GM TOP #5-8: The Confirmation (Standard) (Inactive)

Game Master Pete H.

Another welt forms from the minor magical onslaught.

The minotaur roars and rushes into the forest after Janira. His hot breath threatens to knock her out as frothing spittle rains down upon her. She has nowhere to run now.

But it seems her tactic bought her a few seconds, will it be enough? She puts on a brave face and takes her best defensive stance, hoping to dodge the first strike, "Let us remember the sacrifice of the fabled Yasmin bint Faroud, favored of the Ten, who gave her life distracting Zythrustianax, draconic scourge of the Society, so dozens of junior agents could survive. Her act of benevolence is the epitome of cooperation within the Society."

She pauses, "Though uh, being saved at the last second would also be cool."

Rounds 6 & 7: That's Bull, Man (Inspire Courage Up, +1 hit/+1 damage/+1 vs. fear Rounds 6 & 7)
Orenjii
Adowyn & Leryn
Thyste
Kelleran
Minotaur (-11 HP)
Janira (Injured -4 more HP, Total Defense)
Rhomboid
Anne

ALL ARE UP!!!

Areas are marked on the map as difficult terrain, but also provide cover. The river requires a swim check to go through, an acrobatics check to jump over or a lower acrobatics check to slowly traverse the log.

Adowyn 5ft steps and starts shooting two arrows with her longbow at the large creature in the back.

longbow, rapid shot -2 , inspire : 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (1) + 5 = 6 , longbow damage, inspire : 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2

longbow, rapid shot -2 , inspire : 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (18) + 5 = 23 , longbow damage, inspire : 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 = 8

Can Leryn just cross the water? He will surely not balance over the wooden pathway, would he?

Acrobatics check to jump over the water. Acrobatics check to balance across the log and I have no reason to think he couldn't use the log. Swim check to cross the water. Just pick what you want to do and roll it, I'll get a result up quickly.

Orenjii moves to the edge of the woods, but still finds the path to the enemy obstructed. They cast a spell in hopes of making the creature less threatening.

Ray of Enfeeblement, Guidance: 1d20 + 5 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 5 + 1 = 13
Strength Damage, Fort DC 15 Half: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7

acrobatics : 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (14) + 2 = 16

With that result Leryn can easily jump over the water or go across the log.

Edging forward Anne slings another bullet towards the bull man

Sling IC range cover: 1d20 + 3 - 2 - 2 ⇒ (20) + 3 - 2 - 2 = 19
Sling crit? IC range cover: 1d20 + 3 - 2 - 2 ⇒ (9) + 3 - 2 - 2 = 8
sling damage: 1d4 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5

Rhomboid continues through the thick underbrush, speeding up for a leap across as he approaches the stream.

Double move: 40' at 60' cost (20' of difficult terrain)

Acrobatics, long jump: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (10) + 7 = 17

Rhomboid keeps moving and easily vaults over the water, blade in hand and almost ready to engage the massive beast!

Anne launches another stone, scoring a second hit against the dangerous foe.

Orenjii just barely manages to slip the ray between two thin saplings and drill the large target in the back. It roars as Fort: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (12) + 6 = 18 a little bit of its strength is sapped.

The archer manages to land one shot from way back at the cave, and it is a good one. Blood sprays from the wound. Her companion navigates the stream and almost gets into range to strike.

Round 7: That's Bull, Man (Inspire Courage Up, +1 hit/+1 damage/+1 vs. fear Round 7)
Orenjii
Adowyn & Leryn
Thyste
Kelleran
Minotaur (-24 HP, -3 strength 2 rds remain)
Janira (Injured -4 more HP, Total Defense)
Rhomboid
Anne

ALL ARE UP!!!

Areas are marked on the map as difficult terrain, but also provide cover. The river requires a swim check to go through, an acrobatics check to jump over or a lower acrobatics check to slowly traverse the log.

Thyste charges through the cave, making her way into the relative light of the forest; she spots the minotaur quickly-- aided by a few flashes of magic-- and doesn't hesitate to sprint toward it.

Well, as much of a sprint as she can get going with all the underbrush in the way...

Double movin'!

Seeing that the beast is just out of range from his spell, Kelleran launches another salvo of one.

