DM Rah's "Sanctum of a Lost Age" (Inactive)

Game Master Kobash

László dodges backwards to give himself a better shot, and to clear the lane for Bearlor. He manages to thread the needle with a single arrow, sending it past Maddie, the bear, and Akuma into the statue that had menaced him.

Acrobatics check to avoid AoO: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (13) + 13 = 26
DA Arrow to statue, incl. PBS, haste, and cover penalty: 1d20 + 9 + 1 + 1 - 4 ⇒ (17) + 9 + 1 + 1 - 4 = 24
DA arrow damage, incl. PBS: 1d8 + 6 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 6 + 1 = 15

Ayaki hasted large bastard power attack: 1d20 + 8 + 1 ⇒ (20) + 8 + 1 = 29
Damage: 1d8 + 16 ⇒ (2) + 16 = 18
Crit Confirmation: 1d20 + 8 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 8 + 1 = 17
Crit Damage: 1d8 + 16 ⇒ (6) + 16 = 22

Shatter vs Ayaki's sword: 3d6 ⇒ (3, 1, 5) = 9

The fight continues. László, Barlor, Ayaki, and Akuma take down the second statue.

The last construct swings its swords Ayaki.

Statue attack on Ayaki: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (2) + 8 = 10
Damage: 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10

INITIATIVE - All PCs are up!
Effects: haste, bless
Ayaki <=UP
Turg <=UP
Barlor <=UP
László <=UP
Pai <=UP
Maddie <=UP
Caryatid Columns

Having little summoning options, Turg will cast Greater Invis on the arch-y rogue.

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I'm assuming if I'm not in range, I can 5ft into range.
Bearlor attacks the final column, intent on bringing it down before anyone loses an eye or a sword.
Bite: 1d20 + 7 + 1 + 1 - 2 - 1 - 4 ⇒ (5) + 7 + 1 + 1 - 2 - 1 - 4 = 7, Damage: 1d6 + 5 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 5 + 4 = 10
Claw: 1d20 + 7 + 1 + 1 - 2 - 1 - 4 ⇒ (2) + 7 + 1 + 1 - 2 - 1 - 4 = 4, Damage: 1d6 + 5 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 5 + 4 = 15, Grab: 1d20 + 7 + 1 + 1 - 2 - 1 - 4 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 7 + 1 + 1 - 2 - 1 - 4 + 4 = 8
Claw: 1d20 + 7 + 1 + 1 - 2 - 1 - 4 ⇒ (12) + 7 + 1 + 1 - 2 - 1 - 4 = 14, Damage: 1d6 + 5 + 4 ⇒ (5) + 5 + 4 = 14, Grab: 1d20 + 7 + 1 + 1 - 2 - 1 - 4 + 4 ⇒ (10) + 7 + 1 + 1 - 2 - 1 - 4 + 4 = 16
Claw (haste): 1d20 + 7 + 1 + 1 - 2 - 1 - 4 ⇒ (4) + 7 + 1 + 1 - 2 - 1 - 4 = 6, Damage: 1d6 + 5 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 5 + 4 = 13, Grab: 1d20 + 7 + 1 + 1 - 2 - 1 - 4 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 7 + 1 + 1 - 2 - 1 - 4 + 4 = 10

Included -4 for attacking over heads, if necessary.

With (I assume) the only remaining column in front of Ayaki, László moves back up and fires. He smiles and nods in satisfaction as he hits again and knocks another chip of stone loose.

DA Arrow to last column, incl. PBS, haste, bless, and cover penalty: 1d20 + 9 + 1 + 1 + 1 - 4 ⇒ (11) + 9 + 1 + 1 + 1 - 4 = 19
DA arrow damage, incl. PBS: 1d8 + 6 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 6 + 1 = 12

You should get your 1d6 sneak, as well (thanks to PF removing that immunity.)

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Thanks Rah, I just assumed I was going to lose the haste attack for not paying attention. I will post later this evening as Inam travelling for work this morning.

Sneak attack damage: 1d6 ⇒ 5

Thanks, Turg.

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Maddie will delay this round.

Ayaki, since there is only one statue left (and this fight is pretty much over) I'm going to bot you.

Large Bastard Sword Power Attack: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (20) + 9 = 29
Damage: 2d8 + 16 ⇒ (2, 5) + 16 = 23
Large Bastard Sword Power Attack: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (17) + 4 = 21
Damage: 2d8 + 16 ⇒ (8, 5) + 16 = 29

Shatter on Weapon: 3d6 ⇒ (1, 6, 3) = 10
Shatter on Weapon: 3d6 ⇒ (6, 6, 6) = 18 Wow... ok, I'm pretty sure that gets through the hardness of your large bastard sword. The shatter ability of the caryatid column works slightly differently then a normal sunder attack.

