Seraphimpunk's [core] Crypt of the Everflame (Inactive)

Game Master Seraphimpunk

nah, no spells recalled or changeable, just hp and ability damage that you heal up a bit.

...I'll have to remember where this fountain is..it seems to have refreshed everyone who drank from it so far..wonder if it will run out..or only works on each person once..or maybe once a day..or maybe something else.."

Cyrixs will empty out his waterskin and fill it with fountain water

Once we've moved away from the fountain room

"Can anyone detect magic on this and tell me if the water is still magical?"

Cyrixs holds up his waterskin

its magic seems faded, shucked into a waterskin. by the time you get someone to cast detect magic on it, its just a waterskin full of normal water again.

it definitely only works once on each of you. you drink more and more of the water, but don't feel anything special or better. i doubt you cut yourself and try drinking. but you can try later, or return to it and try drinking again tomorrow.

I haven't drunk yet..so saving it in case I need it later..would be nice if we could have carried it with us though

Cyrixs has a sad look on his face when he finds out he doesn't have a bag filled with magic water

"..ah well, moving on?"

"Well, I was wondering, portcullis usually have a way of lowering them. We should be able to reach that room some other way. Bending the bars just means some poor sod from the village will need to return here later to fix it."

"Well, I was wondering, portcullis usually have a way of lowering them. We should be able to reach that room some other way. Bending the bars just means some poor sod from the village will need to return here later to fix it."

"Bars don't fight back, frogs or weird mold might! That golem thing would have been a waste to destroy, but some bars? I couldn't care less."

"Bars don't fight back."

Well, you've obviously never been to an Ulfen bar, then.

Listen to that, Venja! She's had one drink, and already she claims to know everything about bars!

Let's see if I can kill me a bar!

Take 20 Strength: 20 + 2 = 22

Davy Crocket sounds a lot less heroic now

Listen closely Venja. You have the brown bars in front of you and they're not making sandwiches. They'll let you in, on one condition. One condition only, Venja, you have to give the answer to their riddle. Only if you do so, they will let you in.

22 doesn't do it. but as you've decided to go for the bars. with Vanovar's help, you can manage it. bending two of the bars with DC 24, you manage to make enough room for y'all to squeeze through.

this chamber has a number of recesses carved into the walls, with a fissure in the ceiling that the bats must have been resting in.

the only other exit is a short hallway.

It leads to a door. you check it for traps and are reasonably sure its safe when you open it.

The vaulted ceiling of the vast chamber beyond it, shows significant signs of damage, with numerous cracks along its surface. In the center of the room, a 10-foot-wide bridge crosses a deep chasm. On the other side, a pair of stone statues watch over the end of the bridge in front of a set of grand brass double doors. the statues depict villagers holding shields and spears.

"More statues! I dont trust this in the least. Omorose, can you check if they are magic?"

Detect Magic

It probably pays to have a good look here.

Venja searches for traps

Perc: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (9) + 6 = 15

"Good idea, I don't trust any of this, this place is a giant deathtrap. Which is weird, because crypts usually are places of peace and contemplation."

Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (10) + 7 = 17

Looks safe, and no magic in the area.

Sigh. Against better judgement...

Vanovar wanders into the room, alert for danger and longspear at the ready.

Figuring her bow would not be much use against statues, Rowanne follows Vanovar, sword drawn.

Following at a save distance behind the other Cyrixs starts to move as well

"Good idea, I don't trust any of this, this place is a giant deathtrap. Which is weird, because crypts usually are places of peace and contemplation."

"This is nothing compared to the deathtrapped crypts of Osirion!"

"So how does the bridge look up close? solid enough to walk across?"

Cyrixs inquires from a save distance

after an eternity of suspense. ...

perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (7) + 7 = 14

Vanovar steps out onto the bridge, and doesn't notice as he steps on a pressure plate. The statues lurch forward, rushing over the bridge and charging vanovar.

bull rush DC 14 : 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (11) + 10 = 21

Pushing vanovar back to the north side of the room, knocking him flat on top of Rowanne before whirling back and coming to rest back where they started.

prone, but no injuries. 14 cmd from your str, since you were flat footed against the trap. didn't make much of a difference. but you feel that if they'd gotten a good hit, you might have been launched into the pit... a 40 ft. drop.

