Mercenary Adventures of the B-Team (closed group)

[larryfinnjr]

A heroic party generally consists of a group of like-minded adventurers banded together to complete a mission and save the day, working together and understanding each other’s strengths and weaknesses. A mercenary band also works together to achieve its goals as well but for one reason: gold. More coin equals more wine, as the saying goes. Yet some mercs strive for more than mere wealth (while never straying far from that objective) and seek out infamy. A known and feared mercenary carries some clout with him as he travels, allowing him to jack up the price of his services. Some mercenaries wear severed ears around their neck to demonstrate their dedication and thoroughness on a job, while others ensure at least one victim remains alive to spread the word to others. Just like heroes, they wear their names with pride and take great care not to see it tarnished. Reputation is just as important to the bloodthirsty as it is the noble, and a well-done job works towards that reputation. Despite all this however, there is always room for mercs to “do the right thing” if there is the option. If a merc has a sudden change of heart and can find a way to resolve a situation morally without destroying his reputation, it can still be done.

[sblock=Malaggar Quietstep]
Mal
Lvl 1 Drow Scout
Played by whardell

[sblock=stats]
AC 18
Fort 12
Ref 16
Will 11

Max HP 25
Surge value 6
Surges/day 8

Init +5
Speed 6
Pass Insight 11
Pass Percep 18

STR 10 +0
CON 13 +1
DEX 20 +5
INT 10 +0
WIS 13 +1
CHA 10 +0
[/sblock]

[sblock=skills]
x Acrobatics 9
Arcana 0
Athletics -1
Bluff 0
Dip 0
x Dungeoneering 6
Endurance 0
Heal 1
History 0
Insight 1
Intimidate 2
x Nature 6
x Percep 8
Religion 0
x Stealth 11
Streetwise 0
Thievery 4
[/sblock]

[sblock=misc]

Axe Expertise - re-roll dmg dice that result in a 1
Ambush Expertise - allies w/in 10 squares gain +2 to stealth checks when Mal makes one
Wilderness Tracker - when resting, make perception check to determine info abt creatures that have passed through a 10x10sq area
[/sblock]

[sblock=combat actions]
Basic Attacks
MBA/DWA +8 vs. AC, 1d10+7 dmg (battle axe) / 1d6+7 (handaxe)
RBA (longbow) +7 vs. AC, 1d10+5 dmg
RBA (handaxe) +3 vs. AC, 1d6+2 dmg

At-Wills
Aspect of the Ram (minor) - until stance ends, charges don't provoke OA, +2 dmg on charge, if charge hits, can knock prone
Aspect of the Lurking Spider (minor) - until stance ends, +2 stealth, +5 athletics, when Mal has CA vs. enemy gain +2 dmg

Encounter
Power Strike (free) - when hit enemy w/ MBA, 1W extra dmg
Surprise Strike (free) - when hit enemy granting CA w/ basic attack, enemy dazed until end of Mal's next turn
Cloud of Darkness (minor) - same square as Mal until end of next turn, square totally obscured, blocks LOS, all creatures inside square are blind...Mal is immune to all these effects
[/sblock]

[/sblock]

[sblock=Surgeon]
Surgeon
Lvl 1 Warforged Artificer
Played by phesic

[sblock=stats]
AC 16
Fort 15
Ref 14
Will 13

Max HP 30
Surge value 7
Surges/day 10

Init +0
Speed 6
Pass Insight 11
Pass Percep 16

STR 10 +0
CON 18 +4
DEX 10 +0
INT 18 +4
WIS 13 +1
CHA 9 -1
[/sblock]

[sblock=skills]
Acrobatics 0
x Arcana 11
Athletics 0
Bluff -1
Dip -1
x Dungeoneering 6
Endurance 6
x Heal 6
History 4
Insight 1
Intimidate 1
Nature 1
x Percep 6
Religion 4
Stealth 0
Streetwise -1
x Thievery 5
[/sblock]

[sblock=misc]
Warforged Resilience - +2 save vs. OG dmg
Arcane Empowerment - empower magic items once per day, plus once per milestone
Arcane Rejuvenation - when ally uses daily magic item power, gain 1/2 lvl + INT mod temp hp
Augment Energy - a weapon gains +2 bonus as free action
Impart Energy - recharge a daily magic item
[/sblock]

[sblock=combat actions]
Basic Attacks
MBA (dagger) +3 vs. AC, 1d4 dmg
RBA (xbow) +6 vs. AC, 1d8+4 dmg

