DM Brainiac's War for the Crown: Table 1 (Inactive)

Game Master Brainiac

Well that saves on shouting at least! And some truly crappy rolls! :) Sorry folks - looks like Mel isn't going to be much use in this fight!

The psychopomp was scaring her for more mundane reasons after it mauled Sara.

Realising that she was even more vulnerable than Sara, she shifted back from the creature and downed her shield extract. It would leave the others open to it charging them, but she wasn't really going to stop that anyway.

5-foot step back, drinking shield extract to bump her AC to 26. Round 2 of Studied Combat.

So with Maria having higher initiative than Mel, then there's no -4 and Mel hits? ;) If not I'll just have to stop posting first and wait my turn! :D

That... is technically correct.

RETCON:

As Maria flies back a few feet, it gives Melodie a clear shot! Her chakrm slices through the psychopomp's wing with a resounding clang, shearing off a portion of it and leaving the creature floundering in pain.

Safina manages to hit one more time among her trio of shots. The vanth is faltering now. A few more good hits might bring it down!

Dignity's Barb: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (9) + 14 = 231d20 + 14 ⇒ (11) + 14 = 251d20 + 9 ⇒ (14) + 9 = 23
Damage: 1d8 + 12 ⇒ (4) + 12 = 16

Sara and Zhi are up!

Zhi flails away at the intimidating creature. However, the lack of protective magics surrounding her leaves her feeling vulnerable. Even channeling all of Koriana's magic into attacking seems a far cry from what she should be able to accomplish.

Rapier Attack: 1d20 + 9 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 9 + 1 = 18 haste
Rapier Damage: 1d6 + 5 ⇒ (2) + 5 = 7

Rapier Attack: 1d20 + 9 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 9 + 1 = 14 haste
Rapier Damage: 1d6 + 5 ⇒ (2) + 5 = 7

Koriana's Blade Attack: 1d20 + 11 + 1 ⇒ (19) + 11 + 1 = 31 haste
Koriana's Blade Damage: 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10

Koriana's Blade Critical Confirm: 1d20 + 11 + 1 ⇒ (16) + 11 + 1 = 28 haste
Koriana's Blade Damage: 1d6 ⇒ 5

Current Effects: haste - 5 rounds
Koriana's Blade: +4 to-hit/damage
Current AC: 17

The psychopomp parries Zhi's rapier thrusts, but Koriana's Blade slices through its ribcage, leaving a jagged wound behind. The creature turns its masked gaze to the rogue, hands tightening on its scythe.

Sara is up!

Zhi's blood goes cold as the being's eyes focus on her. She refuses to show weakness, though. She continues to take an offensive stance with her weapons hoping to distract it long enough to allow Sara her chance to put the creature down.

Hopefully Sara will finish it off or I have a feeling Zhi will be doing her impression of sliced salami.

Zileska's init count is before Zhi's, so when I rejoin combat and flank with Zhi, I should get an AoO from Zhi's crit and Zhi should get sneak attack dice from the flank

Never knowing when to quit, Sara awakens, gives Zileska a quick peck on the cheek and a "you're an angel, darling," before flipping up her hood and rocketing back towards the xanth as a lion.

The lion roars and bites into the creature, attempting to grasp it firmly in its mouth, before slashing at it with its claws; Zhi's magic allows the lion time to bite again, and and as Zhi pushes her magic weapon deep into the servitor, the lion strikes once more, a third terrible bite.

