Kulan: Knightfall's Heroes of Carnell Game [OOC]

[JustinCase]

Exactly, it comes down to a DM ruling, but I agree with you, @Tellerian Hawke .

 

[Knightfall]

So, movement: you can move through an ally's square to get to an empty square, right?

Yes

also, remember, we can defeat the wolf troll by killing tarrak.

Correct.

 

[Knightfall]

Do frightened creatures run through obvious danger if there are other routes? (They have been told there are spiked stones that deal damage, so I would call that 'obvious danger'.) I can't find it in the 'frightened' condition description...

The NPCs that failed their saves are panicked not frightened. The NPCs that made their saves are only shaken.

@Knightfall might have a different perspective, but here's the way I see it. "Other dangers it encounters" would include the Spike Stones. Panicked creatures are not mindless; in fact, it says they can use special abilities in order to get away; e.g., a wizard could use Dimension Door, or a rogue could use Climb Walls. Thus, when faced with an impassable field of deadly spikes, the creature will choose a "random path" to circumvent it, rather than rushing blindly through it.

If there is no way around the field, to me that would meet the criteria for being cornered, and the creature would cower.

Your mileage may vary

My mileage does vary, somewhat.

The rank and file NPCs weren't likely aware of every aspect of the PCs plans for the battle. So, some of them might be aware that there are spike stones but remember that they can't see them. (If Henry had become panicked and ran that way, he'd have a chance to use Trap Sense to keep from stumbling into them.) They have no way of knowing where the magical trap is laid out. Once any of them hit the larger cavern, they will see the zombies and won't want to run towards them, but the zombies are the source of their fear. That is the rooks.

And, no, not all of the NPCs will run that way, as some of them would have to run past Tarrak (or the ghast) and that is an obvious danger, but neither are they going to rush towards the rooks -- the source of the fear. Some may just end up cowering.

For those that do rush towards the spike stones, they will have a chance to make a Will saving throw once they enter the field. If a NPC succeeds, they will stop running and cower. If they fail, they keep running. Meridith will get a +2 circumstance bonus to her save because she witnessed Maur use spike stones before. (I've already decided that Meridith will run that way.)

(If the two dwarven militia fighters had become panicked, they would have received the same bonus because they see Maur as a hero and hang on his every word. The other NPCs, not so much.)

Remember, the cultist, Eike had to make a Will save when he ran into Maur's spike stones on the island. Of course, he wasn't aware they were there at all. That magic trap worked out for the PCs vs. Eike and Xander but this time it could work against the PCs allies.

Also, the PCs cannot control every aspect of the battlefield.

Now, both Caerth and Maur can dismiss their spells as a standard action on their turns. Caerth will have to wait until round five but Maur could dismiss his spell in round four, if he senses that the panicked NPCs are going to run towards him and the other PCs.

 

[Knightfall]

Turn the palisade around and block panicking people from going into sioke stones.

Caerth can dismiss the spell, but it wastes standard action and unlocks zombies

Quinn can keep the palisade from falling into the crevasse by hanging onto it instead of pushing it, but turning it around would likely be a full round action. He wouldn't have to turn it around to put it in a position to block Meridith and any other NPCs who rush in fear towards the spike stones.

 

[Knightfall]

Round Four (Updated)
Caerth: 22
Criseneth: 21 (shaken for 1 round)
Bleak Eagle: 21 (panicked)
Eleanor Stevyn (bard): 21 (deceased)
Aureus: 20 (slowed for 5 rounds, shaken for 1 round)
Phar: 20 (successfully casts dispel magic on undead wolftroll; shaken for 1 round)
Senior Acolyte of Malotoch (Omen): 20 (drinks potion; shaken for 1 round)
Senior Acolyte of Malotoch: 20 (shaken for 1 round)
Tarrak: 19 (attacks Sir Ghal)
Rook-Harpies [x8]: 18 (fly 80 feet and use Frightful caw, two attack)
Monstrous Ghast: 17 (flies 60 feet and uses breath weapon)
Lady Pendour: 15 (sickened; protected by sanctuary spell for 1 round; shaken for 1 round)
Mysterious Elf (Galzadar): 13 (shaken for 1 round, casts lightning bolt)
Scarborax (sorcerer): 13 (paralyzed; shaken for 1 round)
Syndra Stormraven (druid): 13 (shaken for 1 round)
Maur: 12 (hits the wolftroll once)
Quinn: 12 (attacks with palisade, hits)
Wieland: 12 (sickened; shaken for 1 round)
Meridith: 12 (panicked)
Ailward Stepney (cohort): 12 (shaken for 1 round)
Acolyte Zombies [x12]: 12 (remaining motionless)
Acolyte Zombies [x3]: 12 (can only move 5 feet/round; remaining motionless)
Henry Hawtrey (wild. rogue): 11 (shaken for 1 round; reloading heavy crossbow)
Sir Ghal: 11 (shaken for 1 round; attacks and hits Tarrak)
Samantha Willowchild (cleric): 10 (panicked, sickened)
Benedict Stevyn (ranger): 10 (shaken for 1 round; fires bow at Galzadar, misses)
Undead Wolftroll: 8
Temperance Redding (fighter): 8 (panicked, sickened; cowering)
Ghast: 4
Dwarven Militia Fighter (male): 4 (paralyzed, sickened; shaken for 1 round)
Dwarven Militia Fighter (female): 4 (sickened; shaken for 1 round)
Elle Redding (cleric): 3 (shaken for 1 round, 5 ft step and tries to turn ghast)
Angus: 3 (shaken for 1 round; can move to a spot after Elle moves)
Militia Fighter (Arruns): 2 (deceased)
Militia Fighter (male): 2 (panicked, sickened; falls prone/cowering)
Annabel Ufford (militia fighter): 2 (panicked, sickened; hanging from edge of crevasse)
Zephora Chyrche (militia fighter): 2 (shaken for 1 round)
Militia Soldier (female): 1 (panicked, sickened; falls prone/cowering)
Militia Soldier (male): 1 (panicked, paralyzed, sickened)
Militia Soldier (male): 1 (killed by rook)

