Dungeon Master S's "Abomination Vaults" AP

Game Master Chris Marsh

Bibi draws her blade, and ghosts into the room, taking in the contents at a glance. She uses the barrier to hide behind, getting ready to stab something with extreme prejudice.

stealth: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (17) + 11 = 28 <--ha!!

I'm not positive i"m on the correct side of the room (re: N/S)--please correct if necessary

Bibi rushes into the room. She sees no enemies, but gets a sneaking suspicion that there is one on the other side of the stack of beds....

Round 1:
Peldur: Two Actions
Elena: Go
Bibi: sneaky sneaky
Tal: Go
Augrael: TBD
???: ???
Carrufikus: TBD
Noroc: TBD

Peldur continues running into the room, leaping over the makeshift barricade.

Athletics, if needed: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (9) + 9 = 18

Tiger Stance, Move. One action left, depends on what he sees on the other side.

Peldur just knows there's a ghoul on the other side of the barricade, so he leaps into action!

Easily vaulting the bed-barrier he finds himself facing not only one ghoul, but two! With no place to land, Peldur bounces back to land on his feet.

Round 1:
Peldur: Triple Move
Elena: Go
Bibi: sneaky sneaky
Tal: Go
Augrael: TBD
Ghouls!: ???
Carrufikus: TBD
Noroc: TBD

Action 1: Stride
Action 2: Stride
Action 3: Shield

Elena follows behind Peldur, weaving a quick spell to conjure a shield of force to protect herself. "Whatever you are, reveal yourselves!"

As the ghouls reveal themselves, Peldur strikes!

Flurry of Blows
Claw: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (10) + 10 = 20
Damage: 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5

Claw: 1d20 + 10 - 4 ⇒ (11) + 10 - 4 = 17
Damage: 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6
If either strike hits, DC19 Fort save or stunned 1

Tal opens the door, and moves in behind the Ghouls. He pulls his axe and swings.

Retribution Axe: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (8) + 8 = 16 Vs. Red and Flanking with Bibi, damage on hit: 1d12 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 2 = 10

Peldur reaches over the barricade and slashes one of the ghouls with a well conditioned hand. Unfortunately, the second one is foiled by the bed as cover! FORT: 1d20 ⇒ 19 The undead is too determined to stay in the fight though!

Elena close sin, ready for the worst!

Round 1:
Peldur: Triple Move
Elena: Go
Bibi: sneaky sneaky
Tal: Go
Augrael: TBD
Ghouls!: ???
Carrufikus: TBD
Noroc: TBD

Do over because I'm a moron today...

Tal strides around the bend, Bow out. He fires

Comp. Shortbow +1: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (18) + 10 = 28 Vs. Red, Damage On Hit: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7

Comp. Shortbow +1: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (6) + 5 = 11 Vs. Red, Damage On Hit: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5

Tal comes around and immediately sends an arrow through the eye of the second ghoul! It's not enough to kill it, but certainly close. Augrael closes in as close as he can to the combat.

The door to the south suddenly swings open! Two more ghouls enter the fray. One of them is dressed in overalls and is equipped with leatherworking tools. There's no time to contemplate what kind of leather.

Noroc is currently blocking the door so the ghoul attacks with sharp teeth:
ATK: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (7) + 9 = 16 but misses

Round 1:
Peldur: Triple Move
Elena: Close
Bibi: sneaky sneaky
Tal: Crit through cover
Augrael: Close
Ghouls!: ATK!
Carrufikus: Go
Noroc: Go

Carrufikus sees the sharp teeth of the ghouls and knows that they will devour the party if they are not stopped. He casts Disrupt Undead on the red one!

Disrupt Undead: 2d6 + 4 ⇒ (3, 2) + 4 = 9 Positive Damage

DC 19 Basic Fortitude Save

FORT: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (19) + 4 = 23 PASS

Carrufikus only disrupts the ghoul a bit as it fights on!

Round 1:
Peldur: Triple Move
Elena: Close
Bibi: sneaky sneaky
Tal: Crit through cover
Augrael: Close
Ghouls!: ATK!
Carrufikus: DI
Noroc: Go

Round 2:
Peldur: Go
Elena: Go
Bibi: Go
Tal: Go
Augrael: TBD
Ghouls!: TBD
Carrufikus: TBD
Noroc: TBD

Noroc, not a fan of these close quarters, nevertheless gamely chops at Bitey McBiterson (White) with his "walking stick."

walking stick: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (17) + 8 = 25
slashing: 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 3 = 9

walking stick: 1d20 + 8 - 5 ⇒ (18) + 8 - 5 = 21
slashing: 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6

He then lets everyone know what's coming as he moves back up the hall, putting some space between the remaining ghouls and himself.

