The Ninja DM's Shattered Star - we're back

Game Master Spiral_Ninja

Shadow looks at the spider and to the group, "Would any of you be against me using spider poison coated weapons on our enemies? I will not do so if anyone will be offended by it?"

"Whatever floats your boat," Talon tells her. "Come on, let's keep moving."

Ready to move on.

Shadow nods her head at Talon

Shadow hurriedly but carefully coats her sword and as many arrows as she can with spider venom and makes a mental note to purchase some flasks for possible future encounters.

"Ok, I am ready to move out." Then proceeds to take up her position at the head of the group with Del.

With one final look to make sure they have uncovered everything there is to find at the end of the eastern hallway, Delkaneth readies his weapons and heads back toward the pool to determine where they should head next. He stops in front of the pool, and after a few quick arcane mumblings he seems to do nothing other than stare into the pool's now calm waters.

Not sure if we ever searched the pool post-amoeba, so casting Sift to examine the center of the pool without actually climbing into the water.
Perception: 1d20 + 4 - 5 ⇒ (10) + 4 - 5 = 9 cruel, cruel mistress

So looking at the map....we went east so fought the spiders in the hallway leading to B27 on the Dungeon map. Don't think we're not quite ready to go up the stairs at B28, so can we get to B26? Or is that the "only accessible by Tiny" passage?

and unless I missed something, we've got 2 other potential Perception checks to reveal the spoiler on the last page.......

Your options now are B27 & B28, the spiders were in B26 (that's what I meant about my missing a passage in the description). This is one of the most confusing dungeons I've ever seen.

No kidding, this up and down nonsense makes it really tough! I'd recommend we keep going counter-clockwise on our way toward the staircase so B27 next

Stealth: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (16) + 8 = 24 to sneak down hallway to B27
Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 5 = 12 to search for traps (my perc is +5 after the gestalt fix, used +4 in error last post)

anything in the pool before heading down that hallway?

Sifting through the pool's water brings up the remains of the ooze's previous victims and their belongings.

Whatever these were (you think you've found the bones of at least two creatures) they were humanoid but small...smaller than gnomes, in fact.

You also find two tiny daggers, eight equally tiny darts, a few coins (11 silver) and a bracelet (worth about 25 gold), seemingly being used as a headband by one of the now skeletal creatures.

Let me know if you heal up before progressing.

(in B27): Thick guano covers the floor of this room. Stalls divide the
western wall, and a stone bench and fountain stand to the east. You also immediately notice the source of the guano as hundreds of high-pitched squeaks fill the air rising from the mass of small, carnivorous bats surging forth, all of them hungry for blood.

Delkaneth init: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (5) + 4 = 9
Kelgeah init: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6
Shadow init: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5
Talon init: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4
bat swarm init: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 2 = 17 (10' area; can be hit by AoO)

bat swarm vs Del for 1d6 ⇒ 1
bat swarm vs Shadow for 1d6 ⇒ 5

Given everything so far, and that you know there are bats in here, I'll give everyone a chance at a Perception DC 15 to not trigger the swarm.

sorry, busy weekend......but that sounds like a chance worth taking!

Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (13) + 5 = 18 woot!

Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (10) + 4 = 14

Man, just under the DC...

perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5 Holy hell, wtf.

Ugh, really busy as well

Perception Check: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (17) + 7 = 24

Cool, I made it!

Del, Shadow, you CAN warn the others before they go in there. ;)

bat swarm vs Shadow for 1d6 ⇒ 5 - Just verifying, that is 5 points of damage?

A bitten Shadow quickly steps out of the area to warn the party, "A large amount of very hungry Vampire bats or some kind of bat in the next room, we should avoid it if at all possible."

"Fair enough. Let's check out the rest of the place first." Talon says, heading the other way.

Shadow, you shouldn't get bitten, because that perception was to avoid setting off the swarm in the first place.

Actually, Shadow, as Talon noted, the Per roll was to notice and NOT go in to disturb the swarm, therefore no damage. Unless you really want to, that is.

