Longroads Coffeehouse 2.0

Game Master chadius

Vardarel holds his hands up in surrender. “Just checking. I had a bad incident in Absalom with a street vendor. What they called chicken was actually bloodseeker.”

Dokk laughs and says, "If you want Bloodseeker instead, just let us know. We can do custom order!" The goblins bid you farewell. "Remember, if lunch too spicy for you, drink the goat milk."

One of the goats looks at Vardarel, and bleats, "Me-eh!"

Dokk waves. "Bye-bye, heroes! Have fun meeting the dragon!"

★ ---- ★ ---- ★ ---- ★

The peaceful hills show little sign of civilization, only the occasional rabbit scampering by. The afternoon sun beams down onto the rocky terrain and tall grass and weeds, unhampered by the business of mortals, wave gently in the breeze.

You arrive at rocky hillside with roughly two hours remaining before the scheduled meeting time. It's a calm, desolate area surrounded by vibrant foliage. Following the map leads to the brush where the cave entrance is hidden, but no one is there to greet you.

If you did not set your exploration mode in the macros, I'm assuming Search. This is a rather kind assumption, so please... finish your macros if you have not already.

Vardarel notices recent tracks going in to the cave, but not leaving. Meat Wagon also notices this, but doesn't say anything to the rest of you about it. Meanwhile,

Bella notices not only the tracks, but also a trap. There's a spice bomb trap disguised as rocky ground by the cave entrance to deter unwanted visitors, newly replaced after a recent incursion. The fake rocks are slightly to the left, leaving just enough room for a Medium creature aware of their location to move around them safely into the cave entrance.

"Well, this seems peaceful enough," Fran remarks in a cheery voice as she looks around. The lunch skewer has long since been finished off (with Mister Midnight's help) and she takes a moment to take a drink of goat's milk. "No one here but we're also here pretty early, aren't we?"

Stitch remains standing on top of Meat Wagon as the fruit pummel his melon "Why can't you wait for the command? You've gotten awful anxious after this last upgrade, heavy footed!" Its pretty clear Meat Wagon started pulling before Stitch gave the command, which is an new oddity for the innovation.

He laughs off Bella's song, not getting too embarrassed or angry. "Well, cart's out at least... who wants some peaches?"

---

Stitch and Meat do continue with Search.

"Hard to rely on kobolds. They're nearly as bad as goblins." He adds, forgetting they now have one in their company. "Well, the old goblins.. " He backtracks "Before some came to their senses and joined the Society."

“We wouldn’t know we had the right place if there wasn’t a trap.” Vardarel muses.

"Kobolds are clever, right?" Mister Midnight asks as he comes to rest atop Meat Wagon. "Fran and I haven't ever worked with any, only seen them in passing."

The cave leads into the antechamber of Valashinaz's immense underground lair. As you descend, the natural cave floor vanishes into a thickening carpet of gold and jewels. A large bulk of the treasure has been haphazardly pushed up to pile against the right wall, indicating someone has tried to sweep a meager path for visitors. Brightly glowing crystals line the walls about two feet from the floor, though a spare few have been placed higher for the benefit of taller folk. The crystal lights illuminate the path to several vaults deeper into the caverns.

I have put your minis down on Slide 5. Would someone like to draw me an exploration path on the map that your characters will be following? Thank you!

Lines drawn. When approaching an intersection, we would look each way before proceeding on the path.

The cavernous vault is filled nearly to the brim with treasure divided into various ceiling-high piles. Coins, trinkets, and entire chests pack together into wavering columns that tremble beneath their own weight. Carved niches along the high stone walls display beautiful art objects and jars of curious liquids that glisten in crystalline light, small shapes visible in some of the vessels. A rat peers out from an empty niche and a muffled shout echoes from within the mountains of gold.

"Intruders! Thieves! Miscreants!" comes the muffled voice under the treasure.

