Heccuba finds the situation a little suspicious. Both her and Altovin use Dasus' introduction to check the immediate area for magic but do not find anything. The disembodied voice calls out again, "Your god means nothing to me, Paladin! I also do not take kindly to people walking into my chamber and threatening me. Whoever you Pathfinders are you clearly have no manners!" GM stuff:
??? Knowledge (religion): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (6) + 8 = 14 ???? Stealth: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (9) + 4 = 13 Perception Sanite: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (15) + 8 = 23
Everyone except Dasus and Adowyn hear the sound of a multi-legged movement behind them. GM stuff 2:
Initiative Sanite: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3 Initiative Dasus: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (14) + 1 = 15 Initiative Heccuba: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (8) + 7 = 15 Initiative Romulus: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (6) + 6 = 12 Initiative Adowyn: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (7) + 4 = 11 Initiative Leryn: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (16) + 2 = 18 Initiative Altovin: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 = 8 Initiative Red: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (18) + 6 = 24
COMBAT BEGINS! Surprise Round The spider skitters into the room behind the group. RED (surpised)
Aldy checks the passageway and the next door and everything seems fine. Once the group has caught up Aldy steps back and lets Brand open the door. This large stone chamber contains two clusters of four stone caskets each. In the center of the room, between the two groupings, stands an empty, unlit iron brazier that is covered with soot and smells faintly of past fires. Drapes of dust-covered spider webs cling to the ceiling. There aren't any enemies visible in the room and Aldy says the entrance is clear of any traps.
After a small secret passageway and a second door you find a very large chamber. Shabby, mold-covered tapestries hang from ceiling hooks, cloaking one wall of this chamber in faded forest hunting scenes. While probably of decent quality when new, they look sad now. A plain wooden chair of massive construction stands centered before the tapestries, facing into the room. A large stone table stands against the eastern wall. Weapons and other items are neatly laid out on the table, as if displayed for sale in a shop. There are three skeletal humanoids, on on the large chair and two more flanking the chair standing to attention like bodyguards. A voice loudly shouts out to you and echoes around the room. "Who dares to invade my territory! Answer me now before i destroy you!" Sense Motive DC15: None of the skeletons move at all when the voice echoes around the room.
After identifying items Aldy checks around the room one more time. He finds a couple of secret doors, one that leads back towards the entrance and another that leads off into a small passageway in the north-east of the room. Would you like to continue down the passageway where Aldy disabled the pit trap or would you like to check the door in the secret passage?
Ganem starts to walk forward but Breelajah sharply pulls them up before they take another step. Breejalah points up to a shadowy hole in the ceiling above where they were about to step. A large cage is in the ceiling and is set up to fall on whoever steps a little further inside the room. As there is a clear path around the trap it doesn't stop everyone from continuing their investigation of the room. If Aldy wants to try to disable the trap that is possible, though not necessary now you know where it is. The spire gives off strong magic of various types and also has a unique looking symbol carved into it which is similar to the one found on the 1st level of the spire. The postmortem surgery looks rather amateurish and doesn't look like it would ever truly create some kind of undead amalgam creature like the surgeon clearly would like. While investigating the dead bodies one of the spider legs twitches slightly which unnerves everyone for a moment. It does it again a while later just after the glow of the emerald spire increases ever so slightly which leads Ganem and Flint to surmise that some unseen energy from the spire is making a muscle spasm. As Flint inspects the corpses he notices some potentially useful items on the cluttered table. There is a lump of wax with 6 needles jabbed in it, each needles has around 3 feet of silk thread attached to it. There is also 2 identical potion vials and a scroll case. Inside the case are 2 different magical scrolls and a sheet of parchment. The parchment has an arcane symbol drawn on it that is labeled with a single word in an ancient language. Identify the potions. Spellcraft DC17:
They are Potions of Cure Moderate Wounds. Identify the 1st scroll. Read Magic or Spellcraft DC23:
Scroll of Fireball. Identify the 2nd scroll. Read Magic or Spellcraft DC23:
Scroll of Fly. Identify the language. Can understand Azlanti or Linguistics / Knowledge (Arcana) DC15:
The symbol is similar to an arcane mark and is labeled "Four". Feel free to make checks and look under the spoilers for anything your character can identify.
