Good news, the way remove curse interacts with geas is unique. In the rules, it's not a caster level check, like dispel magic. The caster level of the remove curse simply needs to be two levels higher than that of the geas, and the geas is gone. The author realized that this probably wouldn't happen, so they allow any level remove curse to work.
As Valdek casts his spell, a strange look comes over the naga for a moment. He then simply nods and then slides past you, clearly intent on leaving. You hear gasps form the huddled townsfolk above, but no sounds of strife. It seems the naga has gone.
HP 79/79 (97/97 raging), Init +2, AC: 19 22, T: 12, FF: 19, CMD: 21 (-2 for Rage), F: +12, R: +5, W: +9, (+4 vs Wind, +2 vs Spells, Poison, +2 vs Party Spells, immune to fog/mist/smoke, Protect from Evil) Perception +10 <Darkvision 60ft, Heightened Continual Flame>, CG Asgardian (dwarf) Warpriest 6/Blood Rager 3 Avenger 9, Mjolnir: +8/+3, 2d6+12, Ranged: +11/+6, 2d6+7 (20/x2) B
"How rude. . . At least on more civilized realms like Midgard, one normally gets a thank you."
If no one does otherwise after a few minutes, I'll pick up the book on the right and "Klaatu Barada N... Necktie... Neckturn... Nickel... It's an "N" word, it's definitely an "N" word! Klaatu... Barada... N... cough, cough, cough" it.
Male Gnome Arc11 | hp 76/76 | Init +4 | AC 18/14, T: 14, FF: 18 | CMB +4, CMD 16 | F +10 R +9 W +11 (+2 vs. writng-related) | Prcptn +0, SM +0 |
Lazlo watches the dark naga slither away, all the while writing furiously in his book. I hope I can capture that being's likeness from memory...
Shortly, though, his short-attention-span-theater mind remembers the tomes! OH![/]b he exclaims. [b]Oh yes! That's what I was going to do before Carnag interrupted me! Er, I mean, us!
He scurries back over to the books, casting detect magic and deciding to start on the left, working right, concentrating to discern the auras.
Lazlo detects no auras. Just as Thor is about to reach for the first tome, he notices a cunning trap!
Each book is made of a different shiny yellow metal. They are connected to an electrical battery, set to shock anyone touching the books.
Ok, so you can disable the trap. You can use knowledge religion to determine which type of metal the genuine book would be. Then you can use either a knowledge check or something else *hint* to ID the metal of each book.
|AC 18, T 18, FF 15|HP: 85/85|F+9, R+12, W+13 (+4 vs death,+2 vs gaz/poi/elc/chm/cmp,+1 vs Tran/fea/cnf/aci/cld/fir/glyph)|Init +7, Per +24|CMB +7 CMD 20 (+2 vs grp)|15/15 Fly 15/15 AoP 1/1 Lv 1/1 Spx 1/1 SoR 3/3 Bt 1/1 Wg
Vladek catches up with Thor and Lazlo and takes a moment to appreciate the trap Thor has spotted.
"Yes, well...that's a bit of Arodenite innovation on display for us, isn't it?"
Vladek quickly recalls that ancient Arondenits favored brass. Using his vast knowledge of underground/subterranian things, he can tell that the tome at the center is made of brass. The others are made of bronze and gold.
Sorry, I didn't call out that skill because you got a rod from the Assayer's office that would have automatically detected it.
And because I missed this before...
Thor sees hair-thin wires running from the bronze and gold books to the battery, but not to the brass one.
Good thing since brass is a poor conductor!
The group removes the book and the group studies it. The Tome of Memory speaks in great detail about an army of Taldan soldiers and its travels throughout Cheliax, clearing the local populations for Taldan settlers.
They read the text:
"To my eternal shame and horror, I realized the impact of our western presence upon these peoples and their abhorrence of us all too late. I thought we were to bring enlightenment and the empowering words of Aroden to confused and grateful savages, but again and again I see entire villages choosing death over submission to our civilized ways.
