Giarillas in the Mist

[Sir Giacomo]

That's the whole point about interrupting someone. You interrupt and the rules say that interrupt happens before the other character acts.
The troll in this example wants to interrupt the start of the monk's turn (when the monk flurries his grapple). Meaning at that moment it is still pinned and can't attack at -4.

- Giacomo

[Talic]

That's the whole point about interrupting someone. You interrupt and the rules say that interrupt happens before the other character acts.
The troll in this example wants to interrupt the start of the monk's turn (when the monk flurries his grapple). Meaning at that moment it is still pinned and can't attack at -4.

- Giacomo

Ok, went hardcore into durations and turns.

The trigger is "when not pinned". Pinning is an effect generated by you, that has a duration based on your actions.

Duration of it ends immediately before your turn begins.

Effects that last a certain number of rounds end just before the same initiative count that they began on.

Technically, by strict RAW, you are correct. If you ready an action to fire when a door opens, you shoot the closed door. If you ready an action to fire when someone steps into view in the doorway, you fire before they moved into the doorway.

I'll give it to you, on grounds that it's by the most strict and non-intuitive interpretation, correct. Bear in mind, though... There is one thing that is clear.

If a creature readies an action to be in response to your first action, that is ON your initiative count, but before your action. That puts it after the duration of a pinning ends (which ends on the initiative count before your turn begins). Thus, the technique still works, with the proper trigger. The improper trigger was just used.

[Sir Giacomo]

OK, Talic, two points I have to make at this point:

1) Pinning is, I guess, not meant to be negated by the ready action rule (otherwise its use would be extremely limited). So far the RAI.
On the RAW again: (as you admit), the readied action happens BEFORE what the pinning opponent does in his next round (so the pin is still active). Similarly, the turn of the monk starts ON his initiative count and his next grapple check(s) start RIGHT AWAY, EXACTLY on that initiative count. There simply is no time between "start of initiative count, i.e. the monk's turn" and "the first action the monk takes on his turn".
Normally, this is no problem. You interrupt someone before they try to move through a door. You slam the door into their face when they want to enter the room. You disrupt a spellcaster with a readied spiked chain attack/arrow/what ever. However, in this case there is an ONGOING effect carried over from the last round, and once you try to interrupt the pinner's NEXT action, you're still under the effect of the pin. It's actually quite simple.

2) Given that Kurald Galain's sorcerer grapple build never even tried to do the test (likely was once again intended to be funny only ) and Solo can't continue, I'd say we call it an end here. Up to this point, THE FOG monk build was superior by far, and I do not see this changing (higher grapple check than the cleric, less damage taken, more no. of grapple attempts, more durable buff, better saves). It would have been interesting to see how far such a monk could go, but in the build I already listed the few CR 1-6 creatures (gargantuan size and up) that he could not grapple. Those are not that common in regular gameplay, I dare say.
Now, what I'd ADMIT is that a barbarian grappler with permancenie'd enlarge would have had some advantages over THE FOG (although doing less damage, and only at lvls 6&7 with the same no- of grapple attempts). But such a barbarian build, having to raise the DEX much higher, would have been lacking in other departments (for instance, also lacking improved trip).

- Giacomo

[Talic]

Cleric has self healing. Cleric also has damage reducers.

Further, if there is no time between the start of initiative count and a player's turn, explain this one:

3 creatures get in a fight.

Creature 1 rolls a 12.
Creature 2 rolls a 15.

Creature 2 readies an action to grapple if a creature enters range.
Which creature 1 triggers. Creature 3 grapples, succeeds. Creature 2's initiative becomes 12, immediately before creature 1.
Creature 1 pins creature 2.

Round 2:
Initiative 13 comes around, pin ends.
Creature 2 is no longer pinned, makes an attack.
Creature 1, who pinned, sees no benefit from his pin because start of initiative count does not equal start of turn. Obviously there was enough time between the start of the initiative and creature 2's turn, as an entire player took a turn.

It is intuitive? No.
Is it common sense? No.
Is it RAW? YES.

