GM Otha's Hall of Drunken Heroes: Low Tier (Gameday IX) (Inactive)

Game Master Otha

With multiple light sources provided, along with some protective spells cast by Aeliah, you start to head down the steep stairwell, with Mivvy leading the way...

Close to halfway down, she notices the stairs are suddenly slick with blood...her sharp eyes also find four human fingers in the pool of blood. (Auto-succeed Perception check)

Beneath Cayden's Hall

The bravo whispers to the group, ”the stairs are slick with blood, is anyone able to clean them off?”

She shrugs, ”I will be fine but a bit too much armour could send one toppling helter-skelter down these stairs.”

I am pretty sure freedom of movement will mean this does not bother Mivvy at all.

Hamish quickly magics up some scrubbing bubbles, slowly working on the stairs as his allies watch his back.

Tad follows the others carefully, glad the ickiness seems to be fading from Hamish's magic.

With a slight shrug, Umbrato silently waits as Hamish cleans up the mess. 'Fighter, Wordsmith, Maid...is there anything he can't do?'

Aye, Mivvy, Freedom of Movement would've allowed you easy access through it...

Having discovered the pool of blood, Hamish casts a quick spell that, with the magic of scrubbing bubbles, cleans it up neatly, leaving only the four fingers lying on the steps. You're than able to press on...just around the bend in the stairs, lies a body dressed in the brown robes of one of Cayden Cailean’s priests—he’s missing all four fingers of his left hand...

Beneath Cayden's Hall

heal: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (4) + 9 = 13

Aid Tad’s heal: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (10) + 5 = 15

Take 10 perception on corpse for signs of undeath or interesting items: 10 + 18 = 28

"Tad, Caydenite die of crushed trachea. You can confirm, yes?"

Aeliah lifts the priest's mutilated hand. "Pretty obvious him was tortured."

"Strange him not reported missing ... Or was he, and Aeliah missed it?"

She *shrugs* "Enemies come soon."

As others are examining the body, the magus seeks out any arcane auras in the area.

Detect Magic

Mivvy frowns, ”This may well have been recent: the blood.”

Once the group have finished checking, she leads on.

Having discovered that the dead cleric had been tortured, you press on down the seemingly neverending stairwell...

The stairwell ends at a small, curved foyer facing a broad set of heavy, iron double doors that block further passage. Shallow alcoves flank the doors on either side. Each boasts a statue of Cayden Cailean, one holding a massive flagon, the other hoisting a large sack. The latter is badly chipped and one of its arms lies on the floor, broken off at the shoulder. Across both doors is a message scrawled in blood. The doors appear to open inward, and though they are closed now, they show signs of having been damaged when they were forced open.

Beneath Cayden's Hall

Mivvy casts detect magic, taking in the doors and statues.

Beneath Cayden's Hall

"Hang on, something there..."

She keeps concentrating, checking for auras and intensity.

Perception (Detect Magic): 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (12) + 12 = 24

Looking for auras once again, the magus looks for any telltale signs of trouble. "A trap?"

Beneath Cayden's Hall

knowledge (arcana): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (15) + 8 = 23
spellcraft: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (16) + 7 = 23

Aeliah ducks her head around the corner over Tad's, to see if she can help.

take 10 perception + ✨detect magic : 10 + 18 = 28

Aid Spellcraft: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (6) + 8 = 14

Stopping outside the doors, Umbrato tries to assist his companions in figuring out the magic. Tugging a wand free, he taps himself with it.
Mage Armor

K Arcana: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (6) + 14 = 20
Spellcraft: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (9) + 14 = 23

is the writing above the doors a language?

Beneath Cayden's Hall

Just to be clear, are the doors emanating magic themselves? Or is the magic coming from beyond the doors?

Anyone prepared mage hand?

The magic is emanating from the doors, centered around the scrawling, not beyond...

Hamish, would you be able to clean the blood from the doors at a distance as well?

