Ruin’s Price of Immortality

Game Master Ruin Explorer

Moon, you’re probably right, but I really don’t care. You all were very careful going into the crypt and watching the skeletons. So, I think it’s reasonable that you, or anyone armed, got an opportunity attack when they finally stood up.

Aeric, I had to move you. The sides of the room are a higher level. It won't affect your attack however.

Three skeletons drop under Aeric, Moon, and Kazzar's attacks. One of the skeletons is still pulling itself together, but two others turn on Greywind. They swing their blades and lash out with a claw each, but none of the attacks connect.

(Bold may go.)
Round 1
Skeletons 17
Sumak 15
Somanti 9
Moon 7

Round 2
Aeric 22
Kazzar 20

Works for me! I’m not a rules lawyer and I usually go with fun/cool over true-to-the-rules.

Moon slides close to the wolf she's come to like during their travels. She delivers a set of flat-palmed strikes to the spine of the rising undead... putting it down permanently.

FREE: 5’ move
FULL: FOB - undead right of GreyWind

Sumak moves to get a clear shot and sends a bolt of energy at a skeleton.

Move to the western wall and Fire! Wild Surge for +1 Level/PP and Point Blank Shot. 1 PP spent.

Wild Surge: 1d100 ⇒ 50

Touch Attack+PBS: 1d20 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 2 + 1 = 7

Fire Damage+PBS: 2d6 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (2, 1) + 2 + 1 = 6

The Wild Surge works, but I miss.

Assuming the Skeleton next to Somonti is still prone?

The scraping sound of the bones around Somonti's feet drawing together seems to bite through the sound of the fight around her. She begins to lash out with her makeshift spear, swinging her weapon left and right over and over, trying to break whatever spell is binding them together.

Attack vs Prone: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5

Unfortunately, in her haste she has little impact.

Kazzar rushes down the stairs and tries to strike at the rising skeleton at the bottom, hoping to clear the way to the other two attacking Greywind.

Reacting to Kazzar's approach, Greywind tries to take a bite at his target as well.

Attack(Kazzar), Flanking, vs prone: 1d20 + 4 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 4 + 2 = 11
Damage (B): 1d6 + 6 ⇒ (5) + 6 = 11

Attack(Greywind), flanking, vs prone: 1d20 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (10) + 2 + 2 = 14
Damage: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7

Move action pick up Bardiche, 5 foot step south, Standard strike skellington 10 feet south of me

smack: 1d20 + 6 + 1 - 1 ⇒ (10) + 6 + 1 - 1 = 16
damage: 1d10 + 9 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 9 + 3 = 17

Free action stop raging

Aeric explodes another skeleton, then stops having claws and pitch black eyes, seeking to conserve his resources.

The group engages the skeletons, dropping two more in the melee. The remaining skeleton turns on Somanti and attacks with its scimitar and clawed hand, but both attacks miss their mark.

Sorry for the delay. The website was down when I came to post yesterday.

I forgot.

(Bold may go.)
Round 2
Sumak 15
Somanti 9
Moon 7

Round 3
Aeric 22
Kazzar 20
Skeletons 17

Panting, Aeric moves to kill the last skeleton again.

smash: 1d20 + 1 + 3 - 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 + 3 - 1 = 5
And misses wildly.

If Aeric moves to the obvious spot to get at the skelly, with a full move I believe Moon can get to her new position on the map.

Moon moves around the perimeter of the fight then closes in on the remaining skeleton. She delivers a swift kick to the monster's ribcage, shattering bones.

MOVE: 30’
STAND: Smack!

Kazzar and Greywind both strike at the new skeleton threatening Somonti, but both attacks fail to hit their targets.

Razorwing, hoping Somonti can help deal with the skeleton both its companions missed, lands near her and gently taps her with its beak, imbuing her with a bit of divine magic.

Razorwing: Cast Guidance on Somonti

Attack(Kazzar), Flanking:: 1d20 + 4 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 4 + 2 = 8
Damage (B): 1d6 + 6 ⇒ (5) + 6 = 11

Attack(Greywind): 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 2 = 10
Damage:: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4

Smuak pulls out his sling and slings at one of the undead.

I go for the one due E of me. I do not think it has cover, but it is in melee.

Sling Attack-Melee: 1d20 + 2 - 4 ⇒ (7) + 2 - 4 = 5

Sling Damage: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3

Somonti continues to attack wildly getwith her makeshift spear, swinging and jabbing
Attack: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6

Whether she manages to hit anything animated or not is anyone's guess.

The last skeleton drops at Moon's blow. The sound of clattering bones mixes with the continued wailing.

