Air elementals are Int 4. With simple instructions, they could launch the signal flare from well away from our location, for instance from the top of the keep, or the top of the tower, which would cause troops to head there than toward us.
Female Aasimar Wizard 6 (HP 53/53; AC 18/18/15; CMD 16 Fort +5; Ref +7 Will +8; Init +3; Perception +11; Darkvision 60 ft)
Jax Naismith wrote:
I really, really don't think we should waste a fireball/3rd level spell on the rookery. Judge has, what, 7 SMIII's a day at this point? One of those and the rookery is toast.
The magister has a beloved Wand of Fireballs which we can use on the troops and other targets.
Female Aasimar Wizard 6 (HP 53/53; AC 18/18/15; CMD 16 Fort +5; Ref +7 Will +8; Init +3; Perception +11; Darkvision 60 ft)
Douglas Muir 406 wrote:
(Unless you have profession [Artist: Trompe L'Oeil] at +30 or so.)
I'm going to have to look that up, DM uses many acronyms that I did not know about but that may be the first none acronym. Oh besides the code he used.
Female Aasimar Wizard 6 (HP 53/53; AC 18/18/15; CMD 16 Fort +5; Ref +7 Will +8; Init +3; Perception +11; Darkvision 60 ft)
We all realize there is danger in what we are doing, DM said all the marbles, I did not even know that was a saying but I get what he means.
DM does not pull punches, in fact I thought he would have killed one or two of us besides Bref at this point. Why are we holding back? We need to take out a few more threats to our goal.
Do you really want to face a readied magister, spells and wand at the ready, guardian, the commander, remaining clerics, remaining officers as we go through the fort top to bottom?
How is this taking any greater chance than we have previously, like during the trials, Edmin against the Champion, Jax with Irin, killing bag of bones, killing the Oracle without alerting the captain, going to the play with all the major opponents there.
The magister expects us, we will have a surprise round if we use the right Bluff, we get one round, we play smart.
I say if we at least eliminate some of the above threats singly we have a greater chance of all not dying, we already have pieces in place, lets take on the magister, Disguise ourselves as the magister, take control of the guardian, walk through the fort unmolested, meet the others surprise the commander, destroy the rookery, and command troops, as we claim the fort.
We go in prepared, we act as a team, we watch out for each other.
Get poison from the alchemist, kill the alchemist, meet the magister, have dinner, kill the magister, take the wand, command the golem, Disguise, meet the others, Stealth and Invisibility, surprise the commander, destroy the rookery, light the flare.
I don't need to convince all of you, I have to convince two of you, the two going with me, Jax was always one of them, I was hoping for the Judge because he can Summon Morsum and has useful abilities should we not take out the magister in one round. Edmin and his axe would be useful here as well, and I really thought he would have gone with this plan. Dren has spells to get us out via Levitate if needed but thinking on it once were start on the magister we take him out or he takes us out. Xen got 'lucky' because his curse makes him unavailable.
Cуровую is confident but you notice she is reading the Player's guide to Jade Regent.
HP 169/169; AC:37/21/29; Saves: +22/+23/+20; Init +10; Per +28(See Invisibility), CMD 42
Misc:
Effects: Resist Cold 30, Fly 30', Telepathic Bond
Cimu, no one needs convincing that killing the magister is a good idea. But no one thinks its possible, for tons of reasons we listed before about disguise, limits of disguise, etc. You don't need to convince anyone on the why. Its the how that no one is convinced on.
Female Aasimar Wizard 6 (HP 53/53; AC 18/18/15; CMD 16 Fort +5; Ref +7 Will +8; Init +3; Perception +11; Darkvision 60 ft)
Again I wanted Edmin to come and thought we could bring three others. Between poison, surprise and spells I think we have a reasonable chance. I did request some arsenic for the magister (and at that time the still living cleric). Can we at least see what the alchemist has in his supplies?
DMDM has already said a max of 3 can go to the Magister. And, as I have said, the Judge has no ranks in Disguise and suffers a -4 or something on diplomacy and bluff due to his rather poor health and smell, this is almost as bad as Xen who is suffering from the curse. Perhaps worse since Xen has a much better disguise. Dressing the Judge up as a human female is not the easiest task.
