KC's Age of Worms

Game Master Kobold Catgirl

"Are you saying that you're somehow . . . yugoloth-influenced, too, Jadis?" Astraden casts a worried eye over Carina, gauging her reaction but easing up when she sees the undine's posture straighten. "How do you know about her previous form?"

"Half--?" The undine starts before her eyes settle down and her posture straightens. "I'm me. No one else. I take it you're one of the extended family?"

"Oh, no, that'd be crazy." Jadis releases bubbly laughter. "But I guess you could say I'm a bit of a family friend. With the, um, 'real' Carina. We've been talking a lot over the last, um, month, I think, though she left a week or two ago." Its head tilts. "She didn't mention there were two of her, but I have a sense for these things. It's hard to explain. It's like... like one soul in two bodies. But that's really interesting!"

Carina's lips quirk into a frown and she sighs. "I imagine you'd be thinking differently if you knew what it was like to live with her every day."

There's only one of MY soul. And hopefully soon, only one body.

"Did she say where she'd be going?"

"Oh, so, um, 'good' Carina is another one on the list of people you haven't killed. How'd she get a pass?"

"What's her body look like?"

Carina's lips quirk into a frown and she sighs. "I imagine you'd be thinking differently if you knew what it was like to live with her every day."

There's only one of MY soul. And hopefully soon, only one body.

"Did she say where she'd be going?"

"Um, something about her mom?"

"How'd she get a pass?"

"Well, she wasn't really here." The skulls bob and bubble. "Because she wasn't really anywhere. I spoke with her soul. Apparently, she was in town looking for an old lab owned by someone called "Masked One" or something like that. She wanted a body of her own." It tilts to the side. "I thiiink someone was helping her out. She was, um, getting stronger, and I sometimes felt a really, really powerful presence nearby when she visited."

Jadis's dragon skull reemerges. "And when I say powerful, I mean powerful. You're good at making friends, Carina!"

Carina snorts. "Thanks, I guess."

...not the most comforting news.

"The faceless one, maybe? Not the 'masked one'?"

"Faceless!" Jadis makes a sound like snapping. "That was it! Yes, apparently, Carina knows someone who knew the Faceless One's work. They're helping her bring herself back into this world, which is pretty nice of them, all things considered." Jadis is speaking absently, and seems to be getting a little impatient. The skull-topped pseudopod is distinctly pointing at Astraden as it speaks.

Jadis's memory is patchy, and their greed is starting to outweigh their politeness (and boredom), but they might be persuaded to part with one or two more details. Give me a Diplomacy or Bluff check to see what more info you can get out of them.

"Oh, yeah, the Faceless one. He was a powerful wizard. Led a secret cabal. Got in our way, they went up against us, we killed him. Killed them all..." Eben says, nonchalantly continuing his recital of Spiny Six's scariness.

Diplomacy+good hope+inspire courage: 1d20 + 22 + 2 + 3 ⇒ (20) + 22 + 2 + 3 = 47

I think that makes up for rolling a 1 last time...

"Must've not been a close friend of his who's here in Alhaster. Since we killed all his lackeys. And no one's ever tried to get revenge on us. Who was it, Jadis?"

Diplomacy aid: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (5) + 4 = 9

"Must've not been a close friend of his who's here in Alhaster. Since we killed all his lackeys. And no one's ever tried to get revenge on us. Who was it, Jadis?"

"Oh, um, definitely not a friend, no. I think he was their ex-boss. Someone called the Bishop, or the Presybyter, or something like that. Hm..." Jadis seems to consider it a moment. "Oh! They were heading on a voyage, that was right. Carina and her friends were heading for some sort of island. The last time we spoke, she said they were waiting for something called a... kirkzod? Zirgod? Quirkzog? It was some silly squiggly word like that. Whatever it was, apparently it had something they needed, and once they got it, they'd leave.

"Hey." The eye sockets of the dragon skull seem to gleam, and its tone takes a turn that is unmistakable. "I think I just remembered something else. Wanna know what I remembered?"

