Mission 3: Siege of Nakakuni Castle

[Zanaikin]

(We're assuming Yuuta is help Shigeru spot the shots, since he has a better view and has a Comm Ring).

As the enemy hurried towards the castle walls, Shigeru began firing... (I need targetting checks and damage rolls for each of the following checks)
Light trebuchet rounds first:
(Shot1: ~1600ft, -6 penalty)
(Shot2: ~1360ft, -4 penalty [-6+2])

Heavy trebuchet rounds then:
(Shot3: ~1120ft, no penalty [-4+4])
(Shot4: ~880ft, +2 bonus [-4+6])
(Shot5: ~640ft, +6 bonus [-2+8])
(Shot6: ~400ft, +10 bonus [max])
(Shot7: in clearing... +10 bonus) -- 1st round engaged
(Shot8: in clearing... +10 bonus) -- 4th round engaged

[Sajuuk]

Shot1 - 1d20+9 = 29 (nat 20->39) (Damage: 12d6 = 39 (full damage to target square, 1/2 damage in 5' burst (REF DC 15 for half again))
Shot2 - 1d20+11 = 18 ("miss", 1d8 = 4, hits NW of Target by 4d4 = 5 squares) (Damage: 12d6 = 45 (full damage to impact square, 1/2 damage in 5' burst (REF DC 15 for half again))
Shot3 - 1d20+15 = 21 ("miss", 1d8 = 2, hits W of Target by 3d4 = 7 squares) (Damage: 24d6 = 92 (full damage to impact square, 1/2 damage in 30' burst (REF DC 25 for half again))
Shot4 - 1d20+17 = 29 (hit!) (Damage: 24d6 = 98 (full damage to impact square, 1/2 damage in 30' burst (REF DC 25 for half again))
Shot5 - 1d20+21 = 35 (hit!) (Damage: 24d6 = 94 (full damage to impact square, 1/2 damage in 30' burst (REF DC 25 for half again))
Shot6 - 1d20+25 = 38 (hit!) (Damage: 24d6 = 80 (full damage to impact square, 1/2 damage in 30' burst (REF DC 25 for half again))
Shot7 - 1d20+25 = 35 (hit!) (Damage: 24d6 = 92 (full damage to impact square, 1/2 damage in 30' burst (REF DC 25 for half again))
Shot8 - 1d20+25 = 35 (hit!) (Damage: 24d6 = 70 (full damage to impact square, 1/2 damage in 30' burst (REF DC 25 for half again))

[Zanaikin]

Giant flaming rocks began to soar over the battlements and towards the enemy as the trebuchet began firing...
The 1st round struck near the edge of an enemy formation, possibly killing one and injuring some but it was impossible to tell through the trees...
The 2nd round missed and stuck ground in front of the advancing formation.
The 3rd round did the same.
The 4th round exploded directly in the middle of a formation in the center of their advancing line. The glow of torches scattered apart upon the hit, and the entire formation stopped as their center had probably been completely shattered by the burst and was now in need of reforming...
The 5th round then went into that same formation on its left side, and based on the torchlight, what's left of the formation completely routed as its glow began moving away from the castle instead of towards. Unfortunately, the ranks behind them seems to have successfully rallyed and absorbed the survivors...

Over the comm channel, several of the officers on the west wall, including Tougou, were quite impressed with what the trebuchet has managed already...

The 6th round went into the left flank of the formation on the far left (directly in front of party). Inciting quite a few screams from the distance and killing a number of the torchbearers...

The frontal formations who managed to break clear of the tree line first were actually the enemy's archers. ~60 of them stopped at the edge of the tree line and began to fire arrows up into the battlefields to suppress the defenders' fire, while the other ~50 continued forward with 6 scaling ladders. If assuming half their archers came this way, the trebuchet has already killed nearly 90 of them...

"Volley!" came Tougou's voice. 40 crossbowmen stationed on the western walls fired as one, and several enemies in the front went down.

The 7th trebuchet round then smashed straight into one of those ladders, killing all 8 of the men carrying it, plus 4 more archers as it had just passed through their firing line.

As the enemy charged both the western and northern walls, the comm channel began to fill with chatter and orders once again, including two particular lines of interest:
"Are all of their siege coming from the north!?"
"Ye---ah, that's all their ballistae over there. Must've gone this way for the larger clearing."

