GM Tarondor's Ptolus Campaign

Game Master Tarondor

Velika's bard song is still going, so that's 2 more points of damage from Tilver's crit

Dain keeps an eye on the skeleton while continuing to call more spirits to heal Tilver's wounds.

defensively cast Cure Light Wounds on Tilver

Concentration check for Casting Defensively: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (14) + 7 = 21
CLW healing: 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6

Holys shouts and tries again to incinerate the skeleton.

Cast Scorching Ray:

Cast defensively: 1d20 + 4 + 4 ⇒ (13) + 4 + 4 = 21 (+4 class, +4 stat) vs DC 19
Ranged touch attack: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7
Fire damage: 4d6 + 4 ⇒ (3, 2, 5, 3) + 4 = 17 (4d6 base, +4 for Gold Draconic bloodline)

Spells remaining/total:
2nd (2/4)—scorching ray
1st (6/7)—burning hands (DC 17), mage armor , protection from evil, ray of enfeeblement (DC 15), vanish
0th (at will) —acid splash, arcane mark , detect magic , flare (DC 16), light, open/close (DC 14), prestidigitation, read magic, resistance

Holys also forgot to include +1 to hit and damage for Velika's bard song

Okay, I've added 2 damage for Velika's Inspire.
Even with Velika's +1, Holys's scorching ray hit a Touch AC of 8. The skeleton has a Touch AC of 9.

Holys blasts the wall just behind the giant skeleton, scorching the rime of ice crystals hanging there.

INITIATIVE ORDER
Holys
Silas (49 damage)(Silas is at -9 damage but stable)
Velika
Dain (shield of faith +2 AC (total AC 20))
Tilver (protection from evil (+2 AC)) (12 damage)
Skeleton (83 damage)(disarmed)

Velika, you're up!

Still singing, Velika draws her sword and takes a five foot step SE to provide future tactical advantage for her companions. Then she concentrates on defending herself.

I believe moving SE will not get in Holys' way for his attack but if it does, Velika will move after he's done. Full defense with 4 ranks in acrobatics gives an additional +6 dodge bonus to AC

Also, if Holys's attack misses, Velika will use an immediate action to cast Gallant Inspiration.
This adds 2d4 to his attack roll. 2d4 ⇒ (2, 3) = 5. It appears an immediate spell will not provoke an AOO so Velika will not cast defensively
Inspire Courage (round 4)
Inspire Courage: +1 competence bonus attack & weapon damage; +1 morale bonus save vs. charm & fear

I'll let you use that Gallant Inspiration retrospectively if you want to help that last attack land. Let me know.

Use it on the last attack, please!

Gallant Inspiration: 2d4 ⇒ (1, 3) = 4

The giant shifts and Holys's aim is off just slightly. The scorching ray is going to miss. But then, Velika sings one of Holys's favorite lines, a stirring moment in her heroic song, and the sorcerer's aim shifts just a tiny bit.

The gout of flame blasts the giant skeleton, immolating it in a fiery holocaust. The arcane forces holding together the ancient bones unravel in seconds, causing the bones to clatter to the floor, bereft of will and power!

COMBAT OVER!

Tilver pumps his fist as he sees the skeleton fall apart. He turns back to Silas' body. "Quick help him!" He pulls out a wand and touches it to the Litorian repeatedly.

CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4
CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6
CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2

Holys looks at Silas, worried. "Cousin!" He keeps a spark of fire in his hands, as he scans for more foes.

While Tilver tends to Silas, Velika will cast Detect Magic and look around the room, paying attention to the membrane and the skeleton's remains

Cast Detect Magic

There is no magic in the room, including the weird membrane. It's something odd, but it isn't magical.

Tilver's prayers to Asche the god of cities and civilization bring Silas back from the brink of death. Battered and bruised, he sits up, shaking his head.

INITIATIVE ORDER
Holys
Silas (37 damage)
Velika
Dain (shield of faith +2 AC (total AC 20))
Tilver (protection from evil (+2 AC)) (12 damage)

Tilver should only be at 6 damage. Dain's last action in the fight (see above) was a CLW which healed Tilver for an additional 6 points

Silas rubs his head and groans, "That....hurt."

Very good.

STATUS
Holys
Silas (37 damage)
Velika
Dain (shield of faith +2 AC (total AC 20))
Tilver (protection from evil (+2 AC)) (6 damage)

Holys points at the membrane. "Strange, but not magical, I think. Perhaps we should pierce it?"

Just want to point out how badly injured Silas is.

"Yeah, giant skeleton clobbering you on the head with a huge club will give anyone a headache." He uses the wand on himself before turning it back on the Litorian several more times.

CLW - Tilver: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4

CLW - Silas: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3
CLW - Silas: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6
CLW - Silas: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2
CLW - Silas: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 9
CLW - Silas: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2
CLW - Silas: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7
CLW - Silas: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 9

Should put Silas at full. Tilver down just a couple hp.

