[PFS2] GM Nefreet's Repeatable Extravaganza! (Inactive)

Game Master Nefreet

The iruxi looks doubtfully at the rogue proceeding. But it worked!

Let's continue to explore the room then.

Kiroh looks at Trig thoughtfully. "I suppose your moss worked well last time! Maybe it's time to try again."

After clearing the mold patch, you investigate the rest of the room, but find nothing on consequence. Continuing on...

Long, human-sized niches are cut into the walls of this room where oval glass protrusions emit a cold, white light, although many of them flicker occasionally. The half-rotted remnants of a door to the west stands mostly off its hinges, and bits of detritus from daily life that were contained in the spaces have long ago been reduced to dust.

As Kiroh steps into the room, the floor quivers to life as two disgusting blobs coalesce from the debris!

"It's Alive!", Round 1

Kiroh ()
Quetzhal ()
Trig ()
Cyan ()
White ()
Chupko ()

Bold may act!!

Trig taps the big guy’s new weapon, ”Chop chop bash bash bud, I’ll stay here and figure out what they are.”

Cast Magic Weapon, Recall Knowledge - Society or Crafting +1, Arcana or Occultism +5, Nature or Religion +8: 1d20 ⇒ 10

What's this?

Before an answer could come, the druid summons a lightning tempest upon the nearest blob.

Tempest surge: 1d12 ⇒ 11

Reflex DC 18. On a failure, the target also is clumsy 2 for 1 round and takes 1 persistent electricity damage.

Kiroh slaps the now-magical sword against his shield. "Huzzah! Chop chop indeed!" He steps forward and strikes against the disgusting blob.

Magical Sword @ White Blob: 1d20 + 7 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 7 + 1 = 12
Damage: 2d8 + 4 ⇒ (3, 2) + 4 = 9

He slips on the wet floor (stupid tempest!) and his sword misses. He pulls up his shield and stares down the nasty monsters.

Trig identifies these as amoeba swarms! Mindless, amphibious oozes that are weak to area attacks and splash damage. As oozes, they are immune to critical hits and precision damage. As amoebas, they are also immune to acid and mental damage. The one that Kiroh is fighting is the more mature of the two.

Reflex: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 3 = 7 Bzzt!

Quetzhal fries his target, and even though Kiroh missteps, he still skewers the thing, although it seems resistant to his slashing damage.

(yes, a 12 still hits the "Elite" one)

They then swarm over the tasty half-orc.

Swarming Slither 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3 acid damage (DC 16 basic Reflex save)

Swarming Slither 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5 acid damage (DC 16 basic Reflex save)

A Critical Failure on either Save also makes you sickened 1

Flat Check: 1d20 ⇒ 17

"It's Alive!", Round 1-2

Chupko ()
Kiroh (Reflex x2)
Quetzhal ()
Trig ()
Cyan ()
White (−28 HP; Clumsy)

Party is up!!

Reflex, DC 16: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 3 = 7
Reflex, DC 16: 1d20 + 3 - 1 ⇒ (11) + 3 - 1 = 13

Kiroh sputters and shakes off the gel. He coughs and spits, retching. "In my mouth! It's in my mouth! Blech!" He takes a moment to puke a little, only catching a little on his once-shiny armor.

Fortitude, DC 16: 1d20 + 7 - 1 ⇒ (20) + 7 - 1 = 26 phew

He eyes the sap on his waist and shrugs. "Magic weapon is better than a dull one. Right?" If anyone wants a Bludgeoning weapon, I have a Sap. He pushes through the slimes, to the other side. The half-orc calls out, "over here, you brainless buckets of sand!" Though his hands are covered in amoeba, he still manages to land a sloppy but powerful blow!

Sword @ White: 1d20 + 7 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 7 + 1 = 13
Damage: 2d8 + 4 ⇒ (7, 3) + 4 = 14

The rogue casts a spell throwing a stone towards the injuried ooze and raises his arm with his cape wrapped around it.

Telekinetic projectile: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (14) + 8 = 22

Damage, without sneak (sniff): 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6

It's still alive!!

