Shackled City (Pathfinder) - GM_Chris

Game Master Chris Shannon 719

Round 3, Init 22

Dyrant continues his glarefest.

Take all the combined glory and honor in these dogs...and it does not measure to one of Cog's paws.
He glares at H3 and H4, making the fullness of his displeasure known to them.

(11 rounds/1round on Will save DC 25) Inflict penalties (-4 to AC, attacks, saves, or skills). Choosing -4 on all their attacks.

Oops. Toffitt has 42 AC. Sorry for being lazy about status.

Round 4, Init 28

Toffitt stands his ground and hacks at the dodgy doggy man, whose dodging gets the better of him for now.

Dueling Sword: 1d20 + 11 + 8 + 1 + 2 + 1 - 3 ⇒ (1) + 11 + 8 + 1 + 2 + 1 - 3 = 21
Damage: 1d8 + 8 + 1 + 9 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 8 + 1 + 9 + 1 = 20

Iterative 1: 1d20 + 6 + 8 + 1 + 2 + 1 - 3 ⇒ (6) + 6 + 8 + 1 + 2 + 1 - 3 = 21
Damage: 1d8 + 8 + 1 + 9 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 8 + 1 + 9 + 1 = 26

Iterative 2: 1d20 + 1 + 8 + 1 + 2 + 1 - 3 ⇒ (10) + 1 + 8 + 1 + 2 + 1 - 3 = 20
Damage: 1d8 + 8 + 1 + 9 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 8 + 1 + 9 + 1 = 20

My kingdom for a Battle Herald. It seems that Fondo has Toffitt beat at this level, in many ways...

Okay busy people. It's the weekend. How about a post?

Round 3

Seeing that the way is still blocked, Finneas charges past Atol and Glimmil to hit the one hiding in a corner.

Move to AU24, eating AoO.

Greatsword: 1d20 + 15 + 2 ⇒ (19) + 15 + 2 = 36
Damage: 3d6 + 19 ⇒ (5, 4, 5) + 19 = 33
Evil: 2d6 ⇒ (1, 5) = 6

Crit Confirm: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (10) + 17 = 27
Damage: 3d6 + 19 ⇒ (6, 2, 3) + 19 = 30

I count 8 negative levels and 46 damage from that crit vs Glimmil. I don't think Cog took any because of the miss and Mounted Combat (although I had included a -4 on his attacks last round mistakenly when I thought one hit).

Glimmil stumbles a bit in Cog's saddle at the latest of the haraknin's strikes.

"Ugh..."

He quickly stows Claw-Whomper and tends to his wounds, bringing his holy weapon back to his hand when he is done.

Lay hands: 8d6 ⇒ (4, 5, 3, 1, 1, 6, 3, 4) = 27

5ft to AV,25.

Glimmil suddenly gets a bright idea that he thinks will help the haraknin plaguing him meet a swifter end.

"Finn.. I think this one insulted your mother.."

Round 3, Initiative 16, Location AV27

Concerned for the gnomes health, Atol converts a Create Food and Water to a Cure Serious Wounds for 3d8 + 13 ⇒ (5, 2, 1) + 13 = 21.

Remember, anyone who had breakfast with Atol has 8 temporary hit points (likely spent already), +1 (morale) attack rolls/Will saves, and +4 (morale) on poison/fear saves from the heroes' feast for 12 hours.

Atol heals the wounds of the drained Glimmil.

The haraknin find themselves less accurate as Dyrant glares at them.
H3 will: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (12) + 8 = 20
H4 will: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (1) + 8 = 9

Despite being drained, Glimmil still manages one hit against the cornered haraknin.

A fresh Toffitt manages to hit once thanks to Dyrant's previous glares.

Technically Glimmil stepped in Finneas's way, but I'm going to alter things a bit since we're not all together to work out those kinks.

Finneas finally finds an opening and moves up into the fight. He lops off the head of the one frustrating Toffitt.

AoO: 1d20 + 19 - 1 - 4 ⇒ (6) + 19 - 1 - 4 = 20
damage: 1d12 + 10 - 1 ⇒ (11) + 10 - 1 = 20
Thought I was going to get a flank on Finneas out of that until I saw the crit.

