S1: The Strange Case of Aif Jenkins' Farm (E13 judge) - Concluded

[El Jefe]

The group gathers and heads north. They have the two light horses they took from the assassins.

At this point, please take a moment to consider how you would travel. Who is riding what? What do you keep in your hands as you go?

I'm a little fuzzy at this point on just how many mounts we have. Eusebius has a mule, and Julianna has a horse. Boog (prior to the assassin encounter) did not. Boog is just slightly overloaded, and moves 20. That wasn't a problem when he was with the haflings.

If there is a mount for everyone else, Boog will take a (free) horse, otherwise he will remain on foot. If he is the only person on foot who moves 20 and there is a (previously) unmounted person who moves 30, he'll angle for one of the horses.

The five orcs are about 40 feet behind the part at this point. Initiative: Eusebius, Beamer, Banion, Orcs, Juliana, Boog.

Boog turned to confront the interlopers. Without speaking a word, he drew on his Power to discern their intentions, startling the others in the party with the mental chime that was slowly becoming familiar to them.[sblock=OoC: ]Manifesting Read Thoughts on the orcs, concentrating on the leader first. He will center the display on himself; since they are out of its range, there is no sense in suppressing it. 31/34 PP remaining.[/sblock]

 

[Manzanita]

Looks like the halfling share one of the captured horses, Boog rides the other. Eusebius stays on his mule, and Juliana is on her horse. So everyone begins the encounter mounted.

Round 1
Eusebius dismounts (MEA) his mule, then casts Bless (SA). Everyone in the group feels the blessing of the shining one.

The orcs charge, screaming curses in orcish. The four footsoilders wear chainmail and wield great axes. One manages to close with Eusebius. The monk/priest swings his chain about, but it is a weak swing and it deflects harmlessly off the orc' mail. Eusebius receives the tremendous blow from the axe, which would have easily felled a lesser man. (11 pts dmg). The other three close in but can't attack this round.

The mounted orc spurs his heavy war horse into action. The massive equine shakes the earth with its metal-shod hooves. It's skilled rider sweeps by Boog with a longsword raised. Boog can't avoid the fast moving attack and takes a blow across his chest (8 pts dmg). The rider continues forward past boog. His momentum carries him by Boog and Beamer's hores and to the front of the party.

The mounted orc has the ride-by-attack feat. He normally doesn't incur AoO when charging. But since his attack was directed at Boog, then he passed right by Banion, I think Banion would get an AoO. Actually, though, since he's on full defense, he doens't get to take those.

Boog & Juliana still act in round one, then Eusebius, Beamer and Banion in round 2. I'll assume Boog has managed to figure out the orc's intentions without his mind reading ability...

 

[El Jefe]

Boog can't avoid the fast moving attack and takes a blow across his chest (8 pts dmg). The rider continues forward past boog.

"You'll pay for that!", Boog gasped as the orc thundered past him. Seeing that he was surrounded by rider's henchmen, he dismounted and invoked the same Power that he had used to great effect with the wolves the previous night, all while drawing his dagger. He wondered what the orcs would think of the humming noise emanating from his body.[sblock=OoC: ]Dismount and draw dagger, move action. Manifest Hostile Empathic Transfer, standard action. Boog will hold the charge for at least another round, using one hand to fight with the dagger while keeping the other hand ready. 29/34 PP remaining, 21/29 HP.[/sblock]

 

[Boddynock]

Eusebius sways with the force of the blow which opens an instantly bloodied gash in his side. Moving with the momentum of his body's protest, he steps back out of reach and calls upon the power of the god again. As he does so, he keeps a close eye on his opponent, ready to dodge any further attack it may make.

[sblock=OOC]5 foot step straight back.

Cast Protection from Evil (20 rounds duration).

Dodge bonus applies against the orc that hit him. (Manz, I forgot to mention that previously - do you require me to name a dodge opponent at the beginning of each encounter/round, or will you assume he dodges the one who attacks him?)

HP: 19/30; AC 16 (18 against evil creatures, 19 against the orc attacking him)[/sblock]

 

[Patlin]

Does the horse Banion's on seem likely to panic? (Does it have war training?)

 

[Manzanita]

OK. These are light warhorses you've acquired, so they're not likely to panic.

Eusebius - I added your dodge feat to my spreadsheet notes, so hopefully I'll remember to use it, but it can't hurt to remind me.

 

[Patlin]

Banion will remain mounted.

Taking care to stay alert for incoming attacks, he sends his mindblade flying straight at the Orc menacing Eusebius.

Thrown Mindblade, Point Blank at 02, Fighting Defensively (Normal AC is 20; +3=23) (1d20+8=23, 1d4+3+1d8=11)

He then re-manifests his mindblade.

 

[SlagMortar]

Beamer slides off the left side of the horse reaches into the pouch at his belt. He flings a handful of grond mica into the air while chanting arcane words and the now familiar explosion of glitter bursts on three of the orcs.

OOC: Dismount straight south. Cast glitterdust to hit O2, O3 and O5 without catching anyone else. Will save DC 15, Duration 4 rounds.
Spells remaining:
0th: 6, 1st: 6, 2nd: 3
AC 19, spells in effect: Mage armor, Bless

 

[Bront]

Juliana will draw her Guisarme and charge one of the orcs, likely the one on Father Eusebius.

 

[Manzanita]

Juliana remains mounted, and spurs her horse back towards Eusebius. His mule panics and begins running towards Braeholl.

OK - you made me look up the riding rules. Juliana has a warhorse, and she isn't trying to make it attack, so the only roll she needs to make is a DC 5 ride check to steer with her knees. If she fails, she'll need to use one hand to guide her horse, and thus be unable to effetively use her guisarme. Ride check 7+1=8 success. I'm having difficulty deciding what she does exactly. Is manifesting her offensive a standard action. Yes. So she can't both do that and attack. I'm extending myself a bit here, but I'm going to take Bront's latest post as my guide and assume she doesn't take the time to use her psionics and instead just attacks.

Juliana strikes out at the orc with her weapon, stiking efficiently, splitting its skull.

Boog draws his dagger and manifests the power of his choice.

Round 2
Eusebius steps back and casts protection from evil.

Beamer slides off the horse (quite a ways actually. Normally no ride check required, but since this is not a pony, I'm going to require a DC 10 balance check to land safely. 7+4=11 success). He then casts glitterdust, which covers two of the orc footsoldiers, blinding one (O4).

Banion's chosen target has expired, so he aims at the next one, burying his mindblade into its chest. It drops senseless.

Despite being quickly decimated, the orcs don't lose moral. They are, perhaps, more disciplined than ordinary orcs. The remaining foot soldier aims his axe at Juliana and her horse. Whether by intent or accident, he ends up striking a devestating blow to Rebecca. His axe hits her neck under the head, severing her jugular. The horse crashes to the ground with scarcely a whinny. (Juliana must make a ride check DC15 to land safely. Otherwise, she takes 1d6 dmg. If she fails by 10, she's trapped under her horse.) The blinded orc (O4) swings his great axe in wide arcs, futiley, though dangerously.

The mounted orc wheels and charges back into battle, directly into where Beamer stands. Presumably the halfling darts either into the woods, or under his horse to avoid the charge (please specify). The orc swings his blade at Banion this time, but totally misses the halfling. Boog may take an AoO as the orc rides past.

Boog and Juliana may act in round 2, the others in round 3