The invisibility ends as you see Astrid strike the bear with a perfectly placed strike and hits again with the followup. Her first strike was strong enough to knock the bear off balance.
Round 1:
Bolded may act.
Bear 2
Lizzo
Dr. Lazarus
Astrid
Natesh
Gib
Bear 1 49 damage flat footed to all this round and Lazarus next round
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Natesh stumbles a bit trying to maintain position before the bears move toward the party. Natesh nods to Lizzo's wisdom and Natesh responds, "I've encountered enough gnashing teeth and claws that I'll try to not get in the way."
Calling upon the familiar lightning spell, Natesh sends an arc of electricity into the pair of bears.
Lizzo’s first arrow misses but the second hits.
Neither Bear manages to avoid the electrical arc that follows.
Round 1:
Bolded may act.
Bear 2 13 damage
Lizzo
Dr. Lazarus
Astrid
Natesh
Gib
Bear 1 79 damage d6 persistent bleed flat footed to all this round and Lazarus next round
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Gibs steps up, ” Yes, Operation save the bears from eating pathfinders!” the small colorful Gnome quickly draws and slashes with his rapier then quickly does the same with his dagger.
”Mr Bear, you should’t eat pathfinders they are not healthy for you and you don’t want to know where they have been.”
step, quickdraw/strike, quickdraw/strike
The foe is flat-footed to Gib due to Gang up feat., flank ….
1st attack vs bear One
to hit vs flat-footed
plus 1d6 persistent bleed from wounding (1d12 on crit)
2nd attack vs bear One
to hit vs flat-footed
Gib’s strike with the rapier hits hard. The dagger misses.
Bear 1 roars in pain and attacks Gib. It grabs him with the claw and then tries to maul him. The bite misses.
The wound bleeds a little bit and then stops.
Bear 2 is none too happy with the interruption either. It claws at Astrid several times since she was the one to hurt it. None of them manage to strike her with the wall in the way.
Round 2:
Bolded may act.
Bear 2 13 damage
Lizzo
Dr. Lazarus
Astrid
Natesh
Gib 9 damage grabbed by bear 1
Bear 1 109 damage flat footed to Lazarus this round
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success
As the bear’s claw connects with Gib he temporarily phases from reality, disappearing for a split second before reappearing.
”Whao!” the Gnome repeatedly blinks his eyes as he tries to escape by stomping on the bear’s foot only to miss due to being dazzled.
Gib then stabs at the bear with his dagger making two poorly aimed attacks.
" Let me go bear, despite what you may have heard, Gnomes taste bitter and uninteresting!"
Escape, Strike, strike
1st Escape - unarmed attack[/d]
fail
fail due to dazzled
The foe is [b]flat-footed to Gib due to Gang up feat., flank ….
2nd attack vs bear One
to hit vs flat-footed
3rd attack vs bear One
to hit vs flat-footed
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Seeing the bear start to maul Gib Natesh yells at the bear, "I'm going to need to need to agree with the idea that you shouldn't be eating any Pathfinder no matter their taste! Let him go!"
Natesh casts another electric spell through the pair of ursine assailants before launching an arrow in an effort to free Gib from the hold.
Gib misses with all his strikes.
Although the first bear managed to dodge some of the electricity, with all the other injuries it is enough to cause it to fall. The second bear gets the full effect of Natesh’s spell and the arrow that followed it.
Round 2:
Bolded may act.
Bear 2 53 damage
Lizzo
Dr. Lazarus
Astrid
Natesh
Gib 2 damage
Bear 1 116 damage
Only the second of Lizzo’s arrows hits.
Round 2:
Bolded may act.
Bear 2 71 damage
Lizzo
Dr. Lazarus
Astrid
Natesh
Gib 2 damage
Bear 1 116 damage
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Dr. Lazarus listens to the amateurs call out warnings about the bears before adding sarcastically, "Yes, yes. Jaws and claws. Well done." He continues in a more serious tone, "They can maul. Which does extra damage when you're grabbed and can be devastating. As Gib can vouch for." He then considers his options.
He's all out of ideas for the bear, but he sees an opening and takes advantage with two consecutive strikes with his throwing hammer.
+1 Striking Returning Grabthar's Hammer (w/ Stratagem): 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (16) + 16 = 32
Dr. Lazarus sends his hammer flying twice and it hits both times. It is bearly standing.
The tiny rabbit cheers you on, making a punching gesture in the bear’s direction.
Round 2:
Bolded may act.
Bear 2 98 damage
Lizzo
Dr. Lazarus
Astrid
Natesh
Gib 2 damage
Bear 1 116 damage
Astrid strikes the bear with her shield.
The bear is in too much pain to accurately attack Astrid. It tries to claw and bite her, but nothing connects.
Round 3:
Bolded may act.