Heccuba shares that these spiders are poisonous. They're also too small to be effectively killed by weapons attacks. The spiders don't really pat any attention as the oil starts to spread across the patch of floor they're gathering in. With guidance and a natural 20 i think you're going to be fine there Sanite. Sanite balls a handful of webbing up in his rocky hands and sets the ball on fire. The compacted web takes a moment to burn out but that's enough time for Sanite to hurl it at the patch of oil covered spiders. burning oil: 1d6 ⇒ 3 The spiders don't really make much noise but they can be heard popping and crackling in the flames. burning oil: 1d6 ⇒ 5 Most of the spiders are burnt and scattering before they really get a chance to form a sizable mass. The rest of the webbing burns out over the next few seconds leaving the room a little warmer and answering the unwanted question of what burnt spiders smell like. With a the three rounds that the spiders take to form a true swarm you would all be able to prepare yourselves and attack just at the right moment. Treating your plan as though it is an alchemist's fire and allowing for the extra damage the swarm takes from splash weapons you've done more than enough to deal with them. Good job everyone!.
Aldy moves down the passageway cautiously while heading for the nearest door. He notices a well hidden seem between the some of the slabs on the floor. He thinks that if someone were to stand on the next ten foot section of floor that it could fall away like a trapdoor. With some clever manipulation and jamming some slivers of metal into the hinges he's sure that the trapdoor won't be opening any time soon. Happy with his work he then heads over to the door to see if it's safe. He finds nothing suspicious and doesn't even believe it to be locked. Once the others have gathered up behind him he opens the door to see what is in the room. A curving wall of glowing green crystal bulges out into this chamber from one corner. A stout wooden table stands along the wall opposite it. On the table lie three rotting human corpses and the remnants of a moon spider. One of the human corpses has had all of its extremities severed, and its torso has been opened to reveal the internal organs. Another dismembered corpse has moon spider legs sewn onto the stumps in place of the removed limbs, all of which are neatly arranged near the rest of the moon spider. A bucket full of reeking, old blood sits on the floor under the table, and needles with lengths of silken thread attached are stuck in a hand-sized block of bloodstained wax atop the table.
Sanite checks the next door down the western side of the dungeon level. It isn't locked and pushes open with relative ease. Gray webbing fills this chamber. Huge cocoons of spider silk hang suspended in the webs, and the webs crawl with countless hundreds of pale little spiders. As the spiders get disturbed by the door opening they seem to start to become more active and start gathering together near the entrance to the door. The spiders are swarming, though they are not yet a true swarm. They will form into an active swarm very soon though! We will go in initiative rounds right now so we can actively track the time. COMBAT BEGINS (kind of) GM Stuff:
Initiative Sanite: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (9) + 2 = 11 Initiative Dasus: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2 Initiative Heccuba: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (15) + 7 = 22 Initiative Romulus: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (2) + 6 = 8 Initiative Adowyn: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 4 = 20 Initiative Leryn: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (20) + 2 = 22 Initiative Altovin: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4 Initiative Spider Swarm: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5 1st Round of swarming spiders Heccuba <- UP NEXT
GM stuff:
Just a d20 roll for reasons...: 1d20 ⇒ 5 Aldy checks over the door and finds it to be safe to open. It also isn't locked. As the others start to gather up Aldy opens the door and finds it leads to another corridor with a door at the far end and another on the northern wall. I've moved the arrow indicating north closer to the entrance. North is the left side of the map.
