Phantom Phenomena (Inactive)

Game Master Shadow Dragon

The curious catfolk wanders in to see what is up.

The air in this room is humid and aromatic. Cannoli immediately feels her fur stick to her. Odors of earth and mud clash with crisp notes of sweet flowering plants. Farther in, a freshwater spring burbles quietly. The interior of the 50-by-40-foot greenhouse plants that are overgrown and huge, with strangely twisted limbs and oddly pale leaves. The branches and leaves gradually turn to face Cannoli as she enters.

Cannoli waves at the plants, ”Hullo! I am Cannoli.”

She hollers back outside to the group, ”Its fine. Totally safe. Just some plants looking at me.”

Guardian is a little more suspicious, but he tries to follow the tracks his companions previously found. His phantom blade is certainly manifested and brandished.

Where do the tracks lead/end, Survival: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (8) + 4 = 12

Quinn follows Cannoli in. "Any sign of that thief?" He looks around as he asks.

Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (5) + 5 = 10

The greenery is looking at you? I suppose it wouldn't really be out of the realm of possibility, given the circumstances. Daegon says as he scans for magical auras on the greenhouse.

Guardian XI notes there are tracks entering and leaving the greenhouse.

Quinn doesn't see much beyond a break in the foliage to the south about 10' from the entrance. Oh and the distinctive odor of wet cat...

Daegon detects multiple auras on the outside of the greenhouse.

Quinn sighs and enters the greenhouse, calling out "Hello?" as he walks through it. Gotta do everything myself. I'm gettin' too old for this! If I get killed and eaten by monster plants, I'm going to come back and haunt these Pathfinders . . .

Quinn sighs and enters the greenhouse, calling out "Hello?" as he walks through it. Gotta do everything myself. I'm gettin' too old for this! If I get killed and eaten by monster plants, I'm going to come back and haunt these Pathfinders . . .

The plants turn to Quinn now.

Lots of auras...be wary..trying to focus now...if i concentrate can i tell what they are? likely the plants i'm guessing...

Lots of auras...be wary..trying to focus now...if i concentrate can i tell what they are? likely the plants i'm guessing...

I thought you were scanning "on the greenhouse" not in the greenhouse?

i was..i thought there were plants on the outside as well...my bad...misunderstood...

Cannoli puts her hand on Quinn’s shoulder, ”Hold up a second. I’ll lead here but the rest are still outside. When they come in we can go through that gap in the plants.”

She yells out the door again, ”Did y’all get killed out there? We gotta go in farther but want some backup.”

She will head through the gap if one more pathfinder comes inside.

Will Cannoli hear the footsteps of the rest of her group or just crickets? The world wants to know!

i was..i thought there were plants on the outside as well...my bad...misunderstood...

The weird, carnivorous, poisonous plants that you have to worry about are inside. The manicured lawns, orchards, etc. of the School? Not so much.

Guardian, hearing the shout from Cannoli rushes in and stands behind her, waiting to follow further. He holds his shadow blade out in front of him.

Victor, who had followed Cannoli into the greenhouse when she first entered, coughs politely when he realises that no one seems to have noticed him and gets ready to head through the gap once the party are ready.

Victor, who had followed Cannoli into the greenhouse when she first entered, coughs politely when he realises that no one seems to have noticed him and gets ready to head through the gap once the party are ready.

I was allowing PCs to each have an 'action' so to speak. ;) Make sure you mark that Victor has cast Shield and adjust his AC in your tagline.

Guardian XI rushes in and runs into Victor and Quinn behind Cannoli.

The plants turn to look at each of them...waiting...

I placed a partial map on Slide 2; feel free to post yourselves in order.

When arriving at the greenhouse Vreekka drinks her Heightened Awareness extract, then draws a vial of acid. Afterwards, she moves inside next to Guardian XI and Cannoli. She thoroughly checks out the moving plants.

