Deus Est Machina: Dragoncat's Iron Gods (Inactive)

Game Master Dragoncat

Well, hopefully if we do go over to them, something happens. If not, I guess heal checks and knowledge local or some other knowledge skill if they are not humanoid.

And I don't remember that we were moved back from there. From my understanding, the group was about 20ft away from the base of it, along the path. And you climb up the ridge to get a better look of the surrounding cavern before climbing back down. And I think that was around the time Viorec and Caedmon left the game.

Triax wipes its sword blade and sheathes the weapon.

"Most likely this creature was just hungry. Unfortunate it identified us as prey."

The approach to the bones Dejah found is made without incident. After a few seconds of brushing the sand off, the strange bones are laid bare for the party to examine.

The bones are mostly intact, only having suffered a few minor fractures to the ribs and pelvis. What's especially odd about the skeleton is the shape of its skull and how many limbs it has. A second pair of arms extends from the ribs below the shoulders, and these look to be just as thick and sturdy as the arms attached to its shoulders. Its skull appears to be oval-shaped, fanning out into some manner of crest towards the back of its head. Its mouth is surprisingly tiny, with teeth crammed into a hole no larger than a person's thumb. The skeleton's legs are thicker than the rest of its bones.

1d20 + 7 ⇒ (7) + 7 = 14

Triax surveys the remains. "Perhaps this was some manner of wizards creation, a magical beast. It looks like no humanoid I have ever seen."

Heal: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (1) + 5 = 6...lol I am absolutely sure that this creature is faking it and is really alive and just toying with us! lol

Jasper looks the creature over before shaking his head and saying I cannot make anything out about what the creature is or his injuries.

Heal: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (10) + 6 = 16

"Something bad happened to it, whatever it is. It looks like it's bones were broken apart and put back together. A lot. Probably was really painful."

The big kellid shakes his head.

"Wouldn't want to see anything like that happen to us," he adds as he glances over at Dejah and Tabitha.

Tabitha listens to their inspection of the strange bones. Broken apart and put back together? That is weird. Nodding, she walks over and kneels next to them to examines the bones herself.

Kn Local: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (2) + 8 = 10 Evil dice bot! >.<

With being not able to discern the creature that the bones belong to, Tabitha frowns. "It could very well be something created by weird wizards." Standing up, she dusts of her knees and looks around. "I have heard that "Land Sharks", were created by a crazy wizard as well. But I haven't seen any proof of it at all." She finishes her sentence with a shrug.

"Shall we press on then?" the android inquires. "It is not townsfolk, living or dead, so seems to have little immediate bearing upon our charter."

Tabitha nods in agreement. "It's clearly not a human, if it was, something did great transmutation magic on it." She goes back with the group, ready to continue on.

Heal (DC 15): 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2
Know. Local (DC 17): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (6) + 7 = 13

Healing was not a skill she possessed so when Kadosh spoke of the creature and its broken and mended and rebroken bones, Dejah took note and gave a small shudder.

"As Triax has stated, let us move on. We may collect the head for examination topside on our return."

Dejah moved away from the bones and began to follow the south-east side of the hill/mound she had climbed during the first expedition. She was mindful of her steps and kept her eyes open in case of trouble or trap. She did not move too far ahead of the group lest she encounter a creature strong enough to crush, reassemble and then crush her bones again.

I'm back! Hope everyone had a happy & safe Mother's Day. :)

As the party turns to leave, the sands seem to shift beneath their feet. The strange skeleton's eye sockets flare a bright red, and its skull jerks to the side. The *SNAPPING* of bone fills the air as the skeleton starts to rise to its feet...

...and is accompanied by more skeletons rising from the sands. Each of them looks identical to the original one--four arms, odd-shaped skull, and countless fractures in their bones. They eye the party with a strange contempt as they struggle to their feet!

Initiative (Dejah): 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 2 = 17
Initiative (Jasper): 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (8) + 3 = 11
Initiative (Kadosh): 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (14) + 1 = 15
Initiative (Tabitha): 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (19) + 2 = 21
Initiative (Triax): 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (9) + 3 = 12

Initiative (Weird Skeletons): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (15) + 8 = 23

Round 1: Skeletons

The skeleton at Tabitha's feet rises, and lashes out at her with a claw!

