GM Fnord's PFS First Steps (Inactive)
Game Master Aoth Anskuld

"No doubt that is part of why the Society chose to send a party capable of defending itself."

Any other stuff anybody wants to do during the journey?

Tal will pose for a few more Jory portraits...

Good here

Well, Jory plans on learning as much about sailing as possible on the journey in case Otti's liver gives out.

In addition to making some nautical pictures for the scrap book.

The rest of the boat ride is uneventful. When you arrive, Otti points you towards the Grindylow's Goblet, the tavern where you agreed to meet the gillmen.

Nester looks impatient to finish the mission at this point. "Shall we?"

MAP

The sounds of a busy tavern echo off the wooden walls of this unusual building. Resting precariously over Escadar's harbor, the Grindylow's Goblet offers an unequaled view of the water. In the bar's center, a thick glass aquarium presents a striking display. Within the tank, a coral statue of a goblin with the lower body of an ocropus hosts a school of colorful fish that flit about the nooks and crannies of its tentacles.

Several torches fill sconces that cast the tavern in normal illumination.

Two human servers busily provide food and drink to the tavern's half-dozen patrons, and a striking woman tends the bar.

MAP

Tal peers around the tavern; looking for Aspis members, gill-men, or any signs of a potential ambush.

Perception 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (7) + 10 = 17

Jake also carefully looks about the room at the patrons.

Perception: 1d20 ⇒ 2

Karzak enters and immediately thinks of ordering a drink or five. But, seeing his companions watching their suuroundings warily, he also looks for someone or something with which to engage in a fine drunken brawl.

Perception1d20 + 4 ⇒ (18) + 4 = 22

Jake nods at Tal, then bends down to whisper in Karzak's ear.

Tal spotted a gillman. He asked that we watch the doors when the contacts arrive because he fears an ambush.

That is one perceptive Dwarf!

Karzak also spotted the gillman bartender.

After you have a chance to settle in and perhaps have a drink or two, the gillman party arrives, consisting of only two Low Azlanti, a man and a woman. The male bears a delicately wrapped bundle of cloth, apparently around the Azlanti relic, while the woman seems to be acting as bodyguard.

The man carrying the bundle introduces himself as Shoalo; the other, a muscular female gillman named Ahrmisa, remains silent and stoic. Shoala sits at a table and places his package before them, offering the two seats opposite him to Nester Rees and any other member of your party.

MAP

Jory and Karzak stand aside. They remember the orphanage incident all too well. Jory motions for Tiann to sit.

Tal nods at Jory and Tiann. She is clearly the right choice to represent the group alongside Nester.

Karzak stands behind the table, his gaze drifting between the bartender and the bodyguard, wondering which one he'd have to put down first.

Jake stands in a position between the bar and the table, glancing occasionally at the front door, his arms folded in front of him, a dour look on his face, but on the balls of his feet, prepared for action.

Tal nonchalantly makes his way to the door that the gillmen came in and peers outside...looking for any sign of hidden members of their crew.

So odd of them to send only two when we come with 6...

Perception 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (4) + 10 = 14

Rearranged everybody as it sounds like they described. Feel free to move yourself.

Shoalo places the bundle on the table, and pushes it towards Tiann and Nester.

Shoalo: "Can I inspect your item?"

Before responding, Nester unwraps the gillmen's relic, to examine it.

Anybody close to the table (i.e. not Tal unless he returns) can make an appraise check on the relic.

Not liking the look of this at all, Tal moves closer to the meeting and tries to stay parallel to the gillmen in an effort to maintain eye contact with his colleagues. He draws his rapier (Sleight of Hand? 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (12) + 7 = 19) and focuses on Nestor's appraisal of the artifact.

1d20 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 = 8
1d20 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 2 = 7
1d20 + 3 ⇒ (17) + 3 = 20

The bartender spots Tal drawing his weapon.

She shouts, "You! What the HELL do you think you're doing with that in my bar? Are you drunk or just stupid?"

With a shrug Tal sheathes his weapon and hopes that's the end of it.

No...I don't like this at all...

The bartender goes back to work, but she as well as the other gillmen and most of the patrons are keeping a wary eye on Tal.

Appraise with plus 2 if nonmagical gem or such1d20 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 2 = 7

Karzak looks at the table with interest, hoping to see a fine work of art. He chuckles at Tal, though he shares the man's suspicion. Keep their eyes off a' me, at least

Jory looks on at the item on the table.
"Shouldn't that radiate some magic of a rather high level."
He looks around to see if his comment draws any concern.
Sense Motive 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (18) + 8 = 26

Jory waits for his dwarven words to sink in. Then he speaks calmly, "Shoalo, please tell me you have the real item and we won't have to hurt you for trying to cheat Pathfinders."

Jory knocks and points an arrow at Shoalo.

Jory's pulled his bow...while his actions are sometimes rash he's usually pretty good at reading people.

We still have our relic, right? Is Nester carrying it?

Our package is in a safe place. Tal speaks loudly so that he can be heard from across the room. We'll be holding on to our package until we can verify the authenticity of yours.

Tal is pretty sure he hears Jory snicker at all this talk of packages.

Jake turns to at Jory's words, and he adds in a threatening manner.

It would not be wise to cheat us Gill-Man.

Intimidate:1d20 + 4 ⇒ (17) + 4 = 21

The bartender drops a glass, and it shatters loudly.

