I’m sorry I have been gone for so long. I cannot explain everything that has happened, but between computer failures, weather problems and increased responsibilities at my two jobs I have not been able to participate in any online communities.
I apologize for taking so long to contact everyone about the changes in my home situation. I hope my absence has not been a major hindrance to anyone’s fun here on the forums.
I’m sending out this message now so everyone can plan accordingly. I will be unable to participate in any forum games for the foreseeable future. Please carry on without me (which shouldn’t be too hard since I haven’t been around for so long now).
I hope everyone is well and will continue to be so. I enjoyed my time here on the forums and my interactions with all of you. Thank you for understanding and patience.
Thank you all for your concern. I'm very disappointed to be leaving this game. I hope you guys had some fun, and I'm sorry I wouldn't be able to continue it.
Don't forget, Shiatan are native to the Plane of Earth. Of course, you might find them anywhere if you look hard enough. Also, Absalom will sell most anything, but you might to look pretty hard for some items. Aspis Consortium and the Pathfinders have access to lots of interesting things. Shadow Absalom is good for dark magics and things related to the dead and undeath.
Don't forget it will cost 10,000 GP in diamond dust to cast it twice. That will be the main consumable the group uses from now on, since there are so many things that can cause negative levels.
Once Energy Drain (9th level spell) comes into play, that's 2d4 negative levels. If you fail Fort saves later on, they become permanent. But you can remove them earlier if you have the right spells ready.
Also, high level monsters love straight out death effects. Death Ward on scrolls can help with that.
Of course, it depends on where the group goes next as to what the combats will be. We have urban, forests, icy tombs, port cities and some other locales to choose from.
Just so the group knows, I'll be on vacation after midnight tonight. I will be carrying my computer with me, so I hope to make at least one post a day. I doubt will be logging on at random times during the day to make quick posts. I'll probably be too busy.
The second skull beings to bubble like a candle thrown into a bonfire. All that is left is a thick sludge floating in the holy water.
The bishop continues to mutter a small prayer as Akor finishes his rituals. As the two of you watch, the brackish water begins to clear as the last of the evil taint is removed. The cleric is removing the taint of the liches from the holy water. By the time he is done, the water is fresh and ready for use again.
The box now contains 15 vials of holy water for the party's use. It will only take a few minutes and some cantrips to put the water back in the vials and seal them.
The bishop's prayers seem to have had an added benefit. Floating in the water, a few of the 20 soul rubies appear to have survived the destruction. Instead of being a deep red, the gems are much lighter in color now, making it easy to appreciate the skill used to cut them.
Knowledge Arcana or Religion DC 25:
The bishop's prayers have uncorrupted three of the rubies that circled the head of each of the skulls. They no longer can be used to store or steal souls, but their original value as gems remains intact.
Appraise DC 20:
The three rubies together are worth 25,000 gold. This is the worth and what they will sell for on the open market (since trade goods like this sell for 100 percent value).
The bishop smiles at Akor and Sparel.
"An excellent job, High Inquisitor. We will not have to worry about this evil again."
The first demilich starts to spin in the holy water as the holy power pours through it, breaking the connection between the skull and large amount of negative energy. The soul gems fall away as the skull and teeth dissolve into blackish, murky sludge in the holy water.
Don't forget, those who gained two negative levels in the combat still have those negative levels.
Those are permanent until removed by a spell, such as restoration or any other that can remove such effects. Those who have the negative levels currently have 10 less hit points (which cannot be healed since your body is just more frail) and take a -2 penalty on all ability checks, attack rolls, combat maneuver checks, Combat Maneuver Defense, saving throws, and skill checks. Those characters also are treated as two levels lower for all level-dependent variables (such as spell casting). You do not lose spells or spell slots, however.
"Greetings Archcleric Radtymah. Greetings High Inquisitor Scourgebane. I'm glad to see this liches have done no lasting harm to you. I hope your companions are also well."
He gestures to the altar and moves aside the holy text so the crate can be put on top of the wooden table.
"Do you wish assistance with the ritual? This house of worship is always ready for battle, both physical and spiritual."
Thaddicus figured they didn't need help dealing with Iomadae with Akor around, and thought he could make progress on another matter or two. "I have a lot of friends in the Taldane army, I was wondering who it was that brought their tithe over and if they are still around. I was hoping they could take a message back to the Viceroy for me. Also, if it is so easy to scry on the effort here with these coins my friend is counting and stacking so gleefully, why don't you return the favor and scry them right back? I know Sparel has such a spell. Surely you have people capable of this."
The baron nods.
"We do. But the resurrection of the seer who died scrying on the Starfall failed. The seer was able to come back to us, but then died in her sleep that night. Attempts to contact her through speak with dead or other divinations have failed and no other resurrection spells seem to work."
The baron looks grim.
'Please keep this bit of information among the Daggers. We don't want to start a panic. I can ask if they want to attempt a scrying. But with such an obvious connection, I assume that some sort of protections have been raised by the craftsman. But you're right, that could be a lead if your group is willing to risk it."
I actually already own the SGG book on them, bought it awhile ago. The new Rite Publishing book is only $.99 as its just ten feats
That's a much better deal then. I don't own any of Rite's items, but they seem interesting enough. I'm sure there will be some things that are a good fit for this game.
Sparel, you can thank the Wiki and the people at the gaming shops about an hour from where I live. They tend to go on and on about Pathfinder (or Magic, that's still really big) so I have picked up a fair amount of detail about the setting. But that Wiki is just full of details.
