GM Bigrin's Giantslayer (Inactive)

Game Master bigrin42

Sander found plenty of plant matter, but nothing of value in the immediate area. He was sure that some of the flowers would fetch a pretty silver or two in the Trunau market, but they were too fragile to easily be taken from this place.

Storn finally got a handle on himself and calmed down, wiping himself mostly clean before healing himself. A little friendly banter, Quill reminding everyone of his name, and some asides by the resident jester (Molly), and the group was ready to continue on.

The going was slow, as every lania or frond that swayed in a gentle breeze was immediately savaged by Storn and Dieter. Finally, though, you made it across the otherworldly greenhouse, up the stairs, and to the platform at the far side. The doors there were locked, but opened easily to Mariana's ministrations.

Beyond was a long corridor with myriad vines and creepers growing over every inch of floor and wall. A powerful bouquet of competing floral fragrances floats throughout the space.

Here's the map

Storn growls as he stomps his way through the dense garden only to enter a corridor that's... basically another dense garden.

"Hrmph. Two silvers says that these vines try to strangle me. Good thing I don't have a neck."

Storn pokes Mariana in front of him as he advances down the corridor, using her as a kind of trap-finding gadget that happens to have thoughts and feelings.

1d20 + 13 ⇒ (6) + 13 = 19 Perception - danger?

Quill looks at the viny walkway and worries, but agrees that Storn probably won't be strangled by vines when they attack. It will probably be the long thorns and pokies that end the man's life.

"After you all," Quill says politely, keeping up his rear guard.

"Yet another situation where a Trigger would be helpful. We need to keep an eye out for a suitable candidate."

Or we can just keep Mariana around forever.

Storn follows behind others, also looking out for plants that want to kill them.

As if the orcs and giants weren't bad enough, now I don't even trust plants. And I'm an herbalist!

He sighs heavily as the big men push Mariana in front of them, hoping the poor girl won't end up like Mawj...

Perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (13) + 9 = 22

Molly falls back to walk beside Sander and mutters a spell under her breath.

Perception 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (20) + 3 = 23. Detect magic active.

As he tromped down the hallway, the heady aromas made Storn want to cough and gag, but nothing immediately reached out to attack them. Sander thought that some of the flowers smelled quite nice, and wondered if his wife might like to have a perfume made from them. He was mulling the thought over in his mind when something caught his sight. Beside him, Molly stiffened as she too saw the thin yellow cloud drifting over the group.

Everyone must make a DC14 Will save or fall asleep

Sander, as an alchemist, you can make a K. Nature check to identify which flower components might make a good perfume

Anyone can make a K. Nature check to sort out this new threat.

Will save: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (16) + 5 = 21
Knowledge (nature) 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (13) + 8 = 21

"Oh, joy," Molly mutters as the yellow cloud hits the group.
Drowsiness claws at her mind, but she manages to shake it off.

1d20 + 8 ⇒ (8) + 8 = 16 Will (+2 more if enchantment, but also immune to sleep)

Quill's eyes flutter briefly as he looks to the cause of the mist.

1d20 + 3 ⇒ (20) + 3 = 23

Dieter seems drowsy for a moment, but his eyes pop open and he shakes away the feeling. "Now what in tarnation is this!?"

Fort save (+2 vs. poison): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (3) + 7 = 10
Knowledge (nature): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (4) + 8 = 12

Sander's mind on his wife and what might make a good perfume, he slumps over as his daydream turns into regular sleep.

To die, to sleep–To sleep–perchance to dream, is the last thing he remembers thinking as he falls to the loamy earth.

Well, got the bad rolls out of the way all in one post.

Will: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (17) + 7 = 24

Storn grimaces and lets out a yawn before stomping on. It's only when he realizes that it's starting to knock out people that he stops, letting out a miserable sigh.

"Gorum has no time for loafers!" he scolds as he wanders over to Sander, picking the little halfling up and throwing him over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. He takes a brief medical interest in what seems to have affected Sander and if there's a quick way to wake him up.

Heal: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (12) + 7 = 19

"Let's keep moving. It's hard to be intimidating when you reek of flowers."

mariana: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (17) + 4 = 21

Everyone but Sander shrugged off the soporific vapors and continued on. Sander's gentle snores were cut short when Storn lifted the halfling onto his shoulders, but despite the halfling's protestations, Storn asserted that Sander was definitely asleep and they had no time for loafers. The halfling bounced and jounced on the big man's shoulders until they got to the next door. Once Mariana assured them that the door was safe, Storn opened it in his usual manner...with his boot.

The door led to another set of winding stairs, going up this time, which led in turn to another set of hallways. These ended at a set of double doors, carved to look like a forest glade. Mariana was certain that these were unlocked and untrapped as well.

