City of the Spider Queen (mini-campaign)

[HolyMan]

Ok I see alot going on in the IC (major jump checks Vertexx69, going to need to add some chasms to this game). But I don't see anyone choosing of the options. LOL

So as we still need combat blocks please list up spells for the day, abilities, items, and any other things that we need to keep track of.

Make sure if you "power up" you list original and then agumented stats as one drow might dispel them, and another then attack. And I don't have all the books so anything not core or DM2/PHB2 needs to be explained out.

Ok that should keep you all busy for a couple days, LOL please post your combat blocks and remember things you have used so far - casted message, used on wild shape ability, dragonsight in use, etc.

And list an option please, and thank you.

HM

 

[Malachei]

If by option you mean which structure to approach first, Aden will sneak towards the closest building first, together with Dargun. He makes sure they stay close (within approximately 30 ft.), and he also signals Talhia and the others to follow, as soon as they have closed in on the building -- to make sure the distance to Talhia and the others does not get too big. I have asked about the distance in my IC post, could you please give some information on the general layout (i.e. distance to the closest structure and distances between the three structures)?

 

[HolyMan]

Hey Malachei just a few things to comment on. I don't see items listed like potion, scrolls, and the wands. You can list spells and cross them off like this and give a duration please.

Distance isn't truly important out here in the open where you can be just about anywhere. Once inside the underdark, as your visioin/movement is limited by where you are at then I will have a map up. Now I just need to know where you wish to be and you will be there.

But to help alittle...

A main path goes between both buildings to the doors in the hill side. Both the buildings are sealed up tight no visible holes or other ways in except the doors.

Each building's doors face each other with about 20' apart from them. And each building is about 50' from the wear the hill starts to climb up, and the alcove sits.

HM

 

[Hella_Tellah]

It's looking like nearly every post has some form of passive-aggressive editorializing about other players' characters. If we were all at a table together, would you really roll your eyes at one another and complain about everything other people are doing? Let's try to be a little more polite to each other, okay guys? If you don't like what another player did, you should bring it up in this thread, rather than having your character kvetch about it in the In-Character thread.

 

[perrinmiller]

Not sure if there are any feathers actually ruffled or not. At least not from my chair anyway. However I do sense some impatience out there.

But I think the stealth bit went out the window from the very beginning. Half the group is just not capable of it. I guess the real question is, if some people want to do stealthy scouting, there are some good ways of doing it.

But if the scouts want the others to stay put then it is best to discuss it between the characters first rather than assume the armored front line troops are just going to wait. If you are going to want to search for traps, say so. Frankly, I wasn't expecting any, but neither Morrolan or Platinus had moved to open the door yet.

For opening door procedures, is it going to be Morrolan or Platinus? Makes no difference to me either way, but I wasn't sure the druid can actually manage to open a door or not in his current form. But if others are going to do it, by all means my tank can bring up the rear.

 

[Malachei]

Well, honestly, I hadn't been seeing any issues at all. I'm fine.
Aden, of course, is a trained professional, who, besides being cynical and heartbroken, is really focused on his core role. He will always try to do a stealthy approach, even when it is not necessary -- it is his role. Of course, the dinosaur-jumping acton might bother him, but it does not bother me (the player) at all.

I took some care doing Aden's background story, and I think it pretty much explains him and his behaviour. Aden being more the silent guy, he's not going to talk a lot at all, and is certainly not the one who will ask others to wait until he has done his thing -- we might have to resort to that kind of group planning discussion to improve tactics later on, but for the beginning, I'd really like to stay in character as much as I can. I hope you don't mind his personality -- for me, Aden has already come alive, and I am looking forward to seeing his motivation to fight drow put into action.

On a more specific note: I'm not sure what lets us expect traps / ambush or not. I'd rather search one time too many than vice versa. We don't have time pressure right now, so I think this is also a good opportunity to get to know the different approaches other characters will take. I think it is both important and fun so see how differently we would approach the site, and at the same time I don't think we did a major mistake yet. So it's good we get to know each other. One thing I've seen is that we all acted simultaneously. I'm not saying we need a commander, but of course, we can look at the different party roles and where they will shine. So I'd expect someone (not Aden) to take a lead when we go into combat, etc.
Stealth etc. is obviously where Aden shines, so this is where he will go ahead and do the job. Right now this means he's looking for traps.

And hopefully, there are none, and that will get us closer to the hunting the drow.

 

[ghostcat]

Sorry if you think we are getting at each other. From my POV (as a player), I'm quite happy at the way things are going and have no problems with anyone's actions. On the other hand, from a character's POV. Well Dargun has a 6 charisma, so don't expect him to be polite or hide his feelings.

 

[perrinmiller]

HM brought a good point about an SOP. That was sort of what I had been trying to establish in a round-about way IC. But in looking at the latest map, I had not realized how crowded and cramped things will become inside dungeons. With 5 medium characters it wasn't too bad, but adding a 6th (Platinus) and 7th(Slash) to the party, both being large to boot, we are not going to have any room to maneuver.

Without having seen the source material that HM will be using, I am wondering if we are going to run into issues. Perhaps we should go old school and forget the tactical grids completely. HM can use that time he saves from map-making to provide the descriptions in IC instead and we can play it loose.

Standard Operation Procedures (SOP): (Draft)
1. Let the Rogue Search for traps in passages and doors before the tanks advance. We have Fafnir's Blindsense toward the front for souting.
2. After doors are cleared and unlocked, either Slash or Platinus open them as one of them is in the front line with Morrolan. The other can protect the rear.
3. That leaves the four remaining characters in the middle. Aden and Durgan should probably be in the 2nd row to leap frog ahead and back for scouting or trapfinding, when Fafnir's senses cannot check everything.
4. Illumination? How are we fixed for those without Darkvision?

Once this is worked out then HM can just move us through the tedious parts of the dungeon crawl so we can focus on the decisions and results of what we come across.

 

[Vertexx69]

Platinus has darkvision 60ft and a ring of darkvision that makes him invisible to the dark vision of others, so I would prefer if he was traveling outside the lighted area as a nasty surprise for those we encounter in the underdark. Slash only has low-light vision so needs some sort of light for the time being (but is wearing several magic items that could glow).

Our main attack maneuver is the leaping pounce, which lets us make full attacks after a leaping charge + a free trip attempt with every hit and a free grapple once that trip succeeds. This can leave up to 2 enemies prone and 2 prone & grappled (No dex to AC) on the 1st round of combat. You get into flanking and that's a +6 to hit or better for everyone.

 

[perrinmiller]

How come you got to play around with some cool, off the wall build while the rest of us were stuck with a picture to work off of? Heck, I am even stuck with the gear in the picture. LOL

Those tactics sound great BTW, but again it assumes a significant amount of room to maneuver.

Oh, Morrolan and Fafnir both have Darkvision.