[PFS][Core] GM Socrates presents Master of the Fallen Fortress (Inactive)

Game Master caps

"Hold on. It might be a trick. You do not know how many stories I have heard of folks claiming to be prisoners in some gods forsaken dungeon only to turn out to be crazed loons, or werewolves or worse. Here now watch." Pietro turns back to the man, clears his throat and says: "Are you a werewolf?"

Seelah shakes her head. "Pietro! Does he look like one?

Arisira makes a joking attempt to throw her voice "Why yes I am, how did you ever know?".

Stepping toward the prisoner, she is eye level without having to squat.

"We are with the Pathfinders. What is your name? "

"Balenar Forsend, I presume?" Carl says, moving to unlock the man's bindings with the rusty key they found on the troglodyte. "Venture Captain Dreng sent us."

Seelah shakes her head. "Pietro! Does he look like one?

"Possibly, they look like everyone else until the moon comes out. Well, are you?!"

"Balenar Forsend, I presume?" Carl says, moving to unlock the man's bindings with the rusty key they found on the troglodyte. "Venture Captain Dreng sent us."

Pietro rounds angrily upon Caelreth. "Why are you telling the possible werewolf all of our secrets before we know whether or not he is a bloodthirsty cannibal?!"

I can solve this fairly easily. Hap takes the wayfinder from the last room and opens it, looking for the name inside. What is your name?

Cael sighs and gives Hap a long-suffering look.

Pietro sighs heavily and drags one big hand down his face in exasperation.

Unlock him.

"Anyone have lock picks?"

Caelreth indicates the rusty key he's already using to unlock the man's bindings.

"Anyone have a silver dagger?"

Just for good measure, Cael fixes his gaze on the bound man and attempts to ascertain his motives while he frees him. Detect evil.

Arisira barely contains her laughter at the varried responses from the rest of the party.

"Come on guys, let's just let the guy free. Think of all the stuff he has had to smell while locked up in this place."

How are we handling level 3? It seems silly (and un-pathfindery) to leave it unexplored

"Hold on. It might be a trick. You do not know how many stories I have heard of folks claiming to be prisoners in some gods forsaken dungeon only to turn out to be crazed loons, or werewolves or worse. Here now watch." Pietro turns back to the man, clears his throat and says: "Are you a werewolf?"

"No! I'm--"

Arisira makes a joking attempt to throw her voice "Why yes I am, how did you ever know?".

Stepping toward the prisoner, she is eye level without having to squat.

"We are with the Pathfinders. What is your name? "

"Oh, me too! My name is--"

Seelah paladinn wrote:

Seelah shakes her head. "Pietro! Does he look like one?

"Possibly, they look like everyone else until the moon comes out. Well, are you?!"

He starts to seem a little exasperated. "Of course not! I'm with--"

I can solve this fairly easily. Hap takes the wayfinder from the last room and opens it, looking for the name inside. What is your name?

"My name is Balenar Forsend!!!" He almost screams out.

The inside of the Wayfinder also bears the name Balenar Forsend

"Thank you so much for setting me free! I think they were getting ready to sacrifice me or something... but they had already given me a few beatings for good measure." He stands up and stretches. "Did you happen to find any of my gear?" He eyes the Wayfinder, perhaps not quite ready to outright ask for it.

"I didn't get to finish exploring this place before I was captured. What have you found so far?"

Pietro looks up--fat guy in a new little coat.

"Your gear? This is loot!"

sense motive: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (10) + 3 = 13

"Hmm, so you're not a werewolf huh? Well, have you been bitten by anything recently? You know like: rats, bats, sharks... stoats?"

"My name is Arisira, the pleasure is mine" and the hafling bows.

"Well, once we got here we basically rushed up to the top and found you. After we got used to the smell, that is. We haven't had any adventures worthy of the history books, yet... but we sorta skipped over the next floor down. I bet that's where all the REAL adventure is at!"

"Pietro, give the man back his things!"

