GM Doug Henderson’s The Haunting of Hinojai (Closed) (Inactive)

Game Master Fiasko

Whatever seemed so spooky to Honaire must have passed...Which is to say, strangely, you don’t need to make Will saves.

You may poke around this room if you like. Otherwise, you have 3 doors, where would you like to go next.

Estra finishes her metaphysical sweep of the room. "Hrm. No spirits. So what you touched your mind then, dear?" She raises her eyebrows at Honaire; wisps of mist arch on his own transparent face.

"Regardless, someone made a mess of the place. But why?" She begins picking through the disarray, nudging things with her cane. Honaire floats around the room's edges, alert for any signs of danger.
Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5
Perception, Honaire: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (4) + 9 = 13
Any sense of how long ago this happened?

Estra doesn’t notice anything unusual. All of this destruction seems to have happened decades and decades ago.

The Artist Formerly Known As Cudak Tanagak glowers about the room.

Perception: 1d20 + 4 + 2 ⇒ (17) + 4 + 2 = 23

Gorf looks around too, specifically searching for signs of anyone coming through here recently.

1d20 ⇒ 3 +10 for perception or +11 for survival, whichever is more appropriate to look for signs of passage.

NeitherCudak nor Gorf notice anything unusual about the room either, aside from the destroyed furnishings.

Let's go through the leftmost door, if there is one.

Yes, the leftmost door would be the one directly across from the entrance.

let's go!

Onward! Leftmost door sounds good.

”Hold a moment.” Honaire floats to, and partially through the wall; his head and shoulders disappear. The barest hint of his face pokes through the other side.

Stealth, not sure on the mod: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 3 = 9 (on my phone)
Perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (11) + 9 = 20

Honaire takes a look through the wall, and reports back the following:

The door directly across from the entrance leads to an atrium.

The ceiling of this large spacious atrium (30x60) extends two stories high, with staircases on the north and south walls leading to an overlooking balcony.

A rock garden dominates the center of the room; a large wooden frame filled with clean white sand, large mossy stones, and small pruned trees.

Adding to the sense of luxury, paintings and woodcuts of exquisite beauty adorn the eastern wall.

A balcony on the second floor overlooks the garden from the east side.

On the ground floor there is no exterior western wall; rather, the atrium opens out to a wooden porch. Honair wasn’t at a good angle to see out the open wall.

The interior rock garden has been groomed. A wooden extending rake leans in the southeastern corner.

There are two doors in the eastern wall and a third door in the northern wall, across the atrium, 60’ away.

Honaire doesn’t notice anything else, other than the rock garden has been tended.

In goes The Artist Formerly Known as Cudak Tanagak.

In goes The Artist Formerly Known as Cudak Tanagak.

Great! What would you like to do?

The Artist Formerly Known As Cudak Tanagak will slowly enter the room, inspecting the rock garden (but staying out of it), and the art on the Eastern wall.

Perception: 1d20 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 + 2 = 8
Perception: 1d20 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (14) + 2 + 2 = 18

Gorf slowly and quietly moves toward the eastern wall, intending to climb up the wall (rather than the staircase) and get a peek at what's on and beyond that balcony. Climb speed 20ft, fatigued Climb take-10 is 27.

Daisley enters as well. Her weapon is not drawn, and she looks around carefully.

Estra looks over her shoulder at Honaire, then tilts her chin up towards whichever balcony Gorf isn't crawling towards. The phantom makes a mock salute; an ephemeral smile twists across his face.

Estra snorts, expelling the half-remembered smell of incense from her nostrils, and taps her way into the space. Casting detect undead.
She clucks her tongue at The Artist Formerly "Careful, careful. You don't want to be surprised by the opening act, eh tunesmith?"

Which side of the room have we entered on? Southern? Eastern?

You have entered from the south. There is only one balcony, along the eastern wall, but there are two sets of stairs to it. I’ve actually just posted a map, because this room is a little complicated to describe. It’s also my favorite room in the house! Please place yourselves where you would like. (That will help me with things like detect undead too.)

