[PFS] GM Zahmahkibo's "Voice in the Void"

Game Master Zahmahkibo

"Perhaps...though I suspect that Brother Felinros could handle whatever resistance is being offered the door before us. Do we feel that a hidden door with a blockade is a curiosity worth investigating, or is it suspicious enough to warrant more caution?"

Barging in through a blocked door would of course be the best way to tell anyone we are here. Fissa replies.

I'm fine with either door, but I'm afraid it's going to be Brother that will have to put his shoulders in. I'm not exactly a weightlifting champion. he finishes, then sings

Careful stays and careless dies
But careless is and careful tries

The brother nods at Fissa and grins. "I'll give it a try... Can't promise anything as the door looks stout."

Preparing himself, he throws his weight into the door looking to break it open until the door breaks or it seems hopeless.

Strength: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (9) + 4 = 13
Strength: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (11) + 4 = 15
Strength: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (8) + 4 = 12
Strength: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8
Strength: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (20) + 4 = 24

On his fifth shove, the door finally gives way, sliding squelchingly to open into the next room. The source of the blockage is immediately apparent, as a carpet of mycoid growth, several inches thick, covers the floor on the other side.

This chamber contains several tall wooden bookshelves reaching to the ceiling, almost bursting with the weight of books and scrolls filling the shelves. The shelves and their contents are encrusted with thick growths of brightly colored fungus and glistening mold. Many tomes have fallen from the shelves, their open pages forming a base for more fungi and large mushrooms which carpet the floor. The air here is damp and close, and several of the fungal growths pulse with an eerie purple light that dimly lights the room.

High-Quality MS Paint Map

Several feet in front of the door sits what can only be described as a giant mushroom, as tall as a man and with a bright purple cap (B10). Off toward the middle of the room, you notice that the mold seems to thin out, but there is one patch that appears darker than the rest (C7).

You are not in combat at the moment. Please describe your movement within the room anyway, using the coordinate grid on the map. Felinros is currently in E10, while the rest of the party are milling about somewhere else in the storeroom. The green area marks an especially thick carpet of fungus that creates difficult terrain. Also, remember that as of the last update, your only light source is the lantern carried by Alkenstar.

Seeing the sight of the glowing mushrooms, Fissa just mumbles

And if you go chasing rabbits
And you know you're going to fall
Tell 'em a hookah smoking caterpillar
Has given you the call

Fissa carefully moves into the room (D11) and checks if he can recognise the types of mushrooms.

Knowledge(Nature): 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (11) + 2 = 13

"...is there any chance that the most prudent choice at this juncture would be to burn this whole room to the ground?" Caern asks cautiously, peering into the room.

Oh, how I despise unidentified fungi...

Caern moves as close to the room as he can without entering (presumably behind Brother Felinros for now).

Actually, I think that the most prudent choice at this juncture would be to close this door and move on. Our objective doesn't seem to be in there, and those fungi are almost certainly bad news. The curators can hire someone else to clean up their mold problems later.

Alkenstar looks through the doorway over Caern's shoulder to try and identify the fungal carpet.

knowledge (nature): 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3

A human-sized mushroom with a violet cap... Fissa recalls that these features match those of the breed fungus called "shriekers." Though harmless by themselves, when these creatures sense light or movement closeby they emit a sudden, piercing wail, which usually serves to alert the cave or dungeon's more dangerous denizens to the presence of intruders.

Alkenstar does not recognize any special qualities in the mold covering the floor.

Bad news indeed. Fissa say as she slowly back out of the room, trying not to disturb the shrieker. Let's have a look at that other room first.

"Agreed... lets return to the other room."

Fissa moves over and enters through the other door I heard nothing after all. He does make sure the muscular half-orc remains close.

Brother Felinros follows Fissa into the room, blade bare.

I'll follow behind the other two, with my bow at the ready.

And I will happily follow in the back.

