NG Male Half-Orc Bard 6 | HP 68/68 | AC 24 | F +9 R +14 W +12 (+1 vs magic) | Perc +12 (low-light vision) | Stealth +4 | 25 ft. | Spells 1st: 3/3 2nd: 2/3 3rd: 3/3 | Focus Points 2/2 | Hero Point 2 | Exploration: Scout | Active Conditions: ---
"Goblin's light is all we need,
Cast your spells and shoot the breeze!" responds Xun
Forgot to revise Crunch's damage - Crunch, did you want to use Shield Block? If so, it's -6 hp to you, and -6 hp to your shield. If not, -11 hp to you.
---
Red looks over at the zombie, wondering why it appears to be on the side of the living living. It bites at the zombie.
Orange circles around the main fray. It drops its bow, and reaches up, removing its flaming skull from its body. Winding up, it throws its own skull at Finn.
The skull slowly bounces back to the skeleton, its eyes locked on Finn. It is blind until the beginning of its next turn. Anjo, Xun, and Finn are shocked by this ...
Demoralize:1d20 + 0 ⇒ (20) + 0 = 20
... and are Frightened 2. I'm not sure if the talisman Finn has applies to his Will DC. The attack will critically succeed either way but it would be nice if anyone knew the rules to clarify for my general knowledge.
Green also drops its bow, and throws its head at Crunch.
CN M Goblin (charhide) Oracle 4 | HP 46 | AC 19 | F +10 R +10 W +7 | Perc +5, Darkvision 60 ft | Speed 25 ft | Focus 2/2 | Spells 1st: 3/3 2nd: 3/3| Hero Points: 1 | Active Conditions: None
"Looni Burni burning bright,
set these flaming skulls alight!
Be they whole or without head,
soon enough they all be dead!"
The crazed goblin's chanting reaches a crescendo, sounding more and more like the screeching of a large bird, and white fire mixed with scarlet plumes covers the battlefield. To the living, the flames grant strength - but to the dead, the plumes spell only destruction!
Heal (3 actions):1d8 ⇒ 5
Casting heal with three actions [AAA] to create a 30 ft burst (Red spread). Living creatures within the area heal and all undead creatures within the area need to make a basic Fortitude save (DC 17) against positive energy damage.
NG Male Half-Orc Bard 6 | HP 68/68 | AC 24 | F +9 R +14 W +12 (+1 vs magic) | Perc +12 (low-light vision) | Stealth +4 | 25 ft. | Spells 1st: 3/3 2nd: 2/3 3rd: 3/3 | Focus Points 2/2 | Hero Point 2 | Exploration: Scout | Active Conditions: ---
The talisman states: 'The first time that day the ally attempts a saving throw against a spell or haunt, they gain a +1 circumstance bonus to the roll'. This is demoralize which is an ability not spell nor haunt. As such I don't think it applies. On top of that Talisman works only once per day:)
Inspire courage gives +1 to Will saves but only vs fear, which again this is not.
Xun is shaken, skeletons throwing skulls their skulls at the enemies! He has not seen a thing like that.
He keeps enchanting and the Zombie makes gurgling sounds and swings at one of the skeletons
which one, 1-green, 2-blue, 3-red:1d3 ⇒ 1
Attack@green, inspire courage:1d20 + 7 + 1 ⇒ (14) + 7 + 1 = 22That should be a hit so green is grabed Damage, bludgeoning, inspire courage:1d6 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 3 + 1 = 5
The Zombie moves its head closer to the enemy and bites the burning bones
LG Goblin Champion 7 (they/them) | HP 97/97 | AC 28 (30 w/ Shield) | F +14 R +12/14 W +12 | Perc +10 | Stealth +11 | Speed 25' | Explore: Defend | Hero Points 1 | Character Sheet
Feeling bolstered and inspired, Crunch brings their weapon down on the green-auraed skeleton.
Warwammer:1d20 + 9 + 1 ⇒ (10) + 9 + 1 = 20 for 1d8 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 4 + 1 = 11 bludgeoning damage.
That looks solid, so I'm going to hope the skeleton is down
Pleased with the sound the undead made as it returned to the earth, Crunch leaps towards the skeleton in the back of the enemy group - careful to set up flanking for their goblin ally.
stride and strike purple
No shield block this turn, but do have Retributive Strike for the first enemy within 15' that hits an ally also within 15'.
Grants 4 pts of resist all (which I think applies to the skull and fire damage separately) and allows (via feat) for Crunch to step and strike the perpetrator.
