The Lion's 2nd Face[Covaithe judging]

[Heckler]

This is the adventure thread for The Lion's 2nd Face, which I am taking over from Halford, who has dissappeared under mysterious circumstances. I know he has a thread started already, but I want to go ahead and start a fresh one.

This is my first time DMing a pbp, but I think I have enough of a handle on things to do a decent job. You guys are all experienced players (and a couple judges) so I trust you guys to keep me honest.













Not too many rules, I think, but I want to get these up front and out of the way:

• Please do as much rolling for your characters as possible, linking to Invisible Castle. I may make certain passive rolls for you (i.e. spot, listen, sense motive) and initiative (for expediency). If for some reason you can't make a roll, let me know and I will roll for you.
• I will try to keep the game moving. I realize that people take vacations, get sick, etc. Also, I know that in case of emergency your pbp isn't high on your list of people that need notifying. I reserve the right to NPC your character if you're holding things up, though I will try to avoid doing so. If you are able to notify us ahead of time regarding an absence, we can make accomidations for that. I'll also try to let you know if I will be away for a while.
• Please color vocal text. I use the black background, so please try to use one that shows up well on that.

This might be a good time to get marching orders and such out of the way. I need marching orders for 5' and 10' passages, and a watch schedule. These may change in game but I'd like to have a default orders already set up.

That's all I can think of at the moment. If everyone could give me a check-in post with a link to your Character sheet we can get started.

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[Knight Otu]

(Reporting as ordered. Link to character sheet.)

Originally Posted by Heckler

Please color vocal text. I use the black background, so please try to use one that shows up well on that.

(Is simple "Bold speech" acceptable to you as well? It should be distinct enough from normal text and from italic thoughts.)

[Heckler]

Originally Posted by Knight Otu

(Is simple "Bold speech" acceptable to you as well? It should be distinct enough from normal text and from italic thoughts.)

Yes, that's fine.

[Heckler]

This would also be a good time for spellcasters to pick their spells for the day.

[Steve Jung]

OOC: I forget if Charlarn signed on for this adventure.

[Heckler]

Originally Posted by Steve Jung

OOC: I forget if Charlarn signed on for this adventure.

ooc: To be honest, I'm not exactly sure who signed up either. I thought it was KO, Velmont, E13 and Slagmortar. However, as far as I'm concerned, you're welcome to join.

[Velmont]

Rinaldo and Hogarth for the report.

Hogarth standard spell list for this adventure:

0: Create Water, Detect Magic(x2), Guidance(x2), Read Magic
1: Bless, Command, Divine Favor, Doom, Shield of Faith, Animate Rope(D),
2: Hold Person, Lesser Restoration, Resist Energy, Silence, Spiritual Hammer, Bull's Strength(D)
3: Magic Circle, Dispel Magic, Prayer, Protection from Energy, Magic Vestment(D)
4: Divine Power, Greater Magic Weapon, Neutralize Poison, Spell Immunity(D)
5: Flame Strike, Righteous Might(D)

[SlagMortar]

Planus Anaid (and his character sheet) is reporting for trouble making duty.

Spells prepared:
Spells prepared (most of the time):
0 (DC 15) 6/day: Detect Magic(x2), Light(x2), Guidance(x2)
1 (DC 16) 6/day: Bless, Divine Favor (x3), Obscuring Mist, Shield of Faith
2 (DC 17) 4/day: Resist Energy x3, Silence
3 (DC 18) 4/day: Blindness, Magic Vestment, Dispel Magic(x2)
4 (DC 19) 3/day: Divine Power, Freedom of Movement, Greater Magic Weapon
Domain:
1 (DC 16): Longstrider (in wilderness), Disguise Self (in cities)
2 (DC 17): Locate object, Invisibility (prepared)
3 (DC 18): Fly (prepared), Nondetection
4 (DC 19): Dimension Door, Confusion (prepared)

Planus only requires 4 hours rest, so he will be available to watch the rest of the night.

