PbP Game Day IV PFS 5-14 Day of the Demon (Inactive)

Game Master TheBobJones

"Its an ambush, no matter what way we go. It never goes well when we split up. I say we go down the stairs, much faster for all six, er... seven of us. I still have a nagging feeling about that closet and the shaft to the basement. Somehow I feel it must be connected to the demonic temple that is in this place. I worry that is the only way to get where we are going. Why else would the thin men bring Tilly's parents up here, if they are no longer here?"

Pooka fidgets a bit, nervous about not finding Tilly's parents, and anxious to get this tense searching overwith. Getting caught under a demon's blade, or stuck in his mind tricks is as bad as it gets, but being stuck in a circle of tense searching and waiting for the boogyman to jump out at you is almost worse.

"Seeing as how we expect any of the three ways to be a trap I can only logically put my support behind the option that doesn't require us in an already precarious position like climbing down a laundry chute or rappelling down a well and instead suggest that while not ideal an ambush on the stairs likely gives us enough room to defend ourselves and Tilly from whatever it is in the basement even if it is just Tilly's Pa mad because Xull touched her on the shoulder," Diri says, nodding towards the stairs.

Getting ambushed is bad, but getting ambushed while climbing is worse.

Foolish as he is, Targath seems relieved they are finally making their way down to the demon's nest.

"Ambush, shambush, we won't see until we go there!" Targath says valiantly and looks at Chumley, "so baghead still takes point looking for nonexistent traps?"

"My vote would be for descent by a rope down the shaft; they took her father upstairs, so that disfavors the stairs. But I will yield to the rest of your decision."

Chumley points at Targath. "There was a trap that you found with your face with your rushing. If you would prefer to continue that trend, I'd be happy to oblige it and stand a carefull distance back."

"Chumley is to be making excellent point," agrees the other big Shoanti, "If fiends are to be going upstairs to be taking victims, then we should be using of upstairs entrance."

Xûll rummages through his pack. He finds everything from smoked goggles to smelling salts... but no rope. "It is appearing I have forgotten to be packing of rope. Sorry!"

+4 climb, so I should be able to just take 10 to descend if we manage to secure a rope and go that way.

Nuts. So two for ballroom stairs, two for shaft in bedroom - ok poor choice of words that one - and one for rushing ahead no matter what path you take. Great RP all around, but lets take this over to the discussion thread and get it settled by tomorrow AM.

"I've a rope, Xull." Pooka rummages through his saddlebags, pulling the fine silken rope out.

"I cannot shake this feeling that Chumley is correct. Its been nagging me since we got up here, and confirmed when we couldn't find anything in these rooms. I didn't want it to be the case, because I am not looking forward to finding a way to get Luna down that hole."

Pooka turns back to his proportionally large dog. "Sorry girl. You aren't going to like this, but some things just need to be done. Maybe we can head back up the stairs once this mess is over."

Pooka reaches in his hip pouch to grab another treat, feeding it to her while scratching her ear and rubbing the crown of her head.

3-1, shaft it is

So the Pathfinders once again cross the 2nd floor, and make their way into the bedroom. Targath again looks up at the circular saw trap that almost took his head off before, glad that the blades stay in place.

Targath looks at Chumley. Chumbley looks at Targath. T 1, C 2: 1d2 ⇒ 2

Chumley grabs a rung and begins to descend with Targath right behind.

The iron rungs descend from a vertical shaft and continue all the way to the floor, leading into a clear pool filling the bottom 10 feet of the room. The chamber’s walls depict Asmodeus in all manner of triumph. A stone stair rises from the pool to a dais on the room’s eastern end, where several dark robes hang on hooks. An ornate double door in the east wall provides the only visible egress from the chamber.

Don't want to take too many liberties here. Please describe your order and what you do once you reach the bottom and a 10' pool of water.

