As I failed the nature check, I did not read the spoiler. However, based on the description of a woman 'overgrown with moss and fungus', I made a guess. If you want to rule that it was a normal arrow, I won't argue. I will assume Barbo shares what he knows.
The monk sees the effect the female has on his peers and determines she is an immediate threat. He continues to fire arrows, with the speed of his arms magically and spiritually enhanced.
Has it been 6 minutes since we entered the ruins? Not that many combat rounds have passed but I wasn't sure how long the investigating took. If it's been less, everyone gets +2 to their rolls from Good Hope]
I think it probably took 10 minutes or more to explore the upper level, so good hope will have expired.
Bo Goh Twang wrote:
As I failed the nature check, I did not read the spoiler. However, based on the description of a woman 'overgrown with moss and fungus', I made a guess. If you want to rule that it was a normal arrow, I won't argue. I will assume Barbo shares what he knows.
You make a fair point about the cold iron arrows, and I rescind my earlier decision. It actually wouldn't have mattered at this point, with the amount of damage you ultimately did. Bo just made a pincushion out of the lampad.
Bo launches a barrage of cold-iron arrows at the fey. The first takes her in the throat, but before she can react the second goes into her chest, the third goes into her stomach, and the fourth sticks in her eye, ending her existence.
The fungal mounds shudder, and give out something like a sickly exhale, before each sends three razor conks flying through the air. These psychepores seem to be working in coordination, because one of the sharp, toadstool like projectiles flies towards each member of the party, though only Uzziah and Willem are struck.
Wisdom damage from poison, Uzziah:1d3 ⇒ 2 Wisdom damage from poison, Willem:1d3 ⇒ 3
Summary:
Surprise Round Bo (hit), Maxime (detect evil), Lampad (wept)
Round One Willem (confused), Barbo (haste), Bo (up), Maxime (missed), Psychepores (not yet up), Πολυμάθεια (confused), Glorne (confused), Uzziah (not yet up)
Round One Willem (confused), Barbo (haste), Bo (up), Maxime (missed), Psychepores (not yet up), Πολυμάθεια (confused), Glorne (confused), Uzziah (not yet up)
Lampad- dead
Uzziah and Willem both take 9 points of damage, and each of them needs to make a DC 18 Fortitude save against poison, or take 2 and 3 points of Wisdom damage respectively and be confused for one round as their minds are filled with visions of alien intent.
Glorne, Uzziah, Willem, Barbo, Bo, and Maxime may act, though Glorne is confused for this round.
Barbo frowns. "Pitiful creatures, no brains to enjoy the finer things in life." He grabs a flask of acid from his bag and pours it out onto the floor. As he does so, he moves his left hand and whispers an incantation. With it the new magic, he catches the acid and tosses it at the same mound Uzziah targeted.
Using reagents twice here. One flask is consumed, to add another round to the spell. (The acid will burn it again next round.) The other flask is passive, adding an extra damage.
Willem's mind fills with strange images and thoughts, none of which can he get a grasp of. The moment his mind grabs one, it slips away. Then he sees the mounds of fungus still spewing their spores and goes to cut one down.
With the lampad dealt with, the Pathfinders proceed to assault the fungal psychepores, launching missiles of force and acid, and bringing the blade. Bo fires another barrage of arrows, though the one arrow that hits seems to barely overcome the creature's defenses.
Then the semi-intelligent plants make their move again. They try to slam their massive bodies into Maxime and Willem.
Surprise Round Bo (hit), Maxime (detect evil), Lampad (wept)
[i]Round One Willem (confused), Barbo (haste), Bo (up), Maxime (missed), Psychepores (threw conks), Πολυμάθεια (confused), Glorne (confused), Uzziah (magic missile)[i]
Round One [i]Willem (confused), Barbo (acid splash), Bo (), Maxime (moved), Psychepores (not yet up),[i] Πολυμάθεια (up), Glorne (up), Uzziah (up)
Round Two Willem (up), Barbo (up), Bo (up), Maxime (up), Psychepores (not yet up), Πολυμάθεια (not yet up), Glorne (confused), Uzziah (not yet up)
Lampad- dead
Blue- 29 damage
Willem takes 15 points of damage and needs to make a DC 18 Fortitude save against poison or have the duration extended by another 3 rounds. If he fails that save, he has to make another DC 20 Fortitude save or add yet another 3 rounds to the poison duration. He then needs to make a third save for the poison currently running through his veins, the DC of which is dependent on whether or not he makes the other two saves. It could be 18, 20, or 22, as the duration and DC to save against the poison increases with multiple applications. If he fails this last save, he takes 3 more points of Wisdom damage. As of right now, he is poisoned for 5 more rounds or until he makes 2 consecutive saves.
