GM Bold Strider's Dragon's Demand - Flaxseed Lodge (Inactive)

Game Master rpblue

Yes, the secret door.

Lukas exclaims in surprise, ”Wow! There’s people in here! You’re lucky to be alive after the tower collapsed. How long have you been here? I don’t think I’ve got anything to eat, but maybe my friends do. We’ve got to get you out of here!”

He turns to Jebediah and says, ”Think you can get this cell open? Anyone got anything to eat?”

I appear to have failed to purchase any sort of rations. Rookie adventurer!

A cursory examination of the door shows that it is unlocked, just like the last few cell doors. These doors are designed to only be able to be opened from the outside.

Lukas realizes he can open the door himself and promptly does so, opening it wide for the unfortunate man to step out.

Everyone should make a Perception roll [DC 20] or Knowledge(History) roll [DC 15], except Lukas.

Well, that's an interesting set of spoilers, particularly the last one...

Perception: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (9) + 2 = 11

Falwell looks on with interest.

It's a small narrow hallway. And you guys are cautiously checking for centipedes and the like. I assumed you would stick close together, especially with the man begging for food and water. Let me know if this a wrong assumption.

Well, Lukas and Falzeal were both looking at the guy through a small window, so they're close together, and Celes said she'd be "right behind Lukas when he goes in." So there are at least three of us in the immediate area and, rookies that we are, it seems reasonable to assume we're all pretty close together.

Did I just kill us with my answer?

None of you are going to die from nonlethal, right? I don't even think any of you will pass out.

per: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (20) + 4 = 24

Celes, unable to see what is going on, just has a funny feeling about the events transpiring. Lukas, stop. This just doesn't feel right. First off, why is this the only cell that has a living creature? Better yet, it seems are "guest" here is a little gaunt in the face and I can kinda see through him...literally.

Do not open the gate, trust me. Let's just move on.

A haunt or a ghost perhaps?Jebediah suggests. Then hoping he can free the restless spirit he searches his pack and tosses some food to the beging man. Here you go!

Lukas pauses, his hand on the latch. "You can see though him?" he asks in alarm. Taking a quick step away, he begins to talk quickly, [b]"I wondered about being in there for 'a few weeks,' that sounded odd, but I figured he was just starving and exaggerating..."

He pauses and takes a deep breath at Jeb's suggestion of a ghost, then says, "Let's keep going, I don't want to stay by this thing, poor soul that it was."

DM - is the map updated? I think there's more to explore in this secret hallway, right? If so, we'll keep going.

Perc: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (17) + 5 = 22
Iralynash nods to Jebediah. Good idea. He whispers before moving on. What a terrible way to die.

Jebidiah searches around for a ration of food in his pack while Celes says that they should move on. Lukas agrees and the pair begins to leave just as Jebidiah tosses the food to the ghost.

Low Food First / High Leaving First: 1d2 ⇒ 2

Celes and Lukas audibly and visibly start to leave the man to his fate when he suddenly screeches as if dying, then screams out "So . . . hungry ! " The prisoner is about to vanish when the food passes through the window, and for a moment all of the adventurers suddenly have the conviction that they are locked in a prison cell and are about to starve to death, but then they are provided with. Though the vision is fleeting, all who witness it take 2d6 points of non-lethal damage from starvation pangs, but the food eases these pains in half. When they return to their senses, the ghost is gone from the window.

Lukas: 2d6 ⇒ (2, 6) = 8 / 2 = 4
Falzeal: 2d6 ⇒ (5, 2) = 7 / 2 = 3
Jebediah: 2d6 ⇒ (5, 4) = 9 / 2 = 4
Celes: 2d6 ⇒ (3, 6) = 9 / 2 = 4
Iralynash: 2d6 ⇒ (4, 2) = 6 / 2 = 3

The elf does not say anything, he just walks on trying to stop shivering.
I need a drink.

Lukas reels in intense discomfort for a few moments, clutching his stomach and berating himself for not packing any food. When he recovers, he asks, "Jeb, you got any more food? I'm starving!"

He very tentatively goes and peeks in the window, to see if the ghost is gone and get a look at the poor man's cell.

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 10

Falzeal looks around in confusion. "Well...that happend....anyone have any idea what that was all about?"

Yeah, the haunt triggers if you enter without feeding him or if you leave without feeding him. You (Lukas) unluckily chose both because you have no food. Hah.

