PbP GameDay 2: PFS 05-07 Port Godless (5-9)

Game Master SwampTing

"The emanation is probably an Alarm," Aestrid offers. Calling on her goddess' grace she looks at the stronger aura as well.

Knowledge: Arcana with Detect Magic on the moderate aura: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (19) + 6 = 25

Exiel and Aestrid are able to identify the aura as being of the Conjuration school.

So...what now?

"If we have no way to dispel to alarms then we probably shouldn't go this way.. We'll walk right into a trap.. Perhaps we could run and purchase a dispel magic scrolls?"

Anything from my search of the flat wall?

You do not find a secret door.

So of our 2 people that could have a dispel magic neither memorized one? If permitted i will spend 2 PA to purchse a pair of dispel magic scrolls as a retro action..

2 spells would have a 50/50 chance of failure assuming a 75% success rate, which is likely very optimistic. We'd probably have needed 4 castings to have decent odds of taking out both spells.

"We could try the salute to hopefully bypass the alarm, and stone shape to avoid the door and a quick-moving assault." Aestrid whispers, "We have the initiative here so if we move quickly, we can still have success."

Well im not offering up 4 PA when there are 5 of us lol.. Someone else buy 2 more..

Actually, I can cast them at +2 CL.. I just wasn't really prepared for the game and hadn't stocked up the scrolls I intended to. Shame on me, right?

Are Lillian and Ranus going to wait till the markets open and go shopping for scrolls? The charm person spell lasts for 5 hours, so you have some time.

"Well its obvious we're gonna need some scrolls to go this way.. Yall wanna wait will I go fetch them or? And the salute was only for the trap in the courtyard.. The guard didn't even know about this entrance, but obvously the Blackfire's do.. So what's it gonna be?"

"Hmm...that would probably be a good idea. If they are relying on the alarm spell to detect intruders, entering by the lower levels without triggering the alarm will certainly help us remain undetected for a longer time, and allow us to catch our enemies unawares."

Unfortunately Exiel only has 1 prestige at the moment. However, I believe that a 2 pp expenditure can get you a scroll with 2 3rd level spells on it.

Picking up scrolls via PP at this point may actually be impractical, as it 'represents prior arragangements' and the like. I can pick some up if we want.. though we'd have to delay for however many hours for it to be day again. There's not even a guarantee that it would work, unfortunately.

Aestrid has loads of PP so she can chip in a couple to the cause.

You guys rested for Aestrid to re-memorise spells, so it's 4 a.m. You're in a large city that is neutral to the Pathfinder Society, so you can find a Pathfinder Society contact without trouble. However, it will take you 1d3 hours to find him/wait for him to wake up, and another 1d3 hours for him to obtain the requested scroll(s).

So are you guys going to do this? Ranus, Aestrid and Lillian each getting a 2pp scroll with 2 dispel magics on it? (Keep in mind that even if you don't use it in this scenario, you can still use it in future scenarios.)

Currently it looks like:
In favour of waiting to get scrolls: Exiel, Lillian and Aestird
Uncertain: Ranus

I'm actually in favour of trying to bust through with what we have but am yielding to the vocal consensus.

I believe we have no choice but to get the scrolls unless yall wanna just storm the front gates..

Ok, so the votes are:
Get scrolls: Lillian and Exiel
Uncertain: Ranus
Go in from the surface now: Aestrid

Will wait on Scrillion and Isaac to vote, then move us along.

Also, Happy Easter everyone!

Guessing there's low activity due to Easter family commitments?

Aestrid's vote is to go in from here, not the surface, assuming that we are going to trip an alarm sooner or later regardless of what we do.

I'm fine with going for scrolls though if that gets us moving though.

Sorry, holiday absence. I could go either way with almost equal happiness/reluctance; I imagine the front gates to be bluff/diplomacy-able, but getting the sewer entrance preferable... if we had the scrolls. The loss of 2 - 6 hours will be a blow, since that puts us in the bright and early sunshine with everyone stirring. So, since we need an opinion, I'd lean toward just entering here with scrolls, I guess. However, also happy to go with the general consensus if the vote goes the other way, since there are plusses and minuses both ways.

It's ok, I've had abit of a holiday absence as well. It looks like the general direction is towards waiting for morning.

Ranus and Aestrid, your next posts should indicate whether or not you also obtained scrolls of dispel magic.

Other purchases can also be made.

You leave the sewers without tripping off any alarm, as far as you know. You wait till morning and are able to locate a contact of the Pathfinder Society. Lillian (and possibly Aestrid and Ranus each) obtains a scroll with 2 dispel magic spells scribed. The entire venture takes you 2d3 ⇒ (3, 1) = 4 hours.

It is 8 a.m. when you finally return to the sewer door with the scroll(s). The door looks exactly as you left it, and a scan with detect magic reveals the same auras.

Who is using their scrolls? Please roll your dispel check (1d20+5).