Strike x2, Stride.

Noroc savagely beats back the ghoul who opened the door next to him. His warning presages the violence to come...

Round 2:
Peldur: Go
Elena: Go
Bibi: Go
Tal: Go
Augrael: TBD
Ghouls!: TBD
Carrufikus: TBD
Noroc: TBD

Hearing Noroc's warning of more ghouls coming to flank, Bibi decides the moment is NOW. She heard the sickening THUNK of the arrow fired by Papa Tal strking true, so she springs up, using the power of her tiny legs and the focus of her sharp mind to direct her rapier to the OTHER, uninjured ghould, hoping to user her surprise to take it out quickly--and maybe even get another strike on the stuck one too!

First attack on the uninjured ghould. If it hits, subsequent attacks on it, until it falls & any further attacks on the one Tal hit. If it misses, switch to the injured one, and if attack 2 drops it, 3 on uninjured. Savvy?

SNEAK ATTACK!!: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (20) + 9 = 29 <--YASSSSS
damage: 1d6 + 4 + 1d6 ⇒ (4) + 4 + (5) = 13 <--don't forget to double that!!
deadly: 1d8 ⇒ 1 <--NOOOOOOO

1d20 + 4 ⇒ (14) + 4 = 18
damage: 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10

Attack: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (19) - 1 = 18
damage: 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10

Bibi slips a blade into the ghoul's spine. It's gurgle and scream mixing together in an awful cacophony. The creature dies where it stands, collapsing on the bed barrier.

She then immediately turns to the other ghoul and takes that one out too!

For the badassitry, Bibi earns a Hero Point!

Round 2:
Peldur: Go
Elena: Go
Bibi: Crit kill + Kill
Tal: Go
Augrael: TBD
Ghouls!: TBD
Carrufikus: TBD
Noroc: TBD

Action 1: True Strike
Action 2-3: Produce Flame

Elena says a quick arcane syllable, getting a glimpse into the future as she weaves another spell. Within seconds she'll completes the conjuration of a ball of fire and hurls it at the ghoul she sees!
Produce Flame vs White: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (10) + 9 = 19
OR
Produce Flame vs White: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (4) + 9 = 13
Damage (Fire): 2d4 + 4 ⇒ (1, 2) + 4 = 7

RETCON (because I cannot read maps it seems)
--------------------------------------------
Action 1: Stride
Action 2-3: Electric Arc

Elena backtracks at the sound of more ghouls. She runs past the doorway, spying the two new interlopers and quickly works through a spell. With a gesture electricity leaves her fingers, arcing out to strike at the two ghouls!
Electric Arc, DC 19 Reflex: 2d4 + 4 ⇒ (3, 2) + 4 = 9

"Peldur! Talborel! A little help please!"

Hearing Elena cry out for support, Peldur races out of the room. Hoping to keep the attention away from Elena, Peldur leaps over the ghoul in the doorway.

Acrobatics, Tumble Through: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (14) + 9 = 23

Peldur lands with cat-like grace and sweeps his leg through the ghouls in the doorway.

Athletics, Trip: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (9) + 9 = 18

Peldur then strikes out at the other ghoul to his right.

Flurry of Blows
Claw: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (15) + 10 = 25
Damage: 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (7) + 2 = 9

Claw: 1d20 + 10 - 4 ⇒ (10) + 10 - 4 = 16
Damage: 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 2 = 7
If any of the strike hit, DC19 Fort or stunned 1

Peldur puts his skills to the test. Kicking off from the doorway, he vaults past the ghoul blocking it. He lands with a tuck and roll that turns into a spinning sweep of the leg. The strange, stranger than normal that is, ghoul down, he strikes with a flurry of rake strikes! The second is foiled by the ghoul's leather apron.
FORT 1: 1d20 ⇒ 12 PASS

Still a cool and varied round from Peldur, take a Hero Point.

Elena then arcs some electricity over Peldur's head:
White REF: 1d20 ⇒ 11 PASS
Aller REF: 1d20 ⇒ 13 PASS

Round 2:
Peldur: Take that!
Elena: Electric Arc
Bibi: Crit kill + Kill
Tal: Go
Augrael: TBD
Ghouls!: TBD
Carrufikus: TBD
Noroc: TBD

Tal strides and quick draws his axe on the way, heading to kill him some ghoulie ghouls. He flanks with Peldur.

