GM Lorenzo's #10-98: Siege of Gallowspire - OUTPOST III (Inactive)

Game Master Lawrence Smith 2

She used a standard action to defensively cast the spell, as part of that, she can attempt to deliver it.

If she survives until next round, I'd have to think about it. I know she can make touch attacks as armed, and so I would expect that as long as she is 'wielding' that spell, she may be able to keep making touch attacks with her iteratives. So i'd lean towards she could try 3 times next round, if we get that far.

Touch Attacks: Touching an opponent with a touch spell is considered to be an armed attack and therefore does not provoke attacks of opportunity. The act of casting a spell, however, does provoke an attack of opportunity. Touch attacks come in two types: melee touch attacks and ranged touch attacks. You can score critical hits with either type of attack as long as the spell deals damage. Your opponent’s AC against a touch attack does not include any armor bonus, shield bonus, or natural armor bonus. His size modifier, Dexterity modifier, and deflection bonus (if any) all apply normally.

Holding the Charge: If you don’t discharge the spell in the round when you cast the spell, you can hold the charge indefinitely. You can continue to make touch attacks round after round. If you touch anything or anyone while holding a charge, even unintentionally, the spell discharges. If you cast another spell, the touch spell dissipates. You can touch one friend as a standard action or up to six friends as a full-round action. Alternatively, you may make a normal unarmed attack (or an attack with a natural weapon) while holding a charge. In this case, you aren’t considered armed and you provoke attacks of opportunity as normal for the attack. If your unarmed attack or natural weapon attack normally doesn’t provoke attacks of opportunity, neither does this attack. If the attack hits, you deal normal damage for your unarmed attack or natural weapon and the spell discharges. If the attack misses, you are still holding the charge.

The only thing I wondered about was if the bound spirits also gain the defenses of incorporeality, because they have their own special defenses to be immune to everything except 4 spells.

Yeah, the spirits are incorporeal. They can either make another incorporeal touch attack or deliver one of the nehain's harm or slay living SLAs.

Nasty buggers.

On another note, this half magical light thing also sucks, since it cuts the daylight area quite a bit (relative to the deeper darkness). Basically, the yellow area is the only area we can reliably see. I could advance one of our helmets, but they're very squishy. Next turn, I can one of them cast daylight on something conspicuous, like Hendric's lance and let him go to town, but for now, the area we can see in is quite limited.

Poor Gisele has two miss chances!

I took a look at what we've been passed so far, incase its relevant (1 guard's mission boon, 2 allied offensive, 1 athletic assistance, 1 burst of healing, 1 Coordinated Maneuver , 1 provides spellcasting (restoration))

Guard Mission Successful

A group of allied Pathfinders runs into the encounter. If the PCs are between combats, the Pathfinder allies appear in the next encounter. The PCs choose one of their opponents for the Pathfinders to attack. That opponent takes an amount of damage that bypasses all defenses: 60 points of damage in Subtiers 10–11, 12–13, and 15–16.

AID TOKEN
Type: Allied Offensive
Generated By: Tanrov
Heroic? No
Effect: The Aid Character strikes a creature at the same time as the PC, increasing the damage dealt on one attack by 2d8 points in Subtier 5–6, 3d8 points in Subtier 7–8, 4d8 points in Subtiers 10–11 and 12–13, or 5d8 points in Subtier 15–16.

Passing From: GMAndrewW
Passing To: GM Lorenzo

AID TOKEN
Type: Allied Offensive
Generated By: Tallak son of Keldor
Heroic? No
Effect: The Aid Character strikes a creature at the same time as the PC, increasing the damage dealt on one attack by 2d8 points in Subtier 5–6, 3d8 points in Subtier 7–8, 4d8 points in Subtiers 10–11 and 12–13, or 5d8 points in Subtier 15–16.

Passing From: GMAndrewW
Passing To: GM Lorenzo

Aid Token
Type: Athletic Assistance
Generated By: Pierre Viret
Heroic? Yes
Effect: Marduk rushes in to assist a PC in a task that requires Strength. For 1 round, one PC treats their Strength score as 6 higher for the purposes of skill checks, ability checks, and determining what the PC can carry as well as attack and damage rolls.

