GM Harker's PFS Season 4 Campaign

Game Master Justin L. Warren

I'll need to know the exact gp value of the money you all are presenting.

Vailis will show up 1000 gold pieces bag.

Halkale shows 1000 gp

"Eh, you may got some gold, but neither of you chaps seem like real high rollers. Go find another place to gamble." One the guards says with a dismissive wave.

as far as these guys are concerned, Quiella is broke right now :-p

"We're in together; between them and the others I think we roll high enough for this place."

do you want a diplomacy check? diplomacy: 10 + 18 = 28

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"Eh, this short dwarf lady seems to have what we're looking for, I guess we'll let you guys in there with her." One of the guards says with a shrug as they part to let you inside.

As you enter the crowded gambling hall, it seems that you all fit in easily thanks to all the eccentric clientele. Several entrants swagger about in gaudy pirate clothing, while others are wearing the finest of whatever is fashionable this week in Taldor. Some notable gamblers present include a halfling sailor who appears to be accompanied by a wise-looking ape, a white-clad devotee of the Prophecies of Kalistrade, and set of suave Varisan triplets.

Harried servers and attendants also bustle throughout the Weaver’s Parlor, meeting the often-peculiar demands of the eclectic gamblers with practiced smiles. Several Gendarmes seem to be providing security in the gambling hall, but they are concentrating their attention on the gaming tables rather than the comings and goings of anyone milling about.

Thanks to the information given to the group earlier, the entrance to the wine cellar is quickly found tucked discreetly beneath the stairs leading up to the second-story balcony. Due to the constant bustle of boisterous gamblers and their entourages, no one seems to be playing any particular attention to the door.

Quiella closes her eyes to hide the eye roll at "dwarf lady" but says nothing more than "thank you, gentlemen."

At the door, she says: "I'd ask if anyone wants to gamble, but we're on a schedule and I don't want an opportunity for anyone to draw attention to us. Let's go. Mel, can you check the door for an alarm or trap of any kind?"

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Frostfur sits next to Halkale providing Mel a bit of cover while he examines the door.

Taking advantage of the cover, Mel begs a guidance (if possible without drawing attention) and checks the door and area for alarms, traps, and the like.

traps?: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (13) + 11 = 24

If he can get a guidance, then add +1 to that roll

Someone please post 'guidance' before GM Harker resolves my roll :)

It might be good if Valik and his +18 perception checked or aided as well.

No guidance here

Vailis mingles with the gamblers for a while and has a look on potential rivals or spider minions.

Afterwards he sets himself in a strategic position where he can distract any passer by while Melufiuos opens the door.
Bluff: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (9) + 6 = 15

Yeah, it's usually one of the gals telling me what to do... errrr providing guidance. ☺️

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We're going to move on. Guidance won't make a difference here.

Vailis keeps watch while Melufiuos checks the doors for traps or other dangers, but the other gamblers and guards don't appear to pay the group any mind at all.

Melufiuos finds nothing on the door and proceeds to open it. As you descend down, you notice that the wine cellar of the Weaver’s Parlor is cooler and quieter than the bustling floor above. A few lanterns illuminate rows of casks, and a sturdy rack bisects the room, obscuring the western half. The rack extends from floor to ceiling, but does not reach the walls to either side, allowing passage around the rack to the north and south.

Let me know how you want to proceed. You were told that there is a hidden door on the west end of the cellar which you cannot currently see due to the wine rack in the middle of the room.

Mel trust yourself!

Halkale looks around while Frostfur sniffs the air.

Perception, Halkale: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (13) + 12 = 25 +2 if this counts as underground

Perception or Scent: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (9) + 6 = 15 Scent is a survival skill but is more of early warning that someone is near, but the bonus is only +5

Mel will sneak a peek around the north end, careful of tripwire and such.
Stealth: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (13) + 10 = 23
Traps: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (13) + 11 = 24

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what is with the 13s?

