Murder is the Pits

[Jennileerose]

A walk through the betting office (for vanitri and anyone else interested) reveals that Vanitri and Micheal have been scheduled to fight a pair called "Wind and Fire" while Rosalynn and Ironwolf are going up against "The Wall", who are apparently a pair of half orcs. You are ranked slightly lower than your opponents, but with an asterisk indicating that you are a new and unknown quantity. Bets on your match are at 3:4 odds, meaning if you bet three gold peices, you can win four.

ooc: I'm going to run the first match for whichever pair has more availability this week, so sing out with your posting frequency for the moemnt.

Rosalynn continues eating, giving Micheal a thankful smile and then glancing at Ironwolfe. She wasn't sure what would happen.

She made a mental note to talk to Vanitiri later about their opponents. She was sure he would find something out. He was pretty good at that.

 

[Kahuna Burger]

Asking around, Vanitri determines that Wind and Fire are a pair of very acrobatic halflings, who tend to leap and tumble about the arena, darting in occasonally to make attacks, or throwing daggars from afar. They are hard to hit due to their size and dexterity, but it takes only a few hits to take one of them down.

The Wall are pretty much what one would expect from a half-orc team, they got their nickname from team battles where they would pretty much stand in the way of heavy hitters or beasts going for the smaller members of their team.

Shortly before your bouts are to begin, Petra comes by the barracks again and offers you a choice of some additional equiptment. There is a set of chainmail, a suit of half plate, a masterworked rapier, a masterwork whip, three short swords, a masterwork long sword, and a masterwork large metal sheild. Your bouts will be back to back, so there will be little chance to talk in between.

 

[Bront]

Vanitri relays what he finds out to his friends.

"Petra, do you think there is any way I can get my hands on some studded leather before going in the ring? Doesn't need to be of great quality, just useable. I'll pay for it of course, unless you think you can find a set loose somewhere."

"Michael, you have any way to slow them down? I can likely bounce around with them, and we're both likely a bit faster than they are, unless you load yourself up with armor."

Vanitri picks up and shortsword and straps it on "Looks like we got a few of these. A backup weapon or two couldn't hurt." Vanitri examines the rapier, testing out it's balance. "Anyone care if I grab this?"

"Ros, I remember you used to be pretty good at grabbing things and tripping people with the whip. Think you still remember how to do that? Perhaps you could keep them off balance enough while Ironwolf takes them down."

Vanitri looks at Michael and Ironwolf for a second. "The Armor and shield are yours. I don't know what you want, but it looks like Machael could use a bit more protection. I think you two are going to need to be ready to take some of the brunt of the combat, while Ros and I work at support and maneuvering into a favorable position"

Idealy, when all is said and done, Vanitri will bet 300 gold on each fight on each team.

OOC: Just to make sure, if I bet 300 and win, I get my 300 back plus 400? Or is it just 400, and I lose it all if I lose the bet? (Basicly the difference between a 1:1 bet being double, and a 1:2 bet being double, just looking to clairify, and if we're 3:4 and it's the second way, we're pretty heavy favorites then? or what are the odds for our opponents?). Not trying to cause you headaches, but since we can gamble...

Long Sortameta tactical stuff. [sblock]I need to sort some of this out in OOC, simply because it's simpler and there's some math involved. Michael needs the armor more, and Half-Plate won't slow him down any more than he already is. Ros and Ironwolf can both use the Longsword, neither Michael or I can. Not sure if Ironwolf wants to give up his 2-handed weapon for the longsword, but it might be usefull to do that with a shield to try to stay between them and Ros (Tank it up a bit, with that and the chainmail, you should have an AC of 17+dex). I believe if either of you wants to, you can simply take the chain shirt of the chainmail and use that, but the full chain mail is still fairly nice, and while it will slow you a bit, it's good protection and still lets you use some dex.

Ros could have fun with the whip, though she likely won't be doing any damage with it given the armor of the opponents. Still, disarming and tripping from up to 15' away, while singing support and letting Ironwolf do the damage could be an effective style. Fighting the Wall should be fairly straight foward, and they're likely to stick togeather if that's what their training tells them to do, but the are likely damage sponges, so be careful.

