PaizoCon 2022 - PFS2 3-09: The Secluded Siege (Author Table) (Play-by-Post)(11 Challenge Points) (Inactive)

Game Master Lysle

You have been told to make preparations for departure to the Sandswept Hall in Sothis, the capital city of Osirion and the largest, most prosperous city within the kingdom.

Please read the first post in the Discussion thread Then, go ahead and "dot and delete" in this thread.

You have been told to make preparations for departure to the Sandswept Hall in Sothis, the capital city of Osirion and the largest, most prosperous city within the kingdom.

Please read the first post in the Discussion thread Then, go ahead and "dot and delete" in this thread.

Corrected link to Discussion thread is here.

A handsome and brash halfling fellow comes rushing up, huffing and puffing. "Sorry to be late - I had some, uh, difficulties back in Absalom that needed... resolving." He glances over his shoulder as he says this, then hurriedly slings his lute on his back, checks his purse to see if it's still empty - it is - and grins at the others. "Oskar I am, and it won't be long before all Golarion is humming one of my ditties. Just gotta write it first. Hope this adventure provides some inspiration, otherwise what's it good for? Less'n ye got rent t' pay, which I does, in which case I'll take inspiration, or at least a nice pay day, mehopes. I don't suppose there's any possibility of getting paid in advance...?" he trails off not very hopefully.

Having received a message from Venture-Captain Ambrus Valsin (see Handout #1: Valsin’s Message on Slides), the party has completed its voyage from Absalom to Sothis.

Sothis is the capital of Osirion and the kingdom’s largest and most prosperous city. Its skyline is dominated by the molted husk of Ulunat, a colossal beetle slain by Osirion’s first pharaoh. In the city, this select band of Pathfinders are free to gather and recall what information they can, making any purchases or other preparations accordingly, before proceeding to the lodge.

I have made secret checks for those that I currently have modifiers. If you wish to know the results, feel free to open the spoilers below.

Making your way through the city of Sothis, you eventually arrive outside the Sandswept Hall. Here, doors beneath an immense archway bid entry to a compound surrounded by twelve-foot exterior walls. The courtyard beyond contains a lush garden filled with date palms, sycamores, and tamarisk trees. Strung between two rows of trees, a wooden framework gently bows, laden with hanging plants and fruiting grapevines.

The thick foliage grants welcome shade from Osirion’s blazing sun. Insects and small mammals occasionally skitter across the ground.

A pair of stone sphinxes frame the entrance to a two-story structure made from white limestone block, casting their reflections upon neighboring pools fed by aqueducts from the nearby River Sphinx.

A human woman adorned with garments bearing the official seal of the Ruby Prince stands beneath a tree, while a grippli man perches in the tree’s branches. He wears a loose-fitting robe and head scarf, and a wayfinder dangles from a cord around his neck.

Images of the human and grippli now on Slides.

Noticing that the two are no longer alone in the garden, the grippli jumps down to the ground and continues speaking. “As I was saying, a sudden shortage of labor has caused our local lodge to be a bit remiss in its maintenance of the grounds of late, but there is no cause for alarm,” the grippli declares loudly. “The Society’s minor lapse is certainly nothing to trouble the Ruby Prince with—may he live a pleasant and uncursed life.”

The official raises an eyebrow, but remains silent as the grippli continues. “Surely whoever reported the state of the grounds to your office is merely a concerned neighbor? And the Society endeavors to be a good neighbor as well! We’ll clean up straightaway. Why, I believe that this group of fresh faces may well be the additional hands that we have asked for help with, um, cleaning up, is that not so?"

Feel free to note any purchases and make introductions.

Fen arrives just after Oskar. She is a young Tian-Shu woman, wearing beautiful jade-green full-plate worked with intricate gold and white filigree. She is clearly struggling with the heat, and is sweating profusely. Despite the calm weather, her hair bobs and flicks constantly as if in an erratic breeze.

"We have indeed been sent to aid you with the cleaning."

She bows formally while pressing her fist into her palm.

"I am Zhao Fen, though just Fen is fine. Could you direct us to Venture Captain Balentiir?"

"We have indeed been sent to aid you with the cleaning."

She bows formally while pressing her fist into her palm.

"I am Zhao Fen, though just Fen is fine. Could you direct us to Venture Captain Balentiir?"

"Yes, just where is your Venture Captain Balentiir?" asks the human official, her voice taking on a more suspicious tone. "Perhaps, I should take a look around?"

The grippli gives a sideways glance toward Fen with a bulbous eye, then bows to the official. "While we, of course, would not think of delaying the duties of one of the city's many fine inspectors and eyes of the Ruby Prince--may his days be full of good fortune and his nights full of peace and delight--I know that you, most welcomed Kamarsent Mahderai, are undoubtedly quite busy and I would not wish you to waste your precious time investigating rumors and gossip."

"I have come here in response to complaints made by some of your neighbors. Many of them, good merchants, believe that grounds of your lodge are being neglected," Mahderai explains. "They claim that your gardens are not being well-tended and that their customers have been complaining of unpleasant odors and rotting fruit in the streets. Further, I have received reports of a rash of congregating rats and scorpion infestations from market stalls and residents nearby. The claims are that your lodge is the source.""

"While such complaints may not, on their own, warrant much intercession," Madherai continues, "I am concerned that they--and the apparent occupation of your Venture-Captain, may be an indication of some greater happening that may be of concern to the Ruby Prince--may his reign know no end."

"If the grounds are not to your standards, then please allow us some time to tend to them and I am sure, upon your return, that you will find them acceptable," suggests the grippli. "As Fen has noted, she and her companions have just arrived to provide aid with the cleaning. I am sure that they can quickly address those concerns that you have noted."

The grippli glances your way. His large, bulbous eyes seeming to plead for help in allaying the official's suspicions and sending her on her way.

Each PC can attempt a DC 20 Deception or Diplomacy check to Lie or Make an Impression upon the inspector, respectively; a DC 20 Society or DC 15 Legal Lore or Sothis Lore check to Recall Knowledge about city ordinances and royal decrees, noting that none of which the Society has publicly violated; or a DC 18 Farming Lore or Vermin Lore check to Recall Knowledge to offer the most expedient ways to clean up the grounds. These are not secret checks as the consequence for success or failure are immediately obvious.

Fen quickly catches up with the situation and attempts to smooth over her faux-pax.

"Inspector Mahderai, what an honour it is to meet one of Sothis' famous inspectors, your diligence is reknown. Please don't let us take up any more of your valuable time, I assure you we can take care of these issues"

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (16) + 18 = 34

"Inspector Mahderai, what an honour it is to meet one of Sothis' famous inspectors, your diligence is reknown. Please don't let us take up any more of your valuable time, I assure you we can take care of these issues"

"Well, you do look capable," concedes the inspector. She glances around. "And my time could be spent on other pressing duties. But, I need to put something in my report. Perhaps, if I look around just a bit longer..."

One success! However, it will take more to allay the concerns of the inspector.

Oskar has two Expert Hirelings to choose from - for this scenario he'll slot the one with Survival and Mining Lore.

Earlier...

When the group first arrives in Sothis, Oskar opines knowledgeably about their destination: "Sandswept Hall, though once a prison, now serves as a storehouse, barracks, and training facility for Pathfinder agents. Also known as the Sothis Lodge, the Sandswept Hall has a history of bounty hunting for side income that it has only recently worked to reform by limiting the people held beneath the lodge to those who pose a legitimate danger to society."

Now...

Oskar strums his lute and sings along as Zhao Fen attempts to allay the inspector's concerns, hoping to subtly make her words even more pleasing.

Inspire Competence, Performance to Aid DC 20, Cooperative Nature, Persona Mask: 1d20 + 15 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 15 + 4 = 21 +1 circumstance bonus to Zhao's check

He will similarly accompany the other PCs once they arrive...

Then Oskar makes his own rather obsequious efforts to butter up the official, assuring him that he will have a character modeled after him in the opera that he is currently writing - "Landscaping is my day job, dontcha know - " and asking various innocuous questions about how he should be portrayed in the best possible light.

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (4) + 14 = 18 I'm apparently trying to wring the low rolls out of my dice early on...

If Forest or Herbalism Lore can be substituted for Farming Lore...
Forest/Herbalism Lore: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (7) + 8 = 15

Drkynbrakal rolls aer eyes at Oskar's antics. "Unless the laws have changes in the past few years, we should have some time to address this unpleasantness. I'm no politician, but you might try reminding your superiors of said fact. You can, of course, pass along assurances that the Society has no more desire for such unpleasantness than your countryfolk and we've been called in to address it."

Legal Lore: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (2) + 8 = 10

Moving us along...

"Well, you do look capable," concedes the inspector. She glances around. "And my time could be spent on other pressing duties. But, I need to put something in my report. Perhaps, if I look around just a bit longer..."

Oskar and Drkynbrakal try to allay the inspector's concerns, but their efforts, though not detrimental, do little on their own to impress. Fortunately, reflecting upon Fen's poise and deference as well as her words, inspector Mahderai concludes that her time would be better spent elsewhere.

"You do seem rather capable and confident that the issues raised by the complaints will be addressed. I shall report to the Ruby Prince--may his throne remain untarnished and his rulership long endure--that the Society has things well in hand," notes the inspector.

"That we do," ensures the grippli, trying to end the discussion quickly. "Now, come my fellow agents, let us go inside the lodge and go over your cleaning duties."

