Fenric grimaces at the sight of the lizardfolk. They outnumbered the party, and the riders would be very difficult to deal with in a fight. He wondered if anyone was keeping watch over the lizardman in the tree; perhaps, Fenric thought, he could stealthily take him out or even find a way to knock him out and bring him back for interrogation. He quickly batted away the thought though. It was far too ambitious, and the risk of capture or death was too great. Instead, he made his way back to the party and described the situation as he saw it.
"Two lizardfolk on either side of the road, one in the trees, and a third, more solid lizard on the eastern side. The ones by the road were hiding behind trees. They looked primed for another ambush. I'm not sure we'd be able to best them in combat head-on, but we might gain a significant advantage if we could manage to sneak behind them. We could even take a long route around through the forest and attack from the other side, if you'd rather not try and sneak so close to them."
On the East side of the road both carry spied shields along with javelins and clubs. There's also a third giant lizard nearby them, though it seems to be a different perhaps hardier breed than the others.
[[ Was that supposed to be "spiked shields"? ]]
[[ No. The Central Intelligence Agency was able to put bugs in their shields. /jk Yeah, just a typo on my end and spiked is correct. ;p ]]
Lyra taps her customary finger on her harmonica-darkened lips at Fenric's description of the bandits' roadside ambush setup.
"Negotiation is often better than bloodshed. The pen is mightier than the sword and all that. Yet given the situation, we seem to be fresh out of pens."
She agrees with what what she thinks is Fenric's suggestion to sneak behind one of the groups.
"Perhaps we circle and come at them off-path from the western side with stealth using Fen's magic. The side without the third lizard. Turning their foliage cover trick against them. I can dislodge the one up in the trees, and the eastern ones may be late joining the fray, splitting them."
Zephyrsays, "I don't know about talking to these bandits. If YugJug is to be believed, they attack to kill and just loot the bodies once they're done, so you might not get a chance to start a conversation, Lyra. And any attempt to talk to them gives up any chance at surprising them--other than surprising them by requesting to parley, of course! Ha ha ha."
As Lyra suggested, the party could try sneaking around and hitting Group-West from the west, trying to take them by surprise and finish them off before Group-East can join. They sound like criminals and murderers, so Zephyr is fine with just making a surprise attack on them.
The only option other than a surprise attack that Zephyr suggests is to try to trigger the ambush with an illusion: "If I could get close enough to the ambush site without being seen, maybe we could trigger the ambush and get them to charge onto the road? Then we could attack them from the cover of the woods while they're out in the open road." Zephyr explains that he could try to use Silent Image to create an illusion of a lone wizard and his draft horse (laden with valuables) suddenly appearing in a puff of smoke close to the ambush location. Maybe that would be enough to get the bandits to attack? Of course, it would be a silent illusion unless Lyracould provide some appropriate sounds, like a boom when the wizard first appears and then the sound of the horse's hooves on the road as it approaches the ambush point. It wouldn't be perfect, but maybe it doesn't have to be to fool the bandits?
Zephyr wants to know distances from Fenric.
About how far each each group from the road?
How wide is the road there?
Importantly, that tells him how far is it from one group to the other?
Most of Zephyr's spells are just a 30-ft or 60-ft range, so unless the road is very narrow at the ambush point, Zephyr won't be able to reach Group-East with a spell if he's on the far side of Group-West. Then again, if they're that far away, that would give the party at least one round before Group-West realizes what's going on and could to join the fight.
I can dislodge the one up in the trees, and the eastern ones may be late joining the fray, splitting them."
Zephyrmentions that he could also try yanking the lizardman out of a tree by flying up there and using using Thorn Whip if Lyra needs to start the fight with some other spell or by using the Pipes of Haunting.
Zephyrsays, "I don't know about talking to these bandits. If YugJug is to be believed, they attack to kill and just loot the bodies once they're done, so you might not get a chance to start a conversation, Lyra. And any attempt to talk to them gives up any chance at surprising them
Lyra tilts her head. In her line of work, the one which she doesn't talk much about, she is no stranger to someone, usually male, mansplaining back to her what she has already just stated without acknowledging she had, though it felt odd coming from a diminutive fey creature. I know he means well.
In any case, since the party is agreed on attacking in some form, she awaits Fenric's responses to Zephyr's on-point questions on distance and spacing.
"Yes, Zeph's questions do get to the heart of the matter. I can blast the tree-sitter from his perch from well over a hundred feet away, a far greater range than any other effects I can conjure, such as any illusion or sound I create, or even these Pipes of Haunting which Zeph crafted."
