I'm not sure if Devin is coming back, so I might wind up bringing in two new characters from those that have thrown in their applications in the Recruitment thread. They'll be among the captives you'll hopefully rescue soon!
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Holidays have slowed down the adventure, so the rescue of the captives (and the new PCs) will probably happen in a couple weeks. I'll shoot for having a selection by next Monday, January 5th. Depending on circumstances, I might wind up selecting two characters.
Moonday, the 5th day of Sarenith, 4714 AR
---------------------------------------------- Again, the spiritual guardian slashes at the wounded gnoll darting away from it, connecting a bit more solidly this time (6 damage) as Amenhep finishes the wounded hyena (17 damage) attacking Devin. Elliander connects solidly with the sword (11 damage), killing the hyena before him. The spiritual guardian catches up with the wounded gnoll and strikes hard again (12 damage), as Francis uses his divine magic to heal his allies (+12 HP). Nevitash casts a Light spell to give his allies the ability to see - so long as they stay close to the half-orc inquisitor - but the spiritual dagger glances harmlessly off the armor of the gnoll surrounded by the mini-thunderstorm (11 damage). Devin moves up beside Aemenhep and digs the butt of the longspear into the sand, anticipating a charge. = Hit!
The gnolls howl their chilling battle cries, tossing aside their bows and drawing their scimitars and ugly-looking whips as they move to attack the two in the lead - Amenhep and Nevitash with their blades! But perhaps the burst of light from the half-orc's shield dazzled their eyes, for none of the gnolls are able to strike a solid blow! vs Amenhep's AC = Miss! vs Amenhep's AC = Miss! vs Amenhep's AC = Miss! vs Nevitash's AC = Miss! vs Nevitash's AC = Miss! vs Nevitash's AC = Miss!
Player Handout - Mask of the Forgotten Pharaoh Player Handout - Scrolls of Inquiry Excerpt Knowledge Gleaned about the Forgotten Pharaoh:
The funerary mask they recovered in Wati, known only to them as the Mask of the Forgotten Pharaoh actually belonged to Sky Pharaoh Hakotep I, who ruled Osirion during the Second Age over six thousand years ago. References to Hakotep as the Sky Pharaoh recounted his ability to 'ride the stars by night'. Thanks to a few other obscure clues in the library, combined with their knowledge of history and the arcane, the party suspected this might refer to magic once possessed by the Shory, an ancient people said to have created great cities that flew through the skies thousands of years ago. The hidden Spiral Archive library revealed that Hakotep was involved in some ancient war, and he was convinced that an attack was coming from enemies who 'lived in cities in the clouds' - further solidifying the idea of Shory involvement. Apparently the Sky Pharaoh was seeking to find a powerful weapon to defeat his enemy, and there was evidence that he actually found this weapon - but the only details the party found were the remains of papyrus scraps depicting confusing geometrical patterns. A scroll was found describing Hakotep's tomb as 'having wings', part of the confession of a member of a group called the Sacrosanct Order of the Blue Feather, which also claimed that the Sky Pharaoh's heart and funerary mask were stolen from his tomb before it was 'lost to the skies'. This document indicated that these two items possessed pieces of Hakotep's soul, which were separated from his physical body. Hakotep's successor, Pharaoh Djederet II, ordered that members of this order were to be rounded up and questioned - but those scrolls were to be found in yet another secret library known as the Dark Depository. Having now found this second library, the adventurers have yet to find these Scrolls of Inquiry as they were called, but they located the journal of a Priest of Nethys who was either a member of the Sacrosanct Order of the Blue Feather or doing very similar research. The priest's name was Khnenti, and he was apparently obsessed with the mystery of the Sky Pharaoh. Khnenti wrote extensively about the funerary mask of Hakotep I, and that it also contains a portion of the Sky Pharaoh's soul, specifically his ka, which apparently fuels the magical abilities of the mask. It was also noted during their search of the room that all of the sarcophagi in the chamber they're resting in contain the remains of those that were being punished by being embalmed and mummified while still alive for various crimes involving the search for knowledge that had been deemed as protected by order of the pharaoh. And, in fact, the occupant of one of these sarcophagi was none other than Khnenti himself - a contemporary of Pharaoh Djederet II and apparently during the time period when the Scrolls of Inquiry were purportedly written. It is apparent to the party that these scrolls, and perhaps more information, are still to be found somewhere in the Dark Depository - perhaps in one of the other rooms they've yet to explore. As well, they hope to find the location of this Vault of Hidden Wisdom, where Khnenti indicated he stored his most precious research on Hakotep, including the Sky Pharaoh's 'darkest secrets'. Their research finally revealed the Scrolls of Inquiry, the scrolls proving to be both cumbersome and difficult to read, with most of the confessions meaning nothing to them. One transcript, however, does contain some useful information (OOC - see Player Handout #2 in the Google Slides for details). After hearing the others tell of this, Devin realizes he may have heard something about that. The half-orc bard recalls he heard some months earlier. The story went that an important and high-ranking priestess of Nethys was said to have discovered an artifact of some kind beneath Azghaad's Spire in Sothis. Her name, as he recalls, was Serethet - and soon after the discovery that had all the treasure hunters and nobility in the capital city of Osirion buzzing with excitement, the priestess disappeared. There were rumors that she had fled Sothis after being summoned to an audience with the Ruby Prince himself. Besides the grim contents of the scrolls, the party also discovered a collection of architectural plans detailing a series of tomb designs of incredible complexity. Each plan is labeled with a double hieroglyph of an owl inside a house. It didn't take long to cross reference the hieroglyph as the signature of a very famous architect from the First Age of Osirion, a talented man called Chisisek. There is also a note mentioning a meeting between Chisisek and the Sky Pharaoh, but nothing more is found on this topic here. It appears that the interred priest Khnenti possessed further research on Hakotep and the architect both, but these can only be found in the Vault of Hidden Wisdom - the third and hopefully final library in their quest for knowledge. The location of the Vault is secret, but there is a notable clue that "worthy scholars can find the entrance by casting their eyes from the summit of the Tower of Ra’s Glory at dawn on midsummer’s day." The party, however, is able to glean some knowledge from the corpse of Khenti using a Speak with Dead spell. And though the spirit of the long-dead scholar gives no further instruction on how to find the Vault of Hidden Wisdom, the question "Why is the Temple of Nethys hiding information about Hakotep?" elicits the answer of. "The Sacrosanct Order of the Blue Feather, a sect of the Temple of Nethys, sought to learn the secrets held by Sky Pharaoh Hakotep I, where he lay interred in his tomb. But the knowledge they gleaned was deemed too dangerous by Pharaoh Djederet II and the Order was charged with keeping it secret from all except themselves. For not even the Pharaoh, himself a worshipper of Nethys, would see valuable knowledge destroyed." The final question, "Where is Chisiek buried?" brings a strong response from the corpse. "Chisiek's tomb lies in the Parched Dunes, north of the source of the Crook River in the foothills of the Barrier Wall within a steep-sided ravine at the western edge of a valley hidden from those that are not seeking it carefully." The body of Khnenti even went so far as to turn its head to seek the eyes of the spellcaster, adding an addendum to its final answer. "Find the tomb of the architect who built the Sky Pharaoh's sacred pyramid. Finish my work!" After finding the third and final library, the PCs find the remainder of the journal of the Nethysian priest Khnenti, whose spirit they actually spoke with in the Dark Depository. According to the journal, with Hakotep’s ib and ka trapped in his heart and funerary mask, the third part of his soul, the ba, remained trapped within the pharaoh’s body in his pyramid. In order for the Sky Pharaoh to pass into the afterlife, the three parts of his soul — his ba, ib, and ka — must be rejoined. Khnenti goes on to speculate that reuniting Hakotep’s ivided soul might even return the Sky Pharaoh to life. The research also confirms that the architect Chisisek designed and built Hakotep’s pyramid. When construction was completed, Chisisek was killed and buried in a hidden tomb to preserve the pyramid’s secrets, but no plans of the pyramid seem to have survived. They do learn that the Sky Pharaoh’s pyramid was capable of flight, and when Hakotep’s body was entombed within, the
However, Francis found a text that confirmed that although none know the location of Chisisek’s tomb, his funeral was commemorated in a fresco in the Vault’s rotunda by the greatest artist of the age, Hor-hepu. This is the same fresco that was hidden behind the false ceiling, and in studying the fresco painted on the true dome of the rotunda, the PCs learn that Chisisek’s tomb - sealed with his double hieroglyph of an owl inside a house - is said to be located “across two bridges, where
Lastly, they find that the geometric shapes on the fresco are far more than just design elements; they represent a fantastic weapon of vast size used against winged cities populated with strange figures bearing weapons that launch black fire - clear refence to the ancient people known as the Shory.