Storn's sabatons shattered the latch as he kicked the doors open to reveal a large, arched chamber that seemed a grim contrast to the vibrant life-filled rooms that you had seen so far. Instead of lush vegetation, the chamber was filled with a large briar patch. Bramble mounds littered the floor, and high mounds of thick humus (not the dip) were also scattered about. Hundreds of varieties of fungi choke out any attempt for healthy plants to take root, and the air is heavy with the stench of decay. At the eastern end of the chamber, a large, swollen chest sits atop a fifty-foot high mound of compost.

The way to the chest mound is through a maze of brambles, and the thorns look long enough to seriously injure anyone that got too close.

Here's the map

"Well, if you keep carrying me, at least I should be safe from the thorns," Sander says with exasperation.

"Who would put a chest there? That can't be just a chest, can it?"

Perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (1) + 9 = 10

He looks around, trying to get a better sense of this place and the way forward.

"Odds and evens, this place has guardians of its own," Molly says as she squats, eyeing the room in a thoughtful manner. "As if it needs any. Those thorns make for a mighty deterrant. Now, we cin start choppin'.... but I'll bet you a shiny copper piece whatever else is in here will come out 'fore we're halfway to the goods. If it's e'en goods in there, an' not some kinda mushroom bomb, set ready to spit poison spores in our faces."

Storn finally recognizes Sander has been awake for the past several minutes and trying to get down from his shoulder.

"Hmph, if you nap on the job you get carried. Gorum strides ever forward, in look of more faces to smash."

After booting open the door to the bramble room, Storn lets out a kind of greasy-sounding, porcine squeal of delight at the sight of the giant chest.

"A giant chest at the end of a giant maze of brambles?! This is why I came here. Oh, and making sure Trunau doesn't get wiped out. If we're lucky it may contain a horrible monster."

He actually listens to Molly for a moment before nodding.

"Hrmph. Sander, want to throw a few bombs? Maybe flush out anything nasty in here."

Storn then crouches, looking at the brambles.

Would an enlarge person spell help with navigating the brambles, or just make it worse?

It might be of help in pushing through or seeing over, but less so in actually walking through the maze.

Quill pauses before the heaping stinking mounds of thorny detritus (no, not Storn and Dieter) and gazes for danger.

1d20 + 13 ⇒ (9) + 13 = 22 Perception

"Oh sure," Quill pauses...then causes his bow to charge with crackling lightning. "You guys go ahead, I'll watch from here."

"If you want, we're not in a rush. We have the time to burn this all out or chop our way through the thorns."

Dieter nods in agreement. "Yes. If you don't mind, let's lob a few bombs and see if anything makes a stir." He presses his mouth into a flat line. "Also, I get the inkling that chest is likely trapped. Because why not?"

Sander shrugs.

"I can try a bomb, but I don't think it's going to do that much. There's not a lot of force to the explosions."

He tosses one into bramble about 10 feet in front of them.

Storn shrugs as a bomb goes off behind him.

"It's more about making sure--

KABLAM!

"--that if there are any critters in the brambles, they'll want to come out and say hi."

Like briers the world over, these seemed relatively impervious to mere fire. The nearest ones were blackened by the flames, but the heat was just not intense enough or of long enough duration to really get the tough, fibrous plants to catch light. The explosion did send a number of small vermin scattering - mice, insects, the usual suspects. you waited for a moment, but nothing else seemed to happen. No gigantic bugblatterbeast roared its challenge, and no man-eating hummingbirds whirred in to attack.

"Right, then," Molly says. "With my regrets to the little beasties, but unless I can see a way to tumble through this lot, it's on to Doctor Chopper. That means you, Storn."

Is there a way to get through this lot using Acrobatics?

Upset that he will not face the ravenous bugblatter beast, Storn starts cautiously poking his way through the brambles, hoping that his armour protects him.

Molly - It's just briars in bunches. Think of a hedge maze

"See? Nothing. It's just plants, and most of them aren't that bad. Just be careful, and we won't get stuck."

Sander heads out through the maze, not waiting for Storn to despoil it.

Molly follows after Sander, crossbow in hand and loaded.

"Nothing? Not even man-eating hummingbirds!?" Quill keeps his bow ready, staying where he is. "I could have sworn we'd see H.O.U.S. trying to defend their hummus."

Quill waits for others to go on in, not seeing a need to get closer to the chest at the moment...or at all if they are just going in an getting out.

"Hummingbirds of Unusual Size? I don't think they exist, Quill."

"Depends on what you feed 'em and which spells you cast on 'em," Molly says without thinking -- and then suddenly appears to become interested in something very different.

"So when you say they are of unusual size, do you mean that they are several inches longer, or something that could eat a house cat without difficulty?"

He looks at the briars in thought. "Let's see if anything gets upset." He makes a tentative swing with his sword to cut through the bramble.