She grows thoughtful when Fenric mentions the lizardfolk holding the pan flute near his mouth. "Although..."
"Another effect I can summon at a range of over a hundred feet is a sphere of silence. This could prevent the flutist from sounding an alarm or producing any sonic magical effect from the flute as from my harmonica or these Pipes of Haunting. It would also deaden any immediate shouts as we attack the pair from the west. If the other bandits are watching the road and not looking at their comrades to the west, they may be slow to react."
shaded area is overgrown with plants red is for the panflute lizardman yellow for the longbow lizardman one in a tree (green circle) is 35ft up (z = +35) large lizard that has a different token is the tougher looking one
"Oh!", Zephyr says once he learns how spread out the lizardfolk are. "I was thinking that they must have set up an ambush at a place where the road is much narrower. The larger area will make it harder to catch more than one of them in my Web until they come to get us, but it also means that if we attack from the west, the ones on the east side of the road will take longer to join the fight."
For example, if we attack from the west edge of this map, we'll be about 150-ft away from the tougher-looking lizard. Even if it has a 40-ft speed, it'll have to spend two full rounds dashing before it'll even be within melee range.
Lyra listens intently as she Fenric describes the current layout of the lizardfolk adversaries in detail, and then nods at Zephyr's analysis.
"Indeed. It sounds as if they are spread just far enough apart that I cannot cover both the western bandits with my silence. So I shall target only the one with the pan flute, to prevent him from sounding an alarm? At least that is my hope - that the flutist does not realize at first that the area of silence is limited and he can simply walk out. We focus fire and fell him before he makes a sound. Unless the rest of you think the silence a poor gambit? I should warn that it shall render those within immune to harm from thunderous effects, in case you had something like that planned, Zeph."
She taps her customary finger to her harmonica-darkened lips.
"As for other effects such as your web or these Pipes of Haunting, it may make sense to wait until they converge closer to us. In truth, all three of us fare just fine at range. You with your arrows Fen, and Zeph and I with our cantrips. Suppose we sneak around to within sixty feet west of the western bandits, then let fly from cover. Let them take their sweet time coming to us as you described, Zeph, then once clustered, hit them with our other effects? As I had mentioned, I can blast the one in the trees out and up from over a hundred feet away, making him fall to the forest floor far below."
"I think Lyra's silence will prove most useful in preventing the flutist from alerting the others. Zephyr and I will then focus the flutist while Lyra knocks down the one among the trees. Then we kill the bowman, and by the time the eastern party gets to us their numbers will be halved. A sound plan; all that's left now is to act on it."
Fenric is ready to act, unless anyone else has other concerns or ideas.
I should warn that it shall render those within immune to harm from thunderous effects, in case you had something like that planned, Zeph."
Zephyr says, "Thanks for the heads up, but yes, I did manage to deduce that Silence would thwart a sonic weapon." He doesn't sound angry, but he glances at Fenric and rolls his eyes. How stupid did Lyra think he was?! What's next, warning him that fire is hot? "Unless you think that we'll all be close enough to each other and fighting for long enough to need that protector device that I used in the fight with the owlbears, I thought that I'd just muster all the firepower I can. That is, all of the fire power I can. Hit 'em hard and fast! Fwoooohhh!!" He again pantomimes aiming with his arcane rod and making an onomatopoetic sound of roaring fire. He generally prefers his Flamethrower cannon, but he needs to be fairly close to use it. "And if we're trying to strike silently without raising the alarm, I guess the lizardfolk might notice a big cone of flame erupting in the woods!"
Zephyr asks for input from Lyra and Fenric on his choice of Eldritch Cannon:
Protector - only if we think that we can stay within 10-ft of it to refresh the 1d8+4 THP each round. Not as useful if we're spread out or if we anticipate being very mobile in this encounter.
Force Ballista - if we're trying to keep the lizardfolk and giant lizards > 15-ft away for the whole fight
Flamethrower - if we think we'll be fighting in melee, especially if we'll be facing more than one of them at once
She taps her customary finger to her harmonica-darkened lips.
"As for other effects such as your web or these Pipes of Haunting, it may make sense to wait until they converge closer to us. In truth, all three of us fare just fine at range. You with your arrows Fen, and Zeph and I with our cantrips. Suppose we sneak around to within sixty feet west of the western bandits, then let fly from cover. Let them take their sweet time coming to us as you described, Zeph, then once clustered, hit them with our other effects? As I had mentioned, I can blast the one in the trees out and up from over a hundred feet away, making him fall to the forest floor far below."
