DM Bigrin's Shattered Star (Group B) (Inactive)

Game Master bigrin42

Shabbezz finished pacing and made a a square with her thumbs and index fingers, framing the face of the statue in her vision.

"Based on what I know of her, I am 100% certain this is a statue of Alaznist, the Runlord of Wrath, in all her heinous glory. Which is quite a find in and of itself, but considering that we're on the trail of the next shard, I'd say it indicates that we're on a promising track."

I'll wait until everyone else speaks their piece, but I'm tentatively suggesting that we take the east door, based on the fact that that seems to be the direction of the statue's hand that's carrying the ranseur.

"Perhaps the polearm can give us a clue?" Tialara suggested as her gaze fixed upon the weapon.

"You know, with a strong grip and a bit of a tug, we can probably claim that weapon for ourselves. Not my style per se, but Buggy here recently took a liking to keeping a little distance." She notes eyeing the obviously apparent value of the weapon greedily.

Krass felt the hairs rising on the back of his neck. "Take a weapon that is carried by a woman like this? It feels like we'd be taunting the gods and their bastard offspring .. but fine, I won't be using it tho."

"I don't know about the gods," Shabbezz said cautiously, "but it's long been common practice for powerful spellcasters to ward their possessions with nasty surprises to deter sticky-fingered intruders, and Alaznist was renowned for her cruelty. The type of people who would build a statue of someone as nasty as her down this far and guard it with a larva don't strike me as the type to skimp on security for their valuables. Perhaps it would be safer to leave the polearm be."

She stepped over and gestured toward the eastern door.

"Instead, maybe we could take it's placement in her left hand is an indicator of which direction we should explore next, barring any better suggestions."

"I don't know how to use that thing; I'd say let's just leave it and take it on the way out... but then again, we forgot about the centipedes, we'll probably forget this too." he pauses a few moments then says "Let's grab it after we have most of the party through the door. I'll volunteer if nobody else does." Harbug casts a quick spell and looks over the statue.

Detect magic.
Spellcraft: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (2) + 8 = 10

Angelica screws up her face, "What are you all fretting about? Seriously, Krass goes from talking about eating devil maggot to worried about taking a sweet weapon off of a statue. I looked the thing over, and I didn't find any threats. Besides, I thought these 'Runelords' were all dead and gone? Otherwise, all their stuff wouldn't have gone to crap like it has. Here, I'll do it, if you're all too 'scared'." With that she steps up and tries to pull the weapon out of the statue's hands, mumbling to herself "If it's one thing I've learned, you never leave the really high quality items behind."

The ranseur slid easily from the statue's hand and Angelica was left with a rather nice cold iron weapon. Nothing sparked, fizzed, or went boom, and she cast a withering glare at both Harbug and Krass.

The grippli shrugged her shoulders.

"I can deal with being wrong as long as I'm alive to admit it. Now that that matter is settled, shall we go onward?"

Angelica checked the door that Shabbezz had indicated, then motioned for Krass to open it. The door opened smoothly inwards, forcing Krass back, and beyond was a short hallway that opened into another room. Standing in the room, but moving towards you are a couple of vaguely humanoid creatures that look like mannequins made from wax and then partially melted. They each hold a dark spear in their hands, and their melted facial features are held in a semi-permanent scream of agony.

Krass moved up ahead and braced for impact. With mithral sword in hand, he waited for the creatures towards him. "Stay behind me!"

Move to L-44. Standard action: full defense. AC > 27 / Touch 19.

Darting closer to the door to get a peak at the attacking beings, Shabbezz searched her memory to discern what manner of creature they might be.

Move to M-40.

Knowledge (planes) to find out what these things are, qualities, vulnerabilities, etc.:
Knowledge (planes): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (19) + 8 = 27

Knowledge Planes: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (5) + 6 = 11
Harbug moves to a defensive position behind Krass while peering at the creatures.
Move to M-43 with Longspear drawn; EITHER: 1) If I know they are susceptible to mind affecting effects, or I don't know either way, use Evil Eye vs. Saves (DC 13 will, failed save = 5 rounds, saved = 1 round) on the one in N-49; 2) If I DO know they are immune to mind affecting effects, then ready an action to attack if one comes within range of my longspear (L or M 45).

Angelica moves up to beside Harbug, with her rapier in hand, and prepares to attack the first one that comes into range.

Move to L43, drawing Rapier
Ready to attack if an enemy gets in range 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (2) + 5 = 7

Are the spears metal?

