GM Batpony PBP Gameday VI pt II Wrath of the Fleshwarped Queen [Low tier] (Inactive)

Game Master Batpony

He snaps out of his daze and continues talking to the best of his ability in his weakened state "uh...Oh yes, without rest. My god, I..I..I serve Soralyon, the empyreal lord of guardians, magic, and monuments. Perhaps ... you have heard of him?... I travel to ward evil and... I'm almost certain that these ruins were part of the realm called Bakrakhan, ruled by Azalznist, Runelord of Wrath. There are magical energies in here that must not be allowed to escape..."

Tad shakes his head. "I'm sorry, I'm not familiar with your Soralyon - I've much to learn."

"Come, sit and rest." Tad gestures to a nearby rock or similar perch, if there is one present, and offers his waterskin to the priest. "If there is evil trying to escape we must stop it. What we can do?"

Should Father Julian take the offered seat and/or water, Tad tries to take the opportunity to check the man over. "If I may?"

Heal: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (17) + 7 = 24

The priest Julian accepts the little offer Tad provides, and Tad realises he is severely dehydrated and tired, but he is still in a very conscious state of mind. He points towards the door..

“Head beyond the door and eliminate whatever focus of magical energies you can find: it might be a creature or an object. Once you’ve done that, I should be able to finish a permanent ward.”

"Pig can do," he says as he steps inside the doors and, assuming that he is not struck down, looks around.

Hiro stands and moves to the door and examines it, then puts his ear to it.

Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (4) + 7 = 11

He turns and says, "I'm ready when everyone else is..."

"I am ready as well, no better time than now." Armik eyes the door suspiciously.

perception: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5

With little else to offer for Father Julian's comfort, Tad gives the man some of his rations and a small smile of encouragement, "We'll investigate what is causing these energies. You can rest soon."

He looks toward the door. "What's known of this Runelord and his Bakrakhan?"

As Julian, or any of the others, relate what they know, if anything, Tad makes his way toward the door, joining the group and trying to ascertain what lies beyond the door.

Perception: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4

We shall now head into the heart of this adventure! A little bit of a dungeon crawl! Link and access to the maps is at the top of the page, as well as on my GM header under W1-2. I've put your tokens on the map but please assign your marching orders.

The group inspects the doors, and is lead to believe there is nothing special about nor that it is trapped, and confidently opens it. (With no trap sprung!) Opening the double door leads you into a long hall. The wider passageway narrows here and continues to the east. Dim flickering flames dance around the walls, illuminating unadorned polished stone. A door is at the eastern end of the hall.

You can put away your sources of illumination at this point.

Welcome to the Wrathwarped Halls. Of course your characters don't know the name given to this place.

Tad follows after the others as they pass through the doorway, extinguishing his torch as he sees the illuminated area beyond.

Happy to be at the back. There is space if anyone else really wants to be rearguard, otherwise feel free to bump Tad right to the back (or toward the middle, if more fitting) of the formation.

Pig marches confidently towards the door at the far end of the hall. He presses his ear against it to listen.

Perception: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (16) - 1 = 15

Oh! He might actually notice something for once, so I'll wait to open the door, which he will attempt to do if he notices nothing.

Rishh moves up with his Bec De Corbin in one hand, and his Hunga Munga in the other...

Patienceeeee Piglet...You will have your feral feast soon...

Rishh take a few seconds to listen for noises and to examine the door that Pig is keenly interested in.

Rishh makes sure that his Barbed Vest is secured over his armor (Ultimate Equipment)

Ready Action(See Hunters Knack Trait): Throw Hunga Munga at first target to get past Pig through the door and into this hallway.

Hiro will be somewhere in the middle. Can't edit map atm

Hiro moves up behind Pig and Rishh, drawing his bow. Seeing the others do so, he peers at the door.

Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (14) + 7 = 21

Armik will take the place behind our pig leader

Rishh quickly stops the group before the venture much further towards the door as he spots a sly little trap wedged into the walls of this hallway.

A makeshift hinge made out of what looks to be a salvaged tabletop, holds a couple of ancient text. It's created in such a way that anyone entering the chokepoint will trigger a tripwire that smashes all the books down on the passer by, unusually the books all are open faced towards the walker.

