Bear vs. bear, experience and spells
Subject Experience points
I have just updated the experince points for the party for monsters overcome up through the ghouls/ghasts. I will do adventure experience when the party gets back from the adventure.
Three party members: Harp, Ranthir and Salix, are close to going up to 6th level. I see no problem with that here. No new spell levels are gained so the additional spells/prayers is easy to justify.
There might be some feats that you are looking to get. Let me know and I will see how we can work them in. Most combat feats should be easy enough to work in, unless it is something really out there.
So Kevin, Karl and Randy let me know what your plans are for your characters at next level and I will work it in.
From: Mark
Subject Bear vs. bear
Harp's response is firm. "Ragnar, do what you think is best for Surin. If you need time to sleep and prepare, do so. I will take watch in your stead. You are the best qualified to determine our course of action so I leave it in your hands. You tell me what you need us to do." Ragnar is a bit taken aback by Harp's confidence until he remembers that the 1/2 orc is only a junior member of the order and newly appointed to his leadership role. Harp does not have the experience in healing that the dwarf does.
"Ok" Ragnar says "Let me take my rest and in the morn I will pray for Surin's healing." As the dwarf is preparing for sleep, he sees Mund pacing the room. The barbarian has taken off his armor and is scratching where the ghouls and ghasts had bitten him. Ragnar is about to go over and reassure Mund that he should be fine when Mund approached the druid and the two talk for a few minutes. The human seems to calm down a bit so Ragnar stops worrying about him.
Just as the dwarf is ready to settle in Mund and Salix go to the far corner of the room, something obviously planned. If it was just the human Ragnar would be worried but the druid has shown uncommon common sense and restraint. Just as Ragnar is starting to lie down he hears a loud roar coming from the corner. Jumping to his feet he sees Mund and a bear in the corner and they seem to be wrestling.
Getting ready for the fight, Mund tightens his fists and squares off. Salix rears up on his hind legs and lets out an impressive roar. Mund gets a good look at the bear's teeth, and takes a wary look at his friend's claws. He looks back and forth between those vicious claws and his fists. He briefly wishes that he hadn't taken off his breastplate. As much as Mund enjoys trading blows, this time he's going to have to get in past those claws and wrestle him.
Mund answers Salix's roar with his own, and welcomes the spirit of Bear into his body. Salix now has the body of a bear, and Mund has the heart of a bear. This should be interesting.
Initiative: Mund,Salix-as-bear
Round 1.
Mund dives in and tries to tackle Salix. Salix takes a swipe at him as he comes in (AOO 3+8=11 vs. AC 13, miss), and Mund barely dives out of the way. Mund gets in past those scary claws and gets a good grip on his friend's hairy hide. (17+10=27 vs. AC 13, hit) Mund then tries to trip the bear, but its stumpy legs do not budge. (opposed grapple check: Mund 2+10=12, Salix 15+8=23, Salix wins).
Salix then attacks Mund, hitting him with his two paws and a head butt. (paw 1, 12+8=20 vs. AC 13, hit, damage 3+4=7) (paw 2, 20+8=28, hit, critical threat, damage=3+4=7, 3+8=11, no critical) (head butt 13+3=16, hit, damage 5+2=7)
Mund HP=32/58
Salix HP=33/33
Round 2.
Reeling from the three powerful blows he just received, Mund tries to slip behind Salix and choke it out from behind. He comes in again, and Salix again takes a swipe at him, knocking him back. (AOO 11+8=19 vs. AC 13, hit, damage 1+4=5),
Salix follows up his strike with another three attacks, landing two of them. (paw 1, 14+8=22 vs. AC 13, hit, damage 2+4=6) (paw 2, 2+8=10, miss) (head butt18+8=26, hit, damage(3+2=5).
Mund(HP=16/58)
Salix(HP=33/33)
Round 3.
Even though it hasn't worked so far, Mund knows that his only chance of winning here is by getting and staying in where those claws cannot get him. He tries again to slip behind the bear. Salix tries to stop him and is successful yet again. (AOO 6+8=14 vs. AC 13, hit,damage(1+4=5)
Salix again presses the attack and the second one knocks Mund upside the head, dropping him to the floor. (paw 1, 8+8=16 vs. AC 13, hit, damage 4+4=8) (paw 2, 18+8=26, hit, damage3+4=7)
Salix transforms back into his natural self and checks on the fallen Barbarian. He's fine -- Salix had succeeded in not doing any real damage to his friend. Salix watches over him and in a few minutes his comes to.
Mund wakes up with the biggest headache he's had in a long time. His whole body feels like a giant bruise. He sees Salix standing over him, and a big grin breaks out on his face. Mund stumbles to his feet and gives Salix a big bear hug. "That was amazing!" Mund declares with child-like enthusiasm. "I have to say, you make a better bear than I do."
The party watches with a strange fascination as Mund and the bear square off. The fight is over almost before it starts with the bear smacking Mund around every time the human tries to grapple with it. Before they know it Mund is on the ground, a little trickle of blood coming from his nose and mouth. Salix quickly takes human form again and immediately checks Mund over. Allistair also checks out his brother, knowing his propensity for brawling. It looks like Mund had met his match. Mund didn't lay a hand on the druid. When Mund wakes up his is giddy as a teenager on his first raiding mission. Ragnar shakes his head and heads off to sleep.
OODM: I will write something up for after Ragnar wakes up tonight. You guys, and gal, can do any RP that you want.
From: Karl
Subject Bear vs. bear
"That was amazing!" Mund declares with child-like enthusiasm. "I have to say, you make a better bear than I do."
"Maybe," Salix replies with a grin. "But you are practically a bear all the time, and I get the priviledge only for a little while. If we wrassled again today there's no doubt you'd mop the floor with me." He gives the big brute a hearty slap on the back.
The match was a welcome break from the mission. Salix was starting to feel the walls close in around him, but now he felt much more relaxed in spite of the nagging, penned-in feeling that still bothered him somewhat. "We should get some rest," he says and heads over to the rest of the group. He check again on Surin who seems to be sleeping, if fitfully. He was in good hands with Ragnar. He'd be whole again in the morning. (Assuming it would *be* morning. Who knew?)
From: Derek
Subject Spells
As soon as the group leaves the putrid stench of the room with those undead (now dead-dead) things, Allistair sits down to rest. Between the white dragon, the gargoyles, and the undead, the past hour had been frightening and extremely exhausting.
So now Allistair had to try and decide what combination of spells might prove the most useful for the upcoming day. Magic missles? Definately. Although at times Allistair felt like little more than a magic-missle-machine, that simple spell really did help out a lot in a combat situation. His web was also potentially useful, although that spell, like the fireball, was less useful that it could be considering the level of teamwork the group usually accomplished. If his brother Mund and Kal would both listen to Harp before charging into a room things might be different...
In the end, Allistair decides to not change his spell list. His fireballs were still his most potent spell, and maybe he could get a chance to use them to better effect tomorrow. With that, Allistair starts reading through his spellbook, begininng the long process of memorizing his spells, just so that he can forget them as soon as he uses them.
From: Kevin
Subject Experience points
OOC: Mark, Harp will probably go with the Power Attack feat, since he is not a 4th level fighter yet for the Weapon Specialization feat. He is going to increase fighter level this time and next time, so he will become a 4 ftr/3 clr (he should get an additional feat when he gets to ftr 4).
Now Mund knows how Harp felt.