Zephyr is fine with this plan. He agrees that it's good to start with the one who has a pan flute. If the lizardfolk have bards like Lyra, then it's definitely best to silence him and take him out first.
If Zephyr uses his Force Ballista, he can also push the lizardfolk out of the tree from up to 120-ft away. "Of course, we'll be on the west side of them, so if he's watching the road, the tree might get in the way."
Fenric is ready to act, unless anyone else has other concerns or ideas.
Zephyr asks whether they should start all together or be very spread out: "Imagine a circle with a 60-foot radius. Then would be starting at points separated along the circle by pi-over-3 radians. No? Maybe I'm not explaining this right...." Zephyr eventually makes his question clear. When we attack, are we starting all within a small area (e.g., close to Fenric so that he can help the party sneak into position with Pass Without Trace)? Or will we be very spread out, like Zephyr 60-ft northwest, Fenric 60-ft west, and Lyra 60-ft southwest?
[[ OOC: Once I have the answer to that question, Zephyr is ready to go. He'll create his Eldritch Cannon before the fight so that he can use it right from the beginning. Given the range, he's most likely to go with his Force Ballista in this fight unless someone wants to argue for the Protector's THP. The Flamethrower doesn't seem like a good option for this particular fight. ]]
Lyra inclines her head, conceding that she need not have described the sonic muting effect of her silence. Of course, had she not tried the spell out before, she herself would not have thought of that particular side effect, but it follows that it would be obvious to an ingenious artificer.
Perhaps in the same way that describing the pen as mightier than the sword but then stating that we are fresh out of pens might not, as a figure of speech, have made it clear to all that I now saw only the metaphorical sword as an option here and needed no further convincing not to parley first.
She grins ruefully at Zephyr. "Next I shall explain in painful detail how a magical fog cloud or area of darkness can block line of sight."
As the discussion continues, Lyra chimes in. "I believe that stealth, particularly as enhanced by Fenric's magic, is of the essence here. So my vote is to stay close together as we creep within fifty to sixty feet of the westernmost bandits from the west through the forest. Accordingly, I also prefer that your wondrous little cannon fortify us as it did before, though the other choices would aid us as well, to be sure. It is up to you, Zeph."
The melody from her dark harmonica is quiet, as is her voice through Minor Illusion, evoking a gentle breeze rustling in the woodlands.
"Softly, softly through dark dappled shadow, As wind is winding through sibilant leaves, Shall we stalk forth with our magic and longbow, To strike at those hidden 'neath forest eaves."
Find a spot where YugJug can hide and wait out the fight.
Zephyr will use his Protector cannon again, which will reduce his own damage output but will help the whole party survive a longer fight. It has a 1 hour duration, so he should be able to create it well before we reach our ambush spot, which means that we should be starting with 12 THP each.
Fenric will cast Pass Without Trace to help the whole party sneak close to the bandits.
We want to sneak around to a point about 60-feet west of the pan flute lizardman and his giant lizard.
Zephyr will actually want to start up in a tree (altitude 20-ft and maybe 10-ft closer to the lizardfolk), which should still be within the AoE of Fenric's spell.
Zephyr and Fenric will ready attacks on the pan flute lizardman, and Lyra will kick off the surprise attack by casting Silence on that one.
We'll try to take out the pan lute lizardman before he can signal the others.
Lyra's next target will be the one in the tree.
Fenric and Zephyr will continue picking off the bandits one at a time, targeting the next closest opponent each round, first the plan flute lizardman and probably the longbow lizardman next, and then whichever one tries to approach us next.
If the bandits try to close to melee range, we'll attempt to fall back to keep them at range.
If a couple of them get close enough to each other or close enough to the party, Zephyr may try to stop them with a Web.
"A protector cannon is a fine choice. Certainly not the flame cannon, we shouldn't risk setting fire to this forest. The lizards are our targets, not the trees. I doubt you'll get much use out of it anyways if we plan on staying at range." Fenric is ready to attack, before he remembers the whole reason they were here in the first place. "Should we just leave YugJug here? I wouldn't want to risk his life, and, no offense, but he isn't nearly as good a fighter as he is a chef."
[[ So plan is to stealth and attack from the West, focusing on Panflute. If Lyra is getting in close enough to eldritch blast the one in the tree; 120ft from Pan Flute or 120ft from tree guy?
Also, if you want to get those stealth rolls.
For YugJug, he'll be insistent on coming with since it's his duty to see to the safety of the liqueur. Though you can try persuading him to stay behind. (he said knowing there's an eloquence bard...) ]]
Lyra herself is not so sure that YugJugshould stay behind, especially with the protector cannon to fortify him. If the party ambushes the bandits and are defeated, she feels certain that this time, the lizardfolk will make sure to find the half-elf and leave him well and truly dead.
