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Quinn misses.
Ismene and Marill can act! Ismene is down below, Marill is up top (but can see the undead; let's say it has cover against him).
One spectral being glides over the water towards Quinn and is immediately cut down by the Ghost Rider's sword. The other, undaunted, moves forward and strikes at him, leaving a gash in his shoulder.
It leaves behind an ectoplasmic ooze that starts seeping into the wound. A lesser mortal might be struck by fear from this attack, but not Quinn. the effect, if you are curious:
Horrifying Ooze (Su): Any creature that is struck by an ectoplasmic creature’s slam attack must make a Will save with a DC equal to 10 + 1/2 the ectoplasmic creature’s Hit Dice or become shaken for 1d4 rounds. The save DC is Charisma-based. Everybody up!
Quinn stores his ghostly horse in the deep recesses of his soul, then climbs down the rope. He is now immune to This cavernous chamber may have once been an underground cellblock, but it has long since collapsed. The crumbled walls are thick with mold and stained with soot, and heaps of fallen stones and charred wooden beams line the area. Water drips and seeps along the walls, collecting in a dark, murky pool in the middle of the room. To the north, the twisted remains of a wood and iron lift lie in a heap in a shallow portion of the pool. A jagged hole in the roof yawns twenty feet above this ruin. To the west, a partially blocked opening seems to open up after several feet into a dark but stable tunnel. The dark, murky pool is right below the hole in the ceiling, so that is where Quinn finds himself. It is about knee-deep. As soon as Quinn's feet touch the bottom of the pool, the room fills with a cacophonous roar of screams and howls. The surface of the pool starts rippling, as if something is stirring underwater. Two semi-ghostly figures burst from the water! Only Quinn can see them at present because of their location, and they greatly remind him of his horse Luna. They start gliding over the surface of the pool towards him, rage in their ghostly eyes. Initiative:
Round 1
Climbing is at quarter speed, so with a 30' double move you can get 15' down. Accelerated climbing is twice as fast, but DC 10 in this case. Jumping is an option, though the water is not deep enough to mitigate the falling damage.
Ismene hits, destroying two of the undead! The last one moves to attack her.
Ismene cracks the skull hard with her spiked gauntlet as it moves in. It then tries to give her a fiery headbutt, missing. The party is able to finish the remaining skull off in short order.
This room was where the fire that doomed Harrowstone began. The
You discern that the jagged, soot-caked hole in the floor was once the location of the lift that connected the two floors. It’s a 20-foot drop to the floor below. How do you propose to descend?
---
Three flaming skulls rise up to attack! Initiative:
These are Tiny undead, if that makes any difference for your tactics. And, obviously, they are on fire. Round 1
Do you want to perhaps heal up Theodore with the Rod of Healing or other resources before proceeding?
The rest of the party moves out of the room. The fiery furnace lashes tongues of flame at Quinn, but they don't seem to affect him. The metal of the furnace creaks, groans, and roars, venting its frustration at its inability to incinerate this invasive mortal. At first Quinn sees nothing. But there is no hurry. So he crawls into the furnace and digs around, sifting through the ashes with his hands. After a couple of minutes, Quinn emerges, covered in ashes and soot, carrying a number of small objects. He brings to Theodore part of a skull, three ribs, and six finger bones. He is quite certain he has found everything of notable size. Theodore examines the bones, safely out of the fiery furnace's reach. As inanimate objects, they shouldn't be affected by the heat of the furnace (since it a haunt and its fire is a fear effect), and yet they feel hot to the touch. They must have some spiritual energy remaining in them. Theodore now realizes the step that must be taken to expunge the haunt - the bones must be quenched in a large body of water, such as the lake that is just past the crumbled eastern wall of the furnace room. Quinn hurls the bones into the lake. Old Ember Maw, the furnace of Harrowstone, goes silent.
Theodore hurts the haunt, so it decides to hurt him back. The 'face' of the furnace seems to sneer, and a fiery tongue lashes out at the cleric.
Theodore:
You surmise that somebody's remains are in this furnace, and that permanently destroying the haunt will require digging them out from the ashes in the furnace. Quinn:
You can see the flame, and the leering furnace face, but you don't feel any heat. You are quite sure that you and Luna would be unaffected by this haunt. Everybody up!
Ismene's bomb has no effect. Theodore is up!
