Wednesday, June 14, 2017

The Edge of the Fire

It is still Thursday, the 5th of May, as the party tramps back towards Mimmarudla.  The wind has increased to a fresh breeze, coming out of the south, and skeins of clouds stream high in the sky, suggesting that something might be coming.  The temperature is yet brisk, 7C/44F, but this proves to be beneficial for the journey as you are all hot from the battle.

While Engelhart learned his spells, the party made a cold meal of at least two pounds each and ate it, including Oddsdrakken, Petar and Valda.  Then these three made their parting signs and set off towards the south, where Petar is sure he can find the hamlet where his cousin lives as a fisherman.  Now as you walk along, the cleric eats as he goes, having been too busy to eat while the others did.

You encounter no one, but there are signs everywhere of movement, cut out underbrush, felled trees and tramped down ground that the ranger cannot help noticing.  Finally, however, you come to the edge of the burned out area.  You stop about four hexes from the edge of the wood, so you can see.

The trees have been cleared and burnt, with heaps of them pulled together into piles of charcoal. The goal seems to have been to transform this part of the forest into fuel. Clearly, the trees were cut first, then burned, ten or twelve trees to the pile.  The piles are not burning, but smoke is curling up from the charcoal heaps, providing a certain amount of cover.

Without the trail you followed in, and the landscape being changed, you cannot be sure how far you are from Mimmarudla.  You would guess between a quarter and half a mile, but it would be easier if you could see the lake.  To your right, the ground slowly rises to a crest; from that crest, you remember, you can look down and see Store Stokka.

As you are spread out somewhat to be able to see around the nearest piles, Pandred spots something and passes it along the line.  There is a lone frogling sitting on a large log of charcoal, sharpening a sword and keeping a watch on the forest.  It seems to have no companions.

46 comments:

Lothar Svensson said...

Having HP again feels nice, thank you Engelhart.

Regarding the frog, should we send him a couple of high-speed presents? We've got two bows and a crossbow, and could probably make quick work of him.

Engelhart Askjellson said...

I duck, load & ready my sling.

If we make a concerted effort of it, we ought to be able to gut this fish in one barrage.

Embla: do go around the back and check, as able, to let us be sure that it has no accompaniments...

Lothar Svensson said...

Make that two bows, a crossbow, and a sling.

Embla Strand said...

I will sneak around the clearing to see if this frog has backup close by.

Alexis Smolensk said...

[i understand that a barrage is an option, but just in case no one thought of it; Embla is an assassin]

I don't know if you've looked at the assassinate page on your sage abilities, Embla; you do have a secondary form of assassination ability, though you're not technically an amateur. This comes from your class.

Embla, your sneaking does not reveal any other backup. You can't entirely dismiss a large area behind a charcoal stack, not without committing yourself to approaching the lone creature by stealth. Please see today's main blog post.

Pandred said...

Pandred is AC and AP 3 both.

Would my crossbow load quietly enough not to alert the sentry?

Engelhart Askjellson said...

I line my shot either way. If Embla's found out, I'm hoping to nail the humanoid before that becomes a problem.

I'm a bit worried that it might just bound away with the lot of us impotent to reach it.

Embla Strand said...

Well, let's give this a try. I draw my battleaxe and sneak up behind the frog, moving into melee range.

Lothar Svensson said...

I ready my bow.

Engelhart Askjellson said...

Break a leg, Embla.

I mean its leg.

Alexis Smolensk said...

Wow, turn my back and miss everything.

The sentry is about 30 hexes away, so medium range for most of you. Won't hear you loading a crossbow in the forest.

Okay Embla, I am presuming that you are closing with stealth. Did you want to drop any equipment, go with a smaller weapon? It improves your chances of not being discovered.

[My long absences are due to my working on my comic; which I have just finished. I'm told that 2 hours is fairly good for putting something like this together.

[I have an appointment coming up soon, I need to eat before attending. Remember that I am also off tomorrow. I did a little more work on heightened senses, if people want to go look, fixing the three skills. Sense I will be a +1 bonus to saving throws, fighting in the dark and adverse illuminated conditions, that sort of thing, whatever I can think of]


Embla Strand said...

That sounds great.

I don't have a smaller (bladed) weapon - the axe is it. I do drop my pack with my friends so that I can move unencumbered.

Lothar Svensson said...

You are welcome to borrow my dagger, Embla.

Embla Strand said...

Alright, Lothar. I'm not proficient with the dagger, but it'll help me get closer.

If you'll permit me, Alexis, I'll strip down and approach with just the dagger.

Pandred said...

I'll load the crossbow then, taking it from Fjall.

Alexis Smolensk said...

The rest of you are still 4 hexes back in the wood. For missile fire, can I assume you move to the wood's edge? You can do this in stealth as well, while with maximum rolls you still can't be detected.

Engelhart Askjellson said...

Sure thing. I'll drop shield and hammer and keep the maul handy, propped against a trunk.

Lothar Svensson said...

