[PFS/Shifty]The Hydras Fang Incident (T4-5) (Inactive)

Game Master Nik B.

The first bite does a number on Searlas and eats right through his magically enhanced vigor. He rolls back and forth, raising his arms to deflect several of the rending claws against his aura of force, but a few still manage to leave him bloodied. Despite the overwhelming wounds, Searlas just looks extremely pissed off.

Fort: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 3 = 7

"Once we get our tablets I'm gonna sink this &@(#^! ship."

I have no idea what is still standing around me, I'm not sure, but I think no more than one ghoul is still able to take an AoO on me. Here are 2 possible actions. Please quote the one that is used.

Korug's power attack would still be in effect for the armor spike AoO which would add 4 more damage.

Damage was 1d6+10, your base is 1d6 + 4 str +2 Rage +4 PA - was there another 4?

Torrel seizes up 1d4 ⇒ 3

Korug brings his weapon to bear on a ghoul, only just managing to hit - but the blow is enough! Another creature is felled.

@Malachi - did you want to change actions?

@Searlas - for an AC15 you got hit a few times - 24hp worth. The only good news was you are immune to the paralysis.

DR 1
R 1
O 13
G 3
B 13

Yeah, 22 HP Max +9 HP from False Life - 24 = 7 hp remaining. Edit: Ah, I see I put 9 in my header. Corrected. Actions remain the same.

Yeah saw the HP bar and thought it worth double checking - once Malachi clarifies his actions I can resolve yours :)

The downside is that I had you as helpless, so have adjusted the map - if anything it favoured the party so all good :)

Korug Half-Shame wrote:

Korug's power attack would still be in effect for the armor spike AoO which would add 4 more damage.

Damage was 1d6+10, your base is 1d6 + 4 str +2 Rage +4 PA - was there another 4?

No, you're right. I'm used to +10 when raging with the polearm.

I think my attacks as declared take down two ghouls, blue and green. That's probably as good as i could manage. May i move to stand over Searlas? Also, i'd like to call Polly down to help. There's too many ghouls here. If i can't stand over Searlas i'll 5' step forward and get in Orange's face.

Malachi whistles for Polly.

"Caw? Caw!"

Polly swoops into the hold, and seeing the carnage she rushes to assist, scratching at the nearest ghoul with her talons (orange, who is squeezed).

Polly is tiny so has to fly into orange's space and provoke aoo

talon vs orange: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (19) + 8 = 27damage: 1d4 - 2 ⇒ (4) - 2 = 2

If needed: fort save: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (4) + 7 = 11

It looks like Searlas can get to his feet, so Malachi will 5' step forwards after his attacks assuming that he dropped Green Ghoul.

Malachi acts like an Avian threshing machine clawing and pecking through the ghouls...
Two more fall!

The ghoul in the main room swipes at Polly!
Attack 1d20 + 3 - 4 ⇒ (4) + 3 - 4 = 3
...but misses and gets bitten neatly - enough to defeat it!

Searlas manages to stand and cast his spell!

The flames are really starting to take hold!

The remaining ghouls lash at Searlas through the door!

(Dark red)
Attack (Bite) 1d20 + 3 - 4 ⇒ (7) + 3 - 4 = 6
Damage 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3

Attack (Claw) 1d20 + 3 - 4 ⇒ (3) + 3 - 4 = 2
Damage 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4

Attack (Claw) 1d20 + 3 - 4 ⇒ (20) + 3 - 4 = 19
Damage 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4
Crit? (Claw) 1d20 + 3 - 4 ⇒ (3) + 3 - 4 = 2
Add Damage 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4

(Red)
Attack (Bite) 1d20 + 3 - 4 ⇒ (18) + 3 - 4 = 17
Damage 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4

Attack (Claw) 1d20 + 3 - 4 ⇒ (12) + 3 - 4 = 11
Damage 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4

Attack (Claw) 1d20 + 3 - 4 ⇒ (6) + 3 - 4 = 5
Damage 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4

His magics just cast are snatched away!

DR 1
R 1

R3
Torrel - paralysed 3
Malachi
Korug

R4
Serlas

As Malachi tears apart two more of the undead creatures, Korug steps back and tries to strike at one of them through the doorway.

