And Then a Skeleton Popped Out: subSPUF Carrion Crown

Game Master Rynjin

The priests definitely ping as evil.

One of them stands up and faces you...and politely smiles and bows.

"I'm sorry but you can't be back here right now. Please leave."

How evil?

" I beg to differ, your citizens have been suffering as of late and you all have not been doing much about it. I suppose you should have masked your cult of Dagon better "

Darius gripped Grimoire tightly as the Mithral bladed whip dangled at his side. He readied to whip an insolate whelp in the face if he panicked/ reacted in a surprised/agressive fashion.

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 20 ⇒ (8) + 20 = 28

What did the Whip say to the face?: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (20) + 14 = 34
Whap!: 1d3 + 11 ⇒ (2) + 11 = 13

Assuming you continue Detect Evil rather than Ready, they have Auras of Strong evil.

The happy facade drops off the priest's face as first Jones, then Darius mention Dagon. The rest stand and prepare to fight.

It was a DC 35 so Jones would need to tell you.

Ahhh My apologies I assumed it was 20 or perhaps 25 as seeing it would likely tip off what it actually was. I would still ready if nothing happened after whatever time, Darius isnt stupid. The point being to Y'know catch them while they werent prepared.

I'm assuming Jones did. That's not the kind of thing you don't tell people about.

Sledge will calmly kill the high priest when they stand up to fight.

Pummeling Charge
1d20 + 12 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 12 + 2 = 18
1d8 + 24 ⇒ (1) + 24 = 25

1d20 + 12 + 2 ⇒ (16) + 12 + 2 = 30
1d8 + 21 ⇒ (1) + 21 = 22

1d20 + 7 + 2 ⇒ (20) + 7 + 2 = 29
1d8 + 21 ⇒ (2) + 21 = 23

Confrimered?: 1d20 + 7 + 2 ⇒ (20) + 7 + 2 = 29
1d8 + 20 ⇒ (7) + 20 = 27

Sledge has no intention of letting them get off a spell.

Allow me first?

Great balls of Fire DC22: 10d6 + 10 ⇒ (6, 4, 1, 4, 6, 5, 5, 6, 5, 4) + 10 = 56

Le Burn: 1d4 ⇒ 1

I would tend to imagine the scene would play out as Jones tells us this is a Dagon cult. Darius confirms and gives the go ahead for much justice. Sledge knows to hang back due to Z's propensity to explode things and charges the most healthy looking survivor?

-Posted with Wayfinder

Six seconds ago:
While the priests are still praying, Jones turns to his allies and silently mouths the word "Dagon" while placing a hand on his rapier.

Present:
"Ah, I see we're not bothering with subtlety..."

Once Zin has had her fun, Jones studies and attacks whichever cultist looks the most threatening.

1d20 + 18 ⇒ (17) + 18 = 35
1d6 + 11 ⇒ (6) + 11 = 17

3d20 ⇒ (18, 5, 1) = 24

The first priest manages to shield himself from the brunt of the explosion, but his brethren aren't so lucky. They fall unconscious, and Darius' Whip makes him meet the same fate.

"Stabilize them."

Sledge will strip them of their holy symbols and securely tie them up, including interlacing ropes through their fingers so there is no chance of any gestures and gagging them.

There's basically no way they can escape any knot Sledge ties.

"You mean stabilize one of them?"

-Posted with Wayfinder

Unconscious, not dead.

Well they will burn a bit

" I now understand why all this is happening and why we felt the need to come here. This cult must be dealt with, no doubt Zin's explosion set off the rest of the church we should prepare thusly. Our main goal being to find the Cult leader and get information out of them. "

Darius casts Shield of Faith at that.

" Because I have a sickening pit in my stomach to how all those people 'disappeared' "

Low is bad: 1d100 ⇒ 62

Nothing happens for one round after you kill the other cultists.

Cultists have anything of use on them? Also anything else in this room of import?

You are still in Initiative mode, so I'd need a Move for Perception to search for anything. As for the cultists, nothing of pressing interest. Masterwork gear, gold Unholy Symbols of Dagon, and Amulets of Natural Armor.

Amulets of Natural Armor.

Hello~

Darius looks around and listens for any sounds that might be pressing.

Perception: 1d20 + 21 ⇒ (3) + 21 = 24

Sledge will do the same.

1d20 + 22 ⇒ (16) + 22 = 38

Sledge notices that the entire back wall is a huge secret door.

"That back wall is a big secret door."

"Get ready for something to bust through it, just in case."

Is there any commotion outside?

Jones drinks Shield and looks for anything else of interest.

Perc: 1d20 + 22 + 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 22 + (5) + 2 = 41

" If not we could at least use it as a method of infiltrating the church, likely something they dont want seen on the other side. "

Nothing else of interest can be seen.