Also, the Magister is going to have a high Will save, so he might well just see through the Disguise Other spell that the hat provides.
I agree 100% that taking out the Magister would be the best option, but I do not know with the tower on high alert how we are going to pull this off. What if they search everyone on the way in? What if for precautions, they take one member of the party, say the apprentice, into a holding cell? There are a lot of variables.
On the other hand, if you have a bunch of silence spells, we should be able to take out the guards in the main room and then get into the barracks. That would be the place for your fireball. There are always going to be guards, but we know that as long as we stay out of the chapel, then the angel alarms should avoid being tripped. The question is twofold. First, how do we disable the main door. I figure that between Edmin's strength and Cy's intellect, that we can pull this off. Next, whoever has Minor Image will have to be carefully placed to be able to see the door to maintain the necessary concentration. This is best done from within the gatehouse, so we will have to get to the gatehouse first.
Thus, we have several unknowns. (1) How well guarded is the gatehouse. (2) Can we get to the Magister or Commander without a huge risk. (3) Can we disable the main gate.
HP 169/169; AC:37/21/29; Saves: +22/+23/+20; Init +10; Per +28(See Invisibility), CMD 42
Misc:
Effects: Resist Cold 30, Fly 30', Telepathic Bond
Judge, DM said we'd need architecture to disable the gate without going to the gatehouse. I feel with Cy as the only one with it and not having a ton of points in it, that its riskier than just bum-rushing the gatehouse.
I figure that is a place for invisibility. Invisibility + a silence spell and we should be enough time to examine and take out the hinges. Remember, if we are not attacking, then the invisibility will not be dispelled. Also, disabling the doors might not even be noticed, simply pull the pins on the hinges, who ever looks at door hinges. Now as soon as the bugbears arrive, ker-thunk, down goes the gates.
I do not mind leaving them open, but if someone interacts, like to check and make sure that the gate is secure, then all they have to do us re-close it and the bugbears will be trapped.
Magister Tacitus is on the third floor of the Keep (areas 39-41). There were two guards on duty in Area 39, so you can't access the Magister's chambers (or anything above him) without getting past them. Presumably his chambers, the fourth floor and the roof constitute a secure area. 40 and 41 are his private room and his lab.
DMDM - Question:
The hidden passage to the Dalliance leads to #2. From there, we can take the stairs to #32? How do we get from #32 to the walkway that leads to the gatehouse? It appears as though there is a stairway, is this correct? I think that Morsum wandered in this area, but we did not have a map at the time.
Judge, I neglected to answer this earlier. My bad! (And I neglected it in my description of the room, too.) Yes, there are stairs going up from #2 to #32. They lead up to a locked trap door.
HP 169/169; AC:37/21/29; Saves: +22/+23/+20; Init +10; Per +28(See Invisibility), CMD 42
Misc:
Effects: Resist Cold 30, Fly 30', Telepathic Bond
Judge Tohram Quasangi wrote:
I figure that is a place for invisibility. Invisibility + a silence spell and we should be enough time to examine and take out the hinges. Remember, if we are not attacking, then the invisibility will not be dispelled. Also, disabling the doors might not even be noticed, simply pull the pins on the hinges, who ever looks at door hinges. Now as soon as the bugbears arrive, ker-thunk, down goes the gates.
I do not mind leaving them open, but if someone interacts, like to check and make sure that the gate is secure, then all they have to do us re-close it and the bugbears will be trapped.
The Dm already hinted that this would be a fairly difficult thing to pull off. It would be a lot easier to simply guard the gatehouse where the door open things are until the bugbears arrive. They can't re-close the gates without getting through us first. I also don't think pulling the pins from a castle's siege door would be an easy task completable without at minimum, a crowbar and a great deal of strength. Possibly time too. More than the 4 rounds that Silence lasts or even the 4 minutes invisibility lasts.
