GM Aldizog's PF1 Core 5-02 Wardstone Patrol (3-7) (Gameday IX) (Inactive)

Game Master Aldizog

Opening the Gameplay thread.

Mendev’s Pathfinder lodge in the capital city of Nerosyan is housed within Starrise Spire, a defensive tower in the outer wall whose pinnacle glows with celestial light that shines out like a beacon, simultaneously giving comfort to Nerosyan’s defenders and acting as a warning to any who might wish the city harm.

Venture-Captain Jorsal of Lauterbury calls a short meeting on a covered balcony overlooking the city. A middle-aged Mwangi man with greying hair, he closes the door to the spire’s interior and takes a seat in one of the set-up camp chairs, gesturing for his guests to do the same.
“We Pathfinders of Mendev,” he states, making a sweeping hand gesture that encompasses everyone present, “have our own agendas, but these must sometimes give way to the greater need: the protection of this land and its people from the horrors that dwell in the Worldwound.

“We are here by the grace of her majesty, Queen Galfrey of Mendev. Without her support, we would surely be run out of town by Hulrun’s more fervent followers. Our agreement with her states that all Pathfinders are required to volunteer some of their time in the defense of the realm. As relative newcomers, I’ve recommended you to take part in a minor military mission under the command of a veteran crusader named Sir Ilivan of Erages. Although he is not a Pathfinder, you would be wise to follow his advice, as he has been fighting the Abyssal spawn
longer than some of you have been alive. I expect you will give him the respect he deserves.”

Venture-Captain Jorsal stands and opens the heavy wooden door leading back into the lodge, revealing a tall half-elven man clad in heavy plate armor, wearing a red tabard typical of the Mendevian Crusaders, and carrying a cavalry helmet in his left hand. He gives a professional nod to Jorsal before striding to the front of the group, surveying everyone with poorly disguised disappointment.

“Pathfinders,” he barks in quick staccato without further preamble, “our mission is simple. The recent attacks on the wardstones have compromised our defenses, and the enemy presses its advantage. We have received word of attacks on Fort Portolmaeus to the north, but the crusader leadership suspects that other parts of the line may have been breached as well. We will proceed to Fort Portolmaeus tomorrow morning on horseback to assess the damage, using the passphrase ‘That the Black Prince might be redeemed’ to permit us entry. On the way there, we will scout for enemy movements and other signs of demon activity. Once we have completed our assessment, we are to return to Nerosyan and you will be relieved of your obligations to the Crown. Do you have any questions?”

For the following, make one check, and open any spoilers that you succeed at.

And another single check for this information on Sir Ilivan.

A young tian woman with several tattoos bows her head toward the officers. Addressing the crusader, "Sir Ilivan, my weapon is enchanted cold iron. Will it be enough to pierce the skin of the monsters from the Worldwound?"

Sir Ilivan looks the young woman up and down. His eyes linger on the tattoos for just a moment, perhaps simple curiosity. "For the most part, yes. Some of the greater demons need blessed weapons to effectively harm them, or even blessed cold iron weapons, but the lesser ones should be vulnerable to your blade. You may wish to procure an oil of Align Weapon just in case."

She offers a curt nod of acceptance at the advice, but otherwise remains silent.

Worldwound {Local}: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (8) + 7 = 15
Sir Ilivan {Local}: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (3) + 7 = 10

The large human enters the room with a swagger. He didn’t have any armor, but he did have several weapons slung at his side.

He nodded at the others before the briefing, and listened intently after that.

Know History 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (14) + 5 = 19

He related what he knew about the area. ”The Crusaders started the war about a century ago. Iomedae led them to an early victory. The ward stones were built in the second go round. They are strong at keeping the demons out. They kept the WorldWound from expanding much at all for a long time.”

Kn History, Worldwound Info: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (4) + 8 = 12
Kn Local, Sir Ilivan: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8

"Interesting. I always wanted a chance to perambulate the area. My lore on this area is severely limited. I shall prepare battle spells, of course, and my main focus will be on the mission, but I do hope there will be time for investigation."

Silgil, in spite of his scholarly tone, is armed with a battle axe of fine dwarven craftsmanship. Other than that, though, he has all the earmarks of a wizard and an impressive array of scrolls situated strategically around his waist attached to his belt.

Silgil will cast an extended mage armor on himself when they set out.

Knowledge (religion): 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (18) + 4 = 22
Dimplomacy (gather info): 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (12) + 9 = 21

”The Crusaders started the war about a century ago. Iomedae led them to an early victory. The ward stones were built in the second go round. They are strong at keeping the demons out. They kept the WorldWound from expanding much at all for a long time.”