-------------------------------------------- Round 4 - Initiative Order / HP Tracker / Combat Notes: Elliander 50/63 [Armor Crystal - DR 1, has absorbed 3 (of 10) damage this day; Bull's Strength (+4 to Strength [+2 to attack/damage rolls with melee weapons] - enhancement bonus) for 7 minutes; Bless (+1 to attack rolls & saves vs fear - morale bonus) for 7 minutes; Inspired (+2 to attack rolls, +3 to damage rolls) for x rounds] Francis 35/53 [Magic Vestment (+2 to AC - enhancement bonus to armor) for 7 hours; Greater Magic Weapon (+2 to attack/damage rolls to Dagger - enhancement bonus to weapon) for 7 hours; Bless (+1 to attack rolls & saves vs fear - morale bonus) for 7 minutes; Inspired (+2 to attack rolls, +3 to damage rolls) for x rounds; Spiritual Ally for 5 rounds] Nevitash 71/71 [Magic Vestment (+2 to AC - enhancement bonus to armor) for 7 hours; Bless (+1 to attack rolls & saves vs fear - morale bonus) for 7 minutes; Inspired (+2 to attack rolls, +3 to damage rolls) for x rounds; Shield of Faith (+3 to AC - deflection bonus) for 7 minutes; Spiritual Weapon for 6 rounds; Divine Favor (+2 to attack/damage rolls - luck bonus) for 3 rounds] Devin 59/59 [Bless (+1 to attack rolls & saves vs fear - morale bonus) for 7 minutes; Inspired (+2 to attack rolls, +3 to damage rolls) for x rounds] 6 Gnolls Most Unwounded; Red -37 HP; Green -11 HP Amenhep 58/58 [Bless (+1 to attack rolls & saves vs fear - morale bonus) for 7 minutes; Inspired (+2 to attack rolls, +3 to damage rolls) for x rounds]
@Urram I'll take a good look at each of the characters in the next week or so. Posting has gone south during the holidays, so I've got some time. And I'm thinking I mentioned 7th level at some point? But you are correct, these characters should be 8th level. If you created a 7th level character, then level up! :)
@Marius Thank you for the breakdown, that looks great!
Oh wow, that was a total mistake on my part! I will say I started two games at the same time on this board, one was a 3.5 game, and this one was the Pathfinder game. I must have cut/pasted the 3.5 recruitment and didn't make the change. Too bad I can't go back and fix that... But yes, Pathfinder books only, please. If there's not an equivalent in PF, tagging the 3.5 is okay. If I have an issue, I'll take it up with you.
@namo Sorry, Variant Multiclassing wouldn't be an option here. I'd also disallow the 3.5 books, Pathfinder only. If there's something in 3.5 not available in Pathfinder that you'd really like to have, let me know and I'd consider on a case-by-case basis.
@Veniir Thanks!!
Freeday, 20th day of Planting (i.e. April), 597 C.Y.
------------------------------------------------- Gear fights past the scythes and steps up to the skeleton, swinging his sword in a powerful arc (DR5 - 26 damage) that chips away a couple of ribs. Despite his grievous wounds, Sobok steps forward and unleashes a flurry of blows upon the skeleton, and through the skeleton's tough bones resist the sharp blade of his glaive (DR 5 - 27 + 18 + 27 = 72 damage total), still the power behind his strokes does a great deal of damage. The mindless skeletal creature turns to confront Sobok and unleashes its own attacks with the weapon it has begun to wield with more precision - perhaps now that it has become more familiar with this new body. Though the dragon shaman is struck once (21 damage), he manages to thankfully avoid its other blows - still Sobok is now bleeding profusely from several deep wounds. vs Sobok's AC = Hit!
vs Sobok's AC = Miss!
vs Sobok's AC = Miss! vs DC 20 = Failure! Fash continues to focus on his spell, redirecting it at the skeletal demon, the jaws of force shredding (30 damage) what's left of the undead monster, leaving it to fall to the floor in a heap of bones. The whisper gnome casts another spell, allowing himself to see invisible objects and creatures, then steps up to the threshold and takes a look around. He is startled to see nothing else in the room, however! He does, however, take note of the three balconies overlooking the chamber some twenty feet up, each of them encased in a half dome of reflective, silvery metal. Morrow finds no foes, save for Vayne - who seems very real to him, despite being told the image is an illusion. The duskblade...
---------------------------------------------- Round 4 - Initiative Order / HP Tracker / Combat Notes: Unknown ??/?? [Placeholder, PCs can ignore this for now] Sobok 37 [59]/132 [154 w/ Rage] Draconic Aura [Power] grants a +3 bonus to melee damage rolls to all within 30'; Message (allows whispered communication up to 400' distance with line of sight) for 110 minutes; Raging (+4 to STR & CON, +2 to Will saves, -2 to AC) for 12 rounds; Hastened (+1 to attack rolls & dodge bonus to AC, +30' movement, extra attack when making a full attack action) for 9 rounds] Fash 68/68 [Darkvision & Lowlight Vision; Cloak of Shadow (grants 20% miss chance (can Hide as though concealed), only True Seeing or sight in magical darkness can overcome this ability); Telepathic Bond (telepathy between Reonnyn, Morrow and Gear) for 110 minutes; Message (allows whispered communication up to 400' distance with line of sight) for 110 minutes; Mirror Image (6 images) for 11 minutes; Hastened (+1 to attack rolls & dodge bonus to AC, +30' movement, extra attack when making a full attack action) for 9 rounds; Invisible to Darkvision (when actively using magical ring)[/i] Morrow 42/84 [Darkvision 120' & Blindsight 60' (Norebo's Hand); Keen Edge (Crit range for Norebo's Hand is 17-20) for 110 minutes; Telepathic Bond (telepathy between Reonnyn, Fash and Gear) for 110 minutes; Message (allows whispered communication up to 400' distance with line of sight) for 110 minutes; Hastened (+1 to attack rolls & dodge bonus to AC, +30' movement, extra attack when making a full attack action) for 8 rounds] Reonnyn 82/82 [DR 2 / Cold Iron; +1 luck bonus to all saving throws, ability checks and skill checks (Luck Stone); Darkvision (Invocation); +2 to Fort Saves (Invocation); +6 to Bluff, Diplomacy & Intimidate checks (Invocation); Seeming (as Disguise Self) for 11 hours; Telepathic Bond (telepathy between Fash, Morrow and Gear) for 110 minutes; Message (allows whispered communication up to 400' distance with line of sight) for 110 minutes; Hastened (+1 to attack rolls & dodge bonus to AC, +30' movement, extra attack when making a full attack action) for 9 rounds] Vayne Unwounded [Notes] Vegeir 45/119 [Divine Power (+18/+13/+8 BAB, +6 STR, +10 THP) for 20 hours; Greater Magic Weapon (extra +1 enhancement bonus to attack/damage to Holy sword) for 10 hours; Magic Vestment (+2 AC?) for 10 hours; Telepathic Bond (telepathy between Reonnyn, Morrow and Fash) for 110 minutes; Message (allows whispered communication up to 400' distance with line of sight) for 110 minutes; Protection from Evil (+2 AC vs Evil, rebuffs physical contact and possession/enchantment) for 10 minutes; Hastened (+1 to attack rolls & dodge bonus to AC, +30' movement, extra attack when making a full attack action) for 9 rounds]
I'd stick with my ruling of no, I think. Sorry for that. The retraining concept seems geared toward characters whose players have changed their minds about certain decisions made as they develop their character from 1st level to higher levels - a perfectly fair thing to allow in my mind. But a familiar (i.e. creature) probably shouldn't get the same consideration.
I think as we get higher levels with buffs, magic items and other abilities it's getting tough for me to keep track of AC - even with my combat notes. Could I have all my players do me a big favor and, if the AC in your signature is not correct for any of these reasons, give me a "Current AC for This Round = X" in the first line of your posted action? That'd be a huge help to me!
I think as we get higher levels with buffs, magic items and other abilities it's getting tough for me to keep track of AC - even with my combat notes. Could I have all my players do me a big favor and, if the AC in your signature is not correct for any of these reasons, give me a "Current AC for This Round = X" in the first line of your posted action? That'd be a huge help to me! I'm counting Dim Light all over, so the cloud won't help any more than the moonlight you've got going. @Nevitash, I'm going to stick with my ruling that Spiritual Weapon attacks as a spell and not an extension of a weapon wielded by the caster. Sorry about that, it just fits with the way I've always handled that spell.
@Jacob I have no strong feelings about the fact you're running this campaign in the early stages, but honestly I'd prefer bringing in a player without that intimate knowledge.
@namo You're right, I missed that question about crafting. I suppose the PCs get downtime now and again, but for the most part it'd go unused, I think. As far as familiar feats, I'm guessing you're speaking of the feats gained as the master levels up? Such as Alertness and Improved Evasion? I probably wouldn't allow retraining of those, I consider them to be specific to familiars in general and would possibly open the door to some game-breaking actions involving the familiar. I do appreciate the interest you've shown and the questions you've asked. @All Perhaps I just need to establish what I'm looking for as a 'finished' character sheet - both for namo and for everyone else: Character stats, class(es), race, abilities, feats and at least the magical equipment. This way, if I have any questions or concerns, I can inquire about them. Also, some sort of very brief (a few sentences is just fine) about character background and description - just so I know what they look like and what they're doing here. What namo just posted is perfect for that. Since I'm looking specifically for an arcane-type, the completed spellbook would be nice, but at the very least an idea of the spells you are considering would be needed. Especially those that might come from splatbooks that are exotic and/or uncommon to most campaigns. The above is enough for me to make a decision on which character fits the campaign best, and also won't overwhelm me as a GM with regard to feats and abilities that I either don't understand (due to never having seem them in action before - a possibility considering the sheer number of splatbooks out there) or perhaps just don't like having been exposed to them before. Core classes I've obviously got no issues with at all, and a good number of splatbook classes, feats, etc fall into this category as well. But there are a number as well that I just don't really like, and would avoid, given the choice.
