Balodek's Ironfang Invasion

Game Master Balodek

Unable to reach anywhere near the dragon Bor reaches out, pulling his full insanity towards the dragon's mind. "We need to bring it down to the ground."

Cast Insanity Will DC 24

The dragon once again ignores Bor's magic and flies back around to attack Faolan.

"Once I kill you, the rest will be helpless."

She is once again using Fly-By-Attack and Greater Vital Strike.

Bite: 1d20 + 34 ⇒ (8) + 34 = 42
Damage: 8d8 + 19 ⇒ (3, 1, 2, 7, 3, 7, 3, 5) + 19 = 50
Acid: 4d6 ⇒ (4, 2, 4, 2) = 12

Krowe, the dragon does not appear to have any active spells going at this time. The transformation she recently underwent is no doubt making her tougher than normal but ancient dragon is doing most of the heavy lifting here.

Round 6. Naphexi does look worse for wear but she's still in the fight.

Hard to argue with the dragon’s analysis.
Haste & Good Hope & Song good to go.

Round 6

Free/Swift: Continue song.
Move:
Stnd: Shoot shoot shoot.

Continuing his song, Bazsil stays out of range of breath weapon and shoots.

Magic adaptive longbow.
1d20 + 15 + 2 + 1 - 2 ⇒ (20) + 15 + 2 + 1 - 2 = 36 to hit;
1d8 + 7 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 7 + 2 + 2 = 16 piercing damage.

1d20 + 10 + 2 + 1 - 2 ⇒ (10) + 10 + 2 + 1 - 2 = 21 to hit;
1d8 + 7 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 7 + 2 + 2 = 12 piercing damage.

Magic adaptive longbow.
Haste: 1d20 + 15 + 2 + 1 - 2 ⇒ (3) + 15 + 2 + 1 - 2 = 19 to hit;
1d8 + 7 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 7 + 2 + 2 = 17 piercing damage.

Magic adaptive longbow.
Pot Crit: 1d20 + 15 + 2 + 1 - 2 ⇒ (17) + 15 + 2 + 1 - 2 = 33 to hit;
2d8 + 22 ⇒ (5, 8) + 22 = 35 additional piercing damage.

Good Hope: Each affected creature gains a +2 morale bonus on saving throws, attack rolls, ability checks, skill checks, and weapon damage rolls.

"Once I kill you, the rest will be helpless."

Faolan laughs at the dragon, ”You don’t know this lot then. They’re many things, but helpless isn’t among the adjectives. Plus I have something you don’t! Friends!”

He flies down to hover just above Bor. ”Got any healing mate?”

Krowe flies over to Faolan and Bor. ”Give him you best healing, Bor.” He then whispers to Faolan, ”Give me the word and I’ll teleport you right to her.”

If Faolan defers his next turn Krowe can try to teleport him right next to the dragon to get a full attack.

Bor reaches up and does what he can for Faolan as some remnants of his magic flows into and closes some of the wounds. "That won't hold for long!"

Cure Critical: 4d8 + 14 ⇒ (3, 2, 3, 2) + 14 = 24

Seeing a group of you clustered up, Naphexi keeps her distance and breathes a stream of acid at you.

20d6 ⇒ (3, 5, 4, 2, 4, 4, 2, 5, 2, 4, 3, 5, 6, 5, 5, 5, 1, 3, 4, 6) = 78 acid damage, DC 30 Ref Save for half. Bazsil is not in the stream but Faolan, Bor, and Krowe are.

Her smile is cruel as the acid washes over you. Your resistance will help but it's clear Naphexi is far more powerful than you anticipated.

Party is up!

Reflex: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (19) + 14 = 33 vs DC 30 for 48-30=18hp damage

Faolan nods to Bor grinning, ”Thanks!” Still, he remembers when a cure critical would heal a person. Now not so much. He nods to Krowe, ”Let’s do this! Oh, and bring us in above him - I want the higher ground bonus.” Faolan grins widely in anticipation of the opportunity.

He delays until Krowe ports him next to the dragon and then he lets it have it with all he’s got!

