[Outpost II] GM MattMorris Reaver's Roar (Inactive)

Game Master ChesterCopperpot

The archer says simply, remembering a sentence of the dwarf:

Well I think you will examine this helmet once we will be back from there.

Then he prepares to leave.

Gorm wishes you luck, and provides you directions to reach the Bastion of Light and gives you this map.

You can also make any purchases you might like to before you leave town.

Once on the road to the Bastion of Light, you enter a quiet area. Trees here are marked with red cloth tied into the branches, and small shrines dot the roadside. The houses here have been stripped, some to the foundations, likely by the villagers hoping to use the materials to reconstruct their homes and shops in a safer area.

The area is eerily quiet. No sound of insects or birds can be heard. The houses here have begun to rot, and the forest is slowly reclaiming the paths and road. Moss grows on the sides of leaning houses, vines snake across, through, and under the cobblestones. Here and there long abandoned crates and barrels sprawl, cracked open like eggs. The scene would be almost beautiful were it not for the remains of villagers and would-be heroes scattered amongst the ruins.

A mangled corpse hangs from the branches of a nearby tree, draped over two of the larger boughs. The body is clad in frayed leather armor, and its rotted innards spill down the length of the tree trunk. Somewhere ahead, the clang of metal and the stamping of feet echo through the woods.

Is the town big enough to have a scroll shop? I'd quite like to pick up a scroll of invisibility sphere (375GP) before we leave if there's one available

Tholgrin walks with Beryl (his dwarven longhammer) drawn, and tenses when he hears the stamping of feet. He concentrates, musters the emotions of patience and perseverance, and thinks about rolling out bread dough as he casts False Life and prepares for whatever is causing the sound.

False Life temp HP: 1d10 + 6 ⇒ (1) + 6 = 7

If the sound isn't approaching, he will quietly suggest approaching to the others.

Yes, the town scrivener has a few magic scrolls that she imported from Vigil. You can buy that scroll.

I'll be doing "rule of 2" for decision points. (i.e. when 2 people have suggested a course of action, and there's been no objections, we'll go with it).

Tsura casts mage armor from a wand, then fusses with her harrow deck, cutting and bridging it with nimble fingers. It seems like a nervous ritual, and she nods her assent to Tholgrin.

"Let's check it out."

You cautiously move in the direction of the sounds, which increase in volume as you near. It is clearly the noise of a pitched battle, punctuated with strange resonant growls and snorts that ring through the forest. Mere moments after you hear the sounds begin, the quiet of the forest is rent by bloodcurdling shrieks of agony--cries of pain that are cut short with an audible thud.

In front of you, the trees open to a clearing, and you find what remains of the orc band whose tracks you had detected earlier. There is little left of them but bloody offal and scattered limbs. You then realize that, standing in the center of the clearing, so huge that you had not at first registered it as a living creature, is what can only be the red reaver. Easily fifteen feet tall, the beast ripples with muscle. It exudes malevolence, and in claws the size of your arm, it holds a barely-struggling orc. As you watch, it firmly grips the orc's torso in one hand and its legs in the other. With a sickening pull and twist, accompanied by an ear-piercing keening--and the sound of snapping gristle--the reaver pulls the orc apart. The red beast tosses aside the orc's top half, which rolls to a stop just in front of you. With its dying breath, the creature gasps out a single word: "Běh!"

survival: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (15) + 6 = 21

Morrolan mutters, that's not something you see every day.

Does it appear that the reaver has seen us yet?

Funny you should ask.

As the giant beast hears the orc's last words, its head snaps in your direction.

Grel's hands quickly snap to his hammer and shield. Think there is reasoning with it?

Grel readies a spell if the creature rushes towards us.

Ready Entangle DC 15

"Gorm told us to sever its connection to the Bastion," Kije says cautiously as the creature turns towards the Pathfinders. "Perhaps this is not the time and place to engage it."

"Běh means run. We should get to safety. GO!"

Tholgrin then casts Expeditious Retreat, the required emotion of longing to be somewhere else not difficult to come by at the minute.

He waits to ensure that everyone is of the same mind, but then turns and flees, if possible toward the Bastion but if not back the way they came.

Damnit, we run then!! Grel follows Tholgrin at a dead run.

Tsura runs away. If the reaver follows, she'll use her fly hex to get up above the melee.

Seeing you flee from the clearing the red reaver starts to chase you! Your only hope if to make for the Bastion and hope you can find some protection there.

