DMDM's Strange Aeons

Game Master Douglas Muir 406

Well, your best climber seems to be having a bit of a breakdown at the moment... I am actually pretty happy with you guys roleplaying out the stress and freakiness of your situation without me having to say "Okay, Sanity loss has caused you to develop a Major Neurosis" or whatever.

A cold gaze is sent Ghelik's way followed by a resigned sigh. Mrakala looks at the others and frowns before walking over to the younger man.

"Boy. As much as I am loathe to say this, we need your assistance." He crouches down next to him, making an awkward attempt to pat Ghelik on the shoulder. "Danger abounds. In times like these we stand together or fall to ruin. You feel useless? Stand up and show us your will to escape Death's cruel clutches. I am old and frail. My weak hands can scarcely clutch a rope much less climb up a narrow chute. Make a choice. Climb somewhere and lead us out of this place."

Whoa, this exploded nicely. I suppose I'm the only one in PST (GMT-8) here? Also, I'm in the last several months (I think?) of finishing my doctorate, so this is the Writing & Publishing Time - not an easy task to collate 5 years of research! Apologies if a bit delayed at times, feel free to bot. I'll let everyone know about anticipated prolonged absences.

@Mrakala - definitely learn R, it's a wonderful tool. Python is my go-to suggestion for anyone wanting to pick up programming from a null position since it's not a compiled language and has an interactive option. The pain of compiling/linking can come later, heh.

Nameless stands watching Mrakala exclaim over his findings, saying nothing but listening and looking on with a growing sense of unease. More disturbing, strangely, is that her inner/unknown voices have gone completely silent while the wizard examines his treasures.

She follows through the door and is assailed by the stench of the discarded bodies.

Will Save: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5 Woo! -1 more sanity. Sheet updated.

Whuuuuuuuh ... No. The oracle's breath exits in a rush and attempt to speak, but ends only in a statement that dwindles into a weak denial. She looks away and reaches up to touch her face, hand coming away bloody. Oh yes, the rippling impostor. She rips a small piece of the drab shirt from beneath her mail and wipes her face clean.

As the stairs collapse, the woman yells in surprise and steps back, bumping into Kyleen.

He sits down and puts his hand to his head, his facade of bravery finally breaking down, mumbles to himself, Useless...your useless this will never work.

Nameless approaches Ghelik and firmly grips the rogue's shoulder. You are doing well, and we are all ... She glances over to Fritz picking himself up. ... mostly fine. If anything will be our end, it is taking no action. Or, you know, the murderous, shape-shifting, insane physicians. I think this staircase is just a staircase. No shears involved. With a bit of a wild look to her eyes, the oracle offers a comforting smile.

Pickled Pork that hurt! Fritz says as he extracts himself.

I must agree with your friend here. We must act, and keep on the move. I am ready

Ghelik is pretty young so he has put on a good face so far...maybe he just needed a minute to gather himself since he already feels like he has let you all down.

Ghelik looks up at the collective group...I suppose it is move on r' die...thanks fer the words. He gathers himself for a moment.

Let's try the opinin', seems like the best bet.

Don't forget spells like Guidance can be helpful for skill checks poke, poke.

He stands and looks at the walls and shoot. I will take tha rope along with a boost.

Climb check, do I think taking a "10" will work?

Don't forget spells like Guidance can be helpful for skill checks poke, poke.

Gah! I meant to add that to the end of my previous post and forgot. So here goes. Hope for low.

Fugue Spell Recall(Guidance): 1d100 ⇒ 58

Crap, the fugue ate it for now.

Nameless' hand grips Ghelik just to the point of awkwardness, and she releases him with a confused look on her face, stepping back. Something ... I don't ... The oracle anxiously worries her hands.

Also, let me state that I'm maintaning light on at least one object every 10 minutes. At least I've unlocked that one ...

Knowledge(engineering): 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (20) + 2 = 22 <-- Bardic knowledge, may make all knowledge checks untrained, although I suppose it is irrelevant other than possibly retconning Fritz's damage away

---------
The woman who has no clue who she is, moves forward with the others. When she sees the stairs, she realizes that the steps are far from stable. She calls out a warning (which might or might not have been in time.)

She continues to look about in a rather bewildered manner.
We need to get out of here. This place is wrong, and evil.

Knowledge(engineering): 1d20+2 <-- Bardic knowledge, may make all knowledge checks untrained, although I suppose it is irrelevant other than possibly retconning Fritz's damage away

oooh.

