As darkness falls, the trees guide the party en route to see Turlang to a small clearing, appearing a comfortable spot to camp. A small spring provides water, and there's evidence of previous parties creating a small fire there to keep warm. Around the boundary, there are ample trees and shrubs to provide shelter from the elements.
The forest around them has ample small creatures available to hunt, should the party prefer them to consuming saved rations. Both predators and prey roam the area and there is nothing that would imply taking enough to eat would be frowned upon. Here in the older growth, it does seem a world apart from the human realm, but it is still a world in which nature runs its course.
Quiet murmurs from a few trees indicate they will keep watch and the party should rest for their journey.
It seems they'll have a restful night.... and ample warning if anything were to disturb them.
And this is where Zindra senses a familiar voice within her mind, clear and unmistakable despite the distance.
Aubric.
His message carries the faint strain of urgency beneath his usual calm.
“Hill giants overwhelmed hunters. Weevil and doppelganger three days ahead en route Olostin’s Hold, selling weapons to many threats. Head there soonest after your meeting.”
The Sending fades as quickly as it arrived, leaving only the soft whisper of leaves overhead.
OOC: Zindra: you may reply with a Sending response if you wish — 25 words or fewer. Note this is a day ago, after the dryad but before the woads or Turlang.
Noanar’s Hold Road, Day 2 – Morning
[Aubric, Kriv, Sindar, Zhu]
Dawn breaks cold and gray over the lands beyond Noanar’s Hold as the party embarks after a restful night.
As they enter the more rural areas, the hunters’ warnings now feel less like rumor and more like forecast. Tracks along the road are heavier than they should be — deep gouges from large feet, wagon ruts pressed hard into the mud, and signs of many creatures moving eastward in uneasy migration.
Troll spoor. Ogre prints. The occasional churned earth where something large passed in haste.
Not a single organized army.
But many dangerous things, all moving the same direction.
All toward Olostin’s Hold.
The road itself remains passable, though far from safe, stretching east across rolling moorland broken by sparse woods and low rises. Travel by road would be fastest and most visible. The wilds offer slower paths, but greater cover.
You have supplies, mounts, and daylight ahead of you.
OOC: Decide how you choose to travel: openly on the road, cautiously along its edges, or by a more concealed route.
Day 2 – Evening (Pending)
The sun begins its descent, and distances close between allies traveling from different directions toward the same target. Another Sending from Aubric to Zindra is planned....
Glad they had updated and heard from their friends the previous night, Jaliera wants to avoid unnecessary trouble on their journey, wanting to save their energy and strength for the inevitable showdown ahead.
"I suggest we travel on the edge of the road ready to retreat into the woods if needed. I can send Whisper to scout ahead as an advance warning system. We would just need to watch our backs. Zindra, do you know if we are likely to get close to our destination ahead of the others? If so we could maybe do some scouting to gain advantage for when the rest arrive."
She was getting ready to hunker down for the night next to a tall elm. The leaves would make good cover and also a soft bed. It was getting colder now and many of the trees had bare limbs. Then the voice can in her head.
She and the others had learned much from Turlang but how could she relay what they learned concisely? Those were the things that she had pondered as they trapsed through forest all day. So when the expected message came she was prepared.
"We met Turlang. Giants driven with different purposes. We must seek the Frost giant named Harshnag an ally. We will Meet you at Ostin's Hold."
OOC: Technically hadn't met Turlang yet but will just handwave timelines and move on.
Aubric
It was good to know the other party got their message to head to Olostin's Hold, and his group of four made good progress along the road, careful to scout the forest edge for threats to avoid, as well as the road itself, if the forest needed to provide refuge.
Fortunately, it seemed any traffic headed this way was either ahead of them or behind them, and they didn't encounter anyone else.
The party traveled a bit faster than usual, trying to make haste while still being cautious. STill, they could only trim a 4 1/2 day trip to 3 1/2 days which meant two more full days and a third half-day lay ahead of them.
He communicated as much, catching up with more Harshnag information, using Sending for another brief message. He could do more, but with two more nights to send two more messages there was ample time to coordinate over the next two days.
He sends this message, which arrives to the Shadowtop party as they are still in the forest, headed northward, themselves with the same two-and-a-half days of travel ahead of them.
"Many different beast tracks going toward Olostin's Hold. Harshnag hunts giants, may be there. Three days travel remain. Let's meet evening third day. Details tomorrow."
Another day of travel elapses, with both parties exercising both speed and caution.
The four that remained in Noanar's hold before heading north keep close enough to the forest to be able to use it for protection if needed, but continue road travel to make better travel time, hoping to gain ground over their weapon-selling targets. The forest mostly closes its most obvious trails to their view, but there's enough room at the edges to hide for a time to avoid encountering random passers-by and remain sheltered during their overnight periods.
The four traversing the forest find the trails opening readily for them as they discuss their destination.
Aubric's Sending and Zindra's responses exchange enough information that the parties determine meeting a bit earlier along the road would be ideal, particularly with Whisper's advanced scouting ability that would better serve a combined party.
And so it is, that the meeting plan is slightly revised, and so it is that in the evening, two days' after the forest party departed Shadowtop Cathedral, they find themselves on the northern edge of the forest, Whisper alighting to locate the other party and guide them to a rendezvous at the edge of the forest.
All eight adventurers are together again as night falls and they enjoy a reunion meal to discuss the next day's strategy. They are about a half day's travel from Olostin's Hold, and coming up with a strategy in more than 25-word messages might be useful supper conversation.
The cleric is glad his contributions with Sending helped make the reunion of the party much easier, and also, as the carrier of the maps, helps point out the path they likely should take along the forest's edge before the final, more open-road segment toward Olostin's Hold.
"What are all those markings on your arms?" he asks the party that visited Turlang.
(OOC: didn't share because discussing it is a one-way door of one of us DM's explaining why Aubric can't use Sending to contact him. Not sure it will contribute to IC storyline to close that story arc but we can go there if desired.)
Bern was pretty much a mentor for him in the early days of him joining the Emerald Enclave. Davroar does not want to acknowledge it, but each day of not knowing where and how Bern is doing is making him worried that something bad has happened. With not wanting to have any morbid thoughts, he answers Aubric's question about their markings with some pride in his voice, "Oath's were given to enter the heart of the High Forest, and so we are marked with its acceptance."
Something feels better with the entire group together again. He listens attentively as the others describe what happened after they separated and shared what happened with his group as well.
But he remains quiet about Bern allowing the longer time party members to describe what had happened.
She interjected, "We're after both the dwarf and the doppelganger and really the hope is that they lead us to Harshnag. He may have the answers we seek. Bern's mission is his."
ooc: I really miss MikeD but he's disappeared. I hope that he's okay but we've gotta proceed without him. I'm on the downslope of my busy time. Less than 2 weeks until my schedule loosens up a tad.
"And ours is ours, so let us properly consider our approach. All being well, we should reach the Hold the middle of the morrow. Whilst it is unlikely our foes know exactly where we are, they haven't stayed out of reach without demonstrating a certain canniness. Let's prepare contingencies for cold, warm or overly hot welcomes."
The Dragonborn noble wasn't one for sentiment when there was a duty to fulfil, and a scofflaw enemy to set to rights.
Zhu doesn't remember that much about the hold as it's not very notable other than being one of the few walled settlements in between Yartar and Everlund, offering a chance to resupply or make repairs at the smithy.
It's a bit larger and more fortified than Calling Horns was, likely with a watchtower rather than simple guards at the gates.
Zhu does remember hearing idle chatter at Calling Horns about the inn present in the hold, named "The Headless Troll". Apparently at some point in the past, a headless troll wandered into the settlement, somehow caught fire, and nearly burned down the inn.
The cleric chuckles at the story of the headless troll, but then resumes a more serious demeanor. "If the tracks we saw are any indication, whatever's happening there isn't anything we'd have seen before. Between the note we found in the tunnel at Calling Horns and all the tracks we saw headed here, I'm just going to put it out there that many different creatures are headed there to buy weapons they think are superior to anything else."
He pauses.
"Whether they actually are, or aren't, is less important than the fact that I expect the keep to be filled with skilled fighters, not all of whom may share our ideals."
Now entering the final tenday of the month of Marponeth, also known as Leaffall, the weather this morning as the party packed to leave has turned colder. The first snow of the season came. Scattered snow flakes fluttered about as the party made broke camp ready to proceed north east on Evermoor Way. It wasn't a strong snowfall and the flakes that touched the ground melted immediately. But the grey sky above blocks virtually warming sunlight and the steady breeze had a cold bite to it.
