PFS: AP: Carrion Crown (CORE!)

Game Master R D

1d20 ⇒ 1

ROFL! Grog smashes the door to splinters! And nobody in the factory hears it! Not even the guy sleeping in the room that the party just smashed into...

Room description: This room appears to be the study of a scholar. A roll-top desk with a leather chair stands against one wall, holding a variety of alchemical equipment and surrounded by hundreds of books piled on every available surface. A narrow cot is crushed into one corner behind a wall of books. A door stands in the north wall.

Grog steps behind the guy and looks to see if he's alive.

Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (9) + 8 = 17

Yep. He's snoring lightly. :)

Blackheath wonders if he has any shaving cream to put in the sleeping man's hand before they tickle his nose.

He whispers to his friends, "I will use a sleep spell on him if he wakes, should we quitely examine the room?"

Sharien nods to Blackheath, not wanting to make any noise despite Grog's outburst.

Knowledge Nature to know more about the sleeping guy.
__________

Hm. Blackheath is part bard. He uses his loremaster ability and realizes that the sleeping creature is a skin stealer--a sinister fey creature capable of stealing a victim’s skin and wearing it as his own.

Kn.nature anyway: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (2) + 9 = 11

Blackheath passes this completely unnerving new information along to his friends.

And then he whispers: "I have a pair of manacles. Maybe we should try to cuff and gag the creature before it wakes up."

From my point of view, this is just too funny! This dude is pretty dangerous, but he rolled a 1 on his perception check! You came into the factory right away instead of waiting till nighttime. So, he was asleep. I think you guys just avoided a pretty tough fight. :-)

Now that you've identified the vile creature, you know that his "skin suits" have to be somewhere...

Sharien nods her head to Blackheath, indicating that the cuffing would be a good idea. She readies a scroll of color spray in the case that cuffing him wakes him up.

Readied action to cast color spray on the creature if it awakens during the cuffing.

He's prone. He's asleep. With Grog doing the cuffing and Blackheath and Gravleon using their actions to Aid Another, you simply succeed. :)

The skin walker wakes up. He sleepily mubmles, "Grine? What are..."

When he realizes what's going on, his mouth shuts and his eyes take you all in. This creature is very smart. You can tell, he observes much about you.

The party notices in the room there are many books--mainly dealing with anatomy and surgery. A complete alchemist’s lab sits on the desk, along with three packets of flash powder and five pots of alchemical grease.

As you manacle him, he winces. You notice the scars of a blood caiman bite on his shoulder...

"They told us the beast was bitten by a blood caiman but I think we found the real culprit."

Versatile performance: intimidation: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (13) + 11 = 24

"Spill it, before my friend with the axe spills you out of that skin."

If Grog or anyone could aid me on the intimidate attempt, that might be good.

Intimidate aid: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (11) + 1 = 12

The manacled creature merely stares at you defiantly. Although his brow beads with sweat, he remains silent.

"Well, if you won't answer our questions, we'll just have to take you in as a suspect. Blackheath, can you check the area for any useful items this creature might have kept? Be wary... you will likely find the skins of some of its victims... And of course check it for hidden weapons. Grog, you should probably be the one to pull-slash-carry the creature."

The party finds a large oak cabinet. It contains nearly a score of flayed skins.

Hanging at the front is the grotesque, deformed skin of an eight-foot-tall mongrelman. It is made up of flesh, fur, and scales and covered with fungal boils and hideous puss-filled eruptions.

The cabinet has a false back, which slides out to reveal 500 gp in assorted coins, a silver drinking cup inlaid with obsidian worth 400 gp, and a syringe of six vials.

In addition, the secret compartment also contains a ledger detailing customers who have purchased stolen cadavers and anatomical parts. Two names stand out: Doctor Brada of Sanctuary and Auren Vrood.

Grog throws the creature over his shoulder.

"No problem!

So, what is your intention, here? You all going to traipse throughout town with the skins and a dude over your shoulder? LOL! :-)

@GM: We still have at least one room to check in the chymic works, right? Or am I reading the map incorrectly?
Maybe we can secure the prisoner and gag him or put him to sleep and Gravleon could stay with him while we check the rest of the building?

You've found everyone on this floor. There's a small tower that you haven't explored. There's also a cellar that you don't know about, yet.

Taking liberties to move things along.

You notice a way up into the tower.

E9 Strange art and artifacts from distant lands fill this tower room. Another ladder rises upward to a trapdoor in the ceiling.

There are three "leathery things" in this room. Knowledge Arcana to know more about them.

"We should be able to climb up there. Shall we?"

Kn.arcana: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (8) + 13 = 21

These are a particular type of homunculus called snapjaw!

They're actually supposed to attack you as soon as you enter the space. But, they're CR 2. ... Two! *Hand wave* Feel free to post any sort of dramatic reaction you'd like to make. :-) The more dramatic, the better! LOL! They won't be able to harm the party.

1d20 ⇒ 19
1d20 ⇒ 2
1d20 ⇒ 15
1d20 ⇒ 20

As the party heads up you notice that the trapdoor leading to the tower is trapped. You collectively disable the trap and are greeted with three small, pudgy creatures made of leather. The snapjaws. They kind of look like pudgy bidepal baby dragons. They'd be cute if the leather stitching didn't give them a Frankenstein appearance.

