GM Valen's PFS 2e 1-01 The Absalom Initiation (Table 1) (Inactive)

Game Master Lysle

Arturo runs out to see the hands grasping Callie, and tries to figure out what in the world is going on.

One action to Stride into the hallway, one action to Recall Knowledge. Not trained in Religion, so just a +1, but maybe I'll get lucky with the roll. Holding my third action until I get the results.

The description of this haunt is not entirely clear to me. However, checking around, I have decided to adjudicate it as follows:

After tearing into Callie's legs, the hands disappear as quickly as they appeared.

Can Callie move with an acrobatics check to avoid the hands?

No, but the hands are gone (at least for the moment).

Are the hands just around Callie's feet or is there an area of them?

Good question. The description does not say, but given the nature of the haunt, I will say that the phantasmal hands filled ALL of room 3, as far as you could see. Given this information, I am going to rule that Duncan can take alternative actions this round if he chooses not to fire a ray of frost at a now "empty" floor.

I am going to keep the party in rounds. The party knows that Callie triggered this haunt as soon as she entered room 3 from room 1, although I don't think the party has necessarily discerned how the haunt was triggered or whether it will react again.

Also, I saw that Arturo's token was in room 3, but given that he has not posted since Callie triggered the haunt, I have moved his token back into room 2.

Each PC has a full round of actions. This is currently a "first aid" matter as Callie has persistent bleed damage. However, if your PC moves, please place your PC tokens according to the actions you take.

FAILING TO KEEP ONES HANDS TO ONESELF! - Round One Begins

All PCs may act

Callie -8 HP (persistent bleed 3 at end of turn then Flat check)
Duncan
Arturo
Matherius

Ninja'd while drafting the post above!

Arturo runs out to see the hands grasping Callie, and tries to figure out what in the world is going on.

Returning Arturo's PC token to room 3.

As soon as Artuor exits the room, entering into the hallway a second time (Room 3 on Map), illusory, rotting hands again tear upward, coming through the floorboards, tearing into his legs, clawing at them, and leaving real wounds, which begin to bleed!

Scrabbling Hands, slashing damage: 4d6 ⇒ (4, 5, 4, 6) = 19
Scrabbling Hands, bleed damage: 2d6 ⇒ (3, 3) = 6

Arturo may attempt a basic DC 17 Will save to reduce this damage.

One action to Stride into the hallway, one action to Recall Knowledge. Not trained in Religion, so just a +1, but maybe I'll get lucky with the roll. Holding my third action until I get the results.

Arturo recognizes this as a haunt, triggered by a creature entering an area within the hall (room 3) for a second time. Unfortunately, he also recognizes that he does not have sufficient training to release the spirits from their tortured existence as an undead haunt.

As quickly as they appeared, the phantasmal hands disappear.

FAILING TO KEEP ONES HANDS TO ONESELF! - Round One Cont'd

All PCs may act

Callie -8 HP (persistent bleed 3 at end of turn then Flat check)
Duncan
Arturo -? (basic Will save required per above, one action remaining)
Matherius

Callie moves back into Room one. Once there, she tries to stop the bleeding. flat check: 1d20 ⇒ 6

Are there windows in Room 1?

Will Save: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6

That's a crit fail. Um. I think Art is in very big trouble.

Overwhelmed by the sudden tearing and ripping at his legs, Arturo's last thought before unconsciousness is, Nine Hells, I left Ustalav to get away from this crap...

That's 38 damage. I believe the crit fail puts me at Dying 2, and bleeding.

Seeing claws scrabbling at his companions Duncan works his way through the rooms to see how widespread the effect is.

Did Arturo move before Callie? If so, I just realized Stabilize is a range spell, and that would change Callie's actions slightly

No, it was after. And I don't know if Stabilize would help since I'm taking persistent damage. Worth checking!

As noted in the the Discussion thread Matherius' player has had to leave the table. Initially, I was thinking I might bot Matherius. However, after reviewing the Organized Play Guide and it looking unlikely that Matherius will return before the scenario ends, it appears that my only option is to bring in the pregenerated character that most closely resembles the lost PC. As Matherius was a bard, I am bringing in 1st-level Lem.

Suddenly, Matherius appears to morph and change and shorten into a halfling. "Hello, my true name is Lem. I guess I shouldn't have trusted that witch with that permanency spell."

Lem's character sheet has been added to Slides.

Are there windows in Room 1?

Yes. The description does not expressly state there are windows, but it makes sense to me that they would be there--though heavily damaged. Depending on what you want to do with them, a skill check may be required to get through them unscathed. Also, the ceiling overhead in Room 1 has collapsed, leaving the room open to the sky.

