[PFS1e CORE][1-34] An ULTRA PLUS Encounter at the Drowning Stones (Inactive)

Game Master Will Huston

With a frown, Numair dumps a Fireball on Pink and Green's heads.

Fireball: 9d6 ⇒ (4, 4, 5, 4, 6, 2, 5, 6, 1) = 37 Fire damage. DC 24 Reflex for half.

Cenae confidently paddles forward and then casts a spell. The symbol on the back of her hand glows briefly and then energy washes out over allies and enemies alike!

”The blessings of Sarenrae upon you all. Though if you mean us harm, it isn’t so much of a blessing.”

Swim 15 ft as a move, Cast Prayer which will hit all allies and should hit all enemies except the boss (no enemy save but SR applies if it exists). You and each of your allies gain a +1 luck bonus on attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, saves, and skill checks, while each of your foes takes a –1 penalty on such rolls.

Swim Take 10 - ACP + Aquatic Cummerbund: 10 - 1 + 4 = 13 May Always Take 10 with that item

The bat guano smell is overpowering, so the little bit of extra that Numair brings out doesn't affect our poor adventurer's poor little noses.

Pink, Reflex, DC 24, -Prayer: 1d20 + 4 - 1 ⇒ (10) + 4 - 1 = 13
Green, Reflex, DC 24, -Prayer: 1d20 + 4 - 1 ⇒ (20) + 4 - 1 = 23

Somehow, in direct defiance of Sarenrae's will, Green survives.

As Cenae swims forward, one of the lurking skum, the blue one who had dived in earlier, reveals where it was and stabs at Cenae!

Blue vs Cenae's AC (+1 with Haste), - Prayer): 1d20 + 4 - 1 ⇒ (3) + 4 - 1 = 6

But its for naught, as the trident is too sluggish to pierce Cenae's armor.

Mogla-Tor steps forward and suddenly is encased in a black inky shroud of shadows. leaving him visible because Grog could still see him, but if you are not Grog, you do not know where he is.

The skum with the red-tinted gills jumps into the water, and darts around a rock to get to a flank with one of its partners.

Trident, Flanking, - Prayer, vs Cenae's AC +1: 1d20 + 4 + 2 ⇒ (7) + 4 + 2 = 13

But is unable to make contact with Cenae's flesh!

A skum with green-tinted gills skirts around for a better position on the party.

Round 1 (haste and Inspire Courage +2 active)
Blue
Khellek
Yellow
Cenae
Numair (-7)
Mogla-Tor
Red
Green (-18)
Grog
Orange

Grog looks around.

"Ok guys...night time"

He swings at orange.

+2 evil outsiders-bane cold iron greataxe PA haste Bardic etc: 1d20 + 19 ⇒ (20) + 19 = 39

damage: 1d12 + 23 ⇒ (3) + 23 = 26

confirm: 1d20 + 19 ⇒ (19) + 19 = 38

damage: 2d12 + 46 ⇒ (11, 7) + 46 = 64

then red if it drops

attack: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (8) + 14 = 22

damage: 1d12 + 23 ⇒ (8) + 23 = 31

haste

attack: 1d20 + 19 ⇒ (10) + 19 = 29

damage: 1d12 + 23 ⇒ (12) + 23 = 35

Gonna assume you mean Orange and then Blue, since red is several squares away from you, Grog?

Grog easily cuts two of the skum in half

Round 2 (haste and Inspire Courage +2 active)
Khellek
Yellow
Cenae
Numair (-7)
Mogla-Tor
Red
Green (-18)
Grog

Khellek continues to offer advice even as he brings Bessies into play.
"I warned you. Pathfinders Cooperate!"

attack green, heroism, IC,haste: 1d20 + 8 + 2 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 8 + 2 + 2 + 1 = 15
damage,IC: 1d8 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 1 + 2 = 5

However the old man is perhaps a little hasty with his shot.

It’s only +1 hit and damage and won’t help that shot, but don’t forget prayer y’all.

I think y'all are over-estimating the hardiness of these creatures. The little guys are CR 2, and a 16 hits.