I know the current economy has not been kind on anyone. I've been trying to find a job in a place with a lower crime rate for months now with little luck. Even basic customer service jobs of answering the phone and talking people through technical problems (private company for its own software with chances for advancement) were flooded with applicants. Someone with a master's degree ended up with that job.
Still, I hope you are able to find something better. I actually like my current job, it's just the hours are crazy and the commitments on days off (basically, everyone in the community has been given my cell number in case something goes wrong) is tiresome.
Good point Akor, maybe a ally who likes to shop might be useful to us. We could employ an acquisition officer perhaps? GM, do you mind if I make someone up for such a position? Or if you want to just handle it yourself you sure could.
I think Thad could be persuaded to invest time in Numeria if only to perhaps provide another ally for the crusade, and to prevent incursions over there.
I have no problem with the group employing or befriending NPCs to handle certain tasks (except for combat; that requires spells or the leadership feat).
Of course, you guys can also just say: "We want to buy X, is it here?" and I'll roll the normal checks. You can buy from the baron; but he doesn't want to keep any of those new coins from the golem. Those he will ask you to spend elsewhere.
If you ask him why, he'll point out that someone built the golem. That person could then scry on the individual coins just fine. Disbursing them through the whole country through the exchequer would basically allow someone to spy on every single army and group in the country. That's too big of a risk, in his mind, to take.
I have nothing against 3PP as a rule, but some groups are just nuts. I'd hate for you to spend money just to have me say no to everything. It's up to you, but I will consider each thing on its own merits.
Akor and Sparel make their way to the chapel. The term falls short for describing the building. The structure is made of wood that's been painted white, but it still have the arched entrances you would expect from an older temple to Iomedae or Aroden. It's as big as the stone edifices normally seen in less war-torn areas.
The fountains, statues and pillared courtyards that would normally be found at a holy place of Iomedae this large are not here. Instead, there is a massive open area with wooden benches and a high wooden ceiling, like a barn with no walls, that has been built in front of the holy place. The covering provides shade and shelter during the weekly services and it looks like the open area serves as overflow for the chapel. The entire place could hold hundreds of worshippers at a time and still services are held in shifts on the holy days.
The Daggers can see some men in armor are asleep on the benches and a few animals have taken shelter there as well. Akor, you know that's typical of temples of Iomedae - they are places of worship and living spaces for her holy knights.
The two head into the chapel proper and can see the altar. It's a simple wooden table covered with a white cloth. The sunburst sword image that identifies followers of the Goddess is emblazoned on the covering. On the center of the table is the "Acts of Iomedae," the holy text of the religion that recounts the 11 miracles she performed as a mortal in service to Aroden.
One of the more well-known miracles is that she crossed the massive chasm that separates the Starstone Cathedral from the rest of Absalom by tossing out her cloak in front of her. It formed a massive bridge that allowed her to walk safely to the other side to take the test of the Starstone. A painting of the miracle can be seen in one of the mural behind the altar.
Akor, you can feel the peace and security of the hallow spell even as you enter the building. It's a calming presense that seems to affirm your decisions so far.
Sparel, you can feel the power of the hallow spell as you enter the building. The area thrums with divine power; nothing compared to your Goddess, of course, but a mystic can sense these things when they are near.
There is an old man sitting the first pew, his head bowed in prayer. He looks up at the two of you and then stands. Despite his age, he seems to be in good physical health. His hands are rough and there's a small scar on his chin. His hair is white and both eyes are a pale gray.
"I'm Bishop Montgomery, a loyal soldier in the service of The Inheritor. How can I help you two this evening?"
"I"m sorry, but I don't have any special skills when it comes to breaking codes. We could send the message to the capital in Nerosyan. I'm sure someone there can figure it out."
The baron looks around at the those who stay behind once the two divine spellcasters have left.
"He was kidding about punching the bishop, wasn't he? I know the Goddess would not care for that one bit. Still, you know how inquisitors are."
The baron shakes his head and turns toward Thaddicus. "Was there something you wanted to ask me?"
"Sparel, I know one of the spells needed to fully destroy the demiliches. However, I lack knowledge of the Hallow spell. Also, if Iomedae is willing, I might stand a better chance of actually succeeding in destroying them"
** spoiler omitted **
Akor:
Since you are using the spell to defeat an enemy, I see no reason you cannot use a judgement. If this was a few hours before an ambush, I wouldn't allow it. But this is fighting something, even if it cannot fight back at the moment.
How the group wants to handle everything is up to you guys. Some of these "goals" can obvious wait a bit. As far as research goes, it would be handled in a couple posts. Post one: Where and how you research, what you want to find out out, etc. Post Two: answers and how long it took. Also, you can use divination magics to help with such things.
Also, I'll probably stretch time out at some point because I don't want to PCs to gain 10 levels in a month. And a crusade can last for years, so there will be some time passing. Sparel still needs to copy down spells into his Blessed Books at some point.
I just wanted to make the "quests available" clear to everyone so you can plan how the group will tackle the situation.
By this point, I'm sure the group has noticed that there are several paths available. Here's just a short list from memory; there might be more:
Destroy an evil artifact without endangering others.
Defeat the Storm King (the pit fiend behind the recent attacks) and win the Fourth Crusade.
Learn more about the disappearance of the Silver Mount.
