cynarion's Carrion Crown PbP

Game Master cynarion

Raj expertly rifles through the zombie's pockets and pouches.

Gnome Zombie's Possessions
The gnome was definitely...well...an independent contractor. He had a few interesting items in his possession.
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Weapons

• 1 × Small masterwork light crossbow
  
• 1 × Small masterwork rapier
  Armour
  
• 1 × Small masterwork studded leather
  Magical Items
  
• 1 × small snuffbox containing magical powder (faint transmutation)
  
• 1 × wax-sealed steel vial containing a swirling lilac liquid (faint illusion)
  
• 1 × scroll of feather fall
  Mundane Items
  
• 1 × masterwork thieves tools
  

Anything else that may have at one time have been useful is rusted or rotten.

Adrenaline surges through Karrik as he regards the pile of bones that only moments before had plummeted dangerously towards him. He gives the now-destroyed gnome-thing one considering look before bringing his eyes up to take in everyone else… then surprises you with a quick battle-cry.

"BRAAGH!" His grin is dangerous but genuine as he looks at the group, but especially Rose and Dragomir who played so crucial a role in the quick destruction of the animated bones, "Exhilarating, no?"

You see, Raj? Luck is on our side! he exclaims, turning to the knife-wielder. But Rajuna is already slashing at the zombie that recently freed itself from the vines.

Lem gives a start, then hurries over to cast a benediction on Raj.

Luck be with you, he says, then raises his voice to the others. Well struck, friends! The gods themselves curse these unholy creatures as anathema--they lend their might to ours, as a mighty waterfall to a river. Let us wash these undead terrors from this plane of existence!

Karrik regards the puny preacher with annoyance, "Now let's avoid giving all the credit to your coin, preacher. I won't dispute your contribution, but Rose and Dragomir put this thing on the ground… not your coin."

Raj nods at Karrik, "You owe me a pair a boots."

Karrik barks a laugh as he looks down at Raj's shoes, "While I've been taught the value of charity, I would argue that -- at best -- the acid pulled away the top layer of accumulated grime on those dust-catchers."

It occurs to you that despite all the fancy clothes and words, Karrik's blood responds to a fight very much like you'd expect any other orc's, and his current mood reflects it. "So… what's the plan?" As he asks, he looks around on the ground, finally spying his quarry before stooping down to retrieve his hat… which receives a quick dusting before landing back atop his shaved scalp.

Yeah, I was debating picking up a rock and knocking the zombie's head off with Throw Anything antics but given Septimus's state and the relish with which y'all were tearing into the zombie I figured it wasn't a big deal. I think it's funny that Septimus basically shot a couple of bolts, unlatched a bomb, and watched carnage unfold all around him. I'm not upset I didn't do anything useful. It fits in well with where his head is at right now.

Septimus stows his vial carefully, wincing as the adrenaline rush wears off and his full-body ache returns. The whole scene had unfolded as if he had been in molasses, but perhaps that was for the best. "We're lucky I didn't need to use this," he says to no one in particular. "Like as not we'll have sterner foes to come. Besides, I wouldn't have wanted to set any of you on fire. Yet."

He picks back up his crossbow and cleans the muck off of it with his forearm before heading over to the cluster growing around the zombie and its loot. His eyes zero in immediately on the vial. Before reaching toward it, he looks around at the group for approval. "If you would allow me, I believe I may be able to identify this quite readily, despite our rather rugged conditions."

Assuming the group assents, Septimus holds the vial up to the dim, cloud-occluded light, turning it slowly back and forth.

Dragomir grins and then laughs heartily.

Well...I still say we need to check those towers.

Seeing Septimus's gaze, Raj hands the alchemist the potion without hesitation, save to sniff the bottle in passing, "Smells like pink feels."

Rajuna crouches down over the body to examine the remaining goods reflectively. "Quality gear. What we can't use, we can sell. If you see something you can put to use, don't be shy - otherwise, let's bag it all."

Putting policy into practice, Raj dusts off the high quality lockpick set and stores it in his sash. As he stands up, he gives the corpse a small two-finger acknowledgement, a grift sign. "Sorry, ya met this end, friend. Ours is a dangerous business."

"Smells like pink feels."

HA! Love it.

"I'm not sure which surprises me more... that this place was able to generate such a large monstrosity or that it was cut down so quickly," Theron stated as he began retrieving his arrows. "It seems that I'm going to have to get a bit more variety for my quiver if this is any indication of what we're going to be dealing with further inside."

Dragomir recovers his bolt from the ivy.

