The Year of Our Lord 1437 Pathfinder RAW PBP (Inactive)

Game Master Michael Johnson 66

As the Fox finishes his backhanded compliment of Johann, he throws a small flash of lightning at the graceful Donna Bella...

swift action: activate Arcane Strike for +2 damage
standard action: attack
I'm guessing Zag will want to move along the safe tiles to get next to the vampires--so I'm going to stay out of his way and hang back here with the others.

Though Fox strikes true with his arcane lightning, it seems not to harm Bella Donna in the least!

HAHAHA!! You’ll need to do better than that, you cute little Fox!

As Zag leaps at her, a more powerful blast of lightning catches her in its forks! Reflex 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (19) + 11 = 30 succeeds! She takes 13 damage after electricity resistance... YOW!! Like that’ll do!

75 damage total!

VAMPIRES ATTACK IN THE PUZZLE ROOM!! EEEEKK!!! ROUND 1!! FIGHT!!

VAMPIRES TWO! Try to bull rush Cobra Johann and epic fail!
QUINLAN! Ka-BOOOOM!!
COBRA JOHANN! Bitey bitey bitey bitey!
CARDINAL LUCIUS! Holy light of pain!
ZAGATHOTH! Jump and go KAZAAAP!! Swing sword in the air!
OGON FOX! Little spark at Vamp Girl!
BOGA!

OOH OOH AH AH AH!!

Reflex vs lightning 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (17) + 5 = 22 succeeds, taking 18 electricity damage after aasimar resistance...

G-G-G-GOD SAVE US!! Ouch! stammers the Hand of Jan Hus as he staggers, smoking from the bolt, into the chamber, stopping on the bee tile, and lifting the mummified hand of his patron aloft, calls upon the healing power of Christ Jesus to heal his allies!

Channels, healing 3d6 ⇒ (4, 4, 6) = 14 hp damage to everyone that is wounded...

MAP OF THE THIRD LEVEL

If you zoom in on the chamber with all the symbols on the floor tiles, this next part will be easier to understand...

The floor of this chamber is completely tiled with 5-foot-square marble tiles, each engraved with a brightly glowing picture or symbol of some kind; these glowing symbols are the source of the opalescent glow...

North (top) row, from left to right: STAR; WAND; CROWN; DEVIL; SHIELD; SKULL AND CROSSBONES
Second row, left to right: BEAR; BEE; SEA; HORSE SHOE; EGG; ANKH
Third row, left to right: APPLE; BAT; CUP; HEART; FLAME; FISH
Fourth row, left to right: SCYTHE; SUN; RAKE; SNAKE; GOAT; CROSS
Fifth row, left to right: FOOT; RAIN; EYE; HAND; MOON; PENTAGRAM
Sixth (bottom) row, left to right: WEAPONS; MASK; JESTER; SKULL AND CROSSBONES; HAMMER; INFINITY

An open archway leads out of the south wall of this chamber to further areas of this level...

Assuming that Fox stopped at the threshold instead of stepping into the chamber yet...

Reposted for convenient reference...

VAMPIRES ATTACK IN THE PUZZLE ROOM!! EEEEKK!!! ROUND 2!! FIGHT!!

VAMPIRES TWO!
QUINLAN!
COBRA JOHANN!
CARDINAL LUCIUS!
ZAGATHOTH!
OGON FOX!
BOGA!

OOH OOH AH AH AH!!

Round 1: Reflex vs lightning 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (2) + 11 = 13 fails! Blasted into negative hp!

NO, YOU STUPID GREEN—AAAAAGGHH!!!

The forking bolt incinerates Don Giovanni, reducing him to a swarm of bats that squeaks and flaps furiously!

Round 2: The swarm of vampire bats that was Don Giovanni flies as one off through the south archway, squealing and squeaking in rage!

Looking at Cobra Johann dubiously: Well, you aren’t exactly a humanoid at the moment, shapeshifter... So I’m not sure I can charm you with my big brown eyes like I do all the Roman boys... But your Fox friend is close enough!

Dominate person on Fox... Will DC 22 resists.

