[PFS2] GM Rinaldo's Escaping the Grave (1-03) Table 2 (Inactive)

Game Master The Great Rinaldo!

Ezekiel had said he was going to Hustle, so I'll roll it now and move forward:
Ezekiel Fort: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 4 = 20

After casting her spell, Zherayiss scurries past the zombies. As she does, they turn just long enough for Veshki to move past them, keeping very quiet.

The rest of the group follows a longer path to get far enough away to avoid notice. Conso and Degbie, not accustomed to sprints in full gear, are quite winded when the group meets back up.

Conso and Degbie are now fatigued for the duration of the adventure. You will take a –1 status penalty to AC and all saving throws.

=================

You resume following the road toward Goldenflame. As time goes on, the road becomes more difficult to follow, as it is become overgrown with prickly thorns and tall grasses.

The setup for this obstacle is either Nature or Survival to identify areas where the overgrowth thins out. The regular check is either Acrobatics to maneuver through the narrow paths, or Melee Attack with a slashing weapon to hack your way through. Hustling involves leaving the road entirely and finding a different route.

Conso and Degbie may not choose to hustle.

"Ah, 'bout time ya made it. Keep on the hoof else that patrol's gonna come back around on us." He offers up a waterskin to Degbie and Conso as they look pretty spent.

"If we head clear through here maybe we'll be close." He looks around at the bent over brush, thick jackfir, and blowdowns and draws out his battle axe. "Not perfect for the job but no time ta make better." He gets to work clearing a path ahead.

Breathing heavily but not dead on his feet, Ezekiel looks around, shocked at how well he's doing on his second outing as a Pathfinder. Life outside his dusty books and tomes was proving most stimulating.

"Is it always like this, just getting to the destination? I've only been on one other adventure prior to this and I don't remember it being this difficult to get to our objective before. No wonder I don't see many out of shape adventurers...

Once again my best bets are the setup as I'm +6 on both Nature and Survival. My Acrobatics is +4 and my Melee is +4 as well.

Veshki pulls out her hatchet and gets to work on the brush. Unfortunately, walking around with seven feet of steel on your back gives a lot of opportunity to get tangled up.

Clear the way: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (1) + 6 = 7
:(

Please do not roll until we have determined who, if anyone, is doing Setup. Knowing what you rolled ahead of time may affect that decision, so I'm going to have to declare the existing rolls void. (Sorry, Klank!)

"Ah, 'bout time ya made it. Keep on the hoof else that patrol's gonna come back around on us." He offers up a waterskin to Degbie and Conso as they look pretty spent.

Conso takes a sip of water. Dank you, friend. Dat took more out of me den I expected. I guess we all have good days and bad days.”

He looks at the overgrown road. Well, I don’t fink I’ll be doing any more running, so I may just have to cut my way frough dis.

To Ezekiel: You had good advice on how to tackle dat hill. Any feeling about this stuff?

I’m good with Ezekiel doing the setup again.

With a sigh, Degbie slides the dagger out of his boot. Other than the crossbow that is rarely strung up and usually resides in his pack, the dagger is the only weapon he carries.

The dagger's original owner was a young tough that started a fight in the tavern in the puddles that Degbie bounced at for years before cutting his teeth behind the bar. It's a reminder of who he could have been had he not found faith in the bottom of his bottle.

"I'll nae get used to usin' one o' these things," but with a grunt, he twists its grip around and readies to go to work wherever Ezekiel or someone less city raised than the big bouncer directs.

No worries. It kills off the nat 1 as well as my nat 20. A fair trade. I'm good with Zek making another set up.

Klank nods at Conso, takes his water skin back and puts it away. "I got an extra dagger if anyone needs a cutter. It ain't perfect but it'll do the job."