Maneuvering through the mounds of brambles was slow going, as the vines seemed to reach out and grab any exposed cloth or skin as you passed. As you neared the giant mound at the far end of the room, something like a ten-foot tall pile of brambles arose. A wave of negative energy pulsed out from it, sapping everyone's strength, and the brambles around you appeared to come to life, waving menacingly.

Mariana acted quickly, a flick of her wrist sending her wand into her hand. She used it to Bless the party, infusing everyone with strength of both mind and body.

Fort. 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (10) + 4 = 14

Molly gags at the sensations flooding her and backs away.

How can I identify this thing?

Fort save (+2 vs. poison): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (2) + 7 = 9

Knowledge (nature): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (3) + 8 = 11

Sander retches as he tries to figure out what the thing is before realizing he'd much rather just be sick and not worry about it for a moment. He backs away from the thing, hoping whatever it did doesn't happen again. Move directly west 10 ft.

K. nature

Knowledge (nature) 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (11) + 8 = 19

Molly recognized the bundle of briars as a brambleblight. She recalled the creature's ability to nauseate animals in its vicinity just as the creature's energy rolled over her and sent her spewing out the remnants of her last meal.

Round 1, Init 10

1d20 + 5 ⇒ (10) + 5 = 15 Fort

Quill grunts as the stank hits his nose, surprised to be struck so hard by the odor. He had thought he would have some resistance from being around Storn armor and Molly's cooking, but no. He calls upon the Elf Who Hugs the World for help.

1d20 + 9 - 2 + 2 - 2 - 4 ⇒ (7) + 9 - 2 + 2 - 2 - 4 = 10 to hit; (+DF,-sick,-4 cover)
1d8 + 5 + 2 + 1d4 ⇒ (6) + 5 + 2 + (3) = 16 magic electric cold iron damage.

1d20 + 9 - 2 + 2 - 2 - 4 ⇒ (20) + 9 - 2 + 2 - 2 - 4 = 23 to hit; (+DF,-sick)
1d8 + 5 + 2 + 1d4 ⇒ (7) + 5 + 2 + (4) = 18 magic electric cold iron damage.

Pot Crit:
1d20 + 9 - 2 + 2 - 2 - 4 ⇒ (5) + 9 - 2 + 2 - 2 - 4 = 8 to hit; (+DF,-sick)
1d8 + 5 + 2 + 1d4 ⇒ (5) + 5 + 2 + (4) = 16 magic electric cold iron damage.

@Quill- if you are nauseated you only get 1 move action per round. You can go back to being just sick in R2.

Quill thinks he's shooting something, but really he's just vomiting onto his shoes. In this new reality, he crits his left foot with vomit.

Quill moves to AL10, trying to shake off the vomit from his toes.

I'm assuming no one else is getting the new post notifications either? Looking for some posts, and then I'll move on tonight no matter.

Storn has been patiently waiting for his turn to come up on initiative. :D I'm here though!

I stopped getting notifications days ago, it seems. Might want to PM some people. :(

I'm busy barfing (Sander is, I mean) but I think we're waiting on you Bigrin. Everyone whose turn it is is busy being sick except maybe Mariana.

I have not been receiving notifications. Also, I think we are waiting for the plant monster.

My bad. Totally misread things. RL getting to me

As everyone retched from the waves of dark energy, the brambleblight moved in closer, thorny tendrils spanging off Storn's armor. The magnificent armor held, and though Storn was nearly knocked off his feet, he remained uninjured.

Fort Save: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (20) + 6 = 26

Storn completely ignores the wave of negative energy, and roars loudly, stalking in slowly with his shield raised as he gets into position with to plant-monster.

"MY TOOTHPICKS ARE SCARIER THAN YOU!"

Total defense to increase AC to 27 for one round, then walking 5' forward to AH15.

No worries. It happens. Hopefully we can get going again now and kick some giant plant butt.

Making sure the splash doesn't touch anyone that closes with the thing, Sander tosses a bomb at the plant, concerned as his stash starts running short

bomb (ranged touch), point blank range, -2 for range: 1d20 + 8 + 1 - 2 ⇒ (13) + 8 + 1 - 2 = 20
Damage (fire damage): 3d6 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (2, 1, 5) + 3 + 1 = 12
Splash damage: 7 (DC 14 for half)

Round 2, Init 10

Quill moved to AL10 last round.

Quill moves up to AL14 for a clear shot at the beast.

1d20 + 9 + 2 - 2 ⇒ (13) + 9 + 2 - 2 = 22 to hit; (+DF,-sick)
1d8 + 5 + 2 + 1d4 ⇒ (7) + 5 + 2 + (4) = 18 magic electric cold iron damage.

Storn's shield of faith would have probably worn off by now, so his Ac is actually 25 with the total defense.