The Pact Stone Pyramid (Inactive)

Game Master Pact Stone GM

A Pathfinder Module, converted from 3.5 to the Pathfinder system, with a party of level 7.


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Sweet. I like Gandel's roll. :)


Male Half-orc Barbarian (Invulnerable Rager) 4 / Sorcerer 1/Dragon Disciple 3

"Finally - something in this acursed place that we have to hit instead of talk to or read....but why is it glowing?", Hurgah growls, readying to swing his axe.

Initiative: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (16) + 2 = 18

Knowledge (Arcana): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (10) + 6 = 16


Male Human Wizard Level 8 - Conjurer

Initiative: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (19) + 3 = 22

Knowledge Arcana and/or Planes: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (17) + 14 = 31


I'm seeing a flurry of Knowledge checks. These are free actions - so nice move. However, they technically only take effect on your PC's turn, so I will proceed to resolve initative first - just in case it proves relevant. (Coming soon to a message board near you. . .)

No need to re-roll, I'll keep the posted Knowledge checks.


First a few additional initiative rolls:

Mithral Scarab: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (19) + 2 = 21

Ghoukan: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 = 8

Less catatonic slave: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (14) + 0 = 14

And less we forget:

Xerissa: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7

Donkor: 1d20 - 2 ⇒ (7) - 2 = 5

And. . .

The thing with four monstrous arms barrelling down the corridor:

Thing: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (3) + 7 = 10

(never fails - the better a monster's initative, the worse its roll will be. . .)


Melee in the Entry Shaft – Round 1
-----

Gandel Trapspringer – 24

Moonpate the Potentate – 22

The Mithral Scarab (Lydia) – 21

Hurgah the Reaver – 18

Terrified Slave found in Corridor – 14

Breach Shattershield - 12

Karek Kogan – 11

The 'Four-Armed Thing' – 10

Ghoukan the unfairly Conscripted – 8

Xerissa Auraraun – 7

Donkor Sooron – 5


The professor looks at the advancing creature and immediately identifies it as a Girallon, a powerful four-armed ape.

Gandel’s total is sufficiently high that you should feel free to access the bestiary entry. In short, Gandel will know that the creature is very strong and in particular, capable of a powerful rending attack. It also has a ridiculous Climb Speed.

What doesn’t fit of course, is that Girallons do not normally have glowing hieroglyphs on their bodies. Girallons are also living breathing creatures. One should not expect to find one in a sealed structure which has ostensibly been buried for thousands of years. It’s not possible for it to have survived. Clearly, more is at work here. Gandel knows the usual suspected culprits when such a thing happens would be undead or constructs but based on the creature’s appearance, there’s no indication that this creature is either.

There is no known lore that associates the Four Pharaohs of Ascension with girallons.

Normally a jungle predator (or perhaps a temperate forest), one would not expect to find one in a desert. This beast looks to be rather far from home.

Girallons do not have acid attacks, nor do they use constriction to slay their opponents. Gandel doubts this monster is responsible for the prior scenes of carnage back along the hall.

Despite the questions raised above, Gandel’s identification is sufficient to activate his naturalist ability. The creature is certainly behaving like a girallon, it should work.


Male Dwarf Cleric 8

Clearly the Beetle, as great and powerful as he is, fears the might of Angradd. Why else would he leave Angradd's champion off of the initiative list! Sneaky Beetle! Hal had a 16 on his roll :-)


Male Dwarf Barbarian (Breaker) 8

Of course. Are those covered by Knowledge (Nature)? Just in case, we'll see what Karek knows. 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (8) + 5 = 13


Pact Stone GM wrote:
... Gandel’s identification is sufficient to activate his naturalist ability.

Which he does!

Round One:

"How very strange! It appears to be a Girallon, although it really doesn't make sense for such a jungle predator to be here - must be something to do with those glowing hieroglyphs on its body. Regardless, its an aggressive, carnivorous, and incredibly strong predator, able to horribly rend anything it captures in its four claws," Gandel announces in the tones of a lecturer as he draws his scorpion whip with one hand and reaches into his magical haversack to retrieve a flask of alchemist's fire with the other.

