We are looking for the people who stole from the Patfhinders. We've heard thant some of them will likely hide near the old forts.
Have you the one responsible for the theft ?
Nonsense! We've been looking for the smugglers ourselves. This is a military listening post. she says rather unconvincingly. DC 10 Sense Motive to recognize the lie.
The remaining potion is another Cure Moderate Wounds. One of the cloaks is a Cloak of Resistance +1, and the other looks similar.
After taking a look at the wands, Dunkel cracks his fingers with anticipation and literally skips to the trapdoor like a child on a winter feast morning.
"Now we're talkin'! Let's see what kind o' shaft they dug in'ta th' basement!"
Seeing how Thorn and the others have given the door an "okay", Dunkel eases the door open and feasts his eyes on what lies beyond, figuring it couldn't hurt to peek while the questioning of the woman is transpiring.
"Maybe ah four-by-four! Ah wonder how deep 't goes!!"
Dunkel identifies the remaining wands:
Mage Armor (14)
Unseen Servant (10)
Magic Missile (10)
Protection From Evil (5)
Dunkel sees a set of descending stone stairs. When you descend... It leads to a a tiled stone room. There is an open archway to the south, while the other exit appears to be blocked by a cave-in of rubble and mud.
Downstairs map is coming up, though you can still do things with the soldiers or the woman.
Male Dwarf Fighter1/Wiz5 | Max HP 65 | AC 15* (T11/FF15) | F: +8 (+10)* R: +2* W: +5* | Perc +15 | Init +0
Dunkel shakes the wands, testing their weight.
"Might as well use 'em, ye never know what th' captains'll do when we bring 'em back."
Dunkel hits every member of the group with mage armor (you never know when you might need some incorporeal AC) and activates the unseen servant wand.
He clears his throat and talks slowly, hoping that will improve his usual cant, as he addresses the "servant": "See what ye can do with th' bodies, we dun wan'th wolves gettin' to 'em."
He then hands the wand of magic missiles to Imrana and the wand of guarding against evil to Jair.
"Looks like a tiled room below. Archway, and.."
Dunkel sucks in air.
"A cave-in o' rubble n' mud!"
He begins checking his inventory for digging tools, occasionally glancing in Jair and Thorn's direction as they question the "listening post" captain.
Sense Motive:1d20 ⇒ 4
"T'all sounds reasonable t'me! Yer bein' too suspicious Doubtful! Now less ask th' nice lass if she's got a pick around and if she knows wha's behind th' rubble!"
Male Human Rogue 8 (CORE) Magsman HP:75/75), Init: +5, Perception: +17 (+21 v. traps) Fort: +5, Ref: +11 (+13 v traps), Will: +4 | AC: 23, Touch: 17, FF: Uncanny Dodge, CMD: 24
Thorn isn't much for sweet talking, but he's got a reasonably good feel for when someone is lying. "One of you can read'em the Andoren. I'll be right jackrabbit with a knife to let you know when they're giving you a broken scale."Sense Motive:1d20 + 7 ⇒ (20) + 7 = 27
After, "Praeda is no use to a man in a coffin. I say we use those happy sticks like there's no sun in Tien."
"Alright, fine! That Aspis half-orc hired us. They just told us to protect the place. Don't know what they're doing, though. The Razmiri one took most of the soldiers into the city last night. They aren't back yet." the woman says as she realizes her ruse is failing.
As to Dunkel's question, "Half that place is caved in. It's just as messed up as up here. We just use the half we can get to."
There are no digging supplies among the above-ground ruins.
Once you're ready to do things downstairs, feel free to do so.
Hmmm... going back over the various bits of info we've gathered...
We've yet to run into the Varisian fellow who seemed to be behind most of this mess....
and he supposedly had a half-orc companion of some sort (likely the Aspis agent just mentioned? Is the first mention that the Consortium might be involved in all this!)
The elf woman and her boyfriend are probably the two arcanists we just got here. (and them asking into what old crusaders looked like now makes sense in hindsight, if they wanted to make convincing ghost illusions!)
