AvB - Prib

[Rizban]

Spoiler

Show

Navanna is confident enough in her abilities and defenses to not worry about such a minor threat and can ignore it, and she receives enough threats on a regular basis that she doesn't dispatch guards to track down every last person who makes one.

The gatehouse is some 150 feet high of reinforced stone. The wall surrounding the Nobles' Quarter is about 130 feet high. You are unsure of its exact thickness, because you're never had any point of view except from ground level outside. It's highly ornate and basically looks like this. From outside, you can see two large, metal portcullises on either end of the gatehouse and large, wooden doors in the middle that close against the outer portcullis, you can attempt to identify the type of building materials with relevant craft checks or knowledge (architecture & engineering).

After a moment of study, you detect 3 strong auras and 4 moderate auras, roll spellcraft checks to identify.

[ghostaxe]

Strong: Spellcraft (1d20+6)[26]
Strong: Spellcraft (1d20+6)[20]
Strong: Spellcraft (1d20+6)[17]
Moderate: Spellcraft (1d20+6)[23]
Moderate: Spellcraft (1d20+6)[22]
Moderate: Spellcraft (1d20+6)[7]
Moderate: Spellcraft (1d20+6)[16]

Where are the auras emanating from and/or covering?

What is the spacing between the holes of the portcullis? Are the holes large enough that Prib, after casting Reduce Person on himself, could Escape Artist through?

Prib rests till morning and changes spells.

Spoiler

Show

3: 3x Enlarged Split Ray of Stupidity, 1x Suggestion
2: 3x Enlarged Ray of Stupidity, 2x Baleful Transposition
1: 3x Charm Person, 2x Disguise Self, 1x Expeditious Retreat
0: 3x Detect Magic, 1x Amaneusis

If Prib judges himself to be able to squeeze through the portcullis with a Reduce Person and an Escape Artist check, he replaces Expeditious Retreat for Reduce Person.

The next morning, Prib will wait for some servant or other to be coming out from the Noble's District. Before he/she exits, however, Prib casts Baleful Transposition on a random passerby and the servant, swapping their positions. (Will Save DC 15). If it fails the first time, he tries again the next round. (Prib is hoping to see if there's an automated magical defense for the gate.)

[Rizban]

Strong 1: Divination.
Strong 2: failed
Strong 3: failed
Moderate 1: Conjuration
Moderate 2: Evocation
Moderate 3: failed
Moderate 4: failed

The auras are emanating from and covering almost the entirety of the gate.

The portcullis could be squeezed through by a small character, but it would not be easy.

The teleportation spells fail both times. Each time you cast it, an orange light flares briefly from near the top of the arc.

[ghostaxe]

Prib dons his Sgt Shroer disguise and then wears a heavy cloak to conceal his features. He then waits until a servant comes out alone, and follows him/her until they get to a relatively secluded area.

Prib then unhoods himself and hails the servant. "Halt! I am Sgt Shroer. You have been acting suspiciously. What is your business today? Also, I will need to see your papers. I suggest you hand over your papers to me and await my return after I check these."

(will dc 16)

If successful, Prib then walks off with the papers, changes disguises and then examines the papers in the safety of his inn room. (Both mundane observation and Detect Magic).

[Rizban]

The moment the servant spots you and before you can cast the spell, he starts to run away from you shouting "GUARDS!" as he runs.

The guards at the gate turn to look in your direction, see you, and two of the immediately come running towards you shouting at you to stay where you are and not move in any way.

[ghostaxe]

Prib followed him some a distance into a relatively secluded area, and Prib was wearing a heavy cloak that concealed his features. We should be far from the gate. How far away are the guards?

A partial run is 60 ft. That was a surprise round action. The guards do not get to start running yet. Prib's init roll: (1d20+8)[27]

Edit: He beat my disguise check? Natural 1's aren't autofail for skill checks by raw... Is there a house rule on this? Also, even True Seeing doesn't pierce a mundane disguise or a heavy hood covering the face...

Edit 2: When Prib earlier did Detect Magic, he didn't see either of the guards as having anything magical?

[ghostaxe]

Also, Quick Recon gives me free spot checks. I get my one basic one and a free one on the servant before I started following him, and a free one in the surprise round.

(1d20+13)[14]
(1d20+13)[16]
(1d20+13)[33]

Looking for disguises, illusions or anything else unusual.

[Rizban]

Prib followed him some a distance into a relatively secluded area, and Prib was wearing a heavy cloak that concealed his features. We should be far from the gate.

