[FR][PBP] Against the Storm Game Thread

[DM_Matt]

You sail up the river for about two days, often seeing other ships pass, but never seeing combat. Rufus often informs you of the surface time to keep you better oriented, knowing that you really are not used to keeping time so separated from the sun. You try to observe normal patterns of life, but you always seem to be a little disoriented and never entirely able to internalize Rufus' declarations of time.

Suddenly, the boat jolts to a halt, throwing people and objects all around (but o one overboard. The crew scrambles around to see what the trouble is, while at the same time going for their weapons just in case.

Four wooden box-shaped boats suddenly emerge from the water next to the ship and hatches open on top. Grappling hooks are thrown onto the ship and drow stream from the boxes. Two drow on each cover the ships rail with their repeating Xbows while others try to climb up.

Rufus, organizing the crew for a hasty defense says "To arms! Keep the boarders at bay for as long as possible and keep an eye out for the ship who sent the boxes."

Aside to the PCs "Just our luck. The Kraken! A band of drow pirates who lock down ships using a sophisticated system of hooks and netting from below, while sending warriors in submerged watertight boxes that float with the tide and get caught in the same trap. A few Sauhugan man the trap and cut free the weights that keep the boxes under water so that the drow can emerge and board. They are nearly impossible to avoid, and quite fierce."

 

[DM_Matt]

Any reason for the lack of posting? Is there something that you want me to do?

 

[garyh]

Akharos loosens his falchion in its scabbard, and waits to see what develops.

OOC: The boards seem to have been buggy today. This is the first time all day I'm managed to get on them.

 

[Fenrir]

Calain remains standing, gazing out at the side of the river, apparently nonplussed by the attackers. However, he slides one of his sleeves back and settles calmly into a casting stance, waiting to see what's next.

 

[DM_Matt]

Rufus turns to the group "Defend the ship! My crew is no match for them. I need you to hold them off while I get a certain special weapon from below decks. Without it, we are toast when the Kraken's main ship arrives."

[OOC: It will be interesting to see how the party works together in a fight now that everyone is ere]

 

[Paragon Badger]

Alcar draws his Maul, ready for battle.

He'll scan the opposing forces looking for spellcasters. If he spots a spellcaster he'll invoke a Spiritual Weapon to harry one.

Otherwise he wait for an enemy to approach and joins melee.

 

[dead_radish]

Elone quickly retrieves her bow from her Meilikki's Quiver, and looks about for anyone obviously casting spells. If she finds one or more, she targets them with bow fire. If not, she looks for a tight cluster where a flame strike would be most effective and takes a shot at one of the drow with repeating Xbow's.

"By Solonor's will and Shevarash's wrath, you Betrayers shall fall!"

 

[Fenrir]

Calain activates his boots of speed and casts Stoneskin on himself.

 

[MeepoTheMighty]

Frian closes his eyes and begins to mutter a prayer to the spirits which inhabit the river. He calls out to them to aid the group in their struggle.


OOC: Summon Nature's Ally III to summon a Large Shark.

 

[DM_Matt]

Most of Rufus's crew follows him below decks, as they fear sustaining enough casualties to render the ship inoperable.

You fan out on the deck, along with Rufus' Orcish Double Axe-wielding bodyguards and his first mate, who has tow arrows notched in his bow.

Elone blasts one of the drow "submarines" (for lack of a better word) with a flame strike. The top drow climbing falls off, knocking down the drow below him, who seems unaffected. The drow who are covering the edge of the ship with their xbows are burned, too, and they instinctively reach for their healing potions, which are destroyed as well. The drow who was climbing reaches for his, but Elone quickly moves over the top and shoots him in the face., killing him. The drow below him spends the round rolling his fallen comrade off of him and getting up.

Meanwhile, Rysian moves to attack the drow that elone has engaged.

The drow who were covering the ship recover in time to fire at Elone. Elone finds that these mockeries of true elvenness are frighteningly efficient with their mechanical mockeries of the elves traditional weapon. Both get two shots off, three of which hit her, one in the center of her chest (2 reg hits + 1 crit...36 dmg), The shots knock her away from the edge and she falls against the mast. She tries to pull herself up but becomes dizzy and weak and her vision blurs. She looks up and sees a black substance on the bolt that missed and is embedded in the mast, and then collapses.

Rysian sets towards the edge of the ship fires his arrows into the chest of one of the firing drow, killing him instantly and throwing him into the sea. He reloads and finishes off the other sniper too, then call to the rest of you "I have this one...get the others.

[OOC: I am warning you guys this time because you haven't played in my games much yet. This encounter is significantly over-CR for you guys. You are expected to take advantage of your entrenched defensive position, which has been factored fully into your capabilities.]