Blood n' Vinegar IC [Invite Only]

[K-9]

"We don't have an ax, or a saw," says Cardith. "You'd be hacking at the hand for hours before you cleaved through the bone."

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I've taken anatomy, and have actually dissected a corpse. A small dagger is not sharp enough to sever bone (bone is actually incredibly strong, much stronger than the wooden oar), or even mangle the thumb enough to allow the hand to slip through the cuff. Basically you'd have to sever each individual tendon that holds the wrist together; this would take at least an hour. I'd bet large amounts of money on it. You'd need a machete or a hatchet to cut through bone, or a hacksaw.

Alternatively, we could simply "deglove" the hand, wherein we yank at it hard enough that the skin and muscles come of the bones of the hand, which would make it small enough to fit through the manacle.

"I suggest we somehow coordinate things so that you both attack your oars at the same time. That way, even through you'd both make a lot of racket, you'd all three be free enough to fight when the searats eventually come down from above. One of you could strike it with the mallet, while the other one could use the chisel, which we could hit with a rock or some other suitably blunt instrument."

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how much damage would both of them have to do to the oar to break it up enough to remove the eye-spike?

[Animegoat]

"I don't need to hack the bone, I just need to mangle it enough to slip 'em out."

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I was actually thinking of the "degloving," because if the manacles are loose enough to slip out of with some work I can probably simply "loosen" the hands.

[K-9]

Cardith hands over the dagger.

[Animegoat]

Aelric sets to work on the dead vole's hands with no sign of pity for the poor wretch that must have died a ghastly death. He attempts to peal away as much of the skin as possible and uses what blood or other body fluid that comes out as a lubricant.

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I'll assume this is an attack roll, but I could be wrong. Attack - (1d20+7)[8]

Edit:

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Oh, please tell me that was the wrong check and I get to reroll it

[K-9]

No, the vole is dead, so you'd be using the "Attacking a Helpless Target" rules explained on page 184 of the Iron Heroes Revised book. You don't even need to roll at all.

[Animegoat]

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Oh thank god. I was half expecting a "Aelric chops off his hands" post

After Aelric finishes his gruesome work he wipes the blood off the dagger on a less soiled patch of the voles fur and hands it back to Cardith. "Now we have to break away from the oars, unless Dirtnose comes up with those keys he was talkin' 'bout."

Aelric takes a moment to see if the chain he is currently connected to might be detached from the oar in a less noisy method.

[BDEYE]

Billum waits patiently. These other beasts seem to have their wits about them, and Billum knows he's out of his element.

[souldoubt]

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How much damage do you have to do to the oars to free the eye-spikes? Who knows? It's a mystery.

Aelric meticulously cuts away what little fur, skin, and flesh remains on the emaciated paws of the dead vole. He is able to remove very little, but the vole's paws slip easily if messily out of the manacles, so easily that Aelric wonders if his gruesome work was even necessary.

Aelric takes a moment to see if the chain he is currently connected to might be detached from the oar in a less noisy method.

To Aelric's semi-nautically trained eye, forcing the vole's now empty manacles back throught the eye-spike looks like it might prove less noisy than hacking at the oars.

[K-9]

While Aelric is working on his manacle problem, Cardith looks around the flooded deck for anything remotely resembling a quarterstaff.

Search: (d20+2)[14](16)

or I'll just take 20. Search = 22

[Animegoat]

Aelric carefully threads the chain through the eye-spike, and then sets about finding a hand hold on it so that it might serve more as a weapon and less as a hindrance. He then sets himself up by the door in a spot he deems most effective.

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Eye for Opportunism Spot check - (1d20+9)[16]

Also, taking 20 on a search check of even small rooms can take hours.

"I say we lure one of 'em down and take of him here, then we deal with the rest o' the lot." Nodding towards Billum he says, "You, go ahead an' make a racket gettin' outta those chains," turning to Cardith he says, "and you, get on the other side of this doorway so we can take whoever comes through it by surprise at the same time." With that said, he plasters himself to the wall on one side of the door gripping the chain in both hands.

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If Cardith finds a makeshift quarterstaff, Aelric also asks for the dagger. If we flank the searat that enters, Aelric can get a rather big bonus and sneak attack. Aelric is also readying an action: attack first searat who enters that door and spend Opportunism points to add sneak attack damage if he has the dagger. If he still just has the chain, he will instead spend a full round to use Mud in Yer Eye to blind the first searat (most likely with salty water and muck).

[souldoubt]

Sloshing through the receding seawater, Cardith finds a sizable spar of driftwood lodged beneath one of the forward benches strewn with dead oarslaves. It must have come in with or broken off the log that made the hole in the hull. In a pinch, it should work as a serviceable impromptu quarterstaff.

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The usual -4 for improvised weapons applies.

[K-9]

Cardith stands with his piece of driftwood raised over his head, waiting for Billum to make his move.

[BDEYE]

Billum works his chains through the eye-hole and stands, his arms still manacled. He smacks the chains against the bench a few times, making a racket.

[souldoubt]

The distinct sound of somebeast shouting and the thump of a few heavy pawfalls sound from overhead. A few more muffled angry words are exchanged, and then a moment later the hatch opens up and a lone figure clambers through.

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As I described in the "recruitment" thread, I'm going to roll your Initiative for you at the beginning of combat and then arrange them in order; that way it'll always be clear when you're entering combat and who goes when.

