Quartes once again stands back from the first line of defense, more than happy to let his valiant companions prove said valor. Even though; he stays close enough to the archway to provide backup should it be needed. He keeps his sword at hand and ready, while his other hand remains open to work whatever magic may be needed.
I'll wait to resolve the surprise round actions until Beckett has a chance to post. If you haven't made a Perception check while looking into the northern room (everyone but Noran and Jareth, I think), go ahead and do so... it's a DC 21 to make out where the spider is. Go ahead and move yourselves on the map (here) to where you want to be before combat... I put Jareth, Noran, and Filios to where it sounded like you moved. If you still have trouble editing it let me know. The new image doesn't have the letters/numbers since I didn't have that one at work. :P
I'll wait to resolve the surprise round actions until Beckett has a chance to post. If you haven't made a Perception check while looking into the northern room (everyone but Noran and Jareth, I think), go ahead and do so... it's a DC 21 to make out where the spider is. Go ahead and move yourselves on the map (here) to where you want to be before combat... I put Jareth, Noran, and Filios to where it sounded like you moved. If you still have trouble editing it let me know. The new image doesn't have the letters/numbers since I didn't have that one at work. :P
Oh... and as far as actions go, the plan so far looks like to have Noran shoot at the thing with Jareth and Filios on either side of the doorway with readied actions to attack. Sound right?
I moved Quartes to a spot where he can make a tasty morsel to a charging spider; please let me know if I messed up anything with the map - first time with google docs
Oh... and as far as actions go, the plan so far looks like to have Noran shoot at the thing with Jareth and Filios on either side of the doorway with readied actions to attack. Sound right?
<I accidentally deleted my post rather than edit it. I seemed to have fixed my issues with the map. I wasn't able to edit it at all, but now it seems to be working. I still can not see any numbers/letters, though.> It also seems like this gets active just as I get off. :(
Perception:1d20 + 8 ⇒ (4) + 8 = 12
Initiative:1d20 + 2 ⇒ (9) + 2 = 11 <for later>
Surprize Round
Unaware there is a threat until I see Noran nock an arrow and shoot into the darker room, I advance slowly and attempt to keep concealed.
No worries, Beckett. I'll try to give everyone time to post... let me know if it's going too fast for you. :)
Surprise Round
As Noran watches the spider, only he can see that it remains motionless as everyone else takes their positions. Once everyone is ready, Noran takes aim at the huge vermin and lets loose an arrow. It slams into the side of the spider's abdomen (5 damage), and it screeches in pain! Losing the element of surprise, it drops its net and scurries down its web and across the floor towards you!
Spider - hp 11/16; AC 14, T 13; Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +1
It didn't move far enough for Jareth's and Filios's readied attacks to go off in the surprise round. You can ready another attack for Round 1 if you'd like though.
Quartes shakes his head in aggravation at his botched attempt at a whistle. Others make it look so easy... Instead, he yells out at the charging spider, jumping about and making a general spectacle of himself.
Here kitty kitty! Got your man meat right here; come and get it!
Quartes is confident to the point of being a fool. Jumping and gesticulating is his action for this round. He's completely trusting in the fact that any pesky arachnids won't make it through the gauntlet of steel that his companions have set up.
Noran steps back again, then waits for the spider to arrive.
5' step south
Delaying action until spider has acted (not readying, so spider does get to go first)
If spider stops just outside the door and my teammates don't nuke it before its turn, full attack:
Att 1: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6, dam 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5
Att 2: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (10) + 1 = 11, dam 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2
If it doesn't end its turn there, I will decide action after the spider goes.
New Initiative Order
Beckett - 11
Quartes - 10
Filios - 8 (1)
Jareth - 8 (2)
Spider - 8 (3)
Noran - 8 (4)
Round 1 - Initiative 8
The spider continues across the room, its sharp fangs dripping with poison as it moves towards the dwarf. As it passes through the doorway, both Filios and Jareth swing their weapons at the arachnid, catching it by surprise! The spider dodges out of the way avoiding Filios's attack, but Jareth's scimitar connects with the spider's body (6 damage!), causing the creature to shriek in pain! Black ichor oozes from its wounds.
Bite 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6
Turning to this new threat, the spider lunges at the half-orc and attempts to sink its fangs into his flesh, but Jareth easily avoids the attack.
Noran fires two arrows at the creature, but one clatters against the wall next to Filios, and the other passes over the spider into the room behind it.
Spider - hp 5/16; AC 14, T 13; Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +1
Quartes rushes forward, seeing that his attempt at luring the arachnid out of the entry way didn't work. His sword slashes down at the creature as he closes the distance.
Added a link to the map on the Campaign Info tab. Realized it might not be as easy for others to access it. :)
With Jareth drawing the spider's attention, Filios watches for an opening to attack. Seeing one, he brings his curve blade down again, this time managing to make contact with the giant spider's body. His powerful blow tears through the spider's flesh, and the creature falls to the ground, its legs curling up beneath it.
You notice no further signs of movement within the dim room, and everything is quiet once more. Cocoons of various shapes line the northern walls, and an archway leading further into the tower stands in the southwest wall of the chamber.
