Beacon Below CORE (Inactive)

Game Master Helikon

Will: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (17) + 4 = 21 +2 vs fear

Barm strikes with two swords the enemy on the right again.
to hit - longsword- haste, inspire courage,flank: 1d20 + 13 + 1 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (16) + 13 + 1 + 2 + 2 = 34
damage: 2d6 + 9 + 2 ⇒ (4, 5) + 9 + 2 = 20

to hit - longsword- haste, inspire courage,flank: 1d20 + 10 + 1 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (20) + 10 + 1 + 2 + 2 = 35
damage: 1d8 + 9 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 9 + 2 = 13

to hit - longsword- haste, inspire courage,flank: 1d20 + 13 + 1 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (14) + 13 + 1 + 2 + 2 = 32
damage: 2d6 + 9 + 2 ⇒ (3, 6) + 9 + 2 = 20

to Hit - longsword- haste, inspire courage,flank: 1d20 + 8 + 1 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 8 + 1 + 2 + 2 = 14
damage: 2d6 + 9 + 2 ⇒ (5, 4) + 9 + 2 = 20

to hit - confirm crit: 1d20 + 10 + 1 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 10 + 1 + 2 + 2 = 16
damage: 1d8 + 9 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 9 + 2 = 15

I'll complete a single move, to the edge of the machine, and take a look at it, especially looking for a space where a jewel may fit.
If there are instructions written nearby, I'll fish out my scroll of comprehend languages.

She moves a bit over and begins to chant, unleashing a lightening bolt at the big creature
7d6 ⇒ (2, 3, 1, 4, 4, 5, 3) = 22 dc 20 reflx

Will vs Fear: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (18) + 4 = 22

Attack: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (14) + 14 = 28
Dmg: 1d8 + 7 ⇒ (5) + 7 = 12
Sneak: 4d6 ⇒ (2, 3, 6, 5) = 16
Attack Haste: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (12) + 14 = 26
Dmg: 1d8 + 7 ⇒ (6) + 7 = 13
Sneak: 4d6 ⇒ (2, 3, 4, 3) = 12

53 total damage

Meri's giant sabre crashes again and again into the creature...

I hope that is enough to take it down

They have some decent DR

So whose turn?

I think that it might be the bad guys turn

Round 2:

Seeing the guardian had yet to fall, Erwin continues to hack away at it.

Attack1: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (12) + 16 = 28

Damage: 1d8 + 1d6 + 17 ⇒ (1) + (2) + 17 = 20

Haste: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (9) + 16 = 25

Damage: 1d8 + 1d6 + 17 ⇒ (7) + (6) + 17 = 30

Attack2: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (11) + 11 = 22

Damage: 1d8 + 1d6 + 17 ⇒ (1) + (6) + 17 = 24

Barm strikes with two swords the enemy on the right again.

longsword- haste, inspire courage, flank: 1d20 + 13 + 1 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 13 + 1 + 2 + 2 = 20
damage: 2d6 + 9 + 2 ⇒ (2, 1) + 9 + 2 = 14

shortsword- haste, inspire courage, flank: 1d20 + 10 + 1 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (16) + 10 + 1 + 2 + 2 = 31
damage: 1d8 + 9 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 9 + 2 = 17

HASTE longsword- haste, inspire courage, flank: 1d20 + 13 + 1 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (9) + 13 + 1 + 2 + 2 = 27
damage: 2d6 + 9 + 2 ⇒ (6, 2) + 9 + 2 = 19

longsword- haste, inspire courage, flank: 1d20 + 8 + 1 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (10) + 8 + 1 + 2 + 2 = 23
damage: 2d6 + 9 + 2 ⇒ (1, 5) + 9 + 2 = 17

Any clues as to the operation of the machine, when I examined it last round?

Bramble is to occupied with the battle to understand the battle.
You finally manage to destroy one of the enemys.
The other casts another spell at Barm.

Whose turn is it?

The other casts another spell at Barm.

Which save you need?

fort: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (11) + 8 = 19
ref: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (5) + 7 = 12
will: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (11) + 4 = 15

Mega-Meri hops over the bluish transdimensional vortex surrounding the stacks, landin on the stairs in flanking position for another death strike...

Acrobatics: 1d20 + 20 ⇒ (6) + 20 = 26
Attack: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (19) + 14 = 33 Crit finally
Confirm: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (5) + 14 = 19
Dmg: 2d8 + 14 ⇒ (8, 5) + 14 = 27
Sneak: 4d6 ⇒ (3, 2, 5, 3) = 13

...her sabre striking out with such speed it nearly breaks the sound barrier in the library. No one dare *shhh* Mega-Meri.

Will. Bramble stops attacking.
Unfortunately at the moment Mersiel attacks no one is flanking.
Merisiel you remember that your attack value goes down 2 points -1 to dex,-1 due to size! you do not confirm.

Did you mean Barm stops attacking?
I'll use the dispel wand, specifically on that enemy's effect.

dispel: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (9) + 5 = 14

No, that was a bit crap.

sPELLCRAFT 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (20) + 10 = 30 to identify the spell cast on the fighter

Hold Person!

