GM WhtKnt's Open Water - A Skull & Shackles Adventure Path

Game Master WhtKnt

The stairs lead up to a small room with a commanding view of the courtyard. There are also doors on the west and south walls.

Carmelia slinks towards the window to peer out into the courtyard.

Perception, T2W: 1d20 + 14 + 5 ⇒ (8) + 14 + 5 = 27 +1 for traps; mostly looking for any signs of movement out in the courtyard

"Call me if you see traps," she says quietly, idly mussing her hair as she takes in the window breeze. "Or locked doors."

Change Shape: Land
Con +2 (+10 hp, +1 fort); Ferocity; Swim 30'; Bite +12 1d6+3

Faengrim goes down the hallway quickly inspecting each door.

Perception: 1d20 + 18 + 5 ⇒ (13) + 18 + 5 = 36 +2 in urban terrain; +4 v aquatic humanoids; +4 in water terrain; +4 v humans; +4 v giants

Perception: 1d20 + 18 + 5 ⇒ (10) + 18 + 5 = 33 +2 in urban terrain; +4 v aquatic humanoids; +4 in water terrain; +4 v humans; +4 v giants

Perception: 1d20 + 18 + 5 ⇒ (5) + 18 + 5 = 28 +2 in urban terrain; +4 v aquatic humanoids; +4 in water terrain; +4 v humans; +4 v giants

Perception: 1d20 + 18 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 18 + 5 = 26 +2 in urban terrain; +4 v aquatic humanoids; +4 in water terrain; +4 v humans; +4 v giants

Perception: 1d20 + 18 + 5 ⇒ (17) + 18 + 5 = 40 +2 in urban terrain; +4 v aquatic humanoids; +4 in water terrain; +4 v humans; +4 v giants

The westmost door down the short hall is made of sturdy iron and is securely locked. The other door is unlocked and leads into a small storage space holding a variety of sundry items, not the least of which is an iron bathtub.

Carmelia sways over towards the locked door, retrieving her lockpicks and getting to work.

Disable Device: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (18) + 18 = 36

She grins as she thinks she hears a click. "Child's play," she says as she backs away. "After you, Faengrim."

Change Shape: Land
Con +2 (+10 hp, +1 fort); Ferocity; Swim 30'; Bite +12 1d6+3

Faengrim steps to the side for Carmelia to unlock the one door. When she's done, he retakes his position and opens it.

Dantes moves to stand next to Chumtooth, ready to enhance him should combat result from opening the door.

Chumtooth raises his harpoon into throwing position, ready to hurl it a whatever threat might await.

The door creaks open on noisy hinges, revealing... weapons! Lots of weapons, untidily stacked here. Crossbows, tridents, sabers, swords, and more are scattered on tables and the floor and walls of the room.

Carmelia detects magic to see if any of the weapons here are worth using now or if they will provide a good start to the armory that they are sure to develop.

None of the weapons radiate magic, though a few seem to be of exceptional quality.

"An armory comes with the fort. That is most helpful," Chumtooth remarks, lowering his harpoon.

"There's nothing magical," Carmelia reports. "But they're good." She rarely drew weapons in combat, preferring magic, but she does pick around for a nice cutlass or rapier. Why not grab another weapon for those just-in-case situations? And she did certainly like the way she looked with a good weapon at her side.

Based on earlier descriptions, I think that's it for this building.

"Let's move on to the next building," Carmelia says after she finds a sword to her liking. There would almost certainly be something dangerous to find soon enough.

Change Shape: Land
Con +2 (+10 hp, +1 fort); Ferocity; Swim 30'; Bite +12 1d6+3

"When you're done shopping, we can see about the rest of the fort."

Faengrim leads the team to the next building.

As the group approaches the next building in the compound, Chumtooth once again raises his harpoon, prepared to throw.

As you cross to the next building, you can see two smaller buildings to the south, as well as the other buildings in the fort. Entering the next building, you can see that there are four exits from this room, one in each direction (you entered by the east, and west and south exit the building). Windows on the south wall look onto the two smaller buildings that you saw earlier. You are located at the X on the map. The ceiling rafters rise fifteen feet overhead and a narrow set of stairs by the north wall leads underground.

