Thornkeep - PFS - The Accursed Halls

Game Master Pirate Rob

Appraise Precious Metals on the yellow crystals...trying to see if there's anything funny about them or if they are worth anything. 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (2) + 5 = 7

Toren inspects one of the crystals closely, but he can't get much of an idea about it. "Hmph. Must be somethin' I ain't too fermiliar with."

"We could lower someone down, then have them swim or wade across and climb or throw a grapple up. Or we could tie a rope to someone and have them jump from pillar to pillar like a child's game." Would it be possible to climb along the walls on either side?

Aleister scans the cavern looking for threats.

Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (4) + 8 = 12

Jarlgur begins slowly checking the flagstones for traps.

The crystals appear to be naturally forming, and while it's easy to break a few off you really have no idea of their value.

The walls are pitted and would be fairly easy to climb, except for the water slowly running down from the ceiling (DC 15).

There are no visible threats in the room.

"I think I could climb across with a rope, but that still doesn't solve the problem of getting everyone across," Kardak says. "We may be able to use the ladder over there as a temporary bridge."

If, the gods protect us from such a thing, we have to make a fighting retreat back over this gap... his mind shies away from the thought.

"Wonder if'n we kin tell how deep this is?" Toren muses idly as he walks towards the edge.

I've got 50ft of string and an inkpen, I could tie the inkpen to the string and lower it down the whole 50ft or until it touches the bottom.

Toren: I don't see why not, of course your reading may not be 100% accurate and the floor may be uneven...

Hmmm...Now to decipher if that's GM speak for "Not a good idea"...ah heck, it's what Toren would do!

Toren takes his backpack off for a moment and rummages around for his string and inkpen. He ties the pen at one end and starts to lower it down, using his arm length as a count for how deep it goes.

"One..Two..."

Perhaps we could find a timber long enough to span the rock columns

"Once Toren is done, I'll try to climb across," says Kardak as he ties one end of his rope around his waist.

The pen does not drop very far into the water, certainty less than 10 feet and probably closer to 5. I was trying to figure out a cool arm length count for you, but guessing the forearm length of Toren was proving more trouble than it was worth.

All the usable lumber went into shoring up the earlier problem.

Kardak: Around the south side or the north side?
Also is somebody holding the other end of the rope, is it tied to anything? etc.

I was thinking south side. Are there places to tie the rope to on either side? If not, he will ask someone to hold it.

Nothing really convenient to tie to rope to over here.

"Well...it ain't much more'n five feet down to the water here...but I ain't much of a swimmer."

The columns appear to be five feet apart...is jumping across a reasonable possibility? Also is the ladder positioned in such a way that someone on the lower level could climb up...or is it just sort of floating in the water?

"I'm not much of a jumper...but maybe we can leap across on the columns? Or, since there is a ladder down there it might be safe enough to lower ourselves with Toren's rope and simply climb up on the other side."

It's DC 5 to jump to the first pillar from the ground (given a running start) The DC from pillar to pillar is 12 (without a running start)

The Ladder is on the platform on the other side of the room, next to a stack of unlit torches and a barrel.

It's 30' down to the aprrox. 5' deep water, right?

"Does anyone have a grappling hook?"

I'm trying to decide whether I should be more worried about fighting something in the water or falling 30 feet.
I could climb down, wade across and climb up the other side, then everyone else could follow.
Or, I could climb straight across (or dip down slightly) and move the ladder back over the columns, laying it down and crawling across it like a crude bridge, then moving it to the next column and repeating the process. We'd either need to squeeze to people on a column or have Kardak climb back and forth to get everyone over.

Jarlgur: Correct.

Maybe there is something good in chasm, like in the pit trap....or maybe there is just a kraken in a deep unseen hole.

Arynn frowns at the ladder so far away.

This reminds me of the theological stumpers they used to throw at me in Seminary.

He thinks for a while.

The main issue seems to be how deep is the water and what it covers - such as spikes... I doubt we need to deal with man eating monsters under its surface. We could probably lower a man to the point where he was out of the water but could probe around with a polearm or such like. Does that sound acceptable?

As for a grappling hook? Aye I have one. He digs it and a length of hempen rope from his pack.

Currently waiting on you guys to decide how to get across, Kardak is ready to climb across the South wall, there's also a grappling hook out and a suggestion to climb down and then through the water.

Who is the most keen of eye and straight of arm? Maybe they can hook the ladder and drag it over?

Jarlgur slaps his thigh. Your brilliant Arryn, I completely forgot that I have a grappling bolt for the crossbow.

