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

Noriaki turns to Sasha and gives her a self-assured smile. Then, wind still whipping around him, he speeds off into the brush. The brush still impedes him somewhat, but he leaps easily over the worst of it, seeming lighter on his feet than should be humanly possible. He comes up behind Castile, taking careful aim, and cuts cleanly through the webbing holding her axe arm back. "That should make things a bit easier on you. Wouldn't want you so caught up in freeing yourself that you miss my crushing victory over this beast." he calls out with a cocky grin.

[sblock=mechanics]
Move: to I13. Just barely can make it thanks to the +2 speed from Way of Air 13.

Standard: try and free Castile from webbing.
Athletics: 1d20+8=25 Big numbers are good! Granting [MENTION=57009]Dekana[/MENTION] a saving throw.[/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:19/27 Bloodied:13
Surges left:2/9
Surge Value:6
Action Points: 0
MBA: +7 to hit, 1d12+4 damage

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


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]

The Irregulars scatter across the battlefield looking for enemies to smite. They come up empty handed.

[sblock=Actions]
Minor: Perception (9) - Why did I take this skill again?
Move>Minor: Wild Shape
Standard: Grasping Tide J14/L16; +4 vs Fort * 1d6+4 damage and same effect as last turn.

[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:
Notes: -3 damage from melee/ranged attacks in Beast Form
[/sblock][/sblock]

The big spider leaps to attack Castile as Noriaki frees her from the web, but the strange vibrations from Hú Lí's flute seem to hamper it. It retreats behind another barrier of webs.

There is another barrage of poisonous spit from the undergrowth, one spider popping up right beside Takahaan before edging around behind a tree. Only Dartmoor is hit, but he is struck in the eye and finds his vision partially obscured.


[sblock=actions and rolls]Castile struggles in the webs: save vs restrained (granted by Noriaki) (1d20=16). Success, Castile is free.

Aerys save vs blinded (1d20=20), success.

Joompin spider joomps to K11. death from above vs AC (-2 vicious mockery), Castile; damage (1d20+7-2=7, 1d8+4=11), miss. Prodigious leap to P14.

Spitter 1 poison spit vs AC (+CA), Dartmoor (1d20+9+2=31), crit. Dartmoor takes 5 poison (he’s not in beast form at the moment, right?) and is blinded (save ends). Spitter 1 moves and hides.

Spitter 3 poison spit vs AC (+CA), Takahaan (1d20+9+2=14), miss. Spitter 3 shifts to L13, remaining unhidden.

Spitter 4 poison spit vs AC, Hu Li (1d20+9=16), miss. Spitter 4 moves and hides.

Spitter 5 Poison spit vs AC (+CA), Noriaki (1d20+9+2=12), miss. Spitter 5 moves and hides.[/sblock]

[sblock=Special rules and terrain]NPCs: As a minor action, you can command any NPC to take a move. Or, at your option, you can move an NPC at the same time as your character moves, if that NPC is in your way. No NPC can take more than two moves a round.

Terrain Rules
The dark green terrain is heavy undergrowth. It is difficult terrain. A creature who is prone in this terrain gains concealment. If there are at least two squares of heavy undergrowth between such a creature and an observer, the prone creature gains total concealment with respect to that observer.

The light brown areas are relatively clear and count as normal terrain.

The dark brown circles are trees; they are blocking terrain.

The webs look like they will slow you down at the very least; should you enter a square containing a web, you can consult the spoiler block in the Enemies and Hazards section to learn its specific effects. Note that all the webs are in heavy undergrowth squares; the heavy undergrowth has its usual effects in addition to the web effects.[/sblock]

[sblock=Perception 14]There is a small spider hidden in D11.[/sblock]
[sblock=Perception 15]There is a small spider hidden in K18.[/sblock]
[sblock=Perception 19]There is a small spider hidden in N21.[/sblock]

[sblock=status]PCs
Alkas (A18) HP 35/35; surges 10/13
Castile (J12) HP 31/33; surges 9/13
Dartmoor (B17) HP 23/28; surges 8/10, blinded (save ends)
Hú Lí (F16) HP 24/24; surges 6/8
Noriaki (I13) HP 19/27; surges 2/9; swift panther rage
Takahaan (J13) HP 9/24; surges 3/8;

NPCs
Aerys (A17) HP 24/29; surges 9/11
Gelik (D17) HP 6/22; surges 3/6, bloodied, prone
Ishirou (C18) HP 19/24; surges 5/7
Jade (C17) HP 28/28; surges 6/10
Sasha (E18) HP 18/23; surges 4/6

Bad Guys
Jumping Spider (P14), 8 damage taken, -2 to attacks, marked by Castile, AP spent
Spiderling Swarm 1 dead
Spiderling Swarm 2 dead
Spitter 2 dead
Spitter 3 (L13)
Spitters 1, 4, 5 hidden
[/sblock]

[sblock=Enemy Stats]Please read the appropriate block(s) only when necessary to resolve attacks or OAs, or when you enter a square containing a web.

