DougFungus' Rise of the RuneLords

Game Master pinvendor

"I dunno. This thing looks a little dirty to me. Like it needs a good cleaning. I mean, what's the point of putting an icky drinking fountain here when there's a whole well of clean water back there?" Nicea frowns at the little basin, then moves towards the door. "Lieutenant Samara, door check!"

Move to U23 to give room for Samara to get in to scan the door.

Slipping into the room, Silva frowns at the filthy chamber as he hops onto the stone platform. He looks at the dirty water with a grimace, haphazardly dipping a finger into the fluid.

"Talk about nasty. I could try to clean it up a bit. Might not be much of a point, though..."

Silva double moves to R-23.

Samara tilts her head just slightly at being told to do a door check. She walks up to the door and checks whether it is locked, but does not open it, wanting to take a closer look at this filthy fountain. "The fountain looks important..."

"An altar and a font to cleanse yourself before you enter a Holy place? Could that niche have held a statue or idol?" Zara wonders speaking softly for fear that her words will be over heard by enemies.

• Silva, as you step up to the basin a feint magical swirl causes the water to clear up a bit. The water now looks clean and clear despite an unpleasant smell that it emits.

• Samara, the door is not locked.

MAP!

Spellcraft: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (11) + 6 = 17

Cast detect magic.

"Whoa. Well, that was convenient! The water's clean now," Silva says, splashing the water in the basin around a little, before wrinkling his nose. "Er, mostly. But Zara's idea isn't farfetched, if this is the case."

Zara beams proudly, nodding to the intuitive Varisian man. "Some sulphurous springs can be good for you too." Sidling over to the doorway and preparing the long hafted weapon, if something bursts out.

Move: to T23

Damieka debates on what to do then decides it is easiest to just stay where she is and waits, her bow in hand and ready for anything to happen from the front or the back.

Zara awaits the opening of the door, 'Surely there cannot be too much more to this place? At least Damieka has my back and the others are ready...'

"Bah. Who cares about dirty water? Lieutenant, please open the door when it's safe!" Nicea ignores the little basin of filth.

No Map Update

Davben looks over to Silva who seems to be investigating the fountain. "What is the significance of the fountain? If you found some magic there must be a reason someone would bother to cast a spell on it."

He moves into better position to be ready to support Nicea and Samara when the door opens.

Move to T23

"I dunno. Some kind of ritual significance, maybe. I wouldn't know," Silva says with a shrug, "It seems to be set up to conjure up water as needed. Funny to think that the people who made this place would magic it up just to keep their hands clean. Well, might as well move on. You can wash your hands on the way out, Ben - punching those uglies must have gotten them dirty."

"Before you enter the holy temple; to cleanse your feet . Before to touch the idol; to cleanse your hands. Before you see the altar; to cleanse your face. Before you sit upon the pews to cleanse your...." Zara pauses blushing.

Samara shrugs and says, "I only wish to note that I suspect this place is important. That is a thing that I wished to do."

She draws her rapier, and opens the door.

This huge room looks like nothing more than an immense underground cathedral. Stone doors stand to either side of the main entrance, but beyond this, the walls are carved with strange, spiky runes. In the center of the room is a large pool, with a ring of polished human skulls balanced on stone spikes arranged in a circle around the deeper midsection. At the far end of the room, a pair of stone stairways leads up to a pulpit on which sits a second pool, this one triangular an d filled with churning, bubbling water that looks almost like translucent lava. Yet while wisps of what look like heat and steam rise from the strange orange liquid, the room itself is deathly cold.

Going about her business within the rooom is a tiny creature who is obviously startled by the opening door.

ERYLIUM: "Koruvus! I ordered you to guard the flock! Begone!"

As she looks over, she realizes that the the person she is talking to is not there. Instead an Elf wielding a Rapier stands in the doorway.

"WHO ARE YOU TO DEFILE MOTHERS SANCTUM WITH YOUR PRESENCE?"

Without hesitation, she pulls out a tiny dagger from a sheath on her belt and cuts her wrist over the pool in the middle of the room. A few drops of blood spurt out and fall into the pool causing it to radiate a strange glow then regurgitate a Sinspawn.

Roll a Sense Motive check.

