GM TOP MOD: Master of the Fallen Fortress (Core) (Inactive)

Game Master Pete H.

The half orc gives a resounding command. And though it doesn't appear the trog understands his words, he easily comprehends the intent, shaking with fear.

Both manage to still get enough courage to finish off the angry lady between them.

Kyra just seems to be getting stronger and stronger at dodging as most of the strikes are easily ducked. One appears to have missed due to a shaky arm, but another manages to strike her face, opening a gash on the cleric's cheek.

Round 4 I.C. up (probably)
Astingaire (Sickened 7 rds remain)
Allo (-1 HP)
Kyra (-8 HP, -1 NL Sickened 8 rds remain)
Raknir (Sickened 8 rds remain)
Red Trog (Shaken 2 rds remain)
Blue Trog (-2 HP)

Bold may act!

Raknir closes with the shaken troglodyte and tries to eviscerate it with his heavy blade, but can't seem to connect.

Falchion attack, incl. bless and sickened: 1d20 + 1 + 1 - 2 ⇒ (9) + 1 + 1 - 2 = 9

Shillelagh, Flank, Inspire: 1d20 + 3 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (10) + 3 + 2 + 1 = 162d6 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (5, 2) + 3 + 1 = 11

Allo keeps swinging his oversized club. Eventually he'll wear down the lizardmen, hopefully before Kyra falls.

"By the Hand of Aroden," Astingaire begins, "A most righteous smiting upon you, foul creature, in the name of the First Azlanti and the Living God!" He strikes at the creature before him with the favored weapon of the god he invoked.

In one fell swoop, the group prevails! Allo finally connects and with a sickening crack his heavier than usual cudgel splits the skull of his target. It collapses to the ground.

On the other end Astingair smites the slightly injured trog, the graces of Aroden driving his longsword deep through it's chest, piercing vital organs. It staggers, gurgles blood and also collapses to the ground.

Combat Over!

Kyra quickly puts her sword through both bodies to confirm the kills and then holds her holy symbol high, channeling energy to heal herself and her allies.

Channel: 1d6 ⇒ 4

She looks down at her injuries, debating whether or not to call upon her deity again.

Current Injuries
Kyra (-4)

Kyra has one prepared CLW spell she will use but if a fellow Pathfinder offers a use of their wand she would save it for later.

Astingaire offers a use of his wand.
CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2

"Shall we return to dispatch the lizard or continue upward?"

-2 ain't bad, she'll hold there

Kyra looks at the door to the side, putting two and two together, "Do we need anything in the lizards room? If not I say skip. Thank you for your healing."

The lizard room description.

Judging from the shelves lining the walls, this darkened room might once have been a storeroom, though its contents have long since succumbed to the passage of time. A crack in the northern wall has apparently let in some rainwater, which has collected in a large puddle on the floor.

There honestly was nothing in there of value.

The current room description.

Racks for weapons line the walls of this chamber; above the racks hang various shields, pieces of armor, weapons, and standards on display. Most of the racks are empty, but a few weapons remain in place. A horrible stench fills the room as well, akin to the smell of rotten eggs mixed with the reek of an open sewer.

A successful Appraise check would allow you to search through all the junk to look for anything of value.

________________

Once done with this floor, the door in the eastern wall leads to the tower’s central staircase. Although the lower portion of the staircase has collapsed, cutting off access to the ground floor, the staircase is whole on this floor and above and can be used to access the rest of the tower’s upper levels.

After waiting until his nausea subsides, Astingaire scans the room.
Appraise, untrained: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (11) + 2 = 13

The cleric also shuffles through some of the piles of rusting and rotting items.

Appraise: 1d20 ⇒ 2

She growls, "Nothing here, still stinks." She heads into the stairwell and looks up towards the next level.

Raknir indicates the door. "Let's clear the building and come back here to search in depth when we have time."

"Sage advice, though if you are suggesting that we confront the energetic lizard, then I decline." Astingaire replies to Raknir. "Instead, I choose to follow our Sarenite friend."

