In order to uncover key information in a library or other collection,
you must succeed at several Research checks. There are several terms to
know.
Complexity: This represents how complex the library is, and it
is the DC for any Research checks.
Knowledge Bonus: Many libraries grant a bonus on certain
Knowledge checks. While researching there, add this bonus on any
Knowledge skill checks made as Research checks.
Knowledge Points (kp): These act as the library’s hit point
total. As you reduce the library’s kp, you will uncover more of its
secrets. Once the kp reaches 0, you have learned all that collection
has to offer during this adventure.
Primary Researcher: One PC must act as the primary researcher,
and it is her skill check that determines if the group succeeds or fail
at researching during that 8-hour period. A high Intelligence score,
multiple ranks in Knowledge skills (or other writing-related skills),
or Skill Focus in one of those skills all make for an excellent primary
researcher.
Secondary Researcher: Up to two PCs can use the aid another
action to assist the primary researcher. Attempting a Research check
requires 8 hours of uninterrupted work, and any spells or other tools
you use to augment their Research checks must last at least 8 hours;
the GM might make an exception for particularly clever use of spells
and abilities.
male Sam 10/Ftr 1 HP 112| AC 26; Touch 15; FF 24| F +13; R +7; W +8 | CMB +16; CMD 30 | Speed 20 ft | Init +2 | Perc +2 | Stealth: -6 Samurai 10/Fighter 1
You find some useful information:
The Collection Esoterica contains a substantial list of unusual supernatural objects from around the Inner Sea region and beyond, some even come from.
you can continue your research with Kn. arcana (+3 bonus), Kn. history (+3 bonus), Linguistics or Perception; for the primary researcher: if you have at least 5 ranks in the skill AND it's a class skill for you, you get a d12 instead of a d4 to lower the collection's "knowledge points"; for 5 ranks OR class skill you get a d8; the intelligence modifier is added to the roll; you may also come up with creative solutions on how to be able to research for more than 8 hours a day
waiting for up to two aid another as this will give some boni as well :) And I just found out that there is a part of the sentence missing: some even come from unidentified lands...
male Sam 10/Ftr 1 HP 112| AC 26; Touch 15; FF 24| F +13; R +7; W +8 | CMB +16; CMD 30 | Speed 20 ft | Init +2 | Perc +2 | Stealth: -6 Samurai 10/Fighter 1
Merisiel said she takes the research lead this time, but if you think somebody else should, it's also fine for me. In this case maybe Insidion is the better choice, he has 5 ranks + class skill and gets the d12. On the other side it might get boring for the rest of the group the checks are made by the same people every day. I can take Merisiel's result this day and Insidion's the next day.
Rogue 7 - Init +11 - AC 23, touch 17, flat-footed 17 - hp 25/59 - Fort +5, Ref +11, Will +4, +2 vs. enchantment - Speed 30 ft. - Senses: low-light vision, Perception +13
Ammo:
Daggers 12/12
GM Baerlie wrote:
Merisiel said she takes the research lead this time, but if you think somebody else should, it's also fine for me. In this case maybe Insidion is the better choice, he has 5 ranks + class skill and gets the d12. On the other side it might get boring for the rest of the group the checks are made by the same people every day. I can take Merisiel's result this day and Insidion's the next day.
No problem for me. If you can consider Galandaro's perception check as an aid another for Merisiel research, even better! :)
EDIT: just an observation: only Galandaro and Insidion have ranks in knowledge arcana, so, only Insidion would aid him in the check, or am I wrong?
That's correct, but the 20 hits the complexity of the research exactly, a +4 for two aids would (unfortunately) not get another point of kp "damage", so its a d12 + Insidion's intelligence modifier. (= the rolled 10)
For the Perception check of Merisiel (31) plus aid of Toshiro and Galandro you get a total of 35, which grants you the d8 (= the rolled 2 + 3 for the 15 above the complexity of 20, a total of 5 kp)
GM Screen:
KP5 (-20 total)
3d of research
You continue your research for another two days and find the following:
A water-damaged journal contains a sketch of a metal-framed lantern of exquisite (though infernal) design. The writing indicates that the lantern was gifted to the Blakros Museum, but with no legible indication of when or from whom.
The buyer of an auction lot in Kintargo 47 years ago donated many of those items to the museum. However, the reference numbers in the auction lot receipt do not correspond to the entries in the Blakros Museum’s codices of acquisition. In fact, someone altered the codices and replaced the original pages with forgeries to conceal the truth.
Lingustics DC 20:
You can read some of the smudged text in order to learn that someone gifted the lantern to the Blakros Museum 47 years ago. Discovering this fact helps narrow down what age of documents to review, granting all PCs a +2 bonus on all subsequent Research checks attempted in the Collection Esoterica.
male Sam 10/Ftr 1 HP 112| AC 26; Touch 15; FF 24| F +13; R +7; W +8 | CMB +16; CMD 30 | Speed 20 ft | Init +2 | Perc +2 | Stealth: -6 Samurai 10/Fighter 1
F Human Warpriest/6 Oracle/1 (HP 59/59 | AC:23 [+1 when adjacent to a single foe] | T:12 | FF:21 | CMB:8 | CMD:19 | Fort:+7 | Ref: +3 | Will:+11 | Init:+1 | Perc:+4 | Speed:20) PFS#: 115025-3
Clair notices that Toshiro's hitting something and decides to aim at the space in front of him. She focuses on the negative energy that flows inside her body and channels it into her scythe, causing a black aura to appear around the scythe's blade, and attacks.
