Aubrey's Eberron campaign. (Inactive)

Game Master Aubrey the Malformed

Ezreal catches Gil's eye and raises one eyebrow when Janosz suggests chopping the hag in half, "Frogshanks- Are you sure this place isn't getting to you?"

Yes. +2

"I hate this place. However, I made it out of the Mournlands in one piece, both physically and mentally. Compared to that place, this is nothing." Janosz starts to make a sarcastic comment about Karrns and the dead, but thinks better of it - both out of respect for his friend and housemate, and a little out of nervousness that the wizard would take serious offense.

"I guess just animating it would be both easier and more useful for trapfinding purposes. You can do that, right?"

Rodergo gives Janosz a very beady look.

Gil looks at the pillar at the far end of the room for more unpleasant traps, but she spots none. Janosz steps out gingerly, but nothing happens and he makes it to the door without being slashed or blasted. the fire bowls give out no heat, so he assumes that the flames are just an illusion.

Janosz's keen eyesight picks out another pressure plate by the door.

Janosz waves over the party's mechanical experts, pointing out the suspicious object. "Something's there. You probably don't want to step on it."

"Oh, and additionally - there has to be a secondary trap, probably a magical one, as well. So make sure you check for that too."

Perception vs traps: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (6) + 17 = 23

Gil mutters to Gelb as they look at the pressure plate, "I'd say he has eyes like a hawk, but I've never heard of a bird of prey with eyes as good as his."

"I guess just animating it would be both easier and more useful for trapfinding purposes. You can do that, right?"

"With preparation, yes. However I feel that animating any corpses in this place only provides more tools for Gath to throw against us. Even his acolytes are necromancers. At every engagement I would have to fight to maintain control over the hag. Eventually they might seize control and I would rather not give them the opportunity."

"We still have what's left of the body," Gelb comments. "Do we set off the trap or bypass it? I'm not for one to try to disarm it."

Did the bodies have any monetary treasures (ie rings, necklaces, coins, gems, etc.)? Gelb will pocket them.

Gil doesn't notice any other traps.

Gelb: nothing of particular value.

"Sure, fine. Let's get everyone back and set it off. Ezreal, do you think we can lift the spellcaster and drop him onto the pressure plate?"

"Yeah, the exit trap is bound to be spectacular. We can't be too careful here."

Maybe Ez's Hand of the apprentice ability could do the trick? Just to give the pressure plate a sharp crack?

It is unlikely throwing a dagger at it will have sufficient force, which is basically what Hand of the Apprentice does.

"I could re-enter the armored suit and step on it."

"Nonsense. Put the suit on, then use its size and strength to throw the dead guy onto the pressure plate from a safe distance. Also, flip over our fire brazier here and wrangle it between us and the trap, so it might shield us a bit from whatever comes next."

"You heard the man. Suit up."

"Rodergo, Janosz and Gelb, behind the second pillar back. Nevharath, you and I behind the opposite pillar."

The braziers are attached to the floor so "flipping" them will be tricky. But other than that, it's fine.

Where is everyone standing?

Gil suits up, picks up the body and, using her reach, stands back from the pressure plate as far as possible and drops the body on the pressure plate.

Don't know how far she can actually stand back, but she will be centered 10' back if possible.

Didn't roll for the failure because I don't have an hour of normal use yet.

And the rest?

We should stay away from the right side of the room, as we have no idea how many traps there are there. How about:
J 15: Janosz
I 16: Nevharath
J 19: Gelb
I 20: Rodergo
J 23 : Ezreal

I16 sounds good.

Gil gets ready to throw the corpse and trigger the trap.

Map updated.

Perception check for Gelb, DC 20:

Perception check for Ezreal, DC 20:

Gelb, if you fail:

"Hmm. Another pressure plate here behind the pillar. Careful. I will hover above this one for the moment."

Perception: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (19) + 3 = 22

Intercom squelch heard. "Ready?"

Perception: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (4) + 17 = 21.

The changeling notices the pressure plate and takes a step to the side while muttering vile implications at Janosz for sending him here.

Gelb will relocate to I19.

Janosz casts a glance back at the other party members; noting that everyone seems to be in position, he gives Gil the thumbs-up. "We're ready. Throw the dead guy!"

She chucks the dead guy.

Gil chucks the dead guy on to the pressure plate. There is a click, then a clunk, and blocks of stone drop down to block the two entrances to the room. Then the ceiling slowly begins to grind downwards.

"Oh for f$#$'s sake. How the hell does anyone ever get to see that a$@#!$# Gath if this is how everything works in here?"

