GM Numbat PFS1 7-02 Six Seconds to Midnight (Inactive)

Game Master numbat1

What is it they say about trying the same thing time after time, expecting different results?

Flurry of Blows Attack on Blue with Inspire Courage and Prayer: 1d20 + 6 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (19) + 6 + 3 + 1 = 29
Bludgeoning damage, counts as Magic: 1d8 + 3 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 3 + 3 + 1 = 11

Flurry of Blows Attack on Blue with Inspire Courage and Prayer: 1d20 + 6 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 6 + 3 + 1 = 11
Bludgeoning damage, counts as Magic: 1d8 + 3 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 3 + 3 + 1 = 12

I suspect one hit, finally

Ferdrin, pointing one arm at the flaming sphere, directs it to follow the same creature.

Flaming sphere round: 6/6
[move] Flaming sphere 30 ft to PURPLE
Fire damage PURPLE, DC17 reflex negates: 3d6 ⇒ (1, 4, 4) = 9

After the creature is forced to content with the ball of flame, it winks out of existence. He draws his crossbow...

[move] Draw light crossbow

Despite the watery shield surrounding Blue, Lu Yan’s perseverance pays off as he knocks the Vexgit out cold –– and wet.

The Scaled Fist has a little trouble pulling his appendage out of the churning water-wheel, but eventually succeeds.

Ferdrin copies the faerie’s trick, rolling his mini-fireball through the red portal and out the blue in pursuit of Purple.

flaming sphere SR: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (17) + 6 = 23 (success)

Purple Reflex DC 17, prayer, modifier added off screen: 1d20 ⇒ 15 (success)

Unfortunately, the mini-sun collapses to nothing without harming the Purple vexgit.

Round #6:

Party Buffs: Inspire Courage +3/+3, prayer +1/+1 (4/6), they stack!

Dhovahk
--
Green unconscious
Pink drowned
Blue unconscious, in danger of drowning inside the aqeous orb.
Purple -23
Red unconscious
--
Lu Yan -15 - 4 - 2 = -21
Eltran -16
Cade -24 -1 NL, need a DC 15 Reflex save
Ferdrin
--
Orange Gloom Dragon
Yellow Gloom Dragon -8 NL

Eltran + Cade!

DC 15 Reflex save vs Gloomdragon's flaming sphere please, Cade

Battle Map!

Reflex: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (14) + 6 = 20

"Ferdrin, what gives? Careful with those!" yells Cade as he dodges the next sphere to enter the courtyard.

Move out of the grease and flaming sphere to chase purple, single attack.

Do I need to acrobatics moving into an ungreased space?
Acrobatics: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8

If yes, Cade is stuck there and will opt to pick up his other weapon. Else, he'll attack.
cold iron kukri, party bonus, power attack, prayer: 1d20 + 10 + 3 - 2 + 1 ⇒ (11) + 10 + 3 - 2 + 1 = 23
damage: 1d3 + 5 + 3 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 5 + 3 + 4 + 1 = 16

Eltran continues to inspire but delays otherwise.

“You are great!!“ he shouts.

Sounding like he’s over it, Cade abuses the wrong spellcaster, two-steps out of the grease and stabs his kukri into the nub that connects the purple Vexgit’s head with its torso.

The gremlin drops like a grocery-sized bag of spuds.

1d20 ⇒ 18

Blue succumbs to Dhovahk’s watery death trap and drowns.

Never again shall an Embeth ranger wake up to find his boots full of deer crap, his ale drunk and his wolf molested by the little fey.

🐉

You hear high-pitched *gasps* and a rapid flapping of wings heading east and west, which gradually recede.

If you’d like to take a round of actions against these sounds, feel free.

Otherwise, we are OUT OF COMBAT.

On cue, Chunhua trots onto the battlefield, her mouth opening and closing as she takes in the carnage.

"Far out! Good job, guy... Ooh, Cade! That looks ouchy."

She pulls a scrap of papyrus out of a side pocket and presents it to the others.

“I haven’t been idle. I had one of the Oaken Knot regulars draw me a map of what the Clock Tower looked like a decade ago.”

“If you tip the drawing 90° clockwise, the floor plan looks exactly like a frog blowing bubbles!”

She looks expectantly at you. “That’s gotta be a clue, right?”