--- Furnace Room A huge stone furnace dominates this room. The metalwork of the furnace seems to form a face, with a cavernous gaping maw. An ancient fire has burned away the entire east wall the room, providing a panoramic, if eerie, view of the lake beyond. That same lake has gradually expanded into the room, flooding its eastern half. Perception:
Everyone except Tiff:
You notice a growing stink of burning flesh. The 'face' of the furnace begins to animate, and embers start to glow inside the 'mouth'. Initiative:
Knowledge (Religion):
All of you recognize this as a haunt manifesting (though Tiff is slow to react).
Ismene, Marill, Theodore:
You suspect that cold damage will affect this haunt, in addition to positive energy and holy water. Surprise!
There is a door in the northeast of the Infirmary (the room you are in).
Tiff sees that Ismene's bomb has finished off the Poltergeist. The spectral undead fades away and is no longer visible even to Tiff. A search of this cluttered room reveals a number of valuable objects:
Tiff:
You see the undead reel in pain from Theodore's channel. Rattling scalpels indicate that the Poltergeist is still up, and getting ready to attack.
The Poltergeist is hurt by Tiff's spell, but remains a threat. It decides to scare off the wizard's allies. Tiff sees the spectral figure streak towards the group and burst into view for a second, presenting a terrifying visage. It then vanishes from view. Tiff is immune, because she can see invisible creatures (I guess it's a jump scare that requires the sudden appearance to work).
The rest of you have the benefit of being close to Quinn... Will saves with Aura of Courage:
Nobody is Frightened. It is invisible, but you can attack the square where you last saw it. Party up! Round 1
Round 2
Initiative:
Round 1
Tiff throws open the door, spots the invisible Poltergeist, and gets the drop on it! Tiff may act! Nobody else sees it (yet).
Deciding that you have had enough fun with the Spirit Planchette for one day, you move to deal with the Poltergeist.
Remembering that the Poltergeist is both invisible and incorporeal, what is your plan?
Just wanted to make sure that everyone remembered this: we are using Automatic Bonus Progression at level +1. So you should have what 4th-level characters normally get under ABP:
As Ismene works the spirit planchette over the board, a faint din of screams echoes in her ears, then starts growing louder and louder. They're here! They've got Tiff! She looks over, and the wizard's formerly vacant expression has been replaced by one of ravenous hunger and rage! Ismene reaches for the axe, to strike the possessed Tiff, when she shakes her head and the screams disappear. Tiff is normal (well, normal for her, anyway).
The Spirit Planchette then jerks around quickly under Ismene's hand, spelling out A-X-E
Mold has destroyed much of the book's contents, but the following spells remain legible:
Theodore learns nothing about the handaxe. With the holy symbols, he can definitively say that there is no spiritual connection present. They most likely had a connection to Father Charlatan, but with the destruction of his spirit, they are simply holy symbols. The spellbook:
Theodore:
Your name is scrawled in blood in the margins of the book. THEODORE SAMUEL WALDEN CARTER. Theodore can feel that the Splatter Man was dealt a terrible blow to his morale and sanity by the loss of this spellbook. It is most definitely haunted or cursed, but could also be used as a weapon against the spirit. In fact, Theodore sees how it could be so used. By ripping out and destroying the remaining intact pages while in the spirit's presence, you could further erode his morale and damage him. Theodore also senses that whoever carries this book will take on some of the Splatter Man's fears, in particular fears of losing spellcasting ability. Finally, the book will over time cause the possessor to see their name partially spelled blood in various locations. This is unnerving and can increase paranoia. He can tell nothing about the smith's hammer, nor the flute.
Marill:
You don't see Tiff's name in the margins. You see your name, written in blood. Quinn: You don't see Tiff's name in the margins. You see your name, written in blood.
Does anyone else look in the book when Tiff holds it up? Please chime in here one way or the other.
They had major outages lasting a month or more back in 2018. Killed a lot of campaigns, I think. We will hope for better outcomes this time, but if needed we can talk on Discord to find another forum if Paizo really botches it.
Theophania: Your name is scrawled in blood in the margins of the spellbook. THEOPHANIA. THEOPHANIA. Here and there just TIFF. But mostly THEOPHANIA. On maybe half the pages.
Tiff's ray goes wide. Quinn's torch deals damage, and the chill abates for a moment. Ismene's holy water hits the center of the manifesting haunt, and the chill dissipates entirely! Theodore is denied a chance to interact with the haunt (this time at least) so cannot use his Spirit Sleuth ability to determine the correct course of action to permanently neutralize it. However, it is gone for now at least. --- Ismene is able to open the locked door. PROPERTY ROOM
Although much of the remaining property is junk, a few items remain that may be of interest, including a set of masterwork thieves’ tools , a bronze war medallion from the Shining Crusade (worth 40 gp), an unframed Taldan painting of Stavian I (worth 100 gp), a set of a noblewoman’s silver hair clips (worth 35 gp), a masterwork punching dagger, a pouch containing a dozen masterwork shurikens, a masterwork silver war razor, and a wand of lesser restoration (12 charges). The war razor looks unnervingly familiar to Theodore and Tiff, as if they had seen it in a dream. You don't immediately see any relics of the five notorious prisoners. Taking time to search, you uncover a secret vault within the property room.
