[PbP Gameday XI] PFS2 #3-18 Dacilane Academy's Delightful Disaster (Inactive)

Game Master cmlobue

"Well I doubt we'll find that lodethtone in the rethtricted thection of the library. It'th highly unlikely that Venture-Captain Jirneau useth that ath her perthonal quarterth."

He adjusts the tassel atop his cap for a moment while he ponders the options.

"Thtill...in the interetht of thoroughnethth I thuppose we should leave no thtone unturned ath it were. Let'th head to the rethtricted thection before we head upthtairth."

Ulrich listens to what Bun Bun is saying "You have an interesting accent, from which part of Golarion are you from?"

"I also think we should go to the restricted section, I wonder if those who manned the lodge disappeared just like we, in which case that stone can be wherever Jirneau was."

The Pathfinders can enter the restricted section without opening the doors for Alec. Inside they find sensitive personnel records. Not the sort of things that good and noble Pathfinder agents should concern themselves with - or that students should have access to.

Having found no lodestone on the ground floor, the party travels up the stairs.

>Slide 9<

The upper floor has a large , H-shaped hallway with four doors on either side. Windows on the north overlook the courtyard, and only a railing separates the hall from the main hall, where the students still wait apprehensively.

"Start on the right, since we're here." Jyllian marches down to the end of the hall and opens the door.

The door remains resolutely unopened.

Ulrich moves towards the door and checks if the door there can be moved through.

He first tries for his kukri to pass through...

Featherwit walks through the door, pausing only long enough to hold her hand in front of her just in case anything she tries to walk through is solid enough to resist.

Mrs. Crinkle chuckles as she catches up to the group. "Heehee! Wouldn't it be funny if the one door we need to get through we just can't? Heeheehee! Does anyone here know how to pick a lock? Otherwise I suppose Jyllian and I can do it the old-fashioned way: by smashing it to smithereens like the dainty ladies we are. Heehee!"

Mrs. Crinkle ponders the possibility of using more force on the doors the Pathfinders can't touch.

Featherwit goes through the door and finds herself in a remarkably similar hallway.

Ulrich puts his hand through the door, and is surprised when a kukri emerges and almost stabs him! It looks like his weapon. And his hand. And...

Nothing like waking up and seeing 8 new posts to Gameplay. Oh no! What have I missed?

Elfino traipses up the stairs after his companions. He looks on with interest and a little amusement as the door refuses to let them enter the room. When Mrs. Crinkle suggests picking the lock or smashing the door, Elfino says, "It's 'ard ta pick a lock or smash a door dat one can't touch, Mrs. Crinkle. I spect we'll need 'elp ta access dese rooms. It might be necessary ta get de students up 'ere now ta 'elp us wid de search."

Elfino traipses back down the stairs and tries to get the students to follow him back up

Action: Communicate from Beyond
Communicate from Beyond (Occultism) vs DC 18: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (18) + 8 = 26

Action: Communicate from Beyond
Communicate from Beyond (Occultism) vs DC 18: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (14) + 8 = 22

Action: Communicate from Beyond
Communicate from Beyond (Occultism) vs DC 18: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (1) + 8 = 9

Action: Communicate from Beyond
Communicate from Beyond (Occultism) vs DC 18: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (14) + 8 = 22

With some difficulty, Elfino manages to communicate the following words: "OPEN DOORS UPSTAIRS".

Featherwit looks around her curiously, but the bannisters overlooking the main hall help her re-orient herself quickly. She decides to try to go back through the door she emerged from, to see if it takes her back, or sends her somewhere else.

Featherwit ends up back with the rest of the Pathfinders.

Jyllian produces a set of lockpicks and sets to work trying to open the door.

Thievery: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (5) + 5 = 10

Assuming that fails she frowns, kicks the door once, then moves down the hall to the next set of doors and tries to walk through it.

Neither the lockpicks nor the kick do anything to the door. She walks through the next door and finds herself in exactly the same spot.

In the meantime, Elfino goes downstairs and convinces the students to open the upstairs doors.

The three southern rooms on each side are simple living quarters for the staff of the lodge, with little unusual about them. The larger chamber in the northeast corner of the second floor is set up to house visitors. Its wardrobe, footlocker, and side tables are empty.