She is now trapped between Zagathoth on the eye tile and Johann on the cup-devil-egg-fish tiles, and can only escape by either dashing across trap tiles and provoking attacks of opportunity, or else assuming gaseous form (or bat swarm form as I’ve flavored it) and flying through lightning to the south archway...

This is a shot in the dark, but here goes...

Quinlan steps onto the apple tile and shouts Immortuos animae, te iubeo consumite!, points at Donna Bella, and then beckons her to approach across the deadly trap tiles...

Command undead Will DC 18.

This is a shot in the dark, but here goes...

Quinlan steps onto the apple tile and shouts Immortuos animae, te iubeo consumite!, points at Donna Bella, and then beckons her to approach across the deadly trap tiles...

Command undead Will DC 18.

Will 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (9) + 12 = 21 resists!

Foolish mageling! Your compulsions have no power over me! replies the beautiful vampiress...

reflex save: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (15) + 6 = 21

Johann takes 23 electricity!

"Hssss hssss...!!!" C'mon Zag, really?! Don't move! Stay there!

Johann bites twice again at Bella Donna (also Giovanni if Bella falls after the first attack).

Bite Attack 1 & damage: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (10) + 10 = 203d6 + 14 + 1d6 ⇒ (2, 5, 1) + 14 + (3) = 25 str 5 bab 7 pwrattk -2 size-1 amulet 1; 1.5str 7 pwrattk 6 amulet 1 amulet acid d6
Bite Attack 2 & damage: 1d20 + 10 - 5 ⇒ (13) + 10 - 5 = 183d6 + 14 + 1d6 ⇒ (6, 4, 6) + 14 + (6) = 36 str 5 bab 7 pwrattk -2 size-1 amulet 1; 1.5str 7 pwrattk 6 amulet 1 amulet acid d6

HP:68/91

Reflex 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (18) + 3 = 21 halves the damage so takes 18 electricity after resistance...

OW!!

Reflex 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (5) + 6 = 11 vs DC 17 fails!

Quinlan jerks spasmodically in the chain lightning and then falls, smoking and lifeless onto the apple tile!

If you’re killing Quinlan so that you don’t have to keep botting him that’s totally your prerogative (although, I hope someone has a good UMD for that teleport scroll), but if you’re leaving it to the RNG it’s worth noting that at 7th level he’d have 56 hp (plus tiefling resistance, iirc) and would survive the lightning hit...

If you’re killing Quinlan so that you don’t have to keep botting him that’s totally your prerogative (although, I hope someone has a good UMD for that teleport scroll), but if you’re leaving it to the RNG it’s worth noting that at 7th level he’d have 56 hp (plus tiefling resistance, iirc) and would survive the lightning hit...

In that case Quinlan is still up! Thank you, Zagathoth.

Shaking his head, Quinlan stands back up! I’m not dead yet!

[dice=reflex save]d20+6

Johann takes 23 electricity!

"Hssss hssss...!!!" C'mon Zag, really?! Don't move! Stay there!

Johann bites twice again at Bella Donna (also Giovanni if Bella falls after the first attack).

[dice=Bite Attack 1 & damage]d20+10; 3d6+14+d6 str 5 bab 7 pwrattk -2 size-1 amulet 1; 1.5str 7 pwrattk 6 amulet 1 amulet acid d6
[dice=Bite Attack 2 & damage]d20+10-5; 3d6+14+d6 str 5 bab 7 pwrattk -2 size-1 amulet 1; 1.5str 7 pwrattk 6 amulet 1 amulet acid d6

HP:68/91

Bella Donna nimbly evades the Cobra fangs!

Channel heals 4d6 ⇒ (1, 3, 3, 5) = 12 hp damage...

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, I channel the healing love of Christ, Our Savior!

Reflex: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10 Ouch, so 47 damage, then 26 healing leaves Lucius on 25HP!

DC 17 Reflex Save (round 1 chain lightning): 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (20) + 11 = 31
The Fox dodges the worst of the lightning, and welcomes the healing provided by Boga.
So that's 23 damage, then I heal 14 on round 1 and 12 on round 2 from Boga, right? That puts me back at the full 61hp.

DC 22 Will Save (round 2 from Donna Bella): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (11) + 8 = 19
The Fox falls under the Italian lady's sway...

