The Library of Last Resort is your last chance to find the resting place of Dragotha's phylactery. But you aren't the only people looking for it.
Loot Sheet.
GM Notes.
Tanith's swing barely misses. Astraden's channel has a bit more effect, further ripping into the wraith's tattered form. The other wraith seems to be struggling to endure. The lesser wraith then attacks her, hissing out curses against Olidammara as it strikes.
Touch:1d20 + 4 - 2 ⇒ (6) + 4 - 2 = 8Including Protection from Law. If that hits, take 1d6 ⇒ 6 damage and make a Will save, DC 17, or take 1d2 ⇒ 1 Con damage.
The original wraith eyes Astraden with hate and melds back into the wall.
A moment later, an utterly silent wraith emerges from the wall between Carina and Eben.
My saving throw vs. the nausea doesn't succeed unless the DC suddenly dropped to 16 or something. Actually, now that I look again I added the action point wrong - the total roll should be 15, not 16, because the action point added 2, not 3.
Anyway, the consequence is I can't take my readied action (since it's a standard) when the wraith emerges, and I get to act now!
Astraden, face now a sickly shade of red, lifts her mask to her face yet again and releases a feeble pulse of light.
Surprisingly, the pulse grows in intensity as it gets further away from her, and outright shreds the visible wraith.
Round 4: Use an action point to get Quick Channel (no action) and channel positive energy (move action). Disguise self lasts 684 rounds, air walk lasts 791 rounds, bear's endurance lasts 72 rounds, bull's strength lasts 73 rounds, shield of faith lasts 74 rounds, magic circle against law lasts 797 rounds, and freedom of movement lasts 798 rounds.
Carina coughs, but manages to stand firm despite her stomach wishing otherwise. "That's it? Come on, I got more nauseous the first time I took night tea."
It's fairly clear that she's just putting on a brave face--if it weren't for Eben's magic, she'd likely be puking her guts up.
Round 4: Actions
Standard Action: Throw Fire Bomb at Wraith, excluding Eben, Tanith & myself from the blast
She's about to keep taunting when the wraith appears between her and Eben, trying to eat Eben's soul. "Oh--excuse me for a moment."
She yanks a fire bomb from her belt and throws it at the spirit...
Ranged Touch Attack (PBS, Precise, Good Hope):1d20 + 9 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (11) + 9 + 1 + 2 = 23 Fire Damage:4d6 + 3 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (1, 4, 2, 4) + 3 + 2 + 1 = 17Halved, so that comes out to 8.5 damage... rounded up is 9, if that's how it's supposed to work.
Aid Temp HP:1d8 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 3 = 7
EDIT: Took off the bonus I got from Aid. Forgot they were both morale bonuses, and thus didn't stack. Thanks for letting me know.
AC 20, touch 12, flat-footed 18 // Fort +7, Ref +7, Will +8 // CMD 18 // Init +2 // Perception +1
Archon attacks as above, and then cast haste one everyone. If the wraiths are all gone, then the archons will move up as far as they can with the MCAL, and try to fire at the cleric. Just use the first four rolls if they have to move, please.
*=temporarily buffed Human Bard 15/Ranger 1 — 151*/119 hp — AC 38*/26*/26* (6 mirror images)—CMB +15, CMD 32*— Fort +14, Ref +*20, Will +12 — Spells 3/3 5th 1/4 4th, 0/5 3rd, 2/6 2nd, 3/6 1st — Panache 3/3— Performance 37/40— Perception +19 — Init +4— Action Points 11/13—
Daily magic item use:
Bracers of falcon's aim 2/3, Lesser rod of quicken spell 1/3, rod of extend spell 2/3, Forzamele 3/3
Eben looks torn as he decides over what he's going to do next. On the one hand, he's got a weapon that can get through Bozol's protective field, and he specifically just moved to a place where nobody is blocking his shot. On the other hand, a wraith just popped out of the wall and is trying to eat him. So he draws another weapon from his arsenal. "Hey, Tanith! That wraith standing right next to you will totally kill Carina if you don't do something about it!"
FYI: Good hope and aid are both morale bonuses; only the +2 from GH is going to affect your attack roll.
