{PFS} {PBP} {LVL 11 - 13} Tide of Honor (Jade Regent book 5, sanctioned portion) (Inactive)

Game Master FiddlersGreen

Ah, right. Well, I highly recommend someone drink it. XD The more fire resistance your party has, the better your chances of survival...

I would have, but no time. Trying to keep the party alive. Not doing too bad of a job for a Magus.

Ugh, I guess I assumed we were ending up somewhere that they couldn't easily get to. Sigh.

As Alden is being slowly healed up, the wall bursts forth and he is forced into action.

With their friends all bunched up, Alden moves up to all of them and offers aid. Alden and Naala both use their standard action on Rand since he's in the most danger, so he gets +15 AC for the whole round, and they can add another +15 to any of their allies on up to four attacks.

Rhon swings through the stone, but is unable to catch Nigankona through the barrier. 42 and Alden attempt to help Rand in their own ways, and Rand lands a punch on Nigankona.
fort save roll: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (19) + 18 = 37
Nigankona grunts a little as Rand's fist connects with him, but otherwise does not seem too perturbed by the attack. With a smirk, he steps back and points his tetsubo at Rand. Suddenly his body is wreathed in flames like before (the fires had disappeared whilst you were hiding from him), and a small bolt of fire flies out form him towards Rand.
ranged touch attack roll: 1d20 + 19 ⇒ (16) + 19 = 35
fire damage: 4d6 ⇒ (3, 6, 3, 6) = 18

Tokikokito and Nobunobu fly towards Nigankona, ready to do battle.

Round 18:
Matamah -125hp (5 images)
Nobunobu (-39ss) -48hp
Nigankona -116hp (fire shield recast in round 18)
Alden -65hp
Naala -55hp
Rhon -55hp / Rhon's armor - (Hardness 16, HP 16/75 = damaged) / Rhon's shield - destroyed
42 -28hp (blinking, stoneskin 100, 68 temp hp, shield)
Rand -104hp (-18 more?)
Tokikokito -135hp (2 fireball used) (-60ss)

Ok, did Rand actually drink the potion of fire resistance? This has just become very relevant.

Also, You guys are up again. Alden, I'm really feeling the force of that bodyguard nerf on you. =(

He was the only one left to drink it. Since we were all otherwise busy. AKA, 42 would have told him to drink it.

Raising his hand, 42 lets out a ray of enfeeblement at Nigankona I forget who has SR...
Range Touch: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (20) + 9 = 29
SR: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (13) + 12 = 25
Range Touch Crit?: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (13) + 9 = 22
RoE: 1d6 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 5 = 8
RoE Crit: 1d6 + 5 ⇒ (5) + 5 = 10
Fort save of 16 for half.

If no one else would drink it, Rand would.

Rhon maintains his Defensive Stance and readies an attack should an Oni move within range.

Readied Single Attack: +1 Ghost Touch Dwarven Waraxe: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (18) + 18 = 36
Damage: magic, ghost touch, slashing: 1d10 + 8 ⇒ (7) + 8 = 15

"We need to draw them to us. We can not risk going back outside where their size and fight ability gives them the advantage."

You need to avoid giving Nigankona full attacks is what you need to do...

Ok, so Rand drank the fire resist potion. He takes no damage from the fire projectile. Niganokna is not pleased.

Round 18:
Matamah -125hp (5 images)
Nobunobu (-39ss) -48hp
Nigankona -116hp (fire shield recast in round 18)
Alden -65hp
Naala -55hp
Rhon -55hp / Rhon's armor - (Hardness 16, HP 16/75 = damaged) / Rhon's shield - destroyed
42 -28hp (blinking, stoneskin 100, 68 temp hp, shield)
Rand -104hp
Tokikokito -135hp (2 fireball used) (-60ss)

Waiting for Rand and Alden to give me their actions.

Rand will attack defensively and focus on making Niganokona drop his guard.

Going to fight defensively, not flurry, and my primary attack will be a stunning fist attack. If I hit, it's dc 22 fort or be staggered for 1d6+1 rounds.

Attack Roll: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (7) + 17 = 24
Attack Roll: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (6) + 12 = 18
Attack Roll: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (14) + 7 = 21

Damage Roll: 2d8 + 8 ⇒ (4, 6) + 8 = 18
Damage Roll: 2d8 + 8 ⇒ (6, 5) + 8 = 19
Damage Roll: 2d8 + 8 ⇒ (7, 5) + 8 = 20

My ac is currently 42

Alden?

Alden retreats with his friends, defending them as best as possible.
He'll grant his allies all Escape Route, so that when they're next to him they do not provoke AOOs from movement.

42, they all have SR.

