DM: Dave the Dwarf's Shattered Star

Game Master Gandrik Th-kar

Yorn

perception: 1d20 + 4 - 2 ⇒ (15) + 4 - 2 = 17

Yorn notices the dagger and key as well.

Nalun shouts out to grab the dagger its magical. (+1)

The Shadow attacks Mark.

1d20 + 2 ⇒ (11) + 2 = 13

The shadow touches Mark an he feels the chill of the grave.

1d6 ⇒ 5 Str damage!

"Wow...Jimes was right. Just keep your eyes peeled and the world provides for you."

The big half-orc tumbles for the dagger, trying to come up in flank with mark.

attack with +1 dagger and minus 2 str: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (10) + 5 = 15
damage: 1d4 + 4 + 1d6 ⇒ (1) + 4 + (1) = 6

I'm changing it to a lesser shadow. How are you supposed to deal with ability damage at level 1? Mark and Yorn both took 1 str damage. Just enough to put them at 17. Thats bad enough for now.

Between Mark and Yorn the magic weapons kill the shadow.

A shadow is CR 3, and tough for us newbies. Not sure we wouldn't have taken casualties

Mark, Yorn! Do you feel funny? I once read a book called Shadowy Shapes and Slithering Slimey Snakes it said that if a shadow touches you you turn into one. Let me examine you

Nalun casts Detect Magic and begins to scan every inch of Yorn and Mark.

A shadow is CR 3, and tough for us newbies. Not sure we wouldn't have taken casualties

Mark, Yorn! Do you feel funny? I once read a book called Shadowy Shapes and Slithering Slimey Snakes it said that if a shadow touches you you turn into one. Let me examine you

Nalun casts Detect Magic and begins to scan every inch of Yorn and Mark.

Right? And they give you 1 magic dagger? Even magic weapons only do half damage! Bad encounter design I say

Yorn and Mark are fine just a little weak (keep that -1 str).

You collect the dagger and key and you are forced to turn aroun as this is a dead end. You backtrack all the way to room 1 and take the door to room 6.

Who has the dagger +1 and who has the masterwork crossbow?

I'd pass on the crossbow unless nobody else wanted it. I think Yorn should keep the dagger, and I say so.

I have the xbow listed under group loot. I'm cool with Yorn having the dagger.

"Guys, we seriously kick ass. It's kind of amazing."

Mark looks over his arm - there's a discoloration to his skin where the shadow struck him that he doesn't like. "I have to admit, it's fun to be swinging my battleaxe at something other than saplings for practice."

"Yeah. And with nasty undead weirdoes, no guilt!"

Shalee make me lol almost every post haha. From here there will be multiple keys used multiple times. Right now you have (Room 5 key)

The 5 of you step into room 6...

In the center of this room is a large pool of clear water, fed by
a fountain on the wall above it. The fountain has a stone statue
of a weeping maiden holding the slain body of Kassen, but his
head has been broken off and is nowhere to be seen. A voice
booms out from the darkness, saying, “Magic is the key.” The
voice slowly fades, leaving a dreadful silence.

Their are 2 doors leading out of this chamber to the north and they are both locked when you check them. At the bottom of the pool are about 100 keys, all nearly identical. The pool is 40 feet deep.

"I could do without the creepy disembodied voices but I'm gonna guess we need one of those keys. But which one?"

Magic is the key hmmmm

Nalun casts Detect Magic (his favorite spell)

Guys, I think I've got this

Nalun you see one of the hundreds of keys glowing at the bottom of the pool.

"Uhh...Nalun. I'm pretty sure I could swim down there and get a key but...uh...how do I know which one?"

Maggie jumps in the pool, completely oblivious to the fact that we're considering diving down it for keys. She just wants to get the grave dust off her fur. Mark keeps watch, the head of his battleaxe resting against the floor as the others (who are better suited to it) discuss strategy.

"C'mon, magic man. Do your thing."

Nalun pauses a moment to assess the situation.

Does anyone have rope?

Nalun will tie the rope to his waist and then attempt to swim down and get the key. The rope is for the group to pull me up in case of emergency.

Yorn eyes Nalun carefully. "No offense, but are you sure you can swim that far down quickly enough? Maybe you should carry sometHing heavy down and then let it go once you have the key?"

You mean like the Dire Crocodile thats hiding in the pool? I mean its perfectly harmless in there.....

What..well...yeah... I mean...I can't actually swim or anything....