But since Zephyr and Fenric seem convinced, she takes a deep breath... Lyra'sPersuasion (minimum 21 due to Silver Tongue): 28
"Hear me now YugJug. The pen may not be mightier than the sword this day, yet discretion remains the better part of valor for civilian liqueur businessmen and chefs as we lay our battle plans. Confronting us now are not wild owlbears which, when enraged, focus on those who challenge them directly, allowing you to hang back safely with your sling. These are cunning bandits who can smell the weak link in combat as surely as owlbears can scent the blood of their prey. If they circle around to capture you and hold a blade to your throat, they may duplicitously steal a fight we would otherwise win. So I suggest you hang well back and hide yourself with care. If we do not roust you upon the hour, retreat back to Birakruut with your life."
As the trio set off for their ambush, she waits as long as possible to where she thinks they are just out of earshot to sound two quiet yet upbeat chords on her harmonica, granting Zephyr and Fenric both Bardic Inspiration. Each may add 1d6 after any d20 roll in the next 10 minutes.
(For flavor, I imagine Lyra's song above about slipping softly through the forest represents her inspiration.)
Lyra herself is not so sure that YugJugshould stay behind, especially with the protector cannon to fortify him.... But since Zephyr and Fenric seem convinced,
Zephyr objects. He is not certain: he just didn't want the group to forget about YugJug in their plans!
Zephyr offers another option: "No offense, YugJug, but if you want to stay near us, I don't think that you'll be much help fighting the bandits. I can provide some arcane repellant that might prevent the lizardfolk from attacking you, but that would only last for a minute, so I'd need to do that just before we attack." Zephyr says that one advantage of keeping YugJug near them is that Zephyr could make his Protector Cannon Tiny-sized so that YugJug could carry it. (The one that Zephyr created during the Owlbear fight had its own legs, but it could only move 15-ft per round on its own.)
If we had YugJug with the party and carrying the cannon, it would ensure that YugJug is always in range to benefit from the THP refresh each round. If the party plans to attack and move, YugJug would have more movement to keep the Protector Cannon close to whichever party member is in most need of its protection. Zephyr just has to be within 60-ft of the cannon on his turn to trigger it.
When the party is still a quarter of a mile away from their own planned ambush spot, Zephyr will take a round to pause and create his Protector Cannon. That way, there's no danger that he accidentally alerts the lizardfolk with his tinkering. Even better, as they finish getting into position, he can keep triggering the cannon each round until they get the most benefit from it before they even start their attack.
Then Zephyr sneaks into position with the group. Once Lyra and Fenric are in position, he flies up into the trees and a little closer to the bandits. If YugJug is staying with the group, just before Zephyr moves into his final position, he casts Sanctuary on YugJug, spraying him with a mist from his All-Purpose Tool that smells faintly of burdock flowers and skunk.
For his initial position at the start of their attack, Zephyr wants to be:
altitude = +20-ft
next to a tree trunk (hovering or standing on a branch if there's one at that height)
within 30-ft of Fenric for Pass Without Trace (That means that he can be up to 15-ft closer to the lizardfolk than Fenric.)
[[ OOC: @VitusW - If we're moving slowly for Stealth but dashing, I think that RAW, we'd cover about 40-ft per round. Or maybe just 20-ft per round if it's difficult terrain? Anyway, that means at least 30 rounds of triggering the Protector Cannon each round. Can we assume that we all start with the maximum 12 THP? Or should I roll 30d8 to make sure I roll at least one 8? ]]
"YugJug will stay with us then." Fenric stays in the front of the group, leading the party to where he saw the bandits. As they settle into their starting positions, Fenric looks for a spot a little farther from the road then Zephyr, but still in a position where he has clear sight of the flutist.
Once he's found his spot, Fenric will cast Hunter's Mark on the flutist and await Lyra's signal.
Fenric grimaces at the sight of the lizardfolk. They outnumbered the party, and the riders would be very difficult to deal with in a fight. He wondered if anyone was keeping watch over the lizardman in the tree; perhaps, Fenric thought, he could stealthily take him out or even find a way to knock him out and bring him back for interrogation. He quickly batted away the thought though. It was far too ambitious, and the risk of capture or death was too great. Instead, he made his way back to the party and described the situation as he saw it.
