In the next three hours, Ashley rests and recovers, Cat butchers, prepares a meal and then sleeps her last hour.

Gain 4 pelts (1gp each) in new condition (ears do not need to be intact so Alice can sneak a couple), one pelt in patched condition due to necrotic damage, 4 lbs each, and 45lbs of wild dog meat.

Alice, rests her last hour, hones her spear and Cat's sword, then strategizes with Yulya. Her Apathy has faded.

Yulya also finishes her rest. Her exhaustion has faded. At dawn her ring of quick casting was refreshed.

[Monday, Spring 24, 08:05, -9.9, Blizzard Conditions continue]

[LUCK 1d4=4: best case considering]

As the temperature finally becomes reasonable enough to venture out and you all emerge from the tent you are ambushed.

[Round 1] For the sake of convenience I placed your rest and tent just off the map North so the tent is safe. By your good luck you all have your packs, armor, and so on, and are refreshed and ready to go, but nevertheless the pieces were already set in motion.

Five Lesser Winter Wolves, Three Bandits, and the Beastmaster who you now understand to be the real threat are ready for you.

"Oh crap!"







Wolf 1 and 2 attack Ashley using pack tactics [HIT A vs AC13 1d20+5=(17,7),(9,CM)][DMG 2d4+4=10 Cold Piercing] Ashley is hit for 10HP. [STR SAVE vs DC11 1d20=3] Ashley is knocked prone.

Wolf 3, and 5 attack Alice while Wolf 4 Attacks Cat. [HIT A vs AC13, AC16 1d20+5=(8,16),(23,21),(13,13)][DMG 2d4+4=9,12 Cold Piercing]

Alice Deflects Wolf 3's attack. [DEFLECT 1d10+3+3=10] The Wolf's attack is successfully deflected and Wolf 3 bites Wolf 5 for 9 damage, Wolf 5 is hurt and angry but not out. Wolf 5 however manages to bite Alice for 10 and because it has a cold attribute her weakness to cold is in affect, she takes 20 damage! Thankfully Yulya's temporary hit point boon (AID) was in effect because it has passed dawn but she's down to 2HP! Cat's reaction to Wolf 3's Attack on Alice is to attack it with her great sword. [HIT vs AC13 1d20+7=14][DMG 2d6+4+1+1=12 magic slashing] Wolf 3 tanks the hit.



The Male bandit fires his crossbow at Ashley, because of surprise he has advantage. [HIT vs AC13 1d20+2=(4,10)] He misses.



The female bandit and the one you remember from the wall fire from a hunter's bow and crossbow at Cat with surprise. [HIT A vs AC16 1d20+2 (14,18),(15,11)][HIT 1d8+1d10=14] Cat takes 14 damage from the assault!



Finally the Beastmaster casts SPIKE GROWTH. An area around you in a 20FT radius sprouts twisting spiked vines. [Movement is already difficult terrain due to snow but now no tunneling is possible and movement outside the snow is still difficult. In addition, every 5ft of movement will cause 2d4 damage. You can tell he's concentrating to maintain this effect. [This can be seen as the area in teal, it is normal piercing damage that will not affect you where you stand but will if you move.]

[Note: to exit the map for this encounter only, you must travel to the East or West edge. Just North of your position is blocked by a shear cliff face that is considered impassible terrain.]

Yulya looks around in panic as her comrades are severely injured by the attacks and immobilized by the vines
Oh no!

Yulya calls upon a Celestial Revelation and Heavenly Wings sprout from her back
SheShe please I need some help yet again!

Yulya casts BLESS on Alice Ashley and Cat. Then she utilizes BALM OF PEACE on Ashley and Alice gaining an additional 30 ft movement before flying over to Cat to heal her too. Then she flies 10 ft SW of the beastmaster to set up a flank when Alice and Cat charge him later. She utilizes her Ring of Quick Casting and boosts SACRED FLAME to a 2nd tier spell 2 times and amplifies the damage with her goblin staff. Torrents of celestial fire rain down on the beastmaster

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIqnO-iMgWI

[Round 2]

The wind howls as snow falls around you, surrounded and surprised, reeling from the attack but determined to turn it around, in a divine show of power and grace, Yulya casts BLESS on Alice, Ashley, and Cat. Then she utilizes BALM OF PEACE on Ashley and Alice gaining an additional 30 ft movement before flying over to Cat to heal her too. Then she flies 10 ft SW of the beastmaster just on the other side of a low rock, shield up and ready to act as a distraction and allow her teammates to attack with advantage.

