DM PatheticWretch presents Emerald Spire (Level 3: Splinterden) (Inactive)

Game Master PatheticWretch

AoO from the dog: 1d20 + 4 + 4 ⇒ (18) + 4 + 4 = 26
Damage, smite evil (B+P+S): 1d4 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 3 + 1 = 8

Not one to cry over a slain dog, Gratus moves past Chortles and summons another! It materializes behind the skeleton and smites it.

Attack, flanking: 1d20 + 4 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 4 + 2 = 10
Damage, smite evil (B+P+S): 1d4 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 3 + 1 = 5

Augmented Celestial Dog

With barely any effort at all, Osiris tosses another brace of force missiles at the remaining target.

Magic Missile: 2d4 + 2 ⇒ (4, 2) + 2 = 8 Force damage.
Trip: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (3) + 8 = 11.

AoO, pirahna strike, prone: 1d20 + 8 + 4 ⇒ (20) + 8 + 4 = 32 for magic PBS damage: 1d3 + 12 ⇒ (3) + 12 = 15

AoO, pirahna strike, confirm: 1d20 + 8 + 4 ⇒ (8) + 8 + 4 = 20 for magic PBS damage: 1d3 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4

Growling at his mistreatment, Tarantio snaps his jaw on the skeleton's spine in a shower of bone fragments. Should it still stand the Drake continues the onslaught.

Bite, pirahna strike: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (5) + 8 = 13 for magic PBS damage: 1d3 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5

Tail, pirahna strike: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (12) + 3 = 15 for B damage: 1d3 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3

Stonetree rushes toward the skeleton and pounds it in the rib cage with his fist, but it doesn't do as much damage as he thought it would. DR

Chortles fires an arrow, which doesn't come anywhere near his target.

Selethe runs toward the front line, closing quickly with the enemy.

Gratus' beast wounds the skeleton again, but he can't touch it himself.

Osiris fires yet another duo of force missiles at the undead creature, once again striking it soundly but not tripping it this time.

While the rest of the group harms the enemy, it's Tarantio, the diminutive draconic companion, that rips the enemy's head off. It falls to the ground, and the body remains standing for just a moment longer, before it, too, topples over.

COMBAT OVER!

Stonetree stares at the decapitated corpse for moment before cheering the drake "Now that how ya make sure a enemy does not get back up! Well done my friend, well done."

The large brawler than turns his attention to Chortles "See that is how you go about being useful in a fight."

Gratus ignores Stonetree's boisterous outburst, casts a cantrip and scans the room. Detect Magic

As the skeleton's head rolls clear, Dragos rushes over to Tarantio with wand drawn. Looking at the wound from the wicked blade he tuts and activates its healing powers, soothing Tarantio's injury. Lettin Tarantio crawl up his arm to curl upon his shoulder, the Undertaker hisses at him in the language of dragons.

Smilig at Stonetree Dragos shakes his head as if clearing it. "Well done all! Now let us see what fun Chortles found!"

Osiris nods in satisfaction.

"Another undead monstrosity returned to dust..."

He then moves to see what, precisely, has been left to salvage.

Chortles bows to all in the room, "Glad to be of service." He deftly throws his scrap for a bow around his shoulder and summons forth his Axe.

A melodious chord warns of an impending masterpiece, "There's more to life than fighting, Mr Tree. I dare say that most of life is not fighting. Let me tell you a tale of the Lost Souls of Perdue. Three lovers caught on a raft of despair and agony. Constant bickering and fighting, and loving and laughing. We will cry together and glory together in the beauty of life." Chortles turns his head to get in to character and launches in to the greatest ballad of his well vestured life.

Performance: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (2) + 12 = 14

Selethe cheers as the drake decapitates the skeleton. "Excellent work!"

She has a look around to see if there is anything valuable or interesting.

perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (10) + 7 = 17

The group searches the room for anything of worth.

On the table lie:
four longswords,
a masterwork dagger,
a buckler,
a magical belt

One of the pouches contains 16 gp; another contains 25 gp and 12 sp. The third holds 77 gp and 8 sp, and the fourth contains a small emerald worth 50 gp and a pair of six-sided bone dice that have been weighted to always roll sixes.

The ugly, damaged tapestries are valueless. None of the skeletons has any treasure. In a pouch hung around his neck, the headless skeleton carries a vial of silversheen and a magical token.

