OK, this round you have control of the Abyss. These are the potential effects you can achieve. Valrar, let me know what you want to do, feel free to be creative.
Quake: Each creature standing in a 20-foot radius must attempt a DC 20 Reflex save or fall prone. Fissures open in the earth, and every creature on the ground has a 25% chance to fall into one (Reflex DC 20 avoids). The fissures are 40 feet deep. At the end of the round, all fissures grind shut. Treat all trapped creatures as if they were in the bury zone of an avalanche, trapped without air (Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook 429). In Subtier 14–15, increase the DC of the Reflex save by 2.
Meteor Strike: Two meteors strike the battlefield, as per the
spell meteor swarm.
Acid Bubble: An Abyssal bubble bursts, spraying acid on all
creatures within a 20-foot radius. This deals 10d6 points of acid damage (Reflex DC 21 half ). In Subtier 14–15, the damage increases to 13d6, and the saving throw DC increases to 23.
Abyssal Minions: The dirt of the Abyss squirms with life, as
a 20-foot-radius spread of grasping claws springs from the ground. This functions like a black tentacles spell (CL 15th, or CL 17th in Subtier 14–15).
Other: The PCs could potentially create other effects, such as altering terrain features or even creating crude structures from thin air. Allow them some leeway in how they decide to shape the Abyss, especially if it creates fun or cinematic effects.
So you drank the blood of a Demon Lord:
Abyssal Attunement: You no longer take penalties on Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma based skill checks based on the difference between the Abyss’s alignment and your own. Additionally, you are particularly adept at manipulating the raw substance of the Abyss, an ability that will have mechanical benefits in your encounter with Koth’Vaul.
Initiative: You gain a +2 bonus on initiative checks.
Epic Strikes: Your attacks with natural and manufactured weapons bypass DR/epic.
Mythic Power: You gain two uses of mythic power per day. You can use this power in the following ways.
• Surge: After you fail any check that uses a d20 roll, as an immediate action you can expend one use of mythic power to roll 1d6 and retroactively add the result to the check.
• Extra Action: Up to once per round as a free action on your turn, you can expend one use of mythic power to take an additional standard action. This action cannot be used to cast a spell.
male Wizard 9/Lore 7 | HP 115| AC 25; Touch 20; FF 21 | F +14; R +12; W +16 | CMB+7; CMD 27 | Speed 20 ft | Init +3 | Perc +2 | Stealth: +1 Wizard 9/Lore 7
Alie was kind of skeeved out by asking the dead corpse questions, but it had proved effective. ”I don’t really know of anything else to ask. Does anyone else have any questions? Sounds like if we want the blade, at least some of us are going to have to be swallowed and attack it from the inside. Yuck. That’s just plain ole nasty.”
Male Human (Taldan/Ulfen) Swashbuckler 15 | HP 102/157 | AC 40/26/25 (currently 41/27/25) | F +15, R +22, W +14 | CMB +12, CMD 30 | Init +11 | Perc +1 | Fortification 25% | Panache 3/8 | Charmed Life (+5) 3/6 | Imp. Iron Will 0/1 |
Active Conditions:
Planar Infusion II (+1 Fort, +2 Demoralize, +2 Crit Confirm, Curse Terrain 1/day), Freedom of Movement, Fly, Stoneskin, Heroism, Haste
Valrar covers his mouth in an uncharacteristic manner so the knight can't hear his questions before they are approved. "We probably need that scythe to finish the job. Can we incapacitate Koth'Vaul without it? Maybe ask this man what he was doing here, presumably alone?"
"I can't think of much more. Oh, but the Ambassador can get some really deep answers. We'd best save that for when we're confused and in the thick of it."
|AC 18, T 18, FF 15|HP: 85/85|F+9, R+12, W+13 (+4 vs death,+2 vs gaz/poi/elc/chm/cmp,+1 vs Tran/fea/cnf/aci/cld/fir/glyph)|Init +7, Per +24|CMB +7 CMD 20 (+2 vs grp)|15/15 Fly 15/15 AoP 1/1 Lv 1/1 Spx 1/1 SoR 3/3 Bt 1/1 Wg
Vladek looks back at Valrar for a moment, then back to the corpse.
"This is Golarion's most notorious war-zone. One would expect to find many dead, or none at all. Why is it have we found you here alone?"
Black Lord: Ask him about his treasure. Ooooh, ask him how much that scythe is worth and whether it has a nice magical scabbard.
"Um, Black Lord wants to know where the dead man's treasure is. He also wants to know how much the scythe is worth and whether it has a nice scabbard. He really likes treasure."
Bauble does not make a secret of his sword but neither does he blather about it, so you can RP it as if you knew about the sword or not as you wish.
