Old Shu's page

A old gnome enters the Lodge. Short, even by the standards of his race, his eyes are oddly mismatched with one slightly larger than the other. He wears a simple hooded hanfu made from a material of the deepest black that contrasts strikingly with his white beard. By the look on his face, he's either very angry or something down at his level stinks terribly.

He stalks the common room, his eyes darting about, looking for something...

"Aha! Found you, I have!" Reaching under a table he pulls out a white monkey and shakes it about. A druid nearby gasps, but the gnome shoots him a dirty look. "This is Pu. My monkey. Summoned with great magic. If I want to spank it, that is my business!"

Turning back to said monkey, he grumbles. "I send you to post recruitment, not get drunk! Bah! Shu do it himself."

Moving to the public boards, Shu tacks up a notice...

Rumors of an ancient settlement and its priceless treasure locked beneath Irrisen’s perpetual ice have reached the Society’s ears. We are recruiting a group of Pathfinders to set out to the Land of the Linnorm Kings with a precious cargo of trade goods to buy their way into the witch-ruled nation and recover the relics within.

Content in “From Under Ice” contributes directly to the Year of the Sky Key metaplot as well as the ongoing storyline of the Grand Lodge and Scarab Sages factions.

Greeting all! DM Rah here. I am recruiting a table for Scrnario 6-18 From Under Ice (Tier 1-5) for Gameday 4. I have added it to my sign-up sheet. First come, first served.

@GM: I already had credit for this one so Shu's chronicle should be a little different, right? 0xp/0pp/0gp, but still a sheet for records? I've never had a character go through a scenario like this before, so I'm not sure.

"Malachite, withdraw!" Shu calls to the brave young monk. Seeing the situation is bad, he spins and vanishes in a puff of smoke, then reappers at the evil priest's side with his burning touch thrust toward something flammable.

Vanishing trick, then produce flame touch attack.

Produce Flame: 1d20 + 6 + 2 ⇒ (7) + 6 + 2 = 15
Fire Damage: 1d6 + 5 ⇒ (6) + 5 = 11
Sneak Attack Damage: 2d6 ⇒ (3, 3) = 6

Shu backs up, whips out a wand and smacks Baern on the helmet. "Hey you! No dying today!"

UMD: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (20) + 10 = 30
CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6

I suggest someone drag Baern out of combat, ASAP.

Shu moves to flank with Bevek and roasts some chestnuts with his flames.

Produce Flame (touch - fatigue + flanking): 1d20 + 7 - 1 + 2 ⇒ (13) + 7 - 1 + 2 = 21
Fire Damage: 1d6 + 5 ⇒ (4) + 5 = 9
Sneak Attack Damage: 2d6 ⇒ (3, 3) = 6

She appears before the ghoul with the burning fire in his hand thrust into its belly.

"Hah! I cremate and put you in jar!"

Produce Flame (touch attack): 1d20 + 6 + 2 ⇒ (20) + 6 + 2 = 28
Fire Damage: 1d6 + 5 ⇒ (4) + 5 = 9
Sneak Attack Damage: 2d6 ⇒ (5, 6) = 11

Crit Confirmation: 1d20 + 6 + 2 ⇒ (18) + 6 + 2 = 26
Crit Fire Damage: 1d6 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 5 = 8

Intelligence: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8
Knowledge Religion: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (8) + 8 = 16

"Stinky ghouls!" Shu says in disgust as he scurries forward and hurls a ball of magical flame at one before it can attack.

Produce Flame at Red Ghoul(PBS - Fatigue): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (8) + 7 = 15
Damage: 1d6 + 6 ⇒ (1) + 6 = 7
Sneak Attack: 2d6 ⇒ (5, 2) = 7

He then spins and vanishes in a puff of smoke!

Vanishing trick.

"Oh.... well then, go ahead Mu."

"Wait, you old fool! It might be trapped!" Shu warns Mu, then takes a quick look at the scepter.

Perception: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (7) + 10 = 17

Just a reminder that everyone after Shu in the initiative this round should get a bonus to hit a prone target.

His spell divining the perfect moment to strike, Shu holds his breath and moves in with his kusarigama.

Fort: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (14) + 4 = 18
Trip!: 1d20 - 1 + 20 ⇒ (5) - 1 + 20 = 24 Add +2 if he can get to flanking. Also, if the golem has reach he will provoke an AoO.

Shu readies his kusarigama and casts a spell of true strike.

