Why Can't Fighters Have Nice Hobgoblins? Ironfang Invasion

Game Master Stalwart

William manages to dodge some of the fire and then moves forward and fires at the southern naga.

Reflex Save: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (10) + 9 = 19

+2 Adaptive Goblinoid Bane Composite Longbow PBS DA AS 1: 1d20 + 20 + 1 - 3 ⇒ (3) + 20 + 1 - 3 = 21 Damage 1: 1d8 + 6 + 3 + 1 + 6 ⇒ (2) + 6 + 3 + 1 + 6 = 18

Haela brings her axe to bear on the serpentine caster.
Blood for the Empire applies if an any has damaged it in the previous round.

Attack, PA, Blood for the Empire: 1d20 + 17 - 3 + 3 ⇒ (17) + 17 - 3 + 3 = 34
Damage: 1d10 + 8 + 6 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 8 + 6 + 3 = 23

Iterative: 1d20 + 12 - 3 + 3 ⇒ (19) + 12 - 3 + 3 = 31
Damage: 1d10 + 8 + 6 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 8 + 6 + 3 = 23

Aerel's miss chance 1: 1d100 ⇒ 87
Aerel's miss chance 2: 1d100 ⇒ 68

Mirror Image (1 hits): 1d4 ⇒ 3

Aerel's well-placed arrow drop the formerly invisible naga. Then he switches targets and pops an image.

Benedict (1 hits): 1d3 ⇒ 2

Benedict's initial strike vanishes another image, but his follow-up attacks do nothing.

William has to switch targets after Aerel's skilled hits, but his arrow goes far wide.

Haela steps up to the remaining naga and strikes twice.

Haela (1 hits): 1d2 ⇒ 2

She pops the final image, then manages to connect with her follow-up strike.

The remaining naga looks terrified and moves back, hissing with desperation. "Pleassse!! No! I sssurrender! Sssspare me!!"

Aerel draws back another arrow, but waits to loose the missile.

Remembering the creature's gaze pulling at his mind, Benedict responds

If the naga hesitates to do so, he will attack and direct everyone else to do so.

If it complies, he says, "Swear that you will go off into the Long Walk and never trouble us again. Do not open your eyes until you have left this cavern by the direction that we came in."
Benedict does his best to discern the truth of the naga's response.

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 20 ⇒ (12) + 20 = 32

Grum growled in frustration. His bloodlust was raging, but he knew that ignoring a surrender would turn war into a massacre. With that in mind he held himself back.

The naga complies, and it immediately takes the opportunity to flee when given the chance.

25,600 xp

The trox was wearing magical bracers called bonebreaker bracers, an amulet of mighty fists +1, rhino hide, and a cloak of resistance +1. It also carried a lockbox with the seal of Rovalda and Droskar on it. Disable device DC 35 to open.

"You always were a bit soft, Benedict."

Haela heals Benedict (who was down 30).
Healer's Hands 4 of 9: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (5) + 17 = 22 27 HP, just down 3 now.

Then William (who was down 24).
Healer's Hands 5 of 9: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (11) + 17 = 28 29 HP, back to full.

"We've got a bunch of potions."
As a rule of thumb, given that she generally heals 25+ HP, anybody with less than 20 damage is probably better off with using up our extensive potion stash and preserving her Healer's Hands uses. Currently showing 9 CLW, 15 CMW, and 12 CSW.

She takes and drinks one.
CMW: 2d8 + 3 ⇒ (5, 5) + 3 = 13 Back to full. Now 14 CMW.

Aerel will take time to study the lockbox for nasty surprises.

Perception vs. traps: 1d20 + 30 ⇒ (3) + 30 = 33

If it's trapped, I think I cannot Take 20 - is that correct? If he cannot take 20 against any perceived traps, rolling:

Disable Device vs. traps: 1d20 + 25 ⇒ (2) + 25 = 27

Assuming he thinks he's disabled a trap (or has set it off by now), he will try to open it. Again, taking 20 if he can. Rolling he cannot.

Disable Device without traps bonus: 1d20 + 20 ⇒ (14) + 20 = 34

Ah, nuts.

The Trapfinding ability that Aerel has is +1/2 level to all Disable Device checks, not just for traps. So it applies to the Open Locks application as well.

It takes several tries, but Aerel manages to open the trapless lockbox. Inside is 2,540 gp and a bright red magical gem.

A bit annoyed at his failures, Aerel sits back and looks up, "There you go."

It looks like Grum is 17 down, which I think is more potion range than Healer's Hands range. We have a ton, as I noted.

"Onwards? Aerel, would you care to check out the next room?"

William looks curiously at the gem and asks Aerel "May I?" as he puts out his hand. Once he has it he casts detect magic and studies it.

