GMAndrewW's Passing the Torch Parts 1 and 2 (Inactive)

Game Master andreww

At the moment you cannot see where that might be. You will need to wade your way inside through hundreds of undead to get a chance to even see what the source might be.

”Okay, it looks like this is going to hurt. And undead always seem to have disease, but we have to get in there and stop all of these undead. I say we fly, as it might get us in quicker! One of you strong boys lead the way, and the rest will follow. Look for some strange contraption that looks out of the ordinary and might be powering all these undead!”

Valrar flies up front, though he is likely behind someone with the power to push like Shump. He slices madly at the horde as the team passes through.

What sort of roll would this be? CMB, Strength, an attack roll?

Tortuga doesn't really have any option other than tear them apart with his bare hands.

There is no roll to fight your way through, it is pretty much automatic and gives you a chance to locate something of interest. You do however take some damage doing so

The group plows into the midst of the undead, hacking, stabbing and punching as you go. Those in the air have a slightly easier time of it as fewer of the undead can reach them but even they are not safe.

By my reckoning Alie, Wynn and Valrar are currently flying although Valrars doesnt have much longer as it is only 9 minutes from the armour I think.

Damage if on the ground: 7d6 ⇒ (5, 5, 5, 4, 6, 5, 2) = 32
Damage if flying: 5d6 ⇒ (4, 4, 5, 4, 5) = 22

The damage is untyped but if you have DR5 or better you may ignore it. I dont think anyone does?

Pushing further into the Mausoleum the group makes some space to get a better look around but the undead continue to press on you, more seem to be crawling out of the walls. Gaius however just makes out down a corridor a tall spike of bone which may well be part of the cause of the problem. The group manages to hack their way through to it but more and more undead pour out in a continuous stream.

Alie recognises that the bone spike is the locus of whatever is creating these undead and that it might be disabled as a magical trap is disabled or it can be physically destroyed with brute force.

What do you do? If you want to disable it I need a percpetion check to find the right spot and a disable device assuming you can deal with magical traps. if you want to destroy it give me some damage rolls, we can assume you dont miss. Each disable attempt will take 1d4 rounds.

”Boys, please go smash that thing with all you’ve got! I’ve never seen so many undead,” Alie screams, as she is rent and torn by the nasties.

Also, GM, Remember, Alie cast extended False Life for 20 HP as we started this, so her damage should come from those first, I think. Thanks!

It should, I will update on the next status update

So, can someone disable the pylon or is someone going to try and destroy it?

Im not good at smashing. If no one wants to try, I can try to use a dragon’s breath on it.

It would appear we don't have anyone who can disable traps in this party.

Gaius will have cast Air Walk on himself, and Sir Ambrose, and will back off to a safe distance before the smacking begins - let's say 50 feet?

"Running off on us? That's the step after healing when preparing for the worst," Valrar calls to Gaius, with a grin. Regardless, he starts swinging.

I feel like a Mass CLW might be warranted just in case it blows up, but we'll see. Below rolls are assuming a full attack with precision damage. Weapon is adamantine.

#1 Damage: 1d4 + 27 ⇒ (2) + 27 = 29

#2 Damage: 1d4 + 27 ⇒ (2) + 27 = 29

#3 Damage: 1d4 + 27 ⇒ (4) + 27 = 31

If it blows, maybe it will take some of the undead with it.

We should be so lucky! My money's on an explosion of negative energy if it blows.

"I figure if it does blow up under your ministrations, it is better that I am at a safe distance so that I can (metaphorically) pick up the pieces..."

I can alway try to shoot it from the distance

You do have a couple of issues, the undead are continuing to spawn all over the place, they will block line of sight. Gaius, you will be separated from the group if you back off on your own. Let me know if this is something you still want to do before I deal with what happens with the pylon

Gaius, air walk will get you out of the reach of the undead and so take less damage but Sir Abrose is too large to do so really.

OK, moving us on.