Walter shakily sheathed his longsword. "I heard that children from Ravengro come up here sometime. After, um, having faced what we've faced, I wonder why there are any children left in Ravengro. Or why there isn't a big sign that says something like 'beware lake monstrosities.'"

Walter gave the items a cursory glance, but couldn't really recognize anything that wasn't readily apparent. He took a moment to soothe the voices, surprised at how willingly they dropped down into a dull murmur this time.

Rajuna smiles at Walter's (perhaps unintentionally funny) quip before responding to Dragomir.

Well...I still say we need to check those towers.

Raj nods, and points vaguely at the vine-covered wall, "Soon as I finish with this vertical garden... I'd like to scout this as a way in 'stead of the front door first. Think I saw an old staircase up to the outer wall near the far side of the building - we can head there next."

The thief double-checks that his gear is secured and begins climbing the wall again, keeping a lookout for any more Ivy Surprises.

Cyn, do you want us to declare who is packing each of the unused gnome items in their backpack, or do you just need a declaration of who is carrying the items we might use?

Theron takes a look at the items carried by the gnome. "Most of this is too small for any of us to use except for Lem." The inquisitor picks up the gnome's snuff box and opens it while displaying a fairly suspicious look. "This powder is magical... I wonder what it is supposed to be."

Spellcraft, identifying the powder 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (15) + 5 = 20

Immediately after the battle, Lem ignores Karrik's snide remark and looks around at all of the bone-dust covered fighters.

Is anyone hurt? No? Hmm, how...fortunate, he says, sparing a quick glance at Karrik.

He then picks up the discarded crossbow, raising it to eye-level and looking down the groove.

I left my crossbow back at Kendra's, so I suppose I'll take this. Hopefully it will serve me better than it's former master. May you travel your final path swiftly and safely, the priest says, bowing solemnly to the gnome's corpse.

He then searches for any quarrels that may still be intact.

He then searches for any quarrels that may still be intact.

Karrik gives a sh!t-eating grin, "Maybe you should ask your coin for some quarrels..."

Rose cleans her sword before sheathing it, wiping away the bone dust. "We have been quite fortuante in our battles thus far. I worry for when our luck does turn, which I hope Lem is averting as much as possible." She gives Lem a smile before turning back to the lake. "Is anyone able to sense the presence of the undead without using the consumables we have? I for one would like to know that no other abominations are going to visit us." Rose keeps watch on the lake while Raj climbs.

Lem smiles at Rose, then picks up a handful of grass, dropping it.

I can observe the direction of the wind, but I don't make it blow. So am I with Desna, and our run of luck.

The priest then approaches Karrik, speaking in low tones so only he can hear. His voice does not contain anger, but a sense of grave severity.

He bows stiffly, then moves off to watch Raj climb.

So, did this gnome have any bolts?

Hey folks!

Septimus holds the vial up to the dim, cloud-occluded light, turning it slowly back and forth.

Arrow Recovery:

Recovering the first two is fine...but to recover the third one you'll have to wade into the pond. Wanna do that? Go on. I think it's a really good idea. ; )

Raj will climb up the wall to scout for anything interesting and work his way towards the gap in the building's wall.

Taking 10 is fine in this instance.

Raj works his way methodically across the face of the prison's outer wall, moving from vine to vine. He soon finds himself suspended over the water of the pond, lapping against the wall. Trying not to look down, Raj makes his way over to a jagged break in the wall and peers into the room inside.

I'm not going to bother spoilering this as I assume Raj would tell you all what he found.

The room inside has obviously fallen prey to some disaster. The floor--especially to the east, where you are--is covered in rubble, presumably from the collapsed walls. The pond continues into this room, small wind-driven waves lapping against the bits of timber and masonry. With all the rain the past few days, the water is probably higher than usual, and some of it is draining into a pit in the centre of the room, creating an eerie booming sound as it lands in what sounds like a puddle below. The west walls and ceiling--opposite your position--are covered in soot.

Spellcraft, identifying the powder

So, did this gnome have any bolts?

He had twenty, but they've all gone a bit funny after thirty years of exposure to the elements. Hold on:

Yep. You find one bolt that's still useable. : )

Recovering the first two is fine...but to recover the third one you'll have to wade into the pond. Wanna do that? Go on. I think it's a really good idea. ; )

I had a feeling that was going to come up ;) Theron will fish one of his spare arrows from his pack then.

"Ah, dust of tracelessness," Theron states after studying the powder for a few moments and then closing the container. Rajuna will probably find a good use for this one... when he gets back down from the wall." The inquisitor glances up to make sure nothing attacks the rogue has he's climbing around up here.

