Shifty PFS Group Alpha (Inactive)

Game Master Nik B.

Yhen provided Grim a potion of CLW, so don't forget to heal up, Grim. Kish is in favor of proceeding forward, looks there is a room just north of the evil well. Kish is still happy to scout ahead. Shifty, do we need light sources to see on this level?

"So is there anyway to kill an evil well? Everyone remember to stay back from... whatever that well is..."

We should take the body. If someone ties a rope to someone with enough acrobatics to break their fall we can retrieve it pretty easily.

"I haven't the slightest. Maybe if Yhen could analyze its magic?"

"A very good suggestion, thank you for catching my slip up."

As suggested by Aegon, Yhen would cast detect magic on the well.

We have 1 potion of cure light wounds left although I have a wand if needed be.

Grim would inspect the skeleton and any belongings it had, taking anything of interest/value. But he's not planning on stuffing a hundred old bones into his backpack and bringing them up for an archeological party unless there's something unusual about them :-)

Grim investigated the skeleton and retrieved anything useful and unusual, then climbed out using the rope help by his friends. Once clear of the well, Grim graciaously accepts the potion and downs it, feeling the warmth spreading down to envelop his twisted knee, easing his pain but not completely removing the damage done by the fall.

CLW 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2

Grim found nothing of note on the skeleton, anything it was once wearing has deteriorated and rotten away, only the bones really remain.

Strangely, although the area detects as Evil, it does not detect as Magic.

One vote for pressing forward...

Grim agrees to press forward - figuring they can clear the rooms they missed on the way out since they are so close to the entrance...

He'll give the well a wide berth as he limps over to the left wall where the opening (doors?) are.

Rather than rolling everything all of the time, I'll just state that Grim aldus is constantly looking for movement or hints of danger (Perception +5) and also using his knowledge of engineering (+4) and dungeoneering (+4) as he walks to see if anything seems out of the ordinary or if he can get a feel for the design/purpose of this place. Also looking for irregularities that might indicate a concealed or secret passage, or unstable area of the passage (whether man-made like a trap or natural like a possible cave-in spot.) So you can secretly roll for me when needed =)

"Since the big guy is out, shall we move on?"

"on to the next room i guess..."

"Sure, let's keep moving." Moll says, coiling her rope back up and reattaching it to her pack. "You still don't look too good, Grimaldus. Did you get a diluted potion?"

"I'm not sure what this is, but we should probably avoid it. Maybe we could ask a religious expert at the Pathfinder Society to look into it once we're done here?"

Sneaking forward, Kishara listens carefully at the door and is sure she can hear a strange yelping and barking. Cracjing the door gently and quietly, she looks to the room beyond.

This large room is an aged gallery. Its once-decorated walls have been stripped of the original mosaics and its decorations replaced with Draconic graffiti, crudely etched into the walls.

Other than the scrawl on the walls, the chamber is noticeably cleaner and less dusty than the dungeon’s other rooms.

Four Kobolds stand in the center of the large room, engaging in a rather animated conversation.

Kishara quietly closes the door without being noticed...

Map

"I say we initiate a sneak attack with long range weapons and then sweep in to finish them off!" Grim says quietly once Kishara describes what she saw...

"Hmm... maybe, but what if there are more nearby that come to their aid? We saw kobold bodies nearby in the spider's web... there might be a whole tribe down here. I wish we could understand what they are discussing, no? Do you think they speak common? Maybe we should try talking first?"

"You can speak softly to these dog-men if you wish, but I will be your big stick..."

Kishara chuckles softly, "And a formidable stick you are, my friend. Even limping and bleeding as you are. Yhen, I think Moll's right. Grim needs a bit more patching up, that potion must have weak."

I don't think any of us speak Draconic, so if the party agrees with trying to talk first, Kish will attempt Diplomacy in Common to improve the kobold's disposition.
Diplomacy: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (18) + 4 = 22

We are still outside and out of the kobold's area right?

If we are,
"Grim, take another one. We don't know if they have more kobolds lurking around."

