Twisted Infinity: Trial of Contention

[Wrahn]

(OOC: Welcome to the new thread, herein we shall explore the more action packed aspect of high level combat. You guys have been great about posting so far, but high level combats can take some time. What I would like from each of you is this:

AC:
HP:

Saves:
Fort:
Ref:
Will:

Active abilities currently in effect:

(From Mind Blank to Bard Song)

Lastly I would like a general idea how your character will act in combat in case I need to act for you (This is as simple as Aggressive or as detailed as I keep the party healed, if no one is injured I will use what my character deems his most effective damaging spells at the nearest target). Hopefully this won’t be necessary, but I would like to keep the flow of the combat to be relatively fast.)

Rogues Gallery can be found here.

All~

Walking through the wall is a little bit like walking through syrup, but they find themselves in a small, (10’ by 10’) that opens up into a much larger room:

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Clover light is generally warm, almost alive, but here is seems to shed a sickly, unearthly light over the stone of the floor. The solid black wall that they passed through is gone, replaced by the same dark gray stones that the floor and ceilings are made of.

There is a quiet in the room, they can hear the small sounds that are normally drowned out, their breath, the strain of the leather straps that hold their armor on as they slightly. They can all feel a presence, they can feel they are being watched, but they don’t know by what.

Elly~

In the silence you are sure you hear something skittering across the floor, something large.

Dimitri~

You hear very faintly a drag, thump, drag, thump, like something moving on a useless limb.

 

[Ferrix]

Glangim pauses his body relaxed, the odd silence and twisting of light bodes ill, he concentrates his will through his faceplate activating the See Invisibility ability. Resolve at the ready to strike at anything which threatens to harm his companions, Bulwark ready to deflect any harm from himself.

[Combat Stats]
Measured Aggression and Protection of Companions (i.e. put himself in harms way rather than his companions and crush things); If he can't immediately reach a visible target he'll hurl Resolve and then it returns to him next round.

Moradin's Resolve +28 melee (1d8+19, x3, bludgeoning)
Moradin's Resolve +22 ranged (1d8+19, x3, 60 ft. line attack or 40 ft. rng inc, bludgeoning)

Damage modifiers: bonus equal to foes Armor bonus; +2 vs. giants.

AC: 46, Flat-footed 46, Touch 42 (+4 vs. giants)
HP: 356
DR: 7/-

Fort +36
Refl +11
Will +23
Situational Modifiers:
Against spells and spell-like effects: +2 to the related saving throw
Against poisons: +2 to the related saving throw (normally fortitude)
Mettle: On partial Fortitude or Will saves, if save is successful no effect

Active Effects, etc.:
Uncanny Dodge (Con to AC when flatfooted)
Aura of Courage (immune to fear, allies within 10 ft. gain +4 to save)
Blindsight 30 ft. radius
Soulfire: immune to death magic & effects, energy drain & negative energy
Heavy Fortification: 100% negation of Crits & Sneak attacks
Adaptation: immune to noxious gases, inhaled poisons, & the like
Steadfast: can't be tripped, bullrushed, set against charges
Endure Elements
[/Combat Stats]

 

[Pyrex]

Dimitri, 205/205hp

F/R/W: +25/+13/+33

Active Abilities:
--Aura of Warding (allies within 10' gain +2 to Will saves)
--Heightened, Widened Continual Flame (via Lightbringer)
--Magic Circle/Evil

Combat Stance/Priorities: Protective Opportunist
->Protect threatened PC's, next, Deploy appropriate spells against large threats, last, wade into melee vs lesser threats.

As everyone steps into the room, Dimitri motions everyone to be quiet as he tries to pinpoint the source of the sound. If he believes the source of the sound to be an invisible creature (or is told so by another PC), he will cast True Seeing. Otherwise he'll step into the room, Readying an Attack against a creature making a melee attack against him.

 

[Someone]

Tares Hehrog

AC 18
HP: 121

Fort save +13, Reflex +13, Will +19.