Bella, Meat Wagon and Vardarel all realize that the treasure pile is a hazard that will fall on anyone who steps inside unless it can be disabled with a Thievery check.

Pointing to the treasure pile, Vardarel says “Looks like a test of greed. That pile is set to collapse on any who trespass.”

Bella enjoys the journey, and takes a look at the walls of treasure. "It would be quite rude to take someone's possessions without permission." Bella takes a look. "Also, it's designed to collapse on you. One moment."

She holds out her hand, Khiari passes her a box of thieves tools. She drinks the >Gecko Potion< and begins tinkering with the trap.

Thievery: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (1) + 9 = 10
Hero Point: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (3) + 9 = 12 Sigh

Oh. That didn't go right...

Stitch looks at the giant piles of treasure, jaw dropping a bit lower than usual "Umm, sounds like someone needs help.. maybe we should help." He snaps out of his golden distraction at Bella's less than helpful advice.

"Who just leaves all this lying around? It can't be real." He huffs.

"Hello!~" Fran calls out to the mysterious voice. "Are you stuck? Just sit tight and we'll try to get you out of there!"

The mound of treasure wavers and wobbles but the pile does not immediately collapse on Bella. Meanwhile, you can still hear: "Vermin! Miscreants! Thieves!"

Your Hero Point changed your attempt from a crit fail to a regular failure. Would you like to retry?

Nicole is not skilled in tinkering with the dangerous pile of treasure that is about to landslide. She instead focuses her attention on the source of those calling them thieves and whatnot. She gets closer but not close to the pile. "Who is that? Are you alright? We are not thieves!" she calls back.

Stitch also tries to locate the voices, all while muttering "Maybe its a magic voice, like an alarm?"

Bella watches the pile with a mix of anxiety and excitement. When it does not topple, she grins. "Well, let's try that again. Sister, some assistance."

After the fourth try, Bella manages to disable the toppling pile of loot, only to discover that the voice buried in the treasure pile is in fact an alarm. It's emanating from a fulu that has now been freed from the gold.

"Vermin! Miscreants! Thieves!"

If only you had a clue how to shut it up...

Looking at the paper fulu, Vardarel asks “Anyone have a tindertwig?”

He is patting his own pockets, and does come up with a flint and steel.

"Aha!" Bella claps triumphantly. "Well, that should-"

She frowns as she realizes it's a magical alarm. "On one hand, they clearly know we're here."

She procures a torch. "I could burn a torch and burn the alarm."

"An alarm, told you..." He tries to think of what he knows about an alarm spell. Recall knowledge: religion +11. Just trying to connect alarm spell to a password, and persimmon.

Stitch recalls that alarm spells often have passwords, and that you were all given the word "Persimmon" on a piece of paper. He shouts the word at the arlarm, and you hear it stop mid shout and say, "Never mind!" then go silent.

★ ---- ★ ---- ★ ---- ★

Large gaps mar the canopy of gold on this vault's floor, revealing cold natural stone where treasures once sat. On the far wall is a blast of soot around the outline of a humanoid with raised arms, melted coins and singed tapestries painting a neat picture of an uninvited guest's untimely demise. A beat-up old mop leans abandoned against the wall, still dripping ashy water from its user's futile attempt to clean off the blackened evidence of Valashinaz's wrath.

Not spotting any traps here, you walk in and notice that the bins contain items previously owned by uninvited guests, neatly sorted into clothes, weapons and other random items. Spilling from a singed satchel that is clearly not part of the vault's treasures is an oil of skating (Treasure Vault 87) and a monkey pin, a detailed map of Hwanggot and a mortalis coin (Treasure Vault 94).

"Ha! All we had to do was ask for permission!" Khiari giggles.

Then she points at the scorchmarks. "And don't be like them."

>Monkey Pin<
>Oil of Skating<
>Mortalis Coin<

Khiari looks at the singed satchel. "They're kind of cool. Nicole, could you affix the Monkey Pin to Bella's armor? Maybe she could keep up with my climbing for a moment."

