Dame Morbid's Tourney, Team 2

[stinkomandx]

It's about mid-day in the bunkhouse where combatants are allowed free room and board. "Allowed" is a somewhat misleading term--it is prohibited to leave the confines of the arena until the fights are over. Most combatants still in the bunkhouse are pacing as their anxiety builds. A few mage-types perform menial tricks to pass the time, and there's a game of cards spread out on the floor in one corner. Suddenly, a rude-sounding horn blares. An otherwise mute hobgoblin stands by the main doors, his tarnished horn still bellowing out one note. The second round of the day is starting up, and he motions to five people in turn.

You know the rules. Looking around, you size up the people who will be backing you up in fights that will likely be lethal. The combatants in the room who weren't chosen lower their heads back down, continuing their activities.

You suit up, and are led into the tunnel leading to the arena's main area. A low rumble becomes a deafening roar as you near the crowd. Light shines through the portcullis at the end of the tunnel, and you can see a few goblins scampering off the field with buckets and mops, having done their best to clear the battlefield of guts and fleshy parts. A scarred man at the entryway says "You'd best be getting your introductions out of the way now--you won't have any time once the fighting starts."

[Mando Knight]

A battle-scarred Eladrin with ragged brown hair and deep green eyes looks towards the group that has formed at the gate. "My name is Alarius, formerly of the house of Elehwin. Stick close to me and I'll show you where to get them where it hurts. Follow my lead... I have little patience for fools." He slings his shield into a comfortable position on his back, buckles his longsword scabbard back onto his belt, and grips his favored weapon, a massive spear with a wicked tip.

[Boddan]

A particularily tall Gnoll with an unhealthy glow to his eyes looks over his assembled ad-hoc team. The Gnoll bears a large shield and sword along with set of well used plate armor. All of the gear looks as if it had been bashed into a rough shape of what it's supposed to be with jagged edges and unsmooth surfaces all over.

Gryllik listens to each other member in turn but says nothing back. He merely continues his hyena-giggle, much like the previous half day, and stares at the entrance to the arena with open anticipation.

The gnoll's shield bears a mark of Kord in red paint sloshed across the business end.

It's about time, the Paladin thinks to himself.

[Rumplestiltskin]

Candle Jack. Candle Jack. One more time and ya can't take it back.

A short gnome in his bedclothes stands around with a silly grin on his face. He puts both his hands on his knees and looks up at the gnoll as it chuckles. Whether or not he gets the joke, Candle Jack giggles right along.

As the gates open, he pulls a candle from his belt. With a quick blow, it lights, and a dancing flame that doesn't seem to be affected by the wind sits on the wick.

He reminds everyone of how quickly life can be snuffed out: "Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum out for a walk one day. Along came a spider as sat down beside em and ate em both right away!"

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Initiative: (1d20+7)[20] (Actually 22, from Warlord's bonus.)

Also, if Candle Jack is near cover when he rolls initiative (he will try to be), he can make a Stealth check at +11 to hide, and he will too. If the DM could just roll that for me when necessary, that would be good. I can't roll here since this is an edit.

[Mando Knight]

Don't forget about the +2 power bonus to initiative!
Initiative: (1d20+8)[17]

[Boddan]

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Initiative (w/Mr Warlord) (1d20+5)[12]

[Inyssius Tor]

A tall, gaunt Githyanki nods to his team-mates. There's something odd about the way he moves, though that may just be typical to his race. His greying hair, slightly disheveled, is drawn back in the Githyanki style; his clothes are reddish silk trimmed with silver, with no loose folds that could be grabbed or catch on anything. In his left hand, he wields a brass wand; in his right, a short staff.

"Greetings. I am Djelekh. --Candle Jack, you say? That sounds familar, somehow. Candle Jack, Candle Jack, Candle Jack," he repeats to himself, trying to dislodge the name from his memory. "Hm. Anyway, I am a wizard. Of the Serpent Eye or the Path of the Orb. Focusing on obstructive and terrain-altering spells."

[Inyssius Tor]

Djelekh's initiative - (1d20+10)[23]

logorrhea is the mother of wit

[stinkomandx]

(Waiting for a Manthus post. We'll give another day, and then...well, it's unspeakable).

[Manthus]

Malaphakt lumbers to the front of the bunks, weapons in hand, licking his chops as he passes by that small... succulent...delicious piece of gnome. He promises to wait until the fighting is over to eat him, but then again....

