Quintus ponders this for a moment, "...If the group at Seminary protecting the Rod aren't going to give it to us easily, perhaps someone from the Wormwood Headquarters could help convince them to let us use the rods? Its a long shot, but its better then heading straight there only to get turned down."
"Agreed, I say we venture into the Wormwood first as well. Perhaps we can glean more information about the Hand as well, find some way to block whatever arcane aura it surely emanates from detection.
"There's also the matter of Cruzon's coded notes, it's probably our best shot of deciphering them."
"Agreed, I say we venture into the Wormwood first as well. Perhaps we can glean more information about the Hand as well, find some way to block whatever arcane aura it surely emanates from detection.
"There's also the matter of Cruzon's coded notes, it's probably our best shot of deciphering them."
The forests are completely opposite of the kinds of lands Sarm is used to. They are dark, heavy laden, filled with creatures he only recently in his life has been exposed to, and very green. Despite all of that, he keeps focused on his travelling and takes it in stride. Sarm, being the one to usually take the reigns of the wagon, asks the others, "Then it is decided to go to this Wormwood? I must be certain this is what you want so that I may make the adjustments to our path."
((Gonna assume that you're all heading into the Wormwoods, since that's two and a half "Yes"s))
Not long after you veer off the main road, you immediately notice a difference. Everything is darker, as there is more foliage directly overhead, which is blocking out at least 80% of the sunlight and leaving you in what would normally appear to be dusk. The path rapidly deteriorates in clarity, and soon you're all forced to move slower just so you can make sure you're actually still going the right way.
More than once, you question whether Elric's instructions were correct, but inevitably you come across landmarks he had mentioned that would indicate that you are indeed going the right way: A black flag tied to a tree branch here, an out-of-place bush covered in red flowers there. Buoyed by these somewhat sparse signs that there is at least someone out here, you move forward.
Eventually, any semblance of a "path" ceases entirely, and suddenly you're simply trekking through the woods.
((Sarm, I'm going to need a Handle Animal check in order to get the horses to keep moving, DC 15. If you don't beat it, you will all have to leave the wagon here and continue further on foot))
At the point where the path stops, there is a noticeable change in foliage. The bark on the trees is significantly lighter in color, and the leaves appear to be golden. Elric mentioned that this was a sign you had actually entered the Wormwoods, as these trees are, appropriately enough, Wormwood Trees. After spending much longer on this side-trip than you had perhaps originally intended, you are almost at your destination.
((Handle Animal is trained only so I won't be able to make the check. Doesn't someone else have the skill though? I think it was... Well... bones... I knew I needed to put skill points towards something and now I remember it was this.))
Code:
Perception: 1D20+6 => [ 15 ] +6 = 21
((Also, THANK YOU FOR MAKING TRAVELLING SEGMENTS QUICK. This Maptools Pathfinder game I used to be in (I quit because I lost interest), travelling took such a long time due to decisions being slow to be made and the GM not pushing things along, especially when he wanted unnecessary detail on how we made camp.))
Perception: Rolling a 20-sided dice, 1 time(s): 12 + 8 = 20
During the uneventful journey, Ivor is spirited by the greetings of the locals but no more so than the thick woodlands. Whereas many would find such an area oppressive, he sees only hiding spots and opportunities for acts of cunning!
"Would you look at that?" He pauses for a moment at the peculiarly hued plant life and declares he must, must capture this fascinating land in a sketch. Continuing his sightseeing, the dwarf drinks in the environment taking in all he can see...
((Apologies for absence. There wasn't much more I could add for my character in the city.))
Quintus stops messing around with his spell book just long enough to take a quick look around.
Code:
Perception: 1D20+5 => [ 6 ] +5 = 11
((You know, I am getting a +2 from my familiar, but I don't think I've ever actually acknowledged that he exists IC... I should probably name him or something at least.))
Quintus - if you don't feel like a familiar adds anything to your character, you can just take the bonus it would provide and not acknowledge it in-character. I'll leave it up to you; you're welcome to have one if you like.
Ivor - Don't worry about it; not everyone is going to have personal roleplaying stuff to do during every downtime. If anything, I should apologize for not coming up with anything for you to do.
