[SFS] GM Bigrin's Table 1 - In Pursuit of the Scoured Past (Inactive)

Game Master bigrin42

"This is why it's a bad idea to make it where you're the only ones with a particular bit of knowledge," Azara mutters under his breath.

"I think it's safe to say, we're all opposed to book burning. It seems a tragedy to fight such a fascinating creature, but I suppose it can't be helped. If you can show us the way, that will be easier."

Azara will follow the clockwork if it's going to lead them where they're going. If not, he'll hurry out to try to find the tower of the Ellicoth, himself.

"I was really hoping this would be the time the local HellKnights didn't do anything stupid. Let's get over there fast, see what's really going on."

Matt flips on his comments as he follows the others. "Hubin, come in. What do you know of these Hellknights of the Pyre Order, and their demon leader?" He relays to the team what little he can ascertain.

Culture (professional hireling): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (4) + 8 = 12 knowledge about Hellknights of the Pyre Order

Mysticism (professional hireling): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (17) + 8 = 25 knowledge about demons

feel free to take or discard whatever is most appropriate, thanks!

"Hey Matt. I don't know anything about the Pyre Order. They're obviously Hellknights, but that doesn't tell you much other than they follow hellish law and make bargains with devils to do their bidding. I don't know any of them that would associate with demons. Are you sure it wasn't a devil? Those two are on opposite ends of the spectrum. Demons are more do whatever I want and tear the throat out of anyone who complains. Devils are more as you can see in section 467, paragraph zed, you clearly agreed to forfeit your soul if I provided the ingredients for your potion. It's not my fault that the living basik was more than you could handle at 0300 while you were still in your jammies.

If you're talking about hellknights, then I'm pretty sure you're talking about devils. They're extraplanar, evil, lawful, and resistant to fire. Some are weakened versus cold, but some are not. As with demons, good-aligned weaponry has a better chance of injuring them than plain materials."

I assumed immune to fire. What's why I asked for vulnerabilities instead of immunities. ;) Cold was my guess, but I think I've dealt with demons immune to cold before.

Gletch looks at the clockwork creature. "You guys don't happen to have any holy weapon fusions lying around, do you?"

I was more pointing towards the impossibility of identifying anything from a glimpse of fire inside a suit of armor. If you knew more about the type of creature it was (e.g., direct observation), then you could get more.

We saw it out of the suit in the memory, so I thought maybe I could identify it.

We saw it out of the suit in the memory, so I thought maybe I could identify it.

My apologies, I forgot all about that little detail. Definitely a devil, not a demon, no weaknesses, might have other energy resistances.

Pulling his sonic pick free from its holster at his side, Senesdar starts tapping it repeatedly against an open palm. "So where is it that we need to go? Kinda hard for us to go protect these books if we don't have any directions to them."

The little drone buzzed a "follow me", and turned to fly off. It led you down the stairs to one of the skybridges, about 5 floors up from the ground level. From there, you ran to the Tower of the Bebolith, then another 6 flights up to a second skybridge that led to the Tower of the Ellicot.

The smell of petrol and smoke fills the air here. thin wisps of smoke stream out from the partially opened doors at the end of the bridge. Before the doors is a narrow walkway that appears to go all the way around the narrow tower.

Map is updated

Never really one to hesitate, Azara looks around to make sure everyone is with him pulls out his brand new Sintered Sword, then kicks open the door (or turns the handle and pushes it open if it doesn't seem like he can kick it in.)

Matt follows closely behind, preferring to be in the lead to talk their way past any hindrance -- and, more importantly, get first hands on whatever Objects of Interest That Require Liberation and Redistribution to More Worthy Owners. But in this case, given what Hubin said of devils, Matt is content to settle for going in behind the others...

Senesdar will move alongside Azara, with both his sonic pick and microfusion rifle at the ready.

Yith shrugs and follows the group in.... Making a few gestures as they get to the door, a flickering of energy can be seen moving along and into her armor.

Casting Reflecting Armor

Gletch mumbles to herself, "Well, Overheat is just plain useless ... No idea if Grease will be helpful ... will it smother flames, or just add fuel to the fire, so to speak?" She glances around. "Does anyone have a cold weapon? When the time comes to attack, I can empower it to do additional damage. I don't know if this fire devil is vulnerable to cold, but at the very least I would be surprised if he is immune to it."

