GM Lamplighter: PFS #4-07 "Severing Ties" (Inactive)

Game Master Scott Young

(OOC: I've added both the glyph and the magical aura on the wall to the map, but remember that you need detect magic to see it.)

Soth-Loren advances to a point not quite halfway down the hall, concentrates a moment, and studies the floor intensely. Esmerelda and Aliera back him up, with the others following behind, alert for any trickery. The chanting of the Lissalan service continues in the background, uninterrupted.

As Soth-Loren concentrates, you all hear the unmistakable sound of a rough material sliding over stone, seemingly coming from the wall to your left, in the area of the magical aura. The wall appears unchanged; the sound was more like a creature on the other side of the wall, but heard very clearly. Then you hear a shuffling sound and a faint metallic "clink" coming from the same area, followed by a low-throated growl.

Updated map - note, you are heading north, which is down on this map (for technical reasons, this is easier to make the map).

"What is that sound? Sounds like an animal." Andrazi whispers to no one in particular. He steps forward next to Soth-Loren.

Always thought it was so dumb that it takes Know Arcana to understand a Cleric-Only spell.

"I am not familiar with the wizardly-ways well enough to be able to discern this Glyphs intent. It might explode, or it might instead releaseth another magic, should it be crossed."

Is that dead lizard looking thing Esy's pet or part of the map's terrain?

I'll hold up a moment, take out som chalk and make a little marker around the Glyph on my side, and also jot down a few notes in my pathfinder journal of our encounter to this point.

Leastrie motions for the others to come closer. Perhaps we should decide on a course of action. Maybe we could throw something on the floor to set off the glyph. Or maybe whatever we hear is being held back and will be released if we trip the glyph. Perhaps we should just make ourselves known. We are supposed to be bringing the Lissalans something after all. I welcome your thoughts, though I think we need to make a decision quickly.

"What do the "magics" think?"

"I believe it is time to knock and announce the presence of the Aspis Consortium. We have about as good a position as it is reasonably possible to be in, given the circumstances. Since we are here to make a delivery perhaps they themselves will disable any wards, making our lives easier."

"Soundeth like a solid enough plan. Perhaps some of the more bousterous members" looking at Ranvar, "might even be able to go out of their way to dirsupt the cremony going on with vieled insults and annoyances to make our presence know?"

"Time to make an entrance then."

"So much for cloak dagger"

He says pulling his hood cloak back and looking sadly at his dagger. lol

Leastrie calls out loudly. Hello in there, we come representing Agent Jenks and the Consortium. We have some gifts from the Consortium. He turns back to the group. I suggest we retreat back to the intersection, to better defend ourselves if need be.

Eleanor nods at Leastrie, "Agreed." Then louder, so those in the the Ceremony can hear, "and be quick about it. We have better things to do than sit in a hallway and listen to your annoying ceremonies. For Gods' sake, the Consortium has more important things happening in the lavatories of the Fishbowl than in this disgusting rat hole of a temple."

"I'd rather be back with the Calistrians actually. At least they know how to treat a guy. "

"We have better things to do than sit in a hallway and listen to your annoying ceremonies. For Gods' sake, the Consortium has more important things happening in the lavatories of the Fishbowl than in this disgusting rat hole of a temple."

That's more along the lines I was thinking, sort of getting their attention and setting a poor first impression without obviously making them hate us right up front. <Eleanor? :)>

I'll stay right where I'm at, hopefully indicating that we are neither stupid (Glyph trap) nor affraid, but willing to talk rather than fight. My badge is tucked away for now, as is my holy symbols (with obvious exception of the one on my face), weapons still not drawn.

"I didst expect a more dignified meet, even from the Lissalan. I wondereth just how long we are to wait. . .", he says a little louder than he would a normal conversation.

Sorry :( too many E names in my head.

Your comments do not seem to arouse any attention from the Lissalans, although they certainly do from the hidden creature on the far side of the wall - it begins to growl and shuffling back and forth, and you hear a metallic clinking as of chains. The ceremony in the distance seems to have intensified; it is possible that either its noise is drowning you out, or that all of the Lissalans are occupied with the ceremony and the entrance area is unguarded.

Leastrie wil try to say random words out loud, trying to guess a password that might bypass the glyph.

Leastrie starts saying random words aloud. Lashmistress, Lissala, Seven Needles....

Any Ideas?

"Oh come on already..."

I will walk around to see whats there dagger drawn.

Leastrie backs up down the hallway, getting far from the glyph. Going so far as to round the corner and peek back around.

Leastrie ain't got no shame. :)

"Well, it looks to only be about ten feet across. How hard can it be?"

