Cloak of the mistpine sage: Wilshape into an owl as a druid of equal level.
Party's unusual loot:
June's waterlily: Work like a potion of restoration Rainbow spider potion x5: +10 against emotion based spells and effects
greater heroism and good hope as the spells
Duration: 5 minutes
Potential ingredients for magic creation:
Pieces of defeated enemies can be used to enchant/create magic items. The party have defeated the following creatures
- An giant owl with ice powers (used)
- A quasit and a shadow demon (used)
- A winterwolf (used)
- Horn from a (modified) tentacled horror
- Parts from Ice golems.
NPC Cast:
people of Aldwall
Mithakilis: Male-Halfling. Ruler of Aldwall. Friend of Vendrick.
Liro: Female-Human. Owner of the Riverside inn. Friend of Desmond.
Mirelle: She is a mystic theurge of renown cowardice
Kiddu and Lilly: Homeless childs. Friends of Desmond
Sven's team: Composed by caring Maya, Impulsive Will, and quiet and insightful Sin.
Amra: Sven inmediate superior in the chain of command.
Goblins
Vraljyiya: Female-Goblin. Mumbler of curses.
Ashorgal Manyblades: First king of Tuskkeep. Apparently of incredible badassitude.
Kayiqard Manyblades: Younger brother of Ashorgal. Fratricidal. Killed by the judgement of Tuskkeep Royal crown.
Fizb Manyblades: Older brother of Ashorgal. Dead 20 years ago. He is now a ghost bonded to room of Tuskkeep castle.
Zeedald Pepperclamp: Male-Goblin. Formber goblin ambassador in Aldwall. Temporary ruler of Tuskkeep.
The Toothless: Described to you as "the oldest goblin. So far She is an enigmatic figure of power in the tundra clans. Apparently, in the past she has partially predicted two of your movements.
Ambervale locations:
Peaks of death and despair: Lots of volcanoes, poisonous smokes, some few red dragons and demons roams...the surface. Not much reports of what is below, the communication with the dwarfs of there was lost more than 20 years ago.
bitterblood swamp: Marsh goblins and Lizardfolks constantly at war. Two years ago an adventuring party killed black wyrm there, quite a success. An actual standard place for adventurers.
Whispering forest: The standard forest filled with undeads. The bodies there sooner or later are reanimated as some kind of undead, and sometime adventurers go crazy saying the forest is telling them stories. When the undead population is growing Aldwall pays for every undead destroyed, standard stuff.
Level 7 Holy Swordmonk | HP 66/77| AC 26[+4 Smite Evil], FF 22; T 16 | DR 1/adamantine; fire and acid resist 5 | Fort +14; Ref +13; Will +9(+2 vs divination, immune fear) | CMD 27 FCMD 23 | Init. +4| Perc +12; SM +10
"Gotcha."
Desmond weaves between the clueless undead with Vendrick in tow.
You are stubborn, I forgot that you hated enemies that run away.
Anyways, It seems that to fly upwards the quasit can only move half-speed, so by withdrawing he reach 25 ft above the ground. And this turn you need to make a ref save with a +2 to avoid fall in the hole again. Can't you let it go? next turn is invisibility again, you make me feel like if I Were messing with you or teasing you :P
The creature becomes invisible and leave away cursing and vowing revenge. In the meantime of the receiving healing the group notices that they will not be able to return from the same path the came since is full of undeads.
@ All
Minutes later...
With the guide from the sky Vendrick and Sven find the group of rangers. Svens obviously had have some kind skirmish recently.
The hawk descend and perches on a branch of a nearby tree, he start talking.
Fylennar, the old ranger that can polymorph: Greetings Sven, long time no see. I think I've found the missing group of adventurers, they seems to be entrenched in the old keep in the northwest. But Nightfall is close, the forest is more dangerous at night, if you don't want to be here at dusk then you have to start moving now, there is a long way to encircle the mass of undeads to the south.