Initiative: (d20+4)[9]

[stinkomandx]

A hush falls over the arena as the five adventurers are led out into the sun. The arena is a square area, depressed about 10 feet into the ground. Elevated above the fighting pit are rows and rows of graduated stone bleachers. At the very top at the far end sits Dame Morbid, her face obscured by a veil. She holds a red scepter with a solid black spherical stone at the top, and she is flanked by two oddly proportioned trolls.

She motions you to enter, and the portcullis closes behind you. With a wave of her rod, you feel a slow rumbling begin to build under your feet. In front of you, pebbles on the ground begin to vibrate slightly on the ground. Suddenly, a rocky spire tears itself through the ground like a knife through paper. It pushes itself out to about 30 feet, dirt sliding down off its raising body. It stops moving, and the rumbling subsides.

Then, the top explodes. Molten rock rains down on the battlefield, and magma pours down the sides of the new "volcano." The magma coalesces at the foot of the hill, becoming a vaguely scorpion-like shape. Beside it, tiny versions form. At the same time, two immolated bats come screeching out of the top, along with a demonic-looking creature in roughly the shape of a gnoll. It cackles as it directs its allies to attack, pointing especially at the two gnolls on the field.


Initiative:
Djelekh: 23
Candle Jack: 22
Infernal Gnoll: 21
Fire Bats: 19
Alarius: 17
Gryllik: 12
Malaphakt: 9
Scorpion: 8
FlameLings: 5
Volcano: 1

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Battle Report
Red spots are areas that have been filled with molten rock. You can jump it with a DC 17 Athletics check.

[Inyssius Tor]

Djelekh watches the bonsai volcano form with a growing smirk. Even before the top comes off, he has his wand pointed at it, mouthing incantations.

As incandescent fiends flow from the spire... nothing happens. Silent incantations melt seamlessly into sotto voce invective, and his left hand tightens on the iron knob of his staff. The runes of the staff glow blue; his eyes glow to match, and then the tip of his wand. Invective fades to satisfied silence, as clouds of supercooled mist envelop the bulk of the enemy force.

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As a minor action, I draw on the power of my mnemonic staff to swap Phantom Chasm for Freezing Cloud; as a standard action, I cast Freezing Cloud centered on square h13, just to the right of the scorpion-thing.
Damage - (1d8+6)[9] cold damage.
To hit... h11 (1d20+8)[22], g12 (1d20+8)[13], h13 (1d20+8)[9], h14 (1d20+8)[17], i14 (1d20+8)[28], g15 (1d20+8)[23], and j15 (1d20+8)[22]. You can make the second batch of rolls, I think. .

[Rumplestiltskin]

Candle Jack. Show him the whites, and, by george, he'll bite.
HP 37/37; AC 19, Fort 13, Ref 18, Will 19 (Concealment); Surges 6/6

With a renewed bout of giggling to go along with the new gnoll, Candle Jack skips upwards to get a better shot. He likes these guys. As he skips forward, his lines seem to blur and many Jacks seem to be dancing in the same square.

He touches his nose and glances towards the fiery scorpion, and suddenly odd whisperings and slight delusions cause the creature to suffer great misfortune.

Then, Jack's face warps into a viscious grin, and he winks at the clawed creature, causing a fierce pain to stab at the Scorpion's eyes.

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Move Action: Move to D14. Gain Concealment from Shadow Walk.

Minor Action: Jack curses the Scorpion and it takes 1 damage. (If G15 is not dead, then he will curse it. If it is a minion and dies from the curse, then he will teleport 5 squares directly north to D9 and make his attack against the northernmost Fiery Bat instead. If it is not a minion and is not dead, then his attack will be against the Flameling.)

Standard Action: Eyebite on Scorpion (or the bat, if the circumstances are changed as listed above).
Attack: [roll]1d20+9[/roll] vs Will (+1 is from Prime Shot)
Hit: [roll]2d6+6[/roll] psychic damage, and Jack is invisible to the Scorpion until the start of Jack's next turn.

Additionally, if the Infernal Gnoll (and only the Gnoll) attacks him and hits, then Jack will use Fade Away to become invisible with a twinkle until the end of Jack's next turn.

[Rumplestiltskin]

Candle Jack, is an idiot

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I tried to roll those attacks in an edit, so here are the dice rolls.

Eyebite
Attack: (1d20+9)[18] vs Will (+1 is from Prime Shot)
Hit: (2d6+6)[13] psychic damage, and Jack is invisible to the Scorpion until the beginning of Jack's next turn.