Shield*: 1d20 + 25 + 5 ⇒ (16) + 25 + 5 = 46 (hero, song, haste)
damage: 2d6 + 16 + 4 ⇒ (3, 4) + 16 + 4 = 27 (hope, song)

Shield*: 1d20 + 25 + 5 ⇒ (20) + 25 + 5 = 50 (hero, song, haste)
damage: 2d6 + 16 + 4 ⇒ (6, 4) + 16 + 4 = 30 (hope, song)
critthreat Shield*: 1d20 + 25 + 5 ⇒ (2) + 25 + 5 = 32 (hero, song, haste)
damage: 2d6 + 16 + 4 ⇒ (3, 6) + 16 + 4 = 29 (hope, song)

Shield*: 1d20 + 20 + 5 ⇒ (4) + 20 + 5 = 29 (hero, song, haste)
damage: 2d6 + 16 + 4 ⇒ (4, 2) + 16 + 4 = 26 (hope, song)

Shield*: 1d20 + 20 + 5 ⇒ (4) + 20 + 5 = 29 (hero, song, haste)
damage: 2d6 + 16 + 4 ⇒ (4, 2) + 16 + 4 = 26 (hope, song)

Shield*: 1d20 + 15 + 5 ⇒ (4) + 15 + 5 = 24 (hero, song, haste)
damage: 2d6 + 16 + 4 ⇒ (5, 4) + 16 + 4 = 29 (hope, song)

Hasted Shield*: 1d20 + 25 + 5 ⇒ (6) + 25 + 5 = 36 (hero, song, haste)
damage: 2d6 + 16 + 4 ⇒ (1, 5) + 16 + 4 = 26 (hope, song)

Frowning, because he knows he can do better, he shrugs and hopes there's another round to do this. As Krowe is adjacent, just in case the dragon gets any ideas, he’ll use his shield bearer trait to give him a +2 to AC.

* Targets hit by my shield take -2 to their AC until the end of my next turn.

Haste & Good Hope & Song good to go.

Round 8

Free/Swift: Continue song.
Move: Move.
Stnd: Shoot the dragon.

Continuing his song, Bazsil shoots a lot.

Magic adaptive longbow.
1d20 + 15 + 2 + 1 - 2 ⇒ (6) + 15 + 2 + 1 - 2 = 22 to hit;
1d8 + 7 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 7 + 2 + 2 = 16 piercing damage.

1d20 + 10 + 2 + 1 - 2 ⇒ (11) + 10 + 2 + 1 - 2 = 22 to hit;
1d8 + 7 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 7 + 2 + 2 = 12 piercing damage.

Magic adaptive longbow.
Haste: 1d20 + 15 + 2 + 1 - 2 ⇒ (9) + 15 + 2 + 1 - 2 = 25 to hit;
1d8 + 7 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 7 + 2 + 2 = 12 piercing damage.

Good Hope: Each affected creature gains a +2 morale bonus on saving throws, attack rolls, ability checks, skill checks, and weapon damage rolls.

Ref: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (8) + 10 = 18 Ouch
HP 26/106

Krowe cries out in pain from the acid, but doesn’t let that sway his resolve.

”Take her down Faolan.” He says through gritted teeth, then teleport the two of them to a spot right above Naphexi.

He then calls to his air elemental to come pull him away before the dragon can retaliate.

Hoping the air elemental can flyby attack and drag Krowe away?

Reflex DC 30: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (17) + 5 = 22

Bors screams in agony as the acid sprays all over his body, leaving burned muscles exposed below. He gasps in pain sending out small trickles of healing to try and keep up with t all. "Help us..."

Mass Cure Moderate Wounds: 2d8 + 14 ⇒ (1, 6) + 14 = 21

Faolan drops right above Naphexi, hammering her between the wings before her scales become too hard to dent. Krowe practically melts as his air elemental swoops in and drags him away from the melee. It is now, beaten and burned and hovering on the edge of death, that the mighty beast flees. She dodges away from Faolan and flies down the tunnel and out of her lair.

Withdraw and double move 300'. Party is up, though if you do not pursue we are out of combat.

Just as the dragon begins to retreat Bor sends out another wave of healing. "Get it quickly before it gets too far away!"