"OK everyone, it's time to send you all to explore further down in the Emerald Spire." says the Pathfinder contact you previously found was named Volar. "It looks like a couple of the group have been called away on other missions, but the local Venture Captain arranged for some replacements." says Volar as he waves his hand in the direction of the newer members of the group. "Provisions have been provided, so unless you have anything else you need to do i suggest you head off early next morning." After any additional preparations i'm assuming you're all heading off as suggested. The news of Pathfinders clearing out a fort of goblins has already got around, so even if the Hellknights are treating you no differently at least the farmers and workers in the outlying area great you with a smile. The trip from Fort Inevitable is a quiet one. The clearing around the tower is exactly as you left if a few days ago, and after some careful navigation through the dark fort you find yourselves descending the stairs that wind around the glowing green spire. The stairs wind around a couple of times before breaking away from the spire. They descend through solid bedrock for fifty feet before ending in a stone-lined room. A large stone door stands directly south of the stair, a small alcove lies to the east, and another door to the southeast is slightly ajar. An extinguished torch rests on the floor of the alcove. Welcome to Level 2 of the Superdungeon! Please see the new slide for our brand new map that you mostly cannot see - i've placed the character tokens just off the start of the map so feel free to move them where you want to be.
As Sanite suggests checking the hole the group does exactly that. The ladder’s shaft ends in a wide staircase descending into darkness. On the floor at the top of the stairs, a dead moon spider lies on its back, its legs drawn up and frozen in a curled-in position. It's quite clear that if the group continues down the stairs that they will go to the next level of the dungeon so you all head back up the ladder and continue exploring there. There are two previously unexplored exits going to the east and the south of this room. Which way would you like to go now?
Due to various personal issues i dropped off the internet for a few days. I don't really want to go into details but i want to post that i'm now working my way through ongoing games i'm GMing or playing in and getting them back on track. Specific to this game - i'm just doing a post to get the game moving along again and then i'll go back to my regular schedule of at least one post per day, sometimes more during busy combats. Thank you everyone for being patient. Volandis
Due to various personal issues i dropped off the internet for a few days. I don't really want to go into details but i want to post that i'm now working my way through ongoing games i'm GMing or playing in and getting them back on track. Specific to this game - I PM'd Aldy last week to see how they were progressing with their planned rebuild to Investigator. They were in progress as of Wednesday last week, but i haven't heard anything since. I've just PM'd again to get an update. I'll start the game up on Wednesday this week even if Aldy is not ready to go. When they're ready they can join in. Thank you everyone for being patient. Volandis
It's all looking good so far guys. You're all answering each others questions here too which is great to see. It looks like most of the characters are ready to get started. How is your rebuild as an investigator going Aldy? Are you sticking with being Aldy the Wayang or will that be changing along with the class? I look forward to seeing your character as i like the class as it has so many options and feels very open to all kinds of backgrounds.
As Romulus and Heccuba have just agreed to move on they simultaneously notice movement from the entrance stairs of this level of the spire. Moving towards the group while waving a piece of paper above his head is a male gnome. He seems to be trying to get your attention and in no way looks hostile, unlike every other creature you've met so far during the exploration of this and the previous level of the spire. @Altovin the piece of paper is a document drafted by a Pathfinder Society contact that the group know from their base camp in Fort Inevitable - a local Hell Knight controlled town very near to the spire. The document lets the group know you're supposed to be here and has been stamped with the symbol of the open road.
I'm sure the player will introduce themselves when they are ready, but they are looking to try to cover trapfinding. To make their character more interesting they're going to try to do so by making an Oracle with the Seeker archetype while also going for an 'Oradin' type character build (a mix of paladin and oracle who is usually good in combat while still being a good group healer). I'm looking forward to seeing what the player comes up with. Due to me not being clear in private message I've only just confirmed that the player is OK to make the character and come and join us. When they're ready myself or the player will post an in game introduction.
