The door to this room has fallen from its hinges. The rectangular chamber beyond seems to have once been a chapel, but now thick sheets of what appear to be cobwebs drape everything within in gossamer threads.
With a hiss, several large spiders emerge from their web funnels.
This chamber is in a shambles — old wooden benches lie in ruins along the walls, while rusty chains and bits of rotten rope lie scattered on the floor.
You hear a faint sobbing and the clanking rattle of chains, while at the same time being filled with a momentary sensation of hopelessness and the strange feeling of heavy manacles clamping over your wrists.
These sensations pass quickly, but as soon as they do, one pair of manacles rises from the floor and flies toward Stannis.
Treading slowly and carefully, you make your was in a circuitous fashion through the dark hallways. Eddies swirl in the thick dust as you pass and shadows at the corner of your vision dance and dart. You discover several more doors, as well as completely circle two rooms in the middle of the first floor.
You try the door on your right and see a flight of stone stairs. This flight of stairs once led down toward what must be a lower level, but it’s now filled with a mess of large stone blocks and shattered timbers.
For reference, from the SRD: A successful saving throw against an illusion reveals it to be false, but a figment or phantasm remains as a translucent outline.
It disappears entirely as soon as Stannis opens the door.
Stannis moves to the northern door of the foyer and places his gauntlet on the handle.
Everyone needs to make a Will save, DC 15.
If you fail your save...:
As Stannis touches the handle, he is suddenly struck by an unseen power, forcing him to his knees and twisting his face in a grimace of pain. The handle of the door glows with a weird green light. Tendrils of energy move from the handle and wrap around the paladin's arm.
Mucho mucho apologies for the slowness. My laptop decided that my Microsoft startup routine was corrupted, so Geek Squad is currently extracting my data so I can reload my OS. Not happy about it, but c'est la vie.
Leaving the office, you check the door just north to find a small washroom and privy. Besides a sink and a hole in the floor, there is little of interest in this room. Moving carefully back down the hallway, you come again to the foyer.
North or east?
Perception DC 15:
You smell the distinct odor of burning wood, as though a fire were burning nearby. Faint, hoarse shouts seem to come from various directions around you.
Thanks! I found out that I passed my multiple-choice portion. Now to wait two weeks for my written portion to be graded. Not feeling very patient right now! :)
You move further down the hallway and try the next door. This spacious room smells of mildew and rot. A long desk and chair sit to the south, while to the northwest a narrow alcove contains a closed safe. Thick layers of dust cover everything in sight.
Your party continues down the hallway, testing each door in turn. The floorboards creak in protest to your movement and susurrating whispers tickle your ears just out of range of hearing.
You find more of the same found in the first office; copious amount of paperwork related to prisoner files, income, supplies, scheduling, repair requests, and so on.
Quickly scanning the papers, Quiddling discovers that they are not nearly as interesting as he would have hoped. Numerous ledgers and payroll lists litter the desk, revealing the office of little more than an administrative functionary.
Having dispelled the haunt from the prison foyer, the party moves down the darkened hallway. Thin cracks of sunlight filter through blacked stone and rotting wood. The air is musty and heavy, filled with dancing motes of dust as your entrance stirs the air. Approaching the first door on your right, you open it slowly and peer inside.
Sarrah calls upon divine energy, filling the foyer with a surge of power. You hear a withering hiss disappearing into some unknown distance. The door opens and swings loosely on its hinges.
I would put it in a spoiler, but this will save time.
You identify the presence as a haunt, a mixture of a mundane trap with a restless undead spirit. Mysteriously locked or slamming doors usually indicate a supernatural presence protesting intrusion, and serve as stern reminders that explorers are unwelcome in their realm.
Haunts may be damaged by positive energy like any other undead, or by the destruction of the physical items they inhabit.
Calling down divine power, Sarrah's senses immediately detect the presence of the undead. All four doors glow in her enhanced vision, revealing weak, diffuse undead auras.