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First, Halkale and Melufiuos hear some soft drilling noises, while Frostfur indicates she smells something nearby. As Melufiuos sneaks forward to the other side of the rack for a better view, he spots two men and one woman balanced atop empty casks, each person carefully drilling a small hole into the ceiling of the wine cellar and thus into the floor of the gambling hall above.

It's the doorway blocked? If I were to cast darkness would we be able to feel our way there?

Although it is probably better to just let the "dwarf lady" talk our way past.

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"Whom are you? Why are you doing holes in the ceiling?" asks Vailis plainly with a strange look in his face and trying to look as if the party has all the right to be there.
Diplomacy: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (19) + 6 = 25
Bluff: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (17) + 6 = 23

wicked rolls!

The western wall where the secret door is supposed to be is not blocked, you can move there easily and look for the door if you wish. It'll be a Perception check, but you get a +4 since you know where to look.

The trio stop drilling when addressed by Vailis. One of the men smirks and replies, "How about we just let each go about our business and this never happened, okay? We weren't here, we never saw you, you weren't were, you never saw us. Cool?"

"What if they are with the spider? I do not think we can rely on them" tells Vailis to the party in low voice.

"That sounds cool, but how do we know you are not going to cause us trouble?"

The half-elf tries to discern what they are doing with their drilling.
Perception: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (8) + 0 = 8

"Look buddy, we're just doing our own thing. We don't care what're you're doing, so you shouldn't care about what we're doing. We ain't gonna cause you any problems, promise."

Vailis sees that they are all carrying small optical devices. The two men have what appear to be a shortsword and a dagger, while the woman is armed with a quarterstaff. They seem to be drilling into the floor, probably for the purposes of cheating at one of the games.

Feel free to make Sense Motive checks if you want to gauge how forthright he's trying to be.

Halkale studies the group.

Sense Motives, FE: 1d20 + 3 + 4 ⇒ (5) + 3 + 4 = 12

Valik doesn't speak, and lets Quiella get them through the front door. After heading down into the cellar he drinks a potion of mage armor, as he expects things to potentially get deadly.

He smirks as he finds out of the three people drilling by holes, and listens as the man pleads his case. He tries to determine the sincerity of his words.

I would be surprised if a man willing to cheat is being honest

sense: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (16) + 12 = 28

The man sounds sincere to both Halkale and Valik, evidently more focused on the task at hand than any ulterior motives.

Quiella frowns and narrows her eyes. "What you seem to be doing is disappointing, but I am not here for you. You have my word as a servant of Erastil that I will not disturb you if you leave us alone."

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"Done deal, milady. Now if you'll excuse us..." He signals to the others and they resume drilling up into the ceiling.

Mel looks for the door and checks for traps again.
Perception: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (5) + 10 = 15
Traps: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (4) + 11 = 15

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Mel seems preoccupied with the lady on the ladder and cannot find anything.

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You get a +4 to your check, Mel, but you still don't find the secret door.

lol, I forgot Quiella knows this spell...

"Valik will find it, Mel.". Quiella says as she taps Valik on the shoulder. casting guidance on Valik

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Valik gives the men a quick glance before he tries to attempt to find the secret door.

take 10=29 or if I cannot: 1d20 + 19 ⇒ (1) + 19 = 20

Halkale assists with door finding

Perception, aid, underground?: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (9) + 12 = 21 add +2 if underground

With some aid from Halkale, Valik finds the secret door easily. Leaving the roguish group behind to their own business, the party moves through the door and descends a flight of stairs.

Here is a link to the new map.

This wide stone room is deep underground, but decorated as though in a country manor. Standing lamps illuminate the decor, which includes pastoral paintings of landscapes typical of southern Avistan. A steep staircase leads up to the east (from which you entered). Hallways extend to the north and south.

Let me know how you want to proceed.

Perception, Underground: 1d20 + 12 + 4 ⇒ (14) + 12 + 4 = 30

"C-C-Clanking coming f-f-from the east." Halkale points out.

Mel will use wand of shield

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Once you're ready, someone tell me if you guys want to head north or south.

