Team Xantrius

Game Master JasonX

sorry guys, on a flight. Will post soon

Tanya identifies one of the potions as a cure light wounds potion, but has no success with the other one.

Congratulations, you have made a wise choice. Spending the time to rest here as well as cleaning the temple, everyone gains the benefits of healing as if they had spent 24 hours bed rest with long term care. In addition, I need everyone to make a knowledge religion check (even untrained). Also, everyone's daily uses are restored and casters can change around their spells.

Xantrius keeps his helm on even through the hard work cleaning up the shrine. During a rest period, he leaves the building and finds a secluded corner out of sight to eat a quick bite before heading back to rejoin the efforts.

Know (religion): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (11) + 6 = 17

Know Religion: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (6) + 5 = 11 +5 if it's about a creature

While Bakji was indeed a religious man, he did not help that much with the cleaning. He instead posted himself outside of the shrine performing the job of guard for the temple.

He was always a defender of Iomedae and not a worker for the church. The scene felt odd to him an the stayed away except to eat and rest when someone else took up the guard.

knowledge religion: 1d20 ⇒ 17

K{Religion}: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (5) + 5 = 10

k:religion: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7

K Religion: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4

Tanya helps clean up the place after she finishes her sweep around the outside of temple, including on top of the temple if she can get up there.

Before resting, she takes watch from Bakji and quietly does her exercises outside the door.

You successfully reconsecrate the shrine. Torag notices your efforts and blesses your group.

You are each affected by a bless for the next 24 hours.

Aleziella jumps to the duty with the same intensity and optimism she usually has. She likes being useful and consecrating a shrine is a very good thing.

Once they are done cleaning and resting she say. "This turned out nicely indeed. Let's just hope we didn't blow our opportunity to help on the surface. Let's head out again. We can just follow in the same formation as before." She then takes point again with Xantrius.

Korak takes up his spot. I doubt any of us would make that much difference.

"The right person at the right time and place can always make a difference." Xantrius states confidently as he takes the lead.

Tanya resumes her self appointed role of looking up and watching for threats from above. She decided to stop bothering with three injured ones, as the only that tresponds to her is the rude one. She doesn't really instigate much small talk either unless she gets curious, such as with Xantrius never removing his helmet.
"Xantrius, why do you not remove your helmet? Is it stuck or cursed or something?"

"I wear it for your benefit. Many find my features...
disturbing." he tells her in a ghastly whisper. "I prefer not to talk about it."

This is the first time he has not sounded confident and in control, almost ashamed.

Korak walks up and puts his hand on Xantrius' shoulder. Lad, you say the right person at the right time can make a difference, right now, this second, we are in our place and time. Take the helmet off, and we'll show you we're the right people too.

"I've seen crazy looking people before. Never seen a face I couldn't look past."

"If you wore it for protection from the dangers we face I could understand it, but to hide your visage? Nah, I would rather look upon it. Everyone deserves to be free." Aleziella's fluid style of combat combined with her lower strength doesn't allow her to wear very heavy armor, but she understands those who use it, having seen enough of them in her years growing up among the army. As they continue walking she once again get out her rapier and get into combat ready stance, ready for anything.

Kothar and xill take their position again "its was just a few years ago when i was nothing more than a gray scaled week dragon then i was gifted this new body and my loyal dragon to guides me on my journey as Asup's chosen" Kothar thought to him self as he silently moved with the group

Xantrius strides forth in silence for a while, pondering his companion's words.

"Mayhap you are right. But now is not the time or place. We must remain vigilant against any dangers on our way back to the surface."

The passageway leading south from here continues for about 3,000 feet (at a speed of 15 feet, this takes about 40 minutes to navigate) before ending here after a gradual rise in elevation of 30 feet. Stone figures are carved into the walls of this cavern. Each depicts a different crusader clad in armor and wielding weapons, but their carved stone features contain expressions of sadness.

