DM Panic's Devil We May Know Part 4 (Inactive)

Game Master wakedown

Misaki still has her katana drawn. She won't be putting it away until this whole ordeal is over.

She stares at the painting in wonder.

"Is that... is that me?" she asks, as she approaches slowly. "How did you know we were coming?" she asks the painter.

diplomacy: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (19) + 15 = 34

Shardra bows her head, reverently. "It seems a great seer is among us."

Who are you and why are you here? says Vrothum, he's concerned with the painting, but wants to continue on the mission.

Misaki's seems to shift the odd man's demeanor and he turns and smiles, apparently becoming semi-lucid... for now.

"Groetus told me you would come!!"

He giggles a bit.

"He asks, he asks... that you rid the shrine of the derros! Yes! But do not interfere with his shrine after, or his anger will be swift!"

He turns to Pin as she asks about the bell.

"Ohhhhh, the bellllll... It was taken! They have such grand plans for it!"

He claps his hands together.

"You should go now! Down, down, deeper, down... follow my map to the underground!!"

He shoves a piece of paper into Misaki's hands.

"Groetus? Who's that?"

Misaki takes the paper and looks at it, trying to puzzle out its meaning.

intelligence?: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (1) + 0 = 1

Whistles watches the painter with interest.

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (14) + 6 = 20

knowledge: religion: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (8) + 5 = 13

That's probably not high enough to recognize the name of a relatively minor deity.

The paper is just random scribblings. Even to a 25 on an Int check. :)

I'm good with a 13 recognizing the name of Groetus... barely.

Whistles observes the odd man and comes to the conclusion that he is definitely an odd man, or maybe on drugs. No... just odd.

I just love that Misaki crit failed an intelligence check. That's totally in character for her.

How much would Whistles know about Groetus? It might be time for him to reveal to the rest of the party that he's fully fluent in Common. He really is the brains of this pair, but he intentionally hides it when he first meets people.

Whistles begins speaking, possibly surprising the rest of the group, who thought all he could say was his name.

"Groetus? That's the god of end times", Whistles answers Misaki's question. He keeps his tone quiet, as if talking directly to her, but not trying to prevent the rest of the party from hearing. "If this guy got visions of our group directly from his god, that's a pretty strong connection. Maybe he's a cleric or something. But what's he doing here, and what's this shrine he's talking about?"

"What's this about a shrine?" Whistles asks louder, obviously addressing the painter directly.

diplomacy: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (13) + 2 = 15

And this is why Misaki generally does the talking.

The Crazed Painter continues on, restating most of the same things.

"Yes... the shrine! You will cleanse it of the derro filth! The time will come! Hee hee, ho ho..."

He bobs from left to right, eager to continue to babble about on.

"Follow the map! Yes, down down down!"

He lacks a ton more to add there. The trapdoor and ladder await. I imagine someone will provide light for the delve.

Pinball looks to the others and shrugs. "...well that was illuminating. Speaking of which..."

(A lack of the light cantrip here, though I can light and hold my torch if really necessary.)

Shardra's thurible begins to emit smoke with an eerily green glow, light filling the cavern. As light

"Oh yeah, light. I always forget that most other races can't see in the dark. I'll go first again, so I can shield the rest of you if we get attacked. If someone has a sunrod, I can tie it on to the front of my armor or something to illuminate the way ahead for the rest of you."

"You know, I can't see in the dark, either", Whistles quietly scolds Misaki.

Refuse rushes by in a stream of garbage carried swiftly through the sewer proper. A five-foot-wide dry ledge sits a foot above the refuse and provides a walkway on both the east and west sides of the sewer.

On the west wall, a massive iron door blocks passage beyond. An image carved into the door is of a dispassionate figure holding a gibbous moon.

It's fairly clear the derro went through the door on the far side. Crossing using the rocks takes a DC15 Acrobatics check to avoid slipping into the water. The water is slow moving enough that you could wade across it, but it is filled with foul refuse and excrement.

A new map link, 'Cassomir Sewers', has joined the top of the page.

