The Pact Stone Pyramid
Game Master Pact Stone GM

That sucks Gandel. When I was in my early 20's I used to do treework and I remember throwing 400 and 500 lb. logs on my shoulder and walking them out of people's backyards. I would throw my back out though picking up things off the floor like blankets and cd cases and that was when I was young! Now I injure my toes walking to work! Getting old is the worst.and I am not even that old yet!

Getting old definitely does not have much going for it. I've been trying to get back into fencing after a multi-year hiatus and I am hurting parts of me I didn't know existed. And it doesn't help that my gear is older than almost everyone I have to compete against. After a recent tournament I could barely walk for three days, much to my wife and kids amusement. The worst of it is that my brain remembers what my body used to be able to do, and it keeps trying to do it.

Fencing! Cool! Always wanted to try that. (My Mom said i was too good looking to wear a mask)

Just stopping in to say congrats on keeping this great game going, Pact Stone and company. A lot has happened over the last two years....Man, just thought about that as I typed it. Good stuff.

Thanks man!

FYI I will be traveling for work the next two days and may not have internet access.

Thanks for letting me know Denis!

I myself have something going on Wednesday so I might miss the day.

Sorry for the absence. Have been travelling a lot lately and won't be home until Sunday.

If the Four Pharaohs of Ascension were buried in the Veinstone pyramid, a pyramid far to the south, why do they have a second pyramid in Tumen called Ahn'Sehlota? I mean, sure, they're pharaohs they can probably have as many *&#$ pyramids as they want! But if it's not a tomb, what was its function? I mean, apart from killing adventurers.

Coupla things:

1. I will be off-line tomorrow, and possibly Saturday until the evening. Guess you guys get a breather. Perhaps Donkor's dispel magic was effective after all. But Xerissa, you know what I need you to do for when I get back.

2. Just wanted to say that this encounter was designed before I read the Harry Potter books. I swear. (Hermione's got nothing on the Dune Squad.)

3. Also, this encounter was designed for 3.5. There was no method, that I'm aware of, for teleporting your entire party at level 8. Bah! Defeated by brand switching!

3. Also, this encounter was designed for 3.5. There was no method, that I'm aware of, for teleporting your entire party at level 8. Bah! Defeated by brand switching!

Always happy to thwart a creative TPK...and no, I am not gloating at all...no need to think of my comment as a challenge to the Beetle...

I must say, that teleport function is extremely handy. Absolutely best reason for a conjurer to get to 8th level.

I hear you Beetle nothing worse than a well laid out trap thwarted by those meddling PC's!

Hmm. It sounds to me like Ms. Rowling might owe you some money.

. . .Always happy to thwart a creative TPK...and no, I am not gloating at all...no need to think of my comment as a challenge to the Beetle...

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Yeah, had Moonpate picked up his first level of that prestige class he originally wanted, the Dune Squad would still be inside the room.

Oh man teleporting into that blast was brutal, you are having too much fun there Beetle ;)

Oh man teleporting into that blast was brutal, you are having too much fun there Beetle ;)

Indeed, though comical in a Wiley Coyote kind of way. What an inglorious end for the Potentate. I, of course, blame Anyo...and Thalia...and the appalling lack of good food and drink. Maybe, at least, I will have earned a place of honor at an overflowing banquet in the afterlife for having saved my comrades now charred skins from the crush of cursed coin.

You shouldn't be dead, Pate. How many hit points did you have? If the 34 is correct that you have on your sheet, you should be at -9. And -12 would actually be death.

You shouldn't be dead, Pate. How many hit points did you have? If the 34 is correct that you have on your sheet, you should be at -9. And -12 would actually be death.

Ahhh, I thought -10 was the end of the line and that the 'Pate would surely expire before anything could be done. If it is -12, then perhaps he will survive, though crispier and far worse for wear.

The party let the wizard wander around less than full? Yikes!

Yes, in Pathfinder the ever popular house rule of "Neg Con" became standard. Death at -10 was replaced by your Con score, which in Moonpate's case gives him 2 more points of breathing room. Sounds like a little goes a long way here.

I'm a bit jealous that the closest beat down Moonpate's got in this game, has been by a fellow PC. I don't think I've done nearly as well.

So the way it works for Moonpate is he is now 'dying'. He needs to make a DC 10 Con check (i.e., D20+1) on his next turn to stabilize. However, he gets a -9 penalty for his battered condition. That's a pretty desperate hope, but since he's adjacent to two clerics, he's likely to be just fine regardless.

Actually, it just occurred to me after I made my game post that the Shield Other spell I put on Moonpate is probably still in effect. It lasts for 8 hours, so there should be lots of time left.

So if this is right, Moonie should have taken 22 points of damage, and Sooron 66. So after all the healing, Sooron will still be down 22.

