There's another way into the room! A doorway on the far side of the fountain, ideal for rats and people. Tragershen: you can totally pop a pit right in front of the door, which will force the rats to climb around it. Since Dire Rats are small creatures (1/square), the most you'll ever bag with a Burning Hands is seven, but this might just be your chance--if you ran around the fountain, I'd give you seven hits...
When the swarm of rats comes down the other passage, Tragershen casts a spell that causes the floor to drop out from under some of them, and creates an obstacle for the rest.
Create pit under four of the rats in the lead. 20' pit. In addition, it has its usually sloped sides that put more rats at risk of tumbling in. Reflex save DC 16 for the four over the pit.
Three rats are instantly killed by the pit--the fourth leaps to safety, screeching angrily. Tragershen notes the invisible pestilenzi holding its hands over its mouth, trying not to laugh at the torments of the rodents.
Male LN Elf Fighter 7 (Lore Warden, Martial Master) | HP: 46/46| AC: 21 (22 with haste) (16 Tch, 15 Fl) | CMB: +11/+14, CMD: 26 | F +5, R +7, W +6 | Init: +7 | Per +9, SM +2, Darkvision 60ft | Speed 30ft | Spells: None | Martial Flexibility Uses: 5/6 |Active conditions: No longer plagued!
I'm also unsure of the size of the room. Talathel is going to try to position himself so as to make the rats' approach to his allies as AOO stab-filled as possible. Taking a 5ft step if necessary, charging only if he is in a terrible position currently.
Map updated. The fountain is the circle in the center, and the statue is in the fountain (just ignore the little star in the top... a statue should be on a plinth in a fountain, not to the side, sez I!). So it's about a 30 ft diameter circle. I haven't been placing you rigorously on the map, and it is a little smaller than I thought it was, but there you have it. Talathel should have plenty of AOO heading his way!
Human Druid (6) | HP:50/50 | AC:16 | FF:14 | T:14 | F+7; R+2; W+9 | Init +1 | Perc +10 (darkvision 60)| Active Effects: Wildshape
Adelie and his wolf companion examine the webs blocking their path. The druid decides that the simplest way forward is probably the best. He attempts to yell through the webbing.
"Hey, spider-killers! Are you there? Need any help?"
Tal, do you have a max of 1+4 dex = 5 AOOs, or do you have a source for the sixth you rolled above?
Robbed of their charges by the Pit, the rats use their climb speed and their long regular move to engage.
And so the wave breaks upon the adventurers! Masses of rodents of most unusual size swarm around the fountain. This is the moment when a spear-weilder's Combat Reflexes are put to the ultimate test. Moving with the agility, speed, and grace of a dancer, Talathel dispatches first one rat--then another--then, with a flick of the branched spear, another--the butt of the spear whirls, and another rat falls. It's only then that his assault wavers, as he wounds, but does not finish, the next rat or two rats . They dodge under his guard and try to bite him...
And somehow, despite all the nibble nibble nibbling, nobody gets hurt!
The invisible pestilenzi begins chanting, magic gathering around its wicked little self...
...and the fountain erupts! Five giant centipedes writhe to the surface, ready to emerge at the end of the player turn! And yet it boileth further, with little limbs and snaky bodies forming in the bloody mess!
F half-drow Slayer 7/TWW 1 | AC22 T14 FF19 (+2 vs Traps) | Resist: Fire 5 | HP 70/70 | F +8 R +8 (+2 vs Traps) W +3 (+2 vs Enchant)| Init +5 (+7 UG) | Perc +14 (+16 UG)(+3 vs traps) (DV 60ft, LB) Active Effects: Blur, B's S, C's G, AntiP, AntiT
There’s a lot of commotion taking place, but as Anzath lifts her face from her zombie guts covered arm she looks around and asks, “You guyz hear someone, yez?”
Feeling the Haste dissipate, she takes a breath and studies the next rat before her, then cuts it down.
Kritfisher+Bless+ST:1d20 + 9 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (19) + 9 + 1 + 2 = 31 dmg+ST:1d6 + 4 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 4 + 2 = 10 Konfirm:1d20 + 9 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 9 + 1 + 2 = 16 Kritdmg+Killer:1d6 + 4 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 4 + 2 + 2 = 11 Velcome to de show.
