Andolphas Hecker's page

Andolphas doesn't have any rope. The posts on page 62 suggest that Boland and Damion tied their ropes together. I didn't check the spoilers, so don't know if Harrigan used another rope during his solo descent. Otherwise, looks like the dwarf might still have his silk rope.

Andolphas hands the warrior his rock hammer, then lies on his belly by one of the cavern walls, trusting that Harrigan will keep an eye out for grimlocks who might approach from below.

"Damion, Boland... perhaps one of you should stay here with Brashen and Harrigan... would the other be willing to help me keep an eye on the passage from whence we came?"

Without waiting for a reply, the priest heads back to the passage from which the party came. Not trusting his nose and ears to detect potential threats once the magical light on his shield dims, he whispers a prayer to the Green Lady, and periodically places illuminated pebbles into the passage to help him spot approaching enemies.

Casts light on pebbles on places them in the tunnel as often as required Perception: 12 + 2 = 14.

"If no one has a better idea... does someone have a rope that we can use to tie to the grimock's filthy hides? We could then lower those over a spike... and maybe the strongest can try to break the spikes loose?" Andolphas looks expectantly at Brashen for a moment.

" If we're really lucky, we might even be able to catch the spikes in a fold in the hides when they break loose, thereby preventing them from dropping to the ground and making noise."

Thinking on their predicament a little longer, he adds. "Alternately, someone could be tied with a rope, and drop down far enough to knock out the topmost rows of spikes (only those that would be necessary to allow a grimlock-sized creature to reach the ledge), putting the hides over the spikes again to muffle the sound of hammering, and to catch the spikes when they fall loose?" The cleric then looks at Harrigan, as if he would be best suited to accomplish the second plan.

"The rest of us would have to stay on look out, and ready to heave up the rope, at the earliest sign of danger."

The cleric holds out his rock hammer to whoever will take it.

Anyone have a better idea?

"Maybe we can use the grimlock hides and wrap them around some of the spikes to muffle the sound of us trying to break the topmost spikes with the hammer?" A worrisome afterthought creeps into the priest's mind. "Are we likely to have a reason to want to go down there after we rest? Could the grimlocks be an active faction of the Ebon Triad dedicated to Erythnul... and if so... are we likely to find anything of importance if we venture deeper into their warrens? And if we do go down," he adds with a shudder, "then we will want to ensure we leave ourselves a way back up the cliff."

How many rows of spikes can we reach from where we are? How many spikes might we be able to break... assuming we have the strength to do so? How many humanoid creatures could plausibly climb the cliff in horizontal/parallel fashion at the same time?

"And I've a miner's rock hammer... if the acid alone doesn't do the job, maybe it can weaken the spikes sufficiently to make it possible to break them off with a good whack of a hammer? Damion, Boland... are either of you capable of conjuring magical silence?"

Andolphas seems to turn a whiter shade of pale as Harrigan reports his findings. The priest nods quietly when Brashen suggests that the party try to remove some of the spikes from the cliff wall.

"I will take first watch, though my eyes cannot see far into the darkness. But perhaps we can imbue stones with light and periodically toss them into the chamber below, if we organize three watches, at least two of them with magic wielders if Harrigan is part of the third?"

Andolphas takes only the quickest glance into the chamber before he is called back by Harrigan to take a look at the star pattern etched into the grimlock's skin.

Perception (chamber): 3 + 2 = 5. Knowledge (religion): 9 + 9 = 18.

"Some primitive tribes who worship the savage god Erythnul represent his holy symbol with a five pointed star constructed of natural materials, rather than (or as well as) the more familiar bestial face holy symbol used by (marginally) more civilised peoples. Given that Erythnul is one of the gods of the Ebon Triad, it's looking more and more like the grimlocks may have been recruited to serve the cult, rather than being random passersby in this complex."

Andolphas shows no interest in searching the grimlock corpse on the assumption that such a savage and primitive underdark dweller would have nothing of value. The cleric utters another brief prayer, healing energy radiating from him as he does so.

Channel energy, everyone regains 9 hit points.

