PFS PbP Game Day IV: DM Carbide's Thornkeep Level 1 (Inactive)

Game Master John Woodford

Going west, you see that the hall ends at an opening facing north. Through the opening you see a good-sized room with a large stone dais in the center. Atop it is an open stone sarcophagus. The lid, once carved in the image of a sleeping warrior, lies next to the sarcophagus on the dais, cracked in two pieces. There are three apparently dead (the odor of decay is a clue) bodies crumpled on the dais as well: a man with a shaven head wearing battered scraps of leather armor, a dark-haired woman in scholarly robes, and a yellow-haired elf in hide.

“Be vigilant, the dead walk, here.” Aeilín says, the recent battle with the skeletons fresh in her memory. “I take no joy in desecration, but we should ensure that their sleep is eternal.” With that, she makes her way around the edge of the room, to flank the corpses should they rise.

Assuming she makes it that far, Aeilín will hug the wall and work around in a clockwise path, and nod to the others when ready.

The bloodrager makes her way carefully around the room. Just before she gets to the end of the line, though, all three of the bodies begin to move. While she's moving, other people have a chance to act as well, as long as they don't get too close to the bodies.

Two separate Knowledge (Religion) checks to identify them.

Round 1:

Initiative order
Nectanebo
Big undead
Simon
Muusa
Other undead
Kerastes
Aelin

Sorry for disappearing. Crazy busy lately

Knowledge (Planes), for that previous room: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (17) + 9 = 26

Simon frowns at Nectanebo, but for the most part ignores the elf’s strange lecture-dance-thing. Then he follows the group out and–once clear of the Silence effect— speaks up. ”That was a shrine to Abraxas, demon lord of forbidden knowledge. This place is decorated with all kinds of fun shrines.”

At the corpse-strewn room, Simon ... gets interrupted.

CROSS POST REMOVED SIMON'S ACTIONS. Reviewing the new information.

Knowledge (Religion), untrained: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6

I figured you did the detect magic while Aelin was moving, Simon. Unfortunately, detect magic doesn't trigger on undead.

Simon, you note no magical auras in the room.

I guess I move up, too.

Knowledge (Religion): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (2) + 6 = 8

"Yes, yes they certainly do. A zombie's flesh is like cumbersome armor to them - ready a cutting edge and keep on your toes, and...we should be alright."

Nectanebo is ready with his scythe when the zombies rise.

How long does my heightened awareness have left? It lasts 10 minutes.

scythe: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (19) + 2 = 21
damage: 2d4 + 3 ⇒ (3, 1) + 3 = 7

Figure about a minute left, Nectanebo. You didn't spend too long in the shrine room, but there was some time spent investigating the pool in the previous room.

Round 1 (ongoing):

Initiative order
Nectanebo-acted
Big undead-acted
Simon
Muusa
Other undead
Kerastes
Aelin

The quicker of the three undead comes to its feet and closes with Aelin.

Simon and Muusa are up!

Muusa reaches out with her hair to 'heal' the zombie.

Touch Attack: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (11) + 4 = 15
Heal: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5

Oh, and the 2nd Religion check?

Kn Religion: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (15) + 4 = 19

"That is a wight next to you, Aelin! Be very careful! It can drain your life energy! If it kills you, you'll rise as a wight! Of course, by then you won't care," says Muusa.

A slight grimace crosses Nectanebo's face as Muusa points out what he failed to recognize. "But we will!"

Incidentally, I'm assuming that healing power you're using there is the Healing Hex, and unless the Shaman version is for some reason entirely different from the Witch version, it permits a Will save for half damage.

Round 1 (ongoing):

Initiative order
Nectanebo-acted
Big undead-acted
Simon
Muusa-acted
Other undead
Kerastes
Aelin

The zombie manages to resist the worst of Muusa's hex, smoldering a bit at the onslaught of positive energy.

Simon? You're up!

Simon dashes brazenly forward, ignoring the zombies to get in range of the greater threat … the wight.

”તે પડે છે” he yells as he squeezes a pinch of butter between his fingers. The ground at the wight’s feet becomes suddenly slick.

Move forward (map updated). Cast Grease (grease square created). DC 15.

Round 1 (ongoing):

Initiative order
Nectanebo-acted
Big undead-acted
Simon-acted
Muusa-acted
Other undead-acted
Kerastes-acted
Aelin

The wight barely manages to keep its footing on the sorcerously-slickened surface. The two zombies stand up, one leaving itself open to a slice from Nectanebo's scythe; it's badly wounded, but still barely active.

