GM-CariMac's Shades of Ice Part II (Inactive)

Game Master CariMac

A Pathfinder Society Scenario designed for 1st to 5th level characters (Tiers: 1-2 and 4-5).

Following the trail of the insidious Shadow Lodge from Trollheim to the Icebound city of Whitethrone in the witch-ruled nation of Irrisen, the PCs must locate the hidden lodge of their contact’s kidnapper. Can they get past the city’s defenses, infiltrate the Shadow Lodge headquarters and rescue the Pathfinder Society’s valuable ally, or will they—like so many before them—find their bones ground to make Baba Yaga’s bread?

Spackle wipes the foam on his sleeve as he waits for the rest of the team.

Zero enters the room, ready for a fight as always. "We will find Skagni at all costs."

Carina faintly curtsies as she enters, shuffling her harrow deck absentmindedly.

.

Prothero joins his traveling companions, pleased that for once it looks he'll be working with a team he's come to know.

In order to gain entry to the country, you joined a mixed caravan of merchants and hunters on a diplomatic mission to Irrisen and disguised themselves as simple merchant guards or warriors. With this ruse, they managed to pass the notoriously well guarded Irrisen border, with its bizarre chicken-legged huts, and were just outside the city of Irrisen when two large bands of ice trolls led by Irrisen soldiers beset the caravan.

You fled unharmed while the massive trolls ruthlessly slaughtered the entire caravan. At present you find themselves outside the city of Whitethrone looking for a way in. The trouble is, Irrisen’s capital city recently outlawed the presence of Pathfinders, meaning you have to be crafty, creative, or stealthy to get in and find the missing Pathfinder historian Rognvald Skagni.

Are there any purchases you want to make back in Trollheim before you left with the caravan?

A biting wind blows from the north and snow blows in blinding drifts amid numbing fog. The bone-white walls of Whitethrone, capital of Irrisen and home of Baba Yaga’s white witch daughters, rises into the frigid northern night. Somewhere within is the Shadow Lodge headquarters hinted at in Trollheim where the poor historian Rognvald Skagni is being held.

Reaching this point was a difficult challenge, but gaining entry into the city itself presents the greatest obstacle yet.

You need to get inside Whitethrone.

Map

The above are the three suggested ways to get into the city. If you can think of another way, let me know what that might be.

"While it is not my area of expertise, a lie or a bribe may be the best way in," reads Zero's transcription of his thoughts on the matter. "The others are too risky, even more so for those less athletically inclined among us. We can all chip in a small amount to make a sizable sum."

"Well now Statue, ye mightin' be right 'bout that. We could try ta talk our way in, but thet is it own can 'o worms. Ah kin take the lead on that, but only ifin the rest 'o yuz 'r game."

Carina looks thoughtful for a moment, before a brief startle. "I have an idea, but it's a little dangerous for one of us, and that person can't be me."

"One of the things that worked on while at the Grand Lodge was transcribing the mission reports for a pack of Pathfinders that were sent to the Elemental Plane of Air." She shudders briefly, "Such awful handwriting.... In any case, Each of them described in their report a means to manipulate the wind to their benefit, and I'm sure that I can replicate that feat. However, I can only carry 3 others along with myself, but we can float in along the surface of the water and come up in the docks. Seeing that we are 5, that leaves one man out. I can offer that man a cast spell of Invisibility though, so they can sneak in the front gate."

I have the 'Foe of All Winds' boon on Carina(Via GM credit), as well as 3 Air affinities. This would allow me to cast Wind Walk at a Caster Level 10 once per scenario. This would be effectively 10 hours of the level for Carina and 3 others. (The chronicle sheet that the boon in question is on in now on Carina's character page, though upside down.)

I took a look. Wind Walk and Invisibility is certainly an option.

"Well now, yer all such upstandin' citizens that'n Ah'm 'maginin' Ah'm the sneakiest o' the lot of us. Mightin' have ta be Ah'm the one ta take the disappearin'. 'Sides, I gots the best chance ta talk me way outta any trouble ifin' it should come ta that. 'Nlessin' anyone gots a better plan?"

