This close to the city (and with most of the bandits in the area cleared) the night passes uneventfully,  and you prepare your next day's journey.

A survival roll for the next campsite.
  Before you get to it, as you pass through some woods, you hear something moving through the trees, snapping branches and grumbling.
(Other Chi users have started their day late)
This message was last edited by the GM at 14:09, Mon 13 Apr 2020.

As day 2 of their travel begins, Aegis gets up and breaks camp as he normally would - bottle in hand, curse words aplenty, and generally grouchy because of his hangover (until the alcohol kicks in again).  His free time is kept busy jangling coins and flipping his dagger in the air, since he doesn't take as much time to get ready as the silly person doing Elvish calisthenics.

Once they are moving, Aegis realizes they are a day away from town.  It would be wilder and generally more dangerous now, so he starts to cut back on the drinking.  It's time for him to start becoming more serious about their task.  His alcoholism is a choice, not compulsive, and he proves it by cutting back on his intake.  By the time they hear the noise in the woods, he is only slightly inebriated.

Aegis does take a second to stopper up his dwarven spirits, and stow it, before pulling an arrow to cover the noise in the forest.

Upon hearing the sounds in the woods Dilandua readies spears drops back putting the horse and others between the noise and self.  Dilandua looks to Reanna to see her reaction, and asks sotto voce "Fight or talk first?"



OOC:  Which of us has the best Survival?  Dilandua has a [checks notes] Survival (Any) 5.

If you don't know, the Default is Per -5 or Naturalist -3.

OOC  Aegis' closest skills are Soldier or Carousing.  Neither will be much help, and others are smarter than him (obviously).  I'll still have him take a default roll just in case he doesn't completely blow it.

[Private to GM: Missed by ONLY 7.  He thinks that exposed outcropping of rock is an excellent place to pitch camp.  They can see for miles, and they are far away from the water so animals won't bother them...

17:12, Today: Secret Roll: Aegis rolled 14 using 3d6.  Dedault PER of 7, good luck..]

OOC:  There is no "closest" skill.  It's Survival.  Is your default better or worse?

OOC:  Hang on, gwythaint, didn't we hire a Native guide specifically to have a Survival skill?

Reanna?  You were on that, did you hire the guide?

Dne quietly asks the others if he should try to cast a spell in order to flush whatever it is out of the woods.  He has a non-lethal means of doing this, if preferred.

In reply to Dne Utrotare (msg # 173):

Contrart to Aegis, whose soldier skill lets him pitch a tent, build a fire pit or latrine, but not locate an advantageous  site, your guid finds a spot that is comfortable,  close to water, and defensible.

When Guillaume decides on a location for camp, Aegis (only mildly intoxicated) finds a list of things wrong with it.  The ground wasn't level because it was close to a stream, and sloped towards a ravine.  In his opinion the noise of the water would be too loud.  And the grass was patchy too, so the floor of his tent would be lumpy.  It seemed he could grumble on in his half-understandable words forever.  However, like many drunks, he also didn't address anyone with his complaints.  He whined and moaned about everything that was wrong non stop.  At the same time he set up his tent and prepared the camp fire, and took care of the tasks he did every other night while traveling.

OOC  Aegis has a bad default for Survival, and failed it quite spectacularly.  Not critically, but badly enough that I thought he would be more opinionated than normal.  Especially since he is uneducated on the topic.  Nothing better than that.

In reply to Aegis (msg # 175):

Pretty sure I paid for the guide...

Reanna mooves to hide, crossbow loaded and cocked with a branch to lean on, when she hears the thing in the woods.

Dne quietly moves behind Reanna, and asks what she thinks they should do.

In reply to Dne Utrotare (msg # 177):

"See what it is first..." she replies quietly.

In reply to Reanna Draegan (msg # 176):

Per rolls at +2 so see what is making the racket

With a half second to get his bearings, Aegis hones in on what he is looking at.

He muffles a belch as well as he can by letting it out slowly.

[Private to GM: Made it by 3 without the bonus.
15:02, Today: Secret Roll: Aegis rolled 9 using 3d6.  Per 12.]

Despite focusing on breathing, foot placement, and body positioning, turning the chi outward to mask oneself, Dilandua identifies the cause of the racket.