@namo Why would you need retraining when you're creating a brand new 7th level character? Not sure if I'm understanding the question. As far as 'finished' character sheets, I've had recruitments where I get 15 players all voicing interest with character sheets in the works, and I'm lucky if I get three in various stages of finalization by the time I'm ready to introduce them into the adventure. So yes, the character needs to be ready to be dropped into the game when the time is up. Again, I'm thinking another week or possibly two, depending on when the current battle ends and the adventurers rescue the captives. I mentioned next Friday, but honestly that's probably unreasonably optimistic on my part. More likely it'll be somewhere between Christmas and New Years, since posting rates will likely slow down over the next couple of weeks. Might even be right after the new year starts, for that matter. So you should have plenty of time, if you're truly interested in creating a character for this game. And again, please only jump in if you're interested in the long haul. It's discouraging to have players express interest, post for a couple of months and then disappear.
Moonday, the 5th day of Sarenith, 4714 AR
---------------------------------------------- The spiritual guardian slashes at the wounded gnoll darting away from it, scoring a glancing blow (3 damage) as Francis move up to attack the nearest hyena, though he stumbles and nearly goes head-first into the sand! Nevitash slashes at the hyenas in front of him, killing them both easily as the spiritual weapon does likewise with the hyena it wounded a moment ago. Devin moves to strike at the hyena nearest him with his longspear, the tip of the weapon gouging a deep wound (5 damage) into its shoulder. Elliander slashes Biter into the other hyena harassing him (18 damage), dropping it as he sends the mini stormcloud after the wounded gnoll, who is zapped again (11 damage) by the electric discharge. The gnolls continue to move forward steadily, this time splitting their attention between Elliander and Francis. Though the duskblade is able to avoid taking any wounds, the cleric isn't so lucky and is struck by three arrows (30 damage)! The two remaining hyenas also attack, one of them ducking under the longspear to bite at Devin while the other fixes on Elliander, and though the bard dodges the attack, the duskblade feels the teeth tear into his shin (DR 1 = 1 damage). Amenhep... = Confirmed Hit! = Hit!
vs DC 15 = Success! vs Elliander's AC = Miss! vs Elliander's AC = Miss! vs Elliander's AC = Miss! vs Francis' AC = Hit!
vs Francis' AC = Hit!
vs Francis' AC = Hit!
vs Devin's AC = Miss! vs Elliander's AC = Hit!
Player Handout - Mask of the Forgotten Pharaoh Player Handout - Scrolls of Inquiry Excerpt Knowledge Gleaned about the Forgotten Pharaoh:
The funerary mask they recovered in Wati, known only to them as the Mask of the Forgotten Pharaoh actually belonged to Sky Pharaoh Hakotep I, who ruled Osirion during the Second Age over six thousand years ago. References to Hakotep as the Sky Pharaoh recounted his ability to 'ride the stars by night'. Thanks to a few other obscure clues in the library, combined with their knowledge of history and the arcane, the party suspected this might refer to magic once possessed by the Shory, an ancient people said to have created great cities that flew through the skies thousands of years ago. The hidden Spiral Archive library revealed that Hakotep was involved in some ancient war, and he was convinced that an attack was coming from enemies who 'lived in cities in the clouds' - further solidifying the idea of Shory involvement. Apparently the Sky Pharaoh was seeking to find a powerful weapon to defeat his enemy, and there was evidence that he actually found this weapon - but the only details the party found were the remains of papyrus scraps depicting confusing geometrical patterns. A scroll was found describing Hakotep's tomb as 'having wings', part of the confession of a member of a group called the Sacrosanct Order of the Blue Feather, which also claimed that the Sky Pharaoh's heart and funerary mask were stolen from his tomb before it was 'lost to the skies'. This document indicated that these two items possessed pieces of Hakotep's soul, which were separated from his physical body. Hakotep's successor, Pharaoh Djederet II, ordered that members of this order were to be rounded up and questioned - but those scrolls were to be found in yet another secret library known as the Dark Depository. Having now found this second library, the adventurers have yet to find these Scrolls of Inquiry as they were called, but they located the journal of a Priest of Nethys who was either a member of the Sacrosanct Order of the Blue Feather or doing very similar research. The priest's name was Khnenti, and he was apparently obsessed with the mystery of the Sky Pharaoh. Khnenti wrote extensively about the funerary mask of Hakotep I, and that it also contains a portion of the Sky Pharaoh's soul, specifically his ka, which apparently fuels the magical abilities of the mask. It was also noted during their search of the room that all of the sarcophagi in the chamber they're resting in contain the remains of those that were being punished by being embalmed and mummified while still alive for various crimes involving the search for knowledge that had been deemed as protected by order of the pharaoh. And, in fact, the occupant of one of these sarcophagi was none other than Khnenti himself - a contemporary of Pharaoh Djederet II and apparently during the time period when the Scrolls of Inquiry were purportedly written. It is apparent to the party that these scrolls, and perhaps more information, are still to be found somewhere in the Dark Depository - perhaps in one of the other rooms they've yet to explore. As well, they hope to find the location of this Vault of Hidden Wisdom, where Khnenti indicated he stored his most precious research on Hakotep, including the Sky Pharaoh's 'darkest secrets'. Their research finally revealed the Scrolls of Inquiry, the scrolls proving to be both cumbersome and difficult to read, with most of the confessions meaning nothing to them. One transcript, however, does contain some useful information (OOC - see Player Handout #2 in the Google Slides for details). After hearing the others tell of this, Devin realizes he may have heard something about that. The half-orc bard recalls he heard some months earlier. The story went that an important and high-ranking priestess of Nethys was said to have discovered an artifact of some kind beneath Azghaad's Spire in Sothis. Her name, as he recalls, was Serethet - and soon after the discovery that had all the treasure hunters and nobility in the capital city of Osirion buzzing with excitement, the priestess disappeared. There were rumors that she had fled Sothis after being summoned to an audience with the Ruby Prince himself. Besides the grim contents of the scrolls, the party also discovered a collection of architectural plans detailing a series of tomb designs of incredible complexity. Each plan is labeled with a double hieroglyph of an owl inside a house. It didn't take long to cross reference the hieroglyph as the signature of a very famous architect from the First Age of Osirion, a talented man called Chisisek. There is also a note mentioning a meeting between Chisisek and the Sky Pharaoh, but nothing more is found on this topic here. It appears that the interred priest Khnenti possessed further research on Hakotep and the architect both, but these can only be found in the Vault of Hidden Wisdom - the third and hopefully final library in their quest for knowledge. The location of the Vault is secret, but there is a notable clue that "worthy scholars can find the entrance by casting their eyes from the summit of the Tower of Ra’s Glory at dawn on midsummer’s day." The party, however, is able to glean some knowledge from the corpse of Khenti using a Speak with Dead spell. And though the spirit of the long-dead scholar gives no further instruction on how to find the Vault of Hidden Wisdom, the question "Why is the Temple of Nethys hiding information about Hakotep?" elicits the answer of. "The Sacrosanct Order of the Blue Feather, a sect of the Temple of Nethys, sought to learn the secrets held by Sky Pharaoh Hakotep I, where he lay interred in his tomb. But the knowledge they gleaned was deemed too dangerous by Pharaoh Djederet II and the Order was charged with keeping it secret from all except themselves. For not even the Pharaoh, himself a worshipper of Nethys, would see valuable knowledge destroyed." The final question, "Where is Chisiek buried?" brings a strong response from the corpse. "Chisiek's tomb lies in the Parched Dunes, north of the source of the Crook River in the foothills of the Barrier Wall within a steep-sided ravine at the western edge of a valley hidden from those that are not seeking it carefully." The body of Khnenti even went so far as to turn its head to seek the eyes of the spellcaster, adding an addendum to its final answer. "Find the tomb of the architect who built the Sky Pharaoh's sacred pyramid. Finish my work!" After finding the third and final library, the PCs find the remainder of the journal of the Nethysian priest Khnenti, whose spirit they actually spoke with in the Dark Depository. According to the journal, with Hakotep’s ib and ka trapped in his heart and funerary mask, the third part of his soul, the ba, remained trapped within the pharaoh’s body in his pyramid. In order for the Sky Pharaoh to pass into the afterlife, the three parts of his soul — his ba, ib, and ka — must be rejoined. Khnenti goes on to speculate that reuniting Hakotep’s ivided soul might even return the Sky Pharaoh to life. The research also confirms that the architect Chisisek designed and built Hakotep’s pyramid. When construction was completed, Chisisek was killed and buried in a hidden tomb to preserve the pyramid’s secrets, but no plans of the pyramid seem to have survived. They do learn that the Sky Pharaoh’s pyramid was capable of flight, and when Hakotep’s body was entombed within, the
However, Francis found a text that confirmed that although none know the location of Chisisek’s tomb, his funeral was commemorated in a fresco in the Vault’s rotunda by the greatest artist of the age, Hor-hepu. This is the same fresco that was hidden behind the false ceiling, and in studying the fresco painted on the true dome of the rotunda, the PCs learn that Chisisek’s tomb - sealed with his double hieroglyph of an owl inside a house - is said to be located “across two bridges, where
Lastly, they find that the geometric shapes on the fresco are far more than just design elements; they represent a fantastic weapon of vast size used against winged cities populated with strange figures bearing weapons that launch black fire - clear refence to the ancient people known as the Shory.