"But the wardstones recently failed! That's what I was told, anyway. Of course, demonic influence would be expected!" The small gnome gives off an air of shyness, that is betrayed by her near-constant rambling chatter. She turns to Sir Ilivan as she continues seemingly without a stop. "I heard that you used to be a smuggler, but now you were personally knighted by the Queen! That's soooo cool! Is it true that you grew up in Kyonin? I did too! I grew up in Omesta--I guess you'd probably guess that, right? Did you really get kicked out of Kyonin for slapping an elven officer, you a half-elf and all?"

ithindar is not a well instructed man he only know the path of sword and the code of war

"If they need us is our fate to go as fast as we can or we lost all the glory and diversion"

She turns to Sir Ilivan as she continues seemingly without a stop. "I heard that you used to be a smuggler, but now you were personally knighted by the Queen! That's soooo cool! Is it true that you grew up in Kyonin? I did too! I grew up in Omesta--I guess you'd probably guess that, right? Did you really get kicked out of Kyonin for slapping an elven officer, you a half-elf and all?"

Ny'a Diplomacy: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (8) + 9 = 17

Ny'a manages to get Sir Ilivan to Friendly for the time being, which is good considering her rather forward remarks.

The half-elven warrior looks slightly amused. He sees the sword-and-sunburst holy symbol and nods. "A Gnome champion of the human Inheritor goddess, hailing from the Elven lands. How interesting. Yes, I am from Kyonin, and I know of Omesta."
His voice turns harder. "But you heard incorrectly. While it true I was removed from the Kyonin military, I chose to leave the Elven nation because of the lack of respect given to my people. I chose exile, and I have no interest in returning to that land."

Will move the adventure along this evening.

"A Gnome champion of the human Inheritor goddess, hailing from the Elven lands. How interesting."

"Anything to prevent the bleaching, right? And if my path serves the good of Golarion, all the better!"

@Jack Churchill, please post so we know you are here.

"Anything else? You are all prepared?" Sir Ilivan asks gruffly.
"I would suggest that you each buy a cold iron weapon and cold weather outfit. It drops below freezing at night.
Furthermore, the Mendevian Crown has granted each of you the use of a horse or pony. These are not warhorses, but they are fully equipped. Ny'a, I see you have a riding dog. Good. Mounts will let us move faster on our patrol. I don't want to be waiting for some laggard trundling along behind." He gives a particular glare to Silgil.
And it looks like Jack has an axebeak when he checks in. The rest of you get a light, non-combat-trained horse or pony, a saddle, bit and bridle, and saddlebags filled with two days of feed.
"If you wish a combat-trained mount, you can buy one.
We head out for Fort Portolmaeus in the morning, along the River Road."

Jack nods stoically.

"I am a soldier by profession; I came prepared. I already have cold iron arrows; silver ones too, just in case..."

Pau nodded. He had the cold iron weapon part covered, but needed to buy some cold weather gear. ”At least there’s shouldn’t be any floods this time. I can take the cold, but floods and magical foxes, yeesh,” he groans about his pat mission.

Ill remove the gold for the cold weather gear from his sheet, GM.

Ny'a follows Sir Ilivan's advice, promptly visiting local merchants to pick up a few items.

masterwork cold iron morningstar (316 gp)
- selling morningstar (8 gp > -4 gp)
oil of align weapon (300 gp)
cold weather outfit (8 gp)

Wraith follows Pau and Ny'a to the merchants.

Cold weather gear and Align Weapon. I will mark it off

Good thinking, Ny’a. Pau will pick up 2 oils of align weapon as well. Gold marked off sheet.

Actually, Bless Weapon is cheaper, so I will go with that instead.

Actually, Bless Weapon is cheaper, so I will go with that instead.

Good catch; Ny'a will do the same:

masterwork cold iron morningstar (316 gp)
- selling morningstar (8 gp > -4 gp)
oil of bless weapon (50 gp)
cold weather outfit (8 gp)

With a miffed air, Silgil replies "In spite of the stereotype, there ARE dwarves that can ride. I'm not particularly good at it, but I'm sure I can manage."

"If we are leaving today, I can use a scroll to cast a spell to provide warmth for myself. Otherwise I can prepare the spell."

Unable to resist a jab in return he adds, with bushy eyebrows raised, "You are acquainted with how spells function?"

The half-elf glares at Silgil.
"You have short legs, dwarf. You would slow us down if you did not ride. That is a simple fact, nothing to take offense at.
At least the gnome came prepared with a mount. Fortunately, the Mendevian Crown will help compensate for your lack of planning."

I think Silgil is the only one with 20' move, hence he got singled out. And yes, this guy has a bit of an attitude.

Silgil throws him a big grin in reply.

"Oh, ho! So you have thin, tender sensitive elf skin do you? That's OK. Not everyone can be a spell caster. I suppose your rudeness is a compensation mechanism."

i spent gold to buy cold proof vestment and oil of bless weapon

" Guys time to move"

Silgil throws him a big grin in reply.

