I can only think of one way to clear a path quickly without stepping on too many toes.
Seeing that much of the nearby crowd is looking in their direction, Iandak takes advantage of the "runway" Zaffa created to get a running start. With a deep shout, he lauches himself into the air, sailing over the crowd. The crowd splits, and people scatter as the half-giant lands 20 feet in front of the group. In seconds, a nice wide corridor has been created.
Iandak pushes his way through the crowd with the help of Zaffa.
And Nakir tells the group, especially Azimuth "The Lizard-man knows the way of the crowd. The crowd leaves in fear and is drinking from your words to gain strength. You must do that again!"
You are getting closer to Turloff and the mercenaries who hold him, but not close enough to be noticed and start doing something to resolve the situation. The crowd more agressively pushes the guards forming the protective circle.
Characters are in the south of the map Turloff has a red square around him The two white tokens around him are veteran guards The single token on his right is the leader of the guards The circle (or rather oval) of 9 around Turloff and the two veterans are regular guards The yellow tokens with a sort of afro are crowd
Zaffa successfully assists Iandak Iandak succeeds in the Athletics check I NPC'ed Nakir and rolled 25 for the insight Secondary skill and picked up a bonus (+4 Diplo OR +2 Bluff or +2 Streetwise)
Important: 1- there is only one streetwise check left available 2- there is only one athletics check left available, but as the next success there will get you close to the guards, it will unlock other skills
Don't forget Azimuth has the following power... whoever fails one of these checks next should just go ahead and use it:
Slick Negotiator You don’t let a gaff sabotage your negotiation, and move on as if the misstep never occurred.
EncounterMartialFree ActionClose burst 5
Trigger: You or an ally in the burst makes a Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, or Streetwise check and dislikes the result.
Target: The triggering creature
Effect: If you are the target, you gain a +3 power bonus to the skill check result. If an ally is the target, the ally can reroll the skill check, using either result.
ROUND 2: - MODIFIERS: -1 to all Rolls Pick one: +4 to next Diplomacy OR +2 to next Streetwise/Bluff check
Primary Skills:
Athletics (only one Athletics left) – 20: You push your way through towards Turloff.
Bluff or Streetwise (only one streetwise left)– 16: You keep the crowd calm and ask to make way. You either overstate your importance and mission (Bluff) or appeal to the lowest common denominator with cheap rhetoric (Streetwise).
Diplomacy or Intimidate – 20: You keep the crowd calm and ask to make way. You either speak very elaborately and with soft words (Diplomacy) or threaten and try to get your way through fear (Intimidate).
Secondary Skills:
Acrobatics, Insight or Perception – 14: You see (Perception) or anticipate (Insight) the movements of the crowd or squeeze your way in (Acrobatics) to help make a path towards Turloff. Success: Reroll failed Athletics Special: no additional skill challenge failure generated in case of failed roll. A Primary roll can only be rerolled once this way.
History or Insight – 14: You make some reference to the amicable history of Merchant Houses in Tyr (History) or guess what the crowd wants to hear next (Insight). Success: Pick one: +4 to next Diplomacy OR +2 to next Streetwise/Bluff check Special: no skill challenge failure generated in case of failed roll. Non stackable bonus.
Rounds: This is a round based Skill Challenge; each character has to act at least once per round, in any order. Critical rolls: There are no automatic successes or failures, a natural 1 is always a failure and a natural 20 is always a success Action Points: Characters can spend an AP to act more than once in a given round Secondary skills: Secondary Skills will not bring successes in the skill challenge, only the bonus described, but they will bring failures towards the challenge in case of a result below 10 Aid others: Characters can aid others by rolling a DC12 check. Select a skill and select the character you want to help. •Success: Target character gets +2 to the roll using the same skill before end of turn. No success in the challenge granted. •Failure: Target character gets -1 to the roll using the same skill before end of turn. No failure in the challenge generated. SPECIAL - rising tension: The crowd’s temper is hot and patience wearing thin, it will only get worse as the clock is ticking. Every end-of-round, a stackable -1 modifier is added to all the rolls going forward.
Luusi tries once more to calm down surrounding bystanders, but they are totally oblivious to her. She keeps trying though, and finally some of the people around her start to listen.
As several members of the group begin to push through the crowd with muttered "excuse me"s, Iandak fills his mountain-weathered lungs to maximum capacity.
EVERYBODYMOVE!
The crowd nearest the group looks up in surprise and parts almost involuntarily.
Listening to Luusii's words, the crowd around you keeps calm and makes way for the imposing Iandak.
