ULTRA PLUS Catastrophe's Spark (Inactive)

Game Master Will Huston

A gnome slowly drifts out of existence.

The party moves further into the complex, deeper to see the purpose of this Cyclopean laboratory.

A short corridor opens into a large room. The walls are painted in a fire motif. At the back of the room stands a large altar made of obsidian. Collapsed in front of the altar is a desiccated figure, its arm outstretched toward the large stone finger, also made of obsidian, prominently placed atop the altar. The desiccated figure’s hand is severed at the wrist and still grasps the black stone finger.

Neither Telua or Jack think the room is trapped.

We are on Slide #6

”Ooo, I like this room…”, Jack mutters, before noticing the body.

”Oh my!”, he says with a gasp. ”Let’s not touch that finger!”

"Welcome to the show, it's some sort of regenreating hound. Gotta have fire or acid to deal with it, I'm Locke"

Locke not trusting much after the first husk takes a better look around the room for traps before getting ready to move further in.

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (3) + 6 = 9 LOL

From that far outside, Locke doesn't see any traps.

"Guess we best push on and finish this assignment. Seems like our predecessors missed some stuff." Locke will enter the room, but stay a bit back from the body

Jack nods in agreement. ”Of course. Onward!”

He looks over the fire decor along the walls, peeking at the body from the corner of his carved eye.

"Go no further Jack." says Nyx. He walks 10 feet closer to the skeleton, and casts a cantrip which causes an almost transparent hand to materialize. "I'll poke around with this first to trigger traps if there's any."

◆stride 10'
◆◆mage hand

next round, Nyx will use the hand to investigate the corpse

Blackfeather Jack, with a better angle, looks up and sees the remains of a scythe trap. The scythe that killed this skeletal corpse has long since rusted away, and any mechanism in the trap must be non operative.

As Nyx's cantrip investigates the corpse, the detached hand starts moving.

Hand: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (18) + 9 = 27
Nyx: 1d20 + 7 + 1 ⇒ (15) + 7 + 1 = 23
Telua: 1d20 + 7 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 7 + 1 = 12
Locke: 1d20 + 6 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 6 + 1 = 10
Blackfeather Jack: 1d20 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (18) + 4 + 1 = 23

It skitters and crawls towards Blackfeather Jack, and rears back and attempts to jams it fingers into Blackfeather Jack's eyes.

Claw: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (11) + 12 = 23
Slashing damage: 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6
Athletics: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (1) + 10 = 11

It then tries to grab onto Jack, but he's able to wiggle away.

Round 1
Hand (Religion to Identify)
Blackfeather Jack (14/20)
Nyx (14/14)
Telua (17/17)
Locke (16/16)

"Yep, this place just keeps getting worse." Locke starts moving in and examining the suddenly animate hand, making a plan on the way.

◆ Devise A Strategem: 1d20 ⇒ 4 and Religion: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (4) + 5 = 9

Decides he doesn't have enough information to figure much out right now and tries to get in a good position for his companions.

◆ Stride
◆ Stride

"I really hope it's just the hand and not the rest of this thing too."

Nyx drops the mage hand cantrip, then draws a shortsword.

◇cancel spell
◆Draw Shortsword
◆Stride
◆Strike strike: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (8) + 7 = 15 vs Flat-footed piercing and sneak attack: 2d6 + 3 ⇒ (4, 4) + 3 = 11

Telua is next to Jack, so I'm assuming I'm also next to the hand?

Telua turns and intones harshly in a voice like a animal growl Gouging Claw: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (12) + 7 = 191d6 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5

Her hand transforms into a tiger's paw, claws extended, and she rakes at the hand.

She then moves back.

A fire ignites inside Jack’s head, lighting up his eyes and mouth. He opens his arms wide, and a dozen blackened wicker crows with flaming eyes fly out of his sleeves. They circle around him, cawing and wheeling.

”FOUL WRETCH!”, he cries. ”YOUR DOOM HAS COME TODAY!”

A gout of flame shoots out of his mouth at the crawling hand.

Channel Elements, Elemental Blast (2-action, Fire)

Attack: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (5) + 7 = 12
Damage: 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8F

Hero Point

Attack: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (11) + 7 = 18

Telua, are you doing Slashing Damage or Piercing Damage?

Slashing

Without an opening, Locke gets on the other side, but the same lack of offensive opening means that neither Jack or Nyx are able to damage it. Telua's claw is the only thing that it isn't able to dance away from.

The hand tries to use its bony fingers and slash open Nyx from stem to stern.

Talon: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (8) + 12 = 20
Slashing Damage: 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10

It then tries to hang on to Nyx.

Athletics vs Nyx's Fort DC 13: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (13) + 10 = 23

It has Nyx by the throat and Nyx is restrained.

