DM Carbide's Through a Cracked Mirror: A Short Watch (Inactive)

Game Master John Woodford

"I agree we should give them more space. We're acting more like spies than guardians. I would know."

1d20 + 8 ⇒ (6) + 8 = 14

The four of you settle in for the night. Dashel's watch passes uneventfully, as does Drovic's.

Everyone but Grungar, make a DC 15 Perception check to awaken.

Round 1:

Initiative order
Threat-acted/Drovic
Conner
Grungar-
Ogres
Besmarial
Troll
Dashel

Perception: 1d20 + 8 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 8 + 1 = 14

Perc: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (13) + 11 = 24

Drovic's eyes open, looking around to see what's going on.

perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (4) + 9 = 13

The past few days have caught up to Dashel as he sleeps heavy.

Map is HERE.

Conner and Dashel slumber on, while Drovic's senses alert him to the presence of danger. On rousing, the elf can see Grungar; the dwarf has what look like four small javelins protruding from various parts of his body in a way that does not look terribly comfortable. Above him in the treetops is a peculiar-looking creature (which Grungar can also see, when he looks up to find where the javelins came from). In the distance, Grungar and Drovic can now hear one or more large somethings moving clumsily through the woods from the northeast.

"Wake up we're under attack!" Drovic stands, and with a whispered word vanishes.

Move action to stand, standard action to cast vanish.

Conner and Dashel, with your previous Perception checks the shout is enough to wake you up.

Round 1:

Initiative order
Threat-acted/Drovic-acted
Conner-
Grungar-
Ogres-
Besmarial-
Troll-
Dashel-

FORT: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (3) + 8 = 11
FORT: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (10) + 8 = 18

I didn't add my +2 to my saves, I forgot about the dwarves resistance to poison. So I should of passed the second save throw. So its up to you DM, as that was my fault not adding it in.

NVM, I would need to adjust my FORT save for the second saving throw as I took 2 points of CON damage, which would lower my FORT save by one, which in turn would make me fail my second one. I believe that I have 1 HP left, is that correct, I was always horrible at figuring out how to recalculate my HP when I lose CON.

Grungar looks down at the javelin sticking out of him, This isn't good, . Grungar moves to the nearest cover, Could use some healing over here, yells Grungar in hopes of waking the others.

The CON drain damage has dropped your max HP by 6, to 58, and since you took 62 HP total you're at -4.

Edited to correct error; I always get drain and damage confused. It's the temporary one, anyway.

One other thing, Grungar--you're only down 2 points of CON so far, but the fact that you've taken four doses of poison will extend the potential duration of the poison (from 6 rounds to 15 rounds) and make saving more difficult (DC 24 instead of DC 18).

Damn that's brutal. Grungar is arguably our tankiest member and he was just dropped.

Dashel does not have his medium armor on.

Dashel sends out a quick, yet determined prayer that bursts forth. (40 ft radius)While he grabs his shield assessing the situation.

Grungar, I'll try to get to you next round. I thought it was wise to boost everyone's first.

Note: I'm inclined to cast obscuring mist next to buy us time.

Conner wakes, but moves silently to hide himself, and then scanning the trees for the threat.

Stealth: 1d20 + 13 + 1 ⇒ (13) + 13 + 1 = 27

Perception: 1d20 + 8 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (12) + 8 + 1 + 1 = 22

GM, do I need to roll anything right now?

Conner, you can tell the location of the creature that took down Grungar, and hear the approach of the others.

Grungar, roll to stabilize.

Round 1 (final):

In the distance, everyone awake can hear the sound of more enemies approaching, though they are not quite visible yet. Before Dashel acts, Besmarial flies towards the party at high speed and begins to glow brightly. The angel is now the center of a daylight spell effect.

In the light, everyone can now clearly see the creature. Dashel, you actually recognize it from previous experience--it's a monster called a pukwudgie. When you were a novice in Iomedae's service, the senior cleric you were assigned to serve fought one. All you remember from the fight is that it could throw or stab people with poisoned quills, and people who died of the poison had a distressing tendency to rise from the dead as zombies. Its quills would scratch anyone who attacked it with non-two-handed or reach weapons, which made closing with it a chancy proposition. It took a lot of killing, too, and after the fight your master mentioned that it had potent necromantic spells as well.

Round 2:

Initiative order
Threat-acted/Drovic-
Conner-
Grungar-
Ogres-
Besmarial-
Troll-
Dashel-

The creature looks down at Grungar and concentrates for a moment, then titters to itself and looks around. At this point, apart from Besmarial the only one it can see is Dashel. It pulls a pair of quills from its back, one with each hand, and hurls them towards the cleric. Both hit. Take 9 HP and make a DC 20 Fort save or take 3 points CON damage.