"I intend, however, to return at a future date," Mahderai cautions before departing, "to ensure the Society has resolved the situation."

Once the inspector has left, the grippli croaks a sigh of relief. "Many thanks to you, Pathfinders. The Ruby Prince has only tightened restrictions on the activities of foreign-based explorers," says the grippli as he retrieves a voluminous canteen from the base of the tree. "We have not had the good fortune of meeting before, but I am Po'ogaat. You may call me 'Po', if you prefer. I serve at the pleasure of Venture-Captain Balentiir."

"The Venture-Captain has been waiting for you ever since he contacted Valsin. My duties here make me the informal second-in-command of the Sothis Lodge, but it is the Venture-Captain that has been coordinating the bulk of the efforts. I will explain more once we are all inside."[/b]

Po'ogaat bids you to follow him into the lodge. As you walk, Po’ogaat wets his head scarf with the canteen before taking a long, hard drink, then moistening his eyeballs and lips with his tongue. “I truly love Sothis,” he notes, “but I cannot say my skin feels the same way. The dryness, however, is the least of our concerns.”

The grippli brings the party through the lodge’s entrance and into a side chamber before unlocking a heavy door that leads to a set of descending stairs. "The complaints noted by the investigator are legitimate. The surge of undead beneath the lodge has caused Venture-Captain Balentiir to focus the lodge’s resources on defense rather than maintenance of the gardens. Further, the undead presence has driven rats, scorpions, and other vermin to flee their underground homes."

Upon reaching the basement, Po’ogaat ushers you all through a series of locked doors, which he promptly locks again after the party passes through them. "Nearby agents have already been enlisted and our forces are spread thin. Your presence here now is most appreciated," Po'ogaat continues, even as he moves more quickly, "but I am sure that Valsin already informed you of such on account of the fact that you are here. Tell me, what information you still need and I will do my best to fill you in before we meet up with the Venture-Captain in the Hall of Recognition."

Any questions for Po? If not, I will move us to the next encounter in about 24 hours.

Fen seems pleased to be out of the sun, but her sunny demeanour turns grave when the topic of undead comes up.

"Thank you for your directness Po. What types of Undead are attacking the lodge? Where could they be coming from? Do you or the Venture Captain have any ideas what might be causing the surge?"

As she's talking she starts adjusting the grips on her weapons. The Katana belted at her left hip she leaves alone, but she removes a piece of string from the handle of one one strapped to her back, then gives it a quick pull to test it. An inch of blade shows for a second, glowing a pale blue before she slams it back.

Oskar takes careful notes on everything that Po says, contemplating how his words might be turned in to lyrics for the opera. I wonder which of Absalom's grippli actors would be best suited for this role. I'll have to give careful attention to casting...

"So which task should we take care of first - clearing the vermin out of the gardens? Or heading "downstairs" to attend to your undead problem? And what more can you tell us about how this all got started and what menaces you've seen so far?"

"Thank you for your directness Po. What types of Undead are attacking the lodge?"

"“The mindless sort—mostly—but there have been reports of all kinds: ghasts, skeletons, wights, and zombies, to name a few," Po replies. "The odd variety is part of what makes this incursion so unusual and its source so difficult to discern. Some of the intelligent undead have even been learning how to turn the hall’s defenses against us. It’s quite troubling!"

"Where could they be coming from?"

"“Somewhere deep underground—that’s all we know. While there have been many deaths within the vaults over the years, their number does not begin to account for the hordes of undead in the incursion. Our trust is that you will be able to find their source.”

"Do you or the Venture Captain have any ideas what might be causing the surge?"

"Alas, none. While there was an incident at the lodge involving that came to a head over a decade ago, there is no indication that the two are somehow related. That incident involved a Pathfinder turned vampire and several of her spawn, or so I understand. Before my time, I’m afraid. Regardless, the Society eventually put a stop to it. Despite the variety of undead seen in the vaults, I’m unaware of any reports of even a single vampire. Thus, I have no reason to think that incident is related.”

"So which task should we take care of first - clearing the vermin out of the gardens? Or heading "downstairs" to attend to your undead problem? And what more can you tell us about how this all got started and what menaces you've seen so far?"

"The undead are far and away the more pressing problem," Po insists. "Otherwise, we would have addressed them already. As it is, we have few agents to spare for such niceties."

"As for when this all started, the initial reports of undead sighted in the vaults came in several months ago. The first waves weren’t as severe, but they’ve been getting worse each day."

Now, having traveled well beneath the lodge, you find the structure contains a series of underground vaults once used to house prisoners that have since been converted and expanded into facilities for use by the Society.

"With the exception of the magical torches in the Hall of Recognition, there are no active light sources within the vaults," Po explains further. "During their incursions, intelligent undead removed all light sources to hinder the living."

As the party is led deeper underground, you reach the base of a set of stairs that opens into the western wall of a corridor running from north to south. On the western wall, across from the stairs stands an open double door, above which is carved, in Common, “Hall of Recognition.” Po’ogaat urges the party to enter the hall.

Beyond the doors, a large room is well-illuminated by magical torches that light the ornamental tracery carved into the walls and ceiling. Bas-reliefs adorn the long walls, displaying the likenesses of heroic figures from days past. Each is rendered in beautiful detail. A massive, stylized pyramid takes up the eastern half of the room.

“Welcome to the Hall of Recognition. This room was originally used by the Society to honor prominent members from Osirion,” Po’ogaat explains. “Over the past several years, as the exploits of the Society have expanded, so too has the Hall. It had to be renovated over the past decade following that unpleasant incident with a vampire I had mentioned, though the matter is rarely brought up. Such is the trouble with secrets."

“Speaking of prominent Pathfinders, I expected to meet Venture-Captain Balentiir here.” Po’ogaat looks around quizzically, then makes his way to the western door to peer out into the hallway. As he does so, he is met by the sounds of rending wood and shouts. Several people, clearly Pathfinder agents, rush past the doorway of the Hall of Recognition, fleeing from a commotion to the south while shouting, “...and they’ve
activated the statues! They’re turning our own defenses on us!”

Po’ogaat’s already-bulbous eyes widen further at the scene. “Defend the room,” he instructs. “And hold it for the venture-captain’s return. I will see to the others”.

With remarkable speed, the grippli Pathfinder darts out of the room towards the fleeing agents. Mere moments later, some of the pursuing undead come bursting into the hall.

Map of hall now on slides.

Some of the undead rushing by, dressed in tattered ceremonial battle garb, turn their attention towards you, entering the room through the western doorway, accompanied by one or more beings that appear to be chiseled from stone.

Picture of undead now on Slides.

BOTTING Merisiel - to keep things moving and keep all Pathfinders in same block initiative...

One of the undead (green) practically leaps into the room, its tongue lashing about as if savoring an impending taste of flesh. It rushes toward Merisiel.
Stride x2

The stench accompanying the creature is nigh overwhelming.
All creatures upon coming within 10 feet of green must succeed at a DC 16 Fortitude save or become sickened 1 (plus slowed 1 as long as it’s sickened on a critical failure). While within the aura, you take a –2 circumstance penalty to saves against disease and to recover the sickened condition.

Merisiel, Fortitude save (DC 16) v stench: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (10) + 9 = 19

The undead then tries to claw the elf!
Melee Strike claw (agile, finesse) v Merisiel: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (12) + 11 = 23
Damage slashing plus paralysis: 1d4 + 5 ⇒ (2) + 5 = 7

The claw rips into elven flesh and Merisiel begins to feel her body freezing up.
Fortitude save (DC 16) v paralysis: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (9) + 9 = 18

BRAWL IN THE HALL OF RECOGNITION! - Round One Begins!

PCs in bold may act

Green
Merisiel -7 HP (anyone may post action for Merisiel)
Oskar
Zhao
Drkynbrakal (Fort save v stench per above)
Red
Yellow
Purple

A PC may spend an action to try and identify one (or more) of the opponents. For this game, such checks are open checks. If you succeed, you may open the appropriate spoiler below:

If we had our reactions before our first turn, Fen would have used retributive Strike to give Merisiel resist 9 to all damage for that attack

Fen reacts quickly to the incursion, conjuring an arcane shield and striding forward to help Merisiel. The stench almost stops her in her tracks.

Fort: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (15) + 12 = 27

She reaches out with her Katana to lightly touch the stinking undead and channel her ancestral spirits through it.

◆ Cast a Spell (verbal) - Shield

◆ Stride

◆ Cast a Spell (somatic) - Ancestral Touch (Cursebound Emotion Enchantment Fear Mental Oracle)
Damage (Mental): 4d4 ⇒ (3, 3, 1, 3) = 10
DC 26 basic will save, frightened 1 on failure or 2 on a critical failure

Dominant Ancestor: 1d4 ⇒ 1 => Strikes

As she does so she sees the spirit of one of her ancestors floating beside her, his own katana drawn and ready to strike. Zhao Li is a wiry old warrior with balding hair, and he's pointing to the other undead with alarm, though none other than Fen can see him.

Ancestor for next turn: 1d4 ⇒ 1

I've left the flanking spot open for our gnomebarian, but if they would prefer not to take it Fen would move there instead, she has enough movement

Oskar is initially alarmed to see these monstrous invaders but quickly realizes that this will give his script just the dramatic twist that it needs. Aye, give the audience something to worry about right in Act I - keep 'em on the edge of their seats!

He quickly begins to sing to encourage his comrades.

