DM Carbide's Kingmaker (Inactive)

Game Master John Woodford

fortitude: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (1) + 7 = 8

Beatrix can be seen in the morning sitting on her pack holding her head in her hands. Finally she gets up, looking miserable with bags under her eyes. "I didn't sleep a wink last night. No use staying here though, let's get moving so we can get outta this stink."

DC 12 Fort save: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (19) + 4 = 23

Vasily nods. "We can eat in the saddle. You probably aren't that hungry with the smell, anyway." He starts to saddle his horse. As usual, his oddly hued feline friend is nowhere to be seen.

Did we already roll to identify the stench off the water? I feel like we did; I'll go back and look through the posts.

See HERE. You identified the smell, but not what was making it.

Fortitude: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (13) + 1 = 14

Katya shakes her head as she saddles up on her surprisingly steady horse, "If you like, I can maybe prepare something for your headache Bea, towards lunch time." Guiding her horse into step with the rest of the group, she settles a book over the pommel of her saddle, reading up on the few herbs she's found in the nearby areas.

Bea smiles weakly at the mage. "Thanks, yes. Anything that helps."

Just waiting to see if The Fitcher got a decent night's sleep.

Sorry. I was in a training course all week and it really screwed up my schdule.

fort 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8

The Fitcher looks awful, but is too proud to show weakness. It takes him a few attempts to seat his horse, but he blames it on being distracted by some kind of fly or something. This place is smelling of something unnatural, maybe. His curiosity piqued, The Fitcher seems pensive and doesn't speak or interact for a while.

What's with the stink?
knowledge (nature) 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (14) + 8 = 22
knowledge (local) 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (13) + 4 = 17

Knowledge (geography) would tell you the origin.

Fitcher, you do know that there are sometimes interesting plants growing in the vicinity of water that smells like this.

Vasily nods. "Sulfur, coming from somewhere upstream. It's not necessarily unnatural. But don't let your horses drink any."

You continue to follow the noxious-smelling stream back to its source...but before you get there, something happens. It's another wyvern! No, not really.

Next to the stream, you've seen various sorts of fungi and other odd plants, but nothing as big as the large pile of greenery in a low spot. The Fitcher and Vasily are suspicious of it, and so are not surprised when it begins to move!

Surprise round:

Initiative order
Fitcher
Foe
Vasily

know (nature) 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (11) + 8 = 19

The Fitcher calls out, Shambling mound! Mindless predator! He then darts out wide (30' move), angling so he can move in to flank when the creature joins melee with the main group. He chants a few Kellid mystical phrases as he moves.

Cast True Strike.

Since this is the surprise round, you can do one or the other.

Know:Nature: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (11) + 8 = 19
Ride check to Guide with Knees, DC 5: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (18) + 9 = 27

Bow attack: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (2) + 9 = 11
Damage: 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 = 8

Vasily drops his reins and nudges Sev away from the mound of mobile vegetation with his knees, pulling out an arrow and firing it at the creature. As he does so, the young man whistles, calling Strelka in out of the grass to attack.

He'll use his Ride check to move his mount out to Bea's right and fire his bow while guiding Sev with his knees. Strelka will use her move action to move across from Bea so she can charge in on the next round in a flanking position.

Ah, surprise round. Right. Also, forgot we were mounted. So, round edit.

The Fitcher hops nimbly from his mount.

fast dismount 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (17) + 7 = 24 free action

He then darts out wide (30' move), angling so he can move in to flank when the creature joins melee with the main group.

I have the combat map put together (finally; work had me jumping, and then I was out of town Friday and Saturday). The link in the header is updated, and it shows the situation as of the start of the fight. You should all be able to move your icons--Fitcher, you can move as you want. The stream won't interfere with movement, so I didn't put it on the map.

I moved on the map, and I think it updated properly. If not, I basically dismounted and moved 20' N, 10' E.