And here, in these unnamed mountains, I have witnessed t he most abominable of horrors: the shattered remnants of an entire culture falling to worship of a most hideous sort, and bargains with the unspeakable terrors of Hell.
So desperate were these Kellid gentlefolk to rid themselves of us, so great was their hate, that they sold their eternal souls to summon for th Nicoroux, the Greedy Twilight, a pit fiend of incredible might. Uncontrolled, the fiend tore an unholy swathe through both our men and the Kellids’, slaughtering soldier and child alike. My faith, and that of my acolytes, proved insignificant against her, and we could not muster the will to return the beast to her fiery home. I shall regret what we chose instead: to forever bind the devil in this valley and condemn ourselves and our descendants to watch over her resting place_to bolster the weakness of our present spirits with lifetimes of service from the unborn.
May Aroden forgive me. Praised be the Last Azlant. Amen."
The tome describes in great detail everything you need to do to restore Nicoroux’s prison. Essentially, the bars must be taken to the center of Silver Tarn, then individually recharged with divine energy (channeling or heal spells) and cast into the water.
HP 79/79 (97/97 raging), Init +2, AC: 19 22, T: 12, FF: 19, CMD: 21 (-2 for Rage), F: +12, R: +5, W: +9, (+4 vs Wind, +2 vs Spells, Poison, +2 vs Party Spells, immune to fog/mist/smoke, Protect from Evil) Perception +10 <Darkvision 60ft, Heightened Continual Flame>, CG Asgardian (dwarf) Warpriest 6/Blood Rager 3 Avenger 9, Mjolnir: +8/+3, 2d6+12, Ranged: +11/+6, 2d6+7 (20/x2) B
Just for the record, I wouldn't really care and would have still picked up the other book if the others didn't. Electricity is cool :P
Ok, I've been confused this whole time and just figured it out, thinking the ingots, bars, and bricks where all different things. Ingots are just pieces of melted and reshaped metal (or other material). They are most commonly done as coins, plates, or balls, but it's also common as cylinders ("rods") or even like gold bars. For whatever reason I had been assuming that the ingot was a small multifaceted nugget or coin, not sure why.
"So, lets get these things over to the lake for some sort of ancient blessing, yes."
Knowledge in hand, the party climbs the stairs to the first floor of the temple...
The ruined temple stands in even greater disarray than before. In the center — thrusting a glittering, silver nugget into his coat — stands the dwarf Stom Dolock. Not only stands, but does so at a current height of nearly nine feet!
His hollow eyes glare in undisguised lust at the sparkling Tome of Memory. "A damn shame, lads… They, these fools. They kinna hear her sweet voice. It jangles like honeyed coins in my ears, and her coming is a gift unto the world. But she talks to me, now. She tells me of the beautiful fortunes come due when she awakes. The Lady of Blood and Fortune stirs in her sleep, roused by that handsome journal you’ve found.'
His neck cracks unnaturally to one side, then the other.
"How’s about you turn over that fortune and any of those silver bricks you have?"
|AC 18, T 18, FF 15|HP: 85/85|F+9, R+12, W+13 (+4 vs death,+2 vs gaz/poi/elc/chm/cmp,+1 vs Tran/fea/cnf/aci/cld/fir/glyph)|Init +7, Per +24|CMB +7 CMD 20 (+2 vs grp)|15/15 Fly 15/15 AoP 1/1 Lv 1/1 Spx 1/1 SoR 3/3 Bt 1/1 Wg
The "+3" refers to Qadathra's initiative modifier, in the event that it matters.
