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

Game Master Lawrence Smith 2

Caster Level: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (14) + 7 = 21

Is that a CL check vs SR?

Looking at chain lightning, it looks like you roll the damage once.

According to the Zey's Gratitude boon, you use your Character Level as the CL, so for Wynnreyell, that's 16 for 16d6 damage. The secondary bolts strike secondary targets for the same damage.

You were right about the DC calculation for the spell is 10 + 6 (spell level) + 5 (ability modifier for a 20); Reflex DC21 for the primary target, and DC19 for the secondary targets. (The Reflex save DC drops by 2 for the secondary targets. The DC is based off your INT, CHA, or 20, whichever is highest. In Wynnreyell's case it looks like you're going with a 20.)

Go ahead and retcon your post, Wynnreyell, rolling the adjusted damage. I don't want to roll for you and deny you the glory.

Yes that was for potential SR. Which, with the spell, would be bumped up to a 30. I reroll the damage in gameplay.

Fireball DC 24

10d6 + 10 ⇒ (1, 3, 1, 3, 3, 1, 5, 6, 2, 6) + 10 = 41

Archaememnon, can you let me know the center of the blast/AoE? If the tzitzimitl was one of the targets, please roll a CL check vs SR.

@Arch

I made a 20' template, in orange for fireball. It looks like you can hit all the bad guys, and nothing else, if so desired.

Thanks, Peter. Will go with that, unless we hear differently from Archaememnon. Still need the CL vs SR check from her though.

I hate rolling those myself, especially if the check fails.

So is the plan to just try to nuke them down one at a time vs. this constant river of healing? Getting rid of those ghosts certainly helps, but that eye beam is brutal.

Thanks, Peter! Yeah, I think I can get them all without hitting any allies. Here's the SR (note that greater spell penetration doubles to +8 with the fireballs).

SR
1d20 + 15 + 8 ⇒ (6) + 15 + 8 = 29

Think I get Hendric, Sentry, Peter, Julian, Grayish Cassian and Green Vulpinal, but frankly I’m losing my ability to read the map

I'll remove the fireball template. The daylight template from the grayish cassisian still matters since that allows us to target the big guy. Julian, Hendric, and Bristor have their own daylights now so we can all see just fine. The Cassisians not having useful spells left to cast, combined with their low HP and battlefield clutter is why I removed them from the map.

I'd highly recommend we still ready to try to interupt spellcasting. Spellcasters with 9th level spells, even if they can also do 20d6 with a standard action, can do devastating things left unchecked. I'd also recommend we target him next. I'm assuming that our attacks managed to get through profane regeneration and we did actually destory the green nemhain, so I might be being too optimistic.

Sir Hendric, would you consider having Sentry attack the green nemhain, given the effects of haste and the inquisitor's disco-smite?

I'll wait for your response before posting the nemhain(s) actions.

Good-aligned weapons have seemed to temporarily halt the nemhain's profane regeneration, but the river of blood is a powerful healer, too.

@GM, we were 15' away, so a 5' step put us in lance range but not in hoof range. But Sentry can ready to attack if the Nemhain comes adjacent. That is the Defend trick which Sentry does know. I will post it.

The glowing yellow nemhain's hand seethes with eerie dark fire, and it reaches out to touch the red-tailed fox.

Melee Incorporeal Touch: 1d20 + 21 ⇒ (1) + 21 = 22
Slay Living Damage, Fort DC22: 12d6 + 15 ⇒ (3, 3, 5, 5, 1, 1, 1, 6, 5, 1, 6, 4) + 15 = 56
Damage if Fortitude save is successful: 3d6 + 15 ⇒ (2, 1, 6) + 15 = 24

Peter, I didn't see that Fortitude saving throw. Can you roll it (and the one now, in Round 4) please?

You rolled a natural one on the attack. I'll roll one for now. If my interpretation is wrong, the fort save doesn't matter because the secondary damage would still be enough to make him go back to his celestial cloud and start playing his music again.

If the other PCs can somehow finish off Green Nemhain by my next turn, Sir Hendric will be able to Challenge the big guy (assuming he doesn't need to use an immediate action for Indomitable Mount, which he may well need to).

Sir Hendric is normally happy to handle his Challenged foe, but in this case they have retreated behind their gigantic ally.

I can effectively teleport next to green next turn, but then I'd only have 1 attack and that's not going to be enough to take it down, but if everyone focuses fire it might be enough.