A bloodstained handaxe bears the tag Vance Saetressle
---- What do you do with the five items? Does anybody touch or handle them? If examined from a distance with Detect Magic, the handaxe radiates magic as a standard magic item but with something else besides. The spellbook and the hammer have just that 'something else' - some unclear aura. The holy symbols and flute appear quite mundane. Theodore's Spirit Sleuth ability can apply here to figure out what is going on (one check per item), with a modifier based on how he interacts with the items. The Spirit Planchette you found would also be an option.
Marill and Ismene are up!
You move into the room and the temperature starts to drop!
Everyone except Theodore may act!
Harrowstone Prison is much as you left it. You would go through the auditorium to get to the locked iron door leading to the property room. (There isn't a solid wall in the southern part of that room between the pews and the podium - it's just a set of iron bars.) So you could be exposed to the Cold Spot haunt again if it is active. You know that it is harmed by fire as well as by positive energy and holy water. How do you wish to deal with it? (Should be pretty easy, just need to know what resources you are using.)
Father Grimburrow shakes his head.
We will guard his grave well tonight." --- Back at the house, Kendra is distraught to hear the identity of the night's visitor. "You are sure it was he?" At the suggestion of cremation, she shakes her head. "Let us hope that by putting the spirits in the prison to rest we will let my father rest in peace as well. If he rises again then I will consider that option." --- Now equipped with lockpicks and holy water, you return to Harrowstone Prison. On the way, you do see that another letter has been written in blood on the Memorial. "E". The Splatter Man continues taunting the warden's wife.
Those feats are great. Class skills are those listed under Ghost Mount.
... but I will ask - if the phantom statblock is rebuilt as an animal type, why even make it a phantom to begin with? Good question. And if it is a phantom, why change its type to Animal instead of keeping it as Outsider? I have no idea why they decided to do it that way. The archetype gives up a lot, and cavalier isn't OP to begin with, so I'm comfortable erring on the side of leniency here. Even so, saying "this one type of creature only applies positive modifiers to skill points, never negative ones" would be so strange and incongruous with the rest of the rules that I can't imagine that is what was intended. Such an exception would be more clearly spelled out, I think. So I will say it is Type Outsider (Phantom). 1) Skill points are base 6/HD, with the -4 Int modifier that makes it 2/HD.
If you want either an Animal Companion feat or a Phantom feat, run it by me. Will probably be fine.
Can I attune to my battleshaping natural weapons? Also might be important to know how it works for natural weapons when I polymorph. I'll start with Mark Seifter's rule and adjust for polymorphing. Attuning to 1 weapon means 1 natural weapon at a time but this can change with your form. Attuning to 2 weapons means all natural weapons unless you have "terribly many" as Mark says. Let's say up to 4? @Quinn - the Ghost Mount only gets 1 skill rank per level because of the Int penalty, correct? Int modifiers apply to skill points per level whether positive or negative, so "2+Int modifier" means the default Phantom should be at 1 per HD with its 7 Int. The best explanation I have seen is that Outsider phantoms actually have 6+Int skill ranks per level, and then -2 for a 7 Int and a further -2 for the 2 preassigned focus skills. That's why there was no provision for Int being lower than the base value, because for a normal phantom it can only go up (by assigning points every 4 HD). Now, Ghost Mount differs from the standard Phantom in a number of ways, such as Animal type and lower Int. A standard animal companion has 1 skill point per HD, a Phantom has 2 skill points per HD, the Ghost Mount is not quite either. The two changes of type and Int make me inclined to give it 1 skill point per HD. Besides the skill ranks, there are a ton of other puzzling gaps in the rules as relate to the Ghost Mount:
Welcome to hear thoughts on any of these. I think it's a fantastic archetype but there are some gaps.
@Quinn - the Ghost Mount only gets 1 skill rank per level because of the Int penalty, correct?
