GM Fnord's PFS First Steps (Inactive)

Game Master Aoth Anskuld

I did tell you the ceiling is 15' high right? It's pretty much anything goes though for getting that key, so I'm eager to see what you're trying.

An Ouch! comes from Tiann, followed by some swears only those from the desert would know. She puts the basket down, and looks upward, clearly in thought. Hmm. Curious.

I did tell you the ceiling is 15' high right? It's pretty much anything goes though for getting that key, so I'm eager to see what you're trying.

Well Jake is 6' 5" & Jory is nearly 5', so that should narrow the gap..although I suppose Jake would be strong enough for me to get on his shoulders as well. I'll wait for them to log back in so we can play it out.

OK, if you're going to just do some humanoid stacking, everybody can post what you're attempting to do, and I'll pull the right rolls out of folks character sheets and describe what actually results.

Ok guys, let's pile on. I should be able to hold enough of you folks to reach that key.

Jake sheathes the Greatsword and holds out his hands to allow anyone who wishes to step up on his shoulders.

Lets see if you can hold my weight. I should be able to cut the string down with my rapier...assuming I can't reach it with my hands.

Tiann sees what some of her companions are trying to do and rests her head in her palm, shaking her head.

Ice, I don't suppose you have some kind of magic to retrieve the key? There's got to be an easier way than climbing like a bunch of toddlers.

While she's waiting for a response, she gets some thread and a fishing hook from her backpack and tries to catch the key that way.

I have absolutely no idea what kind of check this would be but I'm guessing something like raw DEX?

"The copper banded chest is a complete illusion. The acid I dropped on it started sizzling on the floor, that is how I figured it out."

Jory will walk into the copper-banded chest to dispel the illusion for everyone. "See, I'm inside it, it isn't real."

"Khazad, why don't you stablize the bottom of the Pathfinder Pyramid."

Jory will see what resides in the middle of the illusory chest.

The steel cube and door are both locked. You have 2 keys and there is a key hanging from the ceiling.

Karzak can only nod and shrug at Jory's request. Can't say I've ever done this before.. He crowds close to Jake after setting down his hammer, and grabs whatever limb or limbs seem to be sagging, then heaves them back up.

Strength check?
1d20 + 3 ⇒ (9) + 3 = 12

OK, we've got Jake and Karzak at floor level. Anybody else participating please describe your actions (no rolls, I will figure out the rolls after I see the desired actions).

Tal plans to climb on Jakes shoulders and either grab the key or, if it is out of reach, cut it down with his rapier. Whether or not Jake is standing atop Karzak at the time is up to Jake and Karzak!

Jake (str): 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10
Karzak (str): 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (17) + 3 = 20
Tal (climb): 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (5) + 5 = 10
Tal (acrobatics): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (17) + 7 = 24

Jake manages to take Tal's weight, with Karzak bracing him. Tal struggles to Jake's shoulders but once there he finds the position very stable and is able to stand straight up on Jake's shoulders, and reach up with his rapier.

I had to look up how long rapier's tend to be....and it's a lot longer than I figured!

Attack: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5, damage 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5
Hardness 0, HP 1, string destroyed.

The golden key falls to the floor.

OK...now how do I get down? Tal lets loose a hearty chuckle. Let me check that cube for traps before anyone tries to open it.

Trapfinding 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (6) + 11 = 17

Sorry Tiann, I had nothing prepared to get us that key, but you all got this all the same

You can tell there might be something rigged in the lid of the steel chest, but you can't get at the mechanism until you unlock it or disable the lock. i.e. you can't try to disable it until the chest is possible to open

Tal will put the gold key in the steel chest and attempt to unlock it. If the key works he will attempt to disable the trap.

Disable Device1d20 + 9 ⇒ (11) + 9 = 20

The golden key unlocks the steel chest. You manage to reach a finger inside the lid at just the right point to stop the trap from activating, and once you have the lid open, you disable it completely. Inside the chest is the map of the Salhar burial vaults beneath Sothis (your goal), and a wand of knock (CL 3, 11 charges).

I have to go out for a couple of hours. Your current state is locked in the room with 3 keys and a locked door.

OK...we have what we need, now we need to get out. Jory...try that key from the jar on the door. I'll try the one I have from the red box.

Tal uses the key from the red box to try to unlock the door.

Neither of those keys unlock the door.

Tiann takes the wand and offers it to either Talhaearn or Ice, while pointing to the sign on the door. She's sure to take the wand with her uninjured hand, muttering under her breath.

The wand here will probably open the door if someone can use it. I'm afraid I don't know how, but perhaps one of you?