Deal with the political intrigue of some new faction in Numeria that allowed the capital to fall.
Deal with the Technic League, its use of slaves and the secret encoded message.
Find out what kills humans and demons alike in the Estrovian Forest so Mendev can use its timber and wild game. (this will be more important as time goes on thanks to the coming influx of refugees from the demon tree attack on Starfall).
Find out who is behind the sabotage of Mendev during wartime.
Spend time in research to help with any or all of these goals.
And there are goals the group will set for itself, such as dealing with genies, making nice with the local green dragon and dealing with your own personal successes.
As time goes on and the group finds out more, other goals will appear. But we are reaching the point where you guys need to decide what to tackle next since the forces behind each of these goals advance on their own timeframe. There is no "best" path, but the enemy won't sit on its thumbs while you guys do other things.
The baron seems to be thinking as everyone asks him questions. He waves his hands over to one of the undisturbed crates that is labeled "holy water." There is more than enough in there to deal with the liches.
He looks at Thaddicus and nods: "The front has been quiet since the drow fled back underground. The demons fought longer - they always do - but since that attack we have only seen some patrols."
He looks a bit surprised when the group tells him about the refugees and the dragon, but does not seem upset about it. He seems to be very intently thinking.
He turns to Malak: "I'm not sure this was intended for me, so much as it was meant to disrupt the system we have to resupplying troops. Hinder it enough, and the demons might finally gain another foothold. Other towns have been lost to their advance."
He looks over the boxes and manifests while everyone else gathers up the coins. After about 20 minutes, he speaks again.
"This has to be sabotage. All the crates are marked as if they came from the same army, the Taldor army. Viceroy Vintari was behind on his tithe and needed resupply. He finally sent over his tithe today - extra large because of the spoils from the recent attack - and we've been working hard to catalogue it all."
The baron points at what is left of the boxes that contained the skulls and golem.
"Those boxes aren't on the manifest but they have the Taldor symbol. The Taldor army didn't send them. But someone took advantage of all the confusion to slip these in. That requires forethought and planning. And where it not for you Daggers, all the squires would have been killed and probably myself as well. From there, the entire warehouse could have been looted or even cursed by those spellcasting skulls. Imagine a holy sword that becomes unholy in the midst of battle."
You also can capture six succubi each and force them to give you their profane gifts for each of your stats. That's another +2 to each that stacks with all the other buffs since it's a profane bonus.
I'll leave it up to you guys to figure out. Don't forget, you'll still be getting money after level 20, but I doubt we will be doing the 3 million gold weapons and such. There seemed to be little interest in continuing that treadmill (the signature item idea seemed more interesting to everyone from what I could tell).
If we go that route, you can eventually afford +5 tomes for every stat and buy a belt and headband that gives +6 to all stats. That's +11 to every stat for the low, low price of 1,689,000 gp.
That link details the process for contacting a genie normally. The type you need are Lawful Evil and slave traders. Normally, they trade wishes for favors in fighting their enemies. Their enemies are typically neutral aligned genies who appreciate art and music.
An efreeti also attacks all good-aligned genies ON SIGHT. So, make sure you are willing to make deals with them before you contact one.
The group gains another 51,200 XP and 176,000 gp in a random assortment of old and new coins of various types. The soul gems on the liches will have to be destroyed as part of the ritual unless you want them to reanimate. The only people who would buy them anyway usually are demon, devils and genies interested in the souls trapped inside. There's a black market for souls on the higher planes, after all.
Malak and Darnak both lash out at the golem once Akor's blow leaves the mass of money reeling.
Then, Darnak unleashes a barrage of punches, kicks and headbutts at the column of coins in front of him. Dealing 94 points of damage. As the last of his blows connects, the whirling creature falls apart, scattering coins across the floor. The golem is no more; just a pile of very expensive coins left behind.
Moments later, the group can hear the baron shouting from the hallway. He quickly emerges on horseback, following by a gestalt of lantern archons. Nine of the otherworldly beings have fused together into a luminous form that looks like the outline of a man drawn in blinding sunlight by the trails of dancing fireflies.
The being quickly flies toward the containers in the warehouse, blasting them apart with its holy light and quickly searching the rest of the building for any more threats. After about 30 seconds, it finds none. The blinding form begins to fall apart, returning to individual lantern archons that fly back to their places as lamps and hallway lights throughout the building.
"Good work, Daggers!" the baron bellows at you all. "Not a single person dead. I'm sure the demons meant for this to have a much worse outcome. Help yourself to the coins and gems; I'm not going to hand them out to anyone again."
Akor and Sparel both know that rituals will be required to make sure all the items from these creatures are safe to use and that none of them reform to attack again. And there are more than 100,000 coins left behind after defeating the golem, everything from copper pieces to platinum coins.
Sparel and Akor:
You both know that the golem is not inert. Using the coins won't cause a problem. The demiliches, on the other hand, will reanimate unless the proper ritual is done.
Rejuvenation (Su)
A destroyed demilich reforms in 2d6 ⇒ (3, 4) = 7 days. To permanently destroy a demilich, holy water must be poured over its remains within the area of a hallow spell. To complete the destruction, holy word or dispel evil must be cast. If the caster succeeds at a caster level check with a DC equal to 10 + the demilich's Hit Dice (15), the demilich is permanently destroyed.
While the group picks up its newest treasure, the baron quickly jots down some notes and shoves them through the large ring on his desk. They go in one side and don't come out the other. After a few minutes, more notes come back through the ring. The baron reads them and then looks up at the group.