Only Tal and the Gillmen get to act in the surprise round.

Init:

Surprise round:
21: Uli
17: Tal
12: Sha/Ahr

then Round 1:
21: Uli
17: Tal
14: Jory
12: Sha/Ahr
8: Jake
4.1: Tiann
4: Karzak

As the glass hits the floor, the other Gillmen close their eyes.

The bartender casts a spell.

The torches around the bar explode in a burst of bright, colored aerial light.

Roll Will DC 15 or be blinded for 1d4+1 rounds.

Tal is up in the surprise round. One standard or move action.

GM Roshan: Did the intimidate have any effect?

Will 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (9) + 6 = 15
Jory learns a lesson from the blenheim, and gets his eyes closed just in time.
"We just want to keep to the original deal."

Will: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (19) + 1 = 20

Tal draws his rapier and beckons the gillmen closer; temporarily shielding his eyes from the blinding light. We used to have a wizard that could do that...

Will Save: 1d20 ⇒ 18

Unaffected by the flashing lights, Jake draws his Greatsword from his back.

Jake: Your post went through while I was posting. The gillmen initiated combat as soon as Jory aimed his weapon though, so your intimidate was sort of at the same time as the surprise round. You can't draw your greatsword until your turn. :)

Shaolo moves sideways towards the bar, and Ahrmisa moves next to him. Both wield their spears.

Round 1:
21: Uli

The bartender casts another spell.

A many-layered mass of sticky strands coats the area around everybody but Tal. Web rules

It's a reflex DC 14 not to get grappled by the web. The entire area of the web is considered difficult terrain. Anyone moving through the webs must make a combat maneuver check or Escape Artist check as part of their move action, with a DC equal to the spell's DC. Creatures that fail lose their movement and become grappled in the first square of webbing that they enter.

Those who haven't made their will save yet, make that on your turn before you do anything else. Everybody needs a reflex save when the web is cast to avoid being immediately grappled before your turn even comes up.

Tal is up, then Jory.

Tal rushes forward (three squares...I'll update the map in a bit) and thrusts his rapier at Ahrmisa.

Attack: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (7) + 6 = 13
Damage: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 = 8
Sneak Attack: 1d6 ⇒ 3

Reflex: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 2 = 14

Jory evades the Web using his lessons from Chaldira.
He rushes outside the affected area
] and draws a bead on the caster.
Posted from phone, ref rolls in wrong thread. Jory moves 20' outside the Web and readies a shot for when web shooter acts again. Please move me 20 feet to escape Web on map.

Ahrmisa goes down, run through by Tal, before she can attack.

Ahrmisa: HP -5/6, Stabilize: 1d20 + 1 - 5 ⇒ (19) + 1 - 5 = 15
She is unconscious and bleeding on the floor, but not dying.

Shaolo attacks Jake:
Spear: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (13) + 2 = 15 vs. flat footed AC, damage 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4

The gillman then takes a step back.

Jake is up, then Tiann and Karzak.

Jory - you can go east to escape along the north side of the bar; 10' will take you out of the web in that direction. Or you can go 20' north, away from the melee. Or once you've gone 10' to the north, anything east is also free of the web.

Round 1, AC: 17, HP: 9/14, Power Attack, Furious Focus

Jake returns the attack on Shaolo.

GS ATT: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (16) + 7 = 23
GS DAM: 2d6 + 7 ⇒ (3, 5) + 7 = 15

Shaolo is down.

Shaolo HP -9/6 stabilize: 1d20 + 1 - 9 ⇒ (19) + 1 - 9 = 11 Holy crap, he stabilizes.

Tiann and Karzak are up before the bartender.

Put me closest to bartender as possible.

OK, you are outside the north side of the bar. Note that there is a large aquarium in the center of the bar so there's no spaces on the north side that she doesn't have total cover from (though you could break the aquarium if you don't want to move again).

Will save1d20 ⇒ 9
Reflex save1d20 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7
Blinded1d4 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2

What the 'ell! Whosit?. Karzak sputters and struggles, now blinded and entangled in the sticky webbing. He roars in anger at his predicament and tries to rip through the webs to where he last heard or saw the bartended.

Perception to track him down1d20 + 4 ⇒ (17) + 4 = 21
CMB1d20 + 4 ⇒ (19) + 4 = 23

Karzak: Your CMB check is your standard action to break free of the web. To move this round, make another CMB check as part of your move. If you succeed, you can move as through difficult terrain, if you fail, you get stuck in the first spot you move to.

CMB1d20 + 4 ⇒ (12) + 4 = 16

Karzak attempts to move through the webbing, one hand out in front of him to try and seek out his target.

Moved two squares

Time for GMPC...

Tiann will vs. blindness: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (14) + 6 = 20
Tiann reflex vs. web: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (10) + 0 = 10
Tiann CMD to escape web grapple: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (17) + 0 = 17

Tiann is not blinded, but gets trapped by the web. She fights her way free, then loads her crossbow.

Seeing that her compatriots are down, the bartender casts another spell.

The bartender dives straight through the hole into the water, and starts to swim away.

Hey....that's not fair! Tal shouts.

I assume there's no way to shoot an arrow at her while she's swimming away...nor would it do much good.

Tal rushes across the tavern to a set of doors that lead to the docks. (Double move to just outside the east double doors.)