Khellek's jittery nerves don't cause him to miss, and the crossbow bolt sinks directly into the skum's chest cavity. It falls into the water below with a splash

One of the last remaining skum, with yellow-tinged gills, dives into the water and tries to grab the old man.

Grapple vs Khellek's CMD+1, -1 prayer: 1d20 + 4 - 1 ⇒ (8) + 4 - 1 = 11

But fails to gets its arms around him. technically would provoke an AoO if Khellek has means of attacking in melee.

Round 2 (haste, prayer and Inspire Courage +2 active)
Khellek
Yellow
Cenae
Numair (-7)
Mogla-Tor
Red
Grog

"I don't need to see you to roast you!"

Numair air-blasts another Fireball, catching Red and Mogla-Tor.

Fireball: 9d6 ⇒ (6, 1, 6, 1, 5, 2, 2, 4, 1) = 28 Fire damage. DC 24 Reflex for half.

Not with Bessie in hand he doesn't

"Eeek! Stay back you fiend!" squeaks the scholar.

If red doesn’t die to the fireball, this movement provokes.

Cenae ignores the foe next to her and swims forward. She speaks towards the darkness, ”A poor tactic. Our brutalist can see in the dark, our blaster doesn’t need to see to burn, and I am the living example of the dawnflower’s light.”

As she says this last word, her breastplate begins glowing brighter and brighter until the cavern is almost blindingly illuminated!

Cast Daylight, should completely negate darkness (assuming that is the spell). Same swimming ability as last post.

Mogla-Tor's Reflex: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (14) + 7 = 21
Red's Reflex Saving Throw: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (19) + 4 = 23

The red-tinged gills of one of the remaining skum burn to a crisp.

"Shut up, shut up, shut up!" Mogla-Tor screams in a slurring Taldane. The last part of it seems to be infused with a magical spell, and it swarms at Numair. I need a DC 14 Will Save or suffer the effects of silence, which would include inability to cast spells with verbal components. He dives into the water, and moves very quickly, a small glint of a sharp object in his hand.

Round 2 (haste, prayer and Inspire Courage +2 active)
Khellek
Yellow
Cenae
Numair (-7, Will Save needed)
Mogla-Tor (-28, underwater)
Grog

Will: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (16) + 8 = 24.

Numair effortlessly shakes off the effect of the spell.

Grog swings at purple.

attack: 1d20 + 19 ⇒ (2) + 19 = 21

damage: 1d12 + 23 + 1d12 ⇒ (9) + 23 + (1) = 33

vital strike

"Night!"

And everyone but Cenae has an extended heroism also active. And these are all stacking bonuses as well, thank goodness.
Haste +1 to hit (untyped)
Prayer +1 to hit and damage (luck)
Heroism +2 to hit (morale)
Inspire courage +2 to hit and damage (competence)
So total of +6 to hit and +3 to damage for us all at the moment (only +4 to hit for Cenae)

Grog, can I get a swim check?

sure

Swim: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (7) + 6 = 13

Grog paddles away.

14 with Prayer

Even with the resistance that the water provides, Grog makes a massive cut into the chest of Mogla-Tor

Round 3 (haste, prayer and Inspire Courage +2 active)
Khellek
Yellow
Cenae
Numair (-7, Will Save needed)
Mogla-Tor (-28, underwater)
Grog

Khellek steps back even as he continues to offer advice to his companions. "The knights of the 2nd crusade did not flee in the face of unspeakable evil. Reassure yourselves that what we face here is nothing compared to what they faced. Redouble your efforts and let us vanquish this evil as well."

He then slips a bolt into Bessie and fires again at the creature from the underground lagoon (yellow)
attack, prayer, haste, IC: 1d20 + 8 + 1 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (17) + 8 + 1 + 1 + 2 = 29
damage,prayer,IC: 1d8 + 1 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 1 + 1 + 2 = 10

Maintains IC
"See my students, nothing to worry about!"

Because of the water, I don't think you can five foot step, since you don't have a swim speed, and thus don't have a speed of at least 10 feet, which is a requirement for a 5-foot step. I might be wrong about this, but that's what it appears to be from my reading of the rules. So either you would provoke from moving and I need a swim check, or you provoke from making a range attack in melee, and I don't need a swim check.

