Thod runs Carrion Crown - The Haunting of Harrowstone

Game Master Thod

I'm having difficulty imagining the layout of things. Is there a comparable spot through any of the doors that leads below or near the Eastern Balcony where our novice gardeners are climbing?

Once Aldous and Hastur that there is nothing more of interest on the Eastern balcony (and being reluctant to enter the building without the others), the two of them carefully rappel back down the vines to the ground.

Climb(Hastur): 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 2 = 14.
Climb(Aldous): 1d20 - 2 ⇒ (16) - 2 = 14.

As soon as they reach the ground again, Aldous breathes a sigh of relief, takes the opportunity to brush any remaining twigs, leaves and flowers from his robes, and then goes to look for the others (being careful to not enter any further than the main doorway).

"Before we go exploring inside, there is one last thing that I want to check; I would like to make sure that there is no 'surprise' waiting for us in that pool of water..."

So saying, he will move back outside with Hastur, cast Detect Magic, and scan the pool. At the same time, Hastur will take the opportunity to toss a few stones into the water (being careful to remain closer to the water than Aldous), to see if that provokes a response...

I once played a Paizo module where the main treasury was hidden in the latrine, so I have learned to search everywhere...

As Aldous and Andrea seem to be in agreement she tags along behind him and the somewhat intriguing Hastur..She is certain the scholars companion is much more than he seems.(That heal check earlier has to have given her some inkling surely)

The Stones sink into the Black and murky water leaving ripples on the surface. The ripples move outdated only slowly - as if the water is oily.

Detect Magic is not showing any magic auras and slowly the ripples in the water disappear.

Galadan might be less happy about this disruption of a grave yard. In this environment this is likely like a sleeping dog.

I'm having difficulty imagining the layout of things. Is there a comparable spot through any of the doors that leads below or near the Eastern Balcony where our novice gardeners are climbing?

To imagine the layout have a look at the maps drawn by the junior artists. I will try to add some more clarity here.

Starting with the upper floor:
This floor is nearly square. It is 110 feet west to east and 100 feet south to north. A balcony is protruding as a half circle outwards in the south. This is a 30 feet diameter half circle just atop the room where Kevin stopped and didn't move on.
In the north is a 20 foot square tower - 30 foot from the western corner. Half of this is protruding outwards.

The ground floor is the same dimensinon south/north. East west the walls extend a further 20 feet east/west for 150 feet. In addition the eastern and western Walls are triangle shaped outwards.

The balconies are taking up all the space not occupied by the upper floor.

Atop this is a roof and the only bits protruding through this are a narrow upper balcony on the north side and the tower mentioned above.

Satisfied that there is not in the water, Aldous joins the rest of the Inheritors inside the ground floor of the Jail.

I am randomly picking the Southern door to the East as the next one to investigate. Any objections?

Assuming that there are none...

Hastur will move forward into the room, and with Aldous following close behind, they conduct a systematic search...

Perception 'take 20' + assist = 26.

Picture of the room

This 10x30 feet room with a window in the southern wall seems to have been used as office. Furniture is overturned. Anything valuable has long since been looted or destroyed by time and weather.
The only remarkable part of the room is the sturdy iron door at the end of the corridor.

Cassandra
I've been looking at the mystery - energy body. You do assume the body akin to a white fire elemental. This should give you some advantages - but squeezing under a doorway might be an issue as you are not truly incorporeal. I hope it is okay if in the future I rather rule you can squeeze through areas one size category smaller as your human form - but not necessarily a key hole.
I was just awake yesterday and while I loved the action I didn't take into account what effect I cause adding more or less gaseous form to the body.
On the other hand - if I would have been aware of the extra powers you have in this form I would have allowed it but with different flavour text - see correction below.

Flashback:

Cassandra
Turned into a white glowing body of pure positive energy you probe the edges of the closed door. The doors shudder under your touch - they seem to try to avoid being in contact with you. The double door opens slightly - just wide enough to let you move through. Two mystical energies in the door seem to fight with each other - one to keep it closed, one to avoid any contact with your white shining body.
The moment you are through the door it shuts tightly again.

For future reference - in the form of your energy body attackers would take energy damage. As I would regard this the same as positive energy, this form can have 'interesting' effects on haunts.
Some haunts might not dare to approach you - others might make you the prime target as they regard you as thread / abomination.
I doubt there is any guidance - so I will play this as I see fit - see example above - unfortunately written a day too late.

Hastur will 'take 20' on a search for traps. If there are none, he will try to open the door, and if that fails, take his time to try and break down the door...

I can eventually 'take 20' on that to get a Strength check of 26 (assuming a crowbar, and Guidance.). If that does not work, I can eventually beat the door down with enough high-rolling full attacks.

Next level, I really will have to take 'Disable Device' with Hastur...

