(CSRHoD) Creamsteak's Red Hand of Doom II [IC]

Larian's usually reserved expression verges on panic as the wolf-like creatures emerge from the shadows. Realizing he is no match for their physicality, the elven wizard steps back and uses his arcane knowledge to join Tyrla in her aerial withdrawal, only he enacts his escape by disappearing from sight.

[sblock=ooc] Knowledge checks, Dungeoneering 25
Arcana 37
Planes 28

5' step north, then cast Greater Invisibility on himself, unless knowledge check suggests that won't help.[/sblock]

[sblock=spells]Spells Memorized
0--Mage Hand, Read Magic, Detect Magic, Detect Magic
1--Mage Armor, Magic Missile, Magic Missile, Protection from Evil, Color Spray, Enlarge Person (Trans)
2--See Invisibility, Knock, Bull's Strength (Trans), Scorching Ray, Scorching Ray
3--Dispel Magic, Fly, Fireball, Mass Resist Energy, Haste (Trans), Fireball (from Rary's ME.)
4--Greater Invisibility, Dimension Door, Evard's Black Tentacles, Rary's Mnemonic Enhancer (Trans)

Spells in Effect
Mage Armor--16 hours from breaking camp
Greater Invisibility--8 rounds

Metamagic Rod of Extend--2 uses left
Pearl of Power--available
Disspelling Chord--5 knots[/sblock]

Avril - Human Druid - AC 21 - hp 55/55 - Spot +15 - Listen +15
Mandla - Riding Dog - AC 26 - hp 57/57 - Spot +5 - Listen +5

The focus of the battle suddenly shifts. The ogre fallen and the hobgoblins fleeing, and now suddenly more enemies coming from the south. It needed to be controlled. Barking a command to Mandla, the powerful dog roars up and charges to help Warren and Pender fight the wolf-like creatures as they come upon them. Then, taking Tyrla's words of south of the road to heart, Avril gestures to the undergrowth and the bushes, causing the plants to grow and start to entangle anything that would attempt to come from that direction.

[SBLOCK=OOC]OOC: Avril commands Mandla to attack the nearest wolf-like creature (Handle Animal +15, moving to AJ9). Mandla Bite Attack: +11. Mandla Bite Damage: 1d6+8. Avril casts Entangle south of the road, targetting AJ/AK 19/20 within a 40 ft. radius. DC 15 Reflex negates entanglement but still slows movement by half.

Spells and Abilities Active:

Barkskin (Avril, Mandla, 160 minutes)
Enrage Animal (Mandla, Concentration + 8 rounds)
Entangle (8 minutes)

Spells Cast and Abilities/Items Used:

Barkskin
Enrage Animal
Entangle
Lesser Metamagic Rod of Extend (1 Used)

Level 0 (6): Cure Minor Wounds (3), Detect Magic (2), Guidance
Level 1 (5): Cure Light Wounds, Faerie Fire, Produce Flame
Level 2 (4): Barkskin, Bull's Strength, Cat's Grace
Level 3 (4): Call Lightning, Cure Moderate Wounds, Greater Magic Fang, Protection from Energy
Level 4 (3): Air Walk, Cure Serious Wounds, Flame Strike

Avril's Character Sheet [/SBLOCK]

Initiatives
Tyrla 22
Avril 21
Siobhan 20
Warren 13
Larian 13
Pender 8
Hobgoblin 8
New Arrivals...

(I did put tyrla 'up' 10 feet per the instructions, even if it's not marked on the map. You would still be in range of the creature though, even without reach. You're the equivelent of 1 square diagonal-up from it's facing. And your DR does apply.)

Tyrla flies out of the reach of the ground based wolves. From her new vantage she can see far and wide along the planes and over the forests...

Tyrla:
[sblock]You recognize the creatures as Barghests. Horrible transforming monsters that devour the souls of the fallen and gain great strength from it. These particular ones are quite advanced, and more than dangerous.

Also, from your new vantage you can see something moving just over the trees, it's scaly green wings blending slightly with the canopy as it rushes towards your position. It's currently near 1000 ft. away, to the south.[/color][/sblock]

Avril sends Mandla into the beast, but his attack fails to draw any wound on the creature. As the grass entagles around the road and field it wraps around the feet of the monsters, both visible and not.

Siobhan drops the longbow, favoring her melee weapon, she readies the hammer and steps up to engage the beast in front of her. Her swing crashes into the creature (critical threat) nearly striking its skull (not confirmed). The hammer strike does 12 points of damage to the nearby beast.

Warren moves back to re-engage (you also get a +1 to hit due to higher ground) and strikes for 15 points of combined damage.