Drovic slips through the woods silently, staring at the pukwudgie.

Stealth: 1d20 + 13 + 20 ⇒ (11) + 13 + 20 = 44

Move action to get to the base of the tree, standard action to study the pukwudgie.

This close, Drovic, you can tell that it reeks of rotting meat. It doesn't appear to have noticed you yet. You think you'd have a lot of trouble stabbing it with a dagger without running a significant risk of scratching yourself on a quill. The only thing it's wearing is a belt with a couple of pouches.

I don't have a reach weapon, and I can't use death attack with a ranged weapon. Perhaps a morningstar or rapier? But that would also have low sneak attack damage if he should make the fort save.

You think the quills won't prevent you from landing the attack, but you're certain to get at least a little scratched up.

Stabilize: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (18) + 2 = 20

Grungar is no longer bleeding to death.

However, at the second round you need to make a DC 24 Fort save vs. poison or take another point of CON damage. (Don't forget the +1 from prayer.)

In the event to keep things moving, and so I don't forget I will make the roll now.

Fort: 1d20 + 7 + 1 ⇒ (13) + 7 + 1 = 21

Round 2 (ongoing):

Initiative order
Threat-acted/Drovic-acted
Conner-
Grungar-stabilized
Ogres-moving
Besmarial-
Troll-moving
Dashel-

Besmarial dips down to the fallen dwarf and infuses life energy into him. Grungar, you now have 4 temporary HP. You wake up and can act next round, but being at 0 HP you're disabled.

Since the other creatures are still advancing and won't be in a position to attack this round, Conner and Dashel can act.

fort save, +1 prayer: 1d20 + 8 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 8 + 1 = 14

The poison flows in the cleric, his fortitude weakens.

RD 2 Action:

"Iomedae cover us with a blanket." He will casts obscuring mist to buy us time and cover. He moves out of his current position to avoid being a stationary target.

Minus 3 will take Dashel down another 12 HPs. So he is down a total of 21 HP.

Round 2, Favored Target, Sneak Attack, Stag Helm, Prayer

Connor spends his movement carefully studying the threat that downed the dwarf. He then activates his Stag Helm, and fires at the creature from a position of stealth.

[spoiler-Stag Helm]Three times per day, as a free action you can call upon the helm to make an insightful attack. It must be used on a target within 30' range, which counts the target's defenses as being flat-footed. You must use the insightful attack within 1 round of calling the power or that use is lost.[/spoiler]

LB Att: 1d20 + 12 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 12 + 2 + 1 = 19
LB Dam: 1d8 + 4 + 2 + 1 + 2d6 ⇒ (4) + 4 + 2 + 1 + (1, 6) = 18

Grungar will crawl to where he thinks is the safest.

Minus 3 will take Dashel down another 12 HPs. So he is down a total of 21 HP.

My understanding of ability damage is that regardless of whether your undamaged stat is odd or even, 1 point of ability damage has no effect, 2 points gives a -1 on all relevant aspects of your character, 3 points still gives a -1, 4 points gives -2, etc. So you're only down 6 HP from the CON damage.

ETA: Here's the quote from the PRD:

For every 2 points of damage you take to a single ability, apply a –1 penalty to skills and statistics listed with the relevant ability.

Nothing in there about where you're starting from.

I added back 6 HP.

Drovic, the ogres next to you 1) do not seem to have noticed you (unsurprisingly), and 2) do not appear to be breathing. You can see a couple of ulcerated puncture wounds on the body of the one closest to you.

Conner's arrow flies true, painfully perforating the pukwudgie. It hisses in annoyance and on the next round sends a pair of quills back at the probable point of origin, but does not seem to be able to localize the slayer well enough to hit him. Incidentally, Conner, what's your current AC? Are you wearing your armor?

Round 3:

Initiative order
Threat-acted/Drovic-
Conner-
Grungar-
Ogres-
Besmarial-
Troll-
Dashel-

ETA: Updated map is HERE.

How far is he up in the tree? Would I need to make a climb check or an acro check?

FORT Save: 1d20 + 7 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 7 + 1 = 12

Grungar continues to struggle with the effects of the poison and can feel it sapping away his life energy. Grungar continues to crawl to a safe location.

I am now down -4 points of CON, which means -2 on my FORT saves and less HP.

I always have the armor on bc it is a Mithral Chain Shirt. AC is 21, and it appears in the summary tag line next to the photo of my avatar on my posts.

Drovic, it's about ten feet up. Either one would work.

