The Devil's Gorge (and Beyond)!

Game Master Rynjin

I'll take that as a compliment

To Dorla and Thetsu : *Ahem*...So, I guess your sources didn't say anything about somebody living here right?

Dudes? Dudettes?

No, nothing.

So I suppose banter is off the table then.

"Submit now and your death will be painless."

4d20 ⇒ (13, 9, 7, 18) = 47

4d20 ⇒ (7, 10, 12, 4) = 33

Kn. Psionics or Dungeoneering to identify the telepathic thing BTW.

Uh... What are we seeing?

"Gross."
How can that guy live with all those worms crawling about!

Uh... What are we seeing?

It remains locked, though Dorla can open it easy enough.

Beyond is a large chamber, 60 feet by 60 feet by 20 feet, a large dome of sorts under the earth. Near the opposite end of the room is a robed and hooded figure surrounded by more swarms of worms.

"You are the most persistent fools to so far delve into my home." an annoyed voice echoes in your mind.

Are these normal-sized worms?
Kn(Psionics): 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (5) + 17 = 22

"You're disgusting..." says Donovan as he enhances his reflexes with the power of his mind. (Swift action Physical Acceleration - 6pp)

Donovan charges forward, summoning a sharp blade into his hand. (Call Weaponry as part of attack action - 1pp)

"Dorla! Blast those creepers! We'll beat the ugly bastard into a pulp!"

Dirty Trick - Blind: 1d20 + 22 ⇒ (15) + 22 = 37
Duration: 1d4 ⇒ 3 rounds (+1 for every +5 over the opponent's CMD)

They're swarms. Call Weaponry is free unless you Augmented it or chose not to expend your Focus.

Donovan knows that this is a Phrenic Scourge, a Psionic Aberration with formidable mental powers.

It chuckles at his attempts to blind it, giving Donovan a glimpse of the writhing, eyeless tentacles beneath its robes that constitute its body.

Note that you are now standing in the middle of a swarm.

2d6 ⇒ (2, 1) = 3

And make me a DC 14 Fort save vs Distraction. Ugash and Dorla are up.

I've been waiting to do this for a long time... - Ugash takes a grenade from his backpack, and trhows it to Donovan square

Greanade: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (13) + 9 = 22

You have like six seconds to move pal

I forgot the ref save from last scene

ref: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (11) + 8 = 19

Dorla flies and throws a bomb at one of the swarms.

attack: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (7) + 14 = 21

damage: 4d6 + 7 ⇒ (6, 4, 2, 2) + 7 = 21

knowledge dungeoneering: 1d20 + 19 ⇒ (11) + 19 = 30

Is its CMD above 37?! Because Phrenic Scourges are not immune to blindness.

Since Dorla rolled high, I'll give you a tidbit: They have "Unnatural vision" and see through their entire body. You cannot simply blind them. I dunno if the Paizo Phrenic Scourge has this or not. Will post more for Dorla when I'm not on my phone in a few hours.

I'm pretty sure that isn't the case in Pathfinder... At least it wasn't so with the last Phrenic Scourge I've seen in play, but ok.

Anyway, I have some errands to run... I'll try to post again tonight.

EDIT: To clarify... I don't think there is anything wrong with it being immune to blindness for whatever reason. AFAIK, it could be a template or whatever. Even if it's just something made up, Rynjin should feel free to use custom creatures.

The ability is not listed in the srd

This is a Psionic Phrenic Scourge. It's a different creature, but I thought it was similar. Apparently not? It is on the SRD.

The ability say nothing about blindness or dirty trick, but I guess is a reasonable ruling if Donovan didn't know that fact beforehand.

Actually, I missed that last part. Dirty Trick relies on stuff like kicking sand in their eyes, or cutting their brow and putting blood in their eyes. You need to justify it somehow. However...

Donovan wraps the creatures robes around it, obscuring everything but its hands. This is a trick which will only work once, so make the most if it.

Dorla flies and throws a bomb at one of the swarms.

attack: 1d20+14

damage: 4d6+7

knowledge dungeoneering: 1d20+19

1d20 ⇒ 5

Dorla destroys one of the swarms and severely singes the other.

What she knows about (Psionic) Phrenic Scourges.

Special Abilities:

The aforementioned Unnatural Vision, along with the ability to Compress themselves to fit into very small spaces, Sap the Will of anyone nearby (Stunning them), and perhaps most deadly attack someone and break off their tendrils. These tendrils then burrow to the victim's brain, killing them in as little as 12 seconds unless a Remove Disease or Heal spell (or their Psionic equivalents) are applied.

She also knows they have an array of psi-like abilities, the most prominent of which are the ability to Psychoport and Mind Control their victims, as well as prevent people from approaching and forming an empathic connection with them.

The relevant worm swarm is dead, and so the Scourge acts.

The Scourge sheds its loose fitting robes with ease Using a Move action to do so, though I'll still treat it as blind until Donovan's next turn and unleashes a psychic scream.

Donovan and Dorla make a DC 21 Will save or be Stunned for 3d4 ⇒ (2, 4, 4) = 10 rounds. Also Donovan still needs to make a DC 14 Fort vs Distraction (Nauseated for a round). Thetsu is up.

Dorla shares knowledge on the enemy with the others.

will save: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (8) + 7 = 15

So am I still flying, or do I land because I am stunned?

If you're using an Extract, you hang there. If using the Wings Discovery, you fall and take 1d6 ⇒ 6 damage.

Will: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (14) + 11 = 25

I only take damage/Distraction from the swarm at the end of the swarm's turn, not on my own. And Dorla apparently killed it.

Also, it's a standard action to remove the condition applied by Dirty Trick. There is not much point in my grabbing the Improved/Greater Dirty Trick feat if the enemy can simply use a move action to ignore it.