I'll wait for confirmation before I update my character sheet thus.

Oh interesting! Right you are. It was cast in the battle against Ro An Hap after the Portalman whacked him with that critical hit. That means Moon never had quite the scare and Donkor got to show off his crazy-good hit points for a cleric.

And here I had Moonpate drop to the floor and become non-responsive. What a drama queen.

Since Moonpate no longer needs it, perhaps Xerissa will donate her cure light wounds to Donkor then?

Oh interesting! Right you are. It was cast in the battle against Ro An Hap after the Portalman whacked him with that critical hit. That means Moon never had quite the scare and Donkor got to show off his crazy-good hit points for a cleric.

And here I had Moonpate drop to the floor and become non-responsive. What a drama queen.

Since Moonpate no longer needs it, perhaps Xerissa will donate her cure light wounds to Donkor then?

The not-so-charred-after-all Moonpate heaps many thanks and praise upon the thoroughly charred pain magnet that is Donkor. Thank goodness you have a bunch of hit points.

Hal shrugs at the lack of reaction to his confession, with an unburdened conscience he heads in the direction where Karek went grinning broadly.

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But it's the terrible truth that nobody seems to ever care about PC sub-plots unless they belong to their own PC.

Nobodies lifted a finger to help Karek find his long lost momma. Maybe she ran off with Xerissa's long lost Pop -- another sub-plot that gets no press. In fact, Belleson upped and died before we ever got to mention his connection to Lydia.

How did Donkor survive the Veinstone pyramid? And for cripes sake, why is Hurgah slowly transforming into a dragon? All remarkable questions which get very little play.

Perhaps once a month we need to have a designated Sub-Plot Day. Everyone picks one other PC and gives their neglected angst some attention, going as emo as necessary.

Personally, I blame the GM. If he's any good he finds a way to make the sub-plots matter to the other players. They should tie into the main plot and get some central air time. Hal's should be an easy one. You gift wrapped it for me. . . .

(Coming to a future theater near you)

Halstadt Morgrym in the gameplay thread wrote:

Hal shrugs at the lack of reaction to his confession, with an unburdened conscience he heads in the direction where Karek went grinning broadly.

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Sorry Denis,

But it's the terrible truth that nobody seems to ever care about PC sub-plots unless they belong to their own PC.

Nobodies lifted a finger to help Karek find his long lost momma. Maybe she ran off with Xerissa's long lost Pop -- another sub-plot that gets no press. In fact, Belleson upped and died before we ever got to mention his connection to Lydia.

How did Donkor survive the Veinstone pyramid? And for cripes sake, why is Hurgah slowly transforming into a dragon? All remarkable questions which get very little play.

Perhaps once a month we need to have a designated Sub-Plot Day. Everyone picks one other PC and gives their neglected angst some attention, going as emo as necessary.

Personally, I blame the GM. If he's any good he finds a way to make the sub-plots matter to the other players. They should tie into the main plot and get some central air time. Hal's should be an easy one. You gift wrapped it for me. . . .

(Coming to a future theater near you)

No worries Beetle, Hal takes everyone's silence to mean they have no issue being sacrificed for the greater good! Its a win win for the servant of Angradd, a clear conscience AND soldiers for the cause! The other characters are quite secretive about their sub-plots, part of the reason why I posted what I posted (besides the fact that it seemed like an appropriate time) was to generate in-game dialogue for the PC's to discuss why the heck they came all the way to this wicked dangerous land to break into an ancient Pyramid underneath the nose of a powerful Empire. No bites!!! Eh well, let's go break more ancient stuff :-)

I posted (besides the fact that it seemed like an appropriate time) was to generate in-game dialogue for the PC's to discuss why the heck they came all the way to this wicked dangerous land to break into an ancient Pyramid underneath the nose of a powerful Empire.

I was told there would be plenty of free food and drinks. Instead I'm hunted by devil monks and some crazy wand slinger, nearly eaten by a 10 headed monstrosity, and almost blown to smithereens by own party member. This trip is definitely not living up to the brochure.

I was told there would be plenty of free food and drinks.

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Sooron's just an obsessive completest. After you've explored one pyramid, you "gotta explore em all!"

And, I suppose, once he's been to one elemental plane in the middle of an adventure, he's gotta visit em all.

Don't think I didn't seriously consider something of the sort for my last hero point when I got into trouble on my own!

I've added an expanded map to show the additional rooms explored. . .

Groovy map. Thx.

If Hal dies, and it is not looking good, what should I play next?

If only we had some sort of life-saving divine spell-completion item and a divine caster standing within five feet of Hal...

Hah! We do but I would hate to waste it on one of us, what if there is someone important we need to revive later! :-)