Yellow Claw, AoO, - prayer vs Khellek's AC +1 from Haste: 1d20 + 2 - 1 ⇒ (1) + 2 - 1 = 2

Unable to claw Khellek's face, it again tries to grab Khellek by the neck.

CMB vs Khellek's CMD, -Prayer: 1d20 + 4 - 1 ⇒ (15) + 4 - 1 = 18

It actually grabs ahold of the old man, and a strange grin, filled with needle-like teeth breaks out on its face.

Round 3 (haste, prayer and Inspire Courage +2 active)
Khellek
Yellow (-10)
Cenae
Numair (-7)
Mogla-Tor (-28, underwater)
Grog

Figuring Grog has Mogla-Tor sorted, Numair tries to free Khellek from Yellow's grasp, with a powerful rejoinder.

Magic Missile: 5d4 + 5 ⇒ (1, 1, 4, 2, 2) + 5 = 15 Force damage.

The Cleric swims back to the middle of the room and issues a simple, but powerful Command to the one holding Khellek, ”Drop Him Now.”

Swim 15 ft using the take ten with her belt for a 13, cast Command on Yellow, DC 16 Will Save to resist.

——————

If yellow is dead, she double moves to be next to Grog. Is Grog underwater or just swinging down into the water?

"Arrh, that is Arrghh. I mean. Arghhhh!" calls out the scholar. "You cannot treat a tenured professor like this!"

——————

If yellow is dead, she double moves to be next to Grog. Is Grog underwater or just swinging down into the water?

I figure if he's underwater I'm next to him

Numair's force barrage pounds into the skum's sternum. In a split second, the skum's entire life flashes before her eyes. Emerging from their soft egg shells. Murdering some of her clutch mates. Learning to speak Aboleth. The forging of her trident. The sacrifice of her first egg clutch to the Demon Lord Sifkesh. The time they kidnapped a Rumawa shaman and forced him to butcher and eat a crocodile before forcing him to commit suicide. All this and more, washed away in the basin of water in the drowning stones.

Cerae circles around next to Mogla-Tor.

Mogla-Tor makes a flurry of attacks on Grog.

War Razor, - prayer: 1d20 + 9 - 1 ⇒ (6) + 9 - 1 = 14
Slashing Damage, - Prayer: 1d4 + 3 - 1 ⇒ (3) + 3 - 1 = 5
War Razer, - prayer: 1d20 + 4 - 1 ⇒ (15) + 4 - 1 = 18
Slashing Damage, - prayer: 1d4 + 3 - 1 ⇒ (1) + 3 - 1 = 3
Claw, - Prayer: 1d20 + 1 - 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 - 1 = 1
Slashing Damage: 1d4 + 2 - 1 ⇒ (2) + 2 - 1 = 3
Bite, - Prayer: 1d20 + 1 - 1 ⇒ (18) + 1 - 1 = 18
Damage, - Prayer: 1d6 + 2 - 1 ⇒ (6) + 2 - 1 = 7

Round 3/4 (haste, prayer and Inspire Courage +2 active)
Khellek
Cenae
Numair (-7)
Mogla-Tor (-28, underwater)
Grog

Please remember, if you're underwater, then you take a -2 to attack and do half damage if you are using slashing or bludgeoning weapons

"My thanks young Numair. Yes, yes, I know your body is older than mine, but you look and act younger." mutters the scholar as he tries to recover his dignity.

"Oh well done Grog. Well done indeed! You two should take notes." he adds talking the rest of his "students". Maintains IC

With most of the skum dealt with, he reloads Bessie and tries to line up a good shot on the skum shaman.

attack, into melee, cover, heroism, prayer, IC,haste: 1d20 + 8 - 4 - 4 + 2 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 8 - 4 - 4 + 2 + 1 + 2 = 20
damage,prayer, IC: 1d8 + 1 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 1 + 1 + 2 = 5

I adjusted Cenae to the spot she would have approached the fight from last turn.

Cenae casts a spell and then dives under to reach down and tap Grog’s shoulder, before pulling out her scimitar.

Cast Freedom of Movement on Grog. The spell allows the subject to move and attack normally while underwater, even with slashing weapons such as axes and swords or with bludgeoning weapons such as flails, hammers, and maces, provided that the weapon is wielded in the hand rather than hurled.

