[PFS - CORE] 0-06 Black Waters by GM Upaynao (Inactive)

Game Master Upaynao

”Beneath the arm? Even in a place such as this that seems like an odd landmark.” Thadd looks for a way to get to the arm safely. ”How deep do you think the water is?”

"This? This is just a puddle, it dries up during the summer. Couldn't be more than a few feet deep at most!" comment Marlinchen.

”Anyone care to wade out with me and shake hands with a severed arm?”

Perception to examine the arm: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5

Trembling slightly, Yangrit grits her teeth and edges slowly and steadily forward into the water. I will not let my fear control me.

"Here, I'll help you too." Kirrote wades into the black pool with Thaddaeus and Yangrit. "Are we supposed to grab the arm?"

Howirk watches his much stronger companions wade into the water from the relative safety of the water's edge. "I'd offer to lend them a hand, but it seems like they're already about to grab one." he chuckles quietly to himself.

Wizbang eyes the water dubiously.
"I'll cover you from here," he says, as he pulls out a wand of magic missile while moving a good 10' from the edge of the water.

Thaddaeus, Yangrit and Kirrote all wade into the black waters, reaching the torn moldering arm fairly quickly. It is as they approach that they realize that the arm has several bulbous-looking white protusions, vaguely reminiscent of soft, oblong eggs.

”Well that’s gross. Be prepared to stomp on anything that might hatch out of these.” With that he gives the arm a yank.

Forearmed and now forewarned.. Howirk's face betrays his amusement at the situation.

Yangrit feels with her feet around the bottom so see if there's a trap door or hole or anything.

Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (1) + 7 = 8

Then a thought occurs to her.

"If this whole thing is under water, we won't be able to explore very far. Unless some of you can breathe under water."

Yangrit is the only one to spot the disturbance in the silt; emerging from the dark waters, a large insectoid screeches, it's baleful gaze fixed on Thaddaeus.

Surprise Round + Round 1

Yangrit - Surprise round action
Howirk
Bug
Wizbang
Thaddaeus
Kirrote
Yangrit
Howirk

Now there is no map for this encounter, but I believe that as players of an RPG game that we are all somewhat capable of using our imaginations. Rest assured that in the case of something that could go either way based on the lack of a battle map, I will always adjudicate in your favor. If you have any issues with this, please PM me. Also, to speed things up a tiny bit, I had it go in it's first round after appearing from the ground; so Yangrit, you get a surprise round action and your full round 1 turn.

The bug snaps with it's mandibles at Thaddaeus!

Bug bite: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (19) + 5 = 24
Damage: 2d6 + 4 ⇒ (2, 2) + 4 = 8
Grab: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (18) + 5 = 23

It grabs Thaddaeus by the torso, it's mandibles digging deep into his flesh. With the human in it's death-grip, it steadies itself and begins to pull the human down into the murky waters.

One more thing: Yangrit, in spite of your low perception regarding the presence or absence of a door, you are pretty sure there is a metal trap door not too far under the water. The arm is grabbing it.

ouch

Consider this as well. Normally we use the converted creature from the Bestiaries whenever possible, not the 3.5 version. In this case, while the 3.5 version might be under-CRed, it is still better than the CR 5 version in the bestiary.

#nottryingtokillyoutoohard

Kirrote jumps into action as soon as he sees the bug. He grabs his axe and swings a deadly stroke at the insect.

greataxe@bug: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (5) + 5 = 10 Doubt that's a hit but here's the damage in case it is.

damage: 1d12 + 6 ⇒ (11) + 6 = 17

I was originally waiting for Yangrit but now realize that bold may act.

Thadd tried to break free from the insect’s grip, If he does so he will move as far away as possible!

CMB to break free: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (20) + 2 = 22

Surprise round: "Guys, there's a trap door under here--AAH!" Reflexively, Yangrit punches the insect, bruising her knuckles on its exoskeleton.

Unarmed Strike: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (16) + 3 = 191d6 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 3 = 7

Round 1: This is a formidable opponent, as her bruised knuckles attest, but at least it's not undead. With relish, Yangrit uses her Flurry of Blows on the creature.

Flurry of Blows: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 = 81d6 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 3 = 91d20 + 1 ⇒ (14) + 1 = 151d6 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4

"I hate it when bugs are too big to step on. Let him go, Crunchy!"

