| Male Orc Rogue 4 | HP 48/48 | AC 21 (+2 nimble dodge) | F +7 R +10 W +9 | Perc +9 (darkvision) | Default Exploration: Stealth | Speed 25ft | hero points 1 | Active Conditions:
Reflex, DC19:1d20 + 10 ⇒ (10) + 10 = 20
Tharpe dodges the worst of the flames, he moves to the wounded hound and gives him a terryfing look
male goblin thaumaturge 1 (level bump)| HP 28/28 | AC 19 | F +7 R +7 W +5 | Perc +5 (darkvision) | speed 25 |◆ | ◇ | ↺
"Hezrioux! Fire doggies no care about lightning! They like roasty toasty fire like Mr Snowman!" He steps out, across from Ramona, and places a snowman sticker on his whip.
"The hot and the cold are both so intense; Put 'em together, it just makes sense!" He lashes out with the whip
The electricity worked fine. No weakness, but no resistance or anything either.
And yes, that is my interpretation as well.
Scripio's whip strikes like a frigid wind, cutting through the hell hound's fire. The second lash cuts it deeply, and it leaks steam and dark blood.
Both hits, that bloodies it.
The shadow hisses something in Necril as it turns its attention to Ramona. It glides towards him and viciously plunges its claws into her own shadow as it tries to rip it away.
◆ Fly
◆ Strike Voron Shadow Hand:1d20 + 15 ⇒ (18) + 15 = 33 crits for 2xvoid damage:2d6 + 3 ⇒ (6, 3) + 3 = 12
◆ Steal Shadow. Ramona becomes Enfeebled 1
Whoops, that attack was against Ramona. The reason for the mixed message there is because I started checking if it could get to Voron, then realized Ramona is another spellcaster who was closer to it and changed it. Well, mostly changed it. I got the description, the map, and after rolling applied the effects to the right character--but I missed that one spot.
That probably means you'll want to change your actions?
Mankeki's arrows don't connect this time.
Both regular misses.
Voron creeps a little to the East so that the foes are lined up nicely for him...
◆ Stride
He flings a large glob of acid that immediately detonates between two of them!
◆◆ Cast a spell: Caustic Blast (5 foot burst at corner between ORANGE/GREY) Acid damage ORANGE/GREY, DC20 basic reflex save:1d8 ⇒ 4 on a critical failure, the creature also takes 1 persistent acid damage.
Neither creature is quick enough to dodge. While not hurt by fire, the hell hound is clearly not immune to chemical burns. The shadow, however, seems unharmed.
Orange Reflex:1d20 + 10 ⇒ (4) + 10 = 14 Failure, 4 5 damage which bloodies it
Grey Reflex:1d20 + 14 ⇒ (4) + 14 = 18 Failure--but no damage after resistance
One of the hounds moves forward. It breaths foul flame on Tharpe and Scripio, before also biting the former.
◆ Stride
◆ Hellfire Breath, hits Tharpe and Scripio for unholy fire damage:4d6 ⇒ (6, 1, 6, 1) = 14, DC 19 basic Reflex save. Cooldown:1d4 ⇒ 4
◆ Strike Tharpe Jaws:1d20 + 13 ⇒ (17) + 13 = 30 hits for unholy piercing damage:1d8 + 4 ⇒ (8) + 4 = 12 and unholy fire damage:1d6 ⇒ 3
The other hound snaps at Tharpe (poorly), before shifting slightly so it can catch both Voron and Scripio in its out fiery breath.
◆ Strike Tharpe Jaws:1d20 + 13 ⇒ (1) + 13 = 14 critical failure
◆ Step
◆ Hellfire Breath, hits Voron and Scripio for unholy fire damage:4d6 ⇒ (3, 5, 1, 3) = 12, DC 19 basic Reflex save. Cooldown:1d4 ⇒ 4
Ramona, Tharpe, Hezrioux, and Scripio's turn.