He then conjures a light source and steps into the chamber where they first encountered the krenshar. "I see no other obvious exits, so this may have to do," he tells his companion, not sounding totally convinced by his own words. "Let's hope more of them don't come down the passage while we try to rest. There must be other access points to the dark below somewhere in this infernal complex."

Andolphas breathes a sigh of relief as the battle comes to an end.

I know that Brash took a bit of a beating there... but how is everyone else, hit point-wise?

Pretty sure I wasn't within 10 feet so no worries on the fire.

Sorry, I didn't go back to double check everyone's exact positioning. For some reasons, I thought you and Brashen were both engaged in melee. Ultimately, I don't think it changes anything -- Boland still would be reluctant to hit Brash with the alchemist's fire.

Brashen growls and takes another swing of his great axe at the grimlock, but the throbbing pain from the creature's previous blow on the warrior throws his aim off.

Attack: 2 + 10 = 12. Miss.

Boland, still worried about hitting his allies with the flask of alchemist's fire he has in hand, hesitates a moment longer as he waits for an opening. "Brash! Harrigan! Step away from it!" calls the wizard.

Readying an action to throw alchemist's fire at the grimlock once all allies are at least 10' away from their foe.

Damion reloads his crossbow, aims carefully, and fires through the melee.

Attack 14 + 6 - 4 melee = 16. Damage: 4 + 1 = 5.

I found the spell description a little unclear. After all, in most cases, the spiritual weapon is a melee weapon, but the spell description does describe it as a "ranged weapon."

Andolphas groans as he realizes the last grimlock is giving his companions a hard time, and will not go down as quickly as he had assumed. The somber priest murmurs a quick prayer from the back of the line. A wicked looking dagger, with skull-shaped pommel and blood-red blade, materializes out of thin air. It hovers at eye level before the priest for an instant. He then nods his head, and the blade flies end over end over the shoulders of Boland and Damion, and then darts straight between Harrigan and Brashen towards the grimlock...

Cast spiritual weapon. Attack: 14 + 2 +1 -4 (firing into melee) = 13. Damage: 8 + 1 = 9... but probably a miss?

Andolphas is on the verge of casting a spell, then reconsiders. Boland, Harrigan and Damion seem to have gained the upper hand, and not being the greatest shot, he decides not to risk firing a bolt into the melee. He takes a moment to look back from where they came, to make sure that no one might try to creep up on them from behind.

Perception: 11 + 2 = 13.

Before I choose my action... I just want to confirm that the party's intention is to rest 8 hours after this? Just wondering, as that may affect my decision to cast a spell or not. <Shivers at the the idea of resting 8 hours in a sinister mine, though it makes sense game-wise>.

On another note... I think I worked far too much for Easter to have considered truly enjoyable... even though I was supposed to have a 4-day weekend. But better to be overworked than unemployed, I guess. I hope everyone else enjoyed their Easter.

Initiative: 8.

"Nice work," says Andolphas quietly as he brings up the rear--kicking the dead krenshar as he walks past it.

Yes, continuing... Previous Perception check = 21.

Perception: 19 + 2 = 21.

As the party turns back down the tunnel to face the grimlock and krenshars, Andolphas decides to unleash a second wave of healing energy...

Wanted to make sure Damion was in decent shape for the fight, regardless of how he might feel about the source of the healing. Channel energy: everyone regains 7 hit points (15 total).

"My dear Boland, there is wisdom in your words. Very well... is everyone else willing to do this?"

Without waiting for the consent of his companions, Andolphas murmurs a prayer. The others sense positive energy washing over them, healing some of their wounds.

Channel energy, whether the Pholtan wants it or not. Everyone heals 8 hit points.

Andolphas stops in his tracks and turns his radiant shield to illuminate the party as Boland speaks out.

"How confident are we that we can take on the krenshars that likely will follow the grimlock? I dread the idea of resting this close to their warrens, for who knows how many more there might be lurking just a bit further in the depths... but I agree that if we don't rest, we'll likely die down here... And while I have no reason to fear the Great Beyond, I still have things to accomplish in this world... and must confess that the risk of becoming undead does worry me a great deal more. So what is the consensus, then?"