Inits: 1d20 + 4 + 2 ⇒ (20) + 4 + 2 = 261d20 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (10) + 3 + 2 = 151d20 + 4 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 4 + 2 = 211d20 + 4 + 2 ⇒ (7) + 4 + 2 = 131d20 + 0 + 2 ⇒ (14) + 0 + 2 = 161d20 + 5 + 2 ⇒ (20) + 5 + 2 = 271d20 + 14 ⇒ (8) + 14 = 221d20 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6

Init Order:
Astraden/Cuetzpalli
Jadis
Tanith/Eben/Farrukh/Carina
?

Round One: Astraden and Cuetzpalli are up!

Astraden catches the shift in the conversation before Jadis has finished their sentence. She tears off one of the moon patches on her robe and hurls it at the ooze-dragon. "Sorry in advance if you were actually about to say the location of a favorite heirloom, the name of your great aunt, or the code to a bank vault, and not some reason you want to kill us!"

DC 20 insanity.

Round 1: Cast insanity from robe (standard action) and movement (move action). Communal air walk lasts 436 rounds on Cuetzpalli and Astraden and 336 rounds on everyone else. Life bubble lasts 2555 rounds on Spiny's Six. Communal resist energy (acid) lasts 256 rounds on Tanith and 156 rounds on everyone else. Greater magic weapon on Tanith's bardiche lasts 46780 rounds.

Cuetzpalli casts mirror image on himself. Then he moves in between Astraden and the thing.

Images: 1d4 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7

"Oh, um, definitely not a friend, no. I think he was their ex-boss. Someone called the Bishop, or the Presybyter, or something like that. Hm..."

"...The Marquis!?" Eben yelps. His voice goes up half an octave from the calm recital of deeds he'd been giving it goes up another half octave at Jadis's next statement. It would really be an impressive vocal feat, if the unerlying implications didin't horribly distract from it.

"The last time we spoke, she said they were waiting for something called a... kirkzod? Zirgod? Quirkzog? It was some silly squiggly word like that."

"A ZYRXOG"?

And with the revelation that all of our escaped badguys have formed a Legion of Doom, let's get this fight on the road.

Astraden catches the shift in the conversation before Jadis has finished their sentence. She tears off one of the moon patches on her robe and hurls it at the ooze-dragon. "Sorry in advance if you were actually about to say the location of a favorite heirloom, the name of your great aunt, or the code to a bank vault, and not some reason you want to kill us!"

DC 20 insanity.

"Uh, Astraden...it's an ooze." Farrukh chimes in helpfully.

Just making note of my remaining spell durations while I have time to sit & crib off Astraden's math.
Inspire Courage active. Shield lasts 198 rounds, gravity bow lasts 197 rounds, greater magic weapon lasts 24 hours minus 42 rounds, weapon of awe lasts 97 rounds, mirror image lasts 186 rounds, remove fear lasts 55 rounds, cat's grace lasts 73 rounds, and good hope lasts 73 rounds.

AC bonuses: Cat's grace +2 dex, Farrukh's Aegis +3 morale, shield +4 shield. (Reflected in stat header)

Mirror image has 7 images remaining.

Actually, it's undead. Does Astraden have any ability to make insanity affect undead?

It may as well be every creature type at once, considering we threw like five different types of Knowledge check at it to see what stuck. =p

Honestly I had no idea what creature type it was, or what its Will save was like, or if it had spell resistance. So I figured I'd use up one of the less useful abilities at my disposal on the off chance it stuck. Astraden's already done her main role as a buff-caster here.

I can't remember if anyone rolled Knowledge (religion), but that was the check to be sure it was undead. Knowledge (geography), (nobility) and (engineering), however, can be used for the Secret x3 Combo to learn of its secret terror for clockwork dolls from the palace of the distant Gnome Empress. Surprised nobody thought to roll those, they were really the key to the whole thing!

