Of Kings and Commoners - Kingmaker AP

Game Master RPGGGM

Zokon Santyev wrote:

He then tries to climb out again.. "What is it with this crazy place.. No fireballs please."

Zokon makes it up about 7 feet up the wall (one move action) but the swarm is still think [THICK] on the wall another yard up all around him.

Zokon's taken one move action he can still take another or a standard action if he likes.

I.e. Zokon's about to be bitten again if he doesn't move.

Fergus replies to Durgan.

Aye, well, I could try. Though I'd rather be sure it wouldn't be a waste of my strength. Unless it starts casting spells again, I doubt whatever he is watching will bring too much harm immediately.

Fergus will cast Detect Magic, and try to focus on the image of Szam.

Or Fergus can just look at it and...

know.arcana: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (7) + 13 = 20

Its an illusion, I don't think it can see us or effect us. Hopefully not at least.

know.arcana: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (15) + 13 = 28 What was the other spell that caused allies to vanish? I don't remember if we had a chance to determine what it was.

Durgan hears the scream outside.

He wants to check for small piles of ash where Zokon, Alia, and Serena had been, hoping that he won't find any, but he decides that there is a more pressing need than alleviating his fears.

"Let's see if we can help that man."
Durgan goes in the direction of the scream.

What was the other spell that caused allies to vanish? I don't remember if we had a chance to determine what it was.

That was an effect apparently caused by the illusion of the lich smashing a skull on the floor. Looking over the fragments with a detect magic effect and Spellcraft (DC 25) check you might get some answers. Alternatively a Knowledge (religion) (DC 27) (again while inspecting the skull fragments) might help as well.

Durgan hears the scream outside.

He wants to check for small piles of ash where Zokon, Alia, and Serena had been, hoping that he won't find any, but he decides that there is a more pressing need than alleviating his fears.

"Let's see if we can help that man."
Durgan goes in the direction of the scream.

The sound is coming from almost directly west of the party's position, but Durgan recalls hearing cries of others from the front of the house, and to the north during the battle as well.

"You DO understand that I said I'm short on time? If you can show me the exit to this maze, I'll take 2 hours at a more convenient time to answer all your questions related to my experience in this maze, or provide suggestions and feedback about it. But right now...I either need to move on, or you show me the right path. And if you could notify me of traps ahead of time, I could provide much better feedback about their placement, efficiency and aesthetics. As I am in a hurry, I have little time to check for them, so you would get lopsided feedback about their detectability, anyway.", Alia attempts to argue with the imp.
She would definitely have to read that fineprint, even if it made no sense, but the question was if the imp was even willing - or capable - of being helpful.

A Hedge Maze

"I'm sorry. I would like to help you of course, but you see it goes against the non-disclosure agreement I've signed." says the imp dolefully and then it perks up and excitedly asks. "Would you be interested in reviewing the text!?"

Hedge Maze Map Updated

Durgan flies down and out the door to the north of the room, meaning to loop around to get west.

He passes Lord Varn's man (who, in consideration of comparable services rendered, Durgan will not charge for the healing).

"Do you think Lord Varn yet lives? If he does, then my companions may as well."

spellcraft: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (12) + 13 = 25

[dice=spellcraft] 1d20+13

Eventually the skald has hurried down the stairs again and makes her way to the front door. Taking a deep breath and gripping her hammer hard she pushes it open. "Maybe they're just outside ... Somehow." And the screams where just of confusion. Yeah, she'd like that one. Bleh.

Zokon isn't about to drop the sword so he will have to sheathe it

So he's stuck there.. hopefully ok

Also A Hedge Maze (Zokon Edition!)

The bugs continue to swarm and bite the fastidious non-ranger still stuck in their midst.

swarm damage: 1d6 ⇒ 5

I need two saves and a skill check from Zokon. First for the damage I need a climb check (DC 15 failure on this one means Zokon falls 7 feet and lands prone). The second check is a save vs distraction (Fort DC 11), and third is a save vs poison (Fort DC 11).

The walls themselves are like a typical rough dungeon wall with tiny cracks and crevasses (DC 20 to climb) but Zokon can brace himself in the corners and decrease the DC by 5, lowering the DC to 15. (I forgot about that last round.)

As the swarm crawls over him Zokon sees a patch of his skyward view go all wavy for a moment before he sees a second (10' x 10') swarm of bulbous, red spiders form like a carpet along the wall a yard above him.

Round 2! (Theme ♬)
The Bold May Act!
_________________
__ Zokion -7 hp (dice, lots of dice--see above)
__ Alak Dool
__ swarm of blood spiders #1 (0'-10')
__ swarm of blood spiders #2 (10'-20')

Hedge Maze Map Updated

Also A Hedge Maze (Zokon Edition!)

