GM supervillan's 5-10 Where Mammoths Dare Not Tread (Inactive)

Game Master supervillan

Buff spells are all good as long as they have a duration of at least 1 min/level or are unlimited casts.

Thoriel recovers from her near-death experience with no long-term effect.

Now we just need to see how Quiella does. Looks like she'll only fail on a natural 1 even without buffs, but she's got four saves to make.

Awesome, Thoriel!

Quiella, fortitude: 1d20 + 16 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 16 + 2 + 2 = 26
Quiella, fortitude: 1d20 + 16 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 16 + 2 + 2 = 22
Quiella, fortitude: 1d20 + 16 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 16 + 2 + 2 = 25
Quiella, fortitude: 1d20 + 16 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (7) + 16 + 2 + 2 = 27

phew!

are we on a time crunch? Can we handwave the healing or do I need to sit down at my PC and work out all the math?

You have a choice:

I have two potions of lesser restoration. If we have a couple more castings, we can rest up and go in with everything we have.

Thoriel has a scroll of Lesser Restoration on her. I would vote for the resting up option as well.

That's a decision made.

The pathfinders decide that, despite the inhospitable conditions, fully recovering their powers is necessary before confronting any powerful demons.

Quiella heals everyone, and the group tries to get some rest.

Everyone give me a DC15 Fort save please; if you fail you're Fatigued the next day - but can use one of your sources of Lesser Restoration to clear it.

Fort save 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (18) + 12 = 30

FORT 15: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (1) + 10 = 11

Despite being back to full health, the conditions of the Worldwound cause Thoriel to have a troubled sleep. She awakes missing the silken sheets and soft pillows of her dwelling back home. With a sigh, she retrieves her scroll of lesser restoration and asks Quiella to cast it upon her.

Quiella, fortitude: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (11) + 16 = 27
Turin, fortitude: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (11) + 9 = 20

Fort (DC 15): 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (16) + 12 = 28

Despite the rough conditions, Nina manages to sleep quite well and awakes refreshed and ready to tackle the task ahead!

"You know, it's times like this I'm glad I get to go home each night to rest instead of being out here in the elements..." Inky remarks once Nina summons her back in the morning.

”So, are we ready to try to go take on the big bad? I’m not sure our chances, but I can’t think of anything else to do to prepare.”

Other than switch out some spells, which I will do when we are ready.

Just the one Lesser Restoration needed then, which Thoriel provides in order to clear her fatigue.

If you're ready, I'll move you on in approx 24 hours.

You continue your journey, looking for the trail signs that the Red Winter told you to watch for, and avoiding the spectres' battleground.

By early afternoon you have picked up intermittent hoof-marks in the warped earth. Strangely, they occur only for short periods before vanishing. Nevertheless, the trail leads you to a crumbling ruin, built on the edge of a shallow crater. Noxious fumes billow up from several vents at the base of the crater. These vents are the red/orange areas on the map.

The beautiful white bull that you saw two days ago is here! It emerges from behind a ruined house, sees you, and lows mournfully, gesturing with its head towards the building behind it.

Elsewhere, four decidedly more ugly cattle attempt to graze on sparse and equally malformed vegetation.

Know nature 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (18) + 12 = 30

”Those are fiendish aurochs! They can trample just about anyone and use their horns to deal massive damage. If we could scare them, they could stampede and run over just about anything…”

Pai casts Mage Armor, Overland Flight, and False Life for 1d10 + 10 ⇒ (10) + 10 = 20 temporary hit points.

At this point, your day-long hours/level spells will certainly have been cast already, but not shorter duration spells.

"Dang...if we had more time and maybe another set of hands or two, I'd say we should put them out of their misery," Nina sighs after Pai explains the deal with the aurochs. "But right now we should probably either try to avoid them entirely...or do what you're hinting at Pai and see if we can use their instincts to our advantage. First we need a target, though..."

She glances over at the white bull and after a moment, slowly raises one hand and waves at it. "And this beautiful fella...what's his deal? Is he a nature spirit?"

Can we retry any rolls on the white bull, GM? As I recall, we failed terribly last time.

Your previous, long-distance encounters with the white bull only involved Sense Motive checks, which you all tanked :o

You may attempt Perception checks if you wish. Knowledge (Nature) tells you that the white bull is a mundane aurochs.