Quiella follows Mel's example and applies her own defensive wand. Looking at the two hallways she points to the left. "Let's take this one."

use magic device: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (6) + 15 = 21

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"Left it is, then," Ophelia murmurs, gripping her shield a little more tightly.

Halkale casts magic fang on Frostfur and gravity Bow on himself.

6 minutes each, did someone have a lifelink on her? Seems odd to cast shield companion if there's a lifelink on her too.

it's not odd to do shield companion. The AC boost will help and it means she can absorb even more damage. And yes, life link is on Frostfur

Quiella also opts to draw her long-handled hammer

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Vailis uses his shield wand too and loads a cold iron bolt on his crossbow before following the party to the left.

Well, left and right are relative, but I'll assume in this case that left means clockwise.

For those of you using spells to boost your AC, please let me know your new AC scores (including FF and Touch) or edit your status lines to reflect changes.

After some of the team members cast buffing spells, the group opts to head north. Moving around the corner, you discover a door to your south, while the passage continues to the east. The rhythmic metal clanging detected earlier by Halkale can now be faintly heard further down the hallway by everyone else.

29/13/28

"Let's deal with the clanging first. My gut says it is some of her constructs; if we deal with them now they can't sneak up on us later."

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AC = 31, TCH = varies: usually around 27, FF = 17

AC 22, touch 13, flat-footed 19

Mel also has the blind fighting feat.

An invisible attacker gets no advantages related to hitting you in melee. That is, you don’t lose your Dexterity bonus to Armor Class, and the attacker doesn’t get the usual +2 bonus for being invisible. The invisible attacker’s bonuses do still apply for ranged attacks, however.

"Good idea," Ophelia murmurs back, stowing her mace and shield and loading her crossbow with an adamantine-blanched bolt.

In the last scenario, I blanched 10 crossbow bolts with adamantine blanch and used two (I believe). Without her shield, Ophelia's AC/touch/FF is 18/10/18. Also, if I'm within 60 feet of an undead or haunt, whether I'm aware of their presence or not, I get an eerie feeling.

With no one objecting to Quiella's suggestion, the group continues to the east. Moving around the corner, those in front find themselves entering a grand reception hall that holds a table and eight ornate chairs. A small sideboard holds an empty decanter and a silver serving set. A wide fireplace in the east wall holds a thick bed of ashes, and a neat stack of firewood lies nearby. Two narrow doors stand to the northeast and southeast. Wide passageways lead out of this room to the northwest and southwest.

Walking around the table are three metallic creatures with cogs and gears visible in the gaps of their armor. Their polearms stand at attention as the move, but immediate shift into a combat stand once they see the group approach.

It's a Knowledge (arcana) check to identify these creatures.

PC Initative
Halkale's Initiative: 1d20 + 7 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 7 + 2 = 14
Melufiuos' Initiative: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (17) + 5 = 22
Ophelia's Initiative: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (18) + 4 = 22
Quiella's Initiative: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7
Vailis' Initiative: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (17) + 3 = 20
Valik's Initiative: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (13) + 7 = 20

Initiative (Round 1)
Melufiuos {Life link with Quiella} <= Up
Ophelia <= Up
Valik {Life link with Quiella} <= Up
Vailis <= Up
Halkale/Frostfur {F: Life link with Quiella} <= Up
3 Metal Men
Quiella

Mel, Ophelia, Valik, Vailis, and Halkale/Frostfur are up first!

If attack misses by 4 or less, my AC drops to 27 for rest of round but I get a free AOO vs that attack

Valik looks at the mechanical enemy, trying to figure out what it could be.

K arcana: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (8) + 7 = 15

He moves up, while grabbing his cold iron kama. He takes a defensive stance while he makes a single kick at the first mechanical enemy, aiming for its legs.

AC 31, white, fist=CI/silver/magic, using scorpion style: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (16) + 10 = 261d8 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6

If I hit, DC 17 fort save or speed is reduced to 5' for 5 rounds