SDMB RPG First Adventure: Panic in Genoa!

The Game Room
21

Solsken shrugs as his friend ambles towards the alchemist’s stall. Just then he recalled that he is in the market for some navigational supplies-such as a new compass, or even astrolabe, and follows behind the massive Norseman, curious now as to the exact nature of the wares being offered.

After idly perusing the display of odd curiosities, he then inquires of Zachary,

“Greetings, friend. I am in the market, as it were, for some navigational trinkets. Might you have a workable compass, or perhaps even a reasonably-high quality astrolabe?”

22

Giacomo notes that the alchemist’s cart is now surrounded by several formidable looking adventurers. He decides that today isn’t a good day for petty theft after all. He has a hundred gold pieces and isn’t particularly needy, and there isn’t much worth the risk here. He decides to investigate the alchemist’s wares himself. After all, a would be assassin could use some poisons. And perhaps this is a test? He doubts it, but has little else to do. He falls into step besides the druid and nods at him. “you seem an intelligent man, sir, and well travelled I’d say. What make you of this medicine seller? A mountebank or does he know his craft?” He speaks quietly, so no one else could overhear him over the crowd. As much as he can Giacomo also tries to keep an eye on the Doge’s son.

[COLOR=“Green”]Giacomo would like to try a diplomacy check on Solsken, if necessary, and also a perception check if that is necessary to keep an eye on the doge’s son.

Note: Although Giacomo can be deadly with his daggers, he is no assassin, at least not yet. He presents more as a dissolute wastrel than anyone particularly dangerous, though close inspection would reveal him to be leaner and more fit than most wastrels.[/COLOR]

23

You don’t notice anything in the crowd, but something else catches your eye-- flashes of quick movement in the palazzo windows.

That’s it for pre-action planning; I’m now writing up the event itself.

24

Noticing movement in the windows Taye readies his punch dagger in his off (his right) hand. At the same time glancing significantly at the windows he speaks

[to Hawkins] Mister Zachary Hawkins, have you perhaps come across another comely lass?

[to Solsken] My elven friend, perhaps those fellows have need of an astrolabe as well?

Taye then moves to put his back to the wagon

25

Suddenly, screams rend the hot Italian air! Flames begin to rise in the windows of the Doge’s palazzo, and a dozen people tumble out one of the side doors, immediately behind Zachary’s shop. Seven or eight of the people are smoking; not on fire, exactly, but their clothes trail billows of smoke. What’s especially strange is that these people don’t seem to be heading for the giant fountain in the center of the square, but instead are racing directly into the crowd of fair-goers! As the newcomers get closer, the myriad gaping cuts and impact wounds on the body become visible, though they really don’t seem to be bleeding much.

Seven of the escapees from the palazzo rush into the crowd near Zachary’s cart. Three of them slam directly into a shabbily dressed merchant who Giacomo recognizes as Marco Valente. Before Valente is born to the ground under the force of his attackers, he pulls some sort of knife, and flashes of steel are visible as the attackers pound at his chest and face.

Aji the Brute, Harald Ragnarsson, Solsken, and Zachary are caught flat-footed and surprised by the ambush, and won’t be able to act immediately. Joseph Beneviste, Taye, and Giacomo all spotted the attackers and will be able to act in the surprise round.

In addition, Giacomo and Taye had been actively surveying the crowd, and each manage to draw their hand weapons before needing to react. Giacomo draws his pair of wicked daggers, and Taye pulls out a nasty-looking punch-dagger.

26

Zachary and Solsken recognize the creatures as zombies, a form of undead raised from fresh corpses by black magic. The rest of the adventurers do not.

27

Taye casts Mage Armor on himself

28

I can’t let them harm Valente! I still need to steal things from him! thinks Giacomo. He moves behind one of the creatures attacking Valente as stealthily as possible and tries a sneak attack with one of his daggers.

I apologize for telling you what you already know, but just to make sure: with weapon finesse I use my Dex modifier on my daggers and I get 2d6 sneak attack damage iin addition to my regular damage if I’m successful.

ETA: re post 26: fuck.

29

I actually cracked up on reading that. You still get attacks, you just don’t know that the bad guys are zombies.