With his blade still in hand, the "Holy Knight" follows the cleric into the stairwell.

The group makes its way up the stairs. It is about a fifteen to twenty foot climb to the next landing and door, which appears to be locked.

Allo lets the spray of lizard blood coat his face as his cudgel connects finally. The blood is cool, far cooler than a normal man's. The other creature falls nearly at the same time thanks to the loud one's sword stroke, and Allo can hear the whistling wind once more. Peace once more.

He hangs the club once more from his belt and wipes the blood from his eyes, leaving the remaining splatter as it is with his people, until the job is done. "Must be something worth something in all this junk, or on these rotten smelling creatures..." He tries to reassure himself as he joins the others in pawing through the remnants.

Appraise: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (12) + 1 = 13

----------------

As the group moves up the stairs he asks the sun to light his shield, so they can see into every crack and crevice, and for the winds to guide sounds to his ears so they aren't caught flat footed. Refresh light on his shield (drawn) and guidance for ensuing perception check.

With an ear his listens at the only obvious doorway ahead. "Its locked, anyone find a key on the lizardmen?"

Perception, Guidance at Door: 1d20 + 7 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 7 + 1 = 16

Just a club each on the trogs with a few javelins and a couple silvers. No key found anywhere.

If no disable device, it'll have to be brute force to break the door down or hack it to bits with weapon damage. Or you could skip this floor or you could go back outside and try to climb again.

"Don't look at me to unlock the door." says Astingaire. "I am a man of the cloth, not a thief."

14 STR and no crowbar. So...

Allo puts a shoulder into the door to try to judge if its solid or not.
STR to Force: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4 He winces as he scuffs his funny bone on the door jam. "Maybe its best to get out that extra rope and try to make the climb..."

I can make the first climb with a 16 take 10.

Tromping back down the stairs, the pathfinders head back out to the second floor landing. Allo carefully picks and climbs up the exposed and crumbling east wing walls until he reaches an opening into the third floor. Pulling himself over the ledge he sees...

A living, moving fabric seems to cover the ceiling of this half-collapsed chamber, which stretches northwest into darkness. The pungent smell of ammonia rises from the droppings that litter the floor.

Allo does his best to quietly help the others to the top of the building before investigating the northern alcove, shield in hand.

At best this Society is just a pest control team that pays in the spoils of war. It could be worse... and likely is about to be.

Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (15) + 7 = 22

Hearing no cries of death above him, Astingaire follows up the rope.

Climb, kit, ACP: 1d20 + 2 + 2 - 1 ⇒ (17) + 2 + 2 - 1 = 20

Upon arrival on the upper floor, Astingaire casts detect magic and takes a look around.

Perception: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (15) + 0 = 15

He does his best to remain quiet as he does so.
Stealth, ACP: 1d20 + 2 - 1 ⇒ (3) + 2 - 1 = 4

Astingaire joins his fellow pathfinder and both of them easily notice the living moving fabric and quickly identify them as... bats. The bats also notice the group, especially with the casting of spells and loud clanking. They scatter briefly and quickly reform into a swarm!

Allo also notices a hidden door in the wall (red x), but it appears it appears securely closed, possibly locked.

Surprise Round! Move or Standard only
Allo
Astingaire
Bats

Bold may act. Everyone else is still fifteen feet below and unable to act in the surprise round. The climb kit is still in place, granting +2 on the check if you all wish to retreat.

K Nature: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (7) + 7 = 14

"Bats.. not good." The old man mutters, reaching for a flask as he steps forward and flings it into the fluttering mass of flying mammals.

Alchemist's Fire, Range, Ranged Touch, Splash: 1d20 + 2 - 2 ⇒ (14) + 2 - 2 = 141d6 ⇒ 6

The experienced druid easily identifies the creatures and selects the proper item, severely damaging the swarm of bloodthirsty animals and watches as they continue to burn.

