GM Blake's PF2 Extinction Curse Campaign

Game Master Blake's Tiger

"Uh...okay, petrification isn't my idea of a good time," Clover frowns. "If it has to get close then maybe we can try shooting at it from a distance."

"Any idea of how fast they are? Don't want to start shooting at it if it can close the distance quickly. Plus, wouldn't it be kinda rude to evict it since it's been here a while and we're traveling through, eventually?"

THE BIRD POISONS WITH IT BITE — LIKE THIS.

Ephie jumps and clutches his bleeding ear. Ow!

While Leaf-on-Wind has a reasonable point, the consensus seems to be to remove the presumed cockatrice from its nest one way or another for the safety of the circus crew and the patrons. You get into positions, with Nabi sneaking as close as she dares for the moment.

Encounter! Bold may act. Round 1.

Terrain: Any square with >=50% rocks in it is Greater Difficult Terrain. Any square with <50% rocks in it is Difficult Terrain.
Rocks can provide Greater Cover.
Effects: --

Rulean
Nabi (undetected) (Nabi may have a sack or her weapon in hand, her choice.)
Ephie
Cockatrice (unconscious, prone)
Song-of-Air
Clover
Leaf-on-Wind

Ephie looks on the sleeping cockatrice with pity. He waits to see what Nabi will do, ready to assist.

Delay depending on how this goes…

Will spend an Hero point for this stupidly dangerous action if rolling low

Nabi, sack in hand, tries to get closer to the strange beast without being heard.

The Keleshite plan is quite daring, but she seems confident in her ability to pull it off

Thievery: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (6) + 7 = 13
Thievery, HP reroll: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (17) + 7 = 24

Nabi: You would have wanted Stealth to sneak up on the sleeping cockatrice. It's the same modifier, so same result. I would accept Thievery as an alternative to an unarmed attack to bag the cockatrice (and you could use a Hero Point on that roll, if you think it necessary).

Nabi slips quietly toward the sleeping cockatrice with a sack held open in both hands.

Encounter! Bold may act. Round 1.

Terrain: Any square with >=50% rocks in it is Greater Difficult Terrain. Any square with <50% rocks in it is Difficult Terrain.
Rocks can provide Greater Cover.
Effects: --

Nabi (undetected) (2 actions left)
Rulean
Ephie
Cockatrice (unconscious, prone)
Song-of-Air
Clover
Leaf-on-Wind

Nabi tries to put the bag over the head of the strangest cock she has ever seen

Surprise attack!, Improvised weapon vs Touch Ac: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (16) + 2 = 18

If hits
Never one to shy away from a bad pun, Nabi brags

That cock is blocked! I bagged the victory!

She tries to keep the bag over the creature's head

If miss
If you don't succeed the first time, either try again or run away..

Surprised attack, 2d try: 1d20 + 2 - 5 ⇒ (12) + 2 - 5 = 9

Maybe I should have ran away...Time to chicken out!

“Yes, you probably should have run away.” Rulean replies.

Let’s see if I can’t prevent this from going horribly wrong,,,

Rulean calls out to his god to protect Nabi.
Forbidding Ward between Rooster-Bat and Nabi, Guidance on Nabi.
I would strongly suggest Nabi use the guidance on the save vs the poison that you will likely need to make.

I'm not going to penalize you for using a different, vastly inferior check to the one I offered you.

While Rulean prays, Nabi manages to slip the sack over the cockatrice by some blessing of divinity or luck. The cockatrice wakes with a loud, "Squawk!" The Keleshite acrobat is, of course, now holding a sack with an angry, struggling cockatrice.

Encounter! Bold may act. Round 1.

Terrain: Any square with >=50% rocks in it is Greater Difficult Terrain. Any square with <50% rocks in it is Difficult Terrain.
Rocks can provide Greater Cover.
Effects: --

Nabi (guidance, forbidding ward)
Rulean
Ephie
Cockatrice (immobilized, blind)
Song-of-Air
Clover
Leaf-on-Wind

Tanglefoot: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (6) + 8 = 14

Ephie is rolling his eyes so hard at all the puns, his tanglefoot flies up toward the moon.