The group, now heads out for the last leg of the trek to Olostin's hold.
OOC1: Let's get some kind of marching order together. There are 8 PCs and 5 horses. Sindar was driving the cart with Bertha pulling it. Aubric rides Conundrum, Jalira rides Meadow, Pavel, Zhu and Zindra all have horses. Kriv and Davroar do not. Once we get that straight, we'll move forward.
OOC2: I'm BACK for the foreseeable future! YAY! It's been the craziest few months here for me. My wife has gotten adept at guest turnover. Checkout at 11, Checkin at 2. No, we're not running an AirBnB but we might as well have done so, Here we are, 84 days into 2026 and I've had guest in this house 42 of those days. One more guest coming in a couple of weeks but she's my wife's responsibility. I'M FREE! FREE AT LAST!
I was able to post very sporadically during this period but I was compelled to investigate MikeD's disappearance. While the news was both good and bad, at least there's some measure of closure for us.
The cleric braces himself against the cold weather hoping there's a warm brandy at the end of the day's adventures, whatever they bring.
While content to ride his own adopted horse, he's alert to those unmounted and offers a break from walking (whilst taking advantage of a break from riding) periodically to Kriv and Davroar.
He slips on an extra pair of socks when when it appears he has a small snow globe in hand as he uses his druidcraft cantrip just before getting up for the day. Thankfully his heavy fur and hide armour is pretty warm. With only him and Kriv without a mount and not wanting to slow down the entire group, Davroar walks over to Kriv to ask him, "Ah, Kriv. Did you want to ride me? I can shift into a warhorse for you. I'll just need a rest mid-day."
[ooc: Davroar's wild shape can last for 4 hours, and he just needs a short-rest to recuperate so that he has the ability to change into something else if needed later on.]
Jaliera suggests she might travel either beside or following the cart. It's platform might be useful to give her height for arrows or spells. She can always come forward if they need her to scout.. or tie Meadow to the back of the cart if she is scouting through Whisper's eyes.
ooc: As I said, "Sindar was driving the cart with Bertha pulling it." It should also be noted that Bertha is a Draft Horse as opposed to all the other horses which are Riding Horses. They have different stats.
Zindra
"I can ride up front."
This has been what she's trained to do, She is a scout. But her friends have learned to expect her to fall back in case of a frontal assault. She's much better off using her long bow than her short sword.
The Dragonborn gave the Druid an unreadable look, and chose his words carefully after a long pause.
“I appreciate the offer but better to conserve your abilities. There’s no direct or easy solution by replacement, so I’ll make do as we go along, until such time as such an option presents itself. If need be I can tap into my own abilities, but given the pace of the cart we will not be collectively unduly impeded.”
The cleric positions himself somewhere near the middle of the group. Since Jaliera prefers to be behind the cart, he rids in front of it unless directed elsewhere.
He is a little puzzled why Kriv took so long to answer. Davroar was just trying to be practical, yet if everyone is going to be fine with their current walking pace he will plan to walk beside Jaliera.
(OOC - If the wagon is going to be an obstruction to ranged spells should an attack come from Aubric's side she'd rather ride back a bit and have a more clear view. If it won't be, then its fine.)
DM The party continues down the road towards their destination for the day. Off in the distance they see a wagon. It appears to be a merchant wagon and it's far away at the moment. First to see them, Zindra holds a hand up to alert the others.
(OOC - Oh, and BTW, why do we still have the wagon? Didn't we take it specifically to deliver the harnesses? Now that they're dropped off the wagon is empty, AFAIK? Wouldn't we just have sold it in town?)
OOC: It was for that but Arus left it for the party and Sindar's been riding it. Maybe you take on the task of selling it at the next stop? For now, you have it.
Whisper rises up to assist in the scouting and Jaliera pauses to start watching through her eyes. The party has been traveling west on the Evermoor Way. To their left is the vast, uncultivated landscape of rolling hillocks are covered with wet moss and peat and etched throughout with muddy channels. It is easy for danger to be hidden in the tall grass and the persistent mist that blankets the land. To their right is the edge of the High Forest. The tall pines only thin out at the edge and end at the road.
From up high, Jaliera, through Whisper, has no trouble spotting the small army of about three dozen men mounted on elk are making their way rapidly towards the wagon. The all have spears in their hands and it seems they have hostile intent. The wagon is less than a quarter mile away but the mounted men are much closer to the wagon and moving directly to it.
ooc: For clarity and metrics, you are about the length of two soccer/football fields away from the wagon. The mounted force is less than half that distance.
Last edited by Neptune; Wed 01/04/202623:31 UTC. Reason: Added distance info
OOC: Let me clarify. Zindra sees the wagon on the road about 200 yards or meters away. She alerts the party. Jaliera sends up Whisper. Jaliera sees the approaching force of men mounted on elk through Whispers eyes. The seem to be moving with haste to attack the wagon.
He knows that Elk are big and fast when they run, and the only thing that comes to mind is to take flight.
"I'll see what I can do...", replying to Jaliera as he starts running and then quickly wild shapes into a giant eagle, climbing at about 30 degrees up as he does not want to waste too much time gaining altitude as opposed to closing the distance.
While the others decide whether or not these elk riders are hostile, Davroar's plan is not to attack but merely to get their attention. As he gets closer he will let out a screech, and hopes no arrows come at him as he does a fly-by.
DM As the three parties move closer to each other, one of the heroes takes flight. Davroar rises up and as he does he can see that some of the elk riders are moving very quickly to close on the wagon. As he approaches he can see that these riders are hostile. The ride the elk holding the reins of the elk with one hand and a spear in the other. They see the eagle approaching from the distance but Davroar quickly determines that he will not reach the wagon or elk riders before those two groups meet. While the eagle is fast, so are the elk. He also looks towards the wagon and can see that there are four people riding horses that accompany the wagon, apparently they are escorts. The eagle's screech has them look towards the sky at him. While they seem unconcerned about the giant eagle, one of the riders points towards the elk riders and now the wagon and the horsemen are alerted, for the first time, of the danger and start moving faster, in a panic.
A brief sigh from the cleric is probably not noticed by anyone else as the events unfold and he moves from a momentary consideration of what to do, to the "oh s**t, my friends are engaging, guess I will support them".
And it's that simple. Whether or not he thinks this engagement will impact their long term goals has ceased to be relevant. His companions... his friends... have chosen a course of action, and he's going to support them.
A guttural word of Draconic, and Kriv is soon away at speed towards the merchants. The identity of those advancing on the traders of civilisation matters less than their intent, which seems hostile.
Expeditious retreat. Move 30, action Dash 30, bonus action Expeditious retreat and dash 30. Action surge Dash 30. 120ft in one round, should be there the next. Could potentially roll history if it can be done on the run.
Seeing that these elk riders look intent on attacking the wagon people, Davroar will continue to climb and start bending away to the left to get behind the line of the approaching elk riders. Hopefully it will give the appearance to the elk riders of him leaving the area as he picks up speed and altitude. His plan will be to circle around and then attempt to snatch one of the elk riders by surprise with enough to speed to carry him up and out of the fight.
Davroar is a glad that he at least managed to alert the merchants as they pick up speed when they spot the elk riders charging at them.
[ooc: Davraor will plan to use dash on the following round to gain more altitude ]
As she urges Meadow forward, she mentally reviews her options, thinking she needs to do something more effectively at the start.. maybe colourspray or use her lightening scroll. All depends on positioning when they get close.
"weren't we going to wai... ah hell." Pavel spurs his horse to follow muttering something about waiting for that damn bird to get back with news under his breath.
She sees the reaction by her party and watches as they fly, run and gallop ahead of her. She steadies Hemlock and lets them pass before she spurs her steed forward. Since she cannot see what Jaliera or Davroar have seen with their own eyes or the eyes of their familiar, she assumes that if they have spears for range weapons and attack the wagon, she would best aid by providing cover fire with her arrows from a distance that keeps the spears out of range but she also wants to use her Hunter's mark and knows, from experience, that the spell will work within a range that is further than the range of a spear. So she starts riding forward at double speed.
The party begins to race forward. The wagon is still far away and the elk-riders will reach it before the party. As they hurry forward, Zindra sees the elk-riders for the first time past the hills in the moors and she calls out "Uthgardt barbarians! Elk tribe!"
