DM Carbide's PFS#8-07: From the Tome of Righteous Repose (Inactive)

Game Master John Woodford

"Then we are fortunate to have among us one who can throw open the gates of Heaven!" cackles Aldebert, firing withotu cease. "He's a Priest of Sarenrae, you dirty remnants from another time! Run! Or be consumed!"

Attacking Red

Mathilda, strike #1, RS, DA, PBS: 1d20 + 13 - 2 - 2 + 1 ⇒ (10) + 13 - 2 - 2 + 1 = 20
Damage: 1d10 + 6 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 6 + 1 = 11
Mathilda, strike #2, RS, DA, PBS: 1d20 + 13 - 2 - 2 + 1 ⇒ (9) + 13 - 2 - 2 + 1 = 19
Damage: 1d10 + 6 + 1 ⇒ (10) + 6 + 1 = 17
Mathilda, strike #3, RS, DA, PBS: 1d20 + 8 - 2 - 2 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 8 - 2 - 2 + 1 = 7
Damage: 1d10 + 6 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 6 + 1 = 11

Neither Kel nor Aldebert are able to hit the evasive phantoms.

Round 3 (ongoing):

Initiative order
Phantoms-acted
Chaul
Aldebert
Alektara-
Kel
Celidrian-
Jeb-

Two of the phantoms pound on Jeb, but the gunslinger is too quick for them. The third goes after Kel, and hits him a glancing blow for 6 HP.

Party up!

Phantoms: AC 22 T 16 FF 16
Blue: -5 HP
Red: -18 HP
Green: -29 HP

Alektara takes a 5 ft step towards the red foe and full rounds it...

"Die you horrid foes!"

ECB1+PA: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (18) + 12 = 30...DMG: 1d10 + 14 ⇒ (8) + 14 = 22

ECB2+PA: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (16) + 7 = 23...DMG: 1d10 + 14 ⇒ (10) + 14 = 24

Pos Crit ATK 1: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (7) + 12 = 19...DMG: 1d10 + 14 ⇒ (8) + 14 = 22

Chaul's arms start to tremble, but he keeps them outstreched as the powers of heaven flood into the room, blasting the phantoms.

channel, will DC 21 forhalf: 4d6 ⇒ (1, 2, 1, 3) = 7

Jeb fires again at the green phantom!
Boom!: 1d20 + 12 + 1 ⇒ (15) + 12 + 1 = 28 for 1d8 + 5 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 5 + 1 = 10 damage plus spending a grit for UP CLOSE AND DEADLY 2d6 ⇒ (6, 4) = 10 additional damage!
Pow!: 1d20 + 7 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 7 + 1 = 15 for 1d8 + 5 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 5 + 1 = 9 damage!

"DIE! AGAIN! SHOULDN'T BE TOO HARD THE SECOND TIME NOW?"

Mathilda, strike #1, RS, DA, PBS: 1d20 + 13 - 2 - 2 + 1 ⇒ (13) + 13 - 2 - 2 + 1 = 23
Damage: 1d10 + 6 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 6 + 1 = 9
Mathilda, strike #2, RS, DA, PBS: 1d20 + 13 - 2 - 2 + 1 ⇒ (14) + 13 - 2 - 2 + 1 = 24
Damage: 1d10 + 6 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 6 + 1 = 8
Mathilda, strike #3, RS, DA, PBS: 1d20 + 8 - 2 - 2 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 8 - 2 - 2 + 1 = 8
Damage: 1d10 + 6 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 6 + 1 = 10

Alektara, given that Aldebert has been shooting at the red one, I moved you to where you can also hit blue if when the red one goes down.

Round 3 (ongoing):

Initiative order
Phantoms-acted
Chaul-acted
Aldebert-acted
Alektara-acted
Kel
Celidrian-
Jeb-acted

None of the phantoms can find it in themselves to resist Chaul's feeble wave of holy power. Aldebert hits the red phantom twice, and it's looking pretty shaky. Alektara cuts it down with her first stroke, then hits the blue phantom and leaves it in bad shape. Jeb shoots the green one and hits it once; it looks as though a stiff wind could knock it down, though. Neither it nor its blue counterpart can hit the gunslinger as he fires.

Kel and Celidrian can act!

Phantoms: AC 22 T 16 FF 16
Blue -36 HP
Green -51 HP

Celidrian casts magic missile and targets both creatures... 2 at green and 1 at blue.

mm green: 2d4 + 2 ⇒ (1, 4) + 2 = 7
mm blue: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2

Round 3 (ongoing):

Initiative order
Phantoms-acted
Chaul-acted
Aldebert-acted
Alektara-acted
Kel
Celidrian-acted
Jeb-acted

Celidrian's first missile dissipates the green phantom, his second passing through the space it occupied. The remaining phantom is whittled down a bit more.

Kel, finish it!

Phantom: AC 22 T 16 FF 16 -38 HP

Kel stabs hard, giving it all he's got!
Attack: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (10) + 7 = 17
Damage: 1d6 + 9 ⇒ (3) + 9 = 12

Ki: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (17) + 7 = 24
Damage: 1d6 + 9 ⇒ (6) + 9 = 15

Damned ghost! Die already!

Badly wounded, the remaining phantom attempts to disengage and flee. Alektara can take a cut at it as it fades into the wall but the net result is the same; out of combat!

The banner on the wall is a knight's pennon (battle), and the piece of wood it's hanging on is a wand of daylight with 17 charges remaining.

"I think." says the priest as he kneels to give thanks for the save outcome of the group. "That we should return to the rift now. I still have strength left to aid us all in the closing ritual."

