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

[Pentius]

Noriaki's eyes go wide as they meet those of the odd undead at the end of the hall. All around him, the snakes from the murals spring to life and surge down toward him. Turning to his friend for help, Noriaki sees Takahaan's face change, the flesh sliding off to reveal bone underneath. The undead Takahaan laughs maniacally, and Noriaki suddenly understands that this horrible abomination has been posing as his friend for who knows how long, the real Takahaan almost certainly dead. The young swordsman lets out a terrible cry of rage and rushes the thing that dares to wear his friend's face. "You monster! You killed him!" Right before Noriaki can get his righteous vengeance, Kane's magic envelops him and tears him from the world for the briefest of moments. Separated from the source of the enchantment, Noriaki realizes it was all a cruel trick of the foe's magic. As suddenly as he vanished, Noriaki reappears, Arashi Tenken's arc cutting cleanly toward Kovack. He breathes a sigh of relief to see that the real Takahaan still lives.

Shaking his head, Noriaki tries to bear down on Kovack, but his mind is not yet at peace, and he lacks the concentration to land a solid blow.




[sblock=Mechanics]
Standard: 1d20+12=15, miss

[/sblock]
[sblock=Noriaki]
Noriaki Matsumoto
Male Human Thaneborn Barbarian 4
Initiative: +5(+7 with Takahaan)
Passive Perception: 12
Passive Insight: 13
Senses: Normal

AC:20
Fort:20
Reflex:18
Will:16
HP:24/45
Bloodied:22
Surges left:7/9
Surge Value:11
Action Points: 0/1

MBA: +10 to hit, 1d12+8 damage
Howling Strike
Pressing Strike
Escalating Violence []
Shatterbone Strike []
Howl of Triumph []
Shrug it off [x]
Heroic Effort []
Second Wind []
Swift Panther Rage [x]


Conditions:

Action Surge: +3 bonus to attack rolls made during an action gained by spending an action point.

Horned Helm: +1d6 to charge damage

Battlecrazed Weapon: +1d6 damage when bloodied

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).[/sblock]

 

[GROMkill]

OOC: @Mewness My apologies! I was visiting home for an extended 5-day weekend from school

Takahaan cringes as he sees his friend Noriaki submit to the same mind tricks that he and Castile had suffered. "Steady your mind, Noriaki! This foul witch is playing with our heads." Turning now to face her, the dragonborn bares his fangs and hisses in Tsugo, gripping Otaruhi Nodachi with vigor before bounding through the corridor.

With massive momentum, he makes his way toward her and slams into her with the butt of his huge blade. Her thin frame reacts with a volatility that sends her reeling to the ground. "No more of your tricks, witch!" he shouts at her, his voice deep and full of battle-hatred.[sblock=Mechanics]

Move: Walk to I5

Standard: Flattering Charge to F7 on Nylithati. Hits Fort 26 for 13 damage and knocks Nylithati prone.

[sblock=Rolls]
Flattering Charge attack: 1d20+11=26
Flattering Charge damage: 1d10+7=13[/sblock][/sblock]
[sblock=Takahaan]Takahaan Thanazashi Male Dragonborn Bravura Warlord 2
Initiative: +4
Passive Perception: 11
Passive Insight: 11
Senses: Normal
AC:20
Fort:18
Reflex:16
Will:18 HP:28/39
Bloodied:19
Surge Value:10
Surges left:5/8
Action Points: 0

Powers:

Brash Assault
Intuitive Strike
Dragon Breath [ ]
Inspiring Word [x]
Flattering Charge [ ]
Vengeance Is Mine [ ]
Lamb to the Slaughter [x]
Spur To Action [ ]

Other Abilities:

Second Wind [ ]
Cloak of Resistance [ ]
Dwarven Chainmail [x]

Conditions

[sblock=Important Features] Bravura Presence: When an ally who can see you spends an action point to take an extra action and uses the action to make an attack, the ally can choose to take advantage of this feature before the attack roll. If the ally chooses to do so and the attack hits, the ally can either make a basic attack or take a move action after the attack as a free action. If the attack misses, the ally grants combat advantage to all enemies until the end of his or her next turn.

Combat Leader: You and each ally within 10 squares who can see and hear you gain a +2 power bonus to initiative.

