GM TOP #3-03: The Ghenett Manor Gauntlet (Core) (Inactive)

Game Master Pete H.

I think the +11 is including heroism, judging by her tagline. If I'm wrong then she will have two more fort saves this round vs. the curse. I also believer you have a higher modifier on Bessie than +1, but not sure if it will be high enough to hit the AC.

Ahh, yes. I'm too used to spelling out all the bonuses for save etc.
You are right, she did include it.

With respect to Bessie, Actually the +1 was from haste, with four modifiers I totally forgot my actual skill. So +7 for a total of 20
Bessie strikes again! , IC: 1d8 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 1 + 2 = 11

Bessie strikes true again! Not bad for an old girl. She must sense the desperation of her owner and be stepping up.

Doodle follows that with two well-placed strikes, cleaving tentacles free from the beast. You can definitely tell that it is hurt, but it still seems strong.

Kyra heals Talevia, the warm flood of sunlight mending all her wounds.

Round 4: Oh crap this isn't good
Buffs: Haste 3 rds, IC +2 hit/+2 dam/+2 vs. charm/fear
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Chaos Beast (-100 HP, Spell Resistance)
Khellek (Heroism 140m)
Kyra
Doodle (-23 HP, Shield 6 rds, Heroism 140m, Mage Armor 9 hrs, Cursed, 8 rds before save needed)
Talevia (Cursed, 8 rds before save needed)
Zano
Ahmerisiel (-12 HP, Heroism 140m, -1 Wisdom Damage, Cursed, 9 rds before save needed)

Bold May Act!

Terrain: The water in the pool is shallow and only treated as difficult terrain for you all. Flanking still works, you just can't use Sneak Attack or Crit.

Yeah, I had heroism included in the save, unfortunately.

Zano will cast another round of magic missiles at the thing overcome sr: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (20) + 7 = 27 dmg: 4d4 + 4 ⇒ (1, 3, 1, 4) + 4 = 13

The mighty Zano has this figured out, easily drilling the creature with four more force strikes. It howls in pain, finally starting to look pretty hurt. Perhaps a couple good hits will finish it off?

Round 4: Oh crap this isn't good
Buffs: Haste 3 rds, IC +2 hit/+2 dam/+2 vs. charm/fear
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Chaos Beast (-113 HP, Spell Resistance)
Khellek (Heroism 140m)
Kyra
Doodle (-23 HP, Shield 6 rds, Heroism 140m, Mage Armor 9 hrs, Cursed, 8 rds before save needed)
Zano
Talevia (Cursed, 8 rds before save needed)
Ahmerisiel (-12 HP, Heroism 140m, -1 Wisdom Damage, Cursed, 9 rds before save needed)

Bold May Act!

Terrain: The water in the pool is shallow and only treated as difficult terrain for you all. Flanking still works, you just can't use Sneak Attack or Crit.

Her bow now in hand and ready, Talevia nocked and loosed several arrows at the Chaos Beast.

Shot 1: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (12) + 13 = 25
Damage 1: 1d8 + 6 ⇒ (7) + 6 = 13
Shot 2: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (1) + 13 = 14
Damage 2: 1d8 + 6 ⇒ (7) + 6 = 13
Shot 3: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (16) + 13 = 29
Damage 3: 1d8 + 6 ⇒ (5) + 6 = 11
Shot 4: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (5) + 8 = 13
Damage 4: 1d8 + 6 ⇒ (8) + 6 = 14

Talevia drills the creature with two sharp arrows. It wavers and wobbles, about to collapse. Then Ahmerisiel flips a single dagger at it and...

Ahmerisiel to hit: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (17) + 10 = 27 for Doesn't matter 2 damage kills it: 1d4 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4

...drills it through the center, dropping it to the ground as a clear kill-steal.

But however it happened, the beast is down!

Current Status
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Khellek (Heroism 140m)
Kyra
Zano
Doodle (-23 HP, Shield 6 rds, Heroism 140m, Mage Armor 9 hrs, Cursed, 7 rds before save needed)
Talevia (Cursed, 7 rds before save needed)
Ahmerisiel (-12 HP, Heroism 140m, -1 Wisdom Damage, Cursed, 8 rds before save needed)

The rest of this scenario is going to be held in a loose initiative tracker because every ten rounds I will need DC 15 Will Saves from Doodle, Talevia and Ahmerisiel to keep their forms*. That gives everyone 7 rounds to do stuff, please list out your planned actions (7 rounds or so) in your next post. I will give the description of the next area below.

