1. The hunt ends?

[mb.]

At the Jolly Owlbear hints suggested that your ruffian targets left a day ahead of you, travelling west in a large cart. Uncertain of your ability to follow them, you pooled your coin and hired a wiry, slightly greasy looking tracker named Neff. After a day of fast march along the Wood Way, a wide and well paved imperial road, you reached the edge of The Wood, where the road abruptly and inexplicably ended.

Neff assured you that the cart, abandoned at the end of the road, and the tracks leading into the forest, must belong to your quarry, so into The Wood you went. As your eyes adjusted to the dim green light you became aware of two layers of forest: monstrous trees as wide as houses and tall enough that their crowns are lost to sight, and a forest of normal scale growing in the spaces in between. It's hard to shake the feeling that something is right behind you, and it's not friendly.

Half a day later, you discovered four corpses staring blankly up into the leaves, their throats torn out and bearing multiple spear wounds. The bodies were thoroughly looted and there was no sign of Onde. Neff swore up and down that the only tracks leading away were those of numerous very large wolves. Neff seemed simultaneously certain and confused, but would say no more.

Following after them as fast as you can manage through the dense undergrowth, you have now almost reached a clearing between four gigantic trees. In the middle of the clearing stands a tall, well muscled man with the head of a wolf and a tight chain of thick golden links sparkling in the high sun around his neck. He is facing your direction and obviously waiting for you…

What do you do?

[KingOfCowards]

Following after them as fast as you can manage through the dense undergrowth, you have now almost reached a clearing between four gigantic trees.

So we followed after the tracks of the very large wolves?

As for the muscled man with a wolf head, Boggs stares at him suspiciously and asks with a sneer, "And who might you be?". His hand moves instinctively closer to his weapons, half expecting a fight.

[mb.]

Ooops, sorry if that wasn't clear. Yep, you followed the wolf tracks since there wasn't any other hint of where to go. Sorry for the steering as well, but I wanted to get you close to some action as quick as possible.

As you approach the clearing and call out to the wolf-headed man, his lupine mouth stretches into a wide grin. "You can't have her. I wanted to offer you the chance to do the smart thing and turn tail home."

[Pulpatoon]

Oelle: "Then you do have her? Our friend, Onde?"

Oelle steps in front of the others, with his hands held forward, making it clear that he is not armed, and hopefully blocking the view of Boogs poised over his weapon.

"Why have you taken her? What are your intentions?"

[Spartakos]

Bedwyr hasn't the patience of Oelle, or even Boggs...he pulls his sword from its scabbard in a smooth, almost languid motion. "You don't seem too cognizant of the fact that you are outnumbered four-to-one. I don't expect to leave this clearing without Onde alive, or you dead. And honestly, I'm not too particular about which at the moment." His voice is light, but his eyes are focused intently on the wolf-man.

I've been reading the rules...would this be a Parley? 'Do what I want and I won't cut your head off' seems right, but I don't know if this guy considers my threat credible enough. I'm guessing not, honestly.

So...how about if I Discern Realities, instead? I didn't see any penalty for failure there, and I sincerely hope there isn't one...
Discern Realities [2d6-1] = 5-1 = 4

Oh and sorry, Oelle. Wisdom 8.

[mb.]

Staring intently at him, Bedwyr notices many scars, a covering of bristly hair all over his body, claws on his fingers, and that the gold chain looks like it must be uncomfortably tight, but nothing else particularly meaningful.

He sees Bedwyr's sword and lets out something between a laugh and a howl, "maybe we're both missing some facts, green man." Raising his hands towards the leaves, he yells, "come brothers, hearts for dinner tonight! Bring them to me!"

Six similar but smaller creatures appear out of the bushes and from behind trees around you, and spring forward, clutching short spears and snarling!

What do you do?

Parley requires leverage, and a goal, something you're trying to manipulate the other person into doing. Since he's obviously already hostile, and you're not really threatening him in a way any different than the situation he put himself in, it's not really the right time for parley. Discern Realities however you can do whenever you have time to closely study a person or situation.

[Pulpatoon]

Oelle tries once again to push himself forward, putting one hand on Bedwyr's chest and extending the other towards the wolf-man. "Gentlemen! What we are facing here are classic signs of an over-exercising of the spleen and gall bladder. This can have unhealthy consequences, including inflammation and clouding of the higher facilities. Let us all just take a deep breath, and feel the cooling influence of the phlegmatic processes."

Phlegmatic Stimulation
Cast Spell [2d6+2] = 6+2 = 8

The spell is cast, but Oelle draws unwelcome attention to himself.

[jbinc]

Although violence isn't always the answer, Dunwick sees no shame in being prepared! Drawing his lute from his back, he starts to thrum a quick, energetic tune - something to get Bedwyr's blood going.

I'm going for my arcane art move, weaving a performance into a basic spell to help my ally (Bedwyr, in this case). The effect I choose, should I pass, is +1d4 damage 'forward' (ie. for your next attack).

[2d6+2] = 6+2 = 8

Uh-oh! the spell works, but I draw unwanted attention or my magic reverberates to other targets, affecting them as well - GM's choice!

[mb.]

Just for clarity: you're all still relatively far away from the big gold chain wolf guy (gnoll) who's standing in the middle of the clearing. Much closer and all around you are six smaller gnolls with spears, jumping at you with clearly malicious intent! Doctor Oelle's Phlegmatic Stimulation (Charm Person) spell works on touch, so he's rethinking...

Bedwyr: your sword's drawn, you feel a surge of power as soon as Dunwick starts strumming, and gnolls are charging you! What do you do?