The servant spotted you long before you followed him away from the gate, indeed you were spotted very easily and the alarm raised despite being unable to see your features.

How far away are the guards?

A partial run is 60 ft. That was a surprise round action. The guards do not get to start running yet.

In order to cast baleful transposition, you must be within 160ft of both targets, as well as within 160ft of the gate, as you specifically said "coming out from the Noble's District. Before he/she exits." Assuming that they were about in the middle of the gate area when you cast the spell, that puts you within 130ft of the gate when the alarm is raised.

You are assuming the guards have only a speed of 30, when indeed the two running after you have magic items to increase their speed specifically to chase down fleeing criminals, which becomes obvious as they end their "surprise round" a mere 10ft away from you.

Edit: He beat my disguise check? Natural 1's aren't autofail for skill checks by raw... Is there a house rule on this? Also, even True Seeing doesn't pierce a mundane disguise or a heavy hood covering the face...

For one, you never actually rolled a disguise check. Regardless, that has nothing to do with it.

Edit 2: When Prib earlier did Detect Magic, he didn't see either of the guards as having anything magical?

Different guards for one, and I also assumed you didn't get close enough to the guards to stand there and study them with detect magic going, as that would almost certainly tip them off and set them to trying to arrest you immediately. I gave you the benefit of the doubt on that one and skipped it.

Also, Quick Recon gives me free spot checks. I get my one basic one and a free one on the servant before I started following him, and a free one in the surprise round.

[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]

Looking for disguises, illusions or anything else unusual.

You note nothing unusual, but you only get 2 checks. The servant fled the moment he saw you and before you started stalking him.

[Rizban]

Incidentally, you do win initiative.

[ghostaxe]

Prib changed disguises after he tried the baleful transposition and failed, and he obviously wasn't going to change disguises in view of the guards, so I assumed he was much farther away than 130 feet. I can try with the current settings, but I feel it should be closer to 200ft

Disguise checks are supposed to be rolled by the dm (according to srd and phb) because the player doesn't know how good it is. Prib's modifier is +19.

Were the guards readying actions to chase after me? Otherwise they can't act in surprise round at all. Also, the fact that they partial ran 120 ft implies a base speed of 60... Which is what you get w haste or exp retreat, but not if they're in heavy armor. What type of armor/weapons are they using?

Edit: wait, they're both coming after me? As in they're leaving the gate completely untended?

Will take action after confirmation of guard distance.

[Rizban]

If you left to change disguises (which I didn't see...), then you were spotted and the alarm raised before you could go anywhere to change disguises.

Either way, the two guards giving chase are no more than 20ft away from you. There are, however, still several guards at the gate as well as several at the top of the walls and atop the gatehouse snapping to attention as the alarm is raised.

[ghostaxe]

Could I get a description of guard's armor, weapon, and any other notable gear (such as shield or helmet)?

Is there an alley that's 5 feet wide within 60 feet of Prib?

[Rizban]

The gate is a fair distance from other streets and buildings, as the Nobles' Quarter is built mostly atop a natural rocky rise in the ground. Even 200ft away from the gate, you are a good run from the nearest building, and Old Town, the district into which you would flee away from the gate is home to lesser nobles and wealthy merchants, and dark alleys are not particularly plentiful, especially this close to a major security point. The roads are wide and well paved, and all byways are walled off with a securely closed door for rear access where necessary.

The guards chasing you are wearing suits of studded leather covered over in vital places by well crafted metal plates. Neither carry a shield or wear a helmet. Both have swords, but they are still sheathed in a scabbard strapped to their backs. Both have an arm outstretched towards you as they run, as if reaching for you.

[ghostaxe]

Prib casts suggestion on one of the guards, "I suggest you serve as my bodyguard for the day. You can start by grappling that fellow to make sure he doesn't chase after me.". (refering to other watchman). Will save dc 16

Prib then moves 30 ft in a way such that there are trees or lampposts between him and the current positions od the guards so they can't charge or run. Prib also draws his scroll with expeditious retreat and invisibility on it.

[Rizban]

The guard fails his will save, and attempts to tackle the other guard giving chase. The second guard backhands him with an AoO as he moves in for the grapple, causing the grapple attempt to fail.

The second guard easily catches up with you, although the first gives him chase, and successfully makes a touch attack against you. Make a will save.

[ghostaxe]

I assume the guards have Improved Unarmed Strike, because otherwise they can't make AoO barehanded. But if they do have Improved Unarmed, the suggested guard can make a second grapple attempt as the other moves out of his threatened area towards me.

