GM Tarondor's Kingmaker Campaign

Game Master Tarondor

Reflex: 1d20 + 19 ⇒ (3) + 19 = 22

Kern scans the skies for their magical foe without realizing there was a fiery blast headed his way.

Kern will sweep his gaze moving South for up to Three Actions. Perception +20 to find him.

Reflex save: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (2) + 16 = 18

Piotr feels the full, fiery heat of the fireball.

Still trailing smoke, Piotr uses his staff to cast a spell to summon a mephit. He commands the mephit to seek out the opposing wizard.

1,2,3 - Cast Summon Elemental (earth mephit)

The mephit moves forward, searching for the unseen wizard.

Move, Move, Move. Tremorsense (imprecise, 30 ft)

Mikhail yells back at the others "Scatter!"He then flies up and looks near the roof above where the creature had been.

I am not sure how the roof is but I will spend an action moving to there and an action going up. And then Seek near the roof above where the creature was standing. +19 Perception

Reflex save - Sickened: 1d20 + 16 - 2 ⇒ (4) + 16 - 2 = 18

Aristu reacts slowly, throwing his cloak over his face but still taking the full force of the blast. He grimaces in pain but manages to concentrate on reading the spell on his scroll. The he looks around for the undead wizard.

Cast See Invisibility off of scroll.

Alister waits until his brother can spot the wizard.

Alister will delay until after Aristu. The plan will be to cast Dispel Magic (heightened to 5th level) at the Invisibility spell. I think he can do this even not being able to see the Wizard since the target is the spell effect itself.

Piotr, that's not how summoned creatures work in 2e. Familiars, animal companions and summoned creatures only gain actions when you spend them. Piotr must expend a single action to "Maintain Summons", which gives the mephit two (not three) actions. You can maintain more than once in a round, if you wish.

Our Heroes never saw the attack coming. Fire rips through their ranks, blasting and burning.

Piotr summons a mephit. Reeking and smoking, the vicious creature cackles at it looks for an enemy. Kern likewise scans the air without success. Mikhail spots a shimmer in the air near the cave ceiling and points it out to his allies . ”There!” he says.

GM’s discretion to have Mikhail use the Point Out action. Moments later, Aristu’s see invisibility affects his eyesight and he can see the undead wizard floating near the ceiling.

ONLY Aristu can see Cephal. Until he moves again, he is HIDDEN to the rest of you. As soon as he moves, he will become UNDETECTED again. Note also that he is quite far away, with all that means for spell ranges and modifiers to Perception.

STATUS
Kernithar - 93/114 hp, Sickened 1
Mikhail - Sickened 1
Piotr - 66/89 hp
Cephal Lorentus - 15 damage, mage armor, shield, fly, invisibility, ???
Alister - 84/107 hp, fly, Inspire Courage
Aristu - 57/80 hp, Sickened 2

[ooc]Alister, go!

Alister looks to where Mikhail is pointing and he whispers a word, and makes a wiping motion, wiping away the magical energy at that spot.

Cast Dispel Magic (at 5th level), targeting Invisibility.
Counteract Check: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (1) + 17 = 18

Hero Point: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (9) + 17 = 26

The rules are vague on whether you can target a Hidden enemy with a spell that doesn't require an attack roll. In this instance, I rule that you can, but it will require a DC 11 Flat check.

Alister's Flat check to target Cephal Lorentus: 1d20 ⇒ 20 Okay then.

Alister's counteract check is a Failure, but that permits him to counteract a spell one level lower than his own (which was 5th level). Cephal Lorentus's spell was 4th level, so the dispel works and the wizard is no longer invisible!

Piotr, that's not how summoned creatures work in 2e. Familiars, animal companions and summoned creatures only gain actions when you spend them. Piotr must expend a single action to "Maintain Summons", which gives the mephit two (not three) actions. You can maintain more than once in a round, if you wish.

Can you direct me to an on-line resource that explains this? I only have the main rulebook and that is not how summoning is described.

It's in the Minion Rules. See also the Summoned rules.

