Even though these men obviously had the upper hand with their proposed ambush, they are clearly not acting with this speed they could have. Only one of them shows a quickness that's far greater than everyone else in his group, and that's a gruff looking human wearing studded leather armor. He pokes his head around his tree and you can see that he has a javelin in hand, ready to throw. The other three men are also partly visible behind their trees as well, all of which are about 25 feet away from you.
Antonio also sees the our assailants, and he pivots towards them on the trail. "Looks like we have some unwelcome company on our path."
Lumen, however, has the upper hand in this ambush, and he's able to react with a quicker response than anyone else. He's first in the initiative, so it's his turn.
Does Antonio seem like he's surprised and unfamiliar with these bandits? Or not? Insight: 18
"Seems that way,"Lumen says to Antonio and the group. To the bandits, he says, "you'll find easier prey elsewhere. If you don't believe me, it's your forested funeral."
He will inspire Krackle with his bonus action, and then rest his hand on Kess' shoulder, casting heroism. "They don't seem friendly. Could be wrong, but just in case..."
Antonio doesn’t give away much as he holds a stoic expression on his face with his eyes trained in the direction of the assailants. He doesn’t let on whether he knows them or if they are strangers, but he does put his hand to the hilt of his rapier.
A voice answers back from behind the first tree, and it seems to have a slightly familiar timbre to Lumen’s ears.
”We’ll see about that... it all depends on how cooperative you are.”
Just then, the man in the studded leather armor behind the second tree reaches around the trunk with a short bow in his grasp and fires an arrow right at the dwarf. Attack: 18 Damage: 9
Just as he release the bow string, Antonio shouts in a loud, ringing voice, "Watch it there, man, it’d be a shame if your aim was off!”
As it turns out, the cloaked assailant’s aim was a little off, and Chrys’s damage is reduced by 4
You get a better look at him before he ducks back behind the tree. He wears a black cloak with a thin band of gold trim at the edges, and has long black hair in a ponytail.
Antonio then grabs a dagger from his belt and whips it at him, hoping to catch him before he moves out of sight again. The blade sticks in the man’s leg, which brings an audible grunt.
Attack: 19 Damage: 5
Everyone else can go now. And I need a CON save from Chrys.
Krackle would begin to back away from the figures.. his tail tucking between his legs. When Lumen inspires him, he would suddenly feel less afraid. When the arrow flies out and strikes Chrys, The small kobold would snarl. "Hey! We didn't do anything to you!" he would shout as fur begins to shoot out from inbetween his scales. His small bones would pop and stretch as he quickly changes into a large brown bear. The creature would then barrel towards the man behind the tree that had fired upon Chrys. Quickly lunging towards them with bared teeth and claws.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
(Speak of the devil and he shall appear...)
As if she had been tempting fate with her words... bandits. Thugs. Ne'er-do-wells. Whatever these men were, they had nothing but malicious intentions in mind for Kess and her band. She was also suddenly very grateful for the lessons her uncle Jarys had taught to her and other youth of the Lorrath clan when she was younger,
Unfortunately for them, they all about possessed the subtlety of tundra yeti in heat, giving Kess more than enough time to draw out both of her scimitars, one in either hand.
"I don't know what your intentions are here for certain, but your actions speak loudly enough...!" With the effects of Lumen's spell filling her with valor, Kess decided that she would take these brigands to task in a battle of blades, surging forward about 25 feet and skidding around the corner of one tree, taking two swings at the first thug to get too dangerously close, aiming to blind or dislodge the grips on their weapons if they opening presented itself but taking whatever blow her opponent offered.
Kess slashes out once: 15, Damage: 5
The second slash, following the first in deadly succession: 16, Damage: 1
With deft agility, Kess leaps forward with both blades now free of their scabbards and swiftly races towards the first tree, where the first bandit is that had given away their position with his clumsiness. Her quick attacks easily penetrate the bandit's feebly attempted parries, and she deals two very serious gashes that leave him alive, but wounded very badly.
As this happens, Vesper hangs back on the path and casts the protective spell on herself.
Krackle, now in bear shape, bounds forward towards the tree that hides Chrys's assailant. However, when he rounds the thick trunk, he sees that the man is gone. He has apparently disappeared, and is no longer anywhere in sight. (Need Krackle's perception check to see if he can use his sense of smell to locate him.)
When he rounds the tree, the KrackleBear is a little surprised to see no one back there. The man has somehow slipped off without him noticing. However, Krackle's keen nose easily picks up the man's scent, and he finds him hiding in the brush about 15 feet away from the tree. Charging forward, he swats and bites at the assailant with razor sharp claws and teeth. The man does his best to dodge the attacks, and in fact, with quick reflexes, he seems to avoid taking the worst damage from the bear's powerful jaws, but he is visibly bloodied and at least a little bit shaken by the frightening assault.
Krackle initiative! 8
Vesper:12
Xenophon: Topaz Dragonborn Fighter (ixi's Dragon of Icespire Peak)
More
Vesper, you can roll for Kess, too.
((I'll roll actually. :) ))
Initiative: 19
(Yay!!)
Initiative Order
Even though these men obviously had the upper hand with their proposed ambush, they are clearly not acting with this speed they could have. Only one of them shows a quickness that's far greater than everyone else in his group, and that's a gruff looking human wearing studded leather armor. He pokes his head around his tree and you can see that he has a javelin in hand, ready to throw. The other three men are also partly visible behind their trees as well, all of which are about 25 feet away from you.
