[IC]Secrets of the Fire Swamp

Stories about games that you run and/or have played in.

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Darth Rabbitt
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Post by Darth Rabbitt »

"Good point," Archimedes replies to Malagos. But it seems equally unlikely that anything small enough to hide in that tree will assault a 12' dragon minotaur either. Which is why I'll start up the fight!

With a snuffle and a snort, Archimedes aims his breath weapon (30' cone, 2d6 cold damage, Ref DC 19 half) at the tree he detected the scent coming from. He will position himself to avoid hitting any party members or other allies, with the exception of the skeleton since it's immune to his frost breath.
Pseudo Stupidity wrote:This Applebees fucking sucks, much like all Applebees. I wanted to go to Femboy Hooters (communism).
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Post by radthemad4 »

"Waaiit! Orr will shout telepathically. "Let me try something first."

If it's not too late, Orr will use greater blink, expend a fire token to boost his speed by 15 ft to 65 fly (45, blinking) for the round (free action), fly 20ft along the ground near the tree, touch the ground, displacing 13 cubic feet of earth away from the roots of the tree (as Stone Shape, but works on Earth too), at a steep angle, trying to make it tip over under its own weight, before flying 20 feet away from the tree (angle between approach and retreat is 90 degrees, spending 5 ft of movement for turning an additional 45 degrees before retreating).

If it's too late, he'll wait and see what happens.
Last edited by radthemad4 on Tue Oct 20, 2015 7:48 am, edited 5 times in total.
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Post by Dominicius »

Vian grits his teeth. 'Great... more cold.'

Focusing his mind he causes a light shimmer to appear around him, surrounding his entire form to protect himself against any of the fallout.
Manifest screen for one power point. No Surge or augments.
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Ancient History
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Post by Ancient History »

Earth moves at the Unseelie fey's power, the road obliterated in an instant as earth and stone part, revealing the roots of the great mangrove - which are entwined with a large, carved stone box. The unnatural scent is more pungent now, to the point where all can smell it - like onion skins and burning rubber.

The tree that the boats are tied to does not fall does not fall. But the two trees on the opposite side of what was once a road move forward with seeming purpose, dragging their roots from the ground, limbs flailing; Archimedes and Dragaan are nearly crushed by their heaven wooden tread, but manage to avoid the moving timber.
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maglag
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Post by maglag »

Clara remains calm at the situation and observes the moving plants.

"Hmm, those look familiar... We come in peace! We wish for no unnecessary violence, we just thought you were old non-sentient trees! "
Invisible Castle is down, so I'll post my modifiers and AH can roll the dice at home, I trust him.

Lore bonus: 1d20+4. Same as bardic knowledge.
Spot: 1d20+11.

Also Diplomacy to the trees because why not: 1d20+16
If there's no time for a normal check, then rushed attempt at-10.
Last edited by maglag on Tue Oct 20, 2015 12:13 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by Dominicius »

Vian was far less inclined to do diplomacy with the ancient oaks. Drawing his blade a red flash moved across it, igniting the metal and making it blaze like a torch in his hands.

"Stop right there! Make another step and I will turn you into ash!" He shouted, but he did so in the tongue of his mother.
Attempting an intimidate check at a +5 bonus. Speaking in Sylvan.
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Ancient History
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Post by Ancient History »

SHLUCK

Vian spits blood as he stares at the three-inch thick black root suddenly protruding from his chest. Your eyes all swivel to the tree that the boats are tied to - a tree whose bark suddenly blotches and darkens to an unhealthy black-grey, and whose roots and limbs suddenly become rubbery and undulate like the arms of an octopus. A glowing seam opens from the crown of the tree right down to the root, where it meets the half-exposed stone box, and opens into a vast rent, revealing a green-glowing maw lined with teeth and eyes.

[Vian takes 23 points of damage; bringing him to -2 hp. He is currently dying.]
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Post by RelentlessImp »

"I'm going to guess that's ... really not good," stated the beguiler while eying the suddenly almost dead man and the brutal plant what had done it. A quick glance over his shoulder out to sea to the ship that they had come from and then the creature stiffens his stance on the sand, staring towards the trees. He focuses his mental energies towards the tree, baring his teeth as he does so, exciting molecular agitation within its structure.

"CEASE YOUR ASSAULT AT ONCE!" the tiny creature bellows. "We are not adverse to igniting all of you and letting you burn where you stand until there is naught but ash! Or at least, I'm not, and I've got the power to do it, and nothing but time, energy, and the will to have a forest-sized bonfire!"
1PP to use Matter Agitation, concentrating, on the tree. On the next round, it'll smolder; in the round after that, burst into flame. Alim is assuming that they can still negotiate with this thing, and is going to use the threat of burning it alive to aid negotiations.
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Post by radthemad4 »

"Oh crap. Wait, he's still moving! Let's see if we can get him out of there."