Also if guard's BAB is above +5, he can make multiple grapple attempts in a round.

Will save: (1d20+8)[23]

[ghostaxe]

Spellcraft, if the guard chasing me casted a spell:
(1d20+6)[22].

[Rizban]

I assume the guards have Improved Unarmed Strike, because otherwise they can't make AoO barehanded. But if they do have Improved Unarmed, the suggested guard can make a second grapple attempt as the other moves out of his threatened area towards me.

Also if guard's BAB is above +5, he can make multiple grapple attempts in a round.

Will save: [roll0]

Spellcraft, if the guard chasing me casted a spell:
[roll0].

You succeed on your save but fail to identify the effect. Two more guards join the chase, though they are not quite as fast as the first two.


[hr]The guard moved before making his grapple attempt, so no iterative attacks. Now, please stop trying to dictate how the DM should be running the game. I am familiar with the rules and competent enough to run this.

[ghostaxe]

I'm not trying to dictate how you should run the game; I'm trying to figure out everything Prib can figure out in order to make his best move.

For instance, if the guards do not appear to have Improved Unarmed Strike, Prib can cast a spell next to the guard and then move. If the guards appear to have Improved Unarmed Strike, Prib will have to tumble / 5ft step before casting the spell. This ordering difference is important for how far away Prib is from the action, and Prib should be able to judge that based on what he's seen in the last round.

Similarly for the AoO by the suggested guard against the other guard. If the suggested guard couldn't take the AoO because the other guard successfully tumbled, then Prib should have noticed the Tumble attempt.

***

If the guards appear to have Improved Unarmed Strike, Prib will take a 5' step away and cast Invisibility from scroll. If not, Prib casts Expeditious Retreat from memory and then moves 60 ft.

[Rizban]

All Prib knows for sure is that the one guard hit the other in the face with a mailed hand when he attempted a grapple and that they're moving significantly faster than normal.

[ghostaxe]

Prib takes a 5' step and casts Invisibility. He then puts away his scroll.

Oh, and as a free action, Prib stares at the face of the 2 fast guards chasing after him. Looks very carefully to remember their features.

Spot: [roll]1d20+13[/roll]

[ghostaxe]

Spot: (1d20+13)[14]

[Rizban]

You successfully cast invisibility.

He takes a step towards you, draws his sword, and swings into the space you were standing in which you went invisible, the space in which you still stand, attempting to hit you.

Miss Chance - (1d100)[77]
>50 = successful hit

[Rizban]

You take (1d8+5)[12] damage.

The other guard attempts to grapple the one who just hit you, who misses with his AoO; however, the one who hit you manages to escape the attempt to hold him, preventing himself from becoming grappled.

The other two guards who join in the chase take full run actions to catch up to the group.

Your turn.

[ghostaxe]

Prib moves 30ft in a direction slightly off and then casts Expeditious Retreat.

[Rizban]

The guard under your suggestion finally manages to wrestle the one attacking you to the ground.

One of the two new guards is standing 10 ft closer to the gate from where you were when you went invisible. He lights a lantern, holds it above his head, and then begins moving towards the spot where you were standing and continues in a straight line forward.

The other guard follows behind him, looking around constantly trying to spot you.

[ghostaxe]

Prib full runs 240ft towards an area where he thinks there be will crowds of people.

EDIT: Prib also takes another look at the guard who wounded Prib.

[Rizban]

You run south to the end of the block, reaching Mastiff's Road, the main thoroughfare for this part of Aldhaven. A few blocks to the west along Mastiff's is The Plaza, arguably the most populated area in the city for foot traffic.

[ghostaxe]

Prib zigzags through a few more streets while invisible (double moves), until he's sure he's shaken the guards. He then makes his way to a secluded alley where he waits for Invisibility to wear off and then bandages his wounds, and applies a new disguise as a hardy looking human male in his mid-30's.

He then goes to Eczeithiel's and buys a Potion of Lesser Vigor, if it's available, and quaffs it.

Prib then makes his way back towards the gate to the Noble's District, staying as far away from the gate as possible, such that he can still visually see the guards. Prib is also careful not to attract attention this time. He walks at a reasonable pace across the street, changes disguises, and then repeats.

He waits until the guards change. Where do the new guards come from, and where do the old guards go? Is there anything they do in particular when changing the guards?

[Rizban]

Spoiler

Show

Eczeithiel's?