GM Tarondor's Kingmaker Campaign

Game Master Tarondor

I think we are using a lot of resources just to get there and it won't really change anything. I think we go in without having to expend a lot of our gusto before we get there.

So invisibility sphere to the front door and breech it?

Apparently, we can go in the back. Which would at least be a little surprising. But it would be a much better allocation of resources. Tapping out the Sorcerer before we go in seems premature.

Getting in is only the first step - we still will need to get up on the walls and tower where they are all hiding.

Or get them off the walls. I have been looking at some of the flying summoned monsters that can attach at range.

And, yes, my character info is still screwed up. I need to continue editing that page.

Atop that is a taller, thinner tower about ten feet across that rises another fifteen feet and gives a commanding view of the countryside.

"On second thought, let's get to the roof of that building. I can't imagine they built that small watch tower of sturdy stuff and my knocker could get us inside. This limits our exposure outside and will definitely be a surprise for those inside. Using a summon as distraction as we scale the ladder would definitely buy us some much needed time.

We use Invisibility Sphere for the approach. You three then use the ladder token while Piotr summons a distraction on the tower? Above the tower? Outside the walls? I will fly up and anchor the rope to aid the final distance the ladder doesn't reach. Thoughts?"

A flying summon would be perfect distraction.

"I would think Mikhail would come up first, followed by you, Alister, then Piotr or Aristu."

"It might be worth holding the summoning until they notice us instead of announcing our presence. But that does seem like a good plan without anyone being to taxed before we even enter the stockade." Mikhail says.

Let me know.

Charge!! ?

"I feel like the part of the plan where we are climbing up a ladder while they drop small boulders on us still needs some work. I think I'd rather fly up there."

I'm here when you have a plan. Just FYI.

Mikhail looks at Aristu and nods, "I am sure if they notice us that anyone on the roof will prefer to have whatever aid is possible. We should move quickly though. I am sure they noticed us in the town and will be preparing for us."

We go in under invisibility sphere. Those who can fly and anyone Aristu wants to cast on will fly up and the rest will climb.

Sounds like a plan.

"OK, then," Aristu limbers up his fingers, "Who would like to fly?

Seems like we will all be Avoiding Notice as our exploration activity.

So I have the plan in mind, I know you're going in invisibly, but I don't know where you're going, precisely. The gate? the log wall? The blockhouse? The guard post atop the blockhouse?

We go in under invisibility sphere. Those who can fly and anyone Aristu wants to cast on will fly up and the rest will climb.[/ooc]

The back side of the blockhouse. Climb to the roof of the block house. Then try to Insistent Knocker on the tower/guard post atop the blockhouse since it's smaller/thinner.

Anyone who is climbing, give me an Athletics check.

Piotr will be flying, if Aristu can support him.

Mikhail climbs.

Athletics: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (3) + 14 = 17

Or not!

After deploying his ladder, Kernithar turns into a small finch and flits up to the roof as Aristu casts fly on the others.

He'll look around to see if they've been noticed.
Perception (M): 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (7) + 17 = 24
If not, he'll shift back and secure a rope to himself to anchor the party for the final 5ft of the climb that the ladder does not reach.

Mikhail, I really hope a 17 passes a climb ladder check! Lol. But maybe not the 5ft of rope...

Alister can also cast Fly

Alister floats up, but stays close to Kernithar and those others on the ladder to keep them in the invisibility sphere as long as possible.

How are Aristu and Piotr getting up?

Aristu casts Fly on himself, then Piotr. He sticks close to Alister, moving to a position just above him and rising slowly along with him as Mikhail climbs.

Piotr moves upwards alongside Aristu while Corb soars overhead. The wizard is certain that his familiar would be laughing, if Corb didn't understand the situation.

Sounds like a lot of movement, what with the ladder and the rope and the flying. How are you all managing to stay within the invisibility sphere?

I climb and hope they are not too fast.

