Aubrey's Eberron campaign. (Inactive)

Game Master Aubrey the Malformed

Expended 18 charges;
Ez, Janosz, self at max.

The perception check is no longer necessary, so I will forgo that roll.

Reflex DC 17: 1d20 + 8 + 1 - 1 ⇒ (4) + 8 + 1 - 1 = 12 Haste bonus, fatigue penalty

The cone of cold takes Gil to 0 hp. Rod's subsequent channels take her to 29 hp, so she's down 41 when he starts burning charges.

Gil will attempt to aid Janosz in his intimidation of the spellcaster, her arms still covered in frost from the spell that nearly dropped her.

"I find it notable that you were suddenly very alone with a group of angry and capable adventurers. Have you done something to displease your Master, wart? Because I think you have been set up to die at our hands. Why would the Master discard a valuable asset such as yourself? We just have to decide whether to give the Master what he wants, I think. And how slowly it should be done."

Her intimidate bonus is +13, so Janosz should have his aid another bonus.

41 hp down Gil

5d8 + 5 ⇒ (1, 3, 3, 8, 7) + 5 = 27

2d8 + 2 ⇒ (5, 6) + 2 = 13

Gil's down 1 hp. 7 more charges.

The goblin replies with a surly growl, "It is not the master, but his false prophet."

"Go on. Who's the false prophet?"

"You know him already. He speaks of you often. He hates you!" Jeeboo giggles at the last comment.

"Fourgri" Ezreal nearly spits the name. "Ask him why Croke or whoever he was was after him."

"Answer the question. And why do you listen to, much less care about, the words of false prophets?" Janosz, still perched on top of Jeeboo, glances around, eyes finally catching Gil's. "Any more b*@##$%+ from him, poke him with the dolgrim-flayer."

Sense Motive check, DC 20.

"Croke?" he snorts, "There is no Croke. Not any more. And the master listens to him, finds him useful. I was useful once." Jeeboo is possibly even more repulsive as he starts to get lachrymose.

Sense Motive 8+10=18. Almost....

Janosz grows thoughtful as he listens to Jeeboo. "Nah. Fougri's nobody's minion. If anything, he is the master. The prophet, who hates us... It's gotta be that f~&!ing changeling, Gelb. Where is he, Jeeboo?"

"Croke was probably just cult muscle. Is he the guy floating up there in the sewer with a bolt in his neck?"

Jeeboo swivels his eyes in Janosz's direction, a look of disbelief on his face. He giggles again, his laughter building up despite being ground into the stone floor. Tears roll down his sallow greasy face, causing strings of snot to dangle from his nose, and he gasps for breath between booming hoots. "Stupid... So stupid..."

"Oh well. You did ask for it." He nods at Gil. "Knife, please."

"Ha ha ha ha! Hee hee! Ohoho!"

Sense Motive, DC 25:

Sense Motive 20+10=30. As good a place for a 20 as any, I suppose.

Janosz spends the next couple of minutes screaming increasingly improbable threats at Jeebo while waving a knife perilously close to the goblin's face. Eventually, he stops and gets to his feet, tossing the still-gibbering goblin aside like a sack of onions. "He's gone, at least for now. The cultist of the Dragon Below are pretty nuts to begin with, and this guy..."

"Having said that, he might still be useful. Let's knock him out and tie him up. After that, we have a choice - move forwards towards the congregation, or grab our prisoner and get outta here. Thoughts?"

"Oh, and the prophet's gotta be Banquat, bringing along his gnome sidekick Joost to document their more gruesome excesses. I'll bet a case of beers on it. Any takers?"

Nevharath will sap 'im when there's no danger of hitting Janosz.

attack: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (18) + 14 = 32
nonlethal damage: 2d6 + 15 ⇒ (4, 2) + 15 = 21

Sense motive

1d20 + 18 ⇒ (13) + 18 = 31

1d20 + 18 ⇒ (10) + 18 = 28

I made the first one anyway....

"We could at least scout up ahead. If we need to come back, we'd be forearmed.

