GM Erich's Salvation Of The Sages (Subtier 10-11) (Inactive)

Game Master Thereus, Silver Crusader

@Theo As far as you know, it is covered. The area behind you (off the map) is not. As you step on the bones and crunch a few of them, more come to take their place.

@Vladek need a concentration check to cast while grappled

@Rogar, not really a creature, but why not?

Knowledge Religion: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (15) + 5 = 20

Q: Can this be attack with physical attacks?

Ahh! These buried dead seek to drag the living down into their restless graves! Evad calls out.

My first thought is to help free Rogar; but as he is greased up pulling free doesn't seem the best plan; so I would lean toward attacking the undead.

But since he is greased, I would probably delay to see if he frees himself...does that work?

Rok trudges forward through the grasping hands the best that he can before deciding that that monolith is a long ways away, he draws on the latent power of this cursed graveyard and casts barkskin on himself.

Single move forward, use place magic for +1 CL for one round, cast barkskin.

Seeing Vlakek start to cast a spell, Rok casts liberating command as an immediate action.

@Vlakek, make an escape artist check with a +14 competence bonus before your concentration check.

They can be attacked and damaged to free oneself. But they regenerate so fast as to be dangerous again next round.

I can use my teleportation school power to get out. Can I go "off the map to get out? Sorry for all the questions

Spare your liberating command, Rok; my concentration bonus is actually a bit better.

concentration: 1d20 + 19 ⇒ (12) + 19 = 31

"I forgot my sledgehammer at the ranch. Amenopheus, how do we destroy this monolith?"

@Rogar Yes, you may. The sandstorm and grasping hands are on this map only.

Amenopheus shouts into the blasts of sand battering down on you. "It's hard to say unless we get closer to it. But I've never seen an obstacle that couldn't be reasoned through! The sledgehammer might work too!"

Theodric looks at the dwarves to see if any of them have a warhammer or something heavy looking at their belt... the heavy pick at Rogar's belt could do... "Rogar! are you planning to use that heavy pick?!"

"Theodric can you get it over here?"

Rogar teleports away a bit and grabs his pick from his backpack. 5' as swift, cast magic missile at the pillar.

did my knowledge arcana get anything about the pillar?

Bolts of force fly from his fingers. "Maybe this will damage it?I"

magic missile: 5d4 + 5 ⇒ (1, 1, 3, 3, 4) + 5 = 17

Seems Rogar doesn't need my help, so...

Evad races across through the greedy undead toward the monolith.

Double move - 60'

@Rogar, because of the sandstorm you cant see the monolith to target it. You need to be adjacent to it to benefit from knowledge checks.

can I change my action?

@evad I'm good thanks though? :)

@rogar Sure

I moved the tokens that Vladek teleported, hopefully those spots work.

Magor silently casts some sort of spell on the monolith, and then sinks into the stone beneath his feet.

can we teleport blindly closer to the monolith or is the sand storm too bad? Can my earth elemental more closer too it under the ground? Then i'll have an area to teleport too. Sorry for all the questions. Do t mean to hold up the game

At the very start of the encounter you could see the monolith rise. That is how you were able to ddoor to it. Now it is obscured by the sandstorm.

if you want to use your masonry tools to damage, treat tools as an improvised weapon. 1d4+str

Rogar uses his teleport power to move out of the grasp of the undead and casts shield he sends his earth elemental under ground. It moves towards the monolith.

Qadathra greases the dwarf and flies into the maelstrom. Evad races away as Rok moves forward with purpose and toughens his hide. As the arms grab at him, he twists them off easily at the joint and tosses the fragment aside. More arms reach from below, but fail to grasp his legs. Yes, they can be damaged by physical attacks (for purpose of escaping their grasp), but they will regenerate every turn

As the group move forward through the grasping arms, they can see the edge of the hazard ahead. Shown in yellow, so basically the entire SW corner of the map is the hazard

Theodric takes the pick from Rogar before he blips away. Vladek ensures the rest of the group joins hands and sends them instantaneously to the monolith in his mind's eye. To their surprise, the grasping arms have not followed. Once there, Magor begins to weaken the 15 foot high stone monolith and Amenopheus circles it, studying the strange sigils upon it. "Fascinating!" he exclaims.

Suddenly you hear the sounds of huge stony footfalls approaching from the east. Although you can't see any creatures yet, intense pains in your stomach signal that something is not right.