Larian falls back a step and casts a powerful illusion of invisibility (I assume you would still do so, the creatures have scent, but that doesn't make invisibility useless).

Larian:
[sblock]These creatures are greater barghests, powerful shapeshifters that devour the souls of whatever prey they find. They are intelligent, make use of powerful spells including the ability to charm enemies and empower allies, and quite deadly. These ones are greater barghests, ones who have devoured enough souls to reach a new more fierce level.[/sblock]

Pender charges into the creature (+1 to hit from higher ground) and nearly hits, but the creature he swings for vanishes and reappears during the blades arc.

The two hobgoblins move out from cover and each fires an arrow. The first targets Tyrla, her high ground making her an obvious target. The other targets Avril. Both miss.

The large wolves fight on, the first locking eyes with Warren, facing off with him with a piercing stare.

Warren:

[sblock]Make a secret will save vs. Charm Monster, DC 16, and act accordingly to your result. I don't need to see it nor even be told what your result was.[/sblock]

The second creature howls and slashes at the armored cleric. Siobhan is able to deflect or shake off all three attacks.

The hidden dragonkin mentioned by Tyrla tough it through the entanglement (3 were affected, all 3 made their saves) and trudge forward. The one who was not entangled charges Siobhan. One that was entangled does not quite make it to his target and find himself challenged by the strength of the plants that grab at him. The other two move to attack Siobhan and Pender respectively.

They swing hard, and this costs them against their heavily armored targets. The first two attackers miss. The third (the one against Pender) however lands a critical threat (but doesn't confirm) and deals 16 points of damage to the fighter.

I hope that gets everything. The 3 B's not in the entanglement are visible now and are black dragonkin (you can see the picture in one of my earlier posts addressed to Tyrla).

Warren the halfling

Warren blinks at the strange lupine monster, then whips his blade around, vanishing from sight for a few seconds, as he spins the blade around more and tries to gash the beast twice. By the time he reappears, it's obvious that only one new cut mark has sprouted along the beast's hide. "These things have a wierd stare," he grumbles. "I'M GOING TO BLOW THIS ONE UP!" he calls out in Elven.

[sblock=ooc]Initiating Cloak of Deception for invisibility until end of turn, then Flashing Sun. Assassin's Stance is still active, so 4d6 sneak attack with each hit, and +2 to hit flat-footed AC for invisibility, +1 to hit for higher ground, so +14 melee for 1d4+9+4d6 twice with Discipline Focus.

And once again InvisibleCastle proves just how very much it hates me this week. A natural 1 to start with, then a 22 to hit with the second attack, for 23 damage. Could have been so very much more.......
1d20+14=15, 1d4+9+4d6=28, 1d20+14=22, 1d4+9+4d6=23
[sblock=DM Only]If you really want/need to know, it's there.
[sblock]1d20+10=17 [/sblock][/sblock][/sblock]

The stare seeks to charm you to fight on their side, Larian responds, also in elven. They are spellcasters, and they devour the souls of those they defeat. Take them down quickly. To make such action easier, the elf takes a step away from the combat, drawing his metamagic rod as he does so, and uses his knowledge to add speed to his allies' efforts.

[sblock=ooc] 5' step then cast Haste, extended. I should be able to get Siobhan, Larian, Pender, Warren and Mandla.[/sblock]

[sblock=spells]Spells Memorized
0--Mage Hand, Read Magic, Detect Magic, Detect Magic
1--Mage Armor, Magic Missile, Magic Missile, Protection from Evil, Color Spray, Enlarge Person (Trans)
2--See Invisibility, Knock, Bull's Strength (Trans), Scorching Ray, Scorching Ray
3--Dispel Magic, Fly, Fireball, Mass Resist Energy, Haste (Trans), Fireball (from Rary's ME.)
4--Greater Invisibility, Dimension Door, Evard's Black Tentacles, Rary's Mnemonic Enhancer (Trans)

Spells in Effect
Mage Armor--16 hours from breaking camp
Greater Invisibility--7 rounds
Haste--Larian, Pender, Mandla, Warren, Siobhan--16 rounds

Metamagic Rod of Extend--1 uses left
Pearl of Power--available
Disspelling Chord--5 knots[/sblock]

Pender struggles to hold back a cry of pain as the enemy struck a vicious blow against him. Following Larian's advice he ignores the threat and turns his attentions to the larger creature in front of him.

With his movements quickened, the warrior Pender swings with blinding speed at the wolf-like creature. Not being used to the beneficial speed boost from his ally, the human struggles to land his blows in an effective manner.

