Got it. I'll leave that kind of thing untouched from now on and to be clear for myself...when we roll for initiative, I'm guessing we should just leave it at that since any movement description might be dependent on what happens first.
This is it Thoughts race through Varinths mind. Oh dear Gods this is it!
Varinth had known confrontation before but nothing like this. Not an actual ambush. Not a real fight.
His memory flickers with the hazy recollections of the cantina in the The Craggs. What was it called? The Rotten Cactus? The Dying Vine? The Perishable Shrub? Why am I thinking about this? I'm about to get sliced up like a rupar fruit.
The Bugbear. That's what Vaz thought he was but in truth he was probably just a big human. He bullied everyone in that pub. He would steal food and drink as though it belonged to him. He would touch the girl as though betrothed. He hated that man. What was his name?
It finally happened one night. Varinth had more than a skin full of the local spirit made from cacti. And then the Bugbear strolled in. It was a hot night but Varinth was already scorching. Egged on by some other patrons Vaz confronted the behemoth. He imagined the scathing insults and intimidating threats were song worthy but he knew in his heart that he had rambled, his words slurred, his scowl of defiance coming off as comical. Indeed that's how the bastard took it. He had laughed.
Varinth was far too intoxicated to throw much weight behind a spell and could hardly remember the mystic words let alone pronounce them.His intention was to set alight to his beard, and in that respect he was successful. He had gestured like a drowning man, mumbled a word never before heard by man, then spun, fell, hit one end of a long bench which, with the inevitability of fate, smacked the giant squarely on the chin. The Bully had fallen backwards into the hearth that was barely smoldering, keeping a stew warm. Unbeknownst to all, the Bugbear has just come from a locals house where he had helped himself to half a boar. He was covered in pig grease. He went up like Fire Genasi's tissue.
He was considered a hero. Many a drink was purchased for him. He didn't feel the hero. The Bugbear, arse or no, was badly burned and Varinth, accident or no, felt horribly for it.
His addled brain suddenly snaps back to the present.
As combat begins, the wagon is halted on the road, with Scupper standing on the passenger seat ready to jump down. Mistweaver is following the wagon closely (5ft behind) on foot. On the left side of the wagon, 10 feet off to the side of the road but not in the trees, is Soodi, with Vaz riding her. Dario is 10 feet ahead of the wagon in the road, and Asher is 40 feet ahead of the wagon, standing next to the two dead horses. Strix is ahead of the wagon and off to the left, about 20 ft from Soodi but within the trees; the others can't see him or the goblins. The goblins reacted to being discovered by Strix, making enough noise that none of you are surprised in this first round, but apart from Strix, you don't have a clear sense of where they are.
Strix, you very clearly see a goblin right ahead of you, and another five feet behind him to your right; they approach with their scimitars drawn and look very hostile.
Interaction : Strix calls out Goblins, 2, left side, look confident, prolly mooooooooAAAAARRRR!
bonus action : Shift. Temp hp, level+con mod = 3; advantage on Wis saves and skill checks
action: Attack, G1, to hit 6 with quarterstaff, damage 10
Movement : if possible without triggering an arm getting cut off, try to circle to keep a tree between me and #2, ideally with my back to the road / party
Note to dice: I prefer to hit for low damage than miss for high. Thanks!
Not sure if I'm doing all this in the right order/format, let me know if it needs editing.
Please tell me there are no fumbles in 5th Edition :)
Strix shifts his appearance; though he appeared mostly humanoid before but with a peculiar trace of bird-like features, he now looks almost like an owl-human hybrid. The goblins that are facing him don't appear to be unnerved by this; it's likely that humans look alien and hideous to them at the best of times.
Strix jabs forward with his quarterstaff, but the goblin appears to dodge it easily; it laughs, and the laugh becomes a shriek as it sustains. Strix is able to move a little to the left, so that Goblin 1 is between him and Goblin 2; Goblin 1's eye follows him, but he is unable to detect an opening to make an attack.
No fumbles in standard rules; I might apply them occasionally if it makes sense for the context - I don't think it does here.
Scupper is up next. You cannot see where Strix and the Goblin(s) are exactly, but you know which way Strix went and can follow if you wish.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Scupper hears Strix's warning, sees the arrows in the dead horses and makes a quick turn of decision.
Hates t' miss a good fight but since I'm the one left with the horses i got to get some cover for the beasties.
Scupper grabs the reigns and still standing on the driver board, snaps the horses into movement towards the trees on the left since the majority of the party is leftside.