HP 79/79 (97/97 raging), Init +2, AC: 19 22, T: 12, FF: 19, CMD: 21 (-2 for Rage), F: +12, R: +5, W: +9, (+4 vs Wind, +2 vs Spells, Poison, +2 vs Party Spells, immune to fog/mist/smoke, Protect from Evil) Perception +10 <Darkvision 60ft, Heightened Continual Flame>, CG Asgardian (dwarf) Warpriest 6/Blood Rager 3 Avenger 9, Mjolnir: +8/+3, 2d6+12, Ranged: +11/+6, 2d6+7 (20/x2) B
Just a heads up, Xiaobo was hit pretty hard with the Paizo update because he is deployed. He can still check in, but it's been very uncommon. May need to bot him. I know with this character he likes to rush in and trip a lot.
On my turn.
Calling on a burst of strength, I'll whirl my hammer about and send it flying, holding onto the cord to be pulled along with it for a short while, then in the air, sending the hammer flying at the massive dwarf, calling it back and catching it in the air at the last moment as he lands.
|AC 18, T 18, FF 15|HP: 85/85|F+9, R+12, W+13 (+4 vs death,+2 vs gaz/poi/elc/chm/cmp,+1 vs Tran/fea/cnf/aci/cld/fir/glyph)|Init +7, Per +24|CMB +7 CMD 20 (+2 vs grp)|15/15 Fly 15/15 AoP 1/1 Lv 1/1 Spx 1/1 SoR 3/3 Bt 1/1 Wg
Vladek gives Stom the Evil Eye. Make a DC 21 Will save or take a -4 penalty to attack rolls for 10 rounds. Success reduces it to 1 round.
While Vladek more subtly assaults the giant dwarf's spirit, Qadathra points a wand of red gold shaped like a dragon's maw at him, and from it erupts a blazing azure beam.
wand of scorching ray ranged touch attack:1d20 + 9 ⇒ (3) + 9 = 12 fire damage:4d6 ⇒ (6, 5, 6, 1) = 18
Male 72/72 HP, AC:28[-ki], T: 24, FF: 21, CMD: 30,F: +11, R: +15, W: +14, LN Male Human Lvl 9 Manuever Master, Lvl 1 Memory Inquisitor, Init +7, Pereption +17,Attack +14 (2d6+14, x2)Trip/Disarm/Grapple +21, 20, 14Bane:5/5 Ki Pool:11/12 Judgement 1/1 Domain Power 4/7 Stunning Fist9/9
sorry for lack of posting. New update really long hours and being on other side of workd have prevented me from keeping up. I am re reading and will be able to post frequently till tues and from their we will see
Roary won initiative. He went first in Round 1 followed by the bad guy. Then all of you went. Xiaobo tripped Stom. Thor threw his hammer. Lazlo, Vladek and Qadathra worked some bad juju. Now it's the top of Round 2 and Roary's turn. Next is the bad guy, so if no word from Roary in 24 hrs he'll get botted too. Prob a full attack v. Prone target.
HP 79/79 (97/97 raging), Init +2, AC: 19 22, T: 12, FF: 19, CMD: 21 (-2 for Rage), F: +12, R: +5, W: +9, (+4 vs Wind, +2 vs Spells, Poison, +2 vs Party Spells, immune to fog/mist/smoke, Protect from Evil) Perception +10 <Darkvision 60ft, Heightened Continual Flame>, CG Asgardian (dwarf) Warpriest 6/Blood Rager 3 Avenger 9, Mjolnir: +8/+3, 2d6+12, Ranged: +11/+6, 2d6+7 (20/x2) B
Another buff wasted. :P
Snagging the other silverfish bar from the inside of his coat, "Didn't the book say that we need to take these to the center of town and invest them with divine power. I can oblige on that."
Did it indicate if it needed to be recharged at the center of Silver Tarn or can I do that now and take them there? I mean, as far as we can tell.