He moves in to cautiously assist!

While the sticky vine whirls skyward, the cockatrice thrashes and flails within the sack. At first, the sack seems to hold the beast. Then a rent forms along the seam, not big but not small. The feathers and scales can be spied through the hole as it writhes. Then the tear grows and a boil-covered cock's foot slips out.

Encounter! Bold may act. Round 1/2.

Terrain: Any square with >=50% rocks in it is Greater Difficult Terrain. Any square with <50% rocks in it is Difficult Terrain. Rocks can provide Greater Cover.
Effects: --

Cockatrice (immobilized, blind) (Sack -3 hp)
Song-of-Air
Clover
Leaf-on-Wind
--2--
Nabi (guidance, forbidding ward) (Nabi can move with the cockatrice [2 bulk] while the sack holds together)
Rulean
Ephie

Rulean sustains the forbidding ward, raises his shield, and moves closer.

Performance: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (12) + 8 = 20
◇Lingering Performance
◈ Inspire Courage

♫ Chicken's nearly out of the bag
And it looks like it's fowl play
Chicken's nearly out of the bag
We all need to blow it away ♫

Song readies a shot for when the cockatrice exits the bag.

◈◈ Readied Shot Short bow+I.C.: 1d20 + 8 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 8 + 1 = 14
Piercing damage: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7
Deadly?: 1d10 ⇒ 8

Ephie aims; this time more carefully and inspired by Song.

Tanglefoot: 1d20 + 8 + 1 ⇒ (20) + 8 + 1 = 29

He grins as it wraps around the bird's feet. Looks like a crit on the nat 20 so Immobilized -10 speed for 1 round. Then he frowns and raises an eldritch shield.

Now what!?

"If it can turn people to stone then we can't let it go," Clover declares with resolution as she marks the cockatrice as her prey. She then draws her mace and moves in, presumably to try and beat the thing to death while it's bound up in the sack.
______________

Hunt Prey (Hunter's Edge: Outwit), Interact, Move~

Update: The sack and cockatrice are now stuck to the ground and cannot be moved without effort.

Nabi tries to keep the bag over the creature's head, ripping band of her own clothes (in decent places, of course) to tie it down and strenghten the bag.

Another empty bag please, while it can't move?

Not sure what kind of roll you need GM to tie an unmoving creature?? Automatic success? An (unarmed) attack roll? A Thievery or Athletics skill test?

If you have a rope, you can tie it up while it is stuck in the sack without a check. It would need to Escape vs. your Thievery DC.

Example: Retrieve a rope from your backpack is 1 action. Hog tie the cockatrice in a sack 2 actions.

Reminder: Adventurer’s pack includes a rope.

I have a climber's kit, so I have a rope.Sorry, I was sure I posted a few days ago but the post doesn't show

Bind&Tie (Thievery): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (2) + 7 = 9

Nabi has an hard time trying to get the rope over the magical beast

With a flurry of kicking and pecking, the cockatrice finally shreds the sack. It's head sticks out one hole and each foot sticks out a different tear or split seam. The beast gives Nabi an angry glare with one eye before demonstrating that it is more than just a little part snake. The cockatrice wriggles out of the sack through the largest hole and slips the rope.

With chanticleer rage, it pecks Nabi hard in the leg. She feels her leg beginning to stiffen.

Encounter! Bold may act. Round 2/3.

Terrain: Any square with >=50% rocks in it is Greater Difficult Terrain. Any square with <50% rocks in it is Difficult Terrain. Rocks can provide Greater Cover.
Effects: inspire courage (2/3)

Cockatrice (immobilized, hog tied)
Song-of-Air
Clover
Leaf-on-Wind
--2--
Nabi (16/26 hp; forbidding ward; DC 20 Fortitude vs. Slowed 1)
Rulean
Ephie

Slowed: You have fewer actions each turn. Subtract the slowed value from your actions.

Rulean continues to sustain the Forbidding Ward, moves up beside Navi, and then tries to club the creature into unconsciousness.

Morningstar, non-lethal, IC: 1d20 + 7 - 2 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 7 - 2 + 1 = 10
Bludgeoning damage, IC: 1d6 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 3 + 1 = 5

“Not sure what we are going to do with this creature, but seems at least some of you want it taken alive.”

