Doug M's Way of the Wicked (Inactive)

Game Master Douglas Muir 406

Father Dunnigan is there, beaming happily. (Edmin would notice that he's lost most of his hair, but otherwise looks fit, cheerful, and full of life.)

I think DM is saying Father Dunnigan has a high Con and Cha.

All that excess weight suggests he's no great shakes at walking tightropes or dodging arrows. But otherwise, he's actually kinda impressive in person -- big, strong, hearty, and cheerful.

When you say "behind the cellar door", where are you thinking of?

To clarify: I know you mean summoning him in the undercellar, and I'll tell you now that the Armory is empty tonight. But he's not invisible, so he'll still have to make regular Stealth checks when moving through observed areas. (And note that he may not always know which areas are observed.) I assume you'll un-summon him if he's spotted.

So, take a look at the map and tell me where you want to send him.

A strange-looking character in blue robes is greeted with murmurs and sidelong glances. He sports a wild mass of red hair just beginning to go grey; his robes are streaked with red and orange, as if just bursting into flame; his fingers are heavily beringed. Surely this is none other than the famous Magister Tacitus

Perception (or Sense Motive?) Looking and focusing on the magister, what are the color of his eyes? This is before the play begins. She will even ask Dren via Message at intermission if need be.

Cуровую will use the scroll of Disguise Self caster level 3 (I marked it off but Dren did not use it) a few minutes before the play ends, in fact at the conclusion, and use the privy to cast it and seek the magister out, she is wearing the azure blue with red scarlet notes outfit she purchased this day. Using Cуровую Lingering Presence she will match the magister's hair except her's is more vibrant and young. Her eyes are his color as well but more intense. And you better believe the lips on her is the envy of every lady in the town. To top it off, she casts Eagle's Splendor using her bonded item.

After the actors take their bows Cуровую makes her move, like a shark, approaching confidently and even almost arrogantly, as if not uncomfortable in the presence of men of power or even arcane.

'Your pardon my lord magister, a very brief moment of your time, I believe you have a letter of introduction from my Lady Viola Sackville-North, I am Cellia Vanorth, her hand maiden, chief aide ... and apprentice.' Cellia makes a slight but genuine curtsy.

If there is a certain way wizards start a very covert flirtation in this world, Cуровую is using it. She is in no way intimidated by the great man, in fact she seems drawn to the type.

Diplomacy 1d20 + 8 + 2 ⇒ (20) + 8 + 2 = 30 Possible another +1 for Cуровую Lingering Presence.

Xen I got the sexy back!

Douglas Muir 406 wrote:

When you say "behind the cellar door", where are you thinking of?

To clarify: I know you mean summoning him in the undercellar, and I'll tell you now that the Armory is empty tonight. But he's not invisible, so he'll still have to make regular Stealth checks when moving through observed areas. (And note that he may not always know which areas are observed.) I assume you'll un-summon him if he's spotted.

Judge should Morsum be spotted they may blame the play's actors because they are the one's with 'special effects'.

I think dm hates us.

Another nat 20 and he might kill us all

Xen I got the sexy back!

faint sigh.

Okay, check back in an hour or two -- I need to put some kids to bed here.

Another nat 20 and he might kill us all

In all seriousness, I think Commander Havelyn needs to level up right now.

Cуровую is still on day 8 morning, a few hours before the play as she needs to make purchases and some preparations.

Before the play she will also have cast Alarm on the secret door, then Detect Magic and Message on those attending BEFORE she left the Lord's Dalliance for the fort.

Judge you may want to use the privy/bathroom for the guests attending the play to Summon Morsum as an option if you want him there instead of the secret room.

DM Cуровую cast Detect Magic for this before arriving specifically to see who has magical items.

When the lights go down, some ten minutes after the play stars when the good bits begin, she will focus on the following, first Magister, then the head cleric, then the commander. If there are also other key characters she will do so as well.

She will also focus on the gnome seamstress on stage, if any of her items glow we may have found Nimpy.

Bref wrote:

Another nat 20 and he might kill us all

In all seriousness, I think Commander Havelyn needs to level up right now.

We all know the 20's are just for our scouting and that as soon as a big fight happens they will dry up and we'll all be saying hi to Bref then start playing Jade Regent next.

Did I miss the map somewhere? The only one I see is the corner of the fort from post 8346

That's all the map you know of the underground level. Ground level, so far it's a big courtyard with the keep inside.

Unfortunately, I have to crash now -- Magister Tacitus tomorrow.