Is there anyone who wants to do anything in any of those rooms other than a basic search? And do you keep any of the kids upstairs?

Keep the kids only if we can't get through the door here.

Jyllian tries the door in the northwest corner, first walking through, then kicking, if that doesn't work.

Featherwit pokes her face--and her lit wayfinder--into several containers in the guest rooms to see inside them, but doesn't spend an excessive amount of time on that since they haven't located the venture captain's quarters yet. Some of her companions do hear her complain under her breath, "Silly place with nothing tangible to burgle properly."

She joins the others at the northwest room's door, and draws her rapier in anticipation of trouble.

I'd say keep the kids at a safe distance until we have the last focus and know exactly where we need them to do the failsafe ritual.

Jyllian ends up outside door 1d8 ⇒ 5 when she tries to go through the one in the northwest. Kicking results in her foot sticking out of the doorway at 1d8 ⇒ 2. Looks like you will need at least one student to get in, though you can certainly suggest they run after they open the door.

Elfino looks over each room (Search and That's Odd). When he's done, and assuming they found nothing of interest, he joins the rest outside the last door. "I presume dis must be Armeline’s chamber. Once we get inside, we'll need ta find de lodestone n figure out de whole failsafe thin'. We's goin' ta need de kids 'ere wid us, so dunna go sendin' dem away just yet."

Action: Pursue a Lead (Lodestone) - replaces Woodsedge Lodge lead - Gives a +1 circumstance bonus to Perception or skill checks to investigate a designated subject.

Action: Pursue a Lead (Failsafe) - replaces Phase Shift lead - Gives a +1 circumstance bonus to Perception or skill checks to investigate a designated subject.

Jyllian windmills as her foot gets very weird for a moment and she collapses in a heap. After retrieving her foot, she picks herself back up and waits for someone else to convince the kids to help out again.

"Whoa! This like one of those fun houses, but better! Hee hee!" While she's waiting for Elfino or someone else to get the kids to open the last door, Mrs. Crinkle begins popping through one door after another, just to see what happens. She also stops to use a chamber pot in one of the rooms, chuckling to herself at the question of whether or not anyone will notice.

If she goes through each of the doors to the rooms that have been revealed, does she discover anything new, or end up in the last room?

10d8 ⇒ (8, 8, 5, 1, 7, 5, 7, 6, 3, 2) = 52

Mrs. Crinkle's experiments reveal no pattern to what door she reaches after trying to pass through a doorway.

Professor Bun Bun does his best to investigate any room he can access. At one point he stumbles across Mrs. Crinkle using the chamber pot and squeaks loudly in dismay. "Eeeek!"

He slaps his hands over his eyes and attempts to leave the room but bounces off of the wall several times before he manages to finally depart.

"Lets get one of the students to open the door" suggest gnome

You can take the time to convince one (or more) student of your choice to stay upstairs and open the door for you while the others go back down.

Professor Featherwit mentally reviews what she knows of the students, and nominates Tels to be the one to open the door for the Pathfinders. He's an athlete, so should be able to get clear of any danger more easily than the other children. He also watches out for the younger ones, so they should be able to depend on him to keep the others safe while they deal with whatever is in this room.

She will then take the time to convey instructions to Tels to open the door then move a safe distance away.

I'll start the next section in about 8 hours. If you are not where you want to be on the map or have any precombat buffs, now is the time.

While all that "communicating from beyond" is happening, Mrs. Crinkle finishes up on the chamber pot (ooo, she had an uproarious laugh at Professor Bun Bun's reaction!) and begins to affix a wolf fang talisman on her way to re-join the group.

Once finished affixing the talisman, she draws her shield and holds it up at the ready. "Well dearies, it looks like the doorways teleport you randomly among the guest rooms. I couldn't figure out a rhyme or reason to it. How about you, Professor Bun Bun? Heehee!" Her eyes twinkle mischievously. She almost mentions avoiding room B2, along with an insinuation that she popped in on *him* using the chamber pot. But, she rather likes the little guy, so she decides to leave it at that. (For now, at least.)

Pre-battle prep: affix wolf fang talisman; draw and raise shield

At your signal, Tels opens the door.