Gaius backs off and the undead quickly begin to fill in the gap, cutting him off from the group. Valrar stabs the pylon, it takes all three blows but the last one hits something vital and it crumbles into pieces. Predictably, it also explodes with a massive wave of negative energy engulfing everyone except Gaius and Sir Ambrose.

Check your saves and let me know if you are happy with them or if you want to try and do something about them. I am not treating you as flatfooted for this so you can use immediate action effects. You have 24 hours to let me know.

Im good with my save, GM.

I'll take the chance.

I'll keep it.

Thought I had posted. I'll keep mine. Bring on the 1d20 negative levels!

Valrar demolishes the spike and it explodes, ripping negative energy through the group. Everyone resists with the exception of Valrar and the Ambassador. Valrars skin peels like the fruit of a rotten orange and he sags, reeling in pain and covered in bloody wounds. The Ambassador swiftly withers away into barely more than a husk, on the very edge of expiring.

What is perhaps more worrying is that the flow of undead barely stops. It seems that they are being empowered by more than one of these things and more spawning undead begin to surround you, clawing and pulling at you.

Valrar and the Ambassador takes 70 negative energy damage and 2 negative levels. The rest of you in the are take 35 negative energy damage. You can try fighting your way through the masses of undead to find another pylon or you can use some sort of area affect ability to more quickly clear a path. The choice is yours. You will continue to take damage while you remain in the Mausoleum so standing around hitting yourselves with wands is perhaps not a good idea.

Valrar draws a wand and uses it on the Ambassador, but doesn't stay at it as healing Pathfinders are wont to do. Instead he only stops the problem from becoming lethal and stuffs the mass of crystal into his haversack. From there, he's ready to move.

"How about a very quick picking up of the pieces now, before we run after the next pylon?"

UMD: 1d20 + 10 - 2 ⇒ (18) + 10 - 2 = 26
CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5

Alie will activate her bracers of Volcanic Might as a standard action. Doing so allows her the effect of a Stoneskin Spell for five rounds, and the effects of a Fire Shield (Warm) for the same amount of time. She then moves towards the next pylon.

”Get the wounded out and healed. Those of us in good shape can try the next one. Once you get healed, get back in here, and we grievously wounded will go out and heal up. There’s no telling how many of these triggers we have to shut off!”

Gaius comes back once the echoes of the explosion die away, wincing when he sees what has happened to Valrar.

"I think you need this, if you are going to be breaking more of these."

He then casts Heal on the man, followed by a Death Ward.

Wynn makes for the door, knowing he will not able to resist another blast like that. Once outside he taps himself with his wand of infernal healing to start the process.

Valrar manages to save the Ambassador and Gaius heals Valrar back up to full.

So, what is the plan? I assume the Ambassador will go with Wynn as otherwise he will die. What about the rest of you? Do you continue to fight your way through, does someone want to make some space with an AoE effect? Valrar, you can ignoe the negative levels while deathward lasts. Currently you cannot see another pylon.

Alie will cast Dragon’s Breath, turning a jade color as she did so she breathed out and expelled a 30’ cone of acid, trying to burn away the undead to give the group some respite.

Acid damage 12d6 ⇒ (6, 3, 6, 1, 2, 2, 6, 6, 1, 1, 3, 5) = 42

DC 23 reflex for half.

Alie melts a whole mass of undead, zombies and skeletons simply melting away into pools of flesh. However, more continue to crawl out of the walls and floor, in a seeming unending tide of horror.

The brief respite however does let the group spot another pylon some distance away down a side corridot. It will take a little time to get there, enough that you will once again be torn at by the undead.

Let me knw who is heading towards the new pylon or if anyone else wants to back off. If I dont hear anything by tomorrow I will assume you push forward. Wynn and the Ambassador are currently outside.

Can Alie tell if her Stoneskin for four more rounds will protect her from the undead?

It will protect you but the damage will come off its protective value

OK, Alie will go with the group this time, but she will probably have to head out after this one. If she can stay at range like Gaius did last time, she will do that.

