City of Strangers: The Godsmouth Heresy

Game Master James Keegan

"I am unafraid," Uwais says simply to Mara. "We shall overcome with our righteousness."

The monolith..it speaks...to me. A dark rider is coming. What do any of us know about it? The tingling sensation has Badang cracking his knuckles in attempt to distract himself.

Knowledge(Religion): 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (13) + 4 = 17

He adds, I have used all of Gorum's favors for today. If the numbers are true, I would like to be at my best as not to dishonor my lord.

“I have little useful magic remaining,” says Detressa. “I can channel energy to heal us or harm undead another three times. I pray it will be enough.”

The priestess pauses, then speaks again.

“It seems likely that this necromancer is the focus of our mission, but I am hesitant to face him at less than full strength. I am not afraid, but I do not wish to face my goddess before my time, my task left unfinished. We have been told of other dangers in this place ... might it be more prudent to investigate those, ensure that there is nothing at our backs, then rest to regain our strength and spells, before facing this necromancer and his hoards of zombies tomorrow?”

The monolith..it speaks...to me. A dark rider is coming. What do any of us know about it? The tingling sensation has Badang cracking his knuckles in attempt to distract himself.

Knowledge(Religion): 1d20+4

He adds, I have used all of Gorum's favors for today. If the numbers are true, I would like to be at my best as not to dishonor my lord.

knowledge arcana, planes, nature, or dungeoneering 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (10) + 8 = 18

"Dark rider, you say? You get this from touching the stone? Perhaps I should try ..." Yang reaches forward with his sausage-like fingers to brush the surface of the monolith.

This "Dark Rider" could possibly be anyone or anything. You can think of no outstanding references, just a dozen odd things it could mean. The monolith pulses with conjuration magic and when Yang puts a hand to it he hears in his own brain exactly what Badang says he heard, except in his own native tongue.

“It seems likely that this necromancer is the focus of our mission, but I am hesitant to face him at less than full strength. I am not afraid, but I do not wish to face my goddess before my time, my task left unfinished. We have been told of other dangers in this place ... might it be more prudent to investigate those, ensure that there is nothing at our backs, then rest to regain our strength and spells, before facing this necromancer and his hoards of zombies tomorrow?”

Mara nods as she listens to Detressa. "Yes, that seems wise," she agrees with the priestess of Pharasma.

"Yrix mentioned a group of at least fifteen albino dwarves with tamed spiders dwelling to the south of the western chambers. It also said that one of the dwarves is a mad spellcaster. Shall we investigate those? Their numbers sound similar or slightly less than the necromancer and his undead minions."

The party retraces their steps back west, leaving the charnel house and the mysterious monolith behind. Once more you find yourselves in the room with the great pit.
Are you crossing on the north or south side? I would like perception checks please.

How about the north side. Perception check: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (20) + 6 = 26

North side it is. 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7

Perception 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (6) + 8 = 14

DM Screen:

Perception DC 20:

Perception DC 25:

With a hushed rattle a long snake-like creature slithers out of the pit in front of Badang on the walkway. I'm assuming he is in the front since he's always been in the lead. It resembles nothing so much as a skeletal cobra as long as a man with a fanged skull for a head. It slithers with startling almost silent grace.
With perception checks below 25, you are flat-footed.
Monster initiative: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (10) + 3 = 13
Sister Mara so far has a move action for the surprise round. Initiative checks please!

Kua is flat footed, but we might as well get the group initiative roll in.

Initiative 1d20 ⇒ 10

On his turn, would Kua be able to get to the other side of the skeletal cobra without passing through it's square?

Uwais perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (3) + 9 = 12
Waya perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 5 = 8

perception 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 2 = 14

Kua is flat footed, but we might as well get the group initiative roll in.

Initiative 1d20

On his turn, would Kua be able to get to the other side of the skeletal cobra without passing through it's square?

Sorry, the ledge is only five feet wide. You would need an acrobatics check to get through its square or go around about 85 feet on the outside, if I'm counting right- and it's possible I'm not. Also , I made a mistake with the surprise round: you get a move or standard action so Sister Mara can cast a spell or fire if she's ready.

The skeletal cobra sways back and forth, its sinuous movements hypnotic. You find yourselves staring at it despite knowing the danger you're in.
Please make a DC 15 Will save or be dazed for 2d4 rounds.

Surprise Round:

Seeing the skeletal snake-like creature slither out from beneath a ledge and rise up before Badang, Sister Mara cries out to her Goddess and points at the creature. A ray of positive energy springs from her fingers toward the new menace.