Theophania realizes that the magical aura present is like a stronger version of the ever-present tinge of necromancy that suffuses Ustalav. It's similar to a haunt, and might be an effect caused by one. It is not a spell in the normal sense. Father Grimburrow nods. "We didn't see any necromancers. Jaron here was on guard and saw a zombie rise from its grave all on its own. Must have to do with the spirits from Harrowstone." Looking at the tracks and the grave more clearly, you see dirt around the perimeter of the grave as if something came out, and tracks leading away from the grave, then tracks coming back and descending down into the dirt. Petros Lorrimor seems to have climbed out of his grave, lurched to his house, banged on the door, and then walked back down into the earth somehow. "We could exhume him," remarks Father Grimburrow, "But I think that will not be necessary. I think he is back in his grave. Glad he went back down on his own without us having to hack his limbs off."
The graveyard is cold and misty. Three guards approach you, looking ragged and exhausted. Their gear bears the marks of recent battle. "Stop! We'll have no necromancers here," the lead one announces, brandishing an axe. Father Grimburrow steps forth from behind them. "Peace, Jaron. They are not necromancers. Follow me, outsiders." The tracks lead back to Professor Lorriomor's grave. They seem to walk down into the earth, leaving deeper and deeper imprints until the last ones are swallowed by collapsing dirt. "We didn't see this one rise," rasps the priest. "Three others arose throughout the night and we must have been dealing with them. It was good that you warned us to post guards. But we saw no necromancers."
Ismene is able to follow the tracks back to the Restlands. They come from and return to the cemetery. It is still night, with not even a hint of pre-dawn twilight. Do you follow the tracks into the Restlands? Kendra remains at the house.
Luna cannot follow the tracks.
Kendra arrives, in nightgown and robe. Her eyes go wide. "I surmise by Quinn's demeanor that the horse is not the intruder?"
Theodore sees very little. There appear to be tracks leading up to the door, and then walking away from it in the direction that they came from. No creatures can be seen within the radius of the Light.
The party rouses themselves and assembles near the door. Preparations are made, weapons are possibly bared... and nothing. After the three knocks that Theodore heard (and perhaps those of you who were light sleepers), there are no further sounds. You open the door cautiously. There are a set of tracks leading away from the door... Do you follow or go back to sleep?
Watches set, you turn in and go to sleep.
Theodore: You hear a dull, heavy, THUD on the front door, as of someone knocking with the side of a fist. And again, a second later, a louder THUD. A third time, louder still, .
After a pleasant lunch, you go about your various errands. Quinn and Marill try to ask around vaguely about strangers in town other than the party and come up empty. Ismene and Tiff scribe spells/formulae from the Professor's spellbook. Theodore makes his way to the Temple of Pharasma, where Vauran Grimburrow provides him with four more flasks of holy water.
Kendra returns with a set of MW Thieves Tools. "Luramin Taigh has another set that he confiscated from a client who was unable to pay, so he does not need these returned. He respected my father and was willing to provide these at no charge to those who carry on my father's work. Luramin Taigh and his partner, Quess Yearburn, are among the less superstitious of the townsfolk. They have been successful as moneylenders because they have the intelligence to employ reason and consider evidence. Imagine that."
You have a smaller supper in the evening. Then do you post watches, cast Alarm, or simply turn in to bed?
Reposting this from before:
Theodore knows about Whispering Way:
DC 10: The Whispering Way is a sinister organization of necromancers that has been active in the Inner Sea region for thousands of years.
DC 15: Agents of the Whispering Way often seek alliances with undead creatures, or are themselves undead. The Whispering Way’s most notorious member was Tar-Baphon, the Whispering Tyrant, although the society itself has existed much longer than even that mighty necromancer. DC 20: The Whispering Way itself is a series of philosophies that can only be transferred via whispers—the philosophies are never written or spoken of loudly, making the exact goals and nature of the secretive philosophy difficult for outsiders to learn much about. DC 25: Exact details on the society are difficult to discern, but chief among the Whispering Way’s goals are discovering formulae for creating liches and engineering the release of the Whispering Tyrant. Agents often travel to remote sites or areas plagued by notorious haunts or undead menaces to perform field research or even to capture unique monsters. Their symbol is a gagged skull, and those who learn too many of the Way’s secrets are often murdered, and their mouths mutilated to prevent their bodies from divulging secrets via speak with dead. Theodore hit a DC 25, which is pretty high. And, you've got clues both from the Professor's journal (added to Campaign Info and also here) and from your observations at Harrowstone and Vesorianna's testimony.
The Professor's Journal:
Several entries are circled in red ink. The most recent is circled 17 days ago, the day the Professor died.