Sarm - You're welcome. I've been in games that dragged on with unnecessary minutiae, so I know how it is. Plus, PbP games need more interesting things going on in order to keep... well... interest. Also, everyone, be aware that if there's something you don't like about my game, please let me know so I can possibly try to make adjustments. I want everyone to enjoy themselves here))
The horses refuse to be taken any further, so the party is forced to leave their wagon and only take with them what they can carry on-hand. The horses are secured, and the few valuables that can't be carried on your persons are locked up in the small chest kept on the wagon for exactly this purpose.
You all move forward for perhaps fifteen minutes, when ahead of you, you see what Elric assured you is the entrance.
A large tree stump, which extends perhaps three feet out of the ground, is perhaps fifty yards ahead of you. It's easy to spot because its color is significantly darker than the rest of the trees in these woods.
You all move forward, eager to get this journey done with, though Ivor is still alternating his gaze between his sketch pad and the way forward.
It's a good thing he's doing that, though, because as he looks down at his pad, he catches something on the ground in the corner of his eye; the ground appears to have rippled.
He looks up to say something, and finds that Sarm has held out his hand in a gesture for the party to stop.
Mere feet in front of you, a formless mass of semi-solid, semi-liquid organic matter rises from its hiding spot in the ground. Its color is almost indistinguishable from the forest floor, so it's fortunate that someone spotted it, or else you all might have been engulfed by it.
Once this creature finishes retracting from its stretched-out position, it's approximately as tall as you, but you estimate that it's about twenty feet in diameter, and indeed, it is currently engulfing the bases of trees in order to keep its shape. It seems vaguely sentient, and you get the distinct impression that it wants to eat you.
Knowledge Nature DC 16
This creature is an Ochre Jelly, part of the Ooze family of monster. If you got better than a 16, give me your result, and I'll tell you more about it depending on how high you rolled. You may do this before taking your action, if you think it will influence what you do
((No initiative roll required, because this thing has an abysmal initiative score so it's going last. Let's Go!
Edit: Oh and I'm going to the Running of the Bulls this weekend, so tomorrow I don't think I'll be able to get to the computer. However if the bus has WiFi (fingers crossed), I'll check in periodically on the way there. On Sunday, I should be able to check in at least once or twice, and from there it'll be normal, because Monday is my flight back home to the States. Thanks for your patience!))
Having rarely spent any appreciable time in the wilderness, Kaff stumbles through the forest, muttering under his breath something about there being "entirely too much wood in these woods," pontificating how the whole affair might be drastically improved if someone could just be bothered to build a proper road, some lamps, perhaps some housing for the people who light the lamps, a nice thick wall to protect them, with a guard watch to patrol it, etc.
He nearly collides with Sarm when he issues the signal to hold up, just before the creature reveals itself from the forest floor. Drawing his rapier, Kaff glances back and forth between it and the nebulous monstrosity, unsure what his next move should be. "What is that thing? Can we even hurt it?"
((Is this something immune to criticals? Because that'd really put the kibosh on my damage output...))
Responding to the rising mass of...stuff...in front of him, Ivor pats Kaff on the shoulder before dashing back a fair distance and brandishing his crossbows with a flourish.
"That, my friend, is trouble!"
He may even have flashed a smile as he did so, as the rogue has guided a parties of travelers in his past and might have encountered this beast previously.
Code:
Knowledge Nature: Rolling a 20-sided dice, 1 time(s): 16 (untrained)
Rolling a 20-sided dice, 2 time(s): 12 16
Attack 1: 12 + 7 - 2 = 17 to-hit
Attack 2: 16 + 7 - 2 = 21 to-hit
Rolling a 4-sided dice, 2 time(s): 3 dmg, 3 dmg
((No worries, Th, it was nice to have a little downtime after posting so much during the battle.))
Sarm's eyes widen to the emerging of the creature, and steps aside after Kaff bumps into him. Observing the creature, Sarm says, "I question how it might react to fire, and it would be unwise to touch it..." Most of his spells are essentially shut down by the creature's form.
He decides not to foolishly rush in, instead holding out his shield and putting himself behind it, for Total Defense, and stands in front of the rest of his comrades in hopes that the creature will prefer to attack the closest thing.
