Cleft Head - Before attempting a Bluff, Escape Artist, Perform, or Sleight of Hand check during this adventure, a PC can decide to roll twice and take the higher result. Each PC can use this benefit once before the end of the adventure.
Steel Eaters - Each PC gains a +5 bonus on any Day Job checks performed at the end of this adventure.
Murdered Child - At the start of an encounter, each PC can choose to gain the Precise Strike feat (Pathfinder RPG Advanced Player’s Guide167) for the duration of the encounter. Each PC can use this benefit once before the end of the adventure.
Bloodied Gauntlet: Each PC can use martial flexibility as a 1st-level brawler (Pathfinder RPG Advanced Class Guide23) once before the end of the adventure; if a PC already has the martial flexibility class feature, she gains 1 additional use per day for the rest of the adventure.
Kaa swings hard with his conjured blade. He misses with his first strike, but deals massive damage with the second. The thief, wide eyed, just nods and turns to book it without any of his spoils.
| Witch 12 | AC 15 (19 w/Mage Armor) T 14 FF 12 | HP 86/86 ( 12 temp HP)| F+12,R+11,W+13 | Evasion | Init +3 | Perc +18 | Lowlight Vision | +2 to recover from continuous effects such as such as ongoing poison damage, daily saving throws against disease, a hold person spell, or lingering damage from an attack |
If there is still a barrel moving by invisible means, Tess casts Glitterdust center on the barrel.
D.C. 18 Will to resist, but should be coated in shiny glitter anyway!
Hania marches up and strikes one of the thieves with her blade. Seeing that his raid is quickly going south, he abandons his goal of grabbing more goods and turns to flee empty-handed
Will:1d20 - 2 ⇒ (2) - 2 = 0
Tess's glitterdust outlines a thief carrying the hovering barrel! He doesn't seem so sure about what to do now... especially as his vision seems to have been affected.
The weeds grab at Jezebel's legs as the orcs up top fire a volley of arrows at her.
Since Jaysin doesn't really have line of sight anymore to any of the scouts, I'll go ahead and have them act now. I'll still resolve Jaysin's actions before theirs in case something changes, but this way I can let Jezebel act.
If not, I'll move to a place that I can at least get a single shot off, if its safe to do so. I know one of those colors is entangle, not sure about the other off the top of my head.
As the last orcs perish or flee, the Twinhorns reassemble the caravan and gather the fallen. Night begins to fall, swallowing up the road and leaving the caravan stranded in a pool of torchlight. Medda stands atop the new lead wagon, blood dripping from her breastplate. She holds Ivvora’s hilt aloft and shouts, “Twinhorns! We are only two days from the stone circle and have two days until the winter solstice.” A nimbus of light begins to radiate from the hilt, illuminating the entire valley in bright light. “Abandon the wagons and carry with you what you need to survive. We must reach the circle in time, or darkness will consume us.”
Bodies litter the valley, but fortunately most of them belong to orcs. Even so, the Twinhorns have lost many of their warriors and may not be at their full fighting strength for whatever lies ahead.
@Table GMs: The Bloodied Convoy condition on page 31 is in effect. This concludes Part 1.
“My Pathfinder allies, thank you for bringing us much needed support,” says Medda, the Twinhorn following’s spiritual leader. She stands beside Anok, her phantom and constant companion. “After the orc ambush sapped our supplies and strength, we pushed north to our winter home. We are only hours away from the stone circle and our encampment—if we are going to make it there by midnight, we need to press on. Once there, we will use Ivvora’s hilt to perform our time-honored ritual and keep evil from our lands.” Medda produces the small hilt of a broken weapon with only a fragment of its black metal blade remaining. “Let us move. There are dangers in these ancient woods: orc raiders, bears that topple trees, and worse. Stay in groups and don’t get lost.”
As the Kellids and Pathfinders reach the top of the hill next to the Twinhorn encampment, they notice splashes of blood and the occasional corpse dotting the landscape. Medda raises her voice, calling, “My brethren, our families are under attack! Secure the camp and drive back any who oppose you. Pathfinder allies, join us in defense of our home!” The landscape opens into a burned hillside where blackened trees stand like lifeless sentinels. A crude blockade shields the entrance to a natural cavern.
@Table GMs: You have 9 days to run encounter H on page 32. If you finish early, you may proceed to encounter I on page 34.
It has been 2 days of travel from the orc ambush to this point, so you are all rested and reaching the end of the the day when this call is given. It is safe to assume that you have all cast any of your usual all-day or beginning of day buffs.