Yhen will give Grim the last potion of cure light wounds.

"Kish, you can try and talk to them but I recommend getting battle ready just in case."

"It isn't likely we'll be able to communicate with them without being able to speak Draconic and if we make our presence known it'll be more likely for them to shout an alarm. It may be better for us to get the jump on them and try to take them out before they know what's happening."

"Well come to think of it, a greatsword in any other language means a greatsword."

"We don't know what their intentions are, do we? But it is a problem we can't communicate with them. Is there any way around them?" Moll asks.

Kishara looks with surprise at the paladin, "Really? Slip up and gut them for the grand offense of... standing around and talking to your kin in some ruin that may have been your ancestral home for the past few centuries? Doesn't sound like a fair shake to me, no? If they attack me, I'll withdraw to this room, where your ambush awaits. And then at least they'll have deserved their fate and I won't have missed out on a SECOND opportunity to try and gather some intel on this heap, eh?" Kishara crosses her arms in front of her and gazes at the Halfling pointedly as she awaits the group's opinion of this revised plan.

We could backtrack and resume exploring the entry level of the ruins, but that would waste my awesome diplo roll! Boo! lol!

"I doubt this is their ancestral home. If there are undead here I doubt the kobolds would choose to use it for their lair. We don't need to kill them, but where there are 4 kobolds there's likely to be more. I'm less concerned about them putting up a fight than of their running off and warning other kobolds or other more nefarious creatures of our presence. If we want to talk to them it can be done more effectively after they're tied up and incapacitated. Or we could simply listen at the door here to their conversation to see if they reveal anything about the ruins or their intentions."

"A fight maybe avoided but contact, I don't think so. We are here for the katana, some papers and clean up some undead. Unless someone is 100% sure that our objectives are not in that room, otherwise I'm with Kishara."

Can somebody understand the kobold's language? I only know common, elven and orcish.

Common and Elven here. It's probably a rare kobold that speaks common, but I figured it was worth a shot. Kish is willing to stick her neck out, anyway. With Grim as visible support and the possible good will of having taken out the spider, we might be able to negotiate with the kobolds. Maybe they need something else squished. And of course they might give over the most infinitely valuable resource in a dungeon. Information! ;^D

Yhen, with a 19 Int, shouldn't you have 4 bonus languages?

I didn't know, I guess I would add one but I feel that adding kobold language all of a sudden especially now is a little cheesy. I wish witches have some mind controlling tricks or something lol.

Kobold language is Draconic, which is used by many magic users. It would make sense for Yhen to have it if GM allows.

"Then let us choose an option..."

"Option 1) Aegon, Mandrak, Moll and I will rush in and grapple or deal non-lethal damage to the kobolds to silence them. I see no scenarios where we all walk in calmly and they do not shout an alarm. Once they are subdued Kishara may attempt to reason with them."

"Option 2) Kishara walks in alone to present a less threatening image to the kobolds. Moll and I stand ready with the shortbows, Aegon with his throwing stars. Mandrak - do you have any range weapons? At the first sign of trouble Kishara books it out of the doors and we step in with weapons drawn."

"Either way, if they persist in an attack we finish it. If they sound an alarm and more come, this doorway presents a tactically advantageous place to make a stand against superior numbers."

Grim gaciously takes the other potion, but puts it in a pouch for later...

OK final vote - 'Diplomatic' or 'Kinetic' entry? :p Will move this along again in the morning - dying of flu here :)

Abyssal, Common, here...

Grim will obviously vote for the pre-emptive nuclear strike. 8D Hope you feel better soon - the flu sucks!!

"I will vote for the pre-emptive strike, it's a lot easier to reason with others if you have the upper hand. Remember the saying 'be the smartest guy in the room'"

"I think I like option two, if you think you'll be safe, Kishara." Moll says.

My vote is for preemptive strike. We don't even know if we'll be able to communicate with the kobolds, better to have them subdued before we find out we can't talk to them than after and if it turns out we can talk to them we have them all nice and intimidated already.