"Oh, ho! So you have thin, tender sensitive elf skin do you? That's OK. Not everyone can be a spell caster. I suppose your rudeness is a compensation mechanism."

Sir Ilivan does not grin in response. Not in the slightest.

He is not joking with you, he is not making fun little jabs, and he sounds deadly serious as he responds icily, "Some of your comrades, dwarf, also lack magic. Did you mean to insult them too? Your 'wit' reflects poorly on the Society.
I can assure you, there are none in the Worldwound or in Mendev who would mistake me for being sensitive. At all.
The needs of our mission are my priority. To the extent any of you hinder our mission, I will point that out. I take no pleasure in doing so, and I derive no satisfaction from mocking anybody, but illustrating and correcting shortcomings is necessary to ensure our success."

There is a reason why I am continuing with this exchange... how you relate to Sir Ilivan matters a lot for this scenario, and there is a reason why he is the way he is. Very much an RP challenge that the party can go different directions with.
I am not just messing with Silgil. This interaction is part of the plot and affects the scenario outcome.

---

The patrol takes you along the River Road, a normally well-used thoroughfare that follows the eastern bank of the West Sellen River. It remains within sight of the river throughout most of the journey to Fort Portolmaeus, traveling inland for a few miles past the abandoned village of Bedis. Because of the recent increase in demon sightings, you and Sir Ilivan are the only travelers along this route today.

PFS scenarios are not great about stipulating travel time, despite PCs' fondness for buffs. It is 28 miles to Fort Portolmaeus, and this location is described as a rest stop, so I will say it is halfway. At least some of the horses are at Medium load, for 35' movement, or conveniently 28 miles per day. So it has been 4 hours, and Silgil's Mage Armor is still active.

Sir Ilivan rides a formidable-looking warhorse, whom you hear him call "Hannah."

Sir Ilivan turns off of the River Road onto a small, overgrown path that cuts through drooping evergreens.
"A long-abandoned village lies ahead. The enemy has used it as a staging ground in the past."
He dismounts and ties his horse to a tree, motioning for you to do the same.

"The path to the village is overgrown. If we should find battle, a horse’s tack will only get caught in the foliage."

Let me know if you each comply with his directions.

He leads you as quietly as he can up a nearby hill dotted with gnarled apple trees. Just before reaching the top of the hill, he motions for you drop prone and crawl the rest of the way, for stealth.

Arrange yourselves on the hill in the NW corner of Slide 2. I will assume you are all dismounted and prone for stealth unless you say otherwise.

An abandoned village lies at the foot of the hill on the banks of the West Sellen River, its decaying structures slowly melting back into the landscape. Between the hill and the village proper lie flooded fields sectioned off by raised, earthen walkways that converge on a larger, dry area.

A group of six Mendevian commoners have assembled on the larger, open dry patch in the middle of the fields. Two lie on the ground in obvious pain, while the rest stand in a circle, holding threshes, spades, pitchforks, and other farming implements. A small heap of bodies, dead by all appearances, lies near them.

Will give you all a chance to take it in before I move things along.

Wraith follows Ilivan's directions to letter. Finally, someone from Society leadership who is professional and direct. The fact that he is not afraid to come into the field is also a welcome break from tradition.

Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (5) + 7 = 12
Stealth: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (13) + 9 = 22

Being unfamiliar with the local population, the ninja looks toward their advisor for clues about the situation unfolding below.

"We are here by the grace of her majesty, Queen Galfrey of Mendev. Without her support, we would surely be run out of town by Hulrun’s more fervent followers. Our agreement with her states that all Pathfinders are required to volunteer some of their time in the defense of the realm. As relative newcomers, I’ve recommended you to take part in a minor military mission under the command of a veteran crusader named Sir Ilivan of Erages. Although he is not a Pathfinder, you would be wise to follow his advice, as he has been fighting the Abyssal spawn longer than some of you have been alive. I expect you will give him the respect he deserves."

@Wraith - just FYI, Sir Ilivan is a local military leader in the Mendevian Crusade against the demons of the Worldwound. He is not a Pathfinder, but the one who is - Venture-Captain Jorsal - assigned you to work with Sir Ilivan on this misson.

Oh, I know. But Wraith has never had anyone from a mission briefing join a team in the field. I was simply trying to demonstrate her growing respect for this man.

Ny'a ties up her dog near the horses; she still preferred to use the mount in combat, charging with her lance, but Sir Ilivan had definitely demonstrated his seriousness, and Ny'a wasn't going to challenge him on this point.

Pau pulls his wand of mage armor and asks someone in the group to use it on him. He also ties off his horse and joins the others in. Stealthily observing the scene.

Jack follows Sir Ilivan's instructions to the letter.

