Meet Tichenor, Some Rules Discussion, Tom's Group vs. Ty's Group, Another Hole, Levels!
Subject: Re: An answer?
:Bows humbly to the superior role playing of all:
From: Karl
Subject: Re: An answer?
Startled a bit at being addressed directly by the halfling, Farron is momentarily at a loss for words. "W-well," he stammers, "I can remember how the old buildings were arranged above the sewer tunnel, and I'm sure I can keep us above it as long as someone helps me with directions. Once I'm in the jungle I get turned around and can barely even tell which way we came from." He pauses a second, expecting some terse reply or some additional slur on his competence but none comes. "As I said before, the sewer tunnel heads in the general direction of the mountain, where we've said we need to go. If someone will help me keep my bearings in the jungle, we should be able to follow above the sewer and keep an eye out for any additional entrances."
From: Scott
Subject: Re: An answer?
Mission is glad that he kept his anger in check. He returns the halfling's grin, and clasps his forearm. His relief is visible, but he doesn't say anything, mistrusting his sense of humor to keep the fragile peace just made.
Instead he listens to Farron, and then looks to the sky. "How much time until dusk?"
OOC: What time is it?
From: Ty
Subject: Re: An answer?
At this point, it is still an hour before midday. A lot has happened this morning. :)
From: Karl
Subject: Re: An answer?
Boy! this is the longest day I remember playing. (Unless you count the months Nero and party spent in suspended animation running from the werewolves.
From: Ty
Subject: Re: An answer?
Yeah, lots of conversation and stuff, but little time has passed comparatively.
From: Mike
Subject: Re: An answer?
Garyth breathes a sigh of relief. He's not sure exactly what providence has smiled upon them, but the appearance of the wolf at such a tense moment seems too much for a coincidence. He says nothing, but smiles at Rennik and his new companion and waits to hear what Farron has to say.
OOC: Unless there's more conversation on the way, Garyth has nothing to add and will go along with Rennik and Farron's decision. He will propose the same marching order as he had before.
From: Raja
Subject: Re: An answer?
Same goes for Sa'id, except the bit about proposing marching orders.
From: Scott
Subject: Re: An answer?
Mission hitches up his backpack and clears his throat.
"We've got a good bit of light left. . ." and then he trails off, indicating the little eastward leading path in front of them with his staff.
From: Raja
Subject: Re: An answer?
Sa'id shrugs and smiles. "I'm ready. Hopefully between the five.. er, six... of us, we can keep Farron on course." He winks at the other wizard, but can't help glancing nervously at the wolf every so often. He'll keep his distance from it.
From: Matt
Subject: Re: An answer?
(OOC: Er, seven of us? Counting the wolf?)
Rennik will do his best to give Farron his bearings as best he can, from his own memories of the map to the tunnel entrance and basic understanding of the ancient city layout. If it will help, he will draw in the dirt what he can remember and consult with Farron as to directions and other landmarks he may remember. He will try to keep any condescension from his voice, but his attitude will be that of an adult to an astute child - as Farron knows hardly as much as a halfling child would about survival in the wilds.
As Farron and he converse, he will rub between the ears of the wolf, feeling the course hair between his fingers. He would need a name, Rennik decides. Tichenor... the word the elven rangers taught him meaning "unexpected providence." It was normally used when they found a pure spring to refill their waterskins or a field of meaty mushrooms to assuage the need for hunting, and it was a fitting name.
He speaks in the halfling tongue again to the wolf, "I will call you Tichenor, for you are surely unexpected and have brought me great comfort and relief in these troubled times. This is my pack, such as it is." The wolf responds to its name with a cocking of its head, and Rennik feels the animal understood what it will be called. "They may not be much, but perhaps a predator will see them as easier prey than you or me." With that he smiles, and pats Tichenor's head.
From: Raja
Subject: Re: An answer?
Right. Six non-Farron entities to keep Farron on course. Five humanoid non-Farron entities.
From: Scott
Subject: Re: An answer?
OOC-- Hey, how do you tell at what level your character can choose a new feat?
And a poll: At level 6, Mission gets to choose one of two bonus feats:
IMPROVED DISARM:
Benefit: You do not provoke an attack of opportunity when you attempt to disarm an opponent, nor does the opponent have a chance to disarm you. You also gain a +4 bonus on the opposed attack roll you make to disarm your opponent.
IMPROVED TRIP:
Benefit: You do not provoke an attack of opportunity when you attempt to trip an opponent while you are unarmed. You also gain a +4 bonus on your Strength check to trip your opponent.
If you trip an opponent in melee combat, you immediately get a melee attack against that opponent as if you hadn't used your attack for the trip attempt.
I'm leaning toward Improved Trip-- as I understand the rules, this would allow me to trip an opponent, (with the bonus applied to Improved Trip, Mission's STR would be 20), and then attack with Flurry of Blows-- two attacks.
And the opponent would be more vulnerable to attacks from other characters. . .
From: Matt
Subject: Re: An answer?
Wow, that's an interesting question. Um... well, your Str wouldn't go to 20, btw. You'd roll a d20 + Str bonus + 4 for your trip roll, is what it's saying. So essentially, instead of having a +2 mod to your trip, you have a +6 mod.
