PFS PbP Gameday 3 - 5x08 - The Confirmation [DLS PFS] (Inactive)

Game Master Bardez

"Let's take the tunnel. I'll take point."
Morād adjusts his clothes and sheaths is weapon.
"Shall we?"

The route leads through a maze of tight passages that include steep ascents and short climbs as these wind from west to east. As the group of initiates travel, the sounds of a distant battle is heard echoing through the caves. Combat and a familiar woman's voice can be heard, half-shouting and half-reciting: "As the legendary Gregaro Voth successfully battled the wild beasts in the deepest reaches of the Mwangi Expanse, so shall I defeat you, foul servant of Lamashtu!" The raging fight between Janira and the minotaur obviously continues. (Janira's words are sufficiently audible to grant the PCs the benefits of her inspire courage class ability).

The tight tunnels here range from 2 to 5 feet in width and average about 9 feet in height. The floors are slick and possess a steady incline from west to east (this increases the DC of all Acrobatics checks by 4).

Morād, Ob, and Nikolai notice something up ahead.

I will put a map up for this encounter late tonight.

"Watch out!" Nikolai shouts. "There's something in the tunnel! Should I blast it?" he asks, while readying a shock.

Celeb pauses, trying to discern what the gnome is talking about, "Where in the tunnel? Are you sure? I don't see anything."

Map is up. Sorry it's a bit late; my office had a Christmas party last night and then I discovered that the original Paizo map's grid was not straight, so I had to re-do the grid a bit. I tried to set people up somewhat according to the last encounter, with Morād scouting in the lead off to the side. Please note that most of this terrain requires squeezing through.

I am going to have this as a surprise round for the 4 that can act, and then regular initiative.

"Halt, there is something dangerous up ahead " Ob says as he readies a blast of cold if the creature approaches just 5' closer.

Attack: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6 vs touch cover AC
Cold Damage: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 3 = 7

"It's a jelly-cube thing! Right there!" Nikolai points his little gnomes fingers at the object, accidentally releasing a blast of electricity.
Electric Touch attack: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (15) + 3 = 181d6 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 2 = 7

Again, as a reminder, you guys are affected by bardic performance.

Sorry GM, then add 1 to my attack and damage rolls, I'm guessing a 7 to hit cover touch still won't hit for 8 cold damage then

Good call, that's a 19 to hit (unless Nikolai is squeezing or Celeb is providing cover) for 8 electricity damage.

Now that it's been pointed out, is this visible to those of us who didn't see it earlier? Not sure how transparent this thing is.

Morād remembers he was instructed to prepare for this very scenario and goes through his pack for the bottle of lye.
Retcon this if between being told to buy it and purchasing it, it isn't clear it's use.

Niles removes his fire flask from his pack.

Nikolai looses an electric blast at the cube-like blob, which dissipates throughout its body as the jolt hits it.

Morād pulls out his recently purchased alkali flask.

Ob flings a freezing blast at the blob, which appears to have frozen a corner of it for a brief moment.

The cube wobbles forward 5 feet (to I2).

End surprise round

Begin round 1

Niles removes a flask from his pack. Niles did not act in the surprise round; was there an intended action to be readied?

Ob lets another blast of cold forth. It seems susceptible to cold. perhaps if we freeze it the jelly will stop lumbering forward.
Attack : 1d20 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (12) + 4 + 1 = 17 Probably against cover touch again, The +1 from inspire courage
Damage: 1d6 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 3 + 1 = 8 The +1 damage from inspire courage

"Oops!" Nikolai utters sheepishly as the electricity skitters across the cube.
"It doesn't look like I'm going to do much good!" he cries as he pulls out his longspear and moves out of the way.
Nikolai will move to G4 if he can get there in a single move action. Otherwise he moves to B4.

Morād loses his flask at the cube.
attack: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (19) + 5 = 24
damage: 1d6 ⇒ 5
additional? damage: 1d6 ⇒ 4

He then digs through his pack again for a second flask.