Each of you needs to make a Will save versus a fear effect as a wave of cold terror sweeps over you.

Will save, Carmelia: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (1) + 13 = 14
Will save, Hap: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (9) + 7 = 16

Welp. Bye, y'all.

During her time with this crew, Carmelia had mostly demonstrated herself to be a foul-mouthed but caring person who stared down danger and gave an evil eye back. But whatever fear grips her now is more than she can bear. She feels her very joints quake between her bones, a carpet of shivers crawling beneath her skin, and every ounce of her wants to run. It is all that she can do to not scream as she flees.

Hit me, GM. Where am I going and how long am I out of it?

Change Shape: Land
Con +2 (+10 hp, +1 fort); Ferocity; Swim 30'; Bite +12 1d6+3

Will: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (19) + 5 = 24
Faengrim steels his courage.

1d20 + 8 ⇒ (8) + 8 = 16.

Dantes feels the wave wash over him, and his resolve melts away.

Save vs Fear: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (9) + 6 = 15

(Ooooo, depends on the DC, I guess!)

Chumtooth, Dantes, and Carmelia are suddenly filled with dread, though they cannot say why. Faengrim feels a cold chill wash over him but stands his ground as the others flee in terror. He sees nothing that could be the source of the fear, however. Perhaps finding safety in numbers, all three of the others drop whatever they are holding and run toward the northeast and the keep's entrance.

Faengrim is shaken for 1 round. The others are panicked.

Chumtooth's path: 1d8 ⇒ 3
Dantes' path: 1d8 ⇒ 3
Carmelia's path: 1d8 ⇒ 3

The well-crafted cutlass that she had just picked up clatters to the ground as Carmelia takes off running. Her shield, strapped to her arm, proves little impediment as it jostles against her armor. She sees the Captain keeping pace with her, momentarily glad that she's not the only one running. Dantes is falling behind with his shorter dwarven legs, and Faengrim is nowhere to be seen. Had that shark-mouthed idiot decided to stay behind and be a hero?

She is in no frame of mind to even begin to consider who or what might have caused this panic. She didn't particularly like running.

Carmelia moves 60 feet, which I believe places her just north of the first building we entered, and getting close to the keep's entrance. I'd place a token on the map, but it's set to View only.

Yeah, let me change that.

The trio moves to the entrance to the fort and then beyond, heading back to the shoreline. Once there, they begin to load into the jolly boat.

Faengrim, what are you doing?

Carmelia grouses, feeling woefully not in control of her own faculties, mostly spewing a string of needlessly vulgar curses.

@GM: afaik, we should be able to act normally once we "are out of sight (or hearing) of any source of danger." Do we still feel panicked?

"Spirits! A Witchdoctor's work!" Chumtooth says, his eyes wide with fright.

Change Shape: Land
Con +2 (+10 hp, +1 fort); Ferocity; Swim 30'; Bite +12 1d6+3

Faengrim picks up the dropped items and follows after his crew-mates.

He'll catch up to them, give them a few minutes to gather themselves, and, eventually, just ask, "Ready now?"

Once you hit the shore, the fear wears off and you can return. You regroup, collect your things, and proceed. But before you can enter, Faengrim is stricken by... something. But you see nothing there.

Breathing heavily with her eyes closed, Carmelia snatches the cutlass from Faengrim and looks dreadfully irritated. She knows that he was just being helpful, but his calm in the face of her terror made her want to punch him. She doesn't, of course. That'd be bad for morale. She wants to punch whatever caused them all to run away, rend it into dust, ash, blood, quintessence, or whatever else she could grind it into.

"Any idea what that was?" she asks, mostly directing the question to Dantes.

She calmly tries to think of the answer to this herself as well, now that her mind has caught up with her feet.

