Arius and the owlbear follow.

How about a marching order of tracker Anju + Tikaani + Hoskuld; owlbear; Rheticus + Arius; Liz + Keth? Either that, or put Liz in front with Anju, and have them a bit ahead for stealth.

"Looks like a fantastic marching order, let's go!"

How about a marching order of tracker Anju + Tikaani + Hoskuld; owlbear; Rheticus + Arius; Liz + Keth? Either that, or put Liz in front with Anju, and have them a bit ahead for stealth.

I'm happy to bring up the rear for a change, unless you want me in front to scout?

Totally up to you as far as I'm concerned. If you and/or Anju want the spotlight for a while, scout ahead. We can do the advance to next room/move up party pattern to keep from getting too spread out.

Elizabeth moves off to stay abreast of Anju, scouting ahead with her and trying to stay concealed so as to surprise anyone attempting to attack the Druid.

Stealth Check: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (17) + 9 = 26
Perception Check: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (9) + 7 = 16

You easily track the blood straight up to the room you fought the first derro in. From the blood it appears he paused here before climbing the stairs and leaving the burial mound.

From here on out some of the rooms have different reaction times depending on where you enter them from. so let me know which path/door your taking to get the rooms

Full map

Either D6 via D5, which seems like us asking to be ambushed, or D2 via the tunnels, which seems like us leaving the necromancer a clear path to the exit. Both options seem bad. D6, but have scouts go forward sneakily (or invisibly) to identify the ambush?

The 'Cap wrote:

Full map

Either D6 via D5, which seems like us asking to be ambushed, or D2 via the tunnels, which seems like us leaving the necromancer a clear path to the exit. Both options seem bad. D6, but have scouts go forward sneakily (or invisibly) to identify the ambush?

My vote is for D6.

D6 for me too.

"Shall we return? I suggest caution. Our quarry has had ample time to set an ambush."

D6 sounds fine
"Da, they are tricky creatures. Just get me close enough to one. They cannot stand up to a real fight."

D6 it is.

D6 it is.

1d6 ⇒ 4Ha - ha ha

The walls and ceiling of this tall hallway are encrusted with dozens of yawning skulls, their mouths open into dark holes in the walls. The floor of this room is a more puckmarked than the other parts of the catacombs you have been in.

Arius

"Wait!"

Arius points at a skull. "That looks like acid to me. Liz, do you see any trap mechanisms?"

The skull seems to have drops of a green liquid remarkably similar to the globes of acid that Liz has been hurling at derro.

Guess I got lucky on my Perception roll.

Arius looks around at the ground, but takes care not to move in front of the acid skulls.

Aid Another for [i}Perception[/i] (if possible) 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 3 = 7

Natural 20 on the perception check does seem to do that

Perception to look for Traps: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (16) + 8 = 24 I'll lay money on the DC being 25... :/

Elizabeth stops at Arius' cautioning and peers closer at the walls and floor, trying to discern any mechanism to spring a trap.

Perception to look for Traps: 1d20 + 8 I'll lay money on the DC being 25... :/

Elizabeth stops at Arius' cautioning and peers closer at the walls and floor, trying to discern any mechanism to spring a trap.

Liz:

Elizabeth's eyes go wide as she reaizes the trap has already been sprung and is preparing to go off.
Quickly she yells a warning to the others and races across the room as fast as she can. "Guys... you need to move it now... like yesterday move it."

Moving to the doorway at D7 and bursting through the door (if it is unlocked), Caress in hand and ready for a fight if it comes.

Elizabeth's eyes go wide as she reaizes the trap has already been sprung and is preparing to go off.

Quickly she yells a warning to the others and races across the room as fast as she can. "Guys... you need to move it now... like yesterday move it."

Moving to the doorway at D7 and bursting through the door (if it is unlocked), Caress in hand and ready for a fight if it comes.

Anju, not knowing exactly what is going on, follows Liz to the doorway ordering Tikaani to follow.

"Skeleton, run after them!"

Arius follows the owlbear as quickly as he can, expecting to be sprayed with acid at any moment.

Well, that explains Cap's laughing. If Liz finds the door locked, Arius will stop and pull out his scroll of knock.

Well, that explains Cap's laughing.

Naw, my laughing was just that everyone was talking about D6, so i rolled a D6.....

Arius Pelgane wrote:

Well, that explains Cap's laughing.