A large bed covered in fine linens is the centerpiece of this well-furnished room, and a sturdy table surrounded by three chairs sits in its northeast corner. Several eye-catching curios rest on top of the room’s chest of draws, including a mirror with a gilded frame, a mother-of-pearl box holding talcum powder, and a polished lodestone more than a foot in diameter. Two lamps in wall sconces light the room and a thick carpet woven with a wayfinder pattern lays on the floor.

Shimmering images of the bed dance across the floor, loose papers float through the air in slow processions, and the pile of the carpet grows six inches deep in the course of a second, and then subsides back to normal.

Thandmere Krelsun lies on the bed, unconscious. Both the PCs and the students can see the professor, as well as a ghostly, serpentine creature wrapped tightly around his body. Disturbingly, the creature’s head appears plunged into Krelsun’s temple.

Occultism: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (14) + 6 = 20
Protean Lore: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (16) + 6 = 22

"We've found the center of all the weirdness. The ritual needs to be done here, in this room," Featherwit says, in a rather more serious tone than she normally uses. "That's a pelagastr protean that's coiled around Krelsun. A very, very distant relative of mine, I'm afraid." Her tiny wings twitch in irritation. "I'll try to keep it distracted. Get that ritual started."

She enters the room, and addresses the pelagastr in Protean. "Hey, you need to leave him alone. You've had some fun, but you don't belong here. It's time for you to go back home now."

I'll move her token in the morning, when I'm on my laptop rather than my phone.

Elfino quickly looks over the situation...

Occultism vs DC 15: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (19) + 8 = 27

... "Looks like de warpin' we's seein' is characteristic of protean interference wid reality. I spect dat dis pelagastr protean is behind it."

If there's time (1 minute) Elfino will make the protean the subject of an investigation.

Action: Pursue a Lead (Pelagastr Protean) - replaces Lodestone lead - Gives a +1 circumstance bonus to Perception or skill checks to investigate a designated subject.

Looks like the Lodestone is present, so we're going to need to bring three kids in here. One with the pitcher of water, one with the steel shield, and the last for the lodestone. They will then have to hold onto their respective foci and say the word "Narven", perhaps up to three times. Not sure if the encounter with the pelagastr takes place before or after the failsafe is triggered, but I suspect we'll find out soon enough.

Elfino goes to get three of the students and brings them up to the room with the pitcher of water and steel shield.

Ulrich looks at the creature and the professor "Yeah we need to go for the kids, maybe first let us try and enter the room to see if anything attacks us!"

Says walking inside If he can

Elfino, you will not have 10 minutes to pursue a lead. Or much of anything else, since as soon as you are noticed...

Featherwit recgonizes the creature, which is yet another monitor with the protean subtype. More powerful than the creatures below, but with similar abilities to gain resistances and change shape, a pelagastr can also use targeted waves of chaos to inflict random conditions on its enemies. You are only seeing the tail of the creature, but even that much is Medium.

She shouts a warning, and Ulrich enters the room while Elfino begins formulating a plan.

The tail swings at the approaching gnome, causing reality to change around him.

Ulrich, make a DC 19 Will save. If you fail, roll a d8 to determine what happens. The result lasts 1 round.

It then conjures a cloud of swirling colors into the hallway.

Everyone in the green circle (i.e. everyone else) is dazzled while within the green circle. Now, whenever entering or ending a turn in the circle, or using a Seek or Interact action within the circle, you must make a DC 22 Will save or be fascinated (and unable to use reactions on a critical failure).

Round 1 - bolded may go

Pelagastr
Bun Bun (dazzled, Will save)
Elfino (dazzled, Will save)
Jyllian (dazzled, Will save)
Featherwit (dazzled, Will save)
Ulrich (Will save)
Mrs. Crinkle (dazzled, Will save)

Reminder - Communicate from Beyond is a two-action activity, and the first time each round it is used within the pink circle, the user must make a DC 19 Will save or the pelagastr will disrupt it with a reaction. Tels is here, but has done everything asked of him. The other kids are downstairs.

