GM Zero/GL's Giantslayer! (Inactive)

Game Master GM_Grandlounge

Lidia whistles on cue so that the doors can be opened together. She then moves and stands behind Ben, looking past his arm into the room.

Perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (17) + 9 = 26

She frowns. "I hear something... it sounds like they're in the floor." She shakes her head. "I don't think these are normal rats. They might be rabid or something."

perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (2) + 7 = 9

"Or perhaps they were summoned? In any case I'm ready for them."

Ben walks into the room towards where the digging is.

Everyone but Lidia is surprised as the rats jump out at you by literally coming out of the floor.

Initiative Order, Bold May Go!
Map Slide
Lidia
Thyste, Surprised
Rat
Ulretha, Surprised
Little Ben/Buddy, Surprised
Rat
Rat
Rat

Lidia takes a step right and fires an arrow at the nearest rat (orange).

Ranged Attack: 1d20 + 7 - 4 ⇒ (6) + 7 - 4 = 9
Damage: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2

Was this before or after Ben moved over by the hole? I have not moved his icon, but I'm not sure if the attack happened before or after he moved.

The hard part of Play-by-post. The idea is that they wait until some people are in the room to jump out at, which is where you would make the perception checks to hear them before the surprise round. You'll quickly find that your location may not matter too much though.

Lidia's arrow passes through a rat harmlessly before it strikes the ground where the rat stands.

The rats float through the air, then float through the walls before they reach a target and attempt to bite them.

bite Lidia: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (7) + 4 = 11
bite Little Ben: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (7) + 4 = 11
bite Thyste: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5
bite Ulretha: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (17) + 4 = 21 strength damage: 1d2 ⇒ 2

The one attacking Thyste has cover from being half inside the wall.

Initiative Order, Bold May Go!
Map Slide
Lidia
Thyste
Rat
Ulretha, -2 Strength
Little Ben/Buddy
Rat
Rat
Rat

I am going to subtract 8 total PP from the bag to account for the 8 that need to be attuned: the two Bens, Lidia, Thyste, Ulretha, the 3 in the pack.

Lidia curses mildly to herself when she misses the rat, but really isn't more than a little perturbed. That changes abruptly when the rat flies through the wall and attacks her. She gives a little shriek of alarm.

"What the hell?! she yelps, then drops her bow and pulls out her dagger to fight the ghost rat in the close quarters of the hallway.

Melee Attack: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (15) + 3 = 18
Damage: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5

Thyste groans. "Not a lot of point to sticking around," she points out, taking a quick step into the more open room. She pulls out her doru once more and lunges forward.

Doru Attack: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (13) + 6 = 19
Doru Damage: 1d6 ⇒ 6

"All in favor of heading for the stairs?"

"Well, it would be nice to see where this tunnel leads, but I fear we have no way to deal with these vermin. Unless... You suppose I could use the scales to allow my ax to hit these things?"

"I've got some rope," says Thyste, "but I'm not sure how tying scales to an ax is going to help us here."

Your various attacks pass harmlessly through the shadowy creatures as though they weren't even there.

bite lidia: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (9) + 4 = 13

Initiative Order, Bold May Go!
Map Slide
Lidia
Thyste
Red Rat
Ulretha, -2 Strength
Little Ben/Buddy
Yellow Rat
Orange Rat
Blue Rat

"I can't hit them! It's too dark in here-- it's like I'm stabbing them but I keep missing them! What are these things?"

the knowledge check is DC 10 so you can make it untrained

Knowledge: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5

Dice fell off the table, can I roll again?

"The scales of Abadar. Like this."

As a free action Ben casts Magic Weapon on his axe using the scales. Or tries to. Not sure if you can target a weapon or whether you can only target a person. Whether it works or not, he (and little buddy) try to hit a rat.

Little Ben
to hit great axe: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (7) + 3 = 10
damage: 3d6 + 4 ⇒ (2, 3, 3) + 4 = 12

Little Buddy
to hit talon: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5
damage: 1d6 ⇒ 1
to hit talon: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4
damage: 1d6 ⇒ 5
to hit bite: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (8) + 3 = 11
damage: 1d4 ⇒ 4

Lots of air movement there.