[sblock=Jumping Spider]Joompin Spider
AC 17, Fort 17, Ref 16, Will 13; HP 56, bloodied 28
bite +7 vs. AC, 1d8+3 damage and ongoing 5 poison damage (save ends)

[sblock=When spider is bloodied]Nothing special happens. Gotcha![/sblock][/sblock]
[sblock=Spidering Swarm]Spiderling Swarm
AC 14, Fort 14, Ref 15, Will 10; HP 44, bloodied 22
Resist half damage from melee and ranged attacks; Vulnerable 5 to close and area attacks
Aura 1: each enemy that starts its turn in the aura takes 5 damage +2 extra damage per additional swarm adjacent to the enemy
Swarm of Fangs +4 vs. AC, 1d6+2 damage and ongoing 5 poison damage (save ends). A creature already taking poison damage is also weakened (save ends). The swarm’s attack deals 2 extra damage for each additional swarm adjacent to the target.
[sblock=When hit by an area or close attack]The swarm shifts reactively. Please wait for me to resolve this.[/sblock][/sblock]
[sblock=Spitter]Spitter
AC 16, Fort 13, Ref 16, Will 13; HP 1 (minion)
Bite +7 vs. AC, 5 poison damage
Note: The spitters are quite small and can gain concealment/total concealment from heavy undergrowth as though they are prone.[/sblock]
[sblock=Web Hazard]When you enter a web, it makes an opportunity attack against you:
Sticky Web Attack: +4 vs. Reflex
Hit: you are restrained (save ends)
Miss: you are slowed until the end of your turn.
Special: when you are restrained by a web and succeed on your save, the web in your square is destroyed.

Restrained: you are immobilized, grant CA, take a -2 penalty to attack rolls, and cannot be pushed, pulled, or slid.[/sblock][/sblock]

With Castile free, Noriaki returns his attention to the oversized arachnid. Noticing that it seems disposed to attack those disturbing its web, Noriaki approaches the silky strands. He looks the spider right in its beady eyes, grabs a thick strand, and rips it out of the tree. The swirling winds peel the strong adhesive from Noriaki's hand as he flings it to the ground. With a predatory grin, Noriaki taunts the beast. "Well?" he calls, readying himself to strike should the spider approach. "Come on, then! Your fangs against mine."

[sblock=mechanics]
Move: to K15.
Web attacks: 1d20+4=21 vs ref
Noriaki is caught.

Standard: Ready action. Trigger: joompin spider comes adjacent to Noriaki. Action: Escalating Violence on Joompin spider. Using Heroic Effort if I have to. The bonus(should I hit) will go to Takahaan.

save at end of turn: 1d20=14


[/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:19/27 Bloodied:13
Surges left:2/9
Surge Value:6
Action Points: 0
MBA: +7 to hit, 1d12+4 damage

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


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]

Castile looks away embarrassed from Noriaki as he frees her from the web. She chides herself as she stumbles forward. Idiot! Don't charge forward like that. Castile looks back to thank the human, but he's already disappeared around a tree to launch his next attack (into another spider web, apparently).

Focusing on the task at hand, Castile advances closer to the jumping spider and throws her axe again; and again, it gets caught in the thick webbing between her and her target. Even though Noriaki has already tried his hand at incitement, Castile follows up with a boast of her own. "There's nowhere left to hide, bug. Come to me and let's finish this!"

[sblock=Castile stat block / actions]Actions
Minor: Perception 15. (1d20+7=15)

Move: walk to L11.

Standard: RBA vs Jumping Spider misses AC 9, but it's marked TENT. I know Noriaki is readying an action for when he gets attacked, but I still have more hp/defenses to take the hit. If the spider attacks him anyway, it will have -2 to hit from the mark (1d20+7=9)


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:31/33, Bloodied:16, Surge Value:8, Surges left:9/13
Initiative +1
Action Points: 0 (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
Combat Challenge
Crushing Surge, Weapon Master's Strike
Dwarven Resilience, Hack and Hew
Dwarven Thrower Waraxe, Villain's Menace

Combat notes: +2 melee/close damage if Castile has THP, +2 to attack roll on OAs, OAs stop enemy movement

[/sblock]

Hú Lí dances closer, keeping a wary eye on the big spider, and taking up a position near Takahaan, ready to react when the creature comes closer.

[sblock=actions]Move: to I14
Standard: Ready Action, triggered when the big spider attacks one of my allies.

If the spider attacks Castile, Blunder vs. the spider, sliding it two squares into range of Noriaki, if possible, or if not, into range of Takahaan, of if that isn't possible, just slide it two squares but still adjacent to Castile.

If the spider attacks Noriaki, Blunder vs. the spider, sliding it two squares into range of Castile, if possible, or if not, into range of Takahaan, or if that isn't possible, just slide it two squares but still adjacent to Noriaki.
In either case, next to whom the spider ends the slide may make a melee basic attack vs the spider with a +5 power bonus to the attack roll.

[/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

Conditions:
none
[/sblock]

Takahaan steels himself as he eyes his companions taunt the massive spider to attack. Some of his adrenaline is running off, and the pain of his wounds begins to fully take effect.

Grunting, Takahaan manages to throw some encouraging words towards his friends.

"Ready yourself for this damned beast! If we defeat it, the smaller ones should scatter!"

[sblock=Takahaan's Actions]Minor: Perception Roll: 1d20-1=4 Ouch.

Standard: Total Defense

Move: None[/sblock]

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

AC:17 +2
Fort:15 +2
Reflex:13 +2
Will:15 +2
HP:9/24
Bloodied:12
Surge Value:7
Surges left:4/8
Action Points: 1
Brash Assault
Intuitive Strike
Dragon Breath [x]
Inspiring Word [x]
Vengeance Is Mine[x]
Lamb to the Slaughter[][/sblock]