Zero's #4-07: A Most Wondrous Exchange! (Inactive)

Game Master Super Zero

◆) Recall Knowledge
◆◆) Haste

A few sigils in the air drawn, black and strange, and Anri's body starts to splinter and shatter, standing betwixt realities - her third eye glows with insight, reconciling perfectly for her two separate timelines, which using her mortal vessel as a point of intersection, momentarily converge for her.

She decides then upon her route!

The faceless creature glides down from the roof and alights next to Zabu. Wordlessly it slashes him with his claws, then grips his arm tightly and twists it, forcing him into an awkward position.
* Fly (it lands on the ground so that it can flank), * Strike Claws: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (15) + 15 = 30 for slashing damage: 2d6 + 9 ⇒ (6, 5) + 9 = 20, * Grab Athletics: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (20) + 15 = 35

And so I can resolve this before your turn (though feel free to Hero Point, of course): Yakuthiel Fort: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (14) + 13 = 27
That's a success. No effect.

Yakuthiel's turn.
Initiative:
Yakuthiel (68/78, 1d6 persistent mental, impending doom round 1: Off-Guard)
Yellow Dream of Doom (-5)
Blue Dream of Doom (-58, bloodied, 15 feet up, Off-Guard to Yakuthiel)
Zabu (136/144, Restrained by Red)
Isaku (74/74)
Zarina (78/78)
Anri (80/80, haste)
Red Elite Nightgaunt (Restraining Zabu)

Thanks for rolling. You roll better than I do anyway <<grin>>

Yakuthiel moves within ten feet of two of the creatures, and focuses his attack on the creature holding Zabu.

Strike at Red, w/level bump: 1d20 + 16 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 16 + 2 = 21
Hero Point - Strike at Red, w/level bump: 1d20 + 16 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 16 + 2 = 33for: 2d10 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (10, 3) + 4 + 1 = 18

Then, Lunge at Blue, w/level bump: 1d20 + 16 + 2 - 5 ⇒ (6) + 16 + 2 - 5 = 19

Persistent bleed: 1d6 ⇒ 5
Flat 15: 1d20 ⇒ 20

Yakuthiel hits the faceless creature hard, shoving it back and breaking its grip on Zabu. It's certainly more solid than its companions, and the attack hits with a satisfying thump. As it has no mouth, it remains entirely silent.
The flying creature is just too far away to connect with.
A crit and a miss.

Oh, we've seen you Pathfinders, wandering the Bazaar with Aslynn's things. We'll take you to her now...
The Dream still adjacent to Zabu whispers into the Pathfinders' minds as it lashes at him with its long fingers. At first he avoids them, but then they make contact. They don't hit hard enough to hurt, but they hurt all the same as some kind of energy flows into (or perhaps out of) him.
* Strike Nightmare Tendril: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (6) + 18 = 24; * Strike Nightmare Tendril (Agile MAP): 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (15) + 14 = 29 for void damage: 3d8 ⇒ (4, 8, 6) = 18, 1d6 persistent mental, and make a Fort save; * Step

The other one, still badly wounded, moves a little higher out of reach. Instead it casts another spell, this time on Zabu.
* Fly, ** Cast fear (Will DC 24)

The vision of doom in Yakuthiel's mind becomes a little clearer, and a lot more distracting.
Impending doom second round: Yakuthiel becomes Frightened 2. Thanks to his Bravery ability, he reduces it to 1.

Zabu, Isaku, Zarina, and Anri's turns.
Initiative:
Yakuthiel (63/78, impending doom round 2: Frightened 1)
Yellow Dream of Doom (-5)
Blue Dream of Doom (-58, bloodied, 25 feet up)
Zabu (118/144, DC 24 Fot vs Endless Nightmare, DC 24 Will vs fear)
Isaku (74/74)
Zarina (78/78)
Anri (80/80, haste)
Red Elite Nightgaunt (-32)

Zarina is doing mental math in her head as she moves forward. Satisfied that she can still zap blue and yellow, she sends electricity towards them.

electricity: 4d4 ⇒ (3, 4, 1, 2) = 10 DC 25 basic ref

Anri desires for a moment to go. Her own mother was a witch. Maybe this Aslynn is simply misunderstood in her own time. In any case...

