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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Sagiro" data-source="post: 5183341" data-attributes="member: 726">Run #35 was a couple of nights ago.    Here are some thoughts, which Piratecat and others should feel free to augment and/or correct:Plot-wise, we had just succeeded in opening one gate out of the soon-to-be-destroyed city.  (You may recall that the rebellious and cowardly Duke Torden  had ordered the doomed city sealed, before he himself fled via teleport.)  Our priorities were now getting word to both Logan's and Caldwell's families, that they could now get out of the city.   Beyond that, we wanted to a) spread the word generally that fleeing would be a good idea, and b) get another gate or two open if we could, before leaving ourselves.We stopped first at Logan's house (no problems) and then hoofed it to Caldwell's.  That's when we hit trouble.  Cultists of Vodis (God of Destruction) were taking advantage of the chaos to light fires, and some were in the midst of torching Caldwell's small mansion.   (One seemed to have a personal vendetta against Doc – it sounded like Doc had performed some experimental surgery on the cultist's sister at some time in the past.  Before we could go rescue the family, we had to deal with the Cultists outside.  Some notes from, and regarding, the battle:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">I made use of my Casque of Tactics to swap my 26 Init with Caldwell's 24, since he was at the front of the group and charging.  That turned out to let Doc go first, since the cultist leader went on 25. </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">The battle seemed to be going very well early; we rushed the main bad guy and knocked out some minions.  And we took down the main guy in the first round or two. </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Sadly for us, it turned out that the cultists' bodies were gateways for demons, which ripped their way out of the humans' corpses.  Oops!  Basically it was a two-wave fight, where the second wave was hiding in the bodies of the first wave.  PCat told us afterward that some of the damage we did to the original cultists carried over to the demons. </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">The bad guys had a dazing attack.  %$!  My rogue, as well as the wizard, were dazed for 2-3 rounds each due to poor saving throws. </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Even so, we were really piling on the status effects, as we concentrated on the main demon.   At various times he was blinded, slowed, incapable of shifting, and given penalties to attack.  Still, he soaked up a lot of damage, and he knocked Caldwell unconscious before the fight was over. </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">A note on status effects generally:  I have probably mentioned that I use a whiteboard to assist Piratecat.  The board is large, and has a section for each character and each bad guy.   I've developed a short(ish) hand for noting status effects.  For example, when I hit the main cultist with Imperiling Strike, I wrote down  “-3 AC and Ref (Cob),” where the last thing I write is when it will end.  “Cob” meant it would end on Cobalt's next turn.  I use (S) for “Save Ends” effects. Now, being a semi-OCD stat nerd, I really enjoy keeping all of the info on the board, and alerting people when it's relevant.  But not every group is going to have someone like me, and occasionally I miss something, since I also am trying to stay involved in the role-playing and the tactical     situation and Pcat's wonderfully gruesome descriptions of our enemies and their abilities.  The amount of tracking can be daunting, and it's a legitimate gripe about 4E, I think, even though it bothers me not at all.  </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">A personal note about Cobalt in this battle.  Even though I spent two rounds dazed, I was able to gain Combat Advantage on every turn in this fight, either due to actual flanking, the enemy having effects like blind and dazed, or the use of Adaptable Flanker (which I adore.)  As a 7th level rogue, I have a natural +13 to hit, which goes to +16 with CA (Nimble Blade feat), and a +19 with CA and using an Action Point (Action Surge feat).  I'll often save my Action Point action for when I really want to hit.  In this battle, I did exactly that, where having a +19 pretty much guaranteed a hit.  Of course, I rolled a “1.” Okay, fine, but I still had my normal action, which still has a +16 to hit.  I rolled another “1.”  And that started a run of bad luck, as the next three attack rolls by my party-mates were 2, 2 and 3. Meaning that we had 5 consecutive rolls that, added together, would have been a below-average roll. </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Logan's new “cunning rogue” build really shone in this fight.  He was a deadly sniper from behind distant cover for pretty much the whole battle. </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">The Sorcerer Level 7 Encounter power “Spark Form” is fascinating.  In effect, it's a shapeable blast power, as the sorcerer shifts his move + 2, can move through enemies, and damages every enemy whose square he leaves.  Neat, and very stylish. </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Cobalt finished this battle with zero healing surges left, and 22 hit points.  And after it was over, he ran into the burning building to rescue Caldwell's family.   We had to make Endurance or Athletics checks due to all the smoke, and a failure meant loss of a healing surge – or your surge value, if you were out of them.  I failed one check, bringing me down to 9.   And after making it upstairs to the master bedroom, we found that his family had already rescued themselves, via the bedsheets-out-the-back-window trick.  Ah well.  </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Whereas last game we fought a difficult battle to get one of the city gates open, our Sorcerer (Gilran) got a second one open with one awe-inspiring skill check.  He ran up to the wall like he had every right to be there, and shouted out something like:  “Men of Croghan, stand down!  By the orders of the Imperial Emperor, the gates must be opened at once!"  It required a very difficult Bluff check, but with an assist from the shaman's Spirit and the “Spirit Speaker” Feat, he achieved a 31.   The enemies stationed there absolutely believed him, and opened the portcullises.  No fighting necessary, and he saved hundreds if not thousands of lives. </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">At sundown, as threatened, the 250' colossus left the harbor and smashed the city to pieces.  Fortunately we were long gone when that happened. </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">We're leveling up to 8 for next game.  Ding!</li> </ul></blockquote>

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