Chapter 9: Q&A / Discussions

[Jeff]

Ken:

Success. Belarin moves 6 squares south.

Actually...

Success: The creature can swim for the rest of the action, using squares of movement from the action. The creature must spend 1 extra square of movement for each square it enters while swimming. Alternatively, the creature simply stays afloat, treading water.

[Ken]

Ah, phooey. Okay, I shall revise the post.

[Darren]

Okay, so that might be okay, since Adamant goes before Mr. Tentacles. If Kal helps him this round, and Adamant makes a check with help next round, maybe he can get the thing and move before Mr. Tentacles goes. Granted, that leaves Kal as the sole target, but at least Kal is mostly healthy right now.

Alternatively, I can have Kal jump his 10 squares, then try to swim the rest of the way, help Adamant, and next round he can use his Lightning Shift to get away again. Which is what I would prefer.

Jeff, what is the consequence if Kal fails his Athletics check to swim? Does he lose his move action, or can he just not swim? If he failed the Athletics check, could I still use Lightning Shift to move this round?

[Jeff]

Yeah, you have to give up a move action in the attempt. If you didn't, then you could just choose to try again and again.

As for order, I don't quite follow your reasoning. This is the order:

29 = Shorak
21 = Streko
19 = Adamant
17 = lacedons
17 = kracken
16 = Hras'Ka, shaman
13 = Condign
12 = Belarin
7 = Kal

If Adamant goes on his regular turn (count 19), he does so without any help from Kal. If he delays to go on Kal's turn (count 7), Kal can help him, but that will be after the kraken.

[Darren]

Right. But Adamant has already gone this round and Kal hasn't. So if Kal tries to help him THIS round, you seemed to imply that the bonus for an assist would apply to Adamant's roll for NEXT round, which would occur before the kraken's turn.

[Darren]

Wait, I think maybe I've achieved clarity here. First you said that Kal could use a minor action to help Adamant if Adamant was willing to delay. Then you said that Kal could use a standard action to help Adamant next round.

So you're saying that if Adamant delays, it's a minor action for Kal next round. If Kal wants to help THIS round for Adamant's roll NEXT round, it would be a standard action. Am I getting that right?

[Ken]

Putting aside the Aid Another question for a moment, here's a suggestion, Darren:

Move: Use lightning shift to move 4 squares southeast, putting Kal just south of lacedon #4.
Standard: Use thunder leap. Kal could potentially zap both #4 and #5 on "take-off," and if he teleports to a spot 1 square southeast of lacedon #2, he could zap that ghoul on landing. A three-for-one deal!

Granted, it doesn't put Kal in a position to help Adamant this round, but it might help significantly with the ghouls. Or Kal could opt to simply zap #4 and #5 and land near Adamant, but that still wouldn't leave Kal with any actions this round to assist Adamant.... In any event, I think the rules more or less of require Kal to attack something on the thunder leap take-off, since it is an attack power.

Definitely no "right" answer on this one, pal.

[Darren]

It's a fair call, Ken. I think the issue here is either Adamant starts negotiating with the kraken, or we accept that we're going to lose the chest. We could conceivably regroup and then try to pursue/fight the kraken, but who knows how successful we'd be with that?

[Jeff]

My offer was: if Adamant delays to Kal's turn, Kal can do a minor to merely aid Adamant's Strength check this round.

After this current round, it's status quo. Skill and ability checks (even aiding) are standard actions.

[Darren]

My confusion, Jeff, is that Adamant has already gone this round. So you're saying Kal's assist would apply to Adamant's Strength check from this past round, and Adamant would then be delayed down to Kal's turn for next round?

[Jeff]

Ugh. Right. See, I'm not liking this split-round thing.

So nevermind all talk of this round. Work with what Kal can do for next round as far as Adamant goes.

[Darren]

Okay. That's what I needed to know.

I might not get a post up until tomorrow afternoon/evening. I'll do my best.

[Ken]

Darren: It was worth the try. Damn, what is going on with the rolls this month?

Jeff: Any chance that Kal's attack on #2 hit?

Joe: Now that Kal is nearby, Streko may want to change the posted action, and, um, there is the unused Action Point....

