The Scouring Of Gate Pass

[Moofin Bard]

Leiah

Leiah shrugs. Well, the magic school is closer to her contact then the councilman is but if that is you decision, I won't stop you.

[harmonictempest]

Norven

Norven shrugs right back. I've no pressing need to be right - we may find that we are able to split up and visit both. For the time being, though, we don't have much to do until our meeting in an hour. We may as well pass the time pleasantly. He pours himself another drink. If no one minds, I'd like to offer a humble memory - it's old tradition in my village to share our fondest memories of the old year on the eve of the new. Mine this year was the day after midsummer, when I was finishing preparations for my journey here. I stayed up late into the night with an old friend, talking late into the night. He raises a glass to the memory, then takes a sip and sits quietly.

[Duke of URL]

Torrent, sensing the conversation winding down, starts discussing the contact she needs to meet with. "Rivereye is a spy for Lyceum, and he should have important information about the Ragesian army. His usual contact, a human name Peppin Tallman, was found dead not long ago, so it's up to us to get..."

A series of muted thumps suddenly can be heard in the distance. Torrent's face suddenly turns very serious and a little sad. "It has begun. Those sound like Ragesian devices being dropped from their wyvern riders. So much for a peaceful solution."

@Norven, Leiah, and Zosimus

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You also hear what sound like floorboards creaking overhead.

[Moofin Bard]

Leiah

Leiah sighed inwardly. Of course we can't come to a peaceful solution. We never can. She then hears the floorboards creak above them. She looks up. There's something above us. We should leave...

[The Bushranger]

Rommie

The bard looks up and frowns.
I thought this place was supposed to be empty except for us...
One hand falls to the whip fastened to her belt.

[Weezer]

Zosimus

Rising to his feet, Zosimus grips the hilt of his greatsword, peering upwards to the noise Its probably someone we dont want to meet, lets get out of here He moves to the door, opens the door a crack and gazes into the darkness looking and listening for anyone waiting outside.

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Spot:(1d20)[19] Listen:(1d20)[8] yay internet is working again

[The Bushranger]

Rommie

Agreed.
Rommie decides to pass on the whip and readies her crossbow instead, trying to quietly move behind Zosimus as he looks out the door.

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Move Silently: (1d20+1)[13]
Spot: (1d20+2)[9]
Listen: (1d20+4)[7]

[Moofin Bard]

Leiah

Leiah follows her comrades and looks out the door.

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Move Silently: (1d20+1)[5]
Spot: (1d20+6)[26]
Listen: (1d20+5)[8]

((@^ Sweet another nat. 20))

[harmonictempest]

Norven

Norven quietly readies a bolt in his crossbow, following the others to the door as his eyes glitter with excitement.

[Duke of URL]

Just as you start opening the door, you all (except Zosimus who failed a DC 5 listen check!) hear a shout from outside, "front door: go!" Through the narrow crack, you see what appears to be four burly human-sized shapes running with what appears to be a battering ram. Right at you.

Torrent starts loading her crossbow as well.

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Map

Legend:

• Blue squares indicate difficult terrain (tables, bar, etc) that can provide cover
• Yellow square indicate windows (boarded)
• Orange squares indicate interior doors
• Purplish squares indicate exterior doors
• Green squares indicate stairwell
• L(eiah), N(orven) R(ommie), T(orrent), Z(osimus), and Thugs 1, 2, 3, and 4

Roll initiative please.

[The Bushranger]

Rommie

Oh crap!

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Initative: (1d20+1)[11]

[harmonictempest]

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Awesome.
Initiative - (1d20+2)[20]

[Weezer]

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Initiative: (1d20+1)[16] if the listen was dc 5 zosimus passed it with an 8 right?

[Moofin Bard]

Leiah

Shoot!
Leiah arms herself with a scimitar.
Isn't there a back way out?

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Initiative: (1d20)[9]

[The Bushranger]

Rommie
Maybe we should let them in and take them down!
She moves to get behind the counter for cover, resting her crossbow on it and standing ready.

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Move over the counter/table/whatever, one square up and then one diagonally up/left.

[Weezer]

Zosimus

Zosimus steps quickly to the side of the door and raises his sword, prepared to attack the first grunt that comes through the door.

