Neither Exiel nor 42 are able to push through the spirit's spell resistance, their magic missiles scattering harmlessly against the creature's incorporeal form. Mike and Rhon's attacks are more successful.
Earl continues to suffer under his spectral crucifixion.
The spirit this time tries to focus on Rhon, but once again its blinded state prevents it from scoring a hit.
Pathfinders up again. Roll spell resistance if casting spells.
Earl still needs to try will saves to break free. He has taken 4 negative levels now.
Human Magus 14 | HP: 93/93 | Temp HP: 0/0 | 50% miss chance| DR 10/adamantine (140/140) 140 minutes| AC: 28/ FF 22/ T 15| Fort: +14 Ref: +14 Will: +14 | Perception: +10| Init: +5
Not seeing much of a difference in his distance attacks, 42 moves up on the ghostly figure, charging his sword with a shocking grasp and using an extra pep, he add shocking onto his sword as well.
Ghost Touch Scimitar:1d20 + 12 ⇒ (12) + 12 = 24 damage:1d6 + 10 ⇒ (2) + 10 = 12shock:1d6 ⇒ 2 Low Miss:1d100 ⇒ 79 SR:1d20 + 13 ⇒ (3) + 13 = 16Doesn't look like that goes through. Shocking:5d6 ⇒ (6, 1, 4, 2, 4) = 17
Huge Celestial Earth Elemental CR 8 l HP 95/95 l AC 19 l T 7 l FF 19 l Fort +11 l Ref +2 l Will +7 l CMB +21 l CMD 30 l Immune to Bleed, Bull Rush, Crits, Flanking, Overrun, Paralysis, Poison, Precision damage, Sleep, Stunning l Resist: Acid (10), Cold (10), Elec (10) l DR 5/- l DR 5/evil l Prec +13 (darkvision & tremorsense 60 ft) l Init -1 | Conditions:
Exiel's spell pierces the creature's resistance, but Mike misses his shot again as another flash of lightning dazzles him as he is about to shoot. Earl continues his suffering as 42 and Rhon attack the monster with their ghost touch weapons. 42 hits but his spell fizzles against the monster's spell resistance. Rhon joins the assault and hits twice. The monster is still not down.
Faced with multiple opponents in melee, the monster tries to aim his attack at 1d2 ⇒ 1 42. This leaves him open to an attack from each of them... as it attempts to gauge 42's location based on his strike...
Rhon and 42 each get an attack of opportunity. Then I will resolve the attack on 42
All Pathfinders are up for actions in the new round as well.
Rhon cleaves through the spirit just as it points directly at 42's face. As the spirit screams silently and disappears, Earl's spectral form falls from the door and floats slowly back into his body. The earth elemental gets up slowly, feeling less steady than he ever has in his life.
Earl has taken a total of 4 negative levels from his ordeal. Fortunately no one else was hit by that attack. Damn blindness.
You hear the sound of metal screeching on metal as the gate to the outer camp behind you slowly begins to open, though the soldiers on the other side do not seem overly eager to approach. In front of you stands the doors to the cathedral, where Rasputin supposedly awaits.
Exiel looks askance as Mike blasts the body of the already banished spirit.
"Well, I suppose it never hurts to be too careful."
Assuming the body does not jump off the door and start attacking us, Exiel will motion to the door.
"Come on, those soldiers look like they're afraid of this cathedral, so hopefully we'll be safe from them inside. I mean, it's probably more dangerous inside, but at least we will be heading where we need to go..."
Maintaining his crane stance, he sheathes his rapier, readies his lance and flies to the top of the door, then tries to push the door open with the shaft of his lance.
Correct. You are out of combat, so you cannot be in crane style.
Exiel pushes against the door and finds that it is unlocked. Within is an immense chamber with an intricate and beautifully tiled mosaic floor, though it is weathered with numerous weblike cracks. Several alcoves holding statues of saints and martyrs, each with fresh blood dripping from its eyes, run up the walls to the ceiling overhead. The thin air smells stale, as if the room had been sealed for thousands of years. Beyond the bleeding statues and faded murals surrounding the alcoves, very little else stands in this chamber beyond a pair of toppled holy water fonts, a small stone pew, and several torch brackets hanging loosely from the walls, each holding a small glass globe that lights the room with a soft glow.