Spellcraft: 1d20 + 19 ⇒ (5) + 19 = 24

Potion: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 = 8
Potion: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7

Grum chugged down a potion and tossed the bottle away. ”Coins, a gem, and a workout. This day gets better and better.”

Aerel spots a side tunnel to his right which descends out of sight. The tunnel continues on and turns a sharp left. The tunnel begins to feel quite warm.

While Aerel scouts, William unsuccessfully tries to figure out the gem's magical properties.

William looks curiously at the gem and asks Aerel "May I?" as he puts out his hand. Once he has it he casts detect magic and studies it.

Aerel motions to the gem, clearly disinterested in his frustration. He makes a point of checking buckles and gear before taking a deep breath. "Sorry, I guess I was hoping the trox would actually be useful when we found them." He nods to Benedict, "I'll be back shortly."

Stealth: 1d20 + 24 ⇒ (14) + 24 = 38

The tunnel is empty of creatures as Aerel scouts ahead. Besides the side tunnel that branches to his right, the main passage makes a sharp turn to the left. He doesn't get far before the heat becomes more and more intense. Further ahead, Aerel sees a reddish glow and hears a regular hissing of gas and a low rumble.

The main passage has heat and glow? Or both passages?

Just the main passage

He returns to the side passage to check it out. Still slow and stealthy.

Slight amendment. The main passage has light and heat. The side passage has heat

Aerel checks out the side passage, which slopes down but the heat of the main passage is present in this as well. It opens into a chamber that is swelteringly hot, lit by the warm orange light shining from the northeastern passage. Crude paintings of a three-eyed circle with bat wings line the walls.

Aerel commits the drawings to memory before returning to the others. ”We seem to be approaching a very hot area. Two paths, one glows red-hot and feels the same, I didn’t follow to its conclusion. A lesser tunnel leads to a room with images like this,” and he attempts to replicate the drawings in whatever form is available - dust on the floor being his like first choice.

"We have some potions of fire resistance. As well, I think Grum naturally resists flames. Probably a good time for some of the rest of us to take the potions."

There are three Potions of Resist Fire in Party Loot. I would suggest Haela (as the healer), Aerel (as having the lowest HP), and Benedict. William can cast Resist Energy, and his spell would give Resist 20 instead of 10.

@William, what spells do you have prepared? Your sheet shows Resist Energy as a 2nd-level, but it also shows a Haste crossed off and you haven't cast any spells today.

The next chambers are hot, meaning that each hour you are in them you have to make a DC 15 Fort save (the DC goes up by 1 for each previous check. Characters wearing armor take a -4 penalty on these saves. The Survival skill can add bonuses to these checks. Failure means you take 1d4 nonlethal damage.

Severe heat conditions (which might be relevant soon) require the checks every 10 minutes. Taking nonlethal damage makes you fatigued.

What effect does fire resist have?

You'll be immune to heat effects

Aerel nods at Benedict’s suggestion and retrieves one of the potions of fire resistance.

"Right." Grum said. "Potions ready? Let's get through this. Potions or not, we shouldn't wait long in this place."

@William, what spells do you have prepared? Your sheet shows Resist Energy as a 2nd-level, but it also shows a Haste crossed off and you haven't cast any spells today.

Sorry, I hadn't updated it.

William casts his resist energy spell against fire. He looks to the others and says "Which one? Main or branch?" He then heads off behind them.

Wait - was the room with the pictograms a dead-end or was there more passage beyond that? I thought it was the end of the line.

The chamber with the pictograms is not a dead end, no.

Benedict will drink a Potion of Resist Energy and also don the Ring of Evasion (since nobody else seems to want it). To make room, he removes his Ring of Protection +1 and gives it to Haela.

She likewise drinks a potion, and puts on the ring.

”The main path seems to be going directly into a magma chamber, but maybe should try it first while the magic is new.” He raises his hands, obviously unsure which is best. He drinks his potion of fire resistance.

”Well time is wasting. Let’s go!” Grum said, striding forth into the heat of the main chamber.

The glow is actually coming from the next chamber beyond this one. Rough-hewn stone forms the walls of this extended cave complex, while the floor consists of broken bits of rock. Insectile body parts litter the area. Smaller nooks, eight to ten feet deep, are dug into the walls, reaching almost to the ceiling.

A strange swirling, floating mass with four tentacles floats in this chamber, and the fate of the remaining trox is apparent in their slaughtered bodies strewn about the floor of this cavern. The strange mass immediately reacts with hostility!

 
Enemy: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (4) + 11 = 15
Grum: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (11) + 1 = 12
Benedict: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (18) + 5 = 23
William: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (13) + 5 = 18
Amkarang: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (18) + 3 = 21
Aerel: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (16) + 6 = 22
Haela: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (16) + 2 = 18

Sorry Grum. Everyone but you goes first

William moves forward and casts haste on the group "I don't know what that thing is but it doesn't look good!"