🐸

"What are we doing next?"

Could someone who can cast Cure Spells use this wand on me a few times. I am pretty good at doing it myself, but if there are people who can do it naturally, it is easier.

Average wand healing out of combat? Or roll each charge? I forget

Wasn't there someone sneaking into the tower we need to pursue?

He will use his wand of Mage Armor while the discussion occurs.

"Indeed." Dhovahk draws the healing power from Lu's wand like water from a well and bathes the battered warrior with it.

Wand Charge Healing: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5
Wand Charge Healing: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 = 8
Wand Charge Healing: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7

That brings me to -1, which should be fine for now.

Loot the bodies! Ferdrin proclaims as he approaches the downed fey bodies.

DC15 Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (19) + 4 = 23

He finds the things: 3 potions of cure light wounds, 3 soothe syrups
----------------
Frog... blowing bubbles? Ferdrin gives Chunhua a stern, dubious, look.

I know the fey are zany, but that seems like a stretch.

Still thinking more on "what's next"

Wasn't there someone sneaking into the tower we need to pursue?

At Dhovahk's 'Indeed' comment, Chunhua shrugs. "Works for me."

Frog... blowing bubbles?

"Are you saying my map DOESN'T look like a frog blowing bubbles, Freddy?"

Chunhua looks somewhat offended. "Can we argue about it walking?"

Yes yes, very well. I'm not saying it doesn't look like a frog, and that it isn't blowing bubbles. I just think it's a coincidence! Anyway, I don't want to upset you... let's just focus on the next location.

Ferdrin seems exasperated and ready to leave the subject behind.

Standing at the base of the Uringen Clock Tower, the party can look up at the five-story edifice.

Like much of the rest of the structure, the walls of the ground floor are made of solid granite, apart from a pair of solid oaken double-doors in the western face, and two or three stone windows set in each wall, made of a translucent white rock.

What do you do, Pathfinders?

Map!

Auto success

“Hey look!! The 'window' rock is quartzite, and is probably designed to let light in from outside, while preventing those outside from seeing or getting in.
The quartzite is just as thick and hard as the main granite walls, and will be very difficult to get through.
By the way. Did you see these strange things up on the tower where they should not be axle to get into a window?!?“ he asks.

"Maybe we should hold the map to the 'window' and see if anyone behind it can settle the frog issue? Maybe they'll be distracted at least trying to puzzle it out." snarks Cade.

Also auto-succeeds.

Ferdrin is somewhat intrigued by Cade's suggestion.

It can't hurt the map! I think.

He retrieves the map and holds it up to one of the quartzite windows. If nothing happens, he shrugs and puts it away.

Ferdrin would then like to try the double doors, but he first looks them over for traps.

Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 4 = 20

and scans them with detect magic. If clear, he throws them open.

Holding up the ‘frog map’ to one of the quartzite windows doesn’t really do anything.

“Did you want me to help you look for traps, Freddy?”

An amused Chunhua’s offer comes too late, as after not finding any traps, Ferdrin throws open the double-doors.

⚡

The pungent scent of ozone and fresh rain fills the room. Arcs of purple energy ripple from between the Clock Tower’s gears and the white stones set in a wide round pattern on the Tower’s floor. The red and blue portals first seen on the Town Square are also present.

From above, the screeching sounds of metal twisting and wood breaking echoes down.

The other feature of the room is the multitude of gears lying centrally on the floor. They are spinning rapidly.

Please place yourself where you’d like to be on the map.

I’ll update us shortly, and you probably don’t want me placing your PC’s token on the map for you 😉

Knowledge (Arcana): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (5) + 7 = 12

Sigh, and so it continues

Positioned

Eltran and Lu Yan stroll bravely into the ground floor room. Chunhua follows more cautiously.

The Scaled Fist approaches a stores pile lying haphazardly in the south-west corner, when a large hessian sack rises from the ground, OPENS ITS EYES(!!) and regards the monk brazenly …

Knowledge (arcana) to figure out what is going on with this hessian sack.

Party Buffs:

Eltran -16
Dhovahk
Chunhua
Lu Yan mage armor, 0 - 1 = -1
Cade -24 -1 NL
Ferdrin
--
Bad Sack (Red)

Party up!

The Battle Map is also in my header.