Passing From: GM Brew
Passing To: GM Lorenzo

AID TOKEN

Type: Burst of Healing
Generated By: Momoko
Heroic? Yes
Effect: 10d6 Healing

Passing From: GMAndrewW
Passing To: GMLorenzo
used

Aid Token
Type: Coordinated Maneuver
Generated By: Stugbu
Heroic? no
Effect: A helpful half-orc runs in, wearing full plate emblazoned with Sarenrae's holy symbol. He does what he can to help one attack hit, but can't stay for long.

Passing From: shaventalz
Passing To: GM Lorenzo

Aid Token
Type: Provide Spellcasting (Restoration, 100 gp version. NOT PAID)
Generated By: Colin Obim
Heroic? No
Effect: A thin man pops into the battlefield, pausing only to deliver a small glowing vial before disappearing as quickly as he arrived.

Passing From: GM Hawthwile
Passing To: GM Lorenzo

Also, Arnaut sends his regards!

If the aid token works immediately (rather than requiring 3 rounds casting time as the spell does), I would say use the Restoration on the Deva.

I'd have the Guard Mission damage target a Nemhain.

I agree with having the Nemhain you just hit take the extra 60 damage, that plus the two fireballs (assuming they hurt it), and your damage might just be enough...

My guess is "no" on that. I only did 51, and if they save against the Fireballs then that is 9 for the Quickened one and 17 for the regular one. 51+9+17+60 = 137 damage.

I wonder if the Nemhains are hindered by darkness. We could have the angels "move and ready" - move to illuminate targets and ready to move away if the enemy tries to attack back. A bit cheesy to exploit the initiative system that way.

I am guessing that the big guy isn't bothered by darkness, but there's a chance that "see in darkness" or "lifesense" is an ability that Nemhains don't have.

I did the math on damage and had a similar conclusion.

I suspect my little angels may not last a round, if they get struck with aoe damage...

@ Wynnreyell; you cast fly and have a caster level of 7, which gives you a 60’ fly speed with a good maneuverability (+4 bonus on checks), and a +3 bonus, for a total of +7 in addition to your dex, skill ranks, and any other bonuses on flight. With a base sheet value of +11 (I’m assuming 1 rank, +3 class, +7 dex, 0 ACP), this would give you a fly check, with the spell active, of +18, so anything above a 2 would hit the DC 20, so you just got there!

• Clumsy –8

• Poor –4
• Average +0
• Good +4
• Perfect +8

Thanks. Had the +3 from the caster level, forgot to add the +4 from my maneuverability. As I said, hardly ever use it in combat setting, mostly just a way to bypass obstacles out of combat.

Didn't think you'd have much chance of failing it, just needed the roll.

Folks, I'll update in the morning. My brain is in shutdown mode right now.

Working on the update post in Gameplay now.

Archaememnon, please make a CL check vs SR for your second, standard-action maximized fireball.

*EDIT* Since you retconned the dimension door, please also place your icon somewhere within the indicated start position on the map.

*EDIT* It seems you positioned the burst of your fireballs so that they wouldn't strike the yellow nemhain or the deva, right?

Actually, this is a monavic deva, right? In that case, there's no reason not to hit it.

SR on maximized fireball
1d20 + 15 + 8 ⇒ (12) + 15 + 8 = 35

... enters Snake Style and charges Green.

Attack, PA: 1d20 + 32 ⇒ (12) + 32 = 44
Damage: 3d8 + 93 ⇒ (6, 2, 1) + 93 = 102 Halved for incorporeal, so 51 damage.

While staggered, Sentry can move and Sir Hendric can attack, but I don't think you can 'charge' (a full-round action) in that condition. I think the word choice was selected for dramatic effect and didn't include any mechanical effects.

If I'm wrong, please let me know.

I applied the Guard Aid Mission damage to the green nemhain.

All, you can use up to two Aid Tokens during the encounter.

Just need some consensus (say Rule of 2 to expedite play) from you to agree on what you want to do with them, if anything.

He can charge while staggered, its one of those corner case exceptions.

If you are able to take only a standard action on your turn, you can still charge, but you are only allowed to move up to your speed (instead of up to double your speed) and you cannot draw a weapon unless you possess the Quick Draw feat. You can’t use this option unless you are restricted to taking only a standard action on your turn.

