Big Trouble In Little Punjar — (RAPID URBAN FUNNEL PbP)

[Fenris Ulfhamr]

Gunnar pawns his holy symbol for a battleaxe- a truer testament of the Icelord than a mere token-and padded armor. Brun adds a rope to his grappling hook and Kylie buys more shot. We're off to kill the wizard!
Gunnar: "We are ready! We can stand together in a frontal assault, but better we split up and take the bastards unaware... what do you think?"

[jeff c]

Zeppo and Sanitor are almost well enough off and ready to go, though they'd like to purchase some lamp oil, torches, and flint and steel. Whatever they can get for 62 cp. Then it's "Onward! To save Other Molly!"

Curious to see what kind of security is had at the front gates, but a distraction at the front (pending the guard situation), with two groups of wall-climbers sounds pretty good.

[GnomeBoy]

It is dark by the time you reach the headquarters of the vile conjurer Oll Zen.

His keep stands in the middle of the little favela, and you realize how buildings you had always taken as being side-by-side are now parted by the massive stone walls of the keep. The illusion, now broken to your eyes, is impressive indeed for keeping such a massive structure hidden from so many for so long.

SIDEBAR: Sanitor can't understand what folks are looking at.... They're staring at the join between two buildings, mouths agape. (But once he's led in past the gates, it all becomes visible. Unless he steps back out of the gates, in which case the exterior of the keep is no longer detectable to him...)

There is no one at the gates, though they are locked. You either check through many of the keys to find the right one, break the gates open or scale the walls -- it comes to the same thing: no one is in sight and nothing but skill and time hinder your entrance.

It is similarly simple to gain access to the building within the walls. You search the building, finding abandoned rooms, items dropped as if in haste, and signs of recent occupancy, by no one in sight.

Finally, there is one more door to check... The right key is found... And a set of stairs beyond takes you down as much as 50 feet underground.

At the bottom of those stairs is a 40' hallway, guarded by a single man. The hallway is wide enough to fit two or three of you in a fight, shoulder to shoulder, depending on who's wielding what (a pitchfork takes more room to use than a dagger, for example). A second line of one or two might be able to fight over the shoulders of the front line, again depending on the circumstances.

I'm assuming you'll fight, because as you get near the bottom of the stairs, a throwing star chnks! into the stair at Zeppo's feet.

Before you scroll down, decide if any of your own characters are rushing in, and which ones. Then post that info. Post an Agility check result for each of them, too. If there's a tangle, some Agility checks might sort it out, and will tell us who's in the front line, second line, and then everyone else not rushing forward...

[ProdigalWilliam]

My character lineup is: Tommy with the long sword, then Travis with the pitchfork, then Lala with the ranged weapons.
Tommy rolls a 17 for his agility check. Before he runs to close to melee he is trying to see if the throwing star came from another direction than from the lone hallway guard. Lala is also curious as to the direction of the throwing star and is ready to lob the javelin in response.

[Fenris Ulfhamr]

Gunnar and Brun will move up and tank together (unless Ivan or Sanitor want a piece of him, in which case Brun falls behind Gunnar). Kylie stays well back and tries to lob a shot at him before the melee guys close ranks.
group init=8
Gunnar:Agi(2-1)=1, att(+3)=6, dmg(+2)=5
Brun:Agi=4, (if he can get in with a longsword)att(+1)=15, dmg(+1)=6
Kylie:rngatt(+2)=11, dmg=1

[jeff c]

lol Sidebar

Because of the power of the illusion, Sanitor must be blindfolded to enter. He and Zeppo warily step through the empty rooms with their weapons drawn.
Of the items hastily dropped is there anything of value?
When the throwing star hits the stairs, Zeppo immediately springs forward with his filleting knife ready to chop the guy to pieces "Yaaaargh!" (his agility check: 10) Sanitor holds back, not fully committed yet.
Zeppo's to hit 11, damage 2.

[ProdigalWilliam]

Looks like that second row is going to get crowded. Travis rolls a 11-3=8 agility check to be in the second row with his pole-ish weapon. If that gives him a strike, he rolls a 10 to hit. Tommy rolls a 10 to hit the lone guard, or if he spots someone on the way, he'll swing there (really not buying this lone guard thing). Lala rolls 18+1=19 to hit the guard with her javelin (or another guy that threw the throwing star) from a distance 4-2=2 damage.

I'm guessing those tens won't hit, but they do a total of 3 damage if they connect.

[GnomeBoy]

Okay, so the idea was that we'd have independent declaration of who was rushing forward, and then see how that shakes out...

Getting down the stair and 40' down the hall to hit him would only be an option for whoever was/is in the front rank, once that roster was shaken out. Otherwise, you could get closer to him only in the first round. (This is basically a surprise round).

But let's see what we have...


Tommy is in the first row. It sounds like Travis is advancing but not hurriedly so. And that Lala is in the third group.

Zeppo also leaps forward into the front 'rank' -- this leaves only enough room for one more person...

Gunnar and Brun attempt to rush forward, but can't really both fit. The Agility checks tell me that it's Brun who makes it.


