Tales from the Feralwood

Game Master Kobash

”Life is an illusion, my dear.” Hedera replies, her form fading. As it does, another illusion fades as well and some mushrooms among the roots are revealed as black-capped and shriveled. As Myhm and Stroud make their way among them they release a cloud of gas.

Clouds marked in the map. Anyone within needs to roll a Fort save vs DC 20 or take 1 Wis damage and confused for 1 round.

INITIATIVE
Myhm
Xerexis
Teena
Shanee
Stroud
Troxell
Hedera

"I may have something useful in this case as well. I kept it handy in the case of more stinging insects." Troxell says with a pleased smirk as he casts Gust of Wind through some of the clouds of gas.

I'll direct the wind line to the northeast to affect the gas cloud next to Troxell and the one that Myhm is inside. This should theoretically push both clouds 60 feet away from Troxell's position.

Fortitude Save vs. DC 20: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (2) + 6 = 8

Though confused, Stroud attempts to cloak himself in darkness and wait for Hedera to reveal herself.

Stealth: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (13) + 18 = 31

Teena pauses, readying an action to blast the hag, if and when she reappears.

Shanee moves up continuing his song

Myhm fort vs mushroom gas + Rage: 1d20 + 9 + 2 ⇒ (7) + 9 + 2 = 18

Myhm Confusion: 1d100 ⇒ 8
Stroud Confusion: 1d100 ⇒ 8

Myhm rushes through the gas toward the door in the tree as Stroud finds a place to hide. Troxell summons winds that disperse the threat and the rest of the group slowly advances.

No counterattack presents itself, though a glimpse of movement is noticed at a narrow dark window higher up on the tree.

INITIATIVE
Myhm
Xerexis
Teena
Shanee
Stroud
Troxell
Hedera

Troxell takes advantage of the lull in the battle to cast Barkskin on himself and then advances 20 feet towards the door.

Teenawasn’t sure what to do with the battle having been halted. She followed the others forward.

Stroud shakes off his confusion, and sinks deeper into the shadows waiting for Hedera to show herself!

Stealth: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (3) + 18 = 21

Myhm charges up to the door in the tree and kicks it open. A billowing fog pours out from the inside, obscuring sight beyond 5 feet. Somewhere inside a hag cackles.

INITIATIVE
Myhm
Xerexis
Teena
Shanee
Stroud
Troxell
Hedera

"In case the fog is poisonous, everyone come to me for protection." Troxell says to the others as he moves next to Xerexis and Shanee.

Troxell will be casting Life Bubble on whoever is adjacent to him. Right now that's Xerexis, Shanee, and himself. If Teena, Stroud, or Myhm want the spell, I'll ready an action to cast it until everyone who wants it is in touch range (i.e., adjacent to Troxell). It would be easier to set this up if this were a tabletop game, I hope there can be some leeway here to arrange this in regards to the initiative order in a PbP environment.

Other Player TL;DR: Move adjacent to Troxell if you want to share in a Life Bubble spell.

Stroud moves towards Troxell.

There is leeway, and talking is a free action that can be take. Out of turn. Unless someone has already committed to an action I think initiative is fluid. So if anyone wants the benefit of life bubble, and has the movement to get to Troxell, they can have it.

Teena casts Dispel Magic on the fog, then moves in close to the Druid, if the fog remained.

Dispel check with Spell Penetration 1d20 + 9 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 9 + 2 = 12

The group gathers around Troxell and he uses his magic to protect them. A cackle echoes down from higher in the tree.

”Come in! Let’s see how your mortal magic fares against hag witchery!”

Myhm steps through the door and into the tree, the edge of the fog billowing around him. Nothing seems to happen.

INITIATIVE
Effects: mass feather step, prayer, haste 5/9
Myhm *life bubble, bard inspire greatness
Xerexis *life bubble
Teena *life bubble
Shanee *life bubble
Stroud *life bubble
Troxell *barkskin
Hedera

I forgot to mention that Teena’s dispel magic failed to remove the fog.

Stroud uses his fast stealth, moves quickly and quietly into the room, and keeps to the shadows stalking his prey!

Stealth: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (12) + 18 = 30

Troxell casts Life Bubble on himself as well.

Troxell pauses at the door, and attempts to use his spirit sense to locate the hag in the fog filled room.

