DM NomadSage's Curse of the Crimson Throne (Inactive)

Game Master nomadicc

Can Jarha take 10 on the CON check? That would give him a 15 -- CON is his prime stat.

Regarding Melianthe's request, Jarha can prepare a first level cleric spell or a cantrip. I think it makes sense he left his spell slots open, given the circumstances, unless DM NomadSage disagrees. Are there any that would help?

Fatigued is a -2 penalty to Str and Dec, so a -1 penalty to the modifier for these purposes

Seren will continue to take 10 for now ... strength modifier of +1, plus whatever aid comes from the ropes

I think she can survive one more collapse if the Take 10 isn't enough --- making a gross assumption here based on Mel's survived 15 points of damage and Seren's only took 8 ... 8 is closer to average, so a little gambling going on and some metagaming ... and then it's praying to the dice gods after that

I would allow Jarha to Take 10 on the check; it falls in line with the other checks.

You struggle to keep awake through the long, uneventful hours. Jarha maintains a steady concentration, plumbing the depths of his inherent endurance. Segang settles into a solid braced position that leverages his strength over the long period. Seren keeps their totem balanced, though it is at the edge of their capabilities.

Sadly, Melianthe nods off at a critical moment...

When she snaps her eyes open a few seconds later, her totem is already toppling!

Damage: 3d6 ⇒ (5, 1, 6) = 12

The sun breaks the horizon, and the second day of the trial begins. You recall that you now have to ascend to the higher mesa.

Rolls or Take 10s please!

"Jarha...can you carry the totem? Can anyone heal a totem?"

Melianthe doesn't look so good. Her eyes are watering with the advent of daylight and her hands shake for the first time in what seems like years.

Are we transporting the totems again, or holding them in place for another day before we ascend?

Take 10 for the hold or if we have to haul:

Strength: 1d20 + 2 - 1 ⇒ (13) + 2 - 1 = 14

Gotta move them first I think.

Segang takes 10.

Would it be breaking the rules to teleport up there? I could take Mel and myself along with our totems, I think ... if we stretch the letter of the law a touch

Anyone have an Ant Haul available? :D It can't exceed our maximum load...but since we are able to move them, period, I guess maybe we can do it.

I think with telekinetic haul, Jarha can do any totem hauling required. He hasn't gotten a lot of use out of the ability before, but it certainly is handy in this trial!

With the rising sun, Jarha stands slowly and carefully, allowing his joints release from the rigid state they have been in for so many hours.

He first carefully manipulates the aether around his totem to lift it to the next mesa, then returns to help Melianthe and Seren, as needed.

Regarding repairing the totems, I think the mending cantrip would do the trick. It isn't something Jarha usually prepares, but my concept for these days is that Jarha is leaving spell slots open and I think it makes sense Jarha and Melianthe would have discussed the night before. So, if DM NomadSage thinks mending would work and is fine with Jarha having it prepared...

My theory is Seren can take herself plus 3 others, so if she can take Segang at max load, she should be able to take a totem in his place ... thus Seren, Mel, and 2 totems

Oh wow, if you have Mending, Melianthe will pay you in gold dobleons. The totems aren't magical, to my knowledge, so I think they can be mended.

Don't tip us over while teleporting, Seren!

For what its worth, mending would count as modifying the totems.

Through careful coordination, using spells and sinewy muscle, you drag the totems up the narrow rocky path to the high plateau. The dry wind gusts through your exposed position atop Bolt Rock as you set your totems into the new set of notches.

The sun makes its slow, steady climb into the hazy sky.

An hour or so after dawn, you see a figure approach from the Sklar-Quah village. As it gets close, you recognize the tall, broad features of Krojun. He walks up the path and stands at the edge of the plateau. He gives an impressed nod, especially towards Melianthe, whose totem is dinged up by still intact.

"You are lucky to have one another as nahlharests."

Still need a roll or Take 10 from Mel and Jarha (Con) for this period.

Segang nods and maintains his concentration. He is not having too much of a problem with the test but does not want to sound critical of the tradition.

Melianthe summons another Earth Elemental.

"Hold that damned thing," she says in Terran, and hexes it with Fortune.

Str, Elemental: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7
Str, Elemental: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (13) + 4 = 17

Jarha takes 10 on the CON check and resumes his meditative position while sustaining the totem. He emerges from his trance to greet and acknowledge Krojun's words with a respectful nod, but only briefly.

Too bad about mending, but it makes sense.

Seren resecures her ropes to the ground and then gets back to her balancing act.

Take 10 again: 10 + 2 - 1 = 11 + rope assist

Stealth 1d20 + 25 ⇒ (11) + 25 = 36

"Aren't they just?"

