Mummy's Mask: The Sand Scarabs-Gameplay Thread (Inactive)

Game Master R0B0GEISHA

Merutep smiles kindly. "Well, cats protect us from evil spirits," she replies. "And Aya is intelligent. We don't eat anything intelligent." She places a finger to her lip and thinks for a moment. "Pets are like animals that we're made our friends, or trained for a purpose. One doesn't kill friends at all, either." She smiles. "Does that help?"

Aya sighs deeply, clearly unimpressed with Merutep's explanation. She turns her eyes to the sand woman and lets out a shriek! Then she turns her beak up to the ceiling, clearly offended.

Heshsharu frowns. "I guess it does."

It seems to ponder for a moment. "What does breathing feel like?"

Merutep thinks on this. "Normally we don't even realize it feels like anything. We do it all the time, you see. But... I suppose it feels like there's a pocket inside of you that opens and fills up, then closes and shrinks. Then it repeats. There's also a cool feeling in your nose when the air comes in and out. Or a hot feeling, I suppose. Depends on the temperature..."

She smiles at the sand woman. "Are you the one who set up the skulls in the other room on top of the silverware? Why did you do that? Whose skulls were they?"

"The skulls?" Heshsharu asks. For a moment, she seems unsure but then an expression of clarity washes over the spirit's face. "That was Imanish. He is a cruel little head."

The sand-like being cocks its head, its answer forgotten. "Does dreaming hurt?" A wave of drowsiness washes over the Sand Scarabs, only through strength of will do Merui, Hibbins, and Aya stay awake. The rest of the party falls to the floor, fast asleep.

Heshsharu's countenance changes, the once beatific face replaced by a snarling mask of rage and its turban unraveling into a morass of lashing, sandy tendrils. "I'm bored with these questions. I think I'll eat that pet now," it hisses.

Map updated. Hibbins may act first!

"A cruel head? What does --"

Merutep falls to the ground in a heap.

As Merutep falls, Aya spreads her wings wide and caws loudly at the sand monster!

Knowledge Planes: 1d20 ⇒ 14

She caws something again, but with Merutep unconscious no one can understand her.

Hibbins reaches in to his little satchel."Three vials left, and I bet you force me to use all three."

1d20 + 4 ⇒ (20) + 4 = 24
1d8 + 1d4 + 5 ⇒ (3) + (2) + 5 = 10 8 damage if construct or undead, otherwise 7 damage. Ignoring squares inhabited by friendlies. DC 16 for half.

That's not good!

Rashim promptly falls into a deep sleep, dreaming of fine food, good drinks, and pretty women.

Hibbins? Crit threat on that attack roll!

Didn't even notice that.

1d4 + 1d8 ⇒ (3) + (5) = 8 18 or 15.

I'm back! And that's my bad, Caius, you can act before Heshsharu as well since you're immune to magical sleep effects.

A drowsy look flashes across Caius's face for a brief moment, before he shakes it off, drawing his rapier and wand.

"Nine Hells!" he yells as he moves forward.
Free Action: Entering Controlled Bloodrage.

Caius moves forward to protect Rashim and activates his wand; his rapier becomes whip-like as he lashes out at the sand creature.

Standard Action: Using Wand of Blade Lash to attempt to Trip the creature.

Trip: 1d20 + 20 ⇒ (11) + 20 = 31

As a note I did the order wrong for what I did. I have to enter Bloodrage after I use the Wand. So the Trip total would be 29.

I missed Hibbin's crit roll too. Unfortunately, elementals are immune to critical hits.

Hibbins's vial of alkaline shatters on Heshsharu's form, coating the creature in solvent. It flinches for a moment, but then grins wickedly as the liquid is absorbed into its sandy body. Before it can approach the alchemist, Caius's blade wraps around its legs, bringing it to the ground.

It rises quickly and surges towards Merui, its lower body becoming a rushing column of sand.

Hibbins, your bomb did no damage to Heshsharu. Caius can attempt an AoO. Merui and Aya may now act.

Caius stabs his rapier towards the creature as it rises from the ground.

Rapier: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (8) + 10 = 18
Damage: 1d6 + 6 ⇒ (5) + 6 = 11

"That's true, cats were common pets, so the spirit of a house should know that . . .." He pulls his shield to ready as he evaluates the nature of the animated statue.

Detect Evil

Never did get a response to the Detect Evil. That answer partially determines what I do next.