"Oh that's clever. That's devilishly clever! The trap forces you to climb through increasing numbers of summoned swarms of blood spiders!" Enthuses the wizard from outside the pit. "I wonder how many swarms show up?"

Hedge Maze Map Updated

Also A Hedge Maze (Alia Edition!)

"It's a very cleverly-worded NDA filled with a lot of nuance and style. Why it's the sort of contract that practically screams 'sign me!' in a twelve point font. Why even the font itself is beautiful! The face has small glyphic serifs that act to emphasize the blunt terminus of vertical and horizontal strokes. I've got it right here somewhere." says the excited imp riffling through the papers clipped on his board.

Hedge Maze Map Updated

Serena does as she is bidden, bringing the scimitar close to the lock.

Serena does as she is bidden, bringing the scimitar close to the lock.

I'll have to get back to you after work tonight, Serena.

The First Floor of Ser Richard's Manor

He passes Lord Varn's man (who, in consideration of comparable services rendered, Durgan will not charge for the healing).

"Do you think Lord Varn yet lives? If he does, then my companions may as well."

The man looks at the flying dwarf with a shocked expression as one does when a dwarf comes flying around a corner. All he can manage is a stammer in the few seconds that pass as Durgan moves through the hall. Keeping up with Fergus and Illthir, Durgan can take a couple more rounds of actions.

I'm thinking there are some fly checks needed for taking right-angle turns down narrow hallways, but unless Durgan is doing more than a (relatively safe) fly-by don't worry about them here. Full speed and we might be talking some rolls.

Illthit opens the door to the outside and the scent of death and fire is suddenly drowned out by the pungent scent of the garden. Far off ahead she can see the gate guards seem to arguing with someone on the other side of the barred portal.

Basically, there is a double-wide gate for carriages with a stout little human-sized, round-top door stuck into one of the larger gate doors. The smaller door has a little eye slit in it that the guard is arguing into. The wall around the estate is about 15' high around the front.

Fergus, I got you above.

Maps for the ground floor updated

Jewel skitters outside as the front door is opened.

"YAP YAP YAP YAP YAP!"

The Pantry (Serena)

"Right there. Perfect." Longtooth says producing a lock pick from his belt.

"Uh oh...." says Longtooth.

"'Uh oh', what?" asks Kozen.

"It's rigged. This is quality stuff." says Longtooth leaning in and maneuvering the tip of Serena's blade into a better position to see the lock. As he ponders the mechanism behind the keyhole he goes quiet and everyone notices the floor lower a hair's breath....

"It's not the only thing trapped." says Balthur indicating the east and west walls. They appear to slowly moving inwards shoving the panty items before them.

"Right. No pressure then." says Longtooth looking back at Serena. "At least--not yet."

The old man smiles and then sets to work.

We are now in rounds. You have about 3-ish rounds (assuming constant speed) to get out before the walls crush everything in the center, and only 2 rounds before the wall to the west begins blocking the doorway out. The wall trap moves and the characters inside are all up.

Shortening Pantry Map Updated

Kozen climbs up on some boxes to avoid being shoved into them. He looks around, while cursing under his breath.

"Right. No pressure then." says Longtooth looking back at Serena. "At least--not yet."

"Now's no time for buffoonery, you fool! Batter the door down!" shouts Balthur.

"Lovely, I'm certain, but as told before, I don't really have time."
With that, she takes a moment to scan the way ahead of her, and considers where SHE would place trap triggers if she was to design a trapped maze. Any obvious pressure plates? Trapdoors? Parts of the wall that may conceal something?
Perception: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (12) + 12 = 24
Then she starts running, attempting to jump past any suspicious areas she managed to identify, moving to the next corner and cautiously peeking around it.
Acrobatics to jump: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (18) + 13 = 31

"Balthur, we need to remain calm. Panic solves nothing!" Serena snaps.

Climb: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (12) + 7 = 19

Fort: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (19) + 8 = 27

Fort: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (5) + 8 = 13

Zokon manages to stay aloft without falling he also isn't done in by the poison or distracted by the spiders he does hear Dool though...

"Clever.. any ideas or help in getting out of it?"

He braces himself and attempts to climb out again

Climb: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (20) + 7 = 27

He winces and tenses a little trying to mentally prepare for the climb through the spiders above

Also A Hedge Maze (Alia Edition!)

Alia cautiously rushes past the and arrives at what appears to be the ivy covered arched exit of the maze. As she draws near she hears a feeble voice pleading for help to the south. It's coming from a pocket with a stone wall surmounted by the hedge. Beside the nook is a set of stone steps leading up.

"Is someone there? I don't know where I am."

It sounds like Shepherd Keegh, but he seems hurt.