[dice=DC 17 Reflex Save (round 1 chain lightning)]1d20+11

The Fox dodges the worst of the lightning, and welcomes the healing provided by Boga.
So that's 23 damage, then I heal 14 on round 1 and 12 on round 2 from Boga, right? That puts me back at the full 61hp.

[dice=DC 22 Will Save (round 2 from Donna Bella)]1d20+8
The Fox falls under the Italian lady's sway...

Singing sweetly in soprano Italian recitative to Ogon Fox: Andiamo! Andiamo! Come with me, as quick as a Fox! Don’t mind the tiles, little Fox!

Ogon Fox gets a second save at +4 because she is commanding him to do something perilous to his health... Also, doesn’t Fox still have a boon that lets him reroll or automatically succeed on the next saving throw against an evil opponent’s attack?

Searing Light: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (12) + 6 = 18 Damage: 8d8 ⇒ (4, 6, 5, 8, 7, 5, 2, 4) = 41

Lucius wells with light again, his entire skin taking on a burnished golden glow as the beam leaps from his hand and flies towards the capering vampire!

Does Johann get an AoO for the Dominate Person spell on the Fox? She is in range, and you didn't cast it defensively. Maybe I can fizzle it out with a good hit?

In case:

AoO & damage: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (2) + 12 = 143d6 + 14 + 1d6 ⇒ (4, 6, 5) + 14 + (4) = 33 aoo 2 str 5 bab 7 pwrattk -2 size-1 amulet 1; 1.5str 7 pwrattk 6 amulet 1 amulet acid d6

bah, that misses in any case

SLA rather than a spell - not sure they provoke...

SLAs do provoke.
I see that Boga has already acted in Round 2, so I'll wait for Round 3...
I see that we leveled to 7. Yay! But I assume that it has not yet taken effect

sorry- just realized that I forgot to actually act when I posted during rnd 2 (its been that kind of week). Also, I can't open the map on my phone but if Bear and I have her surrounded we're probably flanking, right? If not, adjust accordingly.

Scowling with frustration after his miss, Zagathoth chops at the singer twice more...
attack 1: 1d20 + 10 + 2 ⇒ (19) + 10 + 2 = 31, for: 2d4 + 13 ⇒ (2, 4) + 13 = 19
attack 2: 1d20 + 5 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 5 + 2 = 9, for: 2d4 + 13 ⇒ (4, 1) + 13 = 18

confirm?: 1d20 + 10 + 2 ⇒ (13) + 10 + 2 = 25, for another: 2d4 + 13 ⇒ (1, 1) + 13 = 15

[dice=Searing Light]d20+6 [dice=Damage]8d8

Lucius wells with light again, his entire skin taking on a burnished golden glow as the beam leaps from his hand and flies towards the capering vampire!

Lucius’ golden beam of light blasts a hole clear through the vampire lady! She shrieks before bursting into a swarm of bats that flies south through the archway!

Ogon Fox is free of the compulsion!

The Crusaders are victorious over the vampires!

A successful Knowledge (religion) check is appropriate here...

Boga breathes a sigh of relief as the vampires scatter and takes a moment to ponder.

Kn (Religion): 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (5) + 13 = 18

He carefully crosses the tiles, stealing a quick glance at the tile of the Cross as he passes by. He takes a look at the other members to see how best to rejuvenate the party.

Let me know how many HP you are down to see how best to heal everyone up.

I think you're right! I still have that boon from St. Cecilia.

Know (religion): 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (19) + 9 = 28
Do I know what to expect of vampires dispersing into bats?

Boga suspects, and Fox confirms for certain, that the bat swarms will return to the vampires’ coffins, where they will reform into vampires and slowly regenerate back to full undead vigor! A stake through the heart, or holy wafers in the mouth followed by decapitation, or burning the coffins, all will permanently destroy the monsters...

Further, Fox fears that he will still be under the dominion of Bella if she reforms and isn’t destroyed... Unless St Cecilia’s boon saved him...

Johann quickly slides off the deadly tiles, following the safe path.

"Hssss hissssss pfhffffffsssss..." Zag, tell the others to get off those things before you accidently kill them...

