Outpost II: Dungeon Master S's "Debt to the Quah" [Core 3-4] (Inactive)

Game Master Chris Marsh

The guardians fan out and prepare to destroy you!

Round 1:
Guardians
Kaya: Go
Pavo: Go
Warden: TBD
Wyatt: TBD
Ironshanks: TBD
Telka: TBD
Sir Ninn: TBD

"But we were helping!" Pavo cries in exasperation. He draws his rapier and begins to encourage his companions. "Remember that we did something good here, whether the dead that we put to rest remember it or not. Fight with conviction!"

Inspire Courage: +1 to attack, damage, and saves vs. fear

...this bard is routinely failing knowledge checks this scenario.

K: Arcana: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (1) + 7 = 8

Awww, I was doing quite well on them until that one. :(

Kaya yells, "crappity crap crap! I knew we should have fixed this last. Ugh... anyone know if we can somehow get past whatever those things are and not do more damage?"

Delay.

"What things?" Asks Ironshanks as he looks up from running his hand over a repaired piece of stone.

He composes himself and hollers "We didn't fix 'em bafore did we? Can't we smash 'em and they'll reform on their own agin?" He starts reaching for his war axe with a hidden smile under his mustache.

Kaya holds back as Pavo inspires the party. Unfortunately, no one seems to know what exactly you're facing.

The monstrous creature of bone steps forth silently. It tears a handful of bones from its body and hurls them at Longshanks Touch: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (20) + 8 = 28. It strikes the dwarf in the chest. The bones immediately articulate into something like a cage around the dwarf. Tiny animal skulls in the pile of bones begin to gnash at Ironshanks: CMB: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (7) + 15 = 22. IT traps the dwarf and bites: DMG: 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4

Grappled. Ironshanks thinks that his options are to smash the bones (attack and damage), try to weasel out, or try to wrestle his way out.

Round 1:
Guardians
Pavo: Bard!
Warden: ATK
Kaya: Go
Wyatt: Go
Ironshanks: Go (Grappled)
Telka: Go
Sir Ninn: Go

Knowledge(Arcana): 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (8) + 10 = 18.

Wyatt frowns.

"All three are constructs; they are devoid of reason and emotion, knowing only that which they're programmed to do... maybe if we leave, they will not follow."

He then hustles into the room...

Acrobatics: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (15) + 5 = 20.

...lithely jumping over the balustrade, in his haste to make it to the exit.

Telka casts a spell and then jogs forward to make sure Magee cannot be attacked easily by the enemy. He reaches through the bars and slaps Magee on the shoulder, Desna bless and keep you my friend

Casting bulls strength on Magee

Wyatt makes for a hasty escape while Telka bolsters his party mate.

Round 1:
Guardians
Pavo: Bard!
Warden: ATK
Kaya: Go
Wyatt: Move
Ironshanks: Go (Grappled)
Telka: Bull's Strength
Sir Ninn: Go

Dang, Core doesn't have Liberating Command! That sucks.

Kaya attempts to help Ironshanks pry or hack off the bones by granting him a bit of foresight. She yells to Wyatt, "I don't think we can get past them so easily but try to draw one out and see if it follows!"

Standard to Grant Ironshanks Diviner's Fortune (essentially +2 on all 1d20 rolls for one round).

"What in the 9 Hells did that thing just do! Simple bones can't hold the likes of a Magee!" His eyes follow the Elf as he flees the scene, old prejudices start to gnaw on his nerves but he stays quiet for now, especially when the others come to his aid.

Grabbing his axe around the handle he pulls it free of his belt and hacks at the bones girding his girth.

1H Adamantine Waraxe, Power Attack, grappling, bulls, blessing: 1d20 + 9 - 2 - 2 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (17) + 9 - 2 - 2 + 2 + 2 = 261d10 + 7 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 7 + 4 = 17

"If Wyatt is right, they will probably just attack the closest creature. Let that be me!" Sir Ninn moves forward, blocking the enemy from reaching the walkway. "I will draw their attacks, while the rest of you escape the room. Whatever you do, don't attack back!"

Kaya grants a boon for Ironshanks. The dwarf then opts for a direct approach to his predicament. With a single swing of the waraxe he shatters the bones holding him down!

Meanwhile Sir Ninn closes for action, ready to bring a much needed counter attack. The warden tries to bite the small paladin on the way by: AoO: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (5) + 10 = 15, but it's well shy of the mark.

The wolf like creatures immediately turn to a spiritual kind of fluid and dash over to block Wyatt. They do not provoke when moving. Their jaws gnash and snap at the man trying to escape. One had to double move.
Bite: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 10, but misses.