Carina coughs, but manages to stand firm despite her stomach wishing otherwise. "That's it? Come on, I got more nauseous the first time I took night tea."
Zahol would totally be saying "TMI" right now if he could hear you.
Carina wrote:
It's fairly clear that she's just putting on a brave face--if it weren't for Eben's magic, she'd likely be puking her guts up.
Round 4: Actions
Standard Action: Throw Fire Bomb at Wraith, excluding Eben, Tanith & myself from the blast
She's about to keep taunting when the wraith appears between her and Eben, trying to eat Eben's soul. "Oh--excuse me for a moment."
She yanks a fire bomb from her belt and throws it at the spirit...
EDIT: Took off the bonus I got from Aid. Forgot they were both morale bonuses, and thus didn't stack. Thanks for letting me know.
AoO:1d20 + 6 ⇒ (10) + 6 = 16If that hits (it looks like it doesn't), take 1d6 damage and make a DC 17 Will save or take 1d6 ⇒ 4 Con damage.
The wraith turns in annoyance and swipes at Carina, its patience having apparently worn out. But Carina nimbly dodges, throwing her vial at the ground with a tremendous (silent) explosion. The wraith's shadowstuff is stripped from it by the alchemical forces, and it lets out one last wail—one of the few sounds that can be heard in here—as its form shifts, shimmers, and evaporates.
The lantern clatters to the floor.
The archons begin shooting at Zahol, but his magical defenses protect him from their holy energies.
"There is an unholiness upon this ground," murmurs one. "Be careful, Master. The spawn of Hades is shelled in death."
Round 4: Zahol
Zahol scowls as the wraith fades away. "Do you think you can best me? I, Zahol, favored of Kyuss?" He raises his symbol. "The whole city will go white! The death of a champion will awaken the Promise, and here you are, vainly pushing at stormclouds! Well, here's your storm!"
Out of the ground and walls fly dozens of strange spinning weapons. They glow bright green, but they definitely aren't ethereal. They twirl in the air, forming a very sharp curtain of blades—one that catches Tanith and Carina right in the middle.
Carina and Tanith, make Reflex saves, DC 21, to negate 11d6 ⇒ (2, 6, 4, 4, 1, 2, 1, 1, 5, 4, 3) = 33 damage. If you succeed, you must immediately reposition to an adjacent square that does not contain the curtain of blades. Anyone passing through the curtain must also make this save, but they still take half damage if they succeed (barring evasion). The curtain provides cover. Identifying this spell is a Spellcraft check.
Meanwhile, the worms continue gnawing hungrily, though Tanith's tough flesh has so far proven totally unpalatable.
Tanith, make a Fortitude save, DC 21, or take 1d6 ⇒ 5 damage, 2 Dex damage, and be staggered for 1 round.
Huh, I completely missed that good hope was running. For like, a minute of game time? Looks like it didn't change any saves at least. Spellcraft (good hope):1d20 + 10 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 10 + 2 = 24
"What's that about the city going white?" Astraden asks, swallowing hard. She looks in dismay at her friends being shredded by Zahol's spell.
Carina's victory over the wraith is tainted by the fact that it managed to rip some of her life energy out of her. It's cold, and it hurts--it feels like her soul is being flayed with freezing knives.
Reflex Save (Good Hope, Shield Other, Haste):1d20 + 10 + 2 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 10 + 2 + 1 + 1 = 20 Action Point Boost:2d6 ⇒ (2, 2) = 4Final result is 22.
She barely manages to stumble away from the wall of blades that just sprang up behind her.
EDIT: Changed to account for MCAL not working. G&!&#~mit.
EDIT 2: Shield Other & Haste apply, though. Hopefully, this'll be the last time I need to edit this.
I got the impression that Eben was going to shoot with his bow, and was calling Tanith a weapon (no one could hear him, but Tanith has Sense Motive so it could work). If Tanith wanted to use the Steal maneuver or Eben wanted to spend an action point/move action, the transfer could occur?
