Age of Ashes - PF2 AP by DM Doctor Evil

Game Master DM DoctorEvil

Oh, hey, I DO have occultism

Occultism: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (4) + 7 = 11

Ruined Armory - Round 1 - continued

29 Zainab
21 Olaf
16 Gelatinous Cube (20hp dmg)
11 Trista (13/26hp, engulfed)
5 Fentus

Olaf leaps immediately to help the engulfed Trista. His spellstrike scores a hit against the ooze, cutting pieces from it with blade and claw.

Zainab up before the ooze has its actions.

Occultism: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6

Zainab unfortunately is too frightened to figure out what that thing is.
"What is going on out there? Why is she floating like that?"

She decides not to risk getting in to attack, but decides to take any additional damage into herself by casting a spell within herself.

Casting Protector's Sacrifice. Reduces damage taken by someone by 3 and is taken to herself.

Protector's Sacrifice is a reaction, not an action. You can tell by the little curved arrow symbol, instead of a diamond. You can use a reaction once per round. So this particular one is triggered when an ally w/i 30' takes damage, so even if its not your turn, you can use the spell as a reaction. You can't, however, use it as an action on your turn. So please try your action again, and save that damage shifting spell until the gel cube's turn, when it might damage someone, then you can react, even if you already had your turn.

LMK if you need more explanation. And please, you can act again now.

She will move to where she is and wait until the current does its action.

Ruined Armory - Round 1 - continued

Zainab moves closer to the horrifying ooze, but then holds her action, delaying until the gelatinous cube acts.

The cube makes an attack with its face against Olaf, when the ooze reaches out towards him with a opaque pseudopod. Then the ooze slowly moves twoard Zainab and makes a similar attack, but the cleric nimbly avoids contact.

Olaf takes 3hp dmg, and must make DC20 Fort save or be paralyzed. I went ahead and rolled Trista Fort save (success) below. So all the group is up now. If stuck inside the cube, at the end of your turn, will take more damage and need another Fort save

Gel Cube face vs Olaf: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (10) + 11 = 21
Acid dmg vs Olaf: 1d6 ⇒ 3
Gel Cube face vs Zainab, second strike: 1d20 + 11 - 5 ⇒ (2) + 11 - 5 = 8
Trista DC 20 Fort vs paralysis: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (15) + 7 = 22

Trista comes to her senses and struggles against the hold of the cube, thrashing to Escape.

Escape (Unarmed Strike): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (5) + 7 = 12
I'm going to Hero Point. I really want out of this thing!
Escape (Unarmed Strike): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (19) + 7 = 26

"Whew!" Trista turns and slashes her sword across the face of the cube, then backs up to make herself a less obvious target.

shortsword: 1d20 + 7 - 4 ⇒ (13) + 7 - 4 = 16 for slashing: 1d6 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 1 + 2 = 6

Escape, Strike, Stride

Shocked as the Ooze engulfs his ally, momentarily, "I'm glad you got outta that Trista, I couldn't believe it!"

Growling, "Now, let's take this thing down,"

Throwing a small ball of fire hoping to singe the ooze.

Produce Flame attack: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (19) + 8 = 27
damage: 1d4 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7

If thats a crit, then its double damage and the target is lit on fire, taking 1d4 persistent fire damage, if an ooze can be lit on fire

DC 20 Fort vs Paralysis: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (3) + 7 = 10

Olaf's muscles stiffen up at the touch of the gel thing, stuck in his mind, the magus desperately tries to think of a way to still be helpful.

Ok, so I can't move but I can do mental things. I wonder if a stance like Arcane Cascade and recharging my spellstrike are avilable? spellstrike doesn't specify any manipulate or actions, just concentration

It became clear enough just what was attacking them right now. Some sort of clear monster swallowed up Trista and was now trying to do the same to Olaf and her. Seeing Olaf get attacked was enough for her to know how to avoid her own attack. She struck back with a yelp before retreating to a safer location.

Strike 1: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (18) + 5 = 23

Damage: 1d6 ⇒ 4

Strike 2: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 5 = 12

Damage: 1d6 ⇒ 2

Strike, Strike, Stride

Ruined Armory - Round 1 - concluded

Mustering all her will, Trista is able to slice her way out of the gelatinous prison. Damaged but determined, she makes a stab at the ooze, cutting it somewhat, then skips away to avoid being engulfed again.

