Eberron: Tales from the Hounds (Inactive)

Game Master Kayne Rhal

As you walk around you notice that the building is in better shape then the rest of the ruins. The building is 20 ft tall and would require a DC 12 climb check to get up. The front doors seem to be made of a metal other then steel.

As you inspect the magic of the door, you are surprised to find that the magic isn't focused on the door itself but the lock. As you investigate more you find that the spell is Arcane Lock

Yes, we (or you?) rolled at the start and, looking at my character sheet it appears Guardian rolled a 1.

I was just checking whether i gave you Cure Light or Repair Light as Repair give you full healing while CL only half and I was intending to give you Repair.

Happy Occasion, we broke 200 indeed. Free booze (or appropriate drink for anyone thats a minor) for anyone that can get to Edmonton tonight!

”There is an Arcane Lock on the door. Door itself isn’t magical, just metal. Buildings stone and mortar are touch; We can probably climb it. I’ll see what’s on top. If you hear the code word, I need help.”
He smiles as he says the last bit, a wry grin before he moves to the wall by the door.

Threll will dig his claws into the mortar, climbing up the building
Are my dragon claws retractable or perm?

Being careful, taking 10 for a 14 Climb

Seras examined the door carefully, reaching into her bag and producing her Thieves' Tools. She hums a jaunty tune as she fiddles with the door, the familiar motions coming easily to her.

I don't see mention of an actual lock, so if I'm right to assume it's only Arcane Locked I'd like to take 10 and pop it open because I can do that. If not, have a die roll. If I come within one I'll burn my Coin Shot gadget to Jury Rig the door open.

Disable Device: 1d20 + 1d6 + 10 ⇒ (5) + (4) + 10 = 19

edit: This. Right here. This is why I take 10 whenever I can.

The lock you find is build into the door and very well made and hasn't shown much sign of being tampered with before you started working on it. After a few moments of anticipation you here a crack. As you pull out your pick you find that the tip has snapped. Not enough to have to replace be it has prevented you from picking the lock.

Threll will walk to the edge of the roof. "In case you were wondering, the code word was *Yells mentally*"

Smiling, Threll will, having thus gaining their attentions, continue calmly, "I found an opening in the roof."

Guardian carefully climbs up to the roof after Threll.

Also taking 10 for a 14

Seras grumbles something uncomplimentary about people who have the amount of free time needed to machine tumblers out of Adamantine, before she climbs up to the rooftop and looks down through the opening.

Taking 10 for 15 and wondering why I'm better than the soulknife at this.

The team successfully on the roof, Threll looks for something to tie his rope off on.

Before he throws the rope into the opening to climb down, he will sneak to the edge and peer into the dark.
Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (12) + 6 = 18

@ Threll, no you didn't hear her. Shes sneaky that way.
@Seras not the lock, the door is adamantine or at least reinforced with adamantine.

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Threll as you look in you notice the large chunk of the ceiling that has fallen in, crushing cabinets and shelves beneath the weight of brick and stone. The remains of what appears to be a metal dog that was also caught in the falling stones juts from the debris.

Dusty shelves, intact, line the southern wall, and a huge forge and furnace fill the eastern part of the room. Neither appears to have been used in centuries. You see two metal dogs looking up at the whole you are looking in from, crouched down trying to use the dark to hide from you.

Iron Defender

The creature resembles a dog, but its body is formed from iron plates and bars. It stands about two feet high at the shoulder. Its mouth is lined with serrated blades of steel.

Kn Arcana: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (20) + 6 = 26
My turn to twenty a knowledge!

Threll thinks a moment about how to deal with these creatures.
"Two Iron defenders: solid iron guard dogs. If we drop in a light you both could see them and then we simply use the higher ground to eliminate them safely."

Taking 10 for 15 and wondering why I'm better than the soulknife at this.

If you put any ranks in it at all, and it's a class skill...

Threll thinks a moment about how to deal with these creatures.

"Two Iron defenders: solid iron guard dogs. If we drop in a light you both could see them and then we simply use the higher ground to eliminate them safely."

They look useful. Is there any way we could take control of them?

”Ask the gear head. What do you think Doc?”

"Maybe. Constructs are complicated, though, so I doubt it'll be easy. They're usually set to a task or to obey a master designated on creation. Obeying anyone who possesses a unique item is a possibility, too."

Lore Warforged: 1d20 + 1d6 + 8 ⇒ (19) + (4) + 8 = 31

Seras i'm asking for the future since at this point I believe there is no difference in the roll. But are you wanting to be a warforged expert or a construct expert. If its warforged then Lore Warforged is only good for them, if its construct then you can change it as such and then you are a construct expert (warforged still fall under the construct creature type)

As you rack your brain for all you know about constructs and their smaller cousin the humonculus which iron defenders fall into. You realize that there is a way to do it. It involves getting hands on with them and reworking their spell structure to accept you as its master. It would help immensely if you had the proper skills to construct them, but it just makes the job harder. The other option is to make them inert and take them to an artificer or wizard and they do the binding.