It is Disable Device DC20, lack of a disable device, I'll allow acrobatics to jump over the wire.

Hiro nods when Rishh points out the trap, then points to the open books. "The fact they are open concerns me. I would wager they contain one or more glyphs, glyphs that would cause us harm. Let me see if I can disarm the trip wire."

Removing a small leather roll of tools, the samsaran eases past his companions and carefully approaches the wire.

"You may want to back up while I attempt this." He says over his shoulder. Once everyone is a safe distance away, Hiro begins to gingerly detach the wire from the trigger.

Disable: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (9) + 12 = 21

"Huh?" Pig grunts as the nagaji stops him. "Good eyes. Pig no see trap."

Once the trap is disarmed, he continues on with his original mission: get to the door, listen, and then ope it.

"ahh into the cave we go. What a fine place to adventure. "Dolvin moves to the middle of the group so that he is in a prime place to aid those adventuring with him.

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Tad marvels at the others' ability to notice the thin trip wire.

Should the trap be successfully disarmed or set off prior to his passage, Tad gives the tabletop and books a wary glance as he cautiously passes by, distancing himself from them as much as the narrow hallway allows.

If the trap has not been disabled and is still armed, with the others having already traversed it, he attempts to leap over the wire to follow them.

Acrobatics: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (10) - 1 = 9

Hironaki is able to understand the trap perfectly and disables it with relative ease. The group then continues their journey towards the doors and make their way into the next room after they perceive the door to be untrapped and no funny noises in the next room.

New area on map unlocked!

A hallway runs north and south here, its walls carved with images of fire and destruction. Humanoids from many races peer out from the flames in the upper portions of the carvings, their faces alight with excruciating pain. The lower two feet of the carvings show other figures on hands and knees, their faces toward the north, the brutal fires just above their backs.

Near the center of the hallway on a low plinth stands the statue of a cruel-faced woman wielding a ranseur in her right hand. Her left hand gestures to the south, giving the impression it is the source of the carved flames.

A large bronze plaque is affixed to the southern wall of the passage, covered in spiky, spidery runes.

Taking 10 on perception

"Well, someone or something has a sense of humor."

Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (3) + 7 = 10

Hiro only give the room a cursory glance before turning his attention to the mural and the plaque. Translating aloud, he says. "Ah....Humble yourself and show the....eh...respect Runelord Alaznist is due. Hmmmm, the plaque and mural makes me think perhaps one is meant to pass though here upon one's hands and knees?"

Tad examines the figures carved on the walls, glancing from those in the flames to those down below, his hand coming to rest lightly on the form of an anguished figure.

He turns when Armik and Hironaki comment, regarding first the statue, then the plaque before returning to the imagery sculpted on the walls.

"You might just be onto something..."

Rishh takes several minutes to study the walls and statue carefully from a trapmaker's point of view, and attempting to discourage the others from moving in until he finishes his inspection from afar....

Since Rishh has formal training in spellcraft, he has the understanding to encourage the spellcasters to use detect magic to pinpoint any locations that could be dangerous within the room as well as any other info they can uncover.

Take 20: Perception +28

He continues holding his Bec De Corbin in one hand and a Hunga Munga in the other.

"Yeah. Even Pig guess that," says the large warrior.

Perception: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (6) - 1 = 5

He tries his best to be patient. He paces. He counts the faces in the flame. Ultimately, Rishh takes far to long standing still and staring, and Pig moves past and crawls on his hands and knees to the double door. "Kind of fun."

Tad's attention is drawn to Rishh at the urging for caution and he watches with interest as he goes about his inspections of the hallway.

So engrossed in his observations, he fails to notice Pig moving toward the statue until too late. He manages a single step and to half-raise his hand in admonition, but by this time the half-orc is already making his way on all fours.

Holding his breath, Tad watches on, saying a silent prayer for the big man's safety.

Tad readies to offer healing should some misfortune happen to Pig. If he passes unscathed, Tad will follow Pig's example.

GM ruling moment!

Taking 20 on perception, while mechanically it's possible, situationally I might rule against it. This may be one of those latter moments.

Taking 20 means you are trying until you get it right, and it assumes that you fail many times before succeeding.

