The Moar Core Tour (Inactive)

Game Master BretI

Ahaha... I'm laughing so hard right now.

"There's nothing they can do," replies Rees solemnly. Well, that's true, at least... A pause. "Twins. Is that why you're... here together?"

Janira smiles at the conversation as the party walks along toward the Kortos Mounts. She provides anyone who lacks it with paper to chronicle their journey to the cave.

The day's march is uneventful and the evening brings a solid campsite, a small campfire with roasting sausages, and a braiding party, for any who wish to join in.

The journey the next day takes the party much deeper into the forest, and the familiar landmarks have disappeared behind a thick mass of trees. Janira pulls out a small compass emblazoned with the Glyph of the Open Road. “I received this wayfinder when I successfully completed my Confirmation. Should we be successful on our journey, you will get your own as well.” As she watches the needle closely, you spot the initials J.L. engraved on the inside of the lid. “We’re on the right path. We need to keep heading northwest past those large rocks up ahead.”

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5 It was meant to be!

Mule? I wonder if that is some sort of slang term, or he was lied to. He seems to believe it.

She pats Rees on the arm as her sister Damiar consoles the man.

In reply to the sister's comment, she says "Yes, we prefer to work together. Since we have slightly different training, it has worked well for us. For instance, she is much better with the bow than I am."

-- On the road!

Seeing the initials, she asks "Will our wayfinders be engraved too?"

"Oh, yes, if you'd like! Or you could get a symbol that's important to you!"

The peaceful walk is suddenly interrupted by a tremendous crash! A huge tree not fifty yards away collapses, sending bits of bark and leaves flying, and scattering the many creatures living inside. It looks as though the very dirt on the ground is racing toward you until it suddenly becomes apparent that there are a lot of tiny creatures, each with a lot of legs.

Damiar
Verrix
Iovo
Why are there so many legs?
Garif
Rees
Kleines
Also, there are too many eyes

Bolded may go. No surprise round. The happy face is a placeholder for Garif's cat; feel free to replace it with another icon!

His mother was a....mule? Boy, people outside of Absolom sure do-- Kleines' train of thought is rudely derailed by the crashing sound.

Knowledge Whatever: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (11) + 3 = 14 +4 if Nature, +5 if Planes
I want to know... Can weapons hurt them?

Damiar takes her alchemical fire out of her backpack, holding it out so anyone can grab it! Then she belts out with a song!

♫ See that swarm right there
Little legs scurrying everywhere?
Let's make it dead
Really dead
Frying off all its tiny heads ♫

+1 to hit and damage, and Damiar will share the knowledge from her roll with everyone.

___
Actions:
Free: Knowledge Check
Move: Retrieve Alchemist's Fire
Standard: Start Song

Grabbing the alchemist fire from her sister, Iovo waits until the bugs get near and throws it at the bugs to the east once they are is close enough.

Move action to grab the flask, readied action to throw the flask. Can 5' step as part of the readied action since I didn't move.

Readied Throw alchemist fire, bard song: 1d20 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 3 + 1 = 7
Alchemist fire damage, bard song: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4

Direction of miss if I missed: 1d8 ⇒ 4

Verrix moves towards the swarm on their flank, and gets his acid flask out ofhis backpack.

Two move actions.

Damiar, you recognize these as spider swarms! They are vermin with the swarm subtype.

I always give type and subtype traits for free upon monster identification, so you know that a swarm of diminutive creatures like this is immune to weapon damage. You also know everything here and here. Plus three questions specific to spider swarms.

One of the swarms moves in toward the closest warm body, and Iovo has a chance to throw her alchemist's fire! Unfortunately, her shot goes wide, but she does manage to fry to a few spiders.

Rules note: does bard song count for splash damage? I have to get to work, but I'll look for a definitive answer later, unless someone knows.

Verrix now has spiders crawling all over him, even getting inside his armor! Their bites are small, but so many are painful!

Verrix takes swarm damage: 1d6 ⇒ 1 and I need two Fortitude saves, please.

Janira pulls out an alchemist's fire, steps toward a swarm and throws it.
attack: 1d20 + 5 + 1 ⇒ (13) + 5 + 1 = 19
damage: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5
She burns away most of the spiders from one swarm, but a few remain!

Damiar
Verrix
Janira
Iovo
Why are there so many legs? -1 or 3 hp
Garif
Rees
Kleines
Also, there are too many eyes -7hp

Bard song adds to weapon damage and alchemists fires are splash weapons.

