One suggestion. I love the prisoner numbers, so keep using them, but we still might want to clarify, because I never remember what number I am LOL So maybe when you write "Prisoner 137 did X" or "Prisoner 137, get your butt over here!" you could do it "Prisoner 137 (Valrin)..." with the understanding, of course, that the name is OOC. Just to make sure no one misses anything because they brain fart on their number.
You're right, of course. I wrote them down next to your names in my notes right away, but I should have asked you to add it to the top of your RG posts for all our sakes. For the record:
(The last two were newly counted off by Razum just 'now')
I went back-and-forth while writing trying to decide to call them their names or numbers, but I went for numbers for immersion-sake. I had a 50/50 chance!
Okay, we're gonna have an encounter! But there's a few things I need to figure out first (I'll go over my thoughts "live" here)
1) The Gray Seagull has 1 Captain (he doubles as master), 3 Officers, 4 guards, & 12 Crew (normally 15; always a bit shorthanded; no one likes this run!) and was ferrying 8 prisoners and 4 guests.
a) At the time of the attack, the captain and clergyman (npc accolyte of Waukeen, not a PC cleric) were right in the middle of the ship on the lower deck, sanding over/under the open hatch.
b) The mate was on the main deck, organising 2 crew at the ship's crane. 2 more crew were offloading by the ramp. 2 were in the hold, 2 on the lower deck, 2 on the dock.
c) The bosun was by the lift, having just closed the door, with 1 crewman.
d) That leaves 1 crewman and the 4 guards. The crewman was sick, and the new Doc took him up with the first load (as well as himself and his 2 servants)
e) 2 guards are with the prisoners in the hold (totalling 4 guards in the hold, see below) and 2 are on the dock with the fire-barrel.
f) 5 prisoners (including Thorbin) are in the aft hold (prison); 3 (including Jathlin) are in the mid-hold.
g) that leaves only the last guest, which is Lex, who's on the lift.
2) The prison sent 12 Guards & 6 prisoners outside, all told, to help the offload. Kriv did not go. (Plus Razum). & Doc Halfhand showed up on his own.
a) 3 guards and 2 prisoners are working the lift's wheel.
b) 4 guards are watching over the affair from the cliff, with crossbows. Also wind and rain in their faces.
c) 2 guards accompanied Razum to the hold to secure the prisoners with manacles.
d) 4 prisoners are working the docks (that's Valrin, Burton, and Py'Cott, and 1 NPC)
e) 2 guards are at the fire-barrel (on the dock)
f) Razum is in the hold, and Doc Halfhand is on the doc.
g) That leaves 1 guard, who's on the main deck, inspecting cargo for contraband (poorly)
I think that makes 49 people in this encounter. Before bad guys. I'm insane. (Obviously I'm not going to run everyone individually, or I really WOULD be insane.)
Okay, where was I? 49 people. Actually, it's 48 because I forgot to take out the sick crewman who left with the new Doc. Recalculating from the above we have:
1) 25 people - 22 NPCs and 3 PCs (Jathlin, Thorbin, Razum) on board the Gray Seagull
a) By deck that's - Hold: 3 PCs, 12 NPCs; Lower Deck: 4 NPCs; Main Deck: 6 NPCs
2) 11 people - 7 NPCs and 4 PCs (Valrin, Doc Halfhand, Burton, & Py'Cott) on the Dock
a) that's 4 guards at the fire-barrel, 2 crewmen, and a prisoner worker
3) 3 people on the lift - 2 NPCs and 1 PC (Lex, the bosun, and a sailor)
4) 9 people on the cliff - 9 NPCs (7 guards and 2 prisoners)
(I'll make that last one the kid that Valrin told to watch out. He hunkered down from good advice!)
Razum, Lex, and Thorbin are going to be able to act in the surprise round (though there is not much to see yet, but you might want to get some movement in. Everyone else will be recovering from the shock (or surfacing after falling in).
It takes 20 feet of movement to move from deck to deck (Hold to Lower Deck to Main Deck), if that's what you want to do. The hold is going to start filling with water. There's a chance that the Gray Seagull will sink, but it takes a lot longer than a minute for a wooden ship to sink, so it won't happen during combat. The main problem, for those in the hold, is that it's going to fill with water. In the surprise round, that will cause no problems (other than cold wet feet). It will escalate as time goes on (I will let you know if you stay there).
For Lex @jmucchiello you can choose to jump out of the elevator before it gets too high and wind up on the dock, or you can spend what might be most of the fight going up. You can climb up on some crates to look out the little window (it's not big, or one would get a face full of weather whenever it was ridden).
Just before the doors closed (Lex can open them a crack to jump out) Lex saw something moving in the water to the side of the dock. (We can say this caused him to climb up where he could see out in time for everything to happen, so he's got a good view of just about the whole situation, as well as....)
Just beginning to surface, climbing the cliff is a giant spiky king crab. It appears to be ridden by some sort of humanoid, just below the water. As the lift rises, so to will the crab and rider surface while climbing the cliff. This is all you get before you gotta decide if you want to leave the lift or ride it.[/ooc]
I got two questions:
Are there any weapons lying around from the flung guards? (probobly not going to pick one up just yet, Py'Cott isn't too keen on making himself a target)
And the anti-magic fields are only for the cells right?
Oh, I just noticed it was the surprise round, not much to do other than make a save then.
One hundred and sixty feet. Goes up just under 20 feet per round, under optimal conditions (in this sleet, it'll take about 10 rounds to reach the top, as long as the wheel-crew keep working).
I got two questions:
1) Are there any weapons lying around from the flung guards? (probobly not going to pick one up just yet, Py'Cott isn't too keen on making himself a target)
2) And the anti-magic fields are only for the cells right?
x) Oh, I just noticed it was the surprise round, not much to do other than make a save then.
1) There's a crossbow left on the dock, but only 1 quarrel with it, but the young guard has a case of them. There's a couple of pikes left behind, too.
Which reminds me: For anyone on the dock, The icebreaker works like a spear wielded two-handed (1d8). The hook is a 1d6 simple piercing weapon. The heavy greatcoats provide an 11+dex AC.
2) That's right! Py'Cott and Barton can use their abilities. I don't think they'd get in trouble for it if they're defending the ship. Don't freak out any guards and you're fine.
I was also going to post that Jathlin couldn't tell how the antimagic field in the aft hold worked, but he could feel it drop away as soon as he moved through the hatch. His power is available too.
x) Sure, but it'll be over quick enough. Good to start thinking about it.
I need dc10 dex saves from @Kobold Stew Doc and @KahlessNestor Valrin and I can reveal more of what's going on from the point of view of those on the docks.
... And when @Snarf Zagyg Razum & @Steve Gorak Thorbin give me an idea of what they want to do with their surprise round (Leave the hold that's filling up with water? Try to help others out? Try to start to seal the breach? Something else?) I will do a post about what's going on inside the ship.
... ditto for @jmucchiello Lex and what's going on on the cliffside.
No hurry, but as you see, I've got a lot to think about!
