[Bob's TB: Not like it matters, but I figured Barik would assume Drusilla _hadn't_ succeeded, because none of the big baddies seemed hurt, and her job was supposed to take out the hobgoblin. And he has no faith that her twiggy body can stand anything stronger than a light breeze. But since I already knew what happened to her, I can't really judge.]

To Drusilla, Barik says "You're welcome." (What a polite guy.)

I'm about to move further out of the fog anyway, so I expect I'll see the hobgoblin shortly, or I can see him already. I'm also assuming the worgriders are behind a bloody heap of cover, so we can't see each other or get to each other. If that's the case, let me know if this is an acceptable munchkiny action:
Most likely course of events:
a) move 5' northeast, which I think is out from the fog (or at least not further into it.) This is to get me out of the way of Dru and/or Grell.
If I can see the hobgoblin clearly (no significant cover from the dead horses and riders, and he's still alive), then this is my "5-foot step" [5-foot step, no further movement], and I proceed with b-e. Otherwise, see below.
b) Call out to Alonzo, "Make your way past the gate! There's a hobgoblin north of the gate to gore, and we have to get through him to get to the worgs!
c) drop my weapons [free action]
d) Ready my bow with a frost arrow (of the 4 I have left) [move action]
e) Shoot the hobgoblin [standard action]

If shooting the hobgoblin is infeasible, then I don't drop the weapons, and turn the 5-foot step into a move up to where the hobgoblin is, and chop him with my waraxe (not both hands, because I've moved.)
posted by Scholeologist at 1/10/2004 04:22:00 PM

posted by Scholeologist at 1/10/2004 02:15:00 PM

>"Where there's a whip, there's a way!"
This is my all-time favorite part of the animated Lord of the Rings. Although "Frodo of the Nine Fingers" is catchy, both phrase and tune. Finally, we're fighting critters with some culture! :)

I have no say in this, but I'm guessing the J-Men are gonna start shooting, since that's what Bishop told them to do.

Is the toll gate nigh impassable, or is it basically a log? It looks to me like there's a way through, between the rocks and the fog, over (or under, more likely) the gate. I'm going to assume that Barik can get through there -- if not, let me know. Also, I'm going to assume that, exposed as he is, the hobgoblin is visibly trying to shoot at Linnam or something, so I can safely assume he's not Dru.

[Barik's TB] Finally, a fight with options! I can use the rocks and oxen as cover and fire on the hobgoblin, or just engage him directly. Although, standing out in the open as he is, he's liable to become a pincushion shortly anyway. I could go up toward the worg riders...hm. If that hobgoblin isn't Drusilla, which I'm pretty sure of, and the worg riders are both over there...then that foolish elfmaid has probably gone and got herself killed, as one would expect. The fog wouldn't be much protection from those worgs, and I don't see her anywhere...

Suspicious I'm going to regret this shortly, and ruefully increasing my mental tally of kill-less encounters, I go to the point where the gate disappears in the fog, crawl under the gate, and head into the fog, looking for Drusilla. Insofar as I can, I aim for the direct center of the fog. If I run into the guardhouse before I run into her, I'll see if I can do any good (shoot through the windows from the outside, for example, then take cover), or take cover if they're shooting.

I try to track her if I can (lotsa tracks, in the fog, but I've still got a decent shot with my Nature synergy, and I'm looking for her tracks or worg tracks). I also don't know if my skill at spotting things would help here (I'm just average at ordinary searching). If I find her, I'll use the Holy Oil on her (one application, just to keep her from dying).


posted by Scholeologist at 1/09/2004 10:14:00 AM

posted by Scholeologist at 1/09/2004 09:12:00 AM

Alonzo, I am wordy, chatty, and prolific. I accept my lot in life without complaint. Well, with lots of complaints, actually -- see first sentence. But I accept it anyway. Unfortunately, everyone else has to accept it too...

