GM BPC TK2's Excellent PFS Adventure

Game Master Black Powder Chocobo

Nilfyr can cast air bubble and water walk, communal (a 2nd-level spell, though water walk is a 3rd-level spell - weird), if that would be helpful at all.

Looks like the party will be returning topside. What do you wish to do with the undine summoner?

I believe a comment was made to turn him over to the Hellknights

Right. I think he deserves some of their "speicial" attention. Art will buy and scribe scrolls of Air bubble and Touch of the Sea. But the duration is pretty short. He will get backups of each in scroll form, so two scrolls of each. Aboleth's Lung could work as well, but its sorta a poor man's Water Breathing as once its cast it is not dismissible and you cannot breath air until it runs out. It would last 4 hours, divided by the number of recipients. Thoughts? I can afford it... Oh and its very strange that Water Walk, Communal is lower level, but its only cleric and ranger. I cannot get it.

I have a friend who uses Aboleth's Lung offensively, using it to eventually choke out enemies if the party can hold out.

The undine will be given to the Hellknights, check. Just mark any of your purchases/preparations and we'll get started when everyone says they are good, or tomorrow morning, whichever happens first.

Interesting. When I looked I find that a PFS character must be a Gillman to cast Aboleth's Lung, so that is not an option for me. I will memorize both Touch of the Sea and Air bubble and have two scrolls of each as backup but I think we need Water Breathing from our druid. I will also point out that anyone could spend 25 gold each for these scrolls.

Faeros can swim decently, and it seemed like he was hinting that we shouldn't be underwater the whole time, just that swimming would be useful... famous last words, naturally.

I can do Water Breathing as my 3rd level spell, for 2 hours of pooltime a person. With seasteed to greatly improve belchers underwater abilites. Touch of the sea for the first 5 minutes

Nilfyr can cast air bubble and water walk, communal (a 2nd-level spell, though water walk is a 3rd-level spell - weird), if that would be helpful at all.

Waterwalk is already communal. The communal variant is the same, but you have to split the duration.

OK, I think we are ready to go then.

Nilfyr will purchase 2 scrolls each of air bubble and touch of the sea. Ready to go.

Thunderstealer will cast:

Waterbreathing on everyone (2 hours)
Sea Steed on Belcher (50 minutes)
Delay Poison on Self (5 hours)

"Can I get a mage armor for Belcher?"

Assuming purchases have been made and buffs allocated!

The Hellknights are somewhat surprised to see an undine being dragged by the party. The party tells their tale of the event. One officer stoically nods as he listens and concludes saying, "Very well. We'll lock him up and see if he'll feel like talking to us when he wakes up. I'm sure the flames of justice will go far in convincing him." No emotion is shown on his face, yet the threat of the impending torture still rings with his words.

The party then makes their preparations, resting to prepare new spells and spending some time to get necessary gear.

Technically, the scrolls would more than likely not be found in the area due to settlement size, at least without additional cost. But I say, Merry Christmas and I don't want to deal with the math!

Returning to the floor, the signs of combat are no longer visible. Someone or something has been through the area. When the party returns, though, words seem to speak to the party from the wall. "You who come down into this domain: return our brother unharmed and leave this area forever and your lives shall be spared. Otherwise, enter and these halls shall be your watery grave."

Where does the party go? For exits, there is a single door near Faeros' marker. Otherwise, there's the hallway heading east that seems to have a few splits.

Art gladly uses a charge from his wand of mage Armor on Belcher once the party reaches the entry room. I guess we should check out that door before getting wet.

I agree. Lets explore as much as we can before we start burning water spells

You are not forgotten! :)

The door near the entrance is unlocked and contains a lot of old, rotted equipment. However, a pair of masterwork quality snorkels seems to have survived the ravages of time, although they will need a bit of cleaning before they are to be used.

Assuming marching order of Thunderstealer, Nilfyr, Belcher, Faeros, then Artemus. Let me know if this is not correct.

The short stairway lead down into a wide hallway filled with murky water at a depth of two feet. There are two hallways along the south wall and one straight ahead to the east.

No swim checks, but the passageway counts as difficult terrain

Marching order looks good to me. We have create water for snorkels. Maybe Art can add prestidigitation?

No prestidigitation today. Will have to use elbow grease. Marching order is fine.

Belcher in front is better. Keen senses, high AC.

