Falling Expansion

Game Master GM RLC

It's actually a pretty common misconception. A meteor is incredibly cold while in space, approaching absolute zero. When a meteorite hits the atmosphere, the outside is more blasted away rather than heating up. Once the meteorite has slowed to terminal velocity, it is no longer going fast enough to be ablated by air resistance, so its internal cold begins to overcome any external heat. When it lands, its at best warm, but generally gets so cold that frost forms around it. I had Abby roll Knowledge (Nature) to see if she'd know, and I got a nat20, so I figured it was appropriate.

Gonna wait for spell results before Abby reacts. Just wanted to clarify that it wasn't a typo.

Actually, we don't know, Are meteorites hot or cold when they hit Earth? (Intermediate). So its temperature is whatever the GM say it is.

Turiel smiles at Jerry wearily, the light in his eyes fading and his shoulders sagging with fatigue, "I might manage a bit of work and could use the pay. We'll have to wait and see. I'd love the chance to spend more time with all of you, but you can imagine that tensions are still running a bit high with my family. Who knows how they're going to react when they hear that I'm back in town? Might be a bit more then you're looking to bite off." Turiel smiles a bit wistfully, then shrugs, "Can't imagine I can 'rub my father's nose in my inadequacy' any harder by working in a mill then by running off to be a mercenary. So sure, why not?"

Turning away a moment, Turiel notices that the rest of the group is now exploring the impact site. "Let's catch up and talk a bit more after the festival. Wouldn't want the others to have the only chance to tell the story about how we nearly died from a falling star, eh?"

Illyan, the thing is SUPER cold. Just by being within several feet of it, your entire body prickles from the freezing cold.

Up top
Heh, that's about right. Jerry says, clapping Turiel on the shoulder. Just know that you can always bunk with me. You don't even have to go say hi to the old coots.
In the middle of your climb downward you hear a piercing scream issue forth from further down in the crater, which nearly causes you to lose your grip on the rope, and tumble down the mountain side.

In the crater
Guys, it's just a rock. Maybe metal at that. Simeon says, laughing. As Ilyan and Nero try to slip past to get closer, Simeon blocks the way. If anyone's going to touch it first it's me. I got here first anyway. He inches closer and reaches out his hand, ignoring anything that you all say.
It doesn't even look that cold.. His voice trails off as his fingertips meet the object. There's a crackling sound, and it looks like his hand has become fused to the sphere. There's a sound almost like lightning striking, and simeon falls silent for a moment, unable to speak as he looks back wildly to you, silently asking for help.
Then the silence is broken. His eyes glaze over and his hair stands upright. Muscles pulled taught in agony, you can hear a small scream begin to issue forth from him, despite his mouth being completely closed. The keening only gets louder and it starts to rise to an unbearable level. It still doesn't stop though, and continues for what seems like eternity before it looks as though the build-up is too great in Simeon and somthing collapses in his chest. He falls backward from the object onto the hard ground, his limbs stuck in the same positions.

Fort ST: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (14) + 14 = 28

"Wait..."

He begins yet another admonition just to be interrupted by the scream.

I thought you were the sensible one of the two!

Heal: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (8) + 8 = 16 to determine if Simeon is alive and to try to help.

His skin is freezing to the touch, and between his empty eyes and stiff limbs, he looks to be beyond any help that you could give him.
As you crouch over him, there's a crackling sound that rings out, and the sphere begins to split. A sulfurous smell envelopes all of you.

"Oh, s*++!"

Fort save: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (15) + 8 = 23

Heal: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (19) + 4 = 23 to determine Simeon condition.

Fort save: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 = 8

Nero jump back several feet: Acrobatics: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (15) + 8 = 23. 11, to be precise

Illyan step back by 5' and get ready to throw a bomb if something hostile emerge from the sphere.

"Stand back, there can be a monster in the sphere"

Abby falls to her knees, her eyes pressed shut and her teeth clenched, desperately pressing her hands to her ears to try and block out the sound.

Snowy rushes forward to Abby, taking a defensive position in front of her, but doesn't seem to know from where whatever is bothering her is coming.

Spooky eyes the rope he just came down on with worry.

I do hope I don't need to climb back out in a hurry!

He assumes a defensive posture and starts to gather power as a full turn action. He is surrounded by tendrils of dust 20' in length that wave and wriggle.

"That thing is an egg, isn't it? I feel cheated."

Fortitude: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (18) + 3 = 21

Persephone watches from above with concern as the others move closer to the meteorite. As the sound bursts seemingly from nowhere, she clasps her hands over her ears. When Simeon drops, Persephone moves closer to the edge, nearly falling into the hole. "Is he alright?!" She calls down loudly.

