Considering the distance to be too great for effective use of his throwing axes, Gwendol does not carry out his readied action.

... the wizard draws the arrow to his cheek, and lets fly the shaft; sadly, it misses.

Round 30:
  [Move] ???
  [Free]
  [Standard] Fire arrow (miss)

Status:
  Initiative: 15
  AC (Touch AC): 19 (14)

  Damage Taken:   0
  Damage Dealt:   11 (21; healed 10)

Effects:
Alter Self - 28 minutes
Mage Armor - 3 hours

Final position: O25

[Continuation of post above; Round 31 to follow.]

Yer mus' be close ter emptying yer quiver lad! Gwendol taunts.

Round 30:
  [Move]
  [Free]
  [Standard]Ready action: throw axe if enemy in sight (and in range)
Status:
  Initiative: 9
  AC (Touch AC): 21 (13)

  Damage Taken:   11 (21)
  Damage Dealt:   0

Effects:
Cover?
+4 to strength, 1 more round

Final position: W16

"Not just yet..."  the wizard mutters softly, to himself rather than to his foe.  "But I should probably conserve my shots..."

Nothing further ensues from behind the pillar.

Round 31:
  [Move] ???
  [Free]
  [Standard] ???

Status:
  Initiative: 15
  AC (Touch AC): 19 (14)

  Damage Taken:   0
  Damage Dealt:   11 (21; healed 10)

Effects:
Alter Self - 27 minutes
Mage Armor - 3 hours

Final position: ?

---

Spoiler text: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)
Syntari moves north to pick up one of the arrows he had fired unsuccessfully at Gwendol earlier; the other is shattered beyond use.  L25.

---

Round 31:
  [Move]
  [Free]
  [Standard]Ready action: throw axe if enemy in sight (and in range)
Status:
  Initiative: 9
  AC (Touch AC): 19 (11)

  Damage Taken:   11 (21)
  Damage Dealt:   0

Effects:
Cover?

Final position: W16

Nothing further ensues from behind the pillar.

Round 32:
  [Move] ???
  [Free]
  [Standard] ???

Status:
  Initiative: 15
  AC (Touch AC): 19 (14)

  Damage Taken:   0
  Damage Dealt:   11 (21; healed 10)

Effects:
Alter Self - 27 minutes
Mage Armor - 3 hours

Final position: ?

---

Spoiler text: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)
Syntari picks up one of the arrows he had fired unsuccessfully at Gwendol earlier.  L25.

---

Gwendol waits, wondering what the elf scoundrel is up to.

Round 32:
  [Move]
  [Free]
  [Standard]Ready action: throw axe if enemy in sight (and in range)
Status:
  Initiative: 9
  AC (Touch AC): 19 (11)

  Damage Taken:   11 (21)
  Damage Dealt:   0

Effects:
Cover?

Final position: W16

Syntari peeps again from behind the pillar's south corner and prepares to fire another arrow.

Round 33:
  [Move] ???
  [Free]
  [Standard] [interrupted by Gwendol's prepared action]

Status:
  Initiative: 15
  AC (Touch AC): 19 (14)

  Damage Taken:   0
  Damage Dealt:   11 (21; healed 10)

Effects:
Alter Self - 27 minutes
Mage Armor - 3 hours

Final position: O25

OOC: Distance is bordering on the impossible (out of range) no readied action taken.

Apparently reconsidering, Syntari nocks an arrow and waits.

Ah better give yer a better target elf! Try ter hit meh now! Gwendol shouts as he steps away from the pillar.

Round 33:
  [Move]5' step to W17
  [Free]
  [Standard]
Status:
  Initiative: 9
  AC (Touch AC): 19 (11)

  Damage Taken:   11 (21)
  Damage Dealt:   0

Effects:
Cover?

Final position: W17

"Hit you?  And here I thought you were waiting to see who of us would die first of old age.  A contest that I would win, naturally..."  The Elf's light tone takes the sting out of his words.  Matching the cleric, he steps out from behind the pillar - or rather, three of him do.