Hedge Maze Map Updated

The Pantry (Serena)

"Balthur, we need to remain calm. Panic solves nothing!" Serena snaps.

The dwarf merchant mutters a curse Serena doesn't linguistically understand though it's target is plane enough.

Shortening Pantry Map Updated

The Pantry (Serena)

"I think I've got it!" crows Longtooth.

"I've got it!" The walls stop moving and the old rogue smiles and pulls the door open.

At the moment the door becomes perpendicular with the wall, there's a loud crack and floor drops out from underneath everyone.

"I don't got it!" screams Longtooth. As the floor begins to fall away he dives through the doorway.

Because the way the trap is set up (the whole room is one big pit) most of the pantry occupants get no save. However, if you happen to be near the door like Longtooth and Serena you can try and jump through the doorway (Reflex save DC 20, if you want to try). That's what Longtooth does. And he makes it.

Shortening Pantry Map Updated

Zokon manages to stay aloft without falling he also isn't done in by the poison or distracted by the spiders he does hear Dool though...

"Clever.. any ideas or help in getting out of it?"

"I don't often carry coils of rope, and climbing pitons with me in the morning." considers the wizard irritably. "Although, I might have something...."

He braces himself and attempts to climb out again

He winces and tenses a little trying to mentally prepare for the climb through the spiders above

The sound the scuttling mass crawling over him is almost as disconcerting as the number of envenomed bites he's taking and the touch of the spiders' hundreds of legs as they pass over his exposed flesh.

Zokon, remember you get a move action (which is what you use to climb with) and a standard action every round and that you can use the standard action as a move action if you like. Also there's a riskier thing called 'accelerated climb' if you want to try that.

Currently Zokon is 15' (in the midst of the second swarm) above the bottom of the pit, with a standard action left to take this round.

Durgan will move and open the doors to the room in the NW, to see if there is anybody in need of assistance there.

If there isn't, then he will head out into the garden.

If there is someone in that room under attack by undead or whatever, then he will deal with that.

The First Floor of Ser Richard's Manor

Durgan opens the door on a sparring room (the chamber is the mirror image of the chamber south of it depicted on the map) weapon racks filled with dueling blades, suits of padded armor, and training mannequin dot the chamber while a slightly raised sparring platform dominates the center. Upon it rests the corpses of two of the Lord Mayor of Restov's guardsmen in pools of their own blood.

Maps for the ground floor will be updated when I get home tonight ;)

Illthir briefly considers taking her attack of opportunity and rid the world of this pest. But it probably wasn't Jewels they were like this. And there seems to be more chaos at the gate, whatever that was. Amazing that the guards hadn't noticed what was going on inside the building. Or maybe they knew and were just stalling anyone outside ... Blerp. "Hey! What's going on there?" she calls out towards the gate and tries to get a view of the guards at least.

Out in front of Ser Richard's Manor

It's a bit of a walk to the front gate (Think of a big estate with a long driveway) but Illthir is able to wave and shout and garner attention.

Taking the steps down from the front porch she hears the muffled **thud thud thud** of something striking wood in rapid succession, and the panicked screams of horses from the large stable building to the north where her horse Walker is being housed. Someone (a male voice) within shouts.

Jewel rushes off toward the noise barking madly. "YAP!YAP!YAP!YAP!YAP!YAP!YAP!YAP!YAP!YAP!"

Zokon clings to life and a wall as hoards of spiders crawl all over him. Durgan inspects a crime scene, Alia finds an exit but hears a call, a call that no doubt leads to greater dangers. Serena hangs in the air above certain death. (Well, nearly certain.) Fergus stares into the the flaming ball of his ambition, and Illthir tries to catch up to an annoying, pampered dog.

"YAP!YAP!YAP!YAP!YAP!YAP!YAP!YAP!"

How it all ends is anyone's guess as I can only sit here and wait for people to post. ;)

Reflex save: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (18) + 5 = 23

As the floor gives way beneath them, Serena hurls her body at the door, only narrowly catching the door frame! With considerable effort (and perhaps some aid from Longtooth, the paladin is able to climb through the open doorway. For a moment, all she can do is sit against the wall, recovering from her brush with death. Then, she rises and steels her composure.

"We'd better get moving, unless you think that something can be done for the others," she tells Longtooth, peering over the side of the pit to see if there is any sign of them.

Durgan looks for any bloody footprints, trying to see where the assailants might have gone.

Survival: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (19) + 4 = 23

Zokon will keep climbing up then in an attempt to get out..

"MMMMmmmmmmppphhhh grrrr.. " he mutters as he dare not open his mouth with the spiders around

climb: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (18) + 7 = 25

Also A Hedge Maze (Zokon Edition!)

So at the end of round two Zokon reaches a height of 21' feet above the floor of the pit with his 3 successful climb moves.

