GM Slothsy's Second Darkness

Game Master Slothsy

Orthrus winces.

You want I should toss Tamiro like a grenade-weapon to avoid the cauldron?

I'm gonna say that Tamiro's... wonderful acrobatics check is enough damage for now ;). But I will say that this is definitely time for initiative!

... and I forgot to upload my converted stats for the woman to my dropbox. I'll be posting tonight. Oops.

Tamiro never went to Gymnastics as a child...

"Uh, you okay? It look so easy in pictograph scrolls...."

Tamiro wasn't no ballerina, either.

The woman scowls as a well-armored and angry man falls from the sky.

"This tomfoolery is enough! Out of my lab, now!"

The lab stinks of unwashed flesh and guano, seemingly radiating off of the scaled humanoids.

Each troglodyte has a stench aura, 30 ft DC 13 fort save or be sickened for 10 rounds. Essentially, you'll need to make 8 fort saves once you're in the room fully or you'll be sickened.

Initiative! The Alchemical Lab - Round 1

Aishe, Nel
Ilvarea
Gillian, Tamiro, Orthrus
Troglodytes

Gillian: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (15) - 1 = 14
Aishe: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (15) + 7 = 22
Nel: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (17) + 3 = 20
Tamiro: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (10) + 3 = 13
Orthus: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6
Ilvarea: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (12) + 3 = 15
Troglodytes: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (5) - 1 = 4

Round: 1, Initiative: 22

I’m just going to assume I failed one or more of those saving throws…

Aishe targets the nearest trog - hoping to thin the herd while Nel and Tamrio take on the real threat up close and personally. He grins as he shoots.

Crossbow (silver, cold iron, magic): 1d20 + 12 - 1 ⇒ (14) + 12 - 1 = 25 (point blank, sickened)
damage: 1d8 + 12 - 1 ⇒ (4) + 12 - 1 = 15 (point blank, sickened)

Crossbow (silver, cold iron, magic): 1d20 + 12 - 1 ⇒ (9) + 12 - 1 = 20 (point blank, sickened)
damage: 1d8 + 12 - 1 ⇒ (3) + 12 - 1 = 14 (point blank, sickened)

Crossbow (silver, cold iron, magic): 1d20 + 7 - 1 ⇒ (8) + 7 - 1 = 14 (point blank, sickened)
damage: 1d8 + 12 - 1 ⇒ (6) + 12 - 1 = 17 (point blank, sickened)

Attack: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (13) + 11 = 24
Damage: 1d8 + 5 ⇒ (2) + 5 = 7
Attack: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (3) + 6 = 9
Damage: 1d8 + 5 ⇒ (4) + 5 = 9

Initiative! The Alchemical Lab - Round 1

Aishe, Nel
Ilvarea
Gillian, Tamiro, Orthrus
Troglodytes

The woman's strange chainshirt seems to absorb at least some of the shock of the blows and Nel and Aishe's attacks hit. Well, at least the high ones. The 14 and 9 missed. She hisses in pain, takes a step back from Nel and grabs a flask from her tool belt. Her arm swings backward attack: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (1) + 11 = 12, but the woman stumbles at the last minute, missing Nel. Landing: 1d8 ⇒ 6

The strange concoction explodes still as it crashes against the wall dealing 7 points of splash damage to Nel, DC 16 reflex for half.

Round 1, Init 14

"Ohhh..." Gillian groans, feeling her stomach lurch at the stench of the multiple creatures scattered about the small room. "This is awful!"

Resisting the urge to simply drop a ball of fire into the middle of the room, she instead drops down to the ground and calls forth a jet of fire from her outstretched hands.

Burning Hands: 5d4 ⇒ (4, 2, 2, 3, 4) = 15
______

Gillian uses Burning Hands vs. Blue, Orange, and Yellow; DC 15 Reflex save for half damage! Also I increased her size because she drank Orthrus' offered potion earlier so she's still enlarged...

"Pee-you."

Ortrus intones the magical words and one shadowy corner of the room is instantly inundated with a sea of dark writhing shapes like seaweed waving in a current all made of shadows.

Tamiro charges the woman and lashes at her with one of his blades, trying to cut into her.

Attack 1 Handed: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (8) + 13 = 21Damage: 1d8 + 7 ⇒ (6) + 7 = 13
Fortitude: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (11) + 8 = 19
Fortitude: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (10) + 8 = 18
Fortitude: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (14) + 8 = 22
Fortitude: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (19) + 8 = 27
Fortitude: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (18) + 8 = 26
Fortitude: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (13) + 8 = 21
Fortitude: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (3) + 8 = 11
Fortitude: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (5) + 8 = 13

"Huh? Stop. Don't. Come back."

Tamiro, there's tables, Nel and the swaying mass of clinging blackness to consider, and the fact that your token is still outside, so no one is exactly sure where you landed.

