PFS1e 10-07 - Mystery Under Moonlight #2 - The Howling Dance (KS) (Inactive)

Game Master phaeton_nz

Knowledge (religion): 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 4 = 20

Calling out to the others as he tries Diplomacy, Al yell Its a Haunt! You can hurt it with diplomacy or by doing the ritual dance Luvyire taught!

Diplo: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (13) + 6 = 19

Beshmet will try Diplomacy against the haunt.

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (14) + 2 = 16

Knowledge Religion: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (12) + 8 = 20

Devaan is not particularly skilled at either, so will try to assist Allanen.

Diplomacy, Aid: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (18) + 2 = 20

Geez, in one of my other games, I had two DC 20 checks and rolled an 18 and a 19. Can I send these over there?

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (18) + 4 = 22

We don't fear you!

Go away!

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (18) + 13 = 31

Rogarch tries to convince the spirit to go away.

"You are wasting your time here."

Diplomacy, Guidance: 1d20 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (15) + 2 + 1 = 18

Helping Hand gives Rogarch a magical high five to keep the luck flowing.

Guidance cast.

A hollow cackle erupts from the swirling fog. Yes, that will do, the voice purrs with a sense satisfaction. Thank you for the scrumptious meal. Pleasant dreams, travelers.

Misty images emerge from the fog, taking on horrifying shapes. A phantasmal image of each PC’s greatest fear forms in their mind. The target can first attempt a Will save ((DC 15)) to recognize the image as unreal. On a failed save, the phantasm touches the subject, and the subject must succeed at a DC 15 Fortitude save or take 6d6 points of negative energy damage and be shaken for 1 hour.

We better go into inits. The haunt goes first automatically so everyone needs to make those Fort and Will checks before their actions as above.

Allanen: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (20) + 2 = 22
Beshmet: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 10
Devann: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4
Dorrion: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (19) + 2 = 21
Rogarch: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 9
Waze: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5

The only one to get a success this round is Dorrion. The mist recoils from him as he says his words with conviction (-8)

I take it we did not destroy the haunt?

Will Save: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (13) + 12 = 25

I am first to act but am unsure if we have an enemy to attack? Normally with a haunt I believe you need both a knowledge Religion and an initiative above 10 to act before the haunt? Can you give us a hint about what is going on?

Not yet but you're close to taking it out. Are you saying that the Haunt always goes on init 10 - might explain why there was no init bonus in the stat block - and yes, the swirling mist is the Haunt.

Will DC 15: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (9) + 1 = 10
Fort DC 15: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (13) + 1 = 14

6d6 and 14 HP do not get along well, so I'm using my folio reroll.

Will DC 15, Reroll, 2 Stars: 1d20 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 1 + 2 = 8

Let's see how bad this is...

Scary!: 6d6 ⇒ (2, 6, 4, 3, 6, 2) = 23

Well, that isn't instant death... just 1 HP from it.

Devaan screams and falls to the ground, blood trickling from his nose.

@phaeton_nz - Yes Haunts always act on Initiative 10. Also my character's initiative bonus is +11 so his correct total should be 19 which is before the Haunt's next turn. My question for you is if the animal companion and the familiars in the party are targeted by the haunt as well? I am assuming not by your post but it is always better to ask.

@Devaan - Your character is still alive but hopefully someone will be able to heal you before your character comes up in initiative.

Healing works well against haunts. So Cure Light (or better yet Cure Medium) wands works very well. :)

Devann will heal 5 from Al via life link on Al's turn.

Realizing the threat has not been eliminated Al will continue to try to damage it this time his healing Hex on it.

Positive Energy: 3d8 + 5 ⇒ (3, 5, 6) + 5 = 19

Will:1d20 + 5 ⇒ (10) + 5 = 15

Will: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (5) + 7 = 12

Fortitude:1d20 + 5 ⇒ (1) + 5 = 6

negative energy: 6d6 ⇒ (4, 4, 6, 6, 6, 6) = 32

I am assuming that only the PCs are affected by the mist.

Rogarch attempts to resist the attack on her mind. The bloodrager believes the phantom as it reaches out to touch her. Fortunately the society's promotional garment sticks out of her breastplate at an opportune moment to intercept the creature's deadly attack.