The spirit sense ability works like Detect Undead if she's undead, fey, an outsiders and/or astral, ethereal, or incorporeal. On the first round, Troxell will be able to sense if one of those auras is in there, but in the third round if he concentrates then he'll know the direction of the aura since he won't have line of sight.

1d20 ⇒ 10

Stroud slips into the room, quietly moving through the fog. Though he can only see a few feet he spots a fine rug on the floor and a work table seemingly shaped from the wood of the tree. Bottles and bowls of herbs and ungents crowd the surface. He also comes across a wardrobe, a pantry with food, and a couple barrels. Circling the room he eventually comes to a flight of steps leading up.

At the door Troxell focuses his fey senses, but detects nothing. He recalls that hags, though associated with the first world and the fey, are not actually fey or outsiders themselves.

The tree is quiet... too quiet.

INITIATIVE
Effects: mass feather step, prayer, haste 5/9
Stroud *life bubble
Troxell *barkskin
Myhm *life bubble, bard inspire greatness
Teena *life bubble
Shanee *life bubble
Xerexis *life bubble
Hedera

Teena waits outside. ”I can’t see through his stuff and I can’t dispel it! It’s thicker than pea soup!”

Delay for the time being.

Stroud slips up the stairs!

Stealth: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (11) + 18 = 29

Mhym stalks into the large tree trunk, searching for the witch. The room reminded him of somewhere he'd been before, but the memory sits on the edge his mind. He felt weak for a moment after the sudden rage at encountering the witch. The fatigue had passed but the answer was still there. He felt like squishing something, maybe the leprechaun that brought them here.

For now he walks around to the right along the trunk walls, scrutinizing and tipping over her witch-belongings, hoping to irate her into visibility.

perception : 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (12) + 8 = 20

Stroud slips up the stairs leading to a second room. Inside is a workshop stocked with items. Alchemical flasks, unguents, and herbs rest upon one table. Across the room, beyond a large bearskin, is a tanning rack - a humanoid skin stretched upon it. To the right is a chest next to a cabinet with a bow and sword left unceremoniously atop it. There is also another set of stairs continuing further up inside the tree.

Below, Teena waits while Myhm circles the lower room. The big man eventually reaches the stairs heading up.

INITIATIVE
Effects: mass feather step, prayer, haste 6/9
Stroud *life bubble
Troxell *barkskin
Myhm *life bubble, bard inspire greatness
Teena *life bubble
Shanee *life bubble
Xerexis *life bubble
Hedera

If the others announce they are heading up the stairs, Teena follows. I’d they don’t, she will remain down there, not able to see anything.

Stroud slips up the next set of stairs as silent as death! He focuses with everything that he is, on the hunt for his prey!

Stealth: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (7) + 18 = 25

Myhm peers up the stairwell. From the silence, he was quite certain Stroud had not encountered the witch or minions yet. He takes careful steps up the trunk, not for stealth sake, rather cautious and weary of an imminent ambush.

Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (6) + 8 = 14

1d20 + 15 ⇒ (2) + 15 = 17

Stroud slips quietly up to the top floor of the hag's tree house. Here he finds a bedroom lit by a fireplace on one side. Two chairs face the fire, with a small table between them. Cabinets, chests, and curio cases line the walls, and a large bed dominates one half of the room - a bed covered with a blanket seemingly sewn from humanoid scalps.

Near the fire waits a group of green-skinned hunchbacked hags - knots of white, moldering hair spill over identical features. In fact, they all seem like mirror images of one another, even moving with similar gestures and expressions on their ugly faces. Distracted at a small window hole in the tree, they do not seem to have noticed Stroud yet.

***

Myhm climbs the stairs below, coming to the workshop on the second level.

***

All is quiet on the ground floor. No word has come from the others, so Teena is still up.

INITIATIVE
Effects: mass feather step, prayer, haste 6/9
Stroud *life bubble
Troxell *barkskin
Myhm *life bubble, bard inspire greatness
Teena *life bubble
Shanee *life bubble
Xerexis *life bubble
Hedera

Troxell also has Life Bubble up, since I believe he can also target himself.

Troxell moves back and casts a spell, giving Teena, Shanee, Xerexis, and himself resistance to cold attacks.