Seeing claws scrabbling at his companions Duncan works his way through the rooms to see how widespread the effect is.

Duncan can see that the phantasmal hands cover the floor of the entire hall, all of the grey-floored area in the residence (all of Room 3).

That's 38 damage. I believe the crit fail puts me at Dying 2, and bleeding.

Unfortunately, that would kill Arturo as, technically, as I believe that I am required to use the Massive Damage rules.

The good news is that you now have a party member with a cool ability as a reaction.

As Arturo begins to recoil in horror from the tiny hands, Lem begins to sing!
Counter Performance(composition, enchantment, fortune, mental) Cast [reaction] somatic or verbal; Trigger You or an ally within 60 feet rolls a saving throw against an auditory or visual effect. Area 60-foot emanation. Effect Your performance protects you and your allies. Roll a Performance check (auditory for an auditory trigger, visual for a visual trigger). You and allies in the area can use the better result between your Performance check and the saving throw.

Performance for Counter Performance: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (8) + 7 = 15

A regular fail.

Arturo collapses to the ground.
Only 19 damage + 3 bleed

No, it was after. And I don't know if Stabilize would help since I'm taking persistent damage. Worth checking!

Stabilize would remove the dying condition, but then it would resume at the end of Arturo's turn due to persistent damage.

Lem casts soothe on Arturo.
Heal: 1d10 + 4 ⇒ (8) + 4 = 12

Arturo regains consciousness.

FAILING TO KEEP ONES HANDS TO ONESELF! - Round One Cont'd

PCs in bold may act

Callie -8 HP (persistent bleed 3 at end of turn then Flat check)
Duncan (one action remaining)
Arturo - 5 HP (wounded 1, persistent bleed 3)
Lem

No changes to Callie's actions then

Maybe we can get out through the windows

After casting his spell, Lem retrieves his backpack to look for his vial of lesser healing potion.
Interact as his last action

Maybe we can get out through the windows

To climb out through a window, a PC must make a successful DC 15 Acrobatics check. On a failure, the PC still gets in, but takes 1d4 slashing damage from the window’s broken glass. On a critical failure, the PC takes 2d4 slashing damage and fails to exit the room.

The room is on a raised floor. Once out of window, a PC would have to make a successful Climb actions to get to the roof or descend to the ground below with a Climb, Jump, or similar action.

FAILING TO KEEP ONES HANDS TO ONESELF! - Round Two Begins

PCs in bold may act

Callie -11 HP (persistent bleed 3)
Duncan (+one action remaining from last round)
Arturo - 5 HP (wounded 1, persistent bleed 3)
Lem

Duncan heads back to the others...

Mat... Lem, any idea how to stop this?

Lem's sheet lists a +1 on religion but I don't know if he can get any information on the haunt.

WHEW! Too dang many close calls for Arturo on this adventure! O_O

Arturo limps out of the hallway and nods gratefully to the halfling. "Thanks M... er, Lem." Bloody hell, these Society types are odd ducks. "I don't know what that song was, but I felt its magic save my life. I appreciate it. The last few days have been harrowing, to say the least."

If he can spend his last two actions to take the vial and drink it (assuming it's being offered by Lem), he will do that. Otherwise he'll forego his other two actions to hang out and wait to be handed the potion. Hopefully the healing is enough to stop the bleed.

Flat Check: 1d20 ⇒ 4

Callie holds position. flat check: 1d20 ⇒ 14

Mat... Lem, any idea how to stop this?

Lem's sheet lists a +1 on religion but I don't know if he can get any information on the haunt.

Unfortuantely, Lem is not trained in Religion (which is required to disable the hazard), although I suppose he could still try and identify it.

Lem, Religion: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 9

"Alas, I do not," confides Lem. "However, Callie may be right in our being able to avoid it. If this phenomena effects the entire hallway, then it may be best to avoid it by climbing onto the roof or getting down to the grounds and finding another way in to the other side of the estate."

"That being said, I am an awful climber," confides the halfling. "Short arms and legs."

"The last few days have been harrowing, to say the least."

If he can spend his last two actions to take the vial and drink it (assuming it's being offered by Lem).

He may.

That should put Arturo at max HP and stop the bleed condition!

As Callie continues to bleed, Lem casts soothe on the sorceror.

Soothe: 1d10 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7

"I am sorry to say, that is the last casting of soothe that I can make today," Lem notes grimly.