The cloying, earthy incense does little to mask the smell of the sewers. Shardra will draw a scroll of fly. "That looks fairly slippery. If you like, I can try to ferry us over."

"It doesn't seem too deep. It smells bad, but we could wade across. And Whistles can fly, of course." Then, as if realizing something she probably should have thought of sooner, she adds, "I guess the filth could make someone sick, though. I'm immune to that these days, but I guess the rest of you aren't."

It doesn't look too bad I'll just cross by myselfAcrobatics: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (16) + 7 = 23Vrothum crosses with ease, he's very independet and confident in his abilities, to the point of stubbornness.

Vrothum navigates to the far side with relative ease.

But I imagine doesn't check or try the door until the others are across?

Correct lol

We await some method of traveling across. I have no issue with using the fly scroll for ferrying purposes, although perhaps it would be best on someone other than Shardra (who has a 8 Str) to do the carrying... unless an ant haul pops up somewhere.

Feel free to place your icons on the door side for when the door is opened.

"I should be able to get across on my own alright," Pinball says, "but just in case someone slips..."

Pinball uncoils a rope and tosses one end to Vrothum. "Catch."

One hand on the rope, Pinball attempts to cross, stepping lightly over the rocks.

Acrobatics: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (5) + 10 = 15 Ha! Well, no wasted effort...

The gnome makes it across without problems.

"If you want to save your scroll, the rope should help," Pinball says to the others.

(Can't move figure on map; it's set to view only)

Shardra edges toward the crossing, digging her heels in as she approaches the bridge. "Um... I'm more comfortable with solid stone beneath my feet. I'm... not so sure about this."

Normally motionless, the tuatara slips from Shardra's shoulders, scurrying effortlessly across the rope.

"H-... hey! Kolo!" Shardra cries, suddenly feeling rather ridiculous alone on her side of the bridge. Tentatively, she clutches the rope tightly and edges across closing her eyes and whispering a silent mantra to herself. "... Ancestors keep me grounded. Stone keep me safe. Ancestors..."

Acrobatics/Climb w/rope: 1d20 - 3 ⇒ (13) - 3 = 10

"You'll be alright," Pin says encouragingly. "And if you fall, all that armor you're wearing will keep you from washing downstream!"

That part is maybe not so encouraging.

phantom will move graciously across to the door

acro: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (2) + 11 = 13

using gm reroll unless can make it with out it

gm reroll: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (14) + 13 = 27

Misaki doesn't even bother trying to walk on the stones, and just wades through, grabbing Shardra to help her along as she goes.

Whistles just flies over.

Everyone makes it across, some more gracefully than others. Misaki trusts her fortitude while Phantomblade nearly slips in. Shardra finds a loose rock the dark way and takes a dive headfirst into the brackish water, her headpiece resonating a loud BA-BONG as she ricochets off a rock.

With everyone across, Phantomblade checks the door for traps, finds none and picks the lock before Misaski opens the door.

She discovers a short hall and a second door, and steps up to open that one as well.

A purple radiance washes over this cold chamber from a variety of lichens and fungi that grow on the walls and ceiling creating an otherworldly sheen.

Straw-filled cages line the north and south walls. In the room’s center, a strange pedestal, carved in the likeness of dozens of grasping tentacles, sits fixed into the stone floor.

From each of the cages, men moan and twitch.

"Unnnnhh... Help me..."

Misaki Perception: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (14) - 1 = 13

Leaping from the shadows near the door, a creature with long, sharp teeth, and pallid flesh stretched tightly over its starved frame snaps its maws at Misaki.

Its first attack is thwarted by the Tien-Min girl's armor, but the ghast quickly redirects its fury, finding several weak points as tooth and nail alike find purchase in her armor and soft flesh.

Misaki is immune to the disease, but will need to roll two Fortitude saves (DC19) or become paralyzed.

Surprise Round
25 Ghast : Bites into Misaki's armor

Round 1
25 Ghast : Tears into Misaki for 29 damage
16 Vrothum :
15 Phantomblade :
14 Shardra :
9 Pinball :
8 Misaki :

Now Up: Everyone!

