PF2: Playtesting til we just couldn't anymore (Inactive)

Game Master Wandering Wastrel

I helped! I'm being very stingy right now, since this is the first fight.

Brynn lowers her staff and points it at the nearest ghast. It creates a brief piercing light, which is mimicked within the chest of the ghast.

DC 18 Fort
Dmg: 2d10 + 4 ⇒ (10, 5) + 4 = 19 positive energy

Disrupt Undead.
Success: Half damage
Crit Success: No damage
Fail: Regular damage
Crit Fail: Double damage and enfeebled 1 for 1 round.

Actions 1&2: Cast Disrupt Undead.
Action 3: Concentrate on Forbidding Ward

Rozalia grimly continues her assault.

Glaive: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (14) + 13 = 271d20 + 13 - 5 ⇒ (8) + 13 - 5 = 161d20 + 13 - 10 ⇒ (17) + 13 - 10 = 20
Damage: 2d8 + 4 + 1d6 ⇒ (3, 3) + 4 + (4) = 142d8 + 4 + 1d6 ⇒ (2, 3) + 4 + (3) = 12

3 Strikes. Start with green then move on.

The sorcerer groans as he slices and dices. "Why can't the dead just stay dead here in Ustalav?"

Action 1+2: attack. Action 3: stride. *If* red goes down, Jaksics strides to get into range (10ft reach) of Green, if possible.
Attack 1 vs Red: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (5) + 13 = 18
Damage 1 vs Red: 2d10 + 1d6 + 5 ⇒ (5, 9) + (1) + 5 = 20
Attack 2: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (16) + 8 = 24
Damage 2: 2d10 + 1d6 + 5 ⇒ (4, 3) + (3) + 5 = 15

"Well, long ago in Ustalav..."

"How about we save the history lesson until after the fight?" Rozalia calls, ghoulish gore splattering on her splint mail.

"Why is not important!" Ashlion bellows, "They are, so we kill them. Again." He adds as an afterthought.

Ashlion carves one of the remaining undead into pieces with ease, while Rozalia and Jaksics dispose of the other one. The stairs and carpet will most likely never be the same again, but the fight is over.

For now.

Trembling, clutching at the banisters for support, the professor slowly descends the staircase. "I- I believe I owe you all an explanation," he says wretchedly.

Rozalia wipes off her blade and gives the doctor an even stare. "Yes, please do. We found your journal. Is this related to Ramlock?"

"Yes! What is going on here?" Ashlion asks, wiping blood from his greatsword. "Are you a necromancer?" He asks suddenly, levelling the weapon at the professor.

Brynn reaches around and gently (well forcibly for her, but gently for Ashlion) pushes Ashlion's sword arms downwards. "Easy Ash! Innocent until proven guilty an all that!"

The professor hangs his head in shame. "No, I'm no necromancer... but I haven't been honest with you. Forgive me, my friends." This is addressed to Lucvi and the two research students. "Some weeks ago I became aware that agents of the Dominion of the Black were performing some sort of ritual, and I peered too deeply into the mysteries. Ever since, I've been experiencing terrifying episodes of disassociation, dimly aware of my actions but with no control over them. Worse, while disassociated, I've performed terrible rituals using languages I can't comprehend and communicating with creatures I recognized only as emissaries of the Dominion of the Black."

He takes a deep breath, allowing this to sink in before he continues. "At a loss to explain what was happening, I knew only that a touch of the Dominion was inside me, and that it wanted full control. Terrified and worried about hurting those around me, I kept my condition a secret while I desperately searched for a way to reverse the effects. When I began losing hours at a time to this plague — always during the night — I took a sabbatical from Sincomakti and retreated to Sombrefell Hall, an ill-used estate on the shores of Lantern Lake that has been in the Oscilar family for generations. I brought only a few trusted assistants with me, and a cache of research materials. At night, I have barricaded myself in Sombrefell’s basement to avoid causing harm to those in my care."