Knowledge (Religion): 1d20 ⇒ 11

"I think they're... some kind of ghost rat! Normal weapons won't be able to hurt them!

Little Ben's weapon becomes magical, but he just flat out misses the rats.

Little Buddy also doesn't even get close, but the rat simply ignores its attacks anyway.

Ben can cast magic weapon on someone else as a free action next round, after moving, so who would be the best candidate?

Ulretha simply assumes that the flatsnouts are missing because they are incompetent...as most flatsnouts are.

But Lidia's comment that the rats are ghosts causes the hackles on the back of his neck to rise. He swings with this flail, just to confirm, because he doesn't particularly think flatsnouts are very smart, either.

Flail minus Combat Expertise: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (8) + 4 = 12
Damage: 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4

He then flees, turning to look back at the results from the doorway.

AC is 21 and touch is 14 because of use of Combat Expertise.

Ben can cast magic weapon on someone else as a free action next round, after moving, so who would be the best candidate?

If it's a touch spell, then Little Buddy and Lidia are adjacent to Ben. And the raptor is probably a better candidate since he gets 3 attacks to Lidia's 1, and Lidia can't use her bow effectively in these cramped halls.

Between fatigue and my general swashbucklerness (ie low hit/damage), I'm not at my best for Magic Weapon... but my hit might still be higher than others' regardless? And if I use Retaliation...

Ulretha is very superstitious. He might be a good option, but he's far away and is just as likely to run away from the rats as fight them.

The way the scales work, you don't need to worry about one person touching another. Designating a person to receive the spell is enough.

Ulreatha's weapon passes through the rats before he runs.

AoO bite vs Ulretha: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (12) + 4 = 16
yellow vs Little Ben: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 4 = 20 strength damage: 1d2 ⇒ 1
orange vs Thyste: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (15) + 4 = 19 strength damage: 1d2 ⇒ 1
blue vs little ben: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (13) + 4 = 17 strength damage: 1d2 ⇒ 2

Initiative Order, Bold May Go!
Scales are recharged!
Map Slide
Lidia
Thyste -1 strength
Red Rat
Ulretha, -2 Strength
Little Ben/Buddy, -3 strength
Yellow Rat
Orange Rat
Blue Rat

Lidia looks like she's about to break and run for it when she sees Ben getting swarmed next to her. She weighs things for a moment, then grimaces and takes up a defensive stance.

"I'll cover you. Do what you can." she says intensely as she waves her dagger at one of the rats attacking him.

Melee Attack vs Yellow, fighting defensively (AC 20, touch 16): 1d20 + 3 - 4 ⇒ (16) + 3 - 4 = 15
Damage: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2

Ben uses the poswer of the scales to touch Lidia's long sword and tells her, "Try the longsword. it has been enchanted."

He then tries to take out the blue rat and open a way to retreat, but will also fight defensively.

to hit great axe: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 3 = 7
damage: 3d6 + 4 ⇒ (2, 3, 5) + 4 = 14

Oh good grief. Every attack of theirs has been over average and every attack of ours has been below average.

Thyste raises up her buckler. ”Until you say ‘go,’ I’ll just try not to get bitten by ghost rats, I guess?” says the vixen, who is really just having the weirdest day.

Total Defense!

Lidia's weapon passes through the rat harmlessly, but it makes her harder to hit.

Thyste readies to dodge all the rats attacks.

The red rat tries to bite Lidia again, bite: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (8) + 4 = 12 but she dodges out of the way.

Little Ben attacks, but his strength has been sapped, making it harder and harder to swing his axe

Initiative Order, Bold May Go!
Scales are recharged!
Map Slide
Lidia
Thyste -1 strength
Red Rat
Ulretha, -2 Strength
Little Ben/Buddy, -3 strength
Yellow Rat
Orange Rat
Blue Rat

Ulretha peeks over his shoulder as he prepares to leave the building. He sees that the rats have largely abandoned the room. Maybe they don't have to kill them.

