[PFS] GM Granta's #6-18: From Under Ice (2) (Inactive)

Game Master Granta

Sorry guys... ;) :P

I made a small adjust to the map because I mentioned before that Duskin was keeping his distance from the wolf.

The wayang interrupts his performance, as soon as the combat breaks, and starts a different one - making a Shadow Celestial Eagle appear in front of the wolf!

The Save DC is a 15 (Will) for disbelief, cutting its HP and damage to 20%

He immediately tells the eagle to attack with its smite, which the illusion animal does.

Using Smite Evil. If the Wolf is evil, please ignore any DR he might have, and add an extra +1 for damage

Bite: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (19) + 3 = 22
Damage: 1d4 ⇒ 3

Talon 1: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5
Damage: 1d4 ⇒ 4

Talon 2: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (15) + 3 = 18
Damage: 1d4 ⇒ 4

@Duskin: The outsider smite ability is different from the paladin one, it doesn't ignore DR.

Maps

Round 1
Effects none

• Rigrory - 1 damage
  
• Zhatara - 11 damage?
  
• Korug -
  
• Berato - 11 damage?, divine favor
  
• Hskroto - 11 damage?
  
• ---Round 2---
  
• Duskin -

Duskin quickly summons a heavenly bird of prey, but Rigrory instantly notices its lack of scent and ignores the creature, even as it strikes him twice.

The wolf hops forward and exhales a blast of freezing, rancid breath at the Pathfinders

@Berato, Hskroto & Zhatara: Reflex for half damage. Does anybody have cold resistance?

Everybody is up.

Zhatara drank a potion before but I don't know if the effect is still up. That said I doubt Zhatara would have placed herself directly into the wolf's jaws so to speak. Anyway...

Reflex Save: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (16) + 5 = 21

Zhatara tries to avoid the icy blast from the white wolf then steps away and casts a spell in return sending a thousand shining lights cascading on the canine creature...

5 ft step and cast color spray DC 16 to resist

@Zhatara: What potion and when? And the wolf stepped up to you, not vice versa.

@GM Granta: do I have improved cover from kneeling behind the rock? (also, did someone move me? I thought I was one to the left...)

Reflex save with Improved Cover: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (17) + 6 = 23

@Berato: the rock isn't even close to providing "improved cover"--that means being behind an arrow slit or something similar. You had regular cover relative to the wolf's original position, but lost that when he moved forward.

Kourg moves into position while drawing his polearm, and the numerous tattoos covering his body begin to glow white hot. He brings the blade of his bardiche down hard onto the wolf.

Raging

Attack: 1d20 + 10 - 1 ⇒ (18) + 10 - 1 = 271d10 + 9 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 9 + 3 = 17
Confirm: 1d20 + 10 - 1 ⇒ (7) + 10 - 1 = 161d10 + 9 + 3 ⇒ (7) + 9 + 3 = 19

[dice=Reflex save with Cover]1d20+4

Ok thanks GM Granta: changed the above to regular cover i.e. +2 to Ref save. I think the total is 21 using the original roll so save for half right? i.e. 5dmg?

reflex: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (14) + 1 = 15

The nagaji shakes off the cold as best he can then strikes back at the wolf.

Begin bloodrage. I need to move forward to attack but can't on my phone.

greatsword+destined strike-power attack+bloodrage: 1d20 + 6 + 1 - 1 + 2 ⇒ (17) + 6 + 1 - 1 + 2 = 25
damage+power attack+bloodrage: 2d6 + 6 + 3 + 3 ⇒ (4, 3) + 6 + 3 + 3 = 19

@Zhatara: Resist energy has way too short a duration to help with the weather, so you wouldn't have drank the potion.

Zhatara flashes the wolf with a billion bright lights, but it seems to have little effect on the dangerous creature. It doesn't fare so well against Korug though, as the half-orc breaks its spine with a single blow. The white body crumples to the snow, barely breathing.

After things have calmed down, you finally enter the tunnel and find intricate gilded stonework adorning the entrance, and a complex marble mosaic paving the floor. Arrow slits flank the north and south sides of the hall, but the north side has collapsed and is choked with rubble. On the eastern end, two 10-foot-tall marble statues of armored dwarves flank a fresco depicting an opulent throne room. The faces of the statues have been broken off.