The ghost appears to be gone and this room appears to be different than the rest. The hard tack that Jebidiah tossed to the ghost is sitting innocently on the table in the middle of the room. Granted, the table does appear to be something used in medical experiments or torture based on the restraints and rusted tools, but innocent nonetheless.

"Okay, that's gross," comments Lukas, stepping tentatively into the room. He looks around a bit more closely before moving on.

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (6) + 6 = 12

Lukas sees nothing.

Perception:
Celes: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (12) + 4 = 16
Iralynash: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (19) + 6 = 25
Jebidiah: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (10) + 5 = 15
Falzeal: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 2 = 17

However, Iralynash casually glances at the rear of the room and notices a secret door in the stone-worked walls.

There is something there. Iralynash moves to the secret door and checks it.

Search: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (15) + 6 = 21
D. Device: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (20) + 7 = 27

Falzeal follows tentinely behind Iralynash, wary of more ghosts. "What did you find?"

Celes doubles over in pain, her axe clanging to the ground. Ohh, my stomach is killing me. Anyone got some food or drink?

After a few moments, the pain subsides and she gathers her axe and herself, before stepping into the now empty room.

Jebediah shivers then takes a nibble and contiues on with his companions.

Iralynash finds no traps or danger with the hidden doorway. He cautiously open the doorway and sees a narrow corridor that ends in a small room. A strange metallic contraption of gears and chains is visible from the doorway. A large lever extends out at a forty-five degree angle from the front of the metallic panel. Hovering above the contraption is a small, roiling cloud of energy that periodically sends out sparks of electricity into the air or along the chains

Jebediah approaches and studies the contraption intently to figure out how it works.

Perception to find traps1d20 + 7 ⇒ (17) + 7 = 24

There are no traps and the machine appears to operate solely based on the lever.

I have no idea what is that thing...

KN: planes: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (4) + 7 = 11

Falzeal stares at the cloud for a long time, then says. "Yep, I haven't any idea either."

"Um, I bet if we pull that lever we'll find out a bit about it," offers Lukas. "But the direct approach didn't work so well with the starving guy in his cell, so I'm definitely open to other ideas."

DM - do you allow untrained Knowledge checks to Aid? Since the Aid DC is 10, and Knowledge checks can be made untrained up to DC 10, some tables allow it - but some don't. I can't remember if I have come across your stance on this. In case you'll allow it:

Knowledge (planes): 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (19) - 1 = 18

That looks odd... Jebediah muses.

I'm inclined to say no. I've never heard of untrained Aid Another for trained checks. I'd be open to Aid Another on trained checks if you are trained. Similarly, I wouldn't allow an untrained AA on Disable Device. You wouldn't know how to aid.

Fair enough, though I'm sorry to have wasted a 19.

"Well, if none of us can figure out what we're looking at," says Lukas, "we should either try out the lever or get out of here. What if we make a lasso and try to throw it around the lever, and pull it from a distance? Or we could throw some food at it, that helped last time around."

A lasso? Iralynash scratches his chin and nods. Yea, maybe it will work. Do you have a rope?

"Um, no, no I don' have a rope," Lukas answers. He looks around at his companions, "Anyone have a rope?"

I believe in my rush to get Lukas built so we could start playing, I skipped the step where I look over his equipment to make sure he's got adventuring basics. Kind of fun to have to deal with in play, I must say.

GM - any chance there was any rope in the rubble or the big room where the centipedes almost killed Lukas?

This whole area has been under lock and key for a while, untouched. Any rope would have rotted.

Looking back, I see that we found 50' of hempen rope on the kobold bodies, we'll use that.

Lukas realizes that the backpack he picked up still has the rope that the kobolds were carrying in it. He pulls it out, makes a quick loop on the end and feeds part of the rope through it, so he can pull it tight once he hooks it on the lever. Guess I learned a useful trick or two loading and unloading all those ships in Cassomir...

Profession (porter) to knot rope: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (9) + 2 = 11

He says quietly, "Wish me luck..." then tosses the rope at the lever.

Ranged attack with lasso: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (20) + 4 = 24 vs AC 5, I presume? -4 if nonproficiency applies.

As soon as Lukas lassos the lever, the cloud of electricity floats 5' closer to him, lashes out and shocks him.