Erylium then grins a toothy grin at Samara and flies off to the back of the room, turning invisible in the process.

Everybody Rill Initiative!

MAP!

Initiative: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (5) + 6 = 11

"Well, that sounds friendly," Silva says with a frown, hearing the voice in the other room.

Actions forthcoming.

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3
Initiative: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (9) + 3 = 12

Nicea, naturally, attacks. "Another of these blasted things, and the dame what makes 'em!

Move to V28
Scythe: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (17) + 6 = 23
Scythe dmg if hits: 2d4 + 4 ⇒ (4, 3) + 4 = 11

"Sanctum, see I was right." she exhults, before she realises what they have to face. 'What in the Hells is that?'

Zara blanches and her knuckles tighten, as she prepares to stop the strange creatures.
Know(Religion): 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (4) + 5 = 9
Initiative: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (19) + 5 = 24
Sense Motive: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (10) + 2 = 12

Spooked by the horrid creature she can barely remember her own name, reacting instinctively.

Initiative: 1d20 + 4 + 2 ⇒ (10) + 4 + 2 = 16

Samara speaks an elven oath at the grin in her direction and then shakes her head, trying to get her bearings in the situation. "Er. Sorry for... defiling mothers sanctum."

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 5 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 5 + 2 = 15

I believe Sense Motive is one of Samara's trained skills, since she is a sort that views others with suspicion, but as I don't have access to her sheet at work, I'm unsure.

Being sorry does not stop Samara from attempting to attack the creature, flanking if possible.

Attack: 1d20 + 5 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 5 + 2 = 19
Damage: 1d6 + 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (2) + (2) + 2 = 6

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (12) + 9 = 21
Initiative: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 5 = 8

Davben's a bit slow to react as he ponders matters of balance, and wonders if defiling a sanctum of evil would be considered a good act, or if it is at once good for defying evil, and evil for defiling a sanctum. He also considers if these sinspawn are truly evil creatures, thus far the party has always attacked first, not that it made a big difference it was just easier to balance killing evil creatures.

The monk moves in to attack setting up to flank with someone if it's possible.

Tiger Knee: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (15) + 4 = 19 +2 if flank
Damage: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 = 8

Silva will delay till after Davben.

"Hey, Ben. You should be like, restoring the balance or something!" Silva calls out to the monk as he busily retrieves his wand from his pants pocket. Once all of the punchy-hitty-stabbity people have piled into the room, he moves to hallway to get a better idea of what they're up against.

Silva draws moves to V24 (once unoccupied).

Samara's SM is +6, unenhanced by the caverns.

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7

Initiative: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 4 = 20

Damieka rushes into the room, slipping past the others to T26 so that she would have the wall to her back and minimize anyone getting on her sides. The ranger had been quietly moving in behind the others while back into her thinking mode but had not been able to come up with anything about the whole place in general.

Now she set her bow and got ready for the inevitable battle but watched for splashes of blood on the floor just in case that little creature forgot to cover up that wound or that it didn't just heal. It would be like freaking little weirdo things like that to heal real quick.

Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (11) + 8 = 19

"Who was that Lady? Where did she go?" Zara asks softly as she rushes into the room. Knowing that the treasure hunter works best in unison with another, the ranseur wielding dancer skips into the room and spins around looking for the invisible creature.

Double Move to set up a flank with Samara.
Perception(to spot invisible creature): 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 2 = 14

• Sinspawn jumps out of the pool and meets Samara at the doorway.

  Bite: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6 Miss

• Zara cannot move with the Sinspawn blocking the entrance.
  Knowledge Religion:

  This whole place appears to be dedicated to Lamashtu as its patron deity.

  None of your other checks turn up results.

• Erylium can be heard casting a spell from behind the Sinspawn.

  Samara, Nicea & Davben roll will saves please: Cause Fear DC:12
  Duration: 1d4 ⇒ 3
  Failure results in having the Frightened condition.
  When making your save, please post it as your first roll so I know there is no cheating going on. I trust you guys completely but noticed that most of you placed your Initiative rolls randomly within your posts.

• Damieka rushes in to help but is caught in the pile up in the hallway.
  Perception:

  Judging on where the sound of Erylium's voice is coming from, your best guess is that she's in either U,V or W-27

• Samara runs the tip of her Rapier through the Sinspawn. Unfortunately it is not enough to kill it.