FAILING TO KEEP ONES HANDS TO ONESELF! - Round Three Begins

PCs in bold may act

Callie -7 HP (persistent bleed 3)
Duncan
Arturo (wounded 1 until 10 minute rest)
Lem

As far as I could see the entire hall was covered. Sounds like the window is our best option. I have some rope to make the climb easier and we may be able to break the rest of the glass out so we're less apt to cut ourselves.

I know I drank the potion from Benarry. What else do we have left from the captains?

As far as I could see the entire hall was covered. Sounds like the window is our best option. I have some rope to make the climb easier and we may be able to break the rest of the glass out so we're less apt to cut ourselves.

I know I drank the potion from Benarry. What else do we have left from the captains?

Your choice of a scroll: disrupting weapons, heal or magic missile.

Arturo bites his lip in frustration, with no way to reach Callie and no way to help her and not sure if he could help, even if he could reach her. "Hang tight, Callie! We'll figure something out."

I think the only way I can get to Callie is via the room of murdering hands. If I could get there, I could use my last unused batch of reagents to Quick Alchemy a minor elixir, but that's not going to give her max HP so it won't stop the bleeding. Do you need a Healer's Kit to attempt First Aid? If not, I could do a Medicine check but again, I have to get to her first. :(

Perhaps we can bust down the wall between us?

bleed flat check: 1d20 ⇒ 15

looks like there is a door between 1 & 2

Let's see what scrolls we have.

Duncan pulls out the case and flips through, finding the scroll of heal.

Ah, perfect

scroll of heal, 2 action: 1d8 + 8 ⇒ (3) + 8 = 11

Much better. Now out the window we go

looks like there is a door between 1 & 2

Correct.

Much better. Now out the window we go

Callie is back to full and has lost persistent bleed condition.

Going out of rounds

[b]Party Status[b]

Callie
Duncan
Arturo (wounded 1 until 10 minute rest)
Lem

If you take your time, you can chisel out the broken glass from the window, eliminating the potential for slashing damage.

So, where to? Is the party headed to the roof or the ground or through Room 3?

Arturo finally relaxes, seeing that the party is out of immediate danger. "May we rest a moment?" He looks a little haggard from his second near-death experience in three days.

I'd like to take that 10-minute rest to lose the Wounded condition if y'all don't mind.

Once the party is ready to go again, Arturo takes stock of his remaining alchemical items. "I am out of elixirs of life, out of bottled lightning... I have a single batch of unused reagents I can make into something on the fly, and three acid flasks." He sighs. "Should have made alchemist's fires instead. But nooo, I just had to try a new setup for this mission." His self-deprecation trails off into incomprehensible grumbling. He finally stands up and brushes off his hands, then glances at the hole in the ceiling in the room Callie's standing in. "Well, there's nothing we can do about the floor of hands, so I guess we're climbing. I have rope, but I do not have much skill in, erm..." He looks a bit sheepish. "... athletic pursuits. If someone can climb up and tie it off, I think I can manage to follow, but climbing without rope is beyond me."

take the time you need.

Callie will use her dagger to clear the glass. She offers to climb up to the roof to see if they can travel across it.

Catch your breath while we handle the window.

Callie, make sure you tie yourself off so we can keep you from hitting the ground.

The equipment that the party uses for the Climb determines the DC. What does the party have to use? Grappling hook? Rope? Ladder? Feather token? Remember, that before the scenario, you should have received school items.

Arturo has rope. I dunno if I actually chose a school item, but if not my default is almost always an extra healing potion. Feels kinda like a cheat to wait until the end of the adventure and be like, "oh I just happened to choose the climbing kit!" XD (I dunno if that's actually an option, just used as an example.) But Artie does actually have rope so that's covered.

Considering how many times people have gone down thus far, I think the healing potion is the safer bet than a ladder anyway lol.

Wait, according to Archives of Nethys, you need to be Trained in order to climb a rope? That makes no sense to me.

Considering how many times people have gone down thus far, I think the healing potion is the safer bet than a ladder anyway lol.

I generally trust my players unless they give me a strong reason not to. This is a game and I will often error on the side of what's more fun. Although I will call out blatant cheating, a game should not be a burden and I realize that, at times, folks forget to track resources at times. I would MUCH rather have a PC "just happen" to have certain equipment than have a PC die due to having forgotten to choose an available resource--particularly in a 4-person party with a pregen and notoriously difficult encounter.

Wait, according to Archives of Nethys, you need to be Trained in order to climb a rope? That makes no sense to me.

You don't need to be trained to climb a rope. "Trained" indicates the the task falls under a Simple DC (as opposed to it being Level-Based).

With a rope and grappling hook, and no time limit, the party is able to make its way onto the roof of the ruined estate.

