The End of the World

[NoDot]

Zeng

"Then I offer this advice: control it better. My father is a high-tier Berserker. His rage is strong enough to kill magic effects, much to my mother's displeasure," he adds in an undertone. "However, mindless fury and frustration don't do anyone any good."

Zeng turns to the fire. Yes, it won't do anyone any good-even me. Fury and outrage don't do anyone any good. You need to focus your energy to a point.

Standing up, Zeng bows. "I am Zeng, first child to Foo and Sang, student of Magic of Thought, undeserved exile to the Prime Material Plane, Search Master, Trap Master, Gadgeteer, and Student of Physics, Chemistry, and Engineering." Zeng rattles his titles off without pause.

[headwarpage]

As you gather around the campfire to talk, Talm sees a flicker of motion out of the corner of his eye. - a humanoid - no, three humanoids, moving stealthily outside the circle of firelight.

((Talm, you may act on your natural 20 Spot check in any way you wish. If you do anything drastic, roll initiative.))

[Bandededed]

Talm

"Don't make a fuss," Talm whispers fiercely, "There's something out there. Three somethings, at least. Keep acting natural! Don't give them any warning. We'll get them if they mean to attack,"

Talm readies his weapon, trying to act nonchalant about it.

Spoiler

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Init - (1d20+3)[21]
Bluff - (1d20+4)[11]
SlightofHand - (1d20+3)[17] (for hiding my weapon readying, if necessary)
OOC: and w00t for nat 20 spot checks

[NoDot]

Zeng

Zeng leans back, completely unafraid. "Where are they?"

((If I know about where they are, can I cast Entangle on them?))

[Halna LeGavilk]

Harald sits down by the camp fire, and laughs when Talm whispers, putting his hand on his sword and readying to draw it. "That's funny, and true."

Spoiler

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(1d20)[6] Initiative
(1d20+6)[13] Bluff
I'm readying the Draw Weapon action.

[headwarpage]

"Why, we are right here," announces one of the figures in response to Zeng as he steps out of the shadows. A moment later, two other figures do the same, one on each side of the first, forming a semicircle around the campfire. They appear to be... well, you can only assume they are elves, because they are lithe humanoids with angluar features and pointed ears. But there are differences from any elves you have seen, the most obvious being that each of them stands as tall as a tall man. There are other differences as well, if you look closely - the angular features are strong rather than delicate, but that doesn't stop them from possessing an air of unearthly beauty. Other than that, they look like typical elves, dressed in supple leathers and carrying longbows. Each of them has an arrow nocked and pointing in your general direction.

"And I must congratulate you on your alertness," the center elf continues, smiling. "This hunt is looking more and more promising. Game has been terribly scarce in this land, and were beginning to despair of finding any entertainment. But I'm sure the four of you will give us a good chase. What do you say, friends? Should we give them a head start?" He looks to his companions on either side, who shrug, looking bored. "Very well. You shall have 10 seconds. Make good use of them, as I would hate for this chase to be dull. Your time starts... now. 10... 9..."

((Everybody, please roll initiative with your next post, if you haven't already. The elves are spaced out around half the campsite, with one side open. They're about 30-40 feet from where you sit around the fire, and about 45 feet from each other.))

[NoDot]

Zeng

((Again, can I hit then with Entangle?))

Initiative - (1d20)[8]

Zeng draws on his knowledge of the creatures of the multiverse and tries to figure out what they are. Knowledge: Anything - (1d20+4)[23]

"Keep together, shut up, and move!" Zeng says, making his way away from the campfire.

Once they make it 30' away, Zeng either casts Entangle near the "elves," making sure to capture all three and the fire too, or he casts Silent Image of smoke around them.

If he can only cast Silent Image, he'll shout, "Now, to vanish!" (Bluff - (1d20+4)[17]), and cast it. After he casts it, he'll whisper quietly, "OK, stop for now. They can't spot us for the moment, and we'll be invisible soon." ((The smoke should grant Total Concealment.)

[edit] ((Forget Entangle.))

[JackMage666]

Travis

"Y'know... I could probably outrun your arrows, right?"

Initiative = (1d20+2)[3]

Planned Action = Use of Run feat. At 45 ft lands speed, that's 225 ft a round.

[NoDot]

Zeng

"That's a bad idea, unless you think you can survive without me."

[JackMage666]

Travis

"Less people want to shoot me than you, Mage."

[NoDot]

Zeng

"They want to shoot, but would they hit?"

[JackMage666]

Travis

"Let's hope so, or I'd have noone to heal."

[Halna LeGavilk]

Harald stays down and keep his mouth shut, draws his sword, silently, if possible, and tries to figure out what the elf-creatures are.

Spoiler

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Alright, let's see....