The last haraknin howls and tries to double run away around the corner. Provoking from Finneas, Glimmil, and Cog.

Two dark rays shoot forth again, this time at Atol. He freezes in place for a second before his eyes turn completely black and he slumps to the ground.

ranged touch: 1d20 + 15 - 4 ⇒ (11) + 15 - 4 = 22
negative levels: 2d4 ⇒ (4, 2) = 6No save
ranged touch: 1d20 + 15 - 4 ⇒ (20) + 15 - 4 = 31
negative levels: 2d4 ⇒ (4, 4) = 8No save. Uh crit?
ranged touch: 1d20 + 15 - 4 ⇒ (15) + 15 - 4 = 26
negative levels: 2d4 ⇒ (2, 2) = 4No save Hmm. Um. I think that's right. I'm going to post and double check.

Round 4
Atol = 25
Dyrant = 22
Glimmil = 8
Cog
Round 5
Toffitt = 28
Haraknin = 25+
H1 (-4 AC & attacks) DOWN
H2 (25, 26, 23, 19, 24= -117) DOWN
H3 (25, 24, 25, 26 = -169) DEAD
H4 (-4 AC & attacks) (-31)

Round 1 - Prayer by Atol (+1 atttacks/damage/skills) and hurt his enemies (-1 attacks/damage/skills).

Map

There's always hero points. "If a spell causes ability damage or drain (see Special Abilities), the damage or drain is doubled on a critical hit."

Round 4, Initiative 16, Location AV27

Not quite sure how the hero points work for this one - it’s been a while since I used them. If I can use it to block that critical hit, I do so. If not, I use it to stay alive - at one level? Let me know.

Atol grasps for the stars only he can see a moment before slumping to the ground a dazed smile on his face.

Remember, anyone who had breakfast with Atol has 8 temporary hit points (likely spent already), +1 (morale) attack rolls/Will saves, and +4 (morale) on poison/fear saves from the heroes' feast for 12 hours.

I was looking at your page and you only show as level 14. Did you update it to level 15? I thought the crit wasn't going to matter, but it does. Hmm. Not technically one of the uses, but I like it. I'll just charge you 1 for the creativity.

Atol catches himself as his knee hits the ground, his prayers answered by St. Cuthbert as he kneels and looks up to heaven.

Round 4, Initiative 16, Location AV27

I did in fact go up a level, just forgot to note the actual current level of my character - sorry!

Atol gets up from his knee and tries to shake the stars from his eyes. Unsure how to approach this new evil, he touches Glimmil with the strength of the gods* and shouts, ”Glimmil, destroy that… thing!”

*Strength Surge(sp): +7 to any strength related task for the next round (attack, damage, CMB/D, etc.)

Remember, anyone who had breakfast with Atol has 8 temporary hit points (likely spent already), +1 (morale) attack rolls/Will saves, and +4 (morale) on poison/fear saves from the heroes' feast for 12 hours.

AoO Cog Bite #1 (power): 1d20 + 16 + 1 - 3 - 1 ⇒ (16) + 16 + 1 - 3 - 1 = 29 for 1d6 + 1 + 7 + 9 ⇒ (6) + 1 + 7 + 9 = 23 with trip 1d20 + 14 + 1 - 1 ⇒ (10) + 14 + 1 - 1 = 24

AoO Claw Whomper #1 (power, defensively, level drained): 1d20 + 21 + 1 - 0 - 4 - 8 + 7 ⇒ (7) + 21 + 1 - 0 - 4 - 8 + 7 = 24 for 1d6 + 5 + 8 ⇒ (6) + 5 + 8 = 19
Holy: 2d6 ⇒ (4, 5) = 9

Glimmil watches as the haraknin flees, and frowns at the sight of Atol taking a knee.

"We need to stop that mask with those dark-ray-things!"

What's the mask made out of? Can we destroy it? Can we hold a shield up in front of the eyes?

No action posted yet while we sort out how we can stop the statue, or fall back out of its line of sight...

It's hard to tell in the 24 seconds of heated battle with bodies falling and a head being kicked about, but the two-faced carving does not appear to be anything more than a trap.