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5 foot step to be just to the left of the door, activating punishing stance readying action to attack the first thug through the door with sapphire nightmare blade.
attack: (1d20+3)[5]
damage: (3d6+3)[13]
concentration for sapphire nightmare blade: (1d20+6)[23]
additional d6 for sapphire nightmare blade: (1d6)[2]

If the concentration check is greater than the targets AC I get the +1d6 and the target is considered flat footed

[Moofin Bard]

Leiah

Leiah thinks. If they said 'front door: go' does that mean they might have someone at the other door too?

Leiah uses a move action to stand by the table on the opposite side of Norven.

[Duke of URL]

Zosmius attempts an elaborate strike, but misses the moving target. Torrent., who had held her crossbow ready as well, misses the same target, with the bolt narrowly missing Zosimus as well. She drops the crossbow and pulls out her battleaxe.

One of the thugs shouts, "drop your weapons and come quietly. We don’t want to break your valuable little heads." Torrent simply replies, "just try it, buddy."

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DM Rolls: Torrent Initiative 14-1=13, Torrent Attack 2+0=2

Map

Initiative order:

20 - Norven
16 - Zosimus
13 - Torrent
11 - Rommie
9 - Leiah
0 - Thug 1
0 - Thug 2
0 - Thug 3
0 - Thug 4

Don't worry about posting in initiative order. I'll resolve conflicts between actions as best as I can if someone with a higher init posts later.

[The Bushranger]

Rommie

Andromeda's voice is low and dangerous.
Come and take it.
She steadies her crossbow at Thug #1...
Twang!

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Fires crossbow at ThingThug One.
Attack: (1d20+1)[4]
Damage: (1d8)[3]
Reloading

[Moofin Bard]

Leiah

Leiah moves on the other side of thug 2 for a flanking bonus. She goes for him with her scimitar.

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Attack: (1d20+2)[6]
Damage: (1d6)[5]

[Duke of URL]

Norven plugs a crossbow bolt into the lead thug, who promptly drops to the floor. Zosimus is a flurry of blades, attacking both of the standing thugs within reach -- one dodges the blow, but the other is caught squarely for a finishing blow. Torrent and Leaih both take swipes at the new lead thug, but miss, as does Rommie with her crossbow. The thug, in turn, whiffs in Torrent's general direction.

The last thug manages to enter the doorway, and connects a vicious (but non-lethal) strike with his sap on Zosimus in retaliation for dropping his companion. The creaking overhead can now be heard plainly, as footsteps start pounding down the stairs. At the same time, the building shakes and a deafening boom sounds overhead. Ceiling boards crack and buckle, and flaming oil leaks down into the room like a fiery rain. Overhead, a handful of screams sound out as some more of the thugs are caught in the flaming burst and slain. Two make it down safely, but a third stumbles down the stairs, on fire, and quickly dies in the flames. The bronze bust of Emperor Coaltongue falls off the wall and lands with a thud on the floor. The thug in the doorway takes a small amount of damage from the fiery oil.

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Everyone inside the building needs to make a DC 10 reflex save to avoid fiery spray (1 hp damage on failure). The red squares on the map indicate flaming debris -- difficult terrain and you will take fire damage for trying to get through.

Zosimus takes 12 points of non-lethal damage (critical hit, ouch!). Thugs #1 and #3 are unconscious and dying.

DM Rolls: Norven Crossbow 16+2=18, Norven Damage 7, Zosimus uses Steel Wind, Zosimus Attack #1 3+3, Zosimus Attack #2 18+3=21, Zosimus Damage 9+3=12, Torrent Attack 4+4=8, Thug 2 Attack 6+3=9, Thug 4 Attack 20+3=23*, Thug 4 Confirm 19+3=22, Thug 4 Damage 8+4=12, Thug 2 Reflex 15, Thug 4 Reflex 8, Thug 5 Reflex 17+3=20, Thug 6 Reflex 19+3=22

Map

Initiative order:

20 - Norven
16 - Zosimus
13 - Torrent
11 - Rommie
9 - Leiah
1 - Thug 5
1 - Thug 6
0 - Thug 2
0 - Thug 4

[The Bushranger]

Rommie

Managing to stay calm, at least to outside appearances, as things quickly go to Hades complete with fire, Rommie's attention turns to the thugs coming down the stairs, and she squeezes off a crossbow bolt at Thug #6 before diving over the counter to escape the trap her position has become.