◆ Lingering Composition, Performance DC 23?, persona mask: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (16) + 15 = 31 Assuming the DC is 23 (level 7 is our highest PC) this is a success but not a critical success. Inspire Courage (+1 to attacks/dmg and vs fear) is in effect for 3 rounds; Oskar spends 1 focus point.

Then he sends a small stone hurtling through the air at Green.

◆◆ Telekinetic Projectile, inspire courage: 1d20 + 12 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 12 + 1 = 19
B dmg: 3d6 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (1, 1, 6) + 4 + 1 = 13

For Merisiel, does she need to make another Fort save vs the stench if she remains in its aura, or does making it once mean that she is now immune?

Merisiel steps to the north to flank the Green enemy and then unleashes two quick strikes against it.

◆ Step

◆ Quick Draw rapier
+1 Striking Rapier vs flat-footed AC, IC: 1d20 + 14 + 1 ⇒ (16) + 14 + 1 = 31 If that's a crit - I'm guessing not - Deadly will add another 1d8 dmg - not sure if that becomes 2d8 due to Striking?
P dmg, IC: 2d6 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (3, 2) + 4 + 1 = 10 + sneak dmg: 2d6 ⇒ (5, 2) = 7

◆ Quick Draw dagger
+1 Striking dagger vs flat-footed AC, IC, map: 1d20 + 14 + 1 - 4 ⇒ (12) + 14 + 1 - 4 = 23
P dmg, IC: 2d4 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (3, 2) + 4 + 1 = 10 + sneak dmg: 2d6 ⇒ (2, 3) = 5 S dmg if it appeared to resist the P dmg from the previous attack

If we had our reactions before our first turn, Fen would have used retributive Strike to give Merisiel resist 9 to all damage for that attack

You gain reactions at the start of your turn, so only Merisiel had a reaction. Alas, no retributive Strike on green.

She reaches out with her Katana to lightly touch the stinking undead and channel her ancestral spirits through it.

The undead seems unphased.

Nevertheless, the ancestral spirit nods encouragingly.

He quickly begins to sing to encourage his comrades.

Then he sends a small stone hurtling through the air at Green.

The stone strikes the undead hard.

For Merisiel, does she need to make another Fort save vs the stench if she remains in its aura, or does making it once mean that she is now immune?

Those that have succeeded on a Fort save v. stench are immune.

Merisiel steps to the north to flank the Green enemy and then unleashes two quick strikes against it.

The initial strike (which was a crit) drops the undead easily.

Merisiel may take a third action.

BRAWL IN THE HALL OF RECOGNITION! - Round One Cont'd!

PCs in bold may act
Inspire Courage (+1 to attacks/dmg and vs fear) is in effect for 3 rounds

Green -47+ HP
Merisiel -7 HP (one action remaining; anyone may post action for Merisiel)
Oskar
Zhao
Drkynbrakal (Fort save v stench per above)
Red
Yellow
Purple

A PC may spend an action to try and identify one (or more) of the opponents. For this game, such checks are open checks. If you succeed, you may open the appropriate spoiler below:

Merisielbot uses her third action to try to identify Purple.

Crafting DC 18: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (17) + 8 = 25

"The statue is one of the lodge's old defenses! Its skin is made of stone and will be difficult to pierce (aka hardness 6) and it also hits hard."

BOTTING Drkynbrakal - No post in 24+ hours

The barbarian pauses to consider the oncoming threat.
Putting Drkynbrakal on Delay. Unfortunately, I have no botting instructions or even stats to use for Drkynbrakal and need to maintain the pace to finish the table on time.

Showing their intelligence, the two undead (red and yellow) pause as the Sandswept statue lumbers forward as if at their command.
Delaying

The statute (purple) comes toward Zhao.
Stride x2

It then swings at the Pathfinder with a rock-hard hand!
Melee Strike fist (magical) v Zhao: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (19) + 11 = 30
Damage bludgeoning plus Grab: 1d8 + 6 ⇒ (3) + 6 = 9

The hand slams down on the woman, then holds fast!

The undead then make their move! One of them (red) rushes toward Merisiel with its claws at the ready!
Stride
Melee Strike claw v Merisiel: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (14) + 12 = 26
Damage slashing plus drain life: 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5
Melee Strike claw v Merisiel: 1d20 + 12 - 5 ⇒ (20) + 12 - 5 = 27
Damage slashing plus drain life: 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6

I am assuming that this will prompt Zhao to use her retributive Strike.

Both find flesh, ripping into the elven rogue!
Merisiel, Fort save (DC 17) v. drain life: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (15) + 9 = 24
Merisiel, Fort save (DC 17) v. drain life: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (11) + 9 = 20

The other undead (yellow) seeks to its own prey. It moves forward and attacks the held Zhao!
Stride x2
Melee Strike claw v Zhao: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (1) + 12 = 13
Damage slashing plus drain life: 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5

BRAWL IN THE HALL OF RECOGNITION! - Round Two Begins!

PCs in bold may act
Inspire Courage (+1 to attacks/dmg and vs fear) is in effect for 3 rounds

Merisiel -24 HP (+9 HP if retributive Strike)
Oskar
Zhao -9 HP (grabbed; may use reaction for retributive Strike against Red)
Drkynbrakal (Fort save v stench per above)
Purple
Red
Yellow

A PC may spend an action to try and identify one (or more) of the opponents. For this game, such checks are open checks. If you succeed, you may open the appropriate spoiler below:

Alarmed to see the monsters tearing in to his friends, Oskar springs into action!

◆◆ Cast a Spell - Sound Burst (heightened as a signature spell to 3rd level) - center of the burst is the cyan dot on the map - exactly 30' from Oskar. It catches Purple and Yellow, but not Red.

Sonic dmg, IC: 3d10 + 1 ⇒ (7, 7, 2) + 1 = 17
DC 22 Fort
Critical Success The creature is unaffected.
Success The creature takes half damage.
Failure The creature takes full damage and is deafened for 1 round.
Critical Failure The creature takes double damage, is deafened for 1 minute, and is stunned 1.

Then he dashes forward and attempts to heal some of Merisiel's wounds.

◆ Doctor's Visitation: Stride and then Battle Medicine
Using Assurance Medicine for a result of 20 on the Medicine check
Battle Medicine DC 20, Medic Dedication: 2d8 + 10 + 5 ⇒ (8, 1) + 10 + 5 = 24
Merisiel should be fully healed

This is round 2 (of 3) of Inspire Courage

Merisielbot - feeling much better - circles around behind the foes.

◆ Stride; this movement will provoke from both Red and Yellow if they have AoO's (sure hope they don't!)

◆ Strike vs Red
+1 Striking Rapier vs flat-footed AC, IC: 1d20 + 14 + 1 ⇒ (20) + 14 + 1 = 35
P dmg, IC: 2d6 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (4, 6) + 4 + 1 = 15 + sneak attack: 2d6 ⇒ (3, 3) = 6
deadly dmg: 1d8 ⇒ 8 Does Striking make this 2d8? If so... 2nd deadly die if appicable: 1d8 ⇒ 8
Weapon Tricks: if Red is still standing, is now flat-footed (to everyone) until the start of Merisiel's next turn.

◆ Quickdraw dagger vs Red (if still standing, otherwise Yellow (who is not flat-footed and therefore no sneak attack dmg)
+1 Striking Dagger (vs flat-footed AC if Red), IC, map: 1d20 + 14 + 1 - 4 ⇒ (9) + 14 + 1 - 4 = 20
P dmg, IC: 2d4 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (4, 4) + 4 + 1 = 13 + sneak attack (if Red is the target): 2d6 ⇒ (4, 2) = 6

Shaking aerself, Drkynbrakal draws aer sword.
Stepping out of delay once clear to do so

Nevi's dice, I hate undead, ae mutters as the stench hits aer.

Fortitude: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (8) + 12 = 20

Ae strides to the nearest (assumed) undead and strikes at it.

+1 Striking Greatsword: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (7) + 14 = 21
S dmg: 2d12 + 4 ⇒ (6, 12) + 4 = 22

Fen struggles against the grip of the statue holding her, and tries to draw her katana to attack it.

◆ Interact to draw in two hands
Manipulate DC 5: 1d20 ⇒ 18

She then strikes at her attacker, trying to break its grip. She sees the spirit of her ancestor Zhao Li looking on and making jabbing motions with his palm. She does her best to lunge with the katana instead of slicing.

◆ Strike +1 Striking Cold-Iron Katana (Deadly d8, Two-Hand d10, Uncommon, Versatile P)
Strike, status: 1d20 + 14 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 14 + 1 = 18
Damage (Magical piercing), status: 2d10 + 4 + 2 ⇒ (10, 3) + 4 + 2 = 19
Deadly 1d8

◆ Strike +1 Striking Cold-Iron Katana (Deadly d8, Two-Hand d10, Uncommon, Versatile P)
Strike, status, MAP: 1d20 + 14 + 1 - 5 ⇒ (14) + 14 + 1 - 5 = 24
Damage (Magical piercing), status: 2d10 + 4 + 2 ⇒ (7, 3) + 4 + 2 = 16
Deadly 1d8

Ancestor for next turn: 1d4 ⇒ 4 Her choice => Spells

Zhao Li fades away and she see the kindly round face of her ancestor Zhao Shuo tutting at her katana and starting to draw sigils with his hands.

Alarmed to see the monsters tearing in to his friends, Oskar springs into action!

Purple, Fort (DC 22): 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (9) + 12 = 21

The sudden cacophony shakes the statue and cracks bone within the undead.