Knowledge(Arcana): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (12) + 7 = 19

I don't know if I learned anything, but here I go

Free action to form claws.

Five foot step to the bag

Two strikes with claws

Attack roll with claws: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (18) + 1 = 19
Piercing and Slashing damage: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4

Attack roll with claws: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (9) + 1 = 10
Piercing and Slashing damage: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3

and we'll see if that does anything.

I'm assuming downing a potion or two beforehand would be ok:
CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6
CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 9
This will bring Cade up to -9.

Is this bag flying or is it moving Oogie Boogie style?

"Right behind you Lu Yan," Cade says as he unsheathes his kukri and darts towards the animated bag.

Melee +1 kukri, power attack, risky striker: 1d20 + 11 - 2 ⇒ (2) + 11 - 2 = 11
damage, power attack, risky striker: 1d3 + 6 + 4 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 6 + 4 + 4 = 16

Cade has -2 to AC this round...

“Good thing you claimed those healing potions before, Cade.”

Lu Yan suspects the Sack is an animated object, created by the amount of First-World energy *crackling* about in the Tower. one question

Cade and Lu Yan maneuver into position, but only the monk manages to land a single shearing strike to the sack’s center.

“Hey, I’m gonna check out how these blue and red portals work, guys.”

Chunhua steps through a portal and promptly disappears.

Initiative Round #1:

Knowledge (arcana) to figure out what is going on with the animated bag.

Party Buffs:

Eltran -16
Dhovahk
Chunhua
Lu Yan mage armor, 0 - 1 = -1
Cade AC -2, -24 + 6 + 9 = -9
Ferdrin
--
Bad Sack (Red) -4

Eltran, Dhovahk & Ferdrin are go!

The Battle Map is also in my header.

As the chaos begins, Ferdrin calmly looks around, scanning the contents of this room.

Knowledge (arcana) DC 15: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (11) + 11 = 22
Auto-succeeds Knowledge (engineering) DC 11

The white stones are likely the original Faerie circle the Tower was built over. The ring of purple energy though dramatic, appears harmless. Oh, and making contact with the various gears, cogs and sprockets would probably cause severe injury. Don't do that.

He turns to face the animated sack.

What nonsense is this? he asks sternly.

Bad Sack, Knowledge (arcana): 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (10) + 11 = 21

He mutters an incantation and a shimmery platter of force appears in front of him, but then fades from view a bit.

[standard] Cast shield

Ferdrin can confirm ‘Nonsense’ is an animated object. one question

The arcanist then ✨casts a defensive spell.

Initiative Round #1:

Knowledge (arcana) to figure out what is going on with Sackville-Baggins.

Party Buffs:

Eltran -16
Dhovahk
Chunhua
Lu Yan mage armor, 0 - 1 = -1
Cade AC -2, -24 + 6 + 9 = -9
Ferdrin shield
--
Bad Sack (Red) -4

Eltran & Dhovahk are up!

The Battle Map is also in my header.

Question: special defenses

Ferdrin doesn't think the sack has any Special Defenses.

So no fast healing, regeneration, evasion, or the like.

Dhovahk raises his hands, and his shape begins to ripple and waved as if being viewed through the surface of a running stream. When the image solidifies again, it is no longer the undine standing there, but a frog the size of a horse! Ponderously it clambers inside the chamber, webbed feet making wet smacking sounds against the stone of the tower.

Wild Shape to Goliath Frog, then move.

Eltran starts to inspire courage with his horn!!

“Get the thing!!“ and he steps away into a portal.

Dhovahk wildshapes into a grand frog and flipper-flaps towards the action.

Eltran gets on his horn again, and steps into a portal.

✨

alpha: 1d2 ⇒ 1

The sack strikes out at Cade. There is some force behind the blow, probably based on the materials inside it.

slam on Cade: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (12) + 9 = 21
damage + grab: 1d8 + 9 ⇒ (3) + 9 = 12

grab CMB on Cade: 1d20 + 21 ⇒ (1) + 21 = 22 *fail*

Question: Special Attacks?

Just in case it comes up, because it is a big sack, Lu Yan has Resisting Grappler which means he not only gets an AoO against a grab in most cases, he gets to add 5 to the damage to add to his CMB against the Grab.