Before long, you find yourself face to face with two mercenaries, close enough to see they are well equipped. They wear Hide Armor, hold Halberds, and have a crossbow on their backs. The two who hold Turloff wear scale armor and carry heavy shields and obsidian longswords. Their leader only wears leather armor and holds an obsidian longsword, so you suspect he must have psionic powers of some sort.
You are now close enough to try and reason with them.
Turloff has a red square around him The two white tokens around him are veteran guards The single token on his right is the leader of the guards The circle (or rather oval) of 9 around Turloff and the two veterans are regular guards The yellow tokens with a sort of afro are crowd
Luusi succeeds in the Diplomacy roll, this time using the reroll from slick negotiator. Iandak suceeds in his Athletics check and you are now close to Turloff and the Mercenaries holding him. The natural 20 grants +2 to the next skill check (next +1 with the -1 modifier)
You are now close enough to the mercenaries to open negotiation skills with them.
ROUND 2: - Luusi Diplomacy, Used Slick Negotiator, Success! - Iandak, Athletics, Success! - - - MODIFIERS: -1 to all Rolls +2 to next Roll
Primary Skills:
Target: Crowd (keep it calm)
Bluff or Streetwise (only one streetwise left)– 16: You either overstate your importance and mission to impress the crowd (Bluff) or appeal to the lowest common denominator with cheap rhetoric (Streetwise).
Diplomacy or Intimidate – 20: You either speak very elaborately and with soft words (Diplomacy) or threaten and try to get your way through fear (Intimidate).
Target: Mercenaries (reason with them)
Bluff, Diplomacy or Intimidate - 18: You address the leader of the mercenaries and ask him to let Turloff go to appease the crowd and prevent escalation.
Secondary Skills:
Athletics, Endurance or Intimidate – 16: You keep the crowd at bay while your companions can better negotiate with the Mercenaries. Success: Pick one: +2 to next Diplomacy, Bluff, Intimidate check targeting mercenaries Special: no skill challenge failure generated in case of failed roll. Non stackable bonus.
Insight or Perception – 16: You see (Perception) or anticipate (Insight) someone from the crowd about to throw something at the leader of the mercenaries and stop him in time to prevent escalation. Success: Reroll failed roll targeting mercenaries Special: no additional skill challenge failure generated in case of failed roll. A Primary roll can only be rerolled once this way.
Rounds: This is a round based Skill Challenge; each character has to act at least once per round, in any order. Critical rolls: There are no automatic successes or failures, a natural 1 is always a failure and a natural 20 is always a success Action Points: Characters can spend an AP to act more than once in a given round Secondary skills: Secondary Skills will not bring successes in the skill challenge, only the bonus described, but they will bring failures towards the challenge in case of a result below 10 Aid others: Characters can aid others by rolling a DC12 check. Select a skill and select the character you want to help. •Success: Target character gets +2 to the roll using the same skill before end of turn. No success in the challenge granted. •Failure: Target character gets -1 to the roll using the same skill before end of turn. No failure in the challenge generated. SPECIAL - rising tension: The crowd’s temper is hot and patience wearing thin, it will only get worse as the clock is ticking. Every end-of-round, a stackable -1 modifier is added to all the rolls going forward.
'This is a delicate stew in which all the contents must be stirred in equal parts so as not to come to a boil.' Azimuth ponders as they approach the guards. While he stood tall above the crowd as they get closer, he hunches over his staff to diminish his posture.
Looking up at them he says, "You folks are well suited for warfare and obviously ready to handle crowds but we wish to avoid bloodshed today. And while some of you might escape with your life, others will surely be torn apart. And the odds of escaping with your quarry...well, I suppose it's possible. Let us just speak with Turloff and see if we cannot reach an agreement that does not end in death and destruction."
When Azimuth is done with his little speech, Turloff speaks to the leader of the mercenaries in a panicked tone "The Dray is right, let me go... the crowd out numbers you, if a riot breaks out everybody loses"
The bald headed, leather-skin veteran steps forward and addresses Azimuth and the group, ignoring Turloff. "Turloff came here and gathered this crowd in a sign of provocation. He's been a trouble maker and wants to provoke a fight. Now that he has them riled up, keeping him hostage until everybody calms down is our ticket out"
Turloff has a red square around him The two white tokens around him are veteran guards The single token on his right is the leader of the guards The circle (or rather oval) of 9 around Turloff and the two veterans are regular guards The yellow tokens with a sort of afro are the crowd
ROUND 2: - Luusi Diplomacy, Used Slick Negotiator, Success! - Iandak, Athletics, Success! - Azimuth, Diplomacy, Success! - - MODIFIERS: -1 to all Rolls
Primary Skills:
Target: Crowd (keep it calm)
Bluff or Streetwise (only one streetwise left)– 16: You either overstate your importance and mission to impress the crowd (Bluff) or appeal to the lowest common denominator with cheap rhetoric (Streetwise).