Knowledge (planes), Wisdom of the Ancestors, Tears to Wine: 1d20 + 12 + 5 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 12 + 5 + 5 = 25
Spellcraft, Wisdom of the Ancestors, Tears to Wine: 1d20 + 4 + 5 + 5 ⇒ (12) + 4 + 5 + 5 = 26

"If we know what we're dealing with, I might be able to with a spirit on our side, or at least one willing to barter."

My new feat, spirit talker, lets me grab any shaman hex for an hour. I'm suspecting that the Ghost Blade hex would be useful, but she only has a Charisma of 12, so she'd be able to grant it to everyone for...one round. Arcane Enlightenment is another great one, but C isn't the sharpest tool in the shed (Int of 10), so no go there. Flame Curse might be useful if Dantes has any fire spells prepared. Crystal Sight could come in handy as well, though it'd be very limited uses. A strong contender if we're going to be coming up against some more Will saves is Steadfast Example. Her +13 to Will is far and away better than anyone else's, so protecting either Chumtooth or Faengrim seems like a strong way to go. There are plenty of other good options, too, but I'll wait to see if we can figure anything out before making a formal decision.

---

Edit: I was typing this up while the GM moved us forward. I'd like to formally declare (if I can, admittedly retroactively), that Carmelia communed with a Tribal Spirit and gave Faengrim the blessing of Steadfast Example.

The shaman touches a willing creature and bolsters its mental and emotional defenses. The next time the target attempts a Will saving throw, the subject can use the shaman’s Will saving throw bonus instead of his own. The shaman can have only one creature under the effect of this hex at a time, and a creature affected by this hex cannot be affected by it again for 24 hours.

Change Shape: Land
Con +2 (+10 hp, +1 fort); Ferocity; Swim 30'; Bite +12 1d6+3

Will: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (10) + 5 = 15 or +13 (18 total) if Carmelia's Steadfast Example is in play, though, admittedly, she hasn't really been a great example of steadfastness lately.

"I don't know what it is, but it is here." Faengrim gets in a ready stance and draws his blade.

*Cackles* well that's true enough! Clarifying: with Steadfast Example, Faengrim's total Will save would be a 23.

Yes, we can retro the Steadfast Example, and that will make the save. Fangrim, you notice that the creature wavers slightly... an illusion! As soon as you recognize it as such, it fades into nothingness. Then, another feeling overcomes all of you. Everyone makes yet another Will save, please!

Can we roll Initiative or something? Perception to notice who or what is targeting us? Without being in rounds, it just feels like things are happening to us and we have no chance to react, while the enemy is in a perpetual surprise round against us.

Carmelia Will save: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (7) + 13 = 20

You don't see anything that could be causing it... yet. Then, it appears before you, a shadowy, insubstantial figure that materializes from the wall. As it morphs into a creature from your nightmares, Carmelia realizes that it is an animate dream! They often take the form of what frightens the victim most, appearing differently to each person.

INITIATIVE
Chumtooth
Dantes
Carmelia
Animate Dream
Faengrim

Chumtooth, Dantes, and Carmelia are up! Don't forget your saving throws. Carmelia has already made hers successfully. The DC is 19 again and this is not a fear-based save.

Chumtooth Initiative: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (20) + 3 = 23
Dantes Initiative: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (11) + 5 = 16
Faengrim Initiative: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 2 = 7 (+4 in water)
Carmelia Initiative: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (7) + 3 = 10
Animate Dream initiative: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7

The DC to learn anything about it is an 18 (Know: Planes).

Will Save: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8

Even if it were fear-based, I would've failed. Your fearless captain isn't living up to his reputation at the moment!

Chumtooth, you are confused. Your actions will be dictated by dice roll. This turn you do nothing but babble incoherently.

Chummy Confusion: 1d100 ⇒ 28

Should I keep the previous Planes roll of 25 or roll again? In the mean-time, the animate dream looks like a spellcaster of some kind, so let's figure out what other nasty spells we might be dealing with. And for a second question, your description suggests incorporeality, but are there any other special defenses to be aware of?