Then he dashes forward and attempts to heal some of Merisiel's wounds.

The elf's injuries, well-tended, no longer pose danger to her.

Merisielbot - feeling much better - circles around behind the foes.

No AoOs taken.

Something about the undead stir a ferocity within Merisiel. Perhaps thoughts of a loved one? Whatever their cause, she slices clean through the undead before her (red)!
Deadly is only counted once, but doubling the other damage destroys the undead! But...

As it falls, the dropping corpse tries to bring the elf down with it.
Final Spite [reaction] Trigger The wight is reduced to 0 Hit Points. Effect The wight makes a Strike before being destroyed. It doesn’t gain any temporary HP from drain life on this Strike.
Melee Strike claw v Merisiel: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (8) + 12 = 20
Damage slashing plus drain life: 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5

Unharmed, Merisiel turns a blade on the other undead (yellow), cutting chunks of decayed flesh.

Ae strides to the nearest (assumed) undead and strikes at it.

Bone cracks as the blow nearly brings down the remaining undead (yellow).

She then strikes at her attacker, trying to break its grip. She sees the spirit of her ancestor Zhao Li looking on and making jabbing motions with his palm. She does her best to lunge with the katana instead of slicing.

The first lunge slides off of the statue's stone hide, but the second finds purchase, wedging within a small crack and widening it until a crack forms across the entire now broken creature!

The statue (purple) repays the Pathfinder with repeated blows of its free fist!

Melee Strike fist (magical) v Zhao (grabbed): 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (15) + 11 = 26
Damage bludgeoning: 1d8 + 6 ⇒ (7) + 6 = 13
Melee Strike fist (magical) v Zhao (grabbed): 1d20 + 11 - 5 ⇒ (17) + 11 - 5 = 23
Damage bludgeoning: 1d8 + 6 ⇒ (5) + 6 = 11
Melee Strike fist (magical) v Zhao (grabbed): 1d20 + 11 - 10 ⇒ (18) + 11 - 10 = 19
Damage bludgeoning: 1d8 + 6 ⇒ (6) + 6 = 12

Only one manages to land.

The remaining (undead) claws Drkynbrakal, attempting to steal aer lifeforce for its self!

Melee Strike claw v Drkynbrakal: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (15) + 12 = 27
Damage slashing plus drain life: 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10
Melee Strike claw v Drkynbrakal: 1d20 + 12 - 5 ⇒ (20) + 12 - 5 = 27
Damage slashing plus drain life: 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (5) + 4 = 9
Melee Strike claw v Drkynbrakal: 1d20 + 12 - 10 ⇒ (2) + 12 - 10 = 4
Damage slashing plus drain life: 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8

Life seems to flow from the barbarian into the undead!
Drkynbrakal must attempt two DC 17 Fortitude saves. If one fails, Drkynbrakal becomes drained 1. If each fails, Drkynbrakal becomes drained 2.

BRAWL IN THE HALL OF RECOGNITION! - Round Three Begins!

PCs in bold may act
Inspire Courage (+1 to attacks/dmg and vs fear) is in effect

Merisiel
Oskar
Zhao -22 HP (grabbed)
Drkynbrakal -28 HP (2 Fort saves v. drained required)
Purple -19 HP
Red -50 HP
Yellow -43 HP

Fen would use her retributive strike the first chance she gets, which I think would be Yellow's first hit on Drkynbrakal.Resist 9 to all damage and I think she's in range for the strike. She's in spells mode so needs a flat check for strikes, which this contains. I also noticed that I did 1 point too much damage last time, sorry

↺ Retributive Strike +1 Striking Cold-Iron Katana (Deadly d8, Two-Hand d10, Uncommon, Versatile P)
DC 4 Flat: 1d20 ⇒ 8
Strike, status: 1d20 + 14 + 1 ⇒ (19) + 14 + 1 = 34
Damage (Magical piercing), status: 2d10 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (10, 9) + 4 + 1 = 24
Deadly 1d8

The spectral form of Zhao Shuo starts moving his hands to evoke an ice ray, and Fen dutifully attempts to copy it, though being grabbed by implacable stone doesn't help.

manipulate DC 5: 1d20 ⇒ 7

She manages to swing her katana enough to copy Shuo's movements, then points the tip up into the body of the statue as her face is up close with its, unleashing a blast of cold at close range.

◆◆ Cast a Spell - Ray of Frost (Attack Cantrip Cold Evocation)
Spell Attack: 1d20 + 15 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 15 + 1 = 22
Cold: 4d4 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (4, 3, 4, 4) + 4 + 1 = 20
Ancestor for next turn: 1d4 ⇒ 3 Spells

Finally she conjures a shield

Fen would use her retributive strike the first chance she gets, which I think would be Yellow's first hit on Drkynbrakal.Resist 9 to all damage and I think she's in range for the strike.

After the undead (yellow) brings its first claw toward , Fen is able to divert most of the blow and follow it with a strike that destroys the undead!

Drkynbrakal, Fortitude save (DC 17) v drain: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (17) + 12 = 29

She manages to swing her katana enough to copy Shuo's movements, then points the tip up into the body of the statue as her face is up close with its, unleashing a blast of cold at close range.

The statue collapses into pieces!

COMBAT OVER!

The crumbled remains of the Sandswept statue contains a small, cracked red gemstone. The chamber falls silent, but only for a time.

Within moments, the rapid pounding of footsteps and clattering comes from the door. Venture-Captain Norden Balentiir arrives along with several other Pathfinders, including Po'ogaat. He looks both relieved and pleased upon seeing you.

Picture on Slides.

"Greetings, Pathfinders. I am Venture-Captain Balentiir. It is good that you have come," Balentiir begins. "My apologies for the delay, but my entourage and I were delayed by a group of undead nearby. By the looks of it, their composition was rather similar to that which you seem to have readily disposed of."

Noting the crumbled remains of the statue, he shakes is head. "It would seem that the more intelligent among the undead have acquired the activation word from a recently fallen Pathfinder." His tone is solemn. "I shall see to it that you are provided with the vaults’ other codewords so you can disable any other statues that you may come across, though I suspects you won’t need them. Much of our defenses, including many of the old statues, have already been destroyed in the fighting."

“But, perhaps, I am getting ahead of myself. As you have likely gathered, the vaults beneath the Sandswept Hall are under constant attack from below,” Balentiir says with urgency. “My forces are stretched thin. I fear that the undead may soon reach the surface."

“To prevail, we can’t remain on the defensive. That’s where you come in. As some of our most experienced and capable agents, you are to serve as a small, elite strike team. Your actions today may alter the course of this fight.”

Balentiir spreads a piece of parchment out atop an unoccupied dais and begins sketching a crude map of the vaults. The man pauses for a moment to direct the other agents. Quickly and quietly, they go about focusing on intelligence gathering and organizing precision assaults, all under the air of tradition and formality provided by Balentiir, even under a clear crisis. One of the staff brings over a small chest, which he opens revealing six vials within.

"Some of you look a little injured," notes Balentiir. "Here are six vials of lesser elixir of life. Please take them along with my gratitude for clearing this Hall."

“Now, I have two urgent assignments that must be completed if we are to break this siege." he notes.

“Near the Old Gate Chamber, here,” he indicates, “a group of Pathfinders has been holding off a horde of mindless undead. We need to divert the horde away from their position, rather than confronting them directly. Doing so will require both skill and cunning."

“And here." He points elsewhere on the map. "Undead are spilling into upper levels of the vault through a breach within a collapsed cell block. We need to seal it, though we’ve had reports that malevolent spirits linger there."

“Once you’ve completed an assignment, report back to me. I’ll remain here in the hall to direct our forces and brief you on your next tasks. As you complete these dangerous tasks, I should be able to send scouts deeper into the vaults to learn where the attacks originate. Then, you can help with a final push to end the siege."

“I defer to your expertise in determining which assignment to complete first. But know this: until we know where these undead are coming from, I expect the completion of each task to grow more difficult with each passing minute."

“Which of the two assignments shall I brief for you first?”

Party Status after fight
Zhao -22 HP
Drkynbrakal -1 HP

While the group listens to Balentir, Oskar takes a few minutes to bind up Zhao's wounds.

Assurance Medicine for a result of 20 on Treat Wounds, Medic Dedication: 2d8 + 10 + 5 ⇒ (8, 7) + 10 + 5 = 30

Zhao should be fully healed.

He also takes a few minutes to jot down notes for his opera. Refocus to regain 1 focus point.

Oskar takes one of the offered Elixirs and Merisielbot takes two. I suggest those of us with healing abilities each take one and the others each take two.

Hearing of the two missions, Oskar thinks to himself that neither would compare to being tasked with reviewing the brewpubs of Sothis. "Seems like certain death either way, might as well start with the mindless horde. They won't laugh at me jokes for sure, and that'll make me even more inclined t' destroy 'em!"

While Balentir explains, Drkynbrakal takes the time to clean the detritus off aer blade and check it over for damage. Occasionally ae mutters under aer breath in various languages. mostly Azlanti and Sylvan if relevant

Drkynbrakal will accept an elixir but passes the second on. "Not much point in my carrying it unless you're concerned about weight. I know myself well enough to know better than to think I'll use them in battle." Ae grimaces, eyes growing hazy for a moment before shaking aerself. "They'll be more useful if one of you carries it. I can't promise I'll be aware enough to pass it over if one of you needs it and if I drop you'll have to pour it down my throat anyways."

