Aubrey's Rise of the Runelords campaign (Inactive)

Game Master Aubrey the Malformed

"Xanesha is with Ironbriar. It's only little me, and the Skinsaw Man. I don't know where he is, but he comes and goes and does Xanesha's bidding. He kills for her, all those she marked out. Wait! What's that? I can hear him! He's coming, he's coming!" Foxglove slumps to the floor, holds his head in his hands and starts moaning.

"He comes here? Now? From which direction?"

"He's here," growls Foxglove, his voice deepening. He stands up straight and snarls. "The Skinsaw Men kill for the Lord of Murder - you shall be his next sacrifice." He flicks open his war razor and prepares to spring.

Knowledge (Religion), DC 15:

Knowledge (Religion), DC 25:

Back on initiative, picking up from where we left off. That's Larken.

Reminder:
Dravite 26
Elisile 22
Foxghast 20
Illes 20
Vethran 15
Alwyn 13
Hudak 12
Larken 11

Larken--rapier--r12+6+2(bardic)+2(if flank)=20 or 22;
damg 4+3+2(bardic)+7(if flank)=9 or 16.

Larken will try to flank the guy, if possible.

"You're definitely the sickest individual in this room, and that's saying something!"

OK, we had better do a set-up now. Assume that Foxglove conveniently stood in the middle of the room during the conversation and allowed you to surround him while he talked. The room is 25' by 25' and he is at C3. You may stand where you please within A-E/1-5.

Larken's rapier bites into his Foxglove's undead flesh. "Damn you! You think you are better than me?" roars Foxglove at the youth, more in outrage than pain or fear. "You will be the first to die!"

Don't forget - those who failed the earlier Fort saves are Sickened and are still at -2 to hit.

I'm thinking
Hudak b3
Dravite c4
Alwyn d3
Larken c2
Eli at c5
Veth at d5
and
illes at b5
sound copacetic?
I'm definite on Hudak and Alwyn's positions though.

D5 is fine by me.

Dravite.

"I'm better than you, weirdboy! I'm the one that used to pick you last for games!!! You weenis!!!"

Swing and a miss!
"Damn ye Foxglove! Ya will nae be doin' harm to anyone anymo'! Oops!"

Elisile, still moving delicately to avoid bringing up her breakfast due to the stench, moves to A5 and fires her bow into the melee, aiming high to avoid Dravite.

Comp Long Bow: 15+6-4 (firing into combat) +2 (cats grace) – 2 (sickened) +2 (inspire courage) = 19. Damage: 4+1+2 (inspire courage) = 7

Elisile's arrow hits home, making Foxglove growl.

Foxglove falls savagely upon Larken again, slashing and clawing. A total of 16 points of damage.

Illes.

Since I started music on the round before his breakdown and assuming I stopped playing while he rolled around there- how many rounds have elapsed? I would have 6 rounds of active music.

Assume it's still going for a couple more rounds.

Illes unfurls a scroll and begins to sing it aloud...

He left the northern hills to seek his fortune
A lone barbarian with only death lust to guide
He carved a kingdom of stone
King Halrik, sitting on his bloody throne

Hudak rules with an iron fist
Many people, they look up to him
But they will never understand

RAGE - Hudak: +2 morale bonus to Strength and Constitution, a +1 morale bonus on Will saves, and a -2 penalty to AC, no penalty when it ends (and it's duration is variable. 3 rounds after I stop concentrating)
More doom metal lyrics... Electric Wizard this time

Blimey, the fight will be over by the time you finish casting the spell.

Veth, then Alwyn, then Hudak.

Yeah really- I started to just put the first little verse and add one each round that I kept going, but eh- why not go wild.
Oh- Heathy hope you don't mind the -2 AC. With any luck you'll have destroyed him before it becomes an issue.

Seeing the creature in melee, Vethran opts for a foolproof plan and invokes a word of power, sending a volley of missiles streaking forth from his hand.

magic missile at Foxglove. 3d4+3 = 11 damage.