It might be enough with the remaining Allied Offensive Aid Token. Which I should have used on my turn.

Hmm... is the Allied Offensive damage of the same type as the PC's attack? Could Archaememnon apply it to a Quickened Magic Missile? Could Julian apply it to a Ghost Touch arrow?

Lets see what the state of the field is after the tzitzimitl goes before trying to make concrete plans for our next turn.

As it stands, assuming no one needs a breath of life, I see a reasonable spot for Peter to same-round delivery such that Hendric can charge the big guy (10 feet away) and Bristor can to 5' step and full attack green.

At the moment, Sir Hendric can charge the big guy from where he is, using Wheeling Charge. That could change depending on what the big guy does.

And he keeps being "the big guy" because I get tired of having to find and copy-paste "tzitzimitl."

natural one on the attack

It's official: Your GM is blind and stupid.

Peter wrote:

natural one on the attack

It's official: Your GM is blind and stupid.

Nope, its just there is a lot to track between both rules and the sheer scope of these combats. I've personally added 8 summons to this combat. Trying to make sure balls don't get dropped is hard.

Did any of Wynnreyell's arrows hit the Green Nemhain?

The Nat 20 should have. But the others maybe not. Wishing it was ghost touch so I could have confirmed that critical hit though.

I think the 26 and 27 hit also. A Vulpinal hit with a touch attack on a 26 (for Dispel Evil) and Incorporeal foes have the same touch AC as regular AC. We'll see.

Fishing for high numbers here, and seemed pretty unlikely I'd hit green since the big guy is between him and me, now.

I was so fixated on the tzitzimitl's actions and the team's future planning, I totally blew posting the effects of Wynnreyell's actions. Note to self: Can't multitask while GMing in a subtler this high level.

Fixed it now, and offered him the chance to pick a new target for Arrow #4.

Peter can also retcon his actions, if he wishes to, in light of the green nemhain going down. Though since he doesn't technically act until Round 5 (after Julian, Bristor, and Archaememnon act in Round 4).

One or more of them could delay, if that's worth their while.

I've been distracted, listening to Ian McKellen read Robert Fagles' translation of The Odyssey. Love his voice. Keep thinking he's going to warn Frodo about the Cyclops.

Since I was doing clustered shots. All of them have to go to one target.

Ah, yes. Time for your GM to turn out the lights and get some rest. No more errors this evening.

I moved Bristor and myself to a tenative position. If Bristor doesn't want to delay into round 5 and do that, then I'll just stay in my bubble and take my original turn.

I've put a 'B' on the map where Bristor originally was incase he doesn't like that plan. He can also reposition us on the dimension door, if there is a more advantagous position for him. I am assuming the tzitzimitl is 4x4 and thus Bristor would be within a 5' step of a flanking full attack where I tenatively put him.

The tzitzimitl occupies a 20ft-space, though its description indicates it's 50ft tall.

The map is slightly distorted.

That positioning looks good. I'm not sure when I'll have time today to put a post together, but I'll do it as soon as I'm able. I'll start now but my daughter's lego attention span may wane before I finish. :)

A few things to discuss:

Re tracking damage, Sir Hendric, I focus on the damage dealt and healed. It's just simpler for me as the GM. I trust the players to track their Temp hp. If we get close to life-or-death, we'll drill down on that.

Peter, were you able to cast both hide from undead and dimension door, or did you forego the former to cast the latter?

Bristor and Sir Hendric, re the damage dealt to the tzitzimitl, its DR is 15/bludgeoning and good. The level of enchantment on your lance and falchion (with greater bane) overcome the alignment half of the DR but not the weapon type (bludgeoning).

If I've misunderstood DR or overlooked some aspect of your PC's equipment and build, please let me know. It would be nice to slap another 45 points on the tzitzimitl's damage total.

I appreciate everyone jumping in to check my azimuth, when I misstep. You've all been very good about it.

I didn’t use the greater hide from undead going for offense via dimension door instead.

Hendric and Sentry are generally ruled immune to movement based aoos thanks to both having escape route .

Thanks.

I spent nearly half an hour typing a post that had the tzitzimitl unseat Sir Hendric and toss him into the river of blood with its Awesome Blow. Then I realized that the 31 was the Sense Motive modifier to the check, not the total of the roll.

Whew!

Actually, it is Ride-By Attack that renders Sentry and Sir Hendric immune to AOOs from the target of the charge.

Sentry only has Escape Route when Sir Hendric is sharing it with Tactician.

