Dispater's Devils by GM SnowHeart (a Hell's Vengeance AP)

Game Master SnowHeart

”I don’t think so. I answer to Asmodeus, not you!”

Divine favor cast

Vivia turns and spreads her arms in gesture toward the deputies. She speaks with open irritation "Yeah, OK, under what authority exactly? Because all I see here is some jilted losers who want to pretend they're still in charge. Go back to sulking before you make a mistake here."

She draws her scythe and points it at the deputies, leaving it perfectly clear what the consequences of said mistake would be.

Eris's face splits into a broad grin. She prances toward the side of the group, moving away from the others.

"Oh, I thought you would never ask! You all took it lying down! Now--I took this vest fair and square," she says, pointing at the ripped vest she's wearing over her armor. "It belongs to me now--whose was it before?" she laughs.

Move action

Raziya lifts her shield, a cold smile spreading beneath her mask as she shifts aside to ward Karik and give Vivia a clear path.

"Really? I would have thought it would take good deal more privation and temptation before you would march into the street as a band of thugs hellsbent on bludgeoning your rivals into the dirt. Perhaps we should have just recruited you."

Her laugh is musical and razor edged, bringing with it the joy of the victory to come. Bless

Pushing the door open, Brogol eyes the deputies spread out before them, and yells. "Oi! Curtwyn! Stop and drop, and only you die today. Don't, and your family line gets erased 'fore you even greet Pharasma!"

demoralize Curtwyn: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (15) + 4 = 19 DC to shaken Curtwyn for one round is 10+HD+Wis. Beating the DC by 5 increases shaken effect for one round.

Karik speaks with unnaturally honeyed words "Come now. Has is really come to this?"
SLA Charm Person on the nearest deputy. DC14 and I suspect they'll qualify for the +5 :P

Vaelor lets her cloak fall to the ground and unwraps the spiked chain from around her body as a smile slowly spreads across her face.

Ingrid: Divine Favor

Vivia: Draw Scythe
Eris: Move
Raziya: Bless
Brogol: Demoralize (Red) - Success
Karik/Vaelor: Charm Person (Magenta/Pink) - Success
Cimri: Draw Kukri

==Surprise Round==

Brogol yells at Curtywn, "Oi! Curtwyn! Stop and drop, and only you die today. Don't, and your family line gets erased 'fore you even greet Pharasma!" The threat seems to get to Curtwyn as you see a doubtful expression suddenly come over him.

At the same time, one of of the other deputies looks momentarily confused before saying, "Hey, they're not so bad, that one at least... maybe we shouldn't..." but the majority remain committed and charge.

==Top of Round 1==

While Curtywn seems dispirited, he tries to stiffen his resolve with a scream as he charges at Cimri, "FOR JABRAL!" Another deputy goes joins Curtywn in going after the rogue, a pair run towards Raziya and a fifth goes for Eris all the while Asher, in back, looks along in confusion, "Hey, wait..."

*winces* Rolled crap on the saves but rocks on the attacks. Fortunately no crits.

Cimri dodges Curtwyn's attack but Saster's cracks her in the arm, while Eris takes a bash to her hip (6 lethal to Eris). The other pair go for Raziya and it's a devastating rain of blows, one to her dominant arm while the other cracks her in the head. (-7 and -5. Probably puts her at -2 and "dying".)

==Bottom of Round 1; Villains, Go!==

Ingrid: Divine Favor

Party: Bless
Red (Curtwyn): Shaken
Pink: Charmed
Green: Charged, -2 to AC
Orange: Charged, -2 to AC
Yellow: Charged, -2 to AC
Purple: Charged, -2 to AC
Cimri: -3 lethal

Eris maintains a maniacal grin, despite being hit in the face. Through bloody teeth, she laughs.

"We have a winner! This is your vest, isn't it! Hahahahaha! Well, you left it fair and square. Finders, keepers. Losers, weepers! Woohee!"

She steps back, and dark energy emanates from her. Something about her behavior is enough to cause the most stalwart heart uncertainty.

channel negative energy (DC 12 Will): 1d6 ⇒ 2 Please note that this is the Madness variant channeling, so it only deals half damage. I think with my position, it will catch three of them in the negative energy. Madness variant, creatures that fail save confused until end of my next turn.

Bite Red: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (11) + 6 = 17
Damage: 1d6 + 6 ⇒ (3) + 6 = 9

Ingrid ran into the fray, and leapt onto the nearest assailant. Her sharp teeth ripped into the man’s shoulder, and she pulled her head back viciously. Blood free ran down her chin as she spat a bloody chunk of flesh onto the ground.

