@Gresham - it did take 2 movements, so no studying this round.
Gresham wounds the second sahuagin, and Alessandra finishes it off, although it takes all three of her attacks to do so.
Land-based creatures can have considerable difficulty when fighting in water.
I interpret this as implying aquatic creatures do not have these problems.
It took Gresham and Alessandra a load of swinging to kill that Sahuagin, because of the halving of their damage.
Sahuagin 3 attacks Alessandra...
Crit confirm on the bite:
The party is up! Only the third Sahuagin remains up.
Sh3 -
Alessandra goes to snarl at her opponent as it bites her, only to realise that speaking underwater doesn't really work.
Swimming round to flank the last one between her and Gresham, she attacks without mercy.
@Alessandra - the cutlass would do half damage, so the one swing from the short sword was needed last round to finish S2.
With the -2 for slashing weapons in water, Alessandra's two swings with the cutlass miss, but her short sword hits and kills the third Sahuagin.
Battle over, so what's the plan now?
Chaenath flies back to the ship and hums to herself and talks to Doc while the others climb up.
Mr Spleen is quite nice but can he store spells like Swum?
@Gresham - it did take 2 movements, so no studying this round.
It took Gresham and Alessandra a load of swinging to kill that Sahuagin, because of the halving of their damage.
Gresham examines the frantically slashing sahuagin. It seems to be focused on Alessandra, excellent. Gresham abandons his careful assault and attempts to drive the tip of his nodachi through the remaining sahuagin.
In the midst of the bloody froth Gresham's blade completely misses the sahuagin.
With the last sahuagin dispatched, Gresham sheathes his nodachi. Using his swim fins he propels himself out of the bloody water and takes advantage of the remaining duration of his water breathing to examine what the sahuagin were up to.
I think that I'm going to rule that just having a swim speed doesn't make you not subject to the underwater combat rules. Having the aquatic or water subtypes does though. This would mean that a grippli would still take the penalties, and I'm comfortable with that, given how I understand their ecology.
Gresham definitely can tell that the sahuagin were working on damaging the ship's rudder.
As those aboard the ship look around, you can tell this is a very lush and green island, well forested.
Pick your best skill for this, and roll only the one.
Choices are: Perception, Survival, or Knowledge (nature)
Rogar, what would you like to know?
After inspecting what the sahuagin were up to, Gresham calls for a rope from a crew member and scales the side of the ship.
"Chaenath's assumption was correct, Captain. The sahuagin were attempting to sabotage the Chimera."
His eyes drift upward, drawn by movement there.
"Curious..."
The creature is called a "Canopy Creeper."
It is a Huge plant
It has a pretty good AC, great hit points, fast healing, immune to electricity, and has DR 10 Fire. Has standard plant traits (you can look them up).
It can control vines in the area and use them for attacks, and it has an impressive bite attack.
If it grabs you, it will start sucking the life out of you.
As an aside, it is considered CR 8, but personally I think it's a High 8, or a 10. It's a bit of a beast.
So, now with all of that good news, what's the plan?
After conversing about the creature with Rogar, Gresham turns to Alessandra. "Captain, the creature lurking in the canopy is, ah, a canopy creeper, a rare carnivorous plant. Perhaps even the Beast of Mancatcher Cove mentioned on the map."
Gresham cocks his head and listens.
"I do not hear or see much evidence of large animal life here, leading me to believe that we currently represent its most abundant food source. As such, it will most likely attempt to consume one or more of us. As an ambush predator, we have already negated a great deal of its advantage by noting is presence."
Gresham hefts his bow. "My recommendation would be a preemptive strike on the creature while we have the advantage."
Chaenath raises a shaky finger and points at the monster screeching SEE! What did I tell you about trees. They are all evil Burn it Burn it BURN IT!
Somewhat taken aback by Chaenath's vehemence, Gresham covers his mouth with a closed fist as he coughs. "Strictly speaking, Lady Chaenath, the canopy creeper is not a tree..."
He moves to the ship's rail and hangs his still dripping swim fins to dry.
"Though I do agree with your general point."