He sneaks back in, going to examine the tunnel.

Stealth: 1d20 ⇒ 15

Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (8) + 5 = 13

perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (9) + 7 = 16

Ben sees Ulretha sneak in and breathes a sigh of relief, assuming, incorrectly, that he is there to help.

Other than the dead body of a half-orc, there is nothing of interest in the room and the tunnel is incomplete, currently leading nowhere exciting, however it shows signs of semi-recent excavation and you can attempt to climb it to return to the first floor of the Plaguehouse.

Yellow and Blue both keep after Ben, trying to eat away at his muscle tissue while in shadow form.

bite Little Ben: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (12) + 4 = 16 strength damage: 1d2 ⇒ 1
bite little ben: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (8) + 4 = 12

Little Ben feels his strength draining away.

The orange one has two tasty creatures.
1 for buddy, 2 for thyste: 1d2 ⇒ 1
bite: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (9) + 4 = 13

Initiative Order, Bold May Go!
Scales are recharged!
Map Slide
Lidia
Thyste -1 strength
Red Rat
Ulretha, -2 Strength
Little Ben/Buddy, -4 strength
Yellow Rat
Orange Rat
Blue Rat

”Give me the magic!” Thyste advises. Whether that’s a good idea is probably up to Ben.

I'm away from home, so my posting may be more infrequent for the next week or so. I'll try and check in at least once a day.

Lidia drops her dagger, draws her now enchanted longsword and swings it rather frantically at the nearest rat.

Melee Attack vs Red: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (8) + 4 = 12
Damage: 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 2 = 10

Lidia still cannot connect with the shadowy rat creatures.

red bite Lidia: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (20) + 4 = 24
confirm: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (9) + 4 = 13
strength damage: 1d2 ⇒ 2

The rat continues draining Lidia's strength into the shadows.

Initiative Order, Bold May Go!
Map Slide
Lidia
Thyste -3 strength
Red Rat
Ulretha, -2 Strength
Little Ben/Buddy, -4 strength
Yellow Rat
Orange Rat
Blue Rat

It wasn't pain exactly. As the red eyes and tiny teeth hove to and impacted her living flesh, a curious sensation of nausea and incapacity washed through her, like being struck on the funny bone, but over her entire body. For a moment her knees buckled and she staggered back a step. The feeling didn't pass.

Frustration mounts. She compensates for the feeling of weakness with anger, and grips her sword more tightly...

"There's nothing interesting here! There's no point in continuing to fight! Let's go!" Ulretha calls out to his fellow investigators.

He puts action to words and begins a retreat, first out of the room, then toward the stairs.

"Easy for you to say. I'm surrounded here. Thyste, I am going to enchant your doru."

Ben casts magic weapon on Thyste's doru. (I do not see precise strike in your feat list so I'm thinking the melee weapon is the way to go here)

"Guard!" He also commands Little Ben to guard Ulretha so that he can escape. Little Buddy takes off across the room to joining the pack (and drawing an AoO or two).

With Little Buddy out of the way, Ben steps south and again Ben tries to beat his way out of trouble by smacking the rat to his south With a flank bonus from Thyste assuming she has her doru in hand - not that it mattered with that roll - finally).

to hit great axe, magic weapon, flank: 1d20 + 3 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (19) + 3 + 1 + 2 = 25
damage, magic weapon: 3d6 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (2, 1, 5) + 4 + 1 = 13

Ben finally hit! But the damage sucks. Did he manage to take it out?

It'd take me three hits to do that much damage!

Thyste, now quite thankful she had her morning coffee, jogs past the presumably-slain rat, unless it's not, in which case, she doesn't.

Regardless, she lashes out in hopes of puncturing some ghost rat ectoflesh.

+1 Magic Doru Attack -1 for fatigue/STR damage: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (3) + 7 = 10

Oh sure, I roll great until I actually have a chance at hitting...

Oh, and:

Little Ben crushes one of the rats as his magic axe manages to tear into the shadowy from of the rat.

I don't see Thyste in a flanking position, but you hit regardless.