Planus is an archer and his AC is pretty poor for a level 8, so he should probably not be in the first line of defense. If needed, he could prep some summon spells. He will cast Greater Magic Weapon (+2) on his bow and Magic Vestment on his shield (+2) if expecting the chance of hostilities in the next 8 hours.

[Knight Otu]

Ashnar's spells prepared and so on

Wand of scorching ray, CL 3 (37/50)

Spells prepared (Save DC 16 + spell level, or 17+ spell level for Evo/Nec spells; 4+1/6+1/5+1/4+1/3+1):
Link to Ashnar's custom spells
0 - Acid splash, detect magic, flare*|x3;
1st - Ashnar's markx2, Ashnar's sparkstrike*|, mage armor, magic missile*, ray of enfeeblement§, shocking grasp*;
2nd - Ashnar's athleticate augmentation, Ashnar's fiery shackles x2, Ashnar's l. pyromagical enhancement, protection from arrows, scorching ray*|;
3rd - Ashnar's shield swarm, fireball*|, dispel magic, lightning bolt*, protection from energy
4th - Dimension door, mnemonic enhancer, wall of fire*|, wall of ice*
Spells cast into necromantic nexus (see character sheet)
0 - disrupt undead§
1st - cause fear§
2nd - false life§
3rd - ray of exhaustion§
Spell cast into arcane storage amulet (see character sheet): false life§

* Evocation spell
§ Necromancy spell
| Bonus spell slot; for Evocation spells only

(Ashnar cast mage armor and protection from arrows on herself before departing, and she recommended to the others to prepare as well. Both spells have a duration of 8 hours for her.
Note to self - Planus has the lowest shield bonus, so any leftover shield swarm shields are best used on him.)

[Heckler]

*BAMF*

Th party, after a brief moment of darkness, find they are no longer at Joe's, but somewhere else. It is mid-morning, with a light drizzle of rain falling among the rocky hills.

"Hmmm...," muses Rilithorne as he looks around. "Hmmm...hmmm..."

"Well, this is most interesting. I had intended to take you closer to Balsra Darr. It appears that one of two things have happened. Teleportation is not foolproof, sometimes you don't end up where you planned. Or...it is possible some kind of ward has been put in place to prevent such travellings.

No matter, either way. I know where we are. Not too far over this hill," he points in a south-easterly direction, "is the entrance you seek. Under an overhang is a large depression which leads into the bowels of the Stonespikes. Just stay on the main path and it'll take you strait to Balsra Darr. Do be careful, though. Certainly the guardians that I helped vanquish previously have been replaced.

Now, to give you some idea of where you are, because it looks like you may be coming home the old-fashioned way, if you head due north from here, a few days travel will bring you to the shores of Kithsul Lake. Follow the shoreline north and east and it will bring you to Fallon. Finding transport back to Orussus from there should be simple enough."

"Now, any last questions? There are other things I should be doing, and my slippers are getting soggy."


ooc: Just waiting on Erekose and Steve right now. I PM'd them, so hopefully we'll hear from them soon.

[Steve Jung]

Originally Posted by Heckler

ooc: To be honest, I'm not exactly sure who signed up either. I thought it was KO, Velmont, E13 and Slagmortar. However, as far as I'm concerned, you're welcome to join.

OOC: Cool. From the looks of it, Charlarn is the muscle in this party.

Cleric Spells Prepared (6/5+1/4+1/3+1/2+1: save DC 14 + level):
0-create water (2), detect magic (2), guidance, mending;
1-bless, divine favor, entropic shield (2), remove fear, sanctuary*;
2-hold person, make whole, status, shield other*, summon monster II.
3-dispel magic, fly*, magic circle against evil, magic vestment.
4-dimension door*, dimensional anchor, divine power
*Domain spell.

His warhammer, Goruksblain, must be fed daily with 5 spell levels.