If it detected as evil:

Swift action: activate Bastion of Good (halving damage dealt to allies w/i 10' of me by target creature and gives me a +4 deflection bonus against attack from target creature for an AC of 25 and touch of 15)

Regardless:

Meriui sighs. "Why did suspicion have to be proven? Leave my companions alone!" As he swings his flail around the tower shield, hoping to strip some of the sand away from the form . . ..

Flail w/ Tower Shield penalty: 1d20 + 4 - 2 ⇒ (3) + 4 - 2 = 5
Flail Damage: 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3

:facepalm: Not what the build is for, at least.

My bad, Merui. You would have detected Heshsharu as evil. For some reason, I was under the impression that only fiends gave off auras instead of all outsiders.

*snore*

Aya lets out a loud CAW! She swoops down and lands on Merutep's chest and nips her on her ear.

Biting her to wake her up.

Merutep jolts awake. "Ouch!"

She looks around in confusion.

"Well, this doesn't look pleasant."

Caius's blade barely seems to faze Heshsharu, its sandy form suddenly hardening like stone against the blow. The elemental whips around to face Caius, its face a mask of sympathy.

"Are you trying your hardest, mortal? I barely felt that," it mocks.

Hibbins and Caius may act!

Are their any rocks or pieces or masonry around? About the size I can just hurl at him.

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (9) + 5 = 14
Social Panache: 1d6 ⇒ 5 = Sense Motive 19

Caius laughs at the creatures attempts at mocking him. "I can do much better once you feel my hellfire Heshsharu. You also seem afraid of my friend Merui. I wonder why?"

He then thrusts his rapier towards the creature, its blade wreathed in hellfire. Swift Action: Hellfire Strike
Rapier: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (13) + 10 = 23
Damage: 1d6 + 6 ⇒ (6) + 6 = 12 + Flaming: 1d6 ⇒ 6 Fire

Caius then launches himself forward into a roll to flank the creature with Merui.
Acrobatics: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (4) + 10 = 14
Derring-Do: 1d6 ⇒ 3 = Acrobatics 17

Hibbins: All sorts.

Hibbins can still act.

Whoops, missed the answer to my question.

Hibbins steps back and throws a half brick at the creature.

1d20 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6
1d4 ⇒ 1

And watches it skid ineffectually crossed the sand.

Coated in hellfire, Caius's rapier plunges into Heshsharu, eliciting a snarl of pain from the creature.

"I fear nothing," it asserts. It swats at the half-elf with a sandy tendril, but the blow lands short as Caius rolls aside.

Merutep, Merui, and Rashim (if you wake him) can now act!

"Quick, Aya. Wake Rashim!" Merutep urges her kite with worry. She stands up and clutches her quarterstaff in her hands (I assume she dropped it when she fell asleep and she had to pick it up.)

Aya flies around the room (staying out of reach of the creature) and lands beside Rashim. She nips at him with her beak and shrieks in his ear.

"CAW!"

"I do not know why you wish to die this day, but we will accommodate you, foul creature!"

Stands in position, flanking the creature and attacks.

Flail w/ Flank & Tower Shield penalty: 1d20 + 4 + 2 - 2 ⇒ (2) + 4 + 2 - 2 = 6 Dicebot is not my friend.
Damage: 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6

Maintain my AC25 T15 against the creature, and the half damage from the creature for allies w/i 10' of me until the creature dies, basically

That's a safe assumption, Merutep.

Aya's efforts are enough to wake Rashim.

Rashim startles violently when the bird pecks him on the cheek and shrieks right in his ear. 'What the he..." he trails off, as he takes in the battle scene around him. "Whaddid I miss? We killin' the thing now?" He watches, still prone, as Meriui tries to strike the sand creature with his flail. 'Guess so!"

He hops to his feet as quickly as he can (move action) and uses his telekinesis to send a nearby piece of debris shooting toward the scary sand thing (standard action to use telekinetic blast).

Attack, PBS: 1d20 + 5 + 1 ⇒ (19) + 5 + 1 = 25
Damage, bludgeoning, PBS: 1d6 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 4 + 1 = 6

He then takes a quiet step closer to Meriui, trying to look non-threatening.

Rashim's thrown stone blasts a part of Heshsharu's form away. In response, the creature twists away from the arc of Merui's flail, and lashes out at the kineticist. The swing falls inches short of Rashim's face.

