Swamp Trek III: The Search for Ter-raen

[Scott DeWar]

[sblock=another alternative] there is a book, I think the complete adventurer, where the players make all the rolls. the monster A/C is like a dc that the attack must defeat. i don't quite recall the specifics, but we use it in our table top game we played (until about 8 months ago) and I need to review the rules and tell you what I find. it will be after work today when I can search for it.[/sblock]

[sblock=PS] by the way, I would give an opinion on Karl dying here, but there may be grandmothers reading this [/sblock]

 

[covaithe]

[sblock=ooc]

OOC: Gildrim has only 34 HP.

Quite right; I blame Richard.

Malenkirk Rules: Hate it with the heat of a thousand burning suns.

Fair enough. I'm not interested in forcing anything on anybody; we can run this the normal way. That means Richard is up.

I would give an opinion on Karl dying here, but...

Yeah, that sucks. Dice, eh? What can you do?

[/sblock]

 

[jkason]

Weel rushes forward, but realizes too late that he hasn't the speed to reach Karl before the creature has the chance to use its massive jaws again.

[sblock=since we're talking combat mechanics]Gah. Weel's too far away to get in and touch Karl for a stabalize / heal this round, which I think means he's done for unless some Super Awesome Crits come down the pipeline. Perhaps this whole quest for the urn adventure set needs to be renamed Suicide Run Right now I figure I'll have Weel make a double move to H5.

But, assuming somehow Karl does survive, he's grappled, which means the critter can't threaten anyone, correct? So if that happened, Weel could close and heal next round without being next on the dinner list? I don't have a lot of experience with grapple, so I wanted to check that before I did anything else.[/sblock]

 

[Trouvere]

Gildrim, half-turned to check that Weel has the animals in hand by himself, sees the priest rush forward, and spins back round to see the unfolding disaster.[sblock=OOC]

But, assuming somehow Karl does survive, he's grappled, which means the critter can't threaten anyone, correct?

Not 100% sure.

Unless otherwise noted, improved grab works only against opponents at least one size category smaller than the creature. The creature has the option to conduct the grapple normally, or simply use the part of its body it used in the improved grab to hold the opponent. If it chooses to do the latter, it takes a -20 penalty on grapple checks, but is not considered grappled itself; the creature does not lose its Dexterity bonus to AC, still threatens an area, and can use its remaining attacks against other opponents.

That's only for creatures with more than one attack, no? It's using its mouth to hold Karl, so it has no bite attack, and can't threaten?

Gah. Weel's too far away to get in and touch Karl for a stabalize / heal this round, which I think means he's done for unless some Super Awesome Crits come down the pipeline. Perhaps this whole quest for the urn adventure set needs to be renamed Suicide Run

This isn't going to do very much for Gildrim's self-esteem. His shining initiative roll means he can't help in any way.

Richard's very best critical hit can't kill the thing. If it grapples Karl for one more round, he's very dead. But if Richard does wound it, then "if the ankheg is damaged after grabbing its prey, it retreats backward down its tunnel at its land speed (not its burrow speed), dragging the victim with it." If it uses its action to move the grapple, then does Karl take no damage this round?

Of course, he's then underground, at -7 or worse, and still in its mouth, and moreover "a burrowing ankheg usually does not make a usable tunnel, but can construct a tunnel." There's a small chance it will be possible to follow it into a tunnel that is "5 feet tall and wide, and from 60 to 150 feet long."

Hmmm. Gildrim will still be too far away to get into the tunnel, but Richard could follow it down... where he may well be unable to see.

Yeah, Karl's [comment censored for watching grandmothers].[/sblock]

 

[covaithe]

[sblock=grapple and other mechanics]

But, assuming somehow Karl does survive, he's grappled, which means the critter can't threaten anyone, correct? So if that happened, Weel could close and heal next round without being next on the dinner list? I don't have a lot of experience with grapple, so I wanted to check that before I did anything else.

Yes, while grappling it doesn't threaten. Also, remember that when casting touch spells like CLW, you can cast it and hold the charge, then move and apply it to a willing adjacent target at the end of the move as a free action. Holding the charge is highly underused for healers, IMO.

