The Spires of Xin-Shalast: RotRL Part 6 (Inactive)

Game Master Elmdorprime

Fort: 1d20 + 17 + 4 ⇒ (15) + 17 + 4 = 36

"Thanks for blowing away that awful stink, Vuvu!" Trotter calls out to the storyteller.

Trotter spends a few minutes using prestidigitation to clean up, well, everything gross on anyone else.

Did you want to look in the room to the north or backtrack to the other rooms you avoided?

Head to the other door down here. Might as well be thorough. North door here.

Vars will have Trotter check it out then open it.

Did you want to wait for Trotter to roll Perception, or were you sort of thinking he'd soak up damage?

The idea was to let me use his superior perception, then I'd open it.

Trotter tells everyone to stand back while he does a quick search for signs of tampering which might indicate a trap.

Perception: 1d20 + 39 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 39 + 2 = 56

If you want to keep things moving, feel free to roll Perception for me in the future.

Trotter also has Trap Spotter so he gets an automatic roll if he passes within 10' of a trap, so I'll trust the GM to take care of that as well.

Assuming it is not trapped, the newly shiny Vars will open up the door.

You open the door into what would be a marvelously decorated corridor anywhere else, but is starting to look like a bit monotonous to you: the same spectacular marble, gold and silver plating and filigree and gems embedded in the walls in geometric patterns.

What was once a spectacular display of wealth is becoming a bit vulgar. There's a door to your right and the hallway extends to your left.

Check the door on the right and open it (allow Trotter to check it).

"Allow me! That's part of the reason I'm here!"

Perception: 1d20 + 39 + 2 ⇒ (20) + 39 + 2 = 61

I just might want to move in here, when this is all over. Could use some sprucing up of course. Vuvu says as he turns invisible

"Sprucing? It will need to be scrubbed from ceiling to floor several times. "

Perception (Trotter): 1d20 + 39 + 2 ⇒ (9) + 39 + 2 = 50

Trotter doesn't detect any traps on the door.

It swings open to reveal a terribly plain room given all the opulence you are used to - the stone walls are stark and undecorated; even the floor is meerly functional in appearance. Two iron doors face each other across the room to the west.

But standing at the far side is a terrible creature; vaguely humanoid in shape, this gaunt fiend has the face of a hideous fish and a body of lanky limbs and writhing tendrils.

Knowledge: Planes to identify, DC 31

Terrible words form in your mind.

I don't have a map created for this encounter, sorry, but you can use the current map. The "room" is at I19-L25 and the monster takes 4 squares, currently at J24-K25. Vars is presumably at I17.

THIS IS YOUR COMBAT ALERT! YOU ARE IN COMBAT AT THE MOMENT, YOU HAVE LOST INITIATIVE (FINALLY), THE BAD GUY WILL GO FIRST AND ONLY THEN CAN YOU MURDER HOBO!

The monster will simply glide above and then drop in front of Vars (H20-I21) and reach out to touch him.

Touch Attack: 1d20 + 23 ⇒ (11) + 23 = 34

Vars can feel his place on the ground shifting suddenly.

Make a DC 24 Will Save or be plane shifted to the Elemental Plane of Air.

THIS IS YOUR COMBAT ALERT! YOU ARE IN COMBAT AT THE MOMENT, YOU CAN NOW MURDER HOBO!

1d20 + 22 ⇒ (11) + 22 = 33 planes what is it, what does it resist, what special attacks does it have

It is an astradaemon, a ravenous servitor of Abaddon’s archdaemons; the astradaemon's touch is corruptive and damaging to the spiritual material of souls.

Its touch and especially their bite can cause horrific damage, akin to that of a wraith, to anything they attack. Most feared, however, is its ability to utterly consume the souls of those killed in its proximity, feeding off of their essence or dragging the souls back to its fiendish overlords in Abaddon, the Archdaemons.

They are immune to any form of acid, and resist all weapons not enchanted with the forces of good or impregnated with the impurity of silver.

Note: the astradaemon is a being made of an amalgamation of souls. It has no heartbeat and is not, technically, "living". To save time, roll 1d100 when attacking with melee, 51-100 hits.

Vuvu is not amused. He begins to tell the story of the time that he faced the Treasure Construct with only his whip and a monk and rogue who both ran away.

inspire courage up

Then he says draws his rod and says Bow before you new god!

