Xaaon's Curse of the Crimson Throne

Game Master Xaaon of Xen'Drik

Hi everyone, I may not be able to post much tomorrow so I'm rolling round 3 now - Drakus, I realise you haven't gone yet in round 2 so if you roll for that AND for round 3 once you log in, we'll stitch it all together afterward...

Initiative

Gregor 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (10) + 4 = 14
Donagar 1d20 ⇒ 17
Mai 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (14) + 2 = 16
Drakus 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (13) + 2 = 15

Eel 1 (Gregor) initiative: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (9) + 2 = 11
Eel 2 (Gregor) initiative: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (18) + 2 = 20
Eel 3 (Mai) initiative: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (11) + 2 = 13
Eel 4 DEAD
Eel 5 (Donagar) initiative: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (9) + 2 = 11
Eel 6 (Drakus) initiative: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 2 = 10

Eel 1 (Gregor) attack: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (12) + 4 = 16
Eel 2 (Gregor) attack: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (13) + 4 = 17
Eel 3 (Mai) attack: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (18) + 4 = 22
Eel 4 DEAD
Eel 5 (Donagar) attack: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (5) + 4 = 9
Eel 6 (Drakus) attack: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10

Eel 1 (Gregor) damage: 1d4 - 1 ⇒ (2) - 1 = 1
Eel 2 (Gregor) damage: 1d4 - 1 ⇒ (2) - 1 = 1
Eel 3 (Mai) damage: 1d4 - 1 ⇒ (2) - 1 = 1
Eel 4 DEAD
Eel 5 (Donagar) damage: 1d4 - 1 ⇒ (4) - 1 = 3
Eel 6 (Drakus) damage: 1d4 - 1 ⇒ (4) - 1 = 3

Remember the poison - if you take damage, Fortitude DC 12 or take 1d3 Con damage per round for 6 rounds, or until you make a successful save.

Round 2__________

AC is only 21 in this armor.

Initiative: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (13) + 2 = 15

Swim: 1d20 - 2 ⇒ (14) - 2 = 12
Drakus fends off his eel with his shield and thrusts at it eel with his pilum.
Pilum thrust: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (3) + 8 = 11 for a possible 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (5) + 4 = 9 piercing damage.

Round 3__________

AC is only 21 in this armor.

Swim: 1d20 - 2 ⇒ (18) - 2 = 16

Pilum thrust: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (20) + 8 = 28 for a possible 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (8) + 4 = 12 piercing damage.
...Crit confirm?: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (2) + 8 = 10 Probably not, so normal damage.

Drakus skewers his eel on the pilum before fending it off it's attacks with his shield.

The an eel bite her thigh, and she counter attacks

Atk:Katana: 1d20 + 7 - 2 ⇒ (17) + 7 - 2 = 22
Damage:Katana: 1d8 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 3 + 1 = 8

Fort: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 5 = 12 Just made it

Round 2: Both Drakus and the eel circle one another, but neither can gain the advantage

Round 3: the eel lunges violently at Drakus, but succeeds only in impaling itself on his spear. It shudders along the whole length of its body before limply falling off the spear and sinking into the watery mud below Drakus. The spiral of blood it makes as it falls leaves such a pretty pattern in the water...

The eel strikes - just getting past Mai's guard - but is unable to retreat in time to avoid being seriously hurt by the swiping katana. It still lives however, and swims cautiously around Mai, gauging the best point of attack.

"Hold still yah sea loving grass snakes!"

Shortspear attack 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (10) + 8 = 18
damage 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10

The eel writhes satisfyingly on the end of Donagar's spear point, before dying - still futilely snapping its jaws, its corpse drifts away bleeding in the current

Just another random roll: 1d100 ⇒ 56

As the second eel manages a nip on Gregor, he tries to twist away from it but it just torn the wound. He can feel the venom seeping in and sapping his stamina. It isn't enough, however to stop his swing on the first eel a second time.

Fort save 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (5) + 5 = 10, Con Dmg 1d3 ⇒ 2
Attack on eel 1 1d20 + 7 + 2 - 2 ⇒ (10) + 7 + 2 - 2 = 17, damage? 1d8 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 2 + 2 = 9 (halved for 4)

Remember: for rounds 3-5 you all have Gregor's Inspire Courage +2 to hit/dmg

Apologies all, slightly fraught weekend but I'm still here! Many thanks for the advice in the discussion page.

Eels 4, 5 and 6 are dead and the others are going down - let's finish this shall we?