 

[Tellerian Hawke]

@Knightfall Excellent, excellent. Yes, I agree completely. I had forgotten that the spikes were invisible, so my lines of thinking were being wrongly influenced by the fact that visible spikes would have served as a deterrent.

Now, I fear for the NPCs. I hope none of our allies fall prey to our trap. That would be heart-breaking for Angus. And it would probably enrage him, lol (Not at Maur, at the Rooks who used such terrible tactics; in Angus' mind, a Fear spell is cheating and cowardly.)

 

[Knightfall]

Meridith runs towards the PCs
Meridith - Balance check (DC 10): 1D20 = [1] = 1 -2 = -2

So, Meridith falls prone and ends up _: 1D2 = [2] = 2 x5 feet from where she started.

 

[Tellerian Hawke]

Kinda' like Sarah Connors in the psych ward, when the T-101 (Arnold) first steps off the elevator, and she's scrambling around on the floor in a panic.

 

[Knightfall]

Other Panicked NPCs (in order of initiative)
Samantha Willowchild: will run towards the PCs; takes an AoO from Tarrak.
Temperance Redding: moves 5 feet to stand just behind Lady Pendour (she cowers)
Militia Fighter (male): will run towards the PCs
Militia Fighter (female): will run up the slope towards the exit of the cave trying to avoid the rooks. She will have to make a Balance check (DC 5) to avoid slipping and falling into the crevasse as she avoids the rook near her.
Militia Soldier (female): will run towards the PCs
Militia Soldier (male): will run towards the PCs; he will take an AoO from the rook that attacked him and the ghast.
Militia Soldier (male): will run up the slope towards the exist of the cave; he will take an AoO from the rook that attacked him

 

[Knightfall]

Samantha
Tarrak - AoO vs Samantha: 1D20+15 = [16]+15 = 31
1D12+6 = [3]+6 = 9 (hit)
Samantha Willowchild - Balance check (DC 10): 1D20-8 = [4]-8 = -4 -4 = -8 (fails by 5 or more)
Falls prone: 10 feet away

Militia Fighter (male)
Militia Fighter (male) - Balance check (DC 10): 1D20-5 = [11]-5 = 6 -4 = 2 (fails)
Falls prone: 5 feet away

Militia Fighter (female)
Militia Fighter (female) - Balance check (DC 5): 1D20-5 = [1]-5 = -4 -4 = 8 (fails)
Militia Fighter (female) - Balance check to catch the edge of the crevasse (DC 5): 1D20-4 = [19]-4 = 15 -4 = 11 (success)
Falls over the edge of crevasse but catches herself on the edge.

Militia Soldier (female)
Militia Soldier (female) - Balance check (DC 10): 1D20-3 = [6]-3 = 3 -4 = -1 (fails by 5 or more)
Falls prone: 10 feet away

Militia Soldier (male) [near Ghast]
Ghast and Rook - AoOs vs male militia soldier: 1D20+5 = [11]+5 = 16
1D6+1 = [2]+1 = 3
1D20+7 = [7]+7 = 14
1D6 = [1] = 1 (ghast hits, rook misses)
Human Militia Soldier - Fortitude save vs Paralysis (DC 15): 1D20+5 = [10]+5 = 15 -4 = 11 (fails)
Paralyzed.

Militia Soldier (male)
Rook - AoO vs male militia soldier: 1D20+7 = [20]+7 = 27
1D6 = [3] = 3 (critical threat)
Rook - Critical confirm roll: 1D20+7 = [20]+7 = 27
1D6 = [4] = 4 (critical hit!)
Dead.