[Gameday XIII] GM PaleDim's PF2 #3-18: Dacilane Academy's Delightful Disaster (Inactive)

Game Master PaleDim

"Well, we're not really there. Let's search the restricted area like Yuan Wu said."

Billy agrees, adding, It is only illegal if we get caught"

A8 RESTRICTED SECTION

This locked room holds sensitive personnel records. While they probably make for interesting gossip in Pathfinder circles, they certainly don't advance the current phase-shifted situation.

Now you must decide how you want the students to help you. To gather the Material Failsafe items you've found? To open the door to the second level?

"We're still missing the lodestone, correct?"

"I believe so. Maybe we can get them to bring it to us?"

"We don't even know where it is, do we?"

I propose we get them to gather the other two items, and move upstairs with us.

You've got it Thevenin. You just need to Communicate from Beyond with the students (which requires a roll) for each thing you want them to do. Anyone in the party can try to help by communicating their own messages.

Reminder

Ghardak tries to communicate with the students by moving a chair around.

Ath: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (8) + 11 = 19

"Help us gather materials" etc etc.

Collect the two items:
Communicate from Beyond (Diplomacy): 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (16) + 12 = 28
Communicate from Beyond (Diplomacy): 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (19) + 12 = 31

Open the door to the upstairs:
Communicate from Beyond (Diplomacy): 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (20) + 12 = 32

We are still missing the lodestone, correct? Maybe it was in a room we were in before we found the instructions...

Ghardak is very articulate with the chair, fully spelling out his vague message.

Hari frowns.

What materials? I think we're done with our assignments.

Thevenin then adds more words. First describing the shield and water. Geltra retrieves a pitcher from the kitchen and fills it up at the fountain. Likewise Tels retrieves one steel shield, and they both arrive back in the main hall with their items. They give each other curious glances that clearly say Now what?

Thevenin's final message instructs the students to head up the stairs, and they open the door to the second level allowing you to pass through.

B. Woodsedge Lodge Upper Floor

Map updated!

Geltra and Tels stand by carrying their two items.

The environment upstairs in the lodge is decidedly more chaotic, with shifting patterns in the carpet that change color; strange smells of the ocean, swamp, and desert wafting through the level; and odd noises of all types ringing through the air. The windows are shuttered. Lanterns with continual flames illuminate the area, as on the lower floor.

What do you do now?

"Looks like they're getting into even more trouble..." Ghardak says.

"Well, we still need to find that lodestone. Start at one end and work around?"
He points around the corner where B1 is.

Eltis approaches the door to the first room in the corner that he indicated. The Strange Door seems oddly out-of-phase, he can sense it! Trying to pass through it, he gets a jarring feeling and suddenly...

He appears outside of the door to the room at the opposite (Southeast) corner of the level! Of course the rest of the party notices this but the students or none-the-wiser.

I wonder if'fn they are openin' a portal to Hell. he inquires.

"It looks like some kind of prank ... or trap!"

Thevenin will examine the door, see if there's some way to disable it.

Perception +7, Nature/Religion +7

Ghardak takes a lot as well. Perc: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (18) + 6 = 24

"Well. That was interesting."

Thevenin and Ghardak cannot directly figure out a way to interact with the door. However, they do recall that they just had the students open up a similar Strange Door to access this level!

I.e., communicate from beyond!

"Open na noor!" Thevenin pleads with the children.

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (10) + 12 = 22

He will try to use his thievery skills to once again communicate with the students to open the door
1d20 + 7 ⇒ (11) + 7 = 18

Thevenin convinces Geltra to open the first bedroom door...

B1–B7 BEDROOMS

This is a simple living quarters for the staff of the lodge, with little unusual about it. Hand-waving the functionally-identical rooms... Thevenin then gets the young kobold to proceed to open the doors to the subsequent six rooms and they are all also staff quarters. The only difference is the last chamber B7, which is set up to house visitors. Its wardrobe, footlocker, and side tables are empty.

Applying Billy's roll to A8...

B8 ARMELINE’S CHAMBER

A large bed covered in fine linens is the centerpiece of this well-furnished room, and a sturdy table surrounded by three chairs sits in its northeast corner. Several eye-catching curios rest on top of the room’s chest of draws, including a mirror with a gilded frame, a mother-of-pearl box holding talcum powder, and a polished lodestone more than a foot in diameter. Two lamps in wall sconces light the room and a thick carpet woven with a wayfinder pattern lays on the floor.

Looking at the room for long is disorienting: Shimmering images of the bed dance across the floor, loose papers float through the air in slow processions, and the walls ripple like a pond’s surface each time someone in the room takes a step. The pile of the carpet grows six inches deep in the course of a second, and then subsides back to normal.

Yuan Wu and Thevenin determine that this room is the center of the chaotic forces that have plagued this field trip. They also realize that they’ll be unable to interact with whatever is inside the room unless they enter the room themselves, due to these powerful reality-warping effects.