Fortitude: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (9) + 10 = 19

Crow's eyes widened as Simeon touched the meteor, and the life was sucked from him. "NO!" he bellowed, watching as his friend collapsed. He had seen enough of the dead to know that the only way Simeon would live again was through the more potent divine magics, which he did not possess.

Turning his eyes to the...yes, it did seem to be an egg, the massive berserk's eyes narrowed. He rammed his great helm back on to his head and drew his sword. "It is possible that this creature had no ill intent," he muttered, watching. "It is possible that this is not its fault, that it will not strike. The Gods have created many things. But if it is not innocent, I will split it in two and mount its skull on a spike. I will flense its skin and use it to oil my blade. Its bones will be polished and threaded with silver chains, to use as a necklace. This, also, is how the Gods have created me."

Crows fingers wrapped around the hilt of his greatsword, waiting.

Spooky's thoughts are all over the place, following his emotions through fear and anger, self-incrimination and condemnation, chutzpah and inadequacy. All play their part in few seconds of eternity as he prepares for the worst.

"He's dead," Spooky responds flatly, in stark contrast to his roiling emotions.

Oblivious to the crackling coming from the sphere, Jerry tumbles down to Simeon, pushing Illyan aside. Get outta here, you dusty scribe, He chokes out, kneeling down and sobbing as he grips his brother's hand.
Ma always said I was supposed to take care of you... an' I thought you were in good hands, but apparently not. He turns a baleful eye toward those closest to himself. WHAT. DID. YOU DO TO HIM! He roars out, rising to his feet and wiping his tears with his hands clenched.

Following his outburst, the sphere continues to crack, and a surge of energy explodes out from the crack, deepening it, and splitting the whole thing open. A vile yellowish gas billows out, obscuring vision outward from the sphere about 10 feet. It sucks the moisture from the air, and your skin and lungs burn even if you are not enveloped in it.

The sound of a creature screeching emanates out from the yellow mists. It’s soon thereafter joined by another, and another.
roll initiative. We won’t necessarily be starting a combat, but I’d just like to see who will be going first should it arise. Also, go ahead and put an image for your character on the battlemap presented here

Illyan stagger when Jerry push him aside, then he steady himself and get ready for combat.

Initiative: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (9) + 4 = 13

A small note about how the forum work: if your post is exactly the same of a previous post by the same author, the second post is deleted after a few minutes by an automated function. So you can't simply write (dice=Initiative)1d20+4(/dice) every time you roll initiative. You have to add some text to differentiate that post from the previous times you rolled your initiative.

Nero ears are still ringing from the aerie sound that come from the sphere, so he is slow to react.

Initiative: 1d20 + 2 - 4 ⇒ (8) + 2 - 4 = 6

init: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (3) + 6 = 9

"Sorry, Jerry, there was nothing I could do. I never expected him to try and touch that thing."

Initiative: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 2 = 14

In general I probably won't roll Initiative / take combat turns for Phillip unless specifically prompted - his goal is to basically avoid combat at all times rather than to fight or be near any kind of hazards. Let me know if you'd rather I do it anyway for tracking purposes

Persephone looks at Black Phillip, searching the goat for some kind of expression, while he contently eats grass. 'You're being foolish, she tells herself. 'Expression? He's not human. And what happened before was coincidence, or dumb luck. He's just a goat.'

Shaking her head, she looks at the chaos unraveling down below. As the sphere begins to crack and yellow mist comes out, Persephone yells down to the others. "Uh, hey! There's... it's opening!"

As her voice is somewhat drowned out by screeches, she raises her hands to her ears, and looks down in horror at what might be coming forth.

Black Phillip continues to chew grass, watching Persephone from the corners of his eyes to see how she will handle the situation unfolding in front of her.

Crow glanced at the sounds through the slit in his visor, and considered. The gas was unpleasant, but not choking him yet. In time, that might be more of an issue. For now...he waited.

Initiative: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5

Abby's still doing what she was doing before, just rolling initiative. Result is 19.

Snowy's also still doing what he was doing before, just rolling initiative. Result is 17.

Lashy's not even down there, but rolling initiative anyway. Result is 8.

Turiel laughs wearily, tired by the exertion of shifting the boulder, "I'll have to take you up on that. Not seeing my dear parents is a particular pastime of mine."

A moment later finds Turiel descending into the crater behind Jerry, his fatigue forgotten in his haste to catch up with his friends.

