DM Brainiac's War for the Crown: Table 2 (COMPLETE!) (Inactive)

Game Master Brainiac

Liam will begin INSPIRE GREATNESS on everyone.
Gives +2d10+2*Con Temp HP, and also gives a +2 competence bonus to hit.

Liam HP: 2d10 + 6 ⇒ (2, 1) + 6 = 9

Then he will cast Miracle for a Heal on himself.

Nenareen hisses angrily as her spawn are quickly dispatched. She hurls three more electric bombs at Liam, two of which strike the cleric.

Bombs: 1d20 + 24 ⇒ (19) + 24 = 431d20 + 19 ⇒ (8) + 19 = 271d20 + 14 ⇒ (2) + 14 = 16
Damage: 8d6 + 3 ⇒ (5, 4, 2, 5, 3, 2, 5, 1) + 3 = 308d6 + 3 ⇒ (5, 4, 1, 4, 6, 6, 4, 2) + 3 = 35

65 total electric damage to Liam from direct hits. He also takes 11 splash damage (DC 21 Reflex half).

Reflex DC 21: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (10) + 17 = 27 Liam is at 78/139.

Liam will use the Potion of CMW stored in his Sipping Jacket as a swift action.
CMW: 2d8 + 3 ⇒ (4, 3) + 3 = 10 Now at 88/139.

Liam uses the Standard of Conquest to teleport Amelia into position adjacent to Nenareen.

Then as his move action he will change his performance to INSPIRE COURAGE +4.

He would probably go negative if hit with another 3 bombs, but he is pretty confident that Amelia and Katria will be able to finish the foe.

Hoping to save her most powerful spell for the remaining foes, Katria brings Dignity's Bar to bear once more.

Dignity's Barb (+4 seeking darkwood light crossbow, +1 within 30 ft.): 1d20 + 20 + 6 ⇒ (19) + 20 + 6 = 45
Damage (+1 within 30 ft.): 1d8 + 4 + 6 ⇒ (1) + 4 + 6 = 11
Dignity's Barb (iterative, +1 within 30 ft.): 1d20 + 15 + 6 ⇒ (1) + 15 + 6 = 22
Dignity's Barb (iterative, +1 within 30 ft.): 1d20 + 10 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 10 + 6 = 20

Crit?: 1d20 + 20 + 6 ⇒ (9) + 20 + 6 = 35
Crit reroll (from seeking)?: 1d20 + 20 + 6 ⇒ (7) + 20 + 6 = 33
Damage (+1 within 30 ft.): 1d8 + 4 + 6 ⇒ (2) + 4 + 6 = 12

Closing the gap ?, Amelia tries to stop those explosives from continuing.

Attack!: 1d20 + 23 + 2 + 4 ⇒ (9) + 23 + 2 + 4 = 38
Damage: 1d8 + 30 + 2 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 30 + 2 + 4 = 40

"Put it down."

@Amelia - I used the Standard of Conquest to teleport you into melee range so that you could get a full attack - either dropping her through damage or via the Disrupting Weapon effect. Probably a good idea to use Luck on anything that might miss, since each hit is a DC 22 Will save.

Alrighty then...

Before she realizes, she's transported up into the alchemist.

Attack 2: 1d20 + 18 + 2 + 4 ⇒ (19) + 18 + 2 + 4 = 43
Damage: 1d8 + 30 + 2 + 4 ⇒ (7) + 30 + 2 + 4 = 43

Attack 3: 1d20 + 13 + 2 + 4 ⇒ (19) + 13 + 2 + 4 = 38
Damage: 1d8 + 30 + 2 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 30 + 2 + 4 = 37

Attack 4: 1d20 + 8 + 2 + 4 ⇒ (10) + 8 + 2 + 4 = 24
Damage: 1d8 + 30 + 2 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 30 + 2 + 4 = 42

Critical Rolls

Critical 2: 1d20 + 18 + 2 + 4 ⇒ (13) + 18 + 2 + 4 = 37
Damage?: 1d8 + 30 + 2 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 30 + 2 + 4 = 42

Critical 3: 1d20 + 8 + 2 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 8 + 2 + 4 = 17
Damage?: 1d8 + 30 + 2 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 30 + 2 + 4 = 37

Going to burn some Luck to end this bomb tossing monster if I'm within +4

And both Dignity's Barb and Koriana's Blade are +4, so bypass DR/silver (which vampires generally have) and DR/adamantine (which alchemists often get via Stoneskin).