Perception w/ Detect Magic (for traps/ambush): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (6) + 7 = 13
Stealth +Invis: 1d20 + 10 + 20 ⇒ (6) + 10 + 20 = 36
Assuming we go for it.

Prothero nods along to Carina's suggestion, quite impressed with her abilities.

Sorry to be absent, still pretty busy - but I support the excellent plan Carina has come up with.

That's enough votes for the plan.

Carina casts Invisibility on Spackle, and he sneaks toward the city following a Merchant caravan in case he's spotted. He is not.

Carina casts Wind Walk on the rest of the party. They rush into the city above the waves. As they are traveling a huge wave pushes up a chunk of ice. If you had been on the ground, it would have swamped you. Possibly causing some injuries and freezing you.

The guards look up as you pass by, but do not notice anything.

Where did you want to meet up? I put Spackle on the map where he came in the city and Carina on the map where I understood the rest of the party to be entering while flying.

Could we have arranged to meet at the 'eastern-most' bar or some such thing?

That works, Spackle...First bar on the road you come in on after the first intersection. (I'd really want you have some distance between the gate and you.) Does that work?

Do we have any clue where to find the Shadow Lodge within the city?

Sounds good. I don't think we have any leads there yet, Carina, unless we got one of the survivors to tell us anything. That didn't seem to work, though.

The group makes it's way to the nearest bar. It's named the "Ice Fox". You have no problems finding your way. You hit the street that goes toward the eastern gate, and follow it until you reach the intersection. Then track back to the last tavern you saw.

The letter you found on Runa White gives you directions to the shadow lodge which is called Auntie Marny’s Bitter Brew. You won't have any trouble finding the building with her map. Getting there with no trouble. That's the trick.

I need two stealth rolls from the character with the lowest stealth. This is to see if you avoid the guards on the way. Unless the group has another idea.

Well, Lowest stealth would be me. Using my Harrowed draw on the first one.

Stealth(Harrowed): 1d20 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (7) + 2 + 2 = 11

Stealth: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (7) + 2 = 9

oi.

Yeah oi

As the party moves through the city. Carina catches the notice of the Iron Guard. Something about the Varisian makes them think Pathfinder.

The make sergeant yells at the group. "Halt and drop your weapons." At the same time the two female corporals unsheathe theirs.

Round 1 Bold May Go
Map is Updated
Prothero: 24
Spackle: 21
Zero and Carina can decide who goes first. You had the same initiative modifier.
Zero: 20
Carina: 20
Baddies: 20
Archon: 17

DM - I've been very busy lately and posting in a hurry, forgot to have someone use my wand of mage armor on me before we set off flying and infiltrating. If possible, I'd like to retcon that and have mage armor up.

Prothero considers the situation a moment and decides against immediate violence, hoping some of his more silver-tongued companions can find a peaceful solution and avoid setting the entire city against them.

Still, he can see where this is likely going, and calls on his inner energies to protect him just in case.

Use 1 ki point (1/7 used today) for barkskin. AC now 22.

No probelm Prothero. Your mage armor is up.

I'd say Carina first. She's more likely to buff or cast a potentially game-changing spell than I am.

Zero raises his empty hands and mimes dropping their contents, then grins and keeps them up as if in surrender. On the all-too-likely chance they don't want to talk, he gets ready to throw a pulled, yet still mighty punch.

Spackle pulls his wand and places a cloud between the team and the guards. "This ain'tin' the reason we're bein' here for, an' these ain't the ones were lookin' ta fight. Let's get outta here afore someone gets 'emselves hurt."

Okay, this is one of those Pbp things. In person, I could ask the table if they were alright with me dropping the cloud (it got some mixed reviews last time). I figured we got caught trying to sneak around and that we were actively attempting to avoid a fight with the locals. Apologies now if I am reading this wrong. GM, if the table does not want the cloud, would you allow me to start Inspire Courage instead?

