The Red Hand of Doom

[TehJhu]

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Here's the IC thread for the RHOD. Please keep OOC posting to a minimum other than the obvious descriptions of what you're doing. Please do any dice rolls here as well, and while you don't have to spoil the rolls ect... it does make everything much prettier to look at

Once I get the OOC thead set up I'll start the game off in here.

[TehJhu]

It was about a month ago that you and your companions cleaned out an old castle that'd been overtaken by lizard folk in the southern nation of Guidon. Deep in the bowels of that place's depths the five of you came across a map leading to a land far to the east, a place caled Elsir Vale and an old keep known as Vraath. Here surely there are treasures worth the long journey, and there was little work to be had in the lands of the west anymore.

The caravan you'd ridden with had dropped you off at the city of Brindol and from here you all traveled hard over several days towards the town of Drellin's Ferry with the plan of launcing your search for Vraath Keep in the so-called 'Witchwood' from there.

The days have been suffocatingly hot. With no wind worth mentioning and the sun pounding down on you from a couldless sky. Still, spirits are high as you should be reaching Drellin's Ferry soon. After so many days on the road, even a border town seems a haven.

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Here's your chance to introduce your character and work out any background you want cleared up. Once everyone is ready, we'll move on.

[Orran]

Phalius walks ahead of the other party members slightly, enjoying the freedom from stifling armor that his craft grants, or rather requires. He turns and walks backwards in order to look at his companions, seeing behind him the strong stout figure of Dalor gave him confidence that they would find the treasure and vraath keep soon. After Dalor's imposing prescence was that of Prince Longlance the Halfling champion of Yondalla, what good a deity could get from a follower that wouldn't even be able to reach their feet to kiss them who knows? At least he's an honest sort though.

Phalius turnsto the halfing "Longlance, shouldn't you have a riding dog or something with which to propel that lance of yours? I'd hate to see a Paladin relegated to throwing stones." Phalius says this good-naturedly as companions of the road would when joking.
"Still I suppose that would be effective against the scum we've been fighting, lets hope for something with a bit of bite next time."

On the other side of Dalor and the Halfling were the other two humans of the group, Varech and Gelu, the Psion and the ranger. Phalius doesn't really understand psionics, his primary concern is with magic, Phalius regards it as just another form of magic. Phalius is indifferent about Gelu, he's just a glorified archer for all he knew, unsurprisingly Phalius' ignorance of them generally meant that he got along better with Dalor and Longlance.
Upon completion of his banter Phalius drops back from infront of the group, rejoining his friends.

"Lets get down there and get us some food, I'm starving."

[SamTheCleric]

"We need ta' move along. This cursed heat is bakin' me in my full plate. How much farther do we have to go?" Dalor inquires, swear dripping down his face and into his matted beard. He remains vigilant, however, eyes watching the horizon.

"Phalius, why don't ya magic us up a nice keg, colder than a frost giant's nether regions?" he smiles, loosening his axe and giving it a few swings in the air to adjust his balance to the overwhelming heat.

[Orran]

"You know I can't do that kind of stuff, I burn things, not cool them." Phalius replies. He then gets a waterskin and some rations out of his pack.
"Maybe we should stop for a rest and some food, let Dalor catch his breath" Phalius takes a drink from the waterskin and hands it to Dalor, still standing with some nuts and cheese, but slowing his pace.

"Don't finish that, theres not too much and we don't know if we'll find another stream in this heat"

[kamikasei]

"A rest sounds good," Varech agrees. He has been uncomplaining in the heat, but the sheen of sweat on his skin says enough. He finds a place with the others, unslings his pack, and sits kneeling with his long spear crooked in his arm and propped up against his shoulder.

"How close are we? Does anyone know?" he inquires after a mouthful from his waterskin.

[SamTheCleric]

"Moradin bless ya, boy." Dalor doesnt even bother getting off the beaten path, he simply sits down in the center of the road, taking a meager mouthful from the waterskin.

He peers into the distance, squinting against the light, "I don't see any witches or any woods. Let's eat."

