Shackled City (Pathfinder) - GM_Chris

Game Master Chris Shannon 719

The +2 from prone will be enough for a hit. The last man is down. How would the party like to proceed?

Dr. Toffitt goes and looks through the murder hole into the hallway. He tries to see whether there is sign of movement in the other holes on the opposite wall.

"I guess we could attempt to eliminate the archers on the other side. Or just raise a mist and navigate the hallway with concealment."

Yes. Some others lurk on the other side.

Perfect time for magic missile... Ah well.

Toffitt moves to V30 and listens at the door there.

Perception 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (7) + 8 = 15

"Dyrant, perhaps they have some treasure or written information on their bodies."

When did I become the boss of Dyrant? I suppose ten minutes ago. Feels... Right.

"Maybe, Doctor, maybe. You should look."

Dyrant moves (Y30) to keep his eyes open down the hallway they entered, lest another group sneak up behind them.

With the last foe dispatched, Glimmil will guide Cog back to the main hallway and guide his mount ahead maybe ten to fifteen feet to the west while he awaits for someone else to check the other closed door.

Atol will amiably head over to the last door and give a listen to any goings on on the other side.

Perception 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (16) + 5 = 21

New Map

Hearing nothing on the other side of the door, the party opens the door and peeks down the hallway to find three more closed doors (35, 36, 37). Two of the doors (35 & 36) are locked.

"Let's to up this way. But maybe we should stack those bodies against this door here, first?" Dyrant points to the rapierists and the door in Z30.

"No, it won't be a perfect way to keep that other group out, but maybe we'll hear them coming."

Dyrant grabs a leg and begins to drag it over, hopeful that others will help.

"Maybe some other goods from this storeroom could also block the door?"

Once the door is blocked, Dyrant will try to shoo the party up to the door at #36.

Finneas will move the bodies and crates to the spots Dyrant specifies.

"Ok, so we know there are at least three more in the other murder holes. Let's avoid that area, there's no telling how many there could actually be hiding in the walls."

"Thanks, Finn," Dyrant says while panting with the effort of dragging over a body and stuffing it against the door.

Dyrant goes to the door #36.

"Glim, can you unlock this? Or Finn, want to bust it down? The rest of us will watch your back."

Dyrant stands in W25, his crossbow still at the ready and swivels his head to watch both doors (#35 and #37).

"I may be mistaken, but if I had something valuable to guard, I would put it on the other side of a pit and murder holes. Perhaps we'll find another access point though."

Toffitt helps stack bodies. He also tries to stack up some items that are likely to clatter as a makeshift alarm.

Craft: Trapmaking untrained 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (11) + 3 = 14

"Certainly, Mister Maynor!" Glimmil beams at the opportunity to give the babspoon more time to breath.

Take 10 on the locks to make a DC20 check. If that doesn't work, Take 20 to make a DC30 check.

Glimmil begins with babspoon, but gives up on it after a minute. Thirty seconds more of frustration has Glimmil digging deep into his backpack where he finds a shiny dessert spoon he once saw for sale at Skie's, but has no memory of paying for or receiving as a gift. Putting that thought aside, he slips it what appears to be the key opening and finally hears a satisfying click.

I've placed people based on those who've stated positions as well as the usual preferences.
New Map

Toffitt puts his hand on the doornob. "Ready to proceed in, Glim?" When he gets the go ahead, he opens the door for his friend.

Glimmil nods at Toffitt while he returns the dessert spoon to a new, more readily accessed pouch.

The gnome allows his eyes to meet Dyrant's as he announces his success to the party.

"I think you'll need to thank Skie for that one - if it weren't for her, I wouldn't have been as adept at reaching the little thingy inside to get in."

Toffitt pushes open the spinning door and Glimmil and Cog are pelted with arrows. One of them catches Cog in the flank for 8 damage.

A red-haired woman in plate armor stands in the middle before a bath surrounded by four humans with bows and rapiers. The woman is obviously Triel. "I was wondering how long it was going to take you to open that door. I almost had them open it for you. I've grown impatient to see your deaths." She then speaks a spell and it goes quiet for everyone (silence spell). She draws her silver heavy flail and stands there.

They weren't readied outside of combat, they just beat you to the initiative.

Initiative
Atol1d20 + 0 ⇒ (4) + 0 = 4
Dyrant 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (13) + 7 = 20
Finneas 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (11) + 6 = 17
Finneas Bonus roll 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (5) + 6 = 11
Glimmil1d20 + 3 ⇒ (14) + 3 = 17
Toffitt 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (18) + 5 = 23
Others 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (20) + 4 = 24

X1 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5
1d2 ⇒ 1 - Cog flatfooted
X2 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 3 = 9
1d2 ⇒ 2 - Glimmil flatfooted
X3 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (18) + 3 = 21
1d2 ⇒ 1 - Cog flatfooted
1d6 + 1d6 ⇒ (4) + (4) = 8 - damage
X4 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 3 = 9
1d2 ⇒ 1 - Cog flatfooted

Round 1
Others = 24
Toffitt = 23
Dyrant = 20
Finneas = 17+
Glimmil = 17
Atol = 4

Party is up

New Map

EDIT: Things aren't silent yet since it's a full round cast.