To Hit, Beast Form, Pounce, Bite, Outflank, Haste, Power Attack: 1d20 + 15 + 2 + 4 + 1 - 3 ⇒ (18) + 15 + 2 + 4 + 1 - 3 = 37
Damage: 1d8 + 6 + 6 ⇒ (8) + 6 + 6 = 20
Grab: 1d20 + 19 + 2 + 4 + 1 - 3 ⇒ (1) + 19 + 2 + 4 + 1 - 3 = 24
To Hit Beast Form, Pounce, Claw, Outflank, Haste, Power Attack: 1d20 + 15 + 2 + 4 + 1 - 3 ⇒ (14) + 15 + 2 + 4 + 1 - 3 = 331d20 + 15 + 2 + 4 + 1 - 3 ⇒ (19) + 15 + 2 + 4 + 1 - 3 = 38
Damage: 1d4 + 6 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 + 6 = 161d4 + 6 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 + 6 = 16
Haste Extra Attack, Bite: 1d20 + 15 + 4 + 1 - 3 ⇒ (18) + 15 + 4 + 1 - 3 = 35
Damage: 1d8 + 6 + 6 ⇒ (1) + 6 + 6 = 13
Grab: 1d20 + 19 + 4 + 1 - 3 ⇒ (5) + 19 + 4 + 1 - 3 = 26
AoO, Bite: 1d20 + 15 + 4 + 1 - 3 ⇒ (15) + 15 + 4 + 1 - 3 = 32
Damage: 1d8 + 6 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 + 6 = 16
Grab: 1d20 + 19 + 4 + 1 - 3 ⇒ (5) + 19 + 4 + 1 - 3 = 26

I think the lion cloak is a standard action to activate, but your attack roll was high enough to hit in normal form as well, and that coupled with your AoO and Zhi's sneak attack will do the trick.

Sara rockets back up and strikes the vanth from behind. As Zhi's blade sinks into its breastbone, the brawler crushes its skull with another powerful blow! Its mask deformed and ruined, the psychopomp crashes to the ground, lying still.

The vanth has bracers of armor +3 and a +1 conductive mithral scythe.

You're right, I was reading "flip the hood up" as a free action cause that's easy, but it's definitely intended to be use-activated/standard action type s##~.

Sara descends and crushes the mask with her heel. "Sorry Pharasma," she mutters as she examines the scythe. "Not quite ready to go to you yet."

Sara descends and crushes the mask with her heel. "Sorry Pharasma," she mutters as she examines the scythe. "Not quite ready to go to you yet."

"I'll never be ready," Zhi says as she stows her blades.

She glances over at the Prince. "So what's so special about this kid that warranted an actual psychopomp? There's undead all over the place. People get raised all the time. What's different with him?"

Any claims on the goodies?

Carrius looks afraid and confused.

Gliding back down to the others, Maria looked over the psychopomp’s corpse. ”It could have something to do with how he was brought back. The notes we found didn’t sound like they referred to a ‘typical’ method of resurrection. Hopefully Martella has people able to give his soul a proper examination.” As she spoke, she made sure to keep her voice low enough that Carrius couldn’t hear.

"Why does it matter how he was raised?" Zhi says, lowering her voice. "What's the ... ?" She shakes her head as she trails off. "I guess it doesn't really matter right now. Let's just get him back the Birdsong Palace and then he can be someone else's problem."

"I'll ask Calistria tomorrow," says Zileska.

She seems very serious.

Then she resumes her usual cheerleader-mom demeanor and says, "Here, let me fix everyone up."

Channel: Healing: 5d6 ⇒ (5, 6, 1, 4, 5) = 21

Melodie examines the equipment and then compares the bracers to her own. "Can I keep these? They have the same enchantments as mine, but the magic is quite a bit stronger. Unless you want them?" She directs that comment at her wife. "They won't be quite as good as conjured armor, but at least they always work."

That done she moves quickly to shepherd Carridus onto the boat. "I think we'd best leave now..."

Sometime later, once she's had time to properly check the scythe she calls out to Zileska. "Zil, I know you like your whips but do you want to try this thing? The enchantments on it are to help channel magic through the blade... it seems like something you might find useful? If not maybe we could get it melted down and reforged, into a rapier perhaps? I think the enchantments would hold as long as the metal stayed in a single mass..."

You like the scythe Zil? Otherwise I'd say lets try and get it turned into something else mithril and useful.

"If they'll keep you safe, then they're yours, Printesa Mea," Zhi says with a smile and a slight bow.