[Orran]

Phalius finds a reasonably large rock by the roadside and sits down to eat.
"Does that map we have say where Drellin's Ferry is and how long it will be till we're there?" Phalius looks at the others, trying to remember who has the map.
"And what will we do once we're there? Who would know where vraath keep is."

Phalius finishes his food, feeding bits to his weasel familiar occasionally, and after a minute or two waits patiently for an indication to leave from the others.

[OOC] I'm ready to leave when you guys are, my intro is done.[/OOC]

[Miraqariftsky]

Laius lifts his head to the heavens and closes his eyes in meditation and heaves a long, weary sigh. All that he sees is the bright hot red of the Sun's glare from behind his eyelids. Though beneath the suit of plate and chain mail, his padded armour is soaked nearly through and through, he still feels a chill and shudders...

Blood, so much blood
Oh wrath, belay thy dread flood
Blare not thy clarion call to rage and rot...

With his hands clasped behind his head, his fingers locked through his head of auburn curls, Laius whistles the jaunty tune to Summer's Come Again. Judging by the beard-reek, the sweat-stench and the unmistakable voice, Laius stumbles over to Dalor's side, reaches up and grasps the dwarf's broad shoulder then recites,

"From summer's fire and winter's frost
Gnash not thy teeth in being lost
Fear no scouring wind
Their teeth I rescind
I ward thee, dear one,
From weathers be free
From darkness be free
So mote it be"

((Cast Endure Elements on Dalor))

After the prayer, Laius stretches his neck and his arms, working the kinks out of heavy-burdened muscles. Calling out to his comrades in a voice that is surprisingly deep and rich for a man so small, he says, "Well, comrades, does anybody else feel unduly discomfited by the summer heat? Methinks I have one more measure of Yondalla's grace at hand for the weather..."

Moving with a grace that belies the bulk of his load, he still manages to leap up and literally scamper to the rock's top to sit and eat with Phalius. There, looking the man eye to eye, the exiled prince replies to the mage's earlier inquiries, "Well, well, well my good fellow, you ask after my mount and my namesake weapon, eh?"

Laius spreads his pauldroned and vambraced arms and twists his torso left and right, a phantom of a mischievous smile in his eyes as he gestures, mimelike at the various weapons upon his person. His bronze-fleshed hands flick at silvern pommels in his boots and belt-sheaths--- four daggers...

He winks his brown eyes at all and sundry then jumps back onto the ground, landing heavily and raising a cloud of dust. Undeterred, he smiles and bows...

Suddenly, he whips out one dagger and spins it through the air and it is followed by the other, forming two deadly grey flowers of juggled steel. With his right hand busy juggling the two fang-shaped daggers, his left hand loosens the straps on its shield. Giving it a toss, he passes it to a one-handed grip by the rim. Still spinning the two daggers with the right hand, he suddenly gives them both a flick of the wrist, sending them spinning high into the air, bright sunlight scintillating off the fine steel blades.

A sheen of sweat gleams off the bronzed halfling's brow. His breathing is strained as he cranes his sight upward. Sensing the daggers' descent, he slips out his sling and with that strip of leather lashes the tips of the blades as they fall, giving them one last spin and catching them in the hollow of his shield.

Still not speaking, Laius resheathes his weapons then reaches into his pack and produces an apple, lush and green. He tosses it into the air and then lashes out with his scimitar, its crescent-blade screaming down in a swift arc from his right shoulder, from the leathern scabbard on his back. A couple of moments later, he tosses an apple slice apiece to Phalius and Varech.

Doing a mock-bow and with his diminutive chest heaving slightly from the exertion, Laius clambers back up onto the rock with the mage. His tabard and tunic, once white as snow but now defiled by the dust of countless leagues, are now drenched in sweat--- both from the performance and from the sun's blazing heat.

He runs his right hand through his unruly auburn curls, stuffs the last apple slice into his mouth and laughs long and loud. Finishing his little bout of madness, the exiled prince punches the mage's shoulder and says, "Still wondering about where my helmet and lance and mount are? Heh. I don't need a helm in heat like this; my lance is a bit too cumbersome to carry afoot and Truefang? Yeah, the mastiff who's about a head taller than you, well, he's still in Celestia. I'll probably call him down after this little noontide rest of ours... even dogs need a break, eh?"

