Mezzarn stops his forward momentum, hearing the jingle of armor behind him.  He turns to see his opponent, and begins moving forward.  He lifts his hammer and speaks a few words that seem to come apart as they are spoken.  Then he brings down the hammer, and a Warhammer appears out of thin air and attacks.  The strike is true, but the Cleric's defenses block it's effectiveness.  Mezzarn Frowns.

Round 4:
  [Free]
  [Move] Move
  [Standard] Cast Spiritual Weapon

Spiritual Weapon
  Attack: Today: Mezzarn rolled 26 using 1d20+8. Spiritual Weapon Attack

Status:
  Initiative: 16
  AC (Touch AC): 21 (12)

  Damage Taken: 0
  Damage Dealt: 0



Effects:
Bull's Strength: +4 Strength (40 Rounds)
Shield of Faith: +2 AC (40 Rounds)

Final Position: O16

OOC: Looks like I will only hit you if I roll a nat 20, means I will only crit with a second nat 20.  Magic was going to play a hefty roll in this, but it seems now even more so.

Smiling faintly at the ghostly warhammer - or perhaps a slight grimace would be a more accurate description - the Sealer quickly takes a few steps to put himself out of the dwarf's sight, for he knows the limitations of this spell.  The warhammer, its target out of Mezzarn's view, returns to hover by its master.  But it does not appear that the Kelemvorite has gone all that far; the rustling of his chainmail soon ceases, and a resonating chant starts up seemingly just around the corner.

Round 5:
  [Free]
  [Move] Move
  [Standard] Cast spell:  Bless

Status:
  Initiative: 6
  AC (Touch AC): 31 (15)

  Damage Taken: 0
  Damage Dealt: 0


Effects:
Bull's Strength: +4 Strength (30 rounds)
Longstrider: +10' land speed (2 hours)
Alter Self (Azer): +6 natural armor (30 minutes)
Shield: +4 shield bonus (20 rounds)
Shield of faith: +2 deflection bonus (20 rounds)
Bless:  +1 morale bonus on attack rolls and on saving throws against fear effects (20 rounds)

Final Position: J12  (You should be able to see him as soon as you get to K15 or 16, and once you get to J15 or 16, he won't have cover from you.)

OOC:  Yep, looks like magic will be playing a substantial role.

Mezz continues to move forward, once again coming into view of his target, as he had little else that he could do, it was time to send the magical weapon back into the frey. The attack seems clumsy however, and misses completely.

Round 5:
  [Free]
  [Move] Move
  [Standard] Move: Direct Spiritual Weapon

Spiritual Weapon
  Attack: Today: Mezzarn rolled 26 using 1d20+8. Spiritual Weapon Attack

Status:
  Initiative: 16
  AC (Touch AC): 21 (12)

  Damage Taken: 0
  Damage Dealt: 0

Effects:
Bull's Strength: +4 Strength (40 Rounds)
Shield of Faith: +2 AC (40 Rounds)

Final Position: K16

Lyssander moves forward to attack, but his whirling chain merely grazes against the dwarf's armor, doing no damage.

Round 6:
  [Free]
  [Move] Move
  [Standard] Attack
Status:
  Initiative: 6
  AC (Touch AC): 31 (15)

  Damage Taken: 0
  Damage Dealt: 0


Effects:
Bull's Strength: +4 Strength (30 rounds)
Longstrider: +10' land speed (2 hours)
Alter Self (Azer): +6 natural armor (30 minutes)
Shield: +4 shield bonus (20 rounds)
Shield of faith: +2 deflection bonus (20 rounds)
Bless:  +1 morale bonus on attack rolls and on saving throws against fear effects (20 rounds)

Final Position: J14

The Chain whips past his armor and he takes advantage of the momentary hole in the defenses stepping in.  The magical weapon makes another attack, and Mezz follows with a blow of his own.  The magical weapon manages to find a whole in the armor, catching the cleric with a decent blow.  Mezz's followup attack simply couldn't pierce the defenses.


Round 6:
  [Free]
  [Move] 5 Foot Step
  [Standard] Attack

Spiritual Weapon
  Attack: Today: Mezzarn rolled 26 using 1d20+8. Spiritual Weapon Attack

Status:
  Initiative: 16
  AC (Touch AC): 21 (12)

  Damage Taken: 0
  Damage Dealt: 7

Effects:
Bull's Strength: +4 Strength (40 Rounds)
Shield of Faith: +2 AC (40 Rounds)
Spiritual Weapon 1 Round remaining.
Final Position: J15
This message was last edited by the player at 19:34, Sat 30 Apr 2011.