Thanks, Peter.

@GM, yes, Pete has the right of it. That's why I said that I was mostly as effective when staggered. If it were merely a single regular attack (not a charge) then damage would have been 1d8+24, not 3d8+93. So maybe it would have been 15 damage after incorporeal. Charging, he gets to add his horse's Str modifier (+7, for 1d8+31) and then triple the damage.

Also, does the Restoration aid token take 3 rounds to work (as the spell) or is it immediate? I had wanted to use it on the Deva but didn't get an answer to that question or a second to the motion before the Deva died.

@Bristor, do we know that Death Ward protects against the Nemhain's Con-drain?

Death ward description, two bolded sentences seem most important:
"The subject gains a +4 morale bonus on saves against all death spells and magical death effects. The subject is granted a save to negate such effects even if one is not normally allowed. The subject is immune to energy drain and any negative energy effects, including channeled negative energy.

This spell does not remove negative levels that the subject has already gained, but it does remove the penalties from negative levels for the duration of its effect.

Death ward does not protect against other sorts of attacks, even if those attacks might be lethal."

@Hendric:

death ward would protect against negative energy and negative levels. So if the damage itself is completely negative energy (which I don't think it is, based on rereading the gameplay thread a bit), negating that damage entirely may stop the constitution drain, but it could just be regular damage, in which case I don't think death ward would have any effect.

Movanic Devas are immune to death effects and energy drain and that defense did nothing against these damned things (rolling 6, 6, 4, and 6 on 4d6 to exactly hit its Con).

So I don't think it will stop the Con-drain touch. It would stop the Nemhains' Harm and Slay Living SLAs.

Better her than you!

I've asked the question, Sir Hendric, about the Restoration Aid Token, on the GM Discussion thread, to see what they have to say, looking for some sort of consensus across tables.

I've rolled two 1's on incorporeal touch attacks this encounter. That's not bad.

I certainly think thats a great idea Hendric, but can Wynn see the big guy through the supernatural darkness?

Oh yeah.
I suppose not.

Echolocation is pretty much a must-have at Seeker tier. Between fog and similar effects; amped Deeper Darkness (not just this one here); Greater Invis + Mind Blank; and other such shenanigans I have seen repeatedly in Seeker scenarios.

I can not see in supernatural darkness. But it was a good idea. I do have seeker arrow, which allows me to target one creature known to me. I'll do that instead. Of course, if the GM allows it to work. If not, I'll just take a shot in the dark at the creature if I hear it cast.

Two thumbs up for Wynn’s arrow

Two thumbs up for Wynn’s arrow

That's hilarious.

Activating a boon from Mummy's Mask. Bow is now a +2 ghost touch holy adaptive shortbow.

From your post, Julian, it looks like activating that boon is a full-round action?

We're never going to defeat these things if they keep healing themselves. Any ideas on how we can keep them out of the river? I don't think any of my spells will do the trick.

Maybe consecrate would turn off the effect for a short while?

We can't stop them from self healing. Hopefully Peter's foxes just cut each of their effectiveness's in half.

Wynn's readied was a very good thing.

Clutch arrow, Wynn.

I don't know what I was thinking - guess conflated energy drain and ability drain in my mind. With this river of healing for them, no idea how to defeat them. Seems impossible. I guess if we focus fire and are able get them out of the river while turning off any other regen they have (got impression from write up that the Nemhain have regen on top of river regen).

Is the Green Nemhain adjacent to Sir Hendric, or is it still 10' away?

From your post, Julian, it looks like activating that boon is a full-round action?

It's a standard action. I think it's supposed to be similar to a paladin activating her divine bond.

Clutch summoning there, Peter.

Also, looks like the site ate my edit on the gameplay post: I moved up and back a bit.

The green nemhain's Round 1 readied action (incorporeal touch attack) couldn't match Sir Hendric's 10ft reach so it was still 10ft away from the cavalier at the end of his turn.

I might have forgotten its Round 2 actions. I'll double check and adjust, if necessary.

I would like to make a charge against the tzitzimitl. I think even if the Nemhain is 10' away, my required path would take me within reach of the Nemhain, unless Sentry can charge up.