Lokaloka can only stare at the party in awe at how you all work together.

Remember, this is the first time she's joined you

"Ha! All we had to do was ask for permission!"

No. All you had to do was ask for Persimmon.

Vardarel spends a few minutes examining the map with interest. When people are ready to move on, so is he.

You move on. Large mounds of gold fill the vault, carefully arranged to create a happy face across the floor. The smile is lopsided as one mound has collapsed, taking its neighboring pile with it. Various fulus and talismans line the wall in perfect rows that stretch up toward the unreachable ceiling, disappearing into shadow. The only signs of life are a few empty pickle jars left over from an enthusiastic meal.

As you walk into the room, noting the snacks mixed with the gold, you hear a scuttling and tinkling noise as several of the allegedly empty kimchi jars sprout scurry rat feet as they run towards you. "Squeak!"

★ ---- ★ ---- ★ ---- ★

★ ---- ★ ---- ★ ---- ★

Vardarel
Fran
Stitch & Meatwagon
Bella & Khiari
Purple & Green
Nicole
Red & Yellow
Lokaloka

Slightly Earlier

Fran winces at the sight of the sooty outline on the wall of the cavern and shakes her head. "Even though it's, um, really dumb to try and walk into a dragon's home uninvited, that's a b-bad way to go."

As the group pilfers through the gear of the uninvited, she looks around nervously. "Is it r-really okay for us to take this stuff? I know it d-doesn't technically belong to Valashinaz, but still..."
______________

Present

"Oh! What are those??" Fran exclaims as the group is suddenly set upon by jarrats. She tries to recall if she's ever read about such a creature...or if this is somehow just regular rats wearing jars for some reason. Then she tries to see if she can smash one with a nearby candlestick.

Telekinetic Projectile vs. Purple: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (4) + 10 = 14
Damage (B): 3d6 ⇒ (6, 3, 4) = 13

◈ Recall Knowledge
◈◈ Telekinetic Projectile

We cross-posted! Map on Slide 8.

★ ---- ★ ---- ★ ---- ★

Vardarel
Fran
Stitch & Meatwagon
Bella & Khiari
Purple & Green
Nicole
Red & Yellow
Lokaloka

"Sister, do you know what that is?' Bella and Khiari speak in perfect sync. "No I don't... stop saying what I say. No, YOU stop what I'm saying! Is this really time for your fey/human antics?"

They pause when they realize their adjectives differ. "Khiari, sister. Please. Help me identify them."

Spend 1 action to Recall Knowledge (Nature +5), if applicable.

Earlier...

Nicole observes while Bella works on the trap and finally Stitch being able to stop the repetitive noise. "Hopefully nobody from here is alarmed by that. We might be accused to be intruders."

Khiari looks at the singed satchel. "They're kind of cool. Nicole, could you affix the Monkey Pin to Bella's armor? Maybe she could keep up with my climbing for a moment."

"Sure!" Nicole perks up on the request. She takes the pin and approaches Bella to affix the thing to her armor. "Let me, Miss Bella." Nicole asks permission to affix the talisman to her armor.

Vardarel is also curious about the creatures approaching, and tries to figure out what sort of creatures they might be.
RK if I am trained in the appropriate skill.

As the group pilfers through the gear of the uninvited, she looks around nervously. "Is it r-really okay for us to take this stuff? I know it d-doesn't technically belong to Valashinaz, but still..."

"You know as well as I do that our salary comes directly out of whatever 'discarded' valuables we bring back.. And Meat Wagon doesn't run on IOU's!" He looks over the items, nodding, clearly impressed with the boar looking coin. "Well dang, someone needs to put that to use." He also tries to get a look at the map but is interrupted by jars of rats.

"Guess its time to test things out. Fire up the blades Meat!" Stitch hoses Meat and himself down with the WD2500-2.

