A) You carefully attempt to unwrap excess wires and other components from the portal rings.
Dexterity or Disable Device
B) With the scrap all across the room and help from the console, you scrounge up materials to dampen the portals’ power.
Knowledge (engineering) or Survival
C) There are many eldritch runes scrawled around the portals, which appear to conjure hotter flames than usual. You carefully find and scratch out the most important ones.
Knowledge (planes) or Spellcraft
D) Large power cells have been improperly fit in the portal housings to boost their output. You use brute strength to wriggle them out or find a way around magical adhesives holding them in place. As less integral pieces, you could also smash them, but it could be perilous.
Strength or Use Magic Device, or just melee damage
Female Half-Orc Invulnerable Rager 7 | HP 69/69(83) | AC 17 (15), T 11 (9), FF 16 | CMD 24 | Fort +10(12)(17), Ref +6(11), Will +6(8)(11) | Init +1 | Perc +11 | SM -1 | Rage Rounds 18/18
Roldala moves on to the fourth portal, her keen eye for weakpoints and strong metal serving her well in shoring it up.
Survival:1d20 + 10 ⇒ (17) + 10 = 27
@Imperia: Yes, from your foray into the console you'd know the batteries are radioactive, which is a poison effect. Talking of which, another save! I'll add the antitoxin bonus if someone throws one in.
@Mylvwara and Roldala: You doubled up on one thing and both succeeded, so I moved one to portal 5.
@Ashara: All of the runes have now been put out. Would you like to try Survival instead, an aid another, something else entirely?
You further dampen the portals' power, with Roldala making especially good time for the moment. Ashara still can't make heads nor tails of the runecraft, but they are soon all snuffed out. Imperia keeps up her brash reputation by bashing another battery to pieces.
Prepared this time, Imperia holds her breath with her final swing and steps back from the anticipated blast. While it initially looks like she may have misjudged the spray, at the last second it abates and she once again evades the worst of it. Almost like a little dance. A waltz of steel. Maybe I'll start moonlighting as a poet or some other soft art. Wouldn't that be worth a few good laughs with the Erinyes Company!
Unphased by the danger she is putting herself in, she, yet again, winds up another swing at the same spot in the next portal.
________
Fort vs Poison:1d20 + 8 ⇒ (2) + 8 = 10I'm not messing with poison of any kind at this tier. Reroll! Fort (2 Stars) vs Poison:1d20 + 8 + 2 ⇒ (17) + 8 + 2 = 27 Adamantine Weapon Damage:1d8 + 15 ⇒ (3) + 15 = 18 Option D vs Portal Four.
I'm going to skip Mylvwara for the moment, as you're being interrupted. Imperia, one last Fort save, please.
The team continues to work. Kitani has finished working a portal's batteries, but the rest of you are in the middle of your tasks when the doors open. It's none other than Tig-0!
"Hello, again. I have stooped low enough to clear the doors myself. As such, your malfunction in neglecting the task will later be reported to Lord Karamoss for review. But you are damaged! I will assist." Tig-0 walks over to Fingalad and prods him with a tentacle. It sparks violently, but doesn't aggravate his mostly-healed injury. "Unknown error. Robot repair unit not functioning as normal."
The director robot ignores the problem and bustles along the wall to the portals. "I see you are lowering the Forge's potential power. This is sound. The gates appear to be irresponsibly overpowered, to the detriment of all. Good work. Designation: report."
Status:
Portals:
------
One (A) !!
Two (A) !
Four (AD)
Five (AD)
Six (AB)
We're temporarily out of the special encounter, as Tig-0 has entered the room. I should have been more clear there. Unless you'd like to ignore it entirely?
Female Human Oracle of Life 06 HP 45/45 AC 23 T 13 FF 21 Cmb +4 Cmd 16 F +5 R +5 W +7 Perc +6 In +2 Channel Energy 08/08
"Unit Tig-0, you are malfunctioning. These units were ordered here by Lord Karamoss himself, and you are hindering them. You will remove yourself from their presence andenter diagnostics, not coming online until the error in your programming has been found and rectified"
"There are several methods. However, I would have to assess damage to the Forge to determine their efficacy," Tig-0 responds to Roldala. "Furthermore, there is no point in doing so."
The robot listens patiently to Ashara. "Understood. Your orders are sound. My diagnostics are already complete, and as overseer I should remain active and in the area." Its voice gets as close to petulant as an emotionless drone can get. "I will scan the console's system for updates and update as needed." It shuffles over to the console and extracts a bulky box from an outlet. It goes absolutely still for several moments, apparently processing.
"New orders!" Tig-0 suddenly exclaims. "Lord Karamoss has decreed the destruction of the entire Red Redoubt. However, his attempt at activating the self-destruct system has failed." Tentacles rove over the console, madly pressing buttons. "We will supercharge the portals to do his bidding. I have overrode what failsafes I can. Request priority 1; you will reverse your work on the gates, overclocking them. Confirm new designation?"
"You are malfunctioning," Tig-0 repeats back. Its many tentacles assume a threatening stance, but are slow to do so. "You must be disassembled for recycling, and I will finish your work."
Kitani, I forgot, you get two questions on Tig-0 from your check early on. Anyone else can also roll Knowledge (engineering) on your turn.
