The professor hesitates briefly to flip through some of the research before waving a book at the others.
"Hogwash! Amateurs! They don't even show their work! Back in my day if we failed to show our work, they'd ask who your god was an kill him!"
The gnome continues to wave the book.
"It's true! That's how Aroden died, one of his worshippers failed to show his work!"
After being pacified (getting tired), the old gnome drops the book on the ground and shambles ahead towards the stairs, hopefully following someone larger and stronger than himself (anyone).
The stairs wind up to a door with a "Private Collection" sign painted on it. Even before you open it, you hear the strangest noises you've ever heard. The clanging of machines, associated with sounds of melting flesh and buzzing waves simply drown your ears as you penetrate into that room. A mosaic of the night sky and winter constellations covers the domed ceiling of this circular chamber. Rich embellishments fill the walls, and a plush carpet covers the floor. Heavy antique furniture has been overturned or broken, much of it incorporated into a series of sparking devices.
In the room, two creatures are standing. One is a robot much like the ones you've fought at the entrance of the museum, its spear lit with electricity and gazing at you with its immovable eyes. The second one makes you think - for a moment at least - that your quest is hopeless. A skinless body, raw flesh covered by wires, plugs and a metallic structure, moves around with a disfigured face, torn by pain and forced metamorphosis. There is something in this creature's eyes that plead for a swift death, yet you feel that deep inside he wishes to live and see the parasite out of his body.
Initiative - round 1 - bold may act!
1. Kalendir
2. Robot
3. George, Sad Rock, Tywin
4. Infested Pendleton
5. Professor F, Shahrazad
Knowledge (arcana) may actually be used to understand the parasite and identify it!
lets focus on the robot first and hope we can get that parasite out somehow. I'm guessing we should be ablee to rescue the poor lad somehow hope george rolls high on the knowledge ;)
Kalendir moves to the top of the stairs. Looking at the flayed man he grates an extreme hatred for the robots and lets loose a well aimed arrow at the creature.
Move action: Move to top of stairs
Standard action: Smite evil +2 Hit;damage;AC and Fire one arrow
Kalendir: Ah, alright! Though the robot didn't do that to Pendleton. Applying the attacks to the robot, then. The robot isn't evil either by the way.
Ref:1d20 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 = 8
Kalendir's arrow barely scratches the robot, and George's bomb doesn't do much more. Luckily, Tywin's spell renders the machine's spear slippery. The weapon falls to the ground!
George:
The creature infesting Pendleton is reminiscent of an ooze, but is actually made of thousands of diminutive constructs acting as one will. It is called a cyberplasm by the Numerians, where they can be found, albeit rarely. It can possess a human host and act through him, and while it does so, all damage the infested creature sustains is split equally between the actual host and the cyberplasm. The only ways of purging the host's body is if he dies, if he sustains electricity damage, or if he's hit by a remove disease spell. It isn't automatic, but relies on the host's resilience to kick the plasm out of his own body. Lastly, the host's body slowly decay as he's being infested, as it doesn't tolerate the parasite's presence well.
Initiative - round 1 - bold may act!
1. Kalendir
2. Robot
3. George, Sad Rock, Tywin
4. Infested Pendleton
5. Professor F, Shahrazad
Graxus shouts "Get ready to pick up the lighting spear when Tywin dismisses the spell and zap the man with it!" Not sure how it works if the spear is in the robots square though? Otherwise we have to get rid of the robot first and then use the spear to be able to do some lighting dmg. Unless someone has a lightning dmging spell on their hands?
We need to use a Remove Disease spell or electricity damage against the creature. The intricacies of the beast are too great to explain now. George yells to the party.
The robot doesn't get a Reflex save against the bomb, btw. If that is what the Reflex Save was for.
George: Tywin answered that one quicker than I did, though the effect was announced (the spear falling to the ground due to its slipperiness).
Tywin: The spear stopped emitting elecricity the moment the robot dropped it.
Sad Rock: Stairs aren't difficult terrain, and you're in front, not at the back. A 5-foot step (NE direction) would bring him into melee with the robot. If you wish to take it, you can even make an attack against the robot.
As Graxus moves past the robot, the machine gives a shove towards the eidolon, but misses. Graxus's sword is stopped by the gearman's armor.
AoO, Slam, PA:1d20 + 9 - 2 ⇒ (6) + 9 - 2 = 13
The infested creature moves into melee to flank George, but exposes his flank to Graxus and his rider. They both have reach, right? They may take an AoO against the infested one.
The tormented half-machine creature rakes at the alchemist with its claws. However, the attempt is feeble, and it fails.