"No one else has any golems or undead in their tithes or treasure collected from the recent battle. We're the only one. And three of them being discovered at the same time? That's not coincidence. This wasn't just left behind like some booby trap. Someone planned this attack."
As the lantern archons fire beams of holy light at the golem, Akor quickly moves into position to finish the golem. He unleashes a flurry of blows on the creature, knocking a large portion of the coins away from the figure. 151 points of damage. The last hit was not enough to be a crit.
Thaddicus tries to kick at the coins that are spinning around him, but none of the blows seems to do any harm.
Malak moves like an invisible shadow to the far side of the coin golem to help the rest of the dagger finish off the ambushing attacker.
End of round two. Start of round three
The lantern archons finally bridge the gap from the higher planes to the warehouse. The small bulbs of light fly straight for the golem and begin to circle it, firing beams of pure white light into the whirlwind. Clumps of coins are knocked out of the creature, reducing its mass. 19 points of damage to the golem.
Akor, you are up. Then I'll add the result of Thaddicus' attacks in and it will be Darnak's turn after that.
Yeah, don't feel like you have to become a god or a servant of a god. That's why there are different classes. If one person wants to be a reborn god and another person wants to be a level 40 barbarian, we have rules for that so everyone has fun.
Now, the idea that was floating around before, as I understand it, just means that your families might have actually known Aroden. He was born Azlanti, one of the first humans (basically, that's the race that gets a +2 to all stats, not just one). Then he became a god thanks to the Starstone.
So, none of you have to be a god or become a god for that backstory idea to work. Aroden did lots of things as a mortal before he became a god. He also fought a demon cult in this very region. The cult opened the Worldwound later on. So there are lots of ways to make it work without becoming living gods yourselves.
Sparel begins to chant in celestial. Bright floating lights begins to appear around him, growing brighter as they begin to manifest in this plane. They will attack first thing on round three to speed things up.
Malak, it is your turn and then that will be the end of round two.
To give you guys an example: This combat right now includes creatures with spell-like abilities, supernatural abilities, DR 20/-- (as in, nothing bypasses that DR) and regeneration. It's a test to see what is a challenge to you guys while also being an encounter that advances the plot. I'll probably keep doing these for a level or so just to get a good sense of what the group can handle.
Please do not feel like you have to do anything or take a particular class. If you want to have 50 levels of monk, or 50 levels of expert, I'm fine with that.
So far as super-uber status, you guys are going to be fighting demon lords at some point. And those guys don't face anyone alone. Even the battles in the Worldwound will be against armies. You've seen the damage you guys can do. Once you guys gain a few more levels, I won't have any qualms about throwing entire battle groups at the Daggers. So don't worry about a lack of challenge. I have books with CR 50 creatures in them, and people have been making monsters and posting them online for a decade now. There's plenty of things to throw at the group. And if one isn't a challenge, I'll throw 10 at you guys.
So don't worry about being too powerful. Things will really get crazy in a couple levels.
'Course, now you got me worried about this whole 'witch hex' thing. I know nothing of witch hexes. *nervously bites on nails*
The witch class uses a limited wizard spell list. In exchange, they gain hexes, which are spell-like abilities. Spell resistance is no help against them.
I thought SLA's were subject to spell resistance (SR), like spells. However, extraordinary (EX) was not subject to spell resistance.
Thanks. Spell resistance affects spells and spell-like abilities. The witch hexes are supernatural abilities, which are not affected. I used the wrong term there. Sorry.
Relavent text:
Spell Resistance
Spell resistance (abbreviated SR) is the extraordinary ability to avoid being affected by spells. Some spells also grant spell resistance.
To affect a creature that has spell resistance, a spellcaster must make a caster level check (1d20 + caster level) at least equal to the creature's spell resistance. The defender's spell resistance is like an Armor Class against magical attacks. If the caster fails the check, the spell doesn't affect the creature. The possessor does not have to do anything special to use spell resistance. The creature need not even be aware of the threat for its spell resistance to operate.
Only spells and spell-like abilities are subject to spell resistance. Extraordinary and supernatural abilities (including enhancement bonuses on magic weapons) are not. A creature can have some abilities that are subject to spell resistance and some that are not. Even some spells ignore spell resistance; see When Spell Resistance Applies, below.
Akor calls upon his Goddess as he moves to confront the other demilich, swinging a strong blow against the foul spellcaster that spins the skull around a few times. 42 points of damage to the lich
Thaddicus turns his eye toward the unsteady undead and looses a volley of arrows at the demilich. All eight arrows strike, cracking the gems that surround the crown of the skull and cause the entire rotten creature to shatter into pieces. 146 points of damage, even with DR.
Only the coin golem remains, and Darnak seems to have locked down the beast. Four of his attacks connect this time, dealing much more damage than before. 92 points of damage to the golem.
The golem starts to lose its shape. At first it seems like those hits were enough to stop the magics binding it together. But then, the coins start to spin in a widening circle. A whirlwind of money 40 feet high and 20 feet across attacks everyone in range. Darnak and Thaddicus, please make a DC 26 Reflex save against the area damage of the cyclone 2d10 + 15 ⇒ (6, 4) + 15 = 25.
Sparel, it is now your turn but I'm going to wait until I'm sure I understand where we are on your actions. Then it will be Malak, and that will end round two.