Mass Cure Moderate Wounds: 2d8 + 14 ⇒ (4, 5) + 14 = 23

Faolan too isn't pleased to see the dragon driven off and not slain. "Damn, and I left my potion of dimension door in my other suit! Krowe, I don't suppose you have another of those handy do you?" he turns to ask his ally only to see him some distance off inside the air elemental.

He shrugs, "I guess we won't have to smell the dragon's death stink as we loot his lair at least." He smiles.

”I can help, maybe, if we want to pursue,” Bazsil offers from afar, with many DDoors in his pocket, but unable to fly and reach the team.

Faolan, eager to take a bite out of the dragon if he can, flies to Bazsil and hovers above him.

For the record while most of you are on the edge of dead the dragon is not, she is fleeing while still fairly healthy because potentially immortal dragons don't take such chances.

”I think maybe we count this as a win.” Krowe says as the elemental delivers his acid-burned form to Faolan and Bazsil. ”Let us heal and be ready if it returns, and if it does I may be able to slow it down long enough for us to decide whether to face it again.”

GM: how many wall of stone spells would be needed to block the exit after we enter the hut?

Faolan is ready for another round with the beast, but perhaps it's best not to split the party.

"It's a win all right. The dragon took off!" he laughs, though it trails off perhaps a bit uneasily. That breath!

He lines up for further healing if there's a channel to be had, otherwise he'll go to the wand. (down 40 currently)

Bor looks around. "It will be back. May have just flown off to warn her we are coming."

Bazsil stops his song, calming down and agreeing with Krowe.

"Let's take a minute. That foe was tough, very tough. We'll need to find another way should we face it again."

Bazsil will help heal up.

"Wendel? You around? What now?"

The opening to the cave is 40' wide by 30' tall, a wall of stone could close it off given the surroundings.

Wendel appears once the acid has finished bubbling and the tentacles have finished tentacling. He is unusually quiet.

"My family she killed for this. The dark power is in her now, evil to her rotten core. I am the last, sacrificed to become...that."

”Yeah, that sucks Wendel. What else you want us to do?” Bazsil tries to empathize. ”What do you think Krowe? Time for a rest? Or do you want to get in there?”

It sounds like the plan is to move into the dragon grotto, wall it up, then rest, just need that confirmed before I proceed.

Faolan, quite tired, nods in agreement. "The looting can wait for tomorrow. There may be traps and such, and I have few resources remaining for the day."

He hovers over the group, peering around before his flight ends.
Perception: 1d20 + 25 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 25 + 2 = 29 (heroism)

He'll then take his watch, but otherwise sleep soundly in exhaustion.

You move into the abandoned grotto, hoping the dragon does not return. Inside you find Naphexi's horde of treasures and magic scattered about a heaped next made of fungus and moss. Quickly looking through the treasure, you find the following:

belt of physical perfection +2
suit of celestial armor
dagger of venom
dragonslayer’s shield
two greasy vials that each contain a dose of dust of disappearance
suit of dwarven plate
holy staff topped with a cloudy emerald
luckblade (No wishes remain)
set of marvelous pigments
bag of what appear to be bloodstained gold amulets of house sigils.
The hoard also contains 5,812 sp, 8,408 gp, and 126 pp.

Faolan finds a large, polished mahogany box hidden under the coins and a layer of sticky moss. It is locked.

High above the bed, hanging from a tin chain, you find a tarnished gold ring. Inscribed on the ring are the words, "Princess of the Blasted Heath". Wendel quickly crowds forward, looking at the ring. "Oh, pretty-pretty-pretty! Yes indeed! It’s just like the one grandmother took long-long ago! Said it can protect us, yes she did! Keep us safe-safe-safe. But this one has a different lyric than grandma’s ever did. Different magic? Same? Why did serpent have grandma’s bracelet? Meril is supposed to wear it!"

”Are you sure it’s the same bracelet, Wendel?” Bazsil asks while going through the loots and trying to identify things of interest. He’ll take the Celestial armor if no one wants.

”Who is Meril again?” Nothing coming up on search for that name, but it might also not be working right.