Naw, my laughing was just that everyone was talking about D6, so i rolled a D6.....

I read the post and that didn't even click with me... That's what I get for posting with little sleep I suppose...

Hoskuld waits to be sure that his companion Rheticus has cleared the danger before hustling over it himself.

Hosk, Liz, and Arius:

I'm assuming you're running into D7, if that is not the case, then ignore the next paragraph Wooden tables here are stacked with vials, beakers, and other alchemical gear, although the southern one is heaped with broken vials and leans awkwardly on a hastily repaired leg. Three large cauldrons sit against the east wall, one of them upended. Its foul, rancid contents of rendered fats have spilled over the floor. There is another Derro here, his eyes go wide as you enter and he stands next to the southern-most table, which he was repairing.. he stares at you, stammering in confusion.

Initiative 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6

Arius will cast Charm Person if nobody's attacked the derro by his turn and if the &@#! hasn't used Darkness. If we're in melee, he'll instead pull out his wand to Magic Missile the derro for 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5 and order the skeleton to attack the derro. If we're in darkness, he'll just pull out his wand, go on total defense, and order the skeleton to attack the derro.

I'm betting that option 2 is more likely.

Ouch! Especially given the 6 he just got.

Initiative: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (9) + 8 = 17

Elizabeth races through the door and spots the surprised Derro. Not wasting tme to think, she continues on towards it and brings Caress around in a wide arc in an attempt to finish the little creature quickly.

Attack Derro with Caress: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (12) + 6 = 18
Damage: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4

Hoskuld races for the other open exit from the room, attempting to station himself there to block off any retreat.

Initiative:1d20 + 2 ⇒ (13) + 2 = 15
Going to block the tunnel that leads to D9. If the Derro gets there ahead of me, I'll chase him.

Hoskuld races for the other open exit from the room, attempting to station himself there to block off any retreat.

Good idea. If we're going to fumble around in the darkness, at least we'll have a shot of stopping him from escaping.

Cap, I remember Rheticus putting an everburning torch in the owlbear. Was that permanently quenched by the first Darkness, or just damped out temporarily? Unless Rheticus did something else with it in the meantime . . . .

"You there, halt!" demands Branham. "Surrender now, and you won't be hurt!"

If nothing works this round, I'll cast hold person next round.

Cap, I remember Rheticus putting an everburning torch in the owlbear. Was that permanently quenched by the first Darkness, or just damped out temporarily?

Its still there, the darkness overpowers it when they are both up, but it still burns (evermore)

The Derro just stands there quivering as the group springs to action around it.

Arius and Branahm:

For Cap:

The party hears Branham shout "by the holy power of Torag, I deny your existence, you unliving evil!"

Channel Energy, 30' radius, will save 13, damage: 2d6 ⇒ (5, 6) = 11

Channel Energy, 30' radius.

Oh crap, this could be bad... and you with no Selective Channeling...

Elizabeth once again tries to strike the small creature with Caress, although she does notice the new foes emerge and her brow furrows in consternation at this new predicament.

Attack Derro with Caress: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (5) + 6 = 11
Damage: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5

I just realized that I may have had the opportunity for Sneak Attack Damage in the first round if the Derro was Flat-Footed (or yet to act). 1d6 ⇒ 5

Cap, did that channel just convert our owlbear to a foe? Arius may be about to have a lesson in the dangers of necromancy.

Oh crap, this could be bad... and you with no Selective Channeling...

Cap, did that channel just convert our owlbear to a foe? Arius may be about to have a lesson in the dangers of necromancy.

well it would be damageing the creature... contructs made of bone arn't considered actual undead are they?

Your call, but my memory is that bone constructs aren't affected by turning.

At least Arius got his hit point back.

Liz wrote:

Oh crap, this could be bad... and you with no Selective Channeling...

Arius Pelgane wrote:

Cap, did that channel just convert our owlbear to a foe? Arius may be about to have a lesson in the dangers of necromancy.

well it would be damageing the creature... contructs made of bone arn't considered actual undead are they?

A Construct wouldn't be affected, but the Owlbear Skeleton isn't a Construct, it's an actual Skeleton, hence it is affected by the Channel Positive Energy.

I'm afraid our Owlbear Skeleton Friend is about to turn nasty...

At least Arius got his hit point back.

