Thornkeep - PFS - The Accursed Halls

Game Master Pirate Rob

Unless, of course, this walking forward behind Toren's shield thing can be made to make sense in terms of rounds and so on.

Or wait, there's also this idea (sorry, I'm re-reading Chapter 8 of the CRB at the moment). We enter rounds, and on our our turns, the well-armored characters take a double move in the first round, then a free action to drop prone (gaining +4 to AC from ranged attacks). On subsequent rounds, we take one move action to stand, a second move action to move up to our speed, then a free action to drop prone to gain the AC bonus. Rinse and repeat until we close with the skeletons.

Actually, I suppose on the first round those of us who don't have any Dex bonus to AC to worry about losing could Full Round Run and Free Action drop prone to get there a little quicker. But we might want to get there as close to at the same time as possible.

This is a puzzler!

Y'know, now that I'm looking at it again, I think I'd just like to reenter initiative/rounds and just take the Run Full-Round action. If I'm counting right, that should get Barrin to the bottom of the (and maybe a little ways up them depending on how many squares worth of movement it is to climb them) in two rounds. I can't quite figure out the stairs--are they switchbacks? is there any cover from the skeletons while climbing them?--but I'm thinking they'll only get two rounds worth of free shots on him before he enters a round in which he'll be climbing the stairs and either have cover or hopefully be reaching them and be able to engage in melee.

If more than one of us do this then hopefully they'll split their shots instead of concentrating fire. And heck, if they do concentrate fire that'll leave a couple of us free runs.

Anyway, that's what Barrin wants to do.

The stairs are in fact basically switchbacks and the platforms/stairs have no railings or other cover on them.

How I envision the 2 plans possibly working out (Assuming your information about the skeletons is correct and there is nothing else going on in the room):

1 - The Slow approach:
In the surprise round Toren 5ft steps into the room and plants the shield. Others follow behind and full defense. Toren is untargetable, everybody else gets at least +8 to their AC. At Toren's speed of 20ft/round. this takes about 5 rounds of him moving/planting/others following to make it to the other side of the room.

2 - Run Fast approach
In the surprise round those that want to go for it move their speed.
Initiative happens, those that beat the skeletons in initiative can run at least most of the way across the room before the skeletons fire (although you'll be denied dex) and are likely able to close on their next turn. (If you're in heavy armor your mileage may vary) If the skeletons beat you in initiative they'll likely get 2 shots before you close rather than 1.

You could also turn around and go back the other way.

If possible I'd like a decision from you guys either tonight or tomorrow, so we don't get any more bogged down here than we already are.

Of those two options, Barrin votes for the slow approach.

I agree with Barrin. Pirate Rob, please feel free to set/describe how the action occurs to you.

I might not be able to post again today (sorry all).

I vote for slow and steady.

Oh, yes, I heartily concur in just taking the hits and going with narration until the point we can actually reach them.

Thanks everybody, I've got you guys up reasonably close now and only managed to plug 3 arrows into you guys.

Enjoy :)

C'mon guys, we're in the middle of a fight!

Agreed, I know Arryn is still traveling, should probably just bot him.

These loaded GM dice are pretty awesome :)

Ouch

Can't remember if I told you guys...but I'm on vacation until Friday. I will check in as my resort's wifi allows...but it is fairly inconsistent. Glad to see the fight is over & feel free to bot my CLW wand use before the next encounter.

I don't think you mentioned it here Aleister, but I found your post in a different thread, and figured if you were gone there, you were gone here too :)

Heh, nasty skellys.

As a note we're a little under halfway through, and it seems unlikely we'll make my ambitious time frame of finishing before my China trip. While it is likely I will have some net access on my trip it will likely be limited/weird hours.

I am happy to finish the module after my trip and/or provide chronicle sheets appropriate for your efforts so far (Most likely in the middle 3rd so 2xp,3PP and 2/3s gp).

We've got awhile to figure things out, although I will need to know by the 13th if anybody wants their chronicle sheet before I leave. As a note not everybody needs to make the same decision etc.

I look forward to/dread the upcoming surprises in the module. :)

I'm OK with trudging along even if its slow-going for a while.

Also, I grabbed a couple renders from later on in the Thornkeep book to help you guys out with some visuals.

Here is the entrance chamber.

Here is the Evil Shrine you're currently in.

(Warning: Both pictures are rather large)

As a note we're a little under halfway through, and it seems unlikely we'll make my ambitious time frame of finishing before my China trip. While it is likely I will have some net access on my trip it will likely be limited/weird hours.

I am happy to finish the module after my trip and/or provide chronicle sheets appropriate for your efforts so far (Most likely in the middle 3rd so 2xp,3PP and 2/3s gp).

We've got awhile to figure things out, although I will need to know by the 13th if anybody wants their chronicle sheet before I leave. As a note not everybody needs to make the same decision etc.

I look forward to/dread the upcoming surprises in the module. :)

I am happy to go slow mate given my current situation.

Where in China are you headed? - I've worked in Beijing and Dalian and racked up about 5 years in China (and another 2 in Taiwan). I'm in India now... the damn BPO industry drags me all over the place.

I will be in Guangzhou for about 4 days and Bejing for about 3, with a stop in Long Beach, California for a day, We're following Target's supply chain from end to end.

