[PFS] GM Lithrac's Thornkeep, part I - The Accursed Halls (Inactive)

Game Master Cyril Corbaz

The last goblin on the upper floor moves hastily and carelessly on the ledge to find a better spot to shoot:
Acrobatics: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 2 = 17
However hard to believe as it might be, the cursed creature doesn't fall off, and aims another arrow at Cutter.

On the ground floor, the remaining goblin tries to stand up, letting his guard down. Rellen, Nightrunner & Cutter get an AoO against him, AC 16, 3 hp left.

Initiative order - round 2
Goblins (acted)
Floggentop <
Caradeum <
Rellen <
Cutter (3 damage) & Nightrunner (2 damage) <
Choamski <
Knorrin <
Everybody can act!

Wizzy pulls his crossbow and fires at the remaining Goblin up top..

Attack+Inspire: 1d20 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 3 + 1 = 6
Damage+Inspire: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 9

But the bolt instead bounces off the ledge he's standing on..

Seeing an opportunity, Caradeum's hand darts to his quiver as he grabs an arrow and fires at the upper goblin.

Attack: 1d20 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (9) + 4 + 1 = 14
Damage: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7

Rellen casually beheads the rising goblin and then sheaths his sword again only to pull it free and send a scabbard flying for the goblin on the ledge, but cannot connect with the nimble monster. He sheaths his sword again snarling.

Greatsword AOO: 1d20 + 5 + 1 + 4 ⇒ (14) + 5 + 1 + 4 = 24Damage: 2d6 + 6 + 1 ⇒ (4, 2) + 6 + 1 = 13
Fling Scabbard: 1d20 + 4 + 1 - 2 ⇒ (9) + 4 + 1 - 2 = 12Damage: 1d6 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 4 + 1 = 9 Range increment 10ft. I've assumed within 20 please add minuses as appropriate.

We see no obvious way get up there? Also, do you think it's possible to have Nightrunner move to the goblin corpse with my 1st chakram in it, Cutter retrieve it as a move action and then throw it as a standard action?

Cutter, you see a flight of stairs in the Southeastern wall of the room. Sure, I'll allow that action.

Choamski moves and shoots

... but his shot goes astray.

Bolt recovery: 1d100 ⇒ 74

Cutter and Nightrunner do that then :)

Chakram attack: 1d20 + 5 + 1 ⇒ (14) + 5 + 1 = 20
Damage: 1d6 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 + 1 = 8

Damn if he isn't a little murder machine today! :)

The chakram hits its target once again, and the lifeless goblin falls down at your feet.

End combat

Searching the goblins will yield a pouch containing 60 gold pieces, a magical potion (Detect Magic and Spellcraft, or Perception to identify), and a small gold ring with an emerald.

If anyone in interested about the statues, they can make a Knowledge (the planes) check.

Your attention is quickly drawn to the Door of Seven Stars in the southern wall. It looks exactly as the drawing you got from the Goldenfire order: seven thumb-sized sockets are embedded in the door, arranged in a ring around a starburst design.

Caradeum detects for magic on the potion and tries to decipher what it is.

Spellcraft: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (3) + 7 = 10

:Afterwards, he takes out a wand and taps himself with it. Mage Armor

Knorrin looks at the potion, prays for Guidance and then casts Detect Magic, studying the auras carefully.
Spellcraft: 1d20 + 6 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 6 + 1 = 13
Alas, he has no more luck than Caradeum.

If one of the goblins is only marginally injured Choamski will stabilize him.

Choamski takes a good whiff of the potion.

Wizzy pulls his wand.. "Anyone hurt?" Seeing Cutter injured he moves over and taps him with the wand..

Cure Light: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4

Rellen retrieves his scabbards, ensures that all of his weapons are scrupulously clean and then stalks over to the door. Taking care not to touch it he examine sit in detail and only then pulls out his thieves tools and begins attempting to open it,

I'm going to take twenty for a 25, just in case.

Cutter thanks Wizzy, and retrieves his chakrams, investigating the balcony while Rellen examines the door.

Stealth: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (8) + 6 = 14
Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (20) + 8 = 28

Choamski looks at the door.

I'm guessing the top bit has astrological or astronomical significance. What about those 8 symbols on the trapezohedron at the apex of the door? Mean anything to anyone?