On the second round, four more priests come up from behind you.

"Kill the heretics! Avenge our brothers!"

4d20 ⇒ (15, 3, 19, 17) = 54

4d20 ⇒ (4, 9, 19, 14) = 46

The first cultist begins waving his hand and chanting.

Darius.

How close are they

The closest is 25, they're arrayed in a square so cultist 3 would be 35 away, behind cultist 2.

I'm going to put up a map soon.

How convenient right outside my full attack range, I wasnt sure how deep in the room we were nor if we heard them in advance. Inform me when the map is made

You're by the statue, they're at the entrance of the room, that's how it's laid out.

Edit: Forgot to account for your Reach when attacking Cultist 1 earlier. In that case, you're 15 feet from Cultists 1 and 2, and 25 from 3 and 4. Map's up.

Darius smirks calling on the might of Sarenrae to smite these Blasphemers, " I will suffer no names from true Heretics. "

His whip flares out at Cultist 2 trying to disable the enemy such that sledge could reach their back line. " Z get behind me and the rest. We wont need your balls of fire for this one. "

Powerful Bane Whip: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (13) + 16 = 29
Powerful Bane Whip Damage: 1d3 + 13 + 4d6 ⇒ (2) + 13 + (5, 6, 3, 5) = 34

Secondary Powerful Bane Whip: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (2) + 11 = 13
Powerful Bane Whip Damage: 1d3 + 13 + 4d6 ⇒ (2) + 13 + (6, 4, 2, 3) = 30

5ft and Give 2 the Whipping like the heretik he is.. Too bad I dont have a Bolter

Bane hooooo! Too bad you rolled so poorly on the iterative.

Cultist 2 shrieks in pain as the whip burns his very soul!

"Scion! Help us!" he calls.

Low bad: 1d100 ⇒ 9

1d20 ⇒ 8

But nothing happens.

Can anyone See Invisible right now? You don't see anything now, but it may be relevant soon.

Cultist 4 points his finger at Darius and imperiously commands him.

"Fall."

DC 18 Will vs mind affecting or fall prone.

Sledge.

I know, sadpanda. Darius had See Invis from before entering the Chapel.

Will Save: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (17) + 14 = 31 +2 vs Enchantment

" You do not command me, Whelp "

Darius can see invis, Sledge and Jones automatically make the DC 20 perception to sense them.

Sledge breaks cultist three (the chanting one) in half.

1d20 + 12 + 2 ⇒ (13) + 12 + 2 = 27
1d8 + 24 ⇒ (2) + 24 = 26

1d20 + 12 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 12 + 2 = 15
1d8 + 21 ⇒ (5) + 21 = 26

1d20 + 7 + 2 ⇒ (14) + 7 + 2 = 23
1d8 + 21 ⇒ (4) + 21 = 25

That DC 20 I believe is without them stealthing which is effectively if you had no ranks and walked around without the skill. I could be wrong though

I believe Darius is correct, the DC to sense invisible is 20+stealth score.

-Posted with Wayfinder

That's not precisely RAW but that's usually how I run it. Regardless, it wouldn't be relevant in this instance even if it was the flat 20.

Sledge has no charge lane to Cultist 3. Assuming he charges Cultist 2 as the undamaged one.

Sledge does his best to snap Cultist 2, but the priest stays standing. Barely. For all intents and purposes, Cultist 2 is out of the fight, able to do little more than try to slowly stagger away and groan in pain.

He is Disabled; They have exactly 51 HP.

Zin.

Blast the casty!

Scorching Ray: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (6) + 9 = 15
Damage: 4d6 + 4 ⇒ (2, 1, 1, 5) + 4 = 13

Scorching Ray: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (18) + 9 = 27
Damage: 4d6 + 4 ⇒ (3, 6, 4, 1) + 4 = 18

-Posted with Wayfinder

Concentration: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (4) + 10 = 14

The priest stumbles, off balance, and loses the spell.

Darius sees an invisible sensor wink into existence and take in the current situation.

Cultist 2 seemingly does nothing, though he looks ready to act. Cultist 1 points at Zin.

"Come to me."

DC 18 Will, mind-affecting or spend your next turn doing nothing but moving to him.

Jones moves up to Cultist 2 and tries to put him out of the fight with a good old Studystab.

1d20 + 20 ⇒ (12) + 20 = 32
1d6 + 11 ⇒ (1) + 11 = 12

Jones gives him a right proper shanking, what-ho. The cultist falls.

Spiffing!

Wait Information is getting wonky here. Darius Whipped 2 who was the Bottom one, he didnt drop him. Sledge either had to Charge Cultists 1 or ALSO had went for 2. Zin then did fire to Cultist 3 so Jones should have.. I dunno stabbed another guy, Full attacked?

