Motteditor's Strange Aeons PBP

Game Master motteditor

"Al's right. Let's hope they circle around behind this block. Upstairs then."

He follows Al to the steps and peers above, watching for archers.

Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (20) + 7 = 27

Coming around the corner, you see a round, frayed rug of a hideous chartreuse color covers the floor in the center of the room. Within an alcove on the east wall, a large lever surmounts an enormous contraption of thick gears bolted to the floor. A bloated, pinkish-yellow creature with a pale, froglike appearance with clawed hands, no eyes, a wide mouth, and a snout ending in pink tentacles squats in the air a few feet above the rug.

As you reach the top of the stairs, you hear a voice in your head -- “Has that upstart piper above the cellblocks attacked yet?” -- but the creature seems to start aggressively waving its tentacles as you emerge from the stairway.

Al and Jasno are up; getting the map set up but not sure I'll have it all tonight.

1d20 + 18 ⇒ (11) + 18 = 29 Know (Dungeoneering)

DRs? Resistances?

When he can, Tristain shouts what he knows of the creature, trying to be helpful to the party.

DR 10/piercing or slashing; Immune to cold, gaze attacks, illusions, poison; Resist electricity 30; plus some spell resistance.

Round One

While everyone is close together Jasno casts perfect placement.

Albert rushes to the attack hoping the alarm hasn't been sounded.

curve blade, power attack, heroism: 1d20 + 14 - 3 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (9) + 14 - 3 + 2 + 1 = 23
Damage: 1d10 + 3 + 9 ⇒ (2) + 3 + 9 = 14

"Agents of Ahrkh-Nar, is it? Well, maybe I'll let one of you live to get deliver a message to him!" you hear in your head as Al's blade bounces off its rubbery flesh.

It retreats slightly from Al and then waves its tentacles and you each feel a wave of confusion roll over you.

DC 21 save for everyone or suffer confusion.

Round 1

Will: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (8) + 10 = 18 vs DC 21 or confusion

Confusion: 1d100 ⇒ 35

Kyffin quietly plays with his lower lip, his scimitar limp at his side, as he babbles to himself.

1d20 + 10 ⇒ (20) + 10 = 30 Will

Tristain feels fine as he ponders what to do.

Dc 21 Will save: 1d20 + 11 + 2 ⇒ (11) + 11 + 2 = 24

Albert shrugs off the creature's foul magic and brings a holy fury against it. "Agents of no one, you slimy miscreant!"

smite evil on the moon beast, with perfect placement AC is 28

curve blade, power attack, heroism, smite: 1d20 + 14 - 3 + 2 + 4 ⇒ (19) + 14 - 3 + 2 + 4 = 36
Damage: 1d10 + 3 + 9 + 9 ⇒ (5) + 3 + 9 + 9 = 26

curve blade, power attack, heroism, smite: 1d20 + 9 - 3 + 2 + 4 ⇒ (14) + 9 - 3 + 2 + 4 = 26
Damage: 1d10 + 3 + 9 + 9 ⇒ (6) + 3 + 9 + 9 = 27

possible crit, curve blade, power attack, heroism, smite: 1d20 + 14 - 3 + 2 + 4 ⇒ (19) + 14 - 3 + 2 + 4 = 36
Damage: 1d10 + 3 + 9 + 9 ⇒ (2) + 3 + 9 + 9 = 23

"What are you doing Al? Why do you keep swinging away with your blade? Jasno is desperate to understand why Al is attacking.

Will, DC 21: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (11) + 9 = 20

Will Save (DC 21): 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (1) + 11 = 12
Confused: 1d100 - 10 ⇒ (87) - 10 = 77
What an absolute disaster. Geez.

”What. Is. GOING! ON?!” Tenebrynn lashes out in a panic as her vision blurs and all her friends seemingly melt into not-doctors and turn toward her with wide, bloody grins and red eyes. She sends a quick blast of wind into the face of her nearest ally, before then shooting up toward the ceiling.