Active spells See invisibility, Shapechange, Darkvision, Mind Blank. Other defenses active: Spell resistance 18, continuous Freedom of Movement (ring)

As soon as trouble becomes apparent, he shapechanges into Astral Deva form (DC of the Knowledge: the planes is automatic), with the following alterations to normal stats:

-Adquires Outsider type, and Angel, Extraplanar and Good subtypes.
-Hit points change to 201
-Initiative changes to +7
-Speed changes to 50, fly 100 (good)
-Armor class change to 37 (+7 Dex, +15 natural, +5 armor) touch 17, flat footed 37 (uncanny dodge)
-Attacks become Slam +14 (1d8+9) ranged +16.
-Gains a ton of special qualities: damage reduction 10/evil, darkvision 60 ft, low-light vision, immunity to acid, cold and petrification, resistance to fire and electricity 10, protective aura (20 feet radius: works as a lesser globe of invulnerability and magic circle against evil; +4 deflection AC bonus and +4 resistance bonus to STs against attacks made by evil creatures), continuous tongues, uncanny dodge as a 12th level rogue, spell resistance 30.
-Saves become Fort +17 (+21 against poison) Ref +17.
-Stats become Str 22, Dex 24, Con 24.
-Concentration skill is now +30
-Keeps equipment

Basic strategy is first keep myself out of danger (since there are a lot of things that can kill e in a single round) and then contibute with the most useful spell in a given situation.

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In the blink of an eye Tares changes into a tall, winged form, moves back a little, and disspears from sight (cast Greater Invisibility)

 

[Ashy]

Ata, Ugruu Monk 2/Cleric 6/Sacred Fist 10; CR 20

AC: 38 (+5 Dex, +10 Wis, +4 Monk, + Defl, +3 Nat, +1 size, +5 Armor)
HP: 200
Init: +5 [+5 Dex]

Saves:
Fort +23 [+13 base, +5 Con, +5 cloak]
Refl +20 [+10 base, +5 Dex, +5 cloak]
Will +25 [+10 base, +10 Wis, +5 cloak]

Active abilities currently in effect:
Blind-fight
Amulet (adaptation; mighty fists +3; Wisdom & Health +6)
Bracers (striking +1 metalline, sure striking [-5 DR], molten; armor +5)
Cloak (Resistance +5; Wings of Flying; Minor Displacement)
Ring of Freedom of Movement

Basic Strategy:
Assess the situation, act with the quickest and most appropriate counter-action. If devestating, self-sacrificial combat is required, Ata will do so. If supporting the party with area-effect spells is needed, he will do so as well. He will not usually engage in parley (not because he is a "hit-first-and-ask-questions-later" type, but rather because he does not talk much) nor will he consider himself first; he always considers himself last.

If he knows that the enemy he faces is evil then more often than not, 99.9% of the time, his reaction is aggressive and violent.

IC:
Ata takes in his surroundings silently, standing on the balls of his feet, gently swaying his weight back and forth between the two. He holds no weapons, but his hands hang ready at his sides. He cocks a crystalline brow, but otherwise remains motionless...

 

[Lichtenhart]

Elly was about to say something when Dimitri asked for silence. She floats at about 6' from the ground, gazing into the darkness.

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AC: 37 [+5 from Clover, +4 vs giants]
HP: 211

Saves:
Fort: +21
Ref: +24
Will: +23 [+2 vs illusions]

Active abilities currently in effect:
Low-light vision
Immunity to poison and disease, adaptation
Wound closure, sustenance, endure elements
Evasion
Flying on Rosie (40', good maneuvrability)
Freedom of movement
Message with the rest of the party (duration 210 minutes)
Mind Blank (cast by Tares at Blaunth counting house, duration 24 hours)

Basic Strategy:
Help the others doing whatever they're doing. Sing the most beneficial bard song at the moment. Help companions in need with Cure critical wounds, Greater dispel magic or Remove fear. Buff them with Good hope, Greater heroism or Haste. Fascinate a single foe and suggest him to get out of the way. Stay out of combat as much as possible.

 

[Nac Mac Feegle]

Shifter instantly becomes alert, and steps forward, seeming to wait for something.

OOC: Shifter moves so that all the squares immediately adjacent to him are empty, and readies an action to, when trouble appears, instantly shapeshift to the form of a young adult gold dragon, hoping to gain an attack of opportunity against an attacking foe by virtue of his sudden reach. He'll make this a bite attack and get a free grapple attempt by virtue of the snatch feat. After this round, Shifter will be agressive, putting himself in harm's way in order to defend his companions. Faced with large numbers of small creatures, Shifter will make a crush attack (jump up, on landing I get an autograpple on everything under me, those that fail are pinned and take 2d8+23 damage every round from being squished). Against more powerful foes Shifter will Charge with a bite attack (at 20' reach) and then try to get in some full attacks in the following rounds. If any enemy is obviously a spellcaster of some sort, Shifter will charge them with a bite attack and attempt to Snatch them to prevent spellcasting.

