... and I start running after the fleeing figure, confident that I can outwit them on these streets that I know so well.
[OOC Can I outwit him? Area knowledge]
12
[OOC: Always possible. However, this area is mostly yards for stock and so at this point the problems will mostly be keeping up with the fugitive across open ground, keeping them in sight in the darkness, and not putting a foot wrong in that darkness. As she is the one currently carrying the lantern, the darkness may not be a problem but the lantern itself may be a hindrance (see below).
Mechanically, each combat turn Dora has a Move, an Action, and a Bonus Action. All characters can also do a Move as an Action as well, which means Dora can do 2 Moves in one turn, if she wishes. Dora's Move (see her character sheet) is 30', which means across clear ground she can run 60' in her turn.
However, the first literal hurdle in this chase is the fence around the stockyard, which she will have to somehow negotiate if she wants to run a straight path after the fleeing figure. She can slow down and climb the fence, the act of which will cost her 10' of her horizontal movement. Or, she can try to use Acrobatics against a DC of 16 to get past the fence without slowing down (A failure would drastically reduce her movement and the DC for this skill check is high because of the lantern she is carrying; without it, the DC will drop to 13 but she will then be running in the dark, which might bring its own problems later on. Note, the running figure has no light source, so these problem will probably affect them as well).
Your choice of the above, but you might also have other ideas.
]
Acting decisively, Dora gives her command to Guilliame and then starts to sprint after the fleeing figure. The road is currently well lit by Guilliame's magic and so he will have a good view of her as she negotiates the fence surrounding the stockyard.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
---
Tyrus Mountson: Lvl 3 Dwarvish Bard; Waterdeep Campaign (Dragon Heist) Nanoc the Younger: Semi-retired Lvl 2 Rogue / Level 2 Barbarian Human; The Knuckle, Mror Holds, Ebberon. The Honourable Jaden Fellan: Level 3 Human Eldritch Knight; Band of Sunswall
AKA: Phillip Berrie: writer, editor and academic thrillseeker—a little knowledge is a dangerous thing.
[OOC I don't believe that Dora is gifted either acrobatically or athletically. She has three chances of catching the fugitive: they have a mishap, they are less athletic than her, or Guilliame's magick disables them. Therefore Dora is not going to take any chances - she will be methodical in her pursuit and continue to carry lantern.]
I grasp the lantern and start running straight toward the fugitive, pausing to climb over the stockyard fence. All the time keeping my eyes on the quarry and their direction of travel.
Guilliame watches on as Dora carefully negotiates the fence and begins to cross the stockyard after the fleeing figure.
[OOC: It is now Guilliame's turn. He also has a Move, Action and Bonus Action.
For Guilliame:
Dancing Lights is a Concentration spell, it doesn't cost him anything to keep the spell going, but if he casts another Concentration spell, it will cease. Also, it will only last 8 more combat turns before it runs out and has to be recast.
]
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
---
Tyrus Mountson: Lvl 3 Dwarvish Bard; Waterdeep Campaign (Dragon Heist) Nanoc the Younger: Semi-retired Lvl 2 Rogue / Level 2 Barbarian Human; The Knuckle, Mror Holds, Ebberon. The Honourable Jaden Fellan: Level 3 Human Eldritch Knight; Band of Sunswall
AKA: Phillip Berrie: writer, editor and academic thrillseeker—a little knowledge is a dangerous thing.
From his position at the entrance to the inn, Guilliame sends his magical lights out over the stockyard proper to keep the fugitive fully illuminated as it runs.
[OOC: As can be seen from the spell'sdescription, the above uses Guilliame's Bonus Action. He still has an Action he can do this round and a Move, if he wants to use them.
Also, he can elect to move the four glowing orbs separately. Does he do this or keep them together?]
Keep one globe centered in the street and one over the trough. Try to move one with the guy running away.
[OOC:
Andrew, first of all, apologies, I just realised I got the Initiative order wrong. Guilliame's 16 meant he should have gone first. However, given his action, I don't think that will change things much. If you wanted to do something else, please let me know and we can backtrack.
With the requirement that each globe has to be within 20' of another, this means Guilliame can have made a string of the four globes that are 60' in length with the furtherest globe being, at most, 120' from Guilliame, which is the range of the spell. Currently the last in the chain is over the road, the second last is just behind Dora and the furtherest is currently over the fugitive's head.
----*---*--** G R |D F
The above alpha graphic shows the state of the combatants and the Dancing Lights at the beginning of the fugitive's go using the following code.