HP:80/91

Zagathoth appears confused and looks around to see who's on something they could kill. Shrugging, he announces, "Bear is worried we'll kill the tiles if we don't get off them..."

Re-roll DC 22 Will save: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (7) + 8 = 15
There was a delicate sound and bit of light as the boon of St. Cecilia activated in the Fox's defense...but it was not enough to negate the power of Donna Bella.

"We must find the resting places of these two vampires, their coffins, and destroy them permanently! I fear I will fall under her control again if she is allowed to reawaken..."

Quinlan carefully navigates the path of tiles... apple, bee, cup, devil, egg, etc... until he is safely across the chamber... Pausing a moment to contemplate the infinity symbol, he almost succumbs to the urge to step upon it, perhaps gaining immortality... but he does not...

I have expended all of my most potent spells for today... But I have lesser magics still in reserve to continue and find these monsters’ graves...

I love these misinterpretations! Though to be fair, I worded that one really badly.

"Hssss pfffssss hssss..." Zag, you are the last choice for an interpreter I would have ever picked.

Johann slithers into the next room. He tries to get the scent of the vampires, so he can possibly track them back to their coffins.

perception: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (20) + 14 = 34 To look around the room.

survival if he can get the scent to follow: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (8) + 17 = 25

Hmmm. There are 2 Skull and Crossbones images. The only duplicated tile, I believe...

Boga gives Zagathoth and Johann questioning glances as he finishes crossing the tiles. He steps onto non-tiled ground and listens to Ogon. "I do have a couple scrolls of Detect Undead that may help us find the resting place of those vampires." He turns to Johann, "Looks like Johann has already begun. These scrolls only last for a minute, but they should help us hone in."

The next chamber is redolent of the iron in humanoid blood, for golden goblets and bowls of it rest upon a long mahogany table, set with golden knives and forks perfect for drawing blood from the two teenaged girls lying naked upon large bronze platters, their pale flesh bleeding from numerous superficial wounds inflicted by piercing or slashing... The girls are glassy-eyed, softly moaning as if intoxicated by some pleasant opiate...

A stairway descends into darkness...

I love these misinterpretations! Though to be fair, I worded that one really badly.

"Hssss pfffssss hssss..." Zag, you are the last choice for an interpreter I would have ever picked.

Johann slithers into the next room. He tries to get the scent of the vampires, so he can possibly track them back to their coffins.

[dice=perception]d20+14 To look around the room.

[dice=survival if he can get the scent to follow]d20+17

Cobra Johann tastes their cloyingly sweet stench with flicks of his forked tongue... The bat swarms fled down the stairs...

Lucius moves swiftly to the glassy-eyed girls, assessing them with the clinical indifference that only the celibate elderly can achieve in the face of youth and beauty.

Heal: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (8) + 11 = 19

"I need cloth for bandages and clean water if it can be found." He commands crisply, "these poor girls are no doubt under a vampiric spell. We must slay the creatures and release their minds."

Anyone looking notices that Lucius's skin hasn't returned to its normal colour, he now glows slightly, as though lit from the inside by a light just too bright to be fully contained by his skin. Combined with his white hair he is beginning to look almost unearthly.

Pure white hair and golden skin... this is starting to get very weird... then in four levels he gets wings! Half-celestial template next right GM?

With his brief ministrations complete Lucius redraws Dies Irae and nods his readiness to the rest of the group.

"Onwards friends!"

@MJ66 - my sword is called 'God's Wrath' yes? Shouldn't that be Iratus Deorum, rather than Dies Irae? It's currently 'Gods of Wrath' and even then I'm not sure about the conjugation... sorry - I'm relearning Latin atm and it just struck me!

Blessed art thou, noble Crusaders of the Catacombs! Blessed art thine efforts against the Antichrist! A mother's boon do I give unto thee!

The Holy Mother of God grants the adventurers the boon of immunity to ability damage the next time they would take ability damage!

With those words, the Holy Virgin Mother departs.

There’s this boon, from the Virgin Mother, if you have not used it yet...

A map of level three:
"COME TEST YOUR METTLE AND SEAL YOUR FATE IN OUR DARK AND DANGEROUS LOCALES!"