Initiative:
Hezrioux (AC 19/20, 35/35 HP, Enfeebled 1)
Scripio (AC 19, 25/25 HP, +5 cold weakness vs Hell Hounds, DC 19 Ref vs 14 fire, DC 19 Ref vs 10 fire)
Grey Shadow (-1 HP)
Voron (AC 19, 30/30 HP, DC 19 Ref vs 10 fire)
Maneki (AC 20, 37/41 HP)
Orange Hell Hound (-22 HP, bloodied, no Hellfire Breath 4 rounds)
Yellow Hell Hound (-25 HP, bloodied, no Hellfire Breath 4 rounds)
Ramona (AC 19/21, 3/35 HP, Enfeebled 1, courageous anthem)
Tharpe (AC 21, 25/48 HP, DC 19 Ref vs 10 fire)
male goblin thaumaturge 1 (level bump)| HP 28/28 | AC 19 | F +7 R +7 W +5 | Perc +5 (darkvision) | speed 25 |◆ | ◇ | ↺
Reflex Save:1d20 + 8 ⇒ (15) + 8 = 23 Reflex Save:1d20 + 8 ⇒ (19) + 8 = 27 Scripio also has fire resist 1. I think that's a total of 10 fire damage.
Scripio ducks much if the fire and his scarred skin repels a bit of the fire too. He scrambles away from the hounds and then turns to lash back out at the yellow one. His snowman sticker glistens with cold.
Distracted by trying to watch both Scripio and Ramona, the hound is unable to defend itself from the relentless lashing. It collapses and its flames peter out.
15 is a hit while it's Off-Guard! And that defeats it.
Nephilim (Human) Scholar of the Ancients Runesmith 3 | ◆◇↺
Focusing on both remaining foes, Hezrioux swings heartily at the hound, tracing a quick side note to the shadow; promising both future punishment as lightning crackles all around her, her club vibrating on a low frequency!
◆) Stride
◆) Trace Rune vs Shadow: Ranshu
◆) Engraving Strike vs Hound: Ranshu
Frequency: once per round
Requirements: You are wielding a melee weapon.
You draw a rune onto the surface of your weapon in reverse, the mark branding or bruising itself into your target in the moment of impact. Make a melee strike with the weapon. On a success, you Trace a Rune onto the target of the Strike.
| Male Orc Rogue 4 | HP 48/48 | AC 21 (+2 nimble dodge) | F +7 R +10 W +9 | Perc +9 (darkvision) | Default Exploration: Stealth | Speed 25ft | hero points 1 | Active Conditions:
Reflex, DC19:1d20 + 10 ⇒ (19) + 10 = 29
Tharpe dances away from the flames just to be grabbed by the jaws, but before he hits the creature falls down. He stares at the last hound
The hound yelps as Tharpe glares at it--and then he slices off its head.
Successful Demoralize, and your first attack is a crit. You still have an action if you'd like to do something else with it.
| Male Orc Rogue 4 | HP 48/48 | AC 21 (+2 nimble dodge) | F +7 R +10 W +9 | Perc +9 (darkvision) | Default Exploration: Stealth | Speed 25ft | hero points 1 | Active Conditions:
The shadow claws at Ramona's own shadow again. It's not quite as effective as last time, but it still hurts and drains her strength.
It then glides out of its precarious position, pinned between two Pathfinders.
◆ Strike Ramona Shadow Hand:1d20 + 15 ⇒ (9) + 15 = 24 hits for void damage:2d6 + 3 ⇒ (1, 6) + 3 = 10
◆ Steal Shadow. Ramona's Enfeebled rank increases to 2
◆ Step
| Male Orc Rogue 4 | HP 48/48 | AC 21 (+2 nimble dodge) | F +7 R +10 W +9 | Perc +9 (darkvision) | Default Exploration: Stealth | Speed 25ft | hero points 1 | Active Conditions:
Tharpe runs forwards and tries to trip the creature
While Ramona heals herself, Tharpe swipes at the shadow to catch and trip it. It's a perfect swing, but catches on nothing--the shadow doesn't have enough of a solid form for him to trip it!
But he slices into it pretty viciously all the same.
Bad news: It's incorporeal and therefore can't be tripped.