The order is:
Cardith - (1d20+6)[25]
Aelric - (1d20+7)[21] (because his Init modifier is higher than Billum's)
Billum - (1d20+3)[21]
Searat - (1d20+3)[17] (who can't act in the surprise round anyway)

Please post according to Initiative order. With a group this small it should work fine.

Roll Listen checks if you want to know what words were exchanged abovedeck. If you beat a 15 you can make out the following:

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"What the devil are they doing down there, havin' a woodlander country dance? Hennet, go check on the survivors, and use that blade a yours to put the fear of Dark Forest in 'em while you're at it."

"Me? Why me, Krusk?"

"Because I bleedin' said so, that's why!"

"Well send Regdar then, or go yerself. I'm keepin' a lookout."

"Listen bildgewater, I'm in charge 'til the cap'n gets back, so get yer stinkin' tail down that hatch afore I chop it off!"

Bonus points if you can tell where I got the names from.

[Animegoat]

Aelric listen's intently to the searats exchange, ear pressed against the wall.

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Listen check - (1d20+9)[17]

The names are from the Player's Handbook I believe.

[K-9]

Listen Check:

(d20+2)[8](10)=

[K-9]

Okay, here's what I understand of the situation: The searat is now between Aelric and I, which means he is being flanked and thus I have a +2 attack towards him. In this case I'll use my Dedicated Focus ability as a Move action, which gives me a -5 on the check (of which I have 9 ranks,) making:

Dedicated Focus Roll
(d20+4)[10](14):

[K-9]

Well, okay, I got no Dedicate Tokens that time. Anyway I get 2 tokens at the start of the encounter anyway, and I will use both of them on this attack, giving me +4 damage if I hit. (And leaving me with zero tokens):

Here goes: -4 for improvised weapon, +7 melee attack (holding weapon in both hands), +2 flanking bonus, and the searat is flat-footed, so does not get his active bonus to his AC.

Attack Roll: (d20+4)[16](20)
Critical Confirmation (if needed): (d20+4)[16](20)

Damage: (d6+6)[2](8)

By the way, I'm declaring my Dodge Bonus against the searat.

"Status" Spoiler:

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Init 25
AC 16 (17 vs. Searat from Dodge)
HP 34
Reserve Points 34
Dedicate Tokens 0

[K-9]

Shoot. I made a mistake, I should only get a +6 bonus to attack, not +7. The total damage bonus should be +7, because I'm holding my weapon in both hands.

[K-9]

That is, my attack roll should be 19 and my damage roll 9.

[Animegoat]

Aeric makes a jab at the searats ribs with the dagger.

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+2 to atack from strength and 2 more from flanking. Searat is flat footed.
Attack roll - (1d20+4)[14] +4 = 18 (forgot to factor in my BAB )

If Aelric hits, damage is 1d4 +2(st.) + 2d6 sneak attack damage.
[roll=Damage]1d4+2[/roll]
[roll=Sneak Attack]2d6[/roll]

Aelric's Status:
35 hp
0 OP (Opportunism Points)
21 Init.
+4 BAB

[K-9]

Hold on, Aelric. Your BAB is +4, you get a +3 dex bonus (because a dagger is a light weapon, it falls under the Weapon Finesse umbrellla) and a +2 bonus from flanking, giving you a total bonus of +9, or a 19 altogether.

[souldoubt]

Cardith's initial blow takes the searat completely off guard, striking him a powerful blow to the back of the head. He drops to floor of the slavehold with a thunk, barely conscious, his jaw working silently open and closed as he blinks with a stunned look on his face.

From on deck you hear somebeast yell, "Bloody hell, what was that? Oi, Hennet, you're s'pose to climb down, not jump down."

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Animegoat, you may choose to still strike the prone searat or not as you please.

I move that we keep rules discussions to the OOC thread. Otherwise it clutters the IC thread and interrupts the flow of events, which can get especially confusing in combat. Also, rather than double-posting, just edit your previous post.

[Animegoat]

Aelric holds his attack until the next searat climbs down.

[souldoubt]

The prone rat groans and rolls his eyes as a thin pinkish tinge spreads into the shallow water around his head like a ghoulish halo.

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Billum's next, last to act in the surprise round.

I'm rolling Initiative for the other two searats, but they will be considered "surprised" because they aren't aware that combat is going on yet, and will not be able to act in the surprise round (which is the current one).

The order after this round is:
Cardith - (1d20+6)[25]
Aelric - (1d20+7)[21]
Billum - (1d20+3)[21]
Slavedriver - (1d20+4)[19]
Searat 1 - (1d20+3)[17] (prone and disabled)
Searat 2 - (1d20+1)[2]

[BDEYE]

Billum reaches down and attempts to finish the rat off by dragging his claws across his throat.

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* post roll count doesn't match database

[BDEYE]

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((Bleh, made a typo on the roll before and it wouldn't let me fix it.
Just in case this isn't a Coup De Grace:
To hit: (1d20+5)[3](8)- with a -2 penalty from the chains
Damage: (1d4+2)[1](3)
Sneak attack: [rollv]2d6[/rollv))

[BDEYE]

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((Grrr.... (2d6)[4][2](6)))

[Animegoat]

Aelric uses his turn to ready an action to attack the next rat to show his head. This is so he can get a jump on him without worrying about initiative order.

[K-9]

Is the rat's body simply lying in plain view of the stairs? Can anybody upstairs just look down the stairwell and see a body laying down there?