[Adventure] Lost Love (DM: Velmont - Judge: Renau1g)

[evilbob]

[sblock=rolls]Nature 13, streetwise 3

Unit 16 has no idea what's going on right now and frankly he is quite disinclined to acquiesce to their position - he is in no mood. Right now his take is: here are more people who are taking hostages, and now they're ordering us to lower our weapons again. He's about two seconds from killing anything that isn't us, so feel free to yell out if that's not what you want him to do.[/sblock]

 

[LadyLaw]

[sblock=ooc]I don't blame you. If Talkrai was coherent enough to be paying any real attention she'd feel the same. Of course, if things were a little different, she'd probably do the equivalent of a super saiyan rage all over everything she didn't immediately view as friend. >.>[/sblock]

 

[Mezegis]

A flash of confusion crosses Ryda’s face as the half-orc’s leave the wilderness. She’s brings the bow up, ready to loose, but holds a moment before lowering her aim. Bloody ashes, she mutters, confusion again washing over her. Why is Tharashk here, and what happened to the rest of the murderous scum. We can talk from there, and we’ll keep our weapons thank you, just like you’ll keep your hidden archers and magi trained on us. What’s a squad of this size usually run, 4 and 2?

[sblock=Rolls]Nature/Streetwise:1d20+16=33 1d20+7=27 2nd Nature check: 1d20+16=21Perception: 1d20+11=22[/sblock]

 

[Velmont]

"We were after a group of ten or twelve cultists. We found two of them waiting here with hostages. They were executing a member of house Lyrander, but our healer is watching over him at the moment and Barry here" tells the Druid, pointing the worker "told us that the remaining group have been heading down there. And you just came out of it. So I guess you know better than us what happen to those murderous crow as you call them. You should also be well aware your are outnumbered and outmatch at the moment. So I'll ask again to sheet your weapon. You are lucky I am in a good mood. You have no idea in what you have put your feet in it, so you better show some cooperation if you want things to go smoothly."

All the time he was speaking, the Druid seems calm, confident and kind of friendly.

 

[twilsemail]

[sblock=Skill DCs]Velmont. I just feel the need to point out that the DCs you keep putting out for our skill challenges are appropriate for characters 10 levels higher than the ones in your adventure. P. 80 of the DMG2 lists skill DCs.

A 20, which I think is the lowest I've seen since the start of this adventure, is 3 higher than the hardest DC for our level on that chart. It's equal to a Moderate DC for a level 16 PC.

A 25, which I've seen more than a few of, would be a hard check for that same level 16 PC.

I'd like to suggest you review the chart at some point and adjust the numbers (in the least, in your next adventure).

DC 30, by the way, is beyond a moderate DC for a level 30 PC and almost hard.

I don't have the updates handy, this may have changed at some point.[/sblock]

 

[Mezegis]

Ryda barks out a laugh as the druid speaks. If that was all of them, then yes, we know exactly what happened to them. Being out numbered doesn’t really bother us though, there was what, 8 or 9 that died down there? We aren’t putting up our weapons, period. We just fought for our lives, even lost a man, and now an unknown force is telling us to toss aside the only thing that kept us alive. You outnumber us, and if my memory on Tharashk serves me, you are pretty well trained. You and I both know that a weapon out or a weapon sheathed doesn’t really matter to those of our skill. If we want someone dead, they die before then can take 2 steps. Given your superior numbers, you should be able to afford us the small consolation of keeping things in our hand. You say we don’t know what we stepped into, and you’re right, and we’re more than happy to step back out of it and let you do what it is you want to do. We don’t want any more trouble, we just want to deal with our dead and be done with this cursed place.

 

[LadyLaw]

[sblock=ooc]They lowered all the recommended DCs in the errata, actually, but it's still the DM's choice to set them at whatever he pleases. I know some of the ones in my adventure are quite high, but there's a reason for that.

ETA: For clarity, since Mez posted while I was typing, this is meant in response to Twil's post.[/sblock]

 

[Antithetist]

Jarren stalks over, staring hard at the half-orc newcomer. "We've no reason to trust you, stranger, and I can't speak for my friends, but I'm not in any mood to give you the benefit of the doubt. We'll listen to what you've got to say, but don't ask us to stand down unless you're prepared to do the same."

 

[Velmont]

[SBLOCK=OOC]You are looking at DC for a skill challenge. There have been no skill challenge up to now. When I ask a roll, it is for obscure information. DC 30, with a +5 from Ryda, it give her +16 to the roll. She can do it. Unlikely but can do it. And in that case, she did it. Also, they are generally information that if one person know, he will be easily able to transmit to everyone else.

Anyway, asking a DC 10 Nature roll with a Ranger and a Warden is around, it like asking to throw a dart at an archery target standing less than a meter from you... unlikely you will miss to hit him. In that case, I just give the information right away without even bothering to ask for rolls.[/SBLOCK]

 

[Velmont]

"And I have very good reason to not trust your group. I have asked you, I have warned you. Don't play with my nerves. SHEET! YOUR! WEAPON!" tells the druid, now using an authoritative voice. As he tells those words, the other half-orc go tense and the animals seems to shift their weight.

"Please, do as he asks. That would be the best thing for everyone." pleads an archer coming out of his hiding place, on the other side of the clearing. Ryda quickly identify him as Rydion.