"Now that the undead have attacked, I am even more convinced that a powerful necromancer tied to the Dominion of the Black is using its minions to accost the hall. I suspect that the necromancer needs me for some sort of ritual to fully convert me into a Dominion agent — I am certain more undead are on their way. Worse, since night has fallen, I may soon once again fall under the Night Heralds’ influence."

With a sorrowful glance, the professor cries out, “My students — my friends! I’m so sorry for what’s to come. I must retreat to Sombrefell’s basement now so I can cause no harm. Please, adventurers, won’t you keep my students safe until the morning comes? Use everything at your disposal to do this. Now, I must go!”

Lucvi looks at him with an expression of disbelief - and rapidly mounting rage. "You did WHAT?! You brought us out here, defenceless, without telling us anything?! You - you..." At a loss for words in Taldan, she resorts to her native Varisian; her idiom is colorful and wide-ranging, taking in the professor's lineage, his personal habits and hygiene, with unflattering suggestions as to his sexual stamina and proclivities. Eventually, she trails off, out of breath as much as anything.

"I respected you! I trusted you! I- I liked you... How could you do this?!"

Her self-pity swiftly passes as her native good sense reasserts itself and she realises this is not the time. Shaking her head dismissively, she waves a hand at him contemptuously. "Go, then. Run along. Royst, Vittoria, go with him. Barricade the door to keep him in, and then lock yourselves in. Don't open to anyone, you understand? Not even me."

Terrified, the two students nod dumbly, and scamper off after the professor. Lucvi looks at you grimly. "So, what now?"

Ashlion turns to his companions and speaks relatively quietly.

"THIS IS BAD. WE MUST CONSIDER KILLING HIM. IF WE CANNOT DEFEND THE HOUSE IT WILL BE REQUIRED. BEFORE THAT... WE MUST DEFEND THESE PEOPLE. SEND THEM TO A SECURE LOCATION AND FORTIFY THE BUILDING."

So saying the cleric strides down the hallway towards the open doors.

Ash considers honorable death much better than being a Dominion puppet. I'm not going to go kill the Prof though, don't worry!

INTERVAL 1

First 5 minutes

Lucvi chuckles darkly at Ashlion's remark. "I'm less opposed to that than I would have been about, oh, two minutes ago. But let's all try and survive shall we? At the very least we should try and barricade the front doors. Let me know what you want me to do. Oh, that reminds me..."

She runs off to the kitchen and returns a few minutes later with half a dozen knives. She slips two into her belt, with a practiced ease that suggests she wasn't always a student, and offers the other four around. "They're silver. We're fighting undead, right? And there's this." She holds out several cloves of garlic. "Just in case..."

The knives are Expert quality silver daggers

Update the map to let me know where you are for Interval 1 and where you are building a barricade, either alone or in a pair.

Ashlion nods, although he declines a knife. "COME LITTLE SCHOLAR. HELP ME BLOCK THE DOOR!"

Ash and Lucvi will barricade the main door, or some of it at least! Right hand square (marked with a blue line on the map)

Roz sticks close to Brynne while her spell is in effect, letting the cleric choose where to build the barricade.

Lucvi nods at Ashlion. "OK. The chairs in the dining room are mahogany. Priceless antiques, I believe. Let's use them. I'm feeling a powerful urge to break something."

Around five minutes later, you have secured one of the front doors with wooden spikes that will impale anyone or anything who tries to pass through them. Lucvi nods, wiping a trickle of sweat from her forehead. "Whew. Good work. What next?"

The sorcerer felt sorry for Lucvi, but at the same time, he can't help but wonder what the young woman was thinking. Why would you want more from this old man, professor or not? Certain tragedy. Oh, the folly of the young.