Stannis takes the lead and the rest of the party begins moving forward. Just as he is about to place his hand on the handle of the next door, the door your party just battered open quivers, then slams shut with a resounding thud and separates the party. Sarrah and Corrine still stand in the foyer while the rest of the party is in the hallway. Despite there being a gaping hole where the locking mechanism met the door frame, the oaken door stands firmly closed.
With a crash, Stannis and Morven burst the door open, tearing the bolt hole from the frame with a crash of splinters. The now-open portal reveals a dark hallway. Fresh air sends eddies of heavy dust motes spinning along the floor and the smell of dank wood and aged mold fills your noses. The left-hand side is bare stone with a single covered window, while along the right-hand side and at the end of the hall are several doors. You think you see the hallway turn to the right at the very end.
I don't know if I mentioned it before, but each square on the map is 10' to a side.
After carefully examining the door to the left, Stannis opens it with caution. Just as he is about to see through the portal, however, the door abruptly slams shut. The force knocks him back several feet as a series of clicks signals that the door has been locked.
Your party is unable to find the exact place of the Professor's death. Bits of masonry and statuary are broken off at irregular intervals along the rooftops and numerous stains discolor the ground. Finding the exactly location would require assistance from those who moved the body.
Concentrating on the room, Stannis detect the faintest hint of evil emanating from each of the doors leading deeper into Harrowstone prison.
Your party moves beyond the entrance into the next room. Streaks of mold stain the walls of this foyer, and the floor below is a thick, gray carpet of fungal growth. Sturdy wooden doors beckon from every wall.
You go around the west end of the main prison building. A ruined staircase leads from the yard to the western balcony, ending in a broken edge halfway up the stone face.
In the rear of the building is a foul site. (The brown spot.) This open pit appears to have once been a receptacle for the prison’s waste. Even now, with the right wind, the pit still emits a foul stench.
Completing the circle, you find that your progress is blocked on the eastern end of the building by a body of water. This large pond of dark, muddy water spreads out along the eastern section of the prison grounds. Here and there, bits of ruined wall protrude from the water, and thick tangles of reeds and cattails grow along the muddy shores.
Hey everyone. I finally finished my final examinations today AND our basement is now flood-free. I'm tired and cranky and looking forward to catching up. Thank you for your patience.
The runes encircling the foundation of the prison no longer radiate magic.
Back inside, or circle around the back of the building to search the entire perimeter?
Quiddling searches through the house and determines that it was previously used as the home of the warden of Harrowstone. Besides a few scraps of wood and cloth, anything and everything of value has been stripped from the domicile. As he crosses a particularly decrepit portion of flooring, a shuddering moan emanates from the woodwork and a large section of the roof caves into the house.
Quiddling must make a Reflex DC 15 save or take 1d6 ⇒ 5 damage from falling debris.
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The runes themselves are written in Varisian, and among numerous magical incantations, repeat the name Lyvar Hawkran dozens of times.
Knowledge (arcana or religion) DC 20:
You determine that they seem to have been part of a larger ritual that involved both abjuration and necromantic magic.
Knowledge (arcana) DC 30:
The runes were used to capture and imprison Warden Hawkran’s ghost.
This small brick manor house is overgrown with thick sheets of gray-green ivy. The roof sags ominously, and the front door hangs askew.
Perception DC 20 OR Knowledge (engineering) DC 15:
The building is unstable. Similar to the balcony above the main entrance, exploration is likely to trigger a collapse.
Fully exploring the interior of the house will require at least 10 minutes of searching.
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Exploring the rubble on either side of the main entrance.
Perception DC 5:
The ivy and grass have been cleared along the edge where the foundation meets the ground, and along this edge a series of sinuous runes has been etched and then smeared with blood. The runes go around the entire building’s foundation save for the northeast corner, where part of the building has flooded and the foundation has crumbled away.