Aldous

The door has no discernible traps. It looks very sturdy and resists any attempts to break it down with the crowbar.

The door is locked - but you reckon none in the group is skilled enough to pick this lock.

Breaking it down might be an option - but you reckon that you didn't equip yourself with any good tools to do so.

The break DC is >26. I'm not sure if take 20 and guidance is really meant to be combined. RAW I think you can do it - but I'm really proud we manage role-play to overcome challenges so far. 
Bashing down the doors. Hasturs claws and bite attack need criticals to overcome the hardness. And I don't think these are good ways to bash a door. Kevin is probably best versed to damage them thanks to his high strength and power attack. But I doubt he would risk his Aldori Duelling sword in the process.
The best equipped seems Galadan with the heavy mace. But still - he needs criticals. I did calculate he would need approx. 350 combat rounds - assuming he could 'fight' that long without fatigue or exhaustion.
And please keep in mind such an action would make lots of noise in addition to taking lots of time. If you want to attract wandering monsters - this might be a good way to do it.
Unless I missed something - and I'm always open to ideas - I would prefer you look for better equipment. Hammer and chisel, portable ram, surprise me.

I once played a Paizo module where the main treasury was hidden in the latrine, so I have learned to search everywhere...

Rest assured to get hints, dreams, revelations, notices in the Wealday parchment to ensure you don't miss the really important bits. No - I wouldn't have bothered with the dead gnome thief remains.

Aldous, I myself would never take 20 on search for traps, since that means you would activate them automatically. (Taking 20 means you fail before you succeed)

If Kevin wishes for it, Galadan hands over his heavy mace so that he can attempt to bash down the door.

"I suppose we can be grateful that this one isn't screaming at us." Galadan says, winking at Wren.

Aldous, I myself would never take 20 on search for traps, since that means you would activate them automatically. (Taking 20 means you fail before you succeed)

There is a loooong thread about this issue in the rule section of the boards. Official stance is - perception doesn't trigger traps. Therefore it is possible.

The official section of the core rulebook on 'taking 20' is:

Taking 20

When you have plenty of time, you are faced with no threats or distractions, and the skill being attempted carries no penalties for failure, you can take 20. In other words, if you a d20 roll enough times, eventually you will get a 20. Instead of rolling 1d20 for the skill check, just calculate your result as if you had rolled a 20.

Taking 20 means you are trying until you get it right, and it assumes that you fail many times before succeeding. Taking 20 takes 20 times as long as making a single check would take (usually 2 minutes for a skill that takes 1 round or less to perform).

Since taking 20 assumes that your character will fail many times before succeeding, your character would automatically incur any penalties for failure before he or she could complete the task (hence why it is generally not allowed with skills that carry such penalties). Common “take 20” skills include Disable Device (when used to open locks), Escape Artist, and Perception (when attempting to find traps).

Under 3.5, you were always able to 'take 20' whilst searching, and this has been 'ported over to Pathfinder; otherwise Rogues would run the risk of triggering traps twice - once when looking for it, and a second time when attempting to disarm it.

Aldous eyes the solid door critically.

"I dare say that there might be something interesting behind it, but I am happy to explore elsewhere first."

He then moves back to the 'five way room', and heads through the west door, methodically trying each of the narrow doors, before reaching the two doors at the end of the corridor.

Aldous
I think what lies at the root of the issue is that perception allows you to find the trap or clues to it - it doesn't necessarily tell you what it is doing. At least that is my interpretation.
Example the Xtabay - I posted on the Saturday - Ivy hangs down from the walls in thick, matted lengths, while dense tangles of vines decorated with deep red and violet flowers adorn the balcony's edges above.
So perception vice you had seen the Xtabay - the deep red and violet flowers. Still - in the end you climbed up and got surprised.
Similar will happen with take 20 traps. You spot a needle in the keyhole. You spot a lose flagstone. You spot some holes in the wall. Provided you take 20 I will give you information like above.
I won't say: The keyhole is protected by a DC 22 disable poisonous needle trap, or stepping on the flagstone will cause xyz (assuming you can't see xyz). Or that the holes intone wall shoot arrows or fill the chamber with sleeping gas.

Moving westwards there are several offices. Paperwork - protected by the weather in the small rooms - is still readable.

The Offices:

These small offices were each dedicated to handling one of several key aspects of the prison’s operations, such as prisoner files, income, supplies, scheduling, repair requests, and so on. With 2d4 ⇒ (3, 3) = 6 hours of work, the surviving paperwork in these offices can be organized into a central repository that can be used to research Harrowstone or the five prisoners (although, obviously, no information from after the fire can be found here). If used for research, the collected papers grant a +4 bonus on Knowledge checks.

Look through the door without entering

Office doors

Aerial view

I stand corrected.