As the others launch their attacks, Celeb makes out the odd creature. Having never seen one before, he is taken aback by its strange appearance. "What is that?" he asks as he observes its actions. As it doesn't seem to quick, he holds his ground to see what it will do.

Detect evil on the cube

Unsure of what the creature is, Dolgrin moves to behind Morad and begins casting Summon Monster 1. Will take Dolgrin's standard next round as well.

Niles will lob his flask at the blob.

Attack: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (11) + 2 = 13, Damage (Round 1: 1d6 ⇒ 3, Damage (Round 2): 1d6 ⇒ 4

The middle path that the most of the group is on is not a squeeze; the surrounding area is.

Niles throws his drawn flask, but falls short of hitting the blob. Range increment of 10', throwing 80' for a -6, throwing through allies to give soft cover for -4, plus bardic performance for +1, totaling a roll of 4, which misses.

Alchemist's fire miss roll: 1d8 ⇒ 1; the flask lands at H2; 1 fire damage to the blob.

Nikolai maneuvers forward (to B4; 15' move with gear, so could not make it to G4) with his spear at the ready.

Morād throws his alkali flask at the blob (suffering a -2 range penalty, but with plenty left to hit), and an alchemical reaction to the flask is visibly observed. Double damage, so I'll take your 9 total.

Dolgrin begins casting summon monster I. Does Dolgrin move or was that post intended to cover the phantom instead? Map shows that the phantom moved, but Dolgrin didn't.

Garret holds off action, waiting for the actions of others to dictate his next move.

Celeb stays put, attempting to detect an evil aura on the cube-like creature.

Ob lobs another cold blast at the creature, who appears to recoil from the blast as it lands solidly in its mass.

Torag's Fist appears to take another route, towards the sneaking Morād.

The wording of the engulf ability is vague enough that I read it that the engulf ability is a standard action that allows a move, and since it is not a full-round action that grants a single-move speed, the below should be legitimate. So it should be able to move once, then engulf, per the blow:

Finally, the jelly moves forward with a rumble (moves to C3; does Morād threaten?) to engulf the line of the largest group of potential meals.
Celeb's Reflex save: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (15) + 3 = 18; save, pushed back to D2
Dolgrin's Reflex save: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 = 8; fail, engulfed, grappled, pinned
Ob's Reflex save: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (1) + 5 = 6; fail, engulfed, grappled, pinned

As the blob consumes two of the three in front of it, an anesthetizing slime coats the engulfed Pathfinder initiates:
Dolgrin's paralysis save: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (5) + 5 = 10; fail, paralyzed
Ob's paralysis save: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (3) + 6 = 9; fail, paralyzed
Acid damage to Dolgrin: 1d4 ⇒ 2
Acid damage to Ob: 1d4 ⇒ 2

I'm pretty sure that will disrupt Dolgrin's spell, but maybe not.

End Round 1

Earth Blast: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 = 8
Blunt Damage: 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10
Garret tries to blast the gelatin at his feet.

reroll reflex reroll ref: 1d20 + 5 + 4 ⇒ (5) + 5 + 4 = 14

Opps, I menat to move Dolgrin, not the phantom.

Can I hit the cube with thrown alchemical splash weapons from my current square?

Ob, where does the additional re-roll +4 come from?

Garret's blast hits the blob squarely.

Dolgrin didn't have the movement speed to get to where TF ended up; I wouldn't worry too much about it, since the encounter is nearing its end.

Morād chases after the blob, while pulling his waki along the way.
Attack: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (16) + 6 = 22
Damage: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4

Nikolai, I do not think so. There would be cavern wall in the way between your optimal corner of A3/B4 and its most defended corner of C3/D4, granting it cover. You could target the B2/C3 intersection, for splash damage, however.

After being pushed aside and seeing his companions being slimed, Celeb is pretty sure this thing isn't friendly. "I still don't know what this is, but its intent is obvious."

Celeb drops his bow, pulls his warhammer, raises it with both hands above his head, and strikes.