I'm all for powerful characters and classes. None of that bothers me. As for the idea of being behind the scenes, your characters can try to work at being less known. But great deeds draw great attention. Even if you don't drink with the troops, people will know you or about you.
That's why I had you come up with a name. Even if they don't know each of your names, the name of the group will be known.
And your character should ask himself if he wants to cut himself off from other people just to avoid fame. Think about how that affects people in real life.
It looks pretty good, actually. I like the idea of making it broader so more divine classes can benefit. Still, even with the buffs, the divine bond animal will probably die in any epic fight. But so would a familiar, so I'm not really sure that's a bad thing. I'm assuming you will tone down the BAB requirement since I seem to remember that was 23 or something really high.
'Course, now you got me worried about this whole 'witch hex' thing. I know nothing of witch hexes. *nervously bites on nails*
The witch class uses a limited wizard spell list. In exchange, they gain hexes, which are spell-like abilities. Spell resistance is no help against them.
It's like me; trying to remember 18 levels of abilities for everyone usually means I forget something once per combat. Hey, at least I remember now that Thaddicus doesn't provoke AoO for using a bow. And now I shouldn't forget about crane style.
Darnak really is invulnerable. Just watch out for witch hexes.
The remaining Demilich was not directly beside the one that has now "died" again. So everyone will have to make a move action before attacking it in melee. Go, go vital strike!
Darnak twists away from the coin golem's extended arm at the last second and lashes out at the golem. Again, his blow doesn't seem strong enough to hurt the creature.
Both Darnak and Akor resist the attempts to steal their souls, but still gain two negative levels each.
Malak moves into position to flank the chattering skull attacking Akor when it spins around to stare at him with empty eyes. Malak, you are certain they have True Seeing. Still, the ninja lashes out at the undead skull, hitting it multiple times but each blow seems to hit for far less damage than it should.
The skull starts to chatter again, trying to mock the Daggers, but all of its teeth begin to crumble and then the entire creature collapses into dust. 121 damage from the full attack action. Those crits were enough to overcome DR and finish it off.
It's now round two. Only one demilich and one coin golem remain.
Darnak unleashes a flurry of blows on the coin golem, hitting the beast twice with blows hard enough to knock away piles of coins from its body. The rest of the attacks don't seem to hit it hard enough to do any harm.
The glittering jewels that encrust the leering skulls glimmer from the magic that keeps the demiliches aloft. One turns to look straight at Darnak, while the one that Akor attacked grins and chatters at the inquisitor. Both Darnak and Akor suddenly feel the heavy weight of the grave press down on their hearts.
Darnak and Akor must both make a Fort DC 22 saving thrown. This is a supernatural effect, so Spell Resistance does not apply. Those who succeed at the saving throw take 2 permanent negative levels. Those who fails at the saving throw die and their soul becomes trapped in one of those gems on the skull.
The coin golem rattles as the bulk of its form shifts to face Darnak. Both of its arms extend outward in a surge of coins. The monk easily dodges one but the other catches the dwarf square in the face. Coins jam into the monk's mouth, eyes and nose, but he quickly twists away before the damage gets worse. Natural 20 deals 37 points of bludgeoning damage to Darnak, but the crit is not confirmed.
Sparel yells for the squires to get out of the line of fire and quickly casts a haste spell on everyone, including the staff, to make sure they can get out in time.
The squires on both sides start to run for the exits at greatly increased speed. The baron also is scrambling onto his horse and seems to be chanting a prayer in celestial.
If you can speak Celestial:
"Great archon, defend us in our time of need."
Malak, it is your turn and that will end round one.
Negative levels rules:
For each negative level a creature has, it takes a cumulative –1 penalty on all ability checks, attack rolls, combat maneuver checks, Combat Maneuver Defense, saving throws, and skill checks. In addition, the creature reduces its current and total hit points by 5 for each negative level it possesses. The creature is also treated as one level lower for the purpose of level-dependent variables (such as spellcasting) for each negative level possessed. Spellcasters do not lose any prepared spells or slots as a result of negative levels. If a creature's negative levels equal or exceed its total Hit Dice, it dies.
A creature with temporary negative levels receives a new saving throw to remove the negative level each day. The DC of this save is the same as the effect that caused the negative levels.
Some abilities and spells (such as raise dead) bestow permanent level drain on a creature. These are treated just like temporary negative levels, but they do not allow a new save each day to remove them. Level drain can be removed through spells like restoration. Permanent negative levels remain after a dead creature is restored to life. A creature whose permanent negative levels equal its Hit Dice cannot be brought back to life through spells like raise dead and resurrection without also receiving a restoration spell, cast the round after it is restored to life.
Akor surges forward, lashing out at the nearest demilich. His longsword strikes true, but seems to hit for far less damage that it should have. 8 points of damage to Demilich 1
Thaddicus takes aim at the massive mound of money that was threatening Squire Jacob. His arrow flies in a perfect arch right through the center of the creature's mass. But instead of hurting the golem, the arrow seems to fly right through the coins to embed itself in the far wall. 0 points of damage
The baron is yelling at the squires near him to run out the front entrance. Then he calls his horse over to his raised desk. Meanwhile ,the other squires are helping Jacob up and preparing to run toward one of the back entrances to the warehouse. Sparel can see that the noncombatants should be safe from monsters thanks to the wall, baring any random spell effects.
Darnak, it is your turn, then the monsters, then Sparel and Malak.