Soon after passing out from his wounds, Stom begins to shrink to his usual size. He countenance changes, and he looks less crazed and angry, more like the stern, but fair, dwarf you met at the pub.
|AC 18, T 18, FF 15|HP: 85/85|F+9, R+12, W+13 (+4 vs death,+2 vs gaz/poi/elc/chm/cmp,+1 vs Tran/fea/cnf/aci/cld/fir/glyph)|Init +7, Per +24|CMB +7 CMD 20 (+2 vs grp)|15/15 Fly 15/15 AoP 1/1 Lv 1/1 Spx 1/1 SoR 3/3 Bt 1/1 Wg
Vladek looks at Stom strangely, wondering why he attacked them.
Detect magic; I'm wondering if he's been enchanted or something.
He definitely pings. I hope that its OK, but I will do a bit of fast-forwarding.
Vladek detects a strong enchantment aura.
Though unconscious, Stom is still breathing. He coughs and chokes as a trickle of black water pours from his mouth and slithers toward the temple’s barricaded door.
Once revived, only the most vague memories of the past half-hour remain in Stom’s mind, and all he can describe is an overwhelming covetousness.
As for re-sealing the demon's prison, you recall the information gleaned from the plates.
To reseal the circle, each ingot must be re-enchanted individually and tossed into the lake, near its center. The ingots won’t hold a divine charge for more than a few seconds unless dropped into the ritual space, meaning they can’t be prepared ahead of time.
The Ritual:
1. Draw the Ingot: Readying an ingot works just like drawing a weapon. It requires a move action and does not provoke an attack of opportunity. Characters with the Quick Draw feat may retrieve an ingot as a free action.
2. Charging the Ingot: An ingot must be charged with divine energy to do any good. Charging requires channeling positive energy, casting any cure spell (from a wand should work), or pouring a cure potion over the ingot. A character can instead charge an ingot by holding both it and the Tome of Memory (occupying both their hands), reciting the prayers within, and succeeding a DC 25 Knowledge (arcana or religion) check as a standard action.
The spell or channeled energy is entirely diverted into the ingot and provides none of its usual benefits. An ingot only retains its charge for 2 rounds unless cast into the lake.
3. Casting the Ingot: The exact placement of the ingots is unimportant; they simply all need to rest at the bottom of the lake, relatively close to their original location. Throwing a charged ingot overboard requires a move action. Should an ingot somehow be dropped into the tarn without being recharged, it can be recovered with a DC 25 Swim check.
Assuming you proceed to the lake.
Though relative peace marked the journey to the lake, finally arriving at its black, stagnant shore seems to have invited a horde of tarnspawn, gathered at the barest edge of vision through the dense fog. For the first time all night, they stand silent, staring out over the water, waiting.
Nearby, a creaking wooden dock reaches out over the tarn. Two fishing boats of questionable quality bob in the quiet. The only sound to penetrate the blanket of mist is the quiet lap of water against their faded sides.
HP 79/79 (97/97 raging), Init +2, AC: 19 22, T: 12, FF: 19, CMD: 21 (-2 for Rage), F: +12, R: +5, W: +9, (+4 vs Wind, +2 vs Spells, Poison, +2 vs Party Spells, immune to fog/mist/smoke, Protect from Evil) Perception +10 <Darkvision 60ft, Heightened Continual Flame>, CG Asgardian (dwarf) Warpriest 6/Blood Rager 3 Avenger 9, Mjolnir: +8/+3, 2d6+12, Ranged: +11/+6, 2d6+7 (20/x2) B
Same here. The easy way would simply be to have me and Roary fly there, I charge them and drop them from 1,000,000 ft up. But, I'm not trying to make it a walkthrough scenario. Can anyone else consistently use any means of Channeling/Healing each round? Remember UMD needs a check to make it and it's likely that we will be in some sort of trouble to make that not optimal. If not, I can, Channel and then use my wand, but that probably means that's all I'm doing. Move action to draw and standard to cast, then a move action to drop and another to draw. Standard to charge, move to drop, etc. . .
|AC 18, T 18, FF 15|HP: 85/85|F+9, R+12, W+13 (+4 vs death,+2 vs gaz/poi/elc/chm/cmp,+1 vs Tran/fea/cnf/aci/cld/fir/glyph)|Init +7, Per +24|CMB +7 CMD 20 (+2 vs grp)|15/15 Fly 15/15 AoP 1/1 Lv 1/1 Spx 1/1 SoR 3/3 Bt 1/1 Wg
Wait, how exactly would flying work? Is there dry land to reach in the middle of the lake, or what?