Scupper, the wagon trundles forward, turning as sharply left as it can, the left wheels groaning a little. You narrowly miss hitting Dario as the wagon passes between him and Soodi, who nonchalantly takes one step back. You get about twenty feet, and it doesn’t look as though the wagon will fit through the trees to move further. At that point, the horse on the right attempts to rear up, though its harness prevents this. You can now see that the horse has run straight into a goblin that was hiding behind a tree, scimitar drawn. The goblin does not appear to be alarmed or hurt; instead, it’s looking directly at you. You don’t think this is the same goblin that Strix has seen.
You’ve used 20 feet of movement to get here; you still have five feet, which will not quite take you into melee range with this goblin, and also your action.
I'm figuring if there's goblins on the left, there's probably goblins on the right and being in the middle of the road is too easy for archers so I'll be driving that cart deep enough in the trees on the immediate left that the horses are reasonably harder to hit. Strix is farther up the road so I'm hoping the goblins are all farther up the road as well, giving me a chance to lash the reigns to a tree when I'm in the bush, and join in shortly after.
Scupper, you continue to drive the horses forward, but only get another five feet before the gap between two trees is too narrow for the cart to move forward; the goblin is now effectively under the horse, though it has been able to avoid being trampled. The horse is very unhappy about this, but your skill with animal handling means it obeyed your command to move further forward.
You've used all your movement; you can now use a dash action to move, or take another action from where you are.
Vaz, you head into the forest and very quickly see Strix and, a little further, two goblins eyeing him, ready to attack, or so it seems. You release the bolt of fire towards the one nearest Strix (Goblin 1), but it misses and hits branch of a nearby tree. The branch immediately bursts into flames. Goblin 1's laugh, which had become a sort of high pitched screech, ends suddenly as the Goblin realises it faces more opposition than it thought.
It's early spring, and this is a fairly cold, damp part of the world, so the trees and grass are not particularly dry. At the moment, one small branch is on fire, and it's not clear if the fire will spread or not.
Dario watches as Scutter drives the cart towards the goblins, and Vaz comes to Strix's defense. Dario gets up from his kneeing position and moves to a position that allows him to aim at one of the two goblins that Vax and Strix are engaging.
Dario, you race after Vaz as he heads through the forest and undergrowth, using your bow once or twice to bash leaves out of your path. You how see Vaz up ahead and come to a halt by his shoulder, having used all your movement. In front of you, you now see very clearly the two goblins, their attention switching between Vaz and Strix. Before they can react to your arrival, you aim your longbow and shoot a single arrow at the one directly in front of you (Goblin 2); the arrow goes straight through its eye, and it falls down, dead.
Soodi shows no interest in joining the battle that is underway around her, and runs about 30 feet back along the road before stopping, turning around, and eyeing the unfolding scene.
Mistweaver moves forward and crouches behind the cart, drawing her longbow from her back; she will ready a single arrow to fire against the first enemy that she sees, though at the moment she sees none.
Scupper uses what little time he has at hand to leap from the cart in between the two horses and hopefully more of a threat to the goblin than the horses as he shouts Avast you wee shite and have at ye!
I'm using the dash action to get on the ground and face the goblin. I don't think I want to hide in this first round but as I recall, since horses are large and halflings small, I can use cunning actions each round after this to hide behind the horses and sneak attack the little bugger as he looks for me?
Scupper jumps down and moves in front of Goblin 3, rapier drawn, ready to attack.
Goblin 3 is up next; it snarls at Scupper, mutters something in the goblin language and then slashes its scimitar towards the halfling: Attack: 7 Damage: 6(That should be 7 damage, not 8 - goblins only have a plus 2 damage modifer)
Goblin 4 charges what seems to be a lone human standing out in the road; it rushes up, making no noise, just determined to face its opponent. As it leaves the cover of the trees, Mistweaver releases her arrow: Attack: 20 Damage: 8 The arrow strikes true, and the goblin falls to the ground and doesn't move.
Got it. I'll leave that kind of thing untouched from now on and to be clear for myself...when we roll for initiative, I'm guessing we should just leave it at that since any movement description might be dependent on what happens first.
Initiative: 14
Sorry for delay, have been in car all day for MLK weekend. Will be more on top of it this weekend!
Dario kneels, aims, and gets ready for any attack from the goblin and keeping Strix cover.
I know we're still rolling initiative, but just wanted to put Dario in a position to start.
Vaz:
This is it Thoughts race through Varinths mind. Oh dear Gods this is it!
Varinth had known confrontation before but nothing like this. Not an actual ambush. Not a real fight.
His memory flickers with the hazy recollections of the cantina in the The Craggs. What was it called? The Rotten Cactus? The Dying Vine? The Perishable Shrub? Why am I thinking about this? I'm about to get sliced up like a rupar fruit.
