AVB - Silvanus

[hustlertwo]

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Dang forum...showed me as being the last one to post. So glad we have these ads here to help pay for better servers

I like you, Silvanus. I rarely ever decide to strand you here to be devoured by winged terrors. But I also like bilking adventurers. Honestly, I don't even need the money; I have the collected riches of a dozen dimensions socked away. I just get a kick out of making hero types pay through the nose. So let's call it 10,000 or your trip is a one-way ticket, eh? Or I'll do 2,500...but that's the 'budget' trip back. Hurry up and decide!

[hustlertwo]

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And more glitches. Super. This is a post to make the other post post.

[TechnOkami]

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Oh de joy technical difficulties!

Before shifting back to his normal form, he will look back at the dragon. Silvanus tells his dire bat to nudge him if the dragon is doing anything hostile after he transforms. After that, Silvanus shifts into his normal warforged tree, and begins his statement.

"Alright Professor Velius, here is something which might be of more interest to you. I have the money to pay you, but I also have some items which you might find to be of more interest than raw currency. Nevertheless, I would much rather prefer to talk about this in your dubiously safe office rather a chaotically aligned plane full of dragons, fire, chaos, and other things I really wish to not involve myself with as much as I can help it."

[hustlertwo]

The dragon has drifted back into a light doze, satisfied its horde is safe for now.

Starting to sweat, my artificial ally? Well, not literally, but you get the idea. I know you would rather discuss it there, which is precisely why I do it here. I believe the phrase is 'over a barrel', no? Of course, I can always call over that flying lizard and see if he wants to give you a loan.

As for the items, keep 'em. Money, that's what I want. Money, that's what is hot. And so on. Make your choice: 10,000 for the deluxe return trip, 2,500 for the budget, or keep your gold and find a taxi.

You hear a foot tapping in impatience.

[TechnOkami]

Silvanus reaches into his handy haversack, and pulls out 2,500 gold.

"I believe this will do?"

Silvanus paused a second, then asked,

"...what is a taxi?"

[hustlertwo]

Heh, never you mind, kid. Never you mind. One budget return trip, coming up!

An unseen hand takes the money and then grasps both you and your companion, and you find yourself back in the Material Plane almost instantly.

However, you are (5d100)[293] miles off from the city of Aldhaven, bamfing into existence in the midst of a large forest.

Ta-da! One budget trip back to reality! Now what, sport?

[TechnOkami]

"Now what? Now what, what? I have my animal companion once again, and you have returned us to the, "material plane" as you call it. I will be returning to Aldhaven." At this, Silvanus mounts his Dire Bat and prepares for flight.

"I trust you can make it back to the city by yourself?"

[hustlertwo]

Ah, I can't leave you two crazy kids out here, all vulnerable to the elements. I'll keep an eye on you during the trip back. Shouldn't take more than a couple days with me in your corner; when I cast a flight spell, buddy, it stays in effect for quite a while.

He casts Overland Flight on the three of you.

Shall we?

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Mount up? You have to be joking. You weigh 100 pounds more than the bat does.

[TechnOkami]

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Well, Plans let me do that, but if your ruling is different, then I'll use that instead.

"Lead on, Mr. Velius."

[hustlertwo]

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Did he have an actual basis for it being allowed? If so, I'll continue it. But based on the strength score you have listed, the bat's max load is 350, and with equipment Silvanus is well over that (of course, it seems like Silvanus should also be past a light load given everything on his item sheet, unless you have it socked away somewhere. The 50 caltrops alone would do it). I guess I can ignore the overage and just say he can carry Silvanus, but it will be a heavy load. So max Dex mod for the bat of +1 while mounted, -6 check penalty, and 30 foot flight speed instead of 40.

The first day of flight passes without much of note occurring, aside from a confused hunter managing to accidentally peg Velius with an arrow for 5 damage. The mage responded by swooping down and grabbing the bow from the shocked archer's hands.

Humph. I'm pretty sure I don't look like a game bird. Keep it.

He tosses the weapon to you, without stopping to see if you catch it.