◆) Channel Elements
◆) Hasted Stride (25 feet)
◆) Sure Strike
◇) Bespell Strikes
◆) Hand of the Apprentice
↺) Blood Vendetta (if dealt bleed, piercing, or slashing)

...as our mercurial hero strides forth, little bits of metal begin to magnetize towards her, coalescing into a smoggy cloud of jagged shards, and beginning to take another shape as they draw closer and closer to her center axis... meanwhile, Anri's eyes glow a bright saffron yellow as she peers between two different timelines, watching herself hurl her greatsword with overhead force twice - stepping aside from her stream, she chooses her path, and as her vision catches up to her actions, the mighty sword is already hurtling towards the Blue Dream of Doom!

Bonded Bastard Sword (two-handed, 2d12+4 slashing) w/ Corrosive (1d6 acid) w/ Bespell Strikes (1d6 force): 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (14) + 16 = 30
Bonded Bastard Sword (two-handed, 2d12+4 slashing) w/ Corrosive (1d6 acid) w/ Bespell Strikes (1d6 force): 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (17) + 16 = 33
2d12 + 4 + 1d6 + 1d6 ⇒ (1, 5) + 4 + (6) + (3) = 19

The creatures are quick, but perhaps they're too focused on the closer Pathfinders. They are not prepared for Zarina's spell.
Blue Reflex: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (6) + 18 = 24 Failure. Full damage, though it resists some of it.
Yellow Reflex: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (1) + 18 = 19 Critical failure! Double damage, and it resists a bit.

Anri's hurled sword slices through the dream. If it were a more corporeal creature, that surely would have been lethal. Even as insubstantial as its form is, it begins melting away--it's clearly barely hanging on.
Ok, Resist All so I need to break up the damage types... That's 18 slashing, 12 acid, and 6 force. The force isn't resisted. So that's a total of 26.

Zabu and Isaku's turns.
Initiative:
Yakuthiel (63/78, impending doom round 2: Frightened 1)
Yellow Dream of Doom (-20)
Blue Dream of Doom (1/90, bloodied, 25 feet up, Off-Guard until Anri's next turn)
Zabu (118/144, DC 24 Fort vs Endless Nightmare, DC 24 Will vs fear)
Isaku (74/74)
Zarina (78/78)
Anri (80/80, haste)
Red Elite Nightgaunt (-32)

Isaku closes with the party and to get into range. He concentrates and sends lightning at both Blue and Yellow.

Electric Arc, Electricity Damage, DC 17 Reflex: 3d4 + 1 ⇒ (1, 3, 3) + 1 = 8

◆ Stride
◆◆ Electric Arc

The floating dream falls, but by the time it should hit the ground there's nothing left of it. As if it was never there at all.

The remaining dream seems to avoid any damage from Isaku's spell. The faceless creature is quick, but not quick enough to fully avoid it.
Yellow Reflex: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (7) + 18 = 25 Success. With the resistance it takes no damage.
Red Reflex: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (9) + 15 = 24 Redirecting... Success. The Nightgaunt isn't resistant to that, and takes the half damage.
I think your spell DC is actually 22, but it didn't end up making a difference here.

Zabu's turn.
Initiative:
Yakuthiel (63/78, impending doom round 2: Frightened 1)
Yellow Dream of Doom (-20)
Zabu (118/144, DC 24 Fort vs Endless Nightmare, DC 24 Will vs fear)
Isaku (74/74)
Zarina (78/78)
Anri (80/80, haste)
Red Elite Nightgaunt (-36)

Fortitude: 1d20 + 19 ⇒ (7) + 19 = 26 I have Juggernaut so that success becomes a Crit success.

Will: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (4) + 14 = 18

"Respect," Zabu says to the creature that not only sliced him good but got him into an effective arm bar.

In return, he goes after the creature he can reach that seems solid, showing it a thing or two about grappling and scratching.

Athletics (Grab): 1d20 + 19 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 19 + 2 = 27

Claw (Raging,MAP): 1d20 + 17 - 4 ⇒ (10) + 17 - 4 = 23
Slashing: 2d8 + 6 + 2 ⇒ (4, 2) + 6 + 2 = 14

The Endless Nightmare ability is an affliction, so you resist it on a success anyway.

