing altitude. A great cheer issues from the crew.

The Captain, for his part, seems to be assisting his pilot, pulling levers and reading out the instrumentation measurements. As the dragon falls, he follows its descent with his glowing eyes. "She's not dead yet, men! Mister Archelos! Dive and pursue! Finish her off!"

"Aye sir! Diving! All Hands, BRACE!" Men and women hurriedly grasp ropes and gunwales as Archie takes the Apparition in Time into a stomach-floating dive.

The dragon roars and cries as it falls, it's rider still firmly attached to the riding harness. The Apparition gains upon the creature as it dives under more power than the embrace of gravity. The rider is seen weaving some kind of magic, infusing the mount with sickly purple energy. Mournholdt takes his shot, throwing his javelin with practiced precision. The shadow weapon leaves a black smoke trail as it streaks toward its target. Then, it buries itself in the back of the rider, sending a mist-fine spray of blood trailing behind the falling mage. The rider seems extremely injured, but still maintains enough strength to remain saddled.

Spoiler

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The dragon and rider took a chain shot care falling. The Apparition in Time is diving after, 30ft away. Acrobatics skill checks or Reflex saves are needed to brace for the quick dive without warning. Zeph, you can avoid the brace altogether by making a Fly check if you want to take to the skies. Casting while in this dive requires a concentration check for vigorous motion (DC 10 + the level of the spell you’re casting) or lose the spell.

Storms' turn. Then Zeph's. You all are about 4 rounds of falling from the water's surface if that's relevant info.

[Pent]

Zeph feels a familiar, and not unwelcome lurch in his gut as the Apparition begins a dramatic dive. Zeph instinctively uses his flight ability to keep with the Apparition without losing his footing.

[DeathbyFlossing]

Storms lurches as the ship suddenly begins to dive, flailing for a handhold.

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reflex save (1d20+2)[11] to catch himself in the dive.

[AlphaLuke]

Storms is just barely able to grab a loose rope and halt his fall.