More Planning, Pensive Searches the Wagon
Subject: Re: The Battle for Overlook; Aftermath at the hill
Pensive's face flushes with embarassment and anger at the halfling's words. What exactly did the halfling want him to cover the body with out there? Rocks? The witch that could somehow see trails of blood in the dust was expected not to see an obvious body laying not far from her camp? Pensive drowns his anger with a sharp intake of breath, and begins, "Rennick, if I've--"
He is utterly unprepared for Garyth's barrage. "We've no time for this. As long as we are in harm's way we must be a team. Doing otherwise puts us all at risk. You may think what you like, but if you cannot put aside your feelings long enough to keep from endangering this group, then you will keep out of the way until you've time to leave."
Endangering the group? Pensive feels Garyth's critiscism like a slap. What had he done to endanger the group? What thoughts and feelings was Garyth alluding to? Surely the guardsman hadn't heard him talking out loud to to the wolf, and even if he had, Pensive had said nothing that could possibly be considered dangerously prejudiced against the halflings.
Pensive swallows down his anger again. Wisdom and caution were needed here, not ferocity. Garyth was correct on the most important point. They had no time for bickering or blame-laying. And now was not the time to damage Garyth's standing with his soldiers by pointing out the injustice of his demands. Pensive nods solemnly at the young soldier, and then turns to Rennick. "There is a body at the top of the rise as well. Unless Mistress Melani wishes it for her. . . ruse, I will conceal it as best I can behind the bushes there."
He will wait a moment for any further tongue-lashing, then go and hide the body. He will retrieve his bow as well.
From: Mark
Subject: Re: The Battle for Overlook; Aftermath at the hill
Melani will do whatever Garyth tells her to do. She has given her ideas but will submit to the will of the chief. She will, however, keep an eye out for a really good hiding place.
OOC: Ty, how close is Osred to being the same size as the 1/2 orc? Osred is listed as being 6'7"tall and 260lbs. I would guess that the 1/2 orc would be a bit heavier, but was he that much taller? I still think Osred could put on the 1/2 orc armor. Maybe over his own.
Remember this does not have to last for very long. Melani is +12 to hit with her bow and if there is surprise, she gets +2d6 damage.
Mark
From: Jake
Subject: Re: The Battle for Overlook; Aftermath at the hill
Of course, you're assuming that the witch doesn't have Protection from Normal Missiles still active from her latest engagement with the army.
From: Raja
Subject: Re: The Battle for Overlook; Aftermath at the hill
Nothing a couple of fireball blasts wouldn't cure.
Oh wai
From: Mark
Subject: Re: The Battle for Overlook; Aftermath at the hill
If she has that then we are all screwed. Except that Melani's bow is a +1 bow and IIRC that makes her arrows magical, in which case they would bypass that spell. :)
Mark
From: Scott
Subject: Re: The Battle for Overlook; Aftermath at the hill
Pensive wants me to point out that he made this very observation to Garyth before they even attacked the witch's camp.
Alas, you've hurt his feelings-- he's sulking up there on top of the hill. Expect no further strategic help from the elf for a while, you meanies.
From: Mark
Subject: Re: The Battle for Overlook; Aftermath at the hill
OOC: That spell last 1 hour/level of the caster and prevents 10 points/level of caster in damage reduction. So if she is 10th level it would last for 10 hours and take 100 points of missle damage to get through the spell.
We can do that.:)
Rennik and Melani both have Rapid shot, Garyth gets 2 shots per round and Pensive gets 1 shot, so that is 8 shots between the four of us. Robert and Pickle both would get a shot. That would be just in the surprise round when her dex bonus would not count and we might get a bonus to attack.
We can still take her. :) It is just one witch. ;)
Mark
From: Scott
Subject: Re: The Battle for Overlook; Aftermath at the hill
It took us ~three rounds to do 25 points of damage to the barbarian.
And he wasn't flying around casting spells at us.
From: Mark
Subject: Re: The Battle for Overlook; Aftermath at the hill
We could not surprise the Barbarian. And we were shooting at other troops as well.
I still think we can take her. Osred will summon some flying creature to drag her down. :)
What, do you want to live forever?
Mark
From: Jake
Subject: Re: The Battle for Overlook; Aftermath at the hill
Osred, glowering at Pensive, seems about to speak when Garyth cuts in with his repremand. He nods at the captain's words, hocks, and spits a thick mass of phlegm to one side. "Captain, what'll it be? Unless someone here is handy with disguises I think I'll have a hard time passing as the brute, but I'm willing to give it a try if you think it best. I've used more of the power Hironeous granted me today in healing the men than I'd've liked, but I've got a couple of tricks up my sleeve that may catch the bitch by surprise. Do we have any reports of the types of attacks she's used on the troops? Might be good to know the sort of thing we can expect from her."
From: Ty
Subject: Re: The Battle for Overlook; Aftermath at the hill
The half orc was a couple inches taller, and fifty or so pounds heavier than osred.
From: Mark
Subject: Re: The Battle for Overlook; Aftermath at the hill
Guys that is my point. We want her to think that the 1/2 orc is alive. As long as she does that she will probably land. Things can not look like nothing happened. Too many bodies laying around, too much blood. But if we can give her a reason to think something else, she might buy it. A bloodied 1/2 orc "interogating" a prisoner, while the buddies look on is somehthing that will divert her attention. Even a few boides laying around might not be such a bad thing. As long as she assume the 1/2 is still in command I would think she would land to see what happened.
Mark
From: Ty
Subject: Re: The Battle for Overlook; Aftermath at the hill
I should point out that the half orc's skin was a grayish green in color, and that his eyes were blood red.
