Too Many Questions, Too Few Answers...(OOC)

[Quinn]

In which a motley collection of heroes and a wanted man stumbles on something eldrich and evil, and more questions are raised than answers.

Players: Kyriotsu, Fox, KnightDisciple, Raveled, Dr. Archeville

[Quinn]

1d20+12=20 on a Notice check looking through the windows, anyone who does the same (looking through windows) must roll Notice as well, with the upper windows providing a bonus of +2 (as they cover more area, no moonlight though, so a smaller bonus)

[Fox]

Taking 20 on the Notice check to spot Push and Corbin, because I'm a cheaty cheater who cheats. That's a 25, and her mental quickness takes it way down into free-action range for time.

I'm assuming 25 is enough to spot them. If not, correct me and I'll edit my post.

EDIT:

(20:44:34) Kyriotsu: (whispers) S'ok. And incidentally,y ou might want to edit this in. Infravision spots a BIG heat source on the interior of the building. Except it's half sunken, and surrounded by tinier heat sources, and some blobs that look like humans. Two of them are carrying something that is cold, and fling it into the flames.

(20:44:46) Kyriotsu: (whispers) That hadn't occurred to me, but I might as well tip someone off.

(20:44:56) Kyriotsu: (whispers) Half-sunken as in half in the ground.

(20:45:01) Kyriotsu: (whispers) Like a fire-pit.

[Quinn]

More than enough. I even said you could skip those checks ;)

[Dr Archeville]

Would Dead Head have time to Take 20 on a Notice check (which would take him one minute)? If so, he gets... 20.

EDIT:

(23:47:36) Kyriotsu: Yeah, he's got time. The ritual is running on GM time, which means...it starts X rounds after the fighting starts

(23:56:13) Kyriotsu: he can make out what looks like a large fire pit, two silhouettes throwing what looks like a sack into the fire pit, a man-shaped silhouette standing on what looks like a podium, and a big blob of silhouettes near the fire.

[Quinn]

Right then, things are getting interesting! ^_^

[KnightDisciple]

Hm.

Notice Check on Push and the surroundings.

Notice: 19+7=26

Wow. Hope that wasn't wasted... :?

[Fox]

Dragonfly begins using Master Plan, based on her observations, what warehouse layout can be seen, and what infrared shows her. Doing the roll now just to get it out of the way:

Master Plan roll (1d20 + 6=26)

Yeesssssss. Sweet. Obviously, of course, this roll is only valid if she ends up having the time to finish her planning, and (if other people want to benefit) share with the class.

EDIT:

(12:48:05) Kyriotsu: (whispers) Call it 10-20 minutes, depending on the detail. But be careful, the longer you guys take, the sooner what is going to happen in there is going to happen :wink:

No harm done, obviously, if the plot or another character wants to move things along faster than that. She's just doing what Dragonfly does. Not like her Master Plans haven't been interrupted before.

EDIT EDIT:

(12:50:17) Kyriotsu: (whispers) And can you make a Notice Roll, DC...30.

She can auto-20 her notice checks, but that gets her, at best, a 25. So she fails that one.

[Dr Archeville]

Speaking of interruptions...

Do those sacks looks like they might contain people/bodies? What's it smell like when they're burned?

Because if Dead Head even suspects there are bodies in them, he's running in.

[Quinn]

I'm afraid you can't smell anything through the thick warehouse walls, and it's too dim to see the contours of the sacks. You can just tell that a) they are sacks, and two people are carrying them, and c) there are two sacks left.

[Dr Archeville]

But what does Carcass the Wonder Dog smell?

[Fox]

Information given was from chat, which sadly I don't have a quotation for because I forgot to copy it before I closed the window. So it goes.

[Quinn]

Ok, I'm kinda sad I had to resort to this so soon, but the dog was completely out of the calculations. He can't smell anything over the smoke and the waterfront smells. As a matter of fact, he's kinda sad he has to smell all that crapola in the air.

Take a Hero Point, Doc, that's a GM Fiat.

[Quinn]

Hail hail, the gang's all here! Alright, wait a coupla posts, Fox, then consider the Master Plan ready.

I'd like to see KnightDisciple and Ironclad post once more each, if possible.