Attack vs red: 1d20 + 11 - 2 ⇒ (10) + 11 - 2 = 191d10 + 10 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 10 + 6 = 20

Searlas watches Korug's ruthless efficiency and heads back to the top deck in search of buckets. "All right... I think Korug's got the ghoul problem in hand, the rest of us lets get a bucket brigade going. If you have any magic that'll help use it, otherwise run buckets. I don't want this ship going down until AFTER we've scoured it for survivors, those blasted tablets, or anything else of value."

He grimances. "Then we can let it burn..."

Move up top and find a bucket?

Korug smashes one of the remaining ghouls.

Searlas starts dealing with the fire before it is unable to be controlled....
All good, you are able to get wet blankets and the like

"GHOUL DIES FIRST YES! THEN I CONJURE WATER! FANG MY SHIP NOW YES!"

Malachi picks up his hammer again, and thrusts it through the doorway at the remaining ghoul.

hammer vs ghoul, rage: 1d20 + 7 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 7 + 2 = 15damage: 1d12 + 7 ⇒ (5) + 7 = 12

Searlas do you want to move away from the doorway, upstairs?

Malachi takes a swing, the hammer slams into the door frame, the Ghoul persists...

Searlas gets out of the way quickly - able to move away from the ghoul - and starts dealing with the fire.

Torrel tries to communicate - but can only groan due to the paralysis

The ghoul moves into the hold - lashing away at Malachi who just tried to kill it
Attack (Bite) 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (13) + 3 = 16
Damage 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7

Attack (Claw) 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (20) + 3 = 23
Damage 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4 <- DC 13 Fort save or be paralysed.
Crit? (Claw) 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (13) + 3 = 16
Add Damage 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3

Attack (Claw) 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (16) + 3 = 19
Damage 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5 <- DC 13 Fort save or be paralysed.

R4
Torrel - paralysed 2
Malachi (Two fort saves required)
Korug

R5
Serlas

current AC is 21, from shield plus rage; I also have blur so will roll the miss chance here - 1-20 = miss

blur miss chance: 1d100 ⇒ 23

fort save if still needed: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (2) + 11 = 13

Malachi is hit by a ghoul claw, but in his bloodrage resists the undead chill just!

He replies once again in kind. drop hammer, full attack

peck, rage: 1d20 + 6 + 2 ⇒ (10) + 6 + 2 = 18damage: 1d3 + 5 ⇒ (1) + 5 = 6
claw1, rage: 1d20 + 6 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 6 + 2 = 12damage: 1d3 + 5 ⇒ (1) + 5 = 6
claw2, rage: 1d20 + 6 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 6 + 2 = 13damage: 1d3 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 5 = 8

dice bot is being unfriendly again :p

Ahh cool

The peck injures the ghoul, but it has not yet been stopped!

Korug steps back and tries to end the last remaining ghoul

Attack: 1d20 + 11 - 2 ⇒ (10) + 11 - 2 = 19
Dmg: 1d10 + 16 ⇒ (9) + 16 = 25

-Posted with Wayfinder

Youd either have Malachi in the way, or be squeezing, but a 15 hits regardless :p

The final ghoul is smashed to the deck, and there is a mad scramble to put out the flames. Working quickly, you beat out the fire from the shattered lamp, and begin to make sense of the place. Looking at where the bodies are, it seems that the hull was holed at some point fairly recently and the slaves chained inside this area drowned before the hole was patched.

Along with the ghoulish passengers, the hold contains a small padlocked chest of wood and hardened leather. Inside, wrapped in moldering velvet, rest four tablets each crafted from a different material— copper, gold, lead, and black slate.

Over to you guys for a bit of a party wrap up and 'where to'. You will probably need to head back to the docks to get a new ride out, the Fang has been pretty badly trashed

After he has recovered from his rage, and helped douse the flames, Malachi addresses his shipmates.

"Success, me hearty shipmates! The 'Fang is mine, yes, just as I told Captain Dreng it would be, eh. Let us not forget to thank Besmara for watching over our endeavour, yes. She must be paid Her due! Du Moire and his fools, who rejected our kind offer remember, must be thrown overboard with all speed, yes. And whilst the sharks feed, I can recover Besmara's Grace.

We should then change our flag, and rename the ship. Kraken's Wrath, eh! Yes, that sounds good!"

There appears to be another unopened door in the ship's hold. If this is leading to another room, Malachi and Polly will examine it and listen for noises behind. We won't open it though!

perception, if needed: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (19) + 11 = 30

Yeah that is just the stores - rations and the like

Its all big speeches and cool RP opportunity as we wrap :)

Over to you guys for a bit of a party wrap up and 'where to'. You will probably need to head back to the docks to get a new ride out, the Fang has been pretty badly trashed

If the Fang is too badly damaged to be seaworthy, Malachi easily recognises that.