(1d20+5)[10] Knowledge (The Planes). Trying to figure out what sort of elves these are.
(1d20+3)[20] Knowledge (Local). Trying to figure out what the elves are.
(1d20+5)[15] Knowledge (The Planes) If the first check works, figure out the elves weakness.
(1d20+3)[21] Same as above.
(1d20+7)[24] Trying to figure out the hunt-thingy.
(1d20+7)[27] Knowledge (Geography) check to see if any tactical advantages could be gained by the ground.
(1d20+4)[9] Bardic Knowledge check to figure out the elves and their weaknesses.

And Harald draws his sword.

HWP, if you set us up against Hoary Hunters, I'm gonna be ticked.

[Bandededed]

Talm

Talm smiles into the smoke and says, "A thick covering of smoke, eh? Nice. I'll be going 'round their formation, see if I can pick one off."

Spoiler

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I'm going to move at half speed (so no penalties) and head around to the right, trying to stay under cover. If one of them spots me before I can hit him, I'll retreat.
hide - (1d20+7)[15]
MoveSilently - (1d20+7)[17]

[headwarpage]

((Note: Under ordinary circumstances I'd post daily and act for anybody who hasn't posted yet, but since the boards haven't been consistently up, things are slowed down a little.))

Round 1
(to whatever extent combat has started)

Zeng and Talm retreat from the fire and are enveloped in a cloud of billowing smoke, which blocks your sight and, presumably, conceals you from the elves. Zeng remains in the cloud, but Talm attempts to circle around behind the elves. Unfortunately, two sets of elven eyes track him as he leaves the concealment of the smoke ((Spot checks of 15 and 20)). The leader smirks at him, but offers no comment.

Harald merely stands where he is and looks the elves over. They look back. "Come now, friend - give us some sport," the one on the left says, perhaps a bit peevishly. Despite your extensive learning, however, the only thing you are sure of is that you've never seen or heard of elves like this before. The idea of them hunting you seems pretty straightforward, but it doesn't fit with anything you know about the behavior of elves, who are generally quite polite, if somewhat aloof. ((You'll have to specify what type of bonus you're looking for from your Knowlege:Geography check. That roll will get you something, but you need to explain what bonus you're looking for and how your knowledge gets you that advantage.))

Travis jumps up like a jackrabbit and sprints through the cloud of smoke and across the burned fields away from the elves. The elves give no sign of pursuing.

As you all move, the lead elf continues counting. "8... 7... 6... 5... 4..." As he counts down, all three elves raise their bows and begin to draw the strings back, but they don't seem to have chosen their targets yet.

[NoDot]

Zeng

Oh, why did they not listen to me? Ah, well, time for my fun.

Zeng spends his round pushing the limits of his spell to their breaking point. He's attempting to use the illusion to make a bubble around him which will render him invisible. If he can't he'll maintain a large cloud of smoke.

[Bandededed]

Talm

"Burn it!," Talm curses. He dives back to the edge of the smoke, and ducks behind a nearby tree, hoping this time his skills will hide him from the elves. Stupid forest with stupid trees. No sand, nooo, just bloody trees and rocks. Rocks! Bah!!

Spoiler

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Hide - (1d20+7)[24]
I'm hoping to have either 3/4 or full concealment from the elves, if possible. Honestly, if this keeps up I might have to climb a bloody tree...

[Halna LeGavilk]

Harald examines the ground around the elf on the left for minute bumps or dips that may help Harald trip the elf up.

[headwarpage]

((OOC: I'll give you the bonus based on you knowledge check from the previous round, and it's a free action in any case. Do you want to take an action this round? Also, please say somewhere what specific bonus you want as a result, possibly in a spoiler in the form of "Harald is trying to get +1 to attack rolls against the elf on the right". I'd read what your wrote as "+2 to my next trip attempt against that elf," which may or may not be what you were actually going for. The variant knowledge skills are designed to be able to get a wide variety of advantages, and I'd like you to be able to pick the benefit you'd like to get.))

[JackMage666]

Travis

'Crap, Crap, CRAP!"

Travis pulls out his dagger, unsure what to do with it. He takes cover under whatever is near him and not on fire.

[Halna LeGavilk]

OOC: Yes, I was looking for a +2 to my trip attempts, thank you.

IC: When his turn comes up, Harald rushes over and attempts to trip the elf on the left.

Spoiler

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(1d20+2)[7] Touch attack on trip attempt.

[headwarpage]

Round 2

Talm, seeing that he has been spotted, dives back into the cover of the smoke, then sneaks out again. This time, no eyes spot him, and he is able to get to within 10' of the elf on the left.

Zeng attempts to figure out how to manipulate his illusion to make himself invisible, realizes it can't be done, and settles for maintaining the cloud of smoke.

Harald rushes the elf on the left, who dodges nimbly out of the way.

Travis hides behind a boulder a solid 200' from everybody else.