Azara kicked the door open to find a control room of sorts. The smell of petrol and smoke is even stronger here. Cracks and blast marks pit the floor, all of which surround a gaping hole in the wall. A stone control console covered with metal dials rests in the center of the room. The floor-to-ceiling glass windows to the southwest overlook a library filled with shelves, flames, and billowing smoke.

In the room, looking out over the destruction in the library through the glass, is a pair of hellknights. Neither seem to be the ones you met during the ride here. They spun towards you as the doors opened, and one raised a flamethrower towards you. The other held a long pike.

Gletch points at the hallway and says, "I could cast invisibility on someone to circle around ... Maybe surprise them." As the door is kicked open, she turns and sees the hellknights bringing up their weapons. "Or not ..."

Yith raises her Plasma Bolter, aiming at the Flamethrower wielder.
"Why have you damaged the archive?"

She will then wait for a reply but if the reply is violence, she will pull the trigger.

Pow Pow (Tactical plasma bolter): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (5) + 7 = 12
Electrical and Fire): 1d10 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 5 = 12

Right, readying an action for Yith-Naarin, moves her to after the hellknights in initiative

The hellknights ignore Yith-Naarin's words, and attack. The one with the yellow markings on its armor opened up with the flamethrower it carried, Causing the vesk to dodge sideways. The other attacked with its pike, but Yith's dodge carried her safely away from that as well. In response, Yith-Naarin fired her bolter, but she too was off balance, and the shot went wide.

Gletch steps back, drawing her tactical baton as she does so. She interfaces with her comm unit, sending a wave of chaotic code toward the command console.

Computers(Amplified Glitch feat): 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (18) + 14 = 32

That is a success so long as they are CR 10 or less. Both hellknights shaken. CR 10 = 1 round, CR 7 = 2 rounds, CR 4 = 3 rounds.

They are CR3, so 3 rounds.

Senesdar quickly runs into the room, moving to flank the one with a pike.

Acrobatics to Tumble: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (4) + 11 = 15 Fail

Seismic Pick vs EAC (+Flank): 1d20 + 8 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 8 + 2 = 13
Damage (Sonic): 1d8 + 10 ⇒ (3) + 10 = 13

Having a flamethrower pointed in your general direction is enough to foster a connection with the eternal. Azara feels the energy of the cosmos wash through him and steps forward, reaching for his stellar mote before remembering the sword he picked up. He uses it, instead.

Sintered Sword: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (5) + 5 = 10
Slashing: 2d8 + 6 ⇒ (3, 5) + 6 = 14

Photon Attuned 1

apologies for the delay

Matt recalls the intel provided by his trusty Starfinder attache, and he screws up his face in an expression of horror and panic as he shouts to the nearest Hellknight, pointing frantically to the far corner of the room behind it.

"Help us! Please, your Eminence! There are lawbreakers and criminals and filthy vigilantes over there! Get 'em!"

Clever Feint (standard, bluff): 1d20 + 4 + 3 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (13) + 4 + 3 + 3 + 2 = 25 vs 10+Sense Motive, or 15+1.5xCR
Expertise (Bluff): 1d6 ⇒ 6 gets added to Clever Feint, unless I choose to re-roll the Clever Feint as part of Convincing Liar

Everyone gets a +1 to attack the target of Get 'Em! until start of my next turn. If the clever feint is successful, the target is flatfooted vs everyone, otherwise if I failed then the target is flatfooted vs me only, until end of my next turn.

Matt's words caught the hellknight off guard, and he half turned before coming back to the front. Unfortunately, none of the attacks sent against him were enough to penetrate the hellknight armor he wore. Then, sparks and sounds erupted from the control console, making both of the hellnights flinch. The one with the pike stepped back and thrust it into Sensdar's midsection, wounding the kasatha. The other fired at the same target, the two working together to try and take down at least one of their attackers.

Gletch raises her hand, and glyphs of energy dance along her arm implant, flowing along her arm and then dancing between her fingers, finally coalescing in three magical orbs that fling themselves across the room.

