Clebsch GM Wrath of the Righteous Adventure Path (Inactive)

Game Master Clebsch73

Karas stopped and stared at the spectacle. They had met the goddess before but seeing her here? In the middle of a den of evil they were sent to retake in her name?

It was so odd he just gawked for a moment.

Sense Motive: 1d20 ⇒ 12

Knowledge (Religion): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (7) + 8 = 15

Anarya approaches, noticing the minor discrepancies in Iomedae's appearance from the artistic depictions she has seen. That's surely not enough to prove an impostor, but she has reason enough to be wary of trickery this deep in the Worldwound.

She speaks no words, her magic coming to her silently as always, but her eyes flash white as her perception sharpens to sense the taint of demons before her gaze.

Anarya casts detect demon.

Ellena walks toward Iomedae, uttering humble words, and presents herself to the goddess. The goddess gives her a passionate kiss on the lips. The paladin shudders slightly, perhaps from the blessing given. She does not withdraw from the kiss, apparently wanting it to continue.

One of the crusaders stands and moves to stand between Avelina and Iomedae, sword raised as if to defend the Goddess from those in the entrance area.

We are in initiative although the reason may not be obvious.

Round 1
Avelina
Raine
C2
Tauni
Karas
Anayra
C4
C1
Iomedae
Ellena 1

Round 2
C3

Raine stood still, slightly confused as she watched Iomedae... well... make out with Ellena, for lack of a better word.

"She.... uh... she's kinda with someone, your... your goddessness...?" she muttered uncertainly, with a little gesture at Avelina.

Delay

Anarya cries out in alarm, "Beware! Demons! I sense their evil!"

If Raine can act based on Anarya's warning:

"Are you sure?" Raine shouted at Anarya, her own initial misgivings and Anarya's warning at odds with the fact that she hadn't been able to tell anything was wrong. Raine's fingers tightened on her bow, uncertainty hardening into resolve. The bow twanged as if plucked by an unseen hand...

"Iomedae wouldn't take someone else's girl! Come on, everyone!!!"

Standard to cast gravity bow, move action to grant all allies within 30' (all the party), a +2 bonus to attack and damage vs evil outsider but only applying to the Possible!Iomedae-- so if she isn't an evil outsider it wouldn't work anyway.

(if Raine cannot act, ignore this post)

Avelina is up. You may act on Anarya's warning.

A thousand different lines of thought ran through Avelina’s mind at once. Iomedae not looking right was a minor quibble, but then just suddenly kissing Ellena? Why Ellena and not herself?! And then Raine suggested...that Ellena was Avelina’s ‘girl’?!? And now Anarya is saying that there are demons and Iomedae isn’t Iomedae? This was all too much...just too much.

Avelina dashed back away from the room, tears in her eyes, desperate for a respite to order her thoughts.

Withdraw

As Avelina retreated in confusion, another of the crusaders stood and moved next to the first. Two crusaders stood shoulder to shoulders, battle ready and silent. Iomedae and Ellena continued their passionate exchange.

Tauni
Karas
Anayra
C4
C1
Iomedae
Ellena

Round 2
C3
Avelina
Raine [may end delay and act]
C2

I missed that. Thanks. I'll add it to my record of actions each round. If anyone has any buffs or injuries or other conditions that affect combat leftover from the previous fights, let me know as you post.

Anarya didn't want to waste any time continuing to focus her divination - but she knew how to channel her power to harm only those impure of heart. Her halo burst into a fiery explosion of power, washing over the room to punish the evil of any within.

Sacred Scourge: 4d6 ⇒ (6, 4, 1, 4) = 15 Regardless of save, this effect deals 7 damage to evil outsiders, and 3 damage to other evil creatures. All must make a DC 23 will save or be Dazed for 1 round.

Unrelenting, her eyes ablaze with power, Anarya's halo flares again, sending out a second wave of power. Anarya uses Quick Channel to do that again as a move action (costs 2 uses).

Sacred Scourge: 4d6 ⇒ (1, 6, 1, 3) = 11 Regardless of save, this effect deals 5 damage to evil outsiders, and 2 damage to other evil creatures. All must make a DC 23 will save or be Dazed for 1 round.

