Gryphon Gold's Rise of the Runelords Campaign (Inactive)
Game Master Ludomancer

Vuvo barks and growls at the giant helmet wearing crustacean. He was told to stay, not to keep quiet.

Badly hurts, Quionion gasps, but after Rhianni casts her spell, he sees a way out.

Escape Artist: 1d20 + 21 ⇒ (11) + 21 = 32

Not sure if it affects people's actions or not, but I should point out that Praxim now has an ability that everytime he hits with a ranged weapon, he automatically grants the Precise Shot feat to all allies within 10 feet. Just saying.

Praxim again whips arrows out of his quiver and at the hermit crab.
Attack 1: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (17) + 8 = 25
Damage 1: 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (7) + 2 = 9
Attack 2: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (2) + 8 = 10
Damage: 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5

Round 2

Rhianni covers Quinion with grease and he's able to slip free from the hermit crab's grip.

Markum continues swinging his weapon and manages to inflict a decent-sized cut while Praxim continues hailing arrows, hitting with one of them.

Being unable to hold onto to Quinion, it instead goes after Markum and succeeds in grabbing him with one of its pincers (9 dmg + grappled).

Round 3

Praxim continues with arrows. "Both of you get out of there!"

Attack 1: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (13) + 8 = 21
Damage 1: 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4
Attack 2: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (9) + 8 = 17
Damage 2: 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3

Round 3
Once more Rhianni sends the stream of grease to cover Markum's body, before retreating just outside the doorway they entered by. She is careful to look before she goes through the door, as she doesn't want to meet anything untowards coming in the opposite direction.

Casts Grease on Markum, Benefit: A creature wearing greased armor or clothing gains a +10 circumstance bonus on Escape Artist checks and combat maneuver checks made to escape a grapple, and to their CMD to avoid being grappled. The grease lasts 3 minutes.

Perception 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (15) + 4 = 19 to not run into any foes coming this way.

Swim Check: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (10) + 5 = 15
Acrobatics: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (17) + 10 = 27 - to Avoid AoO

Quinion strokes for shore.

"Just kill it!" Markum tries to escape the crab's clutch.
CMB 1d20 + 7 + 10 ⇒ (5) + 7 + 10 = 22

Round 3

Praxim pelts it with a couple more arrows, but the hermit crab doesn't seem to be slowing down. Quinion distances himself from the giant, while Rhianni coast Markum with more grease, allowing him to just slip out of the big claw's grip.

The hermit crab tries grasping Markum again, but is unable to, settling for cutting open a large gash across the druid's torso (12 dmg).

Round 4

Praxim continues his ranged assault.

Attack 1: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (14) + 8 = 22
Damage: 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 = 8
Attack 2: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (17) + 8 = 25
Damage: 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 = 8

He smirks as two arrows sink deeply into the crab.

Question: is this thing large-sized, because if so, all these attacks should have been at +1 attack and +2 damage?

Markum dives back in.
Markum Scimitar:
to hit 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (19) + 8 = 27 damage 1d6 + 7 ⇒ (2) + 7 = 9

confirm Crit:
to hit 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (18) + 8 = 26 damage 1d6 + 7 ⇒ (1) + 7 = 8

Quinion clambers onto dry ground and readies his bow (I am presuming he won't be able to fire this round).

"Markum, back off and we can hit it from here, or at least tempt it out of the water."

Question: is this thing large-sized, because if so, all these attacks should have been at +1 attack and +2 damage?

Yep, it's large. That changes things quite a bit.

Praxim lands two more arrows, nearly downing the hermit crab, before Markum splits its head into two.

Combat over.

Rhianni looks shocked at the blood pouring into the water from Markum's wound, making a red swirling cloud that colours the water. "You alright? Shall I bind your wounds and heal you as I can?"

Turning to Praxim and Quinion she continues, "I can see something magical in the water down there, whatever it is might change the physical properties of the world around it. At least that's what I think it might be. We should spend time to take a look and retrieve it."

Markum sloshes out of the water, keeping his arms protectively close to his wounded body. He curses viciously in his native language as he comes out.

Quinion dives in and searches for the source of magic that Rhianni has detected.

Rhianni, dips her toe in the water, wondering how cold and deep the pool is. She doesn't enter further, afraid that she won't be able to swim in the deep cold pool.

Quinion grabs the amulet and surfaces,"Quite a bit of shine down there, though the Helmet is just bronze with a gold cover. Don't think it's worth hauling out unless someone wants to buy off a giant..."

"Hmm...do we have anywhere left in this place we haven't explored? The coins can sit until we're ready to leave, I'd think."

Where to now?

Map

Rhianni, hoping to return quickly from this place of death and destruction, "I don't so, let's just take all this, and the giant mask if you can carry it, and begone." She looks around still unsure that other dangers are not near.

"Shouldn't there be more here, though? I thought there was some sort of trapped demon creature down here that they were looking to free."

Praxim will help gather up coins, but suggests that the helmet just isn't worth the bother of dragging something around that heavy.

Sighing Rhianni can only but acknowledge Praxim's words, "Yes, but I don't see where it could be?" She looks around hopelessly, but there is no-where in this chamber that looks that it might be the way to the demon. For which she is quite thankful.

"Unless we plan on revisiting every place we've been and looking for concealed doors, I don't see where we have any place left to go..."

After some time, in addition to the amulet, you're able to gather 3600 silver coins, 630 gold coins, and 40 precious stones.