Kerastes charges up behind Nectanebo and swings at the zombie with his glaive, but misses.

Aelin is up!

ETA: And Nectanebo can take his action for Round 2.

As the dead shuffle into a semblance of life, an instant of fear sparks an inferno of anger, and Aeilín lashes out wildly at the wight.

Rage 1/7
(L) MW Cold Iron Bastard Sword, RAGE, Power Attack: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (1) + 5 = 6
Damage: 2d8 + 10 ⇒ (1, 1) + 10 = 12

Aeilin misses the wight cleanly. It grins in anticipation.

Round 2:

Initiative order
Nectanebo
Big undead
Simon
Muusa
Other undead
Kerastes
Aelin

Nectanebo is up!

Also, Aeilin, what's your current AC?

Nectanebo steps nimbly to the side and presses his advantage against the zombie.

scythe: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (11) + 2 = 13
damage: 2d4 + 3 ⇒ (3, 3) + 3 = 9

Yes, that's Healing Hex, and you are correct, Will save halves it, a la CLW.

Muusa moves to engage the other zombie. I think Nectanebo just killed the first one...

Her hair again snakes out to tap the zombie with positive energy.

Touch Attack: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (11) + 4 = 15
for: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 9

"Help Aeilin!" she shouts, ostensibly to Simon.

Round 2 (ongoing):

Initiative order
Nectanebo-acted
Big undead-acted
Simon
Muusa-acted
Other undead
Kerastes
Aelin

Indeed, Nectanebo cuts down the wounded zombie. Muusa tags the remaining zombie with her hair, but it also proves resistant to her healing. The wight slams at Aeilin; the bloodrager's armor prevents any damage, though.

Simon!

"What do you think I'm trying to do?!" shouts Simon as he unleashes another arcane volley from his wand.

Wand of Magic Missile: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3

That's to the wight, right?

Round 2 (ongoing; rearranged):

Initiative order
Wight-acted
Simon-acted
Muusa-acted
Zombie-acted
Kerastes-acted
Aeilin
Nectanebo-

The remaining zombie shambles forward a few feet and slams Muusa with devastating force! Take 10 HP. Kerastes steps up and chops at the zombie, but the uneven footing on the dais leads him to miss it.

Rearranged the round; Aeilin and Nectanebo are up!

Zombie: AC 12 T 10 FF 10 -4 HP
Wight: AC 15 T 11 FF 14 -3 HP

Riding its own momentum, Nectanebo's scythe whirls in a graceful vortex from one zombie to the next.

keep on reapin': 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (10) + 2 = 12
damage: 2d4 + 3 ⇒ (4, 4) + 3 = 11

Nectanebo forcibly deanimates the remaining zombie.

Yes, the wight.

I figured. Now all we need is for Aeilin to crit the wight, and that will be that.

Sorry for the wait. busy day. While raging, with no shield, my AC is 16

Aeilín’s fury redoubles; her blade slashes through the air, an electric arc interwoven with the blur of the sword’s path.

(L) MW Cold Iron Bastard Sword, RAGE, Power Attack: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (18) + 5 = 23
Damage: 2d8 + 10 ⇒ (2, 3) + 10 = 15
Elemental Strike 1/3; + electric damage: 1d6 ⇒ 4

The wight staggers as the blade cuts deeply into it.

Round 3 (ongoing):

Initiative order
Wight-acted
Simon-
Muusa-
Kerastes-
Aeilin
Nectanebo-

The bloodrager's exultation is short-lived, though, as the undead creature lands a solid blow on her in reply. Take 3 HP, Aeilin, plus one negative level.

Party up!

Wight: AC 15 T 11 FF 14 -22 HP

Wow, Aelín is so much better with her sword than I am with my glaive!

Back! Thanks for keeping me alive GM, I will take over the horrible dice rolls again.

Welcome back! Hopefully you'll do better than I did, although you did splatter the one skeleton.

I got ninja-ed!

Kerastes charges forward to the wight, just stopping at the edge of the slippery area. With a mighty swing he hits the undead monstrosity.

Attack, charge: 1d20 + 4 + 2 ⇒ (11) + 4 + 2 = 17
Damage: 1d10 + 3 ⇒ (7) + 3 = 10

Kerastes steps up and chops into the wight. Despite the vitality it stole from Aeilin, his glaive does enough damage to disrupt the magic keeping it active. It falls.

Out of combat!

"Nasty creatures, wights. Are you alright Aeilín? That bad feeling will probably subside after some rest."

Kerastes looks what equipment these creatures had, to properly report on those of course.

The wight wears a silver signet ring on his right hand, but other than that there's nothing here.

