Encounter 2 - Ambush of the Good Kind

[BowenSilverclaw]

After having cut through part of the forest the previous day with Jorr's help, you finish your endeavour to reach the Dawn Way, the most likely place to encounter a goblinoid patrol, early the following day. During camp last night Jorr has informed you that aside from patrols similar to the one you encountered, he has also noticed the occasional Goblins mounted on Leopards used as fast scouts.

As you lay in wait along the side of the road, not unlike the Hobgoblin patrol that ambushed you not too long ago, you can feel the hot sun beating down on the landscape beneath, sweat dripping from your foreheads. Suddenly Jorr starts gesturing towards the north indicating that he sees something.



OOC:
Agita, Phaedrus, Nanshork & Risada: Please roll Hide, Move Silently, Listen, Spot and Initiative.
Venn: Please roll Initiative, saw your other rolls in the other thread
Everyone: You approached from the east, so please pick a location for yourself on the map below on the east side of the road and at row 12 or below (to make sure we can get the entire combat on the map ).


MAP:


KAL=Kalal/Phaedrus
GOL=Goldflower/Nanshork
YAM=Yamanu/Venn
HAR=Harika/Agita
SCK=Sckhar/Risada
JOR=Jorr

Terrain:
Most of the forest squares are filled with light undergrowth (2 squares to enter, provides concealment) and trees (provide cover to creatures in the same square). The escarpment of the road cut is a steep slope covered by light undergrowth ) 4 squares to enter.

[Agita]

[spoiler]Hide, Move Silently, Listen, Spot, Initiative (1d20+2=4, 1d20+2=12, 1d20-1=12, 1d20-1=7, 1d20+8=10)

Also note that Harika has scent, so she at least detects the presence of creatures.[/spoiler]

[Risada]

[SPOILER]
Hide, Move Silently, Spot and Init: 6, 11, 11, 3

Nat 1 on init. Nice

EDIT: positioned at Q12
[/spoiler]

[BowenSilverclaw]

[spoiler]Hide, Move Silently, Listen, Spot, Initiative (1d20+2=4, 1d20+2=12, 1d20-1=12, 1d20-1=7, 1d20+8=10)

Also note that Harika has scent, so she at least detects the presence of creatures.[/spoiler]

[SPOILER]
Hide, Move Silently, Spot and Init: 6, 11, 11, 3

Nat 1 on init. Nice
[/spoiler]

OOC:
[spoiler]Uh, guys? Your location on the map (see first post) please?[/spoiler]

[PhaedrusXY]

Kalal peers out from the rocky escarpment, trying to ignore the sweat beading on his brow.

[spoiler]Initiative: 1d20+4=20
Spot and Listen: 1d20+2=16, 1d20+2=4
Hide and MS:
1d20-13=0, 1d20-13=-4
You know... I'm going to go without the tower shield, actually. That makes his rolls 10 and 6 for Hide and MS, respectively

Kalal will start inside the ground at P12, with just his face and one ear peeking out of the rocks and rubble on the side of the embankment. He is not moving, and hopefully being almost completely buried will give him some kind of big circumstance bonus to hide.

Can he start in a stance, or do I need to use a swift action to enter one?

Roll for granted manuevers:

1 Vanguard Strike
2 Leading the Attack
3 Tactical Strike
4 Foehammer
5 Mountain Hammer

1d5=5
1d4=1

So Vanguard Strike and Mountain Hammer are granted.[/spoiler]

Combat Stats
[spoiler]Hit Dice: 4d8+1d10+30
Hit Points: 59/59 (0 in Delayed Damage pool)
Armor Class: 19 (10 +8 Armor +1 Dex +3 Nat -1 Size -1 Trait -1 Flaw) (not wearing a shield)
Touch AC: 8
Flatfooted AC: 18
Initiative: +4 (+2 Dex +2 Trait)
Base Attack Bonus: 4
Grapple: +7 (4 BAB +3 Str)
Speed: 20' land; 10' burrow

Maneuvers/Stances
IL: 3

Crusader Stances
Iron Guard's Glare (DS1 stance, enemies you threaten get -4 attack penalty against your allies, but not you. Enemies know this instinctively.)

Crusader Maneuvers Readied/Used/Granted
Vanguard Strike (DS1, no prereq, std, if strike hits allies gain +4 (unnamed) to attack target till next turn)
Leading the Attack (WR1, if strike hits allies gain +4 morale to attack target till next turn)
Battle Leader's Charge (WR2, full-round strike/charge, +10 damage, does not provoke for movement)
Tactical Strike (WR2, if strike hits +2d6 dmg and adjacent alllies can take a free 5' step)
Foehammer (DS2, +2d6 dmg, ignores DR)

Mountain Hammer (SD2, +2d6 dmg, ignores DR and hardness)(from Stone Dragon Belt)[/spoiler]

[VennDygrem]

[spoiler]Initiative: 1d20(12)+10=22

I guess I could be at P15.
Scent-like hearing and such, too. With my listen check from before, I don't think anything's getting away unnoticed.