Slam, flanking:1d20 + 8 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 8 + 2 = 14
Initiative - round 1 - bold may act!
1. Kalendir
2. Robot
3. George, Sad Rock (can retcon), Tywin
4. Infested Pendleton
5. Professor F, Shahrazad
Though Graxus misses greatly, Tywin has better luck and manages to set his lance just as the creature comes within reach and the creature impales itself on the lance.
AC 17 T 12 FF 15 | F +2 R +6 W +4 (+4 perf/sonic/lang-dep, +1 dazzled and nonlethalfrom heat) | resist 5 fire | Init +2 | Perc +6 | SM +12 | Perf: 13/19
"I have heard, O fortunate companions, that a soldier named al'Makan tried to sneak up on an enemy fortress and found outside an old woman who challenged anyone who passed by to wrestle with her. As it happens, a young woman was walking to the fortress and asking for entrance. . . . "
Inspire Courage: +1 attack/damage and +1 on saves against fear!
The professor waddles into the room amid much shouting and clanging and squints at the latest robot and the strange flayed man with some sort of parasitic exoskeleton attached.
"Disease removal you say? Lightning? Well, I've always found a bit of fire cures all ails..."
Waving his hands about he squints a bit harder.
"... although, perhaps you're right and it is lightning we need. Hmmmm..."
The old gnome tries to remember what he asked Brigh for this morning, besides a sweet end to his overly long life.
With little else to offer, he once again pulls out his happy stick and bestows a blessing of Brigh to the others.
"We'll uhh, need to drag him back to the temple to remove it! Did anyone bring uhh, rope?"
Ow yer, forgot about her, let's hope she has something we can use. Though we might be able to find something in the lower levels as well though. Since remove disease is a lvl 3 spell. I'm sure the makers included something somewhere.
Kalendir moves out of the way while the robot is busy. Quickly laying his hands on his burns he whispers a prayer to Erostil. The elven man's burns slowly heal a little bit.
Lay on Hands:1d6 ⇒ 5
Drawing his bow he lets loose an arrow that goes wide, clattering to the floor.
+1 Attack / Damage from point Blank Shot
Precise shot to eliminate -4 modifier for shooting into melee
Weapon Focus and Deadly Aim -2/+4
+1 att/dam-inspire courage
+ att bless
While Graxus misses, Tywin's lance strikes true and inflicts a wound that should have been deadly to the infested creature, yet it still stands.
While most of the Pathfinders prepare for a long-lasting battle, Kalendir escapes to take a shot at the robot, but the machine strikes the cowardly archer! Luckily for the paladin, the machine's mighty fists rip off his armor.
AoO, Combat Reflexes, PA:1d20 + 9 - 2 ⇒ (10) + 9 - 2 = 17
The robot then turns to George, answering the infested creature's silent call for tactical onslaught against the alchemist. The metal fist whistle above George's shoulder, missing it.
Slam, PA, flank:1d20 + 9 - 2 + 2 ⇒ (10) + 9 - 2 + 2 = 19
Initiative - round 2 - bold may act!
1. Kalendir
2. Robot
3. George, Sad Rock, Tywin & Graxus
4. Infested Pendleton
5. Professor F, Shahrazad
George leaps over the robot's fist as it swings at him and lands a few feet back. He draws a dose of Confabulation Powder out of his pocket. Provokes an attack of opportunity.
He throws the poison in Pendleton's face, hoping the poison will enter his system and hinder his movements. Provokes an attack of opportunity? I don't actually know on this one. I guess roll for DC 5 to hit a square and it's a ranged attack so it provokes?
Ranged - 5 AC:1d20 + 13 ⇒ (4) + 13 = 17
DC 20 - 1 min. / 2 min. - Staggered 1 min. / Becomes highly susceptible - 1 save
Graxus moves a diagonal step to the se and continues to pummel the robot. greatsword:1d20 + 5 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 5 + 2 = 12dmg:2d6 + 6 + 1 ⇒ (6, 3) + 6 + 1 = 16
Meanwhile Tywin casts his last grease at the posessed Pendleton, hoping to trip him up.
"Be ready to channel if Pendleton goes down dear clerical companion. We need to keep him alive."
Actually, as dmg is split between the two and the ooze is a construct of sorts I guess, couldn't we save the lad by healing him and damaging him at the same time? Pendleton will get healed of his dmg while the construct does not as they are immune to positive and negative dmg. In which case I'd say try it ou :)
Sad Rock tries to smash the robot, but his blow is too slow and the construct avoids it entirely. Graxus's swing meets the same fate.
