#8-25 Unleashing the Untouchable (Inactive)

Game Master cmlobue

]Otto uses his final casting of barkskin (shared) on himself and Allison] [ooc(this is not extended unless someone happens to have an unused charge on a lesser rod of extend, so it only has 60 minutes duration for each of them[/ooc]

Marta has a charge to spare. Hard pass on swimming in Lava, by the way.

Reiko takes a look around on general principle, but declines to go lava swimming. "Let's stay on this hallway for the moment and see what that next room offers."

Perception, HA: 1d20 + 12 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 12 + 2 = 22

Exits: through magma room, left, hallway turns right

Reiko will be at the back unless there's a reason to move forward. Feel free to move my token around. (GM, can we follow one token until needed? We can stay in this order in these narrow hallways. I'm just concerned about exploration taking forever due to the nature of PbP.)

Unless you want to go swimming, you do not find anything of interest in the room.

If you do want to go swimming... it deals more than 3d10 damage per round, FYI.

What about next stairs in the east? Look map. That was my intention.

The only other exit from this L-shaped room is a stairway down in the north wall.

If no one minds, to save time getting through this not completely full map, not I will just have everyone skip the perception rolls in the empty rooms and do everyone's myself when there is something to find.
I also have no problem only using Barm's token until your exact locations are needed and staying in the shown order.

Works for me. Reiko has a +2 on Per checks with Heightened Awareness right now.

Same with Marta, but she also has a +2 from heroism. Any door or stairway is fine with me. I'll second the first suggestion made in every case.

Otto has +24 Perception with Heightened Awareness. Allison has +10 with Scent. Happy to follow whatever route the group chooses.

Likewise happy with your proposal GM; don't forget Hunter's Blessing is adding +2 to everyone's Perception, if you haven't already factored it in.

Marta have you got enough spell slots left to put a Heroism on Quenly? I'll forgo Barkskin Otto.

Barm enters the east room and continues to the north.

This large chamber has a multitude of exits, including a grand staircase up to the northwest. Much of the southeastern wall seems to have been blasted away, leaving a broad shore along a magma lake.

"Let's check the passage we missed back near the entrance. If there are exits from there, we can reevaluate. Otherwise, we might end up with something coming up behind us."

Marta have you got enough spell slots left to put a Heroism on Quenly? I'll forgo Barkskin Otto.

Not really, she would have to consume a 4th level slot to cast it.

"There's a front door. Somebody coming up behind us can happen anyway. Won't hurt to check it out, though."

"Let's check the passage we missed back near the entrance. If there are exits from there, we can reevaluate. Otherwise, we might end up with something coming up behind us."

"Let's go!"

Quenly wrote:

Marta have you got enough spell slots left to put a Heroism on Quenly? I'll forgo Barkskin Otto.

Not really, she would have to consume a 4th level slot to cast it.

No problem - I'll burn my last level 3 slot and Channel the Gift for it.

This 15 by 35 room has only one exit, the staircase you used to get in.

"Let's go here!"

See map

A 50 foot long hallway extends before you, with three passageways to the north.

"Seems pretty quiet here. A good thing."

"I'm just waiting for something to jump out at us," says Reiko with a grin.

"Let's see what is in the first room on the right?"

A GM who is bored of describing rooms with nothing in them.

Look at the next two hallways to see if there is anything useful, then come back to the big room? Look at the pretty magma, go into the big area?

At last, a thing!

An elaborate cylindrical device fashioned from interlocking coppery gears, rods, and pistons runs from the floor to the ceiling in this chamber. Bands of illusory Ignan writing encircle the device in free-floating rings.

Knowledge Arcana or Engineering DC 20 Reiko quickly determines that this device can be used to control the flow of Trueflame.

The device needs to be calibrated in order to supply Trueflame to other parts of the area. You only get one attempt to do so, and you will not know whether it was successful or not, so I'll be making the rolls and hiding them once you have decided how you are doing it. There are many options for what skill to roll, but one is ideal, granting a -7 to the DC if that skill is used. There are bonuses available to individuals (which stack):

+2 if you got a 35 or higher on the Knowledge check during the briefing

+2 for being able to read Ignan

+3 for each Fire Affinity boon on the character

+1 to +5 if you have a spell or class ability that you think will be especially helpful (explain why)

The ideal skill for this device is Knowledge (Arcana), and other options are e Craft (clockwork), Disable Device, Knowledge (engineering), Knowledge (planes), Profession (engineer), and Use Magic Device.

Reiko examines the device very carefully and translates the name for everyone. I don't remember if I got a 35 or more during the briefing. Reiko reads Ignan, can and will cast Gallant Inspiration for an addition 2d4 on a skill check, and has a boon to make any knowledge a +30 for 1 roll. She has lore master, so as a standard action she takes 20 on a knowledge check. Right now it looks like a 52, plus 2d4, using Knowledge arcana.

Can people aid, and if so can they only aid with the same skill or can they use any of the others to aid?