Lyssander takes a short step back, and lashes out again with his chain - again, to little effect.

Round 7:
  [Free] 5' step
  [Move]
  [Standard] Attack (15, miss)

Status:
  Initiative: 6
  AC (Touch AC): 31 (15)

  Damage Taken: 7
  Damage Dealt: 0


Effects:
Bull's Strength: +4 Strength (30 rounds)
Longstrider: +10' land speed (2 hours)
Alter Self (Azer): +6 natural armor (30 minutes)
Shield: +4 shield bonus (20 rounds)
Shield of faith: +2 deflection bonus (20 rounds)
Bless:  +1 morale bonus on attack rolls and on saving throws against fear effects (20 rounds)

Final Position: J13

Mezzarn moves forward a step, directing the self propelled weapon to follow and attack, all well carefully working magic to cast a spell.  The Weapons attack was clumsy and easily avoided, and when Mezz reached for his opponent, he was unable to deliver the spell.  Energy coursed through him as he held the spell.

With a shower of sparks, like hot slag off an anvil, the weapon disolved.

Round 8:
  [Free] 5 Foot Step
  [Move] Direct Weapon
  [Standard] Cast Inflict Moderate wounds
  DC 17 Cast Defensively, Rolled 23 success
  Touch attach misses, Spell held

Spiritual Weapon
  Attack: Miss

Status:
  Initiative: 16
  AC (Touch AC): 21 (12)

  Damage Taken: 0
  Damage Dealt: 7

Effects:
Bull's Strength: +4 Strength (40 Rounds)
Shield of Faith: +2 AC (40 Rounds)

Final Position: J14

Lyssander takes another short step back, and tries a different tactic - a prayer, quickly muttered; a glance at a spot on the ground just behind Mezzarn; a gesture.  Abruptly, the ground around the dwarf is covered in slippery ice.

Round 8:
  [Free] 5' step
  [Move]
  [Standard] Cast spell - Ice slick (Frostburn) - Balance check (DC 14, I think?  The spell description doesn't say, but that's the DC for Lyssander's spells of that level) or fall.  The ice slick is centered on I-J/14-15 and is a 20' square.

Status:
  Initiative: 6
  AC (Touch AC): 31 (15)

  Damage Taken: 7
  Damage Dealt: 0


Effects:
Bull's Strength: +4 Strength (30 rounds)
Longstrider: +10' land speed (2 hours)
Alter Self (Azer): +6 natural armor (30 minutes)
Shield: +4 shield bonus (20 rounds)
Shield of faith: +2 deflection bonus (20 rounds)
Bless:  +1 morale bonus on attack rolls and on saving throws against fear effects (20 rounds)

Final Position: J12

Ice slick:
An ice slick spell covers a solid surface with a layer of slippery ice. Any creature entering the area or caught in it when the spell is cast must make
a successful Balance check or slip, skid, and fall. Those that succeed on the skill check can move at half speed across the surface, or can skate or glide normally. However, those that remain in the area must each make a new skill check every round to avoid falling and be able to move.

OOC:  Mezzarn, how are you holding the charge?  I assume you have your shield readied, as part of your AC (from your description in the IC challenge thread).  So, you probably have Somatic Weaponry or something similar to let you cast spells with both shield and warhammer readied - but that still doesn't leave you a free hand to hold the charge of the spell... ?

OOC: The warhammer is my Focus.  Same basic thing...  However, holding a spell doesn't require anything.  It simply exists until you can discharge it or let it go.

As for the Ice SLick spell, the Spells DC is probably appropriate, since there doesn't appear to be anything on ice, other than it takes 2 squares of movemnet on and adds 5 to balance checks. (for walking on narrow beams and such) since there really isn't "normally" a check for ice on the ground, the Spell's DC seems the way to go.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:35, Sun 01 May 2011.

OOC:  The Warhammer is your divine focus?  Okay, makes sense given your deity...  But you still need a free hand for the somatic portion of the spell (the part before you present the divine focus); and once you've cast the spell, it still resides in your hand, not in your weapon (unless you have Smiting Spell or the like - do you?)