With that, he leans back against the bole of the tree adjacent to the boulder they are sitting on and digs out a handful of strips of beef jerky. Laius the tears into the rude meal with as much savagery as he had done back in the days of innocence when such allegedly rude manners were frowned upon by his fellow nobles. "Vhant shome?" he says, offering some of the frugal trail rations to his comrades.

"AHH... hoooowaaaa..." he sighs as he washes down the meagre meal with a guzzling of lukewarm water from his now-steaming waterskin. "Well, y'all might already know where I got my tricks... before anybody says I'm crazy, let me just say, my good fellows, that those were tricks I learned back at the monastery of Sorayta's Rest and we used them to both train our reflexes and entertain the commonfolk in the nearby villages"

Re-capping and re-shouldering his waterskin, he remarks, "Vraath Keep, eh? Sorry, the map isn't with me, but "Vraath" sounds like a Goblin word... yeah, I learned a smattering of their vile tongue when I was hunting them filthy, evil murdering, shadowspawned buggers..."

[Orran]

OOC: Now that was an awesome post, nice RP

IC: Phalius remains silent throughout the halfling's display, and when it is finished gives a round of applause and a mirthful laugh. "Impressive skills, and a delicious apple, what more could I want from a performance? That is indeed enough proof for me; Not every Paladin has a stick up his ass!"
Phalius stand up and claps his hands once more.
"Right, I believe it's time we got going, we've had our half-time treat"

[SamTheCleric]

"Laius, if ya' were a woman, I could kiss you." Dalor smiles his appreciation, lifting himself up with renewed vigor. He slowly tests the weight of his axe before returning it to it's sling. "Maybe I'll let Moradin know that he owes Yondalla one. He's bound to accept the debt." He chuckles heartily before resuming the steady march to unknown lands.

[TehJhu]

The map you all aquired in Brindol indicates that Drellin's Ferry should only be another hour or so away. At this rate you'll reach it in about an hour, just after noon.

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As soon as Gelu posts we'll continue. But the forum is acting really wonky here.

[Incarnum3]

Gelu Ryland works out a knot in his hair with his hands, smoothing the now untangled section flat with his palms, and shaking his head to get the hair out of his face. He walks easily and gracefully, a smile present upon his face despite the sweltering heat. He sits down near his companions in a comfortable silence, leaning back and sipping from his waterskin. As the halfling performs his tricks, Gelu's smile widens and he laughs appreciatively at his nimble friend. As Laius concludes his performance, Gelu claps enthusiastically and laughs as he addresses the halfling.

Ah, Laius, you make a traveling man's life a lot more pleasant, and that's the truth. Heck, if I could do half the tricks you could, I'd abandon all this fighting and take myself touring the cities. I have to admit, I've been enjoying this journey, despite the damned heat. Not that I'm saying I don't want to get to Vraath's Keep and pick up some nice treasure. Heck I'm ready to move out as soon as y'all have caught your breath. I say, the sooner we get there, the better.

He winks back at Laius and leans back once again, peering to the cloudless sky in content.

[TehJhu]

(assuming everyone moves along)

You all continue down the trail for another ten minutes or so. Its a dusty old trade route and gradually you pass out of the rolling hills that have been the dominate feature of Elsir Vale and into a more wooded area that wouldn't quite call itself a forest.

The road crests a small rise and descends into a dusty grove in a large, shallow dell. And abandoned farmhouse, visible through the trees, stands on one side of the road.

You've passed plenty of old abandoned buildings like this over the last few days, they're thicker out here on the borderlands. As you walk down into the dell, both Galu and Varech feel a tingle down there spines. Galu spots a humanoid form, cleary a hobgoblin, crouching in the trees the group had just walked past. Varech sees less clearly, only making out a glint of metal in sunlight.