Like a tidal wave of green, the shambling mound seems to flow towards the party. Vasily's arrow is lost in the creature's thick branches, and did not seem to do any damage.

Vasily, let me know if that position is reasonable.

Round 1:

Initiative order
Fitcher
Bea
Katya
Shambling Mound
Vasily

Vasily, Bea, and Katya--over to you!

AC 19/T 9/FF 19

I moved him and his cat into more of a flanking position, and they'll move again once the mound does its movement this round. The plan is to get the cat to flank with Bea and have Vasily pepper the monster with arrows; that's Vasily's default tactic. I'll wait for Bea's post to actually post, though.

Waiting on Bea and Katya.

Been getting some weird errors with Paizo forums eating my posts, I hope this one finally works...

Katya shifts her staff as she brings up the tip of it, pointing at the Shambling Mounds feet yelling, "Vehafor reskafar!" A space around the Shambling Mound shifting into a new shape as a hole 20 feet down opens up right under the creature.

DC 18 Reflex save to not fall into the Create Pit spell.

Round 1 (ongoing):

Initiative order
Fitcher
Bea
Katya-acted
Shambling Mound
Vasily

The mound of greenery tumbles into the newly-created pit with a wet and squishy thud!

Vasily nudges his horse close enough to see into the hole and looses arrows down into the pit. His big cat friend prudently does not jump into the hole along with the plant creature.

Rapid shot 1: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (13) + 7 = 20
Damage: 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6
Rapid shot 2: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (20) + 7 = 27
Damage: 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6
Crit confirm: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (1) + 7 = 8

One thing--the lip of the pit is sloped, so if you get within 5' of the edge you have to make a DC 16 Reflex save to avoid going in. I'm thinking that since this is a Large creature you can still hit it if you stay 5' back from the edge, but it would get partial cover if you weren't firing from horseback. Sound reasonable?

Works for me. Luckily he is firing from horseback. :)

Both of Vasily's arrows strike the creature.

Mound: -18 HP

Dangit, I need to quit going awol like that. I'm sorry...trying to keep up on it better.

Bea watches in amazement as the writhing pile falls into the newly formed hole. After a moment, she shakes her head, muttering under her breath, "Forgot to bring alchemist's fire again!"

Grabbing a flask of oil for her lantern, Bea quickly rips a small strip of cloth and shoves it partway into the opening.

And how did I miss Fitcher in all this? Strictly speaking, he would have acted first this round. Distracted by work during the surprise round, I guess. Over to you, Fitch!

I'd like to delay until the mound moves into melee, so he can flank.

The mound begins to climb up out of the pit; Vasily, at the rate it's going you figure it'll take about four rounds to get out.

Round 2 (rearranged):

Initiative order
Vasily-acted
Fitcher-readied action
Bea
Katya-acted
Shambling Mound

Bea is up!

Oh right, pit. There's no reason to delay.]

The fitcher will fire an arrow.

shortbow 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (5) + 4 = 9
damage 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5

I don't know if this will change anything DM Carbide, but I forgot to mention the Create Pit spells Climb DC isn't equal to the spells DC. Create Pit has a Climb DC of 25. If you already knew that then all good! :)

I wasn't sure if it was 20 or 25, going by the skill description. It's big enough to brace against both sides for a -10 to DC, though. (And it really should have a bonus to Climb, for being all tendrilly.)

Round 2 (rearranged):

Initiative order
Vasily-acted
Fitcher-acted
Bea-acted
Katya-
Shambling Mound-acted

The Fitcher's arrow goes well wide of the mark. Bea lights the wick of her improvised oil bomb and lofts it onto the shambling mound, where the flask smashes open in a burst of flame. The creature's damp and boggy tissues do not ignite, though, and the oil appears to do it no damage. It continues to climb. Or it will, assuming Katya doesn't do something to take it down. Now's your chance!

Katya swiftly edges her horse closer to the shambling mound and the pit it is beginning to climb out of. Shifting her staff around in a circle over her head as the crystal on top slings forth a slick grease coating along the walls of the pit.

