Dungeon Master Forum

6 seconds? Right, I was wondering about that, some of the player descriptions go on for ages; I thought they had been down there for days!

People think quickly

It's always been the way, you sorta have to stretch credibility for the sake of sane conflict resolution. Sometimes in the update to actions you can summarise the timescale well.

Though 'back in the day' combat used to be ten seconds a round, only have one action, and it was either party move first or monsters move first by default. And GET OFF MY LAWN!

Oh yeah, duhhh, see, I was forgetting the time thing myself . Although actually, regarding that you said movement in combat isn't exactly walking speed...actually, for Ameena, it would be if she's on her hind legs - murafu can't move faster than a quick walk like that, remember? They're a bit too front-heavy. But anyway, I don't think she did much walking and I forgot to have her stand up again in my post last night. She's probably sort of hunched over now, forepaws off the ground but still standing low. She'd have to be to reach across and slash at the mummy again. I got a bit confused last night when I saw the map, then remembered that you can melée across diagonals in this one. Can you shoot across them too? I can't remember. And what about reach weapons?
Anyway, hopefully the nasty mummy will be dead soon and Ameena can do the murafu equivalent of curling up in a ball and bursting into tears (since I'm pretty sure rats don't cry, murafu don't either). And then we can get Westian and Haynuus fixed up and everyone can move on and get ganked by something else instead . But hey, hopefully we'll get a shitload and a half of exp for this bugger .
I wonder what'll happen if we end up in a situation where I have a good idea of what to do, but it's not the kind of thing Ameena would think of so it'd be difficult to get her to suggest it or try it. Hrmmm...well, we'll see, I suppose .

Movement in combat, although it is supposed to be your walking speed, is actually a 'hustle' - since you are cramming in a movement, yet also doing a standard action. So it's not a run, but it is faster than a walk. You know that speed you move when you are looking for keys or your jacket first thing in the morning? That's a hustle

Diagonals - you can move in diagonals, but every second diagnonal takes an extra square. You can attack and threaten diagonally aswell as horizintally (even if you reach is like 2 or three squares, you still ahve a 3 diagonal reach)

I forgot to say (because I forgot) that you can't move diagonally around a corner, you have to step around it in straight lines. You can move diagonally through people.

You can attack and range attack diagonally.

Sorry, work calls....other stuff!

But yeah, I expect some interesting reactions afetr the mummy is gone. Probably hunger and gassiness

No experience still, you gain levels for successful areas/encounters. The mummy and the next area was going to count as one, but then I toughened the mummy up, so now this alone will net a level.

I'll talk about the level progression going onwards after the fight and after Ian gets back next week.

If you have an OOC idea, post it in the OOC thread as a player. Someone else might be able to use it in character. I will sometimes nudge a player if their character should know somethign the player doens't, or shoudl spot somethign the player hasn't. Usually that will be a class based thing.

Hmmm, I wonder if I should have intimidated the mummy into running into the fire. They're not that stupid though are they? Hey, if a druid could commune with plants AND intimidate one that would work on a screamer XD

I was nervous before this attack roll, hoping for something decent. But I got a damn 1! So I missed Captain Toilet-Roll, lets hope he has taken enough punishment already.

I'm sure when haynuus is a level 20 bad ass, he could indeed roll a check so high that he could get someone to do that. As a level 2 pin cushion, he's a little less scary. If he had picked up the burning rags, that might have earned a few bonus points

OB, you are aware I have the power to arbitrarily give special ranks to poeple they can't change, right? Don't give me good ideas!

Ah well, statistically speaking, your next endeavour should see you criting constantly, so it's all good.

Ok, need to check the situation, but I think I need you guys to roll some attacks of opportunity for the running away critter. Good luck!

Oh brother... You've had some dire rolls with this guy. Haynuus seems to be sucking on your lucky lolly at the moment.

Roll an attack of opportunity for the running away critter. Yeeees! Fleee! Run-awaaaaay! Muah-hah-hah-haaaa! (1d20=12, 1d6=2)

At least someone is getting good rolls, otherwise there would be four piles of bones on the floor. And I don't think we saved our game...

Ok, one more swing at Lieutenant Toilet-Roll (I demoted him to Lieutenant since he ran away). Sorry beo, that is the last name I will give him! No need to retaliate!.

Right, rolled a 12 + 3 = 15, plus any flanking bonuses (lost track of who is where now). If that was a hit, damage roll was 5. Well, a bit better at least. It seems Westian prefers to hit people in the back while they run away than face them head on. Very sensible.