Darnak races up to the monstrous pile of coin, dodging spare coppers as he does. Both monks have closed the distance with the enemies thanks to their superior movement.
End of surprise round
Knowledge check results for Akor and Sparel for Demilich:
Immunity to Magic (Su)
A demilich is immune to any spell or spell-like ability that allows spell resistance. In addition, certain spells function differently against the creature, as noted below.
A dispel evil spell deals 2d6 points of damage, with no saving throw.
Holy smite affects a demilich normally.
A power word kill spoken by an ethereal caster deals 50 points of damage to the demilich if it fails a Fortitude save (with a DC determined as though the spell allowed a saving throw).
A shatter spell deals 1d6 points of damage per two caster levels (maximum 10d6), with no saving throw.
Greater Bestow Curse (Sp)
This spell-like ability functions like bestow curse, but can have one of the following effects: -12 to one ability score; -6 to two ability scores; -8 penalty on attack rolls, saves, and checks; or a 25% chance to act normally. This ability is treated as a 6th-level spell.
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 20th; concentration +25)
Constant—true seeing
At will—greater bestow curse (DC 21), telekinesis (DC 19), wail of the banshee (20-ft.-radius spread centered on the demilich; DC 24)
Devour Soul (Su)
As a standard action with a range of 300 feet, a demilich can imprison the soul of a living creature within one of 10 special gems embedded in its skull. If the target succeeds at a DC 22 Fortitude save, it gains two permanent negative levels. If it fails, its soul is immediately drawn into one of the gems in the demilich's skull. The soul remains trapped within the gem, visible as but a gleam except under true seeing. The soulless body corrupts and decays rapidly, reducing to dust in a single round. As long as the dead creature's soul remains trapped in the gemstone, it cannot be restored to life via any means save direct divine intervention. Gems with souls trapped in them can be retrieved from a destroyed demilich, at which point they can either be crushed to release any souls within to their afterlife or used in the place of the usual material components to restore the soul and body with resurrection or true resurrection. After 24 hours, the demilich can choose to consume any soul trapped in a gem, healing it 1d6 hit points per Hit Die of the soul, at which point only miracle or wish can restore the dead creature to life. The save DC is Charisma-based.
Telekinetic Storm (Su)
As a special use of its telekinesis spell-like ability, a demilich can churn up its treasure, dust, bones, and other loose debris in the area into a whirling storm about its skull. The storm obscures vision as a fog cloud within a 20-foot spread centered on the demilich's skull. Creatures within the storm take 12d6 points of damage per round on the demilich's turn (Reflex DC 20 for half damage). The demilich can maintain the storm indefinitely by concentrating.
Vorpal Susceptibility (Ex)
Vorpal weapons of any kind ignore a demilich's damage reduction.
Rejuvenation (Su)
A destroyed demilich reforms in 2d6 days. To permanently destroy a demilich, holy water must be poured over its remains within the area of a hallow spell. To complete the destruction, holy word or dispel evil must be cast. If the caster succeeds at a caster level check with a DC equal to 10 + the demilich's Hit Dice, the demilich is permanently destroyed.
Knowledge check results for Sparel for Coin Golem:
Magic Immunity (Ex): A coin golem is immune to any spell or spell-like ability that allows spell resistance. In addition, certain spells and effects function differently against the creature, as noted below. A fire effect slows it (as the slow spell) for 3 rounds with no savings throw. A cold effect breaks any slow effect and cures 1 point of damage for each 3 points of damage it was supposed to deal. A coin golem does not roll a savings throw against cold effects.
Piercing Immunity (Ex): Piercing weapons, even magical ones, do no damage to a coin golem.
Pile of coins (Ex): A coin golem can collapse into a heap of coins and sit perfectly still for long periods of time. An observer must succeed on a DC 30 Perception check to notice that the coin golem is alive. Coin golems typically rest on top of a pile of normal coins, blending in seamlessly with their treasure hoards.
Regeneration (Su): As long as the coin golem is in contact with its treasure hoard, the coin golem has regeneration. The coin golem is destroyed when it brought below 0 hit points and removed from its treasure hoard.
I meant to ask you, Thaddicus. A large and extravagant beard is the mark of those in the ruling class for Taldan. In fact, the poor usually have to shave their beards in the country, especially in the capital.
So, do you have a beard? Is it really over the top or just some stubble? I've been wondering.
Full Name
Zindit Tamelathi
Race
Gnome
Classes/Levels
Rogue 1
Gender
Female
Size
S
Alignment
CN
Deity
Sarenrae(in an unusual way)
Location
Riddleport
Languages
Common, Gnome, Sylvan
Occupation
Thief, beggar, lock-pick for hire
Strength
8
Dexterity
18
Constitution
12
Intelligence
13
Wisdom
10
Charisma
12
About Zindit Tamelathi
Appearance
Zindit is a small, thin gnome of slight build even for one of her race. Clad in a strange form-fitting gray-blue cloth suit that covers her entire body except most of her face(the upper left quarter of her face is still covered) and the fingers on her right hand, she also wears ragged boots, torn leggings, a moisture-warped belt, and a stiff leather shirt in poor condition over it.
The skin on her face and fingers is pale, and what's visible of her face is a childlike mask of a girl, constantly eyeing everyone and everything, constantly alert. Her large dark blue right eye gives an impression of shock, though it's almost always like that.