[BALM OF PEACE 2d6+5=(10,8,9)] Ashley is healed for 10, fully healed and the extra healing added to temporary hit points, Alice is healed for 8, bringing her up to 10, and Cat is healed for 9, bringing her back to full health.

She then utilizes her Ring of Quick Casting and boosts SACRED FLAME to a 2nd tier spell 2 times and amplifies the damage with her goblin staff. Torrents of celestial fire rain down on the beastmaster that he cannot ignore or simply shrug off. [Yulya has one more ring of quick casting charge and 3MP as well as 3MP in her focus, she's used both her 2nd tier slots.]

As the flames descend on him a fear grows in your heart, even though it was not a wisdom save, he is still somehow resistant to the magic! [Perception, Arcana 1d20+5=13,CM] She's almost sure some magic item on him is protecting him but she can't identify it.

[DEX(A) vs DC15 1d20+3=(7,CM),(8,8)] Unfortunately for him, perhaps affected by awe of her display, he was distracted just enough to be unable to dodge the effect and takes the full brunt of it, he's engulfed in divine golden flames! [DMG 6d8+10=48]WTH?! He writhes in pain having to endure such a potent attack, he staggers and almost falls from it! Needless to say his concentration is interrupted and the thorns from his spell crumble like ash and blow away in the wind.



Seeing the thorns vanish and knowing well her true enemy, Cat disengages as an action from the wolves, enters rage with a bonus action, and leaps past them toward the beastmaster. Though it's difficult terrain, she only needs to cross 20ft, she uses feline agility as a free action (60ft, so 30ft in difficult terrain) and positions herself to strike the beastmaster flanking with Yulya.

As soon as the spiked vines disappear, and after Yulya's attacks, Alice disengages from the wolves as a bonus action and storms the beastmaster, attacking him 2-handed with her spear. She attacks with malice and vitriol! [I presume.][HIT vs AC15+5 1d20+1d4+5=(21,21)][DMG 1d8+4=11] With a sudden audible pop, a glass-clear shield shatters around him and his shield trigger fails to stop her attack! As she stabs him, she can see a greenish light surround him an his eyes shift from human to something inhuman, more animal than man.



He howls like an injured animal in a rage and you can tell he's ready to run once again.

Ashley is watching this unfold and she realizes now that if she can't do anything about it, he's going to run again. "You're not getting away that easy Wolfman! Two can play that game!" she laughs a maniacal shrill cackle that changes pitch to a low growl. In the midst of purple smoke and the cracking and popping of joints, she sheds her clothes and emerges as Ashley Panther! [1d4=4] She leaves a pile of clothes behind and with a guttural Primal Scream[/i] [INTIMIDATION SAVE DC16 CHA 1d20{-1x5,0x3,+2}=(10,11,CM,1,14,4,3,2,17)] that leaves anyone who hears it with a shiver down their spine, her dark, sleek body disengages as a bonus action and pounces toward the beastmaster. With only a tag left of her old self, she reaches him and with action surge and she's able to pounce on him.



[HIT CLAW vs AC15 1d20+4+1d4=(21,4)][SAVE GRAPPLE DC12 vs STR 1d20+2=10][BITE HIT 1d20+4+1d4=(CM,15)][CON vs DC14 1d20+2=18,19][DMG=4d4+4=14 piercing for claw and bite]

Ashley Panther acts flawlessly, like the honed predator she is, she pounces on the werewolf-beastmaster, knocking him prone with a claw attack and bite, holding him in place, grappled! Everyone who heard her scream besides the beastmaster are stricken with Frightened this turn. [Frightened 1: unable to approach the source of fear and disadvantage on ability and attack rolls for 1 turn.]

The winter wolves all hesitate to act, frozen in place by the intimidating presence of Ashley Panther! The Three bandits move laterally to get a shot at her, effectively shooting blindly at the source of their fear. [HIT 1d20+2[D] (19,13),(7,21),(CM,CM)][DMG 1d8=1]

Ashley panther is hit for 1 damage but barely feels it.

