Strange Fortune

[DrunkyTheClown]

Whiskey listens to Jacinth, then peers out the crack in the door again. Arf just sort of looks at her dumbly and wags his tail before following Whiskey's lead.

[Shakedown]

Attack goblins etc James can you roll I'm drunk.

[jm_jazzman]

Sam stealthily creeps up behind the distracted goblins and plants his dagger in the base of the slowest one's neck (the one with the bow). Dark green blood squirts out violently as the goblin crumples to the ground and does not move again. The other two turn and yelp in fear when they see the silent man with a bloody knife looming over the body of their comrade. They scramble to ready their weapons.

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I'll take this moment to explain some combat mechanics. Normally, at the start of combat, everyone (both you and your opponents) roll an initiative check. This check is used to determine the order of actions during combat. This is the one part of D&D that can really slow down in this online format, because people need to wait on others to do things in turn. To make things easy, I've rolled initiative order for this encounter already.

Sam
Jacinth
Whiskey
Thårin
shortspear goblin
Valette
sickle Goblin
Arf
Bat (forgot name, too lazy to look up)

Each time a new combat situation begins, initiative is re-rolled.

Now, what's happened in this situation is that because you were all aware of the goblins and attacked them before they were aware of you, you get to play a Surprise round. So you get to wail on the poor goblins (in your initiative order) before the start of the real Round 1 of combat where they get to try anything.

But wait, there's more!

Initiative order isn't really written in stone. You can decide (at any time during combat) that you would rather go later in the order. Once you've done this, you can't return to your original position in the order.

You can also chose to hold your action until a specific condition triggers your turn. For example, you can say that instead of firing your arrow at the enemy wizard right now on your turn, you wait until he starts casting a spell, and fire the arrow the second he starts doing that and interrupt him. More detailed explanation of this here: http://www.d20srd.org/srd/combat/spe...ions.htm#ready

I'm also pretty sure you can say/yell very short, simple things when it's not your turn. "Its weakness is bullets!" or whatnot should be fair game.

I'll see if I can think of some alternate approach that will allow for combat the flow more smoothly in this medium without screwing with the balance of the game mechanics.

[jm_jazzman]

With the goblins still off-guard, Jacinth bursts out from behind the door that was hiding her and makes a swing at the nearest foe with her quarterstaff.

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to hit - (1d20)[2]
damage - (1d6)[1]

[jm_jazzman]

Jacinth swings wildly and misses by a mile!

[DrunkyTheClown]

Whiskey yips at Arf, "Get 'em!", and takes off in the opposite direction of combat, towards Thårin. Arf in the meantime gnashes his teeth and snarls before quickly joining Jacinth and Sam to chomp away.

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Whiskey will have made up some of the distance and will get to Thårin by his next turn, I figure.
Arf is moving to M27 unless a goblin moves into that square.
Attack Roll - (1d20+3)[17]
Bite Damage - (1d6+2)[6]

[lando_zeus]

Thårin, seeing the dog coming towards him, approaches the battle, knives out.

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I move to R29

[jm_jazzman]

The great northern dog leaps upon on of the Goblins and viciously mauls it, leaving it helplessly whimpering on the floor.

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Having Arf move on Whiskey's turn, as per OOC thread. Also, just realized I pulled a dumb and forgot to roll initiative for Thårin on that list. Fixed that.

Waiting on Whikey's action now, if he takes one other than moving (and Thårin, just to confirm if he adds a couple squares to his movement or not). Then it will be Valette's turn.

[jm_jazzman]

Whiskey reaches Thårin and touches the dwarf's leg with a paw. Thårin feels a warm, invigorating energy flow through his body from the point of contact.

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Thårin is back up to 14HP!

Valette moves into the room and next to the last goblin still standing (who is clearly terrified).

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Ok, that's the end of the surprise round. Now beings round 1. Sam, Jacinth, Whiskey/Arf, and Thårin go in that order, then the goblin (if it's still able to do anything by then), then Valette/Eyne.

[Dodge Magnum]

Attack!

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(1d20)[12]
(1d4)[3]

[jm_jazzman]

Sam steps over the body of the first slayed goblin and takes a swing at the last remaining foe. The goblin tries to duck out of the way of Sam's blade, but he manages to inflict a wound upon the creature's shoulder.

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Jacinth go!

[Aeti]

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When you are fighting an enemy, and you have an ally on the other side of you, with your opponent between, you're flanking, which means both of you get a +2 bonus on your attack roll to hit. Anyone in L28 or K28 will get this bonus.

Additionally, when flanking, rogues can apply their sneak attack damage.

[jm_jazzman]

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Good ol' Aeti, keepin' the rules honest.
Sam's sneak attack damage (1d6)[3]

[jm_jazzman]

The gash inflicted by Sam's blade is more serious than it first appeared! The final goblin crumples up and falls against the wall.

