Shades of [ULTRA PLUS] Ice [CORE]

Game Master Will Huston

Corgrim moves and flanks another foe, trying to bring him down quickly

Attack, SA, IC: 1d20 + 2 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 2 + 2 + 1 = 10
dmg, IC, SA: 1d6 + 1 + 1 + 1d6 ⇒ (5) + 1 + 1 + (3) = 10

Bobbie's longsword gets past the viking's shield and strikes true. He can't take another one of those. He staggers out of the flank and tries his axe against Corgrim.

Axe vs Corgrim's AC, Flanking: 1d20 + 6 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 6 + 2 = 13
But unfortunately, the pain from his wounds blind him and he misses.

Round 2 (Buffs: Inspire Courage)

Green (-20)
Cayden
Shannon
Corba
Red (-9)
Leon (-11, Sickened For 1 Round.)
Yellow (-11, prone)
Grey (-14)
Corgrim
Bobbie (-12, Sickened for 1 Rounds)

Cayden takes another swing at Red.

MW Cold Iron Bastard Sword: 1d20 + 7 + 1 ⇒ (11) + 7 + 1 = 19, for 1d10 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (10) + 4 + 1 = 15 damage.

Glaive, PA, flank, IC: 1d20 + 7 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (19) + 7 + 2 + 1 = 29 Dmg, IC: 1d10 + 12 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 12 + 1 = 17
Shannon 5ft step back and swings at the nimble grey
"Dodge this!"

no more Inspire Courage

Corba 5-foot-steps out of melee and casts another spell.
(Target is foe that is still conscious, in that order: red, grey, yellow, green.)

"Stop right now, thank you very much..." (Link)

casting daze, Will DC 15 negates

Grey finds himself out of proper guard and Shannon punishes him for it. He's bleeding, unconscious on the ground. Cayden, at the same time, gets his sword into Red's leg.

Red's Will Save: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (17) - 1 = 16

Red-scarf, seeing his boss defeated, and having cuts, bruises and mental trauma, throws down his axe and makes a full withdrawl.

Round 2

Green (-20)
Cayden
Shannon
Corba
Red (-24, fleeing)
Leon (-11, Sickened For 1 Round.)
Yellow (-11, prone)
Grey (-31, bleeding, unconscious)
Corgrim
Bobbie (-12, Sickened for 1 Rounds)

The Brute, recognizing his opponents’s flagging morale and tenuous position, puts his scythe away and grunts, ”Dey runnin. Gunna grab wun.”

He leans down and tries to headlock the prone foe.

Improved Grapple vs. CMD - sickened: 1d20 + 11 - 2 ⇒ (12) + 11 - 2 = 21

The brute takes the yellow-scarfed one in his hands. He tries to pry his way out.

CMB vs Leon's CMD: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (20) + 4 = 24

Then he tries to stand up in the grease.

Reflex Save: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (13) + 5 = 18

Finally he slides out of the grease. 5 foot step

Round 2

Green (-20)
Cayden
Shannon
Corba
Red (-24, fleeing)
Leon (-11)
Yellow (-11, prone)
Grey (-31, bleeding, unconscious)
Corgrim
Bobbie (-12, Sickened for 1 Rounds)

Hey Bobbie, I could need your help here...Get on the other side of this guy, so we can bring him down quick

Corgrim waits until the fighter is positioned to provide a flanking attack

Delayed flanking attack vs Green: 1d20 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (11) + 2 + 2 = 15
dmg, SA: 1d6 + 1 + 1d6 ⇒ (5) + 1 + (3) = 9+1 HP/round bleed

Annoyed his foe squirmed out, Leon takes advantage of him standing and brings a meaty fist down upon his head.

AoO Improved Unarmed Strike + Bullied: 1d20 + 8 + 1 ⇒ (12) + 8 + 1 = 21 for Bludgeoning/NL: 1d4 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 5 = 8

This fight has turned out to be exactly the way Bobbie likes them: fast and efficient, with only minor scratches to account for it.