Will vs Disrupting Weapon: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (5) + 11 = 16

Katria strikes Nenareen with a crossbow bolt, then Liam teleports Amelia into position to unleash a devastating assault. Her blade slices into the vampiress, who lets out a horrified wail as the disrupting weapon annihilates her, disintegrating her into a pile of dust!

Nenareen's gear: +4 shadow chain shirt, amulet of mighty fists +2, belt of incredible dexterity +4, cloak of resistance +4

You dispatch the remaining blood spawn easily once you drop the resilient sphere, then you are able to search the room. There are a variety of valuable chemicals and experiments lie around Nenareen's lab, including a boro bead (5th level), three bottled misfortunes, an elixir of gold dragon breath, an oil of stone shape, eight potions of cure serious wounds, three potions of inflict serious wounds, and two potions of remove curse.

Nenareen's sizable notebook sits open on the marble worktable. Stained with a dozen different fluids, it contains details from her experiments over the past year, but one dog-eared section looks frequently referenced and details the laborious process of creating a duplicate of a living creature—as well as a few gruesome mistakes along the way—similar to the clone spell. In it, she credits the Huntsmaster Barenby Ghoom with retrieving “a lock from the prince”—a keepsake Eutropia kept of her little brother, and that she believed was sealed away in the Imperial Palace by the Ulfen Guard. Scrawled in a much angrier hand near the end of this section is a personal note:

I should have expected Panivar’s barbaric little “pet” to ruin my months of careful, precise work. He insists he has Thassritoum under his sway, but it certainly seems to be the opposite from my perspective. I replicated the boy down to his childhood scars, and Lotheed’s cosmic dog mauled the soul into shreds pulling it back for us. Am I expected to put half a soul into this vessel and see it thrive? Well, my art is perfect! This mistake isn’t on me!

@GM - if she fails a save vs Disrupting Weapon (DC 22 Will save for each of 3 hits) then I believe she is flat-out destroyed. So can you roll those saves?

Liam reads the note. "More clues as to the nature of the Prince's resurrection. His body was recreated by Nenareen using a lock of his hair; his soul was retrieved, but damaged, thereby necessitating the use of these astral legends."

I've literally never seen Disrupting Weapon work this effectively. I'm flabbergasted.

She watches the vampire turn to dust and heads over to the others, "I can't say I expected that at all." Amelia looks at the note and shrugs, "It gives us some background but unless we find a way to actually do something about it, I don't feel like there's much else in there... Though I doubt Katria would agree with that assessment." The dandy smirks at the archivist, "Who's left? Do we know what else to expect?"

Yeah, that was very nice for disrupting weapon!

Katria reads through the notes with a combination of avid interest and horrified disgust. "Thassritoum? I don't think we've come across that name before," she murmurs.

"But we should see if we can find anymore of the Circle before our spells run out," she finally declares, pulling herself away from the notes here. "Paniver, at least, is still down here somewhere. I hope!"

Liam will heal his remaining injuries.
Channel 4 of 6: 6d6 ⇒ (3, 4, 1, 2, 6, 4) = 20 108/139
Channel 5 of 6: 6d6 ⇒ (3, 4, 5, 5, 5, 6) = 28 136/139 - and if Amelia was injured she should be full now (except for the temporary negative level)

"There is also Count Barenby Ghoom, the Fey Huntmaster. I suggest we be ready to fall back into the Magnificent Mansion if we are outmatched, but for now I am good to keep going."

"And let's try to be cautious as we proceed. Getting some advance notice of Panivar's presence before being in a room with him would be to our advantage."
Depending on his build, Panivar may have a crazy-high Initiative as some wizards do.

While searching this room, you discover a secret door in the east wall. Beyond the secret door is an unlit stone passage. A second hidden door is located halfway down its length, with a third one at the far end.

Which temporary negative level? I have Koriana's Blade to absorb the save if I would have failed.

"Three hidden doors? Something about this just seems... off."

She approaches the doors carefully and listens in.

Stealth: 1d20 + 23 + 8 ⇒ (18) + 23 + 8 = 49
Perception: 1d20 + 30 + 8 ⇒ (19) + 30 + 8 = 57

"Well, they are an ancient historical secret society, so ... I don't think so strange," Katria says.

She thinks a moment and sends her Mind Eye to explore down the first doorway.

Do we need to open the secret door for the Mind Eye to pass through?

Liam will do so if needed.

It looked like the first one had been opened already, since beyond the secret door is an unlit stone passage.

Yes, the first one is open to the connecting passageway.