What range does the sickening effect reach to?

Shu watches eagerly from a distance, his fingers twitching before him as Bevek recovers the scepter.

"Shu does not smell like that!" Shu retorts, then glares at Mu as if it's his fault somehow.

Definitely not Taldan here.

Actually, I don't even know if there is a trick. We probably just forgot something.

"Fah! That was a mantiCORE, not a mantiBOAR." Shu grumbles at the drunkard.

As someone who's played this before I'm abstaining from this part (though in truth I don't remember what the trick is).

Before the stinking dead can react, Shu gestures and summons a ball of flame to his hand, then steps forward and hurls it at any unengaged deaders.

Produce Flame Touch + PBS: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (5) + 7 = 12
Fire Damage: 1d6 + 6 ⇒ (2) + 6 = 8
Sneak Attack Damage: 2d6 ⇒ (2, 3) = 5

"Wha..?" Shu looks around for trouble as Mu drags him to cover. Watching his old friend activate his wand, he chuckles. "You still trying to figure out mag... oh." His mirth vanishes like a ninja when Mu is successful.

Hearing a thud, he looks around for Brewslee. Finding him in his usual state, but unusually conscious, he grabs Mu's wand and moves quickly over to the monk. "Here, I protect you with Mu's armor."

Use Mu's wand to cast Mage Armor on Brewslee.

As if on cue, Shu's monkey starts beating on Shu's head and pointing up the trail.

"More traps!?" Shu shouts. Sitting down on a rock, he calls back to Bevek. "I let you handle them!"

"Show these youngins the spry capabilities of their elders?"

Damned fool! I'll show you my capabilities!" Shu turns a little purple and stumbles towards Hustavan a few steps. "Just.. after.. catch.. breath."

Once the party is ready to move on, Shu takes the lead, keeping his eyes out for more traps and ambushes. "Mu, stay close."

Perception: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (14) + 10 = 24

"So now that I am no longer Manticore bait we should be safe now?"

"From Manticore humping leg? Yes." Shu says as he resets his wand back into his wrist sheath. He then mutters something in Tien under his breath.

"Worry not about the manticore. It will likely bleed to death before it can come back to bother us."

Pretty sure a manticore can't apply the heal skill to itself to stop the bleed damage Shu's splintered spear gave it.

Shu grumbles something in Tien to Mu as he moves to heal others in the group with his infernal wand.

Looks like we will need to use the following number of charges from my infernal healing wand:
Shu 1
Mu 2
Malachite 1
Brewslee 1
Bevek 3
Baern 1
Gob 1

Gob, I think we're on a cliff, so moving 30' toward the manticore would put you in thin air. Also, the range on scorching ray is 25' +5/2 levels. And I don't think you get multiple range increments with it. You might want to just hide behind a rock.

Shu moves to Brewslee and begins using his wand of infernal healing.

Malachite, yup.

Still invisible, Shu activates his infernal healing wand on Malachite.

Another splintered spear breaks from the ground and hurtles at the manticore, this time flying much more accurately.

Shu appears, cackling like a madman, then vanishes again in another puff of smoke.

Splintered Spear + True strike - Range: 1d20 + 7 + 20 - 6 ⇒ (17) + 7 + 20 - 6 = 38
Damage: 1d4 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5 +1 bleed/round

Shu moves over next to Malachite and springs his wand of infernal healing to use next round.

If you can't attack, I would suggest going full defense too.

@GM: sorry, misread the range. Thought it was 100' increments.

"Malachite! You stop, drop, roll!" Shu calls out again after the young monk takes another couple spikes.

Meanwhile, the invisible gnome readies and activates his wand of true strike.

I would suggest following Baern's example. Going prone increases your AC vs ranged attacks. If you can do so behind some sort of cover (a rock, or even another character), that will increase your AC significantly.

"Everyone take cover!" Shu's voice calls out. A moment later there is a sound of breaking wood and a sharp spear flies at the manticore. Shu briefly reappears, then vanishes again in a puff of smoke.

Splintered spear + invis bonus - fatigue (vs flat-footed): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (6) + 8 = 14
Damage: 1d4 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8 +1 bleed per round.

"What? Like this one!?" Shu points at the spike in his leg.

With a curse in Tien, followed by a puff of smoke, Shu vanishes!

While invisible, Shu retrieves his wand of cure light wounds and attempts to heal himself with it.

UMD: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (19) + 10 = 29
CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 = 8

HP 38/41

Yup. It's nearly impossible to avoid in scenarios like this.