"...3... 2...1.... 0!" As the lead elf finishes his countdown, the elf nearest Harald steps back to get some space and looses an arrow at him. Ducking reflexively, you feel the arrow fly over your head. A heartbeat later, another arrow flies past your ear from behind you, and a third embeds itself in your thigh (3 damage)

Summary:
Talm is hidden in the undergrowth near the left elf.
Zeng is hidden in a cloud of smoke about 45' from the left and right elves and 65' across the campsite from the leader.
Harald suffered 3 damage and is 5' away from the left elf, who took a 5' step back to fire his bow.
Travis is 200+ feet away from everybody else, and can't see half of what's happening because of the cloud of smoke between him and the campsite.
All three elves are focused on Harald, since he's the only one they can see at the moment.

((Actions for round 3, please.))

[Bandededed]

Talm

Tch, this was how it was supposed to be the first time, Talm says mentally. Then he grins. He whips his chain around at the elf, then tries to circle him, so the he and Harald are flanking.

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Sneak attack Bitch!!!... eh, sorry. I got excited.
Attack - (1d20+4)[22]
[roll=Damage]2d4+2d6+3[/roll]

[Bandededed]

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Sorry for the double post; the forum roller hates my formatting
(2d4+3)[9] - spiked chain damage
(2d6)[6] - sneak attack damage
Total: 15

[headwarpage]

Talm's chain whips out of the shadows, wrapping around the neck of the elf and dragging him to the ground. ((Figured I'd get that out of the way before anybody else posted, since Talm goes first in the initiative order anyway.))

[NoDot]

Zeng

Zeng takes out one of his Oils of Entangle and lobs it at the enemy, hoping to hit one of them.

He also maintains the smoke cloud.

((Oil of Entangle should spread from the point of impact, so he only needs to hit within 40' of one of them.))

[Halna LeGavilk]

OOC:Is the elf dead or just prone?

IF THE ELF IS ALIVE:

Harald lashes out at the elf on the ground, stabbing him.

Spoiler

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Attack
(1d20)[18]
Damage
(1d6)[4]

If the elf is dead:

Harald runs over to whichever elf is not hit by the Oil of Entanglement, and slashes at him.

Spoiler

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Attack
(1d20)[14]
Damage
(1d6)[2]

[JackMage666]

Travis

Maintains his position, peeking over the bolder to try and get a better view of the fight. He tries to calm himself.

(OOC - Wouldn't I be able to see somewhat clearly through the smoke, as he told us it was an illusion?)

[headwarpage]

((OOC: My ruling on illusions of the figment type is that because they create actual images, which occupy space, you cannot choose not to see the images, regardless of whether you're aware that they are only illusions. Since Zeng has created the illusion of an opaque cloud of smoke, anybody looking at the illusion will see an opaque cloud of smoke, regardless of whether they know it's an illusion or not. If NoDot abuses this ruling too terribly, I'll reverse it.))

Round 3

Zeng hurls a vial out of the cloud in the general direction of the two remaining elves. It shatters on the ground halfway between the two elves, sending livid green droplets flying in all directions. Immediately, roots and stems rise from the ashy ground wherever the droplets fall, but both elves twist and turn, avoiding the writhing vegetation (Reflex saves 11 and 24 against DC 11). Worse, Zeng's efforts to find a target for his oil break his concentration on the illusion, and the cloud of smoke vanishes.

Harald begins to rush towards the lead elf, but stops short as the ground in front of him begins to sprout writhing roots. Unable to see a clear path to the elf, he instead circles around the affected area, hoping to herd the elf towards the others. ((OOC: I had to take some liberty there, since the entangle spell prevented you from reaching the elf in time to attack and I didn't want to force you to attempt reflex saves anyway. If you'd rather have done something else, let me know and I can probably retcon it.))

Travis continues to watch from a safe distance, but now that the cloud of smoke is gone, he can see what's happening.

The lead elf begins to pick his way out of the entangling roots, moving into the shadows away from the campfire. He eventually breaks free onto open ground, but because Harald is blocking his shortest route, it takes him longer than he might have hoped, and he is unable to take any other actions.

The other elf also moves outside the circle of roots, moving away from Harald and Talm and towards Zeng. Upon reaching safety, he looses an arrow, which skewers Zeng through the ribs (8 damage).

Round 3 Summary
Talm nearly took an elf's head off with his chain. It is unconscious and bleeding out.
Zeng took an arrow through the chest, suffering 8 damage. He is also unconscious and bleeding out (roll to stabilize)
The lead elf is outside the area of the entangle spell, approximately 30 feet from Harald. He also gains concealment (20% miss chance) from the shadowy illumination away from the campfire.
Elf #2 is also outside the area of the entangle spell, directly across it from Harald, but closer to the fire.
Talm is approximately 60' from both elves, but a straight line to either of them would pass through the edges of the entangle spell.
Travis is far, far, away, on the far side of the campfire from the lead elf, but somewhat closer to elf #2.

[NoDot]

Zeng

(1d100)[46]