[Outpost II] GM Silbeg's 10-04 Reaver's Roar (Inactive)

Game Master Silbeg

”Sounds like a fine plan to me, Nana,“ Aeris says in response to the suggestion to go through the double doors straight ahead. He slips his bow off his shoulder, nocks an arrow, and nods to indicate his readiness.

The monk draws a wand and taps his chest. After storing it. He calls upon his inner focus to strengthen his skin against harm.

Wand of Mage Armor, Ki point for 60 minutes of Barkskin (CL 6). AC updated.

With no where else to go, the team opens the door.

The stones of this temple are strong but show their age. Without clerics and masons to tend to the Bastion in over a decade, some sections have begun to crumble. Masonry has piled on the floor, older oak timbers are blackened from fire and mold and the rotten, and the sweet smell of decay hangs in the still air. The remains of prayer books and broken pews litter the floor, partially obscuring a great mosaic of Sarenrae and her servants. At the head of the chamber, a circular stained-glass window depicts a golden rose blooming within a rising sun.

Cautiously, the archer stalks into the heart of the temple.

Perception: 1d20 + 25 ⇒ (7) + 25 = 32

As Bo goes in, he notices an odd contraption at the ceiling of the main sanctuary of the Bastion. It looks like some sort of harness, with an immense muzzle, loaded to drop on something. He then notices a pressure plate as he walks under it, luckily set to a weight far greater than his own.

Bo looks well and truly puzzled by the device. He stares at the ceiling, confusion etched on his face as he endeavors tries hard to figure out the religious usage for such paraphernalia stuff.

"What do the Sarenites do with this?"

"I couldn't really say, Bo, but I think it may not be something the Sarenrites built into the temple," Aeris responds, actually scratching his head a bit as he tries to puzzle it out. "It looks like it's some sort of restraint for a huge creature...like the red reaver out there. Could the reaver be someone's pet? Or is someone trying to trap it? If so, who?"

Scanning the sanctuary a moment, he adds, "If we're headed for the font at the back, I say we try that door to the left of the altar."

I put a yellow arrow on the map to make clear which door I'm referring to.

Horacio nods "Yes, let us make haste."

For this adventure, two is good enough for me.
Note, on slide 1, I set up a default 2-up marching order. Please modify as needed.

You enter a room that has a shuttered window leading to the main sanctuary that would allow the congregation to hear the sings sung by the chorus. What appears to have been a partial raised platform for the singers is now smashed and rotten.

A bookshelf full of rotting papers, which appear to be sheets of choral music, is along the north wall. Growing on from the books and sheet music is an odd fungus with spherical pods.

Anyone got some Knowledge (nature) to apply to the fungus? Unless it’s something else, DM?

Nature would work

Only knowledge planes here.

Oooh, Nana has nature! Mainly just to know what kind of cure critter she is looking at (or summoning) though.

Nana says a little prayer to help her concentration before looking at the spherical fungi.

know.nature, guidance: 1d20 + 6 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 6 + 1 = 12

Book-learning is not Nana's strength, but maybe the shrooms are mundance?

***Earlier***
"So, you are saying we will have to bait the reaver in here, trap and muzzle him and use a ritual we find deeper in the temple to take out the divine power that it has absorbed over the last decade?...Why is everyone staring at me?"

***NOW***
Bo walks into the room, takes stock of the area and then inspects the fungus.

Perception: 1d20 + 25 ⇒ (7) + 25 = 32
Nature: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 3 = 9

Once inside, he will cast barkskin on myself and ki'lala. Barkskin gives +4 natural armor and since we split it, it last for 55 minutes. I also cast greater magic fang on ki'lala and once on kernuffle. At this level, greater magic fang gives a +2 or a +1 to all natural attacks and last 11 hours. I give it to her bite. All stats will be updated soon.

knowledge nature: 1d20 + 19 ⇒ (1) + 19 = 20 Wow, good way to start

Rufeo looks over the fungus with skepticism.

Ki'lala sniffs the air trying to catch any unknown scents.

perception: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (2) + 10 = 12

Kernuffle will take +1 to all his natural attacks. Thanks Rufeo!

Kernuffle's default Trick is to Defend Nana. He has Combat Reflexes, should it come up.

I don't suppose there's an extra greater magic fang? Truk only has an amulet +1.