Female Human Oracle of Life 06 HP 45/45 AC 23 T 13 FF 21 Cmb +4 Cmd 16 F +5 R +5 W +7 Perc +6 In +2 Channel Energy 08/08
@GM: XD
"Oh well... it was worth a try" Ashara sighs and raises her hand in the air filling herself and her friends with increased accuracy and protection from fear...
Move forward in order to catch as many people as possible inside the radius and cast Bless
"We should have just trashed this thing in the first place," Imperia mutters as she confidently strides forward, sword in hand.
________
Fortitude vs Poison:1d20 + 8 ⇒ (5) + 8 = 13... Double Move.
Mylvwara amplifies Tig-0's already bad malfunctioning. She remembers that while director robots are hesitant to enter combat, they are quite proficient in it.
You get one question.
The rest of you begin preparing for a fight. Kitani recalls that these robots are well insulated against most attacks, but weak to being zapped or hit really hard.
Hardness 8, resist cold and fire 10, vulnerable to critical hits and electricity.
Against other robots, a director has an electric pulse to disable and the ability to usurp control over them. All you need to worry about is Tig-0's grasping tentacles and built-in laser.
Fingalad lands a shot and hurries back. Mylvwara feels something little stronger than a light breeze, what she believes was an attempt to control her as if she were a robot. But then Tig-0 sidles down the wall and grabs her!
Imperia changes her trajectory for Tig-0's movement, brings her sword to her side and swings in a wide arc. Having never fought this kind of foe before, her assumptions on it's movement were deeply flawed and her swing catches nothing but air.
________
+1 Adamantine Longsword (2H, PA, Bless) vs Red:1d20 + 12 ⇒ (1) + 12 = 131d8 + 15 ⇒ (4) + 15 = 19 Move 20ft, swing, cry as my dice betray me.
Female Human Oracle of Life 06 HP 45/45 AC 23 T 13 FF 21 Cmb +4 Cmd 16 F +5 R +5 W +7 Perc +6 In +2 Channel Energy 08/08
Ashara moves near Roldala and briefly touches her weapon impressing some of her powers upon it...
Move and then standard action to activate the bless equipment feat, Roldala's weapon will now add the Bane (cosntruct) property for 3 rounds, costs 2 uses of channel energy
Well, that escalated. Being vulnerable to critical hits doesn't one-and-a-half-uple the damage again, but still...
Kitani's first shot clearly wreaks havoc on Tig-0, causing it to writhe around madly. The follow-up breaks something critical, causing the robot to blast into bits! Thankfully, Mylvwara doesn't conduct the massive voltage.
Combat over! I caught this post shortly before heading out, so I'll update tomorrow.
With Tig-0 dispatched, you're left with more time to depower the portals. You aren't sure how to fix whatever failsafes the robot overrode, though.
As only option A is left, I'll let you know the DC is 22. Since you can't likely make that on a straight Dexterity check, feel free to gang up on one portal.
Yeah, unless they last minutes/level or just 3 minutes.
You haven't managed to make much of the delicate extra wiring yet. With most of the team trying to help, Fingalad feels on the right track. But in comes another interruption! A vent in the ceiling crashes open, and a salamander hovers down. He wears wacky goggles and several other technological items, including the metal pack keeping him afloat. He is accompanied by a pair of little creatures that look like flaming bats with humanoid features.
"Failsafe's're down, we good to-" he calls in a strangely reedy voice. "Hey, hold up! Get away from those!" He grabs a steel box and presses the large red button on it. Behind you, the portals spin to life with a blaze of heat! They are clearly dampened by your efforts, but not entirely put out. Jethzerai exchanges his device for a gun. "I'll be leaving now, over your dead bodies!"
Knowledge (planes) DC 17:
You already heard tell Jethzerai was a snakelike humanoid outsider - a salamander. But you know a fair bit about his kind.
One question, +1 for every 5 you beat the DC by.
Knowledge (planes) DC 13:
The two batlike humanoids are fire mephits. Angry little creatures, they are similar to most other natives of the Eternal Furnace.
Even distracted, Jethzerai’s sudden appearance has given him the drop on you! The salamander keeps himself level at fifteen feet up, just under the ceiling. He casts a spell at Fingalad. His two accomplices also stay high, spreading out and firing beams of heat.
Ear-Piercing Scream at Fingalad! DC 15 Fortitude save to halve 1d6 ⇒ 4 damage, and to avoid being dazed for one round.
Scorching Ray vs. Mylvwara:1d20 + 6 ⇒ (19) + 6 = 25 Damage:4d6 ⇒ (6, 2, 4, 4) = 16
Scorching Ray vs. Kitani:1d20 + 6 ⇒ (10) + 6 = 16 Damage:4d6 ⇒ (4, 6, 3, 5) = 18
Status:
Portals:
------
One (3)
Two (2)
Three (0)
Four (1)
Five (1)
Six (1)
Round One:
------
Blue
Green
Jethzerai
Fingalad
Kitani -18
Ashara
Roldala
Imperia
Mylvwara -16
Female Human Oracle of Life 06 HP 45/45 AC 23 T 13 FF 21 Cmb +4 Cmd 16 F +5 R +5 W +7 Perc +6 In +2 Channel Energy 08/08
Ashara starts an enchantment trying to summon supernatural aid...
Summon Monster II to summon 1d3 ⇒ 3 celestial eagles, they are augmented and immediately use a swift action to smite evil on the guy with the laser pistol. Summoning them takes up the whole round for Ashara
