GM Tarondor's Kingmaker Campaign

Game Master Tarondor

"Up, or down?" Grimnir asks.

perception: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (2) + 10 = 12

To be clear, in case the map is confusing, you just came up the stairs from downstairs where you had the vision. You've never been up these stairs.

The theory was that the satyrs told you to go downstairs, then upstairs. That didn't seem to work. Perhaps they were merely listing alternatives. Down for X, Up for Y.

"Up, she is probably at the top of the tower. Listening to Fae is unlikely to be useful. So we should just explore as if there were no advice and nobility tends to like to be in lofty places." Mikhail opines.

So...

"Up it is..." Alister climbs the stairs in the ballroom

Piotr follows Alister up the stairs.

Flowering vines decorate this magnificent chamber, hanging from thorny columns that rise into archways supporting a vaulted ceiling. Songbirds flutter within small, golden cages dangling from these vines. Adorning the west wall, twin tapestries depict a setting sun and a rampant moon over a primal meadow. To the east, a carpet of woven summer grass leads to a polished mirror before an ebony throne.

A gorgeous woman sits upon the throne and holds an ornate staff. She is Rhoswen, Queen of the Fellnight Realm. Beside her hovers a swirling cloud of smoke and shadow. She rises as you enter, pointing a perfectly manicured hand at you.

"Challenge me in my own realm, will you?" the fey-queen sneers. "The Second-born know their doom has arrived and you’re the best they could send?" She gestures toward the mirror before her throne. "Look there, if you dare," she taunts.

The mirror shows images of a raging battle between the good creatures of the forest and her Fellnight army, as well as the citizens of the Sword Marches huddled in their homes, frightened as mist and shadow close around them. "The prison of the Eldest can no longer hold me. Your sad tale ends here, your minds shattered and souls cursed for all eternity."

Alister: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (14) + 1 = 15
Aristu: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7
Grimnir: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (19) + 1 = 20
Mikhail: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (18) + 1 = 19
Piotr: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 2 = 10
Rhoswen: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (16) + 3 = 19
Cloud of Smoke & Shadow: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (17) + 9 = 26

Yeah, she's not up for diplomacy, just a bit of villain monologing.

Damage v. Alister: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 3 = 9

The cloud of Smoke and Shadow comes for Alister and tries to envelope him. The choking and cold are shockingly fierce!

STATUS
Cloud of Smoke & Shadow
Grimnir
Rhoswen
Mikhail
Alister (41/47 hp)
Piotr
Aristu

Alister, give me a DC 14 Reflex save or be enveloped!

Then it's your turn, Grimnir!

Reflex (Heroism): 1d20 + 7 + 2 ⇒ (13) + 7 + 2 = 22

If the cloud is summoned by an evil caster I do have Magic Circle vs Evil cast at the moment.

Grimnir sneers at the fey queen, not even sure if this is another illusion. But something tells him it isn't. He can't pretend to understand her motivations or intentions, but he does recognize the smoke as a threat.

Surging forward, he attacks the smoke once, hoping his weapon will penetrate it.

His stone servant rumbles underneath their feet, moving toward the fey queen. double move to get behind her, staying underground

sense motive: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (1) + 5 = 6

+1 Dorn Dergar (power attack): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (7) + 8 = 151d10 + 13 ⇒ (1) + 13 = 14

If the cloud is summoned by an evil caster I do have Magic Circle vs Evil cast at the moment.

You're right, Mikhail. My mistake. So in a bit of retconning, the Cloud of Smoke & Shadow flailed at Alister, but could not touch him.

_______________________________________________________

Grimnir lashes out with his dorn derger, but Rhoswen sidesteps the stone ball with graceful langor. She glides to the nearest living tree pillar and merges with the pillar, disappearing from view. The songbirds are peeping and twittering in the suddenly empty hall.

Mikhail, Alister, Piotr and Aristu, go!

"Fey trickery. Who knows where she went. Be on your guard, especially with that cloud!" Alister casts a spell bolstering the group.

Cast Good Hope. +2 to nearly all rolls for everyone (attack, damage, saves, skills). Start Inspire Courage. (+2/+2 to hit/damage). So a total of +4 to hit, +4 to damage, and +2 to other rolls.

Did the Cloud of Smoke & Shadow also disappear?

Mikhail turns and calls upon Abadar to protect Alister.

Cast Shield of Faith on Alister for +3 AC.

Piotr aids his companions by casting a spell.

Cast Haste on party

Did the Cloud of Smoke & Shadow also disappear?

Nope!

STATUS
Cloud of Smoke & Shadow
Grimnir (haste (+1 AC), good hope (+2 to most rolls), Inspire Courage (+2 to hit/damage))
Rhoswen
Mikhail (haste (+1 AC), good hope (+2 to most rolls), Inspire Courage (+2 to hit/damage))
Alister (haste (+1 AC), good hope (+2 to most rolls), Inspire Courage (+2 to hit/damage) and shield of faith(+3 AC))
Piotr (haste (+1 AC), good hope (+2 to most rolls), Inspire Courage (+2 to hit/damage))
Aristu (haste (+1 AC), good hope (+2 to most rolls), Inspire Courage (+2 to hit/damage))

Aristu, go!