Wren will enter the offices, but not before putting some wood in each door frame to avoid a repeat of the last door encounter. Approaching slowly and quietly (at least for her...just cooing to Plume), she will enter to look around and gather paperwork.

Perception 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (18) + 4 = 22

Galadan thinks about stopping Wren from entering, but decides in the end to let the curious bird go where she will. At least then they would know if something happens should they want to go in as well.
He grimaces as he realizes his thought are quite morbid.

Casting sift.

Perception inside the office hallway without entering.

1d20 + 7 - 5 ⇒ (14) + 7 - 5 = 16

All four small offices look pretty similar and non interesting.

Looking around you can't fail to notice that one of the non opened door in the south west corner is decorated with fine leaves carved into the wood of the door. A sign once must have adorned the door but seems long gone.

see the first of the three pictures - the door down the corridor. Testing here the perception of the players - not the characters.

Galadan

My understanding is the brave bird just follows Aldous and Hastur. Only the two doors at the end of the corridor remain closed and not yet investigated.

Ah, in that case Galadan will go a little ways down the hallway and cast sift again, examining the closed door on the far end from a distance.

Perception
1d20 + 7 - 5 ⇒ (5) + 7 - 5 = 7

Although he fails to notice anything out of the ordinary, it has not closed his suspicions about the place.

Wren will begin collecting papers, as if she is going to use them to build a nest, gently stacking them this way and that but eventually putting them in her backpack.

...So, on that logic, I should just say that I will 'attempt to disable the trap' on every door / wall / floor that I come across, on the off chance that there is one (because you cannot disable a trap that you are not specifically aware of)...?

*shrug* I will roll with your interpretation, but it just means I will never search for traps, and probably will not bother with disable device as a result (since I will probably be hit by them anyway) :-)

Unwilling at this time to spend six hours sorting through paper-work (since Mage Armor only lasts for 2 hours), Hastur moves on to the first of the closed doors, and attempts to open it...

Kevin gets up from sitting on his back pack holding his crossbow. "Finally, I was begining to think you all had forgot that here they be monsters."

Well, I once played in a game where the DM's villain put a deadly powder between two pieces of paper on a desk. So when someone took a 20 to search for something on the desk, they triggered the trap automatically, because they were moving things around. And that was all that was required to set off the trap. It would be one thing if taking 20 for a perception check did not indicate poking and prodding and moving things around, but that's what I see when I think of take 20 on a perception check.

Galadan looks back at Kevin.

"Or worse things. I would say gather what papers you can and lets move on, but for some reason I do not feel they will do that."

Let's just hope there's not a haunt that smothers its victims in animated papers.

*shrug* Clearly we disagree on a fundamental level, about RAW. I don't want to argue with you about it, so I am happy to move on. :-)

Wren is happily cooing as she collects papers; she intends to read them in detail later, if, of course, there do not smother her in her sleep.

Andrea moves along with the others her spirits lowered by the general sense of gloom in the ruinous building "So many dead inside these walls " she mutters to Galadan.."how many are still here do you think?"

Galadan remains silent for a moment as he considers the question.

"They vary in strength and power, but I would not be surprised if hundreds or even thousands remained here. But the question to ask is why are they here...? And why are they becoming active now?"

I feel some frustration about the take20 trap finding. What I tried to convene is that take 20 could end up in a stop signal.
See the trapped papers mentioned. I disagree that take 20 would have triggered it. Take 20 also wouldn't have found the paper at the bottom of the pile you are after.
Here is the Ssequence that in my view is supported by RAW.
Step 1: Take 20 - spot traces if powder fallen out of paper
Step 2: disable device to disable the powder or bypass it
Step 3: second Take 20 to search pile of paper again to find paper you are looking after
At step 2 having found the powder you can also just ignore it and walk away or maybe find an ingenious solution around the trap that can be done without disable device. 
Perception does find the trap, it doesn't disable the trap nor does it necessarily allow you to bypass a trap. In some cases awareness of a trap is all that is needed. A pit trap in a corridor - take the next corridor that isn't trapped. Take an acrobatics check to jump over a 10 foot pit trap etc.
As we quote RAW for finding traps. This is in the Disable Device section: A rogue who beats a trap's DC by 10 or more can study the trap, figure out how it works, and bypass it without disarming it. A rogue can rig a trap so her allies can bypass it as well.
So take 20 perception - find trap - yes. Trigger trap - no. Figure out how it works - no. Automatic bypass trap - no.
I think the contention here is figure out how it works and the bypass. Perception will give you clues and for many (most?) traps that will be all that is needed to avoid them. But there can be instances where clues are misinterpreted and having found a trap you still trigger it if you move on despite thinking you can avoid it.

But I think we wanted to move on. Two doors to choose. Not trapped - you've been here long enough to find any signs of traps. Who is opening the next door?

Wren is happily cooing as she collects papers; she intends to read them in detail later, if, of course, there do not smother her in her sleep.