Sorry, just assumed we were gonna have Ezekiel do it

Reaching into his backpack, Ezekiel withdraws a book called "The Goldenflame Gazetteer: An Index of Sites and Wonders". Flipping through the book while pushing his glasses back up the bridge of his nose, you can see that several chapters have been tabbed with bookmarks, notating that Ezekiel has already read through the gazetteer several times.

"I seem to remember this area being specifically notated for its dense growth and dangerous foliage..."

Sounds like I'm doing the Nature/Survival check. Not sure if there's a difference between the two, but I'll go with Nature first. I'll let you roll it Rinaldo unless you'd rather I proceed with the roll.

"Ah, 'bout time ya made it. Keep on the hoof else that patrol's gonna come back around on us." He offers up a waterskin to Degbie and Conso as they look pretty spent.

As the dwarf is handing over the waterskin, Zhera gives a smile and offers, "I can warm or cool that if you want. Though for Degbie, it'll cost 5 copper."

She then looks ahead at the thicket of bushes and trees ahead of them and gives a smile. With a few words in what sounds like it might be draconic, Zhera's fingernails darken slightly and lengthen into sharp deadly looking points, with a sickly looking green core to them. Her top layer of skin hardens into a layer of green scales, before flaking off a few seconds later, leaving only faint green outlines of themselves. She tests one of the vines with a claw, easily cutting it in two and causing it to shrivel up some. "Already, I'm ready to cut my way through here! Back home I was the best at making pathways as the poison in these made it so the plants didn't grow back immediately. Also made getting around sooo much easier."

Zhera's Melee and Acrobatics are both +6 but her melee weapon (her claws, which are slashing and poison) is just too thematic to not use.

Ezekiel Nature: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (13) + 6 = 19 Success, everyone else gets +2

Since Zhera rolled after it was agreed to have Ezekiel setup, I'll keep her roll, which was a success.
Everyone else:
Kernal Clank : 1d20 + 7 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 7 + 2 = 10 Fail
Degbie: 1d20 + 6 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 6 + 2 = 13 Fail
Conso : 1d20 + 6 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 6 + 2 = 9 Fail
Veshki : 1d20 + 6 + 2 ⇒ (20) + 6 + 2 = 28 Critical Success

With Ezekiel's guidance, Veshki and Zhera are able to clear enough of the weeds to help Degbie and Conso, who are still winded from running around the hill, and Clank, who is just not very effective at fighting undergrowth.

=====================

Despite the obstacles, you make decent time, and eventually Goldenflame comes into view.

The town of Goldenflame is directly ahead of you. You can go into it to explore, or you can bypass it to go to the college, which is about 10 minutes further along the road.

"Oh my, that is most concerning. Veshki, did you see that individual dart away? We must assume they aim to bring reinforcements."

Slinging his backpack over his other shoulder, Ezekiel turns to the group for their council.

"I believe the options are to search the town of Goldenflame to find survivors if we're extremely lucky, or the remains of the fallen Pathfinders. Alternatively we could continue to the college to secure the relics and stories the Venture Captain spoke of. Which do we think is of more pressing concern?

Dang your dicebot is feast or famine GM!

After a miserable bushwhack through the woods Klank takes a knee from the edge of the road and looks into town. "Well crew, we got two options in front of us... straight into town or hit the college first. I say we get to the college first, maybe its a stronghold and a better chance for survivors." He may be whispering, but he sounds pretty solid in his conviction that the college is the best choice.

As they discuss the options ahead he takes a small sharpening stone from his tool kit and touches up his battle axe, removing dried sap and such from the blade. He expertly draws and pushes the blade across the whetstone, getting the edge back to tip top shape. "Ready when you are."

Veshki nods as she tucks her hatchet back into her belt. "Aye"
"We don't have long, we should check in town on our way to the college." She checks the javelins strapped to her back and tightens her pack.

Aye. I'll be wit Veshki," with mild annoyance, Degbie slides his woefully unlucky dagger back in his boot.

