GM Endless Forms' PFS 07-19 Labyrinth of Hungry Ghosts (Inactive)

Game Master Mike Tuholski

So you have disobey a direct order from a superior and taking part of a mutiny.
For me such behavior is a sentence to death.

Says Adishrii to the sailors.

But as we are not the law here, but Pathfinders, I will not carry the sentence without my colleagues approval.

She turns to his comrades to know what they want to do with the mutiny crew.

After she listen to Druthane translation of the paladin's words she adds

Can you asks what he remember from the mission ?

Did the crew knows how they get their hands on him ?

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (11) + 0 = 11 Celestial, "Calm down. What do you know of the mission, and what happened to you?"

Druthane thinks for a moment, "We have no way to transport them, I say we leave them here and come back for them later."

Druthane shakes his head a bit. "Let's go then. We're not learning anything sitting around here wagging our tongues. We're damned Pathfinders after all, not Path-talkabout-its."

"Good enough for me," Sündr hops up. Then she frowns as a thought occurs to her, and she switches to a blacker tongue and addresses Druthane.

Turning to the group at large, she shakes her head. "I'll not support killing men who know they've lost. Let's have them come along too!"

Ilzinian insists on coming with you, as he has been there before and might be able to provide insight.

You travel further in to the jungle on top of the rock. A crack in the earth splits the ground here, most of it covered by thick weeds and the roots of a huge strangler fig tree. Below the tangled roots is a deep shaft that descends into the gloom.

The heavy door to the second level has been chopped to pieces, though you can tell it once depicted an immense scowling face.

The spiral stairs descend 80 feet from the Hall of the Flesh Eaters to a large mist-filled chamber. The floor is spattered with dried bloodstains and the body of an unfortunate Pathfinder has been tossed in the northwest corner. A glowing longspear lies near the body.

The mist grants all creatures more than 20 feet away concealment (25% miss chance) and a +5 bonus to Stealth checks.

As you enter the room though, you are disturbed by two things: first, there is a terrifying undead with glowing eyes shambling about and second, the mist coiling about the undead seems itself to be alive and hungry!

Initiative:

1. Sickly Sam and Druthane
2. Baddies
3. Adishrii, Jaysin, and Sundr

Sickly Sam and Druthane are up!

Engineering: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (17) + 6 = 23

Hmm, someone used an adamantine sword to laboriously destroy this door. Jaysin looks to see if their new friend might have such a sword...

I don't like baggage... I'll see how the team plays it.

Engineering: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (9) + 11 = 20 Druthane looks at the smashed door, "Agreed Jaysin."

"Bloody hells!" Religion to ID: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (16) + 10 = 26 Druthane steps back and fires a ray at the undead Disrupt Undead: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (15) + 7 = 22 for DMG: 1d6 ⇒ 5

Swift action to enter Kirin Style

*cough* "I cannot let this *cough* pass!" bellows Sam as he figuratively charges the creature in the hungry ... fog? ;-)

As he strikes, you see that his form actually looks it take on a martial fighting stance.

Defensive Pick to the Face! @ Glowy Eyes: 1d20 + 8 - 2 ⇒ (1) + 8 - 2 = 7
Damage: 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5

As he cleaves forward, he trips over a rock though and nearly tumbles to the ground, saved only by the point of the pick lodging into the stoneworked floor.

AC is 26. +4 to AC from Crane Style+Fighting Defensively+Acrobatics 3 Ranks.

Heal DC19: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (19) + 2 = 21
Know. Religion (the undead): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (17) + 8 = 25
Know. Religion (the mist): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (15) + 8 = 23

Druthane recognizes the humanoid undead as a wight. Their attacks can drain life force from their victims but they are susceptible to magic that can raise the dead, which destroys them. However, anyone slain by a wight in turn becomes a wight very soon after.

Dungeoneering to ID the mist.

Druthane's spell hits the wight in the chest! Sickly Sam bravely wades into the room to face the wight and the mist directly! His attack misses and the wight, which pulls a spear from its own back and steps further into the fog to stab at Sam!

+1 longspear: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (14) + 12 = 26
damage: 1d8 + 8 ⇒ (3) + 8 = 11
DC 18 Fort save against a negative level

The fog then moves over Sam....

