Ith's PFS pbp (Inactive)

Game Master ithuriel

Are you sure you can't run through an ally? You can't charge through an ally, and I assumed you couldn't run through one, but it doesn't seem to prohibit it unless it is in another section of the book.

Run

With a quick search I was unable to turn-up any specific rules to the contrary, but it seems a little counter-intuitive that you can't charge through allies (moving only 2x move speed), but that you *could* run through allies (moving 4x move speed). Still, since RAW is king in PFS, and I can't find any concrete evidence prohibiting it, I am required to allow it.

Throwing caution to the wind, Anashka rushes forward, knocking Fog and Alie aside in her haste to get past, only slowing down when she reaches the idols.

Just waiting on Kovar to advance things :-)

Whoops, sorry about that!

Seeing one of the monkey idols crush beneath his steel, Kovar rushes off after another one!
Charge closest idol Attack: 1d20 + 2 + 7 ⇒ (5) + 2 + 7 = 14 for Damage: 1d6 + 9 ⇒ (6) + 9 = 15 AC is now 18

Kovar charges forward, and brings his scimitar down in another cleaving blow, which smashes yet another idol into small fragments, and releasing another silently screaming spirit.

The remaining idol, desperate to get away from the (apparently) raging ape-man, attempts to scurry up the ziggurat, towards the proto-human atop it...

Climb: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (12) + 1 = 13.

...rolling to a stop atop his bare chest.

Round 15: Kovar, Monkey Gods, Alie, Fog, Talhaearn, Wadi, Anashka

MAP.

Alie moves forward 20 more feet, hoping to get a clear shot at the last idol. She fires another tiny burst of acid at the little monster.

Ranged touch attack 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8

Damage 1d3 ⇒ 1

Fog moves forward (to Y13) amd throws another bolt of fire at the remaining idol.

Ranged Touch: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (19) + 3 = 22 damage: 1d6 ⇒ 4

Wadi sees the final idol move on top of the protohuman and rushes in to save the human before the idol finishes him. He draws his club and imbues it with a feiry glow even as he swings at it!

Swift Action: use Fires of Hell (Once per day, as a swift action, you can summon fire, imbuing a single weapon you hold with a nimbus of fire that deals an extra 1 point of fire damage for a number of rounds equal to your Charisma bonus. This fire gives off light equivalent to a torch.)
Move to AF15(?)
Attack Club 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5; damage 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2 fire.

Tal moves within 30 feet of the idol and readies an attack.

@Talhaearn: Are you sure you want to do that? You currently have your maces drawn, and the last time I checked, they did not have a range of 30' ;-)

Alie moves forward, and throws a sizzling blob of acid, which misses the idol, slamming into the top of the ziggurat alongside the 'helpless' proto-human.

Fog has better luck; invoking the burning fury of his Goddess, he calls forth a bolt of fire which flies true, striking the idol perfectly... but when the flames clear, it is disturbingly apparent that the bone construct was completely unharmed by the flames!

Round 15: Kovar, Monkey Gods, Alie, Fog, Talhaearn, Wadi, Anashka

@Talhaearn: Are you sure you want to do that? You currently have your maces drawn, and the last time I checked, they did not have a range of 30' ;-)

Not sure what their movement speed is...but I was too far away to move and attack & I'm not in a position to charge. I suppose I could move right next to it and stare at it while it bites me next round...or I could put myself in a position to move and attack next round.

So sure...if P is the Monkey God you can put me SW of Kovar. Or if its Bl I'll stop NE of Anashka.

No no, that is fine; it was just your use of the word 'ready' confused me - I was wondering what sort of attack you were readying to use from 30' away ;-)

Talhaearn moves closer, preparing to engage the idol next round.

Wadi draws his club, moves up to the idol, and takes a swing, his club becoming surrounded by a halo of smouldering brimstone as he does so. Unfortunately, however, the idol easily rolls under his blow.

Round 15: Kovar, Monkey Gods, Alie, Fog, Talhaearn, Wadi, Anashka

Anashka rushes the idol and slashes down at it with her glaive.

The point of the run was to make the idol provoke an AoO if it moved away. I don't know if it was able to avoid that somehow, but if not:
AoO: 1d20 + 6 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 6 + 1 + 1 = 9
Damage: 1d10 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 4 + 1 = 10
Well in that case it doesn't matter at all :P
MA: Charge to AD 13
Glaive charge: 1d20 + 6 + 1 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 6 + 1 + 1 + 2 = 14
Damage: 1d10 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 4 + 1 = 10

I'm pretty sure BI on the map is bone idol. What is P?

P is the Proto-human; BI is the Bone Idol. I apologise for any confusion that may have arisen.

Anashka takes a swing at the idol as it retreats, but misses wildly, narrowly avoiding burying her blade in the floor.

She then charges forward up the ziggurat, swinging wildly, but at the last moment, the idol ducks down behind the proto-human, using his chest for cover.

Round 16: Kovar, Monkey Gods, Alie, Fog, Talhaearn, Wadi, Anashka

Kovar is up.

MAP.

