GM ThinkingFlesh's GM101 - Phantom Phenomena (Inactive)

Game Master Caro Cogitatus

Elena turns around, surprised by the noise of the plant hitting the pit.

Edit: As the fungus attempts to right itself after the fall, Elena swings her longsword towards the plant.

To hit (BAB, IC): 1d20 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 4 + 1 = 7

Damage (IC): 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7

I am sure you had your sword out. Just hit the thing.

Seeing the disgusting fungus begin to move Mathos swings his tome and smacks at the plant creature.

Iron Bound Tome: 1d20 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 4 + 1 = 7
Iron Bound Tome Damage: 1d6 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 3 + 1 = 7

Shirt re-roll the To hit? Disregard if no. I have a Ghost Goblin ale t-shirt from Paizo. Shirt It allows me to re-roll 1 roll per game so I would like to re-roll my hit. If I could give the re-roll away I would give to Elena, but I cannot as far as I know. I understand that you cannot physically see my shirt so will understand if you would prefer me not to use the re-roll. Info on re-roll perks is here

Iron Bound Tome: 1d20 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (12) + 4 + 1 = 17

"Eep! Kill it!" Fran squeals with surprise as the plant creature suddenly comes plummeting down into their midst. She frantically swipes her dagger at the thing, not wanting to become a target of its tentacled-ire.

AoO (Cold Iron Dagger; Inspire Courage): 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (11) + 1 = 12
Damage: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2

Everyone remember that, at the time of the AoO, the plant is still prone, so all melee attacks against it are at +4
Rhasuel takes this opportunity to poke the plant!
AoO vs prone, inspired: 1d20 + 2 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 2 + 4 + 1 = 11
Damage: 1d8 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 3 + 1 = 12

Mathos and Fran manage to find a weak spot in the tough hide of the fungus. It shrieks wordlessly in everyone's mind at once and seeks an easy target in retaliation.

Rhasuel, Quolorum, Fran, Elena, Mathos: 1d5 ⇒ 2 The good doctor.

Bite: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 5 = 12 Damage: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6

The doctor's previous misstep brings him close enough for a nasty bite, but he ignores the pain and attempts to distract the fungus by waving his arms.

Oww, that hurt! Pick on someone your own size!

Aid Another, vs. AC10: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (19) + 1 = 20

Elena get a +2 bonus to hit this round.

***

Round 5
Bold may act
Conditions:
* Inspire Courage: +1 Morale bonus on saving throws vs. charm, fear; +1 Attack & Damage
----------
Cerebric Fungus (-12)
Honaire (-2) climbing, 15 ft up
Mathos (-2, 1NL) +1 AC
Fran (-4) +1 AC, Mage Armor
Elena herbicide coated on weapon, Shield of Faith
Wormling (-4) -2 to hit
Gulch (-3) -2 to hit, Dazed, climbing, 15 ft up
Erasmus (-3)
Rhasuel (-5, 2NL) +1 AC, -2 to hit
Mr. Sunshine +1 AC, -2 to hit
Dr. Quolorum (-9)
Estra -2 to hit

Party is up! Hopefully the dicebot will be kinder to you this time Those were some really sucky AoO rolls.

Mathos draws back his tome and takes another swing at the fungus.

Iron Bound Tome, Inspire and Flank: 1d20 + 4 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (9) + 4 + 1 + 2 = 16
Iron Bound Tome Damage: 1d6 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 3 + 1 = 9

can't access the map at this moment, but if I can 5' step into a flank I will.
attack: 1d20 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 2 + 1 = 8
Damage: 1d8 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 3 + 1 = 11

Rhasuel stabs again to no effect.

Mathos' odd, but effective, weapon finds its mark. The fungus shrieks and stares at him.

Rhasuel, you can't 5 ft step in Difficult Terrain, but you don't have to -- you're already Flanking with Mathos. Sadly, that's not enough to help this time.

Gulch continues to gape at the place where the plant was while it gets shoved off of the ledge.

Wormling draws his crossbow and does his best to avoid his allies and sink a bolt into the plant's center of mass. I really don't like using this thing...

Crossbow, (firing into melee): 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (9) - 1 = 81d8 ⇒ 6

The stress of the situation gets to his trigger finger and he fires too early, sending the bolt flying into the wall.

Round 5:

Elena swings her longsword at the cerebric fungus again. "AAAAAAAAAHHH! I'll slice you into salad!" And add in those tiny cherry tomatoes.

To hit (BAB, IC, Aid): 1d20 + 4 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (11) + 4 + 1 + 2 = 18

Damage (IC): 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3

Elena moves her free hand behind her shoulder to pull out her shield.

Elena, dont forget the herbicide damage.

A PC can throw the herbicide as a splash weapon. A direct hit causes Large or smaller plants to wither and die over the course of an hour. Against a plant creature, a direct hit deals 1d8 points of damage and bestows 1 negative level. Every plant creature within 5 feet of where the herbicide hits takes 1 point of damage. Alternatively, a PC can coat a metal weapon in the herbicide, much as one would apply a poison. The next creature struck takes damage as though it were directly hit with the herbicide. There is one flask available.