Where to? You can bust through the roof of any of the remaining rooms 4-6 with a successful DC 17 Athletics check. Alternatively, you can climb through the broken glass window in room 5 with a successful DC 15 Acrobatics check. On a failure, the PC still gets in, but takes 1d4 slashing damage from the window’s broken glass. On a critical failure, the PC takes 2d4 slashing damage and fails to exit the room. Breaking the glass beforehand will first require a successful DC 15 Athletics to Climb followed by a DC 17 Acrobatics check to hold the rope while breaking the glass. Otherwise, you can try to enter the remaining rooms from room 3, with the consequences thereof, or just turn around and head back to the Grand Lodge, with the consequences thereof. I am also open to creative alternatives.

I had forgotten about the school items. And looking at the school page, I guess I am supposed to have a Bonus Lore and I would have taken a healing potion. Also discovered that Callie has rope as well...

Callie will not enter the first, she will wait for someone else to go first.

Seeing as there's no one particularly sturdy to go first (aka no meat shield XD ), Arturo slides down the rope and tries to finagle his way through the window without opening an artery.

Acrobatics to enter Room 5: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (11) + 3 = 14

Gah! So close!

S Dmg: 1d4 ⇒ 1

At the last moment, his foot catches on the window frame and opens up a nasty tear on his leg. Thankfully the wound looks a lot worse than it is.

Whew!

Once inside, Arturo takes a look around.

Search Exploration Activity.

Upon his (mostly) graceful entry, Arturo finds that everything that this room once held now lying jumbled over the floor in a soggy mess: torn pages, scraps of fabric, and splintered remnants of furniture. Doors hang askew in the north and east walls, but the door to the south has been smashed from its hinges.

While searching the room, he finds a hidden compartment in the wall behind a collapsed bookcase that contains a stack of notes that appear to be about the owners’ work. The notes contain labeled schematics for a soulbound doll, indicating that the owners of the estate were soulbound doll makers.
A sample of the notes now posted on Slides.

Arturo also spots a faintly glowing vial labeled, "lesser healing potion".
This magic item represents 2 Treasure Bundles.

Gorm Greathammer told the party to, ""Go explore the house. See if you can't uncover its history before its destruction." I will leave it up to you whether or not you believe this assignment has been completed.

What next, Pathfinders? Do you wish to explore further? Or do you wish to return to Gorm with what you have found?

Arturo, are you okay? Is it safe to come down?

"Yes," Arturo calls up. "Just be cautious of the glass."

He waits until at least one other person has entered the window before moving into the northern room (room 6).

I think we might as well check rooms 4 and 6 before leaving, just in case.

Duncan slides down the rope after Arturo,

Acrobatics: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (12) + 7 = 19

smoothly clearing the jagged shards.

Hold on and we'll clear your path.

He starts smashing out the glass around the window to make it safer for Callie and Lem to follow.

Once the glass is cleared, Callie will descend and enter the room.

Lem follows the others through the window and into the debris-filled room.

Map updated with PC tokens in locations indicated from post.

Arturo enters a nearby room (Room 6). Within it, he finds that ivy has overgrown the empty window frame, casting this room into cool shadow. A low shelf, its wood warped and cracked, stands against the south wall, and a desk has been overturned and smashed in the eastern part of the room.

"What do you see, Arturo?" asks Lem. "Should we follow you?"

"One moment," Arturo replies, holding a hand up. "This room is bad shape, don't want to cause anything to collapse. Let me just take a look around. You are close by if anything should happen."

He proceeds to scan the room, starting with the smashed desk and moving to the cracked shelf.

Perception +6.

Callie looks into the room. Do you need a light?

"One moment," Arturo replies, holding a hand up. "This room is bad shape, don't want to cause anything to collapse. Let me just take a look around. You are close by if anything should happen."

"I'll remain right here unless you tell me otherwise," Lem responds.

He proceeds to scan the room, starting with the smashed desk and moving to the cracked shelf.

Perception +6.

Arturo does not spot anything further of interest within the room.

"I can cast a light spell, if you'd like?" offers Lem in response to Callie's question.

Anyone else want to take a look? Anyone going into Room 4? Or is the party ready to depart (presumably out the window)?

Sure thing Lem. Light it up. I want to poke around before we check out the other room.

Duncan follows Arturo into the next room once he has some light from Lem.

Perception +6

Lem casts light.

Arturo and Duncan each search the room.

"Don’t make me go in the doll again," quietly pleads one of the voices.

"Please, let me stay out here," pleads another.

"No, not the doll...," chimes another voice, growing more insistent.

"Please, I beg you! Don't make me go back in the doll." The voices rise in intensity.

"Don't make me!"