DM, Jax is the only one to have seen the door. How feasible would pulling the hinges on the gate be? int check? 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (18) + 3 = 21
I figure that is a place for invisibility. Invisibility + a silence spell and we should be enough time to examine and take out the hinges. Remember, if we are not attacking, then the invisibility will not be dispelled. Also, disabling the doors might not even be noticed, simply pull the pins on the hinges, who ever looks at door hinges. Now as soon as the bugbears arrive, ker-thunk, down goes the gates.
I do not mind leaving them open, but if someone interacts, like to check and make sure that the gate is secure, then all they have to do us re-close it and the bugbears will be trapped.
The Dm already hinted that this would be a fairly difficult thing to pull off. It would be a lot easier to simply guard the gatehouse where the door open things are until the bugbears arrive. They can't re-close the gates without getting through us first. I also don't think pulling the pins from a castle's siege door would be an easy task completable without at minimum, a crowbar and a great deal of strength. Possibly time too. More than the 4 rounds that Silence lasts or even the 4 minutes invisibility lasts.
I thought there were two gates. The portcullis operated by the gatehouse, and the main gate/door to the fort operated from within the fort.
Female Aasimar Wizard 6 (HP 53/53; AC 18/18/15; CMD 16 Fort +5; Ref +7 Will +8; Init +3; Perception +11; Darkvision 60 ft)
DM how feasible would it be to try to convince the magister we are members of the Inquisition once we are alone with him? Is the Inquisition feared the way they are in the real world at the height of their power?
The 'confessor' coming with us to dinner would reveal that this fort has been under scrutiny for a long time, the duel between the captains, the father leaving in the dead of night and the sex cult in the capital forced our hand to reveal ourselves and the Inquisition is here in Aldencross.
The Inquisition is not feared so much as respected. Okay, sometimes nervously respected. Okay, sometimes a little bit feared. But it's a Lawful Good kingdom, so it's not like they're dragging innocent people off to the torture chambers.
As to how feasible it would be, well, how good is your Bluff?
HP 169/169; AC:37/21/29; Saves: +22/+23/+20; Init +10; Per +28(See Invisibility), CMD 42
Misc:
Effects: Resist Cold 30, Fly 30', Telepathic Bond
Questions for DM if he doesn't mind answering things he's probably said before but have been forgotten.
1) Was there both a portcullis and a main gate operated by different devices, as Judge said?
2) With Jax's limited experience with the door, did it look like it could be dismantled somehow? He rolled a generic 21 int check for this before. He does NOT have Know (Engineering). I'm not looking for specifics but something generic like: "Yes, Judge,e it did have very big hinges!"
1) There are indeed both a portcullis and a gate. The location of their operating devices is speculative.
2) The gate is just a big solid damn door. Yes, big hinges. The portcullis is a more complex mechanism; presumably it could be jammed somehow? Somewhere?
Zimu, Dren and Sir Edmin gather to spend an hour preparing their disguises. By now Zimu is comfortable in the role of the apprentice. Sir Edmin is her confessor. He still has a somewhat martial air but he seems plausible enough. Xenfal's Hat of Disguise turns Dren into a rather epicene aristocratic female. I always saw Dren as looking a bit like an evil Andy Warhol anyway.
Together, the three of you make your way towards the Tower...
A guard will escort you to Magister Tacitus' rooms.
As you enter the great courtyard, it is clear that something is wrong. The courtyard was set up for a minor festival, with games and play acting. There were several tables set up, spikes for horseshoe tossing, a race course marked out for foot races, a wrestling ring, and so forth.
That was this morning. Now it is late afternoon and the shadows are filling the courtyard as the sun slips behind the walls. The tables are in some disorder. A large kettle -- which you recognize as Mama Kolo's -- lies on its side in the grass. Several flies are attending to a thin dribble of stew trickling out of it. There are several patches of what appear to be vomit on the ground, and also a large drying puddle of what appears to be blood.
Nobody is around. The guards hurry you past without saying anything.
The sky around the setting sun is still clear but beyond the walls, clouds are gathering to the east. A weather front appears to be moving in.
Female Aasimar Wizard 6 (HP 53/53; AC 18/18/15; CMD 16 Fort +5; Ref +7 Will +8; Init +3; Perception +11; Darkvision 60 ft)
Douglas Muir 406 wrote:
Okay, so. Zimu releases the raven outside of town an hour after dawn. It flies straight to the Tower.