Boggs: you're surrounded by snarling, rapidly approaching gnolls! What do you do?

[Spartakos]

"Look out, doctor!" Bedwyr says sharply, pushing past Oelle to meet the onrushing gnolls. His sword flashes in a gleaming pattern, parrying a spear and then flickering out to connect in a spray of blood. Bedwyr feels the familiar warm rush of being in mortal combat, life balanced on a sword's point. Somehow, the sound of Dunwick's lute seems to mesh with his movements, the rhythm matching the pounding of his pulse. This is what I was made for.

Hack and Slash time, in my humble opinion.
Hack & Slash, precise [2d6+2] = 10+2 = 12, damage [1d10+1d4] = 5+10000 = 10005
And since I apparently F'd up the die roller by trying to do 2 damage rolls at once, here's a reroll of the 1d4 from Dunwick's song.
Bonus damage [1d4] = 2
Sorry about that.

I deal 8 damage (forgot that swords are +1 damage weapons), and avoid the gnoll's attack. Not sure if these guys have armor, but just in case, remember my blade has +2 piercing.

[KingOfCowards]

Boggs curses as soon as the additional gnolls make an appearance. He starts throwing knives at the closest gnoll, trying to keep his distance from their spears.
Volley
Volley: [2d6] =7 + 2
Partial Success. Boggs takes a quick shot, which is all he has a chance for.
Damage: [1d8] = 2 - [1d6] = 3
So zero damage to the nearest gnoll

[Pulpatoon]

Oelle tumbles into the underbrush after being shunted aside. Realizing that he was going about casting his spell in a completely ineffective way, he mumbles, "Well, perhaps exsanguination would be the preferred remedy."

The doctor tightens his grip on his staff, but pauses to see if he recalls anything useful about these wolf-headed creatures.
Spout Lore [2d6+2] = 7+2 = 9

[mb.]

Bedwyr parries a spear stab and spins, slicing neatly through the neck of a gnoll, who slumps into the bushes in a spray of blood. Boggs throws and connects, but his knife glances off the scraps of blue-grey metal scales the gnoll's wearing, but he flinches and hesitates a moment. Dunwick plays furiously, drawing the attention of two gnolls who jump forward stab their spears into him for 5 damage, and Doctor Oelle brings to mind what he knows about gnolls from where he lies in the underbrush.

Doctor Oelle:

You know that gnolls are scavengers that hunt together in packs, always lead by an alpha male. How do you know this?

Now that you've had a moment, you all notice that these gnolls are wiry and scarred, stink like the filthiest of wild animals, and all wear tight silver chains around their necks. They're circling around you, a little cowed by Bedwyr so easily killing one of them.

What do you do?

By the way: don't forget to mark XP when you roll a fail. Bedwyr, you should have 1 XP so far. And for the dice roller, you can do two rolls together like this: [1d10]+[1d4].

Dunwick is down to 12 HP, everyone else is okay so far.

[Pulpatoon]

The Doctor Oelle has studied non-human physiology. His reading focused mostly on the civilized races, but he learned what he could about the more exotic peoples. He has never had a chance to physically examine a Gnoll, but accounts of their behaviors and habitations are common enough.

Oelle calls out to Bedwyr: "Bloody the big one if you want to keep the others in line!"

Oelle stands with his staff held over-hand, and uses its butt-end to bop the little guys in the face , trying to keep them at bay and clear a path for Bedwyr.



Would this action be H&S, Defend, or Aid?

[mb.]

Would this action be H&S, Defend, or Aid?

You're not just attacking them or protecting Bedwyr, so I'd call it aid. Please roll+1 (for one bond).

[Pulpatoon]

Bonded Aid [2d6+1] = 7+1 = 8

Oelle puts himself between the smaller gnolls and Bedwyr, jabbing the creatures in the face with his staff-butt.

[mb.]

Surprised by the furious attack by the scrawny, studious looking Oelle, a couple Spear Gnolls back up enough to leave a clear path between Bedwyr and the Alpha Gnoll. Unfortunately the whacks on the nose also make the Spear Gnolls rather angry, and three of them pin Oelle down with his back to a tree and spears in his face.

Bedwyr: the Alpha is standing a short sprint away in the middle of the clearing. You even see him wink at you and laugh. You're now free to charge him, but if you do you'll be leaving Oelle to face three spears alone.
Boggs: you're relatively free, since the remaining Spear Gnolls are focused on Dunwick and Oelle.
Dunwick: you're holding a lute facing two growling gnolls, who look pretty pleased with themselves after having stuck their spears into you.

What do you do?

[Spartakos]

Boggs, can you assist the good doctor?

Surprised but pleased at Oelle's actions, Bedwyr doesn't even get irritated at being ordered about...it helps that what the doctor suggested was something he was hoping to do anyway. Without so much as a backward glance at Doctor Oelle, he sprints forward, blade held ready.

H&S on the lead gnoll; I would prefer him wounded and beaten to dead, at this point, if that's a possibility.
Hack & Slash, precise [2d6+2] = 6+2 = 8, damage [1d10] = 5
Doh. Guess that means I take damage?

[KingOfCowards]

Boggs would like to backstab one of the spearmen on Oelle.

[jbinc]

Bah! Everyone's a critic!

Wiping the lute's strings clear of blood with one hand, Dunwick starts backing away at speed from the approaching gnolls. He's got his sword - for all his 'skill' at using it - and bow, but really he needs to find something in the environment to give him an edge.

What do you reckon GM, Defy Danger +DEX to clear some space, then discern realities?