'Gallows of Madness - The Festering Blot'

Game Master Shadow Dragon

Lucinus proclaims the front door as the safest door he has ever seen. But how much experience does the newcomer actually have with spotting traps? Hm!

Who will trust his eyes and open the door?

"Looks safe to me." says Lucinus after inspecting the door.

"Everyone ready to go in?"

Once the party is ready the dhampir opens the door.

The young buck shows total confidence, and no fear, in his own skillz and a fair bit of internal fortitude by opening the door.

Who will lead the way though?

Anyone wishing to buff and doing so, please post what you're doing, its duration, and add the effects into your taglines please. Also move your tokens into the first room as you wish them arrayed. Which leads to:

#2: I'm trying something new so let me know your opinions. I've 'sliced' the map to magnify the current room. It's pixelated a bit so I'm not sure if you all will like it, hate it, somewhere in between. I was tempted to do this with the exterior areas but I chose to go 'big view' for that part and 'extreme closeup' for this part. Assuming you all enter and don't run away skeered:

Paintings of people and landscapes adorn the walls of this once-grand entrance hall. A few small vases, most of them cracked or broken altogether, sit on semi circular tables set against the west wall. A faint smell of mildew hangs in the air.

The next assumption is that you will want to know more about the paintings. Knowledge checks time! Please roll Knowledge (Geography) *OR* (Nature) checks. 1 can be done untrained but the other 3 must be trained; these are for the landscape paintings. For the portraits everyone can attempt one of the following: Knowledge (History), (Local), *OR* (Nobility).

Was the side door locked or blockaided or did everyone want to go in the front instead? Everyone was at the side doors, Cannoli said side door and no one but the GM said front door.

ref: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5
i'll heal using my infernal healing...

Right, I see everybody at the side door, but the zoomed map it from the front door.

Was the side door locked or blockaided or did everyone want to go in the front instead? Everyone was at the side doors, Cannoli said side door and no one but the GM said front door.

That's because I missed the part about the side door and thought you were going to the front door. 8) Give me a moment while I skip ahead...Okay instead of earlier the group sees this:

This area is a breakfast room and pantry. The Sarinis usually enjoyed their breakfast in this room.

There is now nothing of value here.

And that's it's actually description lol. Also in the room are four additional doors leading to your DOOM! elsewhere in the manor. Please mark the door you wish to check/use with a shape of some kind.

Guardian approaches the door to the North room.

Perception (trap check for Cannoli): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (17) + 8 = 25

Meanwhile Lucinus checks the door to the south…

perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (16) + 6 = 22

Guardian XI and Lucinus think both doors are completely safe and not trapped.

Guardian looks to Cannoli and approximates a nervous grin with the course plates of his face.

I'm more confident this time!

With that he swings the door to the North open.

Cannoli was staring mournfully out the window at another batch of catmint growing when Guardian speaks. She turns with a sigh and nods, ”Aight, let’s do this.”

"No traps on this door either." notes Lucinus indicating towards the door he had just checked.

Well, open it and stand back...I'll cover you... Daegon says as he shoulders his crossbow.

Two large tables flank an oven built into the west wall of this kitchen. Jars of different sizes sit on the two tables in uneven rows. A narrow set of stairs leads down to a dark, musty basement. Once a well-stocked kitchen, this room now contains only dirty jars, shelves, and barrels.

What would you like to do?

Waiting to check that no threats make themselves apparent when Guardian XI opens his door, Lucinus opens the door he had just inspected once Daegon is set up to cover him.

Lucinus opens the door he checked and finds it is indeed not trapped nor is the Tarrasque waiting on the other side.

Maybe.

Due to the shape of the room I'm going to rule you'll need to step past the 'corner' to see (and for me to post) the room description. You do see part of a table and some chairs.

is it dark? if so, can someone cast light? darkvision btw...

Lucinus cautiously moves forward to get a better view of the room past the corner.

Vreekka is excited.

”Did you known that a kitchen is kind of like an alchemy lab?”

The alchemist thoroughly searches the kitchen for something useful of valueable. She checks the shelves, opens cabinets, drawers, jars, flasks, bottles and barrels, and reads any writing, be it on paper, pergament or anything else.

Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (18) + 4 = 22

Cannoli’s eyes go wide with glee, ”Oooh! Dwarven door game!!! Should I open a third door?!?”

Vreekka is busy ransacking the place while Cannoli contemplates opening every door on the estate (it is musty after all and could use some airing out) and Lucinus decides to venture out on his own away from the others.

