GM Foxy's 2nd Legacy of Fire

Game Master Foxy Quickpaw

Omari, I think I understood you wanted to kill the bodak. I preferred to avoid losing more gaming time with a past encounter, but as they came to us, and given Sarenrae inclination to free the undead from their no-death, I am now more favorable to devote time to this sacred goal.

If we are to do it, I think it is now, while they are being attacked by the elementals on the other flank.

I know we are deprived of most our magic, but I think if we focus all our power in the bodak it can fall fast, and then we might be able to convince the azers we are freeing them from an evil master.

If you think this is not the time, then, I will focus on the elementals so we can end this and keep progressing with the AP.

Yep, Ohrmizd would have shared anything he knew about the bodak at the first chance.

This is the point when we come against the undead, aren't we party?

Sorry Ohrmizd, I looked at this and forgot to write you a reply because my brain is mush. Yeah, we're party, it's just we had got no reply from previous knowledge checks...

Omari, I think I understood you wanted to kill the bodak. I preferred to avoid losing more gaming time with a past encounter, but as they came to us, and given Sarenrae inclination to free the undead from their no-death, I am now more favorable to devote time to this sacred goal.

If we are to do it, I think it is now, while they are being attacked by the elementals on the other flank.

I know we are deprived of most our magic, but I think if we focus all our power in the bodak it can fall fast, and then we might be able to convince the azers we are freeing them from an evil master.

If you think this is not the time, then, I will focus on the elementals so we can end this and keep progressing with the AP.

In character, putting the bodak down would be a good thing. Tactically though, I don't think this is a good time to start something. I was willing to have one last fight before camping when I made that proposal, but we've had that last fight (the elementals). Starting a second fight, now, gives them (Bodak and Azers) have the same thing that the elementals had at the start of this fight - a bunch of melee (Azers - note that they are swinging at a +10 to hit) and a short range type (the Bodak) up our collective noses at the start of the fight. Which is something that both Heshan and I are unhappy about. So I say leave it alone for now, with intent to revisit later...

Fine then, just one last check before letting it go: are we going to let ourselves rest with the bodak alive?

If we are not comfortable about that, then this might be the best we will be to deal with it.

I am fine with being confident our alliance with them stands, but if you have doubts, please voice them now. We are kind of limited on our possibilities to secure a campfire, and the risks are now lower than once they can focus all their attention on us.

Fine then, just one last check before letting it go: are we going to let ourselves rest with the bodak alive?

If we are not comfortable about that, then this might be the best we will be to deal with it.

I am fine with being confident our alliance with them stands, but if you have doubts, please voice them now. We are kind of limited on our possibilities to secure a campfire, and the risks are now lower than once they can focus all their attention on us.

I wont say that I'm comfortable with the Bodak being alive and around while I'm sleeping, no. I am just not comfortable with starting the resulting fight right now. I figured after the worm we had enough left for one more serious fight; that's about when I figure a party should rest up. But we've had that fight, and starting another one with these ginks right up our noses strikes me as tactically lousy. So I don't see this as that good of an opportunity.

(If they were at the other end of a hallway, and Heshan could just nuke them, maybe. If we were 60+ feet from them, Heshan could drop Black Tentacles and then lightning ball anyone who escaped. I would get a couple of round of archery, and then you and Khedron could meet the weakened survivors... Heck, maybe we can set that up, by proposing that we camp separated because we don't trust each other, but close enough to support each other if there's more trouble... )

PS. At some opportune time, could you detect evil on the Azers? That'd give us a good clue if they are willing servants to the Bodak, and thus likely to fight on even if we put it down..

Gotcha. Let's finish the elementals fight then.

Artel Norin was the best ally we made in the plane of Kakishon and he was an azer. These ones gave me the impression to be tied to the bodak only by contract and gave no signs of particularly liking him. But I can double check with the detect thing.

Heshan's out of 4th level spells, so that's a no go right now. I have a couple 5th level spells left, so I could use Wall of Fire (electricity), but he'll need the right position for everyone else to take advantage of that.

Sorry for not posting, but the day was too long already.

No problem, you are a consistent poster for a GM, so can't say anything for a couple of days to take breath. The heads up is welcomed anyway :)

My internet is currently down. I hope to get a post in tomorrow when I have the chance.

Seems Foxy is having a tough week.

By the way, if we are in Jahvul's home, maybe we can find this Firebeeder. Do we ever managed to find out if it is a weapon or a creature?

