Shadows of Gallowspire

Game Master Shadow_Fox

Fort save: 1d20 + 17 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 17 + 4 = 22
Son of a gun...

oh, no! I literally just did that exact same thing in another game (needed a 2 to save and rolled a nat 1). I feel your pain, lol.

Fort: 1d20 + 10 + 2 + 4 ⇒ (20) + 10 + 2 + 4 = 36 here's the 20 to your 1.

Fort save, protection from evil, Lastwall Phalanx: 1d20 + 10 + 2 + 4 ⇒ (10) + 10 + 2 + 4 = 26

Only Gaelan collapses to the ground, dropping his weapon and gasping at his throat, as the air is sucked from his lungs and his vision gets blurry, as his body starts to convulse. As the party collects their senses at what they have just seen, suddenly, they are assaulted, as undead apparitions pass through the walls and floors and attack you. Their ghostly touches pass right through your armor and protections to steal part of your soul!

Suprise Round - party is flat-footed:
Inc. Touch attack on Zed: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (3) + 10 = 13 --- hit
Damage: 1d8 ⇒ 3 + one level of energy drain
Inc. Touch attack on Solanis: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (5) + 10 = 15 -- hit
Damage: 1d8 ⇒ 2 + one level of energy drain
Inc. Touch attack on Aja: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (15) + 10 = 25 --- hit
Damage: 1d8 ⇒ 4 + one level of energy drain
Inc. Touch attack on Sister: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (2) + 10 = 12 --- hit
No damage/drain due to Death Ward
Zed suffers negative energy level but no penalties.
Solanis and Aja suffer: For each negative level a creature has, it takes a cumulative –1 penalty on all ability checks, attack rolls, combat maneuver checks, Combat Maneuver Defense, saving throws, and skill checks. In addition, the creature reduces its current and total hit points by 5 for each negative level it possesses.

Initiative:
Spectres: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (3) + 7 = 10
Aja: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (13) + 10 = 23
Gaelan: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (2) + 6 = 8
Sister: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (5) + 8 = 13
Solanis: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (19) + 8 = 27
Zed: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (11) + 7 = 18

Party is up! Everyone is staggered except Gaelan, who is close to passing out and possibly dying.

Combat Map

I believe my flat-footed touch AC should currently be 16? I have a +2 deflection bonus from my ring of protection and a +4 sacred bonus from Lastwall phalanx. And Zed and Zephra should both be at 14, at least, just from the sacred bonus? Normally I'd just post an action now and wait to find out about whether I took damage or not, but since the negative level would/will affect my rolls I'll wait and see if I'm correct or if I missed something.

Good catch. Add +4 to everyone’s touch AC without Dex. If attack missed, ignore consequences..

In case, I need to roll another Fort save. 1d20 + 17 + 4 ⇒ (12) + 17 + 4 = 33

Sola frowns at the appearance of the ghosts. Wishing that she had a weapon that was more effective against incorporeal forms, she resumes orating her lengthy tale of the human Iomedae's triumphs over the undead as, with a flap of her glossy white wings, she shifts her position to be above Zed.

Once she's reached a suitable attacking distance, she thrusts her spear at the spirit which had attacked her and was threatening Gaelan.

longspear vs undead (PA/IC/higher): 1d20 + 19 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 19 + 1 = 27
for: 1d8 + 24 + 2d6 ⇒ (3) + 24 + (2, 4) = 33

The extra 2d6 is from bane... I don't know if that makes any difference in what gets halved for attacking something incorporeal?

Zed scowls at the sudden ambush. Incorporeal undead. Ugh. He thinks.

Zed snatches out lightning fast, hand briefly touching Sister Zephra's most used dagger. It glows with a pale white light.

Touch the spirit world, the weapon will deal normal damage to incorporeal creatures for 12 rounds.

Solanis' blow strikes the spectre inflicting 16 damage. Unless it's force damage or from a ghost touch weapon, it's all half damage. So only Aja lost a negative level.

Sister Zephra strikes with her daggers, stabbing the incorporeal creatures and trusting on her magic to damage them.

Primary dagger attack, deadly juggernaut, WW, undead: 1d20 + 20 + 6 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 20 + 6 + 4 + 1 = 38
Primary dagger magic piercing damage, deadly juggernaut, WW: 1d10 + 13 + 6 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 13 + 6 + 4 = 24

Secondary dagger attack, deadly juggernaut, WW, undead: 1d20 + 19 + 6 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 19 + 6 + 4 + 1 = 32
Secondary dagger magic piercing damage, deadly juggernaut, WW: 1d10 + 12 + 6 + 4 ⇒ (9) + 12 + 6 + 4 = 31

Primary dagger attack, deadly juggernaut, WW, undead: 1d20 + 15 + 6 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 15 + 6 + 4 + 1 = 27
Primary dagger magic piercing damage, deadly juggernaut, WW: 1d10 + 13 + 6 + 4 ⇒ (9) + 13 + 6 + 4 = 32

Secondary dagger attack, deadly juggernaut, WW, undead: 1d20 + 14 + 6 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 14 + 6 + 4 + 1 = 26
Secondary dagger magic piercing damage, deadly juggernaut, WW: 1d10 + 12 + 6 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 12 + 6 + 4 = 24

Any damage is halved for incorporeal enemies, right?

