(CSRHoD) Creamsteak's Red Hand of Doom [IC]

[Pinotage]

Avril - Human Druid - AC 20 - hp 36/36 - Spot +11 - Listen +11
Scarlet - Riding Dog - AC 26 - hp 30/30 - Spot +5 - Listen +5

Avril's heartbeat increased quickly at the prospect of facing a manticore. Warren's quick return and his invisible, disembodied voice hadn't done her heart any favors. Nervousness at the eve of battle never seemed to fade, but these creatures were a scourge on the forest and needed to be destroyed.

"Yes, I agree," Avril chimed in, "We should finish this now. We need to keep that manticore on the ground. If it flies, we might be in trouble as I don't think any of us are ranged specialists and even with Larian's spell I would not send one of us alone against that creature. We hit it hard and quick, and make sure it stays on the ground. Warren, Gurguannin, we'll be counting on you. Scarlet will help, but she's not built for inflicting much damage."

Taking a deep breath, she said, "Let's head out." She quickly used her rod to cast one last spell before heading after the others, bringing Scarlet with her. With fire in her hand she kept all her other belongings stowed, though her wands were within easy reach. Scarlet or one of the others might need their magic.

[SBLOCK=OOC]
OOC: Cast Extended Product Flame before heading out. She'll keep her wand of Snake's Swiftness to hand, but otherwise stored all her other belongings.

Spells and Abilities Active:

Barkskin (Avril, Scarlet, +2 AC, 50 minutes)
Extended Cat's Grave (Avril, Scarlet, +4 Dex, 10 minutes)
Extended Product Flame (Avril, 10 minutes)

Spells Cast and Abilities/Items Used:

Summon Nature's Ally III (Call Lightning)
Cure Moderate Wounds
Wild Shape (1 Used)
Metamagic Rod of Lesser Extend (2 Used)
Barkskin
Extended Cat's Grace
Extended Produce Flame

Spells Prepared:

Level 0 (5): Cure Minor Wounds, Detect Magic, Guidance, Naturewatch, Resistance
Level 1 (4): Cure Light Wounds, Enrage Animal, Entangle
Level 2 (3): Bear's Endurance
Level 3 (2):
[/SBLOCK]

 

[Arkhandus]

Warren the halfling, HP 30/33, AC 23

When everyone gets closer to the hole in the keep's southern wall, Warren will ask if Larian intends to cast any other pre-battle spells, placing an invisible hand on the mage's left arm so he knows where the halfling is. Once everyone is ready, Warren creeps ahead into the building with the manticore, as Gurguannin starts flying over to the hole in the roof of the manticore's dwelling.

Warren will creep closer until he can attempt to stab the creature's neck or face with his short sword, quietly executing a Burning Blade maneuver with a short flourish and then striking with his Shadow Blade Technique, lashing out with a burning sword and an illusory second sword of chilling shadows. He reappears right afterward, of course, as Larian's invisibility spell fades with the attack, and the monster likely rises from its dormancy.....


[sblock=attack]Since I'm using Shadow Blade Technique again, I rolled the attack myself on InvisibleCastle. Attack rolls were 19 and 31 (natural 12 and natural 19), so I choose the 19 to represent Warren's actual sword, and the 31 to represent the shadow-blade (so no critical threat). So if the 19 hits, he does bonus cold damage from the shadow-blade, but it if misses, then he misses altogether.

The monster is probably caught flat-footed (Warren intends to move in quietly and attack just as Gurguannin is beginning to fly towards the hole in the roof, and before the rest of the group comes clomping forward in their assorted heavy armors and whatnot), so it would be against its flat-footed AC most likely.

I factored in the +2 to-hit for being invisible, but if Larian casts Haste or anything similar beforehand, that'll have to be added in separately to the attack rolls. I forgot to include Sneak Attack damage with the initial set of rolls, so I rolled it separately.

The total damage from Warren's attack is 22, from 11 piercing (7 + 4 sneak attack), 9 fire, and 2 cold.[/sblock]

 

[Redclaw]

Larian--Transmuter 5--HP: 25--AC:18 (tch 18, ff 14)--f+2, r+5, w+4

Larian elects to hold the haste, in case the other threats prove significant. He does, however, cast three spells on the dwarf. He by reading from his scroll of Protection from Arrows. He then uses his scroll of Fly, and finally, just before Gurguannin flys off, he touches his new ally and speaks the phrase, Amplifico, causing the dwarf to loom to the size of an ogre.
[sblock=ooc] Protection from Arrows will provide DR 10/magic against ranged attacks and last 3 hours, or until it absorbs 30 points of damage.
Fly will last for 5 minutes.
Enlarge Person will also last 5 minutes, and will give +2 str, -2 dex, and -1 to both AC and attack, but it gives 10' reach, and ups the size class of Gurguannin's axe. [/sblock]
[sblock=spells]Spells Prepared
0-Detect Magic, Lesser Acid Orb, Mage Hand, Daze
1-Shocking Grasp, True Srike, Color Spray
2-Scorching Ray, Scorching Ray, Bull’s Strength (Trans.)
3-Mass Resist Energy, Fireball, Haste (Trans.)

Spells in effect
Mage Armor--Until 10 hours after we left Drellin's Ferry
Invisibility (Warren)--about 1 minute
Fly (Gurguannin)--5 minutes
Protection from Arrows (Gurguannin)--3 minutes or 30 damage
Enlarge Person (Gurguannin)--5 minutes

Rod of Extend--2 uses left [/sblock]

 

[DrZombie]

Gurguannin flies to the hole in the roof. He can feel the fire in his heart calling out to him, but maintains a tight grip on his sanity when he sees his foe.

