Anauroch - The Great Desert

[Thistledown Thurbertaut]

It had been a Maztican standoff for several tense moments when Mael gave the signal that it was now or never, do or die.  The Marc lunged forward at the multi-headed demon embracing it in unyielding arms of metal.  Once enclosed, small ports opened up all over the construct, releasing sharpened adamantine spikes like some twisted inside-out iron maiden.

Melee Touch attack to grab: Hits touch AC 41, provokes attack of opportunity from Vrock.
Grapple Check as free action: 49
Damage: 31

[McPoyo]

Isul threw himself into a rapid casting, launching twin spears of cactus as long as himself into his demonic foe before stepping back into the shadows of the hut's interior.

Splinterbolt on most wounded vrock that isn't being grappled by MARC or controlled by Mael's partner, Attacks at 18 touch and 31 (possible crit since the bolt have an expanded crit range), 15 touch to confirm on that crit (damnit!).

Damage- Bolt 1=8, Bolt 2=15, or 53 if it crits, Slashing damage that bypasses DR due to being spellbased. CL check to overcome SR is 26.

Then 5 foot step sideways behind wall of hut, since I was standing in the doorway.

[Brainpiercing]

MAZTICAN???

You can deal damage again as as an iterative at -5. It would have really been smart to cast haste on the MARC. Daelric might even have pulled it off without the demons noticing... well....

But, how do you hit 42 touch with an attack bonus of... 13? (7 BAB + 10 Str -4Size). Not that it matters, because... well let's just say that their touch AC isn't optimised.

AoO AC hit : 18. lucky you. Natural 1.

And of course the spell is a crit, but there is no "most wounded" vrock, except for the one the MARC just made construct love to, since they were never wounded, yet. I think you're casting at Vrock 1, who is blinded. And no metagaming, you don't know Vrock 3 is controlled - Mael only said he can take care of him.

Vrock's counter-grapple: 42; Second one (in case you want it): 39. By my reckoning you did roll a 20 there. If I'm wrong, ok, if I'm right, roll again to beat 42 for... I don't know how much damage. Check the crits for armour spikes.

There was a definite look of surprise on the Vrock's faces as it was embraced by the spiky construct. One of it's heads shot towards the construct to block it from grappling, but it fumbled, and teeth snapped on empty air.
And likewise was the surprise on the other one, as it was penetrated by bolts of plant matter by the little rodent - not that it could see where they came from, exactly.

[Sohala]

As the first sign of hostilies was an AoO, I decline using my readied action.

[Brainpiercing]

It's a new round, everyone was delaying, basically. So... you can take a FRA anytime.

[Thistledown Thurbertaut]

MAZTICAN???

Yep!  Teehee...  

You can deal damage again as as an iterative at -5. It would have really been smart to cast haste on the MARC. Daelric might even have pulled it off without the demons noticing... well....

Oh, Ok.

But, how do you hit 42 touch with an attack bonus of... 13? (7 BAB + 10 Str -4Size). Not that it matters, because... well let's just say that their touch AC isn't optimised.

I rolled an 18...but I totally goofed and misread my sheet...so it should be a touch AC hit of 31 actually.

AoO AC hit : 18. lucky you. Natural 1.

Vrock's counter-grapple: 42; Second one (in case you want it): 39. By my reckoning you did roll a 20 there. If I'm wrong, ok, if I'm right, roll again to beat 42 for... I don't know how much damage. Check the crits for armour spikes.

Again, I goofed...should have been a result of 43...so I just barely succeeded. Damage is 6d6+ Str.  I'll go for an iterative attack now that I know that I can... result (with proper modifiers this time and a -5): 41. If that works: damage: 31  

[Brainpiercing]

How do you get 6d6+Str on a grapple again?

[McPoyo]

Whichever one advocated peace I'm not hitting first. Not meta-gaming from an IC pov, just didn't want any misunderstandings for targets.

[Thistledown Thurbertaut]

How do you get 6d6+Str on a grapple again?

3d6 natural attack (adjusted for size), and 3d6 from armor spikes (adjusted for size).

[Brainpiercing]

[ooc]

Sorry, I asked you to roll damage again, but you already did that.

I'm going to wait until some more people have reacted to Mael's call.

Even though the Vrock's natural resistance helped reduce the damage of the deadly construct, it was hurting, now.

In the hut, Devanar had beads of sweat running down his face as he kept on praying for the last of his spells... He wasn't too happy that Isul had entered the hut, because he himself was sitting right in front of the door, and any breath weapons would hit him, first.

[Snizor]

'So, the standoff is over', Daelric thought to himself with with a distinct overtone of panic to his thoughts. Daelric rapidly muttered the casting of a spell, causing him to disappear from sight [Greater Invisibility, 8 round duration]. He then moved north past the hut, hopefully preventing the demons from guessing his position [move to B28].

[Brainpiercing]

[Mael]

Is your inspire Awe not running out soon? Or has it already?

Also...I question the tactical decisions made so far. Well...

Do you want Mael to act before the Vrocks?

[Brainpiercing]

Ok, I had imagined the Vrocks readying for the command by Vrock3, or actually delaying until he gave the order. Otherwise their readied actions would have already gone off against the MARC and Isul. However, what we've really done here is start a new initiative order, I believe.  So I'm going to give everyone full-round actions, because I believe the PCs also took FRAs.

And.... I should have saved repeatedly for the those in Mael's area of effect - until they have been affected once. Then, however, they can't be affected again for 24h. Now luckily Vrocks 1 and 2 were shaken anyway. So we didn't make any mistakes there. Vrock 3 wasn't shaken, previously. His Will saves are 31, 30, 17..... I forgot the DC... but I think the 17 gets him at the latest.

