DM Zyren's Heart of Darkness
Game Master Zyrenity

Round 1

At the sight of the giant cockroach, Kyren mutters, "Krazzleboks! What an absolutely hideous creature! I wonder what foul necromancer dreamed up this gross, fiendish little nightmare!"

Kyren begins waving his hands in quick somatic gestures as if the speed with which he moved them had an effect upon the spell he is about to cast. Beebergiroux, Alakazast, let us go fast!" Kyren casts haste upon his companions.

"With the speed of a cheetah, go get em Wee Bluets!"

The monstrous swarm crashes into Alcheringa - tiny insects quickly crawl all over his body and bite inside his ears, his nose and eyes - all the while clacking and rustling

Monstrous Cockroach Swarm/ Bite vs. Touch ac 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (17) + 12 = 29
Damage2d6 + 4 ⇒ (1, 2) + 4 = 7

Monstrous Cockroach Swarm/ Bite v. Touch ac 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (4) + 7 = 11
Damage2d6 + 4 ⇒ (3, 6) + 4 = 13

I know I'm right next to Al, but I can't see the map. Maybe someone can help me out with positioning . . .

ROUND 1

I'll take a 5' step toward a flanking position and hack away!!

Attack (Frost Burst): 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (3) + 17 = 20
Damage: 1d4 + 10 + 1d6 ⇒ (1) + 10 + (3) = 14 (3 cold)

Attack: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (15) + 17 = 32
Damage: 1d4 + 10 ⇒ (3) + 10 = 13

Attack (Frost Burst): 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (19) + 12 = 31
Damage: 1d4 + 10 + 1d6 ⇒ (1) + 10 + (6) = 17 (6 cold) <--Crit threat!

Attack: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (8) + 12 = 20
Damage: 1d4 + 10 ⇒ (1) + 10 = 11

Haste Attack (Frost Burst): 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (4) + 17 = 21
Damage: 1d4 + 10 + 1d6 ⇒ (3) + 10 + (2) = 15 (3 cold)

Crit confirm Attack (Frost Burst): 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (12) + 12 = 24
Damage: 1d4 + 10 + 1d10 ⇒ (2) + 10 + (9) = 21 (9 cold)

This thing has the swarm traits, so no flanking / but is has still a reach of five and does not occupy the same square as its target.

Floyd barks and growls at the swarm, though Jinx is unable to release all hell without hitting the giant pussy that is Alcheringa (-4 applied for firing into melee without the precise shot feat). He settles for dropping to a knee and firing between the druid's legs.

Shot 1 (Ranged Touch Attack): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (19) + 8 = 27 Up Close and Personal (2/3 Grit Remaining)

Shot 2 (Piercing Damage): 3d6 + 11 ⇒ (1, 4, 6) + 11 = 22

His second trigger pull is less of a bang and more of a fizzle. Frowning he shakes it a few times and starts the process of clearing the jam.

Shot 2 (Ranged Touch Attack): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (1) + 8 = 9 (Pistol has broken condition)

Move to AC19

Alchemists fire for square AE21 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (19) + 8 = 27

Damage 1d6 + 7 ⇒ (5) + 7 = 12+6 = 18

Target must make a DC15 reflex save to prevent from becoming on fire. Adjacent targets take 1 fire damage (sorry vaughn)

No worries. It's worth it, swarms are a pain in the butt!!

OW--Jezz-usss!!! <--think Indiana Jones when Myrian torched his whip in the Well of Souls :-)

Ac 19 is a square of solid wall

Ref save1d20 + 4 ⇒ (12) + 4 = 16

Only Al left in Rd 1

Even though you have used terrifying attacks to slaughter this possessed swarm of insects, the damage done is not as terrible as you had hoped for.

Battle Mat

Two thigns.
1) don't forget Theras!
2) can I tell whether Im doing *anything* to it at all??

Yeah, you did damage and you're right I forgot Theras - good point^^

Round 2

Kyren sends of a series of magic missiles at the cockroach swarm creature.

"Zalakazam Tingbit, into the bugs you must hit!"