Adamantine Scythe:1d20 + 9 ⇒ (16) + 9 = 25Damage:2d4 + 6 ⇒ (4, 4) + 6 = 14 Negative energy damage:3d6 ⇒ (6, 5, 3) = 14 DC 16 Will for half the energy damage. Miss chance (High = good):1d100 ⇒ 22 Bummer... :(
Insidion casts a spell which causes the invisibile stalker to become visible for him. Claire focuses on the negertive energy inside her body and attempts to use it with her scythe against the stalker, but the swing goes wide and the stalker dodges easily.
While Galandaro stays close to the wall Merisiel moves up to the creature while keeping up her defeinsive position.
Aoo vs. Merisiel, the thing has a CMD of 25 Slam vs. Merisiel:1d20 + 12 ⇒ (16) + 12 = 28
After that the creature continues to slams at Merisiel.
Slam left:1d20 + 12 ⇒ (7) + 12 = 19 Slam right:1d20 + 12 ⇒ (15) + 12 = 27
male Sam 10/Ftr 1 HP 112| AC 26; Touch 15; FF 24| F +13; R +7; W +8 | CMB +16; CMD 30 | Speed 20 ft | Init +2 | Perc +2 | Stealth: -6 Samurai 10/Fighter 1
Toshiro swings at where the creature was last hoping to hit. But his swings go wild.
Toshiro swings at the invisible creature, but with less precision. The first strike misses the target entirely while the second hits the shoulder with the flat side of the katana. Insidion shoots three magic missiles at the air creature while Galandoro lets some glitter rain on the creature.
Will:1d20 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6
F Human Warpriest/6 Oracle/1 (HP 59/59 | AC:23 [+1 when adjacent to a single foe] | T:12 | FF:21 | CMB:8 | CMD:19 | Fort:+7 | Ref: +3 | Will:+11 | Init:+1 | Perc:+4 | Speed:20) PFS#: 115025-3
Clair again focuses on the negative energy within her and channels it into her scythe. With the glitterdust now showing her the creature's location, Clair swings her scythe at it.
Adamantine Scythe:1d20 + 9 ⇒ (10) + 9 = 19Damage:2d4 + 6 ⇒ (2, 2) + 6 = 10 Negative energy damage:3d6 ⇒ (4, 5, 3) = 12 DC 16 Will for half the energy damage.
@Merisiel: that's a good question, the invisible stalker has the Natural Invisibility ability and the description says No true form can be detected. Can glitterdust make something visible which does not have a true form? I don't know which is stronger, the spell or the abiliy XD
Natural Invisibility (Ex):
This ability is constant — an invisible stalker remains invisible at all times, even when attacking. As this ability is inherent, it is not subject to the invisibility purge spell. Against foes that cannot pinpoint it, the invisible stalker gains a +20 bonus on Stealth checks when moving, or +40 when standing still.
Clair attacks the outlined foe with her scythe and hits.
Will DC16:1d20 + 4 ⇒ (20) + 4 = 24
male Sam 10/Ftr 1 HP 112| AC 26; Touch 15; FF 24| F +13; R +7; W +8 | CMB +16; CMD 30 | Speed 20 ft | Init +2 | Perc +2 | Stealth: -6 Samurai 10/Fighter 1
Galandaro shoots a bolt of cold energy at the stalker and hits, followed by three attacks from Insidion where two hit and finally knock the creature out.
F Human Warpriest/6 Oracle/1 (HP 59/59 | AC:23 [+1 when adjacent to a single foe] | T:12 | FF:21 | CMB:8 | CMD:19 | Fort:+7 | Ref: +3 | Will:+11 | Init:+1 | Perc:+4 | Speed:20) PFS#: 115025-3
@GM & Merisiel: With glitterdust you're not actually making the creature visible. You're just covering the invisible creature with a layer of glittery dust, and you see the outline of the (still invisible) creature 'cause it's covered with glittery dust. It isn't like light versus darkness, where one directly opposes the other.
"A cloud of golden particles covers everyone and everything in the area, causing creatures to become blinded and visibly outlining invisible things for the duration of the spell."
"Odd experience," Clair mumbles.
"Dibs on the corpse, by the way. I collect strange creatures."
"That was unexpected. Good fight friends. Let us search and move on lest there be more of them." Galandaro tells the others and searches the corpse and anything else of interest...
Rogue 7 - Init +11 - AC 23, touch 17, flat-footed 17 - hp 25/59 - Fort +5, Ref +11, Will +4, +2 vs. enchantment - Speed 30 ft. - Senses: low-light vision, Perception +13
Ammo:
Daggers 12/12
"So we have some clues to start the investigation", Merisiel pondered.
"We found a water-damaged journal containing a sketch of a metal-framed lantern of exquisite infernal design. The writing indicates that the lantern was gifted to the Blakros Museum, but with no legible indication of when or from whom.
But, it is easy to connect this journal with the donation made by a buyer of an auction lot in Kintargo 47 years ago, since it is clear that someone altered the codices and replaced the original pages with forgeries, just to conceal that the lantern was in this lot.
I think that the next step is gather information about this donator, maybe asking Nigel. What do you think?"
Yes, but what if a creature does not have a real body to be covered. The invisible stalker is just air and does not have a true form and I was not sure if glitterdust can outline something without a true form. And don't ask me how 'air' is able to hit somebody :D I think there is not much difference in combat as you are able to hit the foe because he does not have concealment any more. What corpse, btw ;)
Galandaro scans the area for anything useful, but the outsider did not leave anything behind.
male Sam 10/Ftr 1 HP 112| AC 26; Touch 15; FF 24| F +13; R +7; W +8 | CMB +16; CMD 30 | Speed 20 ft | Init +2 | Perc +2 | Stealth: -6 Samurai 10/Fighter 1
"Yes good idea. Let's show the journal to Nigel. Perhaps he knows where we should look"