Alie waits until the others finish with their questions. ”Alright....what now? Do we go looking for the blade? If so, I think we need to get to it. This place makes me uncomfortable.”
male Wizard 9/Lore 7 | HP 115| AC 25; Touch 20; FF 21 | F +14; R +12; W +16 | CMB+7; CMD 27 | Speed 20 ft | Init +3 | Perc +2 | Stealth: +1 Wizard 9/Lore 7
Rogar pulls out a cigar and lights it. He looks at Alie. "Me too..We should finish questioning him and move on"
Maybe ask this man what he was doing here, presumably alone?"[/b]
The body stirs again, I was brought here as Koth'Vauls prisoner and victim, the only one of my company to survive his attack.
By my count you have one question left after which I will push you on, assuming you plan to had into the Abyss and try and track down Koth'Vaul. This is your last chance to make any preparations.
Leaving the body of the crusader behind the group descends into the chasm. As you clamber down the sky above gradually disappears, slowly replaced by the twisting, churning nightmare view of the Abyssal sky.
High walls surround you and they move and crawl with billions of insects of every possible kind. In ths skies above you massive swarms of insects swoop and dive, covering huge patches of the sky. You have the clear impression that flying up above the canyon walls would be a very bad idea. Underfoot, the crunch of insect exoskeletons is a constant reminder of your travels, they are at least a foot deep and cover every single bit of ground.
Behind you the glow of the rift into the Abyss hangs like an ugly bruise. It occurs to you that it might be important to close the rift but perhaps that is better done on your way out rather than your way in.
Welcome to the Abyss, the abyssal alignment penalties are now in place and will be for almost all of the rest of the adventure.
You spread out, looking for some sign of Koth'Vauls passing through the region but it is difficult. Demons such as he can teleport at will although even he has to stop occasionally and hunt around, not knowing where the Hive is.
Slowly you begin to pick up the trail.
Rolls:
Survival, Fendahl:1d20 + 15 ⇒ (12) + 15 = 27 Assists:5d20 ⇒ (16, 13, 2, 1, 14) = 46 I assume the group assists Fendahl. I have ignored the menagerie you have with you. Between you you manage to pass the check.
Heading further into the twisting canyons you find yourselves scrambling up and down rocky rises. Coming over one such rise it opens into a narrow valley. Squatting in the valley is an enormous beetle the size of a war galley. It rears its insectile head and glares at you. Massive, chitinous plates cover every inch of its mighty frame, save for its gaping, toothy maw, which opens into the fleshy and tunnellike stomach of the beast. Standing in the mouth of the beast is a hooded figure holding a staff.
Time elapsed since arriving at the gate, 35 minutes. Fendahl, I thought you had cast barkskin and longstrider? They are in your tagline but your AC doesnt seem to reflect it and they arent on the buff list, did you change your mind?
Battle is joined! The boulders on the map are 10' high. Each of the ledges drop 5' into the canyon. The head of the beetle where the man stands in 20' off the ground. The ground is not difficult terrain but the sheer volume of insect husks make tracking invisible opponents on the ground much easier. The small beetle tokens are the huge beetles legs. The do block movement and line of sight. You may attack the main body of the beetle as well as the legs.
Male Human (Taldan/Ulfen) Swashbuckler 15 | HP 102/157 | AC 40/26/25 (currently 41/27/25) | F +15, R +22, W +14 | CMB +12, CMD 30 | Init +11 | Perc +1 | Fortification 25% | Panache 3/8 | Charmed Life (+5) 3/6 | Imp. Iron Will 0/1 |
Active Conditions:
Planar Infusion II (+1 Fort, +2 Demoralize, +2 Crit Confirm, Curse Terrain 1/day), Freedom of Movement, Fly, Stoneskin, Heroism, Haste
Valrar looks up at the towering beast. "I've fenced with bigger. Linnorms and the like. Alie, do you have a ward against acid? I'd rather not dissolve in there." He waits patiently if his gnome friend can help, ready to run at the big bug.
Will delay if Alie can ward me. Double move to the X if she has something better to do. Will also parry once for posterity, but the goal seems to be getting swallowed. Assuming Colossal size penalties.
The beetle requires a knowledge dungeoneering as does the figure in its mouth. You may make a check on your turn. Valrar I need to know if you are moving or delaying for Alie.