Go look at the IC thread first before reading people!

...

Yeah, so combat over, well done! It's a bit of a shame that like last fight it sometimes seems as though people's actions don't matter (like Falkors movements or Westian's final attacks). In the second case, obviously it's a case of luck with the dice rolls of Haynuus both times, but it's good to know that the party would not have been stuffed. In both battles, it seems if Haynuus had stuffed up (and his attack rolls were on the limit of a hit this time) Westian would have saved the day each time!

For Falkor (and Ameena too), it's pretty funny how it seems like they could have done anythign, but they're actions going onwards were just as crucial - either to their safety, or the party.

Falkor I just noted because if he hadn't gone forward with a constant light, and flared his spell, the mummy would have been able to come forward in a better manner than it did - I cursed when it was hard to get to the central tomb because of the crap angle. And the rags in the way (who did that) made that worse. Though it was fun to be able to take a good weapon and stick it in the creature's hands instead of being at the pointy end of it.

Funnily, there was even a point where Falkor took a step back. Would seem stupid and paranoid, but again I cursed, as the mummy was actually going to try and dominate the area by the door (you might see why later). So it was the intention to go and grab the torch right out from Falkor's hand. Except the bugger moved backwards! And I think Westian did something (or maybe that was the Haynuus natural 20 hit) which stopped him from going forward.

As seen, Ameena and Falkor couldn't really penetrate the defences of the mummy either. However, since both their attacks hit they went from creatures . It's always a touch decision to know wheether to have multiple smaller attacks or use aid another and deliver a definite attack, but Ameena and Falkor consistently had at least enoghto aid another. If needed, I would have used those attacks to grant the bonus anyway. As it turned out, instead the determined the (poor) tactical direction of the mummy's retreat. And each successful attack stopped the mummy from bullrushing/grappling them and using them as humanoid shields!

And Ameena's flanking was, of course, tactically great, Plus, you know, if I hadn't put you with a mummy you'd have seen the awesome might of a rogue and sneak attack damage! Well, ok, you all have probably seen it before, but you must admit it would have been really useful this fight!

Anyway, long story short, I'm evil, and never doubt that if you aren't being paranoid, I will get you Although as a nice DM, I will at least make sure your actions have the appropriate effect on the battle as I have set up the surroundings, and the psyche of the opponents.


Anyway, that final round was weird! Like I said, in the end the first blow killed the mummy, but here's how it would have broken down.

If Haynuus had missed, and Ameena had missed, Ameena would ahve been grappled as a hostage. Except Ameena struck, so became a threat (even though she did no damage. Like I said, if Falkor or Ameena had missed the AC10 to at least connect, it would have gone badly there for them as soft targets!)

If Haynuus had missed, the next alternative was to move to the tomb lid, and lift it up as a protective device. This would have been interesting, as it would have been deadly if the mummy just dropped it on anyone, but the mummy would have been slow to actually turn and use it. That would have basically become a cliff hanger for the weekend due to Ian's departure. Falkor would ahve come back into play, being the closest character, and one actually behind the tomb lid shield (because unlike normal combat, the mummy would have had a facing due to the weight of the lid and the slow movement to turn with it)

Instead, Haynuus hit. If he hadn't killed the creature, the creature instead was going to use a standard action to swing at Haynuus, then simple move away - probably to the clubs for ammo. The damage was alreayd rolled because I believed the creature still alive to start with, and it would have been 14hp! Haynuus would have ben a -6hp, and reduced to -7hp to swing a weapon. His endurance feat let's him act right up until death, although he could only either move slowly, or further wound himself with actions. So yeah, Haynuus would have been in a bad way if he hadn't killed the critter!

Note the above rolls would have been reversed if Westian had been the one to score the hit,. Except if WEstian had been hit again, he'd have been dying and rolling stabalising saves! Again, Falkor would ahve come into play, and would have needed that shield I expect to tend to the fallen cleric!

Anywya, sorry, I'm just really interested in the anatomy of the fight, and the hidden stuff that goes into it. I'd liek to know how it seems to you (if you appreciate your every action has the chance to drastically turn the fight). I mean the club throwing at the start was funny, it seemed to be futile (due to the range penalties and the damage reduction of the creature) but at least a good distraction. However, instead your club throwing kept it back and uncertain, then the combined three clubs (one right in the face, even if the other two were misses) were enough to just get it annoyed enough to attempt the leap through the flames. And we know how that went!