Esmeralda casts "Speak with Animals" and explains to her familiar to jump across the hall floor, and then proceeds to do the same. Once across, she calls back to Aleria, " Just like that!"

Assuming she succeeds that is...

Acrobatics: Esmerelda: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (9) + 2 = 11
Handle Animal: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (5) + 10 = 15
Acrobatics: Aleria: 1d20 + 19 ⇒ (3) + 19 = 22

Initiative:
Andrazi: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (19) + 0 = 19
Esmerelda: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (14) + 4 = 18
Leastrie: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (5) + 6 = 11
Ranvar: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (20) + 3 = 23
Soth-Loren: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (14) + 0 = 14

Initiative order: Ranvar, Andrazi, Esmerelda, Soth-Loren, Leastrie.

While Leastrie mutters various words in an effort to disarm the glyph and Esmerelda begins speaking to her animal companion, Ranvar loses his patience and strides forward. He crosses over the warded area, dagger drawn. There is a soft flash of reddish light from the floor under him as the glyph discharges, and Leastrie winces and darts back from the expected blast. Instead, a faint humming sound comes from the floor and grows into eldritch words spoken in a commanding voice. The words seem to take on almost physical from as they whirl around the area, bouncing off the walls and floor.

Spellcraft - Esmerelda: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (5) + 4 = 9
Spellcraft - Soth-Loren: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (12) + 5 = 17

Suddenly, several things happen at once. The wall immediately to the left of the warded area shimmers for a second and then winks out of existence. Through the new opening, you can see a series of iron bars blocking a 15' wide opening. It appears to a cage in a larger room, with other cages in the distance. There is a surprised growl from the area, and Ranvar's eyes widen in surprise. Soth-Loren is standing next to the new opening as well, and has a full view of the cage room.

Ranvar - Fortitude Save: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (7) - 1 = 6
Soth-Loren - Fortitude Save: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (15) + 4 = 19

Ranvar freezes with a look of horror in his eyes. His face starts to turn a grayish color, which quickly spreads down his neck and across his clothing. In a moment, it is over: Ranvar has been turned to stone.

Actions for the rest of the round, please, based on this new information. note that right now, only Soth-Loren can see into the room and see the creature.

Map update

Esmeralda gasps, horrified, and quickly creates an illusion of dense black smoke filling the entirety of the opening, without looking inside at whatever caused her friend to turn to stone.

1 10x10' cube + 1 10x10 cube /level DC 17

"Your 'Pet' just turned an Aspis agent to stone. In about 15 seconds, you will all die if you are not quick with the removal of this curse!"

Esmeralda moves closer to the sounds of the ceremony, avoiding looking in the direction of the beast.

wait... so im indeed completely dead? like no hope of return or....

In general, they put the solution to a problem inside the campaign. For now, you are stone. Chances are an NPC can fix it, or there will be a potion/scroll/wand cure somewhere. Based on our level, I am guessing NPC.

ok... i was about to say, this is the second time i would have died unexpectedly in pbp without any way of helping it. I know... I know my actions may have been rash, but i though thats what we were supposed to do considering how long we had been messing about i wanted to move things forward :P

Andrazi looks on in shock as Ranvar turns into a statue. "What the f!#*? What can do that?"

Can we get a knowledge check? I'll delay until we know more.

(To move things along, I will assume Soth-Loren shares what he can see with the rest of you.)

Soth-Loren turns his head away from the opening, and yells back,"There is an 8-legged reptile behind the bars, the size of a small man, whose gazes hast great power. Avert thine eyes!"

Knowledge (Arcana) checks:
Esmerelda: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (6) + 5 = 11
Leastrie: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (10) + 6 = 16

How Gaze Attacks Work:If you look at a creature with a gaze attack, you need to roll a save. You can avoid this in two ways:

* you can avert your gaze, looking at the creature's body and away from its eyes, watch its shadow, or track its reflection in a mirror. Every round you have a 50% chance to not need a save, but the creature gains concealment from you, meaning there is a 20% miss chance for your attacks.

* you can close your eyes, turn your back on the creature, or blindfold yourself. This means you don't need to make a save, but the creature gains total concealment from you. You can't target it at all, and don't even know what square it is in. You can attack a square randomly, but there is a 50% miss chance even if you pick the right square.

Also remember, the creature is behind a set of stout iron bars, in case that's not clear on the map.

Based on Soth's description, Leastrie tells the others that they are facing a Basilisk.

See spoiler

Any ideas on how to kill this thing, so we can help Ranvar? Perhaps the Lissalans? We can get to them by facing the wall, closing our eyes and feeling our way down the wall.

