Heart of Artifice: Part I--Engineered Enigma

[Patlin]

(Currently 17 damage of 26 hp)

Here goes nothing...

Anvuss will full defend and stand up.

[sblock=New Speed is 50 feet]

Expeditious Retreat
Transmutation
Level: Brd 1, Sor/Wiz 1
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 min./level (D)

This spell increases your base land speed by 30 feet. (This adjustment is treated as an enhancement bonus.) There is no effect on other modes of movement, such as burrow, climb, fly, or swim. As with any effect that increases your speed, this spell affects your jumping distance (see the Jump skill).

[/sblock]

 

[Rystil Arden]

(OOC: It is 40. The Warforged base speed started at 30, reduced to 20 for armour concerns. His base speed is now 60, reduced to 40 for armour concerns)

*As he stands up, both of them fire and miss.*

(OOC: Anvuss's turn)

 

[Patlin]

Anvuss runs toward the guards, pulling out his Morningstar as he rushes toward them at unacustomed speed.

[sblock=Feel free to ignore this...]

Benefit: Your armor bonus is increased to +8 and you gain damage reduction 2/adamantine. However, your base land speed is reduced to 20 feet, and you are considered to be wearing heavy armor. You have a +1 maximum Dexterity bonus to AC, a -7 skill penalty on all skill checks that armor check penalties apply to (Balance, Climb, Escape Artist, Hide, Jump, Move Silently, Sleight of Hand, Swim, and Tumble), and an arcane spell failure chance of 35%.

Warforged don't wear armor, although the penalties for adamantine body are similar to (but not identical to) wearing heavy armor. Anvuss's base speed is 20', just like the speed of a naked Halfling. I believe he gets the same bonus to speed as the naked halfling gets. I will be a good player and say no more about the issue if your interpretation varies: the DM is always right.[/sblock]

 

[Rystil Arden]

(OOC: If you're right, it just makes me hate the supposedly "LA +0" Warforged even more, and I already strongly contest their balance, particularly the ones that start out with Adamantine Fullplate

I'm going to say that the 'you are considered to be wearing heavy armour' bit in the same sentence indicates to me that my interpretation is possible and that it is very likely that the author intended for that sentence to make the Adamantine Warforged count as being reduced by heavy armour but wasn't smart enough to word it tightly enough to prevent this issue. If I did not think it was possible that my interpretation was correct, I would be forced to apply the other ruling by LEB rules--as it is, we need to get a ruling on this. I'm afraid that my rule of thumb will always be "If there are two similarly likely interpretations and one of them is worse for Warforged, pick that one".)

*As Anvuss begins to rush forward 120 feet, one of them easily hits with the shocking jolt, nearly deactivating Anvuss temporarily.*

(OOC: 6 Damage)

*With Anvuss only 25 feet away, they drop their ranged weapons and flank him with their air blades.*

"Just one more strike--it may be harder to hit him this way, but better than firing off at point blank into the brawl."

*Both attacks clang against Anvuss's armour harmlessly.*

(OOC: Anvuss's turn. He is flanked)

 

[Patlin]

"You fight bravely. I salute you."

Morningstar Attack! (1d20+5=17, 1d8+3=11)

"Surrender, and you will not be harmed."

 

[Rystil Arden]

(OOC: 17 is pretty close to some lower rolls that you've seen miss, and I don't believe we've seen exactly a 17 rolled yet. Would you like to use an action point? Note that I will ask this any time it seems close and you don't know if the roll is enough to hit, so just like last time, I may be wasting your action point, but you did hit last time )

 

[Patlin]

ooc: I'm feeling lucky... I'll save the action point.

 

[Rystil Arden]

(OOC: Were you attacking the one who was talking or the other one? It isn't clear)

 

[Patlin]

ooc: Anvuss will attack the one who isn't giving the orders first... he figures that one may be less profficient, and he wants to get down to a one on one fight as quickly as possible.

 

[Rystil Arden]

*Anvuss hits his opponent, a powerful blow that nearly knocks his foe unconscious. But they both remain, and the injured foe manages to barely graze Anvuss through his adamantine protection.*

(OOC: Anvuss takes 1 Damage, down to 2. Anvuss's Turn)