We are going by RAW. This means that any object not concealed can be seen at any distance, as it cannot hide, and there are no limits to the range of vision. This means that not everything is common sense. But that's D&D. RAW rarely equals common sense.

That said, Azerion's mage is being played.

[Sir Giacomo]

Cleric has self healing. Cleric also has damage reducers.

OK, let's see how this plays out, although it remains a question of time imo (plus the encounters in a row, with a round in between for healing is VERY convenient for spellcasters or even the joker monk imo).
Note that I still do not see how the troll was beaten by the cleric (because you assigned damage to the troll - 12 even - in rounds where the cleric failed to beat the grapple check of the troll, and forgot some regeneration instances for the troll).

Further, if there is no time between the start of initiative count and a player's turn, explain this one:

3 creatures get in a fight.

Creature 1 rolls a 12.
Creature 2 rolls a 15.

Creature 2 readies an action to grapple if a creature enters range.
Which creature 1 triggers. Creature 3 grapples, succeeds. Creature 2's initiative becomes 12, immediately before creature 1.
Creature 1 pins creature 2.

Round 2:
Initiative 13 comes around, pin ends.
Creature 2 is no longer pinned, makes an attack.
Creature 1, who pinned, sees no benefit from his pin because start of initiative count does not equal start of turn. Obviously there was enough time between the start of the initiative and creature 2's turn, as an entire player took a turn.

It is intuitive? No.
Is it common sense? No.
Is it RAW? YES.

We are going by RAW. This means that any object not concealed can be seen at any distance, as it cannot hide, and there are no limits to the range of vision. This means that not everything is common sense. But that's D&D. RAW rarely equals common sense.

Luckily, in this case RAW equals common sense, and I can't understand why you do not wish to see it apparently.
The 2nd round initiative of creature one that pinned in the 1st round is 12
(unchanged from round 1), not 13. That should answer your question. No matter what kind of example you choose, the pin is ONLY ended once the next turn of the pinning creature starts, not before. And it starts with its grapple check. You interrupt that with a ready action, and you go just before that creature when the pin is still active.

That said, Azerion's mage is being played.

Ah, am looking forward to follow that. His mage had even less of a chance than Solo's cleric.

- Giacomo

[Talic]

Luckily, in this case RAW equals common sense, and I can't understand why you do not wish to see it apparently.
The 2nd round initiative of creature one that pinned in the 1st round is 12
(unchanged from round 1), not 13. That should answer your question. No matter what kind of example you choose, the pin is ONLY ended once the next turn of the pinning creature starts, not before. And it starts with its grapple check. You interrupt that with a ready action, and you go just before that creature when the pin is still active.

WRONG. PER SRD:

Effects that last a certain number of rounds end just before the same initiative count that they began on.

Thus, if a creature begins a grapple on initiative count 12, it ends just before initiative count 12. That would be initiative count 13 (at the end of any characters that act on that count). Thus, no matter where on initiative count 12 you fall, if someone else grapples you on that count, the grapple ends immediately before the entire count. Thus, due to timing, you are wrong. There obviously can be time between the start of an initiative count and a player's first action, as entire players can take turns on that count, before you. There obviously can be situations where someone can pin you, and the pin have no impact on your turn, because RAW says so. If you don't like that, then you have a problem with the RAW, not with me. I'm interpreting this RAW, with the one exception of allowing flurry in grapple. Discussion over.

Ah, am looking forward to follow that. His mage had even less of a chance than Solo's cleric.

- Giacomo

Well, it certainly doesn't help that every grapple check he's rolled has been a nat 1. That's certainly a mitigating factor.

Now, all this aside... Troll readied action triggers, but fails automatically when attempted. Troll's initiative changes to equal yours, acting just before you. Continue your turn.

[Sir Giacomo]

Hi Talic,

OK, I give up to convince you - it is your test after all, so you have the final call here.

Since you did not insist that the troll hit on his readying turn, I also drop the idea that instead of the pin (now a useless strategy for a grappler), the monk would have simply done damage in the first round.

