Out-of-character adventure discussion

[Umiushi]

This post complements the thirteenth Main Post in the Acqua Alta thread. Players' posts in either thread are due by 11 pm, Saturday, May 16th. The next OOC main post will appear by 11 am, Monday, May 18th.

First, some bookkeeping.

• Characters' money was updated to reflect their orders.
• The previous encounter on the docks is not being counted towards a milestone. I apologize for the tardiness of the announcement, coming a bit later than "the conclusion of the encounter," but at the same time, I would be surprised if anyone was expecting otherwise.
• I wrote a post in the Characters and Rules Guidelines threads with another rule concerning lethal and non-lethal damage.

Initial Conditions
Neither side is surprised. Everyone rolls initiative. As before, do not worry about timing your posts based on initiative order. All of the characters are seated. Being seated resembles being prone, and has the following qualities:

• You grant combat advantage to enemies making melee attacks against you.
• You get a +1 bonus to all defenses against ranged attacks from non-adjacent enemies.
• You take a -1 penalty to all attack rolls.
• You are immobilized.
• You can drop prone as a free action, in which case you are no longer sitting.
• You can stand up as a minor action, in which case you are no longer sitting.

Map
The map is hosted here: [img=http://img20.imageshack.us/img20/3594/ortalan01.jpg]

• A: Ariellana
• K: Akaysha
• M: Morgran
• T: Tanglar
• Y: Myn
• Z: Zephyr
• 1: elderly staff bearer
• 2: brawny youth wielding hammers
• 3: sandy-haired individual with a club
• 4: grim-faced, cloaked and unarmed stranger
• 5: bearded, unarmed, chanting tough

Local Environment

Crowding: Now, and until I say otherwise, every square in the tavern is crowded, with exceptions noted on a round-by-round basis. Crowded squares are occupied by one or more bystanders, chairs, furniture, or debris. These squares grant cover against any attack that must travel through one or more crowded squares to reach its target. Crowded squares are difficult terrain that cost one extra square of movement to enter for most characters. Despite potentially being occupied, characters may end their turns in crowded squares.

• Round 1: All eight squares next to the central table (see below) are not crowded.

Tables: The brown squares and rectangles are tables. Tables are dealt with in the following manner:

• Climbing onto a table: A character may climb onto a table at the cost of one movement point. Climbing off a table does not cost additional movement. The surfaces of the tables are clear terrain.
• Jumping onto a table: All tables here are two feet off the ground for the purpose of Jump Checks. A successful high jump check allows a character to leap onto a table at no cost in movement. A jump check failed by four or less allows a character to land on a table prone. A jump check failed by five or more results in the character landing under the table and prone.
• Crawling under a table: A character may drop prone underneath a table with no additional movement cost. Prone characters under tables have cover against standing characters. Prone characters underneath tables may not stand until they crawl out from under the table.
• Central Table: The table that fills up its entire square is the central table.
• Other Tables: Other tables only fill up parts of squares. A square only partially filled by a table can be entered from the unoccupied direction without having to deal with the table. However, a character who wishes to travel across the occupied portion must deal with the table by climbing over, jumping on, or crawling under it.

Fireplace: Entering or leaving fireplace squares requires an athletics check. It damages characters who attempt to move through it, or start their turn in it.

[Myn]

First off, I'd like to welcome you to the party, Love2, I'm sure you'll enjoy your time here.

Now, down to business. I'm betting we're in for a stand-up fight, although we're at a bit of a disadvantage here, not having our weapons and armor.

Whichever of you melee fighters doesn't have a weapon please say so in OoC, as well as IC, I'll give you my knife before I wild shape.

My strategy depends a lot on my initiative roll, so I think I'll wait for that to occur. I am curious, however, if I can charge in crowded areas (I'm guessing not).

* Initiative Roll (Taking into account Cocoa's bonus) *

[Umiushi]

I am curious, however, if I can charge in crowded areas

Treating crowds as difficult terrain, you may charge through them as long as you pay the required movement cost per square, and allow for the minimum two squares of movement. Also, crowds won't count against the "occupied square" restriction against charges. However, you cannot charge and spend extra movement points to clamber over tables. You either need to High Jump the table, or succeed on an Acrobatic Stunt to somersault over them or tumble under them.

[JohnChrist]

Are we completely without equipment, then? Also, is there a chance of utensils on the table, or perhaps a burning log from the fire that's still substantial, to be used as weapons?