That's right, it's chase time! There are a few modified rules for this one, though. In this chase, you are working together to get the group to safety and slow the reaver. For each step of the chase, everyone can attempt one of the listed saving throws, skill checks, or ability checks, or they can attempt to cast a spell or use an ability appropriate to the described challenge. At the end of the turn, we'll use the highest result. Any other check results with a total of 10 or higher will be treated as though the you had used the aid another action to assist. Regardless of your result, you will move to the next square, so you can't get "stuck" anywhere, but the reaver gets closer every time the group fails. (This replaces the typical movement rules for chases.)

The challenges are posted on this slide, but I'll put them in this thread as well. Tholgrin and Tsura, you'll get a +2 on movement-based challenges because of the spells you cast. (If anyone wants to cast a single, long-lasting spell before attempting the first skill check, you may.

Begin Chase!
As you flee from the clearing, you stumble into some of the discarded equipment from the ill-fated orcs. It seems that had brought a significant number of nets, which are now strewn about the trees and trails in your path.

Dodge the Net:Reflex DC 18 OR Tuck and Roll: Acrobatics DC 28

Moving as quickly as a wildfire, Kije ducks under the nets and keeps running.

Reflex: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (15) + 7 = 22

GM, how long of a spell duration would be helpful here?

Neisti swoops off from Kije’s shoulder, flying ahead with breakneck speed. ”Just you wait, you big red thing - Kije will burn you yet!” he screeches over his shoulder.

Reflex: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (19) + 5 = 24

Moving as quickly as a wildfire, Kije ducks under the nets and keeps running.

[dice=Reflex]d20+7

GM, how long of a spell duration would be helpful here?

Minutes per level, I would say.

Tholgrin joins in dodging out of the way of the nets with some well timed rolling.

Reflex: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (8) + 8 = 16

"If we can beat it to the Bastion and huddle together I can give us all some invisibility and hope that it can't penetrate such magics, but we've got to get there first!"

The archer walks cautiously from the time they meet corpses and parts of ones. The beast which did this should be really huge and beasty. The elf is prepared to act in different ways depending on the situation. But the fact that all the life except the flora disappeared from the area reveals the problem before to find some corpses and remains of corpses.

When they saw the Reaver and begin to run, the occultist dodges the net.

Reflex: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (7) + 11 = 18

What? You're running away! That's not very heroic. Never the less, he ponderously follows the others.
reflex: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (4) + 5 = 9
Chase scenes tend to not exactly favor us heavily armored dwarves...

He keeps glancing back over his shoulder trying to study and recall what he can discern about the Red Reaver.

knowledge arcana: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (8) + 8 = 16
knowledge dungeoneering: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (13) + 8 = 21
knowledge local: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (10) + 8 = 18
knowledge nature: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (11) + 8 = 19
knowledge planes: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (18) + 8 = 26
knowledge religion: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (15) + 8 = 23

Without looking it up, I'm not certain which is appropriate. So there is the lot of them.

Reflex save 1d20 + 5 + 2 ⇒ (11) + 5 + 2 = 18

Tsura just barely lifts off and dodges through the netting.

You skirt the nets, putting some distance between yourselves and the reaver.

Morrolan, the reaver is Knowledge (arcana), but you've never seen anything even remotely like it before. It's not within 40 ft. of you...at least at first.

Stage 2
Then, red reaver leaps and pounds the ground with its fists, right at your heels. You must try to stay on their feet through the resulting shock wave and attempt to slow the reaver down. You can knock over some crates to slow the red reaver down or tuck and roll through the shocks.
Roll with it: Acrobatics DC 30 or Slow it Down: Strength DC 18.

Morrolan, I'll give you a +2 on the final tally to account for your spell, if you want to cast it now. It's a swift action, right?

At the start of the chase, Grel will use a charge of Longstrider from a wand.

strength: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (15) + 3 = 18

Grel grabs stacks of crates and pushes them in the way as he pushes forward.

"Good thinking Grel, I'll help!"

Strength: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8

He tries to push some of the crates to get in the way but they are surprisingly heavy. "Drat!"

Strength 1d20 ⇒ 1

Tsura groans with the exertion but can't seem to budge any crates.

Styfis uses one mental focus point to get Sudden Speed for the chase

Strength: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2

Well, well, well

Ragathiel kuchingizni qondiradi!
Litany of Weakness - fatigued for 1 round no save - yes, swift action
I am assuming the standard action casting time of guidance would make it not helpful.

strength: 1d20 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 3 + 2 = 17

Grel manages to toss a heavy crate into the creature's path. While it isn't much of an impediment, it does cause the reaver to stumble and skid through the area, gaining you a few steps on the creature.

