SwampTing's Untitled Campaign (Inactive)

Game Master SwampTing

Constantin, can you plot on the map your movements through the fog, taking into account your movespeed?

You see Constantin running off into the fog. A short moment later, you hear a shout from him.

"Over here! The B**** is over here!"

Initiative order - Round 2
42 - 21
Alden - 18
Exiel - 16
"Caila" - 14
Constantin - 14 -----------half-resolved
Sue - 6

You hear more cursing, and a patch of the fog clears for the slightest moment. You all see Constantin take a swing, but lose his grip on his own sword mid-swing, then try to catch it by the handle but instead hitting the handle and sending it spinning blade-over-hilt. He spends a good few seconds juggling the sword in the air as he tries to catch it with his left hand, then with his right, then with his left again, each time only succeeding in hitting the handle and sending the sword into the air once more. Finally he uses both arms to catch the sword in an embrace before carefully putting it firmly into his hand again.

The whole things lasts for about 6 seconds, and the fog quickly coalesces once more, but the sight of the sword-juggling oracle is now forever embedded in your minds.

He rolled a natural 1.

Initiative order - Round 2
42 - 21
Alden - 18
Exiel - 16
"Caila" - 14
Constantin - 14
-----------resolved
Sue - 6

Sue, 42, Alden and Exiel are up. Only 42 has declared actions so far.

Alden moves over to where he just saw Constantin and aids his defense. +9 Dodge bonus for the next round.

Sue will move up to where he hears Constantin yelling. Rather than end in an awkward spot, Sue continues on, provoking from the creature. and attempting to block its escape down the hall.

Exiel moves up in the direction of the creature until he sees her, then takes another swing.

attack roll: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (19) + 13 = 32
damage: 1d6 + 6 ⇒ (2) + 6 = 8
miss chance: 1d100 ⇒ 65

That's fine, 42. And you think that the effect is somewhat similar to that of a mirror image spell.

The party moves up towards the sound of Constantin's voice, gathering around the hag. As Sue darts past, the hag takes a swing at her exposed back...

attack: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (8) + 17 = 25
damage: 1d8 + 6 ⇒ (3) + 6 = 9
and tears an angry red wound across her back.

image?: 1d2 ⇒ 1

Exiel and 42 make attacks on the hag(s) but have the sense to aim at different ones. 42's attack passes right through one of the hags, which winks out of existence. Exiel's crunches more bone.

The hag is completely unimpressed. She looks around, and seeing that Sue is the one whom she has the clearest view of, savages Sue with her teeth and rending claws!

Bite: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (14) + 16 = 30
damage: 1d6 + 6 ⇒ (3) + 6 = 9
Claw 1: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (14) + 17 = 31
damage: 1d8 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 10
Claw 2: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (16) + 17 = 33
damage: 1d8 + 6 ⇒ (7) + 6 = 13
rend: 2d8 + 9 ⇒ (2, 3) + 9 = 14

Sue is severely bloodied by the attacks!

Initiative order - Round 3
42 - 21
Alden - 18
Exiel - 16
"Caila" - 14
-----------resolved
Constantin - 14
Sue - 6

Everyone's up again. Sue is in pain.

Viscount Constantin Vladescu-Blakros continues to dispassionately hack away at the giant hag.

+1 Adamantine Falcata: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (15) + 11 = 26, for 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (11) + 12 = 23 damage.

Miss Chance (High = Hit)1d100 ⇒ 99

+1 Adamantine Falcata: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (6) + 6 = 12, for 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (11) + 12 = 23 damage.

Miss Chance (High = Hit)1d100 ⇒ 37

Seeing Sue get ripped up by the evil hag, Alden will move around the hag, drawing her attacks, until he is adjacent to Sue.

Naala will take a bite at the hag, trying to trip her up.

bite: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (11) + 7 = 18
damage: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3 plus trip: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (13) + 11 = 24

Alden will then challenge the hag, then take the Total Defense action, granting Sue a +2 Luck bonus to AC while adjacent, and increasing his own AC to 32 against the hag. He and Naala will add to Sue's AC any time she gets attacked, giving her +14 Dodge.

42 recalls a spell that he has used today that might be useful. He starts to cast defensively CD: 1d20 + 21 ⇒ (8) + 21 = 29 DC needed 17. 1 Arcane point used. He calls forth and casts Ray of Enfeeblement and he strikes out at the woman.
attack: 1d20 + 17 + 2 ⇒ (16) + 17 + 2 = 351d6 + 8 ⇒ (5) + 8 = 13
R.O.E.: 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5 15 fort save for half strength damage.