Need a fort save from Evad, Qadathra, Theodric, and Vladek vs fatigue (not a poison effect)

Grasping Graves: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (18) + 12 = 30 ineffectual

Round 2 - Full Round (bold may act)
Grasping Graves
Monolith (Hairline fractures)
Black Creature
Evad (Delay poison)
Rok (Cloak of Shade, Delay Poison, Mage Armor, Barkskin)
Qadathra (False life)
Blue Creature
Red Creature
Theodric (Delay poison)
Rogar (Mage armor, grease, shield) -5 hp
Earth Elemental
Vladek (Ward of the Season, Mage armor, Greater false life) -7 hp
Magor (Ward of the Season, in ground) -9 hp
Amenopheus -10 hp

Reminder that vision is still limited to 30 feet everywhere and the battlefield in the SW corner of the map is difficult terrain due to the grasping graves condition

At the sound of huge stony footfalls Rok shifts into a massive tiger, eight foot tall at the shoulder and it's magnificent strippes reflecting a celestial glow.

Hearing from his allies that there is an edge, Rok makes a straight line east. Towards the footsteps.

Planer Wild Shape into a celestial dire tiger. Move action due east.

Fortitude save: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (14) + 8 = 22 note my array of situational modifiers

@DM and Theodric: Please note that Theodric has also been graced with the lucky number spell ('12') - both those spells were my own, not the scrolls.

Fortitude save: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (19) + 8 = 27

Qadathra makes his way to Vladek's shoulder, then reaches out and uses the strength wand on Theodric.

Fort Save: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (13) + 10 = 23

Assume that's a pass, if not I'll retcon

Evad races out of the undead hands and nears the monolith, stopping short he summons his ki and his skin hardens.

Move - move; Standard - Ki point to cast Barkskin

Evad and Vladek feel immense pains of starvation overcome them and their stomachs tie up in knots. Both are fatigued and taking nonlethal damage per turn

Evad races out of the grasping arms to prepare for battle. Qadathra bolsters Theodric with the gift of strength.

Rok transforms and prowls forward. As he does, dozens of hideous undead breach the sandstorm, ambling toward him with shrieking mouths and filthy claws. Need a fort save from Rok vs fatigue

Evad starvation damage: 2d6 ⇒ (6, 4) = 10
Vladek starvation damage: 2d6 ⇒ (5, 1) = 6

Still need a fort save from Theodric vs fatigue

Round 2 - Full Round (bold may act)
Grasping Graves
Monolith (Hairline fractures)
Black Creature
Evad (Delay poison, barkskin) <fatigued, starving> -10 hp (nonlethal)
Rok (Cloak of Shade, Delay Poison, Mage Armor, Barkskin)
Qadathra (False life)
Blue Horde
Red Horde
Theodric (Delay poison, bull's strength)
Rogar (Mage armor, grease, shield) -5 hp
Earth Elemental
Vladek (Ward of the Season, Mage armor, Greater false life) <fatigued, starving> -6 hp (nonlethal) -7 hp (lethal)
Magor (Ward of the Season. in ground) -9 hp
Amenopheus -10 hp

Reminder that vision is still limited to 30 feet everywhere and the battlefield in the SW corner of the map is difficult terrain due to the grasping graves condition

fortitude: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (12) + 16 = 28 +3 vs. poison, spells, and spell-like abilities, +2 vs. enchantments, +4 vs. fey and plant-targeted effects, +4 vs. death

As the horde of undead comes out of the sandstorm, Rok yells out; "Need some fire or lightning! Thirty feet east of me!"

Theodric Fort Save vs. Fatigue: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (2) + 11 = 13 (+4 vs. fear, +3 vs. poison, +1 vs. mind-affecting; Theodric also has a slotted clear spindle ioun stone that sustains him without food or water)

After smashing the monolith with the pick (see discussion thread), Theodric says, "You learned scholars figure out this pillar of death; I'll try to slow these things down!"

Free action to drop the pick.

Move action south to get to the spirits (buckler already on; draws falcata as he goes).

