At the Foothills of Leng - GM Assembler's Rise of the Runelords

Game Master DM DoctorEvil

Guard Cave Redux - Round 2

Inspire Courage active, +1 to attacks/dmg, saves vs fear

30 Ari
24 Zorlen
23 Blue Sinspawn
10 Yellow Sinspawn
10 Red Sinspawn (6hp dmg, dazed)
6 Tot (15/18hp remaining)
6 Isidiana
6 Garen
5 Grod

Ari is also frustrated with the bottleneck created by the melee, and instead of acting he simply waits, in case Tot gets hurt, he can react.

Zorlen resolves to try to clear the melee scrum, moving to get better line of sight. Once in position he casts a spell that generates a slippery surface which he lays on the ground at the feet of the front-line sinspawn. One of the aberrations slips and falls prone while the other maintains footing, for now.

Yellow attacks Tot as the only target it can reach. Fortunately, none of its natural attacks score hits against the well armored fighter.

Felled by the slippery grease, Blue crawls away from the combat, then stands when outside the puddle. His retreat causes Garen and Tot to have extra attacks against the prone enemy.

No longer dazed, Red Sinspawn moves very rapidly around the greasy puddle, across the rock formations, and adjacent to a host of the heroes. Unfortunately, navigating that space means it can not attack right now.

Tot and Garen can make AoOs vs a prone sinspawn that is slowly crawling away across a slippery surface. Ari is delaying, but since Tot did not take damage, can activate when he sees fit. Most of the rest of the party is up now.

Blue Sinspawn DC16: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 2 = 10 fail
yellow sinspawn DC16: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (14) + 2 = 16 success
Yellow Bite vs Tot: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (11) + 3 = 14
Yellow Claw 1 vs Tot: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (10) + 3 = 13
Yellow Claw 2 vs Tot: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (10) + 3 = 13

Garen chops at the monster crawling away. After cutting it he slashes at one still standing.

aoo: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (13) + 5 = 18
aoo dmg: 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (7) + 3 = 10

falcata: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (9) + 5 = 14
dmg: 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (8) + 3 = 11

Isidiana sings as she shifts positions and flings a stone at one of the foe.

Looks like Blue is the ideal target to aim without penalty.
To hit, Bard bonus included: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (9) + 5 = 14
Dmg if that hits: 1d3 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2

Picking the +1 attack bonus for the blessing this round. Given the text, I'm assuming that it doesn't apply to the AoO vs. Blue

AoO(Power Attack, Inspire Courage, 2-handed) vs Blue(Prone): 1d20 + 6 + 1 - 1 ⇒ (16) + 6 + 1 - 1 = 22
Damage: 1d8 + 4 + 3 ⇒ (8) + 4 + 3 = 15

Longsword(War Mind, Power Attack, Inspire Courage, 2-handed) vs Red: 1d20 + 6 + 1 + 1 - 1 ⇒ (16) + 6 + 1 + 1 - 1 = 23
Damage: 1d8 + 4 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 4 + 3 = 10

Perhaps it's Izzy's singing, perhaps it's getting past the initial spike of adrenaline, perhaps it's knowing that the others are relying on her, but whatever it is, Tot's clumsiness disappears as training and instinct takes over as she chops down at the retreating sinspawn before hitting the one that leaps over the grease to get at Garen with a back-handed blow.

With a Sin-Spawn rushing Garen Ari tries to jab it with his rapier.
To hit: 1d20 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (10) + 4 + 1 = 15
damage if that hits?: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4

Ooops, forgot the bard bonus. Add 1 to hit and damage for both those attacks please.

Crap, forgot the damage bonus. That's 16 and 11 damage.

Guard Cave Redux - Round 2

Inspire Courage active, +1 to attacks/dmg, saves vs fear

30 Ari
24 Zorlen
10 Yellow Sinspawn
6 Tot (15/18hp remaining; war mind 9 rounds)
6 Isidiana
6 Garen
5 Grod

As the Blue Sinspawn tries to crawl away, it is beset by both Garen and Tot. The combination of attacks, which both hit, slays the beast before it can slip away.

