That is the danger with this style of play -- the people with time on their hands get excited and try to move the game along, while the people who have something to do on Saturday night (or whatever) find out Sunday that events are trying to pass them by.

Fortunately, our DM has been able to roll with it and keep everybody on the same page.

I recommend mulling over conspiracy theories and where you'll spend skill points if your character has the good fortune to survive until the next level to while away the time.

Also, long rambling speeches.
posted by Scholeologist at 11/29/2003 08:05:00 PM

I can tell that rambling speeches are a common dwarf trait. "Gruff and reserved" -- doesn't look like it! Maybe the long rambling speeches are why we have the charisma hit...incidentally, I have a little bit of documentation about dwarf language and culture, if you want to give me your email, or go through Scott, or something...

Nevertheless, it's obvious to Barik that this fiery dwarf is gunning for combat --

[Barik] "Listen, Alonzo, I appreciate your hunger for battle, but keep in mind that we have been knocked around a bit. Grell has used his healing powers mostly to fix up himself and his horse, so they're probably fine, but I'm nearly halfway to passing out, and these men are probably worse. And there's a score or two of orcs and ogres down the way. And some flying creatures I didn't see too well...anyway, I was hoping we could do this a bit stealthily, and maybe take out the orcs in the immediate area without causing enough noise and alarm to call the whole army back just yet."


posted by Scholeologist at 11/29/2003 07:22:00 PM

[Bob's telepathic TB to Aaron] You're very welcome. Ah..emotional scars -- the gift that keeps on giving. :) And I can safely say that I didn't see Aaron scoring with any women that I could only drool over, particularly when he was 8. Eeuww.

[Bob's Assorted TBs] Hang on. Surely Barik has a chance to have his say (and even an action or two) before Grell gallops off, etc.

Alonzo is one of those New York dwarves of Italian extraction, I take it. I now read this was just explained to the new guy, but to reiterate, part of the party (namely, you, me, and Grell) are on a road next to a path of switchbacks leading up to a watch-tower, and the other part (Sandarkar and Drusilla and some named NPCs) are in a little tunnel under the watch-tower messing with a trapdoor in the ceiling. You can ignore everything they say and do -- they're far away from us, and it isn't very interesting anyway. :)

In any case, your comment about the orc-wizard applies, since I just told you about the "orcs and ogres" and "skull-faced mage".

So, if I understand correctly, when we last left our heroes Grell, Barik, and Alonzo, they had just met and were riding over to where the remainder of the troops, and the prisoner, were hiding, behind some rocks on the east side of the road. On the way trotting over there, Barik introduced themselves, and gave a quick summary of the happy situation, while Grell checked the newcomer out thoroughly. We've established that the switchbacks are not a fun place to fight your way up, and may have bad guys lurking in wait along them. Then Alonzo replied, offering his help and a cunning gay smile, which may or may not bring back the whole Legolas-Gimli thing that I had hoped we were past.

At this point, Grell turns back toward the tower and studied the cliffside again -- and we may or may not have gotten close to the rocks our comrades are hiding behind. In any case, this is not part of Barik's plan, so here's what he does. There's a longish chunk of speech here, in which I'm abusing the principle that saying something doesn't really take any time. If you like, I can make it briefer, and in any case I can get on Alonzo's pony and we can head across toward the path while I'm talking.

[Barik]
"Ah, Grell? I was thinking we might head over to the cover of those rocks, in case anyone should happen to look down from the cliffside, and maybe update our new-met ally here on what we're likely to face, and then perhaps formulate some kind of plan..."

If, as I rather expect, he doesn't head back toward the rocks, I get off the horse. If he continues with his "idea", I tell Alonzo to come with me and _run_ back to the men, at which point I lay out my plan in a rush:
"We might've been able to arrange this a little more sensibly, but we'll adapt. If there's anyone lying in wait along the path, they'll probably be flushed out by the galloping half-orc. We stay out of sight for just a bit, hoping they'll think he's a lone madman and give chase. Then we follow, attacking by surprise anyone attacking _him_, and making our way up toward the tower in his wake. If we're truly lucky, if you'd call it that, almost all of them will have gone south to massacre the caravan, and this will have become their rear flank. We can't risk what gains we've made: one or two of the most injured of you stay hidden with the prisoner -- we'll come back for you or die, as the case may be. Alonzo, if I ride along with you, we won't fall too far behind Grell -- now, let us be off! Dukesmen, if Grell is in real trouble, we may charge ahead to help him, in which case we'll be the second wave of the bushbeaters, and you all can continue to come up behind any would-be ambushers."