Well, on one hand that was like fifteen posts ago, and stuff has happened. On the other, the standard is "check in at least once per day", and it was less than 24 hours.

So, compromise: I'll say that your warning comes in time to keep Fritz from moving forward onto the stairs. FRITZ: your 5 points of damage are retconned away. On the other hand, the stair still collapses.

I usually check in the morning and evening - unlike the old days where I checked every 30 minutes. I did not see anything to post about this morning, and then all the other stuff about the checks must have been posted in the hour or so after I checked.

Will try to check more, but with a real job (as real as an attorney can claim any job is), my posting time is a little more restricted.

Climb check, do I think taking a "10" will work?

It would... if you had a better than +3 Climb. But that's at least a DC 15 Climb check, so no.

astronomical aardvarks! It was just a cramp!

Botting Ghelik. The ranger and the paladin lift him onto their shoulders, so he can reach the bottom of the shaft. Climb check: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (14) + 3 = 17 Success! The walls of the shaft are aging brick, and there are a couple of handholds where broken pieces of wood from the stairs project from slots in the brick.

1d20 ⇒ 6 dum de dum oh never mind just ignore that.

Ghelik reaches the top of the shaft! The good news is, there's a door there. The bad news is (1) there's nothing to attach a rope to (there's a door handle, but it doesn't look very sturdy), and (2) the door is locked. Checking, I see you still have your masterwork thieves' tools. So you can attempt to pick the lock -- there's just a bit of a foothold in the brick, a whole where a beam supporting the landing used to sit. I'll let you roll that. If you can think of a clever way to work your coin in, you might get another +2.

If you can't pick the lock, it doesn't look good. Attempts to bash down the door would be difficult, given that the basher would be clinging to a wall. (And, of course, bashing is quite loud.) If you could get the bard up there, she could make another try at the lock, but... that's about all I can think of.

In other news, 1d6 ⇒ 2. You should also ignore this roll; moving along.

Must get ranks in all of the knowledges. ALL OF THEM.

In WotW, DMDM had the band of would be Villains take a few 'doh' moments when no one had Know Geography, of all things. Bless you sir.

I am actually pretty happy with you guys roleplaying out the stress and freakiness of your situation without me having to say "Okay, Sanity loss has caused you to develop a Major Neurosis" or whatever.

Does abject fear of DMDM intentions and re reading each of his posts for clues count as neurosis?

Vitæ is a bit disoriented being shunned by The Dreaming, and is not the font of knowledge Mrakala is. So player to player, Mrakala did you make a knowledge roll to what the doctor was? Do they normally act in this vicious manner, do they travel in packs? What are their special attacks? While they can mime our appearance, can they read our minds? Maybe we device a pass word for us, like 'banana bread'.

'So much Death.'

Vitæ thinks for a moment.

'Didn't we see a stretcher in the pile of discarded materials? Could they be used as a makeshift ladder?'

'And if Ghelik and I take the lead, it would be possible to place one more with us on a stretcher as a corpse.'

Ghelik brings out his tools and gets to work on the lock...

disable device 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (12) + 9 = 21

Whoa! It was a DC 21 lock exactly! Go Ghelik!

click rattle

creeeeeeeeak

Kayleen is the one who rolled for the doppleganger and shared what information she had. I think the only thing we learned was what it is.

Mrakala will stand around with a rag over his nose at the smell, avoiding the pile of bodies. His hand reaching into the sack, fingers stroking the puzzle box inside.

Kyleen continues to follow the others, hoping to learn where they are, or who she is.

I remember lots of things, just I do not seem to be part of them. Books, I recall reading many books and learning many things. And music, and the arts, and lots of other things.

She watches as Ghelik climbs up.
Be careful. We need to escape, but if we kill ourselves, the attempt is pointless.

Yordan draws his bow and has an arrow ready, watching in case something attacks Ghelik and/or enters the shaft.

Not that I have a very clear shot, but when stalking dangers preparation never hurts.

Ghelik tugs the door open. He holds a piece of broken wood with a light spell cast on it; after a moment, he carefully raises it and peers inside. Perception 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (13) + 5 = 18

It takes a few moments for Ghelik to realize what he's looking at. The doorway opens on some sort of wooden structure that is partially collapsed. Movement inside is cramped, and you'll have to squirm through. This will require either a DC 5 Escape Artist check or a DC 10 Reflex save to avoid getting stuck and/or taking a point of damage from jagged wood and rusty nails. There are a lot of... things in here, most of them broken. After a bit Gherik realizes that they are tools: a shovel, rakes, a hoe, buckets. There are also a number of wooden chairs, mostly shattered now.