Ae nods to Oskar, "if you don't mind, it would likely be better if you could patch me up than for me to use some of the elixirs—less one of the others can." Ae glances at the various other Pathfinders before turning to Zhao and Merisielbot. "I do like the idea of wrecking some undead once we're all ready to go though."

"None of you seem the worse for wear," notes Balentiir. "Good, then you are ready for the first mission."

"Based on reports by my scouts, a sizeable horde of undead has backed a contingent of Pathfinders defending a surface tunnel into a corner. The agents are holding their ground for now, but they can’t do so indefinitely.”

“My aides and I have devised a plan to relieve them." he continues. “The agents’ current position lies a short distance from the Old Gate Chamber, which once served as the final line of defense for the brig beyond. Mobs of mindless zombies, I am told, stand between the two."

“To relieve the besieged Pathfinders, approach the zombies from their flank and draw a substantial number of them toward you. Lure them through the Old Gate Chamber and into holding area beyond. Once they enter through the gate, shut the zombies behind it where they can pose no further threat."

“The agents have been holding their position for days. Check for signs of wounds or infection and promptly provide any necessary treatment."

"A secret door from the Hall of Recognition leads to the tunnel connecting the gate chamber to the surface, where the besieged Pathfinders have made their stand."

"Once through the door, it is but a few minutes before you spot mobs of zombies ahead, blocking access to the besieged agents beyond. The mindless zombies are unaware of the secret door."

No map for this encounter, but I have included a portion of an older map of the Sothis Vaults that inspired this encounter, which may help with visualization.

What follows is a skill challenge. The PCs begin with 36 Rescue Points as a party. These represent the beleaguered Pathfinders that you need to rescue. The results of the PCs’ checks each round determine whether they lose any Rescue Points. Losing points represents the loss of Pathfinder agent NPCs, while retaining points represents successful rescue efforts. Thus, the PCs’ goal is to lose as few points as possible over the course of these rounds

Each round, I will presents a description of the PCs’ task, along with the checks associated with that task. All of the PCs must then take their turn. On a PC’s turn, they attempt any one required roll, and the result determines how many Rescue Points they lose (or avoid losing) for the group. A PC can also choose not to act in a round, though they automatically fail (losing 1 Rescue Point) if they don’t act.

Feel free to offer any creative solutions to a task and an explanation why another skill may be suitable instead. Also a PC may automatically succeed at one check (avoiding losing any Rescue Points) by expending four vials of holy water, by creatively using a spell to redirect the horde or clear a path, or possibly by expending some other appropriate resource, at your discretion.

A PC who fails a check may choose to succeed instead (or fail instead of critically fail) by placing themself in harm’s way to protect another Pathfinder. If they do, they take 2d8+7 bludgeoning damage (DC 20 basic Reflex save) and must attempt a Fortitude saving throw against zombie rot.

ROUND ONE - LURE UNDEAD

To relieve the beleaguered Pathfinders, the party must first draw the zombies' attention.
Each PC can attempt an Acrobatics check to get close without being mobbed by undead, a Deception, Medicine, or Performance check to imitate an easy meal, or a Religion or Undead Lore check to Recall Knowledge about mindless undead behavior.

Merisielbot dances in and out of the undead mob, using the acrobatics talents for which all of the Merisiels throughout history have become so well known.

Acrobatics, Aid critical success: 1d20 + 14 + 2 ⇒ (16) + 14 + 2 = 32

While getting the briefing, Oskar also puts a bandaid on Drkynbrakal's scratch. I believe ae only have 1 point of dmg, in which case Oskar auto-heals it with Treat Wounds.

GM, question about the skill checks in this portion: should we assume that the DCs are all equal, or are listed in ascending order, or we simply don't know (and if this last, is there a way to learn about which skill will be easiest)?

Round one - Lure Undead

Performance, persona mask: 1d20 + 14 + 1 ⇒ (13) + 14 + 1 = 28

As a noted playwright, it's not often that Oskar gets a chance anymore to tread the boards himself. He delights in pretending to offer himself to the horde of undead, pantomiming the various hors d'oeuvres that might be prepared from a plump little halfling such as himself.

GM, can I use Inspire Competence for each of the other party members, or only one? It uses my reaction (to Aid) in any given 6-second round, but presumably these events are unfolding on a different time scale? If only one then I'll use it for Drkynbrakal.

Oskar also provides musical accompaniment to his comrades to inspire them to greatness. "Ta ra ra ra! You can do it!"

Inspire Competence (Drkynbrakal), Performance DC 20, persona mask, cooperative nature: 1d20 + 14 + 1 + 4 ⇒ (12) + 14 + 1 + 4 = 31 +2 circumstance bonus

Inspire Competence (Zhao), Performance DC 20, persona mask, cooperative nature: 1d20 + 14 + 1 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 14 + 1 + 4 = 20 Hmm, I thought that Oskar can only fail (crit fail!) on a 1, but it appears that now that he is level 6 maybe even that is not true. A "20" is exactly the DC, so a "success" but rolling a 1 reduces the level of success by 1 to "failure" (but not crit failure, which would impose a -1 penalty on Zhao's check). However, Inspire Competence says "When you later use the Aid reaction, you can roll Performance instead of the normal skill check, and if you roll a failure, you get a success instead." I'm genuinely unsure whether rolling a 1 for a 20 counts as "rolling a failure" or counts as "rolling a success" that is then reduced to a failure, so GM please give your ruling whether Inspire Competence changes this to a success or leaves it as a (ordinary) failure.

Inspire Competence (Merisiel), Performance DC 20, persona mask, cooperative nature: 1d20 + 14 + 1 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 14 + 1 + 4 = 35 +2 circumstance bonus

Earlier

Fen communed with her ancestors, coddling them like children and telling them each of their desires would be seen to. To any on-lookers she would have looked like she was talking to herself.

now

While Oskar acts out being a tempting target and Merisiel dances close to tantalise them, Fen takes the opportunity to practice a rarely-used skill, and she draws out her flute.

Performance: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (8) + 13 = 21

A pure note cuts through the sounds of zombie snarling, and she tries to keep playing while leading them like a pack of rats.

Merisielbot dances in and out of the undead mob, using the acrobatics talents for which all of the Merisiels throughout history have become so well known.

I will consider this as regular skill check rather than as an aid.

This is a critical success. Gain 1 Rescue Point. Total: 37 Rescue Points.

GM, question about the skill checks in this portion: should we assume that the DCs are all equal, or are listed in ascending order, or we simply don't know (and if this last, is there a way to learn about which skill will be easiest)?

Lore skill checks have the lowest DC. Where another, non-lore skill check has been called out, the DC is higher. Where a Perception check has been called out, the DC is the highest.

As a noted playwright, it's not often that Oskar gets a chance anymore to tread the boards himself. He delights in pretending to offer himself to the horde of undead, pantomiming the various hors d'oeuvres that might be prepared from a plump little halfling such as himself.

Another critical success. Gain 1 Rescue Point. Total: 38 Rescue Points.

Inspire Competence cannot be used for this skill challenge as its duration is one round and the skill check represents actions over a longer period of time, more like minutes.

In Pathfinder 2e, if you roll a 1 on the d20 (a “natural 1”), your result is one degree worse, so Oskar can fail a Performance check, but cannot (under usual circumstances) crit fail one.

While Oskar acts out being a tempting target and Merisiel dances close to tantalise them, Fen takes the opportunity to practice a rarely-used skill, and she draws out her flute.

A simple success. Lose no Rescue Points. Total: 38 Rescue Points.

@Drkynbrakal is up!

Drkynbrakal grimaces and twists aer face in a pantomime of pain. Ae drags a leg behind aer slightly as though injured as ae heads for a clear spot.
Well, I guess those acting classes actually might have a use after all. Even if I still don't see what they have to do with oratory, ae thinks.

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

Well, I guess those acting classes actually might have a use after all. Even if I still don't see what they have to do with oratory, ae thinks.

Another crit success! CORRECTION: The party started with 24 Rescue Points, not 36. The party has currently accumulated 27 Rescue Points. You guys are doing great so far!

Thanks to the party's efforts, the horde is now on the move, chasing the party while allowing several of the besieged agents to get to safer positions. Some even have time to rouse agents thought fallen and, to this point, to be unrecoverable.

But, the undead threaten still. The mob of undead remains some distance from the Old Gate Chamber. To lure the undead inside, the Pathfinders must keep ahead of them and then make their way past the undead to secure them within the Vault!

Going to call for three rounds of checks at once to keep us on a good schedule.

ROUND TWO - OUTPACE UNDEAD
To lure the enticed undead into the trap, the party must lead the undead into the holding area without falling to the horde.
Each PC can attempt an Acrobatics check to Squeeze through narrow side passages; an Athletics check to maintain a fast pace; or an Architecture Lore, Pathfinder Society Lore, or Survival check to identify shortcuts to the chamber.

ROUND THREE - ESCAPE CONFINEMENT

Once the mass of zombies has pursued the party through the corridors and into the Old Gate Chamber, the Pathfinders need only slip out of the holding area, past the gate, so that it can be sealed behind them.
Each PC can attempt an Acrobatics check to Tumble Through undead, an Athletics check to Climb over undead, a Stealth check to Avoid Notice of undead, a Perception check to notice a clear path, or a Pathfinder Society Lore check to Recall Knowledge and remember a secret exit.

ROUND FOUR - SECURE THE GATE

Once in the containment area, however, the zombies begin noticing an apparent lack of food. Some begin heading back towards the gate.