Bear 2 108 damage
Lizzo
Dr. Lazarus
Astrid
Natesh
Gib 2 damage
Bear 1 116 damage
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Lazarus appreciates the strategy of Astrid blocking the creature's path. "Well done, dear lady." He prepares his own attack strategy to finish off the beast.
Finding what he believes is a solid opening in the injured bear's defenses, he takes aim with his hammer and flings it twice in a row.
+1 Striking Returning Grabthar's Hammer (w/ Stratagem): 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (14) + 16 = 30
Dr. Lazarus takes out the remaining bear with his hammer!
Wins ties
Seeing the bear go down, the rabbit twitches it’s nose and then thumps off down the corridor.
A shirt distance later, you find yourself in a maze of passages. A short distance in, Dr. Lazarus and Astrid notice the signs of a trap.
The rabbit leads you to where you can see a female dwarven Pathfinder agent standing in the middle of the passage. She cries out “Topaz! You found someone! Thank goodness.” She looks badly injured.
She looks to you and says “Hello, my name is Gloma. I fear that I am in a bit of a tight spot and hope you can help me out.”
Pointing down to the floor, she says “It seems I stepped on a pressure plate. I can’t be sure what happens if I step off, but I suspect it would not be good for my health.”
“Can one of you somehow help me?”
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"Hmm...We have a couple of bear carcasses that might just do the trick. I read about this in a book once. If we time it right you can pull your foot up right as we push the heavy bear into place."
Astrid thinks for a moment.
"Of course if it doesn't work we'll likely set off every trap in the entire tomb and have to flee from a giant boulder."
She shrugs. "That's what happened in the book anyway."
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Coming upon the trapped Pathfinder, Lazarus says, "Rest assured, dear lady. We have arrived. We're fellow Pathfinders. I'm Dr. Lazarus, renowned forensics professor at the University of Osirion. You may have heard of me." Indicating the rest of the group, he continues, "These are my very capable companions, including a talented rogue." He turns to Gib who can hopefully be a hero for the damsel in distress.
Investigating the trap, the Doctor points out, "My friends. This trap is nasty. Blades will come out of the floor, ceiling, and walls in a 10' radius around Gloma." He shudders as he recalls his recent experience with a certain librarian.
When Astrid relays her tales, Lazarus mutters, "That must have been a real temple of doom." He has a hard time picturing the tough armored fighter cracking open a book.
If the trap is beyond our capabilities, Dr. Lazarus turns to Natesh and asks, "My dear boy, as you know, I'm well-read in the arcane arts. Do you think a spell like Mage Hand could be used to depress the pressure plate, allowing our new friend to escape?" He shrugs, as he's likely not nearly as well-read as he'd like to believe.
While the group is pondering a plan, he reassures Gloma, "Worst case, we're a group of skilled healers." He smiles knowing he has just given her a great deal of comfort.
“Is that one of the two bears that mauled me and killed Aldrek?”
At mention of healing, she admits “I wouldn’t mind a healer’s attention.”
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”Thanks Natesh for freeing me from the bear. That was one hug I didn’t need.”
As the last bear falls, ” Mission accomplished we saved the bears from eating any more pathfinders.”
Gibs looks over the trap, ”Well it’s over my pay grade to disarm. I’m better at distracting people than traps. Yea the quarter bear idea is good. Let me heal you in case that doesn't work.”
The gnome will use treat wounds on Gloma if there is time or battle medicine if not.
Gibs checks to see if Gloma needs additional healing, there is always battle medicine and potions.
Gloma thanks you for the healing. Although she is still slightly hurt, she is looking a lot better.
“I’m willing to try the bear thing. I’ll admit that I’m not the best at dodging traps, or finding them in time either.” She urges her rabbit to get to safety before anyone does something with the trap.
Gloma smiles and thanks Gib for the additional healing. She is now completely healed.
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Natesh considers Lazarus's suggestion as he warily looks about the room, "I could take a few minutes to prepare it, but I would be able to only use it for a small push, not enough to work with most traps. At least with my skill level."
Looking about the area Natesh considers the problem a bit more, "I could have very well have stumbled into this myself, but I wouldn't have had the foresight to avoid setting it off immediately."
"My magical preparations are lacking and I don't think I have studied anything to remove this trap. Gloma, if you are talented in arcane magic, I do have a casting of dimension door scribed onto a scroll. It can't use to teleport anyone but the caster, so I can't use it here."
Little more hesitant Natesh offers, "I-I've taken quite a few major blows on previous outings myself. I learned a spell to give me a bit more protection, as well as others to make your skin as hard as stone. With your wounds tended to, I can cast it on you and give you as much protection as I'm able."
With her permission Natesh will work his magic at a distance and cover Gloma's body in a shell of protective stone. If she, and the rest of the party are prepared he focuses a bit on the future to off her a glimpse of direction and aid.
Gloma says “I’ve studied arcane magics, specifically Wizardry, extensively.”