Fort Save: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (1) + 11 = 12
Fort Save: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (14) + 11 = 25

Using my shirt/folio reroll for that failed save

Fort Save: 1d20 + 11 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 11 + 3 = 20

GM stars FTW!

"OW!!! Do you all want me to try and push him back, so the rest of you can beat on him in melee, or should I intentionally bottleneck the entrance to keep him off of you?"

Delaying my turn until I get a response, but I'll definitely act before the ghast attacks again next turn.

Knowledge Religion: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 5 = 12

Whistles looks at the creature, trying to recognize what it is.

Fort: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10

"Oooooow." Shardra groans, emerging from the swamp wet and dripping, dousing herself with conjured water but able to do little about the smell. Kolo attempts to clamber atop Vrothum's shoulder, well away from his companion. She does not let the others move on until she's cleaned up and her thurible relit. Shardra sets her jaw. "If anybody at the Lodge hears about this, then a fire elemental will be taking over your laundry duty. Eugh, it's in my hair..."

Channel Positive Energy DC 14: 2d6 ⇒ (6, 6) = 12
Seeing the approaching undead, Shardra approaches and the eerie glow from her relit thurible grows radiant.

GM did need to use my reroll there or did the rope mod the dc enough for me to get by with out it.

Phantom will make an attempt to move around the enemy and flank

acrobatics: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (4) + 11 = 15

cant roll to save my life lol. if i still have my reroll i will use it here if not idk where i would stop as i cant move threw his square and i dont know if i still get an attack or not

Kn religion to identify: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (3) + 7 = 10 Blah.

"That thing looks extremely imperfect," Pinball says solemnly. "But I don't know what it is."

Pin draws a scroll and reads it, a thin flickering wave of force appearing over her body. (casting shield from scroll, duration 1 minute) She then takes a short step forward. 5-ft step

Misaki decides to continue to bottleneck the entrance to protect the rest of the group and avoid provoking an attack of opportunity with a bull rush attempt.

Knowing how tough this thing hits, Misaki spends a move action studying the creature to find out of it's evil.

I'm pretty sure it is, so I'm going forward based on metagaming that I know it's evil, and adding the bonus damage for being undead.

"Shizuru, Empress of Heavens, if you're listening, please help me defeat this monster!!!"

That was a swift action to smite evil. Remember my +5 AC for the rest of the fight, and my attacks ignore any DR.

She then swings her katana at the creature.

Katana to hit: 1d20 + 8 + 5 ⇒ (18) + 8 + 5 = 31
Katana damage: 1d8 + 5 + 8 ⇒ (6) + 5 + 8 = 19

Katana crit confirm: 1d20 + 8 + 5 ⇒ (17) + 8 + 5 = 30
Katana crit damage: 1d8 + 5 + 8 ⇒ (4) + 5 + 8 = 17

"Whistles, I could use some healing", she mutters to the bird on her shoulder.

A flash of light passes from Whistles to Misaki as he lays on paws to heal the aasimar.

Lay on Paws: 3d6 + 6 ⇒ (1, 2, 3) + 6 = 12

Whistles then 5 foot flies back a square to join Vrothum in his square, for fear of being attacked if he stays on Misaki's shoulder.

That was a really good time for Misaki to crit, but that heal roll sucked. :P

@Vrothum: Having you go into delay since there's no way in except hairy Acrobatics checks and it's possible that Misaki can finish this in Round 2 on her own!

@Phantomblade: You needed your re-roll earlier for the Acrobatics to tumble across the stones. Normally, you decide to use your re-roll when you roll a certain number but before you know if you were successful or failed... it's a little harder via PbP though since sometimes GMs will tell the DCs ahead of time.

Phantomblade attempts to somersault past the raging ghast. The ghast lurches at the tengu but fails to connect as Phantomblade discovers that Misaki is doing an extremely admirable job blocking it in.

@Misaki & Phantomblade: Those within 10ft of the ghoul are subject to its horrible stench. Fort DC 20, or sickened 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8 minutes.

