I too am wondering why everyone was throwing out their daily powers against our current foes. A strong wind would be able to kill off all the old guys. I am waiting for the real bad guys to show up and turn this into... Can Dextyr Keep All These Strikers Alive???
Mikara, you don't get Prime Shot since Blade is closer to the target than you are - not that it matters, you'd hit anyway.
All of you - KenHood suggested using non-lethal damage, but Mikara and Blade didn't actually mention whether they were using lethal or non-lethal. I'll always assume lethal unless you say otherwise.
I'll update later tonight - you've got until then to edit your actions if you did want to use non-lethal damage or anything.
Mikara's mood for her targets is irrelevant at this point. This is her rationale (remember this is OOC, so the PCs might not necessarily come to this conclusion):
Her targets are human, and the house is made of dead wood. This immediately gives them a minus on her list of darwinian candidates. This alone, however, is not the reason for her action.
She feels committed to the kill. If she lets these two escape, they might be the reason that others come. Let them go, and they talk. Kill them, and they are silent. The human factor just makes the decision more emotionless in her mind. Old or young, she feels they must die because the fight has begun. End it, and it ends. Stop halfway, and it protracts.
Sorry guys. I thought this one over long and hard. I know that Mikara will get a tongue-lashing from the rest of the group, but I think the argument would be a cool RP, while the fallout will be a cool challenge.
Rest assured that she will not run from whatever comes.
P.S. I had a confrontation like that on my last adventure when Kamotz (CaBaNa) attacked a tree. It was fun.
Sorry to miss that - when I went back to check, I only read the mechanics instead of reading the fluff again, and then I didn't look closely at the text of the link since I figured it was just a link...
Mikara's first arrow impales one of the fleeing old men, and he collapses into the underbrush with a ragged cry. His companion turns to see him fall, and his face contorts in an expression of stark terror. His breath becomes ragged and laboured and he suddenly clutches at his chest in pain; he is already sinking to his knees when Mikara's second arrow catches him through the throat and hurls him backwards into the trees.
XP!
Marglespat Applethorpe (L1 Minion) = 25 XP
4 Sycophants (L1 Minion) = 4x25 XP
Total: 125 XP, or 25 XP each
Major Quest completed: Kill Marglespat Applethorpe = 500 XP, or 100 XP each
Time XP: June 25 to July 24 = 1 month, 83 XP each
Along with the Punch Brothers XP I awarded earlier, but which hasn't been certified yet, that gives:
Dextyr: 208 XP + 50 XP = 258 XP
Blade: 208 XP
Tristan: 208 XP + 25 XP = 233 XP
Mikara: 208 XP + 25 XP = 233 XP
Tonk: 208 XP + 50 XP = 258 XP
Treasure!
1 month's time gold = 63 gp each
(You can still search the cabin and the bodies for more treasure, and return to the Temple of Lauto for your promised reward, but you haven't done that in character yet so I can't award it yet...)
Congrats on completing your mission! Hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed running it!
Tonk leaps over the chair and crashes through the window, doing a triple-aerial-flip. He brandishes his mace and knife and...
"Oh."
"Well."
"I feel like number three wheel on cart. I guess I go put on clothes now."
He looks around and checks the group. "Okay. If you no hurt, make wave at Punch Buddy and sound off."
He sees Blade, grins, and waves. "I no hurt!"
After he receives the other's responses, he says, "Okay! I go get no naked, and get tool, and help search. Give me little wait, please!"
Tonk takes a moment to pat Mikara on the shoulder. "Hey, pretty elf lady, I like you, so you no take wrong, yes? My mama always say, 'To kill is bad habit.' Is more good to catch and tie up and hang from tree or rafter or you know. Then, when bad person wake up, you ask, 'Hey! You no want to be bad person any more, yes?' If bad person say, 'I want to be good!' and mean it, then let bad person go. If bad person say, 'I want to be good!' and not mean it, then *SPLAT!* smash in head. If bad person say, 'I want to be bad!' or maybe call you name or say dirty word, then *SPLAT!* smash in head. It give bad person chance to be good person. Make world more good place, yes?"
