The Most Merciful Thing (OOC)

[lostsole31]

Wouldn't that be the gnarly, bodacious riffs of Metal?

And no, I don't.

I dance a little tarantella.

[Ascension]

I need to apologize. I've been playing more Star Wars Saga Edition than D&D lately, and in SWSE you double your Strength bonus when wielding a two-handed weapon, and I completely forgot that D&D uses 1.5x Strength instead. It's never actually been much of an issue for me before, because I usually don't play characters who have Strength bonuses, much less ones who fight with two-handed weapons.

I apologize. All of my damage rolls since the beginning of the game have been too high. On the other hand, all of my attack rolls have been pathetic, so I don't think it really matters all that much. I'll correct my gaffe from here on out.

[lostsole31]

Just consider it the wasted power of a misspent youth. Too bad you're now feeling the effects of age, huh? Happens to the best of us.

Besides, you do wield a two-handed weapon, you are super strong, you do have Power Attack, and Power Attack does double the bonus you get for damage from that feat when wielding a weapon two-handed.

No worries, dude. Grug doesn't just rock ...

Grug Smash!!!

[Ascension]

Grug certainly tries. Grug certainly tries.

Ascension, though, thinks the better plan for this battle might have involved less smashing and more trying to break whatever force is controlling the animals.

[Terraspaz]

You can still accomplish that goal, if you define "Force controlling the animals" as "their brains and hearts." If you do it that way, you guys are totally using the correct strategy.

[Ascension]

So we'll win their hearts and minds... through brute force? Sounds like a plan!

And oh, thank Pelor for the Deus Divine Healing ex Machina. Sure, Grug has Cure Light and Moderate himself, but it would be out of character for him not to be Raging right now, and that sort of... creates a problem.

Sorry about constantly turning into a pincushion, but that is sort of the Barbarian's job description.

[Terraspaz]

Will, you're up!

Also, y'all remind me to tell you a funny story I learned about encounter design after Operation: Lizard-Bear is all done.

[Ascension]

By the way, handy hint... Assassin vines don't scale well. At all. Especially if you apply templates.

...

Never again... Never again...

*shudder*

[lostsole31]

By the way, handy hint... Assassin vines don't scale well. At all. Especially if you apply templates.

...

Never again... Never again...

*shudder*

So, when you say that ... you're referring to the way vines 'scale' up a trellis, right? Right?

[Ascension]

I'm referring to the killer "CR 10" assassin vines that completely overwhelmed my level nine party. They didn't even stand a chance. Granted, I did determine I had a slight flaw in my CR calculations, but still... it's scary how many Plant HD you get for each CR increase.

[Shhhh!]

Off-topic though it may be, in eight years of DnD, I don't think I've ever fought with, or used a plant type, or subtype creature.




Nope. I have not. Huh.

[lostsole31]

25 years here ... it's not often I use Plant-type creatures, but I do. As a result, players are normally ill-prepared to fight them and cause more fear at a gaming table then constructs or undead.

[Shhhh!]

Oh, It's not that I've avoided them, I just never think -You know what would be great? A shambling mound!-
I won't make excuses for any of my various DMs. It's on them.

[lostsole31]

Better saves than a construct, and with a decent Constitution (Plant creatures tend to be 'tough'), and yet immune to most 'bodily processes' that require a Fort save. Immune to crits. Often have special senses. Immune to most mental attacks. Can't be turned or hurt by a hundred+ spells/ effects like undead.

Some of the tougher ones have a pretty solid natural armor, albeit low Dexterity. Only a few of them have any vulnerability to fire, so that is the most common misconception of weakness.

Yeah, they don't have vocal cords (normally) to shout their prowess, so they don't get good press like others ... but Plant creatures can be downright nasty.

If you're a DM who wants to recycle the earth with dead adventurer's flesh as mulch ... Think Green!

[RebelRogue]

Sorry about the delay. As for the current situation, I'm not really sure I'm entitled to a Move Silently check, but that natural 20 has got to count for something!

[RebelRogue]

Another quick question: do we (those of us with no ranks in Knowledge(Nature) anyway) have any chance of recognizing that the lizards are somehow using electricity. It's been given away OOC that they're shocker lizards, but do we see them sparkle or something?

[Ascension]

My policy is always to kill off the little guys first. Then you won't have to worry about them nipping at your heels while you're trying to deal with your larger problems.

[RebelRogue]

It's not so much a question of threat assessment. I'd just like to know if it would be OOC of me to try to steal electricity resistance from the critters.

[Terraspaz]

They're magical beasts, so it'd be an arcana check, instead of nature.

Without arcana, the only way to figure out the effects would be a more concrete observation. (For instance, seeing, or being electrocuted yourself.)

[RebelRogue]

They're magical beasts, so it'd be an arcana check, instead of nature.

I'm trained in neither. Is an untrained roll appropriate? I suppose not, but here goes nothing, just in case: Knowledge (Arcana): (1d20+3)[14]

[Ascension]

I was actually just trying to explain why Grug is going after the small bears instead of helping with the big bears.

[Terraspaz]

Sorry, nothin' on those lizards. Pretty sure knowledge is a trained-only skill.