So I'll simply continue:
2nd round
Troll regenerates 5 hits
The Fog monk (35 hits) attacks in a flurry (btw, all damage rolls are henceforth assumed to be lethal damage)
grapple check 1 - (1d20+17)[23]
damage 1 - (3d6+6)[16]
grapple check 2 - (1d20+17)[20]
damage 2 - (3d6+6)[19]

- Giacomo

[Fenix_of_Doom]

I'd hat to interrupt now that the fight has just started again, but... what's up with posts 15,16 and 17, I'll just quote spoiler them for easy reference and add in the roll results.

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Hmm- I think a monster's grappling damage is derived from its claw/arms appendices (i.e. its natural attack damage is used).

But anyhow,

[roll0]

Then, on his turn, THE FOG attempts flurry full attack to grapple and pin.
Grapple check vs troll - (1d20+18)[24]

Then, on his turn, THE FOG attempts flurry full attack to grapple and pin.

Grapple touch attack 1 - (1d20+9)[17]
Grapple check 1 - (1d20+17)[21]
Grapple damage 1 - (3d6+6)[16]

Then, if first grapple was successful, use only the grapple check of this 2nd attempt for pinning (and not doing damage). Otherwise, try to establish hold and damage.
Grapple touch attack 2 - (1d20+9)[23]
Grapple check 2 for either damage or pin - (1d20+17)[32]
Grapple damage 2 - (3d6+6)[15]

Damage is listed as being equivalent to an unarmed strike, for entry in a grapple. It would use the attack in a grapple action to deal damage equal to natural attack.

That said, you failed grapple check versus troll, so you take the listed damage.

This obviates your need for a touch attack to initiate, removing the 1st action from your list. If acceptable, grapple action 1 will be used to deal damage, and moved to 2nd action. If 1st pin fails, grapple action 1 will be used as a 2nd pin attempt. Will spoiler opposed rolls below. If the above modification sounds good, look in spoiler. Otherwise, announce amended action, and spoilered rolls will apply to that.

You've taken 7 damage, and are reduced from 42 hp to 35 hp.

spoilered rolls:

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1st grapple check needed in the 1st grapple check needed in the round: (1d20+14)[29]

2nd grapple check needed in the round: (1d20+14)[26]

Edit: If proposed action above is accepted, then troll will take 16 nonlethal damage, and be pinned. This will reduce troll from 63hp, no nonlethal damage, to 63 hp, with 16 nonlethal damage.

No matter how you look at it 29 and 26 are both higher than 21 so either the troll has taken no damage or the troll was never pinned in the first place.

[Sir Giacomo]

True! I guess there was no good roll so far for the monk in this contest. I do not know why Talic spoilered that the troll has taken damage. He has not (so he does not need to regenerate).
And likely it'll not take any damage from these horrible second round grapplings, either.
We'll see how this develops further, so far the fog monk looks OK.

- Giacomo

[Talic]

Absolutely correct, I'm not sure how that got by me. If you'd like to reverse play to the point following the error, we can do that.

If the troll wasn't successfully pinned, then the readied action to attack when not pinned is completely nonsensical, and would most likely just be an attack. Best I can see, the attack would have hit, for 11 damage, however, it's perfectly reasonable to reverse to the turn of the troll, following the unsuccessful pin.

[Sir Giacomo]

Hi again,

well, Talic, I guess it is best we simply continue with what we have. So the monk takes 7 damage from round 1, then in the 2nd round the troll still has to oppose the two (awful) grapple checks of the monk, then the troll did his 11 damage attack.
So the monk is down to 24 hit points.

Round 3 monk actions:
Flurry! (what else? )
[roll=grapple check 1]1d20+17[/roll]
[roll=grapple damage 1]3d6+6[/roll]
[roll=grapple check 2]1d20+17[/roll]
[roll=grapple damage 2]3d6+6[/roll]

Note: Probably I'll then shuffle the equipment somewhat prior to combat 3. I take it that no actions can be done between the encounters apart from what is offered in the surprise round?