Andolphas tenses as he hears the howls and jabbering echoing in the passage.

"Healing may have to wait a moment longer," he says tensely. "I don't think it's wise for us to spend much more time standing here. Let's head back the way we came, to the chamber from whence this passage branched."

The priest casts calls upon the Ruby Sorceress to light their way. Shortly thereafter, a soft glow radiates from his wooden shield, and he leads the way forward.

Andolphas still has 6 uses of channel energy left. Let me know if you'd like me to use a few for healing purposes. But perhaps we should expend potions first? I'd rather not waste too much if energy, especially since we may have some tougher baddies ahead, including tougher undead.

Andolphas tears off the chainmail mask and leans back against the cavern wall, panting furiously. "I'm... so sorry... I don't think I've ever been so scared in my life... before... Those things... so horrid..."

He keeps looking back toward the tunnel from whence they fled, worried that the grimlock and surviving krenshars might burst out at any moment. "I'm not sure I can face them again," says the still-shaken priest. He tightly grips the ruby skull symbol that hangs from his neck and fervently mumbles prayers over and over like a mantra, trying to steady his nerves and regain his courage.

Once he has managed to calm himself, Andolphas notices the bloody state in which Damion finds himself. "Pholtan, you look as though you have one foot in the grave... Would you welcome the healing energy of the Dark-Eyed Lady, or would your god of light frown upon you for accepting the aid of another holy power? At this point, might I also suggest you reconsider your divine patron? You could very well find yourself heading into the Great Beyond sooner than you'd like, and the Lady protects the faithful and keeps them on the correct path as they journey into the afterlife... And that goes for all of you... the last thing the fallen would want is for their untethered souls to be snatched up by a prowling demon..."

The brief sermon seems to have reinvigorated cleric. He reflects again on what they have encountered in the mine thus far, while Damion considers his reply. "I am no longer convinced that those grimlocks are in league with the Cult of the Ebon Triad," declares Andolphas. "I think it's unlikely the cultists would speak their language, or could control them. It may just be coincidence that the tunnels that lead to their realms in the deeps connect to this mine, and perhaps Dourstone's crew accidentally opened a passage into grimlock territory? If I am correct, the grimlocks either are wildcards down here, or may have become unwitting and accidental 'sentinels'... I'm not sure we'll gain anything by getting past them... maybe we should go back and pick another route?"

Does it sound like the grimlock and krenshars are pursuing? Perception: 12 + 2 = 14.

Would Andolphas have dropped what he was holding when he fled?

Heh... make that a double uh-oh! :-) Will save: 4 + 6 = 10.

As the krenshar fighting Harrigan bares its skull, the second wave of terror is just too much for Andolphas to bear, despite the power of his faith. He blocks his own adversary with his shield, then turns and runs as the unwounded grimlock swings its axe at him. The cleric's chainmail absorbs the worst of the impact, but the blade still bruises him badly.

The somber cleric turns a whiter shade of pale and turns to flee, throwing caution to the wind as he does so...

Just waiting for the AoOs to do me in...

Harrigan notes Andolphas' entry to the fray and playfully calls out, "Hell- you sure you know how to use that thing twinklefingers? Where's the big man?" while waiting for an opportunity to bash another wolf-cat.

"The big man abandoned us and fled in terror. I find has lack of faith disturbing," calls Andolphas over his shoulder.

"And the Lady guides my weapon well, but thank you for your concern, master dwarf. I might even teach you a thing or two..."

"The horror... Lady, keep the Great Beyond at bay a little longer," murmurs Andolphas as he steadies himself and strides forward with shield raised, swinging his morning star at the nearest krenshar.

Andolphas will attack the same krenshar that Boland just wounded. Attack: 15 + 3 = 18; Damage: 5 + 1 = 6.

Andolphas feels the terror willing up within him, threatening to drive him mad with fear. He turns his mind momentarily to a mental image of the Green Lady's soothing face. Brashen runs past him, screaming...