Lillian purchased 2 of the scrolls so she'll give her 2 to Ranus to try.. I think he adds +2 to the scrolls CL

1d20 + 7 ⇒ (15) + 7 = 22 Beats CL 11th for the First
1d20 + 7 ⇒ (18) + 7 = 25 Beats CL 14th for the Second..

If those dont do it we're in trouble lol

Aestrid buys 2 scrolls as well and we can use one of them in place of Lillian's second scroll. I'll stick with her roll though if that's cool :-)

Aestrid watches with skepticism, monitoring the magic auras with her fickle goddess' blessing.

Aestrid focuses on the door as Ranus uses the scrolls, and sees that both auras have fade away as the spells are cast, leaving only lingering auras that will fade naturally with time. The dispels worked.

Edit: I'll move us along.

An extensive search assures you that the door is not trapped, and as the only trained lock-picker in the group, Isaac is tasked with picking the lock. It takes him awhile (taking 20, as he needs a 20), but he eventually gets the lock to click open.

The door opens to a broad hallway lined with cells with barred iron grills for doors. A number of them are closed, though in the gloom you can't immediately tell if any of them are occupied. The hallway extends to what appears to be a room at the far end where you can see a couple of wooden chairs and part of a table, as well as a staircase leading upwards. A branch off to your left (Eastwards) can also be seen, and there appears to be a fair amount of light coming from that direction.

Woo! We're proceeding!

Remembering that the guards were only given limited access to the lower level, Exiel decides that Lucien, as an otherwise very ordinary-looking thrush (as long as he keeps his beak shut), would actually look less immediately-suspicious than a disguised Aestrid even if he was detected. With a solemn caution for him to be careful, Exiel casts guidance on Lucien and sends him in to take a look-see down both paths (though not to approach closer than say, 40ft of any creature he sees apart from people who may be locked in the cells), and to report back. He is instructed not to take any turns (apart from the visible left-branch) or enter any rooms.

Lucien's Stealth: 1d20 + 12 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (20) + 12 + 2 + 1 = 35 (size+dex+guidance)

Exiel's familiar flies down the corridors like a miniature stealth bomber, succeeding so well in keeping itself hidden that it might as well have been invisible. Upon its return, it reports the following:

1. Some of the cells do indeed hold some slaves, though most appear to be just sitting or lying down looking dejected and hopeless.

2. The room at the end of the hall does is empty except for a single guard at the table who sits there looking bored. There is sizeable hand bell on the table by his hand, presumably for raising an alarm.

3. The passage to the left leads to a room out of a nightmare. It has a couple of broad tables with manacles affixed to either end to restrain struggling subjects, and a pair of broad stone basins that are filled with dark red globs of gooey residue. Along the north wall stand four stone statues of ghastly figures whose expressions suggest they delight in what they see. There was a woman in tattered leathers strapped to one of the tables with VERY bloodied mouth (from the description you can guess that she's a Garundi woman). And there was another woman whose back was turned to the thrush, though he could see she had her hair tied back and was well-dressed in a white long-sleeved shirt and a sleeveless leather duster. She was standing at another table and appeared to be reading something on that table.

Map

I have Invisibility and Silence prepared (One or both with Extend if needed).

Silence could be cast on the unattended bell from the doorway to the sewers if I'm reading the map right. The advantage of this is the silence duration would be maximized as I could cast it from range. This would isolate the bottom level's noises from upstairs for a minute provided we kill the guard quickly.

Another option would be Invisibility/Silence to steal the bell, the advantage being we would have someone in the room with the guard right away.

I like the plan. We know that there are only 2 locked rooms within the area, and we already know the layout of a good portion of the lower level. If we can silence the entrance and take out the guard, we may be able to clear the entire lower floor without the alarm being raised at all.

Hopefully the Riftwardens are being held here rather than in the plain building topside. The cells here look like one-man cells, so we'll need to check them out one by one?

We will however need a team that can stealth past that branching passage to the left.

Due to the limited duration we will enter initiative order once the spell is cast, though the enemies will not act until they become aware of you. Are you proceeding with this plan?

Scrillion nods his head in the affirmative, ready to proceed as stealthily as possible when given the go-ahead. He is wearing his good shoes, the ones that do not creak (Stealth +11), and his bow is drawn.

"I support the plan," Exiel whispers, "but I will not be part of the team that sneaks up on the guard. I am trained in spell and weaponry, but not stealth. My attempt to aid will only hinder the effort. Instead, I will watch from here, and come running should the woman in the left passage be alerted and attempt to intervene."

I'll also be getting a pair of dispel magic scrolls. Ranus isn't a negative stealth, but yeah.. not very stealthy. I'd rather stay back- Lillian might be able to charm the guard though as well, which could help out. Didn't the guard upstairs say there weren't any guards allowed down here though? The silence plan is a good idea, and we can potentially use the bell as a portable silence if need be- the woman in the cell may be a caster, and silence would help against her as well.