"Not really my style," says Zileska, "but thank you. Maybe we can gift it to the church of Pharasma in exchange for them telling us why the heck we are getting crazy death-angels from their boss."

"Well let's just hope it was only the one, shall we?" Melodie responds as she swaps the new bracers for her old ones. "I don't want to go through a fight like that again too often! Maybe we can just have a nice peaceful trip up the river and back home?"

You quickly make your way to the waiting barge and soon leave the city behind, heading south back towards Meratt. The first leg of the journey out of Yanmass starts out peaceful enough. Nothing untoward happens on the first day on the river. In the morning, Zileska lights several candles in her cabin as she prepares to commune with her goddess...

Ok, now I'm nervous. :)

Zileska's morning is spent in prayer and preparation. After she finishes her morning prayers, clad in her robe she warns the other ladies, "I am going to attempt something difficult... I am going to ask Calistria, or one of her proxies, for confirmation of some of the things that recently happened. I'm going to try to narrow down what exactly is going on with Carrius."

"This will take a little preparation time because I have to use some expensive materials to put myself into the proper liminal and blessed state to be able to communicate directly with a representative of my goddess. Sorry to delay our travels, but hopefully this will be useful to us."

She returns to the cabin and sets up her quarters like a boudoir preparing for seduction: Expensive perfume, exotic incense, low magical lighting and the best she can do with the bedding to make an inviting, flower-festooned setting. She stays in her eveningwear as she kneels on the bed and concentrates in prayer.

Whispering she says, "Calistria, I call out for your guidance, for I do not know why I have come under the gaze of the other divinities, and as your devoted disciple I would know what I must to do right this imbalance before it becomes a war between goddesses."

She starts with, "Is Pharasma responsible for sending psychopomps to try to kill us?"

DM, I'm going to try to stick to yes/no questions, because even though the spell can give short responses, Zileska doesn't want to push it when she's already asking a big boon from her goddess. The intent behind question #1 here is to find out if we are now somehow directly on Pharasma's divine radar, which would be Very Bad. Next questions in the sequence will depend on the response here.

The response comes, a throaty chuckle followed by a sensual purr. "No."

#2

"Has Carrius' return from death in some fashion upset the 'natural order' in a way that is drawing the attention of supernatural creatures?"

Intent here is to try to figure out if Carrius is the source of this problem.

"Just that one," comes the reply, her tone the equivalent of an eye roll.

#3

Zileska's brow furrows slightly and she continues, "Was Prince Carrius restored in a fashion other than the divine miracle of raise dead, resurrection, true resurrection, or a spell or item emulating one of these?"

Basically, was Carrius brought back in some effed-up way that would explain some of this.

"Yes," comes the response.

#4

”Was Prince Carrius’ return directly a result of actions by the cult we recently destroyed?”

"No."

#5

"Is Prince Carrius aware of the details of his unusual condition?"

Basically trying to nail down whether he has been bluffing us this whole time, or if he's just a victim of circumstances. I presume that he has at least some awareness that something is not quite right, hence why I'm asking if he knows details, instead of just whether he knows anything.

"No," the voice repeats.

#6

”Is the person or people responsible for Carrius’ return a direct associate of Princess Eutropa?”

Time to see if we have a mole!

The voice answers, "No."

Leaning back against the railing of the boat, Maria was just enjoying the fresh air, her attention divided between the countryside and a novel she'd picked up in Yanmass. Attention that was soon competing (poorly) with the sight of Safina walking across the deck.

"Hey," she called out, "Akeem alright? I should've checked beforehand if he was fine with river travel."

Safina makes her way over to Maria. "For his first time on the water, he is doing surprisingly well. But then, he has always been a horse of uncanny temperament."

"I remember you saying that the other night. Don't want to think about how a skittish horse would react on here. Either it would end up in the drink, or we'd have people with their heads kicked in and the horse would end up in the drink."