Full action magic missile, all on the guy back.behind the console.

Magic Missile damage: 3d4 + 3 ⇒ (4, 1, 4) + 3 = 12

Noticing their reaction, Matt telepathically calls out to the team, "Electricity and sonic!"

Once again pointing to the far corner of the room, the convincing liar practically screams to the nearest Hellknight. "Protect us, your Graces! Protesters are lining up for a sit in! They must be brought to justice! Get 'em!"

Clever Feint (standard, bluff): 1d20 + 4 + 3 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (17) + 4 + 3 + 3 + 2 = 29 vs 10+Sense Motive, or 15+1.5xCR
Expertise (Bluff): 1d6 ⇒ 4 gets added to Clever Feint, unless I choose to re-roll the Clever Feint as part of Convincing Liar

Everyone gets a +1 to attack the target of Get 'Em! until start of my next turn. If the clever feint is successful, the target is flatfooted vs everyone, otherwise if I failed then the target is flatfooted vs me only, until end of my next turn.

Senesdar stands his ground, swinging his seismic pick at the Hellknight that he currently has flanked.

Seismic Pick vs EAC (+Get'Em, +Flank, -FA): 1d20 + 8 + 1 + 2 - 4 ⇒ (9) + 8 + 1 + 2 - 4 = 16
Damage (Sonic): 1d8 + 10 ⇒ (2) + 10 = 12
Seismic Pick vs EAC (+Get'Em, +Flank, -FA): 1d20 + 8 + 1 + 2 - 4 ⇒ (14) + 8 + 1 + 2 - 4 = 21
Damage (Sonic): 1d8 + 10 ⇒ (6) + 10 = 16

@GM Biggrin - I just noticed that I had failed to list my DR in my tagline. Coming from the enhanced resistance feat, it is DR 4/-. Would that have affected the damage I had taken?

Azara examines his new sword for a moment, checking for defects which would explain why it missed. He finds no obvious ones so tries again.

"Knowledge is power and it is not yours to destroy," he says as he swings.

Sintered Sword plus Get' Em: 1d20 + 5 + 1 ⇒ (9) + 5 + 1 = 15
Slashing: 2d8 + 6 ⇒ (4, 3) + 6 = 13

@GM Biggrin - I just noticed that I had failed to list my DR in my tagline. Coming from the enhanced resistance feat, it is DR 4/-. Would that have affected the damage I had taken?

Yes, it would take 4 off the pike damage

Yith moves around to get into the other Hellknight's face.

"Destroyers of knowledge be destroyed!" she yells as she swings her Doshko...

Doshko: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (18) + 7 = 25
Pierciing Damage: 2d12 + 6 ⇒ (6, 12) + 6 = 24

Yith moved in quickly, swinging her doshko right into the hellknight's head. The armor rang with a loud gong as she connected, and the flamethrower wielder staggered sideways from the blow. He continued to fall as Matt once again distracted the piker, and Senesdar drove his pick into the foe twice. The hellknight almost made it, but Azara's sword was too much, and he fell to he floor, quite dead. The remaining hellknight dropped his flamethrower and pulled a grenade from a side pouch. Thumbing the activator button, he lobbed the grenade at the cluster of people around his dead companion.

Still reeling, the grenade flew wide, bouncing off the wall and exploding at Azara's feet. The explosion was too much for the weakened floor, and the supports gave way with a shriek, sending the end of the control room - along with the hellknight and Yith-Naarin - tumbling into the burning library ten feet below. Azara and Senesdar both started to slide with the wreckage.

I need DC 16 Reflex checks to keep from falling down with the wreckage from Azara and Senesdar before we can move on.

His eyes widening, this time in genuine surprise, Matt dives out of the way of the collapsing floor.

Reflex: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (4) + 7 = 11

However, the floor is falling away faster than he can avoid, and he finds himself falling with it!

Gletch raises her arm, barking a mystical word as her companions begin to fall. A trio of digitized blue wings fly from her hand, affixing themselves to each of the three allies.

My range on Lvl 1 flight is 35 feet, so I believe I can cast it to get all 3 of those on the platform in it. The targets must all be within 20 feet of each other, so I can't include myself or Matt in the spell. I can cast it as a reaction, but I lose my next standard action. You now fall at a rate of 60 feet per round and do not take damage from falling. The spell ends when you land.