The parties are on a collision course but the elk-riders will reach the wagon first.
OOC: Lots to help clarify.
First, I'll assume that Sindar is keeping the wagon moving forward. I'm not sure what Pande's schedule is like.
The distance is 200 yards or 600 feet. The elk-riders are 100 yards or 300 feet away from the wagon. Lots of different paces here. Assuming everyone is going as fast as they can - double moves (or triple in Kriv's case), here are the paces:
Elk-riders and elks: 100 Draft horse and wagon: 80 Riding horses: 120 Kriv expeditious retreat: 90 Davroar Giant Eagle: 160 (and he has 160 ft head start)
Zindra, Zhu, Pavel, Aubric, Jaliera and the four wagon escorts are on riding horses. Both wagons are being pulled by a draft horse.
Yes. Everyone gets to make a history roll now. More info will be provided based on your roll.
(OOC - Just a reminder to all that the range of a Long Bow is 600 feet so the Barbarians are in range for Long Bow wielders. Of course you can't fire a Long Bow from Horseback, and if you do fire you take a Long Range penalty.)
She calls out to her friends, any within hearing distance.
"I think I read about these people in a book. They are the Uthgardt, nomadic barbarians of the North, fierce, bloodthirsty, arrogant. They are highly superstitious, fear and distrust the arcane but venerate divine magic, loath giants, hate orcs even more."
[OOC Pretty good summary for 4 paragraphs of info ]
Sindar Initiative Neptune rolled 1d20+4 and got 10
Zindra Initiative Neptune rolled 1d20+3 and got 18
TW Initiative Neptune rolled 1d20 and got 13
US Initiative Neptune rolled 1d20+1 and got 8
BE Initiative Neptune rolled 1d20+1 and got 17
OK. This is what I have:
Code
Zindra 18
BE 17.1
Pavel 17
Zhu 15
TW 13
Jaliera 12
Sindar 10.3
Davroar 10.0
US 8
Kriv 2.1
Aubric 2.0
Note: The decimals after Sindar, Kriv, Davroar and Aubric's initiative rolls is the tiebreaker which is the dexterity modifier.
Note: Zindra is doing a move, move until she's no longer in long distance. If you look at the tactical map those ovals and concentric ovals are 10 feet in elevation, blocking much of the view. The elk riders are doing the same.
Zindra
The scout urges her mount to race forward. Stopping now to fire arrows over hills that are difficult to see over at such a long distance would be foolish. Getting close enough to really help out was more important in her mind.
(OOC - When it is Zhu's turn she is doing the same as Zindra. At 600 feet she also isn't firing a bow. She needs to close to 300 feet for the first of her spells to be in Range. I suppose closing range is faster then normal since the barbarians are moving closer as well. But let me know when she gets to between 300-400 as she might then be able to act.)
ooc: That's kinda what I want to hear from everyone. We're going to handle movement one round at a time because the tactical situation may change every round until you do clash.
OOC: Aubric will move along with the crowd. He's got two actions in mind: - If combat looks inevitable, he'll cast Bless on the likely fighters (Kriv, Pavel, Zhu) before they leave his range. - He heard Jaliera indicate the barbarians venerate the divine and he's trying to think of a spell that might give an indication of divine protection for the wagon. Thinking of casting Spiritual Weapon (can cast as bonus action on same turn as bless) when they are close enough (probably about 120-150 feet) where he can put it in between them and the party, not using it for melee attack but hopefully as a sign/symbol. Lacking more detail about what divine they venerate, he'd probably make it look like an elk, or possibly just a giant set of antlers.
OOC1: That's good. Just remember that you and your mounts have separate actions. So you all get your actions and bonus actions while mounted even though your mounts are doing a move-move. You do not have your move unless, like Kriv, you are unmounted. Unmounted combatants have a choice of using their move and a dash (a double move) and a bonus action or a move and another action plus bonus actions.
OOC2: If you are trying to ascertain whether combat is imminent, you need to roll insight DC 10. It is an "action".
OOC2: If you are trying to ascertain whether combat is imminent, you need to roll insight DC 10. It is an "action".
OOC: Just stating my intentions up front. I'm last in initiative order and will make the call on my turn. I'd rather just cast Bless too soon than spend an action to see if I should cast it and not be able to.
[ooc: Davroar will continue to climb and angle north-east (dash) until he is out of the line of sight of the elk riders. Once he is behind the advancing line of elk riders he will spin to come down at one in an attempt to surprise with a diving attack. ]
OOC: OK, had to do math. By my turn we'll be 400 feet away from the wagon and elk riders but everyone else will close within range to attack before my next turn. So I'll cast Bless on my turn, targeting 3: Zindra, Zhu, Jaliera.
The party approaches the apparent clash with haste, Davroar flying overhead with a plan to attack a rider from behind but they are too far away still for that to happen immediately. But he closes distance soaring high above, a scary sight. And the riders seem aware of the giant eagle as some point up to it.
Davroar and Whisper can see the elk-riders split up into three large groups. The largest of the groups is charging towards where the wagon and their escorts were. That group, the one being chased, has turned into the forest and are now under the canopy. One elk is galloping at a pace that is astoundingly fast. Almost everyone can see that ut and it's rider, a large man wielding a battle axe, has nearly reached the spot on the road where the wagon entered the forest.
ooc: Aqua: Fair assessment and you've got a minute duration. Consider the spell cast.
Zeim-It's clearly a combat situation and as you survey you can see that the elk riders have noticed the party and seem to have hostile intent towards you.
Dugan-I'll factor your move in the tactical. How high up is the giant eagle? Remember that we don't use true vectors in D&D 5e. Diagonals are as far as
All others-I'm assuming that you are double-moving for at least this round.
[ooc: Yes, Davroar will be double-moving and will climb to about 500 feet. If there is cloud lower than 500' then he will stay within the lower edge of the clouds, occasionally dipping beneath the cloud to monitor the elk riders. ]
ooc: Remember that from 500 feet up, you need to travel 500 feet down to strike. With a double movement rate of 160 it would take 4 full rounds of double moves. That's 4 rounds to go down. Assuming you started at ground zero, a full vertical climb puts the eagle at 320 feet up in 2 rounds. You still need 2 rounds to get to 500 feet altitude.
OOC: Aubric sees the solo rider approaching the wagon and is helpless to do much about it so he keeps his attention on the rest of the horde, headed toward the party. His intention for this round: His mount will continue double moves. Aubric himself will use his bonus action to cast Spiritual Weapon, placing the image 60 feet away from where he ends his turn, attempting to make it roughly between where the party is moving to, and the attackers. (Eyeballing it, it's near where Davroar is on the current map.) He will choose the form of a giant elk with massive antlers. His intention is to try to distract/trick/confuse them into thinking the party is protected by the divine. If I need to use my main action to roll (Persuasion?) then do that, otherwise use it for Dodge.
OOC: Giving folks another day to adjust/declare. Some folks haven't chimed in.
Aqua. Note the spell range = 60 feet. Every round you can move it 20 feet. I'm not "activating" it right now because, although the character would know how it works, the player might not. If you activate it here (before the elk riders can really see it) you'll lose it, at best, on your next round as your horse will move 100 per round.
OOC: Aqua. Note the spell range = 60 feet. Every round you can move it 20 feet. I'm not "activating" it right now because, although the character would know how it works, the player might not.
OOC: I'm familiar with the mechanics. I'm not familiar with having to predict my end-of-order move at the beginning of order and doing the math of where everyone will be and what the range of their weapons is after a full round of movement when it's not going to be my turn until after everyone has moved.
After taking the time to predict where people will be 2 turns from now I agree that it's probably best saved until then (red line) rather than this round (yellow line, what I posted) unless they have ranged weapons in which case maybe it's too late. Those are tiny squares and I need new glasses. I hope my intention is clear and I trust you to execute what I have planned at the appropriate time as I've tried to indicate without having the luxury of an accurate grid at the time of my move.
Also, the character has a full head of hair while the player's hairline is close to the cleric in the picture.
[OOC: I do not think that is what is happening, Aqua. Neptune said nothing about them turning towards the party like you are showing. The largest group is headed to the wagon we are racing toward. That wagon is attempting to shelter in the woods but a large fast Elk-rider is approaching.He never stated the disposition of the other two groups of Elk Riders.