Xantrius moves cautiously towards the nearest of the statues for a better look with his shield and sword at the ready, using his soul sight to determine if the statues are animated.

Knowledge (History, Local, Nobility): 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (10) + 2 = 12 to see if he recognizes the figures

Aleziella studies the statues carefully and detects magic to see if anything weird is going on. "Do anyone know what these statues might represent?" She asks out loud.

knowledge local to identify statues or their significance with guidance: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (14) + 5 = 19
perception with guidance: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (13) + 5 = 18

No lass. They mean nothing to me but for the fact they're not dwarven make.

Aravashnial just begins to speak up when three shapes drop from the ceiling (knowledge arcana or dungeoneering).

10d20 ⇒ (10, 18, 18, 12, 10, 19, 9, 3, 15, 12) = 126
1d20 ⇒ 8
1d2 ⇒ 2

Initiative
Argus
Aleziella
creatures
Tanya
Horgus
Bakji
Korak
Aravashnial
Xantrius
Kothar

Surprise round
3d9 ⇒ (2, 5, 6) = 13

att vs Argus: 1d20 ⇒ 19
damage: 1d4 ⇒ 3
grab: 1d20 ⇒ 19
constrict: 1d4 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7

att vs Aleziella: 1d20 ⇒ 17
damage: 1d4 ⇒ 3
grab: 1d20 ⇒ 4
constrict: 1d4 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8 I know you roll twice for initiative, is there also something that lets you act in surprise round? If so, the grab fails.

att vs Xantrius: 1d20 ⇒ 20
confirm crit: 1d20 ⇒ 10 fail
damage: 1d4 ⇒ 2
grab: 1d20 ⇒ 14
constrict: 1d4 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6

The three creatures envelop three of you. Although small creatures, they seem to have no problem grabbing people of your size.

OK, Aleziella gets to go before them on round 1 (and Argus), then they go, then everyone else. Remember you all are affected by a Bless for the day.

Argus struggles to break free from the creature.
break grapple: 1d20 ⇒ 8
But fails.

I am a bit confused.. You say that the grapple would fail if I get to go in the surprise round. However the grab was only a 3, so it would fail anyway. Do you mean the attack itself? It would be a lot clearer if you spelled out exactly what happened in text. For example: "The creature lashes out at Aleziella with it's claws and manage to wound her. The claws try to latch on to her to hold her fast, but she manages to get away." We don't even know what kind of creatures these are or what they look like. I don't have anything to let Aleziella go in the surprise round nor to avoid being flat-footed. A map would be very helpful as nearly all my abilities rely on positioning. Depending on what exactly happened I have three different things I am think to do. I have two main questions. '#1 Is Aleziella grappled?' '#2 Are any of them adjacent to any of the others?'

I am going to assume that Aleziella is in fact not grappled, but that the attack hit and that she suffered 3 damage. I am also going to assume that at least two of them are adjacent to each other. Preferably the one trying to grapple Argus and me, if not the one trying for me and Xantrius (both missed their grabs against our flat footed cmd).
Aleziella roars out. "Attackers from above! We will get through this, depend on me!" At the same time she jabs at the creatures with two lightning quick jabs. Her rapier comes alive in her hands into a weapon of destruction.
Swift Action encouraging roar, which sadly doesn't stack with Bless,so only +2 moral bonus to hit and +2 moral bonus to damage. Then she'll use scything strike against the creatures
Attack, scything strike, encouraging roar, still in scarlet Einhander stance: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (1) + 9 = 10
damage target 1: 2d6 + 7 ⇒ (2, 4) + 7 = 13
damage target 2: 2d6 + 7 ⇒ (1, 5) + 7 = 13

AC: 20, HP 10/13

Spectacular hits and failures. Do we play with critical failures? I guess it's their go now.