"If the plan is to let Pooka and Luna go last it is logical that I follow Targath and Chumley with Xull and Pooka taking up the rear," and hopefully Tilly will be too scared to press on, she silently hopes as she descends into the well.

At the bottom, she'll detect magic, scanning the room, while waiting for the rest of the party.

"Who the hell chose to put the bath in here?!" Targath curses, "this basement is the dumbest place I've ever been in!" He lowers down to the water with ease, without making a splash. Given his athletic training, this is the thing he's good at. Down there he swims casually.

"Be carefuls," cautions Xûll, "Murky depths - even only ten feet or so - maybe are being hiding of nasties. Perhapsing only two should be being in water at given times."

Xûll waits for the first two to get across safely and then turns to the young girl, "Tilly, are you being able to swim? Be waiting with me until others are crossing, then we are to be going togethers."

Swim, take 10: 10 + 3 = 13

Xûll will swim across with Tilly and Luna, if Tilly has descended with us. If she can't swim, Xûll will tie Luna's rope to Tilly and throw it to Targath so he can pull Tilly out if something goes wrong.

Diri, Chumley, Pooka, and Luna can I get a swim check, DC 10

Xull and Targath easily swim the short distance to the steps leading towards the rest of the basement.

Tilly "Swim you say? Yeah, I can do that. Tarcey and I done swim a bit."

Tilly also joins the others on the stairs. She turns back expectantly looking for the others to make it across. She begins to fidget slightly, water puddling below her. She grabs her hair two-handed and begins to twist, wringing the excess water out.

Forgot to mention a light source. Xûll will have reclaimed his everburning torch from Tilly (since she's now coming along with the party). S.O.P will be to drop it to the ground when he is within melee range of the enemy (or draws his bow).

Coming down the rungs, Pooka hefts his mount on his shoulders. His fingers and legs ache and strain under the weight of the animal that normally carries him. Alas, dogs just don't do vertical ladders well. As soon as the pair get close enough to the water, Luna leaps from Pooka's shoulders into the water with a splash. Dipping under from the weight of her gear momentarily, she kicks her paws instinctivly until she reaches the edge.

Swim, take 10: 10 + 10 = 20

The moment all four paws have hit solid ground, she turns her head as far as she can to one side. Pooka tries to warn everyone as he clings to the rail, but it is already to late.

Luna snaps her head back almost 180 degrees from its first position, setting off a chain reaction of her skin and fur all the way down her body. Water cascades off of her fur and barding, showering everyone nearby as she continues to shake her head for a few more moments until she feels she has gotten enough water off of her.

Pooka stares at the water which his mount so easily navigated below him. He looks down at the heavy armor on his body. Blood rushes back into his arms and legs now that he isn't bearing the load of his sturdy canine.

"Full plate and water is not a good idea..." He hesitates for a few more moments before turning his head back around, catching sight of the two muscled Shoanti out of the corner of his vision.

"Get ready to pull me out. This might be more rock than fish, if you catch my meaning..."

Pooka pushes and jumps off of the ladder, twisting his body so that he only needs to swim straight forward to reach the edge. Before he crashes through the water's surface, he closes his eyes and holds his breath, and begins to flail his arms as fast as he can.

swim, untrained: 1d20 + 2 - 5 ⇒ (15) + 2 - 5 = 12 Whew! That could have been awkward

To his great surprise, he reaches the edge of the pool with his face still above the surface. The halfling cavalier pulls himself up and rolls onto the floor, finding himself a little jealous at Luna's ability to shed water.

I almost wish I would have failed that... would have been interesting to see how to get out of that. We always have Diri... :)

"Tin can, you could've just walked at the bottom of the pool over here," Targath says, "and I'll wait for you to dry yourself off just like your poodle."

Disregarding Diri entirely Targath moves closer to inspect the robes. "Bath robes? Or are there cultists within? Oh yeah, demon cultists. It's been far too long since our last battle!"