- = Approximately five feet * = Dancing Light Globe G = Guilliame R = Middle of the road | = Fence D = Dora, who has reached the water trough. F = Fugitive
As you didn't state an Action for Guilliame, I will assume this is the only thing he does this round.
]
[OOC: Round: 2 (Round 2 of Guilliame's Dancing Lights)
Fugitive's Move:
Fugitive's Roll not to stumble or trip while running across the rough stockyard ground:4
Result is that movement is slowed by 5' for this round.
Fugitive's Move is to run 25' and then his Action is to also Move 25'.
]
Looking over their shoulder at the magical lights that are following them, the fugitive continues to run across the empty stockyard heading at an angle towards another yard in which can be seen the vague shapes of a herd of some stock animal. However, the fugitive stumbled in their flight and is therefore still currently in this empty yard.
[OOC: Distances at the beginning of Round 3 (Round 3 of Guilliame's Dancing Lights)
----*---*---*---*---- G R |D F
Initiative Order:
Guilliame: 16 Dora: 12 Fugitive: 6
It is now Guilliame's turn again.
While the fugitive is still in range of the Dancing Lights, to keep the lights with 20' of each other Guilliame will have to move the light he left over the middle of the road closer to the leading light. He can also, of course, move himself to keep the fugitive within the spell's 120' range.
OOC I added 3 to initiative by mistake rather than 2 but still fastest I think.
[OOC: Yep, still fastest, but I will change the number.]
Stay in the doorway but move the closest globe to the front as closely as possible to the fugitive.
[OOC: I am assuming you means something like what is below, which involves moving the chain of lights as a whole. Let me know if this is not the case. This uses Guilliame's Bonus Action.
--------*---*---*---* G R |D F
For Guilliame only:
Behind Guillaime, he hears Hazluk asking someone if they are willing to act as a guard for him, for money, on the way back to the bridge to the central island.
Guilliame still has his Action, but he would need to make an Arcana check at Advantage to both interact with the people in the taproom while still chasing the fugitive with his Dancing Lights.
]
Dora sees Guilliame's magical lights stay hot on the trail of the fugitive as they head towards the fence.
[OOC: It is now Dora's go.
Please make a Dexterity (Perception) check. This means you add your Dexterity Bonus and your proficiency bonus to your d20 roll, but only if you are proficient in the Perception skill. As Dora is proficient in this skill, the bonus for her for this roll is 3. The DC for this roll is 5. If you roll less than 5, it will affect your Movement speed as demonstrated by the fugitive in their last turn.
Dora is 50–55' behind the fugitive at the start of the turn. Assuming her roll is successful, and she uses both her Move and Action to run, then she will be right behind the fugitive. She won't be able to attack (because she has used her Action), but she will have what is called an Attack of Opportunity when/if the fugitive tries to leave her in their turn. If that happens, I am willing to allow Dora to either hit the fugitive with her fist or try to grab them for her Attack of Opportunity (a sort of tackle). However, as she hasn't drawn her weapon yet, she can't do a weapon strike.]
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
---
Tyrus Mountson: Lvl 3 Dwarvish Bard; Waterdeep Campaign (Dragon Heist) Nanoc the Younger: Semi-retired Lvl 2 Rogue / Level 2 Barbarian Human; The Knuckle, Mror Holds, Ebberon. The Honourable Jaden Fellan: Level 3 Human Eldritch Knight; Band of Sunswall
AKA: Phillip Berrie: writer, editor and academic thrillseeker—a little knowledge is a dangerous thing.
[OOC yes do what you said regarding move and action. I will not draw a weapon as the fugitive has not either.]
I continue running after the fugitive.
[OOC: Because of the previous successful roll, Dora is able to run at full speed.]
With the bobbing assistance of her lantern light and the lesser, but steadier, light from Guilliame's spell being of aid rather than a hindrance, Dora makes her way swiftly across the rough ground to come up hard behind her quarry.
[OOC: Fugitive's turn:
Action: The fugitive does the Dodge manoeuvre. Move: The fugitive tries to run at the fence and get over it without slowing down. I will make their check for this after we resolve the Attack of Opportunity that Dora gets at this point. Bonus Action: None relevant.
Paul, as mentioned previously, Dora can strike at the victim with her free hand, attempt to strike them with the lantern (risking breaking it), or attempt to grab them with her free hand (a Grapple). Unfortunately, Dora's less than average strength is very much against her here with regard to doing damage (she is a Dexterity-based fighter), but the grapple attempt (basically grabbing her quarry by the scruff of the neck) will have the advantage of totally stopping them from moving. My suggestion, seeing as you don't want her to use her weapons, is to Grapple.