If you're only going to be gone a week or two I'm fine with a slowdown or even a temporary hiatus.

I.m ok with waiting, so we can finish.

I'm flying out on the evening of Thursday the 14th and returning on Sunday the 24th.

Heck, that's no time to wait in a Play by Post game. Be careful! Do good work! Learn a lot! Have some fun if that's possible!

I prefer pausing or slowing down the game for a week or two over not getting to finish this awesome old-school dungeon.

Awesome! I'm down for waiting.

I work right near Long Beach, if you wanna do lunch let me know!

Also, good luck on the trip!

Awesome! I'm down for waiting.

I work right near Long Beach, if you wanna do lunch let me know!

Also, good luck on the trip!

Thanks for the invite but I'm going to be super busy the one day I'm in Long Beach.

I will be back in California all summer starting mid May, but will mostly be in Northern California.

Also as another note I'll be at Gamicon and likely won't make any posts Friday the 8th/Saturday the 9th.

btw: This is one of those particularly deadly encounters for 1st level characters.

Holy smokes! This thing could kill me with a touch! There's not even a save versus the effect?

Have we even laid a glove on it yet?

It has so far not been harmed.
Negative levels give you a save in 24 hours to see they become permanent, there in no initial save.

Retreeeeeaaaatt! Gah!

Didn't Z2 take 8 damage from Kardak?

Errr, ya it did. Still a ways to go though, especially with the temp HP it stole from Kardak.

Hopefully you guys can drop it before it goes again.

Should we/can we go back to town to get a Restoration for Kardak?

Some OOC thoughts to consider:

Going back to town is definitely a possibility although the journey from where you are to the exit of The Accursed Halls may not be perfectly safe and may give the Goblins time to reinforce/finish their mischief/set new traps etc.

In 24hrs Kardak will receive a Fort save to see if the negative level goes away or becomes permanent. Prior to that time a Restoration will cost 380gp and will immediately remove the negative level.

If the negative level becomes permanent having restoration cast to remove it will cost 1280gp.

The default assumption for spell casting services is a 24he wait while they memorize the spell but I will allow some chance to avoid the wait. Being well rested and in a warm bed with a hot meal could easily provide a circumstance bonus to the check, even if Restoration is not cast. (But having only been down here for about an hour there is plenty of time to continue on for now and still go back to town and rest)

Also Thornkeep is well under 5,000 population so most Prestige purchases will cost an additional 5 Prestige.

I have returned from Gamicon. I had a blast. I killed 2 PCs at my table while running the special and almost died myself in a different adventure with my level 9 druid being prone and adjacent to a vampire with 8 negative levels, single digit HP, bleed damage and being in a bat swarm.

Good lord...what a dangerous convention! Glad you survived...sorry to hear about the PCs in the special though. Then again I'm glad you got that out of your system...lol!

What was the special? Bonekeep?

I ran Race for the Rune Carved Key at 8-9. Both characters were able to be raised from the dead at least.

I'm sure this necromantic room coming up here is perfectly safe. It probably just gives you false life with a really high caster level or something. /GM-Evil-Eyes

HAH!

Sorry all, I've been crazy at work...hoping today to get caught up and have a meaningful post.

btw: Aleister I just noticed the oil of bless weapon you have is overpriced on your character sheet. They are only 50gp not 100gp since in Pathfinder Paladin CL is HD -3 isntead of 1/2 HD. (Note: early printings of the CRB have them listed at 100gp but it's fixed in errata/subsequent printings)

I am happy to refund you the missing gp, or assume you have 2 of them, your choice.

Hmm...I thought I had the 4th printing of the CRB; maybe I don't (or maybe that version still has the misprint?)

If this thing is truly incorporeal it could make the difference between life & death for pretty much all of us; so probably best if we assume I have two. I was having a hard time deciding whether to give it to Kardak or Toren...now I don't have to make that decision! 8-)

I wasn't anticipating so many undead in here...Aleister has been pretty close to useless without things to put to sleep!

Yeah you weren't kidding about being deadly. Rob, I'm going to Who's Yer Con this weekend and will be playing The Forgotten Labs, run by Chris M., have you played it? Will there be any spoilers for this one? When I signed up for it, I had planned on running Jarl through it, but oh well the time line didn't work out. I'm going to run my Alchemist instead.

I played the Forgotten Labyrith before prepping The Accursed Halls. There may be some minor spoilers about the "door" and assumes that it's been opened but nothing that's worth worrying about.

Sorry we won't be finished in time for the Forgotten Labs.

Also I meant it about those warnings for first level characters. Incorporeal and energy drain are especially nasty for first level characters. Fortunately you guys are just about done with the undead :)

Normally I would post for Arryn by now, but with the shadow bearing down on him I'm loathe to do things that might get him killed.

If anybody has suggestions for actions for him I would appreciate it. I will likely post in the morning even if I haven't heard anything.

If anybody has suggestions for actions for him I would appreciate it.

Retreat?

I would have him withdraw unless Smite Evil can get by the Shadow's incorporeal/DR ability. I suppose he coud also Lay on Hands....but withdrawing is probably the safer bet.

Not sure what is going on with Arryn, he checked in at the other PbP's that we are in together. I know some people have lost their dot on the Campaigns lately, perhaps he doesn't know.