Ice covers the floor. Characters must spend 2 squares of movement to enter a square covered by ice, and the DC for Acrobatics checks increases by 5. Note: this is a different effect than difficult terrain.

"Well... This should be the place. Let's start searching people" says Zhatara while scanning the complex

Perception check: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (2) + 5 = 7

channel on everyone: 1d6 ⇒ 4 pts. of healing.

Hskrota helps out with checking out the complex.

perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (2) + 6 = 8

Anything else before advancing?

With a flash of light, Berato heals most of the wounds people suffered from the wolf's breath. Hskrota and Zhatara begin searching the complex, but find nothing valuable or exciting.

Korug joins the others in exploring the old frozen town, trying to take his time and while not slipping on the ice.

Take 10 for 15 on Perception

Berato channels again to finish closing everyone's wounds.

channel on everyone: 1d6 ⇒ 3 pts. of healing.

After Berato heals the last of everybody's wounds, you move deeper into the complex and discover a cylindrical chamber covered in thousands of icicles. The outside edge forms a perfect circular curve, cutting into stone without mark of chisel or tool, impossibly smooth. Only places where ice flows over the stone, or where the structures have collapsed, mar the perfect precision of the cylinder. The remains of workshops and living spaces, still furnished, pea through holes in the cylindrical void. At the southern and western edges of the cavern, large portions of the stone and ice have collapsed, cutting into the immense void with piles of rubble.

The map isn’t even close to scale. This sphere is HUGE.

"Well... this' actually impressive... How do you even explain it? Any ideas? Uliyara? Does your people know anything of this?" asks Zhatara sounding pensive.

Berato moves next to the two doors and listens intently:

Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (8) + 8 = 16

Korug stands at the edge of the void and looks it over, "What could make such a place. I've never seen anything like it. I wonder if it has to do with this place being lost for so long." After staring in amazement for a bit, he follows Berato to check out the doors.

Uliyara knows nothing of this place, and Berato does not hear anything from beyond the doors.

Open a door or do something else first? If opening a door, please position your icons.

The nagaji sets up just outside the door, ready for it to be opened.

It looks like we are going to the left door first.

Zhatara waits for the others to open the door while carefully keeping herself out of immediate harm in case something dangerous happens...

Behind the left door, you find an abandoned guard post and several other rooms, but nothing valuable or interesting.

Next door?

"Let's try this next one since we are here." He listens for a moment before opening.

perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (15) + 6 = 21

Hskrota doesn't hear anything behind this door either, and opens it after a moment. He finds an abandoned apartment, with the last tenant frozen solid. A dwarf dressed in archaic, yet regal clothing stands just inside the doorway, encased in ice.

"Can one of you warm him up? I wonder if he would still be alive if he thawed out."

"I don't have any way to. Do we still have any of the clay left? That may work."

You have 5 bricks left.

If nobody pushes it forward by tomorrow, I'll roll to see what happens next.

"Good thinking, Korug." Hskrota fetches a brick of clay, attempting to melt the ice and release the ancient dwarf.

@Hskrota: Thank you :-)

Maps

Round 1
Effects none

• Vargrim -
  
• Hskrota - 7 damage, paralyzed?
  
• Berato -
  
• Duskin -
  
• Zhatara -
  
• Korug -

As soon as Hskrota steps into the room, the giant ice cube shatters and the temperature somehow drops to a painful level. Now free to move, the dwarf pounces on Hskrota, gashing the nagaji with a barbed claw.

Everybody is up. Fort save for Hskrota. If anybody ends their turn close to Vargrim, roll Fortitude to halve the cold damage.

fort: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (18) + 5 = 23

"Hey! I just saved you from your frozen tomb!" shouts Hskrota.

He strikes with the flat of his greatsword, trying to merely stun the dwarf.

attack-nonlethal: 1d20 + 6 - 4 ⇒ (11) + 6 - 4 = 13
nonlethal damage: 2d6 + 6 ⇒ (1, 2) + 6 = 9

"I don't think he's in the talking mood. Doesn't look very alive to me." Korug's tattoos and scars begin to glow white again, as he brings his polearm down on the icy dwarf.

Raging

Attack: 1d20 + 10 - 1 ⇒ (15) + 10 - 1 = 241d10 + 9 + 3 ⇒ (9) + 9 + 3 = 21

Zhatara moves near the door and touches Hskrota and implants her trick "Mesmeric Mirror" on him causing a duplicate of the Nagaji to appear next to him.