"Pietro..He's NOT a werewolf." Seelah turns to the man. "Seelah here sir. Did you you help leaving?"

He seems to think for a second, as if taking a mental inventory. "No, they gave me a few beatings, but I don't think anything has bitten me so far."

"Leaving! If you have gear to spare I want to help finish exploring this place! If we run into any more troglodytes I wouldn't mind returning some of the beatings I got, either..."

I have no spare armour, but I have a dagger. You can borrow it if you like Hap offers the dagger to Balenar, handle first of course.

"GOOD! Stoats typically eat up to 25% of their own body weight a day."

Zekuli rolls his eyes at Pietro's antics.

"We were sent here to find you, and then to explore the rest of the place while we're here. I guess that stuff was probably yours then?" He jerks his thumb back at the armor, weapons, and climber's kit from the previous room. "If you know how to use all that, you might as well join us to look around the second floor."

He helps Balenar dust himself off and checks to make sure the manacles weren't tight enough to cause any injury to the man's wrists. "So far we've found..." he ticks them off on his fingers, "a giant spider, some stinky troglodytes, and a shock lizard, although we left that one where we found it. And you. Was there something in particular you came to find in this tower?"

Balenar ultimately returns Hap's offered dagger. Unsure what to make of Pietro's comment he turns his attention to Zekuli. He gratefully accepts the return of his gear, re-equipping himself and readying his shortbow, apparently ready to join the party in combat. Zekuli's inspection does show that his treatment at the hands of the troglodytes did take it's toll, as he has several injuries that are not just cosmetic. he has taken 6 damage out of a total of 13 HP

"No, I was not looking for anything in particular. I just wanted to be the first to explore this tower after it cracked open recently."

"Let's go! With all of you I'm ready to fight!"

channel warm vibes all around: 1d6 ⇒ 1
channel warm vibes all around: 1d6 ⇒ 1

"GLAD TO HEAR IT! HA HA!" Pietro says and nearly claps the man's back so hard he re-inflicts all the damage that was just healed. (All both of it!)

"Stay in the back or behind Pietro. I'm sure his waist will protect you!" Seelah smiles.

I take it you want to do the 2nd floor before going to the 5th?

As a door-to-door salesman once told me, when you come to a tall building with a sign that reads 'no soliciting' on its front door you head straight to the top and then if someone kicks you out you can still sell to all those people you pass on your slow walk down. Top of the world, Ma!

I'll happily follow the majority. Fifth floor or Second makes no difference to me. We'll get them both anyway by the end

It looked to me before I posted like most of you were leaning towards the 2nd floor. I now have one vote for the 5th floor and one abstain. I want to see the action move forward soon, so the next time I post (tomorrow or Saturday) I'll make an evaluation of your posts so far and do something. Hopefully more of you will have posted by then and made it clear what you want to do.

Also, thanks for your patience with me as my posting has slowed down over the last week!

Honestly I didn't realize there was a fifth floor. I also assume we'll go through both eventually, so if Pietro wants to go up first I'm fine with it.

I've played this 3 times. I vote with the majority

Cael doesn't really care, so we may as well go with Pietro's idea.

Count me among those that didn't realize there was a 5th floor.

"Onward and upward, as they say... but now that I am thinking about it, I am not sure who "they" is... "

Up it is then

"Tell me when we get to the twentieth floor, because I think I'm going to throw up." Pietro says looking up the long stairwell.

The four wings of the tower are completely open on this level, forming one great, cross-shaped chamber with arched ceilings. The decayed remnants of a carpet run from the doorways at the end of each wing, meeting in the center, where a spiral staircase drops out of sight below. A large, throne-like chair stands in the middle of the eastern wing next to a big chest.

Also standing in the eastern wing is an adult troglodyte. Next to him is an albino crocodile. When you enter his chamber, he signals the crocodile to attack you!

Initiative Order
Hap <= Up
Caelreth <= Up
Big Troglodyte
Balenar Forsend
Arisira
Zekuli
Seelah
Pietro

Caelreth, Pietro, and Hap have all taken some damage over the course of this scenario. I know Caelreth was healed. Have the other two been healed, and if not have you been tracking your damage?