Crit: 1d20 + 19 ⇒ (7) + 19 = 261d6 + 8 ⇒ (2) + 8 = 10
R.O.E.C.: 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6 15 fort save for half strength damage.

Total strength damage is 11.... sucky rolls...

Fog%: 1d100 ⇒ 54

Exiel will use the opening created by Alden to also move out of the fog and take another swing at the hag.

attack roll: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (13) + 12 = 25
damage: 1d6 + 6 ⇒ (1) + 6 = 7

Sue ignores the pain of her wounds and asks the beast

"Where will Rovagug sleep after he devours the world?"

Bewildering Koan as a swift to make it lose its next action.

Bluff: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (18) + 15 = 33

Sue will then step up and flurry the beast.

Attack: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (11) + 10 = 21
Damage: 1d6 + 4 + 1d6 ⇒ (3) + 4 + (1) = 8

Attack: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (2) + 10 = 12
Damage: 1d6 + 4 + 1d6 ⇒ (6) + 4 + (4) = 14

Attack: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (18) + 5 = 23
Damage: 1d6 + 4 + 1d6 ⇒ (6) + 4 + (4) = 14

Constantin presses his attack and draws blood with his first slash. However, because he somewhat overestimates the deadliness of his weapon, which does 1d8 + 12 ⇒ (6) + 12 = 18 instead of what he rolled. Sue poses a question to the hag just before unleashing a flurry of attacks on her. The hag is momentarily distracted by the odd question, and leaves herself a little more vulnerable to Sue's strikes.

As the hag reels from the force of Sue's blows, 42 manages to get in a nasty slash. Alden moves right past her, anticipating a slash at his exposed back as he moves past her...but hears a thump from behind him as she slumps to the floor. Exiel looks at his club, then at the hag, then at his club again, and pokes her with the club just because there is nothing better left to do (unless you want to kill her outright).

Searching her body, you find:
phylactery of negative channeling
iron key to area D5
wooden unholy symbol

The leather trunks in the partitioned compartments are unlocked and hold ragged feminine clothing (the ones in 'Caila's' are sized for a Large creature). You also find in them the following:
a potion of protection from arrows
a black star sapphire worth 3,000 gp
a jar of earwigs
a scroll of flame strike
a bejeweled skull worth 1,200 gp
a leather sack containing 800 gp in assorted coins and small gems
a wooden case containing what appears to be a collection of children's scalps.

From here (as described before), you can see passages leading to the North and South, and a locked door to the West.

Where do you want to go?

Viscount Constantin Vladescu-Blakros nods towards the locked door.

"That looks interesting..."

Exiel chews his lip thoughtfully.

"I don't know...if the door is locked, it could well be that nothing will be coming out from it until we unlock it. I'd rather explore one of the open passages we have not yet explored. There's two from this chamber, and the one we left unexplored earlier. If possible, I would like to avoid having anything come at us from behind."

"That said, I suppose we should at least see if this key unlocks that door. If it doesn't, you adamantine sword should make short work of the door, but there would be no way to lock it again. We should also hang on to the loot we found in those trunks. The black star sapphire and the bejeweled skull in particular look like they may some specific use later on."

I don't suppose there is a way to find out whether or not any of these are the keys we came here to look for?

Exiel takes the key and tries it on the door.

Is it possible that 42 would have a few rounds of Blink left, so he can hop over to the other side and check it out before the spell runs out? If so, that's what he'll do.

42 hops over to the other side of the door and catches a quick glimps of what's there before hopping back.. "Okay, it's a long tunnel, just like the ones we are in."

Sue nods to 42 and begins her long set of cures again.

CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4
CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7
CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5
CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4
CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6
CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 = 8
CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 9
CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3
CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6
CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5

"This isn't the key for this door. Hmm... we have a total of 4 tunnels to choose from. 3 from this cavern and one more being the one we left behind. If I've been keeping track of the twists and turns of this place correctly, the Southern tunnel should not extend much further without leading to a dead-end cavern or to some secret door connecting back to the first passage. I'd suggest we follow the southern passage and clear out whatever lies at the end so we have one less unexplored passage to worry about."

Just so we don't get stuck here, I suggest you guys vote and we go with the majority.