17 Gozran, 4701 AR The Whispering Way is more than just a cabal of necromancers. I see that now. Undeath is their fountain of youth. Uncovering their motivation does not place me at ease as I thought it might. Their desire to be eternal simply makes them more dangerous. 19 Kuthona, 4710 AR
18 Abadus, 4711 AR
29 Abadus, 4711 AR
31 Abadus, 4711 AR
1 Calistril, 4711 AR
Is the plan to spend a few hours asking around town this afternoon while Tiff and Ismene are scribing spells? What specifically would you ask? Or would you rather just go back to Harrowstone in the morning?
Ismene nods, "Yes, though I can't help but wonder about the mechanics of it all. If his spirit is still trapped, how is he spelling upon the monument outside? With what blood? Person... animal? And how can one ghost murder another? Surely they cannot die twice..." Ismene shakes her head at the unfathomable predicament as she gratefully accepts a cup of tea. "We've seen the effects of the spirits reaching out beyond the prison. Zombies in the streets. The little girls singing that disturbing song. Perhaps we will learn more." "And what about this mysterious necromantic cabal? If the Professor observed them at the prison, is it possible other locals did as well? Did they travel from some distance and simply had their passage unremarked or are they hiding in plain sight among the populace?" "I hadn't heard anything. It came as a surprise to me when we read Father's journal. But as you saw, he had entries referencing the Whispering Way from ten years ago. Perhaps he saw some signs of their presence that others would miss. Others might not have seen them at the prison because the locals tend to avoid that place. I do wish Father had confided in others... Vauran Grimburrow maybe... but as he wrote, he didn't want to arouse further suspicion of himself by making his interest in the Harrowstone ruins known.You could take some time to ask around but you would need to be very subtle in what you ask. You certainly couldn't ask openly about this cult." "Too many questions and not enough answers. All I know for certain is we'd better load up on holy water. There seems to be no end of spectral activity."
"How much more do you need? I can try... you need powdered silver? I could have a silversmith grind down some candlesticks... Wait, you need five pounds of powdered silver for a single flask? I don't think I have that much. Perhaps Father Grimburrow will donate to this worthy cause." Theodore is pretty certain that he could simply ask and the Church of Pharasma would provide a reasonable amount .
"Of course. As I said, you must join me for lunch." Kendra pours Theodore another brandy. "After that, I will go speak with Luramin Taigh about lockpicks, and Ismene and Theophania may take the time to peruse my father's spellbook." It being a bit early for brandy by her own estimation, Kendra sips a cup of tea. "You say the spirit of Vesorianna Hawkran is holding the spirits in check for now?"
"Yes. The Splatter Man is spelling out Vesorianna's name, it seems. He seeks to target her."
Abjuring Step, Alarm, Air Bubble, Comprehend Languages, Crafter’s Fortune, Cultural Adaptation, Detect Undead, Endure Elements, Erase, Fastidiousness, Feather Fall, Floating Disk, Hold Portal, Identify, Mage Armor, Magic Missile, Mindlink, Pierce Facade, Protection from Evil, Sleep, True Skill, True Strike, Vanish Aram Zey's Focus, Arcane Lock, Book Ward, Carrion Compass, Command Undead, Invisibility, Levitate, Obscure Object, Resist Energy, Spider Climb, Suppress Charms and Compulsions Arcane Sight, Clairvoyance/Clairaudience, Dispel Magic, Force Anchor, Gaseous Form, Glimpse the Hidden, Halt Undead, Lightning Bolt, Magic Circle Against Evil, Nondetection, Pierce Disguise, Secret Page, Suggestion, Tiny Hut, Tongues, Wind Wall Arcane Eye, Detect Scrying, Eyes of the Void, Hypercognition, Remove Curse, Purge Spirit, Resilient Sphere, Scrying, True Form
"Well I'm not giving it to you to keep, but you may borrow it to study and transcribe spells."
Kendra nods quietly as you relate your tale. "I had that fear in the back of my mind. Ever since I saw that journal. The Whispering Way. So from then I had the thought that either he was killed not by some accident, but either by agents of the Whispering Way, or by the spirits of Harrowstone.
"Lockpicks? I happen to know that Luramin Taigh at the Silk Purse has a very good set. He is a moneylender, you see, and it happens from time to time that those who cannot pay claim that the funds are in a lockbox or safe that they 'misplaced' the key to. So he has developed the skill of opening such locks out of professional necessity.
"As well, this may be of use."
"My father's spellbook. It will take you time to decipher his writing, of course, but you can copy spells that may be useful. I even have some ink you can use."
The spellbook contains the following:
If you want to check if a spell is in there, post it and roll.
The party is able to make their way back to the Lorrimor house without any trouble. It is around noon. Kendra welcomes you. "Back so soon? Will you join me for lunch?
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