FYI the confused trait make people do only strike (no other attack action, like the Haste spell) or cast cantrip. Also, doesn't provide flank.
Huh. Completely missed that. That’s a little silly, but whatever. That said, I did cross-reference stuff related to the flanking point: “…you don’t treat anyone as your ally (though they might still treat you as theirs)…” So Tybalt is currently providing flanking for Astrid, but Astrid isn’t providing flanking for Tybalt. Gonna just retroactively ignore the last d8 from Tybalt’s Power Attack and have him do another Strike:
Tybalt Retroactive Second Strike:1d20 + 18 - 5 ⇒ (12) + 18 - 5 = 25That one will miss. Damage:2d8 + 7 ⇒ (4, 7) + 7 = 18
Prince Charming II wrote:
Nah, the extra 3 is already in there (50+17+8=75, +3 AoO damage gives us 78 damage).
Charming is right; -78 is correct.
The zephyr hawk swoops down at the maestro, but completely misses him with both wings.
Fangor heals Astrid with the holy might of Razmir.
Lapiz shoots a bolt that hits the maestro, and the investigator is surprised to find the man is actually burned a bit by the positive-energy-infused bolt! Not a crit, but yes, he took positive damage.
Quinoline chucks a thunderstone right at the maestro, which bursts in a loud and bright explosion!
Maestro Fort vs Deafened:1d20 + 16 ⇒ (18) + 16 = 34 Maestro Fort vs Dazzled:1d20 + 16 ⇒ (11) + 16 = 27
The maestro continues to frustrate as he is unaffected by the debilitating effects of the thunderstone! He clutches a wound on his chest and looks down at his hand that is now stained in dark crimson.
”The ending…has not yet arrived…for there is still a coda!”
The maestro plays furiously on the piano as his hands become coated in black energy once more! Tybalt can’t make reactions while confused, so only Astrid gets an AoO.
Astrid Strikes the maestro, but he once again grabs the Ulfen’s wrist! ”Second verse, same as the first!” The black energy in the maestro’s hand once again worms its way through Astrid’s body!
Negative Damage:6d6 ⇒ (6, 3, 1, 2, 6, 5) = 23 Astrid basic Fort:1d20 + 12 ⇒ (5) + 12 = 17Crit fail. I’ll let Astrid decide whether or not to reroll and I’ll retcon as appropriate.
Finished with “healing” himself, he moves to pound on the organ!
Maestro Performance:1d20 + 18 ⇒ (1) + 18 = 19
Even compared to his previous poundings, this pounding of the organ’s keys is painfully discordant. ”Uh oh…”
The organ once again bursts forth with a discordant burst of energy, but this time it is localized entirely on the maestro!
Sonic Damage to Maestro:2d8 + 9 ⇒ (5, 8) + 9 = 22 Maestro Basic Fort:1d20 + 16 ⇒ (17) + 16 = 33NOT a crit success
The maestro’s clothes flow behind him as the discordant blast falls on him as he manages to stand his ground!
Death Waltz
Round 7/8
==================
Fangor (-9)
Astrid (-72) {wounded 1}
The Maestro (-104; +12)
Organ (-20 from “1” attacks [before resistances])
Tybalt
Lapiz
Quinoline {Quickened 1: Round 5 of 10}
Charming
==================
Quinoline will throw a bottled lightning, and then cast Electric Arc.
Moderate Bottled Lightning:1d20 + 16 ⇒ (10) + 16 = 26 Electricity:2d6 + 4 ⇒ (2, 4) + 4 = 10 plus flat-footed
4 splash electricity on a miss but not crit miss
NG M Human (versatile) Sorcerer 8 | HP 80/80 | AC 24 | F +16 R +14 W +13 | Perc +12 (+2 initiative) | Speed 25 ft | Focus 1/2 | Spells: 1st 3/4 2nd 3/4 3rd 4/4 4th 4/5 | Staff 2/4 | Hero Points: 2 | Active Conditions: Vital Beacon (4/4)
”That’s the spirit Felicity - for Sebastian!” Charming’s voice is rough with emotion, but his words are clear and forceful. ”Astrid! Avenge our friend!” He sings, and his hair starts to glow before a pair of bats swoop down from the darkness and carry several strands over to Astrid.
