I imagine Sihir is probably moving on his turn.
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"Ellsa. Not Elisa.
You may wish to investigate Hergstag, but keep in the mind the Morast portion of the trial is tomorrow. The villages are in opposite directions, and each is a couple of hours from Lepidstadt.
Yes, that is right.
I mean, Dhiara is able to act. You cannot determine what effect closing her mindscape has. There are still 2 more mindscapes to close.
Hmm, on reading it I find that "You can only take a 5-foot-step if your movement isn't hampered by difficult terrain or darkness." Normally I would rule that by implication this would apply to Blindness as well (unless there is an explicit FAQ saying it does not), but I don't feel like arguing about that. Have the 5' step.
This rule goes back to at least 3.5 and I think 3.0. An attack with a gauntlet is considered an unarmed attack.
An attack with a spiked gauntlet is very specifically noted as an armed attack by contrast. If you are aware of a FAQ or errata removing the line "A strike with a gauntlet is otherwise considered an unarmed attack" then please point me to it.
Saya frees Dhiara!
Theodore's Channel does not heal the Beast. Ismene knows that electricity can heal a flesh golem. Some other spells can as well. While Ismene distracts the guard, Barrister Kaple nervously approaches the cell and says to the Beast, "Tell them... about... Hergstag. About the girl." The Beast mutters "Ellsa."
After a moment, it continues. "I lived near there. Ellsa was a friend. She and other children were killed by a ghost who stole their souls and walks at night.
"The other places? I was not there when the bad things happened." The guard shows very little interest in the conversation nor in Ismene's babbling. He tries to keep an eye on the Beast.
Saya: Dhiara meditates within a mountain monastery. A young girl pleads for her help as a minotaur gores the child to death. Then the minotaur ages and turns to dust. A king beseeches Dhiara’s assistance as hobgoblins enslave his people. Then knights slay the hobgoblins, and orcs fell the knights in turn, all falling into dust. The world continues in this fashion, the cycle unending.
Dhiara is lost in contemplation on the futility of action against the unstoppable flow of time. You can snap her out of her obsession with two successful combat maneuver checks, Knowledge (history), Knowledge (religion), or Perform (oratory) checks. You get 3 attempts. In place of a combat maneuver or skill check, you can deal 20 points of damage with an attack or spell to one of the monsters in her visions (AC 10) to demonstrate that it is possible to make a difference and break Tahari’s control. You have +2 from the ritual. No other special modifiers in this case.
Regular gauntlets do not threaten an area. Gauntlet: "This metal glove lets you deal lethal damage rather than nonlethal damage with unarmed strikes. A strike with a gauntlet is otherwise considered an unarmed attack." Threatened squares: "If you’re unarmed, you don’t normally threaten any squares and thus can’t make attacks of opportunity." Spiked gauntlets: "An attack with a spiked gauntlet is considered an armed attack." So gauntlets do not normally count as armed attacks and so do not threaten squares unless you have IUS or spiked gauntlets.
Setare just manages to hit once.
Aryana Tahari casts a spell at Saya, trying to snuff out this irritant that has taken away two of her thralls. Tahonikepsu is prepared, and slashes at the ghost with a claw.
Round 3
At Quinn's rapid-fire questioning, the Beast grows increasingly agitated. "I don't know! I don't know! I don't know! Stop STOP The guard smirks.
The Beast hears that, and with some apparent effort manages to control itself.
At Ismene's question, the guard laughs. "If it's a criminal, why should it have any right to keep its crimes a secret? I'm an officer of the law, me. What, you want me to leave so you can help it make up some lies? Or worse, help it escape? No. All the facts are coming out in court tomorrow anyway." The guard refuses to leave. Barrister Kaple shakes his head sadly, looking defeated. "No... Privacy... this time. High security." As a legal principle, yes, Barristers are generally supposed to be able to have private conferences with their clients. It sounds like that principle has been suspended for reasons of keeping the Beast under guard at all times.
@Eskar - the Sage spaces count as occupied, except for the ones that have only jewels and no Sages. Tahari is at ground level at present. The Shira Div attacks Sihir with fang and claws.
I believe that Sihir is hit twice for 44 damage. Round 3
Katswiri frees Amenopheus! Eskar is up.