Male Dwarf Alchemist [Grenadier] 8 Initiative+7 Hp 72/ 02 AC 25 Fort+12, Ref+13, Will+7 (+3 spells, sp, poison)Perception+12/+14(+2 stone) Active: Too much to list here
Bedlam places a second blasting jelly onto the fountain.
Summary for tracking purposes: Round 1, he did glitterdust. Round 2, web and prescience 1. Round 3, haste. Round 4, extended see invisible, prescience 2. Round 5, disrupt undead, prescience 3. Round 6, create pit. He's about to take his round 7 action, and four of the five rounds of haste have gone by. When he goes to take his round 8 action, it will expire if he doesn't renew it. Spoiler alert: if he is still conscious, he'll be renewing it. :)And he has four uses of prescience left.
Prescience 1d20 ⇒ 15, 4 of 7.
"The demon that fled is back, and he is there!" He points and hisses an arcane syllable. Three arcane darts fly across the chamber and dissipate above where the rats flooded into the room.
5' step away from the rat, casting magic missiles at the invisible pestilensi. Damage 3d4 + 3 ⇒ (4, 4, 1) + 3 = 12
prescience use:
If I can't step away from the rat and need to cast defensively, I'll use the prescience if I need it to succeed. If there is a SR to beat it and I didn't use it to cast defensively, I'll use it to make sure I beat SR. If I don't need it for either of those, I'll save it in case I need it for a saving throw before the next round.
Active effects on Trag: Mage Armor, Bless, Extended See Invisible, Vermin Repellent, Anti-Plague.
F half-drow Slayer 7/TWW 1 | AC22 T14 FF19 (+2 vs Traps) | Resist: Fire 5 | HP 70/70 | F +8 R +8 (+2 vs Traps) W +3 (+2 vs Enchant)| Init +5 (+7 UG) | Perc +14 (+16 UG)(+3 vs traps) (DV 60ft, LB) Active Effects: Blur, B's S, C's G, AntiP, AntiT
If Haste is still active, I'll amend my turn. Instead of Study Target and Attack, I'll Full Attack TWF targeting my rat and rats near Aurora and Trag.
Tal, do you have a max of 1+4 dex = 5 AOOs, or do you have a source for the sixth you rolled above?
Not sure if Tal's player saw this or not. His Elven Battle Training feat gives him an additional attack of opportunity (explicitly stacks with Combat Reflexes) when using "traditional elven weapons", such as his branched spear.
5 Giant Centipedes 2 Dire Rats vs Bedlam Pestilenzi (d12) Rat Swarm Tragershen Vael Aurora Bedlam Anzath Talathel Adelie 5 More Giant Centipedes 2 Pestilenzi
Adelie has three turns of Sparking to get through the Web... sorry, that's a boring way to start a campaign!
Rats are dying everywhere. Only four remain.
The fountain erupts again! Five more giant centipedes and two pestilenzi take shape! The giant centipedes from last time boil out and rush the party! The pestilenzi casts Summon Swarm and flings the results next to Tragershen!
1 spiders 2 bats 3 rats:1d3 ⇒ 3 Rats, naturally!
Also, how have I forgotten Bedlam's check for standing next to the fountain?
"Help us! I'll lower the webs in a moment!"I need to recast haste this round, but I will dismiss the web spell next round if you have any self-buffing or other preparation to do.
Feeling the power of his haste spell waning, Tragershen renews the arcane celerity on his allies.
Casting haste on the same characters, renewing it for another five rounds! Not sure if the swarm might interfere with casting, or if it is in his square if he can step back from it to cast. If not, he will cast defensively. If that roll doesn't look good, he'll use prescience to make sure the team gets to keep that buff going.
Female Human Cleric of Nethys 8 | 71/71 HP (4/4 TEMP) | AC 22 (20; Haste, no Shield), T 12 (13), FF 20, CMD 21 | Fort +10 (+11), Ref +5 (+7), Will +13 (+14) (+1 vs. fear) | Init +1 | Perception +5 | 2/6 Channel Energy; 6/8 Divine Vessel; 1/1 Magical Epiphany | Active Effects: Haste, Prayer, Aid
Aurora takes a five-foot step away from the centipede assaulting her, grips her holy symbol, and utters a prayer in a loud, clear voice.