I'm sorry, but I thought I was clear, I needed to know if you were not FF in the surprise round. I rolled a 4 to grapple and its modifier is high enough to make that beat your FF CMD. I will post a map when I get home, but you are all scattered about the room looking at the statues. The three creatures attacked targets that were apart from each other. As to what the creatures are, I wait for the Knowledge checks to describe them as many of us can tell exactly what creature they are just by a basic description. About the only information I give ahead of time is obvious things like undead, ooze, etc. And no, I don't use critical failures.

Each of the creatures try to continue to strangle their victims.

maintain vs Argus: 1d20 ⇒ 11
maintain vs Aleziella: 1d20 ⇒ 3
maintain vs Xantrius: 1d20 ⇒ 14

Argus and Xantrius are held fast, but the one holding Aleziella loses its grip and falls to the ground.

damage vs Argus: 2d4 + 4 ⇒ (3, 2) + 4 = 9
damage vs Xantrius: 2d4 + 4 ⇒ (3, 1) + 4 = 8

Both Xantrius and Argus fall over as they succumb to the creatures' attacks.

I will have a map up in two hours, but you can each go if you want. Currently, each creature is 20' from any other. Each of you is within a 5' step of one of the creatures. Two of them still have the grappled condition (Xantrius and Argus). Once I get the Knowledge checks, I will give a better description.

We can still get description of what they look like even if we don't have knowledge checks (though it won't help us much other than immersion). Another thing. I think you should post how much damage we take (at least to the players who take it), that way we can actually make decisions based on the state of our character rather than guessing... If I knew Aleziella was grappled and had taken 11 damage I would have channeled energy, not tried to attack(she has pretty much no chance of breaking free on her own and channeling require neither a concentration check nor provokes AoO and she got selective channeling)... Then maybe Xantrius wouldn't have fallen. Ah well, what's done is done, even if we only had a bit of the information.

I have no problem with retconning that action because of the confusion. For everyone's benefit, the final tab of my posts each round say "tracked" that will give you the running damage total of all combatants. From now on I will also add their conditions (grappled, confused, etc.). Also, I usually roll the appropriate knowledge checks at the start myself, I just didn't have my notes. I'll do that now.

Aleziella shouts out "Argh, it grabbed me. Stand fast, we got this. Desna's healing light will see us through this" She doesn't struggle overly much against the grapple, but instead focuses inwards on her divine power to channel Desna's light.
Still encouraging roar, but now grappled and channeling instead of striking at the enemy. Since this doesn't affect the enemies either way, I assume their actions stand?
channel energy: 1d6 ⇒ 6

Nice, I guess this means Xantrius is at 3 HP after their round? And Aleziella is at 8?

Status: AC: 20 CMD: 16 HP: 8/13 Status Effects:Encouraging Road(1 round), Bless(~23 hours)

2d20 ⇒ (14, 12) = 26

Kothar and Tanya know this:
These squid-like dark-skinned creatures are darkmantles, a subterranian predator that attacks by dropping onto its prey. They are magical beasts.

Though small creatures, darkmantles are strong for their size, and make natural grapplers due to their tentacles and cloak-like skin. Typically attacking by dropping from above, a darkmantle that misses will usually fly back up to the roof of its chamber and try again.

As well as having a natural camouflage that allows them to hide easily in underground caverns, darkmantles can also cause darkness once per day. Darkmantles see easily through this magical darkness through the use of bat-like sonar, though this can be disrupted by the use of the silence spell.

Nice channel :)

RETCON: Aleziella's burst of healing energy saves both Xantrius and Argus from being downed by the creatures. They continue to struggle in their grips.

Bakji turns about hearing the others cry out and assesses the situation quickly. He carefully studies the creature on Argus before pulling an arrow from his quiver and firing it at the dark beast.

Attack: 1d20 + 6 + 1 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (14) + 6 + 1 + 1 + 2 = 24 +1 for point blank, +1 for Studied, +2 for encouraging roar

Damage: 1d8 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 5 = 8

Did you account for encouraging roar Bakji? It doesn't stack with bless. I think your hit should be +1(24) and damage +2(9).