Fortitude: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (12) + 7 = 19

He nearly falls as the keening breaks his concentration and he barely is able to scrabble for a hold on the rope. The torturous sound continues to grow and Turiel grows dizzy even as he watches in horror as Simeon, his lifelong friend, is petrified. Gritting his teeth, he shakes off the stupor of the ethereal wail and drops down the rope to a scene of horror. "SIMEON!"

Unsure what to do, he just gazes numbly through the spot where Simeon had stood a moment before, numb to the world as he grapples with what he is seeing. Jerry's furious outburst fails to snap the elven mercenary from his stupor, but the sharp crack of the sphere breaking open does.

The presence, silent through the night, wakens at the same time that Turiel snaps from his haze. "Your friend may be dead, but you and your other friends may yet live. Draw me and let us avenge your friend who was taken so cruelly."

Turiel draws the blade, which immediately begins to spark and glow with a brilliant white light. Lightning arcs between pommel, blade, and ground and Turiel drops into a fighting stance, waiting to see what emerges.

Initiative: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (1) + 6 = 7

Drawing the as-yet-unnamed Black Blade and spending 1 arcane point to give it Shocking for 1 minute as a swift action.

Within the Mists
A scuttling sound like a thousand spiders begins as the screeching stops. Small things begin to crawl over you, digging in their appendages and snapping their claws. Someone screams, and you're unsure if it was you or not.

Outside the Mists
You hear the same things as those within the mists do. Despite that you can see, the roiling mists betray nothing of what they hold. Until... A creature scuttles out. It's less than a foot tall, and looks something like a mantis except that it is completely crap-brown, and has an extra set of pincers and an enlarged set of mandibles.

I will post my action, something can change depending on the situation. You will roll the damage or I should do it?

damage from spiders: 2d6 ⇒ (6, 5) = 11
Fort ST: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (12) + 14 = 26

concentration check to keep spell: 1d20 + 5 + 9 ⇒ (15) + 5 + 9 = 29
vs. DC 10+11+2=30

Please check my DC on that. I think the spell level is 2 but as this is the first time form me with a kineticist I'd like to be sure.

...and he manages to keep it going. When the full turn action that he started while the egg was splitting ends, he releases the blast with the entangle on the spiders.

+8/3d6+15 Earth Blast with entangle [crit 20/x2; B,P, or S) (+3[BAB] +4[dex] +1[point blank]]/3d6 +3 +9[con] +1[favored class] +1[point blank])

Again, please check my math, those who know the class better than me.

Burn cost = 0[blast] +2[entangle] -2[gather power] = 0

To Hit: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (9) + 8 = 17
Damage: 3d6 + 14 ⇒ (4, 4, 4) + 14 = 26, DC = 21 = 10 + the wild talent’s effective spell level + the kineticist’s Constitution modifier

Note: kinetic blasts always deal full damage to swarms of any size

I'd like to see what effect the blast has on the target before I choose the action for this turn. since that attack was the end of a full turn action Spooky still gets his move and standard actions.

Grunting at the screams, Crow called out, "Clear the mists!" and backed out of them for now. They needed to see what it was they would kill, and he began to move around, looking for a way to the egg or a target for his blade.

Abbicka manages to get a hold of herself, taking in the current situation. "Snowfeather, attack!" she states loudly, pointing at the mantis creature.

Snowy considers Abby and then the mantis creature, and then looks at Abby again, seemingly confused.

"Uh, right... uh... Snowfeather, defend!" she shouts, pointing at Crow.

Snowy moves up alongside Crow (he's in the wall on the battle map, so I haven't moved Snowy there yet), looking at him and then at the mantis that he is presumably looking at.

With Snowy taken care of, Abby launches into another casting, mumbling nonsense loudly while waving her left hand and clutching the wreath about her neck with her right.

Crow, it looks as though you've walked into the wall of the crater. Sorry, I should have taken a little more time with the map. I'm taking the liberty of moving you a reasonable distance out of the mists, and you can correct it if you don't like where it is.
Also, everyone else is welcome to correct me on what where your character has been placed on the map.

As Illyan stubles along with Jerry out of the mists, his bomb detonates with an explosion that rocks the cave. More of the creatures pour out of the mists in great force almost like an avalanche of creatures. They move forward as one once they see Snowy/something warm and moving, all the while clicking their mandibles and skreeching.
The sword that Turiel wields begins to glow with an orange light from it's pommel so bright that those close by almost need to shield their eyes from the glare.

Persephone has similar luck with her claws.

The swarm provokes an AOO from Snowfeather, as the creatures entered her square. Also, any readied actions can now come to fruition.

Spellcraft: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (9) + 9 = 18

"Move away from those creatures! Bomb Ahoy!

Aiming this stuff until you know how other people will move is hard.
The swarm touch AC is higher than 9?

