Pt. 3: "Showdown at Biggs Ranch"

Bain IS dead. A putrid yellow rises out of the corpse's wounds and orifices. In a streak of yellowish light, a demonic spirit screeches out of it's chest and disappears, back to the abyss, from whence it came.


Bain was a Demonic Host/Reaver. Reaver's are quite nasty townies with the Harm Aura nuke abilty: 30' radius at 4d12! Costs 10 vitality though. He had some more surprises, but you guys killed him in one round.

navyik wrote:Init: 12+4=16

The Stranger goes first. Then JP. Then Well-Dressed Man.

He shoots JP twice:
1) 23vsRef = 18 damage
2) miss


JP is up...

Inside the Watering Hole Lodge:

Round 2,

Tommy is up...

Robyo wrote:Bain IS dead. A putrid yellow rises out of the corpse's wounds and orifices. In a streak of yellowish light, a demonic spirit screeches out of it's chest and disappears, back to the abyss, from whence it came.

Bain was a Demonic Host/Reaver. Reaver's are quite nasty townies with the Harm Aura nuke abilty: 30' radius at 4d12! Costs 10 vitality though. He had some more surprises, but you guys killed him in one round.

thanks for the details! yeah, he was NASTY, good to know that they will go down easy after they self nuke....as I doubt we have seen the last of them

who's left as an enemy in this structure other than the guy who shot and missed me?

I had to look at the original thread concerning this game and saw that I never got an answer to something (it hasn't come up yet in game play). Rob, I asked a while ago about a breach loading carbine being a move action to reload. Yes or no? If yes, does that mean that the rapid reload power would make that a swift action?

Jp fires at the gunslinger. Move=focused shot (+10 on next shot). rapid shot firing twice at same target. 6+10+8=24 +1 more of within 30'
damage 8+2+3=12. (+2 more if within 30')

Second shot 20+8=28
Crit for 23 damage (+2 more if within 30')

navyik wrote:Jp fires at the gunslinger. Move=focused shot (+10 on next shot). rapid shot firing twice at same target. 6+10+8=24 +1 more of within 30'
damage 8+2+3=12. (+2 more if within 30')

Second shot 20+8=28
Crit for 23 damage (+2 more if within 30')

Both shots hit and damage the gunslinger. He continues standing, not looking pleased.

The well-dressed man looks perturbed as well and barks, "It appears we may be too late. Kill this one Jethro, I'll deal with the others." Then he disappears.

"With pleasure," the gunslinger responds dryly. He concentrates and squeezes off two rounds at JP:
1) 30 vs Ref = 25 damage
2) 29 vs Ref = 23 damage

Is JP dead? His turn is up...

whit10 wrote:who's left as an enemy in this structure other than the guy who shot and missed me?

I had to look at the original thread concerning this game and saw that I never got an answer to something (it hasn't come up yet in game play). Rob, I asked a while ago about a breach loading carbine being a move action to reload. Yes or no? If yes, does that mean that the rapid reload power would make that a swift action?

Who's left? Pretty much just Tommy, Auren, and 3 of the cowboys.

Swift action to reload is fine.

I added some more faith point options to the House rules thread.

(cost 1)
Second Wind: move action, 1d6+Con mod Vitality
Divine Heal: standard, 1d4 Wound

seem fair?

... I'm also considering using Faith Points to buy immediate actions (cost of 2?), but that's sort-of what they do already...

Jp is dead. He turns into a zombie and begins to eat the gunslingers brains.

Hmm. So there is still one enemy here or the are the cowboys not hostile? Sorry, bit confused.

Rapid Reload with the rifle. If there are no enemies left, I'll go to an open window

navyik wrote:Jp is dead. He turns into a zombie and begins to eat the gunslingers brains.

Sucks!! Sorry dude

navyik wrote:Jp is dead. He turns into a zombie and begins to eat the gunslingers brains.

Has he exceeded negative Constitution? If he's at -15 Wound points, then yes.

C'est la vie, JP. I hardly knew ye', a zombie you were not meant to be.

whit10 wrote:Hmm. So there is still one enemy here or the are the cowboys not hostile? Sorry, bit confused.