Next the same combination turn their weapons on Red, which was already partially wounded. The series of blows has the same effect, killing the unfortunate sinspawn rather easily.

A pretty good round for the good guys. 2 foes dead. Grod still needs an action to post and I will let Izzy retcon a sling shot since her only target is no longer visible. Ari and Zorlen can post Round 3 actions if they wish. Ari, I am not sure your Round 3 action makes sense either given the battlefield now.

With two of the creatures down, Zorlen figures the grease pool is more of a hindrance to his companions than a boon. With a few more arcane words, he makes the pool disappear just as fast as it had been conjured up.

Standard action to dismiss the Grease spell

The grease will dispel at the beginning of Round 3, so its still present for Grod and Izzy's actions FYI.

Changed Action:

"One side, coming through." She moves getting the next into view.

Movement instead.

As long as you move half speed you don't have to make the save, right?

Grod steps past Tot, being careful on the grease. Then he attacks the remaining sinspawn.

Attack, Greataxe: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (5) + 6 = 11
Damage, Slashing: 1d12 + 6 ⇒ (8) + 6 = 14

Nope. My target died before I could stick it....

Ari stands back with his rapier, pretty much useless behind the much stronger fighters in the group.

Skip my turn.

Guard Cave Redux - Round 2 - concluded

Inspire Courage active, +1 to attacks/dmg, saves vs fear]

30 Ari
24 Zorlen
10 Yellow Sinspawn
6 Tot (15/18hp remaining; war mind 9 rounds)
6 Isidiana
6 Garen
5 Grod

Isidiana, seeing a pair of the creatures fall, keeps her song going, and then moves to get better line of sight on the last sinspawn.

Grod shoulders through his allies and onto the slippery surface of the floor trying to be careful. He almost falls, but ends up getting adjacent to the creature, but his swing with his axe does not successfully hit the foe.

End of Round 2

Given Zorlen's next action, it won't matter, but per the spell description "A creature can walk within or through the area of grease at half normal speed with a DC 10 Acrobatics check. Failure means it can't move that round (and must then make a Reflex save or fall), while failure by 5 or more means it falls" So Grod made the check and its all good but could've been worse.

Grod DC10 Acrobatics: 1d20 - 5 ⇒ (16) - 5 = 11 success!

Guard Cave Redux - Round 3

Inspire Courage active, +1 to attacks/dmg, saves vs fear

30 Ari (delaying)
24 Zorlen
10 Yellow Sinspawn
6 Tot (15/18hp remaining; war mind 9 rounds)
6 Isidiana
6 Garen
5 Grod

Seeing the odds suddenly even, Ari pauses, holding his actions in case something drastic happens but trusting on the big guns to end this quickly.

Zorlen waves his hands, and the slippery pool on the floor suddenly evaporates, leaving the surface dry and easy to walk (and fight) on again.

With Grod at the forefront now, the creature turns its natural attacks on him. The claws both clang off Grod's armor, but the foul mouth bites into his exposed neck, causing Grod's mind to be filled with an overwhelming sense of anger and despair.

Grod takes 7hp dmg, and is at 11/18. He needs a DC12 Will save or be sickened with wrath for 1d6 minutes. Rest of the party is up now.

Yellow bite vs Grod: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (18) + 3 = 21 hit
yellow claw 1 vs Grod: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (9) + 3 = 12
yellow claw 2 vs Grod: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (12) + 3 = 15
Piercing Dmg vs Grod: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7

Assuming the thing is still up after Tot goes...

"Pardon me little one," Garen says as he steps past Izzy to stand shoulder to shoulder with Grod. He then slices at the offending creature in hopes of ending this melee.

