Ongoing PFS campaign. (Inactive)

Game Master Chyrone

The group approaches the gates, where the two uniformed guards look up from a brief exchange of words.

"Hold it right there," one says firmly. "State your business or leave, this place is off limits."

If you want to go the subtle way, to influence the guards, roll a bluff or intimidate.

Leaning to bluff myself, but my major social skill is Intimidate. Anyone else?

That blowhard sounds like the perfect patsy to blame for whatever disaster we inflict on this place, Alexandre thinks as he steps forward to address the guard.

"Yes, yes, my apologies," Alexandre begins, taking a far more obsequious tone, "However, my lord, Earl Vernisant, has been traveling through Druma on a personal trip to Lastwall. At the local tavern, however, he was able to sample some of Kallistocrat Irel's vintages, and became quite enamored with the flavor of her wines. And so, he sent me, with a guard, to negotiate a potential contract for some of your employer's product. However, he insists it be done immediately, and refuses to brook any delay. May we speak with your lady employer?"

Bluff: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (16) + 14 = 30

The guard raises a brow.

"He sends a manservant with a guard of four people?
You take me for a fool?"

The other, looking more like the observing type, draws his comrade's attention.

"You do recall that one bloke servant came back on an errand for miss Nayeli. It may be true, even -if- this lad's employer seems paranoid for his manservant's health.", as he too sees how firmly armed the group is, for a mere business visit.

The first grunts.
"Fine.",

"You can knock the door, and someone will let you in. We'll be watching you, though."

Haplo shrugs and stays solemnly quiet and menacing in his persona as guard.

Xasay opts to remain occluded - even formally admitted, an invisible agent in this villa may yet prove invaluable.

Hatsumoto passing at him takes a look of contempt that cannot be seen through the mask he wears

"Right," Alexandre agrees with the guards as he looks at the others. "This is just like Cassomir and Yanmass. Easy come, Easy go." And with that, he'll approach the house, tapping on his belt pouch as he walks up.

For reference, Alexandre is sending a hidden message to the others with his comments and actions. He's saying that while he and the others' distract the people in the house with their presence, Xasay should sweep the house for Emelio. Find Emilio, give him the potion of Fly that ALexandre is telling Xasay to pickpocket out of his belt pouch, throw invisiblity on the man, and tell him to meet up at the inn. If there's a problem, come to us, we'll bust heads.

Bluff: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (15) + 14 = 29

The guards need a DC 29 Sense Motive to dechiper that.

Xasay's invisible eyes widen as he figures out Alexandre's code, impressed by his cunning. As he heads for the doors beside the others, he carefully reaches for Alexandre's pouch....

Sleight of Hand: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (5) + 8 = 13 Dunno what bonuses, if any, I get for invisibility and a cooperative mark?

Alexandre, that's rather too short a line of words for such a long detailed plan. You can say this plan's details in a whispering tone when you're approaching the estate, if you like.

Ok, here we go.
Considering you can have your teammates be between the guards' los and you taking the potion, that is not an issue. It floating about, though.... i'll have to ask if covering it underneath something invisible works. Otherwise you'll have to do something about it.

After Alexandre lays out his plan in a whisper, Xasay takes a potion from his pack.
Alexandre knocks at the door and steps back 5 feet.

The door opens, and a human in a manservant's outfit stands holding it.
"I may assume you have authorized business here, or you wouldn't have been let through. Enter, but please wait here."

The white marble walls of this large room boast carved friezes depicting scenes of a whimsical vineyard harvest: dryads and nymphs tread the grapes while a satyr pours wine from a wooden cask.
The floor is composed of polished white and gray marble tiles. Floor-to-ceiling picture windows on either side of the doors look out over the front lawns.
To the west of the doors, black leather couches surround an ebony table. Rosewood doors to the north and west lead further into the manor. On the ceiling, a fresco of a man dressed in flowing white robes with a scroll
clutched in his white-gloved hand presides over the room.

From another door, arrives a tiefling woman of middle aged with pepper colored hair held in a bun, dressed in elegant formal attire.

"Greetings, i am Majordomo Nayeli Rullus, lady Irel's house retainer."

"There are no visits on the agenda today, so please, do tell what reason you have for being here."

Xasay has 3 minutes of invisibility left.

I was going with stories that would be passed around in the Society which were similar with the idea I'm running with, but that works too.