This raises two questions.
1.  How do you propose to touch Lyssander with the hand that carries the charge?  One hand is gripping the shield from inside, and the other is holding the warhammer.
2.  Per SRD, "If you touch anything or anyone while holding a charge, even unintentionally, the spell discharges."  Seems to me that one hand is touching the shield, and the other hand is touching the warhammer.

Now, it could very well be that you have both Smiting Spell and Somatic Weaponry, and some means of casting Inflict Moderate Wounds after applying the Smiting Spell metamagic (which would require some way to eliminate the increase in spell level, because you don't have access to third level spells yet).  If that's the case, then that's fine and we can continue - just wanted to check that you have some method to do what you're doing (just as Lyssander has a method for activating Alter Self and Shield without UMD checks - that's part of his build).

ok, A divine focus need not be held or presented, but must be carried/Worn...  but now that you point some of this out, I will need to revisit the whole question of Divine Focus for Mezz.  So in the interum, Consider the following:

1) Since I can still see you and I'm not directing the Spiritual weapon to a new target, no move action is required.  Freeing the move action to "sheathe" the Hammer. (This action would cause him to be open to an AoO)

2) Since he intends to cast a spell, and may very well continue to do so, freeing that hand would be appropriate, and thus given the restrictions, not something he could have done with his harhammer in hand (at least until a few things are answered.  I think he should but you make good points here.)

So I would like to change the actions (not the order of the actions) for round 8 to the following:

Round 8:
  [Free] 5 Foot Step
  [Move] Sheathe Hammer
  [Standard] Cast Inflict Moderate wounds
  DC 17 Cast Defensively, Rolled 23 success
  Touch attack misses, Spell held

Since I am inside your reach, you cannot use the chain in an AoO, if you have some other method of a normal attack, feel free.  The spiritual weapon would move with you and attack as per normal spell, however since it missed, no big deal.  The casting of the spell is still done defensively.


If that works for you, I will post round 9 actions.

OOC:  Okay.  (Let's ignore how you cast Spiritual Weapon, I don't want to have to go back and redo those rounds).  The warhammer sheathed at your side is in full view and can serve as a divine focus, no problem.

A spiked chain can attack adjacent squares, not just targets two squares away, so you do in fact lay yourself open to an AoO - if that's okay with you, then go ahead with the next round, and I'll roll the AoO retroactively.  (Or, you can confirm that you are proceeding with the actions below despite the AoO, and wait for me to roll and resolve the attack.  Up to you.)

OOC: I will allow the AoO then, I'll post shortly, if you wish you may resolve your AoO before I post, or after.

OOC:  Rolled 14, miss.  Goodness, I'm not having much luck with the dice in this fight.

Mezzarn falls as the ice materializes under his feet.  A Dwarven curse comes from his mouth, though he maintains a modicum of dignity, it is minor.  From the prone position, He carefully moves forward on his belly, and elbows.  Not very dignified, but much more stable than anything else he could attempt.  Once off the Ice, He stands.

OOC: This will incur an AoO as well, as crawling provokes such.  Stnading will also incur an Attack of Opportunity, should you have the ability to take more than one.  He will retain the spell, being careful not to use his hand.

Round 9:
  [Free]
  [Move] Crawl
  [Standard] Stand
   Spell still held.

Status:
  Initiative: 16
  AC (Touch AC): 21 (12) (-4 to melee)

  Damage Taken: 0
  Damage Dealt: 7

Effects:
Bull's Strength: +4 Strength (40 Rounds)
Shield of Faith: +2 AC (40 Rounds)

Final Position: J13

OOC:  Hmmm... I won't ask for a reflex save to see if Mezzarn manages to avoid hitting the ground with his free hand as he falls - though in real life that would be a definite possibility.  However, I don't think you can crawl at normal speed (5' as a move action) with one hand unused, and in any event you cannot do it on ice that slows you down to half-movement.

Per the SRD:  "In some situations, your movement may be so hampered that you don’t have sufficient speed even to move 5 feet (1 square). In such a case, you may use a full-round action to move 5 feet (1 square) in any direction, even diagonally. Even though this looks like a 5-foot step, it’s not, and thus it provokes attacks of opportunity normally. (You can’t take advantage of this rule to move through impassable terrain or to move when all movement is prohibited to you.)"

If you choose to crawl, you'll need to use a full-round action to crawl 5', and then you won't have an action left to stand up.

OOC: so be it.