What knowledge to ID it?

William takes a moment to see if he knows what this creature is and how to defeat it.

Kn: Dungeoneering: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (20) + 17 = 37

I would like to know defensives and then any offensive abilities

Haela uses Tactician to share Shake it off as a swift action, then uses Teleportation Mastery as a standard action to bring herself, Grum, Benedict, and Amkarang closer to the creature.
All were adjacent, and arrived in the same relative positions. Benedict will take a 5' step after appearing, as I will post.

Bolstered by William's magic, Benedict takes a 5' step up to the creature and attacks.

Attack, Recklessness +3, Haste +1, PA -3, Obedience +2: 1d20 + 17 + 3 + 1 - 3 + 2 ⇒ (11) + 17 + 3 + 1 - 3 + 2 = 31
Damage, Recklessness +3, PA +9: 1d10 + 8 + 3 + 9 ⇒ (6) + 8 + 3 + 9 = 26

Hasted Attack: 1d20 + 17 + 3 + 1 - 3 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 17 + 3 + 1 - 3 + 2 = 21

Secondary: 1d20 + 12 + 3 + 1 - 3 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 12 + 3 + 1 - 3 + 2 = 16

Tertiary: 1d20 + 7 + 3 + 1 - 3 + 2 ⇒ (20) + 7 + 3 + 1 - 3 + 2 = 30
Damage: 1d10 + 8 + 3 + 9 ⇒ (3) + 8 + 3 + 9 = 23
Confirm?: 1d20 + 7 + 3 + 1 - 3 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 7 + 3 + 1 - 3 + 2 = 16
Extra Crit Damage: 2d10 + 16 + 6 + 18 ⇒ (3, 1) + 16 + 6 + 18 = 44

With Haste, AC is 30, Touch 14, CMD 29.

Aerel adjusts his position (don't think he can get into 30', though, so no point-blank bonus) and puts as many arrows in the air as he can.

Attack with rapid shot and haste: 1d20 + 21 - 2 + 1 ⇒ (19) + 21 - 2 + 1 = 39
Damage: 1d8 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 5 = 12

Haste attack with rapid shot and haste: 1d20 + 21 - 2 + 1 ⇒ (10) + 21 - 2 + 1 = 30
Damage: 1d8 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 5 = 8

Rapid shot attack with rapid shot and haste: 1d20 + 21 - 2 + 1 ⇒ (13) + 21 - 2 + 1 = 33
Damage: 1d8 + 5 ⇒ (4) + 5 = 9

Iterative attack with rapid shot and haste: 1d20 + 21 - 5 - 2 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 21 - 5 - 2 + 1 = 19
Damage: 1d8 + 5 ⇒ (2) + 5 = 7

Final attack with rapid shot and haste: 1d20 + 21 - 10 - 2 + 1 ⇒ (16) + 21 - 10 - 2 + 1 = 26
Damage: 1d8 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 5 = 12

Clustered Shots, damage from all hits are combined into a single pool of damage before DR is applied.

It's amorphous, so no crits or precision damage

The creature clings to the shadows of the chamber, forcing the attackers to rely on their darkvision.

Miss Chance, Benedict: 2d100 ⇒ (35, 29) = 64

Miss Chance, Aerel: 4d100 ⇒ (58, 78, 12, 34) = 182

Two of Aerel's arrows manage to land.

Amkarang?

What is the miss chance from? Does it have cover?

William knows about the miss chance

Botting Amkarang

Melee: 1d20 + 19 ⇒ (6) + 19 = 25
Damage: 1d8 + 9 ⇒ (4) + 9 = 13

Melee: 1d20 + 19 ⇒ (3) + 19 = 22
Damage: 1d8 + 9 ⇒ (5) + 9 = 14

Melee: 1d20 + 19 ⇒ (9) + 19 = 28
Damage: 1d8 + 9 ⇒ (6) + 9 = 15
Miss: 1d100 ⇒ 72

Melee: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (13) + 14 = 27
Damage: 1d8 + 9 ⇒ (4) + 9 = 13
Miss: 1d100 ⇒ 51

Melee: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (20) + 14 = 34
Damage: 1d8 + 9 ⇒ (7) + 9 = 16
Miss: 1d100 ⇒ 65

Melee: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (10) + 9 = 19
Damage: 1d8 + 9 ⇒ (7) + 9 = 16

Benedict lands three hits.

The creature lashes out with two of its tentacles, the ones tipped with a dusty rose gem and a pale white gem. Two others, one tipped with a green stone and one with a red one, fire off rays of energy!

