DM Delmoth's Strange Aeons (Inactive)

Game Master Delmoth

Red Will vs Color Spray: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (2) + 6 = 8
Yellow Will vs Color Spray: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 10

You found their weak save.

Mara's multi hued effulgent light cuts through the stinking cloud and all the men from Leng can do is stare stupefied.

Action to PCs

Theophilus' brow creases; as he has begun a staring contest with the White Rabbit. He Cackles.

@Theophilus, you could Cackle as a move action and also ready to Hex as a standard action. Maybe Evil Eye?

Dervak delays until after Kat goes. Want to be in a position to make use of the Longarm reach, and don't want to take cover penalties.

As per Dervak's advice, Kat will save her snake style for the bite

Kat continues her flurry of attacks on nearest leng denizen, the cover of the cloud providing them little protection, taking a moment to step aside and allow Dervak a way in.

Also reminder that he's flatfooted to her

20% Miss Chance (high is always good for me): 1d100 ⇒ 87
Primary Attack (heroism, haste, unseen, power attack): 1d20 + 11 + 2 + 1 + 2 - 2 ⇒ (20) + 11 + 2 + 1 + 2 - 2 = 34
Primary Damage (merciful, power attack): 1d8 + 6 + 1d6 + 6 ⇒ (8) + 6 + (5) + 6 = 25
Crit Confirm: 1d20 + 11 + 2 + 1 + 2 - 2 ⇒ (6) + 11 + 2 + 1 + 2 - 2 = 20
Crit Damage (merciful, power attack): 2d8 + 12 + 1d6 + 12 ⇒ (3, 1) + 12 + (5) + 12 = 33

20% Miss Chance (high is always good for me): 1d100 ⇒ 45
Haste Attack (heroism, haste, unseen, power attack): 1d20 + 11 + 2 + 1 + 2 - 2 ⇒ (10) + 11 + 2 + 1 + 2 - 2 = 24
Haste Damage (merciful, power attack): 1d8 + 6 + 1d6 + 6 ⇒ (6) + 6 + (1) + 6 = 19

20% Miss Chance (high is always good for me): 1d100 ⇒ 40
Secondary Attack (heroism, haste, unseen, power attack): 1d20 + 11 + 2 + 1 + 2 - 2 ⇒ (3) + 11 + 2 + 1 + 2 - 2 = 17
Secondary Damage (merciful, power attack): 1d8 + 6 + 1d6 + 6 ⇒ (3) + 6 + (6) + 6 = 21

Dervak steps up and readies to attack if he sees a Denizen.
I think they would have to be at the edge of the fog to attack Kat, so he could still attack them with 20% miss chance. And might get an AOO if they come after him.

Mara took out her wand and Healed Kat.

Wand of CLW (Kat): 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7

Kat stabs the Denizen into a bloody pulp and the body melts away like the other. Leaving only his clothes and a set of clinking keys. The stinking cloud disappears revealing that the third Denizen of Leng has disappeared completely. Theo suspects some sort of teleportation magic.

Mara checked for magic and retrieved the keys.

Casting Detect Magic.
How much is Kat down in HP? Mara has more charges left on the wand; feel free to roll healing using however many charges you need.

She looked down the corridor, but could see no obvious doors.

Perception, crone aspect, heroism: 1d20 + 17 + 1 + 3 ⇒ (19) + 17 + 1 + 3 = 40

There doesn't seem to be any doors on the map for that part of the hallway.

Dervak catches his breath. "Well done, Kat. Nice trick you go there. I couldn't see a thing in that fog.
That door to the southeast, maybe?"

Theophilus collects his deck and the White Rabbit and joins the others.
He offers his Wand of Cure Moderate Wounds for any in need.

Casting Detect Magic.

How much is Kat down in HP? Mara has more charges left on the wand; feel free to roll healing using however many charges you need.

No magic

There doesn't seem to be any doors on the map for that part of the hallway.

Its weird but accurate. This hallway doesn't even have a proper description or label in the book.

The door to the southeast clicks open with one of the keys on the keyring. This room contains six pallets of a fibrous, grayish material. The pallets are humped into shapes that seem more like seats than beds. Something lustrous and green lays among the pallets.

Mara looked into the room behind the door. She scanned for magic, saying, "It doesn't look like this has much to do with our task."

Perception, crone aspect, Heroism: 1d20 + 17 + 1 + 3 ⇒ (7) + 17 + 1 + 3 = 28
Knowledge, crone aspect, Heroism: 1d20 + 2 + 3 ⇒ (20) + 2 + 3 = 25 +1 Dungeoneering, +4 Planes, +4 Religion

Staying away from the green thing.

By my count, Kat is down 11 atm, so two charges of CLW on average

Kat takes a deep breath now, the moment of respite all the more appreciated after dealing with the cloud. She throws a weary grin to Dervak. ”Thanks, bruv. You live through the big city smog, you get a feel for dealing with a bit of nasty smoke. Eyes’ll probably white-over before my hair cause of all the smog chemicals growing up, but at least I can get a few years a’ stabbin’ monsters in clouds before then.”