Davroar rises high above the field, 150 feet high and can see how the tactical situation is changing. The elk riders are splitting up. Some of them, nearly a third of them are circling around a hill towards the rear of where the party will soon be. Only Davroar and Whisper can see those around the mountain, He also sees the singular rider on an incredibly fast elk charge into the woods after the merchant wagon and as they disappear from his sharp sight under the canopy, the sounds of combat ring out but the party cannot see what is happening there.
She calls out to her friends to watch their left and rear as a group are coming up that way. And then she sends Whisper on a stealth mission to spy on the wagon.
DM Whisper flies forward and so does Davroar. Whisper needs to stay close enough for Jaliera (who must be grabbing the reins of Meadow tightly while riding her blindly). So she is still far from the treeline where the wagon, it's escorts and the elk-rider rode into. Still, her owl eyes have a good chance to see what has transpired. So can Davroar with his eagle eyes.
ooc: Perception checks for both Whisper and Davroar. Whisper is +3 and Davroar is +4 as an eagle. Both rolls are made with advantage.
(OOC - Tactically, if it appears that the group as a whole is pulling away from the wagon Sindar is driving, Zhu will slow down at Jaliera's warning so as not to leave Sindar alone.)
ooc: I didn't want to say anything but that's a keen observation. If you look at the tactical you can see that some of the elk-riders are breaking and riding around the hills. With the speed of their mounts, they'll soon be able to attack Sindar from behind. They are also stretching the field of combat which will mean they'll benefit from several-on-one matchups and avoiding mass damage magic attacks. I'm curious as to how you're going to handle it.
Also, important note. I'm heading to the New York/New Jersey area, Will be hanging out with my grandkids (0.5 and 3.5 in age) and other friends and family. It's a 1 week trip. I expect to post but I may be slow.
DM Davroar and Whisper fly closer to the point where the elk-rider entered the forest and both can see it has rammed the merchant wagon and disabled it. One of the wheels has broken and it is at risk of being toppled over. The elk and elk-rider are in melee with the guards of the wagon. ooc: continued slowness this week. Visiting my son and his family and baby-sat all day for the past 3 days and it's exhausting but awesome! I return home late Friday
Seeing so many elk riders and with no way to communicate with the others, Davroar will plan to quickly descend. He will fly into the forest edge, finding some low bushes to hide where he can revert back to his human form and summon some animals to appear along the forest edge as if they were already there waiting.
[ooc: will take a line of flight that splits the middle of the two lines (85' and 135') you have drawn on the map. ]
The elk riders charge forward. Half of them charge towards the party and the other half towards the spot in the woods where the wagon and it's guards had fled. A sole barbarian charged at an astounding pace into the woods after the wagon. The wagon, it's guards and the super fast elk rider entered the woods and are no longer visible to the party from the road.
Aubric casts his spiritual weapon in the form of a giant elk with massive antlers between himself and the charging horde, hoping that seeing his awesome Patronus would strike fear in the weak-minded of the attackers.
The giant eagle lands lands at the edge of the forest in the brush and attempts to transform stealthily back into Davroar. ooc: I think the placement is what you wanted but correct me if not. Please provide two rolls for me: stealth and perception. You get advantage on the perception roll as an eagle. It comes before you land and the DC is 17 but 20+ might yield more info. The DC for the stealth roll would be an easy 10 and you make it when you land.
Jaliera moves forward so that she can see through Whisper's eyes, flying above the charge. But she does need to trust Meadow's gait as she gets a glimpse of the battlefield. ooc: Technically Jaliera is blind as she looks through Whisper's eyes but she's been riding Meadow for a while so I'll let her use the sight through Whisper's eyes while riding. But as a penalty I won't grant the advantage she would get if she was looking through whisper's eyes while stationary. So please give me a perception roll. Same DC 17, 20+ might grant more.
Kriv, unmounted, still running faster than dragonborn are known to sprint, moves forward towards the charging elk riders, putting himself between them and the road. He can now clearly see the group that came around the hill to the north. They are about 100 feet away at this point. out in front of Zhu, Zindra and Pavel who have slowed their pace, waiting for Sindar to catch up. Sindar urges Bertha to pull the cart faster but there's only so much speed the sturdy draft horse can muster.
All can hear a loud, commanding voice from the attacking hoard call out in a tongue that none of the heros understand. For a moment, before the voice called out, the barbarians nearing the spiritual elk weapon drew back on the reins of their elk steeds. But with the commanding word from behind them, they battled their fears and continued forward with anger in their eyes.
Last edited by Neptune; Tue 23/06/202617:57 UTC. Reason: Got rid of the tactical since I replaced it
Sure. This should help: Elk-riders and elks: 100 Draft horse and wagon: 80 Riding horses: 120 Kriv expeditious retreat: 90 Davroar Giant Eagle: was 160 (and he has 160 ft head start)
OOC: We did and I'm last in order which is good timing giving my vacation if we're doing turn based. I think we skipped the turn-based until they got closer to speed things up.
ooc: Yes we did. Zeim, premature act. It's not your turn. We're actually finishing off the last turn so I'll resolve shortly and then we'll start going in turn order. Here's that initiative order for your reference when the time comes. I'll let you hold onto your Ice Storm rolls and you can use them if that's what things look like when you go. You should feel free to copy your post into a notepad and delete it from here.
Davroar soars, as a giant eagle, over the charging elk riders and lands under the edges of the forest canopy. The spot is near where the super-fast elk rider chased the fleeing merchant wagon into the woods. Davroar can see some commotion through the trees as he lands. There he transforms back into his human form but the elk-riders certainly see him as they charge to the same spot. Only 60 feet away now the druid can see the blood-lust in their fierce painted faces as the charge forward spears in hand, ready to be hurled.
Jaliera, riding blindly on Meadow, holding the reins of her steed tightly, looks instead through Whisper's keen eyes. Through them she can see the trouble Davroar has landed himself into, seemingly alone to face an oncoming barbarian charge. But she also sees through the canopy into the forest and there she sees the wagon, toppled over and on its side, wheels spinning freely next to the long sword wielding wagon driver that is in battle with the super fast elk rider that had chased them into the forest. Both the long sword and the greataxe wielded by the barbarian have drawn blood. The other four guards are all kneeling behind tree trunks between them, Davroar and the charging elk riders across the road. Their crossbows are all at the ready.
OOC: I updated the map for the round. We'll call this upcoming round, round 1 even though blood has been shed. We'll start with Zindra and some of the bad guys shortly. Then it'll be Pavel and Zhu's turn.
Note rules about Mounted Combat. Your horses are all trained as are the elk.
(OOC - OK, but if the riders can close on their turn next round before we go Zhu would have cast it on her turn this past round. The whole point is to cast it while they are still at range. It is useless to use if we're suddenly in melee.)
(She took no action "months ago" because you said they were 600 feet away. On April 13th she said she was waiting for them to close to 300 feet to cast her spell. Now, in the latest map, they are 100 feet away. She should have had ample opportunity to cast it.)
(OOC - I believe those 4 are the ones she indicated she was targeting in my action post of earlier. So, for those:
9 Bludgeoning and 15 Cold damage to those 4 riders and the 4 elk, DC 16 Dex save for 1/2, and the area around them for a 20 foot radius is difficult terrain for their move on this upcoming turn. She will then act on her turn this round when it comes along.)
As the elk-riders approach, Zhu creates a storm of ice which fells almost all of the riders coming around the hill to flank the party. Four elk and three riders fall to the ground, killed by the frosty spell. One of the riders, however, although prone, is moving to get up and continue the charge.
ooc: Top of the round now...
Zindra sights one on the elk-riders charging towards her and marks him as her target. She then unleashes two arrows at him. Both strike and the man falls off the elk to the ground, dead. She sees Davroar land and rides her horse forward towards him so that the druid doesn't have to face the dozens of attackers charging right at him by himself.
The survivor of Zhu's attack crawls out of the frozen ground created by the eladrin sorcerer, then stands and continues his charge.
Another one of the riders charges Zindra. The elk lowers it's head and attacks her horse while the rider, eyes wild with rage slashes with his great axe. Perhaps because the elk's charge knocks her horse to the ground, the elk-rider's strike misses Zindra but her horse is badly hurt and she is thrown from it's back.