LG Goblin Champion 7 (they/them) | HP 97/97 | AC 28 (30 w/ Shield) | F +14 R +12/14 W +12 | Perc +10 | Stealth +11 | Speed 25' | Explore: Defend | Hero Points 1 | Character Sheet
Ninja'ed!
Go Looni!!!
Instead of the heroic hammer-swinging, Crunch applies Torag's blessing to Reev instead (lay on hands for 6).
NG Male Half-Orc Bard 6 | HP 68/68 | AC 24 | F +9 R +14 W +12 (+1 vs magic) | Perc +12 (low-light vision) | Stealth +4 | 25 ft. | Spells 1st: 3/3 2nd: 2/3 3rd: 3/3 | Focus Points 2/2 | Hero Point 2 | Exploration: Scout | Active Conditions: ---
Xun was surprised by Looni's move but is glad to see the skeletons to go down. He looks at the Zombie and dismiss it.
The Zombie turns around and looks into Xun as she was thinking about something. Then she collapses on the ground.
The bard shakes his head a bit.
"Looni Burning, burning true
Flaming bones and healing wounds." wonders for a bit
"No I can do better than that."
He walks a bit closer to the skeletons and looks at them
No religion here, but I wonder if they carried anything of interest.
CN M Goblin (charhide) Oracle 4 | HP 46 | AC 19 | F +10 R +10 W +7 | Perc +5, Darkvision 60 ft | Speed 25 ft | Focus 2/2 | Spells 1st: 3/3 2nd: 3/3| Hero Points: 1 | Active Conditions: None
Looni grins back at Reev. ”Only after throwing them in firepit,” he answers gleefully.
One of the skeletons that attacked is somewhat “fresher” than the rest, wearing clothing and armor closer to modern styles, though still nearly a century out of date, as well as carrying an archaic wayfinder and an old brass-bound book all but destroyed by time.
2 Treasure Bundles
Most of the pages have weathered away but one page is still legible.
Osiriani, or some way to read it:
But despite my frequent letters to the imperial governor, I fear my request will go unheard. Diggen Thrune and his ilk are considered heroes in the capital thanks to their efforts in “protecting the empire’s borders and quelling rebellion,” while I’m seen as little more than a foreign agitator, despite my accomplishments and discoveries, several of which have benefitted the empire. These tactics the imperial forces are using will have detrimental effects. Many of these so-called rebels were simply farmers and landowners asking for fair representation, or at least some pretense of imperial protection in return for the tithes and taxes they pay. This heavy-handed tyranny goes too far by several measures, and if the empire does not lighten its touch and work to full its responsibilities to its people, it may not last long enough to suffer the long-term effects of foolish choices like leaving the rebels unburied and unshriven or provoking the elven communities who call the nearby forests home.
Perhaps I can convince Durvin to get involved; he’ll see the sense in my warnings, and they’ve been publishing his last adventure in a string of serials across the empire. I’d ask Selmius, but I’m afraid the old fool has more dignity than sense when it comes to dealing with politicians. Gregaro would surely understand my worries, but with his heritage and the prejudices running rampant across the empire these days, I fear his word would carry even less weight than my own. There must be something ...
---
Please settle any healing you want. Diggen's Rest is still a ways off so you can rest before you enter the Rest.
43870-2001 | Human M (Garundi) Ranger 8 | mPerc +17 (+19 Init) | tAC 26| | HP 104/104 | eF +15 mR +19 eW +16 | tAcro +15 tAthletics +13 tCraft +10 tScout L/Herbal L +10 eNature +15 tStealth +14 mSurvival + 18* tThievery +15 Human Ranger 8 (Vigilant Seal)
Do people from a region automatically get a native langauge? Anjo is Garundi, so in PF1, he would have known Osiriani. Don't know if that's true in PF2
People from a region get access to a regional language, and humans get an extra language (in addition to Common) that they can use for that regional language. This is formalized by the free boon "Home Region" in PFS2.
However, "Garund" is not a valid region. See page 432 of the CRB for a list of regions and regional languages. There are three main regional languages in Garund - one is Osiriani (for characters from northern and eastern Garund), one is Kelish (for characters from northeastern Garund), and the third is Mwangi (for characters from central or western Garund). If you haven't chosen a regional language, you can choose one now, but you can't change it later.
NG Male Half-Orc Bard 6 | HP 68/68 | AC 24 | F +9 R +14 W +12 (+1 vs magic) | Perc +12 (low-light vision) | Stealth +4 | 25 ft. | Spells 1st: 3/3 2nd: 2/3 3rd: 3/3 | Focus Points 2/2 | Hero Point 2 | Exploration: Scout | Active Conditions: ---
"Do we want to stay and rest? Or are we pushing on?" asks Xun HP wise we have -3 and -1, and I think 2 spells down. Not too bad if you ask me.
