4-18 The Veteran's Vault [Tier 1-5] (Inactive)

Game Master Michael Hallet

According to my records, Kiddir was at -5, not -4 before healing.

M'boka tries to call out to Rillia in answer to her question, but the tentacles wrapped around his throat cut his words off. He manages to croak out a few words, but is unable to answer in full. "Dark monster... tentacles... choking... help!"

He pauses for a moment to consider his options. He could try to pry the creature off of him, hopefully saving his own skin, but the creature could easily defeat this attempt and continue its assault. On the other hand, he could attempt to strike at the beast. Perhaps even causing it enough harm to destroy it. In this way, he might even prevent further harm to his friends. This could be his only chance. He has to go for it.

Terbutje, Grappled: 1d20 + 4 - 2 ⇒ (8) + 4 - 2 = 10
Damage: 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4

Le sigh...

@GM: Yeah, that's my math too.
@M'boka, you can't attack with a 2-handed weapon when grappled, that would have to be an unarmed strike, which admittedly has the same results.

Don't forget the room full of diseased caltrops.

Oh, we talking about the encounter? Cake walk compared to this (several pages long, slightly sad, funny if you weren't living it). ;)

Sorry M'boka. I took a action to poke someone with a stick for to no apparent result.

"I think you gave me the wrong stick." Rilia says gravely.

Searlas grimaces. "Well... if all else fails, detect magic until you can see the source of the darkness, then shoot it. If the creature is carrying it, you'll kill it. If the creature isn't carrying it, you'll sunder it. Either way we're good..."

Searlas grimaces. "Well... if all else fails, detect magic...."

Rilia shoots Searlas an annoyed glare.

Thought you were supposed to be psychic? ;) You'd still have the 50% miss assuming it is at the center of the darkness plus you are firing into melee. The link above involves an archer character running into and firing his entire quiver in darkness.... with no darkvision.... no line of sight.... against derro.... with sneak attack.... and strength poison on their crossbow bolts.... So it could be worse.

Yep, but 50% miss chance is better than 100% miss chance for shooting the wrong square...

Finally able to get to a computer... Not sure if this is possible, but...

Ser Willem makes his way carefully through the darkness towards where he thinks M'Boka is and attempts to grab at whatever is attacking him.

Grapple Attempt: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (19) + 4 = 23
Miss Chance? High hits: 1d100 ⇒ 60

@M'boka, you can't attack with a 2-handed weapon when grappled, that would have to be an unarmed strike, which admittedly has the same results.

I'm using a regular terbutje, which is a one-handed martial weapon. You may be thinking of the great terbutje, which is a larger version of the same thing. The great terbutje is technically also a one-handed weapon, but requires exotic weapon training to use it as such, otherwise it's a two-handed martial weapon. Thanks for double checking me on that, though. Goodness knows I can't keep everything straight in this encounter. Haha

The darkmantle continues to try to crush M'boka...

Grapple: 1d20 + 5 + 5 - 2 ⇒ (17) + 5 + 5 - 2 = 25
Constrict: 1d4 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8

Despite Ser Willem's attempt to harry the creature, the warpriest makes a slight gurgle before losing consciousness.

I gave him the +5 for being in control of the grapple against M'boka, but -2 for being the defender in a grapple with Ser Willem.

The jinkin finishes casting his sleep spell, causing several of you to begin to fight slumber.

Katzu, Nona and Kiddir must make a DC 17 Will save to avoid falling asleep.

It then blasts Ser Willem before moving to hide again.

Magic Missile: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3
Stealth: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (3) + 18 = 21

Round 4/5 -- Everyone is up.

Kiddir (sleepy) -1/14 hp (stable), Rilia, Searlas, M'boka -4/13 hp (dying, stabilization check required), Nona (sleepy), Katzu (sleepy) 3/6 hp + 1 nonlethal (caltrop wound, diseased, poisoned 0/6, 1 Con damage, 1 Dex damage), Ser Willem 17/20 hp (grappled - controller)
Mifra, Xarmigash (-8 hp, grappled - defender)

Stabilize: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (16) + 1 = 17

Despite falling to the darkmantle's grasp, M'boka is able to cling to life, somehow feeling the call of his gods not to give up his fight in this world.