@Matt - I didn't say you needed to check. You and Gletch are far enough back to be safe.

@Gletch - nice!

As the wreckage falls out from beneath them, Azara, Senesdar, and Yith-Naarin are wrapped in magics that let them drift slowly to the rubble below. The hellknight was nowhere to be seen, buried under the collapsed control room. What could be seen was an inferno. Fire and smoke roiled out of the stacks. A long and mazelike trench is carved into the floor of the room, brimming with gray mist. Shelves line the walls of the trench, filled with rows of ancient parchments and tomes. The trench forms into a rough circle in the room’s center, creating a small island with three bookshelves standing atop it. The twenty-foot-high ceiling of the room mounts large spray nozzles, each attached to a canister of blue foam.

Among the flames moved forms, more hellknihgts, smashing shelves and feeding books to the fire. In the center of it all stood Loomarch, the devilbound hellknight you met on the trip here, feeding ancient scrolls into his fiery maw, which gaped almost as wide as his head.

Yith points quickly to the nozzles, "Can someone activate those? Ia assume that's a book safe sprinkler system."

She then glares at the devil in the center of the room. "Hey fire face! Come play with me!" She makes a few gestures, staying in place to make the spell more powerful.

full round shooting stars, force damage: 3d4 + 3 ⇒ (1, 3, 4) + 3 = 11

Azara yelps in surprise and fear as the floor collapses under him and it seems that he's about to plummet into a fiery inferno. He keeps his eyes scrunched closed, not wanting to see the impact coming. But then, he falls for too long. Slowly, he opens one eye and realizes he's falling far too slowly for normal.

He laughs as he lightly touches ground. "I'm Mary Poppins, ya'll!"

But then he remembers he's still in a fiery inferno and facing some book burning Hellknights.

Dangerous as it is, the book burning makes him angry. He moves closer to Loomarch and does what is probably futile but he's not really thinking clearly...

Azimuth Laser Pistol: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6
Fire Damage (Burn Crit): 1d4 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6

Just to be clear ... that control console collapsed along with everything else? So we have to physically get to the nozzles to activate them?

Yes...or activate them some other way.

Reflex Save (DC 16): 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 3 = 9
Looks like I fell down with Yith.

Gliding down to the floor with the help of Gletch's magic, Senesdar quickly takes stock of the situation. Guessing that Loomarch is likely the greatest of the threats in the room, he begins running towards him, attempting to leap across the trench as he goes.

Athlethics (DC 15?): 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (6) + 13 = 19 (Jumping diagonally 2 squares, with at least 10 feet of movement beforehand, which should put the DC at 15.)

He then completes his movement, getting right up next to the flame-filled suit of armor. He then brings his seismic pick around in an attempt to strike them.

Seismic Pick vs EAC: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (7) + 8 = 15
Damage (Sonic): 1d8 + 10 ⇒ (1) + 10 = 11

@GM sorry, I must have misread your initial post!

@Azara -- "Very cool!" in my best Quill voice

Wiping the dust from his eyes and shaking himself off after the floor collapsed, Matt stares down at the group in the floor below, squinting as he attempts to discern the shapes amidst all the smoke and flames.

Engineering: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 5 = 12

Noticing the nozzles that Yith-Naarin gestured to, Matt telepathically calls to Gletch, "Can you hit that? One good shot ought to do it."

Turning his attention to his team mates embroiled in the battle below, Matt cups his hands around his mouth and calls down to the Loomarch, "Your Excellency! Quick! The worst sort of lawbreakers!" He points toward the far end of the room. "Students who failed to return their library books on time! Get 'em!"

Clever Feint (standard, bluff): 1d20 + 4 + 3 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 4 + 3 + 3 + 2 = 16 vs 10+Sense Motive, or 15+1.5xCR
Expertise (Bluff): 1d6 ⇒ 3 gets added to Clever Feint, unless I choose to re-roll the Clever Feint as part of Convincing Liar

(yes I choose to re-roll)

Everyone gets a +1 to attack the target of Get 'Em! until start of my next turn. If the clever feint is successful, the target is flatfooted vs everyone, otherwise if I failed then the target is flatfooted vs me only, until end of my next turn.