There are more than a few cosmetic differences from Osred.
From: Ty
Subject: Re: The Battle for Overlook; Aftermath at the hill
Osred and Garyth would know that the witch has been attacking the cavalry with firebombs.
Clearly she is saving her own magic.
From: Ty
Subject: Re: The Battle for Overlook; Aftermath at the hill
OOC:
Osred heals:
Vincy 9 points
Garyth 18 points
Kenneth 3 points
Munch 5 points
IC:
The men nod and smile at Osred as he moves through them bestowing Hieronious' grace upon them. Vincy opens up the straps of the priests armor, and removes the arrow sticking through his back plate. He then wraps a quick bandage about Osred's waist, covering the wound, and reclasps the armor.
Pensive offers his healing kits, but Osred replies, "When we have time to rest and care for the men, those kits will be most helpful. For now, with battle soon to come upon us again, my God's grace must suffice."
From: Jake
Subject: Re: The Battle for Overlook; Aftermath at the hill
Whereas Osred is really pale, has blue eyes, and no tusks.
From: Jake
Subject: Re: The Battle for Overlook; Aftermath at the hill
I don't have my player's handbook on me, but doesn't Cure Light Wounds do 1d8 +1 HP per level of the caster? If that's the case, wouldn't Kenneth and Munch have taken at least 7 hp of healing apiece?
From: Ty
Subject: Re: The Battle for Overlook; Aftermath at the hill
Actually, it maxes out at +5, but that means that I still gave them 4 too few. I've updated their totals accordingly.
From: Jake
Subject: Re: The Battle for Overlook; Aftermath at the hill
From: Ty
Subject: Re: The Battle for Overlook; Aftermath at the hill
No. oddly enough I did Garyth's correctly. (it is +1 per level up to a max of +15) His includes the +6.
From: Mark
Subject: Disguise
I guess I am not being that clear. We do not need Osred to pass up close, only at a distance. The skin is the biggest problem. He would have to have his back to her most of time and be sort of hunched over so that the height diff would not show. A cloack or something would probably hide the skin color difference.
I guess my thought was to get her on the ground. I would think that when she comes back she would expect some reaction from the brute and we need to give her a reason as to why the brute is not responding.
Just ideas. I am willing to listen to anyones who has some.
Mark
From: Jake
Subject: Re: The Battle for Overlook; Aftermath at the hill
Good to know. I've updated my character sheet to reflect the sacrifice of the various spells Osred cast.
From: Jake
Subject: Re: Disguise
Too bad we don't have a cleric with us capable of animating the brute's corpse. Be kind of satisfying to have a zombified brute take a chunk out of the witch when she got close enough.
For what it's worth, Osred has two instances of Spiritual Weapon that he's been holding in reserve for the witch. The spell has a range of 160 ft, lasts for a decent length of time, and doesn't require continued concentration of the cleric's part (I'm pretty sure of that last bit, but not positive). If he can distract her with a celestial hippogriff (or maybe with two celestial eagles or hawks, or whatever the lower level creature is) and two instances of Spiritual Weapon (I'd have to check, though, to confirm that I can have two instances of this spell going at once), that should keep her on the defensive for at least a little while, and possibly force her to the ground.
From: Scott
Subject: Re: Disguise
While Osred may not know the game mechanics, as a character he should have a pretty good notion that his chances of fooling the witch into thinking he's a half orc are slim to none.
Rennick and Garyth know that the witch and the brute have worked together. It's not like they're strangers-- at the very least, she'd be able to recognize him on sight (+4 to her spot check). Since Osred and the brute were different races, Osred gets a -2 to his Disguise skill check. This negates his charisma bonus. . . so at the outset, she's starting with a +4 bonus over our boy.
IC:
Pensive retrieves his bow after concealing the body on the rise as best he is able. He comes down the slope that leads north and west, around the bowl, rather than dropping straight down into the bowl as he had done during the battle. The walk does him a bit of good-- he is able to push off some of the frustration that had built up in him earlier.
The alchemist's wagon. Pensive draws close to it, catching the stink of the dead man inside, and the sharp tang of. . . something else.
Pensive will search the wagon and the alchemist's body.
From: Ty
Subject: Re: Disguise
Pensive will find with a quick search of the wagon [Search check]:
A wooden box containing 10 more potions like the firebomb used on Rennik.
A metal box containing a wide variety of compounds and reagents.
A complex alchemy kit.
A crate full of empty glass bottles.
A smaller wooden box with 6 potions of some other type.
Under the driver's bench, a burlap sack filled with coins (though I doubt pensive would count them).
On the body:
A long dagger that glows with a faint red color when drawn.
A ring on each hand.
An extremely ornate belt.
Under the belt, a hidden money belt with more coins in it.
A diary or journal of some type in a pocket of the shirt.
A small leather pouch containing a variety of odds and ends like dice, an eating knife, and several small wooden figurines of naked women.
From: Scott
Subject: Re: Disguise
Pensive will call to Garyth, "Perhaps some of these potions would help us against the witch!"
He carefully lays the firebomb potions out on the ground next to the wagon.
This was a man entirely too absorbed in his own possessions. Rings, money, two belts, more money-- why so much? Pensive frowns. Perhaps the money was to pay for the soldiers? Mercenaries did not come cheaply, but they were the easiest to dissuade from battle.
The dagger catches his eye, but only for a moment-- perhaps the halfling woman would want it. There is nothing in the wagon, beyond the potions, that particularly interests him.
When Garyth approaches, Pensive will tell him quietly that there is a large amount of money and other valuables inside the wagon. He will give the dagger to Melani wordlessly.