Katswiri: A weary and worn Amenopheus sits alone in a room before a pile of books and scrolls. The Ruby Prince Khemet III enters, sick and frail. Amenopheus grasps at scroll after scroll, but each crumbles to dust at his touch. Khemet III turns away in disgust. Grandmaster Torch enters and presents two sage jewels, one deep green and the other brilliant yellow. Amenopheus eagerly trades everything he has for them, only to watch the jewels fracture in his hands. Tahonikepsu enters, knocks Amenopheus to the floor, and takes his chair. He lies crumpled on the ground, then the scene flickers and repeats.
Amenopheus is lost in regrets—about handling past challenges imperfectly and about not being the leader he feels his agents deserve. You can rouse him from his melancholy and break Tahari’s control with two successful Diplomacy, Knowledge (history), Knowledge (nobility), Perform (comedy), or Perform (oratory) checks. You get 3 attempts, and the skills must be different. You get a +2 from the ritual, and +5 for 5 Scarab Sages boons, for +7 total. And, since time inside the mindscape flows differently, you can use abilities that take a number of rounds (such as Focused Trance) if you wish and it will still only be a full-round action relative to everyone else.
EL YAMA was at 9 damage taken, then took 33 more damage from the second round of the Sirocco, then was healed for 26 between the Channel and Life Link. So now at 16 damage taken.
Saya is able to close the Onyx mindscape!
Tahari shouts orders like a general trying to prevent a rout.
The Graveknight lunges to reach Eskar.
He then attacks Eskar.
Eskar's stony flesh protects him from the worst of the blow.
Right you are. So many auras in play...
I believe that should be +9 (+3 CL, +6 Cha).
Tiff detects no magic. Tiff is a little uncertain about the nature of the Beast, but Ismene can more clearly see that this creature is no typical flesh golem. By its body language and sounds, she can tell that it is more intelligent and emotional than others of its kind. And then that becomes clear to all when the creature roars,
The creature's strength is immense, and for a moment you are unsure if the bolts anchoring the chair to the ground will hold. But they do, and after a minute the creature stops thrashing.
At Ismene's words, it says, "I am the Beast of Lepidstadt. And I know I am not human. But I can think and talk and even read some."
I think it's pretty clear.
Sihir dispels the Sirocco!
Does exhaustion impact Katswiri's AC or reflex saves? She uses Cha in place of Dex for Reflex and AC due to her Sidestep Secret revelation, but the ability score penalty rules are written kind of strangely and list specific things penalties do by type, and dex impacts AC/reflex. There's some language at the top and the str penalty melee damage which implies they might be trying to list a subset of stuff impacted by a stat but still intended that a penalty to a stat would only impact things that actually use the stat for the character in question, but its not that clear. I suppose that replacing Dex with Cha for AC and Reflex saves means that Fatigue/Exhaustion no longer impact those things. (Likewise the Cha penalty from, say, Enlarge Person.) It certainly makes Sidestep Secret an extremely strong ability, but that's how it seems to work.
Saya:
The dwarf Padrym stands in a palace at the heart of Osirion’s power in the Age of Destiny, and he watches a young girl—Aryana Tahari—walk past with a few spectral figures trailing in her wake. She looks to him for advice, but he ignores her. He sees her later as a young woman, an adult, and then in middle-age, her entourage of spirits growing each time. At each point he sees a chance to speak or act as the ghosts implore him to intervene, but each time he remains silent.
Padrym broods over points he could have interceded in Tahari’s life and chose not to interfere. If you succeed at two Diplomacy, Knowledge (history or religion), or Perform (oratory) checks you can remind him that the necromancer’s choices were her own or that the past is written and done. You get a +2 for the ritual. No other modifiers apply in this case (though some are possible for a good RP post). Katswiri:
In general, you can shout out some of these facts that you know in a brief comment to the other PCs. There is a spell Linked Legacy to let you instantly share all such information, but you do not have that up.
SLAs: The Shira Div can use Waves of Fatigue, Greater Teleport, and Magic Circle Against Good. It has constant True Seeing and can Summon other Divs. Special attacks: It can grapple foes it hits with its claws and inflict Con drain on critical hits DR: DR 10/Cold Iron and Good. Sihir: In general, you can shout out some of these facts that you know in a brief comment to the other PCs. There is a spell Linked Legacy to let you instantly share all such information, but you do not have that up. In this case, there is probably only really one thing that you would need to share, and it's 2-4 words, so no worries there.