You can make an AoO against the fog or you can make a DC 17 Ref save to jump back or to the side and avoid being engulfed.
engulf negative energy damage: 3d6 ⇒ (6, 1, 6) = 13 plus staggered

Initiative:

1. Sickly Sam and Druthane
2. Baddies
3. Adishrii, Jaysin, and Sundr

wight: 5 dmg

You guys are up!

Druthane spends a look at the fog, Dungeoneering: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (14) + 12 = 26
And closes on it with his blade in a sharp downward swing, charging his blade with arcane fire on the way Assuming his knowledge check doesn't dissuade him from choosing fire. AC versus AoO is 23.

ATK: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (13) + 9 = 22 for DMG: 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (7) + 4 = 11 Fire: 2d6 ⇒ (3, 4) = 7

Seems like a good time for one of these...

Bow: 1d20 + 15 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 15 + 2 = 18 for Undead Bane Arrow: 1d8 + 12 + 2d6 ⇒ (5) + 12 + (3, 6) = 26

Damn that fletcher! I'll kill him if I don't die in this place!

That's a mighty expensive treasure to lose at the perfect time. I'd use a reroll on that...

@EF there is no save against the negative level of the wight. The save is only to know if 24h later it will become permanent or not

Know. Dungeoneering: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (8) + 5 = 13

Adishrii prepares for the fight to come and asks Achaekek for her blessing.

Achaekek Give me the blessing of the warrior !

War Blessing : choose at the start on my turn +1 AC, +2 Save, +10 land speed or +1 attack bonus

Ah, I keep forgetting I have the Portfolio now after getting the Humble Bundle. Since this thing could dish out a few negative levels I think I'll use it here.

Bow: 1d20 + 15 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 15 + 2 = 18 for Arrow: 1d8 + 12 + 2d6 ⇒ (1) + 12 + (2, 1) = 16

You must be kidding, LOL.

Bloody hell. Sorry man... I think it was time to use it, but ugh...

Uh oh.

Inherently distrustful of creatures that fight without a cause she understands, Sündr keeps to the doorway and begins a rousing ballad.

"Hark! A rotted foe,
Come to plague the living!
But fear not!
Where might and steel might fail,
Magic will overcome!"

Inspired rage again, choose it or not at the beginning of your turn each round.

Fort: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8
Reflex: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 5 = 8

Sam learns his lesson as the fog invades his body, ravaging his already weak immune system. "A-heh... A-heh... Water is the essence of wetness." he says, remembering his father's parable.

Staggering by the longspear that stabbed his kidney and the hungry mist invading his lungs, he flees from the fight.

Standard Action Withdraw. 30'

"Get out of here! I'll cover you until death!"

-Posted with Wayfinder

Yes, Adishrii is right about the negative level. I was misremembering it.

Druthane recognizes the mist as a type of hungry fog. Magical weapons are required to be effective against them and they are immune to acid, electricity, and sonic damage. They also resist some cold damage. They are attuned to negative energy and thus are favored teammates of undead.

---

Moved Druthane since it sounds like you are next to the fog but you were still in the same place on the map.

Druthane then charges in against the fog, hoping to help poor Sickly Sam from his predicament. Jaysin thinks he has the perfect arrow for the job but unfortunately has the worst luck ever. Don't forget when you miss a shot you have a 50% chance of recovering the arrow. So you might be able to use it again later.

Adishrii prepares to join the fight as Sundr inspires everyone's anger against the foes. Sickly Sam decides that sometimes retreat is the best option when you are outmatched.

---

The wight cackles and stabs at Druthane through the mist:

+1 longspear: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (12) + 12 = 24
damage: 1d8 + 8 ⇒ (4) + 8 = 12
Plus a negative level

The mist is silent and ominous as it rolls over Druthane...

You can make an AoO against the fog or you can make a DC 17 Ref save to jump back or to the side and avoid being engulfed.
engulf negative energy damage: 3d6 ⇒ (5, 2, 3) = 10 plus staggered

Initiative:

1. Sickly Sam and Druthane
2. Baddies
3. Adishrii, Jaysin, and Sundr

wight: 5 dmg
fog: 18 dmg

You guys are up!