Fentus pelts the disgusting foe with a handful of flames that he thinks should do higher damage, but is a bit disappointed when the cube only is only mildly charred.

End of Round 1

Gel cubes are immune to crits, unfortunately. The AC is really low, but the HP are really high. On to Round 2.

Ruined Armory - Round 2

29 Zainab
21 Olaf (3hp dmg, paralyzed)
16 Gelatinous Cube (33hp dmg)
11 Trista (13/26hp)
5 Fentus

Olaf locks up at the paralytic touch of the gelatinous cube. Try as he might, he just can't move. His mental faculties still work however, so he works to recharge his spellstrike just in case he gets loose once again.

You can try another DC 20 Fort save at the end of your turn, if paralyzed in order to break free.

Zainab attacks twice against the oozy mess attacking her allies. Both strikes hit the rather large ooze, causing it very mild damage. The priestess then skips away to keep from being a target.

Having taken a few hits, the gelatinous cube seems undaunted and it inevitably rolls forward, trying to consume the paralyzed Olaf in the process. Since Olaf cannot avoid the oncoming ooze, he is slowly absorb inside its translucent form.

Need to know if Olaf is still paralyzed to see if he can save vs the Engulf, so I will roll it for him this time.

Olaf DC 20 Fort: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (6) + 7 = 13
Olaf Acid Dmg: 2d6 ⇒ (1, 3) = 4

Olaf takes 4 acid dmg. I show him at 21/28 now, he is still paralyzed until the end of his next turn, (DC 20 Fort to be unstuck) and likely to continue to take damage for a while otherwise. All the party is up again.

Trista's book, remarkably clean even after being shoved through an ooze, contains some useful information about the enemy.
Exploit Vulnerability: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (13) + 7 = 20

She applies a base counteracting agent to the edge of her sword, then darts in to attack.

shortsword: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (16) + 7 = 23 for slashing: 1d6 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 1 + 2 = 8
Should have weakness 3 to my attacks, unless it has a higher weakness that I can trigger.

She was doing damage alright, but it didn't seem be doing enough. Going through her head, she decides that the best 2ay forward for now is to keep damaging the creature. She goes in and attempts to take out another slice before retreating back to her original spot.

Shortsword: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 5 = 8

Damage: 1d6 ⇒ 5

Ruined Armory - Round 2 - continued

Trista consults her book in a flash. She learns the greatest aversion for the ooze family and applies it quickly to her blade before slashing the closest cube face for more damage. The ooze seems to draw back in pain from her attack as extra damage is caused by her application.

Waiting for an action from Fentus to close this round. Will get to Zay's action in Round 3 after that.

Fentus curses, "This slime or ooze or whatever seems particularly tough!"

Growling, he throws another fireball at the ooze.

Produce Flame: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (16) + 8 = 24
damage: 1d4 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7

Ruined Armory - Round 2 - concluded

Fentus successfully tosses more magically conjured fire at the gelatinous cube singeing more of the glassy surface, but not making any major impact.

End of round 2

Ruined Armory - Round 3

29 Zainab
21 Olaf (21/28hp dmg, paralyzed,e engulfed)
16 Gelatinous Cube (51hp dmg)
11 Trista (13/26hp)
5 Fentus

Dashing up and slashing at the cube before dashing back, Zainab fails to make an effective strike, her blade missing doing any damage to the cube.

Olaf takes 4 more HP dmg from the acid inside the creature. He may try a DC 20 Fort save to remove the paralysis. I have him at 17/28hp now.

Olaf Acid Dmg: 2d6 ⇒ (3, 1) = 4

Fort, DC 20: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (8) + 7 = 15

death by gelatinous cube, not the least D&D way to go out :)

Ruined Armory - Round 3 - continued

Try as he might, Olaf cannot break the paralytic hold of the gelatinous foe, and remains stuck inside, subject to more of its flesh-dissolving acid.

On its turn the cube moves inexorably, but slowly, forward, reaching out its gel-like appendages for both Trista and Fentus. Trista manages to avoid being touched, but Fentus is not so lucky. The oozy touch gives him a sting of acid and possibly holds him in place as well.