"Undead, eh? Well, we best take our vitamins, just in case." The man then takes off his mask to reveal a face that isn't completely human. His jaw is too bulky and altogether too square, and when he opens his mouth to gulp down the contents of a murky vial, the liquid splashes against sharp teeth before rolling on down his forked cobalt-hued tongue.

Use 'Greater Antiplague' and 'Greater Antidote' potions to get a +4 item bonus vs diseases for 24 hours and a +4 item bonus vs poisons for 6 hours. I have one more of each if someone feels they might be needing the bonuses. They sadly do not 'cure' anything, they're purely preventables.

He then goes about the second floor to pull whatever curtains he can before windows, putting a chair or table - or whatever piece of furniture or ornament is at hand - on the tail end of the draperies so that anything or anyone foolish enough to fly on through might get trapped in the curtain.

Shield Other expires in 10 minutes.

Brynn gladly accepts a dagger and ties it to her belt before heading to the living room (section 12) to gather materials. She'll help barricade the other front door next to Ash's work.

The first 5 minutes pass in silence, apart from the splintering of furniture and the occasional crash as the barricades are put into place. At the end of it, the front doors are securely fastened, while Jaks is still not quite at the end of constructing... whatever the demon-blooded sorceror is constructing. Perhaps it's best not to guess, or to look too closely.

Map updated.

INTERVAL 2

Jaks continues to build in solitary focused silence. Lucvi runs into the study, gathering up as many papers as she can while shaking her head as she looks at the floor-to-ceiling windows. "Hopeless. We'll never secure that. Our best bet is to barricade the door from here into the hallway." She tucks a loose strand of hair back into place and looks at Ash. "Sound like a plan?"

Her proposal is to block the door to room 12; I've put her there on the map. Feel free to suggest something else.

Where is the chandelier connected to? Maybe we could use it as a trap.

Sorry, thought I'd explained that - there are two levers (white lines) at the base of the stairs on the map that will drop the chandelier if pulled

*cue music*

Jaksics keeps on laboring away at, what he hopes, will be a deterrent of sorts. Mindless undead might get stuck in it while those still possessing a shred of wit would merely find it a hindrance. Still, delaying any fliers would be great. Ask any Ustalavi about flying undead and they'll surely tell you about flying skulls, flocks of ghoulish ravens and worse. Even the dead can be creative.

If this interval goes by without anything happening, Jaksics's heroism will time out :)

"Good idea little scholar!" Ashlion agrees and lends his considerable bulk to building the second barricade as Lucvi suggests.

Brynn will build a barricade at the door between 3 and 1.

Sorry for delay! Picking up now.

ROUND 5

Ten minutes have passed so you will need to update your buffs accordingly.

*CRASH* *CRASH* *CRASH*

It sounds like someone is trying to get through the front door, but the barricades you put up are causing them difficulties!

Aware that she is a liability in combat, Lucvi runs back to the comparative shelter of the library.

Map updated - it will take them 3 rounds to break through so you have 3 rounds to move/cast etc as needed. Post your actions for Round 5, Round 6, and Round 7

"Front door! Get ready!" Rozalia calls. She moves just to the other side of the barricades, glaive held at the ready.

Round 5, move to door. Round 6, nothing. Round 7, ready action to attack first enemy she sees.

Readied Attack: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (7) + 13 = 20
Damage: 2d8 + 4 + 1d6 ⇒ (4, 2) + 4 + (6) = 16

Brynn scrambles to get ready. She takes out her crossbow and loads it, followed by casting Bless upon herself, Roz, and Ash. Then she'll take cover behind the wall and concentrate on her spell.

Round 5: Interact with object (take out Crossbow), Reload, Stride
Round 6: Cast Bless, Stride
Round 7: Stride, Take Cover, Concentrate

Bless grants a +1 bonus to hit. Requires concentration. Lasts up to 1 minute.

Ashlion reaches out to touch Brynn's crossbow and Roz's glaive, before withdrawing his own greatsword and taking position at the barricade.