Orr will minor power channel water on the tree Vian's hanging from (DC 17 Nauseate for two rounds, fort negates and Sicken, no save). He'll then expend his new fire token to increase his fly speed to 65 for the rest of the round. If the mangrove tree seems to be ambulatory, he'll minor channel Earth to Entangle it for 2 rounds, no save. Otherwise, he'll Entangle the approaching tree on the top left. He'll then stop blinking, fly 30 ft up in the air and 15 feet South East, near (but above) Clara and away from before he resumes blinking.
Last edited by radthemad4 on Wed Oct 21, 2015 7:25 am, edited 5 times in total.
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Darth Rabbitt
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Post by Darth Rabbitt »

Archimedes growls defiantly at the two trees near him, before attempting to cast grease defensively on them (placed in such a manner that Archimedes and Dragaan would not be touching any of the grease, but the two trees would be standing directly in it).
(Concentration check at +11 vs. DC 16, if Archie is successful the trees must make a DC 16 Reflex save or fall.)
Whether or not his spell is successful, Archimedes then will attempt to fly up and south at a 60 degree angle, as far out of reach of the trees as possible, towards where the rest of the party and the tentacle tree are.

(This part may change depending on what happens over the course of the round.)
Assuming the trees do not manage to hit Archimedes as he flies off he'll do one of two things next round, depending on Vian's condition:
1. If Vian is stable by next round Archimedes defaults to his usual strategy of pounce-stun-charging the tentacle tree (chances are it's immune to stunning but Archie loses nothing from trying).
2. If Vian is still unstable by next round, Archimedes will pick him up and carry him off to be healed. Archimedes will do this even if he has been wounded by the trees, assuming he's alive and conscious.
Pseudo Stupidity wrote:This Applebees fucking sucks, much like all Applebees. I wanted to go to Femboy Hooters (communism).
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Post by CapnTthePirateG »

Malagos points at the murderous foliage. "Kill the tree," he hisses to the skeleton as it lumbers forward.

He then casts glitterdust aiming at the murdertree, avoiding the rest of the party.

Future plans:
Round 2: If things are still moving and not greased/blinded, grease another tree or 2 while avoiding party members.

Round 3:If trees are down, start animating chill touching to coup de grace and give us more muscle, else web em unless party members are in melee. If party members are meleeing the trees, eldritch blast.
OgreBattle wrote:"And thus the denizens learned that hating Shadzar was the only thing they had in common, and with him gone they turned their venom upon each other"
-Sarpadian Empires, vol. I
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AcidBlades
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Post by AcidBlades »

At the start of combat I shall send my familiar to retrieve the Silent Image spell. In which you can roll 1d20+15 Diplomacy check for. The spell takes 1d4+1 rounds to get back though. After doing that, I shall then make a simple attack action. If the tree that has Vian it's grasp is within 60' than I shall make a roll of 1d20+11 then follow that up with 1d10+3 damage if the arrow lands true. After the shot, whether or not it's assault was right. I shall begin to pace on over 20' feet eastward, right next to the east or west of Alim, is in the first iteration of the battle map. It can also be assumed that Dragaan is doing his monk stance. Which is generally assumed to be the case in my character sheet.
Dragaan fires at the arboreal creature from his crossbow and then springs eastwards, his movement somewhat awkward, but deliberate, as the gen winks out of existence like a smothered flame.
Last edited by AcidBlades on Wed Oct 21, 2015 5:46 am, edited 3 times in total.
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maglag
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Post by maglag »

Clara draws a spiked chain from inside her armor (seemingly stored inside her own dead flesh inside, bits of pale dead meat stuck to it) while running away tactically positioning herself over the water's surface, seeking to get as away from the dry land as possible. Hopefully those plant monsters couldn't swim.

"That looks like some corrupted treant and its minions. They should be pretty slow so just keep a safe distance and shoot them with whatever you have!"

Clara had never been very good at shooting tough, in particular after losing one of her eyes. She had given up on carrying a ranged weapon after shooting her former allies in the back during training more often than her intended targets.
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Post by Ancient History »

Round 1:

Schlurrp

With a wet sucking sound, Vian slides off the impaling tentacle, his limp body falling prone onto the earth, sliding down to rest against the stone box. [Vian is at -3 hp]

As the beguiler makes his fiery pronouncement, its nearest leaves begin to smolder and curl, sending its tentacle-limbs into agitation. Orr exerts his elemental powers, the black trunk of the tree now sheathed in a film of filthy water, dirt and soil piling up to grab at its roots...yet if the strange tentacled creature seems discomfited, it gives no sign. Dragaan's crossbow bolt merely nicks the target, gouging out some of its bark, the wound welling with glowing green sap.

