Aid Tokens
Once per encounter, any character at a table can use an Aid Token to assist the group in one of five ways described below. Once a table uses an Aid Token, the token grants no further benefit until the end of the encounter, at which point one of the players can pass the Aid Token to a neighboring table for them to use. It is very important that the players remember that there are a limited number of Aid Tokens, and hoarding one means that somebody else doesn’t get to use it. An Aid Token’s benefits can take one of the following five forms.
Aid Another: Ralph gives advice via a sending spell to help you solve a puzzle, disable a trap, or accomplish some other task as if performing the aid another action for a PC. The bonus for this aid is +3.
Allied Offensive: Ralph happens to be in a battle nearby and spares a moment to direct a long-range magical attack on a creature at the same time as the PC, increasing the damage dealt by one attack by 2d8 points. In addition, after the attack, the target is momentarily disoriented and anyone attacking the target is considered to be flanking it until the beginning of the attacker’s next turn.
Burst of Healing: Ralph asks a nearby cleric to send a burst of positive energy through the token. This heals all of the PCs of 3d6 points of damage. Alternatively, Ralph can send one of these spells thorugh the token to one of you: neutralize poison, remove curse, or remove disease with a caster level of 6.
Spellcasting Synergy: Ralph sends a surge of magical energy through the token as you cast a spell increasing the save DC and caster level of the PC’s spell by 1.
Timely Inspiration: Ralph broadcasts the effects of a bard’s inspire courage bardic performance for 3 rounds. The competence bonus is +2.
Table successes: 22
The beast rider
Research Encounter: The sacred pools
The Serpentfolk guards
The Scales of Ydersius
Research Encounter: Festival Preparations
Temple attendants
Research Encounter: Words of a Dead God
Beasts of a Civilised Age
Scions of the Serpent God
Research Encounter: An Azlanti Perspective (double success)
Guardian Idols
______________________________
Finding the Vault
Fate's Anchor: Gad Gemple
Fate's Anchor: Binui Skostravalus
Fate's Anchor: Romnus Vagarti
Fate's Anchor: Alrule Shahan
The Many Arodeths x 4
The Operations Center
"Welcome back, Twitter, and that is good news indeed.. .I knew you could do it, if anyone could!"
Although at one point she was at least 25% likely to have to try escaping from a magus about double her level.
The Arodeth to the North reels under the magic and archery assault by Hakime and Twitter, but remains standing.
will:1d20 + 4 ⇒ (13) + 4 = 17 will:1d20 + 4 ⇒ (7) + 4 = 11
The further Arodeth along the South wall cries out as she is suddenly blinded by Van's spell, but the nearer one resists the spell, only to be struck by Blan's scythe (only once) and Torrag's acid arrow.
The green Arodeth shoots back at Hakime with a ray of fire.
touch:1d20 + 6 ⇒ (11) + 6 = 17 scorch:4d6 ⇒ (1, 3, 5, 5) = 14
Hakime cries out as she is scorched by the flames.
The blue Arodeth takes a step towards Blan and attempts to cast a spell with one hand while swinging her staff with the other.
concentration:1d20 + 10 ⇒ (9) + 10 = 19 concentration:1d20 + 10 ⇒ (3) + 10 = 13 staff:1d20 + 8 - 2 ⇒ (17) + 8 - 2 = 23 damage:1d6 + 3 - 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 - 3 = 5
The strain of casting her spell defensively while being burned by Torrag's acid proves too much, and she loses it. She still swings her staff at Blan, striking him, but the electricity does not phase him due to Shaine's abjuration, and he takes minimal damage.
Meanwhile, the Arodeth at the back casts a defensive spell as she tries to deal with the dust clouding her vision.
MI:1d4 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4 w:1d20 + 4 ⇒ (7) + 4 = 11
4 copies of her emerge, but all of them are still fumbling about unable to see.
Round 2
Twitter
Blan (resist electricity 20, haste, enlarged) -24hp
Van (haste)
Torrag (Shield, haste)
Hakime (haste) -14
Arodeth Green -37hp
Arodeth Red (Glitterdust, 4 mirror images)
Arodeth Blue -33hp
Round 2 commences. Pathfinders state your actions.
Round 2
Twitter
Blan (resist electricity 20, haste, enlarged) -24hp
Van (haste)
Torrag (Shield, haste)
Hakime (haste) -14
Arodeth Red (Glitterdust, 4 mirror images)
Arodeth Blue -33hp
This will probably be the last round or second-last round of combat. After that, the house will count up the vault successes and see whether you all go home... or get buried by a meteor.
If you have anything left, don't hold back.
