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View Full Version : How is my character going to get out of this alive?



CoffeeIncluded
2010-01-26, 08:47 AM
First off, people playing the game with me STAY OUT!!!

*Sigh* Well, this sucks.
I'm playing a PbP game on this forum. First combat, we're all level 1. I'm a druid with a riding dog animal companion and subpar stats (We're talking 7 charisma and 15 wisdom here). So in battle, it's me, the cleric, the rogue, and the bard (With OBSCENELY good stats) against 4 orcs.

I'm cursed with dice rolls. I can never seem to roll above a 10 and I already rolled a natural 1 twice.

During the battle against the orcs, the bard just cast message with an obscenely high Listen DC...If you were far away.

The player forgot about the third dimension. Lana (My character) was directly below the bard. Lana actually MADE THE DC...

...Only to learn that the bard turned traitor. Probably along with some other person in the group.

So now it's a level 1 druid and her animal companion against 4 orcs, a bard, and possibly either the rogue or the cleric; she doesn't know which.

She has a crappy weapon, poor stats, and her only spells are Obscuring Mist, Flare, Cure Minor Wounds, and Read Magic (She just cast Detect Magic and Entangle).

There's no way out of the battle without defeating the orcs, Lana just exposed the bard to the group, and I can't seem to roll above a 10. I've thought of some ways out of this, but knowing my obscenely crappy luck with dice rolls...

...Help? :smalleek:

kamikasei
2010-01-26, 08:59 AM
Your party is turning on itself in the first combat? Die fighting and either a) see if whatever your DM's setting up makes up for the obnoxious start or b) wash your hands of the lot of them and be glad they didn't waste any more of your time.

Eldariel
2010-01-26, 09:03 AM
Entangle the Orcs? Deal with traitors when it's possible to do so; try to pressure him a bit, see if anyone defends him, etc. Put that 15 Wis of yours to use; Sense Motive-time. But first, deal with the Orcs.

If you can showcase sufficient superiority in the combat, your "friend" should be forced to help especially since he doesn't know you figured him out. Since your character isn't the most persuasive, may be worthwhile to try and reveal him in act.


Oh, and umm, ensure he's actually betraying you and not pulling some double-timer on the Orcs.

CoffeeIncluded
2010-01-26, 09:05 AM
Your party is turning on itself in the first combat? Die fighting and either a) see whatever your DM's setting up makes up for the obnoxious start or b) wash your hands of the lot of them and be glad they didn't waste any more of your time.

Lana's plan was to:

Have someone (Who turned out to be the bard), help her to raise these heavy weights to the top of the battlefield, then drop them on the orcs when they charged. The bard told the orcs to lure me and the other characters under the weights, so that he would drop them on me and the other characters. From what he said, he's been in league with them the whole time. Luckily, Lana made the DC exactly.


Entangle the Orcs? Deal with traitors when it's possible to do so; try to pressure him a bit, see if anyone defends him, etc. Put that 15 Wis of yours to use; Sense Motive-time. But first, deal with the Orcs.

If you can showcase sufficient superiority in the combat, your "friend" should be forced to help especially since he doesn't know you figured him out. Since your character isn't the most persuasive, may be worthwhile to try and reveal him in act.


Oh, and umm, ensure he's actually betraying you and not pulling some double-timer on the Orcs.

She confronted him in the middle of combat, and I'm planning to inform the rest of the group the second he explains himself--He just betrayed her trust in a big way, and I don't metagame.

Barbarian MD
2010-01-26, 09:06 AM
Talk this out OOC.

If this is some plot of the DM, go with it--it might prove interesting, in a railroading sort of way.

If it's not, this is silliness. This will kill the game, regardless of outcome, since it's PbP. Most PbP lose a few players the first week anyway, and with half the party being killed, odds are good interest will fall. The DM needs to see this, and correct the situation, retconning the betrayal. If that doesn't happen, this PbP game is doomed to die, like most of its kin.

Eldariel
2010-01-26, 09:07 AM
Lana's plan was to:

Have someone (Who turned out to be the bard), help her to raise these heavy weights to the top of the battlefield, then drop them on the orcs when they charged. The bard told the orcs to lure me and the other characters under the weights, so that he would drop them on me and the other characters. From what he said, he's been in league with them the whole time. Luckily, Lana made the DC exactly.

