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

[Pinotage]

Avril - Human Druid - AC 16 - hp 36/36 - Spot +11 - Listen +11
Scarlet - Riding Dog - AC 22 - hp 30/30 - Spot +5 - Listen +5

"Hmmm," she said with a frown, "You might be right. The place is pretty busted up, I'll give you that. Didn't they say giants used to live here?" She shook her head. "Nevermind. It's not important. I guess we'll just have to approach and use every opportunity to divide them if possible. I'd rather not split our forces to do so though. We're more effective in a group. But, if they have magic, we should keep apart and avoid getting caught in more expansive magic."

She frowned again, her freckled face making her look angry. "Are we agreed then that we take the keep now? And fight, should the inhabitants turn out to be hostile? And, if they are, we should stay sharp and think clearly about dividing their numbers and fighting to our advantage." She looked at her companions. She didn't want to drag them into something they didn't want to do.

[SBLOCK=OOC]
OOC:

Spells and Abilities Active:

None

Spells Cast and Abilities/Items Used:

Summon Nature's Ally III (Call Lightning)
Cure Moderate Wounds
Wild Shape (1 Used)

Spells Prepared:

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

 

[Creamsteak]

OOC: Since it was mentioned in passing, as far as crumbling castle walls go, these ones look fairly easy to climb. They are still in massive disrepair.

Jorr: "This isn't a giants keep. A long time ago there was some group that was based out here. Sometime between when the Dwarves were all over the vale and now. These humans fought a war against the giants. As far as I can tell it looks like they lost it."

 

[Redclaw]

I would definitely concur that it would be advantageous to engage any enemy forces piecemeal. However, please remember that if we separate to avoid enemy spellcasting, we will also be effectively limiting our own, my haste spell, for example. While we're thinking strategy, would it be possible to scale the walls and come at them from the tower room, rather than walking through the front door?
[sblock=spells]Spells Prepared
0-Detect Magic, Lesser Acid Orb, Mage Hand, Daze
1-Shocking Grasp, True Srike, Color Spray, Enlarge Person (Trans.)
2-Scorching Ray, Scorching Ray, Invisibility, 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

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

 

[pathfinderq1]

"I've no gift for climbing," Tyrla replied to Larian's suggestion. "I'll agree, we ought to hit them tonight, I guess. Perhaps tomorrow would see them reinforced anyway. Do we have any means to enhance the stealth of our approach, or to damage or detain the enemy if there turn out to be more of them than we can handle?"

 

[Zoycitenega]

I'll warn you, I'm no great sneaker; my armor clanks enough to wake an army of drunk hobgobs.

 

[Pinotage]

Avril - Human Druid - AC 16 - hp 36/36 - Spot +11 - Listen +11
Scarlet - Riding Dog - AC 22 - hp 30/30 - Spot +5 - Listen +5

Avril listened to her allies speak. She'd always appreciated Larian's comments, and now she was learning to appreciate those of her allies too. Warren was unusually quiet after his injury and one could say near-death encounter, which was unusual for him. She'd hoped he would have something to add regarding sneaking into the keep.

"I'd thought about the roof on the north, but my concern was that if we ran into a tight spot up there, we might not be able to get away quickly. And, if we were caught up there, we'd need to fight a battle from range. Of course, I'd always prefer to have Scarlet with me." She ruffled the dog's fur. "Some of us," she nodded in Siobhan's direction, "might not be very suitable for climbing."

"Laria, I have nothing I can use for stealth, and you know that Scarlet does most of my fighting for me. I will spend much preparation on her. She's good in battle if I support her." She paused for a moment. "It looks like the front door it is. We can't use cover of darkness so we'd best be quick to the entrance. In and take any hostile creatures out quickly. We'll hopefully get some cover from that shack near the entrance." She looked around. "Are we agreed? I can't think of anything that is safer for all of us."