Vreekka finds a well-sealed keg marked 'Salt' that weighs five pounds.
Appraise check to determine value?

Lucinus steps into the next room and finds a few pieces of silver tableware that lie strewn about on a 30-foot-long oak table, and more valuables are displayed in a large antique vitrine. The heads of three beast — a dragon, lion, and goat — have been mounted above a fireplace on the north wall. In the early hours of the evening, the Sarinis often dined in candlelight around the small round table, or around the long table if they had guests.

Lucinus thinks the dragon head looks hungry...

is it dark? if so, can someone cast light? darkvision btw...

Due to the abundance of doors and windows, and the fact the group arrived during mid-morning, the interior has 'normal' lighting levels in the areas they've seen so far.

"Looks like this was the dinning room." observers the dhampir "...and someone appears to have been a keen collector of dead animals."

Upon hearing Cannoli’s question he adds "Go for it. Do you want someone to check the door for traps first?"

”Salt? Hm... this should be worth something...”

Appraise: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (12) + 9 = 21

”Wwe also should remember that here are stairs down.”

Grizzlebin goes to the top of the stairs and tries to peer down, taking in a deep whiff at the same time.

Seeing if I can see anything or smell anything with Scent.

"Salt? That can b-be used in rituals to contain d-d-demons!" observes Jakeric, drawing upon his upbringing near the Worldwound.

Vreekka thinks the salt should fetch 25 gold coins at a market. Will her pilfering be restricted to the kitchen or is she going to take everything not nailed down???

Lucinus eggs Cannoli on and appears to dare her to open more doors - be careful what you wish for!

Jakeric reveals a connection between salt and demon summoning rituals; are you all sure he's a good guy???

Grizzlebin's nose is assaulted with the pungent stench of water that has accumulated downstairs - phew that's rank! Although he is standing close to Jakeric...

Are there any other exits from the room that Lucinus is in (I'm guessing most of it is on another map)?

Seeing no signs of obvious danger, Lucinus takes a look around the dinning room to see if he can spot anything else of interest...

perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (2) + 6 = 8

Once the team is ready and done investigating on the current level, he leads the way downstairs with his shadow blade manifested.

Upon hearing Cannoli’s question he adds "Go for it. Do you want someone to check the door for traps first?"

Cannoli gleefully opens the door next to her, shouting, ”The game isn’t fun if we do it with caution!”

Guardian gives a confused look. Game?

Cannoli opens the door to find the remains of a pantry! But no Tarrasque...In fact a mysterious force named 'box text' provides the following insight: "There is now nothing of value here."

In case it isn't clear on the map there's another door west of Cannoli and a door in the room Lucinus is looting. Speaking of which this site was giving me problems yesterday evening and so was my ISP so trying to connect here *and* work with Google Drive/Slides was impossible hence the delay. And if there are any barbarians like me use the internets to look up "vitrine" to see what's in the dining room.

Lucinus is looking around but apparently the dust clouds his vision because he doesn't see much and all he finds is a coughing fit. Perhaps others would have better luck?

I've added the Dining Room to the Slides under the map everyone else is in, moved Lucinus, and am preparing the lethal ambush to KILL everyone muahaha! ready for your next decisions.

Guardian joins Lucinus and engages his advanced peepers.

Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (18) + 8 = 26

Daegon joins the others and looks around, both with his eyes and his mystic vision.

detect magic...can't beat XI's roll

Guardian XI recognizes fine metallic constructs (such as himself) and finds some rather high-end silverware in the vitrine.

I had to use that word again!

Daegon's dark purple-glowing eyes scan the dining room but find no magic.

Cannoli explains the ‘game’ while poking around in her own room, ”So it’s like this, if you have multiple doors, each person takes a door and you all open them at the same time. It’s supposed to be fun! And two of you did it so… I figured we were all playing.”

Perc Pantry: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (13) - 1 = 12

Also detect magic with glowing orange eyes.

Cannoli finds some old, dusty flour which might be fun to throw onto an unsuspecting person...

So nothing of monetary value just entertainment value.

;)

Cannoli explains the ‘game’ while poking around in her own room, ”So it’s like this, if you have multiple doors, each person takes a door and you all open them at the same time. It’s supposed to be fun! And two of you did it so… I figured we were all playing.”

Well... sort of. We didn't open them at the exact same time. Okay, next time give us a countdown.