At-Wills
Aggravating Force - melee or ranged, xbow +6 vs. AC, 1d8+4 force dmg and next ally to attack target before end of Surgeon's next turn gains +2 to hit
Magic Weapon - melee or ranged, xbow +7 vs. AC, 1d8+4 dmg, each ally adj to Surgeon gains +1 to hit and CON mod (+4) dmg until end of Surgeon's next turn

Encounter
Scouring Weapon (standard) - xbow +6 vs. AC, 2d8+4 acid dmg and target suffers -2 AC until end of Surgeon's next turn
Warforged Resolve (minor) - Surgeon gains 3 + 1/2 lvl temp hp and can make save vs. OG dmg, if bloodied also heals 3 + 1/2 lvl hp
Healing Infusion: Curative (minor) (2 infusions per encounter, only 1 per round) - self or one ally - target regains hp equal to target's surge value +1
Healing Infusion: Resistive (minor) (2 infusions per encounter, only 1 per round) - self or one ally - target gains +1 power bonus to AC until end of encounter, target can end bonus as free action to gain target's surge value +4 temp hp
Quick Formation (standard) - xbow +6 vs. AC, 1d8+4 dmg and either Surgeon can shift 4 or an ally can shift 2 as a free action

Daily
Punishing Eye (standard) - range 5 - conjure an eye w/in range, lasts until end of encounter, enemies w/in 3 squares of eye do not benefit from concealment, when ally attacks enemy w/in 3 squares of eye and hits that enemy suffers 4 psychic dmg. Can move eye 3 squares as a move action.
[/sblock]

[/sblock]

[sblock=Francesca Ashtongue]
Ches
Lvl 1 Tiefling Mage
Played by trolled

[sblock=stats]
AC 14
Fort 12
Ref 14
Will 13

Max HP 25
Surge value 6
Surges/day 8

Init +5
Speed 6
Pass Insight 16
Pass Percep 11

STR 8 -1
CON 15 +2
DEX 13 +1
INT 18 +4
WIS 13 +1
CHA 12 +1
[/sblock]

[sblock=skills]
Acrobatics 1
x Arcana 11
Athletics -1
Bluff 3
Dip 1
Dungeoneering 1
Endurance 2
Heal 1
x History 9
x Insight 6
Intimidate 1
Nature 1
Percep 1
x Religion 9
Stealth 3
Streetwise 1
Thievery 1
[/sblock]

[sblock=misc]
Bloodhunt - +1 hit vs. bloodied foes
Fire Restance - DR5 vs. fire
Pyromancy Apprentice - fire attacks ignore fire resistance
Staff Expertise - ranged attacks don't provoke OAs, +1 reach w/ staff
[/sblock]

[sblock=combat actions]
Basic Attacks
MBA (qstaff) +2 vs. AC, 1d8-1 dmg
RBA (dagger) +4 vs. AC, 1d4+1 dmg

At-Wills
Magic Missile - range 20, 6 force dmg (auto hit), can use as RBA
Scorching Burst - area burst 1 w/in 10, all creatures - +5 vs. Ref, 1d6+5 fire dmg
Winged Horde - area burst 1 w/in 10, all enemies - +5 vs. Will, 1d6 psychic dmg and target cannot make OAs until end of Ches' next turn
Ghost Sound - range 10, create an illusionary sound
Prestidigitation - range 2, whole lotta options

Encounter
Argent Rain (standard) - area burst 1 w/in 10, each creature - +5 vs. Ref, 1d10+5 fire dmg, burst creates zone that lasts until start of Ches' next turn, any creature that enters zone or ends turn in zone takes 5 fire dmg (only once per turn)
Burning Hands (standard) - close blast 5 all creatures, +5 vs. Ref, 2d6+5 fire dmg, half dmg on miss
Conduit of Ice (standard) - range 10, one creature - +5 vs. Ref, 2d8+4 cold dmg, create zone in burst 2 centered on target until end of Ches' next turn - zone moves w/ target, zone is difficult terrain, any enemy that ends turn in zone takes 5 cold dmg
Infernal Wrath (free) - close burst 10, target is one enemy w/in burst that hits Ches - target suffers 1d6+4 fire dmg
Suggestion (free) - trigger: make a diplomacy check, effect: make arcana check instead

Daily
Fountain of Flame (standard) - area burst 1 w/in 10, all enemies - +5 vs. Ref, 3d8+5 fire dmg, half dmg on miss, burst creates zone that lasts until end of encounter, any enemy that enters zone or ends turn their inside takes 5 fire dmg
[/sblock]
[/sblock]