Carrion Crown GM wrote:

Recovering the first two is fine...but to recover the third one you'll have to wade into the pond. Wanna do that? Go on. I think it's a really good idea. ; )

I had a feeling that was going to come up ;) Theron will fish one of his spare arrows from his pack then.

Aw, come'on... go for a swim. What could possibly go wrong. ;)

Raj climbs back down and reports everything in as much detail as he can muster.

"So, check the towers on the wall?"

Any change in the plans, guys, based on what we've seen?

After watching Raj scale the wall, Lem swings the crossbow over his shoulder and stows the lucky bolt. He then approaches the piles of bones and dust where the skeletons emerged from the water and were quickly dispatched. He walks from skeleton to skeleton, sprinkling holy water on them and offering prayers to both Desna and Pharasma.

May Desna guide you to your final resting place, and may Pharasma welcome you there and judge you fairly.

The halfling then walks back to the body of the fallen gnome, waiting patiently while everyone examines the gear and takes what they need/want. He retrieves a torch and flint and steel from his pack and says:

I hate to leave this man in this state. Please stand aside while I dispose of his remains.

Assuming no one stops him Lem will ignite the torch, offer another prayer, and burn the gnome's corpse.

"Ah, dust of tracelessness," Theron states after studying the powder for a few moments and then closing the container. Rajuna will probably find a good use for this one... when he gets back down from the wall." The inquisitor glances up to make sure nothing attacks the rogue has he's climbing around up here.

"It seems our gnome friend was doing his best to remain undetected," says Septimus, tossing the vial from one hand to the other. "To go along with that dust is a liquid that, when imbibed, will make you significantly harder to detect with the naked eye. A pity he didn't use it before this ghastly creature's spores drilled into his brainstem. But I am sure we will put it into more thoughtful employ."

Well... that wasn't such a chore, says Dragomir.

He watches Lem bless the bones and deal with the remains approvingly and bows his head and makes the sign of Pharasma as he does so.

Lem will ignite the torch, offer another prayer, and burn the gnome's corpse.

You will need a fair bit of time to do this properly--or you'll need some lamp oil or similar to get the fire going. Desiccated zombies might usually catch fire reasonably easily, but this guy has been in the rain for the last week. He's probably pretty damp. And smelly. Eww.

What a time to lack Prestidigitation to dry the corpse. Wait, a second 'Kendra would be useful' moment.

"So, check the towers on the wall?"

Any change in the plans, guys, based on what we've seen?

Sounds good to me! Oh, wait, I'm just the GM. Well, let's go with that anyway. ; )

The party leave the burning/non-burning gnome's corpse behind, and travels toward the western part of the courtyard, past the collapsed warden's home and around to the intact western wing of the prison.

The southern tower on the wall proves to be empty--you can see a place where presumably a large crossbow once stood, but anything useful has already been scavenged. The northern tower, on the other hand...

Walter actually has to reach a hand out and stop Rose as the group continues around the grounds. When Rose turns back to Walter and gives him a quizzical look, he simply points wordlessly to the northern tower.

The walls, while much more intact than those on the east, are still full of cracks and fissures. When everyone takes the time to look, they can see a roiling mass of greasy, furry bodies--it seems the tower is inhabited by a large pack of rats. The occasional rat dares to duck out of the tower to sniff the air or glare in the party's general direction, but they seem content--for now--to remain in the tower.

I am going to roll Initiative in case it becomes necessary later, but we aren't in round-by-round time yet.

What a time to lack Prestidigitation to dry the corpse. Wait, a second 'Kendra would be useful' moment.

I'm happy to see if Raj can manage to prestidigitate the body... of course it may go flying across the lake instead. :)

Dragomir pulls out one of the alchemist fires in one hand and one of the acid vials in the other.

Thats a WHOLE lot of rats... a mean, its like a moving lake in there.

I say we toast em'... Sep, got another bomb you can toss in there too?

Random note: you are presently around 30 ft. from the tower. Feel free to move elsewhere if you wish to have this discussion without needing to look over your shoulder every few seconds. ; )

At this distance the rats are not feeling overly threatened by us by the looks of them... I'd rather not close on them until we have a plan... swarms are... well... dangerous.

Raj rubs at the divot on his nose, scanning the rat-lined wall and tower. "Question is, s'there anythin' in it worth the fight?"

Big rats, rather not have them in a structure we might need to retreat to later.

Raj grunts. "Hopefully, anythin' we use to finish'em now won't be needed later."

Walter fidgets. "If they're leaving us alone, maybe um, we should return the favor. I mean, they're just rats. It's not like they're going to hunt us down later... orrrrr maybe we should." He spoke with undeniable severity, convinced by his own roundabout discourse.

