"Jarlgur, I gots an idear. In my backpack there's a couple pounds o' pepper...I'll be sorry to see it go, but you kin throw the pepper packages at 'em and maybe distract them so's we can run across. I'll keep my shield up and try an' give yeh cover."
That is a fine idea friend, but I don't think we can throw the pepper far enough. Let us follow Barrin, the balcony should provide cover once we get under the goblins. Jarlgur says to Toren, while reloading his crossbow. Jarlgur stands up and fires another shot at a goblin on the balcony.
Barrin "sprints" along the edge of the room, keeping to cover as best he can. He thinks he can see a coil of rope up near the goblins, but other then that the only ways he sees are forwards, backwards or trying to climb a pillar.
Toren keeps his shield up while repositioning slightly. The goblins seem to be jeering in his general direction now, something about being a big dirty stinking cheater and some arguments about how best to set it on fire for those of you who speak goblln.
Between natural goblin agility, leather armor, small size and a railing to hide behind Jarlgur's shot is not good enough to connect. I took the liberty of stepping Jarlgur to remain behind the shield wall, please let me know if you'd rather be exposed to unprotected goblin fire
Kardak sprints back to shield land while Aleister and Arryn both take shots and miss.
The goblins up top spread out a bit one, one moving for a clear shot on Barrin, who fortunately still misses.
Another shoots at Jarl and can't penetrate the shield wall. While the 3rd manages another shot around the pillar at Arryn for 4 more damage.
Hrmph. I was just over there and now they want me back? Oh bother. Maybe I can frighten one of these creatures out of their skin first.
Goblin:
To G4: "You there...when I get up there I'm going to kill you, bring you back to life, skin you alive and devour your flesh. So sit tight!"
Intimidate (Demoralize):1d20 + 7 ⇒ (8) + 7 = 15
Afterwards Aleister returns to the safety of Toren's shield wall. (J39)
-------
Demoralize: You can use this skill to cause an opponent to become shaken for a number of rounds. This shaken condition doesn’t stack with other shaken conditions to make an affected creature frightened. The DC of this check is equal to 10 + the target’s Hit Dice + the target’s Wisdom modifier.
Success: If you are successful, the target is shaken for one round. This duration increases by 1 round for every 5 by which you beat the DC. You can only threaten an opponent this way if it is within 30 feet and can clearly see and hear you. Using demoralize on the same creature only extends the duration; it does not create a stronger fear condition.
Toren: The pillars appear to be defaced and scrapped up, but structurally sound.
Aleister with the 15 feet high balcony I think the closest Goblin is technically 35 feet away, but I'll allow it anyway, also if you want to end up behind the new shield wall instead of the old shield wall I'm happy to move you there.
Barrin finally trudges to the far side of the room while Kardak makes good time despite his armor.
Aleister taunts the goblin and the goblin responds "Ya, well uhhh... not if I eat myself first. Ahhhh!"Shaken for 2 rounds
Toren waits a moment before crossing the room to bring the rest of the party with him.
Initiative
Jarlgur Flamnord
???
Arryn Wildblood
Toren "Stand" Still [Delaying to move the shield with people]
Blue Goblins
Barrin Ironhite
Kardak, the Feared
Aleister Marlowe
Aleister with the 15 feet high balcony I think the closest Goblin is technically 35 feet away, but I'll allow it anyway, also if you want to end up behind the new shield wall instead of the old shield wall I'm happy to move you there.
Rather than play out another round or 2 of whiffing I'm going to narrate how the last few rounds of combat play out,
You lose sight of the shaken goblin as he scampers out of sight, followed several seconds later by a loud crash.
Light cover fire is provides as the shield wall makes its way around the edge of the room.
Heading up the stairs in the SE leads you to a platform, the passway doubles back, but your hopes of easily reaching the goblins this way is quashed when you see the next passageways is a steep set of narrow stairs going back down and then apparently doubling back again. You are beginning to understand why some call these the Accursed Halls.