Initiative! The Alchemical Lab - Round 2

Aishe, Nel
Ilvarea
Gillian, Tamiro, Orthrus
Troglodytes

Tamiro, yeah, there's a mess of black tentacles in the way. I did put your token in the room, so that way you're at least in the fight ;)

The mass of tentacles grabs the woman. She scowls at Orthrus as she struggles against them. The spell catches three of the workers and begins to pull them apart.

Tamiro, once you decide what you wanna do, just go ahead and post it; I'll retcon anything that changes.

The three captured troglodytes strain against their bonds.

Yellow CMB to Escape: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 2 = 14

Orange CMB to Escape: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (9) + 2 = 11

Blue CMB to Escape: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 2 = 7

The three creatures turn to Orthrus, a perfect pack attacking him. Several of them are able to get quick, jabbing attacks in as the others distract him. However, just as easily, Orthrus shrugs most of the attacks off. I think there's a total of 3 hits, for 2, 4, and 2 damage.

Black Background claw 1: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (10) + 2 = 12
Damage: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4
Black Background claw 2: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (7) + 2 = 9
Damage: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5
Black Background Bite: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (13) + 2 = 15
Damage: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2

Black claw 1: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (19) + 2 = 21
Damage: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4
Black claw 2: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (7) + 2 = 9
Damage: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3
Black Bite: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5
Damage: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2

Brown claw 1: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 2 = 17
Damage: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2
Brown claw 2: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 2 = 10
Damage: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5
Brown Bite: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4
Damage: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3

Round: 2, Initiative: 22

Aishe continues to target troglodytes, starting with the one to his right, hoping to thin the herd. He opens his first shot with an acid arrow hoping to edge in some extra damage more or less safely.

Crossbow (silver, cold iron, magic): 1d20 + 12 - 1 ⇒ (1) + 12 - 1 = 12 (point blank, sickened)
damage: 1d8 + 12 - 1 + 1d6 ⇒ (7) + 12 - 1 + (1) = 19 (point blank, sickened, acid)

Crossbow (silver, cold iron, magic): 1d20 + 12 - 1 ⇒ (8) + 12 - 1 = 19 (point blank, sickened)
damage: 1d8 + 12 - 1 ⇒ (1) + 12 - 1 = 12 (point blank, sickened)

Crossbow (silver, cold iron, magic): 1d20 + 7 - 1 ⇒ (14) + 7 - 1 = 20 (point blank, sickened)
damage: 1d8 + 12 - 1 ⇒ (6) + 12 - 1 = 17 (point blank, sickened)

Initiative! The Alchemical Lab - Round 2

Aishe, Nel
Ilvarea
Gillian, Tamiro, Orthrus
Troglodytes

Wait, I misread your last post and assumed you were going after the woman. Sorry about that! Let me correct that by killing troglodytes.

His first shot goes wild and hits the cauldron with a loud ring. After that, Aishe's crossbow pinpoints each troglodyte, knocking them down, one after the other.

Botting Nel.

Nel takes a studied look at the woman caught in the tentacles before making the determination that she's taken care of - for now. She turns to the troglodyte near Orthrus, carefully manuevering around the desk, the cauldron, bubbling pool... really, the crowded lab in general.

She gives a quick slash to the creature and it crumbles.

Attack: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (9) + 13 = 22
Damage: 1d8 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 5 = 12

Initiative! The Alchemical Lab - Round 2

Aishe, Nel
Ilvarea
Gillian, Tamiro, Orthrus
Troglodytes

Ilvarae curses as struggles against the tentacles, mostly looking in horror at the damage being done to her laboratory equipment. However, she's unable to wrest free of its grip.

CMB to Escape: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (2) + 7 = 9

It's hard to see, but I put a little +20' text box on Orthrus's token to indicate he is still on the roof looking down though the ceiling hole.

black tentacles rd 2 grapple: 1d20 + 7 + 5 ⇒ (16) + 7 + 5 = 28 Note: the black tentacles adds another +5 to this total for creatures it had already grappled. damage: 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8

Orthrus laughs maniacally from the roof.

intimidate v drow (demoralize): 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (19) + 15 = 34

Round 2, Init 14

"That's...disturbing," Gillian frowns up at Orthrus as he cackles madly. "But also apparently quite effective. Carry on!"

With most of the trogs dispatched, Gillian draws her longspear and takes a step to the side before stabbing at one of their remaining foes. "No sense in wasting additional resources on the dead," she quips.

Attack vs. Orange (MW Cold Iron Longspear; Sickened): 1d20 + 8 - 2 ⇒ (16) + 8 - 2 = 22
Damage: 1d8 + 3 - 2 ⇒ (5) + 3 - 2 = 6

The woman struggles against the bonds of the spell a final time before saying, "It appears that you've bested me. Fine. You have full access to my lab. Just let me down from here."

"BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!-oh." Once the coast looks clear, and he realizes that Troglodyes are perhaps the only people who smell better dead than alive, Orthrus dismisses the dark tentacles.

Aishe loads another bolt, uneasy that Orthrus let the woman go so easily. He cannot expect them to let her live surely.

He holds his shot though to see what Nel commands. He casually gets into position to get a clear shot should the command come to slay her.

That was easier than expected. Either she has something else up her sleeve or she's not lacking for common sense.

Gillian eyes the woman with some suspicion, waiting to see what Nel and Tamiro wish to do with her.

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (6) + 11 = 17

In a single, smooth motion Nel flicks her blade and sheathes her sword. Ensuring that she stays reasonably away from the wriggling tentacles, she crosses her arms and lets out an annoyed sigh. "On your feet. You're coming with us." Pulling out a length of rope, Nel attempts to tie the woman's hands together before throwing the rope to the ground in frustration. Glancing up at the vat of alchemical supplies, Nel pauses. "We can't leave this lying around. Some poor idiot would try to drink it. Orthrus, do you know how to neutralize this stuff?"

Escape artist to tie rope: 1d20 - 6 ⇒ (11) - 6 = 5 curse you -6 armor check!

In a single, smooth motion Nel flicks her blade and sheathes her sword. Ensuring that she stays reasonably away from the wriggling tentacles, she crosses her arms and lets out an annoyed sigh. "On your feet. You're coming with us." Pulling out a length of rope, Nel attempts to tie the woman's hands together before throwing the rope to the ground in frustration. Glancing up at the vat of alchemical supplies, Nel pauses. "We can't leave this lying around. Some poor idiot would try to drink it. Orthrus, do you know how to neutralize this stuff?"

"Orthrus fix."

Orthrus takes 10 on craft (alchemy) to look over the situation. He'll use the drow's alchemy lab if the bonus is better than his portable one. Total 31.

curse you -6 armor check!

Rilia had a set of masterwork manacles--just sayin'. ;)

"Orthrus help fix that too." He says menacingly.

Orthrus uses his Scar hex (will DC 19) on the alchemist, which leaves her looking like the Batman villain Two-Face.

"You run. Orthrus make things hard on you." Then he turns to rest of the party and asks: "We staying?"

Gillian can't help but cringe at the sight of the drow woman's face after Orthrus works his voodoo. "Your methods are...effective, I have to admit. But also quite disturbing at times," she comments as she begins to take a closer look around the laboratory.

Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (1) + 8 = 9

Gillian can't help but cringe at the sight of the drow woman's face after Orthrus works his voodoo. "Your methods are...effective, I have to admit. But also quite disturbing at times," she comments as she begins to take a closer look around the laboratory.

"You like? Orthrus working on way to use it on friends to help when Orthrus not around. Will be looking for volunteers soon." Orthrus says his mask seeming to look expectantly at Gillian.

"Yeah, I think our orders were to return after we trash this place. I suppose we could set fire to the whole thing, but I fear what would happen should it spread." he looks to the nearby trees.

Can we set fire to the place in a way to contain the blaze?

When they figure out how to destroy the place, Aishe keeps his crossbow loaded and stays behind the drow. He keeps angling for a clear shot, and makes it his personal mission to watch her...

Tamiro searches around the room for anything interesting.

Perception: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 = 8

Nel looks alarmed at the suggestion of fire. "That would be a terrible idea. Chemical fires are terrible and there would be a chance that the blaze would spread. It could reach the library! Think of all the books still there!" Shaking her head, Nel keeps a close eye on the drow, ensuring that the woman does not wander far from her grasp.

"Orthrus trying to concentrate." Orthrus says continuing to concentrate on getting a working inventory of the lair.

He couldn't care less as to how much of Kyonin burned or choked or mutated into horrible three-eyed fish creatures, so long as he wasn't in the part that did, so any fires would have to be controlled ones.

As she hears you talk of burning the lab, she stifles a giggle.

As you search the lab, I'm also assuming that you're taking the woman's gear. I'm also assuming you succeed at the spellcraft checks, mostly because there's no unique items. I'm moving toward mostly keeping spellcraft checks for rare and unique items instead of "oh wow it's a potion of cure light wounds".

Each troglodyte carries a club and a javelin (so 6 of each).

Scattered around the room, you find eight alchemical fire bolts, eight acid bolts, four drow poison bolts, six smokesticks, 4 special frost flasks (2d6 damage and 2 splash damage), 1 special fire flask (2d6 damage and 2 splash), and 1 special poison flask (no damage, but the fort save is DC 17. No splash effect).

