GM supervillan's 4-26 The Waking Rune [Gameday XII] (Inactive)

Game Master supervillan

”Thats a good question. I’d assume the damage has to be all of one type at the same time, but I can’t be sure…”

I have no idea..l

"Electricity? Oh, I got this!" Pai S. flings out an arm and shoots a blast of electrical energy at the rune.

Electric blast vs. Touch AC: 1d20 + 19 ⇒ (16) + 19 = 35
Empowered electrical damage (Metakinesis): 5d6 + 11 ⇒ (2, 6, 6, 1, 5) + 11 = 31 x 1.5 = 46.5 total damage

"Woohoo!" I'm *useful*! *And* awesome!

Pai Shecks shatters the Rune of Defence with a thunderbolt!

As with the Rune of Alacrity, all that remains is a ghostly green remnant.

Hamish’s eyes go wide at the explosion.

Don’t get on her bad side, that’s for sure.

”Alright, good work. Two out of three gone. Let’s keep checking this hall before going in any doors.”

He peeks around the next corner.

Hamish sees another wall-mounted rune. Amidst the stone figures adorning the rune there is a gleam of metal.

Pai moves forward and looks at the next rune.

Know. Arcana 1d20 + 22 ⇒ (4) + 22 = 26

"Well, I gotta say, that toddler must be able to fly or be really tall or something, 'cause those marks are way up high, you know? I wonder what kind of person they are..." Pai S. seems to be giving this thought as much grave consideration as Pai K. is giving to the meaning of the runes.

"Let's check out all these runes. The more we can disable, I think the better off we are, but don't forget about the door we found too."

Teric tries to help Pai with the intricacy of the rune.

Spellcraft, Aid: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (15) + 10 = 25

Pai K (and Teric)identifies another Rune of Life. As with the previous example, death magic seems to be the way to disable it.

The metal gleam comes from a flail embedded in the wall; the Rune of Life, just like the other great runes that you've seen, is surrounded by lifelike sculptures of angels, demons, devils and other Outsiders, and the flail is wrapped around the neck of a deva, noose-like.

There is yet another great rune on the wall further along the corridor.

Hamish casts a quick spell on the mace.

Spellcraft + GH: 1d20 + 5 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 5 + 2 = 11

”It’s magic, but probably cursed. Everything in here is so intense. Let’s keep working on the runes, then check the doors.”

Arcana + GH next rune down the corridor: 1d20 + 9 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 9 + 2 = 26

Hamish identifies a Rune of Armour: effects that scorch, tear, or sabotage can disrupt and destroy the rune.

Spell craft 1d20 + 20 ⇒ (11) + 20 = 31

”Its a strongly magical flail (+3), but I have no idea how to get it unstuck from there…”

Know. Arcana 1d20 + 22 ⇒ (7) + 22 = 29

”Im guessing fire damage is the way to disrupt the next rune, if anyone has strong flame magic…”

Pai S. is still looking at the deva strangled by the flail. "Ouch. That looks like it hurt. Got anything that needs getting zapped or splashed?" She looks like she's starting to get bored, and that could be...dangerous.

If we get a couple of aids, we might hit the higher DC!

Teric tries to help Pai decipher the rune. "Pai, what about this part of the rune? Could this be part of the disruption?"

Spellcraft, aid: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (5) + 10 = 15

Quiella wrinkles her brow as she looks at the Rune with Pai and Teric, "Good point Teric. That would dovetail with this part over here..."

Quiella, spellcraft, AID, w/guidance: 1d20 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 4 + 1 = 10

Mykel watches over the others in case anything comes at them while focusing on the runes,

Hamish rolled his arcana check for the rune so can’t help (unless it is retroactively applied as an aid). Are the spellcraft aids for the rune too? Cause it looks like the highest rune roll was an arcana check from Pai K.

Hamish adds cynically (from extensive experience), ”I expect the way to get the flail free is wait for the statues to animate and attack us. But if they don’t, can anyone do fire damage to this next rune?”

"Nope!" Pai starts poking around at the flail, 'cause why not?

Perception: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (20) + 15 = 35
We probably know all we can about it already, don't we?

Pai Shecks examines the flail, and finds that it slides into her hands. Almost as if it just wanted to be freed.

Teric isn't the scholar that Pai Kromnite is, but nonetheless his instincts are good.

The following can disable the Rune of Armour: dealing 35 points of acid or fire damage in one round; making a successful DC 35 Disable Device check; or dealing 35 points of piercing or slashing damage from a single attack.

ugh..if it can be crit'ed i can do that much...

Hamish adds, ”If anyone wants to try to chop or stab, I can add some inspiration. If you could disable instead, I could help there too.”

Good Hope and a round of IC would add +4 Hit and Damage on attacks. Inspire Competence would add +3 on a skill check.

"Bah, let's just burn it and move on." Teric sneers and takes a stranglehold on arcane energy before forcing it at the runeplate. It blossoms in fire immediately, surprising those who were standing nearby.

Burning Arc: 10d6 ⇒ (4, 4, 4, 6, 1, 2, 6, 6, 1, 2) = 36

Hamish shrugs, ”Well, that woulda saved us some time if you just did that at the start.”

He moves up the hall and checks out the (presumably) next rune.

Auto Aid Arcana Check on the next rune.

"Oh, hey guys! Anybody want a real sick flail? Like, I have no use for it." Pai S. holds up the flail to show them.