Kovar knows nothing more than to continue his artifact crushing rage!

Attack: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (2) + 7 = 9 for damage: 1d6 + 9 ⇒ (1) + 9 = 10

Dang it, zero for three to end this thing. I'm afraid it'll get ugly for us again now!

Dang... I'm wearing a PFS shirt right now, does that allow for my reroll? lol!

Fog moves forward (to AC13) and throws another bolt of fire at the remaining idol.

Ranged Touch: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (10) + 3 = 13 damage: 1d6 ⇒ 4

Anashka pursues the bone idols hacking and chopping at the ground with her glaive.

You'll likely roll around to me while I'm asleep or at work so I'll roll preemptively:
MA: Move to wherever I can hit
SA: Glaive: 1d20 + 6 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 6 + 1 + 1 = 14
Damage: 1d10 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 4 + 1 = 13
Bah. Again no good.

Kovar steps up, and takes a swing, but the final remaining idol, showing fiendish alacrity, dodges out of the way of his powerful swing.

The idol then adopts a position directly over the proto-human's heart, and starts to burrow beneath his skin...

Kovar, Wadi and Anashka each get an AoO...

EDIT: Anashka, I will take that attack as your AoO.

AoO Club 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (9) + 2 = 11; damage 1d6 ⇒ 1 +1 fire

AoO for Kovar, then
Alie, Tal, Wadi and Ana left to post for this round.

Aile tries to find an opening between the others and the idol, going to blast it with acid.

Ranged touch 1d20 + 4 - 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 - 4 = 1

Damage 1d3 ⇒ 1

Seeing the idol's attention being diverted elsewhere, Kovar tries to strike the foul thing from this realm.
Attack: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (17) + 7 = 24 for Damage: 1d6 + 9 ⇒ (6) + 9 = 15

Kovar, howling like the maddened ape-thing he has become, slams his scimitar down upon the idol just as it begins to bruise the bound proto-human's chest.

It shatters into a hundred pieces, releasing a great gout of mist which adopts the shape of a screeching monkey's head, before dissipating into nothingness.

As it does so, the room is filled with the sound of a thousand tribal drums, and an equal number of howler monkeys, roaring. Fog and Kovar fall to the ground, and jerk spasmodically, as does the bound proto-human. Evil-looking black smoke boils away from their bodies, funneling out of every pore and orifice.

For a few terrifying moments, the fog filling the room roils, forming images of a cavorting mass of maddened, shrieking apes which fade in and out of focus in time with the drum beats...

...then, suddenly, the mist is gone.

Glancing around, you see that Kovar and Fog have returned to their 'normal' selves, and are stirring groggily on the floor.

The bound figure atop the ziggurat turns out to be a rake-thin Elf, dressed in a ragged scholar's outfit, who immediately starts to struggle against his bonds.

"What the Devil is going on! Why am I bound?"

"Oh, the usual...cursed monkey gods, magical mist turning people into bestial creatures, apparently you were almost sacrificed. The regular old stuff, you know," Alie jokes as she moves to release the elf from his bindings.

The Elf winces as his skin chafes against the ropes binding him when Alie unties him, but he nonetheless manages to sit up, massaging feeling back into his hands and feet.

"Not that I am ungrateful, but who are you lot? You are definitely not any of the regular museum employees..."

"From what I can tell, your new shipment of Mwangi artifacts might have had a wee bit of a curse on them. Your employees were turned into a strange combination of human and monkey."

Wadi lets the fire from his club die off as he looks around the exhibit hall. He then helps the bound elf to his feet. "Glad we were able to reach you in time. I take it you are Nigel?"

The Elf nods to Wadi.

"Yes, my name is Nigel. I am the Curator here."

When Alie mentions the artifacts, he frowns, and sighs.

"A pity, that; it is rare to find intact Tik-Taan idols - they are so seldomly found outside the city of Usaro, and I don't need to tell you how suicidal it would be to go there and look for replacements... Still, I am sure that our new Mwangi exhibit will be able to survive on its own merits without them... I suppose we could pull the Kybwa'ka war masks and spears out of storage; they could be a real crowd pleaser..."

His voice trails off, as he clearly gets lost on a tangential stream of thought, but then he shakes himself, and focuses on his surroundings once more.

"Now, once again, I must insist: Who are you? What brought you to the Museum at this late hour?"

Nigel, ehhh? Every bit the officious prick I imagined he would be...

Wadi nods his head as he gives a half-hearted smile. "Sorry, Nigel. I am Wadi and we are members of the Pathfinder Society."

Kovar awakes from his "dream" and starts to panic. He is missing something. Knowing what is impossible to be true, he leaves Nigel and runs towards the remains of Grey. He picks up the large wolf and holds him in his hands.

Fog sits down heavily. Giving himself a quick sniff, which seems to confirm something in his head, he puts the club across his legs and sighs. "It, seems, we've done what we came for."

"Well Nigel...it appears that your archaeological find caused a few members of your staff to turn into insane, bloodthirsty apes. At least one man died. We found him laying at the bottom of the privy. We were able to locate most of his body parts at least; so that's something. We have no idea what was about to happen to you...but by the looks of it I don't think it would have been pleasant."

