Dwarves of Gold Peak

Game Master Nathanael Love

Rubius. Will Tawny be able to make use of Animal Growth?
Since we know our mark, I'll also have Hunters Blessing for some sacred boni.
And a total of 3 castings of resist energy(20 points), one of which I'd lock in on Thurgrom.
(I'll go with "protection from energy" myself.)

Tawny would LOVE animal growth!!

Rubius can provide some heroism, tactical acumen, and summon some buddies for buffs and help.

Kragg, what's the combat role of your rebuild? Melee? Tank? I'm not familiar with elementalist shifter but I'd guess melee.

Yup, melee! DPS, but my AC might be good enough to tank.

You can check Tramontane's spells in his alias; that's mostly what he can contribute with. Apart from tons of healing, of course.

@GM: I'm pretty sure Kragg wanted to tunnel under all the floors and pop his head up periodically, though any stone doors would be easy for him to glide through. As long as the floors aren't metal, he can just swim through the floor under any obstacles :3

Earth Glide (Ex) A burrowing earth elemental can pass through stone, dirt, or almost any other sort of earth except metal as easily as a fish swims through water. If protected against fire damage, it can even glide through lava. Its burrowing leaves behind no tunnel or hole, nor does it create any ripple or other sign of its presence. A move earth spell cast on an area containing a burrowing earth elemental flings the elemental back 30 feet, stunning the creature for 1 round unless it succeeds on a DC 15 Fortitude save.

@Dvalin: Actually, Blessing of Fervor would also give him an extra 10 rounds of moving double speed too, huh? that'd be a nice start to his scouting run...

Aye, it would give some rounds of more speed, too, but that's...neglectable compared to doubling the invisibility duration to 20 minutes.

I considered also loading up the 10 min/level buffs of level 2 or lower(Barkskin, Resist Energy...) during that time - they'd last about 3 hours then which should be plenty of time.

But there's the question if Tramontane is willing to spend two Fervors...because doing a scout run, then considering our options in peace before deciding to go in would be preferable.

1- Why 2 BoFs?

2- Reading the text of the spell, it would be up to the GM to rule if the extra movement from Haste, and if not, which of them would you rather have.

Other than those, I'm totally okay to boost you for your scouting.

1 BOF for invisibility doubled, to give him 20 minutes of time for scouting.

Then we look at the map, decide what we'll do, when we'll go in, and before we do that, we buff up with long-term buffs, preferably with another BOF so we can extend the duration on those, as well.

I meant 2 total before we go in.
1 for scouting, 1 for long-term-pre-buffing.

Sure, I've got 6 slots to spend, that shouldn't be a problem. Tram is now a healing/buffing guy, so that's what he does, one way or another.

I don't think the cavern will take over an hour of in game time. We might benefit from doubling the 1min/level buffs to 20mins, but depending on the layout that might not actually help much xD

Thurgrom has a bull's strength he'll thrown on himself when he meets the dragon. Other than that, he has his own abilities and whatever buffs the group deems to give.

Aye, might be overkill. 3 hours 20 just sounds "safer" than 1 hour 40...but after looking at the map, I concur it will likely not be necessary.

Rubius prebuffs:
Divine favor on self and Tawny
Heightened awareness
Defending bone on self and Tawny
Tactical acumen (two rounds before entering, extended via blessing of fervor)
Heroism on self and Tawny
Channel vigor on self (one round before entering, extended via blessing of fervor)
Protection from energy (lighting) on Tawny
SM V for lantern archons, rerolling until I get at least 4 of them.

Buffs available to others who want them, let me know:
Heightened awareness
Heroism
Aid (I have a ton so everyone gets aid!)

I have one more buff for self and Tawny I'll pop right before the dragon room (divine power).

SM V, lantern archons: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4

Ok so that's one casting spent and everyone gets Aid.

Ready to go in!

I'd definitely take an Heroism if you got one to spare.

Buffs already active:
False Life, Greater
Hunters Blessing

Self-Buffs on entry:
Barkskin (for +4 natural armor enhancement which shoult stack)
Protection from Energy(120/120 electricity)

Buffs for later:
Animal Growth(well, Rubius decides when, but I'm holding the minute/level buffs back initially - planned to roll them out a bit later.)
Fey Form II
Divine Power

To be handed out:
2x Resist Energy(20)

already locked in:
1x Resist Energy(20 electricity) on Thurgrom

BTW, Aid and Heroism are both morale bonuses, so for anyone with both, you're getting a long lasting +2 to attack/skills/saves with one and 1d8+3 (Lantern Archons get CL 3, right?) temp HP with the other
We don't want to wait around for buffs to tic down, so maybe we all just want just 1 roll for temp hp? :3

