Skull and Shackles: How to drown a Kobold

Game Master Hokina

nothing else.
Outside the room [ooc]in D15[ooc] you just find caged sharks.

Skrelznit suggests they move on through the next room (D15) and examine the two apparent exits at the East end.

Map is sort of cut off at the bottom. Assuming the seeming exits to the NE and SE are the only ones going foward.

Stealth Synergy: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (8) + 17 = 25
Take 10 on Perception for 26.

Before exiting the room, he tries out his new ring.

Profession Butcher: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (14) + 8 = 22 to make some tasty tidbits from our dearly departed opponents to lure the sharks closer and promote goodwill.

Each caged shark should make a Will save DC15. Those that fail are Indifferent and Skrelznit attempts Wild Empathy (d20+4 vs. 15+(shark Cha mod)) to make them Friendly. GM is empowered to roll those, since I don't know how many sharks there are. As always, GM has the final say; these are just my suggestions based on my understanding of the situation.

Any sharks that are Friendly are released and encouraged (via pantomime if necessary) to explore the caverns and report back. Any that are Indifferent are released to live their lives. Any Unfriendly or worse are left in the cages.

It's a cruel world-k-k-k, and ya gotta know when not to hold a grudge-k-k-k against the guy who's got your jail key.

Disable Device +11 for any locks. Skrelznit will Take 20 if necessary.

will shark 1: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5
will shark 2: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (16) + 2 = 18
will shark 3: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3
will shark 4: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (9) + 2 = 11

Wild Empathy shark 1: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (15) + 4 = 19
Wild Empathy shark 3: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 4 = 20
Wild Empathy shark 4: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (13) + 4 = 17

Skrelznit Handle Animal: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (11) + 4 = 15

The charm animal effect would make them friendly, but Wild Empathy would lead to them being Helpful.
There is only 1 exit to the east from the room. The map I put up is just cut off at the bottom.

One of the sharks clearly does not like Skrelznit; biting at the cage and trying to get at him. The other three happy eat the Butchered meat.

Skrelznit finds that they have been trained to seek, and report back there are living things in the next room.

Thanks you, sharkies-k-k-k!

If they're still willing to help, Skrelznit asks them to help in the next room. If not, they are free to go.

Skrelznit offers to quietly lead the way into the next room, going slowly and carefully.

Perception: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (8) + 16 = 24
Stealth Synergy: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (17) + 17 = 34

Sassarra will nod, "See, you are the right person for the ring! Now we just need to figure out how to add shark tanks to the ship."

I think there's this group of five rich nobles who will give people money in exchange for a cut of future profits. But we need good diplomacy or the bald one will kill us dead.

And Sassarra will be taking the locks from now on - she has a +14 DD

Sassarra perception: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (17) + 11 = 28
Zaaka perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (15) + 7 = 22
Stealth Synergy: 2d20 ⇒ (5, 20) = 25 Okay, that's 35 for Sassarra and 37 for Skrelznit and Zaaka

The three sharks agree to aid you.
In the next room, you find two sahuagin guarding a exit. The exit looks to be blocked by jellyfish.

You can easily over power two sahuagin, and you have the surprise. So just say want you do.

Do we all have the Ambush Squad feat? It allows both a Move and Standard action during Surprise rounds. We can drop the guards quickly, then play stab-and-run with the jellyfish, which I assume moves rather slowly.

Besmara, helps me remember about jellyfishies please.

Knowledge Nature, Guidance: 1d20 + 5 + 1 ⇒ (11) + 5 + 1 = 17

Do we know anything about the strengths & weaknesses of jellyfish?

Ambush squad must have been a hunter feat. But it sounds like a good choice for the rest of us to get. I think we should probably focus on the sahaugin and I can take out the jelly from a distance. Or is it jellies? It's hard because the word is it's own grandpa plural.

Skrelznit readies his trident for a charge attack against the nearest sahaugin, with his shiver of sharks joining him.

None of my spells are useful here, and shortbow has horrible range underwater.

Not sure if it's possible without lifting the veil on the map, but if so:

Trident, Charge: 1d20 + 10 + 2 ⇒ (13) + 10 + 2 = 25 +2 if flanking Damage, Sneak: 1d6 + 7 + 1d6 ⇒ (6) + 7 + (3) = 16 +Bleed +1 if flanking (Dirty Fighter trait)

AC 19 this round due to charge.

He sends his fishy friends in to attack whichever sahaugin they wish.

Bruce the Shark: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (1) + 5 = 6 +2 if flanking Damage: 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (5) + 4 = 9
Bruce the Shark: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (9) + 5 = 14 +2 if flanking Damage: 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8
Bruce the Shark: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (9) + 5 = 14 +2 if flanking Damage: 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (7) + 4 = 11

Yes, in Skrelznit's mind all sharks are named Bruce.

Sassarra and Zaaka will have to move in and hope that we get initiative before the bad guys.

Skrelznit and the sharks team up, and kill the two sahaugin.

Cap'n, I think you're up-k-k-k.

Skrelznit stands behind Sassarra ready to cast Firebelly and breathe on the jellies if they come near.

Did we get anything on the jellyfish? Is it one or multiple?

Skrelznit's understand of jellyfish is that when swarming, they mostly stay in a single warm place and only are aggressive if pray runs into it (easy for how clear they are).

Sassarra will shake her head. "I could only take them out one by one. If you have anything that will get many of them, feel free."

We don't. So let's take them out one by one. Ready, Bruce?

Skrelznit readies his trident.

They are Diminutive size.

Ah, okay then. Boiled jellyfish it is.

Skrelznit casts Firebelly and moves slowly and quietly into range where he can hit the maximum number of jellyfish with a 15 ft cone.