*However, certain spells can 'secure you' into an alternate form, negating will saves for the duration of the spell. Alter self, beast shape, elemental body, polymorph, shapechange, stoneskin are listed examples, but anything that changes your shape should work. Let me know if these are options tried. Remove Curse could also work if anyone had it and the roll was high enough.

If you go in the room Ahmerisiel is in...

A thick rug with interlocking geometric designs covers the marble floor of this lushly appointed office. Two fatly stuffed leather sofas, an enormous desk of red-tinged wood carved with ancient Osirian motifs, and a large high backed chair fitted with colorful silk cushions dominate the northern half of the room. The focus of the southern half is a tall iron safe, black and imposing, angular runic designs painted in gold about its heavy surface. Four statues of roughly worked marble—winged dwarven forms holding lanterns—flank the safe, two to a side. A wood panel at the center of the western wall stands strangely askew, and a whiff of sulphur lingers in the air.

If you look past the wood panel hanging askew on the west wall...

This once lush room looks as though it served as the lounge of a wealthy man, with long couches and comfortable chairs. The west wall is lined by a large cupboard and bookcase, and a lavish green rug covers most of the floor. The source of the sulphur stench wafting through the manor is lying on the floor: a battered, vaguely humanoid figure of gears and metal, with malodorous yellow-gray fumes seeping from cracks in its motionless form. West of this thing lies a body, bruised and battered. A large hole about eight feet in diameter mars the north wall, as though something exploded out into the room. Sharp bits of metal are embedded in the walls and furniture. The bookcase has also been rummaged through roughly, and a dozen books lie scattered on the floor.

Ahmerisiel focuses on holding his form together. "Wow, that thing was a doozy!" he says, joining the others at the door.

Question about running a pregen: can my pregen use Chronicle boons that my PC has earned?

Question about running a pregen: can my pregen use Chronicle boons that my PC has earned?

I do not believe so, pregens are specifically not your PC and are required to resolve conditions before the credit is even applied to your PC. The good news though is that tomorrow (in game) Kyra can prepare a bunch of remove curses and as far as I know should be able to resolve this condition without you all needing to spend prestige or gold to do so. Of course by that point, odds are the three of you will be puddles wandering around after your allies. So, probably not super wise to wait till then if you can somehow finish the mission now.

Zano isn't going to do anything special, just follow along, and remove obstacles or such when necessary (skill checks or whatever). None of his spells can do anything about that curse they all have.

"Oh well done, well done. I do hope those nasty people get some psychic backlash from their horrid creature being destroyed. That would only be fair. Oh... you are hurt."

Khellek quickly does what he can to heal his students.
CLWx2 Doodle: 2d8 + 10 ⇒ (8, 1) + 10 = 19
CLW Ahmerisiel: 1d8 + 5 ⇒ (5) + 5 = 10

Peering into the room, he tries to work out what the puddle might be.
Take ten on whichever skill is required.

"While there are books there, and we should check them... I don't think that is the library we are looking for... thank goodness."

He will do a quick scan with detect magic as well, in case that reveals anything else.

"Ms merisiel, could you check that door for traps?"

Khellek heals up most of the damage done to the group. At least the physical damage. He ignores the boring study and looks inside the side room.

Puddle? I'm not sure what you are referencing. Is it something on the map? If so, I think that is debris from the explosion or one of the two bodies.

Khellek's magical sight reveals that the cupboard in this room has a strong aura of abjuration AND transmutation. Considering it is full of food and drink, those spells are likely preservation related.

There is also a nice magical studded leather outfit (+2) on the burned body in this room. The body is human sized.

Further details available if anyone inspects the body or room, but I understand if you all wish to avoid super detailed inspection of things due to curse time limits.

Doodle was ready to push forward. She felt awful, and the group had been warned about taking any items from the house, so she was ready to follow the rogue forward.

Ahh, it is the "battered, vaguely humanoid figure of gears and metal, with malodorous yellow-gray fumes seeping from cracks in its motionless form" that I was thinking of. I must have fixated on the fumes.

"That bodies armour is magical..." he notes.

"And likely not something that belongs to our Host."

Talevia flexed her fingers. They still felt odd, the lingering effects of whatever the Chaos Beast hit her with. "We should check the bodies. We are not the first ones here, perhaps they have some clues or information with them."

