Crimson Throne of Lore

Game Master LoreKeeper

Pagrip prepares to fire his crossbow if the golem comes into sight.

AC 16; HP 11/18

Pagrip's caution is not rewarded with a shot-opportunity, instead the abomination of carrion ejects a high-pitched curdle as it wails its table piece and claw at Esmerelda. Both attacks miss, as if the creature is distracted by the noise coming from Caulder's direction.

Table leg smash 1d20 ⇒ 5 miss
Carrion claw 1d20 ⇒ 13 miss

Next up: Esmerelda, Caulder, Pagrip, Ten (unconscious), golem

Defensive Blunt Attack: 1d20 + 6 - 4 ⇒ (10) + 6 - 4 = 12One day, this thing will roll only 20s for Esme
Blunt Damage: 1d8 + 6 ⇒ (2) + 6 = 8

"Here beastie. Step away from Ten. That's a good beastie. Ignore the other two that are hopefully going to attack soon." Esme attempts to coax the golem while stepping away carefully.

5ft step South East. Map?

hp 7/29, AC 20 (22 fighting defensively), CMD 18 (20), 1 lay remaining

Caulder delays to see what the golem will do.

"What's happening?" Pagrip asks, but remains in place, his finger on the trigger of his crossbow.

AC 16; HP 11/18

The priest shrugs back at him. "Eleventh verse, same as the first." He watches to see what the golem will do.

There's a momentary sound, like a gong or clock striking, that quickly evolves into and a more crystalline sound vaguely resembling gears and clockwork. It isn't clear where it comes from for a moment, but then Esmerelda realizes that her shield is transforming in her hand! The heavy wooden material transmutes into fine steel and a soothing glow emanates from the shield.

The carrion conglomerate lashes out again at Esmerelda but she steps out of the way just in time; even the claw that follows up doesn't do more than scrape along her shield. The golem drops the table leg and screams - the shout sounds like the unholy union of man and beast. Each claw glistens with some slightly sickly green residue that seems to be pressed out of the decaying flesh.

Table leg to the face! 1d20 ⇒ 16 miss
Claw rake! 1d20 ⇒ 14 miss

Esmerelda can now treat her shield as a +1 heavy steel shield

So I presume the golem 5-foot-stepped after Esme to attack her? Caulder will continue to delay until the monster is more than 5 feet from Ten.

Esme's eyes go wide at her shields magical transformation "Caulder! Did you see that? Its...its...a miracle!" Esme feels a surge of Abadars power running through her (swirft lay self: 1d6 ⇒ 6) and with renewed vigor attempts to smash her warhammer onto the creatures ugly face.

Warhammer: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (14) + 6 = 20
Damage: 1d8 + 6 ⇒ (1) + 6 = 7

hp 13/29, AC 21, CMD 18

Esme then steps away (5ft) to the south east to give her some room to swing her warhammer.

"It must be," he grumbles. "You're finally moving. It would take a miracle for her to listen to me."

Continue to delay as above.

Pagrip shifts his feet position slightly, but otherwise continues to watch and be ready to fire.

AC 16; HP 11/18

If there were a buddy flanking, it'd be enough - but as is the miracle isn't enough to actually cut/smash the thing. I'll assume Esmerelda moves more to the east, as the south-east would trap her in a corner.

The flesh-heaped abomination gurgles in outrage as Esmerelda's hammer scrapes along a limb. Some instability rocks the creature, its body seems to shiver - or vibrate - slightly. It follows and reaches out to the paladin, as if to grab her.

Grapple vs Esmerelda (provokes) 1d20 ⇒ 18 success, barring damage from AOO

Next up: AOO Esmerelda, Esmerelda, Caulder, Pagrip, Ten (unconscious), golem

Map updated

"Don't Touch ME!"
AoO warhammer: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (15) + 6 = 21
AoO damage: 1d8 + 6 ⇒ (5) + 6 = 11

A hit! A palpable hit! Only +5 to damage though, still enough to be safe from the grapple. Barely.

Esmerelda's attack is just enough to hammer through the thick decaying flesh and deal meaningful damage to it. The claws close around the paladin's arms, but she just barely manage to rip herself free.