Reluctant to enter the water, Howirk draws his dagger and throws it at the creature. Sure hope I don't hit my comrades...

Assuming the bug is in melee so -4 penalty as no Precise Shot

Ranged Attack (Dagger): 1d20 + 3 - 4 ⇒ (16) + 3 - 4 = 15
Damage (dagger)(P): 1d4 ⇒ 4

And that I can find my dagger to get it back after this!

Wizbang will unleash a magic missile from his shiny new wand at the vile creature.
force dmg: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3

Round 2/i]

Bug [i]- 10 Dmg
Wizbang
Thaddaeus - 8 Dmg
Kirrote
Yangrit
Howirk

Thaddaeus manages to miraculously get out of the creature's embrace, while around him, Pathfinders pummel the creature relentlessly, without making much of a dent in it's defenses.

Angry, it goes for the nearest creature that has harmed it: Yangrit.

Bite: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (5) + 5 = 10
Damage: 2d6 + 5 ⇒ (6, 2) + 5 = 13
Grab: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (10) + 5 = 15

Fortunately, the dwarf manages to step out of the way of the vicious bite.

Wizbang unleashes another magic missile from his wand.
Force dmg: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2
Wizbang gives the wand a good bang against his thigh, "C'mon, you puny ineffectual stick, destroy this interminable vermin...or I'll feed you to it."

Kirrote is frustrated that he missed. He scowls at the creature and swings his axe down at it again.

greataxe: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (9) + 5 = 14
damage: 1d12 + 6 ⇒ (12) + 6 = 18

Cleric health thyself.. Howirk thinks. He draws his blowgun and fires at the bug.

Ranged Attack into melee: 1d20 + 3 - 4 ⇒ (20) + 3 - 4 = 19

Ranged to confirm: 1d20 + 3 - 4 ⇒ (13) + 3 - 4 = 12

Damage assuming crit was not confirmed: 1d2 ⇒ 1

Her knuckles still throbbing from her last punches onto the exoskeleton of the creature, Yangrit strikes out again. She puts her all into one powerful punch...

Unarmed Strike: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 = 81d6 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6

...but the darned bug shifts its weight away from her at just the wrong moment, causing her arm to come up short. She grinds her teeth in frustration, but at least her knuckles were given a respite.

Thaddaeus loads a sling bullet and hurls it at the bug.

Attack: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 2 = 14
Attack (Bit of Luck): 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (16) + 2 = 18
Damage: 1d4 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3

Round 2

Bug - 15 Dmg
Wizbang
Thaddaeus - 8 Dmg
Kirrote
Yangrit
Howirk

Getting angrier by the moment, the beast attempts again to bite off one of Yangrit's limbs!

Bite: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (11) + 5 = 16
Damage: 2d6 + 5 ⇒ (2, 5) + 5 = 12
Grab: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (19) + 5 = 24

Again, the monk manages to barely dodge out of the way.

Kirrote roars in frustration at still not being able to hit the large insect. He swings his axe above his head in a circle a couple times then brings it down hard on the insect.

greataxe@insect: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (20) + 5 = 25
confirm: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (10) + 5 = 15
damage: 1d12 + 6 ⇒ (3) + 6 = 9
damage: 1d12 + 6 ⇒ (10) + 6 = 16 if crit confirmed
damage: 1d12 + 6 ⇒ (12) + 6 = 18 if crit confirmed

Wizbang continues to plunk away with his wand, trying to slowly chip through its chiton.
force dmg: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2

It looks like Howirk's blowgun had no effect on the bug.

"Cursed foe!"

Adrenaline pumping from her narrow misses, Yangrit uses Acrobatics to avoid an attack of opportunity as she slips around behind the creature, flanking it with Kirrote.

Acrobatics: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (15) + 6 = 21

She tries to pummel it with her elbow, hoping for enough force to crack the over-sized insects's exoskeleton.

Unarmed Strike: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (20) + 5 = 251d6 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4

Confirm Crit: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (6) + 5 = 11

Crit damage: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6

Her funny bone rings with the impact, but she shakes it off quickly.

Thaddaeus moves into position behind Kirrote and jabs his spear at the giant insect.

Attack: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (19) + 2 = 21
Damage: 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6

Whoops, forgot about Howirk's blowgun.

The pathfinders, positioning themselves so as to maximize their offense, manage to find the bug's vital organs. By the time they are done, the creature's exoskeleton has been cracked, leaving orange goop to leak on through, and the creature itself has been cut in two.

