Encounter 19 v2

[RobbyPants]

Encounter 19 v2

Note: You're still down any spells from last fight.

Setup: Looking around the farm, you find the family slain (presumably by the creatures). One of them has a note to meet the "others" here at the barn at sundown. You estimate this to be about six hours from now.

You're half an hour away from town. The barn is two stories tall, although most of it is open floor to ceiling, with the exception of a loft at each end above the doors, with a door that can open to the outside. A ladder leads from each loft to the floor. The house is two stories with windows on each wall. The shack is small with just a single door and no windows. It has many mundane tools. The surrounding area on all sides is forest once you leave the farm.

What do you want to do? Is there any more information that you need?

Pre-combat Map:
[spoiler][/spoiler]

Assuming you stay/come back by sun down, where do you want to be on the map at the start of the encounter?

[veekie]

I think...lying low in the crops at N20? Thoughts?
They can teleport, so open spaces are advantageous, and we're still fairly good at hiding(distance mods help, as does the fact that they'd probably teleport in instead of walking and getting multiple chances to spot). The location is close enough that we can engage during the surprise round.

[veekie]

Also they ignore fire, resist cold, reduce damage, have polearms, teleport and have SR. Might want to plan out opening salvos.

[archangel.arcanis]

I was thinking Aepa can take the loft so he can see them when they pop in. He has swift flight so he could jump without repercussions, other than maybe an AoO. He won't be able to use Call lightning on them because they are in a building, well we could cut remove a lot of the roof to effectively make them out in the open but that is a lot of work.

for opening up the fight Aepa's biggest boom would likely be Resonating Bolt due to it being sonic, we haven't seen if they are resistant to Electricity yet, but that requires him being within 60' of them.

Any thoughts on the viability of collapsing the barn on them? Would it cause enough damage to be worthwhile?

[Flay Crimsonwind]

Thorden is going to take 20 to search the two buildings in detail, since we have time. His thoughts are mainly turned towards anything that looks off-such as arcane markings, burns in the floor, walls, or ceilings (thinking on the brimstone smell), anything that one probably wouldn't find on a farm-plot.

I can still use two of those entangling blasts, which cuts his damage in half but should hold them for a sec. He can also do the Earthen Grasp, which would grapple one of them, or both in two turns. I'm pretty sure that could interfere with a teleport SLA (correct me if sla's work that much differently than spells), and it would at the very least screw up their glaive-useage. If I can boost the thing's strength high enough to pin them, the -4 to AC would be swell. At the very least, they'd lose their dex to AC. If pinning them to the ground to somehow make them prone (I dunno shit about grapple, other than it's a crap shoot) is an option, the extra nick to AC would make Thorden and/or Grizz going to town on them that much more appealing. Power attack to our hearts desire, see how much HP these fuckers have.

Of course, that's hoping my giant immobile rock-hand can make the touch attack, and then not screw over the grapple check. After that, I'm kinda reduced to more rock-hurling, or hitting them with a flail, which would be nice

[Sohala]

What do we know of the farm and those that lived here?

[RobbyPants]

Thorden checks the house and finds nothing of interest in the two floors (aside from what you'd expect to find in a farm house). He checks the cellar (sorry, I forgot to mention there's a cellar under the house) and finds a loose rock in the corner of the foundation. Behind it is a very dusty box. Inside it is a book with strange writings on/in it (it's in infernal) and it has some very disturbing pictures as well.

Torden doesn't find anything interesting in the barn.

At this point, you don't know anything about the farm or the inhabitants. Although, you're only half an hour away from town and you have roughly six hours to kill before you're expecting to see anyone.

[archangel.arcanis]

While he is searching. Aepa will take 20 on a Kn. Planes check for a 23 to think about what those creatures were. (can you take 20 on a knowledge check?) If not I'll roll.

[RobbyPants]

(can you take 20 on a knowledge check?)

It doesn't explicitly say you can't. I guess you just ponder about it for two minutes or something...

You're pretty sure these are bearded devils: foot soldiers in the army of Baator. You know they're immune to fire and poison, resistant to a lot of other things, and might carry some sort of disease.

[veekie]

In that case, I'd down a potion of protection from evil beforehand and probably drop an early Ice Patch if I get the jump. Thoughts? Most of my stuff is subject to DR, SR or one of the resists, often all of the above.

[Sohala]

Thoughts on burning the buildings down, most likely during combat?

[Flay Crimsonwind]

You're a pyromancer, we expect nothing less of you. Though what good it'll do us when they're fire resistant and able to teleport is anyone's guess.

Also, we wont get so easy a drop on them.

Thorden's going to keep the book, by the by. Unless anyone here speaks infernal and wants to give it a go.

[Sohala]

Well we don't know who the others are. I had a thought of possibly luring them into the barn and just burning it down on top of them. Then again I think in odd ways...

[veekie]

You're a pyromancer, we expect nothing less of you. Though what good it'll do us when they're fire resistantimmune and able to teleport is anyone's guess.

[RobbyPants]

Is there anything else you guys want to do or find out before the fight? If you think you're ready, where do you want to be placed?

[veekie]

I'm thinking hiding in the crops as mentioned earlier, and hitting a Protection from Evil once they're spotted(Prot vs Evil lasts long enough anyway)

[Sohala]

We got the time, and fire is seemingly useless, so I am willing to take the hour travel time to learn what we can.

[RobbyPants]

We got the time, and fire is seemingly useless, so I am willing to take the hour travel time to learn what we can.

After about two hours of asking around, you find a report filed with the guards. About 50 years ago, they broke up a cult at the farm. A new family moved into the barn about a year afterward.

The cultists were primarily human, although there was a half orc and a half dragon in their numbers as well. They were all put to death shortly after they were arrested.

[RobbyPants]

What square does everyone want to start at? Do you want to cast any buffs ahead of time?

[Flay Crimsonwind]

I'll hide with the bush and house as cover at CC19.