JD's Abomination Vaults

Game Master Jack Daniels

"Of course, we will accompany you back home safely. But afterwards we'll have a sincere discussion on your choice of employer and profession!"

Penflower relaxes a bit and offers them some water and trail rations. He says "We'll accompany you out. From there the way to Otari is easy and free, but if you like you can wait for us until we're done exploring for the day, and we'll return with you."

"Haven't they been through enough, Garridan? Besides, what they've already been through will be a more effective deterrent to lawbreaking than anything any of us can say," Jon says sagely.

”Yeah, let’s help them out of here. Poor guys look beat half to death. It’s the least we could do…”

The three rogues happily accept whatever food or drink is offered to them. You lead them out of their cells, into the passageway, through the secret door, up the stairs and outside of the Keep. From there, the rogues thank the party as they are confident that they will make it back to Otari safely. "We will advise Yinyasmera immediately of your kindness so stop by later for your recompense."

After saving the rogues, you head back down (I assume?). Which way are you headed? North up the corridor toward Doors 3, 4, and 5 or SW through Door 6?

Learning from experience, Garidan moves slowly and as silently as he thinks he can to the next door, listening for more Morlocks.

Door 5

Hagrym nodded silently at the human’s door selection. He was ready to defend against whatever might be inside.

Door 5 is good with me.

The party moves north to Door #5. Garidan listens in and does not hear any sounds of danger. You decide to enter the western door. Map is on Slide 8.

[i]Broken-down torture instruments lie in half-collapsed heaps on the floor here. To the north slumps a ruined stretching rack, while to the south a pillory lies fallen on the floor. Rusty tongs and chains, frayed and rotten whips, and other implements lie on tottering shelves.[/ooc]

There is a door to the west in this room and Mac's keen senses detect a secret door to the south, which opens when a rusted ring on the wall is pulled down sharply.

There is nothing else of note in this room. Do you continue heading west through the door, south through secret door, or back into the corridor to head north or south?

"I think we're getting off the path here. We should head back to the corridor. Since we have not found any doors heading east, besides the well, we may have found the eastern border of the dungeon. We should finish the corridor, heading to doors 3 then 4, which is glowing. My 2 coppers."

Jon looks a bit longingly at the secret door, but shrugs. "Sounds like a plan, Mac. We can always come back to this door later."

You investigate Door 3. After listening for dangers on the other side, you open it to reveal a 10' passageway that ends at another door. You proceed and open the second door to reveal:

Shelves line the walls of this room, each filled with tools used for cleaning or repair work. A silver-headed cane lies amid a tangle of mops, brooms, and buckets.

A door leads north and a door leads south from this room. New Slide 9. Which way?

"Oh man. This place is a maze, I feel lost already. Is anyone keeping track of the layout of this place? I'm really not much of a pathfinder. IF we go right here, we should be back in the prison, but the prison didn't have a door in the back. So, aehm, I must be wrong."
A confused Garidan opens the door to the right aka south in the broom closet.

Penflower, being too focused on looking out for trouble, takes a while to notice they skipped a secret door. He thinks "Did we really not look into the secret door?"

He tells Garidan "This is supposed to be confusing. The best prison cell doesn't have the hardiest bars, but doesn't look like a prison at all." He is thinking of an elven children's story he liked many decades ago, about a young elf who couldn't find his way home because he had befriended too many humans. It took Penflower many years to realize how racist the story was, but there was an actual lesson to be learned from it. A prison for the mind is much more effective than bars.

He, then, leads the group through the southern door.

Hagrym grabs the silver headed cane from amongst the cleaning supplies while the others decide which direction to follow. He swings it a couple times, seeing if it had enough haft to be used a weapon, if if it might he just a regular walking cane. ”Dont get so focused that you all forget about the nifty items that are just laying around all willy nilly here,” he admonishes.

Thievery check DC 16: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (19) - 1 = 18

Hagrym skillfully picks the cane from the pile without disturbing the other tools. The cane hides a silver blade; it’s a low-grade silver sword cane.