The black waters still, leaving you to consider your next move.

Thaddaeus calls upon Desna to sacrifice Shield of Faith spell for a curing spell.

CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7

"Impressive." Howirk remarks upon seeing the remains of the bug. "But, unfortunately, we don't seem to be any closer to finding a way into the necropolis. By the way, I threw my dagger at this monstrosity. Did any of you happen to see it over there? You know, while you were fighting with the beast?"

"There's a metal trap door under here. I said so right before the bug attacked." Yangrit grunts at Howirk as she glances around for his dagger.

Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (18) + 7 = 25

Assuming she finds it, she picks it up and holds it out by the blade, waiting for the halfling to come get it. If he does not, she'll huff in mild derision and toss it to the ground or in the shallows near his feet.

"There's a metal trap door under here. I said so right before the bug attacked." Yangrit grunts at Howirk as she glances around for his dagger.

"You'll forgive me for being distracted by the giant insect?" Howirk says to the dwarf, offering a smile. "Do you think the door lets the water out?" Howirk cries to the Yangrit as she searches for the dagger. He looks at the blackened water and mutters in a low tone, "Because that looks rather unpleasant to be in."

Assuming she finds it, she picks it up and holds it out by the blade, waiting for the halfling to come get it. If he does not, she'll huff in mild derision and toss it to the ground or in the shallows near his feet.

Howirk is quite pleased when he sees Yangrit retrieve his blade, but is decidedly less so when she makes it clear that she wants him to come and get it. The Halfling tries to lay on the charm, flashing a smile and giving a little wave, but concludes that Yangrit is having none of it.

When the dagger hits the shallows near his feet, Howirk recoils as a bit of the black water splashes onto his fine clothes and in his face. I suppose I deserved that, he thinks as he wipes his face.

Once he dabs away the last bit of water, he looks to the taller, stronger members of the party, that is everyone but himself. "What do you say? One of you want to give that trap door a good yank?"

"Well done, everyone. Did someone say something about eggs? Does this huge vermin have a mate lurking somewhere nearby?"
Perception, looking for other bugs: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (13) + 1 = 14

Eyes narrowing, Yangrit furtively makes her own search for signs of another insect, hoping no one notices her taking advice from an elf. Blasted elf has a point.

Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (9) + 7 = 16

Besides, it allows her to stall a little longer so that maybe Kirrote will open that trap door. She's not to keen on finding out what is on the other side of it.

"I'm not worried about bugs I can't see. But let's open this trap door and see where it goes." Kirrote fishes around in the pond until he finds the trapdoor handle then he pulls it open.

The high tier has two CR5 Ant Queens.

Looking about, Wizbang and Yangrit see no sign of another water bug nearby as Kirrote finds the handle and pulls the hatch open. Some of the water pours on in, but not a lot. Looking in, the pathfinders possessed with darkvision can see the bottom of the 20 foot long shaft, and everyone with a sense of smell partakes in the old stench of long-decayed corpses.

"Well! Looks like you found it! I'll stay up here to make sure you can come on back up safely!" voices Marlinchen, seemingly having just recovered his senses.

Alright! We now enter the dungeon crawl portion of this; like all dungeon crawls in PbP it translates rather poorly in this medium in of itself as my interactions are mostly reactive to what you do. Now, the onus for RP rests mostly in your hands. Keep doing what you've been doing and you won't get bored, and by extention neither will I!

Up in the left corner, at the top of the page is a link to a google drawing entitled "necropolis". I am not hiding anything in this map as I do not see a point, and if you decide to meta it will be clear as day to me. Be a pal, and try not to!

On this map, I will need you to place yourselves. When travelling in corridors, I expect you to have a standardized order, which you should come to an agreement about by the time we get to the first room here. When in rooms, you are where you last placed yourselves on the map. Thus if you post that you are attacking, but aren't next to the creature, you are essentially skipping your turn. Can't access the map temporarily? Post something to that effect; your GM will move your character if he has instructions to do so!

The more things you set up and come to an agreement to as a group beforehand will make this section a lot more streamlined, but I won't force you into doing anything beyond what I've already stated. Use IC talk to figure things out, and if it devolves into mechanics, use the discussion thread.

