Cleft Head - Before attempting a Bluff, Escape Artist, Perform, or Sleight of Hand check during this adventure, a PC can decide to roll twice and take the higher result. Each PC can use this benefit once before the end of the adventure.
Steel Eaters - Each PC gains a +5 bonus on any Day Job checks performed at the end of this adventure.
Murdered Child - At the start of an encounter, each PC can choose to gain the Precise Strike feat (Pathfinder RPG Advanced Player’s Guide167) for the duration of the encounter. Each PC can use this benefit once before the end of the adventure.
Bloodied Gauntlet: Each PC can use martial flexibility as a 1st-level brawler (Pathfinder RPG Advanced Class Guide23) once before the end of the adventure; if a PC already has the martial flexibility class feature, she gains 1 additional use per day for the rest of the adventure.
It is a medium creature with Reach. It used it's surprise round action and greater grapple on it's following turn to tie him up. Right now it is missing it's tentacles since they are tied around Jaysin. You can make of that what you will.
Two of Jezebel's bullets appear to wound the creature, however it is difficult to tell with the awkward dullness of sound. A telepathic echo fills all of your mind as it screams and taunts you.
Mere flecks of iron and lead... these are nothing compared to the nightmares that Eshimka will afflict upon your souls!
You have some degree of familiarity with the rituals that open and close tears such as these. You have a +4 bonus on all checks made to perform the closing ritual... if you survive long enough to try. And yes... one of the allowable skills is linguistics...
| Witch 12 | AC 15 (19 w/Mage Armor) T 14 FF 12 | HP 86/86 ( 12 temp HP)| F+12,R+11,W+13 | Evasion | Init +3 | Perc +18 | Lowlight Vision | +2 to recover from continuous effects such as such as ongoing poison damage, daily saving throws against disease, a hold person spell, or lingering damage from an attack |
Ok, let me retcon, please. I forgot to add my negative levels in on the bolt
Anyway.
Tess moves to Jaysin and uses her Healing hex on him.
"I wield no iron or lead monster." Kaa recognizing what this is as he saw it in a vision, moves forward channeling positive energy through his ecto-blade.
Male Human (Taldan) Fighter (Archer) [8.1] | HP 60/60 | AC 24 T 17 FF 18 | CMB +10 CMD 27 | F+8 R+10 W+4 | Perc +3 | Init +8 | Acro/Climb/Swim/Escape +11 | SM +5 | Survival +4 | Ling +8 **Arrows : Durable Adamantine unless otherwise stated**
Fort:1d20 + 8 ⇒ (16) + 8 = 24
OK, so I'm generally hog-tied on the ground? What are my options? Are the tentacles still active? DP I simply need an escape artist check or do I need to use some sort of CMB attack?
I'm wondering if I could have used that brawler boon to help avoid the grapple with a feat of some sort, though the surprise round and lack of initiative probably prevents it.
You are tied up, which means you are bound and helpless. You could try to escape, but since it appears to have a +20 CMB, the escape artist DC is 40, which you cannot succeed at with your +11. So I think unless someone else has a freedom of movement spell that they can get to you with despite being in the silence area, you are probably out of the fight.
Actually, it's grapple is +28 and I'm too dumb to add all of it's grapple feats to this... Basically, DC 48 escape artist or CMB, or someone cuts your bindings the old fashioned way.... by hacking them off with a sharp object.
Resistances/Immunities: Channel Resistance and Spell Resistance along with standard Undead traits.
Kaa attempts to stab at the creature, but it jukes up into the air avoiding the worst of the strike, leaving nothing but a harmless scrape across it's toughened hide.
The light of the power you wield will be extinguished by your dread... Despair!
With that, 4 more tentacles burst out of it's body, dripping ichor and other unknowable fluids on the ground beneath it.
Spellcraft:1d20 + 22 ⇒ (8) + 22 = 30
This woman shall be your untouchable beacon of hope?