Katya screams out loudly, "I suggest we think of something quick! I am running out of ways to contain it!"

Gonna try casting Grease inside the pit directly against the side the shambling mound is using the most. Dunno what it will do in there but hopefully it makes climbing out a bit more difficult.

The mound is unable to shift to brace itself against another wall of the pit, and falls back to the bottom before it can make any more headway. The presence of the grease spell adds enough difficulty to the climb that it is unable to get a grip at its action.

Round 3:

Initiative order
Vasily-
Fitcher-
Bea-
Katya-
Shambling Mound-

Party up!

"This is all I've got! More fire would probably be good!" Vasily wasn't about to have Strelka jump into the pit with the thing. All he could do was continue to pump arrows into the mound and hope he hurt it.

Rapid shot 1 +1 for Point Blank Shot: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (7) + 8 = 15
Damage 1 +1 for PBS: 1d8 + 6 ⇒ (2) + 6 = 8
Rapid shot 2: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (9) + 8 = 17 Ha. That's some bad shooting, Tex.
Damage 2: 1d8 + 6 ⇒ (3) + 6 = 9

Neither of Vasily's arrows has any visible effect on the mound.

Shifting her horse so she can see more clearly, Katya sends a gout of fire magic into the air as she points her staff at the shambling mound, screaming out, "Iba marfedelom!

Casting Scorching Ray
Touch Attack: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6
Damage: 4d6 ⇒ (2, 5, 2, 3) = 12
Well, that's quite unfortunate.

Katya's spell misses the shambling mound completely.

The fitcher launches another arrow at the shrubbery, though the expression on his face makes it clear that he has little confidence in his ability to harm the thing.

shortbow 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 4 = 20
damage 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6

Do we stay and fight, or leave this thing be?"

Round 3 (ongoing):

Initiative order
Vasily-acted
Fitcher-acted
Bea-
Katya-acted
Shambling Mound-

The Fitcher's arrow hits it. Bea?

Mound: -24 HP

Any chance either the oil bomb or Katya's Scorching Ray ignited the Grease?

Beatrix shakes her head seeing the ineffectiveness of her efforts. "We fight, even if it's the old fashioned way." She slides off her horse and steps towards the pit, unsheathing her sword in one swift movement. "Everyone behind me. Spread out and keep at your bows," nodding slightly at Katya, "and spells."

I think I can do that - standard action to dismount, moving + drawing weapon as move action

No on the grease fire. This isn't Planescape Survival Guide, you know. You can do the dismount and draw, though.

The mound tries again to climb, and gets nowhere but the bottom of the pit.

Round 4:

Initiative order
Vasily-
Fitcher-
Bea-
Katya-
Shambling Mound-

Everyone can act.

Beatrix edges as close as she dares to the edge of the pit, standing with her sword ready and staring down the mound the best she can.

Ready action to attack (power attack) if the mound manages to climb up close enough.

-Posted with Wayfinder

Bea, if you get within five feet of the edge you have a decent chance of falling in.

Vasily growls at his poor shooting and fires off another pair of arrows. "Watch out for the edge of the pit, Bea. The ground is weak there."

Arrow 1: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (20) + 7 = 27
Damage 1: 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 3 = 7
Arrow 2: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (5) + 7 = 12
Damage 2: 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5

Crit confirm: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (18) + 7 = 25

Round 4 (ongoing):

Initiative order
Vasily-acted
Fitcher-
Bea-
Katya-
Shambling Mound-

Vasily's first arrow thumps solidly into the mound, which otherwise shows little sign of reacting.

Extra damage from crit: 2d8 + 6 ⇒ (8, 6) + 6 = 20

Shambling mound: AC 19/T9/FF19; -51 HP

I can't really tell where the edge of the pit is on the map - I'm trying to get close enough that I'll be the first thing it sees when it gets out is all. 10' from the edge is fine, since I'm not trying to shoot in or anything.