The doors open with a grinding creak, revealing a large room filled with monsters of all shapes and sizes. Giant skeletons and stuffed taxidermic monstrosities are frozen in poses of snarling ferocity, while mummified corpses lie in sedate repose in ornately carved sarcophagi. As silent as a tomb, the air in the hall is stale and musty.

From the western doorway, you can see another door on the northern side of the room. The spatially-minded adventurer can conclude that that must be the door you declined to investigate earlier, on your first trek down the ramp. No other portals of any variety immediately present themselves.

Beasts of legend. Fissa mumbles as he looks around for any type of flying mask coming his way. at least there's nothing around to animate them this time around I hope.

This looks like a dead end, but it can't be. Let's have a thorough search for hidden passages, shall we? Fissa says.

Taking 20 on perception, +5 for 25

I wasn't serious about the mummies.

Fissa steps into the storeroom and begins poking around the exhibits, with the rest of the group filing in after. After a few moments, they all make the same alarming discovery: one of the supposedly stuffed displays is lurching off its pedestal. The creature is, or was, a large beast of some variety, though its apparent qualities defy common description. Its mottled brown coat appears to consist of both fur and feathers, and though it threatens the group with two massive, decidedly bear-like paws, the wide, dark eyes and clacking beak are more suggestive of a bird of prey.

Fissa: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 2 = 10
Alkenstar: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6
Caern: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3
Felinros: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 3 = 9

Turn Order
Enemy
-
Fissa
Felinros
Alkenstar
Caern

Stomping forward, the beast lashes out at the bard with one heavy claw.

Claw vs. Fissa: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (11) + 5 = 16
Damage: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 3 = 9

Fissa's armor does not avail him against the fury of his foe, who cuts several deep slashes across his torso.

Combat Map

The party is up!

Bellowing a bestial challenge, brother Felinros steps in front of Alkenstar and swings at the beast, sword going wide of his mark as he tries to get the creature's attention.

Falchion: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (1) + 6 = 7
Damage: 2d4 + 6 ⇒ (4, 2) + 6 = 12

Oof! Fissa exhales at the bear-claw nearly takes him out.

Not sure if he can stand another hit, Fissa withdraws from his current position. Panicked, he momentarily falls quiet, without a song to sing.

Don't know about reach, but the double move should cover going SW (15) NW (30) N (35) N (40)

I'll 5' step away from the monster to get out of its reach, activate Archaeologist's Luck and fire an arrow at the beast

arrow to the beak: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (1) + 5 = 6
damage: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 2 = 7

You guys can stop rolling ones now

Caern steps carefully around the wounded bard, swallowing nervously as he keeps his eye on the vicious hulk of feathers and fur. Stopping a few paces later, he spies his opening.

"Burn, you abomination!" the arcanist yells as he completes his hand gestures and feels the energy stored within his mind and body seep suddenly into his outstretched hands. At the moment that the enervating sensation ends, flames erupt from his fingertips, sending an unforgiving torrent heat and light flying towards the monstrous creature.

Moving S, SE, S and casting Burning Hands, cone facing directly east, casting defensively.

Concentration: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (17) + 6 = 23
Burning Hands (arcane pool empowered): 5d4 ⇒ (2, 4, 2, 4, 3) = 15

Nothing from that, but knowledge (religion) would also work.

Reflex save vs. Burning Hands: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5 Fail

Felinros and Alkenstar both fail to the find their mark with bow and blade, but Caern's giant cone of fire proves more difficult for the beast to avoid. Tufts of fur and feathers wither and crumble away under the searing heat, revealing the creature's bare skeleton beneath. Where its flesh and organs should be is instead bundles of fabric filling, further emphasizing the fact that the beast should not be moving and fighting as it appears to be.

In apparent defiance of the laws of nature, the threatening taxidermy lashes out again a the Pathfinders. It snaps at the arcanist with a powerful beak, before turning its claws towards the half-orc inquisitor.

