A Pathfinder Society Scenario designed for levels 3–7.
Following a successful mission into the mist-shrouded and shifting Gloomspires, the Pathfinder Society sent another team to explore the tomb of the legendary pirate Sevenfingers. Unfortunately, this team never returned. The spires have momentarily halted, allowing a new team to brave the tomb’s many dangers, hopefully rescuing their allies in the process.
This scenario is a sequel to Pathfinder Society Scenario #6–06: "Hall of the Flesh Eaters".
Having ventured past the Hall of the Flesh Eaters, the group of Pathfinders have discovered only one of the remaining Pathfinders from the team before them they where sent in to look for. Jaohd Ilzinian, the leader and a Taldan paladin of Shelyn, deprived of his memory and weapons, his powers expended joins you as you explore further into the maze.
Marduk, in her furious anger slashed into the spectral being, hitting air, but inflicting damage on it's incorporeal form. Kitajo's attacks both hit, causing the spirit's incorporeal frame to begin to waiver, but it still remains. Another good, solid hit, proverbially speaking in this case, should do it, rending the spirit's connection to this plane forever.
All of the sudden, from within the pit, you hear Jaohd shout, "No, my love. The others. This one is not ready." His call to the zombified woman seems to go unheard, as you can hear sounds of her rushing at Jaohd and attacking him within the pit.
Male Gnome Chaotic Good Wizard 4 | HP 26/26 | AC 17 T 13 FF 15 | F+2 R+3 W+4 (+2 vs illusions, +2 vs fear and despair) | Perception +8 | Init +6 | CMB -1 | CMD 11
Trusting in his companions to finish the last allip, Henrik turns his attention to the pit. That pit won't last much longer...As of this turn, it has been 2 rounds, yes? Out of a 4 round duration? He will then pull a scroll out of his backpack.
Move action to retrieve a scroll of Command Undead from my haversack
Question here: can I cast Command Undead on the queen now, without being able to see her? Open air between us, so I have line of effect, but not line of sight, and I'm unclear on the rules here.
If so:
Henrik will begin to read off the scroll, calling out arcane syllables in the direction of his pit. Assuming she is intelligent undead, she gets a DC13 will save to resist. If she fails, she treats us as friendly for the next 3 days or until myself or one of my allies threatens or attacks her. Henrik will then call out to her "Wait, hold your ground so we can talk!"
If not:
Henrik will step slightly closer to the pit, ready to cast the spell when he can. 5-foot-step closer to the pit, but still staying away from the rim
Risa, finally free, channels her own soul into a wave of healing, destructive energy, washing over the undead within the room. The Allip can not resist it, and is burned away in a sudden flash of silver fire, while the Zombie Woman, within the pit seems able to resist some of it.
Because the pit is 20ft deep, Risa will have to move slightly to hit everyone. Is that ok?
Zombie Will DC 15:1d20 + 4 ⇒ (18) + 4 = 22<made it> Jaohd Will DC 15:1d20 + 8 ⇒ (10) + 8 = 18<oddly, the Paladin seems to be affected, or rather reacts to the energy as if he where, but you see no wounds appear>
Because Risa destroyed the Allip, and the only other two foes are, (currently) at the bottom of a 20ft deep pit, I assume everyone else might change their actions.
Henrikuaxian fiddles in his pack, withdrawing a scroll and moves in a bit closer, ready to use it.
Question here: can I cast Command Undead on the queen now, without being able to see her? Open air between us, so I have line of effect, but not line of sight, and I'm unclear on the rules here.
I think you do require line of sight as well as effect, as it is a targeting spell. I've added two arrows on the map that I would think would work, except the first one I think might be just outside of the spells reach, while the second one might leave you risking falling into your own pit.
The pit ends just before your turn next round, right?
|AC 20, T 13, FF 17|HP: 39/39*|F +6*, R +4, W +5 (+2 vs Necr/curses/TNLs, +1 vs fear/conf)|Init +2, Perc +8|CMB +6 CMD 18|Deadspeaker 3/3, Ghostly Horde 1/1, Focus: ?? Gloaming, ?? Azrael, ?? Guidingstar, ?? Perun
Seeing the allips dealt with, Nectanebo turns on his heel toward Jaohd and the zombie queen.
"I see you make unlikely friends easily, Jaohd! Well," He says as the tattered ends of his coat begin billowing over the horrific charnel mess at his feet. "As it happens, so do I!"