Quartes follows along behind, staying close to Beckett's light as they move deeper into the darkess of the enclosed structure. He scans about, paying close attention to the cocoons. So...think those are the unfortunate adventurers who came before us?. He seems unperturbed by the notion, but merely shrugs and continues to scan for more potential enemies, his dueling sword at the ready, and his off-hand empty.
Something in one of the small cocoons catches your eye as you look over the northern room. On closer inspection, you recognize the familiar shape of a canine. However, unlike the feral dogs you encountered minutes earlier, it looks like this one belonged to someone. The desiccated carcass is still wearing its leather collar, which is studded with lapis lazuli stones and has a silver tag reading "Kita."
For those of you unfamiliar with PFS... you don't get to keep/sell the items you find during the adventure. For this collar, for example, there's a gold total at the end that depends on the encounters you finish. I'll give you more details later!
The western room is almost completely choked with impassable rubble. However, a clear area leads to a wooden door set in the eastern wall of the chamber.
"Poor lil' "Kita". Maybe once we are done here, we should see about finding it's owner."
I'll makle my way to the wooden door, and at least test to see if it's locked. Not actually opening it, just seeing if the doornob turns a little, for example.
Quartes looks at the collar with interest, then frowns at the canine corpse. Indeed. Someone obviously loved the poor mutt. Well, they'd undoubtedly want to have the collar back, in any event.. He reaches down and tries to pull the collar off of the animal.
OOC:
Are you saying we can't snatch the booty, or just that we won't actually be adding any of it to our sheets? Because, if that collar sparkles, Quartes would be taking it. he'd undoubtedly try and find the rightful owner first, but wouldnt balk at keeping the collar should no owner come forth.
You can take it (and if it were a usable item you could use it through the module), but you can't add it to your sheet at the end. There's a list of items on the Chronicle Sheet that you can purchase at the end if you find them. All the details are in the PFS Guide to Organized Play, but I'll post them as they become pertinent.
This module is weird since it wasn't written specifically for PFS play... usually, a PFS scenario just rewards you with gold at the end based on the encounters you completed. This module has actual treasure items that you can find, but the end result is just a gold reward at the conclusion. Probably just to streamline the organized play process. :P
Noran inspects the west room closely, looking for anything he might have missed just glancing through the entrance.
Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (6) + 8 = 14
He then joins Beckett at the door, and searches it carefully for traps, then puts his ear to the door to see if he can hear anything on the other side before we try to open it.
Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (15) + 8 = 23
Will it be possible to get through the rubble to investigate the southern room later?
You see nothing of note in the western room or when you examine the door. It has no locking mechanism, just a simple handle used to open it. The only sounds you hear are those you make which reverberate off the walls of the chamber.
It would take much more manpower than what you have to excavate the southern room. It's completely filled with large pieces of rubble from the collapse after the earthquake.
Ready, and hoping I didn't just waste my Bless spell
Another interesting note about PFS, all the gear is open to everyone to purchase seperately. If we find a +1 sword on the big boss, we can all purchase it after the adventure for ourselves. Likewise we can use it during the adventure, but lose it once the adventure is over. Same with potions/scrolls/wands etc.
I don't mind being the designated door opener, since during fights I will be mostly trying to stay ranged, so I'd rather spare a surprise hit from the front liners.
Noran carefully cracks open the door to peek through, and looks at what's on the other side.
Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (9) + 8 = 17
assuming there's nothing threatening on the other side...
He then finishes opening the door, so everyone can get a look, and steps back.
Through the doorway, you can make out what was once a spiral staircase leading both up and down. However, the room is filled with large pieces of debris and the staircase has collapsed, preventing further progress. You will have to find another way to explore the upper floors of the fortress.
"I do ha' a grappling hook and rope if we want to scale to the higher floors before we descend, though it may be better to do that from outside rather than in here. What do you all think?"
Sorry... I re-read my last post - wasn't as clear as I could have been. The room with the stairs is almost completely filled with rubble and debris. The staircase used to run up and down the middle of the room, but it's blocked in both directions with collapsed stonework.
Seeing that there doesn't seem to be anywhere else we can get to on the inside, Noran goes back outside, and walks around the entire tower, looking for climbable areas, and locating the openings on upper floors we could climb to with or without using a grappling hook.
Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (2) + 8 = 10
He also checks the surrounding area for any other possible entrances to the underground area.
Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (13) + 8 = 21
I'd like to take 20 on those perception checks and give it the 10 minutes or whatever and end up with a 28 on both, but that's up to GM.
Sure, you can take 20... Beckett's bless spell will wear off, but I don't think you'd be able to make it to an encounter in the next 8-9 rounds. Sorry, Beckett. :(
Noran and Filios examine the outside of the fortress, circling around the three in-tact wings. No other entrances are apparent, and a thorough search doesn't turns up any hidden methods of entry. It seems like the only way further into the tower is by scaling the ruined walls of the eastern wing. The rest of the tower's walls are amazingly smooth, but the ragged remains of the eastern walls provide hand- and footholds allowing access to the second floor 15 feet above. (DC 15 Climb) It also looks like you could climb up to the third and fourth floors as well, each another 15 feet higher.
Unfortunately, from where you're standing it doesn't look like there's anything that a grappling hook could catch on.