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Attack: (1d20+1)[5]
Damage: (1d8)[4]
Reflex save: (1d20+3)[6]
Move three squares right then one diagonally down and right.

((Ouch...))

[Weezer]

Zosimus

Staggering slightly from the blow and feeling as if he is going to black out, Zosimus steadies himself and launches a fearsome blow, using its power to toughen his very skin. He then begins to flee, backing up till his back is to the stairs to stop the thugs from flanking him.

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stone bones strike, if it hits dr 5/adamantine for 1 round
Attack: [roll]1d20+3[\roll] Damage: [roll]3d6+3[\roll]
moving back 10 ft and left 10 ft i move to a spot where the thugs can only approach me one at a time.

[Moofin Bard]

Leiah

Leiah looks disturbed at why there is suddenly firy objects around her but keeps trying to attack. Should we try to escape through the alley? She swings once again at Thug number two.

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Reflex Save: (1d20+2)[3]
Attack: (1d20)[11]
Damage: (1d6)[5]

[Duke of URL]

Norven tries to stay on a roll, but after dodging burning oil, his next bolt thuds into the wall. Zosimus cuts the thug in front of him in two and just misses catching the one in the doorway with his follow-through. He then tries to withdraw to a more defensive location, but the thug behind him seizes the chance to strike when an opening presents itself, and drops Zosimus to unconsciousness. Torrent steps forward and finishes off the thug in the doorway. Rommie misses again, and then moves to a location not quite as much on fire. Leiah moves over to take care of the thug that dropped Zosimus, but in their exchange of blows, she misses and catches the thug's sap square on the temple, dropping her into the realm of the not conscious. The last thug navigates the bodies on the floor and manages to land a mild shot on Torrent, who merely glares at him as if that just made her mad.

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harmonictempest is AFK though tomorrow, so I'll NPC him again for this fight...

Leiah, Rommie, and Torrent all take 1 point of fire damage.

Zosimus takes two points (after DR) of non-lethal damage, which brings him to 0 by my count. Leiah takes 14 points of non-lethal damage. (Myth Weavers is temporarily down, but I'll assume that's enough to make her hors do combat).

DM Rolls: Norven Reflex 13+2=15, Norven Attack 5+2=7, Torrent Reflex 2-1=1, Torrent Attack 18+4=22, Torrent Damage 4+2=6, Thug 5 AoO Attack 18+3=21, Thug 5 AoO Damage 5+2=7-5(DR)=2, Thug 5 Attack 20+3*, Thug 5 Confirm 20+3, Thug 5 Damage 10+4=14, Thug 6 Attack 18+3=21, Thug 6 Damage 2+2=4

Map

Initiative order:

20 - Norven
16 - Zosimus (Unconscious)
13 - Torrent
11 - Rommie
9 - Leiah (Unconscious)
1 - Thug 5
1 - Thug 6

[The Bushranger]

Rommie

Slightly singed and seeing two of her companions down, the bard's expression hardens as she reloads her crossbow and draws a bead once more on Thug Six...

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Attack: (1d20+1)[5]
Damage: (1d8)[2]
then a five-foot step forwards ("down" on the map)

[Duke of URL]

Crossbow bolts fly wildly off mark, but Torrent's axe hits home, killing another of the thugs. The last one picks his way across the bodies on the floor, apparently figuring that if he can drop torrent, the casters (whom he came for in the first place) will be easy marks to finish up, but he misses.

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DM Rolls: Norven Attack 2+2=4, Torrent 20+4=24*, Torrent Confirm 11+4=15, Torrent Damage 12+6=18, Thug 5 Attack 11+3=14

Map

[The Bushranger]

Rommie

Andromeda steps behind Norven as she reloads her crossbow then unloads it at point-blank range in the remaining thug's back.

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Five foot step to the left on the map.
Attack: (1d20+1)[14]
Damage: (1d8)[6]

[harmonictempest]

Norven

"'Ware the stairs, this tavern's not empty yet!" Norven echoes, bravely attempting a worthy quip as he unloads his bolt alongside Rommie. With two down, this isn't looking great - well, better save my spells rather than use it on just one, now.

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Attack - (1d20+2)[21]
Damage - (1d8)[4]

[Moofin Bard]

Todd

Todd finally joins the battle. If the bolt doesn't kill the thug, he'll be ready to attack. He is standing to the right of Torrent.

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Initiative: (1d20+2)[15]