It is possible that the faceless creature just got in a lucky shot, and that Zabu is, in fact, a considerably better wrestler. He grabs it with ease before cutting it deeply.
As always, it responds to this with silence. But something thick and black is oozing out of it.
[ooc]That is a success. I don't think you applied the Frightened penalty here, but 21 still hits while it's Off-Guard. And that bloodies it.

It tries to pull or twist away from the gnome, but with little success. While it's doing that, it also seems to be trying to poke the end of its tail under his armor without him noticing. To what end is unclear, as it does not succeed.
* Escape Athletics: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (6) + 15 = 21, * Escape Athletics (MAP): 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (12) + 10 = 22, * Strike Tail (MAP 2): 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (8) + 5 = 13

Yakuthiel's turn.
Initiative:
Yakuthiel (63/78, impending doom round 2: Frightened 1)
Yellow Dream of Doom (-20)
Zabu (118/144, Frightened 1)
Isaku (74/74)
Zarina (78/78)
Anri (80/80, haste)
Red Elite Nightgaunt (-50, bloodied)

I think your spell DC is actually 22, but it didn't end up making a difference here.[/ooc]

The spell is from a jolt coil, which lists the DC as 17. At least, that's how I understand it

For a moment I thought that read 'jolt cola'. Is that stuff still made?

Yakuthiel will walk over to get both enemies in range.

Strike Red, w/level bump, w/fear: 1d20 + 16 + 2 - 1 ⇒ (15) + 16 + 2 - 1 = 32for: 2d10 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (9, 4) + 4 + 1 = 18

Strike Red, w/level bump, w/fear: 1d20 + 16 + 2 - 1 - 5 ⇒ (3) + 16 + 2 - 1 - 5 = 15for: 2d10 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (8, 8) + 4 + 1 = 21

As Yakuthiel moves, the creature's tail pokes at him as well. It's longer-or perhaps just stretchier--than he expected, and it snakes across his armor and pokes under it. There's no sting or spine to it, it just manages to get against his skin--and tickle him. It's not especially dangerous, but more than a little distracting!
The Nightgaunt can make AoOs with its tail. Tail: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (15) + 15 = 30. No damage, but make a DC 23 Fort save.

Yakuthiel nearly cuts the faceless creature in two, but the visions of impending doom still invading his mind make him flinch just a little. Enough that it survives the attack.
Fear penalty turns that from a crit into a mere hit. And the second attack misses.

The remaining dream raises a hand full of wriggle tentacles and points most of them towards the clustered Pathfinders as it casts a spell. They start feeling a little woozy.
It then glides over to confront them directly. Sleep, Pathfinders, it whispers into their minds, Sleep and all will be well in your dreams.
** Cast a spell. Zarina, Anri, and Isaku can make DC 24 Will saves against sleep. * Fly

Yakuthiel's frightening visions continue getting worse.
Impending Doom round 3: Stunned 1. At the end of the round you'll also take some mental damage and then the spell will end.

Zabu, Isaku, Zarina, and Anri's turns.
Initiative:
Yakuthiel (63/78, DC 23 Fort vs Tickle, impending doom round 3: Stunned 1)
Yellow Dream of Doom (-20)
Zabu (118/144, Frightened 1)
Isaku (74/74, DC 24 Will vs sleep)
Zarina (78/78, DC 24 Will vs sleep)
Anri (80/80, haste, DC 24 Will vs sleep)
Red Elite Nightgaunt (-68, bloodied)

Will vs Sleep (DC 24): 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (11) + 13 = 24

Anri bats an eyelid, but keeps her wakefulness. She turns her attentions upfield. Her metal aura glows as it converges into her body, which itself melts into a mercurial ooze, and propagating forward, she pours herself towards Zabu through his foe, reconstituting herself on the other side, and coming down on her foe with a double-overhead chop, before reforging the metal around her person into a hellishly spiked armor and shield - her transformation into a ferrous battleform complete!