Thandmere Krelsun lies on the bed, unconscious. The nearby gasps indicate to you that the students can also see him.

Everyone can also see a ghostly, serpentine creature wrapped tightly around his body. Disturbingly, the creature’s head appears plunged into Krelsun’s temple.

Nobody is immediately sure what it is. Its long tail hangs down over the side of the bed. The end of its tail is entirely on the same phase as you, appearing to emerge from a “ripple” in reality. It sways back and forth in the general direction of your party.

Do you enter the room?

Curious, Ghardak enters the room.

Eltis will also enter to get a better look at the creature.

He will try the obvious and try to talk to it.
"Greetings. Do you know what has caused this place to be out of phase?"

Thevenin will enter, and announce, "Eww. That's gross."

Did his roll do anything?

Did his roll do anything?

Yes!

Applying Billy's roll to A8...

It got a student to open this final door.

​​vs BLUE: Exploit Vulnerability, esoteric lore: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (19) + 8 = 27 ⇒ Success

Yuan Wu knows that this is a pelagastr tail. It has weakness to spirit damage. Weaknesses spirit 3 ("lawful" pre-remaster)

The creature pulls off of Thandmere and prepares for the Pathfinders' advance!

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COMBAT TRACKER
Round: 1
Tactical Map
Active Conditions:
Before Your Turn:
After Your Turn:
------------------

The bold may go

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Round 1
------------------
Yuan Wu (2 actions after exploit)
Eltis
Thevenin
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BLUE
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Ghardak
Billy

Yuan Wu, Eltis, and Thevenin are up!

"I don't think it's friendly," Yuan Wu states grimly, glancing at Thandmere.

He shares what he knows of the creature as he rushes in, aligning his weapon with spiritual energy as he does so, and swings it down upon the worm.

vs blue: +1 asp coil: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (10) + 8 = 18 slashing, implement's empowerment, spirit weakness: 1d6 + 3 + 2 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 + 2 + 3 = 10

◆ Exploit Vulnerability
◆ Stride
◆ Strike

Eltis enters the room and sends a lance of lawful, er, I mean Spritual (I REALLY need to update all my characters) towards the nasty looking thing.

Stride.
Cast Divine Lance

divine lance: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (10) + 7 = 17
lawfully spiritual damage: 2d4 + 3 ⇒ (3, 3) + 3 = 9

Yuan Wu finds the creature quite nimble, its shifting form dances away from his asp coil deftly. He can't tell if it phase shifted and let the coil pass through it or if it's really just that fast.

It has even less trouble with Eltis' divine lance.

Thevenin is still up!

My bad! I missed myself on the tracker.

Thevenin skips into the room and casts electric arc.

Electricity: 3d4 ⇒ (3, 2, 4) = 9
DC 19 basic Reflex save

After the frustration of the creature dancing about and phase shifting in and out to dodge the prior attacks, Thevenin's arc of electricity connects with it, stopping it where it floats mid-air. It then seems to twitch and convulse for several moments in response.

It's tail begins to lose its current shape and shift, fold on itself, and twist. When it stops morphing, the shape of the tail looks like a lightning bolt, vaguely at first and then moreso the more you look at it.

It turns to Yuan Wu, whipping the tail at him...

The tail rocks Yuan Wu's body, strangely he feels it all through and even to his extremities.

Crit! for 16 bludgeoning, 1 spirit damage

He notices just in time that the tail is trying to grapple onto his arm and shakes it off! failed grapple

Its body again begins to vibrate, still focused on Yuan Wu. It seems to be sending out some manner of waves... of phased reality? Of chaos?

DC?? Yuan Wu Fortitude: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (3) + 7 = 10 crit failure

As if having been racked with pain wasn't enough, he begins to feel loss of balance in his body. If he were to fling his asp coil forward again, would it strike his prey true or would he slash himself or a trusted companion?

Yuan Wu is Clumsy 2 for 1 round!

Your movements become clumsy and inexact. Clumsy always includes a value. You take a status penalty equal to the condition value to Dexterity-based checks and DCs, including AC, Reflex saves, ranged attack rolls, and skill checks using Acrobatics, Stealth, and Thievery.

The introduction seems to indicate that this creature who has brought chaos to the lodge means business.

------------------
COMBAT TRACKER
Round: 1 -> 2
Tactical Map
Active Conditions:
Before Your Turn:
After Your Turn:
------------------

The bold may go

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Round 1
------------------
Ghardak
Billy
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Round 2
------------------
Yuan Wu -17 (Clumsy 2)
Eltis
Thevenin
------------------
BLUE -9 (AC 19+?)

Everyone is up!

Ouch! I'm going to delay a bit to see if anyone comes within flank before posting my actions but can I spend a hero point to reroll the fort save?

hero point reroll: fort DC?: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (19) + 7 = 26 Yes!