Spellcraft DC 23: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (15) + 9 = 24
Spellcraft DC 17: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (11) + 9 = 20
Spellcraft DC 23: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (2) + 9 = 11

"I don't know what the token is, but the belt and potion function thusly..." Belt of mighty constitution +2 and a potion of cure moderate wounds.

"Well, it looks like our job isn't done yet. Which way do we go?"

"Bet ya there is another secret door hiding about? Stonetree begins a search of the walls for doors or any other hidden mechanisms.

Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (15) + 7 = 22

spellcraft token: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (14) + 3 = 17

"I can't tell what this token does either. But everything else here should be useful. Stonetree, do you think you can fit that belt around yourself?"

Missed my healing ^^, poor Tarantio. 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7

Going through the items on offer, Dragos shugs. "Stonetree, you want the belt? Might toughen your hide against Chortles' lashing wit!2 he offers with a twinkle of mischief in his eyes. Uncaring for the rest he takes to looking around the room with the Brawler to see if there are any more secrets to this spire.

Perception: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (10) + 10 = 20

"Lets see if the blasted thing fits." Taking the belt Stonetree wraps it around his waist, the ends coming just short of reaching around the large mans gut.

"Hmm, I got this." inhaling deeply the brawler makes a great effort to suck in his gut and than with all his strength pulls the ends of the belt together and secures them.

With some effort, Stonetree girds his loins with the new belt and begins feeling additional fortitude. Remember these items are just for the remainder of the mission, then you turn it back in to the Pathfinders (though you can buy it for yourself).

As the group has begun to suspect, this level is littered with secret doors, and with some effort two more are revealed, both on the western wall.

You have 3 possible exits, aside from where you came in: 1) North door, 2) middle secret door on west wall, or 3) southern door on western wall. All this is on the map.

"Very becoming, Stonetree," teases Selethe. "I hope you can still breathe!"

She inspects the hidden doors for traps before the party moves onwards.

perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (1) + 7 = 8

Southwest door first?

Stonetree kicks the dead skeleton a side and opens the southwest door. "Let's see what we have here."

DC23 token: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (11) + 8 = 19

"Ah-oh, Stonetree. That's a cursed belt of gender change! Yep, I see you blossoming in to maturity already!"

Chortles follows the group to the southwest, ready to unleash his Axe on whatever pops out (of Stonetree).

If Stonetree's gender is changing, it must be a glacially slow process. Still, with the belt not bringing quickly enough the transition Chortles prophecies, the group moves on through the southwest door.

Gray webbing fills this chamber. Huge cocoons of spider silk hang suspended in the webs, and the webs crawl with countless hundreds of pale little spiders.

"Well done my friend, your calling has not abandoned you now! Let us press on." Dragos smiles as he follows the powerful specimen of man into the next chamber. Seeing the webs and remembering the dessicated spider earlier in the spire, Dragos shivers and draws his sling, sliding a bullet into the setting.

"This is exciting!"

Stonetree examines the room and notices the countless hundreds of pale little spiders. "Bloody Hell! I hope some one brought fire...lots of fire" curses the brawler with a shiver, before warning the group "Be ready if those damn things swarm."

"Onward and updward!" Chortles heads to the door to the north and bows low towards Stonetree, "After you, m'lday."

Osiris shrugs.

"If you are worried that they are going to swarm, perhaps we should shut the door, and try another one...?"

"My goddess grants me the power to dissolve them but I can only reach a few at a time. Do you think there is anything of value in those nests?"

Acid splash. Could we see the door at the end and deduce that it probably connects to the same area as our other secret door?

Yes, you went through both secret doors to reach the spider room.

"No stone unturned they say" Stonetree booms before pausing momentarily to reflect "Always liked that saying for some reason...anyways I have some flask of acid"

Stonetree precedes to hand out a single flask to Chortles, Dragos, and Osiris. "That gives us all one shot if they do swarm."

Taking the flask gingerly whilst stowing hia sling, Dragos looks to Tarantio who has taken to curling up on the table inside the 'shop'. Rolling his eyes, the Undertaker follows Stonetree through the room with flask in hand, ready for just about anything.

"I am sorry but I must have used the last of my Acid on Lord Von Chriek's headstone. Strange chap, ordered it made before he was dead..."

"I have already cast the conflagration I prepared myself, but if setting fire to webs is the way forward, then I do have a scroll here somewhere..."

