[GameDay XII] DM Carbide's CORE Year of the Shadow Lodge (T8-9) (Inactive)

Game Master John Woodford

Sigil figures the goblin is toast with or without his help and he fans out to his left to make an area affect weapon less tempting. He eyes the dragon and it's rider? warily. If she tries to cast a spell on them, Silgil will cast an Acid Arrow at her to attempt to interrupt the spell.

The dragon is quite dead, and no one appears to be on it. At least, there shouldn't have been...pay no attention to the token off to the side.

Bella reaches out to bless Ibaz with a bit of luck, giving him guidance. She then darts along the wall to get behind Silgil.

@Ibaz: +1 competence bonus on a single attack roll, saving throw, or skill check.

6 rounds of sanctuary left.

Ibaz grins at the goblin. You've made a mistake coming to me!

After charging his fists with raw arcane energy swift action: Arcane Strike he starts pummeling the poor goblin full round action: furry of blows.

Fist Fury (power attack): 1d20 + 9 - 2 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (16) + 9 - 2 + 2 + 2 = 27
Damages, B: 1d10 + 5 + 4 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (10) + 5 + 4 + 2 + 2 = 23
Fist Fury (power attack): 1d20 + 9 - 2 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 9 - 2 + 2 + 2 = 23
Damages, B: 1d10 + 5 + 4 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 5 + 4 + 2 + 2 = 16

Between Ibaz, Khellek, and Sylvester, the last two goblins fall.

Out of combat!

"Quick, my students. We have little time. Onward. The library may be under attack!"

Whether the historian has quite got his priorities right... well.. maybe a matter of perspective.

He does pause for a moment to check for any residual magical auras... such as might be given off by healing potions that the goblins never got a chance to drink.

Detect magic

Silgil keeps one eye on the dragon until it is out of sight, half expecting it to rise up as a dracoliche or something. He hurries over to a room and peers inside, before making his way deeper into the facility.

**House GM Announcement**

Just as the Pathfinders wrap up their respective battles, a great shadow passes over the battlefield. The cause is obvious--an enormous black dragon that sweeps over Skyreach, breathing acid on the defenders in the towers. Its angry roar is almost deafening as it wheels and soars over toward the Mausoleum.
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GMs, the path to the Mausoleum is now open. Once inside, areas D1-D6 are available. Do not begin D7 until instructed to do so.

The party is pausing for a moment to consider whether they really want to follow the dragon or see to the rest of the attackers when a voice calls from the shadows. "Come quickly!" Wedged into one of Skyreach’s darkened doorways is the enigmatic Pathfinder, Osprey. He’s paler than he'd been when the party first encountered him; several arrows pierce his skin, and his hands are smeared with blood. “I have little time to speak; however, I must now burden you with a suspicion that is now a reality.” Lowering his voice to a soft hiss he whispers, “The Shadow Lodge is real." He straightens up, wincing. "I must see to what remains of our Decemvirate. Please--stop whatever Charvion is trying to do at the Mausoleum. Take this, as well. It may help you against him.” He hands over a deck of illusions.

"Oh! Thank you!" Bella says gratefully as he hands over the deck. She passes it to Khellek.
She quickly asks, "What's the Shadow Lodge?"

"They're a group of mostly former Pathfinders who...disagree with how slowly we act to control hazardous artifacts, and how the Decemvirate treats some of its agents. They've begun to recruit from our numbers. It's not that they're actively against us, like the Aspis Consortium: they share many goals with us even as they decry the paths we take towards those goals. Charvion seems to be acting in concert with them."

The Mausoleum appears to have taken some damage--part of the roof has collapsed, and debris fills the courtyard where one can enter. All that pales before the sight of the great black dragon perched on the roof, apparently too large to enter the structure. It appears to be keeping watch in all directions, which may offer a chance for someone to sneak past it.

What is your plan to get by the dragon, or to engage it? There are many other Pathfinders around you, so the creature would be operating in a target-rich environment if a majority of the teams attacked it.

Ibaz has some revenge to take against a dragon and encourage his team to engage!

Silgil is the opposite. He does not have much in the way of spells that will work on a black dragon and would prefer to slip by. He could use his change shape ability but that would only get himself past.