As you approach the end of this section of corridor, you can see a curving stairwell heading down. As you approach, you hear a sudden, explosive sneeze, and spot a small(about 3'tall), blue creature hiding at the top of the stairs.

Err, I prefer not to Mrs DM ... :-)

Shadow quickly takes lead with Del (unless of course Del does not want to take lead with Shadow);

Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (8) + 7 = 15
Stealth: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (12) + 8 = 20

Shadow now has trapspotter rogue talent as well.

what knowledge check to determine what the lil blue guy is?

Nature DC 16

Quick edit: each of those checks is separate, you don't need to make one to get the other.

knowledge (untrained): 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (9) + 2 = 11. nuts
Int: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (7) + 2 = 9 nuts nuts

INT DC 15: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (15) + 1 = 16

Shadow holds up her hand to hold the party and whispers to Del, "That blue creature is a mite, I have run into them before and they can have a pretty nasty disposition and may have giant insect friends with them." Then gives Del the signal to watch the mite while she stealthily relays the same information to Talon.

"Great, mites," Talon sighs. "Better than goblins at least. Hey, you!" He calls out to the mite. "You're not planning on ambushing us, are you? I'm really not in the mood."

You can try for that DC 22 Per check again while you're here.

The creature doesn't seem to be inclined that way. In fact, once he realizes he's been spotted he shrieks in terror and turns to flee down the stairs, tripping over his own feet and rolling down them instead.

Note: the stairs lead to room B30 on the next level.

Kelgeah chuckles at the panicked creature's clumsiness. "Would that they all just fled at the sight of us, hm? Chances are good he'll find friends, however. I imagine our next meeting will be less civil."

perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (15) + 4 = 19 Nope. Not quite.

anything left on this floor besides the bat cave we are skipping? Or are we ready to take the stairs??

Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6 Nope!

"...I really hope that's the limit of their competency," Talon comments the the party. "Let's head down now."

Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (10) + 7 = 17 [ooc]Nope as well![/b]

Shadow shakes her head at the stumbling mite and smiles underneath her shinobi shouzoku. Shadow nods at Talon and looks at Del then continues on down.

Aside from that very secret door, you've cleared this floor out

This wide catacomb chamber has rows of burial niches cut into the stone walls. These have all been stripped bare of any former occupants. Half a dozen ten-foot-high mounds of dirt and debris dominate the floor of the chamber, reaching nearly to the ceiling fifteen feet above. There is a passage leading eastward opposite from where you entered, partially concealed behind the largest mound.

The burial niches on the walls are stacked four high, and each is 2 feet deep and 2 feet high.

However...

As you begin to examine the room a giant ant emerges from the 1d6 ⇒ 1 mound closest to the starwell you entered by.

Init:
Delkaneth init: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (5) + 4 = 9
Kelgeah init: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 9
Shadow init: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 3 = 9
Talon init: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 3 = 9
giant ant init: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (10) + 0 = 10

targets: Delkaneth=1, Kelgeah=2, Shadow=3, Talon=4

It moves to attack 1d4 ⇒ 3 Shadow.

Round 1:
giant ant
Delkaneth
Shadow
Talon
Kelgeah

Giant ant vs Shadow bite: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 = 8 for 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5.

At Talon's directive Delkaneth moves ahead to the stairs, his head continuing to turn from side to side as he tries to take in all the sites in this ancient catacomb. Yet again he the sights distract him from acting quickly and the giant ant attacks first. Seeing it lash out at Shadow right next to him, he quickly steps up and strikes at it.

MW Hand Axe: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (19) + 5 = 24
damage: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 = 8
Hand Axe: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (11) + 3 = 14
damage: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4

"Lots of vermin in these parts," Talon comments with a smile as he brings his weapons of choice to bear on the ant.

TBS Attack 1: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (13) + 6 = 19
Damage: 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3
TBS Attack 2: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 5 = 12
Damage: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5

Between the two of them, Del and Talon take down that ant.