The priest refocuses and prepares to come to Harrigan's aid, the Lady having steadied his faltering resolve...

Before he decides on an action, would the better look he now has of the creatures tell him more about them, i.e., what they are, strengths and vulnerabilities? Knowledge (arcana): 14 + 6 = 20; Knowledge (the Planes): 18 + 5 = 23.

You made the save ... And against blind creatures that don't speak common, nope. ;-)

Can't blame me for hoping that they had learned some Common, or for hoping that the wolf-like creatures were semi-intelligent, could see, and might recognize the authority of Triad guards... :-)

Will save: 13 + 6 = 19. So... I take it Andolphas's chainmail mask and cultist's outfit didn't aid the situation? ;-)

I see that Moth and Harrigan rolled two different initiative scores for Andolphas. I'll let Moth decide which roll stands. Given that Brashen is not attempting to surprise the grimlock and the beast, Andolphas will follow close behind Brashen and Boland and see if he is able to parley with the grimlock and fool him into believing he is one of the cultists. Guess that would put me in H7 for starting position (if Boland and Brashen are sharing a square), or close behind? If the grimlock speaks Common, this might also help distract the grimlock and beast, hopefully improving Harrigan's sneak attack chances.

Andolphas casts a light spell on his wooden shield to light the way, leans his captured scythe against the tunnel wall, then follows Brashen and Boland closely with morning star in hand, clad in the blood-stained cultist's robes with face concealed by the chainmail mask. "Forgive me this deception, my Lady," murmurs the priest as he approaches the cave.

He then calls out in a gruff and imperious voice, somewhat muffled by the mask. "Grimlock... come forth, and reign in your beast... Heathen intruders roam these tunnels, but you and your other blind fools attacked the wrong target... Rise and help us hunt the intruders, or the Triad will have your head..."

Intimidate: 17 + 4 = 21. Andolphas will stay within one hex of Brashen, if possible... I'll assume that we will have advanced just inside the mouth of the cave by the end of the round?

"I have nothing with which to silence it... but if we are determined to neutralize this threat, then we may want to consider luring the grimlock and the furry creature to an area where we would have the tactical advantage... although the grimlock is likely to be wary as a result of having encountered us already. I hate to say it, Harrigan, but you're probably the best qualified to sneak up on the guard beast, if we decide to take them on here..."

Marching order is fine... or Andolphas can switch with Harrigan, if the dwarf would prefer to scout ahead. Perception: 17 + 2 = 19. Andolphas casts light on his holy symbol.

"If we are to pursue the one that got away, then... lead on, Harrigan. But if we don't find the grimlock or its lair soon, then I think we will need to return to the chamber nearest the shaft and explore the tunnels from whence the skeletons came. It would make sense for undead to be among the Triad's primary guardians, since it seems they may be intent on raising the sons of Kyuss..."

Andolphas rubs his chin as he thinks deeper on the role the grimlocks might be playing in the current events. "I have heard of savage, sightless humanoids from the depths of the Oerth that are fervent worshippers of Erythnul. It may be that they may be guards or servants of this Ebon Triad after all, that they serve a purpose here, rather than being mere strays. Still, it is likely that some of these passages will lead us only deeper below the Oerth and closer to the lairs of the grimlocks, rather than closer to the centre of theTriad's activity..."

Knowing nothing about grimlocks or the layouts of mines and natural caverns, Andolphas remains quiet and allows his companions to determine the party's next course of action. "What frightful creatures," he murmurs as he observes their empty eye sockets. "Straight out of a nightmare..."

Knowledge (religion) to determine whether grimlocks are known among the worshippers of Erythnul, Hextor or Vecna? 15 + 9 = 24.

Andolphas touches the ruby skull around his neck, murmurs a prayer to the Dark-Eyed Lady, takes a few steps forward and...

I'm still not clear where Harrigan's move ended... so if Andolphas can squeeze beside Damion, he'll cast Guidance and touch Brashen. If Harrigan is standing beside Damion and both are blocking the way to Brashen, Andolphas will cast Guidance on Harrigan instead. Spell duration is 1 minute or until discharged. Effect: The creature gets a +1 competence bonus on a single attack roll, saving throw, or skill check. It must choose to use the bonus before making the roll to which it applies.