I'll be generous and assume you had the vial out already. Especially since this is a horrid situation for lvl one PCs and I'm proud of a player actually being prepared for a swarm.

Surprise Round! Move or Standard only
Allo
Astingaire
Bats (-9 HP, 1d6 fire next round)

Bold may act. Everyone else is still fifteen feet below and unable to act in the surprise round. The climb kit is still in place, granting +2 on the check if you all wish to retreat.

Seeing the flaming success of his ally's attack, Astingaire draws also draws forth a vial of alchemist's fire.

Oh geez sorry, completely zoned on the surprise round.

The bats instinctively act to put out the fire, smothering it in a pile of... bats.

The bats took their entire action to try a reflex save to stop the burning and succeeded

Round 1
Allo
Kyra
Raknir
Astingaire
Bats (-9 HP)

Bold may act. Raknir and Kyra are still fifteen feet below. The climb kit is still in place, granting +2 on the check to climb up or down.

Allo stands there, jaw dropping open as the bats stop, drop and roll the flames out. "Now I've seen it all. Or at least was the first to see that. Hopefully they don't do it again." He takes another step to make the throw even easier and draws another vial and tosses it.

Alchemist's Fire, Ranged Touch, Splash: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 = 81d6 ⇒ 1

Its a good thing I'm a druid and had the extra starting cash to buy these! Ugh, a miss.

Astingaire moves into a tactical position and then hurls his vial at the bats. Targeting same square

Alchemist's Fire, Ranged Touch, Splash: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (17) + 1 = 18
Damage (F): 1d6 ⇒ 3

Allo's toss misses, but the splash still burns the area and a few bats. But Astingaire's connects with the swarm solidly, burning enough of the remaining bats that the swarm falls apart.

Out of Combat!

The door noticed earlier is... locked. But, you do find a small vial of some sort of liquid buried in the rubble near it (a Potion, usual methods may be attempted to ID it).

Options include attempting to break down the door here. Break down the door inside in the stairwell. Climb up to the next floor outside. Climb up to the next floor in the stairwell.

If anyone is wondering, it just takes time to hack down a door with damage. The main disadvantage being it likely notifies anything on the other side of your presence. Otherwise, there is a key somewhere in the tower farther on (why they did that? /shrug).

Raknir hefts his falchion. "Let's break down the door. It's going to be loud, though."

"Step aside!" shouts Astingaire as he rushes the door. "Nothing can bring down Aroden or his devoted!"

He rams into the door.
Strength: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6

Making no progress save a bruised shoulder, he draws his blade and begins to hack at the door. "If not blessed shoulder, then by Aroden's blessed blade."

Astingaire and Raknir start hacking down the formerly secret door. With a final kick, the cracked and broken slab of wood falls flat on the floor with a big BANG!

Two stone altars, one black and one white, sit at either end of this large chamber, which takes up two wings of the tower on this level. The crumbling remains of wooden benches sag in front of each altar beneath rotting ceiling tapestries. Carved symbols and writings snake along the walls. The burnt corpses of two troglodytes lie on the floor in the center of the room.

But much more pressing than that you see two skeletal figures in the room, flame endlessly burning from their scorched bodies, their long, bony fingers reach out to claw at the living.

The skeletons move over to the door and appear ready to claw anyone coming inside the room.

Round 1
Enemy Red
Enemy Blue
Allo
Kyra
Raknir
Astingaire

Knowledge (religion): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (13) + 6 = 19

Astingaire considers these new, undead foes, warning his allies about their capabilities.

The divinely blessed knight easily recognizes these to be a variant of the common humanoid skeleton, Burning Skeletons. He shares what he knows. They are NE medium sized Undead with some fire related adaptations. Hitting them with unarmed or natural attacks will burn the attacker plus when the skeletons attack, they add fire damage to their strikes. Secondly, like most skeletons, they are resistant to most forms of weapon damage, but take full damage from bludgeoning weapons.