Getting oneself killed on a mission compromises its chances of success. The man may be cold, but he has managed to survive, which means he is worthy of at least some respect... and I am not exactly great at coming across all friendly-like, either...

Silgil follows the instructions too. The man has no sense of humor and seems to have quite the chip on his shoulder, but that's OK. Silgil is confident of his abilities and had he needed a horse, he would have conjured one.

He ties off the horse and joins the others in the slow crawl.

One of the corpses in the pile begins to move.
With jerky and halting movements, it lurches to its feet and stands near the other figures.

Knowledge (Planes) Silgil: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (9) + 8 = 17
Knowledge (Planes) Sir Ilivan: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (8) + 6 = 14
Nothing to see here...

Two of the villagers (Black and Grey) don't react at all as the recently-dead figure (Red) joins them.

Two cringe in terror (Blue and Green), as do the ones on the ground (Yellow and White).

The ones that did not react prod the others, raising their weapons threateningly.
The terrified villagers (Blue and Green) flinch and nod, then begin to strike at their prone neighbors (Yellow and White).
One lands a blow with a scythe on the leg of the man at his feet, who howls in pain. The other misses her target with a threshing flail.

Attack: 1d20 ⇒ 18
Damage: 2d4 ⇒ (3, 2) = 5

Attack: 1d20 ⇒ 5
Damage: 1d8 ⇒ 5

The prone villagers scream and beg of their assailants, "Please, no! You don't have to do this! Martis! Jarron! Let us go!"

Sir Ilivan looks at the scene.
"Cultists, maybe. Not our mission. Let's get out of here. Back to the horses."

Your choices here:
1) Leave the scene as he says;
2) Ignore him and try to save the commoners;
3) Try to Intimidate him to change his mind;
4) Try to Diplomacy him to change his mind;
5) Something else.
Each of these has different consequences for the scenario outcome.
There is little opportunity to discuss this in character, so just post what your character does. If you wish to discuss the proper course of action among yourselves, that happens in character, in front of Sir Ilivan, and takes time.

We are in rounds. If other PCs' choices change the situation or what you would like to do after you have posted, you can take a different action next round.
For this encounter, either Diplomacy or Intimidate takes only one round rather than one minute.
Going back, getting your mounts, and getting back to the hilltop will take 2 rounds (there is no actual mechanic for the tack getting tangled in the brush, so I'll just ignore that).

Pau isn’t going to stand around while people are being murdered. He jumps up from his prone position, and runs toward the fight.

Would someone move Pau on the map? Thanks.

So that puts you about 30' from the group, right? Are you running straight through the flooded fields or are you using the land bridges?

"Damn. they were obviously protecting themselves from something, probably in the water, and that idiot Pao is about to find out what. Maybe they even conjured it and it got out of control."

Silgil casts a haste spell at the first opportunity, without his traditional "Go get'em, boys!" quip on everyone except Pao who runs out of range. Besides, he can only aid 6 people anyway.

"No!" Ny'a exclaims, in a hissing whisper. "You can't seriously be expecting one of The Inheritor's own to walk past this! I'm right behind Pau, and you should be too. The only way we get out of here quickly is if we get this over with quickly. Here's the scene: you have unruly Pathfinders disobeying orders... how are you going to get them back on track? Help them do what they have to do. Let's go!"

Ny'a scrambles to her feet; for the moment her eyes remain on Sir Ilivan, to see what the crusader will do, but it's easy to see that her mind is already rushing after Pau.

@Pau, I have moved you.
The shallow water (light green) is difficult terrain. The deeper water (dark green) requires Swim checks. The causeways require Acrobatics checks to leap across the gaps (or else take the difficult terrain in between).
Given that the Acrobatics checks are to jump and you have monk speed, I'm going to interpret your 'run towards the fight' as I think you intend it. If I am mistaken, feel free to change. But this should put you in range of a move+attack next round.

Pau Acrobatics to Jump: 1d20 + 11 + 8 ⇒ (17) + 11 + 8 = 36
The monk barrels down the hill and leaps over the water onto the causeway.

Sir Ilivan starts cursing out Pau and Silgil for disobeying orders, before Ny'a startles him with her words. He looks shaken.
"We can't help them... but you care, don't you? You're really going to try? Just more casualties, but they aren't that to you?"

He remains where he is, but goes silent and looks troubled.

@Silgil, I assume you stand up as well.

Round 1
Pau
Silgil
Ny'a
Jack
Wraith
Ithindar
Monsters
Villagers

Perfect interpretation of my action, GM!

Along with the others, Wraith races into action. She heads for the causeway, leaping over the small breaks in the surface.

Acrobatics: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (11) + 9 = 20

Also phone bound at the moment. Double move please and thank you.

