Savage Tide -- Pathfinder Core Only

Game Master Chainmail

Kat rolls over trying to avoid a strike, but the leader is too proficient with his weapon and snaps a strike with his rapier.
AoO rapier: 1d20 + 5 + 4 ⇒ (7) + 5 + 4 = 161d6 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4

The leader takes on the barbarian while the two thugs swing at the ranger. The dwarf seems to be left alone for now.

A nasty follow up strike drops the barbarian again. The two thugs swing at the ranger, and a single strike lands (6 damage).

The two face off against the thug leader and two minions.

Order
Mal
Dain

I thought a five foot step does not provoke? I did all this just to NOT provoke an AOO. Otherwise she would try another way.

Dain swings at a thug
Hammer: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 2 = 141d8 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3

You cannot crawl a 5' step and crawling always provokes. Standing provokes too. There is no way without provoking.

Even full retreat does not work?

The action that would allow you to leave a threatened square is Withdraw. It is a full round action, and you can double move as part of that action. However, it only protects you for the square you are leaving; if you pass through more threatened squares as part of the action, those still provoke AoOs.

You cannot withdraw by crawling. You can only take a 5'step crawling if you have Fast Crawl or a similar feat.

SRD: Crawling

You can crawl 5 feet as a move action. Crawling incurs attacks of opportunity from any attackers who threaten you at any point of your crawl. A crawling character is considered prone and must take a move action to stand up, provoking an attack of opportunity.

Then she would play possum for a moment.Sorry we play it a bit diffrently in our homebrew campaign. I apologize for my lack of knowledge. OR she tried and got the aoo. GMs choice.

Mal presses the attacker that the Dwarf has already struck, numbers matter here and the elf knows the group is sorely pressed.

Melee Attack (Flanking) – 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (2) + 6 = 8
Long Sword Melee Damage – 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 3 = 9

I told ya the dice would get jinked if we started hoping. It is just like they say in Warhammer40k, 'Hope is just the first step on the road to dissapointment.'

I was going to give you the acrobatics roll to dodge an AoO, although prone is usually bad news. Sometimes standing defensively is the best move.

With the barbarian down, the group swarms at the dwarf.

leader: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (17) + 5 = 221d6 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2
thug: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 = 81d6 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2
thug: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 31d6 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3

2 damage to Dain

Dain/Mal up

Dain keeps swinging, something about front porches.
Warhammer: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (13) + 2 = 151d8 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 2 = 10

Mal continues to press the enemy that Dain is battling.

Melee Attack (Flanking) – 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (12) + 6 = 18
Long Sword Melee Damage – 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 = 8

Not able to flank, dwarf and elf still bring down two thugs. Seeing the battle is not going well, and the fact that the fire has caused problems below decks, and the sound of a nasty creature escaping from the hold, the leader leaps overboard rather than fight the two of you and face the unknown creature. He withdraws and jumps into the water.

You figure you got some time to prepare, maybe two rounds.

Blast, into the fire! Dain channels twice to try to heal people as much as possible.
2 rounds of channel: 2d6 ⇒ (3, 1) = 4

So that looks like four rounds of stabilization checks for Mahath before the channeling. He was at -3 hit points when he went down.

Round 1, DC 10 Con check 1d20 + 2 - 3 ⇒ (7) + 2 - 3 = 6
Fails to stabilize, down to -4.
Round 2, DC 10 Con check 1d20 + 2 - 4 ⇒ (18) + 2 - 4 = 16
Success. So Dain's channeling brings him up to 0 hit points.

I don't have any more healing, my special prayerDomain spell Can't be changed into healing magic.

Standing up again, feeling her wounds do not bleed anymore, but still hurting like hell Kat looks at Dain and nods smilingly."Thanks matey." Taking her weapons she looks around. At the sound of the evil noise she looks at her scimitar shrugs and unslings her glaive.

Stand behind myself and Malstei so you can strike out of reach. Let's block a stairway an let it come to us so it can't force it's way past.

Malstei stands in front of the stairs ready to battle whatever it may be.

"I know you are dazed wizard but can you cast any spells that will aid us?"

Sorry I didn't keep track of how far negative Garnstn was, He went down at negative three so I will roll a few stablizes to see if four still gets him up.

Stablize: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6 -4
Stablize: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (18) + 2 = 20 Stable at-4, then healed four so he is at zero hit points.

Garnstn groans but just lays their and bleeds, still too severely injured to do anything.

Dain gets shoulder to shoulder with Malstei.

The elf chuckles at the Dwarf as he awaits what could possibly be his doom to ascend the stairs, "Does this all somehow seem familiar, as if we have done this before..."

Now that you mention it...

Woozy and weak, Mahath starts to push himself up. He replies to Malstei "Maybe? I'm not sure what's coming up there..."

Since we had two rounds before something emerges, Mahath would still be prone. I can do one standard action, but it will knock me back out. Right now I've got burning hands and cantrips; I lost color spray when I failed a defensive casting earlier.

As you prepare for the creature to come out of the smoke, the cocky leader of the mercenaries you met at Livinia's house comes out of the smoke clapping his hands. His three companions follow behind him.

"Well done!! You defeated the rabble, their leader, and have done a great job. Whatever is coming up here looks awful upset. Do you need any help?, or should we hide behind you?"

Kat has not gotten up from her rapier wounds from the leader after the healing. Dain and Malstei are on their feet, Garnstn and Mahath are staggered.

Then, you notice Slip has cast off and his heading away on his ship after looking through his eyepiece. He yells: "I will say I last saw you in the capable of hands of the cities finest mercenaries. I am sure you will be okay."

You realize the departure of the smuggler has somehow changed things as the mercenary leader wrinkles his eyebrows.