@Rubius: are you sure you have 3rd level spell slots to spare? I count for 3rd level spells...
(I didn't check anything else, 'cause I was just looking for bonus types, but I hope that helps)
@Everyone interested in Heroism: Heroism is a 2nd level spell for Gage, so if Aid's +1 to attack isn't enough for you, Gage can make you more heroic :D

unrelated: I'm not sure what kind of protection from electricity Gage warrents, if any. Hmmm. With my reflex saves, RE would probably be more appropriate thant PfE, but maybe none is good? Who do we expect to get zapped? I see at least 3/7 characters with PfE or RE but only 2 more offers of RE xD

You're right, Gage. I'm out of 3rd level spells! :P

But I also cast weapon of awe on my bow right as a few rounds before we head in.

some bow can become awesome bow?

Tram casts Shield Other on Gage (Our primary buffer and the one with the least HP). All other useful spells are either minutes/level or rounds/level, so they'll have to wait.

Shall I deduce 2 BOFs then, or only one?

Also, for all who worry, Tram will cast Resist Energy Communal in the near future.

Awesome! One BoF a couple rounds before we head in would be ideal, I think? Then a second whenever we're about to attack the dragon?

I realized I can't extend channel vigor with blessing of fervor so I just won't cast it. The duration is too short. Instead, that will be a heroism on Dvalin.

Much appreciated.

Gage will need one of those REs from Dvalin xD
Aid temp hp: 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 3 = 7

He'll also make himself a hero.

Anyone else want +2 morale to saves, attacks, and skills?
(you'll already have +1 to attack and +1 vs fear from Aid, and those won't stack...)

Hmm... It's hard for me to tell what's going on with the kind of small map. How much 5 ft wide hallway leads up to chamber B? Where are we all standing? Tawny is large so he'll have to squeeze.

those might be large golems with 10' square spaces and a 10' wide stairway up... the map style reminds me of a few maps from older editions of D&D, and those maps had 10' squares xD

@GM: Here is a grid I made that fits google slides pretty well.
I don't know if you'd like to grab a copy of that for yourself and use it for maps, but it's available if you want it :3
(though to use it for this map, you'd obviously need to make the map image very large)
Personally, I think those are about the right size for 5' squares, but you can use it however you like. Just make sure I get 1% of the gross profit ;P
(1% of $0 is $0, btw)

I added it to the front so you can position yourselves before entering; just zoom in close on this one-- those golems are medium and these are 5 ft squares.

Ha, that Dragon has it coming. I don't remember the last time I got to stack competence(Inspire Courage), morale(Heroism), sacred(Hunters Blessing), luck(Divine Power) and size(Fey Form II) boni against something - (I know the list is not exhaustive, but still impressive, to me :) )
thats +11 attack/ +10 damage purely from buffs :)
(heroism only attack, size strength bonus for two-handed, plus obviously weapon die increase for another ~+4 damage)

Which defensive abilities of the Blood Angel did you have questions on Gage?

nature’s pacifism & protected life force

I assumed that they were leftovers from some base monster you used and removed them from the alias, but they're right there in the post about her stats :3

Oh- sure enough, those were left over from the original creature I templated off of (Monadic Deva)-- they aren't super relevant, but probably should just be dropped.

Regarding Terran:

"Elemental Form (Su)
At 4th level, when an elementalist shifter uses wild shape, she is instead affected as if by elemental body I, but she gains only the benefits listed in her elemental aspect. While in an elemental form, the elementalist shifter can speak only the elemental language associated with that form, and she can do so only if she knows it. This alters wild shape."

Luckily Kragg knows Terran. Otherwise he wouldn't be able to speak!

Rubius knows Terran too so we'll be set.

I have zero problems spending a rank in Linguistics next level up.

Me neither.

Seems a worthwhile investment, especially considering it's a background-Skill.

Thanks everyone. :)

Plus speaking Terrain does seem like a very dwarven language to know.

yeah, it's nice if we can all share more than one language, preferably two or three :3

I remember getting waaaay too many languages for Gage to help with Dirge of Doom xD

I have a decent number of languages to make it easer to tell my summons what to do. I know that's often hand-waved but I feel better about it if I know I can explicitly tell them.

We're pending Rubius in gameplay.

Achtchually:

When making a melee attack against an adjacent target, your target has cover if any line from any corner of your square to the target’s square goes through a wall (including a low wall). When making a melee attack against a target that isn’t adjacent to you (such as with a reach weapon), use the rules for determining cover from ranged attacks.