Maxime takes 11 points of damage, and needs to make a DC 18 Fortitude save or take 3 points of Wisdom damage.
Glorne, Uzziah, Willem, Barbo, Bo, and Maxime may act.
Also, I forgot, but Willem and Maxime need to make a DC 15 Fortitude save for moving into the yellow mold.
GM Rolls:
Willem:1d3 ⇒ 1
Maxime:1d3 ⇒ 2
As the warriors move onto the bed of yellow fungus to engage the psychepores, a cloud of musty spores fills the air with a slight hiss, causing both Maxime and Willem to hack and cough.
Failure on the Fort save means Willem takes 1 point of Constitution damage, or Maxime 2 points of the same.
Using reagents twice here. One flask is consumed, to add another round to the spell. (The acid will burn it again next round.) The other flask is passive, adding an extra damage.
The yellow mold spores are a poison, not a disease. As far as the psychepores go, acid seems to be affecting them normally.
Botting Willem.
Though Willem seems to be shrugging off the worst of the psycheporic poison, the yellow mold spores he just breathed in are causing him serious respiratory distress. Despite his hacking and coughing, he manages to bring his longsword down twice on the psychepore in front of him, cutting off large chunks of fungal matter. He then steps back out of the mustard colored cloud of spores, though the psychepore follows him closely.
Maxime follows suit, hacking and slashing at the fungal mound in front of her, and Bo sticks one of them with another pair of arrows. Meanwhile the psychepores retaliate on Willem and Maxime again, slamming Maxime twice and Willem once.
GM Rolls:
Willem, Fortitude save vs. new poison:1d20 + 5 ⇒ (20) + 5 = 25
Willem, Fortitude save vs. old poison:1d20 + 5 ⇒ (18) + 5 = 23
Willem, Fortitude save vs. yellow mold:1d20 + 5 ⇒ (6) + 5 = 11
Surprise Round Bo (hit), Maxime (detect evil), Lampad (wept)
Round One Willem (confused), Barbo (haste), Bo (downed lampad), Maxime (missed), Psychepores (threw conks), Πολυμάθεια (confused), Glorne (confused), Uzziah (magic missile)[i]
[i]Round One Willem (confused), Barbo (acid splash), Bo (full attacked), Maxime (moved), Psychepores (full attacked), Πολυμάθεια (confused), Glorne (missed), Uzziah (no action)[i]
Round Two [i]Willem (hit twice), Barbo (missed, old acid went off), Bo (two hits), Maxime (three hits), Psychepores (two hits on Maxime, one on Willem), Πολυμάθεια (up), Glorne (up), Uzziah (up)
Round Three Willem (up), Barbo (up), Bo (up), Maxime (up), Psychepores (not yet up), Πολυμάθεια (not yet up), Glorne (confused), Uzziah (not yet up)
Lampad- dead
Blue- 70 damage
Yellow- 42 damage
Willem takes 6 points of damage, and 1 point of Constitution damage. He made one save against the psychepore poison, but he needs to make another DC 18 Fortitude save against the existing poison next round to completely cure it. He also needs to make a new DC 18 Fortitude save against this round's poison (which should be made first, as it could affect the DC of the previous rounds poison as noted in my last update).
Maxime takes 22 points of damage, and she needs to make two more DC 18 Fortitude saves against psychepore poison. She also needs to make another DC 15 Fortitude save since she is still in the yellow mold.
Πολυμάθεια, Glorne, Uzziah, Willem, Barbo, Bo, and Maxime may act.