Dragonborn Fury: When you’re bloodied, you gain a +1 racial bonus to attack rolls.[/sblock] [/sblock]

 

[Mewness]

As Otaruhi cleaves the creature's flesh, a stream of foul boiling blood sprays from the wound. Takahaan manages to dodge clear of it.

[sblock=Nylithati immediate reaction]Nylithati poison spray vs Fort (-2 prone), Taka
4(1d20) +7 -2 = 9 misses.[/sblock]

OOC: Edit: I have that attack in Nylithati's stat block as an interrupt, and it should be a reaction. I'll make sure it's correct in the future.

 

[BenBrown]

Hú Lí steps gingerly across the floor, moving up to where she can see Nylithati. She plays a strange melody on her flute which seems to disconcert the witch.
[sblock=actions]Move: to I8
Standard: Vicious Mockery (Will) vs. Nylithati: 11(1d20) +8 -2 = 17; 3(1d6) +5 = 8 and she is at -2 to attack rolls until the end of my next turn.[/sblock][sblock=Hú Lí]The Black Fox Fox Spirit (Changeling) Bard 4
Initiative: +3, Passive Perception: 18, Passive Insight: 20
AC:21, Fort:14, Reflex:18, Will:19
+4 vs. AC, 1d6-1 damage

HP:37/39, Bloodied:19, Surge Value:9, Surges left:4/8
Action Points: 0, Second Wind: used
Powers: Fox Spirit Disguise, Wild Shape, Staggering Note, Vicious Mockery, Changeling's Armor
Blunder, Dissonant Strain, Fox Spirit Trick, Grasping Claws, Majestic Word x2, Words of Friendship, Noble Presence, Painted Drum
Stirring Shout, Canon of Avoidance, Amulet of Seduction

Virtue of Cunning: Once per round, when an enemy misses an ally within 9 squares of the Black Fox, the Fox may slide the ally 1 square as a free action.

Conditions:
[/sblock]

 

[Mewness]

The creature that once was Kovack bares its teeth and lunges at Castile’s neck, but she brings the edge of her shield up in time to deflect the blow.

The tattooed ghoul rises to her feet, hissing. She begins chanting in the same language that the cannibals used, but the adventurers nearby understand nothing save that it is clearly some vile curse. Takahaan can feel his rage rising within him, though he stays focused on its rightful object, but Hú Lí suddenly bares her pointy teeth and rushes her friend while blowing a painfully loud blast on her flute. Fortunately, Takahaan is not affected.

The ghoul-woman’s chanting suddenly becomes quieter, sinking to a whisper. Hú Lí hears the whisper in her mind. She wonders why she couldn’t understand this language before--it seems so plain, now. The whispers tell of power through transformation, then restful stasis and immortality. It is impossibly appealing. Nothing seems too high a price to pay.

[sblock=actions and rolls]Kovack attacks Castile. Ghoul 2 ghoulish bite vs AC (-2 marked), Castile (+4 defense); damage
19(1d20) +10 -2 = 27; 15(4d6) +6 = 21 hits her even with all her bonuses, but can be stopped with shield edge block.

Castile shield edge block vs Fort, Ghoul 2; damage
5(1d20) +8 = 13; 9(2d6) +4 = 13 misses.

Nylithati uses a move to get up. Standard (this is a close blast): Nylithati curse of Malinalxochitl vs Ref, Takahaan; Hú Lí; damage
6(1d20) +7 -2 = 11; 16(1d20) +7 -2 = 21; 7(1d8) +5 = 12 misses Taka, hits Hú Lí for 12 psychic. Hú Lí slides to G8 and uses Staggering Note on Takahaan. Hú Lí staggering note vs Will, Taka
8(1d20) +8 = 16 misses.

Action Point (close burst): Nylithati AP, maddening visions vs Will (-2 mockery), Taka; Hú Lí
2(1d20) +6 -2 = 6; 20(1d20) +6 -2 = 24 misses Taka, hits Hú Lí, who takes no damage but is dominated (save ends).

Off-Turn Stuff
Virtue of cunning: Takahaan is the only one eligible for this.

Castile used Shield Edge Block.
[/sblock]

[sblock=BenBrown]Hú Lí is dominated (save ends). She will use Vicious Mockery on Takahaan, or somebody else who moves adjacent to Nylithati.[/sblock]

CAVES OF THE MOTHER: ROUND 4

[sblock=Terrain]Terrain
The alcoves have piles of bones and other detritus in them (represented by brownish crud). They are difficult terrain. The rest of the floor is normal terrain.