-------------------------------------------- Round 2 & 3 - Initiative Order / HP Tracker / Combat Notes: Elliander 38/63 [Armor Crystal - DR 1, has absorbed 3 (of 10) damage this day; Bull's Strength (+4 to Strength [+2 to attack/damage rolls with melee weapons] - enhancement bonus) for 7 minutes; Bless (+1 to attack rolls & saves vs fear - morale bonus) for 7 minutes; Inspired (+2 to attack rolls, +3 to damage rolls) for x rounds] Francis 23/53 [Magic Vestment (+2 to AC - enhancement bonus to armor) for 7 hours; Greater Magic Weapon (+2 to attack/damage rolls to Dagger - enhancement bonus to weapon) for 7 hours; Bless (+1 to attack rolls & saves vs fear - morale bonus) for 7 minutes; Inspired (+2 to attack rolls, +3 to damage rolls) for x rounds; Spiritual Ally for 6 rounds] Nevitash 66/71 [Magic Vestment (+2 to AC - enhancement bonus to armor) for 7 hours; Bless (+1 to attack rolls & saves vs fear - morale bonus) for 7 minutes; Inspired (+2 to attack rolls, +3 to damage rolls) for x rounds; Shield of Faith (+3 to AC - deflection bonus) for 7 minutes; Spiritual Weapon for 6 rounds; Divine Favor (+2 to attack/damage rolls - luck bonus) for 4 rounds] Devin 59/59 [Bless (+1 to attack rolls & saves vs fear - morale bonus) for 7 minutes; Inspired (+2 to attack rolls, +3 to damage rolls) for x rounds] 6 Gnolls Most Unwounded; Red -30 HP 2 Hyenas Green is Unwounded; Red -5 HP Amenhep 58/58 [Bless (+1 to attack rolls & saves vs fear - morale bonus) for 7 minutes; Inspired (+2 to attack rolls, +3 to damage rolls) for x rounds]
@Marius Sounds good, at the moment you are the only candidate with a completed character sheet, so you have priority at present! I'd forgotten that archaeologist bards are pretty different from regular bards, in that most of your abilities pertain to yourself rather than the party. That said, your bard and the other bard could probably work well together. Stay tuned!
@namo That works! Though probably just tombs in general, not Chisisek in particular. That secret was only recently unearthed by the party.
I'm not familiar with Psychic, but I've got no objections to it specifically. Just to reiterate though, I plan to select whichever character is most aligned to what I'm seeking for the party. An arcane-type, with a background befitting the campaign in which this adventure path is taking place.
The party is currently in a battle with gnolls to free the slaves, so the end of the battle would be the write-in, probably two weeks or so? I'll make my decision in a week, if I've got a few candidates with finalized character sheets by then. @Marius, a bard would be low priority, given the party already does have a bard in their ranks. I like to avoid duplicate classes in the group when possible.
The only reason I'm inclined to rule against this, is the following excerpt from the Spiritual Weapon Description: It strikes as a spell, not as a weapon, so for example, it can damage creatures that have damage reduction. As a force effect, it can strike incorporeal creatures without the reduction in damage associated with incorporeality. The weapon always strikes from your direction. It does not get a flanking bonus or help a combatant get one. Your feats or combat actions do not affect the weapon. Since it strikes a spell, which is good because of the force effect (especially against incorporeal), my thought is that no spell that affects your ability to use your own weapons (bless, inspiration, etc) should carry over to the spiritual weapon, which is basically attacking as a simple spell effect. It's not really YOU wielding the weapon, after all. And those buff spells only affect allies. This seems to be in agreement with the description stating that feats and combat actions don't affect the weapon. I'm definitely still open to further discussion though.
Greetings! I am currently recruiting one player for an ongoing Pathfinder game using the Mummy's Mask adventure path. We are in the middle of Book 3, The Shifting Sands - so characters are currently 8th level. The party currently has a human Cleric, a human Duskblade (I know, from 3.5 - but modified for Pathfinder), a human Paladin, a half-orc Inquisitor and a half-orc Bard. An arcane caster would be ideal, and any applicants with such a character would get dibs on the open spot. Players can spend 25 points on their ability scores, using Table 1-1 in the core rulebook (pg 16) for point costs. Once your character is created, you can spend up to 33k gp on magic items as you’d like, though only worry about giving me the accounting for magical items and costly mundane items. You can stock up on all the low-cost gear you'd like without tallying up every copper piece. Just... uh... keep it within reason! Traits are just fine, and you can also have Background Skills. As far as hit points go, you get the max at 1st level, and then you can roll the dice for each level thereafter. If you roll less than half, go ahead and take the half. As far as character classes, feats and all the fluff stuff goes, I've got a lot of the splat books, but not all of them. I'm more comfortable with the basic classes/feats/etc from the more popular ones (core rulebook of course, PHB II, and the Complete Warrior/Arcane/Divine/Adventurer). If you go outside of those, I'm probably less likely to select your character, as my familiarity spirals downward from those tomes. Still, if you want to take a chance I won't hold you back! But you absolutely MUST have complete descriptions of abilities, feats, etc so I can at least have some idea of what's going on without resorting to scanning the internet for sourcebook material. That's just too much work... A character history would also be nice, especially if you have the time and inclination to read either the entire adventure that has taken place over the past nine years (Yes, NINE years! But again, don't feel compelled - unless you have a LOT of time on your hands!), or maybe even just skim over Empty Graves Part III to get an idea of what's happened in the last adventure module. Links to previous adventures are in the Campaign tab. I definitely will give extra consideration to players who tie their background story into the adventure history thus far - though only into why they are in the middle of the Osirian desert. As far as how I'll be bringing you into the adventure, why you're a captive of gnoll slavers, of course! They'll have all your gear, so no worries about having no gear. Anyway, that's about all I can think of. Let me know if you have any questions and I hope to see some great submissions! I'll keep this open for a couple of weeks or so and choose among ONLY those that are totally complete when I post that I'm about ready to select. One last thing, folks. Please consider whether you're in this for the long haul. I try to keep a good posting rate of every four to six days or so (this can vary of course, but I try to shoot for that rate - sometimes faster if all my players post quick) but that means we're looking at a good several years to get through all six books of the adventure path. I'd love to have the same group I've got now cross the finish line with me!
Devin is around and I think he'll be returning to the game soon. But as you are all down a pure arcane spellcaster anyway, I'm going to try and recruit one for the adventure. That way you'll either be back up to a party of 6 if Devin returns, or still at 5 if he doesn't.
Moonday, the 5th day of Sarenith, 4714 AR
---------------------------------------------- Elliander summons his magic, using it to summon a thundercloud over the head of an unfortunate gnoll slaver, who is zapped with an electric discharge like that of a fairly weak lightning bolt (4 damage) that causes little damage, but startles him at least. Perhaps more startling to the gnoll is the spiritual ally of Francis that appears next to it, and the blows it rains down upon the creature penetrate the armor of its surprised foe (9 damage), wounding it further. Nevitash summons a spiritual weapon that slashes at the nearest hyena (3 damage), wounding it. Devin begins to sing a stirring song that boosts the spirits of his allies and charges forward with the longspear bearing the party's banner (Everyone is at +2 to hit and +3 damage [+2 competence bonus to both, +1 morale bonus to damage only]). The gnolls ready their bows and move forward as well, one of them trying to avoid the spiritual guardian*, sending arrows at the approaching party's lead elements. Elliander is struck hard by two arrows (DR 1 - 13 + 11 = 24 damage total), but the others streak past him and Nevitash both. The hyenas dart toward them as well, racing across the rocky desert terrain with startling quickness. Two of them snap at those in the lead, but though Elliander is protected by his armor, Nevitash takes a minor wound (5 damage), though he keeps his feet when it tries to knock him to the ground. Amenhep moves toward the fray*... (see below) vs DC 15 = Success! vs Elliander's AC = Hit!
vs Elliander's AC = Possible Hit!
vs Elliander's AC = Miss! vs Nevitash's AC = Miss! vs Nevitash's AC = Miss! vs Nevitash's AC = Miss! vs Elliander's AC = Miss! vs Nevitash's AC = Auto Hit, Possible Crit!