Heeding Rhon's word's Alden prepares to pull back with his allies. However, none of them seem to be pulling back from the breached wall. 42 sends a coruscating ray of necromantic energy at Nigankona, but the ray scatters across the oni's burning skin harmlessly.

Rand attempts to strike but the strain of his near-death experience is weighing him down, and he fails to land a telling blow on the oni. Rhon stands his ground, ready to strike... in they come into range... and has a moment to feel silly as he remembers that the oni all attack with reach.

And attack they do. Tokikokito focuses for a moment, a the oni suddenly begin to move more quickly. With Rand presented before them, Nigankona and Nobunobu begin their attempts to smash the monk into the surrounding masonry.

Well, that was gonna happen at some point if you kept letting Nigankona full attack. Sorry Rand. =(

With impressive skill, Rand smacks aside Nobunobu's monk spade, but Nigankona is not so easily thwarted. He rains blows down on Rand, his first hit driving the monk to his knees, and his second hit fatally fracturing the monk's skull. Rand falls, and does not get up.

Round 19: (enemies cast haste in round 18)
Matamah -125hp (5 images)
Nobunobu (-39ss) -43hp
Nigankona -111hp (fire shield recast in round 18)
Alden -65hp
Naala -55hp
Rhon -55hp / Rhon's armor - (Hardness 16, HP 16/75 = damaged) / Rhon's shield - destroyed
42 -28hp (blinking, stoneskin 100, 68 temp hp, shield)
Rand -189hp
Tokikokito -130hp (2 fireball used) (-60ss)

I think the main issue here is that these guys are overwhelming in melee, and need to be taken out either with ranged attacks or superlative AC in the high 40s. =(

Rand has unfortunately shuffled off the mortal coil, at least for now...

42, Rhon and Alden are up...

I'm swear I'm not trying to be nitpicky, but my intent was to prevent them from plugging the hole, not move outside. I'm not sure how my marker got out there.

Stupidly high SR.... would have neutered that guy if i got more than 25..... FML
Speaking softly, 42 says. "Fall back. draw them in.

Raising his hand, 42 lets off 5 small missiles out of his hands.
SR: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (4) + 12 = 16 Fire guy
one missile heads towards the fire demon.
M.M.: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3
Two head for another demon while the other two head for the last.
SR: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (10) + 12 = 22 Next Demon
M.M.: 2d4 + 2 ⇒ (1, 4) + 2 = 7
SR: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (7) + 12 = 19 Last Demon
M.M.: 2d4 + 2 ⇒ (1, 1) + 2 = 4

42 falls back into the hallway, following Alden as he falls back as well.

Rand: Nigankona was attacking you from reach, so when you attacked him, I assume you took a 5ft step towards him. Unless you had some way to get reach that I'm missing. Either way, he would respond to your full attack with one of his own. =(

42: Nigankona is stupidly powerful. I think he alone would have been a challenge for any 12th level party. Having friends to support him with haste, black tentacles and fireballs makes it even worse. He has some weaknesses, but they are difficult to exploit even if you work them out. I mean, I did hint that attempting to fight him in melee was a bad idea, but given that this group is mostly melee, it was also a very unfortunate match-up.

Oh and they are oni, not demons. Welcome to Min Kai.

Rhon and Alden?

Free Action
Rhon exits his Defensive Stance. {ooc]He is fatigued for 4 rounds.[/ooc]

Swift Action
Lay on Hands: 6d6 + 1 ⇒ (3, 4, 6, 6, 3, 1) + 1 = 24 Rhon is no longer fatigued thanks to his Mercy.

Standard Action
Rhon picks up Rand's lifeless body.

Move Action
Rhon carries Rand back towards 42 and Alden.

Free Action
"We need to grab Matamah and get out of here. 42, can you reach him? We are over matched with so many party members down."

42 thinks. "I might be able to get to him. But getting out of here is gonna be a little bit tricky. Got anything up your sleeves?"

42 has one prepared Bladed Dash left and his new magical item allows him to recall another. So he could get to him in a turn and back... might be a little harder.

I think Matamah might have had a scroll of dimension door. If it makes the difference of whether or not you can retrieve his body, I quite certain he will be happy for you to use it.

"This place has a back exit. Let's use it."

GM: I am assuming this statement based on the fact that we know the layout of the castle. If I am incorrect please let me know.

You know the layout of the fort. The question is how to get to Matamah's body.

Correction to my earlier statement, I think Matamah already used his last d-door scroll. =(

Rhon, perhaps if you channeled positive energy and it reached Matamah, he could regain consciousness and run into that room with the rest of you?

Rhon can't channel any element but earth. He is also down to just one use of Lay on Hands.