Another of the barbarians, drives his elk right at Davroar, wielding his great axe. Although he cannot muster a swing with the axe, his elk lowers it's antlers and plunges them into the druid.
ooc: I need a strength save DC13 from Davroar
E1,E3,E5,E31,TW1,TW3,TW5,B1 DC 16 dex save Neptune rolled 1d20,1d20,1d20,1d20,1d20,1d20,1d20,1d20+1 and got 2, 3, 7, 1, 10, 5, 3, 5
Zindra Hunter's mark and 2 bow shots Neptune rolled 1d20+8,1d8+3,1d20+8,1d8+3,1d6 and got 24, 5, 17, 5, 4
B2 Attacks Zindra with his great axe Neptune rolled 1d20+5,1d20+5,1d12+3 and got 9, 13, 8
For an updated tactical may you can visit the Roll20 site. You can move your tokens there or, if you can't, give me directions. Don't roll dice there. Keep the dice rolls here. Only Jaliera saw what is transpiring in the woods.
ooc: No. The 120 is the double move. All the movement rates were for everyone charging into the fray using a "dash". So when regular moves are needed, halve the movements. Kriv has used 2 rounds of his ability. Kriv has been using a move-move-move (expeditious retreat) and can do a dash as a bonus action for 10 minutes. Hence the move 90. His normal move is 30.
Ignoring the lone, unhorsed barbarian for now, she rides her horse forwards, no longer concerned about Sindar and the wagon. (I moved her to just SW of Jaliera on the roadway, but cannot move her horse so please place the horse beneath her <g>)
Once there she focuses her Sorcerous abilities and gestures in two separate directions.
(OOC - First, casting Slow at the group of 3 riders, and their mounts, furthest West, near the hill:
DC 16 Wisdom saves or:
An affected target's speed is halved, it takes a -2 penalty to AC and Dexterity saving throws, and it can't use reactions. On its turn, it can use either an action or a bonus action, not both. Regardless of the creature's abilities or magic items, it can't make more than one melee or ranged attack during its turn.
She is using 2 Sorcery points to change the casting to a Bonus Action, then she is using her Action to Cast the Firebolt Cantrip at the lone Elk closest to Jaliera:
Zhu Firebolt Zeim rolled d20+9 and got 29 Crit!
Zhu Firebolt Crit Damage Zeim rolled 4d10 and got 23
ooc: You may want to change your target. That lone elk is Aubric's spiritual weapon in the form of an elk. I'll change the token to something less confusing
update... and I have made the change. BTW, if you zoom in to a target they have "names" like e10 or b4. Please help me by identifying your targets. And if you can't see them, let me know. DM Zhu tries to slow three elks and their riders and succeeds in doing so for two of the pairs. One elk and it's rider are unaffected.
ooc: That works out
TW2,TW4,TW6.E2,E4,E6 Wisdom saves DC 16 vs slow Neptune rolled 1d20,1d20,1d20,1d20,1d20,1d20 and got 19, 11, 5, 16, 9, 1
Last edited by Neptune; Sat 27/06/202621:54 UTC. Reason: Changes spiritual weapon token
(OOC - Can't see the names? As for target, if any of the Elk save versus the slow then she'll target it. Otherwise, she'll go for the Westernmost Elk of the next set of three just to the right of the ones she cast Slow on. I'll give you names once I can see them.)
Zhu's slow spell prevents most of the elk-riders from reaching the bulk of the party. The slowed elk skirt around Aubric's spiritual elk weapon fearing it's magic. It does not deter them as they have apparently been urged on by a leader and look at it as a foe to avoid rather than attack. But they do not get too far and end up not far from the spiritual weapon.
The elk whose rider was slain by Zindra continues it's charge directly at Jaliera and Meadow, it's antlers down as it strikes Meadow. The antlers bury deep into the steed's neck. The horse buckles under the assault, dead almost instantly, knocking Jaliera to the ground. The elk looks at Jaliera and she realizes that with it's next attack it aims to kill her.
elk charges Meadow Neptune rolled 1d20+5,3d6+3 and got 19, 17
Jaliera needs to make a dex save (DC 13) to land on her feet or be knocked prone
The two riders that were with that elk followed it around the spiritual elk and have their spears in hand. They were too far away from targets to strike now but when they get a chance, they have Zhu, Aubric and Pavel all within their sights.
Three elk riders that were in the back of the charging hoard break off to attack Zindra. Two slow their elk and hurl spears at her while one charges his elk right at the prone ranger. The two elk riders that stopped their rides hurl spears at the downed ranger. She turns out to be an easy target. Both spears find holes in her armor and then she is gored by the elk and blood starts to pour from her chest.
Three other elk riders ride towards Davroar while the wild-eyed barbarian with the greataxe standing over the him. The trio hurl their spears at the druid but two of them were too far away to get a good shot. They miss but the third, riding slightly ahead of his allies strikes the druid with his spear.
Most of the rest of the barbarians drive their elk into the forest towards where the wagon entered through the trees.
TW20,TW29 Hurl spears at Zindra (with disadvantage) Neptune rolled 1d20+3,1d20+3,1d6+1,1d20+3,1d20+3,1d6+1 and got 15, 22, 5, 15, 19, 3
E21 Charges Zindra, who is prone (advantage) Neptune rolled 1d20+5,1d20+5,3d6+3 and got 25, 21, 17 - CRIT! Crit damage Neptune rolled 3d6 and got 13 Zindra takes a total of 38 points of damage (Why can't I roll like this when I'm a player???)
TW14,TW15 Hurl spears at Davroar (disadvantage - long range) Neptune rolled 1d20+3,1d20+3,1d6+1,1d20+3,1d20+3,1d6+1 and got 16, 12, 5, 9, 9, 7 TW16 Hurl spears at Davroar Neptune rolled 1d20+3,1d6+1 and got 19, 6 TW14 and TW15 are 25 ft away - long range for a spear. TW16 is 20 ft away.
Jaliera is up now. Remember that if failed your save that you're prone, you'll need to use half your move to stand. Then Sindar and Davroar go. I think we can deal with all 3 simultaneously. Take your actions. A birds-eye view of the battlefield is attached but use Roll20. It's much easier to see things.
She feels Meadow collapse under her and her heart lurches. She knows though that she has to move beyond her pain as her own survival is on the edge. Whether or not she can do anything for Meadow, she knows she can't if she is killed herself.
Pushing away her sorrow, she instead focuses on her anger at this creature. Rolling to her feet, she raises her hand, palm facing the creature, and casts Color Spray directly at it. Then tries to hide.
[OOC Checking my spells, I think I should have 2 second level ones now but there is nothing on her sheet. Let's go with Color Spray for now. She should be able to cast this in a second level slot which gives her an extra 2d10 of HPs she can effect. I rolled the standard 6d10 and the 2d10 separately in case this is not the case?]
DM Jaliera points her palm at the elk that gored Meadow. The dazzling colors blinds the creature and using that opportunity she hides from it.
OOC: Yeah, there's some work to be done using the sheets. Roll20 changed a lot since I've used it. My FTF games have moved to a different VTT (Foundry) and hosting service (Sqyre) so when I came back to Roll20 there was a lot of fixin' to do and not a lot of time. Since we're not playing live, I haven't bothered. But your "official" PC should be found on DnDBeyond and there you have 4 first level spell slots and 2 second. Thing is, you don't have a second level spell learned and you should. Good thing is you have one more available slot to learn a spell. You should pick one. I can walk you through the process to pick it via PM if you need.
The spell is a 15' cone originating from her so the only target would be that one elk.
Quote
Blinded A blinded creature can’t see and automatically fails any ability check that requires sight. Attack rolls against the creature have advantage, and the creature’s attack rolls have disadvantage.
But let's be fair. If Meadow died, and you fell on your feet after she dropped, you have your entire move so you could position yourself in such a way that you could get that elk and both the elk and the rider behind it. You could just roll the 8d10 but she effected 54 hp worth of foes and that's more than enough to get all 3.
I added a tactical maneuver graphic. Since it would only take a move of 3, you would have 3 to move back. Remember that you cannot hide without something to hide behind or next to. Since Meadow is large, you could double back and hide behind or next to her.
Last edited by Neptune; Mon 06/07/202615:24 UTC. Reason: Added an option to get more targets
[OOC Sounds like a good plan Neptune. If Jaliera can do more, especially if it helps others, she will. I'll look at spells when I have a bit more time! ]
ooc: Davroar is at the edge of the forest so absolutely yes, there are trees. But that is the only good news. It's half a move to stand and climbing is at half speed. So, as a human, using DnD round down rules, he would only be able to climb 5 feet up and that is not going to be out of the reach of the elk or the barbarian. Either way his is in melee so moving away in any manner makes him the target of opportunity attacks by both elk and rider.
