Ebonfist's #3-22 Pagoda of the Rat (Inactive)

Game Master EbonFist

Kioshi finds that one of the ratfolk, the one not dressed like the others has a potion of cure serious wounds, a scroll of resist energy (CL 7th), a scroll of scorching ray (CL 7th), a wand of magic missile (CL 5th, 15 charges), a cloak of resistance +1, a headband of vast intelligence +2, a spell component pouch, and a spellbook.

The others are each equipped in the same way.

Each carries a potion of barkskin, a potion of cure moderate wounds, 2 scrolls of false life, a masterwork chain shirt, a masterwork dagger, a masterwork spear, a belt of mighty constitution +2, a spell component pouch, and a silver holy symbol of Lao Shu Po.

Diazepane finds that the not-so-secret doors just lead to the hall where the arrowslits they spotted in the previous room lead to.

There is also a larger room here, however. The racks and shelves of this armory stand mostly bare. A trio of battered training dummies occupies the center of room, resembling a band of bald dwarves dressed in scraps of chainmail.

It doesn't take long to conclude that any gear left here is in bad shape and non magical. Two more doors lead out.

“Ohhh, so many goodies!! I’ll take the wand if that’s ok! And the spell book!“ he says fascinated.

Can tell them me the spells in the book with read magic please GM?

Diazepane will take the potion of barkskin if nobody else wants. I don't think Diazepane can actually use anything else.

When everyone is done identifying and equipping items, Diazepane will advocate going to the triangular room.

Diazepane opens the door and finds himself in an irregularly shaped room.

A long bookshelf filled with religious writings, pottery jars holding oil for
braziers, and a round table with three chairs fill the chamber he's in. A curtain divides it from another area.

A fine carpet leads to an assembly of five statues that dominate this temple. The largest depicts a withered ratfolk woman, stooped with age yet radiating power. To her right stand two smaller statues of female ratfolk, and to her left are two statues of ratfolk males. All gaze toward the entrance to the temple in its northern wall. In front of the statues, two braziers light the room. A curtain cordons off the back of the temple. In an alcove outside the temple stands a small statue obviously depicting the same ratfolk woman portrayed by the central statue; before this statue lies a well-worn prayer mat.

The group easily enough finds a secret door behind a statue in the north east of the area. It leads outside to the cavern beyond.

A hall leads to the west or the group can return whence they came.

Knowledge (Religion): 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (19) + 9 = 28

"This is a proper shrine to Lao Shu Po. The temple and the statues and religious material here is all for her."

Diazepane will make a small gesture - refilling the braziers or kneeling on the prayer mat.

Kioshi also detects magic here.

”Interesting place!“

Kal watches his companions rifle through the remains, and casually turns over a cloak and other rubble with the handle of his pole arm.

I suppose it would have been to much to expect something more useful then{/b] he gestures around [b]"this"

A few moments later, as the chapel grows more crowded, he confirms the plans with his companions"I suppose we should be going through the back, huh? Unless we are deadset in heading bac the way that we came"

Sand and a scattering of large rocks cover the floor of this hallway. The sand has been carefully raked and shaped into intricate patterns and whorls. The dark, echoing caverns of Round Mountain lie outside a circular window fit with closely spaced bars.

Meanwhile, at the entrance, two guards spot the two newcomers.

"Your friends already passed. They're in there," one of them says, hooking a thumb over his shoulder to indicate the double doors behind them.

Dot

Shonne nods once to the guardians and walks past them to the doors.

Doors open and through them the party sees a tall, blonde, elf woman dressed in golden forester's garb over a long mithril chain shirt. She bears a broad headed spear.

There is also a larger room here, however. The racks and shelves of this armory stand mostly bare. A trio of battered training dummies occupies the center of room, resembling a band of bald dwarves dressed in scraps of chainmail.

She looks at the trio of battered dummies (and the training mannequins!) as one might look at people who had been chewed on by giant rats....

"Cin on- or- i easui té hi." she says seemingly to herself in accented Elven. Then she sighs, shakes her head and begins to look around while not going out of her way to make eye contact.

Shonne is kinda built to fit holes in parties. She's a 1st edition, plain, old skool, D&D elf who wears armor, and casts magic-user wizard spells. She can fight as sort of a secondary, often ranged, combatant. She can sub for wizards in groups that are light on arcane and knowledge skills, and can, in a pinch, heal a little bit with her ranger levels giving her access to wands and such. She's also pretty stealthy, and highly mobile.