Michael and I, well, we'll have to try to corner the little guys. If I can flank one, I can be fairly deadly, but that might be hard. If we can get your AC up a bit Michael, that might be a good idea, and you can support us with a bless spell (should last the combat, less we go more than 10 rounds). A magic weapon may be good for you as well, and if you enlarge yourself, that will make up for a lack of mobility on your party with your reach. Shield of Faith will help your AC a bit (or mine if you'd like) and might be a good alternitive to Magic Weapon, but Bless is definately the way to go with one spell (Both of us could use a +1 to hit). (I know you said you've not run a spellcaster before, so just giving you a few options.)

I'm including this for reference.

Whip
A whip deals nonlethal damage. It deals no damage to any creature with an armor bonus of +1 or higher or a natural armor bonus of +3 or higher. The whip is treated as a melee weapon with 15-foot reach, though you don’t threaten the area into which you can make an attack. In addition, unlike most other weapons with reach, you can use it against foes anywhere within your reach (including adjacent foes).

Using a whip provokes an attack of opportunity, just as if you had used a ranged weapon.

You can make trip attacks with a whip. If you are tripped during your own trip attempt, you can drop the whip to avoid being tripped.

When using a whip, you get a +2 bonus on opposed attack rolls made to disarm an opponent (including the roll to keep from being disarmed if the attack fails).

You can use the Weapon Finesse feat to apply your Dexterity modifier instead of your Strength modifier to attack rolls with a whip sized for you, even though it isn’t a light weapon for you.

FYI, I believe Ros can use a whip and a longsword/shortsword/rapier, one in each hand, and as long as she does not intend on attacking with both of them at the same time, she can use them independantly and hold both of them. I know this is apparently a sticking point for some people, so I'm going to ask Kahuna to clairify if this is possable and accept however she says it. Some people rule that having 2 weapons always applies the penalty, other rule only if you attack with both of them durring the same round (Which, at -4/-10, is not a good idea). Just a thought, especialy since I think she's the only one proficient with a whip.[/sblock]

 

[Patlin]

Shortly before your bouts are to begin, Petra comes by the barracks again and offers you a choice of some additional equiptment. There is a set of chainmail, a suit of half plate, a masterworked rapier, a masterwork whip, three short swords, a masterwork long sword, and a masterwork large metal sheild. Your bouts will be back to back, so there will be little chance to talk in between.

Ironwolf thanks Petra and puts on the half plate.

 

[Bront]

Ironwolf thanks Petra and puts on the half plate.

OOC: The Chainmail gives you the same AC since you don't loose your dex bonus. You might want to save that for Michael. (Check out my large Metagamy note)

 

[Kahuna Burger]

OOC: Just to make sure, if I bet 300 and win, I get my 300 back plus 400? Or is it just 400, and I lose it all if I lose the bet? (Basicly the difference between a 1:1 bet being double, and a 1:2 bet being double, just looking to clairify, and if we're 3:4 and it's the second way, we're pretty heavy favorites then? or what are the odds for our opponents?). Not trying to cause you headaches, but since we can gamble...

the former. you stand to lose 300, you stand to gain 400. you are not favored, but its not a total long shot. if you had more expereince gambling, you might be able to set up a joint bet at longer odds and only gain if both pairs won.

Ros could have fun with the whip, though she likely won't be doing any damage with it given the armor of the opponents. Still, disarming and tripping from up to 15' away, while singing support and letting Ironwolf do the damage could be an effective style. Fighting the Wall should be fairly straight foward, and they're likely to stick togeather if that's what their training tells them to do, but the are likely damage sponges, so be careful.

remember that a trip attack requires an opposed str check from the attacker, its the defender who gets to choose str or dex.

