DragonDenn’s Theros Game

As you climb out of the rowboat you get your first real look at the land you are trying to travel...

Very little flat ground exists naturally here, most of the island’s mass is slick rock, sheer cliff face, or projecting splinters. To make any headway by foot, characters must climb all manner of rocky protrusions.

To get to the prisoners, or anywhere else you want to go here, you need to climb. Unless you have some magic, or gear, to aid with that, it is going to be difficult to say the least. We will do this as a skill challenge. Each of you give me a skill check, no one able to use a skill already used in the round. Guidance can be used, but no help actions allowed. Also athletics is out, since that is a given. Tell me what you wish to do, give me the skill check for it, and give me an athletic check for your character while they are doing whatever they are trying to do. The skill you use will be used, in part, to set the DC for the athletics check you make.

Kanlos will try and use his general knowledge of nature to identify areas that will hold their weight.

Nature: 20

Xerronios looks at the forbidding rocks before them, trying to piece out the best route. Not the quickest but the route with best chance of success.

Survival 22
Athletics 12

Io raises the visor on his helmet to get a better look at his surroundings. He will look around at the places that seem to be easiest to stand on and safest to traverse on and move to those spots while also making sure that he ends up moving in the right overall direction and not off in a random direction. Once on a stable spot, move to the next stable spot.

Perception to find stable looking spots: 14

Athletics: 13 + Guidance: 3

Seeing everyone climb up impresses on Ritha the importance of speed.  Nonetheless, she still holds back, taking the time to pull out her grappling hook, rope, amd pitons to aid in her attempts to climb, as well as anyone trying to climb behind her.  She supposes doing such can only also assist in returning down the slope as well.

“Thassa, I beseech you for aid.  Allow my fingers to become nimble, and fleet of foot,“ she prays when finished with the physical preparations, giving herself Guidance.

Then, carefully, she begins her assent, balancing precariously on the cliffside as she searches for footholds.

Athletics + guidance: 16 + 4
Acrobatics: 19

Any advantage from tools? A straight d20: +1 for athletics or +6 for acrobatics. 15  I hope the equipment will give advantage to anyone posting after Ritha ;) )

Ok, Ritha pulls out her tools, which gives advantage on athletics checks for the group. We are using Athletics for climbing, fyi, so no acrobatics for climbing. Acrobatics can be used as your skill though, so that much is fine. Everyone can give me a second athletics check, if you already posted one, and I'll use the higher of the two. I need Canlos to give me an athletics check with advantage, and we are waiting on the last person to post their skill and athletics, also with advantage on the athletics.

Athletics 2nd roll: 22 + 2 from Guidance

Xerronios 22

(I already did my second roll in my post, and it was exactly the same as my first roll, haha... so Ritha's total athletics is still 20)

As the group had already planned to go to the island before the attack Kassiopeia was prepared for the eventuality of climbing.

Having grabbed an extra rope, her grappling hook and even Block and Tackle (one of the shopkeepers had told her that would come in handy) she leashes up Hector with the spare rope and encourages him to search for animal tracks, hoping that he will find a goat path to follow up the mountains. 

She also prays to Karametra for guiding their steps.

Skill check: Animal Handling + Guidance: 224

Seeing that Ritha had the same idea, Kassiopeia suggests that they should use the grappling hooks + ropes alternatingly, having one hook secured to aid the group while advancing the other hook to a higher position.

Athletics with advantage: 10

(oops ... forgot the space before the guidance ;-) ... it is 22 + 2 and not 222) 

(Oops^2 ... forgot to mention one more important item)

Knowing that she is not mountain goat, Kassiopeia brought her Crampons and put them on as soon as they stepped on the island. Protection for her soles and better footing on these slippery rocks is very important.

Kanlos has his own grappling hook, using it as much as possible to spread their weight over different ropes, climbs up to follow the others.

Athletics: 15

Xerronios pulls out his grappling hook, pitons and other climbing gear to aid his efforts. 

ooc: I would have thought using that stuff was automatic. I should know better lol

Kanlos
Pulls out his own climbing gear to aid int he climb. he looks over the spires and rocks they are trying to climb and looks for good places to drive in the pitons or tie off the ropes.
He misjudges a few of those spots though, and is not able to help the group move forward in any meaningful manner, though does keep them from losing ground.