Door pic from earlier

"Not a blasted thing, but then I'm a simple man, steel is far easier to comprehend than theology or magic," Rellen replies, carefully sliding out his picks.

Cutter, the balcony is about ten feet above your head, how do you go up there?

The gnomes' reknown sense of smell is a well-proven fact. With a single whiff, Choamski is able to reveal the potion to be a curative one (cure light wounds).

As for the door, the gnome is unable to make out any sense of the various runes and drawings, unfortunately. The same door has no lock, hence Rellen's tools will prove useless in this situation. As you compare it to the scroll, you remember what notes the apprentice had written next to it:

The scroll shows a ring of small circles in the center of the door, with a scribbled note next to the highest circle in Jharun’s hand that reads “Red star?”

Is there a red star currently in the door in that spot?

No, there isn't. The seven sockets are currently empty, but it looks like you could insert an object the size of a thumb in them.

I assumed the SE stairs went up to that level, and follow them up.

They aren't connected. You can reach there with other means though (if you have a grappling hook and a rope, for example).

"Anyone have a grappling hook and rope?" Cutter asks his fellow Pathfinders.

"I do," responds Knorrin, bringing out a grappling hook attached to 50' of pre-knotted silk rope. "Here you are."

"And everyone keep an eye out for any thumb-sized objects that may be missing pieces or keys to the door."

"Many thanks Knorrin!" Cutter takes the equipment and tosses the grappling hook up to the balcony, securing it for a climb. He leaves his trident on Nightrunner, but has a terbutje over his shoulder and a chakram on his belt.

Cutter commands the wolf before he climbs.

Not sure if I need to make a check to secure the grappling hook.

Climb: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (1) - 1 = 0 lol - epic! Assuming failing by 5 or more on a DC 5 climb check he's just starting still means no falling...

Climb: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (4) - 1 = 3 ok - getting the feeling that climbing may not be in Cutter's future.

Climb: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (19) - 1 = 18

Nightrunner blinks and stays obediently behind, looking out for any trouble that might arise. After a few tries, Cutter manages to climb onto the balcony above his companions' head. There, two doors are closed on the northwest and northeast walls, and stairs climb down in the southeastern wall.

Rellen climbs easily up to the balcony ignoring the rope, an old hand at climbing rigging its much easier when you don't need to throw up constantly.

Taking 10 for a 17 on climb.

Cutter quickly searches the dead goblins, retrieves his other chakram, and listens at each door and the staircase in turn. Take 10 on each for 18 if possible, otherwise

Rellen follows Cutter moving stealthily and listening with the wolf rider.

Perception NE Door: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (18) + 3 = 21
Perception Stairs: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6

Can you aide another with perception? Seems like a weird idea, but if its possible I guess that is what Rellen is trying to do, um, leg up?

Caradeum slings his bow on his shoulder and climbs up the rope.

T10 for 11

"It looks like we're going up," says Knorrin after giving enough time for the scouts to listen. Shouldering his shield, he cautiously climbs the knotted rope.
Taking 10 for a 6, just above the knotted rope DC.

Rellen, Knorrin, Cutter and Caradeum find their way to the upper floor. They find the goblins' bodies, as well as two unused coils of rope the goblins apparently had to go down if necessary.

Despite a thorough listening through the doors, nobody is able to hear anything. Moreover, the doors are apparently locked by magical means. There's a lock, though. The stairs are also quiet.

Rellen: No, you can't. At least as far as I know and it honestly doesn't make any sense.

Rellen examines the door for traps or the like for a few minutes and then breaks out his picks and again takes his time.

Take 20 on Perception for 23, take 20 on Disable Device for 25.

"Hey, what's up there... should we come up?" Choamski yells up.

Which door? NW or NE?

Lets say NW first.

"Come on up, couple of doors," Rellen calls down.

Sorry been away for the last day.. Wizzy takes 10 and makes the knotted rope climb..

Wizzy follows the group, looking for dangers..
Perc: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (8) + 6 = 14

Take 10 as well to climb.

After much effort to bypass the magically-enhanced lock, the door opens on a dark passageway leading to a room. A twenty-foot-tall statue of a man carrying a tome stands in a round niche at one end of this impressive chamber. The chest and head of the large statue have been badly damaged, and look like they melted and ran before congealing again, giving the statue a crude, blob-shaped face with eyes of red stone. A doorway leads to the southwest, and another to the southeast.