The Razmiran we've already met and turned into the authorities
And the Red Kestrels we've met 5 of them now... and if that was 'most of them' then there won't be too many left
There's also the dirt-covered woman that was supposedly left in charge here... (a barbarian or druid of some sort?)
So: varisian, half-orc, dirty lady, and a smattering of kestral still to go? Perhaps she has some info on those first 3? Doubtful's not the sort to speak up =)
Doubtful listens to the elven woman talk with an unhappy frown.
Male Human Rogue 8 (CORE) Magsman HP:75/75), Init: +5, Perception: +17 (+21 v. traps) Fort: +5, Ref: +11 (+13 v traps), Will: +4 | AC: 23, Touch: 17, FF: Uncanny Dodge, CMD: 24
Thanks for the recap!
Thorn checks out the cave in to the west, if it's definitely blocked, he'll take a stealthy look south. Stealth:1d20 + 9 ⇒ (12) + 9 = 21 He has Trapspotter at +9
Jair and Dunkel, don't forget to heal! J took 6 damage, and Dunkel 21 in that last fight! On the plus side, we have 5 potions of cure light wounds (from the soldiers (here and in town), and 2 potions of cure moderate wounds (from the two elves) so drink up!
The dirty woman, half-orc and varisian were all presented as separate individuals, based on what the charmed Razmiran said
Could we use that wand of Alarm in the first room here, in case something tries to sneak up behind us?
Doubtful will follow along behind Amiri, muttering gloomily to himself.
Male Dwarf Fighter1/Wiz5 | Max HP 65 | AC 15* (T11/FF15) | F: +8 (+10)* R: +2* W: +5* | Perc +15 | Init +0
Dunkel guzzles the potions, knowing that somehow he won't get a chance should he return to Tamran with them in hand as his superiors will swipe them quickly from the party's hands.
Dunkel holds his breath as Thorn trots off, trying not to cough, wheeze, grumble, groan, creak, or discuss the best technique for dealing with the cave-in or rubble his eyes cannot help but scan repeatedly.
Ah'm sure ah can sprint down after 'em should th' two get n' any trouble..
"The half-orc's been gone for weeks. Don't know who else is down there right now. Usually they use the other entrance. Probably just Cetenna down there."
In the interest of expediency, what's your general plan for down below? I'll advance things until you run into something important.
Male Human Rogue 8 (CORE) Magsman HP:75/75), Init: +5, Perception: +17 (+21 v. traps) Fort: +5, Ref: +11 (+13 v traps), Will: +4 | AC: 23, Touch: 17, FF: Uncanny Dodge, CMD: 24
If no one objects:
Thorn will stealth forward to a corner/intersection/door. Assuming he doesn't find any traps, he'll retreat to the party, get them, then bring everyone up to advance. From there Thorn will hide while someone else takes point.
I can definitely get more specific, but I don't want to sign the party up for a unilateral technique.
Thorn first walks through a muddy room. Water drips in through a crack in the northwest corner. Footprints crisscross the muddy floor, mostly from medium sized boots and shoes, though Thorn does notice animal prints, which he recognizes as coming from badgers, weasels, and similar creatures of varying sizes.
A long hallway opens up to a larger room at the end. On the way, Thorn notices a long room, full of poorly constructed bunk beds. The room reeks of mold and decay, though the furniture seems fairly new. The room is empty of both people and possessions, though it's clear it was in use very recently.
Thorn is able to make it a short distance further, passing an archway to another collapsed room, before he hears a gruff woman's voice from room at the far end of the hallway.
Thorn, I'll give you a surprise round, as it's clear that at least one person knows you're coming. If you'd prefer to cut through the bunk room, you can start in the red square.
Doubtful sees a sleek, white, furry creature appear at the end of the hall, baring its teeth and growling menacingly at the Pathfinders.
Nature DC 7:
It looks like a weasel, though they're definitely not usually man-sized.
Nature 12:
It's actually an unusually small dire weasel, perhaps not fully developed. Damaging them can drive them into a frenzy, and if they grab hold of you with their teeth, blood loss will rapidly begin to weaken you.
