PFS PbP Gameday V - #9-00- Assault on Absolom: Tier 1-2 *CORE* (Inactive)

Game Master Uktar

The tiefling crumbles under your assault. Flaith and Shukara assume defensive positions protecting the team as Duath puts the gnome, halfling and sorcerer through the paces, directing their actions in relaoding the ballista. After about 24 seconds of prep, it's ready to fire. The elven archer picks a juicy target amid the demons on the main platform.

Duath Go Ahead and make a Ranged Attack roll. You can add point blank shot bonus.

Sweeeeet. The low-levels have taken the turret tower! :)

Everyone, please head over to Discussion Thread to make a roll to potentially win a Boon.

Ballista: 1d20 + 1 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (20) + 1 + 4 + 1 = 26

Duath quickly works on getting familiar with the ballista before finding an imposing target among the demons.

"That one. He seems to be one of power. Fire!" he says releasing the massive bolt.

Even as your party desperately reloads and retargets the ballista, one of the Huge demons hovering above the central platform actually notices your paltry efforts. He sighs and barks some orders at the lowly fiendish types at the edge of the platform. His eyes widen with surprise as Duath fires a giant bolt directly at his head. The greater demon grabs a nearby tiefling and uses it as a shield. Duath's shot skewers the tiefling entirely and the bolt strikes the forehead of the demon and penetrates its thick skull. It growls in anger, shaking it head, the dead tiefling dancing about like a marionette the bolt remains stuck to the demon's skull. Finally it growls and rips the bolt out its head. He hurls it back at the party, but weight of the tiefling still skewered on it throws off his aim. He snarls at the cambion demon and remaining tiefling and gestures at you.
"Kill those wretched little things before they bother me again!" it screams in Infernal.

The cambion and tiefling prepare to attack your party.

2d20 ⇒ (1, 6) = 7

All Party’s Weapons have +2 enhancement
Aid token: Boosted Allied Offensive is up. First one to land a melee attack gets to add +2d8 damage, and then creature struck is flanked for 1 round for everyone else.
. . . Current Initiative order:
Duath [-6hp]
Zeebo [-3hp]
Flaith [-2hp]
Shukara
Morka
. Tiefling
. Hudor
. demon
. . BOLD may act.
All Party’s Weapons currently have +2 enhancement
Probably won't have time to manage to get another success, but we've gotten one! (And all the tables combined have managed to rack up enough successes that it's just window dressing at this point. Well done!) The tiefling and cambion demon are on top of 20' platform, just as you are.

Shukara repeats her tactic, performing a flying charge between the two foes and trying to slash the demon in half before forcing the tiefling backwards.

+2 Temple Sword, vs. demon's FF AC; Inspire Courage; Boosted Allied Offensive, Charge: 1d20 + 2 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (14) + 2 + 2 + 1 = 19 for 1d8 + 3 + 2 + 1 + 2d8 ⇒ (8) + 3 + 2 + 1 + (7, 3) = 24 magic and slashing dmg.

The bad news: You aren't going to get the flank bonus against the Cambion demon. The Good News: that's because it be dead.
Also, Inspired Courage is no longer active. Shukara still hits and does enough damage without it...

Shukara smirks as she eyes the demon, seeing several higher level pathfinder agents moving behind the thing. She makes a flying leap with her temple sword raised high. As she clears the gap and closes with the foe, Shukara and the pathfinder agent behind the demon slash down together, trisecting the the demon into 3 parts. The tiefling looks at the gore on the platform, then down at its dead brother on the floor with giant ballista bolt sticking through its body... With a nervous glance at the huge demon that ordered it to its doom, the tiefling mutters a prayer to Asmodeus as it awaits its fate.

Duath [-6hp]
Zeebo [-3hp]
Flaith [-2hp]
Morka
may go.
All Party’s Weapons currently have +2 enhancement

"Shukara! Your skill with that blade is quite impressive...how many is that now?" Duath lauds his ally while pulling back hard on his new bow.

Longbow: 1d20 + 1 + 4 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (14) + 1 + 4 + 1 + 2 = 22
Damage: 1d8 + 1 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (7) + 1 + 2 + 2 = 12
Fire Arrow: 1d6 ⇒ 4

“Oh gee! Shukara that was AWESOME! Alrighty! Do we reload? Can you fire this thing again Duath? Let’s go go go!”

Morka desperately tries to make up for he lack of inspiration by shouting out commands. He reloads the ballista like a maniac.

Duath's Arrow flies true, striking the tiefling square in the chest. It shrugs helplessly as it collapses to the ground.

Shukara resumes her protective perch on the edge of the platform with the ballista, as once again the party finds itself with a few spare seconds to try and bring the mighty weapon to bear. Morka, Zeebo and Hudor once again resume the gritty detailed work of attending the weapon while Duath provides the muscle to crank back it's mighty sinewed string.