Falcata, inspire: 1d20 + 5 + 1 ⇒ (18) + 5 + 1 = 24
falcata dmg, inspire: 1d8 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 3 + 1 = 9

Seeing that the path is clear, Tot moves around Grod and the creature to put it in a pincer between her and the Gorumite warpriest. She appreciates the heavier armor, but a part of her would much rather not rely on it holding to avoid getting hurt. Move 20 feet, provoking an Attack of Opportunity, War Mind bonus is the +1 to attack.

Longsword (Inspire, Flank, Power Attack, War Mind): 1d20 + 6 + 2 + 1 + 1 - 1 ⇒ (5) + 6 + 2 + 1 + 1 - 1 = 14
Damage (In the unlikely even that hit): 1d8 + 4 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 4 + 3 + 1 = 15

Will: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (16) + 7 = 23

"OW!" Grod roars, before striking the creature a mighty blow with his axe.
Attack: 1d20 + 6 + 2 ⇒ (13) + 6 + 2 = 21
Damage, Slashing: 1d12 + 6 ⇒ (3) + 6 = 9

Assuming the thing is still up after Tot goes...

"Pardon me little one," Garen says as he steps past Izzy to stand shoulder to shoulder with Grod.

Izzy blinks as she is now behind a Warpriest AND a Paladin...

Guard Cave Redux - Round 3 - concluded

Hits from Tot, Grod, and Garen overwhelm the remaining sinspawn which is quickly cut down, ending the fight.

End of Combat

No effect on Grod from the bite, except the normal damage. Grod is at 11/17 and Tot is at 18/21. No one else is hurt much after this encounter. What next?

Garen Williamson wrote:

Assuming the thing is still up after Tot goes...

"Pardon me little one," Garen says as he steps past Izzy to stand shoulder to shoulder with Grod.

Izzy blinks as she is now behind a Warpriest AND a Paladin...

"This is the problem with my otherwise perfect height. I can't see past folks. I mean, what is this before me, the holy wall of armored buttocks? The literal REAR guard?" But she keeps the music up.

Grod looks over his shoulder and down. "It could be worse. At least Ameiko doesn't use a lot of beans in her cooking." He says with a grin.

Garen grins at Grod’s comment and shakes his head. Grod, shall I try to heal that neck wound for you?”

Grod shrugs. "Sure, if you need the practice."

Isidiana wrote:

Garen Williamson wrote:

Assuming the thing is still up after Tot goes...

"Pardon me little one," Garen says as he steps past Izzy to stand shoulder to shoulder with Grod.

Izzy blinks as she is now behind a Warpriest AND a Paladin...

"This is the problem with my otherwise perfect height. I can't see past folks. I mean, what is this before me, the holy wall of armored buttocks? The literal REAR guard?" But she keeps the music up.

Grod looks over his shoulder and down. "It could be worse. At least Ameiko doesn't use a lot of beans in her cooking." He says with a grin.

"HA!" The Gnome lets loose a laugh, "Respect, Sir, Respect."

Tot lets out a laugh at the banter between Izzy and Grod. She quickly claps a hand over her mouth and looks at the others as her face reddens with embarrassment.

"S-sorry. I'll--I'll just go, now." Her voice is muffled by her hand as she slips past the others and turns down the branch that they took yesterday. She does her best to move quietly and keeps an eye out for any dangers lurking in ruin.

Stealth: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (13) + 7 = 20
Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (18) + 8 = 26

"Is laughing at jokes considered rude where she is from?" Grod says to Izzy, confused. "They must not have many bards."

Tot leads the group carefully through the fairly familiar tunnels of crafted stone, past the room full of ruined pottery, and to a place where the tunnel branches. To the north is the room where a statue of angry woman holding a ranseur stood (the ranseur not missing). To the right is a long hallway that you have not explored yet.

which way do you go this time?

"Is laughing at jokes considered rude where she is from?" Grod says to Izzy, confused. "They must not have many bards."

"Angry audiences do make us an endanger species in some areas."[/B]

But she follows the lead of the others.

