GM CoolFrostyOne's CORE Tome of Righteous Repose (Inactive)

Game Master lekolas

To be fair she rolled, regardless of who actually activated the spell, if her divine scroll was used since she is an arcane caster. It's a scroll, by the way, and not a wand. Since Aurus is casting his own spell it only makes sense to have him roll it. If and when he uses her scroll, then use her roll.

Cloudia takes a look at the gem...

spellcraft: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (10) + 9 = 19

Spellcraft: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (5) + 12 = 17

Nemrok is unable to understand the magic of the gem.

Knowledge (arcana) Take 10: 10 + 8 + 2 = 20

To determine the school of magic. Also how strong is the aura?

The party circles the gem, fascinated by its presence and the possibilities therein, but is unable to determine what exactly it is and what it might do. Nemrok determines that the aura of the gem is moderate. Uldar that it is of the conjuration school of magic.

Will be moving on in my next post.

"Nemrok, could it be an elemental gem like we found in Fangwood Keep?"

Uldar will take the gem so he can try and activate it blindly in case of emergency.

Could be as the magic is moderate conjuration like the one we found on our previous mission together, but I don't speak any of the languages of the Elemental Planes, so ...

"I really should buy a scroll of identification. I'd really love to know what this thing does. Oh well. I guess we move on?"

A wand would be handy... I forgot to buy one. Thinking of it, a wand of detect secret door will have been good too!

Says out loud Nemrok before adding after a shrug Lets go.

A wand would be handy... I forgot to buy one. Thinking of it, a wand of detect secret door will have been good too!

Says out loud Nemrok before adding after a shrug Lets go.

"Yeah, It's on my shopping list too..."

"I'm ready!"

Lesser Resto: 1d4 ⇒ 4

Cloudia is impressed. "Nice spellcasting Aurus" and promptly puts her scroll right back where it came from.

"Yeah, I learned a thing or two hangin' around all you," Aurus says, evidently somewhat surprised by his own spellcasting prowess.

Was going to post and edit yesterday, but it let me get the post up and then the website went all pear-shaped.

I saythe party heads through the opening across from the one they entered through.

After retrieving the gem, the party winds its way through several rooms and hallways of little renown, before finding itself in a long hall with the statue of an elven woman with a snake’s body lying crumbled at its east end. Dozens of fist-sized nooks line the walls near the statue.

Standing in front of the statue, with a crossbow trained on the party, is a hooded dwarf, hair flame red, features dark and a dour expression. (See Slide 9)

”Who goes there? Friend or foe?” he asks in a voice that echoes through the crypt.

In the shadows, blending in with the walls are two of the dwarf’s underlings. Each of the halflings bears a pair of daggers and dozens of knife-fighting scars up and down their bodies.

”Whadd’a we have here, Half Pint and Socorro? I wonder who tipped ‘em off? They got past the talking bones, so they can’t be locals.”

On the north side of the room is a set of stairs leading to a pair of locked iron doors. The large doors are covered in chains that glisten with magical runes.

Care to chat? Diplomacy might be helpful...

”Who goes there? Friend or foe?” he asks in a voice that echoes through the crypt.

"That all depends. I'm Uldar Uldeth and these are my fellow pathfinders Cloudia, Aurus, Seebonickk, Nemrok, and Jack. We've been sent here to examine this crypt and restore the wards and to neutralize anything that could be a threat to the sanctity of this mausoleum."

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 16 + 2 ⇒ (16) + 16 + 2 = 34

"Do you want to hear how my brave companions put down the skeletal champions, I'd be happy to tell their heroic tale!"

Cloudia waves from behind her corner and steps back out of sight, then casts bless. The long version, not the one from her wand.

Cloudia waves and says hi from behind her corner and shyly steps back out of sight, then casts bless. The long version, not the one from her wand.

Cloudia, IMHO, the bless spell would be considered a hostile action that would likely instantly trigger a combat. Since this is PbP and I don’t want to poll the group or slow the story down to bring it to a vote, I’m going to assume that this wasn’t your intention, and disallow the casting. If the group disagrees with my judgment here, let’s discuss on the discussion boards. As per my usual, though, I probably won’t undo the decision.

The dwarf looks satisfied by Uldar’s explanation, nods at his underlings, and lowers his crossbow.

”Pathfinders, ‘eh? Protecting the sanctity of the mausoleum. I wonder if we checked their packs if we’d find any loot, ‘eh, Half Pint? Probably really here for the treasure just like us.

”Well, I don’t see why this should come to blows. Share and share alike is our motto. Truth be told we been sittin’ here a while, ponderin’ how we might get past whatever’s behind those double doors over there. Whatever it is, it don’t sound small.”

”How ‘bout we make a deal? I got a key that just might fit that lock on that door there. I know the Pathfinder Society, and they come well-equipped. You go in there, slay whatever nasty beast you find, and since you’re doing most of the dirty work, you can keep most of the treasure we all know you’re really here for. You just pay us a small fee for doing you the courtesy of givin’ you the key. Sixty forty, I say. Sixty for you, forty for us. That sound about right to you, Socorro?”