She stomps towards the viking still attacking Corgrim, but without the surprise effect to her advantage, her blow is easily parried. "I would surrender if I were you," she informs the bearded fighter with a frightening calm.

Attack (+1 Inspire Courage; -2 Sickened; -2 Power Attack; +2 Flank): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (3) + 7 = 10
Damage: 1d8 + 4 + 4 + 1 - 2 ⇒ (7) + 4 + 4 + 1 - 2 = 14

At this point, their morale is shaken, and they will begin to flee. While we can play this out round by round, I think that might be of diminishing returns. I'm more interested, are you going to run them down, put them to the sword? Try to take them alive? Let them get away?

Leon still intends to grab one or make one unconscious. He won’t kill a fleeing enemy and as long as they have one to talk with he would let the rest run.

Murdering them 'just because we can' isn't something Cayden would be interested in, but taking some people for interrogation is perfectly fine in my book!

In order to prevent red coming back with reinforcement and/or future retribution from the enemies, Shannon will move while draw out longbow with BAB1+ and fire one shot at the fleeing red. If it miss or red survived then Iomadae must want red to live. If red goes down then Shannon will go and stablize and tied up red.
Comp. Longbow: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (14) + 7 = 21 Dmg: 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6

Corba isn't a murderhobo, either, but she wants answers. So she will continue to cast the daze cantrip to help subduing the remaining conscious foes. (Yellow is a target that's still close enough.)
One cannot interrogate a corpse without paying a high level cleric too much gold, right? ;-)
However, if the unconscious boss looks like he will die at any moment, she will try to heal him with her Wand of CLW.

Bobbie is completely fine with letting the cowards run away. There's no honour in cutting down an enemy who's surrendering.

Working together, the Pathfinder are able to chase down Red, and Corba spends a bit of magic to stop the greybeard from bleeding to death. They are bruised, bloody and the yellow-scarfed one's missing a few teeth that she wasn't before.

"Oh, get it over with, you can start to torture us for your Nidalese masters, yeah," The red-scarf spits.

Cashel raises an incredulous eyebrow, and gestures towards his silver holy symbol.

"Does that *really* look like something a Kuthite would be wearing? Frankly, I find the accusation offensive."

He then frowns.

"Why do you think we are anything to do with Nidal?"

Leon just looks confused.

He shrugs though, getting the baddies to talk is usually a lot harder.

I'ts DC10 (so can be done untrained) for them to recognize the holy symbol of Iomadae, being a CORE deity
"Well? What master do you serve?"

Bobbie can't say she's ever even met a Pathfinder from Nidal. Either this place encouraged some pretty negative stereotypes towards Pathfinders, or the men have been told some lies. "Most importantly," she sheathes her sword, and crosses her arms. She manages to make even that look threatening. "Where is Skagni?"

Intimidate: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (18) + 4 = 22

"Oh, you're showing off your trophies from the holy men you've killed, eh?" Red Scarf says confidently, "Profiting off your torture and dismemberment of a cleric of the Inheritor?"

The yellow-scarfed one clears her throat, "Oh, by the gods... We told Olm that we were hired to fend off some Nidalese missionaries in disguise. See, he recently converted to Iomedae worship, and... this way, we didn't have to pay him. One fewer share right? We work for Keln." She nods to the unconscious greybeard.

"You lied to me?" the red-scarf is shocked.

"Who's Skagni?" The yellow-scarfed woman says.

"You should be glad that I follow the teaching of Iomadae and not Torag, but someone else might be able to send you on your way to Pharasma, since you're so passionate about getting yourself killed afterall."

...Against my people’s enemies, I will show no mercy. I will not allow their surrender...

Leon comes back with the chest re-slung over his back, ”Dis Skagni’s chest.” He waves at the burned out husk of a former residence, ”An dis his house. Er… it wus, till ya burned it. Where his boddeh?”

"We didn't burn it down, Keln was hired to watch over the place after it was burned down, and scare off the Pathfinders," Nulga explains, "I never saw a body."