@Phaedrus: Typically, if you're not visible, wouldn't you get the same bonus to hide as from being Invisible? Since that's technically what you are. [/spoiler]

Combat Stats:
[spoiler]Hit Dice: 3d8+1d10+1d6+25
Hit Points: 54/54
Armor Class: 24 (10 +7 Armor +5 Dex +1 Size +2 NA -1 Misc)
Touch AC: 15
Flatfooted AC: 19
Initiative: +10 (+5 Dex + 5 misc)
Base Attack Bonus: 4
Grapple: +1 (4 BAB +1 Str -4 Size)
Speed: 20'

Notable equipment and effects:
Ring of the Darkhidden- Invisible to Darkvision
Island of Blades (Stance)- Yamanu and Allies flank whenever adjacent to the same enemies
Blackwheel Company Field Sargeant- Grant allies within 20 feet a +1 morale bonus on attack rolls and saving throws.
[/spoiler]

[Nanshork]

[spoiler]
Hide: 12; Move Silently: 19; Listen: 7; Spot: 0; Initiative: 17

I'm invisible! 

Location: Q-13

Using my combat stats as I'm assuming it hasn't been 10 hours since we visited the cabin.
[spoiler]

[BowenSilverclaw]

Venn:
[spoiler]As you are waiting, your sensitive ears suddenly pick something up over the ridge in the west. Several creatures are coming close to cresting the ridge in the road there.

You may ready one action of your choosing.[/spoiler]


OOC: Map and the rest of the stuff such as surprise round details etc. will be up once I know Risada's position

[VennDygrem]

Whispered, Yamanu mutters, "They approach. I shall draw their attention and then disappear once again. They shall be confused, just how we want them."
[spoiler]Ready action to throw returning longknife when a markedly-hostile creature visibly approaches within 30 ft.

Attack:
[spoiler]
Vs. flat-footed opponent (no dex to AC), +2 invisibility bonus, -2 range increment, +1 PBS:
1d20(19)+13=32 *Critical Threat*
Crit roll: 1d20(10)+13=23

Damage:
1d4(2)+2d6(1,1)+14=18
Possible crit damage:
1d4(3)+14=17

Total damage if critical hit: 35[/spoiler][/spoiler]

[PhaedrusXY]

Kalal whispers "Kill the mounts. We want them alive, remember?"

[BowenSilverclaw]

Only seconds after Yamanu alerts you all to something he's heared and readies his deadly blade, you see a troop of four Goblins mounted on Leopards coming over the ridge in the road towards the west.
Three of the small creatures are wearing leather and wielding a bow, while the fourth is wearing a chain shirt with additional protection (OOC: chahar-aina & dastana). The big cats are wearing light studded leather barding for protection and move at a quick pace, all of the enemies apparently unaware of your presence until it is already too late.

As Yamanu tosses his blade with great precision, the front leopard, carrying the chain-wearing goblinoid, roars out in pain as the blade strikes true, blood flowing profusely from the creature's wound (OOC: Confirmed crit and SA for a total of 35 damage on BM's Leopard mount).

OOC: The party gets a surprise round before normal combat starts, so you can all take a single move or standard action.

MAP:



Initiative:
BM:Yamanu: 22
Kalal: 20
Goldflower: 17
LR:Harika: 10
Jorr: 7 (Cover)
Sckhar: 3

Seeing as this is a surprise round, feel free to post your action whenever you're online. Keeps it going and all that...


Good luck, guys

[PhaedrusXY]

Kalal smiles grimly as he sees the knife lodge itself in the cat's neck. He bursts free from the rocks and earth concealing him, and roars as he launches himself at the wounded animal, trying to finish it off.

[spoiler]I don't guess you'd let me use "Battle Leader's Charge", would you? It is supposed to require a full-round action, but that's obviously because charging is normally a full round action. Assuming not. If so, add 10 to any damage he inflicts. Bah, I don't even have that readied, much less granted... 

Immediate action: Earth Devotion to ignore difficult terrain.
Standard action: "partial" charge to M12 and attacks BM's mount.
Att/Dmg (axe in two hands): 1d20+11=17, 1d10+4=12

He should threaten all of the goblins and their mounts from that spot, but might not be able to make an AoOs on them due to soft cover from BM. They'll still suffer the effects of Iron Guard's Glare if they don't move, though.

Forgot to roll for his new granted manuever:

Available:
1 Leading the Attack
2 Tactical Strike
3 Foehammer

1d3=1

So Leading the Attack is granted.

His Combat Stats are the same as in my last post, except his AC drops to 18 from charging, his attack increases by 3 (charging, morale), and he has also that maneuver granted.[/spoiler]

[Agita]

Almost in unison with Kalal, Harika leaps from the foliage, sword already in hand. Though she didn't choose an ideal hiding place and thus lacks enough momentum to execute an attack, she smiles confidently at the goblins now essentially trapped between her and Kalal.

[spoiler]Standard action: Move to K9. The slope shouldn't be a problem, as it can just be jumped down, right?

Unfortunately, I can't make a partial charge like Kalal did - they're too close (and I don't get to ingore difficult terrain).