Knowledge (Local) or (Religion) to identify the statue.

One of the creatures jumps onto Rellen, lashing at him with four insectoid legs:

Two attacks reach a weak spot of the armor, causing large wounds in the warrior's flesh. 4 and 5 damage, total 9 damage

Knowledge (dungeoneering) is appropriate to know something about these creatures.

Initiative order - round 1:
FC2
Rellen (3/12) <
FC1
Knorrin
Choamski
Cutter (w/o Nightrunner)
Caradeum
Floggentop
Rellen is up!

Reeling from his wounds Rellen falls back on his training, sending his scabbard flying at the things head and lashing out wildly with his greatsword. Then knowing he would likely not survive another assault and eyeing believing that the best way to avoid one is to help his comrades down the weird beast he attempts to dart around to its rear where he can offer a flank to Cutter and the others, but injured as he is he knows he risks offering up a chance to strike...

"Finish these things before they finish me!"

Fling Scabbard in Combat: 1d20 + 4 - 4 ⇒ (16) + 4 - 4 = 16 Damage: 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10
Greatsword: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (8) + 5 = 13 Damage: 2d6 + 6 ⇒ (4, 3) + 6 = 13
Acrobatics: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (9) + 6 = 15

Ouch!

The creature is smitten by the flying scabbard, and emits a high-pitched noise resembling a cry of pain. (10 damage taken) However, the greatsword misses te creature due to its agility.

Rellen moves around the creature, but his own deftness is no match for the fungal creature, which attempts to bite him.
AoO (bite): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (17) + 6 = 231d6 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5
The plantlike mandibles gnaw inside the human's flesh, causing him to lose consciousness. His pain threshold has obviously been reached.
5 damage taken, Rellen is at -2. Moreover, can he do a Fortitude save vs. poison, please?

The other aberration jumps on Cutter in the same manner as its companion did on Rellen, lashing four times at the halfling after an acrobatic jump.

Initiative order - round 1:
FC2
Rellen (-2/12, unconscious, bleeding)
FC1
Knorrin <
Choamski <
Cutter (w/o Nightrunner) (2/11) <
Caradeum <
Floggentop <
Knorrin, Choamski, Cutter, Caradeum and Floggentop are up!

Fort: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (15) + 3 = 18

Choamski takes a wild shot then falls back.

1d20 + 3 - 4 ⇒ (2) + 3 - 4 = 1

Got a plan, Cutter? Maybe something involving a slight tactical withdrawl?

On phone, if someone could move me

Caradeum moves into the room and fires an arrow at the west creature.

Attack: 1d20 + 4 - 4 ⇒ (13) + 4 - 4 = 13
Damage: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6

Looking at the chaos which has erupted around him...Cutter calls to Knorrin "Heal and fall back, I'll cover your escape!"

Free action only at this time.

I cant see the map.. Can I heal Rellen without getting attacked? If not he'll hit Cutter with the wand and fall back..

Cure to someone: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3

Knowledge (Religion): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (11) + 6 = 17

Scimitar: 1d20 ⇒ 151d6 ⇒ 1
Knorrin steps further into the room and makes a swing at the creature with his scimitar, more a distraction from the downed Rellen than anything else.

Choamski shoots but misses the creature completely, visibly a tad nervous after seeing the party's protector fall to the razorlike insectoid legs. Caradeum also misses.

Knorrin remembers something about a goblin divinity called Zog. It seems the statue was of Azlanti origins, but was defaced later to resemble the god or demon the local goblins are worshipping. Amused by the possible hoax of a divinity the greenskins have adopted, he barely misses the fungal creature, fending the air with his scimitar.

Rellen: Fortitude save is a success. You can already roll your stabilization check (in case Floggentop decides to heal Cutter).

Floggentop: You can heal Rellen or Cutter (or Knorrin, but he doesn't need it) without incurring an AoO. Which one would you like to apply your cure spell to?

Cutter can act, then the creatures will.

Floggentop heal Rellen.

Cutter, obviously conflicted, withdraws to the hallway.

Full round withdraw, drawing his terbutje.