Blasted two skills per level...

Flustered Tal begins to think out loud.

OK. The gold key unlocked the steel chest. The blue stone key opened the red box. Neither Jory's jeweled key nor my jeweled scepter key opens the door. Does anyone see anything that these keys can fit into?

Tal looks for other locked objects in the room.

Perception 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (14) + 10 = 24

Karzak raises his empty hands up in an exaggerated shrug. Noticing that both hands were empty, he snatches his hammer back up, satisfied at the familiar weight. He waits for someone much smarter than him to work the darn thing.

Karzak walks up to the door and gives it a closer examination. He pats his hammer, then looks to the door. Seems like it'd work.

Perception to see how sturdy this door is.
1d20 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6

I'm sorry Tal, I was thinking of the key from the wicker basket. The jeweled sceptre key does unlock the door. :) Puzzle completed, I'll post the conclusion to this part in the next few minutes and then I have to head to bed, not feeling well, and I'll post the next scene in the morning.

No worries...I figured whatever I was missing had something to do with the mysterious copper chest.

Feel better!

Being sick sucks. Get your rest. Hope you feel better soon. :)

Once again, no more smashin' for Karzak. Woe to poor Karzak...

I feel your pain Karzak...Jake needs to do some slashing and hacking too, instead of simply serving as a step ladder. ;-)

When you open the door, the servant who escorted you is there taking notes. He writes down the time, and then continues down a series of checkboxes. "Ah, you finished that quickly. I see nobody seems to have been turned blue...interesting. You may keep the map and the wand, but I will need to collect any remaining keys."

As he comes to the end of the form, he leads you back to the front gate, and you quickly hail another set of carriages and are on your way.

---

A throng of people blocks the street ahead. A performance art group commandeers the street, drawing graffiti to create a jolly hellscape complete with illusory devils comically dancing around in circles. A few citizens avoiding the crowd slip off-street through a nearby alley, the only egress past the gathering and traffic jam. As you are in a hurry to get back to the Grand Lodge, you disembark and follow.

As you make a turn in the direction that seems right, you see a group of four people, some armored, waiting in front of you.

MAP

D: Medium female, wearing a gray mask, with a short sword in hand
W: Human male, wielding a rapier
L: Halfling male, wielding a greataxe
H: Human female, wielding a crossbow

You recognize W as the human who you've caught watching you several times today, and so you see the ambush before they actually attack (ie no surprise round)

Init order:
Ice: 23
Tal: 19
W: 13
L: 13
Karzak: 11
Jake: 10
Jory: 9
Tiann: 8
H: 5
D: 5

Round 1, init 23, Ice goes first.

Hey it's the drawing... err the guy... err the guy from the drawing

Ice will cast Blinding Ray at W

1d20 + 3 ⇒ (9) + 3 = 12vs touch

The ray misses W.

Init 19, Tal.

Tal Round 1 Init 19

Tal will draw and load his light crossbow.

I feel bad for this lot...Karzak and Jake seem hungry for battle.

HP 10/10, AC 17/14/13, F:+1 R:+6 W+1 (+2 enchantments)

Up next: W

Round 1, Init 13:
W charges Jake, and attempts to run him through with his rapier.
Attack: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (12) + 4 = 16 lucky this wasn't a surprise round

L bellows incoherently, and charges at Karzak, swinging his small greataxe.
Attack: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (16) + 9 = 25
Damage: 1d10 + 7 ⇒ (6) + 7 = 13

Up next: Karzak

Karzak, Rd 1, Init 11

Zarzak roars in rage at the charging halfling, then grunts in surprise and pain as the greataxe thuds into his side. He returns the halfling's bellow with curses and flying spittle, then brings his hammer down in an overhead chop at the fellow's head.

Damn! Well, we asked for it!
Raging; attack1d20 + 6 ⇒ (18) + 6 = 24
Damage2d6 + 7 ⇒ (3, 3) + 7 = 13

HP 6/19 (2 temp), AC 13/9/12, F +6 / R +1 / W -2

Up next: Jake

L briefly looks surprised that Karzak took his brutal axe blow as well as he did, and that Karzak could fire back with an attack of his own that bloodied him just as much. The raging halfling grinned viciously.

Next Jake.

Round 1, Init: 10, Power Att, Furious Focus

Jake smiles visciously and attacks W.

Well, now you have found us!

GS ATT: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (3) + 6 = 9
GS DAM: 2d6 + 7 ⇒ (6, 2) + 7 = 15

HP: 13/13, AC: 17/12/15, Fort: +4, Ref: +2, Will: +0

Miss. Init 9, Jory.