The Beastmaster is left prone and held, unable to cast with somatic gestures, he's left with few options. Doing the only thing he can reasonably do, he uses his action to try to escape her grasp. [SAVE DEX vs DC12 1d20+3=12] Just barely able to break free he stands and disengages as a bonus action.

Cat's Sentinel ability isn't going to let him get away that easily, she has a chance at least to restrain him and she attacks with her great sword blocking his passage for the moment with her opportunity attack. [HIT[A] vs AC15 1d20+7=(16,14)][DMG 2d6+8=18] Shaken and sapped from that blow he's pinned in place by her quick thinking. [I apologize for this cheese but apparently he has it at his level and class.] Not without options remaining, he draws upon deep teachings... [Perception/Arcane 1d20+5=8,11] Yulya has a vague recollection that what he's doing is a druidic ritual, unable to stop him, he disappears from sight, the tell tale signs of a silvery mist is clearly the remnants of Misty Step.

[FYI you can run past your allies, and through enemy spaces originally I had her run around them with disengage, this isn't a Bethesda game.]

Ashley Panther seethes having lost her prey, she looks around and spots him SW, the beastmaster, looking disheveled is a slippery foe indeed.

[Make your moves! Absolutely incredible rolls!]

Map updated!

Alice notices her negligence too late, the werewolf is already gone before she can attack him with her fists.
The hell did he go? I was sure we had him! After him!

Alice uses Step of the Wind (free) and dashes after the werewolf, cornering him 1 square South of him and again attacks him with her spear 2-handed.

[Round 3]

[Scene Ambiance]

Cat uses her Life Giving Force on Alice and then dashes 30 ft SW, blocking the werewolf's path again.

Even with your fey tricks you can't escape us Nyaa!

[Alice is healed for 2d6=5]

[I placed you where I think you wanted to go using all the 30FT. His position was slightly different from Alice's map because of the changes we made in the meantime.]

Yulya has no time to ponder. She forms an Emboldening Bond between Alice and Ashley and then utilizing her ring one last time casts a boosted Toll the Dead [1MP for 2d12] amplified by her Goblin Staff [+3] and her Celestial Revelation [+2] the werewolf. Then she flies South and seeks full cover in the tree 5 ft S of Alice or 10 ft S of the werewolf. Catching her robe on sappy and snow covered pine branches, she wedges herself in a mess of pine needles and is effectively grappled... by a tree. [Yulya is indeed grappled, you're not a blue jay, you can't just land on coniferous trees in a blizzard without consequences.]



[WIS[A] vs DC15 1d20+3=(5,10)][DMG 2d12+3+2=23 damage!]
He crumples in agony and Yulya is sure she saw the light exit his eyes, but he refused to die, instead she could see the very flesh on him festering from her Necrotic damage.

Alice uses Step of the Wind (free) and dashes after the werewolf, cornering him 1 square South of him and again attacks him with her spear 2-handed.

[HIT[A] vs AC15 1d20+5+2d4=(22,17)][DMG 1d8+3=6]

[This guy is basically Boromir at this point]

Writhing from her strike he falls to his knees. For any normal mortal being, he should be out,[ALCHEMY 1d20+2=CR] but Alice's special alchemical sense can smell something on his breath, a sickly odor of a concoction that he's ingested, something akin to the stem cells of a badger, so she has no local context to understand but she does understand a drinkable potion that can keep you alive even if you would normally fall unconscious, but even this chemical immortality has its limits.



Buffed by both bless and Embolding Bond Ashley Panther approaches the failing monster with pounce. [HIT[A] vs AC15 1d20+4+2d4=(11,21)][STR vs DC12 1d20+2=CR][THIS HAS TRIGGERED SIVERY BARB!!][REROLL STR vs DC12 1d20+2=5]The monster once again takes the hit and remains conscious but fails to prevent being grappled, Ashley Panther then bites him as a bonus action but can't get through his armor! [HIT[A] vs AC15 1d20+4+2d4=(13,13)][CON vs DC14 1d20+2=(10,5)][DMG 2d4+3=8]

Though she holds him tightly, he's not out, though he can't move his arms, his voice is still clear and as he begins to utter the words of Misty Step... [He didn't technically get initiative over the other bandits, so they technically need to go first.]