Trailing dangling spiders breaches the surface of the sea of spiders only to feel the air grow greasy around him as apparently the magical tide of spiders has yet to reach it's peak.

The walls themselves are like a typical rough dungeon wall with tiny cracks and crevasses (DC 20 to climb) but Zokon can brace himself in the corners and decrease the DC by 5, lowering the DC to 15.

Round 3! (Theme ♬)
The Bold May Act!
_________________
__ Zokon -7 hp (21' up the 50' shaft)
__ Alak Dool
__ swarm of blood spiders #1 (0'-10')
__ swarm of blood spiders #2 (10'-20')

Hedge Maze Map Updated

Also A Hedge Maze (Zokon Edition!)

Above, the wizard waits. His eyes are aglow with his magic. One wonders what he is thinking as he watches Zokon's progress.

"Careful now, Duke. The fall is not far, but most assuredly deadly. Remember. You have a capital to build upon a high, green hill, beside a beautiful lake...."

Below Zokon, the spiders hiss and gabble.

"Ahhh!" Illthir groans loudly in frustration as this day seemed to have even more bad news. Bleh! But hang on Walker, I'll save you. Somehow.

"Ahhh!" Illthir groans loudly in frustration as this day seemed to have even more bad news. Bleh! But hang on Walker, I'll save you. Somehow.

New Stable map is up!

Zokon braces himself in the corners and keep climbing "Spiders.. gah"

Climb: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (16) + 7 = 23

He moves again to climb and strive tog et out of the cursed pit

Climb: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (18) + 7 = 25

Also A Hedge Maze (Zokon Edition!)

Zokon feels the summoning magic working around him as he climbs. He reaches a height of 36' up the shaft when a third swarm manifests 6' below him on the wall.

The walls themselves are like a typical rough dungeon wall with tiny cracks and crevasses (DC 20 to climb) but Zokon can brace himself in the corners and decrease the DC by 5, lowering the DC to 15.

Round 4! (Theme ♬)
The Bold May Act!
_________________
__ Zokon -7 hp (36' up the 50' shaft)
__ Alak Dool
__ swarm of blood spiders #1 (0'-10')
__ swarm of blood spiders #2 (10'-20')
__ swarm of blood spiders #3 (20'-30')

Hedge Maze Map Updated

"Just a little closer...." Dool readies an action.

All things considered, she wasn't terribly concerned about the dog. Just that it would make things worse ... But the stable did seem like one of the closer sites of pandemonium so as a hero she was obliged to check it out! (And make sure she'd have transportation available to leave this cursed place but no need to mention that...)

"Hey! What's going on?" She calls out as she approached the door; wouldn't want to make things worse *if* she could avoid that. Hopefully the owner of the voice was friendly and had their wits about.

The Stables

As Illthir draws near she hears the panicked cry of horses, and thumping noise again, and another sound--fire. A plume of black smoke rises from the rear of the building rising like a thunderhead over the building.

"Who's that!? Illthir!?" Shouts a man's voice it might be Matheus Castigan. He coughs twice before continuing. "The doors are locked. Mother Vorst says it's magic, the place is coming down around us, and--"

He's cut off by a woman's voice shouting. "THEY'RE COMING AROUND AGAIN!"

**THUMP THUMP THUMP**

Jewel looks up at Illthir cocks her head and whines.

"Magic magic magic ..." Illthir winces. Of course, more sorcery. Darn it! Maybe sorcery could fix this too though? The skald racked her brain for lock-breaking spells and see if it sticks!

Spell Kenning -> Knock. Should temporarily disable low tier locking magic iirc? And a caster level check if not

The Stables

The doors open on chaos. A stable on fire horses rearing in panic everywhere. One of them a big black stallion snorting smoke and fire, is back lit by a fire in the doorway to the backroom, were the plucky Alisa Patrician lies on the floor not moving. The blurry outline of a woman in a revealing Katapeshi-style harem get-up stands over her.

"Nothing personal," She says, and walks through the flame, and into the barn. "but I owe a guy."

Her skin is lustrous red. She the heat distortion in the air seems like it is coming from her, and her horse as much as the fire.

Mother Vorst turns and tells Illthir, "She's an efreeti."

Walker kicks against his stall doors at the opposite side of the stable from Illthir.

This reveals the following to Illthir. She is an outsider of the fire subtype. Anything more will require a knowledge (planes) check (DC 23).

Round 1 (for Illthir anyhow)! (Theme ♬)
The Bold May Act!
_________________
__ Illthir
__ Efreeti
__ Devil Horse
__ Matheus
__ Stable Woman (purple)
__ Mother Vorst
__ Jewel

The skald winces. "Man I'm starting to hate magic..."

Know Planes: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (9) + 3 = 12