Sorry about the sparse posting—it's been hectic with Gark visiting (yeah, throw the brother under the bus, that's the ticket). I'll get a post up tomorrow!

Astraden catches the shift in the conversation before Jadis has finished their sentence. She tears off one of the moon patches on her robe and hurls it at the ooze-dragon. "Sorry in advance if you were actually about to say the location of a favorite heirloom, the name of your great aunt, or the code to a bank vault, and not some reason you want to kill us!"

DC 20 insanity.

Round 1: Cast insanity from robe (standard action) and movement (move action). Communal air walk lasts 436 rounds on Cuetzpalli and Astraden and 336 rounds on everyone else. Life bubble lasts 2555 rounds on Spiny's Six. Communal resist energy (acid) lasts 256 rounds on Tanith and 156 rounds on everyone else. Greater magic weapon on Tanith's bardiche lasts 46780 rounds.

The creature quivers slightly as Astraden's spell hits it. "Oh, um, was that mind-affecting? That's a shame. That's really sad. That felt like a seventh-level spell, too. See, this is why I want your magic items."

Spellcraft: 1d20 + 27 ⇒ (17) + 27 = 44

Round 1: Jadis

"So, you're pretty tough, I bet." Jadis starts to rise out of the pool. As it does so, the party realizes just how big Jadis is. Its neck emerges fully, followed by a vast, sinuous, dragonlike body. Finally, its tail comes lashing out. It lets out a burbling laugh. "And you came here to fight black dragons, so I'm guessing some tough people like you probably have some wards against acid. Bad news for me."

It rears up, and an unpleasant sucking sound is heard. "So, um, how are your wards against poison?"

And a wave of acid, green slime, skulls, and noxious waste blasts out as Jadis's head explodes.

Astraden, Cuetzpalli and Tanith, give me Reflex saves.

Round 1: Tanith, Eben, Farrukh and Carina are up! Map is updated.

Reflex (good hope, haste): 1d20 + 6 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (12) + 6 + 2 + 1 = 21 Action point: 2d6 ⇒ (3, 4) = 7 1d100 ⇒ 69Just 8 damage with the resist then.
Fortitude (good hope): 1d20 + 11 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 11 + 2 = 16 Action point: 2d6 ⇒ (1, 3) = 4[99/107] [5/11] [-1]
Well, maybe I could've done with a few more buffs . . .

Astraden reels back into the wall, caught by a large slab of melted wood that might once have been a table. "Is the fact that I have magic items really the reason you hate me? Cause you're running a large risk of destroying them with an attack like that," she says, trying to sound like a friend giving a bit of helpful advice but unable to keep the pain of the poison from affecting her voice.

Round 1: Actions
Full-Round Action: Throw Bombs at Jadis.

...Zyrxog.

Carina sighs and plucks some bombs from her belt--one of each type.

"Well, that settles it then."

Then she lobs them at the... ooze-dragon-thing. "Time for a little experiment!"

Fire Bomb *Mutagen, Rapid Shot, Good Hope*: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (3) + 16 = 19
Fire Damage?: 7d6 + 5 ⇒ (4, 3, 1, 1, 5, 3, 1) + 5 = 23

Frost Bomb *Mutagen, Rapid Shot, Good Hope*: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (18) + 16 = 34
Frost Damage?: 7d6 + 5 ⇒ (5, 1, 6, 2, 6, 3, 5) + 5 = 33

Force Bomb *Mutagen, Rapid Shot, Good Hope*: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (17) + 1 = 18
Force Damage?: 7d4 + 5 ⇒ (3, 4, 1, 3, 3, 2, 2) + 5 = 23

DC 19 Fortitude Save to avoid being Staggered for 1 round if Frost hits, DC 19 Reflex Save to avoid being knocked prone (if applicable).

