The Seas of Blood - The Price of Fame (Chapter One)

[Phoenix]

[sblock]Swoops Profession-sailor check (DC 10+) +31 - Exceptional Success!

Initiative Order:
a'Shelys - 24
Olig Hularian (WR) - 21
Lukda - 20
Crew of the Moon Goddess - 19
Rynan Ith (WR) - 13
Captain Shellisan (WR) - 12
'Doctor' Morgan - 11
Archmagi U'langin (WR) - 10
Captain Swoops - 7
Blue-note Bart - 5
Crew of the Waverunner - 2

Note: In the interest of a bucketload of initiative rolls, familiars and animal companions will go at the same initiative as their owners in mass combats like this. Also Rameses will not join combats unless I specifically note so, or unless we decide to get a replacement player for him.[/sblock]

The Moon Goddess swings about with ease as she begins her final approach on the Waverunner. Far above the aerial team look down upon the Waverunner and spot various crewmembers rushing about, though four seem to be of any real note*.

The Goddess crashes through the water and approaches alongside her prey with ease, cutting the sails and making an approach that even Swoops was proud of. The crew of the Waverunner are seen on the deck desperately rolling the ballista across to meet the Goddess, but the speed of her approach has tossed the Waverunner in a way that has made it impossible for the other crew to get the siege weapons ready in time to repel the intial attack.

*For aerial assault teams only:
[sblock]Rynan Ith - a lithe dwarven woman in the crow's nest dressed in glittering mithril armour and grasping an oversized crossbow with ease.
Olig Hularian - a rough northerner dressed in full battleplate and tower shield. Hard to see anything but metal, though carried a large two-handed hammer and a massive bow.
Archmagi U'langin - a small halfling dressed in the garb of the Archmagi elite. She floats several inches above the deck near the ballista.
Captain Shellisan - a beautiful southern captain, she wears little but her revealing clothes and has no weapons of note on her.
[/sblock]

 

[Hypersmurf]

[sblock]Floating and dressed as an archmage? That's my girl...[/sblock]

Lukda dives for the ballista deck, aiming to barrel into her target and discharge her spell.

With luck, Elmo will be in the water somewhere nearby...

(Stats for Lukda the Seabird appear in the Rogues' Gallery.)

 

[Bront]

Swoops cries out "Aim at the Balista, let's disarm them. To Arms men!" as he rallies the crew (Rally the Crew: Inspire allies- +1 Morale bonus to Save vs Charm & Fear, Attack, and Weapon Damage rolls. Free action to activate, effects all allies within sight or hearing. Lasts 3 min.)

Swoops takes out his bow and takes aim at anyone he sees trying to man the balista. (Full attack (Quickdraw makes drawing a free action) Longbow +12/+7 1d8+2 20x3).

OOC: Bart, you can inspire if you want to, as yours is better, but Swoops would do his anyway, and it might free you up to do something else.

OOC2: There is hopefully a crew member manning at least one of the Balistas, though I would expect only 2 would actualy have a shot without firing across our deck.

 

[IcyCool]

OOC: Bart, you can inspire if you want to, as yours is better, but Swoops would do his anyway, and it might free you up to do something else.

OOC: Meh, it's what Bart does, he's not much of a fighter. However, I've decided to do a couple of different things before he starts his inspiration.

Bart dances back up so that he is reasonably close to swoops and chants out the sing-song notes of a Haste spell before returning to his song.

"With a clash of thunder in the morning light, the pirates and merchants engaged in the fight..."

[sblock]Bart will move so that he can get Swoops and crew in his Haste spell. He'll favor PC's over NPC's, but wants to catch as many as he can.[/sblock]

 

[Phoenix]

[sblock]Attack Rolls
a'Shelys attack roll (ballista) +28 - Hit
a'Shelys attack roll (ballista) +11 - Critical Miss
a'Shelys damage roll - 15pts
Olig Hularian attack roll (a'Shelys - AC 24) +19 - Miss
Olig Hularian attack roll (a'Shelys - AC 24) +19 - Miss
Lukda touch attack (U'langin - AC hidden) +11 - Miss
Crew of the Moon Goddess (ballista) +17 - Hit
Crew of the Moon Goddess (bows) +16 - Hit
Crew of the Waverunner Reflex Save (DC 15) +7 - Failure (2pts damage)
Olig Hularian Reflex Save (DC 15) +10 - Failure (6pts damage)
Rynan Ith Reflex Save (DC 15) +18 - Success
Archmagi U'langin Reflex Save (DC 15) +7 - Failure (6pts damage)
Captain Shellisan Reflex Save (DC 15) +16 - Success
Rynan Ith attack roll (Elmo - AC 15) +15 - Hit
Rynan Ith damage roll (Elmo) - 16pts
Captain Swoops Reflex Save (DC 15) +14 - Failure
Captain Shellisan damage roll - 32pts electrical
Morgan healing roll (Swoops) - 23pts
Lukda Reflex Save (DC 16) +8 - Failure
Archmagi U'langin damage roll - 20pts fire
Captain Swoops attack roll (ballista) +18 - Hit
Captain Swoops attack roll (ballista) +21 - Hit
Captain Swoops damage roll - 3pts
Captain Swoops damage roll - 9pts
Bart Hastes Swoops, Morgan, Himself and some crew.
Crew of the Waverunner (bows) +18 - Hit
Crew of the Moon Goddess Reflex Save (DC 15) +23 - Success
Captain Swoops Reflex Save (DC 15) +23 - Success
Morgan Reflex Save (DC 15) +17 - Success
Bart Reflex Save (DC 15) +25 - Success