That indeed avoids the clumsiness!

Ghardak steps forward, strikes the creature then raises his shield.

"To Chaos you return!" Ghardak says.

◆ Stride
◆ Attack Warhammer: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (18) + 10 = 28 Bldg Dmg: 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (5) + 4 = 9
◆ Raise Shield

Will use reaction (Glimpse of Redemption) if ally struck.

Eltis sends some holy Draconic healing energy towards Yuan We and takes a pot shot at the slippery and dangerous thing.

2 action heal
strike

healing: 1d10 + 8 ⇒ (9) + 8 = 17

crossbow: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (4) + 9 = 13
P damage: 1d8 ⇒ 6

Electricity: 3d4 ⇒ (4, 3, 1) = 8
DC 19 basic Reflex

Guidance on Billy.

"Thanks!" Yuan Wu calls out to Eltis as the healing magic undoes all the damage he had taken.

He steps to flank the creature with Ghardak, then starts twirling his weapon dramatically in an attempt to put some fear into it before he strikes.

intimidate: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (15) + 8 = 23

vs blue, offguard: +1 asp coil: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (9) + 8 = 17 slashing, implement's empowerment, spirit weakness: 1d6 + 3 + 2 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 + 2 + 3 = 11

◆ Step
◆ Demoralise
◆ Strike

Neglect to adjust BLUE's hps for... fast healing! Pointing that to avoid confusion on next total.

Ghardak slams his hammer into the creature, landing a solid hit.

Eltis virtually erases Yuan Wu's wounds, before getting off a half-hearted shot that flies quite wide of his target. miss

The creature resume nimbly floating and weaving on this miss, seemingly having renewed its confidence.

Thevenin tries to shock it again with electricity...

It phase shifts out just in time to completely avoid the electricity.

Yuan Wu successfully frightens it, which is just the edge he needs for the next lash of his asp coil to hit the creature!

BLUE -26 (frightened 1)

Billy is up!

GM, I really cannot see how I am supposed to see where I need to go on using the present size of the map. I have tried making it bigger on my computer e niente.

He will try to distract the white creature in front of him
1d20 + 5 ⇒ (5) + 5 = 10 deception

and then BLAMMO it
1d20 + 9 + 1 ⇒ (9) + 9 + 1 = 19 guidance double barrel pistol
1d6 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6 P/B
1d10 ⇒ 9 fatal if applicable

Billy can't distract the creature, but he does hit it handily with his pistol. Hit for 6 damage.

The creature sends waves of chaos outward from it's form. They seem to resonate with Yuan Wu, Ghardak, and Thevenin.

Thevenin is Stupefied 1. The other two avoid effects this time.

Your thoughts and instincts are clouded. Stupefied always includes a value. You take a status penalty equal to this value on Intelligence-, Wisdom-, and Charisma-based checks and DCs, including Will saving throws, spell attack modifiers, spell DCs, and skill checks that use these attribute modifiers. Any time you attempt to Cast a Spell while stupefied, the spell is disrupted unless you succeed at a flat check with a DC equal to 5 + your stupefied value.

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The bold may go

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Round 2
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Ghardak
Billy
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Round 3
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Yuan Wu
Eltis
Thevenin (Stupefied 1)
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BLUE -32

Everyone is up!

Ghardak snarls at the creature."Fear us!" he says.

◆ Intimidate: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (5) + 7 = 12
◆ Warhammer: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (5) + 11 = 16 Bldg dmg: 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (8) + 4 = 12
◆ Raise Shield

Seeing no serious damage to his team mates Eltis sends another lance of divine energy towards the thing and reloads his crossbow.

divine lance: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (9) + 7 = 16
spirit damage: 2d4 + 3 ⇒ (1, 2) + 3 = 6

On the other side of Ghardak, Yuan Wu similarly keeps up the pressure in attacking the creature, slashing down with his whip-like asp coil.

vs blue, offguard: +1 asp coil: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (8) + 8 = 16 slashing, implement's empowerment, spirit weakness: 1d6 + 3 + 2 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 3 + 2 + 3 = 14

vs blue, offguard: +1 asp coil: 1d20 + 8 - 5 ⇒ (4) + 8 - 5 = 7 slashing, implement's empowerment, spirit weakness: 1d6 + 3 + 2 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 3 + 2 + 3 = 12

Then almost mirroring Ghardak, Yuan Wu similarly shields himself, although this is drawn from his inner qi force, creating a faint simmering barrier in front of him.

◆ Strike
◆ Strike
◆ Cast Spell - Shield (Amped): +1 AC; will shield block if hit, hardness 5

"Am I stupid or just stupedfied? You'll never know! Ahahahahahaa! Wait ..."

Gonna give up on electric arc because it's only single target and the DC is now pretty low. Unfortunately, Thevenin doesn't have many single-target options.

Thevenin will cast shield on himself, and then Guidance on Yuan Wu and Ghardak.