It tries to cut him again

Talon vs Nyx's Flat Foot AC: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3

Round 2
Hand (Religion to Identify) (-5)
Blackfeather Jack (14/20)
Nyx (4/14, Restrained)
Telua (17/17)
Locke (16/16)

Nyx forces an escape against his attacker. He then takes a stab at it using his shortsword, then steps away from it.

◆Athletics: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (20) + 6 = 26
◆StrikeMAP: 1d20 + 7 - 4 ⇒ (16) + 7 - 4 = 19 Piercing: 1d4 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6 Sneak Attack: 1d6 ⇒ 1
◆step

”THE FLOCK HAS JUDGED YOU, AND FOUND YOU GUILTY!”, Jack wails.

He steps away from the hand, as one of the crows dive-bombs at it.

Step, Elemental Blast (2-action, Wood)

Attack: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (16) + 7 = 23
Damage: 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6

Telua steps back to the hand and repeats her Gouging Claw, slashing: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (19) + 7 = 261d6 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7

Still behind the hand Locke will continue trying to figure out what's going on, leaving himself attacking the hand, and in position for with companions to take advantage.

◆Devise A Strategem: 1d20 ⇒ 16 and Religion: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (6) + 5 = 11

◆Strike - Using Strategem Attack 16+7 = 23 for Piercing: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4 plus Precision: 1d6 ⇒ 4

◆Strike Attack,Map: 1d20 + 6 - 5 ⇒ (7) + 6 - 5 = 8 for Piercing: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5

Telua, I moved you on the map to match your actions

Void damage to Locke, DC 19 Basic Fortitude Save: 2d6 ⇒ (2, 2) = 4
on a success, you gain the sickened 1 condition, Failure Sickened 2 condition, and Crit fail is Sickened 3 on top of the basic save

The hand reaches out towards Telua to slash at her.

Talon: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (11) + 12 = 23
Slashing Damage: 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (5) + 4 = 9

It tries to grab onto her
Athletics vs Telua's Fort DC 13: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (7) + 10 = 17

It has her by the leg! She's Grabbed!

and it tries to cut her again with its wicked nails.

Talon Vs Telua's off-guard AC: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4

But it doesn't have a good enough grasp to pull off that sleight of hand!

Round 3
Hand (Religion to Identify) (-32)
Blackfeather Jack (14/20)
Nyx (4/14)
Telua (8/17, Grabbed)
Locke (16/16)

Nyx throws his dagger at the hand. He then retrieves his minor healing potion, and drinks it.

◆Strike: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (13) + 7 = 20 Piercing: 1d4 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5
◆retrieve minor healing potion
◆drink minor healing potion Healing: 1d8 ⇒ 4

Two more crows swoop toward the hand.

Elemental Blast (2-action, Wood), Elemental Blast (1-action, Wood)

Attack: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (19) + 7 = 26
Damage: 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (8) + 4 = 12

Attack: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 2 = 7
Damage: 1d8 ⇒ 2

Fort: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (8) + 3 = 11
Hero Point: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (9) + 3 = 12

Retching on the side Locke does his best to push on.
◆Devise - Stratagem: 1d20 ⇒ 12 and RK: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (12) + 3 = 15
◆Strike - 12+7-2 = 17 for Pierce: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4 plus Prec: 1d6 ⇒ 5
◆Retch for recovery Fort: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6

Telua tries to finish the hand with another claw. Flat from Grapple: 1d20 ⇒ 14

Gouging Claw: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (9) + 7 = 161d6 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7

She draws her dagger.

Both Blackfeather Jack and Nyx are able to make connections with their dagger and blast of wood, causing the hand to collapse and twitch before stopping completely.

Since we no longer have a fluent Cyclops speaker, you'll need to spent time deciphering the Cyclops script on the obsidian finger that this hand was grasping at. Someone trained in Society, please give me a Society check. Each attempt at deciphering is 30 minutes, and only one person can decipher at a time.

The hand has a golden ring on its pinkie finger and the desiccated corpse has a silver-and-ruby amulet.

Beneath the corpse is a bag, which hold a rusted-over dagger, shards of a broken potion bottle, and a journal that is written in Cyclops.

a separate Society check.

"We need to pause and heal." Telua says as she looks at the wounds on her legs.

She eats a Goodberry and offers another to Nyx.

Goodberry: 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10

"Give me a few minutes and I can produce some more. Jack, I'll sort one out for you in ten."

The crows disintegrate in a puff of ash, and the fire in Jack’s head dwindles and goes out. He bows to Telua.

”Ever so kind of you”, he says.

"I'd be happy to try and take a look at that finger, assuming I can keep my lunch down"

GM how do you want to deal with clearing sickness, I mean eventually I'll pass the fort saves, mathematically speaking.

Yes, after a minute or so of heaving, you'd be back to normal.

Thanks.