Olm isn't paying attention to Leon, and is staring at Shannon, "Are you suggesting you would throw away the light of Iomedae's grace? That you can change your divine patron as easily as you change your boots?"

"For Gorum's sake, he's been like this ever since he converted..."

Cayden raises an eyebrow.

"Who hired Keln?"

Olm isn't paying attention to Leon, and is staring at Shannon, "Are you suggesting you would throw away the light of Iomedae's grace? That you can change your divine patron as easily as you change your boots?"

"I am suggesting you to shut up and don't put words in my mouth. Think about the consequence of your words and tell me, how much do you value your life? If you're a true Iomedean, you wouldn't run away from your teammates. You've disgraced yourself."

And for the record, since she does not have deitic specific character options (not available in CORE campaign anyway), Shannon lose nothing when she convert. If he is so fearless and not afriad of death, why is he running away from battle?

After spending one charge of her wand to keep the greybeard fom dying, Corba waits for the others to bind him before she uses (one) more charge(s) to wake him up.

"Keln? Good morning! Today is your lucky day! Why? Because today is the day you didn't die! Yet. Sounds good, right?"

Corba's initial smile fades.

"We want answers. Who hired you to attack us? And where is Skagni?"

Versatile Performance used for Sense Motive:
Perform: Oratory, skill focus: 1d20 + 11 + 3 ⇒ (16) + 11 + 3 = 30
if applicable, add a +2 circumstance from MW tool (bullhorn)

Pledging one's soul to Iomedae makes one pious - not necessarily smart. Case in point.

"Discerning lies is also part of the faith," she says, feeling a bit of pity for the crestfallen red scarf. "You'll need to work on spotting them. It's a path."

She loses all apparent compassion when she turns to Keln. "You better talk, if you don't want to find out how sharp that spear of yours is."

Intimidate: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (14) + 4 = 18

Hey, folks, you've been fooled by a liar, that's all. We're not from Nidal, we're not missionnaries, but we are true Pathfinders, we ain't bloodthirsty, stone-hearted killers goons. Be glad for that. And we killed no priest to rob them, each of us have our own faith. So be kind to the lady and apologise for your mistake "bout her faith. It cost nothing and goes a long way.

Corgrim points to Shannon when he talks about "the lady"

Diplomacy: 1d20 ⇒ 16

"Hold on, hold on, I have the letters my broker gave me here, somewhere," Keln says as he paws through the coat, "And don't be too hard on poor Olm. We lied to him. The boy thinks he could be a cleric of Iomedae someday when he doesn't the sense Gozreh gave an eel. You can tell him anything and he will believe you. Ah, here they are."

He produces two small pieces of parchment. They are reproduced on slide 5 of the Maps.

"Neither these of these names are familiar to me. I mean, I know a Hjort but not a Hjort Fastaxe. The Hjort I know, I don't think he knows how to write. My broker was to give me information on how to contact them when the two months were up."

Olm stares at the ground, face red with embarrassment.

"Hold on, hold on, I have the letters my broker gave me here, somewhere," Keln says as he paws through the coat, "And don't be too hard on poor Olm. We lied to him. The boy thinks he could be a cleric of Iomedae someday when he doesn't the sense Gozreh gave an eel. You can tell him anything and he will believe you. Ah, here they are."

"Says who?" Bobbie asks dryly. "The man who thought he could easily take down a Pathfinder expedition leader? For a meagre bonus of a hundred coins? I hope you have a solid insurance."

"Who's your broker, and where can we find him?"

"Swen, he sells nails on the Bobcat street."

A perusual of the Bobcat street find the local nailory boarded up, (with high quality nails, natch) and a sign in Skald that reads, "Gone Fishing, be back in Erastus." As its just winding up to the end of Gozran, unless the party wants to camp out for two months, this doesn't look a promising lead.

