[PbP Gameday XII] PF1 Year of the Shadow Lodge - GM NOWRUZ (Inactive)

Game Master noral

**House GM Announcement**

The host of assembled Pathfinders scramble into action as they collaborate to get everyone to the other side of the massive locked gate. Grappling hooks and rope stream toward the top of the wall while others climb, some magically aided and some not, to the top, ready to affix ropes to help their fellows. Magically aided, one senior Pathfinder flies up to help secure the ropes as well.

Still, many of the more heavily-armored Pathfinders struggle to find their way across the immense gates. A small group gathers at the base of the gates, consisting of an elderly human scholar, a dwarven wizard, a half-orc martial artist, a tall elven woman, and a rather pale-looking rogue. Working together, they set about trying to get the gates open using their combined knowledge of engineering and skullduggery. Some tinker with the lock while others act as guide, advising on what pins and tumblers should be jostled, and when. And just when it seems that their efforts will end in failure, the dwarven wizard utters arcane words and points at the lock. Shockingly, the great lock falls away and, with a heave from the waiting Pathfinders, the immense gates swing open enough to allow entrance!
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Well done, everyone. Table GMs, Area C2 is now open. You have 3 days to run the encounter in Area C2.

Daenerija slashes remaining goblins with her kukri.

kukri: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (10) + 1 = 11
dmg: 1d4 ⇒ 2

Rosla loads her crossbow again, aims at the injured goblin that is still standing and shoots.

Light Crossbow: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (1) + 6 = 7
Piercing: 1d8 ⇒ 3

Fraxon, a little bit ashamed that he couldn't kill a single goblin, hastes, hoping to bring doom and blood to his foes

Double move

Aegis and Malist are up.

The remaining two goblins are still standing and Fraxon is in melee now!

Malist closes the distance and swings his book at the goblins.

Holy Book: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (17) + 4 = 21
Damage, Bludgeoning Non-Lethal: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 3 = 9

Crossbow: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (7) + 6 = 13 Dmg: 1d8 ⇒ 1
Aegis reloads and shoot.

The two goblins immediately drop after these two attacks!!

You look around and see fighting at the mausoleum. And there’s still fighting in the air with flying pathfinder attacking a Dragon far in the sky!

Most of the other structures on the grounds remain unscathed, forgone by the assailants in favor the primary target which is the Mausoleum!

See map of Grand Lodge grounds. We’re at C2.

“Seems the mausoleum is the primary target. We should help, right? Let's move!“

At least that's what I assume we should do...

**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.

"Agreed, we need to make haste...if only to get out of reach of that dragon." Malist says as he heads towards the mausoleum.

**House GM Announcement**

Braving the dragon’s wrath, a team of Pathfinders has forced open the door to the mausoleum!
______________

GMs, the door to the mausoleum is now unlocked.

Aegis points at the door, "Let's get inside and take cover!" and make a run for the mausoleum.

The black dragon is attacking all approaching the building.

She does not, however, pursue individuals who manage to charge into the building, particularly if distracted. While you see that senior Pathfinders are attempting to slay the dragon, you have ample opportunity to sneak or run past the beast and into the Mausoleum.

Your PCs have the opportunity to try to sneak past the dragon with a DC 20 Stealth check, or can make a mad dash into the building. Characters attempting to sneak in must repeat the check each round until successful and then they enter the Mausoleum. If the PCs run for it, their actions automatically attract the dragon’s attention. I’ll tell you what happens then.

All of the areas in the Mausoleum have 30-foot-tall ceilings, and are not lit unless otherwise noted.

"I'll have best chances sneaking." Daenerija whispers and crouches behind obstacles while advancing toward the Mausoleum

Stealth: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (13) + 5 = 18
Stealth: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (17) + 5 = 22

Stealth: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7
Stealth: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (5) + 4 = 9
Stealth: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 4 = 20

"So do I."

Stealth - ACP: 1d20 + 10 - 0 ⇒ (15) + 10 - 0 = 25 (at full speed with no penalty due to Silent Hunter)

Silent Hunter: Elves are renowned for their subtlety and skill. Elves with this racial trait reduce the penalty for using Stealth while moving by 5 and can make Stealth checks while running at a –20 penalty (this number includes the penalty reduction from this racial trait). This racial trait replaces elven magic.