The shadowy whisps look all too familiar. A man with facial features just like Carmelia floats before her, his eyes and tongue cut out and a saw-toothed blade emerging from his chest, floating in midair. Her eyes widen and she shakes her head, clenching her eyes shut.

Not real. You're dead.

When she opens them again and peers ahead, she sees through the masking and to what the creature actually was. She grits her teeth. How dare that--thing!--remind her! Carmelia casts her open hand to the side and begins chanting. Blood pulses through her ears and her dark hair glows with red light, lifting up into the air. On the other side of the animate dream, a being of pure force looking like an overgrown worm with a full maw of razor-sharp teeth manifests and swipes out at the dream.

Spiritual Ally Sawtooth Sabre Attack: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (17) + 13 = 30
Force Damage: 1d10 + 3 ⇒ (7) + 3 = 10

Spiritual Ally Sawtooth Sabre Attack, Iterative: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (5) + 8 = 13
Force Damage: 1d10 + 3 ⇒ (9) + 3 = 12

Spell Resistance (if needed): 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (20) + 10 = 30

She was going to tear it into tiny pieces.

Of importance, y'all can flank with my spiritual ally!

I'll let you keep the original roll. With that, you can learn that your foe is incorporeal but is extraplanar, not any form of undead. It has the ability to inspire fear and confusion in opponents, as well as to slay them through sheer terror (phantasmal killer), once per day each. It can also induce sleep (deep slumber) in opponents and bring them nightmares (nightmare) three times each per day. Its mere touch is enough to induce terrifying nightmares in victims, and it has a high spell resistance, but beyond that, and being incorporeal, it has no special defenses.

"Change Shape: Land
Con +2 (+10 hp, +1 fort); Ferocity; Swim 30'; Bite +12 1d6+3

Faengrim looks to the magickers to handle this mess.

Will: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (11) + 5 = 16

Will save 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (2) + 8 = 10

Seeing even his fearsome captain shaken, Dantes succumbs to the waves of emotions washing over him.

Dantes and Faengrim are likewise confused. Faengrim can act normally this round, but Dantes takes out his battle axe and attacks Chumtooth! Fortunately the blow misses.

Faengrim, you m ay take an action.

Dantes confusion: 1d100 ⇒ 95
Faengrim confusion: 1d100 ⇒ 18
Dantes vs. Chumtooth: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (14) + 4 = 18 Damage: 1d8 ⇒ 7

Change Shape: Land
Con +2 (+10 hp, +1 fort); Ferocity; Swim 30'; Bite +12 1d6+3

Faengrim swings at it with his (non-magical) sword.

Mwk Greatsword:
To Hit: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (16) + 13 = 29 To Hurt: 2d6 + 4 ⇒ (6, 2) + 4 = 12

Mwk Greatsword:
To Hit: 1d20 + 13 - 5 ⇒ (16) + 13 - 5 = 24 To Hurt: 2d6 + 4 ⇒ (6, 3) + 4 = 13

Also, Dantes, I just noticed, you should be 10th level.

Faengrim's attack passes harmlessly through the phantom-like figure. The animate dream returns the attack, striking at Carmelia and passing right through her armor to make contact with her flesh. She feels the chill of the grave wash over her (Carmelia takes 20 points of negative energy damage).

The party is up! Dantes, Faengrim, and Chumtooth, you may roll a d100 to determine your actions this round.

Dream vs. Carmelia: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (3) + 16 = 19 Damage: 6d8 ⇒ (1, 5, 3, 4, 2, 5) = 20 negative energy

"Magic weapons!" Carmelia screams as Faengrim attacks ineffectually. "Use Zul! It's an animate dream! They're incorporeal and--AAAAHHHH!"

She screams ever more as the shade passes its hands through her and wrenches her soul. "It will mess with our minds but it can also do that!"

Her well-armored defense did no good against an enemy of this nature. And she hadn't thought to prepare a magic weapon spell.

When I looked on Monday, afaik we were not specifically placed on the map yet. Carmelia would not have cast in the creatures' face. She would have tried to engage from a distance instead of being up front. So ideally the animate dream would have had to move to attack her, provoking an AoO. In the current line-up, that won't work. I'll roll its normal attacks along with an AoO in spoilers in case it matters.