Will save, DC19: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (8) + 8 = 16
Random: 1d8 ⇒ 8

"What, was that? Oh, that all is so cool"

He steps towards the creature and strikes it with both weapons

Kukri: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (11) + 9 = 20
Damage, slashing: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3
War razor: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (7) + 9 = 16
Damage, slashing: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5

If both weapons hit, add the damage before subtracting the resistance.

Will: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (13) + 6 = 19

The swirling colors make Featherwit blink and rub at her eyes for a moment, but then she bares her teeth. "There's a lot of my family I don't like much, and you're turning out to be one of them," she growls in Common, before running up and leaping onto the bed, flourishing her rapier.

◆ Stride, ◆ Leap, ◆ Feint
Deception to Feint: 1d20 + 5 - 2 ⇒ (6) + 5 - 2 = 9
Includes -2 to skill checks for fascinated, unless she only has to make that save if she stays in the circle? That feint's not going to work, either way.

You are fascinated until the spell ends or something takes a hostile action against you.

Jyllian tries to focus on the protean...

Will: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (19) + 6 = 25

...and succeeds for the moment. She attempts to Communicate with Tels to go get the other two kids for the ritual, then strides into the room to help the others in this combat.

Athletics to Communicate: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (17) + 8 = 25

◆◆ Communicate from Beyond
◆ Stride
↺ Divine Grace or Liberating Step

OK, I'll strike out most of that post. But now I'm very confused about how fascinated works in 2E, because the condition's description doesn't make it sound like it robs you of the ability to act like it does in 1E. Unless the spell it used specifies differently?

Jyllian, you get 10 words, apparently conveyed via interpretive dance.

Felicity, yes, fascinated is pretty tame in 2E. Imagine it like trying to do something that requires concentration while trying to watch a TV show. You keep looking away and it gets harder to do your task, but you can still try.

OK, got it, I was misunderstanding your first reply. So her turn stands, it just didn't accomplish much.

"Bring Name1, Name2 here. Get lodestone. Count 3. Say Narven."

Name1 & Name2 are whoever has the pitcher and shield. No idea how I'm communicating Narven in interpretive dance. :)

Tels departs. It takes him a full round to get downstairs.

Today I woke up to 11 posts on Gameplay. You guys are relentless.

Elfino, you will not have 10 minutes to pursue a lead. Or much of anything else, since as soon as you are noticed...

It's actually only 1 minute for Pursue a Lead, but it doesn't look like he's got even that much time, so skip it.

Before Elfino can react, the protean unleashes its attack on those in the hallway and the investigator becomes disoriented before being engulfed in a cloud of swirling colors...

Will Save vs DC 22: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (20) + 8 = 28

Oh, what a waste!

...but he closes his eyes in time and doesn't allow himself to be fascinated by the hypnotic patterns surrounding him. "I've got to get out of this cloud of colors." Still somewhat dazzled, he moves into the room and out of the effects of the dancing colors in the hallway. His vision clears and he looks for a weakness in the tail that he can exploit...

Action 1 (◆): Stride (40 feet)

Action 2 (◆): Devise a Stratagem vs. Pelagastr
Devise a Stratagem: 1d20 ⇒ 8

...but unfortunately finds none. Not wanting to waste an arrow, he instead takes more time to examine the creature further for additional information he can use to defeat it.

Action 3 (◆): Recall Knowledge (Arcana +8) vs. Pelagastr - SECRET

I'm assuming that Arcana is the appropriate field of knowledge here, but Elfino also has Occultism +8, Nature +6 and Religion +2

Will save: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (18) + 5 = 23

"Grrrrraaaarrrr!"Mrs. Crinkle morphs into a skimpily dressed wolf again and bounds into the room to attack the Pelagastr. She leaps onto the bed and tries to get herself a mouthful of protean snicky-snake.

DC 5 flat check: 1d20 ⇒ 9
Bite (P): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (19) + 7 = 261d10 + 6 ⇒ (5) + 6 = 11

◆ Rage, ◆ Stride, ◆ Strike

will save: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (12) + 7 = 19

"Oh...oh...my goodness." Professor Bun Bun hops into the room, never taking his eyes off of the creature.