Moved 15' as the ground seem difficult terrain.

Perception: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 = 8
Illyan try to gauge if the bomb did any damage to the creatures.

Sorry guys, Spooky and Simeon get 6 or 7 point of damage, it depend on how arcane strike work.
DC 14 Reflex save to halve the damage.

Nero move safely away from the horde of mantis like creatures.
He would move further away, but there is no space on the map

@Illyan
A clarification:
By high I meant above 50. Since I rolled a 83(high) the bomb went where you intended. I.e. At the swarm and not your allies.
That's just the miss chances though. You are unsure whether the bomb hit your enemy or not, but you do know it went off.

Snowfeather bites at the swarm of mantis creatures as they approach.

I assume Snowfeather takes some damage from the swarm when it ends its turn occupying his square?

Paizo keeps cutting in and out. I'll do my 2nd round actions later, when the site stabilizes.

Question for GM RLC: the swarm occupies several squares, right?

Sorry for the delay. Site seems to have finally stabilized.

With the casting complete, Abby moves up alongside Snowy and immediately launches into casting once more. "Hold still, Snowy," she mumbles quite loudly.

She reaches out and touches her hand to Snowy's back, and immediately some of his wounds close.

Snowfeather, regardless of whether the damage from previous attacks had any meaningful impact or not, continues attacking the swarm of mantis creatures, biting and slashing with his talons.

Abby closes her eyes for a moment and seems to concentrate. Snowy's eyes seem to get a little smaller, but his frame becomes a bit thicker.

GM, a suggestion? If you link the map in the 'short description' section of the Campaign tab, it will appear as a link at the top of the page. Makes finding the current battle map a lot easier.

Watching the swarm approach, Crow grunted his annoyance and swept his blade through the swarm. He wasn't sure how well it would work. Swarms were usually heavily resistant to such attacks. But it was what he had to hand.

To Hit: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (2) + 10 = 12
Damage: 3d6 + 16 ⇒ (6, 6, 5) + 16 = 33

Illyan use the only spell he has that can help.

"It was for the festival, dammit. Not a dammed swarm of space locusts."

He draw a small piece of cloth from his pouch, waves his hand and a word: "Hana-bi!"
A small dragon of fire flies from Illyan hand to the swarm in a zigzag pattern. When it reach the swarm it explode in a shower of fire sparks.

Fire damage: 1d4 ⇒ 1 1 square area damage. Reflex DC 14 for half damage.

Having a bit of a hard time determining where the enemies are on the map, so feel free to move me to a place that fits the description here.

Knowledge(???) for the space locusts: 1d20 ⇒ 12 +10 for Arcana/Planes and +9 dungeon if those are relevant.

Turiel has no time to consider the voice's declaration as he continues to fight. His inefficacy in attacking the creatures infuriates him and the lightning arcing along his blade rises to a new crescendo of fury as his eyes begin to glow again. He chants in Elven and as he swings and a huge peal of lightning scorches a line of fire into everyone's eyes.

Raging as a free action, 5 foot step and spell combat with shocking grasp (using spellstrike) to attack the mantis twice after finishing casting as a full action. Trying to get to a flanking position if I can 5 foot that far.

1st attack (spellstrike) with spell combat/PA/shocking from AP: 1d20 + 12 - 1 - 2 ⇒ (7) + 12 - 1 - 2 = 16 +2 if I can flank
1st damage (spellstrike) with spell combat/PA/shocking from AP: 1d6 + 9 + 2 + 1d6 ⇒ (3) + 9 + 2 + (1) = 15

2nd attack (spellstrike) with spell combat/PA/shocking from AP: 1d20 + 12 - 1 - 2 ⇒ (7) + 12 - 1 - 2 = 16 +2 if I can flank
2nd damage (spellstrike) with spell combat/PA/shocking from AP: 1d6 + 9 + 2 + 1d6 ⇒ (3) + 9 + 2 + (3) = 17

Shocking Grasp: 3d6 ⇒ (5, 5, 4) = 14 This will apply to the first hit I strike against a critter in this or subsequent rounds (until I dismiss the held charge, cast another spell, or hit/touch something).

What about Spooky's attack?
To Hit: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (9) + 8 = 17
Damage: 3d6 + 14 ⇒ (4, 4, 4) + 14 = 26, DC = 21 to avoid entanglement, though I don't think a swarm would be affected by an entangle.

I thought there were two enemies, a swarm and the Mantis, but it looks like they are one and the same so he fires off his second attack at the same target...

To Hit: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (7) + 8 = 15
Damage: 3d6 + 14 ⇒ (6, 2, 6) + 14 = 28