Male Human (Taldan/Ulfen) Swashbuckler 15 | HP 102/157 | AC 40/26/25 (currently 41/27/25) | F +15, R +22, W +14 | CMB +12, CMD 30 | Init +11 | Perc +1 | Fortification 25% | Panache 3/8 | Charmed Life (+5) 3/6 | Imp. Iron Will 0/1 |
Active Conditions:
Planar Infusion II (+1 Fort, +2 Demoralize, +2 Crit Confirm, Curse Terrain 1/day), Freedom of Movement, Fly, Stoneskin, Heroism, Haste
Delaying. Will also wait on Dungeoneering until then.
|AC 18, T 18, FF 15|HP: 85/85|F+9, R+12, W+13 (+4 vs death,+2 vs gaz/poi/elc/chm/cmp,+1 vs Tran/fea/cnf/aci/cld/fir/glyph)|Init +7, Per +24|CMB +7 CMD 20 (+2 vs grp)|15/15 Fly 15/15 AoP 1/1 Lv 1/1 Spx 1/1 SoR 3/3 Bt 1/1 Wg
Since we just got 'tossed into the Abyss', as it were, I would like to have had a brief retcon to when we first arrived:
Vladek looks around - and down at the (for want of a better word) carpet - his face a perfect mask of Elven inscrutability, and then looks back at the party. He seems to be appraising each one of you.
"I shall be trying something new on this occasion," He eventually says before casting a spell on Valrar, and then a simpler version of the same spell upon himself....
Knowledge (Dungeoneering) vs hooded figure:1d20 + 30 ⇒ (17) + 30 = 47I swear, of all the times for a "hooded figure" NOT to be Discworld's Death...not sure that would be better or worse, under the circumstances.
Fendahl and Kirrah clear the area of the black tentacles.
Then, more things start happening. The ground rumbles beneath your feat and a massive metal spider erupts from the ground, scattering you all with loose stones and dead insects. As it emerges it spreads enormous locust like wings and takes to the air!
The creature emerges close to Fendahl and Kirrah. It flies up and above them, its many eyes glittering in the light. All eight eyes glow and they shoot a pale grey beam of light straight into Kirrah.
I am going to pause here to see if you are happy with Kirrah's fort save Fendahl. I will generally roll saves so as to avoid losing a lot of time resolving them but I will pause on important or marginal looking ones to give people a chance to use reactions, rerolls etc if they want to do so. Green is currently three squares above Kirrah, taking advantage of its greater reach.
Rolls, anyone can read:
Eye beam vs Kirrah, touch:1d20 ⇒ 4 Kirrah Fort save:1d20 + 12 ⇒ (6) + 12 = 18 Fendahl, Kirrahs fort save is listed as +12 in her tag line and +11 in her stat block, which is right?
Male Half-elf HP 130/130 (172 for troll) AC33(40 for troll) Touch 13 Flat 31; F+17 R+11 W+18(+2 ench,+4 fey) INIT+4 Perc+21 CMB+16 CMD+30 Lion Shaman 13/Samurai 1, {see in posts} Shape changed 1/5 Beads 0/3, Rerolls 0/3
+11 is correct, as I had to remove her +2 Con belt for the saddle. I did not get to redo her main sheet while traveling, but am back home now. I am not sure any boons apply to the animal companion and not ready to use reroll on this one, incase Fendahl needs it (or another PC).
Ironically this isn't the first time I have had this happen to my poor cat (not Kirrah, but for another PC).
Fendahl stoically sighs as he suspects the circle of life is about to be short circuited abruptly.
+11 is correct, as I had to remove her +2 Con belt for the saddle. I did not get to redo her main sheet while traveling, but am back home now. I am not sure any boons apply to the animal companion and not ready to use reroll on this one, incase Fendahl needs it (or another PC).
Ironically this isn't the first time I have had this happen to my poor cat (not Kirrah, but for another PC).
Fendahl stoically sighs as he suspects the circle of life is about to be short circuited abruptly.
Fendahl, I rolled Kirrahs save in the spoiler in my post, I rolled a 6. Are you using a folio reroll?
Male Half-elf HP 130/130 (172 for troll) AC33(40 for troll) Touch 13 Flat 31; F+17 R+11 W+18(+2 ench,+4 fey) INIT+4 Perc+21 CMB+16 CMD+30 Lion Shaman 13/Samurai 1, {see in posts} Shape changed 1/5 Beads 0/3, Rerolls 0/3
I am fine with the roll you made and only posted the second roll if there was some other reroll in play(feat/spell etc). Not spending my reroll so keep the 6
Kirrah slows, stiffens and then stops moving entirely as he is transformed into smooth stone. The creatures then lashes out with a massive claw at Fendahl but it goes well wide over his head.
Then, worringly, a second such beast bursts out of the ground and flies towards the back line of the group. Its eye beam blasts out at Vladek, but he is able to shrug off its transformative effect. He is less lucky with its claws as it wrenches him out of the tentacles and drags him closer to its massive jaws.