Yellow and Blue are too crazed to care that one of their own is dead and they try to bite Thyste.

bite thyste: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (11) + 4 = 15
bite thyste: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 4 = 20 strength damage: 1d2 ⇒ 1

Thyste tries to counter the first attack, but doesn't quite mange to do so, but it still throws the attack off enough to miss. The second rat takes advantage of Thyste's open stance and bits into her.

Initiative Order, Bold May Go!
Map Slide
Lidia
Thyste -4 strength
Red Rat
Ulretha, -2 Strength
Little Ben/Buddy, -4 strength
Yellow Rat
Blue Rat

She was flanking with Ben at the time, and then moved. Not sure if that would be a delay or...

Groaning as her strength is sapped further-- "I'm going to need like eight coffees after this,"-- she lashes out once more at the rat with the reddest eyes.

Doru Attack: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (16) + 7 = 23
Doru Damage: 1d6 ⇒ 6

"Finally!"

Lidia had been all ready to fend off the rat biting her, when she sees little Thyste come springing to the front of the fight just in time to get bitten. "Careful!" she calls out protectively, then swings emphatically at one of the rats attacking the fox-ling.

Melee Attack vs Yellow: 1d20 + 4 - 1 ⇒ (19) + 4 - 1 = 22
Damage: 1d8 + 2 - 1 ⇒ (6) + 2 - 1 = 7

Lidia kills one rat while Thyste kills the other, the remaining one has enough instinct to realize that they are being hurt and killed, so it retreats into the wall and floor.

Combat over!

Thyste -4 strength damage
Ulretha, -2 Strength damage
Little Ben/Buddy, -4 strength damage

Thyste offers a broad yawn. "Anything else to check before we go back to bed?"

Lidia kills one rat while Thyste kills the other, the remaining one has enough instinct to realize that they are being hurt and killed, so it retreats into the wall and floor.

Combat over!
UPDATED NUMBERS:
Lidia, -2 strength damage
Thyste -2 strength damage
Ulretha, -2 Strength damage
Little Ben/Buddy, -4 strength damage

forgot to subtract for the strength damage. He would have rolled 2 less on the to hit (which does not matter) and done 2 less damage (which also probably does not matter).

"Well done team! You can come out now Uretha," he adds with amusement and a grin.

"My these scales are quite useful. What should we do? We should loot the room, right?" Ben is a bit surprised that Thyste did not suggest that herself. He looks around for anything valuable or magical.

perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (14) + 7 = 21

Spellcasting costs are Caster level × spell level × 10 gp, so the magic weapon spell would have cost 10 gp each, or is the caster level boosted?

Lidia looks wonderingly at her sword, then puts it away into the sheath on her back.

"It looks like your magical scales actually work." she says to Ben. She begins to retrieve her dagger and bow.

"I think we should report back to Rodrick's brother on all we've found. But I would be willing to bet that whoever is using this place as a hideout will be back. I could stay outside the plague house and keep a watch, hidden of course. We might catch our murderer. And find out what he and his friends are doing here."

She glances toward the room with the ruined bedrolls and excavation tools. "Though it looks to me like, whatever they want, it involved digging."

You can choose the caster level.

The macabre corpse still wears a suit of sturdy chainmail, and his pockets hold a wand of cure light wounds with 8 charges remaining, a fine silver dagger (worth 160 gp), a red gold unholy symbol worth 60 gp, and six black onyx gems (worth 25 gp each).

You can climb the rubble in this room to return to the floor above.

Ulretha strolls back into the room, testing his arms by flexing them and grimacing when his muscles tremble faintly rather than their normal solid feel. He bends to examine the bite on his leg, gnawing at it for a few seconds for healing purposes.

"So, there was something useful in here," he admits, as he loots the body.

"Anyone recognize who this belongs to? It ain't Abbadar. You think the scales will explode if we toss it on them?" the mischievous grin on his face suggests that he hopes so and wants to see it happen.

Unless someone wants the armor, he'll definitely dump that on the scales. The other items are small, valuable, portable and/or useful.

"This, too, right? None of us can use this," he says, holding up the wand.