"No. No! No!""

The whispers of the lost spirits become more and more insistent, reliving their last moments, until they they threaten to drag the living into their haunting illusions!

Arturo, Will save (DC 18): 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (18) + 4 = 22

Duncan, Will save (DC 18): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (10) + 6 = 16

Arturo quickly focuses his mind to shut out the voices. However, Duncan's mind is quickly pulled under by the whispers. He begins to babble and speak in audible whispers, joining his pleas with the souls of the lost!

Duncan has become confused for one round!

Religion DC 16 (trained) to suppress the spirits or Performance DC 16 (trained) to drown out the spirits.

A DROWNING IN WHISPERS! - One of Confusion Begins

Lem asks quickly and begins to sing!
Performance: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (13) + 7 = 20

His voice is sufficient to suppress the effect of the haunt!

With the party now safe, only one room remains left to be explored.

We are very nearly at the end of the scenario. I have started using this helpful page to generate chronicles and ask that you please follow the link and provide the information requested as it allows me to generate chronicles quickly and then get them out to you all. Thanks!

Arturo half-pulls Duncan out of the room, even as Lem's song counteracts the temporary madness trying to worm its way into the swashbuckler's mind. He pats Duncan on the shoulder and breathes a heavy sigh of relief. "We may as well check the last room, but... let's do it quick and be gone from here. This place is awful."

He makes a quick scan of the final room, but finding nothing of interest, he shakes his head. "Okay. I suppose this particular task was only a partial success. We should be sure to warn the venture-captain of the spirits haunting this place. Someone with the proper skills should come by and try to put these ghosts to rest."

Should be all set for the chronicle, I think, but please let me know if I missed anything. Thank you for running!

Callie has been entered. Thanks for the game.

Having completed the four missions you’ve been assigned, you can report back to the faction leaders at the Grand Lodge. Three of the faction leaders are satisfied that you survived and reasonable accomplished your assigned goals. However, Calisro Benarry openly ponders whether the wrecked ship in the Flotsam Graveyard is in fact a relic of the original Silent Tide invasion and holds hope of sending agents to the wreck again someday, though better prepared to deal with any fire-breathing constructs that may still be aboard.

After the last meeting, Janira Gavix intercepts your
party in the halls of the Grand Lodge. The halfling races down the hall, her blond hair flying in her excitement. “I just heard you made it back—congratulations! It sounds like everything went, well, about as well as anyone could expect. Come with me, I have something for each of you.”

The halfling woman leads the way into a small office and distributes finely crafted wooden boxes. Within each, a gleaming compass lid emblazoned with the Glyph of the Open Road and an engraved name lies upon a cushion of silk. “I’m not sure if you’ve picked up your own wayfinders yet, but when you do, you should have ones that prove that you belong. Now it’s official,” she beams. “Welcome to the Pathfinder Society!”

FIN

Thank you all for playing and sticking it out. I realize that this run was a bit rough, with only four players, a player drop at the end, a seemingly high number of unfortunate rolls, and some tough encounters. However, you did well under the circumstances. Chance and randomness is built into the game and part of its excitement and drama, though it also means sometimes the results aren't what you would hope. Playing novice agents means your PC can learn from early failures to become better experienced agents and mentors in the scenarios to come. Also, this scenario is repeatable (with some elements being random) so you can play it again with a different PC for credit some day when it is offered in the future!

Each member of the party receives 8 Treasure Bundles.

Reporting Notes

As the PCs recruited Tavvar Hamavsi to the Pathfinder Society, I will be reporting this fact, which may or may not impact future scenarios.

Unfortunately, the PCs did NOT meet their primary objective by
successfully completing all four missions assigned to them by the faction leaders. That flesh-forged dreg simply overpowered the party.
As a result, you did not earn 2 Reputation that you could have. As Fame has gone away to be replaced with ACP, you will not receive any Fame for this adventure and, I believe, you receive full ACP for the scenario (even if you would not have received full Fame,).

The PCs receive 2 Reputation for any faction associated with their currently slotted faction boon for completing a sufficient number of secondary objectives, which included:
• Successfully occupying at least three of the four non– faction leader NPCs at the party.
• Disabling the ritual in without Tavvar or any of her assistants perishing.
• Learning the original owners’ illicit actions as soulbound doll makers in the estate, and,
• Dispersing the crowd near the statues without resorting to violence.

I will complete the Chronicles shortly and post a link to them in the Discussion thread. Thank you all again for a fun game! I've enjoyed having you as players and ​I look forward to sharing a table with each of you in the future!

Thanks so much for running! I'll keep an eye out for future games you run, because this was a blast!