The ceiling is 15 feet high in this room. To the north, a passage opens into another chamber beyond, where towering piles of wooden pews block the passage further into the cathedral.
The flickering light reveals an aged, stooped crone perched in one dark corner of the room, sweat dripping from her lank hair and down her bony frame, as she struggles to rise, gasping for breath. As she sees you, she gnashes her iron teeth and feebly attempts to stand, weakly crashing against a nearby baptismal font.
“You heard my call, and you have come,” she croaks, barely above a whisper. “My son, he is destroyed, his chapel beyond in ruins. Come, children, take me to my Dancing Hut.”
"To claim ownership of the Dancing Hut is to claim to be Baba Yaga herself...."
Exiel looks at the pews blocking off the rest of the cathedral.
"Seems like that there's some kind of improvised wall, meaning someone here doesn't want us going or looking further in. You sure you defeated Rasputin?"
The wall of pews is suspicious, and after such a long build-up, I highly doubt this is the end. Since we're in Rasputin's sanctum, some caution is certainly warranted.
"Tell me, Baba Yaga, if that is who you really are, where did you hide the pelt of the two-headed bear? And where was the tooth of the gold dragon hidden? And finally, which of us bear the powers of which of your riders?"
This is referring to the tokens from books 3 and 4. IIRC, even Baba Yaga's servants did not know what all of them were or what they were for - it was one of her most secret of secret plans. If this is really Baba Yaga, she would know that I am not describing the tokens correctly (though the descriptions are near enough that if she were the real Baba Yaga she would know that I do in fact know what the real tokens are). The real Baba Yaga would also most likely be the only person who knows where all the tokens had been hidden. And I also imagine that if she is Baba Yaga, she should be able to sense her power within those of us who have the mantle boons? Despite his mantle, Exiel usually wears white.
Human Magus 14 | HP: 93/93 | Temp HP: 0/0 | 50% miss chance| DR 10/adamantine (140/140) 140 minutes| AC: 28/ FF 22/ T 15| Fort: +14 Ref: +14 Will: +14 | Perception: +10| Init: +5
42 watches the warriors gathering at the gate. "Would you like me to set up something to keep them back?" he asks while Exiel talks to the possible Baba Yaga.
"I'm tired and annoyed and have no patience for the petty games of children," the crone snarls as she waves a hand dismissively at Exiel. "Rasputin is dead and I want to leave this place. Take me to my hut before I lose my temper. Would you incur the wrath of Baba Yaga?"
Aura of Good (Overwhelming) l Aura of Courage (10 ft) l Aura of Resolve (10 ft) | Aura of Faith (10 ft)
LG Male Dwarf Paladin (Stonelord) 16 | HP 182/182 | AC 43 | T 14 | FF 42 | CMB +16 | CMD 34 | Fort: +20 (+2 poison/drugs, +4 alcohol), Ref: +11, Will: +19 (+1 all saves FF/surprise rd) | 8/adamantine | SR 21 | Fortification 75% | Immune to Blood Drain, Charm, Fear, & Petrification | Perception: +25 (+2 unusual stonework)(darkvision 60 ft) | Init: +1 | Move 20' | LoH 11/11 | DS 38/38 |
Rhon tights his grip on the haft of his ax. "I have borne the wrath of many and am still here to tell the tale. Now if you are truly whom you say you are then call for your Dancing Hut as its true master and let us see that you most assuredly are whom you claim to be." Rhon tenses as the war of words escalates at his own doing.
"You claim to be Baba Yaga, but really I don't know you from a bar of soap. Which by the way, you may be in need of. If you can demonstrate to us that you are who you claim you are by answering my queries, this will all be over quickly," Exiel replies evenly as he drops the lance and draws his rapier slowly.