The Bugbear. That's what Vaz thought he was but in truth he was probably just a big human. He bullied everyone in that pub. He would steal food and drink as though it belonged to him. He would touch the girl as though betrothed. He hated that man. What was his name?
It finally happened one night. Varinth had more than a skin full of the local spirit made from cacti. And then the Bugbear strolled in. It was a hot night but Varinth was already scorching. Egged on by some other patrons Vaz confronted the behemoth. He imagined the scathing insults and intimidating threats were song worthy but he knew in his heart that he had rambled, his words slurred, his scowl of defiance coming off as comical. Indeed that's how the bastard took it. He had laughed.
Varinth was far too intoxicated to throw much weight behind a spell and could hardly remember the mystic words let alone pronounce them.His intention was to set alight to his beard, and in that respect he was successful. He had gestured like a drowning man, mumbled a word never before heard by man, then spun, fell, hit one end of a long bench which, with the inevitability of fate, smacked the giant squarely on the chin. The Bully had fallen backwards into the hearth that was barely smoldering, keeping a stew warm. Unbeknownst to all, the Bugbear has just come from a locals house where he had helped himself to half a boar. He was covered in pig grease. He went up like Fire Genasi's tissue.
He was considered a hero. Many a drink was purchased for him. He didn't feel the hero. The Bugbear, arse or no, was badly burned and Varinth, accident or no, felt horribly for it.
His addled brain suddenly snaps back to the present.
ASHER!? he loudly whispers over his shoulder.
What was his name?
14
I'll be controlling Mistweaver, until trolldemort returns.
As combat begins, the wagon is halted on the road, with Scupper standing on the passenger seat ready to jump down. Mistweaver is following the wagon closely (5ft behind) on foot. On the left side of the wagon, 10 feet off to the side of the road but not in the trees, is Soodi, with Vaz riding her. Dario is 10 feet ahead of the wagon in the road, and Asher is 40 feet ahead of the wagon, standing next to the two dead horses. Strix is ahead of the wagon and off to the left, about 20 ft from Soodi but within the trees; the others can't see him or the goblins. The goblins reacted to being discovered by Strix, making enough noise that none of you are surprised in this first round, but apart from Strix, you don't have a clear sense of where they are.
Strix, you very clearly see a goblin right ahead of you, and another five feet behind him to your right; they approach with their scimitars drawn and look very hostile.
Initiative - Round One
20 Strix
19 Scupper
15 Vaz (mounted on Soodi)
14 Dario and Mistweaver
13 Goblin(s?)
3 Asher
Interaction : Strix calls out Goblins, 2, left side, look confident, prolly mooooooooAAAAARRRR!
bonus action : Shift. Temp hp, level+con mod = 3; advantage on Wis saves and skill checks
action: Attack, G1, to hit 6 with quarterstaff, damage 10
Movement : if possible without triggering an arm getting cut off, try to circle to keep a tree between me and #2, ideally with my back to the road / party
Note to dice: I prefer to hit for low damage than miss for high. Thanks!
Not sure if I'm doing all this in the right order/format, let me know if it needs editing.
Please tell me there are no fumbles in 5th Edition :)
Strix, Shifter Shadow Monk in Lost Mines of Phandelver ¦ Sihegiall Human Soulknife Rogue in In Search of Molly McGuffin
Strix shifts his appearance; though he appeared mostly humanoid before but with a peculiar trace of bird-like features, he now looks almost like an owl-human hybrid. The goblins that are facing him don't appear to be unnerved by this; it's likely that humans look alien and hideous to them at the best of times.
Strix jabs forward with his quarterstaff, but the goblin appears to dodge it easily; it laughs, and the laugh becomes a shriek as it sustains. Strix is able to move a little to the left, so that Goblin 1 is between him and Goblin 2; Goblin 1's eye follows him, but he is unable to detect an opening to make an attack.
No fumbles in standard rules; I might apply them occasionally if it makes sense for the context - I don't think it does here.
Scupper is up next. You cannot see where Strix and the Goblin(s) are exactly, but you know which way Strix went and can follow if you wish.
Scupper hears Strix's warning, sees the arrows in the dead horses and makes a quick turn of decision.
Hates t' miss a good fight but since I'm the one left with the horses i got to get some cover for the beasties.
Scupper grabs the reigns and still standing on the driver board, snaps the horses into movement towards the trees on the left since the majority of the party is leftside.
Heyah! Move yer arses ye dumb horses!