Lu Yan recalls animated objects like this large sack have a number of special attacks:
• A creature grappled by a supply sack cannot speak or cast spells with verbal components.
• Grappled victims are constricted by the sack
• It may have caustic contents which do an addition d4 acid PLUS d4 fire to constricted victims
• The sack can spit out its contents as ranged attacks. Its contents may include conventional or alchemical weapons.

Chunhua is still nowhere to be seen.

Initiative Round #2:

Knowledge (arcana) to figure out what is going on with the sack.

Party Buffs: inspire courage +3/+3

Eltran -16
Dhovahk wildshaped
Chunhua
Lu Yan mage armor, 0 - 1 = -1
Cade -24 + 6 + 9 - 12 = -21
Ferdrin shield
--
Bad Sack (Red) -4

Party up!

The Battle Map is also in my header.

Hi GM, I would step into the door that Eltran is in now and I did not now that I can decide where to come out. I indicated the arrows.

A long, sticky tongue lashes out over Lu and Cade’s heads.

Tongue, IC: 1d20 + 4 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 4 + 3 = 8

Apparently it’s a bad day for grapplers all over. XD

The Grand Frogger is never beaten but often licks.

Sadly not this time though.

Initiative Round #2:

Party Buffs: inspire courage +3/+3

Eltran -16
Dhovahk wildshaped
Chunhua
Lu Yan mage armor, 0 - 1 = -1
Cade -24 + 6 + 9 - 12 = -21
Ferdrin shield
--
Bad Sack (Red) -4

Party up! (except Dhovahk)

The Battle Map is also in my header.

Lu Yan continues his attack, now with Inspire Courage, at the bag

Attack roll with claws: 1d20 + 1 + 3 ⇒ (13) + 1 + 3 = 17
Piercing and Slashing damage: 1d4 + 1 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 1 + 3 = 7

Attack roll with claws: 1d20 + 1 + 3 ⇒ (9) + 1 + 3 = 13
Piercing and Slashing damage: 1d4 + 1 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 1 + 3 = 5

The accuracy of Lu Yan’s clawed-strikes continue to improve, even though he only manages to land one hand on the bag.

Round #2:

Party Buffs: inspire courage +3/+3

Eltran -16
Dhovahk wildshaped
Chunhua
Lu Yan mage armor, 0 - 1 = -1
Cade -24 + 6 + 9 - 12 = -21
Ferdrin shield
--
Bad Sack (Red) -11

Eltran, Cade & Ferdrin are go!

The Battle Map is also in my header.

Eltran can luckily use the portal for teleportation and immediately casts a grease spell beneatch the chair.

DC 17 Reflex save.

Reflex DC 17, modifier added off screen: 1d20 ⇒ 16

The sack drops prone harder than Ioborian calculus.

Round #2:

Party Buffs: inspire courage +3/+3

Eltran -16
Dhovahk wildshaped
Chunhua
Lu Yan mage armor, 0 - 1 = -1
Cade -24 + 6 + 9 - 12 = -21
Ferdrin shield
--
Bad Sack (Red) -11, prone

Cade & Ferdrin!

The Battle Map is also in my header.

"If the frog starts blowing bubbles next, I'm going home..." Cade says through exerted breath. Shifting back to regain his stance after the bulky strike, he brings forth both kukri like snake fangs down onto the fallen? oversized burlap bag.

Cade 5' steps, then TWF with power attack, risky striker.

Melee TWF +1 kukri, power attack, party bonus: 1d20 + 9 - 2 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 9 - 2 + 3 = 12
damage, power attack, party bonus, risky striker: 1d3 + 6 + 4 + 3 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 6 + 4 + 3 + 4 = 19

Melee TWF kukri, power attack, party bonus: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (6) + 9 = 15
damage, power attack, party bonus, risky striker: 1d3 + 4 + 2 + 3 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 + 2 + 3 + 4 = 14

That's a lot of low rolls...

The sack should be flammable, right?

The party is starting to get used to Ferdin's common incantations, even starting to recognize some of the somatic gestures. Again, out comes the ball of fire.

[standard] Cast flaming sphere, placed on RED
Flaming sphere round 1/6
Fire damage RED, DC17 reflex negates: 3d6 ⇒ (5, 2, 1) = 8

Cade finds his rhythm and tears two gaping holes in the front of the sack. Some kind of watery, red fluid pours out of the holes splashing the halfling’s feet.

