Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="PolterGhost" data-source="post: 5288126" data-attributes="member: 92697">I thought I did.  Huh.  Anyways, let me give another example, outside the mechanics:Marcus could barely keep up with the Duke's swings.  Every spark that struck from their bouncing blades only served to remind Marcus that his own spark was fading- another minute of this and he might have to submit.  They battled in the centre of the mighty plateau, under the heat of the desert sun.  There was no place to retreat to, no time to rest.  As the sparks flashed past his eyes, another spark lit up inside Marcus' head.  Yes, he had a plan, but he'd have to get lucky.He swung his sword up, catching the Duke's blade in his cross guard.  He took the chance, slipping his blade off the Duke's prized longsword as he hopped back.  He rapidly backpedaled, keeping his blade in front of him to guard against the coming blows."Where do you think you will go, knave?" the Duke laughed at Marcus as he continued fencing.  "I only know of one place that you will go."Marcus twisted his body, swinging his blade out to bat away the approaching blow.  Facing the edge of the plateau, he made a small dash, his sword trailing behind him.  He spun on his foot at the cliff's edge, his muscles tense as he faced the Duke.  The noble had kept up with his pace, Marcus nearly losing balance as he parried yet another mighty blow."I'll drop you down into Hell!  There's no place for you to escape now!" the Duke haughtily stated.  "After I've spilled your blood, I'll tear the Cutta Stone from your corpse!"A grin stretched across Marcus' face."You're right, I can't escape.  But you've seem to made one critical error, my lord."Marcus reached out, pushing the Duke's arm away with his free hand.  In one fluid motion, he slammed his shoulder into the noble's chest, and with a solid effort he flipped the Duke over his back.  Wiping the sweat off his forehead, Marcus turned to look over the cliff.  Hanging on by the tips of his fingers, the Duke struggled to keep his grasp on the ledge."H-help!  Help me!"  His voice quivered with fear as his wide eyes stared into Marcus'."I apologize, my lord.  I didn't mean to leave you hanging."Marcus sheathed his sword before reaching down for the Duke's hands- and letting his hold slip.  With an echoing scream, the Duke descended into the abyss."Sorry about that, but I felt I had to drop the issue."He looked down at the Duke's signet ring, plucked from the man's hand before Marcus dropped him.  To think, all of this would have been a lot easier if he could have just tied the man down and chopped off his ring finger.So, after Marcus fought for a few rounds, losing some HP in the process against the greater skilled Duke, he decided to perform a Withdraw action towards the edge of the cliff- A bad situation if the Duke wanted to Bull Rush him off the edge.  But luckily for Marcus, the Duke wanted something he had, so he only made a Charge to catch up with him and bring a sword strike down towards him.Marcus had no place to escape at this point: With the edge of the plateau acting as a wall, Marcus would only be able to 5-foot step around the Duke to escape.  If he had tried to Withdraw, he would only be able to escape from the first instance of AoO- He would still have to move through a second square to truly get around him, and thus get attacked.With a bit of split-second planning and a lot of luck, Marcus performed a successful Grapple action on the Duke, shoving him into a square adjacent to him- Right off the cliff.  The Duke made a successful Reflex to grab on, and Marcus decided to use a miscellaneous Standard action to grab him...and then drop him while stealing the signet ring he required to make his quest easier.I suppose it's not the best explanation, but as it is Marcus made sure to keep himself protected against the Duke the best he could as he made way towards the cliff.  Of course, the Duke can easily catch up with a single Charge, making things all the more perilous for Marcus...</blockquote>

Verification