Claw: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (20) + 1 = 21
Crit Confirm?: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2
Damage: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5

The skeleton's wild thrashing opens a deep cut in Tabitha's body!

Two skeletons get to their feet and strike at Dejah...

Claw: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (17) + 1 = 18
Damage: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2

Claw: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (15) + 1 = 16
Damage: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2

...both of them managing to scratch Dejah's face with their wild flailing!

Two skeletons advance on Jasper, two more advance on Kadosh, and one moves to strike at Triax.

The party is up!

Jasper waits a moment for Malin to get in position before moving around nearer Dejah so she is not on her own and also flanking with Malin before spinning back with a vicious slice at the creature next to him that is now flanked. He will expose himself to an attack as he moves past the skeleton but he takes it anyway so that the group is not totally divided.

Attack on Skeleton flanked with Malin, damage: 1d20 + 6 + 4 ⇒ (18) + 6 + 4 = 281d10 + 7 ⇒ (8) + 7 = 15

Crit Confirm, damage: 1d20 + 6 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 6 + 4 = 141d10 + 7 ⇒ (9) + 7 = 16

31 damage if 14 ac or less, only 15 if ac is 28 or less.

Malin stalks five feet closer and attacks the skeletons with tooth and claw.

Claw, Claw, Bite: 1d20 + 7 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 7 + 2 = 111d3 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 41d20 + 7 + 2 ⇒ (13) + 7 + 2 = 221d3 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 31d20 + 7 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 7 + 2 = 211d4 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4

Free Trip if bite attack hit: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (7) + 2 = 9

Pretty sure I poor Malin just gnawed on some bones ineffectually lol.

Jasper's blow breaks the skeleton apart at the ribs, sending bones flying everywhere. Malin's paws & teeth manage to bring down another one, leaving it in not nearly as many pieces.

Dejah, Kadosh, Tabitha & Triax are up!

Tabitha lets out a shriek as one of the strange skeleton claws rake her upon her back. "Eeek!" She staggers away from the caught off guard stike from the undead creature. Turning around to look upon its form, her eyes widen. It really is a undead skeleton! Looks like we found what those cave drawings were for. She wonders.

Kn Religion: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (3) + 8 = 11

Recognizing them as bony creatures at the least, Tabitha pulls out her club and sends it flying towards it.

Hand of the Apprentice Club Attack: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (5) + 5 = 10
HotA Club Damage: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4

And after flying out, the club instantly flies back into her grasp.

Tabitha's club flies out and misses the skeleton, kicking up a cloud of sand as it returns to her hand.

Dejah, Kadosh & Triax are up!

Tabitha shouts out; "Use bludgeon weapons! They may not look like normal skeletons, but they have the bones just like any other!"

GM Ironcat, wouldn't Dejah get an AoO on the skeletons as she has her reach weapon in hand?

Not unless you have Combat Reflexes: they rolled higher for Initiative.

Without Combat Reflexes, you can't make AoOs when you're flat-footed.

Okay, thank you for the answer. Dejah does not have Combat Reflexes at her present level. Dejah has Uncanny Dodge and can't be caught flat-footed.

She felt the skeletons claws rake her face and felt the immediate sting but she bit down the pain.

Having not thought to purchase bullets for her sling or pick up some rocks along the way, Dejah had no bludgeoning weapon to use against such creatures.

Taking a 5 ft step back away from the two skeletons (free action), she used the boarding pike to whack at the one to her right (one furthest away from Jasper).

Attack with pike/reach weapon on Skeleton 1: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (18) + 2 = 20
Damage, if hits: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6

Still, the skeletons managed to hit you for 4 pts of damage total, unless you had an AC-boosting spell cast on you. They rolled 18 & 16 total for their to-hit rolls.

Dejah's pike strikes the skeleton squarely in the sternum, rattling its bones. However, it's still holding together in defiance.

Kadosh & Triax are up!

Triax pulls a morningstar, studies a skeleton, and strikes.

1d20 + 4 - 1 + 1 ⇒ (14) + 4 - 1 + 1 = 18
1d8 + 2 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 + 1 + 2 = 6

"Withdraw and regroup" it intones to his allies.

The blunt force of Triax's swing is enough to break several of the skeleton's bones, dropping it to the sand.