Round 2:
Guardians
Pavo: Go!
Warden: TBD
Kaya: TBD
Wyatt: TBD
Ironshanks: TBD
Telka: TBD
Sir Ninn: TBD

"So much for that plan!" Pavo says as he sprints across the raised walk and past the guardian. "But we are Pathfinders! There is no problem that we cannot overcome without a little bit of blood, sweat, and tears. Hopefully, not tears. And as little blood as possible. And nobody stole anything while we were moving through, did they? Just asking."

He hops down to the lower level.

Acrobatics (controlled drop): 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (12) + 9 = 21 I wasn't sure of the height.

Maintain inspire courage.

The guardian isn't fast enough to track two enemies moving, and PAvo makes the 5' drop with ease as he continues to inspire.

With Sir Ninn foiling its last attack, it keeps up the pressure. The power of the attack is frightening:

Bite: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (1) + 10 = 11 MISS
Left Slam: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (10) + 10 = 20 MISS
Right Slam: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (17) + 10 = 27 for DMG: 2d6 + 1 ⇒ (4, 2) + 1 = 7

Round 2:
Guardians
Pavo: Move
Warden: ATK
Kaya: Go
Wyatt: Go
Ironshanks: Go
Telka: Go
Sir Ninn: Go

"I think we're going to need to fight back," Pavo calls over to the brave gnome.

Wyatt shrugs.

"I refuse to compound the damage that our predecessor caused. I would prefer that we all died at the hands of these constructs, than allowed that to happen."

No action.

"Ah..." Pavo stammers. "Opinion noted. Agree to disagree regarding the value of my life and my companion's lives."

Kaya yells out, “that’s a nice sentiment but at least try to get out!!!”

She steps up and whispers to Ironshanks, ”Do what ya gotta do, I don’t want to die here.”

5-ft step, Diviner’s Fortune (+2 on 1d20 rolls) again on Ironshanks.

Telka looks over to Wyatt, Have you gone soft in the head? Stone and bone guardians can be repaired more easily than dead pathfinders.

With that he slaps Magee on the shoulder, Desna blesses you he says and moves into the room, jogging down and up the stairs, around the guardian beastie.

Using bit of luck on Magee, you make all dice rolls this round twice and take the highest. He then moves, intentionally provoking from the big thing. With a 40' move speed I think I can get round behind it for a flank. If any of it counts as difficult terrain I will use agile feet to ignore it.

Kaya continues to bolster the others as Wyatt opts to leave them to their deaths. Telka piles on the help, looking to make Magee a force to be reckoned with.

Round 2:
Guardians
Pavo: Move
Warden: ATK
Kaya: Diviner
Wyatt: Forgo
Ironshanks: Go
Telka: Bit o'luck
Sir Ninn: Go

Does the guardian not take a swing at me as I move? I am definately moving through its threatened area. I want to make it easier for my allies to move about.

Indeed it does. Thank you for that. My apologies. I didn't register which pog corresponded!

As Telka moves past, the warden tries to bite down with its melange of jawbones: Bite: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (6) + 10 = 16, but it's easily avoided!

Round 2:
Guardians
Pavo: Move
Warden: ATK
Kaya: Diviner
Wyatt: Forgo
Ironshanks: Go
Telka: Bit o'luck
Sir Ninn: Go

Ironshanks nods in agreement with all the non Elves in the room "Time we tunneled our way outta this tomb! Follow me kids, we're doin' this old school style!" And by that he apparently means 'hack whatever dares block our way to pieces'.

He tromps down the hallways and down the stairs, crunching the remains of the bone prison beneath his ironshod boots, axe and shield in hand. From his perch on the stairs he tries to put the buffs and blessings from the others to good use. "We be gettin' outta here ya big bone thug!"

1H Adamantine Waraxe, Power Attack, bulls, blessing, flank, inspire: 1d20 + 9 - 2 + 2 + 2 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (13) + 9 - 2 + 2 + 2 + 2 + 1 = 271d10 + 7 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 7 + 4 + 1 = 15

1H Adamantine Waraxe, Power Attack, bulls, blessing, flank, inspire: 1d20 + 9 - 2 + 2 + 2 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (10) + 9 - 2 + 2 + 2 + 2 + 1 = 241d10 + 7 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 7 + 4 + 1 = 16

Take the higher attack roll and I'm not sure if I get to chose the higher damage roll or not. AC is 23 as far as I can tell from the buffs. I don't think any have been applied to my AC

Ironshanks swings hard, and buries his axe deep into the warden. The sharp blade struggles a bit with the skeletal structure, but the hit is hard enough to take a chunk out of the monster. I typically go with roll two attacks and one damage.