In that case, which direction does the party head to? First doorway to the south?

Sure, sounds good.

Nilfyr keeps his eyes peeled for traps.

Perception: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (9) + 13 = 22

Nilfyr takes the conscious scouting of the area while Thunderstealer tells Belcher to press forward. The party moves sluggishly as their feet slosh in the water. Belcher nips at something in the water and hungrily chomps on a crab, its shell no match for the dinosaur's teeth. Likewise, Thunderstealer feels another crab shuffling away from his feet, although the murky water makes it incredibly hard to see. Only the pale glow of luminescent coral that dot the hallway provide any shadows to see against the crabs.

Everything in the hallway has dim illumination as that of a candle, so peering into rooms and whatnot will require an additional light source, you human-centric party, you..

Belcher notes a smell in the nearby room and cautiously approaches it. The man-sized megasaur seems confused in that it sniffs a peculiar odor that catches its nose, but doesn't see anything.

Meanwhile, Nilfyr listens and can only hear the sloshing footsteps and the occasional sound of water brushing against something in the nearby room, the sound of the wave echoing faintly.

Need a command to have Belcher enter the dark room or a PC to do something :) Map slightly updated to reflect the Belcher-in-front order.

Nilfyr casts light on his fauchard and peers into the first room.

Artemus conjures his now familiar dancing lights with their soft blue glow and sends them forward. This time their formation is different and two of the four orbs travel under the water, doing some good to illuminate that environment as well.

Reminder: Artemus has already cast Mage Armor on himself and Belcher.

yup! Got those Artemus :)

Nilfyr moves to the other side and peers in; the silty water in the flooded room reeks of shellfish. Bones and other refuse are piled up in the southwest corner. Hundreds of toad-sized crabs clamber about the heal, skittering over the top of each.

The crabs then almost instinctively react to the motion outside, or perhaps something else, and hungrily move towards the exit... and the party!

Init Order (bold = up!)
Faeros
Artemus
Crabs
Nilfyr
Thunderstealer/Belcher

Thinderstealer will cast light on his horsechopper.

He will then look into the room.

@Thunderstealer: I sorta ninja'ed you there it seems. You can have the light cast, but crab-mageddon has begun!

The two PCs up have not seen crab swarm. Not sure we would act yet.

Hesitant to step into the water Artemus delays asking What do you see? His lights dance in the doorway to the room.

So is this swarm totally submerged? Could it be attacked with fire? Alchemist fire? Asking for when he can see it. And what knowledge roll is it?

@Thunderstealer: I sorta ninja'ed you there it seems. You can have the light cast, but crab-mageddon has begun!

NP

Knowledge (nature): 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7

@ARtemus: I'd imagine Nilfyr would start warning the party as he sees the crabs moving up. The swarm is currently only partially submerged as much of them are on a pile of refuse. As soon as they start moving though, they'll be underwater, immune to alchemists fire, and get a cover bonus to Reflex saves for other non-fire AoE effects. Thunderstealer has it right, crabs are considered vermin and require Kn: Nature.

Thunderstealer recalls that he doesn't have enough melted butter for all of the shellfish.

OK. Last question - is it difficult terrain in the water?

Knowledge Nature: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (13) + 9 = 22

It is... except for the crabs :)

Artemus has heard that crabs that swarm like this are incredibly resilient and will snap at anything that moves. Because they are vermin, they are immune to mind-affecting affects and their small size makes them immune to weapon damage.

Has the vermin type, swarm and aquatic subtype. Will DC for its distraction for those who take damage from them is 14.

Its a scab swarm. Weapons will not hurt it. Fall back so we can fight it out of the water!

One thing I forgot to mention: fire AoE effects won't work in this environment unless at least 1/2 the crabs are out of the water. But other energy types will still work even with the crabs underwater

I got glitter dust and pits. No real area effects except alchemicals. My hope is to kite it out of the water and pit it. In the water and the pit would fill up and the crabs swim out.

Faeros moves away from artemis and suggests that everyone stay spread out.
I have nothing to fight this with!

Lure it back and kill it

Then eat it

With whiskey sauce!

The crabs crawl underwater and start swarming over the party that's still in the water.