CN M Goblin (charhide) Oracle 4 | HP 46 | AC 19 | F +10 R +10 W +7 | Perc +5, Darkvision 60 ft | Speed 25 ft | Focus 2/2 | Spells 1st: 3/3 2nd: 3/3| Hero Points: 1 | Active Conditions: None
That’s still half of Looni’s spells, so I would prefer him to rest. Not necessarily right here, of course.
Looni doesn’t answer, too busy trying to re-ignite one of the skulls.
The group decides to rest, but not directly on top of the haunted battlefield.
---
After about two and a half days of travel since passing the haunted battlefield, the tower marking Diggen’s Rest comes into view.
A lone tower juts upward through the treetops, the crumbled stone walls surrounding the tower indicating that it may have once been part of a larger keep. Spiked wooden barricades force anyone seeking to approach on foot to take a winding and circuitous route forward.
The options explicitly listed are: you can attempt an open Steath check to sneak forward, walk forward openly, and you can smash the barriers. You're also free to come up with creative solutions.
I just went ahead and assumed, but it would be helpful if someone (or preferably multiple people) stated it explicitly. In this case I knew there was 2.5 days of uneventful travel, but y'all didn't know that so I couldn't just wave it away.
NG Male Half-Orc Bard 6 | HP 68/68 | AC 24 | F +9 R +14 W +12 (+1 vs magic) | Perc +12 (low-light vision) | Stealth +4 | 25 ft. | Spells 1st: 3/3 2nd: 2/3 3rd: 3/3 | Focus Points 2/2 | Hero Point 2 | Exploration: Scout | Active Conditions: ---
Before the rest, Xun would use Soothe to heal whoever needed it. That would solve the minimal HP losses. 2 Soothes the first day and 3 Soothes the following.
Every morning as Xun prepares for the road, he would create a new amulet that he would give to Finn.
As they reach the tower Xun listens to the others, he is neither a tracker nor a stealth person. He follows the others holding a bow in his hand.
Stealth +3 if we decide as a team to sneak forwards.
Looking at the tower, Finn nods, and sends his bird to scout around. Flute flies high up in the air, to get a good view of the top of the tower and the space surrounding it.
Perception:1d20 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 5 = 8
As the bird is flying around, she gets easily distracted, and goes after a squirrel which she spots up a tree. Finn shakes his head, "It's probably abandoned, but we should tread carefully." He will help Anjo to look for any tracks and/or entrances to the tower.
Flute flies up and spies a kobold watching the barricades from the third floor of the tower. There is no obvious alternate entrance.
Anjo, Finn:
You don't find any tracks other than the ones going through the barricades.
I have two votes (Finn, Reev) for sneaking forward, and a conditional vote from Xun. I need three unequivocal votes to move the party, or an unequivocal statement that people are okay with the party being split.
CN M Goblin (charhide) Oracle 4 | HP 46 | AC 19 | F +10 R +10 W +7 | Perc +5, Darkvision 60 ft | Speed 25 ft | Focus 2/2 | Spells 1st: 3/3 2nd: 3/3| Hero Points: 1 | Active Conditions: None
"We could burn the barricades!" Looni suggests hopefully.
LG Goblin Champion 7 (they/them) | HP 97/97 | AC 28 (30 w/ Shield) | F +14 R +12/14 W +12 | Perc +10 | Stealth +11 | Speed 25' | Explore: Defend | Hero Points 1 | Character Sheet
Crunch jumps on Looni's idea, "Oo!" but then screws up their face a little while thinking. Then, in their scratchy whisper, they say , "Wait, hmm... maybe not. Someone set these here and might be watching already. Seems caution and stealth be best for this. Should proceed before we get ambushed again."
Crunch moves a few things around in their pack, and nods to the others to indicate they are ready.
+5 stealth
43870-2001 | Human M (Garundi) Ranger 8 | mPerc +17 (+19 Init) | tAC 26| | HP 104/104 | eF +15 mR +19 eW +16 | tAcro +15 tAthletics +13 tCraft +10 tScout L/Herbal L +10 eNature +15 tStealth +14 mSurvival + 18* tThievery +15 Human Ranger 8 (Vigilant Seal)
Bow in hand, Anjo will keep a look out for tracks of impending creatures.
Is anyone Expert in Stealth? if so, we can Follow the Expert? If someone has a particularly low Stealth score, I would not recommend you Avoid Notice. Doing so will mean you use your Stealth roll for Initiative. So a double whammy of being seen and going last. Scouting is always a good option.