The consequences of Anarya's actions will be revealed after hearing from Tauni and Karas.

Not really knowing exactly what was wrong he trusted his team and moved in to break up the situation.

With his love calling out a demonic presence he wasnt about to let a few a+%%@*% crusaders keep him out besides, Apsu always taught to seek tactical advantages and being outside the room was a disadvantage.

His form shifted and he barreled through the crusaders.

Rage, attempting to bull rush through the crusader in front of him.

Bull Rush: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (12) + 15 = 27
+2 vs demons

I can't seem to access the map. So Tauni will move to try and catch as many PCs when she casts, if someone can move her for me.

Tauni surged forward, eyes darting left and right to track her allies positions. When the timing was right, she reached into her core and tapped the brilliant reserve of energy there. With an arcane phrase, she sent the power unseen to her friends.

Using mythic power to cast mythic haste. She can target six people. Her priorities are Karas and Raine. Then if she can get anyone else, she'll chose Anarya, Ellena, Avelina and then herself.

Mythic haste: When making full attack, make an extra attack at full BAB. +1 bonus on attack rolls. +1 dodge bonus to armor class and reflex saves.Gain an extra move action each round. All modes of movement (including land movement, burrow, climb, fly, and swim) increase by 50 feet, to a maximum of thrice the subject’s normal speed using that form of movement.

Tauni doesn't have to move to reach her allies with this spell, as the farthest is Ellena, just 25 feet in front of Tauni. The left link in my GM header, labeled "Drezen F4-F8" should be the link. Seems to be working and it should work for anyone with the link.

Tauni sent out a surge of magical energy that fills her allies with energy that made the rest of the world seem to move in slow motion.

Karas snarled with rage and ran directly at the crusader in front of him. The defender swung his longsword at Karas but missed and found himself being pushed backwards. The other crusader tried to hit Karas as he went by but also missed the silver blur.

Before narrating what happens due to Anarya's action, Karas has two choices. He has the ability to push the crusader back 15 feet, which will also push the crusader behind the first back 5 feet, putting Karas directly behind Ellena. Or he could just push the crusader back 10 feet or even just 5 feet if he chooses.

Secondly, since he is now hasted, he can take another move action and another attack, since I think he only had to take a five foot step to get into position for the bullrush, so he could consider it part of a full attack action.

I'll take the full 15 ft please, then as my next 'attack' I'd like to take a Drag maneuver on Ellena

Drag Maneuver: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (11) + 15 = 26

The maneuver is successful. Ellena has no ready weapon so no AOO and the roll succeeded by 5, so Karas can drag her up to 10 feet in a straight line. None of the crusaders can make an AOO if he pulls Ellena south 5 or 10 feet.

Karas pulls Ellena away from the embrace of Iomedae. The paladin tries to resist and reaches out her arms, her face crestfallen and full of longing.

I've moved Karas and Ellena 10 feet south, but I'll wait to post the next event to give you a chance to change that to 5 feet.

max distance preffered

Two of the crusaders near Karas raised their broadswords and attacked the tiefling. While they attacked him, they hissed, "Heretic! How dare you interfere with the inheritor's will!" Their blows were deflected by Karas's armor, however.

Meanwhile, Iomedae licked a bit of the blood from her upper lip and opened her arms wide to invite Ellena back. "I wasn't finished blessing you," she said.

Ellena heard noise around her, and even saw movement at her periphery. None of that mattered much to her at this particular point in time, as she was being comforted by Her God. She brushed off her friend and tried to move back into the embrace of Iomedae. There was nothing in the world she wanted more than to be held by her one more time.

Not sure if I’d need to try and break a grapple versus Karas or what. I’ll let you make whatever roll necessary, GM.

Assuming she was able to move back to the welcoming arms of the Inheritor, she does so post haste, smiling as broadly as she’s done in her whole life.

GM

GM, question

if she goes to move back Karas would either trip or grapple her if granted the technical "AoO"

When Ellena tries to return to Iomedae's embrace, Karas grabs her and holds her in place. Ellena struggles to break free, but Karas holds her.

