The Moar Core Tour (Inactive)

Game Master BretI

Garif follows his friends' example, selecting a book without much thought from a shelf and setting up his illusionary double using the magical card.

Garif's Will save, spell, knows it is an illusion: 1d20 + 7 + 2 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 7 + 2 + 4 = 14

Preview doesn't appear to be working. That will make things interesting.

Garif uses his card and creates what he considers a realistic likeness. He notices he also has a card for Nico.

Coco, Nico, and Damiar still have to activate cards. The secret door is still shut. You know where it opens and that the statue's arm appears to be part of the mechanism to open the secret door.

The illusionary Amazing CoCo will perch on the back of Phinellippa's chair.

Garif, realizing that he's got a card for Nico as well, puzzles a bit about how best to use it. After pondering a moment whether to stick it on a chair, he decides against it, muttering, "No self-respecting panther would sit on a chair, especially when there's a rug in front of a fireplace to curl up on." He tries sticking the card under the small table before the fire, but it does not look believable, so he pulls up a bit of the rug and places the card under it, hoping the illusion will act just like the real thing and stay stationary in front of the fire until the next Earthfall.

Turning his attention back to the clever statue, Garif has an idea. Once everyone has their magic cards placed where they want them, he talks to himself again quietly, saying "Honor. Courage. Glory. Right?" As he says each word, he moves the stylus to point to it.

Phinellippa puts Coco’s card at the back of the seat cushion and a new Coco appears on top of the chair.

Garif puts the card under the rug and suddenly there is a sleepy panther on the rug, taking a cat nap.

He then goes over to the statue and moves it’s arm.

The secret door unlocks and opens slightly.

Only Damiar’s card left

Damiar picks out a set of elven operas, grabs out her notebook, and starts copying out song notes on a couch, her long legs crossed under her. Then she slips the card between the couch seats.

“Oh, Iovo would LOVE this!” she grins as the illusion appears.

There are now two of each of you and an open secret door.

The door has a latch on its interior that allows it to be opened and closed from the other side. The 15-foot passage beyond leads to a spiral staircase that leads down.

"Well, on we go I suppose." Kleines walks forward and begins descending the stairs.

The spiral staircase goes down about 20'.

You are in an unlit room with a single obvious door out.

Place yourselves in B1. Are you shutting the secret door behind you?

Garif and Nico follow the others down the stairs, making sure to close the secret door behind them.

With one last longing stare at the rare books, Phinellippa follows, with CoCo tagging along behind her.

Damiar follows. “Garif, we’re counting on you to see for us! Is there a door?”

”Yes, it’s right there,“ Garif replies, gesturing at the door. ”Oh.“ he says a moment later. ”It’s funny, a library with no light. Perhaps someone could make some?“

Phinellippa pops a sunrod unless someone can cast a light spell.

Damiar sends two dancing lights down the hallway. “Sorry, I thought we were stealthing in the dark!”

Damian creates a couple of globes of light, intending to send them down the hallway. Then she sees that the door is closed.

No one finds any traps in a quick check of the door. The door is unlocked, so Damiar opens it.

B2

This long stone hallway stretches from north to south with several sets of doors along its east and west walls. The south wall bears a 10-foot-square eld of carved divots that create no particular pattern. An inscription above the carving reads “The keenest eyes cannot see everything. Always remember to see the big picture.”

---

Damiar sends her globes of light ahead. There is no sight of anyone in the hallway.

Please place your icons where you want to be. Also please place your icons on slide 2 approximately where your illusionary duplicates would be.

"That's an odd inscription," muses Rees, studying the carving thoughtfully. The elf frowns, reaching up to scratch his chin as if beard-stubble is growing there.

Kleines looks up at the inscription when Rees points it out, then shrugs and walks cautiously forward into the hallway.

Anyone wanting to study the carving, please make a Perception roll.

I will give descriptions of rooms as you come to them.

Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (14) + 8 = 22

Rees tries a few different things. When he allows his eyes to slightly lose focus, he finally makes out what is there.

Rees' eyes light up a bit as he discovers the secret within the wall. "Now that's interesting..." he mutters, pausing to study the wall from another angle, as if to be sure he's seeing correctly. "It says 'our monarch's virtues are our own'," he explains, adding, "It seems like something one of my people would write."

Mirima? Could she... could she have left this? But what would she mean by it... that she has risen in the castes and can be found among the monarchs of this land? Would she refer to the leader of this land as 'ours', though? Surely not...

Garif positions himself to see the secret message on the wall, his eyes alight with curiosity. "Hmm, what are the virtues of the Taldan monarch?" He glances at Rees and sees the elf's eyes are focused on some point very far away. "Rees?" he inquires, his deep voice gentle, "Are you well?"

“Do you want to talk about it, Rees?” Damiar asks.

Phinellippa looks at Rees, at Garif, at Damiar, and then back at the inscription.

Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (9) + 5 = 14

Phinellippa doesn’t see what Rees described. It is just a bunch of bumps on the wall —no words that she can see other than the obvious and strange inscription.