In simple terms get near them without destroying them, spellcraft them to change their spell structure with either a huge negative or high Dc because you don't have craft construct or take them to someone who does and pay some money.

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Would you all roll a Perception check please.

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (10) + 6 = 16
Dang
Does "making them inert" equate to our plan of arrow fire? I know they are immune to the whole non lethal knock down.

Threll looks for something to tie off his rope with.

If Constructs aren't too broad, I'd totally take Lore Constructs. I can eventually make Constructs, after all. Also, would Gadgetry be an acceptable substitute for Spellcraft in this case or nah?

Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 5 = 12

Nope not too broad at all. And inert for constructs are hp in the range of -1 to -10 anything more and its total destruction.

"Alright, plan forming. Let me take the Sunrod and mess with the door properly, slowly. See if I can pop it. If I can, I throw the rod back up here and you two drop it down and distract them with it while I slip in and re-bind one of them, then render the second inert if I can't bind it too. Thoughts?"

"If you think you can sneak up to them, sure! Else, there will be a twenty foot fall between you and help. I'm game, but maybe let Eleven climb down and wait by the door."

Turning to Eleven, he continues, "Unless you would prefer to attack form distance up here?"

Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (5) + 5 = 10

No, I agree. I can wait on the ground and storm into the building if trouble starts. The door is solid, so signal to me the instant help is needed, Threll. I trust in that case you could rain spells down on them?

”I’ll start with the bow but switch if needed.”

Guardian carefully climbs back down to the ground to get into position near the door.

take 10 on climb for 14

Threll fire when ready. Seras roll like the luck god is with you!
XI continue to stand there looking cool, unless you have another idea for yourself

This post is written assuming Take 20 gets me through the door with 30. If I need to I can try for the Inspiration and Jury Rig to pop it open.

Stealth (Inspired): 1d20 + 1d6 + 8 ⇒ (20) + (6) + 8 = 34
FINALLY.

Seras calmly, cautiously manipulates the mechanisms of the lock over the course of a couple minutes, before the mechanism finally gives. As agreed, she tosses the Sunrod up to Threll and waits for the sound of the alchemically hardened rod landing on the stone floor, listening through an almost imperceptible crack between the door and it's frame, where she'd pushed the Adamantine monstrosity ever so slightly open.

When she heard it, she moved the door quietly, thanking good craftsmanship that it didn't scream its opening to the world, and slid silently into the room and up to the nearest hound, her construct repair kit ready to serve a purpose it wasn't really designed for.

Gadgetry: 1d20 + 1d6 + 8 ⇒ (20) + (6) + 8 = 34
Whatever bonuses or penalties I need to accept have yet to be applied: I'm not sure if the kit is applicable enough for its +2 bonus, or how heavy my penalties are.

Also, I think I just burned all my luck forever.

the luck god is with you

Double 20s with double 6s, nice

Threll will drop light down the hole, and try to gain the iron defenders attention.

After seeing Seras finish her manipulations, for better or worse, Threll will fire on the other defender.
Taking Deadly Aim
To Hit(+4 if I have time to Bullseye): 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (14) + 4 = 18
Damage: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5
And it looks like Bullseye wouldn’t matter!

Seras I need you to do what ever you can to add to that roll for the disable device... Plus I did not say this *cough... action point it as well.. cough*

Master Rahl takes a stroll while Seras figures out how to be awesome to the extreme.

Inspiration+AP+Jury Rig (Coin Shot expended): 2d6 + 1 ⇒ (2, 5) + 1 = 8

TOUCHDOWN!!!!!!

I can't post what I need to so I'll need a little bit but Seras I will need a stealth check from you.

Stealth mk2, the Stealthening: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (2) + 8 = 10

We have resumed regular service.

Gods above though, a 42 total at level 2

sorry my bad, I thought the first roll in your post was a disable device and then the second was for manipulating the iron defender. My bad so the first one was a master ninja stealth and the second was the disable device right? Or am I still confused?

This post is written assuming Take 20 gets me through the door with 30. If I need to I can try for the Inspiration and Jury Rig to pop it open.

So this is assuming the 30 gets through the door, nat 20 stealth to sneak up on a defender, and nat 20 42 total to take over a defender.

Seras I need you to do what ever you can to add to that roll for the disable device...

This leads me to assume that there is no way the 30 gets her through the lock... would it be possible to, for the sake of expedience, put these rolls as the stealth roll needed to descend the rope quietly, and then allow seras to use the 42 on taking over a defender? If not the rolls are invalidated and we have to make a new plan/ just break them.

Master Ninja stealth and then Know:Engineering as a Spellcraft using Gadgetry. It'd be 2 higher as Disable Device, and I would be able to use that +8 there on it to make that check a 44.

so this is were my gm skills failed me I thought you couldnt take 20 on a lock cause of failure chance but there is a difference between lock and trap.... My bad. So that being said you still needed the bonuses you rolled for disable divine. . I'm now lost with the total you Disable device is with all bonuses could you please repost the final result

That Disable Device, with all those bonuses, was 38: 20 from taking 20, 8 from my mod, 2 from masterwork thieves' tools, 2 from inspiration, 5 from the action point, and 1 from Jury-Rig at the expense of my Coin Shot.

that's what I was afraid of. So one time option. would you like to switch your stealth and disable inspiration roll *hint* it won't change your stealth results

Yes, absolutely.