And I think your Longsword damage may be light. I think it should be 1d8+3 plus the +1 for inspire courage

How do I know what the poison damage will be?

With nowhere to go without risking a retaliatory attack by the plant, Fran continues trying to hack away at the plant with her dagger...

Attack vs. Plant-Thing (Cold Iron Dagger; Inspire Courage): 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7
Damage: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2

...however she's clearly unused to fighting with the weapon and flails around as though trying to swing a machete.

Says that the next creature struck takes damage as if a direct hit with the flask, so 1d8 damage and a negative level.

Honaire attempts to complete his climb,

Honaire climb: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (15) + 1 = 16

With Elena's slash, the fungus begins to bleed profusely. Where the herbicide lingers, the flesh withers and dries up. The loathsome creature burbles, gasps, wheezes, and...expires.

Accumulated damage plus the negative level was enough to do the trick. Fast Healing continues to function in negative hit points, but the party easily notices and puts it down for good.

Combat over!

"Is...is that it? Is it over?" Fran gasps, slowly lowering her dagger. "We...we did it! We did it we did it we did it!"

Cheering, Fran grabs Dr. Quolorum and dances happily, thankful that they'd put down the strange creature and lived to tell the tale.

"Oh my ... .I was so scared... what a horrid beast!" Estra says as she comes out of her corner and walks to the bridge where she reaches a hand down to help Honaire out of the crevasse... She hugs him close... "You're hurt, my love... Be cautious... take no more risks."

Elena continues to slash at the dead plant with her sword. She drops her shield at this point, using two hands to grasp the handle of the longsword. Swoosh! Keesh! Swoosh! Keesh! Swoosh! Keesh! No honor. No respect. No mercy!

"AAAAAAH! And take THAT! AND THAT!"

Elena takes a step back after another five or six swings. She wipes her face with her back of her hand, clearing her throat. She straightens her cotton shirt underneath her scale mail. "Well... Ahem. Perhaps we should search the area and then head back?"

Elena picks up her shield and fastens it to her back. She sheaths her dirty longsword, making a mental note to thoroughly clean everything later. Estra's right - what a horrid beast.

Perception (In the pit): 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (17) + 0 = 17

"Professor, what else do you need from us?"

Dr. Quolorum is overjoyed.

Huzzah, Treasured Colleagues! You have vanquished our manxome foe with great terpitudinal fortidinalaity! Your courage and expertise will figure prominently in my reports.

He immediately sets about taking samples of the expired creature for analysis.

Yes, yes, these will be very helpful. Very helpful indeed! Ugh, there is too much for a simple gnome to carry.

He takes a long look at you.

Would you be so kind as to assist me in transporting the carcass back to the university? In fact, I'd like to invite you all to join me at the Sincomakti School of Sciences so I can study the long term effects of the creature. You will be remunerated with the best tea and crumpets in Ustalav, I assure you. The very best.

Elena finds some interesting items in the pit detritus: Several magic items sit at the bottom of the chasm, where the cerebric fungus tossed the objects dead owners’ remains. Among these are a necklace of fireballs type I with only a single bead remaining (3d6 fire damage), damaged set of gloves of climbing and swimming that only grant a +2 competence bonus on both skill checks, and a robe of useful items with several patches remaining.

***

With the demise of the dreaming fungus, the villagers report a steep drop in strange phenomena. Storms cease, nightmares subside, and life returns to normal— at least until another terror rises in Ustalav.

Fini.

Rhasuel is exhausted physically, and magically mentally, but his spirits soar. I survived! Wow! He hadn't felt this young in decades! He helps the good doctor with a smile and a spring in his step.

"Tea and crumpets? Doesn't that sound lovely, kitty?" Fran calls up to Mr. Sunshine, still peering down into the pit from above. "Don't worry though, I'm sure we can find some cream for you - the very best! Isn't that right, Dr. Quolorum?"

"Anyway, I've actually got some rope with me...so now that there's no danger we can tie it off and get everyone out of here! And that horrible monster too since we have to take it with us," she adds as she busies herself pulling out said rope and helping get it secured.

"So was this thing here causing all the trouble?" she asks as she works. "How strange! A crazy, intelligent plant-fungus-thing being behind all the phenomena in the area..."

And so Fran helps her companions with exiting the pit and bringing their grotesque trophy back to the Sincomakti School of Sciences for further study. During her time there until it's time to report back for her next assignment she finds that her dreams are relatively peaceful and that the tea and crumpets are, in fact, as delicious as promised.

The danger averted Mathos returns to his usual forced haughtiness, but on the return trip he begins talking to Elena and seems to be possibly considering leaving the faith of Asmodeus.

Mr. Sunshine purrs contentedly when served cream by all his devoted minions.

Elena offers to help the professor carry samples down the mountain while conversing jovially with her companions.

Woohoo, none of the PCs died this game!

Estra isn't overly strong but will carry some samples at least.. "Here, let me help with some of that." she tucks some samples in her pack.