Pain fills his body as he is hit pretty hard and falls to the ground. Knowing he needs to even the odds, he will summon as many wolves as he can, instructing them to engage the nearest elks in pairs in a hit and run manner to try to draw the elks and barbarians away from the wagon. Once that is done he gets to his feet as fast as he can and shape changes into a brown bear, letting out a large roar hoping to spook the elk standing right in front of him.
[ooc: Davroar will up-cast Conjure Animals Lvl 4 to have 16 8 wolves ( CR 1/4) appear 10 feet behind the elk riders so they can move in, attack and then remaining move to run back. Davroar will do his last wild-shape as his bonus action, holding his ground as to not suffer a opportunity attack. ]
Last edited by Neptune; Fri 10/07/202600:17 UTC. Reason: DM Edit on the number of wolves (upcast as a 5th level spell)
DM Davroar summons eight wolves and transforms into a large brown bear.
Boris pulls the wagon as fast as he can and Sindar, far behind the others, does what he can. He calls out to Kriv and inspires the Dragonborn with his words. Then he points at the blinded elk that is near Jaliera and shoots off two blasts of eldritch energy. The beast is hit twice but does not fall.
Quote
Wolves Roll initiative for the summoned creatures as a group, which has its own turns. They obey any verbal commands that you issue to them (no action required by you). If you don’t issue any commands to them, they defend themselves from hostile creatures, but otherwise take no actions.
Please roll initiative for the wolves 1d20+2
Typically I would assume you are issuing the command before Davroar changes because brown bears can't speak. But wolves don't speak. Maybe they understand brown bear? That's fun. We'll go with that. But what is your command?
"Spooking" an opponent is a contest and a full round action. You can try next round. It is an intimidation roll (use the bear's strength or charisma) vs the elk's insight. If it works, I'll impose the frightened condition which means it has disadvantage on attacks and can't move closer to you. You can decide what to do next round. The same goes for the wolves.
I haven't seen Pande for a while so I've ghosted for him.
Sindar Eldritch Blast E9 with Advantage Neptune rolled 1d20+8,1d20+8,1d10,1d20+8,1d20+8,1d10 and got 24, 26, 2, 10, 17, 7 Total 9pts damage.
Having the wolves appear 10 feet behind the behind the elk riders, he commands them to pair up and to try a sneak attack the elks from behind and then retreat away from the forest edge.
OOC: Dugan, I attached a screen shot of the wolves and how I placed them but I gave you access to the wolves in Roll20 so you can move them where you want them to be. Let me know when they're placed the way you would like before I proceed.
[ooc: Neptune I move W3 and W7. The other wolves placement is fine with me. When its the wolves turn W1/W4 attack E14, W2/W6 attack E12, W3/W7 attack E13, W5/W8 attack E21 ]
DM The wolves appear and are ready to pounce but a lone barbarian, wearing an elk antler headdress, a necklace made of human bones and a belt of humanoid skulls lagged behind the others and now casts a spell that summons fiendish spirits that flit about him in a 15 foot radius. He then rides his elk, spear in hand, towards four of the wolves summoned by Davroar.
OOC: (Spirit Guardians). The 4 wolves (W1, W4, W5 and W8), at the start of their turn, need to make wisdom saves, DC 12. On a fail they take 9 points on a save 4 points of damage. None of the wolves will die.
Dugan, you can go for the wolves. Remember that they get pack tactics. You really should have moved them all adjacent to the elk to take advantage of that but I know what you meant so use it for your attacks. The elk are AC 10 and the warriors are AC 12.
Wolf W1, W4, W5, W8 Wisdom Saves Dugan rolled 1d20,1d20,1d20,1d20 and got 4, 17, 5, 8
Sprit Guardians Wolf W1 takes 9 damage Wolf W4 takes 4 damage Wolf W5 takes 9 damage Wolf W8 takes 9 damage
Wolf W1 Attack /w/ advantage on Elk E14 Dugan rolled 1d20+4 and got 15 Damage on E14 Dugan rolled 2d4+2 and got 6
Wolf W4 Attack /w/ advantage on Elk E14 Dugan rolled 1d20,1d20 and got 9, 19+4=23 Damage on E14 Dugan rolled 2d4+2 and got 9 (corrected for mistake in dice roller where i had +4)
Total damage on Elk E14 = 15 --------------------------------------------- Wolf W5 Attack /w/ advantage on Elk E21 Dugan rolled 1d20,1d20 and got 12+4 = 14, 2 Damage on E21 Dugan rolled 2d4+2 and got 9 (corrected for mistake in dice roller where i had +4)
Wolf W8 Attack /w/ advantage on Elk E21 Dugan rolled 1d20,1d20 and got 10+4 = 14, 1 Damage on E21 Dugan rolled 2d4+2 and got 8 (corrected for mistake in dice roller where i had +4)
Total damage on Elk E21 = 17 --------------------------------------------- Wolf W2 Attack /w/ advantage on Elk E12 Dugan rolled 1d20,1d20 and got 13, 20 (crit)+4 = 24 Critical Damage on E12 Dugan rolled 4d4+2 and got 13 (corrected for mistake in dice roller where i had +4)
Wolf W6 Attack /w/ advantage on Elk E12 Dugan rolled 1d20,1d20 and got 9+4=13, 7 Damage on E12 Dugan rolled 2d4+2 and got 7
Total damage on E12 = 20 --------------------------------------------- Wolf W3 Attack /w/ advantage on Elk E13 Dugan rolled 1d20,1d20 and got 19+4=23, 12 Damage on E13 Dugan rolled 2d4+2 and got 4
Wolf W7 Dugan rolled 1d20,1d20 and got 4, 19+4=23 Damage on E13 Dugan rolled 2d4+2 and got 10
Total damage on E13 = 14
--------------------------------------------- For any surviving Elk: If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 11 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.
DM The wolves kill four of the elks and three of the riders land on their feet and try to spear the wolves as they back off. Two of the elk riders manage to strike their targets but non of the wolves drop. The fourth rider falls to the ground prone.
Deeper in the woods the confrontation between the elk-riders and the wagon guards turns furious. The five guards attack their enemies. Some striking true but none of the barbarians fall in the onslaught.
ooc: Yes Zeim, the 15'r aura around the Shaman should be very clear.
Dugan, I see that you moved the wolves away after they attacked. Surviving Elk would get opportunity attacks but none did. I won't give the elk-riders that opportunity attack if they fail the DC 10 dex save. In that case they fall prone. The riders that do succeed will get opportunity attacks.
TW13 Dex save DC 10 - elk died Neptune rolled 1d20 and got 12
TW12 Dex save DC 10 - elk died Neptune rolled 1d20 and got 12
TW14 Dex save DC 10 - elk died Neptune rolled 1d20 and got 16
TW21 Dex save DC 10 - elk died Neptune rolled 1d20 and got 9
TW13 Opportunity attack W3 with spear Neptune rolled 1d20+3,1d6+1 and got 20, 3
TW12 Opportunity attack W2 with spear Neptune rolled 1d20+3,1d6+1 and got 17, 7
TW14 Opportunity attack W1 with spear Neptune rolled 1d20+3,1d6+1 and got 4, 5
V1 Two long sword attacks on TW23 Neptune rolled 1d20+5,1d8+3,1d20+5,1d8+3 and got 17, 8, 10, 10
V2 Two long sword attacks on B3 Neptune rolled 1d20+5,1d8+3,1d20+5,1d8+3 and got 25, 7, 19, 10 V2 Crit on B3 Neptune rolled 1d8 and got 7
V3 Two long sword attacks onTW26 Neptune rolled 1d20+5,1d8+3,1d20+5,1d8+3 and got 9, 4, 8, 8
V4 Two long sword attacks onTW27 Neptune rolled 1d20+5,1d8+3,1d20+5,1d8+3 and got 11, 10, 10, 5
V5 Two long sword attacks on B4 with advantage Neptune rolled 1d20+5,1d20+5,1d8+3,1d20+5,1d20+5,1d8+3 and got 6, 18, 11, 24, 15, 11 Kriv is up and Aubric goes after Kriv.
These uncivilized curs were attacking without even a moment's consideration as to if those they struck at were even enemies. Such callous brigandage warranted a response in kind, and the dragonborn rushed to the point of contact, looking to batter elks and a rider.