Round 1, Init 20 minus {>Y26}

Oh well, my guess was wrong. Not the first time.

Toffitt sees Dyrant fidgeting with his necklace and decides he had best delay his action. He then drinks his spare elixir of shield and moves into the room. He spews the sort of invective he would never ordinarily say in Atol's presence.

Round 1, Init 23

1d20 + 11 ⇒ (2) + 11 = 13 Spellcraft

Dyrant ponders at the woman's arcane gibberings pass over him, incomprehensible.

Dyrant's hands hunt and peck at the balls of his necklace...his hand going from biggest to smallest, then back to biggest, then to middle sized...then back to biggest, then smallest, then biggest again while he ponders his options.

Finally deciding, Dyrant will take a ball off his necklace and toss it into the back of the room (above the bath).

Fireball: 2d6 ⇒ (1, 2) = 3 fire damage

Ugh. That sucked.

"Finn, Atol, she's in the room."

Round 1, Initiative 4, Location V26

Hearing that our target is in sight, but unable to actually see her (so much for sound burst!) Atol casts a Bless upon the party.

"May the blessings of St. Cuthbert be upon us all - now go do some cudgelling!"

+1 to hit and +1 on saves vs fear for the next 4 minutes

First, a ride check to avoid the hit on Cog...

Mounted Combat (vs hit on AC21): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (17) + 8 = 25

Success, negate the damage against Cog!

Glimmil, hand always on his lance when a door open, frowns when he realizes the room is too tiny to charge into battle with the long pole. Realizing the woman's guards are all holding bows, he does what he assumes Garl would do and charges into glorious combat.

Swift action to turn on Smite Evil vs Triel.

Glimmil goes charging in prior to the Bless going off, so these don't include that bonus.

Fight with combat-trained mount (Ride DC10): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (9) + 8 = 17

Glimmil attack (hammer, power, charge, smite): 1d20 + 6 + 2 + 3 ⇒ (13) + 6 + 2 + 3 = 24
Glimmil damage (hammer, power, smite): 1d6 + 6 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 6 + 3 = 14

Status:
Cog 28/28HP
Glimmil 42/42HP
Glimmil AC25 (AC24 +3 smite, -2 charge)
Cog AC22 (AC20 +2 ward)

Triel -1d20 + 3 ⇒ (18) + 3 = 21 - 2 dmg
X11d20 + 7 ⇒ (5) + 7 = 12 - 3 dmg
X21d20 + 7 ⇒ (18) + 7 = 25 - 2 dmg
X31d20 + 7 ⇒ (6) + 7 = 13 - 3 dmg
X41d20 + 7 ⇒ (9) + 7 = 16 - 2 dmg

Triel's concentration check 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 5 = 8 - Fail. :(

Dyrant tosses in a small fireball, but it's enough to break Triel's concentration. As Toffitt tries to enter the room, razors extend from the doors edges and it spins closed. The razors scrape off Toffitt's armor and "shield", but leave him alone in the room with Triel and the men.

1d20 + 15 ⇒ (7) + 15 = 22

Glimmil will have to revise his actions as he now faces a closed door. Toffitt can change his ending point within the room if he'd like.

Glimmil will find the door is not locked.

Toffitt will indeed end right up against Triel. AC 27

Finneas technically goes ahead of Glimmil, so I'm presuming (hoping?) the door is open by the time Glimmil acts.

If not, then Glimmil would use a move action to open the door, take a 5ft step, and use his lance to hit Triel instead.

The net change would be he would hit AC21 instead of AC24 (losing the +2 from the charge, and the +1 from the hookhammer's masterwork property).

Technically in that scenario, I think Cog would still have a standard action left?

Let's see what Finneas does and then we'll figure it out.

Finneas rouses himself from the sleep of the dead, his sickness still numbing his brain but a chirping in his ear telling him the Cauldron Five need him!

Round 1 Init 17+

Finneas will move forward, opening the door as he moves to engage.

"Maybe I should get a riding dog."

Either move, open door, then move into room to W26 or Y26. If I can't do that I'll move past Glimmil to Y25 and open the door for his charge.

Also, I love picking the lock with a spoon while on top of a dog. :P

I've always operated on the assumption that Glimmil will climb down off Cog while picking a lock, and lean his lance against a nearby wall.

However, before the door is thrown open, he climbs back on, grabs his lance, and levels it at the door being open (usually by someone else)?

As such I'd totally respect the moment the lock was opened, if GMChris has the NPCs throw open the door and catch Glimmil standing there (not on Cog) in surprise.

I hate door rules, but not going to change them mid-combat. I also thought of Glimmil off Cog for lockpicking, but back on before opening the door.

Finneas moves to Toffitt's former spot (Y-25) and opens the door for Glimmil.

Glimmil and Cog go through the door which once again sprouts razors. It spins shuts and impales Cog and Glimmil with the razors, pinning them between the door and the frame and leaving them helpless.