Prayer! Aurora and all of her allies in a 40ft. radius burst centered on her gain a +1 luck bonus on attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, saves, and skill checks, while each of their foes takes a -1 penalty on such rolls. 5 round duration.
Rat Swarm is animal, not vermin (yeah, rats that aren't vermin? OK Pathfinder!), but I was going to give you the vermin repellent vs. Spider Swarm if the demon had rolled spiders.
Rat Swarm is animal, not vermin (yeah, rats that aren't vermin? OK Pathfinder!), but I was going to give you the vermin repellent vs. Spider Swarm if the demon had rolled spiders.
Fort Save vs. Distraction:1d20 + 3 ⇒ (15) + 3 = 18
Tragershen ignores the rats, and he doesn't even need to use his future vision to do so.
Male Dwarf Alchemist [Grenadier] 8 Initiative+7 Hp 72/ 02 AC 25 Fort+12, Ref+13, Will+7 (+3 spells, sp, poison)Perception+12/+14(+2 stone) Active: Too much to list here
Bedlam--sniffling a bit--takes out a bomb, steps 5' away from the fountain coated with Blasting Jelly, and tosses his fire bomb at it!
big boom sticky stuff!:
Legal Blasting jelly
Source Heroes of the Darklands pg. 30
Price 45 gp; Weight 1/2 lb.
Category Alchemical Tools
Description
This volatile gray paste sticks to solid surfaces and creates a concentrated blast when exposed to fire, making it a valuable excavation tool. You can apply 1 dose of blasting jelly to a 5-foot square as a standard action. The paste can be ignited with another standard action by striking it from an adjacent square with a metal weapon or object. When thus ignited or otherwise exposed to fire, the jelly explodes, dealing 2d6 points of fire damage to creatures and unattended objects within the treated square. If the ignited square is adjacent to another square containing blasting jelly, that square ignites as well. Blasting jelly deals full damage to objects made of stone or softer material. Blasting jelly decays relatively quickly when exposed to air, becoming inert after 4 hours if not ignited.
F half-drow Slayer 7/TWW 1 | AC22 T14 FF19 (+2 vs Traps) | Resist: Fire 5 | HP 70/70 | F +8 R +8 (+2 vs Traps) W +3 (+2 vs Enchant)| Init +5 (+7 UG) | Perc +14 (+16 UG)(+3 vs traps) (DV 60ft, LB) Active Effects: Blur, B's S, C's G, AntiP, AntiT
Anzath has but a breath to catch before the adrenaline hits her central nervous system again. She tries to keep in pace with the number of dangers erupting out of the fountain.
Targeting hers and anything that threatens the casters. Kritfisher+Bless+Haste+Prayer:1d20 + 7 + 1 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 7 + 1 + 1 + 1 = 11 and the streak dies, not with a bang, but with a whimper. Kritfisher+Bless+Haste+Prayer:1d20 + 7 + 1 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (11) + 7 + 1 + 1 + 1 = 21 dmg+Prayer:1d6 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 4 + 1 = 8 Yaza’s Mace+Bless+Haste+Prayer:1d20 + 7 + 1 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (15) + 7 + 1 + 1 + 1 = 25 dmg+Prayer:1d6 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 2 + 1 = 7
As she bashes a centipede, a sudden blast rocks the air around her. Her short hair whips across her face.
Dire Rat 3 Pestilenzi (d12; d14; d14) Rat Swarm Tragershen Vael Aurora Bedlam Anzath Talathel Adelie
Talathel and Anzath rip most of the stabbable vermin to ribbons. Only one dire rat remains.
The all-but-deafening explosion rips through the fountain room--the lip of the fountain shatters, sending a massive ripple back through the foul filth, a wave that crushes the freshly formed centipedes back into the blood and guts from whence they came.
The new-formed Pestilenzi take half damage from the blast, and are flung backwards and out of the pool. They slide to the floor.