Looking around I think I'm leaning toward her more generalist spell load-out, but lemme know you folks know what you need. Regardless, she will make room for detect and read magic and give all the rooms the once over. To speed things up she'll just take 10 for 22 on her ID-ing things.

If anyone needs healing lemme know that too. Everyone's header says they're at full but some how I think some folks are walkin' wounded.

As the existing group is reviewing the rock garden, a couple of new Pathfinders show up.

Shonne finds Kioshi reviewing a spellbook that he recovered. Within that book are the following spells -

5th - dominate person, feeblemind, empowered lightning bolt
4th—black tentacles, confusion, greater invisibility, rainbow pattern
3rd—dispel magic, fireball, heroism, hold person, scorching ray, suggestion
2nd—glitterdust, hideous laughter, mirror image, see invisibility, touch of idiocy, web
1st—charm person, comprehend languages, grease, mage armor, magic missile, shield, sleep, true strike
0—daze , detect magic, detect poison, ray of frost

"Enchanter." Shonne says after a look at the text.

Kioshi bows.

“Welcome! I’m Kioshi! Ahh, so you were sent as the cavalry? Well, I am a wizard and scarab sage!“

Kioshi, a young human with some peculiar features of around 25, joins you again.

He is still quite puny and only wears a loose cloak and very light Haramaki armor.

Around his neck you still see the amulet showing the holy symbol of Chaldira Zuzaristan.

On his shoulder, his tiny horned lizard with dark black scales, looks at all of you.

She looks around (perhaps for a horse). "Reconnaissance."

"Shonne" she says indicating herself, then moves on with her study of the area.

Welcome, someone call for a front liner, you might need someone to take the heat off of you.

Kal gives a subtle nod to the newcomer, and then smile- baring his elongated and pointed teeth. "I wont ever say no to a little extra help. The name is Kal."

As the humanoid speaks, his hair blows about in the non-existant breeze. His skin has taken on a redish tint, compared to most, with small amounts of what might almost appear to be scales. The strangest observation though, is the swirling and refracting light around his form- like heat shimmers rising of the desert horizon.

Once brief introductions are made, the group continues their widdershins exploration of this level of the pagoda, going through the next door.

A battered stove, a few tables, and benches mark this as a kitchen and dining area. Grease and grime coat every surface. Here as in all parts of the pagoda so far, rats of all sizes go about their business. Searching for food, watching you, scurrying away, or not.

They seem somewhere between pets and pests and show little fear and no aggression toward you.

Diazepane tries to greet them - in Tien, Celestial, Undercommon, etc. full list in my sheet

One of the rats stops as Diazepane talks to it. It sits up on its hind legs, it's nose twitching curiously and its black eyes watching him steadily.

He goes through his full litany of languages and when he stops it stares for a few more seconds.

Then, it lowers back to all fours, runs across the room and starts a fight with another rat over a piece of rotten potato.

Moving on to the last area, a round window fit with closely spaced bars opens into the dark caverns beyond. Opposite the window, smoke curls up from two sticks of burning incense thrust into a pot of sand. A nearby shelf holds jars of incense.

The many rooms in this area hold supplies, mainly preserved food and clothing that are of little worth.

Diazepane is ready to head upstairs when others are.

Diazepane is a ranged striker and would prefer to be towards the back, but I as a player recognize that Silver Bullet is level 7, so if we need another front-liner in addition to Silver Bullet and Kal'Ryon, Diazepane can rearrange some of his lower level extracts to buff a little and be up front - I can do shield, reduce person, and false life, which should bring my AC up to 28 and give me 1d10+10 additional HP. I've also got channel vigor and greater invisibility, but those are pretty limited because they're higher level extracts.

Shonne attempts to the rodents at ease.

wild empathy v rodents: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (18) + 1 = 19

She takes point, slowly advancing with her spear in hand.

stealth: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (7) + 10 = 17

perception (+2 MORE vs humans): 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (11) + 14 = 25

The party heads upstairs to find a 10-foot-wide diameter pillar circled by a narrow staircase rises at the center of this room. Pedestals scattered around the room hold bits of ancient wood and the desiccated remains of plants and vegetables native to Tian Xia. Each of the four walls depicts a different scene from the surface world. To the northwest, ratfolk bask at a lush desert oasis, with others standing guard or waiting in queues for their turn to bathe. To the northeast, the sun sets over towering mountains, setting the sky aflame. Seemingly endless legions of ratfolk armies muster to the southeast, and in the southwest, ratfolk lay the foundations of a grand fortress. The fortress painting appears to have been intended to conceal a door, but the hidden portal stands ajar.