Gosh darn it Elzrahar!

"Sure you can. Hold your breath and go down. Handy skills for a guy."

Mark smirks at Shalee, then addresses the wizard. "Maybe you should point out which one it is to Yorn and let him go. Or I can, Nalun."

You can swim untrained unless you dont want to be able to for RP.

I know, I think its cooler if Nalun doesn't think he can. I kinda envision it as splashing around aimlessly and clumsily

There are too many keys, I can see the shiny one. It's hard to describe if you aren't magically endowed.

With the rope tied to him, Nalun dives in.

swim: 1d20 ⇒ 13

"Nalun, you'll be great!" says Kierra, blushing.

She turns to Mark, "Nalun's brave isn't he!"

swim2: 1d20 ⇒ 16
swim3: 1d20 ⇒ 17
swim4: 1d20 ⇒ 16

Nalun is an excelent swimmer!

He goes down grabs the key and Yorn and Mark pull him back up.

You now have key 5 and key 6 (5 and 6 the rooms you picked them up in)

There are two rooms to the north both are locked.

Left door or right door?

"Hmm, 2 doors...I like left, let's go left. Shalee, can you open the one on the left?"

Yorn pats Nalun on the back and gives him a big, toothy grin. At Kierra's proclamation, Yorn sinks to his haunches, axe at the ready to attack anything threatening after Shalee opens the door.

"Let's do this," Shalee opens the door.

You open the door with key 6.

A small stone bench sits in the center of this dusty chamber. On the far wall is a faded mural depicting the hero Kassen defeating the mercenaries at the entrance to this crypt, with his blade piercing the chest of the mercenary leader. These figures stand alone in the center of a scene of carnage, with dead villagers and mercenaries all around them.

Kierra will look closely to see if there are any contents besides the mural in the room.
perception: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (17) + 2 = 19

Nalun will take enough time to prestidigitate his clothing dry before he moves along with the party.

Detect Magic. Yep, you knew it was coming.

Kierra will look closely to see if there are any contents besides the mural in the room.

[dice=perception]1d20+2

You notice that Kessen and the Merc leader are wearing very similar necklases.

No magic.

You continue to the next room.

This long corridor is flanked by a row of human statues, set into alcoves on each side. The statues look like Kassen, and each one holds a longsword out in front of it. The blades of roughly half the statues are wrapped in leather padding.

"Swords wrapped in leather? That sounds a bit like blunted arrows to me. Maybe the adults did this? But they didn't get them all, did they?"

Yorn skulks forward, checking the area around the first statues carefully.

perception for traps: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (20) + 5 = 25

About halfway down the hall you find a pressure plate. You can use disable device if you like.

Kierra will cast guidance on Yorn as he tries to manipulate the dangerous pressure plate.

+1 to the skill check.

Smiling at the infusion of Kierra's magic, Yorn slinks to the plate, tiny tools in his hands.

disable device: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (5) + 6 = 11

"Those pompous wrinklebags will hear from me when we defeat this--I'm assuming here, mind you--horrible evil."

Yorn slips and the trap springs!

1d8 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3 non-lethal damage to Yorn only.

Everyone else stood in the other room. Now all the sword blades are down. Make an acrobatics check everyone. DC 10 if you fail take 1d4 ⇒ 1 lethal damage as you slip climbing over the blades.

acrobatics: 1d20 ⇒ 19 Shalee struts like a model through the hall.

Acrobatics: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (12) + 1 = 13

Kierra trys hard to match her sister's alluring elegance, and though she manages not to fall, she looks quite awkward.

Make sure to make your acrobatics check before you post on this room.

One half of this lofty chamber has a lowered floor, with stairs on either side to reach the bottom. Standing opposite the door is a tall wooden statue of Kassen grasping a gigantic wooden shield in each hand. One of the shields is inscribed with the word “home,” while the other reads “family.”

"Gods. Subtlety. More ststues of Kassen down here than books for the little ones up top."

Guys....That statue is magical. Stay Clear of it until I can examine it further

Nalun will take 3 rounds to fully examine the statue with Detect Magic.

Guys....That statue is magical. Stay Clear of it until I can examine it further

Nalun will take 3 rounds to fully examine the statue with Detect Magic.

Acrobatics Mark: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (11) + 1 = 12
Acrobatics Maggie: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (13) + 3 = 16

Sorry guys, had kind of a full day today so I can't write up anything witty. Just going to follow Nalun around and do what the smart guy says for now.