Wand of MM: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5

The Pain Train keeps lumbering down the hill, finally making it to the edge of the trees.

Kelleran continues the unrelenting assault. Small damage, but always doing some.

The minotaur attempts to cleave the halfling in twain.

Axe vs. Janira - Str Penalty: 1d20 + 7 - 1 ⇒ (12) + 7 - 1 = 18
Axe vs. Janira - Str Penalty - Iterative: 1d20 + 7 - 1 ⇒ (3) + 7 - 1 = 9
Gore vs. Janira - Str Penalty: 1d20 + 4 - 1 ⇒ (6) + 4 - 1 = 9

But between the weakened muscles and her quick dodges, the pathfinder remains alive, for now!!! She continues with her efforts to avoid death.

Round 7: That's Bull, Man (Inspire Courage Up, +1 hit/+1 damage/+1 vs. fear Lingering Round 1)
Orenjii
Adowyn & Leryn
Thyste
Kelleran
Minotaur (-29 HP, -3 strength 1 rd remain)
Janira (Injured -4 more HP, Total Defense)
Rhomboid
Anne

ALL ARE UP!!!

Areas are marked on the map as difficult terrain, but also provide cover. The river requires a swim check to go through, an acrobatics check to jump over or a lower acrobatics check to slowly traverse the log.

"MINOTAUR!" bellows Thyste as she forces her way through the brush in the most direct line possible.

"YOU'VE GOT BIGGER PROBLEMS THAN THE DANCING HALFLING! COME FACE ME!"

Kell steps to the side to make way for the lumbering slayer. He still takes another potshot with his wand though.

Wand of MM: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5

Adowyn 5ft steps and starts shooting two arrows with her longbow at the large creature in the back.

longbow, rapid shot -2 , inspire : 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (20) + 5 = 25 , longbow damage, inspire : 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 9

CRIT? longbow, rapid shot -2 , inspire : 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (16) + 5 = 21 , longbow damage, inspire : 2d8 + 2 ⇒ (5, 2) + 2 = 9

-

longbow, rapid shot -2 , inspire : 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (8) + 5 = 13 , longbow damage, inspire : 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5

Leryn 5 ft steps and attacks the large creature.

bite , inspire : 1d20 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (17) + 4 + 1 = 22
bite damage: 1d6 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 3 + 1 = 5

If bite is a hit - free trip without AoO: 1d20 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 4 + 1 = 8

Anne edges forward some more reloads her sling and fires

sling: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (9) - 1 = 8

Landing some where over the dead minotaur

Rhomboid rushes up, circling the undergrowth and taking advantage of Janira's flank to get a strike in on the minotaur.

Rhomboid moves in and lands a nice blow against the creature's leg, causing it to turn towards the new threat.

Anne's sling bullet harmlessly cracks against a tree trunk nearby.

Orenjii waits wisely to see what will happen next and their choice pays off quickly.

Taking a breath to stabilize herself, Adowyn aims for the back of the creature's neck and releases. Zipping cleanly through the trees, with a sickening thud it buries itself into the muscular stem between head and torso. Rhomboid gets a clear view of the arrowhead poking out through the throat before the minotaur gurgles and collapses, spine severed.

Combat Over!

______________________

Janira peeks out from behind a tree she was using for cover. She glances around at the scene, "Oh. Well that seemed pretty easy for you all. Maybe I shouldn't have tried to lead it off in the first place. I guess it is good we all survived to learn this lesson. Thank you very much for saving me, I owe you all one."

Her quick sentences are interspersed with gasps for air, obviously the physical ordeal is finally catching up to her.

Thyste BURSTS through the treeline, clearing the river in a single jump!

Acrobatics: 1d20 + 6 - 4 ⇒ (5) + 6 - 4 = 7

...I am so glad I chose the narrowest part of the river, jeez!

The gladiatrix roars with excitement at finally meeting a foe that lives up to her idea of a challenge--

--only to find it bleeding uselessly on the ground, the light already having left its eyes.

"HA! Not so worthy after all," she snorts. She plunges the butt-spike of her dory into the minotaur's chest for good measure, shoving it down into the ground beneath him to free up a hand as she turns to Janira and offers it.

"Here, Half-Pint; you've earned a foxy-back ride!"

