[Adventure] Serpent's Skull: Souls for Smuggler's Shiv (DM: Mewness; Judge: THB)

[BenBrown]

Hú Lí again begins playing her flute. At first it is a low trill of warning, punctuated by several high notes, distracting the spider swarms and allowing Castile to slip away from them. Then, as Sasha moves back behind Castile and away from the spiders, the tune changes, this time into a folk song of the Jade Empire--an old song, telling of the prowess of the great dragon warriors of that land, filling Takahaan, a descendant of those warriors with a feeling of pride and courage, which bucks him up from the vicious stinging bites the spiders have inflicted upon him. Then the tune changes again. This time, it is less rhythmic, more discordant, with a strange, almost eldritch feel to it. Sharp notes with an almost physical force emanate from the flute, driving the spiders in one swarm into a strange frenzy. Their numbers are only reduced slightly, but there is a lingering sense about them, as though some of the music still echoes from them as their legs and bodies swarm over one another, a music that draws on their vitality, ready to transfer it to their attackers.[sblock=actions]Free: Virtue of Cunning. Hú Lí slides Castile to E19 (out of the spider aura).
Minor: Majestic Word on Takahaan. Takahaan regains 11 (surge+4) hit points.
Move->Minor: Sasha moves to D20
Standard: Stirring Shout (Will) vs. Swarm #1 (1d20+4=13, 2d6+4=13) Hit for half damage (6).

Also, for the rest of the encounter, whenever one of Hú Lí's allies hits Swarm #1, that ally regains 4 hit points.

Hit Point Piñata! Prizes for everyone![/sblock][sblock=Hú Lí]The Black Fox Fox Spirit (Changeling) Bard 1
Initiative: +1, Passive Perception: 16, Passive Insight: 18
AC:17, Fort:11, Reflex:15, Will:16
+2 vs. AC, 1d6-1 damage
HP:24/24, Bloodied:12, Surge Value:6, Surges left:6/8
Action Points: 1, Second Wind: unused
Powers: Fox Spirit Disguise, Wild Shape, Staggering Note, Vicious Mockery
Blunder, Fox Spirit Trick, Grasping Claws, Majestic Word x2, Words of Friendship
Stirring Shout[/sblock]

 

[Dekana]

OOC: Thanks for the shift. No aura damage, yay! Do you think I should grab those swarms or let Alkas get them? He has burst powers to damage them, but I have THP to soak up the auras...

 

[GROMkill]

As the massive swarm of vicious spiders painfully penetrate Takahaan's thick hide with their deadly fangs and poison, he grunts and swings violently at them with his nodachi, slicing a few of them. Castile also has the time to take a swing at them before they back off.

Shrugging off his significant injuries, Takahaan takes aim at the digusting spiders with his massive blade. "TAKAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!" he yells, rage-filled and bloodthirsty. He swings his nodachi in a deadly arc toward their swarm. Still a little disturbed from Hu Li's blast of her flute, the spiders are struck by Takahaan's blade as he powerfully sweeps through them with it.

His combat senses empowering him, Takahaan reels his head back before firing a massive blast of flaming dragonbreath at the two swarms of spiders. The sounds of flesh sizzling and smoking fills the air as the spiders react to the mighty Dragonborn's wrath.

Turning to his fallen friend, Takahaan grimaces at what he sees. Noriaki is lying in the underbrush, bloody, and incapacitated. Struggling for words, he finally collects his thoughts and shouts to his companion. "Get up, you weak human! All that talk and you're lying on the ground in a heap of your own blood? Stand up and fight with me! For glory and honor, my friend!"
[sblock=Takahaan's actions]
Takahaan takes 5 damage from poison, as well as 7 damage from each of the swarms' auras, bringing him down to 1 HP. (20-5-7-7=1)

Swarm#2 hitting Takahaan activates the trigger for Vengeance is Mine.
This power lets Takahaan have an immediate MBA on Swarm#2. In addition, Castile is allowed to make an immediate MBA against Swarm#2, so Dekana, please roll for that ASAP, because this is a triggered attack and happens right as we were first attacked.
1d20+8=28 Takahaan's counterattack hits Swarm#2, dealing 6 damage (melee damage is halved). 1d10+4=12

Standard: Intuitive Strike on Swarm#1, 1d20+7=17, is a hit. 1d10=9 Damage roll is 9, but half is resisted so 4 damage overall to Swarm#1. Also, Takahaan gains 4 HP from Hu Li's bonus, bringing him up to 5 HP.