Initiative

Gregor 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (8) + 4 = 12
Donagar 1d20 ⇒ 3
Mai 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (7) + 2 = 9
Drakus 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5

Eel 1 (Gregor) initiative: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5
Eel 2 (Gregor) initiative: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3
Eel 3 (Mai) initiative: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5
Eel 4 DEAD
Eel 5 DEAD
Eel 6 DEAD

Eel 1 (Gregor) attack: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3
Eel 2 (Gregor) attack: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 2 = 14
Eel 3 (Mai) attack: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (13) + 2 = 15
Eel 4 DEAD
Eel 5 DEAD
Eel 6 DEAD

Eel 1 (Gregor) damage: 1d4 - 1 ⇒ (1) - 1 = 0
Eel 2 (Gregor) damage: 1d4 - 1 ⇒ (4) - 1 = 3
Eel 3 (Mai) damage: 1d4 - 1 ⇒ (2) - 1 = 1
Eel 4 DEAD
Eel 5 DEAD
Eel 6 DEAD

Remember the poison - if you take damage, Fortitude DC 12 or take 1d3 Con damage per round for 6 rounds, or until you make a successful save.

Gregor, bad luck on being poisoned - wasn't it you who was hit by the vampire spawn as well?

Fort save 1d20 + 5 - 1 ⇒ (1) + 5 - 1 = 5, damage 1d3 ⇒ 1. Yeah, failing saves is what I do best. I have a long bad history with saves

Gregor feels a little quesy as he feels the toxin move up his arm. They need to finish what they are doing here so he can get out of this filthy water before anything gets worse. In the interest of haste, he attacks again, cutting a solid slice into the fish.

Attack eel 1 again 1d20 + 7 + 2 - 2 ⇒ (17) + 7 + 2 - 2 = 24, damage 1d8 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 2 + 2 = 12 (halved for 6)

Round 4__________

AC is only 21 in this armor.

Drakus swims over to Gregor to attack his eel #1.
Swim: 1d20 - 2 ⇒ (13) - 2 = 11

Pilum thrust: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (15) + 8 = 23 for a possible 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (5) + 4 = 9 piercing damage.

She dodges the eels and counter attacks

Atk:Katana: 1d20 + 7 - 2 ⇒ (11) + 7 - 2 = 16
Damage:Katana: 1d8 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 3 + 1 = 12

Are we still under the inspiration?

"Comeher yah fish!"

Shortspear attack 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (19) + 8 = 27
damage 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8

Assuming fish in reach and still inspired, if not disregard attack

And the three remaining eels die at your hands, the still-twitching corpses drifting away in the current...

1d100 ⇒ 28

1d100 ⇒ 22

1d100 ⇒ 85

You lucky things...

You now have unobstructed access to the Direption, the side view of which you can see from your level.

Anyone swimming over the top of the ship can see this view - Donagar, to see from this perspective you will need to use your fly spell, as you will for accessing either the front or main parts of the ship

The broken-off front part of the vessel is where the eels came swimming out from; the main body of the ship has no sign of activity, not even debris drifting in the water. You can see three possible access points into the ship from your perspective: two holes in the deck, one toward the rear and one in the middle of the ship - clearly from trebuchet-shot; and a large hatch.

Decisions, decisions...

Once you've celebrated your victory appropriately, let me know which section (front or rear) of the ship you wish to tackle first and - if necessary - which of the access points you want to try. Also, please let me know the order in which you will enter the ship, i.e. who is at the front - and who is at the rear!

"Let's check the front first than the back."

Gregor nods, and indicates that Donager should be the first. "Since the eels emerged from there, I imagine there is little risk of other predators within that area. Dwarf, you determine our pace, as we can swim anywhere and need to know via you in the front whether any area is particularly difficult to get you access to."

Edit: Gregor was still posioned. Fort save 1d20 + 5 - 1 ⇒ (17) + 5 - 1 = 21 cured.

"Bah! it's just a ship, if I don't see a door I'll jus make one an walk right on in! Not like a hole is gonna sink tha durn ting!"

@Mai
"Lets give tha front a wolk round an see if thar's a door."

Donagar heads to the front section of the ship......

Is it just your imagination, or does the taste of the water change as you approach the ship? More ... sickly ...

Following Donagar as he trudges through the mud and over and around the rocks, you can see that the front portion of the ship broke away and landed awkwardly. It is - just about - possible to clamber over the rocks and gain access to the two splintered decks, but anyone not swimming gets extremely muddy and no doubt slightly battered and bruised. This (in addition to the extreme cold of the water) is not an experience guaranteed to improve anyone's temper. On the other hand, anyone swimming can stay clean and smug - although the water is still just as cold!