Your party may make another Ranged Attack with the Ballista.
First come, first served. [b]Any party member can make the attack roll with their ranged attack bonus. PBS would apply, if attacker has the feat.

Shukara guards the ballista team, sword raised high!

BOOSTING THE TOKEN! (Allied Offensive: +2 temple sword: 1d20 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (20) + 2 + 2 = 24

DOUBLE BOOSTING THE TOKEN!!! (Coordinated Maneuvers: Improved Grapple): 1d20 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 2 + 2 = 19

i.e. 'Double Boosting' instead of 'confirming crit', as I don't think I can crit the token! :P
Passing the token to another team!!

Hudor sees an opening for the big demon and quickly slams the release button for the ballista.

Ballista: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (16) + 5 = 21

Hudor's shot flies true, tearing a large rip through the wing of a Vrock demon, hampering its movement. The pathfinders battling the creature wave their thanks in your direction, then return to their grim work...

Shukara, I'm afraid you can't boost an Aid Token if you choose to use it (i.e. either boost and pass, OR use and pass). I've already put out the call to pass the token

Zeebo cast guidance on Hudor for his next shot then continues to help reload the massive weapon.
For 1 min. Hudor gets +1 on one attack roll, saving throw, or skill check.

Please check Discussion Thread for perhaps the last time. (I need your choice of boons from the chronicle for this scenario. I list the boons over there. Read through and make your pick.)

AS Zeebo places Guidance upon the sorcerer, your party resumes the arduous reloading process. Suddenly, an arrow streaks up from below, striking Flaith as yet another Cambion demon steps away from the wall near the bottom of the steps and fires. Shukara leans over and calls out that he sees two more tieflings along the wall behind the Cambion.
attack: 1d20 + 5 + 1 ⇒ (19) + 5 + 1 = 25
piercing dmg: 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6

All Party’s Weapons have +2 enhancement
. . . Current Initiative order:
Shukara
Hudor
Duath [-6hp]
. Tiefling B
. Tiefling G
. Demon
Flaith [-8hp]
Morka
. Zeebo [-3hp]
. . BOLD may act.
All Party’s Weapons currently have +2 enhancement

***OVERSEER ANNOUNCEMENT***

The wicked glabrezu Katazuul, pierced by ballista bolts and scorched by spells, collapses as her portal sputters and closes. A moment later, a brass horn sounds a triumphant fanfare to announce that the fiend-flesh army has been routed. The march back to Absalom is a jubilant one, though rumors are running wild through the streets as to exactly who the invaders were, what they wanted, and why undead spies sprang to life shortly after beacons appeared around Skyreach. Despite rampant speculation of the Grand Lodge’s involvement in the invasion, the citizens as a whole recognize the heroism with which Pathfinder agents personally averted disaster and rode at the vanguard of the city’s victorious forces. Absalom’s primarch Lord Gyr—whom few remember seeing during the attack—remains silent on the matter, though Siege Lord Wynsal Starborn delivers a speech within the hour personally recognizing the Society’s key role in protecting the City at the Center of the World.

At the Grand Lodge, Ollysta Zadrian recounts news of the victory. “Soon after we stormed the siege castle and slew Katazuul, Absalom’s navy from Escadar arrived and sank what remained of the undead armada. Once again, Absalom has prevailed in the face of adversity!” Raising her armored fist in celebration, Zadrian shouts: “For Absalom! Absalom! Absalom!”

Master of Swords Marcos Farabellus seems only to have grown more concerned since the siege began, and he confirms what many agents had discovered earlier. “Based on many reports from Pathfinders, we have a reason to believe the attack was a concerted effort driven by several enemies of the Pathfinder Society. We now know that it was Pasha Muhlia Al-Jakri—once a respected leader of many Pathfinders—who used the Black Echelon codebook to summon the undead saboteurs. We have reason to believe Grandmaster Torch was involved, at least enough that his minions attempted to usurp Gulgamodh to turn against Absalom. Finally, we learned the demons in the siege castle were vassals of a powerful demon that’s no stranger to the Society, and it is not difficult to deduce that ex-venture-captain Thurl had a hand in creating the fiend-flesh army. Today, we emerged victorious, and I assure you that we shall ascertain these villains’ true motives and put a stop to them.”

That’s the end! Thank you for playing, everyone, and a particular thank you to all the hardworking GMs and backup GMs that made made this special possible.

Congratulations on surviving GM Uktar's PbP GD VII run of PFS Special #9-00 Assault on Absalom. Hope you had a good time.

Morka, please head over to the discussion thread and let me know what two boons you'd like to choose for the very successful completion of this scenario.

Everyone: I'll be posting links to the chronicles, once they're ready (should be end of day if I hear from Morka) both here and in Discussion Thread. Probably will mark this campaign inactive within the week.

Here's a link to
Your Chronicles.

The game has already been reported. Thanks for playing.

Many thanks!