[PFS]GM Dennis - #7-27 Beyond Azlant Ridge (low tier) (Inactive)

Game Master Dennis Muldoon

Tail slap vs. flat-footed Dylph: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (16) + 12 = 28
Damage: 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5
Grab vs. flat-footed, greased: 1d20 + 32 ⇒ (17) + 32 = 49

Dylph runs through the crowded field, the final disk in hand. Though his mad dash leaves him open to a hard smack by the creature's tail, Nigel's grease prevents him from being grappled and he successfully reaches the far wall, disk in tow!

Nigel, Christina, and Goode (and Giovanni, if you'd like to edit your action) may act.

Giovanni, are you casting defensively? Also, grappled does not automatically provide sneak attack in Pathfinder, as it is a dex penalty rather than denying them their dex entirely as it did in 3.5 (I'm assuming that's what the 2d6 was). The creature can see you, so I don't think sneak attack applies.

I thought I was out of range. Ah, if grappled doesn't make it sneak attack forget it. I'll just chill out and wait for this disk to get in place.

My action was delaying until just before Dylph to absorb and AOO

Christina moves over to the next whole so she is in place to put the last disk when Dylph comes in with it.

Nigel sends his third ball of protective grease at Tabris.

@Giovanni: You're out of range of an AoO, not out of range of the redirect spell ability you learned about.

My action was delaying until just before Dylph to absorb and AOO

Shoot, you're right, sorry.

AoO (Tail slap) vs. Goode: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (5) + 12 = 17

As Christina moves into position and reaches down to accept the final disc from Dylph, the beast, seeing what's happening, intensifies its flailing! Fortunately, all of the Pathfinders wisely moved out of range of the creature, so its tails slam uselessly against the stone floor, desperately reaching in a futile attempt to knock the disc from Christina's hands.

The creature's desperate reach gives Tabris the opening he needs to escape the room, unnoticed by the straining fiend. As Christina slots the final disc the four panels fuse into a single piece, releasing a wave of glowing energy that washes out over the whole temple. The pulse pushes the furious xacarba, along with the Azlanti monolith, back into the cell, and you just get a glimpse of the golem raising its massive fists to fight the serpent as the doors slam shut, sealing them both inside!

A moment later, the sound of cautious footsteps reveal the approaching researchers. Juliet pokes her head around the corner first, looking at the sealed door and then to you. "Did you destroy it? Whatever that horrible thing was that was controlling us, it's insidious voice just disappeared from my mind a moment ago. A look! The discs we put through the crack! What happened here?"

Giovanni sheathes his rapier and catches his breath. That felt like certain death. I can't believe we made it out alive. He addreses the researchers. We have activated a defense against the serpent beast. The monolith will battle it, seemingly to eternity.

"With the blessings of the goddess, we have triumphed." Tabris rumbles, letting the flail slip from his finger to clatter on the floor. He breathes deep, exhaling slowly as the adrenaline fades and fatigue sets in. "You should prepare to depart, so the Society may hear our report."

Dylph breathes a deep sigh of relief, nodding to Nigel as he looks at his armor. "'Preciate the spell, don't think I would've slipped by without it...uhh, how long before the spell wears off and the grease goes away?"

"We are alive." Corona pants. "And the demon is sealed again." She looks at the mural. "Cyclops left us the means to defeat the beast. We must report to the Pathfinder Society of our findings. And you, Juliet, must come with us. You friends miss you."

"Arletta, thank you for your help. We would have wandered aimlessly without your guidance."

<Bye bye Mister Starwatch! Should have taken my offer!>

Corona seems distracted briefly, but she shakes it off.

Nigel is proud of himself for figuring out a way that his useful. Well that grease... I think it will stick around for a couple of minutes, but I should be able to send it back to what ever plane I pulled it from. That is one plane I hope I never visit. He says with a a small laugh as he dismisses all of the grease from everyone.

Goode slumps to the ground when the demon is sealed once more, cradling his ribs and laughing at seemingly nothing for a good ten seconds. We made it! he finally shouts when he can stop long enough for air, I thought we were done for, that beast was something else!

Leaning against the wall, Tabris allows himself to slide down to sit against it. "I desire a great feast when we return. Perhaps with more of that delicious fruit."

I thought we were TOTALLY screwed. Well done everybody!!!!

I had a 75% kill rate on this one until my brother brought his APG eidolon to it. :)

I did this game in CORE. We didn't drink from the fountain and we had the discs in the wrong order. 3 of us wound up grappled while the 4th PC ran around unimpeded. The Xarcaba can't make AoEs if all of its limbs are busy grappling!

That's essentially how my group did it too. Three people get grappled, while my alchemist spider climbs around placing discs. We ended up killing the thing, though, after a smiting paladin crit on his first attack with the flail.

When Giovanni raced to the disks and called for two people to carry them, I thought you were planning to shove them back through the crack and carry them around the outside, a solution I definitely did not think of while playing, but one that would probably work well.

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The archaeologists are very grateful for your heroics. The xacarba's suggestion effect wore off the moment the wave of energy passed over them and they all realized with horror what damage they might have done by putting the discs into the chamber. Juliet, in particular, is mortified that she went along with such a suggestion.

After making arrangements for part of her team, led by Arletta, to stay and continue work at this site, Juliet accompanies you back to Nantambu. On the way, she shares much of what she's learned, both at Azlant Ridge and at Starwatcher Tor. She's sad to hear that her friends abandoned the Azlant Ridge camp, and hopes to get a new team sent their quickly, before too much damage is done to it. More than anything, though, she's excited to learn more about the fascinating temple that your brave actions have cleared.

Well done, everyone. Your primary success condition was to ensure the xacarba did not get free, and to free the Pathfinders from its vile influence (check). The secondary success was to do two of the following four:

When Giovanni raced to the disks and called for two people to carry them, I thought you were planning to shove them back through the crack and carry them around the outside, a solution I definitely did not think of while playing, but one that would probably work well.

This is definitely what I had in mind. Once I got the channel and could withstand a non-crit I felt better about it. I don't think I've ever felt more in imminent danger than in the room with that thing.

Thanks for running! I also tried to suggest convincing Happ to stay, but Tabris isn't noble enough to press the argument that they will all get killed without protection. If they foolishly die in the jungle, it's their own fault. It's funny how crits come into play in taking the beast out, as a greataxe crit and flailing eidolon was necessary to do it in my latest run. Focused fire would likely have taken the eidolon out, but the golem is a bit distracting so I don't feel too bad about it.

I don't think I've ever felt more in imminent danger than in the room with that thing.

That's the best thing about this scenario for me: the shock of the door bursting open and suddenly staring down a CR 15 creature, then having to figure out a way to work around it.

One of the most unquie encounters I have had in society. I like that there was so much problem solving even if you figure out the puzzle. I really thought that was going to be the time that Nigel felt the most useless, but I think that fight really made him stand out. Thanks for running. Enjoyable story with some interesting players!

Thanks, GM! Enjoyed playing with everyone!

[B[By the way,[/b] Goode starts as the party returns to the lodge for some hard earned rest, who is this goddess you keep referring to, Tabris? She really seems to like you, considering all we've been through the past few days.

Tabris looks up from the mango he is currently savoring, pulpy juice dribbling over his jutting jaw. "Pharasma, of course." he responds with a wide grin.