Rogarch looks on with concern as both Dorrion and Devaan fall. She runs over to Dorrion drawing her wand from a ready pocket as she moves. The bloodrager then tries to coax it into action but the wand simply sparks and sputters.

Will save DC 15, Guidance: 1d20 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 2 + 1 = 7

Fort save DC 15: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (1) + 7 = 8

Shirt Re-Roll

Fort save DC 15: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (9) + 7 = 16

activate wand DC 20,UMD: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (3) + 7 = 10

Helping Hand looks down at poor Dorrion being unable to help him directly. He taps his mistress for luck (Guidance) and hopes that his mistress will be able to help him soon.

The surge of positive energy dissipates the Haunt.

Beshmet's rolls.

Will Save: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (14) + 8 = 22
Fort Save: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (18) + 7 = 25

Beshmet will use her CLW wand on Davaan and Dorrion.

CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5 on Davaan.
CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 9 on Dorrion.

"No, no, I'm not the one you need to pay attention to! Please, just look aw... uh, what happened?"

Rogarch sheathes her wand and keeps watch as the others heal up.

"Good job Allanen but we are not finished yet!"

You certainly are not, but you feel you are close. After the confrontation, the mist subsides enough for you to see the path to the Glade of Silver Sparks before them.

Beyond the thick blanket of mist, a clearing rests near the bank of a gently flowing river. The ground is submerged in a layer of muddy water with pockets of foul-smelling gas burbling up from it. A white marble dais surrounded by broken pillars and statues of dancers sits to the north. At the center of the platform, a miasma of smoky faces and grasping hands roils around a flickering silver gemstone suspended inside a glass globe. Strange markings are scrawled across the steps in dried blood.

Once a sacred dancing of field of Ashava full of soft moss and bog flowers, the Glade of Silver Sparks has been warped by Tulvhatha’s malevolence. The ground sank and the terrain transformed into a mire, destabilizing numerous decorative pillars which now lay haphazardly in the mud. The silver crystal within the glass globe is the Soul Spark, the nexus of the glade which helps draw in lost spirits.

With a hissing pop and flash of purple, a floating ball of light appears bobbing inside the ring of tormented spirits. The faint impression of a skull with eyes floats within, with eye sockets shaped like four-pointed stars.

The wisp giggles manically, in a lilting voice. Welcome to my field of death, travelers. You must now accept the empty fate of eternity, for your time has come to an end. Are you prepared to embrace the void?

PCs who accepted the Blessing of Ashava receive an additional boon in this encounter. The trail of silvery moonlight follows Tulvhatha. While this is not sufficient to perceive her exact location while she is invisible, such PCs always know which square she is in.

@Phaeton_Nz - Can we choose which dotted square our party begins in? Also do we have time to take an action before combat begins?

No - Those areas mark areas where the swamp can erupt with marsh gas. PCs can make Percveption checks (+8 if using scent) and anyone who exceeds the DC by ten knows where all those areas are. Also squares marked with light blue are bog squares which count as difficult terrain

Perception: 1d20 + 3 + 8 ⇒ (10) + 3 + 8 = 21

Allanen, in hybrid form, considers the path forward.

Perception + scent: 1d20 + 17 + 8 ⇒ (5) + 17 + 8 = 30

Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (15) + 4 = 19

Perception: 1d20 + 5 + 8 ⇒ (17) + 5 + 8 = 30

Combat has not started but if anyone has Glitterdust prepared or on a scroll I highly recommend casting it on the Wisp as soon as combat begins. Dealing with 50% miss chance and the inability to target the creature with targeted spells or abilities is going to make the encounter incredibly tough. :)

Both Rogarch and Allanen know where all the eruption areas are.

Roll Know Dungeoneering to know more about wisps in general and Tulvhatha in particular. You can continue to converse with her if you wish, otherwise she starts her attacks.

I am ready to throw down. :)

Perception: 1d20 + 12 + 8 ⇒ (18) + 12 + 8 = 38

Beshmet looks around.