30

"Aji the Brute, Harald Ragnarsson, Solsken, and Zachary are caught flat-footed"

does that mean I get another action before them? I’m assuming I’ll at least have to wait for Joseph Beneviste.

31

I’m waiting for Joseph’s surprise round action. After that, everyone will get actions. That said, I strong suspect Joseph’s surprise round action to be something like “Draw sword.”

32

In fact, I am so confident that Joseph will not interrupt Taye or Giacomo’s actions that I’m going to arbitrate them now.

Taye’s Mage Armor shimmers into existence, fading into just a few stray sparks from his person every second.

Giacomo steps over to Marco, whips a dagger out from his pocket, and nearly severs one attacker’s neck as he drags it across the throat.

33

Basically, what happens is : whoever got the drop on us get to perform one standard action each (a standard action being either a single attack, casting a spell, drinking a potion/using an item or can be substituted for a move action). For that one action, we flat-footed bastards will have penalties to our armour class (essentially losing our Dexterity modifier, and those of us who have shields probably won’t, either). We also won’t be able to make attacks of opportunity on them if they rush past us.
You also get one simple action, and get to keep your full AC+AoO potential since you weren’t caught unaware.

After that, the first proper round of combat will begin and we all get to act normally (one move action + one simple action, or one complex action) in turn, based on our initiative order. If the surprising guys get to act before us flat-footed guys in the order of initiative, I believe we will still carry that AC penalty, until our first “real” turn comes up at which point we’ll be considered as having gotten the hint :).

34

Anyway, actions ! First, and whatever happens, [COLOR=Black]Harald screams : “Behind me, Solsken ! We have excitement !”. Then, it all depends on what the 4 remaining zombies are up to (I will ignore this unknown crowd guy, Taye, Giacomo and Joseph for now ; but Solsken’s a bro, Zach’s a good chap with a cart full of booze and the giant seems to be with him) :

  • If a single one is attacking me (or is otherwise within 5 feet), I will rage, power attack and use my axe attack on it. Is it dead yes/no ? If no, make with the claw attacks, if yes I will then use my move action to get away from the enemy but in position to charge them next turn.

  • If more than one are attacking me/in contact, I will use my 5-foot step to try and either take advantage of a flanking opportunity or set one up for Aji ; **rage **and go **full **apeshit **attack **on them - power attack, axe AND claw attacks (don’t forget the -5 since they’ll be secondaries, and unlike the axe attack they’ll also get the -1 from PA).

  • If I am not attacked but either Solsken, Zachary or Aji are, I will not rage quite just yet, but **charge **at their foes (in this order of priority), yelling “Til Valhall !”. Power attack on the axe, naturally.

  • Else, I will instead switch the greataxe to my left hand, use my move action to pull out a throwing axe with my right and **ready **a throw at any fucker comes anywhere near either me, Solsken, Zach or Aji with hostile intent.[/COLOR] I will use my 5-foot step to try and position myself between them and the zombies, and say to them [COLOR=Black]“You lot stay back ! I’ll keep you safe !”.

I think these tactics should remain valid for a couple turns, or until I get to 50% HP or less.
[/COLOR]

35

Joseph is very, very still as the chaos erupts around him. To an observer, it might look as though he were caught as unawares as the majority of the other people in the Piazza, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. His analysis of the situation more or boils down thusly:

Point the First) Flame and smoke damage in the Doge’s expensively furnished palazzo makes it likely that the attack was orchestrated covertly.

Point the Second) The attackers are badly wounded but seem unhindered by those wounds. Clearly under an arcane magical compulsion of some sort - likely a charm. That makes it likely that the attack is unsanctioned.

Point the Third) Fully half of the attackers have converged on a single poorly dressed, unassuming target.

Conclusion: this is an unsanctioned assassination attempt designed to draw suspicion to the Doge or somebody near him in a very public way.

Joseph turns to Zachary, grinning a little.

“Just like that time in Gegenbach, ja? Looks like they’re after that fellow there. You and your friend push through, I’ll support from the flank, and I reckon somebody will be willing to pay something when it’s all over.”

Bardic inspire courage drive spooling up.