Yes, shield can be still up. We'll assume that following the Sahuagin attack, suddenly you all became very wary, and that's why you've noticed the creeper. It is easily 100' up into the canopy of the trees.
Gresham shields his eyes from the sun as he peers up at the canopy creeper, ranging the creature.
"Captain, I believe that given your skill with a bow you should be able to inflict significant damage on the creature, even from this range. I shall, of course, endeavor to contribute. I am not certain what long range options Mr. Rogar or Lady Chaenath have at their disposal."
Alessandra nods her head: "If I can see it, I can kill it. That thing's not even far away."
She takes a minute to look at the thing, and give her crew time to do their magic or whatever other stuff they rely on.
"I am afraid, Lady Chaenath, that the canopy creeper is resistant to fire, though not altogether immune. Or were you speaking metaphorically? It is immune to electricity, however."
Gresham taps himself with a wand of heightened awareness.
Gresham once again hefts his longbow as he takes position beside Alessandra, sighting the canopy creeper and gauging the wind currents in the cove. He waits patiently for Alessandra's command to fire.
"Be prepared, it will most likely attempt to grab hold of us to siphon off our vital fluids. A preemptive grease would not be out of order, should we possess any alchemical grease or a grease spell."
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"If I can see it, I can kill it."
"If I can see it, I can kill it."
Alessandra gives Gresham a Look. "So let's get the hell out of its way! I'm not staying right under it to have it drop in on us! I can hit it from over a hundred feet away. PLUS, we're on a SHIP. So let's MOVE!"
With that, she starts shooting.
Gresham snaps Alessandra a smart salute, "Aye, Captain!" and hustles over to the ship's wheel and attempts to pilot the ship according to Alessandra's orders.
Yes mam, and if you tell me that your plan is to back off and nuke it from orbit, because "it's the only way to be sure" then I'm good with that.
BURN IT! BURN IT! Chaenath keeps screaming. The creeper is pretty much something right out of her nightmares.
Yes mam, and if you tell me that your plan is to back off and nuke it from orbit, because "it's the only way to be sure" then I'm good with that.
So then, no problem. The creeper is not very active during the day, but will fight if attacked. The sahuagin disable ships, and then at night, the creeper comes down and slaughters everyone.
By spotting the thing, and identifying it, you are able to recognize the risk, sail off, and "handle" it from a safe distance.
I'm glad you heeded my warnings, the thing has 150 hit points, can attack from 100 feet away, with grab, pull, and a life sucking thing. It's a nasty critter if it gets the drop on you.
"Permission to sail back into the cove, Captain?"
Alessandra nods. "And if anyone has a single, solitary clue why those &^*$%^*(^&*^ing sag-thingies are at war with us, tell me now."
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"Ya, this be job fer th' captain an 'er longbow. Th' critter be a bit too high and far fer me bombs. Th' trouble is a bastard called gravity... If I be missin', me bombs come back crashin' on me." Rogar analyses the situation, scratching his beard. Indeed, Alessandra has proven to be very effective with her arrows. Let her shoot, and just prepare if the creature moves closer.
"Sahuagin?" Doc wonders for a moment, then shrugs. "Me thinks they jus' bastards. Nothin' special against us."
Gresham strokes his beard as he considers Alessandra's query.
"Captain, I am afraid that I do not have a deep familiarity with your past exploits. Perhaps your actions have offended somebody, a sahuagin chieftan perhaps? I do not have anything but a passing knowledge of their culture, and that from travelers' tales of uncertain provenance."
Gresham stops stroking his beard and regards Alessandra.
"Regardless, Captain, while I appreciate your inquisitiveness on an academic level, perhaps we should set about locating the treasure of Cyrus Wolfe before more unexpected events impede our progress?"
Suddenly reminded that they are in fact here for a reason, Alessandra nods. "Oh. Yeah. That. Let's do it."
Then: "Good to have someone around who keeps an eye on the bigger picture."
One day I will come back and burn that tree with my mind Chaenath vows.
Gresham inclines his head toward Alessandra at the compliment. "You do me honor, Captain."