Casts overwhelming presence DC 26, persistant so make that save twice

1d20 + 17 + 2 + 4 ⇒ (13) + 17 + 2 + 4 = 36 SR using a Dweller essence

will save: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (17) + 17 = 34

We'll assume he waits for Vuvu to start his song.

"Ugly mug, whatever you are, don't poke me! It's not polite. "

power attack, inspire courage
to hit: 1d20 + 38 ⇒ (18) + 38 = 56 damage: 1d8 + 37 + 1d6 ⇒ (8) + 37 + (1) = 46 1d100 ⇒ 58
to hit: 1d20 + 33 ⇒ (19) + 33 = 52 damage: 1d8 + 37 + 1d6 ⇒ (6) + 37 + (6) = 49 1d100 ⇒ 12 miss
to hit: 1d20 + 38 ⇒ (6) + 38 = 44 damage: 1d8 + 37 + 1d6 ⇒ (3) + 37 + (4) = 44 1d100 ⇒ 72
to hit: 1d20 + 38 ⇒ (10) + 38 = 48 damage: 1d8 + 37 + 1d6 ⇒ (5) + 37 + (6) = 48 1d100 ⇒ 33 miss

confirm: 1d20 + 42 ⇒ (6) + 42 = 48 damage: 2d8 + 74 ⇒ (6, 6) + 74 = 86 DC 28 or be stunned for 1d4 ⇒ 4 rounds, if saved staggered for that long. Also exhausted.

@GM: when it did the plane-shifting thing, did it obviously cast something (spell or SLA)? Just trying to decide if silencing this thing would be worthwhile. If it was supernatural it wouldn't have made spellcast-y movements and I'll do something else.

It's spell-like ability.

right after Vars strikes, Duhwoo will attempt to tumble past the thing and into flank (with Vars on the other side):

Duhwoo's Acrobatics check: 1d20 + 29 ⇒ (19) + 29 = 48

then lash out at it:

first attack: 1d20 + 37 + 2 + 4 ⇒ (19) + 37 + 2 + 4 = 62
amalgam of souls check: 1d100 ⇒ 79
for 2d4 + 36 + 4 + 1d6 ⇒ (1, 1) + 36 + 4 + (2) = 44 points of damage

crit confirm check: 1d20 + 37 + 2 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 37 + 2 + 4 = 59
on the off chance it can be crit'd, then add another 2d4 + 36 + 4 ⇒ (4, 4) + 36 + 4 = 48 points of damage

Duhwoo failed to take the time to activate his Ring o' Blinkin' again...

Avoreal will attempt to disintegrate it..

Ranged Touch: 1d20 + 20 ⇒ (9) + 20 = 29
SR: 1d20 + 24 ⇒ (13) + 24 = 37

DC 31 Fort

Dam if fail: 38d6 + 5 ⇒ (2, 3, 2, 6, 2, 5, 4, 2, 6, 5, 3, 5, 4, 5, 3, 3, 5, 1, 5, 5, 6, 5, 6, 1, 3, 3, 5, 4, 3, 4, 4, 1, 4, 5, 5, 3, 6, 5) + 5 = 154
Dam if save: 5d6 + 5 ⇒ (4, 6, 3, 4, 1) + 5 = 23

I'm not even really going to bother saving here, too much damage for the astradaemon to survive.

The flash of steel and magic slams into the outsider causing its form to waver and then disappear.

Ah, release from this dull place...you have my thanks, and don't worry - I'll see you all again.

You're left in the bare stone room.

"And he didn't even leave any gifts? What a boor. "

Ok, I'm a bit fuzzy on exits here.

If I'm following you...there's the one you came in, and two huge iron doors off this stone room, then there's the corridor behind you that continues up to doors on the left. After that, there's the doors off the throne room you ignored, and the room you fought the giants on wraps around and to the southwest. There's also a corridor moving left

So your choices are:
A) Examine the doors off this bare room.
B) Go down the short corridor you were just in and look at the doors to the northwest.
C) Go back to the throne room and examine either of the two doors that you left behind you.
D) Go back to the room just off the ramp and circle around to try to access the east side of the tower.
E) Go outside where you found the image of Karzoug and continue down the corridor to see where that goes.

Basically you've examined 30% of the Spire and you want to look at the other 70%.

Examine the doors in the current room, or rather have Trotter do it.

Perception (Trotter): 1d20 + 39 + 2 ⇒ (18) + 39 + 2 = 59

Trotter is able to see fiendishly complicated locks on the massive iron doors, but no traps are apparent on these doors either.

