I added an icon for the lioness next to Stormy. I am also going to assume that the dinosaur followed Fatham in.
As the team enters the room and Beronûsh sends his light in to illuminate it, a metallic-looking snake slithers out from behind a block of ice. It makes the sound of dozens of armored plates rubbing against each other as it moves, and it has glowing red points of light for eyes.
DC 12 Knowledge(arcana):
This is an Iron Cobra, a construct made in the shape of a cobra. It is similar in some ways to a golem, but not anywhere near as powerful. Additional information will follow if people beat the DC by 5 or more.
No Surprise round.
Order:
Tim
BABS
Cobra
Fatham
Kastarr
Stormy
Beronûsh
The Iron Cobra is able to slither across the floor, ignoring the slipperiness. Moving surprisingly fast, it charges forward and tries to sink its metallic teeth into Bertha! The iron fangs pierce her armor and she feels a burning where they sink into her flesh. 5 damage to Bertha and a fortitude save, please.
Beronûsh:
The construct's body is resistant to physical damage, and it resists many spells as well. A reservoir in its fangs can inject up to three doses of a poison before needing to be refilled. You also know the standard construct traits.
Order:
Fatham
Kastarr
Stormy
Beronûsh
Tim
BABS
Cobra
Female Human [AC: 23/12 tch /22 ff; H66/66; Frt +9, Ref +5, Will +10, +4 vs fey and plants; Init +1; Perc +13 Druid 7
Stormy will pull and use her wand of shillelagh to enchant her club. She will 5' step if possible. Acrobatics, if needed to step:1d20 - 2 ⇒ (7) - 2 = 5 She then tells Shade (named the cat) to attack.
Acrobatics for cat:1d20 + 6 ⇒ (5) + 6 = 11
Bite:1d20 + 5 ⇒ (9) + 5 = 141d6 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3
Shade:
Animal Companion - Shade
Young female Lion - shadowy grey coat
N Medium animal
Init +3; Senses low-light vision; Perception +6
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Defense
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AC 17, touch 13, flat-footed 14 (+3 Dex, +3 Armor, +1 natural)
hp 19 (3d8+6)
Fort +5, Ref +6, Will +3
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Offense
—————
Speed 40 ft.
Melee bite +5 (1d6+1), 2 Claws +5 (1d4+1)
Rake, 2 Claws +5 (1d4+1)
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Statistics
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Str 13, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 2, Wis 15, Cha 10
Base Atk +2; CMB +3; CMD 16 (20 vs trip)
Feats Weapon finesse, Light Armor Proficiency
Tricks Attack, Attack, Attack Any Target, Come, Fetch, Guard, Seek, Stay
Skills Acrobatics +6 (+10 to jump), Perception +6, Stealth +6
SQ attack, attack any target, come, fetch, guard, seek, stay
Other Gear - Studded leather
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Special Abilities
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Attack [Trick] The animal will attack on command.
Attack Any Target [Trick] The animal will attack any creature on command.
Come [Trick] The animal will come to you on command.
Fetch [Trick] The animal will get a specific object.
Flight (80 feet, Average) You can fly!
Guard [Trick] The animal stays in place and prevents others from approaching.
Low-Light Vision See twice as far as a human in dim light, distinguishing color and detail.
Seek [Trick] The animal moves into an area and looks around for anything that is obviously alive or animate.
Stay [Trick] The animal will stay where it is.
You can't 5ft step, as this counts as difficult terrain.
Bertha brings her falchion down onto the metal coils as it attacks her, but the curve of the metal deflects her blade. She grits her teeth at the burning sensation, which fortunately fades quickly.
Shade's teeth can't find purchase on the cold metal.
The two missiles, one arcane and the other mundane, both miss.
AC 15/12/13, HP 31/31, F+5 R+3 W+1, Init +4, Per +0
Tim has to move up next to the snake to attack it. He tries to evade it bite on the slippery floor.
Acrobatics to evade AoO:1d20 + 6 ⇒ (19) + 6 = 25 Attack (single attack since I had to move):1d20 + 7 ⇒ (19) + 7 = 26 Damage:1d8 + 6 ⇒ (2) + 6 = 8
That movement wouldn't have provoked, Tim, as it does not have reach.
Tim's axe crashes down onto the iron cobra, sending sparks flying. Although he doesn't do as much damage as the axe would have done to flesh, some of the metal segments are still cracked and shorn away by the blade.
It responds to the strike and tries to sink its teeth into Tim, but his armor blocks its fangs.
Note: this thing has very high AC. You'll want to get every bonus you can against it.
AC 15/12/13, HP 31/31, F+5 R+3 W+1, Init +4, Per +0
Tim moves over a little further to get the metal serpent between he and Stormy's lion. He swings the axe at the snake again hoping to hit it harder this time, but misses completely.