Karik reaches down and sends a burst of Infernal Healing into Raziya
then calls out to his new friend. "What are you doing? Stop them, they are committing assault, attempting murder. I authorize you to aid me at this time."

Go my dear! Take them down but not out, for now.

Vaelor's chain lashes out at the feet of Raziya's attacker.

Trip on Purple: 1d20 + 6 + 1 ⇒ (17) + 6 + 1 = 24

Love your little debuff icons Snow!

Vivia whirls forward in a mad rage immediately as Raziya falls, screaming "DON'T YOU F!$*ING TAKE SOMEONE ELSE FROM ME!!!" Her scythe arcs through the air towards yellow, a surge of despairing strength behind it.

MWK Scythe, w/ bless, rage and charge (PA): 1d20 + 5 + 1 + 2 + 2 - 1 ⇒ (13) + 5 + 1 + 2 + 2 - 1 = 22
Scythe damage (S): 2d4 + 7 + 3 ⇒ (1, 1) + 7 + 3 = 12

As the blow (presumably) lands, Vivia audibly breathes in hard. The blood shed from the injury vaporizes and streams toward her, where she inhales it. "Ah."

Swift action to trigger Urgathoa's Hunger on the hit. This grants Vivia temp HP equal to the damage dealt, lasting 1 minute.
Vivia's rage is a controlled bloodrage. It doesn't penalize her AC or grant her bonus CON. It just gives +4 STR. The charge still gives her -2 AC as normal.

I just had a moment of absolute terror before realizing that Karik would know that Raziya heals in reverse!

Stabilization: 1d20 + 2 - 3 ⇒ (6) + 2 - 3 = 5

Stepping through the doorway, Brogol unwinds his bladed scarf and snakes it towards the nearest guard, wrapping it around the man's leg. Giving the scarf a good yank, Brogol yells, "Cim! Stab 'em when he's down!"

5' step (free), draw scarf (move), trip attack (standard)

bladed scarf trip attack: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (17) + 8 = 25

Raziya, you didn't need to stabilise. I use Infernal Healing so you have fast healing 1 for the next 10 rounds.

@Karik: As Raziya said, she takes damage from positive energy, so she's assuming you didn't just cast infernal healing on her to kill her.

Infernal Healing works on negative energy aligned creatures

Oops you're right! Ive always run infernal healing as healing via positive energy, but it doesn't mention that anywhere in the spell. I've been running it wrong all this time.

Eris: Channel
Ingrid: Early lunch, hit
Karik: Infernal healing
Vaelor: Trip attempt w/ reach
Vivia: Scythe
Brogol: Scarf trip attack
Raziya: <snooze>

Question for Eris: I think your channel is going to hit Brogol and Cimri, too, as you don't have Selective Channel (unless this is an update to the Elephant in the Room system that I'm missing). Just want to confirm before I continuing resolving the round.

I think Brogol moved after I channeled, though he may have been inside the radius. Let's go ahead with it since it goes along with my erratic nature, but I'll have to revisit if there's bad things that happen. Damage would be minimal.

will save if needed: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (7) + 3 = 10

Missed the healing - thanks Karik!

Eggcelent.

==Bottom of Round 1==
Eris channels the mad energy of... Asmodeus?... and the two closest deputies are confused as are Cimri and Brogol. One of the deputies announces, "When the queen found the egg she called a knight who had slain a chicken but the sun had fallen below the..."

Meanwhile, one of the deputies who'd charged Cimri takes his club and cracks it into his other hand, eliciting a scream of pain, while Cimri draws her kukri across her arm, cutting deep into the flesh.

Ingrid leaps at Curtwyn, tearing a chunk of flesh from the man, while Vivia rakes her scythe across another deputy's chest, splitting armor and flesh alike.

Vaelor and Brogol each trip one of the deputies, while Karik moves up and touches Raziya with a dark red ichor; her wounds begin to close.

==Round 2 Begins==

Thematically resolved the confused characters' actions above, so skipping them here; Brogol, go ahead and roll percentile against the confusion chart and... do better than I did! ;)

Curtwyn may have shook off the effect Eris's mad channel, but he sees another deputy and Cimri begin doing horrible things to themselves. It's unsettling, but even more bothersome is have a chunk of flesh ripped off in Ingrid's teeth, so he swings his club at the dwarven tiefling but the strike goes wide in his panic. The one who just had his chest opened by Vivia's scythe takes a more defensive posture as he swings at her but she parries the strike with contemptuous ease.