It has come to my attention that the zephyr hawk would have done some weirdness with being in Tybalt’s space during the Circling Strike and thus would have flanked the maestro, but it creates the weird circumstance of if Tybalt is willing to allow that if he is currently confused. Regardless, I’m going to allow it, so the hawk’s attack last round would have hit. I also forgot to add the 6 damage from Astrid’s AoO.
Quinoline pelts the maestro with lightning! Her alchemical lightning smashes at the man’s feet, though. Non-critical miss.
Maestro Reflex:1d20 + 16 ⇒ (11) + 16 = 27
The zephyr hawk then circles down and strikes at the maestro while Charming heals Astrid.
Death Waltz
Round 7/8
==================
Fangor (-9)
Astrid (-43) {wounded 1}
The Maestro (-125)
Organ (-20 from “1” attacks [before resistances])
Tybalt
Lapiz
Quinoline {Quickened 1: Round 5 of 10}
Charming
Zephyr Hawk
==================
F Human CG | Fighter 12 | ◆◇↺ | HP 176/176 shield h13 104/104| AC 34 (36) | F +22 R +19 W +18 | Perception +19 (+20 for vision, +21 for initiative) | Hero 0/3 | Default Exploration=Search | Resistance 4 to piercing, 1 to cold, electricity, negative energy | Conditions:
Astrid shakes off the incredible crash of thunder from Quinoline's bomb. Steeling herself she strikes out at the sadistic songsmith.
Quote:
Crit fail. I’ll let Astrid decide whether or not to reroll and I’ll retcon as appropriate.
F Human CG | Fighter 12 | ◆◇↺ | HP 176/176 shield h13 104/104| AC 34 (36) | F +22 R +19 W +18 | Perception +19 (+20 for vision, +21 for initiative) | Hero 0/3 | Default Exploration=Search | Resistance 4 to piercing, 1 to cold, electricity, negative energy | Conditions:
F Human CG | Fighter 12 | ◆◇↺ | HP 176/176 shield h13 104/104| AC 34 (36) | F +22 R +19 W +18 | Perception +19 (+20 for vision, +21 for initiative) | Hero 0/3 | Default Exploration=Search | Resistance 4 to piercing, 1 to cold, electricity, negative energy | Conditions:
Yeah it's the second time. Although this time I can't blame the GM and nobody ended up in a lake.
Astrid chops down with her bastard sword, her blade meeting the back of the maestro’s hands still on the keys of the organ! As he shrieks in pain his blood stains the ivory keys. With a shaky voice, he says ”I suppose…this was…my swan song…hehehe…”
He softly plays one final chord on the organ that urges to be resolved by a following chord. But the next chord never comes as the maestro collapses into unconsciousness.
Time to board the railroad to finish this scenario!
On the maestro’s person are two conductor’s batons: one functions as a wand of 3rd-level vampiric touch, and the other functions as a +1 striking maceHe beats you over the head with a stick for 2d6+8 damage. Suuuure. Let’s go with that.
The organ’s keys are made of pure ivory, and if gathered (and cleaned of the maestro’s blood) they can be sold for a hefty price. Materials salvaged from the organ are worth 1 Treasure Bundle.
Through the door behind the organ leads to a small basement chamber with a few broken pieces of glass bottles. A thorough search of the chamber reveals a secret door that leads to a massive library filled with row upon row of ancient codices. Rainwater has settled in the floor of this room, though it is no deeper than an inch and as such has not risen to the point of damaging the books. By succeeding at water-proofing the keep earlier in the scenario, you avoided an additional challenge of needing to carefully get all 30 Bulk of books out of here before the library flooded.
The library also contains 10 silver lamps that are carefully enclosed to avoid allowing open flame near the parchment pages. These are worth 1 treasure bundle.
Interesting things of note that you guys missed:
In case you couldn’t connect the dots, the dwarven mummy (whose name was Iloise [very specifically pronounced Eye-loise]) was the one caring for the feral cats.
