Difference between revisions of "The Snow Gate"

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== 2nd Round ==
 
== 2nd Round ==
[[File:SnowGate2.png|right|420px]]
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[[File:SnowGate2.png|right|210px]]
  
 
'''The DM''': The party having made their move, there is no substantial change in the toad's demeanour.  It is clearly alive, with its throat expanding and contracting.  Engelhart can see, however, with his knowledge of beasts that the toad shows no sign of readying itself to move forward or attack the party.  He will get a warning of one round before the toad would act; at this time, therefore, the party has a turn, and essentially the initiative.
 
'''The DM''': The party having made their move, there is no substantial change in the toad's demeanour.  It is clearly alive, with its throat expanding and contracting.  Engelhart can see, however, with his knowledge of beasts that the toad shows no sign of readying itself to move forward or attack the party.  He will get a warning of one round before the toad would act; at this time, therefore, the party has a turn, and essentially the initiative.
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'''Engelhart''': I tried to shoot the toad before and it was pretty well impervious due to the fencing's protection (given as "intensely magical" by Mikael's Detect Magic at the time), so I'm still figuring our only chance to be to engage the toad outside of this perimeter. I'm personally willing to risk going in and attempt to circle the critter, but I'm under Sanctuary, I wouldn't advise anyone else to follow suit.  Movement towards 0704 for me.
 
'''Engelhart''': I tried to shoot the toad before and it was pretty well impervious due to the fencing's protection (given as "intensely magical" by Mikael's Detect Magic at the time), so I'm still figuring our only chance to be to engage the toad outside of this perimeter. I'm personally willing to risk going in and attempt to circle the critter, but I'm under Sanctuary, I wouldn't advise anyone else to follow suit.  Movement towards 0704 for me.
  
'''The DM''': When Engelhart goes through the gate, he disappears.  However, because he has used the spell [https://wiki.alexissmolensk.com/index.php/Sanctuary_(spell) sanctuary], no one has any idea that he has.
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'''The DM''': When Engelhart goes through the gate, he disappears.  However, because he has used the spell [https://wiki.alexissmolensk.com/index.php/Sanctuary_(spell) sanctuary], no one has any idea that he

Revision as of 14:10, 21 August 2020

SnowGate.1.png

The actual date is unknown; the party has been in the underground for perhaps 8 to 10 days, perhaps longer. The last post on the Juvenis blog featured the toad's appearance on the other side of the gate. Lothar and Engelhart (the latter through withdrawal) took healing salves. Mikael, Rob and Embla stepped back; Embla describes herself moving to 0910 and back to 0908, but she describes herself as moving "back" both times, so I'm leaving her in 0910. Engelhart advanced to 0706. Lothar drinks the salve Engelhart leaves for him.

And then, Rob, Lothar and Mikael express that they are too cold to remain out in the open; they return to the shelter in the rock, while the toad stands eye-to-eye with Engelhart, looking at each other through the gate. Meanwhile, Pandred and Vafrandir move forward to join the party, having been trailing along after them for days.

1st Round

Pandred [running up]: "It's been a devil of a time catching up to you, but I brought a friend! Now let's crush another frog!"

I have my battle axe ready and in hand. Good to be back in the saddle again, guys. Let's rock this thing.

The DM: Before we get started, please post your equipment list and your sage abilities. Your old hireling, Oddsdrakken, will have returned to Stavanger in the time since you last played; you'll be able to find him there if and when you're able to return.

Vafrandir, rolling your extra hit points for mass on a d6, I rolled a 1, giving you 13 h.p. If it helps any, it would mean that your character began as an ungainly, somewhat weak-hearted kid who started his training for fighter with 1 h.p. (his mass only). He would have had to overcome that detriment to harden himself, to achieve 3 h.p. to become a man-at-arms, when he would have had 4-7 h.p.; my roll makes it 6, which is what you would have had when you began training as a levelled fighter.

Vafrandir: Very good. I'm carrying 52.33 lb., including my backpack; before combat, this can be shed to give me 45.23 lb (-1 AP, or 4 total).

Engelhart: I'm still lacking the equipment and spell lists for now, but that's not my main concern: I was presently under the effects of an already-discharged Sanctuary spell, meaning I cannot communicate with our new arrivals, though it isn't impossible that they saw me triggering it at a distance. With Embla not yet with us, this leaves no-one at the gateway for them to meet, though I suppose they could have talked in passing with the other retreating members of the group. Given that the Toad was already reacting to our presence, I await to know how you'll want to spin this, Alexis.

For the record, I'm at 24 Hp, 4 AP, Maul+1 in hand(s), warhammer hanging from the belt at the ready.

The DM: The toad is taking no action, except to sit there. Matters appear to be in your hands.

Engelhart: Very well; I'm currently on the second round of my Sanctuary spell (if my count's not off). As stated in the Juvenis blog's last entry, I was trying to surprise the toad and avoid some of its many unpleasant tricks (back then, all our characters moved at a *very* moderate pace, as I believe us all to be in some kind of difficult ground: Alexis, can you confirm?), given that I'm currently invisible and the ice toad had been reacting and keeping a moderately close distance to the visible party members, they were deliberately falling back so as to attempt to draw it out of its fenced abode. Note that there's been a whole shifting of circumstances because back then it was given as certain that we could not escape the toad due to its movement rate being equal-or-greater to ours, meaning we could merely try to shift our point of engagement whereas now we're endowed with a lot more freedom to run for it, possibly.

All this to say that, as regards the current round, I'll stay put and see what my fully-renewed party opts to do, and how the toad reacts to that.

The DM: the difficult ground, as I remember it, related to the ice surface of the lake. I may have indicated there was an issue with moving upwind, but let's suspend that. I wish to point out that the toad is also able to amble at 3 hexes per AP, with AoO possible, and the toad can hop an additional 3 hexes beyond it's movement, so do be wary. I will also wait to see what the others in the party do, as the toad still takes no action. What actions will the rest of you take?

Embla: I hoist a javelin and nod to the others as I move to 0906.

Vafrandir: I'll begin to shed my backpack (5 AP).

Pandred: I drop everything but my Axes. Engelhart, since your knowledge of Beasts has let us know it doesn't intend to attack, it may be triggered by passing through the gate (or just be docile at the moment). I'm waiting on your movement. Everyone else, keep spread so we don't let it get more than one of us in a single jump.

2nd Round

SnowGate2.png

The DM: The party having made their move, there is no substantial change in the toad's demeanour. It is clearly alive, with its throat expanding and contracting. Engelhart can see, however, with his knowledge of beasts that the toad shows no sign of readying itself to move forward or attack the party. He will get a warning of one round before the toad would act; at this time, therefore, the party has a turn, and essentially the initiative.

Vafrandir: Finishing dropping the pack this round, leaving me 1 AP. I'll need to decide if it's worth prepping my shield, and I think my "overly cautious" nature answers that question despite the extra time it'll take. So I'll begin that process (3 AP for making ready and 10 AP for strapping).

Engelhart: I tried to shoot the toad before and it was pretty well impervious due to the fencing's protection (given as "intensely magical" by Mikael's Detect Magic at the time), so I'm still figuring our only chance to be to engage the toad outside of this perimeter. I'm personally willing to risk going in and attempt to circle the critter, but I'm under Sanctuary, I wouldn't advise anyone else to follow suit. Movement towards 0704 for me.

The DM: When Engelhart goes through the gate, he disappears. However, because he has used the spell sanctuary, no one has any idea that he