Dungeon Master S's The Silent Tide: CORE (Inactive)

Game Master Chris Marsh

Report for duty.

A slightly stocky man with close cropped graying hair, nice clothes, and a cane tips his hat as he enters the briefing.

"Dupine, reporting for assignment. What's the score? Someone steal something? Murder? I am ready to begin as soon as you brief us."

This athletic redheaded woman has been picking at her hair for the last few minutes. She winces slightly as she plucks a flower out of her hair.

"Meredith." With one word, she sits on a chair and exhales deeply to calm her nerves.

Don't lose your temper this time, girl.

A lean, attractive, armored woman smiles (or is that a smirk?) at the gathered pathfinders. Hey there. Think they got any excitement planned for us?

I don't think Sophia Diane O'Brian is the name I'm n actually going to use for this character.

A bored-looking gnome walks in and sighs.

"Yes, yes, I'm here. Can we get on with this?"

August, Meredith, and Piper all report for duty. Looks like Sophia is going to step down as another is volunteering.

Initial briefing will be as soon as our official 4th reports in.

If DM S allows G'Boar to play...

G’Boar is a rugged sort from the northern clans, betrayed by his ancestral tribal tattoos, ethnic kilted tartan, and abundant scars which tell the tale of his tempestuous upbringing. He is tall for his people, at 6’3”, but his air of confidence and self-worth make him appear somehow taller; his demeanor not being one of arrogance, but instead one of supreme confidence. His build is athletic and supremely defined, like that that of a wild animal who challenges his very essence with every physical endeavor. Such strength and endurance comes from repeated exerting ordeals, as if his very existence relied on his body’s ability to perform.

G’Boar wears studded leather armor and bracers and is as equally comfortable fighting with his traditional clan structure of the longsword and buckler as he is with his bastardized version of a woodsman’s axe. His years of needing to hunt game to stay alive have also perfected his acumen with the longbow. He wears a pack that looks painstakingly organized and containing everything one would need to survive in the wilderness for extended periods of time.

"Greetings, may the blessings of Tinker the Great Boar, and the Lord of the Wilds, bless your path and swordarm."

A slender built, raven haired human human dressed in well oiled studded leather armor with a wispy rapier and a belt full of daggers saunters in... he looks to his companions a gives each a polite head nod. As Sophia leaves the room, his eyes take in her form and they linger a bit too long on her posterior. He sucks in a bit of air through pursed lips and says, "My word, I hate to see her go but it is so pleasing on the eye..." Readdressing the Pathfinders in the room, "I am Hunwald Stormheart, but my friends call me Hun, maybe soon you too will address me as such!!"

G'Boar was unfortunately not created as a Core Character, so I am replacing him with Hun!

Your boots squash with fetid water as you plod through the Puddles. A thick fog hangs in the air, seeming almost to caress the flesh with an unnatural chill. As you stand outside the Soggy Piper in a foot and a half of brackish brine, you try to recall what was so damned important to demand your presence in the half-flooded slum during Absalom’s rainy season. You remember your meeting at the Lodge just a few hours earlier with your Venture-Captain, Adril Hestram.

A bear of a man with only a few teeth remaining in his head, he motioned you into the meeting hall with a casual wave of his grizzled hand. The human captain outweighs most of Absalom’s half-orcs, and though a layer of beefy blubber coats his frame, those of you who have tangled with him in the Lodge sparring ring know that beneath this thin veneer of fat lies nothing but solid, steely sinew. Adril’s wild beard wags to the ponderous shake of his massive head as he examines a scrap of ancient parchment on the table before raising his eyes to greet your gaze and speaking:

Come in then, friends, and thank you for answering my summons so swiftly. The society is in need. An old and quite penniless historian, a bespectacled wag-beard by the name of Yargos Gill has recently made a discovery in an old archive that we have a great interest in obtaining: an ancient codebook, left behind in the wake of one of Taldor’s many failed attempts at invasion. This several-hundred-year-old text would prove an excellent addition to our collection, and must be preserved.

He continues, Yargos makes his home in ‘The Puddles,’ Absalom’s poorest district, suffering from a well-known reputation as a haven for lowlifes. Following an earthquake ten years ago, parts of the Puddles now rest below sea level, resulting in frequent and untimely flooding. Those who can afford not to live there—don’t.The district is the stomping ground of pimps, harlots, addicts, knifers, and hoards of unseemly derelicts. It’s never been a kind place, but recent reports reveal some new nameless terror on her waterlogged streets. Several persons claim to have seen cloaked, skeletal-like figures marching through an unnatural fog. Ill tidings indeed. Tracking down Yargos is now a priority—--lest some yellow-toothed thug cut him down, or one of these strange wraiths carry him beyond the pale. Find him, fellow Pathfinders, and find the codebook. Your exploits will be recorded in the Chronicles if you succeed.”