Locke starts to check out the stone finger, "Think I picked up a bit of Cyclops earlier."

Society: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (19) + 7 = 26

Locke is pretty certain that the obsidian finger, translated, reads "IF IVE PRAYED, MY LOYALTY PROFESSED"

That's 30 minutes spent. Anything the rest of the party is doing? Refocusing, things of that nature? Also, don't forget the journal

”You don’t suppose we need to gather up these fingers for some reason, do you?”, asks Jack.

"Just the stone one I would think. The jumpy one probably not."

Locke will assume everyone else collects the loot, while examining the finger. If no one has looked at the journal yet, his curiousity would definitely lead him to it.

Society: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (8) + 7 = 15

if needed HP: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (13) + 7 = 20

Yep, I'll take the hero point.
Several of the pages of the journal are damaged, and the proper nouns are just beyond the capacity to be translated, but Locke is pretty sure that the writer, most likely the owner of the hand, was seeking these fingers to acquire "it". What "it" is isn't clear. But it was locked away, and the writer considered it vital that they get "it" back.

Onwards? Back to the dog? Translating both of those would take Lock about an hour, so the rest of you have a chance to do what you'd like.

Going to give a hero point to Jack.

After some thinking about it, go ahead and give one of your hero points back to yourself, Locke. If we were at a table, you wouldn't have had to make that check, so you wouldn't have to spend the HP

Nyx takes Telua's Goodberry and says "Thanks so much for this. Much appreciated!"
Goodberry: 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (5) + 4 = 9

Nyx takes the rusty dagger if no one protests.

Jack takes the time for a musical number!

”Deadly fingers all around.
Hear their skitter-scratching sound!
When they’re wrapped around your throat,
Then you’ve sung your final note!”

Performance: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (17) + 5 = 22

If we need to deal with the dog, let’s do so now, before moving on

After some thinking about it, go ahead and give one of your hero points back to yourself, Locke. If we were at a table, you wouldn't have had to make that check, so you wouldn't have to spend the HP

Thanks, I would have been fine either way, just figured I'd move the action along by rolling just in case.

"You don't happen to have one extra berry laying aroung do you, Telua? Got myself a bit distracted with the retching and the reading, but that did sting a bit."

If not, Locke will be okay following but stay a little more ranged.

After refocusing, Jack and Locke get some berries.

"That should help."

"I guess we have the fire to deal with the dog now." Telua says, looking at Jack.

Okay, we are back on Slide 5. I placed you guys where I think would be a basic set-up for you guys tactically, but feel free to move around if you want. Its pretty reasonable that you think you'd get into combat immediately, so weapon out etc.

From what you learned earlier, the magical force holding the amber together can be disrupted by either arcane or primal means, but you might actually cause the magic to grow stronger if you aren't successful.

DC 15 Arcana or Nature Check, but if you fail, no one else can attempt, and you'd have to start physically try to chip away the amber. A crit success would be very helpful, btw

Arcana: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (15) + 5 = 20

Jack takes a berry, turning it over in his fingers as he examines it. Then he shrugs, and pops it into his mouth slit, where it rattles around inside his head for a bit.

Healing: 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6

”I hope that berry was spicy”, Jack replies.

Healing: 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5

Locke prepares himself as Nyx tinkers with it.

Trollhound Init: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (7) + 6 = 13
Nyx Init, Scouting Bonus: 1d20 + 5 + 1 ⇒ (14) + 5 + 1 = 20
Telua Init, Scouting Bonus: 1d20 + 7 + 1 ⇒ (19) + 7 + 1 = 27
Locke Init, Scouting Bonus: 1d20 + 6 + 1 ⇒ (17) + 6 + 1 = 24
Jack Init, Scouting Bonus: 1d20 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (14) + 4 + 1 = 19
1d4 ⇒ 4

With plenty of warning and forebearance, Nyx is able to disrupt the magical field encasing the Trollhound, and while it lands on its feet, it looks like the Pathfinder are ready for it. The Pathfinders already know that the creature is weak to acid and fire, and that it will regrow wounds unless exposed to its weaknesses.

Round 1

Blackfeather Jack (20/20, □□ Hero point)
Nyx (13/14 □□ Hero Points)
Telua (17/17 □ Hero Pint)
Locke (16/16 □■ Hero points)
Trollhound

Jack summons the flock, swarming around him, their eyes alight, as his countenance blazes.

”THE TIME OF JUDGEMENT IS AT HAND!”, he declares. ”YOUR SENTENCE IS DEATH!”

A stream of fire shoots out of his mouth at the Trollhound.

Channel Elements, Elemental Blast (2-action, Fire)

Attack: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (12) + 7 = 19
Damage: 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7

From the back, Telua tries to freeze a section of the creature.
Ray of Frost, cold: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (7) + 7 = 141d4 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5
Then she steps back.