The pale-faced priest tries to hit Mezzarn as the dwarf crawls toward him, then tries to attack the prone dwarf again, but both times fails to connect.

(Rolls 12, 14 - argh!  If I understand correctly, Mezzarn is now prone in J13.)

Round 9:
  [Free] 5' step
  [Move]
  [Standard] Attack

Status:
  Initiative: 6
  AC (Touch AC): 31 (15)

  Damage Taken: 7
  Damage Dealt: 0


Effects:
Bull's Strength: +4 Strength (30 rounds)
Longstrider: +10' land speed (2 hours)
Alter Self (Azer): +6 natural armor (30 minutes)
Shield: +4 shield bonus (20 rounds)
Shield of faith: +2 deflection bonus (20 rounds)
Bless:  +1 morale bonus on attack rolls and on saving throws against fear effects (20 rounds)

Final Position: K11

Mezz stands to his feet and then takes a quick step inside the defenses of the Pale man, his empty hand reaching for purchase.  He seems to have about as much luck as the pale one trying to attack him.

Round 9:
  [Move] Stand (AoO)
  [Free] 5' Step
  [Standard] Touch Attack 9: miss
   Spell still held.

Status:
  Initiative: 16
  AC (Touch AC): 21 (12)

  Damage Taken: 0
  Damage Dealt: 7

Effects:
Bull's Strength: +4 Strength (40 Rounds)
Shield of Faith: +2 AC (40 Rounds)

Final Position: J12
OOC: Just for the record, a military style crawl does not use hands, but elbows, and is actually faster than using hands in a belly style crawl.  Now hands and knees crawl would certainly be hindered by not using it.

[Resolving AoO]

Lyssander manages to bring his whirling chain resoundingly across Mezzarn's shoulders as the latter gets to his feet.

Attack: 26
Damage: 11

OOC: Will post the next round later.  As for military crawl - agreed, it is faster, but tough to pull off with a shield, I'd think.  (I've never tried it with a shield, though, so I could be wrong.)

In what is by now becoming a dispiriting routine, the Kelemvorite sends his spiked chain in a vicious arc, only to have it bounce off of the Gond-worshipper's thick armor.

Round 10:
  [Free] 5' step
  [Move]
  [Standard] Attack

Status:
  Initiative: 6
  AC (Touch AC): 31 (15)

  Damage Taken: 7
  Damage Dealt: 11


Effects:
Bull's Strength: +4 Strength (30 rounds)
Longstrider: +10' land speed (2 hours)
Alter Self (Azer): +6 natural armor (30 minutes)
Shield: +4 shield bonus (20 rounds)
Shield of faith: +2 deflection bonus (20 rounds)
Bless:  +1 morale bonus on attack rolls and on saving throws against fear effects (20 rounds)

Final Position: L12

After taking the blow while standing, Mezzarn is more determined to get inside teh Man's defenses and deliver a blow.  Sure his Magical Hammer had managed to land a blow, however, he had not, and it was getting decidedly frustrating.  Timing his movement, he quickly stepped through the defenses and again reached for his opponent with his free hand.  He managed to grab hold and dig a thumb into flesh.  The Grip was enough to increase the force of the applied spell.


Round 11: (Keep forgetting to update this...)
  [Move] Stand (AoO)
  [Free] 5' Step
  [Standard] Touch Attack 26 (19 Crit check): Critical Damage


Status:
  Initiative: 16
  AC (Touch AC): 21 (12)

  Damage Taken: 11
  Damage Dealt: 7 (+30  See below)

Effects:
Bull's Strength: +4 Strength (40 Rounds)
Shield of Faith: +2 AC (40 Rounds)

Final Position: K12

OOC: I rolled the damage for the spell earlier, as normal damage.
The roll for reference is below, along with the second roll for the critical damage.  If you would prefer I will reroll the damage, since it wasn't delivered previously. Don't know that it makes any difference, but I will even re roll with the other inflict spell, having lost it in the fall, if you would prefer.

19:01, Sat 30 Apr: Mezzarn rolled 12 using 2d8+4. Inflict Moderate Wounds.
19:53, Today: Mezzarn rolled 18 using 2d8+4. Critical Damage Inflict Moderate.

The Kelemvorite collapses, unable to bear the force of the negative-plane energies coursing through his body.

OOC:  Lyssander's out.  Good fight.

You put up a good fight.  If any number of those attacks had hit, it could have turned into a different ending.