Any knowledge checks we can perform to know more? If not, Diazepane will gesture towards the southwest door.

If anyone wants invisibility, Diazepane can offer it. (1 min prep)

”Ahh, this is beatification in my eyes! So new guys what’s your story? I’m a mean Kitsune in human skin with abandonment issues but no death wish! What about you?!“ he asks Shonne and silver bullet with an interested but insecure tone.

Quick question: What's the lighting like?

”Ahh, this is beatification in my eyes! So new guys what’s your story? I’m a mean Kitsune in human skin with abandonment issues but no death wish! What about you?!“ he asks Shonne and silver bullet with an interested but insecure tone.

"Shonne of Kyonin." whispers the laconic elf* indicating herself. Then she shushes Kioshi and makes a lowering motion with her hand as she moves forward and up.

Being an early edition D&D elf Shonne notes the secret passage and possibly any others.

perception: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (5) + 14 = 19 or not....

She also looks at the murals and attempts to map the scenes to local arcane lore, geography, history, local scuttlebutt, and/or religion (i.e. she makes a knowledge check for each of them--if needed, adding her knowledge bonus to those, starting in the North east and proceeding clockwise.)

knowledge (see above): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (4) + 8 = 12

knowledge (see above): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (18) + 8 = 26

knowledge (see above): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (12) + 8 = 20

knowledge (see above): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (17) + 8 = 25

Then she peeks through the open doorway --assuming nothing happens in the meantime.

perception: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (15) + 14 = 29

I have positioned her on the map next to where I believe the open door is.

*Read down about five posts.

Invisibility, what we trying to sneak in, we can knock them out or kill them with force.

After just shushing their companion, Shonne shoots the stocky, serrated-eared, gray human with a goatee the look.

The Ganzi gently shakes his head in Diazepanes direction, as if reading his thoughts and reassuring him that any changes would not be necessary. He re-grips on his pole arm.

Conversations in other languages always have a way of unsettling him, though he would never show it. The same with all of these religions and altars that are beyond his understanding. Being willing to hit (and claw and bite) is all well and good- but there are a lot of things more powerful than adamantine out there in golorian...

These floors are unlit, though I assume at this level everyone has a way to overcome mundane darkness.

In addition to the door which is ajar, Shonne spots similar doors in each of the other walls. The murals on the walls all show images from before the ratfolk were banished to this dimension, showing their nation's development.

She peeks into the room which was obviously open.

Granite blocks polished mirror-smooth make up the walls of this chamber. Dozens of niches pocket the wall; a few are empty, but most hold samples of rocks and minerals. A few display gems or precious stones. Along the walls, three opaque crystal monoliths stretch nearly to the ceiling.

Shonne waits for everyone to get up to the second level before proceeding, but only for a short time before going back downstairs and prodding any stragglers with her flaming spear up the steps.

These floors are unlit, though I assume at this level everyone has a way to overcome mundane darkness.

She does just some of them are more obvious than others.

Shonne, by the light of her flaming spear, ducks in and looks around.

perception: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (16) + 14 = 30

"Curious."

Do the tracks just stop at the rock, or do they move off? Is there a huge blood splatter under the stone?

Shonne considers. "Note the size of the falchion."

Silver bullet holds a torch in his offhand.

There's no mention of tracks under the Perception spoiler and we haven't made the Survival check to open the Survival spoiler.

Aid Surviva: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10 vs DC 10

Diazepane will quickly craft an elixir of darkvision (1 min) and drink it.

He'll investigate the falchion and use his discerning wayfinder to sense magic.

My bad!

survival: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (14) + 10 = 24

We aren't the first "tall ones" here then, based on the sword. And partially drawn at that...

He glances around and re-grips his weapon out of habit.

Which of these other doors should we open first?

Though finely crafted, the falchion is not magical. Though the creatures that slide out of the monoliths probably are, in some way.

Two of them are three armed, three eyed, three legged, one big mouthed creatures while the third seems to be made entirely of amorphous crystal.