End of combat.

The room is lit by the light streaming in from the outside. There is a door to the east. There is a door to the west. Both are of wooden construction. There are two bodies lying in the middle of the room and the bones of 8 skeletons scattered about with broken scimitars and broken chain shirts. There are also two packs in the room.

Smart people anything pinging as magic? My guess is the 2 non skeletons have been fighting the undead and lost. Also

Aeric moves to the door and investigates it

They didnt run, so we cant count out some mechanism to shut the door behind us.

perception: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 3 = 9

Moon wipes the bone-dust from her fists on her pants then carefully pokes in the packs, hoping to learn more about what these men were doing here.

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (8) + 6 = 14

Sumak will look to see if he can find his ammo.

Did it survive?: 1d100 ⇒ 76

With moon checking the packs, Somonti bends to check the bones

"These are old right? Really old. Does anyone know how these things... work?" Is there some **** wizard somewhere making this happen? Is that the moaning? Or have these skeletons always walked? Is this what the quest is?

She briefly considers taking some of the bones, imagining the fear on peoples faces if she were wearing a necklace of human bones. But decides that she doesn't much fancy risking a curse.

"How do we stop them coming back?"

2 ways, thorough destruction or burying them with proper Pharasman rites. Aeric offers

I respect the Lady o Graves but I have no idea how to conduct a proper burial, so I guess smash it is. Using his considerable strength, Aeric begins to thoroughly dismantle skeletons.

"Wait, this is Kessen's tomb. We might be smashing Kessen's bones?"

I only came on this quest to remind the town of me and my family, I don't want to go back and tell them we trashed their holy relics.

"What if we just..." She picks up some of the longer bones from each pile of remains "I can't see them doing much harm without arms or legs. Just until we know more."

Aeric searches the room, but finds no evidence of mechanical traps or the like.

Moon examines the packs. One of the packs contains a large pillow and two quivers (each containing 10 blunted arrows). The other pack has 2 days’ worth of rations, a full waterskin, and a pair of smokesticks.

Unless there’s more you want to do in this room, there are two doors to choose from to move forward. I’ll wait for 3 players to agree on a direction, or 24 hrs.

Aeric motions to the leftern door and listens without opening it.

perception: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (10) + 3 = 13

Crouching by the bags, Moon frowns at the pillow and runs a thumb over one of the blunted arrows. "Were they expecting to run into skeletons, so they brought blunt arrows? And who brings a pillow instead of bedding?"

She quickly collects the gear the team might need - food, water, and the smokesticks. Seeing Aeric at the western door, she listens at the eastern one.

Perception (East Door): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (19) + 6 = 25

Kazzar nods sadly at Aeric's suggestion regarding the skeletons. "It's a shame Seffie headed back towards the town. She would have been able to give the remains the respect they deserved"

He takes a good look at the bodies, to see if anything about them can provide a clue as to where they came from.

As Moon moves towards the eastern door, Kazzar follows his traveling companion and joins her in listening for any sounds beyond.

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (11) + 6 = 17

Somonti is content to let others listen at doorways, she waits to hear.

"Can you still hear that wailing? I say we find out what or who that is first."

The wailing is clearly coming from the door to the east, but it sounds like it is further than just beyond the threshold. The western door is silent as the grave.

"The eastern door seems like a good place to start to me." Sumak says.

”Agreed.”

Aye, the right it is, lets find and crush trouble.

Oh Lord in Iron, let my steel ring true and my victories reverbate. He says in a short prayer, as he grips his Bardiche once more.

Moon opens the eastern door to inky blackness, and the wailing becomes louder, though still muffled, just a lesser degree.

Does this darkness even best Moon's low-light vision?

Moon stares into the darkness for a moment before looking to her comrades, saying quietly, "If anyone has a light bring it forward but stay well behind me. I only need a little light to see and I'd prefer if we didn't alert anything to our presence if we can."

If no one has a light, she will light a torch and place it behind her before looking into the darkness again.

Does it best Kazzar's darkvision as well? If so, I don't think a little light is going to be enough:)

"Let me take a look then" Kazzar whispers back to Moon. "I shouldn't need any light to see and this way we don't risk alerting anything.

Perception(Darkvision): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (13) + 6 = 19

Sumak will follow the others in quietly.

I have darkvision too if it matters. :D

As the others move towards the dark passage; Somonti draws on her power, pushing her emotional reactions down and dulling them, (manifesting Conceal Thoughts, mainly for RP, 1 hour duration) She then takes a moment to regain her composure, (Regain Psionic Focus) and makes to follow the others.