The breach in the fountain wall bleeds fresh red blood in torrents. Bedlam's up to his ankles in gore. To his consternation, the blood quickly takes the form of the fountain and scabs over--as the scabs fall away, the fountain reemerges unharmed!
The fountain pestilenzi duck out through the rat passage, flying incredibly fast. The already-extant pest follows them, cackling maliciously.
The last dire rat bites at Bedlam:
Rat Bite:1d20 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3
The rat swarm continues to gnaw on Tragershen:
Rat Swarm:1d6 ⇒ 2 Fort Save:1d20 + 3 + 5 ⇒ (5) + 3 + 5 = 13
...antiplague. Worth it.
And the fountain stops boiling. The desecrated statue of Sarenrae seems to droop in its pollution. Vael grimaces in frustration before going to smash the rat swarm apart.
Male LN Elf Fighter 7 (Lore Warden, Martial Master) | HP: 46/46| AC: 21 (22 with haste) (16 Tch, 15 Fl) | CMB: +11/+14, CMD: 26 | F +5, R +7, W +6 | Init: +7 | Per +9, SM +2, Darkvision 60ft | Speed 30ft | Spells: None | Martial Flexibility Uses: 5/6 |Active conditions: No longer plagued!
"I shall hunt the demon!", states Talathel, as he uses the effects of Tragershen's magic to move swiftly after the Pestilenzi and rat! stab the rats near him!
Just for clarity's sake, the three pestilenzi have flown out down the rat passage, but the last rat and the rat swarm are still in the fountain room! And Tal can't catch them, yet.
Female Human Cleric of Nethys 8 | 71/71 HP (4/4 TEMP) | AC 22 (20; Haste, no Shield), T 12 (13), FF 20, CMD 21 | Fort +10 (+11), Ref +5 (+7), Will +13 (+14) (+1 vs. fear) | Init +1 | Perception +5 | 2/6 Channel Energy; 6/8 Divine Vessel; 1/1 Magical Epiphany | Active Effects: Haste, Prayer, Aid
When the fountain floods over with its gore, Aurora shouts a vague noise in disgust at the sludge. She goes for the rat near Bedlam to put it from its misery.
Male Dwarf Alchemist [Grenadier] 8 Initiative+7 Hp 72/ 02 AC 25 Fort+12, Ref+13, Will+7 (+3 spells, sp, poison)Perception+12/+14(+2 stone) Active: Too much to list here
Bedlam absently makes a bomb, as he walks through the room after the escapees!
He nonchalantly tosses the bomb over his shoulder at the swarm.
ranged touch with lots of bonuses!:1d20 + 5 + 1 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (10) + 5 + 1 + 1 + 1 = 183d6 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (5, 2, 4) + 3 + 1 = 15
F half-drow Slayer 7/TWW 1 | AC22 T14 FF19 (+2 vs Traps) | Resist: Fire 5 | HP 70/70 | F +8 R +8 (+2 vs Traps) W +3 (+2 vs Enchant)| Init +5 (+7 UG) | Perc +14 (+16 UG)(+3 vs traps) (DV 60ft, LB) Active Effects: Blur, B's S, C's G, AntiP, AntiT
Anzath marks a visible pestilenzi as it escapes, then gives chase.
...Bedlam prepares for heroic nonchalance, but he ends up licking his fingers and snuffing out the fuse on his bomb when he sees that Aurora and Talathel have managed to kill all the rats, swarm and dire. For the first time in a while, there's relative silence in the room.
The web spell goes down. Adelie stands at the opposite end of the corridor, his trusty wolf at hand.
Anzath takes off down the rat passage...
acrobatics:1d20 + 8 ⇒ (19) + 8 = 27
...neatly vaulting Tragershen's pit. She rushes forward, blades drawn, towards a bend in the corridor--her feet splash through pestilential muck, but her immune system has already passed its test.
At the bend in the corridor, she looks to her right (south), and sees--more corridor. The muck seems to dry out ahead, and there's no sign of the pestilenzi demons. There's a hallway branching out to the right ahead, and the corridor continues, too.