The mind's eye slips through a crack in the door halfway down the passage. After traversing a long, straight corridor, the hall turns to the west and opens into a large room. Three wide steps run along the walls of this octagonal chamber, leading down to an altar in the center of the room. The altar seems to be formed of shadows and whispers—a magical creation of swirling darkness.

There are no creatures in this room. Another door leads into an adjoining chamber. A bizarre device of shining, white stone is the sole focus of this room. A deep vessel, large enough for an adult human to sit within, balances atop three stone pillars fitted with lenses and alien instruments. A tub below ripples with a milky, opalescent fluid. The rest of this almost temple-like chamber consists of shelves lining the walls, though they are largely devoid of books. Instead, only a single journal rests among the empty, stained jars and flasks.

Returning to the initial passage, Katria sends the mind's eye through the secret door at the hall's far end. A dozen tomes with an eclectic mix of bindings, from snakeskin to blood-red leather, bob lazily in midair. Glass cases line the walls, filled with mounted skeletons of strange humanoids and birds. A circular desk stands almost in the center of the room.

Sitting at the desk, reading a journal, is an old man with sunken eyes. Despite his age he seems hale and healthy, his fine clothes denoting a man of wealth and taste. He wields a staff topped with a carving of a crow. You have seen his likeness several times before, and recognize him at once as the allegedly immortal Panivar Lotheed.

Beside him, a morbidly beautiful woman clad in a gown of spider silk leans upon a staff seemingly topped with a giant spider. The fetishes of savage magical traditions dangle from thick strands that wrap her form, even mummifying her angular face. Her mouth is turned down in a scowl—she looks uncomfortable or resentful.

Desna must be smiling upon you this day, as neither Panivar nor the woman notice the scrying sensor floating near them...

"Well, that is an advantage... he doesn't know we are here. How to prepare? I think the Iron Bands are a good option. Amelia, do you want to take those? If we have to begin the fight at range, then Katria and I can ready to disrupt or counterspell and you can throw the Bands."

Liam will cast Moment of Greatness on the party as well as Communal Resist Energy (Acid).

He will also cast Spell Resistance on himself for SR 30.

"If I can get close to him, I can cast Antimagic Field which would neutralize most of his defenses."

"I can take the bands. I may not be able to do much in terms of magical power, but I can try to counter whatever he throws. My fate-twisting sometimes interferes with spells."

Knowing she's up against spellcasters, she will use heightened reflexes on her allies and herself, before readying a haste when they move in.

Katria pauses for a moment.

"But why's a morrigna there? I would think they would oppose Panivar, considering how he's avoided death himself, and brought back Prince Carrius. She seemed unhappy, so perhaps she's bound somehow? They can be dangerous foes, but maybe we won't have to deal with her..."

She thinks for a moment.

"I still have one of my most powerful spells left," she says. "I could use it to try to make want to leave when we enter the room." I could cast antipathy, focusing on the psychopomp. That would mean I couldn't use disintegrate, which is my most powerful offensive spell.

"Since there's only one entrance that we know of, I could also fill the room with a stupifying fog. If that forces them to flee, we'd certainly have an edge by laying in ambush." Mind fog could also be a good play here. I could set up a node of blasting or two too right outside. That's all assuming there's no other way out, though.

I'll also plan to cast pierce disguise on myself before we start heading for the room, just in case there's some subterfuge.

"I can cast Dismissal on the Morrigna if she is bound.
I don't think we can plan on forcing them out of the room in a particular direction. It is quite likely that Panivar has access to Teleport.
Let's move in and deal with him."

If there are no other preparations that anybody wants to do, let's do this.

Katria nods, Dignity's Barb in hand.

Good Hope is active and applies to ability checks. I believe Initiative checks are a special type of Dexterity check. So that is +2 Initiative, and Liam will use Moment of Greatness to double that to a +4, making his total Init bonus a +13.

Readying Haste seems more important than Dispel for me, I'm good to go.

With all your preparations in place, you rush down the secret corridor and burst through the hidden door at its end, catching Panivar off-guard in his laboratory! The wizard looks up with a start. "What?!? What is the meaning of this?" he shouts as he raises his staff!

Everybody may act!

The meaning is your years of trying to rule Taldor from the shadows are over, Panivar!" Katria says.

That said, holding action to see what Amelia is able to do.

Amelia takes the bands out and aims it much like her bow. Thinking the command word and catching Pannivar off guard, she hurls them with deadly accuracy!