The goblin,.....I could throw him in the portable hole I guess."

then;

"I never did like that Croke douchebag. Or whoever he is now."

Gil sighs with relief as bruises and cuts fade. "Thank you. You would think that being able to change my skin would allow me to hide bruises and such. Just doesn't work that way."

She hands the knife to the Eldeen ranger, but motions him to stay his hand as she casts a spell, staring at the mad little goblin.

Sense Motive DC 20: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (20) + 12 = 32

Sense Motive DC 25: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (16) + 12 = 28

Gil:

Nevharath silences Jeeboo with a well-aimed blow.

He'll probably eventually suffocate in the portable hole.

I assume you strip him of his gear. He has a rod, two scrolls and a pouch with 125gp.

"Chain him up and toss him in the tent. The creepy butler can club him with a candlestick or something like that if he stirs."

Is there still a congregational muttering going on somewhere ahead? Or has the battle put an end to that?

The unconscious Jeeboo is disposed of for the moment.

No, still chanting away.

"Let's go see what they are up to. Should we travel in force, or should I sneak ahead again by myself?"

"Go on ahead, I think."

Gil will look over the rod and scrolls, detecting magic and making checks as necessary.

Spellcraft for rod: 1d20 + 20 ⇒ (12) + 20 = 32

Spellcraft for scroll 1: 1d20 + 20 ⇒ (12) + 20 = 32

Spellcraft for scroll 2: 1d20 + 20 ⇒ (1) + 20 = 21

"Makes sense. Don't move too far away from here and keep the torches low. I'll make myself known before approaching, in case you get nervous and start attacking shadows." With that, Janosz slips back into the darkness.

I'll head towards the chanting, moving in spurts - move to one cluster of pillars, wait to determine that I'm alone, then repeat. I'm holding my bow. Stealth 11+26=37, Perception 13+23=36.

Janosz moves forwards with his customary stealth. (+26 Stealth mod? Bloody hell!) There are scurries in the dark - probably stray dolgrims - but none come close enough to spot. The murmurs ahead increase in volume as he draws closer. The room seems to be huge - a veritable forest of strange, squat columns with a few areas of solid stone tens of feet across supporting the weight of the city above. With few distinguishing landmarks, it is hard to navigate with certainty through the endless ranks of pillars.

This place is pretty easy to get lost in. But you've made a good Perception check, so you are OK.

There is a flickering glow ahead and the voices are more easily discernible - a rhythmical chanting, echoing from the walls. There are hints of words in a gutteral language.

Undercommon:

Finally, Janosz meets the far edge of the chamber. Here the floor falls away, as if crumbled or smashed, leaving a hole in the floor and wall about four feet high and ten feet wide. Beneath is a rough slope of stone about forty feet high, leading down to another, lower chamber. The collapse has left a gap at ceiling height in the other room through which Janosz can peer.

Beyond is the chanting congregation. It seems to be comprised of the dispossessed of Sharn society of all races - ragged beggars, downtrodden workers from the Cogs, refugees from other nations. They kneel, facing a dias against the far wall, chanting in cracked, hoarse voices. On the dias itself is a statue of some horrific idol, the work, hopefully, of some twisted imagination rather than a real entity - part-dragon, part-bloated ichthyoid, part-tentacled monstrosity. (If we were playing a different game, I'd ask for a SAN check right now.) It is flanked by censers which burn with a orange, sooty glow.

Knowledge (Religion), DC 10:

Several passages lead from the chamber and into darkness. Thuggish minders keep watch, by the tunnel entrances or walking slowly through the prostrate crowd, hands on the clubs and daggers at their belts. At the moment, no one seems to be officiating, but there is a sense of expectation in the air.

Class skill, crazily high DEX, Stealth-boosting item... It all adds up. I speak Undercommon, but have no ranks in Know (religion).

Having identified the source of the chanting, Janosz quickly makes his way back to the rest of the party. After making himself known to the sentries, he gets down to business, drawing a rough outline of the temple-cave onto a stone pillar with the blood of a few nearby dolgrim limbs.

