The Red Arm of Absalom - Ongoing Campaign (Inactive)

Game Master GM Red

That sounds similar to the unhinged mind of my oracle, eh Red?

"Again Noble Steed! RAWWWWK! Destroy this vile thing!" The Little Dragon flies in front of the Crypt Thing intent on distracting it.

Dragon ATTAAAAACK, Aid Another, Defensively: 1d20 + 7 + 2 - 4 ⇒ (3) + 7 + 2 - 4 = 8

Watching Spirit flee Uesugi holds the blade high and cuts down across the undead creature's chest following up with a sharp thrust leveled at the thing's throat.

katana 1st strike '2hand'+p.a: 1d20 + 10 - 2 ⇒ (7) + 10 - 2 = 15
If hit=True Cornugan Strike (demoralize): 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (12) + 9 = 21
damage: 1d8 + 4 + 6 ⇒ (2) + 4 + 6 = 12

katana 2nd strike '2hand'+p.a: 1d20 + 5 - 2 ⇒ (19) + 5 - 2 = 22
If hit=True Cornugan Strike (demoralize): 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (1) + 9 = 10
damage: 1d8 + 4 + 6 ⇒ (1) + 4 + 6 = 11

katana 2nd strike '2hand'+p.a crit?: 1d20 + 5 - 2 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 5 - 2 + 2 = 9
damage: 1d8 + 4 + 6 ⇒ (8) + 4 + 6 = 18

Sir D blasts the crypt thing one more time, the shot powerful enough to knock it off the island and plunging to it's death. (Well, it was already dead. I guess it's... deader?)

Out of combat!

Cup eventually glides her way to the floating piece of earth and softly lands next to Uesugi.

Cup grins. "That was awesome! Do you think we could set up a training center at the Grand Lodge with these things? Teach people to practice feather fall and..." She breaks off realizing that both the Crypt Things are dead. "Oh, they're dead. Again. Well, that's good too. Other than the fun teleport thing, they were sort of dreadful!"

Then she looks at the asteroid and studies its trajectory.

Knowledge Geography Take Ten: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (6) + 11 = 17
Knowledge Engineering Take Ten: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (4) + 11 = 15

She adjusts her glasses. "Oh, it looks like we don't have to steer this thing. Gravity may take us where we need to go... I think. What do we do when we get there?"

D. makes his way down towards the others, now that the immediate threat has been disposed of.

He places a hand on Uesugi's shoulder, and looks him in the eyes.

"That was a fine strike of the blade, disposing of the enemy in such an efficient yet graceful motion."

"We'd be naive to think nothing else will come, i suggest we move when we are all in prime condition again."

Mock you? Is friendship not what you value most?

Sirettis pauses mid flight. She abandoned them. And it made sense, for once. Sirettis doubles back to the party.

"My apologies. I did not mean to abandon you like that." She nods when D speaks. "I will heal your injuries, Sir Uesugi. Then we will proceed."

She turns to Miss Poshkettle. "Do you... enjoy letting the wind carry you? It is exhilarating to let the air carry you wherever it pleases. It was one of the few recreational activities I performed when I was still property."

Gallix walks back with Sirettis to rejoin the others. "Man those guys really mess you up don't they? If it's not the fear it's zapping you who knows where!" He sighs, then gives a laugh. "Well, guess it could've turned out worse."

** Insert healing here! **

With the two cultists out of the way, you and a dozen other Pathfinders are beset with a strong shift in gravity as the island comes within the vault's orbit, pulling the mass of land inwards. Cup immediately recognizes that its trajectory is directly towards the vault!

The floating vault is nearly a half-mile wide with defenses established in every direction. An adamantine shell encloses the structure; however this has been ruptured, and strands of the sky metal practically bleed from the holes in a vain attempt to repair the damage and reseal the area completely.

The ground bulges all about, and chunks of earth and metal explode periodically as blasts of air billow out from within, driven by an unseen force.

Now on approach to the fortress, you won't be able to simply walk in the front door. You'll have to find a way in somewhere. To spot a prospective breach in the shell of the fortress, give me a Kn (engineering), Survival, or Perception check.

Longjing flies, looking for any opening he can find. "Reveal your secrets to me! I am a dragon!"

Perception, Longjing: 10 + 14 = 24

Although her gnomish senses are keen, Cup cannot resist a chance to study the engineering of the place. Her unseen servant brings her Pathfinder Chronicle, as she hits Kreighton's Perusal to speed read the volume.

"Ooh, ooh! I've studied this kind of rock formation! There may be a crack in the Asteroid... There!"