Guardian XI recognizes fine metallic constructs (such as himself) and finds some rather high-end silverware in the vitrine.

I am also... a fine metallic construct.

”Alright, can do,” the catfolk hollers back to the construct.

She almost picks up the flour, but thinks better of it.

The furred fiend comes out and rejoins the group, ”Found some old flour, but didn’t want to get it caked in my stripes. One of y’all smooth skins can grab it if ya want.”

”Are we continuing the door game with the unopened door in here and the remaining closed door near Cannoli?” asks Lucinus, who walks over to the second door in the dining room and checks it for traps, in anticipation of the door game’s next round…

perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (13) + 6 = 19

I got your back... Daegon says as he raises his weapon yet again.

”Silverware? Let me have a look if it's worth anything...”

Appraise: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (11) + 9 = 20

Lucinus once again concludes the door is perfectly safe. He's an expert after all...

Cannoli waits to see if anyone wants to grab some flour; perhaps to bake her a cake?

Vreekka's eyes light up not because she's checking for magic; instead it's the light of avarice! She determines that the silverware is of excellent quality and is worth one hundred and twenty-five gold measures.

I had to look it up but 'gold measures' are the Absalaom gold coin unit.

Cannoli shrugs and gives a wry smile, ”Sure! Check this other door here too and Guardian and I can open it while you open that one.”

I moved everyone’s pieces into a decent setup for our game. If Grizz wants to rush down the stairs at the same time we can check three new locations at once. Efficiency!

Guardian actually gets excited.

Yeah! Do the countdown!

He firmly grips the handle to rip it open. Then gets a thought and looks back at Cannoli.

Hold on... are you just trying to get me to trip a trap?

Even with that thought he'll tear it open when signaled.

Once everyone is ready Lucinus calls the countdown...

"Three... Two... One..."

...and then opens his door.

It might not be clear on the map but there's no door where Grizzlebin is at or facing. He saw the funky looking (and smelling) water in the basement. But the other two doors, well, it's certain DEATH adventure!

Under 50 Lucinus went early: 1d100 ⇒ 26

Lucinus, perhaps due to the distance involved and trying to listen for the countdown but being eager to go first, opens his door a bit earlier than Guardian XI opens his door.

Lucinus and his hulking physically-powerful backup squad of Daegon and Vreekka see this:

Paintings of people and landscapes adorn the walls of this once-grand entrance hall. A few small vases, most of them cracked or broken altogether, sit on semi circular tables set against the west wall. A faint smell of mildew hangs in the air.

Now as I wrote EARLIER: The next assumption is that you will want to know more about the paintings. Knowledge checks time! Please roll Knowledge (Geography) *OR* (Nature) checks. 1 can be done untrained but the other 3 must be trained; these are for the landscape paintings. For the portraits everyone can attempt one of the following: Knowledge (History), (Local), *OR* (Nobility). grumbles about people not making things easy...

Guardian XI opens his door a bit slower than Lucinus (rust in the joints?) and the Crack Chaos Squad of Cannoli, Jakeric, and Grizzlebin (if he can stop playing in the stinky water long enough to join them) see the following:

The floor, walls, pillars, and fireplaces of this majestic ballroom are all made of polished marble. On the north side of the room, a grand staircase with divided flights leads up to a balcony overlooking the ballroom floor. An angel of black marble is standing menacingly on a platform behind the middle landing of the staircase. Long ago, the Sarinis hosted magnificent ballroom parties and dinner parties in this room.

What do you all do?

Cannoli’s eyes are drawn to the marble statue. She speaks loudly and excitedly, ”OH! I bet that angel is some evil trap or trap door or hidden door or passage or gargoyle or something! It definitely looks like it.”

The ever curious cat surprisingly doesn’t rush into the room though. Maybe she is waiting for Guardian to trigger all the traps?

Vreekka sighs. "Fine, go ahead..." She then follows Lucinus into the hall.

I am not entirely sure how many paintings there are, but here you go:

Knowledge: Nature t: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (7) + 17 = 24
Knowledge: Nature t: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (10) + 17 = 27
Knowledge: Nature t: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (20) + 17 = 37
Knowledge: Nature t: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (8) + 17 = 25

Knowledge: Nobility t: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (4) + 16 = 20
Knowledge: Nobility t: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (9) + 16 = 25
Knowledge: Nobility t: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (20) + 16 = 36
Knowledge: Nobility t: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (18) + 16 = 34