Right, it definitely counts for a direct hit, but I wasn't sure if it added to splash damage. Since the alchemist's fire description specifies 1 point of damage rather than minimum damage as an alchemist's bomb does and there's no weapon damage roll, I think that it doesn't count, but if someone has a reference saying otherwise, please chime in!

Still haven't updated my alias, but I've got two flasks of acid purchased, will put them to use!

With his shopping complete, Garif slips a heavy pack off his shoulder and hangs it from Astro’s pack saddle. He unlaces the top of the pack and partially pulls out a sharp, shiny pick, giving it a couple of tender pats before putting it away, a tight little grin on his face.

He’s enjoying the journey well enough, though he feels he’s slowing the elves down as they travel – and that still doesn’t leave him enough time to really study the rocks of Kortos as they travel. When the massive tree falls, he mutters, ”Typical tree, only lasts a century or so…”

Seeing the ants swarm over Verrix, Garrif lays a hand on Nico’s flank and says, ”Don’t get mixed up in that, boy.” The great cat casts a dismissive glance at the dwarf, as if to say, You did not need to tell me that. Oblivious to this, Garif steps forward, pulls a flask from his belt, and tosses it at the swarm attacking Verrix.

Move action to draw acid, 5-foot step, standard to throw.

Acid, Inspiration: 1d20 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (9) + 2 + 1 = 12
Acid damage: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6
miss direction if needed: 1d8 ⇒ 5

I don't believe Inspiration adds to splash damage.

Bard song does not apply to the splash damage, IMO. To be honest, I don't even think it applies to alchemist bomb splash damage, as sad as that makes me.

Kleines scratches his head for a moment. What was it she said to use on swarms? and a memory bubbles its way to the surface:

"I also lack alchemical weapons such as acid or fire." Looking towards Janira, she says "I believe that is what we need for swarms?"

Oh yeah!

He draws a flask of acid as he moves towards the swarm to the north, and throws it when he gets within range.

acid, bard song: 1d20 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 3 + 1 = 10
damage, bard song: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2

miss direction: 1d8 ⇒ 8 not that it matters with no one adjacent

Rees steps forward as well, reaching into his own pack and fumbling around for one of his own flasks of acid. He hesitates for a moment as he gauges the distance, then makes up his mind and tosses!

Toss (PBS, bard, Range Penalty x2): 1d20 + 4 + 1 + 1 - 4 ⇒ (13) + 4 + 1 + 1 - 4 = 15
Damage: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4

Fortitude Save #1: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (13) + 4 = 17
Fortitude Save #2: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (15) + 4 = 19

Kleines and Rees manage to take down one of the swarms, even without hitting directly! Garif singes a few more on the swarm attacking Verrix, who withstands the disgusting onslaught with a paladin's typical aplomb.

Damiar
Verrix
Janira
Iovo
Why are there so many legs? -2hp
Garif
Rees
Kleines
Also, there are too many eyes burnt to a crisp

I can't seem to edit the map. Please go off my description. Was able to get it opened in slides and then it worked.

Iovo moves up to the other side of the swarm and yells "Run Verrix! I'll distract it." She then pauses there, waiting for the bugs to move towards her.

Move action, move to north of swarm. Standard action: Ready to move away when swarm takes the bait!

Damiar continues her song and delays.

GM, what is the speed of that swarm? Can we outrun it? I have no other way of affecting it.

The swarm has a speed of 20 ft.

I've got one more acid flask.

I've got another too

Verrix moves ten feet out of the swarm, turns around, and tosses his acid flask back at it.

Ranged ... it's touch, right? whatever it is: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5
Direct damage if hits: 1d6 ⇒ 3

Well. There you go.

Scattering roll: 1d8 ⇒ 8

The acid splashes against the tree to Verrix's right, which has him turn and look at it with a confused look. Acid splashes into him and into the swarm, doing 1hp of damage to both.

Janira pulls out another alchemist's fire as she moves closer to the second swarm. "Don't despair, team. We've got this!"

alchemist's fire attack, inspired: 1d20 + 5 + 1 ⇒ (17) + 5 + 1 = 23
alchemist's fire damage, inspired: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2

The remaining spiders run around frantically in place, trying to avoid the flames.

Reflex save: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (17) + 3 = 20

The spiders avoid catching fire, but very few remain, and they have wasted their turn!

