PFS1 Mummy's Mask 1 The Half-Dead City (Sancitoned) by GM Colin (Inactive)

Game Master Colin_Mercer

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (20) + 6 = 26 (add +2 for stonecunning, if relevant)

”I agree, this a tomb for doors - secret doors, to be precise. Look over there, there’s another one!”

There is a secret door on the left-hand side of the wall in this corridor. (on the south/down direction if you're facing west going into the corridor)

The secret door reveals a long-neglected passage heading south, eventually ending at the backside of another secret door. Burrowing tunnels from large vermin mark the walls, and the floor is covered in loose dirt. Spatial awareness tell you that the passage probably lead to the room beyond the locked western door from the earlier room.

And you determined that the north door at the end of the stair is neither trapped nor locked.

Angus muses, ”Take the secret path, right? Has the highest chance of bypassing a trap I’d think.”

Ouita nods. ”My thought as well, Angus. Seems like that’s the path they’d want to take to miss the tricks and traps they have set,” she agrees. Why did the society send us rather than a group of trapspringers, she thought to herself.

You find two mining beetles in the locked room, the culprits of all the burrowing marks in the tomb...

Need a show of hand for whether you guys want to fight them, as I don't really considered a fight with them impactful. They only have 6 HP each and doesn't do much damage (d4+2).

Outa votes to slam the door shut and avoid the beetles if at all possible.

Skip the fight is fine.

We are not gaining exp here so that's fine

This room——or perhaps more accurately, this short hallway——narrows sharply to the west, descending to a set of stairs that ends abruptly at a rough rock wall.

The pathfinder quickly reaches a silent, mutual non-aggression pact with the beetles and leaves them to their digging behind the door.

What now?

”So what does everyone think? We’ve got a couple options, looks like. How about we investigate those stairs that suspiciously end at a rock wall? That looks like something weird!”

This room——or perhaps more accurately, this short hallway——narrows sharply to the west, descending to a set of stairs that ends abruptly at a rough rock wall.

That was the beetle room's description. Sorry for not making it clear enough

There is a door going north that's down the stair, or you can circle way back to check out a northern door near the dart-trap hallway.

"Let's check the place we missed before going further; I'm all for finding more spare bodies to suffer in our stead. I may not be a necromancer, but there is something to be said for their approach to these things!"

"What about the door northwest? Let's see what's over there."

”Yeah, I’d stay with checking these secret passages (voting for door in NW corner of map) out first. It may all backtrack anyway. Stuff has so far.”

As we discussed before, the first two determined the team's direction. So NW room it is.

This room holds several neatly arrayed chests, boxes, and urns. The dust of centuries covers every surface. The only exit is a set of stone double doors to the south, which is where you enter from.Many grave goods were placed in this chamber, in keeping with the Osirian cultural belief that his soul would have access to those items in the Boneyard while he awaited final judgment. None of the chests and boxes in the room are locked.

Among the spoiled and ruined grave goods are several salvageable items of value, including two vials of silversheen, a masterwork longbow, 10 cold iron arrows, a gold scarab clasp worth 50 gp, an onyx and silver holy symbol of Pharasma worth 100 gp, a silver hand mirror worth 35 gp, and a wax-sealed clay urn of nard worth 75 gp.

Angus looks around and then starts cataloging the items in the room.

Perc: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (18) + 2 = 20

He snorts, ”Look, another secret door! Oh man, this place.”

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (2) + 6 = 8

"Huh? Where? I do not see anything..."

Perception 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (11) + 1 = 12

Ouita steps to the side and lets Angus demonstrate the secret door to the rest of the group.

Map updated with red S for secret door. Let me know what would you like to do next

Perc: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (18) + 6 = 24
"Wait, there is a trap behind the door."

Following Ryan's finger and some Detect Magic, you guys do locate a magical trap ON the secret door.

It's about time for ten-foot-pole, isn't it?

Spellcraft t: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (19) + 4 = 23

”Oh gross, that will summon a swarm. I say we just go the other way. At least until we know if we have to go this way.”