The rules on multtiple grabs are hazy, for now, given that it has to move you when it grabs I am going to say you are removed from the tentacle grab. Vladek, you take 17 damage and are now 10' in the air, grabbed by the retriever.
It occurs to Vladek that the enormous beetle thing is just that. A creation of Deskari, designed as a terrifying troop transport. Its outer exoskeleton is exceptionally tough (very high AC, lots of hardness) as well as being immune to acid, electricity and poison. It is a chaotic evil vermin, native to the abyss and has all of the associated vermin immunities as well.
The creature in the mouth is a form of Worm that Walks. It has substantial damage reduction, it is immune to critial hits, flanking, paralysis, poison, sleep, disease and physical spells or effects which target a specific number of creatures. It is capable of discorporating itself into a true swarm, gaining all of the usual immunities of a swarm.
Rolls:
Green Claw, Fendahl, height:1d20 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5 Damage:2d6 + 6 ⇒ (5, 2) + 6 = 13 Fendahl has freedom of movement and therefore ignores the grab
Male Human (Taldan/Ulfen) Swashbuckler 15 | HP 102/157 | AC 40/26/25 (currently 41/27/25) | F +15, R +22, W +14 | CMB +12, CMD 30 | Init +11 | Perc +1 | Fortification 25% | Panache 3/8 | Charmed Life (+5) 3/6 | Imp. Iron Will 0/1 |
Active Conditions:
Planar Infusion II (+1 Fort, +2 Demoralize, +2 Crit Confirm, Curse Terrain 1/day), Freedom of Movement, Fly, Stoneskin, Heroism, Haste
Male Human (Taldan/Ulfen) Swashbuckler 15 | HP 102/157 | AC 40/26/25 (currently 41/27/25) | F +15, R +22, W +14 | CMB +12, CMD 30 | Init +11 | Perc +1 | Fortification 25% | Panache 3/8 | Charmed Life (+5) 3/6 | Imp. Iron Will 0/1 |
Active Conditions:
Planar Infusion II (+1 Fort, +2 Demoralize, +2 Crit Confirm, Curse Terrain 1/day), Freedom of Movement, Fly, Stoneskin, Heroism, Haste
|AC 18, T 18, FF 15|HP: 85/85|F+9, R+12, W+13 (+4 vs death,+2 vs gaz/poi/elc/chm/cmp,+1 vs Tran/fea/cnf/aci/cld/fir/glyph)|Init +7, Per +24|CMB +7 CMD 20 (+2 vs grp)|15/15 Fly 15/15 AoP 1/1 Lv 1/1 Spx 1/1 SoR 3/3 Bt 1/1 Wg
Sorry for the hiatus...do Retriever eye beams count as a gaze attack?
From bad to worse, goes a passing thought in Vladek's labyrinthine mind...
defensive casting DC 19:1d20 + 22 ⇒ (11) + 22 = 33 PLUS (how does concentration work when facing two types of challenge at once???)?: concentration vs grappling:1d20 + 22 ⇒ (14) + 22 = 36
...and Vladek, not only magically empowered now but conveniently rail-thin to begin with, is able to begin making a break for it (making what i hope can still constitute a 5' step in this environment)!
If there are multiple effects requiring a concentration check then my understanding is you have to make each of them
Vladek manages to focus his mind sufficiently to cast his spell as does Qadathra. Unfortunately it is not enough to allow him to escape from the tenacious grapple of the tentacles.
Vladek, I dont think your escape artist check includes the -2 from the dex penalty due to being grappled which makes your 29 a fail. If it does I will retcon. You could not 5' step in the tentacles area as it is difficult terrain.
As a note, you do not need to cast defensively for swift or immediate action spells.
Then the head of the giant beetle lunges forward at Bauble! He vanishes into the mouth of the mighty creature!
Bauble takes 27 damage and is automatically swallowed. He finds himself now inside the mouth of the creature.
Inside the mouth he sees several things. There is a third retriever and a second worm that walks! The second worm is floating in the middle of a deep pool of horrid looking digestive juices. Towards the back of the mighty beetles throat he also sees a magnificent looking scythe wedged into the putrescent flesh of the beetle.
The third retriever moves to deal with the Magus! A grey beam of light streaks from its eye but it misjudges the shot and the beam lances out of the beetles mouth. The creature then flies forward on buzzing locust like wings and lashes out at Bauble with a single massive claw but the movement of the beetles head clearly throws off its aim and it misses with that as well.
Bold may act. Alie, if you teleport backwards out of the starting area you will not longer be able to see the combat due to the topography. You have come up a steep incline and around a sharp corner.
You could teleport to the top of the canyon walls but you would then be exposed to the swarms of locusts. You may change your action if you wish.