The undead remains of the wizard of Varnhold turns its baleful gaze full on Alister. It vomits up a swarm of vile visions that fly at the Lord of the Sword Marches, filling his head with terrors! He continues to fly around and also casts shield. It seems that Cephal is unnaturally fast!

Phantasmal Killer! Give me a Will save, Alister. DC 28

Then, everyone, go.

Thanks. So, the summoned mephit only made two Move actions.

Kern continues his battery of thunderous arrows.

Skybolt vs Prey (1) 2xFort Save on Crit (24/27): 1d20 + 19 - 1 ⇒ (16) + 19 - 1 = 34
Damage (P/Sonic/Force): 1d8 + 1d6 + 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (7) + (4) + (5) + 3 = 19
Skybolt vs Prey (2) 2xFort Save on Crit (24/27): 1d20 + 16 - 1 ⇒ (3) + 16 - 1 = 18
Damage (P/Sonic/Force): 1d8 + 1d6 + 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (3) + (1) + (2) + 3 = 9
Skybolt vs Prey (3) 2xFort Save on Crit (24/27): 1d20 + 13 - 1 ⇒ (15) + 13 - 1 = 27
Damage (P/Sonic/Force): 1d8 + 1d6 + 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (6) + (6) + (4) + 3 = 19

Will Save: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (13) + 16 = 29
Resolve makes any Will save success a critical success.

Alister stares at the undead Wizard. "Cephal, I've read your journal. I've seen what happened at Varnhold. You'll need more than that to scare me."

I am not sure. Do we actually see his location at the moment? Or should I wait for Aristu to point him out?

Invisibility was Dispelled, so we should see him.

Aristu hurries forward, then draws fey energy into his hands and creates holy fire. With effort, he draws yet more energy to strengthen the spell that scorches a trail across the cavern at the soaring undead.

(1)Stride:E,SE,SE,SE,S; (2&3)Cast Searing Light(H+2) at Cephal Lorentus.

Ranged spell attack: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (17) + 17 = 34
fire damage: 9d6 ⇒ (3, 2, 5, 4, 1, 3, 6, 3, 2) = 29
good damage: 9d6 ⇒ (3, 2, 4, 6, 1, 6, 6, 6, 2) = 36

Yeah, he's visible. Go get him, Mikhail.

Alister spots Cephal over the molten tar. He throws mental energy at the Wizard, hoping to disrupt his thought processes. His rallying cry continues to echo in the chamber.

1. Move
2/3. Cast Slow on Cephal (Will DC 27).

Inspire Courage is still in effect (round 2/3)

A reminder (to Mikhail too), that you must use a Fly action (every round if you want to remain in the air.

Forgot to add Inspire Courage to Aristu's spell attack above. That makes his totals:
Attack = 35
fire damage = 30
good damage = 37

Piotr keeps a portion of his attention on the mephit so that it remains here. The mephit continues across the bridge before beginning to fly along the wall of the cave.

He then concentrates and casts a spell to strip whatever magics are allowing the undead wizard to fly about.

1 - Sustain summoned creature[ooc]
[ooc]2,3 - Cast Dispel Magic
Counteract modifiers = INT +4, expert spellcaster +4
Counteract: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (10) + 8 = 18

Invisibility was Dispelled, so we should see him.

Yup. This.

Kern, remember that you are sickened 1. That reduces all your DC’s by 1. Aristu, your attack roll is a "check" and so is also affected by Sickened.

Piotr, unlike 1e, Second Edition’s Dispel Magic doesn’t target people. You have to pick either an object or target a particular spell. And that means you have to know the spell effect exists. I’m going to say that Piotr is aware of mage armor, shield and fly. You didn’t say it was heightened so I assume your dispel magic is 2nd level. This means you could only take out fly on a critical success. You don’t know what level Cephal’s mage armor is, but if it’s 1st level, you’d take it out even on a failure. What do you want to do?

One of Kern’s arrows buries itself in the mage’s rotted flesh. Another just barely skips off his shield spell.

Aristu’s searing light strikes Varnhold’s mage square in the chest and blows a hole through his back! It’s absolutely devastating. Yet somehow the vile mockery of your counterpart in the Dunsward is not destroyed. It hisses fury at you. A moment later, its swift movements cease as Alister's spell dispels another.

