Turin materializes in the sandy bowl of the arena. He looks perfectly at home in this environment. Not wasting a moment, the arcanist then goes through the well practiced maneuvers of spellscasting, not the least hindered by his armor. The first casting makes his hand shimmer with arcane energy before leaving it looking somewhat rougher and heavier than before. The second casting conjurs a flaming sphere that sits still about half-way between the combatants.

Prep Round 1:
  [Move] Draw Dagger
  [Free]
  [Standard] Cast Fist of Stone

Prep Round 2:
  [Move]
  [Free]
  [Standard] Cast Flaming Sphere in M12

  Initiative: 12
  AC (Touch AC): 18 (12)

  Damage Taken:   0
  Damage Dealt:   0

Effects: Fist of Stone 1 min (+6 STR for attack rolls, etc), Flaming Sphere 5 rounds

Final position: S13

OOC: Thanks to a feat, Turin's CL is +1 in "waste" and sandy environments wrt Spell resistance
This message was last edited by the player at 10:15, Tue 04 Mar 2014.

A tumbleweed rolls erratically across the sandy arena, the faint susurrus of its passing crisply audible amidst the utter silence of the battle-venue.  ;P

Eli conjured a hippogriff before disappearing.


initiative 11
Prep Round 1
Round: Summoning...

Prep Round 2
Free: Celestial hippogriff appears
Standard: drink potion - disappear


Start: E-12
End: e-12

AC: 18
Touch: 10
FF: 18

Effects:
Hippogriff
Invis

Celestial Hippogriff
Prep 2

Free: Appear!
Standard: Total Defense (+4ac)


AC: 15 +4
Touch: 11 +4
FF: 13 +4

Start: F/G-12/13
End:

Effects:
Celestial Hippogriff
This message was last edited by the player at 08:57, Thu 06 Feb 2014.

Turin whispers something to Lyssander as soon as the pale priest is within earshot:

Lyssander nods, and commences casting from the scroll in his hand.  This time he begins with a different prayer - he invokes the frigid wastes of the North, and soon is enveloped by a swirling cloud of snow.  Invisible behind the white flurry, he continues to chant.

Prep Round 1:
  [Standard] Cast Obscuring Snow from scroll (3 Min)

Prep Round 2:
  [Standard] Cast Bull's Strength from scroll (3 Min)
  [Move] Draw weapon (spiked chain)
  [Swift] Activate amulet (2 charges)
  [Free] Assign dodge bonus (hippogriff)
  [Free] Drop scroll
  [No action] Hide within the snow's concealment:  Hide check 26

Status:
  Initiative: 4
  AC (Touch AC): 19 (12) (+1 vs. hippogriff)

  Damage Taken: 0
  Damage Dealt: 0


Effects:
Bull's Strength: +4 Strength (30 rounds)
Obscuring Snow: 30' radius snow, total concealment beyond 5', partial concealment within 5' (29 rounds)
Tyche's Touch: bonuses to saves (pre-cast)

Final Position: S12

OOC: Looks like we have the following initiative order: Turin, Elias (and summons), Lyssander. We had agreed on one extra prep round. I don't have any other actions, but the two of you please go ahead.

OOC:  Elias - are you planning to take another prep round, or shall we start the combat?  Your choice; either way, you're up next.

Might as well - resist energy fire on hippogriff and I. Temp Hp on hippo!

Lyssander activates his goggles.  Let the games begin!

Turin, I think you're first.

OOC: So, I can't see a thing through the blizzard?

OOC:  Umm, that's right.  If you move to the edge of the blizzard (outer 5' rim) you will be able to see outside, albeit at 20% concealment.  Alternatively, you can wait until my initiative count (letting Elias go first), while berating Lyssander and telling him to go away and move the blizzard away from you ;P

Turin casts Lyssander a glare. A blizzard? How am I supposed to work now? Also, my clothes are going to be all damp.
He stalks off while trying to shield his eyes from the whirling snow, trying to get out of the worst affected area. At the edge he pauses, catching his bearings. There! The winged monstrosity stands vigilant, and Elias' alcove behind it. Of course the Waukeenar is nowhere to be seen, but Turin would soon change that!
Reaching into his memories, Turin quickly visualizes the movements and words needed to focus and unleash the arcane energies. Once done a globe of brilliant radiance silently erupts next to the Hippogriff, eventually causing it and anyone else caught in the blast to glow like a torch. Elias luminous form is now easily seen.