In terms of dealing with it, there are some clues in the battle so far...especially if you metagame a bit, which in this case I would take more as character wisdom.

Glimmil doesn't know how to metagame.

Glimmil squints at his shield and the trap and ponders if the shine of spoons may be in order to reflect away the eye-beams.

Disable? I'm just rolling in case it's applicable here. If not, ignore this and move along while Glimmil waits for someone capable of a Wisdom or Int check to explain what he should be doing.

Disable Device: 1d20 + 22 ⇒ (14) + 22 = 36

Glimmil could move over and begin to disable, but it will take several rounds unless you've taken some feat of which I'm unaware. Glimmil and Cog both hit, but it won't be enough to trip or kill the haraknin.

AoO Greatsword: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (13) + 15 = 28
Damage: 3d6 + 19 ⇒ (2, 1, 2) + 19 = 24
Evil: 2d6 ⇒ (6, 1) = 7

Finneas also hits and manages to take down the last one.

Staying in initiative for the trap.

Are we in the next round? Is Glim in front of the trap?

Dyrant glares at the trap, deciding what to do.

"Glim, if you step away, I will Wall it off for a time."

Only Atol has gone in this round. Finneas and Glimmil took their AoO's, but haven't gone. I'm unsure if Glimmil is going to head over or not. It's 2d4 rounds for a complex trap like this.

Finneas will drag Atol out of the gaze of the trap while Glim works.

Glim's awaiting someone smarter and wiser to provide some direction. I don't think Glimmil can survive 2d4 rounds of disabling before all his levels are drained...

Toffitt frowns. "Dyrant, if you have means to draw a veil down in front of the mask, that may suffice. If only we had means to bend the stone around it, to obscure it more permanently..."

He walks up to the mask, unafraid, seeing if it's fragile enough to simply smash.

As soon as Dr. Toffitt removes himself from the area from which the trap emits, Dyrant will cast Wall of Ice, building a large, thick icy wall between it an the party.

15*5' of walls means I'm sure I can get it...unless I'm wrong. Should break both line of sight and effect. Lasts 15 minutes.

[b]"We should tend to their weaknesses and move on, quickly."{/b]

Glimmil blinks a few times at the sudden arrival of the icy wall and tries to remember if he felt any particular warmth from the eye-rays.

Finding them more cold than anything, he assumes Dyrant's wall will suffice to provide them cover and rides ahead to the corner for a peek at the previously unexplored parts of the chamber.

I could have SWORN I had a scroll of restoration handy, but apparently I used it at some point and didn't replace it. Damnation.

Atol limps along, pushing ahead with the others, getting away from the face in the wall.

Finneas drags Atol to cover while Dyrant walls off the carving. There's a couple more blips of dark energy seen bouncing off the ice wall, but then they stop. At the end of the room the party finds only more doors.

Map

Toffitt listens at the doors and looks for nonmagical traps.

Perception: 1d20 + 28 ⇒ (13) + 28 = 41
Perception: 1d20 + 28 ⇒ (17) + 28 = 45
Perception: 1d20 + 28 ⇒ (4) + 28 = 32

If he sees none, he attempts to open the furthest door.

After others are healed, Dyrant follows Dr. Toffitt.

What options do we have?

1d20 + 24 ⇒ (8) + 24 = 32 Know (Arcana) - Will the level drain effect wear off?

Dyrant knows the trap to be using the spell energy drain.

In terms of immediate options, I'm not sure what the party might have up their sleeves or in their haversacks.

Nasty trap indeed. Nothing like two ninth level spells a round. :)

"I have the means to heal our injuries... tomorrow. I even carry the diamond dust needed, but I have neither memorized the spells nor scrolls to aid us now. We will have to muster onward - or turn back if we feel it is too much of a burden."

I'm down 6 levels, but most of my spells should still work though not as well. Glimmil how are you?

Glimmil's drained 8 levels.

Glimmil, with an appropriate nod from the doctor, assumes the doors to be relatively safe from Atol-draining magicks and puts himself in a position to open them.

"Well, aren't there always things to help undo whatever bad magicks may be cursing heroes in the next room?"

Glimmil gives them all a very believable nod.

"That's the way it works in the stories, at least."