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (8) + 10 = 18

Alexander smiles 'sincerely', and bows to the Majordomo. "Yes, My name is Reginard Smith, personal attache to Earl Vernisant. His Grace, on a pilgrimage to Lastwall, has stopped at a nearby inn and fell in love with a vintage of Ireli wine. I believe the barkeep said it was a Red from the northern fields, 6 years back. In any case, my lord issued me, with an embarrassment of protection, to swiftly negotiate a contract to deliver more of your vintages to his estate in Taldor. Would you be empowered to make such negotiations?"

Bluff: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (12) + 14 = 26

Assuming that's enough to occupy her, my goal is to distract her while Xasay snoops until the first signs of trouble from elsewhere in the building.

SM: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 4 = 20

The Scratcher breaks his silence to throw in a helpful comment. "Oy, da lord offa's top coin fer 'is flava ov da month. Pays me da same eitha way, but figger it be best if we both could make a deal outta dis."

Bluff aid: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (20) + 4 = 24

Xasay smoothly transfers the potion to his Handy Haversack before entering, employing his natural Wayang powera to make himself more undetectable still (I use my pass without trace racial Shadow Magic SLA - first time I've actually done that!); once inside, he boldly ventures forth, alone and invisible, into the deadly, treacherous...clean, bright, and well-furnished rich lady's mansion.

He first heads for the side rooms...What do I see?

I'll re-cast invisibility as soon as it's a round away from expiring.

All doors are closed, Xasay. I don't have the pdf right now to see if any are locked. Roll a sleight of hand check along with opening any.

"Hmm, i see. It's plausible a reason, one the lady might approve of.
In that case, what name and city of residence does this lord go by?
If there is a party who wants to do business, i'll need those."

What if I cast open and shut on my way through, instead? :)

Looks a pretty sweet spell, though since it has vocal components, she'll be making a perception check to hear it being cast. Will you still cast it?
Make a sleight of hand check anyway, for the purpose of concealing the sound a door opening/closing would make.

That all seems to defeat the purpose of it, if you're going to attach those strings.

Not significantly.
Both vocal casting makes a sound and opening a door, within her vicinity.
She'll take penalties on her perception for multiple factors, to boot.
At its easiest, it's a soh to silently open and close the door, vs her perception.

Note to self-Xasay, need a silent metamagic rod!

Incidentally, Scratcher is not near smart enough to come up with a plausible answer, so someone else chime in quickly or I'll have to say something...

"Earl Calhoun Vernisant of Ridonport, milady," Alexandre replies, trying his best to be obsequious still.

actual person. Alexandre butted heads with him in a previous adventure.

"I see."

Nayeli Rullus picks a small notebook from a pouch hanging at her hip, and writes down the name and city.

"Thank you kindly."

Perception vs sound of the discrete infiltrator's action, distracted, distance: 1d20 + 8 - 5 - 2 ⇒ (16) + 8 - 5 - 2 = 17

What will your procedure be, sir Wayang?

Would I get any bonus to my Sleight of Hand roll for using magic, despite verbal components (by the way, James Jacobs himself has gone on record as saying that a typical Wayang's voice sounds "like sandpaper that learned to talk", so I feel like my verbal components shouldn't be terribly easy to hear if I don't want them to be)?

No, sorry. It's actually easier to just soh here, enter the room, and cast from behind the door. She'll be even less able to hear that, and you'll still get your illusion in place.

Starting to feel 'pinched', as it were, Xasay tries something different: A sudden, loud crashing noise erupts from somewhere in the garden!

ghost sound, DC 15.

As miss Nayeli Rullus is about to speak after writing down the name of the supposed employer, Xasay says a few arcane words for a spell, which draws her attention, looking sideways in the general direction of the kitchen door.

Ghost sound also has vocal components, she hears someone with that check.

This attention is briefly diverted, as the sound of a potted plant crashing to pieces comes from outside.
Guards: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (11) + 4 = 151d20 + 4 ⇒ (15) + 4 = 19
Nayeli Rullus: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (10) + 6 = 16

...it seemed the guards outside were alert, as one has come to investigate, convinced that was not a genuine potted plant crashing.

Nayeli Rullus' face turns to a more alert version, and her eyes now stare at you intensely.