The Bandits move and take aim, two with crossbows, one with a hunting bow and fire off at Ashley Panther and Alice.

[HIT vs AC13 1d20+2=12,1,15][DMG 1d8=1] With the aim of a Storm Trooper, the first arrow just misses Ashley Panther. The second is a critical miss, which means it would have hit the Beastmaster. The third hits Alice which also means with her Deflect Attacks ability was triggered, it would have been redirected to the Beastmaster. However, as we know from before, he has one last trick up his sleeve and Wind Wall is triggered! Deflecting both arrows up and also breaking causality, but we'll come back to that, nevertheless his spell was triggered and a biting, forceful wind surrounds him!

[At this point I'm left with quite a pickle because Alice avoided 1 HP damage but is now about to get more guaranteed, so as an executive decision I'm letting her get the 1HP damage for the arrow strike fair and square and instead allowing the chance that she deflects the Wind Wall damage back to the beastmaster. This is because Ashley panther was attacked first so the first 'hit' would have been because one of the bandits critically missed her and hit the beastmaster instead, triggering the Wind Wall, so why would Alice waste her move to deflect it to the beastmaster with automatic fail? I am the DM, I can do whatever I want. This decision is final.][STR vs DC13+4,+0,-1 1d20=15,12,17 all saved for half damage][DMG 3d8/2=11,4,9 Additionally Cat's rage and Alice's natural resistance lowers their damage in half again.] Cat takes 5 blunt damage, Ashley Panther takes 4 blunt damage, and Alice does get hit by the arrow previously for 1 damage and would have taken 4 bludgeoning damage here (not magical), SO she can now deflect that attack toward the beastmaster and it's not a ranged attack, so it can't be deflected again by the Wind Wall, so he takes the damage!



[Since it's low enough to automatically be deflected, he can't get out of it. Unfortunately for him, he was destined to die apparently because I tried everything I could to allow his escape but there were just too many rolls and contingencies and triggers and this whole thing was crazy with Wounded level 4 he automatically dies. I'm going to tell you the potion he drank because Alice had a critical roll and that means she knows everything about it. "Potion of Tenacity of the Badger": If HP is reduced to zero, you are revived with 1HP but gain one wounded level. The maximum wounded level is 4, which is certain death with no saving throw. Well now you've done it. Congratulations. And you will learn what you've done when this is over.]

The beastmaster is hit by his own spell and the last light in his eyes fail. He stops moving, and is unable to get his last words out, no, there will be no escape for him this time or ever again. The Wind Wall dissipates into the already windy blizzard.

The bandits panic and run! Using the rest of their move to attempt to seek cover and flee! Though since they repositioned to take their shots, they didn't get far.   

The winter wolves shake away their fear and attack! Making the distance easily in their snowy environment, many find a target and bite.



[Cat's Sentinel doesn't activate as the one who hits Ashley Panther is out of her reach even though Ashley Panther is within 5ft.][HIT vs AC15, AC13 1d20+5=(10,CM),(18,14),(12,6)][DMG 2d4+4=7][STR vs DC14 1d20=10] Cat's armor protects her from the bite, Alice manages to dodge the bite but Ashley panther is not only bitten for 10 damage but knocked prone by the wolf. She's looking pretty beat up at this point, she won't survive another round of hits.


 
[Make your moves]

[Round 4]

[SAVE STR/DEX vs DC10 1d20+1=3] Yulya is unable to free herself this turn.

Cat bestows extra HP on Ashley Panther with her Life Giving Force and then swiftly moves 5 ft SE and 5 ft NE.

[TEMP HP 2d6=8]Ashley Panther is given 8 Temporary HP.

Cat moves 5 ft SE and 5 ft NE and attacks #3 with her claws using Nick. Alice is now W of him for a flank. After downing #3 she attacks #2

[???]

[I'll see what I can do to try to coordinate you two to get flanking on #3 and #2 then #4 and #5 because Alice seems to want to attack #4 and #5 without flanking first.]