I believe he has a massive disable device number (+38 upon checking), so he might as well try that before I decide to carve open the doors. with my falcata.

while Duhwoo watches Trotter work, he'll use two charges from his wand o' CLW -- 2d8 + 2 ⇒ (3, 4) + 2 = 9 -- leaving himself one point short of full...

Indeed!

"Ah, this looks devilishly complicated. Or should I say runelordishly complicated? Nevermind, I think I can handle it."

Trotter takes out his picks and starts to work on the door.

Taking 10:
Disable Device: 10 + 38 = 48

When Trotter springs the lock, the door swings open into another bare stone cell.

It appears to be a prison cell - although it is currently empty.

The other door stands locked as well.

"Allow me!"

Trotter looks it over for traps.

Perception: 1d20 + 39 + 2 ⇒ (10) + 39 + 2 = 51

And then works at unlocking it.

Disable Device: 10 + 38 = 48

You unlock an identical, smaller cell that is likewise empty.

Exciting, right?

"Might as well head back to that throne room and see the passages out of there. " and he'll lead in that direction.

Woo I believe you have yet to crapnon anything. This is as good a place as any.

"Uh-yuh! Ya'll 'r right 'bout that, Mr Z! Ah jus' 'bout done fergot! Welp, tradition bein' whut it is an' all..."

Duhwoo takes a few minutes and leaves a classic pig-farmer steamer -- but not in one of the empty cells...oh no...he drops a dookie an the nicest piece of furniture in the room with the 4 dead lamias!

"Ain't as messy as that one in th' froze clockworks up north -- Darvik loved that one, huh Vuvu?"

"Why do I know this man?"And you, Vuvu, why in all the God's realms do you encourage him?"

That's...pretty gross. And Karzoug is going to have something to say about it, believe you me.

There are two sets of doors - one next to the door you came into the throne room and one to the north.

Do the routine of Trotter checks the door and I open it.

Makes for a great story. In my last version the verses with woo messing all over the place were very popular.

"You must seek out some very crude audiences. Inner Sea culture is surely collapsing. "

Trotter rolls his eyes at the hillbilly's antics but doesn't say anything. Spoiling such priceless artifacts! Shame!

He checks the next door.

Perception: 1d20 + 39 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 39 + 2 = 53

If it's locked:

Disable Device: 10 + 38 = 48

Nah people love the warrior gorrilla Duhwee who appears in my stories on occasion. Heart of gold, irritable bowls, and a penchant for hugging goes to death.

"Do you really need to demean gorillas like that? It's monkeys that fling their poo. "

"An' sumtimes big ol' clockworks!"

Avoreal snickers at Duhwoo.. "If I live to be a thousand I don't think I'll ever understand you humans.. It's a wonder your race survived the starfall lol."

I believe the door to the north has been checked, and Vars is about to open it up?

Duhwoo will remain to the rear of the party, and "check six" whilst Vars leads the way...

THIS IS YOUR COMBAT ALERT! YOU ARE IN COMBAT AT THE MOMENT, YOU HAVE LOST INITIATIVE, KARZOUG WILL ACT AND THEN YOU CAN PROCEED TO MURDER HOBO!

Ranged Touch Attack: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (17) + 17 = 34

You enter into an antechamber meant to house giants - massive furniture sits around the room, and you see Karzoug standing there, waiting for you.

Defilers! First you enter my tower and murder my servants and then you S$+$ ON MY FLOORS!

He levels his hands and a green ray erupts to strike at Vars.

Ranged Touch Attack: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (1) + 17 = 18
Damage (Disintegrate): 40d6 ⇒ (3, 3, 6, 1, 1, 6, 4, 5, 6, 3, 4, 3, 6, 1, 2, 2, 4, 1, 1, 4, 2, 5, 3, 4, 3, 5, 1, 4, 6, 2, 4, 4, 3, 5, 1, 4, 1, 2, 4, 2) = 131 Save DC 31
Damage (Disintegrate, Save): 5d6 ⇒ (4, 6, 4, 2, 4) = 20

Thats the great wizards opening move? I smell another fake! Good thing he rolled a 1 though Vars..

With her trueseeing up does she detect anything out of the ordinary?

fortitude save: 1d20 + 24 ⇒ (2) + 24 = 26 Of course I had to roll a 2, I needed all of a '7'.

"Damn, those things hurt! remind me not to piss you off Avoreal. "

66/202 HP