Standard action to cast Disrupt Undead on the skeletal snake.
Ranged Touch Attack: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (5) + 4 = 9
Damage: 1d6 ⇒ 1

Will save DC 15: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8; if failed, then dazed for 2d4 ⇒ (4, 4) = 8 rounds.

Perception: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5
Init: 11
Will save: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (10) + 5 = 15 If failed dazed for: 2d4 ⇒ (1, 1) = 2 rounds.

Know, religion: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (5) + 6 = 11 or Know, dungeoneering: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (6) + 6 = 12 to see if she can identify the creature.

Will save 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3

Ha ha, jeez. Dazed for: 2d4 ⇒ (3, 4) = 7

Will save: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (18) + 6 = 24

will save 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (5) + 4 = 9

dazed for 2d4 ⇒ (4, 3) = 7

Does Yang recognize this creature?

knowledge arcana 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (4) + 8 = 12

Will: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (9) + 2 = 11 dazed for 2d4 ⇒ (1, 3) = 4

Caught off guard, Sister Mara's ray of energy goes wide of the mark while the skeletal menace weaves back and forth.
Initiative round 1
Sister Mara- 14 (dazed 8 rounds)
Monster- 13
Uwais- 13
Waya- 12
Kua- 12 (dazed 7)
Badang- 11 (pending reroll for war sight; dazed 4 rounds)
Yang- 11 (dazed 7)
Detressa- 11

Waya will save: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (9) + 1 = 10
Dazed for: 2d4 ⇒ (3, 3) = 6

Dazed: The creature is unable to act normally. A dazed creature can take no actions, but has no penalty to AC.

The fanged monstrosity is outside of anything Yang or Detressa has read about or experienced.
I don't have a map up yet, but it's got you guys bottlenecked on the north side of the pit- Badang, Kua, Sister Mara, Detressa, Yang, Uwais and Waya was the marching order right?

The ophidian monster's jaws clack as it lunges at Badang.
Bite: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (18) + 6 = 241d8 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10
Ouch.

Its fangs puncture the surprised warrior's hides behind his collarbone. He spasms, a chill filling his limbs.
Fortitude save please, Badang.

The sharp pain accompanies a creeping coldness stiffening Badang's limbs. Tachycardia pounds the warrior's ear.

Fort: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 2 = 17

Need war sight init? 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5 Better not.

Badang resists the numbness spreading through his limbs, though his mind still feels fogged by the monster's hypnotic movements.
Uh, wow. This could get serious. Let's see if Detressa and Uwais can think of something.

Detressa and Uwais will pull us out of this because they are teh awesome! They only need to hold it off of us for 6 or 7 more rounds...

Updated Godsmouth Ossuary Catacombs Map

Does Waya have to take a Will save? Her int is only 2 - I have no idea whether that makes her immune or not.

If Waya is not immune:

Will save: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3

...We might be in trouble.

Uwais stumbles back, wiping his mind of one of his prepared spells for the day. "This isn't what I was hoping..." he mutters. Weaving his hands and drawing upon his canine nature, he summons a dog into existance, threatening the undead snake.

Spontaneously casting Summon Nature's Ally I, giving up my slot held by Bristle, to summon a riding dog behind the creature. Then I will move my 20 ft. away

Oh Pharasma, save us … Detressa manages by force of will to pull her gaze away from the bone-thing’s hypnotic sway, but she is locked in fear and horror as one-by-one her companions succumb to stupor. She is wracked by indecision, her fogged mind unable to determine whether the creature is undead or construct or something else – and she knows that her inability might cost her companions their lives – if undead it might, like many skeletal creatures, be immune to the chilling damage of her icicles, but if a construct then positive energy will be useless against it.

“Uwais!” she calls. “We have to try to knock it back into the pit!”

Don’t know if it will work, but maybe the summoned dog can try to grapple it then roll off the edge into the pit.

In the end, unsure if her powers will damage the creature, unable to reach it with her spear or to get a clear shot at it with her sling, Detressa calls on the healing power of Pharasma, hoping to stave off Badang’s meeting with her mistress for now.

Badang will be in a lot of trouble with another hit like that, and I don’t think the dog will appear until Uwais’ next turn, giving the snake another target. Hopefully channel energy of: 1d6 ⇒ 1 will be enough to keep Badang from dying. Effect is a 30 foot radius, so anyone else who is wounded also benefits.

One point, well that was next to useless! Sorry …
Then she moves around the pit with Uwais to AG8.