Diplomacy or Intimidate – 20: You either speak very elaborately and with soft words (Diplomacy) or threaten and try to get your way through fear (Intimidate).
Target: Mercenaries (reason with them)
Bluff, Diplomacy or Intimidate - 18: You address the leader of the mercenaries and ask him to let Turloff go to appease the crowd and prevent escalation.
Secondary Skills:
Athletics, Endurance or Intimidate – 16: You keep the crowd at bay while your companions can better negotiate with the Mercenaries. Success: Pick one: +2 to next Diplomacy, Bluff, Intimidate check targeting mercenaries Special: no skill challenge failure generated in case of failed roll. Non stackable bonus.
Insight or Perception – 16: You see (Perception) or anticipate (Insight) someone from the crowd about to throw something at the leader of the mercenaries and stop him in time to prevent escalation. Success: Reroll failed roll targeting mercenaries Special: no additional skill challenge failure generated in case of failed roll. A Primary roll can only be rerolled once this way.
Rounds: This is a round based Skill Challenge; each character has to act at least once per round, in any order. Critical rolls: There are no automatic successes or failures, a natural 1 is always a failure and a natural 20 is always a success Action Points: Characters can spend an AP to act more than once in a given round Secondary skills: Secondary Skills will not bring successes in the skill challenge, only the bonus described, but they will bring failures towards the challenge in case of a result below 10 Aid others: Characters can aid others by rolling a DC12 check. Select a skill and select the character you want to help. •Success: Target character gets +2 to the roll using the same skill before end of turn. No success in the challenge granted. •Failure: Target character gets -1 to the roll using the same skill before end of turn. No failure in the challenge generated. SPECIAL - rising tension: The crowd’s temper is hot and patience wearing thin, it will only get worse as the clock is ticking. Every end-of-round, a stackable -1 modifier is added to all the rolls going forward.
As the group and the mercenaries are getting pushed around, Nakir gives the crowd nearby a menacing stare. He also shouts a few threats this and there, making sure to remind everyone of his gastronomic inclinations. That seems to buy some space and time, hopefully making it easier to communicate with the mercenaries.
Turloff has a red square around him The two white tokens around him are veteran guards The single token on his right is the leader of the guards The circle (or rather oval) of 9 around Turloff and the two veterans are regular guards The yellow tokens with a sort of afro are the crowd
I rolled for Nakir a Secondary Intimidate Skill Check with -1 modifier and obtained 21 for a Success, granting +2 on the next Diplomacy, Bluff or Intimidate roll targeting mercenaries.
If Zaffa doesn't post overning I will ask someone to NPC her tomorrow morning or I will do it.
ROUND 2: - Luusi Diplomacy, Used Slick Negotiator, Success! - Iandak, Athletics, Success! - Azimuth, Diplomacy, Success! - Nakir - Intimidate Secondary, Success! - MODIFIERS: -1 to all Rolls +2 to next Diplomacy, Bluff, Intimidate targeting mercenaries.
Primary Skills:
Target: Crowd (keep it calm)
Bluff or Streetwise (only one streetwise left)– 16: You either overstate your importance and mission to impress the crowd (Bluff) or appeal to the lowest common denominator with cheap rhetoric (Streetwise).
Diplomacy or Intimidate – 20: You either speak very elaborately and with soft words (Diplomacy) or threaten and try to get your way through fear (Intimidate).
Target: Mercenaries (reason with them)
Bluff, Diplomacy or Intimidate - 18: You address the leader of the mercenaries and ask him to let Turloff go to appease the crowd and prevent escalation.
Secondary Skills:
Athletics, Endurance or Intimidate – 16: You keep the crowd at bay while your companions can better negotiate with the Mercenaries. Success: Pick one: +2 to next Diplomacy, Bluff, Intimidate check targeting mercenaries Special: no skill challenge failure generated in case of failed roll. Non stackable bonus.
Insight or Perception – 16: You see (Perception) or anticipate (Insight) someone from the crowd about to throw something at the leader of the mercenaries and stop him in time to prevent escalation. Success: Reroll failed roll targeting mercenaries Special: no additional skill challenge failure generated in case of failed roll. A Primary roll can only be rerolled once this way.
