Can Dextyr Keep All These Strikers Alive? (DM: JoeNotCharles, Ozymandias79 Judging)

[DMDanW]

[sblock=choices..]
Well it seems that Tonk and Blade are planning to stay, so that pretty much means that the choice of running is out.
Let's then do the short rest. Dex will pull out his lute and begin performing the song of rest, which adds +4 to any healing surges you decide to use. He will save his majestic word ability for the upcoming fight.
[/sblock]

Dextyr returns to the encampment and pulls out his lute. He begins strumming out a mournful sounding melody. It is an old Imperium ballad about a group of hero's who are preparing themselves for battle, a battle from which they most certainly will not return, as the odds are stacked against them, and they are worn and beaten.

He looks around to the others as he plays, "Seems like another battle approaches us friends. Lets prepare ourselves and make them pay a heavy price. If they are to defeat us then let us take as much of their blood with us as we can."

He then cracks a huge smile and gives a chuckle.
"And after we defeat this next group of would-be bounty hunters, we really must go pay those lawyers and Mr. Applethorpe a visit"

 

[renau1g]

Blade returns from the necromancer's corpse with the note crumpled in his hand and a pair of small vials filled with a green substance. He hands them to Tonk, "These vials will burn our enemies and the wounds will continue to fester after the initial contact. Don't waste them" Blade says flatly.

As Dextyr plays his tune, Blade sharpens a tiny nick that had gotten on the blade of his weapon during many battles. The whetstone makes a scraping sound that somehow accentuates the haunting nature of the bard's battle hymn. The dried blood of his enemies is on the deva's face, his arms and his clothes, the avenger makes no move to clean it off instead knowing that if this is to be his final battle, Maros will be better faced by having the blood of your victims as evidence of your skills, Blade thought.

After they'd recovered their strength, Blade stands up, stretches his muscles, swings a few testing swings of his weapon, the axe whistling through the air. Nodding to himself, the deva turns to the others and in a surprisingly jovial mood pats Dextyr on the shoulder and adds "Aye, who wanted to live forever anyway" with a laugh, the first time you've heard the avenger laugh, it was an odd sound coming from the normally serious Blade. The smile fades from his face quickly though and he says "Punch Brothers, if we are to die on this field today, know that I have lived many lifetimes and this collection of warriors is the finest I've ever seen and I'm proud to have fought at your sides." with a genuine note of sincerity in his voice, clasping each persons shoulder in a soldierly farewell.

[sblock=ooc]
Blade will spend 1 surge to top up leaving him at 6/9 surges left.
[/sblock]

[sblock=Tactics]
Ok, so last fight went fairly well for us I think, but it cost Blade his Daily and AP. We are strikers right? Let's keep up the Focus Fire. Blade & Tristan should lead as we've got more surges than Tonk (i.e. more than 0). Mikara and Dextyr work well from the distance. Perhaps Tonk can perform some guerrilla style attacks? Hide in the trees, pounce and disengage? Hide, sneak up rinse and repeat.
[/sblock]

[sblock=Acid]
Alchemist's Acid

When shattered, this glass vial releases a spray of acid.

Level: 1
Price: 20 gp
Alchemical Item
Power (Consumable • Acid): Standard Action. Make an attack: Ranged 5/10; +4 vs. Reflex; on a hit, the attack deals 1d10 acid damage and ongoing 5 acid damage (save ends); on miss, half damage and no ongoing acid damage.

First published in Adventurer's Vault.
[/sblock]

 

[DMDanW]

Dextyr finishes his song and carefully packs away his lute. As he stands and draws his longsword he seems refreshed. Giving the sword a few practice swings he nods in agreement with Blades words.
"I too feel honored to have fought in battle with you all, and if today is to be my last, then I will die in the company of friends."
Dextyr gives a couple more practice swings of his sword and then continues,
"Mind you, after seeing us in action I am certain that it will take a mighty force indeed to defeat us this day. We shall be victorious..." He finishes by thrusting his longsword into the ground at his feet and then does a final check of his gear to make sure he is ready.

[sblock=OOC]
Dex will spend 1 healing surge bringing him back to full. He now has 5 left.
[/sblock]

[sblock=stat block]
Dextyr M’rgan- Male Half-Elf Bard 1
Current Conditions: none
Senses: Low-light vision
Passive Perception: 11, Passive Insight: 17
AC:17, Fort:13, Reflex:13, Will:15
Speed:5 (w/ heavy armor)
Temp Hit Points: 0
Hit Points:[28]: 28
Bloodied:14,
Surge Value:7,
Surges [10] Used:5
Action Points: [1]
Second Wind: available
Powers
Virtue of Valor (1/round, ally within 5 squares bloodies or kills enemy, grant 4 temp hit points)
Guiding Strike
Vicious Mockery
Majestic Word [2]
Words of Friendship
Shout of Triumph
Eldritch Blast
Stirring Shout - used
Inspiring Word
*Cloak of Distortion: Ranged attacks over 5 squares (-5 attack).*
Group Diplomacy: All allies within 10 squares of Dextyr gain a +1 bonus to Diplomacy checks.
[/sblock]

 

[H.M.Gimlord]

[sblock=JNC]I'm for leaving after a short rest. If we can make any progress while we're resting, I'm for leaving in the direction of Daunton, so we can draw this insanity to a close. If not, I suggest striking out for Daunton after we rest regardless of what's on the road ahead. Not cowardice as much as greed .