Blan, Van, Torrag and Twitter are still up for this round.
fort:1d20 + 6 ⇒ (10) + 6 = 16 will:1d20 + 4 - 2 ⇒ (2) + 4 - 2 = 4
Torrag, Van and Twitter attempt to crush Red with magic, but she does not fall to the attacks yet. However, she is also unable to shake off the blinding effect of the glitterdust, and is only able to resort to casting another defensive spell that wraps herself in lightning.
The last Arodeth falls to the combined magical attacks of Twitter and Blan.
The house has not reported code green yet, so I'm going to send one more wave at you. This will almost certainly be the last, but let's see if you can squeeze one more success in. At least, if the meteor falls on you, you can say that you fought to the end.
1d4 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3 This time, only 3 rounds between this and the last fight. Haste is ended. Torrag still has his shield, Blan is still large.
Idea! Can our action for the 'downtime' be readying an action to attack when the Arodeths arrive? Since we know they are going to emerge from the walls again, can we get a surprise round?
Twitter spends her time waiting for new Arodeths to show up and to attack with the last of her power as soon as any appear.
Twitter will direct his last 2 special attacks at red, trusting Blan to finish off Blue and start on green.
"That's the last of my heavy hits, guys. It's back to little splashes of acid after this..." the little bird pants, ostensibly weary by the constant battling.
Blan quickly opens with a slash on Blue followed by an arrow from Hakime and a pair of magic missiles from Van and Torrag. Blan's follow-up slash misses, but Van and Torrag's magical attacks finish her off. Meanwhile, Twitter hammers red with invisible magic, and she collapses to the floor.
Before Hakime can fire again, the last Arodeth realises her predicament and hurriedly fires a ray of fire at the big and easy target.
ray:1d20 + 6 ⇒ (5) + 6 = 11 fire:4d6 ⇒ (6, 5, 1, 2) = 14
Giant-Blan is easily hit and burned as the Arodeth copy moves closer to get into melee.
But before she can get too close, Hakime puts two more arrows into her.
Round 2
Van
Blan (resist electricity 20, enlarged) -48hp
Twitter
Torrag (Shield)
Arodeth Green -14hp
Hakime -14hp
Van, Blan, Twitter and Torrag are up for round 2. One Arodeth left.
The magic missile strikes Green, dealing some damage. Not enough to knock her out.
concentration:1d20 + 10 ⇒ (20) + 10 = 30 staff:1d20 + 8 - 2 ⇒ (14) + 8 - 2 = 20 pain:1d6 + 3 - 3 + 4d6 ⇒ (3) + 3 - 3 + (6, 5, 6, 5) = 25 staff:1d20 + 8 - 2 ⇒ (2) + 8 - 2 = 8
Since Blan has nicely stepped into melee range, she responds by defensively casting a spell that sheathes her staff in chilling white frost. Spinning her staff in her other hand, she strikes Blan with a light blow, but the chill from her spell numbs his veins. Staggered 1 rd.
Round 2
Van
Blan (resist electricity 20, enlarged, staggered) -73hp
Twitter
Torrag (Shield)
Arodeth Green -26hp
Hakime -14hp
Blan has 10hp left.
Pathfinders are up. Hakime wrapping up round 2 and the rest acting in round 3.
As Pathfinders defeat the furious simulacra, they disperse into foul mist that screams in anger before fading away entirely. Nearby, the true Lady Arodeth seems shaken by the destruction of her miasmic doppelgangers, and their deaths seem to sap her of her zealous rage.
Table GMs, this is Code Green. Code Green is in effect.
The last Arodeth clone falls under the combined assault of Torrag, Twitter and Blan.
Take a breather for now. I'm getting in touch with the overseer to see if we are in the clear yet.
I don't think you're in much of a condition to take another wave anyway. But you've done exceedingly well at 22 successes in total. Even if the house fails, no one can blame any of you for not doing your best.
Ok, here is the situation. The house needs 3 more vault successes to win this without a 33-table TPK. We have 24 hours if we want to try to contribute one more. It's entirely up to you.
1d4 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2
You will have 1 round to prepare, and then you will have a surprise round.
If you want to just stall to the end, no one can blame you. You all did far more than your part, and it if were not for some other GMs who were hardly at their tables, things would not even be this close.
I will set up the fight. Whether or not you go for one last success is up to you.
M Gnome Arcanist 6 - HP 38/38 - AC 16/T: 15/FF: 13 - Perception: +1; Darkvision 60 ft. - Fort: +6, Ref: +7, Will: +6 (+2 vs. Illusions) - CMB: +2, CMD 15 - Speed 20 ft. - Init. +3
Since I don't particularly want to lose my character due to poor GMing at other tables, I say we keep fighting.
Van uses his wand of Infernal Healing on Blan, then readies a wand produced Magic Missile for Arodeths Part V, continuously targeting the closest enemy.
Blan has Fast Healing 1 for 10 rounds, starting at the preparation round.