Stage 3
The reaver pursues you into an abandoned square that must have once been a busy market before the reaver claimed it as part of his territory. Scattered about, you see some ruined wares and even some currency. You can toss a few of the particularly shiny baubles behind you to distract the reaver, or cut a few ropes to drop an awning in its way.
Ooh, Shiny!: Bluff or Sense Motive DC 25 or Awning Drop: Disable Device DC 20

The archer tries to cut a few ropes to drop an awning in the Reaver's way.

Disable Device: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (6) + 16 = 22

Tholgrin bursts into the square, moving swiftly. He sees Styfis cutting ropes and quickly cottons on to the idea, and takes to doing the same on the other side to help out.

Disable Device: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (4) + 8 = 12

Falling awnings confuse and stymie the craeture. You gain a a little breathing room.

Stage 4
Emerging from the market, you spot rough, abandoned fortifications. You can weave through and around the debris or prop up the polearms left there.
Polearm Crawl: Acrobatics or Sleight of Hand DC 25 or Taking a Stab at it: Craft (traps) DC 20

Craft (Trap) untrained: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (18) + 3 = 21

Grel isn't much of a tinkerer himself but he'll try to help.

Torag teaches that crafting of any kind is sacred, so Tholgrin doesn't pass up the chance to use his head to give this unholy beast some trouble.

Craft (Trap) untrained: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (7) + 3 = 10

The archer crawls polearm.

Sleight of hand: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (18) + 16 = 34

Tsura tries to aid on an Acro check...

1d20 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6

..."not my strong suit..."

Grel and Thorgrin manage to brace some of the discarded pikes, while the rest of the party dodges through them with varying degrees of success.

Stage 5
The doors of the Bastion of Light are just ahead, but first you must first navigate the cemetery. As you near, the red reaver grabs an unburied corpse and throws the pieces at you! You can zigzag through the gravestones or attempt to climb across the tombs to evade the gruesome projectiles.

Gravestone Dash: Acrobatics DC 30 or Mausoleum Mount: Climb DC 20

climb: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (9) + 5 = 14

Grel attempts to navigate through the tombs, leaping and brachiating. Trying to move through the cemetery at all costs.

The archer tries to climb all these gravestones to continue to run.

Climb: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (9) + 1 = 10

Acrobatics, Fortunate: 1d20 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (7) + 3 + 2 = 12

Kije races through the graveyard, trying to avoid pieces of corpse.

Acrobatics: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (11) + 2 = 13

From the sky above, Neisti screeches out directions amid the brief shower of body parts. "Vinstri! Nei, hægri! Aaaaahhhh!!" He has to stop for a moment to concentrate on flying as a corpse's head flies straight at him.

acro 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3

Tholgrin is getting tired, but still tries to climb across the tombs.

Climb: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (5) + 5 = 10

I'm not sure if the expeditious retreat is still up(6 minutes), or if the bonus from it applies if it is so I didn't include it, but if it does you can add 2 to that

You are pelted with decaying body parts, and it manages to slow you a bit. Failure on that one.

Stage 6
You race through the door of the Bastion of Light and move quickly to close and bar the door before the red reaver can get inside. You can free the rusted iron bar from its place on the wall or stack up pews and other debris to make a hasty barricade.
Brace It: Knowledge (engineering) DC 20 Nail it Shut: Craft (carpentry or stonemasonry) DC 24

The archer tries to brace it.

Engineering: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (5) + 9 = 14

kn engineering: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (14) + 1 = 15

Quick! Wrench the bar there. We have to get this door shut. Grel bars the door with the available pieces.

Craft (untrained) 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (15) + 5 = 20

GM, can either skill aid the other? Such as a Craft check aiding a Knowledge check here? If not, we might want to coordinate a bit more before rolling so we can help each other more effectively.

Craft: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (7) + 3 = 10

Kije looks for nails, stones, anything to pile up in front of the door.

Craft: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (5) - 1 = 4

Neisti is too busy screeching about how everyone is going to die to be of much help.

Everything aids the highest check. So, you folks will succeed in this one. Next phase soon!

I think it's an everybody who beats 10 aids the highest roll kind of situation

Tholgrin looks over the door and concentrates again, trying to evoke the feeling of satisfaction when you solve a satisfying puzzle. He's casting hypercognition to help with the knowledge check

Knowledge (Engineering: 1d20 + 6 + 8 + 1d6 ⇒ (4) + 6 + 8 + (4) = 22

He quickly points out the spots that need pressure to get the bar in place.

Edit: Doh, I didn't notice we'd already succeeded at that. Oh well, at least he helped despite being unable to roll above 10 this game!