Assuming Alonzo lets me on his pony (and I so wish I had mine with me), I tell him as we head on our way -- "This ambush has been orchestrated by an orc-wizard of considerable cunning and might. He has a skull painted on his face, and has been firing lightning bolts wantonly left and right. He can fly and teleport at great speed, and swords, arrows, and fireballs have hit him without effect. Perhaps his comeuppance will wait for another day -- aside from him, his forces of orcs and ogres seem to be of the usual non-flying, killable sort -- I wouldn't mind acquainting some of them with the bottom of the cliffs they're currently atop. But first and foremost, my thought is that he wouldn't bother continuing the carnage and lightning bolts unless he couldn't afford to leave anyone alive -- which makes me think they're keeping something important in the tower here. Oh, and lastly, I don't think he's managed to orchestrate this ambush on wits alone. He has had allies within the caravan, some at the highest levels, I believe. If we survive this day, I may introduce you to many people -- I offer surety for none of them. Grell may have seemed suspicious of you, but I think he should be still more suspicious of the people he knows. My opinions of who to watch most will become clearer, if, as I said, we survive this day."
posted by Scholeologist at 11/29/2003 04:01:00 PM

Not that I really feel compelled to rush to defend Jacob's 14 year old self, (who, incidentally, had more than one conversation with me about intelligence vs. wisdom in regard to ourselves), but you might not want to take potshots before considering what _your_ stats would have been at around the same time period. Though I'll give you some bonus charisma points for cute little kidness. Ah, I fondly remember worrying that Glenn Rickard's lascivious activities with an inflatable Godzilla at the school lipsync contest (80's, anyone?) might be a little too PG-13 for Jacob's little brother. Far be it from me to want to corrupt any young minds...

If Drusilla wants a soldier down there, and Sandarkar wants Dru up with him, why doesn't he send someone down to take her place, where she is trying to defend Bishop from rocks invisibly? I'll try to restrain myself about other ideas of what I'd do if I were there, 'cause (luckily) I'm busy chatting with what looks to be a non-NPC, if you'll excuse the double negative.
posted by Scholeologist at 11/28/2003 05:48:00 AM

He answers my questions first because I rolled a critical hit on my initiative roll. :)

Also, a new character is so much more interesting than a blank trapdoor.

Even if it wasn't your _only_ flask of whiskey, I'm sure Dru feels that every flask burnt is a tragedy. Leave no flask behind, for a flask is a terrible thing to waste. The flasks are our future. :)

Barik is not terribly thrilled with the comparison of himself to a piglike Elmer Fudd, although the "vewy vewy quiet" part is exactly what he's trying to do. I guess the shoe fits, whether he wants it to or not.

[Barik]
I keep scanning the top of the cliff and what I can see of the switchbacks for any sign of someone. If there's any cover around big enough to hide us all, I gesture toward it and head there. Otherwise I gesture toward the nearest hillside cover, which may be back where the soldiers are. If the dwarf gets it and starts trotting that way, I ask Grell for a hand back up (sigh) so we can all convene as quickly as possible. I'm happy to introduce myself to the dwarf in low voices if we end up trotting next to each other back toward cover:

"Well met, good fellow, but in dire circumstances. An army of orcs and ogres, led by a skull-faced mage the likes of which I have never seen, has taken the watch-tower and is laying waste to a caravan just south of here. We escaped the ambush, and were just about to head up the path to the tower with what stealth we could and see what might be done from that vantage. I am Barik, of the Clan Argunn Lode, and this is Grell Shimmerin, priest of Pelor, although as you can see he is currently in disguise. And yourself? Whence do you come, and whither bound, before you came to be waylaid here?"
posted by Scholeologist at 11/27/2003 07:48:00 AM

[Bob's TB] Well, crap. For people trying to sneak around, we aren't doing a very good job, if some random guy on a horse sees us before we can do anything about it.