42 goes with chance. passage: 1d3 ⇒ 2

42 goes with chance. [dice=passage]1d3

If we count the door that Constantin should be able to cut through, we have 4 options in total. Also, which passage was passage 2? I don't think they were numbered for our convenience. XD

Exiel has a preference for the passage leading south from this current chamber, but will go with what the party decides.

I wasn't counting the way we came from. But now they are labeled.... There might be 4.. not sure.
chance: 1d4 ⇒ 3

I was thinking of the path we didn't take earlier. The one in the general map labelled "The passage also leads further in this direction, though you can’t yet tell for how long."

Unless that passage is not available for exploration? GM?

I was thinking of the path we didn't take earlier. The one in the general map labelled "The passage also leads further in this direction, though you can’t yet tell for how long."

Unless that passage is not available for exploration? GM?

That passage leads to places within the scope of the sanctioned parts of this AP.

Alden will agree with Exiel, let us do the Southern passage (3 on the map).

It looks like we have 3 votes for the same direction. That would be enough.

You follow the Southern path, thinking that it will not take you long to reach the next chamber. However, you soon realise that the Southern path slopes upwards, and that at some point you must have passed the passageway that you fought the giant and demons in.

The passage continues on till you reach a fork. One branch leads to a stone arch, beyond which lies an impossible expanse of broad meadow in what appears to be daylight filled with swaying wildflowers. There appears to be a young woman and a large ox in this chamber, both of whom are looking at your group.

The other path leads a further way away towards a small cavern with rough and jagged walls and a smooth stone floors that appears immaculately clean. There appears to be more in the further chamber, but it is too far to make out, apart from what appears to be a closed door at the far end.

42 doesn't like the feel of the meadows... He can't explain it. Knowledge Planes: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (19) + 11 = 30

He turns to Sue, "Do you detect evil from there?"

Exiel pipes up.

"I too can discern the presence of evil," he replies.

Stepping forward, he attempts to detect magic and evil from the meadow and the figures within (moving closer as needed).

Knowledge:arcana if magic detected: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (19) + 7 = 26

Since Exiel is detecting evil, Sue will detect chaos.

The woman arches an eyebrow as Sue and Exiel scan her with their abilities. "Oh? How impolite, to enter my home unbidden and use divination magics on me in my face before announcing or introducing yourself or asking my permission."

She takes a few steps towards the mouth of the tunnel and looks Exiel straight in the eye.

"Really, I expected better of a bearer of the black mantle, even if you bear only a portion of its power" she adds as she smiles coyly and winks knowingly.

"Tell me, what has become of Illarion Matveius, and why have you come to Artrosa. Are you associated with the other interlopers plaguing my domain?"

Exiel, do you want to keep concentrating?

Exiel blushes a little at the woman's rebuke and stops concentrating on his spell.

"Evil or not, she has a point. Besides, if she knows about the mantle and the black rider, she may be able to tell us about the keys."

"Illarion Matveius, the Black Rider, is dead. To my knowledge, so are the other 2 riders. Before he expired, he passed on the mantle to myself and a few others who were with me. He told us to find certain keys that would lead us to Baba Yaga, who he thinks has disappeared due to various machinations of her descendant, Elvanna. And we confirmed this when myself and a group of other adventurers liberated the Dancing Hut from imprisonment in White Throne. I was told that two more of the keys we need to find Baba Yaga are hidden within this complex. Can you tell us where they are?"

diplomacy: 1d20 + 26 ⇒ (17) + 26 = 43

Viscount Constantin Vladescu-Blakros shrugs, but sheathes his weapon, and watches impassively as Exiel and the woman banter, willing to give her the benefit of the doubt for the moment.

Alden watches the woman cautiously, but lets Exiel do his thing.
With a 43, I think even Rovagug would be appeased. LOL

The young woman watches Exiel intently as he gives his answer, a small smile broadening on her lips as she listens...or perhaps she is not listening so much as oggling the 29-charisma-aasimar. Either way, she seems quite pleased with Exiel's response, and quite likely with Exiel himself.

"Well then, it seems you can be pleasant company when you want to be. That is...a pleasant change," she says with a pleasant giggle. "And the news you bring is...interesting."

She looks Exiel up and down with sensuous smile on her full lips, then breaks into a girlish giggle. "Well, I suppose one such as you would not have any place with or amongst the large oafs who have trespassed upon this place. Hmm...very well then. There are rules, and there are rules...but... oops, it appears I've dropped something." As she says this, a small piece of metal falls from her hand to the ground. A key of some sort.