Iloise was in fact not undead, but was a living (or more accurately “half-dead”) creature known as a mortic: half-dead creatures that bear a connection to both a humanoid ancestry and an undead “ancestry,” capable of stopping their living functions and becoming more attuned to their undead side by holding their breath (not kidding). Iloise in particular was a relictner mortic, which bear a connection to both dwarves and mummies.
If it wasn’t a crit that had ended the combat with Iloise, she would have surrendered and given you information about the magical pipe organ and the maestro, whose name was Doctor Velshun (though Iloise says that he has not really a doctor and has not graduated medical school).
Doctor Velshun was a half-dead creature much like Iloise; he was a dhampir.
The pretty dress was actually a set of +1 resilient explorer’s clothing; thank Charming’s crit-fail to Identify for that one.
*
With the undead cleared and the keep properly cleared out, the Pathfinders are free to send in a report (as well as a request for the keep’s security deposit). The local farmers hold a celebration at the destruction of evil occupying the keep (as well as the source of many noise complaints), giving the Pathfinders plenty of opportunity to celebrate and rest.
A few days later, Gorm Greathammer arrives with a team of Ustalavic guards and Pathfinder scribes, eager to catalog the trove of knowledge found in the depths of the keep.
”I’ll be honest, I’m surprised that these tomes managed to survive as long as they did. I am nevertheless glad at your mission’s success! In fact…I have a gift for you all!”
Gorm reaches into a sack and proceeds to hand out a bi-resonant wayfinderthat you don’t get to keep because it’s the end of the scenario to each of the Pathfinders. This is worth 1 treasure bundle
11 treasure bundles?:
Yeah…The scenario gives out 11 treasure bundles for some reason. Though the checklist at the end of the scenario only counts out 10 of them. Based on how specific the Guild Guide is written about how many treasure bundles are awarded, I’m calling that an error on the author’s part and am going to give out gold based on you all getting the regular 10 treasure bundles.
Primary Success Condition:
If the PCs drive Doctor Velshun and his allies from Zagorstra Keep, they each earn 2 Fame and 2 Reputation for any faction associated with their currently slotted faction boon.
Secondary Success Conditions:
If the PCs rescue at least 25 Bulk of books from the lost library from underneath the keep from water damage, they earn 2 Fame and 2 Reputation for any faction associated with their currently slotted faction boon.
Tertiary Success Conditions:
If the PCs fulfill the secondary objective and save the majority of Zagorstra Keep’s hidden library, the Grand Archive is pleased with the PCs’ efforts. Each PC earns 2 additional Reputation with the Grand Archive faction, in addition to any other Reputation earned as a result of completing this scenario.
I think I remember reading somewhere that the authors are not actually in charge of filling in the loot, and that some sort of editor does that. It explains why there some crazy items (like the lich dust, which is an ingested poison) that have zero connection to (and zero utility in) the scenario.
Morbid curiosity question: was it possible to evict the Maestro?
Quinoline looks over at Astrid. "I'm glad you were able to handel that."
Morbid curiosity question: was it possible to evict the Maestro?
I knew I forgot to mention something!
Interesting things of note that you guys missed, cont.:
Doctor Velshun (the maestro) didn't give a semblance of a crap about any eviction notice.
Iloise (the dwarven mummy) on the other hand would have become slowed 2 for 1 round the first time someone presented the eviction notice because she legitimately hesitates.
Cleric 9 AC 27 | HP 69/69| F +13 R +20 W +15 | Init +16 Perception, +20 Stealth| low-light vision Trap Finder +1| Exploration Mode Avoid Notice | Resist negative5 cold1 electricity1
As the Maestro falls unconscious, Fangor claps in his white gloved hands.
That's what we call a Finale! I'm impressed by your cadence during this fight. Well done comrades.
After the fight, he helps taking care of the small wounds his comrades suffers, using the last bit of power that Razmir gave him to heal Astrid.
When they mingle with the local farmers, Fangor preaches for his church, offering pamphlets and asking Do you know our Lord and Savior Razmir, the Living God?
Thanks GM for a great game! It was a blast :D
Thanks everyone for making this game even better!