And seriously guys, I did lump you in with a really, really tough fight. I think I said to Gambit I was just trusting you to win through. Originally you'd have had a DM-like mummy, and not been under constant threat of violent death each round And how boring would that have been! I figured you could handle it, and handle it you did.

I didn't actually know how you were going to get through it, because magical torch aside (and hidden falchion) and the occasional piece of armour and sub-par weapon aside, your torches were your best chance but actually a poor weapon.

Throwing clubs, setting up fiery rags, and making improved club torches were not anything I'd thought about. The rags and clubs were really flavour-come-hinderance. Even the rope idea I was dubious about, but as I said later it looked to be a viable gamble!

So yeah, go you lot!

Anyway, you can all take a moment to bask in the glow, have an IC reaction post, then it's back to the boring old 5 minite rounds and dealing with the injured, and exploring your safe (*Wahahahaha*) surroundings. And maybe even getting some plot points or two!

Anyway, I'll end the long post now, I am way over my lunchtime again This evening I'll answer any OOC questions and comments, and more importantly set you up for exploring the hall, and how we'll deal with anyone's weekend absenses.

Later!

I can't say much now, but just wanted to share my surprise! Beo had told me some inside knowledge last week and I was certain you were all going to become mummy meat! Congrats on surviving!

I'd of never have thought of a humanoid body shield before, that's evil!

I think I lucked out with the rolls on this one. Surely could have done with better communication to organise ourselves here. I moved out of the way of Ameena's aid at one point, but got lucky this time. I really wanted some Indiana Jones finale though

It would have been perfectly reasonable for Haynuus to be unconcious for the weekend Instead he can help the methodic searches.

Yes, nice encounter! It did feel very open, not as if you had a grand plan for the battle that we had to follow or else we would get squished. And I am glad that my bad rolls did not mean we all became "mummy meat"

Maybe we should have planned things together beforehand. But maybe not, we could have come up with some outlandish scheme that we managed to convince ourselves would work. Like wrapping ourselves in bandages to pretend that we all were mummies, and then jumping him when he least expected it. Actually, that may not have been a bad idea...next time

yeah that was really suspense-laden battling! Congrats from me , too

Heh, the spectators enjoyed it then!

Yeah, organisation to maximise combat bonuses is usually good, but then don't be afraid to play it as a straight RP and ignore the mechanics of the situation for the internal logic of it. I'll always be playing and ruling to the spirit of what you are trying, not looking for a cheap 'gotcha' through enforcing mechanics rules. Not unless it's funny!

And as to Ian's point about the flanking, I would have delayed the update if your actions would have left you at too great a tactical disadvantage, given everyone is still getting used to the rules (or at least the rules not being done for you by a computer!) As it was, Westian took up the flank up, so it's all good and you'll be tighter next time

I think the dice rolls evened out - Haynuus got some really nice luck, but Westian pulled some poor luck. The creature might have fumbled a few attempts here and there, but his attack rolls and damage rolls massacred you, and he took light damage from the floor fire. Luck always evens out (or it should if I'm doing my job right), and good play should always get you a fair ways through an encounter and offset temporary bad rolls. Sometimes. *whistles*

Planning is cool, certainly ideas are cool. Always watch you aren't trying for a quick win, or that things aren't practical. I'll let you try most things unless they are really against your interests or insane, but you might find you reap the penalties. I'll never punish a player - you just might find the game situation changing in an interesting way for your character AS it was I'm glad you at least tried the rope, it proved the concept could work. Don't worry, there will be plenty of time for Indiana Jones finales! Remember, this was only the second area with obstacles!

The thing to watch out for is that many things that aren't directly combatty tend to have penalties on the attempt, and usually the good outcome isn't a straight win, it's usually a bonus on other things you want to do. As I said, watch you aren't trying to do something for a quick win, and never underestimate how good a +2 bonus is at the right time, or even robbing an enemy of a single action. As you might have spotted, many cool things that either side may want to do can consume two or three actions.

Anyway, glad the set up worked out, I merely planted some things around and sat back to see what you'd do. It could ahve gone really badly, but aside from the niggles you are saying I think you did well! Well enough to impress Gambit who knew how much of a bugger I was being to you!