First order of business is patching up the boss.

Cure Light Wounds: 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (7) + 2 = 9

Kelleran slides his wand away and slowly picks his way across the creek to join the others. That beast was formidable. The entire affair could have easily turned against us in a breath.

Janira pulls herself up with the offered hand, ”I appreciate the help, but I do think I can walk just fine.”

She brushes herself off and nods thanks to Orenjii, ”Now who has my bag, I hope the wand in there still has a couple charges on it. But while I’m patching myself up, what did you all find in there while I was enjoying my tea party out here with the bullman?”

"The site inside seems to be sacred to the gillmen," Orenjii says, "though it was once also dedicated to Aroden. The individual we met there was hard of hearing, which may explain their seeming indifference to others. I recommend experts in both culture and religion be sent to study the site further."

Thyste grins. "Wouldn't judge ya. Seems to me like you ran a marathon with that thing swingin' at your heels the whole gods-damned time. Even I'd want to take a breather after."

Janira smiles at imposing Tiefling-Fox, "I lost him a couple times and could take a breather. But just didn't have a way to get rid of my scent and he kept tracking me down. Anyway, it all worked out."

She turns to the group, "So I assume you all took excellent notes and made maps and drawings of anything you found. The society won't send anyone to follow up if you don't have a solid report to back your findings. Do you need to go back in to finish anything?"

Thyste rolls her shoulders a bit. "Might not be a bad idea. To be honest, I was kinda hurryin' along to make sure you were all right," she admits.

"I know there was at least one turn we didn't make. We turned west--or was it east?--at one point, and eventually heard the sounds of your battle out here. We should probably go back and explore the turn in the other direction."

"I'd be willing to head back in and look around. I was too busy saving Thyste from herself to take any good notes at the time."

Janira nods, "Alright then, I'll wait here."

She looks around at the dense forest and reconsiders, "Uh, I'll wait just inside the entrance to the cave. In case this guy had a friend."

_______________________

The pathfinders wander back inside, exhausted from their long long long day that is currently in the middle of the night. Stumbling down the slick stones they eventually get back to the pool room. The gilmen glances your way as you come in the side, "Hello, no exit that way?"

_______________________

When you eventually check the other direction, you actually only find a small chamber. Inside are several bodies, mostly gilmen and all are in various stages of decomposition and ritual preparation. Evil arcane symbols have been carved into several of the bodies. On a cot in the back is a less disturbed body. It actually seems to be only recently dead.

A bit of investigation later, it seems the body on the cot died from a very mundane boring cause, sepsis from a wound on his leg. I guess that is what he gets for trying to necromance in a dank cave, idiot.

_______________________

Returning outside you all hear the birds start chirping to signal the damn dawn is due soon. Everyone is utterly fatigued, borderline exhausted. Janira raises an eyebrow, "Uh, you all gonna stop at some point to rest or just kill yourselves?"

"Figured you might not appreciate us settling down to sleep without ya," snorts Thyste, pretending to not be half as tired as she is. "Hope you caught a quick nap while we were taking down notes!"

Regardless, Thyste volunteers for first watch.

Kelleran does not dispute Thyste's wishes. He finds the most comfortable wall to lean against and quickly falls into reverie.

Anne builds a few traps to inconvenience some un wanted visitors and then takes some rest

The pathfinders rest well that evening. Doing a billion things in a day definitely helps overcome sleeping on rocks.

The next morning breaks late, at least for the tired explorers. They eventually get moving back to Absalom, taking a much slower pace than they took getting here. Three days travel gets them back to civilization where their venture captain awaits a final report.

Thyste, for all her bluster, is happy to be back in civilization; it's important to get proper rest between fights, as any gladiatrix knows, and once the adrenaline's worn off, she's eager to get a nice big bowl of rabbit stew from somewhere and lay down somewhere comfy.

Before that, though, there's the matter of debriefing.

"Who's got the papers?" she snarls.

Kreighton Shaine, the Pathfinder Society’s Master of Scrolls seems very disappointed and makes a few notes in his binder, "Well, I'm at least glad you all made it back alive with Janira. I'm sure her report will be extensive at least. But for now, just wait for your next mission. I'm sure it will require a lot less information gathering."

Marking this inactive in 24 hours