"Two lizardfolk on either side of the road, one in the trees, and a third, more solid lizard on the eastern side. The ones by the road were hiding behind trees. They looked primed for another ambush. I'm not sure we'd be able to best them in combat head-on, but we might gain a significant advantage if we could manage to sneak behind them. We could even take a long route around through the forest and attack from the other side, if you'd rather not try and sneak so close to them."
[[ No. The Central Intelligence Agency was able to put bugs in their shields. /jk Yeah, just a typo on my end and spiked is correct. ;p ]]
This is a signature. It was a simple signature. But it has been upgraded.
Belolonandalogalo, Sunny
Eggo Lass, Bone and Oblivion | Tendilius Mondhaven Paxaramus, Drakkenheim
Karl Erikson, No Guts No Glory | Chipper, Curse of Strahd
Silverwood Group 1 | Silverwood Group 2 | Hacking the Hackett
Get rickrolled here. Awesome music here. Track 51, 10/23/25, Viva La Vida
Lyra taps her customary finger on her harmonica-darkened lips at Fenric's description of the bandits' roadside ambush setup.
"Negotiation is often better than bloodshed. The pen is mightier than the sword and all that. Yet given the situation, we seem to be fresh out of pens."
She agrees with what what she thinks is Fenric's suggestion to sneak behind one of the groups.
"Perhaps we circle and come at them off-path from the western side with stealth using Fen's magic. The side without the third lizard. Turning their foliage cover trick against them. I can dislodge the one up in the trees, and the eastern ones may be late joining the fray, splitting them."
Tanis(Ranger1): Shiverquill's Tempest City | Xarian(Fighter2): NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons | Lyra(Warlock2/Bard4): VitusW's Silverwood Forest
Dyson/Eleo(Cleric4): Vos' Beyond the Veil | Soren(Druid5): Bartjeebus' Ravenloft | Ophelia(Sorcerer4): Ashen_Age's Risen from the Sands
Joren(Fighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Sabetha(Monk3): Bedlymn's Murder Court | Seri(Cleric3/Sorcerer1): Bartjeebus' Greyhawk
Zephyr says, "I don't know about talking to these bandits. If YugJug is to be believed, they attack to kill and just loot the bodies once they're done, so you might not get a chance to start a conversation, Lyra. And any attempt to talk to them gives up any chance at surprising them--other than surprising them by requesting to parley, of course! Ha ha ha."
As Lyra suggested, the party could try sneaking around and hitting Group-West from the west, trying to take them by surprise and finish them off before Group-East can join. They sound like criminals and murderers, so Zephyr is fine with just making a surprise attack on them.
The only option other than a surprise attack that Zephyr suggests is to try to trigger the ambush with an illusion: "If I could get close enough to the ambush site without being seen, maybe we could trigger the ambush and get them to charge onto the road? Then we could attack them from the cover of the woods while they're out in the open road." Zephyr explains that he could try to use Silent Image to create an illusion of a lone wizard and his draft horse (laden with valuables) suddenly appearing in a puff of smoke close to the ambush location. Maybe that would be enough to get the bandits to attack? Of course, it would be a silent illusion unless Lyra could provide some appropriate sounds, like a boom when the wizard first appears and then the sound of the horse's hooves on the road as it approaches the ambush point. It wouldn't be perfect, but maybe it doesn't have to be to fool the bandits?
Zephyr wants to know distances from Fenric.
Most of Zephyr's spells are just a 30-ft or 60-ft range, so unless the road is very narrow at the ambush point, Zephyr won't be able to reach Group-East with a spell if he's on the far side of Group-West. Then again, if they're that far away, that would give the party at least one round before Group-West realizes what's going on and could to join the fight.
Zephyr mentions that he could also try yanking the lizardman out of a tree by flying up there and using using Thorn Whip if Lyra needs to start the fight with some other spell or by using the Pipes of Haunting.
Lyra tilts her head. In her line of work, the one which she doesn't talk much about, she is no stranger to someone, usually male, mansplaining back to her what she has already just stated without acknowledging she had, though it felt odd coming from a diminutive fey creature. I know he means well.
In any case, since the party is agreed on attacking in some form, she awaits Fenric's responses to Zephyr's on-point questions on distance and spacing.
"Yes, Zeph's questions do get to the heart of the matter. I can blast the tree-sitter from his perch from well over a hundred feet away, a far greater range than any other effects I can conjure, such as any illusion or sound I create, or even these Pipes of Haunting which Zeph crafted."
She grows thoughtful when Fenric mentions the lizardfolk holding the pan flute near his mouth. "Although..."