"Makin our way t'the college isn't a bad idea. It could give us a chance at'a place t'hide out if needs be. But from whut I know'a Goldenflame, her chapel doubled as a town hall. Any chance we have at findin' our lost pathfinders starts there. It'd be a mistake to pass it up. Not to mention the records kept there."

With another crack of his neck, the ulfen stands. "I'm for the town first.'

Conso nods. The search for survivors should be our first priority. If dat means going into town first, den dat’s what we should do.

"To be fair, there is very little to no chance that there are any survivors, and that our request was to locate the bodies so that a proper accounting could be made of active Pathfinders. However, I feel that holding out hope at the impossible is never a bad thing, and I agree that checking out the town should be our first priority. While I am a scholar and the preservation of knowledge appeals at the utmost to me, I can't turn my back on the need for...closure." Ezekiel states, more as a rambling of his own stream of consciousness than anything else.

Klank nods in agreement "Fair enough. To town we go."

After a brief discussion, you agree to explore the town first. Apart from the slight breeze, the town is still and quiet. The buildings here seem mostly intact, with only a few signs of disuse: cracked gutters, dry and decaying flower beds, weeds growing against flaking walls.
A crumbling fountain stands in the middle of the plaza, dry as a dusty bone.

I have put a map of the town up, and placed your tokens to the side of the map. You are approaching from the left side, but are far enough away that you could come from a different direction, or even split and come from two sides at once. Decide how you want to approach, and if any of you intend to "Avoid Notice" (use stealth and travel slightly apart from the group) or "Scout" (travel slightly ahead of the group to give an initiative bonus if combat starts). If you are planning Stealth, make sure to tell me your modifier. Otherwise I just need your Perception modifier, which I believe everyone has in their headers.

My Stealth is the same as my Perception, so that's a wash. I'm willing to Scout tho.

I think at this point, considering the danger we know is lurking somewhere, it's best to keep the party together. My stealth is a bust as well, so lets just walk in there like we own the place and find our people.

"Statistically speaking, our best bet for finding either bodies or survivors would be in the church or the inn. My suggestion is we come in, start with the church, then make a counter-clockwise search of the town."

Degbie nods. "Seems like a fair plan, lad."

Like Veshki, I'm happy to scout a bit.

With a name like Klank its hard to expect the man to be silent as he goes. "I'll take point. These eyes are sharp and these chains aren't quiet. Drag me out if I fall in a hole." He prepares to keep himself on the look out in front. He straps on his shield and keeps his eyes and ears open.

+7 perception but with the chain I think I'm at -2 stealth...

Hmm.. If Klank takes point, perhaps I shall watch our rear, Conso says, putting on his own shield.

If no one objects, Conso will wait for everyone else to follow Klank and then guard the rear.

"Thank you greatly sir Ghezzo. I'm afraid I'm a bit on the...squishy side. I'm not exactly comfortable in the front or the rear." Ezekiel explains, suddenly feeling very exposed as they enter the town, knowing that at any moment they could be assailed by the undead.

Works for me, thank you!

"Oh my, that is most concerning. Veshki, did you see that individual dart away? We must assume they aim to bring reinforcements."

Zhera slips the long fabric bag off her pack and strings her longbow, as she caustically comments. "Dammit! Why didn't you point it out faster, you fool? We were doing so well not getting caught! Argh!"

She grumbles for a bit as he pulls out a scroll. She reads over it and casts it on herself. As the group argues over where to go next, she carefully checks the plates of force that envelop her form for vulnerabilities, as well as making sure she looks alright in them. once a consensus has finally been reached, she jumps up and re-grips her bow. "You finally ready? Well, let's get moving then."

She backs away from the party for a few feet before trying to hunker down in some bushes. As she ducks out of view, she comments, "Kernal over there could wake the dead with all his clanking. I'm gonna try staying out of sight and just parallel you."

Might be a terrible idea but I'm curious as to what happens to those who stealth. She has a +3 to it btw.