The memory fades as a fresh deluge of cold seawater rounds a bend in the lane and assaults your knees. After searching for Yargos at his favorite eatery, the Soggy Piper, you learned you just missed him. According to the Piper’s staff, a gang of dangerous young tattooed toughs arrived ahead of you. They grabbed Yargos and several of his friends from their dinner table and dragged them to a nearby cliff at the edge of the Puddle District. The watch was called, but they will arrive too late, as they often do in the Puddles, when they bother to venture there at all.

It is early evening, the first Wealday of the month of Desnus, an old man is about to face some awful fate at the sea cliff known as Torsen’s Maw, and you are no closer to finding the codebook Adril sent you for.

"Fine night, ain't it? Well, that's the job, I suppose."

August Dupine wraps his coat a little tighter, adjusts his hat, and checks that the others are ready. "Best get moving, before we are too late to the party."

If possible, Dupine will try to get a description of the tatoos, and try to recollect if any of them point to a particular gang.

Know, Local: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (14) + 6 = 20

"To Torson's Maw! Let us not squander time" Hun cheerfully offers, as he looks about for club to carry as well, knowing that a blunt instrument might be more effective against the undead than his 'sharpies' would be.

-Posted with Wayfinder

"Very well, let's move on. I don't want to spend any longer here than I have to."

"We'll make sure he is safe and secure." Meredith nods to the Venture-Captain. "Oh, and the book too."

The Puddles feels so similar to her. Meredith can't help but feel pity at the people here. Her years as a slave put her through many hardships, and she knew what people needed to do to survive. Marching through partially submerged streets is nothing compared to that.

When they reach the Soggy Piper and hear of his kidnapping, she nods. "Indeed, Hunwald. Let's head to the cliffs." She brandishes her club. "You can use this as a blunt instrument. I'll be fine."

You make your way to Torson's Maw with alacrity, and fortunately so.
Six brash young toughs covered with tattoos of vicious, snarling dogs are prodding four terrified older men off the edge of a cliff into the sea. The prisoners are shackled together in a line with heavy chains, which shall surely drag them to the sea floor in short order should they tumble from the cliff’s edge into the churning waters below!

Initiative!:

Piper: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (18) + 4 = 22
Hunwald: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (13) + 7 = 20
August: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (19) + 2 = 21
Meredith: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (10) + 1 = 11
BADDIES: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (17) + 0 = 17

Initiative Repost:

Piper: Current
August: On Deck
Hun: TBD
BADDIES: TBD
Meredith: TBD

Piper begins casting a spell, and glowers at the toughs.

"Oh, let's wrap this up quickly, alright?"

Enlarge Person on Meredith

Hun states crisply, "Meredith, if they force the first man off the cliff, you grab the last and hold on for dear life! August, Pipes and I will deal with those scoundrels"
The Rogue leaps forward as he draws his rapier and moves 20' (to I7) shouting "Stop this instant! Let those men go and maybe we can make it worth your while!" in his best bravado.
Diplomacy: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 4 = 20

August takes a little more direct approach, and moves up to the closest rough. August
Unarmed Attack: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (7) + 3 = 10

I doubt that hits, but maybe since he's flatfooted?

Damage: 1d6 + 3 + 1d6 ⇒ (1) + 3 + (6) = 10

Question: How high up are the cliffs?

Looks like it's about a bit more than 30' down into the water. Thankfully this section isn't known for it's razor sharp rocks.

Piper falls into a chant of the Old Words while Hun tries to diffuse the situation. He's met only with snarls despite his honeyed words. Meanwhile August makes an attack but only hits the man's armor.

Once attacked, the ruffians take action. "Get'im into the water!"
Red: Kicks the lead prisoner over the cliff. It drags the rest forward as they start to fall into the sea! Only the last prisoner has the strength to hold them, and it looks like he can't hold them for long... Red then moves to engage.
Yellow: Double moves
Black: 5' step and attacks August with a spiked gauntlet ATK: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (19) + 2 = 21 DMG: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2
Green: Takes a shot at Piper with a crossbow before dropping it and moving. ATK: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5 MISS
Magenta: Attacks August with a spiked gauntlet ATK: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (18) + 2 = 20 DMG: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3
Blue: Attacks Hun with a spiked gauntlet ATK: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (14) + 2 = 16 DMG: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5

Meredith to finish Round 1

Round 1 Update

Piper: Begins casting Enlarge Person
August: Miss
Hun: Tries to diffuse, while preparing for the worst.
BADDIES: Various attacks and dirty things.
Meredith: TBD

"Damn, I was too slow!" Meredith grumbles. "As soon as you're done Piper, I'll grab the prisoners."