Technically, Ellena is not grappled after the drag CM. And he cannot drag her as he has nowhere to go but a grpple has the same effect of keeping her from returning to possible peril. Ellena and Karas both now have the grappled condition.

The crusader standing nearest the entrance to the chapel attacks Anarya, but his longsword swishes harmlessly through the air as she nimbly avoids the attack.

Round 2
Avelina (haste)
Raine (gravity bow, haste)
C2
Tauni (Haste)
Karas (raging, haste, grappled)
Anayra (haste)
C4
C1
Janeamine (12 lethal, 24 temp hp)

Avelina and Raine are up next.

Karas growled through a draconic maw as he held Ellena back, "Not... My... Deity."

"Craaaaaaaaap," Raine muttered. She looked between Anarya and the swordsman attacking her, and then at 'Iomedae', and gritted her teeth. "Hope you can hang on a second, Anarya... 'm more worried about HER."

[I am not including Raine's Favored Enemy: Evil Outsider bonus, since I do not know for sure if 'Iomedae' is an evil outsider, though I strongly suspect it OOCly. If 'Iomedae' is in fact an evil outsider, all of these attacks, and damage, will be +4 higher. The crusader is also giving cover to Iomedae, which is not factored in in my math.]

Attack one - PBS, haste, mythic rapid shot, deadly aim: 1d20 + 14 + 1 + 1 - 2 - 2 ⇒ (13) + 14 + 1 + 1 - 2 - 2 = 25
Damage - manyshot - gravity bow - PBS, bow, DA: 4d6 + 2 + 6 + 8 ⇒ (3, 5, 5, 5) + 2 + 6 + 8 = 34 If this attack hits and Iomedae is an evil outsider, the damage is +8 higher, not +4, due to manyshot. Using Clustered Shot and cold iron/Nex. Steel arrows.

Attack two (rapidshot) - PBS, haste, mythic rapid shot, deadly aim: 1d20 + 14 + 1 + 1 - 2 - 2 ⇒ (9) + 14 + 1 + 1 - 2 - 2 = 21
Damage - gravity bow - PBS, bow, DA: 2d6 + 1 + 3 + 4 ⇒ (6, 5) + 1 + 3 + 4 = 19

Attack three (rapidshot) - PBS, haste, mythic rapid shot, deadly aim: 1d20 + 14 + 1 + 1 - 2 - 2 ⇒ (7) + 14 + 1 + 1 - 2 - 2 = 19
Damage - manyshot - gravity bow - PBS, bow, DA: 2d6 + 1 + 3 + 4 ⇒ (5, 5) + 1 + 3 + 4 = 18

Attack four (iterative) - PBS, haste, mythic rapid shot, deadly aim: 1d20 + 9 + 1 + 1 - 2 - 2 ⇒ (16) + 9 + 1 + 1 - 2 - 2 = 23
Damage - manyshot - gravity bow - PBS, bow, DA: 2d6 + 1 + 3 + 4 ⇒ (4, 4) + 1 + 3 + 4 = 16

Attack five (hasted attack) - PBS, haste, mythic rapid shot, deadly aim: 1d20 + 14 + 1 + 1 - 2 - 2 ⇒ (14) + 14 + 1 + 1 - 2 - 2 = 26
Damage - manyshot - gravity bow - PBS, bow, DA: 2d6 + 1 + 3 + 4 ⇒ (1, 1) + 1 + 3 + 4 = 10

At the end of her bowsplosion, Raine took a step back, wanting to give Anarya an escape route if necessary. 5-ft step after firing, but I was within 30' for the attacks.

Avelina is technically up, but I doubt her action will force a ret-con of Raine's attacks.

Raine's bow heated up from all the energy it channeled in firing too many arrows to see as anything but a blur of blue. All but one of the arrows pierced the body of the apparent deity. The blood that flowed from the wounds stained her garments red, but the crimson flow gradually turned darker and darker.

As I understand the mythic haste rules Raine could actually take a move action; she doesn't need to just take a five-foot-step, unless that's all she wants to move.

Avelina is up.