Meanwhile (2nd round), slowed by the weight of the ladders from fewer people carrying them, the archers moving in were quickly caught up by the spearmen behind them, who rushed in to cover their comrades with their heavy shields.

Then, between two of the ladder teams, a black ramp of force formed, leading from 120ft outside the walls and directly to the battlements. Looking towards the north, three other similar ramps also formed along the western walls.
(Dave: Perception check DC29 to see the nearest invisible mage conjuring it, 160ft away from the walls).

Todoroki Yuu then finished his spell just seconds after the ramp formed. A wall of thorns quickly grew along the western battlements for 160ft (and 20ft along the southern battlements), leaving the firing gap open but covering the rest of its with barbs, thorns, and thick branches, facing outside to deter those who would try to climb up.

[Dave, Judson, give me your positions on the map as well as the first 3rnds of actions]
(1st round: ladder teams ~180ft away)
(2nd round: ladder teams ~120ft away, spearmen coming into position to cover their allies; mages sighted)
(3rd round: ladder teams ~60ft away)

[Laharl]

Location: M22

Round 1: Attempt to see the mage, fail.

Round 2: Yuuta manages to see the mage in the second round, and immediately fires an arrow.

Attack: 25 (range increment included)
Damage: 8 piercing

Round 3: Yuuta fires another arrow before putting his bow away.

Attack: 28 (range increment included)
Damage: 12 piercing

Updated for Terasaka's buff below.

[TheDude51]

Terasaka positions himself at M25.

Round 1: Expend daily casting of Divine Insight to make Knowledge Devotion check. 1d20+30= 48, for a +5 bonus.

Round 2-3: Cast Extended Recitation. Everyone within 60ft gets +3 Luck bonus to attacks, AC, and saves (CL10, duration 20 rounds)

[Zanaikin]

Yuuta's first bolt bounces off before even hitting the mage, while the second shot went through the outer ward, only to bounce off his force layer of mage armor...
(wow, real low dmg rolls.)

The second of Yumi's aimed shots then stuck the mage, but he mostly brushed off the light injury and conjured yet another ramp. One of the five remaining ladder teams also reached the walls at the party's position and erected their ladder. However, Todoroki then cast a spell into the ground and caused spikes to spring out of the earth all around the ladder's area...

Squads of spear ashigaru were also congregating on the far end of those ramps while the first of their numbers charged up the two ramps already in place...

(4th round actions from Judson and Dave please o/ )

[Laharl]

(I only do 3d6+2 with that bow, so it's less those rolls being shitty and more the fact that I do shitty damage. )

4th round: Yuuta shifts up to M21 and awaits the enemy (readied action to attack if they're stupid enough to come within range).

AC: 38

[TheDude51]

Terasaka casts Dispel Magic on the ramp in row 24. Caster level check: 1d20+10 = 22

If the ramp is dispelled, Terasaka will step down to M26, if not he will step up to M24.

AC: 38
HP: 60/60

[Zanaikin]

(also, Dave/Judson did you both see the Marty posted? : since neither of you said anything about it)
(and when you ready, please just roll the atk/dmg in case I could use it)


Terasaka successfully dispels the ramp (row26), and the one spearmen that was going up it plummets 15ft to the ground below...

The mage outside tries to conjure another ramp, but this time Yumi readied herself and sent an arrow into him as he attempted to cast, botching his spell completely and adding another injury on top of his existing ones. Todoroki then sent his magic into the ground again, this time transmuting the earth into spikes all around the northern ladder (row 12).

The spearman moving up the other ramp then charges Yuuta, who easily dodges his thrust. A second one also moved up after him, pushing him to advance into the battlements (and the wall of thorns). Meanwhile, the other spearmen began to climb the ladders, although at an extremely slow pace as they injured their feet on the spiky ground when moving into position...