After the others race off, then Silgil stands but does not move forward. He remains behind with the recalcitrant knight in case he needs help.

"It is their way. Pathfinders tend to rush into battle. Not me, of course, but most do."

Jack responds by drawing his bow.

Ithindar takes his bow " I dont let that normal people die" and takes his bow

Jack, standing is a move action, and then drawing your bow is an action that you can combine with another move, if you wish to be closer to the action. Or you can remain where you are. Your choice.

I have moved Wraith. Although you get only a single move action (standing from prone was the other), you are Hasted so can easily be where Pau is.

The two terrified villagers move towards you, weapons at the ready.

The three other figures chant and wave their arms. Three Flaming Spheres appear and fly at Pau, Wraith, and Ithindar!

The two nimblest Pathfinders dodge the flames, but Ithindar is burned.

Pau Reflex: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (8) + 9 = 17
Wraith Reflex: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (16) + 9 = 25
Ithindar Reflex: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10
Damage: 3d6 ⇒ (6, 2, 4) = 12

Round 1
Pau
Silgil
Ny'a
Jack (can take a move from last round if desired)
Wraith
Ithindar -12
Monsters
Villagers (Readied)

Pau jumps the hole in the bridge, and moves to the closest enemy, trying to kick it directly in the chest.

Acrobatics 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (15) + 11 = 26

Attack 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (13) + 10 = 23
Damage 1d8 + 5 ⇒ (5) + 5 = 10

Wraith cartwheels between two of the spheres. She leaps the final gap and joins Pau. Drawing her elven blade, she swings at the grey-clad abomination.

Acrobatics (Hasted): 1d20 + 9 + 12 ⇒ (6) + 9 + 12 = 27

Curve Blade vs GREY: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (18) + 7 = 25
Damage: 1d10 + 7 ⇒ (2) + 7 = 9

CONFIRM?: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (5) + 7 = 12
Damage: 1d10 + 7 ⇒ (6) + 7 = 13

"HEY! SUBDUE THEM, DON'T KILL THEM."

It would be ironic if we ended up slaughtering them all in the interest of rescuing a couple.

Ithindar moves as fast as he can and attack again
longbpw attack: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (4) + 5 = 9

Pau and Ithindar, please specify which ones you are attacking. Pau, I can move you if needed.

Ill hit green with nonlethal damage, please.

Ny'a, feeling she's said her piece, leaves Sir Ilivan to his thoughts and begins making her way towards the combat.

My dog sure would have made this all much easier, she thinks, hoping the magical speed is enough to get her across the gaps in her heavy armor.

Double move: 60' (15' movement hasted)
Acrobatics, jump DC 10: 1d20 - 4 ⇒ (10) - 4 = 6

Ny'a tries to leap across a gap, but falls short and ends up floundering in chest-height (for a gnome) water.
That was a 15' gap that she was trying to cross, so failed by more than 5. Not a big deal, just stuck in Difficult Terrain and can move out next round.

Pau knocks out a villager.

Wraith strikes a 'villager' with her Curve Blade, but the figure barely reacts. It just glares at her and prepares to retaliate.

Ithindar misses with an arrow.

Round 1
Pau
Ny'a
Wraith
Ithindar -12
Silgil
Jack (can take a move from last round if desired)
Monsters (Grey -9)
Villagers

Opening the Discussion thread.

Okay everybody, we will start on Monday. Please make sure you have the relevant character info in your profile and also in the status line. That way, if I do have to bot you, I know the statistics.

Ithindar - don't see any profile.
Pau - looks good.
Silgil - looks good. My Dwarven EK has played with Silgil. I trust you have direct or indirect Chronicle sheet access for all of your non-Core spells (some of which were shared by my EK).
Ny'a - looks good, but I do not believe Fashionable is a Core trait (that is, just the Web Enhancement and the Guide to Organized Play) unless you have some other way to access it.
Jack Malcolm Thorpe Churchill - don't see any profile.
Wraith - Another familiar face. Profile looks good.

Our APL looks like (3+6+6+4+6+4)/6 = 29/6 = 4.83, rounds to 5. Given the party size, that means we play the high tier with the 4-player adjustment. You may want to stock up on some consumables.

Sorry about that - somehow, his profile was deleted :-/

I have re-uploaded it now :-)

Silgil - looks good. My Dwarven EK has played with Silgil. I trust you have direct or indirect Chronicle sheet access for all of your non-Core spells (some of which were shared by my EK).

Scratches head. Well, I did cite the chronicle he got the non-core spells in (the Jarlsburg Witch Saga), and all of his adventures were through this forum, so I always assumed I could just go back and cite the post where they were provided. They were NOT included on the chronicle by the GM unfortunately, so that is the best I can do.

@Silgil, sorry, I meant to imply that I do trust you on that and don't need to check. I know you were diligent about following the rules on access to non-Core spells when I played with you before.