Barely...

"It's Alive!", Round 2

Chupko ()
Kiroh (–8/20 HP)
Quetzhal ()
Trig ()
Cyan ()
White (−44 HP; Clumsy 2)

Bold may act!!

Kiroh, neither of your Reflex saves were a Critical Failure (which would require a 6), so you can take another action ^_^

Trig asks Nethys for guidance, pulls a flask out and tosses it at the two slimes, ”I like magic, but sometimes alchemy is the right call too.”

Lesser Alchemist Fire + Guidance: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4 for… 1 fire splash damage to both.

Good catch, I don't know why I thought that 7 was a 6!

Kiroh swipes at the stronger monster, trying to take it down.

Sword @ White: 1d20 + 7 + 1 - 5 ⇒ (7) + 7 + 1 - 5 = 10
Damage: 2d8 + 4 ⇒ (5, 5) + 4 = 14

Lesser Alchemist Fire + Guidance: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4 for… 1 fire splash damage to both.

Oh that's hilarious. It's almost impossible to critically miss these things!

Trig ignites the damaged one and burns it to a crisp, then Kiroh begins laying into the new one. It responds by crawling up the half-orc's legs...

Swarming Slither 1d6 ⇒ 1 acid damage (DC 14 basic Reflex save)

Swarming Slither 1d6 ⇒ 6 acid damage (DC 14 basic Reflex save)

A Critical Failure on either Save also makes you sickened 1

"It's Alive!", Round 2-3

Chupko ()
Kiroh (–8/20 HP; Reflex x2)
Quetzhal ()
Trig ()
Cyan (–14 HP)
White

Party is up!! Quetzhal can act twice.

The rogue casts a same spell throwing a stone towards the remaining ooze and raises his arm with his cape wrapped around it.

Telekinetic projectile: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (4) + 8 = 12

Damage, without sneak (sniff): 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8

Seeing that these things are not good at avoiding the lightening, the druid casts two others lightening spells.

Electric arc:1d4 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5

Electric arc:1d4 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8

Reflex DC 18

Reflex, DC 16: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6
Reflex, DC 16: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (15) + 3 = 18

Kiroh shakes his leg, attempting to get the amoeba off him. If there's only one amoeba left, should it have hit me that second time? "Get off! Get off!" He takes a careful step backwards and swings wildly with his jangling sword.

Sword @ White: 1d20 + 7 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 7 + 1 = 11
Damage: 2d8 + 4 ⇒ (7, 4) + 4 = 15

Sword @ White: 1d20 + 7 + 1 - 5 ⇒ (5) + 7 + 1 - 5 = 8
Damage: 2d8 + 4 ⇒ (7, 3) + 4 = 14

Trig sighs and guidances Kiroh’s next whatever, ”Chill bud. Take a breath and focus. There are a lot of them, it shouldn’t be that hard to hit.”

He conjures up a spear of ice and launches it at the oozes, ”Like this.”

Guidance on Kiroh, Ray of Frost: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (13) + 8 = 21 for Cold: 1d4 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6 (crit doubles damage and slows speeds by 10 for 1 round)

I'm still alive!!

(barely...)

If there's only one amoeba left, should it have hit me that second time?

I believe you were diagonally adjacent to it when I last posted. It did a Step, and then Swarming Slither twice. It's a one-action offensive ability, and I don't see that it's limited in the number of times per round it can be used.

Reflex #1: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 9
Reflex #2: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (11) + 1 = 12

Trig freezes the creature in place, Kiroh and Chupko crack it, and Quetzhal blows it apart.

Combat Over!!

Chupko ()
Kiroh (–12/20 HP)
Quetzhal ()
Trig ()

Exploring this room in more detail reveals a still-functional (but clearly ancient) everburning torch mounted on the wall behind a broken glass orb that can be easily removed.

Trig reaches into his pouch for some swamp moss, but finds it empty, "Well, probably shouldn't have used that for the allergies. It's okay though, cave mud is almost as good!"