We could always rest, Glimmil also has two 4th level slots to pray for restoration if we think it's critical to remove these.

Glimmil takes off his helm and scratches his head, letting out a sigh as he feels the full brunt of his strength sapped from him.

"How come we weren't prepared for this? I mean, we have Cauldron's greatest minds leading the Cauldron Five!"

Glimmil lets his eyes come to rest on the pair of Cuthbertians.

Atol looks back at Glimmil dumbly, not even realizing the error was his own.

Oh, the cudgeling he'll get when he gets back to the church!

Dyrant gives a stinkfaced glare to Atol, grateful to have a target of his ire more than the damaging effects of the trap.

He knows what this means. He should at least. I hope I don't have to remind him.

Once his blaming and shaming is done, Dyrant returns to thinking about solutions to their current problem.

We are rightly screwed with Glim down 8 and Atol down 6. Option #1: Press on and hope for the best...giving our lives as need be. Option #2: Go rest someplace, hope Cauldron doesn't 'splode while we do. Option #3: ?!??

Toffitt nods at Glimmil's comment. Well, I was prepared. I suppose if I were a greater mind, I would have prepared them all, as well. Alas... "We'll see this through, my friend. But yes, it seems we require some more immediate remediation than tomorrow. Dyrant, have you means to transport our injured to a place where our friends might be restored?"

I'm not ignoring you, Doctor. Just wishing others would opine on things.

Dyrant ponders his options.

While the party ponders their options and rummages through the haraknin's belongings for possible solutions they find:

(x4 for all)
+2 Chain shirt
+1 adamantine greataxe
masterwork composite (+5) longbow
ring of protection +1
potion of blur (guess I should have used those)
potion of protection from energy (cold) - Who needs those with evasion
oil of greater magic weapon +3

Going to change things a bit. A couple more haraknin would've shown up, but this will avoid several more small encounters with no trap to make them anything more than time wasters.

The party finds most of the doors open as the haraknin left them ajar in their haste to hold the line at the trap.

The first room is obviously a barracks. A search through the room reveals a potion of cure moderate wounds and a wand of knock (10 charges).

The next room is both a forge and a bedroom for a giant. It soon becomes obvious that this was once the quarters of Ti'irok Coalfire, whom the party already defeated earlier. The walls here are rough and natural, although the floor is polished smooth. A massive iron bed fills half the wall to the east, and a stream of glowing lava runs slowly through the center of the room to what appears to be a large sunken pool built into the west wall. A tapestry made of a dark, heavy metal adorns the wall across from the door, displaying a silhouette of a bearded face outlined flames and howling in fury, all on a field of red. There is a massive iron table cluttered with metal sheets and a dragon's skull.

On his work table are some metal plates with writing on them. One is a to-do list.

1 - SEE TO DECRIHNI. THE CONSTANT ORGAN PLAYING HAS GOT TO STOP.
2 - SPEAK TO THE WRYM ABOUT THE COLLAR. ENSURE IT IS STILL CARED FOR.
3 - SPEAK TO DYR'RYD ONCE THE PORTAL IS OPEN TO INQUIRE ABOUT THE DISPENSATION OF LAND.
4 - ESTABLISH PLAN WITH NULIN AND THEARYNN TO ROUND UP REMAINING TOWNSFOLK AS WORKERS FOR THE LORDS FROM BEYOND.
5 - POLISH BLACKFIRE.

Another sheet of metal contains a few notes about the ritual of planar junction; namely, that once is is complete the Tree of Shackled Souls still requires several hours to build up enough energy to open the portal.

The last chamber is some sort of martial training facility. Combat dummies in various states of repair line the walls, padded practice weapons rest in racks on other walls, and curls of mist rise from a low pool in a nook across from the door, heated by trickles of lava running down the walls into fissures around its edges.

Glimmil removes his helmet and scratches his head.

"The giant really kept his to-do list on metal plates!?"

Glimmil gives the others a long look that seems to really reinforce the really part of his sentence.

"That's brilliant!"

Returning his helm to his head, he continues to ask questions.

"Who's this Dyra-Rand? It sounds like a hideous amalgamation of all the world's evils? And what's this about him Dispensering the land?"