[sblock=OOC]
Full Round Action: Full Attack on Wolfie
Full Power Attack (-5 to hit, +10 damage):
1st Attack; Dmg; 2nd Attack; Dmg; Haste Attack; Dmg (1d20+12=21, 2d6+19=25, 1d20+7=18, 2d6+19=28, 1d20+12=22, 2d6+19=28) *Includes +1 to hit from higher ground and +1 from Haste* .... terrible, just terrible.
[/sblock]

[sblock=Mini Stat Block]
AC 24, Touch 14, Flat-footed 22 *(Incl. +1 dodge bonus from Haste)
HP 51/67
Fort +9 Ref +6* Will +3
Speed 20 ft.
[/sblock]

Tyrla; warlock 8; HP 37/46; AC 20

Tyrla fought down the urge to simply flee the fight, but her voice very nearly cracked with strain as she shrieked out a warning. "We've got even more trouble- there is a green dragon, airborne and headed this way! It might be the one that escaped at the bridge." She simply turned in place, and launched another arcane bolt at one of the wolf-like creatures.

OOC: Eldritch spear at the barghest facing Siobhan; ranged touch +10, 5d6 damage; hover in place for now

Initiatives
Tyrla 22
Avril 21
Siobhan 20
Warren 13
Larian 13
Pender 8
Hobgoblin 8
Everything else...

Tyrla blasts the nearest Barghest for 21 points of damage.

Avril casts produce flame as a standard action and holds her position for the moment. Mandla attacks the beaest in front but does not land a good hit.

Siobhan takes a full attack and deals 10 points of damage to her target.

Warren strikes, but all of his attacks miss, one sliding through the creatures phantasm as it blinks.

Larian steps back while still under the cover of invisibility and casts Haste to enhance his allies.

Pender's attacks do land, scoring a fatal blow against the beast and bringing it down. His second strike is directed at the Dragonspawn and fails to hit. His third attack hits and deals 28 points to the opponent.

The hobgoblins both target Avril, and this time both hit. One arrow deals 4 damage and the other deals 5.

The monster fighting Siobhan locks eyes with the cleric and stops his thrashing. Siobhan stops her attack as well. The creature whips its neck to point the dragonspawn to go past.

The dragonspawn move around to get their attacks. Two pass right by Larian (who is invisible, and they provoke attacks of opportunity for passing him, tell me if you want to try to take it). Siobhan ignores them as they pass.

The creatures attack Pender and Mandla. The one against Pender who had already scored a hit gets to make a full attack action. He scores one hit with his powerful attack dealing 18 points of damage to the heavily armored fighter. His second blow glances off pitifully. The other dragonspawn that targets Pender scores a critical threat but fails to confirm, inflicting 19 points of damage with its powerful swing.

The creatures targetting Mandla score one hit for 19 damage as well.

Warren the halfling, AC 27, HP, Haste, Island of Blades stance

Warren snarls after his attacks miss, but at least Pender finished that creature off (though Warren would've preferred to finish it himself). He changes footing and stops holding his blade back so much, spreading out his stance more and sending a cascade of shadowy blades out around him, bobbing in midair, making it harder to tell which is his real sword.

Irate, the halfling stabs twice at the beast that came too close in its rush at Pender, then he hops back and steps around Mandla to help the dog against one of its adversaries. "Wherever you are Larian, get further away from the beasts and the big one! I'm gonna blow SOMETHING up!!!"

[sblock=ooc]Full attack with Haste against the beast next to Warren and Pender, 23 and 16 to hit, dealing 10 damage and 7 damage respectively. Then a 5-foot step towards the northeastern greenspawn threatening Mandla. So hard to reach flanking positions....
1d20+14=23, 1d4+6=10, 1d20+14=16, 1d4+6=7

But, y'know, I forgot until I already rolled the attacks, Warren can change stances this turn to flank anyway. So he's changing to Island of Blades stance, thus flanking with Pender momentarily, for an extra +2 to hit and 2d6 sneak attack damage, then he and Mandla will be considered to be flanking the northeastern greenspawn after his 5-foot step. It won't help Mandla this round, but next round.....
2d6=6, 2d6=6

SO, it's actually 25 and 18 to hit the greenspawn, for 16 damage and 13 damage respectively.[/sblock]

Tyrla gave a worried glance in Siobhan's direction- if the barghest had charmed her, that could be a problem, but they had to get these creatures taken care of quickly... She hurled another arcane bolt, then scanned the sky for the approaching BIG problem. "That dragon is still coming, and fast!"

OOC: Range estimate for the dragon?

OOC 2: another eldritch spear at the remaining barghest, ranged touch +10, 5d6 potential damage); if the dragon is within 1 round ETA, then descend to just barely off the ground, well behind ("north of") our front-liners (No sense in making too big a target of oneself).