After eighteen hours of flying, the spells begin to fade as you pass over a small village on the outskirts of the Empire of the Seven Dragons. Velius looks to you once more.

Shall we try these townspeople, or camp out in the wilderness nearby?

[TechnOkami]

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Hm... oh yes, that's how I solved the weight issue. Did you notice my Handy Haversack per chance?

"I do not think they would be hostile to us, but please, let us be decent and not fly into the middle of their village. We should land out of the village's sight, then continue on foot to the village."

[hustlertwo]

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Ah, right. Well, still a heavy load for the bat. Medium for him was sub-300, I think.

You camp out in a clearing several miles down from the village, and the night passes quickly as the mage snores by the fire.

In the morning he casts the spell once more and you take to the air again. You haven't been flying more than an hour, however, before four giant wasps buzz toward you, murder in their compound eyes. A local smashed their nest earlier that day and they are in a frenzy, attacking anything nearby.

Roll initiative.

[TechnOkami]

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Oh goodie, combat!

Initiative: (1d20)[6]

Knowledge Nature Check: (1d20+13)[17]

Silvanus will look at the insects and try to determine any weaknesses and any useful information he might be able to derive from them.

[hustlertwo]

Silvanus remembers that these creatures have no particular weaknesses or resistances, but do possess a nasty poison in their stings that could prove dangerous to his newly found animal companion. And unlike bees, they are able to keep stinging over and over until the target is incapacitated. They are also mindless beasties, unable to be charmed or influenced like most other wildlife.

The insects strike out first, two of them flying on either side of your companion. One of them manages to get through his defenses, jabbing him with a venom-tipped stinger for 9 damage. Roll a Fort save.

Another of them swarms toward you, plunging his protrusion through a chink in your plating for 7 damage (after DR).

A last one tries to stab Velius, but the mage dodges the assailant. He promptly touches the sizable pest and it freezes, unable to move its wings as it plummets to the ground below. He then looks to you and shrugs.

Sometimes I interpret my vow of pacifism a bit creatively. After all, it's gravity that will kill the beast, not me.

Your turn.

[TechnOkami]

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Sorry for the delay, it wasn't like some big 'ol holiday passed by or anything.

Silvanus will first, fly 10 feet away from the insectoid vermin monstrosities, and then cast Repel Vermin, centered on himself.

His dire bat in the meantime will attempt to wail on one of the wasps.

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Dire Bat Hit: (1d20+7)[9]

Dire Bat Damage: (1d8+4)[11]

[hustlertwo]

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No prob, Bob.

Still need a Fort save for the bat.

As for your flying back, are you doing anything to prevent the AoO that will incur?

[TechnOkami]

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Aha, sorry 'bout that.

Dire Bat Fort Save: (1d20+7)[22]

And about the prevention of the AoO... is there anything I can do? If there is and I don't know about it... well, I just don't know about it.

[hustlertwo]

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Probably not. Don't think tumbling works midair.

The bat wards off the wasp's toxins. As you fly away, the wasp that penetrated you strikes out again, this time nearly impaling you on his sizable stinger. 14 damage to Silvanus (after DR).

After the spell is cast, the wasp targeting you tries to pursue, but is rebuffed by the magical ward. It buzzes in impotent rage, but does nothing else.

Your bat misses with his attack, but the two wasps boxing him in also find him too evasive a target.

Velius casts Slow on the overgrown insects flitting near your animal companion, successfully bringing their frenzied movements to a more predictable pace.

[TechnOkami]

First, Silvanus will beckon his animal companion to come closer, where then he flies quickly to his side.

Second, Silvanus casts Ice Storm, in such a way that it will hit the insects, but not Silvanus, Velius, or the Dire Bat.

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Oh goodie, I don't think I've unleashed a spell this powerful before

Damage:

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Bludgeoning:(3d6)[10]
Cold Damage: (2d6)[4]

[hustlertwo]

With his companion bracketed by the wasps, Silvanus will have to choose between hitting all three of the bugs and his companion, or two of them while avoiding his companion and one of the insects around it. Either way, Velius and Silvanus are clear of the storm.