Travis is in the second row, with Gunnar.

The group at the back is Kylie, Lala and Sanitor.

Code: Select all

1st: Tommy (longsword) • Zeppo (knife) • Brun (longsword)

2nd: Travis (pitchfork) • Gunnar (axe)

3rd: Kylie (sling) • Lala (javelin/sling) • Sanitor (knife)

Only the first row is in position to possibly charge at the guy. Doing so gives you an attack at +2, but reduces your AC by 2 as well.

We'll keep these attack rolls, if you are charging the guard.

If no one is charging, we move on to Round One.



Oh, and once you get down to where you can see him, the throwing star came from exactly his position.

[ProdigalWilliam]

For the surprise round, I don't recall if Tommy rolled the one or two for damage so I'll re-roll it: 6 damage (or if you want, I did a coin flip and that gave him the 1 damage result). I'll expend luck to up the to-hit to whatever it needs to be to connect. It's at 12 right now with the modifier for charging.

I think we want to knock this guy down before he can react, am I right, guys?

[jeff c]

Yeah Zeppo's original attack roll plus the charge bonus comes out to 13 but if I need a boost I'll spend up to 2 points of luck to connect. It was 2 dmg on my roll.

[Fenris Ulfhamr]

Brun:Agi=4, (if he can get in with a longsword)att(+1)=15, dmg(+1)=6

That +2 gives Brun a 17 to hit, and 6 damage! Can the ranged attackers still fire a volley over the chargers heads?

[GnomeBoy]

His AC is 13. If you want to spend Luck, confirm that for me, and I'll apply the damage.

Can the ranged attackers still fire a volley over the chargers heads?

Ranged attacks are possible -- but you have five of your allies, some of whom are running pell-mell down the hall to hit the guy. The ceiling isn't high enough to allow for ranged attacks to be lobbed over their heads, so you'd be trying to fire through them.

Takes the shots if you'd like, but there's a high chance of hitting an ally. Not a simple "you miss his AC, so you hit your friend" but in that ballpark.

[ProdigalWilliam]

Tommy burns a luck point to hit on 13. I believe everyone else in the front row hits without burning luck.

Takes the shots if you'd like, but there's a high chance of hitting an ally. Not a simple "you miss his AC, so you hit your friend" but in that ballpark.

You mean for next round or in this surprise phase? If we can do the ranged attack now, Lala had a declared hit for 2 points of damage.

[GnomeBoy]

Tommy burns a luck point to hit on 13. I believe everyone else in the front row hits without burning luck.

Okay, so let's call Tommy's attack as 3 damage. If the two attacks did 3, and really only one of them happened, rather than a re-roll of 6 (or the mooted '1'), let's just go with the 3 total.

So 2+3+6+6= damage of 17! Bashed, but not down!

Round One:

The guard's neck elongates and changes color to a hue like iron... Immediately his head is snaking around -- he's using his own neck as a shield!

His Initiative: 11

If you beat him on init, the front row can roll attacks. Second row can move up and attack with a d16 (or with a d20 at the risk of hitting your allies in the front).

Those at the back can similarly use a d16 for attacks, with a slightly higher risk.

[ProdigalWilliam]

3+1=4 initiative roll. So I'll watch the carnage for now.

I hope somebody rolls high enough to bring him down, this round. I'm not keen to take dragon/snake-like attacks!

[jeff c]

Init 13+1=14
Zeppo, despite it's bizarre transformation, is in shark mode and just keeps hacking away: to hit 9, 1 dmg.
Sanitor's interest piques at the sight of something truly strange. He approaches to get a closer look but doesn't attack yet. He only says," I think I read about this somewhere..." Which all Iron Freebooters know doesn't actually mean anything.

[ProdigalWilliam]

He only says," I think I read about this somewhere..." Which all Iron Freebooters know doesn't actually mean anything.

Hahaha!

[GnomeBoy]

Zeppo is in shark mode and just keeps hacking away: to hit 9, 1 dmg.

Burning Luck at the low, low rate of only 5 points (today only!) will turn that into a hit...

[jeff c]

Zeppo's a little young to be burning that much luck

[Fenris Ulfhamr]

I had rolled init 8, so... we'll see what had done happened after that!

[ProdigalWilliam]

Bracing for impact.

[GnomeBoy]

The guard's neck writhes, and twists -- his head darts out and bites at Brun's face!

Atk roll: 18! Damage: 3


The guard's left arm morphs and changes into another elongated iron neck with another head on the end of it!

Both necks writhe and twist before his body, attempting to block your strikes!


Roll 'em, if you got 'em!

[ProdigalWilliam]

Tommy misses with a 3. Travis attempts to move into the front line to switch with Tommy. (Does that -2 to AC last for the rest of combat?) His pitchfork goes wide on a 7. Lala can't get a clear shot and is waiting for an opportune moment.

[GnomeBoy]

The "-2" was only until your next action.

[Fenris Ulfhamr]

Brun, barely standing, unleashes with all hes got, then makes way for Gunnar!
Brun: att(+1)=13, dmg(+!)=8
Gunnar: att(d16+3)=17, dmg(+2)=8