Xerronios
Looks at the area and how other creatures may have traveled through it. Using those traces as a guide, he works to help the group move forward.
This seems to be a good option for finding a path, as he is able to find the group a path upward quite a ways.

Io
Keeps an eye out on the path ahead, scanning for the best way forward.
Again the group is able to make quite a good bit of progress, getting some distance up. You are able to make out some rookeries hanging from the tops of some of the tallest spires now.

Ritha
Using her agility and fast reflexes, Ritha is able to move nimbly across and over some of the more difficult obsticles, helping the others along with use of pitons and rope.
She is able to get you even closer to those rookeries.

Kassiopeia
Having Hector do some of the heavy lifting, as needed, ankering ropes and pulling as needed, she is able to help get past some difficult areas. As there are no mountain goats, or any other such animal, here, this is the best I could do with the animal handling check...
Even so she is able to get the group closer. They are now about half-way to the rookeries.

Another round of skill and athletic checks. Restriction is you cannot use a skill you already used, and you cannot use one someone else has used this round. So, Io cannot use perception, but he can use one someone else used the previous round, or something different if he wishes. Athletics is still with advantage.

Io thinks back to one of his expeditions through mountainous terrain. Though those mountains weren't nearly as tall as these ones as the expedition party was much much larger, being close to 20 men, he still thinks back to the advice the men more experienced in mountainous terrain shared with the whole team. He silently mumbles their advice to himself as he tries to remember them. He thinks of the advice of those men and sees where in the current situation they can be applied for safer and easier ascent.

Survival for using survival tips he picked up from past experts he worked with: 8 + Guidance: 1

Athletics: 5 (Adv: 22)

Kassiopeia will pray once more to Karametra to give her guidance and to open her eyes to find the best path (Perception)

Perception check 24 + guidance 1

Athletics (with advantage) : 10

Ritha, exhausted, prays to Thassa for guidance.  As she does, she notices Hector panting by her side, not nearly as winded.  An idea striking, she pulls out her net and dagger, and cuts a hole into it.  Slipping it over the mastiff's head, she forms a crude harness around his chest from the material of the net and wraps the dangling end around one hand, allowing the dog to help her clamber up the rocky mountainside.  "Come on, boy.  We can do this!  Lead the way," she says with a weary smile to the mastiff, encouraging the dog forward.

Animal Handling: 12 (8 + 4 Guidance)
Athletics (with advantage): 12

Kanlos mutters to himself about strange island rocks and the silliness of the sea, glancing down and quietly asking himself if it was time for his master to claim him. Then he pulls himself together and carefully examining and testing handholds as he goes to verify they are secure before placing his full weight and signaling the others to follow.

Investigation: 24
Athletics: 21

(Just a side note, I actually bought the grappling hook for ship to ship combat, you know, hook their ship and pull them close, but glad I have it now.)

As he rests on one of the larger outcroppings, Xerronios feels a light touch on his shoulder as Zarcan comes to rest for a minute.  Wishing he could speak with the osprey, Xerronios sends him aloft with the command to hunt for prey.  Looking up, he hunts for the best path to continue.  He studies the way up, looking for the best place to toss his grappling hook, where the pitons will hold the strongest.  Then he continues up.

Nature 20
Atheltics 19

With a combined effort the group reaches the summit of the peaks. You get a close look at the rookeries now...

The harpies roost amid the immense spires of the island in nests built from the debris of hundreds of shipwrecks. Known as the rookeries, they sit jagged and jutting, hanging precariously from the tallests splinters. Snapped masts, shattered hulls and mutilated figureheads protrude from the spray of splintered wood, rusted iron and tattered cloth that make up these chaotic structures.

Those unfortunate enough to be captured by the harpies are not immediately killed, but left to suffer for a short while in driftwood cages that hang loosely from the edges of the rookeries. You see the carried-away sailors hanging from cages.

Soaring overhead though is a flock of harpies, who have spotted you in your approach.

Initiative...
Kanlos - 22
Io - 20
Ritha 17
Xerronios 16
Kassiopeia 5
Harpies 5

No map for this, but the harpies are not in melee, they are up above, in the air. None of them appear to have ranged weapons though, so you can expect they will be diving in for the attacks. Everyone can post actions now.