"Oh silly me, always losing things with so many places to go and things to do. I really must be off, but...don't make too much of a mess as you explore this place. Try to enjoy it, if you can! It has its beauties, I assure you!"

She blows a kiss at Exiel as she begins to fade from view, and just before she fades from sight she gives the handsome aasimar a wink as she adds in childish sing-song that jars with the words she speaks, "oh and do be careful around little Toro. He gets so cross sometimes. It's not his fault, you know. It's just his nature. Hope you sur-vi-ive. If you do, I might see you again, and we might talk about you staying... a little longer."

With that, she is gone.

With her disappearance, however, the field also begins to fade from view, leaving behind a bare cavern...and what used to a large ox is now an even larger ox with a skin of interlocking metal plates and heavy breath of pale green smoke. It squints at the lot of you, then paws the ground in irritation.

She essentially warned you about what was coming, so Toro does not get a surprise round. Your minute-per-level buffs have worn off by now.

Initiative order:

Alden - 25
Exiel - 24
Toro - 19
Sue - 14
42 - 12
Constantin - 9

Alden and Exiel, you guys are up. Knowledge arcana to identify the beast.

Alden and Naala will move up next to Exiel (and if Exiel moves toward the bull, will ready their second move action to follow). +14 Dodge bonus to AC as usual.

42 looks at the beast now in the room. "I knew there was something odd about that meadow."
K.A.: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (20) + 12 = 32

Exiel grimaces as the maiden disappears from sight.

"Always seems to come down to this...although I'm pretty sure we'll see her again before we're done with this place... She seemed to know a lot more than she was telling us."

"Sure as heck am not going to fall for her cute-and-coy routine, though. If there's one thing I know well enough not to do, it's to not date crazy."

He hefts his hooked lance and readies an action to stab the creature once it come within range.

Knowledge Arcana: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (4) + 7 = 11
attack roll: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (9) + 13 = 22
damage: 1d8 + 6 ⇒ (8) + 6 = 14

Exiel has no idea waht the creature is, but 42 recognises the distinctive green breath and metallic skin. The beast is a gorgon, a creature known and widely feared for its petrifying breath weapon!

42, you can ask one question.

Before he can yell a warning, however, the beast charges forward, standing at the edge of Exiel's reach. Exiel plunges his lance into the beast's torso, and it retaliates by unleashing a large cloud of green vapour that washes over all of you!

Everyone needs to make a DC21 fort save or be temporarily petrified.

Initiative order - round 1:
Alden - 25
Exiel - 24
Toro - 19
-------------resolved
Sue - 14
42 - 12
Constantin - 9

You're all up, assuming you all make your saving throws.

Fort Alden: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (17) + 11 = 28
Fort Naala: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (19) + 8 = 27

Alden and Naala shake off the effects of the evil bull's breath.

Alden will attempt to stab the beast with his lance:
Benevolent lance: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (1) + 9 = 10
damage: 1d6 ⇒ 2
Benevolent lance 2: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (7) + 9 = 16
damage: 1d6 ⇒ 2

Both terrible misses

Then Naala will step forward 5 feet and attempt to trip the beast:

bite: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (20) + 7 = 27
damage: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3 plus trip: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (1) + 11 = 12
crit bite: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (9) + 7 = 16
crit damage: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4

Naala lands a vicious bite on the creature's leg, though she doesn't trip it, and it doesn't deal nearly as much damage as you would think.

Drat! Bad damage roll and no crit confirm! BOO!

Alden and Naala will continue to help any adjacent allies, giving them +14 Dodge AC up to 3 times per round.

Fort: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (1) + 13 = 14

Sue stops moving and turns to stone.

Fort: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (18) + 5 = 23.

Much to his own surprise, Viscount Constantin Vladescu-Blakros *doesn't* turn to stone. He captilises on his good fortune by moving into the room.

Double move.

Fort: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (16) + 9 = 25

Sue draws a sharp breath as the large ox-like creature charges forward, and as it breathes out a huge cone of greenish gas, realises as her skin and flesh harden to stone that it was probably not the best idea.

Unless something happens, you get a new save each round to force yourself back into flesh-and-blood.

Initiative order - round 1:
Alden - 25
Exiel - 24
Toro - 19
Sue - 14
-------------resolved
42 - 12
Constantin - 9

Upcoming Fort Save: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (8) + 13 = 21