- Giacomo

[Sir Giacomo]

Darn!

The rolls did not work.
OK, again:
grapple check 1 - (1d20+17)[35]
grapple damage 1 - (3d6+6)[22]
grapple check 2 - (1d20+17)[22]
grapple damage 2 - (3d6+6)[14]

- Giacomo

[Talic]

Grapple check 1 succeeds for 22 nonlethal damage. (troll can achieve a maximum of 34 if he rolls a 20, which is 2 lower than he needs).

Opposed grapple for 2nd grapple: (1d20+14)[30]

Edit: Troll Success. No additional damage, beyond the 22.

Exchange of equipment and healing are the only options available between encounters. Bear in mind, equipment exchange is a 1 time thing. Healing may be done once per CR shift, between encounters.

No other actions may be taken during that time.

[Talic]

Troll Action:
Heals 5 nonlethal damage.
Troll HP: 63, 17 nonlethal.

Grapple Action: Attack, -4 penalty.

Attack: (1d20+5)[12]
If Hit: (1d6+6)[7]
If threat: [ro'l]1d20+5[/roll]
If Crit: (1d6+6)[12]

This concludes the troll's action.

EDIT: Roll 3 broken, but irrelevant, as the initial roll did not threaten.
Unless I'm horribly mistaken, the attack misses.

[Sir Giacomo]

Hi,

looks OK - could you do the 2nd round opposed grapple checks vs the monk's grapples? They were very meagre, though, but you never know...
Ah, and could we keep the whole damage lethal? The improved unarmed strike feat allows it. And I do not think the monk wishes to only subdue the troll, and if the party arrives at some time as for the cleric, then we'll not get confused between lethal and non-lethal damage.

Anyhow, 4th round, hoping for better luck at long last...

round 4 grapple check 1 - (1d20+17)[31]
round 4 grapple damage 1 - (3d6+6)[16]
round 4 grapple check 2 - (1d20+17)[22]
round 4 grapple damage 2 - (3d6+6)[17]

- Giacomo

[Talic]

Vs DC 23: (1d20+14)[17]
Vs DC 20: (1d20+14)[16]

Edit: 35 addl nonlethal damage. Before another roll is caught up, I am going to get a verification from all involved players that EVERY ROLL UP TO THIS POINT IS MADE. After verification, then posts 1-44 will be set in stone, and any incomplete grapple attacks will be considered automatic failures. Post 45 is the current attack, and will be rolled AFTER this verification is done.

I'm frankly rather tired of going back 5 or 10 or 20 posts to correct an oversight that should have been corrected when made. Further, when listing such delinquent rolls, including a post number GREATLY reduces the work involved in correcting it. Useful, considering how disorganized this thread has become. From this point on, that disorganization ends. List actions, make actions. Any non-turn related text, give a heading and spoiler. Keeps everything clean and organized.

I'm sure we can both agree that the lack of order in the thread makes it a bit more difficult to follow.

Example:

Previous attack puts Cloaker at -9 hp.
Combat 1 complete; time elapsed, 2 rounds + surprise round.

Mitigating Factors:

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For: Blah blah blah

Against: Blah Blah Blah

Rules Clarification:

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Blah Blah

Readied Action Dispute:

Spoiler

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More Blah

My take on Balance of the Encounter:

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More Blah

End example.

Everything above is pretty clear and easy to follow and find. Makes getting to relevant information easy, and makes it easier to reference later.

[Sir Giacomo]

Hi Talic,

the thread in the posts so far look OK to me (including that for the purpose of this combat, I accept that pin is no use vs readied actions). Ah, and forget about my lethal damage stuff - overlooked the regeneration properties to turn any damage into non-lethal one.

Otherwise back to the troll grappling match at the beginning of round four:
Troll should be now at 63 hp, 47 non-lethal (regenerated from its turn in round 2 and 3).
Monk at 24 hp.
Should I re-roll the grapple checks of round 4 or are they OK as they are?