A shimmering wave erupts from the creature, converging on Hania as the undead horror lunges at her.
Hania glares at the creature defiantly and swings her sword at it. One hand is caught by the creature, so her sword is gripped in only her dominant hand.
Kaa leaves another gash in the creature, but the spell harmlessly dissipates. Hania carves deep into the creature despite her binding and leaves a massive wound in the horror. Her follow-up strike however is unable to pierce it. You also have a haste attack Hania.
The creature clings on to Hania despite the mounting wounds.
I'll crush you... tear you limb from limb... and your soul will be bound to this place! Once your bodies are broken, Eshimka will teach you new levels of fear... new levels of pain!
Hania, I forgot to paste the same fort save. You'll need to make this too.
Fort save for Hania:
DC 21 vs Disease. If you fail you see visions of the ground below you beginning to crack and tendrils of blackness begin to leak out. The word feels as though it's coming to an end...
Right, for some reason I thought it was just a big bonus to the save. Well... good news, you pass! Now you can hope that someone kills it before it hogties you too!
| Witch 12 | AC 15 (19 w/Mage Armor) T 14 FF 12 | HP 86/86 ( 12 temp HP)| F+12,R+11,W+13 | Evasion | Init +3 | Perc +18 | Lowlight Vision | +2 to recover from continuous effects such as such as ongoing poison damage, daily saving throws against disease, a hold person spell, or lingering damage from an attack |
Tess uses her Misfortune hex against the lone opponent.
will DC 19 to Resist the hex, due to negative levels. [l
The body snatcher jerks Hania to the side, using her as a human shield. Jezabel is forced to jerk her gun at the last moment and the bullet misses the horror.
Too scared to make the sacrifice?
The second shot is easily evaded by the fast moving creature...
Grip shaky? Too difficult to aim?
...but the third and forth shots burrow into it, and it's taunting comes to a halt.
The creature twitches a bit but its grip on Hania goes limp and its slithers to the ground. The tendrils binding Jaysin maintain their hold, but they are easily cut away.
Combat over!
There seem to be no more immediate foes in the area, leaving you able to focus on the stone circle... and the growing tear. Chak has some familiarity with effects created in this manner. It seems as though an occult ritual was used to begin this portal, and similarly it may be reversed, but it will need more than just one person's work.
To try to close the portal you will need to stand within the stone circle, exposing yourself to damage from the tendrils unless they are kept at bay by positive energy. The following skills may be used for the closing ritual: Knowledge (Arcana, Planes, or Religion), Linguistics, Perform (Oratory), Spellcraft, or Use Magic Device. Casting healing spells targetting the tendrils can keep them temporarily at bay, and casting healing spells at the tear itself can aid in closing the rift. You can also jump into the tear and explore if you want... but it would be very ill-advised.
Close the Portal! Ritual Round 1:
Chak
Jezebel
Tess
Hania
Kaa
Jaysin
| Witch 12 | AC 15 (19 w/Mage Armor) T 14 FF 12 | HP 86/86 ( 12 temp HP)| F+12,R+11,W+13 | Evasion | Init +3 | Perc +18 | Lowlight Vision | +2 to recover from continuous effects such as such as ongoing poison damage, daily saving throws against disease, a hold person spell, or lingering damage from an attack |
Know. Arcana 1d20 + 17 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 17 + 1 = 21
Tess also tries her hand at helping to close the magical portal.
Hania: Lay on hands would work. Channeling would only do one or the other. You either channel to clear the tendrils or you expend a use of channeling (or in this case LoH) as a part of the ritual to give a bonus on a die roll.
Jaysin: I'm assuming you've been cut free, however the tear is opening bit by bit as time passes...
Tess, Chak, and Kaa enter the circle to attempt to close the dimensional tear...
The tentacles grasp at the trio as they begin their chant. They are overcome, and held in place by the rubbery tendrils as the constant flow of negative energy from the crack tears away at their life force. Tessara cannot seem to concentrate through the chaos and pain.