Will save: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (11) + 2 = 13

Will Save: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (9) + 4 = 13
Nona and Katzu slump the the floor, asleep.

If either Katzu or Nona would like to 'borrow' my Ghost Goblin Ale t-shirt, I'd be more than happy to let them have my reroll (sans GM star of course)...

"Crap... the only one of us who can actually see in the dark..."

Searlas walks up to Katzu and prods the eidolon awake. "Rise and shine, Katzu."

If Katzu rerolls and succeeds, apply that to Nona instead.

Forgot about re-rolls. I have a copy of the Character Folio, so no need to borrow someone else's.
Re-roll Katzu's save:
Will Save: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3
Hmmm. I guess the 11 Katzu rolled first was his allotment of rolls above 10. I think that's about six rolls with nothing above an 11 and 2 natural ones.

"No plan survives first contact with the enemy... Rilia, any chance you can wake up Nona? I think she can heal Katzu and fix his feet..."

"Ooohhh" - a muted groan of pain falls from Kiddir's lips.

I'm very impressed. The whole situation in general ))

I think I act before Katzu, so he should be able to stand up this turn, and at the very least take a total defense until we can get him healed a bit more.

Katzu stands and takes a defensive stance while he reorients and receives healing aid. As he does so, he describes what he sees in the area darkened by magic.

Willem feels something hit him in the darkness. He isn't sure if it was from whatever had a hold on M'Boka or something else, but he could feel his composure slipping. He continues to attempt to wrangle the creature he has a hold of, anger welling up inside him.

Grapple Crush: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (19) + 4 = 23
Damage?: 1d3 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5

Inspire Courage is still up.

Then that's a 24 Grapple check.. should have made Willem a grappler, geez..

Better actually... +5 for being in control of the grapple. You probably beat the DC by a factor of 2.

Still need an action from Rilia.

Rilia shakes the wand, pounds its base on her palm, shakes it a bout a bit and then puts it to her ear as if listening for something. She closes her eyes and points it at Kiddir again.

wand of clw v Kiddir: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 9

grapple: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (15) + 5 = 20
constrict: 1d4 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6

The darkmantle slips its tentacles around Ser Willem and begins to crush him.

magic missile: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2
stealth: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (6) + 18 = 24

The group hears the sound of casting from the back of the room. Something hits Ser Willem again.

Then people lose track of the jinkin once more.

Round 5/6 -- Everyone is up.

Kiddir 8/14 hp, Rilia, Searlas, M'boka -4/13 hp (stable), Nona (asleep), Katzu 3/6 hp + 1 nonlethal (caltrop wound, diseased, poisoned 0/6, 1 Con damage, 1 Dex damage), Ser Willem 9/20 hp (grappled - defender)
Mifra, Xarmigash (-13 hp, grappled - controller)

Kiddir opens his eyes. Nothing is changing on his face, it's simply no emotion when looking at the ceiling, he says in an even voice - "I will f+#$ing kill you, bastard". (free action)

GM, does my sword with me? Or I dropped it and it has remained somewhere there, in the dark?

You would have dropped it when you went down.

Feeling the thing squeeze him tighter, Willem fights back harder, attempting to turn the creatures tentacles on itself.

Grapple Reversal?: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (9) + 4 = 13

Attempting to Reverse so Willem is in control of the grapple.

M'boka remains sprawled across the debris-strewn floor, deep bruises beginning to blossom along his neck and chest where the creature had squeezed the breath from his lungs.

Katzu shakes Nona until she wakes up. Then he begins to move back into the darkness. He moves as fast as he can without stepping on any more sharp instruments. Is this safe speed 10 feet or is it half of Katzu's movement rate?

If anyone is able to heal him or remove the thing from his foot, he will delay his turn until after this. If no one helps him this turn, he will move anyway.

