As much as Bri'kus wanted to accost some brutal bandits, sneaking into a potential baddie's home with the possibility of some looting opportunities we're definitely within his wheelhouse.

He conceded to Darcy's request to scout out the mayor.
Bri'kus can do that for Darcy. Will find what mayor is hiding from his people. He nods contemplatively

It's a crowded affair to have a private meeting for seven in a bedroom for one, but it's doable.  Careful scouting for eavesdroppers turns up Pip who isn't hard to persuade to return to ma and pop and let the adventurers talk privately.

Mits gives a big beaming smile to her group.  "And here I was thinking I should give some lengthy speech about how important it is that we take on the bandits right away!  You guys are the best!  Already eager to get started!  So plan's simple.  Sneaky ones scout Mayor's office to find out if anyone's warned the bandits.  Report back to less-sneaky group waiting within earshot.  Then we go to the bandit lair.  Once again, sneaky ones do the scouting thing while second group stays out of sight but within earshot just in case the sneaky ones get spotted and need backup."

Sildar nods.  "Sounds good.  I would join you in routing the bandits, but without my gear I'm afraid I'd only be a liability in combat.  So I think the best help I can offer is to keep an eye on the Mayor's office once you've decided to proceed to the bandit lair.  I will come notify you using a bird call if something came up that would mean you should abandon the mission."

Mits smiles and nods.  "Sounds good!  So let's get going!"

> From here assumes the group agrees to moving forward. <

When the group scouts the Mayor's office, they find it empty and darkened.  The Mayor and whatever staff that were there must have gone home for the evening.  Nothing inside indicates that the Mayor warned the bandits.  His quill and capped inkwell look and smell like they hadn't been used all day, much less recently.  As offered, Sildar takes up watch of the place with a view to the road to the bandit lair just in case.

> From here assumes the group continues on to the bandit lair. <

As the group begins to head to the bandit lair, they can overhear some obnoxiously loud voices behind them.

"Wonder what Glasstaff's gunna do to the newcomers?" one drunken-sounding voice bellows.

"Strip the flesh from their bones and animate their skeletons!" another drunk answers.

"Hahaha!  Now that'll be a hellofa show!"

"Y...you really think..." a third voice begins.

"Aw c'mon!  Don't tell me you're scared of a few undead?"

"N..no way!"

"Har har har!  I think ole Bushbat's soiled himself!"

[ The voices are approaching at such a slow and noisy rate, there's no good reason why the heroes couldn't set up an ambush for them, no dice rolls needed to gain a surprise round. ]

(( OOC: So sorry this took so long to get posted! ))

((Do I need to do any Perception rolls to find evidence the mayor is working with the bandits?))

(( Nope.  The Mayor isn't actually working with the bandits.  So the only "evidence" to be found is the rumors floating around.  ))

Bri'kus is a bit saddened that he isn't able to snag anything for his pack mates, but he respects the mayor's belongings and rejoins the group.
____
He readies himself with the others in hopes of a proper waylay on the bandit guards. The ambush reminding him of his younger moons being taught how to ambush travelers with his previous pack mates. Admittedly, he was much happier robbing the robbers now.

In reply to Bri'kus (msg # 320):


...And Darcy took her own role in the back of the formation, as the healer and assist of the party.  Something she can now do in her sleep.

  Ben is hardly a master of stealth, but standard party sneak attack prep is something even he can't manage to screw up for the people who get close to the enemy on purpose.

  It's been enough of a scene transition to finally say Ben got around to that Find Familiar ritual, though the winged snake is staying out of harms way.  Now Bri'kus has something short enough to hide behind HIS legs.

Preston Facts:
Preston is happy to be here.
Preston can't bite you because Ben isn't Chain Pact.
Preston would not want to bite you anyways.



Preston knows how to party (But isn't currently drinking on the job).
This message was last edited by the player at 06:35, Fri 18 Jan 2019.