She grumbles for a bit as he pulls out a scroll. She reads over it and casts it on herself.

So what spell would that be?

Zherayiss Taniyia wrote:

She grumbles for a bit as he pulls out a scroll. She reads over it and casts it on herself.

So what spell would that be?

Fudge biscuits, forgot to add that it was mage armor! Also need to update her taglines, whoops! Also would 10 minutes of exploration time have passed since everyone started hacking through the overgrowth? Zhera could refocus within that amount of time.

Zhera: Knowing that you have limited time, taking 10 minutes to refocus is something you will have to explicitly call out. You can't do it while walking - it's a quiet, meditative activity.
====================

I've placed you on the map based on your posts. Veshki and Degbie out front doing "Scout" activity, Klank leading the rest doing "Raise Shield" activity, and everyone else just Exploring.

Since none of you have played PbP's with me before, a brief discussion of combat: I will put Initiative into a spoiler, but you are free to open it. I will put a Combat Card spoiler into every post that you are also allowed to view. It shows where we are and who is up, as well as damage and conditions. Some conditions may be secret, and won't be noted here.

When it is your turn, move your token on the map as needed, and state your three actions. Include any rolls for attack and damage. Remember your multiple attack penalty if you are attacking more than once.

As an action on their turn, anyone can attempt a Recall Knowledge a relevant skill. State that you are doing so and tell me your bonus, then I will roll secretly and provide you the result. You can wait to finish your turn to hear the result if you wish.

As you approach the town square, you first notice the horrible smell of decaying bodies. Then you notice some of those decaying bodies coming toward you. One of them is the corpse of a horse!

Since they are acting before you, I am leaving ghost images and arrows to indicate where they started and ended their turn. It isn't necessary for you to do this for your own moves, since I know where you are starting. ;-)

The horse ambles over and bites at Degbie.
Bite: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (10) + 7 = 17 damage (S): 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (7) + 4 = 11
Unless you have an AC bonus not listed, that's 11 damage to Degbie.

Tow other zombies start shambling in your direction.

Conso is up!

Ouch!

Conso rushes forward, drawing his rapier and readying his shield.

1. full Stride to behind Degbie. 2. Interact to draw rapier. 3. Raise a Shield.

BTW- It wouldn't have changed the order here, but I have the Incred. Initiative Feat for a +2 to initiative.

Not sure how to move my token on the map, sorry.

You should just be able to select your token and drag it. If you're on a phone, you might not be able to, but it works fine from a PC or tablet. I've moved you for now. I've also added the +2 to my initiative template for next time.

Conso moves up, drawing his weapon and shield.

The remaining zombies notice you and begin moving up.

Everyone else is up!

Seeing the Undead lumbering towards his small group, a moment of panic surges through Ezekiel and his fight or flight instincts veers towards the realm of flight, but only for a moment. Girding his resolve, the scholar steps forward, his hands rising with arcane energy.

"We must be quick, else we'll be overwhelmed!"

2 Actions
Ray of Frost on Horse: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (18) + 7 = 25 Cold Damage: 1d4 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8

1 Action
Cast Shield
AC increases to 16

Veshki lets loose a roar and draws her massive sword, swinging it down against the undead animal.

1 action to Rage
1 action to draw sword
1 action to Strike the horse
AC -1, and currently clumsy 1
9 rounds left

Nythurtr: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (8) + 6 = 14 Prolly didn't hit, but just in case...
Damage: 1d12 + 9 ⇒ (2) + 9 = 11

Klank crashes ahead, draws his battle axe and hacks at the rear leg of the reanimated beast "Don't give 'em a chance to overwhelm us, cut 'em down quick!"

Battle Axe: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (16) + 7 = 231d8 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7

Klank has Reactive Shield and Shield block, which he'll use if he's struck. AC19 with shield raised. Also: The map is on read only for me, can't move.

