The Cartographer - Hangman's Noose

Game Master The Cartographer

Pleased by the discovering of a fine whisky--finally, something worth all this bother!--Neronius doesn't realise the rope is winding around his leg until it may be too late!

Reflex Save: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (7) - 1 = 6

Rekkart

"Where could that woman have gone...?" Rekkart ponders to himself, seeing that Patrissa has seemingly vanished, but his train of thought is interrupted by the sudden reappearance of the formerly-bound clown.

As Ebin attacks, Rekkart merely grits his teeth and grumbles in annoyance as the risen jester strikes him for minimal damage.

Without missing a beat, he swings his sword in retaliation. Apparently with catharsis after how obnoxious the gnome had been while alive.

Sword Attack: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (19) + 5 = 24
Sword Damage: 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (7) + 2 = 9

Tobold moves to get a clear shot at Ebin with his spell to disrupt undead. He shouts out "This is getting old!"

Disrupt Undead Melee: 1d20 + 6 - 4 ⇒ (13) + 6 - 4 = 15 Damage: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2

"Oh, for f#!~'s sake. You're already dead!" Zinli takes a step back, draws her throwing axe, and tosses it at the gnome. 5ft step + Draw Weapon

Attack: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (7) + 2 = 9
Damage: 1d4 - 1 ⇒ (4) - 1 = 3

Trevor steps to the NW and stabs Ebin with his Rapier

attack: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (18) + 2 = 201d6 ⇒ 5
crit check: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (11) + 2 = 131d6 ⇒ 5

Critical Check: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (8) + 5 = 13

Battle Map

Neronius on First Floor
Neronius drops the glass bottle of whisky and it shatters as liquid and glass skitter across the floor. (Anyone without shoes moves ½ speed or take 1d2 piercing damage)

The rope continues to coil as it progresses up your leg and around your torso. Doing so, you hear a rib pop and it begins to tighten. Suddenly you find it slightly harder to take a full breath of air. (-3 HP | first damage of the game)

Meanwhile Upstairs
Quick work with blades and a spell, Rekkart, Tolbold and Trevor causes the undead Ebin to crumple to the ground motionless. In this moment, you hear breaking glass echo up the stairs at the end of this chamber. (we are still in rounds make note of your movement speed.)

Initiative: Round 2
All of you
Ebin & Rope

(It is a you then them combat. What do you do?)

(PCs: Trevor -1 HP -4 Wis ~ Carrie -6 HP -4 Wis – 11 Str ~ Tolbold -1 HP -2 NL -4 Wis ~ Zinli -1 -4 Wis ~ Neronius -3 HP)
(NPCs: Rekkart -3 HP -4 Cha ~ Patrissa -3 HP -2 NL ~ Sveth -12 HP ~ Madge)

Zinli shares a worried glance with her teammates. "Gotta pick up my axe. Y'all go first!"

Trevor will follow Rekkart when the paladin no doubt heads towards the noise.

Tolbold sighs "No sign of Patricia and we find an undead Ebin. This is getting old. How about we all stick together so this doesn't happen anymore?"

Rekkart

Hearing the glass shattering from the floor below, Rekkart begins making his way back to stairs down, "Bah... Everyone back downstairs. Our merchant friend might be in trouble."

Double move toward the staircase.

Zinli grabs her weapon - not without grimacing at Ebin's mutilated corpse. I think that'd be 2 move actions

Battle Map

(Round 2)

Neronius on First Floor
Neronius continues to struggle against the progress of the rope as it snakes up his body.

DMB Break Grapple: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (20) + 0 = 20

The man squirms free from this snakelike rope, but he is still cornered in this chamber.

Meanwhile Upstairs
The group upstairs rush quickly towards the stairs to head toward the sound of breaking glass. Madge and Sveth continue to keep up with the group.

(Round 3)

Initiative: Round 3
All of you
Ebin & Rope

(It is a you then them combat. What do you do?)

