Meanwhile, back at the tower,
Delfig has successfully dropped his opponent, the lead guard present, with a crossbow bolt to the chest. Kazimir has stunned his opponent with a decisively failed assassination attempt, and the third guard in the room is still surprised. Delfig and Kazimir's move.
(OOC: It might be appropriate at these moments to designate someone else who might run your character during particularly crucial moments, even if its me. I don't know if Kazimir will see this in time, but as he has indicated that he is to post sporadically over the next few days, I'm sure Delfig would appreciate a stand-in at this time).
(OOC - I've asked Kazimir if he minds that I run him today. I have a general idea of what he can do, although I'm not as familiar with with assassin character.)
ReplyDeleteThe guards had told us previous (in Tower II) to leave our weapons on the floor and back away from them. I'm going to drop the crossbow and go for my sword, with the intent on helping Kazimir take out his target.
(OOC - If he agrees, please post the email as a comment).
ReplyDeleteAs the lead guard drops to the floor, you snatch your sword from the floor. The stunned guard does nothing. The remaining guard suddenly comes alive, realizes what is up and draws his weapon. You'll have to roll initiative with him if you plan to engage while this round Kazimir rolls his attack.
For simplicity, lets call the guard that Kaz has hit Frederick, and the one who has been by the window and now drawing his sword Hals.
d6: 2
ReplyDeleteHals wins initiative. Before he attacks, however, I'd like word from Kazimir. I'll give it an hour, and then if I hear nothing I'll start running him as an NPC and we'll get this combat finished (finally).
ReplyDeleteOK, thanks. Hehehe.. guess we're not doing parley then. :D
ReplyDeleteToday is madness.
ReplyDeleteI wish I had time for this, but apparently I don't. I'm free by my own statement to run Kaz, and now I can't. Joined into a media circus this morning, committed myself to some community service and the job is actually requiring some of my time (I'm a manager, so I usually am able to delegate this shit. Don't you wish you had my job?)
I do have a managerial position - and it's still madness. OK, we'll pick it up tomorrow or when life frees up for you. I'm a patient man.
ReplyDeleteHals will roll a 19 to hit with his short sword. He causes 5 damage to Delfig, which will stun--so Delfig takes no action this round.
ReplyDelete(OOC: In the interest of finishing this combat, which has been going on two days, and acknowledging that Kazimir has already said that he's not available, I will let Delfig roll for the assassin. d20, chance to hit, all that...give it a shot)
Delfig - OUCH! (current HP: 8)
ReplyDeleteKazimir - (I'm not sure what weapon he's bearing, since we had to drop weapons... so I'm assuming the hand axe from his character sheet, and you said he could draw that earlier...)
D20: 12 (not sure of his bonuses)
Damage 1d6: 1 (ouch)
The 12 will miss.
ReplyDeleteBoth Hals and Frederick will attack.
Hals will hit with a 16; causing 3 damage. Delfig has been bashed across the room and now finds himself with his back against the wall, and is again stunned and unable to fight.
Kazimir is missed; he is holding his ground, but now finds himself with Frederick in front of him and back to back with Hals, who has moved between Kaz and Del in pushing the Bard/Thief across the room.
Kazimir attacks.
(I feel like I should interject a 1960s Batman cliffhanger voiceover... Will Delfig ever recover to survive? Will Kazimir save them both?
ReplyDeleteAs an assassin, can I turn around and do a backstab on Hans with some added bonuses?)
I figured you might think of that. Realistically, no. You are in a hand-to-hand with the person in front of you--it would take effort to break off that combat. Because you were not choosing to move away, it would give a free attack to Frederick before you could attack Hals (at +2 to hit)--and since Hals is perfectly aware of you, it wouldn't be a surprise, so your chance of hitting him would be no better than your chance of hitting Frederick.
ReplyDeletePlus, if I were Frederick, and you turned your back to me in this small a space, I wouldn't bother to attack you with my sword, I would grapple you and try to throw you down the open trapdoor...which would mean I'd only have to hit AC 10 and I'd still have a +2 to hit with your back turned. This would give me a 60% chance of success, causing you 1-6 damage from the fall and then having a 2 to 1 against Delfig.