Round 1: The Bold may act.
Shonne
Kioshi
Silver Bullet
3 armed, 3 eyed, 3 legged people eaters
Kal'Ryon
Diazepane
purple crystal creature

Shonne attempts to place the things. See above for modifiers. It is possible she doesn't have the right knowledge skill.

ID tripartite-thingies (see possible modifiers above): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (4) + 8 = 12

ID purple Final Fantasy save point (see possible modifiers above): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (3) + 8 = 11

Any insight on previous questions:

Do the tracks just stop at the rock, or do they move off? Is there a huge blood splatter under the stone?

Shonne usually doesn't start hostilities with things she doesn't understand, so unless she hears something from other people she will probably steps back and ready an attack if anyone gets aggressive.

Diazepane is too preoccupied with the falchion to notice he's BEING SURROUNDED BY THREE ARMS CREATURES.

Kioshi casts haste on the group!

knowledge without modifier- please see char sheet : 1d20 ⇒ 15

DR, resistance, immunity

Name, language, diet, mating habits for Shonne. ;)

The group who entered the room previously also left it. There is no indication that they succumbed to a trap, though now a great deal of evidence that they set one...

Shonne has no idea what the purple thingy is, though Kioshi knows it is a carnivorous crystal. Both recognize the xorns.

The xorns are resistant to physical damage except bludgeoning and electricity and immune to cold and fire and can't be flanked.

The carnivorous crystal is resistant to all physical damage and fire and is immune to cold and electricity and, as an ooze everything an ooze is immune to. It has a weakness to sonic attacks and both those types of attacks and bludgeoning attacks can critically damage it.

Neither has spell resistance. Xorns speak Common and Terran and these likely also speak Tien and Undercommon while Carnivorous Crystals are unintelligent. Both eat minerals though Carnivorous Crystals prefer living creatures since the materials in their bodies allow them to reproduce rapidly. I would have to draw pictures of the Xorns' mating habits and I don't think Paizo would appreciate me posting them...suffice to say, it requires some surprisingly deft balancing.

Shonne steps back, Diazepane continues to be blissfully ignorant of his coming doom and Kioshi speeds all his allies up.

Round 1: The Bold may act.
Shonne
Kioshi
Silver Bullet
Xorns
Kal'Ryon
Diazepane
Carnivorous Crystal

wasn't sure if we came from the south or north, we on slide 3
Silver bullet moves into melee and attacks with longsword hit: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (1) + 15 = 16 dmg: 1d8 + 9 ⇒ (7) + 9 = 16

In which case (I'm pretty sure I still have an action coming unless this is some sort of weird surprise round where you only get Free Actions)...

WE are, indeed on slide 3. You came in from the middle with is northeast of the room you're in.

A swing and a miss by Silver Bullet while Shonne readies herself for an attack, which comes soon after. She stabs the creature even as it attacks her.

bite: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (5) + 12 = 17
Damage: 4d6 + 5 ⇒ (4, 6, 1, 3) + 5 = 19

claw: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (20) + 12 = 32
Damage: 1d4 + 5 ⇒ (4) + 5 = 9

claw: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (19) + 12 = 31
Damage: 1d4 + 5 ⇒ (4) + 5 = 9

claw: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (7) + 12 = 19
Damage: 1d4 + 5 ⇒ (1) + 5 = 6

Crit?: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (3) + 12 = 15
Damage: 1d4 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 5 = 8

It can't get it's toothy maw on her but two of it's claws easily slip past her defenses.

The other Xorn suspects Silver Bullet tried to attack it, though it's not quite sure. It fights back just to be on the safe side.

bite: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (19) + 12 = 31
Damage: 4d6 + 5 ⇒ (2, 5, 2, 1) + 5 = 15

claw: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (11) + 12 = 23
Damage: 1d4 + 5 ⇒ (2) + 5 = 7

claw: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (11) + 12 = 23
Damage: 1d4 + 5 ⇒ (1) + 5 = 6

claw: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (12) + 12 = 24
Damage: 1d4 + 5 ⇒ (1) + 5 = 6

It is able to get him with both mouth and a claw.

Round 1: The Bold may act. Welcome to the party new guys!
Shonne -18HP
Kioshi
Silver Bullet -21HP
Xorns
Kal'Ryon
Diazepane
Carnivorous Crystal

Diazepane suddenly looks around and finds himself surrounded. He takes a step back, preferring to be adjacent to one than two, and begins throwing bombs at Red, using his Splash Weapon MAstery to extend the splash to Blue. First attack will provoke AoO from Red.