Good news: Looking at the wording in the Incorporeal trait, it doesn't say that it's immune or that you automatically fail, just that you "can't attempt" it. Whether I apply your first roll to your Strike or just don't apply MAP, either way that's a crit. Which certainly helps punch through incorporeal resistance, and your Brutal Beating feat applies.
While the creature weathers the blasts well, the collective attacks are clearly starting to have an effect on it. Wisps of shadow melt away from the rest of its shape.
Fort:1d20 + 8 - 1 ⇒ (13) + 8 - 1 = 20 Success. 10 damage, which still bloodies it after resistance.
Fort:1d20 + 8 - 1 ⇒ (12) + 8 - 1 = 19 Success. 6 damage, which is mostly blocked by resistance.
Scripio realizes that shadows like this don't have a particular weakness, but he also picks up on the fact that it doesn't seem especially fond of the Pathfinders' magical lights. Perhaps he can use that against it--if he could hit it.
Successful exploit, but missed attack. And you get one question for your Diverse Lore.
That last bit was mostly a thematic hook for Scripio to hang his Exploit on. Technically it does have such a feature, but A) it's already in magical light and B) all it does is let nonmagical attacks count as magical for overcoming its resistance, which I believe is redundant for all of you in any case.
Voron disperses the shadow with a blaze of fire and light.
With the planar fiends vanquished, the Pathfinders are free to collect their target without any interference. The shard is inside the rift, a dark scrap of metal the size of a human head. Whoever holds the warshard can immediately tell that the warshard holds great power within it, but the shard doesn’t affect the holder in any way. Collecting the shard also brings an end to the feeling of unease in the area, as if being held puts the shard at ease.
The descent down Soruseiji Peak to the Three Gates Lodge is a much easier journey than the ascent. The Pathfinders feel light on their feet, and the pathways leading down are much easier to traverse, as if they were cleared away for their descent. Additionally, most of the animals they encounter on this trip have returned to their typical behavior. Many even give the party wide berth, as though they were aware of the shard in the their possession. Before they've reached the lodge, Hezrioux and Ramona feel their strength has recovered from the shadow's assault.
The team reaches the lodge after only a few hours. By the time they arrive, Kukuha and Aojimitsu have returned to the lodge.
The evening is night: the sounds of wildlife have settled, and the island is generally still. Venture-Captain Kukuha is ordering half a dozen other Pathfinders around, some of whom are helping to repair the small amount of damage sustained by the lodge’s buildings and others who are busy preparing ritual components. She takes a moment to step away from her coordinating.
“Ah, you’ve returned. I’m glad to see you’re safe. I was able to gather several other Pathfinders to help me with repairing the lodge and restoring the lodge’s protections. We’ll be able to handle these tasks tomorrow. You’re welcome to join us, but I feel that you’ve done more than enough, and I consider your duties fulfilled. I can’t thank you enough for what you’ve done today. It’s been an unprecedented day, but you more than stepped up to the occasion, and I couldn’t be prouder of you.”
Aojimitsu gives the party a nod and his thanks before returning to his home elsewhere on the island. The Pathfinders are free to stay and help with the ley line ritual if they wish to. Doing so is a simple process that requires traveling to a gate within the Makuzen Forest, to a gate near Aojimitsu’s cove, and returning to the gate near the summit of Soruseiji peak to place ritual components.
Then, Kukuha completes the ritual from within the courtyard of the Three Gates Lodge.
Whether or not the party members help with the ritual, they must eventually return to Sakakabe. Captain Okonase returns to Kayajima to transport the Pathfinders aboard the Auspicious Pearl. The captain is quiet on this return journey as the Pathfinders return to the greater world—a world that’s uncertain about its future in the wake of a god’s death.
Before they leave, Kukuha gives the Pathfinders a reward for their help: a set of simple brass bangles with the symbols of the island’s three gates engraved along their length. This reward is typically what Kukuha gives other Pathfinders as a thanks for their help with the gates’ maintenance, but she gives this reward to the party whether or not they stay to help with the rituals.