Yeah, they all rolled ridiculous perception checks, and there's a lot of map between you and the combat (partly because you already defeated some of the residents down at the docks)
Male Human Rogue 8 (CORE) Magsman HP:75/75), Init: +5, Perception: +17 (+21 v. traps) Fort: +5, Ref: +11 (+13 v traps), Will: +4 | AC: 23, Touch: 17, FF: Uncanny Dodge, CMD: 24
Thorn swears and slips into the room to stab the animal, though he stabs with an eye towards defenseATK:1d20 + 4 - 1 ⇒ (15) + 4 - 1 = 18 DMG:1d6 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3 (I don't think it's flat footed, but if it is because of stealth, add 2d6 ⇒ (2, 2) = 4
Male Dwarf Fighter1/Wiz5 | Max HP 65 | AC 15* (T11/FF15) | F: +8 (+10)* R: +2* W: +5* | Perc +15 | Init +0
Dunkel, spying combat nearly a hundred feet away does quick math on the tunnel.
Shaft about 100ft.
Diggin' speed, three man team. Jess about 6 hours.
Dunkel speed, by foot. Amiri and Jair in th' way. Eighteen seconds or so...
Dunkel's mind works to quickly calculate the time it will take him to speed down the tunnel, before concluding that whatever the exact result is... it's too much with Thorn in the room already.
He rubs his ring and begins to weave ahead, detouring through the side room with supernatural speed.
Arcane bond for expeditious retreat (std) and then move 40ft after Doubtful.
Nature:1d20 + 6 ⇒ (5) + 6 = 11
He considers the bits of furry animal he saw ahead in the room as he spots Doubtful.
"Wea.. *huff* -sels, or somethin'... But-- *puff* - much bigger!"
Thorn gently taps the closest weasel with his sword, though that seems enough to infuriate the creature. Now inside the room, he sees the pair of weasels are accompanied by a badger and a woman, both of whom look at Thorn angrily.
Rolled up straw mats lie in a pile against the western wall of this room, leaving the damp earthen floor exposed. The walls appear freshly cleaned, though they are still speckled with stray flecks of moss and mold. Open cages line the southern wall of the room, and the air is rich with the smell of recently shifted earth. Archways lead to the north and to the east.
Each open cage contains one or more small furry mammals. They leap out of the cages as Thorn enters, swarming over the floors.
Both large weasels bite at Thorn. The one Thorn hit white looks exceptionally angry. It savages him fiercely, teeth digging deeply into his flesh, and maintaining hold, while the other snaps its jaws at empty air.
White:1d20 + 7 + 1 ⇒ (20) + 7 + 1 = 28 Confirm:1d20 + 7 + 1 ⇒ (19) + 7 + 1 = 27 Damage:2d6 + 10 ⇒ (4, 1) + 10 = 15 Grab:1d20 + 10 ⇒ (15) + 10 = 25 Red:1d20 + 7 ⇒ (8) + 7 = 15
Unfortunately, rapid blood loss from the bite wound begins to make Thorn feel woozy. Con damage:1d4 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2
Amiri, Jair, Imrana We are here
Gyrlak, Cetenna
Thorn, Doubtful, Dunkel
Red, White (7 dmg, br (5 temp), grappling Thorn)
Despite the picture, the badger is Medium. The small animals running around are basically an environmental effect similar to a swarm, including the entire room, but not the hallway. Thorn, I'll give you the sneak attack here.
41 total damage, bringing you to -8, I believe. I don't know what you did to make the forum roller hate you, but I'd suggest going here immediately and begging for mercy. What's your Con?
The woman, meanwhile, seems unusually bestial, with untamed black and white hair. Knowledge (Local) to ID her race. Thorn can roll this despite no longer being able to see her. She swiftly kicks Amiri, knocking her off balance, then quickly manages another kick as Amiri hits the ground.
She turns to Jair, grinning savagely. "What were you saying about the odds?"