Knowledge Engineering + Kreighton's Perusal: 1d20 + 11 + 2 ⇒ (16) + 11 + 2 = 29

Uesugi nods at D. "Yes these are just the advance soldiers. Inside there we will face much worse I also believe."

"I will use the vials we found first to help close my wounds."

cure light potion: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 = 8
cure light potion: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 = 8

Satisfied with the results of the potions he looks for a route into the fortress.

Survival: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (5) + 9 = 14

D. nods.
"Much worse, or much more worthy a foe to dispose of."

And perhaps some more fodder to kill.

Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (1) + 7 = 8
Isa's Perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (18) + 9 = 27

"I hope you something, Isa. All of this adamantine is quite distracting."

Isa chirps happily in Auran. "Oh yeah, I see something. I think Cup sees it as well."

Seeing everyone seems to be recovered Mr Peppers turns his eyes towards the shell himself to see what he can spot with his keen eyesight. Perception: 1d20 + 13 + 1 ⇒ (19) + 13 + 1 = 33

If it looks like a quick trip inside then I'll use my wand of Prot Evil on myself again as we go. Maybe between myself and Cup we can hit everyone with charges again.

Gallix peers out from atop the asteroid and studies the vault to find some entrance.

Perception, heroism: 1d20 + 4 + 2 ⇒ (10) + 4 + 2 = 16

Cup's familiarity with this sort of architecture allows her to find an open breach cracked into the shell at the southeast corner of the vault. Your island is approaching at a rapid pace, and you'll have only a brief window to hop off before the miniature mountain smashes into the side of the vault, potentially throwing you off!

Everyone - Give me an Acrobatics or Climb check, or Reflex Save to safely hop from the island to the vault breach. If you can fly, you automatically succeed at this.

Acrobatics: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (7) + 17 = 24

Cup tumbles through the breach she found, and calls for her dog to follow her! "Come on, Oolong! You can do this! Come on, boy!"

Then she looks up at the rest of her team. "Hurry! You can do this!"

"Woof" With a running start, the dog leaps after his mistress, tail wagging and tongue hanging out!

Acrobatics: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (6) + 18 = 24

"Onwards, Noble Steed! Into the breach! Our destiny awaits!"

The little green parrot mighty dragon flaps his wings, easily navigating the distance!

It is becoming painfully obvious that Mr Peppers needs some spells to have on hand for situations such as this.. or something!

Reflex + Boon: 1d20 + 6 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 6 + 1 = 13 "Easy now... " Mr Peppers isn't near as steady on his feet as short stuff. Damned lower center of gravity on Gnomes!

Wait, a bard has higher acro than me?

Take 10 for 20, seeing as we are not in combat.

Ah come on, D! Where's your sense of adventure? Take a chance a miserably failing like Gallix!

With adrenaline and alchemical concoctions coursing through his veins, Gallix charges at the rock and shoves his fingers into every nook and cranny he can find to help him climb toward the entrance.

Eh! I guess I'll be cool like D and take 10. Gives me a 22 including mutagen and heroism.

Ah come on, D! Where's your sense of adventure? Take a chance a miserably failing like Gallix!

I left it in my other jacket.

Sirettis uses her hair to flap like wings and follows Isa and Longjing into the fissure.

I'm gonna use my Flight Hex to bypass this. Whee!

Mr Peppers tosses a mental middle finger at all the flying people as he balances precariously trying not to fall to his death.

Leaving chances to the Four Winds Uesugi follows Little Dragon down into breach doing his best to time the jump perfectly while doing his best to take into account the weight of his tatami-do armour.

Reflex save: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (14) + 5 = 19

Cup, Longjing, Uesugi, Sir D, and Gallix all take a successful running leap across towards the fissure. Sirettis and Longjing take to the skies and float over, fueling a sort of jealousy in Mr. Peppers that distracts him and causes him to land on a jagged section of rock as he leaps, the sharp edges digging into his leg. Mr. Peppers dmg: 4d6 ⇒ (1, 4, 5, 5) = 15

If you pause here to heal, I need an additional Acro or Climb check or Reflex save from whoever is administering the aid.

You peek into the breach and spy a descending set of twisting stone tunnels inside. The tunnels are narrow and the walls shifting, only allowing three of you to pass together at any one time. The way into the vault seems clear, so who's leading?

We're still moving with theatre of the mind for this last part. Three of you who decide to lead the party in will need to make a Knowledge (dungeoneering) or Survival check to find your way through the twisting passages. Each check represents 5 minutes of navigation.

If I can fly instead, I will heal Mr. Peppers using my Healing Hex.