Force Bomb, PBS, RS: 1d20 + 11 + 1 - 2 ⇒ (12) + 11 + 1 - 2 = 22 vs touch
Force, PBS: 5d4 + 8 + 1 ⇒ (4, 3, 2, 4, 4) + 8 + 1 = 26
Miss?: 1d8 ⇒ 7 W, bumping to NW (splashes Red only).
13 splash force, DC 23 Reflex for half.

Force Bomb, PBS, RS: 1d20 + 11 + 1 - 2 ⇒ (16) + 11 + 1 - 2 = 26 vs touch
Force, PBS: 5d4 + 8 + 1 ⇒ (1, 2, 2, 2, 4) + 8 + 1 = 20
Miss?: 1d8 ⇒ 3 E, bumping to SE (splashes Red, Blue, Kioshi, and Silver Bullet - but if 26 vs touch doesn't hit, we're in trouble.
13 splash force, DC 23 Reflex for half.

Both of Diazepane's bombs hit, the force they release rippling out to strike both his primary target and the other Xorn.

As he's tossing his first bomb the closer creature takes a snap at him.

bite: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (4) + 12 = 16
Damage: 4d6 + 5 ⇒ (4, 1, 1, 6) + 5 = 17

The attack doesn't even come close.

Refl: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (19) + 4 = 23
Refl: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6

And the other almost miraculously dodges most of the first blast but gets hit full on by the second.

Round 1: The Bold may act. Welcome to the party new guys!
Shonne -18HP
Kioshi
Silver Bullet -21HP
Xorns Red -49HP, Blue -20HP
Kal'Ryon
Diazepane
Carnivorous Crystal

Feeling the magical energies course through his body, Kal swings out through his adamantine blade at the blue tinted creature

+1 Adamantine, PA: 1d20 + 15 + 1 ⇒ (15) + 15 + 1 = 31 Damage, +2 Arcane Strike (Swift): 2d4 + 23 ⇒ (2, 2) + 23 = 27
+1 Adamantine, PA: 1d20 + 10 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 10 + 1 = 15 Damage, +2 Arcane Strike (Swift): 2d4 + 23 ⇒ (3, 4) + 23 = 30
+1 Hasted: 1d20 + 10 + 1 ⇒ (13) + 10 + 1 = 24 Damage, +2 Arcane Strike (Swift): 2d4 + 23 ⇒ (3, 3) + 23 = 29

Only one of Kal'Ryon's glaive strikes hits.

The crystal ooze starts to vibrate sending out an ominous hum that drubs your ears and subtly rattles your bones.

Then, follows Diazepane and lashes out at him.

slam: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (18) + 18 = 36
Piercing and Slashing: 7d8 + 9 ⇒ (3, 2, 5, 7, 7, 6, 3) + 9 = 42
Crit?: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (15) + 18 = 33
Piercing and Slashing: 7d8 + 9 ⇒ (6, 8, 8, 8, 1, 7, 5) + 9 = 52

Killing him with a single swipe of a pseudopod.

Round 2, the Bold may act
Shonne -18HP DC22 Fort Save or Stunned for 1 Round
Kioshi DC22 Fort Save or Stunned for 1 Round
Silver Bullet -21HP DC22 Fort Save or Stunned for 1 Round
Xorns Red -49HP, Blue -47HP
Kal'Ryon DC22 Fort Save or Stunned for 1 Round
Diazepane -94HP and dead, I believe. DC22 Fort Save or Stunned for 1 Round, DC22 Fort Save or entangled (Entrapped) for Rounds: 1d10 ⇒ 3
Carnivorous Crystal

[dice+Fort save]1d20+9[/dice]

[dice+Fort save GM reroll]1d20+9[/dice]

So plan? I'm at work 'til way late.

fort : 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (19) + 14 = 33

”Noooo!!! Diazepane!!!! Nooo!!!!“ Kioshi shouts in anger and frustration.

casting defensively dc 19 : 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (5) + 17 = 22

Kioshi casts mirror image on himself defensively.

images : 1d4 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 3 = 7

fort: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (13) + 8 = 21 nevermind I'm stunned, I can't take actions.