[/sblock]

 

[Trouvere]

[sblock=OOC]

Also, remember that when casting touch spells like CLW, you can cast it and hold the charge, then move and apply it to a willing adjacent target at the end of the move as a free action. Holding the charge is highly underused for healers, IMO.

Do you have a reference for it being a free action to deliver a held touch spell to an ally?

Holding the Charge
If you don’t discharge the spell in the round when you cast the spell, you can hold the discharge of the spell (hold the charge) indefinitely. You can continue to make touch attacks round after round. You can touch one friend as a standard action or up to six friends as a full-round action. If you touch anything or anyone while holding a charge, even unintentionally, the spell discharges. If you cast another spell, the touch spell dissipates.

[/sblock]

 

[Scott DeWar]

Maybe I better be looking at a new character, eh?

I get a bad feeling when the dm says:

Yeah, Karl's [comment censored for watching grandmothers].

 

[Trouvere]

OOC: fortunately(?), that was me, not the DM.

 

[covaithe]

[sblock=OOC]

Do you have a reference for it being a free action to deliver a held touch spell to an ally?

No, I'd just assumed it was. I mean, how much of an action does it take to touch a willing person? I guess I've been doing it wrong, then. Bah.
[/sblock]

 

[Richard Rawen]

[sblock=ooc - since everyone else has one!]Richard is boggled by the amount of OOC and stands helplessly...
Oh, no wait, that's me!
RICHARD actually goes first, and I'm really sorry that I missed a day (and will miss tomorrow as well, so I'll try to make today count.)

SO, first off I agree that block rolls speed things up immensely and I use them (kinda) in my currently running 3.5 game. Players roll their Attack and Damage, Skill checks and whatever other dice needed ahead of time, but only right before their initiative comes up, so as not to take away possibilities - you may think you know what your fighter is doing until the Sorcerors' chain-lightning suddenly reduces the battlefield from 18 to 4 enemies one of which is suddenly glowing a sickly green...
I like the compromise option, rolling your provokes and ST's, when you can anticipate them, to speed things along, but otherwise going in order of initiative (even when that means the idiot already a full day behind post time is wasting all his time making OOC's... erm, To Combat!)

~ btw, regardless of Metagame-acquired knowledge, I'll run Richard IC ~

He would like to drop his (loaded) crossbow and draw his bastardsword as he Charges the beastie. I'm assuming 10' Squares? Richard can just make it due to Med Armor Optimization and much of his 'arsenal' being carried on his horse while on the road.
I will post both 'allowed to' and 'not allowed' posts and the DM can run it from there. [/sblock][sblock=Allowed to Charge]Richard is charging forward before he even fully realizes how terrible the situation truly is, reacting out of instinct.
He roars his challenge even as he drops his crossbow and sprints towards the creature chewing on Karl's limp form. Reaching behind him, he unsheathes his bastardsword and swings with both hands in the desperate attempt to save his new companion...
The blow is mighty and is delivered at a critical juncture of the insectoid's armor plated body, but will it be enough?

I'll toss WotC some props for their http://www.wizards.com/dnd/dice/dice.htmp
[sblock=Crunchy Bits: ]To Hit +8, Damage d10+3 (Using both hands), Charging +2 To Hit, +4/-4 Power Attack:
To Hit +8 +2 -4 = +6
Roll(1d20)+6:
20,+6
Total:26 Wow!
Critical Confirm Roll:
Roll(1d20)+6:
18,+6
Total:24 Double Wow!

Damage d10+3 +4 = d10+7
Roll(1d10)+7:
10,+7
Total:17 Cool!
Confirmed Critical Damage:
Roll(1d10)+7:
7,+7
Total:14
Total Damage: 31 !!![/sblock][/sblock][sblock=Not Allowed to Charge]Richard never pauses, firing his Crossbow [sblock=crunchy bits](Wish I could use same attack rolls! Hey - I don't want to waste a friggin 20!)
Roll(1d20)+6:
9,+6
Total:15 *sigh*

Roll(1d10)+0:
6,+0
Total:6 ... not nearly as impressive ... and probably disasterous considering the metagame OOC's [/sblock] then he drops the weapon and begins to run forward, screaming at the beast as he brings out his bastardsword.[/sblock]