5: Cast Disrupting Weapon, targeting Xbow and Glaive - they now 1d4 extra damage vs undead.
6: Nothing.
7: Prepare attack against first enemy.

Readied Attack: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (8) + 12 = 20 Damage: 2d12 + 4 + 1d6 ⇒ (7, 3) + 4 + (6) = 20

Extra Damage: 1d4 ⇒ 3

Okay, so my readied attack is a 21, and deals 19 damage now.

Jaksics rushes down when it becomes apparent that trouble is knocking on the front door. Huffing and puffing as he readies his glaive for what's to come, the sorcerer realizes he won't need to wait long for trouble to let itself in as the barricaded door is about to croak.

Stride x9 (which translates to 36 squares) - already moved Jaksics on the map.

The first ghast that makes it through the barricade is struck by both Roz and Ash; it gives a strangled scream, but is still standing - barely. The four of them surround the priest and the paladin, but their flurry of attacks proves ineffectual.

At the same time, there is a crash from upstairs as one of the bedroom windows is caved in. Two pale, cloaked, fanged monstrosities vault over the bannisters and start to climb straight down the wall. Lucvi draws her two silver daggers and starts to edge away. "Uh, a little help here guys - not sure I can take two of 'em..." Her attempt at humour falls flat, mostly because of the tremor in her voice. She's clearly terrified.

ROUND 8 is go! Party is up

"Brynne! Jacksics! Help Lucvi!" Rozalia shouts. She focuses on the foes around her.

Glaive: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (3) + 14 = 171d20 + 14 - 5 ⇒ (8) + 14 - 5 = 171d20 + 14 - 10 ⇒ (14) + 14 - 10 = 18
Damage: 2d8 + 4 + 1d6 + 1d4 ⇒ (2, 4) + 4 + (3) + (1) = 14

Targeting the wounded one.

Ashlion follows Roz's example, laying down a storm of blows with his greatsword.

Strike 1: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (20) + 12 = 32 Strike 2: 1d20 + 12 - 5 ⇒ (6) + 12 - 5 = 13 Strike 3: 1d20 + 12 - 10 ⇒ (9) + 12 - 10 = 11

Damage 1 (I assume it crits): 4d12 + 1d6 + 8 ⇒ (1, 9, 7, 2) + (2) + 8 = 29

The ghasts have AC 18 and the things climbing down the wall have AC 19. so yes, that's a crit!

Roz cuts down the wounded one, and Ash does his best to strike down another, but it clings to (un)life grimly and is still standing.

Jaks and Brynn are up!

Jaksics strides forward and leaps into the sky as he joinis the fray. The sorcerer's glaive lands a devastating blow as his boots come crashing down onto the ground.

Action 1+2: stride. Action 3: strike
Attack vs Red: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (18) + 12 = 30
Damage vs Red: 2d10 + 1d6 + 5 ⇒ (3, 8) + (6) + 5 = 22
Crit dmg (?): 2d10 + 1d6 + 5 ⇒ (7, 5) + (2) + 5 = 19

Brynn strides over to Lucvi and begins chanting. A scorching beam of light erupts from her staff as she points it to the closest of the two creatures. The beam misses entirely, slamming into the wall behind the creature. "Damn it all!" Brynn cusses.

Action 1: Stride
Action 2-3: Cast Searing Light

Ranged Touch: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (2) + 9 = 11
Dmg: 4d6 + 4d6 ⇒ (2, 3, 2, 4) + (5, 5, 3, 4) = 28 Fire, Good respectively

Jaks horribly mangles one of the remaining ghasts, but it still stands and bites him in return, its teeth piercing his armour. (Jaks takes 11 damage)

Roz and Ash, being more seasoned veterans, easily avoid their opponents' attacks.

The two hooded figures converge on Brynn and Lucvi, ignoring the frightened scholar in favour of taking down the cleric. Their claws juuuust miss the redheaded priest by the merest fraction.