Senses/Illusion Susceptibility: The Shira Div has constant True Seeing as well as Darkvision and See In Darkness. Weakness: It has no specific weaknesses.
Okay, then. Setare is at 46 damage from Ermias Dalla's attack and 11 from the Sirocco, so 57 damage taken.
Gustav Kaple escorts you to the jail cell in the courthouse's cellar. As he walks, he says, "The Beast may be agitated. The guards have been abusive, I am sorry to say. It is tough and resilient, but it still feels pain and anger." A narrow spiral stair leads from the second floor (where the courtroom and various Chambers are) to the basement, thereby enabling prisoners to be brought to the courtroom without passing the public. A guard is on duty in the jail. "Oh, it's you. Come to see your friend the monster? And you've brought new friends? Or maybe snacks for the Beast to eat?" At the guardsman's tone, Gustav's stutter comes to the forefront. "P- p- please, g-g-g-g-guar..." He takes a deep breath and closes his eyes. "Please, guardsman. I... have... a... right... to... see... my... client." The guardsman laughs and stands aside. Within the jail, only one cell is occupied. A towering abomination sits in an iron chair, bound with no less than a dozen sets of manacles. Stitching holds together this grotesque patchwork of flesh and bone, beast and man, though the wires are so taut they look as though they may fly apart at any moment. Its mouth is twisted in a permanent sneer, and a shock of lank, dark hair clings to its scalp. The creature slumps in its chair, a despondent expression upon its monstrous face. Knowledge (Arcana) DC 17:
The Beast of Lepidstadt seems to be a flesh golem. The creature looks dirty and miserable, covered in flies. "You can't go in the cell," says the guard, "but you can talk to the monster. Or try, anyway."
I'm letting it protect against Suffocation, and not giving Tahari advance knowledge that you had Life Bubble up. (How much she knows from being partially present in the Sage Jewels is not spelled out.)
Setare should have taken an extra 10 damage from the graveknight's attack due to Smite Good being extra-effective against paladins. My mistake. Won't retroactively apply it but will keep it in mind for future attacks.
Daagh flies away after taking one round of Sirocco damage. At the beginning of the second round, one or more divs sense Tahari’s revival and arrive to join the fight as her allies. These arrive within 30 feet of the center of the room and act immediately. A shaggy leonine humanoid appears in the room (under the flying invisible Sihir). Sihir realizes that the Div can see him, and can reach him (10' tall with 10' reach).
Planes DC 22:
This is a Shira Div.
Waves of Fatigue, no save. SR applies if you have it.
The Sirocco continues to pour down, inflicting another damage. This is enough to get past the Communal Resist Fire if you fail your save (Fort DC 24; Setare and EL YAMA are within the graveknight's Aura of Despair). Anybody who takes any damage is Fatigued. Anybody who was already Fatigued is now Exhausted. Eskar and Setare are Exhausted for certain. Tahari casts Suffocation on Saya (Fort DC 25).
Enraged, Tahari Dispels the Life Bubble on Saya as a move action.
Then she casts Quickened Glitterdust (Will DC 20), catching Setare, Eskar, and EL YAMA, as well as Sinuhotep and Dhiara (who both auto-succeed at the saves).
Round 2
She will probably ready an attack to disrupt spellcasting but can take suggestions.
Btw, I was on the idea that Ermias Dalla took -20 points of damage on Setare's attack, but since then I didn't see that damage on the tracker. Maybe I missed something or he has healed that up somewhere around the round? I'll fix that. Tahari has a special thing, Ermias Dallas does not.
Pretty much. It is a free action to enter or exit the mindscape, and a full-round action in "regular" time to make the three checks (although you can take much longer inside the mindscape making those checks). If you succeed you are shunted out where you entered. If you fail, you can choose to stay in and try some more next round. If you have to move more than 5' to get adjacent to a Sage, then you will start with a standard action this round and finish with a standard action next round.In the 4-player adjustment it is only a standard action to free a Sage from the mindscape, so you could move to them and free them in one round. We are not in the 4-player adjustment obviously.
Sure, whatever you think is reasonable.