Also note that the Dodge manoeuvre by the fugitive should give Dora Disadvantage on her attacks. However, as they cannot properly see Dora because they are running from her, I will give her a +5 bonus to her Attack of Opportunity, which should somewhat negate the effects of the Dodge without completely negating it.
The above gives Dora 3 options.
Hit the fugitive with her lantern (possibly breaking it). She is not proficient in this type of attack, so the attack will be at Disadvantage with a +4 bonus because of her low Strength. However a successful hit will do damage to the fugitive.
Hit the fugitive with her free hand. As above, she will attack at Disadvantage with a +4 bonus because of her low Strength. Her low Strength will mean this won't do any damage.
Attempt to Grapple the fugitive with her free hand. This is also at Disadvantage and only attracts a +4 bonus because of her low Strength, but it is a contested roll against the fugitive Athletics or Acrobatics skill and they may roll badly. A failure on their part also means their Move will be reduced to nothing because they are now being held.
Please tell me which of the above options you wish Dora to use.
Coincidentally, in this case, the rolls for all three are the same, just the results will be different. So please also make a d20 roll with a +4 bonus but at Disadvantage.
Addendum: Dora' Passive Perception tells her that the fugitive is slight and looks like a boy, so she might not be the weaker.
[OOC Huh! I don't know what happened there. I will try again.]
[OOC: It happens sometimes when the system in busy.]
6
[OOC: The above Attack roll is a miss.]
Avoiding Dora's swing, the fugitive throws themselves at the fence in an attempt to vault it.
[OOC:
Fugitive's Acrobatics Check versus a DC of 13 because they are not carrying a lantern:9
]
Clearing the fence with surprising grace after their earlier stumble, the fugitive is now on the other side of the fence and still running towards what from the sound of it appears to be a herd of cattle clustered on the other side of the paddock.
[OOC: Round #4 (fourth round of Guilliame's Dancing Lights)
Initiative Order:
Guilliame: 15 Dora: 12 Fugitive: 6
--------*---*---*---*----> G R | D | F
It is now Guilliame's turn in the next round.
For Guilliame:
The angle bracket in the top row of the distance chart indicates the extreme range of Dancing Lights. Guilliame will have to move to keep lights illuminating the fugitive.
---
Tyrus Mountson: Lvl 3 Dwarvish Bard; Waterdeep Campaign (Dragon Heist)
Nanoc the Younger: Semi-retired Lvl 2 Rogue / Level 2 Barbarian Human; The Knuckle, Mror Holds, Ebberon.
The Honourable Jaden Fellan: Level 3 Human Eldritch Knight; Band of Sunswall
AKA: Phillip Berrie: writer, editor and academic thrillseeker—a little knowledge is a dangerous thing.
[OOC could not find an initiative bonus]
12
[OOC: Paul, your Initiative bonus is right near the top of the page. For Dora, it is +1, so her initiative roll is 13.
Running figure's Initiative: 6
This means Dora, with an Initiative of 13 is the first to act. What does she want to do?
]
---
Tyrus Mountson: Lvl 3 Dwarvish Bard; Waterdeep Campaign (Dragon Heist)
Nanoc the Younger: Semi-retired Lvl 2 Rogue / Level 2 Barbarian Human; The Knuckle, Mror Holds, Ebberon.
The Honourable Jaden Fellan: Level 3 Human Eldritch Knight; Band of Sunswall
AKA: Phillip Berrie: writer, editor and academic thrillseeker—a little knowledge is a dangerous thing.
"Magick him Guilliame"
... and I start running after the fleeing figure, confident that I can outwit them on these streets that I know so well.
[OOC Can I outwit him? Area knowledge]
7
Acting decisively, Dora gives her command to Guilliame and then starts to sprint after the fleeing figure. The road is currently well lit by Guilliame's magic and so he will have a good view of her as she negotiates the fence surrounding the stockyard.
---
Tyrus Mountson: Lvl 3 Dwarvish Bard; Waterdeep Campaign (Dragon Heist)
Nanoc the Younger: Semi-retired Lvl 2 Rogue / Level 2 Barbarian Human; The Knuckle, Mror Holds, Ebberon.
The Honourable Jaden Fellan: Level 3 Human Eldritch Knight; Band of Sunswall
AKA: Phillip Berrie: writer, editor and academic thrillseeker—a little knowledge is a dangerous thing.