Mostly mentioning because I did not attack with my Axe because the Angel would have gotten +4 AC from the corner.

so Dvalins AC with cover would have been
33/33/33/31 (+1 from Haste) - meaning the Angel should barely have missed his attacks, there.
(Plus I have 20 temporary HP as listed behind HP so even if he hits, I should be at 78/93)

(And if I did misinterpret, I do have Stone Shield prepared...I intended to replace frostbite with Stone Shield as well when I choose spells for today, but it seems that edit was not successful so yeah, not 3 Stone Shields, just one.)

I think I can do 2d6+10 sonic damage to most of the enemies every round, but we'd take 2d4 damage too...
What do you guys think? Death metal concert time? :3

that 10 makes it a clear yes to me.
We look at 2-8 with an average of 5 against us, versus a 12-22 with an average of 17 versus them.
That is more than 3 times the damage for them, and as we're all relatively sturdy dwarves, seems like decent odds.

It does seem like a good trade, especially with Tram's healing. Said the dwarf who is hiding in the walls...

it'll also probably damage you for being within 10' :P

Also, now that I think about it, it might be 2d4 damage to everyone within 10' for each character getting hit with this, so it might be 8d4+2d6+10 damage for them and 2d4 to 6d4 damage for us xD

A translucent barrier of pure sound springs into existence. This wall is silent except for a faint hum, but bursts with discordant noise when touched by an object or creature. The wall deflects arrows, bolts, loose debris, and Small or smaller flying creatures like a wind wall spell, except these things rebound harmlessly rather than being directed upward. The burst of discordant noise deals 2d4 points of sonic damage to creatures within 10 feet of the triggering object or creature; touching or passing through the wall deals 2d6 points of sonic damage + 1 point of sonic damage per caster level (maximum +20). If you evoke the wall so that it appears where creatures are, each creature takes damage as if passing through the wall. A silence spell suppresses the wall within its area, but the wall reappears when the silence ends.

@GM: what do you think? would it be just 2d4 for anyone within 10' of any of the disturbances in the wall? or 2d4 each disturbance? XD

Sigh.
Another 'greatly' worded spell.
So if I Rapid shot 5 bolts at it, that bolt object will disturb it 5 times and deal 10d4 sonic damage to everything within 10 feet? - But Pellet shot from a Blunderbuss will only trigger it once? But across the entire lenght covered be the spread?
What about Telekinesis(the Spell) - if I hurl 15 objects against the wall, thats 30d4 damage in a 10-feet radius with no save, right?
And if there's a Swarm of creatures, it will only get triggered once because it's one entity.
Oh, why not make a Wall of Sound as a ring encircling our mortal enemy? It's 20 feet high, so just throw a sack of bouncy balls over it and watch as he gets utterly annihillated by a cascade of sound with no save as they rebound 'harmlessly' between the walls (and don't take damage for trying to pass through, nor from discordant noise as they are not 'creatures').
*grin*
Joking, of course, but curious how GM interprets this one :)

Dvalin gets it xD

I'm guessing it'll be something like 2d4 per attack roll (vs... AC 5 to target a square?), and you get either the 2d4 or the 2d6+10 and the 2d6+10 would be max 1/round...
seems like the 2d4 is supposed to be possibly very often, though.

Though for swarms, now that you mention it, each individual creature should take that 2d4 if just nearby, right? iirc most swarms are of creatures with 1-4 hp, so maybe that'd just auto nuke those kinds xD
certainly flying swarms would bounce off at the very least :3

@Dvalin- you're right so the attacks would narrowly miss, I forgot as I looked at the map to resolve earlier

@Gage- so I'm visualizing this right- your theory is to create the wall on top of them under the idea that if they can't get out they will take the damage every turn?

Na, the Swarm stuff would be even more fancy. Because it's unclear if it defines as an area effect(Which would deal bonus damage) - if it would target individual creatures(as it seems, since objects get a pass) then it actually only deals regular damage to the swarm once.
They do provide each other with so much cover, you know :)
Unless, of course, they are flying, in which case they rebound harmlessly which seems at odds with the "touching" damage for trying to pass through.

Now, for something even more interesting, go with an incorporeal swarm - now things go crazy, but we haven't even touched on a swarm of incorporeal objects yet. Maybe a swarm of incorporeal crystalline objects? A swarm of aanimated Gemstones made ethereal?

Or, for even more fun, get into Spell Resistance charades. Or shenanigans with Silence.
Or to have a second caster create a second wall that shares one end point and creates a very sharp angle, then turn it into a kill-spike.
*sigh*

@GM: Thanks for double-checking. I do GM my own game and know how easy it is at times to overlook some of the situations coming up less-often.
I usually would not worry, but this thing has 3 iteratives and starts with a +28 - and I expect the Elf Lady and the Dragon will be greater threats, so I am admittedly slightly worried and trying to preserve precious HP as much as possible - :)