[PFS/DMK/EMS] The Emerald Spire Superdungeon

Game Master Kludde

Up or down?

Thistle stands watching the conversation go around the group. He tries to read lips as best he can, and eventually offers his opinion, by point his scaley finger up.

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The stairs up wind around this strange green core, circling around it two-and-a-half times. The stairs end in a sturdy wooden door with a shuttered arrow slit in its middle. It's just as dark up here as it was down below.

This thing is actually a tall building, there is at least 5 or 6 floors up from where we are right now. If you guys want to go up because you think there is less stuff up there that is not what we saw when we were going in.

There was this out of character, sort of meta conversation you might have missed M.

Not to get to meta but do both sets of stairs lead to areas considered part of this level?

Both sets of stairs do, though the ones down will eventually lead to the next level. Exploring them is fair game, though.

Hmm, I was pretty sure it was the other way around. My mistake.

A voice sounds from the other side of the door:

I doesn't matter if there are 3 floors or 10, it's bound to be less than what's below ground in a "mega dungeon". Also a bit meta game, but it's not very likely to be well lit underground either.

Skaarr pushes forward and looks through the arrow slit.

Perception: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (19) + 1 = 20

Asuna translates for the group.
"If we wait for a few minutes, whorver is behind will be alone again. It would give us an advantage." she whispers.

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Skaarr moves forward to peek through the slit, and sees an armoured bugbear stand on the other side. It shout - at Skaarr - in goblin:

"Yes we are. Didn't he tell uou about us?" Asuna replies in goblin. bluff: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (7) + 9 = 16

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Jalik stands at the ready for what may come from behind the door.

He wants you to go to sleep, Skaarr thinks, concentrating on the bugbear.

Slumber on him, DC 14 will save. No material components or somatic gestures so he might not notice if he passes the save.

If he fails, Skaarr says,

"He won't be alseep for long, someone get through the door and tie him up or kill him."

Will: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (20) + 3 = 23

What does he want? Tell me, before my hordes of goblins at you!

Thistle shuffles on his feet, keeping a constant vigil on his companions for body language clues that something is happening.

Jalik whispers,

"What are we waiting for? Open the door; lets get him."

The door to the bugbear's lair is locked.

Well the undead goblins killed the men you sent. And they are now also undeads, soooo he needs more men. How many do you have left? Asuna says in her best Goblin.

bluff: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (11) + 9 = 20

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Well, tell him to stop killing my goblins then! the bugbear says with a shudder.

Hurgh. Hundreds of them! Hordes! the bugbear replies. He doesn't sound very convincing.

Bruce will attempt to pick the lock during this conversation as he has no idea what is being said.

disable device: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (17) + 9 = 26

>click<

While the bugbear is distracted in conversation, Bruce manages to open the lock on the door.

Still whispering "Are we rushing the creature?"

"Well he needs them now, how many are on this level?"
Asuna asks in goblin, indicating to wait for a moment as she tries to get some more information out of him.

I doesn't matter if there are 3 floors or 10, it's bound to be less than what's below ground in a "mega dungeon". Also a bit meta game, but it's not very likely to be well lit underground either.

I know it will sound a bit crazy... and metay... but in my experience "castles/keeps" usually have a strong underground complex, "spires/towers" not so much. Anyway back to the game.

Amir gets ready to charge into the room.

I haven't seen anybody actually move in, but I'll be rolling initiative to get it out of the way

Hey, Klarkosh should now. Why don't you ask him! That double-crossing son-of-an-elf told I'd be left alone, and now he sends you up.

Don't you lot think you've be more happy working for me? You'd have all the goblins to boss around, and if I say so, they won't bother you.

"Well he has been bossy and those undead give me the creeps. What would you have us do? And what can you offer us? Also do you mind switching to common? Some of my companions aren't smart enough to know anything besides the language their mothers taught them." Asuna replies in goblin. She indicates to the others again to hold and stand down. Things seem to go to plan.
bluff: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (10) + 9 = 19
should I roll every time or once for the entire thing?

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Nah, you've rolled enough convincing bluffs for now

Kill Klarkosh for me. I'll tell the goblins to let you through. He is down below somewhere. Kill Klarkosh and bring me his ugly mug. Simple enough, huh?