• Nicea cannot move past Samara to get her attack this round.

• Silva delays until after Davben.

• Davben cannot move through the crowded hallway to get an attack in.
  Davben Sense Motive Results:

  As Erylium's blood falls into the pool creating the Sinspawn you see a subtle look of worry from performing this action.

Next Round Begins Now!

MAP!

Will save: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (12) + 1 = 13

Since my action was impossible given the initiative and it would NOT have been my action had I known what was happening before my turn, I would prefer to have the opportunity to change it rather than completely lose a turn due to not being psychic.

Will save: 1d20 ⇒ 18
Attack: 1d20 + 5 + 2 ⇒ (19) + 5 + 2 = 26
Damage: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 2 = 7
Critical Confirm: 1d20 + 5 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 5 + 2 = 19
Damage Crit: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4

"Get out of my way!" growls Samara, taking a harsher, louder, angrier tone than she normally would, jabbing at it with her rapier. "Or die! Dying is a thing you should do!"

Samara moves to U27 if the Sinspawn drops

If she hasn't already cast Guidance upon everyone pre-opening the door - Zara casts it upon Davben (provided he hasn't fled, or something).

With one hand she casts, whilst with the other she holds her pole-arm. 'Lamashtu? The evil monstrous Goddess!"

I must agree with Nicea, upon finding we were bottle necked again we probably would have at least tried to get past.

Since my action was impossible given the initiative and it would NOT have been my action had I known what was happening before my turn, I would prefer to have the opportunity to change it rather than completely lose a turn due to not being psychic.

I must agree with Nicea, upon finding we were bottle necked again we probably would have at least tried to get past.

I can understand why you might feel this way. Post round 1.5 and round 2 actions this time around if you feel you could have resolved your action differently. I'd like to resolve round 1.5 after round 1 but before round 2 if you guys are OK with it. It will make things easier than re-doing the whole round over.

"We can't get through to help, Samara. Back up and we'll draw it in here with us. We'll get away from that other thing, too."

Nicea moves back to S22.

If Damieka notices a bottleneck happening at the entrance she would keep in the spot she was in and aim for whatever is coming through the doorway. With this being the case she would not have known about the little creature or even what would be coming out at them so she would use her perception (as per my previous post) to see what is going on around them and if anything was out of the ordinary.

Zara will take a 5' step back to T22, cast Guidance on Davben & draw the wand in her free hand.

Gasping and realising the others plan she steps away fron the ruckus. Calling once more upon the Ladies protection, she touches Davbens' muscular shoulder.

Backing away, wand in hand, Silva steps onto the stone platform next to the basin again.

Samara follows Nicea's instruction, nodding once and stepping back.

Will Save: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (16) + 5 = 21 Sorry forgot the save last time.

Not wanting to get trapped in yet another bottleneck Davben also steps back to make more room, it will be much easier to fight if they lure the creature out. He tries to spot any sign of the small creature that disappeared.

Feeling a pleasant magic tingle at Zara's touch he smiles towards her "I guess we know where the Sinspawn are coming from... did that little creature seem somewhat worried to you when she created it?"

Perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (12) + 9 = 21

Move to U21 ready to strike if an enemy comes within range

OK, I tried to resolve the round here but ran into an issue. Nobody stated what round their actions were taking place in (1.5 or 2?) and most people have only posted 1 action? To eliminate more confusion on my part can everybody please re-post their actions in their entirety and state what round they happen in. The only case exception for round 1.5 is Samara who does not get to alter actions because her actions actually followed through in round 1. If you have already rolled dice, keep the result and post it with your re-posted actions. I just want to try and eliminate any more mishaps. Thanks.

Round 1.5: Cast Guidance on Damieka.

Round 2: Zara will take a 5' step back to T22, cast Guidance on Davben & draw the wand in her free hand.

Sorry.

Round 1.5: Move action to R23, move action to draw wand of magic missile.

Round 2: Hold action; Silva does nothing this round.

Round 1.5: Nothing.
Round 2: Attack the sinspawn, step back if it lives, move to U27 if it drops.

Round 1.5: Speak and move back to S22 as above.