Firebelly: 1d4 ⇒ 4 Fire, Reflex DC15 half

Firebelly 3 min remaining

Spells 1:2/5 2:1/3

Odd, I did the rolls, and I swear I posted....
They took 6 damage (the 50% for AOE on swarms). I also made rolls for INIT (party then jellyfish swarm), and a roll for if the vermin swarm even know that it was attacked (They don't).

The Jellyfish try and fail to move around the burst of heat rushing at them. They don't look to understand that they were attacked.

Skrelznit seems pleased with the results and breathes again.

Firebelly: 1d4 ⇒ 2 Fire, Reflex DC15 half

Firebelly 2 min remaining.

Sassarra and Zaaka will wait to see if Skrelznit finishes them off. They can't do much against swarms.

1d100 ⇒ 22
1d20 + 5 ⇒ (11) + 5 = 16
The fire burns a few jellyfish, but most swift away. took 1 damage

The swarm still looks in good shape, but still does not know it is under attack.

Right. It's either this, or give up and go back to the ship.

Firebelly: 1d4 ⇒ 3 Fire, Reflex DC15 half

Firebelly 1 min remaining.

1d20 + 5 ⇒ (12) + 5 = 17
1d100 ⇒ 74
The swarm sifts, blocking much of the heat. The Swarm moves off, to a place where it is not being exposed to heat.

Looking into the opening, You find that it opens into the side of a big hole. Looking hundreds of feet up, you see the bottom of your ship.

Cap'n, I think we're done here-k-k-k. The ship is just above-k-k-k.

"Then I think we've kept the Sahaugin from being a threat for a while. We'll have to come back in a while to see if some of the young'uns grow up looking for vengeance.

The party does not run into any conflict returning to the ship; what left of the Sahaugin looks to be in hiding.

You still have the Iron-braned chest from the bottom of page 34, that you said to keep till you got to dry land. It is locked.
Also the party levels.
Still want to go on?

Skrelznit studies the lock carefully and consults some learned tomes on lock design from the ship's small library.

Will attempt to pick the lock after leveling up for that additional +1 skill level. I'm game for continuing if everyone else is.

I'm still here! I'll have to level up when I get home because they won't let me install HeroLab on my work computer for some odd reason.

Party ready?

I'm ready. I just forgot to update the sheets here, but I'll do that tonight.

Sorry, still need to level up. But we can continue and I'll make sure it's done before any significant rolls need to be made.

Where to, Cap'n?

How about some piratin'? I've got some nifty spells that let me board the enemy ship to cause havoc. I'm up for anything, though.

After a good sleep, Sassarra wakes up feeling quite refreshed.

"We do need to head for Tidewater Rock. But anything we find on the way is fair game." She steps out from the forecastle, and finds something odd. As she steps off of the forecastle, she stays at the same level. The swirling winds around her are keeping her suspended in the air.

Kineticist was good to me this level.

Looking at your haul, and hearing the tale; Fishguts nods and smile.

"I think you are ready to officially become Free Captains. In the shackles, you need a letter of marque from the Hurricane King at Port Peril."

1d100 ⇒ 84
1d100 ⇒ 83
1d4 ⇒ 4

You fish up a massive crab; the size of a king size bed. When Fishguts opens it up to cook; he finds 900 gp in gems inside.

You safely make it to Tidewater Rock.

Woot! Crab dinner and gems to boot!

Skrelznit requests Enhanced Diplomacy from Besmara in place of Know Direction while he's in port.

He will attempt to cast it on Sassarra just prior to any important meetings.

Not changing my character sheet since this is a short term change.

As she disembarks, she calls out, "The Sahuagin are dead. Our people have been avenged." With that she hoists the matriarch's head. "Such is the fate of all who cross Tidewater Rock!"

The lady of the rock walks over to Sassarra. leaning down she places a kiss on Sassarra's forehead.

"Thank you. You are true protectors of Tidewater Rock."

Skrelznit beams with pride.

We didn't do nothing that any other heroes would do-k-k-k.

"Perhaps something other pirates wouldn't have done." she says, pausing to return the kiss. "But we are uncommon pirates."

The lady organizes a feast in your honer.

Skrelznit uses his very best table manners and tries very hard to not accidentally bite any hands of the servers this time.

Still, nobody's perfect, right?

What does the party want to do now?

Let's do some piratin'! As in, "take to the open seas and look for targets".

That being suggested, I'm actually open to anywhere the adventure takes us. I'm more used to having plot hooks drag me around, so this open world to explore sometimes leaves me unsure of what to do. Do we have any plot hooks left dangling?

We have the chest to open and we should head to Port Peril to let people know about how awesome we are. Of course, we'll need to arrive with plenty of booty, so we'll have to hunt us some rich fat merchants on the way.

Skrelznit was planning to Take 20 (for 32 total, 33 with Guidance from Besmara) on lockpicking the chest open. I think he already checked it for traps, so if there's any there he didn't find them.

The lock was hard, but in time Skrelznit was able to pick it.

10 plunder worth of luxurious silks, fine furs, exotic spices, raw gold and silver ore.

ship’s figurehead called Besmara’s Bones
two fan feather tokens,
slippers of spider climbing,
ornate crown with undersea motifs crafted of deep platinum worth 5,000 gp
jeweled box (worth 500 gp)
assorted jewelry worth 2,500 gp,
and 2,083 gp, 18,900 sp, and 25,050 cp.

Look, Cap'n! I found 50 cp! ;-)

Great, then you get to keep all fifty of them. I'll just take care of the rest of this.

"Well, it looks like we're on to Port Peril. All crew keep a good eye out for good targets on the way."

Looks like the post monster ate my last one.