One of the delicious-smelling corpses springs up from the heap, and steps in front of Henrikuaxian as Nectanebo moves the other direction!
Spending 1 Focus from the Gloaming Shroud to raise a Necromantic Servitor. It has 7 hit points.
As the party moves around the pit, Hen uses his scroll as he gets into position, but it seems that the Zombie Queen's hunger wins out, and she continues to assault Jaohd.
Will DC 13:1d20 + 4 ⇒ (17) + 4 = 21
Those of you that are able can see her slamming her fists into his body savagely while her elongated tongue seems to be lapping at his wounds. He tries to resist her attacks, but does not return them, instead dropping his sword.
Night Hunter waits for the pit to end, readying to strike the zombie woman when she reemerges on the surface. He continues to encourage his allies in their efforts against the zombie woman (inspire +1 hit and dmg). He charges his first attack with elemental fire damage.
Male Gnome Chaotic Good Wizard 4 | HP 26/26 | AC 17 T 13 FF 15 | F+2 R+3 W+4 (+2 vs illusions, +2 vs fear and despair) | Perception +8 | Init +6 | CMB -1 | CMD 11
Henrik curses softly when his scroll fails to sway the zombie woman. "So much for the easy way...' As his pit vanishes, and both the zombie and Jaohd reappear, Henrik prepares his next spell. Seeing the situation, and particularly the discarded sword at Jaohd's feet, the gnome changes his target at the last second.
Standard action to cast grease, targeting Jaohd's sword, which is now an unattended object lying at his feet. As I understand it, it gets no save, so becomes coated in grease for 3 minutes. If Jaohd attempts to pick it up, it will require a DC15 ref save to do so, and any round he continues to use the sword in will require an additional DC15 ref save to hold onto it.
Male LN Human (Tien) Monk (Unchained) 10 | HP 94/94| AC 30 T 23 FF 27 | CMB +15, CMD 38 | F +9 R +10 Will +10 (+2 Vs enchantment spells and effects) | Init: +2 | Perc: +18, SM: +15 | Speed 60ft | Stunning Fist: 10/10 | Ki Pool: 10/12 | Active conditions: Mage Armour, Shadow Splinter, Barkskin
Trusting the party to take care of the zombie queen Kitajo moves toward Jaohd and attempts to grapple him. He will attempt to duck and weave if the queen attacks as he moves past.
|AC 20, T 13, FF 17|HP: 39/39*|F +6*, R +4, W +5 (+2 vs Necr/curses/TNLs, +1 vs fear/conf)|Init +2, Perc +8|CMB +6 CMD 18|Deadspeaker 3/3, Ghostly Horde 1/1, Focus: ?? Gloaming, ?? Azrael, ?? Guidingstar, ?? Perun
Seeing he's dropped his sword, Nectanebo moves past Jaohd - instead of striking at the horrible zombie queen with Guidingstar, his wraith-like coat, the Gloaming Shroud, lashes out at her!
I cast decompose corpse, DC 15, on her, which, interestingly, may not technically require me to make a touch attack! Let me know what you think.
Male LN Human (Tien) Monk (Unchained) 10 | HP 94/94| AC 30 T 23 FF 27 | CMB +15, CMD 38 | F +9 R +10 Will +10 (+2 Vs enchantment spells and effects) | Init: +2 | Perc: +18, SM: +15 | Speed 60ft | Stunning Fist: 10/10 | Ki Pool: 10/12 | Active conditions: Mage Armour, Shadow Splinter, Barkskin
I don't know what to do about Jaohd. I am going to try to knock him out using non-lethal damage and hopefully that will buy us some time to cast spells on him or something without him being all uppity
|AC 20, T 13, FF 17|HP: 39/39*|F +6*, R +4, W +5 (+2 vs Necr/curses/TNLs, +1 vs fear/conf)|Init +2, Perc +8|CMB +6 CMD 18|Deadspeaker 3/3, Ghostly Horde 1/1, Focus: ?? Gloaming, ?? Azrael, ?? Guidingstar, ?? Perun
DM Beckett wrote:
Why would you not have to actually make a touch attack?
because it never actually says anything about making a touch attack in the spell description. ALL the others - touch of fatigue, shocking grasp, frigid touch, vampiric touch, etc - specifically include the phrase "melee touch attack."
Sure, it may be an oversight, but it also wouldn't be the first time Paizo's deliberately created an odd exception to the rule.