Based on the quote, my interpretation of taking 20 is that you are continuously retrying till a possible success. You would not take a look at a wall 20 times over and over if you didn't believe you had a reason to the first time you've looked at it unless you had reasonable plausibility to suggest there definitely is something there that you didn't see the first time. In the same way I don't see why Gish would be looking at the statue 20 times when the first time he may have decided there was nothing there to look at.

When I would think that taking 20 for perception is OK situationally:
You lost something in your room, you know for sure it's in the room, even though you've check that same drawer 10 times, the bed 7 times, …. Etc.
Someone told you the room is trapped. I'm going to keep looking till I find that trap!

With that said though, I don't necessarily want to hold the game, so I will tell you that from a perception check perspective that there's nothing hidden from you, everything has been revealed for this room. Everything is old and ancient and could possibly be magical… there's only one way to find out for sure.

But Pig loses patience waiting and crawls through the place towards the door, he is unscathed as he does this. Tad follows his example crawling through the area to the door.

Does everyone else follow Pig's lead?

Once in front of the double doors, Pig stands. ”See? Not so hard.”

moving in, crawling

Rishh will go last, waiting to see if any spellcasters will identify what is and isnt magical...etc...preferring to have what information is available before doing anything...such symbology puts him on edge.

Cannot post tomorrow...moving day....Internet will be down for about a week..but will try to utilize McDonalds Wifi when I can until Personal internet service is reestablished. Feel free to make some decisions for Rishh as needed. In case of combat Rishh will throw his hunga munga and fight with his Bec De Corbin (Reach Weapon). Or drop his Hunga Munga if it cant be thrown and recover it after combat.

Hiro gets down on his hands and knees and begins to follow the others.

No detect magic here

No worries Rishh, we'll slow down the game for a week while you get back up!

The rest of the group starts to crawl through the area following Pig's example as it seems to be the safest option. Once satisfied, the group does a quick check to ensure the door is not rigged and open it to reveal the next room. A very large room.

I'm going to forgo the wait for perception checks on this door as this door is not trapped.

This large room’s walls are decorated with carvings extolling the virtues of wrath: scenes abound of warriors crushing their opponents with a combination of martial and magical skill. Above all these warriors stands the magnificent figure of a striking woman clad in armor and wielding a ranseur. Her face is contorted in a mixture of rage and elation, and she stands atop a veritable mountain of corpses.

In sharp contrast to the intricate beauty of the carvings, the contents of the room are in shambles. Broken tables and chairs litter the floor, once-magnificent banners are torn and strewn about, and several small fires smoulder throughout the room. Anything that can be burned is blackened with soot, and anything breakable has been shattered into tiny pieces. The pungent smell of an animal warren permeates the entire room. This causes a perpetual purple haze to fill the room somewhat, however, it is not disruptive enough to impair anyone's vision.

"Nice room," Pig says. "Except for mess."

Survival: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (14) - 1 = 13

The warrior heads over to the eastern door, leaning his ear against it.

Perception: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (2) - 1 = 1

"Pig no hear anything," he says before he tries to open it.

Survival: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (9) + 1 = 10

Hiro follows along, standing, he brushes himself off and looks around. Squirting, he fans the air trying to get a better look around. "What has happened here?"

Tad enters through the double doors, turning his head to look over the incongruous scene before them.

He wrinkles his nose slightly, "Smells like something has lived here."

Survival: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (16) + 3 = 19

"There. Some sort of slime trail," Tad points out the shimmering scum to the others.

Tad kneels to inspect the trail, trying to determine what creature created it, then looks around the room for signs of any current inhabitants.

Knowledge (Nature): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (6) + 6 = 12
Perception: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (12) + 3 = 15

No detect magice here, either.

Survival : 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5

Dolvin crawls with the others upon entering he rises ad dusts off his cloths in a vain effort to stay clean. He also casts detect magic on the area, searching for... Well anything magical.

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Dolvin is able to detect a couple magic auras within the place. There is an overwhelming aura all around him, not subjected to a specific or single location, the energy seems to be inconstant and moving constantly. Another magical aura, a more faint one, surrounds itself near the statue that everyone has just crawled past in the previous room.

There is no new presence of magic in the current trashed room.

