The Dying City: DM Norv's "Curse of the Crimson Throne"

Game Master The Norv

Matoska, I just realized something I should keep in mind: do you have the scent ability, in either or both forms?

Scent 30ft in animal form only, IIRC (at work currently)

Presumably if they could scry within the Labyrinth they'd know where Orsini and the other dude are, but then of course he might be lying.

That said, given they seem able to learn more about us at anytime, I think the better part of valor would be to shift into human form when it becomes more useful (though going in with Scent might be handy, if we can track Orsini that way).

Regarding SOPs -- everything seems fine, except I suggest one minor tweak to marching order: stick Lantressa in the middle, and Callie and Teo bring up the rear in a pair. That way the lowest HP party member is shielded by the rest of the party. However if others prefer it as is that's fine with me.

Sorry for delayed reply, was traveling a couple days and didn't keep up like I thought I would.

I second Callie's suggestion to keep Lantressa in the middle for protection.

Mmmm, Korri and Callie are making me into a Tressa Sandwich!

It seems like a good plan to me.

Dropping this in all my games. I started a new work assignment today that leaves me with less posting time. How much less I'm not sure, but my teacher hours mean I can still post every day. I'm not quitting by any means, just letting you know my posting hours will be more limited.

Matoska is a dog right now and even if he wasn't doesn't know magic, but I would like to point out that that ring Mistah Arkona gave us is almost certainly a scrying focus, if not also something more sinister. Might be worth examining it at the first opportunity and sticking it in a bag of holding until we're out of here.

Thanks for the heads-up, Teo!

Thank you for the heads-up, Teo! Hope your assignment goes well!

Sorry for the delay. I was just waiting for my turn. I'll get a post in tomorrow.

No worries! I've been pretty busy lately as well. The next few days I think I should have time to post every morning, but evenings will be sparse.

So Korriban, about that poison:

First off, CON damage is nasty! If you're reduced to 0 CON, you die. So that's bad news! Every 2 points you take, you also take a -1 penalty to your Fort saves (and any other CON-based rolls) and lose 9 hit points from your current AND TOTAL hit points. So until those 2 points you've taken are cured, you take a -1 penalty on further Fort saves and you're down to 47/47 hit points.

Since you've failed against two sources of this poison, the DC of your save also goes up. You need to make one save on each of your turns; that save is now DC 19. The duration has also been extended; because you've failed against 2 sources of the poison it now lasts for 9 rounds. If you make your save on a given turn, you do not take more damage and if you get 2 successes in a row, you're cured.

Make sense?

It is a LITTLE unclear, rules-wise, but I'm going to rule that once you are poisoned by a particular cloud, you no longer have to make saves against that cloud even if you remain in the area.

That seems like a recipe for PC death.

However, you DO need to keep making saves if you're in the area and you've not succumbed to it yet!

I confess I have a deep and abiding love for Unchained Poison rules, it makes them even nastier but also a much better character option.

Hmmm maybe I should look into those for that stone-age adventure I’m working on...

I think I lost a post today ...

Thank you, Norv.

And Matoska wanted nastier poisons. Yikes! :P

I'm just saying...Unchained Poison is a quality rule redesign and makes PC poison use way more viable. Not that I'm happy about my allies getting wrecked but hey

So, in response to Callie’s post, I may have made a mistake with my turn. I didn’t realize that the bridge was lower than the ground and needed an Acrobatics roll to jump down onto it. I just made my move action as normal. Also, for some reason, I thought that the skeleton wouldn’t get an AoO. So I didn’t think to roll to avoid an AoO. I also forgot to roll for poison. So that’s all on me. If I need to do my turn again or something, let me know. I apologize for the confusion on my end.

I'm sorry guys, this is all due to me not anticipating that you all would be jumping around like monkeys. :P

Let me clarify the layout a little bit: the level you started on runs around the OUTSIDE edge of this pit, sloping gently downward. The first ledge that you get to if you walk around the outside (at about 5:00) is 10' below the entrance. The bridge there leads to the one at about 10:00, which is 15' below the entrance. The bridge there leads to the ledge at the 2:00 position, which is 20' below the entrance. The bridge going south from there disappears to even lower spots not pictured on the map.

Does that all make sense? I added some little text boxes to the map so that this is hopefully a little clearer.

With that in mind...I'm fine with revamping last round's actions so that Korriban doesn't run past the skeleton. The only question that brings up is where Matoska ends up. Thoughts...?

I think the turn for Matoska was okay, even though the ledge he leapt to was lower than expected.

The problem with where you are, Matoska, is it prevents Korriban from getting the potion from Callie without provoking an AOO (nor are you in any position to be helpful in any way that I can see). If the two of you switched places all would be well.