When the lights go down, some ten minutes after the play stars when the good bits begin, she will focus on the following, first Magister, then the head cleric, then the commander. If there are also other key characters she will do so as well.

Detect Magic's duration is concentration, but only up to 1 minute/level. You can't cast in the middle of a crowd without it being obvious that you're casting. I think you could reasonably cast outside and then come in, so you can get a look at the Magister and the good Father. The Commander is the last to arrive, so not him.

preview: Magister Tacitus would like you to come upstairs with him, and see his special project. He thinks it's magnificent, and he's sure you'll agree...

preview: Magister Tacitus would like you to come upstairs with him, and see his special project. He thinks it's magnificent, and he's sure you'll agree...

Um, like that's not creepy at all. 'Hey little girl I have candy. And puppies.'

It's worth whatever bad things can happen if you get to see the upper levels :).

Detect Magic's duration is concentration, but only up to 1 minute/level. You can't cast in the middle of a crowd without it being obvious that you're casting. I think you could reasonably cast outside and then come in, so you can get a look at the Magister and the good Father. The Commander is the last to arrive, so not him.

Fair enough. The magister and then the cleric please. About thirty minutes before the intermission could Cуровую cast Detect Magic from the bathroom one more time and try for the commander or the gnome on stage? Or would any other characters (the Judge, Jax or Xen) want to try to inspect the commander or the gnome?

It's worth whatever bad things can happen if you get to see the upper levels :).

I feel the love and concern Dren.

If Jax can attempt a bluff check to hide a casting of detect magic to use on the magister, he will. He has a +9 modifier (Figure DM will want to roll).

DM allowed Cуровую to focus on the magister and the lead cleric. If you want to please try on the commander and the gnome.

Magister Tacitus never goes anywhere without his wand. Because he /loves/ that wand. So, you get a reading (evocation) off the wand. He also has two glows coming off his hands, but you're too far away to see the details. Certainly he is wearing several different rings and at least one large, heavy bracelet. Finally, his cloak -- and it's a lovely thing, with that same pattern of dark blue with little orange stylized flames -- is radiating faint abjuration magic.

Now: the magister's Sense Motive isn't great -- he's not really a social animal -- but it's still theoretically possible that he could see through your elaborate ruse. So, let's give him a shot: 1d20 ⇒ 7

faint sigh.

Okay, first off here's a sketch of the Magister. His hair is going a little grey, which doesn't show in this, but otherwise it's pretty accurate: http://tinyurl.com/pq8blys.

So. That manic, slightly creepy gaze? Is now focused entirely on you; you have the Magister's complete and undivided attention.

Bref wrote:

Another nat 20 and he might kill us all

In all seriousness, I think Commander Havelyn needs to level up right now.

[rubs chin] Is CR 10 a bit much? What do you guys think? I mean, if you kill him that gives you more xp, so it all balances, right?

Meanwhile, let's fast-forward a bit with Zimu and the Magister.

The Magister's rooms -- bedroom, laboratory, and study -- take up the entire third floor of the Keep! Partly that's because wizards need a lot of room, but partly it's because (as he tells you several times) he is the second most important person at Balentyne! Oh, the arcane arts may be unjustly despised here in Talingarde, but Commander Havelyn is no fool! His mystical powers make him the keystone of the Tower's defense! And that was before he found... well, you shall see, you shall see!

-- Now how, you may ask, do the two of you get up to the third floor of the Keep without being noticed? Easy peasy: the Magister casts Invisibility on you, and the two of you just stroll right up the stairs past the guards. "It's bending the rules a bit, heh heh, but we so rarely get visitors so lovely... and intelligent!"

1d100 ⇒ 66

Well, Father Dunnigan is distracted and the Commander is across the room, so nobody notices the two of you quietly slipping around a corner. (Magister Tacitus is not built for stealth, at all, but in the hustle and bustle of people putting on their jackets and shuffling out of the keep you go unnoticed.)

So, up two flights of stairs -- and, truth to tell, the Magister's apartments are impressive. He has a large, fully equipped alchemical laboratory. There are cabinets and chests and a large cauldron. (There is a spellbook around here, somewhere nearby. You just know it. You find yourself suppressing the urge to start opening drawers and just rummaging.)

There's a large window -- "Big enough to fly out of, my dear. Yes, I have mastered that arcane power." He puffs out his narrow chest a little. "The Commander asks me to go scouting sometimes. Flying and invisible, I can go undetected, and spy out any attack!"