She flexed her tingling fingers again. "And I may be loathe to admit it, we may need whatever valuables they have to pay for a recovery spell for those of us that Chaos Beast hit. Whatever it was, the effects linger."

Ahmerisiel examines the armor, but finds its just as good as his own. He helps strip it off the burned form, though, for transport. "I agree, this is unlikely to belong to our host, and should fetch a pretty penny if nothing else."

He moves over to the indicated door and examines it for traps.

Perception, trapfinding, take 20: 20 + 13 + 3 = 36
Disable Device, trapfinding, take 10: 10 + 17 + 3 = 30
Disable Device, open lock, take 10: 10 + 17 = 27 if needed
Disable Device, open lock, take 20: 20 + 17 = 37 if take 10 wasn't good enough

While that is a great plan to take 20 on perception generally, I will have to rule that it cannot be done in your current state. It takes 10 rounds to take 10 on that skill and you will be losing control of your body at least once every 10 rounds (requiring the will save to stabilize). That Standard action would most definitely reset your take 20 concentration. I'm going to assume taking 10 this time to keep things moving.

Not to mention, taking that much time would mean your teammates have to roll more often too.

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Talevia searches the body, finding nothing except the aforementioned armor, a broken scimitar, shortbow and quiver with twenty black feather fletched arrows. She does notice this is a fair haired human male. Kyra (bot) steps up and reaches down into his shirt, "Sorry, I saw a bulge here. Yup, secret pocket with gems* in it. Should probably take them."

*This is a somewhat GM Freebie here, being the one very rare situation where you can keep what you find with no penalty. It also effects your cash received at the end. Plus Kyra (bot) did actually hit the Perception check required.

Khellek has used up his ~7 rounds before anyone needs to make saves to keep their forms. It appears Doodle and Zano are forgoing their actions. Anyone else want to do something in either room or anything else?

Ahmerisiel checks the door to the (as reported by the servant) library. It seems to not have any traps and is unlocked.

Might I suggest Ahmerisiel, Doodle and Talevia roll their DC 15 Will saves now before going into the library? If, of course, you all intend to go in there next. You can even technically roll the save before turning to goo as it is a standard action and would simply reset the minute timer each success. So just tell me how often you are rolling these checks, make the roll(s) and stop when you hit a 15.

So just tell me how often you are rolling these checks, make the roll(s) and stop when you hit a 15.

Isn't "how often" up to the curse, not us?

Will DC 15, heroism: 1d20 + 4 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 4 + 2 = 9 That didn't take long...

Will 1d20 + 10 + 2 ⇒ (17) + 10 + 2 = 29

Doodle keeps it together as the group proceeds.

GM TOP wrote:

So just tell me how often you are rolling these checks, make the roll(s) and stop when you hit a 15.

Isn't "how often" up to the curse, not us?

[dice=Will DC 15, heroism]1d20+4+2 That didn't take long...

Up to you if you have a Standard Action available.

Will Save: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (7) + 8 = 15 Made it

Talevia could feel the tingling spread through out her arms and legs, and she uttered a soft prayer to Erastil for strength and willed her body to remain solid.

She takes the quiver with the black fletched arrows, curious if there was anything special about them. "We should move on to the Library."

Ahmandé wrote:

GM TOP wrote:

So just tell me how often you are rolling these checks, make the roll(s) and stop when you hit a 15.

Isn't "how often" up to the curse, not us?

[dice=Will DC 15, heroism]1d20+4+2 That didn't take long...

Up to you if you have a Standard Action available.

Addendum/Correction: I re-read the curse and the standard action is only doable once you lose your form. A success each time means no wisdom damage, but the curse re-melts you every minute. Then while melted, you can attempt to stabilize every round.

_____________________

Doodle and Talevia feel their sanity starting to fail and watch in terror as their legs begin wobbling like jelly. Through great force of will though, they are able to mentally refocus and pull themselves back together.

Shortly after that, Ahmerisel completely falls apart. Pieces of him falling off like scales during molting season.

Current Status
Talevia (Cursed but stable, 9 rds to go)
Doodle (Cursed but stable, 9 rds to go)
Ahmerisiel (-2 Wisdom Damage, Cursed and Mushy, Will Save Needed)

Anyone doing anything else or just waiting for your teammate to stabilize?