Troxell casts Communal Resist Energy (cold). It gives Cold Resistance 20 for 20 minutes for each person listed above.

If Teena doesn’t hear anything, she waits downstairs. If she hears a battle or anything like that, she will begin to move upstairs.

Troxell casts a spell to protect his companions and Teena waits for word from the others. Xerexes casts a spell of divine favor, and Shanee begins a song. With Myhm out of sight, Shanee changes his song to encourage all his companions.

Upstairs, Stroud watches Hedera wait by the window.

INITIATIVE
Effects: mass feather step, prayer, haste 7/9, bardic courage +2
Stroud *life bubble
Troxell *life bubble,barkskin, cold resistance 20
Myhm *life bubble, bard inspire greatness
Teena *life bubble, cold resistance 20
Shanee *life bubble, cold resistance 20
Xerexis *life bubble, cold resistance 20, divine favor
Hedera

Myhm sees Stroud above him at the next floor. He steadily climbs the stairs, then cresting the floor he sees the witch in the corner. "She's up here, but watch out behind you." he calls down to the others but doesn't take his eyes off her.

It is obviously a trap, one he was willing to walking into. Even at his size, Mhym can cover distance quickly... But not as quickly as the mastered fighter next to him. He is counting on Stroud to take advantage of that moment and deliver the killing blow.

"No where to go..." he says to Hedera, buying time for his companions, then slowly crosses the room to her.

40' to climb one flight, 25' cross room between bed and chair.

Stroud sees the giant form of Mhym crest the top of the stairs and leaps out of he shadows towards Hedera!

Sneak Attack: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (17) + 16 = 33
Potential Damage: 1d6 + 5d6 + 9 ⇒ (4) + (5, 2, 1, 4, 2) + 9 = 27

Myhm calls to his companions, alerting them, as well as the mirrored copies of Hedera. As they turn Stroud leaps across the room to attack.

Mirror Images: 1 = Hedera: 1d5 ⇒ 1

His sword catches her by surprise, and miraculously finds the true version among the images!

Hedera responds by attempting to cast a spell, but the sudden attack has affected her concentration.

Combat Casting vs DC 18: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (2) + 14 = 16

But it turns out she is not alone as a hunchbacked crone with skin the color of a fresh bruise appears, apparently having been invisible. Despite her hunch, she looms taller than a human. With a growl she claws at Myhm.

Claw: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (9) + 15 = 24
Damage: 1d6 + 9 ⇒ (5) + 9 = 14
Claw: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (19) + 15 = 34
Damage: 1d6 + 9 ⇒ (5) + 9 = 14
Bite: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (17) + 15 = 32
Damage: 1d6 + 9 ⇒ (6) + 9 = 15
Rend Damage: 2d6 + 11 ⇒ (1, 4) + 11 = 16

Meanwhile, downstairs...

Troxell, Teena, Shanee, and Xerexis here cackling from somewhere in the fog above them. Something skitters across the ceiling, then a white haired hag drops to the ground at the door. She waves her hand and a sudden burst of cold accompanies a wall of ice blocking the passage behind her.

INITIATIVE
Effects: mass feather step, prayer, haste 7/9, bardic courage +2
Hedera (-27) *5 images
Annis Hag
White Hag
Troxell *life bubble,barkskin, cold resistance 20
Teena *life bubble, cold resistance 20
Shanee *life bubble, cold resistance 20
Xerexis *life bubble, cold resistance 20, divine favor
Myhm *life bubble, bard inspire greatness
Stroud *life bubble

"Bah, we don't have time for this." Troxell says with distaste as he backs up five feet and casts a spell in an attempt to turn the hag into a turtle.

Casting Baleful Polymorph on the white haired hag. It's a DC 19 Fort save to resist being turned into a turtle. If she fails, then she'll need to make a DC 19 Will save to remember that's she's really a hag and keep her various abilities.

Stroud continues his attack on Hedera!

Magic Scimitar: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (1) + 16 = 17
Potential Damage: 1d6 + 9 ⇒ (1) + 9 = 10

Magic Scimitar: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (20) + 11 = 31
Potential Damage: 1d6 + 9 ⇒ (6) + 9 = 15

Threat: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (6) + 11 = 17
Potential Damage: 1d6 + 9 ⇒ (1) + 9 = 10

DM, can we see the hag through the fog on the bottom level?