For those that were successful:

D1. The Dissection Rooms

These rooms contain 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.

Aegis will put up Vermin Repellent
Normal-sized (Fine) vermin avoid you. Swarms of vermin must make a successful DC 15 Fortitude saving throw in order to enter your square.

Malist casts a spell of Guidance on those interested, then attempts to rush into the safety of the mausoleum.

Knowing he has next to no chance to be stealthy, Fraxon opts for a more direct approach and runs as fast as he can.

Which isn't really too fast...

Double move

Those that made no stealth please make a reflex save DC 14 half of 2d4 ⇒ (3, 1) = 4 damage.

Ref: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (10) + 1 = 11

A drop of acid hits the dwarf and burns his flesh, right on the left leg. He grimaces and continues running despite the pain, or maybe fuelled by it.

Reflex: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (13) + 1 = 14

"Ah, fascinating. There has to be better ways to learn about their acid though." Malist says wiping off a few small burn holes and blistered patches of flesh.

D2. The Ossuarium

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 is a pool of blood.

D3. Courtyard

The open courtyard is strewn with pools of acid and piled with rubble and other debris. It is lorded over by the dragon Zythrustianax that you saw earlier!!

You can attempt to sneak through this area or run through it just as you could in the introduction, making the same stealth or reflex checks to do so.

~

Where to now? Room to the left (D2.) or right (D3.)?

Aegis have never been to the Mausoleum before, and it sure doesn't look like there will be a tourist info stand around. So, she flips a coin.
1d2 ⇒ 1
"How about we go left?"

Malist prepares Guidance for those attempting the sneak or dash, before going himself.

Reflex: 1d20 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 + 1 = 3

**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.

Stealth: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (1) + 5 = 6
"Yes, going left now." Noise and shaking frighten Daenerija and its hard to sneak in the Ossuarium.

Stealth: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 5 = 12
Stealth: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (18) + 5 = 23

You see that the courtyard is not threatening anymore!

Where to, you can just move through D3.

Never thought I would see a dragon alive in my young years. And never would have thought I would see a dragon killed in my young years.

Fraxon nods at Daenerija

"If the dragon is gone we should probably go to the right. I'll go check it out..."

Rosla sneaks anyhow, just in case.

Stealth - ACP: 1d20 + 10 - 0 ⇒ (12) + 10 - 0 = 22 (at full speed with no penalty due to Silent Hunter)

Stealth: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (11) + 4 = 15
Aegis quietly follows the group to pass the courtyard

You realize that you can get out of the cathedral via the courtyard but that the rest of the mausoleum is accessible through the other side.

You thus decide to move into the other room.

Init(Daenerija): 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (11) + 2 = 13
Init(Aegis): 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 4 = 20
Init(Malist): 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 = 8
Init(Fraxon): 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3
Init(Rosla): 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (20) + 5 = 25
Init(goblins): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (10) + 6 = 16

Malist and Rosla are the only ones that suddenly hear aggressive goblins emerging and they are also the fastest to act.

Aegis and Rosla are up. Surprise round action! Only move or standard action.

Malist shifts around to get a better view of the room.

Aegis move to the corner of the room, crossbow in hands.

The Ossuarium is used to process and display the bones and skeletal structures of creatures. The side workstations contain large workbenches, which are strewn with bones or arrangements of bones.

The benches are equipped with a variety of equipment, such as chisels, hammers, magnifying lenses, glue, wires, and other tools used for reassembling skeletal structures. The back work area contains a number of kilns for drying and preserving samples.

Near the kilns sits an open hearth with a row of cauldrons for boiling off flesh, marrow, and fat from remains.

The corpses lying on the floor are all those of Pathfinders, necromancers who were working during the incursion.

Their slayers are still about, hiding behind the displays. Goblins, waiting to ambush and slay anyone attempting to pass through the room.

They attempt to surprise you, and knock over a swarm of dermestid beetle tanks. The tanks shatter on impact, releasing swarms of hungry beetles!

Initiative

Goblin, yellow
Goblin, red
Goblin, blue

Daenerija
Fraxon
Malist

Swarm

BOLD is up.

Surprise Round:

Rosla moves next to Aegis while drawing her cold iron leafblade.

Regular Round:

The elf doesn't hesitate a bit when the goblins arrive. She dashes forward, stabbing at the foe in yellow rags.