Damiar
Verrix
Janira
Iovo
Why are there so many legs? -6hp
Garif
Rees
Kleines

Everyone is up!

Damiar continues to sing and delay.

Garif draws and tosses another flask of acid, quietly wishing their halfling guide would moderate her enthusiasm a little.

Move action to draw, standard to throw.

Acid attack, Inspired: 1d20 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (16) + 2 + 1 = 19
Acid damage, Inspired: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4

And Garif's acid dissolves the last of the spiders!

"Good job, everyone! I can't believe how many spiders were living in that old tree. Is everyone okay? Verrix, do you need healing?"

"He does! He was very brave!" Damiar reaches for her birchwood wand and touches Verrix with it.

CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4

"Feel a bit better?"

"Well done, everybo..." Garif says, his sentence winding down before it makes its way to the end. "Is that a banded agate?" he asks enthusiastically. Giving Rees a thump on the arm in excitement, he moves over toward the large rock formation to the east, saying softly as he walks, "Why, I do believe it is! You can see the conchoidal fracture from here!"

"I don't see any gate. What are you talking about, Garif? It's just rocks!"

Janira wipes a bit of sweat from her brow. "Well, that's why we all come prepared! You can see why we teach new Pathfinders to buy splash weapons. Well, we better get moving along. Yes, you too, Garif. Those rocks will be there on the way back, but if we miss this full moon, we'll have to wait another month!"

The party continues along, through woods that become darker and denser. You reach a point where the trail is in fact completely overgrown and would require hours to clear. "Shoot, that's what I get for trying out a shortcut. I never should have trusted that druid; they forget we can't all walk through brambles. Well, team, we're going to have to find another path. But if anyone can do that, it's us, right?"

Survival checks, please.

survival: 1d20 - 2 ⇒ (4) - 2 = 2 "We've been following a path all this time? How can you tell, everything looks the same!"

Iovo looks amused by Kleines's statement about the being just rocks. I wonder if he is trying to get a reaction from our sturdy dwarven friend. One should never make light of someone else's interests.

Survival: 1d20 ⇒ 15

When asked to find a new path, Iovo dances in a circle while softly chanting some names and then points. "Let's try this direction!"

Verrix nods to Damiar. "Yes, thank you. I feel much better."

Survival: 1d20 ⇒ 4

Verrix nods to Kleines. "I fear I share Kleines judgment of the situation."

Damiar does a dance of her own, delighting as she chants the names of distant stars. Because she is Desnan, her pattern does not match her sister's, weaving in and out in an intricate series of steps and curves that make no sense.

Survival: 1d20 ⇒ 16

Yet, they wind up in the same place. "You're right, this path may be a good one."

Yay, a skill Garif has!

Garif casts a rueful look at the exposed rock as Janira urges them to hurry, shaking his head and muttering, "But it's my favorite rock, such a lovely variety of chalcedony..."

He follows along, coming to a startled halt as everyone ahead of him stops at the overgrown trail. Peering past the others as they ponder and dance, respectively, a puzzled look crosses his face. What a funny thing, to not know which way to go.

He points a bit to the left and says, "Let's go that way."

Take 10 on Survival for a 20.

Damiar looks at Iovo and shrugs. "Alright, friend Garif! That way it is!" Damiar grins, grabs her bag and follows.

Survival, just for fun: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (4) + 5 = 9

Rees watches the others' antics thoughtfully, reserving his own opinion on the subject. The dwarf seems quite sure. And if he's wrong, at least it isn't me. Although... he seems easily distracted...

Iovo starts headed in the direction indicated by Garif. "Guess we will try our way next time!" she says as she pulls on Astro's reins.

"Out of curiosity, Garif, how do you find your way without dancing or saying the names of the stars?" Damiar asks. "I'd love to know!
Can you teach me?"

___
Ready to move on!

Garif expertly leads the party through the treacherous undergrowth for about half an hour, rejoining the path some distance lter.

"Excellent!" says Janira, looking at the sky. "We've barely lost any time at all!"

The group continues along until the dense forest gives way to a wide clearing at the base of a sheer cliff. Thick vines cover the surface of the cliff stretching 30 feet overhead. “Here! The cave entrance is behind those vines,” Janira says with a broad smile as she walks to the cliff’s face. She pulls back several layers of vegetation to reveal a narrow crack in the cliff’s surface. “This is where I saw the gillmen enter.” As she motions toward the aperture, the surrounding woods come alive with the sound of small animals fleeing some unseen danger and a large creature crashing through the undergrowth.