◆◆) Mercurial Stride (into Flank)
◇) Bespell Strikes
◆) Hasted Strike
◇) Release to 1h grip
◆) Metal Carapace w/ Shield (to AC 26)
↺) Blood Vendetta (if dealt bleed, piercing, or slashing)

Mercurial Stride (Poison plus Sickened) vs Nightgaunt (Fortitide DC 26): 6d6 ⇒ (2, 5, 3, 4, 2, 6) = 22

Bonded Corrosive Bastard Sword (S, 2h) w/ Corrosive (1d6 acid) w/ Bespell (1d6 force) vs Nightgaunt (Flanked w/ Zabu): 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (8) + 14 = 222d12 + 3 ⇒ (9, 9) + 3 = 211d6 ⇒ 31d6 ⇒ 4

will: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (12) + 15 = 27

Zarina takes a step away from Yellow then hits it with a Hydraulic Torrent
bludgeoning: 8d6 ⇒ (1, 3, 6, 2, 5, 1, 1, 5) = 24 Fort save DC25 to avoid knockback (5ft, 10ft on CF)

Isaku attempts to get an angle on Yellow

Devise: 1d20 ⇒ 10
Hits AC 25

He reloads and shoots Yellow.

+1 Dueling Pistol; Concussive Damage: 2d6 ⇒ (1, 5) = 6 with Strategic Strike: 2d6 ⇒ (5, 5) = 10

◆ Devise
◆ Reload
◆ BANG?

The Dream is doesn't even seem aware Anri's spell was meant to harm it.
Poison immunity. The attack hits. It resists the acid and some of the physical damage, leaving 20.

For a moment it seems like it's about to resist Zarina's down entirely--it might have some resistance to magic--but then it's nearly knocked off of its feet.
And then Isaku shoots it while it's wobbly. At least, he dreams that he does...
Fort: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (18) + 15 = 33
Success for half damage and then it resists some, but that still bloodies it. Isaku hits. Although first: Isaku Will: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (7) + 11 = 18 Ishould have specified, it's a heightened 4th-level sleep, so Incapacitation doesn't help. Isaku falls asleep, unless you'd like to reroll that?

Zabu's turn.
Initiative:
Yakuthiel (63/78, DC 23 Fort vs Tickle, impending doom round 3: Stunned 1)
Yellow Dream of Doom (-47)
Zabu (118/144, Frightened 1)
Isaku (74/74, unconscious)
Zarina (78/78)
Anri (80/80, haste)
Red Elite Nightgaunt (-68, bloodied)

Disregard the resolution of Anri's turn from the last post. Applied to wrong enemy.

As Anri pours through it, the creature begins to woozily wobble. And then it splatters to the ground, where it begins to melt away.
Not immune to poison. Sufficiently not immune that you have two actions remaining.

Anri (two actions), Zabu, and Yakuthiel's turns.
Initiative:
Yakuthiel (63/78, DC 23 Fort vs Tickle, impending doom round 3: Stunned 1)
Yellow Dream of Doom (-27)
Zabu (118/144, Frightened 1)
Isaku (74/74, unconscious)
Zarina (78/78)
Anri (80/80, haste)

Reconstituting having absorbed the nightgaunt into her liquid form, Anri respawns with little black wings spurned from her shoulders - she strides quickly across the alley and overhead chops the final waking dream!

◆◆) Mercurial Stride (into Flank)
◇) Bespell Strikes
◆) Hasted Stride
◆) Strike

Bonded Corrosive Bastard Sword (S, 2h) w/ Corrosive (1d6 acid) w/ Bespell (1d6 force) vs Dream: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (17) + 14 = 312d12 + 3 ⇒ (12, 1) + 3 = 161d6 ⇒ 51d6 ⇒ 3

Fort DC 23, w/level bump: 1d20 + 13 + 1 ⇒ (14) + 13 + 1 = 28

"Wa Ha... Wo Ho... That tickles!"

I'm glad SOMEBODY is having fun Zarina says sourly.

The tickling is a little distracting, which dulls Yakuthiel's reaction time just enough that he isn't able to take advantage of the Dream turning its back on him.
Yakuthiel can't perform Reactions for 1 round. Which is good, because I was kind of assuming that when Yellow moved away from him on its turn.