Nona stands, drawing her dagger. Then she casts Detect Magic, and begins to look for the source of the darkness at the center of the room. "I'm going in to see if I can find the thing the darkness is cast on, or feel around for it at least and move it." Once the spell is cast, she steps up to the edge of the darkness, being careful not to step on anything sharp.

Safe speed is 10 feet or half your speed, whichever is greater.

Ser Willem regains control of the grapple.

Nona begins detecting magic (obviously there is some, but she will have to wait for more relevant information). You've taken too many actions here, stand, draw a weapon, cast a spell. Unless you say otherwise, I will assume you haven't drawn your dagger yet.

Searlas pulls out a potion of cure light wounds and administers it to Katzu.

Healing: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6

"Go get 'em, tiger."

After the healing affects Katzu, he nods a curt thank you to Searlas and disappears into the darkness. He gets almost to the creature strangling M'Boka and Ser Willem, and looks for an opening for his claws and teeth, determined to do better than his last attempt.

Kiddir stands up and walks to his comrades. "Give me a weapon. Any. I'll go and kill this thing."

Rilia wordlessly draws and hands over her standard 1d6 damage, crit on a 18-20 rapier to Kiddir.

Searlas's eyes start twitching as he launches into a combination rant / tactical overview. Which likely takes more than 1 round for him to finish saying

"Kiddir, hold the line here. Make sure not a single Jinkin makes it past you alive. Ser and Katzu, tear that thing up and get Mboka out of there. Nona, once you've pinpointed the object let me know and we'll get the lights back on. Rilia, see if you can find the secret passage those Jinkin went through and close it. And you Jinkin bastards... I don't know if you can understand me, but we can do this all day... can you? I am willing to negotiate terms of your surrender... I'll write it in pictographs if need be..."

Claw 1: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (12) + 4 = 16
Damage Claw 1: 1d4 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3
Claw 2: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 4 = 20
Damage Claw 2: 1d4 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5
Bite: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (9) + 4 = 13
Damage Bite: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6

Katzu closed on the darkmantle and slapped his claws on either side of its leathery body. He flexed his muscles and the claws drove into its flesh and then he pulled in opposite directions, ripping huge chunks from the beast.
He tried to bite the thing for good measure, but could not penetrate the thick skin.

grapple: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (5) + 5 = 10

The darkmantle tries to regain his grip on Ser Willem, but fails to do so.

Katzu hops up on the table, where he sees the jinkin waiting on the other side. The jinkin slips under the table and out of sight again.

Nona detects the expected number (from your own spells/gear) of auras in the area plus 2.

Katzu then tears the darkmantle apart.

Eventually Nona can tell that the darkness is centered on a point on the big table in the center of the room. The second aura seems to have moved out of range.

The PCs are free to explore the rest of the vault after defeating Mifra and her pets. The hole underneath the central table is large enough for a Small creature to squeeze through, and it continues downward for hundreds of feet before opening into a larger cavern.

Sascha stashed her treasure trove beneath several of the flagstones in an unlocked cell, and the PCs can find it easily based on her directions. The trove contains a masterwork breastplate, a set of masterwork butterfly swords (Pathfinder RPG Ultimate Equipment 25), a pearl-studded silver brooch in the shape of a dove, two spelunking kits, two scrolls of mage armor, a scroll of grease, a ring of protection +1, a fine emerald, and a pouch of platinum pieces. In addition, the PCs find a tarnished, plain silver locket whose interior bears only the inscription “Ever Yours—EK.”

CONCLUSION
When the PCs leave the sewers and again meet with Canayven and Sascha, the former Pathfinder anxiously inquires about her locket. She gives her heartfelt thanks to the Pathfinders and the society and pledges her friendship to both. Sascha travels to Andoran the following day and uses some of her old connections there to start up a new, but low-profile weapons shop.

If Mifra survived the encounter, she swears vengeance and begins plotting her retaliation against the Pathfinders. Unfortunately, with most of her jinkin tribe scattered or slain, she has few resources to execute the ever more grandiose plans that she develops deep within Korvosa’s vaults. Eventually she forgets the slight against her and finds other things to occupy her evil, conniving mind.