"I still think my way is the easier way to get the drop on them too. I could move while I speak to them to block the other exit, if they move on me, in come the cavalry, yes?"

Kish also has a new sap for dealing non-lethal damage, but she's no grappler. We could send the whole pre-emptive strike team in with her while she talks and they could take position as well. Four armed adventurers might be enough threat of the stick to encourage them to talk with Kish afterall. Anyway, Kish's vote is to try to use diplomacy. Apple first, then stick if necessary.

The howling well seems to serve as a boom for the party, as the background noise goes a great way to covering the sound of your advance. By the time the Kobolds realise you are there and break into a defensive position you are all practically upon them...

Lusting for the fight, Grimaldus is right in the lead! The party has clearly siezed the initative.

MAP

R1
Grimaldus
Kishara
Yhen
Mandrak
Aegon
Moll
Team Kobold

Kish still wants to speak as soon as they are aware of us, hopefully using that diplomacy roll still. "Hello! May we talk a moment? Parlay?"

Depends on how hard Grimladus goes in :p

Grim 5-foot steps to D5 with his greatsword drawn and ready to strike if the goblins attack or attempt to move around him. "Don't do it..." he growls and shakes his head no.

Grimaldus steps across, blade drawn and issuing his warning.

Kishara starts telling her story about the unfortunate spider, which seems to confuse the Kobolds more than anything else, but the one at the rear calls something to the rest of the group and their faces change to reflect defensiveness rather than aggression...

Seeing the battle end before it even began, Grim casually moves the 5 foot greatsword to rest on his shoulder. His posture, however, remains poised for an instant strike if needed to protect his friends while Kishara or someone else attempts to parley with the little dogmen.

Grim focuses on the kobold at the back who spoke - is it the leader of this group? Does it have any discernible rank or markings?

Perception 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (16) + 5 = 21

Seeing her audience is somewhat receptive, Kishara asks "Can you understand me? We came to explore the ruin. Can you help us find something? Papers and a sword?" she tries to incorporate pantomime expecting they don't understand common, she'll try Elven as well if she gets no response. She looks to Yhen, hoping the powers that be might suddenly imbue her with the ability to speak Draconic. =D

Kish will look around this room, as well.
Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (14) + 8 = 22

"Stop attack stop attack!" the rearmost Kobold yells using the Common tongue at the party.

Kishara finds that nothing of note stands out in the room, Grimaldus notes that the speaking Kobold looks slighly more 'upper class' for a Kobold, whatever that might entail, but the Kobold has no formal uniform or evident rank insignia.

Moll reinforces Grimaldus' threat with a wink and rubbing her swords together, but she makes no aggressive movements.

"Hello. We were under the assumption this was a Qadiran tomb. What brings kobolds such as yourselves here?"
Diplomacy: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (12) + 7 = 19 +2 if they are hostile or unfriendly.

Yhen will be by the door just in case something happens.

"I'll stay here, maybe WE are the one falling in their trap." with that said, her raptor will patrol the hallway wary of a kobold ambush.

Perception (raptor): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (7) + 6 = 13
Perception (Yhen): 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4

"This our lair, but Firespeaker he took over, fat liar! Says Cult of Fire true way, but that lies, Tarka should be chief again! Hey maybe you help killim and fix problem? Tarka help you."

"Hmm... maybe so. What can you tell me about Firespeaker? He sounds like a big nastie." Kishara is genuinely pleased to be speaking with the kobolds and falls into an easy banter with them.

"Took over Tarkas clan! Tells lies, says he has fire magic, hes fat fake, you come help killim and Tarka help you do it. Then Tarka have clan back, and Tarka chief again."

"Tarka is your rightful chief then, eh? Yes, we should speak with Tarka. We are looking for old papers and a funny green sword. Maybe your clan can help us find them if we help with your big nastie, yes?"

"A win win situation I would say, one I won't refuse. I will help in clearing the lair of undead and and some fat nasty firebreather, as long as you help us find that sword and some documents."

The kobold looks confused "I am Tarka! Firespeaker made up lies and kink me out! He fakey! he has green sword, I saw it!"