ETA: Seriously? A 2 and two 1s?? The dice roller has it in for me! At least they weren't on my saves.

You are staggered, Sister, so actually 1 attack. :)

Goodness, I'm forgetting lots of things today. The dice seem to be on your side in remembering that she's staggered! And somehow I missed that Zed made her dagger ghost touchy.

How many rounds have passed since our last fight? I ask because I have Fast Healing 1.
And can we retcon that I got at least one LoH? I described that Aja was bleeding and Gaelan said he was checking the health of his party members. We just missed the roll.

"Shining light! Where did they come from?" And what are they? Aja asks herself before deciding on her action.
Knowledge (Religion): 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (14) + 17 = 31

It was at least 10 rounds (because I used 10 charges from a cure wand) plus however long it took to move back to the first door and check it then return to the altar for Gaelan to check that... so, minimum 17 rounds, maybe?

Oops. re-read the description and Aja instead suffered 2 negative levels not one.

Knowledge religion Check on Spectres:
Drain life energy
Wraiths have DV and Lifesense
Incorporeal
Channel resistance
Powerless in sunlight
Fly perfectly
Unnatural aura that bothers animals.

still hoping for a answer on LoH

Aja recognizes these incorporeal creatures. "Sarenrae's light shall burn you!" But I better get away from them for now.

Casting Vanish defensively. auto-succeed on Concentration check.

Aja disappears.

Aja, I am sure the party would have waited the necessary 5-6 minutes for your boots to heal you back to full.

Round 1: Spectres
Gaelan is alive but unconscious.

The spectre harmed by Solanis attacks her.
Touch attack: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (11) + 10 = 21
The spectre harmed by Sister attacks her.
Touch attack: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (20) + 10 = 30
Confirmation: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (6) + 10 = 16 - no
Damage: 1d8 ⇒ 3 + 1 negative level
The other spectres attack Solanis and Sister.
Touch attack on Solanis: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (12) + 10 = 22
Touch attack on Sister: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (5) + 10 = 15
Sister and Solanis, you will have to tell me your AC against incorporeal touch attacks with full bonuses to determine if the other attacks hit.
Party is up.

I just checked my running buffs. I still have four mirror images. @GM please roll for the wraith. :)

Aja, invisible, glides away silently and past the enemies. She flys as far as possible into the direction they just came from, but stops when she'd loose line of sight. Then she reappears, but not before a bright ray of sunlight shoots from her location at a surprisd wraith.

touch attack vs flat footed: 1d20 + 8 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 8 + 2 + 2 = 24
damage: 10d6 + 10 ⇒ (4, 5, 2, 4, 1, 2, 6, 3, 6, 5) + 10 = 48
half damage, because incorporeal

You actually have 3 images left - barbed devil took off 2 for a hit, which turned into a miss and a near miss.
4=you: 1d4 ⇒ 1 - miss - no negative levels. 2 images left.

So, I think my touch AC against the spectres is probably 20? I have +4 Dex, +2 deflection, and +4 sacred... my armor also grants an extra +2 vs undead (from the defiant enchantment) but I'm guessing that's probably an increase in enchantment bonus and wouldn't apply to touch AC? And, while we're on the defiant enchant, it also grants DR 2/- vs undead, does that apply to their attacks or no?

Yeah the +2 from defiant would not help. Sounds about right then - so AC 20. That's 2 hits and 4 levels of drain and -20 hps. The DR would apply to the damage, but not the drain. 2 hits = 2d8 - 4 ⇒ (8, 3) - 4 = 7 damage.

Zed touches his own weapon as well, preparing for an assault on the specters.

Touch the spirit world. A useful ability but it takes a darn standard action to activate.

The color drains from Sola's face as the ghosts drain her life away. Assuming Aja told us about their strengths/weaknesses, she calls out, "can anyone conjure some sunlight? Please..." as she tightens her grip on her spear and starts continues stabbing at the ghost she already hit.

longspear (PA/IC/higher/-lvl): 1d20 + 19 + 1 - 4 ⇒ (19) + 19 + 1 - 4 = 35
for: 1d8 + 24 + 2d6 ⇒ (2) + 24 + (1, 1) = 28

longspear (PA/IC/higher/-lvl): 1d20 + 14 + 1 - 4 ⇒ (3) + 14 + 1 - 4 = 14
for: 1d8 + 24 + 2d6 ⇒ (8) + 24 + (3, 6) = 41

longspear (PA/IC/higher/-lvl): 1d20 + 9 + 1 - 4 ⇒ (9) + 9 + 1 - 4 = 15
for: 1d8 + 24 + 2d6 ⇒ (3) + 24 + (4, 3) = 34

Rather than wait 6 minutes when we have minutes per level buffs up, Zephra would instead want to use up our wands of CLW, if that's all right? Ten applications of the wand should get Aja back up to full in only a minute.