XI stands by as Seras silently slips away and he hears no sounds until Threll fires an arrow down into the hole...

Just staying present while we deliberate amazing rolls. Seriously, double 20s and double 6s made me wonder if they had temporarily broken dice-rolls on the message boards with a bad code push :P

I know what you mean XI.

Seras as you walk in you catch a glimpse of the door and realize that the adamantine layer is about 2 inches thick. As you slowly creep into the room you notice that the Iron Defenders are totally absorbed by Threll above. As you reach the nearest one and start trying to manipulate its magic, it turns to you but for some reason doesn't seem to react to you. After a moment it returns to staring at Threll. Time passes slowly as you delve into its magical binary and after an hour of tinkering it strength seems to ebb before it turns to you acting almost puppyish.

Vitory Music!

Threll if you wish to keep attack you have plenty of time, but with but an occasional glance they both seem to be ignoring Seras and sometimes barks at you. They haven't really gone after the door as Seras has it partially blocked.

XI I need a perception check from you please.

Threll will hold aim, arrow knocked, waiting on the second defender to attack...
Prepared action: it makes a hostile move, it gets shot.

Assuming he can see into the room and thus see Seras, Threll will share findings.
”Hey Doc, they’re ignoring you... think they smell my breakfast? Can iron dogs even ingest bacon?”

Seras stores her tools and sighs, relieved that the iron defenders seem to be ignoring Threll. "Might be an artifact of their orders. Maybe it's because you're up there instead of coming through the door, or it might be the journal, or that I'm a Cannith. I do know there's pretty much no way I'm going to be able to do that again: the only reason this worked is because I panicked when I was metaphorically up to my elbows in magic and somehow nudged it the right way."

She looks at the dog-construct with fascination. "Sit," she tells it, testing its obedience with simple commands first.

Out loud, since Guardian's on the other side of the door, Seras calls for Guardian XI. "Armor up and walk in through the door, slowly. Maybe it's only supposed to attack people who can't open the door. If not, we can take it, preferably without flattening it."

Prepared action to draw my sword if the second Defender acts aggressive towards XI.

XI looks around, away from the building. Only moments are passing, but they are uneventful moments for him.

Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (20) + 5 = 25 Well, you wanted one :)

When he hears Sera's call, he checks that his astral armor is still up and mind blade still formed. He's been walking around with them for some time.

"Coming in."

He very slowly, carefully, creeps through the open door to survey the situation inside.

XI as you were about to enter the forge, you catch a shadow dash across the yard towards the large column located across from the forge. You were sure that while it stayed outside your light source, there was a humanoid shape to the shadow.

Guardian quickly yells up to Threll before he enters the door. "Threll, there is something out there in the shadows stocking us. Can you see it? I think it's running between columns across from the forge."

Once inside the door he resumes bonded mind speech with Seras.

Seras, how do you feel about me shutting and maybe locking this door so that this new stalker doesn't complicate the situation in here?

Smiling at his bacon joke, Threll's face quickly turns serious at hearing Eleven's shout. Looking down into the room, Threll sends "Hurry up in there, Doc, we might need these dogs sooner than later."

Threll will kill his light and move to the edge of the roof to peer out into the dark.
Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (18) + 6 = 24

Initiatives Everyone!

CI: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (17) + 10 = 27

As I don't think anyone else can beat that Initiative I'll start his turn in the surprise round.

Seeing that he wasn't able to hide from his traitor of a cousin, the warforged comes out of the shadows tosses a potion into his mouth and with a crunch you start hearing the flask being chewed. As he continues to chew on the flask you see his shadow enlarge in size.

Initiative: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (20) + 3 = 23
I go next maybe?

From the roof Threll has a lovely view of the enemy and his antics. He waits to see he enemies action. Prepared Action to Reach Shocking Grasp if he comes within 30 ft

Init: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (7) + 4 = 11

Seras draws her blade and strides out the door, sparing some attention to call to her Iron Defender: "Come." As she exits the building, she slips her hand into her pocket and fingers her shield device, rebuilt after yesterday, but stays behind XI. "What is it with everyone wanting to commit suicide-by-Guardian in Sharn these days? You had to walk down here, you saw the cousin of yours he bisected. Wanna talk this out like reasonable individuals or are you going all war-is-the-answer on us, too?"

Ideally, he'll speak with us. If he doesn't, the hope is that me being an audacious squishy human will provoke him into rushing me, which is the tactically poor choice. If he does, I have a readied action to activate Shield, then I'll use Swashbuckler's Dodge to step back and boost my AC higher.

Initiative: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (8) + 6 = 14

Guardian stands to the side of Seras and just ahead of her, awaiting the response to the question. He brandishes his two-handed mindblade and silently applies a psionic charge to the blade.