Dain and Magill join Holys at the edge of the membrane. Dain crouches down to get a good look at it as he prods it with the butt of his spear.

Perception: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (6) + 12 = 18

"Thank you, ah...that feels much better." Silas stands up and stretches out a kink before picking up his weapon. Silas then walks over to the membrane and sniffs it to see what he can discover.

Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (14) + 7 = 21

It appears almost like a scab growing over a wound. It has the resilience and feel of flesh, but smells strangely acrid. Frankly, it gives you the creeps!

STATUS
Holys
Silas
Velika
Dain (shield of faith +2 AC (total AC 20))
Tilver (protection from evil (+2 AC)) (2 damage)

Dain reverses his spear so that the point is against the edge of the membrane. He looks to each of his companions to see if anyone objects, and if not, he tries to cut the membrane along its edge.

The spear is magical, in case it matters.

Holys nods his assent.

Velika wrinkles her nose but nods along with Holys. She points her gun at the hole, prepared to shoot if something loathsome comes through.

Tilver hands Silas back his sword and picks up his longspear again. "Nice balance on that."

He grimaces at the membrane. "Disgusting. Whatever this chaos cult was into, I imagine it will only get worse." He nods to Dain to open it up.

Silas shrugs and waits to see what happens.

The membrane cuts easily. A gust of frigid air emerges from the shaft below. It is cold as ice.

This page of the map is the only one that was poorly done. The lines on the map above form the walls of the room below. Ignore everything outside of the dotted lines.

How far down is the drop through the membrane? And is there any object up here to which a rope could be anchored?

Tilver peeks over the edge, holding his lantern. It flares to life as he holds it over the darkness.

If he doesn't see anything, Tilver will suggest you lower him down.

The drop reminds you of the one above - about thirty feet, only this time into a cave of ice. There is no good anchor for a rope except maybe the statue up above - if you have enough rope to make both drops.

"So ... that looks cold. As in, I'm-not-prepared-for-this cold."

"I don't like the cold, but we may have to brave it. I have 50 feet of silk rope. If one of you has some more rope, that should be plenty to tie off to the statue upstairs and get us all the way down."

"I have another 50 ft and a climber's kit so we can rig something from the ground here and save some rope." Silas pulls out his climbers kit and starts getting some pitons into place.

Dain gazes into the cave of ice and tries to gauge if it seems cold enough to cause harm to himself and his companions.

Heal check?: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (11) + 8 = 19

Dain shakes his head, "It's not a question of...umm...braving it. If you want to take a...ahhh...quick look, ok, but spend more than 10 minutes down there without some...mmm...appropriate protection, and you 'll be risking frostbite or...ummm...worse.

"Maybe it won't take ten minutes. I don't see other options to proceed... so, do any of the rest of you have rope?"

"I think with my kit and rope we should be fine. And we can go in for a quick look and get out before things get too frosty. If it looks like it will take too long we can fall back and return with heavy weather clothes."

Dain shrugs. "Like I said, a quick look should be...mmm...reasonably safe. From the cold, I mean. We could still be attacked, of course, and...ummm...fighting on ice definitely wouldn't be safe."

Dain will assist as the others ready the rope. Before they drop the rope into the ice cave, he asks the spirits for a blessing of light, and places it on the end of the rope.

Cast Light on the bottom end of the rope

So who's going down and in what order?

Holys will go, second (because he is a little squishy but needs line of sight if anything comes up).

Silas casts a shield spell and then leads the way down.

The cave at the bottom of the second shaft is naturally formed, though unnaturally cold. Ropelike strands of ice cover the stone walls, icicles hang from the ceiling, and a thick layer of ice and frost lines the floor.
The western portion of the cave is, in fact, a pool frozen over with two feet of solid ice.

It is frigidly cold here and you are unprotected. You don't think you can stand it for very long.

The entire cave is difficult terrain.

Immediately when Silas lands in the lower cave, ice begins to melt in the northern and southern alcoves. Soon it will reveal...something.

"Something is thawing. Be ready!"

Silas then moves towards the north alcove.

Sorry, traveling for Christmas, so I'm not going to posting steadily.

Tilver quickly drinks a vial and suddenly you see the ex-gladiator grow stronger. When Silas shouts his warning, Tilver grabs the rope to slide down and help the Litorian. He pulls out another vial and drinks it. A shimmering field extends around him.

Drink Mutagen (+4 Str, -2 Int, +2 Natural AC); Drink extract of Shield (+4 AC)

Before Silas moves out of her sight, Velika casts Feather Step on him.

Silas, you can ignore the effects of difficult terrain and even take a five foot step. Lasts 40 minutes

Holys readies an action to cast Scorching Ray if something which he judges to be hostile to the party appears.

Since we're not in combat time yet, I'm not sure how much I can do but I intend to cast the same spell on Tilver next.

You don't know it yet, but you have only three rounds to prepare.