Round 34:
  [Move] Move to P24, 25, 26
  [Free]
  [Standard]

Status:
  Initiative: 15
  AC (Touch AC): 19 (14)

  Damage Taken:   0
  Damage Dealt:   11 (21; healed 10)

Effects:
Alter Self - 27 minutes
Mage Armor - 3 hours

Final position: P24, 25, 26

"Are you two still at this? Come on, are you fighting or making out? Get it over with!" came a heckler from the audience.

:p

Yer next, devilspawn! The dwarf growls before launching himself forward and effectively closing the gap between him and the elf(s).

Round 34:
  [Move]Run to Q25
  [Free]
  [Standard]
Status:
  Initiative: 9
  AC (Touch AC): 19 (11)

  Damage Taken:   11 (21)
  Damage Dealt:   0

Effects:

Final position: Q25

As the dwarf rounds the corner, he sees a few more Syntaris arranged behind the pillar.  They look at him, amused, and vanish - all but one.  (L25)

"Well, well.  Let me introduce you to someone.  Gwendol, meet Skippy."

The wizard clasps an amulet around his neck, and focuses.  A puff of smoke appears behind Gwendol, and swiftly resolves into... a scorpion.  A great bloomin' humongous monster of a scorpion, to be more precise.

Syntari takes a few cautious steps back (->J24), as the creature clacks its claws ominously and turns to attack the dwarf.

Round 35:
  [Free] Cease concentration on Silent Image
  [Standard] Activate Amber Amulet of Vermin
  [Move] Move to J24, hide

Skippy
  [Free] 5' step - to 23-25/P-R
  [Standard] Attack Gwendol - grapple initiated (attack roll 20, damage 11)
  [Free] Opposed grapple check - 23 (if succeeds, then additional damage will apply)
  [Move] N/A (only one action permitted this round)


Status:
  Initiative: 15
  AC (Touch AC): 19 (14)

  Damage Taken:   0
  Damage Dealt:   Syntari - 11 (21; healed 10); Skippy - 11

Effects:
Alter Self - 27 minutes
Mage Armor - 3 hours


Skippy stats (Monstrous Scorpion, Huge):
http://www.d20srd.org/srd/mons...onstrousScorpion.htm
75 hp, 50' speed, 20 AC, +7/+21 BaB/OGC, Claw +11 melee (1d8+6), Constrict 1d8+6

Constrict (Ex)

A monstrous scorpion deals automatic claw damage on a successful grapple check.

Grapple:

Improved Grab

If a creature with this special attack hits with a melee weapon (usually a claw or bite attack), it deals normal damage and attempts to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. No initial touch attack is required.

Gwendol isn't able to sidestep the scorpion and is immediately caught in one of the enormous claws. The dwarf drops Orcsbane and uses the small axe instead, hacking furiously at the chitinous arm holding him.

Round 35:
  [Move]
  [Free]Curse ye elf, tis be harder than a giant ter fell!
  [Standard]OGC 19, Attack w axe (light weapon, -4 to roll) 11
Status:
  Initiative: 9
  AC (Touch AC): 19 (11)

  Damage Taken:   22 (21)
  Damage Dealt:   0

Effects:

Final position: Q25
This message was last edited by the player at 06:51, Tue 28 Apr 2009.

OOC:  Since the scorpion won the OGC, here's the constrict damage I had mentioned:
08:38, Today: Syntari rolled 13 using 1d8+6. Constrict damage - round 35.

Round 36 to follow.

Query - how do you read the following rule?
http://www.d20srd.org/srd/comb...htm#ifYoureGrappling

Damage Your Opponent

While grappling, you can deal damage to your opponent equivalent to an unarmed strike. Make an opposed grapple check in place of an attack. If you win, you deal nonlethal damage as normal for your unarmed strike (1d3 points for Medium attackers or 1d2 points for Small attackers, plus Strength modifiers). If you want to deal lethal damage, you take a -4 penalty on your grapple check.