The rest of the party heads south:

A pair of hulking humanoid objects stands quietly in this chamber, each covered in a thick layer of dust.

You soon realize that these robotic automatons are broken beyond repair. Mac spots 8 gemstones used as bearings in the gears. You take the 8 gemstones.

With no other direction to proceed, you head through the northern door, where you see the following scene:

The walls of this room have been painted, crudely and almost childishly, to depict a horrific Hellscape of burning mountains, rusting cities, and tormented souls.

A small chubby, fly-bodied creature with buggy eyes and a long red tongue looks at you in anger, as you disturb its reverie. He curses out in a harsh language. Does anyone speak Infernal? I do not think so. Image of monster updated in Monsters slide.

Initiative:
Fly-creature: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (20) + 12 = 32
Garidan: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (3) + 6 = 9
Hagrym: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (16) + 8 = 24
Jon: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (19) + 6 = 25
Mac: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (1) + 8 = 9
Pen: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10
Order: Creature, then party.

Round 1: Fly-creature

The insect creature with wings flies toward Pen and tries to bite him with its mandibles, but the elf skillfully dodges and intervenes his shield to drive off the small creature's attacks without any harm.

Step
Attack: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (3) + 14 = 17 --- miss
Attack: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (8) + 9 = 17 --- miss

Party is up! Appropriate Knowledge check to identify creature is Religion if you spend an action.

I thought, we already established that I will always try to identify first
EV: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (13) + 8 = 21 vs standard DC for its level and vs Recall Knowledge DC (+1 from lantern)

Seeing the creature, Jon ◇draws his pistol and whip. (Into the Fray)

"Hey, shoo fly! We're gonna squash you!" Jon says, hoping the tone of voice conveys the threat even if the thing can't speak Common.

Demoralize ◆ (auditory, bravado, concentrate, emotion, fear, mental): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (17) + 6 = 23 (If it doesn't understand Common, then that's a -4 penalty IIRC)

Then Jon takes aim and fires◆ at the flying thing.

+1 Double-Barreled Pistol: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (13) + 11 = 24
P/Concussive Damage: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2

Then he finishes off with a reloading strike◆, the long reach of the whip sailing past Pen to hit the fly.

Whip -5 MAP: 1d20 + 8 - 5 ⇒ (19) + 8 - 5 = 22
S Damage, nonlethal: 1d4 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5
Sword & Pistol: If that was a hit, my next ranged attack does not provoke Reactive Strike or similar reactions from my target.

+14 to hit on 1st attack, wow! At least it is funny looking.

Penflower quickly swings with his fiery attack and raises his shield again.

Spellstrike with Ignition, Raise shield

Attack: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (7) + 8 = 15
Damage: 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (8) + 4 = 12
Fire damage: 2d6 ⇒ (5, 5) = 10

It's funny, the large damage numbers only come when there's a missed swing.

Know religion 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (4) + 8 = 12

Hagrym concentrates on the awful creature, hoping to find some weakness it might have that the group could exploit.

I thought, we already established that I will always try to identify first

[dice=EV]1d20+8 vs standard DC for its level and vs Recall Knowledge DC (+1 from lantern)

I made too may rolls already in my last post.

Garidan's knowledge base determines that the creature is a Zebub, a fiendish devil from the Nine Hells, among the lower ranks, vulnerable to holy damage. Hagrym's action does not reveal any information. You both can complete your turns.

This tight space and since Pen did not move back means Mac cannot get in to attack in melee.

Round 1: Mac
Gripping his warpick with one hand, Mac draws his light hammer and throws it at the creature.

Light hammer throw: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (15) + 7 = 22
Damage: 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7

"Jon and everyone, move back. Pen, try to move back so multiple people can attack it."

With his knowledge, Garidan moves in to make room for the others and strikes.

◆Breaching Pike, 10 ft Reach: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (5) + 7 = 12
Piercing and Holy: 1d6 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 3 + 2 = 11

Jon's bullet strikes the fiend, but the wound instantly closes. Did not penetrate his DR in game terms. Also, not a critical. Similarly, the whip fails to do any harm to the creature.

