It's an aquatic melee vermin.

OOC: Ok here we go, time to earn your xp!

Suddenly there is movement in the river close to the bend. Out of the water rises two large crabs, pincers clicking as they scuttle across the ground in their peculiar sideways fashion. The first heads immediately for Zar'Da, while the second rushes toward Garath.

Round 2:
  [Move] Move to IJ 05/06
  [Free]
  [Standard] Attack (25) damage (16)

Status:
  Initiative: 6
  AC (Touch AC): 19 (11)

  Damage Taken:   0
  Damage Dealt:   16 (Zar'Da)

Effects:

Final Position: IJ 05/06

Round 2:
  [Move] Move to CD 10/11, no AoO due to cover/out of reach.
  [Free]
  [Standard] Attack (13) miss

Status:
  Initiative: 5
  AC (Touch AC): 19 (11)

  Damage Taken:   0
  Damage Dealt:   0

Effects:

Final Position: CD 10/11
This message was last edited by the GM at 10:22, Wed 13 Mar 2013.

Seeing his chance, the second ettin moves forward with all the speed it can muster.

Round 2:
  [Move] Double move to DE 24/25
  [Free] Shout something in Giant
  [Standard]

Status:
  Initiative: 5
  AC (Touch AC): 18 (8)

  Damage Taken:   0
  Damage Dealt:   0

Effects:

Final position: DE 24/25
This message was last edited by the GM at 09:38, Wed 13 Mar 2013.

Grunting an acknowledgement, the giant draws his morningstars and swing them in the direction of Zar'Da. The heavy weapons make a whistling sound as they buzz through the air, but the blinded ettin can't time the swings properly and misses the dragon shaman.

Round 3:
  [Move] no
  [Free] Draw weapon (one held)
  [Standard] Attack 1 (30), attack 2 (20). Miss chance (17), no hit

Status:
  Initiative: 20
  AC (Touch AC): 16 (6)

  Damage Taken:   13
  Damage Dealt:   8

Effects: Blinded 6 rounds

Final Position: LM 02/03

OOC:  Monstrous crabs...  interesting.

DM Solo, note that the crab took 4 acid damage from Zar'Da's aura.

Question:  If Zar'Da activates his anklet, could he land on the wall along K-L, 10' up (i.e. above the glitterdust cloud), using his spiderclimb ability to stay stuck to the wall - and then climb along the wall to N-O, 15' up, using his move action?  (Zar'Da, I'm just throwing this out as an idea.)  This would prevent the crab from getting to him, and still put him within reach of the ettin so he could continue bashing it.

Another question:  How tall are the crabs - 5' or 10'?  I.e., with their 10' reach do they threaten a square 15' up?  (They clearly threaten squares at ground level, 5' up and 10' up.)

Yes, the proposal is an allowed use of the anklets.

The crabs reach 20' up. The have six legs and can rise up if needed.

Zipping easily out of reach of the long-clawed crab, Garath sails toward the dragon shaman and invokes a familiar magick.  Behind him, a mass of web-strands weaves itself into existence, entangling the wizard-menacing crab and blocking the far ettin from view.  "Let us deal first with these," he tells Zar'Da in fluent Draconic, gesturing at the blinded ettin and the nearby, free-range crab.

Round 3:
  [Free] Abrupt jaunt upward (out of crab's reach)
  [Move] Move to E-4, 20' up
  [Standard] Cast spell (Web), targeted at 15' up, intersection D-E/10-11 (spreads floor-to-ceiling, B8-G13 inclusive)

Web: Ref save DC 20 or be stuck.

Status:
  Initiative: 7
  AC (Touch AC): 25 (18)

  Damage Taken:   0
  Damage Dealt:   0

Effects:
Alter Self
Mage Armor
Shield

Final Position: E-4, 20' up

OOC: Does the web stick to a force field? I'm really just asking for a justification here as I feel my knowledge lacks the depth necessary for an informed judgement. In any case the crab is stuck (ref save 12).

OOC:  I've used the Web spell in an arena with a force-field ceiling before, and I believe the question was raised and answered in the affirmative (yes, the Web can anchor to the force-field).  I don't remember which match it was, but I can try to dig it up if you'd like.

Good enough for me, carry on!

In reply to Garath Darkstar (msg # 33):

But can I still attack while on the wall? Or are you talking about dropping down behind the ettin?

OOC:  I think you can still attack while on the wall.  If not, you'll need to drop down behind the ettin as you say.

Zar'Da let out a shout as the large crab dug into his back. Activating his enchanted anklet the drow warped away and appeared on the wall just above the Ettin. Skittering along the wall like a spide the Dragon Shaman dropped down behind the giant and sliced his back.

Round 3:
  [Swift] Activate Anklet of Translocation: teleport to the wall 10' above K/L
  [Move] Move along the wall and drop down in N-O02/03
  [Standard] Attack Ettin #1 with sword: 31, Damage: 12

Status:
  Initiative: 7
  AC (Touch AC): 22(13), Enlarged AC 21(12)

  Damage Taken: 24
  Damage Dealt: 25

Effects:

 Draconic Aura: Energy Shield: Enemy takes 4 points of acid damage when using a melee weapon. Extends to companions within 30' of Shaman.

 Enlarge:  Zar'Da's space and reach increase to 10'.  +2 to Strength (affects to-hit and damage), -2 to Dex (affects AC), -1 size penalty to attack rolls and AC, increase in weapon damage due to size, +4 on trip, grapple, etc.  Lasts 8 rounds.

Final Position: N-O 02/03
This message was last edited by the player at 17:58, Thu 14 Mar 2013.

The crap snaps futily after the evasive drow, then retreats into the waters.