Will save v. Slow: 1d20 + 19 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 19 + 1 = 23

STATUS
Kernithar - 93/114 hp, Sickened 1
Mikhail - Sickened 1
Piotr - 66/89 hp
Cephal Lorentus - 101 damage, mage armor, shield, fly
Alister - 84/107 hp, fly, Inspire Courage
Aristu - 57/80 hp, Sickened 2

Mikhail, go! Piotr, please answer above question.

Mikhail flies up to the undead being and attacks.

I currently have Sudden Charge. Stride x2 and attack at the end. I am not sure if he is within range of Stride x2 or Stride x3. If he is within 2 I get 2 attacks. If he is within Stride 3 I get 1 attack. If he is too far I just move as much as I can. If the Stride does not count as Fly, then remove one attack as well.

First Attack with Civility: 1d20 + 20 ⇒ (16) + 20 = 36

First Damage with Civility: 2d12 + 4 + 3 ⇒ (6, 3) + 4 + 3 = 16

Second Attack with Civility: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (2) + 15 = 17

Second Damage with Civility: 2d12 + 4 + 3 ⇒ (1, 11) + 4 + 3 = 19

I believe it takes three actions to reach him. You get one attack.

Heightened Fire Shield: 3d6 ⇒ (6, 2, 6) = 14 fire damage

Flying furiously forward, Mikhail drives his greatsword through the undead mage's ruined chest like a lance. Cephal Lorentus's fire shield burns Mikhail as he does so, but the greatsword severs the last remnants of the undead spirit's control over the ruined body.

The body of Varnhold's mage falls toward the boiling tar below.

COMBAT OVER

STATUS
Kernithar - 93/114 hp, Sickened 1
Mikhail - 110/124 - Sickened 1
Piotr - 66/89 hp
Alister - 84/107 hp, fly, Inspire Courage
Aristu - 57/80 hp, Sickened 2

Mikhail Reflex save, sickened: 1d20 + 17 - 1 ⇒ (20) + 17 - 1 = 36

Mikhail, you have a choice. Your lightning-quick reflexes will let you grab either the body (and whatever its wearing) or Cephal's staff before it hits the tar. Which do you grab? And no, you know nothing about either. Just gotta make a call.

Piotr, you can save your Dispel Magic.

I save the body. We need to put him to rest properly.

Mikhail grabs the falling figure before it plummets into the lava. He will then fly down to the others. He then begins tending to the wounded.

Has it been long enough for Mikhail and Kern to get more medicine checks? I will roll it and if not ignore our two rolls.

Medicine check DC 20 on Kern: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (1) + 18 = 19 Sadly, that fails.

Healing: 2d8 + 10 ⇒ (3, 2) + 10 = 15

Medicine check DC 20 on Mikhail: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (4) + 18 = 22

Healing: 2d8 + 10 ⇒ (3, 3) + 10 = 16

Medicine check DC 20 on Piotr: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (20) + 18 = 38 Critical Success.

Healing: 4d8 + 10 ⇒ (7, 7, 8, 2) + 10 = 34

Medicine check DC 20 on Alister: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (1) + 18 = 19Sadly, that fails. Two ones....Yikes.

Healing: 2d8 + 10 ⇒ (6, 2) + 10 = 18

Medicine check DC 20 on Aristu: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (4) + 18 = 22

Healing: 2d8 + 10 ⇒ (6, 1) + 10 = 17

Remember the potions as well if you want to heal some. I do not think 1's are Critical Failures. If so they both take the 1st d8 in damage.

The staff...whatever it was... plunges into the burning tar and is gone. But Mikhail grabs Cephal Lorentus by the collar and hauls him back to solid ground.

I don't think an hour has gone by. It has to be an hour, right?

Natural 1's are only critical failures if the result would otherwise be a failure. If the result would have been a success, then the Natural 1 reduces it to a failure. However, those 19's would be failures, so those two Natural 1's make them into Critical Failures! You can spend Hero Points if you'd like.

No longer material, but Dispel Magic was second level so would have intended to remove Mage Armor.

"Let us hope the rest of Varnhold did not meet a similar fate." Kern wishes as he helps Mikhail with the body.