Fort: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (5) + 4 = 9

"I..." *Weeze!* "Could continue..." *Weeze!* "But.. let us... stop."

Shu plops down where he is.

"Hah hah. That so funny I forget to laugh." Shu smirks at the drunken monk. For a moment he considers lifting Brewlee's store of alcohol and tossing it off the mountain, but resists only after reminding himself of the Pathfinder code.

Once Gob has been rescued, he offers his wand of cure light wounds to patch up any more injuries. When the group sets out again, he offers to scout a short distance ahead for more traps.

Anle to take 10 on Perception? If not see is a roll.

Perception: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (13) + 10 = 23

"Yes, yes. An easy task for the Great Shu."

Shu takes 10 on both.

"You think you can lead us through?" Shu asks Baern.

Can Baern lead the group safely through?

Perception Aid Baern: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (11) + 10 = 21
Survival Aid Baern: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (5) + 4 = 9

@GM: I calculate the "leapfrog" tactic takes about 20% longer then the "lashed together" tactic, but is probably much safer if trouble happens.

Baern and Shu have slower movement rates, which makes lashing them to another person inefficient. It would be just about as fast to have Malachite and Brewslee move ahead 50 feet and secure ropes for the rest of us to climb. Ropes should drop the DC to 5, which means we could make use of accelerated climbing (+5 for DC 10) for everyone else, who can make that check by taking 10.

Can we send our better climbers ahead and use ropes for the others?

"When you are ready, we will transport you to the base of Mount Antios via magical means."

Climb a mountain? No challenge for the Great Shu.

"With all the wards, shields, and other magical protections placed upon, in, and around the tombs of so many self-important, paranoid Taldans, who knows what sort of interference would be wrought!”

Traps? Child's play!

Brewslee gives a feeble but attempted salute. "Yoush can count on ush once again..."

Hmmph. I hope he's learned how to walk... Or at least how to do that falling in slow motion trick that Mu knows.

"...a single man in all of the Society who knows this mountain... Sebastus Hustavan."

...

"Oh no."

Huh. Didn't realize Among the Gods was part of this series. I've played it once, so no credit for me, but I'm happy to stay and do it again. I won't spoil anything. :)

Shu is ready.

Purchases: antitoxin 50gp

"Haha. Yes, great joke. Almost had you." Shu says through his teeth. He glares at the annoying man's back as he gets up to bother the co-eds, and finds himself automatically grabbing a teacup and lifting it partway to his mouth. "Hrmph." He eyes the cup and lowers it.

Flames begin to lick upon his fingertips.

Next time, Hustavan. Next time...

"Among humans, yes." Shu agrees, his head bobbing up and down. "You are wise and learned, honorable Hustavan. However, my people have different custom. Guest must finish food and drink before host can partake. Right Mu?"

Shu slides the second cup forward to join the first next to Mu's steaming Pu Poo Platter.

Bluff: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (14) + 8 = 22

Later, at tea...

"Here, drink." Sitting at a table in Maximo's Hideaway, Shu pours a cup of steaming liquid for the man across from him. "Special tea from our homeland. It called 绿茶叶鸟粪."

The old gnome offers a wide smile, then turns toward the kitchen and yells sharply. "Mu! What taking so long? You bring food now! Friend Hustavan starving!" Facing the man again, his smile reappears instantly. "Mu has promised best recipe, just for you."

Oops. It looks like I did. Take away the True Strike, though I think a touch Attack vs AC 12 at a large flat-footed target will probably still hit?

A small flame flies over Baern's head into the monster as Shu reappears behind the dwarf.

"Hah! Good thinking Baern, you keep big stinky zombie occupied!"

Then, with another puff of smoke, the old gnome is gone again.

Produce Flame, then Vanishing Trick. (Ki pool - 4 remaining)
Produce flame + point blank + invisible bonus + true strike - soft cover - melee target: 1d20 + 22 ⇒ (10) + 22 = 32
Fire Damage: 1d6 + 6 ⇒ (2) + 6 = 8
Sneak Attack Damage: 2d6 ⇒ (4, 4) = 8

Fort: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (15) + 4 = 19

Shu reels from the blow, then suddenly vanishes in a puff of smoke!

Ninja Vanishing Trick! Then move back, spring my wand of true strike and activate it.

"Crap..."

Caught flat-footed, Shu echoes his familiar's feelings on the matter.