1 Kyffin, 2 Jasno, 3 Tristain: 1d3 ⇒ 1

Air Blast: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (14) + 14 = 28for: 4d6 + 15 ⇒ (5, 6, 4, 6) + 15 = 36

Round 1

Tristain watches most of his companions go bonkers, but also sees Al go toe to toe with the horror.

He decides to offer his best shot in support of Al.

5d6 + 6 ⇒ (3, 2, 1, 1, 3) + 6 = 16 magic missile w/Trip
1d20 + 9 + 2 ⇒ (11) + 9 + 2 = 22 SR

1d20 + 15 ⇒ (16) + 15 = 31 CMB to trip vs. CMD
1d20 + 15 ⇒ (4) + 15 = 19 CMB to trip vs. CMD
1d20 + 15 ⇒ (14) + 15 = 29 CMB to trip vs. CMD
1d20 + 15 ⇒ (14) + 15 = 29 CMB to trip vs. CMD
1d20 + 15 ⇒ (1) + 15 = 16 CMB to trip vs. CMD

Unlike usual, I'm going to go in posting order, so I don't have to adjudicate this: Any confused character who is attacked automatically attacks its attackers on its next turn. But remember that for your next turn!

Also, sorry for the delay. There was some distractions last week, in case anyone didn't notice.

Kyffin babbles to himself for a few moments before he's suddenly hit by a blast of air from Tenebrynn. A moment later, Jasno pulls his mace and swings wildly at the half-orc but misses, I think? Jasno, are you really just +4 with your weapon? That seems very low.

Unaffected, Al and Tristain focus on the monster in front of them, and it roars in pain as Al's blade slices chunks of its skin. It grunts as Tristain's missiles hit it, though deems them a lesser threat, his flight making it pointless to trip it. Despite the confusion behind him, Al's defenses stay strong, though, and he takes only a minor cut. 6 hp

"I'll burn your evil from this place!" Albert threatens and flames leap from the floor and wrap around the creature.

swift action, Fire of Entanglement, SR check: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (8) + 6 = 14

Disappointed as the flames dance but fail to grab, he continues slicing away at the moon beast while chaos erupts behind him.

curve blade, power attack, heroism, smite: 1d20 + 14 - 3 + 2 + 4 ⇒ (9) + 14 - 3 + 2 + 4 = 26
Damage: 1d10 + 3 + 9 + 9 ⇒ (8) + 3 + 9 + 9 = 29

curve blade, power attack, heroism, smite: 1d20 + 9 - 3 + 2 + 4 ⇒ (11) + 9 - 3 + 2 + 4 = 23
Damage: 1d10 + 3 + 9 + 9 ⇒ (1) + 3 + 9 + 9 = 22

Round 2

Tristain tries again to help Al with a big blast.

5d6 + 6 ⇒ (4, 2, 2, 6, 2) + 6 = 22 magic missile
1d20 + 9 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 9 + 2 = 19 SR

Confused: 1d100 - 10 ⇒ (64) - 10 = 54
Up by the ceiling, Tenebrynn spins herself around after socking herself in the jaw.

Stupid Confusion: 1d8 - 1 ⇒ (7) - 1 = 6

Jasno hits himself with his mace. 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5

Round 2

Motteditor, in your campaigns, is a miss still an attack? in other words, who am I attacking back? Tenebrynn or Jasno? Either way...

Kyffin, very nearly ready to drop himself, lashes out at those who would attack him, doing his best to drive them off!

Scimitar (magic): 1d20 + 11 + 2 ⇒ (13) + 11 + 2 = 26 (bull) damage: 1d8 + 11 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 11 + 2 = 17 (bull)
Scimitar (magic): 1d20 + 6 + 2 ⇒ (20) + 6 + 2 = 28 (bull) damage: 1d8 + 11 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 11 + 2 = 14 (bull)
critthreat Scimitar (magic): 1d20 + 6 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 6 + 2 = 20 (bull) damage: 1d8 + 11 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 11 + 4 = 17 (bull, fire)

Hmm. That's a good question. I'm going to say because of the confusion, you'd likely attack the last one to actually hurt you. I guess if two people hurt you in a round, I'd let you randomly determine which you attacked back.

