If Calendir hears Maulf's shout about the dragon, he steps inside to gather his gear and fit Lagash's armor. If not, when the others dash out, they cross paths with Calendir - he stands there, unmoving, trying to make out details in the distance.
Please make a Perception check, Calendir, to see if you hear Maulf.
Remember LM's house rule about spells? You can use the slot to cast a spell you don't have prepared as a full-round action.
Retcon with Numair before he runs off
"Numair, do you want to be able to fly up and engage the enemy? I or Azaurant could make that happen."
Elen will run out (taking one move action to move 30 feet) and retrieve her spyglass from the haversack. She will peer at the dragon through it, trying to identify if there is anything unique or identifiable about this creature.
[dice=perception with penalties due to distance halved with Ally's Aid below]1d20+12+2
[dice=knowledge(arcana) with Ally's Aid below]1d20+14+2
Any other appropriate knowledges?
Also, where is everything and everyone? How far is the Inn from the castle and how far away do the dragon and gargoyles appear to be?
By now, the gargoyles have begun to attack the trench line. The defenders down there seem to be holding their own. The dragon, on the other hand, has moved slowly towards the castle, in no rush to press an attack, and is barely noticing the gargoyles. The dragon is staying out of range of the arrows flying forth from the top of the castle. The dragon seems to be looking for something.
the dragon itself appears to be black in color, but it is covered in some kind of tar-like substance. Your knowledge check is just enough to determine that it is in fact one of the more uncommon types of dragon, known as a 'tar' dragon.
[dice=knowledge(planes) in case the dragon has been altered by the Abyssal energy of the Worldwound or is from the Abyss itself]1d20+14
[dice=knowledge(planes) aid another from Ally]1d20+8
Or I guess Elen is aiding Ally instead! LOL!
Ally figures something else about the dragon. While it really looks good for a dragon that is one with the tar (obviously facials do work!!), it does have the stench of death about it.
Though the crowds running from the castle are light, it takes you several minutes to make your way to the castle. The sight before you is not like any that you have seen before. To your right, the village's defenders are fighting off several gargoyles, using bows and spears to attack and keep the foul creatures at bay. You notice that two of them are different from the others. They hang back from the rest of the brood, watching and observing. They also seem to have some sort of 'shine' about them. It is odd, but it could be the light of the torches making them appear brighter then the others.
The dragon, for that there can be no doubt, is hovering near the portion of the castle that faces to the north. You hear a gravelly voice coming from the dragon, directed at the man atop the castle wall. I have not come for you this day, old liege. There are others that I seek.
It looks for another moment, while Clanliege Clefthorn wails at the top of his lungs to fire. A few arrows bounce off the tarry flesh, but none penetrate. The dragon looks around a bit, then sees you. A look of delight passes the creature's face and he begins for move forward towards you.
Is this a fear affect? If so, all of us within 10 feet get a +4 morale from Numair's Aura of Courage, and any within 30 ft get a +1 morale from his banner. So far it wouldn't make a difference. Also, I would assume that Ally's determination of a 'stench of death' means that this thing is undead, is that correct?
Will Save:1d20 + 7 ⇒ (16) + 7 = 23+4 if this is a fear effect (Elen would be right next to her Paladin friend)
"Now might be a good time for that acid protection, Ruul!"
Initiative, since it seems appropriate:1d20 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6
How far away is the Dragon? Will it take a round or more to reach us?
If it will take more than a round, I will ask Numair if he wants to fly to be able to smite the dragon. If he does, I will use a full-round action to cast 'Fly' on Numair, giving up my slot in which I had prepared 'Howling Agony', unless this is not actually undead, in which case I will give up 'Sleet Storm'.
If it will take a round or less, I will cast Lighting Bolt at the dragon if it is within 120 feet. If it is not within 120 feet, I will ready an action to cast Lightning Bolt as soon as it is within 120 feet. Obviously I will not cast this if any being gets in between the dragon and Elen. 7d6 damage, Reflex DC 19 for half. Lightning Bolt damage:7d6 ⇒ (1, 1, 1, 6, 5, 2, 4) = 20
M Elven Wizard 6/Diabolist 2 | HP 46/46 | AC 20/24 FF 15/22 T16 | Saves +6/+11/+7 | Init + 11 | Per. +14
Lord Manticore wrote:
By now, the gargoyles have begun to attack the trench line. The defenders down there seem to be holding their own. The dragon, on the other hand, has moved slowly towards the castle, in no rush to press an attack, and is barely noticing the gargoyles. The dragon is staying out of range of the arrows flying forth from the top of the castle. The dragon seems to be looking for something.
the dragon itself appears to be black in color, but it is covered in some kind of tar-like substance. Your knowledge check is just enough to determine that it is in fact one of the more uncommon types of dragon, known as a 'tar' dragon.