"It seems i will have to scrap that name.
...explain yourselves, it is utmost offensive for a guest to do otherwise.
And i -know- there is something or someone else somewhere around, i may be grey, but i'm not deaf.", as she briefly looks in the broad general direction of the door.

Alexandre sputters indignantly. "Explain myself? Well, I never!" he begins, "Just because a mouse snuck past your guard, doesn't put the blame on us!!"

Bluff: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (1) + 14 = 15 Not pulling anything off with that roll...

Seeing that his words are coming up blank, he sighs and looks to the others. "Plan B, you know what the earl wants." he says, dropping the servant act, and intent on subduing the majordomo.

The majodomo seeing through Alexandre's poor attempt at lying his way out, she frowns like a strict school teacher does at a student, grabbing a small whistle from her collar, and blows it, stepping 5ft back.

<Sharp whistle sound>

This could well mean company is on the way.....

Perception guardsman wandering front garden: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (20) + 4 = 24
He hears it alright.

==============================================

Alarm, alarm!, round 1

Xasay
------------
Guard red
------------
Scratcher, Alexandre & Haplo

Nayeli.

While browsing, it was said by a developer that Nayeli's will was to be +9, instead of the +6 i applied previously.

Sorry, bad day yesterday.

Xasay is starting to get very frustrated...and he comes up with a plan so desperate and outrageous that it just might work....

That plan is pretty cool. Update when i'm home, traffic delay.

Xasay, having taken into account noise outside might potentially draw attention, keeps his eyes at the front door, with a rather creative plan in mind.
--------------
The guard outside calls over his shoulder to his fellow guard,
"Miss Nayeli has whistled the alarm, come with me."

The other guard, yellow opens the gate, steps 5ft through, and locks it. The other one approaches the door and hold an action ready in case someone decides to flee through the front door, waiting for his colleague to join up with him.

The plan will have to wait 1 round.

Scratcher, Alexandre & Haplo

Nayeli

Alexandre scowls at the whistle, before swiftly drawing his blade. Don't want her dead, but we can't let her escape, he swiftly decides as he swings with the flat of the blade to knock out, not murder.

5 foot step
Move action - draw blade
Attack vs. Nayeli, nonlethal attack

Attack(NL): 1d20 + 13 - 4 ⇒ (12) + 13 - 4 = 21For: 1d6 + 9 + 6 ⇒ (2) + 9 + 6 = 17

I feel bad about attacking an old lady, but Alexandre is too pragmatic to care at the moment.

I think you mean draw the blade as part of movement, eh? She's a little further than 5ft away.

Alexandre, pressed by the sense of imminent mission complications, steps up to the woman and strikes out at her.

"Uncouth youth! How dare you strike an unarmed woman!
Guards, i am under attack!"

Scratcher & Haplo

Nayeli (17 nl)

As the guard runs up Haplo turns to face him and katana appears to materialize into his hand. A pair of quick blows whip out with force, slapping the edge of the blade at the man. "This is why I prefer not to walk into places." he rasps from inside his ornate helm.

Attack 1 Katana, NL: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (19) + 6 = 25 for damage: 1d6 + 8 ⇒ (5) + 8 = 13

Attack 2 Katana, NL: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (8) + 6 = 14 for damage: 1d6 + 8 ⇒ (1) + 8 = 9

Attack 1 Confirm: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (12) + 6 = 18 for damage: 1d6 + 8 ⇒ (6) + 8 = 14

Quick draw katana for free and swing twice

The door is still closed between you two.

Scratcher, Haplo?

Haplo will remain by the door to guard it then and let the 'diplomacy' attempt continue.

Ok.
I'll have Scratcher do the same.

With the guys standing back, watching Alexandre beat up an old defenseless woman.....

Nayeli grabs the doorknob behind her and pulls the door open, steps through, and pulls them shut.

Opposed strength check to pull them open.
==================================

Alarm, alarm! Round 2

Xasay
------------
Guard red & Yellow
------------
Scratcher, Alexandre & Haplo

Nayeli.

Thoroughly frustrated that his clever plan has been ruined - twice in a row now, in fact - Xasay ducks through the door he'd been meaning to go through, smoothly disguising his passage in the chaos*, which dramatically escalates when a strange-looking black crocodile, like something midway between a fossil, a mummy, and a living being, bursts out of the earth from behind the hapless guard at the door!

bite, flank: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (6) + 7 = 13
grab on hit: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (14) + 11 = 25
damage, plus acid: 1d8 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 4 + 1 = 11

Anyone whom it interacts with, or vice versa, is entitled to a DC 20 Will save to reduce it to 20% reality (although that doesn't happen yet, since I'm sure that missed) - and be sure to note that I am still invisible.