27 damage to Amiri over two hits. Did you heal up at all, or were you starting this fight at 27 hp? There's also a DC 17 Fort save to avoid being unconscious for 1d6 ⇒ 3 rounds.
That went rough fast. Uh-oh. Thorn, Doubtful, and Dunkel to the rescue?
This woman is a Skinwalker, a rare type of humanoid descended from lycanthropes. While they don't have the full abilities of actual lycanthropes, they can change into forms which give them animalistic elements. She seems to have done so, judging by the ferocity of her attacks.
I've put up the first IC post. Pop in there once you're ready to go.
For those of you coming from Hall of the Flesh Eaters, I'll be marking that campaign inactive shortly, so if you haven't downloaded your chronicle yet, now would be a good time to do so.
Take your time with purchases and leveling, and once everyone's ready to go we'll actually get moving.
Doubtful, the boat is still Core-legal! I could definitely imagine Doubtful insisting on bringing his own personal lifeboat everywhere he goes. Bit pricey, though.
Male Human Rogue 8 (CORE) Magsman HP:75/75), Init: +5, Perception: +17 (+21 v. traps) Fort: +5, Ref: +11 (+13 v traps), Will: +4 | AC: 23, Touch: 17, FF: Uncanny Dodge, CMD: 24
Thorn is ready to go. Since he's the new guy, I'll give the crunch intro here to match the fluff in the gameplay tab.
Pretty much, he's a first edition thief. Heavy emphasis on sneaking, stealing, disarming, and back stabbing. Not much for talking or fancy fighting. :-)
Male Human Rogue 8 (CORE) Magsman HP:75/75), Init: +5, Perception: +17 (+21 v. traps) Fort: +5, Ref: +11 (+13 v traps), Will: +4 | AC: 23, Touch: 17, FF: Uncanny Dodge, CMD: 24
So our network just went down and we have been told to expect it to stay down for the rest of the day. This seriously cramps my ability to post as I only have my phone. Sorry everyone, I'll post when I can!
Don't worry about it. This scenario is RP heavy, so it can take quite a while if people want it to (I'm not expecting to finish before the end of the gameday, so there's no real time pressure).
My past couple posts have been wall-of-text-y. With this sort of thing, it can be tricky to strike the right balance between giving you guys enough to act on and giving you a chance to respond to things, so let me know if you want to speed up or slow down at any point.
Male Human Rogue 8 (CORE) Magsman HP:75/75), Init: +5, Perception: +17 (+21 v. traps) Fort: +5, Ref: +11 (+13 v traps), Will: +4 | AC: 23, Touch: 17, FF: Uncanny Dodge, CMD: 24
As a player I try to indicate in a post if I'm ready to move on from an RP scene. I don't begrudge anyone for continuing on after I'm ready. I think it just helps the GM to know where people are.
AC18(T12,FF16) CMD16| HP 61/70| F +9 R +5 W +14 | Init +1, Perc +7, Sense Motive +15 | Haste
@Dunkel as illusion is an opposition school you can't use your arcane bond on invisibility.
@Doubtful you're right, if we have time, we could go in advance and set up the trap.
I suggest that the one stealthy goes first to be sure no ennemies are already in place.
With message we could give the go to the other ground wait for our ennemies.
Is there some restriction on using your arcane bond on opposing schools?
I thought if you had it in your spellbook, it was fare game, opposition school or not.
I've been trying to figure out if there was a restriction on that for eons (seemed like there should be) but never saw it right there in the class ability description =)
You found two spellbooks! I'm detailing them here for benefit of our wizards (and possibly Jair for faction card purposes). Additionally, you can use a Scroll of Summon Monster III and two scrolls of Ghostly Disguise (from Ultimate Magic).
I've noted the non-core spells.
Female Spellbook
2nd Level: Glitterdust, Haunting Mists (UM) Minor Image, Mirror Image
1st Level: Animate Rope, Blurred Movement (ACG), Burning Hands, Color Spray, Expeditious Retreat, Mage Armor, Magic Missile, Polypurpose Panacea (UM), Sleep, Summon Monster I, Vanish (APG), Vocal Alteration (UM)
Cantrips: You now have access to any non-core cantrips legal in PFS (Haunted Fey Aspect comes to mind, there's most likely others).