Dervak is willing to go retrieve the shiny green thing if Mara determines that it is magic.

I could just Summon something--Federick--to go fetch it.

Frederick picks up the item and brings it over to Theo. The witch quickly determines that it's a Chaos Emerald.

"I guess this door to the north, next?"
Dervak moves to the door, listens at it, and opens it.
Perception, Heroism: 1d20 + 12 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 12 + 3 = 19

I'll post a description for the room in a little bit. Can everyone see the map ok? It's bleeding off the edge of the slide downwards, I can put on a separate slide if need be.

The door to this room has a heavy lock but it yields to the keys recovered from the guards. This guard room is unoccupied but three metal stools sit in front of the arrow slits that look into the killing room. A wide staircase leads upwards. As you enter the room a strange voice slithers into your mind injecting worm eaten words directly into your brain, Has that upstart piper above the cellblocks attacked?

Dervak looks around. Voices in my head again... that must be Weiralai, asking her fellow Denizens what the commotion was. Well, one of them got away, so is going to warn her...

Dervak responds "No Weiralai, it is Dervak, come to kill you. You should run."

He moves towards the stairs.
Looks like wide enough for Kat and Dervak to go side-by-side in front, both with 10' reach and Kat with Trap Spotter.

Theophilus opens his mouth, but he promptly shuts it, as Dervak speaks.
Beat me by a second!

The Witch casts Guidance on Dervak and follows him.

Kat advances next to Dervak. "Yeah, sure, the piper's here. Time to pay up."

"This piper could be an ally... but it is not always true that the enemy of my enemy is my friend. I don't know."

"Oh for sure. I was just making a bit of a play on that ol' 'time to pay the piper' expression."

Wand of CLW (Kat, 2 charges): 2d8 + 2 ⇒ (7, 3) + 2 = 12

Mara healed Kat with her wand, and followed Kat and Dervak up the stairs.

The party walks up the stairs: A round frayed rug of a hideous chartreuse color covers the floor in the center of the room. Within an alcove on the east wall, a large lever surmounts an enormous contraption of thick gears bolted to the floor.

Squatting a few feet above the nauseating rug is a bloated pinkish-yellow creature. If you were forced to liken it to something from the natural world it would be frog-like but that would be a stretch. It has clawed hands, no eyes, and a wide mouth. There is a continual smacking sound coming from its snout, which ends in numerous writhing tentacles. Manacled and prostrated on the floor is a familiar Denizen of Leng, Weiralai. The moon-beast invades your thoughts, I am not Weiralai and you are not my guards. But perhaps we can make a deal.

Theophilus grandly exclaims,
Come on down; the price is right!

The White Rabbit begins setting up a big and colorful wheel.

Bring me the head of Ahrkh-Nar and you can have the woman of Leng, Weiralai

Kat and Mara get the sense that the moon-beast is stalling and not actually interested in a deal.

Mara spoke to her team-mates in her maternal tongue,

Let me know if we can attempt a fresh knowledge check, now that we've seem an actual moon-beast.

Things you've read about or observed: They are aberrations, have blindsight 90ft, large size, 2x 1d6 claw attacks, 4x 1d6 tentacle attack, fly or some similar ability (it is currently hovering), telepathy 300ft, immune to effects that require sight such as gaze attacks or visual illusions. They keep slaves by mentally dominating them: read spell-like abilities along those lines though you're not exactly sure which ones.

Dervak no longer understands the tongue of his father's acquired lineage.
"What is it, Mara?"

She said that it may be party time!

Theophilus looks oddly like a dwarven alchemist. Must be an effect of the Dreamlands.

Dervak shrugs.

"Okay then."

He will cast Cat's Grace (using the Mnemonic Vestments), Str-rage, and 5' step (haven't accounted for any of those actions yet).

Initiative? Surprise round? Dervak's Initiative with the Dex drain is +2, although that goes to +4 if Cat's Grace happens before initiative is rolled. The transition from out-of-combat to in-combat is I think the most awkward thing in PF.

No surprise round, no one is surprised. Agreed especially when it could go either way.

Initiative
Dervak: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 2 = 17
Kat: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7
Mara: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3
Mara, Temporal Celerity: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (11) + 2 = 13
Theo: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (2) + 12 = 14
Yath-Kheph: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (19) + 7 = 26

Round 1
Yath-Kheph, moon-beast
Dervak (cast cat's grace, rages, and moves?)
Theo <----------
Mara <----------
Kat <----------

Pausing game until I can respond to Kat's question

Knowing that Moon-Beasts were known for mind-control abilities, Mara took out a scroll of protection from evil, and prepared to use it on anyone who seemed to be acting strangely.

Would the Status effect of the Phylactery of the Shepherd allow Mara to know if anyone was being mind-controlled? The spell mentions "unharmed, wounded, disabled, staggered, unconscious, dying, nauseated, panicked, stunned, poisoned, diseased, confused, or the like."

Taking out a scroll of Protection from Evil, and readying to use it (couldn't think of another use for my Standard Action this round).