The Kellids begin giving orders to several groups of Pathfinders to defend different sections of the barricade. You are all rapidly guided to one of the sections looking quite the worse for wear. As soon as you leave the encampment, the undead working to bring down the walls turn and begin to approach...
The dead trees make it difficult to get a full view of the foes (dead trees grant cover and count as difficult terrain) but there appears to be a main force of 3 horrid looking creatures. Two walking corpses seem nearly skeletal, but their eyes glow with a deep crimson glow. The third looks as though it was charred or desiccated, and trails of smoke exude from its empty eye sockets.
Knowledge (religion) DC 16:
The gaunt skeletal figure is a Ragewight Undead. Similar to cairn wights, these burn with the fury of a warrior who has had their burial place disturbed or robbed.
For every 5 that you beat the DC, you may ask for one piece of information from this
list .
Knowledge (religion) DC 18:
The charred emaciated creature is a Bodak extraplanar undead. Its flesh looks dried, taut, and desiccated, though it possesses a strange, otherworldly sheen. Its body is disproportionate and distinctly androgynous. Hairless and with only vague hints of facial structure, the bodak's eyes are deep set in their sockets and constantly weep foul-smelling smoky vapors.
For every 5 that you beat the DC, you may ask for one piece of information from this list .
Male Human (Taldan) Fighter (Archer) [8.1] | HP 60/60 | AC 24 T 17 FF 18 | CMB +10 CMD 27 | F+8 R+10 W+4 | Perc +3 | Init +8 | Acro/Climb/Swim/Escape +11 | SM +5 | Survival +4 | Ling +8 **Arrows : Durable Adamantine unless otherwise stated**
Jaysin decides to start trying to knock these creatures down. He'll use his silver-blanched cold iron durable arrows unless one of the religious-knowing in the party tells him otherwise.
Bodaks (the red one) have a horrid Gaze attack capable of chipping away at your soul.
People within 30 ft of a Bodak may be subjected to it's Death's Gaze, which can deal negative levels to those who fail a fortitude save. I recommend reviewing the rules for gaze attacks.
| Witch 12 | AC 15 (19 w/Mage Armor) T 14 FF 12 | HP 86/86 ( 12 temp HP)| F+12,R+11,W+13 | Evasion | Init +3 | Perc +18 | Lowlight Vision | +2 to recover from continuous effects such as such as ongoing poison damage, daily saving throws against disease, a hold person spell, or lingering damage from an attack |
Assuming Jaysin is shooting at orange since that's the only one in the first range increment for him.
Jaysin fires off a barrage of arrows, but only the last one manages to navigate the small gaps between the trees and branches to strike the front ragewight.
The Bodak begins to slowly lumber forward.
Round 1:
Jaysin
Chak
Kaa
Tess
Red Bodak
Jezebel
Orange Ragewight (-16)
Blue Ragewight
Hania
Jezabel frowns, the toll the orc attack took on the caravan not sitting well on her shoulders. "Jest holler if ya think that Bo-Dak needs a little metal in his diet." +1 Horachalcum Pistol vs Orange (Vs Normal AC, Deadly Aim, Hasted):1d20 + 15 - 3 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 15 - 3 + 1 = 21 Damage:1d8 + 5 + 1 + 6 ⇒ (2) + 5 + 1 + 6 = 14
She winces, knowing that averting her eyes from the bodak is going to be nothing but a headache for her.
I fully expect that they will get +4 cover from that shot, but I do not wish to presume.
| Witch 12 | AC 15 (19 w/Mage Armor) T 14 FF 12 | HP 86/86 ( 12 temp HP)| F+12,R+11,W+13 | Evasion | Init +3 | Perc +18 | Lowlight Vision | +2 to recover from continuous effects such as such as ongoing poison damage, daily saving throws against disease, a hold person spell, or lingering damage from an attack |
One of the ragewights collapses to the ground in a heap and the red glow in its eyes flares up, then goes out. The Bodak begins to rend at Hania...
Slams:1d20 + 9 ⇒ (17) + 9 = 261d20 + 9 ⇒ (1) + 9 = 10Miss due to smite
Hania, once your turn starts you'll have to decide if you wish to avert your gaze from the Bodak, or push through. If you avert your gaze you'll have a 50% chance of avoiding the gaze altogether at the cost of a 50% miss chance when attacking. Let me know which you are planning to do.
Round 1:
Hania
Round 2:
Jaysin
Chak
Kaa
Tess
Red Bodak
Jezebel
Blue Ragewight
Jezebel opens up on the ragewight but of her shots only 2 manage to pierce it's bony exterior. The horrid creature howls in pain and rushes forward and begins it's assault. It drags its greatsword along the dirt as it rushes, then lunges forward, cutting first into Kaa...