Alright, so you'll need to try to find what can in the greater city of Trollheim about Runa White and Hjort Fastaxe, and the missing Rognvald Skagni. If you want to break up into smaller teams, I swear on my honor as a GM, you won't trigger any encounters. You can make a Knowledge (local) or a Diplomacy check to try to gather information. If you have another skill you'd like to use, I'm willing to listen to why you should be able to use it over in the discussion before you roll. If you have only have skill ranks in Swim and Use Rope, and don't want to make the argument, you can just accompany someone one without making a check. Time will be a factor. Each check represents 1d6 hours worth of searching, and that should be rolled in the same post as your check.

Diplo: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (9) + 9 = 18Hour: 1d6 ⇒ 3

Cayden accompanies Shannon as a 'heavy'.

Leon follows Corba around, lugging the big chest. He tries to smile sometimes when she talks. Assuming she talks all nice like.

Diplomacy Aid Corba: 1d20 - 2 ⇒ (10) - 2 = 8 for hrs: 1d6 ⇒ 1

It isn’t helpful.

With Leon as backup Corba has no fear of asking anyone and everyone in Trollheim for information about Runa White, Hjort Fastaxe, and the missing Rognvald Skagni.

Versatile Performance used for Diplomacy:
Perform: Oratory, skill focus: 1d20 + 11 + 3 ⇒ (18) + 11 + 3 = 32
if applicable, add a +2 circumstance from MW tool (bullhorn)
Time: 1d6 ⇒ 2 hours

Know local: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (18) + 6 = 24 hours: 1d6 ⇒ 3

Corgrim searches for information in the seediest parts of the town, where people "know a man who knows a man."

A few coins change hands, discreetly, when needed.

Bobbie follows Corgrim to provide him with some protection in the less reputable parts of the town.

She can do little else but tone down the glare and the threatening aura to look relatively approachable.

Knowledge (local, untrained, Aid Another): 1d20 ⇒ 13

As long as she keeps a soft face and refrains from trying to smile at people, it's fine.

Diplomacy(Aid Another, Shannon): 1d20 - 2 ⇒ (12) - 2 = 10.

Cayden manages to surprise even himself by *not* terrorising the locals!

I guess they go for that sort of thing in Viking lands ;-)

Corgrim and Bobbie, in the gutters of Trollheim, finds someone face down and drunk. Arvida is 6'6 and as thin as a spear. She claims to be writing a epic poem to ring her name in the history of the Land. After buying her a drink, hair of the dog that bit her, she reveals she knows a little bit about these people. She had heard of Hjort before. "He came here a while back after his entire village was slaughtered on the Arcadian coasshht. People ssshay hissh rage toward the Pathfinder Soc-so-so-SIE-iety burns bright, as they were the ones who slaughtered his people—a people, I heard, that he was destined to be the jarl of. Those traditional warriors from the coast are serious, uh, wuzdeword in Taldane, uh -- brutes—I wouldn’t want to be one of their targets."

Corba and Leon find Ludin Swordsmith, whose profession used to be as a swordsmith. Now, he feeds ducks at the pond near Trollheim's edge. He hasn't heard of Hjort, but the name Runa White jogs his memory. "A dark-haired Chelish woman, family name of White, has been seen about the market recently. She’s hiring mercenaries and low-life thugs for Gorum-knowswhat. If you’re looking for her to right some wrong, I’d bring a dozen more of you—she was cornered in one of the market’s darkest corners by some of Trollheim’s biggest miscreants, and just when they thought they had gotten the drop on her, she called to her god and blasted them with holy fire. She’s tough, that one, and not someone I’d mess with."