Cat attacks Wolf#3 with flanking against Ashley Panther who moves NE 5ft first. [HIT vs AC13 1d20+6+1d4=(12,20)][DMG 1d6+4+2RAGE=11]



Downing the wolf on the first strike, as Ashley Moves 5FT Northeast, she moves 5FT East and swipes at Wolf#2 using her second claw in one movement.



[HIT vs AC13 1d20+6+1d4=(12,26)][DMG 1d6+4+2RAGE=10] This downs Wolf#2.

[You can move between attacks when using dual light weapons, and change targets, and use nick on either target, but in the new rules, Nick is the second attack, I still think Nick is as stated can be used as a bonus attack on the same target or another within 5ft of the first attack if it hits in either case, it's basically sweep. So the Nick attack can't be used this turn as you aren't in a position to hit another creature within 5ft of either. I'm going to say, get the sweep feat and then you can hit three targets within 5FT of you regardless if they're within 5FT of each other. This is how I have decided for this round, no Nick was used. I don't think you moved as you intended but I can't understand your diagram. I'm going to allow Alice a flank on Wolf#5 with you here.]

Cat finishes her move 5Ft East and flanks Wolf #5 with Alice.

Now finally in a position to attack properly, Alice spends 2 Ki points and attacks the Winter Wofls with her spear 2-handed followed by 2 unarmed strikes with Flurry of Blows and Hand of Harm.

[SPEER HIT vs AC13 1d20+5+2d4=(15,26)][DMG 1d8+3=9][UNARMED HIT#1 vs AC13 1d20+3+2d4=(15,CM)][DMG 1d6+3+1d6=9] Wolf#5 goes down and Alice adeptly moves to flank Wolf#4 with Yulya. [Flanking with a grappled person is still allowed in the DMG, I take this as the grappled person can still be a distraction.][UNARMED HIT#2 vs AC13 1d20+3+2d4=(24,27)][DMG 1d6+3+1d6=12]

Wolf#4 is hit hard but is not out!

Ashley Panther disengages from Wolf#1 as a bonus action and bolts (DASH) north after the bandits positioning herself to block at least two of them from escaping easily.



Wolf#1 and #4 flank Alice and attack while keeping out of range of Cat's Sentinel reaction and not within 5ft of each other which will prevent Alice's Deflect Attack ability. [Though these are magic attacks as they are cold tongue as opposed to the time when actual magic wind had a normal bludgeoning attack... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ there is no valid target anyway and couldn't be used because Ki points were spent this turn. As we stated in the negotiation you don't need a valid target to reduce it to zero but you do need it to be a regular attack and not a magic attack as well.][HIT vs AC13 1d20+5=(21,18)][DMG 2d4+4 = 8x2 because of the cold damage that Alice is weak to = 16]



Alice is downed from the first hit [Alice has -2HP and will be out until she can be reconstituted by her own rules, whatever they/them are, both wolves would have hit and had the same damage roll and both hit on their first rolls so they didn't need flank or pack tactics, so don't blame Ashley Panther, she couldn't have helped you.]

The wolves then surround cat and the second wolf attacks Cat [HIT vs AC13 1d20+5=(24,14)][DMG 2d4+4 = 8, because of the cold damage Cat is not resistant to this attack.] Cat is hit with a cold bite and is reduced to 22HP! [SAVE DEX [with advantage from danger sense] ACROBATICS vs DC11 1d20+4=(7,10)] Cat is knocked prone by the wolf!

The two adjacent bandits Attack Ashley with longswords in an attempt to down her instead of attempting to disengage as they realize they can't escape her. The Third shoots at her with his crossbow and continues to flee East.



[HIT[FLANK] vs AC13 1d20+4, +4, +2=(7,6)(11,16)(13,12)][DMG 1d10+2+1d8=10] Ashley Panther takes 10 damage.



[Make your moves!]

Yulya has had enough of being stuck in a tree while her friends are in peril! Not overly worried about Alice or Cat but mostly about Ashley
Cat I trust you to deal with the wolves!

Yulya teleports 30 ft northeast with Misty Step and then flies 10 ft southeast of the bandit setting up a flank with Ashley. Depending on Ashleys attack she will finish off any survivor with Toll the Dead