*=temporarily buffed Human Bard 15/Ranger 1 — 151*/119 hp — AC 38*/26*/26* (6 mirror images)—CMB +15, CMD 32*— Fort +14, Ref +*20, Will +12 — Spells 3/3 5th 1/4 4th, 0/5 3rd, 2/6 2nd, 3/6 1st — Panache 3/3— Performance 37/40— Perception +19 — Init +4— Action Points 11/13—
Daily magic item use:
Bracers of falcon's aim 2/3, Lesser rod of quicken spell 1/3, rod of extend spell 2/3, Forzamele 3/3
Yeah, Gark properly divined my intentions from that last post: 'another weapon from his arsenal' meant lying, convincing Tanith that Carina was in mortal danger, and letting him take the wraith off my back. Of course, I forgot we were silenced in here, and then Carina nuked the wraith out of existence on her own, because sisters are doin' it for themselves. So it's a double moot point.
Eben takes aim at the tiefling across the greasy stretch of floor separating them. As he's about to let some arrows fly, he feels the familiar caress of Rodrigo's haste and smiles. Good timing.
Suddenly, two arrows are embedded—one in Zahol's belly, the other in his thigh. He cries out, clutching at the arrow in his gut, blood trickling through his fingers. He looks at Eben with hate. "You are in desperate need of the Wormgod's insight, boy."
Round 5: Wraiths
The last wraith lunges out of the wall again to attack Astraden. It seems curiously stronger—and slightly larger—than before. Tanith and Farrukh both swing to try and protect their priestess, but both barely miss by the cover of the knives and wall.
Touch:1d20 + 6 - 2 ⇒ (7) + 6 - 2 = 11
Only Rodrigo's spell saves Astraden from a brush along her neck.
Nope. He had some temporary HP earlier from the Channel, but you ate those up basically instantly.
Reflex:1d20 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 3 + 2 = 20
Zahol manages to avoid the pit, though it seems like one of his effects has worn off and he's not quite as supernaturally quick as before. Still, he seems slightly sped up. Rodrigo feels as if the very room is pushing slightly against the effect, making it expand just a little bit slower.
One of the archons lands a small blow as Zahol backs up, searing into his neck. He at first gives no major response before releasing a strange hiss, as if he just noticed the burn.
Temp Acid Resist: 30|Action Points: 8/13|Bombs: 11/23|Female Undine (Formerly Yugoloth-Spawn Tiefling) Alchemist (Chirurgeon) 16|HP: 108/85|AC: 22(36)/14(23)/19(26)|Saves: +15 Fort (+20 vs. Poison), +18 Ref, +12 Will (+1 vs. Enchantments)|Initiative: +3|Perception: +21
Round 5: Actions
Standard Action: Throw a Dispelling Bomb at Zahol, spending an Action Point to target whatever spell is keeping Tanith from throttling him
Carina just rolls her eyes and pulls yet another clear bomb from her belt. This time, she focuses on the cleric...
...and notices something moving under his skin, down his neck. Her eyes widen in disgust and she throws the bomb without another moment of hesitation.
The shell crackles, then shatters. Those within the room feel some of their unease lessen, though the feeling of wrongness remains.
Zahol purses his lips as he watches his defenses collapse. His face goes from fear to anger before settling on an emotion close to what one might show had one's umbrella just revealed a small rip in the material just as it had begun to rain. He doesn't say a word.
Astraden steps to one side points a finger at the whirling blades of force and shouts, "Ts’rel!" With her words comes a swirling distortion in the air, and in seconds dozens of blades simply dissolve under the pressure. Unfortunately, dozens more blades come to fill their place, and groaning, the priestess draws her rapier instead.
Dispel check:1d20 + 8 ⇒ (7) + 8 = 15
Round 5: Five-foot step (no action), cast targeted dispel magic on the "knife wall" (standard action), and draw rapier (move action). Disguise self lasts 683 rounds, air walk lasts 790 rounds, bear's endurance lasts 71 rounds, bull's strength lasts 72 rounds, shield of faith lasts 73 rounds, magic circle against law lasts 796 rounds, and freedom of movement lasts 797 rounds.
Zahol rubs the burn mark. His fists clench. "ENOUGH!" With his other hand, he wrenches the arrow from his gut. "The Apostle shall rise, and you shall FALL ON YOUR KNEES and ready yourselves for the second life!"