36

Won’t be able to do anything in real time for another 6 hours-two branching actions:

  1. If a zombie is attacking me, I will draw my spear, and prepare to start whaling…

  2. If Harald draws the aggro, I will cast Bear’s Endurance on him (unless doing so is an overtly magical action that even the most drooling passerby witness will notice as being magical-not sure what gestures and effects will accompany a typical casting or if I can do so discreetly. In which case I still draw my spear and prepare for the worst).

37

Is everyone coming out of the Palazzo hostile? If so and there are no friendlies directly in the way I cast Burning Hands towards the largest group of hostiles. It’s a 15ft cone of fire, with my Brass Dragon Tooth adding an extra d6 of damage.

If I don’t have clear line of sight on the palazzo, I cast Magic Missile at the zombies attacking Valente. At 3rd Level I have two missiles so I target both remaining zombies.

If I’m attacked in melee I want to grow claws (a free action for me, and two attacks per rd) and use the punch-dagger.

[to Hawkins] Friend Hawkins, if you have any lamp oil would pour it on our attackers? Before things get out of hand?

38

Once he realizes what going on, the Brute will wait until after Zach’s turn, then use his move action to get to Zach’s side, then ready an unarmed attack to punch the first assailant who comes within arms reach.

Note that if I’m attacked, I’m NOT wearing my chain shirt at the moment, so my AC is reduced by four points.

39

Zachary Hawkins sighs as he realizes the next few minutes are probably going to get him thrown out of yet another town - nay, a city that promised to be a profitable resting place for a while - but that he has to do something rather than see innocents suffer.

If there is a clear shot at a target with no innocents or friends nearby, Zach will throw a bomb at it (if there is a group target, the centre of the group is the aiming point), crying “And this, gentlefolks, is assuredly not for sale: genuine Greek Fire from Byzantium itself!”

Otherwise, Zach makes a dive for the questionable security of the underside of the wagon, and while there quickly quaffs his feral mutagen ready to hand-to-hand the zombies next round - three attacks a round at +2 sounds promising - yelling and wailing incoherently.

40

Absent a decision about Joseph’s weapons and feats, I’m forging ahead. Some detail about Joseph’s bardic performance wouldn’t go amiss.

Joseph stands still, takes stock of the situation, carefully assesses his options, and begins his Bardic chant. +1 to allies’ damage and attack rolls.

Giacomo: 23
Zachary: 22
Solsken: 19
Zombie 1: 18
Zombie 2: 15
Joseph: 14
Zombie 3: 11
Zombie 4: 9
Aji: 8
Zombie 5: 5
Zombie 6: 4
Harald: 3
Taye: 2
Zombie 7:1

Giacomo strikes again, this time once neatly severing the head of the zombie he’d first attacked and flinging the head across the piazza. The limp body of the zombie falls to the ground and begins to rot at an accelerated rate. Zombie #3 killed

Zachary identifies a pair of zombies who haven’t yet closed on a target, and hurls a bomb from beneath his robes. The Greek fire rips cruelly into the target’s flesh and the zombie collapses to the ground, and his partner standing beside him is set alight!Zombie #5 killed, #6 lit on fire and damaged.

Solsken, whose falcon chanced not to be looking at the zombies as they broke loose, still has the presence of mind to raise up his command of the natural spirits and discreetly casts Bear’s Endurance on Harald. It’s the kind of thing that normal townspeople would notice were zombies not actively ravaging the town square. Solsken also manages to draw his spear in preparation for the next attack.

Before Harald can act, two zombies charge straight at him! They saw him at the same moment and charge directly at him in perfect concert, so they’re perfectly lined up and both trip over the yoke of Zachary’s wagon. One fails to recover and falls prone, and the other’s attack is easily swatted away by Harald.

Harald bellows as he flies into the fabled berserker rage of the Norseman! With a fierce cry, he splits the skull of the standing zombie with ease, his Danish axe slicing neatly through gristle and bone. His claw-like hands dig deep into the flesh of the prone zombie, though they don’t quite put it down for good. Zombie #1 killed, zombie #2 prone and injured

That’s it for tonight, folks; something came up and I didn’t get to finish. The remainder of the round tomorrow, I promise.