HP: 55/59| AC: 24 (26 with Barkskin) Touch: 13 Flatfooted: 20 CMD 22| Fort +9, Ref +6, Will +7| Perception +11, Sense Motive +11, Low-Light Vision, Scent| DR 1/Adamantine, Resist Fire/Acid 5
"If we leave them overnight, they might not be here in the morning. If the coward necromancer hadn't fled, I would have killed him right here. I think the rescue is doable."
Sage 7 HP: /51|50% Fortification| AC: 22(26 with Shield) Touch: 16 Flatfooted: 16 CMD 22| Fort +7, Ref +6, Will +7| Perception +11; Sense Motive +1; Low-Light Vision
"Old Keep you say? Let's be off then. I'd rather not waste anymore time here than necessary. In my esteemed opinion, it would be more advantageous to leave them to their fate and bolster our defenses whilst preparing a force the eradicate the undead. Then again, perhaps it will only get worse from now and the answer may present itself whilst we rescue the fools." Vendrick lets his disdain show for those he does not know personally.
Level 7 Holy Swordmonk | HP 66/77| AC 26[+4 Smite Evil], FF 22; T 16 | DR 1/adamantine; fire and acid resist 5 | Fort +14; Ref +13; Will +9(+2 vs divination, immune fear) | CMD 27 FCMD 23 | Init. +4| Perc +12; SM +10
"Come on, that's no example to set for a new batch of rangers! They should be willing and eager to offer help wherever it's needed!"
He bows dramatically to the group. "Young rangers, I am Desmond Alfonio, swordsman extraordinaire. And with me here, your true adventure starts now!"
The hawk replies to Sven - so there is a necromancer and you have seen him?, Tell me more, I have to inform this to captain Amra
In any case, With the guided by Fylennar in the Sky the group advance a couple of miles until you can see the ruined keep. You are in a high ground and from that position you have a good view of the situation.
The keep is indeed mostly in ruins, with only the half-ruined Donjon still semi-functional. The keep is at the bank of a murky brown-greenish lake. The lake seems disgusting, as if a thousand of fishes are rotting there, and even from your position you can smell its putrid odor.
At the moment a bunch of human zombies and skeletons are launching an attack while bigger undeads (bears, ogres, Even a couple of hill giants) are waiting from afar.
Eh, now that I see I did't say it lost its invisibility when he made te touch attack, but well there was no % miss chance for your full attack so I thought it was clear but I guess it was not. In any case, you did saw him, it is a small demon
Level 7 Holy Swordmonk | HP 66/77| AC 26[+4 Smite Evil], FF 22; T 16 | DR 1/adamantine; fire and acid resist 5 | Fort +14; Ref +13; Will +9(+2 vs divination, immune fear) | CMD 27 FCMD 23 | Init. +4| Perc +12; SM +10
"Oh, it must be the same demon we saw on the way to Tuskkeep! He was trying to raise an undead army. You see, rangers? If you work hard and don't give up, you can accomplish anything you set your mind to!"
"Anyway, how are we going to do this? Maybe we can cause a diversion while someone sneaks into the keep."
Sage 7 HP: /51|50% Fortification| AC: 22(26 with Shield) Touch: 16 Flatfooted: 16 CMD 22| Fort +7, Ref +6, Will +7| Perception +11; Sense Motive +1; Low-Light Vision
"I could cast a spell allowing Flight and Sven could carry us if he's strong enough or if we get close enough I could teleport us up on the wall, but that would leave few of my more powerful magics remaining." Vendrick offers magical solutions.
Level 7 Holy Swordmonk | HP 66/77| AC 26[+4 Smite Evil], FF 22; T 16 | DR 1/adamantine; fire and acid resist 5 | Fort +14; Ref +13; Will +9(+2 vs divination, immune fear) | CMD 27 FCMD 23 | Init. +4| Perc +12; SM +10
While you probably can kill dozens of zombies, the problem is that if you take too much time there is a risk the bigger undeads come as reinforcement.