Barbo moves closer, to get a better view. Bloody columns, always in my way! He then draws another flask of acid from his materials pouch, creates a ball of acid and tosses it at the beast.
Using reagents twice here. One flask is consumed, to add another round to the spell. (The acid will burn it again next round.) The other flask is passive, adding an extra damage.
Wow.. out for a day and I'm dying... got to get caught up.. let's see..
Fort Save New Poison:1d20 + 5 ⇒ (17) + 5 = 22 Fort Save Continuing Poison:1d20 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 5 = 12
Damage Taken 32, 3 Wisdom, 1 Constitution
Willem coughs and sputters the strange poison begins to over take him. He pushes on however, determined to finish the fight. He musters all the strength he can and swings at the plant creature.
You don't need cold iron for the psychepores, but they do have DR 5/slashing.
Glorne and Bo pummel the creature in front of Maxime with their ranged offensive, and she finishes the fungal monstrosity of with a series of hacking blows. The psychepore lurches over and collapses to the floor with a groan.
Meanwhile, Willem continues his assault on the other one, which is hurt badly but still standing, and the creature responds in kind by slamming back at him with a series of crushing blows.
Surprise Round Bo (hit), Maxime (detect evil), Lampad (wept)
Round One Willem (confused), Barbo (haste), Bo (downed lampad), Maxime (missed), Psychepores (threw conks), Πολυμάθεια (confused), Glorne (confused), Uzziah (magic missile)[i]
[i]Round One Willem (confused), Barbo (acid splash), Bo (full attacked), Maxime (moved), Psychepores (full attacked), Πολυμάθεια (confused), Glorne (missed), Uzziah (no action)[i]
Round Two [i]Willem (hit twice), Barbo (missed, old acid went off), Bo (two hits), Maxime (three hits), Psychepores (two hits on Maxime, one on Willem), Πολυμάθεια (cast aid), Glorne (hit with blast), Uzziah (readied wand)
Round Three Willem (full attacked), Barbo (acid splash missed), Bo (full attacked), Maxime (full attacked), Psychepores (not yet up), Πολυμάθεια (up), Glorne (up), Uzziah (up)
Round Four Willem (up), Barbo (up), Bo (up), Maxime (up), Psychepores (not yet up), Πολυμάθεια (not yet up), Glorne (confused), Uzziah (not yet up)
Lampad- dead
Blue- 77 damage
Yellow- 88 damage; dead
Willem takes another 21 points of damage, and needs to make two new saves against the poison (which might increase the DC and duration) and then another against the old poison.
I made a mistake on the psychepores as well, they should have been exposing you guys to poison as well when they are hit by slashing or piercing weapons, but I also neglected to make one of the adjustments to the creatures for higher subtier with 4 PCs for the first few rounds, so I think it generally evens out.
Maxime does need to make a couple more saves against the yellow mold, Fortitude DC 15, as she stayed in the area for 2 more rounds.
Πολυμάθεια, Glorne, Uzziah, Willem, Barbo, Bo, and Maxime may act.
Glorne moves 10' then raises his right hand once more and the cool, pale around around him flares to once more and a beam of pure cold springs forth once more...
Did we make a check to figure out the bit about slashing and piercing? If so, switching to blunt arrows. If not, well, I guess I will keep pluggin' away
If Glorne killed it:
The archer scans the area with Detect Magic
Perception:1d20 + 25 ⇒ (16) + 25 = 41
Your ranged attacks ignore the AC bonus granted to targets by anything less than total cover, and the miss chance granted to targets by anything less than total concealment. Total cover and total concealment provide their normal benefits against your ranged attacks.
Using reagents twice here. One flask is consumed, to add another round to the spell. (The acid will burn it again next round.) The other flask is passive, adding an extra damage.
Actually the psychepore's creature type is plant, not ooze, so the critical did actually go through.
Glorne focuses a storm of elemental energy and blasts the remaining psychepore, riming the fungal mound with frost, flash-freezing it. Cracks form, and then the entire creature shatters like glass. Another threat is neutralized.