Background
Spoiler:
Zindit and her younger brother Maldin were born to Oris and Paera Tamelathi, gnomish adventurers of minor repute. Their lives were relatively charmed ones as they spent their childhood in Nybor. Zindit took to her father's lessons in lockpicking with particular relish, just as she and her brother delighted in their parents' often inflated tales of their deeds.
Eventually, both Oris and Paera were killed in a venture that went bad, and Zindit and Maldin were left orphaned. Oris had arranged with one of his companions, a minor mage and alchemist named Ilya Soldare. Ilya was a stern, but good, woman who took the children according to their parents' wishes. She had butted heads with her gnomish companions before, but they felt she would be more than able to keep their children safe should anything happen to them.
This arrangement kept Zindit and Maldin off the streets and out of the orphanage, but Ilya's home was a jarring change for them from their carefree days with their parents. It seemed a cold place to them, with more rules than they were used to. Since Ilya's home was also her workplace(an alchemist's lab and shop), there were rooms they were forbidden to enter. Zindit chafed against this change in environment and grew rebellious and resentful of Ilya's stricter ways while Maldin seemed more accepting of it. Ilya, a devout worshipper of Sarenrae, tried to be patient with her charges and punished them with an even hand when they misbehaved. She tried to guide them towards righteousness, but Zindit wrote her off more and more simply for not being their father and mother. The fact that her brother was going along with it grated on her as well. She felt she needed to get herself and her brother out of there, to be free and go where they wanted just like their parents.
One night in the fading winter, a few years after moving in to Ilya's, Zindit coerced her brother into going along with a plan to run away and find their fortunes. Her brother, fearful and reluctant though he was, was guilt-tripped into it by Zindit claiming "It's what our parents would have wanted us to do!" That and she was his older sister. She knew what would be best, right?
They sneaked into Ilya's laboratory to steal just enough of what Zindit thought they could sell or use to help them get by. She had broken in before, much to Ilya's anger, and she thought she knew what did what. She was still convinced that Ilya was one of those "gold-makers". Her brother was becoming more and more nervous, but she assured him they were doing the right thing. Ilya was rich enough that this wouldn't bother her for too long, right?
Then it happened. As they made their way through the lab, taking whatever items Zindit thought would be valuable, Maldin accidentally stumbled against a shelf containing strange glassware filled with stranger liquids. They fell, and everything nearby, including Maldin, burst into flame.
His screams would echo in Zindit's dreams for the rest of her life.
Zindit stood in shock. Her brother cried out for her, and all she could do was stand in place, her heart siezed by terror at what was taking place. She screamed for her brother, for anyone to help, but she couldn't brave the flame to reach her brother. She was just too scared. She couldn't quite believe this was happening.
Ilya burst into the room, horror in her eyes as she saw the scene. She screamed at Zindit, "What did you do?" before diving in to save Maldin. She called out for Zindit to help move the shelf away, but the girl was still too terrified. The fire quickly spread, and more vials exploded, setting more of the lab ablaze, and Ilya along with it. Zindit reached out even as she stepped back, it was all like some horrible nightmare. This couldn't be happening! Her brother, Ilya...
The fire spread again, this time catching the bag Zindit had dropped. The bag full of strange chemicals and substances that had caught her eye. She was caught in the alchemical explosion of flame and acid that flung her out the doorway. The pain was greater than anything she felt before or since. The sheer sensory and emotional overload finally made her snap as she rolled around screaming in pain and finally scrambling out of the house into the night. Fleeing unthinking out into the snow, she writhed around until the worst of the pain passed. But the agony still persisted, everything still hurt, and she the only thing that registered in her brain was the need to run and keep running.
She continued her flight, not thinking of the direction and only mindful of the need to keep moving, to outrun the pain and the fire and the hell that she had seen.
Ilsa's house burned to the ground that night. The townspeople were barely able to keep the fire contained to her building alone. It was assumed all inside had perished. In a way, they were right.
A week later, Zindit was miles away and near death. She had repeatedly run herself until she dropped from exhaustion. She had not eaten, her wounds were infected, and her mind was entirely broken. She certainly would have died in the forest if not for the intervention of some native fey. Taking sympathy on the girl, they healed the worst of her wounds and fed her, but their capricious nature did little to help heal her mind. The results were more akin to nursing a sick animal back to health. After a time, she was moving again, dazed and confused, but still driven to keep on the move.
A few months later, a caravan happened upon the wild girl. Thinking that she was a lost human child, some of the caravan guard chased her down and brought her back, now aware that she was an older gnome youth and mindful of her thrashing, kicking, and screaming. The were astounded by the horrific scars the girl bore, and the fact that she was still alive. They tied her up and carried her along with them, taking her to monastery they passed during their journey.
The monastery was one dedicated to healing and the care of the mentally ill. The monks and priests gave Zindit what meager divine healing they could, but the damage of her wounds being infected and healing naturally had been done. Her left eye was destroyed entirely, and the upper left quarter of her face was marked by the same ruin that trailed down the left side of her head, along the length of her arms and legs, and the left side of her torso. It no longer hurt, but she would never look "normal" again. Her mind was utterly broken though, and it was this that the monk who cared for her turned his attention.