Before either men has a chance to call a warning, the hobgoblins leap from their cover, drawing bows and taking aim.

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Galu and Varech can both act in the suprise round. Laius, Dalor, and Phalius are all suprised by the hobbos.

Hobgoblin Initiative- 20 (sorry guys )

[Incarnum3]

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Initiative: (1d20+7)[17]

Gelu draws his bow in a blur, nocking arrows to his bow and firing them in quick succession. He thought of asking their intentions for a split second, until he saw their bows aimed at himself and his friends. He aims for the hobgoblin closest to him, hoping that his experience in fighting goblinoids will give him aid.

"Watch out! We've got some visitors!", he yells back towards his companions.

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Using Rapid shot.
Attack 1:(1d20+11)[25]
Attack 2:(1d20+11)[17]
Attack 3:(1d20+6)[9]
Damage 1:(1d8+2)[10]
Damage 2:(1d8+2)[8]
Damage 3:(1d8+2)[8]
(subtract 1 from the attack rolls if they aren't within 30 feet.

[SamTheCleric]

"What are ya' talkin' about, Gelu? I don't see anythin'!"

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Initiative (1d20+5)[15]

[Incarnum3]

Gelu smiles as his arrow hits the mark, but does not let his guard down for a second. He glances over his shoulder towards Dalor and warns his teammates.

Hobgoblins up ahead, and they have bows. Looks like we're not gonna have an easy journey anymore, gentleman.

[Orran]

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Initiative (d20+2)[19]

[Miraqariftsky]

Truefang growls and rears as the hobgoblins' ambuscade. Laius clutches at the saddle's pommel in the sudden moment of unreadiness.

As the massive mastiff comes back to the ground, baring thick yellow canines, hackles risen, Laius nods his head and the helmet's visor clangs down. His bass voice calls out to his comrades, "Good spotting, Gelu! Comrades! To arms!"

The exiled prince lowers his lance into a battle-ready position, couching it in a gauntleted fist. "Dhec oc daan dhech, dhel'dec shagaac!", he yells at the goblinoid ambushers in their own harsh tongue, as he and his mount prepare to charge.

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(1d20+1)[5] Initiative
(("Fight on the field, filthy cravens!"
Credits to Jhonen Olain's Eberro Translator))

[kamikasei]

Varech's entire body seems to tense and then immediately relax before he bursts into movement. With surprising speed he moves up between his allies and the ambushing hobgoblins, whipping his spear around himself to remove the covering on the blade and bringing it round to strike at the nearest enemy.

He speaks, but to the hobgoblins, not his friends. "Turn back."

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Actions:
swift: manifest Hustle (3pp, gain an additional move action)
move: (from Hustle) move to within 10' of the nearest hobgoblin. Will try to position himself between the bulk of the hobbos and the party. Draw weapon while moving.
standard: (from surprise) attack on nearest hobbo.
Rolls:
Initiative - (1d20+2)[6]
Attack - (1d20+7)[13]
Damage - (2d4+4)[9]
Status:
AC 17, 12 touch, 15 flat-footed
HP 42/42
PP 14/17

[Orran]

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OOC:Once the hobgoblins have had their move (How many hobbos are there?) it will be Phalius as he has the next highest initiative, unless I am mistaken somehow

If I'm not in a threatened square:
Standard action to use scorching ray on a hobbo within 40ft
Ranged touch Attack (d20+5)[18]
Damage (4d6)[17]
Movement action to move behind one of the other characters combined with drawing my crossbow(or into range or LOS if scorching ray isn't possible)

If I'm in a threatened square:
Standard action to defensively cast invisibility
Defensive casting check DC17 (1d20+11)[31]
If check succeeds I will then move away from the hobgoblins behind another character, If it fails, 5ft step away, move action to draw dagger.

I'll wait for details before posting RP

[TehJhu]

Varech's entire body seems to tense and then immediately relax before he bursts into movement. With surprising speed he moves up between his allies and the ambushing hobgoblins, whipping his spear around himself to remove the covering on the blade and bringing it round to strike at the nearest enemy.

