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Excalibur: a NeoGAF Pathfinder Play by Post Campaign

Mike M

Nick N
"Your words are as empty as your soil," Thaddeus announces defiantly, even though it probably wasn't talking to him since it said 'human'. "Mankind ill needs a landscape such as you!"

((Holy fuck. Sorry, Jackben time to turn in your crown for your Wizards of the Coast name drop last game.))
 

Mike M

Nick N
((Gnaw moves up next to Dreadstone but takes no further action))

Seeing that the humungous rock monster has opted not to pursue him or his master at the moment, Gnaw limps to Dreadstone’s side, whimpering in pain as he favors one of his hind legs.

“Oh, you poor thing,” Chloe says, kneeling down and allowing Gnaw to lick her face. “Look what that horrible creature has done to you!”

“Silverlight!” Dreadstone barks, attempting to draw a bead on the earth elemental with his arrow but finding that his aim is wandering. “Focus!”

“Oh!” she shouts, standing up at attention. “Of course sir! Hold on for just a moment, I can try to heal you both at the same time! It’s not quite as effective as the full spell, but I haven’t quite gotten the hang of doing mass curative spells, so I figured that--”

”Silverlight!”

“Sir, yes sir!” Chloe shouts, her voice raising an octave as her face blushes in embarrassment. Bowing her head in prayer, divine energies begin to radiate from the cleric like a glowing cloud. With a wordless shout, she raises her mailed fist into the air, her eyes aglow with radiance. For a moment, Dreadstone thinks that the glowing aura takes the form a lightning bolt in her fist. But the image is fleeting, gone as soon as the luminous vapor bursts away from her, washing over him and Gnaw before fading to nothing a few paces away.

Code:
Channel Energy:  4d6+1/3=15+5=20
((She’s got some domain power that adds 1/3rd the points of a Channel Energy roll, but Myth-Weaver’s Alpha Sheets aren’t working great on my phone so I can’t look it up. Technically I guess Draco gets cured as well since he’s within 30 feet of Chloe at that point. She’ll stay put and draw her sword.))

Dreadstone feels the pain lessen, but not abate completely. “That’s better,” he growls. Using his thumb, he pops the top of Draco’s extract of haste and downs the contents in a single swig. The actions of others slow down as time itself seems to stretch on for everyone but himself. Drawing his bow, Dreadstone feels the familiar burn of exertion across his chest and arms as he aims toward the elemental.

“Justkeepth’bastardoffa’me,” he says, his words coming out in an unbroken string of syllables at a distinctly higher pitch than normal just before he lets his black-fletched missile fly.

Code:
Attack vs. Earth Elemental:  1d20+19+1=40
Confirming critical:  1d20+19+1=37
Damage:  2d8+20=32
Sniper_animation.gif


((Only get the one shot since I used an action to drink the potion, right? I can edit in a full round attack instead if I can take more shots, though if I can keep that first roll and apply multishot, I will not complain at all))

((One of the reasons I’ve eschewed magic users (and magic in general, since technically Dreadstone has the ability) is that I have a great deal of difficulty parsing how the magic system works. Clerics have a set number of casts at each spell level, and can prepare any spell on the cleric list, but need to do it ahead of time. What I’m confused about is how many spells she can have prepared at a time. If I have a spell for every slot, can she only fire each spell once, or can she fire one of them repeatedly at the expense of being able to do another, different of the same spell level later? i.e. if I wanted multiple castings of Cure Wounds, do I have to have multiple prepared? Meanwhile wizards can pick what spells they know from a list, but can only prepare some of the spells at a time, but have more castings available? Is that the trade off? Next game I’m just gonna be a guy who just punches everything, I swear…))
 
<I'll address how Cleric spells work before getting to other parts of your post

- They do not need to learn spells or have them written in a spell book, making the entire spell list available to them for memorization
- They can fill more than one slot with the same spell
- Domain spells are extra spells added on top of what spells you normally memorize
- Clerics can "toss" spells they've memorized to cast a Cure ____ Wounds spell of similar level
- Some spells may be taboo for a Cleric to use depending on their deity or alignment, which doesn't necessarily limit their spell list but does add consideration to the choices as fluff

Wizards in contrast

- Need to have spells written to a spell book to be able to memorize it, but can write spells to it from scrolls as their form of learning new spells
- Their spell list changes depending on what schools they wish to specialize in

Since we're on the subject, I'll mention Sorcerers

- They do *not* need to Memorize spells
- But they are forced to learn spells as they level, meaning their spell list is actually very limited
- Bloodline powers add extra abilities and/or spells
- They get more casts per spell level than Wizards

Other classes are usually some variation of these types of spell memorization and learning.>
 
((Unless KM is houseruling alchemical Extracts only require a move action to use(and if he has,holy shit, i've been wasting this powerful boon to my class), they require a standard action, so you wouldn't have an attack this round.))
 