"Lady, I beg thee, guide the hand of your servant's ally so that he may strike true..."

Metagaming, I'm pretty sure I know what they are, but Andolphas does not have ranks in either Knowledge (Nature) or (Dungeoneering).

Initiative: 12.

Marching order looks good to me. Stealth: 10 - 3 = 7. Perception: 4 + 2 = 6... wonderful all around.

Andolphas swallows hard at Damion's rebuke, and tightens his grip on the scythe. Images race through his mind in quick succession, depicting what would happen to the inquisitor if he were to succumb to one of the Jasidian's darker spells.

"Afraid of the dark, are we, Pholtan?" whispers the priest through the chainmail make. "If you think it wise to stand like a beacon for all our foes to see, then by all means, step back into the cave and greet them... it might make a good distraction... but spare the rest of us the suffering born of your foolish zeal..."

Andolphas suddenly realizes that the light spells he and Damion have cast could give the party away to whatever is approaching. He whispers a few words that dim the glow of his holy symbol, and he suggests that the inquisitor do the same.

The priest then whispers: "looks like we may need to rely on Harrigan's eyes to tell us what is approaching..."

Andolphas follows Brashen into the narrow passage, puts the chainmail mask on and waits, scythe in hand.

"Depending on who or what emerges, I may step out and approach them," whispers the priest. "Perhaps I can fool them into thinking I am one of them? Be prepared to cover me..."

He peers around the corner, into the main chamber.

Stealth: 9 - 3 = 6; Perception: 17 + 2 = 19.

Andolphas will cast light on his holy symbol as well. He has stowed the minor's helmet in his pack for the time being. The tiefling's chainmail mask hangs from one of his pack straps. Perception: 16 + 2 = 18; Stealth: 9 - 3 = 6.

Given that Ash said he would be away for a few days from Monday, I'll assume that Boland conveys the info contained in Moth's last post to the others.

"Hmmm... If indeed the pool is a gate, and given the presence of undead and servants of the God of Discord and Massacre in these mines, then I would agree that it can only lead to places that would tear our souls apart. Steer clear, my friends. And if mortals do not venture through the portal from this side, then it is possible that whatever priests lead the cultists might call up abominations from the Great Beyond by standing upon the platform."

Andolphas shivers momentarily as he considers the great spiritual evil that might lurk just beyond the pool.

"Let's leave this place as quickly as possible. Brashen suggests we head west, and that's as good a choice as any. Lead on, Brashen..."

"Beware, my friends... I sense strong conjuration and evocation magic coming from the pool. And in a place like this, I doubt it will be benign..."

Spellcraft: 17 + 5 = 22.

Andolphas took the scythe.

As the group reaches the circular chamber, Andolphas touches his hand to the ruby skull that hangs from his neck and whispers a prayer to the Dark-Eyed Lady.

Casting]detect magic.

What kind of weapons did the tie flings have? I might take one of those, too, to complete the disguise.

Keep in mind also that the tabards worn by the tielfings probably got quite torn and bloody in the fight. Are you two also wearing the chainmail masks that they were wearing?

Ok, so you have come to another passage that leads away from this main chamber, still continuing to explore the main chamber for now?

Andolphas will take one of the chainmail masks, but will tuck it behind a strap for the time being.

"Ugh... I hope I never again have to don the bloody robes of a dead heretic. But with this chainmail mask, they might help us infiltrate some other areas of the complex."

Andolphas threw a cultist's garb over his chain shirt. Did either of the tieflings have a holy symbol he might grab from them?

I've tried my hand at making a drow heritage. It does include light blindness which I think is unavoidable for balance sake. I would love feedback on it.

Drow

I love the old psionics, and I don't feel that the occult spell list does it justice. I made my own home brew psionics that you can find here:

Psionics

How this helps and I would love any feedback. The Soulknife class i converted has been made into an archetype in the Dark Archive. Enjoy

At my table, all prepared casters do the flexible casting without the slot loss or the need to take the feat. It's just easier and more versatile, but not necessarily more powerful.