Obherak told us:

"...To prove to the world and his 'love' and to pay back to all those who humilated him, he wants to find and become the firebleeder. A creature created by rovagug who brings fiery destruction to the world..."

So I think the Firebleeder is a critter, that Javhul wants to possess/polymorph into somehow?

Ok, there are a few spells that I think might come handy here, but I do not know to what extend we can manage some of these:
- find the path: to find that artifact (we need a name to the place, but we can try with Javhul's rooms or the Fortress throne, and see if that helps)
- air walk communal: to navigate over the rivers of lava
- mass planar adaption: for full day full party resist fire 20 and other perks against plane of fire hazards

@ Foxy, How did they avoid the brass men? I'm guessing, module is missing that detail?

The adventure book tells the GM. The Azer Mamluks don't know though.

Omari the Landless wrote:

@ Foxy, How did they avoid the brass men? I'm guessing, module is missing that detail?

The adventure book tells the GM. The Azer Mamluks don't know though.

Hmmm. Curious and curiouser...

@Ohrmizd
Sometimes the command word to activate an item is written right on the item. Occasionally, it might be hidden within a pattern or design engraved, carved, or built into the item, or the item might bear a clue to the command word.

The Knowledge (arcana) and Knowledge (history) skills might be useful in helping to identify command words or deciphering clues regarding them. A successful check against DC 30 is needed to come up with the word itself. If that check is failed, succeeding on a second check (DC 25) might provide some insight into a clue. The spells detect magic, identify, and analyze dweomer all reveal command words if the properties of the item are successfully identified.

Now who identified the carpet? That one has to come up with a command word ;). Which should be: some nonsensical word, or a word or phrase from an ancient language

No one really rolled for Spellcraft for the carpet, Ohrmizd used detect magic, but he is not really good at Spellcraft

Just a question Foxy, was the flame+plinth thing something we had been told but forgotten? Or maybe we missed to find some hint?

You totally didn't get the hint that the flame should be put there which was: The flame being in some random room and the plinth being there.

You hadn't explored the room yet so even this "hint" didn't come your way.

I didn't find anything that would have pointed you into the right direction, so I offered a roll for it.

Maybe I misunderstood something here. I understood the stairs were dangerous and hence I decided to use the the carpet to fly through the stairs to find out what is on the next floor.

If the plan is to get into the lava to check the vortex or the lava cascade or something like that, I am not in.

Maybe I misunderstood something here. I understood the stairs were dangerous and hence I decided to use the the carpet to fly through the stairs to find out what is on the next floor.

If the plan is to get into the lava to check the vortex or the lava cascade or something like that, I am not in.

If I understand Foxy right, the only danger on the stair is lava globs, which our fire resistance lets us ignore (thank you Shazathared...). The trap I detect with my perception check is actually behind the door at the top of the stair. Currently I am taking a look at said door for traps, and then hopefully we will be able to open said door...

There is lava rain in the place where the baot moored. Once in the stairs, the problem is gone. Entering the room behind the door at the top of the stairs has the danger, that Omari noticed.

I just had in mind that Ohrmizd already started exploring up the stairs. But rereading the posts, I found that that was only in my head. Sorry for the confusion.

Ohrmizd, are you flying towards or away from the brass object?

@Foxy, could I continue movement from where I am or does the carpet flight count as my move action?

We were at the door by the stairs when I begun my turn. As I understand it you are free to fly out of the carpet whenever you wish Heshan, if you prefer, just stay in the door and fly from there by your own!

I'm not sure if a carpet should be treated like a mount or not. The carpet is steered by command words. Speaking is a free action, so I guess we'll go with mount and at the end of the movement all still have their full action left.

But this point is only relevant for Ohrmizd as he has to steer the carpet. For the passenger seat, it would be full action anyway.

So in conclusion: Yes, Heshan, you can move on from the end point of the carpet travel. If you want to step off on the way, it would get a bit more complicated with initiative order. Worst case, a ready action would do if your turn is before Ohrmizd's

Omari, you commented before about making Khedron walk in the air. By this level that lasts for nearly a couple of hours, so you basically can mount on him and rain our enemies safely with arrows from the sky, let him walk on the ground only to protect you when we are in close quarters.

So why not to have that active for as much time as you can?

Omari, you commented before about making Khedron walk in the air. By this level that lasts for nearly a couple of hours, so you basically can mount on him and rain our enemies safely with arrows from the sky, let him walk on the ground only to protect you when we are in close quarters.

So why not to have that active for as much time as you can?