Carina nods to Spackle's plan, as she picks up her pace away from the guard. "Then we flee. If they stay insistent though, I'll drop the mist so you can start mistcutting quickly," she says quietly.

Is this fight inevitable? If it is, then Carina will drop the Obscuring mist, so Spackle can start performing on the same turn.

@ Spackle: Yes I would. If you decide the fight is inevitable then you may switch to IC @Carina it may not be. They won't be talked down,
but running is an option.

The two female guards are lost in the sea of mist, but the Sargent moves up to zero and swings. "Halt and surrender!" He hits Zero, but Zero hits him right back.

Round 1/2 Bold May Go
Prothero: 24
Spackle: 21
Carina: 20
Zero: 20 8 Damage
Baddies: 20 Sargent 7 NL
Archon: 17

"Should have known it would come to this," Prothero mutters as he moves into a better shooting position and slips his bow from his shoulder. He quickly nocks and releases an arrow at the leader of the guards!

Move action to get into position and draw bow, standard to shoot at sergeant (purple).

Longbow attack, PBS, Inspired, Deadly Aim: 1d20 + 11 + 1 - 1 ⇒ (16) + 11 + 1 - 1 = 27
Longbow damage, PBS: 1d8 + 3 + 1 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 3 + 1 + 1 + 2 = 9

With mage armor, AC is now 26.

Zero sighs audibly and continues punching.

Attack vs. Purple: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (13) + 8 = 21
Damage, Nonlethal: 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6

Flurry Attack vs. Purple: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (11) + 8 = 19
Damage, Nonlethal: 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8

Extra Flurry Attack vs. Purple: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (6) + 8 = 14
Damage, Nonlethal: 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7

Carina sighs in synchronicity with Zero, and lifts her scarf off of her waist, before whispering a few words and unleashing a wave of bright light upon the patrol, just missing Zero.

Move action - draw weapon.
Standard action - cast Color Spray. DC 16 Will. I hit all three of them in that. (Literally that was the perfect set-up for a cone spell)

I didn't line them up like that on purpose.

Round 1 Bold May Go
Prothero: 24
Spackle: 21
Carina: 20
Zero: 20 8 Damage
Baddies: 20 Sargent: 37 NL, Blinded and Stunned for 1 round
Corporals: Unconscious for 2 rounds
Archon: 17

The Sargent takes a lot of damage from both Zero and Prothero. Then Carina casts her Color Spray Spell. None of the guards save against it. The Sargent manages to stay standing, but the group hears thumps in the mist as the two women collapse.

"Right! Well, ifin ya'll got thet outta yer system, maybe we kin get ta steppin?"

The gnome ensures the team is all heading away from the guards before moving on himself.

"Agreed, Knockout the leader and let's move. That won't keep them down for too long," Carina says as the wave of coruscating light fades. "I've used alot of resources already." And with that, she'll take off in the direction they need to go.

Archon takes a step to the right and jabs at the sergeant with his longspear. His attack misses. The sergeant attacks Zero, and hits for a bit of damage.

Round 3 Bold May Go

Prothero: 24
Spackle: 21
Carina: 20
Zero: 20 11 Damage
Baddies: 20 Sargeant: 37 NL, Blinded and Stunned for 1 round
Corporals: Unconscious for 2 rounds
Archon: 17

Umm, isn't the Sergeant stunned for a round? We would rather end the fight, so could Archon be botted to run away instead?

Indeed, I thought she was stunned and our plan was to escape.

If we've got two unconscious guards and a sergeant who is blind and stunned, I support the plan of vamoosing out of here.

Honestly, at this point, the fight is over from my spell. Our options are to put them out of their misery or be merciful. The group decided on mercy, so we just bolt.

Bolt it is.

The group leaves the area as the guards are incapacitated. They follow the map, and come to a large, dilapidated building sits crammed between equally dilapidated warehouses and flophouses. Its doors are chained shut, its windows are filled with broken glass and boarded from the inside, and its facade is faded, crumbling, and encrusted with icicles. Faded, hard-to-read letters are painted 10 feet tall across the top of the ruined structure—they read: Auntie Marny’s Bitter Brew.