Standard action to hit them:
+1 Keen Falcata with Bull's Strength, Two-Handed, Buckler -1: 1d20 + 25 - 1 ⇒ (18) + 25 - 1 = 42 for 1d8 + 18 ⇒ (7) + 18 = 25 magic and slashing damage.
CONFIRM CRIT: 1d20 + 25 - 1 ⇒ (12) + 25 - 1 = 36 for 1d8 + 18 + 1d8 + 18 ⇒ (2) + 18 + (1) + 18 = 39 magic and slashing damage.

Rogar uses dimensional shift and moves 15'. Then casts fly on himself and moves closer to the party to get a better view of the undead. His elemental friend stays under the ground and moves closer to the monolith.

@GM thanks...I needed to read the thread better.

@Rogar I just gave you an earth elemental token to use for your familliar

Knowledge (Religion), Secrets of the Sphinx: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (7) + 12 = 19

Vladek suddenly finds himself thinking of hot black squid dumplings...and then a modest portion of hell breaks loose over the ghastly legion.

bludgeoning damage: 3d6 ⇒ (6, 1, 3) = 10 + 50% = 15?
fire damage: 2d6 ⇒ (1, 2) = 3 + 50% = 4?

Magor presses his hand up through the ground and then slowly into the monolith, reshaping it to his will. Under his magic, the stone flattens out and becomes more vulnerable.

Theodric moves forward, fatigued by the supernatural aura, but turns it into a magnificent set of strikes that shatters the horde of ghasts he faces. Rogar flies forward just in time to see Vladek step forward and lay doom into the battlefield deep in the sandstorm. The nearest horde shrieks and dissipates into the sandstorm.

Since there is limited vision, I moved Vladek just far enough to ensure he didn't target Theo with his spell.

Magor slides up and reshapes the monolith into a thinner target. Amenopheus moves forward and drops a fireball into the fray. Rok watches as that horde dissipates as well.

Out of the sandstorm, a huge skeleton stumbles forward, the bones and skulls of countless smaller creatures dribble from the joints and rib cage and it unleashes a torrent of broken bones from its gaping maw. Almost instantaneously, the monolith sigils glow bright and a burst of vile energy sweeps the battlefield.

Need fort save from Rogar for starvation
Need reflex saves from Evad, Vladek, Qadathra for bone shards
Need will saves from Evad, Vladek, Qadathra, Rogar, Theo for monolith burst

Theo Starvation damage: 2d6 ⇒ (5, 1) = 6
Horde reflex: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (6) + 9 = 15
Grasping Graves: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (2) + 12 = 14
Bone Shard damage (bludgeoning): 12d6 ⇒ (6, 4, 2, 4, 1, 3, 6, 5, 2, 6, 5, 2) = 46 Reflex save for half
Monolith damage (neg energy): 6d6 ⇒ (5, 5, 2, 3, 1, 2) = 18 Will save for half

Round 3 - Full Round (bold may act)
Grasping Graves
Black Creature
Monolith (Hairline fractures, thinner)
Evad (Delay poison, barkskin) <fatigued, starving> -10 hp (nonlethal) -46 -18 <need reflex and will save>
Rok (Cloak of Shade, Delay Poison, Mage Armor, Barkskin)
Qadathra (False life) -46 -18 <need reflex and will save>
Theodric (Delay poison, bull's strength) <fatigued, starving> -6 hp (nonlethal) -18 <need will save>
Rogar (Mage armor, grease, shield) -5 hp -18 <need fort and will save>
Earth Elemental (in ground)
Vladek (Ward of the Season, Mage armor, Greater false life) <fatigued, starving> -6 hp (nonlethal) -7 hp (lethal) -46 -18 <need reflex and will save>
Magor (Ward of the Season, in ground) -9 hp
Amenopheus -42 hp

Reminder that vision is still limited to 30 feet everywhere and the battlefield in the SW corner of the map (and now the red x) is difficult terrain due to the grasping graves condition

Knowledge (Religion): 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (12) + 10 = 22

Vladek doesn't recognize this horror...

Reflex save: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (15) + 8 = 23 +2 if it qualifies as a death effect...at any rate, I'll venture to assume that succeeds

...but that doesn't stop him from reacting to its monstrous emesis almost before it happens, leaving a brief trail of afterimages as he skates out of the way of most of it! Also eerie is the way he seems unfazed by the many numerous bone fragments that do strike him...