We had a tornado/lightning storm rip through our part of southeast Indiana, so we have been without utilities for a few days. That, and our sump pump lost power and stormwater flooded our basement. I'm posting from a computer at school, so I have the pdf but I cannot access my MapTool software. Between my finals and this storm I'm not happy with the interruption of the game, but I will try to get us back on track as quickly as possible.
Did anyone else want to join Quiddling in searching the grounds? Where exactly on the grounds do you want to go?
Full Name
Skip Intro
Race
Human Male Witchwarper 2 Operative Explorer 1| SP 16/16 : HP 20/20 : RP 4/4 | EAC 14 : KAC 15| F+0 : R+7 : W+3 | INIT+2 | LVL 1 Slots : 3/3 | Laser Pistol 20/20
Classes/Levels
Skills:
Acro +7 : Ath+5 : Bluff +9 : Comp +6 : Cult +19 : Dip +10 : Disg +4 : Intim +12 : Med +2 : Myst+8 : Perc +6 : Pilot +9 : SM +6 : Ste +7 ; Sur +7
About Skip Intro
Skip Intro has enjoyed a long galaxy-spanning career as a cartographer with a large orbital mineral exploration and mining corporation. His previous duties included resource mapping, orbital scanning and boots-on-the-ground exploration. This led him to explore many distant planets in the vast and make contact with local indigenous species, where he would learn about their cultures, customs, diet and most importantly – fashion. He enjoys collecting and wearing rare luxury items and accessories. He is often well-dressed, friendly and outgoing. He has since retired from his previous career and joined the Starfinders to keep busy and meet new people during his twilight years.
Skip’s inspiration comes from J. Peterman of Seinfeld, and would be played by the actor John O’Hurley in the Starfinder made for TV movie. He is also inspired by Louis Wu of the Ringworld Series of books, a well-to-do socialite explorer on an adventure.
Skip Intro
Male Human Ace Pilot Witchwarper 2 Operative Explorer 1
Medium humanoid
Init +2 ; Perception +6
Proficiencies Armour Light; Weapons Basic melee weapons, small arms, and grenades
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Defense SP 16 HP 20 RP 4
EAC 14; KAC 15
Fort +0; Ref +7; Will +3
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Offense BAB 1
Speed 30 Ft
Ranged Azimuth Laser Pistol +4 (1d4f)
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Statistics Str 10 (+0); Dex 14 (+2); Con 10 (+0); Int 12 (+1); Wis 12 (+1); Cha 17 (+3)
Witchwarper Points per Level: 6, Operative points per level: 10
Acrobatics +7 (+2 Dex Mod, 1 Skill Point, +3 Class, +1 OE Insight)
Athletics +5, (0 Str Mod, 1 Skill Point, +3 Class, +1 OE Insight)
Bluff + 9 (2 Skill Rank, +3 Class, +3 Cha Mod, +1 OE Insight),
Computers +6 (+1 Int, 1 Skill Rank, +3 Class, +1 OE Insight),
Culture +9 (+1 Int, 2 Skill Rank, +3 Class, +3 OE Insight),
Diplomacy +10 (+3 Cha Mod, 3 Skill Rank, +3 Class, +1 OE Insight),
Disguise +4 (+3 Cha Mod, +1 OE Insight)
Engineering +2 (+1 Int Mod, +1 OE Insight)
Intimidate +12 (+3 Cha Mod, 3 Skill Rank, +3 Class, +3 Skill Focus Insight),
Medicine +2 (+1 Int Mod, +1 OE Insight)
Mysticism +8 (+1 Wis Mod, 3 Skill Rank, +3 Class, +1 OE Insight)
Perception +6 (+1 Wis Mod, 1 Skill Rank, +3 Class, +1 OE Insight)
Piloting + 9 (+2 Dex Mod, 3 Skill Ranks, +3 Class, +1 OE Insight),
Sense Motive +6, (+1 Wis Mod, 1 Skill Rank, +3 Class, +1 OE Insight)
Stealth +7 (+2 Dex Mod, 1 Skill Rank, +3 Class, +1 OE Insight),
Survival +7 (+1 Wis Mod, +3 Class, +3 Skill Focus Insight)
Feats Weapon Focus: Small Arms +1, Improved Demoralize, Spell Focus
Languages Common, Ysoki
Other Gear Stationwear Flightsuit, Azimuth laser Pistol, Consumer Backpack, personal comm unit, 2 Mk1 Healing Serum, Credstick (2,981), Ability Crystal (Dex +2)
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Special Abilities Spells Known: 0 Level 5, Charming Veneer, Dancing Lights, Daze (DC14 Will), Detect Magic, Hazard 1st Level 3, Acidic Mist(2d6, DC15 Fort Half), Charm Person (DC15 Will Negates) Comprehend Languages [/b]
Spells Per Day: 0 Level Infinite 1st level 3
0 Level Spells:
Charming Veneer School illusion
Casting Time 1 standard action
Range medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Targets one creature
Duration 10 minutes
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no
Description You pull gossamer threads from other, more genteel realities and wrap the target in them, smoothing the edges of their personality and accentuating their charms. The target gains a +1 circumstance bonus to Charisma checks and Charisma-based skill checks. Additionally, a creature affected by this spell can attempt a Diplomacy check to gather information in only 10 minutes. Once any individual under the effects of a charming veneer spell you cast has used this benefit to gather information in a specific settlement or local region, no target of a charming veneer spell you cast can do so again for 24 hours.
Dancing Lights School evocation
Casting Time 1 standard action
Range medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Effect up to four lights
Duration minutes
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no
Description You create up to four lights that resemble small headlights or flashlights. The dancing lights must stay within a 10-foot-radius area in relation to each other but otherwise move as you desire: forward or back, up or down, straight or turning corners, or the like. The lights can move up to 100 feet per round. A light winks out if the distance between you and it exceeds the spell’s range.
You can have only one dancing lights spell active at a time. If you cast this spell while another casting is still in effect, the previous casting is dispelled.
Daze School enchantment (compulsion, mind-affecting
Casting Time 1 standard action
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Targets one humanoid creature of CR 3 or lower
Duration 1 round
Saving Throw Will negates; Spell Resistance yes
Description This spell short-circuits the mind of a humanoid creature with a CR of 3 or lower so that it is dazed (unable to take actions, but taking no penalty to AC). Humanoids of CR 4 or higher are not affected. After a creature has been dazed by this spell, it is immune to it for 1 minute.
Detect Magic School divination
Casting Time 1 standard action
Range 60 ft.
Range Area cone-shaped emanation
Duration concentration, up to 1 minute/level
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no
Description You detect all magic spells, effects, items, and objects (including those on or affecting creatures you can see), as well as hybrid items, in the area. You can’t detect magical traps in this way, as they are created with additional magic that wards them from this common spell. Each round you concentrate on the same area, you can determine if one magic source you detect is from a spell, magic item, or other effect, and the caster level (or item level) of the effect. You can’t determine if there are magic sources in areas you can’t see, or if there was a magic source in an area at one time but that has since expired.
Hazard School evocation
Casting Time 1 standard action
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Area 5-foot-radius burst
Duration 1 round
Saving Throw Reflex negates; Spell Resistance yes
DescriptionWhen you cast this spell, choose acid, cold, electricity, fire, or sonic. The spell gains that descriptor. You summon a minor hazard from an alternate reality, creating a splash of acid rain, a blast of freezing air, a static electric discharge, a burst of fire, or a roar of thunder. Each creature in the area must succeed at a Reflex save or take 1d3 damage of the chosen type.
1st level spells:
Acidic Mist School conjuration (acid)
Casting Time 1 standard action
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Area 10-ft.-radius spread
Duration 1 round/level (D)
Saving Throw Fortitude half; Spell Resistance no
Description You call forth the corrosive atmosphere of a gas giant to damage your opponents. A creature that starts its turn in the area takes 2d6 acid damage. The corrosive mist does not obscure vision.
