PBP GD VIII - The Jarlsblood Witch Saga - CORE (Inactive)

Game Master Helikon

*shrug* Fair enough. I won't bother wasting the spell, then. The fighters seem to have this one handled.

Was there any information from the knowledge check? I hate to work my way into a flanking position only to later find out these can't be flanked or are immune to sneak attack. Meanwhile, though...

Zora stays as much to the shadows as possible, dodging in and out of the action to move through the center of the battle and out the other side.

Hide in plain sight, total defense plus mobility will give Zora an AC of 31 vs any AoO for moving through the area.

Stealth: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (5) + 18 = 23

You see a headless corpse walking around, holding a brutal looking axe, bigger and heavier than even a two handed axe, clad in heavy chainmail.
You can have a quick glimpse and hear it speak some croaked words.
"Comes, linnorm, kill..."
Sensing you it whirls towards you, dragging the axe behind its body, ready to butcher you.
Ini: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (19) + 6 = 25

"Why so many undead? How odd."

Is the init order the same? Who is up?

Silgil picks the most likely looking fighter (Jayoir) and targets him with a heroism spell as his action. I assume we hurried on to the next room so that the haste would still be active?

How far away is it?

Kavor Doan will let Jayori take the lead (higher level, much better AC and HP, and now boosted with Heroism).

After the fight with the wights, he casts Still Shield as the party moves deeper down.

Aye, GM, we could really use a bit more information to start these fights.

30Feet

and the initiative status?

Knowledge (religion) to ID: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (12) + 5 = 17

Seeing yet another undead, lumbering out of the darkness, Jayori frowns. Not unexpected, of course, but clearly this place was in need of a cleansing.

He quickly moves in, to engage the latest enemy, noting its lack of a head. "Alvard the Wolf, I presume?" He guesses, calling on the power of Irori to smite the long dead king and end his misery.

Smite Evil on the headless fellow, then single move and attack once, defensively.

+1 trident, haste, heroism, defensive, smite, PA: 1d20 + 16 + 1 + 2 - 4 + 3 - 2 ⇒ (16) + 16 + 1 + 2 - 4 + 3 - 2 = 32, for 1d8 + 8 + 4 + 8 ⇒ (6) + 8 + 4 + 8 = 26 (smite bypassing any DR)

Current AC: 33 vs the headless fellow

Varian frowns.

"I don't think trying to blind that will work..."

With a shrug, he tries a different tactic: Attempting to cover the rather nasty-looking weapon in its hands with bacon grease.

Grease (targeting the weapon, specifically). DC 19 Reflex negates. On a failure, he drops it.

Please roll for iniative, Jayori how would a dragon bane weapon affect you?
Refl: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (18) + 8 = 26

Varian frowns when his spell is resisted, but refrains from commenting.

A Bane(Dragon) weapon would not affect Jayori, since the Dragon Disciple prestige class does *not* give you the (Dragon) type.

Initiative: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (16) + 5 = 21
Kavor Doan casts True Strike and draws his bolas.

Initiative: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (13) + 0 = 13

init: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (11) + 6 = 17

So that is a primary attack against Silgil and the Cleave attack against Kavor Doan?
It looks to me like he would have also provoked from Kavor Doan for getting to the location where he is now. He has his waraxe in one hand and his bolas in the other so he threatens (but one-handed for damage).
If Haste is still up then Kavor Doan's AC is 26 and the Cleave attack misses.

Kavor Doan drops his bolas and attacks with his Waraxe in both hands. He uses Arcane Strike.
+2 Adamantine Waraxe, Haste, PA: 1d20 + 11 + 1 - 2 ⇒ (20) + 11 + 1 - 2 = 30
Confirm: 1d20 + 11 + 1 - 2 ⇒ (15) + 11 + 1 - 2 = 25
Damage: 1d10 + 11 ⇒ (7) + 11 = 18
Crit Damage: 2d10 + 22 ⇒ (2, 6) + 22 = 30

Hasted Attack: 1d20 + 11 + 1 - 2 ⇒ (15) + 11 + 1 - 2 = 25
Damage: 1d10 + 11 ⇒ (3) + 11 = 14

Silgil just withdraws this round and watches the show as the fighters dismantle the thing.

Hey now, I'm only a level 4 paladin =)

Jayori is surprised when the undead king walks right past him, not expecting that much thought from it, given it has no head.