((The magic system is ridiculously complicated in 3.5 and Pathfinder. It's so bad that 4th edition went as far as to ditch it completely. 5th brought it back, and fixed a lot that was wrong with it, but 5th has other issues that I'm personally not happy with. One day I'll put together my own set of rules that takes the best elements from every system, I swear))
 

Mike M

Nick N
((Unless KM is houseruling alchemical Extracts only require a move action to use(and if he has,holy shit, i've been wasting this powerful boon to my class), they require a standard action, so you wouldn't have an attack this round.))
((Well shit, what a waste of a crit.))
((The magic system is ridiculously complicated in 3.5 and Pathfinder. It's so bad that 4th edition went as far as to ditch it completely. 5th brought it back, and fixed a lot that was wrong with it, but 5th has other issues that I'm personally not happy with. One day I'll put together my own set of rules that takes the best elements from every system, I swear))
((I actually have the 5th ed. PHB (Why? Who am I going to play with? LOL) and I was still having trouble trying to work it out.))
 
((You might like the Kineticist, you just get spell like abilities that you can cast all day, although you may not like the other mechanics so much... but that class is from a book that won't be out until about a year from now(they had a playtest for all the new psychic classes just this last month). although the Pathfinder Unchained book might have some new rules for casters, and that should be out in spring or something.))

((EDIT: Alternately he could make it that I can use extracts on other people as a standard action. That of course would also be a house rule, but ehh.))
 
<Yeah, they kept stacking extra features on top of how spells worked in AD&D (where it was just Clerics had the entire spell list to choose from and Wizards needed to learn new spells, both memorized them per day). Druids and Bards and stuff just used variations on Cleric/Arcane casting.

Also, Extracts are actually a different way of casting spells, so yeah they should be a standard action.>
 
"Your words are as empty as your soil," Thaddeus announces defiantly, even though it probably wasn't talking to him since it said 'human'. "Mankind ill needs a landscape such as you!"
jCiRnyt.gif

((Holy shit, congratulations. Nothing I can ever say or do will top that. Ever.

Anyway, dropping Tiberious's shield, taking a 5-foot step to the elemental, and initiating signature attack. Let's suplex a giant monster!))

Tiberious's shield does nothing to stop the hulking arm bearing down upon. "This damn thing's useless," he says as he lets it fall off his arm. For what he's planning, he'll need both of them.

Potential retorts filter through his head, but there is no point in winning a taunt battle against the elemental before him. The language of men is one of actions, not words.

Practically foaming at the mouth, Tiberious's muscles bulge against his armor. With great ferocity, he rushes forward, dashing up the elemental before it has a chance to counter. With a leap, he grabs onto one of the stones attached to the great elemental's head.
Code:
[url=http://roll.coyotecode.net/lookup.php?rollid=77737]Grapple: 1D20 + 25 = [18]+25 = 43
[/url]
Tiberious then channels the very essence of manliness, rocketing back to send the elemental flying through the air, suplexing the giant foe. The resulting collision with the ground creates a monstrous thud of folliage and humanity.
Code:
[url=http://roll.coyotecode.net/lookup.php?rollid=77742]Pin: 1D20 + 25 = [17]+25 = 42
[/url]
Code:
[url=http://roll.coyotecode.net/lookup.php?rollid=77743]Damage: 1D3 + 6 = [3]+6 = 9
[/url]

((Edit: Yeah, spells get tricky. I usually get drawn to martials when I have ideas for characters, but the level of additional knowledge required for good spell use helps to push me in that direction too))
 
Thoroughly distracted by the incredible pun inflicted upon him, the hulking rock monster is easily grasped and thrown to the floor in complete surprise and dismay at the human's abilities to lift it. "So creatures of this plane can pose a rare threat!" He immediately moves to push himself from the ground. By now the legs of the monster are visible above ground.

CMB to break pin (1d20+30=49)
 

Mike M

Nick N
Seeing that somehow the earth elemental is on the ground, Draco decides to try and take advantage of it and charges in.