Charm Person School enchantment (charm, mind-affecting)
Casting Time 1 standard action
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Targets one humanoid creature
Duration 1 hour/level
Saving Throw Will negates; Spell Resistance yes
Description This charm makes a humanoid creature regard you as its trusted friend and ally (treat the target’s attitude as friendly). If the creature is currently being threatened or attacked by you or your allies, however, it receives a +5 bonus to its saving throw.
The spell does not enable you to control the charmed creature as if it were an automaton. It is unlikely to attempt to harm you, but it is also unlikely to attack any of its true friends or allies. You can try to give the target suggestions, but you must succeed at an opposed Charisma check to convince it to do anything it wouldn’t ordinarily do. (Retries of this check are not allowed.) An affected creature never obeys suicidal or obviously harmful suggestions. Any act by you or your apparent allies that threatens the charmed creature breaks the spell. You must speak the creature’s language to communicate your suggestions, or else be good at pantomiming.
Comprehend Languages School divination
Casting Time 1 standard action
Range personal
Duration 10 minutes/level
Description You can understand the spoken or signed words of creatures or read otherwise incomprehensible written or tactile messages. The ability to read does not necessarily impart insight into the material, merely its literal meaning. The spell enables you to understand or read an unknown language, not speak or write it. You can’t use this spell to read magic writing or encoded messages (though it does reveal if a message is magic or encoded), but you can use it to read raw computer code or foreign programming languages, allowing you to understand enough to attempt Computers checks on those materials without penalties.
Infinite Worlds: 1st Level:
1st (Environmental): You cause the affected area to become difficult terrain. This might mean that metal flooring becomes rickety and bowed, a waterway is choked by roots and seaweed, or the air is flooded with floating strands of web-like filaments. You can affect a single movement type (land speed, burrow speed, climb speed, fly speed, or swim speed) or any combination of those movement types. When you create difficult terrain in this way, it is considered magically altered terrain for the purposes of other effects.
1st (Instantaneous): You cause a bright flash of light to fill the area. Each creature within the area must succeed at a Fortitude saves or be dazzled for 1 round per witchwarper level. If a creature rolls a natural 1 on its saving throw (meaning the d20 shows a “1”), it is also blinded for 1 round.
Paradigm Shift Thwart Ability - As a reaction when you or an ally within 100 feet is affected by a spell or ability that allows a saving throw and would deal Stamina Point, Hit Point, or ability damage, you can spend 1 Resolve Point to grant the target a new saving throw with a +2 bonus to avoid or mitigate the effect’s damage and effects.
Improved Demoralize You can use the Intimidate skill to demoralize as a move action. (cause a creature within 30 feet of you to become shaken for a number of rounds. This is a sense-dependent ability. The DC of this check is equal to either 10 + your opponent’s total Intimidate skill bonus, or 15 + 1-1/2 × the opponent’s CR, whichever is greater. If you succeed, the target is shaken for 1 round. The duration increases by 1 round for every 5 by which the result of your check exceeds the DC.)
Magical Assassain You can awaken latent magic in your weaponry. As a move action, you can magically imbue one small arms or basic melee weapon with the operative weapon special property you’re wielding, treating it as a magic weapon for the purposes of bypassing damage reduction. In addition, when you imbue your weapon, choose one of the following energy types: acid, cold, electricity, or fire. When you attack with your imbued weapon as a standard action, before making the attack, attempt a Mysticism check with a DC equal to 20 + your target’s CR. If you succeed, you deal an additional 1d4 damage of the chosen energy type. Your weapon remains imbued for 1 minute, until you imbue another weapon, or until the end of your turn if you cease wielding the weapon, whichever comes first.
Operative’s Edge Your diverse training as an operative grants you a +1 insight bonus to initiative checks and to skill checks
Operative Specialization: Explorer Your specialization grants you the Skill Focus feat in your specialization’s associated skills, and you gain a free skill rank in each of those skills at each operative level You’re an expert in scouting out dangerous locations using your knowledge and survival skills. Associated Skills: Culture and Survival.
