Dungeon Master S's "Giantslayer" AP (Inactive)

Game Master Chris Marsh

Indeed, Ushyle misses the remaining shadow rat.

Round 2:

Raen: Go
Ushyle: Miss
Rats: TBD
Doxon: TBD
Whistle Pig: TBD
Vael: TBD
Hamilton: TBD

Raen, remembering why she prepared this spell this morning, murmurs softly as armor of pure magic weaves together around her.

Since magic missile is thwarted by the rat's shadowy-ness, I suppose now would be as good time a time as any to boost my AC. Mage armor.

Raen casts a spell to gird herself, while the rat advances! It comes right for Ushyle!

AoOs from Hamilton, Ushyle, and Vael. IF those three don't do it:

Bite against Ushyle: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (19) + 4 = 23 for DMG: 1d3 - 2 ⇒ (1) - 2 = -1 and STR DMG: 1d2 ⇒ 2 AND a FORT save DC 11.

Round 2:

Raen: Mage Armor
Ushyle: Miss AoO
Rats: ATK
Doxon: Go
Whistle Pig: Go
Vael: Go and AoO
Hamilton: Go and AoO

Vael swings his warhammer. Attack w/Warhammer: 1d20 ⇒ 1
He's clearly caught off guard by the quick movement of the shadowy rat.

If it lives after the AoOs...

Vael will gesture at the remaining rat, causing more stardust to materialize and illuminate the creature. "Now we see ye, creature!"

The warhammer nearly slips from his grip!

Round 2:

Raen: Mage Armor
Ushyle: Miss AoO
Rats: ATK
Doxon: Go
Whistle Pig: Go
Vael: Stardust!
Hamilton: Go and AoO

Holy carp, STR damage and a Fort save at first level?!?
DC 11 Fort: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 5 = 8 Haha, of course...

Ushyle recoils at the burning bite that saps some of his strength. With a grimace, he attempts to strike the charging rat!
AoO: 1d20 + 4 - 1 ⇒ (1) + 4 - 1 = 4 OMFG
The greataxe feels unusually heavy in his hands, and his swing appears downright feeble.

WP drops the sling (he distraught over this) pulls out his shortsword and attacks the rat thingie!

attack: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10

damage?: 1d4 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3

Whistle Pig checks his swing at the rat crawls up the half-orc's leg.

Yeah it's a bit brutal... It's all up to Hamilton now...

Round 2:

Raen: Mage Armor
Ushyle: Miss
Rats: ATK
Doxon: Go
Whistle Pig: Miss
Vael: Stardust!
Hamilton: Go and AoO

Round 2

Doxon steps in to surround the rat and brings both picks to bear down on it.

Light Pick: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (19) + 4 = 23
Damage: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4

Light Pick, offhand: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (10) + 4 = 14
Damage: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5

Miss chance 1: 1d100 ⇒ 100
Miss chance 2: 1d100 ⇒ 73

Of course my laptop decides to reboot now.... Doxon, don't forget to roll miss chance.

-Posted with Wayfinder

Hamilton's AoO: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 3 = 7

Sounds like the sounds of NOPE!

Hamilton drops his longspear and draws his sword--and sweeps it across in a two-handed swing...

Longsword:1d20 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5

But the inky black shadow thing is too fast for him!

High is good for Doxon: 1d100 ⇒ 12
High is good for Doxon: 1d100 ⇒ 64

Hamilton can't stop the rat from biting Ushyle. The rat chomps down, but just a split second after Doxon kills the creature. Poison begins to wind its way through the half-orc.

The enemy is killed, but the poison continues. (Second FORT from Ushyle.)

For killing the shadow rats, each party member receives 125 XP.

2nd Fort (this can only go well): 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (8) + 5 = 13

WP searches the room for anything useful. He also checks the the fire to see how long it's been since someone has been here.

perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (14) + 7 = 21
survival: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (10) + 5 = 15

Thankfully the hale half-orc shakes off the worst of the poison, though its effect lingers.

Whistle Pig starts the process of searching the room, and comes up with plenty. The body of a half-orc lies here, partially obscured amid the loose rocks and dirt of the aborted tunnel that leads towards the surface. Rats and other vermin have had their fill of the corpse. The party pulls the corpse out. It still wears a suit of sturdy chainmail, and the pockets hold a wand, a fine silver dagger, a red gold religious symbol, and six black onyx gems.

Does the body look familiar? has it been dead long?

Vael takes a look at the aborted tunnel, trying to get a sense for its age and construction. His immediate suspicion is that the debris fell on and killed the unfortunate half-orc. "I wonder..."Perception (+2 vs unusual stonework): 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 5 = 12

When the holy symbol is noted, the shaman utters a quick chant and feels for magical auras in the room. Cast Detect Magic. I'll leave the identifying to Raen though, unless she needs a second opinion.

Body looks more than 3 days but less than 2 weeks old. No one recognizes it.

The tunneling looks abandoned to Vael, not like a collapse.

The wand is the only thing magical in the rubble.

The onyxes are all similarly sized, likely worth about 25 Gp each. The chainmail is still serviceable, but not masterwork by any stretch. The dagger has some artistic features, and Raen thinks it's worth 160 as an object d'art. The symbol is harder to tell, but the material and quality make it roughly 60 Gp in value.

Religion: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (5) + 4 = 9

Doxon will also examine the body. Can he determine a cause of death? Can he get a more accurate timeframe for time of death?