Zephra's touch AC is 26 I think? 10 base +8 DEX, +4 deflection from shield of faith and +4 sacred from Lastwall Phalanx.

No longer staggered, Zephra stabs at the spectres that are within reach, trying to shield Gaelan's body from their ghostly attacks.

Primary dagger attack, deadly juggernaut, WW, undead: 1d20 + 20 + 6 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (12) + 20 + 6 + 4 + 1 = 43
Primary dagger magic piercing damage, deadly juggernaut, WW, TtSW: 1d10 + 13 + 6 + 4 ⇒ (7) + 13 + 6 + 4 = 30

Secondary dagger attack, deadly juggernaut, WW, undead: 1d20 + 19 + 6 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (15) + 19 + 6 + 4 + 1 = 45
Secondary dagger magic piercing damage, deadly juggernaut, WW: 1d10 + 12 + 6 + 4 ⇒ (7) + 12 + 6 + 4 = 29 (Should be halved vs incorporeals.)

Primary dagger attack, deadly juggernaut, WW, undead: 1d20 + 15 + 6 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 15 + 6 + 4 + 1 = 29
Primary dagger magic piercing damage, deadly juggernaut, WW, TtSW: 1d10 + 13 + 6 + 4 ⇒ (5) + 13 + 6 + 4 = 28

Secondary dagger attack, deadly juggernaut, WW, undead: 1d20 + 14 + 6 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (12) + 14 + 6 + 4 + 1 = 37
Secondary dagger magic piercing damage, deadly juggernaut, WW: 1d10 + 12 + 6 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 12 + 6 + 4 = 23 (Should be halved vs incorporeals.)

That sounds fine with Aja's healing - just mark off the 10 charges.
Solanis destroys the wounded spectre.
Sister destroys her wounded spectre and the spectre harmed by Aja's searing light.
1 spectre left who is full hps.

Round 2:
The apparition moans and strikes out at Sister.
Touch attack: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (16) + 10 = 26 - hit - your Lastwall bonus is now +3 since Aja moved away.
Damage: 1d8 ⇒ 4 plus 2 energy levels drained and 10 hps.
Solanis is down 20 hps and Sister 10 hps from your max total until 24 hours pass, assuming you make save, or someone casts Restoration on you.
Party is up!

Zed is ready to go. His armor faintly glows and he assaults the transparent undead.

Using armor to activate haste as a free action. Full attack.

Tetsubo Attack (IC, Flag, Haste): 1d20 + 18 + 3 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (16) + 18 + 3 + 2 + 1 = 40
Tetsubo Damage (PA, IC, Flag, Undead): 1d10 + 12 + 9 + 3 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 12 + 9 + 3 + 2 + 1 = 30

Tetsubo Attack (IC, Flag, Haste, PA): 1d20 + 18 + 3 + 2 + 1 - 3 ⇒ (10) + 18 + 3 + 2 + 1 - 3 = 31
Tetsubo Damage (PA, IC, Flag, Undead): 1d10 + 12 + 9 + 3 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 12 + 9 + 3 + 2 + 1 = 35

Tetsubo Attack (IC, Flag, Haste, PA): 1d20 + 13 + 3 + 2 + 1 - 3 ⇒ (17) + 13 + 3 + 2 + 1 - 3 = 33
Tetsubo Damage (PA, IC, Flag, Undead): 1d10 + 12 + 9 + 3 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 12 + 9 + 3 + 2 + 1 = 30

Full damage on each attack thanks to touch the spirit world.

The last spectre is destroyed by Zed's blows. A round later, Gaelan recovers consciousness. Combat over.

"How is everybody?"

Gaelan moans, "Uhh, what happened? Last thing I remember I couldn't breathe. It was an awful experience." Gaelan rubs his head and throat, grabs his blade, and stands. "What did I miss?"

Sola lands, her face clearly more pale than usual. "It seemed to be some sort of trap... or perhaps a haunted hallway? Whatever it was, it tried to steal our breath away, successfully in your case, and then we were attacked by several spectres. I fear they did a better job draining away my strength than I'd have liked... How is everyone else?"

So, apparently I'm an idiot and never wrote down what we finally decided on for healing/status items (and material components)... does anyone remember where that post is, or have the result written down somewhere? Also, what are our options for restoring negative levels aside from potential items? I'm willing to press on as is if necessary but 4 negative levels is obviously going to have an impact on my effectiveness.