”Krowe, what’s this holy staff do?” Bazsil is happy to rest up and figure out what’s going on with Wendel’s ring.

Faolan hoists the mahogany box (is it worth anything itself?) and sets it in front of folks, "We should see what's in here too. Might be the good stuff!"

"That is a lot of good stuff there." Bor looks over the bracelet. "What sort of protections Wendel?"

"Meril is my sister, yes-yes. Maybe she is alive? More than one bracelet there could be."

The ring does show as magical, with strong transmutation and necromancy. Krowe suspects this is part of a fey artifact, though he isn't sure the form or function. Through an intense amount of divination and an uncomfortable amount of sweat, you determine that if the phrase on the ring is spoken aloud then up to 10 creatures will be rendered immune to the Darkblight.

If you recall the token you got from the fey who so infatuated most of you, allowing you to pass through trees, the ability of this ring to prevent Darkblight infection while traveling through trees means you could use the throne to travel.

The box has a DC of 35 to open.

”We can probably bash the box open,” Bazsil says, equally flummoxed by a box that won’t open. ”Maybe Krowe can get it open?”

Bazsil looks to Krowe.

Faolan holds the mahogany box up to Krowe to see if he can help before destroying it to get at the contents.

He waits.

Krowe puts down the emerald-topped staff to look at the box Bazsil and Faolan have.

”Lets see it.”

Being cautious he examines the box for physical and magical traps.

Detect magic and perception..
Perception for traps: 1d20 + 21 ⇒ (20) + 21 = 41

He then slips a ring onto his finger and presses a gem on the top causing a few small tools to spring forth, which he uses to pick the lock.

With my ring of maniacle devices I can hit 35 by taking 10. If a roll is needed, here are a couple.
Disable device: 1d20 + 25 ⇒ (13) + 25 = 38
Disable device: 1d20 + 25 ⇒ (7) + 25 = 32

GM: regarding the holy staff topped with an emerald.. is it just a weapon with the holy enhancement, or some sort of magic staff with other powers?

The locked box contains a scroll of ablative barrier, three scrolls of darkvision, two scrolls of gaseous form, two scrolls of heroism, and a scroll of hold monster (all CL 11th); plus a scroll of force cage, a scroll of foresight, and a scroll of power word stun (all CL 17th).

Holy staff is the name of the item, I should've clarified. Holy Staff

Faolan is non-plussed by the scrolls, not really understanding such things well. Still, he knows that there are folk who can make good use of them, so he takes them out carefully and passes them around.

"Nice staff." he adds.

In the morning, as the party determines what's next, he'll ask, "So with the ring and stuff we can now travel through the trees to get to places, right? Without getting, you know, all blighted - or worse?"

"Is it time to nip this thing in the bud then, or is there somewhere else we should check first?"

Sorry, I'm a bit fuzzy on our options from here. I think we now have all the tools we need to go after the big bad, just not sure the details of that.

”Nice,” Bazsil rumbles at Krowe’s adept devicery. ”Sounds like we have yet more tools to protect ourselves as we travel? Wendel are you still coming with us?”

Between the ring and the token, we can really get moving now.

I think Bor is the only one that can use the staff currently so he will take it for some extra healing.

Bor shoulders the staff and looks around at the wounded group. "Does anyone need any wounds closed before we blight into the blight?"

I know we took a bunch of damage and not sure who all still needs some healing.

Bor shoulders the staff and looks around at the wounded group. "Does anyone need any wounds closed before we blight into the blight?"

Oh, I thought we just tried to rest someplace, possibly behind a stone wall. We’ll want to rest before moving on.

My understanding was you were stone walling yourself into the dragon cave, then probably retreating into an extradimensional space to rest, loot, and level. Going to push with the current plan of using the ring and diving into a throne.

"Oh yes, Wendel will come, yes-yes. Very big trouble without me, look how you've succeeded with my guidance, yes-yes."

You march back to the throne, utter the Abyssal words, then use the fey charm to dive into the throne. You expect a battle or a throne room, perhaps an angry hungry dragon, but you by no means expected a titanic bird.