If no one wants it, she'll put it in her handy haversack to sell later.

Quiella stands by, unsure how to help.

Teric's sorcerous flame melts the Rune of Armour. Only a transparent, greenish image remains in its stead.

Scouting the corridor, Hamish spies another rune.

Same DCs as the rest to identify it. There are 2 runes unexamined. You have disabled 3 runes.

Pai trots up to the next rune and tries to identify it.

Know. Arcana with good hope 1d20 + 22 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 22 + 2 = 27

Teric tries to help Pai decipher the rune.

Kn Arcana, aid (GH): 1d20 + 5 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 5 + 2 = 8

Unfortunately, the Trade Prince thinks it has to do with squirrels.

Can you at least find something for me to do? Mykel says with a laugh.

I feel like the stuck wheel on a wagon here...

The next rune is identified as a Rune of Control. It is vulnerable to servant creatures and powerful commands.

”Oh bother…I wish I had studied about this one a little more. It seems to be vulnerable to summoned creatures. I have one monster summoning spell memorized. I can summon a bear that can do its best to beat the tune up. I hope it can do enough damage to deactivate it. Before I do so, does anyone else have a better idea?”

Pai has Monster Summoning V memorized. Anyone else have a summoning spell that might be better here?

The priest shrugs again, so much of this is out of his wheelhouse, ”Not I, servants and summons are not my deal.”

Ive looked at the characters and I don’t see anyone better suited to summon than Pai, so…..

Pai wasn’t confident but she summons a celestial brown bear and commands it to attack the rune, as much as it could until the rune was hopefully disabled.

Quiella continues to stand by with Turin.

No one is paying attention to Pai S. They're all just trying to figure out how to turn that toddler's scribbles into glowy things. Which is cool and all, but boring. She meanders over to Mykel, absently swinging the flail. "Dude, who just leaves a nice weapon lying around like this? Seriously? Look, hold it. It feels nice and heavy right? Like, a good whacker, right? I wouldn't want to get hit by it."

Per Discussion, Pai K summons a Dire Lion.

Pai Shecks and Mykel discuss the finer points of flails, whilst Pai Kromnite calls a hulking lion to attack the Rune focus.

The muscular feline pounces at the stone rune, biting and tearing as if the ancient device were a mortal foe. Gradually, cracks appear in the rune, and in less than a minute the device breaks up completely, leaving only the familiar ghostly image behind.

There's a damage threshold to get over inside 1 minute, but the lion's attacks will do it with time to spare and would most likely succeed even with below average rolls, so you're good.

One unexamined rune remains.

Pai moves to the last rune, after patting her lion friend on the head.

Know. Arcana with good hope 1d20 + 22 + 2 ⇒ (19) + 22 + 2 = 43

Hamish moves around to the last rune and takes a look.

Auto Aid Arcana.

Mykel looks at Pai as she twirls the flail.

Nothing wrong with a good solid weapon. Would be good against undead and constructs. But I'm more of a blade type...

Well, if someone dropped it running from these wards, it makes sense. Or if something else happened...

The last of the runes to be examined turns out to be a third Rune of Life. Finally, after studying all three and putting your heads together, you reach a greater understanding of the Rune and its weaknesses.

The following can disable the rune: dealing 27 points of negative energy damage in one round; bestowing 2 or more negative levels; dealing 3 or more points of ability damage to a single ability score by a poison or disease in one round; or casting a spell at the rune of 4th-level or higher with the death descriptor.

”Aww I can’t do any of that icky stuff. How about the rest of you?

Teric shakes his head. "Though, it's a good thought. Perhaps I should look into picking up something like that later."

Hamish frowns, "Seems like an actual necromancer would be valuable here. Fortunately we don't have one because I would probably not be friendly. Too much dabbling in that kind of thing is quite the opposite of what my Patron supports. But I think we have done enough rune damage, let's try out that door."

Dropping the flail into her handy haversack, Pai chirps: "Oh hey! I've got a scroll of Death Ward. Would that work? It's got 'death', like, right in its name."

Though I'd hate to use it if it wouldn't work after all...

It doesn’t have the ‘death’ descriptor in the spell description, just the title, so I do not think it would work. I’d guess the knowledge Arcana success other Pai had would tell us for sure, hopefully.

It looks like you're ready to try the door. Here is a summary of your current buffs:

Hamish: false life 14hp, longstrider, soothe syrup, alchemical grease
Teric: false life 13hp, defending bone 50hp, mage armour, see invisibility, endure elements
Pai S: elemental overflow
Pai K: overland flight, mage armour
Mykel: -
Quiella: life link (turin, Pai S, Mykel, Hamish)

all: good hope, communal resist fire 30

You've been exploring for 10 minutes, so the only spell that's expired is Good Hope.

Before they try the door, Pai will activate both her elemental defenses. A spinning vortex of water coalesces in front of her like a shield, and her short-cropped hair sticks straight out as tiny arcs of static electricity snap and crack all around her. "Hey! Anybody want a hug?"

Enveloping Winds grants 25% miss chance on ranged projectile attacks and Shroud of Water grants +2 to AC.

When Teric sees Pai prepare, he does so as well.

Cast Fly and Protection from Evil.

We'll open the door tomorrow, make any further prep that you wish to now :)

Hamish holds his shield up, ready for whatever. Or at least at least he hopes he is ready. He didn't really expect a dragon demon goddess on a pyramid earlier.

He declines the hug with wide eyes.