Stats in Human Form:

AC:29
F/R/W: +20/+15/+14

When he Shifts:

Size: Huge
AC: 46
F/R/W: +22/+12/+14

Abilities in effect:
Morphic Weapon (Bite damage increased from 2d8 to 4d6)
Morphic Reach (15' reach, 20' with bite attack)
Sustenance
Adaptation

Attack: Bite +28 (4d6+17 dmg, penetrates magic DR)
Full Attack: Bite +28/2 Claws +28/2 Wings +28/Tail Slap +28 (4d6+17 bite, 2d6+11 claws, 1d8+11 wings, 2d6+23 tail).
Grapple: +33 (+37 with snatch)

Initiative: +3
HP: 262/262

 

[Wrahn]

Elly~

The skittering gets louder, and she remembers where she has heard it. When she was still a young adventurer, she had been with a group going through the Avinel Woods and they had been set upon by giant spiders. She had been bitten, paralyzed and taken from her companions. She was sure she was going to die…

Dimitri~

Thump, drag, thump, drag. It sounds just like the zombie. It had been nothing more than a malicious prank, but Dimitri had only been six and the thing had terrified him…

Tares~

Laughter? Is that laughter? The laughter of children, laughing at him because he wasn’t good enough, wasn’t smart enough to be a wizard. It had made him so very angry in part because he was afraid it was true.

Ata~

The deafening silence reminded him of the deep caverns which he had called home, where dark things dwelt. Alone what chance did one small Ugruu have? His parents had warned him never to stray too far, but he had and had been utterly and completely alone…

Glangim~

Quiet weeping, he knew he could hear it now. The weeping of a young widow, widowed because he had failed the soldier under his command. How much more terrible will it be if he fails an entire dwarven nation?

Shifter~

An inhuman snarl, the taste of human blood. He knew what he was, the kind of monster that has no form, not human, the destroyer of everything he knew. What had he done? What had he become and how much longer would it be before he betrayed these friends?

All~

It starts as a hint, a sound in the silence that only they can hear, a chain of thoughts that lead them to fears thought long forgotten. The emotion rises as if they were reliving it, then seems to pass out of them and into the room.

Then it happens again, and again each time with a different memory a different fear. It continues faster and faster exposing every tiny fear, every thought of inadequacy, till finally it stops, leaving everyone shaken, breathing heavily.

They can feel the fear that was ripped from them swirling around the room. A moment later it begins to coalesce, and in the eerie darkness and the flickering light, they can see their fear begin to take form.

It stands nearly seven feet tall, it’s body that of a human except it is completely sexless, has gray skin. Instead of a head it has a swirling mass of dark smoke and a dozen floating red eyes. From it’s back springs two pair of gigantically proportioned spider’s legs.

(OOC: Weekends are usually bad for me posting and this one is going to be no exception. Combat will commence on Monday)

 

[Wrahn]

Combat begins:

The order is

Elly 26
(IT) 23
Dimitri 18
Tares 17
Shifter 13
Ata 12
Glangim 8

On it’s action (assuming Elly does not strike it dead or incapacitate it)

(IT) rises on it’s spider legs, raising it nearly to the ceiling (15 feet), it then brings it’s human hand up and releases all the fear that it has gained from all of you, amplified. It comes off of it in waves assaulting the groups mind, threatening to rip their sanity from them.

Tares and Glangim find themselves unaffected by the onslaught, Shifters already fractured consciousness nearly shatters under the attack, but is bolstered by Glangim’s presence. They all weather the attack, but it leaves them trembling, sweating and breathing heavily.

(Tares being mind blanked is immune, Glangim is immune to fear is likewise immune and gives those close to him a +4 bonus. DC 24 for the Insanity, DC 28 for the Fear, first number is the save versus Insanity.

Tares: Immune
Ata: 48, 41
Glangim: Immune
Shifter: 24, 34
Dimitri: 47, 42
Elly: 36, 33

Those that were not immune are shaken (-2 to attack rolls, saves, skill checks and ability checks) )

 

[Someone]

(I was going to cast Greater Invisibility, but I have the feeling that this thing may be able to see invisible. Tares shifts into Astral Deva form -see chanes to normal starts in the first post- and cast Telekinesis, trying to immobilize the thing; grapple check bonus is CL 22 + Cha bonus 12=+34. Edit: +26 to beat spell resistance)

Tares´ form blurs and changes, becoming taller, fairer and more noble. White wings sprout from his back and a comforting aura surrounds him. Moving his staff to one side, he says words of power, trying to immobilize and constrict the thing with the power of his Will.