Tentacle 1 vs. Benedict: 1d20 + 19 ⇒ (11) + 19 = 30
Damage: 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10

Tentacle 2 vs. Benedict: 1d20 + 19 ⇒ (13) + 19 = 32
Damage: 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10

Green ray, pbs, touch vs Am: 1d20 + 23 + 1 ⇒ (13) + 23 + 1 = 37
Acid: 6d6 + 1 ⇒ (5, 2, 6, 2, 5, 1) + 1 = 22

Red ray, pbs, touch vs Am: 1d20 + 23 + 1 ⇒ (12) + 23 + 1 = 36
Fire: 6d6 + 1 ⇒ (5, 2, 3, 3, 3, 3) + 1 = 20

You're up!

Hit: 1d20 + 23 ⇒ (5) + 23 = 28
Damage with electricity and fire: 1d10 + 1d6 + 1d4 + 26 ⇒ (1) + (3) + (3) + 26 = 33

Iterative: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (17) + 15 = 32
Damage with electricity and fire: 1d10 + 1d6 + 1d4 + 26 ⇒ (6) + (6) + (3) + 26 = 41

Iterative: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (3) + 10 = 13
Damage with electricity and fire: 1d10 + 1d6 + 1d4 + 26 ⇒ (9) + (3) + (4) + 26 = 42

Ecstatic to find that his Dwarven comrade could also teleport the group, Grum materialized with an ear to ear grin. Roaring with glee he leapt straight into the fray.

Amkarang lands three hits, I believe you meant to post.

Haela enters Dwarven Hatred Style, full attacks, then 5' steps to make room and inch around towards a flank.

Attack, Haste +1, PA -3, Blood for the Empire +3: 1d20 + 17 + 1 - 3 + 3 ⇒ (19) + 17 + 1 - 3 + 3 = 37
Damage: 1d10 + 8 + 6 + 3 ⇒ (9) + 8 + 6 + 3 = 26
01-50 Miss: 1d100 ⇒ 20

Hasted Attack: 1d20 + 17 + 1 - 3 + 3 ⇒ (17) + 17 + 1 - 3 + 3 = 35
Damage: 1d10 + 8 + 6 + 3 ⇒ (10) + 8 + 6 + 3 = 27
01-50 Miss: 1d100 ⇒ 91

Iterative: 1d20 + 12 + 1 - 3 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 12 + 1 - 3 + 3 = 17
Damage: 1d10 + 8 + 6 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 8 + 6 + 3 = 22
01-50 Miss: 1d100 ⇒ 57

Benedict takes the two hits but continues to battle.

He tries to recall his training for battling invisible foes. relying more on his ears than his eyes. (Uses Barroom Brawler to pick up Blind-Fight.)

Attack, Haste +1, PA -3, Obedience +2: 1d20 + 17 + 1 - 3 + 2 ⇒ (14) + 17 + 1 - 3 + 2 = 31
Damage: 1d10 + 8 + 9 ⇒ (6) + 8 + 9 = 23
01-50 Miss: 1d100 ⇒ 2
Reroll Miss Chance: 1d100 ⇒ 34

However, he has no success at this time.

Aerel steps (5') closer trying to get into PBS range eventually. Not assuming PBS yet, please include.

Attack with rapid shot and haste: 1d20 + 21 - 2 + 1 ⇒ (19) + 21 - 2 + 1 = 39
Damage: 1d8 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 5 = 12
Miss chance: 1d100 ⇒ 5

Haste attack with rapid shot and haste: 1d20 + 21 - 2 + 1 ⇒ (17) + 21 - 2 + 1 = 37
Damage: 1d8 + 5 ⇒ (1) + 5 = 6
Miss chance: 1d100 ⇒ 25

Rapid shot attack with rapid shot and haste: 1d20 + 21 - 2 + 1 ⇒ (20) + 21 - 2 + 1 = 40
Damage: 1d8 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 5 = 8
Miss chance: 1d100 ⇒ 68

Iterative attack with rapid shot and haste: 1d20 + 21 - 5 - 2 + 1 ⇒ (12) + 21 - 5 - 2 + 1 = 27
Damage: 1d8 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 5 = 12
Miss chance: 1d100 ⇒ 74

Final attack with rapid shot and haste: 1d20 + 21 - 10 - 2 + 1 ⇒ (11) + 21 - 10 - 2 + 1 = 21
Damage: 1d8 + 5 ⇒ (5) + 5 = 10
Miss chance: 1d100 ⇒ 33

Clustered Shots, damage from all hits are combined into a single pool of damage before DR is applied.

Attempt to confirm the critical on #3: 1d20 + 21 - 2 + 1 ⇒ (20) + 21 - 2 + 1 = 40
Potential Critical Damage: 2d8 + 10 ⇒ (4, 2) + 10 = 16

William calls out to the group "I think that is something called a khardajeen. They have no discernable anatomy. They may also confound darkvision, so some sort of light source would help with hitting it I t hink. It's a strange one"

If it's still up he pulls out a sunrod and activates it.