Inside the Building:

A mass of broken tables, chairs, and barstools clutter the center of this dusty room, and a crumbling bar still stands in front of a broken mirror on the north wall. Three small alcoves in the southwest corner once served as semiprivate bar booths but now host only rubble. The door to a storage room in the northwest corner hangs loose on its hinges, the smell of rotting refuse wafting from within. Two sets of
double doors lead to the street to the south and farther into
the building to the north.

What do you do?

"Well now, we aughtin' ta be takin' a look see 'round here, jest ta be safe."

Perecption: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (3) + 7 = 10
Disable Device: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (15) + 13 = 28 In case that was needed for the chained doors

"Hopefully they will be unable to properly give chase," Zero notes. "I am fairly recognizable, especially here." The oread takes their time of respite to look around, ready to break the door down if such a problem comes to pass.

Perception: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (2) + 10 = 12

After a brief trip from her mage armor wand, Carina cleans herself off. "Well, this is where the map said to come. Let's enter." She gestures toward the door, waiting for someone with more robust defenses to lead the way.

Prothero, bow in hand, moves over to the partially open door of the store room and peers inside. "Wonder what died in here?" he wonders aloud.

It doesn't actually give a DC for the chains. Spackle, your roll is more than enough for a standard lock.

Zero hears some shuffling and low growls coming from the other side of the double doors. Porthero just finds piles of rotting refuse and nothing of value.

The double doors are not locked.

"Something lies beyond this door. An animal of some sort? That is how it sounds. Be ready." Once everyone is, Zero pushes the doors open as lightly as possible, geared for a fight.

The remnants of a once-working brewery are neatly organized around this large, warehouse-like room. Huge metal colanders, giant steel pots, enormous fermenting vessels, and a massive steam boiler stand covered in cobwebs and dust, their edges coated in rust and their support joints and screws popping and bending under years of neglect. At the north end of the room, the floor slopes down to large roller-doors that are chained and boarded shut and the southeast corner of the room holds three tables covered in empty bottles, faded labels, and broken glass. High above the room, thick oaken rafters span east to west and support enormous wooden arches that reach up thirty feet above the floor to the ceiling, the roof pock-marked with holes and bird’s nests.

Round 1 Bold May Go

Carina: 20
Spackle: 16
Prothero: 5 +++
Archon: 5 ++
Zero: 5 +
Doggos: 5

DM - What are the doggos and what are they doing? Your description doesn't mention them. I'll assume they're not acting friendly and post an attack, but depending on your answer, I might ask to withhold the attack.

Prothero steps to where he's got a clean shot into the room and lets a volley of arrows fly!

5-foot step, flurry at red.

Flurry with Longbow, PBS, Deadly Aim: 1d20 + 11 - 1 ⇒ (17) + 11 - 1 = 27
Longbow damage, Deadly Aim: 1d8 + 4 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 4 + 2 = 14

Flurry with Longbow, PBS, Deadly Aim: 1d20 + 11 - 1 ⇒ (13) + 11 - 1 = 23
Longbow damage, Deadly Aim: 1d8 + 4 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 4 + 2 = 7

Carina moves a little forward, depositing a wand in one hand with a flick of her wrist. She extends the stack toward Zero, ready to attack anything that assaults him.

swift action - withdraw magic missile wand
move
Ready to zot the first enemy that attacks Zero

Edit: Oh, I suppose I should give a roll for that.
Magic Missile: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5

Same question here.

Should the dogs seem hostile, Zero steps forward and looks to show them who is in charge, even if it thins the pack a bit.

Unarmed Strike vs. Red: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (13) + 8 = 21
Damage: 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10
Bleed: 1d4 ⇒ 3

Unarmed Strike, Cruelty vs. Red: 1d20 + 8 + 2 ⇒ (9) + 8 + 2 = 19
Damage, Cruelty: 1d8 + 4 + 2 ⇒ (7) + 4 + 2 = 13