[Erekose13]

ooc: Tenebrynn reporting for duty Sorry I hadn't noticed that you were creating a new adventure thread. I was waiting for notice in the inn or the old thread that we were moving on. My fault sorry. Will get his spells together in a sec.

EDIT: lets try:
Spells Memorized: 5/7/5/5/4 per day *1/spell level divination
caster level: 8
0th - Detect Magic*, Light, Mage Hand, Message, Light
1st - True Strike*, Ashnar's Spellstrike, Featherfall, Magic Missile x4
2nd - Detech Thoughts*, Invisibility, Rope Trick, Scorching Ray x2
3rd - Dispel Magic, Clairvoyance*, Fireball, Daylight, Fly
4th - Scrying*, Black Tentacles, Wall of Ice, Mnemonic Enhancer

[Knight Otu]

Originally Posted by Heckler

Now, to give you some idea of where you are, because it looks like you may be coming home the old-fashioned way, if you head due north from here, a few days travel will bring you to the shores of Kithsul Lake. Follow the shoreline north and east and it will bring you to Fallon. Finding transport back to Orussus from there should be simple enough."

"No more questions from me." Ashnar replies to Rilithorne.

(

Spoiler:

Looks like Balsra Darr is closer to the location I put the Keep of Bloodstained Dreams at than I expected, but that location is not critical and can easily be further south.

More importantly, this brings up the question on how you'd prefer to handle the free spells at level-up for wizards, seeing that Ashnar is so close to 10th level that eating breakfast could almost level her up. )

[Erekose13]

ooc: along the same lines, I'm about to finish my mega adventure (took 2+ years) which will net me a lot of DM points. Do you mind if I use them during your adventure or would you prefer if I wait. Its always up to the DM and completely fine either way.

[Velmont]

"I am ready to go too." tells Rinaldo.

OOC: So the group is composed of Rinaldo, Hogarth, Tenebrynn, Ashnar, Charlarn, Planus? We will not miss any caster. We might miss a bit of solid front liner.

[Heckler]

"Very well. I leave you to your task. Good luck."

And with another *BAMF* Rilithorne leaves you alone in the wilderness.

Originally Posted by Knight Otu

(

Spoiler:

Looks like Balsra Darr is closer to the location I put the Keep of Bloodstained Dreams at than I expected, but that location is not critical and can easily be further south.

Spoiler:

I don't see it as a big deal. Sooner or later we're bound to have dungeon sites bump into each other. But there's really plenty of room out here right now, plus you're in the mountains and I'm under the mountains.

Originally Posted by Knight Otu

More importantly, this brings up the question on how you'd prefer to handle the free spells at level-up for wizards, seeing that Ashnar is so close to 10th level that eating breakfast could almost level her up. )

Well, there's quit a bit about the time and money a wizard need to spend to write a new spell in her book, then there's this:

Originally Posted by SRD

Note that a wizard does not have to pay these costs in time or gold for the spells she gains for free at each new level.

I read that as you automatically add them when you level up.

Originally Posted by Erekose13

ooc: along the same lines, I'm about to finish my mega adventure (took 2+ years) which will net me a lot of DM points. Do you mind if I use them during your adventure or would you prefer if I wait. Its always up to the DM and completely fine either way.

It kind of depends on what you want to spend them on. If you want to give yourself some bonus xp when I hand out party xp, that's fine. But giving you gold that the rest of the party doesn't have claim to might be tricky. What are you planning on?

[Erekose13]

ooc: Just xp. While he could use gold, at this level its just not worth it.

[SlagMortar]

Planus replies to the wizard, "We'll have plent of luck. Mongrel-" He is interrupted by the wizards prompt disappearence. With a shrug, he says"Strange one, that. Let's get going. I want to find out what's going on."

[Velmont]

Rinaldo nods at Planus. "Yeah, let's get moving." He looks around for a moment and then head toward where the Rillitorn had pointed.

[Knight Otu]

(So, no problems to simply add the spells at level-up, then, regardless of location. )

Ashnar simply nods at the observation that they should go ahead. That's why they're here, after all.