Will save: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (4) + 10 = 14 +2 if it qualifies as a death effect, +1 if it's a writing-based danger like a glyph/rune/sigil/symbol kinda thing

...but the same cannot be said for the wave of baleful power from the monolith, which he seemed quite unprepared for. He looks back at it with a reproachful stare....

Reflex save, Improved Evasion!!!: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (12) + 10 = 22

Qadathra literally vanishes for a moment when the barf-of-bones hits...

Will save: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (15) + 13 = 28

...and he barely seems to notice the wave of negative energy.

He can tell it hurt Vladek, though, and that makes him upset. He points a wand of red gold shaped like a dragon's maw at the monolith, and from it erupts a blazing azure beam!

scorching ray wand vs monolith: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (9) + 10 = 19
fire damage: 4d6 ⇒ (3, 6, 4, 3) = 16

Fort save: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (4) + 10 = 14 +2 if spell effect

Will: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (16) + 13 = 29

Rogar flies up 15' more feet and starts casting a full round spell. His earth elemental goes deeper in the ground to escape danger.

20' up now. casting summon monster VI

"Dammed bones!"

Happy New Year!

Reflex save: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (8) + 10 = 18
Will save: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (16) + 10 = 26
Know Religion: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (19) + 5 = 24

It's a Gashadokuro, an enormous skeleton that came into being as a result of mass starvation! Evad informs the others.

Will post actions after results of saves are know, cause it will likely be different, depending

@Evad reflex fails, will succeeds

@Rogar your fort save fails, since you'll take some (continual) damage, I'll need a concentration check for the spell

Rok trudges through the grasping hands, through the volcanic ash towards the sounds of footsteps. Should have been a bird.

@Vladek, What is your bonus vs SR? I'm rolling for you assuming it is +13. Let me know if it is more.

Volcanic Storm vs Rok SR: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (4) + 13 = 17 Pass

Finally seeing the giant undead skeleton, Rok centers his ki to evade this monsters strikes and desert itself even aids Rok in his approach as it surrounds him with a mirage. Then he circles around the huge creature, preventing it from getting any closer to the monolith.

Move action closer, swift action Ki dodge (+4 AC), free action heat shimmer (20% miss chance as blur), move action again.

Since we are going in initiative order, if Evad provokes an attack from the creature, Rok will not use the Ki point. @Evad; if you want to delay so that Rok takes the AoO, please do.

Badly damaged by the bone shards, Evad retreats behind the monolith drawing his wand of mage armor. He taps himself with the wand before shifting into panther style.

UMD on Wand: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (10) + 10 = 20

move to move and draw, standard - UMD, swift - panther style

Theodric Will save vs. monolith dmg: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (20) + 3 = 23

Theodric 5-foot steps to the right and proceeds lose himself against the huge undead creature with the martial routines he has practiced for thousands of hours throughout his life.

Full Attack; Two-weapon Fighting, Combat Expertise; +1 Keen Falcata 1st strike, Flanking, Bull's Strength, Fatigued: 1d20 + 23 - 3 + 2 - 1 ⇒ (9) + 23 - 3 + 2 - 1 = 30 for 1d8 + 15 - 1 ⇒ (2) + 15 - 1 = 16 magical and slashing damage.

Full Attack; Two-weapon Fighting, Combat Expertise; +1 Keen Falcata 2nd strike, Flanking, Bull's Strength, Fatigued: 1d20 + 18 - 3 + 2 - 1 ⇒ (19) + 18 - 3 + 2 - 1 = 35 for 1d8 + 15 - 1 ⇒ (8) + 15 - 1 = 22 magical and slashing damage.

Full Attack; Two-weapon Fighting, Combat Expertise; shield bash with Bashing Poison-resistant Buckler +1, Flanking, Bull's Strength, Fatigued: 1d20 + 18 - 3 + 2 - 1 ⇒ (14) + 18 - 3 + 2 - 1 = 30 for 1d6 + 6 - 1 ⇒ (4) + 6 - 1 = 9 magical and bludgeoning damage.

CONFIRM CRIT ON 2nd FALCATA STRIKE: 1d20 + 18 - 3 + 2 - 1 ⇒ (15) + 18 - 3 + 2 - 1 = 31 for 1d8 + 15 - 1 + 1d8 + 15 - 1 ⇒ (7) + 15 - 1 + (3) + 15 - 1 = 38 magical and slashing damage.

