D&D 5E [OOC] Securing the Alliance: An Adventure in Tethyr [ENDED]

[Forged Fury]

[MENTION=8858]hafrogman[/MENTION] Let's talk about duplicity. While the gnolls mostly targeted the real Lorenzo because he was the first or easiest target presented, one of the reasons I avoided attacking the dupe is because the ability is like the only illusion related ability that doesn't talk about disbelief. As a "perfect illusion" I think it is probably impossible to detect through Intelligence (Investigation) checks, but it's still an illusion, so an attack is going to pass right through it.

I'm considering two options here. The first is simplicity: the class feature provides exactly what the text states: spellcasting from the duplicate's square and advantage on attacks if both it and the real Lorenzo are within 5' of the enemy, with that pretty much being it. The second would be that fake Lorenzo can also serve as a kind of Mirror Image, where opponents would roll randomly to determine who they would attack. If they hit the image (AC= 10+DEX as with Mirror Image), they disbelieve it, which would negate the Advantage, but the fake Lorenzo would still be there (spells could still be cast from his position for instance).

What are you thinking? Other suggestions?

 

[hafrogman]

I kind of like how you played it here, with the gnolls making reasonable decisions about who to target, rather than randomness.

I'd assume something closest to the first option, which is that I have the spellcasting origin point and advantage benefit even if the illusion is disbelieved. I was fluffing it as having to defend against two attacks, but in the wording it implies the advantage is just granted by distraction. Like the aid another action from a familiar, the second attack isn't really a threat, but that movement in the corner of your eye, or the glint of steel at exactly the wrong moment provides the benefit.

Trying to actually get someone to waste an attack would be more of a bluffing opportunity, or if I could hide main Lorenzo. I didn't have an opportunity to cast spells this time, and the fact that only one Lorenzo can actually hurt you is kind of a dead give away. Similarly I'd expect that if any (reasonably intelligent) foe in battle saw a weapon pass through the double, they'd know not to waste attacks in future (not just the one who actually attacked).

So my thoughts is option 1, plus the fact that in certain special circumstances, I may get a wasted attack out of someone. But even if they do, option 1 persists. Like I'm behind a corner and I send fake Lorenzo out to "scout". An archer fires at the target, and now knows it's an illusion, but later on when real Lorenzo steps out and both are flanking the archer, even though he KNOWS one is fake, it's still distracting on an instinctual level.

 

[Egon]

[MENTION=95059]Forged Fury[/MENTION], my speed is 25 ft. If I dismount, I lose half my movement. That makes my movement 12.5 feet. Question: Round up or down for movement here? Do I get 3 squares of movement, or only 2?

While it won't be crucial in most situations, I have a cantrip that has a range of 120 feet (fire bolt). I also have one sorcery point remaining, which I could use for distant spell to double the range of said cantrip. With only 2 squares of movement, I'd have to use distant spell immediately and hope the others can help (the gnoll would be 125 feet away; just beyond normal range). With 3 squares, I can use fire bolt normally this round, and then use distant spell next round.

As you can see, the answer impacts my decision.

Thanks!

 

[CanadienneBacon]

How do you want to handle the accrual of temporary hit points from heroism, [MENTION=95059]Forged Fury[/MENTION]?

Gnorth cast heroism on Lorenzo and Brue. The first round he did so, I added 3 temporary hp to Brue's tally, which put her at 42/39. She took no damage that round or in subsequent rounds. I am unclear whether she would keep accruing 3 temporary hp per round, given that she was unharmed. Do they stack? The spell description on PHB 250 says she gets them at the start of each of her turns. But PHB 198 states that while temporary hp can exceed your hit point maximum, they can't be added together. It's unclear to me whether PHB 198 is distinguishing between temporary hp received from different sources (two different spells, for example), or if that section governs the receipt of temporary hp from the same source (a singular casting of heroism, for example).

 

[Forged Fury]

@hafrogman Given the concentration requirement, I'm good with that view. Generally speaking, I'm probably not going to have an enemy waste an attack against the double if both Lorenzo and the double are within 5' of the target. I feel like advantage is enough of a benefit there.

@Egon Given the general rule is to round down, I think it would be 12 and thus 2 squares. The round down/5' square/25' movement doesn't exactly synergize well together. Sorry you're short.

@CanadienneBacon Temp HP as a rule don't stack, regardless of source. Damien constantly has to decide if he keeps his temp HPs from Armor of Agathys or the ones he would gain from Dark One's Blessing. He usually keeps the former since there is a rider effect as long as the THPs from that source are still in play. Thus. Brue only has 3 Temp HPs. They'll go away in about 30 seconds.

Here's everyone's HP totals:
Brue: 42/39 (3 THP)
Corilo: 32/36
Gnorth: 20/31
Lorenzo: 29/27 (3 THP)
Scheppen: 27/30

 

[Egon]

Bummer. Them's is the breaks!

 

[CanadienneBacon]

Brue only has 3 Temp HPs.

Sounds good. That's what I've kept her at throughout the battle. My worry was that my doing so was wasting one of Gnorth's spell slots.

 

[hafrogman]

@hafrogman Given the concentration requirement, I'm good with that view. Generally speaking, I'm probably not going to have an enemy waste an attack against the double if both Lorenzo and the double are within 5' of the target. I feel like advantage is enough of a benefit there.

Sounds good to me. I used advantage on this round even though the gnoll knows the illusion in accordance with the above, and then it turned out to not matter in the slightest.

Since I didn't hit him, and I don't think 3 fire damage will put him down, just in case the gnoll decides to provoke an OA and tries to leg it I present:
[sblock=Opportunity Attack]attack - [roll0]
advantage - [roll1]
damage - [roll2][/sblock]

 

[Forged Fury]

Good job everyone. Combat's over. I guess if you want to try to chase the other gnoll down, but it might be a bit more dangerous in the growing dark. I mainly put this combat in the beginning so that you could all get a feel for your characters and see if they performed how you expected, both generally and based on rulings I made. I wanted to give you all a chance to change things on your character sheet if they weren't working out the way you hoped or expected.

Congrats, you just accomplished Task #4 on the Kirgard garrison's to-do list.

 

[Egon]

Yeah, I'm pretty happy with how that went. I actually expected it to be a bit more balanced; a few bad dice rolls on your part surely helped us.

And I'm pretty sure Grimfang is a wanted criminal. He was obviously the leader, and it can't hurt to haul his carcass with us to show he's no longer a threat.