Bite vs. Caern: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (18) + 5 = 23
Damage: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6

Claw 1 vs. Felinros: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (2) + 5 = 7
Claw 2 vs. Felinros: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 5 = 8

Caern's robes afford him poor protection against the snapping maw, but Felinros manages to duck both vicious swipes.

15 damage to the enemy, 6 to Caern. Fissa, I'm not sure I understood the numbers in your movement directions, but the map shows where you would be with those directions.

Combat Map

The party is up!

They were cumulative effective feet moved (I assumed the first two moves were in difficult terrain and that they would take 3 steps, or 15 feet, of movement)

Fissa draws a wand, and starts babbling some old halfling in the Lodge gave me this when I sang the song of the Blakros museum. Told me it might come in handy. He steps up to Caern (Step S) and tries to activate it.

Now how did it...

Use Magic Device: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (14) + 8 = 22

...work again he says as the stick begins glowing lightly, With a gentle touch, he tries to heal some of Caern wounds

Wand of Cure Light Wound, use on Caern: 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6

49 Charges remaining

There you go, good as new!

And now I realise I have it on my class' spell list. Anyway, the check worked and it much more fun this way.

I think Fissa is still injured from the previous round? If that's not the case, then the following will need to be changed

Alkenstar takes a 5' step to be beside Fissa, but out of the monstrosity's reach. Having had a good look at the unnatural nature of the enemy, he tries to identify it.

Knowledge(any): 1d20 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 2 + 2 = 9

After shouting out what he knows of the creature, Alkenstar casts Cure Light Wounds on Fissa.

CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3

Archaeologists' Luck will Linger for two more rounds.

Hey guys, GM screwed up again. This creature's reach is actually only 5 ft. The net outcome, using the same rolls, probably would not have changed much. The only major difference would be that the enemy would have had to move 5 feet closer to attack on the first turn, which may actually have been worse for the party, since you'd have less room to maneuver around it. This turn, he would have used all his attacks on Felinros, and inflicted the same net damage.

I'll have the hp and position stay as they are, but in the interest of fairness I'll refund Fissa and Alkenstar's wand charges. Sorry for the confusion.

The half-orc grunts as the beak bites into him, and does his best to bring his sword to bear.

Falchion: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (7) + 6 = 13
Damage: 2d4 + 6 ⇒ (1, 4) + 6 = 11

Trying to determine the weakneses and abilities of the creature, he sorts through his religious training.

Knowledge Religion: 1d20 + 3 + 3 ⇒ (9) + 3 + 3 = 15

Felinros would have taken both the hit and the heal last turn, so he and Caern are both at full hp.

Felinros shears off another large chunk of the creature's exterior, though his strike loses some momentum when it crashes against the bone beneath.

Well-versed in the lore of unnatural beasts, the warrior of Ragathiel realizes that the creature may have been a mighty owlbear in life, but is now little more than a shambling skeleton draped in dessicated hide.

Fluff-wise, identifying undead versions of magical beasts is a bit weird. I'd have given you that it was a reanimated (and weakened) owlbear with a sufficient Know (nature) check, but by RAW only religion should provide any actually useful information.

6 more damage to the enemy. Caern is up!

Caern takes a step back while readying his wand and unleashes a bolt of force at the avian ursine.

Step W, cast Magic Missile from my wand. 48 charges left.

Magic Missile: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4

I'm actually fine with having expended the wand charge. You can't keep track of everything.

I've taken 9 damage, 5 of which were healed by Alkenstar (I get a +2 on healing rolls, yay!): 13/17 hp

Fissa starts singing a taunting song, making fun of the half-owl half-bear.

Ladida
Deedeedee
Eric the half a bear

Bardic performance, round 2

And I wasn't actually using a wand; just a regular old bard spell.

The owlbear attempts to deal another mighty blow to Felinros, striking out with the various sharp implements that adorn its body.