Pen's attack misses.

Mac's attack strikes the Zebub, but most of the wound closes. 2 damage.

Garidan moves but his attack misses.

It was debatable whether you could go diagonally from Pen's square into the room due to the doorway. In the end, I allowed Garidan's diagonal move as difficult terrain.

Hagrym's other 2 actions are up to finish the Round.

Hagrym will move backwards 10’, to give the group room to maneuver (if you’d please move me, GM).

With his final action, the cleric lashes out with his blast of divine energy, trying to take the enemy down through Torag’s power.

Divine attack 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (20) + 8 = 28
Damage 2d4 ⇒ (2, 3) = 5

Assuming that is a critical
Additional damage 2d4 ⇒ (2, 4) = 6

Hagrym, cannot move you, as you already took one action to RK, so will leave you in the same spot and apply your spell critical.

Hagrym's Divine Lance zaps the devil, inflicting 11 spirit damage on it! Total damage: 13

Round 2: Zebub
The small devil curses at Hagrym in Infernal, as it intones magic, disappearing from its current square and appearing next to the cleric! It then proceeds to bite him! However, the luck of his deity is blessed upon the dwarf, as the attack misses wildly!

◆◆ Spell ◆Attack

Attack: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (1) + 14 = 15 --- miss!

2 attacks so far at +14 and one at +9 and have missed all 3 times! Party is up!

”Well, now I get to squash you right nice,” Hagrym grumbled as he pulled out his Warhammer and took a swing at the creature.

Attack 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (16) + 6 = 22
Damage 1d10 + 2 ⇒ (10) + 2 = 12

After the swing, with his final action, Hagrym raises his shield.

"Bad move, attacking my cousin, fiend!"

Round 2: Mac

◆Rage
◆Greatpick Attack: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (8) + 11 = 19
Damage: 1d10 + 6 ⇒ (3) + 6 = 9
◆Greatpick Attack: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (20) + 6 = 26
If critical: 1d12 + 6 ⇒ (8) + 6 = 14x2=28 + 1d12 ⇒ 9= 37 total!

Garidan moves back in the corridor and strikes twice thrusting his spear past Jon. With every strike he splashes a few droplets of holy water on his pike.

Breaching Pike, 10 ft Reach: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (17) + 7 = 24
Piercing and Holy: 1d6 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 3 + 2 = 8
Breaching Pike, 10 ft Reach: 1d20 + 7 - 5 ⇒ (18) + 7 - 5 = 20
Piercing and Holy: 1d6 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 3 + 2 = 6

Mac's warpick pierces the devil's chest, as it slams into the wall dead, dissolving into foul ichor. Nice crit! He shouldn't have messed with your cousin! LOL..Combat over. There is nothing else of interest in this room.

I have updated the Map slide to show your progress so far. You have cleared the eastern part of the map. You have 6 options to go:
1. Door with green glow to N.
2. Door NW further down the corridor to the NW.
3. Secret door in the prior room with torture instruments.
4. Western door in the prior room with torture instruments.
5. SW door down the southern corridor.
6. Western door in the first room on this level, where you found the first secret door.
Which way? Obviously the door with the green glow is the closest but do not want to assume.

"I should invest in some holy water," Jon says, frowning at his pistol and stowing his whip. "Anyway, why don't we check out that room that's glowing green?"

"Yes, please. I'm eager to find out, what the green light is."

Jeezuz, that crit would have killed me nearly 2 times over! Nice swing man!

Penflower recovers from the fight quickly and says "What's this demon doing here anyways? This isn't the abyss..." He also leads the group towards the green light, shield first.

Actually, it was a devil, Pen, so the Nine Hells. :)

You open the door to the north with the green glow to reveal:

This ten-foot-square washroom features an iron bathing tub to the north and a commode to the southwest. The northern wall glows and shimmers with rippling ribbons of eerie green light.

As soon as you see the green light, the green ribbons of energy slither and form letters on the wall that read in Common:

"“I was Otari...save me from below!”