(I'm fine with just moving the 5 feet, thanks.)

Raine stared down in awe at her bow, honestly surprised in her own right she had shot as well as she had. ...boy she really hoped it WASN'T Iomedae. That'd be awkward.

Hearing the sounds of battle, Avelina peers back into the chapel and what she sees leaves her more confused than before. A crusader attacking Anarya, Iomedae with four arrows in her chest and stomach. She freezes, trying to decide what to do.

I'm not sure how Avelina would react, so I'm going to leave her on delay. If she posts soon, I can let it be a retco to her point in initiative. If not, she'll get a grip by the start of her next turn, I'm going to assume.

The crusader who was farthest from the front of the chapel runs up the west side of the chamber to take a defensive position in front of Iodmedae.

C2 is fighting defensively; +4 to his AC.

Next up:
Tauni (Haste)
Karas (raging, haste, grappled but he can end this condition by letting go of Ellena.)
Anayra (haste)

This has been a rough weekend, emotionally, so sorry. I think keeping her in delay makes sense

Tauni looked past Anarya at the crusader assailing her. With a whisper, she enchanted the warrior's sword, hoping to disarm the traitor.

Casting grease on C3's sword. DC 15 reflex save or it is well and truly lubed up.

The crusader adjusted his grip and held onto his longsword.

Karas and Anarya are up.
Karas (raging, haste, grappled but he can end this condition by letting go of Ellena.)
Anayra (haste)

Karas released his grip on Ellena and started clawing and biting at the surrounding "Crusaders"

Bite/claw/claw/haste bite, starting on immediate left and if he goes down then move to the next

Bite, PA, Haste: 1d20 + 15 - 2 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 15 - 2 + 1 = 18
Bite Damage, PA: 1d6 + 15 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 15 + 4 = 20
Bite Cold Damage, PA: 1d6 ⇒ 3

Claw 1, PA, Haste: 1d20 + 15 - 2 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 15 - 2 + 1 = 21
Claw Damage, PA: 1d8 + 11 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 11 + 4 = 18

Claw 2, PA, Haste: 1d20 + 15 - 2 + 1 ⇒ (12) + 15 - 2 + 1 = 26
Claw Damage, PA: 1d8 + 11 + 4 ⇒ (8) + 11 + 4 = 23
Claw Rend Damage, if both claws hit: 1d6 ⇒ 6

Hasted Bite, PA, Haste: 1d20 + 15 - 2 + 1 ⇒ (16) + 15 - 2 + 1 = 30
Bite Damage, PA: 1d6 + 15 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 15 + 4 = 21
Bite Cold Damage, PA: 1d6 ⇒ 3

He then moved in front of Ellena in a flash and blocked her path again.

Karas's attacks rend the two crusaders, who fall like wheat before the scythe. (41 to C4, 47 to C1, both are dead.)

Anarya is up. She is hasted and the last to act before "Iomedae" acts, unless Avelina comes out of delay.

She touched her holy symbol and pointed to a spot near the figure who looked like Iomedae and the crusaders defending her. A burst of bright light flashed, bathing them in blinding light.

After the light faded, the two crusaders and Iodmedae herself appear to be blinded. Iomedae, however, had burns all over her body, her robes burned as if from the inside out. 14 to 'Iomedae.'

Seeing the damage, Anarya shouted, "She is an imposter, probably a demon, the crusaders are charmed." As she yelled, she moved past the blinded crusaders and put herself between Ellena and the Iomedae imposter.

The imposter snarled like a beast and vanished.

Ellena (haste)

Still in initiative, but the two remaining crusaders are blinded and will be fighting defensively with readied attacks on any who attack them, once it comes to their turn in the initiative.

Ellena was so confused. She had been torn from such exquisite bliss. And her friends seemed upset. And now The Inheritor was gone. She was struck mute by the strangeness of it all.

She closed her eyes and fell to her knees trying to make sense of everything happening.

attempted spellcraft 1: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 5 = 8
attempted spellcraft 2: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (11) + 5 = 16 no and no

"Where'd she go!? Is she invisible?" Raine cried out helplessly. "The crusaders are charmed? Good to know--"

In lieu of her true target, Raine drew and knocked and loosed at the crusaders-- though her fingers plucked forth arrows other than the Nexavaran steel ones. These arrows had heads wrapped in leather and batting.