Antonio also sees the our assailants, and he pivots towards them on the trail. "Looks like we have some unwelcome company on our path."
Lumen, however, has the upper hand in this ambush, and he's able to react with a quicker response than anyone else. He's first in the initiative, so it's his turn.
Does Antonio seem like he's surprised and unfamiliar with these bandits? Or not? Insight: 18
"Seems that way," Lumen says to Antonio and the group. To the bandits, he says, "you'll find easier prey elsewhere. If you don't believe me, it's your forested funeral."
He will inspire Krackle with his bonus action, and then rest his hand on Kess' shoulder, casting heroism. "They don't seem friendly. Could be wrong, but just in case..."
He moves to the side, trying to spread out a bit.
Antonio doesn’t give away much as he holds a stoic expression on his face with his eyes trained in the direction of the assailants. He doesn’t let on whether he knows them or if they are strangers, but he does put his hand to the hilt of his rapier.
A voice answers back from behind the first tree, and it seems to have a slightly familiar timbre to Lumen’s ears.
”We’ll see about that... it all depends on how cooperative you are.”
Just then, the man in the studded leather armor behind the second tree reaches around the trunk with a short bow in his grasp and fires an arrow right at the dwarf. Attack: 18 Damage: 9
Just as he release the bow string, Antonio shouts in a loud, ringing voice, "Watch it there, man, it’d be a shame if your aim was off!”
As it turns out, the cloaked assailant’s aim was a little off, and Chrys’s damage is reduced by 4
You get a better look at him before he ducks back behind the tree. He wears a black cloak with a thin band of gold trim at the edges, and has long black hair in a ponytail.
Antonio then grabs a dagger from his belt and whips it at him, hoping to catch him before he moves out of sight again. The blade sticks in the man’s leg, which brings an audible grunt.
Attack: 19 Damage: 5
Everyone else can go now. And I need a CON save from Chrys.
Krackle would begin to back away from the figures.. his tail tucking between his legs. When Lumen inspires him, he would suddenly feel less afraid. When the arrow flies out and strikes Chrys, The small kobold would snarl. "Hey! We didn't do anything to you!" he would shout as fur begins to shoot out from inbetween his scales. His small bones would pop and stretch as he quickly changes into a large brown bear. The creature would then barrel towards the man behind the tree that had fired upon Chrys. Quickly lunging towards them with bared teeth and claws.
Bite! Attack: 16 Damage: 11
Claws! Attack: 23 Damage: 15
Does Lumen recognize the voice as the man they saw on the road, and then in the inn, who disappeared after the troll attack?
Yes, Lumen recognizes the man’s voice. He’s pretty sure it’s the same person, although he hasn’t shown his face yet, so you cannot be 100% positive.
Vesper casts Mage Armor
Xenophon: Topaz Dragonborn Fighter (ixi's Dragon of Icespire Peak)
More
DM Roll
12
Krackle, I need a perception check with with advantage since you're in bear shape.
(Speak of the devil and he shall appear...)
As if she had been tempting fate with her words... bandits. Thugs. Ne'er-do-wells. Whatever these men were, they had nothing but malicious intentions in mind for Kess and her band. She was also suddenly very grateful for the lessons her uncle Jarys had taught to her and other youth of the Lorrath clan when she was younger,
Unfortunately for them, they all about possessed the subtlety of tundra yeti in heat, giving Kess more than enough time to draw out both of her scimitars, one in either hand.
"I don't know what your intentions are here for certain, but your actions speak loudly enough...!" With the effects of Lumen's spell filling her with valor, Kess decided that she would take these brigands to task in a battle of blades, surging forward about 25 feet and skidding around the corner of one tree, taking two swings at the first thug to get too dangerously close, aiming to blind or dislodge the grips on their weapons if they opening presented itself but taking whatever blow her opponent offered.
Kess slashes out once: 15, Damage: 5
The second slash, following the first in deadly succession: 16, Damage: 1
((Natural 20 damage roll: 6 ))
With deft agility, Kess leaps forward with both blades now free of their scabbards and swiftly races towards the first tree, where the first bandit is that had given away their position with his clumsiness. Her quick attacks easily penetrate the bandit's feebly attempted parries, and she deals two very serious gashes that leave him alive, but wounded very badly.
As this happens, Vesper hangs back on the path and casts the protective spell on herself.
Krackle, now in bear shape, bounds forward towards the tree that hides Chrys's assailant. However, when he rounds the thick trunk, he sees that the man is gone. He has apparently disappeared, and is no longer anywhere in sight. (Need Krackle's perception check to see if he can use his sense of smell to locate him.)
krackle perception 12
When he rounds the tree, the KrackleBear is a little surprised to see no one back there. The man has somehow slipped off without him noticing. However, Krackle's keen nose easily picks up the man's scent, and he finds him hiding in the brush about 15 feet away from the tree. Charging forward, he swats and bites at the assailant with razor sharp claws and teeth. The man does his best to dodge the attacks, and in fact, with quick reflexes, he seems to avoid taking the worst damage from the bear's powerful jaws, but he is visibly bloodied and at least a little bit shaken by the frightening assault.
(It's not Lumen's turn yet is it? Chrys still yet to go?)
Yes, Chris is up, but if you want to initiate dialogue or do anything that doesn’t involve an action, feel free.