Rapid Reload with the rifle. If there are no enemies left, I'll go to an open window

Well yes, Lennie shot at you, but that was early-on in the fight, before Bain acted and the situation changed drastically? Will Lennie shoot again? That remains to be seen, but Tommy at present shows no hostility towards Lennie. There also doesn't seem to be any other threats in the room.

As for walking to a window: looking at the map; there is a double window behind Sarge and Lennie and another window on the southern wall, behind Bain's smoking body.

There is also the front door, which is 10' from Tommy.

Yeah. -21

Lennie looks embarrassed. "Sorry about that stray shot, city-slicker. Didn't really know your intentions or your compadre."

"Bain gave it to us that time," remarks Bud.

"He always was a loose canon," Sarge says. "S'pose that's why Mr. Biggs tells everyone to leave Bain alone."

navyik wrote:Yeah. -21

Okay, well being a role-playing game, Raise Dead or other spells are available... For now, he's dead.

JP's spirit is trapped between realms. he gains the Incorporeal template:
He gains +2 levels.
JP is now at full Wounds and Vitality and also, gains +10 vitality, and +1 on Attacks, DR, and all Defenses.
He also gains the following abilities:
~Etheric Skills: Incorporeal creatures are quiet, hard to spot, and observant. Apply a +5 bonus on Perception and Stealth checks.
~Incorporeal Traits (M): This creature is incorporeal. Mundane attacks against incorporeal creatures have a 90% miss chance and magic attacks have a 50% miss chance. Incorporeal creatures cannot handle solid objects, can pass through solid objects such as walls, may choose to be invisible to enjoy a +10 bonus on Stealth checks, and must materialize to make attack rolls. Materializing and dematerializing are swift actions that cost 5 vitality each.
~Mage Hand (M): An incorporeal creature can telekinesis a single unattended object weighing up to 5 pounds out to a distance of 30 ft.

*JP is technically not Undead, since he is not powered by Negative Energy. Once he stays on the mortal plane for days exceeding his Con score, he will make endurance checks or be turned into a ghost.

The stranger kneels besides JP's body, and begins rummaging through the pockets, searching for loot.

navyik wrote:Yeah. -21

sorry dude, I think we are all following you to an early grave.

did you check your Diety to see if there was anything you could do with Faith Points to save your hide?

Step to teh doorway then Rob. what do I see?

Perception:
Roll(1d20)+5:
15,+5
Total:20

whit10 wrote:Step to teh doorway then Rob. what do I see?

Perception:
Roll(1d20)+5:
15,+5
Total:20

From the doorway, Tommy sees:
~Coming up the road (from the south) and approaching the Watering Hole Lodge are 3 horsed figures. The riders are two men and a woman. They are about 35' away.
~Up the road, in the other direction (north), are more riders near the stable. One of them is in a wagon. They are looking in the direction of several shots having just been fired from the northwest. The shots came from JP's direction, obviously. Tommy can not see JP or the gate, because the house is in the way.

Chris wrote:

navyik wrote:Yeah. -21

sorry dude, I think we are all following you to an early grave.

did you check your Diety to see if there was anything you could do with Faith Points to save your hide?

I wondered that as well. Certainly, things are getting tougher. You guys elected to go into the stronghold of a major NPC in the area. But things are not impossible! Like a sword or gun, diplo can be handy.

Robyo wrote:[
I wondered that as well. Certainly, things are getting tougher. You guys elected to go into the stronghold of a major NPC in the area. But things are not impossible! Like a sword or gun, diplo can be handy.

Yeah, the head-strong approach was a bit ambitious, but in character for the Marshall. I think the presence of the Fiend removed our diplomacy chance, at least at that stage. Auren just wasn't going to negotiate with a Fiend.

We'll see what manner of folks we encounter, if they are more of the slimey or fiendish variety, I don't know if surrender is an option.

Nothing like going straight to the evil wizard's castle

Robyo wrote:Lennie looks embarrassed. "Sorry about that stray shot, city-slicker. Didn't really know your intentions or your compadre."

"Bain gave it to us that time," remarks Bud.

"He always was a loose canon," Sarge says. "S'pose that's why Mr. Biggs tells everyone to leave Bain alone."