So... I'm expecting combat. Can I enter crane style yet? XD
Human Magus 14 | HP: 93/93 | Temp HP: 0/0 | 50% miss chance| DR 10/adamantine (140/140) 140 minutes| AC: 28/ FF 22/ T 15| Fort: +14 Ref: +14 Will: +14 | Perception: +10| Init: +5
Mike's comment brings a smile to 42's lips. "If I cast what I'm planning on, they wouldn't be that much of a chance for you to get into close combat. It might be lethal."
42 and Mike look out the door at the army to the South. They see that none of the soldiers seem eager to approach the monastery, though they all point their guns at the door. Earl rocks to and fro unsteadily in the middle. At the other side, Exiel and Rhon scrutinize the old crone and ready their weapons.
"Such distrust. Is it my appearance?" she asks in a voice that is suddenly alot more energetic and alluring. Her form wavers and shifts into that of a slim half-elf with long hair and a slender set of black ram horns. Covered by a sheer gown, her skin is tinged purple and covered with an elaborate tracery of white, scarified tattoos. A long, serpentine tail sprouts from the base of her spine, ending in a fanged maw. Her extremities are withered and blackened, ending in scorched, fleshless talons, and her unearthly beauty is further marred by a red, unblinking third eye.
Like Exiel, Mike encounters resistance when he attempts his magical attack, but he is able to push through it. Faced with a barrage of negative energy, the purple woman responds with a negative energy attack of her own, hitting 1d2 ⇒ 1 Mike with a black ray as dark as his own. She immediately follows up with a wave of magical energy that assaults your minds with negativity and doubt.
Mike takes 2 negative levels unless he has protection against negative levels.
Everyone make a will save against crushing despair. If you get less than 22, you take a –2 penalty on attack rolls, saving throws, ability checks, skill checks, and weapon damage rolls. Mike's bonus against emotion effects will work here, but your negative levels will decrease your will save also.
Mike manages to shake off the despair before it ever has a chance to set it. He once again draws on his power and unleashes it at the woman, this time with a much greater effect.
Going to Gather power for an Enervating Void Blast. We'll see if she likes Negative Levels.
Attack Roll vs. Regular AC (-2 for Negative Levels):1d20 + 24 ⇒ (4) + 24 = 28 Damage Roll:16d6 + 37 ⇒ (4, 3, 5, 4, 4, 1, 2, 4, 1, 2, 2, 3, 5, 2, 1, 3) + 37 = 83Plus a negative level, unless she makes a DC 27 Fort Save.
Huge Celestial Earth Elemental CR 8 l HP 95/95 l AC 19 l T 7 l FF 19 l Fort +11 l Ref +2 l Will +7 l CMB +21 l CMD 30 l Immune to Bleed, Bull Rush, Crits, Flanking, Overrun, Paralysis, Poison, Precision damage, Sleep, Stunning l Resist: Acid (10), Cold (10), Elec (10) l DR 5/- l DR 5/evil l Prec +13 (darkvision & tremorsense 60 ft) l Init -1 | Conditions:
Earl burrows down 10 feet and then moves 10 feet underground.
Exiel and Rhon flank the woman and slash and stab her from both sides. Both hit, but Rhon's axe jars in his hand when he hits, as if her were striking iron rather than flesh. Exiel's holy blade however pierces her flesh easily. Mike's blast of dark energy strikes her, and she staggers as she gets a taste of her own medicine. Cursing under her breath, she steps away from Rhon releases another wave of despair-inducing magic over Rhon, Mike and 42, and then tries to concentrate on another ability. However, Exiel is still menacing her with his rapier, and she loses her concentration under the strain of all that is happening to her at once.
Knowledge Engineering DC20:
The stack of pews blocking access to the inner cathedral is set up to collapse towards your direction with a large-enough push from the other side. This is probably intentional. It will effectively be like being in a land slide.
Mike, 42 and Rhon save against crushing despair again. If you get less than 22, you take a –2 penalty on attack rolls, saving throws, ability checks, skill checks, and weapon damage rolls.