Fort save DC 20, Ward: 1d20 + 5 + 1 ⇒ (11) + 5 + 1 = 17

Nabi's leg stiffen quickly, but the acrobat maintains her balance, taking her sword

That plan backfired. You could have told me it was a stupid idea, you know..

"Dangerous, not stupid," Clover corrects Nabi as she swings at the creature with her mace...

Strike (Light Mace; IC, NL): 1d20 + 6 + 1 - 2 ⇒ (2) + 6 + 1 - 2 = 7
Damage (Bludgeoning): 1d4 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 2 + 1 = 6

Strike (Light Mace; IC, NL): 1d20 + 2 + 1 - 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 + 1 - 2 = 7
Damage (Bludgeoning): 1d4 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 2 + 1 = 6

...but clearly she's way too distracted to hit anything. She then takes a step back to reevaluate her choices.
______________

I'm a little confused; Clover would honestly rather kill it and be done with it but if we really don't want to kill it, maybe we can just relocate it somewhere away from town instead of trying to keep it.

“So can I quit holding back and just try to kill it?”

Rulean is in favor of killing it as too dangerous to keep. I only did non-lethal last attack because I thought we were still foolishly trying to take it alive.

"So now we are killing it? Alrighty then!" Song casts magic weapon on her own bow and shoots.

Short bow+I.C.+MW: 1d20 + 8 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (15) + 8 + 1 + 1 = 25
Piercing damage: 2d6 + 1 ⇒ (5, 1) + 1 = 7
Deadly?: 1d10 ⇒ 5

Ephie steps into a flank and flings his axe at it before raising his shield. Give the rogue a flank who seems to have 1 more action. SHare the slowed love!

Hand of the apprentice, Greataxe, IC: 1d20 + 8 + 1 ⇒ (9) + 8 + 1 = 18
Slashing, IC: 1d12 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 4 + 1 = 9

Apologies for neglecting Song's earlier readied action.

Once the cockatrice is free of the bag, Song-of-Air looses her arrow. The arrow strikes but the angle is slight, and the head glances off of the scales (missed flat-footed, barely). The cockatrice pecks Nabi's leg painfully, and you all see that her movements become stiffer and her skin grayer.

Song-of-Air fires another arrow. This time it sinks into the beast's hide. Clover moves in and tries to whack the cockatrice, but the infernal thing darts like a snake and dodges each of her blows. Rulean has no better luck. Ephie sends his axe whirling at the beast, but it leaps out of the way just in time. Three sliced cock's feathers drift down to the ground in its wake.

Nabi draws her sword (one action left).

Encounter! Bold may act. Round 2/3.

Terrain: Any square with >=50% rocks in it is Greater Difficult Terrain. Any square with <50% rocks in it is Difficult Terrain. Rocks can provide Greater Cover.
Effects: inspire courage (2/3)

Cockatrice (-7 hp)
Song-of-Air
Clover
Leaf-on-Wind
--2--
Nabi (16/26 hp; forbidding ward; slowed 1) (1 action left)
Rulean
Ephie

Slash, IC: 1d20 + 7 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 7 + 1 = 15
dmg, Ic: 1d6 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 + 1 = 8

Nabi tries to cut the damned chickenthing, but her sword fails to connect

Leaf-On-Wind makes a mental note to not be so close in the future when these brawls inevitably keep happening -- it's *really* inconvenient to have to reposition far enough away to shoot at opponents.

He then re-positions a bit further away while slowing his breath to 'feel the breeze'.

Stride, (Interact)Draw Bow, Enter Monastic Archer Stance

Again, if Leaf-On-Wind looks like he's going to be able to do that for his first turn in fights, feel absolutely free to 'bot' him to keep the action moving, as my update times are erratic and it will help keep the action moving.

Nabi's sword digs into the ground as the cockatrice writhes out of the way just in time. The foul-tempered monster pecks at her in blind fury. The strikes come too fast for the acrobat to dodge. However, the chimeric rooster is not very strong despite the initial assault, and the attacks feel like little more that flicks against her shin (-1, 0).