Truk joins Bo in studying the area.

Perception: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (18) + 15 = 33

"You're a reaver-wrangler?" the big orc asks as Bo's plan begins to come together. "Wow! It's a good thing you came along Bo."

Truk, they wouldn't stack. Both are enhancement bonuses.

Rufeo realizes that the puffballs on the fungus will explode if disturbed. However, someone with very calm hands and the proper training (disable device) might be able to harvest some.

Otherwise, the only things that you notice while in the room are the scratching, roars, and pounding coming from outside the walls. The light coming into the rooms are mottled, as the windows haven't been cleaned in over a decade, and vines and such have overgrown them in areas.

"I am not touching them." Rufeo says out loud, "And I recommend no one else disturbs them, unless you want them to explode over you"

”Agree, Rufeo, we don’t touch the exploding mushrooms,“ Aeris weighs in sensibly, supporting the druid’s recommendation. Turning his attention to the next door, he continues, ”We may be missing valuable information in our rush to get to the font, but there is a giant demonic reaver trying to smash its way in here, so I say we continue in that rush for now.“

@GM: They don't stack but Rufeo's magic fang is better than what I've got. If there's no more left it's a moot point.

Despite the odds, Truk resists the need to touch the exploding mushrooms. "Can we touch 'em on the way out?"

Horacio gives the fungus a wide birth and nods in agreement to Aeris.

I would have to burn my pearl of power lvl 3 to do so. But, I don't really have anything else to burn it on so sure. Rufeo will go ahead and cast it again if you like. It will last 11 hours.

"If you really want to, make sure me and Ki are out of the room"
Rufeo says with a wave as they stroll through to the next room.

”How about we see how things are looking at that point, Truk?“ Aeris responds, waiting for the burly half-orc to leave the room before following, in case the temptation proves too much for him.

"Exploding mushrooms? Oooh. But what if the poor little Reaver got caught in that ceiling trap and then all the mushrooms exploded because he's so big and he'd probably be angry and might thrash about? That would be terrible! Poor little Reaver! We has got to get rid of that taint, and then maybe he won't be so cross and he won't try to get inside anymore."

Nana and Kernuffle are ready to head for the font.

Which door is next? A or B?
I'd prefer not to assume. And a view points of order...
Rufeo would need to be in the room to make the check. So, please, next time, move your token in when you are making a roll.

Also might be good to set up a single file marching order.

As for doors, they are mostly unlocked. I will let you know when that is not the case, so just move yourselves into the next room... I can always move you back if needed.

Roger that, I will make sure to do that next time.

Recalling the map and from the saddle of Ki, "The door to the right should lead to the font, basin looking thing."

The archer also stays well away from the dangerous fungi.

"Then perhaps a look to the left first? The masters taught 'Leave no door unopened behind you.' Just to be safe.

Voting "B"

Started a single file marching order on the same map page as the 2x2

"But isn't the font the other way?"

Vote "A", but don't have strong feelings either way really.

I say A, most direct path to where we’re trying to go. Though I certainly want to come back and check other rooms.

That is three for 'A'
FYI - I am creating a hangout for our group -- hopefully will make communication faster if you all participate! I will add this link a couple of more places.

I have moved the first two in 5'... please move yourselves where you are going...

Bo and Truk walk in to see a room in shambles. What once was stores of holy items supplies for ceremonies, and the like, is now in shambles. The floor creaks as you step in.

The monk slides into the room.

Perception: 1d20 + 25 ⇒ (3) + 25 = 28
Stealth: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 10

Bo Go Twang makes his way across the room. Other than the creaky floor, and the bellows of rage that can be heard outside, nothing happens.

Move everyone forward?

Horacio follows along with no fear.

Aeris moves forward, bow in hand and an arrow nocked.

I’m traveling for work for the next three weeks and posting mostly on my phone, so moving my token on the map is tricky. If someone could move Aeris into the next room, in a position somewhere near the back of the group, that would be helpful.

Nana and Kernuffle follow.

"તે મશરૂમ્સ kernuffle સ્પર્શ કરશો નહીં, તેઓ વિસ્ફોટક છે!" says the priestess, in a voice that seems not her own, as if someone or something else spoke through her.

"Graooooww!!"

The great ape acknowledges his mistress, and nods his head in assent.