Abby seems to less come out of hiding than she somehow just melts forward out of the barren rock of the mesa. She casually pats some rock-dust off of her clothes and gives Krojun a look that is reasonably polite, but also rather ... flat.

"I trust there's no problem here?" she asks, as she casually huffs on her fingernails and buffs them on her shirtfront. "I just thought I'd keep an eye out, just in case anyone or anything thought it'd be fun to pitch rocks at the thsamek or try to eat them in the dark of night. We must be sporting about this honour business, mustn't we?"

Krojun starts at Absinthe's sudden appearance, but plays it off quickly. "Indeed. And you must beware not to interfere, either way." Krojun nods to those of you on Bolt Rock and turns to go.

Time melts away like a slow-burning candle as the sun makes its lazy ascent into the open sky. Exhaustion from the endless hours, constant strain and rising heat begin to affect each of you. Even Segang and Jarha, the hardiest among you, find maintaining their balance on the totems increasingly difficult as the hours press on. All of you manage to keep the totems up, but Melianthe and Seren are both on the very edge of losing control.

Can the rest of us tell something is wrong with Mel?

Not especially. Everyone is fatigued, and she appears just the same.

Melianthe snaps to with a little shout!

Hearing Melianthe shout, Jarha emerges from his meditation and asks, "What happened Melianthe? Are you ok?"

"Now I'm not supposed to be interfering with nothing," Abby says, as though talking to herself, "but I think I'd make a bit of a ruckus if anything or anyone was sneaking up unawares from outside this little arena. If only to say howdy and howdy-do, mind."

Rogues: bending the rules since 1E!

"...hallucination," says Melianthe. "The sun and fatigue is getting to me. Abby, is that really you?" The dusk elf looks truly worn down by the blistering sunlight.

"As if a hallucination could ever do me justice, sister Mel," Abby playfully chides the Dusk Elf Witch.

Segang has a look of concentration on his face but does not seem fatigued. He smiles broadly when he sees Abby. Ab! he calls. do you not want to join our game?

"The honour I have is me own. Don't need to glom any from someone else. 'Sides, someone needs to do nothing at all to interfere and make sure no one else does."

The sun reaches its zenith in the wide blue sky. Even the wind seems to be working against you, as it quits to barely a zephyr, enhancing the lack of any shade and cover from the brutal sun. Fatigue, heat, thirst become your worlds.

Then, the ground shudders, ever so slightly at first but growing steadily more persistent.

From the ground level at the base of Bolt Rock, Absinthe spots a plume of sand and a brown dorsal fin arches above the surface a hundred or so feet away. Another trails behind it, and then another. They approach Bolt Rock and start to circle it, closing in slowly.

Those of you on the upper mesa see the ring of sandsharks. You count six separate fins.

Actions?

Reviewing my options I noted that we all have Harrow Points that can be used. And one of those uses is to re-roll a strength check. So keep that in mind. :) Another, that Segang is going to use this fight is Brutal Strike that will give him +5 damage per attack. You can also get a size increase that could prevent you from being swallowed... Not sure if these things can swallow medium creatures or not.

Segang eyes the beasts 'swimming' through the earth then looks to his totem, wondering how long it might stand if he turns it loose to fight.

Might need some guidance here about the mechanics of fighting while trying to maintain the totem in a standing position. Also is there a map that shows where we are in relation to each other?

"Aurochs," croaks Melianthe to no one in particular. "Segang. How can we herd them? Er, like aurochs. To one spot. I can make a field of black tentacles to grab or dissuade some."

Mel will cast Black Tentacles once we have a tactical map, and rise into the air with a flight Hex to hold her totem at the top.

Anything in the Black Tentacle field will be attacked, +14 attack bonus, as a grapple.

They may be too big and strong for such a spell. You would have to get lucky to even catch me with it. And they may not fully show themselves until they are upon us.

If only we had a brave halfling. :) First Edition stated that these thing love to eat Halflings and will greedily dig them from their homes.

"Now I'm not supposed to be interfering," Abby says as she draws the blade of Blackjack, "but if one of these bleeders comes for me, then it - will - bleed." A shimmer of magical force goes up around the tiefling.

Abby draws her +2 mithral rapier and casts Shield.

The map is up on Roll20. The mesa you are on (eastern) is 40 feet above the ground level (where Absinthe and the landsharks are). The western mesa is 30 feet high.

Maintaining the totems, or not, is up to you. You can try to fight with a single-handed weapon and hold the totem with the other hand, cast spells, etc.

Let me know if you're doing anything, or just standing and waiting...

What I am asking if if I turn loose of the totem completely for a round does it auto fall? It might begin to slowly topple over a few rounds? I don't know. My concern is that these creatures likely have reach and can attack us and we cannot reach them with a one handed weapon. It seems to me that in order to fight at all we have to be able to either 5' step to the creature or use a reach weapon. Not sure there are any one handed reach weapons.