Nature (T) + Feat Kiroh DC 15: 1d20 + 8 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 8 + 2 = 16 for Healing: 2d8 ⇒ (6, 6) = 12

"Someone grab that torch please, even if just to take back to camp. It isn't helping anyone down here."

The rogue takes the torch to continue the exploration further.

The druid is ready to continue after the combat.

Let's see if there is no other threat lurking.

... Swarming Slither twice. It's a one-action offensive ability, ...

Doh, I forgot this was PF2e. I was thinking of 1st Edition.

Kiroh shivers as the cold mud completely heals his wounds. "Well, ain't that fancy." He steps forward, shield at his side, to further explore the complex. He steps forward down the hallway just ahead of the group to scout the next room.

A few large tables stand throughout the room, their polished surfaces gleaming. The walls are unadorned and clean, as if scoured regularly. A giant-sized smiling face of a human man with a receding hairline is carved into the northern wall. Beneath this image is a metal plate that has several levers and buttons.

Chupko, Azlanti Lore: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (11) + 8 = 19

Chupko recognizes that, behind the veneer of beautiful achievements of art and magic, the reality of Azlanti life was that not everyone lived a luxurious existence. The worker class often lived in cramped quarters, carried out mind-numbing work, and were expected to always have smiles on their faces. The face engraved into the wall may have been an attempt at some form of humor in its day.

Chupko, Perception: 1d20 + 7 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 7 + 1 = 13
Quetzhal, Perception: 1d20 + 8 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 8 + 1 = 15

Nobody detects any creatures or hazards. But, as you begin to explore the room, solvents and detergents spray from the ceiling and run down the walls where they combine in dangerous ways!

Decontamination Spray: 1d4 ⇒ 1 Chupko is covered in acidic foam and takes 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5 acid damage (DC 20 Reflex)
• Critical Success No effect.
• Success Half damage.
• Failure Full damage and dazzled for 1 round.
• Critical Failure Double damage and blinded for 1 round.

Disabling this hazard, and thus making the room safe for further exploration, requires THREE checks, two-actions a piece, using your choice of Engineering Lore or Thievery to work the levers, Athletics to rip out the tubes, or Acrobatics to plug them up. I think Azlanti Lore is very appropriate, as well, if Chupko wants to use that instead ^_^

Cleaning Agents, Round 1

Quetzhal ()
Trig ()
Hazard
Chupko (Reflex)
Kiroh ()

Bold may act!!

Trig quickly guidances the bird and lizard, then moves out of the room.

”This mechanical monstrosity is not my forte, so I’ll just stand out here and heal you if needed. Go get Em!”

+1 to Quetzhal’s and Chupko’s next skill check, move to run away.

The druid tries to disable the trap. Then he moves outside the room.

Acrobatics, Guidance: 1d20 + 6 + 1 ⇒ (12) + 6 + 1 = 19

Even with Nethys's divine guidance, Quetzhal can't make heads or tails out of these nozzles as they continue to "decontaminate" you all:

Caustic Vapor: 2d6 + 2 ⇒ (2, 2) + 2 = 6 acid damage to everyone left in the room (DC 20 basic Fortitude)

Cleaning Agents, Round 1-2

Chupko (Reflex, Fortitude)
Kiroh (Fortitude)
Quetzhal (Fortitude)
Trig ()
Hazard (0 Successes)

Party is up!!

Disable (two actions): Engineering Lore, Thievery, Athletics, Acrobatics, or Azlanti Lore

Reflex: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (2) + 9 = 11

Fort: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (12) + 5 = 17

Hey, are you fool? That hurts!

He tries to disable the thing before to go out of the room.

Azlanti lore, Guidance: 1d20 + 8 + 1 ⇒ (11) + 8 + 1 = 20

I think I don't need to roll the fort save as I stands outside of the room at this point. See my last post.

After having taken his breath the druid goes back into the room again to try to disable this special device.

Acrobatics: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (16) + 6 = 22

Trig guidances up Kiroh and blasts the bird with some magical healing. Essentially tiny little scrubbing bubbles scour and mitigate all the acid burning his flesh. He even smells better after. Though he didn't smell bad or anything before.