Reiko and Quenly got the bonus from the briefing. Yes, anyone can aid with the same skill.

kn arc aid, heroism, h. aware: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8

"I think that thingie goes in the whatzit over there. Technically speaking, of course."

Otto watches worriedly, wondering if Reiko knows what she is doing.

If 52+2d4 isn't good enough then uh oh! Otto isn't trained in Knowledge (Arcana) however, so he will just silently kibbitz from behind his eyeless hellknight mask...

Just tell me who is lead, who is aiding, what skill and what bonuses. I will roll them in secret. But I'll let you keep that roll. ;)

I understand.

Reiko, assuming you're happy using your boon then you should lead. Quenly gets to +42 (+2d4) using his lore needle (one of three uses per day) and a level 2 spell with your Gallant Inspiration included. Up to you if you want to conserve that boon. Otherwise Quenly will Aid with +32 (not using Page-Bound Epiphany, but using the lore needle).

Barm is useless here!

Yes, happy to use the boon. It's once an adventure. So with an additional +2 for the briefing, that makes 54 +2d4.

[dice=kn arc aid, heroism, h. aware]1d20+4

"I think that thingie goes in the whatzit over there. Technically speaking, of course."

Well, dang. I cited the heroism and heightened awareness but did not add it. That should have been a 12. But I'm good if you ignore it and roll in private.

WOW! Lots of posts today!

"Uh, yeah. You guys work that out. I'll go over here by the door and wait in case anybody comes along to interfere . . .."

Reiko spends some time studying the device, and eventually moves some pieces around. It begins to glow warmly, and the gears start moving.

You'll find out if this worked later. What now?

The group heads over to the corridor to the west/left and heads up thataway.

If I may be so bold as to just shove the group along?

This hallway ends with a long staircase upward leading to a room with another non-functional device similar to the one Reiko just repaired.

The same rules apply for fixing it.

The ideal skill for this device is Craft (alchemy), and other options are Craft (clockwork), Disable Device, Knowledge (arcana), Knowledge (engineering), Knowledge (planes), Profession (engineer), and Use Magic Device.

Here we go again. Base +25 arcana, +2 heightened awareness, +2 briefing, +2 for Ignan, +4 from faction goal 1/adventure = +35, take 20 from loremaster = 55, gallant inspiration +2d4. (+2 from Quenly, +2 from Marta? not added yet) If someone else wants to take the lead, she is happy to help. She will use gallant inspiration on whoever makes the check.

Once again Marta points out the thingies and whatsits. Her aid roll will be at a +8.

Otto stands around, looking useless, while Allison considers whether the doohickey might be edible.

Distillation... Capacitor.

Quenly aids at +10

Marta causes a thin stream of smoke to come out of it, but Reiko covers that. Some unlabeled gauges on the machine begin to display... something and it begins to hum.

The group heads on over to the other side of the building, seeing no doors at this end.

Again, speak up if you want to do more deliberation but I figure these peripheral doors seem to have stuff in them that will help us in our final encounter, so it seems prudent to do them before going to what looks like the main area.

After going down the stairs, the hallway turns left, leading to an empty 10 foot by 15 foot room.

Don't worry, you are mostly out of empty rooms.

So we move on to the hallway next to it.

What you're doing is fine with me. Running around finding things is the name of the game right now.

Agreed. Seems the best choice. I know I'm playing a fighter, but not getting into fights (while still getting the job done) is fine with me!

A shimmering cube of force ten feet on each side hovers inches off of the ground at the back of this ancient chamber. Seated cross-legged inside the cube is a horned, crimson-skinned creature covered in golden runic tattoos. Deep, jagged scars mar some of the creature’s tattoos, and its wrists are bound by a thick pair of cold iron shackles covered in blazing blue sigils.

As soon as you enter the the room, the creature greets you matter-of-factly, “What a fortunate discovery you’ve made. It is not every day outsiders such as you stumble upon a literal genie, such as myself, in need of freedom. Surely you’re aware how those stories go, yes? Freedom for a wish or three? Today is a day like those stories, if you would have it be so.”

Wow, I have to actually roll the Spellcraft.

Reiko stops to look at the creature and the sigils on both its skin and shackles.

Spellcraft: 1d20 + 25 ⇒ (5) + 25 = 30 (And of course, roll garbage. :) )
Knowledge (planes) : 1d20 + 26 ⇒ (13) + 26 = 39
Looking for DR, special attacks, SR

"That doesn't look terribly comfortable. What happened to bring you here, sir?"

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (17) + 14 = 31
Sense Motive: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (5) + 6 = 11

No DR, so SR. Twice per day, an efreeti can change a person's size as enlarge person or reduce person, except that it can affect itself.

“I trusted overmuch in the strength of some humans. The creatures that guard this place ambushed us, and now I reap the rewards of such
misplaced trust. Perhaps you are more worthy of my trust - and aid?”