GM Tarondor's Emerald Spire Campaign

Game Master Tarondor

Upon the "all-clear" from Yirrik, Wymond sheathes his sword and gives the pull-ring on the door a good, hard yank.

A curving wall of glowing green crystal bulges out into this chamber from one corner. A stout wooden table stands along the wall opposite it. On the table lie three rotting human corpses and the remnants of a large spider.

One of the human corpses has had all of its extremities severed, and its torso has been opened to reveal the internal organs. Another dismembered corpse has giant spider legs sewn onto the stumps in place of the removed limbs, all of which are neatly arranged near the rest of the giant spider.

A bucket full of reeking, old blood sits on the floor under the table, and needles with lengths of silken thread attached are stuck in a hand-sized block of bloodstained wax atop the table.

Wymond's face goes fish-belly white at the sight.

"Augh! I think I just threw up in my mouth a bit!"

He draws his sword and grimaces.

"What kind o' man would DO $#@% like this!?"

"Yuck! The kind of man that needs to be stopped!" Yirrik exclaims, slowly easing the door closed, "I don't think we need to investigate that mess any further."

He then walks down the hall, again checking for any dangers, traps or otherwise...

Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (15) + 5 = 20

Stone Scouting : A dungeon rover gains a +2 bonus on Perception checks to notice underground environmental hazards, including traps, potential cave-ins, and dangerous flora. A dungeon rover receives a check to notice these hazards whenever he passes within 10 feet of them, whether or not he is actively looking.

As Yirrik moves forward, a well-oiled slab of stone pivots beneath his feet, dumping him into a pit below the corridor!

Yirrik, give me a Reflex save to avoid the pit!

I'm aware of your 20 Perception roll, there, but you only get one passive check per hazard, and you failed that when you moved adjacent to the pit earlier. Don't worry, that Stone Scouting thing is going to be invaluable in the Emerald Spire.

Arms pinwheeling, Yirrik does his best impression of a hummingbird, trying to avoid the pull of gravity into the pit, "Whoa!!!"

Relfex: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 10

Blech!! :)

Triath scampers over to the edge of the pit and squeals loudly to the others, prompting Wymond to come running to see what's going on.

"YIRRIK! YOU OKAY?!"

COMEDY! XD

Oh, boy. Here we go.

Falling damage: 1d6 ⇒ 5
Number of pit spikes: 1d4 ⇒ 3
Pit Spike #1: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (19) + 10 = 291d4 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6
Pit Spike #2: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (15) + 10 = 251d4 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4
Pit Spike #3: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (16) + 10 = 261d4 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6

Yirrik falls, impaling himself on three different spikes. And taking 21 points of damage.

Then it gets ugly.

The pit is a 10'x10' shaft, 10' deep and laden with spikes, with an alcove at the bottom wherein dwells a kind of giant spider you've never encountered before (but of the same species as the mutilated one on the table you just left unexplored.) In fact, the door to the pit is held closed by the spider's webbing. When a pit trap is triggered, the [REDACTED] spider rushes out of its alcove, pushes the pit trap door into the closed position, and webs the trap shut again. This is a full-round action for the spider, and because it’s underneath the door, it has cover from any PCs in the hallway above.

So... you know, it's bad.

________________________________________________

Wymond Initiative: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (11) + 0 = 11
Perfire Initiative: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (9) + 5 = 14
Yirrik Initiative: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (16) + 7 = 23
Ilya Initiative: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (18) + 2 = 20
Spider Initiative: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (15) + 6 = 21

INITIATIVE ORDER
Yirrik (21 damage, Prone)
Spider
Ilya
Perfire
Wymond

Image of the man-sized spider.

MAP OF THE EMERALD SPIRE

Yirrik, go!

hmm, using his vermin affinity would take 1 min...not enough time.

Yirrik hits the bottom of the pit hard, his breath knocked out of him. Groaning, he hears Wymond's question but can only groan.

A noise startles him and looking up he sees the eight eyes of a spider looking at him from a dark alcove.

He tries to move across the hottom of the pit. Which is when he notices the spikes perforating his arm, leg and side.

Grimacing he levers himself up off of the spikes and crouches defensively.

However, instead of attacking, the spider climbs up and behins to work on closing the trap door!

"Uh oh. Yirrik mutters, before calling up to Wymond, "Alive for now. But there's a big spider down here with me and its trying to close the trap. See if you can jam it open....or maybe go get a arm or leg from that room tjat it can eat instead of me. I might be able to get it to like me...maybe."

Wymond drops his torch and unslings his bardiche, desperately trying to jam the trapdoor open with the blade.

"ILYA! PERRY! GRAB A CORPSE FROM THAT ROOM AN' TOSS IT DOWN 'ERE! NOW!"