Beak: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (18) + 5 = 23
Damage: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 3 = 7

Claw 1: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (20) + 5 = 25
Damage: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 = 8

Claw 2: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (11) + 5 = 16
Damage: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 = 8

Claw 1 critical: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (18) + 5 = 23
Damage: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 = 8

The ferocious flurry is too much for the half-orc to bear, and he falls to the stone-paved floor, his many wounds gushing blood.

Oh dear. 4 damage to owlbear, 31 to Felinros. The latter is at -12, or 2 away from death. If he has the Orc Ferocity racial trait (not listed on character sheet) he can act as if disabled for one round before falling unconscious.

The map is the same as last turn, except Caern has moved 1 space to the west. The party is up!

Dear Gods! Felinros! Alkenstar will use his remaining bard spell to Cure Light Wounds the hamburgered half-orc before he bleeds out. Won't be enough to wake him up, but it should keep him alive.

CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 9

Archaeologist's Luck will linger for one more round.

Fissa takes a step SE, and changes his song

...bow your head
and wait for the ricochet

then proceeds with awfully high-pitched screams (a Chord of Shards), that materialises into a cone of piercing shards, aimed at the necro-urso-ornitho-abomination.

aaaaagh!

Chord of chards: 2d6 ⇒ (6, 1) = 7 (Reflex DC 14 negates)

Brother Felinros has Toothy, not Ferocity.

btw, my performance lingers while I cast spells

-Posted with Wayfinder

actually, I should be able to cast from my current position, and not hit anyone except the bear. How about we move to the next room where it can't follow us and plink it? I would use a standard action to cast the spell (no step), then move out of the room.

-Posted with Wayfinder

Wasn't there a post here earlier that ended combat?

-Posted with Wayfinder

No, the zombie owlbear (or whatever it is) is still fighting. I think that people just haven't noticed that the boards are back up after all the downtime.

Huh. Yeah, I definitely wrote up a posted a day or two ago when the boards came back up briefly, but either it didn't take or it disappeared.

Anyway, the owlbear skeleton failed its save in the original post.

Fissa's sonic shards skewer the savage skeleton, while Alkenstar pulls Felinros back from the brink of death. All in all, it was a good moment for bards. If only there had been some sort of traveling musician around who might have borne witness to these mighty deeds.

Combat over!

That was a little too close for comfort, Fissa says as he pulls out his wand and starts poking Felinros with it, humming

Take comfort in your friends...

CLW, Felinros: 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (8) + 3 = 11
CLW, Felinros: 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (8) + 3 = 11 That should do the trick

CLW, self: 1d8 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 5 = 8 (+2 from special ability, wand now at 46/50)

Was anyone else hurt?

Standing in a pool of his own blood, the half-orc looks at Fissa and thanks him. Recovered he stretches his muscles and examines the newly healed scars before nodding and saying, "Ready to move on."

Tough guy. I wonder how often he's gone through this.

Are you ok, Felinros? For a moment, I thought we lost you..

I certainly couldn't have taken that kind of beating.

Let's have a look what this room holds, other than fur and feather.

Take 20 on perception for a thorough DC 25 search

Returning to his interrupted search, Fissa receives no more trouble from the various taxidermied specimens, but neither does he find any clues to their quest.

Yes, it's the Blakros Signature (tm) Pointless Combat Room. Good thing no one gave their life for this, eh?

Felinros took it on the head
Fell to the floor, almost dead
A sharp chord rang through the air
Owl bits lying everywhere
Search the room, we are done
This girl we seek, where has she gone?

What room shall we search now? I vote for the mush-room, my hunch is that shrieker poses as some kind of alarm. Fissa gets ready to move back to the mushroom room, once the other adventurers are ready to come along.

Is there anywhere else that we haven't been other than the shrieker room?

There is not, the knowledge of your characters.

Well, I guess lets go fight some fungus then.

D'you reckon if we sneak in and attack it at all at the same time, we could take it out before it alerts anyone? Fissa readies his crossbow and sneaks into the room with the fungus.

Sneak: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (9) + 7 = 16