I figure one of Sep's bomb and one of these babies, he said hefting the flasks in his hands, will do the job.

So - we roast some rats?

Hey folks--don't have time to make a post right now, but I need to make one in response to your conversation; can I ask for a pause for a few hours? I would rather not have to rewind actions later!

Thanks.

Thanks everyone. Finally back from Mother's Day Shopping. Say hi to your mums this weekend! : )

Abruptly, the rats boil out of the tower--and make a beeline for the party! Only Septimus gets to act in the surprise round.

Any reason why some sense motive checks are DC20 and some are DC25 - you're the GM and I adhere to rule 0 but I'm just curious

I think Cyn is using the skill we'd have the most chance to succeed on - Perception, Sense Motive, or (in my case) Knowledge (Nature).

Sorry for being late to the rat party. Post coming up.

Septimus tilts his head at Dragomir's suggestion of roasting rats. "I've plenty of firepower, though heat in excess of a fully stoked furnace is likely to...anger them..."

Septimus trails off, squinting up at the rats. Something's off. Individual rats seem to almost have disappeared from view, distinct creatures transformed into a squirming mass of eyes and tails. They're riled...or they're spooked...or...

"They're coming! Septimus bellows, unlatching a bomb from his pack. He waits until the swarm is as close as he can stand, then heaves the vial of liquid death into its midst, bracing himself against the coming tide of rodents.

I think what Dragomir is pointing out is that his Sense Motive DC was 5 points higher than everyone else's Sense Motive DCs, and this caused him to fail. Probably just got confused with the perception DC, so I'm thinking Dragomir will get to act in the surprise round too. Unfortunately, he won't have enough actions to throw one of his fire/acid bottles, lol.

Alright, let's not forget that swarms get +50% damage from splash damage ;)

Oh, didn't notice that DC being higher. Maybe it's the GM penalty for excessive damage dealt to cool monsters that didn't get to act.

Good point on the splash damage bump! Burn ratties burn!

Any reason why some sense motive checks are DC20 and some are DC25 - you're the GM and I adhere to rule 0 but I'm just curious

Yep! Because of GM error!

Sorry, Dragomir gets to act in the surprise round too. Thanks for the check. Too many things going on at once! : )

I think what Dragomir is pointing out is that his Sense Motive DC was 5 points higher than everyone else's Sense Motive DCs, and this caused him to fail. Probably just got confused with the perception DC, so I'm thinking Dragomir will get to act in the surprise round too. Unfortunately, he won't have enough actions to throw one of his fire/acid bottles, lol.

Alright, let's not forget that swarms get +50% damage from splash damage ;)

Dragomir should be able to throw one of his flasks--he had them both in hand, so he should conveniently be able to lob one at the approaching swarm. : )

Run, Dragomir, Run! Your giant sword is useless against them! ;-) For reals, though, we should try to run away around the water and have Septimus kite them, hehe.

He waits until the swarm is as close as he can stand, then heaves the vial of liquid death into its midst, bracing himself against the coming tide of rodents.

The bomb lands and sends out a rolling sheet of flame, incinerating rats left, right and centre. An acrid smell fills the air as rat fur burns.

(Total damage dealt: 10 (6 base + 3 extra vs. swarms + 1 splash).

At the moment, I'm thinking the rats are heading toward the grouping of Dragomir, Raj, Septimus and Walter, who all seem to be near one another by dint of being involved in a conversation.

Let me know if you have a particular idea about where your PC is located relative to the others.

Dragomir shouts and lobs the fire flask into the conflagration.

1d20 + 3 + 1 - 4 ⇒ (10) + 3 + 1 - 4 = 10

Factored in -4 for 30 range (2 range increments)

Damage
1d6 ⇒ 4

In a non map I am gonna assume a miss won't scatter into another part of the swarm

As much as I want to be within throwing range of that swarm, I think Theron's guarding the back of the group like usual. So, maybe 20 feet behind those that you mentioned?

Unfortunately Dragomir, I don't think you're going to get to throw a flask in the surprise round because you only get one standard action (and you need a move to just pull it out of your bag... unless you had the thing ready and I missed that). I think you'll want to just pull it out in the surprise round, then throw and run in the regular round.

I had it in hand - you missed that :)

(Total damage dealt: 10 (6 base + 3 extra vs. swarms + 1 splash).

Depending on how we want to interpret the rule, alchemists deal "the minimum damage of the bomb" as splash damage. That would mean 5 splash in this case, which would be a total of 14 damage on the rat swarm. That seems like an awful lot, though, so feel free to rule zero as you please.