The overwhelming centerpiece of this eerie clearing is an enormous, ancient, terribly blighted ash tree so tall it blots out the sun and wide enough to dwarf the girth of any other nearby trees. With withered, strangely marked bark that looks more akin to rotting skin and drooping branches that weep putrid mold, this tree casts an ominous pall over the entire sickly meadow. Beyond this 100-foot-wide clearing, as far as the eye can see, grotesque blooms of fungus spring up amid an angry briar.

Standing guard near the tree is a giant, featherless, scaled dodo with purple wings and a lizard tail.

Faolan is pleased they seem to be getting somewhere, and the methods of transportation they’re using these days! Wow.

When faced with a giant featherless bird, he’s sure of one thing. He wants to be flying. The smart folk might talk their way out of this, if the creature is smart enough, but either way he wants to be ready.

Faolan casts fly and gains just enough altitude to be eye level with the bird, though he stays back with the party.

"What's that?" he asks the group.

Bazsil will magic up: Ext Heroism (himself & Faolan), Extend See Invisibility, Echolocation.

1d20 + 17 ⇒ (14) + 17 = 31 Know (Nature) - DRs? Special attacks?

Bazsil pauses when he sees the bird. "Krowe? You seeing that? Think we can talk our way through it?"

Knowledge Nature: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (9) + 18 = 27
Defenses? Can it communicate?

”….” Krowe blinks at the strange creature. ”Ive only read about such a thing in a storybook…” He mutters, memories of reading fey tales flashing through his memory for a moment, then pushed away before he delving too deep into other memories of that time. ”I think it’s a jubjub bird. A dangerous and legendary creature of the First World. I don’t think they are terribly smart, but talking can’t hurt.”

Loot Note: Unless someone else needs them Krowe will claim the belt of physical perfection, dusts of disappearance, luck blade, and the scrolls from the box.

"Are you able to banish it back to the First World?" Bor gets the feeling this strange bird isn't up for any talking.

Krowe slowly shakes his head. ”I don’t have that sort of magic, and with the blight here I’m not sure if it would even work.”

Knowledge Planes: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (3) + 18 = 21
GM: I could try a limited wish, but it’s expensive and I’m guessing with that roll I wouldn’t know if banishment is an option?

Bazsil knows that it has spell resistance and is extremely resistant to all elemental and sonic damage, having an adaptive resistance to them. It will gain 30 elemental resistance on the round after it takes damage of that type. It is not capable of speech and is roughly as intelligent as a dodo. Krowe, it is technically a magical beast which means banishment would not work. It stands about 20 feet tall and weighs several tons. The bird is staring at you, seemingly guarding the tree and content to see what you do first.

"Is it better if we fly against it? Is it a good flyer, Krowe?" Bazsil asks still strategizing. "Maybe in the air...it will be less bad?"

Bazsil will prepare for a good fight..and flight (via Winged Boots). When others are ready, (and minding the heroism on himself and Faolan), he will additionally cast Good Hope and begin to sing.

"Anything else we can do to prepare?" Bazsil considers Freedoms of Movement if people want it. He readies his bow.

”I don’t know if it can fly, but legend paints them as stupid. I wonder if a simple disguise might trick it.” Krowe shrugs. ”Or we could just fight it, but legend also paints them as very dangerous.”

”Faolan, you’ll be in snack range. Do you have a preference?”

"I can create a short disguise for us if you think it would work? What should we disguise ourselves as?" Bor looks around for suggestions.

I can cast Master's Illusion.

"I say let's charge in there and take it!" Faolan says with some trepidation. "If it's that dumb, it won't understand a disguise anyway. It probably eats everything that wanders by here."

If the party agrees, Faolan will charge in flying from on high (in the sun if he can).

Personally, I think the disguise idea is really cool - but I'm not sure what we'd be that would work.

The giant murder chicken watches as you debate how best to attack it. No doubt if it spoke Common it might feel differently about not attacking first, sadly it does not.

The jubjub readies an attack against Faolan.

Attack: 1d20 + 31 ⇒ (4) + 31 = 35
Damage: 3d6 + 19 ⇒ (3, 1, 2) + 19 = 25

Party is up.