Move-> Minor: Dragonbreath at corners G17, G19, I17, I19. 1d20+7=27, 1d20+7=20. Hit on Swarm#1, and Swarm#2. 1d6+1=3. 3 Fire damage plus 5 for the swarms' vulnerability, causing 8 damage total to each. Takahaan gains 4 HP again, for hitting Swarm#1, bringing him up to 9 HP.

Minor: Inspiring Word on Noriaki. 1d6=1. Noriaki gains 7 HP, bringing him up to 7, and making him conscious.

Takahaan doesn't overcome the ongoing poison damage with a save roll: 1d20=9.

[/sblock]
[sblock=Takahaan]Takahaan Thanazashi Male Dragonborn Bravura Warlord 1
Initiative: +2
Passive Perception: 10
Passive Insight: 9
Senses: Normal

AC:17
Fort:15
Reflex:13
Will:15
HP:9/24
Bloodied:12
Surge Value:7
Surges left:4/8
Action Points: 1
Brash Assault
Intuitive Strike
Dragon Breath [x]
Inspiring Word [1 left this encounter]
Vengeance Is Mine[x]
Lamb to the Slaughter[]

[/sblock]
[sblock=Dekana!]If you didn't catch it, you have a free MBA to roll for Castile. Read through my mechanics if you're confused.[/sblock]

 

[Dekana]

Castile snaps out of her spider-fear quick enough for her to attack the swarm as it engulfs Takahaan. She cleaves her axe into a handful of spiders, but it's clear that weapon attacks alone will barely dimish their numbers.

[sblock=granted MBA]MBA vs swarm 2 hits AC 16 for 15 / 2 = 7 damage, and Castile gains 4 THP. (1d20+7=16;1d12+7=15)[/sblock]

 

[Mewness]

The swarms react to Takahaan's fiery breath, scattering in random directions as though in a panic.

[sblock=actions]Immediate reaction: Survival Instinct (when hit by a close or area attack). Each swarm shifts 3. Swarm 1 ends up in I19. Swarm 2 ends up in E19 (in Castile's square).

[MENTION=57009]Dekana[/MENTION]: did Castile mark swarm 2?[/sblock]

GM: It's the middle of the same round. [MENTION=89931]Cleverusername[/MENTION], [MENTION=6676736]Pentius[/MENTION], [MENTION=79628]twilsemail[/MENTION], and [MENTION=57009]Dekana[/MENTION] are up.

[sblock=status update]PCs
Alkas (A18) HP 35/35; surges 10/13
Castile (F18) HP 31+4/33; surges 9/13
Dartmoor (B17) HP 28/28; surges 8/10
Hú Lí (B18) HP 24/24; surges 6/8
Noriaki (E17) HP 7/27; surges 5/9; prone, bloodied, ongoing 5 poison (save ends)
Takahaan (F17) HP 9/24; surges 4/8; ongoing 5 poison (save ends)

NPCs
Aerys (C18) HP 29/29; surges 9/11
Gelik (D17) HP 22/22; surges 3/6
Ishirou (D18) HP 24/24; surges 5/7
Jade (C17) HP 28/28; surges 6/10
Sasha (E18) HP 23/23; surges 4/6

Bad Guys
Jumping Spider (K10), AP spent
Spiderling Swarm 1 (I19), 18 damage taken; aura 1 does 5 at the start of the enemy’s turn (7 if another swarm is adjacent to the target); any PC that hits swarm 1 regains 4 HP
Spiderling Swarm 2 (E19), 21 damage taken; aura 1 does 5 at the start of the enemy’s turn (7 if another swarm is adjacent to the target)
Others: hidden
[/sblock]

 

[Dekana]

[sblock=Mewness]Yes, I was assuming she marks whatever she attacks. I guess I should declare it on each attack, sorry.
Actually, combat challenge should apply for when the swarm shifted into Castile's square. I'll roll for it, but I can retcon it if you disapprove.[/sblock]
Castile hacks at the swarm as it follows her away from the frontline, but it rolls over her feet despite her efforts. She keeps her shield low to the ground and manages to turn aside most of the bugs, but a few get in some painful bites.

"Hah, these things are stubborn!" She laughs, apparently not concerned with the attacks. Castile backpedals out of the horde of spiders, still keeping her shield low. She crushes her axe into the pile of bugs a few more times as she withdraws.

[sblock=Castile stat block / actions]Actions
Immediate Interrupt: Combat Challenge vs swarm 2 when it shifts into Castile's square. MBA vs swarm 2 hits AC 23 for 15 / 2 = 7 damage and it's marked TENT. (1d20+7=23;1d12+7+2=15)

Start of turn: take 5 damage from starting in one swarm's aura. THP reduces that to 1 damage; 30/33 hp left.

Minor: Perception 25 using the roll from before.