I'm confused by your post. I thought I said that I was going to dismount when I was close and go on foot. Isn't that what you're telling me to do?
posted by Scholeologist at 1/08/2004 01:22:00 PM

Woo-hoo! I knew I'd be coming back in the thick of the action... (Now watch Barik drop unconscious to some ridiculously lucky critical hit from a goblin's slingstone.)

Cleave comment: Grell, I couldn't agree more. When picking my feats, I was just extrapolating from the PH character examples -- I wish I'd realized Cleave was so munchkin. Hopefully I'll survive, level up, and add it, a day late and a dollar short, but better late than never. (I am....cliché boy!)

Also, it occurred to Barik to suggest Dru change to look like the hobgoblin with some distinguishing feature -- a bloody arm bandage, for example -- that would let us know who was who but not tip off the gobbies. But Barik kinda assumed she wasn't listening to him anyway... :)

Despite the feeling I have that somehow this is going to come back to bite me, I note that Linnam and Drusilla's horse isn't taken, and since Alonzo is worried about Emerelda and I don't want to get in the way if/when he charges around on her, Barik would like to take the free horse and ride in on his own.

[Barik's TB] Hmm, I wonder if an intelligent worg with a keen sense of smell could sniff out elf blood in a solid fog?

As soon as we heard the horn, Barik took off with everyone else. Assuming there isn't some obvious archery situation (the worgriders advancing on a fearful looking hobgoblin, for example), he'll dismount once he's within 20' of any visible target, or once he reaches the edge of the fog. He'll then fight with both axes. Of course, he'll kill anything gobliny (although he'll give a hobgoblin a chance to say "Stop, it's me!"), but he's really seeking out the worgs, although that might not be easy if the fog's engulfed everything.

Contingencies: If there are no helpful clues to where anybody is, Barik starts by heading to where the hobgoblin was on the map. If there's nothing of interest (after any goblins have been killed) in the immediate area, he then heads towards the guardhouse (if he's become totally disoriented, Barik assumes the oxen haven't moved very much, and turns perpendicular to the road from them). Also, if he does run into a hobgoblin who says "Stop, it's me!", he asks what the first thing they ever said to him was. If he doesn't hear "uncultured", "oaf", "feeble-minded", or at least a similar string of vitriol, it isn't Dru. :)
posted by Scholeologist at 1/08/2004 04:42:00 AM

Hmm...well this is an interesting issue -- blog ("real") time vs. game time.

Barik would like to interrupt Drusilla and suggest that he go instead of her. But if she's gone and cast the spell already, there isn't much he can do about it. And she is the impulsive type...

If the powers that be think this counts as an interruption, Barik says, "Mage, might I suggest that I go in your stead to attack the hobgoblin. I daresay you have demonstrated your ability to turn the tide of battle from a distance, whereas I would prefer to begin the fight in its midst. Additionally, while I would appreciate borrowing your horn in this case, I fear it might do less good against the worgs. I have some small understanding of beasts and their ways, and this might help me avoid them, or fight them on advantageous terms."

If Dru has already started her invisibility spell, Barik says, "Mage, though you might not be able to take his shape now, since you are going to be next to him shortly, you could assume his image while invisible, and when you attacked him, no goblin would know who to give aid to."

I'm going back to England today, so I'll be out of blog contact until at least tomorrow.
posted by Scholeologist at 1/06/2004 12:23:00 PM

Enterprising little buggers...

[Bob's TB] In case you didn't know, Barik likes brainstorming...but if you want to go with the original plan -- invisible Linnam and Barik accompanying Grell and `Taur'egk' -- that's fine with him.

"Two gates, from the look of your map. I don't suppose they'd slow the worgs down at all? Looks like they could just go around, up the eastern hill...

"What's this here, by the hobgoblin? [indicating the red thing] A fire?"

"If someone made themselves known, say a horseman or two charging up the path, do you suppose the worg-riders would charge out to face them? If so, we could have a couple invisible people in place to flank them...but I guess it's too much to hope for. They'd probably just ready themselves where they are, and try to collect their first toll...

