The Keep - Part 1

[VennDygrem]

Your quest begins on the King's Road in the nation of Karrnath. Your main goal is to seek clues about a mysterious, fabled artifact for Bordrek Stonefist. He has agreed to pay each of you handsomely for information regarding this artifact, which he has told you is known as "the Maker's Crown." Little is known about the crown, and for all you know the thing either doesn't exist or is worthless.

Bordrek wants it, regardless.

The dwarf has sent you on your way already, and the first clues lead you into Karrnath. You are currently travelling the King's Road northward, ever further into the unforgiving Karrnathi winter. In the village of Winterhaven you are to meet an old man who will aid you in your quest for information on the Crown.

As your party travels down the road, the wind is cool and comfortable. The road beneath your feet is level. An occasional ancient cobblestone peeks through the dirt road, indicating decades of neglect. Various sets of footprints line the road, belonging to humanoids, animals, and even some of which that were made by small, clawed feet.

Something seems a bit off up ahead, and as you pass a section in the road between two sizable bushes on either side of the road, you all notice a small creature dart from behind a rock up ahead and behind another one. Scaled and rust colored, it has a reptilian head and tail. Suddenly, several small creatures of similar stock that were hiding behind the rocks spring into view and begin to move toward you. With a shriek, the small humanoids attack.

Roll Initiative.

[Flay Crimsonwind]

[spoiler]Initiative: 5

IC hates me today...[/spoiler]

[tallan]

[spoiler]1d20=7 Well, at least we're consistent[/spoiler]

[Risada]

[spoiler]
1d20+3=7

So I managed to roll even lower than you guys 

[/spoiler]

[BowenSilverclaw]

[spoiler]21[/spoiler]

[Nanshork]

[spoiler]
Initiative: 5
[/spoiler]

[VennDygrem]

Map:
[spoiler]
M: Kobold Minion
S: Kobold Slinger
D: Kobold Dragonshield

Please choose a square on the road anywhere from the left side of the map up to the area between the two bushes.[/spoiler]

Initiative Order
Curyll: 21
Kobold Dragonshields: 17
Kobold Minions: 13
Kobold Slinger: 8
Golkonda: 7
Minharath: 7
Gerand: 5
Amnon: 5

You've all seen Kobolds at some time or another, and you know that these creatures are Kobolds. Some of them don't seem quite as hardy as the others (they are minions), while two in particular seem especially well-equipped. The weaklings seem to be wearing hide armor and carrying light shields and spears, while the hardier ones are wearing scale armor and wielding heavy shields and shortswords. One Kobold is only lightly armored in leather, and carries a sling. A proper perception check will tell you what other equipment they might be carrying, but they are launching their attack on you regardless.

Curyll manages to leverage his heightened Ranger sense of preparation into a first-strike scenario, and gets to act before the Kobolds.

Everyone please select a square as mentioned under the spoiler. I'll update the map once everyone's placed.

[Nanshork]

[spoiler]
F 12
[/spoiler]

[BowenSilverclaw]

[spoiler]Curyll will start his turn at A15.

Perception to notice any details: 22

I'll post my turn right away to keep things moving


Move Action: Beast Companion moves to D10, hovering behind the bush for cover.
This should mean that the Kobold Slinger is now the enemy closest to my Beast Companion (correct me if I'm wrong).
Minor Action: Designate Kobold Slinger as Quarry.
Standard Action: Twin Strike on Kobold Slinger.
Attack rolls: 21;7
Damage rolls: 10;1
Quarry damage: 4

With a little luck that should be 14 damage [/spoiler]

Noticing the Kobolds lying in wait, Curyll shouts out "Ambush!" to his traveling companions, before rapidly unleashing two arrows from his bow, his Hawk companion already advancing towards the enemy.
 

[VennDygrem]

[spoiler]What Beast companion? You're a Hunter Ranger, not a Beastmaster Ranger.[/spoiler]

[BowenSilverclaw]

[spoiler]What Beast companion? You're a Hunter Ranger, not a Beastmaster Ranger.[/spoiler]

[spoiler]You might want to double-check my sheet

That is, when I click the link in the Character Sheet section, I get my Beastmaster Archer sheet, which is indeed called Curyll...[/spoiler]

[VennDygrem]

[spoiler]What Beast companion? You're a Hunter Ranger, not a Beastmaster Ranger.[/spoiler]

[spoiler]You might want to double-check my sheet

That is, when I click the link in the Character Sheet section, I get my Beastmaster Archer sheet, which is indeed called Curyll...[/spoiler]

[spoiler]Ah, sorry, I had already collected links to all the sheets beforehand, and thought that it had been the same. Sorry about that, I'll make sure it's updated.