Warhammer: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (12) + 3 = 15
Damage: 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (7) + 2 = 9

Nikolai watches in horror as his companions are swallowed by the jelly-cube . His blast useless against the creature, he tries to find a more tactically sound position.
Nikolai will move down Row 4 as far as possible. E4, by my reckoning.

I'm a 4 star GM. To answer someone else's question I run both online and in Pullman, WA.

Ob moves 30' away potentially provoking? and proceeds to blast the creature will cold again.

RTA: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (6) + 5 = 11 Against cover touch

Cold Damage: 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6

Works for me. Ob made the re-save, no acid damage or condition applied.

As Morād and Celeb make their attacks to free the engulfed companion, the gelatinous thing begins to froth and dissipate. As it froths, the form loses cohesion, and a slimy much slops on the floor, releasing Dolgrin in the process.

End combat

As the group of confirming Pathfinders presses forward, they notice a faint reflected moonlight at the end of the tunnel. The sound of Janira's oration is close and clear. "And it was Selmius Foster's race against a marid and efreeti on the isle of Jalmeray, which taught us that nothing is truly impossible and every situation can end in victory."

The light of the surface world above provides a welcome reprieve from the blue and green fungus of the caverns below, and light illuminates a stream whose water is hastened by runoff from a recent storm further up the mountains. A ledge to the west rises up to the nearby forest canopy.

The full moon casts dim light over the entire area, bright enough to illuminate even the shaded leaf litter beneath the trees. These patches of woodland are also filled with underbrush that behaves as light undergrowth, creating difficult terrain and concealment.

Nearly 100 feet from the cave's entrance/exit, Janira Gavix is locked in combat with her relentless minotaur foe in a clearing on the southern bank of the nearby stream, and Janira is seen to be seriously wounded. "You vile beast! I know not what drives your black heart, but I shall not fail in my duty. I shall see you driven from this forest, back to the hills from whence you came!"

Sensing trouble, Niles reads from his Scroll of Mage Armor.

Nikolai scrambles up the ledge to get into a good sniping position.
"Hold on Janira! We're coming!" he shouts as he prepares to bring the lightning.
In an attempt to distract the minotaur, he begins hurling insults at the top of his lungs. "I drank your mother's breastmilk this morning you giant cow! MOO!"

Ob starts at top speed towards Janira and the Minotaur. (I'm guessing we're going into initiative here.)

Morād will draw a dagger and begin to creep up on the Minotaur, looking for a position from which to snipe.

Emerging from the cave, Celeb see Janira's predicament and he knows he can be of immediate assistance. Quickly gauging the distance, he bends his bow and sends an arrow speeding toward the minotaur.

longbow: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (12) + 5 = 17
damage: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3

Garret will move as close as he can before initiative.

Indeed, it is time for initiative. The new map is up.

Niles, before reaching the mouth of the cave, utilizes his scroll of mage armor.

Janira's bardic performance remains in effect.

On his action...

Niles double moves closer to the battle with crossbow in hand.

Nikolai runs (4x speed in a straight line, loses Dex bonus to AC) to F4.

After seeing the map, I'd like to change to drawing his bow, move to O14, and shooting.

Double move forward.

Dolgrin hustles forward with a double move, while Torag's Fist over takes him.

As Nikopai, Niles, and Dolgrin's phantom position themselves for the battle, the minotaur engaging Janira presses his attack. He lightly steps forward (5' step to G22) and makes a powerful attack.
Minotaur's axe first iterative: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (11) + 7 = 18 (hit)
Minotaur's axe attack damage: 2d6 + 4 ⇒ (6, 3) + 4 = 13

As the minotaur slams its axe into Janira's leg, knocking her prone and bleeding, it notices the group of Pathfinders exiting the cave.

An arrow from Celeb's bow pierces the minotaur's thick hide, and the minotaur focuses its sight on the first thing to catch its attention, the taunting gnome, and begins eying it furiously as it is distracted from its kill.

Garrent and Dolgrin also move into position to engage the minotaur threatening Janira's life.

Janira's *lingering performance* allows for BP bonuses for next round, still, since the first round was also a lingering performance.