(Full attack #3 with blunted arrows, doing non lethal; if #3 drops she will shift to #2)

Attack one - PBS, haste, mythic rapid shot, NL: 1d20 + 14 + 1 + 1 - 2 - 4 ⇒ (20) + 14 + 1 + 1 - 2 - 4 = 30 Potential critical
Damage - manyshot - gravity bow - PBS, bow: 4d6 + 2 + 6 ⇒ (1, 1, 2, 1) + 2 + 6 = 13

Confirm #1?: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (3) + 10 = 13 I will assume not

Attack two (rapidshot) - PBS, haste, mythic rapid shot: 1d20 + 14 + 1 + 1 - 2 - 4 ⇒ (16) + 14 + 1 + 1 - 2 - 4 = 26
Damage - gravity bow - PBS, bow: 2d6 + 1 + 3 ⇒ (3, 5) + 1 + 3 = 12

Attack three (rapidshot) - PBS, haste, mythic rapid shot: 1d20 + 14 + 1 + 1 - 2 - 4 ⇒ (7) + 14 + 1 + 1 - 2 - 4 = 17
Damage - manyshot - gravity bow - PBS, bow: 2d6 + 1 + 3 ⇒ (2, 2) + 1 + 3 = 8

Attack four (iterative) - PBS, haste, mythic rapid shot: 1d20 + 9 + 1 + 1 - 2 - 4 ⇒ (12) + 9 + 1 + 1 - 2 - 4 = 17
Damage - manyshot - gravity bow - PBS, bow: 2d6 + 1 + 3 ⇒ (5, 1) + 1 + 3 = 10

Attack five (hasted attack) - PBS, haste, mythic rapid shot: 1d20 + 14 + 1 + 1 - 2 - 4 ⇒ (7) + 14 + 1 + 1 - 2 - 4 = 17
Damage - manyshot - gravity bow - PBS, bow: 2d6 + 1 + 3 ⇒ (6, 4) + 1 + 3 = 14

Since the targets are blinded, the AC is low enough that the first crit confirmed. Last shot not needed.

It soon became apparent that the Iomedae imposter was no longer present, having teleported out.

Melee over. No one took any wounds. Indicate how you intend to deal with the unconscious crusaders.

Avelina returned to the chapel, after getting ahold of her emotions. She sheepishly asked what happened.

While looking through the chapel, Raine's sharp eyes spotted a fine crack in the stonework along the wall at the back of the chapel, which turned out to be a secret door. Once opened, it revealed a small room with two statues midway into it. They each depicted an armored woman with her sword raised. Numerous smashed and empty chests sat on the floor.

Aron, however, had told the team that this was a false vault meant to make looters think they had found the treasure room of the citadel. The room, Aron said, contained another secret door, which Raine again spotted, that was supposed to hold the Sword of Valor banner. Opening this door, revealed a large room, about 50 feet north to south and 20 feet wide. At the north end stood a statue of an armored woman in whose hands was a metal rod which raised up and displayed a magnificent banner depicting a sword before a sunburst. Just south of the statue sat a gleaming alabaster altar. Another four statues flanked the room, each wearing a real suit of metal armor, while to the south hung a tattered red and gold tapestry.

Role play your actions in the aftermath of the battle and indicate what you do with regard to the contents of the secret vault. I've placed the PCs in the secret vault on the map. Any action taken in this room should take no more than a single round to complete.

Ellena still wasn’t 100% sure what happened. She didn’t feel like herself, feeling totally drained of energy. She didn’t even celebrate the group’s recovering the Sword of Valor banner.

After things calmed down a bit, she took a moment to speak to the group. She kept her head down; not even able to look at her friends, especially Avelina. ”I don’t know exactly what happened to me back there. I though Iomedae was....paying me particular attention for some reason. Apparently it wasn’t her, and I was duped by whatever that thing was. I’m sorry for messing up.”