Troxell: you need to make a spell penetration check please.
Teena: the white Hag is not in the fog. It is actually standing before you, just outside the tree.
Stroud: don’t forget Haste and prayer are still active. Also, I think you forgot about the secondary attack you get at base attack +6.

Spell Penetration: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (20) + 9 = 29

Well, I literally did my best.

Teena attempts to cast Vanish defensively, so hat she might get away from the hag.

Concentration v DC 15 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (3) + 15 = 18

She then moves 20’ South, away from the creature.

”Hedera! Feel the wrath of Zayiin! Stroud Zayiin!”

Magic Scimitar: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (18) + 16 = 34
Potential Damage: 1d6 + 9 ⇒ (2) + 9 = 11

Threat: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (19) + 16 = 35
Potential Damage: 1d6 + 9 ⇒ (1) + 9 = 10

-1 DR for each hag strike
inspire hp: 142 + 2d10 + 6 + 6 ⇒ 142 + (4, 8) + 6 + 6 = 166

Myhm takes the vicious trashing which ignites his feral response. He is dimly aware of the room and the hag shrinking away. With a mighty roar, he tears into her.

inspire,rage,powerful build,bulk up,power attack,gtr brawler,two-weapon unarmed,flank
left fist 1: 1d20 + 17 + 2 ⇒ (18) + 17 + 2 = 37; dam: 1d8 + 16 ⇒ (5) + 16 = 21
left fist 2: 1d20 + 12 + 2 ⇒ (18) + 12 + 2 = 32 ; dam: 1d8 + 16 ⇒ (6) + 16 = 22
right fist 1: 1d20 + 17 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 17 + 2 = 21; dam: 1d8 + 16 ⇒ (6) + 16 = 22
right fist 2: 1d20 + 12 + 2 ⇒ (13) + 12 + 2 = 27 ; dam: 1d8 + 16 ⇒ (8) + 16 = 24
bite: 1d20 + 17 + 2 ⇒ (19) + 17 + 2 = 38 ; dam: 1d6 + 16 ⇒ (6) + 16 = 22

Fort vs Polymorph: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (5) + 8 = 13
Will vs Polymorph: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (11) + 8 = 19

Troxell feels his spell penetrate the hag’s defenses, twisting and reforming it to his will. A moment later a white turtle glares up at him. The hag’s staff clatters to the rocks next to it.

Teena vanishes and withdraws. Shanee draws out a wand and blasts the turtle hag with magic missiles, but learns quickly that the hags supernatural powers remain in its new form.

Knowledge Nature: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (2) + 6 = 8
UMD: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (10) + 16 = 26
Spell Pen: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (2) + 9 = 11

Xerexis fires his musket point blank.

Musket vs Touch: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (17) + 11 = 28
Damage: 1d12 + 10 ⇒ (2) + 10 = 12

Meanwhile Myhm and Stroud fight the hags above. Myhm tears through the tall one with a brutal series of savage blows, crushing it to the floor.

Mirror Image 1 = Hedera: 1d5 ⇒ 4
Mirror Image 1 = Hedera: 1d4 ⇒ 1

Stroud stumbles with the first slash of his scimitar but recovers well with two more. One takes down an image, but the second cuts deep.

Combat Casting: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (13) + 18 = 31

Hedera concentrates and vanishes from sight.

The white hag turtle looks at Troxell and a strange feeling of pity and sympathy begins to form in his head. Troxell make a Will save vs DC 13 or become charmed.

INITIATIVE
Effects: mass feather step, prayer, haste 8/9, bardic courage +2
Hedera (-48) *4 images
White Hag Turtle (-12)
Troxell *life bubble,barkskin, cold resistance 20
Teena *life bubble, cold resistance 20
Shanee *life bubble, cold resistance 20
Xerexis *life bubble, cold resistance 20, divine favor
Myhm *life bubble, bard inspire greatness
Stroud *life bubble

Myhm goes berserk in the empty room as he sees Hedera disappear, he pounces forward, thrashing about wildly at where she was standing.

perception determine location: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (5) + 8 = 13