I'd be more comfortable with that if I had ranks in ride... (Yes, clerics get no skill ranks, it's the worst thing about the them.) Not to mention that a couple of hours really isn't all that long in an exploration like this one; as in since we started this morning, between all the room searching and so forth we did, I figure it's 3 or 4 hours later; I'd be on my 2nd or 3ed air walk spell, and we (as a party) don't have that many 4th level slots to burn.

Also, I should have taken Clustered Shot last level, instead of divine interference, but I was thinking to transition more to a caster playstyle.

Clustered Shot will not help you bypass hardness anyway, it only works with damage reduction. Nor helps the rest of the party to be of use.

To be honest, I have noticed you often impose limitations on yourself that no one else has called out. If you could easy on a bit with us and try the flying animal companion thing, I think you will surprise yourself with the results.

I got an idea - if we all come back to the stairs and go back down, I'm guessing that the animated object will go back to it's hole in the wall. (They have - for int, they're programmed not thinking.) Then Rayhan & Heshan can try plan wall it off...

The idea was, that you run after Ohrmizd and I wall off the passage so the construct can't follow us. But both would only be a temporary solution as no wall has the hardness to withstand the construct for a long time.

Heshan posted a magic missile casting just a bit before you GM, so I guess that means only Rayhan remains to play this turn!

Question: Zenzirad is a frost weapon, would it not be enough to stop the regeneration as per Rayhan's statement?

Though I am confident Heshan or Rayhan can finish the job with their magic :D

Fast healing, not regeneration. Which has no stop, besides dying. That with the frost is only for heads.

Also, "a huge statue of an efreeti seated in the lotus position upon a dais. The statue holds a six-foot-high basin filled with roaring flames in its lap. This pyre gives the statue’s snarling visage an eerie red glow and causes the flickering light to glint malignly off the jewels mounted in its eye sockets. Tall brass braziers flank the statue, and several crates and chests have been stacked in the western half of the room." Is this what's being described?

Oh, yeah, after seeing the statue in the map I thought in the same mythical cover! Nice Easter egg!

So that is where that statue stand, and we are to become the nasty thieves of the eye rubies! :D

It is on Map 9.

OK, have put the PC's on the map...

Question, the difficult terrain Heshan created means the giant cannot 5' step, isn't it? Hence only one attack?

Yes.

Ok, as a strategic thought, do we want to rest before we get into it with one of the factions? I think we might do well to regain spells before potentially wading into something big. If we want to try a couple of smaller things and then rest, there was an unexplored room on the level below and at least 2 passages down (which should lead to relatively small complexes, as we explored most of what was below already).

Ohrmizd spent slots are buffs still ongoing, except for divine favor, which lasted only this combat, and shield of faith which probably has run out by now.

I mean, Ohrmizd does not need to rest yet, so whatever you pure casters need.

@Ohrmizd, don't you have like a +17 to perception that you're omitting for some reason?

Sorry, Omari is totally right, I copied the bonuses from heroism and heightened awareness and forgot the base bonus.

So that's a 38 Perception roll, not a 21.

Is by any chance Rayhan trained in religion?

Nope.

@Foxy, how does the rod work? If we pass the rod around, can we each activate see invisible on us (it's CL 11, so it lasts 110 minutes), or do you have to keep holding the rod? [/ooc]

Not casting the spell. Using the ability as long as grasped firmly.

I have a bit of a family emergency and will be travelling. I am not sure how much I will be able to keep up with posting, so feel free to bot me if needed.

I'm currently on my way back from a convention. Unexpectedly, the person I was staying with had no wifi and I only had that outside the con for 1 night. I should be back later tonight with a post.

Hey, I've gotten home. Posting should resume a more normal pace...

Please level up to 12.

Omg! That dragon ought to be very dangerous if you are giving us a level up right now Foxy!

Level 12

HP +10
Ability increase +1 Str
New feature greater bane (bane is 4d6 damage now)
Teamwork feat (before leveling) standard action to swap Blades Above and Below for Outflank
(new feat) Blades Above and Below
New spells greater magic weapon and divine power
Skills
Acrobatics
Bluff x2
Diplomacy
Fly
Intimidate
K. planes
Perception
Background skills
K. history
Linguistics (Draconic)

Omg! That dragon ought to be very dangerous if you are giving us a level up right now Foxy!

Dragons are always supposed to be very dangerous, aren't they? But as you just went up another level in the building I checked the progression table.

I'll try to get to doing the level up this weekend.