Summon Nature's Ally is a standard action if I recall, so the dog should be able to attack posthaste... Which I probably should have rolled for.

Riding dog attack: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (10) + 3 = 13
Riding dog damage: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5

Next round actions:

"Uhhhhhhhh ..."

Round after:

"...hhhhhhhhhh..."

Round after that:

"...hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh..."

and so on, and so on :-D

Initiative round 1
Sister Mara- 14 (dazed 4 rounds)
Monster- 13
Uwais- 13
Waya- 12 (dazed 4)
Kua- 12 (dazed 4)
Badang- 11 (dazed 3 rounds, at 1 hp)
Yang- 11 (dazed 4 rounds)
Detressa- 11

In order to at least try to avoid a TPK, I'm going to drop your dazed status by a few rounds.

The summoned hound barks and bites at the great skeletal cobra, but the creature is too quick. It turns around and snaps at the dog with its fanged maw.
Bite vs. Dog: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 101d8 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7

Uwais has a flash in his head and pulls around to him. "Hey serpent! Face me!" He slowly reaches into his bag and pulls out one of the flasks of holy water, moving away from the snake as he does.

Gripping her long spear tightly, Detressa continues circling around the pit to flank the bone-snake. Double move to AB 5.

Where did Uwais move to?

Uwais has a flash in his head and pulls around to him. "Hey serpent! Face me!" He slowly reaches into his bag and pulls out one of the flasks of holy water, moving away from the snake as he does.

Does your summoned dog get another attack on your round before it disappears? Also, I need a bluff or intimidate check to get it to watch you. Edit: the snake, I mean. The dog wouldn't need a check to watch you, it's pretty friendly.

Dont mind me, just dotting the thread, very interesting...goodluck against the horrible giant snakebeast!

Uwais attempts to gain the creature's notice while he runs around the vast pit, but the creature is occupied by his summoned dog. Detressa advances around the halfling druid, getting almost all the way around the pit Detressa is 20 feet away at the end of her double move, Uwais is 40 feet away at the end of his.

Initiative round 2
Sister Mara- 14 (dazed 3 rounds)
Monster- 13
Uwais- 13
Waya- 12 (dazed 3)
Kua- 12 (dazed 3)
Badang- 11 (dazed 2 rounds, at 1 hp)
Yang- 11 (dazed 3 rounds)
Detressa- 11

The riding dog snaps once more at the skeletal cobra...
Bite: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (15) + 3 = 181d6 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4

And while she sinks her teeth into a large bone and begins pulling, it seems to have little effect on the monster. The skeletal snake lunges for the dog...

Snake bite: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (11) + 6 = 171d8 + 4 ⇒ (8) + 4 = 12

... which emits a high-pitched squeak as the fangs pierce her side and she disappears in a puff of smoke.
Summon Nature's Ally only has a 1 round duration and they go at the same time. Actions Uwais/Detressa?

Warden, so long as the snake is adjacent to Badang, would attacking it with ranged weapons count as firing into combat?
Another question ... this is not exactly by the rules, but what I wanted to try to do was attack it with reach with the longspear – not to damage it, but to try to sweep it off the edge of the ledge into the pit. Maybe stab the spear in between its ribs, lodging it in place, then heaving the thing off the edge (possibly with Uwais’ help). I figure it cannot be too heavy just being made of bones, and it should have little traction or ability to hold on to anything). Even if it means losing the spear – letting it go as I sweep the thing off the edge.
Rules-wise I don’t know if this can work, or how? I suspect it would require a CMB check of some type – I guess it has some similarities to a bull rush (ie moving an opponent) but mechanically is more like a trip or even a disarm.
What do you think?

Warden, so long as the snake is adjacent to Badang, would attacking it with ranged weapons count as firing into combat?

Another question ... this is not exactly by the rules, but what I wanted to try to do was attack it with reach with the longspear – not to damage it, but to try to sweep it off the edge of the ledge into the pit. Maybe stab the spear in between its ribs, lodging it in place, then heaving the thing off the edge (possibly with Uwais’ help). I figure it cannot be too heavy just being made of bones, and it should have little traction or ability to hold on to anything). Even if it means losing the spear – letting it go as I sweep the thing off the edge.
Rules-wise I don’t know if this can work, or how? I suspect it would require a CMB check of some type – I guess it has some similarities to a bull rush (ie moving an opponent) but mechanically is more like a trip or even a disarm.
What do you think?