"Linnam, you reckon you could occupy/eliminate the lookouts in the tower without being detected? That would help us get closer without notice, and provide another avenue to attack the guardpost, if they collect in there. Throwing some fire down the stairs would undo any garrison there. I think charging from here with the lookouts alive, the alarm will be raised long before we're in striking range.

"Those worgs sound smart, but sensitive -- is there some way we can assault them with foul odor or sound, and turn their strength to a weakness?

"Drusilla, it doesn't sound like Taur'egk would have much hold on these, but can you appear as the hobgoblin, and sow confusion that way?

"Would it do any good for one of us to appear at the top of ridge that Sandarkar climbed over? [DM, does Barik think he's a good enough climber to do this?] If the lookouts sounded the alarm, they might well divide some troops from the main force to get rid of the interloper, since he wouldn't be heading up the main road into their turnpike. In any case, the goblins would have no reason to doubt the lookouts were alive and aware, and their attention would be diverted from the main road...then, after Linnam dispatched the lookouts, the rest of us could charge into the fray without warning..."
posted by Scholeologist at 1/05/2004 05:17:00 PM

>frankly you all seem to attract danger
Can't argue with that, Dru, except for the "pot calling the kettle black" retort. :)

By the way, though we're not there yet, Barik favors having himself invisible and going with you guys, rather than Bishop, because Bishop can give us better covering fire at a longer range than Barik can, if/when the reserve troops come into play.
posted by Scholeologist at 1/05/2004 12:17:00 AM

A) Barik doesn't know _what_ unnatural means you have, but he knows for darn sure you don't climb that well on your own merits, punk.

B) The description sounded to me like "Sandarkar or Barik invisibly scout about. Then Grell, Dru, and, if necessary, invisible Barik and Bishop, go chat with goblins." I kinda commented on it because that sounded like a lot of invisibility spells to be concerned about keeping them.

C) Linnam's working out alignment issues, and that's just attitudes toward individuality/order and good/evil. How's the DM supposed to know whether he'd be emotionally attached to a random horse he left to fend for itself in the midst of a bloodbath? (I'm teasing, of course, but if you want to retroactively say Sandarkar would've looked out for his own interests first, I'm sure Scott can retroactively say that these are the only decent horses Kray could get from Two Towers, now that the place is up in arms. And I wasn't really kidding about the naming the animals thing. The sudden concern for Darkstar, and his prominence in descriptions, makes the blog read like out-takes from a Black Stallion movie. Which is funny, since I bet no one can come up with a memorable line from a Black Stallion movie off the top of their head to try to stump us with.) :)
posted by Scholeologist at 1/04/2004 04:43:00 PM

[Barik's TB] Hmf. Linnam's the better climber through _unnatural_ means. I'd like to see how we'd match up in a fair contest. Underground, in the dark. Let's see you climb with a torch in your teeth, human! mmm...tasty oily rags... :)

If Dru's got what sounds like 3 invisibility spells available, then her plan sounds peachy. And don't apologize to Sandy, he's haughty enough as it is. I wouldn't mind Sandarkar smoking them out of the guardhouse, but I guess Dru wants to try to get some information out of them...

As far as distances go, there's the DM's comment that we're currently 1/4 mile from the tower. Also, we need to get within 100 yards of the tower before we "round the bend" and can see what's under it. But we can't get any further without being visible from the tower, right? So Linnam's going to climb over the ridge to get a look-see; roughly speaking, how long's it going to take for him to climb over, do the reconnaissance he described, and come back? I'm thinking that we might have to leave him behind if some invisibles accompany Dru and Grell, because his spell might not last long enough for a chat with the goblins.

Are the three J's with us? I know we're "in two teams", but since we're headed to the same place, I'd guess we're only going to split up once we leave Argunn Lode.

I'm just trying to get the whole picture -- Barik's keen on the plan, and eagerly awaiting Sandarkar's report.
posted by Scholeologist at 1/04/2004 12:29:00 PM