He jabs his trident as it, as it passes...

AoO: 1d20 + 16 + 1 + 2 - 4 + 3 - 2 ⇒ (15) + 16 + 1 + 2 - 4 + 3 - 2 = 31, for 1d8 + 8 + 4 + 4 ⇒ (8) + 8 + 4 + 4 = 24 damage (bypassing DR)

... then quickly follows, to help put it down for good.

+1 trident, haste, heroism, PA, smite, defensive, flank: 1d20 + 16 + 1 + 2 - 2 + 3 - 4 + 2 ⇒ (19) + 16 + 1 + 2 - 2 + 3 - 4 + 2 = 37, for 1d8 + 8 + 4 + 4 ⇒ (7) + 8 + 4 + 4 = 23 damage (bypassing DR)

AC still 33

Haste is expired

In that case Kavor Doan was hit for 20 damage by the Cleave attack - that was the second roll, right?
Fort: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (6) + 11 = 17

Then Kavor Doan's attacks were 37 to hit (7 damage) on the AOO
29 to hit (24 to confirm) for a 48-damage crit
No Hasted attack.

the +1 to hit from haste I don't think makes a difference on my attacks. =)
And wasn't accounting for it in my AC anyway.

I doubt preceision damage is going to do much, but we'll give it a try.

Zora slices and dices with her small blades, trying to cut the things apart.

+1 Adamantine Short Sword, flanking, 2-weapons: 1d20 + 11 + 2 - 2 ⇒ (9) + 11 + 2 - 2 = 20
Damage: 1d4 + 1 + 2d6 ⇒ (4) + 1 + (3, 5) = 13

Mithral Dagger, flanking, 2-weapons: 1d20 + 11 + 2 - 2 ⇒ (20) + 11 + 2 - 2 = 31
Damage: 1d4 + 1 + 2d6 ⇒ (1) + 1 + (4, 3) = 9

Possible crit on that second stab, Zora. =)

Ooo! Assuming we can crit...

Crit Confirm: 1d20 + 11 + 2 - 2 ⇒ (17) + 11 + 2 - 2 = 28
Added Damage: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4

And Zora easely manages to finish the already brutally wounded undead off. But there is no silence to be heard.

spellcraft to identify axe: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (15) + 13 = 28
spellcraft to identify cloak: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (12) + 13 = 25
spellcraft to identify talisman: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (1) + 13 = 14

When the warrior turns her attention to them he asks, "And you are?" Though Silgil already harbors strong suspicions.

Varian tries to help identify the equipment...

Spellcraft(Cloak): 1d20 + 15 + 2 ⇒ (17) + 15 + 2 = 34.
Spellcraft(Talisman): 1d20 + 15 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 15 + 2 = 29.

...then waits with interest to hear what the spirit's reaction to Silgil's question is.

”Did we distract the beast? How long has this battle ensued?”

"Not sure. They already looked dead to me. Perhaps it is a haunt or simple repeating image."

Jayori will make sure to take the big axe from the headless fellow behind us, in case it wakes up again.

Detect evil on the apparition

Jayori eyes the spectral scene with an interested frown, taking a moment to assess the danger, before speaking.

He shakes his head slightly. "Silgil likely has the right of it, though." He says quietly. "Some sort of lingering vestige of past events..."

"Though if that was Alvard, behind us, than this could be the spirit of Kolvi." He ammends, clearly unsure. "Though if the spirit of the linnorm is here too, then there is more to this story than we know."

"Perhaps getting the true story can lift the curse on the land? Don't really believe that, but I have heard of strange stories before."

If there is anything still not identified, I'll help with that as well.

"Can't say I've ever talked to a ghost or spirit before, but theoretically it should be possible. This will make a fantastic chronicle. I wonder what languages ghosts can speak? Do they remember all of their education in death? Can ghosts communicate with each other even if they don't speak the same language? Do they even need languages between themselves? So many questions we could answer. How do we start?"

"Hello ghost can you hear me? Can you tell us the story of how you came to be here?"

Varian watches with interest, ready to record whatever data regarding Ghosts is learned from this experience...