Sinuhotep turns his head towards the ghost.
Eskar and Oasis are up!
@Setare - 2 things. First, something else happens at the top of the next round before you go. I don't think it will change your action so you can keep those excellent rolls. But it will affect the math and I will make the adjustments. Second, do you think that Daagh is exposed to the Sirocco? It is an ongoing blast of furnace-hot wind. If so, then he took damage last round and will again this round on Tahari's turn. Fort save for half. I am not sure how much protection a Familiar Satchel is supposed to provide against such things so I will let you decide. Katswiri: A mortal Sinuhotep traverses a catacomb with a conjured djinni ally who saves him from numerous perils. However, when faced with the choice of aiding the djinni or escaping with an ancient jar, he flees as a faintly visible spirit of Aryana Tahari urges him on. Later, in a ritual chamber, he cuts the living heart out of a sphinx and looks up to see Tahari smiling at him. The world shifts to a cavernous chamber where he drinks from a poisonous chalice and collapses as Tahari cradles his head.
Sinuhotep is trapped in the belief that Tahari’s influence is responsible for the actions that lead him to undeath. You can try to demonstrate that he is ultimately responsible for his own actions and thus break Tahari’s control. You may attempt three different checks to free him, and must succeed on two. The possibilities are Diplomacy, Knowledge (arcana), Knowledge (religion), Perform (oratory), or Sense Motive. You get a +2 for the ritual success, and +7 due to 7 mutually exclusive boons (where taking one option closed off another). I realize I hadn't clarified things like the Wish boon, so if that number is higher than +7, adjust accordingly. You can take more time within the Mindscape, even using abilities that require standard actions or longer. It will be one full-round action in the "real world". If you succeed, you are shunted out of the Mindscape; if you fail, you can choose to stay in the Mindscape or exit as a free action.
Saya:
Good call. The nat 1 is not an auto-fail, but a 26 would be a failure. The 34 on the second roll was a close call but makes it. Rough dice that round. Tahonikepsu seems to shudder. The flow of energy from the Diamond Jewel to the ghost seems to cease. Moving sluggishly, the dragon turns her head to the ghost and unleashes a cone of lightning.
Tahonikepsu then shouts, "You need to free all of us! We are her anchor!" Ermias Dallas appears, striking Setare.
She does dodge the follow-up attack.
"RELEASE ME!" shouts the graveknight. Round 1
Saya: An enormous violet dragon tiptoes through a library filled with mewling humanoid children. Everywhere she turns she has to cautiously avoid crushing another helpless creature, and they cry out in alarm whenever she turns her attention to the truly interesting texts. She lies down in weary frustration.
Saya senses that dealing with mortals with their short lives and fragile bodies can frustrate the dragon. She has to rein in her curiosity for the safety of those around her. Saya can assist her in carrying out her work, help her relax, or remind her of her responsibilities with two successful Diplomacy, Fly, Knowledge (nobility), Linguistics, Perform, or Profession (librarian or teacher) checks. Saya gets a +2 from the ritual successes. I believe Saya has 0 draconic features, so no bonus there. I'm going to say that the Mindscape is not part of the Well of Evil, so that Sickened effect does not apply within the Mindscapes. You can attempt 3 checks to free Tahonikepsu and need 2 successes. They must be different skills.
With Greater Magic Fang, EL YAMA is able to damage the ghost necromancer, although with limited efficacy (half damage for incorporeal). Sinuhotep takes a step and casts Invisibility on the Graveknight. Round 1
If it was Heroism from a scroll cast before the ritual started, then it has expired.
Barrister Kaple buries his head in his hands. "I don't.. I don't... I don't know what help you can be."
"The evidence against the Beast is overwhelming. I believe in my heart that the Beast probably did commit at least one of the crimes, for I have heard testimony from many witnesses and found their stories plausible. How could so many be mistaken? Even so, I still plan to defend the creature to the best of my ability. But I cannot find any evidence that points to its innocence. You know how it was captured at the University, yes? Its guilt in the theft is beyond doubt. Not a capital offense, but still. Destructive.