Anyway, money was around but probably busy, and Ameena must have gone straight from work to her D&D thingie tonight, so I'll leave any comments on your immediate surroundings and situation until last thing tonight or first thing tomorrow.

Well I'm pleased we made it! Whats everyone's availability like for the weekend?

Oh, last long post - hit points (forgive any tabletop people if I flesh them out, but I want to ensure everyone is happy with the mechanics since it might seem weird when the stamina potions come into play otherwise)

The idea is that, until you are at negative figures, your injuries aren't lfe threatening. Or, at least, they aren't life threatening during combat, and can assumed fixed by whatever means you wish after. Westian's head wound should stop bleeding, and Haynuus's wound should luckily be enough to the side and shallow enough that a bandage should soon stop the bleeding.

The idea is that, while your hit points are low, the wounds will still affect your character, or at least potentially could worsen during combat or stress. So Westian is ok just now, but another blow - even something that would have been minor before - - could reveal a concussion and he could lapse into unconsciousness. Haynuus can move around ok with his side wound, but it might slow him down. A weapon blow he could have rolled with and minimised the damage of (assumed since he has high hit points) instead would catch him in full. That's the sort of ways to imagine and play the

When the stamina potion comes into play, what it's going to do is give you temporariy hit points. These are hit points that 'float' above your normal hit points score, and are used up first when you are damaged. In 3rd edition you don't usually think about them, they are just a nice boost that can go away if you don't use them up. Anyway, no matter your current hit points score, these temporary points will also exist, to be used up first when you take damage. Basically, if you are energised, you can avoid or minimise blows better than when you are exhausted. Temporary hit points do not stack, so you cannot gain an infinite amount, you can only trade a higher amount for a lower amount if you take a better potion.

Stamina potions will also relieve fatigue effects at certain powers.

Anyway, enough waffle!

Ooh, hey money! Very good question! I assume from you asking the question you are free then?

Hello, yes, of course I did go straight from the station to DnD tonight. We fought a couple of goblin hexers - they were bastards . Anyway, wooo yaaaay, death to undead mummy, woo . Although Ameena still doesn't actually know it was a mummy, 'cause her knowledge of the undead extends about as far as "Undead things exist", without her knowing specific types. Although, you know, things like skeletons are probably pretty obvious .
And that was a long IC post from me in which pretty much nothing happened, but meh. Don't worry, she's not gonna be all scared and miserable and stuff like that all the time. Once people get healed and stuff she'll probably perk up a bit. At least till someone else gets hit by something . Right now she's just feeling a bit lonely and useless because of the rapid combination of circumstances which she's encountered. I should probably read through various posts again to remind myself exactly how much stuff she's learned about each person (as opposed to stuff I know through reading postings of their thoughts and memories and stuff). If I remember rightly, she's had a bit of a chat with Haynuus, exchanged a few words with Westian but not done a great deal with Falkor, though he did talk to her more in the beginning.
If these guys were all murafu right now they'd all sort of pile together into a mass sort of group huddle thing and just kind of sit there and feel better because they're all sitting together. But then, because they share the same kinds of ideals, they wouldn't need to really speak much because each of them would know roughly what the others were thinking.
But no, this poor murafu gets stuck with a smelly half-orc, a righteous and rather shouty pointy-eared cleric, and a halfling who's more interested in checking out potential loot than trying to help out his companions when they're in mortal danger .
Omg it's ten to midnight. I'm at work tomorrow of course, but then as far as I know I have no plans for the weekend. Except to watch Merlin on Saturday evening .

Cool. Ian, when do you go, I forget. OB, do I have a memory of you not being free either?

Anyway, the only real question that needs answered is... do you guys want to open the unopened doors to the left of you at any point soon?

I will update for Haynuus's search of the ashes in the IC thread, but the only item that will be found is the very blackened circlet that was on its head.

Ohhh I'll pass that circlet onto Ameena for a good sniffin', me thinks.

I'm away as of this afternoon. Just get Haynuus searching the piles of garbage and tombs. Whatever.

Come on money, I'm sure Falkor knows how to patch up a wounded fighter and cleric!

Surely since Westian's the Cleric, he's the one who should be doing the healing? Or can he not really do so yet due to a lack of spells? Hey, maybe seeing Haynuus's blood gushing everywhere will help jog his memory . I suppose Falkor can use those bandages he picked up...but really, mummy bandages that have been wandering around going mouldy for ages and then dumped on a dungeon floor...eww...
And the herbs in that little pouch might turn out to be healing herbs of some kind. If someone remembers their existence, maybe that can be attempted.