As per my post a bit ago, as soon as the message is taken the Raven, its instructions were to have it fly back out of the tower heading back the way it came as fast as it can.
Female Aasimar Wizard 6 (HP 53/53; AC 18/18/15; CMD 16 Fort +5; Ref +7 Will +8; Init +3; Perception +11; Darkvision 60 ft)
Douglas Muir 406 wrote:
Zimu, Dren and Sir Edmin gather to spend an hour preparing their disguises. By now Zimu is comfortable in the role of the apprentice. Sir Edmin is her confessor. He still has a somewhat martial air but he seems plausible enough. Xenfal's Hat of Disguise turns Dren into a rather epicene aristocratic female. I always saw Dren as looking a bit like an evil Andy Warhol anyway.
I am not sure we have Edmin's permission to do this but, if we do.
Briefly DM, Dren can be the confessor, Edmin the special chef.
We prepared a bottle of wine with poison and the Waters of Lamashtu if the effects would be useful, also blindfold cut off from the silk dress, and Cуровую is dressed in her second outfit she purchased before the play, which she tried to make it seem like a Geisha.
Also no need for Dren in drag, although I would love to see that, and Jax or Edmin either. Cуровую will speak in her stead, she was offended by the snub the cleric gave her by not meeting and doubly aggravated by the commander refusing her request.
Why they will hear of this in the royal court! She would have the commander would be posted to some backwater ... if this was not already a backwater!
Really Cellia, what does it matter! As with all men they are probably drunk and off having a good time somewhere else! We are here to see the magister, not worry about common soldiers.
The lady raises her scented kerchief to her nose to mask the smell of the courtyard.
The Magister blinks and pauses a moment as he takes "Lady Sackville's" hand. He seems a bit confused or nonplussed. But he bows deeply over her hand anyway. "Please... er, come in."
DC 18 Perception or DC 12 Heal check:
The Magister does not look well. His face is pale, his eyes a little hollow, and his hands are damp and clammy. Seems like he has a touch of something...
DC 21 Sense Motive:
Something's up. The Magister is puzzled by your group; he sees or senses something that's not quite right. He's not suspicious -- yet -- but he has clearly spotted something.
The Magister's room is messier than you remember. Something is bubbling and glupping in the kettle, with what looks like a hastily assembled glass apparatus perched over it, and there's an odd rich smell in the air. The Magister's lovely blue robes are stained, and he seems distracted. (He is wearing the leather armband.)
"It's all, er, a bit of a mess... I'm afraid this first visit will have to be a short one, milady. There has been, ha, hm, an incident. The men were holding a little, ah, festival, a celebration, and, well, apparently they got some tainted meat. A fair number of them are down sick. Commander Havelyn asked me to..." The Magister pauses. "Er, well. I'm afraid I may have to report to him shortly. But, ha, once the present crisis has passed, we can sit down and talk at length, at your leisure..."
DC 19 Sense Motive (if you made the other one, you can have this one too):
The Magister is concealing something. He was doing something when you came in, and he doesn't want to talk about it.
DC 14 Craft (Alchemy):
That rich smell in the air? It's the stew. He has a sample of it in the kettle, and he's distilling and testing it. He'll certainly find the arsenic, and if he's good enough he may detect the presence of the Waters as well.
If your Craft (Alchemy) roll was an 18 or higher, you may rot-13 the following: ur'f nyzbfg svavfurq. Va snpg, vs ur tbrf naq ybbxf pnershyyl evtug abj ur'yy cebonoyl fcbg gur cerfrapr bs gur nefravp, naq znlor gur Jngref gbb. Pregnvayl ur'yy unir pbapyhfvir erfhygf jvguva n srj zvahgrf. (Cerfhznoyl guvf vf jul ur "znl unir gb ercbeg gb gur Pbzznaqre" fubegyl.)
"Oh, and thank you, thank you, thank you milady for that absolutely fascinating artifact!" He brightens, his other concerns momentarily forgotten. "It was -- as I'm sure you know -- a spell regenerator, almost identical to a modern Pearl of Power! The first such seen in Triple Empire remains! You must, you absolutely must tell me more about where and how you found it!"