The gate must be shut and held fast if the undead threat is to be contained!
Each PC can attempt an Athletics check to force the gate shut, a Crafting or Engineering Lore check to devise a better hold to the gate, a Perception check to locate an object to wedge the gate shut, or a Thievery check to securely lock the gate.

Same rules on checks as above for Round One. Remember, a PC who fails a check may choose to succeed instead (or fail instead of critically fail) by placing themself in harm’s way to protect another Pathfinder. If they do, they take 2d8+7 bludgeoning damage (DC 20 basic Reflex save) and must attempt a Fortitude saving throw against zombie rot.

Fen runs as fast as she can, held back only by the weight of her plate mail. For once all her ancestors are shouting with one voice; "Run!"

Athletics to run: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (1) + 16 = 17
hero point!
Athletics to run: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (4) + 16 = 20

As soon as the undead are where they want them, she turns and jumps at them to start climbing over their heads to escape.

Athletics to climb: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (9) + 16 = 25

Finally she tries to hold the gate shut with sheer might while some others figure out a way to secure it

Athletics to hold: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (17) + 16 = 33

She'd take the damage to bump any crit fails or fails up, I'm not sure what the DC is so please roll any necessary saves

While Fen is running at top speed, Merisiel is leading the zombies through tight side passages and slipping through small gaps to leave them behind.

Acrobatics to squeeze: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (10) + 14 = 24

She dodges between them when it's time to slip out of the holding area, snatching her arms away from their biting mouths.

Acrobatics to tumble: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (13) + 14 = 27

Finally while Fen tries to hold the gate shut, Merisiel attempts to lock it.

Thievery: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (3) + 13 = 16

Fen runs as fast as she can, held back only by the weight of her plate mail. For once all her ancestors are shouting with one voice; "Run!"

Standard success.

While Fen is running at top speed, Merisiel is leading the zombies through tight side passages and slipping through small gaps to leave them behind.

Standard success.

As soon as the undead are where they want them, she turns and jumps at them to start climbing over their heads to escape.

Standard success.

She dodges between them when it's time to slip out of the holding area, snatching her arms away from their biting mouths.

Standard success.

Finally she tries to hold the gate shut with sheer might while some others figure out a way to secure it

As Zhao pushes on the gate, some of the reaching zombie limbs are broken and severed as they attempt to snatch prey, rendering them no threat.

Crit success! 28 Rescue Points.

Finally while Fen tries to hold the gate shut, Merisiel attempts to lock it.

Unfortunately, one limb is able to grab hold of a fleeing agent, holding the Pathfinder long enough for its undead teeth to take a bite before Merisiel can get the gate door locked!

Standard failure. 27 Rescue Points.

Drkynbrakal and Oskar are up!

Round Two
Drkynbrakal races ahead, darting back to catch the attention of wandering undead as needed.

Athletics: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (3) + 11 = 14

Round Three
Ae clambers over the undead horde to the gate, muttering curses in Gnomish along the way.

Climb: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (17) + 11 = 28

Round Four
Finally out of the immediate vicinity of the undead, Drkynbrakal turns to glare at the creatures as though trying to light them on fire with aer gaze before helping shove the gate shut.
If allowable, I'd like to use Intimidation to scare undead away from the gate long enough to get it shut. I do have both the Intimidating Glare and Intimidating Prowess feats.

Fear My RAGE: 1d20 + 12 + 1 ⇒ (9) + 12 + 1 = 22
Athletics if I can't Intimidate them, which is still only a +11

Just a clarification from earlier: the round 1 post from Merisielbot was intended to be a regular skill check, not an aid attempt. I was adding +2 from Oskar's aid attempt but paizo posted the two entries (Oskar and Merisielbot) in reverse order from how I had posted them. In any case, the upshot is that Merisiel's round 1 check would have been a 30, not a 32 (since Inspire Competence can't be used).

Round 2

Acrobatics: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (9) + 11 = 20

Oskar nimbly dances this way and that, goading the undead to follow him.

Round 3

Acrobatics: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (15) + 11 = 26

Then he tumbles right through the mob, laughing as he avoids their clutching hands.

Round 4

Perception: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (9) + 13 = 22

He looks around to try to find a nice little wedge to jam the gate shut!

Drkynbrakal races ahead, darting back to catch the attention of wandering undead as needed.

One of the besieged agents following tries to mimic the gnome, but slips injuring an arm.

Oskar nimbly dances this way and that, goading the undead to follow him

The bard remains untouched as the undead follow.

Ae clambers over the undead horde to the gate, muttering curses in Gnomish along the way.

Aer climbing efforts puts aer well out of reach of the undead.

Then he tumbles right through the mob, laughing as he avoids their clutching hands.

Standard success. 27 Rescue Points.

Finally out of the immediate vicinity of the undead, Drkynbrakal turns to glare at the creatures as though trying to light them on fire with aer gaze before helping shove the gate shut.

If allowable, I'd like to use Intimidation to scare undead away from the gate long enough to get it shut. I do have both the Intimidating Glare and Intimidating Prowess feats.

As the mindless zombies seem unphased by the barbarian’s glare, ae shoves the gate door shut on them.

Standard success. 27 Rescue Points.

He looks around to try to find a nice little wedge to jam the gate shut!

Oksar finds just the piece and the gate holds fast!

With the horde of zombies now contained, the once-besieged Pathfinders are relieved, but many remain badly hurt from their heroic efforts to prevent the undead from reaching the surface.

ROUND FIVE - TEND WOUNDED

Their injuries need to be addressed if the Pathfinders are to make their way back to Venture-Captain Balentiir.
Each PC can attempt an Athletics check to control muscle spasms and reposition dislocated limbs; an Arcana, Occultism, Religion, or Undead Lore check to Recall Knowledge to identify injuries commonly inflicted by animated corpses; a Crafting check to fashion crutches and splints from available materials; a Medicine check to treat infected wounds; or a Nature check to Recall Knowledge about helpful remedies.

ROUND SIX - RALLY SURVIVORS

If these Pathfinders are to rejoin the fight to break this secluded siege by the forces of the undead, they need to encouragement and inspiration. Otherwise, these injured and disheartened Pathfinders may be unable to continue their mission.
Each PC can attempt a Crafting check to repair broken armaments; a Diplomacy or Intimidation check to rally agents or focus them on the mission; or a Pathfinder Society Lore, Performance, or Society check to recount inspiring tales.

Same rules on checks as above for prior rounds. Remember, a PC who fails a check may choose to succeed instead (or fail instead of critically fail) by placing themself in harm’s way to protect another Pathfinder. If they do, they take 2d8+7 bludgeoning damage (DC 20 basic Reflex save) and must attempt a Fortitude saving throw against zombie rot.

Round 5

Medicine: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (16) + 14 = 30

Oskar moves about the wounded pathfinders, tending to the worst of the wounds.

Round 6

Performance: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (17) + 15 = 32

Then he tries to cheer them up with a quick preview of the opera he's writing about their valor.

round 5

Athletics: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (19) + 10 = 29

Meanwhile, Merisielbot does her part to also assist with the wounded; although she is not medically trained she is still able to be quite effective.

round 6

Crafting: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (3) + 8 = 11

She is, however, much less effective at repairing their damaged gear.

Fen knows her Religious training focused mainly on mental afflictions than wounds of the body, and she's better placed helping Oskar to hold the wounded still.

Athletics: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (8) + 16 = 24

When it seems the defenders are at their lowest ebb, she gives a speech to those not already rapt by Oskar's opera.

"At Gallowspire it's said the Society fought thousands of undead. Wave after wave of mindless monsters they through at us, but we held! Do they think a few zombies are going to stop the Pathfinder Society? They will break upon our resolve, and soon we'll be taking the fight to whoever conjured these hordes, and I swear they'll know the taste of my steel!"

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (13) + 18 = 31

Round Five
Drkynbrakal lends aer strength at the direction of the medics.

Athletics: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (20) + 11 = 31

Round Six
Ae harshly reminds the gathered Pathfinders that the lot of them are the only things standing between the undead and Sothis. "Fleeing will only mark you as a coward who let innocents die in your place. We are Pathfinders! We are not some pathetic Aspis who run at the first sign of danger. We shall all fight to see this undead horde pushed back into the the darkness from which it came."

Intimidate: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (4) + 12 = 16

Oskar moves about the wounded pathfinders, tending to the worst of the wounds.

Critical success! 28 Rescue Points.

Oskar Z. wrote:

Meanwhile, Merisielbot does her part to also assist with the wounded; although she is not medically trained she is still able to be quite effective.

Critical success! 29 Rescue Points.

Zhao Fen. wrote:

Fen knows her Religious training focused mainly on mental afflictions than wounds of the body, and she's better placed helping Oskar to hold the wounded still.

Standard Success.

Drkynbrakal wrote:

Drkynbrakal lends aer strength at the direction of the medics.

Critical success! 30 Rescue Points.

Oskar Z. wrote:

Then he tries to cheer them up with a quick preview of the opera he's writing about their valor.

Critical success! 31 Rescue Points.

Oskar Z. wrote:

She is, however, much less effective at repairing their damaged gear.

Standard failure. 30 Rescue Points

Zhao Fen. wrote:

When it seems the defenders are at their lowest ebb, she gives a speech to those not already rapt by Oskar's opera.