[stinkomandx]

The Infernal gnoll's laughter stops abruptly as icy particles tear through its allies' ranks. Tiny scorpions harden and turn to stone, the fire bat suffers, and the Scorpion seems to be a bit more sluggish under the effects of the cold. To add to the carnage, another tiny scorpion is slowly consumed by blue flames that spring up on it when Candle Jack nose-touches. Also, the Scorpion gets its eyes bit, or something.

The Infernal Gnoll's laugh begins again as it charges through the freezing cloud, taking little notice of it. He charges into Gryllik, hitting him with his three-headed flail. In addition, the hair of those near the gnoll begins to sizzle and blacken from the intense heat radiating from it.

The Fire Bats swoop down from the volcano. One flies by Djelekh, brushing up against the Gith but causing the wizard's clothes to burst into flame. Another dive bombs Gryllik, but to no effect.

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Battle Report
Candle Jack ends up cursing D-12, since the freezing cloud took care of a few minions.
Candle Jack eyebites the Scorpion (but for less damage--Eyebite only does 1d6 against an enemy you haven't cursed)
The Infernal Gnoll hits Gryllik for 12 damage.
Anyone within the Infernal Gnoll's Aura take 3 fire damage at the start of their turn. Additionally, it seems to hearten the allies around it with better focused attacks.
Djelekh's Freezing Cloud hits the Fire Bat, Scorpion, and any Flamelings you no longer see. On the Fire Bat's turn, it is damaged again for 14 damage.
The Fire Bat in D-20 hits Djelekh for 8 damage, and Djelekh has Ongoing 5 Fire damage (save ends)
The other Fire Bat misses Gryllik

Remaining party members are up.

[Manthus]

Malaphakt is joining in the tradition of one liners
(HP 61/61, AC 22, Fort 17, Ref 16, Will 12)

Malaphakt dashes around Gryllik and smashes into the Infernal Gnoll, slashing his weapons against him.

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Dual Strike:
Longsword Attack(d20+8)[15] Longsword Damage(d8+3)[5]
Flail Attack (d20+7)[8] Flail Damage(d10+3)[4]

Action Point! Golden light explodes out of Malaphakt as he is infused with pure ACTION! (Well, thats what I imagine happens when you use an action point.)

Dual Strike:
Longsword Attack(d20+8)[19] Longsword Damage(d8+3)[9]
Flail Attack (d20+7)[18] Flail Damage(d10+3)[4]

[Mando Knight]

Alarius (HP 42/45, AC 20, Fort 18, Ref 17, Will 15)

Alarius frowns at the flaming fool, and pities him.

"Kill that one first." Alarius states, pointing at the Gnoll. He vanishes, and in the blink of an eye, reappears at point F-16, stabbing the Infernal Gnoll with his greatspear as he does so.

"Right here!"

Warlord's Favor
Flanking Combat Advantage!
Attack: (1d20+12)[28] vs. AC
Hit: (2d10+7)[17] damage, and Gryllik gains a +5 power bonus to attacks against the Infernal Gnoll until the end of my next turn.

Remember: Alarius grants a +2 untyped bonus to any ally's attack rolls made as a result of an action point.

[Boddan]

Gryllik: For Kord!

35/50 AC24 Fort17 Ref17 Will16

Gryllik's giggle erupts into a wild cackle at seeing the mage's well placed icy-destruction...

But dies down to a mild giggle once again when his attention turns to the fiery image of himself trying to cut him down.

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Not one to waste such a healthy to-hit bonus, I'll delay my actions till after Mal to not potentially rob him of his attacks.
Here goes:

Delay till after Mal: Initiative 9-

I do the following assuming Mal is in 15-D

Minor: Divine Challenge the Infernal Gnoll

Standard: Holy Strike on Gnoll with additional +7 to hit (2 from flanking and 5 from Warlord's Favor)
Hit: (1d20+16)[31] vs AC
Dmg: (1d8+7)[13] Radiant dmg

Move: Shift to 17-D

Action Point

Standard: Staggering Smite on Gnoll (still added +7 to hit; +2 from Warlord rather than flanking now)
Hit: (1d20+16)[35] vs AC
Dmg: (2d8+5)[13] and pushed back 2 squares, back into the freezing cloud

EDIT: Please add 2 to each of the dmg scores as I failed to add in the Gnoll racial: Pack Attack

The Paladin of Kord calls on his god and challenges his fiery kin. The sounds of distant war drums can be heard.

With a savage chop, the gnoll's machete like sword strikes the infernal followed quickly by a vast back handed swing from the shield to send the flaming gnoll flying back into the chill.

Gryllik roars at the top of his lungs after that display, hopeing that caught Kord's attention.