She failed her concentration on her other spell-like ability. Pathfinders are up. Don't forget that you now know she has SR. She also appears to have some kind of DR that Exiel's weapon bypasses.
Human Magus 14 | HP: 93/93 | Temp HP: 0/0 | 50% miss chance| DR 10/adamantine (140/140) 140 minutes| AC: 28/ FF 22/ T 15| Fort: +14 Ref: +14 Will: +14 | Perception: +10| Init: +5
Will:1d20 + 13 ⇒ (19) + 13 = 32
Once again, 42 pushes through her spell and raises his sword, charging it with some spell stealing powers, he moves up to attack. Forgot to mention that he would have moved up to behind Earl last round.
Btw, any blast that targets regular AC bypasses SR.
Will Save (including bonus to saves vs. emotion and negative levels):1d20 + 20 ⇒ (12) + 20 = 32
Same thing as last round.
Attack Roll (including the negative two levels) vs. Regular AC:1d20 + 24 ⇒ (17) + 24 = 41 Damage Rolls:16d6 + 37 ⇒ (2, 5, 3, 3, 2, 2, 1, 6, 1, 6, 2, 1, 2, 6, 5, 4) + 37 = 88 and a DC 27 Fort save or take a negative level.
Exiel sees nothing abnormal or noteworthy from an engineering point of view. He does however see an evil creature before him, and does and he is wont to do to such creatures. He steps into a flank with 42 and stabs at her again.
Aura of Good (Overwhelming) l Aura of Courage (10 ft) l Aura of Resolve (10 ft) | Aura of Faith (10 ft)
LG Male Dwarf Paladin (Stonelord) 16 | HP 182/182 | AC 43 | T 14 | FF 42 | CMB +16 | CMD 34 | Fort: +20 (+2 poison/drugs, +4 alcohol), Ref: +11, Will: +19 (+1 all saves FF/surprise rd) | 8/adamantine | SR 21 | Fortification 75% | Immune to Blood Drain, Charm, Fear, & Petrification | Perception: +25 (+2 unusual stonework)(darkvision 60 ft) | Init: +1 | Move 20' | LoH 11/11 | DS 38/38 |
Action reduxI missed that the creature had moved.
Will Save:1d20 + 15 ⇒ (6) + 15 = 21
Rhon ends his Defensive Stance, lays his hands on himself to both heal and wash away the fatigue, takes a 5 foot step, reenters his Defensive Stance, and finally attacks.
Lay on Hands, Positive energy feedback loop:6d6 + 1 ⇒ (2, 2, 4, 5, 6, 2) + 1 = 22
Huge Celestial Earth Elemental CR 8 l HP 95/95 l AC 19 l T 7 l FF 19 l Fort +11 l Ref +2 l Will +7 l CMB +21 l CMD 30 l Immune to Bleed, Bull Rush, Crits, Flanking, Overrun, Paralysis, Poison, Precision damage, Sleep, Stunning l Resist: Acid (10), Cold (10), Elec (10) l DR 5/- l DR 5/evil l Prec +13 (darkvision & tremorsense 60 ft) l Init -1 | Conditions:
Earl burrows forward five feet and then rises from the ground to confront the creature. Earl puts all of his remaining might into pummeling this foul beast.
With your combined efforts, you cut, stab and blast down the daemon. With her dying breath, she calls out in the foreign tongue, and the pile of pews blocking the way further into the cathedral suddenly lurches in your direction and topples over you!
Exiel must make a DC15 reflex save or take 3d6 ⇒ (3, 5, 4) = 12 damage. Rhon, 42 and Earl must make DC15 reflex saves or take 2d6 ⇒ (6, 4) = 10 damage. If any of you fail those saves, you are also buried under the pews, taking 1d6 NLD each turn and needing a DC20 STR check to free yourself. The entire red and pink zones are now difficult terrain, covered with pews.