With his Amentum Sedgang has 120' range with his javelins. He will prepare a shot when a creature is both exposed and in its first range increment.

Javelin: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (15) + 12 = 271d6 + 5 ⇒ (1) + 5 = 6

"Seren, can your illusions smell like something? Perhaps make an illusion of tasty halflings in the sand..."

Melianthe holds her Black Tentacles spell.

I've drawn where I plan to cast the spell. Oops, should be a circle but you know.

Seren is concentrating really hard on not letting her column fall, "I can make smells, yes. Why do you think I am so lovely after a week in the desert?"

Can Jarha unleash an electric blast while he is using basic telekinesis to hold the totem in place? If not, then he can't target the beasts without letting the totem fall (which I guess again raises Segang's question as to whether they fall immediately).

If he cannot target the creatures and if Seren is unsuccessful in luring them away (great idea to use an odorous illusion!) and if the creatures continue to approach, then I guess Jarha will use his wand of reduce person (possibly allowing the totem to fall), climb onto the top of the totem, and then raise the totem using telekinetic haul, so he ends up perched atop the totem, hopefully of less interest to the creatures.

"Make a blood smell to draw them away, or...into a trap."

Seren nods and takes her eyes off her totem after a quick steady and then casts major image to create loudly dying body of a large worm-like creature lying on a rock (a real one nearby if able, otherwise, she'll magic one up), blood pouring out of it to pool around the base of the stone itself.

Without a tactical map, unsure of exact placement, but max range (760 feet) away from where we are, please.

Knowledge Arcana to determine favorite food: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (1) + 12 = 13; she has no idea

I realize I'm lagging, but I'm still here. I'll answer a few questions real quick and then post more (hopefully) tomorrow!

Tactical map is up on Roll20, by the way.

@Segang/Jarha: unless you've braced the totems somehow, they will fall. With the assumption that they're balanced when you let go, it will take a round before they topple completely. In game terms, they will lean on the first round when you let go, and fall over the round following. Depending on when you return to the totem will determine the DC of the check.

@Jarha: unless you can find something in the book, I'd assume you cannot split-task psychic abilities (there used to be a cool, high-level psionic power that did that).

That all makes sense. Jarha will switch back and forth, then. He will use his wand of reduce person, allowing his totem to start the fall. Then he will climb onto the top of the totem (so he presents less of a target) and right it with telekinetic haul. Then if the creatures approach to attack, or if the party decides to attack them at range, he will alternate between ranged attacks one round and righting his totem the next round before it hits the ground. At some point in there he may use his copycat ability if the creatures get close enough to attack. Obviously we'll have to play it out as it happens, but that's his general plan (aside from the reduce person, climbing on the totem, and the first righting of the totem, which he'll do now).

Absinthe shields up and stands guard at the base of the lower ramp.

Segang readies a javelin.

Melianthe conjures a field of grasping tentacles in the sand at the base of Bolt Rock. The landsharks swim around it, not taking much notice.

Jarha reduces himself and then vaults up atop the totem.

Seren casts an illusion of a dead giant worm n the rocks to the south. A few of the landsharks peel off the circling to check it out. One massive angular head pops from the sand to bite a chunk of illusory flesh.

Will save: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (14) + 5 = 19
Will save: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (12) + 5 = 17
Will save: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 5 = 12
What's the DC?

The other three finally burst up from the sand and start to scramble up the sides of bolt rock. One edges past the field of tentacles. Segang hurls his javelin at it, clipping a soft spot between its heavy armor plates.

Melianthe roll for the tentacles?

Please roll initiative and post actions if you beat 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (1) + 6 = 7.

DC 21

Init: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (6) + 7 = 13

Grapple: 1d20 + 10 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (11) + 10 + 4 + 1 = 26

Damage: 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10

Mel spends a round summoning a Rhinoceros.

Init: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (17) + 3 = 20

With the guide ropes, what kind of action is it to hold the totem.in place each round?

Seren plans to concentrate on the illusion and hold the totem. If unable to do both, the illusion lasts for a few rounds after concentration breaks.

No action required to sustain. You can cast/concentrate with only one hand.

Initiative: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (14) + 5 = 19

Seeing the fight is on, Jarha targets the closest landshark with two magnetized electric blasts:

electric blast touch attack: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (9) + 11 = 20
electric blast damage: 5d6 + 2 ⇒ (6, 5, 1, 1, 4) + 2 = 19

electric blast touch attack: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (13) + 6 = 19
electric blast damage: 5d6 + 2 ⇒ (2, 1, 5, 6, 3) + 2 = 19

I'm assuming they are farther than 30 feet -- I'm having trouble access roll20 at this computer. If either attack hits, my allies gain +4 to attack with metal until end of my next turn.