The stairs on the right side of the image, or eastmost, are the ones connecting to level two...

@MJ66 - my sword is called 'God's Wrath' yes? Shouldn't that be Iratus Deorum, rather than Dies Irae? It's currently 'Gods of Wrath' and even then I'm not sure about the conjugation... sorry - I'm relearning Latin atm and it just struck me!

Isn't Dies Irae 'Day of Wrath'? I'm thinking of the movement from the Requiem Mass (we sang Mozart's when I was in college).

The Fox averts his eyes from the girls' nakedness and pitiable condition. "Let us end these villains, and quickly," he says shortly, a glint of wrath in his eyes.

Lucius moves swiftly to the glassy-eyed girls, assessing them with the clinical indifference that only the celibate elderly can achieve in the face of youth and beauty.

[dice=Heal]d20+11

"I need cloth for bandages and clean water if it can be found." He commands crisply, "these poor girls are no doubt under a vampiric spell. We must slay the creatures and release their minds."

Anyone looking notices that Lucius's skin hasn't returned to its normal colour, he now glows slightly, as though lit from the inside by a light just too bright to be fully contained by his skin. Combined with his white hair he is beginning to look almost unearthly.

Pure white hair and golden skin... this is starting to get very weird... then in four levels he gets wings! Half-celestial template next right GM?

With his brief ministrations complete Lucius redraws Dies Irae and nods his readiness to the rest of the group.

"Onwards friends!"

@MJ66 - my sword is called 'God's Wrath' yes? Shouldn't that be Iratus Deorum, rather than Dies Irae? It's currently 'Gods of Wrath' and even then I'm not sure about the conjugation... sorry - I'm relearning Latin atm and it just struck me!

It’s supposed to be “Day of Wrath”, referring to Judgement Day...

Cardinal Lucius d'Borja wrote:

@MJ66 - my sword is called 'God's Wrath' yes? Shouldn't that be Iratus Deorum, rather than Dies Irae? It's currently 'Gods of Wrath' and even then I'm not sure about the conjugation... sorry - I'm relearning Latin atm and it just struck me!

Isn't Dies Irae 'Day of Wrath'? I'm thinking of the movement from the Requiem Mass (we sang Mozart's when I was in college).

The Fox averts his eyes from the girls' nakedness and pitiable condition. "Let us end these villains, and quickly," he says shortly, a glint of wrath in his eyes.

Exactly my inspiration for the blade’s name, Fox lol

The stairs descend to a landing, ten-feet-square-by-ten-feet-high, the walls covered floor to ceiling with niches filled with the bones of Romans... Two pine coffins lie side-by-side at the bottom of the stairs, both riddled with holes that a bat could crawl through...

To the right at the bottom stands a stout-looking wooden door with brass doorknob...

At that moment, halfway around the globe, on the west coast of the New World, the Great Land that would one day be named North America, and specifically in the territory that men would name California, the Shoshone, and other Native Tribes, flee in terror before the destructive wrath and chaos of Gojira and Mosura, mighty kaiju from the Land of the Rising Sun!

The shamans call upon their animal spirits to protect them—Wolf, Raven, Coyote, Cougar, Badger...

The Shoshone shamans call brave and fierce Wolf out of the Redwoods!

AAAAWOOOOOOOOOOHHH!!! In Shoshone: I am Wolf! The Swift Runner! The Moon Howler! I have answered your call, Old Shamans! But why have you called me here!? What is the danger this time? Is it the bloodthirsty Little People of the hills again?

The Paiute medicine men summoned cunning and lethal Cougar out of the arid canyons!

GGRRRRRAAAAOOOOWWWW!!! In Paiute: I am Cougar, the Deep Biter, the Swift Scratcher! I have heard your call, old medicine men, and I have come! But tell me, why have you called? Do the evil Little People of the hills attack you again?

The Modoc medicine men conjure up clever and wily Raven!

CCRRAAAWWWWW!!! CRRAAAAWWWW!! In Modoc: So! Godzilla and Mothra have come to the Great Lands, aye? That’s not good... That’s not good at all... I hope Coyote and I can cook up some tricks to confound them...