Charging Studied Attack;Damage: (1d20+16+2+4+5=29, 1d6+4+7=12)
((God damn that DR(and immunity to all my studied damage). I'm glad at least the paladin can ignore it... While I'm thinking about it, I should probably let Mike know that they are immune to critical hits, so you didn't really lose out on a crit.))
((Next you'll tell me Polymorphing into a dragon turtle doesn't let me use it's breath weapon!))
 
((Next you'll tell me Polymorphing into a dragon turtle doesn't let me use it's breath weapon!))

((Normal polymorph can't be used to transform into a dragon, but greater polymorph does work as form of a dragon I, so you would get 1 breath weapon use per casting... :p))

Draco takes a 5' step and continues attacking quite sadly against this thing.

Studied Attack;Damage: (1d20+16+4+5=42, 1d6+4+7=17)
2nd Studied Attack;Damage: (1d20+16+4+5-5=39, 1d6+4+7=15)
((And there goes my wasted chance at a crit...))

Map
 
Tiberious enters a state of joy upon successfully suplexing the earth elemental. While trying to hold it down, his mind wonders. I did it! I actually suplexed a giant monster! I can cross that off my bucket list now. Now, how to-

Just as the issue of how to hold down something exponentially larger than him enters his mind, the earth elemental breaks his hold rather trivially, sending Tiberious back down to the ground. Seeing as his suplex, for all its majesty, was ineffective, he opts to go back to the tried and true tactic of beating things to death with weapons.

Drawing his planar mace in both hands, he begins bashing away, hoping to break off large chunks of the earth that makes up the elemental.

((Full round power attack))
Code:
[url=http://roll.coyotecode.net/lookup.php?rollid=77744]Power Attack 1: 1D20 + 20 = [17]+20 = 37
[/url]
[url=http://roll.coyotecode.net/lookup.php?rollid=77745]Damage: 1D6 + 16 = [6]+16 = 22
[/url]
Code:
[url=http://roll.coyotecode.net/lookup.php?rollid=77746]Power Attack 2: 1D20 + 12 = [16]+12 = 28
[/url]
[url=http://roll.coyotecode.net/lookup.php?rollid=77747]Damage: 1D6 + 16 = [6]+16 = 22
[/url]
((Holy shit, those damage rolls))
 
The magic power of Kord's Mace causes it to glow as it comes close to the Elemental; an ear shattering roar of pain fills the streets of Ruby Keep as the mace melts the surface of the hardened body into orange glows of oozing heat the direction of his strikes, just as a hot rod would ruin soft metal.
 
Surprised but nevertheless emboldened by Tiberious's successful attempt to somehow pin an Earth Elemental nine times his size to the ground, Thaddeus seizes the opportunity and pounds on the creature while it's down.

((It sounds like this thing is still prone, so my attack rolls are 4 higher than normal. If I'm wrong, just subtract 4))

First Attack and Damage (Power Attack and Smite) (1d20+20=32, 1d10+18=19)

Second Attack and Damage (Power Attack and Smite) (1d20+15=16, 1d10+18=21)

Haste Attack and Damage (Power Attack and Smite) (1d20+20=25, 1d10+18=24)
 

Mike M

Nick N
((He drank the extract of Haste, I'll have him stay put for now.

Hope everyone had a good Thanksgivingband sense enough to do their Black Friday shopping online from home : P))
 
The fists hit Tiberious with crushing force, momentarily hiding him from the rest of the party. When they lift up, he is still standing. Worse for wear, sure, but still clutching his mace and conscious.

"What's this weapon, you ask? It's a gift from another who knows what it is to be a man! A weapon with enough machismo to give a little girl a beard! Oh, and it seems like it's really good at wrecking your shit, too. Here, why don't you have another close look at it?"
Code:
[url=http://roll.coyotecode.net/lookup.php?rollid=77777]Power Attack 1: 1D20 + 20 = [6]+20 = 26
[/url]
[url=http://roll.coyotecode.net/lookup.php?rollid=77778]Damage: 1D20 + 16 = [3]+16 = 19
[/url]
((Eeesh, I kind of fucked up that damage roll. It came out as a three though, so no harm done I guess?))

"You know what? I think you still have questions about how this thing works. Fourth time's the charm, they always say!"
Code:
[url=http://roll.coyotecode.net/lookup.php?rollid=77779]Power Attack 2: 1D20 + 12 = [19]+12 = 31
[/url]
[url=http://roll.coyotecode.net/lookup.php?rollid=77780]Damage: 1D6 + 16 = [5]+16 = 21
[/url]
 
After a sound pummeling in the face of Kord's Mace, one last, brutal swing of the Dawnbringer pushes the structural integrity of the earth elemental past its limits, and it promptly crumbles. A rain of soil, silt, and pebbles pelts the party, and then the threat is no more.

