DM Carbide's Round-Robin From the Tome of Righteous Repose (Inactive)

Game Master John Woodford

Round 2 (ongoing):

Initiative order
Ash
Zeta
Shenendril-moved
Ryskovich-holding attack
Camina-delaying
Enemy
Sakura

Camina holds, listening. Ryskovich readies an attack, also listening and only hearing party members in his vicinity. Shenendril looks around the corner and finds herself face-to-face with a small humanoid figure completely wrapped in ragged clothing that only leaves its hands and eyes exposed. It holds a kukri in one hand.

Shenendril, you can take a standard action. Ash and Zeta can act!

"Hello. Sorry if we've surprised or interrupted you. We thought this place was deserted. I mean...it's a crypt so...you can see why we might make that assumption... Do you mind if we look around?" Shenendril says, loudly enough her companions can easily hear her so they'll know she is talking to someone.

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (19) + 10 = 29

The creature does not immediately react.

Ash and Zeta?

Ash nudges Ryskovych a little. "So you staying, then?"

I wanted to help others get out of the darkness bubble. If they want to.

Hearing the sounds of conversation, Zeta walks forward. Even without seeing who the conversation is with, she decides to support a peaceful resolution of the situation. Hey! We're just exploring this place and we don't wish anyone any harm.

Diplomacy, Aid: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (16) + 7 = 23

The creature still hasn't reacted.

Ash?

Since Ryskovych is not moving, Ash will let go and head upstairs to help Shenendril if needed.

Round 2 (ongoing):

The figure strikes at Shenendril with its kukri, hitting the occultist for 2 HP, plus a DC 15 Fort save or take 2 points STR damage.

Sakura can act, followed by the rest of the party!

Ryskovich will head out of the globe of magical darkness, towards the sounds of combat. He isn’t able to see anything as he brushes past his own ally while stumbling forward.

Hey, ally, where is the threat?

still hoping my stealth check of 14 prevents the creature from seeing me and getting an AOO? Either way I’m gonna take a random swing

falcata: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (1) + 12 = 131d6 + 7 ⇒ (6) + 7 = 13
blind miss chance 1-50 miss: 1d100 ⇒ 48

Ryskovich, keep in mind that you move at half-speed through areas in which your vision is impaired. You may not be able to reach the fight and still attack.

then I will just double move out of the darkness

A double move east doesn't quite get you out of it, unfortunately.

I have Fleet of Foot so I move at 30’. Double is 60’

Sakura moves forward to the creature.

Double move. Provoke AoO.

The creature tags Sakura on the way by for 2 HP.

Round 3 (ongoing):

Covered by Sakura's advance, Ryskovich leaves the volume of darkness.

Everyone but Sakura and Ryskovich can act!

Camina double moves. Unaware of where the knife wielding maniac is, she steps past them and ends up next to Sakura. AoO?

Camina would take an AoO, but it doesn't have Combat Reflexes and Sakura took its AoO for the round. (I think the limit is one per span from one of its actions to the next.)

Bite (PA): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (20) + 8 = 281d3 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 + 1 = 5
Crit?: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (14) + 8 = 221d3 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 + 1 = 4

Vellestir swiftly flies over the heads of the allies, swoops down and bites into the creature right in the face! After this maneuver, he flies away like lightning, and blood drips from his maw...

Flyby, speed 60

Zeta, as usual, smiles crookedly, with her whole appearance as if saying "you didn't expect this from such a small ally, yes?", and then strikes with a halberd.

Mwk Halberd (PA): 1d20 + 5 + 2 ⇒ (17) + 5 + 2 = 241d10 + 6 ⇒ (9) + 6 = 15

Vice versa it would be even more fun, with the halberd crit x3. But still, I'm happy.

It's a moot point.

Blade and fang strike home, and the creature falls. As it does so, though, its body implodes with a crack that echoes through the ancient halls.

Out of combat! Everyone but the horse takes 5 points of sonic damage, plus a DC 13 Fort save or deafened for 7 rounds. Since nothing is going to attack in that time, though, it doesn't matter.

fort: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (5) + 7 = 12

Ryskovich feels his ears, and looks at his fingers to see blood. He then panics as he cannot hear anything…

Guys…hey…what’s going on!?as he wipes the drips of blood from his fingertips. To him he is just speaking…but everyone feels as if he’s screaming. He then uses his hands to try to explain that he cannot hear anything ever since there was a loud explosion.

"Well that was just rude!" Shenendril declares, examining the wound left by the beastly man.

Fort save: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (8) + 3 = 11

Fort save (2): 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (19) + 3 = 22

"Whoa...guys...I don't feel so great..."

She goes ahead and heals her wound.

CLW: 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 3 = 7

"Anyone else or are you guys feeling strong enough to continue without healing?"

Sakura breathes heavily.

"What exactly is this actually?"

"Very strange. What is it about dungeons that makes people so reflexively hostile?"

Shenendril, make another DC 15 Fort save or take another point of STR damage. This is a poison effect, and will take a total of six rounds or one successful save to clear.

Sakura finds nothing left of the body, only the rags it wore, the kukri, a pouch holding some platinum pieces, a valuable-looking necklace, and a small vial half-full of a sticky black substance.