”Makes sense, Angus. Does everyone have alchemical weapons to fight the swarm if it were to go off? Pathfinder Society lesson one…always have those to deal with swarms…”

The cleric checks his bag, ”Oh, so that’s what the acid is for. Ok, I wondered why I was told to buy them.”

Jezebel pulls out her two remaining poles. "I've still got these, will they help?"

The cleric checks his bag, ”Oh, so that’s what the acid is for. Ok, I wondered why I was told to buy them.”

"You are new at this, aren't you?"

Jezebel pulls out her two remaining poles. "I've still got these, will they help?"

Angus Kilkenny wrote:

The cleric checks his bag, ”Oh, so that’s what the acid is for. Ok, I wondered why I was told to buy them.”

"You are new at this, aren't you?"

the cleric answers chipperly, ”Yup! I don’t usually lie about important things. And my level of job experience searching cursed tombs is pretty much only what I have done today. I am sure you all are much more experienced though, so I’m not worried.”

He rubs his neck where the newly healed skin and bones still itch.

”Yeah. So anyway, we going back to look for a way around or just triggering this trap?”

"And that's exactly why I carry a couple of vials of Alchemist's fire and Acid", Newt says while going through his backpack to retrieve them. "I think we should prepare to quickly kill the swarm and then trigger the trap. Any secret door should be explored, in my opinion."

Do you guys want to fight the swarm now, or check other rooms first and come back later?

"Let's check this door later, maybe it just connect to a room we could get in easily."

One vote in favor of fighting the swarm now, one vote to check other rooms first and come back later. Our GM needs more votes for a decision, so please voice your opinion, fellow pathfinders!

"Let's check this door later, maybe it just connect to a room we could get in easily."

”I agree, it’s smart to look for another way around.”

One vote in favor of fighting the swarm now, one vote to check other rooms first and come back later. Our GM needs more votes for a decision, so please voice your opinion, fellow pathfinders!

Thank you

The team decideds to postpone their fated encounter with the swarm and turn around to finish the unexplored room(s) they left behind. After making sure the door is safe, you guys open it.

A brightly painted chariot sits in the center of this chamber. Beyond the chariot, a large canvas stretches between two stone columns. The skins of several animals—antelopes, great cats, and crocodiles—now faded and deteriorated with age, are tacked to this canvas. A wooden chest, lacquered white and trimmed with gold inlay, sits in the southeast corner. In each corner of the room a small stone shield is molded into the masonry at shoulder height. An open hallway leads to the east, and a set of stone double doors leads south.

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (14) + 6 = 20 (add +2 for stonecunning, if relevant)

”This place is full of traps and secret doors. We better check everything before we walk around and/or open that chest!”

”That chariot is incredible. No telling how long it has been down here. We could be the first group to see it in centuries!”. Ouita waits for the go ahead from Newt before moving further in.

[dice=Perception]1d20+6 (add +2 for stonecunning, if relevant)

”This place is full of traps and secret doors. We better check everything before we walk around and/or open that chest!”

Yeah! Because Newt realized that the chest is locked, and have hidden slit near the keyhole, no doubt some sort of anti-lockpicking traps. DC20 Disable Device for the lock, and DC20 Disable Device for the trap

Time has still taken a toll on the chariot, such that using it as a vehicle would be dubious at best, but probably still worth some value if you are to disassemble it and bring it out the tomb. The animal skins are trophies from Akhentepi’s hunting expeditions, and have no real value, having suffered the ravages of time. The shield devices in each of the corners are torch holders.

To the right, four funerary masks hang on one wall of this short hallway, staring down as if in judgment at anyone standing in the corridor. The masks depict the gods Pharasma, Abadar, and...

Kn(Religon): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (14) + 6 = 20
Ryan tells his peer what those masks stand for.

”Assuming we make it out alive those masks need to be brought back and preserved. And the chariot as well, if anyone knows a carpenter who can take it apart and put it back together again,” Ouita explains excitedly.