Quintus prepares to cast burning hands, before realizing they are in the middle of a forest and not wanting to burn it down with them in it, he decides a Scorching Ray might be the better option right now. On the plus side it also means he doesn't have to get close to that thing!
Kaff strafes cautiously around the perimeter, thankful for the fact that there is only one opponent he need keep track of this time.
One giant, gelatinous opponent.
The way it clings to the trees seems... Odd. Could it be using them for structural support? Mindful of any potential attack, he creeps as close as he dares to the edge where it has enveloped a trunk. Though his rapier is ill-suited to this particular application, he gives the blob a mighty whack with its edge.
Code:
Attack: 1d20 + 11 = 15
Damage = 1d6 + 11 = 16
((Want to make sure I calculated that right, a +1 enhancement on the sword is to both attack AND damage rolls, right? Also, if this thing is immune to criticals, damage is only 11.
Also, just going to invoke Dodge +1 on this thing every turn unless it splits into two smaller blobs or something.))
((Sorry guys, I have gone 40 hours without sleeping and my head is not in the right mind to do a good flavorful writeup. I will go ahead and give you the monster's turn so you can take your next turns though.))
The creature does not seem to like Quintus's fire spell at all, shrinking in size as the heat cuts through it.
When Kaff hits the ooze, it splits from one large creature into two medium ones, though the overall mass of it doesn't change.
When Ivor hits one of those with his first attack, it splits into two small creatures. He hits one of those small creatures with the second, and it splits into two tiny ones. Again, no mass seems to be lost.
You are now fighting a medium ooze, a small ooze, and two tiny ones (but keep in mind that the "tiny" ones are still about two feet in diameter).
Medium Ooze tries to grapple Sarm. 19 to touch; that hits (this creature can grapple without provoking opportunity attacks). His grapple check is a 14. Sarm, you have to make a Grapple check (d20 plus your Base Attack Bonus plus your Strength modifier). If it's less than 14, you take 9 damage (1 of it is Acid) and are grappled. This means you can't swing a weapon or cast spells with somatic components (which is the vast majority of spells), and you can't move away from the creature. You may initiate another opposed grapple check to break the grapple on your turn; this counts as a standard action.
Small Ooze tries to grapple Kaff. 12 to touch; that misses.
Tiny Ooze tries to grapple Ivor. 13 to touch. Misses.
Tiny Ooze 2 tries to grapple Quintus. 15 to touch, that should hit. 27 on Grapple check. If you don't beat it, you take 14 damage, 4 of it acid, and are Grappled. (this guy rolled really well)
"Well that was... Unexpected..." The ooze clearly dislikes fire, but Kaff lacks any means of summoning a flame in a battle. He considers attacking the medium-sized segment since it is the largest and therefore he figures that it correlates to posing the largest threat, but the blob complicates things by grappling Sarm. Unwilling to risk further injury to Sarm, he opts to attack the next-largest blob that had tried to attack him...
Code:
Attack: 1d20 + 11 = 15
Damage: 1d6 + 11 = 16
((If I designate the small blob for my Dodge +1, will that carry over to one of the Tinys if/when it splits?))
That's a bit of a corner case rules-wise. I'll go ahead and say it carries over to both of the tiny ones until you have to re-declare something, at which point you can only pick one creature
Quintus regrets now moving further away from the jelly which he thought wouldn't be able to move nearly this far and attempts to free himself from its grip.
Code:
Grapple: 1D20+2 => [ 18 ] +2 = 20
((So I suddenly remembered i have those boots and apparently that means I have perma-freedom of movement spell in effect. One of its effects seems to be automatically winning any grapple or escape artist attempts to not be grappled... so yeah assuming that works, Quintus moves very far away, but not quite his full movement, may need to do some burning hands next turn...))
Ivor reacts to the failed grapple with mock disgust. "Well, what an interesting specimen."
While he is very tempted to punt the offending jelly a fair distance, he is struggling to think of what to do against a creature he's never witnessed before.
"Maybe I should bring more booze, huh?" the rogue says grumpily.
((Total defence while we wait for more fire? Otherwise, Ivor is ready to move away with the rest of the party.))
((Quintus - Remember that you never took damage since you didn't actually get grappled last turn.