No injuries? Tell that to my bruised ego! :P

Vanovar collects himself off the floor, then helps Rowanne get up.

"Sorry 'bout that, didn't mean for that to happen. If I wanted to jump your bones, I would've chosen a more suitable place, believe me.

So, how do we cross this thing? We could drop a rope down here, throw another one up at the other side of the bridge, and avoid the statues altogether, but there has to be an easier way..."

How many squares do the pressure plates occupy? If it's just two across, we could probably take 10 and jump over them. If it's ten by ten, we might have to get creative.

You take some time and have a look, and figure in about 10 minutes that its a ten by ten area of pressure plates. the first five ft of the bridge is safe. its the last ten ft that seem to trigger it.

Rowanne dusts herself off.
"Pfew Vanovar, you sure are heavy. But please, jumping bones jokes are hardly appropriate in a crypt".

"Anyway, maybe we could throw a rope around the statues? To use them as an anchoring point so we could limb out of the pit... Only other thing I can think of is maybe get a log from the forest or that table from upstairs and see if we can fit it over the pressure plates."

Whelp, that's a deadly trap. Seems like you're screwed if you don't have a Rogue in the party. a 40 feet drop is deadly at level 1.

"Okay, so most of us aren't going to be able to jump over this. Shall we do the two-rope-plan?"

Rowanne has a high DEX, she might be able to take 10 over the pressure plate and tie one rope to the statue, so we have a way up. I'll tie one rope to the door and let it into the pit. That should be enough to cross this bridge, right?

"Using ropes to just climb to the other side seems like a solid idea to me, let's try it"

my dex is 16, so a +3 on acrobatics. But I will need to remove my armor for that. But that does mean I make it with taking 10.

We can also just put something heavy on the pressure plate to keep it down, then move past the statues?

can everyone hit a 10 with climbing on a take 10 ?

Don't forget, I can give out Guidance. I can make it, but Omorose doesn't. Can I Aid Another her? The logistics seem a bit weird for that.

Knotted rope (next to a wall?) for a DC 5?

Cyrixs can make a DC 10 with take 10 even with his armor on

i think you can aid another her. or at worst, tie the rope TO her, lower her down, and then tie her to the rope again, and lift her out. say 15 minutes, and you're on the other side without too much aplomb.

in front of you are a grand pair of brass doors. closed .

since we're taking some time, ten minutes deliberating over the doors determines that they're not trapped or locked, to the best of your ability and knowledge to figure out. ( 28 perception-ish range )

y'all can arrange yourselves how you want, but i presume you'll open the door.

The wide brass doors swing open on silent hinges to reveal a vast crypt. The only light emanates from a torch mounted above the crypt in vaulted buttresses, flickering with a pale golden fire. Tall pillars march across the chamber, ending at a dais on the far side, on which is set a large stone sarcophagus. A single form rests beside the coffin, that of a comely woman in tattered clothing. She appears to be asleep or unconscious, as the light plays upon her form, showing her chest steadily rising and falling.

*Whispering*"Look, that must be the sister! I smell a trap."

Cyrixs nods

and then whispers back "Sure smells like it, but at least she seems to still be alive...for now"

Venja hesitates at the warning of Rowanne, and has a closer look around

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (16) + 6 = 22 And low-light vision

as you stand on the precipice, cautiously looking into the room, a dry scrape can be heard from some dark recesses of the tomb. the scrape doesn't move though, then you realize its a dry rattle, a mirthless laugh if it could be called that.

So. Kassen's heroes have come to fight me again. You will make fine minions in my army of the dead. Come and meet your fate.

With that, a wicked looking skeleton strides into view from behind a pillar, wearing polished mail and brandishing a cruel sword in both hands. a cold blue flame burns in its empty eye sockets.

Four more skeletons, with broken bits of armor and weapons jangle to motion, bones clanking on metal and leather as they come out into view as well and close in on you.

[r1]: [26: orange & red ], [23: BBEG], [21: cyrixs], [18: venja], [16: green], [15: vanovar], [12: rowanne], [10: omorose], [9: purple]

The undead thing marches out to greet you, its minions hanging back.