Just for full disclosure, I have played this in Standard many years ago. I don't remember much, but I will take a back seat when it comes to making decisions.

@Silgil, sorry, I meant to imply that I do trust you on that and don't need to check. I know you were diligent about following the rules on access to non-Core spells when I played with you before.

No offense taken. It would have been fine if you needed to check.

And, though I have good intentions, I have made core vs. standard mistakes a number of times to the point where I sometimes include a non-core item in my inventory, put in a strike-through, and then add a note to the side telling myself that it is not a core item.

Ny'a - looks good, but I do not believe Fashionable is a Core trait (that is, just the Web Enhancement and the Guide to Organized Play) unless you have some other way to access it.

Fashionable is a Faction trait from the Guide to Organized Play. It was published at least as early as the Season 8 version of that document, which is when Ny'a was created, and is still published in the Season 10 Guide as well.

@Ny'a, thanks, I missed that. There is a very similar Equipment trait that I had it mixed up with.

Will get started in a bit.

Upgrading my elven curve blade to +1

I recognize that it may seem that I am having the enemies be unusually well-coordinated, but they have Blindsense, Telepathy, and 16 Int. They are designed with abilities that synergize well, and they are not given intentionally sub-optimal tactics as some PFS enemies are.

This is a CR8 fight (would be CR9 but for the four-player adjustment).

And Ny'a still thinks she's trying to subdue unruly villagers.

Yep, they have that special thing too.

Fingers crossed we start dropping these guys. I would have rather gone for the flank on BLACK as the positioning would have been more difficult for them to put me in a flank. I hope this doesn't hurt too much.

Sorry, Wraith. You did drop one, at least.

I imagine they probably would still have dropped you with the two full attacks even if it hadn't been for the crit. I did not have Black continue to attack after you fell (even though he had no other targets) but it doesn't look good.

If you have any boons that might negate a crit, this would be the time to let me know.

sorry i had the kid with a cold and dont let me any time to write ill hope to post more fluently on next days

I just have to ask why Jack hasn’t made a move to come help at all in this scrum. Two members of the team down, one paralyzed, and your Longstrider spell could have you zipping right over lickety split...

I’m just not understanding.

Because I am an archer, and I can only see them if I am adjacent, thanks to the obscuring mist, which would result in me provoking every time I took a shot?

There is also a world of difference between being proficient with something, and being of any use with it - I mean, with a dagger, I do 1d4+2 damage...

Frankly, if they are demons, they will undoubtedly have DR, which would severely limit my usefulness in melee even further...

It is not my job to tell the PCs what to do.

I will say that retreat is a possibility. For a number of reasons (adventure design, luck, PC tactics or choices), this fight has become very difficult to win, and I would say almost impossible to win without some PC deaths. I am not looking to kill PCs but I will also not have the enemies act stupid to throw the fight.

Thanks to Silgil's Knowledge check, I can tell you that both Vermleks have 2 uses of their Mass Inflict Light Wounds SLA left, which heals them and hurts you. Given how low Pau, Wraith, and Ny'a are, that could be lethal.

Also, nobody is adjacent to the demons at the moment, so they can't get AOOs on you for standing from prone for example.

If fighting these things to the end is what your characters would do, then that is a choice you can make.

Low tier would have been 3 ordinary Vermlek demons (AC 15, 30 HP, a few SLAs).
High tier with 4-player adjustment was 3 Vermlek demons each with 4 levels of witch (AC 17, HP 72, the iterative attack, and various spells and hexes).

Well, you COULD stop rolling 20's on everyone. That would be a great help.

LOL!

Ith, just so it’s clear, I think the group is trying to retreat here. Don’t want you to get stuck there by yourself.

Summoning 1d4 Dretches (with 50% chance of success) is something that all Vermleks can do, not just these ones with Witch levels.

That would have been a pretty strong opening move, given that Dretches can each use Stinking Cloud 1/day.

*shrugs*

Frankly, you're the GM, so I trust you to be reasonable.

For what it is worth, I made my peace with the fact that Jack will be perma-dead from this encounter a long time ago :-P

With Jack and Ithindar down, and Pau and Silgil in retreat, it comes down to Wraith and Ny'a.

Do you go into the fog to try to save one or both of your allies, or retreat?

There will be no alignment implications to either decision. You are both badly wounded and the enemy is very dangerous. You don't
even know if your allies still live.

The imperative to "cooperate" only goes so far. It is your choice.

For my part, feel free to leave Jack; he will suicide if rescued, so there isn't any point.

I *have* been steadily murdering all of my PCs since I became disillusioned with Paizo (and gaming in general), and this seems like a suitably horrible way for him to go out (presumably, as a new skin-suit for a demon).