@Varian and Silgil you identify the following:
+1 dragon bane butchering axe, cloak of resistance +1, lesser good fortune talisman

The appartion leans on her axe and looks at you.
"Well met and who are you?
I am Kolvi... or what is left of her. I was a strong warrior and I set out to slay a linnorm. But alas the traitorious king ambushed me in envy. But nature, or better an agent of nature intervened and the wind rose and a blizzard came. And the traitor perished from my hand. I returned with his head, but alas the town called me witch and burned me on a stake. But I am nothing but a swordmaiden.
I awoke here, in this caves and since then I am fighting the linnorm, that is trying to reform itself. I made a vow to slay a linnorm, a vow I could not keep in live. So I keep it in unlife."

"I am sorry to hear you were both betrayed and falsely accused.
But you say 'Could not'... meaning that the real linnorm is still here? "

"I am not sure if we need to honestly relate the entire story to the people of Frostreach. It sounds like King Alvard the Wolf broke his word to the fey, and then betrayed you out of envy. That would reflect badly on him and outrage his ancestors.

The people of Frostreach may find it easier to believe that a curse made him turn on Kolvi, rather than his envy. And that by finally destroying the linnorm for good we have put both souls to rest. Stretching the truth a bit, but sometimes you have to do that to let people save face."

Kavor Doan thinks. "Kolvi, what can you tell us about this linnorm? We will help you destroy it if we can."

Looking at his notes, Silgil is not quite satisfied. He really prefers to make a complete report.

"So the being that introduced herself at the location of your execution, the fox-tailed entity that introduced herself as the Jarlsblood Witch, she was the one that aided you. We figured as much already. do you happen to know her name or perhaps what type of entity she is? Do you know what promise was broken?"

Looking at Zora Kolvi nods sagely. "The real linnorm is regenerating. But his spirit has to return to his body to reform. And so far I have managed to prevent this. But my strength is waning."
The ghost of Kolvi smiles at Kavor.
"I would appreciate that you will accept the challenge of Linnorm slaying. A linnorm often has a curse, so much is known. If you could clear my name and that of my family, I would happy join Gorums ranks in his shieldhall."
Shaking her head Kolvi replies to Silgil.
"I am sorry, but I do not know much about the feys. I was not their ally, but the headless betrayer was their enemy. That was the reason I escaped his ambush. Not that it did me any good!"

"Let us destroy this linnorm's remains. Before it can regenerate if we can. Where can we find it?
And does it have a breath weapon like a dragon? Frost? Fire?"
Kavor Doan has a Still Resist Energy prepared so would like to know what sort of energy to protect against in case it does regenerate and we have to fight it.

Kolvi shrugs and replies"I do not know. I just fight him tooth and claws!"

Kavor Doan casts his prepared Still Resist Energy (Fire).
Then he uses his bonded item (axe) to cast Resist Energy (Cold), taking the risk of spell failure (cannot apply metamagic to the bonded item spell).
01-35 ASF: 1d100 ⇒ 86

He now has Resist Fire 20 and Resist Cold 20.

"Let's go put an end to this curse. What do you need us to do?"

"It sounds like clearing her name is the key."

Zora spends some time searching the area for hidden clues, doors, etc.

Perception: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (16) + 13 = 29 (+1 more if traps)

Since nobody else expresses interest in it, Silgil takes the lesser good fortune talisman

"Well, how hard can it be locating a regenerating dragon corpse. Let's go find it. since it wasn't outside, it must be over there."

We move through the opening to the north.

"You would do well to be a little patient." Jayori calls after Silgil. "This woman's spirit has been bravely holding this creature at bay for two centuries... I suspect we can take a few moments to prepare ourselves now."

What sort of time frame are we looking at for this thing getting through her guard? Next few seconds? minutes? hours? Sometime tomorrow or next week?

"It will be just before the entrance. Make your prepareations and we can attack it!"

Kavor Doan will use another charge of Shield if needed.
Also casting Blur, Still Enlarge Person, and Still See Invisibility.

silgil casts false life on himself tem hp: 1d10 + 6 ⇒ (7) + 6 = 13 and mage armor.

"Any of you want a bull's strength or enlarge person cast on them?"

"I'll take a Bull's Strength if you can spare one, Silgil."

Kolvi shrugs and speaks up. I can feel the spirit building up again. Quick, leave the catacombs and you can fight it.
If you do so you wait infront of the entrance. Suddenly a dark thundercloud appears and it gets a lot colder. The bones around the entrance are drawn together like ironpieces to a strong magnet and the linnorm starts to rise.
Roll for iniative.
Ini: 1d20 ⇒ 15