(I don't know if I can speak out of turn?)

"Whoa that hurt! Bain was a Fiend, an evil creature... kind of like a demon or one of Satan's devils from your mythology. If any of us are going to walk out of here, we need to know if there are any more like Bain on the ranch?

Who else is like you guys - just a human that works here? I am here to protect normal folks.

But I have to find and kill monsters like Bain and that purple squid-head we saw yesterday. Lennie, Bud, Sarge.... Will you guys be honest about what happened here, if we have to talk to Bossman?"

Jp begins cursin at his assailant in french!

Chris wrote:"Whoa that hurt! Bain was a Fiend, an evil creature... kind of like a demon or one of Satan's devils from your mythology. If any of us are going to walk out of here, we need to know if there are any more like Bain on the ranch?

Who else is like you guys - just a human that works here? I am here to protect normal folks.

But I have to find and kill monsters like Bain and that purple squid-head we saw yesterday. Lennie, Bud, Sarge.... Will you guys be honest about what happened here, if we have to talk to Bossman?"

We're out of combat for the moment.

Auren, give me a Diplo check...

"There ain't no other folks quite like Bain around here," replies Sarge. "I've never liked the fella, but I'd never seen him do anything like this! If he was hellspawn, as you claim, then he deserved what he got."

"Bain was doing nothing. City-slicker's friend antagonized him," remarks Bud.

"Antagonize? That's a mighty big word for you, Bud," kids Lennie. "You learn that one from the ex-school marm working at Polk's Lodge?" Turning to the marshal, "There are few folks around here who could stand up to Bain. You aced one of the Bossman's main enforcers. He ain't gonna like that too much."

navyik wrote:Jp begins cursin at his assailant in french!

The stranger looks around, confused. Then his eyes begin to focus on JP's eidolon. He shoots twice:
1) 25vsRef, 65% hit! (apparently he has a magic rifle) = 23 damage
2) 26vsRef, 08% miss!


JP is up...

Diplo
Result of the throw of dice "1d20 +3" :

9 + 3 = 12


if we are out of combat, Auren will Lay Hands on his wounds
Result of the throw of dice "1d8 +5" :

7 + 5 = 12

back to full wounds, I don't suppose those extra points carryover into vitality?

"anybody else injured? (to Lennie, Sarge, Bud) start checking your friends and see if anyone is still alive, I might be able to help them. And before I forget, where is this new mine of Bossmans?"

Auren will attempt to rest for 1 minute and get his Second Wind (but I doubt it)

Perception check to hear gunfire?
Result of the throw of dice "1d20 +9" :

7 + 9 = 16

Extra healing points carry over into Vitality.

Lennie and Bud are injured (wounded) and could use some healing. Everyone else (besides PC's) that got hit by the Mass Harm blast are dead.

Resting 1 minute (second wind) is fine.

Auren hears gunfire to the northwest, but that's all he knows. He's inside a wooden building, and can't determine distance away of gunshots, except that they aren't immediately close-by.

"The mines? They're about 2 miles east," replies Sarge. "In the direction of the hills."


After a few minutes pass by, 3 figures walk into the lodge. The first is a short, pudgy man, followed by and a rough-looking gunslinger type and a dark-skinned woman. The short man is Bossman Biggs. He looks around at the slaughter and debris and demands, "What in the blue blazes is going on around here?"

Jp uses telekenesis to use a tinder twig to light one of the tripple dynamite bundles.

6 Vit carry over + 4d6 for 2nd wind

Result of the throw of dice "4d6" :

5 + 6 + 5 + 1 = 17

17+6 = 23\25 and 10\10 WP

Auren will heal Lennie and Bud while before the 3 arrive

Lennie
Result of the throw of dice "1d8 +5" :

1 + 5 = 6

Bud
Result of the throw of dice "1d8 +5" :

2 + 5 = 7

Revitalize Tommy, DC12
Result of the throw of dice "1d20 +8" :

12 + 8 = 20

Tommy regains 4 Vitality


Auren stands, greatsword in hand held low.