Player Handout - Mask of the Forgotten Pharaoh Player Handout - Scrolls of Inquiry Excerpt Knowledge Gleaned about the Forgotten Pharaoh:
The funerary mask they recovered in Wati, known only to them as the Mask of the Forgotten Pharaoh actually belonged to Sky Pharaoh Hakotep I, who ruled Osirion during the Second Age over six thousand years ago. References to Hakotep as the Sky Pharaoh recounted his ability to 'ride the stars by night'. Thanks to a few other obscure clues in the library, combined with their knowledge of history and the arcane, the party suspected this might refer to magic once possessed by the Shory, an ancient people said to have created great cities that flew through the skies thousands of years ago. The hidden Spiral Archive library revealed that Hakotep was involved in some ancient war, and he was convinced that an attack was coming from enemies who 'lived in cities in the clouds' - further solidifying the idea of Shory involvement. Apparently the Sky Pharaoh was seeking to find a powerful weapon to defeat his enemy, and there was evidence that he actually found this weapon - but the only details the party found were the remains of papyrus scraps depicting confusing geometrical patterns. A scroll was found describing Hakotep's tomb as 'having wings', part of the confession of a member of a group called the Sacrosanct Order of the Blue Feather, which also claimed that the Sky Pharaoh's heart and funerary mask were stolen from his tomb before it was 'lost to the skies'. This document indicated that these two items possessed pieces of Hakotep's soul, which were separated from his physical body. Hakotep's successor, Pharaoh Djederet II, ordered that members of this order were to be rounded up and questioned - but those scrolls were to be found in yet another secret library known as the Dark Depository. Having now found this second library, the adventurers have yet to find these Scrolls of Inquiry as they were called, but they located the journal of a Priest of Nethys who was either a member of the Sacrosanct Order of the Blue Feather or doing very similar research. The priest's name was Khnenti, and he was apparently obsessed with the mystery of the Sky Pharaoh. Khnenti wrote extensively about the funerary mask of Hakotep I, and that it also contains a portion of the Sky Pharaoh's soul, specifically his ka, which apparently fuels the magical abilities of the mask. It was also noted during their search of the room that all of the sarcophagi in the chamber they're resting in contain the remains of those that were being punished by being embalmed and mummified while still alive for various crimes involving the search for knowledge that had been deemed as protected by order of the pharaoh. And, in fact, the occupant of one of these sarcophagi was none other than Khnenti himself - a contemporary of Pharaoh Djederet II and apparently during the time period when the Scrolls of Inquiry were purportedly written. It is apparent to the party that these scrolls, and perhaps more information, are still to be found somewhere in the Dark Depository - perhaps in one of the other rooms they've yet to explore. As well, they hope to find the location of this Vault of Hidden Wisdom, where Khnenti indicated he stored his most precious research on Hakotep, including the Sky Pharaoh's 'darkest secrets'. Their research finally revealed the Scrolls of Inquiry, the scrolls proving to be both cumbersome and difficult to read, with most of the confessions meaning nothing to them. One transcript, however, does contain some useful information (OOC - see Player Handout #2 in the Google Slides for details). After hearing the others tell of this, Devin realizes he may have heard something about that. The half-orc bard recalls he heard some months earlier. The story went that an important and high-ranking priestess of Nethys was said to have discovered an artifact of some kind beneath Azghaad's Spire in Sothis. Her name, as he recalls, was Serethet - and soon after the discovery that had all the treasure hunters and nobility in the capital city of Osirion buzzing with excitement, the priestess disappeared. There were rumors that she had fled Sothis after being summoned to an audience with the Ruby Prince himself. Besides the grim contents of the scrolls, the party also discovered a collection of architectural plans detailing a series of tomb designs of incredible complexity. Each plan is labeled with a double hieroglyph of an owl inside a house. It didn't take long to cross reference the hieroglyph as the signature of a very famous architect from the First Age of Osirion, a talented man called Chisisek. There is also a note mentioning a meeting between Chisisek and the Sky Pharaoh, but nothing more is found on this topic here. It appears that the interred priest Khnenti possessed further research on Hakotep and the architect both, but these can only be found in the Vault of Hidden Wisdom - the third and hopefully final library in their quest for knowledge. The location of the Vault is secret, but there is a notable clue that "worthy scholars can find the entrance by casting their eyes from the summit of the Tower of Ra’s Glory at dawn on midsummer’s day." The party, however, is able to glean some knowledge from the corpse of Khenti using a Speak with Dead spell. And though the spirit of the long-dead scholar gives no further instruction on how to find the Vault of Hidden Wisdom, the question "Why is the Temple of Nethys hiding information about Hakotep?" elicits the answer of. "The Sacrosanct Order of the Blue Feather, a sect of the Temple of Nethys, sought to learn the secrets held by Sky Pharaoh Hakotep I, where he lay interred in his tomb. But the knowledge they gleaned was deemed too dangerous by Pharaoh Djederet II and the Order was charged with keeping it secret from all except themselves. For not even the Pharaoh, himself a worshipper of Nethys, would see valuable knowledge destroyed." The final question, "Where is Chisiek buried?" brings a strong response from the corpse. "Chisiek's tomb lies in the Parched Dunes, north of the source of the Crook River in the foothills of the Barrier Wall within a steep-sided ravine at the western edge of a valley hidden from those that are not seeking it carefully." The body of Khnenti even went so far as to turn its head to seek the eyes of the spellcaster, adding an addendum to its final answer. "Find the tomb of the architect who built the Sky Pharaoh's sacred pyramid. Finish my work!" After finding the third and final library, the PCs find the remainder of the journal of the Nethysian priest Khnenti, whose spirit they actually spoke with in the Dark Depository. According to the journal, with Hakotep’s ib and ka trapped in his heart and funerary mask, the third part of his soul, the ba, remained trapped within the pharaoh’s body in his pyramid. In order for the Sky Pharaoh to pass into the afterlife, the three parts of his soul — his ba, ib, and ka — must be rejoined. Khnenti goes on to speculate that reuniting Hakotep’s ivided soul might even return the Sky Pharaoh to life. The research also confirms that the architect Chisisek designed and built Hakotep’s pyramid. When construction was completed, Chisisek was killed and buried in a hidden tomb to preserve the pyramid’s secrets, but no plans of the pyramid seem to have survived. They do learn that the Sky Pharaoh’s pyramid was capable of flight, and when Hakotep’s body was entombed within, the
However, Francis found a text that confirmed that although none know the location of Chisisek’s tomb, his funeral was commemorated in a fresco in the Vault’s rotunda by the greatest artist of the age, Hor-hepu. This is the same fresco that was hidden behind the false ceiling, and in studying the fresco painted on the true dome of the rotunda, the PCs learn that Chisisek’s tomb - sealed with his double hieroglyph of an owl inside a house - is said to be located “across two bridges, where
Lastly, they find that the geometric shapes on the fresco are far more than just design elements; they represent a fantastic weapon of vast size used against winged cities populated with strange figures bearing weapons that launch black fire - clear refence to the ancient people known as the Shory.
-------------------------------------------- Round 1 & 2 - Initiative Order / HP Tracker / Combat Notes: Elliander 39/63 [Armor Crystal - DR 1, has absorbed 2 (of 10) damage this day; Bull's Strength (+4 to Strength [+2 to attack/damage rolls with melee weapons] - enhancement bonus) for 7 minutes; Bless (+1 to attack rolls & saves vs fear - morale bonus) for 7 minutes; Inspired (+2 to attack rolls, +3 to damage rolls) for x rounds] Francis 53/53 [Magic Vestment (+2 to AC - enhancement bonus to armor) for 7 hours; Greater Magic Weapon (+2 to attack/damage rolls to ? - enhancement bonus to weapon) for 7 hours; Bless (+1 to attack rolls & saves vs fear - morale bonus) for 7 minutes; Inspired (+2 to attack rolls, +3 to damage rolls) for x rounds; Spiritual Ally for 7 rounds] Nevitash 66/71 [Bless (+1 to attack rolls & saves vs fear - morale bonus) for 7 minutes; Inspired (+2 to attack rolls, +3 to damage rolls) for x rounds; Shield of Faith (+3 to AC - deflection bonus) for 7 minutes; Spiritual Weapon for 7 rounds; Divine Favor (+2 to attack/damage rolls - luck bonus) for 5 rounds] Devin 59/59 [Bless (+1 to attack rolls & saves vs fear - morale bonus) for 7 minutes; Inspired (+2 to attack rolls, +3 to damage rolls) for x rounds] 6 Gnolls Most Unwounded; Red -13 HP 6 Hyenas Most Unwounded; Red -3 HP Amenhep 58/58 [Bless (+1 to attack rolls & saves vs fear - morale bonus) for 7 minutes; Inspired (+2 to attack rolls, +3 to damage rolls) for x rounds]
Freeday, 20th day of Planting (i.e. April), 597 C.Y.
