DM Carbide's Core Emerald Spire

Game Master John Woodford

Taking 10 for 16

Followers of Norgober keeping a low profile in death: they don't want their names to be known, mimicking their god, who erased all knowledge of his mortal name when he became a God.

More than a little surprised thta a haunt did not jump out and hauntify Viridian, Mrs. book makes a suggestion.

"Well, unless someone is curious enough to open one of these, we should move on. I guess we go to the double door just over there."

"Evil god? I am curious about the doors but it can wait."

Joseph has his bow ready and checks the big doors for traps.

Take 10 for 22.

Joseph finds no traps on the doors. They open onto a long room; the far end of the south wall has arrow slits in it, and a familiar green glow streams through them. Viridian and Joseph spot a pressure plate in front of the statue on the north wall.

"Careful. A trap."

Joseph moves up to disarm it keeping an eye out for ambush.

Take 10 to disable for a 23.

Good catch. I will hold back Blitz.

Joseph can't quite disarm it, but at least he doesn't set it off.

"Hmm. Fiendishly difficult. Stand back, I'll try again."

Oh. I'm using MW Thieves Tools so it would be a 25. Will try again taking 10.

I think the +13 already includes the mw tools bonus (3 ranks, +4 DEX, +3 class skill, +1 trapfinding, +2 mw tools). However, I also noticed that you have a Bard/3 with you (hi, Corbrae!), and she can spend Disarm trap duration: 2d4 ⇒ (1, 3) = 4 rounds of Performance to inspire competence for the extra +2.

Will do!

With Corbrae's musical assistance, Joseph disarms the trap. It's another one of the synesthesia gas traps.

Where to now?

"Well, we should make sure this room is secure before opening the next door. It looks like this could lead back to the entrance. See if there is a way to open the way."

perception, search room: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (3) + 7 = 10

Mrs. Book doesn't find anything of interest in the room. It looks like the bandits had a similar setup on this end--the stairway past the arrow slits leads down (presumably to lower levels of the Spire), and anyone coming back up could be attacked easily. The door between this area and the landing is barred and locked from this side.

There are a few other doors to check out--one more in this room, and several others elsewhere in the level.

By the Green - that was fortunate to bypass that trap. I did not relish the idea of another exposure like the last time.

Viridian, with Blitz at his side, will follow and look at this and the remaining door as well.

perception: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (4) + 15 = 19

Ah, Right you are.

Joseph wanders around the edges of the room looking for things of interest.

Take 10 on Perception for 21*.

Mrs. Book unlocks the door in case they need to get through from the other side. Assuming the others do not find anything, she suggests,

"Might as well give the door here a try. Less walking for my old bones."

Agreed. Let us see if anyone is remaining in this place.

perception: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (5) + 15 = 20

perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (12) + 8 = 20

We got to be cautious..I hope most of the opposition is down. I'd loke to explore more of the Spire, who knows which secrets we will discover!

The door is untrapped, and no one hears anything at it.

The double bunks and footlockers in the alcoves of this large room suggest it served as a barracks. The walls are decorated with simple paintings and murals, which include sketches of building, temple, and ruin layouts with notations suggesting how to get past obstacles and traps. Two small privy chambers stand against the southern wall, and doors exit to the southeast and the northwest. A search of the room turns up only personal effects of minimal value.

”Nothing to see here. If raiders bunk here, they are elsewhere or we already found them. “

Looks towards any unsearched doors, otherwise loops back with Blitz

"There's another door over here to check out."

Mrs. Book valiantly leads the way to the closest unopened door. Icon moved

Which way does Mrs. Book take to the door?

Path drawn.

Mrs. Book leads the way to the door. Neither Viridian nor Joseph find any traps on the door; it opens to reveal the apparent workshop of the alchemist who surrendered to the party. This room is choked with tables stacked with stills and alembics, flasks, bubbling vats, and crockery. The eastern wall is fitted with stout wine racks filled with bottles of various sizes and shapes.

Perception checks if you want to search the room, and everyone give me a Fort save.

Perc: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (8) + 8 = 16
Fort: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6

I don't like the smell of this place...

Mrs. Book enters the room after the others and joins the search, though she keeps that mask thing on in case there are fumes.

perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (17) + 7 = 24
fort save: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (7) + 4 = 11

Anyone else wearing the masks?

Joseph glances at Ms. Book for a moment in confusion then says "Oh." and puts on one of the masks we found earlier.

perception: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (15) + 11 = 26
fort save: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5

Searching the room with his wolf

perception: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (6) + 15 = 21

The pair try to resist....

Druid fort: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (9) + 6 = 15
Wolf fort: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (18) + 5 = 23

Viridian will position his own mask then help Blitz with another if the wolf will allow it.