Socorro throws the dwarf a murderous glance, whether intended for you, or for her boss, it’s hard to tell. They await your response.

Roll any social checks you feel may be appropriate as you continue the conversation.

Aurus shakes his head. "I can get behind givin' 'em gold - that comes and goes - but they can't be taking out any relics til we say they can. Don't wanna be droppin' valuable history into the hands of tomb robbers." he says lowly, so only the party can hear him.

”Pathfinders, ‘eh? Protecting the sanctity of the mausoleum. I wonder if we checked their packs if we’d find any loot, ‘eh, Half Pint? Probably really here for the treasure just like us.

”Well, I don’t see why this should come to blows. Share and share alike is our motto. Truth be told we been sittin’ here a while, ponderin’ how we might get past whatever’s behind those double doors over there. Whatever it is, it don’t sound small.”

”How ‘bout we make a deal? I got a key that just might fit that lock on that door there. I know the Pathfinder Society, and they come well-equipped. You go in there, slay whatever nasty beast you find, and since you’re doing most of the dirty work, you can keep most of the treasure we all know you’re really here for. You just pay us a small fee for doing you the courtesy of givin’ you the key. Sixty forty, I say. Sixty for you, forty for us. That sound about right to you, Socorro?”

"I am aware that some Pathfinders have reputation of murder hobo or graverobber, but I can assure you the group you are facing now is pure of heart. For instance Aurus and Cloudia succesfully protected Absalom itself against a force of minotaurs, demons and undead. Just retelling their heroic acts fills my heart with courage!"

So I'm actually performing oratory, with inspire courage as an added effect.

Perform Oratory: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (5) + 18 = 23
Bluff: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (15) + 12 = 27 To hide the fact I'm actually already buffing my allies

Assuming they don't notice my real action
Sense motive: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (10) + 18 = 28 To confirm we're dealing with graverobbers or other bad guys. If this is indeed the case:

"I suspect your intentions are not as noble as ours, so you can give us the key and any other ill-gotten gains and leave, or face our righteous wrath!"

Intimidate (Demoralize): 1d20 + 15 + 2 ⇒ (13) + 15 + 2 = 30

Uldar, your Sense Motive check reveals that the dwarf and halflings are telling the truth about being afraid of whatever is behind the lock doors. As to their motto of share and share alike--that is definitely not their motto.

The halflings’ eyes bulge out as they hear the battle stories of the bard. You can see the dwarf gulp.

”Maybe seventy-five twenty-five?” pleads the dwarf, with far less bravado than before. ”The key cost us a pretty copper. We’re working-class folk, as you can imagine. We can’t exactly go back to… we can’t return with nothin’”

The dwarf takes a key from around his belt loop, and tosses it across the room. It lands at Uldar’s feet.

”Deal?”

Uldar, we’re not in combat, so if you want to sustain the IC while the party talks this through, you’ll need to note these as rounds for each “action”, whether it be conversation, or picking up the key, for example.

If we do most of the work, it's normal we got most of the loot. But, as you seems good fellows ready to help. We could came to an agreement.
As we've already taken care of the undead guarding the entrance, and you have the key to go further but not bother to try it, let us buy the key, to a reasonable price.
And then you can go back to your lives of "exploring" forgotten caves without further problem.
You are 3, so I will say 90 gp pieces for the key. Enough for you that this journey of yours is profitable.
Says Nemrok

The dwarf pulls his red beard and ponders the wizard's words. "You drive a hard bargain, but I guess that's best we can do."

"Come on Half Pint and Socorro, let's get out of this awful place. It's been a whole week without mead. We'll leave it to the professionals."

If you choose to give them the gold and let them go, I'll move us to the locked door in my next post.

I second the idea of Nemrok buying the key and letting them go

Rule of three here. If one more person wants to let them go, I'll move us to the locked door.

Thirded!

Aurus also takes out 15 gold and adds it to Nemrock's pile. "Have a pint on the Pathfinder Society, lads - glad you got some reason about you."

In a low voice she says, "Gosh, I would have given them all the non historical treasure. We are not here for money anyway. Good thing I was not the one negotiating!"

In a louder voice she says, cheerfully, naively, and probably prophetically, "Sure am glad we could work something out. See you all later!"

"I only got 4 gp to contribute. Hope that is enough."

Don’t worry Cloudia, you will reimburse us after the mission.

"OK! that works!"

Ha! I will be shocked if we leave and the do not attack us. We will have the opportunity to recover the money at that point.

"I can chip in some"

The party tosses 90 gold pieces back across the room to the dwarf, and the matter seems settled. The threesome makes their way past you out of the room to the south. The halflings not particularly friendly as they slip past, staring you down with murder with their eyes.

Alone in the room now, the party approaches the double doors. Whatever is behind the doors is definitely large. Heavy breathing, the likes of which you've never heard before, seems to be coming from whatever is in the chamber beyond.

PARTY ACTIONS: Buffs? Inspect the runes on the door? Anything else? Unlock it? I may miss my morning post tomorrow.

Jack knocks an arrow, ready for whatever new undead monstrosity is on the other side...

"Oooohhhh. There are runes on the door. Wonder what they say."