Perception, HA, +1 Harrow: 1d20 + 4 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (14) + 4 + 2 + 1 = 21

Knowledge: Nature t, HA: 1d20 + 11 + 2 ⇒ (20) + 11 + 2 = 33

Vreekka will dismiss Heightened Awareness for the +4 bonus to initiative.

When arriving at the greenhouse Vreekka drinks her Heightened Awareness extract, then draws a vial of acid. Afterwards, she moves inside next to Guardian XI and Cannoli. She thoroughly checks out the moving plants.

[dice=Perception, HA, +1 Harrow]1d20+4+2+1

[dice=Knowledge: Nature t, HA]1d20+11+2

Vreekka will dismiss Heightened Awareness for the +4 bonus to initiative.

Vreekka identifies nearly all of the plants. The one with the admantine jaws is the Wreckus Androidus and Vreekka points out to Guardian XI the tooth-filled maw is currently salivating. Also present is an enormous clump of cattails; they appear to be swaying in time with Cannoli's tail twitches. A weedwhip lurks nearby, eyeing Victor and Quinn. Also lying in wait is a Xtabay! Another plant Vreekka is not positive of its identity; she thinks it might be an Audrey plant but it keeps talking about 'Seymour'...

and Vreekka points out to Guardian XI the tooth-filled maw is currently salivating.

Clarity question: is that where Guardian is now standing placed on the new map, or where we were before? I.e., is that essentially a combat hazard?

Feeeeed me Seymour!

GM Shadow Dragon wrote:

and Vreekka points out to Guardian XI the tooth-filled maw is currently salivating.

Clarity question: is that where Guardian is now standing placed on the new map, or where we were before? I.e., is that essentially a combat hazard?

Feeeeed me Seymour!

I moved everyone's tokens path onto the path. Squares where it's all or mostly green (plants), you would have extreme difficulty moving through due to the density of the growth. As for Guardian XI being near a combat hazard: Only if he chooses to be. Although when he looks at some of the other plants, when he looks at the Wreckus, it does appear to be a bit...closer....

"Oh look cattails! Those are always a good sign. We should be perfectly safe here."

She moves up through the gap.

As Cannoli walks forward she notices a vial laying in the middle of the path. When Victor steps up next to Cannoli, he sees a corpse lying just off the path to the south! What will the group do next?

As Daegon moves in behind the others, he sees the body.

Be mindful...if it's undead we might be in for a fight... he warns as he tosses a blob of acid on it.

i either start the fight or set off a trap..win/win...lo.

As Daegon moves in behind the others, he sees the body.

Be mindful...if it's undead we might be in for a fight... he warns as he tosses a blob of acid on it.

i either start the fight or set off a trap..win/win...lo.

Or did he damage potentially useful evidence? Hm! And where's that to hit roll?

What does the corpse look like (based on what Victor can see without approaching any closer)? Is it obviously very dead, or is there any chance whoever it is could still be alive?

Cannoli is about to pick up the vial when a glob of acid zips past her face and sizzles into… a body?

”What the hell?”

Guardian gives a confused look.

Undead? You mean that body, or something that terminated that person?

Victor would need to be closer to collect more information but from a short distance the corpse appears to have been dead for some time and quite 'dry'.

Cannoli is surprised both by the glob of acid and that she missed the corpse.

Guardian XI is confused by Daegon's insights.

touch: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 61d3 ⇒ 2

Forgive my boldness...I was thinking it was undead...it appears I was wrong. But it looks almost like something drained it...

Cannoli casually bends over and grabs the vial while eyeing Daegon, ”I am intrigued as to what you do at funerals.”

She glances to see if there is any writing on the vial.

Well...usually at funerals, you don't have to worry about the dead rising up to bite your face off...and I am a lot of fun at them.

Cannoli squints her cat-like eyes and reads the label on the vial: "Experimental Herbicide - A Dr. Wynberthmaerbeorht Quolorum Project. Do NOT Drink!"

Meanwhile Daegon speaks of funeral customs and exposes his lack of experience with funerary rites in Ustalav where the recently deceased rising is an issue. So much so in fact they have a cleric of Pharasma for last rites and one from Cayden to celebrate a rising.