Magic Missile 3d4 + 3 ⇒ (1, 2, 1) + 3 = 7

Alcheringa starts mauling the things with fiery fangs and claws,

Bite - 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (3) + 11 = 14
Damage - 2d6 + 1d6 + 7 ⇒ (5, 5) + (5) + 7 = 22

Claw - 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (9) + 11 = 20
Damage - 2d4 + 1d6 + 7 ⇒ (2, 4) + (2) + 7 = 15

Claw - 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (4) + 11 = 15
Damage - 2d4 + 1d6 + 7 ⇒ (1, 4) + (3) + 7 = 15

Haste attack
Bite - 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (7) + 11 = 18
Damage - 2d6 + 1d6 + 7 ⇒ (4, 6) + (6) + 7 = 23

(Note that the D6 on each is FIRE damage.)

So enraged you have fire paws now?

*starts to roll up Jinx's older brother Minx, who is a cleric of some sort*

please not...I can't believe all our clerics are cursed...

Hmmmm, 5 days. Blarg.
And at least Jinx's older brother isn't named Dinx

Or Winx...maybe the campaign is cursed...we already had like 20 vanished chars...

Possible to just skip Theras' action and continue on? Perhaps he got lost en route to this room, or is polishing his codpiece or something...

If he's polishing his codpiece I'm going to get FrankenFran on him.

Al has only eaten NPC's, and only because they started it. I must admit, Clerics seem to be the worst cursed - which is ironic as I originally brought Al in as a supplementary healer and additional firepower... now he seems to be stuck as primary healer!

OK, enough waiting, someone post Theras' action pls.

Round 2

Theras steps forth (to AE17), placing his hands upon the great fighting cat Alcheringa and rubs some bull dung into the fur as he declares, "Let Iomedae make you strong!"

The cleric casts Bull's Strength on Alchy.

+4 enhancement bonus to strength for next 5 minutes.

So that's 4 more damage.

As Kyren's magic missiles blast into the monstrous swarm, it begins to retreat, back to the armour...

Withdraw to the eastern end of the room.

Rd1

Kyren (resolved)
Swarm (resolved)
Jinx
Theras
Vaughn
Berry
Al

Jinx whistles happily as he locates the source of the jam and clears it (quick clear, move action, 1/3 grit points remaining).

Floyd can finally breathe again and barks out its glee.

Shot 1 (Ranged Touch Attack) 1d6 + 13 ⇒ (4) + 13 = 17
Damage 1 (Piercing) 1d6 + 11 ⇒ (2) + 11 = 13

The little guy shifts into the spot that Theras just vacated so Berry has more room to be combat effective.

(watches a tumble weed roll by)

Did the claws/fangs or flames have much effect?

Yeah, the thing retreats because it's pretty much ripped to pieces...do we sacrifice Theras to the god of cockroaches?

My vote is yes. I rather have Salfon as an absent NPC than Theras. At lest we had some history with Salfon. However, we should make some inquiries into finding a priest committed to his cause.

Round 3

Theras, upon seeing the sight of the giant cockroach, runs screaming from the scene yelling, "Blessed Inheritor, protect me from the bugs! Don't let me get bit by one!"

lol - beware of the killer bugs!

ROUND 3

Huh. Takes all kinds.

CHAAAARRRRGE the retreating buggies!!!

charge attack: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (11) + 17 = 28
Damage; 1d4 + 10 + 1d6 ⇒ (1) + 10 + (3) = 14 <--including 3 cold damage

Berry will hold her action seeing no reason to attack a scared and frightened swarm of flesh eating terror.

Alcheringa looks at the bitemarks collected over his body as he issues a low growl...

CLW 1d8 + 5 ⇒ (4) + 5 = 9

Filthy smoke lazily wafts up from the upraised barrel and is cleared by a puff of pickled air expelled through the gunslinger's pursed lips.

The chamber holds an alchemical paper cartridge, but it is not brought to bear upon the retreating mass of insects.

Reaching down Jinx sweeps up a few of the fallen and starts chewing. Little disgusting bursts of innards erupting with each chew as his powerful jaw works through their tough carapaces. The noise is enough to turn one's stomach if the visual of streams of viscera flowing down the goblin's chin fails to do the trick.

Working his words around his mouthful he exclaims, "Burn door?" With that he points northward and grabs a few treats for the road.