The woman herself wears an adamantine chain shirt. She carries 4 acids, 4 alchemist fire, 2 potions of cure moderate wounds, a potion of bear's endurance, a masterwork dagger, and a +1 hand crossbow with 20 fire bolts.

1d10 ⇒ 8
1d10 ⇒ 6
1d10 ⇒ 7
1d10 ⇒ 8
1d10 ⇒ 7
1d10 ⇒ 3
1d10 ⇒ 9

Orthrus's detect magic/spellcraft take 10 is 25 if that helps.

Aishe, one eye on the drow alchemist, picks through the items, and collects the alchemical bolts as usual. He notes the party group fund also has two Cure Moderate potions if anyone wants them, in addition to this small haul.

"So how do we destroy the lab? I don't just want to pour everything out in to a big pool - who knows what that'll do, and we can't set it on fire." he shrugs, not sure how to proceed with their mission.

GM Slothsly, technically you cannot take-10 on a spellcraft check, but in my campaigns I allow it to speed things up in PbP. It means that any items that are not IDed in the first sweep, get checked the next day by a dice roll.

I can't find the link now, but the concentration requirement of Detect Magic/Spellcraft prohibits it according to James Jacobs. But like I said, I allow it to keep things moving.

It's less a rules question and more a question of what I want to spend time on. Fussing over spellcraft checks for a +1 weapon? Eehhh, that's boring. Fussing over it for some super rare unique loot? Yeah, that's good.

-Posted with Wayfinder

"Well if simply burning this place to the ground is out - and I actually have to agree this time, burning it probably isn't wise - then I suspect all we can really do is break what equipment is here," Gillian replies. "Perhaps knock down a wall or two if we can find any structural weak points; bury what's left under a pile of rubble."

Still waiting on the lab results. Does the masked witch doctor have any ideas yet?

"I see no reason to concern ourselves with this place. It is the elves problem. If they want the building they can take care of it. Our job was to take care of occupant. We have."

Tamiro says, taking care of his blades and sheathing them.

Sorry, I had listed what benefits you received; mostly it's finding old gear.

This laboratory is a mess. None of the reagents are labelled properly - instead they have shorthand names. The equipment itself is outdated and several pieces have handdone repairs keeping them together. While the alchemist had been able to use this lab to some degree of success, it would take considerable efforts and budget to bring it into a properly working order.

Orthrus, you do, however, think that with some time and alchemical knowledge, you could neutralize most of the reagents. If you choose to go that route, you will need a craft (alchemy) check.

Depending upon time (minutes or months?), he might do it--particularly if he can arrange a huge explosion or at least some impressive pyrotechnics while doing it. If he can, he takes 10 for 31 again, or...

craft (alchemy, portable lab): 1d20 + 21 ⇒ (15) + 21 = 36

Diving into the small cabinet strapped to his back Orthrus produces a vial of bubbling, noxious, green fluid.

"Um...should the rest of us wait outside at a safe distance while you do whatever you're doing?" Gillian asks, watching Orthrus with a mixture of curiosity and trepidation.

Aishe takes their prisoner outside, and some distance away while he can still fly.

He watches from a very safe distance indeed.

I mean, you can totally rig it for a huge explosion but... do you actually want to do that?

-Posted with Wayfinder

0_0 Yes!

As somberly as a giggling person wearing a huge wooden mask can, Orthrus says "Uh, Hehehe-*koff* Orthrus can fix- Mwaha-*snort!* ahem, right now. Make small BOOM! You like?"

bluff: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (3) - 1 = 2

"Erm...I guess that would work, but we should be ready to move quickly in that case - even a small explosion would likely bring all the drow and that dragon too to investigate," Gillian points out as she too begins to hustle back outside to a safe distance.

Aishe wonders why his suggestion of fire was bad, but explosions are good. He shrugs good naturedly, smiles, and steps further back with their prisoner.

"Erm...I guess that would work, but we should be ready to move quickly in that case - even a small explosion would likely bring all the drow and that dragon too to investigate," Gillian points out as she too begins to hustle back outside to a safe distance.

"Oh, we not be here when that happens. If we were we would not be for long. *snicker* We be somewhere else or ambushing dark elves as they arrive."

"I cannot think that making a massive beacon for the enemy to come running too is a great idea..." Tamiro says to the half-orc

"I don't know about you but I haven't heard about people successfully outrunning dragons. Or a city full of drow for that matter."

"Yes, good point." Orthrus considers. "Better we not know where dark elves and dragon are. More exciting that way!"

I am going to guess that Orthrus could arrange for some sort of delay since otherwise there would be no point in creating a big explosion to see. You would just explode with it.

"I suppose it would make for a fine distraction to allow the other elves to move on other locations around the city," Gillian muses quietly. "But afterwards security would certainly be heightened even more. If we're willing to take that risk then I'm fine with Orthrus proceeding on this course of action."