The Battle Begins
The group made their plans, then came around the western edge of the depression. There was not much undergrowth, for it was early spring, and little of what existed was dry. They crept carefully down the slope, until they were a little more than 100 feet away from where Selanil had indicated that the manticore slept. Glom stopped even farther away.
At this point, the ability to move silently, verses the manticore's ability to listen becomes important. Move Silently checks are as follows: Glom 15+8 = 23, Horsom 5+5 =10, Dain 10-3 = 7, Selanil 3+5 = 8, and Kregor 18-9 = 9. So, if the manticore's going to hear anyone, it'll be Dain. The manticore is sleeping (-10 penalty to Listen checks) and is approximately 100 feet away (another -10 penalty). In other words, the DC to wake is a whopping 27! It stretches a wing, perhaps lies a little less easy, but does not awaken.
Dain spoke several quick words to Aedor, invoking the ability to invoke Doom upon his prey.
Dain's spell invade's the manticore's dreams, but it is allowed a Will save to negate. The save DC should be 13, and the manticore is able to shake off its uneasiness and drift more deeply into sleep.
The group moved to within 60 feet, the archerers nocking arrows as they moved. As they prepared to fire, Kregor stepped badly, sliding a little down the slope, loose stones and armor jangling. In the depression below, the creature snorted awake.
They attacked while the creature was still disoriented. Horsom fired two arrows (15+9 = 24, 9+9 = 18), both of which hit the creature (8, 4). Selanil's arrow (3+7 = 10) went wide of the mark, but he prepared to charge with his faerie spear.
With a crackling sound, Glom manifested a missile of pure electricity, which he sent leaping down the hillside toward the beast. Newly roused from sleep, the creature did not even move (natural 1 on the Ref save!) as the crackling electricity came at it. It yelled in pain as the missile hit (15 pts!), its voice a weird cross between high bell tones and low organ notes.
The manticore was already badly injured as Dain and Kregor charged through the underbrush toward it. Dain raised Tor-Angol to deliver a crushing blow as he ran, but the loose hillside defeated him. He lost his balance, skidding to the ground about 20 feet shy of the beast, losing his immediate chance to attack (Balance check DC 10, roll of 6-3 = 3). With the loose rock moving in Dain's fall, Kregor lost his balance completely, landing nearby Dain (Balance check DC 10, roll of 5-9 = -4), his sword spinning from his hand. It landed just beyond his immediate reach.
Lithe-footed Selanil (Balance check 19+4 = 23) danced easily over the loose scree, placing himself between the manticore and his fallen comrades as he closed with it.
END OF ROUND ONE. ACTIONS?