And Awesome Blow is a standard action.

So my understanding is that there was no AOO, and Sir Hendric did not need to use Snake Style (couldn't anyway, as he used a Swift on his turn for Challenge and the AOO would have happened on his turn).

Also, I get a free CMB check on a mounted charge and chose Trip, hitting CMD 47. Not enough?

Not that it matters now, but I was under the impression that Awesome Blow falls into that category of Combat Maneuvers covered by footnote 6 to Table 8-2, Actions in Combat table on CRB p. 183.

According to the text: "Some combat maneuvers substitute for a melee attack, not an action. As melee attacks, they can be used once in an attack or charge action, one or more times in a full-attack action, or even as an attack of opportunity. Others are used as a separate action."

The tzitzimitl would have attempted the AoO in any case.

And it missed.

The trip attempt didn't quite succeed against the tzitzimitl's CMD.

*EDIT* Awesome Blow (Monster) is specifically described as a Standard Action. So it looks like the tzitzimitl wouldn't have added that to its bite AoO, resigning itself to just its physical and electricity damage and energy drain.

I wonder if there's an official list somewhere indicating which combat maneuvers can be used as an AoO. Lot of rules discussions, but I usually avoid those often over-impassioned and bottomless rat-holes like the plague (or the Wuhan Corona virus).

As I understand it, having the Ride-By Attack feat removes the AOOs by the target of a mounted charge period, and gives the option of continuing your movement after the charge. So there would have been no AOO.

Much as with Spring Attack - you don't have to move after the attack to negate AOOs. You can just run up through an enemy's reach and attack.

This matters because if this thing attacks at +34, Sir Hendric may need that immediate-action Snake Style roll on the monster's turn, unless Wynnreyell kills it first. If the Snake Style dodge were a free action, it wouldn't really matter, but it's once per round as an immediate action.

I think all combat maneuvers say if they can be done as a standard action or in place of a melee attack. Trip is the one I’m familiar with, because intelligent large foes tripping small PCs, denying them their attacks, is totally a thing.

Ah, now I understand the point you were making. I focused too much on the checks you made beneath your spoiler, and not enough on the rest of the post.

I'll try to be clearer in the future.

Realized in my editing of the post that I had left the mis-applied damage and negative levels next to Sir Hendric's name in the initiative order. Corrected now, I think.

Phew - that is definitely one of the most intense fights I've ever encountered. I have new appreciation for the power of summoning! Nice work team.

Folks, after you've treated the wounded, I'd like to encourage you to continue to explore the Black Cavern and possibly face another encounter.

The House has obviously struggled against these formidable monsters, and it's only about halfway to achieving its goals for this part of the scenario.

Any objections?

Lets avenge Ollysta and Shevar!

Can we pass some tokens to help since we won our fight, going from our earlier list?

Phew - that is definitely one of the most intense fights I've ever encountered. I have new appreciation for the power of summoning! Nice work team.

Definately great work all!

Anyone can attempt that Knowledge (religion) check.

You can absolutely pass Aid Tokens, as well as use what you've got on yourselves.

Thanks, Peter, for tallying up the healing, resources expended, and time elapsed.

Is everyone ready to continue?

Onward!

Yes, great work!

Happy to do another encounter.

Sir Hendric would appreciate a Heroism spell if Bristor can spare it.
He will re-up Heightened Awareness from the wand (if he doesn't get a Heroism, will make the UMD check in Gameplay, if he does get a Heroism it's an auto-pass).

He'll give the Good Hope scroll that he got from the Guard Mission to Archaememnon, for the dragon to use at her discretion.

He'll have in his hand a scroll of Moment of Greatness. Any prep round would be using this scroll, drawing the lance, and activating Tactician.

He can offer his 2nd-level Pearl of Power to any casters who might need it.

Consider yourself hero-fied!

I still have a Greater dispel magic and wall of stone, but I thought someone else may want to try. I can aid another the check, +2 divine spellcasting and +1 non-divine.

@Arch, did you wand yourself to full earlier in those 12 rounds you weren’t becoming a dragon?

Here's a question: Symbol of death mentions that rogues can disarm it. I assume that you ca attempt to do that without triggering it?

I feel like this is always a bit of an odd thing with traps that trigger when you see them.

I’ve always assumed for any trap that triggers automatically your disable device roll includes tricking the trigger into not going off. Thats consistent with failing by 5 or more causing bad stuff to happen.