Numair nods in satisfaction and grins at Khellek.

"Ah, to be young again!"

He then pummels Mogla-Tor with a volley of force missiles.

Magic Missile: 5d4 + 5 ⇒ (2, 2, 3, 1, 1) + 5 = 14.

Grog swings.

power attack

attack w penalty: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (3) + 17 = 20

damage slashing: 1d12 + 23 ⇒ (3) + 23 = 26

attack w penalty: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (8) + 12 = 20

damage slashing: 1d12 + 23 ⇒ (4) + 23 = 27

haste

attack w penalty: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (4) + 17 = 21

damage slashing: 1d12 + 23 ⇒ (11) + 23 = 34

@Grog I think you are undercooking your attack. +2 from heroism, +1 from haste, +1 from prayer, +2 for IC, freedom of movement means no attack penalty, -3 from power attack, and a default attack of +18 should leave your first attack at +21 not +17, so those attacks should hit AC 24,24 and 25, which may not be enough, but...

Yeah, in general, I think it helps to be very explicit about where all your modifiers are coming from. It definitely gets to be a pit of a pain when we get to high levels.

With his head below water, Grog is able to take off Mogla-Tor's head with two mighty whacks of his axe.

At the stalagmite that juts from the floor, there is a pile of skum-stolen and skum-created treasures. Gold-plated crocodile teeth, a red marble chalice with silver filigree, an obsidian ceremonial dagger, a pile of gems, and a pile of gold coins. none of which detect as magic.

With the abyssal runes carved in the stalagmite, Khellek can determine that the abyssal-infused stones, like the Khellek picked up earlier, weaken the will of those who hold them, especially against enchantments. Especially enchantments that were about hurting themselves. right now, Khellek would take a -8 against Will saves to hurt himself, but they don't give the final boss the ability to cast enchantment spells like that. >:( Which, there's also a pile of such-infused stones, probably more than a thousand pounds worth of stones.

At the alter, there is a dead body chained, and his eyes and mouth sewn shut. He also has a wayfinder on his body, engraved with "Eiastor Wyrn" written in a Skaldic script.

"Alas.." sys Khellek. "We know were the missing Eiastor ended up."

He looks at the rocks in disgust. "We need to remove this and taken them to somewhere safe. One of the vaults in the Grand Lodge would be my preference. I have a small extra-dimensional space that can take some... but there are so many.."

Numair nods gravely.

"Agreed. However, there is just *so much* stone, that it probably isn't feasible to take it all with us."

A thought then occurs to him.

"Perhaps we could just seal them in? The tube we passed through wasn't exactly a Taldan Imperial Highway..."

Perhaps Khellek could use Loremaster on Knowledge(Engineering) to detect rock faults, that Kyra could accentuate with Stone Shape, and then Numair could use repeated Fireball to initiate a catastrophic cave-in?

"Hmm, weak spots... Well, if we load up as much as we can, I think sealing in the rest is an excellent idea. Though with presumed underground rivers, there are likely more skum that will find the place some day.

He looks around for weak spots that a fireball or well placed greataxe might affect. After while he rummages in his satchel and takes out a book. A close examination reveals it is a classic text written in dwarven about underground structural engineering.

loremaster T20, engineering: 20 + 26 = 46

"Yes... yes.. Look at that seam of rock over there. Likely a weak spot in the cavern's structure."

Cenae, who has been spending her time preparing the body of their fallen pathfinder for transport, chimes in about the plans, ”I don’t have stone shape prepared and I am not sure I wish to sleep in here.”

She looks up at the ladder they dropped down from, ”But also… how exactly are we getting back up to that ladder?”

"I can always just cast Fly on everyone. We could camp up on the surface, and then enact the demolition plan tomorrow."

"Sounds good to me Numair! Everyone ok?"

"Let us gather these bodies together and make sure there are no futher clues on them." says the scholar.

Once bodies are gathered, he will do a detect magic, and look around for writings or other things of interest before the site is closed for good.