Standard action to activate Bardic Performance (Naturalist), granting all allies within 30 ft a +2 insight bonus to AC, attack rolls, and saving throws against exceptional, supernatural, and spell-like abilities of the girallon. Free action to draw scorpion whip. Move action to retrieve flask of alchemist's fire from handy haversack.

Rounds of Bardic Performance used today: 2/18

Gandel's AC: 21 - edit: make that 23 w/Naturalist - how bad is it that I forgot my own buff?
Gandel's HP: 52/52


Melee in the Entry Shaft – Round 1 "CORRECTED"
-----

Gandel Trapspringer – 24

Moonpate the Potentate – 22

The Mithral Scarab (Lydia) – 21

Hurgah the Reaver – 18

Halstadt the Inadvertently Slighted - 16

Terrified Slave found in Corridor – 14

Breach Shattershield - 12

Karek Kogan – 11

The 'Four-Armed Thing' – 10

Ghoukan the unfairly Conscripted – 8

Xerissa Auraraun – 7

Donkor Sooron – 5


Halstadt Morgrym wrote:
Clearly the Beetle, as great and powerful as he is, fears the might of Angradd. Why else would he leave Angradd's champion off of the initiative list! Sneaky Beetle! Hal had a 16 on his roll :-)

-

Whoops! Corrected above!


Gandel wrote:

Round One:

"How very strange! It appears to be a Girallon, although it really doesn't make sense for such a jungle predator to be here - must be something to do with those glowing hieroglyphs on its body. Regardless, its an aggressive, carnivorous, and incredibly strong predator, able to horribly rend anything it captures in its four claws," Gandel announces in the tones of a lecturer as he draws his scorpion whip with one hand and reaches into his magical haversack to retrieve a flask of alchemist's fire with the other.

Standard action to activate Bardic Performance (Naturalist), granting all allies within 30 ft a +2 insight bonus to AC, attack rolls, and saving throws against exceptional, supernatural, and spell-like abilities of the girallon. Free action to draw scorpion whip. Move action to retrieve flask of alchemist's fire from handy haversack.

Rounds of Bardic Performance used today: 2/18

Gandel's AC: 21
Gandel's HP: 52/52

-

This all happens.

The party is packed sufficiently tight that the ability affects the entire party.

Naturalist is a truly terrifying ability when the party has grown to 10 (or 8 or 9 or 11 depending on who you view as a member at this point).

Max, I am going to assume Gandel includes everybody but the girallon as ally: terrified slave, Ghoukan, the apparently suspicious Scarab etc. but if not just let me know.


Yes, it's safe to assume that Gandel considers Lydia, Ghoukan, and the slave as allies until they prove otherwise. The girallon, not so much...


Moonpate studies the onrushing gorilla-king as well, though his view of the beast is somewhat obstructed by the many members of the Dune Squad in front of him – particularly the well-muscled half-orc directly in front of him.

Moonpate focuses on the hieroglyphs on the girallon’s body and can see that they are pictographs, not unlike the language of hieroglyphs found on the walls of this chamber. They do not appear to represent any particular spell or ward that Moonpate has ever come across.

They are though, in the Potentate’s view, definitely magical. To be cynical, one might say, the magical glow gave them away but there's more to it than that. They don’t seem to be affixed to the creature either, rather they float just above the surface of the girallon’s body, drifting in strange patterns. Then again, maybe that's just the blur of the beast rapidly closing the distance between you!

Moonpate is up next! Sorry I could not give him any more for his awesome skill check. The girallon is sixty feet ahead of him (north).


I don’t believe anybody else beat Gandel’s skill checks, or otherwise used a different skill, so when your PC’s turn comes up, they do not learn anything more than already revealed there - which is quite a bit, actually.

When you make a skill check, feel free to pose a specific question, though a generic roll is sufficient to trigger an identification attempt or a "what do I know about this thing generally".


Male Dwarf Barbarian (Breaker) 8

Still think somebody should be making sure the slave doesn't blow up our delicate trapwork...