[sblock=Falkrunn Stonearch]
Falk
Lvl 1 Shield Dwarf Knight
Played by blutspitze

[sblock=stats]
AC 20
Fort 16
Ref 13
Will 10

Max HP 33
Surge value 8
Surges/day 13

Init +1
Speed 5
Pass Insight 10
Pass Percep 10

STR 18 +4
CON 18 +4
DEX 12 +1
INT 11 +0
WIS 11 +0
CHA 8 -1
[/sblock]

[sblock=skills]
Acrobatics -1
Arcana 0
x Athletics 7
Bluff -1
Dip -1
Dungeoneering 2
x Endurance 9
x Heal 5
History 0
Insight 0
Intimidate -1
Nature 0
Percep 0
Religion 0
Stealth -1
Streetwise -1
Thievery -1
[/sblock]

[sblock=misc]
Axe Expertise - re-roll dmg dice that result in a 1
Cast-Iron Stomach - +5 save vs. poison
Stand Your Ground - can move 1 less when forced to move, immediate save vs. prone
[/sblock]

[sblock=combat actions]
Basic Attacks
MBA (battle axe) +8 vs. AC, 1d10+4 dmg
RBA (handaxe) +8 vs. AC, 1d6+4 dmg

At-Wills
Battle Wrath (minor) - until stance ends, gain +2 power bonus to dmg w/ basic attacks
Defend the Line (minor) - until stance ends, whenever Falkrunn hits enemy with MBA, enemy is slowed until end of Falkrunn's next turn
Defender Aura (minor) - aura 1, any enemy in aura suffers -2 penalty to hit, marked enemies are not subject to aura
Battle Guardian (OA) - trigger: enemy subject to Defender Aura shifts or makes an attack that does not include Falkrunn, effect: 4 dmg and make MBA vs triggering enemy; on miss, target still takes 4 dmg

Encounter
Dwarven Resilience (minor) - use Second Wind
Takedown Strike (free) - on hit, 4 dmg and target knocked prone
[/sblock]
[/sblock]

 

[larryfinnjr]

Mercs generally walk a darker side of life and generally frequent less-than-savory locations. Since most of their work is illegal – wherever law exists – they have created their own flavor of language, sometimes for secrecy, and other times just to add some local color to their dialogue (feel free to embellish or create your own):

Bag: Protect a mark. Even mercs can be hired to keep someone alive. This term is normally used as: “Keep him in the bag.”
Bank: To guarantee something. Clients will say “this job’s in the bank” to imply how simple it would be to finish.
Clean: To kill someone.
Client: The person paying the merc.
Gleen: To steal from someone without their knowledge. Swapping a valuable item for a fake is a standard gleen.
Going on a trip: Disappear. Most mercs are left to their own discretion on exact details of the disappearance, so long as the mark is never heard from again.
Hood: A mercenary.
Jink: Coin. Also known as “jingle” in some bands, though this is not widely used.
Larf: An idiot, imbecile, or ignorant person. Always used as an insult.
Mark: The target of a job. It can be a person or an object which must be eliminated, taken, or protected.
Purse: A person holding or guarding the mark, a term generally used for someone holding an object.
Shined: Roughed up. Shining someone normally means beating them up and leaving them for dead with a warning expressly worded by the client.
Slate: A tab or amount of money owed to a client. This term is commonly used when a client hires a merc to do something to pay off outstanding debts, generally spoken as “wiping the merc’s slate clean.”
Snatch and grab: To sneak into a place and steal something, with secrecy optional. Generally used for jobs in which the victim is expected to find out the mark is missing the next morning.
Tag: A merc’s nickname or “professional name.” Usually the name he is known by in underground circles.
Tip: A bonus fee for going the extra distance on a job. For example, if a merc is told to “send Jablonski on a trip” and comes back with a severed head, the client may give a tip for the extra effort.
Waddle: Break someone’s kneecaps.
Wink: Steal.

 

[larryfinnjr]

All things must have a beginning and all mercs need that first job. Your name means nothin’ without it and you can talk all you want, but it’s street cred you need to make your name. So, you have to start somewhere and since you can’t be picky about the work for your first time out, you find your way to Bloomten, an old village that’s been taken over by a tribe of orcs. Fair ‘nuff that it’s been run to the ground and nowhere near what it used to be, but there’s a bloke named Stump who’s set up shop there and he’s looking for some hoods to wink a portal key. Time to get out in the open, be seen, and introduce yourself to the crowd. Hopefully you’ll stir up enough attention to pick up a mark, some jink, and maybe survive to the next job.