"I'm not certain that's the best idea. What if we lost the ladder? Lowering me and my glaive (or Toren and his bec de corbin) down to check if anything lurks in the water below seems to me like the best idea we've had so far. If nothing is there, we climb down, slog over, and climb back up. If there's something down there, we must either kill it or find another way across."

While Kardak is more than willing to be lowered down and poke around for Kraken, he's also (I think) the only one who can take 10 and climb across should the water route be too dangerous.

"Yer right Kardak, I've got an idea. We kin tie Tessa up an' I kin stand on 'er. I'll take my polearm and poke around as long as someone keeps us up. If'n anythin's down there, at least my shield can give 'em some pause before chewin' on me!"

A grapple hook on a crossbow? That would be more accurate than a throw - how about we try that first - if it doesn't work then I am happy to lower you.

Kardak shrugs. "Might as well."

Let's just hope I don't have to say 'I told you so'.

Whoever is firing, feel free to make an attack roll.

It appears that Jarlgur has as high as Dex as any.

Jarlgur removes his grapple bolt and ties some twine to it. (50') At the other end his joins the twine and one of the ropes with a knot. I have to admit to never using this before. I picked it up at a stall in the Coins on our way out of the city. Jarlgur takes a deep breath and exhales, firing the crossbow toward the ladder.

Grapple Attack!: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 2 = 17

You easily hook the ladder.

With a look of surprised satisfaction, Jarlgur holds the end of the rope/twine in his hand. Do one of you more stout members want to attempt to bring the ladder to our side?

Str Check?1d20 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 2 = 17

It's not a particularly heavy ladder, but it's also not especially sturdy, considering it's of goblin make. Lets give it a saving throw to at least mitigate the falling damage as it gets dragged off the edge into the water.

After hooking the ladder Toren starts to reel in the rope, the ladder jerks off the far edge even quicker than expected, crashing into water below it and breaking into a multitude of pieces.

On the bright side the water does appear to be about 5 feet deep on the far side as well.

Hah! Now Kardak gets to say he told us so.

That was worse than I had feared - I had hoped we could still fish the ladder out. If the ladder was weak enough to break apart after a 30 foot fall into 5 foot deep water, would it have been strong enough to use as a makeshift bridge?

"'Down, across, and up' now seems like our only option. How much rope do we have?" Kardak begins tying his rope to the tower shield. If this doesn't work, I could probably get across, but could anyone else? We may have to admit defeat here and hope the other two doors lead to the other side.

50 feet of hemp rope here...

Well then, let's get someone tied off and lowered down.

"I have some rope as well...but no grappling hook."

"Aye, I've got some rope too in me pack."

The dwarf gives a long and audible sigh. He begins unshipping the backpack while muttering about getting his beard wet and not being able to swim.

Note that climbing down the wall with a rope is DC 10, or DC 5 if you bother to knot the rope due to the wet walls. Lowering somebody down is easy enough and wouldn't take any rolls.

Arryn lowers Toren towards the water after tying a loop around under his arms.

Best probe the waters for danger rather than enter yourself Master Dwarf... if I were to lay a trap? Spikes under the surface is simple enough and deadly enough but the Pathfinder Society taught me there are all manner of slimes and oozes that could be fatal to any entering the water.

Toren is lowered safely into the water. The ground is rocky and uneven, the water cold, filthy and unpleasant, but Toren is able to find footing that keeps his head above water.

Due to bad footing and high waters, movement speed is at 1/4, acrobatics checks are nearly impossible and Toren is Off-Balance.

"An off-balance creature loses its Dexterity bonus to Armor Class, and opponents gain a +2 bonus on attacks against it."

Toren does however get Improved Cover from attacks from land, and the water is just deep enough to Swim at DC10 if desired, which removes Off-Balance but movement is still at 1/4 speed.

Jarlgur peers over the edge, How you doing down there Toren?

"Aye, Torag himself'd be freezin' his blessed balls off in here. It's cold, dirty, and hard fer me to move. I kin stand with me head dry, which means it ain't too deep. Let me explore 'round with Tessa's sister here."

Toren pokes around in the ten feet surrounding him with his Bec de Corbin while looking for any signs of trouble.

Tap around each square with my polearm in my 10 ft radius.

Darkvision (60ft) Perception 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4

It feels like more of the same nearby: rocky ground, still but murky water, no Kraken.

HAHAHAHA no Kraken

"It feels all the same as far as I can reach with my polearm."

"Well I guess we're going swimming then..." If its Aleister's turn he's willing to be lowered down or Take 10 to climb.

Getting people down is no problem, except for the last person who will not have access to a rope.