Willem still needs to make a bunch of saves against poison if no one can neutralize it. With the failures on the new saves, the DC is now 22 and it lasts for 12 rounds total. You have gone through I believe 4 rounds so far, so there are 8 remaining. Keep in mind if you are damaged by the poison you must also make a DC 18 Will save or be confused for the round, so there is a chance you attack your allies or self during this period.
Knowledge (nature) DC 22:
You are able to identify the various species of fungus located throughout the chamber. Taldan toadstools, cockatrice-of-the-woods, Chelaxian chanterelles, and many other more strange varieties can be found here. Many of the fungi seem to be hybrids of multiple different species, as if someone was experimenting here.
On the lichen covered pedestal rests a journal and a small metal coffer. The journal belonged to a Taldan man who once held this keep by the name of Lysius Corcina. Within the coffer are a ring, a small amulet, and two small vials labeled "sporedream poison." The ring appears like it once held 9 small gems in the band, but all but one are empty: the remaining slot still contains a garnet.
detect magic and Spellcraft DC 24 on the ring:
This is a ring of delayed doom.
detect magic and Spellcraft DC 19 on the amulet:
This is a periapt of health.
Craft (alchemy) or Wisdom DC 20 on the poison:
Sporedream Poison:—injury; save Fort DC 16; frequency 1/round for 6 rounds; effect 1 Wis and confused for 1 round; cure 1 save
The journal is mostly concerned with Corcina's experiments here with the plants and fungi. He transformed the chamber into a subterranean garden of moss and fungal species. He experimented with cross breeding Taldan and local varieties for both medicinal and recreational purposes. His trials yielded several interesting findings, including a temporary remedy for an illness similar to the one that now plagues Berislav Surtova’s home. One practiced in the medicinal arts could probably use the notes to make this remedy.
Heal DC 22:
You are certain that you could concoct a remedy to the plague with the materials here, though it would take a few hours.
Once he does, Glorne uses his Kinetic Healer ability to help heal Whillem...
Kinetic Healer(sp): With a touch, you can heal a willing living creature of an amount of damage equal to your kinetic blast‘s damage. Instead of paying the burn cost yourself, you can cause the recipient to take 1 point of burn. If you do so, the recipient takes 1 point of nonlethal damage per Hit Die he possesses, as usual for burn; This damage can’t be healed by any means until the recipient takes a full night’s rest.
NOTE: each point of Burn=5 non-lethal that cannot be healed without a full night's rest. I am currently at 3 burn. I can take a total of 7 a day (ie. 35 non-lethal.)
Two Questions: (1) to GM: Glorne wears a cloak of resistance(+2), can he loan it to Whillem while he runs his saves? (2) to everyone else: Does anyone have anything else they can do to boost his saves or cure the Wis damage? Guidance, Lesser Restoration potions, etc.
Barbo picks up both magic items. "This one would delay your poison, but destroy the artifact. This one would make you immune to diseases. Also, not helpful." The man frowns. "Are you feeling any better?"
Two Questions: (1) to GM: Glorne wears a cloak of resistance(+2), can he loan it to Whillem while he runs his saves? (2) to everyone else: Does anyone have anything else they can do to boost his saves or cure the Wis damage? Guidance, Lesser Restoration potions, etc.
Yes, I don't see why he couldn't let him wear that. Guidance also would help. It looks like any way you cut it though, Ser Willem is cured of the poison at this point. He did take some ability score damage, though, and he is still pretty hurt. Does anyone want to heal him up before moving on to the next area?
Sorry, I was just going by what Willem said his HP was. By my math his is fully healed in terms of hit points. Moving on.
The fungal threat dealt with, the Pathfinders continue to explore the underneath. A long hallway leads from west to south and contains several stone statues along the walls. These statues depicts one-eyed figures in various poses, with inscriptions in a strange language on the base.
Knowledge (history) DC 22:
The statues are ancient, and clearly cyclopean in origin. They seem to depict heroic figures among the cyclopes.
Iobarian or Linguistics DC 22:
The script engraved into the base of the statues is Iobarian, and the words tell the names and deeds of each hero.