Eben takes a step back as the true size and... ickiness of Jadis is revealed. As the creature lets loose with a wave of ooze, though, and Astraden seems particularly badly affected by it, he stops his recitation of Spiny Six's might and instead ends the performance with four words of intense mystic relevance and subtlety that aren't at all meta in nature.
"DO IT AGAIN, ASTRADEN!"
5-foot step, immediate action to cast saving finale on Astraden's failed Fortitude save. Casting on the defensive, DC 17: 1d20 + 17 + 2 ⇒ (13) + 17 + 2 = 32
He then tosses down another application of haste; indeed, it's so hastily cast that some members of the party seem to be benefiting from it's effects before he's even cast it.
Standard action to cast haste on everyone that's not a giant slime monster.
Casting on the defensive, DC 21: 1d20 + 17 + 2 ⇒ (14) + 17 + 2 = 33
Then he begins reciting again, but this time it's not about the overall awesomeness of Spiny's Six, but rather about a couple of individual members.
Move action to use Inspire Greatness on Astraden and Cuetzpalli. 2 HD worth of temp hp to them both, +2 competence bonus of attacks (which is superceded by the lingering Inspire Courage), and +1 bonus to Fortitude saves.

Inspire Greatness active, Inspire Courage lingers for two rounds. Haste lasts 12 rounds, shield lasts 197 rounds, gravity bow lasts 196 rounds, greater magic weapon lasts 24 hours minus 41 rounds, weapon of awe lasts 96 rounds, mirror image lasts 185 rounds, remove fear lasts 54 rounds, cat's grace lasts 72 rounds, and good hope lasts 72 rounds.

AC bonuses: Cat's grace +2 dex, haste +1 reflex, Farrukh's Aegis +3 morale, shield +4 shield. (Reflected in stat header)

Mirror image has 7 images remaining.

Reflex: 1d20 + 7 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 7 + 1 + 2 = 15
Fort: 1d20 + 14 + 2 ⇒ (19) + 14 + 2 = 35

Tanith's iron fortitude makes easy work of the poison but that does little to help him avoid the bulk of the acidic blast itself. He growls in pain as the slime eats away as his flesh.

Is there a big enough chunk of glass or other debris to scrape the green slime off within Tanith's immediate reach? If so, that's what he does with his turn.

Oops, I did forget to remove haste from my active spells list. Should really stick to computer-based posting where I can easily check what's still active and what's not.

Fortitude again: 1d20 + 11 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 11 + 2 = 28 I assume I don't get to use my previous action point on this . . .

Oh, well, never mind, I misremembered being able to spend more than 1 action point per round. So still sitting at [6/11]

"DO WHAT AGAIN?!"

Farrukh, seeing the physically weaker members of the party are mostly unharmed, sets on with the unenviable task of closing into melee with a creature partially made of one of the most terrifying substances on Oerth.

"You know I really didn't want to have to fight you, why couldn't we have just kept talking?"

Swift action: swapping to Riven Hourglass Stance (+4 AC, Blur) since Eben hasted us. Move: move into melee Acrobatics avoid provoke: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (3) + 18 = 21 Action point: 2d6 ⇒ (3, 4) = 7, Standard: Initiate Rapid Strike.

Bash 1: 1d20 + 20 ⇒ (5) + 20 = 25
Damage: 1d6 + 21 + 1d6 ⇒ (2) + 21 + (1) = 24

Bash 2: 1d20 + 20 ⇒ (2) + 20 = 22
Damage: 1d6 + 21 + 1d6 ⇒ (3) + 21 + (5) = 29

If either hit, Jadis suffers a -2 AC until the end of my next turn from Stumbling Bash. This applies if the first hits, making the second hit vs a -2 AC if it makes a difference.

Astraden reels back into the wall, caught by a large slab of melted wood that might once have been a table. "Is the fact that I have magic items really the reason you hate me? Cause you're running a large risk of destroying them with an attack like that," she says, trying to sound like a friend giving a bit of helpful advice but unable to keep the pain of the poison from affecting her voice.