As to the trip/flurry combo, that's what's intriguing me. A flurry requires a full attack action, which prevents any other action that turn (aside from a five foot step). Then again, a successful trip in melee combat *doesn't count* as an attack, and offers an attack opportunity.
So, if it's not an attack, is it an action, thus nullifuing the "full attack action" possibility? Or would it be considered the first action of a flurry - which would then be replaced by a punch or kick, leading into the rest of the flurry? Or possibly it would be allowed under the 5 foot step rule, since a trip is really just a step, no? ;-)
I really have no idea. I'm curious as to Ty's ruling on this... or Tom's. Hrm.
From: Scott
Subject: Re: An answer?
Actually, what I was thinking was, 'Wow, with that +4 bonus maybe Mission _could_ trip Slash!'
:)
I'm still lobbying for a Tom's-group-vs.-Ty's-Group brawl.
Now that they don't have a magic-user. . . >=)
From: Matt
Subject: Re: An answer?
Well, Rennik's got a good track record against mages, anyhow. :-D
With his axe in top working condition, I think we could take them... once we all level up, that is. :)
From: Scott
Subject: Re: An answer?
Maybe Halla is just like a freaky cute paralell dimension type Paladin of Elise?
Oooh.
From: Dan
Subject: Re: An answer?
Hey guys, no turn from me today. My fever has now broken the 100 degree mark. If you don't here from me tomorrow, I'm still dead.
From: Ty
Subject: Re: An answer?
Actually, a monk DID trip Slash in a fight, and I'm sure he had that feat. Sadly, when Slash got back up, he hit that monk with a 53 point critical, and turned his head into a red chunky spray of goo.
I would not allow a flurry of blows in the same round as a trip. A trip is still an action, and can't be used with a full attack type action.
From: Ty
Subject: The jungle; looking for holes
Rennik and Farron spend some time drawing in the dirt, and picking out landmarks. For all his arrogance about his survival skills, Rennik is forced to admit that book learning may have its uses. Farron's memory, and his ability to re-create the map, is astonishing. When he is done drawing it out, it looks exactly like the Halfling remembers. Rennik orients himself above the tunnel, and facing in the direction of its path, and leads the party into the jungle. It is none too soon. Behind them, the party can hear the H'rugda beginning to get active again.
Rennik leads the way, his new companion at his side. There is a peace in the Halflings face never seen before by any of the group. Clearly, the animals appearance has settled something for him, and he has lost the nervous anger that had so defined him before. The group is glad to have him back. Even just a few hundred feet out of the clearing, Farron completely loses his sense of direction. If it were not for Rennik keeping him on track, he would quickly lose the tunnels path. Also, as the group travels, Rennik points out the hidden dangers of the place. Here, mud so soft a man can drown in it. There, a plant that is poisonous to the touch, and brings slow paralysis. The jungle is filled with so many bad things that it is easy to believe it was created by some foul intelligence rather than nature.
It is also hot. The temperature seems to rise with each step. Sweat sticks to the skin, and soaks clothing and hair. An hour after the party stops to eat, it begins to rain, and doesn't stop for several hours. The rain does nothing to lower the temperature, though it does wash off the sweat at least. The group takes to competing at the most creative curses to be hurled at the weather. Unfortunately, when the rain finally does stop, it is immediately missed, because the bugs come out. There are swarms of insects, all of prodigious size, and seemingly all bent upon stinging, biting, or sucking blood from the group. It is easy to see why even the Halflings do not try to live in the jungles of Huss.
On the positive side, and much to Rennik's amazement, not one swamp dragon crosses the party's path.
Farron stops the group from time to time when he believes they are near the location of one of the buildings on the map. He hopes to find another entrance to the sewers, but the group has no luck in finding one at first. Finally, when the daylight is almost gone, and Rennik begins to worry about where the group might camp, Farron stops them one last time. Everyone spreads out to search, and several people find old stones or other signs that a building used to be in this place, but it is the wolf that finds the hole. Rennik sees him digging at a spot on the ground, and when he goes to check, finds that Tichenor is working at a hole no more than six inches across and trying to widen it.
When he looks down into the hole, it is very black and deep. The edges of the hole are flat rocks, fitted together like cobble stones. It takes the group only a few moments to work the stones free and open a hole several feet wide. The sewer lies below. A torch is dropped inside, and the tunnel is revealed. It looks the same as the tunnel the group had been in earlier, but now the floor is visible. A narrow channel runs through the center of the tunnel, and in it dank water sluggishly moves, but on both sides is nice dry stone. Farron smiles, "Looks like a nice place to bed down for the night."
Mission laughs, then starts to cough. When he stops, Sa'id can still hear him wheezing. "Are you ill?" he asks. Mission considers, "My chest hurts. I had thought it was because of the damp hot air, but it's getting worse. To be honest, I feel a little dizzy, and it's hard to breathe."
[Check in with actions. You can camp in the sewers or on the surface. When the group finds the hole, it's about 6pm, and it's getting fairly dark under the jungle canopy. Mission failed a fort save (amazingly, everyone else made it), and has caught a disease from the jungle water he swallowed.]
From: Ty
Subject: addendum; leveling up!
Let me know what class you are taking a level in, and I will roll your hit dice. Matt, you have to take ranger now. J
If you are comfortable updating your own character sheet, go ahead and do it, just make sure to send me a copy of the sheet when you are done. If you need help with leveling up, let me know.