Addressing Kirrote, Yangrit says, "Great. Lead the way. The rest of you, stay close behind us." She desperately hopes none of her companions realize that her motivation for this marching order is fear. Even so, she is not going to let anything stop her from fulfilling her commitment to this mission. Quitters are weak; Yangrit is strong.

Kirrote grunts in approval. "Yeah, I'll lead. There's a shaft here. Follow if you want." The stench from the opening barely registers with Kirrote as he moves forward.

I think that the top right of the map is where we are starting but if that's incorrect, GM, please let us know where the start is.

Wizbang uses his wand of Mage Armor on himself then eyes the rest of his party thoughtfully. "Hey you, little guy, and you, broad-shouldered gal, would you like me to use this wand to create a magical barrier of force around you that works as well as a simple chain shirt--without all that horrible weight and smell. Yuck. Armor." <<shudder>>
That's Howirk and Yangrit in Wizbang-speak. Just let me know if I should mark the charges off if you'd like him to use Mage Armor wand on you. +4 armor, doesn't stack with armor, but works instead of it if bonus is better, lasts 1 hour.

"I would prefer to be somewhere in the middle of the group. A number of my incantations unleash cones of effect, so it'd be nice to be able unleash them whether our antagonist is at the front or rear of the party. Not to mention, it's best to keep me protected, since I'll be the one to write up any chronicle of our explorations."

Wizbang uses his wand of Mage Armor on himself then eyes the rest of his party thoughtfully. "Hey you, little guy, and you, broad-shouldered gal, would you like me to use this wand to create a magical barrier of force around you that works as well as a simple chain shirt--without all that horrible weight and smell. Yuck. Armor." <<shudder>>

”I certainly wouldn’t mind some extra protection, friend.” Howirk replies to Wizbang as the group ventures into the necropolis. “As for the smell, I don’t think armor is the stench we have to worry about.” After taking another breath of air, the Halfling stops for a moment and makes a series of gestures with his hands as he mutters a few syllables that a skilled linguist or planar scholar may conclude is a variation of the infernal tongue. Howirk makes a few castings of prestidigitation.

Howirk breathes deeply and loudly exhales. Pointing to the stains on the elf’s rather shabby and dirty robes. he offers, ”In exchange for the protection from your wand, I’d be happy to offer you a few of the amenities that I am able to provide.” He adds in a lower tone, pointing to the others marching ahead of them, ”I’d extend the offer to the others if I thought they’d actually accept it.”

Placed the PCs in a marching order based upon what I gathered from everyone else’s cues.

Thanks, Howirk!

Sullenly, Yangrit admits to Wizbang, "Yeah, that'd be useful." (pause) "Thanks." She's grumpy, but the gratitude is sincere. It just galls her to be beholden to an elf.

Just realized Wizbang has a Wand of CLW...I should have checked that before dropping one of my spells for a heal. 8-(

"All I know is I should not lead the way. Sometimes my mind wanders and I get dragged underwater by an oversized bug!"

All the wands, all the fame, none of the prestige...

Howirk graciously accepts a charge from Wizbang's wand.

-1 charge to Wizbang's wand of mage armor.

Stepping down into the ancient structure, the pathfinders quickly come to terms with a few new parameters: the six foot high ceilings make for a claustrophobic environment, while the brown walls, seeping out dirty water at a slow but constant pace, have little of the paintings that stray traces of paint and plaster once suggested they bore.
Every now and then, some skeletal remain brushes against your feet, as the sound of dripping water is only interrupted by an inexplicable sound of a child groaning, sotto voce children's laugh and perhaps even at times, an eerie bubbling noise.

By Yangrit's reckoning, everyone else (except perhaps the halfling) seem unperturbed by the prospect of entering the underground realm of the undead--even Wizbang.

"An elf will go underground where a dwarf dare not? Ah, I'd never hear the end of it!"

Sweating furiously, Yangrit clenches her jaw and forces herself to keep a steady pace behind the half-orc. The closeness of the underground tunnel would feel almost homey to her, if it were not for the creepiness and terror of the undead that apparently lurk here. Her eyes are constantly shifting in paranoia, scanning for threats. However, she tries to keep her head still so as to present a facade of stoic resolve to those behind her.

Paranoid Yangrit will continually be doing perception checks for a while. Sometimes her fear will overwhelm her sense, causing her eyes to pass right over things that would normally catch her interest.

Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (3) + 7 = 10