The group led by the adventurous pig soon discovers that each door leads to a set of hallways, with many doors. Mostly wooden looking plain doors with the exception of one metallic door (A8a).

Let me know which numbered door the group would like to approach. Roll perception as appropriately if you think you need to.

Tad continues his inspection of the dishevelled room and the slime trail while the others catch up/find their bearings.

Did Tad's investigation of the room fail to find anything? Does the trail appear to be confined to the room or does it pass beyond one/some of the doors?

Should his search not reveal any further information and none of the others discover anything new, Tad continues to follow Pig's lead to the eastern door. And A4 beyond.

It's uncertain from the slime trail what sort of creature this could be, maybe a ooze of some sort? But it's too inconclusive. The trail runs all around the room, possibly beyond all the doors, but it's most prominent within the room.

"Let's try this one," Pig says as he advances upon the next door A4.

Perception: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (14) - 1 = 13

He listens at the door (and might once again have heard something...) and, should he hear no sign of danger from the other side, opens it.

Rishh goes over to examine the metal door if it hasn't been opened yet...if it has then he will examine pig's current door.

perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (15) + 8 = 23, add 2 if undead

Thanks for slowing it down for me!!McDonalds coffee is fair...but only a dollar lol

"There is magic all around us, and that statue, that statue was surely magical. Though it's magical origin I unfortunately cannot say." Dolvin announces. As they are searching the chamber he turns to Tad and asks "you seem to be a man of the cloth, who is it that you worship? If you don't mind my asking."

-Posted with Wayfinder

The metal door is nothing special, but just a regular metal door. There is a lock on this side of the door that it might suggest it's supposed to keep something within. Nothing can be heard from the doors.

Pig boldly opens a door after inspecting it. This large room just off the main entryway appears to have housed sleeping quarters in ancient times, based on the smashed, torn, and smoldering piles of bunks along the eastern wall. To the west is another rubble pile composed of half-burned and despoiled furniture: tables, chairs, and several short bookcases. Three doors in the south lead to individual quarters, although their contents have obviously been taken out, piled, and burned.

There is really nothing of interest in this room. Which one next?

Hiro follows along peering around the corridors and rooms. "West or north?" He asks.

Scanning the room a bit more, Armik moves to the northern door.

"This place is wrecked, I wonder by whom?"

perception: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (16) + 3 = 19

"Pig say west," he says as he heads through the western door. "Pig see branch south. South is exit. So dead end. Clear danger before going more north."

Following Pig as they return from the exploration to the east, Tad calls out to the large warrior when he notices Rishh and Armik gathered around the northern door "Wait, Pig. It looks like they've found something."

"There is magic all around us, and that statue, that statue was surely magical. Though it's magical origin I unfortunately cannot say." Dolvin announces. As they are searching the chamber he turns to Tad and asks "you seem to be a man of the cloth, who is it that you worship? If you don't mind my asking."

Tad's hand reaches instinctively toward the pendant now nestled once more within the confines of his shirt. "I don't know much about magic," he replies to Dolvin. He seems to be searching for words as he explains, "I... hear whispers on the wind. I can... read Gozreh's moods. Sometimes I predict her humour or calm his rage. Sometimes I can only warn of their coming vengeance."

"Whose voice do you hear?"

I'm going to go ahead and open A8 since it's another empty room.

After much inspection, Rishh decides the next room is likely safe to explore and takes a peek through the door. It leads to a very large room that looks akin to a theatre.

This room’s ceiling is thirty feet high. Halfway up the smooth stone walls, the room widens slightly, creating a narrow ledge that runs the entire perimeter, with exits to the east and south. The floor in the lower portion is sand, clumped and stained in places by blood. Bones, broken armor, and shattered weapons are scattered about the floor, and a musty smell permeates the space. Metal doors lead out from the lower level to the west and south.

Which room?

"Pig still think this way," the half-orc insists. "Be sis-- sis-- organized."

Hiro nods in agreement with Pig and heads toward the west. "Agreed, let us be systematic in examining the rooms. Let us clear these western rooms first." Hiro then moves toward the end of the hall, looking and listening.

Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (13) + 7 = 20

Should he not hear any protest from Rishh and Armik, Tad joins the rest in forming up to head west.