Slam: 1d20 + 5 + 3 ⇒ (8) + 5 + 3 = 16
Damage: 1d4 + 1d3 ⇒ (3) + (3) = 6

Initiative:
Elemental: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (15) + 6 = 21
Celes: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (14) + 2 = 16
Lukas: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (17) + 6 = 23
Iralynash: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (1) + 5 = 6
Jebidiah: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (14) + 4 = 18
Falzeal: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (12) + 1 = 13

Initiative:
1st: Lukas-Staggered @ 6 Lethal/4 NL
2nd: Elemental
3rd: Celes @ 4 NL; Iralynash @ 3 NL; Jebidiah @ 4 NL; Falzeal @ 3 NL

”Ouch! Man, I gotta stop going first all the time!” cries out Lukas as he’s shocked. ”That hurts!”

He steps out of the way of his companions behind him, trying to get to the side of the strange, electrified creature. Once there, he pulls on the rope to activate the lever.

5-foot step, pull on rope. Figured I should see what it does, maybe someone can whack this thing?

DM – strictly speaking, I think I can trip this thing, since elementals aren’t immune, but it seems a little odd. What do you think?

Flying. Can't trip

-Posted with Wayfinder

@Lukas: You would know that you can't trip it as it is a flying cloud of electricity.

Lukas pulls on the rope, moving the lever. The group hears groaning and the clash of stone on stone from far off in the complex.

Since Lukas continues to intrude on the domain of the lightning cloud, it lashes out at him with another gout of electricity.

Slam: 1d20 + 5 + 3 ⇒ (19) + 5 + 3 = 27
Damage: 1d4 + 1d3 ⇒ (3) + (1) = 4

Lukas falls to the ground, the rope limp at his side.

Initiative:
1st: Lukas-Unconscious @ 10 Lethal/4 NL
2nd: Elemental
3rd: Celes @ 4 NL; Iralynash @ 3 NL; Jebidiah @ 4 NL; Falzeal @ 3 NL

Jebediah finds all this very spooky none the less the fearless Halfling makes his way into the chamber as he draws his shiny new mithril dagger.

I just realized that I was improperly applying the lightning elemental's mastery to you, Lukas. He wouldn't have had the +3 to hit. Sadly, this doesn't matter as he would have hit you anyway. Also, I have been forgetting the high ground bonus to hit as it is hovering 5' to 6' off the floor.

Jebediah draws his dagger as he moves into the room. He doesn't move with any particular avoidance in mind, as such the cloud of electricity attacks him.

Slam: 1d20 + 5 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 5 + 3 + 1 = 16

Jebidiah's halfling luck must be working as the electricity shoots past him and zaps the nearby stone wall, sending a shower of rock chips throughout the room.

Initiative:
1st: Lukas-Unconscious @ 10 Lethal/4 NL
2nd: Elemental
3rd: Celes @ 4 NL; Iralynash @ 3 NL; Falzeal @ 3 NL; Jebidiah @ 4 NL

Can I even hit it with my melee weapon?

You can.

-Posted with Wayfinder

Falwell evokes an arrow of force and sends it blasting into the cloud.

Force Missile: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2

Celes, seeing Lukas drops, steps up and does her best to end the threat before it overwhelms them all.

free 5' up, power attack swing with battle axe 2-handed. Current AC will be 17 since I lose buckler bonus

PA axe: 1d20 + 5 - 1 ⇒ (2) + 5 - 1 = 61d6 + 6 ⇒ (3) + 6 = 9

And I trip over my own hairy feet O.o Too bad, that was pretty decent damage for a halfling lol

Celes moves forward as a force of energy whizzes past her head, slamming into the cloud. She swings her battleaxe at the elemental as well, but loses her balance and flails about uselessly.

Initiative:
1st: Lukas-Unconscious @ 10 Lethal/4 NL
2nd: Elemental @ 2 damage
3rd: Celes @ 4 NL; Iralynash @ 3 NL; Falzeal @ 3 NL; Jebidiah @ 4 NL

Stepping forward Iralynash draws and drinks his mutagem.

The cloud of energy lashes out at a random adventurer: Jebidiah. 1d4 ⇒ 1

Slam: 1d20 + 5 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (12) + 5 + 3 + 1 = 21
Damage: 1d4 + 1d3 ⇒ (3) + (3) = 6

Jebidiah's halfling luck has apparently run out as the cloud shocks him, almost sending him into unconsciousness.

Initiative:
1st: Lukas-Unconscious @ 10 Lethal/4 NL
2nd: Elemental
3rd: Celes @ 4 NL; Iralynash @ 3 NL; Falzeal @ 3 NL; Jebidiah-Staggered @ 6 Lethal/4 NL