Round 2: Waiting rounds 1 and 1.5 are resolved to know where everything is.

Round 1.5: Stepping back to U21, and trying to perceive Erylium (Perception = 21)

Round 2: Waiting for round 1 and 1.5 resolution before acting, and talking.

Round 1.5: Think and wait watching for anything going wrong and using the previous check Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (11) + 8 = 19 for seeing anything out of the ordinary.

Round 2: Watching for anything to come into view and for the chance to shoot something because she still has arrows.

Round 1.5

• Zara casts Guidance on Damieka.

• Damieka is waiting...

• Nicea moves back to S-22.

• Silva moves to R-23 and draws his wand of Magic Missile.

• Davben Perception:

  Judging on where the sound of Erylium's voice is coming from, your best guess is that she's in either U,V or W-27

  Davben moves to U-21.

  Round 2

  Initiative:

  Sinspawn
  Zara
  Erylium
  Damieka
  Samara
  Nicea
  Silva
  Davben

• Sinspawn makes another attack on Samara!

  Attack: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (10) + 3 = 13 Miss

  Sinspawn moves back 5 feet.

• Zara moves to T-22, Canst Guidance on Davben and draws her wand.

• The sound of Erylium's wing beats can be heard moving further back into the room.

• Damieka shoots an arrow past Samara and at the Sinspawn.

  Attack: 1d20 + 7 - 4 ⇒ (3) + 7 - 4 = 6 Miss

• Samara 5 foot steps into the room and stabs the Sinspawn with her Rapier, critting it. The Sinspawn does not drop.

• Nicea moves into the room and attacks the Sinspawn.

  Attack: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (5) + 6 = 11 Miss

• Silva holds action.

• Davben runs into the room

  Acrobatics: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (10) + 8 = 18

  Sliding past Nicea and the Sinspawn, he attacks with a punch

  Attack: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7 Miss

MAP!

Due to popular request we will be changing the combat format as of now.

From now on we will only be running PC's Initiative order only until an enemy's turn, pausing for the enemy to resolve their turn, then resolving the next bunch of PC's actions until the next enemy, pausing and so on.

So...

Current Initiative:
Sinspawn
Zara
Erylium
Damieka
Samara
Nicea
Silva
Davben

Sinspawn attempts to bite Samara

Attack: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (17) + 3 = 20 Miss

it is now Zara's turn!

Once Zara posts I will perform Erylium's actions. Please don't post actions until you're called to do so to eliminate confusion on my part. Talking and commentary are still fine at any time.

After that is resolved we will get actions from Damieka, Samara, Nicea, Silva and Davben and then do the whole thing over.

Not to try and hurt Samara; but a 20 to hit, might actually be a hit.

Keeping out of the way of everyone Zara steps forward, hooking a shapely leg about the ivory shaft she lets the ranseur go. Precariously leaning, she starts to call upon her patron, the Lady of illusions. Calling softly for the veil to be lifted from Damieka's eyes and for her to be even more sure of shot.

"Shoot well, sister." she whispers to the raven haired beauty.

5' step to U22
Free: Drop Ranseur.
Standard: Cast Guidance on Damieka. (So a +1 to hit for Damieka!)
Move: Retrieve Ranseur.

Not to try and hurt Samara; but a 20 to hit, might actually be a hit.

What the hell? That 20 was a 9 yesterday! I'm going to let this one slide. I grow tired of retconning things this battle.

• Zara steps to U-22 and casts Guidance on Damieka.

• Erylium can be heard casting a spell near the Southern staircase in the back of the room.

  Up Next:
  Damieka
  Samara
  Nicea
  Silva
  Davben

Nicea moves to flank with Samara and takes a hearty cut at the Sinspawn.

Move to U28, provokes.
Devastating scythe slice! PA: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (17) + 8 = 25
Massive damage!: 2d4 + 7 ⇒ (4, 4) + 7 = 15

"Ohhhh... one of those things again," Silva says as he moves closer to the hall, nodding to himself. If by chance the creature is still alive, the sorcerer blasts it with his wand. "Hoo! Ha!"

Magic Missile: 2d4 + 2 ⇒ (1, 4) + 2 = 7

Silva moves to U23; if by chance the sinspawn is still alive, he blasts it.