------------------------------------------------- Results of Vayne's previous casting of Bone Shards - Morrow is grazed by the bone shards (11 damage) and Gear is struck full on (22 damage) vs DC 14 = Failure! Fash directs his spell at the remaining demon, several of the snapping jaws created by magical energy biting into it despite the creature twisting away to avoid the worst (17 damage) even as the beguiler hears Reonnyn's warning about the illusionary Vayne. The whisper gnome finds it exceedingly strange that the illusion is able to cause harm directly, and though the idea seems vaguely familiar to him, he can't recall the specifics. But it is clear that this illusion is still very dangerous, whether believed or not! Morrow steps up and hammers at the demon with his sword, and though his first blow barely misses, the duskblade deals a deadly amount of damage with the blade in his follow up strokes (37 +38 +14 = 89 damage!) Reonnyn launches a bolt of dark energy at the badly injured demon, striking it full in the face (17 damage), slamming it back against the south wall where it falls unmoving to the floor. Vayne snarls then, and flourishes his wand again. "Oh, you are most certainly a dangerous group of adventurers aren't you? I should have known not to entrust Shyrath with such a critical task. But you shall not find me so easily defeated! In fact, you will not find these pitiful fiends so easily defeated!" As he finishes speaking, one of the slain demons shudders, then lurches to its feet even as its flesh sloughs off its bones, lying in a greasy pool beneath it. The skeletal demon snatches up its weapon, its horned skull seeming to grin at the party as it readies to attack! Gear moves to attack the skeletal demon, and though it appears that the undead creature has retained the memories of how to use its strange weapon, it seems to handle it somewhat awkwardly, if still fairly effectively, as it intercepts the cleric with the pincers of the mancatcher, pinning him away and inflicting deep wounds (22 damage) into his sides as the scythes dig into his ribs! vs DC 20 = Success! vs Gear's AC = Hit!
---------------------------------------------- Round 4 - Initiative Order / HP Tracker / Combat Notes: Unknown ??/?? [Placeholder, PCs can ignore this for now] Sobok 58 [80]/132 [154 w/ Rage] Draconic Aura [Power] grants a +3 bonus to melee damage rolls to all within 30'; Raging (+4 to STR & CON, +2 to Will saves, -2 to AC) for 13 rounds; Message (allows whispered communication up to 400' distance with line of sight) for 110 minutes; Hastened (+1 to attack rolls & dodge bonus to AC, +30' movement, extra attack when making a full attack action) for 10 rounds] Skeletal Demon Unwounded Fash 68/68 [Darkvision & Lowlight Vision; Cloak of Shadow (grants 20% miss chance (can Hide as though concealed), only True Seeing or sight in magical darkness can overcome this ability); Telepathic Bond (telepathy between Reonnyn, Morrow and Gear) for 110 minutes; Message (allows whispered communication up to 400' distance with line of sight) for 110 minutes; Mirror Image (6 images) for 11 minutes; Hastened (+1 to attack rolls & dodge bonus to AC, +30' movement, extra attack when making a full attack action) for 10 rounds; Invisible to Darkvision (when actively using magical ring)[/i] Morrow 42/84 [Darkvision 120' & Blindsight 60' (Norebo's Hand); Keen Edge (Crit range for Norebo's Hand is 17-20) for 110 minutes; Telepathic Bond (telepathy between Reonnyn, Fash and Gear) for 110 minutes; Message (allows whispered communication up to 400' distance with line of sight) for 110 minutes; Hastened (+1 to attack rolls & dodge bonus to AC, +30' movement, extra attack when making a full attack action) for 9 rounds] Reonnyn 82/82 [DR 2 / Cold Iron; +1 luck bonus to all saving throws, ability checks and skill checks (Luck Stone); Darkvision (Invocation); +2 to Fort Saves (Invocation); +6 to Bluff, Diplomacy & Intimidate checks (Invocation); Seeming (as Disguise Self) for 11 hours; Telepathic Bond (telepathy between Fash, Morrow and Gear) for 110 minutes; Message (allows whispered communication up to 400' distance with line of sight) for 110 minutes; Hastened (+1 to attack rolls & dodge bonus to AC, +30' movement, extra attack when making a full attack action) for 9 rounds] Vayne Unwounded [Notes] Vegeir 45/119 [Divine Power (+18/+13/+8 BAB, +6 STR, +10 THP) for 20 hours; Greater Magic Weapon (extra +1 enhancement bonus to attack/damage to Holy sword) for 10 hours; Magic Vestment (+2 AC?) for 10 hours; Telepathic Bond (telepathy between Reonnyn, Morrow and Fash) for 110 minutes; Message (allows whispered communication up to 400' distance with line of sight) for 110 minutes; Protection from Evil (+2 AC vs Evil, rebuffs physical contact and possession/enchantment) for 10 minutes; Hastened (+1 to attack rolls & dodge bonus to AC, +30' movement, extra attack when making a full attack action) for 9 rounds]
I'm starting to get confused as to who has posted their actions for this round. Here's the list, let me know if this sounds right... The demons acted last, and Fash's Manyjaws would have gone off just before that, so my next post will look like this: Round 3 Fash's Manyjaws attack vs blue demon
Morrow's attack (still needs to post) after taking 11 damage Reonnyn's attack (already posted as the eldritch blast for 17 damage vs blue demon) Vayne's action Gear's attack (already posted, but I think you had to move 10' to reach the demon, in which case you only get a single attack - if I'm mistaken and you only needed a 5' step to reach it, don't forget your iterative attacks for a full round attack in addition to the haste attack you already made) Round 4 I'll pause it here, as the situation will change so that Sobok will likely need to change his post. So bottom line, I really just need Morrow's Round 3 action to make my next post!
Freeday, 20th day of Planting (i.e. April), 597 C.Y.
------------------------------------------------- Morrow steps forward and attaks the demon, connecting solidly with a couple of blows (DR 5 - 12 damage and 28 damage = 40 slashing damage total) Vayne makes a vicious, slashing motion with his wand and when Reonnyn - who is ready for the move - tries to target it, he finds the effort to be useless. The image of Vayne is an illusion! Still, the effects of the wand are certainly real enough as a swath of bone shards are expelled from its tip, slicing into the demon (red) as well as into Morrow and Gear (22 slashing damage - Reflex Save vs DC 14 for half damage!) Gear breaks free of the demon's weapon and Sobok launches a furious series of blows against the wounded demon (DR 5 - 22 damage, 24 damage and 22 damage = 68 slashing damage total), dropping it in its tracks! Fash channels power into his runestaff and eases forward quietly, to a point where he can see Vayne again. The remaining demon, heedless of the destruction of his kin, steps away from Morrow and uses its weapon again, and though the duskblade is unable to dodge the first strike (20 damage), he evades the follow up blow - though the last one he twists away from only at the last possible moment! piercing damage (Reflex Save DC 14 for half damage) vs DC 14 = Failure! Takes 22 -5 = 17 piercing damage vs Morrow's AC = Hit!
---------------------------------------------- Round 3 - Initiative Order / HP Tracker / Combat Notes: Unknown ??/?? [Placeholder, PCs can ignore this for now] Sobok 58 [80]/132 [154 w/ Rage] Draconic Aura [Power] grants a +3 bonus to melee damage rolls to all within 30'; Raging (+4 to STR & CON, +2 to Will saves, -2 to AC) for 13 rounds; Message (allows whispered communication up to 400' distance with line of sight) for 110 minutes; Hastened (+1 to attack rolls & dodge bonus to AC, +30' movement, extra attack when making a full attack action) for 10 rounds] Fash 68/68 Will Save pending! [Darkvision & Lowlight Vision; Cloak of Shadow (grants 20% miss chance (can Hide as though concealed), only True Seeing or sight in magical darkness can overcome this ability); Telepathic Bond (telepathy between Reonnyn, Morrow and Gear) for 110 minutes; Message (allows whispered communication up to 400' distance with line of sight) for 110 minutes; Mirror Image (6 images) for 11 minutes; Hastened (+1 to attack rolls & dodge bonus to AC, +30' movement, extra attack when making a full attack action) for 10 rounds; Invisible to Darkvision (when actively using magical ring) Demon - Unwounded [b]Morrow 44/84 (Pending -22 or -11 damage) [Darkvision 120' & Blindsight 60' (Norebo's Hand); Keen Edge (Crit range for Norebo's Hand is 17-20) for 110 minutes; Telepathic Bond (telepathy between Reonnyn, Fash and Gear) for 110 minutes; Message (allows whispered communication up to 400' distance with line of sight) for 110 minutes; Hastened (+1 to attack rolls & dodge bonus to AC, +30' movement, extra attack when making a full attack action) for 10 rounds] Reonnyn 82/82 [DR 2 / Cold Iron; +1 luck bonus to all saving throws, ability checks and skill checks (Luck Stone); Darkvision (Invocation); +2 to Fort Saves (Invocation); +6 to Bluff, Diplomacy & Intimidate checks (Invocation); Seeming (as Disguise Self) for 11 hours; Telepathic Bond (telepathy between Fash, Morrow and Gear) for 110 minutes; Message (allows whispered communication up to 400' distance with line of sight) for 110 minutes; Hastened (+1 to attack rolls & dodge bonus to AC, +30' movement, extra attack when making a full attack action) for 10 rounds] Vayne Unwounded [Notes] Vegeir 89/119 (Pending -22 or -11 damage) [Divine Power (+18/+13/+8 BAB, +6 STR, +10 THP) for 20 hours; Greater Magic Weapon (extra +1 enhancement bonus to attack/damage to Holy sword) for 10 hours; Magic Vestment (+2 AC?) for 10 hours; Telepathic Bond (telepathy between Reonnyn, Morrow and Fash) for 110 minutes; Message (allows whispered communication up to 400' distance with line of sight) for 110 minutes; Protection from Evil (+2 AC vs Evil, rebuffs physical contact and possession/enchantment) for 10 minutes; Hastened (+1 to attack rolls & dodge bonus to AC, +30' movement, extra attack when making a full attack action) for 10 rounds]
Moonday, the 5th day of Sarenith, 4714 AR
----------------------------------------------
The party creeps through the desert night, the sand giving way to hard packed stone as the land dips down toward the river. Surprisingly, even those with heavy armor are able to remain quiet enough to get much closer to the desert dogs and their canine-like masters than they'd thought they would. But as they close to within 50' or so of the perimeter, the nearest hyena comes suddenly alert and starts to snarl and howl, gaining the attention of the other animals a moment after a couple of the gnolls glance up and growl something in their own language, perhaps hearing or spotting the glint of moonlight reflected on metal out in the darkness. At the sudden noise of the desert dogs and the alertness of their gnoll captors, the chained slaves stir from their exhaustion to look up, peering into the darkness with trepidation even as the gnolls grab for weapons and the hyenas launch forward to engage the intruders! Elliander is the first to act...