Caelreth, Pietro, and Hap have all taken some damage over the course of this scenario. I know Caelreth was healed. Have the other two been healed, and if not have you been tracking your damage?

Yep. A little while back Pietro channeled his heart out and got Cayden's answering machine for snake-eyes. Hopefully everyone else updated.

"Nice place. Lot's of space. You the master of this fallen fortress?"

Dropping his torch, Caelreth charges the crocodile.

1d20 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (14) + 3 + 2 = 19
1d8 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7

"IMPETUOUS BO--OH, NEVER MIND!"

I believe I am 2 HP down.

Hap moves across the room, drawing back his bow string and fires at the crocodile.

Longbow: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (8) + 6 = 14 Damage: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7

"Nice place. Lot's of space. You the master of this fallen fortress?"

The troglodyte turns to you and growls, before grumbling loudly at you.

Caelreth charges forward and delivers a hefty slash to the crocodile, which snaps its jaws in pain. Hap silences it with an arrow; its eyes roll back in its head as it sags to the ground.

Outraged, the troglodyte seems to cast a spell. Out of nowhere, a huge swarm of spiders materializes on top of Seelah and Pietro. The spiders crawl all over them, biting at them. Seelah\qstor and Pietro\GGG take 3 damage and need to make two Fortitude saves each.

"This is it! Now is our time for glory!" Balenar shouts as he repositions by the stairwell.

Initiative Order
Hap <= Up (round 2)
Caelreth <= Up (round 2)
Big Troglodyte
Balenar Forsend
Arisira <= Up
Zekuli <= Up
Seelah <= Up [two Fort saves needed]
Pietro <= Up [two Fort saves needed]
NOTES: Inspire Courage is in effect, so everyone gets +1 to attack and weapon damage rolls, as well as +1 to saves against fear.

Fort save: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (20) + 4 = 24

Fort save: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10

"BUGGER THIS!" Pietro roars.

channel healing energy: 1d6 ⇒ 2

Seelah moves up.

Seelah tries to ward off the spell.

Fort: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 4 = 20

Fort: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 4 = 20

"Aww it's just nothing"

Spellcraft: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (20) + 5 = 25

Zekuli easily spots what the troglodyte is trying to do, but not in time to prevent the swarm of spiders from being summoned in their midst. He tries to ignore them and move forward toward their main foe, but they are unfortunately cluttering up the room and making it hard to maneuver. He magically sends his morningstar flying forward faster than he can walk on his own feet, and then calls it back after making a single swing at the troglodyte.

Hand of the acolyte: 1d20 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (9) + 4 + 1 = 14
Damage: 1d8 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 + 1 = 4

Hap moves forward to get a shot at the troglodyte. Is he behind the throne?

Longbow: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (2) + 6 = 8 Damage: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3

Caelreth ignores Pietro's bellow and charges after the troglodyte now, sword slashing in a broad stroke.

Inspired courage, charge: 1d20 + 3 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (10) + 3 + 2 + 1 = 16
1d8 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 + 1 = 10

Stepping to the left, Arisira calls out to the pathfinders.

[b]"What creature can stand against the might of the Pathfinders?!'{/b]

Inspire courage (Round #3), 20 ft move

"Say, isn't the stoat over there a Pathfinder?" Pietro says reflectively of the former captive.

Pietro shrugs off the poison from the spider's bite, but is so distracted by them crawling all over his body that he feels nauseated and can't do as much as he wanted to. Pietro is nauseated and can only take one move action. His move action is fine but he was not able to channel.

Arisira joins Balenar in encouraging the team. Zekuli magically throws his morningstar at the troglodyte, but he misses. Seelah shrugs off the spiders completely and moves closer to the throne. Hap closes the distance and fires an arrow at the troglodyte but it goes wide. Caelreth runs up to the troglodyte and swings at it, but his sword clangs harmlessly off its scales.