You are granted at least a brief respite as the goblins do not appear to be following you at the moment.
"Blast and damn! Barrin curses. "Enemies and unopened doors both left behind us."
The dwarf rummages in his pack for a moment and brings out an ivory wand with a rune of healing inscribed upon it. He holds it out to Arryn, "You can use this, yes? To tend to all of us who've been wounded?"
Barrin's spiffy new wand of cure light wounds has 50 charges, but of course he can't use it himself.
"Now, what are we going to do? Follow these stairs? Go back to the first staircase and investigate that door? Open the doors in the chamber below or even climb the pillars up to where those thrice-damned gobbos were shooting from?"
Sorry about the mixup with where those doors were.
No worries, I get really confused as a player regarding maps in pbps. If there's anything I can do to help keep things straight please let me know.
Here's a summary so far to help out:
The first room had stairs down in the middle of the room and a bricked over door against the back wall.
Down those stairs led to the pig/centipede room with debris on the edges.
South from there led to the columned room. Anchored to each of the columns was a marred demonic statue. The only obvious exit (besides the one you came in) was stairs up in the SE, which you have now followed.
The ceiling in the middle of the columned room is about 15ft high and was open in the middle, with a balcony over looking it around the edge. Looking up from down below it was hard to see what was going on up there other than goblins leaning over the low railings to shoot at you, but there appeared to be the top of a doorway in both the SW and NW corners. You think the shaken goblin ran to the SW before the crash, but you can't be sure. There may also be other things up there that you couldn't see from down below.
You are currently on the landing to the SE of the columned room. Your travel options from here appear to be go back to the columned room or take the other switchback further into the unknown.
Also have a wand of CLW here, so feel free to use mine as well!
"We made enough noise comin' in ta this place. I ain't sure if'n them gobbos heard us comin' and scrambled up to attack us...or if they'd been waitin' in general. If'n they were a'waitin' then there must be somethin' they think is valuable in there."
The dwarf scratches his beard for a moment and then says, "Welp...we ain't got much choice. We either go back to that room or open these doors."
Barrin shudders as the wave of magical healing roils through his body, then looks from the half-orc to the others. "Agreed. Once everyone is healthy we should follow these steps. Keeping a sharp eye out as we go, of course."
Alester, if there's anything I can do to help with the map confusion please let me know, that lost feeling is one of the things I dislike most about pbps.
Also would people prefer I start a new map file so that there's less scrolling around or would they prefer I keep adding to the current file so it's easier to see how things line up?
I'm fine with the scrolling as well. The map is complicated, but I've (mostly) been able to follow it looking at it in conjunction with your narrative descriptions. The one mistake I made was from me simply not reading closely enough. And onward, I say!
Helaman mentioned work being busy so here's moving on.
1d4 ⇒ 2
Arryn is down 7 HP and will take a charge from Aleister's wand
1d8 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4
and will follow up with a charge from Kardak's wand.
1d8 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5
1d100 ⇒ 8 Hmmm 08, lets say Arryn was able to grab his pole-arm on the way out.
--------
Back in formation the party cautiously advances down the new set of stairs, wary of danger on all sides. The passageway makes another switchback and heads to the southeast once again. Fairly quickly the passageway turns slightly to east.
Ahead, the passage widens out into a room here before continuing.
Piles of sand and rubble fill the corners of the room, and the sound
of splashing water can be heard from the east.
The mustard colored squares represent the sand/rubble piles and are difficult terrain.
"The floor in the center looks like it might give way. Not sure if its a trap, faulty construction or or just a result of the age of this place...but we should be cautious."
Spending a few minutes examining the floor it does appear to be an ancient pit trap. Drawing a chalk outline around it is no problem and you would guess the debris in the corners of the room once belonged beneath the floor.
Rhythmic splashing continues to echo from the east, possibly a fountain of some sort.
"I've got some rope, if'n anyone feels brave enough to tie it around themselves while the rest of us hold onto it. I'll volunteer myself if anyone wants to watch over me gear whilst I tread over that crumbly floor section."