Power Attack vs Kaa:1d20 + 12 - 3 ⇒ (20) + 12 - 3 = 29 Confirm?:1d20 + 12 - 3 ⇒ (13) + 12 - 3 = 22Thankfully does not confirm...
Kaa takes an opportunistic swing but is obviously taken aback by the undead's boldness. Though it drains him of his life-force, he steps back and casts a spell as he unleashes a flurry of offense. Spell Combat and Spellstrike for Touch of Fatigue for the extra attack.
Kaa returns the assault with a devastating attack of his own. The wight evades the 2nd swing, but the third crushes it's ribcage inward, resulting on a horrible wail from the creature. It remains standing, refusing to give up the fight, likely due to it's unworldly rage more than any remaining necrotic energy holding it together.
| Witch 12 | AC 15 (19 w/Mage Armor) T 14 FF 12 | HP 86/86 ( 12 temp HP)| F+12,R+11,W+13 | Evasion | Init +3 | Perc +18 | Lowlight Vision | +2 to recover from continuous effects such as such as ongoing poison damage, daily saving throws against disease, a hold person spell, or lingering damage from an attack |
Tess withdraws 30' due to the left, silently cursing herself for getting too close to the undead.
Chak/Tess: Correct, it does not threaten off turn. I just left the lunge note in it's line for the AC penalty. If Tess wishes to change her action I'll allow it since we're still waiting for Jaysin.
Hania: A folio reroll may be merited for that if you wish... Also, your smite damage decreases with negative levels as well.
Chak finishes off the final ragewight before it can continue its onslaught!
Hania calls on the full power of Shelyn and rends at it three times, leaving it with barely enough energy to stand.
| Witch 12 | AC 15 (19 w/Mage Armor) T 14 FF 12 | HP 86/86 ( 12 temp HP)| F+12,R+11,W+13 | Evasion | Init +3 | Perc +18 | Lowlight Vision | +2 to recover from continuous effects such as such as ongoing poison damage, daily saving throws against disease, a hold person spell, or lingering damage from an attack |
In her weakened condition, Tess isn't going to get close enough to threaten the bodak this round.
Unfortunately the following roll there kinda says this was destined to be. But at the very least...
Jaysin fires another volley of arrows... the first pair clips branches and impacts with little force, failing to puncture the Bodak's armored hide. The second shot however pierces deep and a blast of negative energy escapes the monstrosity. With the third shot, it crumbles to the ground, a husk once again... although with the horrors that befall these grounds it may not be for long. For now at least, this side of the encampment is safe.
As you look behind however, you see that many of Medda's followers are packing up, ready to abandon camp.
You look drained, depleted and sapped of vital energy. I have something for that here.
Chak retrieves another scroll out of his haversack.
I'ts one of my more difficult, complex, and puzzling scrolls to read, but I can try it, unless someone here can read it with less effort, strain, and exertion.
Hania smiles at Chak. "Thank you so much, Chak, it's true I really don't feel well right now. I could try to use the scroll, but the health that monster drained out of me also limits my spell casting. I will try, if none of the rest of you think you can do better with it."
See discussion for post on how difficult the check is for Hania.
Hania sighs in relief. "Thank you, friend Chak. I will buy you a new scroll at the first opportunity."
Hania then looks at their companions who were affected by the ragewight. "Can I do anything to ease your condition? Do any of you need healing?Willing to use anyone's wand on them, or to use a few charges off of mine, if you don't have one. Also willing to use LoH if you're badly hurt or need any mercies.
Male Human (Taldan) Fighter (Archer) [8.1] | HP 60/60 | AC 24 T 17 FF 18 | CMB +10 CMD 27 | F+8 R+10 W+4 | Perc +3 | Init +8 | Acro/Climb/Swim/Escape +11 | SM +5 | Survival +4 | Ling +8 **Arrows : Durable Adamantine unless otherwise stated**
Jaysin proceeds to collect his arrows again while the party recovers from the grueling battle. He'll offer the use of his healing stick if the item is needed by others.
Hania takes another look, and sees how badly some of her companions are injured. She grasps her holy symbol and prays, asking for Shelyn's grace to wash away the wounds of her friends.
used up 4 LoH, +23 HP to everyone. Kaa is now full, Jezebel is almost full, only Tess is still -16.
Hania notices how injured Tess still looks, and walks over to her. As Hania continues to pray, she briefly rests a hand on Tess's arm, and Tess can feel the healing wash over her.