Piotr holds a hand out, gently touching Mikhail's back as his companion climbs.

With a 10ft emanation around Alister, Kernithar (now a Tiny finch per Pest Form) will stay just ahead of Mikhail, perhaps resting on his shoulder as he climbs. Alister can float just behind or to the side of Mikhail as he ascends. Piotr can float just behind while Aristu floats on the other side of Alister.

Ok. I went full nerd. Per the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety "Place the ladder feet so that the horizontal distance between the feet and the top support is 1/4 of the working length of the ladder. The ladder will be leaning at a 75 degree angle from the ground." Just annotating to prove it's safe to foot a ladder so close to a wall.

1/4 of a 20ft ladder is 5ft. So I created a diagram of a possible formation for our ascent. Pythagorus tells us that setting the ladder 5ft from the wall base gets us 19.99ft up the wall with a 20ft ladder. So there is 5ft remaining for Mikhail to climb up from. With a 10ft Emanation from the space occupied by Alister, there is essentially a 25ft wide sphere that is taller vertically (assuming Alister is not 5ft tall). The wide sphere allows both the other casters to remain invisible off to his flanks, and the forward emanation of the sphere can still cover Kern as he morphs back to elf shape and helps Mikhail climb the final 5ft using rope or just a hand up.

Here is the diagram to help you picture the ascent. Happy to illustrate it more. I'm also assuming the party is Intelligent enough to figure this out.

Okay. So it sounds like the fliers are going to move slowly while the climbers climb. Forget the Athletics checks (I didn't know you were using a ladder). What I want is Stealth checks from the climbers and Acrobatics checks from the fliers.

PF2e is pretty light on flying rules. I'm going to rule that you can keep to a slow ascent and stay with the climbers if you succeed on a DC 10 Acrobatics check.

Acrobatics: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (14) + 14 = 28

Alister tries to keep his ascent slow and level.

The tiny Kernithar finch flits between the other adventurers during their slow descent.

Acrobatics (T): 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (10) + 14 = 24

Wait, it is just Mikhail climbing? If so, Alister just casts fly on him and we don't have to use the ladder.

Piotr tries his best to remain with the group.

Acrobatics (U): 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6

Acrobatics: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (12) + 10 = 22

Wait, it is just Mikhail climbing? If so, Alister just casts fly on him and we don't have to use the ladder.

Mikhail's choice, then. Acrobatics or Stealth.

They are the same so Stealth.

Stealth: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (9) + 13 = 22

Alister, Aristu, Kernithar and Piotr ascend into the air, followed swiftly by Mikhail, climbing a ladder. Just for an instant, Piotr has trouble keeping pace and he overshoots, emerging from the invisibility sphere's protective envelope. Instantly, the wizard becomes visible to the guard stationed on the roof.

Spriggan Perception: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (14) + 10 = 24

The guard, a rough giant with an evil look about him stares open-mouthed at Piotr, trying to comprehend what he is seeing.

"Uhhh," he says, slowly. Then he shouts "They're here! In the air! Here! Here!"

So, the dance begins!

INITIATIVE
Alister: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (17) + 12 = 29
Aristu: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (17) + 12 = 29
Kernithar: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (5) + 17 = 22 +2 for Initiative
Mikhail: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (10) + 18 = 28
Piotr: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (20) + 15 = 35
Spriggans, Ground: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (5) + 10 = 15
Spriggans, Walls: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (6) + 10 = 16

STATUS
Piotr
Alister - Invisible
Aristu - Invisible
Mikhail - Invisible
Kernithar - Invisible
Spriggans

Everyone, go!

A note on the map. The spriggan in the watch tower (upper right panel) is atop the roof of the blockhouse. The blockhouse has many arrowslits. You are currently at the level of the blockhouse roof, but below the watch tower.

Kernithar lands on the roof in front of the ladder and shifts back to his Elf form. He then prepares the rope to assist Mikhail.