Knowledge Dungeoneering: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (3) + 8 = 11

I guess we're throwing down

Initiatives:
Allanen: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (18) + 2 = 20
Beshmet: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (12) + 6 = 18
Devann: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (16) + 2 = 18
Dorrion: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3
Rogarch: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (3) + 11 = 14
Waze: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (13) + 3 = 16

Tulvhatha: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (14) + 10 = 24
Haunts: 10 (if any)

The wisp goes first. It goes invisible and flies towards the group. (double moves)

Everyone but Dorrion are up

Perception: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (19) + 17 = 36 + any bonus from hybrid form and from Scent. With that roll can Al also pinpoint the wisp? Double moving/moving full speed takes a penalty on stealth I believe.

There is another haunt! Allanen calls out as he uses his healing hex to damage the haunt. If he can sense the wisp he will call out where it is and move away from it.

Positive Energy: 3d8 + 5 ⇒ (8, 2, 5) + 5 = 20

As I need to step I wait to play. I don't know why I'm in front with the cleric.

This is what I get for only preparing one glitterdust...

Devaan tries to divine the function of the haunt.

Knowledge Religion: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (7) + 8 = 15
Anything other than positive energy that harms it would be great to know.

He then steps back a bit (avoiding the trap if he knows it's there) and casts shield.

Perceotion: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (4) + 5 = 9

Rogarch does not sense the haunt but relies on her warrior instincts (Uncanny Dodge) as to not be taken unaware by a unseen opponent. She pulls out an her oil of magic weapon and applies it to the head of her Lucerne Hammer.

@phaeton_nz - We should all know at least where the wisp is due to the Blessing of Ashava.

Helping Hand has a quick look around as well. He hears some disturbing noises so he taps his mistress for luck (Guidance) and then seeks shelter in his familiar satchel.

Perception: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (14) + 10 = 24

Helping Hand now has total cover in his protective case

Yes you do. You know which square it is in but, since it is a small creature, there is a 50% miss chance because it is invisible. You also know that wisps are immune to fear and magic. Wisps also feed on fear

If you wish to change your position in the area you started in before combat, you may do so

The Haunt is in a 15ft radius circle centered around the Soul Gem. Since your Hex is range Touch, I'll let you change your action. The Blessing also gives you other options to defeat a Haunt as mentioned earlier. Defeating the wisp will also put the Haunt to rest.

Hmm. That Haunt is a long way off then. Might not be able to effect us where it is? About 80 feet to Allanen.

Redo
Wanting to attack the haunt but realizing its too far away Al calls out where the wisp is and activates his Battle Spirit instead. +1 to hit and damage for 5 rounds. He has little magic that can hurt the wisp and so supports as best he can. He then moves to a small pool of water where he is quite comfortable.

Beshmet throws a sling stone at the wisp, hoping to hit it.

Attack: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (1) + 5 = 6 Damage: 1d3 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3
Miss Chance: 1d100 ⇒ 93 low misses

The wizard infuses some magic in his pistol again and fires towards the wisp.

Pistol +1 flaming, Battle spirit: 1d20 + 7 + 1 ⇒ (10) + 7 + 1 = 18: vs touch AC

Damage:1d6 + 2 + 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 2 + (4) + 1 = 11

Miss high:1d100 ⇒ 10

Waze gets close but, unfortunately misses but it was close.

Beshmet's shot went wide.

Deevan remembers that, as well as positive energy, the Haunt can be hurt by the Dance or by Diplomacy, neither of which has a range. You can also use your bite attack to damage the Haunt while in wolf or hybrid form but to do that you need to be adjacent to the center of the Haunt.

Speaking of the Haunt, since none of you are close to it (the grey circle around the Soul Spark it does nothing except wail.

Dorrion is up, then the Wisp, then everyone else.

The cleric cast Barskin on the bear (+2 AC).

To clarify: Will-o’-wisps are immune to all spells and spell-like abilities that allow spell resistance, except magic missile and maze.

The wisp appears and does a once/day attack, creating a swarm of spectral arms to materialize in an area within 60 feet to attack her foes. The spectral arms appear from the ground in a 20-foot-radius burst, affecting everyone except Allanen. Anyone standing on the ground in this area takes 3d6 ⇒ (2, 2, 3) = 7 points of slashing damage (Reflex DC 16 half). Creatures that fail the save are unable to move from their squares for 1 round. The spectral arms disappear after 1 round. This is a fear effect, and the save DC is Charisma-based.

Everyone is up.

Reflex Save: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (10) + 3 = 13

Even with DR, this causes Devaan to thud to the ground at -1 HP.