Adishrii searches for her oil of bless weapon and applies it on her sword.

choose +2 to save

hard to do this in PbP, but if the wight went after me I'd have used Arcane Shield as an immediate action, which would mean it's a miss. I'll defer to GM ruling.

-Posted with Wayfinder

Ref: 1d20 + 5 + 1 ⇒ (12) + 5 + 1 = 18 Druthane's resolve remains as steel. Without a Crack in concentration he jumps back from the mist. His entire body crackles with the constant stream of Arcane power.

His eyes flash lightning blue, "Death or glory!"

-Posted with Wayfinder

Jaysin grits his teeth and pulls out his second Bane arrow, aiming for the wight again. This one better be made correctly!

First arrow of the Manyshot will be the Bane arrow. I guess that arrow is +2 to hit over the roll.

Bow: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (20) + 13 = 33 for Bane!: 1d8 + 12 + 2d6 ⇒ (3) + 12 + (5, 2) = 22 and Manyshot: 1d8 + 12 ⇒ (4) + 12 = 16
Bow: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (19) + 13 = 32 for Arrow: 1d8 + 12 ⇒ (3) + 12 = 15
Bow: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (5) + 8 = 13 for Arrow: 1d8 + 12 ⇒ (5) + 12 = 17

Confirm?: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (4) + 13 = 17 for Bane!: 2d8 + 24 ⇒ (1, 8) + 24 = 33 plus Does the extra Bane damage multiply?: 4d6 ⇒ (4, 5, 6, 6) = 21 Bah, may not matter.

BOOM! we needed that. Like Sundr, Druthane's actions depend on the result of Jasyn's attacks

-Posted with Wayfinder

Sam, on the verge of death, hides in the stairwell.

-Posted with Wayfinder

@Druthane: I will allow arcane shield this time because it seems reasonable. But it reminds me that I need to add those types of situations to the "before-game" notes I've been working on; I generally prefer immediate actions or response actions like that to be specified ahead of time with the condition that sets it off. In the future I'm going to request that people use their rerolls this way too, since that's also a tricky thing to do over PbP. So at the beginning of the game ideally people will specify "I use my reroll if I roll less than 5 on a save against a spell", etc.

---

Jaysin proves his wits and skill by pulling out a special arrow and driving it deep into the wight's chest. Two other arrows also leave the wight severely wounded but still moving.

Initiative:

1. Sickly Sam and Druthane
2. Baddies
3. Adishrii, Jaysin, and Sundr

wight: 58 dmg
fog: 18 dmg

Sundr and Druthane are up!

yeah I completely understand. I'll put the macros in the Discussion tab shortly.

-Posted with Wayfinder

Druthane looks at his party, then clenched his jaw before stepping towards the wight. He repeats through the clenched jaw, "Death or glory."

katana : 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (16) + 9 = 25 for DMG if hit : 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8 and Fire: 2d6 ⇒ (1, 5) = 6

-Posted with Wayfinder

I'll definitely use it again if the wight survives.

-Posted with Wayfinder

Sündr moves into the room, readying to enter the fray. She keeps up her chant and...

In the stairwell, Sam nearly keels over. "Ugh... Father always said I was too dumb to die properly." he says as he pulls back a hand covered in blood, but the wound seems to have staunched itself.

Sorry to leave you all hanging on the edge of your seats; this is just a very busy week for me so it will be hard to post more than once every 24 hours and my posts are certainly coming later than usual in the day as well.

With a precise swing of his katana Druthane dispatches the wight! Satisfied with this outcome, Sundr calmly applies an oil to her blade to prepare for the fight with the fog, which is ominously reaching its tendrils out towards Druthane....

touch attack: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (2) + 5 = 7
negative energy: 6d6 ⇒ (4, 5, 2, 1, 3, 2) = 17

Initiative:

1. Sickly Sam and Druthane
2. Fog
3. Adishrii, Jaysin, and Sundr

fog: 18 dmg

You guys are up!

Sam slouches down and rests as the exhaustion and wounds have caught up to him.

Hold Action.

Truly, Desna smiles! No worries EF, real life comes first. Though Sundr and I have been doing a lot of speculating! I'll post when I can see my full character sheet.

-Posted with Wayfinder

Unsure if he can actually attack a fog, Jaysin reaches for a number of ghost-salted arrows and gives it a go!