Heal: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (10) + 7 = 17

doxon concludes the body is 5 days old, and it looks like the cause of death was a wound from a wide and heavy blade.

Thank goodness for the campaign records sheet! The module calls for you to receive XP for the haunt even though it wasn't "defeated" because it didn't permanently frighten you away. I'd have missed it if I wasn't looking. It's 800 in total so each character receives 133 XP!

"Doxon, do you remember what Urnsul looked like? Is this her?" Male? Female?

Spellcraft: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (6) + 10 = 16 that'll do, but I suppose I should really take 10 for these things

"This is a healing wand. A few (eight) charges left, I think. Not my kind of magic." She leaves the wand where it lies. "Perhaps Tyari knows whose symbol this is." Raen glances at Hamilton to see if he blushes at the name.

The body doesn't match Ursula. Where too intrepid journeymen?

-Posted with Wayfinder

WP wants to makes sure there is nothing else to inspect or check in this room. Have the entire room been check? if so...

"There's another door over here. Shall we see what else we can find?"

He moves over to the west door and checks it for traps.
perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (3) + 7 = 10

"Healing magic? That's useful," Vael says, pocketing the wand for future use.

Whistle Pig finds nothing untoward with the door, nor is there any hint as to what's beyond, so he opens it. As expected, it leads back to the hall you've already seen.

WP checks the the door to the north:
perception for traps: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (4) + 7 = 11

He assumes that means it's clear and he will open it after the group is ready.

Whistle Pig tries to open the door to the North, but finds it locked. As looks pass between the party as they figure out who has the solution a meek voice calls from the other side, "Help! Help me! Is someone out there?"

Hearing the voice, Vael moves behind Whistle Pig. "Who's thar? Be ye ok?"

"I can't get out! My name is Othdan. I live in Trunau! Please let me out!"

WP gets to work on the door.
disable device: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (6) + 6 = 12

WP whistles and talks softly to himself as he works,"A bit to the left...*whistle*...keep pressure on that one...*trill*...I wonder who Othdan is, you know him Vael?...*whistle*...let's try racking it now...

Whistle Pig tries it once, but can't get it. He then settles in and works the lock until it pops.

An old cast-iron furnace and a pile of coal occupy the corners of this cramped chamber. Ash and fallen rubble clutter the area around the furnace where the chimney above has collapsed. Locked inside, but otherwise free is a youth of maybe 18 years. He's got a nasty bump on his head, and he looks starving and dirty. "DESNA SMILES! You have no idea how happy I am to see you lot!" (Though he tenses up a bit at the sight of Ushyle.)

"Easy now!"Whistle Pig looks at the young man. "what happened to you? How did you get here?

The youth, energized by a rescue explains, "Several nights ago, I was snooping around the Plague House, just looking to see what the big deal was. Before I knew it THWACK! Something hit me upside the head. When I came to I was in here. You guys are lucky the brute who throws food at me comes every night, so either you killed him! or it's daytime. He's a half-orc, but it was dark when he caught me, and I didn't get a good look at him. I'm sure I'd recognize him if I saw him again, but he's not from Trunau... That's not even the scary part."

He looks around conspiratorially, "He meets someone at night, someone who stinks like the bog and...and speaks Giantish!"

The story (and the adrenaline rush of a rescue over) his affect deflates, "Please, help me back into town. Here, I have a campfire bead. I was going to use it, but my adventuring days are done. Take it."

Sense motive:
sense motive: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (9) + 0 = 9
what time is it?
We still have some work to do here. What do you think Gents?

"We did see a half-orc, though nae one that's alive. And they've been dead for at least a few days. Ken ye describe this half-orc?"

What time of day is it? Could we bring Othdan back and return before nightfall?

Whistle Pig doesn't get any hunches about the boy. It's currently mid afternoon.

I'm native to Trunau. Do I know Othdan?

You don't know everyone in town, Local: 1d20 ⇒ 16, but it doesn't' surprise you to not know this kid.

WP suggests we escort the kid out of the Plague House and get back to exploring the rest of the area.

If you opt to escort him back now, it won't affect you much. It tacks on an hour to your time, which leaves you enough time to clear the area before dark (unless you take 20 on searching a room.) Just tell me the plan.

"Let's git him back ta safety, then hustle back here. We want ta be back before nightfall."

"I agree. This is no place for children. Best to see him to safety before we continue."

Ushyle has said nothing since meeting Othdan, though he silently handed the lad his waterskin and some trail rations.

"Let's git him back ta safety, then hustle back here. We want ta be back before nightfall."

He nods curtly at Vael's suggestion.

Chris, we are going to take him up and then continue. Speaking of time. Do we want to be here at night? It seems like things happen at night around here.

Vael has a momentary epiphany. "I ken why Othdan was allowed ta live, and what tha disguise kit be for. Someone be probably impersonatin' him durin' tha day."

If we're ready to move, I'll keep us going to another door.

Ham is... Weary of this kid. It's fishy that I don't recognize him at all. Trunau's not that big. I guess it's *possible*.

The lad nods with what appears to be genuine appreciation to Ushyle.

It doesn't take the party long to get the lad back to Trunau proper. He nods in thanks, but wastes no time hustling home. Meanwhile as you get back to the Plague house, the sun is nearing set. Many of you feel unease at the room with the trap door. You know that none of you did anything to remove the haunt. Who knows when it'll come back...