Tialara moved to the door. Upon seeing an appropriate spot next to Krass, she drew upon a portion of her mystical energy, as well as the surrounding ambient flow, and began chanting her strange language.

Move to L-41, Use Place Magic for +1 Caster Level, Convert Fog Cloud to Summon Nature's Ally II (Water Elemental) at M-44. Also, is my Spirit Sense always on?

Definitely metal spears, or at least spears with metal tips

Shabbezz and Harbug immediately identify the creatures as nupperibos, a minor form of devil. Shabezz remembers from her studies that nupperibos are fairly mindless, ignoring all but the most powerful of mental effects. She also recalls that they are rather fragile, essentially the slave troops of the devil commanders. Their relative fragility is offset by damage reduction against any but good or silver weaponry.

As the companions formed a defensive position, the nupperibos shuffled forward, looking more like wax-covered skeletons than living creatures. They mindlessly attack the nearest target, and Krass fended the blows off with raised shield.

"Stay behind me! I got this."

Attack: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (8) + 8 = 16
Damage: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4
Mithral counts as silver weaponry ;o

Angelica, hearing their weakness to silver, drops her rapier as useless this fight and draws the silver dagger she carries. Stepping up beside Krass, she stabs proddingly also at the one in front of Krass, hoping to help at least a little.

Free, Drop rapier
Move, draw MW Silver dagger
5' to M44
Attack the one in M45 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (13) + 6 = 19, damage 1d4 ⇒ 1

Devils, eh? Even though Shabbezz wasn't happy to encounter them, she was somewhat pleased to remember that she hadn't used up any of the silver crossbow bolts she had brought to deal with the wererats. Well, waste not, want not.

Draw light crossbow as a move action.

Load crossbow with a silver bolt (1 of 10) as a move action.

Move to M-42.

GM, can I change my summon location to M-46?

"Gah. They're mindless. Looks like we'll be doing this the usual way." Harbug grouses as he stabs past Krass.

Attack on L-45

Longspear, cover: 1d20 + 5 - 4 ⇒ (3) + 5 - 4 = 4; dmg if hit: 1d8 + 6 ⇒ (5) + 6 = 11

Tia - sure can, and yes Spirit Sense is always active. Any time you make a perc check (active or passive)

Krass and Angelica drop one of the devils, and the others came on mindlessly. Tialara finished summoning her water elemental just as the nupperibos counterattacked Angelica and Krass. Neither of the two were injured, though the mindless devils didn't seem to care that they were horrifically outclassed.

The hobgoblin warrior presses the assault.

attack: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (1) + 8 = 9
damage: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 = 8

Once formed completely, the Child of Farrigath struck out at the creature in front of it.

Elemental Melee w/ Flank: 1d20 + 5 + 2 ⇒ (19) + 5 + 2 = 26

Elemental Damage: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6

The Druid pulled out the healing wand and held to see if anyone was hurt.

Tia, an elemental's slams are sadly not energy damage. It's just normal slam damage (for example look at fire elemental's burn ability which says in addition to normal damage they do fire damage).

Angelica takes advantage of the new ally on the other side of the foe before her, and uses it to help find a weak spot on the thing.

Attack with flank 1d20 + 6 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 6 + 2 = 23, damage with sneak attack 1d4 ⇒ 2 plus 2d6 ⇒ (2, 4) = 6

I didn't mean it as energy damage, I was just noting that it's my Elemental attacking.

Oh, sorry for that then. Looking back, I see that you labeled both attack and damage as elemental. Still early for me, I should wake up more before posting.

GM Bigrin, I declared that Shabbezz had moved to M-42 in the last round. I don't blame you for that--that line of text was pushed directly underneath my avatar icon and looks hard to see.

Taking advantage of her small size, Shabbezz sidles up behind Krass and takes a shot at the nupperibo he is engaged with.

Move to L-43

Standard action to fire the crossbow with the silver bolt. There is a –4 penalty on the attack roll for firing into melee. The nupperibo gets a +4 bonus to AC becaus Krass's body provides it with soft cover.
Light crossbow with silver ammunition: 1d20 ⇒ 12
Damage: 1d6 ⇒ 2

Reload crossbow with another silver bolt (1 of 9) as a move action.

Harbug also starts to stab at the creature with an elemental on the other side of it.
Attacking M-45
Longspear, Soft Cover, Flank: 1d20 + 5 - 4 + 2 ⇒ (9) + 5 - 4 + 2 = 12; Dmg if hit: 1d8 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 10

Firing into a scrum is never easy, which Shabbezz found out as she tried to wing a silver quarrel into the nupperibo in front of her. The bolt missed wildly, and the frog-lady cursed as she tried to quickly reload. The elemental and Angelica crushed the devil between them, while krass and Harbug managed to simply distract the other.