Some aspects of doubt and fear creep into Wrens mind. What was this voice in her head. Was it real or did she imagine it. Did it tell her not to sleep, did it tell her they would be coming for her in her sleep. Did she just imagine it.

Don't go to sleep little one - or we will come for you and imprison you. But this time for good!

All

I've generated a map of Harrowstone ground level. It will grow as you explore. The diagonal walls are rather a 30 degree angle as 45 - so the whole building is a little bit more narrow. But it's the best the program allows.

Thanks to Tilesystem to make it possible.

Map Ground Floor

You should get a better idea of the ground level and where you fit in / what you have explored.

Edit: Changed link to updated map. Added some doors and one more room

Galadan goes to the end of the corridor. He tries to listen through the door there.

Perception
1d20 + 7 ⇒ (7) + 7 = 14

Thanks Thod; I think that will really help :-)

Hastur moves forward, and opens the more Southern of the two doors, whilst Aldous casts Guidance upon him.

Thanks Thod; I think that will really help :-)

Hastur moves forward, and opens the more Southern of the two doors, whilst Aldous casts Guidance upon him.

I worked on this for an hour, just updated it, was lurking here and in 3 minutes after posting it becomes out of date due to opening of a door ...

Players ...

More in a moment

Updated Map - with new room

Wardens office

This is a square 20*20 foot room with a small diagonal alcove in the north west corner.

This spacious room smells of mildew and rot. A long desk and chair sit to the south, while to the northwest a narrow alcove contains a closed safe. Thick layers of dust cover everything in sight.

One aspect of the room strikes you immediately as different. Despite the dust and mildew - this room looks orderly and undisturbed. It seems like you are the first to enter since the fire.
It seems obvious due to the more elaborate furnishing and much wider desk that this must have been the Wardens Office.

Ooo! This is definitely worth a closer look :-)

Hastur industriously rummages through the contents of this room, to see what he can find, aided by Aldous, who methodically uses Detect Magic to help scan the room...

Perception (Search) Take 20 + Assist = 26

Also, Thod, I agree; players can be such pesky creatures ;-)

Ooo! This is definitely worth a closer look :-)

Hastur industriously rummages through the contents of this room, to see what he can find, aided by Aldous, who methodically uses Detect Magic to help scan the room...

Perception (Search) Take 20 + Assist = 26

Also, Thod, I agree; players can be such pesky creatures ;-)

Some magic auras are detectable from inside the safe.

No other items of any value are in this room.

I'm not assuming you want to take furnishings with you.

Wren will move in and also take a look around and notice the sense of non-chaos in this room.

She will look for more papers at the desk before moving to examine the safe.

Perception 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (14) + 4 = 18

Andrea sniffs then sneezes as a light cloud of dust billows from the room.."Now this is odd" she says.."I wonder why it wasnt wrecked like the rest of the place?"

Now we are talking!

Kevin stands out side the office as Aldous and his man servant pilfer the room. "Magic in the safe you say, and we are the first ones to find it? Considering that the wardens spirit was trapped by our advasaries, I think it would be safe to assume that this is where the warden huanted. Then again what do I know, I am not in possesion of a spirit power.

Perception:1d20 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10

Wren smiles at Kevin.

"I was thinking the same thing, Kevin. There might be much of value in that safe that could aid us in our endeavors. I'm not sure how to open it...yet." Wren looks at the different feathers on her 'armor', as if trying to figure out something.

The safe seems to be protected with a good lock. Knocking on the safe shows it is quite sturdy and might be difficult to break open. Maybe worse - you hear the faint sound of glass vials hitting each other.
Luckily there isn't any sound of breaking glass - but a more robust treatment surely would cause breakage.

Galadan sighs as Hastur barges through the door he was listening at.
He remains silent as they sort through the room.

At the sound of the glass in the safe.
"I say we leave that be for now and return later. Perhaps with the key if we can find one."

"I think we need a little more organisation and a little less haste here..Kevin..the person who opened the lock on that book for you..do you think they could be persuaded to open this? For a suitable fee off course"

"I was just about to say the same my sweet. But I think that my friend may not want to venture into a haunted jail. We may have to figure a way of getting the safe to him."

Wren looks as if she was about to say the exact same thing as Kevin, but realizes now that it doesn't need to be said.

Wren briefly imagines Kevin as a ninja, but then shakes that image out of her head.

"If there is nothing else to do here, maybe we should move on? I saw many doors and I am curious to see what lies beyond each. I am hopeful that we can return to this room should we find we need brief sanctuary."

Galadan nods, satisfied. He moves to the other door and listens for anything on the other side.

Perception
1d20 + 7 ⇒ (20) + 7 = 27

Galadan nods, satisfied. He moves to the other door and listens for anything on the other side.

Perception
1d20+7

Deadly silence ...