Ooze actions for Round 2:
Medium Ooze slithers forward and attempts to grab Sarm again: 14 to touch. That should hit. Grapple check: 18. If you don't beat that, you take 9 damage (3 of it acid).
There are now 4 Tiny Oozes, so...
Tiny Ooze 1 again attempts to latch itself onto Ivor. Natural 1 = failure.
Tiny Ooze 2 also goes after Ivor: ANOTHER Natural 1 (wow) = failure
Tiny Ooze 3 goes after Kaff: 21 vs Touch AC. That probably hits, so the Grapple check is a 17. Kaff, if you fail the grapple check (and remember that you can substitute Escape Artist for Grapple), you take 9 damage, one of it from Acid.
Tiny Ooze 4 also goes after Kaff. 16 vs Touch AC hits. Grapple check is a 24. If you fail that one, you take 12 damage, 4 of it from Acid.
And yes, this means you might have two things grappling you, and if they both succeeded, then to attempt escape you will need to make two separate grapple checks (both will be part of the same standard action though)))
The party reacts uncertainly to this bizarre creature, the likes of which none of them have encountered before. Kaff is unrattled by the multiplicitous nature of this beast, and again attempts to poke at it with his pointy stick. The small creature, sure enough, bifurcates into two even smaller ones, and both stretch upwards and attempt to latch themselves onto Kaff so that they can begin digesting him.
Ivor hesitates after easily dodging the first attack against him, and before he has a chance to make a move, two of the oozes turn their attention toward him, the other having lost sight of Quintus, who went to regroup some distance away. However, Ivor continues to be too quick for these rather ponderous creatures, dodging them both easily.
Sarm tries to step back to give himself a bit of breathing room, but the medium-sized ooze is surprisingly vicious, and easily covers the distance in an attempt to engulf the cleric. ((Sarm, keep in mind that the opposed grapple check during the monster's turn doesn't make you lose your action on your turn. You only have to use your Standard Action to try and escape if the monster succeeded in grappling you on his turn. You could have taken another action in the last round.
((Damn would really like to see a map or something right now, but oh well.))
Quintus comes back and cast burning hands, hopfully figuring out how to best hit as many of these jellies as possible, without burning his allies... to much.
((Sarm, keep in mind that the opposed grapple check during the monster's turn doesn't make you lose your action on your turn. You only have to use your Standard Action to try and escape if the monster succeeded in grappling you on his turn. You could have taken another action in the last round.
((Is this true? I thought one only got one standard action but could replace their standard action with a move action... Unless this means that I forgot to do the opposed check on the enemy's turn.))
((Is this true? I thought one only got one standard action but could replace their standard action with a move action... Unless this means that I forgot to do the opposed check on the enemy's turn.))
((Yeah I think that's what you forgot to do. Or maybe you rolled it, but didn't put the result in your post so I misinterpreted.
Quintus - I can see how the lack of a map is frustrating, but really right now it's just a large cluster of party members and enemies all grouped together, and you're something like 15-30 feet away before returning to cast. There's no way you could hit more than 1 of the oozes without also hitting multiple party members. It is definitely possible to catch everything on the battlefield (minus yourself) with a single casting of Burning hands.
So basically, the only strategically viable options are to either just hit one of the Oozes with the spell (by positioning the cone so that one of the oozes is on the very edge), or hit the entire battlefield.
Just remember to roll the damage And everyone else, if Quintus chooses to hit everything, make a Reflex save, DC 17 I think. If you make the save, you only take half damage from his spell (Ivor would take none).
Kaff's plan to divide the creature to a more manageable size does not go as anticipated. Moving with surprising speed for something with no discernable means of locomotion, the first gelatinous glob of gunk snakes out a pseudopod to try and grasp him.
Nimbly high stepping away, Kaff slips the acidic grasp before it can do any harm, his eyebrow arched as he notices the thin whips of smoke and chemical burning smell that follow in the ooze's wake.
The second ooze seems to be trying to take advantage of his momentary distraction and chooses this opportunity to attempt the same attack.
The second ooze comes closer to success, but Kaff still beats too hasty a retreat for it to secure a firm grasp.