Perception v White Bull 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (11) + 12 = 23

Noticing that Pai is giving the white bull a little more of her attention as well, Nina continues to watch and study the creature...

Perception: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (9) - 1 = 8

"What? I'm pretty sure it's *just* a bull or aurochs or whatever Pai said..." Inky grumbles as she too turns to see what Pai and Nina are looking at.

Perception: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (18) + 10 = 28

Though she sees nothing amiss about the white bull, hiding behind one of the fiendish aurochs Inky spots a smaller animal. Perhaps a calf. And free of the fiendish taint. Pink token, behind blue. Medium sized.

Boosting her courage and protections with some spells, Thoriel joins the rest of the group in admiring the young calf.

Applying heroism and stoneskin upon self.

"Ooh, yes isn't it cute...but ah, isn't the issue at hand more about how we get to those ruins without getting gored by those other decidedly less adorable beasts?"

If we decide to just try and bypass them, Thoriel can fly and/or cast invisibility on herself for a few minutes. Or, if getting close enough and acting first could probably just outrun them and make it into the building.

Is everyone flying? I’m worried about those aurochs stampeding those on the ground.

As soon as Thoriel starts spellcasting, the white bull bellows! The fiendish aurochs stamp their feet and lower their horns towards you.

Round 1

Thoriel
Pai
GM1
Aurochs
Nina + Inky
Quiella + Tùrin
GM2

The bold may act!

Only Pai is currently flying. Thoriel's Heroism and Stoneskin spells are not yet up.

Pai casts Haste on the group and heads up 20’ in the air.

I'll give Thoriel another 24 hours before botting.

Apologies. Thought I'd already posted - busy at work and at home at this time of year.

Thoriel sighs as the aurochs get spooked by her spell. "Flighty beasts!

Only having time to cast one spell on herself, she then speeds herself up even further, before making a run towards the building. She hopes that she can cause a bit of a distraction and split the herd up a little.

Expend 1 arcane point to enter Spell Dance. Cast Heroism. Move 60'.

Pai speeds everyone up, and Thoriel starts her deadly dance. The elf gracefully flits over the twisted, blistered terrain - the ground looks dangerously unstable. Acrobatics checks - Thoriel auto-passes with her base bonus of +19

The tainted aurochs charge! As they pass over the blistered earth they pay no heed to where they tread, and eldritch energies explode around them.

blue: 1d5 ⇒ 2cold damage: 3d6 ⇒ (6, 1, 6) = 13
blue 2: 1d5 ⇒ 4fire damage: 5d6 ⇒ (6, 4, 6, 6, 3) = 25
red: 1d5 ⇒ 2cold damage: 3d6 ⇒ (4, 5, 1) = 10

yellow charge vs Nina: 1d20 + 7 + 2 ⇒ (18) + 7 + 2 = 27damage: 1d8 + 9 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 9 + 3 = 16

The first of the fiendish animals gores Nina!

blue reflex v cold: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (8) + 3 = 11

blue reflex v fire: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5
yellow reflex v fire: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (8) + 3 = 11

The second explosion - a blast of green fire - roasts the second charging bull to ash before the creature reaches Quiella - though the explosion rocks the pathfinders too!

yellow reflex vs cold: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 3 = 9
red reflex vs cold: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (14) + 3 = 17

The first aurochs dies to another blast of freezing cold as a third aurochs charges Quiella!

red charge: 1d20 + 7 + 2 ⇒ (19) + 7 + 2 = 28damage: 1d8 + 9 + 3 ⇒ (7) + 9 + 3 = 19

The beast gores the holy knight!

Some reflex saves needed: Nina, Inky, Pai, Quiella and Tùrin need to make 2 DC15 Reflex saves - the first is for half damage vs a blast of 25 fire damage, the second is for half damage vs a blast of 10 cold damage.

green gore vs Thoriel: 1d20 + 7 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 7 + 2 = 15damage: 1d8 + 9 ⇒ (4) + 9 = 13

Thoriel is as graceful as always in dancing around the horns of her attacker.

The white bull gallops forwards, its hooves not touching the ground, and then reveals its true form - a disgusting demon, resembling a bipedal scorpion with two tails and horse's legs. This is the beast-demon you've been hunting!