"No, there's just something about you," Jadis growls, as Carina's frost bomb connects with its rapidly-twisting form. Part of its acidic body freezes solid, then cracks away, isolating and eliminating the bomb's staggering effect.

Oh, yeah, by the way, just to continue the trend of "this creature should not be": Meet the ooze dragon with an extremely good touch AC.

Fortitude Save: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (17) + 12 = 29

Is there a big enough chunk of glass or other debris to scrape the green slime off within Tanith's immediate reach? If so, that's what he does with his turn.

Tanith notices a large broken half of a vial on the ground—clearly sized for an alchemist the size of a house.

Farrukh, seeing the physically weaker members of the party are mostly unharmed, sets on with the unenviable task of closing into melee with a creature partially made of one of the most terrifying substances on Oerth.

"You know I really didn't want to have to fight you, why couldn't we have just kept talking?"

"Yeah, yeah, I know you didn't, and you're making it awkward for me by saying it, 'cause you all seem like nice enough people. But you're an adventurer, right?" As Jadis speaks, it forms a mass of biting mandibles with the skulls floating within it and tries to sink its teeth into Farrukh's shoulder, but he easily dodges. In turn, Jadis easily dodges Farrukh's off-balance attacks. "Kill the monsters, take their stuff. This can't be the first time you've seen it in action."

AoO Bite: 1d20 + 20 ⇒ (6) + 20 = 26

Tanith is up!

Tanith kneels down to scrape the slime off his naked flesh using the enormous slab of jagged glass. I assume that's a standard action at least.

"Subdue it before it does that again!" Tanith growls in pain.

Yeah, I'd say standard action. Tanith can do that without making a check.

Round 2: Astraden and Cuetzpalli are up!

Astraden begins intoning a prayer, trying not to get distracted by the man nonchalantly cutting off a large chunk of flesh beside her or the poison coursing through her system.

At least the poison doesn't actually disrupt concentration? Fortitude: 1d20 + 11 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 11 + 2 + 1 = 18 Total Str damage taken: 1 + 1d3 ⇒ 1 + (3) = 4

Round 2: Begin casting summon monster vii (full-round action). Communal air walk lasts 435 rounds on Cuetzpalli and Astraden and 335 rounds on everyone else. Life bubble lasts 2554 rounds on Spiny's Six. Communal resist energy (acid) lasts 255 rounds on Tanith and 155 rounds on everyone else. Greater magic weapon on Tanith's bardiche lasts 46779 rounds.

Reflex save: 1d20 + 9 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (14) + 9 + 2 + 1 = 26
1d100 ⇒ 94
Fort save: 1d20 + 16 + 2 ⇒ (14) + 16 + 2 = 32

Cuetzpalli hisses as he is doused in poisonous acid. He retaliates with several quick slashes of kelmarchen.

Spend an Action Point for an extra attack.

Kelmarchen (AS, PA, rage brut., reck. aban.): 1d20 + 29 + 3 ⇒ (13) + 29 + 3 = 452d6 + 41 ⇒ (2, 4) + 41 = 472d6 ⇒ (1, 6) = 71d20 + 19 + 3 ⇒ (14) + 19 + 3 = 362d6 + 41 ⇒ (5, 4) + 41 = 502d6 ⇒ (2, 5) = 71d20 + 14 + 3 ⇒ (18) + 14 + 3 = 352d6 + 41 ⇒ (5, 4) + 41 = 502d6 ⇒ (6, 2) = 8 (-4 AC, -3 rounds rage)

45 for 47+7 = 54
36 for 50+7 = 57
35 for 50+8 = 58

Kelmarchen (haste, action point): 1d20 + 29 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 29 + 3 = 372d6 + 41 ⇒ (6, 2) + 41 = 492d6 ⇒ (4, 3) = 71d20 + 29 + 3 ⇒ (13) + 29 + 3 = 452d6 + 41 ⇒ (3, 6) + 41 = 502d6 ⇒ (4, 6) = 10

37 for 49+7 = 56
45 for 50+10 = 60

I'm assuming it's evil, if not ignore all the 2d6s.