Portland? That's where the TV show Grimm was set. It's finished now but i really liked that show and now i'm jealous of where you live! :) I have been informed that we have a repair man scheduled to come and fix the scanner on thursday. All being well i'll be able to scan the chronicles on friday (especially as i start work at 6am on friday and very few people will be in the office... shhhhh!). Thank you for the offer Brand. That was very kind of you :)
I'm very sorry Ganem but the scanner at work it still out of action. If the spare part that is on order doesn't appear by the end of the week I'll find another way to get the chronicles to everyone. For reference, here is one of the chronicles completed for the other table that was scanned in before the great scanner breaking incident. The scan is for a player who also opted to take the additional chronicle so it shows how that works too. --------------------------------------------------------------------- I'm essentially ready to start whenever all your characters are ready to go. Once everyone lets me know their characters are ready i can post something in gameplay and we can be on our way again!
I've been on a recruitment drive for my other Emerald Spire group as they dropped down to 3 players at the end of level 1. Their start was delayed so they haven't even started level 2 yet. I've had a lot of interest from people wishing to join and i was wondering if this group would like a 6th player to jump in? We're not too far in so far and i don't feel it would be a big disruption for someone to 'turn up late'. I'll leave it up to you guys to decide. If no-one states a strong opinion either way over the next 24 hours or so then i'll assume no-one minds and will pick a player and get them to come join in.
A little later than planned due to an old friend turning up out of the blue last night, but here are the three players i've chosen for the game. MindXing - i think a bloodrager would be a good addition to the front line of the group. EwokBanshee - i like all three of your options as they are damaged dealers who can be effective at range, which is something the group needs. Woodenman - your ranged inquisitor sounds like a good choice as Inquisitors tend to be handy in multiple situations. If any of the above 3 players has changed their mind about joining for any reason please let me know so i can move tot he next person on the list and offer them a space. I have a second group currently a couple of encounters in on the same level of the spire. I don't think it would disrupt the game too much for a character to 'turn up late' and join in. They're a group of 5 so i'll ask them if they would like a 6th. If they do then i'll message 1 more player about joining that group. Thank you all for showing interest in my game. To those that didn't get in the group i'll certainly keep an eye out for you next time i'm recruiting. :)
As Leryn is after the spider I've had to move the icons on the map to fit with the initiative order. Round 1 (cont) Adowyn fires an arrow at point blank range but only causes minor damage. Heccuba guides Romulus' aim with some friendly witch encouragement. The moon spider crawl down the wall and tries to bite Dasus. It cannot find an opening in his armour. bite attack: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6 bite damage: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4 Leryn moves in and bites through one of the spider's legs making it fall to the ground in pain. Spider is prone. Heccuba
Round 2 Heccuba <- UP NEXT
Hi everyone. Lots of interest in the game which is good to see! Thank you for posting and explaining the level range details Brand. I'll call this the cut off for accepting new applicants as we've got a lot of players showing interest so far. List of applicants EwokBanshee - Wayang psychic/dwarf kineticist/Aquatic Elf Spellslinger Sorcerer. Agent Eclipse - possible reach martial. Bruno Romero - Human Diviner Wizard/Ifrit Wishcaster/Human Witch/Aasimar monk. xXCrusaderXx +friend - life oracle + shaman Woodenman - multiple options Big Joe - Tiefling Foresight Wizard Biscuit Monster - bard (arcane duelist)/bard (juggler)/druid (supernaturalist)/barbarian-fighter MindXing - bloodrager/wizard @Brand, Ganem and Aldy - if you have any preferences please feel free to either post here or send me a private message if you would prefer. I'll review applicants over the next couple of days and then post here with results on monday evening after I get in from work and have something to eat. Please be aware that i'm from England so my evening may not equate to evening in whatever time zones you are all from. Thank you all for showing interest in my little game! :)
Hi there everyone. I've been running a couple of tables of the Emerald Spire Superdungeon in PbP. One of the tables has had some people drop out and is looking to recruit up to 3 more players to continue adventuring. They're about to start the 2nd level of the spire which is PFS tier 1-3. Each level counts as a module length dungeon crawl and can reward 3XP and 4PP on completion. With some slow path at specific levels it's possible to complete all 16 dungeon levels and reach level 13 without any adventuring outside of the Superdungeon. I'd prefer to have characters join who wish to continue delving further after this level, but i'm open to accepting characters who just want to do 1 level and then move on. The group currently consists of: Dwarf Fighter - Str based melee character with some knowledge skills.