Bo Goh Twang opens the door. You see what once was a lovely atrium, with a fountain in the center of it. To the north is a single door leading outside, with stairways leading up to the east and west. Both stairways are cluttered with rubble and do not look safe to climb up.

The fountain appears to have stopped running some time ago, as it is overgrown with dry, dead weeds.

The archer steps in the room and heads directly to the fountain. Once there, he again enhances his vision to see magical auras and surveys the room and fountain.

Perception: 1d20 + 25 ⇒ (10) + 25 = 35

I moved Aeris to the doorway.

Aeris stands in the door, eyes peeled for any surprises as Bo studies the fountain.

Thanks for the move assist, Bo.

Since I'm on a computer at the moment and we were all scattered around the map a bit, I moved the party into the fountain room. Hope that's okay.

"I doesn't see any helmet. Is this the right place?" Nana opines.

There clearly is no helmet in the fountain, which makes you all think that your assumptions may have been wrong as to its location. Bo notices very creaky floors as he walks in, and the pounding and roaring outside continues.

1: Nana, 2: Truk: 1d2 ⇒ 2
Then, as Truk walks past the same area, suddenly a huge red clawed hand reaches through the floorboards, grasping at him!
CMB vs CMD29: 1d20 + 29 ⇒ (5) + 29 = 34 damage: 12d6 + 11 ⇒ (3, 2, 2, 1, 2, 6, 3, 5, 1, 6, 4, 5) + 11 = 51 1: Rt Arm, 2: Lt Arm, 3: Rt Leg, 4: Lt Leg: 1d4 ⇒ 4
Plus Gruesome Mangling: Truk's left leg is mangled, and he can npo longer walk or run. He can hop or crawl, and loses his DEX bonus to AC.

The best I can tell is that hopping is 1/2 speed movement

You are pretty sure it would take a Restoration or Regeneration spell to fix this problem!

Horacio grabs Truk and drags him away from the grasping claw.

The reaver, unable to make it through into the room, pulls back in a rage.

This was a trap, not a combat.

Fortunately, Nana prepared a Restoration spell.

"Oooh, Truk, that leg looks sore! Let Nana fix it for you."

With help from Horacio getting Truk away from the unsafe floorboards, Nana casts her healing spell. I hope this was the 100gp version of Restoration, GM, otherwise Nana may want to take a collection ;)

Oh, and I'm assuming Truk does want the Restoration spell, but he's free to pass it up if he prefers.

"These floors aren't safe! I's getting on Kevin."

Nana reaches into a pouch and extracts a tiny figurine. The statuette is a strange, alien shade of green. It depicts a creature with four clawed legs, and in place of a head it has a mass of tentacles. Nana speaks a word of power and the figurine grows to the size of a horse and comes to life. Kernuffle puts the odd-looking saddle on the creature's back, and Nana mounts it. Kevin hovers around five feet off the ground. Assuming it can take 10 on its Fly checks since we're not in combat.

"This is Kevin. Isn't he beautiful? Look at all those lovely tentacles!"

This is the viridium moonbeast figurine - statblock in Nana's profile, but it's basically a bronze griffon. It has a slower fly speed but flies by magic instead of wings, and its 'bite' attack is a mass of tentacles that sicken.

It is the 100gp version
Truk is still down 51 hp.

Horacio starts with a couple charges from his own wand.

2xclw: 2d8 + 2 ⇒ (2, 3) + 2 = 7

Truk can burn his own wand charges. Thanks.

Truk howls in pain when the Reaver mangles his leg. His howling only get louder when Nana repairs his broken bones.

After several deep breathes he starts to come to term with the pain. ”Thanks Nana. I’m lookin’ forward to teaching that guy a lesson.”

CLW Charges: 7d8 + 7 ⇒ (4, 6, 3, 8, 7, 6, 6) + 7 = 47

Aeris' eyes widen in wonder as Nana produces her exotic mount, remarking quietly, "I sure hope that's not one of her babies. And what the heck kind of name is Kevin?"

Once Truk is healed, Aeris nods at the recently mangled half-orc's words, "I agree, and it looks like we've found our quarry. Any thoughts as to how we get at it, if it's going to hide under the floor? Or how we can get it to come out, aside from dangling Truk as bait again?"