Overdrive ◆: Overdrive: Standard Craft Check, DC19?: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (19) + 13 = 32
*Crit Success: +5 damage to personal and construct damage rolls for 1 minute.

He grins as they both hit critical overdrive. This might get messy.. may need that mop back there. He ◆ raises his shield up, trying to figure out just what they're dealing with. ◆ Recall Knowledge.

AC 23 for the round. Will use shield block if triggered and it won't destroy the steel shield.

What's this thing on my back do.. oh, it throws pointy rocks..

SLLOOOOPPPHHH! CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK.

Ranged: Mini Catapult: 30' vs Pink: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (3) + 10 = 13
Damage (P), Overdrive: 2d4 + 2 + 5 ⇒ (3, 3) + 2 + 5 = 13

Meat Wagon now has this ability.. AI strikes again, argghhh!

Advanced Construct Companion: Feat 4: You've upgraded your construct companion's power and decision-making ability. It becomes an advanced construct companion. During an encounter, even if you don't use the Command a Minion action, your construct companion can still use 1 action on your turn that round to Stride or Strike.

Lokaloka has Magic Weapon in case anyone needs it

Fran and Bella are pretty sure that these jar rats are animals wearing kimchi jars as armor, but does not recall much else about them. Vardarel realizes that these creatures ram people with their jars, and when they bite, there is an extra burn from all the kimchi brine on their teeth.

Meanwhile, Stitch realizes that if you can just break those jars, the rats would be much less formidable as opponents.

★ ---- ★ ---- ★ ---- ★

Bella's Telekinetic Projectile plinks harmlessly off one of the jars.

Stitch manages to go into overdrive, but Meat Wagon's catapault sticks at the last possible moment, sending a rock plinking harmlessly plinking next to one of the jars.

★ ---- ★ ---- ★ ---- ★

Vardarel
Fran
Stitch & Meatwagon
Bella & Khiari
Purple & Green
Nicole
Red & Yellow
Lokaloka

Vardarel decides that the best thing to do is try and delay the rats in jars from doing significant damage. He calls on his god to make their attacks less accurate.

Cast Bane, 5’ emanation from him

"I got it." Khiari stomps her hoof, creating a 15 foot tall trunk of decaying wood. ">Timbeeeeer!<" She cries out and kicks the trunk on top of the rat in the Green jar.

Bludgeoning Damage: 3d4 ⇒ (1, 3, 3) = 7 Basic Reflex Save DC 16. Critical Failure Dazzles until the end of its next turn.

The tree trunk slams into the ground and then instantly decays.

◆ Bella Recalls Knowledge
◆◆ Khiari casts>Timber< against Green.

posting ahead since I'm likely going to be at 30+ thousand feet heading to Oz

Vardarel casts bane, hoping to eventually catch the rats in the emanation. Khiari summons a falling plank to fall on the Green rat.

"Squeak!"

Green Reflex: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (10) + 11 = 21

Unfortunately, the rat rolls out of the way of most of the damage, and the hard kimchi jar absorbs the rest.

★ ---- ★ ---- ★ ---- ★

The Purple and Green rats skitter forward.

Green jaws (agile, finesse) vs Khiari: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (4) + 8 = 12
Piercing Damage plus Brine Burn: 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (5) + 4 = 9

Green jaws (agile, finesse) vs Khiari: 1d20 + 8 - 4 ⇒ (18) + 8 - 4 = 22
Piercing Damage plus Brine Burn: 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10

Brine Burn (Acid Damage, DC 15 Fortitude for half): 1d4 ⇒ 1

Green misses with the first bite, but then discovers how tasty fey are with its second!

Then Purple decides to find out if dwarves are tasty.