Cup adjusts her glasses. "Oh, I've read about shifting passages like this! Follow me!"

Knowledge Dungeoneering: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (18) + 11 = 29
Knowledge Dungeoneering: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (17) + 11 = 28
Knowledge Dungeoneering: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (20) + 11 = 31

We should also get everyone aiding Uesugi on Survival!

Uesugi lands safely on the ground. Confirming everyone has landed safe he notices that Mr. Peppers is being tended to by Spirit and moves a little ahead to follow any trails that might have been left.

Survival: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (2) + 9 = 11

tell me if I need to roll more our high flying gnome seems to be rather skillful at unlocking the mysteries of the shifting tunnels

Holy smokes look at those rolls! Lucky gnome for sure! PS, Save your Hex Sirettis, I just burnt up mostly temp HP there unfortunately.

Mr Peppers waves off Sirettis and her Holy Hair "I'm ok, just a bruise thanks to that false life scroll. Best not stop to take too much time, Miss Cup seems to be on the right track here!" As he points out a few things that he hopes the know-it-all Gnome missed.

Aid Knowledge:Dungeoneering + Boon: 1d20 + 9 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 9 + 1 = 11
Aid Knowledge:Dungeoneering + Boon: 1d20 + 9 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 9 + 1 = 17
Aid Knowledge:Dungeoneering + Boon: 1d20 + 9 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 9 + 1 = 17

It turns out the others seem to have navigation pretty well handled.

This going efficiently. With this pace, our chances on finding our next obstacle will be pretty decent.

Sirettis nods and helps Sir Uesugi navigate.

Aid Survival: 1d20 ⇒ 10
Aid Survival: 1d20 ⇒ 7
Aid Survival: 1d20 ⇒ 2

Everything kind of looks the same, though.

Reading it as written, I believe it's three checks total, and Cup rolled really well.

Cup uses her familiarity with dungeons and tunnels to easily guide the party through the twisting maze, however, about half way through, she feels a click under her boot. The ceiling above four of you gives way, and a falling boulder tumbles down onto Cup, Uesugi, Gallix, and Sir D.
Falling boulder: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (7) + 15 = 22
Damage: 6d6 ⇒ (1, 6, 1, 6, 4, 5) = 23

Had there been a rogue in the party, you may have spotted it.

___

Gallix's mutagen has faded

Finally, you reach your destination: A heavily worn set of stairs leads from claustrophobic tunnels into an eroded cavern studded with sand-scoured crystals that emit cool, faint light. The jagged foundations are all that's left of metal walls - the fragments of which now jut from the wall like throwing knives. An immense, intricate, thousand-sided polyhedron made of sky metals floats within a tight series of binding circles. As blasts of air erupt from the polyhedron, the surface's shattered facets regenerate before being blasted apart on another side.

Mechanics for this section
- The goal here is to decipher the orb over a period of time. Each passed check will accumulate successes that are then reported to HQ.
- However, solving the puzzle comes with a cost. The polyhedron has five major magic circles that function as wards against anyone trying to get too close.
- You can attempt to identify the magical properties of a gemstone circle with Kn (arcana or planes). If the check is high enough, you will identify all of them at once.
- You can attempt to destroy a circle with Disable Device. Where's Silas when you need 'em?
- Regardless of whether the circles are destroyed yet or not, you can attempt to solve the puzzle orb via Appraise, Disable Device, Intelligence, Knowledge (religion), Wisdom, or Use Magic Device. Alternatively, a Knowledge (any), Linguistics, or Perception check also work, though they won't be as useful. If you speak Abyssal, Aquan, Auran, Ignan, and Terran, you get stacking bonuses!

What do you do? See Slide 1 for a map!

Once the party recovers from the falling boulder, Sirettis glares at the object, half in wonder and half in awe. "Someone went through a great amount of effort to create this..."

Sirettis knows Aquan and Auran.

Sirettis tasks herself with trying to understand what each gemstone does.
Knowledge(Arcana): 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (10) + 9 = 19

Mr Peppers looks at the crazy sight before him and lets out a low pitch 'OOooo' sound "Its beautiful! Lets get to work Ladies!" He says as his eyes glow blue and he pushes his way past Uesugi for a better view.

Use See Magic, Knowledge:Arcana of a 30. Mr Peppers also knows Abyssal and Auran if that makes a difference.

Cup claps her hands, her excitement mirroring Pep's! "Unseen Servant! Can you get me Pathfinder Chronicle Number 62? Thank you!" Cup collects the book, fires off Kreighton's Perusal, and speed-reads to enhance her understanding of the Circles.