He speaks, but to the hobgoblins, not his friends. "Turn back."

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Actions:
swift: manifest Hustle (3pp, gain an additional move action)
move: (from Hustle) move to within 10' of the nearest hobgoblin. Will try to position himself between the bulk of the hobbos and the party. Draw weapon while moving.
standard: (from surprise) attack on nearest hobbo.
Rolls:
[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]
Status:
AC 17, 12 touch, 15 flat-footed
HP 42/42
PP 14/17

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You only get a standard action in the suprise round. I'll let you manifest hustle and move towards the goblins?

[TehJhu]

(Assuming kamikasei dosn't mind just running towards a hobbo)

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Suprise Round Summary:

Hobgoblin A- fires an arrow at Gelu and misses.

Hobgoblin B- fires an arrow at Varech and misses. (Your sheet says your AC is 12, I'm really hoping you just forgot to add the AC from your shirt.)

Hobgoblin C- fires an arrow at Gelu and misses.

Hobgoblin D- fires an arrow at Varech and misses.

Hobgoblin E- fires an arrow at Dalor and misses.

Hobgoblin F- fires an arrow at Laius and misses.

Gelu- fires an arrow at Hobgoblin E and hits, dealing 10 points of damage.

Varech- manifests hustle and moves up toward Hobgoblin F.

A storm of arrows flies from the underbrush near the path. Varech and Gelu seem to be the main targets, their reactions to the hiding hobgoblins causing them to stand out. The warriors dodge the arrows deftly, Gelu returning fire and striking his target squarely in the gut. The monster roars in pain, but remains standing. Varech moves like a blur, headed for the hobgoblin on the opposite side of the road.

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To try and give a better idea of the combat area, there are currently six hobgoblins attacking, three on either side of the road. Your group is even with the last two in the line, the other four you've already walked past. The last two are about 25ft from you, with the farthest being about 40ft away. I'm assuming Phalius is in the back?

[Orran]

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OOC: Since we were just travelling and I have the highest movement (I think) I would assume that Phalius would of been at the front of the group, and therefore furthest from the hobgolins.

My initiative makes me next definitely, I'll stick to what I said earlier and those rolls, if thats ok. If so I've almost certainly just done 17 damage to a hobbo, unless their touch AC is above 18.
Just a reminder of my actions
None: 5ft step (if necessary for LOS)
Standard: scorching ray
Move: draw crossbow

Phalius sees arrows fly past and spins round muttering the words of power, after a brief moment a ray of fire shoots from his outstretched hand to hit one of the hobgoblins. As he takes in the ambush and the other 5 hobgoblins Phalius takes his crossbow from his belt, ready for an opportunity to shoot any of them.

[Incarnum3]

Gelu smiles as his arrow finds the mark, but quickly reloads, firing 3 arrows in succession at the hobgoblin he had already injured. He focuses all of his energy into the thin shaft of wood in his hand, sending it off with unmatched force.

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Rapid shot (for real this time).
Attack 1:(1d20+11)[24]
Attack 2:(1d20+11)[22]
Attack 3:(1d20+6)[11]
Damage 1:(1d8+2)[10]
Damage 2:(1d8+2)[4]
Damage 3:(1d8+2)[7]

[SamTheCleric]

"Hidin' behind your bows?! I'll take care of that!" Dalor dashes forward quickly, unlatching his axe as he charges the nearest hobgoblin. With a surge of might, he lowers the axe in a deadly arc.

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+2 for Charge, +1 for goblinoid, -3 for power attack (1d20+11)[22]
Damage: (1d10+9)[19]

Status:
HP 59/59
AC 22 (-2 for charging)

[kamikasei]

Varech doesn't waste time continuing to warn or intimidate the hobgoblins. He interrupts the motion of his spear only to call out to his companions.

"Keep one alive at least. We'll want to know why they attacked."