(PCs: Trevor -1 HP -4 Wis ~ Carrie -6 HP -4 Wis – 11 Str ~ Tolbold -1 HP -2 NL -4 Wis ~ Zinli -1 -4 Wis ~ Neronius -3 HP)
(NPCs: Rekkart -3 HP -4 Cha ~ Patrissa -3 HP -2 NL ~ Sveth -12 HP ~ Madge)

Legitimately starting to panic now, Neronius reaches down for the broken off spout of the whisky bottle and tries to cut the rope with the jagged edge!

Not sure what the mechanics are, but I'll roll and attack and damage roll just in case.

Attack roll (improvised melee weapon): 1d20 - 4 ⇒ (16) - 4 = 12
damage (small edged weapon?): 1d3 ⇒ 2

Rekkart: One move action to get to the stairs, another move action to descend.

No Map access right now. Trevor follows Rekkart.

Tolbold makes it partly across the room following Madge and Sveth.

Only a 20 movement rate.

Battle Map

(Round 3)

Neronius on First Floor
Freed from the crushing strength of this rope, a rope that has a pattern of snake skin on it, Neronius grabs some of the glass and lashes out at the rope trying to cut it. His attack misses.

The rope uses the missed attack to lash out with its own and the rope grapples around Neronius’ leg and is starting to work its way up.

Meanwhile Upstairs
The group continues, as they make their way down the stiars they hear a struggle coming from beyond the metal door into the way of the holding cells.

(Round 4)

Initiative: Round 4
All of you
Rope

(It is a you then them combat. What do you do?)

(PCs: Trevor -1 HP -4 Wis ~ Carrie -6 HP -4 Wis – 11 Str ~ Tolbold -1 HP -2 NL -4 Wis ~ Zinli -1 -4 Wis ~ Neronius -3 HP)
(NPCs: Rekkart -3 HP -4 Cha ~ Patrissa -3 HP -2 NL ~ Sveth -12 HP ~ Madge)

Rekkart continues to double move his way back to the gaol.

"Assistance please!" Neronius shouts, as he continues trying to cut furiously at the rope.

Attack roll (improvised melee weapon): 1d20 - 4 ⇒ (8) - 4 = 4
damage (small edged weapon?): 1d3 ⇒ 2

Trevor keeps following Rekkart

Tobold slowly follows along with the others.

Battle Map

(Round 3)

Neronius on First Floor
Neronius cries out for help, but no response is given. The rope continues to coil on him as he continues to cut the rope with the broken shard of glass. Trying to not cut himself causes the man to also not cut the rope.

Continuing to move up Neronius’ body, the rope makes it way up to his stomach and continues to coil. (-3 HP – Side note, you’re still showing 1st level with 1st level HP.)

Meanwhile Upstairs
The group makes it to the ground floor and they hear Neronius crying out for help. (Doing the math, if you guys were running not just double moving you should be able to make it this round.)

(Round 5)

Initiative: Round 5
All of you
Rope

(It is a you then them combat. What do you do?)

(PCs: Trevor -1 HP -4 Wis ~ Carrie -6 HP -4 Wis – 11 Str ~ Tolbold -1 HP -2 NL -4 Wis ~ Zinli -1 -4 Wis ~ Neronius -6 HP)

Zinli goes down the stairs as fast as she can, and runs towards the room where the screams are coming from. Round 2: Double Move; Round 3: Run

Rekkart: This Round - Run to the end of the hall; Next Round - Double move into the room.

Trevor runs after Rekkart as well.

Tobold keeps following the others down the steps and into the main hall.

Double move

Realising the shard of glass isn't getting him anywhere, Neronius drops it and grabs the rope with both hands like he's trying to strangle a deadly serpent!

I might try something like a CMB check to slow its progression or break free?

CMB: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (14) + 1 = 15

Battle Map

(Round 5)
The group pours into the room. You see Neronius wrestling with a rope that is patterned as a snake, and the rope is winning. The rope continues to snake its way up Neronius’ body and continues to constrict (-2 HP)

(Round 6)

Initiative: Round 6
All of you
Rope

(It is a you then them combat. What do you do?)