FYI, I believe Ros can use a whip and a longsword/shortsword/rapier, one in each hand, and as long as she does not intend on attacking with both of them at the same time, she can use them independantly and hold both of them. I know this is apparently a sticking point for some people, so I'm going to ask Kahuna to clairify if this is possable and accept however she says it. Some people rule that having 2 weapons always applies the penalty, other rule only if you attack with both of them durring the same round (Which, at -4/-10, is not a good idea). Just a thought, especialy since I think she's the only one proficient with a whip

looked over the twf chart and it seems clear that while ambidexterity has been rolled into TWF in 3.5, characters still by default have an 'off hand'. As a result, if you want to hold two weapons and attack with them on different rounds, one of them is going to be held in your off hand, and you will take a -4 penalty to it. This has nothing to do with the weapon in your other hand, its the "I am not left handed" penalty.

 

[Bront]

the former. you stand to lose 300, you stand to gain 400. you are not favored, but its not a total long shot. if you had more expereince gambling, you might be able to set up a joint bet at longer odds and only gain if both pairs won.

remember that a trip attack requires an opposed str check from the attacker, its the defender who gets to choose str or dex.

looked over the twf chart and it seems clear that while ambidexterity has been rolled into TWF in 3.5, characters still by default have an 'off hand'. As a result, if you want to hold two weapons and attack with them on different rounds, one of them is going to be held in your off hand, and you will take a -4 penalty to it. This has nothing to do with the weapon in your other hand, its the "I am not left handed" penalty.

OOC: Cool on the betting (Well, not cool, the other way would have been more lucritive ). Works like betting on baseball then. That's a rough bet for 33% gain vs 100% loss and not being favored, but that's how they make their money, and no one said gamblers were the most sane of people. Note to us: DON'T LOSE!!!

Yup, I realize that, so not the best option for someone who's not strong/skilled in trip. But a potential option. Disarm is probably a better tactic, as it's a bit easier to pull off (Still an opposed to-hit roll though), and if it fails, she simply drops the whip (Same as trip).

Makes sense on the TWF thing. The idea more is she can drop the whip and swap hands as a free action if she gets in trouble by having both out. Obviously, it's her choice as to a tactic, but just wanted to make sure all the options were clear.

 

[Patlin]

OOC: The Chainmail gives you the same AC since you don't loose your dex bonus. You might want to save that for Michael. (Check out my large Metagamy note)

ooc: OK, missed the note in the spoiler block. Ironwolf, looking a bit wistfully at the heavier armor, will follow Bront's suggestion. Taking up the masterwork longsword, masterwork shield, and chain mail, Ironwolf re-equips himself. His Falchion will remain strapped to his back as a backup weapon. Bront's suggestion makes more sense in the here-and-now, I was a bit distracted by what makes sense where I intend Ironwolf to be eventually.

Will update my character sheet with the 3 borrowed items.

 

[Bront]

ooc: OK, missed the note in the spoiler block. Ironwolf, looking a bit wistfully at the heavier armor, will follow Bront's suggestion. Taking up the masterwork longsword, masterwork shield, and chain mail, Ironwolf re-equips himself. His Falchion will remain strapped to his back as a backup weapon. Bront's suggestion makes more sense in the here-and-now, I was a bit distracted by what makes sense where I intend Ironwolf to be eventually.

Will update my character sheet with the 3 borrowed items.

OOC: It's ultimately up to you. However, all we can plan for at the moment is the here and now. Of course, it's also entirely possable you might be able to afford some masterwork full plate (much better than regular half-plate) when all is said and done, assuming some well placed bets and such . I do not want to impede your character's vision however.

BTW, Kahuna, did Petra see my request? I realize my post was a bit long.

 

[Patlin]

OOC: It's ultimately up to you. However, all we can plan for at the moment is the here and now. Of course, it's also entirely possable you might be able to afford some masterwork full plate (much better than regular half-plate) when all is said and done, assuming some well placed bets and such . I do not want to impede your character's vision however.

OOC: Carrying a two handed weapon with a large threat range so I can do evil nasty damage with power attack can certainly wait until after I actually have power attack.

If we come up against something with damage reduction, I may still whip out the Falchion, but the shield is a good trade off at the moment. I've followed your advice, and my character sheet now reflects it.