Kadosh is up!

Kadosh steps back, away from the demons and calls out:

"Spirits, strike down these unliving creatures!"

As he speaks, his voice starts to almost echo, as if multiple voices were all crying out with him.

A wave of warmth spreads out over the group.

5-ft. step to the southeast; I moved my token
Channel positive energy (DC 14) to harm undead: 1d6 ⇒ 1

Fat lot of good that did...

Will Save: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (17) + 2 = 19

The holy power of the spirits strikes the skeletons, but some other force pushes back against it. The skeletons' eyes turn a deep red, and a harsh, bitter, alien laugh issues forth from their broken mouths.

Round 2: Skeletons

The skeletons advance and relentlessly swing their claws...

One claw strikes Tabitha through her arcane guard and carves more injuries into her, one manages to get past Jasper's guard and scratch his face, another manages to wound Malin's flank, and one manages to injure Triax with a wild flailing strike.

However, Dejah gets the worst of it by far--one claw rakes across her throat and another pummels her in her stomach.

In summary: Tabitha takes 4 pts of damage, Dejah takes 9, Jasper takes 3, Malin takes 4, and Triax takes 4. I think Kadosh's channel should've given you 1 HP back.

The party is up!

Unfortunately, the channel didn't help the PCs; it was to harm undead. They all should have taken 1 point of damage.

"Spirits, I call on you again," Kadosh calls out. "These friends of this spirit-talker need your help! Take their wounds and ease their pain!"

Channel again; this time to heal everyone.
Channel positive energy: 1d6 ⇒ 6

This time, the spirits seem more inclined to be of help--many of the injuries sustained by the party immediately heal over.

Got it.

Dejah, Jasper, Tabitha & Triax are up!

Tabitha takes a couple steps back away from the strange skeleton. This isn't working! We may have to run... She thinks. Just then a wave of healing energies wash over her.

Feeling slightly refreshed, she refocuses her energy into casting another spell and a clear disk forms in front of her before vanishing.

Free Action: 5ft Step to the side of Kadosh
Standard Action: Cast Shield upon herself

Dejah, Jasper & Triax are up!

The assault upon her person by the two skeletons was almost deadly and she felt herself about to falter when the healing energy of Kadosh's spiritual magic washed over/through her and granted her a small reprieve.

Taking a 5 ft step back beside Jasper, Dejah lay her off hand on her stomach and began to cast a healing spell on herself, however taking a defensive precaution against the skeleton/s.

Casting Defensively (DC 17): 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (12) + 5 = 17

CLW on herself: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 = 8

She felt the remainder of her wounds knit close and a relief washed over her momentarily as she was hale, again, for she did not know if she would have withstood another set of multiple attacks from the skeletons without the extra healing.

Free action: 5ft step back to stand beside Jasper
Standard action: Cast Defensively CLW on herself.

The android lashes out at another skeleton, but this time its aim is off.

1d20 + 4 - 1 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 4 - 1 + 1 = 7
1d8 + 2 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 + 1 + 2 = 8

Jasper is up!

Jasper looks over at Malin and attempts to get the cat to flank with Dejah.

Handle Animal: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (2) + 5 = 7 ...well that didn't work lol.

He then turns back to the skeleton creature next to him and slashes through it with all his might.

Nodachi: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (10) + 6 = 161d10 + 7 ⇒ (8) + 7 = 15

Malin ignores Jasper to go after the skeleton that slashed her.

Claw, claw, bite, trip if bite hits: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (12) + 7 = 191d3 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 31d20 + 7 ⇒ (2) + 7 = 91d3 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 41d20 + 7 ⇒ (8) + 7 = 151d4 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 61d20 + 2 ⇒ (11) + 2 = 13

Thanks to Kadosh's channeling of spiritual power earlier, Malin's target succumbs to her vicious paws and tumbles into the sand. Jasper's swing knocks the skeleton before him to pieces with the force of the blow.

Round 3: Skeletons

The remaining skeletons show no sign of slowing their assault, advancing on the others and swinging their bloodstained claws...

However, one skeleton decides to strike at Kadosh in response to his channeling... but its claws are easily evaded by the shaman.

The skeleton fighting Triax claws madly at the android, but only one of its claws comes close to making a dent in his armour.