Van has 6 charges left on his Magic Missile wand after this post. He'll use that every round, switching to Acid Splash if it's exhausted. If you're waiting on me, just bot me by rolling the MM damage and moving him out of harm's well, if applicable.
"Believe me, Miss Hakime, I would love to help, but I have literally no magic left to offer. My power is so divided among the 33 copies of myself present in this time that each copy only had a limited pool, and I have exhausted it all."
"Those crazy women will do more damage than you can heal. We're best off taking them down as quickly as possible!" Twitter chirps as she fires a dark-orange ray at the green Arodeth.
Blan you are right, it seems. I have forgotten about your temporary hit points from being an unchained barbarian. I'm deducting 36 points from your damage
fort:1d20 + 6 ⇒ (6) + 6 = 12
Torrag and Van unload magic attacks on Blue. One slice from Blan's scythe and two arrows from Hakime later, she is down on the floor. Hakime sends her third arrow into Green, who has meanwhile taken two rays from Twitter. Blan moves to red to take a swing, but misses his attack
ray:1d20 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 10
Blue shoots a scorching ray at Hakime, but the paladin easily dodges. However, Blue does also move up to Hakime with her staff menacingly in hand.
Red goes for a more fancy attack, trying to incorporate a freezing spell into her staff strike.
conc:1d20 + 10 ⇒ (18) + 10 = 28 attack:1d20 + 8 - 2 ⇒ (1) + 8 - 2 = 7 attack:1d20 + 8 - 2 ⇒ (15) + 8 - 2 = 21 damage:1d6 + 3 - 3 + 4d6 ⇒ (2) + 3 - 3 + (1, 2, 2, 1) = 8
She hits Blan once for minimal damage, but the barbarian is system-shocked by the cold. (Staggered 1 rd)
Round 2
Twitter
Torrag (Shield)
Van
Hakime -14hp
Blan (resist electricity 20, enlarged, fast healing 1.8) -31hp
Arodeth Green -20
Arodeth Red
M Gnome Arcanist 6 - HP 38/38 - AC 16/T: 15/FF: 13 - Perception: +1; Darkvision 60 ft. - Fort: +6, Ref: +7, Will: +6 (+2 vs. Illusions) - CMB: +2, CMD 15 - Speed 20 ft. - Init. +3
Van fires another force bolt at the green Arodeth. "How many more of these crazy things do we have to splat anyway?" The gnome asks rhetorically, fatigue evident in his voice.
The asteroid looms impossibly large overhead, and the air grows stiflingly hot as the world itself begins to rumble. High overhead, the dome of green energy shudders, twists, and finally shatters, and Pathfinders’ bodies begin melting into flowing particles as the world slips away.
Just as quickly, you stumble as Bloodwatered Meadow coalesces beneath your feet, as it does for countless other Society agents. The wildflowers bob lazily in the wind, and nothing but a few still bodies stand as testament to the bloodshed and struggle of the past five hours. Kreighton Shaine, looking several years older, staggers to his feet and gives a nervous chuckle before climbing up a small knoll and waving his arms for the crowd’s attention.
“What we have all witnessed here today has been a remarkably journey that included sights no living soul on Golarion has witnessed. The Sky Key has allowed us to walk among the serpentfolk and Azlanti, gazing upon several of the greatest events to shape Golarion and the region that would one day become the Inner Sea. Let the catastrophe that we witnessed and narrowly escaped humble us and teach us so that we might find value in preserving the messages and wisdom those lost people may have left behind for us to discover. I think we all have some responsibility to remember those who passed so that our modern world can exist.
“You have all observed great things and have notes to share. This much is certain. But for now, let us… let us simply take a few days to reflect. The Society, I imagine, will send agents to collect your notes and interview you about your experiences. Until then, find your families and loved ones, as I know I shall. Failing that, find some passion that ties you to the here and now, and embrace it.
“We survived, Pathfinders. I am proud of your Unrivaled Accomplishment!”
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Congrats everyone. The stakes haven't been higher for a PbP Special, but everyone rose to the occasion. I've been watching the successes come in on the Google form and it's been exciting watching you inch closer and closer to the goal! There have certainly been some super tables out there, but it's fairly clear that everyone has been working hard and contributing to the group success. I'm super proud of you guys.
At this point, you have a chance to perform Downtime activity and roll for boons. Because the house earned an Unrivaled Accomplishment, everyone gets their Secondary Success Condition.
I'd like to send a big thank you to all of the players for participating in this event, and a big thank you to all the GMs who ran this. Running and playing in the Play-by-Post specials are a lot of work in a short time, and you rose to the challenge.
If you have any feedback about how this was run at all, please either email me at jmcteague@pathfindersocietyonline.com, or email Jesse at jesse@pathfindersocietyonline.com