Kleines turns around when he notices his party is not following him down the hall. "Um...aren't we on a time-limit here? What are you all staring at?"

The elf opens his mouth to respond to Garif and Damiar, then closes it as Kleines breaks in. "Yes, we had better move on." Turning, he makes to follow Kleines, but pauses for a moment with a considering look. "Maybe at a later point." That's how they say 'never' out here, right? Just defer until 'later' and don't say how much later. Hmm... maybe I should change the subject too, just to be sure.

"Um... I don't know what virtues the Taldan monarch might have. That seems like something you would know, Damiar..."

"Right, right, timed with the music!" Garif says, moving after Kleines and giving Nico a pat to encourage him to come along. "I like to follow a little rule in places like this, checking the left-hand door first, if no one minds?"

Barring any objections from right-minded Pathfinders, he moves up to the first door on the west side of the hall and takes a look at it for any surprises, then steps back to let Kleines take the lead in opening and going through it.

Unless otherwise noted, will take 10 on Perception for a 19 in checking things out as we walk down the hall.

And why, oh why, oh why, does Paizo ever make a map where north isn't at the top?

And why, oh why, oh why, does Paizo ever make a map where north isn't at the top?

To test how closely people are paying attention!

You go past an archway leading into a huge room.

B5

Thousands of books line the dozens of shelves in this high-ceilinged library. Several tables and chairs near the center of the room provide a place to read quietly, and five rows of pew-like benches nearby face an immense lion's head carved from the eastern wall.

——

Continuing down the passageway, you come to a much smaller room.

B3

This well-lit room holds many chairs aligned towards two giant chalkboards that hang on the north wall. Along the opposite wall, several shelves hold books on sundry topics. Simple but colorful tapestries hang along the north wall, giving the room a bright appearance despite the lack of sunlight and the dour portrait of Grand Prince Stavian III affixed to the south wall.

A 15-minute hourglass sits atop the desk.

Nico pauses briefly at the sight of the carved lion's head, his fur bristling for an instant before he sniffs the air, his nose twitching. Realizing he does not smell a large cat nearby, he shifts his shoulders in a such a way that he manages to convey more indifference than even the most Galtan of shrugs and proceeds down the hallway.

Garif waits a moment for Nico to catch up - both for the protection the great cat offers as well as to keep the beast out of trouble - then considers the room they've entered. "Well, it's clearly a classroom," he observes, "though I wonder what they teach if this library is supposed to be full of redacted records and such." He turns his attention to the portrait and remarks, "This must surely be a Taldan ruler. He does not look as if he possesses an overabundance of virtue, but the little plaque speaks of the importance of history, so perhaps that means something."

Research rules

As you explore the Library of the Lion, you can perform skill checks to uncover, look through, and write notes about texts that fulfill your mission objectives. Some of these texts also contain clues, which grant a special advantage on other such skill checks. A small deck of cards are used to represent these texts.

Searching a room for texts requires a successful skill check, and more than one of you can search an area simultaneously. Each researching person can attempt a Linguistics, Knowledge (history), or text-based Craft or Profession check (such as Profession [librarian] or Craft [bookbinding]) to find texts. Some areas have other skills that can be used in that area to search without penalty. You might use a different skill or ability; doing so would have a penalty. You may also come up with a creative or relevant way to use a spell or class ability, in which case I will award a bonus to that check.

We will use the highest check result in a room; others who succeed at the check will give a +2 to the highest result.

On a Success, you will find one important text and receive a card for it. For every five points by which the result exceeds the DC, one additional text will be found.

Each area with texts is categorized as a small, medium, or large room, which take 30 minutes, 1 hour, or 2 hours respectively to search and copy down relevant information. Divide the time required to search the room between each active researcher. No more than four people may search a small room at a time.

Whether you succeed or fail at the check, you can continue spending time searching a room. You will receive one additional text by spending half as much time continuing. You will be told when there are no more texts to be found in an area.

Feel free to ask questions. I have a fair amount of leeway for giving bonuses on the search for creative solutions.

I moved all our tokens into the hallway, and mine into the classroom. Feel free to reposition, just wanted to get us all on the map.

Garif moves toward the back of the classroom and begins to look through the books without any real plan or intent, hoping he recognizes the name of a historic personage, a well-known battle or a fallen empire.

I knew this was coming - I have no relevant skills trained, so the best I'll be able to do is try to Aid Another.

Knowledge (history), Aid: 1d20 ⇒ 19 = 10

"Well, we've no time to lose!"

Starting in Area B3, I guess? Also, do we have any kind of sense if the DCs are the same for the different checks? I have profession (librarian), but my Linguistics and Knowledge (history) are both higher.

I knew this was coming - I have no relevant skills trained, so the best I'll be able to do is try to Aid Another.

[dice=Knowledge (history), Aid]1d20 = 10

My reading of the scenario rules is everyone rolls against a skill. Each success adds to the best success. It isn’t Aid Another, it is something else.

I will also point out that the rules allow for other skills. Justify how a skill you do have would help and then roll that.

I will give results once all have chosen their rooms and started their research.