George: Archives of Nathys's entry on Confabulation Powder mentions DC 18 and staggered as the effect (susceptible only if already staggered, which is not the case yet). Your Concentrate poison ability would explain the +2 DC, but it requires two doses of poison, 1 minute of concentration, and the concentrated dose only lasts for an hour (after which it becomes ruined). Could you point out what allows your poison to have DC 20 instead of 18, please? It doesn't change anything for the outcome of your action, I'm just curious to see if I missed something.
As George draws a small vial of gas from his pockets, Pendleton hits him mercilessly.
AoO:1d20 + 8 ⇒ (4) + 8 = 12
The infested Pendleton attempts to hold his breath, but it is too late - he has breathed a whiff of the poison already and starts coughing. At the same time, Tywin conjures another patch of grease under the creature's abnormal feet, but Pendleton keeps his footing. He slams his fist into Tywin, now certain that George must be invulnerable.
Slam:1d20 + 8 ⇒ (16) + 8 = 241d4 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5
Initiative - round 2/3 - bold may act!
1. Kalendir
2. Robot
3. George, Sad Rock, Tywin & Graxus
4. Infested Pendleton (staggered)
5. Professor F, Shahrazad
unless he has reach he must still make an acrobatics dc 10 check to reach me and possibly fall down if he falls correct? Think it counts as difficult terrain.
Kalendir brushes his hand over the burn once again healing a bit more of the skin. Steadying himself he fires two arrows at the chunk of magical metal as he is final out of it's grasp.
+1 Attack / Damage from point Blank Shot
Precise shot to eliminate -4 modifier for shooting into melee
-2 modifier for rapid shot to fire an extra arrow
Weapon Focus and Deadly Aim -2/+4
+1 Att/Dam- Inspire Courage
+1 Att- Bless
My mistake. Should be a +1 to Poison DC from the feat Poison Focus, so DC 19. Mind blanked on the difference of Poison Focus and Concentrate. Need to stop watching 30 Rock while I update threads.... >.> Also, the way I write it is "Initial Effect / Secondary Effect", so yes. He would just be staggered at this point.
AC 17 T 12 FF 15 | F +2 R +6 W +4 (+4 perf/sonic/lang-dep, +1 dazzled and nonlethalfrom heat) | resist 5 fire | Init +2 | Perc +6 | SM +12 | Perf: 13/19
"The old woman challenged the younger one to a wrestling match. The young woman found the old lady surprisingly strong and the match was an intense one, until the young woman threw her elder to the ground, at which point the elder's dress few up, exposing her backside from which escaped a mighty wind...."*
Shahrazad then lets a mighty blast on her flute to emphasize the point!
piercing shriek: DC 16 Fort save or staggered for 4 rounds.
Inspire courage: +1 attack and damage and +1 on saves against fear!
*These are basically summaries out of 1001 Arabian Nights by the way, I'm not making them up. And elaborate metaphors about flatulence abound in some of the stories....
Acrobatics DC 10 to reach Tywin:1d20 + 1 ⇒ (18) + 1 = 19 While it isn't called out specifically in the spell as "difficult terrain", it costs double to move across like difficult terrain so I tend to adjudicate it can be assimilated as such. So he will move to you, which provokes by the way, but not attack yet.
Kalendir's second arrow manages to make a slight dent in the robot's armor, whereas the first one bounces off it.
Shahrazad illustrates her inspiring story with magic, affecting the robot with it. The machine starts acting weird, slowed down by the power of the Keleshite tale-teller's words.
Fort save:1d20 + 1 ⇒ (12) + 1 = 13
Graxus is too focussed at his positioning that he missed Pendleton. Tywin however manages to set his lance at the right time and pierces Pendleton again.
Tywin's lance pierces the infested creature's flank, which starts oozing drops of silver goo.
The robot pounds on Sad Rock with a single fist of metal, but the machine is slow and the blow is easily avoided.
Slam, PA:1d20 + 9 - 2 ⇒ (3) + 9 - 2 = 10
Initiative - round 3 - bold may act!
1. Kalendir
2. Robot
3. George, Sad Rock, Tywin & Graxus
4. Infested Pendleton (staggered)
5. Professor F, Shahrazad
Graxus roars at the professor "Gnome, fire a burst of positive energy, we need to keep Penderton alive and it might not affect the metal possessing him. Keep a close eye to see if it works."
+1 Attack / Damage from point Blank Shot
Precise shot to eliminate -4 modifier for shooting into melee
-2 modifier for rapid shot to fire an extra arrow
Weapon Focus and Deadly Aim -2/+4
+1 Att/dam -Inspire Courage
+1 att- Bless