The remaining skeleton turns its attention to Jasper and advances on him, its claws flailing wildly. Only one claw manages to catch the hunter in the face, and though it rakes a jagged path across his cheek, it's clear that it was due to sheer luck.

The skeletons are mostly ineffectual, except for one crit threat on Jasper that resulted in 5 pts of damage.

The party is up!

Jasper gets irritated as he gets blood on his favorite shirt from the creature's claw. That said, he channels that anger into his sword swing.

1d20 + 6 ⇒ (11) + 6 = 171d10 + 7 ⇒ (8) + 7 = 15

Malin leaps to attack the skeleton on Triax.

Bite: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (2) + 7 = 91d4 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3

Malin's jaws fail to find purchase, but Jasper's swing does not--another skeleton is reduced to splintered bone from his blade.

Dejah, Kadosh, Tabitha & Triax are up!

Triax spins around to assault the beast menacing Kadosh!

1d20 + 4 - 1 + 1 ⇒ (17) + 4 - 1 + 1 = 21
1d8 + 2 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 + 1 + 2 = 11

Triax's blow breaks the skeleton's skull into splinters, sending its remains crumpling back into the sand.

Dejah, Kadosh & Tabitha are up!

"Ha! The spirits protect me from the likes of you!" Kadosh taunts, as he swings his morningstar at the thing's head.

Mwk morningstar (+1 vs. robots): 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (8) + 3 = 11
Damage: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4 using it as bludgeoning, obviously

Hmm. Can healing hexes be used against enemies? Here's how it reads: Healing (Su): A witch can soothe the wounds of those she touches. This acts as a cure light wounds spell, using the witch's caster level. Once a creature has benefited from the healing hex, it cannot benefit from it again for 24 hours. At 5th level, this hex acts like cure moderate wounds.

Kadosh, did you move up to the remaining one? All the others are red, which I believe that means that they are dead or otherwise.

Tabitha moves around to get a better shot at the last remaining skeleton. Once there, she sends her club flying once again.

HotA Club Attack - Melee Combat: 1d20 + 5 - 4 ⇒ (9) + 5 - 4 = 10 Doesn't look like that will hit this time either.

Her club flies and hits the sand again before flying back into her grasp.

Move Action: Move 20ft to get to a better position to activate Hand of the Apprentice
Standard Action: Use Hand of the Apprentice to launch a club against the last Skeleton

Possessing no immediate weapon with which to hurt the last remaining skeleton, Dejah moved her pike into her offhand and drew her scorpion whip from her belt. Unfurling the bladed leather, she attempted to use the whip to trip the skeleton to try to give her companions an opportunity to finish it off.

Combat Manoeuvre to trip: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6 vs Skeleton's CMD

But her whip fell short of her intended target (struck the sand instead) and the skeleton remained standing.

Move action: Step 10 ft forward and draw scorpion whip as part of a regular move action.
Standard action: Attempt combat manoeuvre to trip using whip.

Kadosh: I'll let you try it.

The skeleton still remains standing despite everyone's efforts to destroy it.

Round 4: Skeleton

In a last act of defiance, the skeleton presses the attack on Kadosh...

Claw 1: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (11) + 1 = 12
Claw 2: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (19) + 1 = 20
Damage: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3

Claw 3: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6
Claw 4: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (13) + 1 = 14

...and manages to land a lucky blow on the shaman's brow.

FINISH HIM!

The android starts to circle around the skeleton, looking for an opening to strike.

1d20 + 4 - 1 + 1 ⇒ (10) + 4 - 1 + 1 = 14
1d8 + 2 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 + 1 + 2 = 8

Oops, I may have misread the map.

Unconcerned about the blood dripping down his brow, Kadosh reaches out to touch the skeleton, summoning the healing spirits of his people into its undead flesh. He lets out a healthy stream of curses as he slips, missing the skeleton.

Touch: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6
Healing hex (DC 13 Will for half): 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 = 8

Triax's strike misses its mark.

Dejah, Jasper & Tabitha are up!

Jasper charges forward and attacks the final skeleton.

Nodachi charge attack, damage: 1d20 + 6 + 2 ⇒ (16) + 6 + 2 = 241d10 + 7 ⇒ (3) + 7 = 10