Tot feels all of an inch tall as she listens to Grod and Izzy talk. She'd run off because--well, because she was embarrassed. She doesn't like drawing attention to herself at the best of times, and in the middle of a dangerous ruin is not her idea of the best of times. How she can explain it to her companions isn't something she knows anything about, so she focuses on trying to figure out the best way to go. She starts to move on towards the stature, but leaving branch unexplored makes skin crawl too much for her to do that. Instead, she moves as quietly as she can down the as yet unknown passageway.

GM, lemme know when you need me to roll again.

Erridon listens to the banter of the group, enjoying how they've grown close. Realizing that Tot has moved ahead he follows, trying to move as quietly as she was.

Stealth: 1d20 + 13 + 1d6 ⇒ (6) + 13 + (4) = 23
Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (14) + 7 = 21

Tot moves forward with Ari not far behind through the narrow hallway. Before long it opens into a wider chamber that appears to be a small shrine. To the northeast, steps lead up to a platform of grey stone. Sitting atop the platform is an ancient altar, little more than a jagged block of black marble with a shallow concavity on top of it. This shallow basin is filled with what appears to be filthy water.

There does not appear to be any creatures in the shrine area at present, and there is a set of double doors that appear to be made of iron with greatly detailed scrollwork engraved upon them to the southeast.

Tot slips up to the doors and turns to Ari and motions him to join her.

"What do you make of this," she asks.

Ari moves into the room with Tot. There is enough of interest to distract him and he doesn’t answer, just starts with a spell, detect magic, and study of the area.

knowledge-all: 1d20 + 8 + 1d6 ⇒ (8) + 8 + (5) = 21
arcana if magic is detected: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (8) + 7 = 15

”Ah…. Well, there’s….”. He explains whatever he thinks that he knows.

The scroll work on the doors and the images depicted lead Erridon to believe this shrine, and perhaps what lies beyond those doors, is dedicated to the evil goddess Lamashtu, the Mother of Monsters. He spies the holy sigil, a three-eyed jackal and other horrific representations depicted in the artwork here.

As Ari scans the area for magic, the shallow basin atop the black marble altar reveals a faint magical aura, the only source detected in the room. While Ari can find the magic and its location, the mystery of its school of magic escapes his direct knowledge. Nor can he yet tell what the magic is or does.

The rest of the group also filters into the small shrine, ready and watchful.

Izzy says "Wasn't there something in that Journal about this?"

Tot shivers as she realizes what it is they are looking at. Her mind whirls as pieces begin to fall into place.

"Tsuto's lover worships Lamashtu, but is touched by the celestials the same way Zorlen and I are touched by the fiends. The freaks are probably the sinspawn. How long has that madwoman known about this place," she asks. "Th-though I-I-I guess we should be asking if we sh-should see if there's another way in."

"Is this worshipper of lamashtu giving birth to these things or are they here by some other foul magic? Regardless, this place by Ari's account has an evil history and it also feels wrong. It's good we have returned to cleanse it." Garen says as he opens his sight into the intent of things (detect evil).

"There's the lover and the quasit. The lover is at Thistletop. The quasit is down here," Tot clarifies. "We don't know how many of those monsters are down here, or if they can make more of them. I think it's best if we keep quiet and try to take whatever we run into down here by surprise. I--I just hope that there's not another one of those vargouille things." She shudders and pales at that particular memory.

Ari considers things as the group moves in to search the area. "Right. Tsuto's journal mentioned several things. A quasit that was below the Glassworks, and 'her freaks'. Probably the Sin Spawn? The lower chambers and something named 'Malfeshnekor'? It must be pretty powerful if they wouldn't have to be subtle anymore? I hope those lower chambers aren't here. A quasit would be a hard enough thing to fight!"

"He mentioned the Thistletop shrine so not this one. I can't imagine that she'd be offering Sandpoint to Lamashtu here anyway. How would she get everyone down here?"