The piercing echoes of squeaking bats bounce from the walls of the chapel’s transept, the winged rodents clearly alarmed by the sudden crashing of the falling pews. Saintly statues of cold white marble perch high above in recessed alcoves in the transept, their lifeless eyes streaming blood and their stone faces bathed in purple light—and all of their faces have turned to focus on the unholy fey energies emanating from the strange machinery surrounding the altar beyond. Three cassock-clad humanoids with dead-grey skin and blood-rimmed eyes bare fangs at you as they prepare to attack.
Coils of insulated wires snake forth from mechanical cylinders and batteries standing in the apse beyond, their ends terminating in rows of strange machines arranged like technological standing stones along the walls of the chapel’s presbytery. Between them, a massive copper plate approximately 40 feet in diameter covers the floor; it’s encircled with glyphs that pulse with purple energy, shifting and conjoining as if trying to resolve some arcane combination. Floating in the midst of the purple energy above the plate is a figure you recognize as Rasputin himself, though he seems unperturbed by your intrusion for the moment as he lets the crackling energy flow around and into himself.
Some of you are still injured from before entering the cathedral. These are your current conditions:
Exiel down 18hp
Mike down 58hp
Earl down 17hp
Rhon subject to crushing despair
Rhon, Earl, 42 and Exiel need reflex saves. Once again, Mike and Exiel go first. Take note of the new terrain and your current conditions.
Exiel sees the pews coming down and simply springs up into the air, kicking some of them aside and then hovering above them with his rapier at the ready.
"Hello there," he says with a flourish of his rose-hued blade.
knowledge any:1d20 + 10 ⇒ (19) + 10 = 29
Let's see what we're dealing with first. I have a hunch since you mentioned fangs and dead-grey skin... Info wanted (a rearrangement of your usual questions):
1. Special attacks
2. Resistances and immunities
3. Special defences
4. Order of saves from high to low.
You recognize from their teeth, skin and posture that they are human nosferatu. You know that nosferatu can only arise from exceptional individuals and creatures (at least 5hd - i.e. they have class levels). Their common abilities are:
1. Special attacks - blood drain (if grappled), dominate person at will (range 30ft standard action), telekinesis at will
2. Resistances and immunities - DR 5/wood and piercing (this includes all wood-shafted weapons such as arrows, crossbow bolts, spears, and javelins, even if the weapon’s actual head is made of another material), resistance 10 to cold, electricity, and sonic, undead traits
3. Special defences - channel resistance +4, fast healing 5, turns into a swarm upon reaching 0hp and returns to coffin, undead traits
Human Magus 14 | HP: 93/93 | Temp HP: 0/0 | 50% miss chance| DR 10/adamantine (140/140) 140 minutes| AC: 28/ FF 22/ T 15| Fort: +14 Ref: +14 Will: +14 | Perception: +10| Init: +5
42 Raises up his hand while there is space and casts a Fire Ball in the middle of the group.
F.B.:10d6 ⇒ (6, 4, 1, 5, 3, 1, 2, 4, 1, 6) = 33Reflex 18 reflex
Exiel quickly shares what he learns with the group, and then points .
"Mike! Get over here now! Next to Rhon!" Exiel calls urgently. "Those things are nosferatu! They can enslave your minds, but I can put up a ward to protect against it!"
1. Special attacks - blood drain (if grappled), dominate person at will (range 30ft standard action), telekinesis at will
2. Resistances and immunities - DR 5/wood and piercing (this includes all wood-shafted weapons such as arrows, crossbow bolts, spears, and javelins, even if the weapon’s actual head is made of another material), resistance 10 to cold, electricity, and sonic, undead traits
3. Special defences - channel resistance +4, fast healing 5, turns into a swarm upon reaching 0hp and returns to coffin, undead traits
They also have at least 5 class levels.
Waiting for Mike to move first. If Mike moves adjacent to Rhon, Exiel will fly over to him and cast Magic Circle Against Evil on him.
"42 and Rhon, you guys hold your position please. The last thing we need now is them making us fight against each other."
Good thing we're all mostly bunched-up together. Hope none of them have aoe spells...