Male Dwarf Alchemist [Grenadier] 8 Initiative+7 Hp 72/ 02 AC 25 Fort+12, Ref+13, Will+7 (+3 spells, sp, poison)Perception+12/+14(+2 stone) Active: Too much to list here
The original pestilenzi quickly telepathy-s its two new siblings and tells them to grab whatever help they can. They whip down the stairs and start summoning help from the lower planes:
who you gonna call 1 dretch 2 pest:1d2 ⇒ 11d2 ⇒ 2
dretch on 1-4:1d10 ⇒ 31d4 ⇒ 2 pest on 1-4:1d10 ⇒ 7
They succeed in calling two dretches who will arrive next round unless the demons are interrupted. The first dretch begins summoning, too:
1 rats 2 spiders 3 bats:1d3 ⇒ 1
Anzath Perception:1d20 + 13 ⇒ (8) + 13 = 21
Anzath hears the abyssal mutterings of demons ahead through the doorway to the right!
Too far off and around multiple angled walls--currently you could see Anzath if you went around the fountain and looked down the rat passage where she's about 30-40 feet away to the west of the fountain, and Anzath herself needs to look around the bend to the south feet to see a doorway in the east wall of that hallway about 30 feet away, and she hears voices coming through the doorway but sees nothing... hopefully I can update the map in a bit!
F half-drow Slayer 7/TWW 1 | AC22 T14 FF19 (+2 vs Traps) | Resist: Fire 5 | HP 70/70 | F +8 R +8 (+2 vs Traps) W +3 (+2 vs Enchant)| Init +5 (+7 UG) | Perc +14 (+16 UG)(+3 vs traps) (DV 60ft, LB) Active Effects: Blur, B's S, C's G, AntiP, AntiT
Was there the sound of a door opening and closing?
Knowing her enemies' propensity for tricks, once Anzath turns the corner, she adopts a more careful approach.
Perception+ST:1d20 + 11 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 11 + 2 = 19 Survival+ST:1d20 + 11 + 2 ⇒ (10) + 11 + 2 = 23 Stealth:1d20 + 11 ⇒ (3) + 11 = 14
Anzath speaks Abyssal, can she make out what the voices are saying?
Human Druid (6) | HP:50/50 | AC:16 | FF:14 | T:14 | F+7; R+2; W+9 | Init +1 | Perc +10 (darkvision 60)| Active Effects: Wildshape
Adelie indicates Tragershen and tells his wolf to defend the wizard.
Before proceeding any further himself, he pulls an antiplague vial out of his bag and drinks it.
No door, Anzath! And the voices you hear are verbal components, so gibberish, but you don't really know that without any Spellcraft. As for Survival, the squeaky voices in the hall sound a lot like your prey, and the droplets of goop seem to take the corner.
F half-drow Slayer 7/TWW 1 | AC22 T14 FF19 (+2 vs Traps) | Resist: Fire 5 | HP 70/70 | F +8 R +8 (+2 vs Traps) W +3 (+2 vs Enchant)| Init +5 (+7 UG) | Perc +14 (+16 UG)(+3 vs traps) (DV 60ft, LB) Active Effects: Blur, B's S, C's G, AntiP, AntiT
Anzath stops short of the door and readies a potion of Vanish.
Male LN Elf Fighter 7 (Lore Warden, Martial Master) | HP: 46/46| AC: 21 (22 with haste) (16 Tch, 15 Fl) | CMB: +11/+14, CMD: 26 | F +5, R +7, W +6 | Init: +7 | Per +9, SM +2, Darkvision 60ft | Speed 30ft | Spells: None | Martial Flexibility Uses: 5/6 |Active conditions: No longer plagued!
Talathel moves swiftly to catch up with Anzath's position.
Perception:1d20 + 7 ⇒ (15) + 7 = 22
Stealth:1d20 + 7 - 20 ⇒ (14) + 7 - 20 = 1
Silent Hunter: Elves are renowned for their subtlety and skill. Elves with this racial trait reduce the penalty for using Stealth while moving by 5 and can make Stealth checks while running at a –20 penalty (this number includes the penalty reduction from this racial trait). This racial trait replaces elven magic.