Finneas watches as the dogs are pillaged and the place looted.

"Doesn't seem like a good way to keep them, unless of course you never finished anything on the list."

Finneas looks at Atol and Glimmil, weakened by the earlier trap.

"Look, we got a real problem here. Volcano is about to go, dragon behind us, who knows what ahead, and Glim and Atol hurt pretty bad. Kord won't help us, anything Cuthbert can come up with?"

Dyrant seems relieved and worried that the party has chosen to go on. He inspects the barracks with a practiced eye.

1d20 + 28 ⇒ (5) + 28 = 33 Perception

1d20 + 24 ⇒ (7) + 24 = 31 Know (Local/Planes/Rel) DECRIHNI - organ?
1d20 + 24 ⇒ (2) + 24 = 26 Know (Local/Planes/Rel) DYR'RYD, NULIN AND THEARYNN
1d20 + 25 ⇒ (13) + 25 = 38 Know (Arcana) Tree of Shackled Souls

"Look, we got a real problem here. Volcano is about to go, dragon behind us, who knows what ahead, and Glim and Atol hurt pretty bad. Kord won't help us, anything Cuthbert can come up with?"

Dyrant wonders what he knows before opining on this options.

Just trying to burn through some bad rolls I see.

The names don't strike a chord with anyone, but looking through more of the notes you can tell the tree is what is being used to create the portal. The tree consists of the cages you've come across in several other sections. You can only guess you don't want to be in one of those cages when it is activated.

The tree consists of the cages you've come across in several other sections. You can only guess you don't want to be in one of those cages when it is activated.

Uhm...correct me if I'm wrong (and I'm definitely wrong), hasn't one of them already been activated? Is that what's causing it to rain demons in Cauldron? If it wasn't that, what is it?

And do we suspect that there is one of tree things here?

It's been activated. It's not stable and permanent yet. Clues and instinct saying you're getting close to it.

"OK then, so we should rest a bit I think. I'm frustrated because I want to press on, but I really think I should do something about Glimmil before we do. And myself too I guess."

"Where should we retire? Here?" He looks around at the mess and considers where he might put his bedroll.

"I don't think our house is safe either though... and I'm not sure the city is any better. They might not suspect we're here."

"Where could we go Atol? It's raining demodands and that isn't going away. You saw them shoving people into portals, you think there's anybody left up there now?"

Toffitt smiles patiently. His ears all still ringing from the heat of battle, I imagine.

"Dyrant, I take it you have no means to teleport us elsewhere?"

"Dyrant, I take it you have no means to teleport us elsewhere?"

Dyrant looks at Toffitt.

"If I had the means, I would not have the desire to do so. We have to close the Tree of Shackled Souls now. Could I get us away...we might not get back in time to stop it before it becomes permanent. What we have seen is just the first inklings of connection," Dyrant spits and sneers as he speaks, his knuckles going white around the AngelRelic.

"We are weak and broken and hurting...however, we are all that is left. We are the only ones that can do this. Sadly, we have to go as we are...whether or not that is good enough, we can only hope and pray."

Dyrant seems resigned to stop the Tree or die trying.

It's been activated. It's not stable and permanent yet. Clues and instinct saying you're getting close to it.

Chris, do our characters have a sense of time here or are we totally lost? I don't want to spend the night to get Glimmil his levels back only to find we've ended the campaign prematurely.

Of course I don't want meta-knowledge either. Just wondering if our characters have a sense of how soon the sky is going to be permanently falling. If we don't know, we don't know... I just want to confirm that.

I myself have lost track of the hour, but let's call it 8pm.

Given the party's knowledge of arcane rituals, you suspect the gate will be permanent in a few hours at the most.

Atol turns to the party, "Time is short and we have one option as I see it. I can cast Sending and communicate with the head of my church, Jenya Urikas. She may have a Restoration memorized - or possibly have a scroll available. Then we must proceed and close this gate, succeed or fail with the restoration."

Assuming the party doesn't disagree, Atol casts the following Sending to Jenya.

"We desperately needs a Restoration. If you have one, reply yes and tell me where you are. We will come to you. -Atol"

He bites his lip and prays for the best...