Hudak--16 to hit; damage 11 (blech!)

Alwyn--cure mod wounds on Larken; burned align weapon; 13 h.p. restored.

The dandy-ghast fights on. It's flesh sizzles where Vethran's spell hit it, and a reeking gash opens under Hudak's blade.

Larken again.

Larken full defense retreats to a1; starts faux whining hysterically:
"I'm not brave! Please, I'm not any kind of adventurer!!!"

He can try a Bluff check to get Foxglove to leave him alone (or whatever you are trying to achieve). And it's Dravite next.

Larken bluff r2; no bonuses of any kind.
(he's trying to get him to chase him; maybe lure him into 3 aoo's, as well as get his squishy self out of the danger zone....)

Swing and a miss, again! (rolled a 2...again)
Fook you, ya slipp'ry basterd! I'll be killin' ye if'n ye just stay still a minute! 'Scuse me orcish dere, Mrs. Elisile. I dinnae mean ta be sullyin' yer ears wit words like dat.

Back and up to date.

Alwyn shakes his head at the undead monstrosity's obsession with Larken. "What's with the mood swings, Foxglove? Shouldn't your... condition fix that? Not that it will matter once we've destroyed you, of course."

“I am not offended Dravite Schorl,” answers Elisile. “I have heard worse. Now hold still…” she fires another arrow at the Foxghoul, but this one flies wide (roll 4).

Larken bluff r2; no bonuses of any kind.

(he's trying to get him to chase him; maybe lure him into 3 aoo's, as well as get his squishy self out of the danger zone....)

"You do not fool me! I shall destroy your associates and then eat your body parts while you watch!"

Foxglove ducks inside Hudak's guard, slashing with the razor and clawing with his twisted talons. 12 points of damage total, and - forgot in his attacks on Larken - DC 15 save or be paralysed.

Hudak r2

Larken r7

Two popsicles!!!

Heathy- don't forget you had 4 temp hp from the rage (+2 Con) so only really took 8 damage there.

With both Hudak and Larken paralysed, it's Illes' and Vethran's turns, right? How long does ghast paralysis last? Is it a round-by-round effect?

Heathy- don't forget you had 4 temp hp from the rage (+2 Con) so only really took 8 damage there.

Oh yeah....got it!

With both Hudak and Larken paralysed, it's Illes' and Vethran's turns, right? How long does ghast paralysis last? Is it a round-by-round effect?

Correct, and correct.

I doubt Illes's action will have any impact on mine, but if it does, then I can retcon the following:

"Whoa! Slow down there Foxglove!" Illes grabs a tanglefoot bag from his belt and throws it at him.

Ranged Touch 6+5 = 11
If I hit... (doubtful)
An entangled creature takes a -2 penalty on attack rolls and a -4 penalty to Dexterity and must make a DC 15 Reflex save or be glued to the floor, unable to move. Even on a successful save, it can move only at half speed.
This is the last active round of Inspire Courage
This is 1 of 3 rounds for the Rage since I broke concentration now.

Alwyn looks at his paralysed comrades with a mixture of annoyance and concern. He takes a short step around the frenzied ghast before unleashing a savage attack.

5' step to C2. I'm a little unclear about whether Larken ever left that square or not; however, as he is paralysed, he doesn't count as a combatant, so we can share a space. This way I flank Foxglove with Dravite. Attack roll 15+7+2(flank)+4(smite)+2(bardic music)-3(power attack)=AC 27, damage 9+4+4(smite)+2(bardic music)+6(power attack)=25.

Again Foxglove is blasted by Vethran's twin bolts of flame, but he darts aside from the hurled tanglefoot bag. Then Alwyn steps up and, with huge executioner's swing, beheads the ghast as he tried to recover from avoiding Illes' missile. The two pieces of what remains of Foxglove flop to the floor with a wet squelch.