The priest nods, ”I can try, though my spell won’t work if the blood is infused in magic. My spell is more for messes than dispelling.”

He casts prestidigitation to clean the doors.

Hamish's scrubbing bubbles don't work on this blood...

Beneath Cayden's Hall

Anyone got a low-level summons to push on the door?

"Stand back. It's come kind of negative energy I think...the writing is abyssal daring us to enter."

Whispering some arcane words, Umbrato tries opening the doors from a few feet away. (Mage Hand)

Mivvy I swapped places with you on the map to try this.

Anyone got a low-level summons to push on the door?

“Yes, Aeliah can …”

As Umbrato moves past Lady Hetherington into position to ✨cast mage hand, Aeliah gives him a genuine smile as she backs up the staircase a little.

“Worth trying, Tricksy Man.”

Umbrato's mage hand opens the door...a flash of negative energy blasts forth as the door is open...but as no one is close enough to the door, no harm is done to anyone...

Just an FYI, it was a magical trap that was possible to disable; the DC was 29 though; Izlin was 5 short of detecting it and when Aeliah took 10 she was just one short...

With the double doors now open, peering through them, you see only darkness...even those with darkvision cannot see through it...

Beneath Cayden's Hall

Mivvy pulls a globe of moonlight from her pack and hefts it, ”Unless anyone would like to suggest a superior approach?”

If nobody intervenes, she tosses it 30ft forward into the darkness.

30’ radius dim light. It beats Deeper Darkness unless that has been heightened.

That’s a cool item, but I’ll save you the resource cost.

Hamish puts a hand on her shoulder, ”Save the globe, Pharasma protects us from the darkness.”

He casts daylight on his breastplate.

Hamish saves Mivvy from using a globe as his daylight spell and the darkness seem to cancel each other and you can see as before...

The archives are a series of wide, interconnecting hallways with high, arched ceilings. Long, stone-topped reading islands run down the center of the halls, dividing them. Dust and cobwebs cover everything, easily marking the recent passage of several large creatures. Tall shelves line the walls, filled with assorted tomes and grimoires. Some of these bear recent damage: shelves smashed and singed, and books lying in scattered piles, torn, tattered, and burnt. Ten feet from the door sits a large desk covered in an assortment of dusty tomes...

Beneath Cayden's Hall

Mivvy once again detects magic.

Aeliah returns to her normal marching order position, following the front-liners into the chamber.

She also ✨detects magic and checks the locale for ambush predators, traps and items that would interest a bibliophile.

Perception: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (5) + 18 = 23

"Anyone want help me look welcome."

Neither Mivvy nor Aeliah detect anything magical within the room from their current viewpoint...nor does Aeliah perceive anything at the moment...

Beneath Cayden's Hall

I can’t manipulate the map very easily right now but Hamish will move up right behind Mivvy as she scouts. Please go ahead and move his pog with hers.

Hamish stays quiet as he moves, providing light and moral support.

Izlin walks into the room and cautiously peers about.

Perception: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (12) + 12 = 24

The little froggie healer cautiously follows, one hand grasping his symbol of the Lady of Light for comfort, the other clasping his healing wand.

Aeliah will wait to follow and Umbrato, Mivvy and Izlin into the scriptorium.

Expecting an ambush, she wastes no time ✨detecting magic and scanning for late-returners, book-burners and other lower planes bibliophobes.

perception: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (2) + 18 = 20

Moving forward, Umbrato cast's his own detect magic and peers around the shelving.

Perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (2) + 9 = 11 +1 for traps

Hamish moves up and looks around the corners.

Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (20) + 5 = 25

As you warily enter, you initially do not perceive any traps or hidden foes nor detect any magic. As Hamish moves in a bit deeper he does get a little peek around the corners and sees...

The archives consist of a long central passages...from Hamish's current spot, he can see about 15' to 20' down the first narrow east and west passages and can tell they stretch further but how much further he can't discern due to the angle at which he's looking...