"Get the one on the tower!" He exclaims as he unfurls the rope from around his body, dropping it to the climbing fighter.

Stride, Dismiss Spell, Interact Rope

So Alister said he was going to cast fly on me so we did not need the ladder. Did that not happen? I will go with we saved the spell for now.

Mikhail works to climb the rest of the way up.

Athletics: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (16) + 14 = 30

So Alister said he was going to cast fly on me so we did not need the ladder. Did that not happen? I will go with we saved the spell for now.

You chose Stealth, which was the Climbing choice. Acrobatics was the flying choice.

Piotr casts a spell to summon a swirling mass of ravens flying overhead.

3-actions - Cast Summon Animal, Heightened to 4th level

The flock of ravens spirals upwards to afflict the spriggan atop the tower. The ravens peck and fly about the opponent.

1d8 piercing damage, DC 20 Reflex basic save

Aristu zips up and out of the sphere of invisibility. From fifteen feet above the top of the tower, he points and fires a beam of flame at the spriggan lookoout.

Stride (30' up and 5' west), Cast Searing Light

Ranged spell attack: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (15) + 16 = 31
fire damage: 5d6 ⇒ (6, 1, 3, 2, 2) = 14

Critical hit? If so, double damage.

Yes, Aristu, that's a critical hit!

The invisibility sphere disappears and everyone is visible. As Aristu blasts the giant in the chest with a searing light, Piotr summons a flock of ravens that pecks at his face.

Raven swarm damage: 1d8 ⇒ 2
Spriggan Reflex save: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (6) + 11 = 17

The spriggan in the tower raises his crossbow to his shoulder and fires at Aristu, but the bolt whips past the sorcerer's shoulder.

Large Crossbow vs. Aristu: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (6) + 13 = 191d8 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 = 8

Four other spriggans sight their crossbows on the team and fire. One bolt grazes Kernithar's thigh, but another slams solidly into Mikhail's shoulder.

Large Crossbow vs. Alister: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (5) + 13 = 181d8 + 2 ⇒ (7) + 2 = 9
Large Crossbow vs. Kernithar: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (13) + 13 = 261d8 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4
Large Crossbow vs. Mikhail: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (17) + 13 = 301d8 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 2 = 10
Large Crossbow vs. Piotr: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (2) + 13 = 151d8 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6

STATUS
Piotr - 80/80 hp
Alister - 96/96 hp
Aristu - 72/72 hp
Mikhail - 102/112 hp
Kernithar - 98/102
Spriggan in the Guard Tower - -30 damage (seriously hurt)
Spriggans

Everyone, go!

Piotr's ravens attack the spriggan again while the wizard flys upwards beside the tower.

Fly 25 ft up; Sustain - 2 actions

Raven swarm damage: 1d8 ⇒ 2

Having assisted Mikhail onto the roof, Kernithar turns and moves to the tower's base atop the roof. He reaches his whole arm into his bag and produces the iron wrought oak leaf door knocker.

Stride, 2 Retrieve item from pack

Piotr, you can use your third action to Recall Knowledge or Demoralize on the enemy. Or if you're near an object (like the tower you just flew up beside), you can take cover. It's generally always good to at least try something with the third action. Every die has a 20 on it after all. :)

As the fight is joined, Alister bellows out sharply. "Soldiers of the Rose Queen, I will finish my oath to drive you from this earth!"

He shoots towards the Spriggan in the tower, the point of his sword leading the way, looking to impale it on the guard.

Battle Cry vs Spriggan in the tower: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (1) + 18 = 19

Attack: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (13) + 15 = 28
Damage: 2d6 + 1 ⇒ (6, 1) + 1 = 8

Attack: 1d20 + 15 - 5 ⇒ (16) + 15 - 5 = 26
Damage: 2d6 + 1 ⇒ (5, 5) + 1 = 11

Actions:
Free: Battle Cry
1: Move
2: Attack
3: Attack