The kithangian demon focuses its dark magic on Thoriel!

Thoriel, attempt a DC20 Fort save.

Round 1

Thoriel
Pai
Aurochs (red -5hp)
Kithangian
Nina, -16hp + Inky
Quiella, -19hp + Tùrin
GM2

The bold may act!

Reflex 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (12) + 11 = 23
Reflex 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (9) + 11 = 20

Reflex #1 (DC 15): 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (12) + 13 = 25
Reflex #2 (DC 15): 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (6) + 13 = 19

Inky is immune to fire damage so she only rolls against the cold damage...

Inky Reflex vs. Cold (DC 15): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (3) + 8 = 11

Nina and Inky largely weather the elemental assault, though Inky fares better than her rider does. The little gnome notes how easily several of the aurochs fell as they charged and so takes a gamble as she furiously jabs at Red with her lance!

Attack vs. Red (+1 Adamantine Lance; Arcane Strike, Haste, PA): 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (17) + 14 = 31
Damage: 1d6 + 15 ⇒ (4) + 15 = 19

Attack vs. Red (+1 Adamantine Lance; Arcane Strike, Haste, PA): 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (3) + 9 = 12
Damage: 1d6 + 15 ⇒ (1) + 15 = 16

Attack vs. Red, Hasted Attack (+1 Adamantine Lance; Arcane Strike, Haste, PA): 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (6) + 14 = 20
Damage: 1d6 + 15 ⇒ (1) + 15 = 16

"Inky, hold tight!"

Inky nods, adopting a defensive position to protect Nina (and any other allies that should move within range).

Spellcraft: 1d20 + 16 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 16 + 2 = 23
FORT: 1d20 + 10 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 10 + 2 = 14

Shocked by the appearance of the demon, Thoriel realises too late that it is trying to turn her into some sort of harmless creature. "Oh no, a Baleful Polymorph Spell!" she exclaims as she prays to whatever god will listen that the spell won't take hold.

Using shirt reroll on this!
Shirt Reroll: 1d20 + 10 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 10 + 2 + 2 = 19
WILL: 1d20 + 12 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 12 + 2 = 26

"Oh #$%*!" Thoriel cries out as the slender elf is suddenly transformed into a tiny, legless lizard.

Quiella, reflex: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (6) + 12 = 18
Quiella, reflex: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (3) + 12 = 15
Quiella takes 17 dmg, so she's at 36dmg

start of her turn she life links Turin, Inky, and Nina for another 15dmg to get to 51dmg

Quiella heals herself

Quiella, lay on hands, favored class, greater mercy, fey foundling: 3d6 + 3 + 1d6 + 8 ⇒ (6, 1, 5) + 3 + (5) + 8 = 28

down to just 23dmg

Quiella is dimly aware of Thoriel's unfortunate transformation, no time to solve that now, she thinks as she draws her greatsword and slices at the creature before her.

+1 Holy Cold Iron Greatsword, power attack: 1d20 + 17 - 3 ⇒ (13) + 17 - 3 = 27
slashing, cold iron, good, magic: 1d10 + 8 + 9 ⇒ (6) + 8 + 9 = 23 plus Holy: 2d6 ⇒ (3, 1) = 4

Turin, reflex: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (5) + 11 = 16
Turin, reflex: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (10) + 11 = 21

Turin takes 17dmg, then gets healed 5 by Quiella

Turin tries to gore the auroch.

Túrin, Gore, ACP: 1d20 + 10 - 1 ⇒ (3) + 10 - 1 = 12
piercing: 1d6 + 6 ⇒ (5) + 6 = 11

The exploding geysers of ice and fire rock the rearmost pathfinders - but not so badly as the kithangian's dark magic rocks the graceful spelldancer, as Thoriel is transformed into a graceless lizard.

Because you passed the Will save Thoriel your mental attributes are unaffected and you retain use of any class abilities that do not rely upon a humanoid form.

Nina slays the aurochs that survived the elemental explosions.

Quiella and Tùrin may take alternative actions.

Round 1

Thoriel = lizard
Pai, -17hp
Aurochs
Kithangian
Nina, -29hp + Inky, -5hp
Quiella, -23hp + Tùrin, -12hp
GM2

The bold may act!

Quiella commands Túrin to move towards the remaining Auroch and strike it. She does likewise.