Thank you very much for the feedback. I reworked a lot of it, got rid of full caster and added invocations to give it a more warlock feel. As for the number of first level feats, since 6 of them are tied to a patron there are actually fewer unique options for a player that at first glance, so I left it as is. I also detached spells/invocations from the patron so having them all occult makes more sense. Finally, I beefed up pact stuff and worked on the feats. I hope that the rework is closer to what we imagine it should be. Thank you. Warlock v2

I've seen a few people make versions of the warlock, I thought I would give it a try myself. I would love feedback. Thank you.

Warlock

I've been struggling with the way ancestries are put together as well. I don't really get what the heritage is either. I like the versatility, and the choosing certain options as you level up, but there are some things that are difficult to make. I remember sun elves and moon elves and the like from Forgotten Realms. They were all elves, but had some different abilities, and even starting stats. It is difficult to create something similar in PF2. I almost want to see a third feat option in addition to heritage and ancestry feats to reflect the biology a little bit more. It could be called legacy or lineage or something. It could include its own ability boost and biological aspect of the ancestry. In order to create a certain type of elf (lets say drow) you would select a suite of feats (this lineage feat, this heritage feat, this first level feat) to create the drow. Just an idea I've been kicking around for my home brew world.

Usually heritages are a little more powerful than 1st level ancestry feats. Maybe giving a little something extra like a free general feat as well. That could give someone access to the Adopted feat at 1st level maybe.

So, for about a year and a half my group wasn't meeting so I had a lot of time to come up with challenges for the characters. Reading Lovecraft at the same time may not have been the best of ideas. So, I created something called the Abstract to mess with one of my players. I would love some feedback about it. Thanks.

I've been developing my own world, Kethlan, for the past 20 years. I can't imagine running in a world that isn't my own.

Never mind, I found it here: Paizo playtest downloads

At this point I've finished the Soulknife, Wilder, and my version of the Psychic Warrior called the Battlemind. I also have a smattering of races that are linked to psionics in some way. I would love some feedback about them. The link in the first post should still work. Thanks.

Thank you for all the input. I have to change the way I was thinking about Lore. I was just equating it to knowledge. Thanks for the clarification.

I love psionics so much and it is so integral to my homebrew world that I just went ahead and made my own stuff instead of waiting for a third party to do it for me. I made its own spell list, the psion, and an alternative with power points.

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1uP40j5HY29ClwZun8aAjETyyODBAusYo?us p=sharing

So I LOVE psionics. My first exposure was the Psionic Handbook 3.0 and I've been hooked ever since. Since Paizo doesn't really seem to be moving in that direction and Dreamscarred Press isn't really doing much right now I just did it myself. I decided to tackle the task of creating the Psionic spell list and then went on to make the Psion for a member of my group who also likes psionics. What I have so far is in my drive folder. I would appreciate any feedback. Thanks.

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1uP40j5HY29ClwZun8aAjETyyODBAusYo?us p=sharing

I'm using the Book of Eldritch Might III by Monte Cook in the game I'm running and am thinking of using something from the Mercenaries book by AEG from 2002

I'm going to disagree with Omni - I don't think a heritage should give you expert proficiency automatically. Consider for example that this means a Gokuto wizard gains expert unarmed a full 6 levels earlier than normal, which is a huge boost. It also doesn't need to grant trained proficiency, because everyone is trained in unarmed attacks. A better point of reference is the razortooth goblin heritage.

I would instead handle progression from there with ancestry feats, like ancestral weapons.

Yeah, your right. I don't know what I was thinking when I wrote my original comment. Probably because I was getting familiar with the new book. The Razortooth is a good reference for balancing that ability. I herby withdraw my previous suggestion.

I agree. Where are the previews?

18.25 hours... I was like 21 new posts, yes 85 was found... wa wa waaa (I looked up “wa wa waaa” and it says it ends with three As... what would we do without Google)

I usually think the same thing. Also kudos on your attention to detail.