With three votes to Stealth, I'm going to move the whole team using Stealth. If this were a live game, I could let the discussion continue, but it just doesn't work very well in PbP.
The group starts moving forward, a long, discordant note sounds on a cracked horn from the tower. Nobody ambushes the group on the way up to the door, though.
Inside, a long room features a pair of intertwining staircases leading to the next level along the western wall. Lying in poorly arranged piles against the wall to the east are some loose bags spilling over with lengths of copper wire, various stones and gemstones, cogs, wheels, and other devices, though the room’s northeast corner appears to have been recently swept clean.
LG Goblin Champion 7 (they/them) | HP 97/97 | AC 28 (30 w/ Shield) | F +14 R +12/14 W +12 | Perc +10 | Stealth +11 | Speed 25' | Explore: Defend | Hero Points 1 | Character Sheet
Crunch moves forward, smashes their shield spikes into the closest kobold (red), then raises it in defense.
NG Male Half-Orc Bard 6 | HP 68/68 | AC 24 | F +9 R +14 W +12 (+1 vs magic) | Perc +12 (low-light vision) | Stealth +4 | 25 ft. | Spells 1st: 3/3 2nd: 2/3 3rd: 3/3 | Focus Points 2/2 | Hero Point 2 | Exploration: Scout | Active Conditions: ---
Xun looks at the enemies and calls to his allies
"Feel no fear friends! The spirits are on our side. Destroy those wicked creatures standing in our way! The songs describing this battle will be sung for decades! " Performance:1d20 + 8 ⇒ (16) + 8 = 24Lingering composition + inspire courage
Then he takes out an arrow and shoots at one of the kobolds
Reev lays some kobolds out like kitchen tile. Two arrows, two dead kobolds.
Anjo waits for a clear shot, but ends up getting impatient and firing. Hits even with cover. I wasn't sure how long you wanted to wait, but Looni goes after Anjo's Hunted Prey, and Reev didn't move, so you were going to take the cover penalty or lose flat-footed. The first shot drops Yellow, and then the second wounds Green.
Crunch opts f9r the more direct approach. They just walk up and smash the kobold. Red falls.
Xun sings a lingering song, then fires twice at Orange, killing them.
Super Successful Kobold Ambush Round 1!
Reev
Xun
Anjo
Finn
Crunch
Red Kobold (-9 hp)
Orange Kobold (-8 hp)
Yellow Kobold (-8 hp) Looni
Green Kobold (-6 hp)
Blue Kobold (-9 hp)
Purple Kobold (-9 hp)
43870-2001 | Human M (Garundi) Ranger 8 | mPerc +17 (+19 Init) | tAC 26| | HP 104/104 | eF +15 mR +19 eW +16 | tAcro +15 tAthletics +13 tCraft +10 tScout L/Herbal L +10 eNature +15 tStealth +14 mSurvival + 18* tThievery +15 Human Ranger 8 (Vigilant Seal)
OOPS! Anjo would not be able to target the green kobold. Hunted Shot has to target Prey. Normally It would just be a Strike, but I cast Gravity Weapon, so I don't have a third action.
Also, Finn, as an FYI, you can't use Hunted Shot unless you designate a prey first. Provided you have your bow out, I think you still have enough actions to move, Hunt Prey, and Hunted Shot.
CN M Goblin (charhide) Oracle 4 | HP 46 | AC 19 | F +10 R +10 W +7 | Perc +5, Darkvision 60 ft | Speed 25 ft | Focus 2/2 | Spells 1st: 3/3 2nd: 3/3| Hero Points: 1 | Active Conditions: None
Looni darts out from behind Finn and throws a small piece of fire at the remaining kobold. "Burn! Burn them all!" he cheers wildly.
The areas marked in red are too clean relative to the rest of the room. Looking carefully, it looks like the coverings will give away if weight is put on them.
One of the kobolds has a minor healing potion on her body.
43870-2001 | Human M (Garundi) Ranger 8 | mPerc +17 (+19 Init) | tAC 26| | HP 104/104 | eF +15 mR +19 eW +16 | tAcro +15 tAthletics +13 tCraft +10 tScout L/Herbal L +10 eNature +15 tStealth +14 mSurvival + 18* tThievery +15 Human Ranger 8 (Vigilant Seal)
Anjo points out what look like obvious traps
"We might want to trigger them and make sure the kobolds haven't hid any of their valuables beneath. Perhaps throw the dead kobolds on top and see if the floor collapses."