Knowledge Circles (Planes+Kreighton's Perusal): 10 + 20 + 2 = 32

"Oh! Fascinating! These look terrifying and dangerous! This is the BEST day ever!"

Pity there is no reflex save for half.
Who's healing? Otherwise i'll drink my purchased CLW potions, or do we still have complimentary items for this?

I'm useless here. I ca only contribute with perception here guys. Unless brute force works, i can do that with no issue.

Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (14) + 8 = 22

I presume that we could have healed before arriving here. I will hit you with my wand, roll your own healing. Which reminds me to roll my own.

CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3
CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3
CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6
CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4
CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 9

5 Charges

____

BTW, I suspect that you will be far from useless.

Perception is the relevant skill i have.
I haven't made D. as a skill monkey.

Sine D. lost 6 temp first, he loses 17 hp only.
CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4
CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 9
CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 9

And he's a-ok again.

We can also destroy circles with brute force, which you excel at...

Gallix shoves the boulders off of himself with the last of his mutagenic strength. He once again goes to Sirettis for some help with his healing wand.

CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2
CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5
CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2
CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4
CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 = 8

Five charges for 21 of 23 points of damage. Close enough for me!

---

As Gallix enters the cavern and beholds the immense crystal floating in the center, he actually joins in Mr. Peppers's admiration. "Man, Pep, you must be having the time of your life today. This has got to be some some insane level of magic! Let me know if I can help with something."

For the time being, Gallix remains behind, doing his best to stay out of the more knowledgable members of the group. He does try, however, to read what he can of the glowing glyphs along the rings surrounding the gem. Gallix has learned some Auran from Sirettis and Isa.

Linguistics: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (15) + 6 = 21

We can also destroy circles with brute force, which you excel at...

Why doesn't Red say so? :)

If one of the arcane members can ID which ward needs to be destroyed first, D. will see to it.

Mr. Peppers and Cup spend their time analyzing the magical effects of the circles. They determine the following:

Warding circles (2): Each of these two circles toughens up the remaining three circles and transfer energy to them, keeping them sturdy should someone try to destroy them.

Earth circle: An empowering circle which seems to lend energy to any earth subtyped creature in this area.

Distortion circle: Causes the facets of the polyhedron to become blurred and difficult to analyze. Increases the difficulty of solving one of them substantially.

Fear: Approaching the puzzle orb while this circle is active instills the fear of being buried alive in you, causing you to become shaken, or worse - to suffocate.

Knowing this about the fear circle, do Gallix & Sirettis want to retcon? If yes, let me know what you'd like to do instead. The circles can be damaged with brute force. I need the equivalent of a full round action from everyone but Peppers & Cup (and Sirettis and Gallix if they don't change their actions).

clw: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 = 8
clw: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 9
clw: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 9

3 charges used thank you. 26 points healed and back at full.

With the wands curative power Uesugi feels his body fully mended absent of any bruises, cuts, aches or pains. "Thank you." and bows.

Moving down the stairs with the others he stops and pauses while listening to Madame Poshkettle explain the significance of the circles. It does not take much intuition for Uesugi to say the obvious. "Those circles will be protected by guardians as well. We should prepare for this Spirit can use my wand to increase my size when we are ready to proceed. If D. can destroy the warding circles before we move closer this may be of great assistance?"

"We need to destroy circles if we can. The question is tactics. Can we destroy three circles, or just two? If just two, let's take out Fear and Earth and hit them HARD. So hard that the warding circles can't heal them!" Cup points out the Fear one. "FEAR first! Go!"

Then she hears Uesugi's comment (because he totally ninja'd her} and says, "Warding Circles are wise, but FEAR first. If we don't take out the fear, we'll not be able to do anything else!"

"...I tire of fear."

Sirettis prepares to blast the fear circle. First she steps up and lets her hair down, defensively. Move and use Prehensile Hair. I'll give everyone a chance to get in position.

"Miss Cup speaks the truth. The power of the magic here maybe be within my ability to disrupt but not reliably. Also, seeing how there is a circle enhancing earth creatures I expect some earth creatures to show up once we start messing with these. Let's be ready!"

If possible I'd like to buff myself with my Prot Evil wand, if not, then not!

Uesugi nods in agreement and motions for Spirit to be prepared to use the wand on him

Do we get a chance to wreck havoc on the circles before any combat?

If so, here is an empowered dmg blast, after gather power.

Blast, NPB likely: 3d6 + 8 ⇒ (1, 2, 4) + 8 = 15
Add 50% and BB for 28 dmg.