"Mr. Biggs, I am Auren Sparkexnthrax, Marshall of Pestilence and I will be asking the questions today. I have been attacked by your agents on three occasions: in town 2 days ago, on the road yesterday and here today. Assualting a State Peacekeeper is a Felony offense. However, none of these agents were human: most were shapeshifters of some kind, there was a purple squid-faced thing and that Hellspawn Bain. Were your agents acting under your direction and control during these attacks?"

Auren will attempt to Intimidate Biggs using the Coerce option here:
Intimidate (Str)
Intimidate includes the following uses.
Coerce: Outside of combat, you successfully bully a creature
into being cooperative for 5 minutes by succeeding against a DC equal
to 10 + 2x the foe’s level. The foe must see or hear you and be within
30 ft. Apply a +5 bonus to your check if you are brandishing a weapon
and your target is unarmed. A coerced creature does what you ask
but with minimal effort and only while you remain in line of sight or
hearing. The creature is unfriendly to you when the effect ends. You
can affect a particular foe only once in a 24-hour period.

Result of the throw of dice "1d20 +9" :

15 + 9 = 24 +5 for brandishing a weapon = 29


hmmm.... faith point for good measure
Result of the throw of dice "1d6" :

4

33 total (hopefully he is less than 11th)

hey Tommy - how about an AID? Intimidate DC15 to give me another +2
(and pray this works)

Thank you for the Vitality... here's the aid check. (Tommy's looking at them with the big fifty still in his hands)

Intimidate:

Roll(1d20)+3:
13,+3
Total:16

Biggs snorts and replies, "Alright marshal. The Bossman will play your game, for now. So let The Bossman be clear, The Bossman never ordered any attacks upon you." He looks around and says to everyone present, "What we have here is failure to communicate." Then turns back to the marshal, "The Bossman doesn't know what you're going on about. Squidman? Hellspawn? The Bossman is confused by what you say."

"It was Bain, sir," replies Sarge. "He is the hellspawn and used his powers here today to kill many innocent people. Though, to be fair, it was the marshal and his com-padre that started the fight."

"The Bossman has heard that you were an honorable man, er, drack, marshal Sparx," says Biggs. "Perhaps we should discuss this in private. Will you accompany me back to the manor?"

navyik wrote:Jp uses telekenesis to use a tinder twig to light one of the tripple dynamite bundles.

The dynamite wick lights up and sparks begin to fly off of it. The stranger looks confused and scared. He starts to run down the road towards the ranch.

Robyo wrote:
"The Bossman has heard that you were an honorable man, er, drack, marshal Sparx," says Biggs. "Perhaps we should discuss this in private. Will you accompany me back to the manor?"

Detect evil on Bossman, his gun-hand and the woman.

"I am willing to hear you out, Bossman, under 2 conditions. First, order your men and women to stand down and return their normal duties. Discussing this 'in private' means exactly that - just you, me and my deputy here as a witness to your statements. Second, until I decide whether to place you under arrest or not, you will not leave my presence. After you, sir."

Auren will sheath his sword and grab his helmet off the bar.

"I am sorry about your friends" he says to Lennie, Sarge and Bud.

*edit* I am in court today adn tomorrow all day, so limited in posting to early AM probably night, unless I can get the wireless hotspot, then maybe add 1 at lunch**

The dynamite will chase him...

Norman Biggs is not a fiend or undead, and neither are his bodyguards.

"Alright, marshal." Biggs responds. "The Bossman isn't accustomed to taking orders, especially on his own land. But if events are dire as you suggest, then we'd best discover who the perpetrators are."

He turns to the others and says, "You men lick your wounds and start cleaning this place up. These folks deserve a respectful departing. We will hold a service for them in the morning. Get some of the other men to help you too. And keep it quiet. We don't want word of this spreading."

Then he gestures to his bodyguards and they exit. He turns to the heroes. "Let us ride our horses down the road to my humble home."

navyik wrote:The dynamite will chase him...

The stranger was at C-1 when JP used Mage Hand on the dynamite. Then he did a 2x move and he's just arrived at the gate. The gate doors are now open. Standing inside, is the well-dressed man and he's talking to a couple guards.


JP's eidolon is standing at A-1, next to his shot-dead corpse (B-1). Mage Hand lets you telekinesis a single unattended object weighing up to 5 pounds and within 30 ft. You can telekinesis the object up to 10 ft.