Tenebrynn hits herself in the jaw moments before Kyffin hits her with his blade, nearly killing her dream form 48 hp total. Jasno joins in the mass confusion, hitting himself with his mace as well.

Across the room, Al and Tristain continue fighting, the former cutting again into the moon-beast. The latter's missiles seem to explode as they hit him, though, doing no more harm than if they were just bits of light and color. Now starting to bleed badly, the creature waves its tentacles carefully and Al hears its voice in his head commanding him "Attack your friends!" DC 22 Will save vs. dominate person, then another one at +2 vs. an order contrary to your nature.

Party is up.

Round 3

Note that I go after Tenebrynn in initiative, who is bound by confusion to attack me. If she hits, I likely die, so this may be moot.

Kyffin continues to madly lash out at the windy apparition trying to kill him!
Scimitar (magic): 1d20 + 11 + 2 ⇒ (14) + 11 + 2 = 27 (bull) damage: 1d8 + 11 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 11 + 2 = 14 (bull)
Scimitar (magic): 1d20 + 6 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 6 + 2 = 16 (bull) damage: 1d8 + 11 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 11 + 2 = 21 (bull)

Is there no chance to act normally if you've been attacked or do I still roll for behavior and have a small chance at acting normally this round if the d100 deems fit?

Round 3
Tristain tries again to blow the shit out of the bad thing.

5d6 + 6 ⇒ (3, 6, 3, 1, 4) + 6 = 23 magic missile
1d20 + 9 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 9 + 2 = 26 SR

DC 22 Will save vs. dominate person, enchantment heroism: 1d20 + 11 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 11 + 2 + 2 = 17

Albert's mind blanks and he focuses on the thought, Attack your friends!...

DC 22 Will save vs. dominate person, enchantment, heroism, bonus: 1d20 + 11 + 2 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 11 + 2 + 2 + 2 = 29

...which completely disgusts him. "Stay out of my head you awful creature!" and he presses the attack.

curve blade, power attack, heroism, smite: 1d20 + 14 - 3 + 2 + 4 ⇒ (15) + 14 - 3 + 2 + 4 = 32
Damage: 1d10 + 3 + 9 + 9 ⇒ (9) + 3 + 9 + 9 = 30

curve blade, power attack, heroism, smite: 1d20 + 9 - 3 + 2 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 9 - 3 + 2 + 4 = 15
Damage: 1d10 + 3 + 9 + 9 ⇒ (2) + 3 + 9 + 9 = 23

Confustion: 1d100 ⇒ 86

Jasno swings his mace at Tenebrynn, yelling the entire time. mace: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (20) + 4 = 24, crit?: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10 dmg: 1d6 ⇒ 3

Before any of you can act in your confusion-addled selves, Al and Tristain kill the creature, which breaks its spell. Kyffin, near death, comes to his senses just in time to stay his blow, Tenebrynn and Jasno doing the same.

To make things move a little more easily, let's resolve it that way.

Tristain backs away from the crazy people, hoping to avoid getting slashed by friend or foe.

He bonks while waiting for everyone to recover their shit, but then eventually goes over to examine the body of the moon-beast.

"Man, I don't like my own dreams, much less these," he offers, more to himself than others. But then, does look at Kyffin.

"Kyffin, you okay? Tenebrynn? You good?"

Good solution motteditor!

Kyffin comes around to his senses, and swears some more. "Shit, sorry there Tenebrynn. This damn dream realm!"

He breaks out the healing, and passes it around to others, before healing himself. (Go ahead and roll the 1d8+1 per charge, and I'll tally the charges.

When it comes back around to himself, he uses it quite a bit...
CLW: 11d8 + 11 ⇒ (8, 6, 2, 8, 4, 4, 5, 6, 6, 6, 6) + 11 = 72

"Just when I think things can't get any more unsettling." Jasno looks at his mace in disgust.