Rounds: This is a round based Skill Challenge; each character has to act at least once per round, in any order. Critical rolls: There are no automatic successes or failures, a natural 1 is always a failure and a natural 20 is always a success Action Points: Characters can spend an AP to act more than once in a given round Secondary skills: Secondary Skills will not bring successes in the skill challenge, only the bonus described, but they will bring failures towards the challenge in case of a result below 10 Aid others: Characters can aid others by rolling a DC12 check. Select a skill and select the character you want to help. •Success: Target character gets +2 to the roll using the same skill before end of turn. No success in the challenge granted. •Failure: Target character gets -1 to the roll using the same skill before end of turn. No failure in the challenge generated. SPECIAL - rising tension: The crowd’s temper is hot and patience wearing thin, it will only get worse as the clock is ticking. Every end-of-round, a stackable -1 modifier is added to all the rolls going forward.
Zaffa, agitated by the crowd swarming around her, steps up to the mercenaries and bites off a bit more than she can chew. "Sign a' provocation, huh? Wait 'til everyone calms down? I dunno if ya noticed or not, but the crowd ain't gettin' any happier -- and neither are we, for 'at matter. I suggest ye get gone back t' whoever hired ye 'fore things get outta hand an' ye turn Turloff over t' us."
Suddenly at a loss for how to substantiate her threats, Zaffa subconsciously paws at the badge Agis gave her.
The captain of the mercenaries does not seem affected by Zaffa's warning. "My employers are the powerful Merchant Houses that surround you, and you'd do well to chose your side wisely, Mul" Then turning to the two veterans holding Turloff he orders "Don't let him go! Now let's retreat in orderly fashion!". And the mercenaries proceed to do so, slowly retreating towards a narrow alley where the advantage of numbers won't be as much of a factor against them. Turloff stares at Zaffa in panick "No! don't leave me here! Don't! Let me go!", apparently the wet sand at his feet reveals that he just soiled his pants.
The crowd's patience grows a little thinner "Let him go!" "The Merchant Houses are killing us" "Price manipulation!" "Spies from Urik!"
Turloff has a red square around him The two white tokens around him are veteran guards The single token on his right is the leader of the guards The circle (or rather oval) of 9 around Turloff and the two veterans are regular guards The yellow tokens with a sort of afro are the crowd
Athletics - 20: You decide there is no point negotiating futher and grab Turloff from the hands of his captors and pull him away.
Target: Crowd (keep it calm)
Bluff or Streetwise (only one streetwise left)– 16: You either overstate your importance and mission to impress the crowd (Bluff) or appeal to the lowest common denominator with cheap rhetoric (Streetwise).
Diplomacy or Intimidate – 20: You either speak very elaborately and with soft words (Diplomacy) or threaten and try to get your way through fear (Intimidate).
Target: Mercenaries (reason with them)
Bluff, Diplomacy or Intimidate - 18: You address the leader of the mercenaries and ask him to let Turloff go to appease the crowd and prevent escalation.
Secondary Skills:
Athletics, Endurance or Intimidate – 16: You keep the crowd at bay while your companions can better negotiate with the Mercenaries. Success: Pick one: +2 to next Diplomacy, Bluff, Intimidate check targeting mercenaries Special: no skill challenge failure generated in case of failed roll. Non stackable bonus.
Insight or Perception – 16: You see (Perception) or anticipate (Insight) someone from the crowd about to throw something at the leader of the mercenaries and stop him in time to prevent escalation. Success: Reroll failed roll targeting mercenaries Special: no additional skill challenge failure generated in case of failed roll. A Primary roll can only be rerolled once this way.
Rounds: This is a round based Skill Challenge; each character has to act at least once per round, in any order. Critical rolls: There are no automatic successes or failures, a natural 1 is always a failure and a natural 20 is always a success Action Points: Characters can spend an AP to act more than once in a given round Secondary skills: Secondary Skills will not bring successes in the skill challenge, only the bonus described, but they will bring failures towards the challenge in case of a result below 10 Aid others: Characters can aid others by rolling a DC12 check. Select a skill and select the character you want to help. •Success: Target character gets +2 to the roll using the same skill before end of turn. No success in the challenge granted. •Failure: Target character gets -1 to the roll using the same skill before end of turn. No failure in the challenge generated. SPECIAL - rising tension: The crowd’s temper is hot and patience wearing thin, it will only get worse as the clock is ticking. Every end-of-round, a stackable -1 modifier is added to all the rolls going forward.