Retribution Greataxe: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (11) + 8 = 19 Vs. Flank, Damage on Hit: 1d12 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3

Tal closes in and makes a solid attack. His own axe does very little, but the already wounded ghoul can't withstand the punishment and falls to the elf's feet!

Augrael, hearing the Necril-laden curses of the artisan ghoul shouts, "Careful friends! Aller is worse than the others!" Augrael then runs in and around behind Peldur.

Bite: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (19) + 12 = 31 for Double of: 1d8 + 7 ⇒ (3) + 7 = 10 He launches himself at the one named Aller and takes a massive bite out of his neck!

Not bothering to get up, the tripped ghoul tries to literally bite PEldur's ankles:
Bite 1: 1d20 + 15 - 2 ⇒ (8) + 15 - 2 = 21 for DMG: 2d8 + 7 ⇒ (8, 2) + 7 = 17 Two FORT saves
Bite 1: 1d20 + 10 - 2 ⇒ (16) + 10 - 2 = 24 for DMG: 2d8 + 7 ⇒ (7, 6) + 7 = 20 Two FORT saves
Bite 1: 1d20 + 5 - 2 ⇒ (14) + 5 - 2 = 17 MISS

Round 2:
Peldur: Take that!
Elena: Electric Arc
Bibi: Crit kill + Kill
Tal: Kill
Augrael: Crit
Ghouls!: ATK
Carrufikus: Go
Noroc: Go

The blur that is Peldur gives Noroc the courage to return to the fray, moving into the room and seeing the leatherworker on the ground. He tries to take advantage of that...

walking stick: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (20) + 8 = 28
slashing: 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (7) + 3 = 10

Fort: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (20) + 9 = 29
Fort: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (3) + 9 = 12, Fort, Hero Point: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (14) + 9 = 23
Fort: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (10) + 9 = 19
Fort: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (15) + 9 = 24

A youth spent sleeping on the ground and foraging for all manner of (semi)edible things has left Peldur with a hale constitution!

Noroc delivers another telling blow!

Round 2:
Peldur: Take that!
Elena: Electric Arc
Bibi: Crit kill + Kill
Tal: Kill
Augrael: Crit
Ghouls!: ATK
Carrufikus: Go
Noroc: Crit

Carrufikus moves in and casts another Disrupt Undead on the remaining for!

Disrupt Undead: 2d6 + 4 ⇒ (2, 1) + 4 = 7

Basic DC 19 Fortitude Save

FORT: 1d20 ⇒ 20 The ghoul laughs at Carrufikus's spell!

Round 3:
Peldur: Go
Elena: Go
Bibi: Go
Tal: Go
Augrael: Go
Ghouls!: TBD
Carrufikus: TBD
Noroc: TBD

Action 1: True Strike
Action 2-3: Produce Flame

Elena says a quick arcane syllable, getting a glimpse into the future as she weaves another spell. Within seconds she completes the conjuration of a ball of fire and hurls it at the remaining ghoul!
Produce Flame vs Aller: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (17) + 5 = 22
Produce Flame vs Aller: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (11) + 5 = 16
Damage (Fire): 2d4 + 4 ⇒ (3, 4) + 4 = 11

Peldur rolls into the corner to flank the last ghoul with Noroc. He sweeps out with his leg again to topple this ghould as well.

Athletics, Trip: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (1) + 9 = 10

He then strikes out with several claw attacks.

Claw: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (20) + 10 = 30 CRIT!
Damage: 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6

Claw: 1d20 + 10 - 4 ⇒ (8) + 10 - 4 = 14
Damage: 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6

Bibi hears the kerfuffle in the other room and rushes in. Seeing the downed ghoul, she flits over to a flanking position with Noroc, and makes a stab, trying to prevent it from ever standing again!!

Attack vs flank, prone: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (16) + 9 = 25 damage: 1d6 + 4 + 1d6 ⇒ (4) + 4 + (5) = 13

If a target remains, Talborel steps in and gives it the axe...

Retribution Greataxe: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (19) + 8 = 27, Damage On Hit: 1d12 + 2 ⇒ (7) + 2 = 9

If prey remains, I hut prey.

The rest of the party gangs up on the fallen ghoul. Tal, Bibi, Peldur, and Elena all connect. It takes every last one of the team to put the ghoul down. It's clear that had Peldur not swept its leg, the fight would have been decidedly more dangerous.