Damage Tally
a'Shelys - 0pts
Olig Hularian (WR) - 6pts
Lukda - 20pts
Crew of the Moon Goddess - 0pts
Rynan Ith (WR) - 0pts
Captain Shellisan (WR) - 0pts
'Doctor' Morgan - 0pts
Archmagi U'langin (WR) - 6pts
Captain Swoops - 9pts
Blue-note Bart - 0pts
Crew of the Waverunner - 2pts
Elmo - 16pts [/sblock]

A hail of arrows crosses between the ships adding to the confusion of battle as the ships draw near. The Waverunner desperately tries to man her ballista as Swoops and a'Shelys expertly pick off their engineers as the roll close. Lukda flies close her target, the Archmagi, but her clever foe sees the seabird coming and dodges the potentially deadly spell as it is unleashed, following up with a precision fireball exploding around the escaping bird to ruffle her feathers. The platemailed figure on the Waverunner fires into the sky, intent on taking the flying elf a’Shelys down, but the arrows simply glance of the elf’s superior armour, enough to worry, but not harm him.
Amongst the confusion, Swoops notices a shaft flying through the air his way...easy enough to dodge...until it bursts into a sizzling lightning strike that slams into his chest, sending him flying across the deck. The touch of warm healing hands from a close friend, Morgan, brings him to his feet once more, ready to enter the fray as the ballista fires from the Moon Goddess, slamming into the rival ship and beginning to draw it closer for boarding.
From the crow's nest of the Waverunner, a massive crossbow bolt, trailing a long thin thread, fires in the approaching Elmo who is getting into position. The thread is tied off to something, though what this could mean is anyone's guess.

[sblock]OOC: Sorry it took a while, ENWorld was all funky on me. Wow, that was a big round. I hope I haven’t forgotten anything…[/sblock]

 

[Ferrix]

a'Shelys (AC 26 (+2 from Skirmish))

Not so keen on beng peppered with arrows, a'Shelys pushes Rysha in another low pass, firing a volley of arrows with the swiftness of his speed at the heavily armored fellow.

OOC: Rysha descends swiftly closing the distance to within 30', a'Shelys takes a full-attack with rapid shot, Rysha finishes her last 40' of movement getting farther out of range and climbing higher again. Rapid Shot: +13/+13/+8 (1d8+5+1d6 shock+2d6 skirmish, 20/x3)

 

[Hypersmurf]

Lukda touch attack (U'langin - AC hidden) +11 - Miss
Lukda Reflex Save (DC 16) +8 - Failure

OOC: A 2 and a 4? I want a new d20! /OOC

Lukda squawks a mixture of pain and frustration as everything seems to go wrong at once; banking about, she makes another attempt to discharge her spell against the wizard.

OOC: Oh, damn. In my mind's eye, I pictured Elmo - with the Water Breathing spell active - doing an impression of a submarine after the 'silent running' order. But I guess I didn't communicate that. Hope he's okay! /OOC

 

[Bront]

Captain Swoops AC: 23 (T: 15, F: 18) HP: 58/67

Swoops continues to stand tall and fire on the ship, now trying to aim at the source of that lightning. "Stand strong men, they shall surrender yet."

OOC: Longbow +14/14/+9 1d8+3 20x3. (Haste and Inspire included)

 

[IcyCool]

[sblock]What can those of us who aren't airborne see on the opposing ship?[/sblock]

 

[Phoenix]

OOC:
[sblock]IcyCool: All targets are open.
Ferrix: I hate doing this, as usually my view of the rules are pretty lax, but: The Skirmish rules indicate (including the errata) that you yourself have to move, not your mount. Movement under your own violation is required in order to recieve the benefits of the skirmishing ability. Unless anyone would like to give be a convincing arguement against of course...[/sblock]