I wonder if my Healing Hex would work for this?
Also, Thor: Careful, 1,000,000 feet up = about 189 miles up, which, assuming Golarion's atmosphere is comparable in size to Earth's, would place you in the void of outer space. :P
|AC 18, T 18, FF 15|HP: 85/85|F+9, R+12, W+13 (+4 vs death,+2 vs gaz/poi/elc/chm/cmp,+1 vs Tran/fea/cnf/aci/cld/fir/glyph)|Init +7, Per +24|CMB +7 CMD 20 (+2 vs grp)|15/15 Fly 15/15 AoP 1/1 Lv 1/1 Spx 1/1 SoR 3/3 Bt 1/1 Wg
Even in that case, I doubt the silver bars would survive reentry....
|AC 18, T 18, FF 15|HP: 85/85|F+9, R+12, W+13 (+4 vs death,+2 vs gaz/poi/elc/chm/cmp,+1 vs Tran/fea/cnf/aci/cld/fir/glyph)|Init +7, Per +24|CMB +7 CMD 20 (+2 vs grp)|15/15 Fly 15/15 AoP 1/1 Lv 1/1 Spx 1/1 SoR 3/3 Bt 1/1 Wg
Yes, and the silver bars aren't. Anyways, anyone else got ideas/suggestions? Should I try casting augury to see if those boats are safe? Did anyone see my post in the Discussion thread already proposing that? Is there a little island in the middle of the lake, or what? What were Jodie and Benson up to in the basement last night? Confused? You won't be...next time Below the Silver Tarn!
No island or land of any kind in the middle. Also, the bars need to hit the water within 2 rounds or they lose their charge. So you could fly from a couple hundred feet up, but not more.
|AC 18, T 18, FF 15|HP: 85/85|F+9, R+12, W+13 (+4 vs death,+2 vs gaz/poi/elc/chm/cmp,+1 vs Tran/fea/cnf/aci/cld/fir/glyph)|Init +7, Per +24|CMB +7 CMD 20 (+2 vs grp)|15/15 Fly 15/15 AoP 1/1 Lv 1/1 Spx 1/1 SoR 3/3 Bt 1/1 Wg
Gotcha. I was worried I'd missed something. So, is everyone onboard with flying? Maybe we could fly, but bring a boat along as a 'safety net;' somebody who can't fly could row it, and Thor could rescue them if it sinks.
HP 79/79 (97/97 raging), Init +2, AC: 19 22, T: 12, FF: 19, CMD: 21 (-2 for Rage), F: +12, R: +5, W: +9, (+4 vs Wind, +2 vs Spells, Poison, +2 vs Party Spells, immune to fog/mist/smoke, Protect from Evil) Perception +10 <Darkvision 60ft, Heightened Continual Flame>, CG Asgardian (dwarf) Warpriest 6/Blood Rager 3 Avenger 9, Mjolnir: +8/+3, 2d6+12, Ranged: +11/+6, 2d6+7 (20/x2) B
Just to be clear, all of my ooc text is out of character joking. My only hangup on flying is making it too easy and hogging the spotlight which is not my intent at all. Another thing is I would need an extra hand once Im out of channeling. 1 to fly, 1 to draw the bar, and 1 to use my wand. I might be able to spontaneous cast cures. Unsure
|AC 18, T 18, FF 15|HP: 85/85|F+9, R+12, W+13 (+4 vs death,+2 vs gaz/poi/elc/chm/cmp,+1 vs Tran/fea/cnf/aci/cld/fir/glyph)|Init +7, Per +24|CMB +7 CMD 20 (+2 vs grp)|15/15 Fly 15/15 AoP 1/1 Lv 1/1 Spx 1/1 SoR 3/3 Bt 1/1 Wg
HP 79/79 (97/97 raging), Init +2, AC: 19 22, T: 12, FF: 19, CMD: 21 (-2 for Rage), F: +12, R: +5, W: +9, (+4 vs Wind, +2 vs Spells, Poison, +2 vs Party Spells, immune to fog/mist/smoke, Protect from Evil) Perception +10 <Darkvision 60ft, Heightened Continual Flame>, CG Asgardian (dwarf) Warpriest 6/Blood Rager 3 Avenger 9, Mjolnir: +8/+3, 2d6+12, Ranged: +11/+6, 2d6+7 (20/x2) B
