Varisian Chronicler's Skinsaw Murders

Game Master Guy Player Man

Rhianni walks behind Lucian and Tomaru.

Make it the south path then.

Is someone using a light source?

If its dark, Rhianni will cast light on a stone and take it with her. She will douse the light if she is told to do that by another in the group.

You travel down the south path for over 100 feet before Praxim notices something.

"Stop," he whispers. "There's evil ahead. Either it's hiding beneath one or both of those scarecrows, or the evil is the scarecrows."

"I'll get close enough to summon Desna's radiance. If they are ghouls, we'll know."

Rhianni watches Tomaru as he moves.

Oh! I'll probably need some Light if I'm alone.
cast Light.

"Come Praxim, don't let Tomaru disappear alone into the gloom." she beckons Praxim to follow as she follows behind Tomaru with her lighted stone.

As soon as Tomaru gets within thirty feet, the scarecrows begins shaking violently and struggling against their bonds on the post.

Round 1

One of them breaks from free from his post and leaps towards Tomaru, mouth open wide for gnawing on flesh, but the Desnan cleric avoids its bite.

Ghouls act first every round.

Map

Rhianni gets her wand of magic missiles from her backpack. full round action.

"Ignem iubeo!" Lym shouts as she takes a few steps forward, and she thrusts her hand forward. A ray of fire leaps out at the scarecrow attacking Tomaru.

Lym moves to H3 and casts Scorching Ray. Ranged touch attack roll: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (17) + 3 = 20 Damage if the ray hits: 4d6 ⇒ (3, 4, 3, 5) = 15 +2 from Lym's Intense spells class feature.
Unless I miss my guess, the first scarecrow takes 17 fire damage. ^_^

Praxim moves up to within thirty feat of the other ghoul and fires.
Attack: 1d20 + 9 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 9 + 1 = 14
Damage: 1d8 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 + 1 = 3

Tomaru reflexively channels energy. A multi-colored light spreads out from Tomaru's person. Whoever is enveloped by it feels the fluttering of butterfly wings.
Channel energy to harm undead 2d6 ⇒ (2, 1) = 3 sv DC 14 for half dmg

Woo hoo! 3 damage! Go Tomaru....oh...wait...um...

Is there a clear line of sight for Lucian to charge the ghoul? If not he moves up to give Praxim a chance to get behind him

Round 1

Lym incinerates the closest ghoul and it falls, burned to a crisp. The other undead is helpless as Praxim and all four town guards fire arrows at it. The elf hits shoots out one of the knees, while one of the guards hits the scarecrow's chest, causing it to let out a loud shriek that echoes throughout the farm. Finally, Tomaru's energy washes over the ghoul, finishing it off.

End of combat.

"We should proceed with caution," Lym says while she carefully wipes off her gloves. "We got lucky this time; it seems apparent that someone has set traps. The next one might be less... obvious." The Wizard hangs her head.

Rhianni maintains a hold on her wand in her hand, in case they meet more of these ghoulish creatures. "Maybe not so much a trap as an alarm system?" Rhianni questions, "In which case we've just set it off, so we need to be on our toes and keep careful watch."

Perception 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (19) + 5 = 24

"You may well be right," Lym says. "In any case, I would suggest we continue with weapons drawn." She spreads her arms in a humble gesture. "Mine are ready, as you can see and hear." By her tone, that last comment was a little joke -- a very little one.

"Does anyone recognize him? Is he... was he a local farmer?"

Knowledge(local) 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (16) + 1 = 17 to recognize?

Well now Lucian offers to take point and would point out that patience is not fear

You don't recognize either of them.

Further down the trail, the path splits into two, one way going southwest and the other southeast. Between those two paths, another scarecrow hangs on its post above the tall crops.

"It's safe," Praxim says.

"By the way, Lym, that was a very impressive fire arrow you used back there. I would like to suggest a change in tactics, however. As a faithful Hunter of Old Deadeye, I am blessed with the ability to fire my arrows into a melee with friends and foes, knowing that His blessing will keep my allies from their paths. Once I have evoked that blessing, it passes to all my allies for a short while, meaning it is safe to allow those of us who excel at hand to hand to get in close, then decide which of your impressive magical arrows to use, knowing that you won't risk hitting a friend."

Praxim trying to explain that his archetype allows him to give everybody around him the Precise Shot feat for one round after he makes a successful arrow shot, and that it would be safe to delay on ranged attacks until after Praxim goes, knowing there won't be the -4 penalty to hit. People on the boards seem to poo-poo this archetype and that ability, but it seems to me that it rewards smart strategy in a flavorful and in-character manner.