[Rumplestiltskin]

Candle Jack

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(Whew, I got this in before next DM post. The forums were down for a few hours there...) Edit: That was an awesome round, Gryllik.

Hey, I apologize for the confusion. I meant to curse the scorpion primarily, and to leave the minions to their icy doom.

My if-then statement was only if that one specific minion was still alive, as he was the only one closer to me than the scorpion no matter what I did (meaning I had to curse him).

If it is too difficult to change, then don't worry about it. I can deal with being outside of the fire aura and having dealt less damage to the scorpo. But if it can be changed, I'll take the fire damage for the increased curse damage and chance to watch the minion freeze. (That would put me back in D14, still with concealment, and still with invisibility to the scorpo, who then took 14 damage all told from me. That's 1 from cursing and 13 from damage.)

Thanks!

[stinkomandx]

Malaphakt's first attacks are dodged by the Infernal gnoll, but with Alarius' coaching, the second pair finds their mark. The flames of the Infernal Gnoll flicker like a candle against the flesh-and-blood gnoll's onslaught.

Alarius's instruction--and successful attack is taken to heart by Gryllik. Somewhere Kord is smiling. Gryllik's savage attacks brutally bloody the Infernal Gnoll, finally adding the possiblity-for-more-injury to injury by launching him into the rime-filled cloud.

The scorpion sluggishly moves forward, after receiving an additional dose of critical damage (20 damage, yikes) from the freezing cloud. It gets within a few feet of Malaphakt, and suddenly spews lava on the gnoll, covering him.

The flameling scorpions (the ones that still exist, anyway) clatter up to Gryllik and try to take chunks out of him with their claws. They each end up with little Gryllik pieces in their claws.

A molten blob of rock is launched from the top of the volcano with a bang, and it splatters against Gryllik, causing him some minor pain. At the same time, more lava flows from the top of the crater to the base, pooling into flameling scorpions. It seems as though whatever magic is creating the volcano has some tactical edge--this time, the lava flows away from the freezing cloud.

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Battle Report:
Malaphakt has ongoing 5 fire damage and immobilization (save ends). Since he has resist 5 Fire armor, he only faces the immobilization.
Gryllik takes 10 damage from the flameling scorpions
Gryllik takes 8 damage from the volcano.
The Infernal Gnoll's aura heats up when it's blooded--those starting their turn in the aura take 6 points of fire damage now.



(Manthus, you have to downgrade one of those weapons to one with the offhand trait--tempest fighters don't get the ability to hold two non-offhand weapons)

[Boddan]

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Alarius and Mal are in different places on zee map, no?
Yes? Yes? ...maybe? Nooo.
Also, how does the freezing cloud work? When you enter it or starting your turn in it?

[Inyssius Tor]

Djelekh HP 5/24, AC 18, Fort 14, Ref 17, Will 17

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Both, but it ends when my upcoming turn does.

Did the freezing cloud miss the infernal gnoll just now, or hit? If the latter, how much damage?

Djelekh would like to smother the volcano with his Icy Terrain. Can he detect any indication as to whether that would have any effect, before he actually does it? Estimate the power Dame Morbid must be using to sustain the flames compared to the power he could pump into quenching them, or estimate the temperature of that molten rock compared to the temperature of the ice he can call on... or something like that?

If he thinks it might be possible, he'll sprint to g18 in order to get in range before casting.

If it doesn't look too likely, he'll cast Cloud of Daggers on the gnoll and shift back out of the aura.

Also: I am so bloodied right now.

[Mando Knight]

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Alarius and Mal are in different places on zee map, no?
Yes? Yes? ...maybe? Nooo.
Also, how does the freezing cloud work? When you enter it or starting your turn in it?

1. Yes... Alarius should be in F-16, with Mal elsewhere.
2. Freezing Cloud activates at both times. Read the power's description in the PHB.

[Boddan]

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"Freezing Cloud activates at both times. Read the power's description in the PHB."

I did =) my asking is my friendly way of pointing it out.

Thanky for the Warlord's Favor btw & man, even at 24 AC I haven't been missed yet.

[Mando Knight]

Thanky for the Warlord's Favor btw & man, even at 24 AC I haven't been missed yet.

I'm going to need to use my Inspiring Word for the round on the Wizard, though. If you're feeling the need for HP, either Lay on Hands or Second Wind will be your best bet. However, regardless of how you heal, I've got an encounter (Knight's Move) and an at-will (Commander's Strike) that will get you in range for continued Favored Smite-age.