Gresham shields his eyes from the sun as he looks about the cove, hoping that not too much time has passed since dawn to decipher the clues from the map.
Spy the Grave Lady’s prize tooth
With the Dawnflower’s first kiss
Climb the Captain’s wayward orb
To claim old king’s hoard
- The “Grave Lady” is the goddess of death, Pharasma, also known as the Lady of Graves.
- “Dawnflower’s first kiss” refers to the goddess of the sun, Sarenrae, called the Dawnflower, whose identity is hinted at by the stylized image of the sun on the map.
- Captain Wolfe was known to have lost his right eye in battle.
A dead man's eye and the Grave Lady's tooth Chaenath giggles. So morbid!
Ok, so I'll get you back into the cove tonight from home. And hopefully throw down a few more clues.
I really am glad that we survived the creeper, it does have TPK written all over it to me, but then again, the mod does give ways to detect the sahuagin, and spot the thing, but yeah, if it attacked at night, it could be quite deadly.
As the first light of dawn peeks into the darkened cove from the east, the jungle cliffs come alive with patterns of shadow and light in a thousand fanciful, ever-shifting shapes. When the sun is fully up, the cliffs will return to their normal appearance, but for these few moments they are almost magical with this display of shadow art. In the shadowy half light, a group of caves and crevices on the cliff face takes on the appearance of a grinning skull. As the morning sun illuminates the shadow that resembles the skull’s mouth, a previously unseen glint of gold sparkles brightly in the sunlight, as if the skull has a gold tooth.
We've found the tooth. Let's go there and maybe we'll find the dead man's eye in there.
@Doc - Indeed each of the two "eyes" appear to be a cave.
@Chaenath - the "tooth" appears to be only roughly 15-20' above the beach, whereas the "eyes" are 30' up the Cliffside.
Gresham peers up at the various features and turns to Doc. "Mr. Ironsail, do we have a spyglass? Perhaps we can get a better look at what awaits us before venturing there."
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"Spyglass!!?! You 'ave any idea 'ow much they cost? Me could drink fer days fer th' cost of one! There's th' Svingli's eye we found on Inkskin's loot - I s'ppose it got some magic powers innit. Ye think it any use? Also, there must be a bloody spyglass somewhere in this darned ship!
Rogar scratches his beard and squints his eyes, trying to make something something out of the scenery.
Alessandra grows visibly more impatient as the discussion drags on. "Come on, brainies! What do I PAY you people for?! Decision, now!"
Gresham strokes his mustache as he considers. "Yes Captain. Lacking any means of long distance observation, I suggest we deploy a launch to carry us over there. I may then scale the cliff with a rope, secure it, and lower it in order to aid your ascent. I am loathe to suggest that you assign that duty to Lady Chaenath, as we do not know what dangers may lurk within."
Gresham stands by patiently to execute Alessandra's orders.
Let us see what the Grave Lady's tooth really is first. I can fllly up to it. Or Mr Gresham Elmaleh of the Ivory Cross in Sargava can climb up to it first. I can stay a little behind
So, a launch to get to shore, and then checking out the gold, right?
Ok, so the climb is not too hard, and what you find is a deposit of gold, that is clearly not naturally occurring here. It has been intentionally shaped and placed here, and at such an angle to catch the light and perfectly reflect it into the cove.
The metal is a bit heavy, roughly 40 pounds. At 50 coins per pound, that'd be ~2000gp of gold.
Try your best skill of: Knowledge(nature), Knowledge(dungeoneering), or a craft or profession skill that is appropriate to metalworking or jewelry making. I'll even say alchemy is acceptable. The DC is 25...
Oooh shiny. Such an expensive marker. Now we go to the cave of the missing eye. Which eye was he missing again?
Gresham briefly inspects the cave entrance for traps before entering.
"Unfortunately this appears to be iron pyrite, which would be excellent ballast for the Chimera, but possesses little intrinsic value."
Gresham considers the climb ahead.
"That would be his right eye, Lady Chaenath"
Upon reaching the right cave, Gresham inspects it for traps.