Gherik can, with a few rounds of poking around, perhaps find something solid enough to fasten a rope.

There's a steady faint drumming sound from above. For several long moments Ghelik stands motionless, listening to it. Then there's a faint rumbling. With a start, Ghelik realizes: it's rain. Rain and thunder. Whatever this collapsed structure is, it's above ground level.

Ghelik shoves the light-stick into his tunic. After a few moments, his eyes adjust to the dimness. Dimness: not darkness. A faint grey light is filtering into the interior.

Fun fact: The Oracle Spirit Guide archetype actually gets all Knowledge as class skills, so that's a bit of a waste to the group from my choice given we have a wizard and bard. Of course, overlapping, multiple rolls (or near-guaranteed Aid Other rolls) are never a bad thing since they can offset important failures.

Nameless picks up appropriately-sized pieces of wood of appropriate size, and puts a light spell on each - passing them around to the group. It feels nice to push the darkness back a bit, yes?

My guess is that all that Knowledge is going to be very useful...

Yordan does not take a lightstick. "I need both hands to fight."

Okay, with a rope in place you can get up the shaft. However, there isn't room for more than one person at a time to stand on the foothold by the door, and three people at most to squeeze through the low crawlspace of jagged wood and broken stone at a time. So, Ghelik first, then...?

Nameless picks up appropriately-sized pieces of wood of appropriate size, and puts a light spell on each - passing them around to the group. It feels nice to push the darkness back a bit, yes?

Sadly, unlike say Guidance, when casting Light, you can have only one active spell per caster at a time. Yes, annoying.

Vitæ will be the second or third through, sand crystals trailing him, but disappearing as they hit the floor.

'To think, that in other worlds, youngsters do this for their educational calisthenics.'

Vitæ is possibly daydreaming. Or is simply as crazy as all of you.

If needed Escape Artist: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (9) + 7 = 16

If needed Climb: 1d20 ⇒ 15

Sadly, unlike say Guidance, when casting Light, you can have only one active spell per caster at a time. Yes, annoying.

D'oh. Thanks for the reminder.

I want out-out-out...!

But are THEY out there...?

Yordan doesn't know whether to go first or--

"Last," he says hoarsely. "I will go last, and help boost anyone who needs it. You can-- pull me up if I can't climb the rope myself."

If I start running now I'll never stop. He briefly touches the shear-blade in his belt pouch as if it were a talisman of luck.

Assuming we get to Yordan's exit without something else arriving... Escape Artist: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 2 = 10

Maybe we device a pass word for us, like 'banana bread'.

We should prepare a pass word for the group in case there are more of those things running around. In WotW what was the Judge's shadow called?

edit Morsum!

I am fine with maintaining the same order as used above/previously.

1d20 + 1 ⇒ (18) + 1 = 19 ref when we get there

Jiggling jellyfish! Definitely evil stairs

Same order seems good. Seems like only 4 people can fit up there before someone moves to a new area though? I'll roll my checks, but assume they don't actually do much as Mrakala goes (almost) last.

Untrained Escape Artist: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 = 8

"All of this work out is a bit much for me..I've never been one for traipsing through dungeons."

Or have I? What do I even know about myself? You silly boy..no..old man. I am old now, aren't I? Ugh.

Vitæ attempts to be encouraging. To be blunt, it's not his forte.

'It is sometimes a mistake to climb. It is always a mistake not to make an attempt.'

After tossing down the rope, Ghelik talks down into the hole, It's clear up here as far as I can tell, come up.

He easily wiggles through the area and out. He gets to a point he can draw his weapons, and be at a vantage point where he can hide/guard the others as they come up.

Stealth, take a 10 for a 17. Shortsword and MW Dagger are out. He keep an eye out for any movement and is ready to pull the cloth out at a moments notice.

If you can make the Escape Artist check / Reflex save, you can wriggle out without too much difficulty.

"Out" in this case means... outside! Well, almost. You are standing in a long, narrow courtyard, about 40' EW by 150' NS. There are several small trees, a circular gravel path, and flowerbeds. However, the garden is in bad shape; the flowerbeds have been trampled, smeared and squashed into the mud, and one of the trees has been broken off, leaving a jagged stump.