"Very well. To ensure this, do you know of any weaknesses of his? Also this darkness is blocking some of my companions' abilities. If we can get rid of it, taking care of Klarkosh will be easier. Also, do tell us of the lofty reward you can offer us." Asuna says with a light tone.

Didn't Klarkosh tell you? He told me it's old Azlanti magic. Internal lighting that switches form light in the day to dark in the night. Except that it somehow got stuck in the night, and never left it.

First do the deed, then get paid!

"Where are the goblins?" Skaarr interjects in goblin.

What, they didn't try to stop you? The bugbears mutters under his breath lazy buggers..., then says they're supposed to be guarding these halls. Two of them always guard the exit to the lower level. Heh. I use that as a punishment, because they don't like to be next to the two zombies that Klarkosh created there. The bugbear suppresses a small giggle.

This is awesome, nice work everyone!

"Nah Klarkosh kept us in the dark so to speak. Any idea where the controls are for the Azlanti device?" Asuna says, poking Skaarr in the ribs indicating him to be quiet

No such thing, it's magical. Whole damn place is filled with it. Now, do we have a deal, or what?

So do we just head down and do the basement now?

What will it be? Will you head to the basement, to seek out Klarkosh? Or will you try and fight Grulk, bugbear goblin leader?

I say kill Grulk as we already took out the goblins.

I say go for Klarkosh and maybe we can either get them to kill each other or gain intel from the bugbear. We can always kill the bugbear later.

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On a meta-game note: Klarkosh is not on this level, so finding him would mean ending this level. The funny workings of PFS would require some shenanigans to resolve a return-to-kill-Grulk encounter.

Ow that is a pity :(. I guess this guy is the bbeg at the end of this level. Shucks when I finally got my bluffs working. So then we can just walk in and surprise him by a betrayal. Stupid to be forced to let metagaming interfere.

Asuna whispers to her companions.
"Ok I got him into believing we will work for him. Let's just move past him and surprise him with a kick in the balls, or whatever works your fancy."

In goblin she says back to the bugbear.
"Very well you have a deal. He also wanted to retrieve on of the items stored in here, hope you don't mind. He would get suspicious if we come back empty handed."

I won't be one to force you to fight the bbeg. If you convince him to back to up while seeking out Klarkosh, you've bypassed him fair and square. You even gain my admiration for it :)

If you guys are up to it, I'll run more levels of the emerald spire, so we can also take a bit more time to do all the side quests, and explore the fort inevitable location. I wouldn't let the PFS structure constrain you: it's up to me to find a way around. (I'll probably hand out a chronicle once I feel a level is complete - you can still move back to that level to kill off a bbeg if you want.

As long as we don't miss any items, I don't mind either way. But maybe one of the guys wants to punch him in the face. It seems that this guy is not blocking for our advancement even if we never spoke to him right? Looking at the map we could have just walked past him.

I am good either way, it sounds like the bugbear was the capstone for this level. I would love to keep going if you are still willing DM! I am getting a little attached to this character, I would like to see what I can do with him moving forward. RP'ing the whole deaf thing is pretty tough, its too easy to meta-game, but I think I am getting the hang of it...

ok guys: what Bruce said. Let's drop the metagaming (I'll find a way) and ask yourself: WWYCD? (What would your character do?)

Mine would do what she said up there, doubt the bugbear has anything to offer us anyway. Besides he will find out that we killed all his companions. And yes I would like to go on. Already made Asuna level 2 on the excel :).

There's nothing in here that belongs to him. Tell him that. When you slice his throat open.

Oh, and you'll need the secret cipher to get past the goblins too. It's "If you don't do as I say, Grulk will crush your ugly face". You have to say it convincingly, though.

Rolling initiative, since it seems the answer is 'fight'

--- Surprise round ---
Skaarr
Jalik
Asuna
Bruce
Amiri
Thistle
--- Regular round ---
Grulk
---
Skaarr
Jalik
Asuna
Bruce
Amiri
Thistle
---

Bruce will open the door to allow the heavy hitters access to the room.

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Thistle watches Bruce open the door, and expecting more combat, takes a moment to give his companions a slight advantage.

Cast bless

Each ally gains a +1 morale bonus on attack rolls and on saving throws against fear effects.

"Thanks for the cypher! Now be a nice Bugbear and go to sleep!"
Asuna says as she casts sleep in the room.
Dc 18 will save on him