After a rigourous inspection of his prize, Captain Malachi Malarkey falls into a dejected slump.

"Eh, she's a wreck! We couldn't sail her around Kortos in this state, yes. A thousand curses upon that wretch Du Moire, yes! May Besmara flay his soul for eternity! He couldn't even keep ship properly, yes. Who feared this miserable imbecile?

Let us claim salvage rights, shipmates. The day is not entirely without profit, yes."

So close to my own ship! Eh, but I'll not sell my treasures to pay for repairing this wreck. Kraken's Wrath should be bigger than this anyway. And fitted with guns from Alkenstar, yes!

Malachi enters a reverie, dreaming of conquering the seas in his own battleship...

Its got a hole in the hull which has been badly repaired, and the general state of the vessel is pretty poor - you suspect they had pulled into Kortos to undertake some repairs, but these haven't really happened... you still get to look 100% pirate though for a bit!

I seem to have survived!
Gotta love sitting out the finale. :P

"Eh... if you REALLY want this ship I'm sure you can repair it... but I'd recommend making it unrecognizable. I'd rather the name of Du Moire just disappear and be forgotten, along with the name of the Hydra's Fang."

He looks around at the beat up hull and shrugs. "Well... it ain't sinking. We can probably limp it back to a friendlier port and turn over our captives. Plus I could use a nap... a long nap."

As the battle weary group returns to port, Torrel offers to help Malachi patch up his new ship, offering the blessing of Mending and Make Whole, but also to banish any lingering spirits, both literal and metaphorical.

When they make it back to the Grand Lodge, delivering the corpse of Du Moire along with the report of their adventure, Torrel makes certain he also has a chance to speak to the younger, less experienced Pathfinders as well.

"It is important to remember in our line of work, just what our choices mean. How they affect others. Du Moire was a monster. His actions where all about his own survival. He didn't care who he hurt, or who paid for all of the evils that he did. In the end, all of those slaves he had taken, all of the people he ripped from their families, those he had not slaughtered he left in chains below death."

"We where too late to save them, for in Du Moire's attempt to save himself, he left them to die. They rose as the undead, because he did not care for their lives at all. We can not be like that. Our actions, moreso than many, affect others profoundly."

"Eh, you <gulps>, you guys are the best crewmates a captain could wish for, yes! Such generous spirits! You will be repaid with much plunder, by Besmara's Bloody Bones!"

You've got Cap'n Malachi quite emotional!

Closing theme

Deciding to sail the Fang back to Absalom, you head back to shore for more suitable provisions and to seek out the Harbour Master to report your departure.

Pulling up at a slipway along the breakwall, you move past a small crowd of spectators who had assembled to see what the 'out of towners' were up too - word had travelled of the incident at the store, and of a strange group heading out to the Hydras Fang.

Everyone moves away from the rough and bloodied adventurers, and nobody makes any enquiries of the party - no one seems keen on sticking their noes into business that is probably not wise meddling in.

You report Du Moires demise to your contac, Osprey, and soon thereafter get a grand thanks from the Chelish and Andoren embassies for saving their home countries from entering into what was sure to be a bloody war.

The next day, after a warm meal, dry clothes and a well-earned rest, you depart for the docks and you spy a few dead pirates; the last of Du Moires crew who were still ashore now hanging from gibbets as a warning to others who might have his leanings.

With Malachi at the helm, the small ship slips out of the harbour and off to Absalom

***

The ancient artifacts are examined in detail. The crudely fashioned tablets are incredibly ancient forgeries of the original tablets marking the royal seals of four of the Old Azlant’s noble houses. Regardless of their non-authenticity, their uncanny detail provides great insight into lost languages and historical data associated with the four houses.

Good game guys :)

The following morning, before the debrief, Searlas awakes to see Hariwini perched on the pewter tankard once again.

"Ah... you're back. As per usual. I promise I wasn't to big of an a-" **Loud chirping** "- last night. Didn't burn anything down, didn't run away from danger... are you happy?"

"Good master. Fill out report! Explore, report, cooperate!"

Searlas appears incredibly annoyed by just about everything said by the bird, but seems resigned to his fate and begins the tedious process of preparing a written report for the pathfinder chronicles.