Albert slashes the amorphous beast a few extra times, just to be sure. His work finished, he wipes some healing dirt on his wounds.

dirt on it: 5d6 ⇒ (1, 3, 4, 6, 2) = 16

"Don't let this dream realm get to you, it don't matter for nothing once we wake." Before Tenny can protest, Al wipes some healing dirt on her.

dirt on it, Tenny: 5d6 ⇒ (3, 3, 6, 5, 3) = 20

dirt on it, Tenny: 5d6 ⇒ (4, 2, 2, 4, 5) = 17

”You’re sorry?” Tenebrynn’s tone is mildly incredulous toward Kyffin as Al breaks past her defenses and forcibly tends to her wounds. ”I nearly blew your head off your shoulders! I’m the one who’s sorry, Kyffin. Worse, I don’t even really know what happened. Does anyone even know was that thing was?”

"I doubt it would surprise you if I said I have no idea what happened."

*bonk!*
*bonk!*
*bonk!*

*bonk!*
*bonk!*
*bonk!*

Tristain waits for his friends to figure things out. He’s not ready to move on, still processing the horrors of the moon-beast.

Tristain made his Knowledge check above as to what that thing was. I might also suggest looking back at what he said to you. None of you can make clear sense of it, but it might have some information that's useful.

As Al hacks at the thing, he hears a metallic clink; a quick search reveals the creature had a key ring tucked into its flabby folds of flesh. One of the keys, a particularly large one, holds a black gem.

Kyffin wonders what the creature meant when he spoke of the piper (link). ”Sounds like we’re not the only ones to ‘attack’ the cellblock. We should watch for this ‘piper’. It may be that we could get some help from an alliance. Or just another enemy. Either way, should we head to the top of this place before descending again?’

Kyffin cleans his blade and, once the keys are secured, heads to the next set of doors. He readies to open them.

{b]Better than having one more thing to fight with.[/b]

"It thought we were Agents of Ahrkh-Nar, whoever or whatever that is." Albert continues searching after finding the keyring...

Spellcraft: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 5 = 12

Perception: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2

...but he can't make sense of the key or find anything else interesting.

You open the double doors to the south and find rows of stone cubbies of various sizes -- hundreds in all -- line the walls of this room from floor to ceiling, each with a small metal door covered with script. In the center of the room is a low table with a model of a building on it.

Most of the cubbyholes are labeled with a couple words in a language that none of you recognize I don't think; it's Aklo, though a few have longer labels. The tiny metal door to each cubby latches firmly but does not lock. Nearly all of the cubbyholes contain a single jawbone, immaculately cleaned, but 13 compartments do not. Those mostly contain small items such as odd tin coins or a worn folding knife. One has a masterwork chain shirt, a masterwork buckler, a +1 composite longbow, a thin dagger with a handle wrapped in cheetah hide, and a sack containing a variety of gruesome trophies (a zoog snout, a voonith fin, and several large but unidentifiable fangs). Another cubbyhole -- one labeled with three words -- holds an efficient quiver containing eight searing arrows whose heads look like solidified flames. Another contains a yellow cap and cloak.

A table in the center of the room contains a replica of the prison the overall map is fully revealed, going to such details as tiny cranks in the room you just left and another room on the top level of the other side of the prison see red star. None of the areas are labeled, but you can get a good idea of the layout of the prison. I've labeled a few rooms that you can guess based on the model.

”Bless you, Al.” Tenebrynn then offers him one of Kyffin’s many missing scarves for his nose, then seems to realize he hadn’t sneezed.

Later, when the group mills about all the storage cubbies, she takes up the dagger wrapped in leopard hide at Nestor’s urging and regards it briefly. As she tests the weight of it, rather disinterestedly, she nods towards the other trophies. ”Those are in the same vein as that pard tail we had to get.”

1d20 + 18 ⇒ (2) + 18 = 20 Spellcraft

Tristain is strangely stumped by the black shard, but shrugs as he hopes never to come back to the Dreamlands again, so attunement would never happen anyway.

When others are healed, Tristain will gather himself to move on. He’s more weary of getting clocked by a friend than he was.