I have a scroll of Burning Hands (CL 1).

"Time to move!" hollers Stonetree before moving forward through the room with his flask in hand.

As the group suspected they might, spiders begin to pour from the egg sacks. However, given the group's level of preparedness, they are easily defeated.

I'm going to hand wave this one. The module says it takes 3 rounds for the swarm to coalesce, and with all of you having acid/spells ready (and the swarm is a lvl 1 swarm), I'd rather not spend time on it. Crisis averted! Where to?

I hate swarms.

"Well that went better than expected. Lets get moving" Stonetree heads north and throws the door open.

Patring out his singing coat-tails Dragos grins at their handywork and the charred remains of spiders. Taking he time to examine the room for things of interest, and of course secret exits, the Undertaker shrugs and takes out his sling.

"Well mt friends, we have the obvious door here or the other secret found by our trusty detective! Which way? I think going the hidden way may reveal more.."

As Stonetree is about to kick open the northern door when he hears Drago suggest the secret door, forcing Stonetree to reflect upon his actions. After taking a moment to consider the wholly ordinary and boring door before him he quickly agrees with Tarantio business partner.

"Good call!

Gratus moves up behind Stonetree.

"What is it with all these secret doors..."

Chortles takes on a serious tone, and strums a minor chord, "Secret, secret, I've got a secret. You're wondering who I am. The time has come at last to throw away this mask. Now everyone can see my true identity."

Chortles hides his face in the crook of his arm and with a grand flare flings out his arm to reveal his smiling visage. "I am Chortles!" and falls in to a serious fit of breathy laughter.

Dragos starts to giggle uncontrollably at Chortle's routine, the sillyness of it hitting the right nerve as the Undertaker struggles to take control of himself. Feeling Tarantio's eyes rolling from across the room stirs him to even harder fits of laughter, filling the eerie chamber with the noise.

"Yes what fool makes a cellar full of secret doors? Some people!" She claps along to Chortles' ditty. "Thank you very much, oh Mr. Chortles."

Stonetree reveals another hallway after opening the secret door. Following it through to the other side, the group already knows they will find a second secret door.

Beyond that is another hallway with two sets of double doors on the north wall.

see map

Stonetree heads to the north door, kicks them open and shouts "I am here to protect you from the evil wailing of the most disgusting and vile being to crawl across the surface of this poor world. Some call him the Screaming Slug, while others call him the Orator of Ooze. But most know him as CHORTLES!"

Gratus slinks after Stonetree.

"Yes, yes, just see to i that you protect us from the evil behind the next door."

"Well put Gratus!" Chortles seconds. "StoneTwig should really stick to what he's good at... being..." Chortles' quick whit and even faster tongue couldn't come up with anything. After a too-long-pause he added, "being a wall."

This large room has a wide hole in the center of its floor. A heavy, welded steel ladder descends straight down from the lip of this shaft. The extent and depth of the space below are concealed behind the many crisscrossing, whitish-gray spider webs filling the pit.

"That is a spider pit if I've ever seen one! Reminds me of the story of Madam Muffet and her house of tuffets. Not exactly kid friendly, but the telling of the spider still sends shivers to my soul."

"Do we have any more means of setting the web on fire? It worked wonders last time."

Osiris shrugs.

"I have a vial of Alchemist's fire; failing that, could we use a torch...?"

Finnally taking control of his giggling, and pleadign with Tarantio to rejoin them on their adventure of discovery, Dragos follows Stonetree and his allies through the secret chamber and into the large room beyond. Peering down at the hole in the floor, he sighs deeply at the prospect of more spiders rushing at them. He had very little left to burn them en masse but he did have some torches in his pack.

"Torches we could do, they should just burn away!" he replies, fiddling to light one of his own.

Happy to use it to burn away webs if there are no majore objections

Selethe produces some more torches from her own pack if needed. "Be careful when burning- the spiders may be scared out and attack us."

As the group begins the task of burning away the webs with torches, Stonetree, Osiris, and Dragos notice two stealthy shapes emerge from the pit.

Abruptly, webs shoot from the two shapes, enveloping Gratus and Stonetree.

Surprise Round (bold may act) - SINGLE ACTION ONLY
Gratus webbed - DC 19 to burst or escape
Spiders
Stonetree webbed - DC 19 to burst or escape
Selethe
Chortles
Osiris
Dragos