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"Well that is great! It would be well worth to expend it to avoid the risk. That is why I got it in the first place, to be able to get out of tight spots." Natesh is happy to be able to, carefully, hand over the scroll of dimension door to alleviate as much risk as possible. "If I don't use it here, then I would likely never."
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Gloma waits for all of you and her familiar Topaz to get out of the area. She then reads from the scroll.
As a door appears next to Natesh that Gloma steps through, the trap activates.
So many blades! Blades coming out of the floor! Blades coming out of the ceiling! Blades coming out of the walls! Some blades even coming out of the spaces where the walls connect with the ceiling or floor.
It is clear the reason all of the walls were so think was because they had so many blades hidden in them.
Gloma expresses her sincere appreciation for the scroll and saving of her life. She is quite certain she would have been killed by that trap.
She takes the remains of her fellow Pathfinder and returns to the base camp with them.
DC 29 basic Reflex save.
Critical failure: also take 1d6 persistent bleed damage.
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With the lower levels of the ruins secure, Venture-Captain Armeline Jirneau calls the Pathfinders together once again. “Excellent work, Pathfinders! The area’s secure and the path to the upper levels is now clear. What’s more, we have news.” she says, gesturing at the glowing arch. “We’ve discovered that this potent artifact is called the Eternity Arch. It’s resonating with some sort of magical focus nearby, and this resonance is what’s causing the Maze of the Open Road to malfunction. Using this connection, we determined that the focus is somewhere above us, higher in the ruins. We must find the focus and sever its connection to the arch.”
“It’s cold in the upper levels. We’re distributing warm clothing now. Remember, we don’t know what the focus is, so leave no stone unturned. Be safe and stay in touch. Let’s move, Pathfinders!”
A junior Pathfinder agent comes by with a mule loaded down with cold weather clothing. He gets any of you who need it some cold weather outfits that will fit.
Although the clothing is clean, you can tell it is used. There are several patches and a few of them show signs of discoloration like you get when trying to remove an old blood stain.
Once you are situated Eando Kline, leader of the Vigilant Seal faction, comes over from where he had been worriedly pacing. “We dispatched scouts to the east, but we haven't heard from them yet. ”
“Go check it out. See if they need help!”
Just before you head out, Gloma and Topaz comes over and warn you to watch out for wild animals. Talking to others in camp, several groups have been attacked by strange wild creatures.
I will try to work out who already has a circumstance bonus to initiative. They are very common.
You are directed to some ruins in what appears to be a residential area. The walls to the East are partially collapsed, revealing ice tunnels that wind off into the distance.
You hear some animal sounds coming from the ice tunnels.
Astrid can not see the animals, but she does hear snapping of bones and growls from within the caves.
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Natesh is a bit aghast the amount of surging blades that fill the halls. He is happy to see Gloma safe and assures her that it was his pleasure to help. However he eyes the walls and intersections of these ruins more cafefully.
"I think those were the wild animals. At least some of them. I'm wondering if anything drive the animals here, if some magical lure or just the large number of Pathfinders attracted them"
Natesh follows along behind as he looks for any lethal traps along the floor.
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Gib declines the used winter clothing as he pulls his set out of his backpack, also changing his camouflage to a winter theme color scheme.
”Gloma, Glade to see you escaped the trap without injury, and thanks for the warning.”
Gib pulls out his Wayfinder to activate its light magic to help his low-light vision as the group moves into the dark ice tunnels. ” I guess the bears we saved were civilized as opposed to wild.”
You follow the sounds of the animals into the ice tunnels.
As you come around a rock outcropping, you see two furry creatures with the pelt of a snow leopard, snout of a bear, and antlers. They have four eyes. They are about the size of a bear cub or large cat.
The two creatures are eating what looks like one of the missing scouts. The elf is dead. You are interrupting their meal.
You can hear more animal noises echoing from deeper in the tunnels.
includes +2 circumstance to init
Wins ties, elven instincts +2 circumstance to init
includes +2 circumstance to init
includes +2 circumstance to init
no circumstance bonus to init
Round 1:
Bolded may act.
Gib
Lizzo
Astrid
Natesh
One
Dr. Lazarus
Y3
Y1
Y4
Y2
Natesh is so intent on getting a better view of the beasts that he doesn’t notice the black ice underfoot until he is on the ground.
Round 1:
Bolded may act.
Gib
Lizzo
Astrid
Natesh prone
One
Dr. Lazarus
Y3
Y1
Y4
Y2
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Astrid glares at the closest beast and shouts. "Hey you ugly monster! Elves are stringy and flavorless, come over here and break your teeth on some ulfen warrior flesh instead!"
with Intimidating Glare
The shield maiden touches a charm on a javelin at her back, causing it to glow softly as she draws and throws the weapon at the creature.
with Potency Crystal
"Ha! That ought to get its attention!"
She raises her shield and prepares for battle.