Swarm damage: 2d6 ⇒ (6, 1) = 7
Nilfyr Will vs Distraction: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (19) + 6 = 25
Thunderstealer Will vs Distraction: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (2) + 5 = 7
Belcher Will vs Distraction: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (11) + 2 = 13

Nilfyr steels himself to the swarm of crabs, but Belcher tries to snap at the crusteaceans and Thunderstealer daydreams about various seafood dishes.

Init Order (bold = up!)
Faeros
Artemus
Crabs
Nilfyr (7 damage)
Thunderstealer/Belcher (7 damage, nauseated)

I need more melted butter! Seafood is horrible without butter!

Thunderstealer throws up and moves away

Sorry Thunderstealer, had to move you into the water somewhat; nauseated allows for only a single move action and the water is difficult terrain.

Nilfyr calls on Desna to quicken his feet and seems almost to walk on top of the water as he moves away from the swarm.

Swift action: Activate agile feet blessing (allows him to ignore difficult terrain for 1 round)
Move action: As indicated on map, while pulling an alchemist's fire flask out of his pouch

Art moves back and readies to create a pit if the crab swarm makes it to dry land. Keep falling back. he recommends.

I carefully re-revealed the part of the first room that we had explored. Most of it was covered.

I can provide healing if needed. Otherwise I will be back in the previous room.

Faeros moves back, and readies to close the door in the event that his entire party comes into the room.

Edit: where is the door? Top of the stairs? Was there even a door at all?

There was a door near the entrance; but from the stairs where the party entered, there is no door, only Zuul.

@Nilfyr: Huh, so reviewing the actions, throwing a splash weapon is a full round action. In this case, you can start the alchemist's fire prep this round, then standard action next round to throw it.

@Artemus: Thanks! Must have accidentally covered it when I was revealing the crab room

While the rest of the party and Belcher get out of the way easily enough, the distracted Thunderstealer is nipped by the crustaceans once more!

Crab damage to Thunderstealer: 2d6 ⇒ (6, 5) = 11
Thunderstealer Will vs Distraction: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (8) + 5 = 13

The only one for the crabs to focus on, the water slowly turns a darker shade as Thunderstealer is constantly clawed by the dwarm. The large saurian druid is still distracted by the constant pinches and rumbling tummy that craves crabby goodness.

Init Order (bold = up!)
Faeros
Artemus (readied spell - Create pit)
Crabs
Nilfyr (7 damage, prepping alchemist's fire)
Thunderstealer (18 damage, nauseated)
Belcher (7 damage)

Delay

Think we should come back with these crabs in mind tomorrow, or try to find us a new room that is hopefully crab-free?

In my pack are 6 alchemicals; 3 fire and three acid. Help yourself. If they will come onto try land I think we can take them.

D'oh! I found a FAQ that corrected my view on alchemical weapons: the action I was looking at was preparing something like a flask of oil to become a splash weapon, not grabbing a flask and throwing it. However, grabbing an alchemical item (weapon or not) is a separate move action, so the alchemist fire wasn't readied last round Nilfyr, but it's in your hand now and you can ready the throw if you wish.

I imagine shenanigans will ensue shortly once Thunderstealer gets into a better, out of water position :P

Yeah, Thunderstealer is using Belcher as a decoy. As soon as everyone is out of the water they'll both retreat beyond the swarm's reach

I see someone has moved Belcher out of the swarm?

Thunderstealer will move a bit further

I did a while ago; I assumed that Belcher would have been commanded to move, last turn, if nothing else but to follow the others to direct the crabs to open ground

And Happy Pathfindering in the New Year :) A few days late, but

Also, moving Nilfyr, still with readied alchemist's fire

The party moves out of the water, and the hungry crabs scuttle in pursuit.

Nilfyr immediately lobs his vial at the swarm, wounding it!

Nilfyr Alchemist fire @ crabs: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (20) + 5 = 25
Damage on hit: 1d6 ⇒ 1 +50%

Darn it, I'm rounding that to 2 damage with the increase... I'd hate to waste a 20 like that.

The crabs, still damp, only take a modicum of damage from the blast, but then a pit appears beneath the swarm!

Crab reflex: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (14) + 4 = 18

While some crabs fall in, most of them manage to make it to the other side!

Init Order (bold = up!)
Faeros
Crabs (2 damage)
Nilfyr (7 damage)
Artemus
Thunderstealer (18 damage, nauseated)
Belcher (7 damage)