- Giacomo

[Talic]

No, they're fine. All moves from post 1-44 are final. No more of these shenanigans from either of us.

Grapple defense, for round 4 grapples in post 44.

Roll 1 (vs 31): (1d20+14)[16]
Roll 2 (vs 22): (1d20+14)[26]

[Talic]

Via last roll, Troll has 63hp, and 63 nonlethal damage. Thus, it is Staggered.

Troll turn: Regenerate 5 hp, losing the Staggered condition. Not that the move action will be used anyway, sigh. Grapples and their lack of good uses for a move action.

Standard action: Attack at a -4 penalty.

Attack: (1d20+5)[11]
If Hit: (1d6+6)[12]
If threat: (1d20+5)[12]
If Crit: (1d6+6)[7]

EDIT: Miss, Troll turn ends. Begin start of round 5. If troll remains grappled at the end of its next action (as it began the grapple), it will begin taking lethal damage at a rate of 12 hp/round.

[Sir Giacomo]

Die, you beast from hell! I almost had you!

round 5 grapple check 1 - (1d20+17)[36]
round 5 grapple damage 1 - (3d6+6)[22]
round 5 grapple check 2 - (1d20+17)[30]
round 5 grapple damage 2 - (3d6+6)[16]

[Talic]

Unconscious after the first attack, as it would need an unmodified roll of 23 on a D20 to resist. 2nd hit automatically goes throughm pushing nonlethal damage above the rate of lethal damage that begins on the end of the troll's next round.

Elapsed time: 5 rounds + surprise round to subdue creature. 11 rounds + surprise round for party damage to overcome it permanently.

Mitigating factors:

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Poor monk rolls in the beginning resulted in extra damage to the monk. Balanced against poor troll rolls in the last several rounds.

High damage output beneficial to dropping the creature.
High grapple mod great for offense, good for defense. With Pin action, it can limit the foe to no more than 1 attack per round, and makes most attempts to harm the monk difficult.
Low AC is a critical factor in mitigating grapple effectiveness. Though grapple gives a -20% penalty to attacks, if your AC+4 is still hit on a roll of 10 or better, you're vulnerable to a grapple style. High Grapple/Low AC is like wearing Full plate over the chest, but being pantsless.

Next opponent will be: Dire Lion.

If you need gear changeout, or healing, do so now.

[Sir Giacomo]

OK, let's get ready for unknown territory...

Equipment is changed as posted in the main thread (note: part of the mundane equipment is a chain with which the horn of fog is fixed to the girdle of the monk). Plus, THE FOG will no longer keep his spiked chain in his hands at the start of the upcoming combat, but instead his horn of fog in one and the potion of mage armour in the other.

Between encounter healing: 3 potions of CLW imbibed, yielding
3 potions of CLW healing - (3d8+3)[20]

Then, in the surprise round, THE FOG blows the horn, creating an obscuring mist effect that envelops himself and the lion (in case it appears within 20ft of him), centred 20ft around him. He then drops the horn (free action) back dangling at his side.

Then, starting round 1...
Combat vs Dire Lion Initiative - (1d20+1)[21]

[Talic]

There is no time between encounters. Only things that can be done between encounters are the following:

1) Use Party heal (once per CR shift, restore HP to full)
2) Use Equipment changeout. (swap out any equipment for value of product in its current state. Do not halve for selling. Thus, potion of CLW would exchange back at a value of 50g. If you drank it? It exhanges at the value of an empty vial. Services which have a non-returnable nature may not be exhanged.) This may be done once, period. When you replace items, you may specify their location, and thus, you may use this to also change items in hand, on back, etc.

All other actions, whether they be casting spells or activating magic items, are not allowed.

This means that: along with re-equip, changing of items in hand - legal.
Attaching of horn and chain - Legal.
Quaffing of potions - not legal. Is activation of magical items, and is no more legal than a character casting cure light wounds, or bull's strength, between rounds, which has been expressly disallowed. If you need health, and can't afford to drink potions in fight, party heal is available, and the surprise round that you always get is available.
Use of horn of fog, combined with free action drop - Legal.