"You cannot twist my mind, boy, with your feeble distractions. Look about you and despair as the heretical knowledge of the ancients burns in the purifying fires!"

Loomarch ignored Matt's distraction and Senesdar's pick merely glanced off the heavy hellknight armor. He was not able to ignore Yith's spell, though, as the magical missiles pummeled him. He spun in place, ripping an oversized armored claw against Sensdar's torso, then into his left arm, grabbing the appendage and squeezing with enough strength to nearly sever the arm outright.

Gletch takes off running down the south walkway, pulling her sonic pistol as she moves. Telepathically, she replies to Matt, "That spell took a bit out of me. I'll get this one down here, but you get the one in the northeast corner."

Lost my standard action due to casting flight

Bigrin: I assume these brown areas represent walls, and the walkway doesn't have line-of-sight onto the nozzle, does it? I'll have to make it down to that stairwell before I can shoot it?

@Gletch - Correct, no LOS through those walls. Have to either go down the stairs, or fire from the edge of the wreckage of the control room

As Gletch ran for a clean shot at the canisters, the hellknights stepped out from behind the bookshelves and began firing at Yith-Naarin and Azara. Fortunately, the range and smoke fouled their aim. Azara escaped harm entirely, and Yith was only grazed.

Yith moves into flanking with Senesdar, knowing full well another Hellknight is behind her. She then swings her Doshko...

"I was hoping you guys weren't a&%%@+$s..."

Doshko: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (14) + 7 = 21
Pierciing Damage: 2d12 + 6 ⇒ (12, 1) + 6 = 19

Heh. Cool. paizo does a little obfuscation with cusswords. :)

Switching his seismic pick from the hand that Loomarch has grabbed to his remaining free hand, Senesdar attempts to bring it down into the devil's face.

Seismic Pick vs EAC (+Get'Em, -Grappled): 1d20 + 8 + 1 - 2 ⇒ (16) + 8 + 1 - 2 = 23
Damage (Sonic): 1d8 + 10 ⇒ (2) + 10 = 12

Botting Matt, as per his instructions

Matt blanched as Loomarch ignored his feint. It was the first time in his memory that his smooth tongue hadn't been able to distract the bad guy long enough for his friends to get a hit or two in. He moved in, pulling his pistol and firing at the fire suppressant canister in the northeast corner of the room. A wave of fresh smoke clouded his vision and he choked, firing wide.

1d20 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5
1d4 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6

Matt's shot went wide, missing the fire suppression canister by half the width of the library. Yith and Senesdat both laid into Loomarch, crushing the heavy black armor protecting the devil and badly injuring it. The creature scowled at Senesdar, then lifted the trapped kasatha's left hand to his mouth, obviously intent on shoving it into the fiery inferno that was its maw. Senesdar struggled, but was unable to tear out of that otherworldly strong grip and the hand went in. The pain as it burned was excruciating, but then Loomarch grinned around the trapped hand and began to bite down!

Sensdar owes me a DC 13 Fort save or lose the hand!

Well, at least he has 3 more.

Gletch runs full tilt down the hallway, sliding to a halt behind the southern wall. She brings her sonic thunderstrike pistol up, ready to take her shot.

Unfortunately, it'll take a double move to get to where I can shoot at the thing. I believe I have full concealment and cover from all of the bad guys from where I'm positioned at, even ignoring any difficulty from seeing through the smoke.

Engineering: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (14) + 11 = 25

From this check, can I determine anything about the difficulty of pulling this off? Like the AC or how much damage is needed to cause this to explode? Trying to figure out if I need to empower the shot, or if I think a regular 1d8+2 will be sufficient to cause this to explode.

Azara jumps the trench...Athletics: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (14) + 7 = 21 then closes with Loomarch, piling on.

Again, he almost uses his solar weapon before swinging with his awesome sword he "borrowed."

"That's not what 'finger food' means," he declares.

Sintered Sword: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (17) + 5 = 22
Slashing: 2d8 + 6 ⇒ (2, 1) + 6 = 9