According to our placements on the map we've already made it across the room successfully, right? Or is Toren advancing into the hallway beyond tied to a rope?
Once the trap is spotted there is no challenge crossing the room and with Jarl taking several minutes to carefully draw a line around edge of the pit trap in chalk I moved everybody into the room so something vaguely resembling formation was preserved.
My apologies if I jumped the gun and moved people up further than expected.
Greetings! My name is Robert and I'm a PFS addict.
I'm currently looking for 4-6 people with level 1-2 PFS characters to play the Accursed Halls. As a note we will only be running the Halls and not Thornkeep or the surrounding area.
While I would prefer players whom are unfamiliar with the details of the Accursed Halls, knowing such is not a deal breaker, just please make it clear how much you know.
Warning: There are some particularly lethal challenges for level 1 characters, so apply at your own risk.
Once I pick a team and check stats, I'll start the scenario within a week or so, with text here on the Paizo boards, and simple maps through Google Docs. I am hoping to be done before my trip to China on March 15th. To accomplish this, I'm expecting people to be able to post daily during the work week. (More frequently is welcome, of course.)
So, what am I asking you to do here?
1) Introduce your character -- if you have one -- or your intended concept. While I do not need a full stat block yet, I will need one before the start of the game.
2) Tell me how much you know about Thornkeep.
This recruitment is not first-come, first-serve. In few days, I'll draw straws, looking to build a well-balanced party. I'll let you know now that I'm likely to be capricious, and I'll apologize in advance to those who won't make the cut.
I would like to submit a character. When are you planning on starting? I have a Lvl 1 Bard Archaeologist who should be finishing Fallen Fortress in about a week or I could submit a new character.
Hey it's Hawkwen, after rereading your intro, I'm guessing that a week will be too long, so I would like to submit Jarlgur Flamnord, Wildblooded, Sorcerer Seeker. He is an Uflen male that grew up in Taldor, his father being part of the Ulfen Guard. He carries the Linormn bloodline and in always intrigued by puzzles and mysteries.
I am a PFS addict myself and know nothing of Thornkeep. If you don't start by the weekend, I had planned on running Jarlgur through First Steps II this Sat. afternoon in RL. If that would work, that would be great, so he could get a little extra gold and PP purchase.
I have seen this scenario/module scheduled as a 2 rounder at a local convention. I know nothing of this series, but it causes me concern if you are trying to squeeze it into a 6 week timeline. If my concerns are unfounded, awesome. I have some GM credits that can be put to good use.
If we don't finish before the Ides of March, how long are you going to be in China?
I have seen this scenario/module scheduled as a 2 rounder at a local convention. I know nothing of this series, but it causes me concern if you are trying to squeeze it into a 6 week timeline. If my concerns are unfounded, awesome. I have some GM credits that can be put to good use.
If we don't finish before the Ides of March, how long are you going to be in China?
I think my timeline is a bit ambitious and it's possible we won't finish before my trip, but I think The Accursed Halls runs much closer to 5 hours than 8 hours, although it could easily stretch to 8 if Thornkeep flavor and random encounters on the road were added (which we are not doing in this case)
I will be in China from the 15th to 23rd. So in case we don't finish by then I'll be out of contact for about a week
Submitted for your consideration is Aleister Marlowe...a second level witch. I have one more Chronicle Sheet to apply and I need to do some shopping but he is otherwise ready to go. Obviously not a heavy hitter but a decent debuffer and can heal in a pinch.
1) Kardak the Feared is a skilled combatant on or off his camel, striking fear into his enemies. He's built to intimidate and take prisoners. (He's a GM baby, so I'm not quite finished with his character sheet.)
2) Thornkeep was the dungeon you got from the tech demo Kickstarter, right?
Barrin Ironhite's character sheet is now complete in his profile. I'll work up an in-character introductory post here in a bit, but I do have a question. Do you need us to e-mail or post to google docs (or somewhere) our Chronicle sheets?