Map updated! Caius and Hibbins can act!

Caius stays still for a moment bent over gasping for breath, fatigue washing over him.

Caius is Fatigued (-2 STR/DEX) for 4 rounds as Controlled Bloodrage ends.

"Damn..."

He then grips his wand and steadies himself. Uttering the arcane words his rapier elongates and whips toward Heshsharu.

Casting Blade Lash from my wand.

Trip: 1d20 + 18 - 1 ⇒ (14) + 18 - 1 = 31

"Stay...down..." he mutters between ragged breaths of air.

1d20 + 3 ⇒ (19) + 3 = 22
1d4 ⇒ 2

Doctor Hibbins hucks another stone at the monster.

With a frustrated shout, Heshsharu falls to the ground again. Hibbins adds injury to insult with a a hurled stone, knocking off some of the being's sandy form.

Heshsharu is now prone. Merutep, Rashim, and Meriui can act!

Remaining silent, the Kelishite simply lashes out with his flail, seeking to end the evil before him.

Flail w/ Flank & Tower Shield penalty (vs Prone): 1d20 + 4 + 2 - 2 ⇒ (12) + 4 + 2 - 2 = 16
Damage: 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 2 = 7

Maintain my AC25 T15 against the creature, and the half damage from the creature for allies w/i 10' of me until the creature dies, basically

Merutep takes a step forward and tries to whack the sand creature over the head with her staff.

Attack: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (12) + 3 = 15
Bludgeoning Damage: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4

Aya flies around the room's perimeter, coming to land beside Merutep.

Rashim grins when his blast lands true, and the grin only spreads as the sand-thing fails to respond in kind. "Not so tough when you're facing awake people, eh?" He sends another blast spinning in, but sloppily, too focused on bragging to aim properly. The blast shoots off past it instead.

Attack, PBS: 1d20 + 5 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 5 + 1 = 7

The blows of Meriui and Merutep land on the prone creature, shattering its sand armor. Heshsharu ignores the taunts of its enemies and rather than rising normally, simply becomes amorphous and reconstitutes into a standing form.

Heshsharu swings at Merutep, but again, its swing is short. "You adventurers are so frustrating!" it shouts.

Slam: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (1) + 6 = 7
Damage: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 3 = 9

"Thank you!" Merutep replies with a swing of her staff.

Attack: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 3 = 7
Bludgeoning Damage: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2

Rashim grins at the sand-thing's frustration, and it widens further at Merutep's response. "We do what we can to keep things interesting." He sends another rock shooting in, but it again flies wide.

Attack, PBS: 1d20 + 5 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 5 + 1 = 10

Remaining silent, the Kelishite lashes out with his flail, again.

Flail w/ Flank & Tower Shield penalty: 1d20 + 4 + 2 - 2 ⇒ (12) + 4 + 2 - 2 = 16
Damage: 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 2 = 10

Maintain my AC25 T15 against the creature, and the half damage from the creature for allies w/i 10' of me until the creature dies, basically.

1d20 - 1 ⇒ (6) - 1 = 5
1d4 ⇒ 1

Hibbins continues tossing rocks at the creature... ineffectually.

Caius continues to draw ragged breaths.

Caius is Fatigued (-2 STR/DEX) for 3 rounds.

He once again draws magic from his wand and lashes out at the creature.

Casting Blade Lash from Wand.

Trip: 1d20 + 18 - 1 ⇒ (8) + 18 - 1 = 25

Sorry about the delay, guys. Had a busy week of work in preparation for taking time off for Thanksgiving.

Something I failed to mention in my previous post is that, despite my description, Heshsharu did rise from prone and should be subject to AoO's.

Meriui and Merutep should both attempt attacks of opportunity.

It's probably better if I just take them, to get things moving again. :)

Meriui pounds Heshsharu with his flail again, before the creature is dropped to the floor for a third time by Caius.

Instead of rising, Heshsharu tries to shield itself from further damage. "Mercy," it begs. "Please mighty adventurers, mercy!"

Yeah, I would probably have managed to miss it. Back from the campout, BTW.

"Mercy? For an evil creature such as yourself, lurking to prey on the unsuspecting? Your unprovoked attack and evil intent are enough justification to end you. Why do you think we should show mercy instead? It is in your nature to attempt to kill us again should we make that mistake."