Note: For Reference, all encounters for the entirety of this challenge, will begin at a distance of 30 feet. This allows any character, from a Halfling in full plate to a Barbarian monk with the psionic feat "Speed of Thought" to make a grapple on a full round charge, while leaving enough distance that opponents do not immediately threaten one another.

[Sir Giacomo]

Ah OK, party heals in between, that changes the equipment reshuffle. Instead of 6 of the 9 potions of CLW, I'll take another potion of bull's strength. I was tempted to simply take a potion of hide from animals (since that is highly useful to avoid the best grapplers in those levels), but that would be somewhat metagamish, and THE FOG certainly will want to buff now, not later, and how could he know beforehand that an animal is the next opponent (plus, he has no knowledge-animal to be sure that that creature is not a magical beast, since it is so big)?

Ànyhow, then. Initiative is rolled. I'm eager to see whether the fog delaying tactics will work.

[Talic]

Fair enough. Wanted to make equipment use available prior to beginning match. Bolded text below for easy "at a glance" reference.

CR 5 Party Heal used on 3rd encounter.

Lion Initiative: (1d20+2)[16]

While initiative is unspoilered, based on action in the surprise round, there is no way to know whether or not you're acting before the other.

Edit: Monk has initiative.

[Sir Giacomo]

Oh, there is a way to know whether the lion went first...it would likely be heard doing something (listen check for the monk).

Anyhow, round 1 actions:
- drink potion of mage armour, let drop bottle (standard action). AC is now 16.
- draw potion of bull's strength (move action)
- make 5ft step to the left, moving silently to do so move silently check - (1d20+12)[32] (note: the lion gets -3 penalty to listen check, since it is still 30ft away)

[Talic]

A listen check could prove that the lion did act... It wouldn't prove that it did not... Unless you beat the check by 20, and pinpointed the creature, that is.

Ok, here's my take on lion's actions:

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1) No LOS. Limitations, unsure of precise location of enemy, cannot charge, as that requires LOS at start of action.

2) Monk is within range of scent ability, and has remained within range of scent ability. Thus, creature can discern that the monk is within 30 feet. by the fact that it cannot see the monk, it can discern that the monk is blocked by the cloud. Horn of fog created a 10x10 fog cloud in the surprise round, with monk in the cloud.

... F F .......... L L
... M F...........L L

On round 1, that fog cloud moves forward 10 feet (per Horn of Fog), and the monk steps to the left 5 feet. The update looks like this:

... M...F F ......L L
.........F F.......L L

Fog is now between the monk and the lion. (lion occupies a 10x10 area, as does the fog). Lion can smell monk. Lion makes a listen check which auto fails - cannot make a DC 32, with a -3 penalty to the check for distance. Lion can detect no sign that the monk has moved, and is certain he's somewhere behind or in that fog cloud. (creatures with animal intelligence will not account for things like invisibility when trying to figure out where something is)

Intuitive reasoning behind Lion's assumption that player did not move. Many prey animals, when alerted to danger, freeze motionless, making neither sight nor sound. Thus, when a stalked animal stops being heard, but can still be smelled, a lion's experience would hint that the prey may have done this.

Lion moves forward directly towards the monk's last known location. Lion and monk gain LOS to each other when Lion reaches 10 feet distance. Lion occupies the entire fog area. Lion makes an attack at monk from this distance. Chooses Bite attack.

Attack:(1d20+7)[22] (bite bonus)
If Hit: (1d8+3)[4] (bite damage)
If Threat: (1d20+7)[22]
If Crit: (1d8+3)[6]

If Hit, Lion uses Improved Grab ability.
Opposed Grapple check: (1d20+17)[20] (grapple modifier)
If Wins: (1d4+7)[10] (unarmed strike damage for a large creature with 25 str).

This concludes Lion's turn (move and standard action used). At start of monk turn, Fog cloud moves forward 10 more feet, carrying it to behind the Lion.