"Thistletop is where one of the goblin tribes live. There's an old Thassilonian ruin there if I remember right."

He glances around at the others. "There's weak magic here but I don't recognize it. Zorlen? Or Izzy? Could you cast Detect Magic and study the auras? Maybe it's faded, old magic. Or maybe it's just not active and waiting for something?"

As the others discuss, Grod readies his axe and glances around.

Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 4 = 20

Garen's scan for evil auras in the small shrine returns nothing to his eye. Nor does Grod's searching of the room find anything new that has not already been described.

LMK when you are ready to open these iron doors (or to go another direction.

Detect Magic/Spellcraft on the shrine for Zorlen: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (15) + 10 = 25
Detect Magic/Spellcraft on the shrine for Izzy: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (4) + 7 = 11

Figuring that they'd found whatever they could at the shrine Ari searches the double doors.
Perception for Ari to search the doors for traps?: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (2) + 7 = 9 Assuming that roll was barely enough to confirm that they are doors....
Finding nothing dangerous he alerts the party and attempts to open them.

Detect Magic and spellcraft: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (12) + 7 = 19

Tot grabs her shield as Ari works over the doors. She hopes she's being paranoid, but if someone is in there, they're likely to see them the second the doors start to open.

"Open the doors when ready Ari, I suspect we will find the master of this place behind them. Prepare yourselves." Garen says feeling both excitement and a little nervousness at what may lie behind the double doors.

I'd really rather catch them unawares, preferably sleeping in their bed where I could slit their throat, Tot thinks.

"Know anything about quasits," she asks the others instead.

Knowledge(Religion): 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 5 = 12

Does Grod know anything about Quasits?

Before the doors are opened.

Zorlen is quite a student of magic in all forms. He casts his divination and tells you that the shrine seems to have a spell-like effect that is creation or conjuration but just want that effect is, he cannot say for certain. "I believe it would be quite unwise to drink that water..." he says understating what might be obvious.

Grod knows that quasits are a minor type of demon, only about a foot and half tall. They are often used as familiars by abyssal-based casters. They may be small, but they are still powerful evil demons and not be trifled with. Like most demons, they can be hard to damage by normal means, but can be harmed more easily with cold iron or good-aligned weapons.

Zorlen ID spell effect: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (7) + 10 = 17

Ari does not find any traps on the doors and finds, to his mild surprise, the heavy doors open easily and soundlessly, with just a slight push.

Inside, this huge room looks like noting more than an immense underground cathedral. Stone doors stand ajar to either side of where you stand now, but beyond this, the walls are carved with strange, spiky runes. In the center of the room is a large pool, with a ring of polished human skulls balanced on the stone spikes arranged in a circle around the deeper midsection. At the far end of the room, a pair of stone stairways lead up to a pulpit o which a second pool, this one triangular and filled with churning, bubbling water that looks almost like translucent lava. Yet while wisps of what looks like heat and steam rise from the strange orange liquid, the room is deathly cold. The ceiling in the main chamber is 20' above the floor, 10' over head in the pulpit area. The room is lit eerily by a series of greenish lanterns and the orange glow of the pool above.

Two of the gangly sinspawn you have already tangled with stand at the bottom of each staircase, while above a small winged and horned creature, about a foot tall whirls to see who intrudes in this unholy place.

"Foul surface dwellers!" it shouts at you in shrill voice. "May the mother plague your dreams for intruding here. Death shall be a sweet alternative!" You see the small demon (surely this is the quasit Grod recalls) slices her own wrist, allowing a dribble of blood to enter the orange, glowing pool. The light of the pool flashes for a moment and then it goes diminishes considerably.

You may attempt the Sense Motive outside of initiative order. Feel free to roll your own init, but please don't post actions, until the order is identified. I will get the combat round set tomorrow.

Thanks to her amazing singing voice, Izzy is often an excellent judge of character.. don't ask how , it's a bard thing, Sense Motive! 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (2) + 10 = 12

AH ha!... I got nuthin.