There are witnesses from Morast, where the Beast is said to have killed ten people, about a year ago. The Beast denies being there. Witnesses from Hergstag. The story there is strange and doesn't quite make sense. The Beast was definitely present, was definitely carrying the body of a dead girl, and five other children died. That was seven months ago. The trauma of their deaths made the children return as ghosts. The entire village is deserted now. The Beast admits to being there. A witness from the burning of Sanctuary, four months ago. The witness saw the Beast at the scene. The Beast denies being there. If you can find evidence exonerating the Beast, you may present it during the trial. I will question you, and the prosecution will cross-examine. Although it is formally my role to present the evidence, I do not speak well under pressure. It may be better for you to present it. If you find evidence incriminating the Beast? They have found so much already. Eyewitness testimony. If you find more beyond that, justice demands we share it with the prosecutor, as it demands that he share with us any exculpatory evidence he finds. The trial begins in earnest tomorrow, with the Morast case. You must act fast if you wish to gather evidence from there. It is about eight miles to the east, in the Dippelmere Swamp. There is a trail you can take. Do you have questions for me? Once we are done here, I can take you to meet the Beast."
Okay, so Lunette's Aegis prevents 8 damage on Setare (making her undamaged and so not Fatigued), and then an additional 13 damage on EL YAMA (who takes 14 damage and is Fatigued). EL YAMA makes the Fly DC 15 on a 1 even if Fatigued? Can you double-check that? The bonus appears to be listed as +11 on your sheet, though I could be misinterpreting. Still not a very high DC in any case.
Yes, I do see that. Unfortunately the effect that is presently controlling them does not allow a save.
It's a game mechanic that the scenario uses for the Sages.
Sinuhotep resists the effect of Sihir's spell. Sihir is not in the area of the Sirocco so does not need to worry about it.
Katswiri calls on the power of Vildeis to resist the Sirocco. Saya calls upon the power of the elemental lords to protect Eskar. I will assume that Lunette uses her Aegis to protect Setare, and EL YAMA as much as possible (need a save). As a result of the various protections, none of the PCs are Fatigued (this round). Sihir, Lunette, and EL YAMA are up.
That's a lot of discussion that you want to happen.
The apparently lead guard looks you up and down.
The other guard looks at him.
The Sergeant looks back at his subordinate.
You pass by more guards inside as you make your way to the Defense Chamber.
Barrister Gustav Kaple (seen here) is seated at the desk, poring over notes. The other chair faces him, and is where a client would sit.
"Yes? May... May I help you?" As he starts to stutter, he pauses, takes a breath, exhales, and speaks slowly.
Saya and Lunette have Resist Fire 30 as Katswiri noted. So neither will take any damage from the Sirocco, and therefore neither will be Fatigued, but they need to save anyway to avoid being knocked prone by the wind. The Elemental Aegis can protect allies within 30'. If you wish to use it to protect Setare or Eskar, you can. (Lunette is too far from Eskar to protect him, but she can cover Setare and Saya can cover Eskar). How many goals completed do Saya and Lunette have? Absorbing 8 damage from Setare will prevent her from being Fatigued.
A very useful ability to have here.
She can enter a mindscape when prone. The mindscapes for Sinuhotep and Tahonikepsu are still open.
Setare strikes the Graveknight.
The ghost casts a spell - Sirocco. Furnace-hot wind blasts downwards, inflicting fire damage to everybody in the area and knocking them prone.
This is not an instantaneous effect - the air keeps blasting down in the marked area.
As it is a Fortitude save spell that does not affect objects, the Graveknight (Ermias Dalla) is immune, as is Sinuhotep. Remember: Good PCs have -2 to all saves from being Sickened by the Well of Evil; those within 10' of the Graveknight (just Setare at present) have an additional -2 from Aura of Despair. "Serve your master, Sages!" she commands. "Never," says Sinuhotep. "Are you mad? I -" and then his sage jewel pulses with energy. "Yes, mistress." The Huge time dragon turns her head and says 'Yes, mistress." Round 1
You are fatigued if you take any fire damage from the Sirocco, whether you pass or fail the Fort save. If you have some fire resistance that reduces the damage to zero, you are not fatigued.
Khellek's chronicle is updated for Slow Track Edit: in reporting it, I get tons of "Prestige Does Not Count" errors, generally stating that most of you have already played this scenario. But I think the reporting system has never quite figured out that Core Campaign is separate. So just keep the PDFs and you are good.
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