When Azaraunt sees the creature he tries to figure out what it is as well.
Knowledge Arcana:1d20 + 17 ⇒ (7) + 17 = 24
Also Azaruant can dimensional step a few time in addition to move so can easily keep up with slower members of the group. He wants to cast a few spells before the group gets to the castle. Mainly he casts Flame Arrow on a "package" of cold iron arrows he has ready in his haversack for just this purpose. Once cast he hands the ranger the lion's share - say 40 of them, and keeps 10 for himself. These will last for 70 minutes, or until shot. Can get this spell off?
Female Azata Lyrakien HP 26/26 | AC 20 T 16 FF 16 | Ft +3 Rf +7 Wl +9 | Init +8 | Per. +11
Ally would have re-cast shield on Elen and herself as soon as they reached the castle, if that's OK.
Will:1d20 + 8 ⇒ (7) + 8 = 15+4 if fear -- ok, that will fail unless it's a fear effect.
Assuming it is a fear effect, Ally will decide on a bluff. She will cast Silent Image and produce a figment (note that figments are not mind-effecting and therefore undead are not immune to them) mimicking a Bralani Azata appearing 30 feet above the party's heads, as if summoned. (If Azaraunt and Lavinia bust out the summons as well this will add to the verisimilitude of the illusion.) Flavor:
Ally mutters arcane phrases and shouts, "Champion of Freedom, come to our aid!" A hint of a portal opens above their heads and an elf-like woman with silver hair appears, wielding a scimitar and flying freely without wings. She flies forward in a charge to try to intercept the Dragon's approach.
Bluff if needed:1d20 + 11 ⇒ (19) + 11 = 30
The dragon will have no reason to think the azata is not a true summoned creature unless it has some other sort of sense, such as true seeing, to automatically pierce the illusion. When it interacts with the illusion, such as attempting to attack it, it can make a DC 16 will save to disbelieve. Normal AC of an image of this sort would be 10. Ally will attempt to have the image move as if taking a total defense action, making it less likely that the dragon's attacks would actually pass through the image. If that's possible AC would be 14.
Teammates may use sense motive to discern Ally's bluff, or may know based on Knowledge(Planes) that Lyrakien do not have the natural ability to summon other Azata, that would probably be at least a 22, maybe higher DC. Not sure.
I probably need an Initiative roll as well:1d20 + 8 ⇒ (6) + 8 = 14
HP 62/62; AC 17/13/14; CMD 22; Fort +11, Ref +11, Will +10; Init +3; Perc -1
Round 0, Init 22 Hands Sandstorm & Wand of Shield AC 21 HP 65/65
Spells 1st: 3/3 Smite Evil 2/2 Battle Dance 13/13 Lay On Hands 10/10
Conditions (Effects; Target(s); Duration)
+Battle Flag (+1 morale attack, weapon damage, saves vs fear & charm; Pathfinders within 30 ft.; for as long as banner is not destroyed) +Aura of Courage (+4 morale saves vs fear; allies within 10 ft.; while conscious)
Will Save:1d20 + 13 ⇒ (5) + 13 = 18(+1 vs Charm, Immune to fear) Initiative:1d20 + 4 ⇒ (18) + 4 = 22
Seeing the massive, dripping beast lumbering through the air at them, he hollers out words of encouragement. "Stand fast, my friends! We shall defeat this foe."
No initiative needed at the moment, the dragon is well out of range of the Lightning Bolt to start with, and then moves to about 160' away from the party, and about 40' off the ground. It is his Frightening Presence power in effect, which provoked the Will saves when he moved in. If I have it correctly, here are the modified saves for everyone:
Calendir - 30
Ruul - 31
Lavinia - 17 (fail)
Elen - 28
Imbukar - 13
Azaraunt - 25
Ally - 20
Kallistiel - 18 (fail)
Numair - Immune to effect
I haven't had a chance to build a map yet, and I am still working tomorrow as well. I can run this battle (if there is one)without a map, but how comfortable are you all with running in full description mode? Also remember, we are slowing down the combats so that everyone gets a say before moving to the next round. Hopefully it will go more smoothly this way.
Shaken effect:5d6 ⇒ (6, 3, 3, 6, 6) = 24
Both Lavinia and Kallistiel are shaken (-2 across the board on rolls) for the next 24 rounds.
Not sure if it counts for the power, but Lavinia gets a +2 trait bonus on all saving throws against charm and compulsion effects. It would bump her save up to 19 if Frightening Presence counts as either of those.
By now, the gargoyles have begun to attack the trench line. The defenders down there seem to be holding their own. The dragon, on the other hand, has moved slowly towards the castle, in no rush to press an attack, and is barely noticing the gargoyles. The dragon is staying out of range of the arrows flying forth from the top of the castle. The dragon seems to be looking for something.
the dragon itself appears to be black in color, but it is covered in some kind of tar-like substance. Your knowledge check is just enough to determine that it is in fact one of the more uncommon types of dragon, known as a 'tar' dragon.