"'Apparently, this'nt me day," Degbie growls as his body glows with a faintly divine radiance that spreads to the ground beneath him.

Action 1: Enter Mountain Stance: While in Mountain Stance, you gain a +4 status bonus to AC and a +2 circumstance bonus to any defenses against being Shoved or Tripped. However, you have a Dexterity modifier cap to your AC of +0, meaning you don’t add your Dexterity to your AC, and your Speeds are all reduced by 5 feet. For Degbie, this will only give him a +2 to his AC, so it should be 18 now.

Action 2 Attack Deadite Horse: Falling Stone: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (9) + 6 = 15
Damage: 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (8) + 3 = 11 Bludgeoning

Action 3 Attack Deadite Horse: Falling Stone: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 = 8
Damage: 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5 Bludgeoning

Ezekiel: The horse has cover from you, but even still that was a critical hit! Does that spell have a critical effect?

Veshki: Good news! Zombie horses have a pitiful AC. You hit, and found a weakness!

Klank: Better news! That's a critical hit, and it you also found a weakness!

Degbie: That is also a hit, and the last one needed!

Working like a well-trained team, Ezekiel fires a cold ray at the horse while Veshki, Klank, and Degbie all slash and punch at it. The two blades draw open huge gashes, spilling the horses guts, while Debgie's fist crushes what is left of its skull.

The horse is defeated, and Zherayiss is still up!

Ezekiel: The horse has cover from you, but even still that was a critical hit! Does that spell have a critical effect?

It does, but it's a moot point now since it's dead. It does double damage and imposes a -10 speed penalty for 1 round when my attack is a critical success.

Zherayiss gives a short look at the now dead-dead undead horse and sniffs. "Not bad work, people, not bad work at all. Ezekiel, I'm impressed with how well you cast that spell. Kernal, Debgie, and Veshki, nice swings. Let's keep these things a little busy, sothey can't just jump you like that horse though, shall we?" She takes a step forward, incants a few words of elven about butter and roads while making the motions of spreading butter on her longbow in hand. A large pile of grease appears in front of the group before getting slowly spread out covering a 10 foot square.

Action 1: Step to make sure all squares of spell are in range
Action 2&3: Cast Grease Area marked on map, where the horse was.
Finally, Zhera was planning on stealthing in, but given her perception and stealth have the same modifier and she rolled a one, I doubt it would have made a difference.

Removed the corpse of the horse from the map, and filled in the grease marker to fill the exact area.

Zhera casts a spell making the area in front of the group slippery. Just as she does, one of the shamblers moves up.
Yellow Reflex: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (17) + 0 = 17
Though it skids a bit, it manages to keep its feet.
Move into the grease, then step. It appears not to take a third action.

Another zombie (green) continues moving toward you as well.

Conso is up!

Conso watches his teammates make short work of the undead beast, nods with approval and looks on with interest as Zherayiss coats the ground in a slippery substance. Eager to do his part, he slips past Klank, climbing onto the steps to the nearby building and stabbing at the zombie before lifting his shield once more.

Action 1 - Movement
Action 2 - Attack (Yellow) Zombie Rapier: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (12) + 6 = 18
Damage: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 = 8 Piercing
Action 3 - Raise Shield (AC 18); will Shield Block reaction if hit.

Conso deftly steps up onto the stairs and stabs at the zombie, penetrating its decaying flesh and eliciting a moan.

Three zombies (red, blue, and blue) continue their shamble up.
Black reflex: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (5) + 0 = 5
One of them slips in the greasy patch and lands on its side.

Red attack: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (8) + 7 = 15
Another manages to find a spot with no grease and swings a club-like fist at Veshki, but doesn't connect.

Blue moves twice and ends its turn adjacent to Conso.

Everyone else is up!

Veshki swings her blade in a massive arc from right to left, then finishes by driving it into the ground, narrowly missing the grease-covered zombie lying there.