Even with the stats, the Bard is no match to your riding dog in combat. In fact, it's a wash; your dog will walk all over him. Now, dealing with the Orcs should be your immediate worry; Entangle + ranged attacks seem perfect. And umm, if you already yelled out the traitor-part, you may be really effed.

kamikasei
2010-01-26, 09:09 AM
Let me also point out that having rolled badly so far does not mean you're going to roll badly for the rest of combat. RNGs are funny like that, being random and all.

jindra34
2010-01-26, 09:11 AM
My advice would be to fight really close to the rocks and try and force the Bard's hand. Deal with the orcs first and see how things turn out. Then deal with the bard and pal should he reveal himself to be a traitor. DO NOT act against the bard without further evidence of treason or you'll get the whole your a traitor/he is a traitor deal which will cause a royal mess.

Starbuck_II
2010-01-26, 09:13 AM
What weapon? Any weapon can be crappy. Is it a club?

Are you sure you can't obscuring mist + Ride Doggy away to freedom (abandon allies, but survival of the fittest). Granted you might be good aligned and not neutral.

CoffeeIncluded
2010-01-26, 09:13 AM
My advice would be to fight really close to the rocks and try and force the Bard's hand. Deal with the orcs first and see how things turn out. Then deal with the bard and pal should he reveal himself to be a traitor. DO NOT act against the bard without further evidence of treason or you'll get the whole your a traitor/he is a traitor deal which will cause a royal mess.

She just asked the bard if she heard what she though she heard. She's going to tell everyone if he doesn't give a REALLY good explanation.


What weapon? Any weapon can be crappy. Is it a club?

Are you sure you can't obscuring mist + Ride Doggy away to freedom (abandon allies, but survival of the fittest). Granted you might be good aligned and not neutral.

A. Improvised weapons
B. Good-aligned.
C. There really is no way out.

Killer Angel
2010-01-26, 09:15 AM
Even with the stats, the Bard is no match to your riding dog in combat. In fact, it's a wash; your dog will walk all over him. Now, dealing with the Orcs should be your immediate worry; Entangle + ranged attacks seem perfect. And umm, if you already yelled out the traitor-part, you may be really effed.

Entangle has been used, so it's no more available

Also: why are we using spoiler?
people playing that game should stay out of the thread. If they didn't, spoiler won't stop them reading...

Megaduck
2010-01-26, 09:15 AM
Have someone (Who turned out to be the bard), help her to raise these heavy weights to the top of the battlefield, then drop them on the orcs when they charged. The bard told the orcs to lure me and the other characters under the weights, so that he would drop them on me and the other characters. From what he said, he's been in league with them the whole time. Luckily, Lana made the DC exactly

Cast Obscuring Mist, Lure the orcs under the weights then call out in Orcish that the party is under the weights.

Or

Cast Flare into the sky and make a bluff check to convince the orc that you just summoned reinforcements and the Bard was playing them for fools. Try and get them to fight each other.

jindra34
2010-01-26, 09:15 AM
She just asked the bard if she heard what she though she heard. She's going to tell everyone if he doesn't give a REALLY good explanation.


The issue with that is its still one person versus another. In catching a traitor you want definitive proof of treason, of which one persons word does not qualify. The game just dove into espionage for OP and the bard.

CoffeeIncluded
2010-01-26, 09:17 AM
The issue with that is its still one person versus another. In catching a traitor you want definitive proof of treason, of which one persons word does not qualify. The game just dove into espionage for OP and the bard.


Cast Obscuring Mist, Lure the orcs under the weights then call out in Orcish that the party is under the weights.

Or

Cast Flare into the sky and make a bluff check to convince the orc that you just summoned reinforcements and the Bard was playing them for fools. Try and get them to fight each other.

A. Lana doesn't know Orc.
B. He's a BARD. Lana has 7 charisma.

Barbarian MD
2010-01-26, 09:19 AM
Seriously, stop playing IC until this is worked out OOC.

Even if you manage to survive this, it will absolutely kill the game. Your only hope is to talk about it OOC.

CoffeeIncluded
2010-01-26, 09:21 AM
Seriously, stop playing IC until this is worked out OOC.