Bands of Binding: 1d20 + 21 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (20) + 21 + 2 + 1 = 44 Flat Footed, Touch, No Cover or Concealment

The bands fly through the air with blinding speed and rip open toward the archmage.

"Ewntarhl!"

Assuming the bands work, she will spend her Hasted movement to get right in his face.

Oh, boom! Perfect time for that roll!!!

The iron bands quickly wrap around Panivar, restricting him and holding him tightly! "Argh!" He glares at the morrigna. "Don't just stand there, get these off of me!"

Liam and Katria may act.

Suspecting that the Morrigna could free Panivar, Liam will take care of that threat.

He casts Dismissal.
Will use Inexplicable Luck from Amelia (via Bestow Luck) on the SR check if needed.

SR, Abjuration, Inexplicable Luck: 1d20 + 18 + 1 + 8 ⇒ (5) + 18 + 1 + 8 = 32
DC 22 Will save.

If that fails, he will cast a Quickened Dispel Magic on what he assumes to be a Summon Monster IX spell.
CL, Abjuration: 1d20 + 18 + 1 ⇒ (13) + 18 + 1 = 32

Will vs Dismissal: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (11) + 16 = 27

The psychopomp resists Liam's dismissal spell, but his dispel magic is successful, unraveling the summoning and sending the morrigna back to the Boneyard!

"You have no more allies, Panivar, and your schemes are falling to rot," Katria lectures. "Imagine, all those schemes and the harm they've caused..."

Casting prediction of failure (DC 23)

At the least, that will give him a -4 to basically everything (just -2 to weapon damage rolls) for 17 rounds.

Will: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (4) + 18 = 22
Random Minor Spellblight: 1d10 ⇒ 1

Panivar's eyes widen as Katria's curse takes effect, wracking his body and mind with the anguish and suffering of every bitter failure he will ever experience. "No! No! This is not how things are supposed to go!" he laments. The bound wizard attempts to cast a powerful spell with vocal components only, but the magic falters!

Concentration DC 39: 1d20 + 27 - 4 ⇒ (10) + 27 - 4 = 33

"It's over. Surrender with dignity and perhaps your end doesn't have to be full of fear and pain," Katria urges.

Still, not expecting him to agree, she tries to bind him.

Seeing the plan fall into place, Amelia moves in to grab Panivar just in case anything happens with the archmage.

"Well then. I guess this is it."

I'm like 95% sure you can stack Grapple/Pins so I'll do that... just in case.

Liam readies to cast Admonishing Ray if Panivar attempts another V-only spell.

"We should probably knock him out if we wish Princess Eutropia to make the final judgment on his fate. We cannot risk him successfully casting a spell to escape."

Will: 1d20 + 18 - 4 ⇒ (12) + 18 - 4 = 26
Concentration DC 39: 1d20 + 27 - 4 ⇒ (6) + 27 - 4 = 29

Panivar resists Katria's binding pattern. He continues to struggle in the bindings, attempting another verbal only spell, but the magic falters. Liam pummels him with admonishing rays, but still the archmage remains conscious!

"Fine. Amelia? I think we need to do it this way. Stop when he passes out."

Liam attacks with Scion's Dagger. It is distasteful to attack a helpless foe this way, but a caster who can speak is not actually helpless.

Panivar is (allegedly) immortal, but even without that the 59 non-lethal damage he just took should provide a decent buffer.

Attack, PA, Good Hope: 1d20 + 22 - 4 + 2 ⇒ (14) + 22 - 4 + 2 = 34
Damage: 1d4 + 9 + 8 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 9 + 8 + 2 = 22

Attack, PA, Good Hope: 1d20 + 17 - 4 + 2 ⇒ (17) + 17 - 4 + 2 = 32
Damage: 1d4 + 9 + 8 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 9 + 8 + 2 = 23

Attack, PA, Good Hope: 1d20 + 12 - 4 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 12 - 4 + 2 = 18
Damage: 1d4 + 9 + 8 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 9 + 8 + 2 = 23

Katria keeps an eye out for anyone else coming in, as she doesn't think her bolts are going to help knock out Panivar. I mean, technically I can do nonlethal, but it's just silly, IMO.

With no one appearing immediately, she turns her attention back to the immortal sorcerer. "Let's see what we can learn."

Cast psychic reading: Sense Motive: 1d20 + 10 + 17 ⇒ (17) + 10 + 17 = 44 Most interested in age and gender (to make sure it's really him), alignment, place of origin, religion...)