Strike on red zombie
Strike on yellow zombie
Strike on black zombie
8 rounds left

Strike on red: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (18) + 6 = 24
Damage: 1d12 + 9 ⇒ (10) + 9 = 19

Strike on yellow: 1d20 + 6 - 5 ⇒ (20) + 6 - 5 = 21 CRIT!
Damage: 1d12 + 9 ⇒ (4) + 9 = 13

Strike on black: 1d20 + 6 + 2 - 10 ⇒ (11) + 6 + 2 - 10 = 9
Pretty sure that's a miss

Klank maintains his superior positioning and hacks at the closest zombie "Keep at 'em." He prods, focused on the task at hand.

Battle Axe: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (6) + 7 = 131d8 + 4 ⇒ (7) + 4 = 11
Battle Axe: 1d20 + 7 - 5 ⇒ (11) + 7 - 5 = 131d8 + 4 ⇒ (7) + 4 = 11
Raise Shield.

If the yellow zombie is double tapped already then Klank will ready an attack for the next zombo to come in. Is readying still a thing in 2.0?

Raising both hands, sparks of electricity danced between his finger tips as Ezekiel grinned, enjoying the raw might of his arcane powers.

"They're more life like than I thought they would be, at least compared to what I read about them..."

Action 1 - Movement
Action 2-3 Cast Electric Arc on Yellow and Red (if they're still up after Veshki's attack). If they're not an option then switch to Black and Blue (If only one is up after Veshki's attack, first damage goes to the remaining one that's up, second one will prioritize Black).
Saving Throw: basic Reflex
Electric Damage: 1d4 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7
Critical Success: No damage
Success: Half damage
Failure: Full Damage
Critical Failure: Double Damage

With all his allies around, Degbie prioritizes the fallen zombie first.

All Three of Degbie's actions will go to attacking black. If black dies during his attacks, he'll switch to yellow. If every enemy is defeated, he'll leave his stance.

Falling Stone : 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (18) + 6 = 24
Damage : 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (7) + 3 = 10

Falling Stone: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (18) + 1 = 19
Damage : 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 3 = 7

Falling Stone: 1d20 - 4 ⇒ (8) - 4 = 4
Damage : 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 = 8

Veshki swings her blade, viciously slashing both upright zombies in front of her! Both strikes are critical hits! 38 damage to Red, and 26 to Yellow! With the Flat-Footed penalty for being prone, the third attack barely misses against Black. She cuts both zombies cleanly in half, letting out a scream of rage even as her sword just barely flies over the prone zombie.

===============

If the yellow zombie is double tapped already then Klank will ready an attack for the next zombo to come in. Is readying still a thing in 2.0?

It is; you use two of your actions and end your turn, even if you didn't already use your third action. You declare a trigger (such as "An enemy comes into melee range"), and if that trigger occurs, your attack goes off as a reaction. I can't see anything that says you can't Raise A Shield before attacking, so I am counting you as having Raised A Shield, then Ready Attack.

Klank watches Veshki slaughter two zombies in a single blow; he holds his shield up and prepares to attack any zombie that comes into his range.

===============

Black basic Reflex: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (16) + 0 = 16
Blue basic Reflex: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (11) + 0 = 11
Ezekiel casts a spell, and electricity arcs from his hands to the prone zombie and then to the one near Conso. Both zombies shudder as the power enters them. Full damage to both.

===============

Degbie rises up, and falls like a landslide onto the prone zombie! Attack #1 is a crit (20 damage!) and destroys it. Degbie still has two actions remaining!

===============

Degbie has 2 actions remaining. Zhera is still up!

After dropping the zombie, Degbie moves to take out the remaining threat.

Action 2- stride
Action 3- one more attack. Do you want me to keep the same roll for my second attack or roll a new one?

Same roll is good.
After dropping one zombie, Degbie moves up and strikes at another. Hit, zombie is damaged but still up.