Guidance on Kiroh, 2-Action Heal on Chupko: 1d10 + 8 ⇒ (9) + 8 = 17

Fortitude, DC 20: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (13) + 7 = 20

The half-orc pushes through the decontamination, his thick skin or armor protecting him from the brunt. Kiroh stays in the thick of it, muscles flexing as he runs around the room and pulls tubes from the walls!

Athletics, Guidance: 1d20 + 7 + 1 ⇒ (19) + 7 + 1 = 27

I guess if Disable is two actions I should be running out of the room for my third action... Seeing the nozzles wind back up for another dousing, Kiroh ducks out of a nearby door. "This is great, it's been a a few weeks since I had a flowery bath!"

I think I don't need to roll the fort save as I stands outside of the room at this point. See my last post.

Absolutely! Sorry.

With Chupko's knowledge, Quetzhal's grace, Trig's encouraging words and Kiroh's brute strength, you all team up to prevent the ancient hazard from being a further threat to yourselves, as well as any future research teams.

Combat Over!!

Chupko ()
Kiroh (−3/20 HP)
Quetzhal ()
Trig ()

Exploring the rest of the rooms and passageways lends nothing else of interest. When you eventually report back to Calisro, she has some chilled wine, freshly uncorked whiskey, and an untapped keg of ale ready as refreshments.

"Alright, you can file your official reports later. That's for the Chronicles. What I want to know is, were you excited?? Bein' the first ones to explore such an ancient site?"

Well being the first ones to step inside an ancient site means to be the first ones to see all what is to be seen inside, decipher ancient writings, finding ancient objects, but also to meet what lurks inside and explain to such creatures that they have to let us explore now.

The Tengu is proud of his resume.

Yes, it was fun. The ancient civilization let a lot of hazards behind them. We had to do the cleaning.

The druid doesn't know really what to express not to worry the venture-captain.

Kiroh nods and smiles. "It was wild! There is beauty in the unknown." The half-orc describes in detail the torch they found, enthralled by the ancient magic.

Trig cracks a small smile as the half-orc is so excited by a simple magical tool, "Yes, it was illuminating as usual."

Calisro cracks a toothy smile at Trig's pun as she revels in your tales.

I think Gorm was next on the list?

The following morning you assemble outside the large, canvas tent of Gorm Greathammer, the Leader of the Grand Archive Faction. Heading inside, you find the interior to be remarkably cool and dry, especially considering its location in a swamp. Several tables are covered in various papers and small objects, each carefully labeled.

“Oh good. You’re here,” calls a deep voice from one of the corners. A male dwarf, his graying hair pulled back, beard and curled mustache carefully styled, stands up and approaches. He smiles broadly and extends his hand to each of you. “Those of us dedicated to the Grand Archive primarily concern ourselves with the pursuit and preservation of knowledge,” he says. “While this takes us to unexplored locations and forces us to face great dangers, we’re typically not the.. 'thrill-seekers', of the Society. That said,” he pauses and chuckles, “we do sometimes find ourselves in our fair share of hot water!

“I have a simple mission for you. Nearby lies an Azlanti ruin that we believe to have once been some sort of laboratory, or research site. Your task is to head inside the ruins and gather as much information as possible. But of course, be careful. No information is worth an agent's life. Your fellow Pathfinders have already secured the site, but if you find yourselves in a situation where you need to leave, even if it means you don’t get all the information, don’t push your luck. Any questions?”

Mmhh I will improve my Azlanti knowledge for sure. What kind of information should we find there? Is text? Architecture? Natural? Social?

The Tengu is ready to explore this site once he's got this answer.

So what kind of danger should we expect? As some colleagues already secured the site the creatures should have been driven off. Should we still expect some hazards?

The druid is cautious with such a mission.

Trig taps his chin, it’s nice to almost be able to look the VC in the eye for once.

”The Azlanti were powerful in magic, I think. I’ll keep a close eye out for any of those dangers or relics.”