At any rate, I'll roll for Zephyr and I.

* Morgran Initiative + 2 from Cocoa *

* Zephyr Initiative + 2 from Cocoa *

[Cocoa]

It's not clear that we have to fight. Does anyone want to talk to these new people and see what's going on?

Here's an initiative roll:

* Ariellana Initiative *

[Umiushi]

Are we completely without equipment, then? Also, is there a chance of utensils on the table, or perhaps a burning log from the fire that's still substantial, to be used as weapons?

That which PCs placed in the cart has not been equipped, but everything else is assumed to be carried. Why you brought your bedrolls (and in some cases, pitons) into this place is a matter of personal speculation, but I chalk it up to all of you being creatures of habit who may have been out on the road a few days too long.

The Little Ortalan is fancy enough to provide utensils for diners who do not bring their own, but has not yet reached the level of refinement where utensils, napkins, and other place settings are arranged on the table ahead of time. Since everyone ordered pottage, the provided utensils amount to a wooden spoon, each.

The fireplace is a different story. It's been stoked to a high blaze, so plucking out a log, especially a significant one, doesn't look fully safe. What interests you more is the half-dozen pokers arrayed about the fire, with their tips heated to a scarlet hue.

[JohnChrist]

What type of action to pick the pokers up?
--- Merged from Double Post ---

It's not clear that we have to fight. Does anyone want to talk to these new people and see what's going on?

I don't know about everyone else, but I'm kinda itching for a fight.

[Cocoa]

We might get a fight anyway. But these folks might introduce us to a better group to fight. If we fight these guys, we'll probably end up in the town jail whether we win or lose.

We can always offer to go kill rats, spiders, etc. in the tavern's basement. I'd bet Umi could make sure that we got a good challenge from them.

What are the stats of those hot pokers, Umi? Any weapon proficiency available for people with simple melee skills?

The wooden spoons might be useful as improvised weapons, too, depending on their sturdiness. The chairs and everything else can also be used as improvised weapons, though see above comment about ending up in trouble with the local law.

It doesn't hurt to talk for a few minutes. After all, we have no idea why they're in the tavern. Perhaps they're advertising the next show at the big Revival Tent on the outskirts of town. We don't know yet that they're going to be hostile.

Ariellana has her dagger.

[love2readking]

I don't know if I'm supposed to use Cocoa's bonus or not but I assume since I am essentially an ally just not an official memeber of the party yet I should apply it to Akaysha's roll so that being said...

* Akaysha Initiative *

As an onlooker at this point my characters natural inclination would be to try to talk before fighting. I'm going to go ahead and post that way and hope I'm not last in the line up.
--- Merged from Double Post ---
Okay couldn't get my roll to work trying again

*
Akaysha Initiative
*

--- Merged from Double Post ---
Can you roll zero on a d20 or did I screw this up somehow? Okay I'm going to try this one more time....

* Akaysha Initiative +2 from Cocoa *

--- Merged from Double Post ---
Argh what am I doing wrong?

*
Akaysha Initiative +2 from Cocoa
*

[Cocoa]

Yes, something is funny about your dice rolls. Do you have spaces in the syntax? It should be something like 1d20+2, no spaces.

I think you should be using Ariellana's +2 initiative bonus, but Umi has the final word.

Good luck on the next dice-rolling attempt!

[love2readking]

Thanks for the advice Cocoa I'll try with no spaces
--- Merged from Double Post ---

* Akaysha Initiative *

--- Merged from Double Post ---
There we go I figured out the problem finally...

[JohnChrist]

Also, Love2, don't double post. It'll reroll your rolls for some reason. If you edit the post instead if your going to end up double posting it won't reroll unless you check the box to.

[love2readking]

okay so here are my actions for my last post...and thanks everyone for the advice.

Minor---Words of Friendship (adds +5 to diplomacy)
Minor---stand
Standard----speak with Diplomacy check

* Diplomacy roll *

[Myn]

Wow, that's an impressive diplomacy roll. I'm going to see where that gets us, Myn won't take any overtly hostile actions for now.

Move Action: Stand up
Standard Action: Ready an action to use Faerie Fire on whichever square would give it access to the greatest number of intruders (it's burst 1). The trigger is any attack by the interlopers on anyone in the inn.

[Cocoa]

Yes, it's a very nice diplomacy roll!

Ariellana wants a nice quiet bed for the night, not a bar fight. She's had enough excitement for the day. She'll get ready for whatever may come, though.