”Let’s blow this one up and then everyone get back outside, heal up and come back for the next couple!”

"Yeah that energy was nasty"

The group press ahead into the mass of ever flowing undead. The tear and claw and slam at you as you move through.

Damage on the ground: 7d6 ⇒ (4, 2, 4, 2, 6, 5, 3) = 26
Damage if flying: 5d6 ⇒ (6, 2, 5, 1, 2) = 16

Finding another pylon I assume that the rest of the group backs off while Valrar demolishes it. Death ward will protect him. Alie is protected by her stoneskin but it expires. With a second pylon demolished the undead flow slows but it still does not stop.

What do you do? More undead are filling in the gaps

”Let’s go outside and heal up! We can run back in and try to finish the rest of them after we heal!”

At least that is Alie’s suggestion.

"Aye and we should decide who should go in. Sending us all in may not be the best idea."

If you want to get out that will take time and you force another set of damage from the undead. If that is what you want to do let me know. The alternative is to push further in. First option to get two people supporting it is chosen.

I vote we all go out and heal up. Then we can go back in, or at least a few of us can, and handle the next couple before tagging out. I should go in with the group to try and clear a path with Dragon’s Breath so we can see the next target. After the next couple, we’ll need to get back out again,

healing up sounds good!

Thirded.

OK, moving on

The group battle their way out of the Mausoleum. Emerging into the light, covered in blood, guts and gore you finally get to take a breath of clean air.

Damage on the ground: 7d6 ⇒ (1, 4, 3, 2, 5, 6, 4) = 25
Damage if flying: 5d6 ⇒ (2, 6, 2, 5, 5) = 20

You have time for a break and to heal up.

Alie pulls out her wand of cure serious wounds, handing it to Shump. ”You think you could heal all of us up?”

Alie casts False Life on herself again, once she was healed up to full health.

CSW 3d8 + 5 ⇒ (5, 8, 6) + 5 = 24
CSW 3d8 + 5 ⇒ (3, 6, 3) + 5 = 17
CSW 3d8 + 5 ⇒ (7, 8, 2) + 5 = 22

False Life HP 1d10 + 10 ⇒ (5) + 10 = 15

Just go ahead and use my wand, everyone. Don’t want to waste too much time on CLw wands. We need to get back in there pretty quickly, I think.

With Valrar covered by Death Ward, I'm happy to stay outside, so I don't drain more healing resources.

Consequently, I'll just heal myself and Sir Ambrose.

Gaius:
CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 9.
CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7.
CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5.
CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5.
CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7.

CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5.
CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4.
CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5.
CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6.
CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 9.

Sir Ambrose:
CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 = 8.
CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6.
CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 = 8.
CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 9.
CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 = 8.

CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6.
CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2.
CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 = 8.
CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4.
CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6.

CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7.
CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5.
CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2.
CLW: 1d8 + 5 ⇒ (2) + 5 = 7.

”Anyone else going in with Val and myself? Here Val, use my wand to heal up...”

"Do you want a Death Ward, too, Alie?"

”If you can cast another one, that’d probably be a good idea.,” Alie nods, realizing the Oracle made good sense with his proposal.

Gaius nods, and covers Alie with another Death Ward.

"Thanks aplenty!" Valrar graciously accepts the wand and patches himself up.

CSW: 3d8 + 5 ⇒ (4, 7, 7) + 5 = 23

He then hands his own wand to Gaius and fishes out the Ambassador. "Could you fix it up while we're at work? I should sell the thing for the crystals, considering all the help I get from the deal."

CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 = 8
CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3
CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7
CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 9
CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 = 8
CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2
CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2
CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5
CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 9
CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7
CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6

Marked down 11 CLWs, fully expending one wand. Valrar 123/146, Ambassador 64/73.

"Can I borrow that too?"

"Can I borrow that too?"

”Sure! Use the wand and get healed. Then let’s get back in there and knock out the next couple gates.”