AC 31 + 3 CE - 1 Fatigued = AC 33

@Vladek you also failed the reflex (so did your familiar) and the will save. I believe you are still up due to your greater false life, but you will take more starvation damage at the end of your turn. There are a few rocks strewn about, but no sizeable objects.

Evad retreats and strengthens his defenses. Rok joins the fray. The creature swings and misses. Qadathra focuses on the monolith but barely scorches it. Theodric steps into the skeletal monstrosity and strikes high and low. He can feel that the falcata is not the ideal weapon for the job, but one strike lands particularly well.

Rogar begins to cast, but the starvation pangs hit hard.

Evad starvation damage: 2d6 ⇒ (4, 2) = 6
Theo starvation damage: 2d6 ⇒ (1, 5) = 6
Rogar starvation damage: 2d6 ⇒ (3, 5) = 8
Gashadokuro AOO: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (9) + 18 = 27

Round 3 - Full Round (bold may act)
Grasping Graves
Black Creature -65 hp
Monolith (Hairline fractures, thinner) -5 hp
Evad (Delay poison, barkskin, mage armor) <fatigued, starving> -16 hp (nonlethal) -32 hp (lethal)
Rok (Cloak of Shade, Delay Poison, Mage Armor, Barkskin)
Qadathra (False life) -32 hp
Theodric (Delay poison, bull's strength) <fatigued, starving> -12 hp (nonlethal) -9 hp (lethal)
Rogar (Mage armor, grease, shield) <fatigued, starving> -8 hp (nonlethal) -14 hp (lethal) <need concentration check>
Earth Elemental (in ground)
Vladek (Ward of the Season, Mage armor, Greater false life) <fatigued, starving> -6 hp (nonlethal) -71 hp (lethal)
Magor (Ward of the Season, in ground) -9 hp
Amenopheus -42 hp

Reminder that vision is still limited to 30 feet everywhere and the battlefield in the SW corner of the map (and now the red x) is difficult terrain due to the grasping graves condition

Also, remember that none of the black walls are actually there, they are ghostly images of where the walls used to be.

'23' fails??? JEEZUS....

Vladek buckles under the horrible assault, but somehow remains standing.

Quite unlikely to survive such an attack twice, he regresses his flesh to moments ago, so that the worst of his injuries may as well not have happened...

Healing Hex on self: 2d8 + 10 ⇒ (6, 8) + 10 = 24

...then ascends bodily into the air (Flight Hex)!

@Vladek, aren't those both standard action hexes? I'll assume you at least moved away.

Vladek heals his wounds. As he does he quickly realizes that his hex did nothing to cure the hunger pains. the nonlethal damage was not healed by the healing hex

vladek starvation: 2d6 ⇒ (6, 1) = 7

Round 3 - Full Round (bold may act)
Grasping Graves
Black Creature -65 hp
Monolith (Hairline fractures, thinner) -5 hp
Evad (Delay poison, barkskin, mage armor) <fatigued, starving> -16 hp (nonlethal) -32 hp (lethal)
Rok (Cloak of Shade, Delay Poison, Mage Armor, Barkskin)
Qadathra (False Life)-32 hp
Theodric (Delay poison, bull's strength) <fatigued, starving> -12 hp (nonlethal) -9 hp (lethal)
Rogar (Mage armor, grease, shield) <fatigued, starving> -8 hp (nonlethal) -14 hp (lethal) <need concentration check>
Earth Elemental (in ground)
Vladek (Ward of the Season, Mage armor, Gr False Life) <fatigued, starving> -13 hp (nonlethal) -47 hp (lethal)
Magor (Ward of the Season, in ground) -9 hp
Amenopheus -42 hp

@Vladek, aren't those both standard action hexes? I'll assume you at least moved away.

It's hard to say; maybe a "RAW vs RAI" thing. I've been allowed to do it the way I did before.

I'm going to have to go with this then..

Unless otherwise noted, using a hex is a standard action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity.

You can still move and get out of the way of the breath weapon, at least.

concentration: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (3) + 18 = 21

Magor erupts from the ground shouting at Theodric to use a different weapon for this new monster, his hands gliding across the monolith as he speaks.

@magor resistances = normal undead traits and channel resistance, damage resistance that bludgeoning gets through

Just wanted to note, I failed my reflex so I think my damage should be higher, unless I missed something.

Improved Evasion?