Zindit spent most of the next three years in a padded cell, being taught how to think coherently all over again. Her mind was pieced back together bit by bit, but it was constructed as a house of cards. She knew deep down in her heart of hearts that it was her fault that Maldin and Ilya died, but she absolutely could not bring herself to face that fact. She convinced herself that Ilya had been cruel to her and her brother, that she was only thinking of the best for her brother when she made him come along, and that she had tried to help when the accident happened. Still, this avoidance of total responsibility did not shield her from all of her guilt, but it allowed her to believe that she was the victim of circumstance to a degree.
This faulty foundation upon which she was being rebuilt, along with her scattered and blurry memories of her time with the fey, led to further delusions taking root in her mind. The greatest among them was brought about by both her conscious and subconscious guilt: That Sarenrae, the goddess invoked to watch over them in their childhood, knew was she did and was actively out to punish her. The memories of how the flames and acid felt helped enforce this belief. She just knew that Sarenrae was looking for her, and more punishment was still to come. Sarenrae's light became not a symbol of hope for her, but something to flee, to hide from. Because deep down, she knew that to face Sarenrae would be to face the truth. So she believes herself to be a victim of chance and unfair judgment.
During her recovery, the monks made the mistake of letting her see her reflection. This led to another breakdown, during which she would scream and go into hysterics if anyone looked at her. She just knew those marks were laid on her by Sarenrae, that they marked her as a wicked thing. She could not bare to be seen like that. Eventually, the monks got around the problem by wrapping the scarred parts of her body in bandages, which covered most of her body. This eased her mind, and she settled into the routine of recovery again. Later, one kind monk would present a special set of clothing to her: A simple gray bodysuit that covered all of her body save the unscarred portion of her face. This made her more at ease, but it led to another delusion that the close-fitting cowl was part of her face now, which led to even more horror at the idea of anyone seeing what lay underneath.
While she became more coherent in thought, her delusions became more pronounced. She became convinced that almost all the gods were in league with Sarenrae to some degree or another, and thus all their priests were as well. She came to suspect that the monks and priests were keeping her here in order to hand her over to the priests of Sarenrae later, and when she thought she heard someone speak of one of the sun goddess' clerics being invited to come speak with her, she knew she had to get out. During one of the periods where she was allowed to walk outside in the gardens, she managed to get away from the monk escorting her and fled into the wilderness once more.
She slowly made her way across western Varisia, from town to town, hitching rides, stealing for food, and sometimes wandering aimlessly until she found herself in Riddleport. She had heard that there were few priests of the sort she feared confronting her there, and so it seemed to be as good a place as any to hide.
She lived on the streets for a time, before managing to secure part of the attic of one of the somewhat less illicit shops in the city. The owner felt pity for the obviously crazy gnome, and thought that it would be extra security for his shop. Zindit brought in what money she could by doing odd jobs for the shop and renting out what skills she had learned from her father to any the shopkeeper recommended her to. She earned a small reputation as a cheap, competant, and with some people disposable expert on lockpicking, albiet an unstable one best kept out of delicate matters. Between jobs, she would often take to begging. Most of those who took pity on her treated her mostly like a stray dog or cat; she became a familiar sight along a portion of the streets and alleys of Riddleport.
There are only two places she feels close to truly safe now, her attic den and the tavern temple of Cayden Cailean. She's not yet convinced that Cayden Cailean is among those gods who are out to get her, and it truly is one of the safer parts of the city. It's not unusual for her to wander in and shyly order a light drink with what meager coin she has, and after only a few sips curling up under a table and going to sleep. The priests of Cayden Cailean know that the girl is mad, but also that their tavern is one of the few safe havens for her in Riddleport. Her home is where she spends most of her time though, a jumbled mess of blankets, stolen knick-knacks, and drawings covering the walls, floor and ceiling. During some of her worst weeks, she would be terrified to leave, not even coming out to eat. One winter she actually nearly froze to death.
She lives in almost constant fear of the gods, because she knows they're always watching. She knows that the sun in Sarenrae's angry eye looking down on her, and she's uncomfortable remaining out in sunlight for very long. She has actually taken to drawing clouds all over the ceiling of her den, believing it would block the goddess' view.
She has lived this way for four years now.
Stats
Spoiler:
Zindit Tamelathi
Female gnome rogue 2
CN Small humanoid
Init +4
Defense
AC 17, touch 15, flat-footed 13 (+2 leather armor, +4 DEX. +1 Size bonus)
hp 14 (1d8+1(CON))
Fort +2 (1 CON, Resilient) Ref 7 (3 base, 4 DEX) Will 0 (0 WIS)
Offense
Spd 20 ft.
melee dagger (1d3-1(STR)/19-20X2)
sneak attack 1d6
Statistics
Str 8 Dex 18 Con 12 Int 13 Wis 10 Cha 12
Base Atk +1; CMB 0 Attack Bonus(from Size) +1
Feats Skill Focus(Disable Device)
Skills
Acrobatics +9 (4 Dex, 2 rank, 3 class bonus)
Bluff +6(1 Cha, 2 rank, 3 class bonus)
Climb +4 (-1 Str, 2 rank, 3 class bonus)
Disable Device +12 (4 Dex, 2 rank, 3 class bonus, 3 skill focus)
Escape Artist +9 (4 Dex, 2 rank, 3 class bonus)
Knowledge(local) +6 (1 Int, 2 rank, 3 class bonus)
Perception +6 (0 Wis, 2 rank, 3 class bonus, 1 Looking For Work)
Sense Motive +5 (0 Wis, 2 rank, 3 class bonus)
Stealth +9 (4 Dex, 2 rank, 3 class bonus)