((I feel guilty when I make clutch rolls like those Escape Artist checks (hence the screencaps), I don't think I've failed a check in combat yet : /))
"Never thought I'd be nostalgic for being rolled by simple back alley thugs and ruffians, but here we are."
Keeping a wary eye on the movements of the second of the two blobs, he jabs his rapier at the first. Surely they must get to a state where they cannot hold together at some point...
Code:
Attack: 1d20 + 11 = 25
Damage: 1d6 + 11 = 13
Not waiting to see the result, Kaff immediately falls back several paces.
((Dodging the tiny slime in the hope that this attack doesn't make two micro slimes or something.
Also, I did this all correctly? Contested their rolls, attacked with my standard action, used my move action to back away from them?))
"I don't mean to speak for all of you here, but do your thing Quintus! I can take the pain, if you only get these little buggers here!"
((Total defence again please. Is it possible to move away without provoking an AoO? Either way, Ivor wants to keep as many jellies in the fire spray as possible.))
Grapple check for taking damage on previous turn: 1D20+5 => [ 15 ] +5 = 20
Grapple check for taking damage on this turn: 1D20+5 => 11
Roll to break free as Standard Action: 1D20+5 => [ 6 ] +5 = 11
Sarm is unable to break free from the seemingly stronger ooze this time, brought to one of his knees as he struggles and he feels the hiss of the acidic burns.
Quintus ponders his options for a short moment then says, "I hope you prepared some healingmagics Sarm... Fire in the hole!" and releases a burst of fire from his hands, the jelly, and the party, caught right in the middle of it.
Code:
Burning hands: 5D4 => [ 2 +2 +2 +1 +1 ] = 8
((Well that was a great roll for my one burning hands today...))
Quintus's fiery cone of destruction rains down upon the battlefield and causes the four tiny oozes to lose their structural integrity, and they make a curious wheezing sound as they melt into liquid and soak harmlessly into the soil.
The medium-sized ooze is also harmed by the blaze, shrinking slightly, but is still large enough to keep its shape and maintain its grip on Sarm, who fails to break free.
Since Kaff's original target has been dispatched, he turns his attention to the one remaining ooze, which has engulfed the majority of Sarm's body and is working hard at digesting him. His rapier penetrates the creature, causing half of it to fall off of Sarm, leaving two small creatures instead of one medium.
Small ooze #1 remains attached to Sarm, who failed to break free, and continues trying to eat him. ((Opposed Grapple check to oppose Sarm's attempt to break free = 13. The Ooze maintains the grapple, and Sarm takes 11 damage, 3 of it Acid.))
Small Ooze #2 pursues Kaff, slithering far faster than you would expect it to be able to, attempting to wrap itself around his legs and climb up to his abdomen. ((18 vs Touch AC. Grapple Check 25. If it succeeds, take 12 damage, 4 of it Acid.
It's likely that both of your targets are now grappling your allies. You should be aware that this will not make your targets any harder to hit, so you probably shouldn't be too worried about that. Trust me - I searched for rules about this for 15 minutes and didn't come up with anything.
Quintus's flames having done in the slimes he was facing (And singed his hair to boot), Kaff turns his attention to the remaining slime.
Attempting to free Sarm, Kaff's jab at the blob once again causes the party's problems to multiply as half it's mass seamlessly separates from the rest and attempts to ensnare him.
Code:
Escape Artist check: 1d20 + 9 = 22
He misjudges the reach of the sentient digestive slime, and finds himself enveloped in its acidic form, hissing in pain as he feels its enzymatic reactions go to work on his very flesh.
Eyeing a branch overhead, he wonders if he can use it to pull himself out before it is too late...
((You take the full 8. Later on you'll get Improved Evasion which will let you take half damage even on a failed reflex save, but for now you take full for a failed save))
Sarm takes the brunt of the fire upon himself, bracing himself due to being unable to dodge swiftly in this predicament. However; he comes out still looking very able, and is clearly used to being blasted by fire even the first time it had happened.
((Oh, I forgot to say that it's your turn to act this round, sorry!
And Ivor, it's not quite relevant right now, but whenever you want to get away from an enemy, you can declare Full Withdrawal and avoid any AoO's from a single foe. You would still take AoO's from other enemies though, and you are unable to take any other actions on that same turn. Just for future reference.))