"The dregs of Sharn are crawling like worms, abasing themselves to the Great Aberration and mouthing its foul catechism. We should storm their temple and kill every last one of them." He is so angry he has trouble controlling himself. "However, something is about to happen, most probably the arrival of the main shaman. Getting him is more important than exterminating the congregation. It should be trivially easy to surprise them, but it will be very difficult to get close to the altar without being spotted. Let's get going - we don't want to miss the main man's grand entry."

You can make an untrained Knowledge check if the DC is 10 or less, but it isn't vital here.

If the rest of you want to move up, it's Stealth checks (not very difficult ones - DC 5-ish).

Is it possible to do Aid Another for Stealth (I guess Janosz would sneak ahead and remove bells, butcher paper and other noisy things in the way of the party)?

"We already have enough enemies, Master Frogshanks," Rolund cautions. "However, I agree in checking what they're doing and if their plans cross ours."

"Will our lights cause us problems?"

Stealth: 1d20 - 4 ⇒ (7) - 4 = 3.

Aid Another help.

"Can you describe the thing to me?"

knowledge: religion
1d20 + 16 ⇒ (10) + 16 = 26

if it's feasible from his description.

stealth roll; spoiler'd because we shouldn't know if Rod fails before we decide to do it.......

Is it possible to do Aid Another for Stealth (I guess Janosz would sneak ahead and remove bells, butcher paper and other noisy things in the way of the party)?

Yes.

"Can you describe the thing to me?"

knowledge: religion
1d20+16

if it's feasible from his description.

Yes, you can read the spoiler.

"The cavern is lit. We'll need to douse the torches when we approach the entrance; we will give ourselves away if the hole in the wall suddenly lights up. Before that, lights shouldn't be a problem."

Aid Another checks for Stealth (just have to avoid rolling a 1):
Rolund 1d20 + 26 ⇒ (15) + 26 = 41
Rodergo1d20 + 26 ⇒ (7) + 26 = 33
Nevharath 1d20 + 26 ⇒ (14) + 26 = 40
Runzyl 1d20 + 26 ⇒ (7) + 26 = 33
Ezreal 1d20 + 26 ⇒ (19) + 26 = 45
Gil 1d20 + 26 ⇒ (8) + 26 = 34

stealth +2 aid: 1d20 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 1 + 2 = 4

the light from his spell lasts 17 rounds, which likely wore off while Janosz was spying. How many rounds/mins has it been, for those of us with min/lvl buffs on?

well, that's one way of doing things.

I'd say about ten minutes.

Were Gil's Spellcraft checks sufficient to identify the scrolls or the rod?

Gil will assist Janosz in helping the others move quietly, helping them muffle items that would otherwise give them away, etc.

Stealth aid for Rolund: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (12) + 10 = 22
Stealth aid for Rodergo: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (6) + 10 = 16
Stealth aid for Nevharath: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (16) + 10 = 26
Stealth aid for Ezreal: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (12) + 10 = 22

Stealth for Gil: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (10) + 12 = 22 including +2 from Janosz

Gil still has See Invisibility active.

Ezreal looks down at his brand new jacket and trousers now ripped, stained, and bloodied. "Damn it."

When Janosz explains what he saw and it is apparent that his rage is getting the better of him, Ez cuts him off, "The congregation is inconsequential. They are misguided, pathetic, fools but when we cut off the head they will scatter. Whoever has managed to bring them together whether it is Fourgri, Gelb or a Khyber priest needs to die and die fast enough to make an impression." He cracks a cold smile, "Now if they are foolish enough to try to stop us, crack as many skulls as you like."

"I have also been wondering about the entities in the dragonshards. One of them was formative in the forging of Darkheart. They could be working to free who or whatever has been trapped in that shard. Or they have have already done so. Be ready."

Once everyone is good, Ezreal creeps along following Janosz and Gil's lead.