"Another effect I can summon at a range of over a hundred feet is a sphere of silence. This could prevent the flutist from sounding an alarm or producing any sonic magical effect from the flute as from my harmonica or these Pipes of Haunting. It would also deaden any immediate shouts as we attack the pair from the west. If the other bandits are watching the road and not looking at their comrades to the west, they may be slow to react."
Tanis(Ranger1): Shiverquill's Tempest City | Xarian(Fighter2): NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons | Lyra(Warlock2/Bard4): VitusW's Silverwood Forest
Dyson/Eleo(Cleric4): Vos' Beyond the Veil | Soren(Druid5): Bartjeebus' Ravenloft | Ophelia(Sorcerer4): Ashen_Age's Risen from the Sands
Joren(Fighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Sabetha(Monk3): Bedlymn's Murder Court | Seri(Cleric3/Sorcerer1): Bartjeebus' Greyhawk
Here's a map of what Fenric would've seen.
shaded area is overgrown with plants
red is for the panflute lizardman
yellow for the longbow lizardman
one in a tree (green circle) is 35ft up (z = +35)
large lizard that has a different token is the tougher looking one
This is a signature. It was a simple signature. But it has been upgraded.
Belolonandalogalo, Sunny
Eggo Lass, Bone and Oblivion | Tendilius Mondhaven Paxaramus, Drakkenheim
Karl Erikson, No Guts No Glory | Chipper, Curse of Strahd
Silverwood Group 1 | Silverwood Group 2 | Hacking the Hackett
Get rickrolled here. Awesome music here. Track 51, 10/23/25, Viva La Vida
"Oh!", Zephyr says once he learns how spread out the lizardfolk are. "I was thinking that they must have set up an ambush at a place where the road is much narrower. The larger area will make it harder to catch more than one of them in my Web until they come to get us, but it also means that if we attack from the west, the ones on the east side of the road will take longer to join the fight."
For example, if we attack from the west edge of this map, we'll be about 150-ft away from the tougher-looking lizard. Even if it has a 40-ft speed, it'll have to spend two full rounds dashing before it'll even be within melee range.
Lyra listens intently as she Fenric describes the current layout of the lizardfolk adversaries in detail, and then nods at Zephyr's analysis.
"Indeed. It sounds as if they are spread just far enough apart that I cannot cover both the western bandits with my silence. So I shall target only the one with the pan flute, to prevent him from sounding an alarm? At least that is my hope - that the flutist does not realize at first that the area of silence is limited and he can simply walk out. We focus fire and fell him before he makes a sound. Unless the rest of you think the silence a poor gambit? I should warn that it shall render those within immune to harm from thunderous effects, in case you had something like that planned, Zeph."
She taps her customary finger to her harmonica-darkened lips.
"As for other effects such as your web or these Pipes of Haunting, it may make sense to wait until they converge closer to us. In truth, all three of us fare just fine at range. You with your arrows Fen, and Zeph and I with our cantrips. Suppose we sneak around to within sixty feet west of the western bandits, then let fly from cover. Let them take their sweet time coming to us as you described, Zeph, then once clustered, hit them with our other effects? As I had mentioned, I can blast the one in the trees out and up from over a hundred feet away, making him fall to the forest floor far below."
Tanis(Ranger1): Shiverquill's Tempest City | Xarian(Fighter2): NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons | Lyra(Warlock2/Bard4): VitusW's Silverwood Forest
Dyson/Eleo(Cleric4): Vos' Beyond the Veil | Soren(Druid5): Bartjeebus' Ravenloft | Ophelia(Sorcerer4): Ashen_Age's Risen from the Sands
Joren(Fighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Sabetha(Monk3): Bedlymn's Murder Court | Seri(Cleric3/Sorcerer1): Bartjeebus' Greyhawk
"I think Lyra's silence will prove most useful in preventing the flutist from alerting the others. Zephyr and I will then focus the flutist while Lyra knocks down the one among the trees. Then we kill the bowman, and by the time the eastern party gets to us their numbers will be halved. A sound plan; all that's left now is to act on it."
Fenric is ready to act, unless anyone else has other concerns or ideas.
Zephyr says, "Thanks for the heads up, but yes, I did manage to deduce that Silence would thwart a sonic weapon." He doesn't sound angry, but he glances at Fenric and rolls his eyes. How stupid did Lyra think he was?! What's next, warning him that fire is hot? "Unless you think that we'll all be close enough to each other and fighting for long enough to need that protector device that I used in the fight with the owlbears, I thought that I'd just muster all the firepower I can. That is, all of the fire power I can. Hit 'em hard and fast! Fwoooohhh!!" He again pantomimes aiming with his arcane rod and making an onomatopoetic sound of roaring fire. He generally prefers his Flamethrower cannon, but he needs to be fairly close to use it. "And if we're trying to strike silently without raising the alarm, I guess the lizardfolk might notice a big cone of flame erupting in the woods!"