Kiroh muses. "We are researching a research site. Interesting..." She pulls out her shield and begins to shine it. "I will protect us as we explore, but we will be careful."

What kind of information should we find there? Is text? Architecture? Natural? Social?

"All, or none, of the above! The junior agents that went through there already simply secured the site against any hostile threats. You'll be the first ones to investigate what the Azlanti were doing there!"

Should we still expect some hazards?

"Anything's possible. I would be prepared, just in case. My guess? Given how far we are from the remains of Azlant, this must have been a relatively minor outfit, or one built just following Earthfall. Beyond that, I’m hoping the information you find sheds a bit more light on what the Azlanti were doing way out here in Taldor.”

One of the junior agents who cleared the site for you escorts you below, brimming with pride and excitement about the whole endeavor. They lead you to a roughly hemispherical cave (Slide 1) that is dry, dusty, and irregular. Some of the walls appear smooth and polished, while others are rough and broken, as though crushed by a great weight. Two shallow depressions in the center of the chamber are filled with silty dirt. To the west, a series of shelves that are carved into the wall support an assortment of books and scrolls.

They give some art for this section, but it doesn't match any of the 3 different possible room descriptions, so... *shrug*

CONDUCTING RESEARCH:

You can each roll a single DC 15 skill check to represent your attempt at reading the various scrolls, books, and strange items in the room. Anyone who can read Azlanti gains 1 piece of Information for free. A Success gets 1 piece of Information. A Critical Success gets 2 pieces of Information.

The skill checks are Arcana, Nature, Occultism, Religion, Society, and Azlanti Lore. If you can argue that another skill would be appropriate, you can attempt it instead, but at DC 17.

The archaeologist tries to find anything interesting among the scrolls and books on the shelves.

Azlanti lore:1d20 + 8 ⇒ (13) + 8 = 21

The druid asks himself how the Azlant civilization worked with the deities.

Religion: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (12) + 8 = 20

It’s not his best option by far, but Trig said what he would be doing, so he inspects the research station thingy for any unusual magical occurrences.

Arcana (T): 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (14) + 5 = 19

The half-orc leads the party, smiling at the junior agent's enthusiasm. Huh, didn't know there were agents more junior than us. He thinks over his religious studies but nothing about the azlanti texts seem to click.

Religion: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5

Luckily, a Critical Failure doesn't lose any Research Points ^_^

Trig's laser focus into the arcane reveals, surprisingly, that the Azlanti researchers used devices that could open portals to the Elemental Planes. These devices did not require the operator to have any special magical aptitude. In fact, many researchers appear to have had little magical ability at all.

Kiroh finds a scroll of magic missile during his search.

Chupko reads that these researchers sometimes used these portals to simply see what types of creatures wandered through. For instance, some records detail their attempts to use various flammable substances as lures to draw forth fire elementals, and rare gems to attract earth elementals.

While earth, fire and water seem to have been the subject of much focus, elemental air was not studied at this facility. Records are not clear on why, but you find hints about a “howling madness” the researchers were worried about.

Quetzhal doesn't find much on the subject of deities, but does discover that a great deal of work was dedicated to the study of gems and the ways in which they could be used to store magical effects. Much of this combined research utilized both earth and fire portals.

As you wrap up your first session of research a barely audible rumbling reverberates throughout the rooms and hallways. Dust and rocks fall from the ceiling, dealing 1d6 ⇒ 3 bludgeoning damage to everyone (DC 15 basic Reflex save; those who critically fail also fall prone) and turning the entire room into difficult terrain...

Conducting "Research", Round 1

Quetzhal (Reflex)
Chupko (Reflex)
Trig (Reflex)
Kiroh (Reflex)
Orange ()
White ()

Party is up!

Reflex: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (7) + 6 = 13

The Iruxi strikes the white one.

Claws:1d20 + 7 ⇒ (19) + 7 = 26

Damage:1d6 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4

Claws:1d20 + 3 ⇒ (9) + 3 = 12

Damage:1d6 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4

Then he raises his shield.