Tanya yells out when she sees the creatures drop, then she casts a spell which surrounds her with a dark lightning that dances on her skin, then she moves up to nearest one, ready to strike it.

Cast chill touch, move towards nearest enemy.

Tanya, you can just 5'step if you want and get your attack off now.

Here is the map, I'm still trying to get a better map tool:

Cavern

Xantrius twists in the thing's grip as it squeezes the life from him, trying to break free.

Escape Grapple: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (8) + 5 = 13
Knowledge (arcana): 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (7) + 2 = 9

Xantrius is just able to break free and Bakji hits the creature near him.

Gasping for breath, Xantrius raises his shield and moves his sword into a guard position, ready to strike as he takes a quick glance to see how the others fare.

"Kothar, let us surround the beast to end it's threat. Korak, help Bakji take down the one attacking Argus."

I'm not trying to order you around, it's just his training as a soldier. :)

Ok, we are waiting on Kothar, Korak and Tanya (to use her chill touch). Aleziella, you can also act.

Horgus backs against a wall nervously glancing at the ceiling for more creatures. Aravashnial stands still trying to tell what is going on, but refraining from confusing the issue more by calling out orders.

I'm here and waiting my turn. If it hasn't come up by then I'll post before bed.

Korak rushes towards argus and seizes the creature trying to pull it off him Grapple Check: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6 only for his hands to slip off.

Not like it matters for success or not, but encouraging roar (and bless) apply to grapple checks as well.

OK, I'm going to move things along.

Kothar attacks the one on the ground, flanking with Xantrius.
attack: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (15) + 9 = 24
damage: 1d8 + 5 ⇒ (8) + 5 = 13
Kothar hits it with a very solid blow.

Tanya steps up and touches the one that is by Aleziella.
1d20 + 2 ⇒ (7) + 2 = 9
but misses (however, you can hold the charge for next round).

Round 2

The creature on Argus suddenly releases him and withdraws to the ceiling. Trapped between two opponents, the one by Xantrius tries to attack him again.
The one by Aleziella I will do after she goes.

att vs Xantrius: 1d20 ⇒ 1

I imagine Kothar was waiting for Tanya and Korak. Also Xill didn't go. I was going to go attack the monster still holding Argus to take advantage of its grappled condition if Argus didn't manage to break free (which I assume he did not). You said he was conscious still.

Aleziella tumbles away from the monster that attacked her towards the one holding Argus. "I'm coming to save you Argus! We should do as Xantrius says and gang up on them rather than try to take them all out simulataniously." She dodges around to avoid the creature from hitting her then fluidly transfers her movement into a powerful attack with her rapier.

Acrobatics to tumble away from the creature: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (14) + 8 = 22
The rest of my actions assume she isn't grappled by the AoO, if she is, I'll have to do something else:
Swift action to initiate victory gambit with rake/rewrd against the creature holding Argus. If Aleziella manages to reduce the creature to 0 HP everyone gets +5 moral bonus to hit on their next attack(doesn't stack with bless), otherwise Aleziella gets -2 on her d20 rolls. She'll also regain her expended maneuver if she is successful.
Crushing Blow with victory gambit and bless: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (4) + 13 = 17Add +2 if she can flank with Korak damage: 3d6 + 5 ⇒ (3, 4, 2) + 5 = 14

Retcon: Aleziella successfully evades the adjacent Darkmantle's attack and moves to the one on Argus, dropping it with a thrust from her rapier. The one she left behind now has a clear escape route and withdraws to the ceiling.

So the one that withdrew from before (on Argus) is now down, there is one between Kothar and Xantrius, and one on the ceiling. Everyone is up again for round 2 (Aleziella and Argus do Round 3).

Tanya should get an AoO against that one as she is armed. Then she gets her normal turn. Since gambit succeeded everyone get +5 morale bonus to hit on their next attack.

It withdrew, no AoO as Tanya doesn't have reach.