Will DC 15, heroism, WIS damage: 1d20 + 4 + 2 - 1 ⇒ (2) + 4 + 2 - 1 = 7
Will DC 15, heroism, WIS damage: 1d20 + 4 + 2 - 1 ⇒ (3) + 4 + 2 - 1 = 8
Will DC 15, heroism, WIS damage: 1d20 + 4 + 2 - 1 ⇒ (11) + 4 + 2 - 1 = 16

The puddle that used to be Ahmerisiel shudders and plops as it tries to regain the form it vaguely remembers. It takes a dramatically long time, but eventually Ahmerisiel crawls his way out of the puddle, looking to all as if he were climbing out of a hole in the floor that fits his outline tightly, closing behind him as each bit emerges.

I'll move us along a bit with a couple small assumptions made. If anyone has actions to jam into the few rounds Ahmerisiel is gooping it up, go ahead and put those at the top of your next post.

The Wibbly-Wobbly-Jelly-Baby elf finally manages to pull it together, though they aren't sure how much sanity they will be able to keep as the curse keeps pulling their mind into many bad places.

Current Status
Talevia (Cursed but stable, 6 rds to go)
Doodle (Cursed but stable, 6 rds to go)
Ahmerisiel (-4 Wisdom Damage, Cursed, 9 rds to go)

______________________________

In a hurry to act while they still can, Doodle whips open the door, hoping that it is indeed a library.

It is.

This serene library features three great bookcases eight feet tall running the length of the room, stuffed chairs and a sofa, thick-piled carpets with a subtle design, and three elaborately sculpted marble lecterns in an eastern alcove. Heavy double doors occupy the west wall, crafted from darkly stained oak with gold fixtures. A huge crystal chandelier hangs from the ceiling twenty feet above and glows with magical light.

The center and southern most lecterns both display fat, open tomes. The northernmost lectern is empty, though there is a dusty outline indicating a missing book.

"WEll... that is not a good sign." sighs Khellek, as he peers into the room from the doorway.

The scholar does a quick check for magic - including making sure that the chandelier is indeed just full of continual flames.

”Lets check all three of these lecturns. The one with the missing book might be an illusion or something. I could see that tricky so and so we met earlier hiding it in plain sight,” Doodle says to the others.

She did wait for the rogue to check for traps before touching anything and risking destroying the library.

"That looks far too obvious as a place for the book." Talevia said, gesturing towards the northernmost lecturn. "Still this is a library."

She started to walk around the room, slowly looking at the volumes of books in the shelves.

Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 4 = 20

Khellek eyes up the library with an eye to how the books are categorised. To start with he ignores the lecterns, looking at the shelves for where he would expect the book to be placed.

perception: 1d20 - 2 ⇒ (7) - 2 = 5

"Oh look. A bookcase!"

What book are you looking for? perception: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 3 = 9

"We are here looking for the Mutani Manual .." reminds the scholar.

"Top of the page, first bullet point "Your assignment is to recover the Mutani Manual." he recites.

Then he adds "Second bullet point: Recover the society expert on Tien matters. Who is likely held prisoner here somewhere. Apparently he is a scholar much like me. Although lacking my patience with the less intellectually gifted." The elderly scholars eyes hold no hint of irony as he gives Zano the Look.

Current Status
Talevia (Cursed but stable, 4 rds to go)
Doodle (Cursed but stable, 4 rds to go)
Ahmerisiel (-4 Wisdom Damage, Cursed, 7 rds to go)

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Upon a closer look, the center lectern is topped with a tome called Geography and Wildlife of the Mwangi Expanse by Thaddeus the Wanderer. The southern one's book is titled The Sonnets of D’Laedalis the Bard. Both volumes are exquisitely bound and richly illuminated.

The northernmost lectern is empty, though the dusty outline of the ghost of an opened volume is plainly visible. There appear to be hundreds of other books on the shelves in here, it would be quite a bit of searching to check every one.

The group focuses first on the lectern with the empty book, looking for clues. After a few seconds it is Doodle that notices something... maybe useful?

She sees two thin parallel scuff marks on the floor at the base of the very heavy lectern. Almost as though it had been slid across the floor a couple feet.

Khellek takes off his glasses, cleans them, puts them back on and looks again.

"I still don't see anything.." he admits.

"But by the sounds of it, it should slide. But if this is secure storage, I would recommend we check for the presence of traps first. And if you cannot work out how to open it, remember I acquired a scroll that can be used for that purpose..."

The scholar then backs away from the lectern... just in case.

”Ahmande, can you get over and quickly check for traps? Looks like there’s something weird here.”

Ahmerisiel doesn't see any traps on the lectern (take 10 used).