Sharda's holy energy rips away some dead flesh from the monster while Misaki nearly slices it in half. It hisses and taunts the paladin.

"Itssss jussst a matter of time girl before I feasssst on you!"

Once again the ghast tears at the Tien-min girl, sinking its teeth and claws into her soft flesh (21 more damage to Misaki, also need two Fort DC19 saves or become paralyzed). Misaki's blood begins to drip furiously onto the tiles of the shrine.

A man rattles his cage.

"Unnhh.. what's happening to me!?! I'm... so... thirsty... and... hungry..."

Round 1
25 Ghast : Tears into Misaki for 29 damage
16 Vrothum : Delays?
15 Phantomblade : Attempts to tumble through ghast, fails but is unhurt
14 Shardra : Channels for 6
9 Pinball : Draws scroll, casts shield, 5ft step
8 Misaki : Crits for 36
8 Whistles : Heals Misaki for 12

Round 2
25 Ghast (42 dmg) : Bites and slashes at Misaki for 21 damage
16 Vrothum :
15 Phantomblade :
14 Shardra :
9 Pinball :
8 Misaki (38 dmg):

Now Up: Everyone!

fort: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (10) + 2 = 12

waiting up here until room to fight

"Vrothum, I need you to move back," Pinball says seriously. "I can try and keep Misaki on her feet, if I'm standing where you are. Inside my pack you'll find a stick that's painted red, about eight inches long. It's possible you might be able to activate it-- the command word is 'precision'."

(There is a wand of magic missile in Pinball's pack, and bloodragers can use wands of magic missile even before level 4, much as paladins can use wands of appropriate spells at low levels. Unless you're planning to try and get in, Vrothum, it might be your best bet to deal damage.)

My action is contingent on whether or not Vrothum switches places, but if he does:

Pinball steps in, snaps his wrist to bring out the healing wand again, and touches Misaki with it.

CLW on Misaki: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 9

If Vrothum doesn't move, I suppose I can squeeze with him for the same results, at GM discretion.

Fort save vs Sickened stench: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (5) + 10 = 15

He hasnt posted yet gm just botted him. someone else moved him on map as i was where he is. knowing him in real life i dont think he would have a problem moving for you

Fort vs sickness: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (7) + 11 = 18
Fort vs paralysis: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (9) + 11 = 20
Fort vs paralysis: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (7) + 11 = 18

Crap!

Misaki stands still like a statue.

"Pull her back!" the bird yells. "Someone else can attack on the front line, and I can heal the girl's wounds."

"Vrothum or Phantom, drag her!" Pin cries.

8 str here, heh, plus I already used my standard for the round.

Vrothum can easily drag Misaki back out of the way if Phantomblade wants to step up and try to finish the job.

Since Whistles has only used free actions so far this turn, he'll ready an action to cast Guidance on whichever ally moves through his square up to the front line (remember that he's currently in the square right behind the front line).

sounds good to me

atk no PA: 1d20 + 9 - 2 ⇒ (10) + 9 - 2 = 17

dmg: 1d10 + 7 - 2 ⇒ (7) + 7 - 2 = 12

with misaki paralyzed and vrothum pulling her out phantom slides in and makes the final blow

Vrothum wraps his strong hands around Misaki and drags her away just before the ghast can finish his feast.

Phantomblade moves in to now block the way. Whistles glides in, using magic to guide his swing. Sadly, the tengu is unable to strike the walking dead down (even with +1, hitting AC18 misses the ghast!) - in some large part due to the ghast's sickening stench of rot and decay.

Round 2
25 Ghast (42 dmg) : Bites and slashes at Misaki for 21 damage, paralyzing her
16 Vrothum : Grabs Misaki, dragging her to safety
15 Phantomblade : Moves in and misses the ghast
14 Shardra :
9 Pinball : Heals Misaki for 9
8 Misaki (29 dmg): <paralyzed>

Still Up: Shardra

Vroth, still holding on to misaki, tries to snap her out of it. Misaki! Are you alright? Can you move? Careful Phantom this thing is nasty!