Shannon and Cayden aren't having much luck finding someone who knows anything. They were about to pack it up and try to find one of their compatriots when Cayden literally runs into a town guard. Their eyes meet. As Rafanta helps Cayden back to his feet, the scars on her cheek, scars from training practices and real battles, blush just a little. She makes sure he is okay, and asks him business. She is a town guard after all. Shannon asks a few questions and gets her talking, though her eyes don't quite leave Cayden. "I know those two. They approached my friends and me, once, after hours, and offered us a ridiculous sum to work for them. No way was I going to work for a washed-up Ulfen warrior and a foreign she-devil from the south. Hjort’s eyes told all the story I needed to know: he wasn’t doing whatever he was doing for profit—he was doing it for revenge. That business has only one path, and it leads straight to Pharasma’s ample bosom. And Runa? Well, she’s a Chelaxian, isn't she?"

TIME SPENT
Shannon and Cayden - 3 Hours
Corba and Leon - 2 Hours
Corgrim and Bobbie - 3 Hours.

There is more information to be found

"So she has divine powers. Interesting...", Corba ponders. "Thank you so much for telling us what you know, my friend, it'll be a great help! Here, have this silver piece as a sign of our gratitude. Have a nice day!" The bard hands over the coin, bows and turns to Leon. "We still need to find some information about Hjort. Let's go!"

Corba resumes asking anyone and everyone in Trollheim for information about Runa White, Hjort Fastaxe, and the missing Rognvald Skagni.

Versatile Performance used for Diplomacy:
Perform: Oratory, skill focus: 1d20 + 11 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 11 + 3 = 15 :-(
if applicable, add a +2 circumstance from MW tool (bullhorn)
Time: 1d6 ⇒ 6 hours

@GM Ultra Plus: I can see the MW tool helping with this roll as Corba can reach the attention of more people when she announces what she's looking for with the bullhorn. And if nobody seems to bite after a few hours - and that's likely with that roll - she starts offering money (a silver piece) for useful information. Maybe that gets her another bonus?
And maybe Leon gets lucky with the aid roll...

Mebee

Leon chats it up with some warehouse workers.

Diplomacy Aid Corba: 1d20 - 2 ⇒ (1) - 2 = -1

Who obviously think he is a threat to their union.

Mebee nawt

Cayden, in his own rough way, attempts to be courteous to the guard, thanks her for her assistance, and indicates a willingness to join her for a drink (or a sparring match, given she is obviously not afraid of a scrap!) when they are both off work, if she is interested.

He then moves on with Shannon to continue to gather information.

Diplomacy(Aid): 1d20 - 2 ⇒ (19) - 2 = 17.

...apparently, being a wise muscle-bro goes over well in these lands!

It's a meet-cute! And she's already knocked him off his feet! :P

Bobbie keeps on acting as Corgrim's bodyguard. It only requires big muscles and a straight face.

Knowledge (local, untrained, Aid Another): 1d20 ⇒ 13

Diplo: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (19) + 9 = 28 Time flies: 1d6 ⇒ 2 Shannon seems to get the hang of it

Know Local: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (3) + 6 = 9

Corgrim tries his luck in a gambling den, but it soon appears gambling is one of his favorite sin, and he spends less time seeking some information than on rolling the dices.

Rolling how many hours this takes for Corgrim

Hours: 1d6 ⇒ 4

Bobbie stands by Corgrim and watches the games unfold, waiting for the moment he'll actually begin to ask questions around and gather information. She waits through two long games of dice, getting increasingly frustrated, until she practically pulls him out of his chair by the collar. "We should go."

Even with her bullhorn helping her draw attention, Corba can't seem to get anyone talking. Likewise, Corgrim and Bobbie just can't find anyone who's willing to talk. I will say there is an NPC who's more willing to talk if you give him money, but a SP is not enough.

Shannon and Cayden find a serious faced warrior, who's willing to stop and share a few words. "Can’t say that I remember the name of the place, but when they tried to hire my cousin, they told him to meet them at some hole-in-the=wall in the market. You’d best do your poking around there and stop pestering the peaceful folk of Trollheim before they decide to yank your entrails out from your mouth and strangle you with them."

TIME SPENT
Shannon and Cayden - 5 Hours
Corba and Leon - 8 Hours
Corgrim and Bobbie - 7 Hours. '

There is one more piece of information to find - the actual name of where they were meeting.