If the party wants to sneak in my character can use the Silent Image spell to create an illusion (like a large chunk of the ceiling to hide behind, some shrubbery, a dust cloud etc). The advantage of this is that if the dragon is occupied (by the other parties) and cannot spend an action to actively disbelieve then it should work flawlessly (no save required).

Sylvester thinks some gnomish trickery is in order to hide the party's approach into the Mausoleum itself.

"I can hide our approach if you like. We can deal with the threat that Osprey has mentioned and leave the dragon to more experienced Pathfinders."

He nods his thanks to Belladonna. "Ahh, a wealth of allies... albeit ones that are not as real as one would hope for."

He eyes up the dragon for a moment.

"Well... the world is filled with the bodies of those who needlessly sought combat with a dragon... and when I say world, I don't mean their graveyards. Little remains of them but their memories.." says the nervous scholar.

"I'm not sure that Bessie would be up for getting through that hide. But I'm not as agile as I once was... my chance of sneaking past is minimal."

Then he grins.

"But If I threw down a card from the deck... " which he is busy eying up.

"That might distract it long enough for us to get past..."

Sylvester nods at the bard,

"Right, I was thinking of using my own abilities (Silent Image is mentioned in the post just above) but the deck can work as well. Or perhaps both of them together?"

Bella raises an eyebrow at Ibaz.
"You want to attack that thing?" she says, pointing at the massive dragon.
"You're braver than I thought. As for me, no way." she waves her hands dismissively.
"I'm not going up against a dragon as big as that."

Bella glances back and forth in thought at the mausoleum and her group a couple times.
"I can instantly teleport myself and two others into the courtyard with dimension door." she states.

"I'm surely not stealthy like a rogue, however, with my longstrider still in effect, I can run really fast if we're gonna make a mad dash to the door."

At Belladonna's words the historian nods. "Wisdom. Knowing that even if one could win a battle, it might lose you the war." intones the elderly man.

"The more distractions the better I think." he agrees with Sylvester.

"But if they don't succeed, we'll need to be prepared to fight. Or maybe flee inside where it cannot follow us."

He slips a bolt into Bessie. "Just in case."

I'm curious... How would drawing a random playing card work in a PbP? Use an online random playing card generator and taking a screenshot?

You'd roll a number between 1 and 34, then count down the list of cards and possible illusions.

If it helps your planning:

One of the other Pathfinders successfully snuck into the courtyard and got the door open!

With a shrug, and seeing that time is of the essence, Khellek draws a card.

With a glance he throws it down picking somewhere that will turn the dragons back on the path to the now open door.

the card: 1d34 ⇒ 19 Queen of Spades... Medusa.

After thrown it down, he does his (poor) best to sneak across the courtyard.
stealth: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6
"Oh look, a statue of the Third head librarian! Did you know that..." D'oh

"Oooh! A medusa. Cool." Bella says in wonder as the medusa appears. She quickly averts her eyes away from the medusa as the creature starts turning Pathfinders all around to stone.
"Oh, no!"
Oh, wait. Would an illusion of a medusa turn people to stone?

She suddenly notices Khellek sneaking off.
"Uh-oh. There goes Khellek." she bites her lip in dismay, hoping the aged librarian makes it to the door. She then turns to the rest of the group. "Who's with me being dimension door'd in?"

She holds out her hands and begins to intone the spell.

She'll take the first two to grab a hand.

An illusion is good but teleportation is better. Sylvester, mounted on Shaggy is quick to grab a hand.

"Sure, take Shaggy and myself with you. Once I am inside I will try to time an illusion of a chunk of the roof to move into the proper position to conceal the movement of the rest of the party."

Once inside Sylvester looks for the opportunity to cast his Silent Image spell.

Early bird gets the worm. :)

With a quick nod of her head and a wiggle of her nose...

*poof!*

Bella, Sylvester, and Shaggy disappear then reappear in the courtyard of the mausoleum.

**House GM Announcement**

Braving the dragon’s wrath, a team of Pathfinders has forced open the door to the mausoleum!
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GMs, the door to the mausoleum is now unlocked.

Khellek, Ibaz, on me and we can join them.