Amelia and Liam beat Panivar down, and eventually, the archmage slumps unconscious in his bindings.

Katria performs a psychic reading, learning that Panivar is a 362-year-old male. He is lawful evil and hails from Lotheedar. He is an atheist.

Panivar has the following gear: staff of conjuration, +1 dagger, amulet of natural armor +3, belt of mighty constitution +6, cloak of resistance +5, headband of vast intelligence +6, ring of the recalled soul, ring of protection +4

The books in this room contain all of the spells Panivar knows, as well enough research material to study for over a year. The open tome contains Panivar’s personal research notes regarding something called the Soul Crucible, detailing his discovery and subsequent modifications to the vessel. The first entry dates from 4607 and reads:

It’s rare Thassritoum provides me an insight without a price or puzzle, but perhaps this one was too precious to serve as toy. He called it the Soul Crucible, and I see why he kept the knowledge of it hidden until now; it appears the Last Azlanti himself tucked it away from the world, and the locks and wards lost their sting without their master.

I can master this device. With Thassritoum shielding my soul from Pharasma’s gaze, I have all the time in the world.

The journals also contain notes on the Soul Crucible and how it works. The Soul Crucible is a powerful artifact that can store, examine, dissect, and restore souls. More recent entries describe modifications to the artifact’s original function, and the most recent pages discuss how to use powerful motes of psychic energy in place of soul-stuff.

Placing a soul or corpse in the Soul Crucible will restore the subject to a complete, living form, even without a body. If a soul gem is placed in the pouring spout of the crucible, the magical jewel can strain some vital essence from a soul as it is resurrected. Anyone in possession of the gem can cast raise dead or resurrection on the subject should the creature die again, regardless of how long the subject has been dead, and even if the body is missing or destroyed. The soul gem also helps armor the resurrected figure against death magic, granting him a spell resistance equal to 15 + his Hit Dice against death effects. This stored soul energy may have other uses, as Panivar surmises, though he has not yet had the time to experiment.

Katria reads the notes, looking grim. Any checks to recognize the Mewling Storm?

"I think we have to destroy this thing ... but maybe we should wait to make sure we can bring back the Grand Princess before we do? I think the higher priority is to find this Thassritoum. It sounds like we may not be able to do anything permanently about Panivar until we do..."

Knowledge (planes) with inspiration: 1d20 + 25 + 1d6 ⇒ (5) + 25 + (6) = 36

It may finally be time to use my Outside Contact ability to find out more details about Thassritoum.

Katria has heard the name Thassritoum the Mewling Storm mentioned only in a handful of texts she has read. They are an immensely powerful sahkil, rivaled only by the ranks of the sahkil demigods, the tormentors. They are said to dwell in a demiplane known as the Palace of Nightmares, accessible only from the Ethereal Plane.

"There may be another way. If we bring Panivar to the Boneyard, to the actual realm of Pharasma, then it may be that even Thassritoum's power is not enough to hide him from his fate.
Or... if his immortality is a magical effect, I could kill him while he is in an Antimagic Field.
But first let us use this Soul Crucible to restore Princess Eutropia."

Is the Crucible carriable?

Amelia chokes the consciousness out of Pannivar and listens in to what Katria says, "I'll take your word on it. If we are to bring back Eutropia, I don't like doing it here if we have the option."

There was something about the air here and she wasn't going to let the Princess pass through some planar veil into it.

"I don't know enough about any of this magic, but if you both say it is fine, I am happy to oblige." She looks toward Pannivar, "About him, I'm sure it would be good for him to not end up dead just yet. I do like the idea of sending him to the Lady of Graves though, I'm sure she would have words with him."

Katria nods, wanting to bring the princess back, but also acknowledging Amelia's concerns. If they're successful, Eutropia can give them some more idea of what she wants.

"I am hesitant to move such a potent magical artifact for fear of damaging it. It would be beyond my ability to repair. So my preference would be to use it here - as well, we would then have Princess Eutropia restored to us sooner and could gain her judgment on Panivar Lotheed.

We still need to find this last member of the Immaculate Circle, the hunter Barenby Ghoom. I would say first find him and deal with him, then find the Soul Crucible, then see if it looks portable or if we should bring back Eutropia immediately."

What does a Ring of the Recalled Soul do?

And, if a 36 is just barely enough to know something about Thassritoum, then the sakhil may be a bit out of our league at the moment. Maybe if we level up again, cast Legend Lore, craft items, and prepare specifically to fight something like that.

Ring of the Recalled Soul