The halfling worriedly remarks, “Quick, take cover before whatever it is spots us!” As if she’d summoned the creature with her words, a massive horned monstrosity emerges from the trees. Standing eight feet tall on a pair of cloven hooves and wielding a tremendous axe, the bull-headed creature roars with unbridled anger when it spots the group. Janira screams, “A minotaur! There’s little chance we can stand against it. Take this bag,” she continues, pulling off her backpack, “and head deeper into the caves. Finish your mission. I’ll lead it away from the caves, lose it in the forest, and join you as soon as I can. Now go! GO!” She heaves her backpack into the cave, casts a spell, and darts off toward the minotaur before turning to lure it away.

What would you like to do?

With a worried look towards Janira, Iovo rushes towards the cave entrance. She quickly enters and makes room for anyone else entering.

Garif stands his ground a moment as Iovo hurries towards the cave. "As much as I'd like to be in a cave right now, shouldn't we help her?" he asks the others. "Shouldn't Pathfinders work together? Explore, Report, Cooperate and all that?" He glance at Verrix and Kleine as he says this, as they seem steady types, then looks at Rees, as he's less flighty than the elven twins.

Rees hesitates, aware of the dwarf's gaze. I should let her go... it's better for her to die than me. But what if it's all just a test? What if they lured it here on purpose... maybe it's even working with them, just to see what we'll do. And if you run, they reject you and there goes your chance.

One hand twitches slightly as it moves slowly toward his bow. "I... the dwarf may be right... again." Having said so, he glances around at the others, wondering if the rest will run to the cave or stand and fight.

Oh no! Of all the idiotic things one can do... Taking a stand now?

Spellcraft: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (9) + 6 = 15

Damiar tries to identify the spell Janira is casting, but the battlefield is too chaotic for her to identify it.

"Rees, Garif... Part of cooperating is following orders! You can't report when you are dead!" She runs to the cave. "Come on! Janira's not intending to fight it either! She's going to lead it away and then rejoin us!"

Kleines stands his ground at the entrance to the cave, polarm readied. "She said to go in, and that's what we should do. We came all this way for rare knowledge, and it's against both our mission and Irori's will that we allow it to escape us. Now in! I'll bring up the rear!" He stands ready to defend the entrance to the cave should the minotaur approach.

Was just thinking, every time I've played we just go right into the cave, thought I'd mix it up a bit. But I won't fall on my sword pick about it.

With a shrug and a bit of a skeptical look to his brow, Garif says, "Very well, very well." As he trundles forward into the cave, his expression lightens, as if the dimness around him and the presence of stone above him allow him to breathe more freely.

Well, this was a good idea after all...as long as Janira's plan works out.

Verrix hesitates. What would his mother say? Abandoning a companion fighting an obviously superior foe?

However, he remembers part of Apsu's paladin code: Nothing is worth sacrificing my life for, except protecting the lives of others. I will retreat when needed, and come back to vex my foes once again.

While this was his own vow-- Janira Gavix had already run off to distract the minotaur so the rest could live. To stand and fight would be to make her sacrifice meaningless. And, while Verrix might stand with her to help the others escape, Janira had already drawn the minotaur off, which would make his sacrifice meaningless.

"We go into the cave. To do anything else would dishonor Janira's actions," he finally says.

Rees holds up one hand in concession. "In, then," is his only comment as he turns and enters the cave with the rest.

You rush into the cave, and the grunts of the angry minotaur and shouts of your halfling leader give way to a peaceful quiet.

The cave's entrance is only five feet wide, though after about twenty feet, it broadens to ten.

Survival checks, please

If you take a look in Janira's backpack, you find she was well-prepared for the mission. It contains an assortment of well-labeled supplies:

Garif is quite impressed with how well-prepared Janira is - or was - for the mission. Checking with the others to be sure no one minds, he selects a few scrolls to carry, in case they'll be needed later.

Anyone object to Garif taking the scrolls of barkskin, entangle, gust of wind and obscuring mist? I think I'm the only one that can use most of those. I can also carry the wand of CLW if no one else wants to.

Venturing a bit further into the cave, Garif casts a glance around for any indication of who might have passed through, or what sort of creatures might have made the cave a home.

Take 10 on Survival again for a 20