The pillars are blocking terrain but they are round and don’t make hard corners.
[/sblock]

[sblock=PCs’ Off-Turn Actions]Interrupts, Reactions, and so forth are listed here to help me remember them. It would also help me if you specify triggers for these actions. If you don’t, I’ll try to use them in sensible places.

Black Fox
Virtue of Cunning (no action; ally is missed)

Castile
Combat Challenge (interrupt; adjacent marked target shifts or makes an attack that doesn’t include Castile)
Guardian’s Counter (interrupt; ally within 2 is hit by an attack that doesn’t include Castile)
Shield Edge Block (interrupt; adjacent enemy hits or misses Castile with a close or melee attack): used if it will turn a hit into a miss.
Bold Victory Armor (free; Castile or an ally within 5 bloodies an enemy)

Kane
Aegis of Shielding (interrupt; marked enemy hits a target within 10 and the attack doesn’t include Kane)
Channeling Shield (interrupt; an attack hits Kane or an ally within 10): used to prevent a big or bloodying hit.
Dimensional Vortex (interrupt; an enemy within 10 hits an ally with a melee attack): used if Kane can thump a non-minion with it.
White Lotus Riposte (no action; when an enemy Kane hits with an arcane at-will attack him before EoNT, that enemy takes 4 damage of the same type as the at-will dealt)

Noriaki
Shrug it Off (reaction; Noriaki is subjected to a save ends effect)

Takahaan
Guardian’s Counter (interrupt; ally within 2 is hit by an attack that doesn’t include Takahaan)
Vengeance is Mine (reaction; an enemy hits Takahaan)[/sblock]

[sblock=status]PCs
Castile (O7) HP 52+8/52; surges 6/13; AP used, immobilized (save ends), bold victory
Hú Lí (G8) HP 25/39; surges 4/8; AP used, dominated (save ends)
Kane (K7) HP 44+2/44; surges 8/10; AP used
Noriaki (M8) HP 24/45; surges 7/9; AP used
Takahaan (F7) HP 28/39; surges 5/8; AP used, bloodied

Allies
Fey Beast HP (O8) 22/22
Imidoto (here? there? somewhere else?) HP 1 (minion)

Bad Guys
Ghoul 1 (N6) dead
Ghoul 2 (Kovack) (N8) 37 damage taken, marked by Kane, bloodied
Nylithati (E5) 21 damage taken, -2 to attacks, maddening visions used
[/sblock]

[sblock=Enemy Stats]Please read the appropriate block(s) only when necessary to resolve attacks or OAs.

[sblock=Ghoul]Ghoul
AC 21, Fort 17, Ref 19, Will 16; HP 63, bloodied 31
Claws +10 vs. AC, 2d6+6 and the target is immobilized (save ends).[/sblock]
[sblock=Nylithati]Nylithati
AC 19, Fort 15, Ref 17, Will 16; HP 220, bloodied 110
Staff of Corruption +9 vs. AC, 1d8+5 necrotic damage plus 1d8 poison damage and the target is pushed 2.
[sblock=Immediate Reaction (when Nylithati is hit by a creature adjacent to her)]Poison Spray: +7 vs Fortitude; if hit, the target is pushed 3 squares, slowed, and takes ongoing 5 poison damage (save ends both).[/sblock][/sblock]
[/sblock]

 

[jbear]

OOC: Third time I write this message. Getting shorter each time

Kane continues to probe towards the undead witch's mind searching for a weakness. He finds a tiny crack and digs in stabbing out with his sword causing her fears to scratch away at the inside of her skull.

[sblock=Actions] Standard: Phantasmal Assault vs Will Nithlati
Hit: Nithlati grants CAdv TENT
[strike]Move: Fey Beast moves to N7 so Castile can flank with Noriaki. [/strike]
No move, sorry, I was ignoring Castile's immobilisation. Fey beast stays where it is to flank with Noriaki.