Strength Check to try to slide it.

Strength check 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (5) + 5 = 10

Doodle tries to scoot the lecturn.

The lectern doesn't scoot (but that 10 could provide an aid to someone else).

The elderly Khellek doesn't even think about offering to help shift the lectern. Things like that are for grad-students. Or even undergraduates if the grad students are thin on the ground.

Instead he finds an interesting book on the shelves. "Oh my, is this a first edition of 'Tolembines - Rise and fall of the God-child'?" and settles himself into an armchair to appreciate it.

Zano will try to help move it. strength: 1d20 ⇒ 15

"Quick! before everyone starts melting! Professor Khellek! on your feet please! every little bit helps!!"

Kyra mutters two quick prayers while Khellek gets into position and puts her shoulder into the lectern to push it forward while Doodle and Zano are pulling it on the other side.

Strength, Guidance, Bull's Strength, Aidx2: 1d20 + 2 + 1 + 2 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (11) + 2 + 1 + 2 + 2 + 2 = 20 +2 if Khellek feels enough shame to get up and give it a successful push! lol! ;) PS: finally returned from some interesting travels... posting rate should be back to normal, assuming I didn't catch that thing that's going around... :P knock on wood!!

Khellek sighs and replaces the tome. "Do you know how rare an opportunity it is to study a first edition?"

Still, the elderly scholar does his best to provide suggestions if little physical assistance. ."A lever is often the best way to apply force to maximum effect.." he suggests.

Eventually he leans his own somewhat feeble frame into the effort. Eventually.

STR aid: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (8) - 1 = 7

"Are you sure I can fit around there?"

Or if I could aid with an engineering check to provide suggested places for provide force? T10 on that for 32 is much more likely help!

Ahmerisiel jumps right in at Kaya's urging, after all, he was the puddle she was talking about. Though he fears the exertion will cause his body to fall apart again, he puts all he can into it.

Strength, heroism: 1d20 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 + 2 = 6

I'll allow the engineering, it makes sense. And allows me to make up a fun little heartwarming story.

Khellek advises that he recalls a story of a primitive culture that created a magnificent stacked stone building in the middle of a lush delta, far from any sources of stone. When asked how they managed to move such large stones so far, they simply said one word. The word was confusing for a while until the explorers saw a child playing a game in the courtyard, rolling a round stone with a flattened stick. They were yelling the same word. Turns out they used small rounded logs and simply rolled the stones over them about fifty miles. The visitors were amazed and made sure to record the story before wiping out the village to create a road for the Chelish Empire. Many of the stones from the temple were used in the creation of the road though...

After that wonderful story that lifted everyone's spirits, Doodle pulls out a few dowels, the group tips the lectern up onto them and it easily rolls right out of the way.

Underneath is a locked metal door with strange sigils. Khellek easily identifies them as ancient Azlanti glyphs traditionally placed on the sarcophagi of royals, warning of “cacophonous moral denunciation” for those who disturb the burial.

"Well.. at least they are not diabolic glyphs."

The scholar checks the metal door for signs of magic before suggesting "Perhaps one of you with more nimble fingers might find a way to open this... but given the nature of the warning runes... please do check for traps first."

Then, retaking his book which had been carefully placed back into the right spot on the shelf, the scholar returns to his seat while the nimble-fingered play with the nice mechanical toy.

"If only I had a nice glass of brandy to go with it.." he sighs.

”Now remember, if this isn’t the resting place of our book, we can’t take anything. Don’t want to get the society in more hot water in this place.”

Ahmerisiel takes a look at the box, just studying it at first.

Perception, trapfinding: 1d20 + 13 + 3 ⇒ (10) + 13 + 3 = 26
That description sounds like a magical trap; did Ahmerisiel find it?

Ahmerisiel is quite sure there is just a complicated lock involved here, no trap.

"I think that inscription is probably hogwash; I don't see any sign of a trap. Go ahead and scan it for magic, though, if you don't believe. I'll either be here waiting to open it when you're ready, or I'll be a puddle on the floor. Whatever's clever."

"I checked for magic before..." sighs the scholar.

He again replaces the book. "I think I may have to see if I can arrange my own meeting with Temel, this really is a most relaxing library."

He again scans the safe for magic, before reporting the findings and retreating to a safe distance.

There is magic in the glyphs. It is how Khellek ID’d them so easily as the ancient funeral glyphs. It does not appear to him to be part of a trap.

Abjuration School