EDIT: Hit, low grapple roll though, and low damage. Need opposed grapple check.

My Take on horn:

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Not a bad move. As Lion didn't have LOS, it could not declare a charge. A better move for round 1 might have been a full run away. The lion would have moved through the smoke most likely, and would only then realize how far away the monk was. That has the advantage of allowing the monk to buff, and if the lion runs after him in the NEXT round, lion loses dex to AC. As is, it prevented Pounce, which is still not bad.

[Sir Giacomo]

Well Talic,

The good:
Your description of the animal's tactis is excellent!

The bad:
The obscuring mist effect from the horn of fog should be 20ft radius in round one, and 10ft blocks in the rounds afterwards.
(check also what I wrote in the joker monk thread).

Now, to avoid lengthly discussions - I will follow your ruling here. But you noticed that I built my strategy on the notion of a 20ft radius fog. If indeed the fog produced is only 10ft cube, then I probably would have used the tactics you suggested.

Then, scenting is a move-equivalent action, so the lion could have only used its second move action to move close to the monk, establishing line of sight.


So, either way, the monk would not have been attacked yet.

Round 2 THE FOG actions:
Scenario 1:
The monk moved silently away with double move (-5 move silentyl check) to a 100ft distance in round 1, confusing the dire lion. Thus, it would still be around the mist, while THE FOG now did his mage armour activation, not dropping the bottle, but drawing the bull strength potion in a 2nd movemnt, stepping back another 5ft (silently, move silently round 2 - (1d20+12)[13]).
Scenario 2:
The dire lion is now next to THE FOG, THE FOG moves into the the 10ft cube fog (in fact, through it to emerge on the other side, blocking again line of sight) and drinks the bull's strength potion.

[Sir Giacomo]

Ach, what the heck.

Let's keep things simple and forget about the fog henceforth, it served its purpose:
It is as you said, except that the dire lion could not attack yet (it moved and scented).

ROUND 2 FOG MONK ACTIONS
THE FOG then tumbles away (auto-success) without AoO around 25ft, keeps in line of sight of the dire lion, drinks the potion of bull's strength, drops both empty bottles and says "come here, kitty, kitty, kitty."

[Talic]

The bad:
The obscuring mist effect from the horn of fog should be 20ft radius in round one, and 10ft blocks in the rounds afterwards.
(check also what I wrote in the joker monk thread).

Horn of Fog issue:

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This small bugle allows its possessor to blow forth a thick cloud of heavy fog similar to that of an obscuring mist spell. The fog covers a 10-foot square next to the horn blower each round that the user continues to blow the horn; fog clouds travel 10 feet each round in a straight line from the emanation point unless blocked by something substantial such as a wall. The device makes a deep, foghorn-like noise, with the note dropping abruptly to a lower register at the end of each blast. The fog dissipates after 3 minutes. A moderate wind (11+ mph) disperses the fog in 4 rounds; a strong wind (21+ mph) disperses the fog in 1 round.

Based on the text of the item... You blew the horn, creating a 10 foot square of fog. Check. That fog will persist for 30 rounds. Check. Now, it's unclear whether the fog moves, or if it only moves while you blow. I went with the first. That means it travels 10 feet. Travel = move, not expand. Its text is fundamentally different from an Eversmoking Bottle, which would expands as you described.

Attack issue:

Spoiler

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You ARE attacked. That stands. I need the opposed grapple check. Your action was posted, and stands as posted. We're not doing action takebacks. If you misunderstood the functioning of your item, consider it a learning experience. However, even if the Fog DID expand (rather than move, which is what the item SAYS it does), the lion would have moved 5 feet further forward, putting it 5 feet from you, and within sight. You moved silently, however, you did not hide, so LOS would have been established at that point, allowing for the attack. The "noting direction of scent" will only be used if the lion has no idea whatsoever of your location. All it needs is knowing you're within 30 feet, which is automatic. It did not note the direction of the scent, which requires a move action. I need an opposed grapple check, DC 20.

All round 2 actions are currently invalid until round 1 actions are resolved.