Estra tries to detect for undead, but doesn’t sense any within 60’. Gorf climbs up to the balcony to take a peek and sees there is a sliding door up there that leads into the second floor.

Everyone can see, through the open wall, that there is another garden to the west of the house.

Estra continues scanning the room with her augmented senses, focusing on the western exterior if the room is clear.

Honaire prowls the upper balcony. When Gorf crawls his way up the wall, Honaire floats to the side and makes a sweeping "after you" gesture.

If they don't encounter anything out of the ordinary, the phantom dips his head and shoulders through the eastern wall to get a glimpse of the adjoining room.

Stealth: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (20) + 3 = 23
Perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (1) + 9 = 10

OK, hold the phone. Gorf only climbed up and peeked over, did Honair actually walk up to the balcony and start looking around? (I don’t think he has incorporeal flight yet.) If so, something may be happening and that 10 perception ain’t enough to notice...

Oh, yep, he walked up—sorry, just been flavoring the hovering thing!

No problem! But he should make a will save followed by a fort save. I’ll describe what happens depending on how well he does. The is a mind-affecting fear affect if he has any bonuses.

Will save: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (14) + 9 = 23
Fort save: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (16) + 6 = 22

I added a compass rose to the map; the directions are a bit confusing. I think Cudak is on the Eastern side now?

Appraise; Heroism: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 = 8
Appraise; Heroism: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (10) + 2 = 12

Thanks Doug. Yes, I believe Cudak is on the Eastern side. I’m assuming Estra has Comprehend Languages up, as something happens on the balcony!

Honair is blinded! As the spectral image of a blindfolded Tian man appears over top of him.

The spectral image of a Tian woman in a flowing nightgown appears before Honaire. She laughs and beckons to him, ducking around him with ease.

Honaire is compelled to plead, “I loved you! Why would you do this to me?”

With a lurch he makes a blind grab for her, but she ducks away and instead the image of the Tian man tumbles over the railing and lands heavily on the floor with his neck snapped.

From atop the balcony, the woman answers—whispering, “For immortality” before fading away.

Honaire is no longer blind and the party may act.

They’re difficult to see because of the way I copied this map, but there are 2 doors on the eastern wall on the ground floor of this room. I’m just thinking maybe the party should clear the grind floor first rather than go up and down. I’m worried you’re going to lose track of where you haven’t been. I can also post a map of the entrance if that will help.

The Artist Formerly Known as Cudak Tanagak will try to enjoy the rock garden.

I've been feeling kinda stuck here—I feel like the idea of a lover reaching immortality has uncomfortable and sorrowful connotations for Estra, given her husband is her phantom. I haven't been able to sit down and write that in a satisfying way, though.
Let's just say she and Honaire have a melancholy moment before moving on?

While Estra and Honaire have their moment, the rest of you notice a few things...

Daisley peers at the garden. "This is odd, isn't it? Look at the way these birds have died. They weren't eaten by predators or curled up in illness. It's almost as if they just suddenly dropped from the sky dead. The squirrels, too: look, this one still clutches a nut."

Gorf looks out into the garden to the West. "Y'sure you wanna head out into that fog, there Cudak?"

Any knowledge skill to ID this fog?

The Artist Formerly Known As Cudak Tanagak remembers to cast heightened awareness and steps closer to peer at the fog.

What, you don’t think this is just a regular fog cloud on a chilly, damp hill top creeping innocently toward the house? Knowledge Dungeoneering may tell you more!

As Cudak peers at the fog, he can see that within the cloud dance the indistinct shapes of twisted, spooky ghosts!

I think the jig is up, so I’m going to go ahead and roll initiative!

Daisley
Estra
Gorf
The Artist Formerly Known As Cudak Tanagak
The Fog

The party may act!