End of combat.

Assuming you want to search the place, you find:

Foxglove has a nice war razor, a couple of rings, and a strange sort of mask that looks like it was made from the flayed skin of several different people's faces. These all detect as magical, the mask giving an aura of illusion, the two rings transmutation and abjuration respectively, and the razor universal.

You also find on the table a set of keys - a large iron key and a smaller golden key with the head resembling a roaring lion. In addition, you find a letter, as follows:

Aldern

Your Mistress, Wanton of Nature's Pagan Forms

Finally, there is a sketch book filled with clumsy drawings of Larken.

"Not to belabour the point, but I think this supports my initial position on that Sihedron medallion we found earlier. It is inextricably connected with evil, even if it might have some additional useful properties. Now, what could this 'greedy souls' thing be about? And who is the 'Master' mentioned?"

"Like the two killed in the barn? A couple of greedy guys trying to skim a little off the top of Scarnetti's business?"

"Or a known highwayman like Shiv who's body we just found back there?"

"Looks like it's back to Magnimar then."
says Hudak.

Larken...."that place makes me physically ill."
he surreptitiously palms the somewhat embarassing sketchbook.
"these are just crap. Why bother? Bad art is a sin against creation; never mind the bizarre nature of the subject! I'll burn this at my convenience."

so this house is some lich dude's phylactery? Ergo, should we torch the bastard?

Someone try a Knowledge (Religion) check, and see if you can make it good. Knowledge (Arcana) can be used to assist, if necessary.

Aid (Arcana): 4+9 = 13
+2 on the Religion

“So, this dwelling is possessed by the spirit of Foxglove’s ancestor. That may explain the hauntings and such that we encountered,” muses Elisile. “Hudak, I think, is right; we should destroy this place, preferably by burning. It may be too damp to light without, but we should be able to set it afire from within.” She pauses. “However, we do not know for certain that there may not be more victims or clues within; should we further search the upper levels?”

Knowledge Arcana: 6+9 = 15 to assist a Religion check, further +2.

“Then, when we are done here – and we should make haste – then back to Magnimar.” She nods to Hudak. “I too did not get a good sense from Ironbriar, and now we know he is mixed up in this. As Illes says, the people killed here were greedy. We know that at least one of the people who disappeared from Ironbriar’s prison was there for a crime born of greed; it seems that the so called ‘Justice’ is performing the same ritual killings that Foxglove was, the ritual spoken about in the note. Our options in Magnimar would seem to be to take and question Ironbriar, or to look for further clues in Foxglove’s townhouse. I suspect that the note was written by Xanesha. We need to get to her. She apparently has a poison that, perhaps, can turn people into ghouls – if Foxglove’s ramblings were correct. And she may know the identity of the ‘master’ mentioned in the note.”

So – what next? Explore the rest of this place, or torch it and ride?

He surreptitiously palms the somewhat embarassing sketchbook.

"these are just crap. Why bother? Bad art is a sin against creation; never mind the bizarre nature of the subject! I'll burn this at my convenience."

"I don't know. I thought the one where he was in the sun hat having a picnic was pretty nice. Or what about the assless chaps tightrope outfit? Niiicceee, right?" Illes snickers. "Sorry kid."

Illes picks up his song again and quietly sings the Shoanti battle song to himself as he pokes around the room covering his nose and giving the table full of rotting human flesh a wide berth.

Inspire Competence +2 on Alwyn's Kn Religion roll
So he's up to +4 from Aid so far
and a +2 competence for a total of +13 on the roll. Vethran can get that up to +15 (no need to roll- Veth's arcana is +11 so he hits the Aid DC before he picks up the die) and then I think we are tapped out.
Hit it Vatts- Kn Religion +15

Sure thing - rolled a 14+15=29. Not too shabby.

You can cast guidance and take it to 30.

EDIT: My mistake. Won't stack because Inspire Competence is already a competence bonus.