Does this mean that the scorpion can use its two claw attacks to generate OGCs (at -4? or is the scorpion's normal "unarmed attack" lethal such that it doesn't need to take the -4?), and then each successful OGC also triggers the Constrict damage?  How about if the OGC to "damage your opponent" is set to nonlethal damage (assuming the scorpion's "normal unarmed strike" is consdered nonlethal and it chooses not to take -4 on the OGC) - would the Constrict damage still be lethal?

I believe it can only use one of its claws as a normal attack (at -4):


However, it has constrict so why bother? It already does double damage every round unless the dice bot goes haywire and let's a dwarf break loose from a huge scorpion claw :-)

OOC:  Hmmm... yes, the "Attack your opponent" does seem to rule out using multiple natural weapons, doesn't it...  Okay, I'll use "Damage your opponent" instead, which gives Skippy multiple attacks / OGC attempts (two at regular OGC, one at -5 penalty).

IC:

Syntari watches the confrontation between the diminutive cleric and the massive arthropod.  His hand drifts to the dagger by his side, but soon drifts away again.  Given his noted lack of competence with physical combat, trying to strike the dwarf directly would merely add needless insult to injury.  Instead, he would trust to his magic if the dwarf should survive Skippy's attentions.

Round 36:
  [Move] Retrieve scroll
  [Standard] Ready action

Skippy
  [Full round action] Damage Gwendol
  OGC #1 ("Damage your opponent") - check 23
     if wins, non-lethal damage 9, lethal damage 7
  OGC #2 ("Damage your opponent") - check 27
     if wins, non-lethal damage 10, lethal damage 13
  OGC #3 ("Damage your opponent") - check 36
     if wins, non-lethal damage 10, lethal damage 8


Status:
  Initiative: 15
  AC (Touch AC): 19 (14)

  Damage Taken:   0
  Damage Dealt:   Syntari - 11 (21; healed 10); Skippy - 24 + ?

Effects:
Alter Self - 27 minutes
Mage Armor - 3 hours

The dwarf struggles against the crushing hold of the scorpion and nearly manages to wiggle his way out of one of the claws, but as his magically enhanced strength has worn off he fails, slipping into unconciousness(sp?).

OOC: You could have brought Skippy out much sooner, would have led to a much more animated fight (this is part entertainment you know)! I forgot to use Enlargement on my sonic burst spell which (as it happens) would have been my only shot at harming you. I assume you would have used your jump ability to avoid a couple of blows should I have had the chance of getting close enough to hit? Good match, I did my best!

OOC:

Yes, but I prefer to keep Skippy as a last resort.  If I use him, that is a sign that I see no other way of prevailing - and it is a testament to the worthiness of my opponent.  Kudos to Gwendol!

My initial tactic was to try and whittle you down with arrows, force you to use up your healing belt, then knock you out with Kelgore's Fire Bolts.  But that didn't seem to be happening...  Even though I waited out your buffs so that you wouldn't have the bonus to AC.  Tough little guy, Gwendol is :)

And yes, I had a couple of uses left on Abrupt Jaunt that would have let me evade some blows if you had gotten closer.

IC:

The wizard watches Gwendol slump in the monstrous scorpion's claws.  Victory!

With a quick gesture, he dismisses the giant arthropod, and lightly steps to the cleric's side, waiting for him to revive so they could walk together back to the rest area and get some comradely post-combat drinks.

<snore> What? You're finished?! It took 9 months, 3/4 of a year! That's got to be the longest single battle of any game, in any medium, ever!

Yeah, yeah. What can I say; I played catch up for 3/4 of the time, then the whole thing was finally over in two rounds...

<snort>

"Human."

*Such short attention spans...*
This message was last edited by the player at 23:11, Thu 30 Apr 2009.

Anyway, XP had been doled out, including a small bonus for the both of you for dragging this out so long. :p