Thanks for the clarification, the Norv. I had no idea I was actually below the rest of the group by standing on the bridge. I was originally going to use the bridges to get to the skeletons on the other side, which I guess wouldn't have worked. Whoever designed this map needs a thump.

I mean, the square I'm in is as far as I could get, I'd be closer to the skeleton if I could be.

I'm find with being back a bit with Korriban ahead of me, he just hopped down to the 10 o'clock so could have gotten there much faster than me given the long jump & spring back across the bridge.

I'll get a post up after work this evening. I can't see the map at work right now.

Sorry for the delay all. End of last week was worse than expected.

Sounds like the solution here is to re-jigger things so that Korriban is on the side of Callie that doesn’t provoke. Matoska, I think you could be on the far side of Callie with your full movement, since the lower ledge means you wouldn’t want to do that triangular jumping pattern you’d marked out?

Sorry if I gummed things up, I was just really confused and wanted to confirm what all had happened (and do what I need to protect Korriban, depending). The Norv, what you are describing is how I expected the last round to go to begin with.

Are we good to proceed?

Yes, I'm good with that arrangement Norv. Callie's right, the mapmakers could have included some sort of elevation indicator in the interest of clarity

I'm good with that. I don't need to change my hp then, right?

No worries, all! Sorry for the delay - clarifying this was necessary.

Korriban, you're still at "full" hit points, but all of the poison effects still happen, so those "full" hit points are just 29/29!

I've rearranged the map, and I believe that with the adjustment of Korriban's hit points to 29/29, we are good to start a new round of actions!

Everything ok, Matoska? Last post was Saturday.

Yes, my bad. It's been a weird week.

Also heads up, over the weekend I'll be out of town for a wedding and probably won't be able to post all weekend.

Good news is that you didn't miss that much...sorry, all. My week ended up way busier than expected.

Posting an update now, and gonna try to be much better getting back into the swing of things.

Callie, I think you end up at the square you wanted. But you just take an AoO. Unless I'm missing something.

Maybe I was making it more complicated than it needs to be. I was planning to move through his square to get directly behind him. Because of the hard corner there, I believe I technically need to step through his square no matter what I do. If I don't and can Acrobatics past the corner and to get to the lever square by going the long way around so to speak, I will happily take the AOO.

This may be a case of overthinking Pathfinder crunch. I'll abide by whatever the Norv decides.

Unfortunately, Callie is correct; the only way to get past "Vencarlo" right now is to tumble through his square. (I'm 99% sure you can't 5'-step around a hard corner like that.) And if you try to tumble past/through someone and fail...

If you attempt to move through an enemy's space and fail the check, you lose the move action and provoke an attack of opportunity.

So Callie stays where she started. Unfortunate, but not getting surrounded by you all was one reason he moved there!

EDITED to add: I have confirmed you cannot 5'-step around a hard corner!

Korriban has high Acrobatics, he can try the same thing I did (if he wishes). Then Matoska can 5' step in, flank, and full attack.

That's what I was thinking of doing. I assume that if I make it, I can attack Not Vencarlo. Also, would I be able to move diagonally from my position or would I need to move to Callie's square first?

You can move through me.

What square would Korriban end up in if the acrobatics failed?

So sorry for the slow reply, everybody - especially since you were waiting on a ruling from me. Last week we learned that in addition to my future departure for graduate school, one of my coworkers (and it's a small office) is leaving at the end of May. So things got a little crazy. Sorry. :(

Life happens, GM!

Okay, sorry for still slowing down the game but a few final clarifying questions.

I would prefer to try and use Trip, since that's the feat I nabbed with Martial Flexibility and I don't want to expend another use to get Overrun.

My understanding so far is that Matoska can attempt a Trip or of combat maneuver, failure shunting him back to his square. Does he shunt back on a success as well? I would prefer not to end up in Callie's square and interfere with her turn if I succeed.

It's okay, Norv & Matoska! I should have clarified that I was waiting on an answer to where I would end up if I failed my Acrobatics check since I have to cut through Callie's space. Also, Matoska was trying something and I didn't know if that would completely rearrange everyone's positions on the map.

Ah, I'm so sorry Matoska, I completely misunderstood your question.

I would be fine to let you try a check to move through the foe's space (which is what I thought you were trying to do), with failure shunting you back to your starting square. I think that is technically two move actions, one of which would start in Callie's square, but since you'd be moving through I'd be fine with that.

Unfortunately, I don't think I can let you can move, make a trip attempt, and fall back. Sorry. That just adds up to too many action-like things. :(

I understand and am okay with that ruling, I'll continue to hold my action. Just wanted to be sure we were all on the same page!

So, all that's left is to get my question answered and I will plan my action accordingly.

Korriban, if you fail you'll just end up in your starting square, having wasted your move action.

Onward! (Unless there are more questions, which I'll happily answer.)

Okay! I'll get a post in tomorrow!