Anri charges back towards the remaining monster and slices at it with her sword. It's starting to look a little lonely, all by itself, surrounded, and injured.

Zabu and Yakuthiel's turns.
Initiative:
Yakuthiel (63/78, impending doom round 3: Stunned 1)
Yellow Dream of Doom (-41)
Zabu (118/144, Frightened 1)
Isaku (74/74, unconscious)
Zarina (78/78)
Anri (80/80, haste)

I'm out of hero points.

"zzzzz.... "

1) Stunned
2) Stride
3) Strike from flanking position.
Strike, w/level bump: 1d20 + 16 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 16 + 2 = 30for: 2d10 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (8, 2) + 4 + 1 = 15 damage.

Yakuthiel slices right through the Dream. Which is a little less dramatic for an incorporeal spirit than it might otherwise be, but it still seems to be leaking a lot of oily smoke.
While flanking, that's a crit.

Zabu's turn.
Initiative:
Yakuthiel (63/78, impending doom round 3: Stunned 1)
Yellow Dream of Doom (-66, bloodied)
Zabu (118/144, Frightened 1)
Isaku (74/74, unconscious)
Zarina (78/78)
Anri (80/80, haste)

Which is a little less dramatic for an incorporeal spirit than it might otherwise be

Did you account for my weapon being Ghost Touch

A chill of fear tingles up and down Zabu's spine and raises some of the mass of hair that now covers his body. With a snarl, he feeds that chill to the inferno of his rage.

1 Action Shake it Off automatically removes a level of Frightened.

Then, though it almost seems pointless, given how outnumbered it is, he moves in to finish the last opponent off.

1 Action Stride.

Jaws(Raging): 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (13) + 17 = 30
Piercing: 2d12 + 6 + 5 ⇒ (3, 10) + 6 + 5 = 24 plus Persistent Bleed: 1d6 ⇒ 2

Retraction: It wasn't resistant to Yakuthiel's attack due to ghost touch. Which is exactly the right amount to make a difference here!

Zabu bites down on something that isn't very substantial, but then his jaws close on nothing at all. Within moments, the Dream has faded to a memory.

Hah! Up Yours Aslynn

Can someone wake Isaku up please? :)

Zarina goes to wake Isaku. She starts to Create Water above his head then decides that might be a bit mean. So she gently tries shaking him.

Wakey wakey sleepy head ... the nightmares are gone. And if you're not awake in two minutes I AM going to dump REALLY COLD water on you.

The Dream of Doom then brutally and fatally rips Yakuthiel's head off. At least, that was the possible future he sees in the final part of the vision its spell imposed on him.
It seems unlikely to come to pass now that it is dead instead.
But he does take mental damage: 6d6 ⇒ (4, 3, 3, 4, 6, 6) = 26.

Now that the Pathfinders have defeated their assailants, they can return to the Grand Lodge to report the last of their findings and take a moment to rest. Zarta’s keen to hear of any information the team learned about the treasures, as well as any other discoveries they made during their investigations, and listens with interest to their final report. She is concerned about the attack they faced on the way back, and pledges to invest resources into investigating its source. She thanks them for their aplomb in obtaining the merchants’ assistance, commenting that their efforts not only gained the Society valuable leads and information, but won them new allies to call on in the future.

When they get a moment, if he lets her, Anri tries to repair the damage to Yakuthiel Treeflyer's brain.

Treat Wounds (Expert) w/ Risky Surgery (1d8) vs DC 20: 1d8 ⇒ 41d20 + 15 ⇒ (14) + 15 = 294d8 + 10 ⇒ (8, 1, 8, 8) + 10 = 35 @ -4 damage, then +35 healing

Carving out a line across his head lengthwise, she inverts the cap-strip before stitching the skin together, leaving a hairless strip centerline, not unlike a shaved part. He looks... different... She raises her eyebrow, unsure if her work will inure him from further injury in the long run, and asking him how he feels, nodding at whichever reply he chooses. Posterity.

"Thanks, Anri. It's just a scar. I've got plenty of them, and I'll likely get more. Just part of the murder hoboing Pathfinders job."