Round 3:

Assuming Erwin gets into melee position...

Merisiel relentlessly destroys the contraption without really understanding why, her face an expressionless void...

Attack: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (20) + 14 = 34
Confirm: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (13) + 14 = 27
Rapier: 2d8 + 14 ⇒ (6, 8) + 14 = 28
Sneak: 4d6 ⇒ (6, 1, 3, 2) = 12
Attack, Haste: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (10) + 14 = 24
Rapier: 1d8 + 7 ⇒ (8) + 7 = 15
Sneak: 4d6 ⇒ (5, 4, 4, 4) = 17

72 dmg total

Round 3:

Attack1: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (18) + 16 = 34
damage: 1d8 + 1d6 + 16 ⇒ (7) + (3) + 16 = 26

Attack1: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (1) + 16 = 17
damage: 1d8 + 1d6 + 16 ⇒ (4) + (2) + 16 = 22

Attack1: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (6) + 11 = 17
damage: 1d8 + 1d6 + 16 ⇒ (4) + (2) + 16 = 22

Barm stands still.

will: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (7) + 4 = 11

We can't have you standing there all day, Barm, though the sight is nice to admire, when there are enemies to fight as she begins to chant Mrsr area iear ide idathon

Dispel Magic 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (13) + 7 = 20

Under the combined onslaught you manage to destroy the second inveventeable.
But now, that the stress of battle is over, you have time to see your surroundings.
The library is an artificial island in a vast underground lake. Its floor consists of thick marble tiles, and the structure is ringed by a low iron railing that minimizes accidental falls.
You also see the following:
Three statues with outstretched arms surround a giant crystal shard, seeming to hold it aloft without actually touching it. Below the softly glowing crystal swirls a pool of sand,
whose particles coalesce to form tiny, short-lived images of people and cities. A set of wide, tinted lenses are mounted on adjustable arms around the luminous gem, reminiscent of an armillary, each lens focusing the crystal’s light in a faint beam toward one of the eleven columns arrayed to the north.
Each column contains niches sized for scrolls, though most are empty. A shimmering sphere of dark purple energy surrounds the statues, sand, and floating gem.
The cavern’s ceiling rises from 100 feet in height at its edges to over 300 feet over the library.
Above you is a disk that gradually migrates across the cavern’s ceiling, shedding light much like the sun. Or so it should.
Now it begins to travel toward the giant crystal shard, like a meteor hurtling toward a planet in slow motion.
You have now 2 minutes to prevent desaster!

"You smart guys, it's your turn!"

Barm looks around to find something useful.

perception: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (8) + 0 = 8

Know planes 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (4) + 10 = 14 to see if she knows how they might stop the disaster/

"What have we done?" Erwin said looking above. "Perhaps I could run back and fetch Saruna? She might have an answer."

"Not much time for that, at the rate it's descending."

I think now would be the time to use that once/day auto-20 knowledge check.

Can we touch any of the device, or is the purple energy forming a wall?
Toss a pebble through to be sure.

What kind of knowledge check would we need?

After getting an ok from the others, Meri grabs one of the laser like lenses and rotates it so the beam fires upward at the descending disk of doom.

I think knowledge Arcane would work.
With a detect magic and a spellcraft check.
First there is a 15-foot-diameter, semi-transparent sphere of force similar to a resilient sphere surrounds the beacon.
You can can destroy this barrier by dealing enough damage to it, dispel it, or disable it as if it were a magic trap.
Then you can either try to destroy the crystal or try to command it to stop.

Meri thinks she sees the form of an ancient draconic symbol in the lattice work of the crystal...an abjurative rune that made its way into earlier elven alphabets.

Disable Device: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (12) + 17 = 29

I'm not the supporting cast of 'The Dark Crystal', so I've no intention of being squashed by a malfunctioning orrery.

Keep dispelling with the wand. Dispel: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (10) + 5 = 15

OK. Are we trying to dispel then?

The sorcereress will begin to chant and concentrate calling upon her magic to dispel the barrier if the elf cannot disable it.
1d20 + 7 ⇒ (16) + 7 = 23 Dispel Check

While Bramble is unable to dispell it, Merisiel does manage to disarm the barrier by rearranging the runes.
What now?

Do we see something going on?

You mean apart from the magic disk falling on the crystal giving you a bit of a feeling that soon everything will end deadly fire.
Nope!

Erwin glanced around at the various items now that the barrier was gone. "Maybe one of these can help."

He then went to one of the 11 niches that still contained a scroll and attempted to grab it.

The dispel checks didn't make it?

I think the dispel check was unnecessary as Merisel disarmed it before that.

I hope so, that was a good roll from the elf :)

Now we can get at the machine, it's time to draw on the combined wisdom of the halfling hive mind (or any Osirians in the sage jewel, if they want to chime in, now would be great).

Knowledge (arcana) auto 20+15 = 35

With comprehend languages running, I'm holding the sage jewel, and looking for runes which I could read out as commands, or slots to place it.

Each column contains niches sized for scrolls, though most are empty.

Can someone search those columns for useful objects?