[OOC I don't believe that Dora is gifted either acrobatically or athletically. She has three chances of catching the fugitive: they have a mishap, they are less athletic than her, or Guilliame's magick disables them. Therefore Dora is not going to take any chances - she will be methodical in her pursuit and continue to carry lantern.]
I grasp the lantern and start running straight toward the fugitive, pausing to climb over the stockyard fence. All the time keeping my eyes on the quarry and their direction of travel.
Guilliame watches on as Dora carefully negotiates the fence and begins to cross the stockyard after the fleeing figure.
[OOC: It is now Guilliame's turn. He also has a Move, Action and Bonus Action.
For Guilliame:
Dancing Lights is a Concentration spell, it doesn't cost him anything to keep the spell going, but if he casts another Concentration spell, it will cease. Also, it will only last 8 more combat turns before it runs out and has to be recast.
]
---
Tyrus Mountson: Lvl 3 Dwarvish Bard; Waterdeep Campaign (Dragon Heist)
Nanoc the Younger: Semi-retired Lvl 2 Rogue / Level 2 Barbarian Human; The Knuckle, Mror Holds, Ebberon.
The Honourable Jaden Fellan: Level 3 Human Eldritch Knight; Band of Sunswall
AKA: Phillip Berrie: writer, editor and academic thrillseeker—a little knowledge is a dangerous thing.
Remain in the doorway moving the light as closely as possible with the fleeing figure.
From his position at the entrance to the inn, Guilliame sends his magical lights out over the stockyard proper to keep the fugitive fully illuminated as it runs.
[OOC: As can be seen from the spell's description, the above uses Guilliame's Bonus Action. He still has an Action he can do this round and a Move, if he wants to use them.
Also, he can elect to move the four glowing orbs separately. Does he do this or keep them together?]
---
Tyrus Mountson: Lvl 3 Dwarvish Bard; Waterdeep Campaign (Dragon Heist)
Nanoc the Younger: Semi-retired Lvl 2 Rogue / Level 2 Barbarian Human; The Knuckle, Mror Holds, Ebberon.
The Honourable Jaden Fellan: Level 3 Human Eldritch Knight; Band of Sunswall
AKA: Phillip Berrie: writer, editor and academic thrillseeker—a little knowledge is a dangerous thing.
Keep one globe centered in the street and one over the trough. Try to move one with the guy running away.
[OOC: Round: 2 (Round 2 of Guilliame's Dancing Lights)
Fugitive's Move:
Fugitive's Roll not to stumble or trip while running across the rough stockyard ground: 4
Result is that movement is slowed by 5' for this round.
Fugitive's Move is to run 25' and then his Action is to also Move 25'.
]
Looking over their shoulder at the magical lights that are following them, the fugitive continues to run across the empty stockyard heading at an angle towards another yard in which can be seen the vague shapes of a herd of some stock animal. However, the fugitive stumbled in their flight and is therefore still currently in this empty yard.
[OOC: Distances at the beginning of Round 3 (Round 3 of Guilliame's Dancing Lights)
----*---*---*---*----
G R |D F
Initiative Order:
Guilliame: 16
Dora: 12
Fugitive: 6
It is now Guilliame's turn again.
While the fugitive is still in range of the Dancing Lights, to keep the lights with 20' of each other Guilliame will have to move the light he left over the middle of the road closer to the leading light. He can also, of course, move himself to keep the fugitive within the spell's 120' range.
]
---
Tyrus Mountson: Lvl 3 Dwarvish Bard; Waterdeep Campaign (Dragon Heist)
Nanoc the Younger: Semi-retired Lvl 2 Rogue / Level 2 Barbarian Human; The Knuckle, Mror Holds, Ebberon.
The Honourable Jaden Fellan: Level 3 Human Eldritch Knight; Band of Sunswall
AKA: Phillip Berrie: writer, editor and academic thrillseeker—a little knowledge is a dangerous thing.
OOC I added 3 to initiative by mistake rather than 2 but still fastest I think.
Stay in the doorway but move the closest globe to the front as closely as possible to the fugitive.
Dora sees Guilliame's magical lights stay hot on the trail of the fugitive as they head towards the fence.
[OOC: It is now Dora's go.
Please make a Dexterity (Perception) check. This means you add your Dexterity Bonus and your proficiency bonus to your d20 roll, but only if you are proficient in the Perception skill. As Dora is proficient in this skill, the bonus for her for this roll is 3. The DC for this roll is 5. If you roll less than 5, it will affect your Movement speed as demonstrated by the fugitive in their last turn.