Turning to the magically inclined group, he asks [b]"Will that stone last for long?", indicating the magically created crossover point.

I am going to let the dice lie for now I think. We have some potions we can share out as needed. And we can always rest for another hour or so if we need to."

"I am sorry about that, the heat in this room makes tending to you difficult. Should we fall back for a bit or continue on?" Mikhail asks as he lays the corpse down and then looks it over to try and see what originally led to the man's death.

Medicine: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (6) + 18 = 24

Perception: 1d20 + 19 ⇒ (2) + 19 = 21

Not that I want to, but did I take more damage the round that I carried him down?

Yup.

Heightened Fire Shield: 3d6 ⇒ (3, 1, 5) = 9

Aristu glances over at the bridge. "That's here to stay. At least until something comes along and breaks it and it sinks into the tar."

He wanders over to the corpse and takes a good look at it with a spell to detect magic.

Piotr will join Aristu, attempting to determine what was done to his fellow wizard.

Use Detect Magic

The corpse was horrid and rotted before it was hacked to pieces, the ruin of a once-good man.

His robes contain two runes, an Armor Potency rune (+1) and a Resilient rune. In his pockets you find a potion of Expeditious Retreat and two potions of quickness. On his belt is his spellbook.

While the others tend the body of the dead undead wizard, Kern will walk the bridge and the room to scan for anything else of interest/danger.

Perception +18

Nice find! Quick Pots for Mikhail and Kern?

Now that he can take his time, Kern spies a second, hidden entrance to this room on the southwest.

Piotr will pick up the spellbook, for later study.

"I could transfer those runes for you," states Piotr.

"We have a way to go forward, but do we do it or wait for a time for more care?" Mikhail says.

I am not sure if this is a timed thing. Considering our time traveling it seems a bit unlikely, but I don't know.

"There is more than one way forward. Mikhail, would you fly over to see if that's another door?" Kern says, gesturing to an odd spot in the southwest of the room.

"If we're to face some sort of demigod, I think we need to be in our best shape." Kern answers.

I think we should definitely heal since we seem to be approaching a climax in story plot, meat decision but also, the PCs were warned they potentially face some powerful foe so reasonable to want to be topped off.

So what do you do?

Heal then inspect the secret room. That's my vote.

"If it's a hidden entrance, we should inspect it. It could hold secrets to this place. But let's heal our wounds first."

Concur

"Lets move to where the air is clearer and we can rest" Mikhail leads the way back to the previous area and will tend to wounds.

So an hour later the rolls are. Piotr should be full. But I think I am down 7ish after the second round of fire damage and Aristu should be down 6. So smaller healing on the two of us..

DC 20 Medicine on Alister: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (14) + 18 = 32 Critical Roll

Healed Amount: 4d8 + 10 ⇒ (8, 8, 6, 7) + 10 = 39

DC 15 Medicine on Aristu: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (16) + 18 = 34 Critical Roll

Healed Amount: 4d8 ⇒ (5, 7, 2, 4) = 18

DC 20 Medicine on Kern: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (19) + 18 = 37 Critical Roll

Healed Amount: 4d8 + 10 ⇒ (4, 5, 2, 3) + 10 = 24

DC 15 Medicine on Mikhail: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (16) + 18 = 34 Critical Roll

Healed Amount: 4d8 ⇒ (1, 1, 4, 5) = 11

All crits. Much nicer. I believe that this gets everyone to full even with my botched rolls earlier.

"It is much easier to work out of that stench." Mikhail notes.

Aristu thanks Mikhail. Once everyone is healed up, he says, "Shall I make another bridge?"

"That seems a good idea instead of using a bunch of fly spells." Kern agrees.

Let me know! I'm here!

"I did not prepare the spell to create shelter," states Piotr.

"Although we may not require such. I would welcome a chance to rest and, if possible, study this book. Perhaps there is something besides spell instructions inside."

"Let's check this hidden room before we think about falling back. There's no cause to rush, but I'm curious as to what they might have hidden away."

"Then lets make this bridge and go check on at least the secret door." Mikhail will gather his stuff and prepare to head back into the stuffy room.