It should also be noted that just being there (even if you totally bomb the check) reduces the time required.

Starting in Area B3, I guess? Also, do we have any kind of sense if the DCs are the same for the different checks? I have profession (librarian), but my Linguistics and Knowledge (history) are both higher.

Room B3 is small, so only four of your five can search it, I would suggest splitting into two groups and each group take a small room.

There is no difference in DCs for Linguistics, Knowledge (History) or Profession (Librarian). Feel free to fluff it as a combination of the skills but roll your best skill.

I will also point out that the rules allow for other skills. Justify how a skill you do have would help and then roll that.

Yeah, I remember this from the first time I played it, my ranger used Survival successfully at one point. I just don't have much by way of skills at all, but I'll pitch in as I can. As to why in the world I will now have played this scenario twice with wilderness-type characters, well, the less said about that the better.

GM Bret wrote:

I will also point out that the rules allow for other skills. Justify how a skill you do have would help and then roll that.

Yeah, I remember this from the first time I played it, my ranger used Survival successfully at one point. I just don't have much by way of skills at all, but I'll pitch in as I can.

Garif’s Skills Acrobatics -1 (-5 to jump), Appraise +0 (+2 to assess nonmagical metals or gemstones), Handle Animal +3, Heal +8, Knowledge (nature) +6, Perception +9 (+11 to notice unusual stonework), Profession (miner) +11, Spellcraft +4, Survival +10

Perception can be used in searching. You search for titles that look interesting so others can check them out. When paired with Phinellippa, she is probably calling out titles that you search for. Seems like a legitimate use of the skill when you don’t have a better one.

That said, after the penalty your Perception will be lower than your Knowledge (Nature) if a room allows that skill. If in doubt, ask and I’ll tell you which works better. Please give me the skill modifiers when you ask though — it saves me time.

Oh man, this is even worse than the monastery. So many books!

His head swimming a bit, Kleines wanders into B4 and begins looking around.

1d20 ⇒ 9 +2 Knowledge (religion) if there are religious tomes on the shelves that might be relevant, otherwise -2 Perception. Kleines is in even worse shape than Garif for this mission, I think, unless I can somehow find a way to justify using Diplomacy (my only strong skill at +8) for these checks.

B4

This room's well-worn wooden floor sets it apart from the others. The west wall is lined with shelves that support books, a variety of instruments, and dozens of rectangular baskets that contain loose sheaves of paper. Several chairs are pushed against the wall, and a portrait of the Grand Prince hangs to east, surveying everything in the room with magisterial authority.

You May use Perform skill to find clues in this room.

Kleines is in even worse shape than Garif for this mission, I think, unless I can somehow find a way to justify using Diplomacy (my only strong skill at +8) for these checks.

Either of you could have volunteered to GM it instead.

As for skills, I would much prefer you give me a rationale for why the skill applies. In this room, I will note that Perform can be done Untrained.

Sorry, I should have waited for the description of B4 before posting. I was trying to be PbP efficient, but in this case it didn't help anythign. Finding the instruments hanging on the wall, Kleines will pick them up one at a time and play. If I can't make heads or tails of the books, at least I can make things a little more pleasant for the rest of the group. Maybe.

If you'll allow me to retcon that to perform instead, then I'll do that untrained at +2 for a total of 11.

BTW, room B4 is a medium sized room. I had to check the GM thread to find that out.

B4

Damiar joins Kleines. “That’s an excellent drum beat, Kleines! Now, let us do a song to it!” Damiar taps her toes, trying to catch the beat.

Tap, tap, tappity-tap

Perform Sing: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (20) + 7 = 27

♬ Drumbeats while we search
And cheerfully together we can sift the books
So hum a merry tune
It won't take long when there's a song to help you while you look

When hearts are high
The time will fly
Keep drumming
While we search! ♬

Moving her long legs all around the room, Damiar dances around Kleines while paging through whatever books take her elvish fancy. Then she waves at Rees.

♬ Rees come join the dance
We’ll pirouette, you won’t regret as we sift the books
Come, move your feet
Together we can’t be beat when there’s a song to help us look! ♬

Really, this just such a Snow White moment!

Phinellippa joins the group in B3. "This looks like a job for a librarian! Let's get to work."

Linguistics: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (16) + 8 = 24

Just waiting for Rees.

On the skills, it has come to my attention that Craft is a listed skill and can be tried untrained. That means if you don't have anything else, you can do an Int check at no penalty.

Also, CoCo can talk and has skills. Phinellippa, you can roll (using their attribute modifiers) for your familiar as well.

Garif smiles a quiet smile when one of his companions finally joins him in the classroom, though he does have to split his attention between looking for useful tomes and making sure Nico does not try to play a 'fun game' with CoCo.

Rees frowns at all the books, and decides the best way to find what they're looking for is to hunt for it! How about Profession (Hunter) to look for signs of people passing and wear on bindings, eh? If not, I suppose it'll be Perception. +2 to Perception if it counts as being "versus" humans.

Hunter: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 10 (Perception is +8 instead of +6.)