Fentus takes 4hp dmg and needs a DC20 Fort save or be paralyzed. I have him at 19/24hp currently. Trista and Fentus are up to close the round. Zain and Olaf can go ahead and post for Round 4 if they wish.

Gel Cube face vs Trista: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (2) + 11 = 13
Gel Cube face vs Fentus, second strike: 1d20 + 11 - 5 ⇒ (15) + 11 - 5 = 21
Acid dmg to Fentus: 1d6 ⇒ 4

Trista slashes at the cube, hoping to free Olaf.

shortsword: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (13) + 7 = 20 for slashing: 1d6 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 1 + 2 = 5
shortsword: 1d20 + 7 - 4 ⇒ (19) + 7 - 4 = 22 for slashing: 1d6 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 1 + 2 = 4
Weakness 3 to my attacks

They she dances back from the cube.

Ruined Armory - Round 3 - continued

Trista strikes the semi-solid enemy twice, scoring hits both times, but failing to free the frozen-up Olaf. She then leaps backwards, seeing that she is quickly running out of chamber to maneuver in.

Fentus needs the DC20 Fort save vs Paralysis. If he makes it, he may act. Failure means the end of the round.

Fort Save: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (16) + 6 = 22

Grunting with effort and tearing himself out of the Ooze just before its paralyzing slime can take hold of him, "This is getting out of hand, now the dungeon is trying to EAT me!"

He conjures another ball of flame, trying to slam it into the Ooze before offering some words of Guidance to Olaf "Olaf, if you can hear me, get the Hell out of that Ooze!"

Produce Flame: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (5) + 8 = 13
damage: 1d4 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6

I hope I didn't misunderstand and this thing has been resistant to fire damage this whole time. Also Olaf you get a +1 bonus to your next attack roll, Perception check, saving throw, or skill check that you choose to use it on for the next round

** Produce Flame
* Cast Guidance on Olaf

She was feeling desperate right now. With Olaf not moving and getting eaten by the cube while she failed to even hit the thing, it was feeling hopeless. But she willed herself not to panic and moves forward to attack once more before moving back.

Shortsword: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (15) + 5 = 20

Damage: 1d6 ⇒ 5

Fort Save, guidance: 1d20 + 7 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 7 + 1 = 9

Olaf continues to fail to regain his bodily control, slowly being melted by the acid.

So… I have a gunslinger ready to go :). Though, plenty of time left to not die

Ruined Armory - Round 3 - concluded

Struggling but able to free his own muscles from paralysis, Fentus continues pelting the gelatinous cube with fire, causing little bits of damage. He also spends a moment to cast an inspirational spell on Olaf who is still paralyzed inside the ooze.

All the damage your team has done so far has gone through at 100%. The cube just has a lot of HP.

Ruined Armory - Round 4

29 Zainab
21 Olaf (17/28hp dmg, paralyzed, engulfed)
16 Gelatinous Cube (66hp dmg)
11 Trista (13/26hp)
5 Fentus (19/24hp)

Keeping herself from panicking, Zainab continues her hit and run tactics, this time hurting the cube even if only minor damage.

Olaf, try as he might, cannot get his muscles to move as the paralytic agent inside the gel cube continues to hold him fast. Meanwhile the acid eats away at his flesh slowly.

The cube has some wounds visible now but it still rears back to attack Fentus again with a acidic touch that burns the sorceror once again.

Olaf takes 6hp dmg and is at 11/28 still stuck inside. Fentus take 9hp dmg, and needs another DC 20 Fort save or be paralyzed. All the party can act some closing this round, some opening next round.

Olaf acid dmg: 2d6 ⇒ (3, 3) = 6
Gel Cubs vs Fentus: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (18) + 11 = 29 CRIT
Critical Acid dmg vs Fentus: 2d6 ⇒ (5, 4) = 9

Fort DC 20: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (18) + 7 = 25

With a surge of will Olaf finally regains control of his limbs.

Cant recall if I need to break out now.

I think after that hit, I'm down to 10 hitpoints, goodness this slime needs to go

Fentus, struggles to overcome the slime's paralyzing force. Fortitude: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (16) + 6 = 22 But continues to just barely stay capable.

"Don't let it back you into the corner, let's draw it out into more open space,"

Fentus strides back into the doll strewn room before hurling more fire at the slime.