As the party continues, a shambling man/creature/who knows what shambles out of the growth!

Cannoli
Vreekka
?
Guardian XI
Daegon
Victor
Quinn

Bold may go!

Any square more than half-filled with plants (just about everything off the path) is difficult terrain. The updated map is on Slide 2.

Does Cannoli see what shot the sickly beam? A plant? A person? A fungi? An ethereal wisp? An animated tortilla hat full of queso?

Does Cannoli see what shot the sickly beam? A plant? A person? A fungi? An ethereal wisp? An animated tortilla hat full of queso?

Curse you for being so fast! :P I misread what happens so please pretend you didn't see a thing! waves hands in front of Cannoli's cloudy eyes...

Hmm… I could really go for some nachos. Wait, what is that?!?

Cannoli eyes the shambling person/thing, ”Hello. Do you know what happened to that body over there?” Slowly raising her buckler she takes a defensive stance.

Total D, AC 24, Touch 17, FF 17

Hmm… I could really go for some nachos. Wait, what is that?!?

Cannoli eyes the shambling person/thing, ”Hello. Do you know what happened to that body over there?” Slowly raising her buckler she takes a defensive stance.

Total D, AC 24, Touch 17, FF 17

The thing doesn't respond to Cannoli but some corn plants clutch their ears and glower at Cannoli over her thoughts of nachos!

I managed to find/fix a picture of The Thing on Slide 3. Knowledge checks apply! You suspect Knowledge (Local) and Knowledge (Nature) might work best...

Common Knowledge capped at DC 10: 1d20 ⇒ 12

Knowledge (local): 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (20) + 5 = 25

[dice=Knowledge (local)]1d20+5

Yay, the natural 20 wasn't a bardiche shot! Maybe the creature will live past a round!

Cannoli is distracted thinking about nachos to recall anything else.

Victor, ever the professional, knows two things:
1) Although there is a human being underneath there's also something off - something 'attached' to the man.
2) He thinks the man is Silas Gren, the university's lead gardener!

"I know that man, it's Silas Gren, the university's lead gardener... but there's something attached to him!" exclaims the spiritualist.

Making the rapid intuitive leap that gives professional investigators their reputation, Quinn calls out: "Maybe it's a fungal creature--try the herbicide!"

Is it permanently attached, or perhaps we could help the gardener?

Guardian calls out to the man.

Hello? Can you understand us and will you allow us to help you? We are Pathfinders who generally... help people.

He moves forward for a better look.

Is it permanently attached, or perhaps we could help the gardener?

Guardian calls out to the man.

Hello? Can you understand us and will you allow us to help you? We are Pathfinders who generally... help people.

He moves forward for a better look.

I'm moving Guardian XI's token back as it is not yet his turn.

Oh, apologies. I think I over-read into "you didn't see a thing" and thought we were dropping back out of init. That is my mistake.

"Anyone know what that stuff is on him and if there is a way to remove it?" Victor asks "It sounded from his note that the Dr needed the herbicide for something important, so maybe we should be cautious about using it until we know what we are dealing with and what our options are. But we do need to help poor Silas if we can."

I assume it would need the knowledge(nature) check to know what the stuff on Silas is and what we can do about it?

"Anyone know what that stuff is on him and if there is a way to remove it?" Victor asks "It sounded from his note that the Dr needed the herbicide for something important, so maybe we should be cautious about using it until we know what we are dealing with and what our options are. But we do need to help poor Silas if we can."

I assume it would need the knowledge(nature) check to know what the stuff on Silas is and what we can do about it?

Yes I asked for Knowledge (Nature) checks a bit earlier and I'm waiting on Vreekka since it's her action. If she doesn't take an action by this evening I'll bot her.

Knowledge: Nature t: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (20) + 11 = 31

Yay, another nat 20 that isn't going to be an attack roll! What additional information does Vreekka have?

[dice=Knowledge: Nature t]1d20+11

Yay, another nat 20 that isn't going to be an attack roll! What additional information does Vreekka have?