He quickly bestows healing energies upon Tiberious ((heal 36 damage from Lay on Hands)), then looks around. "The Queen," he says. "Is she alright?"
 
Curly meets up with the others to give his assessment of the situation, "She is in the buggy and unharmed as of yet, but we must find an exit. There are still some of Excalibur's soldiers trying to make way to our position and get past the unit here."
 

Mike M

Nick N
Dreadstone watches impassively as the earth elemental is vanquished, its corporeal form crumbling into its constituent material, leaving no trace that it was ever anything but a heap of dirt.

Chloe gives a whoop of triumph, holding her long sword aloft in the air. "Well done, all!" she beams. "I knew we could do it if we all worked together! There's no obstacle that can't be overcome by–"

"Silverlight," Dreadstone interrupts. "Enough yammerin'. See to th'wounded."

"Sir, yes sir!" she shouts. "Hold still, I'll get you taken care of."

Dreadstone was not think of himself, but he's not about to turn down the cleric's help as he feels his aches and pains diminish. In short order, he feels nearly back to normal. ((Chloe has cast Cure Moderate Wounds. We still house ruling maximized healing out of combat?))

Approaching Curly, Dreadstone asks, "How many more of Excalibur's people are out there? We got any route outta here t'evacuate th'queen?"
 
The halfling answers, "I'm afraid you'll have to come up with your own route. Can you work with the men under your current authority for a plan?"
 

Mike M

Nick N
Dreadstone nods to Curly. "Was 'fraid you'd say somethin' like that," he mutters.

Grabbing Chloe, Dreadstone hustles over to Thaddeus. "Fer better or worse, th'three of us are th'sum total of th'military command we got right now," he says. "Savin' th'queen falls on our shoulders. Now I got an idea, but I'm not sure all y'all are gonna like it..."
 
Tiberious stands some distance from the military people, wondering what they're thinking about.

I hope those guys aren't being all complicated again. We should just pick a direction and run over as many Orphans as we can? I wonder if putting spikes on the wheels would make the wagon run over orphans better. Nah, the ride would be too bumpy. Maybe if the spikes were on front of the wagon...

Until the others solidify their plan, Tiberious will continue daydreaming about how to best run over orphans with the wagon.
 
Thaddeus suppresses a frown and a roll of his eyes. Granted, he loves his country, but the paladin has been disillusioned with the state of the military, and his status within it, as of late.

"Miss Silverlight," he nods toward the young woman, then looks at Dreadstone. "What is your plan?"
 

Mike M

Nick N
Dreadstone sighs and grits his teeth. "We make fer th'Narrows," he says, almost as though it pains him to do so. "It's like a labyrinth in there, an' th'streets are nothin' but choke points. Wouldn't take much to fill in th'troops behind us an' keep th'Orphans off our tail by just crowdin' them out. 'Course the downside is that the folk in those parts don't think too highly of th'law or th'throne..."

((Incidentally, if anyone is interested in reading my NaNo book, drop me a line. The protagonist is kind of a more dour Val without the con artist stuff.))
 
"Is your plan to use the Narrows as a route to a more secure location, or to hide there until order has been restored?" Thaddeus asks skeptically. "I can agree to travel through them, but it is as you say - there is no love lost between the denizens of the Narrows and the royal family. To hole up there would perhaps put the Queen into even more danger."
 
Curly moves forward to say, "It also appears that news of our absolved criminal status has not reached the ears of every individual based on Dortumn and Forrester's arrest and that officer's attempt to kill us. The transfer of information and knowledge has become a cornerstone of war in a modern age, but it still travels much too slowly with few that have access to magic abilities."
 

Mike M

Nick N
"That may actually be of benefit in th'Narrows," Dreadstone notes. "But we shouldn't plan on stayin' long. Move in, let the Orphans get jammed up, then get out the other side an'get the Queen t'safety. Though lately I'm not so sure where that'd be anymore..."
 
Curly answers, "We know that we will eventually need to get to the underground into the mountain to reach the Orphan base, and the easiest way to get there is through the dungeon in the Castle. At some point the army will need to know what you know."
 
As the group discusses their next action, a soldier arrives to report, "Sir, we're taking casualties and we can barely hold them off any longer. We need orders, sir."
 
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