"Sometime bad person need help for to think, so is okay to cut off finger or poke out eye or maybe set on fire or soak in honey and bury up to neck in nest of ant or even maybe find tree stump and nail--" Tonk pauses and blushes. "Okay. That not good to say to lady. But you get picture, yes? I think maybe is more good to smash finger, no cut off. If cut off, person cry and cry because NEVER get finger back. It gone, yes? So, if smash finger, then have much hope. It maybe get okay if bad person choose be good person, so more reason be good, no?"
"Sometime is little confuse, because I ask question and bad person go, 'Uh...YES!....uh....NO!...uh...I no understand question!' I usually splat head at that point. I figure if no able to know answer quick and have to think, must be TRICKY bad person. That like most bad of bad person. Except of one who punch puppy. Is like really bad for to punch puppy. Maybe not as bad as punch baby, which is like most most much bad. Is even word for how bad that is? I think maybe if I catch one who punch baby, I get plier and torch and make much regret for bad person."
Tristan wipes his sword on one of the dead's shirts, then saunters out of the cabin with the sword over his shoulder. While they seem to have defeated Applethorpe and his cronies handily, the elf isn't at ease yet. He looks around, scanning the surrounding undergrowth and trees, looking for the danger that hasn't presented itself yet.
When Tonk asks for the sound off, he distractedly waves and says, "I'm fine," but continues his search. There has to be more ... surely Dayna wouldn't lead to such a trivial task as this? he thinks as Tonk rambles on to Mikara.
OOC
Perception (1d20+11=24). Remember that non-elves within 5 squares of Mikara and I get +1 to Perception rolls.
Well, there's still the mystery of the tropical island that Bishop Klogg went to. We could go see what we could find there ... That is, if Joe doesn't spring a brutal ambush on us here. (I'm kind of hoping he does, too )
Mikara moves over to Marglespat and cuts off one of his fingers. Also cutting a patch of Marglespat's clothing, she wraps the severed finger and puts it in her backpack.
"Punch brother, lies do not become me. Easy was this task. A little too easy some would say. Especially this one."
Mikaara prods at Marglespat with her boot.
"Pardon my rage. Up to now, time has not allowed
sense to return my faculties. Once the carnage ended my reason returned, examining what I've done.
Carnage, once begun, lying incomplete offers enemies the chance to hoist arms once more, even stronger.
Once started, it needs to be finished."
Mikara turns toward the open door and stares out into the forest.
Tonk concentrates HARD on what Mikara says. His brow wrinkles. He squints and grimaces, pushing all his mental faculties to the very edge in an attempt to comprehend her poetic method of expression. His eyes grow more and more lost as she continues.
"Uh..."
He gives her an embarassed smile and a shaky thumbs-up. Then, he goes to get his clothes.
Last edited by KenHood; 25th July 2009 at 05:01 AM..
Reason: Getting rid of adverbs!
Tonk returns, still tightening the straps on his armor.
"Okay! One, I much apology to you all! I mess up ambush because I like boy goat that jump up and down to make the curd in the milk...(What is word?)...(Ah!)...I ram-buck-cheese."
"Two, I get far from Kill Buddy. I bad example. You no do like I do. Is not smart. So, I is sorry!"
"Five, I think maybe no wear clothes is bad idea. See? I leave name-tag on clothes. What if you forget name of me? So, that me not think too much for you. I apology again."
"Four, I--"
Tonk stops and shares a quizzical look with all his party members.
"Hey! Why you no happy? You like Gloomy Gus! He no happy, too! We finish job and make the money! We do quick-quick, so I bet we get letter from Szink-Szink Man that say we do good job. We give letter to other job-have-person, and he feel much good about give us his job, too. Is good day!"
"Okay! I search now!"
Tonk searches through all the bodies. When he finishes with them, he smashes open their heads and squishes their brains with his feet, smearing them as far as possible. Then, he chops off their hands and feet, throwing the parts into the bush. After that, he builds a bonfire and places the corpses upon it, before lighting the flames.