Perception (dem robes): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (1) + 8 = 9

Targath awkwardly pulls out the pockets and turns the robes upside down, but quickly gets bored. "Empty. Let's move."

Before descending down the rungs, Chumley drinks one of his Extracts of Heightened Awareness +2 bonus to Perception and Knowledge Checks for 30 minutes. I can dismiss the spell to give a +4 bonus to initiative

Swim Check: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (14) + 4 = 18 Chumley easily makes it through the water to dry land, although he does poke at the bottom some with his longspear once he's made it out of the pool. "This can't be good... shall we go the 'stealthy try to look like cultist' route or the 'kick in the door' route?"

"Can't we be doing both?" Xûll grins, "Would any of these robes even be fitting of me?"

The big shoanti looks dubiously at the collection of clothing. "Me is not being bests at being silent and blending in."

Xûll hefts his cold iron hammer, and his grin returns.

Vote for kick in the door and hack the demons to pieces.

We could have taken the stairs, Diri thinks as she hits the water with a graceless splash.

Swim: 1d20 - 8 ⇒ (13) - 8 = 5

During her struggles to remain undrowned, Diri will try and get a reasonable look at the bottom of the pool- -she's not likely doing much else.

"I vote for both!" Targath says and starts putting the robe on regardless of what anyone says. "And I can be stealthy, too. And stab demons in the back with a greatsword, ha!"

"Can anyone of you fish tiny títs?"

Diri take a look at the swim rules. You can keep working until you get to the stairs and others can offer suggestions. Once you all reach the stairs I have lots to resolve :)

Diri will hold her breath (24 rounds) and attempt to make some progress towards the steps.

RE: Underwater Combat If I'm considered to have 'firm footing,' I can walk along the bottom to the in one round (double-moving). If not:

Xûll strides down into the water until he is waist deep and then plunges his hammer into the water. As soon as Diri has a firm hold, he wrenches it backwards and pulls the gnome to the dry platform.

"Sorry me was to be taking so long," is all he says before donning a robe.

Awesome! Sorry for that Diri, but you have a horrendous swim and I could not in good faith hand wave that.

Diri emerges from the water worse for wear, huffing and puffing. Unable to sufficiently able to catch her breth, she nods a thank you to Xull who is sure that she will correct the angle that he extended his hammer to her as being 'inefficient'.

All the Pathfinders except Pooka, who was too worried about his armor, and Diri who was fighting to hold her breath, notice that while submerged there is a culvert in the southern wall that runs for about 40' and ends in a secret door.

Once Diri has herself under control, she casts detect magic. After a few moments, she notices that one of the robes glows with a moderate aura.

"I would like to take a moment to remind the group that there were stairs that we could have taken that probably do not terminate in some stranger's over-sized bathtub and if we're all donning someone else's bathrobes after this ordeal someone probably wants to wear that one because there's a hint of aura still clinging to its fibers," Diri points out the magical cloak. "Though I have no idea what makes it magical probability suggests..." she looks up towards the ceiling at seemingly nothing for three seconds before continuing "...chances are it's some sort of protective item as typically robes cannot kill you."

Are any of the robes small-sized? If not, no robe for me. Either way, let's press on.

"Magic robes? Even better! I'm a cultist now! Ha!" Targath says with excitement, trying out the robe. It seems to be a bit tight for the athletic shoanti. "You didn't turn into a fish with all that swimming, tiny títs! Be glad now!"

Targath's eager to move on and open the door.

"Me does not like maybe to be leaving of enemies at our backs," Xûll says, "Was anyone else seeing of secret tunnel under here? Let us be checking this out first. Diri, you can perhaps be grabbing of rope and we can be pulling you behind us when we are through if you do not manage to make it."

Xûll thinks for a little while, "There must be reason their main entrance is to be coming down to a place that is being under water. Perhapsing there is something in there that is being important to do before going this way."