((So it's been about two days now. Still waiting on Ivor and Quintus. If you guys are intentionally not acting this round, let me know. I don't really want to take actions for two players, especially since they're the only ones who aren't being grappled right now. If I don't hear anything by tomorrow night though, I'll have to move things forward))
((Fuck, I'm sorry. I thought we were waiting on results again. ))
Unless he's obstructed, Ivor grits his teeth and starts shooting at the slime attacking Sarm, hoping to split it up. He's been doing ok at dodging the ones that are annoying him.
Code:
Rolling a 20-sided dice, 2 time(s): 16 13
1: 16 + 7 - 2 = 21 to-hit
2: 13 + 7 - 2 = 18 to-hit
Rolling a 4-sided dice, 2 time(s): 1 4
1: 1 dmg
2: 4 dmg
Kaff's attempts to use a tree branch as leverage to pull the slime off of him are futile, an he remains trapped within its gooey mass ((Kaff takes 11 damage, 1 of it Acid)). Quintus dashes over to try and help, slashing at the creature and causing half of it to split off. That half attempts to latch onto Quintus, but the wizard proves too quick for it and dodges out of the way.
Sarm's escape efforts are also less than successful ((Take 11 damage, 4 of it Acid)), but Ivor comes to the rescue, pelting the creature with bolts. The first splits the creature in half, and the second causes the ooze that was attached to Sarm to lose its shape and fall off.
((To recap, you are left with three tiny oozes, one of them still attached to Kaff and attempting to eat him. Your turn!))
Facing the very real possibility that his life is going to be ended prematurely by what could accurately be described as a voracious loogie, Kaff redoubles his efforts to break free and avoid such an ignoble demise...
Sarm is finally freed, and gives a quick "Thank you!" to Ivor, before taking a five foot step away from the oozes first to avoid having his casting interrupted, and then casts his own Burning Hands on the two oozes that have just fallen off of him.
((Hopefully I can hit them in such a way that I target them both while not harming my allies.))
The three remaining slimes go down in a flurry of crossbow shots and fire magic, and the party takes a moment to regroup and heal up ((go ahead and use whatever healing magicks and/or potions that you deem appropriate)). The woods seem to be very still and quiet - not in an eerie capacity, but in a peaceful and tranquil way that you didn't notice before.
Just ahead is the false tree stump, which, according to Elric, is the entrance to the Wormwood Initiates' Headquarters. There is supposed to be a checkered board carved into the top of the tree stump, and some chess pieces on the board are to be placed in certain positions; when the right positions are found, the stump is supposed to unlock and swivel upward on hinges, revealing a staircase.
Unfortunately, things aren't exactly as Elric said they would be. When you reach the tree stump, it is sealed, and if you didn't already know it was fake, it might easily fool you even up close; however, there is a square indentation in the center of the top of the stump, where you presume the checkered board used to be. In the center of that square is another small hole, where it appears that parts of the mechanism to unlock and open the tree stump have been removed.
A sigh of relief passes from Kaff's lips as the slime loses it's hold on him and withers beneath the onslaught of quarrels and flames. He furiously tries to scrub the remaining caustic cytoplasm from his person with a handful of leaf litter, which seems to only make a grimy mess of his armor and clothing.
Thoroughly dissatisfied with the results, he ceases his attempts at cleaning himself up and begins inspecting the false stump. A long, slow whistle of admiration blows past his lips. "This is really remarkable craftsmanship. You would rarely see this level of forgery even in the heart of Ruby Keep's underworld, it's rather a shock to find it out here in the middle of the woods."
The gaping hole in the middle of the stump elicits a sigh of exasperation. "But of course it's missing. With our luck, that ooze thing probably dissolved the whole thing. Ivor, this seems up your alley... I'll sweep the perimeter in the off chance we're extremely fortunate and it's still in the immediate area."
Code:
Search Check: 1d20 + 5 = 9
((Bah, humbug. Maybe I should have gone for lock picking after all...))
And everyone else, if Quintus chooses to hit everything, make a Reflex save, DC 17 I think. If you make the save, you only take half damage from his spell (Ivor would take none).