Move 30ft Bonus action dash 30ft. Thunderwave (template on map touching E9, E7, TW7) Kriv Thunderwave AJ rolled 2d8 and got 8 DC14 Con save for half, if failed blasted 10ft away from Kriv.
[OOC: As Kriv is not attacking the same target as Aubric would go for, going ahead with my move.]
By the time Aubric is able to react, Zhu has taken care of most of the flanking attackers. Seeing Kriv attacking those on the road and trusting Jaliera and Pavel to join in on the closer threats, he turns his attention to the two remaining mounted warriors flanking the party, his goal to kill both mounts if possible.
He begins by moving his spiritual weapon due north until it is within range of one elk [E6], attacking it.
It looks like the attack did damage, but the elk still lives, so he uses a cantrip to try to finish it off.
Aubric Toll the Dead (E6 missing HP) AquaDyne rolled 2d12 and got 11 E6 must make a DC16 Wis Save
He then moves to the southeast to try to put some distance between him and the attackers, while getting closer to the other half of the party and moving closer to the treeline.
DM Kriv rushes forward and when he reaches the barbarians his presence is announced with a thunderous blast. The one of the blinded elk and the rider of the other are blown away. Aubric whacks an elk with his spiritual weapon and then finishes it off with a dolorous clang. The rider falls with the elk but lands on his feet.
Zindra rises and moves her mark to the barbarian standing over her with a spear. She draws her short sword and thrusts it at him twice. He falls, her horse rises and she leaves it, moves around it and moves away from the wild-eyed berserker that threatens her.
The berserker ignores Zindras horse to follow her and swings his great axe at her. Both he and the elk he is riding strike true and she does not look well at all now. The berserker near the brown bear focuses on it. He swings his great axe and wounds the druid but when his elk tries to gore him, it just misses him. In the woods the berserker near the wagon that ran ahead of everyone battles the wagon driver. He swings his axe with rage and the axe gashes the driver's splint armor.
E7,E9.TW7 Con saves Neptune rolled 1d20+1,1d20+1,1d20+1 and got 18, 7, 9 E6 Wis Save DC 16 Neptune rolled 1d20 and got 2 TW6 Dex save DC 10 Neptune rolled 1d20 and got 12 Zindra Short sword, Short Sword, Hunters Mark Neptune rolled 1d20+6,1d6+3,1d20+6,1d6+3,1d6 and got 23, 8, 14, 9, 2 B3 Great Axe wilding attacks Davroar Neptune rolled 1d20+5,1d20+5,1d12+3 and got 16, 13, 11 E33 Gore Davoar Neptune rolled 1d20+5,1d6+3 and got 10, 9 B4 Great Axe raging against guard V4 Neptune rolled 1d20+5,1d20+5,1d12+3 and got 22, 13, 12
Seeing Jaliera's horse go down and the elk riders converging on her, he rides up next to her. Casting Rime's Binding Ice in a 30 ft cone towards the oncoming elks and their riders (OOC: Cone starts from square below Jaliera). Effecting E7,8,9 and TW7,8.
He yells to Jaliera. "Take care of my horse." Then as a bonus action casts Vortex Warp on himself choosing to fail the savings throw and flanks the small pocket of elk riders just beyond the reach of his previous spell leaving his horse with Jaliera.
(OOC - Miales - Vortex Warp is a Full Action Spell, not a Bonus Action, unless you have something like the Sorceror's Meta Magic that lets you cast Full Action spells as Bonus Actions? Normally only a Sorceror can cast 2 spells in a round as the action economy doesn't usually allow it because casting two spells requires one of them to be a Cantrip and all Cantrips are full actions not Bonus Actions.
OOC Neptune - Am I right to assume that any Elk without a rider is not controlled and therefore will wander off or just take the Dodge Action?))
OOC: Zeim is correct about this. But Pavel is a fighter(battlemaster)/wizard (war magic) so yeah, he can't cast 2 level spells and no, Vortex Warp is a full action spell.
Miales, if you look at the spell list on the character sheet linked at the game forum page you can find all bonus action spells. You have a few. You cannot cast 2 level spells (not catrips) in a round. You can cast a level x spell and a cantrip but I don't think there are any bonus action wizard cantrips in DnD 5.0.
Zeim. Your assumption about the elk doesn't matter. Zhu's does. Give me a DC 10 animal handling check.
Riding forward almost as far as her horse will allow (Nep - I moved her on the map. Please move her horse under her), she gestures and speaks a word of magic and a mote of fire flies from her hand, streaking into the gathering of enemies.
OOC - Fireball targeting TW19. This should affect the following foes: TW19, E19, TW22, E22, the unnumbered Elk and its rider directly East of TW22, E26 (but not TW26), E23, TW23, E18, TW18, E17, TW17, TW13, TW12
Controlling a Mount While you're mounted, you have two options. You can either control the mount or allow it to act independently. Intelligent creatures, such as dragons, act independently.
You can control a mount only if it has been trained to accept a rider. Domesticated horses, donkeys, and similar creatures are assumed to have such training. The initiative of a controlled mount changes to match yours when you mount it. It moves as you direct it, and it has only three action options: Dash, Disengage, and Dodge. A controlled mount can move and act even on the turn that you mount it.
An independent mount retains its place in the initiative order. Bearing a rider puts no restrictions on the actions the mount can take, and it moves and acts as it wishes. It might flee from combat, rush to attack and devour a badly injured foe, or otherwise act against your wishes.
In either case, if the mount provokes an opportunity attack while you're on it, the attacker can target you or the mount.
ooc: Zeim, Sorry that I missed a few labels. I think they're all labeled now. I placed a template for your fireball. It's a 20'r and usually it's not placed on a square but rather a corner, the intersection of 4 squares, but I won't quibble. Move it as you like and let me know when you're done.
OOC: Zeim is correct about this. But Pavel is a fighter(battlemaster)/wizard (war magic) so yeah, he can't cast 2 level spells and no, Vortex Warp is a full action spell.
Miales, if you look at the spell list on the character sheet linked at the game forum page you can find all bonus action spells. You have a few. You cannot cast 2 level spells (not catrips) in a round. You can cast a level x spell and a cantrip but I don't think there are any bonus action wizard cantrips in DnD 5.0.
OOC: Would it be possible to Misty step which is listed as a Bonus Action spell?
(OOC - Yes, but again the action economy would prevent the Rime's Biding Ice spell as it is not a Cantrip. In effect, due to the ways the rules interact, only Sorcerors using Meta Magic can cast more than one spell in a round, without some sort of special magic item or power. There are Feats that can give a non-Sorceror Meta Magic forex. You could use the Misty Step instead of the Rime's Biding Ice, move your normal move, and then either cast a cantrip or make any other action besides casting a spell, such as a physical weapon attack, as your normal action.)
Longer answer: You can cast a cantrip plus one spell that isn't a cantrip and one must have a casting time of bonus action rather than action.
Suggestion: A good strategy is to use cantrips to do damage and leveled spells to do the bonus action. The issue with cantrips is that they don't do damage to a large number of foes and a save or a miss means no damage. Misty step, level 2 is your only bonus action. What you could do is cast Toll of the Dead which is a full action cantrip and Misty step as a bonus action.
Note that as a fighter, you also have a special bonus action: second wind. To make things simple for you going forward, there's a "bonus action" tab/button on your character sheet in DnD Beyond. I took a screen shot for you. It shows all your available bonus actions.
(OOC - I believe the following is true: If you have Action Surge as a Fighter you can use it for a spell, but again the Cantrip/Bonus Action limitation applies so you could Cast a Bonus Action spell and then a Cantrip and then Action Surge for another Cantrip OR Cast a Full Action Spell and then Action Surge and cast another full Action spell (no Cantrip). So the short answer is you can do what you originally wanted to do BUT you would have to use Action Surge.)
ooc: Miales, I need Pavel's damage roll for Rime's Binding Ice. There is a problem though with the Vortex Warp. The text of the spell reads as follows:
Quote
You magically twist space around another creature you can see within range. The target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw (the target can choose to fail), or the target is teleported to an unoccupied space of your choice that you can see within range. The chosen space must be on a surface or in a liquid that can support the target without the target having to squeeze.
So you cannot cast it on yourself. Details, details.
I also gave you control of your horse and moved him with you.
And note that Jaliera is hidden (even from the party) behind Meadow.
(OOC - I do believe you can use your Full Action to cast a Bonus Action spell, just not the other way around, so I think you could use Misty Step here in place of Vortex Warp......, actually turns out that going by RAW you can't do that. They are considered separate pools.)