Risa calls down a rather powerful curse on Jaohd while the others await for the pit to vanish, each ready to unleash hell. As it does, the floor seems to begin to reconstruct itself, and both Jaohd and zombie attacking him suddenly reappear right before you.
Night Hunter slams first to face as Henrikuaxian casts a spell that coats the fallen Ether's Kiss with magical grease as it lays on the cold floor. The newly formed undead ally steps in behind the Zombie woman, delivering a devastating slash with it's clawed and to her back, raking dead flesh as it's master attempts to focus his mind and attack the link to the Negative Energy fueling her.
Fort DC 15:1d20 + 3 ⇒ (12) + 3 = 15<Negates>
It fails, but that is fine, as Marduk steps in and literally cuts her in half, ending that connection to the Plane of Negative Energy completely. As she falls, Jaohd screams in rage, cursing you in a strange language you have never heard spoken before. Kitajo moves in while he is distracted, trying to hold Jaohd, but he is swatted away.
Suddenly, Jaohd seems to drop to a knee, slumping to the ground, but still standing there, in the exact same place, you see an ancient spirit. It doesn't look human, nor any humanoid race currently in this world. As Jaohd falls, suddenly the room is filled with a brilliant bright light, and all of the sudden the Paladin's Aura of Courage kicks in!!! Unlike the very injured body of Jaohd, the new spirit, the one that was able to somehow resist being expelled does not seem hurt at all, but very, very angry.
On the verge of death, Jaohd, weakened reaches out for his weapon, the one now coated in grease, and tries to pick it up, BUT it seems he is cursed right now, so it slips from his weak grasp.
Unable to otherwise help, Jaohd, glowing now with a soft silvery flame attempts to warn you "It's one of the ancient "Builders", called Tzur-Vaal. He was attempting to resurrect a fragment of his wive's soul be feeding her specialized treats. Don't let him in you . . ."
But it might be too late, for that same spirit, eyes his wives murderer with a look of pure hatred, and moves over to try to possess Marduk. . .
Marduk Will DC 17:
Once per round, Tzur-Vaal can attempt to possess a creature within 200 feet. This ability otherwise functions as per greater possessionOA (CL 10). The target can resist the attack with a successful DC 17 Will save. A creature that succeeds at this saving throw is immune to this ability for 24 hours. Unlike normal, things like Protection from Evil or effects that stop possession have a chance of being negated for this spirit.
ROUND 5
Risa (), Night Hunter (-12, -2 Str), Henrikuaxian (), Nectanebo (), Marduk (), Kitajo ()
Jaohd (-28)
Tzur-Vaal (-9) <PS: Risa, your two Channels actually DID affect him :P>
Male Gnome Chaotic Good Wizard 4 | HP 26/26 | AC 17 T 13 FF 15 | F+2 R+3 W+4 (+2 vs illusions, +2 vs fear and despair) | Perception +8 | Init +6 | CMB -1 | CMD 11
Seeing that Jaohd was now free of the spirit's influence, and trying to help, Henrik curses softly at his spell's effectiveness. Uttering another short arcane incantation, the gnome causes the grease on Jaohd's weapon to evaporate. He'll then pull another wand out.
Standard action to dismiss the grease spell Move action to withdraw my wand of protection from evil. Still holding my wand of magic missile from earlier, as well.
Male LN Human (Tien) Monk (Unchained) 10 | HP 94/94| AC 30 T 23 FF 27 | CMB +15, CMD 38 | F +9 R +10 Will +10 (+2 Vs enchantment spells and effects) | Init: +2 | Perc: +18, SM: +15 | Speed 60ft | Stunning Fist: 10/10 | Ki Pool: 10/12 | Active conditions: Mage Armour, Shadow Splinter, Barkskin
Do we still have any charges in that Ghostbane Dirge wand? It would make the ghost take full damage from magic weapons and half damage from non-magical.
Sorry all. I have been working rediculously late all week and coming home exausted as we are starting to pack up and get ready for a deployment. I'll try to get this going again tomorrow because we are so close, but if I can't I will this weekend. You do still jave a charge or two left, but it is nearly depleted.
With a great deal of effort, Jaohd rises, sending a single mailed fist at the spectral creature that had long possessed him. As he swings, the fist suddenly glows with a silvery light that burns Tzur-Vaal deeply, but not enough to kill him.
It is, however, enough that the rest of the group can move in and with all of their strength lay the undead low, permanently. Jaohd then calls on what little powers he has left to try to heal the party, though some wounds will simply require time.