[r1]: [21: cyrixs], [18: venja], [16: green], [15: vanovar], [12: rowanne], [10: omorose], [9: purple]

[r2]: [26: orange & red (delay) ], [23: BBEG],

you can of course try talking. i'm by no means trying to railroad you =D

Venja casts protection from evil on the poor sod next to him. Vanovar

Woo, thanks! 21 AC, baby!

"Can't you just tell us our fate from over there? Is it similar to the tale of the mighty Constantine as he surged forward to lay down the fallen minions from hell?"

Cyrixs starts to orate an Epic tale

"As he strode forward his gaze fell on the fallen angel and his fiery eyes burned a hole inside.."

as he draws his dead tree limb to wave about in illustration of his story telling

(standard ;inspire courage, +1 to hit/damage, bonus on saves vs fear/charm. move; draw "club")

Nobody said talking can't buff the party ;)

They hang back still, cold blue glows eerily unmoving in anticipation of your blood. still as death, as if they're frozen in place.

[r1]: [15: vanovar], [12: rowanne], [10: omorose], [9: purple]

[r2]: [26: orange & red (delay) ], [23: BBEG], [21: cyrixs], [18: venja], [16: green (delay)],

[effects: inspire courage. p-from-e (vanovar)]

Vanovar draws his morningstar and walks forward. Curse you, lack of BAB +1!

"Army of the dead? So far I've seen only about twenty dead guys here, I barely call that a street gang. I've been kicked out of armies much more impressive than that!"

Stairs are difficult terrain, I presume?

( you were exploring. if any of you would like to have opened the door with your weapon already out, you can do so, and take another action instead of the "draw weapon" action. ) . some things are inserting after vanovar's action. but Cyrixs and Vanovar, if you'd like to move and attack, or perform and move, you can.

Knowledge Religion vs The Voice: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (3) + 8 = 11
Knowledge Religion vs The skeletons: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (2) + 8 = 10

Nah, I didn't know it would be skeletons..so the chance I'd normaly have another weapon out is pretty big...so not having a weapon and then picking it based on what we see behind the door actually makes sense

no prob. valid .

Omorose you're pretty sure they're skeletons, but you're not sure what that thing , The Voice, is.

[r1]: [12: rowanne], [10: omorose], [9: purple]

[r2]: [21: cyrixs], [18: venja], [15: vanovar], [15: orange, red, green ], [23: BBEG],

[effects: inspire courage. p-from-e (vanovar)]

The armed skeleton walks up as vanovar steps in, his minions closing in and the red one taking a swing with its broken sword.

red: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (16) + 0 = 161d6 ⇒ 4

the master strides up though, swinging quickly at vanovar, and striking the haft of his morningstar. the shock reverberates up his arms...

disarm: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (20) + 11 = 31

the shock causing vanovar to lose his grip and drop the morningstar leaving him unarmed as the green one comes in through the Voice's opening up the stairs.

Command Undead (DC 15)

I'd probably have done the same as Cyrixs. I've probably dropped my longspear, as that's what gets me an edge on opponents due to Combat Reflexes. Probably should've specified.

"Ouch! Watch it guys, this guy likes to play dirty!"

Glad he wasted a crit on disarming, rather than attacking me directly. >_>
Okay, tactics time: small skeletons probably aren't an issue, but are bothersome nevertheless. Channel those to death, while I wail on the big guy (with a greatsword, instead of a bludgeoning weapon, sadly)? Or does the support group want to take them out?
Command Undead would be a great thing, let's see if it pays off.
Meanwhile, I'm frantically searching for the spells I've prepared. It's been a while. I guess I already blew my domain spell on True Strike for the golem, but it seems I've loaded two Blesses in my spell slots; less than ideal.

I can channel and I still have a true strike, though I'm not much in terms of damage. I still have bits of luck, though.

The only downside is that regular skeletons already have a pretty nice Will save and our channels aren't so hot. We also have only a few among us, so chances are they'll get resisted anyway, so it'll take two or three channels to get them down anyway. It's doable, but maybe you're more useful straight up attacking them or healing where needed. Also, if Omorose manages to convert one, maybe we'd like to keep it as long as possible. :P
This is all just me, of course, so do what you deem best, but this is my stance on it.