They are all fresh level 2s after completing level 1 of the spire. For more information on the Emerald Spire see the Product page here. Anyone who is interested please feel free to come say hi and ask any questions in the Discussion Thread. Thanks everyone! GM Volandis
The combination of arrows being fired, Dasus looking down the pit, and a large rocky humanoid talking about burning webs is too much for the hiding spider. It crawls out of it web hiding place in the south west corner of the room and starts to move in to attack. COMBAT BEGINS GM Stuff:
Initiative Sanite: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5 Initiative Dasus: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (10) + 1 = 11 Initiative Heccuba: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (20) + 4 = 24 Initiative Romulus: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (7) + 3 = 10 Initiative Adowyn: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (18) + 4 = 22 Initiative Leryn: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 2 = 17 Initiative Moon Spider: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (12) + 6 = 18 Round 1 Heccuba <- UP NEXT
Sorry all, due to an increased workload at work i've been unable to keep up with all the games i'm playing in and GMing. I'm trying my best to get myself caught up again now that things are starting to calm down, so i hope to be back to a more regular posting schedule within the day or so. I'll do a recruitment post in Flaxseed lodge now and see what interest we get. If the new recruits are ready to go then i'd like to start the next level by Wednesday next week at the latest, but preferably sooner. We currently have 3 players: Brand - Fighter (Str melee, some knowledge skills, bow when needed)
How does all that sound to everyone?
This large room has a wide hole in the center of its floor. A heavy, welded steel ladder descends straight down from the lip of this shaft. The extent and depth of the space below are concealed behind the many crisscrossing, whitish-gray spider webs filling the pit. Through the webbing Dasus and Sanite can make out two more doors in this room, the one to the south is open.
Hmm i wrote a post about hardness numbers and the noise it would make, but i don't see it anymore. Sorry everyone! Sanite swings his weapon at the stone door 3 times. Cracks start to appear by the third swing, but it takes another couple of swings to smash the lock area so the door can be opened. The noise is extremely loud and would likely carry very far. If any other creatures are in this place they would certainly have heard all the noise. Behind the door is yet more corridor, with a door at the far end and another on the left hand wall.
While i'm currently fighting the technical issues of relying on a work scanner that is currently out of action... We should talk about continuing to the next level of the superdungeon. It's fully my intention to continue to the next level if there are enough players interested in doing so. As i still haven't heard anything from Tarbin i'll be dropping him from the group. Could everyone let me know if they intend to continue. Once we know numbers we can get an idea of where we stand. If there is only Tarbin dropping out we can also try to get another player in to fill up the group. If anyone knows someone who wishes to jump in the next section is tier 1-3.
Romulus looks around the room. The chain could be hard to get to so instead he squeezes between the bars of the cage and retrieves the leather quick-release harness that held the skeleton in place. He clears space on the table and after some cutting and tying he puts together something that will reach down to help get Sanite out of the pit.