42 casts Bladed dash, moving in a direct line, through the walls with blink, and stops right next to Matamah, stepping over and picking him up. its 90 feet in a direct line from where I am standing.

Alden helps carry his fallen friend along with Rhon. Can't help much with getting Matamah, hopefully 42 has it.

Though reluctant to quit the field, the Pathfinders realise that this is a battle they are simply ill-equipped to handle. Deciding that no man should be left behind, 42 phases through the wall with a bladed dash spell. Meanwhile, Alden and Rhon grab Rand's body and place it on Naala, then begin to make their way through the secret passage leading out of the fort.

Deciding to investigate what 42 is up to, Nigankona flies towards 42 and swings at him with his tetsubo. Nobunobu and Tokikokito do likewise.

vital strike power attack roll Nigankona: 1d20 + 30 - 5 ⇒ (5) + 30 - 5 = 30
miss chance: 1d100 ⇒ 6
vital strike power attack roll Nobunobu: 1d20 + 21 - 4 ⇒ (1) + 21 - 4 = 18
vital strike power attack roll Tokikokito: 1d20 + 21 - 4 ⇒ (9) + 21 - 4 = 26

Nigankona's tetsubo passes harmlessly through 42, and Tokikokito's attack is deflected by 42's shield spell.

Round 19: (enemies cast haste in round 18)
Matamah -125hp (5 images)
Nobunobu (-39ss) -43hp
Nigankona -111hp (fire shield recast in round 18)
Alden -65hp
Naala -55hp
Rhon -55hp / Rhon's armor - (Hardness 16, HP 16/75 = damaged) / Rhon's shield - destroyed
42 -28hp (blinking, stoneskin 100, 68 temp hp, shield)
Rand -189hp
Tokikokito -130hp (2 fireball used) (-60ss)

Ok 42, time to get out of there. You're up.

Casting on the Defense: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (10) + 16 = 26
42 Uses his pearl of power to bring back the spell that he just cast and casts it once more. Moving back to the room with Alden and moving within grabbing distance. "Got the sack of potatoes."

42 rejoins the rest of the party and together, you take the secret passage, emerging from the other side of the mountain, the screams of the soldiers left-behind haunting you as you depart.

You wander the countryside for the rest of the day, trying to find a place to lay low as you work out what to do. Eventually, Exiel makes contact with you via a sending spell.

"Sikutsu Itsuru is safe. Teleported back to Seinaru Heikiko, saw what happened and had to retreat. How many of you remain? Rendevzous at O-Sayumi's?"

42 listens to the message. "We all went down at one point or another. One wasn't able to rise back up.. yet. We'll see you there."

You meet up with Exiel in Sakakabe at the Kiniro Kyomai teahouse, where you update on all that has happened, and the terrifying force that was brought to bear on you at Seinaru Heikiko. Exiel listens to your report with great consternation.

"Jiro was not wrong to send me to Sikutsu Itsuru. He was being targeted for a simultaneous assassination by Kaibuninsho, one of the top members of the Oni's Mask ninja clan. I managed to save Sikutsu, but I am saddened that Jiro and Hatsue had to pay the price. If I had been there with you, I might have been enough to turn the tide."

Exiel places an ornate but bloodied pair of nunchaku on the table for emphasis, then continues.

"It will be hard to raise another army from scratch, but as long as Sikutsu Itsuru still lives, there remains a leader for the rebellion to rally under. We however are now known to Sennaka and we should probably withdraw lest our association with the Pathfinder Society also be made known. It would make matters... complicated. I will request that another team of Seekers relieve us and assist Sikutsu."

"It has been a setback, but at least the next group of Pathfinders will be able to act with a better knowledge of Sennaka's forces, and you did still deprive Sennaka of Yugureda's support, so it has not been a total loss. Take heart, my friends, victories will await us in the future so long as we learn from our losses here."

With those words, Exiel sighs heavily and proposes a moment of silence for Jiro and Hatsue, before producing his last teleportation scroll to bring you all back to Absalom.

"Well, it was good to go home, but you truly can never go home again."

"That was a real crap storm there at the end. I wish we would have been provided a more in depth briefing on the forces they could bring to bear. It would have perhaps helped in preparing for it."

"I am just saddened that we could not truly bring everyone back with us in the end. I am saddened by that. However Itamar was laid to rest in the best way I could manage and is now at home in the great forge with Torag."

"Peace and prosperity be with you all until I see you again."

"I admit I was surprised as well. I had not thought that Sennaka had such monsters under his command. I suspect they might have been reinforcements sent by the Jade Regent himself. Though this being my first time giving a mission as a Venture Captain, I find the position unenviable. Sometimes even Venture Captains don't have all the information we wish we had, and have to bear the burden of sometimes sending our friends into the unknown."