Shatter Weapons (Ex) Whenever a character strikes a caryatid column with a weapon (magical or nonmagical), the weapon takes 3d6 points of damage. Apply the weapon's hardness normally. Weapons that take any amount of damage in excess of their hardness gain the broken quality.

Ayaki, Barlor, and László take down the last statue, but Ayaki's sword cracks against the hardened stone of the construct.

COMBAT OVER

This area is just a hallway leading back to the audience chamber with the three colored doors.

"It may be wise to rest for awhile, so our warriors can heal and our magic can return to its peak ability," Maddie suggests with a weary sigh, "I don't believe we can leave, but we also don't appear to be suffering under a time limit, unless I'm missing something."

"Great job you all. I apologize for my utter lack of effectiveness against those things. I'll try and prepare better spells tomorrow. Speaking of tomorrow, are we okay to try and finish this place now, or should we head back to town and rest before tomorrow?"

Not sure how everyone is on spells/healing/channels, but Pai has went through a good chunk of her spells.

"Friend Pai, do you have magic to repair Ayaki's sword?"

"I wish I did, Laszlo. Today isn't my day to be very helpful..."

"Can you prepare a spell to do that after we rest?"

Would Mending cantrip work? If so, then yes, I can help.

"Maybe. I haven't used the spell in a bit, but it might shore up the sword to some extent. But, it would have to be tomorrow before I could use it."

Mending is 1lb/lvl, and somehow a bastard sword is listed as 6lb, but this one is oversized if I understand correctly, and therefore falls outside of the weight limit. Mending paste might help, but I don't carry any.

You need an ioun stone to leave the sanctum, and I believe your group has more than one, which means you can juggle them between PCs and all leave if you want.
Regarding the repair of Ayaki's sword, I think a make whole spell will do it.

Is the consensus to rest then? If that's the case, Maddie is going to try to heal everyone with her remaining spells/channel.

I have a couple of spells left and one wild shape, but a rest wouldn't hurt anything... I think.

Ayaki looks in dismay as his new sword cracks. Thinking of the proper thing to say in common

Well this felates.

Assuming the group is going to rest for the night:

Maddie exhausts her channeling ability with one last wave of healing.

Channeling to heal, excluding any dying creatures nearby: 3d6 ⇒ (6, 6, 1) = 13

"With rest, I believe everyone should be completely healthy in the morning." She notes with satisfaction.

"If we can escape here, I 'd feel more comfortable before resting. This place gives me the creeps."

Barlor shrinks back down into a small, smelly dwarf. "Figure we ought to stay here, case'n that fella up top taken hold by that fella from down here gets ideas about somethin' all magical and complicated."

Two things to consider:
1. If you rest in the Sanctum, what room will you stay in?
2. If you want to fix Ayaki's sword, Maddie will need to pray for and use a make whole spell after resting.

Turg responds to the shape shifter. "1: This place is gross. 2: You're gross. 3: I don't know if you being a bear was better or worse, if that's even a possibility. 4: Other than that dumb thing you said, which totally doesn't actually mean anything, why would we stay in a gross dungeon with an even grosser bear-dwarf?"

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Barlor nudges Ayaki. "Think that short fella jabbered at ya."

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Bluff check: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (9) + 5 = 14

László does his best to hide a smile. "We only have the other apprentice's word for what has befallen Rozimus, and I do not trust that one. However, I am concerned that sleeping in this place might open us to the same thing that affected Rozimus. Better to retreat to the upper levels of Thornkeep and rest there, yes?"

Barlor shrugs.

"I agree on resting out of here. Everything we have fought down here has been particularly nasty. If we were unawares and one of them snuck up on us...or that nasty apprentice, it could be awful."

As Barlor was the only one to suggest resting in the Sanctum, and doesn't seem attached to the idea, we will say you rest outside.

The group exits the Sanctum and rests safely in another level of Thornkeep. In the morning you make your way back to through the magical passage, and finding the area seemingly the same as you left it, move to the audience chamber where the yellow door (the only door left unexplored) awaits. After checking it for magic and traps, you determine it to be safe though it requires someone bearing the yellow mark granted from the face statues in the entry chamber to open it.

Beyond the yellow door is a plainly adorned chamber containing two five-foot-wide pillars of billowing smoke, one yellow and the other green.