When Azaraunt sees the creature he tries to figure out what it is as well.
[dice=Knowledge Arcana]1d20+17
. These will last for 70 minutes, or until shot. Can get this spell off? What is the question?
Tar Dragon Knowledge:
the tar dragon is very uncommon, bordering on rare, on Golarion. As such, there are not many known defenses against such a creature. When attacking this type of dragon, one must first realize that many types of weapons can be found to easily 'stick' to the dragon's surface. this is due to the tar that covers the dragon, almost from head to toe. This affects bludgeoning and slashing weapons. If either of these weapon types hits the dragon's Touch AC (regardless of whether it actually hits the dragon), sticks to the dragon. It requires a DC16 Strength check to remove said item.
The tar dragon's breath weapon is quite different from other dragon types. Whereas the average dragon has an elemental effect as the base of its breath (i.e. fire, cold, etc.), the tar dragon's breath weapon is its vomit. Literally. Also unlike most breath weapons, the vomit of this creature will stick to whatever it touches in the line from mouth to end, well over 100 yards typically. The weapon has been known to be both a corrosive and have an entanglement effect.
Finally, the tar dragon's jaw structure is such that it can swallow its victims whole, not unlike a snake. In this case, the dragon, depending on its size, can swallow even storm giants with some effort.
I can handle the map if you want to describe the general layout and distances involved.
Can we put a cap on waiting for people? Asking seven other people to wait 4-5 days for one person to post seems a bit silly.
Also, how much time did we have between seeing the dragon and the will save?
Thanks again for offering to build the map. I'm looking at, left to right, the edge of the castle (maybe the easternmost 10 yards), about 50 yards of room between the castle and the westernmost trench line. The party is smack dab in between those two points, with the dragon 160' in front of and slightly to the left of the party. It is 40' off the ground at this point (i.e. before it speaks again).
IF there is combat, 1 RL day will equal 1 round. By that I mean, if anyone can't post within 24 hours of the round in play, I'll DMPC the character and start the next round. Will that be workable with everyone?
You have about 30 seconds from actually sighting the dragon in front of the castle, to its move action to its current position. At this point, you can tell (by smell if nothing else, it is well preserved for a dracolich...oh, did I say that out loud?!) its fairly obvious that it is undead (Knowledge checks are fine to determine points of interest, as Azaraunt did, but you don't need to roll at this point to know it is long past its expiration date).
Malerix slowly flaps its wings closer to you, the stench of death is sickening. Both Kallistiel and Lavinia are shaken to their cores, and Imbukar has begun looking for a hiding spot. Malerix seems to grin, if such a thing is possible on a dragon, revealing many long sharp teeth. It also sighs and you can hear a gravelly voice, but it is not coming from its mouth. Instead you hear it in your head, as clear as day. Even its voice drips with bile and worse as it speaks.
So, this is the mighty party that Argonax and his followers moan about. You are the ones that are supposed to delay and hamper the mighty Argonax the Vile, He Who Lives Eternally, the Harbinger? He is worried about you? He is obviously insane to believe this, but religious fanatics always are. Crow, pick you beak up off the ground, that's a good little familiar.
The creature looks at all of you, sizing you up, although not likely for a feast. Finally, he intones I look at you and I do not fear. Even with your summoned creature, you have little chance to destroy me. Ye,s you could swarm me, assuming you are powerful enough to even leave the ground. But I would still likely win. And even if you 'killed' me, you'll never find my phylactery. I'll just return whole and be ready to defend again. He pauses, and then Malerix says something that would chill most who heard it. You are not worth my spit, let alone my claw. I believe I'll let you live. Perhaps, if you become more 'seasoned,' perhaps if you should ever make it to Tsar, then I will find you worthy of allowing your worthless guts to dissolve in my stomach. Until then, may the gods bless you on your journey to becoming my dinner.
One day per round is really slow but at least it sets some sort of minimum.
It is slow, but I am allowing for party members that can't always post on the weekends (Macavity as we speak) or for those with busy schedules at that point(i.e. moi :)
M Elven Wizard 6/Diabolist 2 | HP 46/46 | AC 20/24 FF 15/22 T16 | Saves +6/+11/+7 | Init + 11 | Per. +14
Lol. He is just here to take a look and taunt us. Maybe that's a good thing if he is a lich dragon. Yikes!
LM - we still need to know how many buff rounds we have before that last message and the Fear save, unless you are telling us not to bother because this is a non-combat. Even then I think we would want to help fight off the gargoyles. I propose everyone should have three standard actions before the the dragon's message. Mine would be 1) Mage Armor on Kalli, Flame Arrows for Calendar, and Communal Resist Energy Acid on the party - everyone there anyway. If everyone is there Azaraunt will leave himself out to get everyone else as he can only cast it on 7 people.