What kind of check would it be to jam this thing with the bardiche?

That's an excellent question. It'd make my job easier to rule it was a Disable Device check, but I don't think that's fair. I'm going to call it a Dexterity check to wedge it in there and an opposed Strength check to keep it there.

Yirrik, standing is a move action. Do you want to take a standard action before the spider goes?

Dexterity check: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (3) + 0 = 3
Strength check: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (16) + 3 = 19

EDIT: CRAP!

Yirrik?

Yirrik sizes up his chances of leaping to his own rescue, but decides his gear would weigh him down too much.

Glancing a the busy spider, the spits into his hands and begins to scale the wall of the pit , facing one of the nearby corners.

Climb, -5 DC from climbing in the corner: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (12) + 4 = 16

From the SRD, the climb DC is 15 or 20. With the -5 DC from the corner , he should make it.... 5ft up (1 quarter of 20ft movement) :D Surely high enough for some one to grab hold ? Hopefully :)

That would be true, Yirrik, if not for the trap door providing cover to everything in the pit.

Wymond, not your turn yet, but I'll apply those rolls to your turn in a moment.

The spider begins closing the trap door. Only a narrow gap remains. It's about to get pitch dark in the pit.

Wymond thrusts out his bardiche to jam the trap, but can't get his blade wedged in.

Ilya, Perfire, Yirrik, go!

Perfire gasps as Yirrik drops out of sight and stands stunned for a moment. Wymond's bellowing shocks him into action. The halfling darts forward and pulls open the closed door.

two moves, that's alls I can do this round

Not sure of your intent here, Perfire. Are you opening the trap door or the door into the room? To open the trap door you'd have to push, not pull.

Door to the room, following Wymond's direction to fish up some bait.

"DAMMIT, HOLD ON YIRRIK!" Wymond cries, panic in his voice.

Ilya, Yirrik, go!

Have we lost Ilya?

Yirrik looks up at the edge of the pit, so close, but so far and now getting close to being closed off, "Uh, guys, a little help! "
he calls out, voice breaking a bit from stress.

Hopping down, seeing he won't make it up in time, Yirrik dumps his pack on the ground and snatches up his lantern, trying to light it in time before the pit is sealed up...

Ilya's last post here was two weeks ago. His/her last post anywhere on the site was eleven days ago. I'll bot Ilya tonight if she hasn't posted by then.

Ilya's Falcata and cover: 1d20 + 3 - 4 ⇒ (16) + 3 - 4 = 151d8 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6

Perfire runs out of the room. Yirrik slides down, avoiding the spikes, grabs up his lantern and lights it. Ilya stabs down with her falacata, skewering one of the spider's hairy legs and causing it to shriek. Then the trap door shuts with a quiet thoom.

INITIATIVE ORDER
Yirrik (21 damage)
Spider (6 damage)
Ilya
Perfire
Wymond

MAP OF THE EMERALD SPIRE

Anyone, go!

Wymond looks around for the switch that triggered the door to open the first time.

"YIRRIK! HOLD ON, WE'RE COMING!"

Perception: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4

Not willing to go down with out a fight, and emboldened by the spider's shriek of pain, Yirrik draws sword and axe and chops at the entombing arachnid...

Attack,sword: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 2 = 7
Damage: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5

Attack, axe: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (7) + 2 = 9
Damage: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3

uh, boy! Thanks dice-roller, thanks a lot! :D

seems the dice roller really has it out for us...

Perfire, Ilya, go!

Perfire scrambles into the room and over to the table and quickly grabs and arm. He shivers as he turns and runs back to where he saw Yirrik drop into the pit, trying not to think about what he's carrying. The Halfling skids to a stop next to Wymond.

'Where's the pit? I've got some... bait, where's the pit?' Panic is obvious in Perfire's voice.

Ilya will jump up and down on the area where the pit is supposed to be, hoping to fall to the rescue of Yirrik.

"I don't know!" Wymond cries. "The damn spider shut the trapdoor!"

Down in the pit, lit now by Yirrik's lantern, the ranger is near death but fights on, slashing valiantly but without effect at the skittering monstrosity above him.

Outside, Wymond looks desperately for a triggering mechanism, uncertain of what he hopes to find until Ilya demonstrates a rather selfless (not to say suicidal) selflessness by jumping directly on the trapped square of floor just as Perfire runs in with a horrific bit of human remains in his hands.

Ilya, give me a Strength check!

Strength: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 = 8

Ilya lands squarely on the trap door. It gives a little, but the webs beneath it hold for now.

Down below the spider turns on Yirrik, eyeing its prey with eight hundred-faceted eyes. It leaps at Yirrik, avoiding the many spikes by clinging to the wall.

bite: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 4 = 201d6 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4

And that's the last thing Yirrik sees before the lights go out!