Cloudia casts a detect magic on them BEFORE she takes a look to see if they might be magically trapped.

spellcraft or kn aracna: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (14) + 4 = 18
perception: 1d20 ⇒ 4

She gives the others a chance to check them out ...they probably have better detection skills... and then tries to read the runes. If they are not comprehensible to her or anyone else, out comes a scroll of comprehend languages.

Jack obligingly looks them over.

Perception: 1d20 + 10 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 10 + 2 = 27.

Cloudia is able to detect three magic auras. They emanate from the runes themselves. Two of these auras are moderate and one is faint.

She is unable to determine the school of magic of the first aura.

Magic, Arcana: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5
Magic, Arcana: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8

Nor any of the others, because her GM rolled really bad for her.

Unless I’m reading the rules wrong, Cloudia, you won’t be able to read magical runes using a comprehend language scroll.

Jack doesn't perceive anything new about the door, it doesn't appear to be trapped.

Uldar will cast detect magic to try and determine the schools

Knowledge: 1d20 + 8 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 8 + 2 = 18
Knowledge: 1d20 + 8 + 2 ⇒ (19) + 8 + 2 = 29
Knowledge: 1d20 + 8 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 8 + 2 = 25

Alone in the room now, the party approaches the double doors. Whatever is behind the doors is definitely large. Heavy breathing, the likes of which you've never heard before, seems to be coming from whatever is in the chamber beyond.

"I hear breathing, so I guess it's not undead."

"A giant maybe?"

Is someone able to use the wand of protection from evil on us? he asks before entering.

He also tries to determine the runes casting detect magic

Know. arcana: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (17) + 12 = 29
Know. arcana: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (11) + 12 = 23
Know. arcana: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (10) + 12 = 22

Aurus draws the greatsword and hits himself with a Read Magic spell. "Lemme see, we messed around with a bit of this when I was barding" he says. While he waits for folks to step out of the way, he also hits himself with an expeditious retreat spell.

"Sure, I can Nemrok. Let me know when someone is ready to pen the door and I can, well, I can get one or two of you, maybe three. The spell does not last very long and if I try to get all of us, by the time I get to the last one there will be little time left for the first one. Remember that the spell does not help as much if you have one of those fancy rings that make you harder to hit."

I have no idea if "runes" and "magical writing" are the same thing, or if read magic works on them, but I think you've earned some information from all the effort.

After a lot of puzzling in front of the door, Aurus, Nemrok, Uldar and Aurus are able to determine some very odd things: the door seems to be warded with a sustenance effect, similar to a ring of sustenance, there's also an effect which blocks teleportation. Finally, there is an evocation effect similar to a wall of force.

Feel free to discuss the potential ramifications of this among yourselves. I'll assume the party is ready to unlock the door and enter the room in a post later in my evening

"So, some poor bastard has been trapped in there, bored out of their skull, for who knows how long? That's what I call cruel and unusual punishment..."

"Considering the nature of this place, I'm not so sure its cruel. What if the thing is dead, though I've never heard of dead that breath. But we paid for the key, so we might as well use it."

Before they open the door she will cast bless again, provided her other bless has run out.

Someone has lock up something or someone here and make sure its torment will be forever.
What it is or was, I have no idea, but if it's alive it will be ancient and certainly powerful if nobody was able to destroy it...

The sorcerer blesses the party. The paladin expects he might have to make a fast getaway. The wizard surmises that whatever's inside here, has been inside here for a looooooong time. And Seebonick does the obligatory rogue door unlocking honors. With a deft twist and a click, the lock opens.

The party opens the double doors to a large vaulted room with a ceiling 30’ feet high. On the east side of the room is a raised dais. Standing on the dais, flanked by a pair of ornate treasure chests, stands a mighty dragon, a crown of cruel horns atop his head. Thick scales the color of molten rock cover its long body. See Slide 10

”Who disturbs the resting place of Karkadon, the great and powerful! Leave this place, before I reduce your frail bodies to charred bone and ashes, like the fools who came before you.”

Scorch-marks mar the floor of the chamber, all angled from the dais into the gallery, emphasizing Karkadon’s point.

COMBAT TRACKER - First Round - Bold may act
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Jack
Uldar
Seebonickk not in bold purposeful
--------------
Karkadon, the Red Dragon
--------------
Cloudia
Nemrok
Aurus

ONGOING EFFECTS / ENVIRONMENT

Party blessed
Dim light: Red Dragon

”We thought there was somebody held against their will here, but if you are happy here we’ll leave!”

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 16 + 2 ⇒ (18) + 16 + 2 = 36

Knowledge: 1d20 + 8 + 2 ⇒ (20) + 8 + 2 = 30

Move action to exit the room

Jack nods thoughtfully.

"I could do with a new pair of boots..."

He then moves around to a better position, and takes a shot.

+1 Mighty [+2] Darkwood Composite Longbow: 1d20 + 9 + 1 ⇒ (9) + 9 + 1 = 19, for 1d8 + 7 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 7 + 1 = 14 (Magical) damage.

I hate starting an encounter all clumped up like this. It screams 'hit us with an area affect spell'!