Round 1:
  [Move] Move to M13
  [Free]
  [Standard] Cast Dawnburst at FG 11/12, 10' radius burst: all within glow outlining invisible creatures and making hiding difficult

  Initiative: 12
  AC (Touch AC): 18 (12)

  Damage Taken:   0
  Damage Dealt:   0

Effects: Fist of Stone 1 min (+6 STR for attack rolls, etc), Flaming Sphere 3 rounds, Dawnburst 4 rounds, still somewhat concealed by snow

Final position: M13

OOC: Elias?

Elias's glow ran to A-15, while the Hippogriff flew to block view in B-C/14-15.
Standard: open doors

Hippogriff: Standard: Ready
OOC: Sorry. Had a big interview eating my brain.
This message was last edited by the player at 14:01, Thu 27 Feb 2014.

OOC:  A-15?  Isn't the arena surrounded by a 10' wall, which you'd need to scramble over to get there?  (Apologies if I'm misunderstanding the layout of this arena map, I've never had a match in it before.)

Good luck with the interview!

I think there are 4 sets of stairs...

OOC:  Oh, the stairs lead up to the seating area?  (I had figured them as leading down to the pits where the combatants are held prior to battle... ;P)

But it takes a move-action to open the doors to get to the stairs, in any event, so if you open the doors, and then move to A-15, you don't have an action left to ready.

I didn't notice doors or seats... I thought the stairs went up to the stone level 10ft up.

OOC:  The little dark rectangles (e.g., between squares D12 and E12) normally represent doors.  However, the arena description does not address this, nor does it specify, e.g., whether the doors are locked or not.

So, I think we need DM input to figure out how the arena map works.

Someone called?
Yeah, the squares do look like doors. I like the way you think Elias, and will allow you to spend an action opening them to get through (thus, they are not locked). I had also thought they would lead downwards, to some unknown area or something. But your interpretation makes more sense.

OOC:  Elias, please let us know once you've modified your actions to account for this input.

Done! Sorry!

The globe of swirling white blankness lifts into the air and moves purposefully, as though borne by swift wings, to the southwest quadrant of the arena, leaving Turin with a view of his opponents but obscuring the area just to their south.

Round 1:

  [Standard] Activate wand
  [Move] Fly to H-20, 15' up
  [No action] Hide within the snow's concealment:  Hide check 24

Status:
  Initiative: 4
  AC (Touch AC): 19 (12) (+1 vs. hippogriff)

  Damage Taken: 0
  Damage Dealt: 0

Effects:
Bull's Strength: +4 Strength (29 rounds)
Obscuring Snow: 30' radius snow, total concealment beyond 5', partial concealment within 5' (28 rounds)
Alter Self: Protectar
Tyche's Touch: bonuses to saves (pre-cast)

Final Position: H-20, 15' up

Turin directs the flaming sphere closer to the door through which Elias just entered. Looking up towards the seats he ponders what offensive action to take for a second before invoking the arcane gestures and words of a spell. Two bolts of force speed towards the celestial creature, penetrating its magical defences with ease, and ignoring the partial concealement granted by the flurrying snow to the south.

Round 2:
  [Move] Move sphere to G13
  [Free]
  [Standard] Cast Magic Missiles at Hippogriff (Caster level check 22, beats SR 8), Damage (9)

  Initiative: 12
  AC (Touch AC): 18 (12)

  Damage Taken:   8
  Damage Dealt:   9 (Hippogriff)

Effects: Fist of Stone 1 min (+6 STR for attack rolls, etc), Flaming Sphere 2 rounds, Dawnburst 3 rounds,

Final position: M13
This message was last edited by the player at 08:17, Wed 05 Mar 2014.

Ready triggers:
The Hippogriff flys above Turin, threatening his spell casting.
Free: AOO, hit AC 27 for 8 damage, concentrating check or lose your spell. Passes 20% concealment check.

12:27, Today: Elias St Clair rolled 27,8 using D20+8,d4+6. Hippogriff AOO Turin spell casting after ready trigger.
13:27, Today: Elias St Clair rolled 2 using 1d5. Miss Turin on 1.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:28, Tue 04 Mar 2014.