[TechnOkami]

With his companion bracketed by the wasps, Silvanus will have to choose between hitting all three of the bugs and his companion, or two of them while avoiding his companion and one of the insects around it. Either way, Velius and Silvanus are clear of the storm.

He'll hit the two insects, but not his companion.

[hustlertwo]

Your AC's retreat toward you incurs attacks from his aggressors, but it evades one with ease and the other misses your companion's leathery wings by mere inches.

The clouds darken around the battle, and stinging chunks of ice slam down onto the wasp near Silvanus and the one that had been harassing your bat's flank, just missing the third insect. Both are now bleeding a foul ichor and flying with punctured wings, but are still both aloft and angry. The wasp next to Silvanus continues to try and move through the Repel spell, but to no avail. The other bug targeted by the spell moves after your bat and tries to penetrate the invisible barrier, with no more success than the first. The healthiest bat buzzes angrily toward Professor Velius, and carves a deep furrow into the mage's thigh. The elf fights off the effects of the creature's venom, but is quickly losing his generally cheerful nature.

I'm not having fun anymore.

He edges back and speaks a few muttered words, suddenly opening a door in the fabric of reality. You see him slip inside and then back out again, several hundred feet above you.

[hustlertwo]

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Your turn.

[TechnOkami]

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Sorry for the long response time. School primarily is the main cause, the second is forgetting. My bad.

And as per Silvanus' action... why not?

Still afloat in air, Silvanus' arms raise themselves to the sky, gathering dark, rumbling clouds, creating the right environment to cast Call Lightning.

His dire bat will fly in front of him, and block the way of any of the insects that penetrate the anti-insect barrier.

[hustlertwo]

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Why not indeed. It's perhaps my favorite divine attack spell.

Lightning crackles through the sky, ready to fall at the druid's command.

Both of the wasps buzzing nearby manage to push through the barrier at great personal expense; one of them appears to just barely be remaining aloft at all, and the other has seen better days. They swipe at your companion with their modified ovipositors, but fall well short of piercing his hide.

The third insect flies over to join the other two, but the effects of Velius's Slow spell prevent her from doing anything else.

The storied mage Velius is pouting, making a big show of binding his wound while he leaves you to your own devices.

[TechnOkami]

Silvanus' hands, crackling with lightning, seem to grasp at the storm itself, and as power gathers around them, he pulls down the storms strength, sending great bolts of lightning to smite his enemies.

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And my rolls will come later, when I get to a laptop.

[hustlertwo]

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Looking forward to it.

[TechnOkami]

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Le spell.

(3d6)[8]

Now, the bolt has a 5 foot diameter. Is that enough to get more than one bug?

[hustlertwo]

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Nah, just one, unless they happened to be one on top of the other. Which is possible since you're dealing with 3D space in flying, but not the case here. And without a target mentioned, I will assume you directed it at the weakest bug.

The wasp takes the full force of the bolt, electricity coursing through membranous wings until they begin to smoke. Enraged beyond thought of self-preservation, it lunges out at your bat one last time, a weak attempt easily evaded. Then it seems to almost crumple in on itself as it falls unconscious and plummets to the ground below.

The other wasp within the barrier fares no better with its attack on your flying friend. The third, undamaged wasp tries to get through the vermin repellent, and succeeds, though it remains undamaged no longer. It maneuvers around your companion and pierces his hide, causing 8 more damage and requiring another Fort save.

Velius is distracted by the plummeting soon-to-be-dead wasp, not moving as he watches the creature's rather gory end on the rocks hundreds of feet below.

[TechnOkami]

Silvanus will throw a bolt at the other injured insectoid monstrosity.

His dire bat will lunge at the uninjured insect.

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Lightning bolt: (3d6)[8]

Dire Bat Fort Save: (1d20+7)[17]

Dire Bat Hit: (1d20+7)[15]
Dire Bat Damage: (1d8+4)[11]