Encounter! Bold may act. Round 3/4.

Terrain: Any square with >=50% rocks in it is Greater Difficult Terrain. Any square with <50% rocks in it is Difficult Terrain. Rocks can provide Greater Cover.
Effects: inspire courage (1/3)

Cockatrice (-7 hp)
Song-of-Air
Clover
Leaf-on-Wind
--3--
Nabi (16/26 hp; forbidding ward; slowed 1)
Rulean
Ephie

"Er yeah, I think that's for the best! Not that I enjoy this, mind you," Clover calls out. Her choices reevaluated, she stows away her mace and pulls her trusty longspear back out before taking a stab at the creature.

Strike (Longspear; Hunted Prey, IC): 1d20 + 6 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 6 + 1 = 14
Damage (Piercing; Hunted Prey, IC): 1d8 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 2 + 1 = 5
______________

Interact, Interact, Strike~

Rulean continues to maintain his spell. He then takes a couple of swings with his morningstar.
Morningstar: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (9) + 7 = 16
Bludgeoning damage: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4

Morningstar, MAP: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4
Bludgeoning damage: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6

Ephie sends an arc at the rooster before moving back.

Electricity, DC 18 Basic Reflex Save: 1d4 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8

The cockatrice is so busy darting back and forth to avoid Clover's spear and Rulean's bludgeon that it only manages to avoid part of the electric arc.

Encounter! Bold may act. Round 3/4.

Terrain: Any square with >=50% rocks in it is Greater Difficult Terrain. Any square with <50% rocks in it is Difficult Terrain. Rocks can provide Greater Cover.
Effects: inspire courage (1/3)

Cockatrice (-11 hp)
Song-of-Air
Clover
Leaf-on-Wind
--3--
Nabi (16/26 hp; forbidding ward; slowed 1)
Rulean
Ephie

Leaf-On-Wind, now fully focused and 'with the winds' sends a barrage of arrows towards the critter.

First Flurry Arrow (Inspire Courage): 1d20 + 7 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 7 + 1 = 14

Second Flurry Arrow (Inspire Courage): 1d20 + 7 + 1 - 5 ⇒ (7) + 7 + 1 - 5 = 10

Third Arrow(Inspire Courage): 1d20 + 7 + 1 - 10 ⇒ (5) + 7 + 1 - 10 = 3

Fourth Arrow (Inspire Courage0: 1d20 + 7 + 1 - 10 ⇒ (5) + 7 + 1 - 10 = 3

Flurry of Arrows (2 shots), Shoot, Shoot

However, it's more than likely that the barrage, it does nothing as Leaf-On-Wind has to avoid shooting fellow circus members.

Attack: 1d20 + 7 + 1 ⇒ (16) + 7 + 1 = 24
dmg: 1d6 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 + 1 = 4

Attack: 1d20 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 3 + 1 = 9
dmg: 1d6 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 + 1 = 4

Even if Nabi is slow to react, she manages to fight back, fueled by desperation more than real martial skill

Song-of-Air continues her inspiring cant. She fires two quick arrows at the tenacious beast.

The cockatrice runs in a circle, dodging the two tengus' flurry of arrows. Nabi manages to slip in a lucky strike while it is distracted. The bizarre rooster pecks back and hits her boot. It darts toward Clover and pecks its beak at her, but she steps to the side easily.

Encounter! Bold may act. Round 4/5.

Terrain: Any square with >=50% rocks in it is Greater Difficult Terrain. Any square with <50% rocks in it is Difficult Terrain. Rocks can provide Greater Cover.
[ooc]Effects: inspire courage

Cockatrice (-15 hp)
Song-of-Air
Clover
Leaf-on-Wind
--3--
Nabi (16/26 hp; forbidding ward; slowed 1)
Rulean
Ephie

Although he has no idea where the creature might strike, he continues to sustain his spell on Nabi.

He then swings twice with his morningstar.
Morning Star, IC: 1d20 + 7 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 7 + 1 = 11
Bludgeoning, IC: 1d6 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 3 + 1 = 9

Morning Star, IC, MAP: 1d20 + 7 + 1 - 5 ⇒ (18) + 7 + 1 - 5 = 21
Bludgeoning, IC: 1d6 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 3 + 1 = 5

"Wish it would quit running around like that! It isn't like we've beheaded it."