Attack:1d20 + 7 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 7 + 2 = 12 Damage:1d8 + 6 ⇒ (3) + 6 = 9
One of Shade's claws scrapes along the creature's metal skin, but doesn't seem to do significant damage. Bertha's attack does more damage, breaking through the iron skin and damaging the mechanisms inside.
Given the attacks that have already occurred, you can tell its AC is not less than 20 or more than 21, in case that affects your tactics.
Edit: BABS ninja'd me. You now know it to have AC 20. Its DR isn't based on any type of damage, however, so a falchion is as effective as a club, except that it does a little more damage.
Kastarr's arrow lodges between two plates, disrupting the joints of the serpent, causing loud, discordant noises and jerks. The cobra seems badly damaged now. Clearly it is tasked with defending this area, as it continues to fight, sinking its teeth into Tim's shoulder. 6 damage to Tim and DC 11 Fortitude save.
PCs are up! Fatham
Kastarr
Stormy
Beronûsh
Tim
BABS
Cobra
Female Human [AC: 23/12 tch /22 ff; H66/66; Frt +9, Ref +5, Will +10, +4 vs fey and plants; Init +1; Perc +13 Druid 7
Stormy picks up the construct to carry with them. Might be worth something. she explains. And its not good to leave poisoned fangs laying around to get stepped on.
AC 15/12/13, HP 31/31, F+5 R+3 W+1, Init +4, Per +0
Tim shakes off the effect of the poison. "Nasty thing." He rubs his shoulder and sees his hand come away bloody. "Think one of you could use my wand to heal me before we continue. Knowing the museum, we're not done with fights yet." Fort save:1d20 + 5 ⇒ (16) + 5 = 21 CLW:1d8 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5 I'll stick with the single charge and just be down 1 hp.
Examining the frozen humanoids forms reveals a grisly display of partially dissected humanoids and what look like half-completed biological experiments. Each specimen is frozen in several inches of hard ice. Many have a rictus of pain and fear solidified on their cold, blue faces, and all of them have an identical black rune branded onto their foreheads.
Among the Tien relics located on the Prime Material plane are a suit of finely-constructed (masterwork) parade armor in the style worn by samurai, an orc double axe with blades shaped like the heads of dragons, and a masterwork composite shortbow that according to the placard beside it was used by the mounted archers of the eastern steppes.
In the Shadow Plane, a wand hangs on the wall near the door, and (assuming someone uses detect magic) radiates a faint abjuration aura. Beronush is able to determine it is a wand of Endure Elements, and looking around the chilly room, it seems likely that those who work in these conditions would have need of such a spell.
To save time, I'm assuming Beronush would take 10 on the check and be able to determine the wand's spell.
In the Northeast corner, a heavy oak door with a sign saying, "Staff Only" on it is superimposed on a door made of smoky glass, and a sign hanging from the knob says, "Experiment in progress: DO NOT ENTER".
"Nothing about this place is natural. I fear what we will find behind that door, but it seems like we should make haste to find out. Is anyone injured?"
CLW Self:1d8 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 = 8I believe that makes Babs fully healed, right?
She offers to use her wand on anyone else needing repairs.
AC 15/12/13, HP 31/31, F+5 R+3 W+1, Init +4, Per +0
Tim joins Fatham at the door and opens it up.
Everyone is all over the map so you might want to position yourselves where you want to be around the door.
The opaque glass door, and its oak counterpart, swing open easily -- disconcertingly opening in opposite directions. Each feels completely solid to your touch, but they pass through each other like illusions.
The open doors reveal merely a narrow hallway leading to the right.
Please arrange yourselves on the map or tell me where you want your icon to be moved.
Let's let everyone move their icons before you go any further into the room, alright?
A few desks, three locked chests, and a locked standing cabinet are here along a wall facing the West Exhibit Hall made of smoky glass. Fading in and out of vision, the shadowy form of a slablike table holding an unconscious, vivisected human man, his chest rising slowly with each breath, is superimposed over the southernmost desk. Medical implements and alchemical devices are spread across nearly every surface, some more substantial in form than others. Kastarr and the other humans have to peer into the gloom, as no lights illuminate this room except that which enters from Beronush's dancing spell from the other room.
Speaking of which -- Beronush, the dancing lights only last 1 minute at a time. Before you enter the room (or after, if you prefer), make another caster level check to cast it again.
AC 15/12/13, HP 31/31, F+5 R+3 W+1, Init +4, Per +0
If you want me to move back to the door, I can.
Not troubled by normal vision, Tim looks at the man, then looks into the surrounding gloom, trying to see if there is anyone else present before going to see if he is all right.
Perception:1d20 ⇒ 11
Female Human [AC: 23/12 tch /22 ff; H66/66; Frt +9, Ref +5, Will +10, +4 vs fey and plants; Init +1; Perc +13 Druid 7
Unless I am missing something, outside of combat the light spell issue is really a non-issue as we can retry until it works, right? Please assume that Stormy renews her light spell before the opening of any new door.