Spellcraft
Dervak, heroism: 1d20 + 3 + 3 ⇒ (17) + 3 + 3 = 23
Kat, heroism: 1d20 + 9 + 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 9 + (4) + 2 = 21
Mara, heroism: 1d20 + 13 + 3 ⇒ (8) + 13 + 3 = 24
Theo, heroism: 1d20 + 15 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 15 + 2 = 32
White Rabbit: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (14) + 14 = 28

The magical senses of the party tingle as they sense the moon-beast influence Kat's mind. charm monster

I think yes status would detect that. But I thought Mara ended the effect to heal her in the prior combat. Either way Mara knows from her sense motive or successful spellcraft.

In the future I'm going to house rule that spellcraft cannot identify spells and spell-like abilities with no apparent effect. That is no physical manifestation or components.

Shaking his bearded face free of the effects of the Reality Stone, the gentleman Witch stares at the beastie.

The Witch cast Dispel Magic on Kat to end the Charm Monster effect.
Caster level check DC 11+CL: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (14) + 8 = 22

Theo struggles to unravel the charm placed on Kat but manages to pull on a single loose thread. The weave entangling her mind falls apart and she can think clearly again.

Kat is briefly overcome by the strange feeling that she should be friends with this creature, attempt to stop her friends from fighting each other, but the feeling passes as quickly as it hits. She enters her stance and studies the strange creature's movements as she circles closer.

Move action to move, swift to enter snake style, move to study

Spellcraft DC 19
Dervak, heroism: 1d20 + 3 + 3 ⇒ (10) + 3 + 3 = 16
Kat, heroism: 1d20 + 9 + 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (17) + 9 + (1) + 2 = 29
Mara, heroism: 1d20 + 13 + 3 ⇒ (16) + 13 + 3 = 32
Theo, heroism: 1d20 + 15 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 15 + 2 = 29
White Rabbit: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (1) + 14 = 15

Confusion DC 21
Dervak Will: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (13) + 13 = 26
Kat Will: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (7) + 9 = 16
Mara Will, foe of the strange: 1d20 + 16 + 1 ⇒ (19) + 16 + 1 = 36
Theo Will: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (9) + 10 = 19
White Rabbit Will: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (17) + 11 = 28

The beast backs away from the still prone Weiralai and sends out discordant metal waves that disorganize your thoughts and confuse your senses. Kat, Mara, and Theo realize its similar to a confusion spell right before it unhinges your minds. Dervak, Mara, and White Rabbit perhaps hardened by their encounter with the Dark Whisper shake off the effect easily. But Kat and Theo can't seem to gather the broken pieces of their now shattered minds.

Confusion effect
Kat: 1d100 ⇒ 37 ---> babble incoherently
Theo: 1d100 ⇒ 16 ---> act normally

Round 2
Yath-Kheph, moon-beast
Dervak <----------
Theo <----------
Mara <----------
Kat

Mara urged her friend, "Dervak, engage the moon-beast, and get as far away from the wall next to me as you can! I need to clear Theo and Kat's minds!"

Delaying, hoping that Dervak will get out of the radius of the Calm Emotions spell she is planning to cast. Mara would sense Theo's confusion, and Kat's babbling would presumably be an indication that something is wrong.

Also, with heroism, Mara's will save modifier is +20. :)

Note that so long as Kat fails her save against calm emotions she will be able to act normally this round. Because Theo is acting normally he can choose to fail this saving throw.

Dervak can't get to the moon-beast without passing Weiralai, and he suspects that she is not the helpless prisoner she appears to be.

He moves around the edge of the room and strikes at the Denizen of Leng.
Attack: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (3) + 17 = 20
+8 BAB, +8 Str, +3 Heroism, +1 MW, -3 PA
Well she is prone so maybe that is enough.

Dervak's scimitar plunges deeply into the Denizen of Leng that has vexed them in the past.

"It's a trick! Just an illusion!"

At Dervak's urging everyone now sees the illusion of the denizen of Leng for what it is.

Mara moved to the top of the stairs, imploring, "Daddy, help them think clearly!", and recited a prayer.

Casting Calm Emotions (DC 19 Will), catching everyone except Dervak, and including the moon-beast (see map for spell area).
Those that fail have their Confusion automatically ended, and Heroism will be suppressed this round (Mara won't concentrate to maintain the spell next round). Affected creatures also may not attack.

Will (Calm Emotions, crone aspect, heroism): 1d20 + 15 + 1 + 3 ⇒ (20) + 15 + 1 + 3 = 39 What a waste of a nat 20! :)

Theophilus begins a rollercoaster ride of emotions. Fear, disgust, elation, triumph, worry, and confusion run rapidly through his mind. He looks down to the White Rabbit, who simply shrugs his white fur shoulders.
Exactly! I feel fine!

The Witch activates his Flight Hex. He flies 30' up. or 20' if needs to stay in Calm Emotions affect?

Fly (Dex): 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (20) + 13 = 33

Will Save vs Calm Emotions: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (18) + 9 = 27
Figures now is the time my dice decide to roll high on a will save
Confusion: 1d4 ⇒ 3

Kat tries to smack herself out of her confusion, but she only succeeds in hurting herself.

Damage: 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (5) + 4 = 9