Ephie Ephie tries a ray of frost at the chicken this time!

Ray of Frost: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (18) + 8 = 26
Cold: 1d4 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7

And here I come! He stretches his legs and Jumps to a flanking position with Nabi!

Jump spell. Hoping he can land on the rocks to provide a flank for the sneak attcker. If not he may raise shield instead.

Rulean pounds his morningstar into the ground and eventually hits the cockatrice, who lets out a shriek. The beast chokes and coughs as Ephie launches a ray of snow and ice into its face. The magician then leaps through the air with supernatural ease.

Encounter! Bold may act. Round 4/5.

Terrain: Any square with >=50% rocks in it is Greater Difficult Terrain. Any square with <50% rocks in it is Difficult Terrain. Rocks can provide Greater Cover.
Effects: inspire courage

Cockatrice (-28 hp)
Song-of-Air
Clover
Leaf-on-Wind
--3--
Nabi (16/26 hp; forbidding ward; slowed 1)
Rulean
Ephie

The acrobat lets another series of arrows soar, getting a bit closer to the cockatrice until the last arrow lands somewhere 'nifty'.

First Flurry Arrow (Inspire Courage): 1d20 + 7 + 1 ⇒ (12) + 7 + 1 = 20

Second Flurry Arrow (Inspire Courage): 1d20 + 7 + 1 - 5 ⇒ (9) + 7 + 1 - 5 = 12

Third Arrow(Inspire Courage): 1d20 + 7 + 1 - 10 ⇒ (16) + 7 + 1 - 10 = 14

Fourth Arrow (Inspire Courage): 1d20 + 7 + 1 - 10 ⇒ (20) + 7 + 1 - 10 = 18

Damage Fourth Arrow (Inspire Courage, Deadly?): 1d8 + 1 + 1d10 ⇒ (5) + 1 + (9) = 15

Flurry of Arrows (2 shots), Shoot, Shoot

Unexpectedly, even to Leaf, the first arrow bounces off a rock and somehow manages to clip the cockatrice.

Damage (Inspire Courage): 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 = 8

With some difficulty Clover manages to maneuver herself between the cockatrice and some rocks, flanking the creature with Rulean. Though closer than she'd like to be, she continues doing what she can to put the dangerous beast down before it hurts anyone else.

Strike (Flanking, Hunted Prey, IC): 1d20 + 6 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 6 + 1 = 9
Damage (Piercing; IC): 1d8 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 2 + 1 = 9

Strike (Flanking, Hunted Prey, IC): 1d20 + 6 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 6 + 1 = 13
Damage (Piercing; IC): 1d8 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 2 + 1 = 4
______________

Can I buy a vowel double-digit result? :|

Attack, IC: 1d20 + 7 + 1 ⇒ (16) + 7 + 1 = 24
dmg, IC: 1d6 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 + 1 = 5

Attack, IC: 1d20 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (15) + 3 + 1 = 19
dmg, IC: 1d6 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 + 1 = 7

Nabi darts into action, entering K.F. C mode (Kill Frigging Cock)

Clover has given all of her halfling luck to her companions as she fails to spear the cockatrice no matter how many times she stabs at it. Leaf-on-Wind sinks two arrows into it, which causes it to stop and turn toward him. The beast hisses and squawks at the tengu, which allows Nabi the opportunity to stab it twice and end its magically cursed existence.

Many of you are a bit short of breath after that excitement, but only Nabi is significantly injured.

Inside the armor are bits of a stone statue that must have once been a person, but the armor itself should be quite functional after a little bit of oiling. The pick lying nearby is made of cold iron. Collecting each of the coins nets you a decent sum as well.

Shame we had to kill it. I suppose the area is safer now.

"Yeah," Clover agrees, lowering her spear. "At least that went better than it could have, except for Nabi's leg. Maybe if we'd had more time or didn't have our camp right here, we could've tried to relocate it somewhere else."

She looks around at her friends. "Okay, what's next?"