Zephyr asks for input from Lyra and Fenric on his choice of Eldritch Cannon:
Zephyr is fine with this plan. He agrees that it's good to start with the one who has a pan flute. If the lizardfolk have bards like Lyra, then it's definitely best to silence him and take him out first.
If Zephyr uses his Force Ballista, he can also push the lizardfolk out of the tree from up to 120-ft away. "Of course, we'll be on the west side of them, so if he's watching the road, the tree might get in the way."
Zephyr asks whether they should start all together or be very spread out: "Imagine a circle with a 60-foot radius. Then would be starting at points separated along the circle by pi-over-3 radians. No? Maybe I'm not explaining this right...." Zephyr eventually makes his question clear. When we attack, are we starting all within a small area (e.g., close to Fenric so that he can help the party sneak into position with Pass Without Trace)? Or will we be very spread out, like Zephyr 60-ft northwest, Fenric 60-ft west, and Lyra 60-ft southwest?
[[ OOC: Once I have the answer to that question, Zephyr is ready to go. He'll create his Eldritch Cannon before the fight so that he can use it right from the beginning. Given the range, he's most likely to go with his Force Ballista in this fight unless someone wants to argue for the Protector's THP. The Flamethrower doesn't seem like a good option for this particular fight. ]]
Lyra inclines her head, conceding that she need not have described the sonic muting effect of her silence. Of course, had she not tried the spell out before, she herself would not have thought of that particular side effect, but it follows that it would be obvious to an ingenious artificer.
Perhaps in the same way that describing the pen as mightier than the sword but then stating that we are fresh out of pens might not, as a figure of speech, have made it clear to all that I now saw only the metaphorical sword as an option here and needed no further convincing not to parley first.
She grins ruefully at Zephyr. "Next I shall explain in painful detail how a magical fog cloud or area of darkness can block line of sight."
As the discussion continues, Lyra chimes in. "I believe that stealth, particularly as enhanced by Fenric's magic, is of the essence here. So my vote is to stay close together as we creep within fifty to sixty feet of the westernmost bandits from the west through the forest. Accordingly, I also prefer that your wondrous little cannon fortify us as it did before, though the other choices would aid us as well, to be sure. It is up to you, Zeph."
The melody from her dark harmonica is quiet, as is her voice through Minor Illusion, evoking a gentle breeze rustling in the woodlands.
"Softly, softly through dark dappled shadow,
As wind is winding through sibilant leaves,
Shall we stalk forth with our magic and longbow,
To strike at those hidden 'neath forest eaves."
Tanis(Ranger1): Shiverquill's Tempest City | Xarian(Fighter2): NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons | Lyra(Warlock2/Bard4): VitusW's Silverwood Forest
Dyson/Eleo(Cleric4): Vos' Beyond the Veil | Soren(Druid5): Bartjeebus' Ravenloft | Ophelia(Sorcerer4): Ashen_Age's Risen from the Sands
Joren(Fighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Sabetha(Monk3): Bedlymn's Murder Court | Seri(Cleric3/Sorcerer1): Bartjeebus' Greyhawk
[[ OOC: To summarize, I think this is the plan:
It has a 1 hour duration, so he should be able to create it well before we reach our ambush spot, which means that we should be starting with 12 THP each.
Anything else? Or are we all set?]]
"A protector cannon is a fine choice. Certainly not the flame cannon, we shouldn't risk setting fire to this forest. The lizards are our targets, not the trees. I doubt you'll get much use out of it anyways if we plan on staying at range." Fenric is ready to attack, before he remembers the whole reason they were here in the first place. "Should we just leave YugJug here? I wouldn't want to risk his life, and, no offense, but he isn't nearly as good a fighter as he is a chef."
[[OOC: Plan looks good to me!]]
[[
So plan is to stealth and attack from the West, focusing on Panflute. If Lyra is getting in close enough to eldritch blast the one in the tree; 120ft from Pan Flute or 120ft from tree guy?
Also, if you want to get those stealth rolls.
For YugJug, he'll be insistent on coming with since it's his duty to see to the safety of the liqueur. Though you can try persuading him to stay behind. (he said knowing there's an eloquence bard...)
]]
This is a signature. It was a simple signature. But it has been upgraded.