Too much standard turn-based D&D combat, particularly with miniatures, has created the sense that creatures not attacking are static and unmoving.
I wanted to ask as I don't have the PHB here and I wasn't sure if assassin gave me any options that I wasn't aware of. I had a suspicion that the answer would be no.
ReplyDeleteHmm... what are Kazimir's odds of throwing Frederick down the trapdoor? Could I drop my weapon and grapple him same round? (Although at this rate, my dice rolling will get us both killed)
As Kazimir's position is more or less between Frederick, and as Frederick is facing him and armed, the chance of successfully grappling is low. Grappling is generally not an option in a one-on-one against an armed opponent. Frederick would get an automatic hit for 1-6 damage. If this did not stun you, then you could try to grapple, but a failure would mean he would automatically hit you again.
ReplyDeleteGrappling in this situation works much better with two or three persons, as only one could get hit with the sword while the remaining persons would have a chance to successfully grapple. That's why in every situation of three or more persons on one person, they won't surround you and fight, they will always grapple. That is the argument for "in formation" in combats, as formed soldiers (each facing only two hexes) can't be easily grappled.
As regards to throwing him down the hole, he situation is different, you understand, as before I was describing the situation where you would have turned your back on him.
Now, if you can get him to trade places and then turn his back on you...
(Now, if you can get him to trade places and then turn his back on you... - Yea, don't I wish. "Hey, mind turning around...?" - I've not thought about realistic combat enough lately. Got my gears turning a little, but this situation is FUBAR in my head...)
ReplyDeleteKazimir rolls to attack Frederick - d20: 17 (FINALLY!)
Damage d6: 4
Your blow breaks Frederick's collarbone; Frederick falls back against the wall and slumps to the floor.
ReplyDeleteHals tries a little too hard to deliver the death blow to Delfig, and in the process he slaps his sword on the stone wall and it clangs to the floor. Hals jumps after it, having no other combat this round.
Kazimir will turn around, step up and smash his hand axe into the back of Hals, while Delfig, feeling the worse for wear, will attempt to bring his own set of pain on Hals in return.
ReplyDeleteDelfig d20: 9 (figure it's a miss, but if not d8 for longsword: 4)
Kazimir d20: 12
Damage d6: 5
You both miss. Now it is Hals who has his back to the door. He successfully makes his morale check, knowing that Delfig is already hurt--and it is Delfig that he attacks:
ReplyDeleteMissing with a 2.
What would you need us to do to rush him and push him down the hole just by brute force? In my mind, I'm not sure that's the position I "saw" us in, but if Hals moved to get his sword, maybe that's what has changed. Not a grapple, just a two on one shove?
ReplyDeleteA two on one "shove" would be, by definition, a grapple. Grappling is any move which indicates person to person combat. If you wished to grapple at this point, one of you would be automatically hit and the other would have a chance to pull him down (hit AC 10). Assuming the one of you that was hit was not stunned, you could both pull him down...but you can pretty much bet that its going to be Delfig that gets hit, so anything other than a 1 rolled is going to stun him. (d6, 83.3%)
ReplyDeleteAt this point, since he is armored only in leather, you both have a 35% chance of hitting him with weapons.
Decisions, decisions.
(Yup. Well, gotta go with the weapons and hope Hals gets stunned so we can grapple him. Not much else at this point, as this has gone into "to the death" mode now...)
ReplyDeleteKazimir attacks d20: 17 (dammit, why can't Delfig roll that..)
d6 damage: 1 *sigh*
Delfig attacks d20: 15 ('bout time!)
d8 damage: 7 *fist pump*
Make that a 40% chance.
ReplyDeleteDelfig,
ReplyDeleteI am not certain about the bard's ability to use a long sword. I have a list of weapons which right now I cannot access. I'm pretty sure you're getting your choice from the player's handbook.
But as I've changed the bard so that it doesn't have the fighter background the PH assumes, there's no doubt going to be some kind of phase-shift in reality after today.
For the present, however, it will be fine.
Before Kazimir can strike his blow, you make a lovely dent in Hals' helmet...Hal goes down like a dropped ox.