Move: Shift to E20.

Standard: Crushing Surge vs Swarm 2 hits AC 15 for 10 / 2 = 5 damage, it's marked TENT, and Castile gains 8 THP. (1d20+7=15;1d12+7=10)


PC:Castile (Dekana) - L4W Wiki- Female Dwarf Fighter 1
Passive Perception: 17, Passive Insight: 12
AC:18, Fort:16, Reflex:13, Will:12, +5 saves vs poison, Speed:5
HP:30/33 + 8 THP, Bloodied:16, Surge Value:8, Surges left:9/13
Initiative +1
Action Points: 1 (encounter)

Conditions

Powers
MBA: Waraxe, +7 vs AC, 1d12+7 damage (see Combat notes below)
RBA: Waraxe, +7 vs AC, 1d12+7 damage, 6/12 (see Combat notes below)
Combat Challenge
Crushing Surge, Weapon Master's Strike
Dwarven Resilience, Hack and Hew
Dwarven Thrower Waraxe, Villain's Menace

Combat notes: +2 damage with THP, +2 to attack roll on OAs, OAs stop enemy movement
[/sblock]

 

[Mewness]

GM: Combat challenge triggering is fine. From now on I'm happy to assume that Castile marks whatever she swings at unless you specifically say otherwise.

 

[Pentius]

Noriaki is wounded by the spider and thrown to the ground by the force of its blows. Face down in the brush, the young warrior's sight wavers for a moment, as he drifts on the edge of consciousness. Takahaan's taunts break him out of his haze, though. Noriaki hauls himself up out of the dirt, and lays eyes on the beast that puts him there. His hand starts to shake again, as a trickle of blood runs down to it from the bite mark in his shoulder. He takes a deep breath, and remembers his training.

"Don't be nervous." Hachi had said to him, his voice carrying above the beating rain his old master had so loved to train in. "The rain, the storm, even my voice, all of these are merely distractions. Focus, Noriaki. Find your center, and strike."

Noriaki's hand stops shaking. He looks up, meeting the eyes of the giant spider. He holds his katana out in front of him, straight and steady, and sends a silent call to the spirits, to aid his next strike.


[sblock=mechanics]
Standard: Second Wind. +6 hp and +2 to all defenses.
Move: stand
Save against poison:1d20=2. ouch.[/sblock]

[sblock=Noriaki]
Noriaki Matsumoto Male Human Thaneborn Barbarian 1
Initiative: +3(+5 with Takahaan), Passive Perception: 10, Passive Insight: 11, Senses: Normal
AC:17
Fort:17
Reflex:15
Will:13
HP:8/27 Bloodied:13
Surges left:4/9
Surge Value:6
Action Points: 1
MBA: +7 to hit, 1d12+4 damage

Howling Strike
Pressing Strike
Escalating Violence []
Howl of Triumph []
Heroic Effort []
Second Wind [x]
Swift Panther Rage []


Conditions:

Feral Might(Thaneborn Triumph): Whenever you bloody an enemy, the next attack by you or an ally against that enemy gains a bonus to the attack roll equal to your Charisma modifier(+2).

Full sheet: Noriaki[/sblock]

 

[twilsemail]

"Men, form up!" WIth surprising speed the Irregulars take formation around their captain. he points his new staff at the swarm that's moved away from his new allies. "Get 'em."

Half of the swarm of piskies and grigs surges forward, led by the Pict. The two swarms clash with a sickening crunch. The Fae seem to be enjoying themselves immensely as they jump around and smash spiders. The Pict's laugh is just a bit disturbing.

[sblock=Actions]
Minor: Perception
Move>Minor: Wild shape
Standard: Grasping Tide (I17/K19) 24 vs. Reflex (Crit) for 17 damage (Including vulnerability). If the swarm leaves the zone created by the power, there's a +4 vs. Reflex attack that will knock it "prone."
Note: I don't know if anything else is in the zone, so I didn't roll against them.


[sblock=Dartmoor Irregulars]Dartmoor Irregulars – Piskie Swarm (Druid) 1
Passive Insight: 13, Passive Perception: 18
AC:16 Fort:13 Ref:14, Will:14 -- Speed:6
HP:28/28, Bloodied:14, Surge Value:7, Surges Left: 8/10
Action Points: 1, Second Wind: not used
Powers:
Grasping Tide
Grasping Claws
Swarming Locusts
Scattered Form
Summon Giant Toad
Fiddlin’ Grig
Conditions: Not in Beast Form
Notes: -3 damage from melee/ranged attacks in Beast Form
[/sblock][/sblock]

 

[Mewness]

OOC: The Irregulars didn't catch anything else in the zone.