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Lyra herself is not so sure that YugJug should stay behind, especially with the protector cannon to fortify him. If the party ambushes the bandits and are defeated, she feels certain that this time, the lizardfolk will make sure to find the half-elf and leave him well and truly dead.
But since Zephyr and Fenric seem convinced, she takes a deep breath... Lyra's Persuasion (minimum 21 due to Silver Tongue): 28
"Hear me now YugJug. The pen may not be mightier than the sword this day, yet discretion remains the better part of valor for civilian liqueur businessmen and chefs as we lay our battle plans. Confronting us now are not wild owlbears which, when enraged, focus on those who challenge them directly, allowing you to hang back safely with your sling. These are cunning bandits who can smell the weak link in combat as surely as owlbears can scent the blood of their prey. If they circle around to capture you and hold a blade to your throat, they may duplicitously steal a fight we would otherwise win. So I suggest you hang well back and hide yourself with care. If we do not roust you upon the hour, retreat back to Birakruut with your life."
As the trio set off for their ambush, she waits as long as possible to where she thinks they are just out of earshot to sound two quiet yet upbeat chords on her harmonica, granting Zephyr and Fenric both Bardic Inspiration. Each may add 1d6 after any d20 roll in the next 10 minutes.
(For flavor, I imagine Lyra's song above about slipping softly through the forest represents her inspiration.)
Lyra's Stealth: 20 (dirty) + 10 from Pass Without Trace = 30
Tanis(Ranger1): Shiverquill's Tempest City | Xarian(Fighter2): NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons | Lyra(Warlock2/Bard4): VitusW's Silverwood Forest
Dyson/Eleo(Cleric4): Vos' Beyond the Veil | Soren(Druid5): Bartjeebus' Ravenloft | Ophelia(Sorcerer4): Ashen_Age's Risen from the Sands
Joren(Fighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Sabetha(Monk3): Bedlymn's Murder Court | Seri(Cleric3/Sorcerer1): Bartjeebus' Greyhawk
Zephyr objects. He is not certain: he just didn't want the group to forget about YugJug in their plans!
Zephyr offers another option: "No offense, YugJug, but if you want to stay near us, I don't think that you'll be much help fighting the bandits. I can provide some arcane repellant that might prevent the lizardfolk from attacking you, but that would only last for a minute, so I'd need to do that just before we attack." Zephyr says that one advantage of keeping YugJug near them is that Zephyr could make his Protector Cannon Tiny-sized so that YugJug could carry it. (The one that Zephyr created during the Owlbear fight had its own legs, but it could only move 15-ft per round on its own.)
If we had YugJug with the party and carrying the cannon, it would ensure that YugJug is always in range to benefit from the THP refresh each round. If the party plans to attack and move, YugJug would have more movement to keep the Protector Cannon close to whichever party member is in most need of its protection. Zephyr just has to be within 60-ft of the cannon on his turn to trigger it.
When the party is still a quarter of a mile away from their own planned ambush spot, Zephyr will take a round to pause and create his Protector Cannon. That way, there's no danger that he accidentally alerts the lizardfolk with his tinkering. Even better, as they finish getting into position, he can keep triggering the cannon each round until they get the most benefit from it before they even start their attack.
Then Zephyr sneaks into position with the group. Once Lyra and Fenric are in position, he flies up into the trees and a little closer to the bandits. If YugJug is staying with the group, just before Zephyr moves into his final position, he casts Sanctuary on YugJug, spraying him with a mist from his All-Purpose Tool that smells faintly of burdock flowers and skunk.
For his initial position at the start of their attack, Zephyr wants to be:
(That means that he can be up to 15-ft closer to the lizardfolk than Fenric.)
Zephyr - Stealth: 27 = 17 (game log) + 10 (Pass Without Trace)
Bardic Inspiration: 1d6
[[ OOC: @VitusW - If we're moving slowly for Stealth but dashing, I think that RAW, we'd cover about 40-ft per round. Or maybe just 20-ft per round if it's difficult terrain? Anyway, that means at least 30 rounds of triggering the Protector Cannon each round. Can we assume that we all start with the maximum 12 THP? Or should I roll 30d8 to make sure I roll at least one 8? ]]
"YugJug will stay with us then." Fenric stays in the front of the group, leading the party to where he saw the bandits. As they settle into their starting positions, Fenric looks for a spot a little farther from the road then Zephyr, but still in a position where he has clear sight of the flutist.
Once he's found his spot, Fenric will cast Hunter's Mark on the flutist and await Lyra's signal.
Stealth: 23 = 7 + 6 (Bardic Inspiration) + 10 (Pass Without Trace)