 

[Creamsteak]

The resting (but not sleeping) manticore doesn't seem to care when Warren enters into the room. Warren acts during the surprise round normally, all others are considered "not yet in combat" and are simply moving into their positions during the surprise round. While the manticore technically makes his checks to sense Warren during the surprise round, he doesn't actually act on it at first as he does not suspect anything out of the ordinary. The poor dumb crature is in for quite the suprise.

Warren attacks, his sudden strike ripping right into the throat of the creature. It wakes up in the middle of the process and cries out in a gutteral choking growl. Coughing on it's own blood, the creature stumbles a bit as it tries to make sense of what just happened.

Warren deals his 22 damage. Now normal initiative order.

Initiatives
Warren 17
Larian 16
Manticore 12
Avril 9
Tyrla 7
Siobhan 5
Gurguannin 4

 

[Redclaw]

Larian--Transmuter 5--HP: 25--AC:18 (tch 18, ff 14)--f+2, r+5, w+4

Larian speaks quietly but urgently to his companions. Now friends! Let us support Warren and Gurguannin, but keep your other eye open for possible reinforcements. He then rushes into the keep and moves close to one of the giant boulders, attempting to use its bulk to shield him from possible attacks.
[sblock=ooc] double move to M:14, specifically keeping an eye out for any movement from doors at N/O:7, and drawing his wand of magic missile.[/sblock]
[sblock=spells]Spells Prepared
0-Detect Magic, Lesser Acid Orb, Mage Hand, Daze
1-Shocking Grasp, True Srike, Color Spray
2-Scorching Ray, Scorching Ray, Bull’s Strength (Trans.)
3-Mass Resist Energy, Fireball, Haste (Trans.)

Spells in effect
Mage Armor--5 hours
Fly (Gurguannin)--48 rounds
Protection from Arrows (Gurguannin)--3 hours or 30 damage
Enlarge Person (Gurguannin)--49 rounds

Rod of Extend--2 uses left
Pearl of Power--used[/sblock]

 

[Creamsteak]

Your mage armor probably expired a bit ago (I hadn't been paying attention). The whole trip including going to Jorr's is about 21 miles, and the party as I understand it was moving at 2 miles/hour (slowest members being 20 ft. I believe, as you hadn't planned to have both of them mounted the whole trip), which would put you just over the 10 hours. If you were prepared to re-cast it, go ahead and do so.

 

[Redclaw]

Prior to casting spells on Gurguannin and thus launching the battle, Larian would have used his pearl of power to recall Mage Armor, and then cast it on himself, but without the rod this time. Active spells adjusted on last post.

 

[Pinotage]

Avril - Human Druid - AC 20 - hp 36/36 - Spot +11 - Listen +11
Scarlet - Riding Dog - AC 26 - hp 30/30 - Spot +5 - Listen +5

The battle started. Gurguannin and Warren both covered the ground to the manticore quickly. In her mind's eye she went over the map she's seen as an owl, trying to place the location that Warren had indicated. She turned to Larian. "Scarlet and I will help against the manticore. Somebody needs to stay here and keep watch for any further activity. If something else arrives from that building, then you need to let us know."

Commanding Scarlet to follow her, the duo raced for the door and into the ruined gate house. Avril stopped when she caught sight of the manticore, hurling a ball of flame at the large beast. She commanded Scarlet to attack, hoping Warren would leave her room to do so. "Be careful, Scarlet," she whispered.

[SBLOCK=OOC]
OOC: Avril moves to Q13, and hurls a flame from her hand at the manticore (Produce Flame +7 ranged touch, -4 cover, Damage: 1d6+5). Scarlet moves to Q15, attacking the manticore (Handle Animal +12 vs DC 10) if Warren leaves room for Scarlet to do so (Bite +6, Damage: 1d6+4). Otherwise, Scarlet moves to Q14, and defends Avril.

Spells and Abilities Active:

Barkskin (Avril, Scarlet, +2 AC, 50 minutes)
Extended Cat's Grave (Avril, Scarlet, +4 Dex, 10 minutes)
Extended Product Flame (Avril, 10 minutes, 1 Used)

Spells Cast and Abilities/Items Used:

Summon Nature's Ally III (Call Lightning)
Cure Moderate Wounds
Wild Shape (1 Used)
Metamagic Rod of Lesser Extend (2 Used)
Barkskin
Extended Cat's Grace
Extended Produce Flame

Spells Prepared:

Level 0 (5): Cure Minor Wounds, Detect Magic, Guidance, Naturewatch, Resistance
Level 1 (4): Cure Light Wounds, Enrage Animal, Entangle
Level 2 (3): Bear's Endurance
Level 3 (2):
[/SBLOCK]

 

[Arkhandus]

Warren the halfling, HP 30/33, AC 26 fighting defensively, Island of Blades stance

After his initial strike and reappearance, Warren steps a bit further from the door and assumes a defensive position, while focusing for a moment to send shadowy blades swirling about him...... Then he attempts to strike again, aiming to keep the monster's attention right now moreso than attempt to fight it to the death. "Hey ugly, wanna play?" he sneers.

(Now as long as Warren and one or more allies are adjacent to the manticore, they are considered to be flanking the manticore)

[sblock=Attack]Warren takes a 5-foot step southward, and uses a swift action to initiate the Island of Blades stance. Then he attacks the manticore once with his short sword, fighting defensively. With his 6 ranks in Tumble, Warren gets +3 dodge AC for -4 to attack rolls for this round. I'm assuming Gurguannin is not yet in place, most likely, so Warren gets no sneak attack damage unless the manticore still counts as flat-footed.

Warren's attack roll was an 18, for 7 damage, and 5 extra damage if sneak attack applies this round. Rolls here.[/sblock]