No game effect, but role-play opportunities arise...

The decks of the front portion are filled with debris and sludge, the interiors wrecked and disordered. A search - which takes nearly 30 minutes and gets you muddy and covered in debris - reveals

Perception 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (15) + 11 = 26

Gregor looks the hollow space over, scanning and scrutinizing as he stares. "Odd, it seems that between looters and cargo floating away, there isn't anything left..... unless there wasn't anything here, as containers are often strapped or nailed down to prevent rolling and damage to the interior. Thoughts?"

Swim: 1d20 - 2 ⇒ (1) - 2 = -1
Perception: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (14) + 0 = 14
Cursing as he tried to swim while wrestling his shield through the water and failing, Drakus allowed himself to drift down to the bottom and walked along with Donagar.

"I don't know Gregor, let's just finish the search first. I'm muddy and cold and can't think real straight right now. The sooner we're out of here the better."

Donagar makes his way through muck and mire, and comes out with tendrils of muck floating off of him and through the water.....

"All tha fer naught!"

"The lack of stuff could also be a evidence that this was, a one shot run, a suicide mission, if you will."

"So I guess now we gotta check tha rest o tha boat?"

Donagar eyes the pit of muck he just recently came out of and turns around to march back through it....

"Analysis later. Let's check the back end of the boat and get the flock out of here." Drakus commented before trudging around the rock to the rest of the ship.

"Let's be cautious with the eels diced up it could attract sharks."

"Sharks don't eat rocks either....makes em swim too slow."

As you emerge from the depths of the Direption's wrecked bow, you can no longer remember for how long you have been down here in this alien - and hostile - environment. Every movement requires you to struggle against the resistant water; every movement seems to leech more precious warmth out of your bodies.

You are hardened adventurers, with much experience; but this is draining even your resolve.

Before we continue, make a Fortitude save - the DC is 13 plus your Armour Check Penalty. Failure means that you are Fatigued; failure by 10 or more means that you are Exhausted.

As you traverse the main body of the ship, you spot something you had previously missed - a cabin on the top of the deck (best seen from the top view here). It appears to have an entrance separate from that to the hull of the ship, with a door (currently shut) opening directly on to the main deck.

The main hull of the Direption is - on closer inspection - charred by fire and rent open by trebuchet holes, as well as great scars from where the ship crashed onto the rocks. You can essentially gain entrance to its body from almost any point.

Where will you choose to explore next?

Fort save vs DC13+11: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (15) + 9 = 24 Save!
Perception DC12: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (18) + 0 = 18

Trudging through the muck, Drakus points out the probable Captain's cabin.
"Let's start there! Looks like anythin important will be in there."

Fortitude save DC 13+ac penalty 6 - 1 MW = 18
1d20 + 6 ⇒ (1) + 6 = 7

Suddenly Donagar is ready to return to the inn, to prop his feet in front of the fire and drain a few tankards of ale....

"Is it just me or is this tiring?"

Fort save DC 13 +0 ACP 1d20 + 5 - 1 ⇒ (12) + 5 - 1 = 16
Perception 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (18) + 11 = 29

Gregor shakes his head at the dwarf, "Is it possible that your insistence on wearing stone while walking across the water's bottom could lead to your being worn out? We tried to warn against it. Sgt Drakus, you are correct, that would possibly lead to some documentation or maps."

The door to the captain's quarter's has shut fast, the swollen timbering jamming the door against the frame. It will require a certain amount of brute force to open.

who am I ...I sense - you - living...

I HUNGER ... I THIRST ...

No ... wait ...

I ... I ... I must LIVE

With that, the ethereal figure flies toward you - and stops dead in front.

Help ... help me to live ... I need ...

Let me know your actions

"Oh crap,
Who ya gonna Call,
For this type of a problem."

"Gather round gents and lady, I can attempt to hide us from this undead thing."

Plan is to cast hide from undead...
Up to 6 subjects 10 min/ level

"An we ken finish searching the ship."

Of course anyone who wants to try talking first .....by all means....

About to put his shoulder to the door, Drakus abruptly backpedals away from the apparition to Donagar.

Gregor sees the spirit approach, and tries to place what type it may be. If he knew something about it, maybe he could discover what caused it to be in this state, and if there was a way to put it to rest.

Lore master, Knowledge Religion 10 + 7 = 17

Gregor - You're pretty sure that the thing is a Wraith.

Wraiths are formed from the spirit of someone evil who seeks - for whatever reason - to cling on to life after dying; often to avenge a perceived wrong. "Young" (that is to say recently-formed) Wraiths have a semblance of personality - as they age, they lose this and become mere predators on the living.