Aristu draws arcane energy and shapes it with a short phrase. He holds up his hand and 4 green sparks launch from his fingers, arc around Mikhail and strike the cloud of smoke.

Force Damage: 4d4 + 4 ⇒ (1, 2, 4, 3) + 4 = 14

Cast Magic Missile at the Smoke & Shadow.

Aristu's missiles scream into the cloud, causing it writhe and billow in pain. Roaring, it reverses course and attacks Grimnir's stone servant, enveloping it in smoke.

STATUS
Cloud of Smoke & Shadow (14 damage)
Grimnir (haste (+1 AC), good hope (+2 to most rolls), Inspire Courage (+2 to hit/damage))
Stone Servant (41/49 hp)
Rhoswen
Mikhail (haste (+1 AC), good hope (+2 to most rolls), Inspire Courage (+2 to hit/damage))
Alister (haste (+1 AC), good hope (+2 to most rolls), Inspire Courage (+2 to hit/damage) and shield of faith(+3 AC))
Piotr (haste (+1 AC), good hope (+2 to most rolls), Inspire Courage (+2 to hit/damage))
Aristu (haste (+1 AC), good hope (+2 to most rolls), Inspire Courage (+2 to hit/damage))

Grimnir, roll a DC 14 Reflex save for the stone servant. If it fails, it is trapped and unable to leave the smoke. It can only try to escape. Then, it's Grimnir's turn.

I think Stoney is underground.

Curse you miserable kids!

Yeah, so the Cloud of Smoke and Shadow just sort of impotently rages at the magical barrier.

STATUS[/b]
Cloud of Smoke & Shadow (14 damage)
Grimnir (haste (+1 AC), good hope (+2 to most rolls), Inspire Courage (+2 to hit/damage))
Stone Servant
Rhoswen
Mikhail (haste (+1 AC), good hope (+2 to most rolls), Inspire Courage (+2 to hit/damage))
Alister (haste (+1 AC), good hope (+2 to most rolls), Inspire Courage (+2 to hit/damage) and shield of faith(+3 AC))
Piotr (haste (+1 AC), good hope (+2 to most rolls), Inspire Courage (+2 to hit/damage))
Aristu (haste (+1 AC), good hope (+2 to most rolls), Inspire Courage (+2 to hit/damage))

[ooc]Grimnir, go!

For whatever its worth since your counting status effects. I have Barkskin and Magic Circle up.

Grimnir grits his teeth and steps toward the smoke creature. Not sure what it will do to it, he lashes out with his chain weapon twice from a distance.

His elemental remains underground, ready to pounce at Grimnir's command.

+1 Dorn Dergar (power attack): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (7) + 8 = 151d10 + 13 ⇒ (2) + 13 = 15
+1 Dorn Dergar (power attack): 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (19) + 3 = 221d10 + 13 ⇒ (7) + 13 = 20

+4 to hit/damage. Also you get an extra attack from haste if you only 5 foot step.

I'll pause to let Grimnir adjust.

Bah--sorry guys. I forget the party buffs frequently, and this time forgot even with all the amazing GM prompts!. :( Please add +4/+4 to my previous attacks. Here's the extra haste attack.

+1 Dorn Dergar (power attack, haste, good hope, inspire courage): 1d20 + 8 + 4 ⇒ (13) + 8 + 4 = 251d10 + 13 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 13 + 4 = 19

Can I make a suggestion, Tim? My buff-characters use the "Bigger" code to make the Buffs harder to ignore. Like this:

INSPIRE COURAGE: +2 to hit and damage.

The dorn derger lashes out, whipping around Grimnir's chest to barrel directly through the smoke cloud, twice. The creature seems to shudder, reacting as much to the magical nature of the paladin's weapon as to the heavy weight of stone. With a shriek, it tears apart, light shining through the wound, then bursting through the cloud like jagged tears in its reality. Finally, the cloud just boils away.

Rhoswen's voice echoes in the air, strangely resonant and hollow while she herself remains unseen. "Oh, little birds, you have no idea what a power you have angered! An anger stoked for millennia!"

With a baleful word, she folds space around Aristu, causing the air to ripple and swirl. Feathers begin to grow all down the mage's face and neck!