Produce Flame: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (6) + 8 = 14
damage: 1d4 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5

Olaf, you can make a check to Escape now that you aren't paralyzed. Or you can attack from inside. If you do enough slashing or piercing damage in a single hit, you can usually cut yourself out of things that have engulfed you.

Trista runs up and slashes at it again, putting her back to the door so that she doesn't get boxed in.

shortsword: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (5) + 7 = 12 for slashing: 1d6 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 1 + 2 = 4
shortsword: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (11) + 7 = 18 for slashing: 1d6 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 1 + 2 = 5
Weakness 3 to my attacks

After some harrowing minutes, she's relieved to see some movement from the magus."Olaf! Can you get out?

Whether he could get out himself or not, she went in to hack into the ooze with renewed rigor.

Short sword: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (2) + 5 = 7

Damage: 1d6 ⇒ 6

Short sword: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (18) + 5 = 23

Damage: 1d6 ⇒ 3

Ruined Armory - Round 4 - concluded

Trista continues slashing at the oncoming ooze, hitting it twice and exploiting its weakness each time, adding to the damage done. She then moves towards the door, to have an escape route.

Fentus tosses more fiery magic at the gelatinous foe, scorching it once again before evacuating to the adjoining room.

The gelatinous cube looks dried and scarred in many places now, but has not quite given up the ghost.

End of round 4

Ruined Armory - Round 5

29 Zainab
21 Olaf (11/28hp dmg, paralyzed, engulfed)
16 Gelatinous Cube (86hp dmg)
11 Trista (13/26hp)
5 Fentus (10/24hp)

Zainab continues her hit and run attacks on the squishy enemy. She misses with her first strike, but scores a hit with the second, stabbing deeply into the creature.

Inside the gelatinous cube, Olaf suddenly jerks back to action, but finds himself still inside and exposed to the acid. Just what he does remains to be seen.

Olaf, yes, you can become unparalyzed but need an Escape check or enough of an attack to Rupture the gel cube and cut your way out. However, attacks must be unarmed, or with weapons of light bulk. The creature is flat-footed vs this attack howver. (Not that it mattes much against the 10AC of the Gel Cube). Let us know how you want to proceed.

It's really on its last "leg" promise.

Escape: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (7) + 8 = 15
Ug, that doesnt seem like its probably going to do it

Olaf tries to pull himself from the acidic cube, but just cannot manage to get his bulk clear.

Frustrated, hurt, and engraged he decides to give the thing a taste of its own medicne and chants out a spell.
I don't see anything specifying I can't cast while engulfed?

Shocking Grasp, vs flat footed: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (11) + 8 = 19
Damage, Electric: 2d12 ⇒ (3, 8) = 11
I feel like it should be impossible to miss, also logic says I may kill myself, but I'm fine with it

Technically, while engulfed, you are also slowed 1 (only 2 actions per turn) and also suffocating, so I don't think you can cast a spell with a verbal component. And even if you could, you don't have enough actions to try it. You CAN however, make another Escape attempt again. If I use your attack role as an Escape instead, you would succeed. Seem reasonable?

Yep, I was thinking about it last night and figured that was going to be the result.

Ruined Armory - Round 5 - continued

Olaf, once again mobile, struggles to free himself from the suffocating gelatinous matter surrounding him. After one attempt that fails, he pushes himself to the last extreme, and manages to free himself from the gooey prison, gasping air once again.

The ooze itself lashes out once more trying to stop Trista from attacking with its paralytic agent. The first attack misses, but the last ditch attack does connect. The acid burns Trista and she cries out in pain.

Trista needs a DC 20 Fort save or be paralyzed. She takes 5hp dmg, and is 8hp remaining I believe . The gel cube can probably take only 1-2 more hits before going down, so muscle up. Trista, if she makes her save, and Fentus are up to end the round. Rest are up to start next and can post now.