After a moment he stops, sits and takes out a sketch book, making drawings of the area. "For posterity. In the future people may need to know about this area, and once we destroy or seal it, the chance for future exploration is gone."

Cenae finishes her travel and death preparations on Wyrn’s body. She looks up with a thought, ”Perhaps we could also destroy the stones that we leave behind? Grog is pretty strong and could smash them. Might weaken or destroy their effect.”

I would love to add a Glyph of Warding tomorrow to add extra prevention in addition to our collapse plans, but don’t have the diamond dust. But tomorrow can definitely prepare the stoneshape and a gentle repose for Wyrn.

Khellek's note-taking would probably reveal that there were tunnels in the basin, that most likely led to Nar-Voth or Sekamina. But they were intentionally caved in. The skum didn't want even worse things coming up from beneath them. No real mechanical effect, just a point from the scenario that I thought was cool.

With flight to get back up to the surface, and Khellek's knowledge and Sarenrae's stoneshape, the pathfinders seal off the skum's horrible monument to Sifkesh, and the evils contained within it.

The party sets back on the way to the rookie Pathfinder camp, thinking most likely that Venture Captain Sharrowsmith is their most likely way back home.

However, at the Pathfinder Camp, Agent Osprey is waiting for you, and is eager to hear your report.

I have a midterm tomorrow, but I will try to have chronicles for you Wednesday. Feel free to make a report for Osprey.

As they head back to the camp Cenae takes some time to talk to their Aspis guide.

"Hey, so you saw what happened to your group. You almost died there... or worse. You saw the condition of this guy we brought back up. Anyway, I'm not saying we need you to join our organization or anything, but maybe you could consider retiring from them? If needed we could probably get you set up with a new identity or tickets somewhere. But I really just think you should at least consider a new occupation."

Attempting the following Faction Journal Card goal: Dissuade an NPC from working with an organization that directly opposes the Pathfinder Society or the Sovereign Court’s goals during an adventure by presenting the NPC with evidence that doing so is contrary to her interests. This requires a successful Bluff, Intimidate, Knowledge (local), or Sense Motive check with a DC equal to 15 + your character level.

Sense Motive DC 22: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (12) + 15 = 27

With that success that goal should also help complete part one of this two part FJC goal: Fulfill one of the three goals above without revealing your faction affiliation to anyone other than a present member of the faction or a prospective NPC recruit. Checking a box for this goal does not prevent you from checking a box for another goal.

At the camp Cenae starts with some basics, leaving space and time for the better note takers to fill in extra details.

"Alright, so we headed out, slogging along with the rafts for a while. We ran across those tribespeople, but were able to talk our way through and gain some valuable intel. Then we found an Aspis basecamp and scared away some wildlife that was ransacking it. That's when we ran across our buddy here. After some convincing, which wasn't even rough, he agreed to show us where his group had gone. We backtracked their path, got ambushed by a devil and minions. Those died quickly. And then onto the drowning stones. There was a path down, which we took and discovered a ritual sacrifice area, where we wiped out the cultists and their priest. I think that's the short version at least."

Numair adds, helpfully:

"At the sacrifice area (dedicated to the Abyssal Lord Sifkesh), we found the body of a Pathfinder we think is Eiastor Wyrn, based on the Wayfinder we found with the body. There was also something like a tonne of abyssal-infused stones, which made anyone in contact with them susceptible to self-harm magic. Not being able to bring them back with us, we sealed off the chamber in which they were kept, to try and prevent them being used and abused."

Khellek suggests "The Dark Archive could certainly benefit from your skills and expertise. Why, this about what lore you could help uncover.
It would be a chance to work in a nice safe.."

Here the scholar coughs, thinking about how unsafe sometimes the archives end up being.
"Reasonably safe, well, safer than here, environment. And put your hard won knowledge to use!"

Also FJC, recruit an NPC
know(arcana) DC 23: 10 + 30 = 40

The scholar does eventually remember the stones he packed in his satchel. "Here are a couple of the enchanted stones. I kept them for study, but every time I see the river I get an urge to jump in and go looking for crocodiles... so I think they may be safer in the Archives as well."

"Dark Archive?" Grog shakes his head. "No thanks...that Venture Captain is nice and all but that stuff gives me the creeps!"