Continuing onward, the adventurers begin to hear the distant rush of water, growing nearer as they go. Soon they come into a cavern, and discover the source. Clear spring water rushes down from a raised opening in the western wall and spills into the pool ten feet below. Lit sconces flicker along the cavern's walls, offering ample illumination throughout the chamber. Painted on the rough-hewn ceiling, thirty feet above, is the image of a resplendent red dragon encircled with flourishing script and arcane symbols.
Iobarian or DC 22 Linguistics:
The inscription reads: "When the two pretenders' heads tear at one another, their blood shall ingite the fires of the Second Dragon's return."
However, the most notable feature of the room is the nine feet tall feminine figure with red scales, dragon wings, and a single eye standing atop the waterfall between two braziers of fire encased with skulls. Her clawed hands reach up to the painting above as if in reverence to the icon. A pair of human women dressed in shabby rags with dirty bandages covering a single eye flank her on either side at the bottom of the waterfall. They seem to be intoxicated, or in some sort of trance, and they are gently swaying and murmuring nearly inaudibly. Both women are reminiscent of the doomsayer you saw back in Zmekya. In fact, its fairly sure that one of them is the very same woman.
Picture in slides.
Knowledge (local) DC 20:
This creature is clearly a cyclops.
Many thousands of years ago, the solemn cyclopes ruled vast kingdoms, yet today their glories are long forgotten. What few cyclopes survive seldom aspire higher than protecting their lairs and seeking out their next meals. This latter task occupies a great deal of their focus, for the monstrous appetites and vacuous hunger of the cyclopes control the race’s destiny and may have led to their original downfall so long ago.
The average cyclops stands 9 feet tall and weighs 600 pounds. Both males and females are almost completely bald, with stringy patches of dark hair occasionally hanging down from above the ears. A bushy, expressive brow couples with a cyclops’s massive eye to make the creature’s attitude easily known.
Cyclopean history is a vanishing thing inscribed on the crumbling walls of vine-choked lost cities that fell long before even the rise of the elves, when dragons and giants ruled a landscape unspoiled by the petty ephemeral races that rule today. Because things have fallen so far, a given cyclops is less likely to know the near-mythic triumphs of lost ages than even a semi-educated human.
Ancient records, the oral traditions of other giantish races, and the scattered accounts of tribal natives of the southern jungles speak of much larger, more primal “great cyclopes,” imposing titans with shaggy legs and a massive horn above an inquisitive eye. These creatures are thought to have been either the leaders or the war beasts of the ancient race, and modern cyclopes honor them as elusive, destructive living gods.
Their most notable feature is their flash of insight ability. Once per day as an immediate action, a cyclops can peer into an occluded visual spectrum of possible futures, gaining insight that allows it to select the exact result of one die roll before the roll is made. This effect can alter an action taken by the cyclops only, and cannot be applied to the rolls of others.
Knowledge (arcana) DC 17:
Whatever else this creature may be, it is clearly half-dragon, and is thus immune to sleep, paralysis, and, judging from the color of her scales, fire damage.
Knowledge (arcana) DC 22:
Half-dragons have darkvision, low-light vision, and a breath weapon based on their dragon type.
As the Pathfinders enter the chamber, the one-eyed giant lowers her gaze to regard them, and addresses them:
"You come uninvited and trespass on the sacred grounds of the Firespeakers. Petty lordlings claim this land as theirs, yet it is none but the Dragon who shall inherit the land and rule as its rightful leader. The anger of these upstarts only fuels the fire of the Dragon’s second coming, and we shall continue to stoke that blaze among them until his return. As for you pitiful intruders, you shall make fine offerings, indeed. Count yourself blessed; not everyone receives such an honor."
F human (taldan) Paladin (Sacred Servant) 9 | AC 28 T 11 FF 22 | HP 79/79| F +14 R +10 W +11 | Init +1, Perc +12, SM +5 | Smite : 2/2
I am Maxime Chanteclerc de Hénin, Marquise of Beauregard and follower of Iomedae. You claim this place as your temple, but Iomedae's light will shine on this place.
I will give you only one chance to surrender to Her justice.
We will stop the infighting and bring peace and hope on these lands. The Dragon will not raise again.
Surrender, or Die.
She says as she points her sword toward the half dragon Cyclop.