Male Human Wizard Level 8 - Conjurer

Moonpate takes a moment to try and make sense of the glowing pictographs surrounding the creature, but he can't identify their meaning or significance other than their obvious unnatural status. Rather than risk flinging a spell that might be completely ineffectual, his quick mind takes in the tactical scene and comes to one of his signature, potentially rash decisions. He reaches forward and grabs the back collars of Hurgah and Hal, yelling "Hold just a moment!".
He waits a few heartbeats as the beast rushes on and then mutters the four syllables of power that instantaneously rip the fabric of space, enveloping the three of them in a brief shimmer of energy as they vanish from one space and suddenly appear behind the girallon, facing its backside.

Cast Dimension Door, creating a now surrounded girallon and praying that nothing else is behind him. My vision of how this is supposed to work:
US*
MP
HM HR
*G*
20
15
10
5
KK GT
DS* GU
****
XA
BS MS
-- CS <---Catatonic Slave
If I can't be this precise in the timing of movements then I'll just place us behind the girallon before it begins its charge.


Moonpate edited by Beetle wrote:

. . . (A) My vision of how this is supposed to work:

. . .
(B) If I can't be this precise in the timing of movements then I'll just place us behind the girallon before it begins its charge.[/ooc]

-

The diagram you have produced ("A") can be achieved. The only catch is because you first need the girallon to move forward of its own accord, Halstadt, Hurgah and Moonpate will all have to delay their initiatives to initiative count 10 - essentially taking readied actions to unload on the girallon after the dimensional door goes off. (I suppose Hal and Hurgah don't have to but it would presumably be a waste if they didn't as I take it Moonpate is trying to set them up for devastating full attacks) The other catch is you assume the girallon will move forward - currently a very reasonable assumption.

The backup plan you have described transporting sixty five feet north instead) ("B") can be done right away without the need for anyone to delay. However, it causes you to reappear into completely unexplored territory which is why I think you favor the first option.

With the above clarifications, let me know which Moonpate selects and we'll go into action.


Karek Kogan wrote:
Still think somebody should be making sure the slave doesn't blow up our delicate trapwork...

-

A job for the ever helpful Lydia perhaps?


Male Dwarf Cleric 8

Hal is willing to delay.


Male Human Wizard Level 8 - Conjurer
Pact Stone GM wrote:

With the above clarifications, let me know which Moonpate selects and we'll go into action.

Plan A(wesome) please. At least, I hope it turns out awesome. Otherwise, we can call it plan S.


Male Dwarf Barbarian (Breaker) 8

I don't understand why the delay? Isn't the plan just put the front line behind the big G? Since Moonpate, Hal, Hurgah, and myself all go before the creature, why wait?


Karek Kogan wrote:
I don't understand why the delay? Isn't the plan just put the front line behind the big G? Since Moonpate, Hal, Hurgah, and myself all go before the creature, why wait?

-

Not sure if you are asking me why the delay is required to effect this or if you are asking Phrip why he would choose to do so.

If it's me, plan "A" involves the girallon moving from 60 feet away to 40 feet away. This means it must first move and it will not do so until initiative rank 10.


The Scarab positions herself behind the terrified slave and, tries to calm him. She'll ready an action to grab him if he tries to bolt.
-----

Hurgah is next - unless he is delaying, in which case we're down to the aforementioned slave and then Breach and Karek.


Male Half-orc Barbarian (Invulnerable Rager) 4 / Sorcerer 1/Dragon Disciple 3

As always, Hurgah trusts the judgement of Moonpate and delays.


Male Human Wizard Level 8 - Conjurer
Karek Kogan wrote:
I don't understand why the delay? Isn't the plan just put the front line behind the big G? Since Moonpate, Hal, Hurgah, and myself all go before the creature, why wait?

My thought was to create two avenues of attack on this beast as it got closer to the front of our column, enabling some heavy hitters to get it in the same round from the front and in complete surprise from the rear. Might need to delay a wee bit longer to let the girallon get even closer, since I now realize that 40 feet away from Karek might be too far away unless he charges.