Stealth: 1d20 + 4 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (10) + 4 + 2 + 2 = 18 (includes both aid anothers)

Spells running on Ezreal:
Detect Scrying
See Invisible
Magic Circle Against Evil

"WHat you described, Janosz, sounds like a representation of Khyber, the dragon below...."

Runzyl can make the check anyway, so we won't worry abut his roll.

The group creep forward, following Janosz towards the foul temple. They extinguish their lights as they approach, and then crawl forward on their bellies to peer through the ragged gap. The place is as Janosz described it, with the vile statue and the broken congregation, watched over by patrolling thugs. As he hunkers down to get a better look, Nevharath dislodges a stone which skitters down the slope. One of the heavies peers up frowning, but then he is distracted by new arrivals.

Marching out of the tunnel nearest the dias comes a knot of more guards, accompanying a priest of some kind, dressed in a heavy red robe with a hood that obscures his face. He reaches the foot of the idol, and his bodyguards fan out to either side. He then dramatically throws back his hood.

It is Croke.

He begins to address the congregation, arms spread. "Miserable worms! The Dragon demands your obeisance! Only when you give yourself completely, until you accept that you are nothing, will you be true to the Dragon Below! When he bursts his bonds, only then will you be protected! Only then will he bestow his gifts upon you!"

Croke's features begin to flow. Suddenly, it is Brother Erfan who stands before the crowd.

"Only then will you receive his power! Once I was like you - lost, afraid, alone. But then the Master found me. He showed me the teachings of the Dragon. I gave myself fully to him. And I was rewarded!" Erfan is washed away, to be replaced by a medusa with writhing, hissing snakes. The crowd cower, averting their eyes.

"I do the bidding of the Master, for to do his bidding is to serve the Dragon Below! And only by giving yourself to the Dragon can you be finally free! Who will give himself to the Dragon? Who among you will be lifted up?" With a dramatic flourish, he hides his face in his hood once more.

A young man near the front raises a trembling hand. He is dressed in rags with no shoes and his arm through his ragged shirt is little more than skin and bone. "Me. I wish to serve."

Croke walks over and places a hand upon the boy's head in benediction. "Good." He nods and a couple of guards lead the boy away and down one of the tunnels. Croke pulls back his hood and the medusa has disappeared, replaced by Rodergo.

"Look upon this face! Look upon it and remember! This is the evil one, who would thwart the Master's plan. Already he has corruped one of our number - Jeeboo. The Master is angry with Jeeboo, but I can deal with him. But this one is much more dangerous. His ways are subtle, his magic is powerful. We must find him, and his companions. The Master has a special punishment waiting for them. The Dragon devours his enemies. The Master's acolytes will give you your tasks. But first!"

The bodyguards begin to throw coins into the crowd. The crowd leap and begin fighting for the alms.

"Damn," Rolund whispers angrily.

"A cousin of yours?" Rolund looks at the changeling.

"Hmmm... I can understand why Jeeboo thought I was an idiot. This is something of a surprise."

"So. Who of you carry bows? And, Ezreal and Rod, do you have destructive formulas that can hit him and some of the scum that surrounds him? A properly executed ambush would be most discouraging for the faithful..."

How big is the congregation? And did Gil manage to identify Jeeboo's items? We might want to use them here.

"I've got a few tricks left, but....nothing to do crowd control with.

We can't really hit Crokey without dealing with them. The way I can tell that,.....well, they kinda offer themselves up to sacrifice,....."

Ezreal whispers, "Considering they are a bunch of Khyber worshipers it seems only appropriate that I strangle them with tentacles don't you think?"

"Give the word when you are ready."

"I can create a bow for myself, but I am not particularly skilled with a bow," Nevharath whispers.

"Damn," Rolund whispers angrily.

"A cousin of yours?" Rolund looks at the changeling.

Straight-faced, she shakes her head and whispers, "I don't think so. I don't see a family resemblance."

"If we fight a faceless leader, would it be useful to have a second faceless leader to sow confusion? And how do we keep the bottom feeder from escaping if our assault fails to bring him down immediately?"