"At Gallowspire it's said the Society fought thousands of undead. Wave after wave of mindless monsters they through at us, but we held! Do they think a few zombies are going to stop the Pathfinder Society? They will break upon our resolve, and soon we'll be taking the fight to whoever conjured these hordes, and I swear they'll know the taste of my steel!"

Critical success! 31 Rescue Points.

Drkynbrakal wrote:

Ae harshly reminds the gathered Pathfinders that the lot of them are the only things standing between the undead and Sothis. "Fleeing will only mark you as a coward who let innocents die in your place. We are Pathfinders! We are not some pathetic Aspis who run at the first sign of danger. We shall all fight to see this undead horde pushed back into the the darkness from which it came."

Standard failure. 30 Rescue Points

Well done, Pathfinders!

There are enough successes there to move us along.

Spirits lifted by song and story, a grateful Pathfinder offers the party a lesser thurible of revelation; another, now on the mend thanks to the party, offers an emerald grasshopper and 20 gp of incense. Having cleared the area of zombies by trapping them in the holding area, you have allowed Balentiir’s forces to reclaim this section of the vaults and can return to the Hall of Recognition.

"Well done, Pathfinders," Balentiir notes upon your return. "We are already making progress thanks to you."

"As for the next task, it must be said that our combined defenses are only as strong as their weakest point. And I believe I know where that point is.” Balentiir explains. “As this lodge once served as a prison, the vaults of the Sothis Lodge still contain several cell blocks that have held various prisoners over the years."

“About a year ago, a portion of the ceiling and walls of one of the cell blocks partially collapsed. With all the destruction and heavy debris, the cell block was no longer functional. It was abandoned, if not forgotten.”

Balentiir pauses in thought, his face momentarily shadowed by a look of regret. “I believe the collapse left an opening the undead are using to reach the upper levels. I need you to get in there and close that breach to ease the pressure on our forces."

As Balentiir speaks, Drkynbrakal and Merisiel sense that the Venture-Captain is struggling to contain his emotions as he discusses the collapsed cell block and may be deliberately withholding details.

With directions provided by Balentiir, it takes little time to navigate the short distance to the entrance of the collapsed cell block. The trip is done without encountering resistance.

Upon arrival, you survey a long, narrow passage that leads to an opening in the rock left by a catastrophic failure of the nearby walls and ceiling. The floor is covered in mounds of sand and strewn with fallen rock. The twisted remnants of metal bars and iron doors lie scattered about, one of the few indications that the chamber once held rows of jail cells. An unearthly cold permeates the chamber.

Map of cell block now revealed on Slides.

In the darkness ahead, a creature stirs (blue) moving through the rubble.
Stride, Ready

UNREST IN THE COLLAPSED CELL! - Round One Begins!

PCs in bold may act

Undead (blue) (Readied)
Oskar
Merisiel
Zhao Fen
Drkynbrakal
Undead (yellow)
Undead (red)

Merisiel watches the Venture-Captain carefully.

"There's more to this than you're letting on. We'll be better equipped if you tell us everything"

Open the spoiler!

Welcome to PaizoCon 2022! This thread is for out-of-character discussion of a Play-by-Post run of an author's table of Pathfinder Society Scenario: #3-09 The Secluded Siege.

Sign-ups for this scenario must done via the PaizoCon page on Warhorn, which can be found here.

This is a Pathfinder Society Scenario designed for levels 5-8.

Game Start Date: Friday May 27, 2022 (I will post the initial briefing handout and beginning information at that time; I anticipate that the game will not begin advancing in earnest until after the live convention concludes.)

Game End Date: Monday July 11, 2022 (PaizoCon requires that the table be completed and reported no later than July 12, 2022.)

PLEASE NOTE: This scenario will be run in accordance with PaizoCon's mandatory timeline above, which is shorter than most tables run on these boards. To ensure completion within the required time, I will be modifying and using several play-by-post conventions to facilitate a quicker pace, intended to maintain player engagement and faster rate of play than usually seen on these forums. These conventions include:

• Using block initiatives for all opponents with the same Initiative modifiers;
• Foregoing the use secret checks;
• Posting the DCs of certain skill checks and providing the results beforehand under spoilers;
• Calling for the posting of multiple rounds of skill checks to speed along skill challenges; and,
• Requesting that players provide "botting" information and/or designating another player to "bot" a PC in the event that the PC cannot post within a 24 hour period. Absent such instructions, I will "bot" players that have not posted within 24 hours of a request for action. In most instances, those PCs that I "bot" will be put delay, so it is often advantageous to the players to make arrangements beforehand.

Even with these conventions, I anticipate that a posting rate just shy of once per day may be required to ensure timely completion. Please make plans accordingly. I realize (and expect) that real life will get in the way of the game at times and that adjustments will inevitably have to be made. Real life concerns, of course, must come first. Nevertheless, the more that can be arranged beforehand, the smoother the run and hopefully the more fun can be had by all.

Chronicle Information
Please provide the requested chronicle information for your PC on the RPGChronicles page set up here.

Signed up!

Fen is an warrior and a healer from Tian-Xia. She is a fervant worshiper of Tsukiyo, and follows the path set for her by her ancestors, mainly because their meddling spirits speak to her constantly and pull her in different directions.

She's an ancestors oracle with the champion dedication, and though she fights with her katana her main role tends to be support and healing (she has Heal as a signature spell and lay on hands)

Please finalize PC choices (including the pregen for the 4th) and then go ahead and post a PC introduction in the Gameplay thread.

Slides are now up here. Please provide a token for your PC, the requested modifiers, and a marching order.

Also, please provide the information for the chronicle sheet for your PC at this link.

I will post the initial "briefing" message tomorrow after the con and provide the results of initial skill checks to recall/gather information regarding the "briefing".

PaizoCon requires that the table be completed and reported no later than July 12, 2022. If PCs do not complete the full adventure by that date, they will receive 1 XP per "hour" played for scenarios (which equates to roughly 1 XP per substantial encounter). They receive any reputation rewarded for the tasks the party has completed up to that point, as well as any treasure bundles found, and any items found that were listed on the chronicles.

I am looking forward to running this table for you!

I'll be traveling until Sunday and won't be able to post my PC details (or likely post much or anything in gameplay) until then. Don't have my computer with me and have a 5 year old who keeps me busy. Hope that will be ok.

I'm bringing a level 6 Bard - definitely support - inspire courage and healing via the Medic archetype. A caster not a fighter.

Oskar has Inspire Competence, which lets him roll Performance (+15) with Cooperative Nature (+4), to Aid, and a failure counts as a success. So basically when making skill checks out of combat: roll a d20 - a 1 is still a crit failure but a 2-10 gives a +1 to your check and a 11-20 gives a +2 to your check. Please feel free to roll this yourselves for your exploration mode skill checks since Oskar can basically do it at will (it's a composition cantrip) though of course the GM may rule that it may not apply in some instances.

It can also be used in combat but it's a bit tricky in PbP since I have to use a single action on my turn and then a reaction on your turn (and be within 60' of you). So if you think you might want to use this on your turn (e.g. say you want to trip someone, or tumble through, etc.) if you give me a heads up beforehand I can try to use an action on my turn to prepare the reaction for your turn.

I still need to update Oskar's PbP profile to level 6 but won't be able to do that until I get home on Sunday.

I'm bringing a level 5 barbarian so frontline melee. Drkynbrakal is a bit odd in that ae can be an emergency face though uh. those skills were honed in the courtroom so I can't recommend it most of the time. Ae is quite good at Intimidation though! (in theory).

Ae fights with a greatsword—explainations as to just how the former barrister learned to use it aren't forthcoming. Pathfinders who attended the academy, or have just been around a while, may have heard a few rumors about aer. These rumors include (but are not limited to) ae was disbarred in Cheliax after attacking a judge, ae once ripped into Master Westyr over the proper preservation of ancient tomes, and, despite aer reletively young age, ae is already subject to the bleaching.

Ae's happy to serve as both meatstick and meatshield though ae's a bit short to serve as a meatshield for most folk. Kal'll seem a bit prickly at first, but will mellow out some once ae gets used to you. Please do let me know if I'm being too mean, this is Kal's first trip outside our (tiny) home lodge.

I am new to PbP so could use some guidance before we start playing in earnest. I have experience with text-based RP and have done some play by discord but if someone could direct me to or provide me with instructions for forum based PbP that'd be appreciated.

I'm back from my trip, have filled in the rpg chronicles and the slides, and am catching up on the gameplay thread now. Sorry for any delay I've caused.

So I'm all caught up and have posted in the gameplay thread with not very good rolls I'm afraid.

It looks like we are still waiting for one PC to check in? And do we need to choose a pregen for a fourth?

Incidentally, GM, my profile was previously still at level 5 but it has now been updated to level 6.

It looks like we are still waiting for one PC to check in? And do we need to choose a pregen for a fourth?

Incidentally, GM, my profile was previously still at level 5 but it has now been updated to level 6.

Unfortunately, we can't wait much longer for the third PC and we need a fourth pregen regardless.

Within the next 24 hours, I ask that each player please give me two choices of pregens: a primary and a backup (in case our 3rd does not join us).
Otherwise, I will select likely select Valeros and Merisiel as healing seems covered. If our third does not post within the next 24 hours, I plan to proceed with 2 pregens (if a third appears, we can always switch one out, but I don't want to delay our start any longer). If one of you does not wish to play with only two players, please let me know.

The guide requires we go with 5th-level pregen(s).

With a level 7 (Zhao), a level 6 (Oskar), and two level 5s (Drykynbrakal and/or pregen(s)), we are at 11 Challenge Points.