By the way, you can move your character and your companion with the same move action, just in case you were unaware. [/spoiler]

Curyll:
[spoiler]Your keen elven eyes see that the one carrying the sling is wearing a sash, like a bandolier, to which several small ceramic pots are attached (3, to be precise). They appear to be just small enough to fit in the kobold's sling. There are words crudely painted on one of the pots, but you can not read them. The other two, however, look to have a crude flame painted on them.

You can also see that the shields carried by the two well-equipped kobolds appear to have been fashioned out of a large Dragon-scale.[/spoiler]


Curyll sends a flurry of arrows toward the kobold with the sling. Even with the superior cover and concealment provided by the boulder against the Elf's attack, the Kobold peaks around the corner and the first arrow manages to skid across the Kobold's head as Curyll's steady, patient shot catches the curious reptilian creature off-guard. Blood gushes from the wound, but the Kobold is not down yet.

I'll update with the Kobolds' actions once I know where everyone is.

[BowenSilverclaw]

[spoiler]Yes, I know about the move action bit, but I like this distance fine for now

Would it be safe to assume the pots are some sort of special ammo? If so, I'll warn my companions.[/spoiler]

"Stay clear of the one with the sling, everyone! He seems to have some sort of special ammunition!" Curyll tells his companions as he notes the pots stored in the one kobold's sash.

[Flay Crimsonwind]

[spoiler]Starting at (D-13)[/spoiler]

[Risada]

[spoiler]E13[/spoiler]

[VennDygrem]

The Kobolds seem to wait for the Slinger to act before rushing in.

The Slinger pulls one of the pots off his sash and loads it into his sling. Swinging it around briefly, he lets it fly into the air, landing on top of Gerand. It crashes open, releasing a thick, sticky substance. When you try to lift your feet to move in to retaliate, you notice that they seem to be glued to the ground.

The Slinger hits Lord Mytos for 4 damage; You are also immobilized (save ends).
[spoiler]

For any of you unaware of how status effects like this work, when it ends with (save ends), you make a 1d20 saving throw, unmodified unless you have a special bonus, such as vs. fear or charm effects. You need only roll a total of 10 or higher to succeed.

[/spoiler]

The kobolds with the large shields then leap out from behind their boulder and rush in to attack Amnon.

D1:
Moves to G11 and attacks Amnon with its shortsword and... hits, for 7 damage. It then shifts back as a minor action to H11.

D2:
Moves to G12 and attacks Amnon with its shortsword and... misses. Its sword glances off your shield and he backs away, shifting to H13.

Once the heavily armored kobolds back away, the minions rush in.

M5:
Moves to I14, then charges into F14, attacking Golkonda. He misses, his aim off due to his haste.

M4:
Moves to L9 and hurls a javelin at Amnon. Defender wins, and the javelin bounces off your plate armor. The kobold jeers in your direction.

M3: Moves to H9 before all-out charging into F11, attacking Amnon with its spear. It misses, much as its peers have.

M2: Moves to F5, and hurls a javelin at Ouray, the hawk companion. It yells, "Dinner! Haha!" Its attack misses, however, as the javelin is unable to pierce the thick foliage of the bush in front of the hawk.

M1: Moves to C7, then shifts to B8 and hurls a javelin at the hawk from behind. The javelin hits, dealing 4 damage. The kobold jumps up and down, yelling "Ha! Hawk-kebobs! Hawk stew!"

Map:
[spoiler]
[/spoiler]

New Initiative Order
Curyll: 21
Kobold Slinger: 8
Kobold Dragonshields: 8-1
Kobold Minions: 8-2
Golkonda: 7
Minharath: 7
Gerand: 5
Amnon: 5

Golkonda is up!

[Risada]

Golkonda gives a sharp look to the kobold who tried to hit him, and says "If you want to hit me, come and get me!". He then moves to the back, close to Curyll and Minharath.

[spoiler]
Move: Golkonda moves to B15 (he will take the route with the lowest chance of taking OAs)
Standard: uses Magic Weapon on the kobold at F14: 1d20+8=22, 1d6+4=9

If it hits, Curyll and Min gets +1 power bonus to attack rolls and +3 to damage rolls until the end of my next round[/spoiler]

[VennDygrem]

The Kobold at F14 goes down like a sack of potatoes. (He was a minion, so no need to roll damage).

It's Minharath's turn.

[tallan]

[spoiler]Sorry, I'll be more here from now on.
I center a Dishearten on H12:
    1d20+3=15, 1d20+3=13, 1d6+3=4(-2 to hit if it hits) vs will on d1 and d2.
[/spoiler]

Minharath decides to focus on those close at hand, sending gnawing doubt into their minds.

[VennDygrem]

The heavily-armored kobold that hit Amnon is hit by Minharath's mental assault, and his grip on his shortsword loosens. He seems slightly less sure of his victory.

The other kobold seems unphased, though he falters for a moment before recomposing himself.

[spoiler]D1 is hit. As for D2, defender wins.[/spoiler]