For the victory over a trio of ghouls and an exceptional ghoul, each hero earns 180 XP.

”Well done, my friends. Desna bless us all! This place remains quite dangerous. Is everyone alright?”

I need a breather.

Bibi gives Carrufikus a fencer's salute before sheathing her blade. while the rest of the party patches itself up, she frowns, and pulls out her quick map of the place.

You know...we missed a couple rooms in the floor above. We should check them out--we might find some clues about the missing folk!

section 4

”Take your breather, my friend.”

Carrufikus casts a two action heal on Elena and then on Peldur to restore the health of most of his allies.

Heal: 2d10 + 16 ⇒ (5, 1) + 16 = 22

Heal: 2d10 + 16 ⇒ (9, 2) + 16 = 27

May Desna bless both of you with long life and great health!”

Most appreciated, Carrufikus.

Elena smiles at the Desnan cleric. "What would we do without you, my friend?"

When everyone seems ready she points to the western door. "Bibi, care to check that door and get us to see what is beyond that wooden portal?"

Bibi declares the door safe, so she slips back for Peldur to do his thing.

The desk in this office has been repurposed into a messy butcher’s block. A shiny silver hatchet is wedged in the top of the desk, and bits of decaying pale flesh lie strewn about the room.

*siiiiigggghhhh* NO ONE listens to me!!!

You know...we missed a couple rooms in the floor above. We should check them out--we might find some clues about the missing folk!

section 4

But Bibi nonetheless checks out the Butcher's Desk for traps and other wierdness

Bibi finds nothing other than some horrible scraps of.... leather with writing on it. The writing is in a hodge podge of languages, and says nothing really.

While the quality of the silver is low, the craftsmanship of the axe itself is exquisite.

Elena picks up the axe with the intent of studying it. "I need just a minute or two."
Cast Read Aura, then use Quick Identify to Identify Magic on the axe (assuming it's magical). Arcana is +11

When she finishes, Elena says, "I'm sorry, Bibi. Did you want to backtrack? I have no particular problems with that."

That also gives Alena time to check out the teleportation areas.

Elena takes a hot minute and concludes that it's a +1
low-grade silver hatchet

"Another magic axe. And made of silver, which I suppose is useful against certain creatures."

With the idea of backtracking planted, Elena leads the group back up to the ground level. She doesn't deliberately ignore Bibi's request, but given what she knows now of this place she has a hunch. "Give me a bit to study this rune again. Because if we want to find these missing people, I have a hunch that activating this magic might be what we need."

She looks at Tal, a person who is still a mystery to her. But the one thing she does know is that the old elf has an understanding of the arcane. "I would appreciate your assistance in the activation ritual, Talborel. I can teach you the words necessary to aid me, and the process could take upwards of an hour."

Continuing, this time for the benefit of the group, Elena says, "If successful, we should be able to rekindle the magic within these runes for at least a day. My hope is that will be plenty of time for us to repeat the ritual to the paired runes at its destination. It'll be a bit of trail and error, but this will be vitally important for our exploration of this place I think."

Elena then looks to Tal to see if he's ready.
Will perform Awaken Portal using Arcana. Looking for Tal to make a Secondary Check using the same skill. Will then roll my Primary Check.

Tal clenches his jaw, unsure, exactly, how to proceed. But he sees the faith in Elena's eyes and... Prays... He won't fail another young mage.

Very well, Elena. Please review the incantations with me. I think I have a handle on the runes.

Secondary Arcana Check: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (10) + 7 = 17

Satisfied that Tal has the pronunciations right, Elena launches into the ritual.

Over the next our the two speak and repeat a complex series of arcane syllables. The words start out as guttural, coarse intonations that are accompanied by white energy sparking around the runes. As the ritual progresses, their tones become increasingly mellifluous and the erratic energy seems to grow calmer...
Awaken Portal (Arcana): 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (14) + 11 = 25

"How come this ritual has no dedication to Desna? I hope it still works?"

I need to know specifically which one you're working on. It's not a singular network of teleportation pads.

Elena and Tal work together for an hour to successfully reactivate the teleportation pad! Unfortunately, having only one activated doesn't do much. Nevertheless, the deed earns each character 8 XP.

Does Elena have an idea of how long it will stay active?

"Alright, now let's get to the other set of runes and repeat the ritual. If the two are the proper pairs then we'll have renewed the bridge between them permanently."

She leads the group to the other location. "When you are ready, Talborel."