DM Carbide's Core Emerald Spire

Game Master John Woodford

Botting Corbrae to keep things moving:

The half-elf starts an inspiring chant.

Round 2:

Initiative order
Joseph
Viridian
Tibearius
Mrs. Book
Spiders
Corbrae

Everyone but Corbrae can act! Remember that nothing more than 5' away can be seen, and targets 5' away have partial concealment (20% miss chance).

Spiders: AC 14 T 12 FF 12 HP taken-Red: 12 Blue: 0

The map looks a bit off.

Mrs. Book pulls out a scroll and casts a DC 11 Sleep spell in the room, just beyond where she knows her allies are.

”Blitz, come. “

Both wait for spell then will enter. Using scent by blitz.

will try to find sleeping foes (or those still awaken)

IIRC, sleep is a 1-round spell.

Viridian will still stay back so blitz is not slept.

That's right. Then it will go off in the middle of next round as it takes her and action to get the scroll out.

Round 2 (ongoing):

Initiative order
Joseph
Viridian-holding
Tibearius
Mrs. Book-casting
Spiders
Corbrae

Mrs. Book draws a scroll and starts to read the spell from it, while Viridian and Blitz hold back.

Joseph and Tibearius to go!

Bit of luck on Joseph

How much concealment does each spider have?

firing at blue if possible including inspire and cover: 2d20 + 8 - 4 ⇒ (2, 5) + 8 - 4 = 11

Nope.

If it weren't for bad luck, you'd have no luck at all?

Any spider more than five feet away from a PC is fully concealed from that PC; any spider five feet away from a PC is partially concealed from that PC.

The second spider picks its way forward and bites at Viridian, while the other tries to bite Blitz again. Both miss.

Mrs. Book completes her spell, with no apparent effect.

Viridian, Blitz, and Corbrae can act!

Viridian and Blitz attack the one attacking them

”By all that is Green! Get back! “

Spear 2H: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (12) + 3 = 15 for dmg: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4
Bite: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (9) + 4 = 13 for dmg: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7 trip?

Viridian, it looks like you didn't include the bonus from inspire courage. With that, Blitz hits.

Round 2 (ongoing):

Both Viridian and his faithful wolf hit, although Blitz's jaws slip off its carapace when the wolf tries to drag it down.

Corbrae?

Red HP taken: 17
Blue HP taken: 8

Acrobatics vs AoO: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (8) + 6 = 14

Corbrae switches weapons , taking her rapier in hand, then the half elf tries to wriggle herself behind the spiders

Corbrae can't get past the spiders, and one of them bites her while she's distracted for 7 HP, plus DC 15 Fort save or take 1 point STR damage.

Round 3:

Initiative order
Joseph
Viridian
Tibearius
Mrs. Book
Spiders
Corbrae

Everyone but Corbrae can act!

Spiders: AC 14 T 12 FF 12 HP taken-Red: 17 Blue: 8

The Druid and wolf try again…

”Blitz, Lets put an end to this! “

The Druid and wolf try again…

”Blitz, Lets put an end to this! “

Spear 2H: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (11) + 3 = 14 for dmg: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 = 8
Bite: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8 for dmg: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4 trip?

+1 bards inspire not applied in above

Miss chance, 1=miss: 1d5 ⇒ 2

Blitz misses, but Viridian takes down the red spider.

Joseph, Tibearius, and Mrs. Book to go!

Fort: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (12) + 1 = 13

That wasn't my greatest idea...

Mrs. Book is unable to contribute much if she cannot see the spiders but her spell goes off. Unfortunately, since Corbae managed to move behind them, she has has no place to land the spell and tosses it over her shoulder with disgust.

"I guess I'll sit this one out, folks. Consider me a very old cheerleader. Rah, rah reyes, poke 'em in the eyes!"

She will delay until she can get a shot - if she can get a shot - off on one of them with her wand of magic missiles.

Corbrae failed to get past the spiders. Since she had to move through a square occupied by a spider, missing the Acrobatics check meant she couldn't complete the move.

In that case please adjust the map and the spell goes off on the spiders. Though with the DC of a first level scroll they will need to roll pretty low for it to succeed. Her comment remains the same though.

How much concealment does the spider have vs Joseph?

It's fully concealed, but because Viridian can see it you know what square it's in without having to make a Perception check.

"Keep it busy."

Joseph blind fires.

miss chance high is always good: 1d100 ⇒ 46

Mrs. Book completes her spell, and the remaining spider falls asleep. In that state it's easily dispatched.

Out of combat!

Hearing but not seeing the effects and the spider being dispatched, Mrs. Book muses, "Err. I'm rather surprised the scroll worked. Happily surprised."

Remembering all the traps in the place she still holds back from entering and exploring any new areas though.

Well done. I was not sure it would work either, but glad it worked on them and not us. Now let us take a look around here.

Viridian has Blitz follow as he searches the area.

perception: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (7) + 14 = 21

Eventually the mist disperses. This area is one that the party had been through previously, and Joseph had already disarmed the pit trap most of the fight took place on. The only unexplored portion of the level, as far as anyone can tell, is behind the door to the party's north.