The leader waves to Slip with a smile and says "Sure!! WE got this!! Remember, as far as Livinia is concerned, we weren't supposed to be here."

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (7) + 9 = 16

Well it depends on just what is charging up here, if it is some dragon then we all beteer get the heck out fo here.

Kat was hit for 4 damage, dain healed 4 so I should be fine again?Well maybe not fine... but at least standing?

"Perhaps you should hide from it. Not behind us, but on the docks. Our understanding is that you aren't to be here. Your presence, if noted, could be a liability. We can handle whatever is below if need be. Our search won't be starting in the cargo holds anyway."

How about we hide and let it run off?

Mal holds his position blade level.

I have a hard time with Kat's HP because they are not updated anywhere. Kat was healed for 9, then I didn't know how many she had, so the leader hit her for 4, then, if you check the spoilers, he crit her for a bunch more. To move things along, I just had her down and out.

The mercenaries decide to take the hint, and they bail over the side. Obviously they were a little wet, you probably think they swam and climbed aboard in the first place.

The creature seems to finish its rampage below, the screams of other animals are abruptly cut off.

A spider-like creature the size of a pony skitters out of the hold, you don't glimpse it until it clears the smotke. The creatures body is dark brown with yellow stripes, its ten legs long and spindly. The front legs have horrible sharp scythes and suckers on them. The monster's head is horrifically oversized dominated by huge mandibles. This primeval vermin lacks the venomous stinger or crushing claws of a scorpion, but makes up for it with its jaws-nearly a third of the creature's weight is accounted for in its powerful mandibles.

The creature easily climbs up the mast, preparing to do something nasty when it is spotted and spots you.

Init
Mal1d20 + 8 ⇒ (19) + 8 = 27
Garnst1d20 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 = 8
Mahath1d20 + 2 ⇒ (16) + 2 = 18
Dain1d20 + 2 ⇒ (11) + 2 = 13
Kat1d20 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6
Rogodessa1d20 + 1 ⇒ (11) + 1 = 12

Order
Mal
Mahath
Dain
Creature
Garnst
Kat (Unconscious)

Not knowing just what kind of critter it is, casts Protection from Evil on Malstei.+2 AC against Evil. 1 min

No idea if it is wicked, but might as well.

Mahath readies his club. Move action.

"I don't have any spells that will help against it, and I can barely stand. But I'll try to distract it so you can get in better hits."

At 0 hit points, I can only do move actions. I'll try to stay in a flanking position.

AH, I rarely do spoilers, most often it is not for the players to see. The 4 already had me down again, I was 2 got an AOO for 4, went down to -2 now another 12, healed by 4. So she is stable at -10

Garnstn does a move action to stand, groaning loudly.

Round 1

Mal drops his sword and draws his bow to fire an arrow at the creature.

"I am not sure if I would have preferred melee or not with such a beast..."

Ranged Attack – 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 5 = 8.
Ranged Damage – 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3.

The dice are doing it again, maybe we should jump over the side.

"Let's work our way to the cabins. If we need to, we can try to lock it out and wait for it to lose interest. We can't fail our patron!"

Aye, that sounds like a good plan, we got wounde dhere as well.

The creature decides to make its escape back into the smoke. With the creature gone, the Blue Nixie is eerily silent. It appears the creature left nothing else below decks alive.

Garnstn checks the main cabin and finds a hidden section in the headboard of the bed. Lavinia's father's signet ring is found there with a small scrap of parchment threaded through it. Written on it is:

Chimera looks to sunrise
Cyclops looks to sunset
Medua looks to sunrise
Umber Hulk looks to sunset
Basilisk looks to sunrise

You wait on the deck as Slip returns to retrieve you and take you back to the dock. The Blue Nixie is secure, though severely burned.

Dain secures the parchment and ring. We got to see if we can get everyone back on their feet. I have 100 gold to pay for healing and can help everyone after resting and praying.

Back to Lavina's?

Mahath nods. "I have a few platinum stashed for an emergency too. Let's get everyone walking again, then report to Lavina."

I think we are just looking for an acolyte to cast three cure light wounds, one each on Kat, Garnst and I. We want to get back to Lavina after that to make sure she knows we were successful and not responsible for the fire. Before entering the district where Lavin's home is, Mahath will do his best with presdigitation to clean everyone up to try and avoid questions from patrols.

Dain helps get their knocked out friends to a temple for healing.

"That was a rather close call. I too have funds to aid our injured comrades".

Garnstn staggers along as well as he can without passing out.

Garnstn takes you to a dubious healer nearby who uses alchemical means to heal and restore besides doing other dubious things. He takes 75 gold to restore the group to full health. You head to speak to Lavinia, and Lavinia is overjoyed that you managed to reclaim the Blue Nixie, and more so that you find her father's signet ring. At this point, she makes a job offer to you

"I am willing to hire you on as my personal troubleshooters, agents, and bodyguards. I offer you 100 gp per month to remain in her employ,this employ to one of Sasserine's noble families could have advantages and rewards beyond this monthly wage. If interested, I already has a task for you. I need to travel to Castle Teraknian in the Sasserine Harbor to check my family vault. All of Sasserine's nobility have vaults under the castle, but I never have seen any of them. Rumors hold that some family vaults are quite extensive and guarded by traps- based on things I overheard my father say through the years, I suspect that the Vanderboren Vault is relatively small and safe, but that there may be a construct guardian. I would like you to accompany me to Castle Teraknian to provide protection and aid in investigating the vault contents."

"I would be honored to enter your service, and to accompany you to the Castle Teraknian. How soon would we depart? I would like to make some purchases that may help us."

I will scratch off 25 gp toward the healing. I can do more if others can't help as much.

Dain gives 25 for healing.

I would also be willing to offer my services and escort you.