(PCs: Trevor -1 HP -4 Wis ~ Carrie -6 HP -4 Wis – 11 Str ~ Tolbold -1 HP -2 NL -4 Wis ~ Zinli -1 -4 Wis ~ Neronius -8 HP)
(NPCs: Rekkart -3 HP -4 Cha ~ Patrissa -3 HP -2 NL ~ Sveth -12 HP ~ Madge)

Rekkart

"Good gods..."

Not wanting to cut up Neronius with his sword, Rekkart will attempt to grab onto the rope and aid the merchant in escaping its grasp.

CMB: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (17) + 4 = 21
Rekkart doesn't have Improved Grapple, so the rope gets an attack of opportunity if it can.

Rekkart calls out behind him, "Any of you have a smaller blade?

Neronious looks at Rekkart with grateful eyes, like a drowning man thrown a lifeline.

I'll try Aid Another on Rekkart's attempt to pull me free.

CMB: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (9) + 1 = 10

Zinli rushes into the room - and sighs. "How the f@@$ did that happen?" she squeezes past Trevor and Rekkart to reach Neronius.

Question GM: could I use the Gnome Pincher to pull the rope away from Neronius?

I only have my rapier Trevor tries to aid the paladin

Grapple: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 9

Battle Map

(Round 6)
Rekkart pulls on the rope and unwinds Neronius from its grasp. The end that Rekkart grabbed has the look of a handle, the where the snake’s head should be, has the looks of a forked tongue. Almost whip like…

The snake turns its attention on Rekkart.

Initiative: Round 6
All of you
Rope

(Trevor, Tolbold, Neronius, Zinli I will give you your action since Rekkart’s would have freed Neronius. What do you do?)

(PCs: Trevor -1 HP -4 Wis ~ Carrie -6 HP -4 Wis – 11 Str ~ Tolbold -1 HP -2 NL -4 Wis ~ Zinli -1 -4 Wis ~ Neronius -8 HP)
(NPCs: Rekkart -3 HP -4 Cha ~ Patrissa -3 HP -2 NL ~ Sveth -12 HP ~ Madge)

Trevor slashes at the rope

Rapier: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 2 = 141d6 ⇒ 4

Battle Map

(Round 6)
While being grappled, Trevor takes a thrust step with his rapier and hits the rope.

Initiative: Round 6
All of you (Tolbold, Neronius, Zinli)
Rope

(Tolbold, Neronius, Zinli I will give you your action since Rekkart’s would have freed Neronius. What do you do?)

(PCs: Trevor -1 HP -4 Wis ~ Carrie -6 HP -4 Wis – 11 Str ~ Tolbold -1 HP -2 NL -4 Wis ~ Zinli -1 -4 Wis ~ Neronius -8 HP)
(NPCs: Rekkart -3 HP -4 Cha ~ Patrissa -3 HP -2 NL ~ Sveth -12 HP ~ Madge)

Tolbold gets into the room to see a rope/snake attacking Rekkart. He exclaims "What in the wide wide world of sports is going on here?" He shakes his head quickly to clear it and then tries to burn the rope with acid.

Ray of Frost Acid: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (20) + 6 = 26 Damage: 1d3 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4
Ray of Frost Acid Crit Confirm: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (2) + 6 = 8 Damage: 1d3 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4

Sorry guys, very limited time to post

Zinli draws her pincher as she moves next to Neronius and swats the rope.

Attack: 1d20 - 3 ⇒ (1) - 3 = -2
Damage: 1d4 - 1 ⇒ (1) - 1 = 0

"It tried to kill me! Neronius shrieks at a rather high pitch, his calm clearly shaken. He tries to squeeze his bulk through the fray and out the door.

Total defense and a move action to move.