After she finishes praying for spells, Maddie casts Make Whole on Ayaki's sword, and later casts Shield Other again on the Ranger right before entering the area.

"Friend Pai, what do you make of these?"

"Well, it's not a pleasant greeting, I bet," Pai mutters as she starts the process of looking at the smoke pillars through her magically enhanced Detect Magic vision.

Spellcraft 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (3) + 13 = 16
Know. Arcana 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (15) + 15 = 30

Pai is able to determine that the mists are a sort of teleportation magic, though she cannot tell where they might go to.

"I say we hold off on exploring that until the very end. There's no telling where we'd end up."

Pai also casts Mage Armor that should last for six hours, and False Life that gains Pai additional vitality.

HP 1d10 + 6 ⇒ (2) + 6 = 8

Ayaki thinks about the dwarfs jokr and finally gets it after thr sun rises. He then casts his spell, the one that adds 10 ft to his movement.

"Yep." Barlor nods at Pai. "Now lets find me somethin to whack."

Unless you want to go back and try to get past Togarin and investigate his private quarters, these two misty teleporters are the only unexplored areas.

"I am thinking that we will need to have the right color marks to be teleported, yes? And perhaps that if we have a mark of another color we will not be."

DM R, did the marks stay with us after we left and came back?

You still have the marks.

"Well since we are here, we might as well tests those teleportation vapors. Green is a much prettier color than yellow, so why don't we try that one first.". Despite sounding brave, Pai doesn't quite move toward the smoke yet.

"Just goin to leave that other fella back there? Doesn't strike me as the nice kind." Barlor ruminates.

"Better idea. I Unfetter Snave and send him through. If he doesn't come back, it was probably a bad idea to go through."

Turg nods, "But I do agree; green is better than yellow any day."

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"Friend Barlor, I think we should learn as much as we can about this place, and about the other apprentices, before we return to deal with Togarin. We have seen much thus far, but little of it makes sense."

"Well at least it isn't just me that doesn't get anything goin' on here."
Barlor kicks Ing. "You ready, pig?"

Snave is summoned and sent into the green plume. He vanishes.

A moment later Snave reappears and looks around. "Didn't go anywhere." He says, looking almost happy.

"Does Snave have the colored hand stamp?"

Nope.

"I say we all join hands and go for it. Wherever we end up, we'll be together and ready to brawl, if it comes to it."

We will wrap it up then.

Just FYI, there is no benefit to taking out Daegros, and though the module depicts him as CN, his motives are closer to true neutral.

I'll report and get chronicles out a little later today.

Since we're wrapping up, was there anyway to save Rozimus/stop Vozhon from escaping?

Thanks for running, Rah! You almost had us in TPK-ville with all those failed saves. Barlor definitely saved the day for us right there...

Always fun playing one of your games!

Regarding Rozimus/Vuzhon:

Technically, yes, you could have stopped both. The paradox theory is valid, but tricky. Killing Rozimus during a time shift in the Sanctum would prevent him from being possessed by Vuzhon in the past, which would have collapsed the Time Lock and killed Daegros, Vuzhon, and Togarin as a few thousand years suddenly caught up with them. However, it would have turned both Daegros and Togarin into very pissed-off ghosts that you would have had to deal with. It would also have destroyed most of the knowledge preserved in the Sanctum's library though.

Another option would have been to destroy the time-shifted Rozimus' ioun stone (not the one he gave you, but the one he still had before becoming possessed). That would not have prevented Vuzhon from possessing Rozimus, but it would have prevented her from escaping the Sanctum (which requires the possession of an ioun stone). Again, the Time Lock would collapse, killing Vuzhon, Daegros, and Togarin, creating ghosts, destroying the library, etc.

Ah, cool. I'm happy with how we finished it then. Thanks for explaining that.

Yeah, thanks for running! I'm also pleased with how things turned out.

That was probably the best resolution we could have managed; at least this way the Society gets to have continued access to the library and such.

I saw the results were posted--thanks much.

Chronicles sent! Once everyone confirms receipt I'll close down the campaign. Thanks for playing everyone, this was a great series.

I received Maddie's chronicle sheet. Thanks for running Rah, it was fun.

Got it! Thanks again for running.

Have it. Thanks!

Downloaded! Thanks for running! (Disclaimer: Turg will probably use this boon to compliment herself or give herself a high-five.)

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Thanks Rah, it was a blast! Did we complete the whole dungeon now?

Yup, that was the whole dungeon. For more adventures related to Thornkeep and Nhur Athemon's legacy, check out The Emerald Spire.