Moonpate wrote:
My thought was to create two avenues of attack on this beast as it got closer to the front of our column, enabling some heavy hitters to get it in the same round from the front and in complete surprise from the rear. Might need to delay a wee bit longer to let the girallon get even closer, since I now realize that 40 feet away from Karek might be too far away unless he charges.

-

Just to clarify, your plan "A" involves the girallon coming within 20 feet of Karek, so he could in theory move and attack as a standard action, or charge, as he chooses. When I wrote 40 feet away above, I meant 40 feet away from Moonpate's current position. I was imprecise. So I think we are good there - I am following your helpful diagram.

Though Karek's initative is coming before count 10 so assuming he doesn't delay or stand still, the picture of where he is in relation to the girallon could still change.

Also just to be a stickler to myself, technically, you can't really use "delay" to interupt an opponent mid-action. For that you need a readied action. So while it's hopefully a distinction without a difference, Moonpate is taking a readied action to cast dimension door when the girallon comes within 40 feet of him. Breach and Hurgah are taking readied actions to do whatever it is they are going to do, once they are transported. Technically they should have to specify, but I am good.


The semi-catatonic slave begins to mutter something.

Breach hears it but his Osirion is not yet good enough to understand. The Scarab hears it though.

Everyone else is too far away.

The slave does not move.

Which takes us to Breach and then Karek!


Male Dwarf Barbarian (Breaker) 8

How far away is the thing from us right now? If you said that, I couldn't find it. The important question is, Can I charge right now? If I can do that, we might as well teleport the front line to the other side of the beast and commence the fight there now. If not, I will likely just advance and ready an attack to present a non-halfling target for the beast's pleasure.


The girallon is currently 40 feet away from Karek. He could charge.

What I did indicate was that the girallon had attacked the unseen servant. But let's update our text map to better show this -- my bad. Keep in mind this is still initative count 12 - events are scheduled to change with Moonpate at initative count 10.

G = Girallon with glowing glyphs (a Large-sized creature).
US = Unseen servant

GGGG
GGGG/US*
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
KK GT <---Karek and Gandel
DS* GU <---Donkor and Ghukan
HM HR <---Hal and Hurgah
XA MP <---Xerissa and Moonpate
BS MS <---Breach and Lydia
-- CS <---Catatonic Slave


Female Elf Druid 5 (desert)/Rogue 3 (spy)

Holy post burp! Gotta lotta catching up to do. Looks like I am deep down on initative so I have time. But I am back so don't make Xerissa do anything without me! Thanks for running Xerissa. Glad we're in combat. Finally something to bomb. Quick thought hit me, once the girallon moves it's no longer flat-footed, so it's better to hit it now than wait for it to close if you've got sneak attack. Do we?


Male Dwarf Barbarian (Breaker) 8

There's a good chance I'm going to charge in right now, then. If I know anything about monsters, I would suspect that he's likely to hang out next to me and do some rending.

Let's let the dice do the talking, unless somebody proposes a different course of action before I get my turn.

Karek barrels down the corridor, pleased to finally have a chance to hit something. His eyes focus, his adrenaline pumps, and his hammer sings out as he rushes to meet fate.

Free Action: Rage. Raging, charging, power-attacking, insightful attack with +1 Furious Earthbreaker: 1d20 + 19 ⇒ (15) + 19 = 34 for 2d6 + 19 ⇒ (3, 2) + 19 = 24 potential damage.

Karek has a 22 AC against this guy (Thanks Gandel) and I believe... 9 rounds of rage left today? It's been a long day.


Just so it's not lost in the shuffle, Breach is next, then Karek, then the Plan "A" triple delay crew.


Xerissa Auraraun wrote:
Holy post burp! Gotta lotta catching up to do. Looks like I am deep down on initative so I have time. But I am back so don't make Xerissa do anything without me! Thanks for running Xerissa. Glad we're in combat. Finally something to bomb. Quick thought hit me, once the girallon moves it's no longer flat-footed, so it's better to hit it now than wait for it to close if you've got sneak attack. Do we?

-

Welcome back Mr. Exciting!