I think we are SOL - only Sister has the ability to cast Restoration and she used her empty 4th level slot today to cast Dismissal. And we have 2 members with negative levels - Dame and Sister.

I personally have 2 potions of lesser restoration. Feel free to use them.

Unfortunately, lesser restoration does not restore negative levels. Only Restoration or higher magic does so.

Sister Zephra has death ward still up, so she wouldn't get any negative levels, right?

Also, does her damage reduction from deadly juggernaut apply to their negative energy attack? I was thinking probably not since it is energy rather than weapon damage, but negative energy is often in a weird place between energy damage and other damage so I thought I'd check. :) ETA: Oh! Death ward says she's immune to all negative energy effects. Does that include the damage from their touch?

Zephra sighs. "It is unfortunate that the spectrey things harmed you so badly, Dame Solaris. I'm sorry but I don't see any way that we can stop, though. I think we have to press on and hope that we'll be able to rest and recover soon."

Correct, no damage/drain then for Sister.

Assuming you continue...

You reach the door and after Gaelan checks for traps, you open it.

Compared to the decayed filth of the nave, this chamber is almost welcoming. Abused finery crowds the room, and heavy curtains, plush embroidered settees, rich rugs, and high-backed chairs bask in the warm light of a tabletop lantern. A large iron grate is set in the floor, a cool draft wafting up from below.

There is a door to the north also.

Map

Sola nods at the sister's wisdom and takes flight once again. She returns to her usual position and follows Gaelan forward. When the enter the next chamber she suggests, "perhaps whenever we enter a new space and aren't immediately under threat from enemy forces we could pause for Zed to check for traps or ambushes?"

Solanis: I assume Gaelan and Zed are making perception checks/disable device checks whenever they get to a door. I am handwaving them until they're necessary.

Gaelan moves over to the grate, the most interesting feature of the room in his opinion. It is locked? Trapped?
Perception: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (12) + 13 = 25

Cool, thanks GM. Yeah Zed will do perception and detect undead basically constantly while walking around, and he assumes somebody else is detecting magic.

After checking the corners of the room, Zed moves to the grate and sees if it can be moved.

The grate covers a 10-foot-square pit that descends 15 feet to the stone floor of a subterranean tomb. A small, 3-foot square section of the grate is hinged to provide access to the tomb below, and iron spikes are driven into the wall of the pit to allow people to climb down. Want to head down?

Sola listens attentively to the description of what’s below the grate, then looks to her companions to see if anyone has a suggestion for how to proceed. When nobody jumps to offer their opinion she offers, “maybe we should finish exploring up here first? That might only be one chamber, but it could also open into a cave system or something. We’ve seen the outside of the building and know there isn’t that much more of it to go.”

"I agree, Sola. We can always come back to this." Gaelan moves to the door to the north in the hallway and lets Zed listen for dangers/look for traps.

Zephra nods hesitantly. "At school they always said not to leave enemies behind you. But I don't know if that means enemies below you too. I guess if we come back after we finish checking up here, we aren't leaving them?"

"It does look like a tomb of sorts. We definitely need to consecrate that at one point."

"Once our final clash is done there will be much work to do throughout these lands, but for now our weapons must do the most important of the work." Zed nods to exploring the rest of the area before delving down.

After checking for traps, you open the door to the north to find:

A sliver of jet-black crystal pulsating with necrotic energy juts from the stone floor here. A dirty glass lens set in an intricate but tarnished brass mount two feet in diameter slowly orbits the rock from several feet away, focusing the dark energies of the crystal toward four nearby chairs that seem more like torture devices than comfortable seats. You see a half-elf currently bound in one of the chairs.

Hidden in invisibility preparing an ambush, but easily seen by Zed and Gaelan and the party due to Sister's invisibility purge, are five cultists who look like this: Image. They are led by a woman who looks like this: Woman

Initiative:
Cultists: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3
Natasha: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (19) + 8 = 27
Aja: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (5) + 10 = 15
Gaelan: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (20) + 6 = 26
Sister: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (13) + 8 = 21
Solanis: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (20) + 8 = 28
Zed: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (8) + 7 = 15

Solanis is up first. I have colored the cultists to distinguish them.

Map

From her position in the air, Sola can see only the feet of a few waiting cultists. Grateful they can't see her face, she pretends not to see them as she informs her companions, "Let's move in and examine the stone, but if it summons something remember these three things: try to flank creatures whenever possible; Iomedae's blessing is on all we do here; and, she herself demonstrated the power of good over the undead when by her very own sword she cleaved through the hordes amassed at..."

move action to give everyone outflank with tactician (which is a separate ability and shouldn't interfere with Lastwall Phalanx which has about a minute left, I think); standard action to use calling; swift action to activate inspire courage.