You currently have the dynamite floating above the body in space B-1. How do you wish to proceed?


*I hope to update the map soon

Can jp chase the stranger while maintaining his hold on the dynamite and have it move with him? Otherwise he will just move it as far as he can toward the stranger to make his point.

navyik wrote:Can jp chase the stranger while maintaining his hold on the dynamite and have it move with him? Otherwise he will just move it as far as he can toward the stranger to make his point.

that is awesome! I love the looney toons of a ghost chasing his killer with dynamite


**edit** by the way, we got the trial declared a MISTRIAL today!!!! which is kinda sexist, why is it always Miss Trial and never Mr Trial?

Chris... that was a pun worthy of Matt. And a bad one at that. lol

Nice going though... remind me to tell ya about the charges dismissed decision we got when the witness ID'ed the Defense Att. as the perp.

whit10 wrote:
Nice going though... remind me to tell ya about the charges dismissed decision we got when the witness ID'ed the Defense Att. as the perp.

awesome, score 1 for the good guys

navyik wrote:Can jp chase the stranger while maintaining his hold on the dynamite and have it move with him? Otherwise he will just move it as far as he can toward the stranger to make his point.

It's a standard action to use Mage Hand. Like most spells, it takes concentration, so you can't combine it with movement. JP could materialze, run with the dynamite bundle, then lob it or whatever. The fuse has about 12 seconds on it, enough for two turns.

Be aware, moving the dynamite 10' will not be far enough for JP to escape possible damage. It's a burst radius 5, and multiplied by 3 sticks, makes it radius 15. You could spend 2 turns to telekinesis it 20' but there's much more cinematic things you could do too.

Robyo wrote:
Then he gestures to his bodyguards and they exit. He turns to the heroes. "Let us ride our horses down the road to my humble home."

"Thank you for your cooperation. I find it interesting that you were unaware of Bain's true nature. Tell me what you do know about it him: how did he come to work for you, where did you hire him, what kind of work did he do for you, has he always had sharp pointy fangs and scared the other men, and so on....."

Chris wrote:

Robyo wrote:
Then he gestures to his bodyguards and they exit. He turns to the heroes. "Let us ride our horses down the road to my humble home."

"Thank you for your cooperation. I find it interesting that you were unaware of Bain's true nature. Tell me what you do know about it him: how did he come to work for you, where did you hire him, what kind of work did he do for you, has he always had sharp pointy fangs and scared the other men, and so on....."

"Bain came on as a hired-hand. The Bossman believes he was a drifter and simply needed work at the time. We tend to hire lots of fellas and rarely do we make background checks. If they don't work out, they get the fired. It's that simple. Well, after a while, it became obvious that Bain's skill-set was wasted as a ranch-hand. I used him for special operations."

"Special Operations... I don't like the sound of that." Tommy is eying both of them suspiciously.

"I agree, what sort of 'special operations' does a Rancher need to run?"

Jp will cut the wick with his knife. Then prance over to the gate (invisible) and stand where only the gunslinger he's messing with can see him. Briefly materialize and make a face at him, and disappear again.

Chris wrote:"I agree, what sort of 'special operations' does a Rancher need to run?"

Biggs gives the marshal and Tommy a one-eyed stare. "First and foremost, The Bossman is a businessman. If that means The Bossman's got to kick some ass to make it run right, then so be it. The Bossman's not about to be lectured by some snake-skinned Outlander about how to run things on The Bossman's land. The Bossman didn't become rich and powerful by being polite and friendly."

navyik wrote:Jp will cut the wick with his knife. Then prance over to the gate (invisible) and stand where only the gunslinger he's messing with can see him. Briefly materialize and make a face at him, and disappear again.

*Remember, it costs Vitality to materialize and dematerialize.

There is a mighty explosion and the gunslinger, well-dressed man, 3 guards, and a horse are all caught in the blast radius. When the smoke clears, everyone is injured, but 2 of the guards are dead. The well-dressed man has disappeared, once again.

JP is incorporeal, 73% = miss!

Grok shakes his head, struggling to his feet. He immediately starts blowing on a whistle.