Missing Caravan

[Betimi]

[Spot [1d20+1] = 19+1 = 20]

[GM Marvel]

Jonath leaves Selena to continue questioning the guard.  When she asks about civilians he replies, "We had a couple of men locked up for stealing.  They were awaiting the wagon to take them back to Cantus for trial.  I don't see them over there so I assume the Kobolds took them with them.  You don't think the bastards were taking them for slaves or for..." he pauses a moment and then says, "food?"

Mardak recognizes the damage to the skull was caused by magic missiles.  When he looks for the noise he can't seem to locate where it's coming from.  While looking down at the Hexblade, Betimi's keen eyes DO see what's making the noise.  Three tiny flying critters dart up from deeper within the gorge.  They swarm Mardak and are on top of him just as Betimi yells, "STIRGES!"

---

Surprise round: Only people who are aware may roll initiative.  So that means the Stirges and Betimi, ONLY.

Betimi=20
Stirges= 16

Betimi gets to make ONE standard action before the Stirges action.  

[OoC:  Betimi did say she was going to cover Mardak but she did not say what she was using to do the covering.  She has a throwing weapon and a Crossbow.  So perhaps from now on everyone should mention what weapon they have readied or I'm going to assume you didn't bother pulling any out.]

[Betimi]

[OoC thought I did say I readied a throwing shard sorry.. they are a Free action to draw since they come from my hand anyway]

Betimi will throw the crystal she is holding in her hand at one of the stirges, attempting to use her ricochet ability.

[OoC she currently has Precise shot  and a 20' range increment so modify her attack roll by -2 for every range increment beyond 20'
Ricochet: As a standard action, you can make a single ranged attack against two adjacent targets. Make a single attack roll and apply that result to the Armor Class of both targets. Any hit you score deals damage to the target normally. Extra damage from abilities such as sneak attack or sudden strike apply to only one target, which you must designate prior to making the attack roll.]

[Throwing shard attack [1d20+3] = 14+3 = 17
[Damage if hit:  Damge stirge 1 - Shard [1d6] = 4
[Damage stirge 2 if hit: Damge stirge 2 - Shard [1d6] = 2 + Acid [1d6] = 3]

[OoC I am assuming no acid damage on first stirge because as written the acid damage occurs when the shard dissolves in the victim, it can't dissolve in the target if it Ricochet'd to another target]

[GM Marvel]

The wagons are 30' away, lodged in the wall of the gorge.  So the crystal Betimi threw misses both Stirge.  The tiny critters then finish their flight by buzzing around Mardak as he's balancing precariously on the wagon that could dislodge itself and fall into the gorge at any second!!

[OoC:  Since this is a surprise round, the stirges can only move or take a standard action.  Since they flew up to Mardak, they cannot attack this round; nor can they end their movement in an opponent's square.  So for the moment Mardak is safe.]

Initiatives:
Betimi =20
Jonath =17 Just arrived on surprise round so cannot act until 1st round of combat
Stirges x3 = 16
Mardak =11 Can't act this round - failed spot check so was unaware.

Now on to the first round:  Betimi and Jonath may act!

[Jonath]

"Mardak, watch yourself!" Jonath calls down as his sightline follows Betimi's projectiles towards the approaching creatures. With no way to attack them from here, Jonath takes the only other action he can think of. Climbing had never been his strong suit, but he grabbed the rope anyway, attempting to find a foothold to begin his descent.

Climb check, got a 17

[Betimi]

Realizing she will be far more effective if she can actually hit, Betini uses her Move action to ready her crossbow then fires again

[Precise Shot + Ricochet again]

[Light Crossbow to Hit [1d20+3] = 5+3 = 8]

The shot goes wide.

[GM Marvel]

Betimi fires her crossbow at the Stirges surrounding Mardak but the shot flies wide.  Then Jonath begins to quickly climb down the side of the gorge which rains some dirt down on top of Mardak's head. [Jonath moves 15' toward the wagon.  Half way there.]  The stirges then move in to attack.  Two of them attaches themselves to Mardak and the third one who was hit by some dirt, flies up and lands on Jonath's back.  They all immediately begin looking for a nice juicy place to stick their proboscis into.  

[OoC: The 11 and 16 both hit Mardak and the 24 hit Jonath.  The stirge's can only attach this round and can't bite until next turn.  Remember neither Jonath (because he's climbing) nor Mardak have weapons readied.  Though Mardak can pull out his sword as part of a move action (Max 5' move).  Mardak also needs to make a balance check.]

[Mardak's turn.  Once he's gone, both Betimi and Jonath may do their turns.]

[Mardak Trannyth]

Balance check
(Balance of 12)

If his balance was okay and since the surprise round is over with, he will draw his sword and attack one of them

Attack
(To hit was a 10)
Damage
(Damage was 5)

[Betimi]

Realizing that Jonath was actually in more immediate danger than Mardak, with a stirge on his back while climbing 15' below her, she flips a shard into her hand quickly [Free action] and hurls it at the creature attached to his back.

[Shard attack roll [1d20+3] = 15+3 = 18]
[Shard damage roll [1d6] = 2 + Acid [1d6] = 1]

Her grazing throw is unlikely to eliminate the creature.

She quickly reloads her crossbow [Move action]

Nacesh, Selina!! We have trouble!!!

[Selina Parcellus]

Can I make any sort of assumption of Selina hearing the yelling?