Simon looks uncomfortably at Aeilín's pale skin as he inspects the ring. "That doesn't look good."

Detect Magic and try to ID the ring's magic properties (if any)
Spellcraft: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (17) + 10 = 27

Also, what kind of roll to figure out the threat and ways to get rid of Aeilín's negative level?

The ring is not magic. Having identified the creature as a wight, Muusa is aware that there's a reasonable chance (DC 14 Fort save) that Aeilin will recover on her own after a day. If not, though, it'll take a fairly expensive spell to cure her (280 gp for an NPC to cast the spell, plus 1000 gp for the material component).

I only have 66g to put to the cost of getting that spell off Aeilin, if that's the direction we go. :/

You can probably make do until you have some more treasure, and give her the chance to make that save.

-Posted with Wayfinder

As long as the negative level is not permanent (i.e. before Aeilín has taken the safe to say if it becomes permanent) a regular restoration suffices for just 280 + 100 gp. Or we can take the chance that Aeilín makes the DC 14 Fort save (i.e. rolls at least a 11 = 50% chance) and pay either 0 or 1280 gp. Since the second option has an expected value of 50% * 1280 = 640 I am in favor of just paying for a normal restoration.

"Let's move on." Kerastes says while carefully moving down the corridor, checking for traps while walking

taking 10 for 18

Muusa taps Aeilin for guidance. "That wight was scary," she says, somewhat reassuringly.

Anyone else have buffs?

She also taps herself with the CLW wand, as her hair shrinks away to normal size and length. I assume a minute is up...so much for Nova!

CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5
CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3
CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7

and also taps Aeilin for some healing.

CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3

"I think those were explorers who died here, and were turned to undead by...something," she says, a little uneasy.

”So you’re saying the wight fight was quite a fright?”

Simon also helps Aeilín out with some healing of his own. When the magic of the wand courses throug Aeilín’s veins, it burns with the fires of hell … but closes her wounds effectively enough.

Fast healing 1 for 1 minute should top her off. 1 charge marked off.

"And that's what I was thinking, too," the young man says as he follows Kerastes out, "But what makes wights?"

Moving on, the hall leading south out of the room ends at an ovoid chamber, finished in dark stone that still gleams as if newly polished, even after the millenia it has stood unattended. A feeling of cold dread is palpable here. The shadows that fill the upper portions of the chamber seem to seethe slowly, half-discerned shapes filled with some foul energy.

Simon, Aeilin had only taken 3 HP, I think, and the CLW took care of that.

ETA: Simon, it's definitely not the twin necromancers from Tien who make wights.

My character should be offended by that... :D

Fair point. Actually, it's a pair of the crosspieces on a necromantic ladder...no, I think I threw my arm out reaching for that one.

Kerastes looks closely at the shadows

Using detect evil / chaos / good / law in that order

"I don't like the look of this chamber"

Simon nods as he does what mages do … searches for magics as he looks around.

Detect Magic, Spellcraft if appropriate…
Spellcraft: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (15) + 10 = 25

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (14) + 6 = 20

Kerastes, there are echoes of something disturbing in here, something of chaos and evil. Simon, there are faint traces of illusion magic--nothing active at the moment, but it reminds you of places where many casters had done magic over a span of years. It's almost as if the magic soaks into the stones.

"Bah, evil place. Let's stick together and pass through"

Simon frowns, ”I’m seeing traces of illusion magic. But nothing active … more like years and years of build-up of its residue. Like soap scum.” He looks sarcastically over at Aeilín. "Soap is what the rest of us use to clean ourselves. I should introduce you sometime." He finishes with a playful wink.

He shrugs, though, as he returns to seriousness, ”Unfortunately, I don’t know what that could mean. So let’s do your plan. Just watch for trickery.”

Simon is ready to follow Kerastes. I’d suggest he lead and Aeilín take up the rear-guard, with all us squishy casters sandwiched in between. :)

You exit the dark room as quickly as is reasonable and head west. The hallway slants to the south and ends in a door. Kerastes is advancing towards the door when Muusa glances back behind the party. She is horrified to see a shadowy creature emerge from the room and launch itself at her. Its grasping hand misses her, though.

Surprise Round (ongoing):

Initiative order
Shadow-acted
Muusa

Round 1:

Initiative order
Simon
Aeilin
Kerastes
Nectanebo/Shadow
Muusa

Muusa can act!

Knowledge (Religion): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (17) + 6 = 23

If we tie for roll and initiative modifier, we still can't go at the same time....

initiative roll-off: 1d20 ⇒ 7