Archimedes' grease adds a layer of slippery goo to the already soft soil, and the walking trees roots are unable to find purchase as they stumble forward, limbs blindly grasping at the half-minotaur. With a crash, the two mangroves crash together in a tangle of roots and limbs.

At this, the tentacle-tree seems to shiver, and lets out a keening hiss. Black seed-pods drop from its branches, where they had been hidden among the leaves, and where they fall they burst, releasing clouds of thick black and grey smoke. Within moments, the tree - and indeed, the battlefield - are obscured from view.

Malagos' skeleton stumbles blindly into the area, and soon afterwards the golden motes of glitterdust mix with the overall smoke.

Clara, over the water and away from the smoke, hears a gentle splashing from the direction of the cloud, but has lost sight of both the tree and any members of the party that aren't actively flying (Orr & Archimedes).

Round 2:
A strange silence descends over the smoke-filled battlefield. Clara, Orr, and Archimedes can see that the two walking mangroves that had threatened Dragaan and Archimedes remain on their side, unmoving. The rest of the adventurers can see nothing through the pall of smoke - but there are no sounds from within of movement, not the creak of a branch or anything else.

[Vian is at -4 hp and falling]
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Post by radthemad4 »

Telepathically to all allies, "Only seeing smoke. Anyone know what's going on?"
Last edited by radthemad4 on Wed Oct 21, 2015 8:44 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by RelentlessImp »

Alim holds fast to the concentration, intent on incinerating the thing that had assaulted his compatriots. With a mental command, the hummingbird takes off into the sky, flitting upwards rapidly over the smoke and trying to get a bird's-eye view of the situation.
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Darth Rabbitt
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Post by Darth Rabbitt »

"I knocked the two walking trees down, and they seem to be staying down," Archimedes replies to Orr telepathically. "I don't know what's happening beyond that. Do you know where the wounded guy is?"

With that Archimedes flies to 30' above the approximate area that Vian was last seen, and tries to sniff him out.
Pseudo Stupidity wrote:This Applebees fucking sucks, much like all Applebees. I wanted to go to Femboy Hooters (communism).
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Post by Ancient History »

Alim feels a sharp pain at his hindquarters (-4 hp) but manages to maintain his concentration. It feels like something is gnawing at him. Sparing a glance, he sees a black tree rat latched on...although no tree rat he's ever seen had small black horns and glowing green eyes...
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Darth Rabbitt
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Post by Darth Rabbitt »

Archimedes will land in the area where he last saw Vian and the tree and try to sniff him out, asking Clara telepathically to follow him in case they find their mortally wounded ally. What he does next depends on what he finds (or doesn't):
If Vian's there and alive Archimedes will pick him up and try to stabilize him. Next round he'll try to carry him to safer ground.
If Vian's not there, or he's dead, Archimedes will head off and try to look for the tree.
Regardless of what he finds, he'll tell the party about it telepathically.
Pseudo Stupidity wrote:This Applebees fucking sucks, much like all Applebees. I wanted to go to Femboy Hooters (communism).
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Post by Ancient History »

Flying into the smoke, nostrils flared, Archimedes smells blood - and lands right next to the dying Vian (-5 hp), who is crumpled against the stone box. Archimedes cannot smell the tree or anything else, but quickly manages to treat his comrade (Vian is stabilized at -5 hp).
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Post by CapnTthePirateG »

Malagos decides to wait, a grease spell on the tip of his tongue for when he regains vision of the murderous tree.
OgreBattle wrote:"And thus the denizens learned that hating Shadzar was the only thing they had in common, and with him gone they turned their venom upon each other"
-Sarpadian Empires, vol. I
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Post by AcidBlades »

Dragaan attempts to simply scuffle away towards the Southwest feeling the dirt and keeping his toes extra pry with his crossbow on hand ready to strike at any moment.
I move at half speed once, and ready an attack action for any tree that wants to get the gang up on me. Also when the fuck is my familiar is gonna get back? I should be able to tell what I rolled? :U
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Ancient History
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Post by Ancient History »

Dragaan scuffles slowly through the smoke. The soil is surprisingly loose under his feet, as if recently disturbed. In a puff of flame, his gen reappears with the spell.
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Post by radthemad4 »

Orr will fly a little to the South East, above the water. He'll minor water channel the ocean to adjust the flow of energy within himself (don't think the ocean can be sickened (might form a small puddle or something), but this grants me a fire token). He'll then ready an action to fireburst (3d6 damage, DC 15 reflex halves) anything hostile he sees, or powered fire burst (6d6 damage, DC 17 reflex halves) if it's a mangrove treant (either the one with tentacles, or any others).
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Post by Ancient History »

While flying above the water, Orr notices [Spot check] the boats, which had been tied to the mangrove before it grew teeth and tentacles, have been cut free and are floating out to sea.
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