50' of movement to get to the Auroch so both of them should be able to attack. Makes most sense to me to just keep the rolls above

Though Tùrin's antlers only lock with the larger auroch's horns, Quiella's mighty sword blow fells the fiendish beast.

The sole remaining bullock reveals its true form - for it, too, is a kithangian demon - and comes charging towards Nina and Inky, galloping forwards though its hooves do not touch the ground.

claw vs Nina, charge: 1d20 + 18 + 2 ⇒ (10) + 18 + 2 = 30damage: 1d6 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 10grab?: 1d20 + 22 + 2 ⇒ (18) + 22 + 2 = 42

The monster misses by the narrowest of margins, and the knight and her mount have the disconcerting experience of seeing and hearing the leering, human-like faces between the demon's claws.

"તમે કેવા જાનવર છો? એકવાર જીનોમ મરી જાય પછી હું તમારી સાથે રમતગમતમાં ખૂબ આનંદ લઈશ!"

Round 2

Thoriel = lizard
Pai, -17hp
Kithangian (white)
Nina, -29hp + Inky, -5hp
Quiella, -23hp + Tùrin, -12hp
Kithangian (magenta)

The bold may act!

Pai flies toward Thoriel and casts Greater Dispel Magic on her lizard friend.

Caster level check 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (6) + 11 = 17

Folio reroll 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (20) + 11 = 31

Pai already used her reroll here in the spectre encounter.

Pai tries to restore Thoriel, but her effort is in vain.

Sorry GM. This has been a long one and I forgot I already burned it.

Bo wirries Pai, it has indeed been a long journey. Thoriel I don't think there's any meaningful actions you can take, so I'll put you in delay for now. I know that your spelldance abilities are still available but I don't think you've any offence.

The white demon works its fell magic...

Tùrin must attempt a DC12 Will save vs enchantment (compulsion).

The demon approaches, and snatches at Quiella with a leering pincer...

claw: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (5) + 18 = 23damage: 1d6 + 6 ⇒ (3) + 6 = 9grab?: 1d20 + 22 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 22 + 2 = 27

...the knight evades the attack.

Round 2

Pai, -17hp
Kithangian (white)
Thoriel = lizard
Nina, -29hp + Inky, -5hp
Quiella, -23hp + Tùrin, -12hp
Kithangian (magenta)

The bold may act!

Turin, will: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (11) + 6 = 17

Turin steps forward at Quiella's direction and tries to gore the Kithangian

Túrin, Gore, ACP: 1d20 + 10 - 1 ⇒ (3) + 10 - 1 = 12
piercing: 1d6 + 6 ⇒ (5) + 6 = 11

Again, Quiella heals Nina, Inky, and Turin.

+15dmg to Quiella, so 38dmg

Quiella heals herself.

Quiella, lay on hands, favored class, greater mercy, fey foundling: 3d6 + 3 + 1d6 + 8 ⇒ (4, 5, 2) + 3 + (5) + 8 = 27

down to just 11dmg

Then she slashes twice at the Kithangian

+1 Holy Cold Iron Greatsword, power attack: 1d20 + 17 - 3 ⇒ (7) + 17 - 3 = 21
slashing, cold iron, good, magic: 1d10 + 8 + 9 ⇒ (2) + 8 + 9 = 19 plus Holy: 2d6 ⇒ (3, 4) = 7

+1 Holy Cold Iron Greatsword, power attack: 1d20 + 12 - 3 ⇒ (8) + 12 - 3 = 17
slashing, cold iron, good, magic: 1d10 + 8 + 9 ⇒ (7) + 8 + 9 = 24 plus Holy: 2d6 ⇒ (2, 4) = 6

The white demon laughs - a hideous sound emanating from the mouths between its pincers - as Quiella and Tùrin's attacks fail. At least the paladin's healing powers are proving effective.

Round 2

Pai, -17hp
Kithangian (white)
Thoriel = lizard
Nina, -24hp + Inky
Quiella, -11hp + Tùrin, -7hp
Kithangian (magenta)

The bold may act!

Thoriel, fearing she can provide little help to her friends in her current form, instead circles back away from the combat and to a relative position of safety overlooking the battle.

Double Move

I'll give Nina another 24 hours or so before botting.