General chatter

[Anastasia]

From the bureau of miscellaneous shit: If you wonder why there hasn't been much in the way of bonus flavor articles lately, you can blame this job. This job and creative writing don't mix for whatever reasons. I can do stat blocks, treasure hordes and everything else. Yet creative writing has had a big block since I started this job.

Just tossing this out there.

[Anastasia]

Neph wanted a custom spell, so here he goes. He did the work on this and I polished it up. Neph, you can treat this as the final version and memorize/add it to sheet as you desire. Comments welcome. Another spell's coming shortly.

Nature's Grasp
Conjuration (Creation)
Level: Drd 4, Rgr 4
Components: V, S, DF
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: 10 ft/level
Target: Living creature within range
Duration: 1 min/level
Saving Throw: Ref negates; see text
Spell Resistance: No

You create a swirling mass of energy around a subject. Any creature that attempts a melee attack against the subject must pass a reflex save or else be entangled by a sudden growth of vines. These vines wrap around the creature and cling to them, keeping them entangled. The vines can be escaped by a DC 23 Strength check or a DC 23 Escape Artist check. Alternately, another character can free the subject by dealing 10 points of slashing or fire damage to the vines.

Creatures that use reach weapons are not at risk of being entangled by this spell.

[Anastasia]

Spell the second.

Winter's Bite
Transmutation [Cold]
Level: Drd 3
Components: V, S, DF
Casting Time: One standard action
Range: Touch
Target: Living creature touched
Duration: 1 min/level
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

You infuse a creature with the power of cold. Each successful hit with natural or unarmed weapons do an additional 1d8 points of cold damage. This damage stacks with any other cold damage from the creature's natural or unarmed attacks.

[Ebiris]

rogue 8/psionic fist 2

+1 dex, +9 hp, +1 bab, +1 ref/will, improved uncanny dodge, 4 more power points and 1 more power known. Offensive prescience chosen as that power.

[Anastasia]

Myann reaches level 7.

- Witch 6 and Ranger 7. Rather than making a PrC or PrC fishing, I'll fill in things through custom spells and a few swaps/alterations. The fey mantle things offers flexibility like that.
- 3 on a d8 for a total of 8 hp and a grand total of 67 hp.
- +1 BAB for a total of 7.
- Gains Flyby Attack in aerial form.
- Gains Woodland Stride. Useful in this game with thorns, bushes and all sorts of owwies.
- Myann gains 7th level Witch casting. She gains 1 2nd level spell charge and 1 3rd level spell charge, as well as a new 1st, 2nd and 3rd level spell. Placeholder on the spells for now, I'll do these tonight.
- Saves do not change.
- Skills go up as normal, save for climb.

Okay level pending spells. Those will really define it since it's a slow level otherwise. Also note to self, do something with her familiar or trade it this level.

[Anastasia]

Myann's spells are as follows:

1: Appraising Touch. +10 to appraisals, useful for figuring out what loot you get. She backed into that party role, so devoting a 1st level spell to it is reasonable.
2: Levitating Blockade. Make a floating block on demand, will probably be useful somewhere or another.
3: Cure Serious Wounds. Because the party needs more healing when battles go bad.

[Nephrite]

Druid 8/Battle Shifter 1

+1 BAB, up to 8.

+1 Con to 18, so I gained a boat ton of backwards hitpoints.

Ferocious Slayer form, which is a little slower (by 10) and doesn't get Mobility for AoOs, but has +8 Natural Armor and some other nice things. No feat changes or skill changes, other than gaining a point in everything like always. Also remembered to put my skill level at +1 for Wisdom-related ones since I was still using a +3 modifier there. Oops!

+2 fort and +2 will, up to a pretty hefty 14 and 10 respectively.

[Corwin]

Per Dune's permission, retraining Power Attack for Two-Weapon Fighting. +BAB, +saves, point into dex. Spring Attack from dervish, and a second dance. Not a bad level.

[Nephrite]

Just a note for the future, if the characters have any IC downtime, I would like to cast http://dndtools.eu/spells/planar-handbook--79/lay-of-the-land--2176/ if possible.

[Ebiris]

Oh, my unarmed damage also goes up to 1d10 because psionic fist progresses that.

[Anastasia]

Noted, Eb.

Neph, you should note Lay of the Land was reprinted and changed up in Spell Compendium. That version is the last printed so it has priority over previous versions. Review that one real quick before you start casting.

[Nephrite]

Yep, the newer version is fine, too.

[Anastasia]

Right. I'm not going to rehash things you already know. Speaking of, making up a verbal or actual map of what you know in the Vastwoods would be a good idea. A project for one day.

---

Most of the area around the farm is exactly what you'd expect. You know the large majority of streams, notable terrain features and the like. Interestingly, it notes the fairy circles you know. They show in your mind's eye, seeming to burble and bubble with information. You catch flashes of indistinct things before the spell expires - Lady Valisha and another figure, akin to a pine tree with a sword in hand, a quiet grove with several tombstones overgrown with vines, the ground shaking as something emerges that comes towards you and finally mushrooms. So many mushrooms.

In addition to that, there's a strange disturbance. You can't pin it down with the spell except for 'south' and 'east', but it's a...mountain? An inconstant, moving mountain.

[Anastasia]

A planning note: While tomorrow and maybe the day after will be split-room things around the farm, having plans for later in the week is a good idea. There's various things you can pursue if you wish, as well as several potential things from Neph's spell in the previous post. If you have a couple of things or more to do, posting a list here would help me plan everything out.

[Nephrite]

Gildas would be very curious about getting to the bottom of the quiet grove with the mushrooms and would probably ask Myann about it.

He would also like to head towards the mysterious mountain at some point. He'd cast another Lay of the Land as they got closer.