"But hey...you know; sorry for the inconvenience."

Nigel sniffs, and raises an eyebrow.

"You are Pathfinders, you say? Well, I must admit you are amongst the last people I would have expected here..."

He turns to Fog, a puzzled look on his face.

"What, exactly, did you come here to do?"

Fog looks up, "To find out what the mist was, to see why no one who came in, got back out again....In short, to stop the troubles you'd caused!"

Nigel's eyebrows knit together, externalising his mounting annoyance.

"The troubles I caused? All I did was accept a consignment of artifacts from the Expanse; in good faith, I might add. I should have known that any deal I was offered by a Pathfinder was too good to be true. You are all like Adril. As a matter of fact, I would not put it past him to have arranged this whole affair..."

He pinches the bridge of his nose, takes a deep breath, and exhales slowly, calming himself down.

"Still," he says, nodding to Talhaearn "you did help, and for that, you lot, at least, have my thanks."

"Oh, not you personally, "you" the museum!"

Nigel's expression softens.

"I... suppose that I can accept that. Now, you deserve a reward..."

He then casts a spell, and disappears.

Reappearing a few minutes later, holding an ancient-looking spear.

"I can't give you museum pieces, you understand, but I can give you this spear, from my personal collection. It is an incredibly ancient Mwangi weapon that Chelish explorers found near the colony of Sargava during the reign of the expansionist Chelish prince, Haliad I, and is enchanted with powerful, aggressive magic (+1 Vicious Spear). I am sure that if you did not want to keep it yourselves, it would be worth a great deal to the Pathfinder Society."

He then (carefully) hands the spear to Fog, and rummages around in his pockets.

"You can also have these."

Nigel hands over a pair of small gems to Wadi - a cracked mulberry pentacle, and a flawed incandescent blue sphere.

"They are ioun stones; to activate them, gently throw them into the air, and they will orbit around your head."

Cracked Mulberry Pentacle: This stone grants a +1 competence bonus on Bluff and Diplomacy checks.

Flawed Incandescent Blue Sphere: This stone grants a +2 enhancement bonus to Wisdom and a –2 penalty on Perception checks.

He then sighs.

"Now, I am afraid that it has been a rather trying evening, and I need to clean up; my wife (and the other Blakros' family members) will give me Hell if this place is not ready to accept visitors by opening time tomorrow, and by the sounds of it, the staff has been unfortunately 'down-sized'... If there is nothing else, I would ask you to leave."

SpellCraft: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (19) + 4 = 23

Fog stands at Nigel's disappearance, and when handed the spear, he hefts is carefully. "That is a nice weapon indeed."

Turning to the others he says, "Well, the threat seems to have dissipated. I don't think we have anything more to do here, best go and report."

Alie nods. "I'm ready to get out of this museum, and into a nice warm bath. The next time I think about monkey god idols, it will be too soon."

Wadi nods in thanks. "Thank you for these precious stones Nigel. We will certainly let our superiors know of your generosity." He then turns to Alie, "I agree with you whole-heartedly. I have had quite enough culture for one day."

"So... you remember everything Fog? In that case I won't have to explain why you are crusted in raw sewage, but truly, thank you for retrieving the keys."

"But you might want to do something about that before we go report."

;)

"I remember, things. I guess from the smell, that they happened to me, but it's as though I was in a dream and watching the things happen. The sooner I am in a bath. The happier I will be."

Heading back to the Grand Lodge, the party takes the opportunity to visit the bath house... Some needing to remove literal filth, but others seeking to remove the feeling that they may never be clean again...

...Nonetheless, in short order, everyone is well-scrubbed, pink, and re-clothed, and standing before Venture-Captain Adril Hestram.

"So, what happened? Were you successful?" He nods towards the spear carried by Fog, with a wink. "I take it you did not just loot the Museum!"

"We are here, and there are no longer any ape men in the museum. Nigel seems...relatively pleased with our services."

Mixed emotions war across Adril's face, and then he sighs.

"Well, that is probably all that could be expected; any improvement in relations between Nigel and the Society is better than nothing... Thank-you for performing this task."

Wadi holds out the ioun stones Nigel gave to him, "He was quite...generous with his thanks, all things considering. I guess as long as he doesn't press for trespassing charges against us, we cannot complain."

Adril gives a wan smile.

"Don't jest. A week ago, if you had told me that he had done exactly that, I would have believed you. Still... It sounds as if relations between Nigel and the Society might finally be improving."

He then motions for you to keep the gems.

"Well done Pathfinders! You have definitely accomplished something worthwhile this evening."

Suddenly, Adril's eyes widen.

"You may want to have a cleric look all of you over before the night is out... I don't think that is normal..."

Glancing around in confusion, you note that everyone *except* Alie is shedding large quantities of hair...

Wadi glances around him a look of alarm on his face. "I think you're right! We must have picked up a disease or something!" He looks to Alie before addressing Adril. "Is there a cleric on duty now?"