If you re-explore the floor...:

Pool room:
The sound of sloshing water fills this room, which has nearly collapsed entirely into a large tide pool. What few walls do remain intact here bear detailed and impressive carvings of incredible treasuries filled to overflowing with coins, gems, jewelry, and other items of value. To the east, the walls depict a carving of a towering mountain, its peak carved in the shape of a stern face just above a great palace. Below, the side of the mountain's valley cradles an immense city of spires.

Shadow room:
Four pillars support the domed ceiling of this room. Several alcoves containing sarcophagi grace the walls, and a statue of a stern man wielding a glaive and holding a book stands at the far end of the chamber.

L-hallway:
The southern wing of this L-shaped hallway ends at a pair of stone doors carved with the depictions of two skeletons reaching out to clutch a skull between them, while to the east the hallway narrows down to frame a circular carving of what seems to be an immense stack of gold coins that rises from floor to ceiling. The edge of these coins are carved with tiny, spiky runes.

Nualia room:
A wide stone ledge of red marble lines the curving walls of this room, which is well-lit by four burning skulls that sit in each corner. Three chairs rest in the room, and both stone ledges are covered with books, scrolls, teeth, bones, scrimshaw artwork, jars of deformed creatures soaking in brine, taxidermied animals and limbs, and other strange objects. To the north, a large round fountain filled with frothy blue water fills the room with the gentle sound of bubbling.

Trap room:
This short hallway rises in a slope to the east. Five feet from the western door, the floor is polished and shiny, unlike the dusty floor elsewhere. A pair of stone statues depicting stern men wielding glaives stand in the acloves north and south of this section of the hallway. At the eastern end stand two stone doors, their faces carved with strange runes. Between the doors is a third aclove in which a partially collapsed statue sits. The top half of the statue is missing, leaving behind a ragged stump of a torso.

Bottom of stairs:
The door opens easily into a wide hall. Two pillars support the ceiling in here. In many places, the stone walls, ceiling, and floor are caked with ancient grime and soot. Acloves in the north and south wall contain partially damaged statues of a man in robes clutching a book and glaive. The entire room is canted toward the west, and whatever ancient upheaval caused the complex to tilt knocked the statues from their bases so that now lean against the southern walls of their acloves.

"We have to retrace our steps somewhat to get out. Why not take a better look at the rooms we go back through?" We can take 20 in each room on the way out.
Markum has a +12 for a total of 32.

"You're right, Vuvo. There is air back there." Read the spoiler.

Rhianni follows Markum and Vuvo, with an aire of resignation. No warm and soft bed tonight then, oooh! A sigh leaves her lips as her eyes look into the distance, seeing something of her minds making.

What are you guys gonna do?

Praxim has a look, needing somebody to point the slots out to him to notice. "Hold a light up to that slot, and I'll look through this slot," he says, peering in.

"Any ideas on how to open this up?"
Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (1) + 6 = 7

"With a key, genius." Markum gives Praxim his best 'what-an-stupid-question' look.

Praxim returns Markum's look with his best, "save-that-look-for-Quinion" look, and says, "Then shall we have at it?"

Gives Quinion an expecting look

Rhianni seeing the two gents 'encourage' each other, her lips purse in exasperation at the two men. Men...they either have a go at one another or try to beat things into submission. Her voice, timidly speaks up "Gents, if what you heard is true, about some monster that dwells within, won't the noise of bashing the door down give it plenty of time to prepare? ... duh!" see looks away in disapiontment.

"Who said anything abut bashing it in? Markum suggested using a key, though if we do need to bash it in, perhaps we could use his head. Don't we actually have a key or two from the goblins topside. Maybe there's an actual keyhole hidden somewhere in the carving."

Perception take 20 for a 27.

"Oh, a key, I suppose so." as Rhianni gives the elf the keys, rather sheepishly, that she found in the workshop, the iron key from under the pillow and the key ring with a dozen keys found on Ripnugget. She mumbles an apology "Didn't mean to offend about the knocking the door down, but ... well ... you know..." her voice trails off.

We had three key descriptions in our treasure list. As they weren't worth anything, I presume we kept them when we went into town and sold all our mundane stuff.

Quinion sighs, "Right, let's take a look"

Perception (to find an opening mechanism): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (18) + 7 = 25
Perception (to make sure it's not trapped): 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (10) + 9 = 19
Disable Device (to open it or disable a trap as appropriate): 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (16) + 15 = 31

No one is able to find any keyholes.

Praxim starts pushing on random bits of the carving, getting more and more frustrated. Eventually, he exclaims, "Maybe the entrance isn't even here. Maybe that's some sort of safe room, and the door into it is somewhere else, or maybe even collapsed. Let's just smash our way through and risk attracting whatever's in there."

"If we want in, I see no other way...consider, however, that if something is trapped down there, all we may be doing is freeing it..."

In the L-shaped room, on the walls on either side of the giant stack of gold coins, are tiny coin-sized slots. It also seems that the space beyond the stack is hollow.

"It's a stack of money with money sized holes. Maybe we should fit in some money."

Praxim's annoyed look softens at that suggestion. "That might be it, actually. I suppose gold ones." He fishes out a pair of gold coins and hands one to Markum. "Maybe at the same time?"

Rhianni helps her friends put coins through the holes.

Praxim and Rhianni put the coins into the slots. The coins vanish from sight immediately, and the pillar of giant coins begins grinding noisily into the ground, opening the way into a hidden room.

Map

"Hmp...a coin-fed secret door...got to be a religous nut."

Quinion walks through the door, seeming a bit disgruntled.

Rhianni is the last to enter, she waits by the door as everyone goes in. She picks up some of the coins, just in case she needs them to get out.

The next room is nondescript except for the three sets of doors.