* = The door is now open, but appears shut; I have to assume the RAI is both that I can pass through the door without it ever appearing to open, and that I can see past my own illusion, otherwise that spell would be almost useless.

That is how i'd see it, yes.

Xasay creeps into the kitchen, watching the window looking out into the front yard. While unable to see the guard at the door, he takes an estimate where he'd be, and summons forth a shadowy crocodile.

Not flanking as the door is not yet opened, but is a miss anyway.

Outside...
"What the hell?", red is very much surprised by this sudden entrance, and takes a swing with his weapon.

1d20 + 13 ⇒ (17) + 13 = 30 1d10 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 10
Will: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (17) + 4 = 21

With his weapon going the croc, lacking substance, he tells his partner about it.

"Move around it, must be magic or the like, it's not of flesh and blood."
He draws a flask from his belt.

Yellow double times it around the croc.
---------------------------------
Scratcher, Alexandre & Haplo

Nayeli (17nl, holding the doors)

"Move around it, must be magic or the like, it's not of flesh and blood."

I'm...not...sure you can do that, or at least Guard1 can't automatically make Guard2's saving throw for him - maybe it can give Guard2 a bonus, but he'll still have to make his own saving throw if it bites him. Also, I forgot to also do this:

tail slap: 1d20 ⇒ 15
damage plus acid: 1d12 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 2 + 1 = 4

(inserts batteries into taser)

Guys? :o

*shrugs* Don't look at me - I'm the one who's invisible!

Not seeing the guards Haplo strides over to the door to Alexandre addressing kitsune in his cracking voice. "Speak. we need information here. This is your battle." As the wayang reaches the door he attempts to fling open the portal.

STR to open door: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8

If a door's a portal, what does that make an actual portal?

If a door's a portal, what does that make an actual portal?

Makes it a Door, man....

I was expecting something more exciting, tbh. :P

Botting.

Haplo heads towards the door and pulls at the knob.
Counter str check: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (17) - 1 = 16, and surprisingly the adrenaline in her body enables her to hold them closed.

"Ill mannered bandits, you will get sent to prison for this!"

Scratcher and Hatsumoto, having heard some commotion from the other side of the door, brace themselves should it open.

Readied Hatsumoto katana: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (18) + 12 = 30 1d10 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 10
Readied Scratcher tekko-gaki: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (9) + 11 = 20 1d6 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 10

As Xasay sees this all unfold, he is caught by surprise, as two blackjacket soldiers come rushing around the corner, bumping into him.

Blue: *Ugh!?*
Green: "Why're you holding?"
Blue: "I ran into something invisible."

With the alarm in mind, the two guards brace their weapons.

Behind the doors, Nayeli hurries herself to the other side of the room, heartbeat in her throat.
==================================

Alarm, alarm! round 3

Xasay
------------
Guard red & Yellow
------------
Scratcher, Alexandre & Haplo

Nayeli. (17 nl)

I was expecting something more exciting, tbh. :P

What's the matter, you don't think Jim Morrison is otherworldly? :P:P

Also: Can you show how Yellow Fellow could've gotten where he is without my puppet getting an attack of opportunity?

Moving on for now:

Acrobatics to jump on the bed/storage rack/locker/stove/whatever there: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (7) + 9 = 16 A 4-ft. high jump should be good enough, right?

Xasay literally leaps out of the way of the Blackjackets (remember, pass without trace!); suddenly, a terrible racket, like several people carrying unwieldy goods or equipment, comes from behind the door to the basement!

DC 15 to disbelieve; this time, I am using my racial ghost sound SLA, so no components for you to snag me with! ^_~

Meanwhile, the fearsome thing outside continues to play with its food...

All on Yellow Fellow:
bite, flank: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (2) + 7 = 9
grab on hit: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (5) + 11 = 16
damage plus acid: 1d8 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 4 + 1 = 13

tail slap, flank: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 = 8
damage plus acid: 1d12 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 2 + 1 = 7

...or maybe just dance.

Don't forget, the door to the foyer is still OPEN, but looks CLOSED!