One might almost expect Raichel's clenched fists to make knuckle-cracking sounds. Her expression looks to be a mix of focus and fury. Her hungry eyes are fixed on the approaching bandits with a raging volcano inside Raichel, waiting to erupt.

Her tail slowly swishes as she slowly crouches much like a cat preparing to pounce on prey. And the moment the bandits are within reach, Raichel does, indeed, pounce, intent to punch one in the throat! Specifically the one who was rejoicing at the idea of people being turned into undead.

If any were paying attention to rabbit they might of noticed a shift from his more docile laid back nature to one of pure burning hate. Whatever may of triggered it this bunny wasn't going to take any shit.

He didn't even hesitate to line up his sight on the one talking about stripping the flesh off their bones and animate them and then he fired to hit him right between the eyes. By the time it hit he was readying another shot.

Mittens moves up to Bushbat and swings both her weapons.  The longsword connects and gashes him deeply!  The bandit screams in pain!  Raichel's assault on Irongut Phil leaves him badly bludgeoned!  Ben's spell slams into Bushbat, leaving him with only a sliver of life left!  Red Hands Jill drops dead from Meiou's shot!  But the bandits show no signs of backing down!

(( Bushbat (The nervous one) HP: 16-11-4= 1 remaining.
Red Hand Jill (The one excited about stripping of flesh) HP: 16-CRIT!=dead
Irongut Phil (The one teasing Bushbat) HP: 16-8-4= 4 remaining.
Silent Max HP: 16

REDBRAND RUFFIAN
Medium humanoid (human), neutral evil
Armor Class 14 (studded leather armor)
Hit Points 16 (3d8 + 3)
Speed 30 ft.
STR
11 (+0)
CON
12 (+1)
WIS
9 (-1)
CHA
11 (+0)
DEX
14 (+2)
INT
9 (-1)
Skills Intimidation +2
Senses passive Perception 9
Languages Common
Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)
ACTIONS
Multiattack. The ruffian makes two melee attacks.
Shortsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) piercing damage.
Redbrand ruffians are petty thugs and ruthless enforcers
skilled at intimidation and violence. They work for money
and have no scruples.  ))

Roll 20 link:
https://app.roll20.net/join/2754540/4LcthA

Your token can start anywhere on either side of the road.  Your token's info is probably outdated.  In 5e, you get a full turn during a surprise round.  In this ambush, PCs get advantage on attacks.
This message was last edited by the player at 08:41, Sun 27 Jan 2019.

With one dropping immediately and the sisters taking two more toe to toe, Bri'kus approaches the last open man on the side and swiftly inserts his rapier tip directly into the man's torso for 13 points of damage! Bri'kus doesn't think these bandits have much longer to go after that assualt!

Silent Max breaks his silence to yelp in shock and pain!  When he looks down to see the little one who stabbed him, his face contorts in rage and he raises his weapon to retaliate!

Silent Max HP: 16-13 = 3 remaining

Darcy the last one to act in this surprise round.  The initiative order after that is:
Bushbat 13
Mittens 11
Irongut Phil 11
Silent Max 11
Raichel 8
Ben ???
Meiou ???
Darcy ???
Bri'kus ???

If you don't want to roll initiative, just indicate your dex mod and I'll roll for you.

I rolled a 13, if that is of any use.

(I rolled a 16 for my initiative)

In her surprise Round, Darcy casts Bless on Meiou, Bri and Ben.

  Silent max lives up to their name (Dies up to their name?) as Ben caves in the bandit's skull from  a safe distance.  "Thank you, Darcy."  He knows the Bless spell has nothing to do with hitting harder, but why complain about buffs?

OOC 18.2 Initiative for Ben (lumping in Preston behind him without a roll, since I don't aid other spam). 12 DMG E blast.  Also finally got around to updating my token HP for lv 2.

If I'm reading things right, Brikus is up next before Bushbat gets to go.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:18, Tue 29 Jan 2019.