[knewsom]

In my experience, that's tactically dangerous, especially if there are a relatively equal number of strong and weak opponents. ALWAYS take out the opponent who has the greatest chances of dealing the most damage most often, FIRST. The smaller bears will need to roll higher just to hit, and won't do as much damage when they do. The brown bears are VERY dangerous, much stronger, can hit more often, and do more damage. (I'd rather take 5 damage a round for 5 rounds from a black bear than 15 damage a round for 2 rounds from a brown bear).

In a previous game, I confounded a DM by entirely IGNORING the horde of imps that kept swatting at me - I was playing a Dragon Shaman with Mithral Full Plate +3 and a badass shield, with feats that made the shield build even more effective. Add in natural armor, buffs, etc, and I had an AC of over 35 during the battle, meaning imps could only hit me on a natural 20. They COULD cast spells, however, but most were vs fort saves, which I was very good at overcoming. The real danger was the high level fighter and the wizard we were trying to kill, and so we stayed focused on them. Once the BBEG is toast, the little nippers fall like flies.

And as a side note, I'd like to remind Nis that Remus is bleeding BADLY. As in, I only have 20 HP left.

[Terraspaz]

At least there's a hole now. For a sec, looked like there was no place for Nis to go to heal you at all.

But no...... Grug had to go and kill the thing.

[lostsole31]

Sorry, nothin' on those lizards. Pretty sure knowledge is a trained-only skill.

Yes, primarily. However, if the DC of the Knowledge is 10 or less for very basic, 'common-knowledge' things ... a character can make an untrained Intelligence check. But shocker lizards are not common knowledge.

@Remus:

Spoiler

Show

In general, you are absolutely right. This is why Kioi is as focused as he's been on the two grizzlies ... if at least to keep them from flanking you as best he can (he can't help with the little guys right now). By engaging the big 'uns he can take up their time with his and Ihsan's 24+ AC each ... even if I don't dish out nearly as much damage as you or Grug.

That said, while from a pure 'numbers' standpoint it makes sense for us to try to engineer the 'let's all get in position to focus on one at a time thing' that makes no sense ... especially in this battle.

If Will can at least sneak up and surprise a lizard or two ... that is a lesser area/missile threat the rest of us have to deal with after so tough a fight as these bears. He might spend a round or two having to reposition, but the end result will be worth it. The last thing you want is for a bear to get sneak attacked by Will, not go down, and then charge the little guy. He might be agile but probably doesn't have nearly enough protection and if he gets hit there isn't a cold chance in hell of him escaping the initial grapple; then it falls to him try to use Escape Artist on his turn (don't know how good you are). Better that he takes the shot that counts from relative safety than expose himself and get torn to shreds.

Nis, yeah, needs to keep those heals coming ... she does far more 'damage' to the bears by providing you with renewed hp's to continue making bearskin rugs.

Grug and you should optimally find a way to fall back to a 'protective circle' with Nis and Kioi/Ihsan. You should both wail, tactically speaking, on the same bigger target if possible. That said, and I know you're hurting buddy ... Grug (for all of his surprising urbane speech and manners) is still a half-orc. He might not be 'raging' but blood lust is in his bones, and it simply makes sense that as he is only barely more civilized than Kioi (don't let me being a mounted warrior fool you ... in this battle you notice that he, too, possesses a feral nature that blends well with you and Grug). So you can blame him after battle, but in battle - now that he has sung and thrown himself into the fray - probably can't be too choosy. I don't know. Just an observation.

I don't know what's going on with Lily. I am pretty sure the player is gone and the DM is using 'magic bubble' techniques on her. Not my game, though verisimilitude is broken unless she is unconscious (which she very well may be).

So at last we come to Mr. Crowley. Kioi doesn't know what he can do, doesn't have D&D books, and can't look up archivist and get a run-down. Mr. Crowley has intimated he is a man of knowlege, but that means little to Kioi (and knowing about archivists, even less to the player). Kioi is surprisingly learned, which throws those who would estimate him off, especially with his very tactical fighting style (that is what Combat Expertise is, after all ... tactical fighting and fighting) and knowledge skills. But as a druid, he believes that every wolf in the pack has to pull their own weight.

Until he sees something to change his mind, Kioi's wrath at seeing Jonathon Crowley saunter up the hill makes him think two words: "Dead Weight."

[knewsom]

At least there's a hole now. For a sec, looked like there was no place for Nis to go to heal you at all.

But no...... Grug had to go and kill the thing.

Now, THAT is a DAMN good reason to attack a less powerful opponent first!

[Terraspaz]

Lily injured, and probably broke her ankle. She's farther down the mountain, and I think is even on the map.

[lostsole31]

Whoo-hoo!

It's about friggin' time I got one for the team ... you guys' was probably thinking I was doing a fine job of giving advice but couldn't fight worth a damn.

Way to Power Attack-Power Slam on that last shot, Grug! 27 points .... Wha-Bam!

[Ascension]

Way to Power Attack-Power Slam on that last shot, Grug! 27 points .... Wha-Bam!

...but I rolled a four on the attack roll...

Oh, wait, if that's a normal Brown I hit it anyway!

[Terraspaz]

Sorry folks... got a Differential Equations test tomorrow. I want to do the story justice, so please bear with a one-day stall.

Again... I'm sorry for the delay.