Very clever thought. Technically though the Girallon acted in a surprise round when it attacked the unseen servant. We didn't really play it out, but the girallon is not flat-footed.


Breach moves up toward the forefront. "C'mon ya blue beastie!"

Move 2 spaces in front of Gandel. Should be 40'.

AC 25


Breach issues his challenge from the back of the party and moves himself forward to protect his comrades.

GGGG
GGGG/US*
35
30
25
20
BS -- <---Breach
10
5
KK GT <---Karek and Gandel
DS* GU <---Donkor and Ghukan
HM HR <---Hal and Hurgah
XA MP <---Xerissa and Moonpate
-- MS <---Lydia
-- CS <---Catatonic Slave

-----
Is that two spaces in front of Gandel? That's a 40 foot advance (a double move). Let me know if you meant to be back one square. Otherwise I think we're good.


Karek Kogan wrote:
Karek barrels down the corridor, pleased to finally have a chance to hit something. His eyes focus, his adrenaline pumps, and his hammer sings out as he rushes to meet fate.

-

Seeing Karek’s rush, the girallon stomps its feet in challenge. Then, with a savage roar, it returns the charge. Neither gives ground and Karek and monster both fly into the air preparing to crash into one another. At the apex of his charge, Karek spins his massive hammer overhead, looking to connect with the beast’s head. At the last instant, the creature manages to get one of its four arms up and wards off what might otherwise have been a death blow.

Nevertheless, the force of the attack is such that the girallon is knocked backwards down the hall. The surprisingly agile ape spins backwards with a series of rolls, finally finding its feet. For the briefest of moments, a look of confusion crosses the beast’s face. While it just connected with what looked to be a bare-skinned human slave, it feels like it has just been hit by an armored comet.

Its confusion though, only makes it madder. Yes, now it’s really mad.
-----

OOC: That’s a hit! No sign of DR or anything else to make you think it didn’t take the damage. But the girallon is far from out. The knock-back etc. is all flavour text – it still 40 feet from where Karek began his charge.


Updated Text map:
.
.
.
.

GGGG
GGGG/US*
KK -- <---Karek
30
25
20
BS -- <---Breach
10
5
-- GT <---Gandel
DS* GU <---Donkor and Ghukan
HM HR <---Hal and Hurgah
XA MP <---Xerissa and Moonpate
-- MS <---Lydia
-- CS <---Catatonic Slave

So it now looks far less likely that the Girallon will advance to the space where Moonpate intended to trigger what we are calling Plan "A". He can switch to Plan "B", come off delay and do something else entirely, or he can continue to delay and hold out hope. It is possible the girallon will try to move past Karek on its turn.

I am mindful that technically this should have been a readied action and if the triggering conditions do not materialize the readied action should be lost. However, the mistake was mine as I called it a delay initially so there would be no sense in penalizing Phrip for it, especially since he had the good sense to ask first before he committed. This is kind of a rather nuanced thing the Potentate is attempting.

Let me know what's next for Moonpate (and possibly Hurgah and Hal).


Male Human Wizard Level 8 - Conjurer
Pact Stone GM wrote:


Let me know what's next for Moonpate (and possibly Hurgah and Hal).

I don't want to metagame this one too much, but the plan was always basically to materialize behind the beast within striking distance. So, he will just adjust his landing spot accordingly based on what he just saw and go through with the casting and let Hurgah and Hal do their thing on the glowing mutant space ape. I appreciate your handling of ready vs delay, especially since my old school brain has trouble keeping all these separate action types straight.


Male Dwarf Cleric 8

Assuming that Pate indicated what he wanted to do as a move action Hal will draw his axe. His standard action will be to attack though I am not sure Hal will have much to do after Hurgah is done with the thing...


Moonpate wrote:
Moonpate takes a moment to try and make sense of the glowing pictographs surrounding the creature, but he can't identify their meaning or significance other than their obvious unnatural status. Rather than risk flinging a spell that might be completely ineffectual, his quick mind takes in the tactical scene and comes to one of his signature, potentially rash decisions. He reaches forward and grabs the back collars of Hurgah and Hal, yelling "Hold just a moment!".