These things are not natural.

Examining the rack of bottles, the party finds that all of the bottles are neatly labeled. If the labels are to be believed, there are 11 bottles of wine, five bottles of brandy, eight bottles of vinegar, 14 vials labeled as something that it takes a bit of thought to recognize as the synesthetic agent, eight vials of antidote for the agent, three vials of acid, four vials of centipede venom, three potions of cure light wounds, and two potions of bull's strength. The latter two labels are the only ones where the term used for the contents is underlined.

"Well, then. I would not try any of these without making certain, but this is a pleasant find."

Though tempted to start examining them herself, she comes to the conclusion that it might be trapped. after all, there seems to be a lot of traps in this place.

Corbrae, are you wearing one of the masks?

Viridian nods to Mrs Book.

Definitely a collection to stow away for future use. I can pack whatever is needed into Blitz' pack.

Viridian will look through the vials and anything not claimed now, will pack up for future division back at camp or town.

It seems we need to head northeast, or otherwise there are more of these thugs hiding closer.

Corbrae puts a mask on, as much to protect herself from the smells than to hide her blush as she hasn't thought of that first

I put a red box around the two doors that are left.

"Or south, from what my map says. Let's go northeast then."

I'll close out the south room now, since there's nothing of interest in it.

The south chamber is someone's personal quarters. There's a comfortable bed in the southwest corner, some small keepsakes on wall shelves, and a privy south of the main room.

Corbrae, Joseph, and Viridian all feel slightly off a few minutes after they don their masks...as though they'd been exposed to the synesthetic agent but got the antidote before the drug could take effect. With that clue, Joseph checks and finds a pressure plate in front of the statue in the hall (marked).

The northeast door doesn't seem to be trapped.

perception: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (17) + 11 = 28

Joseph senses there may be something interesting but dismisses it.

"Let's just avoid that pressure plate trap for now."

"I do believe this is the last door. Shall we?"

Viridian will assist with the perception

This pressure plate? It definitely has something off with it. I think it is rigged.

1d20 + 15 ⇒ (18) + 15 = 33

Will point to the hair and avoid before heading to the door Mrs. Book indicates.

A bit of investigation reveals that the pressure plate triggered a release of the synesthetic gas when the party walked over it on the way to the door that Mrs. Book picked out to check; no one noticed it at the time, but everyone who was exposed to the gas either was wearing a mask with the antidote or donned it after their exposure but before the gas could take effect.

More to come.

The hair is between the doorframe and the door that Mrs. Book indicated. As noted, this is a common method for determining whether someone has opened the door; the hair will fall down when the door is opened.

Other than that, there's nothing out of the ordinary about the door...no magical auras, no apparent traps, and no sounds from the other side. The room beyond it is nicely furnished, its floor covered by a finely woven rug with a subtle tan and moorit pattern. A garderobe enclosed by a wall is in the northeast corner, and to its west is a large freestanding wardrobe.

We search the room, of course, allowing Vir to spring find the traps first. Then go on to the final door and repeat the process of searching, disarming, searching, and looting. First in this room, then the final door, and finally the last room.

This is the last room you know about.

The wardrobe is locked with a difficult combination lock, but it's not so far beyond Joseph's abilities that he can't get through it given time (DC 30, so Joseph needs to take 20 to open it). While Joseph is picking the lock, Viridian thoroughly searches the room, eventually finding a concealed panel in the garderobe.

The wardrobe contains a chest holding some money, some gems, and a small green crystal cylinder identical to one you found on the level above.

Is there anything you want to do to prepare before opening the secret door?

No preps here.

Corbrae quickly cast two minor spells

Detect magic on the items we found and renewing my dancing lights spell

The green cylinder is magical, and its aura seems identical to the other one the party found.

Bow out is my only preparation. I'll stand just to the ide of the secret door.

Viridian and Wolf ready, with the druid casting magic fang on Blitz.

Let us do this!

Viridian slides the panel to one side, revealing a room whose walls are lined, floor to ceiling, with pigeonholes, niches, and shelves. The air holds the dusty aroma of ancient parchment--unsurprising, since the shelves and such are piled high with bound tomes, scrolls, and sheaves of paper and parchment. Standing mutely in the center of the room is a metal...at first glance it looks like a slightly humanoid statue, but as the panel is opened it turns to look at Viridian.

Round 1:

Initiative order
Corbrae
Viridian/Blitz
Enemy
Joseph
Mrs. Book

Viridian, Blitz, and Corbrae can act! Note that at this point Viridian is the only one who can see it.

Enemy: AC ? T ? FF ? HP taken: 0