Once they join him, Silgil will use his arcane bond to cast dimension door.

Ibaz grunts but agrees with his comrade to avoid the dragon.

I will get you one day!

He joins Silgil

With a regretful sigh, Khellek joins Silgil and Ibaz., "I knew that statue was around somewhere, but have never actually seen it. I suppose I must be a bit set in my ways, always taking the same route." he mutters, shaking his head.

"We really must come back this way once all these events are over, as there were some very interesting inscriptions that I didn't get a chance to read."

Happy to DD

Silgil used his arcane bond with his staff to move them into the courtyard.

The party hustles through the open doors, leaving the illusory medusa (say that three times fast) behind to face the wrath of the dragon.

The complex of rooms on the other side of the doors contains large steel surgical tables. Their perimeters are lined with additional work areas whose tables are covered with texts, surgical instruments and tools, alembics, scales, abacuses, and similar devices used in alchemical and biological tests. The rooms also hold barrels of wash water, along with bottles of various fluids and salts used in sterilization and embalming. The center of the floor contains a drain for run off, as well as a few waste buckets. There are no signs of any enemies here, and the Pathfinders who preceded the party have moved on. There are passages leaving the dissection rooms to the west and north.

Where to?

"Beware undead." warns the scholar.

"Surely this place was used for the preparation or examination of dead bodies."

"Let us see if there are other exits that are not guarded by a dragon."

He points to the west. "Lead on my students. I have Bessie here and ready if there is any trouble."

Silgil forges ahead, headed west as suggested.

Agreed.

Ibaz moves west.

Khellek follows his two students to the west with Bessie loaded and ready...

Sylvester taps himself with his cure wand attempting to heal the scratch left behind by the nasty goblin. The wand triggers healing him completely. The sorcerer puts his wand away.

UMD DC 20,Heroism: 1d20 + 16 + 2 ⇒ (17) + 16 + 2 = 35

CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 9

He steers Shaggy in the correct direction easily keeping up with Khellek.

Bella follows the group, heeding Khellek's words about possible undead creatures.

This cavernous hallway is contains a number of elaborate skeletal displays. The reassembled creations consist of both accurate assemblies and imaginative creation built from the bones of multiple specimens. Several large, glass cylinders contain colonies of dermestid beetles for cleaning bones. Several have actively decaying specimens. Arches along the side lead to small workstations. Near the back sits another, larger work area filled with kilns, a hearth, and some large iron vats. In the middle of the floor, six corpses lie piled together in a pool of blood.

As the party enters, the tittering sound of goblin laughter fills the air. With a heave, three of the little nuisances push over several of the glass beetle tanks, sending a swarm of flesh-eating insects and the remains of their current meals across the floor!

Round 1:

Initiative order
Khellek
Goblins
Sylvester
Swarm
Silgil
Ibaz
Bella

Khellek is up! Note that with the slop of decaying flesh on the floor, the entire room is affected as by a grease spell.

Goblins: AC ? T ? FF ? HP taken - Yellow: 0 Green: 0 Blue: 0
Swarm: AC ? T ? FF ? HP taken: 0

The elderly scholars reflexes... at least when it comes to getting out of harms way.. are superb.

"Be quick my students. The swarm will devour us all if you don't wipe it out quickly."

Inspire courage +2 to hit and damgae

T10 on appropriate knowledge to see if there are any immunities, resistances or vulnerabilities that he can tell the team about with respect to the beetle swarm.

With the words of advice said, he raises Bessie and fires at the closest goblin.

attack, cover,IC: 1d20 + 8 + 2 - 4 ⇒ (15) + 8 + 2 - 4 = 21
damage: 1d8 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 1 + 2 = 7

The swarm is immune to weapon damage and mind-affecting effects.

Khellek's crossbow bolt drops one of the goblins.

More to come.

Long day at work; this is my first real chance to post.

Round 1 (ongoing):

Initiative order
Khellek-acted
Goblins-acted
Sylvester
Swarm
Silgil
Ibaz
Bella

One of the goblins slips and falls, spitting curses while the other laughs. The still-upright one shoots an arrow at Ibaz and actually hits the half-orc for 3 HP, unless you have an ability that lets you use your Deflect Arrows feat while flat-footed. Then it backs away from the fight.