Next up: Esmerelda, Caulder, Pagrip, Ten (unconscious), golem

With eyes flaring in anger, Esme hammers the golems head with her hammer. "Don't...you...ever...dare...think...of...touching...me!"

warhammer: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (17) + 6 = 23
damage: 1d8 + 5 ⇒ (2) + 5 = 7

Esme 5fts further down the hall.

hp 13/29, AC 21, CMD 18

For a moment the golem shudders, then it slumps to the ground - not even a twitch remaining. And on it, conveniently, is the last piece of the Shoanti kid.

Congratulations - dungeon cleared! Level up for everybody! What are the next action(s)?

"Don't...you...ever...dare...think...of...touching...me!"

Esme continues to hammer the creatures head into the floor. Every hit punctuating a word.

damage: 1d8 + 5 ⇒ (1) + 5 = 6
damage: 1d8 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 5 = 12
damage: 1d8 + 5 ⇒ (4) + 5 = 9

"Hey, hey, watch it, Darkbane," Caulder cautions as he nears. "Make sure you miss the arm." He checks the fallen distiller to be sure he's stable. "Hey, dwarf, all clear!" he calls to Pagrip as he jolts Ten back to consciousness with a stab of the positive energy wand. "Wakey-wakey, sunshine. Need you to slice off another appendage."

Use wand of clw on Ten 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 9

Esme leaves the crushed golem lying in the passage "Everyone alive? Pagrip? Ten? Cleric, give Ten another shot."

After checking that everyone is at least up, Esme retrieves her greatsword with a shaking hand. She stills it, clutching her greatsword.

Wearily she adds "Let's check that there are no more surprises hiding in the corners of this..." she gestures the passages in general. "Hopefully we have completed this ludicrous quest of collecting bits of barbarian. I certainly hope this doesn't drive these Shaonti away from civilization."

Pagrip moves forward and peers cautiously into the room. Seeing the golem is indeed down, he relaxes and lowers his crossbow, removing the bolt.

"Well, that's something I never want to do again," he says. He helps Ten back to his feet. "How're you feeling?"

Assuming Ten's last status post was correct, he was at -3. 9 should be enough to get him up and around. No point wasting expensive wand charges when the DM already told us there's nothing else to fight. ;)

Search the rest of the area? Do we find anything?

Assuming roughly an hour of searching the place and ensuring that it is secure:

The search reveals a few more heretofore undiscovered items of some value:

• a ring 50gp
  
• a well-made dagger 302gp
  
• a silver medallion 50gp
  
• a bunch of mundane equipment
  

The net worth of mundane equipment found depends on the highest appraise check (one per PC)
Minimum: 200gp
Appraise DC 10: 250gp
Appraise DC 15: 400gp
Appraise DC 20: 800gp
Appraise DC 25 or more: 1500gp

Knowledge (religion) 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (7) + 4 = 11
Appraise 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8

Appraise: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (20) + 2 = 22
Add an additional +2 if the mundane equipment includes precious metals or gems.

That's one greedy dwarf. Does his racial stereotype proud! :D

So total is 302+800=(1102/2)+50+50=651 ?

Treat the mundane equipment value as "treasure" for purposes of selling (so full 800gp). Also you might get a bit more for the dagger if you find a nice shopkeeper.

Or if someone detects magic?

Or that ya.

Pagrip casts detect magic!

Player whistles innocently while hoping the GM forgets that Pagrip can't do that. ;)

Actually you lot shouldn't forget to level-up :p

Jerall asked me to man-handle Ten a bit, while he's still off on distant client work:

Ten wakes up with a smile, muttering something about an experimental breakthrough.

My assumption is that the party will now want to return to Kressida and deliver the remains of the Shoanti. Let me know if there's any special considerations or actions.

Actually you lot shouldn't forget to level-up :p

Level up? We get to level up? Oh wow! We do get to level up. I totally missed that! :)

I decided I'm too lazy to keep track of all manner of individual things now; so I flatten the effort. :) For the love of Desna and Groetus - get Weapon Finesse! :p