Monstrous Compendium Vol. 1: Spelljammer Creatures
Frozen Sick
D&D Beyond Basic Rules
Basic Rules (2014)
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Monstrous Compendium Vol. 1: Spelljammer CreaturesFrozen SickD&D Beyond Basic RulesBasic Rules (2014)Sign in to view your library & saved favorites.
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Scupper, you move to hide behind the tree at M9; Strix comes with you if he wishes. From this vantage point, you can see that there are in fact two orcs on the right side as well, the other in K3.
(too late to retcon it but Strix doesn't wear armour. If mage armour is an AC+X rather than "your new ac is this calculation" I'll happily take it. Strix speaks orc better than common. Too well. He's an orc toff . I am drunk and can't be trusted to make the next move. I've gone full Vaz.)
Strix, Shifter Shadow Monk in Lost Mines of Phandelver ¦ Sihegiall Human Soulknife Rogue in In Search of Molly McGuffin
Mage Armor would have no benefit for Strix; he would gain +3 to his base AC, but lose -3 because he would not longer benefit from Unarmoured Defense, so it would end up the same.
I think Varinth is really the only character who will benefit much from the Staff's Mage Armour spell. Incantis benefits from the spell but has it from other means, so doesn't need the staff. However, if you're escorting unarmoured NPCs, they will be a bit safer from it.
Edit: Correction, Scupper without armour also benefits, from 14 AC to 16 AC, as Felix pointed out.
Scupper will head for behind the orcs to sneak attack when possible.
leather grants 14 AC where mage armor would give 16. Could purchase higher armor ratings but would start to lose dex bonus unless +1 or +2 armor is in common supply and cheap...so I will probably stick with it unless someone explains the error of my ways
Dek will draw a javelin to toss at the first for to get uppity.
(The enemy rolled very low on Perception; Strix and Scupper, you've been able to get very close, but won't be able to get closer before combat starts. Everyone else, you can move anywhere up to row 14 that's behind a tree before combat begins and remain hidden.
Everyone please roll initiative, and let me know if you're starting from a new position. In the first round, the orcs will be surprised.
3 17
Initiative 4
Halfling luck don't fail me.
4
Wow...just...wow
Should Varinth roll if he's asleep?
If so Initiative : 15
Flashback *harp tone scale*
The party waves to some of the villagers that have come to see them off. Varinth weaves Soodi as best he can through the party and quickly doing the calculations in his head, he taps both Scupper and Strix with the end of his staff giving them, for the next 8 hours, the benefits of Mage Armor as well as tapping himself (a little too hard). (7/10)
Back to the present *wobbly screen*
So for the surprise round, I think Strix and I are moving in for HTH with everyone else ready to unleash hell by holding their action?...if Strix gives the thumbs up on that, we'll move in and hit em then fall into normal melee order
Attack roll Attack: 12 Damage: 11 Sneak Attack damage 3
Scupper would prefer to keep at least one of those orcs a move step away from him (kinda divide the foes while keeping Strix next to his target to keep the advantage / sneak attack)
X X
O O
This kind of thing with me as the O on the outside right. I'll keep him engaged so he's less likely to attack Strix but I'll get the sneak attack for keeping Strix next to him.
Should someone make a loud noise Varinth will wake up startled and start lobbing off Fire Bolts at what he hopes are the bad guys.
Fire Bolt : 23 Damage: 10
Initiative 20
((nice))
One in four hundred chance, but it had to happen eventually...
If Varinth is literally sleeping, then he won't take part in the battle. He's off screen with Soodi.
Readying actions for a massive joint attack doesn't really play out well in a round when all the enemy are surprised. What's the trigger? What would be gained, since the enemy won't be moving or taking actions anyway? It's up to you, but I would recommend just playing the round on initiative as normal.
Thumbs up! Although if we don't take the first one out in r0 I'm in a bit of a pickle with my relatively low AC..