Dora is 50–55' behind the fugitive at the start of the turn. Assuming her roll is successful, and she uses both her Move and Action to run, then she will be right behind the fugitive. She won't be able to attack (because she has used her Action), but she will have what is called an Attack of Opportunity when/if the fugitive tries to leave her in their turn. If that happens, I am willing to allow Dora to either hit the fugitive with her fist or try to grab them for her Attack of Opportunity (a sort of tackle). However, as she hasn't drawn her weapon yet, she can't do a weapon strike.]
---
Tyrus Mountson: Lvl 3 Dwarvish Bard; Waterdeep Campaign (Dragon Heist)
Nanoc the Younger: Semi-retired Lvl 2 Rogue / Level 2 Barbarian Human; The Knuckle, Mror Holds, Ebberon.
The Honourable Jaden Fellan: Level 3 Human Eldritch Knight; Band of Sunswall
AKA: Phillip Berrie: writer, editor and academic thrillseeker—a little knowledge is a dangerous thing.
13
[OOC yes do what you said regarding move and action. I will not draw a weapon as the fugitive has not either.]
I continue running after the fugitive.
With the bobbing assistance of her lantern light and the lesser, but steadier, light from Guilliame's spell being of aid rather than a hindrance, Dora makes her way swiftly across the rough ground to come up hard behind her quarry.
[OOC: Fugitive's turn:
Action: The fugitive does the Dodge manoeuvre.
Move: The fugitive tries to run at the fence and get over it without slowing down. I will make their check for this after we resolve the Attack of Opportunity that Dora gets at this point.
Bonus Action: None relevant.
Paul, as mentioned previously, Dora can strike at the victim with her free hand, attempt to strike them with the lantern (risking breaking it), or attempt to grab them with her free hand (a Grapple). Unfortunately, Dora's less than average strength is very much against her here with regard to doing damage (she is a Dexterity-based fighter), but the grapple attempt (basically grabbing her quarry by the scruff of the neck) will have the advantage of totally stopping them from moving. My suggestion, seeing as you don't want her to use her weapons, is to Grapple.
Also note that the Dodge manoeuvre by the fugitive should give Dora Disadvantage on her attacks. However, as they cannot properly see Dora because they are running from her, I will give her a +5 bonus to her Attack of Opportunity, which should somewhat negate the effects of the Dodge without completely negating it.
The above gives Dora 3 options.
Please tell me which of the above options you wish Dora to use.
Coincidentally, in this case, the rolls for all three are the same, just the results will be different. So please also make a d20 roll with a +4 bonus but at Disadvantage.
Addendum: Dora' Passive Perception tells her that the fugitive is slight and looks like a boy, so she might not be the weaker.
]
---
Tyrus Mountson: Lvl 3 Dwarvish Bard; Waterdeep Campaign (Dragon Heist)
Nanoc the Younger: Semi-retired Lvl 2 Rogue / Level 2 Barbarian Human; The Knuckle, Mror Holds, Ebberon.
The Honourable Jaden Fellan: Level 3 Human Eldritch Knight; Band of Sunswall
AKA: Phillip Berrie: writer, editor and academic thrillseeker—a little knowledge is a dangerous thing.
I swipe at the fugitive with my free hand, attempting to put them off balance in their running.
11
[OOC Huh! I don't know what happened there. I will try again.]
5
[OOC: The above Attack roll is a miss.]
Avoiding Dora's swing, the fugitive throws themselves at the fence in an attempt to vault it.
[OOC:
Fugitive's Acrobatics Check versus a DC of 13 because they are not carrying a lantern: 9
]
Clearing the fence with surprising grace after their earlier stumble, the fugitive is now on the other side of the fence and still running towards what from the sound of it appears to be a herd of cattle clustered on the other side of the paddock.
[OOC: Round #4 (fourth round of Guilliame's Dancing Lights)
Initiative Order:
Guilliame: 15
Dora: 12
Fugitive: 6
--------*---*---*---*---->
G R | D | F
It is now Guilliame's turn in the next round.
For Guilliame:
The angle bracket in the top row of the distance chart indicates the extreme range of Dancing Lights. Guilliame will have to move to keep lights illuminating the fugitive.
]
---
Tyrus Mountson: Lvl 3 Dwarvish Bard; Waterdeep Campaign (Dragon Heist)
Nanoc the Younger: Semi-retired Lvl 2 Rogue / Level 2 Barbarian Human; The Knuckle, Mror Holds, Ebberon.
The Honourable Jaden Fellan: Level 3 Human Eldritch Knight; Band of Sunswall
AKA: Phillip Berrie: writer, editor and academic thrillseeker—a little knowledge is a dangerous thing.