Kazzar and Sumak peer into the room. Near the door, hidden in the darkness, is a pile of empty saddle bags and three brooms. Beyond, there are several pillars that obscure the rest of the room.

The light coming from outside isn't enough to light this part of the crypt. So, who's going first!

Moon enters the room cautiously - one hand holding the torch, the other holding the three sections of the chained staff still folded.

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (12) + 6 = 18

Kazzar follows along with Moon, club at the ready for any more skeletons. "Even I can't see behind those pillars just ahead. We should be ready for anything."

Moon sees the pile of hidden gear and fits the pieces together - smokesticks, blunt arrows, brooms, and some of Somonti's odd questions. She looks to Sumak behind them, whispering "You were 'attacked' on your way here, weren't you? It was a staged part of the 'quest' though, right? The townsfolk did it. Those brooms and smokesticks. These are more townsfolks, I bet, sent to clean up the tomb and create some scares for the heroes of Kassen... And then something real and bad happened to them."

She nods at Kazzar's advice and presses forward with even more caution. She glances up at the ceiling from time to time, just in case...

I hadn't added the torch yet. It's there now.

With torch lit, Moon peers further into the room. Down the path to her right (bottom on the map), she spies a grey blanket spread on the floor blending into the stone.

perception: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (19) + 3 = 22
Carefull trap, the blanket! Aeric whipsers.

[smaller]maybe we can lure whatever is moaning here![smaller]

Following the direction of Aeric’s gaze, Moon catfoots north around the column before approaching the ‘trap’.

Maybe this is why they brought the pillow – to soften the blow for anyone falling into this pit.

She quickly pulls the blanket off it.

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (6) + 6 = 12

Perception: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5

Sumak contemplates mental disciplines as he wanders slowly after the others.

Beneath the blanket is a pit about 10 feet deep, the bottom fourth being stuffed with pillows. Along the side of the pit hangs a broken trap door. Besides the pillows and the pit, Moon notices a switch in the alcove to her right. Grey circle. The switch is toggled up.

Additionally, as she walks over, the shadows of her move all around the room while the light of her touch bounces of the walls revealing a maze of pillars in this room.

Kazzar signals his animal companions to follow him closely into the new room, and tries to keep up with Moon - making sure to pay attention to any spots where the torch light doesn't quite reach.

Seeing the pillows in the pit, he nods to Moon. "Seems you were right about the townspeople setting things up for the heroes. I guess that's part of our yearly tradition."

He then looks grimly ahead. "There could be more townspeople further inside, trapped by the undead. We should hurry."

The Tian pauses for a moment before responding, "Perhaps. My concern is those townsfolk have been turned into the undead already. Not everything that wails is a person in need."

She points to the switch. "Let's look around this maze a bit more before we try that."

Moon wanders cautiously around to the other side of the pit trap, steps a little further east then double-backs and nods her head towards the south, whispering "Door."

She looks toward the switch and the position of the door - close together separated by a pillar. With the switch 'up', it makes me wonder if that is related to this door in some way. Possibly another simple trap?

It was approximately a double-move to get to my current spot. I know we aren't in rounds but I don't want to get too far ahead of the team's actions.

providing backup, you take point Moon

Aeric follows Akechi at a distance of about 15 feet.

Short enough to be rapidly on hand, but not so close as to invaliate her stealth skills.

Somonti follows behind the others feeling useless again, she'd never explored like this before. She keeps her eyes open, hoping she might be able to spot something the others missed, hoping to prove herself.

Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (20) + 4 = 24 Not expecting to spot anything in particular, just gives an idea of how well she's doing. Quite well it would seem.

Somanti sees quite well indeed. She spots two more traps among the pillars, one of them only visible by a crack of light. These appear as slight indents in the floor indicating trap doors.

Kazzar finds a similar grove. Unfortunately, he finds it with his feet. Immediately, the floor drops out from under him. He tries to jump to safety, but the floor drops before he can push off. Take 4 non-lethal damage.

Pressing on...

Moon inspects the door, looking for any hint of a mundane trap.

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (10) + 6 = 16

With the sheer number of traps they are either spotting or finding (in a more hands-on manner) the Tian considers whether that switch might be something of a shut-off mechanism for all the traps.

If Moons spots a trap on the door, she'll be looking to see if it appears connected to the switch. If that looks to be case, she'll warn the team and then flip the switch before attempting to open the door.

No one wants to help the poor half-orc out of the pit? :P

Climb: 1d20 ⇒ 17
Climb: 1d20 ⇒ 12

Kazzar tries his best to climb out of the pit and rejoin the others.