INITIATIVE ORDER
Yirrik (25 damage, dying, poisoned)
Spider (6 damage)
Ilya
Perfire
Wymond

MAP OF THE EMERALD SPIRE

Yirrik, give me a DC 15 Fort save and a stabilization check. Everyone else, go!

"Here, let me!" Wymond says, jumping on the trapdoor and focusing as much of his bulk into it as he can.

Strength Check: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (16) + 3 = 19

That'll do it. The webbing gives way and the trap door falls open under Wymond.

Wymond! Give me a Reflex save!

Reflex Save: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (11) + 0 = 11

Fully expected my luck to run out here, honestly.

Fort Save, DC 15: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (8) + 5 = 13

Stablice, Con vs DC 10: 1d20 + 2 - 3 ⇒ (4) + 2 - 3 = 3 -1 hp

Doh...and...Doh!!!

Yirrik tries to fend of the scurrying horror, but it manages to get by his weapons and sinks it's envenomed fangs deep into his side. His vision fades as he feels a terrible tingling and heat expanding from the wound, his last thoughts chaotic and confused that such a thing could happen....

Perfire drops the arm hopefully you'll let me just drop it into the pit as a free action and begins to lower himself over the side of the pit.

Climb: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (18) - 1 = 17

assuming that's a good enough roll

The halfling makes his way down into the pit, upon reaching the bottom he turns and assesses the situation at the bottom of the pit.

'Wymond, are you alright?'

Won't know until Tarondor adjudicates whether I made the save or not! ;)

Ilya Reflex: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (20) + 1 = 21

No, I'm not gonna roll to see if he lands on the spider. Or Yirrik.

Falling damage: 1d6 ⇒ 6
Number of pit spikes: 1d4 ⇒ 3
Pit Spike #1: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (14) + 10 = 241d4 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4
Pit Spike #2: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (20) + 10 = 301d4 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6
Pit Spike #3: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (3) + 10 = 131d4 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4

Pit Spike #2 Critical Hit?: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (13) + 10 = 231d4 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5

Wymond jumps onto the trap and triggers it. Ilya leaps aside just in time, but the paladin does not. Instead, he plummets into the pit, landing with all the grace typical of a large man encased in iron. One spike goes through his calf and another through his ribcage, probably breaking ribs and possibly piercing a lung. He holds on to consciousness by the barest of threads.

INITIATIVE ORDER
Yirrik (25 damage, dying, poisoned)
Spider (6 damage)
Ilya
Perfire
Wymond (21 damage, prone, disabled)

MAP OF THE EMERALD SPIRE

Ilya, go!

Can Triath jump into the pit and use lay on paws to heal Wymond?

If he does, he's going to have to contend with those spikes.

Ilya leans over the edge of the pit, and lets holy energy flow from her symbol. It'll get Wymond back on his feet, at least.

Channel positive energy, Yirrik, Wymond and Spider: 1d6 ⇒ 4

Yirrik's STR loss to poison: 1d3 ⇒ 1
1d2 ⇒ 1

Webs, ranged touch: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (7) + 11 = 18

Ilya's prayers to the Master of the First Vault preserve her companions' lives a little longer, but also heals the spider of the very wounds she gave it herself.

The spider, feeling better, fires mass of sticky webs at Wymond, cementing him to the floor!

INITIATIVE ORDER
Yirrik (21 damage, prone, poisoned, -1 STR)
Spider (2 damage)
Ilya
Perfire
Wymond (17 damage, prone, restrained)

MAP OF THE EMERALD SPIRE

Anyone, go! (Yirrik, another Fortitude save, if you please!

Can I reach the spider from the edeg of the pit?

Fort Save, DC 15: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (11) + 5 = 16
Stablize, Con vs DC 10: 1d20 + 2 - 4 ⇒ (14) + 2 - 4 = 12

Whew! :D

Can I use lay on hands on myself whilst being webbed up, or do I need to try and break out first?

I'm pretty sure there's a rule somewhere that you don't need a hand free to lay on hands yourself, originally written because of sword and board paladins.

Perfire ducks out of the way of the webs being slung across the bottom of the pit and draws his club. He waits for an opening in the many legs shifting about the arachnid body and brings his club down at what he feels is an opportune moment.

Club: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (14) + 1 = 15

Damage: 1d4 - 1 ⇒ (2) - 1 = 1

Dang. I answered all this stuff some time ago. Stupid server ate my answer.

Ilya: No. Not without a reach or ranged weapon. It's 10' away.
Yirrik: You're conscious. Take an action.
Wymond: Yes.

Perfire: See Ilya's answer.