Lillian whispers.. "I have the vanish spell.. With it I can get someone close to the guard for sure.. I think we're beyond the charming point by now.. If he shrugs it off he could yell.. Scrillion come with me and we'll take care of the bell guard.. Aestrid put your silence on the bell and then yall get ready to take the other room.. Me and Scrillion will catch up.. Sound good?" If so she'll cast Vanish on Scrillion and prepare and magic missile for the bell guard..

"We'll hold here and see if you and Scrillion can take on the guard quietly. If you can, we can take the next room together. If not, we'll spring on her the moment she rounds the corner. Let's do this."

"Am I casting Invisibility on one of you first? As soon as we start with Silence, anything within earshot will be aware. "

Lillian creeps up till she has sight of the guard and waits for Scrillion to loose his arrow.. When he does she'll fire a trio of missiles into the guard as well..

MM!: 3d4 + 3 ⇒ (2, 1, 1) + 3 = 7

Ok, it looks like we're entering initiative.

Everyone roll initiative, and take your full round of actions. If you move, feel free to specify your new square relative to your present location (e.g. "I move 2 squares south and 3 squares east" or "I move 10ft south and 15ft east") or relative to something in the picture ("I move to the square adjacent and north-east of the troll").

If you move past the branch leading to the other room with the woman, make a stealth check.

Actions taken so far:

Aestrid: casts silence (please see the map for where I think you want to cast it, and let me know if you want to change the location). can still take a move action
Lillian: moves to the sqaure directly south of Exiel and readies action to cast magic missile once Scrillion fires an arrows.

Scrillion: FYI, as far as I can see, in every square that you can shoot from without needing to make a stealth check, he will have improved cover against you.

Aestrid targets her spell on the bell if it's visible from the door and unattended, using her Metamagic wand to double the duration to 10 rounds. If it's not visible from the door, she'll hit the grid intersection at the western edge of the table between the two chairs. Either way, her move action will be to move to the door (3 squares South on the map).

Initiative: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (14) + 0 = 14

Aestrid moves up to the door, points at the guardpost and calls on the Savoured Sting to silence her enemy's screams.

Init: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 10

With Invis he will have a hefty stealth moving.. +31 i believe.. Can they even hit that number?

Once everyone is in place and obviously ready to go, Scrillion creeps as close as he dares (within 30 feet) and then looses an arrow at the unsuspecting guard. Firing his Mark IV! After all the waiting, the archer feels thirty years younger.

Stealth: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (13) + 11 = 24
Fire arrow at guard with PBS: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (1) + 15 = 16
Damage if he hits: 1d8 + 8 + 1d6 ⇒ (1) + 8 + (5) = 14
the last number is electricity damage

I don't think I got a t-shirt reroll in this game, did I? If so, I'll take it now.
LINK: http://www.myth-weavers.com/showthread.php?t=204420
Reroll Fire arrow at guard with PBS: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (15) + 15 = 30

Fire second arrow at guard with PBS if he gets a second: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (12) + 10 = 22
Damage if he hits: 1d8 + 8 + 1d6 ⇒ (3) + 8 + (2) = 13
the last number is electricity damage

You gain +2 to hit for the first attack due to being invis.. your stealth is also a 44 not a 24 for the round..

I'll assume Lillian cast invisibility on Scrillion and gave him time to move into position before Aestrid cast silence.

Keep in mind the orange line on the map. If you are between the orange and green lines, the woman might be able to see you.

Between Scrillion's volley of bolts and Lillian's spell, the guard slumps onto the table, lifeless.

Waiting on Exiel, Ranus and Isaac. This is still the first round of the silence spell, Scrillion is no longer invisible.

Scrillion still needs an init roll, will roll for you if you do not roll by the time Exiel, Ranus and Isaaac post.

Exiel nods as he sees the guard slump to the table.

"Right, he hisses, "we've got under a minute to take out that woman in the other room. Let's make it count. Lucien, if you please."

As he speaks, Lucien activates the ioun stone floating around him, casting protection from evil on Exiel. Exiel casts a spell on himself as well, then moves to the corner of the passageway, 2 sqaures south from Aestrid's position, his hooked lance at the ready to run in next turn. (I forgot to declare it earlier, but Exiel should have cast an extended mage armor on himself earlier. If you allow that, he now casts shield on himself, otherwise, he casts the extended mage armor on himself.)

initiative: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 10

Initiative: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (13) + 2 = 15

Is the guard down already? Don't seem him on the map. Also, as mentioned before I will have Mage Armor and False Life running.

False Life HP: 1d10 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 5 = 8

Precast spells for Exiel and Ranus are ok. I could quibble about when you cast it, but in all events you should have about an hour left, and if you don't finish this in that time, buffs running out will be the least of your concerns.

Isaac is up, but given his track record of posts thus far, I'll put him on delay. Not sure when he'll next post.

Rolling Scrillion's inititative for him: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (8) + 9 = 17