Player Handout - Mask of the Forgotten Pharaoh Player Handout - Scrolls of Inquiry Excerpt Knowledge Gleaned about the Forgotten Pharaoh:
The funerary mask they recovered in Wati, known only to them as the Mask of the Forgotten Pharaoh actually belonged to Sky Pharaoh Hakotep I, who ruled Osirion during the Second Age over six thousand years ago. References to Hakotep as the Sky Pharaoh recounted his ability to 'ride the stars by night'. Thanks to a few other obscure clues in the library, combined with their knowledge of history and the arcane, the party suspected this might refer to magic once possessed by the Shory, an ancient people said to have created great cities that flew through the skies thousands of years ago. The hidden Spiral Archive library revealed that Hakotep was involved in some ancient war, and he was convinced that an attack was coming from enemies who 'lived in cities in the clouds' - further solidifying the idea of Shory involvement. Apparently the Sky Pharaoh was seeking to find a powerful weapon to defeat his enemy, and there was evidence that he actually found this weapon - but the only details the party found were the remains of papyrus scraps depicting confusing geometrical patterns. A scroll was found describing Hakotep's tomb as 'having wings', part of the confession of a member of a group called the Sacrosanct Order of the Blue Feather, which also claimed that the Sky Pharaoh's heart and funerary mask were stolen from his tomb before it was 'lost to the skies'. This document indicated that these two items possessed pieces of Hakotep's soul, which were separated from his physical body. Hakotep's successor, Pharaoh Djederet II, ordered that members of this order were to be rounded up and questioned - but those scrolls were to be found in yet another secret library known as the Dark Depository. Having now found this second library, the adventurers have yet to find these Scrolls of Inquiry as they were called, but they located the journal of a Priest of Nethys who was either a member of the Sacrosanct Order of the Blue Feather or doing very similar research. The priest's name was Khnenti, and he was apparently obsessed with the mystery of the Sky Pharaoh. Khnenti wrote extensively about the funerary mask of Hakotep I, and that it also contains a portion of the Sky Pharaoh's soul, specifically his ka, which apparently fuels the magical abilities of the mask. It was also noted during their search of the room that all of the sarcophagi in the chamber they're resting in contain the remains of those that were being punished by being embalmed and mummified while still alive for various crimes involving the search for knowledge that had been deemed as protected by order of the pharaoh. And, in fact, the occupant of one of these sarcophagi was none other than Khnenti himself - a contemporary of Pharaoh Djederet II and apparently during the time period when the Scrolls of Inquiry were purportedly written. It is apparent to the party that these scrolls, and perhaps more information, are still to be found somewhere in the Dark Depository - perhaps in one of the other rooms they've yet to explore. As well, they hope to find the location of this Vault of Hidden Wisdom, where Khnenti indicated he stored his most precious research on Hakotep, including the Sky Pharaoh's 'darkest secrets'. Their research finally revealed the Scrolls of Inquiry, the scrolls proving to be both cumbersome and difficult to read, with most of the confessions meaning nothing to them. One transcript, however, does contain some useful information (OOC - see Player Handout #2 in the Google Slides for details). After hearing the others tell of this, Devin realizes he may have heard something about that. The half-orc bard recalls he heard some months earlier. The story went that an important and high-ranking priestess of Nethys was said to have discovered an artifact of some kind beneath Azghaad's Spire in Sothis. Her name, as he recalls, was Serethet - and soon after the discovery that had all the treasure hunters and nobility in the capital city of Osirion buzzing with excitement, the priestess disappeared. There were rumors that she had fled Sothis after being summoned to an audience with the Ruby Prince himself. Besides the grim contents of the scrolls, the party also discovered a collection of architectural plans detailing a series of tomb designs of incredible complexity. Each plan is labeled with a double hieroglyph of an owl inside a house. It didn't take long to cross reference the hieroglyph as the signature of a very famous architect from the First Age of Osirion, a talented man called Chisisek. There is also a note mentioning a meeting between Chisisek and the Sky Pharaoh, but nothing more is found on this topic here. It appears that the interred priest Khnenti possessed further research on Hakotep and the architect both, but these can only be found in the Vault of Hidden Wisdom - the third and hopefully final library in their quest for knowledge. The location of the Vault is secret, but there is a notable clue that "worthy scholars can find the entrance by casting their eyes from the summit of the Tower of Ra’s Glory at dawn on midsummer’s day." The party, however, is able to glean some knowledge from the corpse of Khenti using a Speak with Dead spell. And though the spirit of the long-dead scholar gives no further instruction on how to find the Vault of Hidden Wisdom, the question "Why is the Temple of Nethys hiding information about Hakotep?" elicits the answer of. "The Sacrosanct Order of the Blue Feather, a sect of the Temple of Nethys, sought to learn the secrets held by Sky Pharaoh Hakotep I, where he lay interred in his tomb. But the knowledge they gleaned was deemed too dangerous by Pharaoh Djederet II and the Order was charged with keeping it secret from all except themselves. For not even the Pharaoh, himself a worshipper of Nethys, would see valuable knowledge destroyed." The final question, "Where is Chisiek buried?" brings a strong response from the corpse. "Chisiek's tomb lies in the Parched Dunes, north of the source of the Crook River in the foothills of the Barrier Wall within a steep-sided ravine at the western edge of a valley hidden from those that are not seeking it carefully." The body of Khnenti even went so far as to turn its head to seek the eyes of the spellcaster, adding an addendum to its final answer. "Find the tomb of the architect who built the Sky Pharaoh's sacred pyramid. Finish my work!" After finding the third and final library, the PCs find the remainder of the journal of the Nethysian priest Khnenti, whose spirit they actually spoke with in the Dark Depository. According to the journal, with Hakotep’s ib and ka trapped in his heart and funerary mask, the third part of his soul, the ba, remained trapped within the pharaoh’s body in his pyramid. In order for the Sky Pharaoh to pass into the afterlife, the three parts of his soul — his ba, ib, and ka — must be rejoined. Khnenti goes on to speculate that reuniting Hakotep’s ivided soul might even return the Sky Pharaoh to life. The research also confirms that the architect Chisisek designed and built Hakotep’s pyramid. When construction was completed, Chisisek was killed and buried in a hidden tomb to preserve the pyramid’s secrets, but no plans of the pyramid seem to have survived. They do learn that the Sky Pharaoh’s pyramid was capable of flight, and when Hakotep’s body was entombed within, the
However, Francis found a text that confirmed that although none know the location of Chisisek’s tomb, his funeral was commemorated in a fresco in the Vault’s rotunda by the greatest artist of the age, Hor-hepu. This is the same fresco that was hidden behind the false ceiling, and in studying the fresco painted on the true dome of the rotunda, the PCs learn that Chisisek’s tomb - sealed with his double hieroglyph of an owl inside a house - is said to be located “across two bridges, where
Lastly, they find that the geometric shapes on the fresco are far more than just design elements; they represent a fantastic weapon of vast size used against winged cities populated with strange figures bearing weapons that launch black fire - clear refence to the ancient people known as the Shory.