Dashel, you also have to make another save vs. poison this round or take another 2 points of CON damage. Grungar, losing the additional 6 points off of your maximum HP knocks you out again; you're at -6 HP and have to roll to stabilize. The combination of lots of damage and CON damage poison is very dangerous; if you don't get Grungar healed a bit the cumulative effects will probably kill him in another round.

ETA: Thanks, Conner. That's what I thought, but after Dashel was explicitly unarmored I wanted to be sure. In any case both of the quills missed you.

Gotcha...thanks!

Stabilize: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6

Looks like Grungar fails to stabilize

Grungar attempts to crawl further but the poison is too strong and overcomes him and he passes back out.

Round 3, Favored Target, Sneak Attack, Stag Helm, Prayer

Connor activates his Stag Helm, and fires another arrow at the creature.

LB Att: 1d20 + 12 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (15) + 12 + 2 + 1 = 30
LB Dam: 1d8 + 4 + 2 + 1 + 2d6 ⇒ (1) + 4 + 2 + 1 + (6, 2) = 16

Conner then moves into the foliage in an attempt to conceal his position for his next attack.

Stealth: 1d20 + 13 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 13 + 1 + 2 = 20

Conner, at the moment you're on the edge of the obscuring mist effect; you have partial cover against ranged attacked from outside of it, but the mist doesn't grant cover against your ranged attacks. OTOH, if you move any further into the mist it will.

Round 3:

Initiative order
Threat-acted/Drovic-
Conner-acted
Grungar-dying
Ogres-
Besmarial-
Troll-
Dashel-

Waiting on Drovic before running the NPCs.

fort save: 1d20 + 8 + 1 - 1 ⇒ (3) + 8 + 1 - 1 = 11

The poison is wrecking havoc on the cleric's body.

RD 3: Dashel will convert and spell to healing the dwarf.

CSW: 3d8 + 6 ⇒ (2, 7, 3) + 6 = 18

Then he retrieves his antitoxin.

Drovic puts a blade into his teeth, still staring at the enemy.

Move action to draw, standard to study.

After the attack, I will move into the mist for that stealth roll.

Round 3 (final):

Initiative order
Threat-acted/Drovic-acted
Conner-acted
Grungar-dying cured
Ogres-
Besmarial-retreated
Troll-
Dashel-cured Grungar

Conner's second arrow also strikes the creature, which curses obscenely in Infernal before shouting apparent orders in the same language:

Drovic, the ogres shamble by you and continue into the mist as you continue to study the pukwudgie, trying to identify its vulnerabilities. A troll staggers out of the darkness past you; like the ogres, it is not breathing, and it has ulcerated puncture wounds on its hands and face (suggestive of an ill-advised attempt to claw and bite at the pukwudgie).

Apparently realizing that it's the most obvious target at the moment, Besmarial retreats and puts the obscuring mist between it and the pukwudgie.

Dashel's magic restores the dwarf to consciousness, but he's unable to move this round.

Round 4:

Initiative order
Threat-acted/Drovic-
Conner-
Grungar-
Ogres-
Besmarial-
Troll-
Dashel-

The pukwudgie concentrates, looking down at the mist, then gives a long chittering squeak. A coruscating ray springs from one outstretched claw and strikes Grungar despite the cover provided by the mist. Grungar, take 9 points STR penalty, DC 15 Fort save to 4 points.

Oh my god this thing is a powerhouse. Can you post the link to the map again?

Just posted the map link in Campaign Info, so it should be up at the top of the page. The pukwudgie is a CR 7 creature--doesn't punch above its weight as much as a seugathi, but that's not saying much.

Round 4, Favored Target, Sneak Attack, Prayer, Rapid Shot

Connor fires two arrows at the creature.

LB Att: 1d20 + 12 + 2 + 1 - 2 ⇒ (4) + 12 + 2 + 1 - 2 = 17
LB Dam: 1d8 + 4 + 2 + 1 + 2d6 ⇒ (2) + 4 + 2 + 1 + (2, 1) = 12

LB Att: 1d20 + 12 + 2 + 1 - 2 ⇒ (4) + 12 + 2 + 1 - 2 = 17
LB Dam: 1d8 + 4 + 2 + 1 + 2d6 ⇒ (7) + 4 + 2 + 1 + (4, 2) = 20

Conner slides to the edge of the mist and looses a pair of arrows at the pukwudgie; it dodges both of them, though.

For future reference: AC 20/T 16/FF/15.

It's problematic when two players were caught off guard leaving two characters to battle a difficult foe. Dashel is not a medicine chest build, he is a buffer who wades into combat. he was asleep, so unless he wanted to be fatigued he had no armor on. I need to get a chain shirt if he survives.