Like I said, the condition persists, he just removed his robe so you can't do it again. His attack was an AoE, however.

Edit: Wait, I see the confusion. Didn't realize you had Greater Dirty Trick. Nix the robe removal then, it's tangled around him.

It can use its ability, since it doesn't require line of sight... My point is that if it wants to remove the Blinded condition before the 3 (+1 for every +5 above his CMD) rounds, he must use a standard action.

Right. Read the edit. If you hadn't had Greater Dirty Trick, it could have done so.

"HAAAAAAAAAAA!" Thetsu yells as he barrels forward into a wild charge at the horrible worm monster man.

Dragon Style! Red Haze!

DRAGON PAWNCH!: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (8) + 16 = 24
Damage: 1d10 + 19 ⇒ (8) + 19 = 27

Thetsu socks the robe-covered mass of tentacles, and it lets out a mental hiss of pain and wriggles disgustingly around his fist.

Accidentally skipped a Worm Swarm, so for simplicity we'll assume it delayed until now.

The swarms move in on Thetsu and Donovan.

Damage: 4d6 ⇒ (2, 3, 5, 6) = 16

And each make 2 DC 14 Fort saves or be Nauseated for a round.

Everyone but Thetsu is up again!

Can swarms occupy the same space?

Fort: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (10) + 13 = 23
Fort: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (14) + 13 = 27

Taking advantage of the enemy's vulnerability, Donovan trips and attacks the creature.

Trip: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (3) + 18 = 21
Trip: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (13) + 18 = 31 damage: 1d6 + 17 ⇒ (3) + 17 = 20 (If the Scourge is prone after my first trip attempt, this is a normal attack instead)
wakizashi: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (20) + 13 = 33 damage: 1d6 + 17 ⇒ (2) + 17 = 19
crit confirm: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (1) + 13 = 14 Bleh... -.-'

More to the point, Tiny and smaller creatures can occupy the same space. Technically these provoke an AoO for moving into y'alls squares, but they're immune to weapon damage so I saw no point in calling for it. Roll another damage BTW.

Donovan knocks the Scourge over and stabs it twice. It seems to expire.

Damn these things are squishy. I boosted its health by like 20 points but even your minimum damage with the first Wakizashi knocks him unconscious.

Avoid rolling a 1: 1d20 ⇒ 8
Not once but twice: 1d20 ⇒ 12

Thetsu finds the worms revolting, but not nauseating.

Isn't the whole point of the "Swarm" subtype that it counts as one large creature, instead of multiple tiny ones? That's why I don't know if they can actually occupy the same space as other swarms.

IIRC, multiple swarms of different types would attack each other, while multiple swarms of the same type would "fuse" together and get an increase in their size and damage die... Though this is pulling from my long-term memory and I can't say it's correctt.

Meh... It's not really important anyway.

Did my stunned condition end with the life of the monster that caused it?

IIRC they count as both, and it makes sense to me that they can. I kinda like the "fuse into a super swarm" idea though, should have used that earlier with the hallway of creeping worms.

@Dorla: Unfortunately, no.

Also, forgot a thing.

2d20 ⇒ (17, 2) = 19

Ugash's tossed grenade goes off.

5d6 ⇒ (6, 6, 5, 5, 3) = 25

Both of the remaining swarms are splattered in every direction...and so is the corpse of the fallen Scourge, its tentacles briefly wriggling before being consumed in the explosion.

Dorla, Thetsu, and Donovan make DC 15 Reflex saves to halve 25 Slashing damage, but combat is over.

Thetsu tries to ninja dodge roll to the side.

Reflex: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (15) + 12 = 27

And inexplicably comes up unharmed.

Reflex: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (9) + 12 = 21

"Next time, avoid throwing grenades at your allies." says Donovan. "At least not before killing the creature who is obviously controlling the swarms."

BTW, I think it's a good idea to keep tracks of combat rounds to make it easier for everyone to know when certain effects will end.

reflex save: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (8) + 13 = 21

So I assume Dorla takes 12 damage?

Dorla drinks a potion of cure moderate wounds to heal from grenade

2d8 + 3 ⇒ (4, 1) + 3 = 8

Then, Dorla uses her spontaneous healing ability to recover another 5 hp, leaving her at full health.

Anyone need anything? We got a bit beat up there.

Dorla gives any healing potions anyone asks for. Just let me know which so I can deal with inventory of them.

Then Dorla looks carefully around the room.

Thetsu gives Dorla a thumbs up.

"I'm fine! Stayed outta trouble this time. Now I bet this...thing has the other thing we're looking for."

Donovan searches the body of the fallen creature... Perception 26

"Is this thing why you wanted to come here?"

I honestly don't know why we are in this cave.

The "body" of the creature is, for all intents and purposes, completely destroyed. Nothing of it remains.

However, Donovan makes out the outline of a hidden door on the back wall.

And you're in here on rumors of a magical artifact being here.

"Maybe? We're looking for a REALLY old artifact. Dorla says it might be magic! Like real magic. Not like a card trick."

"Maybe it hid something behind that entrance... Is anyone any good dealing with traps?"

Dorla looks carefully for traps.

perception: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (6) + 11 = 17

pthhhht, I hope someone rolls better than me...

"Thetsu, use the staff to probe and push that part of the wall"

The wall eats the staff and the monkey attached to it does not react.

"Next time, avoid throwing grenades at your allies."

I guess you would prefered to get eaten by the swarm

I guess you would prefered to get eaten by the swarm

"Well... Considering it would most likely disperse once the creature was slain and that even if they weren't we could easily outmaneuver it after its master was killed... I don't think you have a point."

Easy to say when they are already dead