[PRIVATE for Mael]

Vock 3 might be shaken now, but it shouldn't affect Azur.

They heard the "Attack" message sent by their compatriot, but it actually came after the hostilities had started. Which meant that whatever they had planned was now less effective than it should have been.

The one who had been grappled had his task cut out for him - he was hurting, weakened, exhausted, and now stuck in this steel embrace. Still, he was far from badly injured, and at least now his enemy wasn't going anywhere. He struck back with everything he had.

AC hit: Claw(sec): 24, 10 dam; Claw(sec): 12; Bite(White Dragon) (primary): 29, 15 dam; Bite (Black Dragon)(primary): 16, 14 dam; Bite (Vrock): 23, 3 dam; Gore: 29, Crit confirmation AC 11, 6 (12 crit) dam; Gore 14; 3 dam; Talon 24, 3 dam; Talon 14, 6 dam.

AFAIK your AC mods are:
In a grapple (no dex bonus), size -4. Now by strict RAW grappling doesn't lose shield bonus to AC, which is just... plain... horrible, but...what can you do. I looked up my PM again, and you should get Hardness 10 (which is like DR 10/adamantine).

The blind one faced the problem of finding someone to kill. However, he knew that his compatriots were mostly resistant to his breath weapons, and the enemy hopefully wasn't, so.... he unleashed both breath weapons at the sound of battle from the MARC. [Lightning 14, Fire 12; Ref DC 28 half]

[Omen of Peace]

Mael attempts to bring the blind Vrock low with the power of the Word.
"Dazzled eyes
Confused thoughts
Limp limbs
Weakened heart..."

Meanwhile, the last Vrock teeters forward with jerky motions.

[Private for BP]

"My body... isn't mine anymore!? What treachery is this?" he sends to his kin.

He lashes out with claw and teeth at his kin, horror apparent on his face.

[OOC]

The MARC still has Dex to AC vs the Vrock he's grappling (and vice-versa). 

Mael: Doomspeak vs Vrock1 (Will save DC 26)

Vrock3: full-attack vs Vrock1. Hopefully he can actually hit given the penalties from Blinded...

[Brainpiercing]

[Mael]

We will see....

Vrock 1's Will save: 23

The blinded Vrock was hit by a terrible demoralising force that drained his defences.

And then he was assaulted from behind by his comrade. However, since their transformation they were barely able to hit each other. And even though he was blinded, his thick skin helped him defend from most attacks. And then, even when it was penetrated, their inherent resistance protected them from each other.

So in the end, from all those bites and claw swipes, only two penetrated his hide, and only one of those two actually left a wound.

Still, the morale effects of this attack were quite significant.

[PRIVATE for Mael]

What are you doing? the blinded one squealed on team telepathy. Stop it! He was already severely hampered by the little halfling's strange words...

[Sohala]

Maneuvers granted - White Raven Tactics, Mountain Hammer, Shield Block
Martial Spirit stance

Current hp: 71

Charge the blind vrock, 2 is it? No PA, 13+24=37, 3+13=16

Heal 7 on a hit.

What is the round count for haste?

It was starting to look to Torgthen that all was not as it seemed, nor were all speaking truthfully. The best he could understand was that one of the large demons was on their side, that or they were all turning on each other. Either way, they were a danger to those around them and a taint in this world, both should be removed.

Having seen his target flail about, the dwarf thought better than to sound a war cry as he propelled himself forward, hammer cocked until the last moment, when he let the momentum of the charge lend extra force behind his swing.

[Snizor]

What is the round count for haste?

OOC:

*looks back quickly*
Crap. It was supposed to end at the end of my turn on round 9. My fault for not posting the duration during casting (didn't expect that we'd still be fighting after this long).

[Brainpiercing]

[Torgthen]

Can you somehow make your weapon good-aligned? That would help some...

[Thistledown Thurbertaut]

The War Golem held it's charge fast amidst a furious gnashing of teeth.  A few claws and bites connected, though all but the White's fangs skittered off the preturnaturally hard construct.  Even then, though it's fangs found purchase, then made only a few small holes, which to it's great surprise began sealing up immediately.  A moment later however, waves of fire and an arc of lightning crackled over the Marc, badly scorching it's armor.


"Hmmmmzbzzt!  No you do not!" The metal warrior groaned.

It reached its arms down, slamming the Vrock into the ground, attempting to pin it.  It then began to grate it into the ground, plowing it away from the battle.

Using first grapple check to pin Vrock: 46, second iterative attack to move pinned opponent away from the battle 15 squares: 44 (including a +4 from having pinned the Vrock, if it didn't get pinned, then Marc will just just deal damage and the result of the opposed grapple check will be reduced by 5 for this so and opposed check of 39 to do 35 more damage. No damage if I just moved it.

By the way, I'll try to keep it pinned for as long as possible, meaning the rest of you after you finish off the other two, can hit this one with a -4 AC.

[Brainpiercing]

Pretty neat on the damage, I forgot, you have to say those things!

The Vrock was hit by Torgthen's attack, and the hammer bit. The wound wasn't great, but it was better than nothing.

Doyle had been hanging back - there weren't many things he could do, here.

[ooc]

I can't get any response from raith0 - apparently he doesn't want to say whether he wishes to stay or leave. So... I can keep NPCing for this fight, but I'm a bit scared of metagaming right now. I mean... Vrock 1 is ripe for the picking for one round. A lot of spells or SLAs could get through now - if they can beat SR. But can Doyle know that? He's got knowledge skills of 5 (arcana/planes). Unless someone tells him to hit the thing with some save or suck right now he'll probably just do nothing much.