Lol. He is just here to take a look and taunt us. Maybe that's a good thing if he is a lich dragon. Yikes!
LM - we still need to know how many buff rounds we have before that last message and the Fear save, unless you are telling us not to bother because this is a non-combat. Even then I think we would want to help fight off the gargoyles. I propose everyone should have three standard actions before the the dragon's message. Mine would be 1) Mage Armor on Kalli, Flame Arrows for Calendar, and Communal Resist Energy Acid on the party - everyone there anyway. If everyone is there Azaraunt will leave himself out to get everyone else as he can only cast it on 7 people.
You have the equivalent of five rounds before the dragon moves.
Elen will complete the spell of Fly on Numair Full-round action, giving up the spell of Howling Agony but then put a hand on his shoulder. "This being is beyond our strength, my friend... It seems inclined to ignore us for the time being. It may have even helped us slightly by giving us information. Perhaps we should turn our attention to the gargoyles?"
Fly on Numair, 7 minutes duration, 60ft fly speed with good maneuverability, and a +3 bonus to Fly checks.
Female Azata Lyrakien HP 26/26 | AC 20 T 16 FF 16 | Ft +3 Rf +7 Wl +9 | Init +8 | Per. +11
Ally maintains concentration on the image, positioning the illusory azata about 60 feet ahead and 60 feet above the team, so that any attack on her will give warning to the team.
Are the trenches perpendicular or parallel to the castle walls? Based on the dimensions given they would be another 10 feet or so off the map to the east.
Are the trenches perpendicular or parallel to the castle walls? Based on the dimensions given they would be another 10 feet or so off the map to the east.
Looking at the map, I would say that you are correct. The trench line is running west to east along the same line as the castle.
Kallistiel shivers and takes a step back from the dragon, closing her eyes momentarily and taking a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves. It would return even if we killed it? What manner of beast is this? It seems to merely want to taunt us... thank the goddess.
M Elven Wizard 6/Diabolist 2 | HP 46/46 | AC 20/24 FF 15/22 T16 | Saves +6/+11/+7 | Init + 11 | Per. +14
OK - 5 rounds 1) Recall Mage Armor, 2) Cast Mage Armor on Kalli, 3) Fire Arrow on pack of 50 arrows (Calendir is handed 40) 4) Resist Energy, Communal - Acid, 20 points, on everyone but our rogue who is not present - 10 minute duration, 5) Ready to cast Haste IF it looks like we are going to enter the fight.
Female Azata Lyrakien HP 26/26 | AC 20 T 16 FF 16 | Ft +3 Rf +7 Wl +9 | Init +8 | Per. +11
Retcon to reflect 30 seconds of time before Dracolich comes over and talks to us
Ally will perform the following actions: 1)Attempt to cast shield on herself, but mispronounce the command word 2)Try again, succeeding this time (1 min duration) 3) Cast shield on Elen (1 min duration) 4) whisper to her fellows that she is about to cast an illusion that will appear to be a summons, and that they should not expect it to be able to fight like a real summoned creature will be. She will suggest that additional summons might be helpful (note: at this point she is still expecting to fight the dragon and suggesting tactics based on that) 5)Cast silent image and bring the illusion to where she wants it to go. When the dragon speaks, she will gasp and wince in pain from the evil creature's telepathy.
rolls:
1st Use Magic Device roll to use wand:1d20 + 13 ⇒ (6) + 13 = 19<-Fail
2nd Use Magic Device roll to use wand:1d20 + 13 ⇒ (8) + 13 = 21 3nd Use Magic Device roll to use wand:1d20 + 13 ⇒ (12) + 13 = 25 knowledge(religion) to aid Elen:1d20 + 3 ⇒ (9) + 3 = 12 <- OK Elen gets a +2 to the roll above, so it's total will be 21.
Concentration check if needed for anything:1d20 + 8 ⇒ (10) + 8 = 18
Elen will perform: 1)cast Fly on Numair, as indicated above. 2)use her wand to cast mage armor on Ally. 3)Spend a full-round action putting her wand back into the wrist sheath. 4)Ask Ruul if he'd like Enlarge Person cast on him. If he declines, ask Kallistiel. If either says yes, spend 1 round casting Enlarge Person (7 minute duration) on the one who says yes. 5)If both say yes, use a pearl of power to get the 1st level spell back, and start casting it again. It would appear that she would still be casting when the Dragon talks to them, so if a concentration check is needed:
Have received PMs that Ruul wants the spell and Kallistiel doesn't. So will use a pearl to get the spell back but not cast it.
Elen chants a long string of arcane syllables and touches Ruul's arm. The Minotaur's body begins to transform, becoming larger until he towers over the rest of the group, more closely resembling the traditional large conception of a Minotaur.