The poor schmuck tripped by Vaelor rolls about to dodge blows while trying to push himself back up to his feet. He will stand but also go total defense; Vaelor gets an AoO but against a +4 AC.

==Bottom of Round 2; Villains, go!==

Green: -1, Confused until end of Villains next turn

Orange: -10, Confused until end of Villains next turn
Red: -10, Shaken
Yellow: -12
Purple:
Magenta: Charmed

Ingrid: Divine Favor
Party: Bless
Cimri: -11, Confused until end of Villains next turn
Brogol: Confused for 1 turn.

Eris rolls her head back in laughter, relishing the chaos in the streets.

She moves away from her companions, with more mad negative energy emanating from her. She laughs at the one stammering in confusion.

"The sun had fallen below WHAT?!?!?" she laughs. "Finish your riddle!!! Haha!!! I must know!!!"

channel (only deals half dmg): 1d6 ⇒ 6

1d6; 5/day; DC 12 Will; Madness variant, creatures confused until end of your next turn

Sorry about this, Brogol (and Cimri!). Looks like a failed save. I do have selective channeling in my feats at level 3. I will try to keep allies out of this in the future.

Claws: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (15) + 6 = 21
Damage: 1d6 + 6 ⇒ (6) + 6 = 12

Claws: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (2) + 6 = 8
Damage: 1d6 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 10

Bite: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (20) + 6 = 26
Damage: 1d6 + 6 ⇒ (2) + 6 = 8

Confirm: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (20) + 6 = 26
Crit: 1d6 + 6 ⇒ (2) + 6 = 8

With blood running down her chin and her chest, Ingrid grinned. ”Big mistake. We let you live...” she ducked the club ”...and ye throw yer life away all the same!” Her right hand went into the man’s side and she twisted. When he doubled over in pain she went in again and bite down on his throat. Without hesitation she bit down as hard as she could, and pushed him away even while she pulled back with her head. The man came free, with less than once had. There was no questioning on whether he would survive.

Attack of Opportunity, disarm in place of attack (only because I can't trip again :P)
As the foolish human stands up Vaelor's chain lashes out at the weapon in his hands

Disarm: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (19) + 7 = 26

----

Leaving the unarmed guard for now she lashes out at feet of the guard in front of Vivia
Trip: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (4) + 7 = 11

Turning back to her orginial prey she takes a 5ft forward and smiles broadly before whispering.
"I'm having fun! But don't worry, I'll still kill you slowly."

Karik take a step forward, both to shield Rayiza's unconscious form
Oh no you don't, no dying on me today, you are far too useful for that. and bites the guard Vivia attacked.

Bite: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (15) + 4 = 191d4 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5

Round 2

Brogol brings his scarf back to lash into the prone guard, when the wave of negative energy washes over him. A pulsating headache grinds his attack to a halt, a thin rivulet of blood running from the driver's nose.

Brogol takes a sharp edge of his scarf and runs it along his arm spraying blood on the prone guard. All the while Brogol cackles, his mouth turned up in a horrific grin.

confusion: 1d100 ⇒ 61
self harm: 1d8 ⇒ 3

I'm guessing red and yellow just got torn apart. If yellow is still standing, this attack is against yellow.

Vivia circles around to the other deputy responsible for the brutal attack against Raziya. Wordless and mad with rage, she sends her scythe into the purple deputy's back.

Mwk Scythe w/ bless, flank, rage (PA): 1d20 + 5 + 1 + 2 + 2 - 1 ⇒ (13) + 5 + 1 + 2 + 2 - 1 = 22
Scythe damage (S): 2d4 + 7 + 3 ⇒ (3, 4) + 7 + 3 = 17

Eris: Channel
Ingrid: Claw Hit, Claw Miss, Bite Crit
Vaelor: AoO to Disarm Purple, success; Trip - Fail
Karik: Bite Yellow - Hit
Brogol: Confused
Vivia: Attack -- slaughterize (hit)

==Bottom of Round 2; Villains Turn==

Vaelor manages to disarm one of the deputies a moment before Vivia obliterates the last remnants of life from him. Karik and Ingrid makes feasts of another two.

Even without Eris' mad compulsions, it is a scene of gore and brutal death.

==Top of Round 3==

The three surviving deputies, one of whom shook off Karik's charm as Eris' blast of negative energy coursed through him, drop their weapons and raise their hands in surrender with looks of horror on their face. What had started out looking like it was going to be a quick victory had taken a sudden turn to slaughter. "Please, don't... don't kill us!"