1d20 + 15 ⇒ (9) + 15 = 24 vs. Cog
1d12 + 8 ⇒ (1) + 8 = 9 damage
1d20 + 15 ⇒ (14) + 15 = 29 vs. Glimmil
1d12 + 8 ⇒ (6) + 8 = 14 damage

Glimmil and Cog have a standard action left to try to escape or some other action.

Toffitt tries to be intimidating as he stands along in the room. "Triel, by the power vested in us by the Cauldron guard, I arrest you and demand your surrender. Triel's men, lay down your arms and you will receive a fair trial."

Intimidate 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (6) + 5 = 11

Dyrant cringes as Glim and Cog get eaten by the door.

Is this another mimic? They sure love eating Glim.

Does that make Skie a mimic too?

"Oww! Hey, not fair!"

Glimmil gives Triel a look of supreme gnomish unhappiness, then works with Cog to get free of the evil door-monster's fangs.

Glimmil CMB: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (7) + 6 = 13
Cog CMB: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (7) + 4 = 11

The gnome clearly looks worried and does not appreciate being held in place by the vicious door.

Hmm, my edit to put status failed, here it is...

Status:
Cog 19/28HP AC13 (-4 pinned, -3 lost dex)
Glimmil 28/42HP AC20 (-4 pinned, -1 lost dex, +3 smite)

Glimmil and Cog struggle, but do not escape from the door. The door does not grin, smirk, or otherwise appear to be alive.

Round 1 Recap
Others = 24
Toffitt = 23 - Shield, moves in, not hit by door
Dyrant = 20 - throws a sparkler into the room, but distracts Triel
Finneas = 17+ - Moves, opens door
Glimmil & Cog = 17 - try to go through doorway, but door pins them
Atol = 4 - Blesses party

The men drop their bows, and pull out their rapiers as they form an X of flanks on Toffitt.

1d20 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 3 + 2 = 13
1d20 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 3 + 2 = 20
1d20 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 3 + 2 = 20
1d20 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (17) + 3 + 2 = 22

Triel takes a step back and pulls out a scroll and orders Toffitt, "Shut up and stand still like a good pig." (Hold Person, Will save DC 14)

Round 2 - Party is up
Others = 24
Toffitt = 23
Dyrant = 20
Finneas = 17+
Glimmil = 17
Atol = 4

New Map

Shouldn't the DC be 13? 10 + 2 (spell level) + 1 (stat bonus: 12 Wis for required stat)? Of course, I don't know her build or anything, so I ask humbly.

1d20 + 3 ⇒ (10) + 3 = 13 (+1 Will, +2 v. enchantment)

Apparently my question is important...

AC = 16 if helpless: -5 Dex, +4 armor, +4 Shield, +3 natural armor

Yes. I miscalculated the scroll which would go off of minimum stats unless it states otherwise, which it doesn't.

Yay! Not dead by coup de grace! Dead by flanked sneak!

Round 2, Init 20- {>X28}

Toffitt feels numb for a moment, but finds reason to thank his bastard elven father for his life. "Not... so... easy... Triel. Surrender, and tell us where are the wands." He steps in to strike at her holding his blade in two hands, the rage of the panther filling him.

Dueling Blade 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (4) + 12 = 16 (+1 rage Dex, +1 mult foes)
1d8 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4

"Surrender, or next time I'll try to hit you." I like that one, Finneas.

Actually not sure the mechanics of escaping... if nobody is in the way of the door, it opens like a basic move action? But if the spike hits someone, pulling the spikes out of the person they are lodged into makes it a CMB check? Just wondering as Finneas goes ahead of Glimmil again, and if he needs a move action, or a CMB check to open the door?

If he defers to Glimmil, I'll roll Glimmil's CMB to escape? Is only 1 CMB required, or is it taking a CMB check to pull ourselves off the spikes each? (Glimmil and Cog?) Not sure if I'm un-impaling myself, opening a door, or what?

Cutting to the #s. It's a STR check of 28 to force open the door or a DC 26 escape artist to wiggle free. You're not so much impaled as held in place by the razors that cut into you. I don't recommend trying this at home to see how it actually works out.

Uh, that's going to be rough, since at best you're likely to get +8 on a strength check with assist. Though maybe Atol's Strength boosts will help... Oy.

Holy death traps Batman!

I'm not sure if it's possible to escape this certain death, but Glimmil will of course try to free himself.

I'll roll a CMB again, since that's what you suggested earlier, and I like the idea of adding +6 instead of only +2 (Glimmil's Str bonus).

Also unsure still if we each need to make our own rolls, or Cog can assist Glimmil in freeing them both with one check? If so, Cog surely assists Glimmil. /shrug

Glimmil: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (17) + 6 = 23
Cog: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (11) + 4 = 15

EDIT, this is burly as written. First person through the door gets attacked at +15, with no Reflex save, and is thus helpless with the party trapped outside, with a DC28 Strength check as the method of escape?! Yowza!

There is also the option of trying to destroy the door.

I'd try spooning it if that were an option, since that's Glimmil's highest bonus (+10) but not sure if that can be performed as a standard action and if a DC27 would've been enough on the Disable check...

Presumably if Glim finds a way to break free, he also has a decision to make on which side of the door to emerge. Did we see any other ways into or out of the room?