"Oh well - no need to panic. Gil, go see if you can lift, smash or burn through the stone door. Gelb, check the far right corner area for secret doors or panels; I'll do the same on the left side. Ezreal, Rod, Nev - move the hag's body up to the edge of the pit trap. Don't get caught in those foot-severing traps along the way. If everything else fails, we'll dump the dead hag into the pit and then jump in after her and wait out the ceiling-crusher from there."

Perception 13+23=36 to find a door or a lever that stops the ceiling from descending in the area to the left of the exit. Does the ceiling above the braziers go down as well? Do the braziers look like they have been crushed a few times before?

Gil will try moving the stone block, preferably pulling it into the room.

If handholds don't present themselves quickly, she will use the hammer hand to try to break the stone or fashion a handhold instead.

Strength check to move: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (12) + 11 = 23

or

Attack: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (2) + 16 = 18
Damage (magical and adamantine): 2d6 + 16 ⇒ (3, 3) + 16 = 22

Nevharath insists as Frogshanks instructs, paying attention to avoid blood-spattered places where ankles have been sliced before.

The stone is locked in place - even with the strength of the suit, Gil can't budge it. Punching it with the suit's fists is no more effective - the stone flakes a bit, but by the time she has punched through it is likely everyone in the room will be crushed to jelly.

In the time it takes to do this, the ceiling has dropped several feet. There isn't much headroom left, especially for the towering suit.

Janosz notices a slightly discoloured stone in the masonry by the nearest fire bowl.

The braziers don't look like they have been damaged before.

Gil moves to where she can reach a brazier and reaches out to see if it is an illusion. The stones are outside the room, right? They won't prevent the ceiling's descent?

"OK. Here goes nothing." Janosz takes a deep breath and pushes the off-coloured stone in.

The stone flips open like a small hatch. Inside is a small compartment. Five buttons, each with small symbols on them, are arranged in a circle.

The stones blocking the entrances are effectively doors and will not prevent the celing coming down.

What do the symbols look like?

"Ez! Get over here!"

"Rodergo, lay out the portable hole by my feet. Hurry!"

"Let me slow it down first." Ezreal conjures a wall of force running diagonally through the room at the current height.

"Ok now let me see."

Kn Arcana?: 1d20 + 22 ⇒ (10) + 22 = 32

"I doubt the hag's body will arrest the ceiling's descent..."

Nevarath peers around the room, looking for any other clues.

perception: 1d20 + 20 ⇒ (2) + 20 = 22

Gelb joins the archer and the wizard and peers at the symbols.

Linguistics: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (15) + 9 = 24.

Anyone looking at the buttons who can read Draconic (and Gelb):

Knowledge (Religion), DC 25:

If you got 30 or more in the above check:

Kn Religion: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (9) + 15 = 24

"Draconic? We have justice, love, oblivion, immortality, and hope. And I have no idea how they relate to the Keeper in any way that would reveal a pattern. "

Father?

Xativa Kn Religion: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (14) + 16 = 30

i'll leave it to someone else to pose that as typing on an iPad is annoying

If Rodergo lays out the portable hole, Gil will return the suit to storage. Once that's done, she will come look at the buttons, but she has no ranks in Knowledge (Religion), so she won't be able to contribute.

Father Xativa lays the magical storage out before moving over to look over the Kaarnathi wizard's shoulder. "Ah, don't forget, my friend, about the catechism of the Church of the Keeper. Those the five topics presented in Four Lies and the Truth, as you might recall. They are presented in this order: love, hope, justice, immortality, oblivion."

"Indeed!" says Father Xativa. "Derived from a parable. I won't go into the details, but they are intended to 'explain' how there is nothing to look forward to except death. The specific order reflects that in which they appear in the story.

"So... Who wants to do the buttons?"

Above, the ceiling grinds against Ezreal's Wall of Force. Rock dust begins to drift downward.

"I'll do it. G&&*+!n..." *unintelligible ill-tempered grumbling*

"So, love, hope, justice, immortality, oblivion, in that order? This one" - he points at the button with the love glyph - "followed by this, this, this and then that one last?" As soon as any of the party brainiacs nods, he pushes the button sequence.

Does Janosz speak or read Draconic?

"Relax, Janosz. I can read the runes. You keep an eye peeled for what new surprise this triggers."

UMD, just because: 1d20 + 21 ⇒ (11) + 21 = 32

Gil carefully and deliberately presses the buttons in the order determined by the holy man.

Does Janosz speak or read Draconic?

No. I just assumed that Rod would be all "ooooh, this is the rune for love"; then I would butt in and tell him to get on with it.