The learned lagomorph magically grabs a nearby object and hurls it at the creature grabbing Professor Krelsun.

telekinetic projectile: 1d20 + 8 - 2 ⇒ (1) + 8 - 2 = 7

Unfortunately that object turns out to be a pillow which bounces harmlessly off of the beast.

Bun Bun tries to start a pillow fight with the pelagastr.

Elfino remembers that pelagastrs can unleash a gout of flame when threatened (similar to burning hands. He takes a position in the corner.

Jyllian orders Tels to leave and moves in.

Featherwit tries to fake out the pelagastr, but keeps looking back at the colors, man, the colors.

Ulrich hits the creature once out of its pair of swings.

Mrs. Crinkle reenacts a scene from a favorite children's book.

You hear a discussion from below, followed by some banging. Hopefully the students know what they're doing.

The pelagastr's wounds begin to close. It whips its tail at two Pathfinders and unleashes another wave of chaos at the third.

Tail Slap vs. Mrs. Crinkle: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (20) + 12 = 32
Bludgeoning Damage: 1d12 + 6 ⇒ (9) + 6 = 15
Chaotic Damage: 1d6 ⇒ 2 and Grab

It clearly does not like being bitten, but does not grip the unconscious wolf-woman.

Tail Slap vs. Ulrich: 1d20 + 12 - 5 ⇒ (1) + 12 - 5 = 8
Bludgeoning Damage: 1d12 + 6 ⇒ (12) + 6 = 18
Chaotic Damage: 1d6 ⇒ 4 and Grab

Ulrich is ready and jumps out of the way.

Elfino, same will save and chart >as above<.

Round 2 - bolded may go

Pelagastr (-12 HP)
Bun Bun
Elfino (Will save)
Jyllian
Featherwit (fascinated)
Ulrich
Mrs. Crinkle (-23 HP, dying 2)

Professor Bun Bun hops up to Jyllian and enchants her bastard sword.

Jyllian's sword is now a +1 striking bastard sword

◆ Stride, ◆◆ cast magic weapon

"Allow me to aththitht you, young lady.

Elfino is considering his options when the pelagastr's tail waves at him and he feels reality to change around him...

Will Save vs DC 19: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (20) + 8 = 28

Oh, the humanity!

...but he completely ignores the effect. He then sees Mrs Crinkle go down hard and ignoring the pelagastr for the time being, rushes over to help the woman.

Unfortunately, Elfino has already Battle Medicined Mrs Crinkle today, so another of those potions we found will have to do.

Action 1 (◆): Stride (40 feet)

Action 2 (◆): Interact - Take Healing Potion (Lesser) in hand.

Action 3 (◆): Interact - Activate Healing Potion (Lesser) by pouring it down Mrs. Crinkle's throat.

Healing Potion (Lesser): 2d8 + 5 ⇒ (8, 2) + 5 = 15

She's at Wounded 1 and Prone now. I suggest not going to Dying again or things might get ugly.

If Jyllian or Ulrich could flank with Featherwit, she'll have a better chance of being effective.

Ulrich steps and strikes the creature with both weapons

Kukri@bad guy flanking: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (10) + 9 = 19
Damage, slashing: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3
War razor@bad guy flanking: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (3) + 9 = 12
Damage, slashing, backstabber: 1d4 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 + 1 = 4

If both weapons hit, add the damage before subtracting the resistance.

Featherwit flashes Ulrich a grin of thanks as he steps into a flanking position, then she tries to make the most of the advantage.

+1 Rapier: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (8) + 9 = 17, Damage (P): 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8
Sneak attack: 1d6 ⇒ 3
If crit, add Deadly: 1d8 ⇒ 5

+1 Rapier, MAP: 1d20 + 9 - 5 ⇒ (8) + 9 - 5 = 12, Damage (P): 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8
Sneak attack: 1d6 ⇒ 4
If crit, add Deadly: 1d8 ⇒ 5

+1 Rapier, MAP: 1d20 + 9 - 10 ⇒ (9) + 9 - 10 = 8, Damage (P): 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7
Sneak attack: 1d6 ⇒ 6
If crit, add Deadly: 1d8 ⇒ 7

She may, however, be wasting too much effort on screaming creative obscenities in Protean, Abyssal, Mwangi, and Halfling to be as effective as she'd like to be.