Templar Knight Theras Toidarian joins Vaughn in his charge, screaming for Iomadae to guide his hand and deliver swift justice upon the unholy swarm.

He is a step quicker than Vaughn, to his peril, considering the power of the gathered throng of pestilence that he has dived into.

Such bravado is the stuff of legends, though the lifespan of such heroes is generally measured in weeks, rather than decades.

Charge: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (3) + 11 = 14
Damage: 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7

-2 to AC until the start of Theras' next turn.

Templar Knight Theras Toidarian joins Vaughn in his charge, screaming for Iomadae to guide his hand and deliver swift justice upon the unholy swarm.

He is a step quicker than Vaughn, to his peril, considering the power of the gathered throng of pestilence that he has dived into.

Such bravado is the stuff of legends, though the lifespan of such heroes is generally measured in weeks, rather than decades.

Charge: 1d20+11
Damage: 1d8+4

-2 to AC until the start of Theras' next turn.

I think Kyren already had him heroically fleeing into the darkness forever.

I think Kyren already had him heroically fleeing into the darkness forever.

Gotcha, was trying to move him to the roaches, if that's what he was being fed to, so we can move this sucker along :)

There is a necrophiliac graverobber somewhere out there - Theras won't be alone for long...

the cockroaches press into the smallest slits in floor and walls, after some more seconds the insects have fled, which really surprises Alcheringa and Berry, both wouldn't have expected enough intelligence from an insect swarm to realize when it is unable to overcome a foe.

How about you take a look at that armor, Kyren? Anything special?

Kyren nods to Vaughn and begins waving his hands in somatic gestures to cast detect magic with the command, "Abrakazarmor, Let us know the magic in the armor!"

He scans around the room but in particular around the suit of armor that the cockroaches emerged from.

Spellcraft 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (10) + 13 = 23

There is a necrophiliac graverobber somewhere out there - Theras won't be alone for long...

the cockroaches press into the smallest slits in floor and walls, after some more seconds the insects have fled, which really surprises Alcheringa and Berry, both wouldn't have expected enough intelligence from an insect swarm to realize when it is unable to overcome a foe.

1d20 + 10 ⇒ (2) + 10 = 12 Know Nature Now what would do that?

You have no idea - maybe this swarm had some kind of higher intelligence.

The armour is without magic as is the silver chain.

Maybe one of hose who managed the know local roll earlier can shed some light on the strange scene.

Jinx licks his psychoactive toad to provide a slightly altered sense of things while the others talktalk.

Losing interest in standing around he wanders off towards the door with the star emblazoned on it. Perhaps it was time to use Floyd as a makeshift key to open it.

I notice the little 'un start to wander, and grab him quickly. HANG on there, Jinxy--we like to at least take a look at strange doors before we open them. Sometimes doors in places like htis are very bad for your health! I take a meaningful look at his burnt fingers but I think you already konw that . . .

" I agree with Daggers! This is a dangerous place we are in, and running about on your own is never a wise idea! Do yourself a favor and stay nearby. Otherwise we cannot guarantee you will ever make it out of this wretched place. Tell me, Jinx, do you know what it means to stay still?"

An unfocused eye slowly orients on Vaughn's face, taking a moment for the addled mind to piece together the man's words.

Jinx looks at the toad. The toad looks at Jinx. Somewhere in the interaction they come to an agreement, which looks a lot like the gunslinger's burned fingers forcing the toad to nod in agreement with Vaughny.

With a flash of teeth the little goblin finds a wall to lean against and waits for someone else to take the lead.

Berry is already inspecting the door for possible intents to kill.

1d20 + 25 ⇒ (12) + 25 = 37 Perception to find traps.

Alcheringa waits for Berry to clear the door.

There is indeed a trap, a magical device that will unleash a shocking grasp spell upon touch. The device is ancient and you are not sure how to disable it, a dispel magic could help to at least block the spelltrap for some time.

Or I can just use Trapfinding to disable it.

1d20 + 17 ⇒ (8) + 17 = 25 Disable Device

Which is not fair

After Berry has taken her time to understand the complex magical mechanism, she is able to disrupt the traps trigger.