Meredith will delay until Piper finishes Enlarge Person. Then she will run over and grab the last prisoner.

Strength check, Enlarge Person: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (13) + 3 = 16

Sure, Piper's spell goes off at the beginning of the round and Meredith rushes forward. There's no path forward that doesn't result in 3 Attacks of Opportunity though:

1 Spiked Gauntlet: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 2 = 14 MISS
2 Spiked Gauntlet: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (20) + 2 = 22 Threat
Confirm: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3 Regular DMG: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4
3 Spiked Gauntlet: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 = 8 MISS

She bravely bursts through and grabs the last prisoner. The remaining prisoner would thank you, but he's straining too hard. Meredith holds on and keeps the men from all falling! It's going to take more than that to lift them up though.

Round 2

Piper: Current
Meredith: Rushes forward
August: TBD
Hun: TBD
BADDIES: TBD

"Whoa, watch it!"

Piper steps back toward the group, and launches a glob of acid.

acid splash attack: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (9) + 3 = 12
acid splash damage: 1d3 ⇒ 3

Who are you attacking?

which reminds me, everyone should have map access. Let me know if you dont.

-Posted with Wayfinder

Sorry, yellow. The one who was all up in my grill.

Yup, I see supersize Meredith at the cliff, holding on. I'm pretty sure all she can do at this point are strength checks to keep them from falling off!

Piper hits one of the thugs clean in the chest with magical acid, eliciting a sharp cry from the man.

August and Hun!

August is torn, but with so many opponents, options are limited. He starts to retreat, but fears that would leave Meredith unprotected, so he takes a five foot step further into the fray, and starts working more defensively until he can get into a better position. Then he grabs at the (black), trying to disable him.

Grapple Attempt: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (8) + 7 = 15 CMD is 19 vs grapple

August reaches out and immediately wraps up the thug in the black tunic!

Hun is left

Piper: Acid Splash
Meredith: Rushes forward
August: Grapple
Hun: current
BADDIES: TBD

Hun lashes out at blue, cursing at him as he does so..."Now you've gone and pissed me off, ya sons of britches!"
Rapier atk vs Blue: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (15) + 3 = 18  Damage ?: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 = 8

-Posted with Wayfinder

Hun straight up runs the thug through the heart!

The thugs fight back:

Yellow: Attacks Piper ATK: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 2 = 14 DMG: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5
Red: Attacks August ATK: 1d20 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (14) + 2 + 2 = 18 DMG: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2
Black: Tries to break the Grapple ATK: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (18) + 2 = 20 Free!
Cyan: Attacks Hun ATK: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (20) + 2 = 22 Confirm: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (20) + 2 = 22 DMG: 2d4 + 2 ⇒ (4, 3) + 2 = 9
Green: Attacks August ATK: 1d20 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (20) + 2 + 2 = 24 Confirm: 1d20 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 + 2 = 7 DMG: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4

That was a horrible round guys, I'm sorry! Good guys are up though...

August moves to the side, in order to flank the purple opponent, and tries to strike him many times.

Flurry 1: 1d20 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (7) + 2 + 2 = 11
Damage: 1d6 + 3 + 1d6 ⇒ (1) + 3 + (2) = 6

Flurry 2: 1d20 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 + 2 = 10
Damage: 1d6 + 3 + 1d6 ⇒ (5) + 3 + (2) = 10

The dice are not my friends tonight...

Hun is struck hard and all goes black... As he slumps onto the ground you can just hear him say, "You ash hole..."
Damn... And the game just started! Those were some awesome rolls, DM S!

Piper darts away from her attacker (provoking), then conjures a trio of large earth elementals to defend the party!

Silent Image, DC 16 Will save if they study or interact with them.

Yellow AoO: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (17) + 2 = 19
Yellow AoO damage: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3

Crap

"Any time now, Meredith!"

Yikes! We're getting clobbered, here. Sadly I don't think Meredith can do more than pull. Honestly if I had won initiative I would have cast Entangle...

Meredith hasn't gotten the prisoners back up yet and she's not going to give up now!

Strength Check: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (8) + 3 = 11 But that's not enough.

Yeah, that was rough... Immediate Stabilization attempt: 1d20 + 2 - 3 ⇒ (9) + 2 - 3 = 8 FAIL

Black, yellow, red, and green give a cry of fear at the appearance of the golems. Clearly the golems are the larger threat and they turn their attention to them...

Stabilize: 1d20 + 2 - 3 ⇒ (20) + 2 - 3 = 19 Stabilized!