Cimri comes out of her befuddled state, staring at the wicked wound she opened into her own arm. She seems less horrified than puzzled. She glances briefly at Eris, clicks her tongue in a sort of-"That was interesting" expression, then pulls out a potion and quaffs it, the worst of the wound healing.

Green: -2
Orange: -10
Red: Dead
Yellow: Dead
Purple: Disarmed; Dead
Magenta: -7

Eris licks blood from her split lip and winks at Cimri.

"Every houndmaster has one rabid dog. You don't put that dog down--it energizes the whole pack," she laughs.

She walks over to Brogol, and speaks with mock solemity. "Life is worth living, friend. Please don't hurt yourself anymore."

Eris lays a hand on his shoulder, healing some of his wounds.

CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 = 8

Turning toward the fired deputies, she says "I thought we could all be friends. Friends don't attack friends. Haha! I hope you see what happens to the treacherous. We were just following orders, and you didn't like those orders. Thankfully, Asmodeus won the day. Now, be dears and drop your weapons."

Brogol blinks, his mind clearing just in time to realize that Eris' hand lies on his shouder, and the wound stretching down his arm is cinching up. Staring at his arm as the flesh seals up, the sensation, Brogol thinks, is like a hundred tiny hornets stabbing into his arm.

"Oi. Thanks, Eris. I... I don't know why I did that."

Turning to the guards, Brogol frowns and shakes the last of his blood from his arm. "Do you think I was lying to you, back at the sheriff's office? You idiots've doomed yourselves, and your families. The Archbaron will not let this pass. The only way you live is if you leave town. Immediately. Before word of your treason gets to Fex. Pack your things and be gone by tonight. Perhaps you can outrun the Archbaron's wrath."

Brogol stared at the men, hand gripping his bladed scarf tight, trying to read their intentions.

sense motive: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (5) + 6 = 11

Vivia lets her rage ebb and gives Brogol a frustrated scowl. Not wanting to throw her allies' overtures under the proverbial carriage, she stomps up to the nearest still living deputy. "I like that idea Brogol, but for naughty boys and girls like this, they need to make sure they've learned their lesson." She addresses the three deputies. "How about this. You march yourselves to the square and announce that you attacked agents of the Archbaron. Give the town your best apology for disrupting, what is it, law and order? And then once you're done, grab your things and get going."

Intimidate to coerce: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (13) + 6 = 19

Cimri walks up to rejoin the group, wiping her blades of blood -- mostly her own. Her lips part as she inhales, apparently about to say something, then thinks better of it. Instead, she just stares at the deputies as she tips her head in agreement towards Vivia, blades still in hand.

Intimidate AA: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (13) + 7 = 20

Already quite shaken by the sudden turn of the fight, the deputies stammer a bit as Brogol and Vivia deliver the ultimatum. "Yeah, yeah, sure, of course..." Brogol gets the sense they'll say whatever it takes to get out of this; it's not a lie, but not exactly a considered vow, either.

Eris prances from deputy to deputy, taking their weapons and spinning as she goes.

"La la la--I'm collecting weapons. Soon, I'll have everything I need to be the new sheriff! Haha! I already have a vest!"

Once she has all the weapons gathered, she holds up the skull at her belt.

"I know, dad. I messed up. I think I hurt my friends a little with that. I'll be so much more careful in the future--I promise."

She drops the weapons at Cimri's feet. "So--they have to say sorry now?"

Raziya comes awake all at once as Karik's magics heal just enough of her wounds.

Her armor is too heavy for her to get to her feet with the grace she would have wished, but at least her helm hides the fury and embarrassment stamped across her face.

Stalking towards Vivia's filleted foe like a cat whose tail had recently been trampled, she dropped to one knee and seized his skull with both gauntlets. Snatching hold of his still lingering soul, she spat a question at his corpse, listening intently for his reply.

"Listen to me well you mewling wretch. Tell me if Staelish sent you, and be convincing. If you aren't I'll keep asking your friends in exactly the same way."

Intimidate: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (19) + 9 = 28

”A live enemy spreads fear and obedience more than a martyr. Good job everyone!” Ingrid said with a blood soaked smile. She then went about summoning water to clean herself up, as if though it was the most natural thing in the world. She was clearly pleased with how the group had acted.

@Raziya: Is that just a thing you can do? Grab souls? Wow.

Vivia's scowl turns to one she's used on her children. "Do you need us to hold your hands all the way to the church square?" She claps her hands together. "Chop chop!"

My thought is that by having them publicly admit fault, the event serves more to promote others in town to follow along. Don't want to have these guys ratcheting up the rebellion counter - or showing up later to fight us again.