10' space and reach
inspire,rage,powerful build,bulk up,power attack,gtr brawler,two-weapon unarmed,flank
left fist 1: 1d20 + 17 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 17 + 2 = 201d8 + 16 ⇒ (5) + 16 = 21,vs concealment: 1d100 ⇒ 65
left fist 2: 1d20 + 12 + 2 ⇒ (7) + 12 + 2 = 211d8 + 16 ⇒ (3) + 16 = 19,vs concealment: 1d100 ⇒ 36
right fist 1: 1d20 + 17 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 17 + 2 = 201d8 + 16 ⇒ (6) + 16 = 22,vs concealment: 1d100 ⇒ 26
right fist 2: 1d20 + 12 + 2 ⇒ (19) + 12 + 2 = 331d8 + 16 ⇒ (6) + 16 = 22,vs concealment: 1d100 ⇒ 52
bite: 1d20 + 17 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 17 + 2 = 211d6 + 16 ⇒ (3) + 16 = 19,vs concealment: 1d100 ⇒ 49
[/dice]

Will Save + Resistance to Enchantment: 1d20 + 11 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 11 + 2 = 18 [-2 if this wasn't an enchantment spell]

Resisting the hag's charm spell, Troxell wastes no time conjuring a Flaming Sphere on top of the spell-casting turtle to both kill her and melt the ice.

Flaming Sphere Damage: 3d6 ⇒ (1, 6, 3) = 10

DC 16 Reflex Save negates the damage.

Spell Penetration: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (17) + 9 = 26

Stroud follows Mhym’s example and then unleashes a torrent of attacks at Hedera’s last Position!

Perception Determine Location: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (15) + 11 = 26

Magic Scimitar: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (7) + 16 = 23
Potential Damage: 1d6 + 9 ⇒ (5) + 9 = 14

Magic Scimitar: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (8) + 16 = 24
Potential Damage: 1d6 + 9 ⇒ (1) + 9 = 10

Magic Scimitar: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (4) + 11 = 15
Potential Damage: 1d6 + 9 ⇒ (4) + 9 = 13

Reflex: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (1) + 5 = 6

The turtle screeches under the heat of Troxell’s flaming sphere. The ice wall behind it begins to steam.

UMD wand: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (8) + 16 = 24
Spell Pen: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (10) + 9 = 19
Magic Missiles: 5d4 + 5 ⇒ (2, 3, 2, 1, 2) + 5 = 15

Musket: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (13) + 11 = 24
Damage: 1d12 + 10 ⇒ (11) + 10 = 21

Shanee focuses on his and batters it with magic missiles while Xerexis reloads and fires again, putting a smoking hole in its shell.

Meanwhile, in the tree above...

Stealth: 1d20 + 33 ⇒ (12) + 33 = 45

Neither Myhm nor Stroud are able to land a blow on the invisible hag.

INITIATIVE
Effects: mass feather step, prayer, haste 8/9, bardic courage +2
Hedera (-48) *4 images
White Hag Turtle (-58)
Troxell *life bubble,barkskin, cold resistance 20
Teena *life bubble, cold resistance 20
Shanee *life bubble, cold resistance 20
Xerexis *life bubble, cold resistance 20, divine favor
Myhm *life bubble, bard inspire greatness
Stroud *life bubble

Teena casts Ear Piercing Scream on the red tinged opponent.

Damage 4d6 ⇒ (1, 5, 5, 5) = 16

Fort DC 19 for half damage and to avoid Daze for one round.

Teena Spell Pen: 1d20 + 9 + 2 ⇒ (13) + 9 + 2 = 24
Fort: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (13) + 5 = 18

The winter turtle is knocked over and scrambles pitifully on its back!

***

Upstairs, Hedera‘s voice calls from near the bed. ”I see the spells you have girded yourselves with. I don’t imagine they will last much longer. Come and get me... if you can.”

INITIATIVE
Effects: mass feather step, prayer, haste 8/9, bardic courage +2
Hedera (-48) *4 images
White Hag Turtle (-74) *dazed
Troxell *life bubble,barkskin, cold resistance 20
Teena *life bubble, cold resistance 20
Shanee *life bubble, cold resistance 20
Xerexis *life bubble, cold resistance 20, divine favor
Myhm *life bubble, bard inspire greatness
Stroud *life bubble