"Only one left! Let's chop him up!"

Attack: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (10) + 8 = 18
Damage: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6

Angelica tucks and rolls to get into the space behind the odd melted wax man, striking again with the advantage she so loves to have on her enemies.

Acrobatics to move to L46 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (16) + 10 = 26
Attack with flank 1d20 + 6 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 6 + 2 = 14, damage with sneak attack 1d4 ⇒ 1 plus 2d6 ⇒ (6, 1) = 7

The point of the grippli's crossbow weaves in the air as she tries once again to draw a bead on the remaining devil around her companions.

Standard action to fire the crossbow with the silver bolt. There is a –4 penalty on the attack roll for firing into melee. The nupperibo gets a +4 bonus to AC becaus Krass's body provides it with soft cover.
Light crossbow with silver ammunition: 1d20 ⇒ 11
Damage: 1d6 ⇒ 5

Reload crossbow with another silver bolt (1 of 8) as a move action.

As the creature fell, the Elemental turned to the other.

Elemental Melee: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (18) + 5 = 23

Elemental Damage: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 3 = 7

Just realized, I didn't post MY action. *Facepalm*

The Catfolk, weighing her actions carefully, decided to hold back and heal anyone injured.

Harbug, tired of trying to stab past the others, drops his longspear and pulls out his falchion, bellows at the creature and moves in to destroy it.

Drop longspear, 5-goot step to Angelica's former spot (M-44), attack with Falchion

Falchion: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (9) + 5 = 14; Dmg if hit: 2d4 + 6 ⇒ (3, 4) + 6 = 13

The remaining nupperibo went down under a hail of metal, and the room was quiet once more. The devils had almost nothing on them, and the spears they carried were barely worth the name. The room they were in opened out to a staircase heading downwards.

Here's the map

"What was it that we just defeated? Sure ain't look humanoid, sure doesn't seem to be from this world." and he spat at the slain devils to underscore his disgust for the vile creatures. "So, back and through the other doors first? You pick a door Angel."

"They're called nupperibos," Shabbezz answered Krass, "a minor form of devil. They essentially serve as slave troops for devil commanders, and are practically mindless. So much the better for us that they seemed incapable of implementing advanced strategies."

She put away her crossbow and waited for Angelica's guidance.

Harbug retrieves his spear before saying "I suppose we should check the other door before we go down the stairway, unless you see something pressing, Angelica."

"I agree with Harbug, we should check the other doors to make sure nothing sneaks up on us." Tialara said as she loaded her sling.

Angelica just seems to be nodding along, collecting her dropped rapier, and giving the room a quick once over before she realizes that they are actually asking her to make the decision. She looks at them somewhat surprised, used to being brusque and telling others what to do, but not being asked before she does so. "Um, oh, okay sweeties. Let's check this room for anything worthwhile, then go to the next door in the rotation. We came from the north, went east, so south is next."

With that, she looks for anything of note before they leave the room, and she ensures they shut the door behind them when they do.

Perception 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (15) + 8 = 23
+1 vs traps, and +4 vs stone like creatures

Angelica moved to open the door to the south, carefully checking it for traps first. The door opened onto a stairway that appeared to head downwards ten feet or so, before intersecting a crossing hallway.

Here's the map

"Whoever designed this place made sure that there are many ways that lead to Absalom.. let's check the last door, just to be sure? And if there's nothing there but a flight of stairs, let's just go down."

"Sounds good." Harbug mutters as he takes a position near the door with his spear ready.
Move to K-35

Angelica holds up a finger in pause, "Hold on, just let me look down each direction from the bottom of the stairs. Make sure no surprises come up them to find us here." With that, she sneaks down to where the stairs meet the hallway, and peers around the corner. It's really just a cursory look, making her way down, looking each way, and returning.

Stealth 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (2) + 10 = 12
Perception 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (2) + 8 = 10
+1 vs traps, and +4 vs stone like creatures

Shabbezz waits quietly as the changeling finishes her reconnaissance of the area.

Angelica crept down the stairs to find that they did indeed end in a hallways the went a considerable distance to both sides. Pausing to listen carefully, she heard no signs of movement down either direction and climbed back up the stairs to report. The western door of the entry chamber also opened into a long hallway, one that went beyond the reach of her darkvision.

Here's the map

"Your call, Angel."