Goldilocks, a summon in J10 would be neat to ensure that they're really trapped.

Combat Stats
[spoiler]Hit Dice: 5d12+20
Hit Points: 60
Armor Class: 20 (10 +7 Armor +2 Dex +3 Natural -1 Trait -1 Flaw) (22 vs. ranged)
Touch AC: 10 (12 vs. ranged)
Flatfooted AC: 20 (22 vs. ranged)
Initiative: +8 (+2 Dex +2 Trait +4 Feat)
Base Attack Bonus: 5
Grapple: +9 (5 BAB +4 Str +0 Size)
Speed: 30' land; 15' burrow

Maneuvers readied:
Moment of Perfect Mind
Mountain Hammer
Steel Wind
White Raven Tactics
[/spoiler][/spoiler]

[BowenSilverclaw]

Almost in unison with Kalal, Harika leaps from the foliage, sword already in hand. Though she didn't choose an ideal hiding place and thus lacks enough momentum to execute an attack, she smiles confidently at the goblins now essentially trapped between her and Kalal.

[spoiler]Standard action: Move to J9. The slope shouldn't be a problem, as it can jsut be jumped down, right?

Unfortunately, I can't make a partial charge like Kalal did - they're too close (and I don't get to ingore difficult terrain).

Goldilocks, a summon in J10 would be neat to ensure that they're really trapped. [/spoiler]

OOC:
[spoiler]DC 10 Jump check to cover the distance, but Harika automatically succeeds on that, so no biggie [/spoiler]

[BowenSilverclaw]

As Kalal charges out of the dirt one could almost see a look of horror on the beast's face, as if it knew that its time was up. At the end of his lunge, the dwarf warrior manages to bury his axe in the cat's skull, it's body going numb and slumping to the ground.

Although obviously shocked by the sudden attack, its rider manages to avoid ending up underneath his mount, and is now standing infront of the axe-wielding dwarf, obviously nervous of what is to come.

OOC:
[spoiler]No, no Battle Leader's Charge, but you didn't need it anyway [/spoiler]

[PhaedrusXY]

Kalal says "Let's see how you stinkin' goblins like this ambush!!"

[VennDygrem]

[spoiler]By the way, these are the maneuvers I wanted to have readied:
Distracting Ember (DW 1) - (Boost) Conjure a small Fire Elemental up to 30 ft. away that can flank with you, but can not make attacks.
Fire Riposte (DW 2) - (Counter) When a creature successfully strikes you with a melee or natural weapon, make an immediate melee touch attack. Success deals 4d6 points of fire damage.
Cloak of Deception (SH 1) - (Boost) Turn invisible (as greater invisibility) until end of the turn.
Shadow Jaunt (SH 2) - As a standard action, teleport 50 ft. within line of sight/effect.[/spoiler]
As the longknife returns to his hand, Yamanu suddenly disappears from the goblins' view, reappearing in the trees behind them.
[spoiler]Using Shadow Jaunt to teleport 50 ft., hopefully to M7, or otherwise as close to there as possible, so that Yamanu can hide in the trees and attack unseen.

new Hide check:
1d20(17)+18=35[/spoiler]

[BowenSilverclaw]

[spoiler]By the way, these are the maneuvers I wanted to have readied:
Distracting Ember (DW 1) - (Boost) Conjure a small Fire Elemental up to 30 ft. away that can flank with you, but can not make attacks.
Fire Riposte (DW 2) - (Counter) When a creature successfully strikes you with a melee or natural weapon, make an immediate melee touch attack. Success deals 4d6 points of fire damage.
Cloak of Deception (SH 1) - (Boost) Turn invisible (as greater invisibility) until end of the turn.
Shadow Jaunt (SH 2) - As a standard action, teleport 50 ft. within line of sight/effect.[/spoiler]
As the longknife returns to his hand, Yamanu suddenly disappears from the goblins' view, reappearing in the trees behind them.
[spoiler]Using Shadow Jaunt to teleport 50 ft., hopefully to M7, or otherwise as close to there as possible, so that Yamanu can hide in the trees and attack unseen.

new Hide check:
1d20(17)+18=35[/spoiler]

OOC:
[spoiler]Yeah, that's fine. And yes, you can reach M7, Hide check noted [/spoiler]

[Nanshork]

Goldflower quickly summons a giant centipede to block the enemys retreat.  It lashes out at the rear goblin.

[spoiler]
Fiendish monstrous centipede, Large summoned where it is in the square of J-10.

Centipede attacks rear goblin.
Attack: 23 Damage: 9

[BowenSilverclaw]

Squealing in pain, the goblin tries to get out of the centipede's fangs, but it's already to late to prevent the poison from doing its work.

OOC: 9 damage and 1 Dex damage for LR3.


Taking advantage of the confusion of the ambush, Jorr takes a shot at one of the mounts, an arrow getting embedded in the beast's shoulder.

OOC:
[spoiler]Attack on LR1's mount:
Attack 31 (1 short of a crit ); Damage 19[/spoiler]

19 damage for LR1's mount.