Sorry for the semi-meta. I really think we should check out the secret door first. I will take 10 on swim again. I'm pretty sure Diri (and anyone else) can indeed just sink to the bottom and walk it (as she linked before) - but if not, we'll use the rope.

The Pathfinders make there way down the culvert, and emerge in a cistern. The circular chamber holds fresh spring water. A hole in the ceiling above allows a bucket to descend into the clear waters before being hauled up into the kitchen.

So Targath has the robe?

Yup.

"So we've been swimming in the manor's drinking water! I wonder if the water rotates or remains stale..."

Pooka grabs a stirrup on Luna's saddle, allowing himself to be pulled along, while Luna confidently dog paddles her way behind the group.

We are in a house! Why am I swimming in a house! Ah, this is why sailing was never for me. I hope magical armor doesn't rust, I might have to get Diri to help me clean this up when we are done.

Pooka keeps his grumbling to himself. Its unlikely that he was going to be able to hide Luna under his robe anyways, but having a soaking wet robe will certainly raise some eyebrows. No matter, as long as it gets them in the room. With any luck, he will be able to identify Tilly's parents and keep them safe when the demon-slaying started.

Ok where are we going? 2 or 3

Oh, I thought it was 3 for sure! We are all there after all. ;-)

"Not that me is thinking they need to be locking of such secret room," Xûll begins, "But let us know how it is to be going Chumley. Let us be checking here and then going back when it is all being clears."

3 it is!

"Is it possible to not have to do anymore swimming?" Diri asks, her displeasure affecting even her normally long-winded speech.

Though if the stairs down are behind this door, we have to swim back through AGAIN, she thinks, angrily searching through her incomplete and crudely drawn floorplans.

As the pathfinders file into the next room they are sorely disappointed once again. They only find twenty-one cots sitting abandoned in this filthy room.

"This must be the cultists' breeding cellar!" Targath laughs, "or maybe the servants lived here! They were in for a treat, hah!"

Targath makes a malicious smile at Diri, hearing her whine. "Oh, poor little tiny títs, it just looks like we're going to go, you know, back to the water! Swimming! You want a lift, garden gnome?" For reasons unknown, Targath does offer to carry Diri on his back to the roberoom.

Growing more and more frustrated looking for Tilly's parents and these thin men the pathfinders once again make their way back along the culvert into the pool and out the steps. They are tried of getting drenched and are starting to feel the cold creep into their bones. Their legs begin to chaff as the wet portions of their leggings begin to rub on one another.

Their way east is barred with a metal portcullis. They can continue south along the sunken path and approach the mystery room from the west. To do that they would have to descend the 10 ft stairs to approach the balcony of the room. A character would have to climb up the wall to get to the ledge.

Info is on the map - let me know if you want to tackle room #2 or head to the south hallway.

Chumley looks at the gate. ""I've got a few drinks that would help me lift that if we want to give that a go. Won't help you chums or last very long, though, I'm afraid. Otherwise, Xull?"

I have a Mutagen and an Elixir of Enlarge Person. If we use them though, I'd probably want to keep shuffling down the corridor after the inevitable combat to keep them active if possible. Or Xull can rage-lift

Diri shrugs, leaving the heavy lifting to the heavy lifters.

"It's not likely that a portcullis such as this is defending something inconsequential so we probably ought to head through and ascertain exactly what is being protected though whether that is via brute force or carefully applied force is the question," Diri suggests, with hand motions suggesting "hack our way through."

"Perhapsing it is being best for us to be looking at other rooms first," Xûll suggests, "It is being possible that they are to have mechanism for opening of portcullis from other this side."

Also a rage lift is great - provided you know combat is imminent or will take at least 1 minute before the next one. Otherwise you waste rage or end up fatigued.

"Fugly, you're forgetting who the real slim climber here is!" Targath laughs, and brother here is right, I'll just climb up, and go open the portcullis for you pussies."

Once given an OK the shoanti brute will go and climb the wall, disregarding the possibility of traps or enemies.