Maybe he's the cleric that always had to seep the cathedral floors? Someone has to do it? He'd be great with a quarter-staff though!

Westian seems to be a more clerical cleric (hahahah) dealing with diplomacy, so no Heal skill. I even like the RP reason he says why he doens't know basic first aid! And by DM rules, he needs to know the runes and have a flask for his healing potion. Well, at least something glass and container-like Aside from some prayer healing (and he's sounds like he's a little disillusioned with his god right now) he's actually not to hot. Still, above zero hit points any basic first aid or tending the wounds is fine. Just Falkor is better at it than the rest!

And since Ameena has the herbs in her pouch, isn't she best positioned to remember aboutthem?

She is, but she's not really thinking about that right now .

Yeah, Westian is a bit disillusioned, but not too bad. I have been thinking about how clerics would work in the DM world. I think in all DnD-like games there is a tendency to view religion in the same monotheistic world-view we have now – the god is all-powerful, can’t be questioned, etc. But I think for DM the High Lords should be viewed as more like the gods from the Greek or Roman pantheons. The High Lords are not above doubt or question (like in some mythology where heroes struggle against particular gods). They have faults and are capable of rational argument, like the Grey Lord. That is also why I had Westian pray to all the High Lords, being a priest of one does not mean you have to exclusively worship him/her and everything else is heresy. The Romans had the Pantheon building devoted to all their gods for instance, and being a priest of Mars did not mean that you were not allowed to be angry with him, or that you couldn’t say a prayer to Venus if you were chatting up some pretty thing in a bar!

Anyway that is how I see it – let me know if you have some other ideas!

Edit: Oh, and I won't be free this weekend. But feel free to have Westian explore, let me know if I should roll some dice. Or You could have Westian and Haynuus bandaged up and lying on the ground resting while Ameena and Falkor do their thing over the weekend.

Ok, so going on through the weekend, we're back to usual timing (ish).

Basically (apparently) nothing is threatening you right now. So if each of you wants to give me some general actions then we can just resolve your exploration. Feel free to dip in some IC posts about specific little events, but we'll probably resolve the bulk of it OOC and you can react to it all retroactively.

From what I see, there will be some small amount of time taken patching everyone up and making sure everyone is ok. Is everyone doing this, or will some people be exploring early?

If everyone can give me actions in the order they would do them then I can help determine when something (like the spiked sarcohpigus trap) will be sprung and roughly where everyone would be at the time. Did I say trap? I meant ice cream.

I'll do IC updates at major points where someone might change their actions, or once we've gotten to the end of exploring your surroundings and back to the 'ok, this is new and cool, what should we do here?' phase. If only Ian is away, and doesn't mind the autopilot, we'll keep going over the weekend. If OB is away too, we can pause for the weekend and come back fresh on Monday.

From what I can see Haynuus is a) checking the ashes, b) getting patched up (probably better do), then c) investigating the main tomb. Otherwise, Haynuus is basically goign to walk along with whoever wants him and help explore. Whoever wants to claim the half orc (or whoever Ian assigns him to if we resolve this in the next few hours) can roll a d20 and make an 'aid another check' for Haynuus's help while exploring. I'll assume he takes 20 on the tomb then on the surroundings if no one claims him.

By and large you shouldn't need to roll checks, either tell me if you are quickly exploring (so taking 10) or thouroughly exploring (taking 20) while you are checking. Remmeber, taking 20 means your last actions might not happen, taking 10 means you might miss something hidden.

The only time I think you'll need to roll is for knowledge checks. If you are doing any of those, roll a d20 with your description and I'll either write a quick update or give you the info here.

The burning rags aren't a danger, nor are they going to cause too much smoke to hinder you. They'll burn out eventually, or you can figure out a way to put them out if you are too worried about the smell drawing attention...

Double post OB. It's a shared world, so your world view sounds good to me - or at the very least it sounds perfectly acceptable for the region you represent!

And ok, then we'll take a break over the weekend unless Ameena and Falkor want to spend some time exploring while Westian and Haynuus deal with their own wounds.

So Ameena and money, you can either decide to sit out the weekend and have your characters fussing over the wounded and talking, or you can explore a few locations and I'll do a mini-update over the weekend.

I'll do an update post capping the post-fight atmosphere anyway, and also dealing with anything mentioned over the course of the day. So far, that would be the circlet