Raknir steps back, incanting a spell. White light streams from his hand to impact the red undead, eating into its substance.

Disrupt Undead RTA: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (19) + 2 = 21
Disrupt Undead damage: 1d6 ⇒ 4

Kyra grasps her holy symbol, "FIENDISH UNDEAD! RETURN TO YOUR GRAVES, SARENRAE COMMANDS IT!"

Channel Positive to harm undead for 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4 DC 12 Will for Half.

Raknir zaps the reddish fire burning skeleton, severely damaging its mojo. The skeleton collapses and EXPLODES with a burst of flame and bone, but no one is close enough to be harmed by it.

Kyra follows up with a burst of positive energy targeting the remaining skeleton.

It tries to resist the divine energy and does so to remain alive.

Round 1
Enemy Red (fully dead)
Enemy Blue (-2 HP)
Kyra
Raknir
Allo
Astingaire

Bold are up!

"We shall see if the last one has learned its lesson!" declares Astingaire.

He draws his wand of cure light wounds, holding it at the ready.

Allo looks at the skeletons, then at his allies and then at his weapons. "They explode... I'll stay back here until needed." He draws his club and gets ready to help defend Astingaire from the incoming attack.

Aid AC, DC10: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (19) + 2 = 21

Astingaire waits with his trap set, the skeleton steps in to hack him to pieces but gets a blast of positive energy to the face. As he collapses, the magic holding the undead monster together explodes!

1d6 ⇒ 2 Fire Damage to Astingaire, Reflex DC 11 to half

Combat Over!

Two stone altars, one black and one white, sit at either end of this large chamber, which takes up two wings of the tower on this level. The crumbling remains of wooden benches sag in front of each altar beneath rotting ceiling tapestries. Carved symbols and writings snake along the walls. The burnt corpses of two troglodytes lie on the floor in the center of the room.

The altars still contain their silver altar services, worth one hundred gold altogether, as well as two silver holy symbols of ??. In addition, a scroll rests atop each altar.

Common Knowledge Religion check to ID the holy symbols & who the rooms are dedicated to.

Reflex: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (10) + 3 = 13

The "holy knight", prepared for the flames, merely gets singed. He scans the altar and accoutrements.
Knowledge (religion): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (17) + 6 = 23

Allo lifts his shield to protect his face from the flying flames and shards of bone, lowering it slowly as the dust settles "Good, time to plunder." He pronounces, moving into the room after Astingaire. He searches through the wreckage for things of interest or value while the holy knight browses the altar's.

K Religion Untrained: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (19) + 1 = 20
Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (17) + 7 = 24

"Odd those lizards fell to the skeletons." He remarks, wondering just how those bony claws made it through the tough skin.

"Maybe these were what was left after the lizards attacked the first time, and the lizards decided to leave them alone for now." The half-orc murmurs a quick cantrip and looks around for magical auras.

Astingaire quickly identifies the room and holy symbols as being related to worship of Nethys, a Garundi god who holds magic above all things.

Both scrolls appear to be magical (spellcraft to ID).

"This was once a holy place for Nethys, god of magic." Astingaire notes as he peruses the scrolls, casting detect magic.

Spellcraft v 1st scroll: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (6) + 6 = 12
Spellcraft v 2nd scroll: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (12) + 6 = 18

He is not sure about the first scroll, but the second is Shield Other.

Kyra moves in, investigates stuff and then starts collecting everything, "The local temple will have use for this stuff. It's not my god, but no reason to leave it here to rot or be stolen by the next crew in here."

Where to next and by what method? Three floors down, Two to go!

As Kyra collects up all the plunder, Allo gives her slight pause "So the Society gets first choice then is it. Sounds like the Captain's credence of the North. Fair enough." Not my first choice but its something we can talk about later.

He does take a moment to try to figure out what the potion was they found in the room with the bats. Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (5) + 7 = 12

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"There's a door over here, maybe its a working set of stairs." He gives it the once over and tries to open it up. Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (11) + 7 = 18