As the wagon slowly winds its way across this overgrown trail running through Harrington Woods, you understand now why the fare was so cheap: the ride is bumpy, there are no decent seats, and there are too many people crammed back here. And from what you can smell, the driver appears drunk. He interchanges from whistling a tune to singing a drinking song, broken up by the occasional hocking wad of phlegm spat out the side. There is little of interest to see and hear in the forest. Few birds chirp and a faint mist in the distance prevents you from seeing much past the overgrowth. There is a dank smell in the air, moldy and foul. It’s not until you pass by a small clearing that you can see why – an overturned cart rests in a ditch, barely concealing the rotting bodies of its previous owners. Arrows stick out their backs and heads, leaving no mistake as to what happened here weeks ago.

"Bas'ards didn' stan'a chance," quips the gnome seated at the far rear of the wagon, his thick scottish accent like fingernails on a chalkboard. "Jus' as well. Means thar's werk fa me 'ere," he adds with no further explaination as to what that work might be.

Wedged among you are quite the assortment of what one could loosely call "people": a seemingly blind human male dressed in rags with a significant gas problem; two identical half-orc twin sisters with a penchant for head-butting each other every few minutes or so; a hooded kenku sits cross-legged on the floor, chanting softly to what modern-day people would identify as Ke$ha's Tik Tok; and an imp with a distinctly Jersey accent, incessantly complaining about a lack of work some place you've never heard of due to some cataclysmic fire that engulfed the region.

"Whaddyoulookinat, eh? Imp's gotta eat to ya know."

 

[whardell]

Malaggar Quietstep

OOC: The "official version"

Malagger is a Drow Ranger, and no he isn't "That other Drow Ranger you have heard about"

He didn't leave the drow city because he hated it, or because it was a bad place. He left because of some trouble concerning a certain lack of courtesy to a priestess of the Spider Queen. (It was discourteous of him to not let himself be slain)

He isn't a terrible person though, he isn't bloodthirsty (at least not by his peoples standards) he honors a deal that's been struck and is concerned with being regarded as a professional. He has earned some small amount of acceptance as a tracker, trapper, and bounty hunter. He'll kill a man in a fair fight, or if he thinks the man will start a fair fight, or if its a matter of money, mostly if its a matter of money.

He enjoys the thrill of a tough mark, so he isn't like to take a job to kill some weak innocent.

He can be counted on to act quickly, one of his favorite sayings is "Act Quick or Act Dead, either way, Act!"

He appears as a fairly typical drow, White hair, black skin, ice blue eyes. His weapons are an odd pair. The Larger (Grimtooth) is a battleaxe of Orcish Make, the haft apparently carved from the thighbone of a Troglodyte the blade a jagged mass of cold black metal. The smaller weapon (Calastia) is clearly the work of a master Drow weaponsmith, elegant, cold, and deadly "My very favorite weapon."

That is about if for the back story I feel is important.

Chess, what do you make of the opposition out here? Just your typical orc tribes? No offense ladies (directed at the twins)
[/COLOR]

 

[Phesic]

OOC: Surgeon Warforged Artificer I wasn't born. Hell, I was barely built. I'm the aborted attempt to create an empathetic warforged, one with a bedside manner and a congenial smile. The process was halted due to catastrophic failure in the creation forge. I'm the result. Congenial, check. Smile, not so much. Half formed with only one leg, half a face and the barest skeleton for one arm, my first imperative in life became to live. The first 30 years of my existence was spent cobbling together the parts to make myself whole. The result is a patchwork of parts filched from fallen brethren or forged by a smith with no right to make parts for a living creature. Only one eye works and only half of my mouth moves when I speak. Both arms are a mish-mosh of different connective fibers creating an oddly interesting pattern of colors. The missing leg was supplied by a decrepit battleforge. Much too large for my frame, but functional. I seemed destined to suffer. As another mechanical man said long ago and far away "It seems to be our lot in life." The last 58 years have been spent trying to make others whole. The directive to heal others was hardwired in to me, so I drifted from town to town, helping where I could. "Surgeon" was the first name hey gave me, it was followed in time by "Doc" and "Patches". Often, I was chased from towns or shunned, rarely I found a place that appreciated and accepted me. All of this has happened before, and it will happen again. But I never stayed long, something always pulled me away. I wasn't made to heal a town, I was made to heal warriors. Battle called to me, but there were no wars to answer it. I don't seek glory, but I do seek meat-sacks that seek glory. They are always getting broken.... and I have a plan. Across my back sits a small pack. It contains medicinal herbs, sutures, etc. Around it is coiled rope (who the frack would adventure without rope?) At my hip is a crossbow that is as patch-worked as I am(I don't get near the things that want to kill me). Slung over my shoulder on my other hip is a large leather pouch in which resides Several infusion receptacles.