Only two bandits remain standing!

Initiative order
Bri'kus 16
Darcy 13
Bushbat 13
Meiou 11
Mittens 11
Irongut Phil 11
Raichel 8
Ben turn completed for this round

Bri'kus and Darcy can now act at any time relative to each other.  If either manage to slay Bushbat, then Meiou and Mittens can both act at any time relative to the others before Irongut Phil.

Bri'kus, upon seeing the angry man in front of him drop, quickly passes behind his packmates in order to give the jittery Bushbat a meeting with his rapier's blade. (Attack 14, Damage 8)

In reply to Bri'kus (msg # 333):

Darcy, seeing that she has a chance to take down Bushbat, decides to fire an arrow his way.

Moves four up and one left to get a better vantage point.

Attack Roll: 13

The shot goes just wide.

She then moves two down, and that's her turn.

Bushbat was just about to double-stab Mittens when he ducks just in time to avoid Darcy's shot.  But his follow-up upswings are clumsy, and the kitty easily evades them.

"Not sure if we wanted to keep one alive for questioning..." Mits begins, pulling her weapons back to ready an attack.

THUMP!  THUMP!  Bushbat gets a sword hilt to the chin, and Irongut gets a hammer handle.  They both collapse unconscious.

"If anyone's squeamish about interrogating rotten-to-the-core murderers, now's your chance to go fetch the night watchmen to take the survivors into custody once we're through with them."

(( I'm told that in 5e, you can only declare non-lethal damage with melee weapons.  Or, "ask your DM" what can count as non-lethal.  Consider this my ruling for all future questions on the topic, "sure, go ahead."  All attacks can be non-lethal if you simply declare it thus.  Including bouncing someone off the moon then into a volcano full of dire lava sharks with vorpal chainsaw teeth.  Just please be sure that you make it clear that the villain survived because you're just that good with a crossbow.  I don't want to expend any mental effort on explaining away how this NPC somehow drank from the cup of indestructibility and was still just a mook in a 1st-level gang. ))

The rabbit dropped his gun jumping atop one of the two unconscious bandits and just starts wailing on them with his fists. He just seemed lost in this rage like state and very unlike his usual self given what they had experienced from him since they began traveling together. If not stopped there was no telling how long this would go on for.
This message was last edited by the player at 11:58, Wed 20 Feb 2019.

Raichel looks down at Meiou. "Hey Meiou. He's unconscious. And if you keep punching wildly like that, you're gonna hurt yourself..."

Before this is all said and done, Raichel is going to make sure her comrades all know how to throw punches and kicks in a way that hurts only the opponent. There is a reason this is one of the first things they teach in a martial arts school; most people don't know how. It's why people break fingers or twist ankles when punching or kicking things.*

And yes, she is thinking more about how to accurately punch and kick than whether the bandit will survive a crazed Meiou. But she is more concerned for Meiou. She goes to put a hand on his shoulder, ready to defend herself if he should reflexively attack her.

*(I, the player, have hurt my elbow from throwing a punch wrong. Broke a pinky from punching wrong. And have a friend who dislocated his shoulder from throwing a punch wrong. And another friend who broke fingers from punching over and over... the list goes on.)

  "Raichel is right Meiou, at least use a rock or something next time." Beating someone to death with your bare hands takes so very, very long as a non Monk DEX primary. He can just imagine the floating 1's now.

  Not that Ben is one to talk there, it's still going to be a while until he can electrocute people by slapping them.

*Bri'kus approaches the furious bun and places a hand on his shoulder*
Bri'kus think it may not be so helpful to town if they find we're killers. Best keep them alive for answering questions.

"You heard him, Rabbit," Darcy said as she stepped ahead, making sure that those who survived were properly bandaged and bound.

She then took the least damaged one.  "Help me tie them up on a chair so he won't squirm when I heal him.  Then we'll grill him."