Oh hey.. that's awesome for the caster guys! A few non core spells in the books is great!
edit: spark is the other obvious non-core cantrip... though I thought the 'all cantrips' portion meant just the core cantrips, even non-core. Though can't recall where I read that... hmm. Also it would exclude prohibited schools from the book yes?
Male Human Bloodrager 4 (HP 30/40) (AC 18/12/17) (CMD 20) (Fort +7, Ref +3, Will +2) (Init +1) (Perception +7)
Interesting...
Well, RAW, there is nothing prohibiting having someone else scribe spells into a spellbook for you (and in fact, there is an Oracle mystery that depends upon it for one of its revelations), so provided one of the lovely wizards in the party is willing to do the scribing (I will pay the costs, of course!), I know the wizard that I will be popping this chronicle on will be very happy :-)
AC18(T12,FF16) CMD16| HP 61/70| F +9 R +5 W +14 | Init +1, Perc +7, Sense Motive +15 | Haste
Wizard PCs can scribe non-Core spells from spellbooks and scrolls during the scenario, but the opportunity ends when the scenario does. Record any such spells learned on the Chronicle sheet, and have the GM initial the note.
For this case, you can't. But you will be able to buy the scrolls and scribe them in your spellbook if they are on the AR.
Jair could also learn the spell if they appeared on the chronicle and are on the divine spell list .
Male Human Bloodrager 4 (HP 30/40) (AC 18/12/17) (CMD 20) (Fort +7, Ref +3, Will +2) (Init +1) (Perception +7)
*shrugs* then I won't bother claiming the credit on the wizard, and will simply apply it to another character who won't care about it, and then use Star Credit to replay it with the wizard - spellbooks are rare enough, that they should be cultivated when encountered.
I am, however, curious: Where, specifically, does it say that pregens can't purchase anything that lasts beyond the end of the scenario?
EDIT:
The only relevant section that I could find, is:
Guide to Organised Play wrote:
However, any equipment that’s listed on the pregenerated character sheet may only be sold to clear their own conditions during the play of a sanctioned event, and any remaining gold does not carry over at the end of the adventure.
That is fair, and reasonable (and stops the abuse of pregens as 'free gold' for Raise Dead and Restoration funds by the other players).
However, it would not stop you using the gold that you accumulate *during* the scenario (or any gold that you have) to make purchases (saying that such purchases do not persist would go into somewhat abuse-prone territory, as well, since it would mean that, for example, after the first encounter, the player of the pregen could go and buy a Wand of CLW with the proceeds of the first encounter, and then use it up, knowing that it would cost his actual character nothing).
I feel your pain. I once had a character who upgraded her CON belt, and spent the money but failed to update the character sheet. I'd bought the upgrade because we were playing an exceptionally deadly hard mode 10-11 where it would have made a huge difference.
Also, as an FYI to everyone, I'll be at a convention Friday-Sunday, with an unrelated Monday gameday (getting to break out my first Seeker after over a year of collecting dust). Posting will be slow. That said, I do expect that we'll be done this scenario soon, possibly next week if this combat moves quickly.
Any AOE that includes at least part of the cages will affect the swarm. Nonlethal CDG is something I'll have to look into and get back to you on. Now that you mention it, I'm surprised it never came up with my level 11 who focuses on nonlethal.
AC18(T12,FF16) CMD16| HP 61/70| F +9 R +5 W +14 | Init +1, Perc +7, Sense Motive +15 | Haste
Jair don't have selective channeling so everybody will be harmed by it.
That's why I ask for the other players the right to do it (as PvP is not permitted in PFS)
Thorn may be less okay with the negative channel. Sorry about that.
Thorn:
What tier do you have for Siege of Serpents at Totalcon? I haven't figured out who I'll play for that one, and I feel like I should give you a chance to beat up on me a bit.