You would need to clear a zone quickly enough that you can run through without much delay.
well, hum, it seems there is no actual rules for magic flying. But if we go with the 300 lb that's like enough for Vendrick+Desmond, the 1500 push/drag will allow everyone. I'm inclined to say you can at least carry vend and des without problem. Did you include the +4 str from raging?, any other way to increase you carrying capacity?
I did not include the +4 because I don't want to use my Rage rounds all up before we even get to the fight. It'd be something like 2000 lbs as a max load while Raging since carry capacity is increased by 4x I think.
Level 7 Holy Swordmonk | HP 66/77| AC 26[+4 Smite Evil], FF 22; T 16 | DR 1/adamantine; fire and acid resist 5 | Fort +14; Ref +13; Will +9(+2 vs divination, immune fear) | CMD 27 FCMD 23 | Init. +4| Perc +12; SM +10
Sage 7 HP: /51|50% Fortification| AC: 22(26 with Shield) Touch: 16 Flatfooted: 16 CMD 22| Fort +7, Ref +6, Will +7| Perception +11; Sense Motive +1; Low-Light Vision
On second thought...
"Actually I think I might be able to hide our presence from them. Masking our life energies with arcane magic thereby dulling their sensory utilities. It utilizes Echyridion's treatise where he experimented with a Shadow's sensory hunting ability. With an infusion of magic mimicking negative energy you thereby "hide" your signature. You are no more noticeable than a leaf on the wind. A natural phenomenon as any other."
"Admittedly, it is less effective against intelligent undead. Against these mindless throngs however it may prove useful."
"The upside to this method is it only requires my weakest of magics to sacrifice."
In other words, I can Spell Study for Hide from Undead.
Level 7 Holy Swordmonk | HP 66/77| AC 26[+4 Smite Evil], FF 22; T 16 | DR 1/adamantine; fire and acid resist 5 | Fort +14; Ref +13; Will +9(+2 vs divination, immune fear) | CMD 27 FCMD 23 | Init. +4| Perc +12; SM +10
Desmond gives a disappointed sigh.
"Well, that takes all the fun out of it. But it's probably our best bet. None of these undead look too bright."
That covers exactly the 6 of you that can't fly, and avoids the funny aerial encounter D=
Covered by Vendricks's magic you can move through the undead's without they attacking you in any way. You get near the entrance of the keep and can see that it was builded in such way that the defenders only have to face a reduced numbers of enemies at the same time.
A muscled female and a bearded man are taking advantage of high ground to hold their position against the undeads. But it seems they will be overwhelmed soon.
Level 7 Holy Swordmonk | HP 66/77| AC 26[+4 Smite Evil], FF 22; T 16 | DR 1/adamantine; fire and acid resist 5 | Fort +14; Ref +13; Will +9(+2 vs divination, immune fear) | CMD 27 FCMD 23 | Init. +4| Perc +12; SM +10
Level 7 Holy Swordmonk | HP 66/77| AC 26[+4 Smite Evil], FF 22; T 16 | DR 1/adamantine; fire and acid resist 5 | Fort +14; Ref +13; Will +9(+2 vs divination, immune fear) | CMD 27 FCMD 23 | Init. +4| Perc +12; SM +10
The timestamp in the top-right acts as a link for that specific post. Just right-click and copy the link.
"Ulsa and Malthus! Good to see you're still alive! Don't worry, we'll get you out of here."
Desmond casts Veil of Positive Energy as he moves toward the Asskickers.
The muscled woman:Hey! What are you guys doing he...nevermind, Glad to see another living face! - and then proceed to crack a zombie's skull with her great-axe.
You have left the majority of zombies behind you, there is a small group crowded trying to storm into the keep (they are all crowded together because the space is narrow). You can try to go through them or perhaps surround them and use climb or other means to enter the keep.
Level 7 Holy Swordmonk | HP 66/77| AC 26[+4 Smite Evil], FF 22; T 16 | DR 1/adamantine; fire and acid resist 5 | Fort +14; Ref +13; Will +9(+2 vs divination, immune fear) | CMD 27 FCMD 23 | Init. +4| Perc +12; SM +10