Gel cube attack vs Trista: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (4) + 11 = 15
Gel Cub3 vs Trista, 2nd strike: 1d20 + 11 - 5 ⇒ (15) + 11 - 5 = 21
Acid Dmg to Trista: 1d6 ⇒ 5

Fortitude: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (19) + 7 = 26

Trista shrugs off the paralysis and slashes at the cube, then dances back from it. (Though she's moving a bit more sluggishly now. Perhaps limping more than dancing!)

shortsword: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (16) + 7 = 23 for slashing: 1d6 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 1 + 2 = 4
shortsword: 1d20 + 7 - 4 ⇒ (3) + 7 - 4 = 6 for slashing: 1d6 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 1 + 2 = 5
Weakness 3

Ruined Armory - Round 5 - concluded

Trista though hurt by the acid, powers through the paralytic agent and returns the cube's attack with a vengeance. Her shortsword cuts a swath through the surface, and her knowledge of the foe, exploits its weakness to full effect. And with the strike, the gelatinous cube slowly comes to a standstill, drying up and getting a bit more opaque and blurry. It is clearly dead.

The weapon that Trista saw originally is embedded in the squishy body of the former gelatinous cube. It appears to be a finely crafted shortsword.

End of Combat

Finally killed it after 90+hp of damage. Well done! Also, after killing the gelatinous cube, you may level up to 3. Think I asked Zainab to come in at level 3, so no changes for her. Tell me about the changes to your character in Discussion.

Trista sheaths her sword and gingerly draws the fine shortsword from the remains of the cube. She hefts it a bit and swishes it through the air.

"Well, you were certainly enough trouble. Hmm."

She examines it carefully for runes or other signs of magic.

Arcana is +7

"That's one way to talk about something that nearly killed us," Zainab replied, surprised at how casually Trista had been with the situation. Once she calmed down, she winced as her shoulders brunched up. "...does anyone need help with healing?"

Shaking his hand, as the smoke dissipates, Fentus walks back into the room. "That was. . .That was tough, it wasn't looking too good there,"

He walks over to Olaf, and starts casting prestidigitation on him to clean off the slime, "Glad you made it out of there, Olaf, I don't think any of us would have last as long you did, we can call you Olaf Thickskin, or Olaf Slimebait, hah!"

Olaf staggers out of the cube even as it falls apart under the blows of his companions. In the clear he drops to a knee for a moment, happy to be breathing again after what seemed like eons in the acidic, choking, nightmare.

"That was ... unpleasant."

Looking up at Fentus, he manages a chuckle himself. "Thickskin sounds more heroic." he muses as he stands, and looks over to Zainab, "I do have a fair few wounds, aye. Some healing attention would be nice."

Working on levelling this morning

Trista sheaths her sword and gingerly draws the fine shortsword from the remains of the cube. She hefts it a bit and swishes it through the air.

"Well, you were certainly enough trouble. Hmm."

She examines it carefully for runes or other signs of magic.

It takes up to 10 minutes of study to Identify Magic. You might be able to use some of that time for Treat Wounds, which also takes the same amount of time. That'll work as long as Trista isn't the healer or target of the healing.

Trista sits with the newly found weapon, which does have some arcane scrollwork on the hilt, and tries her best to study and make out the properties of the runes, but despite spending several minutes with it, she has no more idea of its properties than before.

Do you wish to equip it anyway, or let someone else have a go?

"Right." Making a short prayer, she washes everyone nearby with healing energy.

Heal, emanation: 1d8 + 8 ⇒ (6) + 8 = 14

Trista offers up the sword to the rest of the crew. "If this is magical, I'd love to use it, but I wasn't able to identify its properties."

Fentus can attempt to study it as well, if we are willing to sit around and wait.

Breathing a sigh of relief as Zainab's healing magic trickles over his body, restoring some of the acid damage he suffered. "Many thanks Zainab, appreciate the aid,"

Fentus' bonus to arcana is only +6, so not sure if its better to say I was just aiding Trista or to make my own secret roll to identify

Fentus looks at the sword, studies hard at the arcane runes and field emanating form it, and tells everyone it is simply a magical sword that increases your ability to hit a foe and damage it.

Meanwhile, Zainab casts a heal spell that emanates across all the party, binding together wounds and giving everyone a lift.

Shortsword +1. There are two users (Trista and Zainab) who use that as main weapon. I assume Trista will swap it out for her mundane shortsword, but please confirm.

The emanation (3 action) version of Heal is only 1d8, right? You get the +8 for just healing one person at a distance (two action version). If so, the HP are just 6, not 14.

"Thanks, Fentus." Trista stows her mundane sword and straps on the new one. "I thought it must have been magical, to survive the environment in the ooze's belly."

Yes, the 3-action heal is d8. Thanks for the healing, Zainab!