Imediate Action priority
Aegis of Shielding to soften blow of Kovac
Chanelling Shield if Witch makes Noriaki or Castile attack us
or if Takahaan is going to drop to zero hps
If none of that occurs and she attacks Kane with psychic, charm or fear power then I'll deadl her 10 psychic dmg with Amulet of Psychic Interference.
[/sblock]

[sblock=Kane Arcane]
PC:Kane Arcane (jbear1979) - L4W Wiki
Human Hybrid Swordmage | Wizard 4
Passive Perception/Insight 14
AC:22, Fort:17, Reflex:18, Will:18, Speed:6
HP+2 THP] 44/44, Bloodied:22, Surge Value:11, Surges left:8/10
Initiative +2
Action Points: 0 (encounter):

Conditions:

Powers
MBA: Dislocation Longsword +1, +7 vs AC, 1d8+2 damage
Cantrips,
Freezing Burst, Phantasmal Assault, Sword Burst
Grasping Shadows:
Aegis of Shielding: USED on Ghoul 2
Channelling Shield:
Dimensional Vortex: USED
Second Wind
Flaming Sphere: USED
Dislocation Longsword: USED
Amulet of Psychic Interference:


Combat notes:
Kane makes a SThrow vs Charm, Fear and Psychic effects at the start of his turn; if he fails he does not get another SThrow to end them at the end of his turn

Feybeast HP 22/22; AC 17 F/R/W 19/15/19
Perception +6
MBA: Claw: +9 vs AC; 1d12+2 dmg
Aura +2 dmg to all allies vs enemies in Fey Beast Aura
[/sblock]

 

[GROMkill]

OOC: Any ally attacking the witch with CA (Already granted this turn by Kane) gets a +2 bonus to their attack roll, thanks to Taka's Intuitive Strike. Next turn, when the ghoul is done, @jbear , you should do the same thing on the witch. I will use my Dragonbreath alongside my Intuitive Strike, which will give an another +2 to attack and a +5 to damage rolls on the witch (if they both hit)

As Kane unleashes warfare on the witch's mind in retaliation for the mind control, Takahaan steps around the writhing woman and makes a deep slash at her side, drawing her attention. The blow itself had purposefully lacked strength in the swing, but the result is as the dragonborn expects, and the witch is open to attack from his allies.

[sblock=Mechanics]
Move: Shift to E8

Standard: Intuitive Strike on the witch. Hits Will 24 for 11 damage. Any ally attacking the witch with CA (Already granted this turn by Kane) gets a +2 bonus to their attack roll.

Minor: No action taken

[sblock=Rolls]
Intuitive Strike attack roll: 1d20+12=24
Intuitive Strike damage roll: 1d10+3=11[/sblock][/sblock][sblock=Takahaan]Takahaan Thanazashi Male Dragonborn Bravura Warlord 2
Initiative: +4
Passive Perception: 11
Passive Insight: 11
Senses: Normal
AC:20
Fort:18
Reflex:16
Will:18 HP:28/39
Bloodied:19
Surge Value:10
Surges left:5/8
Action Points: 0

Powers:

Brash Assault
Intuitive Strike
Dragon Breath [ ]
Inspiring Word [x]
Flattering Charge [ ]
Vengeance Is Mine [ ]
Lamb to the Slaughter [x]
Spur To Action [ ]

Other Abilities:

Second Wind [ ]
Cloak of Resistance [ ]
Dwarven Chainmail [x]

Conditions

[sblock=Important Features] Bravura Presence: When an ally who can see you spends an action point to take an extra action and uses the action to make an attack, the ally can choose to take advantage of this feature before the attack roll. If the ally chooses to do so and the attack hits, the ally can either make a basic attack or take a move action after the attack as a free action. If the attack misses, the ally grants combat advantage to all enemies until the end of his or her next turn.

Combat Leader: You and each ally within 10 squares who can see and hear you gain a +2 power bonus to initiative.

Dragonborn Fury: When you’re bloodied, you gain a +1 racial bonus to attack rolls.[/sblock] [/sblock]

 

[Mewness]

Once again, there is a spray of poison blood from the creature's wound, but Takahaan avoids it.

[sblock=immediate reaction misses]Nylithati poison spray vs Fort (-2 mockery), Taka
1(1d20) +7 -2 = 6[/sblock]

 

[Pentius]

OOC: Thanks jbear! I'll let Dekana go first so we can get that flanking going.

 

[Mewness]

OOC: Castile is immobilized at the moment. You may want to leave the beast where it is.