The Lady in a husky, but vaguely feminine voice responds, I have been sooo looking forward to meeting with you magister. Cellia has told me you are quite the mage.
She does love to talk soo. Be a dear and tell the magister how we came by this little trinket.
Do you mind if I look around while she shares this story, I promise not to touch anything?
Diplomacy to put him at ease 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (15) + 12 = 27
The Magister frowns, clears his throat, squints, and clears his throat again. "Er... well, of course, milady... as you can see, I have some very sensitive work going on just now... er... I'm sure you understand..."
It's obvious that he wants to say "Don't touch anything!" but can't quite figure out how.
As "Lady Sackville-North" drifts around the workroom, the Magister floats after her. His attention seems torn between her and the other two.
Do I see the Golem in the room or something like a big sheet that might be hiding it?
Lady Sackville suddenly stops and turns on the Magister, causing him to almost bump into her, What type of sensitive things are going on? You can't mention such a thing to a lady and not tell us something about it, you have peaked my interest.
'By Mitra! That's terrible! How many men soldier? We have a skilled priest with us perhaps he can be of assistance to the brave men. Were there many?'
The soldiers are on alert, so they're not engaging in casual chit-chat with civilians. "A few, ma'am. They're being taken care of. If the Holy Father here wants to help, I'm sure Captain Varning would allow it. Ask the Magister."
Oho, a nat 20 on Perception. Well:
Zimu:
As you cross the courtyard, two people were coming out of the choir hall (the one at ground level, where Morsum was accosted -- area 26 on the map). One of them was one of the acolytes. The other was a young woman in blue robes with a gold sunburst. You've never seen her before.
The two of them cross the courtyard and enter a door in the base of the southeast tower (area 32).
In a whisper, My lord magister, are you alright? Sir?
In concerned but whispered Celestial and then in Draconic, showing concern and worry, Sir, please, please if I can be of help tell me, but YOU NEED TO HOLD IT TOGETHER! The Lady has been disappointed so many times on this trip! Please sir, she has much influence at court, she can make both your and my careers!
Bluff 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (20) + 9 = 29
From DM's Spoiler
Spoiler:
two people were coming out of the choir hall (the one at ground level, where Morsum was accosted -- area 26 on the map). One of them was one of the acolytes. The other was a young woman in blue robes with a gold sunburst. You've never seen her before.
Thanks for pointing out the Nat 20 DM, I saw the one for Diplomacy but did not even realize the Perception roll, just saw the 30, can I roll for a Knowledge Religion or Planes to see what the woman could symbolize or be? Possibly Celestial?
Female Aasimar Wizard 6 (HP 53/53; AC 18/18/15; CMD 16 Fort +5; Ref +7 Will +8; Init +3; Perception +11; Darkvision 60 ft)
Sexy, Sexy, Sexy, that's Perception then Diplomacy then Bluff!
Which means Initiative and to hit's will be ones.
OK something happened on my phone I just lost a post, I did a Diplomacy nat 20, failed Heal check, passed the the Perception check, and I failed the Sense Motive check. But I am sure there was a nat 20 for Diplomacy!
edit I figured it out. I hit edit on my phone and not reply to my post when I tried to spoiler something DM spoilered for Cуровую.
Basically it was 'Cellia' was all smiles and happy to see the magister and offered to help guide him with lady Sackville North because she says in Celestial that the lady is unique and stern. Then she presented her Lady in a proper introduction. Diplomacy nat 20 +9.
She Failed heal and Sense Motive but passed the Perception check. That's why she asked if she can help but he needs to hold it together.
DM if you want me to redo and re roll introductions
'Cellia' is all all smiles and happy to see the magister, she walks well ahead of her mistress and whispers in Celestial, Do you speak Celestial or Draconic? My lady is hard of hearing and speaks neither, my lady is stern and ... unique in temperament but I will help you navigate her whims.
Then 'Cellia' loudly proclaims, 'My lord magister, it is my honor to present the august and serine Lady Sackville North!'
----
Re roll past checks although I already looked under Perception if this check fails because I passed it before