I'm going to say that it being adjacent to Badang makes firing on it a situation where you're shooting into melee. There's a chance you could hit Badang, though he's able to dodge despite his dazed condition. As to sweeping it off the ledge, I would think a bull rush would be required, since that's the only combat maneuver that includes pushing something around. The creature cannot be tripped, since it has no legs to sweep out (it's entry specifically says it can't be tripped). This is a snake as long or longer than a human being- it's not super light and would require more force than the point of a spear to push it around. I'm not saying you can't try it, but you would need an amazing roll.

I just checked the new combat manoeuvres in the APG, there is one called Reposition, which is almost exactly what I am looking for ... but it specifically says you can’t reposition a foe into an intrinsically dangerous spot, like a wall of fire or into a pit ... so I guess that is out!

Also, did I make it to AB 5 with my double movement last round, or did I get confused counting diagonals?

Sure, you can be there.

Detressa stabs at the skeletal snake with the reach granted by her longspear. She knows that piercing attacks such as this tend to be of little effectiveness against most skeletal creatures, but she is not confident enough in her ability to hit the creature at range without endangering Badang. She hopes that her attack will at least draw it away from the battle oracle.

Longspear attack with reach: 1d20 ⇒ 10 Damage: 1d8 ⇒ 7

Then 5 foot step back to AA 6.

Updated Godsmouth Ossuary Catacombs Map

Updated Godsmouth Ossuary Catacombs Map

Thanks, but could you adjust Detressa's position to AA 6?

Uwais continues to slowly circle around the pit, firing sling bullets at the creature. "Face me!" he yells again, attempting to provoke the creature.

Standard: Fire sling. 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (14) + 3 = 17 Damage - 1d3 ⇒ 2
Move: Reload sling.
5-ft. step to AB 8.

Not going to take the standard action to bluff/intimidate, instead hoping that hitting it with a rock and making a loud noise will get it's attention.

The sling bullet cracks a few of the monstrous snake's ribs and it swerves to face Uwais as Detressa jabs at it with her spear. The thing nimbly dodges around the pole, clacking it's fanged human jaw as it slithers and clacks toward her. It rears up and strikes at the priestess.
Since you're using a reach weapon, you get an AoO on the snake as it closes to melée.
Bite vs. Detressa: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (20) + 6 = 261d8 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7
Confirm: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (7) + 6 = 13
Detressa is up and kicking, but I'll need a fortitude save. 1 fewer round dazed for everyone, ready for the next set of actions.

Watching Detressa fall under attack from the snack, Uwais curses, loosing another slingstone as fast as he can, taking a step towards Detressa.

Attack: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (18) + 3 = 21
Damage: 1d3 ⇒ 3

AoO: 1d20 ⇒ 19. Damage: 1d8 ⇒ 6. Fort save: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4

Detressa's spear cuts a gouge in the creature's long spinal column as it closes in on her. The monstrosity pierces her shoulder with its fangs and a numbness spreads throughout her body. She spasms and grows still, unable to even blink her eyelids or fall to the ground, her every muscle tensed. She watches as one of Uwais' sling bullets cracks a hole in the side of its skull.
Detressa is paralyzed for 1d6 ⇒ 2 minutes. Paralyzed: A paralyzed character is frozen in place and unable to move or act. A paralyzed character has effective Dexterity and Strength scores of 0 and is helpless, but can take purely mental actions. A winged creature flying in the air at the time that it becomes paralyzed cannot flap its wings and falls. A paralyzed swimmer can't swim and may drown. A creature can move through a space occupied by a paralyzed creature—ally or not. Each square occupied by a paralyzed creature, however, counts as 2 squares to move through.

Initiative round 4
Sister Mara- 14 (dazed 1 rounds)
Monster- 13
Uwais- 13
Waya- 12 (dazed 1)
Kua- 12 (dazed 1)
Badang- 11 (no longer dazed, at 1 hp)
Yang- 11 (dazed 1)
Detressa- 11 (paralyzed)

Detressa is helpless to watch as the fearsome skeletal beast lunges in once more for the kill. Could this be the fate Pharasma selected her for?
Bite: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 101d8 + 4 ⇒ (7) + 4 = 11

The priestess topples to the floor in the same position she stood in, a wound in her chest pumping blood. Her vision grows fuzzy and she blacks out. The skeletal snake with the human head rises, blood on its fangs and turns toward Uwais.
I believe that puts Detressa down at -6? Give me a fortitude save to stabilize, priestess.

Badang's mind clears- the snake thing is no long in his vision, but several feet away... towering over the frozen body of Detressa.

Yang continues to try and clear his head, but all he can see is the swaying snake thing ...

Fort: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (20) + 3 = 23