Round 3:
  [Move] Move to ?
  [Free]
  [Standard]

Status:
  Initiative: 6
  AC (Touch AC): 19 (11)

  Damage Taken:   4
  Damage Dealt:   16 (Zar'Da)

Effects:

Final Position: ? in the river
This message was last edited by the GM at 09:04, Fri 15 Mar 2013.

The crab struggles mightily against the magical strands of spider silk holding it down. There's an audible twang heard as the strands snap, leaving the crab free to move once more, even though it will have to continue to struggle while in the web.

Round 3:
  [Move]
  [Free] Full round STR check (25) success
  [Standard]

Status:
  Initiative: 6
  AC (Touch AC): 19 (11)

  Damage Taken:   0
  Damage Dealt:   0

Effects: Entangled

Final Position: CD 10/11

The second ettin moves across the river and around the web to get to the center of the arena.

OOC: I know you can abrupt jaunt out of the way, and so want to give you the chance to decide if you want to do that now or not before giving away the dice roll. The reason is that it is quite a bit metagaming to only jaunt away from those attacks you know will hit. IC you see that the javelin will very likely hit, and may penetrate your defences (i.e. hits touch, may exceed AC)


Round 3:
  [Move] Double move to HI 12/13
  [Free] Shout something in Giant
  [Standard]

Status:
  Initiative: 5
  AC (Touch AC): 18 (8)

  Damage Taken:   0
  Damage Dealt:   0

Effects:

Final position: HI 12/13
This message was last edited by the GM at 08:20, Fri 15 Mar 2013.

OOC:  Why is Crab 1's position not visible?  Water does not block sight (e.g., airplanes are used to spot submarines...)

OOC: I think you mean NO 2/3 or else you will be sharing space with the ettin.

There's a shout from the other ettin (again in giant), clearly trying to give directions to the blinded partner in which direction to swing. Luckily, the narrow passageway they are fighting in works in the giant's favor as the degrees of freedom are reduced. Once more the heavy weapons whizz through the air as the two-headed giant tries to retaliate. Once more, the fact that he's blind saves Zar'Da's day.

Round 4:
  [Move] no
  [Free]
  [Standard] Attack 1-4 (18, 31, 21, 21)). Miss chance<50, no hit, also rolled for iterative attacks of last round, again without hitting.

Status:
  Initiative: 20
  AC (Touch AC): 16 (6)

  Damage Taken:   25
  Damage Dealt:   8

Effects: Blinded 5 rounds

OOC: Unbelievable! I'll stick to rolling d2's from now on (a "2" will hit)
This message was last edited by the GM at 08:59, Fri 15 Mar 2013.

Total reflection... The vermin was heading south entering the waters (upstream).
This message was last edited by the GM at 13:38, Thu 14 Mar 2013.

OOC:  Remember to include the 4 acid damage taken by Crab 1 from Zar'Da's aura.

"You are doing well, keep it up," the wizard encourages his friend, then launches into another spell.  More than half a dozen sets of disembodied jaws appear, and split into two groups, one cluster heading south to savage the unseeing ettin, while the other jaws swoop into the mass of webbing to attack the entangled crab.

Round 4:
  [Standard] Cast spell (Manyjaws), allocate 4 jaws to ettin and 3 jaws to crab
  [Move] Move south to Q-04, 20' up

Manyjaws:
Ettin: 11 damage
Crab: 9 damage
Ref save DC 19 for half damage.

Status:
  Initiative: 7
  AC (Touch AC): 25 (14)

  Damage Taken:   0
  Damage Dealt:   0

Effects:
Alter Self
Mage Armor
Shield

Final Position: Q-4, 20' up

EDIT:  Added the move action to Q-4.  Also, adjusted touch AC, should be 14 and not 18 (Shield does not add to touch AC).

On the ettin's turn, Garath uses his jaunt to evade the javelin, ending in S06, 20' up.
This message was last edited by the player at 18:11, Sat 16 Mar 2013.

With his shield up Zar'da easily knocks aside the Ettin's attacks and then counters with a vicious slash from his enlarged bastard sword.

Round 4
  [Standard] Attack Ettin #1: 19, Damage: 16

Status:
  Initiative: 7
  AC (Touch AC): 22(13), Enlarged AC 21(12)

  Damage Taken: 24
  Damage Dealt: 41

Effects:

 Draconic Aura: Energy Shield: Enemy takes 4 points of acid damage when using a melee weapon. Extends to companions within 30' of Shaman.

 Enlarge:  Zar'Da's space and reach increase to 10'.  +2 to Strength (affects to-hit and damage), -2 to Dex (affects AC), -1 size penalty to attack rolls and AC, increase in weapon damage due to size, +4 on trip, grapple, etc.  Lasts 7 rounds.

Final Position: N-O 02/03

OOC:  Sorry, just read the text directed at me in msg #44 above.  You posted it while I was responding to the prior post and I didn't notice that there was a new NPC post added...

I'm fine with the mechanic of letting me know whether an attack hits touch AC and letting me choose whether to jaunt or not before I know whether it hits actual AC.  In this case the javelin gets stuck in the web (and hey, the ettin can't target Garath because he doesn't see where Garath is - is the ettin metagaming?? ;P )

Also, how did the ettin get to F-G/17-18?  The bridge ought to slow him down since he needs to squeeze across it.

Ah, the web blocked LOS, missed that. Will correct in the morning.

OOC: He isn't squeezing across the bridge as it has no walls. If the bridge was longer he might have to take greater care crossing it, but as it is the stride of the giant is about half his length (6-7') and so he can simple step on the bridge (right foot) and land on the other side with his next step (left foot). Strangely enough, balancing across narrow surfaces is of equal difficulty no matter the size of the creature, i.e. a cloud giant and a pixie face the same balance DC when crossing a 2" wide surface...

No javelin attack from the ettin this round then, since he had no LOS or LOE.