This whole situation sucks.

We might have been able to take them with better tactics, but tactics took a back seat to role-play. Which is OK, I'm thinking, if it is OK with the fallen.

I am not supposed to change the APL mid-game even if PCs die or players quit.
But the rest of the scenario just became much more challenging.

You were just barely in high tier but have now lost Jack and maybe Ithindar as well.
Silgil has used many of his best spells.

We could call this one a loss and end the mission.
Or you could try to press on in high tier, though that would likely be a TPK.
Or I could decide that there were extenuating circumstances and do what I am not supposed to do and shift you into the low tier.

I really thought that Ithindar and Jack would retreat with the unconscious Wraith and Ny'a, rather than continuing to press the attack. Players surprise you. We are where we are.

I enjoy Core and do not want any of our fairly small player community to be discouraged. This scenario may be too far gone to save, or bending the rules may lead to an enjoyable outcome for those left. I am a longtime player but new PFS GM, so I am hesitant to tell players what they "should" choose to do. I'm also hesitant to bend the rules, but this might be a time for it.

Thoughts?

I *have* been steadily murdering all of my PCs since I became disillusioned with Paizo

Given that it could be argued that not every one came to the table with the 'Cooperate' in mind, it is not beyond reason to reassess the APL (and it was the first encounter).

Granted, at this point, by RAW, we could either walk into the probably TPK or walk away with nothing to show for our efforts.

Jack, if this is really how you feel, why play at all? Your act of defiance only serves to hurt your fellow players, not Paizo in the least. I understand you are no longer a fan of the company, so why not just walk away?

Also, if you really want to perma-death all your characters, I would be willing to help. I am serious. With the recent ruling that you can have a table of three (3) players {A GM and two players, each with an Pre-gen}, if you can find a like minded individual, I could run games for them all, allowing you to die and recording them officially 'dead'. Again, this is a totally serious offer. This way you can take the path you would like and there would be no fallout for other players.

I’m for whatever the GM decides. I’d be fine with shifting to low tier if the group agrees, or I could lick my wounds and take the scenario sheet as ugly as it might be!

I'm glad you brought this up as I was thinking about how to have Silgil respond. I'm totally OK with calling this one a loss and retreating with our lives intact. What I'm not going to do is send Silgil on with an understaffed party at high tier, and even at lower tier, I'm not sending him on with no spells. A wizard without spells is pointless. He would only go on if he had a chance to regain spells.

@Wraith: I appreciate the offer, but if you look at my alias profile, you will see that it isn't necessary; I don't have that many left to worry about (and a few of those aren't played any more, for sentimental reasons).

As for why? Frankly, recently, personal suffering is the only thing that has made me feel *anything*, and it has skewed my PC choices - for example, the last PF1 PCs that I built were an emotionless shell of a half-orc, 'possessed' by the ectoplasmic weapon that he had summoned, which was a fragment of Nyarlathotep, and a Tortured Crusader of Kerkamoth, who *knows* the world will end, and there is nothing that can be done to stop it. In PF2, the last PCs that I built were a pain-obsessed Champion of Vildeis, and a Barbarian based on Goblinslayer.

The reason that I don't walk away, is that I GM a lot - watching my monsters get torn apart is *almost* like seeing the same happen to one of my PCs.

I see gaming as a largely useless/pointless activity, used to distract oneself from the 'real' world, and in so doing, actively harming one's ability to function in the 'real' world (assuming that you do it enough), making it another form of self-punishment; hence my heavy investment in it.

@All, take any follow-up to Jack's post to PM.

@Silgil, on my phone now, but when I cam check the scenario I will let you know. My recollection is that there is no opportunity to rest so we should call it here. I will double-check.

I'm really sad to hear you are in such a dark place, Jack/Luke. I have had two of my kids go though phases of their life like that and it was terrifying to me as a parent. I've been through, by proxy, cutting, eating disorder, suicide attempts, drug abuse, schizophrenia and mental institutions, nihilism, satanism ... Ugh, I'm past the verge of tears thinking about it all.

They both came out of it in the end, and are leading much happier lives now, but they were both close things. And by close I mean I am blessed that they are still alive. I don't know your situation for sure or whether you are talking about an equally dark place, but my heart goes out to you. I hope, and pray, you get through this and your life turns around too. Life takes surprising turns so don't give up hope. Please.

Sorry folks, I'm pretty absent on weekends, and wow; it seems like I missed a lot. There are still 12 unread in Gameplay as I'm writing this.

Since we haven't completed the first encounter yet, I think we can just call this a wash and not even issue Chronicles, right? If that's the case, that's how I move to proceed. Especially since it sounds like we had a player kind of misrepresenting why they were playing. If there's a reasonable (and PFS-legal) way to continue in a reasonable tier, then I would also have no objection to that, but if @GM's assessment earlier that we can't change APL mid-scenario, that's probably not a reasonable solution.