-

After much ado on my part, this finally takes place. That ends Moonpate's turn, but not for the buzz saws he has brought with him.

Hal and Hurgah are up, in any order they choose.


Male Half-orc Barbarian (Invulnerable Rager) 4 / Sorcerer 1/Dragon Disciple 3

As Moonpate transports the trio through the fabric of reality, Hurgah lets his battle-rage take over. When he phases into existence once more, his eyes are flooded with a red haze and his axe is already descending on the ape-thing directly in front of him.

As always, his trusty flock of angry spirits rush after, eager to suck up the life energy of the already wounded beast.

Free action rage
Mwk Axe two-handed power attack w/arcane strike + naturalist bonus + flank: 1d20 + 12 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 12 + 2 + 2 = 18
damage roll: 1d12 + 19 ⇒ (2) + 19 = 21
Cornugon Smash - demoralize roll: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (13) + 14 = 27

Spirit attack roll: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (12) + 8 = 20
Spirit Damage roll: 1d4 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6 Negative energy dmg

Ugh, cold dice....better get ready to fire off one of those gallant inspirations Gandel.

EDIT: whoa, I completely forgot we have flank from Karek - adjusting my post to reflect that.


I would love to use a Gallant Inspiration - unfortunately, Hurgah and Hal are 10 feet beyond the range of my spell!


Male Dwarf Cleric 8

Hal will drive his axe into the back of the Beastie right beside Hurgah's mighty blows.

Greataxe Attack +2 for Flank & +2 for Naturalist Bonus 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (14) + 10 = 24
Greataxe Damage 1d12 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 3 = 9 Hal will NOT opt to utilize the spell storing ability versus this foe.


Just before I resolve Hurgah and Hal, there is one more minor detail with Moonpate I wanted to note before I forget.

Moonpate wrote:
Moonpate takes a moment to try and make sense of the glowing pictographs surrounding the creature, but he can't identify their meaning or significance other than their obvious unnatural status.

-

I think Phrip wrote this in response to the results he received from his Knowledge (Arcana) check. While it is true that his Knowledge (Arcana) check did not yield any meaning to the glyphs or identify any spells, it might not be the case that this means Moonpate cannot discern any meaning. . . As he notes, the hieroglyphs are pictograms and prior experience has taught that those can be deciphered with Linguistic checks, if the high DCs can be obtained. I see that Moonpate has the Linguistics skill. Perhaps another round. . .


Flat-Footed?

OOC: As incredibly perceptive as the girallon is, you gotta think that having three foes pop out behind you instantaneously while you are attacking a fourth would be a surprise.

Since we are already in mid-combat, I don't think a surprise round is appropriate here. But perhaps we can at least make him flat-footed. The problem I have is this would make Mr. Exciting right after all.

So we could do that, but I can't help but note that Hurgah and Hal would have hit regardless - at least after Jace's game-changing edit, adding in the flank.


A pair of axes bury themselves in the giant ape’s back, snapping bones and rending muscle. The ape, however, is too stubborn to die. It screams in rage, its four arms flailing through the air looking for heads to dash against the pyramid walls. Sensing the beast is ready to be consumed, Hurgah’s tattoos drift off of his body and float towards the ape. They inter-mix with the ape’s glowing hieroglyphs and suck away at the glowing magic, diminishing the creature’s life force.

OOC: Those are all hits. The girallon looks to be in very bad shape.

Next up, girallon!


Male Human Wizard Level 8 - Conjurer
Pact Stone GM wrote:
...As he notes, the hieroglyphs are pictograms and prior experience has taught that those can be deciphered with Linguistic checks, if the high DCs can be obtained. I see that Moonpate has the Linguistics skill. Perhaps another round. . .

Well then, perhaps we can make sense of these marks after all.

Linguistics: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (15) + 11 = 26


Pact Stone GM wrote:


Is that two spaces in front of Gandel? That's a 40 foot advance (a double move). Let me know if you meant to be back one square. Otherwise I think we're good.

Yep, that's good.

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