The group gathers up their loot and makes the trek back to Fort Inevitable. You're all greeted at the barracks by your Pathfinder Society contact, and within moments a Hellknight assigned tax inspector appears to ensure that the Lady Commanders tax is properly applied. Once the paperwork is completed everyone is assigned their earnings for the mission and given time to order items via the Pathfinder Society contact that can be shipped up with the next supply caravan. For now you all have a few days of downtime to fully recover from your injurious and perform any other tasks you want or need to do. I'll work on your chronicles this weekend and scan them at work on monday. I'll share details of the the chronicles here for if anyone would like to get a head start on planning for the next level. You'll all receive 1398gp, 3 XP and 4PP - if you're taking the Land Rush chronicle you've spent 2PP on the first land hex - hex A. Congratulations you now own some land in the River Kingdoms! There is a notable item on the chronicle that you may wish to purchase - a wand of cure light wounds with 20 charges that you can buy for 300gp. It's limit 1 so you can only ever buy that item once.
Grulk briefly looks back as arrows fall near him. He smirks as he sees Brand with a bow and dismissively turns to walk away to drop to safety off the wall. The last thing he feels is an arrow between the shoulder blades as the dwarf's aim is true. The bugbear falls and tumbles off side of the building like a rag doll. COMBAT OVER! Please feel free to react to the final shot of the combat as Brand's aim is true when it was really needed! :) ---------------------------------------- Later on around the body of the dead bugbear. The group take the equipment from the dead bugbear and likely on or two of them give his corpse a kick for good measure. He was wearing leather armour and his high tension composite longbow survived the fall (It has +2 str rating). He has most of a quiver of arrows remaining and a handy looking morningstar tucked in his belt. In a belt pouch he has some gems and gold that would be worth a total of 274gp. Ganem works out that the ring on the bugbears finger is magical and was the source of the bugbear's miraculous fall to a potential rooftop escape. It is a Ring of Feather Falling. Congratulations everyone! You have cleared level 1 of the Emerald Spire Superdungeon!
Round 2 (cont) I'm happy with Dasus' powerful attack 'triggering' the trapdoor and opening it again is that makes sense to me. Sanite makes the spider think twice about attacking him. Dasus smashes the door open again leaving a clear path for Adowyn and Heccuba to put a couple of arrows in the spider. The spider looks very badly hurt so Romulus decides to try to finish it off. I hope you don't mind me making that choice for you Romulus, but in a face to face game i'd have strongly hinted that it was close to death. ;) bow attack, point blank: 1d20 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (9) + 4 + 1 = 14 arrow damage, point blank: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6 COMBAT OVER!
Round 3 (cont) Ganem blesses the group. Aldy takes a shot with his bow. The arrow pierces the bugbear's leg. He staggers but continues to walk away. Aldy
Round 4 Aldy
If someone would like to take Tarbin and his summoned eagle's turn please feel free. If the eagle flies down and finishes off Grulk i'd prefer it happened with a player making the rolls. :)
Round 1 (Cont) Romulus expects the spider to attack Sanite and gets ready to fire, but the spider starts to crawl up the wall towards the trap door. With all eight legs working together it quickly lifts the trapdoor back in place. Sanite looks on in horror as the spider webs the door closed again and turns to face him. The spider is now 5ft up the wall but still in reach for Sanite to attack. Romulus
Round 2 Romulus <- UP NEXT
Round 3 (cont) Aldy, Brand and the summoned eagle try to slice and stab at Grulk as he leaps from the tower. The eagle's claw scrape the bugbear but Aldy and Brans were caught too off guard to react fast enough. Grulk falls slower than expected and lands 60 feet down on the roof of the fort below. "I knew this ring would come in handy, though i always thought it would be that wizard Klarkosh who came to kill me." Last chance to stop him before he flees! Aldy
Round 4 Aldy <- UP NEXT
Round 3 (cont) Aldy tries to stab the bugbear but can't find an opening to strike him. Grulk give the wall behind him a kick and a previously unseen door opens behind him to what appears to just be open air. The bugbear turns his back to those surrounding him and makes a desperate jump for freedom... Aldy and Brand please make attacks of opportunity. If someone wishes to do an attack for Tarbin's eagle please feel free to do so. It's attack modifier is in the attack spoiler in my post above. Aldy
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