Reflex DC 17 vs flaming sphere, modifier added off screen: 1d20 ⇒ 20

Through no obvious fault of Ferdrin's, the sack and its contents fail to ignite on the flaming sphere.

The fire does start turning some of Cade's watery red liquid into steam though.

The mindless object then gets its long-side upright, provoking AoOs from Lu Yan and Cade.

Unfortunately, Lu Yan’s AoO fails to connect.

C E F LY: 1d4 ⇒ 4

The Sack responds by going after the Scaled Fist.

slam on Lu Yan: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (6) + 9 = 15 (miss, so does not provoke the resisting grappler AoO)
damage + grab: 1d8 + 9 ⇒ (8) + 9 = 17

Round #3:

Party Buffs: inspire courage +3/+3

Eltran -16
Dhovahk wildshaped
Chunhua
Lu Yan mage armor, 0 - 1 = -1
Cade -24 + 6 + 9 - 12 = -21, may take an AoO against Red
Ferdrin shield
--
Bad Sack (Red) -44

Party up! Cade, also has an AoO he can take against Red.

The Battle Map is also in my header.

Perception vs DC 23: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (3) + 18 = 21

The oversized amphibian continues to give the sack a licking - or at least try to.

Tongue, IC: 1d20 + 4 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 4 + 3 = 12

Perception check vs DC 23: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (13) + 11 = 24

I heard a *shriek* from upstairs. Was that Chunhua’s voice?

I don't have enough Sense Motive to make the check in the spoiler

Lu Yan continues to attack the sad sack

Attack roll with claws: 1d20 + 1 + 3 ⇒ (9) + 1 + 3 = 13
Piercing and Slashing damage: 1d4 + 1 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 1 + 3 = 7

Attack roll with claws: 1d20 + 1 + 3 ⇒ (9) + 1 + 3 = 13
Piercing and Slashing damage: 1d4 + 1 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 1 + 3 = 8

Dhovahk and Lu Yan attack with speed, but unfortunately their accuracy is a little off.

Round #3:

Party Buffs: inspire courage +3/+3

Eltran -16
Dhovahk Lick Toad
Chunhua
Lu Yan mage armor, 0 - 1 = -1
Cade -24 + 6 + 9 - 12 = -21, may take an AoO against Red
Ferdrin shield
--
Sad Sack (Red) -44

Eltran, Cade & Ferdrin are go! Cade, may also take an AoO against the Sack.

The Battle Map is also in my header.

Cade attacks the seams of the sack as it staggers to get back up.

AoO
Melee TWF +1 kukri, power attack, party bonus, prone: 1d20 + 9 - 2 + 3 + 4 ⇒ (14) + 9 - 2 + 3 + 4 = 28
damage, power attack, party bonus, risky striker: 1d3 + 6 + 4 + 3 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 6 + 4 + 3 + 4 = 19

perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (1) + 8 = 9

Perception DC 23: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (13) + 4 = 17

Mr. Sacky hasn't fled the flaming sphere, so...

Flaming sphere round 2/6
Fire damage RED, DC17 reflex negates: 3d6 ⇒ (6, 1, 4) = 11

Time to get back to basics!

He starts flipping through his spellbook...

[full round] Quick Study: charm person -> magic missile

R: 1d20 ⇒ 9

Between his opportunistic outrage and full-attacking fury, Cade tears the Sack a new bung hole or three. This occurs just in time for Ferdrin’s fiery force to burn any standing hessian to smoking ash, revealing the big bag’s contents lying in Eltran’s magical grease:

• 4 longswords
• 4 clubs
• 4 alchemist’s fire
• 4 acid flasks
• 4 tanglefoot bags
• 6 small containers of fluid
• sliced-up red wine bladder

OUT OF COMBAT.

“Guys, guys! Can you get up here?”

The voice calling from the second floor is undoubtedly Chunhua’s.

“I’ve found something interesting. I’ve also hurt myself pretty badly, but that’s my own stupid fault.”

Same map ...

Eltran hands his wand over.

“Cab anybody use this to heal me??“

Sense Motive DC 5: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (13) + 1 = 14

That sure sounds like Chunhua. We should probably head up there.

Before he goes up, Lu Yan will attempt to identify Red vial #3 with Perception.