"Please... no!"

His companion in front of him moans. The third of the trio, the first one felled, does not show any signs of life.

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Rules time again! Both goblins are at zero HP. At this point they are in super bad condition and basically can't do much more than talk. The third one is either dead or dying (I won't say which). Anywhere from -1 to -9 hitpoints and you're dying... out cold and probably going to croak unless saved with mad healing skills. -10 or below is dead dead.

Also, just to clarify, this goblin is speaking in Common.

[Aeti]

Cold eyes glittering, Valette messily slits the helpless goblin's throat. She ignores the blood spattering her skirt and spits on the corpse. "Filthy sub-humans."

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Sorry Sam! I know you wanted to interrogate them. We have two (or one still conscious, at least) for you though!

[Shakedown]

Jacinth kicks the remaining conscious goblin to get its attention. "Where are we, who do you work for, why were we captured, and how do we get out of here? Answer quickly. We all have things we'd rather be doing."

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Intimidate (1d20+7)[11]. (+3 for cha and +4 for being bigger than it.

[jm_jazzman]

The goblin produces a strange sound that could be a laugh or a dying wheeze. "Hzeeee! You has many questions for one who will be dead soon! Hzeeee! Hrzeeeee! No get out without helps from me! Easy to get lost in dungeon, and many traps! Hrzeeee!"

[lando_zeus]

Thårin approaches the goblin, and slowly presses his foot into it's wounds.

"You'd best be telling the lady what she wants to know"

[Shakedown]

Jacinth sighs. "It's unfortunate that you're being obstinate. We might have been able to work something out with you - we do have some healing abilities - but not if you're going to be so terribly unhelpful."

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sense motive to see if the goblin's lying about the traps and whatnot - (1d20+1)[2]. Diplomacy (1d20+6)[12].

Ugh christ why is every roll I make terrible. sorry team.

[lando_zeus]

.........

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intimidate - (1d20+4)[5]

[lando_zeus]

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Sorry that should read 3. I forgot to put in my -2 charisma modifier.

[jm_jazzman]

The goblin continues to "hzeee" at the party members, now with a twisted grin clearly visible on his face. He seems pretty content with his assessment of how valuable he is to the group alive.

Jacinth is pretty sure he's lying about all the traps.

[DrunkyTheClown]

Whiskey arrives (with Thårin presumably) and inspects the scene, picking up weapons and whatever useful from the dead goblins and arranging them on the floor to one side, and barks at Arf when he is about to lunge for the remaining goblin's throat, and instead the large northern dog just stares menacingly.

Whiskey pauses once to hear the goblin's claim...

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Sense Motive +3

[Aeti]

Valette eyes the goblin askance as she retrieves the weighty, iron headed hammer from her pack.

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Sense Motive: +1

[Dodge Magnum]

Sam kneels in close to the goblin, swinging his bloodied dagger by the point.

He whispers to the creature in it's own tongue:

<<Or I could just gut you now if you want.>>

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Intimidate (1d20)[15]

[lando_zeus]

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Don't you get a +4 for being bigger than it? So you get a 19 for intimidate?

[jm_jazzman]

Neither Whiskey nor Valette really trust the Goblin's claims.

However, the sudden attention from the terrifying shadow-man who had felled his companion without a hint of warning seemed to bring about a change in the goblin's demeanor. He stared at Sam with terror in his eyes, the use of his own tongue apparently making him forget the brave face he had been wearing.

"No! Let me live!" the goblin yelps in his own tongue in reply to Sam. "I will tells you what you wants! I will leads you out from the dungeon! Just let me live!"

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Indeed, a 19!

Among the goblins' gear, Whiskey finds:

• 1 sickle
• 1 shortspear
• 1 short bow
  1 quiver with 18 arrows
  1 ring of keys
  1 flask of water
  1 flask of foul liquor
  1 dagger
  3 copper pieces
  1 vial of oil
  3 belts with holding pouches
  1 flint striker

[Dodge Magnum]

"I trust no one minds me taking this?" says Sam, picking up the bow and quiver of arrows.


"A little less well crafted than what I'd usually use," he says, examining the craftsmanship, "but I guess it will do for the circumstances."

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Yeah, forgot about the +4 for size until just before I logged on to check progress. Remembered Jacinth using that for herself.

I'm scary.

[lando_zeus]

Thårin grabs the sickle, drops one of his knives, grabs the ring of keys, a belt, the copper pieces, and the liquour.

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Sam, Jacinth called the bow earlier.

[Shakedown]

Jacinth picks up the flask of water, vial of oil, and a belt. She also takes the shortspear and drops the quarterstaff.

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I get a bonus of 1 for ranged weapons. If your bonus is bigger then you take the bow and I'll get one later, but if melee and ranged weapons are the same for you, I should probably take the bow.