As you look up along the western walls, all 5 remaining enemy ladders and 9 ramps were already in place, and the enemy were pushing to move up to assault the defenders on the battlements. A large enemy team was also moving onto the ramp towards the gate, possibly with powder demolition charges; despite their shield wall cover, they were taking heavy fire and casualties from the crossbows and musketeers positioned all around those battlements and directed by Tougou's command squad... but more men were rushing in to take the place of those who fell.
At this point all 300 of the spear ashigaru on the west side were now devoted to assaulting the western walls in addition to the archers; and other than those congregating near the ramps/ladders, 100 of them moved forward to simply begin climbing the walls (those on the southern side gets injured by the spiky ground again). However, their samurai formations, weighed down by their heavy armor, were still rushing up through the trees and over half a minute behind.
[remember that Japanese castle walls are steeply slanted instead of completely vertical, since the entire castle grounds is elevated and thus needs a wider foundation].

A small squad of 5 ninjas then rushed out of the darkness and hurled bombs into the battlements (row 13-20) which exploded seconds later, fracturing the wooden cover and sending splinters everywhere; 2 allied crossbow fell from the attack, while 5 others were injured. Explosions were also heard all across the western walls, as 5 other ninja teams seem to have done the exact same thing... (Dave: Reflex save)

Shigeru's final trebuchet shot soared into a formation of spearmen that was congregating around two ramps and had formed shield walls to defend against the crossbow fire. The huge boulder killed one as it smashed into him directly and sent rock shrapnel all over the remaining formation, badly wounding over 50 of them. The formation immediately broke and ran towards the back... (although it's likely the samurai line moving up will re-rally them).

(5th round actions from Dave, Judson, and Marty needed)
(Map expanded, Shigeru added; he can't see any of the opponents just below the outer walls from his position though.)

[Laharl]

(I meant to say that I was taking at least the Greater Invis extract, but never got around to figuring out exactly what cures I wanted. How much do they heal, anyway, Marty? And I'll keep that in mind for readying - I just really, really didn't see it getting activated.)

Ref: 33

Yuuta backs up and then tumbles forward to L21 (Acrobatics 39) and slices at the spearman there.

Attack: 29
Damage: 26

AC: 43

[TheDude51]

Terasaka shifts to M27 and readies an action to attack any of the invaders that comes within reach.

Attack: 30
Damage: 28

AC: 38; +6 guard
HP: 60/60


(I guess I took the extract, but haven't used it yet. Do they work more or less like potions?)

[Sajuuk]

(Yes, the extracts work like potions. The Cure work like Cure spells of the same level except they heal d6s instead of d8s unless they are boosted (in which case they do d8s).)

Shigeru works on loading his rifle so that it will be ready to use when he moves to the front line. (not using a paper cartridge)

[Zanaikin]

Yuuta squeezes into the battlements firing gap, reaching through the mass of vines and thorns, and stabs the spearman on the ramp with his shortsword, badly injuring him.

The mage tries to conjure again, and Yumi stuck another arrow into him, but this time it didn't hurt him badly enough to ruin the casting and another Dark Way ramp came into existence.

Another spearman rushed up the ramp facing Yuuta, and the two rear ones pushed the one in the front into the battlements, causing him to be pierced by several thorns but also entering Yuuta's space. The one behind him also thrusts forth with his spear, but was easily dodged.

The five ninjas nearby, after noticing Yuuta blocking the ramp singlehandedly, all took a shot at him with their bows. Despite all odds, one of the arrows actually managed to make a hit. The ninjas then withdrew back into the shadows (Dave: take 10 piercing dmg)

( speed up a bit, Judson/Dave/Marty, giveme actions for round 6 and 7... it will take those on the ladder 2 more rounds to climb up. )

[Laharl]

(Yuuta grabs two Personal Lesser Cures and a Personal Moderate Cure.)

Yuuta spends the first round tumbling back before stabbing again.

Acrobatics: 16 (nat 1...wheee!)
Attack: 30
Damage: 13 + 17 sneak

AC: 38 if no sneak, 43 if sneak, +4 vs movement AOOs

If the spearman ahead of him is dead, he does the same but ends in K21 to attack that spearman. Afterwards, he tumbles back to M21 with Spring Attack.

Acrobatics: 55 (nat 20...whee!)
Attack: 24
Damage: 39
Acrobatics: 35

AC: 38 if miss, 43 if hit, +4 vs movement AOOs

[TheDude51]

Round 6: Move to M29, total defense

AC: 42; +6 guard

Round 7: Dazzling Display
Intimidate Check: 1d20+21 = 30
At this point there should be a fair number in range of this and my Aura of Doom.

AC: 38; +6 guard