Carmelia snaps two of her taloned fingers together and her spiritual ally's sword slashes out with everything that it's worth, its jagged appendages reminiscent of her cult's favored weapon.

Spiritual Ally Sawtooth Sabre Attack: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (19) + 13 = 32
Force Damage: 1d10 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 3 = 9

Crit Confirm: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (18) + 13 = 31
Force Crit Damage: 1d10 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 3 = 9

Spiritual Ally Sawtooth Sabre Attack, Iterative: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (19) + 8 = 27
Force Damage: 1d10 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5

Crit Confirm: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (15) + 8 = 23
Force Crit Damage: 1d10 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 = 8

Swift action to redirect spiritual ally.

With how easily it had hit her, phasing through all of her armor, impairing its ability to attack would likely mean little. But if the others wised up and used their magical weapons, being easier to hit it would be useful. Carmelia steps to the side to give her allies an easier attack path (and to get away from them in case they decided to attack her), and then focuses her eye on the animate dream. The creature wasn't undead. It had a mind, however horrible. And so she could make it suffer.

"I can be a nightmare, too," she quips.

Five-foot step, standard action Slumber. DC 19 Will save or fall asleep for 8 rounds. Spiritual Ally rd 2/10.

Confusion Roll: 1d100 ⇒ 29

Fair enough, Carmelia. I apologize. If you want to have been further back I can retcon it or we can simply do as you suggest and have it suffer AoOs to get to you, In which case Faengrim is due an AoO, too.

Chummy, you spend another round babbling incoherently.

No need to retcon. If I didn't have to cast defensively, then hopefully I'll live! This is the closest she's been to the thick of it in a while.

Not sure why he's showing as 9th level. I'll find my notes on leveling up and correct.

1d100 ⇒ 39 for randomness.

I am... feeling... let's put it that way. My medication and therapy help tremendously, but sometimes, they get overwhelmed, particularly in the political climate in the United States today.

No problem botting you, happy to do it.

Feeling is a good start. One day at a time.

Good to hear you're better, even if just a little bit.

;

I'm going to be on short notice until Monday. I have a con this weekend (CONTRAflow in New Orleans) and I'm prepping for it now. So if I am holding things up, please go ahead and bot me, and I'll be back in action next week, though I will try to check in as often as possible. If you are in the area or attending, I'm running three Savage Worlds scenarios: a science-fiction romp titled Moon at the Edge of Oblivion, a weird west session called Night of the Grizz, and a sneak peek at the upcoming Deadlands: Dark Ages called Sins of the Father.

FYI in case you missed it, the site's going down tomorrow for the big site upgrade. May be a few days before forums are restored.

I am making my bi-annual trek to Disney World starting November 29 and going through December 8. If I am in your game, please bot me as needed. If you are in my game, sit tight, and we'll pick up on my return. I should be able to post pretty regularly right up until leaving, however. I'll have a new post up in just a bit.

[quoute]Feangrim wrote:
After a long pause, he turns to the woman in the water. "I wish to have the blood of the dragon turtle flow in my veins."
The marid thinks for a moment, as if sizing Faengrim up, then nods her head. "Let it be done!" For a moment, Faengrim feels nothing, but then a warming sensation takes hold of his body. Faengrim has gained the ability to breathe a 30 cubic ft. cloud of scalding steam once per day. Damage is 1d6 fire per level, and a Reflex save (DC 18) halves damage. This ability works equally well above or below the water.

Not what I was expecting and still so awesome.

Now I have to figure out how to get at least resistance to fire.
Can I expend a Feat for more than once per day?

Sure, I'll allow that.

Starting Monday I will be involved in Christmas stuff for the week and will be slow, if I post at all. Happy holidays everyone!

Happy holidays! (Christmas stuff here as well...)

Happy holidays to everyone, whatever you celebrate!

Happy holidays!

Merry Christmas!
Happy Holidays!

Season's greetings!