Either way, whoever goes into the warehouse first, let me know. Things iz about to get hairy!

[Fox]

As a reminder, the Master Plan bonus will start at +3. I'll try to keep track of where it is as things go along.

As a retcon (IC post edited), it'll go into effect the moment actual fighting starts.

[Dr Archeville]

Now that the door's open, Mutt can smell what's in there, right?

'Cuz if so, they're both going to take actions.

EDIT: How far is the door to the fire pit, cultists, and other baddies? More than 100 feet? Less?

[Quinn]

Umm...it's a big warehouse, so...heh, I dunno. Call it around 80-100 feet.

And yeah, with the door open there's a charnel-house stench.

[Dr Archeville]

Yeeaah.....

Mutt

Free Action: Talk to DH. Yes, he can talk; not well (Int 6), but he does not have the Mute drawback.

Move Action: Move 100 feet into warehouse, hovering above the fire pit

Free Action: Drop total Concealment, so he can be heard and smelled; make fangs and glowing eyes o' doom visible, the rest hazy

Standard Action: Howl, i.e., use Fearsome Presence.

Everyone within 50 feet of Mutt (who does not have Fearless) must make a Will save, DC 20.

Fail, you are Shaken (-2 on attack, saving throws, and skill checks).

Fail by 5+, you flee.

Fail by 10+, the panic (dropping any held items) and flee; if unable to flee, they cower, dazed (able to take no actions, but not flat-footed)

Minions who fail, even by 1, suffer the worst result (panicked and flee or cower)

And once I know how that goes, I'll post Dead Head's actions.

EDIT: 50 ft., not 100.

[Quinn]

. . .*cries*

[Dr Archeville]

(23:52:56) Kyriotsu: (whispers) Fear saves. >.

So 16 of the 20 are panicked and fleeing (or panicked and cowering/dazed).

Dead Head

Standard Action: Charge (per our House Rules) the first non-shaken, non-panicked, non-fleeing baddie he can. Using the free "starter" versions of All-Out Attack (-2 Defense, +2 Attack) and Power Attack (-2 Attack, +2 Damage) all chars get. Since this is a surprise round, target should be flat-footed, and thus vulnerable to Sneak Attack damage.

Attack with shovel; charging (+2 attack, -2 Defense); All-Out Attack (-2 defense, +2 attack), Power Attack (-2 attack, +2 damage). DC 25 Toughness save if he hits, 27 if his Sneak Attack factors in (1d20+12=30)

Move Action: Move on to next non-shaken, non-panicked person.

Free Action: Extra Effort to surge, gaining another standard action. He's down to 1 HP now.

Standard Action: Kabong!

Attack with shovel; All-Out Attack (-2 defense, +2 attack), Power Attack (-2 attack, +2 damage). DC 25 Toughness save if he hits, 27 if his Sneak Attack factors in (1d20+10=20)

Unless anyone else gets a surprise round in, now we'd roll initiative.

Initiative for Dead Head and Mutt (1d20+2=9)

[Quinn]

Ok, each cultist has 10+2 defense, so both ones strike...and with a +2 toughness, neither of them has a chance. Nice hits, Dok. Two cultists are officially unconscious.

[Fox]

Initiative Roll (1d20 + 6=13)

You fail me, dice. Ah well.

Reminder: Master Plan bonus will kick in immediately for whomever wins initiative. +3 to your skill checks and attack rolls.

[KnightDisciple]

Not as hard as they fail me.

Initiative=9

[Quinn]

Gentlemen, I give you another 25 zombie minions to play with. That's a fiat, so everyone gets a Hero Point.

Dang Dead Head, beating all of my lovely cultists...>.>

If anyone has Knowledge (Arcane), roll it now if you please, along with initiative.

Zombies roll initiative, groups of 5. Each group attacks together on a single enemy. Group 1: 1d20-1=2, Group 2: 1d20-1=16, Group 3: 1d20-1=2, Group 4: 1d20-1=18, Group 5: 1d20-1=14

[Dr Archeville]

Don't forget to roll initiative for the Lead Cultist and any other baddies.

Knowledge (arcane) check (1d20+5=13)