You're near the southeast corner. The structure you just squirmed out of was a small shed made of brick and wood. Judging from what's left of its contents (shovels, hoes, etc.) it was the gardening shed. The courtyard walls are about 20' high and smooth; you're inside a two-story building. Climbing out is possible, but smooth walls = a DC 20 Climb check, plus another 2 on the DC because everything is very wet -- see below.

It looks like there are two exits from the courtyard: a small door to the NW, and a bigger pair of double doors to the W. It's hard to be completely sure, though, because the rain is coming down so hard that it's effectively low-light conditions. There's no wind or breeze, so the rain hammers straight down, endless fat drops pouring out of a low grey sky. It looks like it's been doing this for a while; the garden is a sea of mud with several large puddles. -2 to all Stealth checks, and you would need an Acrobatics check to avoid slipping if you try to run.

The rain is oddly warm. Almost unpleasantly so.

Going second or third to last, Kyleen carefully climbs up the rope and then through the mangled wood.

Climb: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3 vs DC5

Climb(2nd try): 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (20) + 1 = 21

Escape Artist: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (7) + 2 = 9 vs DC5

That failed Climb check would mess you up, except that I assume y'all are bright enough to tie a hitch around your belt or some such. So, there's some undignified flailing, but no real harm.

"The sky again..." Yordan whispers, turning his face up and letting the warm rain wash him clean.

Besides the two doors you mentioned, are there any first-floor or second-floor windows? Can we see roofs (tile, thatch, slate) or chimneys? Also, what kind of season are we in, judging by the trees and the weather?

Survival check: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (1) + 6 = 7

Climb: 1d20 - 3 ⇒ (19) - 3 = 16
Escape Artist (untrained): 1d20 - 4 ⇒ (17) - 4 = 13

With an uncharacteristic spring in her step, and a bit too much twinkle in her eye, Nameless scales to the opening and deftly maneuvers through the maze of jagged annoyance. Stepping out into the warm rain, she turns her face to the sky, a smile on her lips.

"Gods, I thought we'd never be free of that place."

"YoU tHiNk We'Re OuT? jUsT LoOk ..."

The oracle looks across the courtyard, face falling as she takes in the dreary scene. What a depressing sight. This courtyard was likely quite beautiful and verdant, once. Nudging a hoe with her foot, she adds: I suppose we could stick around and work on it a bit once this rain lets up.

"Have you gone MAD?"

"gardensbloomsbonesandbloodyoucan'tdoathinginthisflood"

Kyleen, with some struggling, manages to make it up to the top. When she sees the rain, she raises her face to feel the warm water, before realizing that the rags she is still wearing provide little or no protection, or modesty.

Knowledge(geography): 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (7) + 2 = 9 <-- add +4 if local is appropriate

Kyleen tries to identify the building from without, but has no recollection of having ever heard of such a building.

We should find some place safe. But . . . but where? Does anyone know who we are? . . . I mean where we are?

"The sky again..." Yordan whispers, turning his face up and letting the warm rain wash him clean.

Besides the two doors you mentioned, are there any first-floor or second-floor windows? Can we see roofs (tile, thatch, slate) or chimneys? Also, what kind of season are we in, judging by the trees and the weather?

Natural 1 on your Survival check: huh.

There are indeed a couple of windows on the western side of the courtyard, above the double doors. However, they're quite high up, and the walls are sheer -- as noted, a DC 22 Climb check (20 for a smooth wall + 2 for the driving rain).

Thunder rumbles again overhead.

Survival can be attempted untrained. Yordan, you already rolled a 1, so no rolling for you.

Options!

-- Look at the small door to the NW
-- Look at the big double doors to the W
-- Try to climb up and get to the windows
-- Wander around and investigate the courtyard and garden
-- I don't like this. Let's climb back down to the torture cellar.
-- Other?

"gardensbloomsbonesandbloodyoucan'tdoathinginthisflood"

Nice. (Maybe you liked gardens, once? Your trait is Twitchy, which doesn't give anything, but maybe you found them soothing? Or not.)

"There doesn't seem to be much to see in the courtyard. I suggest we try the small door."

Might there be a ladder in the shed? Gardeners sometimes have to reach high branches after all. And where would the body chute and furnace shaft look to be coming out?

There is a ladder!

It's broken to splinters. Something really did a number on this little shed -- it's collapsed and smashed flat, and pretty much everything inside is destroyed. Y'all literally have to crawl out of the rubble.