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Whether I got to make that attack in the surprise round or not, I don't imagine it'd have connected... so, trying again, this time I will attempt to trip the target:
TripTouchAttack - (1d20+8)[10]
StrengthCheck - (1d20+6)[12]
Attack - (1d20+8)[27] (if the trip succeeds, Improved Trip grants a free melee attack)
Damage - (2d4+4)[6]

Outside my own turn, Varech has three Attacks of Opportunity that are half the point of his build, so here's how I'd like to use them: if anyone provokes an AoO by moving towards him or towards poor squishy Phalius, he'll use Stand Still to stop them in their tracks (they get a reflex save vs. damage dealt, or they halt). If someone manages to provoke an AoO moving away from him, he'll make a trip + attack combo as above. Given how everyone's spread out, I don't imagine it's likely to come up.

Of course, if Varech successfully trips his current target, doesn't kill him with the follow-up attack, and the target tries to get up, the AoO will be a straightforward attack for damage with none of this fancy stuff.

...Tripmonkeys are confusing.

[TehJhu]

(Gah, I go to class and suddenly everyone is posting! Also, I totally missed the part about the extra move action from hustle, kami, like I said, I'm no good with psionics. In that case you would've attacked the hobbo but not gotten through its AC. Sorry about that, will try to pay more attention next time)

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Round 1 Summary:(thus far)


Hobgoblin A- fires an arrow at Gelu and misses.

Hobgoblin B- fires an arrow at Varech and hits. Varech takes 5 points of piercing damage.

Hobgoblin C- fires an arrow at Gelu and misses.

Hobgoblin D- fires an arrow at Varech and misses.

Hobgoblin E- fires an arrow at Dalor and misses.

Hobgoblin F- fires an arrow at Laius and misses.

Phalius- casts scorching ray on Hobgoblin C and hits. Hobgoblin C takes 17 points of damage and dies.

Galu- uses multishot on Hobgoblin E and hits with two attacks. Hobgoblin E takes 14 points of damage and dies.

Dalor- charges Hobgoblin D and hits. Hobgoblin D takes 19 points of damage and dies.

Varech- attemps to trip Hobgoblin F and misses.

Laius- charges Hobgoblin A with his lance and hits. Hobgoblin A takes 28 points of damage and dies.

A second rain of arrows flits through the trees. One arrow punches through the armor over Varech's left thigh and lodges painfuly in the muscle.

As the party retaliates, the hobgoblins fall quickly. At the sight of the arcane fire shooting from Phalius' hands, the surviving monsters begin shouting something in Goblin ("Zarr! Uth-Lar! Help!" if you speak Goblin).

From the farmhouse you all passed earlier you hear a loud horn blow three times, followed by a war-cry that surely must come from a hobgoblin throat. It is joined by two much deeper roars from the trees south of the road, but as of now the originators of these noises have no appeared.

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Click here for a rough (very rough) drawing of the battle field as is current. The orange circles are hobbos and the other circles are made as close as your text color as I could get. I haven't put Laius yet b/c he hasn't posted actions yet. Take note that this isn't to be measured like a battlemap or anything, I just thought it might help figure out where everyone is.

[SamTheCleric]

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If one is within cleave reach...

(1d20+11)[27]
(1d10+9)[12]

[kamikasei]

No IC behaviour here, but rolls for IC actions, so thought it best to keep it in this thread.

edit: Correction: IC, Varech is apparently attempting to bamboozle the hobgoblins via some form of interpretive dance.

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(Gah, I go to class and suddenly everyone is posting! Also, I totally missed the part about the extra move action from hustle, kami, like I said, I'm no good with psionics. In that case you would've attacked the hobbo but not gotten through its AC. Sorry about that, will try to pay more attention next time)

Ah, no worries. Was assuming it was an issue over actions rather than power descriptions. Cool, hustle maintains its usefulness!

Okay, as Orran pointed out in the OOC thread, I think I got an AoO against Hobgoblin F when he made his ranged attack. If any other hobbos are at 10' from Varech, he'll take up to two other AoOs against them when they make their attacks, too... I guess it's best if the DM rolls those? Flip a coin whether they should be trips or damage, I guess.

Attack - (1d20+8)[12]
Damage - (2d4+4)[6]

Currently on 37/42 hp, no other change in status.