[SBLOCK=OOC]
OOC:

Spells and Abilities Active:

None

Spells Cast and Abilities/Items Used:

Summon Nature's Ally III (Call Lightning)
Cure Moderate Wounds
Wild Shape (1 Used)

Spells Prepared:

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

 

[Redclaw]

Larian nodded his agreement. That seems to be the most acceptable solution. Let us endeavour to maintain a cohesive battle plan, in spite of the chaos that is sure to erupt. Remember, it might be a good idea to keep us all close until I can hasten your movements. Avril, would you like me to make you impossible for an enemies to see, so that you can summon allies in relative safety, or should I save that for Warren in a time of need? Friend dwarf, how would you feel about being enlarged?
[sblock=spells]Spells Prepared
0-Detect Magic, Lesser Acid Orb, Mage Hand, Daze
1-Shocking Grasp, True Srike, Color Spray, Enlarge Person (Trans.)
2-Scorching Ray, Scorching Ray, Invisibility, 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

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

 

[pathfinderq1]

"I am ready as well," Tyrla said after a few moments- her only apparent preparations were another repetition of the not-quite-spellcasting she had used several times already that day. "Perhaps as we approach, one of our scouts might make sure that small cottage is empty- I'd hate to be hit from behind as we move in. And if we are overrun once we're inside, maybe we might fall back to the gate to regroup, where we can make some semblance of a line, rather than fleeing into open ground where we might be encircled for good- Mayhap, Avril, if you have that spell of entanglement that was so effective at the farmhouse, we might use it to provide an obstacle if we must flee..."

OOC: Reinvoke See the Unseen- otherwise ready.

 

[Arkhandus]

Warren the halfling, HP 30/33, AC 23

Warren finally speaks up, saying "I agree with Avril's and Tyrla's suggestions. I'll check the small building first, then signal the rest of you to follow, and I'll scout out the entrance before everyone else goes in. We'll go around to the side, around the small building and over to the hole in the wall. You noisier folks can stay a good sixty or eighty feet away until I give a signal to approach."

After a moment's pause, he continues, "Once I check in there to see if anything dangerous might be in the larger building with a hole in it, we can enter the building where the smoke's coming from, and attack any goblinoids or other monsters inside. I and perhaps someone else decent at climbing, and not too noisy, can try jumping down from the thatched roof, surprising them from above, while the noisier folks come around through the hole in the outer wall and kick in the door, after my signal."

"After we deal with anyone in that room, we'll probably have lost the element of surprise against anything else in the keep, so we should take that moment to patch ourselves up if needed before rushing the next building, with the hole in its side. Unless there's nothing much in there, in which case I'll just take care of it myself before giving you all the signal to attack the smoke-building. After that place we can attack the building along the northern side of the keep, before going back to strike at any foes in the watchtowers or the corner-tower. That place should probably be checked last."

"The way I figure it, the three big skeletons are probably from giants that tried to raid the place long ago, chucked boulders at the rear-corner tower, busted in through the gate and the southern wall in a two-pronged attack, and then were finally dispatched by the defenders inside. The place was probably abandoned after all the damage and casualties the giants inflicted before finally meeting their own end. But I'm leery of necromancy being afoot.....that figure in the tower, from Avril's description, gives me the jitters. We may find the giant skeletons, or the thing upstairs, to be some kind of undead, so be prepared to deal with that when we make our assault."

After another brief pause, he adds "A few last things to say..... Do any of you know anything particular 'bout skeletal undead critters or fleshy undead critters? Cuz if you do, let us know anything ya can about their strengths, weaknesses, or wierd powers, 'kay? Before we go charging in and they rise up to pummel us and steal our souls or somethin' like that. Also, I'd be keen on that invisibility spell of yours, Larian, for my scouting. If I'm invisible, I'll chuck a pebble off to the side of the group as my signal to move in for the attack. Needless to say, but if giant skeletons start to rise up as soon as I get there, I expect ya to do so without waitin' for my signal."

 

[Creamsteak]

Well that's everyone but our Barbarian. I'm assuming Warren wants to inspect the South-east building first?

Which way are you wanting to approach the building with Warren? You can go in through the door in the southern tower, or thorugh the door inside the keep.