Bow: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (20) + 13 = 33 for Damage: 1d8 + 12 ⇒ (5) + 12 = 17 and Manyshot: 1d8 + 12 ⇒ (4) + 12 = 16
Bow: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (3) + 13 = 16 for Damage: 1d8 + 12 ⇒ (1) + 12 = 13
Bow: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (6) + 8 = 14 for Damage: 1d8 + 12 ⇒ (7) + 12 = 19

Confirm?: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (12) + 13 = 25 for Damage: 2d8 + 24 ⇒ (2, 6) + 24 = 32

"To battle!
Axes high!
Grim death! Bright glory!
To battle!"

Sündr charges the, er, fog.

Greataxe, Charge, Power Attack, Reckless Abandon @ Fog: 1d20 + 9 + 2 - 1 + 1 ⇒ (9) + 9 + 2 - 1 + 1 = 20
Magic Slashing Damage: 1d12 + 7 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 7 + 3 + 1 = 12

AC is reduced to a whopping 13. Touch is 7.

Adishrii decides to benefice from the rage song of Sündr and taking her weapon two handed strike the strange fog.

Sawtoothsabre (two-handed): 1d20 + 9 + 1 ⇒ (9) + 9 + 1 = 19
Damages: 1d8 + 7 + 6 ⇒ (7) + 7 + 6 = 20

Druthane returns his focus on the fog. The elf breaths deeply, having gone from being prepared to death to thoughts of victory in the blink of an eye. Holding his blade in 2 hands he wills the coat of flame to continue as he brings it down through the middle:
With Raging Song: 1d20 + 9 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 9 + 1 = 16 for Katana DMG: 1d8 + 5 ⇒ (8) + 5 = 13 and Fire: 2d6 ⇒ (3, 1) = 4

"Dammit, Sam! Don't die on us! We're almost through this one!"

Jaysin's arrows, Sundr's axe, Adishrii's sabre, Druthane's katana, and Sam's sickly demeanor all work together to tear the fog apart!

Out of combat!

Ilzinian wanders into the room, his eyes flitting over the corpse in the corner. He says something to Druthane.

Seeing Sam in a very bad shape, Adishrii comes to him and begins using his wand on him.

@Sam feel free to use your wand :)

"I had flashbacks to that time I was tasked with the Silvermont Collection. Well done Well done!" Druthane ignores their new charge and checks on Sam, "You're lucky to be alive at all." He looks the man over, "You need more clerical magic than we have on hand."

Once Adishrii takes over he turns to Ilzinian, "What manner of spellcaster be you sir?" (What injuries does he sport?) "We have a mission we must complete, but we will give him a proper burial, I assure you."

Jaysin sighs and collects his durable arrows. He then finds the defective undead bane arrow and looks to see if its any good.

High is good: 1d100 ⇒ 74

Jaysin grunts and readjusts the feathers of the arrow and places it back in his quiver. I probably should get a refund on it, assuming we live long enough to make it back.

"Huzzah! Some nasty fellows, those were. Fine shooting, Jaysin!" Sündr slaps the archer on the back. "I'm a-comin' Sam!" She saunters over to the miner and pokes him with a wand.

I'll use my wand to contribute some. CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4

"Burial, eh? Might be a good time for it. I know the perfect song, very somber," she chatters with a grin.

Waiting on Ilzinian's answer before deciding on the course of action.

Druthane trusts in Sundr's triage and aid. Before leaving, Druthane will also search the room carefully.

Once Adishrii takes over he turns to Ilzinian, "What manner of spellcaster be you sir?" (What injuries does he sport?) "We have a mission we must complete, but we will give him a proper burial, I assure you."

The wight had +1 longspear. Also in the corner is a folding boat and a candle of spirit protection, a potion of heroism and 55 gp.

Ilzinian helps you carry the body of his friend out of the Labyrinth and bury it. He looks to Druthane and speaks again after the deed is done.

"Hey, nifty!" Sündr gives the longspear a twirl. "Magicked and everything! What's the Shelynite saying?"

Sam, any interest in the longspear? Might keep you out of trouble until we can procure a restoration. I'll defer to the group but a rest might be in order, since we've got two weeks to work with and Druthane's arcane pool is running low.