I'm ok with playing with only two players if the 3rd person doesn't show up, and I'm also ok with controlling one of the pregens (but would not want to control both of them).

Those choices (Valeros and Merisiel) seem fine to me. Oskar is definitely a squishy support character: spells and Inspire Courage in melee, with good healing abilities. And it sounds like Zhao is also a support character so having two PCs who can stand on the front lines seems like a good idea to me.

Apologies, I had a minor personal emergency come up. It should be addressed now.

This is my first time doing PbP via the forums so if any of y'all can point towards a thread or give me a run down of standards set-ups/courtesy for it that'd be appreciated.

Welcome aboard!

There are some decent basics on paizo board conventions and tips on the flaxseed lodge page. That's for 1E but most of it is applicable.

Then there are some 2E pregens formatted for the forums available here. What I would suggest is grabbing one of those and copying your character details in. You can then put that in as your character's profile and post as them.

@epicmusic42, I am glad that you are with us! And welcome to your first PbP via the forums. I hope you enjoy it. It looks like you know how to roll dice and post on the forums, so you've got the essentials. We can work with everything else.

I am sorry to hear that you had to deal with an emergency. I that things are now doing well and I appreciate the post. Real life always take precedent and I realize that circumstances can keep one from posting. All I ask is that you please let us know if you think you won't be able to post for a time, so that we are able to continue and cover for any absence.

As I've noted, this game will need to go at a much quicker pace than most I've run due to the imposed deadline for reporting. So, things need to keep moving. The more information provided about your character and posting status, the easier it is to do so and try to get all of the players their maximum obtainable rewards.

I believe you will find (or have found already) that the players at this table, like most folks on these boards, are very helpful and I expect you will do just fine.

Beyond your posts, the most useful thing you can provide is your player information. If you could post a link to a copy of your character sheet in this Discussion thread, whether an electronic copy or even a photo, then we can keep moving and then backfill the "standard set-ups" as we go.

I don't want to overwhelm you with too much information, but if you want to get started on a PC alias for posting, a guide to doing so can be found here.

We have our 3 players, just need to choose a pregenerated character to round out the party.

As epicmusic42 has brought the mighty Drykynbrakal to the table am I correct that that party is opting for the rogue, Merisiel?

Merisiel sounds like a good choice

Agreed.

I have added Merisiel's stats to Slides. I request that the players control her actions and make her active rolls.

Also, every one starts with at least one Hero Point. It looks like there are two more than can be rewarded due to glyphs. Please assign them on this Slide.

Would you mind controlling Merisiel Oskar? At least for this encounter anyway, I'm at the UK games expo this weekend away from my computer so posting is a little awkward. I should be able to keep up the posting I think as I have my tablet, but don't hesitate to bot me if needed.

Will do.

Then there are some 2E pregens formatted for the forums available here. What I would suggest is grabbing one of those and copying your character details in. You can then put that in as your character's profile and post as them.

Thank you! That's actually super helpful!

Beyond your posts, the most useful thing you can provide is your player information. If you could post a link to a copy of your character sheet in this Discussion thread, whether an electronic copy or even a photo, then we can keep moving and then backfill the "standard set-ups" as we go.

I don't want to overwhelm you with too much information, but if you want to get started on a PC alias for posting, a guide to doing so can be found here.

Of course! here is a copy of my character sheet in Pathbuilder. Everything should be up-to-date on it. If not, I can either update or run with it as is per your preference.

Thank you very much for the guide. Between that and the the pregens that Zhao shared, I think I should be set.

Thank you! That's actually super helpful!

Yay I'm glad it was helpful.

Ancestral Touch only targets a living creature, so the spell has no affect.

Whoops, sorry about that. She casts that spell a lot and apparently I never noticed the target restriction.

@Drkynbrakal - Looks good! Sorry I had to delay you, but I think you guys are going to get out of this fight okay (although drained lasts until you get a full nights rest so you may want to make those saves--and don't forget Hero Points!)

@Zhao - I assume she doesn't fight undead or construct every day. If we had more time or if I thought it would affect the outcome of the fight, I would have given you a "do over", but as it is, I think you have this fight in hand.

@Drkynbrakal - Looks good! Sorry I had to delay you, but I think you guys are going to get out of this fight okay (although drained lasts until you get a full nights rest so you may want to make those saves--and don't forget Hero Points!)

No worries! I completely understand, been there myself a time or twenty.

GM Valen said wrote:

@Drkynbrakal - Looks good! Sorry I had to delay you, but I think you guys are going to get out of this fight okay (although drained lasts until you get a full nights rest so you may want to make those saves--and don't forget Hero Points!)

No worries! I completely understand, been there myself a time or twenty.

I looks like you went ahead and rolled the fort save for me with the end of the round. I assume I'm good since it was a crit success?

Yes, all good. No drain.

As this table is part of PaizoCon, all participants (players and GM) should roll a d20. If someone rolls a 19 or 20, they have won a $15 paizo.com gift voucher. If you are a winner, please PM me with your email address so I can report the reward and indicate that a voucher should be sent to you.

Voucher?: 1d20 ⇒ 10

Voucher: 1d20 ⇒ 5

boon?: 1d20 ⇒ 4

No word from Drkynbrakal and I need to submit vouchers soon, so:

Voucher for Drkynbrakal?: 1d20 ⇒ 20

Yes! Drkynbrakal, please PM me with your email address so I can notify the powers that be about your voucher.

CORRECTED@Drkynbrakal I just saw that you have not set up the Private Message feature for your account.

@ Drkynbrakal - PLEASE NOTE I must submit emails of voucher winners by June 17th. If you want to receive the voucher, please provide an email address either posted here, via PM (if you set it up), or you can email directly at this address.

As a head's up, I will be traveling over the next week and do not anticipate posting at my usual rate and when I do, it may be from my phone.

That being said, you guys have been crushing it, so I think now (even with a some slow down in posting) that we won't have much difficulty making the deadline.

I am willing to give Drkynbrakal some more time, but, if necessary, I will bot them and move us along within the next 24 hours.

Usually one week is the amount of time that needs to pass before a player is considered to have "abandoned" the table. Although we are close to that, if necessary, I will bot Drkynbrakal through the current encounter. If they do not post during that time, we will have to bring in a pregen (Amiri?) to finish the adventure.

Amiri works for me. I'll also be traveling from June 20-27 and will likely be able to post less frequently during that period.

Yes Amiri is fine by me too if necessary

Apologies all, I just discovered that it's been. considerably more than the day or two I thought it had been since I checked forums. My work campus is currently on quarantine and due to the shuffling of staff as a result I've basically ended up in change of my building for my entire shift. This will likely last for another week (I'm supposed to be getting normal staff back from the isolation building throughout next week).

I've set some alarms that will, hopefully, help with remembering to at least check in on the forums until I get normal staff back. @GM Valen, I believe you found me on discord. If need be, feel free to repeatedly poke me there. It goes directly to my phone so is a bit easier to notice when dealing with stuff I don't normally handle.

Again, you all have my apologies for the radio silence. Even if I've got stuff going on, it isn't fair to y'all to hear nothing.

Hooray I'm glad you're back!

GM, just confirming that Merisielbot's first strike was not a crit? (I'm asking since it was attacking vs flanked AC).

GM, just confirming that Merisielbot's first strike was not a crit? (I'm asking since it was attacking vs flanked AC).

Correct, not a crit. Flat-footed AC higher is than 20.

Please post Earn Income rolls if you want them included on the chronicle sheet.

Confirming that the chronicle details I entered are correct. Oskar has 0 reputation with Radiant Oath because he's just starting to work with them after spending a bunch of time previously with the Horizon Hunters.

For downtime, Oskar will use 7 days to retrain True Strike (due to now getting it from his staff) to Liberating Command.

This leaves him with one day of downtime to earn income. He has the Storied Talent boon so he attempts a task of his own level: 6.

Performance (expert), persona mask: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (19) + 15 = 34 Crit success, but only for 1 day. +2.5 gp total.

Thanks for running, GM! I really enjoyed this one - that last fight had me sweating!

Drkynbrakal will practice law during aer downtime.

Downtime: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (1) + 8 = 9

GM Valen, thank you very much for running! and thank all of y'all for an amazing introduction to PbP!

Performance: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (4) + 13 = 17

Fen tries to earn her keep performing tunes she overheard from Oskar's Opera, but she fails to do them justice.

I think that's a fail at task level 5 for 16 silver?

Also happy to share the cost of mummy rot removal.

The game has ben reported to PaizoCon, so you should see your ACP in the next few days.

Chronicle sheets are here.

Please let me know of any corrections or revisions.

I will mark this campaign inactive once I have confirmation of receipt from each player of a chronicle sheet or after one week, whichever occurs first.

Thank you all again for a great game. You did very well! It was a lot of fun, I enjoyed each of your characters, and I look forward to sharing a table with each of you in the future!

Happy Gaming!

Looks good to me. Thanks again, GM, I had a great time! And this was a really well written scenario - kudos to you - I look forward to running it.

Looks good to me too. Thanks for running, I'm going to be running this one at Paizocon Europe in a few weeks and I'm looking forward to it too

@ Oskar & Zhao Fen - I am glad you both enjoyed the adventure! I encourage you to seek out 3-14 as well. I had a blast playing that one!

Thank you for the kind words. I'd love to hear how your tables go in the future. Feel free to drop me a PM or post a review afterward, if you are so inclined.