I don't think that the orc's are the rivals Mal. Though I suppose they could pose problems given their...nature.

 

[trolled]

[sblock=A bit of background]

"I have found that it is customary among intelligent creatures to expound upon their trivial lives at length, usually over something fermented that could dubiously be called ale. It is also customary to embellish the details a bit for the sake of drama. I will spare you that slack-jawed, brain-dead look you do so well by telling you that I am not embellishing. I do not garnish my stories with fruitless nonsense. Sometime around my 18th birthday, though I’m not entirely sure whe… no, scratch that; 3rd day of Harvest, 21:32 hours, moon a quarter full, crickets… yes… no… no crickets. What? Oh yes. I burned my parents home down around them in their sleep. They had it coming. I regret only that I didn’t have the magical aptitude to make it permanent before then. For what? Oh yes, ha. Funny story. They named me Francesca. Seemed a sensible punishment for the crime, don’t you agree? I was caught. As I knew I would be. Nothing ever goes well. Sentenced too. I think it was death. I knew they would hang me for it. Funny thing about mages; best to break their fingers, or they don’t stay caught.

Now before you ask, I didn’t kill everyone in my escape. Just the constable, his deputy and four… five… six… six innocent bystanders. You can hardly call that a crime. Well, they did. Don’t look at me like I’ve suddenly lost my horns and tail; is it so hard to believe that is how I got my start in this line of work? You didn’t think I spent my life learning how to manipulate the forces of the universe just so that I could sleep in this piss-washed, flea-ridden, dung-stained, pus-festering dank hovel of a town did you? I’m not surprised you think that, I suppose. You are about as sharp as a ball of wax. I believe I would have smothered you in swaddling clothes if I had been your mother. Or at least bashed your father over the head with something large and blunt. Perhaps you."

Few things motivate Francesca Ashtongue as much as the pursuit of wealth and power, save perhaps burning forest creatures to smoldering crisps. Many would say she has a poor attitude, but they are dull, uneducated, filthy, pustulant creatures worth less than the copper in their coin purse. Francesca does not hesitate to share her opinions and outlook on current events, often citing examples of past failures. She does her work with the methodical care of the truly insane, and interruption is tantamount to suicide. She does nothing without reason, not even unreasonable things. As you may imagine, there are those that would see her done harm. Everywhere. She is certain they are out there. Waiting She cares for others about as far as she can throw them. Which is to say that she does not care for others. She will be the first to point out your faults, often in neatly detailed lists, starting with your birth. You probably can't help it, but you should know it was wrong. And you should be ashamed. When she makes a joke it is dry. Like a desert. And you were probably the butt of it. Francesca smokes rolled tobacco leaves, largely because they provide a source of ignition for her various explosives. She enjoys, yes I said enjoys, cooking. Almost as much as she enjoys telling you what small fluffy creature is in it. Cute bunny tonight.[/sblock]

*Ches takes a long drag off her cigarette*
I think they are probably savages. Likely poorly educated and odorous. If our luck holds, they will probably also be aggressive, loud and foul-mannered. I am so dearly looking forward to working in another shanty town without proper amenities.

But I fear the Surgeon may be right. Maybe they brought a little bit of stability with them. Let's just hope they pay well. And that they stock ammonium nitrate. I am painfully low again.
*Ches glares at the imp*

 

[larryfinnjr]

"Stability?! HA!" Sister #1 take a break from her full-frontal combat with her twin. "What makes you think that? It's a madhouse in Bloomten! PERFECT opportunity for...for..."

"Opportunity!" replies #2 in response. "It is during periods of social upheaval and anarchy when the masses will congregate in order to take advantage of the weak. And it seems you are bound for the same destination as my sibling and I. Allow me to introduce us...I'm Ujinn Raavna, "Silver Lips" in the king's tongue, and this is my sister Grevitch, "The Box." And who might you be?"

 

[Phesic]

I have been named Surgeon or Doc or Patches. What you wish to call me is your choice.

Surgeon shrugs and extends what *might* be a hand.

 

[larryfinnjr]

"Hey, smokie, can I bum a fag?" The imp eyes Ches in return and offers a quick wink.

 

[trolled]

"Insanity is stability. At least you know what to expect," turning to the imp, Ches replies, "It looks like you have fag covered, my infernal chum." With a flourish, and a bit of magic, Ches levitates one of her hand-rolled cigarettes toward the imp,"With my compliments, and the same to your master."