AC 24 this round.

Is that 285 damage? Yes, that will do it.

Sometimes, a kill is just that: The application of force to end another life. Sometimes, a death brings an end to something that was never alive and allows for no particular sense of tragedy or glory. Sometimes, a battle is just a matter of one side making one very unfortunate miscalculation and entering into a fight it never had a chance to win.

Cuetzpalli raises the holy blade of Kord and cuts the acidwraith to pieces. Jadis manages only one word before its body is cut in two, reducing it only to gurgles and shrieks as Cuetzpalli weaves around its thrashing tendrils and avoids blasts of acid and green slime:

"Don't—"

And then Cuetzpalli's blade splits the dragon's skull in two.

Jadis's remains melt back into the pool, slosh over the boots of the hastily-withdrawing adventurers, and burn blackened scars into the earth as they dissolve into nothing. All that remains of the undead marid monstrosity is a pool of slime and a single rat's skull.

Combat over.

”...Fharlanghn’s grizzled beard, Cuetz.” Carina can only say in amazement.

As Jadis goes *SPLAT* for presumably the final time, Eben says, rather judgmentally, "Greed will be the end of you..." Then he looks around. "So, back to looking for anything valuable?"

Astraden's spellcasting completes with the appearance of 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3 silvery-haired elf-like archers, who wordlessly fly around to each member of the group and, with a pair of hands on their shoulders, heal their wounds and . . . make them visibly blurry? This was apparently the best use of the magic that Astraden could think of.

Astraden utters a short spell to heal herself of the poison, then air-walks down to just above the acid and uses her foot to prod the rat skull. "Nidrā," she says, as if addressing it.

"That oughta keep them from coming back, so we've got free reign to search around in here."

CSW to Cuetzpalli: 9d8 + 18 ⇒ (4, 6, 6, 5, 4, 5, 7, 7, 5) + 18 = 67 CSW to Astraden: 3d8 + 6 ⇒ (7, 5, 3) + 6 = 21 And Astraden's casting heal, which auto-removes poisoned condition (isn't it fun to be a caster?), then converting a channel damage to sanctify corpse.

Cuetzpalli blushes. "It's just the sword, Carina. I didn't do anything special." He wipes his blade carefully clean and sheathes it. "So that thing...Jadis or whatever...it just said all the bad guys we fought before are a team now? Isn't that really bad?"

"The Marquis, Zyrxog, plus Carina's evil twin sister. Am I missing anyone really obvious? Remind me, did Raknian die? I mean, that was where my mind went from 'let's see if we can peacefully negotiate with this thing' to 'die, abomination, die', because if we had parted ways peacefully, Jadis woulda joined up with them sooner or later, I guarantee."

"...we really need to stop leaving so many enemies behind us."

"Or at least make sure they don't get ahead of us again."

Raknian was in jail, at least. Might've been executed or broken free.

"Being fair to ourselves, we're dealing with necromancers. Their whole deal is bringing people back the worst side of people. Just wish I had the money to make every sanctification permanent." Astraden looks at Cuetzpalli. "I guess it is pretty bad. Do you think there's any chance you can find spore of them?"

"Oh, great, necromancy. Hadn't even considered that. So it might not even be just our surviving enemies teaming up; we have to account for the possibility of dead ones, too. I don't want to have to deal with some souped up necromanced lich version of Balabar Smenk."

"I can look!" Cuetzpalli responds. "Gimme a hand, Farrukh."

Survival: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (14) + 16 = 30

"I guess it is pretty bad. Do you think there's any chance you can find spore of them?"

Did I miss something? I don't get this sentence.

"I didn't know you had a sister Red", Tanith muses as Cuetzpalli scouts. "I always thought that whole thing was more a metaphor."

"Other Me is not my sister." Carina grumbles. "She was more of a freeloader who got her kicks out of bugging me and trying to get me to do stupid things."