Actually no he didn't. Final Pathfinder Rules are an either/or deal. You can choose to either Damage/Turn Undead or Heal everyone in the Burst Radius, not both.

Initiative
1d20 + 4 ⇒ (11) + 4 = 15

Anju will hold any action and see how the derro reacts. If possible she will help Arius to talk the creature down as he doesn't seem to be taking aggressive action. She'll even tell Liz not to attack if that is the case.

Arius looks nervously at the owlbear skeleton.

A Construct wouldn't be affected, but the Owlbear Skeleton isn't a Construct, it's an actual Skeleton, hence it is affected by the Channel Positive Energy.

Agreed, but I suspect the bone snakes are constructs. They seem suspiciously like necrophidiuses from the old Fiend Folio, and if so, will be constructs without a vulnerability to channelling.

Arius Pelgane wrote:

At least Arius got his hit point back.

Actually no he didn't. Final Pathfinder Rules are an either/or deal.

Sadly, you're right. Well, he's about to lose a lot more hit points anyhow.

Elizabeth Danflor wrote:

A Construct wouldn't be affected, but the Owlbear Skeleton isn't a Construct, it's an actual Skeleton, hence it is affected by the Channel Positive Energy.

Agreed, but I suspect the bone snakes are constructs. They seem suspiciously like necrophidiuses from the old Fiend Folio, and if so, will be constructs without a vulnerability to channelling.

Oh crap I didn't even twig to them... :/ hmmm... we may be in a little more drama here than we at first thought.

Agreed, but I suspect the bone snakes are constructs. They seem suspiciously like necrophidiuses from the old Fiend Folio, and if so, will be constructs without a vulnerability to channelling.

at least they're lesser versions.... So yeah, the attacks (using Liz's second rolled attack as an AofOp as the Derro runs to speed things up) drops the Derro. But now you ahve an angry owlbear skeleton and 2 bone-snakes with human-like heads coming at you

Oops, sorry 'bout that.

The hulking skeleton begins to move toward . . . .

Full attack on Arius? Given his crappy initiative, the skeleton will have the jump on him. And given that it's non-intelligent, it's probably too dumb to associate the turning damage with the cleric.

Oh, well. At least we don't have to worry about the necromancer using it against us. Plus, my new PC will almost certainly have better stats.

good thing is that as he is no longer your longer your minion, he goes back to his own init (I think)... which is before yours, but also before Branahms, so you get to act first... just remember you also have the construct in melee range

In that case . . .

Arius bravely runs away toward Hoskuld. "That just broke my control over the skeleton!"

I'll take the AoO.

1d20 + 9 ⇒ (9) + 9 = 18
1d6 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 5 = 8

The owlbear's bony claw gashes a deep furrow in Arius' side as he darts by the creature, but luckily does not fell him.

Arius says to Hoskuld, "I can increase your reach."
If Hoskuld nods, he casts a spell on him. A spontaneously cast Enlarge Person

Otherwise, he'll spontaneously cast Magic Missile for 2d4 + 2 ⇒ (3, 1) + 2 = 6.

Hoskuld nods in reply, keeping a wary eye on the hulking skeleton that now seems to be free-willed once more.

Arius begins a long incantation.

Unfortunately it's one round to cast, but I can do it at close range.

Arius begins a long incantation.

Unfortunately it's one round to cast, but I can do it at close range.

The Skeleton goes after Arius accepting all AoO (Branham, Anju, Wolf, Harsk) if it survives these (30 HP + DR), it will attack Arius again.

1d20 + 9 ⇒ (4) + 9 = 13

1d6 + 5 ⇒ (4) + 5 = 9

The bone snake that had attacked arius starts swaying back and forth as a cobra does in front of a snake charmer anyone able to see the entrance to D6 from where you are (after Branahm's initiative sport (thats where the snake is), roll a will save DC 11 or be dazed for 2d4 ⇒ (3, 3) = 6 rounds

Almost forgot . . . .

The bony serpent snapped as Arius' ankle as he fled.

1d20 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 2 = 14
1d6 ⇒ 5

Fortunately for Arius, it narrowly missed.

For Cap:

Arius struggles to shake off the mesmerizing power of the snake.

1d20 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6

He stops in mid-spell, ruining the incantation, and begins staring at the snake.

The owlbear's first strike misses, but Arius makes no move to flee.

Perhaps he's thinking about the flowers that he wants for his funeral.