The Artist Formerly Known As Cudak Tanagak growls when he sees the ghosts. He squeaks. that's not a normal fog bank…

knowledge(dungeoneering): 1d20 + 8 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 8 + 2 + 2 = 27

its most deadly/famous special attack and its DR.

Hungry fog! Use magic weaponry and it will engulf and stagger you!

Cudak will draw his +1 lucrene hammer and start his skald song.

There's this ooze that's been on my mind
All the time, Soo-Soo-Oozeio, oh oh
I know it's no fog, I know its name
But I think it's hungry all the same
Soo-Soo-Oozeio, oh oh…

Inspired rage: +2 strength, con, and will saves (morale); -1 AC. While under the effects of inspired rage, allies other than the skald cannot use any Charisma-, Dexterity-, or Intelligence-based skills (except Acrobatics, Fly, Intimidate, and Ride) or any ability that requires patience or concentration. You can decide at the start of each turn whether to accept it.

Daisley does not accept the rage quite yet.

The half-elf pulls out her greatsword.

"If that thing can be stabbed, then I know what to do! Remember, have each other's backs and cover each other's movements. We're a team here; act like it."

Using my tactician ability! Everyone now has the teamwork feat Escape Route: An ally who also has this feat provokes no attacks of opportunity for moving through squares adjacent to you or within your space.

Honaire glides across the courtyard to take up position behind The Artist Formerly Known As Cudak Tanagak and Daisley.

"Back! Hold them back! As one!" His voices is a muted cry of resolute anger. His face flickers and twists. Accepting raging song.
Echoes of that resolution settle on his ally's shoulders, a thin, silvery film on minds and bodies alike.
As long as you're within 10 feet of Honaire, you get +2 to AC and CMD, and +2 on saving throws.

GM Doug: Honaire can and will use Bodyguard to boost folks AC 4 times a round, though he has to be adjacent to both them and the enemy. And, for the moment, the enemy has to be incorporeal I'll roll those in case it comes up.

"Ooh, now there's some fire in the old veins. Just so, young lady!"
Estra smiles thinly and closes her eyes; the infinite swaying censers writhe to become a thousand thousand bladed pendulums. A shimmering jade longsword appears before the advancing fog, carving an arc through its substance. Casting spiritual weapon.
Ghostly longsword: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (9) + 9 = 18
Force damage: 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5

Gorf climbs down and, slinging his musket off his back, moves into a position away from the party so they can't all be engulfed at once. Double move, drawing his weapon as part of the second move.

The fog rolls hungrily forward, strange shapes and ghostly images floating inside. A thin, wispy tendril of mist, so light and delicate, reaches out to touch The Artist Formerly Known As Cudak Tanagak‘s delectable face.

Touch: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (10) + 5 = 15
Negative Engergy Damage: 6d6 ⇒ (6, 1, 1, 4, 4, 6) = 22

Back to the top of the round!

Daisley
Estra
Gorf
The Artist Formerly Known As Cudak Tanagak
The Fog -5

"Dang, y'all right there The Artist Formerly Known as damn this name is too dang long to be shoutin' right now Cudak Tanagak?" Gorf bounds over to the far side of the room and with a deafening *BANG* smoke erupts from the end of his rifle as he fires at the cloud.

touch attack, deadly aim, fatigued: 1d20 + 15 - 2 - 1 ⇒ (18) + 15 - 2 - 1 = 30
damage (magic B/P), deadly aim, fatigued: 1d10 + 6 + 4 - 1 ⇒ (10) + 6 + 4 - 1 = 19

Does it look like the spiritual weapon did full force damage, but the gun did less? Or would Honaire recognize similarities between himself and the fog?
Trying to decide if it's worth risking him getting engulfed so he can make an attack to test whether or not it's incorporeal...

Are we on a balcony, or can we exit to the ground there?

I think this monster, like so many others, is very much designed to trick players into thinking it’s one thing when it’s actually another. But the spiritual weapon and the bullet both did full damage.

Yes, you can exit to the ground, let’s just say it’s difficult terrain to step down.