When Raine declared that the vault can be entered, Tauni carefully proceeded. She looks around with reverence, but after a cursory look, she casts a spell to open her awareness to magical auras.

Tauni will cast detect magic on the contents of the room, and the room itself. She'll make mental notes of what she sees, but she won't say anything in the vault (unless it looks like it poses an immediate threat. Instead, she'll wait until they are outside of the room to relay what she saw inside.

"I think it was a succubus," Raine said soberly in response to Ellena's chagrined statement. "'s not your fault. I've heard of them. They can change their very forms and... charm your mind... all sorts of things. You alright, Ellena? You look done in. Damn these demons..."

She helped the others search through the area, shaking her head. "Prob'ly these poor bastards got whammied by her too. No shame in it. We should truss 'em to be safe though, take them back with us..."

Raine let out a low whistle at seeing the tapestry. "Is that it? What alla this bleeding was for? ...kinda thought it'd be bigger."

Note: the tapestry is on the south wall near the secret door just entered. The Sword of Valor is apparently the banner held aloft by the statue of Iomedae at the north end of the room.

After losing sight of the imposter, Karas waited a few crucial seconds waiting for companions to call out if she was really gone.

Then the fatigue hit him as he returned to normal with a few pops as bone resituated itself.

He made sure the others were ok before following Raine and Tauni into the false vault and keeping a watchful eye out.

Tauni told the group that her search for magic within the banner vault showed that one suit of mithral plate armor of the four that were fitted to the statues was glowed with abjuration magic. Everyone could see that all of the suits were full plate armor that gleamed without hint of tarnish.

But she also said that the banner, the Sword of Valor, only manifested a faint aura of illusion magic. It might be a fake, for a powerful artifact would have an equally powerful aura that would be hard to disguise. She advised caution.

As the group approached the statue with the banner with the gleaming alabaster altar in front of it, nothing seemed amiss until the statue and the altar formed white tentacles that shot out at Karas and Ellena on the front rank. The tentacles gave each fighter a powerful blow. 12 to Karas, 11 to Ellena. But worse, the tentacles were covered in a strong adhesive that stuck to the two. Both are grappled.

I'll set up knowledge checks to see who recognizes these monsters, and I'll roll initiative, but for now this is all I have time to do. Post and I'll 'bot those who don't/can't post to keep things moving at a reasonable clip.

Avelina was quiet and sullen as the party continued. She had lacked in...something, as she had clearly failed whatever test she was given, but calculating the enormity of her failure was difficult. She ran away when presented with a challenge that she should have been able to face. Why did she do that? Was it the sight of the supposed-Inheritor embracing someone else? Or was it who she embraced? Was she jealous? If so, of who? As she followed the others, her head hanging low, she spoke quietly and sullen, as though a different person.

"I'm...sorry. Everyone. There is no excuse. I failed you. I don't expect you to forgive me."

Both Raine and Tauni recognize what these creatures are. They can both read the general information spoiler below. Each can also read one additional spoiler for knowledge.

Note: assume about 15 minutes have gone by since the end of the previous battle. If any magic effects are still active, indicate it when you post.

GM, can I attack with Radiance while grappled, or just a dagger type weapon?

Grappled only prevents you from two-handing things; one-handing a longsword should be fine.

"Mimics! We have to get them free before they start constricting them!"

Tauni gestured with a wand, and a stalagmite of ice punched up from the floor underneath the mimic holding Ellena.

Ice Spears, 2d6 ⇒ (3, 6) = 9 piercing and 2d6 ⇒ (5, 1) = 6 cold damage.
Trip attack 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (7) + 6 = 13. DC 14 reflex for half damage and to negate the trip attack.

Ellena screamed in pain, but wasn’t about to go down without a fight. She swung her b,are at the tentacles around her.

Attack 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (20) + 15 = 35
Damage 1d8 + 7 ⇒ (8) + 7 = 15

Attack 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (18) + 10 = 28
Damage 1d8 + 7 ⇒ (1) + 7 = 8

——-

Possible Crit 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (19) + 15 = 34
Damage 1d8 + 7 ⇒ (2) + 7 = 9