”Does anyone have the guts to try and disable the trap,” she asks once advised of the danger therein.

Angus agrees with the first part, ”That makes sense, these items belong in a museum. I am a little concerned though that the dude in the mirror may not see it the same way though.”

He looks over the trap, ”I am pretty sure a skeleton key won’t disable this trap. And no one has yet to volunteer having the ability to disable them either. Why don’t we just take the chest with us when we leave?”

He also scans the entire room for magic and begins adding notes to his sketch about what was found in here.

To disassembled, moved, and put back together the chariot requiring a successful DC 15 Craft (carpentry) or Profession (driver) check, presumably will be done after the whole tomb is cleared out, but you may roll it now. Don't forget that Profession cannot be roll untrained.

To the right, A table displaying a three-dimensional diorama occupies much of the north side of this room. Three shields with different designs are displayed upon a rack against the east wall, while various weapons hang from another rack along the south wall. Arrayed around the room are five small chests and a clay urn.

With a sculpted landscape and tiny stone and wooden statues, the diorama depicts an ancient battle between the city of Wati and an unidentified enemy. The rack to the east proudly displays three shields. The shield on the right is a light wooden shield identical to the shields carried by the soldiers in the diorama. It bears Ancient Osiriani hieroglyphs that spell the name “Akhentepi,” marking those soldiers as under the command of Akhentepi. The center shield is unusual in that it is a light steel shield shaped like a scarab; it matches the one borne by Akhentepi in the engravings on the doors in previous rooms. The rack on the south wall holds a composite shortbow, a khopesh, and a spear. The string of the bow did not survived the passing of time, however. The light wooden shield on the left does not appear to be Osirian in origin. DC12 Knowledge(Geography) to tell that it's from tribes in the Mwangi Expanse.

Detect Magic pings on the scarab-shaped steel shield.

”It appears we might be getting to the “good stuff” now,” the warrior saying, letting out a low whistle. ”anyone want to check all this stuff for traps?”

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (17) + 6 = 23

Ryan sees that the chests are of good craftsmanship but less ornate than the one found in the chariot room. None of the chests are locked or trapped, but each has been sealed with wax. Same thing goes for the clay urn, which is also sealed with wax.

Angus' eyes light up, "This shield here, it's magical. Pretty cool. Let me just take a scan and..."

Spellcraft t: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (5) + 4 = 9

"...seems to be a basic magical shield. Nothing special or cursed about it. Probably just to protect it from rust. I'm new to the whole magical construction stuff though, so don't take my word one hundred percent."

He looks at the piles of artifacts and the big ole chariot, "So, keep clearing and then come back to haul this stuff out for the museum, right?"

Angus has a +0 on his craft check to safely take apart the chariot. But that check can be aided. Does anyone have a positive modifier in intelligence or somehow a relevant trained skill? If so, they should be the primary and everyone else should aid. Getting it out may affect our rewards or success conditions. Or it may not, but we should try.

Ryan has +2 INT

Ouita suggests hiring contractors who could take apart and reconstruct the chariot, since none of the group seemed capable in that area. ”Id rather pay someone who understands that stuff than us blunder around and destroy it!”

Is nobody going to take the magical shield?

And what's next, back to the swarm room?

The cleric waves the shield around, ”Anyone use this size? I don’t, but it may be useful if more things attack us. Anyway, I think there was another door that wasn’t magically trapped. Let’s go there.”

Ouita wasn’t much for shield work. ”Someoke who will use that the whole time should take it. I prefer another weapon in my off hand!”. She agrees with Angus to check that other door and proceed from there.

"Agree! Let's go!"

Newt has +2 INT, too. Does Ryan roll or should I?

"A magical shield? Normally, these are better at protecting than their non-magical counterparts, and always masterfully crafted. Let me try it - maybe it's better than mine..."

Newt will try to put on the magic shield to see how it feels. If nothing bad happens, he'll invite the others to try and attack him non-lethally to see if it does something special.

Afterwards:

"I agree, too. Let's head over to that door."