The trio of men immediately turn to the "elementals."

Black: Will: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (14) - 1 = 13
Yellow: Will: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (5) - 1 = 4
Green: Will: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (9) - 1 = 8
Red: Will: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (20) - 1 = 19 "It's not real! It's an ILLUSION!"

They try to bring the fight to the elementals with all their might. Meredith tries to pull the prisoners up. The one still standing tries to help, STR: 1d20 ⇒ 12 but doesn't give any help. He shouts "I can hold it for a second or two, but HURRY BACK!"

Purple goes after August:

ATK: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 2 = 7 MISS

Round 3

Piper: Silent Image
Meredith: Doesn't make progress (but doesn't drop either.)
August: Miss
Hun: Stable
BADDIES: Bad Stuff

Pathfinders, you can turn it around here! Bring your A-game.

"Thank you." Meredith calls to the prisoner. "I'll grab you again in a moment." Who hired these thugs? They will pay for this!

Meredith releases her grip, turns to the thugs and smiles. Calling upon the weeds in the area, she causes them to grow and entangle the men (and Hun, sorry!)

Casting entangle. Reflex Save DC 13 to avoid.

"I'll try to hold them in place. Pick them off from afar while the golems have at them." she calls.

Thanks to Enlarge Person, Meredith has a reach of 10 feet. Hopefully this will buy us time to regroup.

Piper maintains concentration on her spell, and draws her crossbow.

Entangle is DC 14, not 13.

Entangle away! It may cacoon me and add some protection! Sic em!

-Posted with Wayfinder

Yellow: REF: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (20) + 0 = 20
Red: REF: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (4) + 0 = 4
Black: REF: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (15) + 0 = 15
Cyan: REF: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (9) + 0 = 9
Green: REF: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (11) + 0 = 11

Yellow and black somehow avoid the worst of it (but are no means out of it.)

Round 4

Piper: Concentrate and arming
Meredith: Entangle!
August: Current
Hun: Stable
BADDIES: TBD

DM S, you roll more natural 20s than anyone I've ever seen! What have we gotten ourselves into!

If only it worked this way as a player!

Dupine takes advantage of purples sudden predicament and throws a punches.

Flurry attack: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (11) + 3 = 14 Maybe with the entangle penalties?
Damage: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6
Flurry attack: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6
Damage: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6

Then he takes a 5' step to L4. On phone so can't move myself...

August drops a thug with his first hit!

Red, not falling for the illusion, moves to punch August with his gauntlet ATK: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (10) + 2 = 12

The others all take a moment (a standard action moment) to swing at the illusions, trying to believe Red.

Yellow: Will: 1d20 - 1 + 4 ⇒ (3) - 1 + 4 = 6 "No way man, this thing is REAL"
Black: Will: 1d20 - 1 + 4 ⇒ (16) - 1 + 4 = 19 "HA!"
Green: Will: 1d20 - 1 + 4 ⇒ (6) - 1 + 4 = 9 "No way man, this thing is REAL"

Black turns his back on the illusions and moves to end Piper. Meanwhile the prisoners are going to fall off again!!!

Pathfinders are up.

"Thank you for your strength. Let's try this again!"

Meredith's Strength Check: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (8) + 3 = 11
Dammit dice! Would it be better for the prisoner to use aid another to help my check?

Meredith holds on tightly to the prisoners, but is unable to help them up.

With you pulling he will aid, 1d20 ⇒ 12. Meredith and the final prisoner (who through gritted teeth introduces himself as Samchar) don't make progress, but do keep a trio of screaming prisoners from falling!

Piper shuffles along the cliff edge, then loads and fires her crossbow.

On my phone, can't adjust map. 5 foot up and right. Fire at black. Stop concentration, image persists for one more round.

Attack vs. Black: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (11) + 3 = 14
Damage vs. Black: 1d6 ⇒ 4

Piper's bolt aims true. The thug howls in agony, but fights on. Yellow and black escape the area. Black tries to drop Piper with a hammerfist to the head: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (11) + 2 = 13 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2!

Green swings futily at the image, which soon disappears, eliciting a curse from the thug. Finally Red tries to end August.1d20 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 2 = 10 Miss

Pathfinders are back up! (Round 6)

Round 5

Piper: Hits with crossbow
Meredith: Holds on to prisoners
August: Drops purple
Hun: Stable
BADDIES: Tries stuff.

Hun finds himself in a misty vale, yet there is no chill that one would expect in such a venue. The last thing he recalles was the sharp pain in the back of his head, then the black... now he finds himself (is it himself?) wandering around the fog looking for his companions, looking for his way, looking for anything familiar. There! What is that? That light... I must go to the light... Mustn't I?