A moment later, the words slide off the wall and form a green ribbon of light that slithers across the floor like a serpent with a speed of 20 feet, heading west. The ribbon of light slithers under the western wall, revealing a secret door.

Do you follow?

Garidan relays his thoughts to the group. "Otari as in the town's founders?" He then motions the group to follow.

"Wasn't he the group rogue who supposedly died here?" Mac agrees to follow but looking out for danger.

Penflower says "Yes, Otari was the group rogue! I know all about him. Give me a second to think!"

So, my Lore Roseguard is +7. I assume this is a secret check.

”Stupid devil,” Hagrym grumbles as he nods a thanks to his cousin and the others.

He stared at the strange green letters. ”Are we sure this isn’t a trap? Can’t say I’ve ever seen writing that slithers off the wall before,” he laughs at the thought.

You open the door to reveal a corridor and you continue to follow the green ribbon. The ribbon turns south and continues heading west, going through another western door. You open the door to reveal:

A ruined table and several destroyed chairs lie in a heap in the middle of this room, along with several large bones.

You see the ribbon of green light dance and flicker around the center of the room, before moving west underneath the western door. As it does so, the bones on the ground shudder and come together, forming a giant skeleton of a man-bull creature with horns!

Initiative:
Skeletal Giant: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (14) + 7 = 21
Garidan: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (19) + 6 = 25
Hagrym: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (1) + 8 = 9
Jon: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (2) + 6 = 8
Mac: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (6) + 8 = 14
Pen: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10
Order: Garidan, Monster, rest of party.

Garidan's RK: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (9) + 8 = 17 Unfortunately, no information on the creature's weaknesses is revealed.

◆Exploit Vulnerability, already roled by GM
◆Cast Guidance on Pen
◆Demoralize: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (16) + 8 = 24

"You got this, Pen. And you better stand down, if you don't want to die again."

Sounds like a Minotaur skellie... Also, a 20 total Lore check only revealed that? Was hoping for more maybe.

Penflower shares "Otari died in the final battle. His body was never found. Maybe his spirit is indeed trapped here..."

As the green light brings the group into a fight, he sighs and says "Oh drat..."

Pen, what more did you want to know? You have to be specific in what you're trying to discern about Otari. Favorite color? :)

Round 1: Skeletal Giant

The minotaur skeleton seems unfazed by Garidan's brash words. It looks around and locating it, it bends down to pick up a rusted glaive lying underneath some of the furniture. It then rears back and from 10' away brings the glaive down on the elf! If not for his shield, Pen would have been taken out in 1 swing!

◆Seek to look for weapon
◆Pick up weapon
◆Strike vs. Pen: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (20) + 12 = 32 --- critical!
Damage: 1d8 + 7 ⇒ (2) + 7 = 9x2 plus 1d8 ⇒ 2 = 20
Pen uses reaction to shield block to reduce damage by 5 = 15 damage to Pen. 5 damage to shield.
Rest of Party and then Garidan to start Round 2.

Round 1: Mac

Mac reels at the powerful blow that Pen takes. He grips his warpick and moves into the room to attack the giant.

◆Stride
◆Attack: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (11) + 11 = 22
Damage: 1d10 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5
◆Attack: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (11) + 6 = 17
Damage: 1d10 + 4 ⇒ (5) + 4 = 9

Hagrym strides forward 15’, to the empty spot just behind Pen. If you’d advance me, please, GM. Hagrym then tries out a cantrip he hasn’t used before, trying to target the undead with a Vitality Lash effect!

It doesn’t look like an attack roll is required? Is that right? It just says a basic Fort save by the baddie against 2d6 damage. If I am wrong, go ahead and roll the attack, GM, please.

Damage 2d6 ⇒ (2, 5) = 7

Jon draws◇ his pistol and whip and strides◇ into the room. (Into the Fray)

He fires his pistol◆ at the skeletal giant.

+1 Double-Barreled Pistol: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (9) + 11 = 20
P/Concussive Damage: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4

Then Jon sends a reloading strike◆ toward the skeleton, not really expecting it to do much against bone, but reloading his pistol at the same time.