The room it was in is a long hall filled with niches, each holding an urn. As far as can be told from a cursory check, none of the urns are identical. On the north end of the hall is a raised platform with a faded red symbol painted on the floor. Sakura recognizes elements of the symbol as Tien characters that translate to something like "peaceful journey," combined in a way that's esthetically pleasing.

Sakura translates for everyone.

She tries to understand what the vial contains.

craft alchemy : 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (4) + 7 = 11

Also she tries to understand what else can be learned.

knowledge modifiers : 1d20 ⇒ 11

Fort Save: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (8) + 3 = 11

Shenendril feels a little bit weaker and leans against the wall as she explores.

She tries to determine if the urns are burial urns. That would actually be good news since it's very hard for corpses to reanimate when they're only ash.

Knowledge(Religion): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (14) + 8 = 22

Fort Save: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (12) + 3 = 15

Shenendril feels a little bit weaker and leans against the wall as she explores.

She tries to determine if the urns are burial urns. That would actually be good news since it's very hard for corpses to reanimate when they're only ash.

Knowledge(Religion): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (11) + 8 = 19

Sakura doesn't recognize the material in the vial.

She and Shenendril confirm that the urns are used for the ashes of cremated individuals, presumably Tien warriors in the Shining Crusade.

After four minutes the darkness dissipates.

Fort: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (19) + 7 = 26

The implosion leaves some ringing in Ash's ears. He mawps once or twice, then it's gone.

"Rude, and weird." he mumbles to nobody in particular.

"Is everyone-" his question is interrupted by Ryskovych shouting from the hall. He runs to the halfling to check on him, and shows him a thumbs up.

"Yeah, I think we're good. Shenendril? You hurt?"

Everyone but Sakura's horse is at least slightly wounded.

Where to now? This hall opens onto the large chamber that the party entered through; you can return to the way you were going, and there's also the narrow branch to the south.

"I mean I can walk."

He pulls out a wand, in case someone is interested.

HP 28/33

Fort: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (16) + 3 = 19

"You can save that for now but I'll take it for when it's needed," Shenendril says to Kridash.

She lays one hand on his shoulder and transmit some healing energy into him and takes the wand from him with the other hand.

Flesh Mend: 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4

"I'm just feeling a little weak," she says with a small, apologetic smile. "I think that blade was poisoned, but the worst has past."

Zeta, having recovered from the ringing in her ears, looks uncertainly at her comrades. Friends. And which of you knows how to use healing wands? She hesitantly takes out her infernal healing wand and looks around at all the companions.

"Ahh." Kridash sighs with relief. "I mean I wasn't too hurt, but that is better. Thank you."

He still holds the wand in the air for anyone interested. "Not me, Zeta. Sorry. I am but a simple physical person. Not much magic hiding in this body."

HP 32/33

"I have always felt a connection to the shadow magics, but I do not know how to use this wand," Camina says in her curious way of speaking.

Shenendril takes the wand offered by Zeta. She frowns and shakes it a few times.

"No, this one's broken," she says and hands it back then rests her hand on the woman and pulses some healing energy into her.

Flesh Mend: 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 3 = 9

Turns out, infernal healing isn't on the Occultist Spell list.

I'm sure everything is working, but thank you for healing. It is also required to Vellestir.

What now?

Now, we eat cake.

Ash comes up to Shenendril with the wand. "Please, use this to heal who you can. I insist." he smiles at the sylph. "Better do it now when we don't need it than to keel over in case of another attack."

I am missing 1 hp, which is honestly fine. But most of the party is missing more.

the large area where the horse is?

After the party has healed up as best they can (roll the heals and mark off the charges), Ryskovich leads the way to rejoin Sakura's horse. Nothing moves in the room; a statue of an elven-appearing woman with the lower body of a snake lies crumbled at the east end, and dozens of fist-sized nooks line the walls near the statue.

An occasional scraping sound can be heard from the north.

healing: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7

"Do you guys hear that?"

kn planes : 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (17) + 10 = 27

Sakura, roll your healing.

clw: 3d8 + 3 ⇒ (1, 4, 7) + 3 = 15

Knowledge (Planes): 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (4) + 10 = 14

Shenendril heads north towards the sound. "It's either something interesting or dangerous," she says with a shrug. "Either way, I'd rather find out now than later."

"Based on what we experienced here so far..." Ash chuckles "...probably both. Let's find out?"

He puts the wand back and starts moving towards the direction of the noise.

Shen and Ash descend the stairs into a large room. Its vaulted ceiling is at least as high as the ceiling in the hall the pair descended from, and it rises another ten feet or so to a peak over the middle of the room. A raised dais fills the east end, and a large-gold-flecked stone basin sits in the middle of the dais. Mystical symbols painted on the basin glow, shedding an amber-colored light over the scene. Six scorch marks mar the floor of the chamber, all angling from the dais into the gallery.

A medium-sized reptilian creature is coiled on the dais next to the basin. It's hard to tell in the light, but its body appears to be black and the frills decorating its skull and spine are a dark red. It snarls in anger, the frills on its skull opening in a clear threat display.

Round 1:

Initiative order
Camina
Enemy
Ryskovich
Shen
Zeta
Sakura
Ash

Camina can act! Note that she starts outside the room.

Enemy: AC ? T ? FF ? HP taken: 0

Camina moves in and takes total defense.