I'd like to at least pretend like we're making progress toward our adventure's objective (which, I can't even remember clearly without researching the first several pages of this 39+page adventure. I just know it has something to do with proving to a halfling in Lauto's temple that we killed Marglesplat or whatever his name was).[/sblock]

 

[KenHood]

Joe, if in the future you rule that an action will cause my character injury, please give me an opportunity to abort.

"These vials will burn our enemies and the wounds will continue to fester after the initial contact. Don't waste them" Blade says flatly.

A maniacal laugh bubbles out of Tonk's throat.

After listening to his comrade's speeches, Tonk shakes his head.

"Why you make like the Gloomy Gus, yes? Is no time for the gloomy! Is no time for the think about the maybe die! I no think the sad thought! Pfft! Is just fight. In fight, is always chance for to die, so is no deal that is big. So, is time for to be happy! We is do what we is born for to do, which is for to make the bad person think again about bad life choice."

"Now, next fight come soon, so is much important for to stick together and go two or three or four on one bad person. Keep with the move. Stick to the cover, but no more than two or three second. Aggress! Aggress! Aggress!"

"I is much hurt, so is time for me to be smart and stick to shadow."

And Tonk vanishes into the woods.

Stealth (1d20+9=21)

Initiative (1d20+4=12)

 

[H.M.Gimlord]

Mikara is not exactly the noblest of the group, but she's disturbed that the others simply want to wait here for the enemy.

"Let's not tarry here.
It is noble not to run.
Advancing's better!

Thus I suggest we move toward Daunton's streets
perchance that our adventure's goal we meet.
If conflict should arise along the way,
I'm sure we'll live to fight another day."

 

[KenHood]

From the shadows, Tonk says, "I fine with run away, too! Move! Move! Aggress! Aggress! Is silly for to stay here and wait, because terrain no suit us. Is maybe for to get to town and rest at temple."

 

[H.M.Gimlord]

Mikara follows Tonk's lead, tearing into the woods at breakneck speed, but keeps her distance, so that she doesn't draw fire his way.

[sblock=Actions]Move: Double Run (I believe that gives me 18 squares, but I grant CA) E12, E13, E14, D15, C16, C17, C18, C18 DT, C19, C19 DT, C20, C20 DT, C21, C22, C23, C24, C24 DT

Minor: The stealth check I just rolled

Initiative=6
Stealth=13
Athletics=26

OK, so she makes it down from the rock, but I did mention that she's following Tonk at a DISTANCE so as not to draw fire his way.

I'm also assuming that we've listened to Dextyr's song and gained our hp back (I have only one surge left, so I'm beginning to feel Tonk's pain).[/sblock]

 

[DMDanW]

As Dextyr finishes making sure his gear is ready, both Mikara and Tonk voice their desire to head back to Daunton.

"I agree with those two. We've caught our breath, so now lets get moving and head back to town. If we run into those Lord of Thunder and Lord of stone guys on the way, well, we'll deal with that when we cross it. Let's move out."

Looking at Blade Dextyr adds "We are not retreating or running away - we are choosing the battlefeild, and I for one could use a change of scenery"

[Sblock=OOC]
Well we have taken a short rest so the next encounter is probably almost upon us.
I do agree that we should not just sit and wait for them, but instead we should begin heading to town. We have our hit points back (well most of us anyway), and our encounter powers so even if we can get a head start on the next group of bad guys by a few rounds, it will get us that much closer to Daunton, and the end of the adventure. So instead of hiding in the bushes we should start heading back to town. If the next encounter catches us on the road, then so be it.
[/sblock]

 

[Lord Sessadore]

"However we phrase it, we did not come into these woods for the purpose of fighting all these mercenaries. We have no reason to fight them except to save ourselves. And call it retreating or running or whatever you like, but doing so is preferable to fighting a fight you won't survive." Tristan cracks a grin at this and adds, "Not that I don't think we'll survive. We've proved our mettle today, and they'll be sorry they came after us!"

With that, the elf slips into the trees after Tonk and Mikara.
[sblock=OOC]Sorry for not chiming in on this yet, I was on the road most of yesterday ... you guys sure know how to make a thread explode

So, basically I agree with all of you. I'd like to move towards Daunton as much as possible, but I also think we're not going to get away from this next fight, so preparing ourselves as much as possible is good. IE - resting and healing up as much as we can.

Tristan will spend one surge, which gets him to full with Song of Rest. He has 5/9 surges left. And yes, I still have my daily left. I was planning to use it on that necromancer last fight, but the opportunity never really presented itself. I guess that's OK, because now I have it for this one

Initiative: 1d20+4=14
Stealth: 1d20+11=30
Perception: 1d20+11=13[/sblock]
[sblock=Tristan stats]Tristan Moonblade - Male Elf Avenger (Dayna) 1
Passive Perception: 21, Passive Insight: 14; Low-light vision
AC:17, Fort:13, Reflex:15, Will:15 -- Speed:7
HP:28/28, Bloodied:14, Surge Value:7, Surges Left:5/9
Action Points: 0, Second Wind: available
Powers
Bond of Pursuit
Overwhelming Strike
Angelic Alacrity
Channel Divinity
Elven Accuracy
Oath of Enmity
Oath of the Final Duel
Luckblade
Group Awareness: All non-elf allies within 5 squares of Tristan gain a +1 bonus to Perception.[/sblock]