His blood-drenched hand grasps the unholy symbol clumsily and releases a final burst of negative energy, injuring all around and mending some of his wounds. He shudders as the energy suffuses him again. "The worm h-has shown us the way. Our souls will be entwined fully at last, brought together by his great promise. The champion of the city shall gift a city to the dead! You can't stop us, not now!"
Everyone, including the lantern archons, must make Will saves vs. enchantment (compulsion).
After Rolling:
DC 20.
If you failed, you are compelled to obey his command and fall to the ground, prone.
You settle directly below where you are if you are flying (if another creature is in that square, you may adjust five feet in any direction). Archons don't have to be "prone", but do have to settle on the ground.
If you fail your initial save, you must continue saving each round until you break free. You may act otherwise normally while remaining prone.
Then everybody but Rodrigo and the most distant of the three archons (the one northwest of Rodrigo) must make another Will save, DC 23, to halve 6d6 ⇒ (5, 5, 2, 5, 3, 5) = 25 negative energy damage from the channel. The archons, Farrukh and Astraden gain a +4 bonus on this saving throw (technically, the DC is reduced by 4, but this is easier).
Tanith, sorry to dump saves on you in particular (clerics!), but make another Fortitude save to negate 1d6 ⇒ 1 damage, 2 Dex damage, and the staggered condition.
Eben resists Zahol's command, but sizzles a bit under of negativity. But what really upsets him is being told he stinks. I used a cantrip to make myself smell like sandalwood! he thinks, offended. In silence, there is no response he can make. So he lets his bow speak for him again.
Farrukh lands two nasty shots, but every arrow Eben fires hits home—one in Zahol's leg, two in his chest...and one right between his bright green eyes.
The unholy symbol slips from his fingers. "We are...we...we..."
"Nice one, Eben!" Astraden shouts, trying to make her lip movements clear to the archer. "There's a chance he's still alive - we should grab him for interrogation."
e: Jeez, no one talks for 2 hours and then I'm suddenly ninjaed?
Astraden's eyes flick back to Farrukh and the corner of her mouth turns up, even as she dodges into a defensive position against the wraith she expects through the wall any second.
The wraith emerges fully from the wall to attack Astraden once more, now from slightly above. This time, Tanith is able to hack into the undead menace, further wearing at its form. Then it strikes.
Astraden takes 2d6 ⇒ (2, 5) = 7 damage and, though the rule is slightly ambiguous, must make a DC 17 Will save or take 2d6 ⇒ (2, 3) = 5 Constitution drain.
The wraith is slightly above, but still within reach (just with a small height advantage).
...and gets blasted with the brunt of the cleric's negative energy before he falls. At least the shield other effect keeps her from suffering too much.
Will (good hope, magic circle against law):1d20 + 9 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (20) + 9 + 2 + 1 = 32[43/74]
Though the wraith wraps its rimed, insubstantial fingers around her heart, Astraden seems to slip away completely unfazed. She sheathes her rapier and presses a hand to Farrukh's shoulder, reinvigorating him with divine power.
Concentration to cast defensively:1d20 + 11 ⇒ (20) + 11 = 31If concentration counts as an ability check, add 2 from good hope. Wind wall cure serious wounds:3d8 + 8 ⇒ (5, 4, 6) + 8 = 23
Round 6: Sheathe rapier (sigh) and scrap a spell for cure serious wounds (standard action). Disguise self lasts 682 rounds, air walk lasts 789 rounds, bear's endurance lasts 70 rounds, bull's strength lasts 71 rounds, shield of faith lasts 72 rounds, magic circle against law lasts 795 rounds, and freedom of movement lasts 796 rounds.
The wraith attempts to leech Astraden's life force and perhaps stave off its own inevitable death, but to no avail. Seconds later, Farrukh hacks and smashes the wraith up into whatever the incorporeal equivalent of mystery meat is.
Combat over, though rounds remain relevant due to Zahol's stabilization, so let's try not to just jump around.
Or they both do it at the same time, or Eben does it, or the archons do it—the point is this thing has 28 HP left and it's screwed no matter what and we don't need to hold things up.