Round 10 is go - party is up!

Since Jaks was hit, my retibrutive strike goes off against red, critting it for 44 damage. Rolls are in the spoiler on my previous post.

After punishing the ghast that struck Jaks, Roz turns to the next ones.

Glaive, Bless: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (2) + 14 = 161d20 + 14 - 5 ⇒ (18) + 14 - 5 = 271d20 + 14 - 10 ⇒ (10) + 14 - 10 = 14
Damage, Forceful: 2d8 + 5 + 1d6 + 1d4 ⇒ (2, 5) + 5 + (4) + (1) = 17

Attacking Yellow.

Sorry Roz - forgot you had a Reach weapon!

The ghast that struck Jaks is itself struck down by Roz' great vengeance and furious anger.

Red's dead, baby. Red's dead.

Roz' next strike also is enough to remove a further ghast from the combat.

Yellow is off the board. Jaks, Ash and Brynn still to go.

Brynn gathers the energy stowed within her holy symbol. "Sarenrae help us show these mockeries of life the meaning of purity!" A pure, white light bursts from her holy symbol and spreads across the area in blinding radiance.

Using channel energy, all 3 actions, adding the free action Undead's Bane power to my channel.

Fort DC21
Dmg: 1d8 + 4 + 7 ⇒ (6) + 4 + 7 = 17
Allies within 30 feet heal for 10 (17-7). I think that's just me and Lucvi.

Half damage on success
No damage on crit success
Double damage on crit failure

Seeing Bryn in trouble, Jaksics leaves the remaining unwanted guest to the paladin and the intimidating Gorumite. The sorcerer turns around with surprising alacrity and rushes to Bryn's side with big steps.

Action 1+2 stride. Action 3: strike hooded figure.
Attack: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (1) + 12 = 13
Damage: 2d10 + 5 ⇒ (5, 1) + 5 = 11 plus, if it's undead: 1d6 ⇒ 3

Both of the pale figures wince as Brynn's positive energy washes over them, but they resist its worst effects. (I'll let you roll the extra 2d8 damage that Roz pointed out and will apply it as an update.)

Jaks misses with his strike.

The hooded things have AC 19

Just waiting on Ash

more damage: 2d8 ⇒ (1, 2) = 3

Ash continues hammering away at the last that.

Strikes: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (11) + 12 = 23 Strike 2: 1d20 + 12 - 5 ⇒ (7) + 12 - 5 = 14 Strike 3: 1d20 + 12 - 10 ⇒ (13) + 12 - 10 = 15

Damage: 2d6 + 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (1, 1) + (3) + 4 = 9

OK, let's keep this going then

The last ghast falls, no match for Ash's savagery in melee.

One of the hooded figures lashes out at Brynn, hooking her with a claw before doing its best to impale her. (Brynn takes 25 damage and is flat-footed due to being grabbed) while the other diverts its attention to Jax. The sorcerer ignores the first attack, which simply bounces off his formidable armour; but the second claw strikes him and holds him fast. (Jax takes 10 damage and is flat-footed due to being grabbed)

Party is up

Rozalia rushes across the hall, trying to punish the creature grabbing Jaks.

Stride, Stride, Strike.

Glaive, Bless: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (3) + 14 = 17

Ash too hurries across the room to lay down a blow with his mighty sword.

Attack: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (5) + 12 = 17 Damage: 2d6 + 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (1, 1) + (3) + 4 = 9

I didn't concentrate last turn, so I think that means Bless is gone.

Brynn tries to channel her faith again into a burst of radiance.

DC 21 Fort Save
Dmg: 3d8 + 4 + 7 ⇒ (8, 3, 6) + 4 + 7 = 28
Allies within 30 feet heal 22 (28-7+1, +1 is due to holding staff of healing)

Half damage on success
No damage on crit success
Double damage on crit failure

If bless is gone, my retributive strike won't crit, so it would only be 24 damage.