Targath has +11 climb.

Xûll shakes his head at the brash man's actions. "Very well, be going aheads. But me would like to be trying to be opening portcullis in mean times." Trying to help his fellow Shoanti before he gets into too much trouble, Xûll moves up to the portcullis.

I'm assuming it takes him at least 2 rounds to either open the door for us, fail or get himself killed. GM: Can we get one or two people aiding here? If Xûll is enlarged, I'm pretty sure he can stand back and open with reach while two people stand in front of him. If I can't be enlarged and have aid, then please retcon the enlarge potion to he doesn't drink it.

Xûll accepts Chumley's enlarge person elixir and lets the rage fill him. He strains at the portcullis (hopefully with the aid of others).

Str to open, rd 1, raging, enlarged: 1d20 + 4 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 4 + 2 + 1 = 9
Str to open, rd 2, raging, enlarged: 1d20 + 4 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (16) + 4 + 2 + 1 = 23

Oh, also, if we can see the size of the next corridor, from where we are at the portcullis. Before Xûll chugs the potion...

"Can you be dismissing potion if needs are being?" Xûll asks Chumley, "Me is not wanting to be too bigs to be fitting through gap."

Xûll won't drink the potion if it can't be dismissed.

Ok so before we can resolve this we need to determine if Xull does drink the elixir. I believe the question is can it be dismissed. To begin with, I don't see the information for Elixir of Enlarge Person anywhere, so without an entry to read I can't make a ruling on that. Chumley can you provide me with a reference on that one? To keep moving things forward, yes you can have two aids on the strength check.

Xull If you don't drink the potion, all the strength checks are reduced by 1

Aid another - Chumley I don't want to roll for you since you have a mutagen, so please declare if you drink it and make your aid another roll. Pooka, same for you.

Deciding on a rash plan, Xull, Pooka, and Chumley move towards the portcullis to open it. Bored with all the lifting and breaking they have done since entering the house, Targath moves towards the balcony to climb up.

Round 1: Up next Diri, Chumley, Pooka

• Xull => putting on back brace to avoid a hernia
• Targath => Found a handhold in a demon's mouth, doesn't care, climb 15 ft
• Pooka =>
• Diri =>
• Chumley =>

As noted in discussion, I will take the 'elixir' if I can. I believe it should be an infusion, but I don't see that discovery on Chumley's profile.

Diri will move to two squares south of Xull (along the West wall, Lockwood please) to at least be a set of eyes covering both Shoanti.

"Should the need arise I can provide very literal covering fire towards either entry option or facillitate communications between the two teams."

As noted in discussion, I will take the 'elixir' if I can. I believe it should an infusion, but I don't see that discovery on Chumley's profile.

You're right about that. Unless Chumley has the Infusion discovery, the extract can only be used by the alchemist. If someone else tries to imbibe the extract, it is made iner,t and does nothing.

"You pussies worry way too much!" Targath chuckles while easily climbing the demon's face, "this wall's damn ugly, though. But nothing beats Chumbucket."

Climb (take 10): 10 + 11 = 21

Pooka hops down from his mount and rubs his hands together to warm them up as he steps up to the portcullis.

"This is going to be fun. I think Targath is rubbing off a bit on me..." He chuckles, not entirely sure if he wanted to admit that out loud.

Sorry, messed up the wording, Enlarge Person is one of his Investigator Extracts. Xull can't drink it. Chumley is the only one that can use them at this level, so he would have to take point. Chumley can drink his Mutagen, drink the Extract, then take point for the strength attempts. if we're good for doing a bit of ret-con. He technically has a higher threshold he can hit anyway.

So, to be absolutely clear, there is no way Xull can be Enlarged, and probably wouldn't be raging for this?

STR 24 yields a +7 bonus, not +10.

Math! Fixed. Thanks, was just trying to get all this posted before work so I was rushing ;)