Afterwards, he explains that while he was possessed, he was able to learn some details. "Tzur-Vaal, and the zombie woman, his wife, called Aluu-Nekva where an ancient race simply called "the Makers". I know little about them."
"The Gloomspires were created during the Age of Serpents by a race of humanoids called the Makers. The Makers fled to the region after having been held in thrall by an even more powerful group. Scholars debate whether these builders originated from another continent, another planet, or another plane altogether. The Makers wielded powerful magic (as evidenced by the overwhelming enchantments that continue to influence the ruins), and each column served as the personal demesne of a Maker. Though exceptionally long-lived, the Makers were not immortal, and if any of their descendants survived into later ages, there is no evidence as to what or where those creatures might be. What does seem clear is that by the time the Ghol-Gani began worshipping nature spirits and constructing their first primitive settlements, the Makers were no more, and the Gloomspires stood abandoned. Or nearly so."
"However, a handful chose to remain, including Tzur-Vaal and Aluu-Nekva. As the pair neared the end of their natural lives, they attempted to embrace lichdom together, though they failed spectacularly and perished. Tzur-Vaal soon rose as a ghostly creature and his mate rose as a flesh-hungry undead. However, Aluu-Nekva lost her sorcerous abilities and was stricken with severe amnesia. She retains only a vague memory of her former life and struggles to form new memories. Tzur-Vaal had come to believe that if he indulges Aluu-Nekva’s desire to consume the “right” mixture of flesh, food, and drink, she will regain her lost body and her shattered memories."
"When my team arrived here, that is when I fell under his sway. Two of my companions had fallen. . ." as he points to the two corpses in the room, "and the other had fled. We stumbled upon him earlier. Tzur-Vaal had fed his wife, but it did not work, and so he was lost, until he realized that we had brought a crew with us. He manipulated them into mutiny and had them "capture" me, in hopes of leading more to their deaths down here. Had you not arrived, it's plan might have succeeded."
Stacked behind the black curtain are several crates containing various spices and seasonings worth 100 gp. The Orb of Stars is lying on the floor in front of one of the crates, along with a bottle of nightmarish pigments. Nightmarish pigments function as marvelous pigments, except the items they create subtly bend, warp, and discolor, and they occasionally show reflections of horrific vistas or screaming maws. As a result, they cannot be mistaken for objects made of standard valuable materials like gold.
A yawning pit full of crackling back energy fills the southwest corner of this otherwise empty chamber. This shaft connects to the next level of the tomb (300 feet below), and as its entire length is infused with negative energy, forbidding you from venturing any further. Until part 3.
Having secured the Folding Boat, and now the Orb of Stars, and saved at least one of the lost Pathfinders, it's time to return to the Grinning
Pixie and report to Calisro Benarry.
Before ordering the Pixie to return to Drenchport, Benarry congratulates you for your heroic efforts. Jaohd Ilzinian in a gesture of respect and gratitude kneels, offering you Ether’s Kiss, insisting that you take it as a token of his gratitude. He tells you that he plans to travel to a nearby temple of Shelyn to recover from his trials. Benarry is especially pleased to see Ilzinian. She apologizes to him for everything that he has gone through in the spires, and promises to sail him to the temple of his choice herself.
As you mention and describe the Oblivion Shaft, Benarry can barely contain her enthusiasm, and she hints strongly that she may have another mission for you in the near future.
If the PCs return the folding boat Old Flotsam to Benarry, they each earn the Savior of Old Flotsam boon on their Chronicle sheets. If they destroyed the ectoplasmic revelers in area B3 and collected the concentrated sample, they each earn the Ectoplasmic Enhancement boon on their Chronicle sheets.
Female Human (Garundi) Wildling 7 | Diehard! | HP: 81/81 [95/95] | DR 1/- | AC: 20 [18] | T: 13 [11] | FF: 17 [15] | CMD: 25 [27] | Fort: +12 [14] | Ref: +9 | Will: +7 [9] (+1 vs fear and confusion) | Init: +3 (+5 in forest) | Perc: +12 (+14 in forest, +14 vs Humans+Aberrations) | SM: +2 (+4 Humans+Aberrations) | Spd: 40 ft.
Tracked Resources:
Spells: 1 - 2/2 ; Rage: 67/9
Marduk as well :) Well, isn't that nice? An adventure where we have the right as players to know the backstory in plausible way ^^
Thank you for running this one for us, DM Beckett! It was a lot of fun!