Tristain will ID the new magics found, but will claim none for himself.

”Where to next, Tenebrynn?”

Kyffin helps collect the things of interest and passes out anything to anyone they might use. "Anyone use a bow? I can carry the quiver and these arrows if not. Dunno, but it feels like they might be useful." He doesn't really want them though, so please help yourself.

Spellcraft: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (19) + 7 = 26 vs DC 22

"Hey, that gem! It's a black soul shard." he shakes his head. "Nasty stuff. I wonder if one of these keys will get us past that stone block. Looks like that's the only way forward." he adds looking at the map.

He waits for Tenebrynn's response to Tristain before heading back downstairs to the stone block.

"That yellow cloak seems curious, let's remember the label on that cubby hole, likely it will match a cell." Albert turns his attention to the table. "That details in unnatural, maybe some magics are working here that could show us more than what we see at the moment." Al fiddles with the table hoping to reveal any new information, like locations of prisoners or guards.

Use Magic Device, Knowledge Engineering, something else??: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (10) + 5 = 15

Tristain waits, bonking his head and trying to stay calm. And head bonking, as everyone knows, is the best way to calm down.

The table doesn't reveal anything more, but a closer look does show there's a second doorway near the kitchen. Deciding that's more fruitful than trying to figure out the stone block, you leave the prison and reenter what appears to be a storage area.

A thick metal door leads in from prison exterior. The walls of this large pantry contain several shelves stacked with bags and barrels. The only other exit is a 4-foot-square grillwork of close-set iron bars anchored into the stone. A metal funnel is jammed into the grillwork, its wide end facing into this room.

You think you'll have to break through the grillwork if you want to get to what appears to be the kitchen beyond, but Tenebrynn's wind eventually manages to batter the thing down, and you clamber through. The kitchen contains stone slab tables, a large oven, thick steel mixing pots, and tools to prepare simple fare for dozens of people. A single narrow door leads deeper into the prison, where you find three long tables of a strange, dark wood with matching benches fill a dining hall. The tables and benches are all scarred from years of use.

The double doors of the sliding block stand in front of you. The doors are locked, but a little trial and error reveals the keys you took will solve that problem.

Kyffin, scimitar out and ready, uneasily unlocks the doors, "Now remember, just because they're prisoners, doesn't mean they're good guys. Let's be extra careful."

"Makes sense the mess hall would be close to the kitchen," Tristain comments, noting something that makes logical sense...which is weird for a prison, on the piddlespotting moon.

Tristain will let others go first, not having a lot of interest in going there at all, but will do as needed.

When Tristain asks Tenebrynn which way to go next, she shifts so that Kyffin alone can see her expression then makes wide eyes at him as if to say, See?!
She feigns deafness to the question though by falling into some internal discussion with Nestor, rebuking him for letting them walk into that tentacled horror unawares.

As the group gathers before the unlocked door, the little gnome asks of the group, ”You want me to blast it open? Surprise whatever’s on the other side with shock and awe?”

"Now the mess hall is a mess.. Jasno offers a half smirk at his joke.

"Lets just open it normal like, maybe the prisoners can help us, they likely know who's here and where they are at." Al waits beside Kyffin to enter the room when the doors open.

Moving through the doorway, you find two long lines of cells crowd the oppressive stone room Nestor told you about. Although stone walls separate adjacent cells, the cells are divided from the corridor with floor-to-ceiling walls of iron bars that provide no privacy. Nearly all of the cells are empty except for leather pallets, metal buckets, and suspicious stains. A grate in the floor at the base of the western wall emits a sour smell. A wide set of stairs leads up to the east.

The two prisoners remaining here are both human women. One is dressed in Osiriani academic robes. She gazes impassively at you as you move through the area, remaining seated, slumped on her pallet. The other is a lean, strong woman with short black hair and an ugly scar across her brow and nose. She grips the bars of her cell, clearly trying to shake them as she sees you. As soon as Tenebrynn notices her visage, she gets an immediate reaction from Nestor.

"Kelvetta!"