Round 2:
Guardians
Pavo: Move
Warden: ATK
Kaya: Diviner
Wyatt: Forgo
Ironshanks: Hit
Telka: Bit o'luck
Sir Ninn: Go

Assuming that 7 damage was on me?

"Our elven friend is not wrong. Our focus should be on leaving rather than fighting!" Sir Ninn spreads turns sideways to the bone creature and spreads his feet wider, "Wyatt hasn't actually left the tomb yet, his plan might still work."

Total Defense, AC 28

"Not what he said," Pavo counters. "You notice he stopped trying to leave and is just standing there?"

Just checking thatvyou've seen the map? The guardians are already outside of the tomb. It will be Pavo +2 vs. CMD, Telka +2 vs. CMD, Kaya +0 vs. CMD, Ironshanks +7 vs. CMD, all while provoking AOOs.

They are blocking the exit - so you need to hit their CMD +5, or bounce off...

Or Bullrush them. It's actually +7 because another creature threatens the occupied square we'd like to go through.

"Lovely, two votes for death," Pavo remarks. "Follow me, if you want to live."

Bull Rushing is something that I hadn't thought of; it doesn't involve destroying the guardians, and could actually let us get out of dodge :-)

I'll give it a whirl.

Gritting his teeth, Wyatt tries to shove the wolf in front of him out of the way, and then leg it.

Bull Rush: 1d20 + 5 + 1 ⇒ (9) + 5 + 1 = 15.
Bull Rush, GM Star Re-roll: 1d20 + 5 + 1 + 5 ⇒ (17) + 5 + 1 + 5 = 28.

At the very least, this should continue to distract them from the rest of you...

Aye Sir Ninn Sir Ninn does his best to protect himself for the moment.

The guardians do their best to prevent Wyatt from leaving. They gnash their spiritual teeth:
Bite 1: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (17) + 6 = 23 for DMG: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3
Bite 2: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (1) + 6 = 7 MISS
Bite 1: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (3) + 6 = 9 MISS
Bite 2: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (2) + 6 = 8 MISS

Between the two of them only one bit pierces Wyatt's skin.

Round 3:
Guardians: ATK
Pavo: Go
Warden: TBD
Kaya: TBD
Wyatt: Will Bull Rush
Ironshanks: TBD
Telka: TBD
Sir Ninn: TBD

Pavo attempts to juke past the pair of wolves.

Acrobatics: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (12) + 9 = 21

Pavo tries to juke past the creatures, but they shunt him back!

The warden tries to prevent Wyatt's escape and hurls a bone cage at him! Touch: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (4) + 8 = 12, but misses! Provoking

Wyatt then manages to push the guardian back and make an opening!

Round 3:
Guardians: ATK
Pavo: Acrofail
Warden: ATK
Kaya: Go
Wyatt: Bull Rush
Ironshanks: Go + AoO
Telka: Go + AoO
Sir Ninn: Go + AoO

Kaya moves up into the doorway, just staying out of reach of the bone construct. Whispering a few arcane words two orbs of force appear in her hand. She points at the bone thing and they zip out and slam into it.

Move 10 ft, cast Magic Missile at skeleton dude for 2d4 + 2 ⇒ (2, 2) + 2 = 6.

AOO: 1H Adamantine Waraxe, Power Attack, bulls, blessing, flank, inspire: 1d20 + 9 - 2 + 2 + 2 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 9 - 2 + 2 + 2 + 2 + 1 = 181d10 + 7 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 7 + 4 + 1 = 15

Ironshanks strikes while the bone golem is distracted, then hacks at it again while the others work on their escape plan. This bone fella won't let us get away, not with those bone prisons. He grumbles to himself silently.

1H Adamantine Waraxe, Power Attack, bulls, flank, inspire: 1d20 + 9 - 2 + 2 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (20) + 9 - 2 + 2 + 2 + 1 = 321d10 + 7 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 7 + 4 + 1 = 18

Crit? 1H Adamantine Waraxe, Power Attack, bulls, flank, inspire: 1d20 + 9 - 2 + 2 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 9 - 2 + 2 + 2 + 1 = 182d10 + 14 + 8 + 2 ⇒ (4, 6) + 14 + 8 + 2 = 34

"HA! Right in the kisser!" He hollers as his axe catches it squarely.

The blessing to roll twice only works for one round.

Unless he edited his post, he only rolled once each: AOO and a natural 20 with a confirmation roll.

Good point, I missed that he provoked

Telka jogs back and forward a bit, trying to lure the guardian into attacking him.

Moving to provoke

He then casts a spell, creating a glowing blue starknife to strike at the guardian.

Casting spiritual weapon

Spiritual weapon: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (15) + 9 = 24
Force damage: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3

Total Defense, can't take AoOs.