Init 17
Attack 22 for 9 (spear)
Edit : can I spend my Inspiration to reroll that?
If yes : 8
Ah balls. Ok, Bonus 10 unarmed 7
Screw you, dice!
Strix, Shifter Shadow Monk in Lost Mines of Phandelver ¦ Sihegiall Human Soulknife Rogue in In Search of Molly McGuffin
Luckily (?) no, you can't spend your DM inspiration to roll after your first roll, you need to declare it before making the roll. It's different to the 'lucky' feat.
It's now just occurring to me that there might be a wee flaw in 5e. Should a party sneak up on a group and surprise them, and should the party, by chance, all roll lower than the surprised group, a strange Mexican Stand Off will occur;
Group: Oh crumbs! Where'd you lot come from!
Party: AHA! Indeed you are surprised at our sudden appearance! Fear us for we shall smite thee mightily!
Group: ...
Party: ...
Group: Are.. are you gunna do somefin?
Party: Why yes! Any second now you shall.. um know a wrath.. and er you know..
Group: ...
Party: ...
Group: Should we just..
Party: yeah how about you guys just kick off.
Group: RRAAAARGGG
Party: AAAARggggg gurgle splutter etc
It's the AC Vs HP as a measure of how difficult you are to hit/kill thing, which 5e is inconsistent on in my opinion, and the desire to simplify systems to streamline play so they have to allow your target to contest your attack with the AC from their stat block as effectively when they don't know you're there as when they do. It's not ideal but from what I can see it avoids you having to calculate AC for each creature based on the armour type, dex mod etc every time which would be awful.
Strix, Shifter Shadow Monk in Lost Mines of Phandelver ¦ Sihegiall Human Soulknife Rogue in In Search of Molly McGuffin
Varinth pushes his way through the crowd, hoping against hope that he is headed to the bar. He has to squeeze through the revelers, the noise is deafening. Peoples faces are lost in the haze of smoke that billows around the heavy oak beams of the tavern. He reaches a pocket of space and finds himself at the wrong end. Dammit. He tries jumping on the spot to get his bearings. Time slows at the apex of each jump. The dulcimer that is playing somewhere seems out of key. Gods I needs a drink. He plows back into the crowd but finds the going getting tougher. He is shoved this way and that and loses all orientation. He finds himself pushed back to the outer edge, near a window. Perhaps if I hop out the window and start again.. Varinth looks out the window and see's a toddler sitting in the cobbled street outside. The lamplight illuminates the child as a couple in their finery walk right past him. They just ignored him! The bub is screaming but Varinth can't hear. The crowd is too loud. Why doesn't anyone help? He tries to get the attention of the closest patron but tug, tap, shout as he might, no one will pay him any heed. He starts trying the window. It wont budge. He starts pounding on the bubbled glass. He's all alone! He presses his face against the glass, screaming. The small boy sits on the filthy cobblestones screaming for his mother. The little boy is an infant bugbear. Varinth starts screaming louder. The glass begins to glow and pop. The frame of the window catches. Flames lick up to the ceiling and the crowd starts to panic. The screams grow louder and louder. Varinth can no longer hear himself screaming. The flames are everywhere. He feels his skin sizzle and curl but he can't take his eyes off the boy. Why does nobody help? He screams as the thickening smoke fills his lungs...
Varinth abruptly sits up and screams and shoots a Fire Bolt into the afternoon sky.
Edit: forgot I already rolled initiative... I was at a winery last night.
Yeah 3.5 or Pathfinder has that whole "flat footed AC" which is lower because you lose any dex bonus...but usually thugs like this is all about thick skin and armor which means they're shit for dex bonus and their flat footed is close to their normal...we'd still be ****ed. If we even think we're in trouble...as I do now...we could always widthdraw to the group but we've only one meat shield in Dekhan and 4 orcs so...we might just be ****ed all ariund. Argh gurgle die.