Knowing the halfling left his defenses open with a charge, Jory targets him with his bow after stepping to D3. Jory fires one arrow after the other. "Karzak, I'll help you."
Jory puts extra concentration into the first shot--trying to make it a perfect shot. If the first shot doesn't bring the halfling down Jory will aim for him again (else he targets the shortsword wielder).

Both of Jory's arrows find their mark (yes, a 10 hit, hurray for rage + charge), and the Halfling goes down.

Init 8, Tiann.

Round 1, Init: 8, Tiann

Kind of dumbfounded by the sudden outburst of combat in the middle of the streets, Tiann finally snaps out of it, and moves to E3 via D4, and draws her scimitar to try to garner attention away from Karzak.

HP: 10/11, AC: 15/10/15, Fort: +4, Ref: +0, Will: +6
Next up: H

H points at Jake, and a ray shoots from her hand.
Attack: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5 MISS

D casts a spell, and moves to G3, short sword at the ready.
Ice Glen Inlet spellcraft: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (11) + 8 = 19

Round 2, init 23.

Ice Glen Inlet is up next. If he doesn't post in the next couple of hours he has sent me an action to take for him and I'll do that before I hit the sack.

Round 2, init 23

Ice Glen Inlet moves to E6, and casts color spray. He can only reach W if he doesn't want to take AoO.

Will: 1d20 ⇒ 13 failed
W unconcious, blinded, and stunned for 2d4 ⇒ (4, 2) = 6 rounds.
Then blinded and stunned for 1d4 ⇒ 1 rounds.
Then stunned for 1 round.

Tal up next.

Round 2, Init 19

Talhaearn is impressed with the wizard's spell casting. It appears as though Karazak and Jake should be able to make easy work of W, so he levels his crossbow and aims at D.

Attack 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (16) + 5 = 21

Damage 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7

HP 10/10, AC 17/14/13, F:+1 R:+6 W+1 (+2 enchantments)

Tal reloads.

Tal's shot hits.

Init 13
W is out of commission.
L is dead.

Init order:
Ice: 23
Tal: 19
W: 13
Karzak: 11
Jake: 10
Jory: 9
Tiann: 8
H: 5
D: 5

Init 11, Karzak is up.

Round 2, Init 11

Karzak roars at the fallen halfling, then shoots Jory a look of stern reproach, as if to say "He was mine." Seeing the rapier-wielder fall, he steps around him and rushes at the female, his blind rage guiding his hammer and tossing any caution to the winds.

Rush at D and make Hammer-time; got a feeling this may work out poorly for Karzak

Attack1d20 + 6 ⇒ (19) + 6 = 25
Damage2d6 + 7 ⇒ (1, 3) + 7 = 11

HP 6/19 (2 temp), AC 13/9/12, F +6 / R +1 / W -2

Karzak chops D's head clean off.

Init 10, Jake.

Jake acts before Jory, but will be away for most of today.
Jory Round 2 Init 9
Magic Resistance = DC6
AC: 15; ff 14; Touch: 15
HP=11/11
CMD=17 (+4 bull rush and trip when on solid ground)
Fort Save: +4
Ref Save: +3
Will Save: +6
Jory fires twice at crossbowman if still up.
1d20 + 1 ⇒ (16) + 1 = 171d20 + 1 ⇒ (9) + 1 = 101d8 + 2 ⇒ (7) + 2 = 91d8 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 2 = 7
Tiann to go
And of Couse, Jake was skipped.

We'll call it there...either Jake or Jory took out H. Jory, your first shot knocked her out, so save your arrow.

The two who were still alive, you secure and question. I'm not going to bother listing their equipment that you loot, because the scenario is over, and you can purchase only what's listed on the chronicle sheet :)

Larkin Weaver is the one who was uninjured. He is an anarchist comedian, a Galtan refugee, who specializes in scathing tirades about authority figures. He began working with Deandre for extra money and the chance to sow a bit of chaos when his political humor failed to support his lifestyle.

He explains that the four of them have been following you throughout the day, shadowing you on your tasks. They were simply looking for an easy payout, knowing pathfinders often have excellent gear, money, and carry important items and documents around town.

The ringleader, Deandre Dulay (a Human Cleric of Norgorber) had used a contact in the rebellious art group known as the Jocund Pranksters to stage the event in your most likely path.

He advises you not to wake up Halli and simply to hand her over to the authorities, as she is an insane sorceress, and very unpredictable.

Ice straitens his robes and try's to look confident and cocky, though fighting is certainly not his strong suit.

Pfft... all in a days work