Since we're going to the church square as well for the last notice, we can make sure they really did do that.

>:-)

Raziya has early access to Speak with Dead from her Bones Mystery - she only gets one question/day at this point though, but it's one of the ways she's picked up a rep as an information broker.

Cimri glances down at the gear Eris drops in front of her, then back at Eris with a flat expression. The rogue makes no move to pick up the trash.

Will Save vs Speak with Dead: 1d20 ⇒ 1 lol

Raziya grabs the head of one of the deceased deputies and demands, "Listen to me well you mewling wretch. Tell me if Staelish sent you, and be convincing. If you aren't I'll keep asking your friends in exactly the same way." The corpse's eyes flicker and its lips part in a semblance of life. With a rasping groan, it replies, "Noooooo."

Brogol winds his scarf around his neck, acutely aware of his hurried breath as the adrenaline still surges through his body.

Laying a hand on Cimri's shoulder, Brogol asks, his voice barely a murmer, "Oi. You alright, Cim?"

Clearing his throat, the driver speaks louder, to everyone. "Rhona wouldn't have put her men in this position without her being a part of it. These idiots came up with this plan on their own."

"Anyways, where to next? The tavern or the temple?"

Assuming the guards are skeddadling and listening to directions from Vivi, given that they just saw some spooky s*&+ from Raziya!

”Duty first, drinks later.” Ingrid said, who was now clean except for the blood stains. ”We’ve done well thus far. Best not muck it up now.”

Eris pats the prisoners down before they leave, being sure to take any weapons--or valuables, for that matter.

"Let's go hang up the notice at the tavern first. I have a feeling the temple is going to be very fun, and I want to save the best for last!" she giggles.

Laying a hand on Cimri's shoulder, Brogol asks, his voice barely a murmer, "Oi. You alright, Cim?"

Cimri jerks slightly, startled, the nods abruptly and shoves her kukri back into its sheath. "Yeah, just fine..."

The deputies stand and begin making their way to Church Square; the fight seems thoroughly beaten out of them.

I'll wait for Raziya to chime in on the result of her speak with dead but otherwise am assuming you're marching the deputies to the church square for them to apologize, and then post the notice there and proceed to the Last Stand tavern.

sense motive: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (20) + 6 = 26

Brogol frowns as he pulls his cloakhood up, hopefully blocking his face from everyone but Cimri. He stares at Cimri for a long many seconds, long enough to make is plain his skepticism. "OK. Talk later, then?"

Turning on his heel, he goes to follow the guards.

Sense Motive vs. Dead Deputy: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (18) + 5 = 23 Assuming he was telling the truth, but obviously, Raziya will go a Different Path if she needs more answers...

Raziya lets the deputy's body fall slack again, satisfied for now.

Sense Motive for Cimri's mood: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (11) + 5 = 16

As they tail the deputies to the churchyard, she walks up alongside Karik, "I assume I have you to thank for my smooth recovery?" Her voice carries no hint of the ugly fury that filled it while she took out her frustrations on the deputy's soul. "Then I am in your debt again.

"...What happened while I was out.?"

Eris laughs. "What happened while you were out? I hate to be the one to tell you--you've been in a coma for three years," she says.

"So much has happened! The only detail you really need to know now is that these three men formerly known as deputies have decided to apologize to us in the square. Then we're going to hang up our last two notices."

To the solemn deputies, Eris says "I suggest you don't do anything stupid like pretend you're martyrs when you apologize. If you do anything other than what you've agreed to, I think your families would be very ashamed when we go talk to them."

sense motive: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7

Cimri matches Brogol's stare silently, a tight line in her jaw, then offers the slightest of nods. "Yeah, sure," she says, somewhat noncommittally, before falling in with the others. If there was any gear uncollected, she leaves it in the dust behind her.

A short while later, you arrive at Church Square. A fifteen-foot-tall wooden post, scarred by nails and plastered with faded pronouncements, rises from a bed of posies in the church square. A verdigris-stained copper archer swivels atop a squeaky weather vane at the post’s summit.

Various locals mill about but stop their activities and watch curiously when they see the (former) deputies.

I'm guessing their weapons/valuables were pretty negligible? Or is there anything I could gather to sell later after searching them?

When they arrive in the Church Square, Eris waves the three captives forward.

"Now, we didn't ask for this, and we want to let you go. But you need to do your part now. Tell everybody about how badly you messed up. I'm sure you'll find that we are an incredibly forgiving lot! Ha! Remember your families, though."

perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (10) + 4 = 14