Sentry has the Sure Footed feat which means he can move at normal speed on steep slopes and stairs. Previous GMs for PbP Seeker games (Andreww and Xavier Kahlvet) have interpreted the feat as applying to Air Walk, thus enabling charges on the ascent. If you share that interpretation, then he can be 10' above the Nemhain at the time when he is adjacent in the horizontal plane, and thus avoid AOOs.

Otherwise I will just eat the AOO. Cannot use Mounted Combat because my swift/immediates do not recharge until after my turn ends (Immediate expended on Mounted Combat on the Nemhains' last turn), and the AOO would happen on my turn.

And if the Nemhain is adjacent then it's all a moot point (but if it 5' stepped closer to attack, it couldn't then 5' step down afterwards).

"Sir Hendric, if Sentry can bring you to me, I can give you death ward to protect you from these undead horrors!"

Sir Hendric and Sentry withdraw to Bristor's position, moving down to get within reach of the Inquisitor (so I think I have to be 5' above the ground). "Ward my horse with that spell if you can!"

@Bristor, I was taking you up on that offer. Maybe next round?

Sorry, did we cross post? I failed to see that - last I saw you were charging the giant one I thought. Trying to keep up with work and childcare means I'm not as careful as I should be.

He did withdraw to you, maybe your turn was crossposted before the map updated?

Ah - yes I had had the window open and last post I saw was Arch's. Easy fix - give the deathward to Sentry.

Sorry, did we cross post? I failed to see that - last I saw you were charging the giant one I thought. Trying to keep up with work and childcare means I'm not as careful as I should be.

Yeah, I had planned to, then moving my token around I realized it would mean the horse taking a Harm from each Nemhain on their turn (even if I dodge 1 with Mounted Combat, the other hits and I can't use Indomitable Mount on the save) and then the big guy needing to do only 1 damage to drop the horse.

One thing I try to do is think a move ahead - "If I do X, the bad guys will probably do Y." I am not always right, but it seems like it would be a solid course of action from the Nemhains.

Maybe the SR from Holy Aura would block a Harm spell, but I didn't think SR 25 was high enough to count on.

Thank you for the fix!

Once upon a time, when I was an S2 (Tactical Intel Officer) in Battalion and Brigade Combat Teams (Mech), our wargaming during the staff planning process followed an Action/Counter-Action/Counter-Counter-Action methodology for each phase of upcoming operations. Lots of fun, especially for me getting to role-play the bad guys.

That experience really helped me later when I slid into the dark side of human intelligence, hunting the most dangerous game of all: man, baby. ;-)

Those experiences help me in running my small business, too, but the excitement just isn't at the same life-or-death pitch, so I feel less invested, because the stakes aren't as high.

I think at times, it colors my GMing and RP as a player. It's as close as I can get to that adrenaline rush nowadays.

Trying to clearing up confusion about the duration of the staggered condition.

Round 1: Tzitzimitl cast deeper darkness with the Eclipse abilities cold damage and staggering effect.

Round 2: At the start of Round 2, Cassisian-94632 cast daylight, at which point everyone rolled a d4 to determine the number of rounds he or she would be staggered while outside the area of the deeper darkness. Everyone rolled a 1 or a 2.

So after Peter's turn in Round 3, only those PCs who rolled a 2 are still staggered this round.

At least, I think I have that right.

Wynn calls upon Zey's Gratitude and calls forth some chain lightning.

Dude, that's a lot of Chronicles you've got inside that link! Can you narrow it down for me, or maybe copy the text of the boon?

Thanks.

I sent a PM with the text of the boon.

Wynn calls upon Zey's Gratitude and calls forth some chain lightning.

[dice=Caster Level]d20+7
[dice=electricity damage vs Red]7d6 DC 21 reflex for half
[dice=electricity damage vs green]7d6 DC 19 reflex for half
[dice=electricity damage vs yellow]7d6 DC 19 reflex for half

The caster level should actually be 16, not 7, which fortuitously increases the damage to 16d6 as well.

Looks like somebody's adding a Slide 18 to the deck. Anything I need to know? ;-)

I was creating the 30’ template for daylight and somehow someone else edited and everything was gone.
I reverted the presentation to before I started, which fixed the slide, copied the combat slide, and made my daylight template there.

Okay. Thought it might be foreign agents looking to influence the 2020 elections. ;-)