I too have parented my kids through some dark times. Many of the same issues as Sigil. So, Jack, I feel for you as you go through this. I can only hope that you are not on your journey alone. It is important to find others to lean on, even if it is just to talk. Thank you for sharing your story with us. Let us know how we can help.

There is not an opportunity to rest.

However, there is not a lot of combat left in this scenario either.
There are several RP encounters, an environmental hazard, and one combat that will be much less difficult than this one (because you'll be in the low subtier).

There is an optional encounter that I was going to waive anyway because it was a swarm.

Silgil still has some spells left (including, I believe, an open 3rd-level slot that he can fill), as well as a wand and some scrolls. I do honestly believe that he could make a meaningful contribution at the low tier. But if he does not wish to proceed, then I will issue Chronicles.

My inclination is to proceed at the low tier. I could write Campaign Leadership, explain the situation, and ask for permission to change the sub-tier. I don't think I need to:

As a Pathfinder Society Roleplaying Guild GM, you have the right and responsibility to make whatever judgments, within the rules, that you feel are necessary at your table to ensure everyone has a fair and fun experience. This does not mean you can contradict rules or restrictions outlined in this document, a published Pathfinder RPG source, errata document, or official FAQ on paizo.com. What it does mean is that only you can judge what is right for your table during cases not covered in these sources.

This is only my second time GM'ing for PFS, but I do believe that we have such a case, and nothing in the Guide explicitly prohibits what I am proposing. Nor do I see such a prohibition in the official FAQ.

I think GMs are not supposed to change APL mid-scenario, but they can in extraordinary circumstances.

@Silgil, I will leave it to you, since you had the most reservations about continuing on.

You know, you are right. I still have a little less than half of my spells left - more than I thought. If the tier is reduced, I'll stick with it.

@Nya
You have the martyr's shard boon from Solstice Scar which gives a weapon good/cold iron. Sounds like a great fit for this.

It also does not look like you have anything that gives you a bonus to strength. is that correct? If so, you would probably be the best fit for a Bull's Strength spell from Silgil.

Ith, just so it’s clear, I think the group is trying to retreat here. Don’t want you to get stuck there by yourself.

Yeah, Ith, I tried to warn you with this post back from a week or two ago.

After Pau's participation in the loot dispersal, that leaves 2 CMW, 2 Shield of Faith (CL 6th), and 5 flasks of holy water up for grabs. Whatever is left will be stuffed in Silgil's bag of holding.

So... what happens if you do not display empathy towards Sir Ilivan, or towards others in his presence, is that he instead becomes consumed by shame and anger and decides to kill you.

That would have been the final encounter instead of the Brimorak fight.

Those Diplomacy checks that Ny'a made on the villager rescue attempt, and the soldier rescue attempt, and talking to Sir Ilivan after his flashback - those got you this ending. I tried to convey that such efforts were chipping away at his shell, even though they didn't make him flip a switch and start being idealistic.

I will get working on Chronicles.

As I said, I have played this before. However, I did not know there was the possibility for a different outcome.

Coincidentally, the character I played on that game in Standard took a level of Spiritualist afterward and took Sir Ilivan as his spirit companion.

Except for the death in the one battle, I really enjoyed this scenario. Thanks for running for us, GM.

Coincidentally, the character I played on that game in Standard took a level of Spiritualist afterward and took Sir Ilivan as his spirit companion.

That's really cool!

Thanks so much for the game, GM. I have a technical question regarding Ny'a's dead dog. (note to self: no more PCs with apostrophes toward the end of their name, man that makes possessives look weird)

The dog is simply a riding dog purchased for 150 gp after her first chronicle. I assume the proper way to document its death is to "expend" it on her Inventory Tracking Sheet and purchase a new one? She doesn't get her mount as a class ability until next level, which is still two more chronicle sheets away.

@Ny'a, that is correct. Once she gets her mount, it will be far more durable (and will have Evasion).

Boon rolls, everybody! 19 or 20 wins a boon, and if you win one, roll 1d3 to determine which one.

GM roll: 1d20 ⇒ 7

Also, if anybody would like me to record "starting gold," "gold spent," and "total," then please let me know the first two items. Otherwise I will just record "gold earned" and "day job." Similarly for XP and Prestige.

Ithindar, do you have any boons that would enable you to be Raised at lower cost?

It looks to me like it would require 5 PP for the body recovery, and 8 PP plus 2,450 GP for the Raise Dead. I do not imagine that you have these resources, but there could be boons I am not aware of. Otherwise I will mark Ithindar as deceased in the game reporting.

Boony McBoonerson?: 1d20 ⇒ 2

Boon?: 1d20 ⇒ 1