Darius glows with another aura augmenting his accuracy, he steps forward to place Cultist three and then 4 if he dropped 3 his Lupine form giving him a feral bite and claw which he lays into the adjacent Cultist.

Powerful Justice Bane Whip: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (5) + 18 = 23
Powerful Bane Whip Damage: 1d3 + 13 + 4d6 ⇒ (3) + 13 + (1, 1, 4, 4) = 26

Powerful Justice Bane Whip: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (13) + 13 = 26
Powerful Bane Whip Damage: 1d3 + 13 + 4d6 ⇒ (3) + 13 + (1, 2, 1, 5) = 25

Powerful Justice Feral Bite: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (15) + 9 = 24
Powerful Feral Bite Damage: 1d8 + 5 ⇒ (8) + 5 = 13

Powerful Justice Feral Claw: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (9) + 9 = 18
Powerful Feral Claw Damage: 1d6 + 5 ⇒ (5) + 5 = 10

If Cover be an issue he does the Bite and claws first to try and end the adjacent guy then whips out. Oh and Obvious Judgement of Justice

Darius calls out " We are being watched, dont show anything you want to be hidden! " Pointing to the sensor.

My bad, I got them mixed. As it stands, C2 is down, C1 is Disabled. C2 cast Command, not C1.

Darius destroys C3's ferbke attempts to stay alive, and gnaws on C4 for good measure.

Kaboom. Sledge and Zin?

Sledge finishes off C4.

1d20 + 12 + 2 ⇒ (19) + 12 + 2 = 33
1d8 + 24 ⇒ (2) + 24 = 26

1d20 + 12 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 12 + 2 = 16
1d8 + 21 ⇒ (6) + 21 = 27

1d20 + 7 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 7 + 2 = 13
1d8 + 21 ⇒ (2) + 21 = 23

My god, the Dice gods have forsaken you

Will: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (8) + 10 = 18

"Ummm. No?"

Ray: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (7) + 9 = 16
Damage: 4d6 + 4 ⇒ (4, 1, 3, 1) + 4 = 13

Ray: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (1) + 9 = 10
Damage: 4d6 + 4 ⇒ (5, 5, 5, 3) + 4 = 22

-Posted with Wayfinder

Sledge flails and flails, but isn't quite able to bring him down.

1d20 ⇒ 18

Zin, however, silences him for good.

Immediately afterwards, a door to the right bursts open and a man dressed in blue-green robes floats out, carried on a wave of mobile water, a twisted, almost coral-like mace in hand. He swirls with divine power.

"Stand my brothers, aid me in-!" he begins, before noticing the eight downed priests, five of them charred and blackened.

"...B&*+@%~s."

"Well then. I suppose I'll have to handle this myself." he mutters.

"Cease your struggles and stay where you are." he intones, imposing his will on your mind.

DC 21 Will vs mind-affecting compulsion for EVERYONE or take no actions. If you fail, you get another save every round.

Immediately after that, another creature appears from nowhere, blinking into existence atop the statue. It's crab-like, with a tentacled face..

Kn. Dungeoneering applies.

It speaks.

"Leave this place at once. I will allow no harm to come to this site."

Will Save: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (11) + 14 = 25 +2 Vs Enchantment

Darius' Will is strong as he tries to Identify the creature

Know Dungeoneering Monster Lore: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (8) + 15 = 23

" Do not try to place your control on me when you consort with such vile creatures and hide your worship! "

This is a Chuul, an amphibious lobster-like Aberration.

They primarily fight with their powerful pincer grips, but are primarily dangerous because of their paralytic tentacles.

This particular Chuul seems...enhanced somehow as a guardian of this temple.

Will: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (18) + 14 = 32

"I think not."

Kn. Dungeon: 1d20 + 12 + 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (13) + 12 + (2) + 2 = 29
Anything I know that Darius doesn't?

Im gunna go out on a limb and say that as with most tentacled creatures, its not friendly or Good.. actually likely very evil. That floating senor still there?

" A Chuul? An overgrown Lobster to be sure, Don't let the beast kiss you or you won't be moving. Its a bit clingy as well, and if I didnt know better a Guardian in more than one way. "

Jones knows nothing extra about its capabilities (Darius knows all those of a normal Chuul), but he does get an extra tidbit: While they're unable to use most items (humanoid implements aren't generally pincer friendly), they enjoy taking trophies from their kills, particularly lizardfolk (their meat tastes uncommonly good to the creatures, and are favored prey), so they take victims’ equipment back to their lairs. If a victim should happen to own no interesting items, a chuul will take its skull or other symbol of the kill instead.

It's Jones' turn BTW. The Chuul is 10 feet up, on top of the statue.