Unfortunately, in the aftermath of the combat Corbrae is still poisoned. DC 15 Fort save or take another 2 points STR damage. The poison will last up to three rounds after that; one save is enough to stop it, but otherwise Corbrae will take 3 more points STR damage on the third round, 2 on the fourth, and finish with 3 more on the fifth round. Note that a DC 15 Heal check will give her a +4 bonus on her save that round.

Mrs. Book watches helplessly as the poison attacks Corbrae.

One vote for opening the final door now.

Heal check as Viridian tries to help
heal : 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (15) + 8 = 23

”By all the Green, I have dealt with more than a few toxic bites in the wilds. Not sure these are much different.“

Botting to keep things moving:

Fort save: 1d20 + 1 + 4 ⇒ (14) + 1 + 4 = 19

Viridian treats the bard, and she's able to shake the poison before it can weaken her further.

Joseph and Viridian check the door, finding no traps and hearing nothing.

The door opens easily. On the other side is a rectangular chamber with one corner filled by a curving wall of glowing green crystal...the Spire core. A stout wooden table stands along the wall opposite the core, and on the table are three rotting humanoid corpses and the remains of a moon spider.

One of the corpses has had all of its limbs removed, and its torso has been opened to reveal the internal organs. Another dismembered corpse has moon spider legs sewn onto the stumps in place of the removed limbs, all of which are neatly arranged near the rest of the moon spider.

A bucket full of reeking and clotted blood sits on the floor under the table, and needles with lengths of silken thread attached are stuck in a hand-sized block of bloodstained wax atop the table.

Once she gets a chance to take in the scene Mrs. Book remarks, "I always told my students they could be whatever they wanted, but this is not what I meant. Someone has, or had, a very nasty habit."

”I do not want to meet the minds willing to do these things. This cannot be tolerated to continue.“

"Agreed," simply replies Tibearius through gritted teeth.

Are you going to search the room?

Perception, Guidance: 1d20 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (20) + 3 + 1 = 24

Tibearius looks around the room, paying attention to any object who may be concealing something else...

Viridian searches the room also...

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

The priest and druid both spot a couple of concealed doors, and a pressure plate in the floor.

Um...don't step there. he points out the pressure plate.

Are we supposed to open the concealed doors or do they have yellow tape with signs to not open until level 3?

If the doors still appear safe, he will open them to see if any more spiders jump out...

You can open the concealed doors; the way down to the next level is the pit with the ladder.

Tahnks for the help, Viridian, I needed it!

Sorry, was on the roads yesterday

She sees the mutilated corpses, gets really pale, and runs to a corner of the room, being audibly sick

By Abadar, this is worse than anything I've seen so far.

"Time to let the officials take over on this one. We've explored everything and made it safe and that is what we were hired to do. Someone else, fortunately, can do the clean up. And what a mess. Let's head back, restock, and see if they want us to clear out the next level."

The party returns to the surface, their tasks done...for the moment. The sage, Salvio, is still there, and sends the party's report back to the Grand Lodge. It takes a few days for Joseph and Corbrae to recover from the poison damage; that's also, by coincidence, how long it takes for the requested or purchased items to arrive. A message comes with the items from the Master of Scrolls: "Interesting results. Continue your exploration, paying particular attention to the properties of the Spire."

During her convalescence, Corbrae does some research, learning that 1) Addington's Fine Traps and Defenses was a small shop in Daggermark that closed its doors thirty years ago after the last member of the family retired, and 2) Klarkosh was a Numerian wizard who had disappeared into the Spire several years ago after leading an aggressive exploration of the upper levels. Unfortunately, the bard isn't able to locate any of his onetime companions.

After any remaining preparations, the party returns to the webbed pit. A torch or two later, the webs are smoldering cinders on the floor, and the way down is clear.

Mrs book takes out a scroll of bless in one hand and her wand of magic missiles in the other.

"Well, here goes nothing, lads and lasses. Down we go."

”By the Green if we never see another goblin or spider it will be too soon.“ the Druid heads down as well

”Blitz, come. “

The party climbs down the ladder, illuminating the shaft with Corbrae's dancing lights spell. At the bottom of the shaft is a landing from which a wide staircase descends into darkness. There's a dead moon spider at the top of the stairs, its legs curled up around its abdomen.

Leaving the unpleasant corpse behind, you descend the staircase. It eventually ends in a small, irregularly-shaped chamber lit by oil lamps. To the east, a short flight of steps leads up to a sturdy door set in the middle of a wall and flanked by arrow slits. To the north, a wide gate of iron bars blocks an archway leading to a larger chamber filled with the eerie green glow of the Spire core.

Once down, Viridian looks around

perception : 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (7) + 15 = 22

Corbrae guides her lights to illuminate the small room

What will it be, this time? More strange creatures? Undead? An level empty of people but full of traps?

She has visibly get rid of her usual rapier, for a longer, and way bigger, curved sword of high quality. The symbol of Abadar, a golden key, is engraved at the junction of the blade and the pommel of the sword.

"Or more spiders. The evidence is on the stairs. Who was it that said, as long as it is not more goblins?" The last she says with a mild chiding in her voice.

"Personally, I'm betting the level is haunted." Then again, Mrs. Book is always blaming things on haunts.

"Arrow slits? Is this level inhabited?"

Joseph will keep an eye out for traps.