[Boddan]

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Ill second wind for sure. I believe Lay on Hands is others only, but I do have an inspiring word from a Student of Battle cross-class feat. Trying to not draw on the dailies if possible as we may have 2 more fights today.

I'll 2nd wind, and use Channel Divinity, minor, to give Mal another save for mobility if he fails his. The Infernal has to come back for me or suffer 5 dmg so that'll put him next to us for a commanding strike. With the scorp there tho, you'll be flanked.

[Inyssius Tor]

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Hate to clutter up this thread so much, but you can lay hands on yourself.

stinkomandx: What exactly did Candle Jack end up doing? In fact, I can't really tell what's going on at all. Could you possibly change the font or color you use to represent the enemies? And, um, do you think it would break verisimilitude too much to actually state where the monsters moved (like "the burning scorpion skittered from C4 to d11") in the spoiler? I can totally understand deciding not to do that, that's fine, but I'm having an awfully hard time following this.

[Boddan]

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Gryllik should be in 17-D
Alarius should be in 16-F
Mal was unspecified but by his narrative at the time, 15-D seemed right. (which would alter the scorpion's position since it went after him)
Candle, I too, am confuzzled on.

Thanks for the info on lay on hands. My level of informormation on 4e is limited at best so I welcome any tidbits like that =)

I'll probably have to 2nd wind and heal myself to stay in it, but if I take 11+ before my turn starts anyway, I drop to the heat aura when my turn begins.

Stinko: my AC is now 23 since im bloodied (magical armor)

[Rumplestiltskin]

Candle Jack
31/37; AC 19, Fort 13, Ref 18, Will 19 (Concealment); Surges 6/6

Candle Jack realizes his situation is sticky. He shifts away from the menacing bat, and then touches his nose with a nod toward the scorpling, cursing it. As it is torn apart by some really bad luck, Jack winks out of existence with a twinkle and reappears at the outer edge of the Infernal Gnoll's aura.

Then he locks back on his original target and holds his candle up to it. He passes his hand over the candle and cups the flame. It coalesces into a ball of green, eldritch energy around his hand, and he flings it at the creature who is harrying Malaphakt.

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Given my position, and the existence of an extra scorpling, it looks like I cursed the Big Scorpzo, so he has now been hit by me for 14 damage, and the wizrobe for 29 damage.

Move Action: Shift to E14

Minor Action: Curse scorpling at D16, dealing 1 damage to it and activating Fey Pact, teleporting to A9 and gaining concealment.

Standard Action: Eldritch Blast on Lava Scorpion at G16.
Attack: (1d20+8)[17] vs Ref.
Hit: (1d10+8)[16]+(1d6)[6] damage.

Oh, and same deal. If and only if the Infernal Gnoll attacks and hits him, Jack will use Fade Away to become invisible.

[stinkomandx]

(Ok team, we're back on track. Updates: Good guys on the map are green, bad guys are red. I also tried to be a little more descriptive with my letter usage. I appreciate everyone's patience and I hope that, while I'm sure things aren't perfect, things will be easier on everyone now. Still, I appreciate all suggestions/corrections, and urge you to keep them coming when they're needed.)

Djelekh's cloud of freezing weather dissipates, and the flaming gnoll gives a big toothy grin...his "teeth" looking like needle-wide flames stretching from the top of his mouth to the bottom. He swings his scourge in an upward arc at Alarius, but the warlord has seen battle before and steps confidently to the side.

The flaming bats each dive at the "good" gnolls--Malaphakt and Gryllik. Gryllik is caught unaware and the bat lights his fur on fire. Malaphakt fends off the other bat, and both bats continue flying before settling in their respective squares.

Inyssius...

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I rolled an Arcana check for you and you knocked it out of the park. The volcano should be treated more like a defeatable hazard than just a dangerous chunk of terrain. That said, you have the strong feeling that one Icy Terrain would not eliminate the volcano.

The Infernal Gnoll was damaged once by the Freezing Cloud, all in all, for 12 damage.

Do you want to go to G-18? There's some molten debris in the square that will be painful.)

Battle report:

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Djelekh's turn has yet to be resolved, pending the previous questions.
Candle Jack erases the Flameling in D-16.
Gnoll shifts to F-15 and misses Alarius.
One Fire Bat misses Malaphakt, the other hits Gryllik's Reflex defense for 8 damage plus ongoing 5 fire damage. The Bats don't provoke OA for their movement. The end their movement in A-16 and G-14

Djelekh, we need confirmation from you. Up next are Alarius, Gryllik, and Malaphakt.