Sylvester is up!

Goblins: AC 16 T 13 FF 14 HP taken - Yellow (prone): 0 Green: 0 Blue: dead
Swarm: AC ? T ? FF ? HP taken: 0

Sylvester steers Shaggy into the room while casting a spell of his own. As soon as the spell completes he wheels the dog around and leaves the room entirely.

His last Fireball of the day engulfs the swarm and both goblins.

Fireball, Reflex DC 19, Draconic Bloodline: 6d6 + 6 ⇒ (3, 4, 1, 4, 2, 5) + 6 = 25

The concentration for casting whilst riding is automatic as is the ride check to guide Shaggy with only his knees.

Shaggy has to make an Acrobatics check to move in the room, and can only move at half speed due to the grease effect.

Shaggy tries not to fall over. He slows down but is still able to easily complete his task.

Acrobatics check DC 10 for Grease: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (6) + 6 = 12

I kept the same roll but I changed the modifier from Reflex save to Acrobatics. I moved them back on the map to reflect his reduced movement for the turn. :)

Round 1 (ongoing):

Initiative order
Khellek-acted
Goblins-acted
Sylvester-acted
Swarm-acted
Silgil
Ibaz
Bella

Sylvester's spell incinerates the two remaining goblins and takes out a fair number of dermestids as well. However, enough of the swarm was under broken glass or other objects that the bulk of the creatures survived. The carpet of coleopterans crawls forward over Ibaz, Khellek, and Bella, their mandibles inflicting innumerable bites on the trio. Take 7 HP, plus DC 15 Fort save or nauseated for the next round.

Silgil, Ibaz, and Bella can act!

Swarm: AC ? T ? FF ? HP taken: 18

**House GM Announcement**

A loud crash shakes the whole building, followed by a triumphant cry.

The constant sounds of the dragon moving about on the roof have gone quiet. The beast is dead!
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GMs, the dragon is dead. The courtyard (D3) is now safe.

fort: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (16) + 6 = 22

"I wonder if these are related to the ossarni variety.." he muses and then starts to swat at the swarm as it covers him.

"Argh, get them off!"

Aren't we supposed to make an initial Reflex save against the grease effect?

"Eww! Ouch! Gah! They're eating me alive!!!”
Fortitude vs. poison: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (5) + 7 = 12
With the stinky, slippery goop under her fee and covered in welts from the flesh eating bugs, Bella staggers to a corner to get away from the swarm.
Acrobatics, DC 10: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (9) + 2 = 11

"Hit 'em with fire!!!” Bella calls out. She suddenly feels the bile rising in her belly...
"HOARFFFF!”
And projectile vomits from the toxin flowing through her veins.

Fortitude: 1d20 + 9 + 2 ⇒ (16) + 9 + 2 = 27

Knowing that he will not be able to hurt the vermines, he moves away!

Acrobatic DC10: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (9) + 10 = 19

I do not believe Silgil is in the room yet so no acrobatics roll or anything, right?

"Recalcitrant buggers, but I think I have just the thing."

Silgil moves until he is by an opening that allows a clean line of fire and activates his staff to unload a DC 15 burning hands on the persistent swarm.

fire damage: 5d4 ⇒ (1, 2, 3, 3, 3) = 12

You're right, Bella. Everyone, please make a DC 12 Reflex save or fall over at the start of the round. However, it's not a Fort save vs. poison, but against distraction.

Silgil sends a fan of flames into the swarm, which takes some damage from it. As Ibaz and Bella retreat from the swarm, they find that large numbers of the beetles cling to them, continuing to bite (though the loss of the beetles clinging to them has visibly reduced the size of the swarm).

Round 2:

Initiative order
Khellek
Sylvester
Swarm
Silgil
Ibaz
Bella

Khellek is up! Observing what happened to Bella and Ibaz, the scholar recalls that the beetles on them can be destroyed by any area of effect damage or high winds, or can be removed with a full-round action and a Reflex save. He also remembers that the entire swarm can rapidly devour helpless or nauseated creatures, doing more damage to such targets.

Swarm: AC ? T ? FF ? HP taken: 33