It works like mirror image

"Back up to the hallway if you're hurt!" announces Berato.

[Ready an action to heal someone; if anyone has a heal stick and wishes me to cast on them please let me know.]

Duskin moves forward. As the wayang stops, he mutters his shadow performance, making another Shadow Celestial Eagle appear - initially on the side of the enemy, but as Duskin commands it to attack, it 5-foot-steps to flank with Hskrota.

Save DC is 15 Will for disbelief cutting its HP and damage to 20%

As the eagle appears and positions to attack, it smites the enemy.

Bite: 1d20 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (19) + 3 + 2 = 24 Flank
Damage: 1d4 ⇒ 3 +1 if evil

Claw 1: 1d20 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 3 + 2 = 20 Flank
Damage: 1d4 ⇒ 3 +1 if evil

Claw 2: 1d20 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (7) + 3 + 2 = 12 Flank
Damage: 1d4 ⇒ 2 +1 if evil

Hskrota can't find the leverage to really hurt the dwarf, but still suffers some frostbite for his efforts. Duskin summons another shadowy eagle, but also isn't quite effective enough to cause any actual harm.

Zhatara moves to defend Hskrota with her magic, but Korug confidently steps up and ends the fight with a single thrust of his polearm.

-------

The dwarf’s pack contains a personal diary, but a detailed search shows up nothing else of note in the entire complex.

See the map link for the last entry of the diary, then place yourselves back at the entrance where you fought the winter wolf.

@Hskrota: Fort save to halve the cold damage.

fort: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (16) + 5 = 21

Hskrota asks for assistance with his wand.

clw x3: 3d8 + 3 ⇒ (1, 1, 2) + 3 = 7

Geez. Apparently the wand doesn't work in the cold.

"It sounds like whatever is beyond this strange wall got teleported somewhere? Strange doings."

"Yeah, since he made the decision to allow the sorceress Hao Jin to teleport a huge part of his clan hold away it seems this dwarf here was some sort of ruler but he tarried behind to save his son and got left here. Given how these events happened thousands of years ago I'd say he got turned ito some sort of undead or the like. An unfortunate fate, truly. And it's a pity he didn't have what we are searching on him." comments Zhatara as she prepares to get out of the complex.

"Hao Jin? I heard rumors of this ancient sorceress back at the Grand Lodge... evidence of her passage is all over the Society's archives... now, looking at these notes, it pleases me that this clan had Torag in high esteem... it gives me hope that something honorable can yet be uncovered during this blasted cold venture! We should rest, friends, so that I am better prepared against the cold tomorrow... what say you all?"

You won't have enough time or warmth to rest for the night.

Waiting at the mouth of the cavern, you find a jadwiga accompanied by one guard, an ice elemental and a white bear. She speaks to noone in particular, ”Identify yourselves! Who are you and why are you really here?”

"We came here to investigate Naldek's Point for the Pathfinder Society. And before we came here, we stopped in Dalun and were granted permission by the Baroness to investigate this place."

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (12) + 1 = 13

As my friend said... We're the Pathfinder Society and we come in peace. I am Duskin Veilsong. May I ask who we speak with? - says the Wayang, giving his best charismatic smile.

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (17) + 10 = 27

"That's who we are. What about you instead?" answers Zhatara eyeing the new arrivals suspiciously.

intimidate check: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (16) + 11 = 27

"Something does not add up. A raid on an Ulfen village by unidentified forces. A winter wolf who wanted to kidnap Uliyara for unknown reasons. An ancient dwarven undead inside the ruins but nothing of the stuff we came for. And now some other irriseni troops stumble on us in a place no one onbiously visited in centuries... What's really happening here? Are we being played?"

Seeing Zhatara about to escalate the situation right after Duskin diffused it, Uliyara speaks up on your behalf, "Peace, cousin. These are friends. They helped me return safely after the ambush at Whitethrone, and even protected me against Urgalaena's minions."

"Then they were not the ones who attacked your trade envoy?" Kiryena asks.

"No," Uliyara replies, "I suspect that was my dear aunt's work. Some of the attackers wore Saarbotten uniforms."

Once Kiryena realizes that her cousin is in no danger, her companions help you make camp for the night. Uliyara relates the full story of your adventure together in great detail and with tremendous skill, obviously an experienced storyteller. In the morning, she bids you farewell, but promises that you will meet again someday.