When the bone golem tries to prevent Wyatt's escape, Sir Ninn leans forward on his toes and begins looking for a weakness. "I don't think this thing is a guardian anymore. It shouldn't be trying to stop Wyatt like that!"

Waiting to see whether Ironshanks kills the big guy.

Kaya's spell slams into the warden, blasting bits of bone. Ironshanks swings, and on his second hit, strikes center mass. The warden of bones cracks and splits. The very magic holding it together vanishes as the parts rain down.

The two guardians in wolf form turn fluid and return to the cracks in the stone of the sepulcher!

As the you emerge to see the sun setting over the Iron Peaks, you encounter a team of Shoanti boneslayers who have arrived to reseal the Muschkal Sepulcher. The boneslayers greet you with indifference. The boneslayers say they will handle the situation from here; they are here to inspect the sepulcher and reseal it, and "it’d be best if you left quickly."

The journey back to the meeting area is uneventful; the river is calm, with the sunlight fading and eventually transitioning to a crisp, clear night. When you reach the Storval Stairs, you find that the council members other than Memory Tender have cleared out, likely returning to their homes. Jia is there waiting for you and casts greater teleport to transport the team back to the Grand Lodge.

Ambrus greets you anxiously, requesting a report on how both the meeting with the council members and the restoration of the sepulcher went. After he hears your report, he thanks you for your efforts and says he will notify you once he hears back from Cousin to All.

A few days later, Ambrus calls upon you once again to meet at the Grand Lodge. He informs you that he has received a delivery from Cousin to All as a thanks for your righting of the Lumketul’s wrongs. The contents of the delivery are the combined efforts of the council members who were satisfied with the outcome of this ordeal... As is reflected on the Chronicle

While your fame within the Society grows, your meeting with the other Council Members was only moderately successful. Secondary Success required more yes votes than you earned.

Congratulations nonetheless! I'll have the game reported tonight and chronicles by tomorrow!

"And you thought you wouldn't be useful!" Pavo says to Ironshanks as they make their return across the steppes. "I am very grateful that you were with us."

"And you thought you wouldn't be useful!" Pavo says to Ironshanks as they make their return across the steppes. "I am very grateful that you were with us."

"Heh, if its one thing we Magee's CAN do well, even as we get a bit gray in the beard, is swing an axe!" He chuckles. "Did I ever tell ya how Grand Pappy Magee was interclan champion of the axe throwin' division three years runnin'? I think he told us that story EVERY time we saw him. Brought a hellova smile to everybody it did..." He pauses in thought as they walk, rubbing his eyes for a quick second and muttering something in Dwarven.

----------------

Back at the base...

Ironshanks stands at attention, helm at his side and axe on his hip as the group is debriefed. He doesn't say much other than a few nods and 'yessirs'

"Kids did good they did. Smart bunch of 'em you got right here Captain. Kept their nerves in battle too." He relays, all while giving the slight eyeball to the Elf of the group. Well, most of 'em at least.

Wyatt sighs.

"Hopefully they didn't hold us destroying their Guardian (again) against us, too much..."

He then bows to the others.

"It was a pleasure working with all of you. I sincerely wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors. However, my time has passed..."

Wyatt then wanders off.

Thanks for GMing that :-)

Kaya smiles a bit as the construct falls and hurries out with the other pathfinders, happy to see the wolves aren't around anymore. She can't help but add to the bone slayers that it appears the tomb was never finished and maybe they could come back someday and help with that.

She allows herself to be rushed along and teleported back, this time more bothered with the mission than the spell and didn't even notice the stomach twisting magic. She helps fill in the details of her mission, making sure to clearly and concisely complete the mission report. As the pathfinders head their separate ways she waves cheerfully to Wyatt, "Enjoy your retirement, it was good meeting you!"

And then turns to Ironshanks and tries to remember the right words. They come out jumbled and fast, but the gist is at least passed along.

Ironshanks nods as Wyatt heads off before turning his attention to Kaya who starts rattling off the fastest Dwarven he's ever heard.

"Nod bad kid, a bit fast, but not bad." He rubs his belly for second as he pretends to ponder the offer before laughing. "I don't think any Dwarf in the history of Dwarves has turned down a free pint. Let's go. You buy the pints, I'll buy the dinner." He ambles along with the Halfling.

"Dwarf themed? Huh, worth a try. We'll see how good their mashed spuds are and the gravy. The meat gravy and mushrooms is most important when it comes to Dwarven food." His stomach moans in agreement.

"Now the beer and liquor.. THAT is another thing entirely kid. If the place is legit I suggest you show some restraint or it'll be short night for you!"