Pavel Rimes Damage Miales rolled 1d8,1d8,1d8 and got 6, 3, 7 so a 16
OOC: Since we've figured out that he can't use Vortex Warp on himself or Misty Step, since it is considered strictly a Bonus Action, the second part of the original attack is altered.
Quote
Seeing Jaliera's horse go down and the elk riders converging on her, he rides up next to her. Casting Rime's Binding Ice in a 30 ft cone towards the oncoming elks and their riders (OOC: Cone starts from square below Jaliera). Effecting E7,8,9 and TW7,8.
He yells to Jaliera. "Take care of my horse." Then as a bonus action casts Vortex Warp on himself choosing to fail the savings throw and flanks the small pocket of elk riders just beyond the reach of his previous spell leaving his horse with Jaliera.
Pavel will continue to ride Past the group effected (Note considering I was 15 feet behind Zhu at the beginning of movement I should be within range of movement with where I placed them.
DM Pavel creates a cone of frigidness which blasts away an elk and one of the barbarians. Two other elk and the rider of the dead elk survive the blast. And even though he was severely hurt, the barbarian lands on his feet.
E7,E8,E9,TW7,TW8 Con saved DC 12 Neptune rolled 1d20+1,1d20+1,1d20+1,1d20+1,1d20+1 and got 15, 4, 20, 7, 17 TW8 Dex save DC 10 Neptune rolled 1d20 and got 10
DM Several of the barbarians race as fast as they can towards Kriv. Unfortunately for them, some of them are still slowed by Zhu's spell. How odd it is seeing an elk running, as fast as it can, and not make it very far! Alas, three spears head Kriv's way and one strikes true.
Another barbarian urges his elk forward and it rams Aubric's horse as he hurls a spear at Aubric. Both the horse and Aubric are hit.
A barbarian on an elk races up to Pavel and the elk lowers it's antlers at Pavel's horse. While charging, the barbarian does not strike in order to guide his steed at Pavel. Meanwhile, the barbarian that survived Pavel's frosty attack runs at Pavel and takes advantage of having his ally next to him. With vengeance on his mind, the barbarian uses both hands to thrust at Pavel.
Two elks and their riders move up to join the fray with Davroar the bear and the wagon guard who was fighting the berserk tribesman. Although the elk and one of the barbarians strike the guard, he continues to fight. While the barbarian fails to hit the bear, the elk's horns ram Davroar and hurts the bear.
And while the party hasn't met up with the group of elk-riders entering the woods, you can all see blood fly and horses fall.
TW2,TW4,TW6 Attack Kriv with hurled spears Neptune rolled 1d20+3,1d6+1,1d20+3,1d6+1,1d20+3,1d6+1 and got 10, 5, 21, 6, 13, 6
Kriv takes 6 pts damage
E10,TW10 Elk charges Aubrics horse,Barbarian hurls spear at Aubric Neptune rolled 1d20+5,3d6+3,1d20+3,1d6+1 and got 11, 10, 11, 3
How on earth do you have an 11 AC???
Aubric needs to make 2 saves: Con DC 10 or lose concentration on spiritual hammer, Str DC 13 (horse is +3) or the horse falls. If the horse falls, Aubric can either land prone taking no extra damage or use his reaction to "dismount" and land on his feet.
E11,TW8 Elk charges horse, Barbarian strikes Pavel with advantage Neptune rolled 1d20+5,3d6+3,1d20+3,1d20+3,1d8+1 and got 9, 14, 19, 14, 6 Elk misses, Pavel is hit and takes 6 pts damage.
TW15,E15,TW14 Attack V2 all with advantage Neptune rolled 1d20+3,1d20+3,1d6+1,1d20+5,1d20+5,1d6+3,1d20+5,1d20+5,1d8+1 and got 5, 22, 5, 13, 20, 4, 11, 14, 4 V2 takes 17 damage E16,TW16 Attack Davroar the bear Neptune rolled 1d20+5,1d6+3,1d20+3,1d20+3,1d6+1 and got 19, 8, 9, 10, 6 Davroar the bear takes 8 points damage
E28,TW28 Elk charges V3 horse,Barbarian attacks V3 with advantage Neptune rolled 1d20+5,3d6+3,1d20+3,1d20+3,1d8+1 and got 22, 14, 19, 7, 4 V3 horse is killed. V3 takes 4 pts damage
E26,TW26 Elk attacks V3 with hooves,TW attacks V3 with advantage Neptune rolled 1d20+5,2d4+3,1d20+3,1d20+3,1d6+1 and got 15, 10, 4, 16, 4 Both Elk and TW26 miss V3
E30,TW30 Elk charges V4 horse,Barbarian attacks V4 with advantage Neptune rolled 1d20+5,3d6+3,1d20+3,1d20+3,1d8+1 and got 16, 13, 23, 18, 9 V4 horse is dead. V4 takes 9 points damage.
E24,TW24 Elk charges V4 whose horse died with flanking advantage,Barbarian attacks V4 with advantage Neptune rolled 1d20+5,1d20+5,3d6+3,1d20+3,1d20+3,1d8+1 and got 6, 14, 15, 8, 15, 4 Elk and barbarian miss V4
E27,TW27 Elk attacks V4 horse with hooves and flanking advantage,Barbarian attacks V4 with advantage Neptune rolled 1d20+5,1d20+5,2d4+3,1d20+3,1d20+3,1d8+1 and got 10, 21, 10, 17, 15, 8 Elk does 10 point and barbarian does 8 point on V4 (14 total)
OK. Two of the guard horses died.
Jaliera is up.
Last edited by Neptune; Tue 21/07/202600:18 UTC. Reason: Updated results.
OOC: Short answer, E11 is wounded. There is no TW9 but if you mean TW8, he's wounded too.
But a picture is worth a 1000 words, and if you teach a person to fish...
Everyone: The attached graphic is a snapshot from the battle. There are 3 things to note.
1) There are condition indicators that I use. You can see that two of the tokens have an eye on the top right corner. Those are indicators that the target is blind. That's from Jaliera's Color Spray which ends after her turn. There are others that are slowed or prone on the map.
2) I changed the status bar on all so you can see the slider clearly. Those are HP sliders. If there's any "gray" portion on the bar, the target is wounded. On your tokens you see the actual hit points.
3) In order to clearly see the status bar, I've moved all riders to sit on the top right of their mounts token. From this point going forward, for players and their opponents, the rider sits in the middle of the token and as far as measurements go for range, being adjacent to a target or flanking we will use the mount as the origin point. So, for game purposes, TW11 is adjacent to Pavel. I moved him from the bottom left of the elk token to the top right just so you can see the bars.
I still have some cleanup to do with the tokens but that's enough to let you play on. It's been a long time since I've used Roll20 and there were setup steps I should have taken to start the encounter that I didn't so I'm adjusting as we go.
So much is going on. She has no idea how Davroar is faring.. and she always worries when she can't see him. She is aware that they are all potentially in trouble. These elks and riders seem formiddable.
Time to do something more.
She gets out her lightning scroll and points her finger in an eaterly direction thinking she should be able to target both elks and riders in a line from her. She casts the spell and then hides again.
Hide: Jaliera Hide Gypsy rolled 1d20+10 and got 16
[OOC if Jaliera cannot cast the lightening this round.. or I've missed something.. she will try web ]
ooc: Jaliera can absolutely cast lightning bolt off the scroll! Here's what you should do and I got you started in Roll20...
1) Place the template. I created one in roll20. Remember that you can move. Not only are you hidden behind Meadow, but the elk adjacent to you is blind and is not being controlled. So you should feel free to move and reposition yourself first. The line is 100' long. As per my last post, if you target an elk, you've targeted it's rider too, even if the line doesn't touch the rider. You should be able to grab the line, move it and spin it. To spin it zoom in a bit, click on the template and you should see a blue dot in one corner. That's the spinning tool. I placed it at a point where I think you get to target the most foes in one shot. It also places you in a flanking position for Aubric but yes, which gives you advantage even if you don't succeed to hide.
2) Roll damage. It's nice damage: 8d6 and the save DC will be 15. Each of the targets makes a Dex save for half damage.
Watched it 3 times, slected draw, and then select.. but when I click on the yellow stick, no blue dots appear. Maybe it is me being stupid,, but rather than delay further, please make her optimum move. Ta
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Maybe it is me being stupid,, but rather than delay further, please make her optimum move. Ta