The rush forward to attack, their jaws snapping at areas of exposed flesh!

Grog looks down at the creatures in disgust.

"Dammed things! Get away!"

He turns his axe and tries to smash them with the flat of the blade.

attack to subdue: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (20) + 8 = 28

damage: 1d12 + 8 ⇒ (4) + 8 = 12

confirm crit

attack to subdue: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (11) + 8 = 19

damage: 1d12 + 8 ⇒ (3) + 8 = 11

One of the snapjaws flies up to Grog, but he bats it away easily with his axe. The flat of the axe blade catches on one of the seams and the creature unravels into oblivion!

Anyone else want to smash a snapjaw?

Blackheath grips his longsword with two hands and, using it like a putter, attempts to sink a snapjaw.

Arcane longsword strike: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (14) + 6 = 20
damage: 1d8 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 3 + 1 = 12

"Yuck!"

Sharien will save her spells for a round or two to see if the others can take care of these dragony-things.

Blackheath slashes a second snapjaw into ribbons. One more snapjaw remains.

"dammit when will evil stop with these small annoyances" gravleon exclaimed as he attacks

attack: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (8) + 6 = 14
damage: 1d6 + 4 - 1 ⇒ (6) + 4 - 1 = 9

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Gravleon slashes at the final snapjaw. It, too, unravels easily.
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The roof above this chamber is topped with a copper lightning rod in the form of a raven eating a wolf, worth 100 gp. Among the curios and artifacts in this chamber are an ebony tribal mask from the Mwangi Expanse worth 175 gp, a silver torc from the Lands of the Linnorm Kings worth 200 gp, and a mammoth tusk scrimshaw from the Realm of the Mammoth Lords with several spells carved on its surface. The tusk weighs 20 pounds and functions as a magic scroll containing the spells bull’s strength, ice storm, and phantom steed.
__________

That's it for the tower. If the party wants to move onto the next area (the cellar), you'll have to figure out a way to get past the mongrelmen and the flesh golem hound.

"We might be able to incapacitate some of the mongrel men with a sleep spell or two. That hound will be tricky though. Grog, is there any way we could build a snare and then lure it into the trap? Or other thoughts?"

The sleep spell will totally get the mongrelmen. (*Hand wave*)

As Blackheath notes, however, the hound won't be susceptible. What's the tactic here?

I guess a straight up fight?

Seems where it's heading.

Sharien readies to summon a creature to fight the creature, if her allies have decided that is what we will do.

Alrighty then! You cast a couple of well-placed, well-timed sleep spells and the mongrelmen fall asleep. You can hear the hound pacing back and forth *somewhere* downstairs.

Stealth plus some unknown bonus: 1d20 ⇒ 17

You may attempt a perception check, if you wish.

Grog looks around

1d20 + 8 ⇒ (5) + 8 = 13

Grog can hear the hound shuffling somewhere. But, with all the other sounds and smells in this alchemical factory, he doesn't know where it is.

Blackheath ducks a little out of the way and casts a spell...

Summon Monster I to summon an fire beetle and then send it running out to "pull" the hound. It should last for 3 rounds. If we stay back, maybe we can get the drop on it after it reveals itself by engaging the glowy bug.

percepción : 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (14) + 8 = 22

Graleons eyes peirce the shadows to find the location of the enemy...

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Hm. The hound is unintelligent. Blackheath's ploy will work. Where do you all want to be when the hound eviscerates the summoned monster?

Grog wants to be in an area where he can move quickly to the hound and attack it.

I'd like to be about 30' from it to use Blackheath's bow.

Sharien will be at least 10 feet behind the meat shields... I mean melee guys.

LOL! OK. The hound pounced on the summoned monster and absolutely tears it apart! You guys all get a surprise round action upon it.

Blackheath rapidly fires two arrows at the surprised hound...

Point-blank arcane-imbued rapid shot 1: 1d20 - 2 + 1 + 8 ⇒ (4) - 2 + 1 + 8 = 11
Point-blank arcane-imbued rapid shot 2: 1d20 - 2 + 1 + 8 ⇒ (18) - 2 + 1 + 8 = 25

Damage arrow 1: 1d8 + 3 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 3 + 1 + 1 = 12
Damage arrow 2: 1d8 + 3 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 3 + 1 + 1 = 12

Hey Blackheath. You're only getting a surprise round. Rapid shot says: "When making a full-attack action with a ranged weapon, you can fire one additional time this round at your highest bonus. ." So, you only get one arrow. Sorry.

Blackheath fires at the beast.

Sharien, Grog, and Gravleon have surprise round actions.

Sharien attempts to weaken the beast with a [i]ray of enfeeblement[/bi].
ranged touch: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (18) + 4 = 22
Str penalty: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4
It gets a DC 16 Fort save to halve that penalty.

Fort+some unknown bonus: 1d20 ⇒ 17

Is there a map? If not I'll just move next to it.

Is there a map? If not I'll just move next to it.

You can partial charge, if you wish. That's a valid action for a surprise round. :)