Even if you manage to survive this, it will absolutely kill the game. Your only hope is to talk about it OOC.

That's what I did.

I went to the OOC thread and told him that he better have a REALLY good explanation for this.

Optimystik
2010-01-26, 09:27 AM
B. Good-aligned.

So what? You're not exalted are you? You're no paladin, there's no reason for you to throw your life away. Everyone else should be running too.

Also yeah, these guys are ****s.

CoffeeIncluded
2010-01-26, 09:29 AM
So what? You're not exalted are you? You're no paladin, there's no reason for you to throw your life away. Everyone else should be running too.

Also yeah, these guys are ****s.

The problem is that all the exits are blocked off.

Killer Angel
2010-01-26, 09:29 AM
A. Lana doesn't know Orc.


But the orcs know common... (given that you understood the bard speaking with them).


I went to the OOC thread and told him that he better have a REALLY good explanation for this.

And his answer is...?
(Because, you know, if the answer is not arriving, probably it means that the player is "taking time" to invent something plausible.)
A solution (OOC) is simply to leave the game, whitout bother to risolve the combat. At least, this will spoil the "sense of victory" (?) for the player who's ruining your game.

Lapak
2010-01-26, 09:30 AM
Yes, you should pretty much be running away. Either the other player is screwing over the group for his own reasons, or the DM intends to capture you all, or you're pretty much done. Bust through the orc lines on your riding dog, hope you can avoid or take the AOOs for doing so, and flee.

CoffeeIncluded
2010-01-26, 09:30 AM
But the orcs know common... (given that you understood the bard speaking with them).



And his answer is...?
(Because, you know, if the answer is not arriving, probably it means that the player is "taking time" to invent something plausible.)
A solution (OOC) is simply to leave the game, whitout bother to risolve the combat. At least, this will spoil the "sense of victory" (?) for the player who's ruining your game.

He's offline right now.

Optimystik
2010-01-26, 09:31 AM
The problem is that all the exits are blocked off.

I know that. Your alignment has nothing to do with having no escape-routes, however. If something opens up, hightail it out of there.

kamikasei
2010-01-26, 09:37 AM
The post in question appears to be this (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=7766214&postcount=149). On the one hand, the DM seems to have taken it as an attempt to trick the orcs in to a trap. On the other hand, there's no bluff roll (would there normally be, CoffeeIncluded?), and I'm not sure what it's supposed to accomplish - it seems to simply tell the orcs that the trap's there.

CoffeeIncluded
2010-01-26, 09:38 AM
The post in question appears to be this (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=7766214&postcount=149). On the one hand, the DM seems to have taken it as an attempt to trick the orcs in to a trap. On the other hand, there's no bluff roll (would there normally be, CoffeeIncluded?), and I'm not sure what it's supposed to accomplish - it seems to simply tell the orcs that the trap's there.

Yeah, that's the post in question.

There probably would be!

Barbarian MD
2010-01-26, 09:45 AM
I read the thread. I don't think he's a traitor.

The way he said, "it's me" without specifying who 'me' is makes me think it's a trick. You say that sort of thing if you're guessing there is a 'me' somewhere, without actually knowing the name of that 'me', and he's hoping they don't question too deeply.

He could have done it better, without causing suspicion to fall on himself, and now you have to deal with thw fact that your character is angry, but i don't fault you your response.

CoffeeIncluded
2010-01-26, 09:46 AM
I read the thread. I don't think he's a traitor.

The way he said, "it's me" without specifying who 'me' is makes me think it's a trick. You say that sort of thing if you're guessing there is a 'me' somewhere, without actually knowing the name of that 'me', and he's hoping they don't question too deeply.

He could have done it better, without causing suspicion to fall on himself, and now you have to deal with thw fact that your character is angry, but i don't fault you your response.

Maybe. I don't know.

(Lana doesn't know either. And I really try to play in-character. Right now, she's just mad.)

kamikasei
2010-01-26, 09:47 AM
Just felt people should look for themselves before demonizing the player or DM too heavily (my own first post here was a little harsh, being based on your summary that the bard had definitely betrayed the party). I don't think we can definitely say yet that the bard's player is trying to screw anyone over.


(Lana doesn't know either. And I really try to play in-character. Right now, she's just mad.)