It is eerily quiet...which makes you uneasy...and then, suddenly, an emaciated figure looking like a horned human skeleton smothered within a bone-tight hide of slimy leather, appears 10' NW of Hamish and strikes with a longspear...

Spear vs FFAC: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (20) + 12 = 32
Confirm vs FFAC: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (13) + 12 = 25
Damage: 3d8 + 21 ⇒ (4, 5, 6) + 21 = 36 (Good thing you have the temp hp, Hamish!)

...the spear piercing the bard deeply into his side with devastating effect...

Without even a chance to react, a shadowy bat-winged creature appears behind Thaddeus, his demonic looking teeth and claws being the only signs of its physicality as the rest is lost in darkness. It reaches a claw towards the Grippli...

Claw vs Touch AC: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (2) + 11 = 13
Damage+Cold: 1d6 + 1d6 ⇒ (1) + (6) = 7

...and the claw goes through Thad's armor seamlessly and rakes across his back with a chilling cold touch...

COMBAT! Round 1 - The Bold may post!

Mivvy
Shadowy winged creature
Aeliah
Umbrato
Bony dude w/longspear
Izlin
Hamish
Thaddeus

Beneath Cayden's Hall

Inspiring (hopefully) Battle Music

Ouch, a Surprise Round Crit and beat on initiative.

Knowledge: Planes DC 16: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (11) + 8 = 19
Knowledge: Planes DC 17: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (6) + 8 = 14

”Frick that hurt! Stupid Babau!!! Nasty little demon, watch out for the slimy skin, it’s dangerous to the touch.”

knowledge (planes): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (6) + 8 = 14
knowledge (planes): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (6) + 8 = 14

K Planes: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (6) + 9 = 15
K Planes: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (5) + 9 = 14

GM, I missed the action rolling forward. My plan (as made clear in the discussion thread) was to drink potion of PfE and apply oil of bless weapon before we crossed the threshold. As such, I have applied those to Mivvy. I hope that's okay? I'm happy to roll them back if they don't accord with your vision of the scene.

Mivvy hisses in frustration as a creature appears behind her, but she whirls on it and lashes out with her blade.

I am far less effective against creatures immune to precision damage. At least I have bless weapon up.

power attack: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (7) + 15 = 22
damage: 1d6 + 13 ⇒ (5) + 13 = 18

power attack: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (14) + 10 = 24
damage: 1d6 + 13 ⇒ (6) + 13 = 19

Planes: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (3) + 12 = 15
Planes: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (16) + 12 = 28

"And a shadow demon. Much like our foe yesterday, it is incorporeal."

SR and special attacks please.

I erred above, as Thaddeus was not hit by the shadow demon...it missed by 1...

No worries, Mivvy, that's fine as you'd have had plenty of time to do that...

Mivvy reacts quickly, her blessed blade piercing deeply twice into the shadow demon, badly wounding it...but that doesn't stop it from retaliating...

Bite vs Touch AC: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (14) + 11 = 25
Damage: 1d8 + 1d6 ⇒ (6) + (2) = 8

Claw vs Touch AC: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (19) + 11 = 30
Damage: 1d6 + 1d6 ⇒ (5) + (2) = 7

Claw vs Touch AC: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (7) + 11 = 18
Damage: 1d6 + 1d6 ⇒ (1) + (2) = 3

...and Mivvy feels its icy teeth and cold claws bypassing her armor and rending her flesh...

COMBAT! Round 1 - The Bold may post!

Mivvy (-18)
Shadow Demon (-37)
Aeliah
Umbrato
Bony dude w/longspear
Izlin
Hamish (-36)
Thaddeus

Beneath Cayden's Hall

Inspiring (hopefully) Battle Music

Otha, I hate to be honest but I think that my foe, if it is incorporeal, should only take half-damage from my attacks.