STATUS
Grimnir (haste (+1 AC), good hope (+2 to most rolls), Inspire Courage (+2 to hit/damage))
Stone Servant
Rhoswen
Mikhail (haste (+1 AC), good hope (+2 to most rolls), Inspire Courage (+2 to hit/damage))
Alister (haste (+1 AC), good hope (+2 to most rolls), Inspire Courage (+2 to hit/damage) and shield of faith(+3 AC))
Piotr (haste (+1 AC), good hope (+2 to most rolls), Inspire Courage (+2 to hit/damage))
Aristu (haste (+1 AC), good hope (+2 to most rolls), Inspire Courage (+2 to hit/damage))

Aristu, give me a -really- good Fortitude save, please.

AFTER Aristu's save, everyone can go.

Fortitude save + Good Hope: 1d20 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 3 + 2 = 9

Aristu turns into a brightly colored songbird!

Lemme have a second save, Aristu. This time a Will save.

Mikhail focuses on hearing or seeing where the hiding fae is.

If I spot her I call out where in the room she is.

Perception: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (16) + 15 = 31

Aristu is in the Circle, so he gets a +2 Resistance bonus to his Saves if he does not have another Resistance bonus that is equal/greater then the spell. That does nothing for the Fort, but maybe the Will.

Mikhail points to the pillar and says, "She is in the hollow pillar."

Will Save + Medvyed + Good Hope + Magic Circle: 1d20 + 6 + 1 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 6 + 1 + 2 + 2 = 17

"Chirp!"

Alister sees his brother suddenly turn into a songbird and he reflexively hurls magic at the spell to try and stop it from consuming him totally.

Immediate action: Cast Saving Finale. Inspire Courage ends, but then lingers for 2 rounds. Aristu, reroll your save!

Alister quickly moves to the pillar Mikhail points to and hacks at it with his sword. "Face me, Queen of Roses!"

Attack (GH, IC, haste): 1d20 + 7 + 2 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 7 + 2 + 2 + 1 = 16
Damage (GH, IC): 1d8 + 4 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 4 + 2 + 2 = 16

I'll allow Alister's Saving Finale to be for the Fortitude save or the Will save. You choose, Alister. Obviously, if you make the Fort save you don't have to try to make the Will save. Suffice it to say that DC 17 didn't succeed at either.

Grimnir, hearing Mikhail's warning about her location, begins descending the stairs.

"On me way!" he exclaims. His stone servant also makes its way toward the fey queen.

double move

Not sure what you thought was going on downstairs, Grimnir, but the hollow pillar is (pillars are?) here in the throne room. Mikhail is pounding on one of them now.

The way the map looks to me, there is a balcony (that we were on) and she is in the pillar below. I thought I had to run down the staircase to reach her. Is that not the case?

Ah. Your 'balcony' is the stairs rising up from below. On the north side of the room are more stairs leading up. I admit the drawing isn't perfectly clear. Anyway, you're in the throne room.

Re-rolling the Will save:

Will save + Medvyed + Good Hope + Magic Circle: 1d20 + 6 + 1 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (9) + 6 + 1 + 2 + 2 = 20

Huzzah! You made it!

So, you're a songbird. But you retain your memories as a human. YOu can fly, but you cannot cast any spells that require verbal, somatic or material components.

Alister, Piotr and Mikhail, go!

Mikhail walks over to the fake tree and tries to cut through it.

Attack with Civility with PA, GH and IC: 1d20 + 10 + 2 + 2 - 2 ⇒ (5) + 10 + 2 + 2 - 2 = 17
Damage with Civility with PA, GH and IC: 2d6 + 7 + 6 + 2 ⇒ (3, 2) + 7 + 6 + 2 = 20

As Alister and Mikhail smash holes in the hollow pillar, Queen Rhoswen seems startled that they have found her, but is far above revealing her fear.

She can now be attacked where she stands within the pillar, though she has cover.

Aristu and Piotr, go!

Ah. Your 'balcony' is the stairs rising up from below. On the north side of the room are more stairs leading up. I admit the drawing isn't perfectly clear. Anyway, you're in the throne room.

Ah, I think that spell effect was covering it up and it looked like a balcony. If it's alright, please assume I moved toward the column she's hiding in (I changed my icon on the map).

Piotr triggers his Wand of Magic Missiles, sending the magical force towards Rhoswen.

Magic Missile: 3d4 + 3 ⇒ (1, 1, 2) + 3 = 7

Twittering up a storm, songbird-Aristu flies into the tree and straight at Rhoswen's face.

Fly to Rhoswen; touch attack against Rhoswen to use Laughing Touch ability.

Touch attack + Good Hope + Inspire Courage: 1d20 + 1 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (9) + 1 + 2 + 2 = 14

I think that's the right attack modifier - my BAB with a bird's strength and size modifiers.

Actually, I think creatures of that size automatically have weapon finesse, so you could use the bird's dex modifier. I love the image of bird-Aristu flying up and slapping her in the face!

Well, it might make a significant difference, so I'll let somebody point me to that rule before continuing!

Nope, I think I'm wrong. There is a rule for using it for CMB, but not for regular attacks. There are even diminutive creatures in the bestairy who don't have weapon finesse.