"Sorry; I think about a panicking horse and I just get reminded of the time someone actually managed to weaponise that. If it didn't give me such a clear idea of what the interior of a person's skull looks like I'd almost be impressed at how they could make a horse into a murder weapon."

Safina makes a face. "Ew. I think I'd prefer to keep those grisly details firmly in my imagination."

Maria smiles at Safina’s reaction. ”Why do you think I always gloss over the autopsy bits when I’m recounting a case?”

I'm going to go ahead and move things along. Zileska may retroactively ask her last three questions for the commune.

The next four days along the Brokenbridge River are pleasant as well. At the end of that trip, you reconnect with your carriage and continue along through the hills of Krearis Prefecture for five more days until you reach the town of Dalaston once more, the place where you celebrated Sara's birthday several weeks ago.

You check into an inn to rest overnight before embarking on the final leg of your journey back to Meratt. However, in the dead of night, Melodie awakens from her slumber to the sound of a hauntingly familiar song. The last time she heard it was in Pensaris...

Melodie must make a DC 15 Will save or be compelled to seek out the source of the song.

Will: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (19) + 11 = 30

Much stronger than she was before, Melodie easily throws off the compelling effects of the song but sits up in bed none-the-less, shaking her wife as she does so.

"She's here!" She hisses, sliding out of bed and looking for her robe. "I can hear the song again! Get the others Zhi, please?"

With Zhi dispatched for help Melodie takes a deep breath and tries to relax, allowing the song to guide her towards her mother. As she goes she makes an effort to leave doors open, footprints and any other signs she can to make her path as obvious as possible.

Gift of Will on Zhi before she goes, Mask Misery for Mel.

Zhi wakes almost instantly. So do her buried and not-so-buried fears.

"I'll wake them, but you wait for me!" she says, a panicked edge clear in her voice.

She takes enough time to grab her weapons and cast spells in preparation before heading out to wake the other ladies with a banging fist on their doors.

"Kurana's here!"

mage armor, shield*, cat's grace* - * double duration from rod

Once she's sure the others are responding to her call, she makes her way frantically back to her room. On finding Melodie already gone, she begins to shake and the fears threaten to overwhelm her.

No, she hasn't left yet. She's waiting for me somewhere. She wouldn't leave.

She steels herself and attempts to determine the path her wife took.

"We must make sure the prince is safe, in case this is a ruse to lure him into danger," Safina says after Zhi awakens her and Maria. "I'll stay here with him to protect him."

The rest of you pick up Melodie's trail and follow her into the foothills outside of town. There, amid the shadows of a copse of trees, Melodie stands in front of her mother, Kurana. The blood hag is flanked by a pair of hulking female hill giants.

"I've been biding my time, my darling daughter," Kurana is saying to Melodie. "But my patience has run out. It's time to embrace your destiny." She looks up at the rest of you as you arrive on the scene. "Come with me, and your friends won't need to suffer."

As the rest of the ladies join in the attempt to track Melodie, Zhi asks Zileska, "Do you have any way to hold this woman? I want this to end tonight. I don't want her running away to do this again."

Zhi's voice is hard, cold, and very brittle.

~~~

Once they find Melodie, Zhi moves to stand silently at her wife's side.

"I've been biding my time, my darling daughter," Kurana is saying to Melodie. "But my patience has run out. It's time to embrace your destiny." She looks up at the rest of you as you arrive on the scene. "Come with me, and your friends won't need to suffer."

"My destiny is right here, mother dearest." Melodie responds, her words hard and sharp as blades. "It is not with you, not with your 'gifts' and not without my wife. You may have abandoned your family, but I will not do the same to mine."

With her piece said Melodie attempts to skew the playing field, focusing her gaze on one of the giants and twisting its perception of friend and foe.

Charm Monster on one of the hill giants. DC22 will save, -4 penalty. Psychic casting so no tells. :)

Game on girls!

Zhi speaks words of magic and gestures towards the rest of the group and everyone feels their heart rate climb.

haste on all the ladies