Wraiths seek life-force and can drain it from their victims, gaining strength in the process. Anyone killed by a Wraith becomes one.

They are vulnerable to sunlight - not that that helps you here...

I'm assuming Donagar casts Hide from Undead as a delayed action to give anyone who wants to time to talk to it

We'll handle any conversation out of sequence, to save any further delays. Put questions etc. in your next post.

Once all conversation is finished and the spell is cast:

Will save: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (5) + 6 = 11

No ... the living - gone ... COME BACK!!! I must return!

The Wraith speeds away out of the cabin, into the open water.

Useful spell, that! Saved you a potentially nasty fight

Once all conversation ends and the Wraith disappears, you are free to examine the ship, although it would be advisable to be well away before the spell wears off...

In the remains of the Captain's cabin you find

A search of the rest of the Direption is time-consuming and reveals almost nothing - clearly most of what was present was swept out of the ship when it sank. In the hold, you find large numbers of broken bits of wood; it would seem that whatever was stored here was fragile and easily broken. In the silt and the mud at the bottom of the hold you find

Perception: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (19) + 0 = 19 Drakus finds nothing in the Captain's Cabin.
Perception: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (17) + 0 = 17 After a laborious and time-consuming search of the rest of the Ship, Drakus finds nothing.
...until he turns up a small chest buried in the muck of the hold.
"Hey! Lookit this!" He calls out.
He shows you a small chest (around 4 inches by 6 inches) of the same sort of wood; it seems that this is what was being stored - in some quantity - in the hold. The chest is cold and ... unpleasant to the touch; somehow both sticky and greasy. It is engraved with depictions of skulls: human, elven, dwarven, gnomish, halfling - all are present. It is locked shut and the mechanism appears to be complex; it is difficult even to spot the keyhole, hidden as it is in the socket of one of the skulls.

Perception: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (18) + 13 = 31

Mai finds A thin, darkwood coffer pinned beneath the bent leg of the bed. The coffer is of the sort used for storing valuable papers. The coffer is clearly airtight and waterproof.

"we should get these checked for traps and if they are magically sealed, cursed etc.
But when we get to back on land."

"All tha magic gimmity hack it not mah ting, but this box reminds me o a story I heard once bout Pandora's box....was a similar story but tha one was dirty."

Spells prepared, never leave home without them

"Wonder if tha undead ting is gonna make it back to land, we sshould report it when we take tha box in."

That's the decision you have to make - do you rely on your magic to evade the undead ... thing - possibly allowing it to rest and grow in strength; or do you strike it down and put an end to it?

Gregor wants to appease the spirit, at least try to do enough to get it to pass on. An undead of this sort left to its own devices could only become more of a problem to the citizens of his city. "Tell me poor spirit, how may we help you? I want to do what I can to help you find happiness in this most unfortunate state of being."

Diplomacy 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (18) + 13 = 31

In the cabin

Gregor looks at the boxes found with an approving eye, "Both are very likely to have information about them we could use albeit the second one has a dark divine magic about it. If we could cover it up as we work, I would feel better. Let's investigate the rest of the ship real quick in case there is anything else, then we should leave to examine what we've found."

Perception 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (1) + 11 = 12
Perception 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (12) + 11 = 23
Spellcraft 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (14) + 10 = 24

I remember ... so faint ... I remember - my Lady Andaisin.

Gave me ... a mission; oversee the loading of this ship and cargo - infected coins - meant for the Pallid Princess' enemies overseas.

Tricked - we sailed out from ... the harbour ... woke to find crew had left; clearly no supplies ... tried to pilot ship back to Korvosa - fire ... catapults ... drowning - NO!

Help...? You can help ... you can - lend me your life force! I MUST HAVE IT!

With that, the spirit lunges for Gregor -

- and Donagar casts his spell; the Wraith fails to make contact and disappears

At least I'm assuming this is when you cast your spell, unless you have a grudge against Gregor that I'm not aware of ;)

You are now free to explore the Direption results above; you see the restless spirit roaming through the wreck, clearly seeking you.

It is slightly disconcerting - its incorporeal nature means that it treats walls, decks and closed doors as non-existent, so you see it popping out as if from nowhere while you conduct your search.

Knowledge Local 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (3) + 15 = 18 (can't fail)
Knowledge Religion 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (12) + 7 = 19

Gregor shakes his head in disappointment, "His words do not bode well. We should discuss this further when we return to a place we can speak more privately, and have dried off from our swim."

"Aye! I have never been more tired in all my life."

Considering casting lesser restoration on myself...