Battle Map

(Round 6)
Tolbold launches a ray of acid that hits the rope, but not critically. Using her gnomish pincher, Zinli attacks but misses while Neronius flees.

The rope, having its tail pulled, strikes out at Rekkart but the paladin is able to dodge its bite.

(Round 7)

Initiative: Round 7
All of you
Rope (Grappled)

(You’re all up! What do you do?)

(PCs: Trevor -1 HP -4 Wis ~ Carrie -6 HP -4 Wis – 11 Str ~ Tolbold -1 HP -2 NL -4 Wis ~ Zinli -1 -4 Wis ~ Neronius -8 HP)
(NPCs: Rekkart -3 HP -4 Cha ~ Patrissa -3 HP -2 NL ~ Sveth -12 HP ~ Madge)

Rekkart

Brandishing his sword, Rekkart slashes at the rope-snake.

Sword Attack: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (19) + 5 = 24
Sword Damage: 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 = 8

Critical Confirmation: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (10) + 5 = 15

Battle Map

(Rekkart’s critical confirmation is a hit.)
DMG: 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 = 8

Slashing at the rope-snake, Rekkart finishes off the weird creature as it falls limp. Lifelessly in his hand it now is more recognizable as a whip with a snakeskin pattern on it.

Looking at the room, you see that there is a crate of a Chelaxian Daemon-Spirit (powerfully strong whisky). There are 5 untouched in the crate, one smasked on the floor.

(What do you do?)

(PCs: Trevor -1 HP -4 Wis ~ Carrie -6 HP -4 Wis – 11 Str ~ Tolbold -1 HP -2 NL -4 Wis ~ Zinli -1 -4 Wis ~ Neronius -8 HP)
(NPCs: Rekkart -3 HP -4 Cha ~ Patrissa -3 HP -2 NL ~ Sveth -12 HP ~ Madge)

I fear that it is too late but we must still find Patrissa!

"Ya know what I'm afraid of? That Patrissa will find us," Zinli says wryly. Her gaze rests for a moment on the whiskey crate. "If it comes to it," she says, to no one in particular. "We could always burn the whole place down."

"Neronius, have you seen Patrissa?"

"I'm afraid not. I was investigating rooms in this wing when this . . . rope . . . attacked me. There's a torture chamber nearby, but I didn't go inside."

Let us take a look at that chamber then. No doubt whatever forces are here would jump at the chance to torture her.

Rekkart

"While it wouldn't be out of what could be considered 'ordinary' in here, given what happened to me in the bell tower earlier," Rekkart explains, "Patrissa fled upstairs when Mord appeared. So I propose a quick glance in this... Torture chamber, then proceed upstairs if she's not in the room."

With that said, Rekkart makes his way over to the door to the chamber, opening the door and peering inside.

Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (1) + 5 = 6

Zinli reluctantly moves away from the whiskey to have a look inside the torture chamber.

Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (20) + 7 = 27

Battle Map

The group moves over to the room beyond the holding cells to the southeast. As you look in you see brutal machines that were used to coax confessions from the accused filling this mournful room of cold stone, pain, and dark stains. A flaying rack rests in one corner, with an iron maiden against one wall; a restraining chair adorned with all maner of crushing vices and punishing screws sits like a throne at the chamber’s center. A rack on the wall bears rusted implements of persuasion: pulling tongs, pliers, eight-inch spikes, and an array of rusty needles, syringes and scalpels.

Zinli sees three blood stained short spears hanging on the rack, along with a gruesome heavy flail sit on the rack to the east.

(What do you do?)

(PCs: Trevor -1 HP -4 Wis ~ Carrie -6 HP -4 Wis – 11 Str ~ Tolbold -1 HP -2 NL -4 Wis ~ Zinli -1 -4 Wis ~ Neronius -8 HP)
(NPCs: Rekkart -3 HP -4 Cha ~ Patrissa -3 HP -2 NL ~ Sveth -12 HP ~ Madge)

Well so $^#%&# much for any semblance of justice in this!