Application for Arryn - I'm in multiple PbP games and maintain a good daily post tempo as a rule of thumb (my GMing of Hawkrens aforementioned Master of the Fallen Tower being the exception)
PFS# 38110-14
Angel Born Aasimar Paladin (Oath of Vengence) Level 1
S 18 D 12 C 14 I 10 W 8 Ch 16
HP 12 AC 17 Touch AC 11, Flatfood AC 16 CMD 16
BAB +1 CMB +6 Fort +4, Reflex +1, Will +1
Discovered as a babe in the wild by a handful of traveling Pilgrims of Ragathiel, Arryn was considered something unusual right from the first - his appearance is definetely unusual, possibly Fey or Elvish - definetely he has the pupiless eyes and pointed ears common to Elvenkind and he has always had a talent for learning things common to nature and the First World, as if remembering old memories rather than learning something new.
As a child of about 4 or 5 years he given into the care of the Clergy to raise - something unusual as this is not the normal practice of his followers, acknowledging that other faiths and organisations are better suited to childcare but Arryn was growing at an unusual rate and was especially strong and focused for his tender age.
After hitting puberty, he was taken on as a squire to another Paladin and through travel and service has ended up in Absolom. His Knight-Master, on the basis of a dream, has knighted the young man and recommended that he take up service with the Society, not knowing the reason but trusting that this was Ragathiel's will.
While Arryn looks Elvish in some respects, he is atypical in others - he stands nearly seven feet tall and is very well muscled. His size and his personality radiates a presence that can be intimating to some.
Born in the dwarf-fast of Janderhoff in Varisia's forbidding Mindspin Mountains over half a century ago, it wasn't uncommon for Barrin Ironhite to go years at a time in his youth without seeing the sun. The son of a long line of guardsmen and women, Barrin was trained from birth to fight those enemies of the city who approached the Sky Citadel from below.
But it was the stories of an old adventuring great-aunt that compelled the dwarf to eventually seek his fortune, and his fate, outside Janderhoff. A retired Pathfinder herself, Luanna Ironhite spent two years as a slave on a Qadiran galley before being freed in a raid by the navy of Andoran. While all of her youthful nephews and nieces took the old woman's fierce hatred of slavery to heart, Barrin in particular was impressed by her rescuers, and when he left the mountains, he promised Luanna he would always side with the oppressed.
Making his way to the City at the Center of the World was an adventure in itself, but once he presented himself beneath the Glyph of the Open Road at the Grand Lodge in Absalom, Barrin knew he had made the right decision. He has gone on a few missions for the Society in the city or nearby, and is now eager to begin his career as a Pathfinder for true.
Jarlgur lived a rather easy life growing up in Opara. His father was one the elite mercenary Ulfen Guard protecting the office of the Grand Prince. This position had been in the family for generations, each Flamnord son following in his father’s footsteps. Such was not the case for Jarlgur. Growing up, he early on realized his gift for sorcery, though in the beginning he hid it from his father.
As he matured and investigated his sorcerous powers, he came to realize his power stemmed from the ancient Linnorms of his peoples homeland. Eventually Jarlgur told his father of his powers, his father was not pleased and forbid Jarlgur’s use of magic. Jarlgur rebelled against his father’s wishes and took many a beating for the rebellion. His father insisted on Jarlgur joining the Ulfen Guard. With no avenues left before him, when he come of age Jarlgur stole out in the middle of the night and ran away. He took what money he had and purchased passage on a ship bound for Absalom.
When he arrived in Absalom he was awestruck by the sheer multiethnic culture of the teeming metropolis. He spent a few weeks doing odd job and occasionally begging to get food and lodging. I t was in Absalom that he learned of the Pathfinder Society. The Society seemed like just the organization that would be accepting of someone of his talents. He presented himself at the Gates and was accepted. It was during his time as an Initiate that he discovered his knack for disabling locks and traps and an understanding of things of a mechanical nature. He does love the adventuring life and feels completely at home within the Society
Barrin Ironhite's character sheet is now complete in his profile. I'll work up an in-character introductory post here in a bit, but I do have a question. Do you need us to e-mail or post to google docs (or somewhere) our Chronicle sheets?