Careful now. Since she doesn't know, would it necessarily be out of character for her to trust her teammate? Assuming you get a satisfactory OOC explanation for what's going on, that strikes me as a preferable way to have Lana's reaction swing.

CoffeeIncluded
2010-01-26, 09:52 AM
Just felt people should look for themselves before demonizing the player or DM too heavily (my own first post here was a little harsh, being based on your summary that the bard had definitely betrayed the party). I don't think we can definitely say yet that the bard's player is trying to screw anyone over.



Careful now. Since she doesn't know, would it necessarily be out of character for her to trust her teammate? Assuming you get a satisfactory OOC explanation for what's going on, that strikes me as a preferable way to have Lana's reaction swing.

That's why I'm waiting for an OOC explanation.

Lana's kind of aloof, actually. She's spent most of her time studying the history of the campaign world and her most prized possession is a journal filled with what she's discovered.

Eldariel
2010-01-26, 09:53 AM
She has a high Wisdom though so she should be quite adept in calling people on their true intentions and such (y'know, Sense Motive); I think she could get a hint on what's going on if it's a trick. In fact, I'd do just that; roll Sense Motive. See what happens.

Thrawn183
2010-01-26, 09:57 AM
If you ever get into position to take run actions to get out of there, do so. He shouldn't be able to keep up.

valadil
2010-01-26, 09:57 AM
Have you considered trying to join the bard?

CoffeeIncluded
2010-01-26, 10:02 AM
Have you considered trying to join the bard?

No I have not.

Would my sense motive be able to get past his bluff check?

Barbarian MD
2010-01-26, 10:06 AM
You might as well try. All rolling appears to be in the open, so you'll at leas know if you succeed.

kamikasei
2010-01-26, 10:08 AM
Would my sense motive be able to get past his bluff check?

How can we know? We don't know what his bluff check is.

*checks sheets*

You have a chance, not a great one, but a chance.

Lysander
2010-01-26, 10:16 AM
My advice is to wait behind the bard and see what the orcs do to him. Just because they take his help doesn't mean they're not going to kill him.

CoffeeIncluded
2010-01-26, 10:19 AM
How can we know? We don't know what his bluff check is.

*checks sheets*

You have a chance, not a great one, but a chance.

*Checks sheet*

Oh God, a +8 Bluff check *Cries*

jindra34
2010-01-26, 10:19 AM
Wait it out. Trust if I'm reading between lines properly (you two went up onto the cat walk to set the trap). In all honesty I think the bard is pulling tricks on somebody and its too early to tell who. Whatever you do, do not tip your hand in character. oohh.. just read thread little late for that. Next time thing more spy and less guard.

CoffeeIncluded
2010-01-26, 10:25 AM
Wait it out. Trust if I'm reading between lines properly (you two went up onto the cat walk to set the trap). In all honesty I think the bard is pulling tricks on somebody and its too early to tell who. Whatever you do, do not tip your hand in character. oohh.. just read thread little late for that. Next time thing more spy and less guard.

Lana asked what he was doing, she's going to tell the rest if she's not convinced.

Also, she's below the catwalk.

jindra34
2010-01-26, 10:29 AM
Lana asked what he was doing, she's going to tell the rest if she's not convinced.

Also, she's below the catwalk.

The problem is you still tipped your hand to the bard. Telling suspisions to the party is one thing. telling a potential traitor that you might have caught them is significantly different. You probably should have waited a wee bit longer till you revealed that you heard him.

CoffeeIncluded
2010-01-26, 10:31 AM
The problem is you still tipped your hand to the bard. Telling suspisions to the party is one thing. telling a potential traitor that you might have caught them is significantly different. You probably should have waited a wee bit longer till you revealed that you heard him.

I guess...

valadil
2010-01-26, 10:35 AM
No I have not.

Would my sense motive be able to get past his bluff check?

Why does it have to be a bluff? Without knowing your character I can't really comment on which you'd pick (bluffing to join the bard or legitimately doing it) based on that. However, if you expect a bluff to fail, why not legitimately join up with the bard? Explain to him that he's taken control and you respect that. You obviously can't fight your way out of it and you're not equipped to outtrick a bard. Given the choice between die and join him, why wouldn't you want to join?