Purple jaws (agile, finesse) vs Stitch: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (20) + 8 = 28
Piercing Damage plus Brine Burn: 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5

Purple jaws (agile, finesse) vs Stitch: 1d20 + 8 - 4 ⇒ (20) + 8 - 4 = 24
Piercing Damage plus Brine Burn: 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5

Brine Burn (Acid Damage, DC 15 Fortitude for half): 1d4 ⇒ 4

Dwarven toes are delicious with kimchi! The rat takes two very large bites!

★ ---- ★ ---- ★ ---- ★

Vardarel
Fran
Stitch (-20, Fort Save)
Meatwagon
Bella & Khiari (-10, Fort Save)
Purple & Green
Nicole
Red & Yellow
Lokaloka

"Rats in jars?" Nicole can't believe what she sees right now. Nevertheless, she quickly draws out an alchemist's flask to see if she can melt the containment. She aims to the one in front of Bella.
Moderate Alchemist Fire Bomb Attack vs Green: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (6) + 10 = 16
Damage w Calculated Splash: 2d8 ⇒ (1, 3) = 4 fire damage plus 2 persistent fire damage, and 4 fire splash damage (to target)

She draws another and throws at it again.
Moderate Alchemist Fire Bomb Attack, MAP1 vs Green: 1d20 + 10 - 5 ⇒ (20) + 10 - 5 = 25
Damage w Calculated Splash: 2d8 ⇒ (6, 6) = 12 fire damage plus 2 persistent fire damage, and 4 fire splash damage (to target)

She then draws her Hand Crossbow.

◆ Quick Bomber
◆ Quick Bomber
◆ Interact to draw hand crossbow

Stitch throws up his shield to block some of the first bite, swearing as it takes both a chunk of Dwarf and a chunk of steel with it.

Fort DC15: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (19) + 10 = 29

Shield block 5 damage, so 5 from the first hit to Stitch and 5 to his shield (15/20). Second crit lands.

Nicole's first throw misses, and plinks harmlessly against the edge of Green's jar.

However her second attack shatters Green's jar and burns Green to a crisp, leaving nothing more than shattered glass and a small smoking corpse.

★ ---- ★ ---- ★ ---- ★

"Squeak, squeak, squeak!"

The Red and Yellow rats roll forward in their jars...

Yellow jaws (agile, finesse) vs Khiari: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (9) + 8 = 17
Piercing Damage plus Brine Burn: 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (5) + 4 = 9

Yellow jaws (agile, finesse) vs Khiari: 1d20 + 8 - 4 ⇒ (11) + 8 - 4 = 15
Piercing Damage plus Brine Burn: 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7

Red jaws (agile, finesse) vs Bella: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (2) + 8 = 10
Piercing Damage plus Brine Burn: 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6

Red jaws (agile, finesse) vs Bella: 1d20 + 8 - 4 ⇒ (4) + 8 - 4 = 8
Piercing Damage plus Brine Burn: 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6

...but alas the speed at which they roll forward makes the poor little rats dizzy and they miss the two sisters utterly.

★ ---- ★ ---- ★ ---- ★

Vardarel
Fran
Stitch (-15)
Meatwagon
Bella & Khiari (-10, Fort Save)
Purple
Green (Dead)
Nicole
Red & Yellow
Lokaloka

Vardarel decides that rather than test his ability to break a jar, he would just attack the mind of the yellow rat.
◆◆ Daze, Mental damage: 3 = 3 DC 19 basic will save, range 60’

He then moves past Stitch to get to the other side of the rats.
◆ Stride, Bringing them all within the Bane emanation, DC 19 Will or -1 attack

"Squeak?"

Yellow Will Save vs Daze: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (9) + 7 = 16

The Yellow rat gets a headache as Vardarel's spell hits.

Yellow Will Save vs Bane: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (4) + 7 = 11
Purple Will Save vs Bane: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (2) + 7 = 9
Red Will Save vs Bane: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (18) + 7 = 25

Purple and Yellow succomb to the bane, but Red is unharmed, and utters a happy "Squeak!"