Animal handling 20
Scupper, the wagon trundles forward, turning as sharply left as it can, the left wheels groaning a little. You narrowly miss hitting Dario as the wagon passes between him and Soodi, who nonchalantly takes one step back. You get about twenty feet, and it doesn’t look as though the wagon will fit through the trees to move further. At that point, the horse on the right attempts to rear up, though its harness prevents this. You can now see that the horse has run straight into a goblin that was hiding behind a tree, scimitar drawn. The goblin does not appear to be alarmed or hurt; instead, it’s looking directly at you. You don’t think this is the same goblin that Strix has seen.
You’ve used 20 feet of movement to get here; you still have five feet, which will not quite take you into melee range with this goblin, and also your action.
I'm figuring if there's goblins on the left, there's probably goblins on the right and being in the middle of the road is too easy for archers so I'll be driving that cart deep enough in the trees on the immediate left that the horses are reasonably harder to hit. Strix is farther up the road so I'm hoping the goblins are all farther up the road as well, giving me a chance to lash the reigns to a tree when I'm in the bush, and join in shortly after.
Scupper, you continue to drive the horses forward, but only get another five feet before the gap between two trees is too narrow for the cart to move forward; the goblin is now effectively under the horse, though it has been able to avoid being trampled. The horse is very unhappy about this, but your skill with animal handling means it obeyed your command to move further forward.
You've used all your movement; you can now use a dash action to move, or take another action from where you are.
Vaz:
After hearing Strix, Vaz dismounts from Soodi (Half Movement)
COMING TO YOU STRIX! ohgodsohgods
Vaz moves his remaining 15 feet toward Strixs' screeching. Should this bring him into view of a goblin, any goblin;
Wide eyed Vaz conjures up the heat inside. With an outstretched hand pointed toward the goblin he states with a crackling voice THOOM!
Fire Bolt: 16 Damage: 10
What season is it? Is the underbrush dry? Asking for a friend...
Vaz, you head into the forest and very quickly see Strix and, a little further, two goblins eyeing him, ready to attack, or so it seems. You release the bolt of fire towards the one nearest Strix (Goblin 1), but it misses and hits branch of a nearby tree. The branch immediately bursts into flames. Goblin 1's laugh, which had become a sort of high pitched screech, ends suddenly as the Goblin realises it faces more opposition than it thought.
It's early spring, and this is a fairly cold, damp part of the world, so the trees and grass are not particularly dry. At the moment, one small branch is on fire, and it's not clear if the fire will spread or not.
Initiative for Soodi: 2
Dario is up next, and Scupper still has an action to take.
Dario watches as Scutter drives the cart towards the goblins, and Vaz comes to Strix's defense. Dario gets up from his kneeing position and moves to a position that allows him to aim at one of the two goblins that Vax and Strix are engaging.
Long Bow Attack: 24
Damage, if any: 7
Dario, you race after Vaz as he heads through the forest and undergrowth, using your bow once or twice to bash leaves out of your path. You how see Vaz up ahead and come to a halt by his shoulder, having used all your movement. In front of you, you now see very clearly the two goblins, their attention switching between Vaz and Strix. Before they can react to your arrival, you aim your longbow and shoot a single arrow at the one directly in front of you (Goblin 2); the arrow goes straight through its eye, and it falls down, dead.
First kill of the campaign! :)
Soodi shows no interest in joining the battle that is underway around her, and runs about 30 feet back along the road before stopping, turning around, and eyeing the unfolding scene.
Mistweaver moves forward and crouches behind the cart, drawing her longbow from her back; she will ready a single arrow to fire against the first enemy that she sees, though at the moment she sees none.
Goblins will move once Scupper takes his action.
Scupper uses what little time he has at hand to leap from the cart in between the two horses and hopefully more of a threat to the goblin than the horses as he shouts Avast you wee shite and have at ye!
I'm using the dash action to get on the ground and face the goblin. I don't think I want to hide in this first round but as I recall, since horses are large and halflings small, I can use cunning actions each round after this to hide behind the horses and sneak attack the little bugger as he looks for me?
Scupper jumps down and moves in front of Goblin 3, rapier drawn, ready to attack.
Goblin 3 is up next; it snarls at Scupper, mutters something in the goblin language and then slashes its scimitar towards the halfling: Attack: 7 Damage: 6 (That should be 7 damage, not 8 - goblins only have a plus 2 damage modifer)
Goblin 4 charges what seems to be a lone human standing out in the road; it rushes up, making no noise, just determined to face its opponent. As it leaves the cover of the trees, Mistweaver releases her arrow: Attack: 20 Damage: 8 The arrow strikes true, and the goblin falls to the ground and doesn't move.