Chak's biggest problem here is that the last manual for this ritual is about a millenia old, and he feels an overwhelming compulsion to write a new one. On the other side of the circle, Kaa's biggest problem is keeping up with Chak. The incantations of the two pathfinders weave together and the tear emanating from the stone table begins to shrink, as though held together tightly by a pair of celestial hands... but it is not sealed. A powerful artifact will be needed to do that, however for now the area is safe.
At this point, you have one more encounter you can go back and do (another protect the encampment round) if you wish, but you've all certainly done your part. Otherwise you can hold the circle, heal up, and await the epic conclusion.
In that case, the tentacle and energy damage only affects Hania.
Before the otherworldly horrors can overwhelm the ritualists, their holy warrior marches forward, grabbing onto one of the tentacles, and purging the circle of it's corruption for just long enough to complete the ritual.
The assembled pathfinders hold their ground and keep an eye on the rift as it strains against the sealing ritual performed. At times it looks as though it is going to burst... but without a powerful relic the best you can do is hope for some boon from up above to hold back the tear from reopening.
Everyone, roll a single d20 and pray to your deities, give a rousing speech, or just yell defiantly at the rift!
Half-Orc | HP 91/91 (+22 while raging), AC 20, FF 20*, T 12| Saves: F 10 (13), W 6 (9), R 4 (7) | Perception -1 (2) | Initiative +1
From the encampment, a shout can be heard.
"The rift is secure! Inform Medda that a group of pathfinders has secured the rift!"
A half orc in bloodied chain and a bright read cloak and hat runs forward, down the stone passage. "Well fought brave pathfinders! Outrageous display! Let's just hope that with Cayden's luck and Gorum's might we can keep this from rupturing until Medda can figure out how to seal it for good!"
| Witch 12 | AC 15 (19 w/Mage Armor) T 14 FF 12 | HP 86/86 ( 12 temp HP)| F+12,R+11,W+13 | Evasion | Init +3 | Perc +18 | Lowlight Vision | +2 to recover from continuous effects such as such as ongoing poison damage, daily saving throws against disease, a hold person spell, or lingering damage from an attack |
1d20 ⇒ 1
"I hate those awful tentacles," Tessara yells as she tries to make sure the breach stayed closed up tight.
As Medda and Anok join your group of Pathfinders around the stone circle, she assists you with the binding ritual. Medda thrusts Ivvora’s hilt into the portal, calling on Vildeis for aid. The shadow rift shrinks and closes, releasing a massive shock wave that knocks the Pathfinders, the Twinhorn warriors, and Medda to the ground. A field of dark, rippling energy remains, suspended above the stone altar. As Medda reaches out to pick up Ivvora’s hilt—the already broken blade now spider-webbed with new cracks—a supernatural silence descends. Only the telepathic rage of some unseen menace cuts through the quiet. “You dare to shut me out?” it rages. “I see you, but I do not see her. Where is the dwarf woman, Ivvora, who fought me so long ago? Has her mortal body failed at last? Has the realm of the living at last lost its protector? Know this: when the long shadows reach out again, I will grasp them and claw my way back into your world to see your flesh devoured by my children.”
Sound returns to the Realm of the Mammoth Lords, and Medda cautiously stands. “It seems that Eshimka still lives and has even left this foul scar on our world,” she declares. “If we are to believe its promises, the fiend will attack on the next winter solstice. If we are to survive, we must be ready. Nearly a millennium ago, Ivvora held the key to defeating Eshimka. By following her legends and discovering her fate, we may harness the same holy power that banished this fiend—and together end the beast entirely.
“When we set out, it would be the privilege of this following to have the Pathfinders at our side. But that is a trial for another day. Tonight, at last, we rest.”
@Table GMs: Please report your games and boons here. A roll of 19 or 20 wins a boon, and a d4 should then be rolled to determine which one.
And a big thank you to all of our players and GMs, for making Solstice Scar a fun and smooth experience.