Yes, I move up as well.

Alexis Smolensk said...

If you stand at the edge of the forest swinging your sling, you're bound to be noticed. But I'll assume you're hiding until the last possible moment, giving yourself a chance to fire as soon as initiative is rolled.

Pandred said...

Yes please, I'll advance with the others. Pretty sure at 26 hexes we're still alright.

I need to get some kinda rapid-reload enchantment on this thing.

Alexis Smolensk said...

Speeds up as you gain levels. Until they, accept it; kicks like a mule, then you go in for the kill.

Alexis Smolensk said...

If at all possible, I'd like to run this situation without need of a map. But I'll make one if it comes to that.

Okay, so Embla is moving in full daylight, in what must be described as open country (though there are places to hide, there's no screen between her and the enemy). She's -2 for level, -1 for stripped with a light weapon.

The enemy notices Embla at the moment that Embla is 8 hexes away. Rolling for surprise, I find the frogling is not surprised.

Can I have an initiative roll from Embla, please.

Embla Strand said...

I am an hour away from home and my dice, so feel free to roll for me. Also, shit.

Alexis Smolensk said...

Okay, alphabetically. Engelhart, can you roll a d6?

Engelhart Askjellson said...

Can do:

I roll a 2.

Alexis Smolensk said...

I roll a 5. The frogling, seeing only Embla, hops and throws its spear, coming within 5 hexes of the assassin. I roll a natural 1. And the spear strikes a stump and splits. Second enemy spear I've broken in the same number of rounds.

It is the party's move. Let fly with missile weapons: only remember the range is 23 hexes. That is medium distance for bow, heavy crossbow and sling. Willa will fire, along with Lothar, Engelhart and Pandred. Let 'er rip.

Alexis Smolensk said...

(-2 to hit at medium range)

Engelhart Askjellson said...

I wind my sling and let loose:

d20: 5.

Welp, that was a non-starter, as expected.

I grab my Maul and begin a dash at the frogling.

Alexis Smolensk said...

I'll call you at 21 hexes away, Engelhart.

Engelhart Askjellson said...

Sure thing. Just to point out that I'm breaking into a run the next round.

Engelhart Askjellson said...

(Really no point in pelting the critter with a d4 dmg weapon with which I have no proficiency).

Pandred said...

(Oh gawd, I have a stroke every time I hear about your non-proficiency! Get on it, man! Ha.)

I'll fire and advance one hex.

d20: 18 (-2medium,+1Male) Total: 17

Damage: 6,1+1 Total:8

Alexis, can I just assume everyone is male unless otherwise specified, or would you like to start using gendered pronouns for our foes?

Alexis Smolensk said...

Pandred stuns it. It staggers back a hex, 24 from Lothar, 6 from Embla, 22 from Engelhart.

Alexis Smolensk said...

For humanoids, we'll assume a male default; but I'll let you know if it's not a male.

Embla Strand said...

Willa rolls a 15-2=13 to-hit and 3 damage.

Is there a piece of wood or something on the ground near Embla that could function as a club?

Alexis Smolensk said...

A 13 for Willa hits AC 8 and misses.

Alexis Smolensk said...

You don't want to use the dagger, Embla?

Yes, there are plenty of pieces of charcoaled wood, but they'll roll to break every round you use them.

Embla Strand said...

I'm proficient with clubs, not daggers. Nevermind.

I close to melee range with the frog critter.

Alexis Smolensk said...

You close the distance, but since it is stunned, you'll still get first strike.

Just waiting for Lothar to fire.

Alexis Smolensk said...

While we wait, I've finished the Heightened Senses description on the wiki:

http://tao-of-dnd.wikispaces.com/Heightened+Senses

Could you please pay very special attention to the Sight and Fire rules:

http://tao-of-dnd.wikispaces.com/Sight+and+Fire

I'd like to know if they're comprehensible and if there are any contingencies I might have missed. I'm going to post them on the main blog also.

Lothar Svensson said...

Sorry, I got pulled into a meeting.

Attack: 19-2=17, hits AC 2
Damage: 6

Alexis Smolensk said...

Okay, as Embla moves towards the frogling, Lothar drops it. It is dead.

Pandred can take 66 x.p. for his hit; Lothar finished it for 20 x.p.

Embla Strand said...

Nice job, folks.

I investigate the body. Does the (now broken) spear also have an adamantite head?

Pandred said...

Nice, I'll reload, carrying ol' Faithful on my own for right now.

The frog didn't call for help or anything, so that to me indicates it's truly alone. But let's see what Embla finds out first.

Lothar Svensson said...

We didn't exactly give it a whole lot of time to call for help either...

Alexis Smolensk said...

The next post is up.

[I am going to do some writing today, and I have an appointment in the late afternoon/early evening - then I'm going out for the night, I'll be gone the rest of the day. For now, I'll answer the original question, but I don't want to push events much further. I still have tomorrow off as well. Enjoying my three days in a row!]