[Barik's TB] As usual, stealth is not on my side. If this fellow is a dwarf like I think, then we have to confer before we march up to the tower. If he isn't, it'd be just as well to find out if he has any friends skulking about. Hopefully, if he's a friend he won't jump at Grell's appearance if I intercede, and if he's a foe he might figure Grell is on his side.

Forget the hiding, although if I can make myself clearly visible to the rider while still obscured from the cliff, that would be ideal. I wave and gesture for silence to the stranger -- not that it'll do any good if he's out to take my head off. If he starts pulling out a bow or other projectile weapon, I run for cover and pull out my own.
posted by Scholeologist at 11/26/2003 03:29:00 PM

Screw this. I'm getting off the horse. What's the visibility deal? We're about 250' from this guy, and the soldiery are hiding behind rocks...so is it a safe bet he can see Grell and his horse, or can they take cover too? Even without the urgrosh, I'm pretty sure that this is a dwarf coming from town to meet the caravan. Is he heading for the path up the hill, or just down the main road?

"Wait here while I get a closer look at this newcomer. He may be a friend, in which case we should let him know the state of the enemy. Or he may not, in which case we might be able to take another prisoner."

Once I dismount (carefully), I want to get closer without announcing my presence to everybody. So I'm going to sneak towards the oncoming figure, taking whatever convenient cover I can. I would like to stay out of sight of the cliffside and the stranger, but most important is getting closer to the stranger. If I'm suitably far away from everyone else, I'm not quite so worried about staying hidden -- that is, if there isn't any cover, I'll sneak as best I can, but I keep going.

If I eventually recognize that this fella really is a dwarf, I try to signal to him to be quiet, and try to meet up with him, behind cover from the cliff if possible.
posted by Scholeologist at 11/26/2003 02:07:00 PM

All right, forget it...I can jog for like another half an hour today, right? :)

1. Just kidding, I really do ask for the lift, but I hope it's not for very long, and
2. As with all things, the web surely takes this to extremes I'm not comfortable with, but you have to admit, Tolkien was pretty suggestive about those two. I mean, okay, we get it, they're on the same horse together. Okay, gotcha, greater friendship never had between elf and dwarf. Yes, he's terrifically taken with your gem caves and you just looove his woods. And then they go off together across the sea, even though dwarves don't do that, because, ya know, they're such good friends and all. WE GET IT ALREADY!
posted by Scholeologist at 11/25/2003 04:15:00 PM

Sigh. Oh, fine..."Well, Grell? I have no great desire to join you on your horse, but I've no wish to slow us down now. Will you let me accompany you on Darkstar?"
posted by Scholeologist at 11/25/2003 01:44:00 PM

Excellent. Out of sight of the battlefield seems like a perfectly okay place to be. :) Once we're out of sight, someone (I guess me, if no one else can do it better and Grell hasn't caught up with us) needs to see if the prisoner needs some first aid to keep from dying.

Probably Grell will catch up with us before we get back around to the road and the switchback, but in any case, I'm thinking that I should sneak up and peek around from cover first (I'm good at spotting and hearing orcs, and fair with ogres too, although they're pretty easy to spot anyway), and then sneak across the road to the switchbacks by myself, with the other fellows covering me, so that I can check if the coast is clear before we all start trundling up the hill. When Grell gets to us, I suggest he check out the prisoner -- he can probably administer first aid or maybe even healing better than I (although an unconscious prisoner is _so_ much easier to handle.) We may want to keep the prisoner and someone to guard him hidden down here while the rest of us head up the tower path.
posted by Scholeologist at 11/24/2003 06:33:00 PM

Grr. Arrgh.

I "assess" some more with my hands, all around me including above my head. I also call out-- just loudly enough to carry the sound down a stone staircase, which isn't that loud-- "Kray? Have you followed me in here? If so, wait a moment, and try opening that chest at the bottom, which I unaccountably walked right past."
posted by Jacob T. Levy at 11/24/2003 03:40:00 PM

Uh, where's Barrs, since I seem to be the only one trying to keep track of him? My plan indicated that we should take him with us -- did we, or did the other soldiers heading southeast take him?
posted by Scholeologist at 11/24/2003 08:34:00 AM