"Well if we can get past the bars without turning into lawn ornaments, I say we just stab it blindly. I don't think the Lissalans will help us kill their pet."

Ranvar inside his head:

"Damnit"

I am sticking with the illusion centered on the square I can see, which is a square the basilisk is not in.

"I highly suggesteth that all of thee flee to around the corner, now!!!", as he pulls out a steel mirror he had kept just in case he faught a vampire one day, and tries to avert his eyes and advance a few feet towards the creature, drawing his weapon as he moves.

I know the how to save him, but it is purely metagame knowledge, I don't have the Know: Arcana to know it in character, so someone else is going to need to do it. Issue is, it is at least a DC 20/25+ Know: Arcana check. . .

Look up. Leastrie got the knowledge check and told us. And are you just going to attack it through the bars?

<EDIT> I hadn't seen the map before I posted. If the creature is locked up so that I can't atack, I will not 5ft step to it. If I can attack it, I will. If the cage is actually right in front of me, I obviously can't move or attack it.

Look up. Leastrie got the knowledge check and told us. And are you just going to attack it through the bars?

I understand, and that fails. . . unless you mean the spoiler which I didn't check, because it's a spoiler. :)

Based on Soth's description, Leastrie tells the others that they are facing a Basilisk.

See spoiler

Any ideas on how to kill this thing, so we can help Ranvar? Perhaps the Lissalans? We can get to them by facing the wall, closing our eyes and feeling our way down the wall.

Well Leastrie told us IC.

Leastrie takes a another step back making sure he can't catch the Baslisk's gaze. Look everyone, calm down. I suggest we go confront the Lissalans. Perhaps they can help us or we can force them to. We can get by the Basilisk, we know that and Ranvar isn't going anywhere. So what say you? He glances sidelong at Ranvar-statue when he mentions his name.

Ranvars thoughts

"or you could move me away from here. Damn this place

Eleanor halts her casting at Leastrie's request to calm down, and nods. "Onwards or Basilisk. I am good either way, but we are going to change our comrade back."

"Well we are going to need the beast's blood, and soon, or Ranvar is done for."

"Then we need to kill it then. You said there's bars keeping it in right? Let's find a way into the room or a lever to lower the bars."

Perception: 1d20 ⇒ 15

Andrazi, you do not see any means of opening the bars.

Soth-Loren, if you remain where you are this round, next round you will need another save unless you avert your eyes, and on its turn it can still gaze at someone - you're the only one with line-of-sight to it.

Actions for this round, please...

Can we attack through the bars? If not, I say we leave.

Agreed, and Esme might want to do that illusion after all, if that will work. GM?

Right now, it's not close enough to the bars for you to attack it in melee. The bars grant only partial cover (-2 to hit) to ranged or melee attacks that can reach it. The wall that contained it originally was illusory, so Esme's illusion should work based on that... you'll have to try it and see.

I guess we can just close our eyes and walk past it. We should be able to get to the other side without an active gaze attack. We can come back after we figure out a way into the room so we can kill it.

Esmeralda figures if it worked once, it should work twice. She creates a stone wall where the prior wall stood.

If necessary. I assume from where I am standing I can see the entirety of the prior wall without having to peek at the basilisk or come out from behind cover. I am averting mine eyes: 1d100 ⇒ 58

DC = 17 Will (10 Base, +1 Spell Level, +5 Cha Mod, +1 Gnome Racial Bonus)

Edit: Woot! Assuming higher is better, I am good to go on averting my eyes if Necessary.

OK, in the interests of moving things along...

While the group discusses their next move, Esmerelda invokes her magic and creates a stone wall sealing off the opening. There is another surprised growl, and you hear the basilisk thumping up against the bars of the cage for a moment. Then all is quiet, as the dumb creature goes back to its reptilian business.

Esmerelda: a 50% chance of not needing a save means 01-50 = no save, so if you hadn't blocked the wall you'd need a save. Luckily you don't!

(Also - this encounter is often a Very Bad(TM) event for parties, as you can imagine. You handled it well - believe it or not, I've not seen anyone just replace the illusion and deal with it later! Many players meta-game and figure that the situation must be scaled for them to handle it by charging in. It's not. Sometimes discretion is the better part of a TPK. Well done!)

Leastrie begins making his way down the hall toward the Lissalans, not quite trusting the illusion, he keeps his right hand and eyes fixed on the wall. When he gets to the end he peeks around the corner trying to discern what's there.

Andrazi stows his weapon before picking up the Ranvar statue and following Leastrie.

So we just killed Ranvar? I was waiting on answers, because I can't really understand the map, but I guess that doesn't really matter.