If you had something particularly unusual I would like to see it, but I have no need to review your normal chronicle sheets.
It'll take a few days to get started after I select the group to go over character sheets and get things settled so you should be fine to play first steps on Saturday Hawk.
As a reminder while your character is in this game it is effectively locked in until the end of the adventure and unavailable for other adventures.
Question for Alice Margatroid/Arryn Wildblood/Lecky Have you previously read/played/GMed The Accursed Halls. (As a note as a tier 1-2 module it is replayable by 1st level characters)
No pm accursed halls or any of that series - heck, didn't even know it was PFS legal (I am on Chris' Severed Ties thread asking you about it as Helaman/Badr)
As a module there are no faction missions and upon completion you will receive 3xp/4pp. For every 3rd of the adventure you miss each of these rewards will be reduced by 1 to a minimum of 1xp/2pp as well as gp earned reduced by 1/3rd.
So for example if after completing ~1/2 the adventure you decided to drag your companion's corpses back to the Grand Lodge in Absalom and call it quits, those of you who survived/were able to be raised would earn 2xp/3pp+ 2/3rds gp.
Once the adventure is complete I will be emailing people their chronicle sheets to print at their leisure.
Toren Still reportin' fer duty! Friends can call me "Stand" Still on account o' me an my shield Tessa here! We're looking fer some work, the gemcraftin' business ain't so good and the Pathfinder's been generous enough in the past with givin' me something ta do.
I don't really know anythin' bout Accursed Halls, but I'd gladly put Tessa and my trust Bec de Corbin to the group's protection! 'Specially if'n there's some sparklies I can take back to sell.
Toren "Stand" Still - Dwarf Phalanx Soldier Fighter 2. The profile has all the updated level 2 info! Thanks for your consideration.
Uh-oh! I kinda doubt Pirate Rob's going to go for two Dwarven fighters. May the best beard win!
(I've got a travel day tomorrow and will be away from the internet most of the day, but should be back Saturday. Hopefully any questions can wait until then.)
Beneath Brokenhelm Hill and the weathered walls of Thornkeep lies an ancient maze of magic and madness. Once the workrooms and summoning chamber of a rebel Azlanti lord, these subterranean chambers were forgotten thousands of years ago after the eradication of the evil lord and his followers. Over the centuries, adventurers have found their way into these twisting passages and magnificent chambers, only to discover that the fading magic of the ancient Azlanti still lingers here. The people of Thornkeep call this dungeon the Halls Under the Hill, but those heroes who have dared its depths know this place by a different name: the Accursed Halls.
"I heard among the villagers that there's a group of pathfinders willing to navigate the passages of the Accursed Halls " says Florence to the bartender. "I don't think you're capable enough to hande that mi'lady says the bartender while giving her a drink. "We'll see 'bout that" . Florence turned her back and walked away towards a group of seasoned adventurers. The bartender dropped the glass that he was holding for he was shocked to see a dim figure of an eidolon following her. Florence gave him a mischievous smile as she sits on the table beside the group.
That would be my entry, description on my profile, I probably should start posting as Florence right?
I'll likely do some changes on weaponry and finish equipping if I am selected as its a module and not a single session game. Its a longer period between equipping/re-arming
Arryn stands lost in thought in front of the fire, damp cloak steaming. Unusually tall, and massive of build he blocks most of the light from the inn's fireplace, casting shadows around the around the room.
Muttering from the locals snaps him back into focus and he turns from the fire and sits awkwardly on the benches facing the fire.
He smiles at the locals - again, somewhat awkwardly, as he tries to put them at easy but his alien appearance makes it more difficult.
Apologies Goodfolk... I merely sought to dry myself. May I join you in a mug of ale?