Whip -5 MAP: 1d20 + 8 - 5 ⇒ (20) + 8 - 5 = 23 (Nat 20!)
S Damage, nonlethal: 1d4 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6 x2 = 12
Sword & Pistol: My next ranged attack versus the skeleton will not provoke Reactive Strike or similar reactions.

Then Jon swings his whip around again, testing the skeleton's defenses by attempting to disarm◆ the glaive out of the monster's hand. (Whip has the [disarm] trait.)

Assurance (Athletics) Result: 14 vs Reflex DC

If by some chance that ends up being a crit failure, I'll drop the whip and take the results of a failure.

Mac's two strikes land, the first one inflicting no damage and the second one inflicts 4 damage.
Hagrym, the DC of your spells is 18 so please write that in your post each time. Skeleton Fort save: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (3) + 8 = 11 --- fails, takes 7 damage.
Jon's bullet lands, inflicting 4 damage - no critical. The whip inflicts 7 damage. You fail to disarm the undead minotaur with a 14 check. That is not a critical failure.
Total damage: 22
Pen and Garidan are up.

Garidan moves in, knowing that his spear isn't an ideal weapon.

◆ Exploit Vulnerability EV: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (10) + 8 = 18 vs standard DC for its level and vs Recall Knowledge DC (+1 from lantern)
◆Breaching Pike, 10 ft Reach: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (5) + 7 = 12

About Otari: I'd like to know something that might signify that his spirit is still trapped in the fortress. Something like whoever performed his funeral failed to detect his spirit moving to Pharasma or smth.

Doesn't my shield also take 15 dmg? If this is the case, then I drop the shield as a free action and cast the Shield cantrip instead of raising it this turn.

Penflower coughs up blood from the powerful blow. His arm, still numb from the blow, manages to raise the shield again for protection. Also, he steps up to the minotaur and swings his sword.

Stride, Strike, Raise Shield. Hopefully he's flanked and off-guard.

Strike: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (9) + 8 = 17
Damage: 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10

Garidan, the creature has no vulnerabilities to the best of your knowledge. It has resistance but bludgeoning weapons seem to work the best.
Pen, you are absolutely right about the shield taking the damage, so you drop it, and cast the cantrip. Thanks!

Pen, they held Otari's funeral without his body since it was never recovered, so I don't see how anyone could sense if his spirit passed on.

Garidan misses.
Pen's strike lands inflicting 5 damage. 27 damage total.

Round 2: Skeletal Giant

The skeletal minotaur swings his glaive in a broad sweep, aiming at Pen and Jon, who are adjacent to each other, striking both of them and taking out the elf! It then tries to gore Mac with its horns, but misses!

◆◆Broad Swipe
Attack vs. Pen: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (12) + 12 = 24
Damage: 1d8 + 7 ⇒ (6) + 7 = 13
Pen uses Shield block, reducing damage by 5, taking 8 damage, and he drops to Dying 1.
Attack vs. Jon: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (12) + 12 = 24
Damage: 1d8 + 7 ⇒ (8) + 7 = 15 to Jon!
◆Horn attack vs. Mac: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6 --- miss!

Rest of party is up in Round 2.

Round 2: Mac
◆Mac rages
◆Attack: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (11) + 11 = 22
Damage: 1d10 + 4 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 4 + 2 = 7
◆Attack: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (1) + 11 = 12 - sucks to do minimum damage

Poor Pen...
Garidan thinks harder about the giant, then decides to trip him! Either way, he'll piece him with his inefficient spear, but not before pouring a drop of healing potion on it.

◆Recall Knowledge: 1d20 + 8 + 1 - 4 ⇒ (9) + 8 + 1 - 4 = 14 3rd try to find out weakest save
◆Athletics to trip: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (16) + 7 = 23
◆Spear: 1d20 + 7 - 5 ⇒ (18) + 7 - 5 = 20
Piercing: 1d6 + 3 + 2 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 + 2 + 3 = 10