Anjo takes 10 minutes to reFocus. If not one has used the kobolds, Anjo does it.
Anjo carefully and respectfully tosses the kobold corpses onto the traps, triggering them. There is a pit 10' wide and 20' deep beneath each of them.
In the northeast trap, Anjo discovers a pair of +1 handwrapsthat have been clumsily used to tie together one of the cross-sections of the trap’s support beams. These handwraps are worth 2 Treasure Bundles.
Moving forward, I will be making a set of Perception checks for each new section you enter - whether there is anything to find or not - so you don't need to specify that you're looking out for traps.
---
The spiral staircases leading to the next level converge, opening up into a barren stone room. To the south, an open doorway leads to another room that gives off a strange, eldritch glow through the open doorway.
The first four squares at the top of the staircase are also very clean.
Putting y'all into initiative. Normally, I resolve actions in the order posted rather than proper initiative order (a PbP concession to speed things along). However, for the first part of this encounter, I will resolve things in the proper initiative order. I'll be open about the reason - if someone crosses the yellow line, I will interrupt the action. Please don't metagame; this is just another PbP concession to avoid a literal action-by-action encounter that will crawl in PbP.
LG Goblin Champion 7 (they/them) | HP 97/97 | AC 28 (30 w/ Shield) | F +14 R +12/14 W +12 | Perc +10 | Stealth +11 | Speed 25' | Explore: Defend | Hero Points 1 | Character Sheet
Nodding in response to Anjo's gesture, Crunch whispers to those behind them, "Surprisingly clean for 20 feet. Not normal Kobold 'clean'."
"We might want to trigger them and make sure the kobolds haven't hid any of their valuables beneath. Perhaps throw the dead kobolds on top and see if the floor collapses."
"A sound tactic. I doubt anyone will miss them. Here." He takes one of the goblins, and tosses him into the trap, to see if it would reveal anything.
Inside the next room, Finn keeps his companion on his shoulder, not letting he fly into the room. Her moves forward slighly, only to peer deaper into the room. "Does anyone smell more kobolds?" Perception:1d20 + 8 ⇒ (12) + 8 = 20 Move, move, perception.
NG Male Half-Orc Bard 6 | HP 68/68 | AC 24 | F +9 R +14 W +12 (+1 vs magic) | Perc +12 (low-light vision) | Stealth +4 | 25 ft. | Spells 1st: 3/3 2nd: 2/3 3rd: 3/3 | Focus Points 2/2 | Hero Point 2 | Exploration: Scout | Active Conditions: ---
Finn wrote:
"A sound tactic. I doubt anyone will miss them. Here." He takes one of the goblins, and tosses him into the trap, to see if it would reveal anything.
Made me laugh. I think it is a typo but regardless.
Xun grabs Finn by his hand.
"Finn! We do not throw our allies into traps. Put this Goblin down, you see it is still moving. Grab that dead kobold if you like, but Goblins are on our side." He makes sure that no ally is thrown into the trap.
Xun reaches to his bag and takes a small figurine of some animal.
"We could use some aid in scouting. Let me call for a spirit that I was able to bound some time ago."
He puts the small trinket on the ground and whispers a few words in polyglot. After a moment a figurine transforms into a large dog like the creature its eyes and skin seems to shine a bit.
The dog like creature sniffs the air and looks at the goblins, alive dripping on the floor then it turns to Xun and walks forwards.
"It can scout for us."
Xun uses his Onyx dog figurine it is a regular Guard dog but with dark vision and a minion trait understanding Xun language. Moving dog beyond the yellow line.
When I tried to make this post the first time, the rolls were (14)+9 for 2 damage, (20)+9 for 2*2 damage, (low)+9 for a miss, and (8)+9 for 7 damage. The rest of the post is written with those results; it's possible that when I repost this (due to paizo.com timing out) the rolls will have changed.
Three of the bolts hit, and the dog collapses back into a figurine, which clatters on the floor. Xun, you won't be able to re-activate it for 1 week.
The tiny pitter patter of footsteps can be heard scurrying away. Anjo, are you able to designate your hunted prey even though you don't know how many there are?
Finn, I'm allowing you to revise your actions if you want.
LG Goblin Champion 7 (they/them) | HP 97/97 | AC 28 (30 w/ Shield) | F +14 R +12/14 W +12 | Perc +10 | Stealth +11 | Speed 25' | Explore: Defend | Hero Points 1 | Character Sheet
Crunch raises their shield against possible further arrows, then hustles up the last step and across the chamber.
They glance in the direction the first volley came from as they pass the opening, but continue all the way to the far side.