"That is a good trick and a good idea too. Lucian, would you mind putting an arrow into each scarecrow we come across. If its a ghoul it should respond to the attack while we are at a fair distance."

"No need to waste arrows. I'm detecting all undead within sixty feet. If any other hanging ghouls are like those two, that'll be plenty of distance."

"Ah," Lym replies to Praxim, slightly hesitant. "That... that is good to know. I shall try to keep it in mind. In any case, I only have one more of those prepared. They are among the most powerful spells I can currently cast."

Just to be on the safe side, Lym keeps up the Detect Magic and also scans the area around, including the scarecrows, in case of non-undead, magical traps.

Rhianni pulls a card from her Harrow deck, 'The Wanderer' and frowns before pointing to the south-east. "The cards point that way, it is the way of the collector."

Harrow deck - draw 1d54 ⇒ 29

Taking the left road, you travel for 90 feet before coming to a T-section. Marking this junction like a sign is another scarecrow.

"Well? Is it a ghoul or a scarecrow?" Tomaru stands close to Praxim ready to project Desna's power.

"Just a scarecrow," Praxim replies.

"We could easily get lost following these paths, let us hope Desna smiles on us! Which way to go, or Desna guide the cards." says Rhianni, unsure which way to go. Her hands pull down into her pockets, searching.

"Hold up," Lym says. "That scarecrow moved; I am quite positive."

"Could it be someone waiting to be... turned?" Tomaru says as he begins to move closer to the scarecrow. Tomaru will switch to his morningstar as he goes. Once he is close (assuming the scarecrow allows him to get within arms reach) he'll poke it to see if it does move.
If the scarecrow does turn out to be a person, Tomaru will use a Cure Light Wounds spell and ask for help getting him down.
CLW 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5 Will sv DC 15 (just in case)

Tomaru's poke is responded with a startled shake and a low moan. It's head is covered with a burlap sack.

The wand emits a charge of positive energy on the scarecrow's body. It doesn't seem to have any effect.

"This one's alive. Help me get him down."

Lucian hacks at the bindings with his scimitar and prepares to catch the poor fellow.

Rhianni watches carefully as they bring the man down. "Can you speak?"

After removing the burlap from his head, he begins speaking. "Ugh...I need help. They bit me..." There's obviously something wrong with him. He can barely move on his own, and what little he does move causes wheezing and shortness of breath.

"Ghoul fever," Lym says in a sombre tone of voice. "We should have brought a priest. Do we take him back to town?"

"We can't afford to. There's sure to be more of them. That farmer may have been drunk, but he was also right. Maybe one of us can help him back?"

"Going alone with a sick man who will turn upon death would be tantamount to suicide," Lym says. "Especially since we don't know whether there are more Ghouls here -- or worse. Not to mention it eakens the group that stays."

"You do realize that if we don't try to take him back to town, there's only one other option available?" Praxim asks.

Down low where the man cannot see, Praxim runs his fingers over the fletchings of a knocked arrow.

There's one for the constant paladin alignment threads.

Lym grimaces behind the veil, then turns to the men who accompanied the group from town. "If we truss him up tight and bind his mouth, do any of you feel confident you could carry him to the temple without being caught?" she asks.

"Confident? Yes. Willing? No. We have an unknown number of ghouls in the region hunting down innocents. I don't want to give them time to infect more innocents" Tomaru responds, clearly siding with Praxim.

Lucian thinks for a while:We cant take him with us, we cant heal him, we cant send him back, we can tie him again, and better and hope for the best, or show him eternal mercy. And I think, maybe Sir Paladin its easier on my consience. But then someone give him his eternal rites

Rhianni unable to come to terms with the effects of the illness on the man says compassionately, "No, how long can he survive before the disease takes him. Surely he can help us and returned to town for the clerics to cleanse." She studies the man, trying to understand the hold the disease has on him before she asks, "So who did this too you, can you help us know about this farm, do you know this farm?" Her eyes looks at him, "Help us and we may be able to help you."

Heal 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (8) + 0 = 8 to see how much longer the man will be a man before the disease alters him.
Diplomacy 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (17) + 9 = 26 to get information/map of the farm from the man and any other information that he might know and would be useful.

"It's only a four mile walk back to Sandpoint, one of the guardsman says to Lym. "We can take him back to Father Zantus now." "Go figure...the Heroes of Sandpoint want to off a sick man," another of the guards snorts. "It's a wonder Sheriff Hemlock entrusted you guys with this mission."