The window is closed. Nonetheless, it's cold in this room. Oddly cold. The Magister turns to you. "Now, there are things here that could be quite dangerous to a young apprentice. I'd hate to have to explain an injury to your mistress, heh. So," he takes one of your hands and pats it gently, "look but don't touch!"

If Jax can attempt a bluff check to hide a casting of detect magic to use on the magister, he will. He has a +9 modifier (Figure DM will want to roll).

Not necessary at this point, since Zimu managed it. However, that reminds me... 1d100 ⇒ 99

pffft. Okay, so the people who have Detect Magic, Detect Evil, or really high Sense Motive or Perception? Which, there are several of these people here tonight? Are all totally not paying attention to you guys. Either they're watching the play, or talking to someone else, or they're just on the other side of the room.

Ah well. Things even out. They always do.

They always do.

pffft. Okay, so the people who have Detect Magic, Detect Evil, or really high Sense Motive or Perception? Which, there are several of these people here tonight? Are all totally not paying attention to you guys. Either they're watching the play, or talking to someone else, or they're just on the other side of the room.

Ah well. Things even out. They always do.

Do native outsiders show up with detect evil?

I've been playing that you don't. If I'm wrong, I welcome correction.

You will once you get to 5HD :] Don't our amulets protect us anyways?

The Judge enjoys the show and after speaking with Captain Mott, allows the rest of the team to go about their jobs unmolested.

While the play is ongoing, Morsum attempts to move across the large hall and pass through one of the other door. He sticks to the walls moving behind furniture and passing from shadow to shadow as well as he can.

Stealth: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (16) + 14 = 30

Let me know how many stealth rolls I need.

Two guards, two perception rolls. They'll need nat 20s to spot you: 1d20 ⇒ 31d20 ⇒ 2

pffft. Okay, you didn't specify which door. So, which door? There are two to the south, and three to the north. So, clockwise from the nearest: 1d5 ⇒ 1

You will once you get to 5HD :] Don't our amulets protect us anyways?

Maybe!

The first door leads to a large kitchen. Even now, at night, two servants are still busy at work scrubbing pots and pans.

1d20 ⇒ 121d20 ⇒ 14

Nobody sees the shadowy creature as it slowly opens the door and peers through.

Try another door?

Yup, next door. Going clockwise around the room.

The next door is a very large storage room. It's stocked to the ceiling with everything needed to keep the fort running: torches, rope, nails, pitch, lamp oil, lumber, bricks, mortar, you name it.

Nobody is in here at the moment.

That's the doors on the southern side. So, you can proceed to the northern doors. The guards will have another chance to spot you now: 1d20 ⇒ 131d20 ⇒ 1

One guard has dozed off! Tch, that's punishable by five lashes. He'll miss his next check.

Morsum slowly opens the first northern door. This requires another Stealth check: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (2) + 14 = 16 1d6 - 1 ⇒ (4) - 1 = 3

Your Stealth is a 16.

This is a huge bunkroom with about 60 bunks in it -- the common sleeping room for the enlisted men. Each bunk is neatly made up (unless someone is in it).

There are only about 10 soldiers in here. (Normally there would be a lot more, but many are attending the play upstairs.) Only three are awake. Awake, but not particularly alert -- most of us aren't, when lying in bad dozing or reading a book before sleep. Still, they definitely have a chance to spot you.

1d20 ⇒ 12 1d20 ⇒ 5 1d20 ⇒ 14

ooh, so close.

You can see that all three of the "northern" doors open off the corridor into this very large room. However, there is another door out of this room, to the east. It has a large sunburst of Mitra on it.

You can try crossing the room and going through the door, but it will require another Stealth / Perception contest against the soldiers who are awake.

Hearing about the sunburst of Mitra, the Judge becomes concerned.
Could this be where the holy warriors are? Or simply the chambers for the lower clerics?

Deciding that the risk is worth the reward, the Judge directs his minion to continue his prowling.

Stealth: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (9) + 14 = 23

Onward to the Mitran door.

They'll need 20s to spot you. Still, three chances... 1d20 ⇒ 31d20 ⇒ 191d20 ⇒ 11

So. That manic, slightly creepy gaze? Is now focused entirely on you; you have the Magister's complete and undivided attention.

Yeaaah. That's. NOT. Creepy. At. All.

[rubs chin] Is CR 10 a bit much? What do you guys think? I mean, if you kill him that gives you more xp, so it all balances, right?

For Team Evil