After he finishes with the bodies, he searches the house in a most ungentle fashion...
In fact, there's probably not going to be much of a house left.
After finishing with the house, he goes over the grounds and checks to see if anything is buried or hidden in a tree or somesuch.
OOC: In 3E, we'd call this 'Taking 20', boys and girls.
Last edited by KenHood; 25th July 2009 at 07:33 AM..
Dextyr watches as Mikaras arrows take down the two remaining old fossils.
What did I get myself into? I cannot believe that we are getting paid to slaughter these pathetic old men. Something is very wrong here...
Tonks call for a sound off shakes Dextyr out of his contemplation for the moment.
"All good" Dextyr replies and then slowly makes his way into the cabin.
He takes in the scene that unfolds thereafter as if watching a reenactment of some sort of horrid childhood fairy tale...Mikara taking war souvenirs.... Tonk chopping up the corpses...It all seemed so unreal.
Dextyr then makes his way over to a window and stares out into the forest, looking for answers to the questions nagging at his soul.
"So are we all finished here now? Shall we make our way back to the temple to collect our reward" Dextyr asks, with an obvious amount of sarcasm present with the last word.
OOC
Perception check while looking into the woods (Joe if I don't get to this first from home, please roll my check for me as IC has been blocked by the webfilter here at work )
A heads up for everyone: I'm getting married on the 9th of August. So, I'll have limited internet access from the 6th to the 8th, and absolutely no access from the 9th to the 15th while we're on our honeymoon
I'm giving this warning because I'm pretty sure Joe's not done with us yet. If we're still on this adventure by then, feel free to NPC Tristan (or have one of the other players take care of him) while I'm gone.
Blade will wander around outside eventually standing next to Tristan, joining the elf in his silent scanning of the forest. Blade seems oddly distant, as if retreating inside, while the others conduct their grisly tasks.
Heh heh. The problem with taking 20 like this is it locks you down in one place for a long time...
I gave only Tonk the +1 for being near Mikara because they both mentioned doing things inside the cabin. I assume the rest of you spread out to watch all the approaches.
Marglespat is wearing clothes that were once fine, but are now threadbare, patched and stained. He is carrying nothing on his person save a pouch of tobacco and an old, cracked pipe.
Nature 12
The tobacco is of the foulest quality, and dried out to boot.
The house is similarly devoid of valuables - a quantity of cheap, non-perishable food (strips of shrivelled and salted meat, rock-hard sailor's biscuits, and jars of sickly yellow-white vegetables in vinegar), ratty, moth-eaten sleeping furs, and two casks of nasty, sour wine. One shelf near Marglespat's chair has an assortment of creams and salves, many of which are worthless snake oil and most of which have gone rancid. However, two jars of ointment are both medically sound and still good.
OOC
You find 2 jars of Ointment of Healing (identical to Healing Potions, except you smear them on your wounds instead of drinking them).
As Tonk begins taking apart the house looking for more valuables, the rest of you scan the woods. There is no movement except for the rustling of leaves in the breeze...
For a moment you think you see something larger moving in the trees, but then it's gone.
If you weren't imagining things, it was about man-sized and moving from the overgrown trail towards Tristan.
Tristan
You glance over towards the cabin as the sounds of smashing wood and Tonk roaring reach you - he has just ripped the door from its hinges and begun hacking pieces out of the wall. When you look back towards the woods, you find yourself staring into the face of a harsh-looking man wearing leather armour. He is crouching behind a screen of leaves, staring open-mouthed at the destruction. Suddenly the face disappears as he ducks back into the woods.
nature (1d20+4=24) Really? Crit the nature roll? I hope that my luck doesn't run out in the next fight
Blade will let everyone know that the tobacco is unfit for smoking, even if one did partake in that filthy habit (j/k). He leans against the wall close to Tristan, looking over the other divine warrior to gauge his reaction to Tonk's antics inside
).
LOL! 
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