Only to realize that another one is emerging from mound #1d5 ⇒ 3.

Number the mounds as: Top row 1 - 2; middle row 3 - 4, bottom row 5 - 6

Is everyone back?

sorry, holiday distractions got the best of me.......are we sticking with the same initiative for the next ants or restarting?

Same.

Talon looks at the next ant, wondering how many might be nesting around here. He settles into a solid stance and waits for it to come to him, readying to rain his full fury on it once it gets into range.

TBS Attack 1: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (8) + 6 = 14
Damage: 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 2 = 10
TBS Attack 2: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 5 = 8
Damage: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 9

Round 1:
giant ant
Delkaneth
Shadow
Talon
Kelgeah

The second Giant ant vs Del 1d4 ⇒ 1 bite: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (19) + 3 = 22 for 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5, before Talon guts that one, too.

Note: the ants pop out 1/round til all of them have attacked. I don't think they were expecting you folks to gut them that easily. ;)

Ugh, catching up and I think everything is good now for a while! I have been so busy, I have not even been going to the gym.

Shadow was about to slash at the incoming Ant but Talon beats her to it. She then whispers, "We probably should leave know just in case they swarm like their smaller cousins. Unless you feel we should scout out this area more? In addition, who knows what the ants may have dragged into their nest?"

assuming we're in B30 in the lower catacombs map, right?

We've cleared everything behind, so what we seek must be forward." Delkaneth glances at his newest wound before quickly scanning the room. He notes the exit directly across from them.

"Maybe we can hug the north wall and get over there without disturbing any more of them? I hate to leave an enemy at our backs, but this isn't much fun....."

Status HP 14/19

If you want to try to slip out without alerting anymore ants, the Stealth Dc is 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (9) + 5 = 14.

Shadow places her finger on her lips but makes no noise. She then gets light on her feet, slips into the shadows, and lastly sticks out her hand to alert the party where she is and to follow.

Stealth: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (19) + 8 = 27

I didn't say it was a GOOD plan....

Delkaneth waits a few seconds for Shadow to make her way across the room before starting off after her.

Stealth: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (13) + 8 = 21

So far, so good.

And yes, you're in B30

stealth: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4
well. F@&#.

Kelgeah rolls her eyes at the obvious suggestion of stealth, and her exasperation dooms her own stealth attempt to failure as she steps across a clean bone, snapping it underfoot.

Stealth: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (11) + 6 = 17

Talon glances at the elf cleric, wincing as she makes a larger amount of noise.

Could have sworn I rolled for this before...

Shadow makes the "shhh" gesture at Kel and snickers without making a sound.

The snap of the small bone sounding like a cannon to his ears, Delkaneth readies both weapons for the inevitable ant attack comes Kelgeah's way. ready action to throw if/when it pops out

And, of course, one more ant pops out from (of course) mound #2.

This one looks different than the others, tougher somehow.

Keeping the previous initiative order and adding the soldier ant:

init: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (3) + 0 = 3

Round 1:
Delkaneth
Shadow
Talon
Kelgeah
soldier ant

Looks like this one was asleep...

soldier ant vs Kel bite: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 = 8 for damage: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3 and a grab attempt (if the bite hits) grab: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (10) + 7 = 17

Quickly realizing that this ant might not go down as easily as the others have, Delkaneth takes a risk and hurls both axes at the insect. But apparently he is not nearly as prepared as he thought he was as both axes go wide.

TWF, MW axe, PBS: 1d20 + 5 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 5 + 1 = 8
Damage: 1d6 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 2 + 1 = 8
TWF, axe, PBS: 1d20 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 3 + 1 = 9
Damage: 1d6 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 + 1 = 8

While Kel has the ant distracted Shadow approaches from behind and attempts to give the Soldier Ant an Aldori enema.

Sneak Attack: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (11) + 4 = 15
Normal Damage: 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4
Sneak Damage: 1d6 ⇒ 1