MW cold iron Elven Leafblade: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (5) + 7 = 12 (vs. FF AC)
Piercing: 1d4 ⇒ 3
Sneak Attack: 1d6 ⇒ 6

I really hope that hits...

**House GM Announcement**

With the defeat of the dragon, more and more Pathfinders pour into the mausoleum. With their combined abilities they’re able to overwhelm the remaining hazards and reach the library, where they stand before the door to the inner sanctum. When the door is thrown open, a bizarre sight awaits within.

A strange, metal cage lies sprawled in the center of the room like a great, undulating, skeletal lotus. Long tendrils of translucent ether lash violently from the artifact, while crackles of eerie light dance across the metal frame and up into the ghostly pillar that erupts from the center of the device into the night sky. A dozen bodies surround the pulsating cage, flopping on the floor and convulsing madly.
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GMs, please proceed to area D7.

D7. The Cage of Spirit Echoes

Rumors spread that Charvion broke into the Mausoleum through the roof, set the cage up, and activated it. You are informed by senior agents that the initial plan was to use the cage to create a rift into the ethereal plane by which Charvion could escape after seizing the information he sought from the Mausoleum.

But the device turned out to be a little more difficult than he’d first surmised, you hear. When Charvion cracked it open, it shot out wispy tendrils of frigid ether, and soon went completely haywire. You are notified that Ice-cold alien tendrils of ether struck his allies, sending some into violent convulsions, and slaying others instantly.

This encounter is meant to simulate all tables to work toward shutting down the device so that you may pass it safely and proceed to area D8.
PCs entering this room have three choices. They can attempt to bypass the haywire artifact, partially shut it down, or shut it down completely.

1. Bypassing the artifact: This approach requires a run through the room, avoiding the wispy tendrils of ether—a reasonable task, as the ether isn’t intelligent. Determine the results with three Fortitude saves. These Fortitude saves represent the random tendrils of the ethereal plane snapping about the room. PCs who reach the door to area D8 find it locked and have a 25% chance each turn to get hit by the ether while they wait for the other tables.

2. and 3. Shutting down the haywire artifact (potentially only partially): Accomplishing this action requires some skill. If a group attempts to shut down the device, each player who can must make a Disable Device check. This can mean that the machine is partially incapacitated, reducing all damage dealt by the machine by half (after rolling, round down). And if many are successful then this means the machine is entirely incapacitated. Its tendrils dissipate and the artifact folds up again, locking tightly.
Anyone attempting to shut down the artifact has a 50% chance each round to be hit by the tendrils snaking through the room.

**House GM Announcement**

The efforts of the Pathfinders working on disabling the artifact are beginning to pay off. The artifact sputters and shakes, the ethereal tendrils fading in and out of existence as it begins to malfunction!
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GMs, the Code Gray condition is in effect.

What do you do? Now, the machine is partially incapacitated.

The shaking and fading tendrils give Daenerija confidence. She runs across room trying to avoid the wisp.

Fortitude save: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 = 8
Fortitude save: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (16) + 1 = 17
Fortitude save: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (15) + 1 = 16

Aegis try to tinker with the cage
Disable Device: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (16) + 11 = 27
Disable Device: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (14) + 11 = 25

Rosla tries to tinker with the cage, too.
Disable Device t - ACP: 1d20 + 12 - 0 ⇒ (10) + 12 - 0 = 22
Disable Device t - ACP: 1d20 + 12 - 0 ⇒ (7) + 12 - 0 = 19
Disable Device t - ACP: 1d20 + 12 - 0 ⇒ (17) + 12 - 0 = 29

Aegis<50% : 1d100 ⇒ 89
Rosla<50% : 1d100 ⇒ 37damage 1d6 ⇒ 2 1 damage from blast

Both Aegis and Rosla are successful in supporting the overall effort to disable the cage!!

-
Daenerija <50% : 1d100 ⇒ 48
Daenerija <50% : 1d100 ⇒ 6damage 1d6 ⇒ 4 2 damage from blast
Daenerija <50% : 1d100 ⇒ 68

Daenerija rushes forward and is zapped once!

Fort: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (8) + 5 = 13

Fort: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 5 = 12

Fort: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 5 = 8

Fraxon moves around, hoping not to be hit by the tendrils