★ ---- ★ ---- ★ ---- ★

Vardarel
Fran
Stitch (-15)
Meatwagon
Bella & Khiari (-10, Fort Save)
Purple (Baned)
Green (Dead)
Nicole
Red
Yellow (-3, Baned)
Lokaloka

Khiari's Fort Save: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (12) + 10 = 22
Khiari shakes off the burning brine from her fur. "Wow, these rats are cute and spicy!"

"Hmm, not my kind of cuisine, I'm afraid." Bella notes. "Sister, you are flanking with Vardarel. I know he's tooted your horn a few times, but do work coordinate with him!" Bella makes an overexaggerated laugh, echoing through the halls as she tries to distract the rat in the Purple jar. >Oh-ho-ho-ho!<

Khiari turns red briefly. "That's not true! We're good friends now. He just... was asking about the Fey. And I had to correct him." She sighs and headbutts the Yellow rat in the jar.

Headbutt: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (17) + 9 = 26
Damage: 2d8 + 2 ⇒ (8, 6) + 2 = 16

Bella decides to kick the rat in the Red jar to get some space.
Shove: Athletics vs Red's Fort Save, using Agile Fist: 1d20 + 8 - 4 ⇒ (15) + 8 - 4 = 19

◆ Bella uses >Fascinating Performance< on the Purple Rat. Thanks to >Focused Fascination<, she only needs a Success to Fascinate. Thanks to >Assurance< her Performance check is 18.
◆ Khiari Strikes Yellow
◆ Bella Shoves Red. If successful, they both move 5 ft Down. Remaster on page 405 says skill actions that use the Attack trait use the MAP of the weapon.

Vardarel briefly gets a puzzled expression on his face as Bella teases her sister but quickly tries to hide it. I wonder if this is just normal teasing or I stepped over some social line without realizing it. Fey and human customs can be so strange!

He does try to make a mental note to ask about this when he isn’t in the middle of combat.

"Um, b-break the jars, right?" Fran repeats as she peers around Stitch and Meat Wagon. "Okay then, h-here I go!"

Taking a step to the side to see a little better, Fran once again uses her magic and the power of her mind to fling a small ceramic pot at Yellow (or Red if Khiari kills Yellow).

Telekinetic Projectile vs. Yellow: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (10) + 10 = 20
Damage (B): 3d6 ⇒ (2, 5, 6) = 13
______________

◆ Step
◆◆ Telekinetic Projectile

Khiari headbutts Yellow, and because of Vardarel's flank, it crits! The jar breaks... Leaving Yellow barely alive and out of its jar.

"Squeak?!"

Then she attempts to shove the red rat, but it has a great fortitude save and rolls right back.

Bella successfully fascinates the Purple Rat.

Then Fran sends a ceramic pot flying to break the red rat's jar, leaving it naked amongst a bunch of broken glass, and breaking Purple's fascinated state.

★ ---- ★ ---- ★ ---- ★

Vardarel
Fran
Stitch (-15)
Meatwagon
Bella & Khiari (-11)
Purple (Baned, fascinated)
Green (Dead)
Nicole
Red (-10, Broken Jar)
Yellow (-19, Broken Jar, Baned)
Lokaloka

Ah! Forgot my reaction!

Red jaws (agile, finesse) vs Bella: 10 = 10

Red jaws (agile, finesse) vs Bella: 8 = 8

...but alas the speed at which they roll forward makes the poor little rats dizzy and they miss the two sisters utterly.

Bella looks at the Red rat in a Jar as it tries to bite her. So clumsy, so uncoordinated... it's a critical miss!

Slightly insulted (only slightly) she takes an opportunity to riposte at Red!

Fist: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (5) + 10 = 15
Bludgeoning Damage: 2d4 + 2 ⇒ (4, 2) + 2 = 8

↺ Bella will spend her previous turn's reaction to make an >Opportune Riposte< at Red. This is before the >Khiari/Bella post< above... although with that roll I don't think this will affect much.