Was that the last room, apart from the rift itself? Could you remind us how we go about closing that? There was something about healing spells and channelling giving a bonus on the skill checks if I remember correctly.

"Best you run while you could!" Alektara shouts out after the foe slipped away. "Come let us aid good Chaul in this ritual and then leave this unlucky place. I tire of the undead."

There's some loot in the room with the haunt, but nothing you need. Here's the ritual information.

The ritual described in the scroll uses the scroll as a material component. It takes a full hour to cast, and requires three successful DC 20 skill checks. Each PC can attempt a single skill check during the ritual. Acceptable skills for the check are Knowledge (arcana, planes, or religion), Linguistics, Perform (oratory), Spellcraft, and Use Magic Device. Expending an ability that releases positive energy, such as cure spells and channeling, grants a bonus on a single check. For spells, the bonus is equal to the spell level; for channeled positive energy, the bonus is equal to the number of dice rolled. Every 5 points by which a character exceeds the check's DC, the PCs earn an additional success. So in theory one PC could crush a roll and do it by themselves.

Chaul is more than happy to quickly check the room with a detect magic before leaving it.

Chaul will use either positive channeling or a 4th level spell for each person to help with their checks, giving a +4 to everyone.

Reading from the scroll, Chaul starts to recite the complex words.

linguistics, takes ten: 10 + 6 + 4 = 20 <- one success. Just.

Jeb will try to aid another, having no natural skill in any of those himself! Aid, DC 10: 1d20 ⇒ 8

so what's the deal here, should I assist chaul with an aid, or make my own roll?

You make your own roll, in whichever of the applicable skills is your best, adding +4 to your roll due to Chaul's positive energy. Chaul has one success already.

Celidrien imparts what he knows of the arcane...

knowledge arcane: 1d20 + 12 + 4 + 1d6 ⇒ (3) + 12 + 4 + (4) = 23

well that was pathetic... sigh

A success is a success.

Alektara has some of the relevant skills, but she's the only other one in the party who does. As it happens, given Cel's roll she could Aid Another on Knowledge (Arcana), which she does automatically, and raise his result to a 25 for a double success. I'll assume that happens.

Alektara's lore warden training comes through. Chaul is able to piece together how the ritual is presented in the scroll, and then Alektara and Celidrian put their heads together and discuss its finer points, interpolating a likely method of casting where the presentation was unclear. Chaul then incants the ritual, adding his mastery of healing magics to power it. The words on the scroll glow as the priest reads them and lift off the page, leaving only ashes behind. The symbols float around the rift, arranging themselves in concentric spheres as lines of arcane and divine power leap from word to word. The priest reaches the end of the scroll, concluding with a single imperative Word, and the spheres collapse in around the rift. Negative energy radiates from the rift in what seems to be an attempt to hold off the symbol-structure, but it is in vain. With a blinding burst of holy fire, the rift implodes. In the distance, all can hear the sound of the mourners in the noble crypt, their ages-long dirge finally stilled as the fragments of soul-stuff go to their long-delayed rest.

And with that we are done! Thank you all for playing, I hope you enjoyed it, and I'll get chronicles out in the next day or so.

"Capital! Capital indeed. Well done agent Drammarson!" shouts Aldebert, who begins clapping.

"Did you SEE that? that was ah-MAY-zing!! Those words just coming off the page, floating and glowing in circles around the rift... and imploding it... just incredible what kind of power a mix of magical energies can create! WEll done, Chaul!"

The priest looks a little shaken.

"I think it is well done to everyone. I don't think I could have done that ritual without you all. Let alone have actually reached the rift. One can only hope that with the body being returned to its rightful place nobody will have to return to do this again in the future."

Alektara could have auto aided the arcane check

Alektara spends a moment with the half elf academic and assist him in remembering enough arcane knowledge to help Chaul in the ritual.
"Well that seemed like it worked. Did you hear the mourners?"

Jeb lets out a low whistle. "Well that's not something you see every day, is it? Good job, y'all. Sorry I didn't have much to contribute there at the end an' all."

Kel lets out a satisfied sigh and smiles at everyone.
Well mates, another mission well done. Once we're back in Absalom, we'll stop by The Laughing Lizard and I'll put all our drinks and meals on the house. I believe we all need to unwind.

The man gestures to the exit.
Shall we gather up everything we've found and head out?

"Indeed so. I feel like having the sun on my face for a while after being underground so much the last day or two."

"While not a follower of Sarenrae, I, too, feel the need for sun. It has been a long time since I've felt it's warmth."

Celidrian, I almost forgot. Make another Fort save as you're heading back to town.

fort: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (20) + 2 = 22

The first night after leaving the dungeon, Celidrian tosses and turns, feverish and sweating. The fever breaks early in the morning, though, and the wizard feels much better on awakening.

"Hmmm... I think I'm sick... I hope that was the end of it. Now I'm famished."[/b] he pulls out a rations pack and starts eating hungrily.

On returning to the lodge, the raffish venture-captain quizzes you all about your adventure. He nods and occasionally looks concerned as you recount the events, and afterwards remarks on what a wonderful chronicle this will make after he hears back from a few other teams. "I knew you'd triumph! Just goes to show I picked the right Pathfinders to seek out adventure while unknown dangers lurked. There could have been almost anything there! Go and rest while I put our report together for the Ten. This is really going to help put Uscalin Lodge on the map! And your efforts made it possible." He turns a bit more serious. "About the rift, well. I may joke about the crusaders, but they really do play a vital part in the service of good. You, too, have done important work today. You've removed a pressing danger that no one was aware of, and I hope you've helped the spirit of an ancient hero find rest. Well done, Pathfinders. I hope you are as proud of yourselves as I am of you."