OOC:  Concentrating on Invisibility Art.

00:06, Today: Dilandua rolled 5 using 3d6.  Per 12 (Per 10 + 2), identify bush shaker.

In reply to Dilandua (msg # 181):

Two ogres, huge and ugly, are arguing about who should build a fire and who should eat first.
They bear clubs made from tree trunks, and one has a spear.  The other carries a large and squirming sack.

Aegis smiles to himself.  To the careful observer, he seems to take a perverse sort of joy in the situation.  His smile might come across as sadistic, or even terrible.  Normally hidden, the inner malice he carries along daily finally shows through the surface.  And what makes it even scarier, is the complete and utter calm that falls over his normally active body.  For a heartbeat he is perfectly still.  Then a second...

[Private to GM: Aim 3 rounds to get full aim bonus.  All out attack, braced if he can get it, aiming for the head of the largest one.  If we get to round 3, he fires.  Let me know and I'll roll the bones.]

“Attack?” Dne asks quietly.

Dilandua moves to put the horse between the self and the ruckus and vanishes...




OOC:  Wait Maneuver.  If an ogre moves into Reach 1 Dilandua is prepared to attack.

22:46, Today: Dilandua rolled 13 using 3d6.  Invisibility Art 13 (Skill 14 - 1 Moving).

MoS 0.  Enemies trying to See Dilandua must first make a Per or Observation roll at -3 (+3 if they knew where Dilandua was and are specifically looking for Dilandau), allies probably have no penalty (they know both where Dilandua was and that Dilandua was there), and beat an MoS of 0.  Sigh.

22:47, Today: Dilandua rolled 14 using 3d6.  Light Walk 15.  Dilandua makes no sound walking, MoS +1, +1 to Stealth vs Hearing.

22:47, Today: Dilandua rolled 7 using 3d6.  Stealth 16.  MoS +9 versus Sight based Perception, MoS +12 versus Hearing based Perception.

In reply to Dilandua (msg # 185):

Reanna ties the bridle to a tree and likewise hides. When she sees the ogres, she starts aiming for the ogres head, bracing on a branch. She will hold fire for now...

In reply to Reanna Draegan (msg # 186):

The ogres are caught up in theirvargument, and fail to notice you.

Aegis fires.

He takes a second to drop all of his camping supplies and backpack, and then he's back at it with the bow again...

OOC Since this is my first combat, general idea of roles in the group?  I assume that no one else is wearing heavier armor like Aegis is, so he should probably step up to meat shield the rest of the group?

Aegis is going to nock another arrow, but...  What is the range, so I know how much time he has to aim, prepare his melee weapon, and step up to meet his foe (potentially...).
[Private to GM:
Bow shot, potentially -5 for a head shot, although they as SM+1 so not sure if that affects body location.

13:54, Today: Secret Roll: Aegis rolled 13 using 3d6.  Bow 18 + 3 aim + 2 rounds aim + brace, etc - Effective skill 23 at least.

13:58, Today: Secret Roll: Aegis rolled 7 using 1d6+5.  1d + 5 impaling.

13:59, Today: Secret Roll: Aegis rolled 15 using 3d6.  Fast draw arrow 17.]

Seeing that nothing is kicking off immediately Dilandua focuses, tensing muscles preparing to launch into the foes once combat begins.




OOC:  Dilandua's Invisibility Art fritzes out... taking a Concentrate Maneuver, Flying Leap preparation 1 turn.

22:02, Today: Dilandua rolled 16 using 3d6.  Invisibility Art 14.  MoF -2.  It's still probably Dilandua is 'invisible' to the Ogres...

The Stealth from above still applies:  MoS +9 versus Sight based Perception, MoS +12 versus Hearing based Perception.

In reply to Dilandua (msg # 189):

Reanna, hearing the bow shot beside her, squeezed the trigger.

[Private to GM: Skill 16, acc4, braced +1, determined +1, targetted attack technique, crossbow, skull, -3, total target, 19, rolled 8. Damage 7, armour divisor 2 (bodkin bolt), head x4]

This message was deleted by the player at 08:13, Mon 27 Apr 2020.