Fervor, Channel Energy (x2), and Swift casting all use the same pool. I can only do that 5/Day, and I know I've already spent 2 or 3. So I'm going to need either normal casting or a wand for about half of the ingots is what I'm saying. Now, Roary and I could go do it with ease, but there wouldn't be any need or reason for anyone else, who would make it difficult or impossible. And that's what I want to avoid, excluding everyone. I don't mind channeling divine power round after round when you all protect me. I just don't want to steal the spotlight while everyone else sits there and does nothing.
Spoiler alert! It might be good to all go together, or at least close to it. Again, sub-orbital altitude will specifically not work. You'll need a hand free to hold an ingot, then another hand to cast (touching your holy symbol) or use a wand. So if Thor needs to be holding Mjolnir to stay flying, that may not work. The last encounter is not traditional, and creative solutions are fine - but I'd like to see this to its conclusion, so if no consensus is reached I'll throw all of you on the boat.
|AC 18, T 18, FF 15|HP: 85/85|F+9, R+12, W+13 (+4 vs death,+2 vs gaz/poi/elc/chm/cmp,+1 vs Tran/fea/cnf/aci/cld/fir/glyph)|Init +7, Per +24|CMB +7 CMD 20 (+2 vs grp)|15/15 Fly 15/15 AoP 1/1 Lv 1/1 Spx 1/1 SoR 3/3 Bt 1/1 Wg
"I don't suppose there's a carpenter among us, is there? Thor, you have a hammer. If you'll excuse me for a few moments...."
Uncertain of the boats' seaworthiness but realizing that they have few viable options for executing their plan outside of using them, Vladek pulls a bundle of finely carved bones and an incense candle that wouldn't look out of place if used in Starstone Cathedral, hunches over the ground, and begins performing an augury.
Chalk 25 gold off for the 1337 augur's incense, DM (although I will accept donations). It turns out that you make the success roll secretly. My chance of a successful augury is 78%, and my question, of course, is: What will happen if we trust in the seaworthiness of these boats?
|AC 18, T 18, FF 15|HP: 85/85|F+9, R+12, W+13 (+4 vs death,+2 vs gaz/poi/elc/chm/cmp,+1 vs Tran/fea/cnf/aci/cld/fir/glyph)|Init +7, Per +24|CMB +7 CMD 20 (+2 vs grp)|15/15 Fly 15/15 AoP 1/1 Lv 1/1 Spx 1/1 SoR 3/3 Bt 1/1 Wg
Ok, you guys may end up flying at least part way, but here we go.
The team board a boat and hauls oars for the lake's center. As you approach the center of the lake, the fog condenses into a powerful storm, tossing about anything on the tarn’s surface.
Casting spells requires a Concentration check (DC 15 + the spell’s level). Standing (in a boat or on the surface of the water via magic) requires a DC 15 Acrobatics check each round or a character is knocked prone.
The placid lake surface suddenly churns and roils, barely containing something massive. A reek of decay boils up from below, followed by a chest-shuddering scream. A figure of dripping, black water rises from the surface, flexing wings of algae and scum and glaring through empty, tarnished eyes. With unholy speed, the enormous forms leaps into the air and descends upon you.