[Jeff]

Alas, no. Will is the lacedons' lowest defense, though.

I think Joe's only going to see talk of Action Points if you put it in the main thread, Ken. Not sure he comes in here too often.

[Jeff]

Question: rather than having youguys trying to track monster hit points, would it be easier if I indicated on the map somehow which enemies are bloodied at any given round? I could come up with something.

[Brian]

I'd like to see which monsters are bloodied. Some kind of map indicator would be nice.

[Dave W.]

Well, I can't complain about that round. A 19 and a 20 on my two rolls. Any failure this round would have to be my fault...

[Dave W.]

I like the idea of a marker to indicate bloodied on both pcs and npcs..

May I suggest a red ring around the token?

[Ken]

Oct 23, 2011 9:11:51 GMT -4 Jeff said:

I think Joe's only going to see talk of Action Points if you put it in the main thread, Ken. Not sure he comes in here too often.

Well, over the last 2 rounds of combat, I've tried here, the main thread, and even a polite PM to Joe suggesting that this might be a good time. No response. Considering that we've been using the 4E rules for more than three years, using the Action Point in a situation like this shouldn't be a new concept.

Anyone else care to try?

Question: rather than having youguys trying to track monster hit points, would it be easier if I indicated on the map somehow which enemies are bloodied at any given round? I could come up with something.

I really don't make a habit of tracking hit points. It's been in a couple of circumstances where a foe has taken massive damage from multiple sources and I've said, "Wait a second... he's stlll MOVING and not even bloodied?!"

That said, yeah, a visual indicator would be nice, especially since certain races (e.g., tieflings) or powers (the invoker has a couple) make use of that. Thanks.

[Ken]

Darren: FYI, Kal's lightning orb may draw an opportunity attack from the lacedon, because that's a ranged attack and Kal is adjacent to it.

[Darren]

See my e-mail to you, but for everyone else's benefit, Kal can use ranged attacks as melee attacks when he channels through Skyfang due to Sorcerrous Blade Channeling. It's a useful ability.

[Dave W.]

Oct 24, 2011 13:11:29 GMT -4 Brian said:

. At one point, I'd tried to use my second Inspiring Word on Kal, but that got changed when he didn't almost die. So I had the second one all along. Sadly, only our fishy ally is within range.

No, I heartily approve. Our deal is with him; we should try to keep him alive.

[Darren]

Jeff, Kal should have shifted one square NE from where he is now, unless his Athletics check failed.

[Dave W.]

Btw, I like the bloody tear-drop bloodied marker.

[Jeff]

Oct 24, 2011 20:44:22 GMT -4 Darren said:

Jeff, Kal should have shifted one square NE from where he is now, unless his Athletics check failed.

Ack! Okay. When I can get to my file again, I'll update that and add Condign's bloodied teardrop. ;D

[Dave W.]

Would it be kibitzing if I were to point out that if someone could stun or daze the kraken the it would stop grabbing me?

I'm thinking of throwing up a Hallowed Circle... I should try to escape but I'm just not sure my +4 athletics will beat it's Fort. I'm thinking the circle might keep everyone else stay alive long enough to recover the pieces of Adamant.

[Darren]

I'd stun him if I could, but I've got nothing to do it with. Honestly, I'm down to at-will powers. The best I could offer is to use Kal's Wand of Magic Missles, which would push him 1 square if it hits him, but I'm assuming that if he's holding on to Adamant when he's pushed, then Adamant would just go with him.

[Ken]

The only thing that Belarin has handy is the burst 2 daze effect from his feyweave armor, but the chances of hitting its Will are slim and Belarin would presumably need to get within 2 squares of the kraken itself, not merely its tentacles. Would that last part be accurate, Jeff?

If Belarin CAN control the undead, he's putting calamari on the ghouls' menu. ;D

[Jeff]

Correct. The square-within-a-square is the kraken's actual space, a 4x4 block. That's what you have to reach. The larger square is the kraken's reach, if it wishes to attack.

[Dave W.]

I'm going to to try to do the escape thing first... Hope I haven't used all my high rolls...