Experience:
Delfig killed both the lead guard and Hals, and took all the damage in the combat. Kazimir did manage kill Frederick, but as he isn't present I'm going to half his experience. Delfig's prowess, sacrifice and presence are the reason why the X.P. is so one-sided:
Delfig: 400 X.P.
Kazimir: 60 X.P.
(Drat! I just managed to get away today. I will be available again tomorrow morning until about 11 am central)
ReplyDeleteKazimir will check Delfig over to see if any of his injuries look severe.
"I'll never complain about an uneventful night at the Pig again, that's for sure. Let's find the street, hey?"
(I think I based my longsword choice on the fact that your description of a bard assumed a cross between a druid/thief (Besides dedication to their art, bards also have some magical ability and are versatile with a number of weapons (they may use any which either a thief or a druid might use)), and I did not ask you if that was OK. I'll await the phase-shift (which actually would not be all that strange considering...))
ReplyDeleteFirst priority, close the door down.
Second priority, bar the door (temporarily) leading to the wall.
Delfig and Kazimir will make a quick check of the tower to see if any sort of healing potion or item can be found.
They will also grab the heavy crossbows (Delfig will drop his light one in exchange for the heavy) and the bolts that the guards had on them.
Delfig will also quickly pass through the pockets to see if any have any coins.
Are the helmets something that a thief/assassin could use (leather)?
Delfig: Ow.
Kazimir: Idiot. Next time, don't be a pincushion.
Delfig: Thanks... friend...
I took a pause to write a post.
ReplyDeleteThe door is already barred. The room contains what the room one floor downstairs included. Living articles, three heavy crossbows, what the guards are wearing, their armor and short swords. No coin or treasure. No healing potions or salves.
A quick examination of the trapdoor above you suggests that it can't be opened from below. Which means that someone must be up there.
The ceiling is made of heavy wood. You can't tell if anyone up there knows what just happened.
Grabbing the crossbows is a problem. You are quickly becoming overloaded. You find 35 bolts and three more quivers--keeping in mind you have crossbows, quivers and bolts from downstairs. Six crossbows, six quivers and 71 bolts altogether.
All helmets are metal.
We only need one crossbow each. Unless Delfig objects, Kazimir will damage the remaining crossbows with his hand axe, such that they cannot be used. If we can, we'll take all the bolts. If we have to leave any behind, Kazimir will hide them in the room as best he can. (Don't want to drop them down the trap door lest they make a racket.)
ReplyDeleteClarification - we want to have one heavy crossbow each and a quiverful (20?) of bolts each. (at least that is what Delfig would do, and since I'm running Kazimir, I will say that is what he wants to do.)
ReplyDelete"The door is already barred."Which means that there's a possibility that the guards who I originally saw on the wall are still there. Or they fled in here and barred the door.
I'll look out the window to see what I can see.
"Kazimir, load a bolt and keep an eye on that trap door up there." I'll whisper.
(And I see Kazimir is staying with us! Welcome back.. I'll stop trying to kill you now.)
ReplyDeleteThese are small quivers: 12 bolts in each.
ReplyDeleteDelfig,
Stop running Kazimir. That was only for the combat anyway...not for when you're not being threatened.
Which window?
The one that the guard was looking out of when he said "God SAVE us!".
ReplyDelete(OOC: Following this description, I'm closing this thread for the day. You can both decide for tomorrow what you want to do given the info below)
ReplyDeleteYou can see the wall as it stretches and curves away towards the east--from where you are you can see the north gate to the left, and further along the wall, the mid-tower between the east and north gates.
You can also see the top of the wall, between the crenallations (the wall is topped by stone blocks and spaces between the blocks--standard appearance). You can count about sixteen slugs that would be on that part of the wall to the left of the door; probably more that are hidden.
The huge giant still bashing its fists against the tower has its front somewhat towards you. There is no "face"...what you can see, from a distance of perhaps 250 yards, are ten two-foot horns arranged vertically in two vertical lines, with a maw opening between them, the "lips" of which would be such that the mouth would open apart like a curtain rather than like a lid (as human mouths do). The creature has no visible eyes.