-------------------------------------------- Round 1 - Initiative Order / HP Tracker / Combat Notes: Elliander 63/63 [Armor Crystal - DR 1, has absorbed 0 (of 10) damage this day; Bull's Strength (+4 to Strength [+2 to attack/damage rolls with melee weapons] - enhancement bonus) for 7 minutes; Bless (+1 to attack rolls & saves vs fear - morale bonus) for 7 minutes] Francis 53/53 [Magic Vestment (+2 to AC - enhancement bonus to armor) for 7 hours; Greater Magic Weapon (+2 to attack/damage rolls to ? - enhancement bonus to weapon) for 7 hours; Bless (+1 to attack rolls & saves vs fear - morale bonus) for 7 minutes] Nevitash 71/71 [Bless (+1 to attack rolls & saves vs fear - morale bonus) for 7 minutes; Shield of Faith (+3 to AC - deflection bonus) for 7 minutes; Divine Favor (+2 to attack/damage rolls - luck bonus) for 6 rounds] Devin 59/59 [Bless (+1 to attack rolls & saves vs fear - morale bonus) for 7 minutes] 6 Gnolls All Unwounded 6 Hyenas All Unwounded Amenhep 58/58 [Bless (+1 to attack rolls & saves vs fear - morale bonus) for 7 minutes]
@Gear To my knowledge summoned creatures cannot make physical contact, and are forbidden from making natural attacks against anyone with the Protection from Evil spell. I do believe that's actually specified in the spell description. Since these are attack with weapons and not natural weapons, they wouldn't fall into this category.
Freeday, 20th day of Planting (i.e. April), 597 C.Y.
------------------------------------------------- Fash casts a spell to hasten his companions as the remaining demons attack, one stepping forward with its nasty-looking polearm to strike at Sobok, connecting with two solid blows (39 damage total) though its last - intending to pin the dragon shaman as it had been done to Morrow - fails to land. The other moves across the rune-scribed circle, which no longer glows dully, to engage Gear, striking the armored cleric as the scythes dig into his chest (19 damage) his arms pinned to his sides as he tries to wrest free (Grappled - DC 25). Reonnyn activates his wand, aiming it at Vayne, though there doesn't appear to be any effect (Reonnyn, make a Will Save please) Morrow, who can now move freely as the demon's weapon clatters to the floor... vs Sobok's AC = Hit!
vs Gear's AC = Hit!
---------------------------------------------- Round 2 - Initiative Order / HP Tracker / Combat Notes: Unknown ??/?? [Placeholder, PCs can ignore this for now] Sobok 58 [80]/132 [154 w/ Rage] Draconic Aura [Power] grants a +3 bonus to melee damage rolls to all within 30'; Raging (+4 to STR & CON, +2 to Will saves, -2 to AC) for 13 rounds; Message (allows whispered communication up to 400' distance with line of sight) for 110 minutes; Hastened (+1 to attack rolls & dodge bonus to AC, +30' movement, extra attack when making a full attack action) for 11 rounds] Fash 68/68 Will Save pending! [Darkvision & Lowlight Vision; Cloak of Shadow (grants 20% miss chance (can Hide as though concealed), only True Seeing or sight in magical darkness can overcome this ability); Telepathic Bond (telepathy between Reonnyn, Morrow and Gear) for 110 minutes; Message (allows whispered communication up to 400' distance with line of sight) for 110 minutes; Mirror Image (6 images) for 11 minutes; Hastened (+1 to attack rolls & dodge bonus to AC, +30' movement, extra attack when making a full attack action) for 11 rounds; Invisible to Darkvision (when actively using magical ring) 3 Demons - Red: Unwounded; Green: -91 HP; Blue: Unwounded Reonnyn 82/82 [DR 2 / Cold Iron; +1 luck bonus to all saving throws, ability checks and skill checks (Luck Stone); Darkvision (Invocation); +2 to Fort Saves (Invocation); +6 to Bluff, Diplomacy & Intimidate checks (Invocation); Seeming (as Disguise Self) for 11 hours; Telepathic Bond (telepathy between Fash, Morrow and Gear) for 110 minutes; Message (allows whispered communication up to 400' distance with line of sight) for 110 minutes; Hastened (+1 to attack rolls & dodge bonus to AC, +30' movement, extra attack when making a full attack action) for 10 rounds] Morrow 64/84 [Darkvision 120' & Blindsight 60' (Norebo's Hand); Keen Edge (Crit range for Norebo's Hand is 17-20) for 110 minutes; Telepathic Bond (telepathy between Reonnyn, Fash and Gear) for 110 minutes; Message (allows whispered communication up to 400' distance with line of sight) for 110 minutes; Hastened (+1 to attack rolls & dodge bonus to AC, +30' movement, extra attack when making a full attack action) for 11 rounds] Vayne Unwounded [Notes] Vegeir 89/119 [Divine Power (+18/+13/+8 BAB, +6 STR, +10 THP) for 20 hours; Greater Magic Weapon (extra +1 enhancement bonus to attack/damage to Holy sword) for 10 hours; Magic Vestment (+2 AC?) for 10 hours; Telepathic Bond (telepathy between Reonnyn, Morrow and Fash) for 110 minutes; Message (allows whispered communication up to 400' distance with line of sight) for 110 minutes; Protection from Evil (+2 AC vs Evil, rebuffs physical contact and possession/enchantment) for 10 minutes; Hastened (+1 to attack rolls & dodge bonus to AC, +30' movement, extra attack when making a full attack action) for 11 rounds]
No worries Sobok, I'll remember going forward that only Gear bypasses the DR. It's easy for me to track the DR in post itself. Thanks, though!
@Francis I PM'd Devin, I know he's around as he plays another character in my Ruins of Greyhawk adventure.
Freeday, 20th day of Planting (i.e. April), 597 C.Y.
------------------------------------------------- Sobok continues his rage-fueled attack on the demon in front of him, and though the first blow bounces off its thick, scaly hide the second slashes through its neck (-5 DR, 21 damage total), killing it! Fash... @Fash Your spell failed to affect Vayne, is all that Fash can discern. @Morrow Yes, grapple rules in 3.5 are so convoluted. You ARE grappled for the moment, but post your actions as though you're not. Green demon is dead, if that helps you decide on your actions. @Gear My bad! The Good overcame the DR, which didn't kill it on YOUR turn, but DID allow Sobok to kill it on his turn just now. Well done!
Moonday, the 5th day of Sarenith, 4714 AR
----------------------------------------------
The party picks their way in the darkness through the desert steppes easily enough, angling toward the river and the party of slavers. As they draw closer, they note that the outriders have joined the main group - which now numbers six in total - and that a like number of hyenas prowl along the perimeter of the camp. Some 150' away from their position, a dozen ragged men and women lie on the desert sand, sharing what appears to be a waterskin and eating ravenously from tin plates they've been given from their captors. The half-dozen slavers are clustered nearby, growling and drinking from skins themselves as they cook something on a small campfire. some of the group (DC 25 Perception check) can see the features of the slavers by the light of the gibbous moon. Hunched and quite large, with canine-like snouts and legs that indicate they are gnolls.
Player Handout - Mask of the Forgotten Pharaoh Player Handout - Scrolls of Inquiry Excerpt Knowledge Gleaned about the Forgotten Pharaoh:
The funerary mask they recovered in Wati, known only to them as the Mask of the Forgotten Pharaoh actually belonged to Sky Pharaoh Hakotep I, who ruled Osirion during the Second Age over six thousand years ago. References to Hakotep as the Sky Pharaoh recounted his ability to 'ride the stars by night'. Thanks to a few other obscure clues in the library, combined with their knowledge of history and the arcane, the party suspected this might refer to magic once possessed by the Shory, an ancient people said to have created great cities that flew through the skies thousands of years ago. The hidden Spiral Archive library revealed that Hakotep was involved in some ancient war, and he was convinced that an attack was coming from enemies who 'lived in cities in the clouds' - further solidifying the idea of Shory involvement. Apparently the Sky Pharaoh was seeking to find a powerful weapon to defeat his enemy, and there was evidence that he actually found this weapon - but the only details the party found were the remains of papyrus scraps depicting confusing geometrical patterns. A scroll was found describing Hakotep's tomb as 'having wings', part of the confession of a member of a group called the Sacrosanct Order of the Blue Feather, which also claimed that the Sky Pharaoh's heart and funerary mask were stolen from his tomb before it was 'lost to the skies'. This document indicated that these two items possessed pieces of Hakotep's soul, which were separated from his physical body. Hakotep's successor, Pharaoh Djederet II, ordered that members of this order were to be rounded up and questioned - but those scrolls were to be found in yet another secret library known as the Dark Depository. Having now found this second library, the adventurers have yet to find these Scrolls of Inquiry as they were called, but they located the journal of a Priest of Nethys who was either a member of the Sacrosanct Order of the Blue Feather or doing very similar research. The priest's name was Khnenti, and he was apparently obsessed with the mystery of the Sky Pharaoh. Khnenti wrote extensively about the funerary mask of Hakotep I, and that it also contains a portion of the Sky Pharaoh's soul, specifically his ka, which apparently fuels the magical abilities of the mask. It was also noted during their search of the room that all of the sarcophagi in the chamber they're resting in contain the remains of those that were being punished by being embalmed and mummified while still alive for various crimes involving the search for knowledge that had been deemed as protected by order of the pharaoh. And, in fact, the occupant of one of these sarcophagi was none other than Khnenti himself - a contemporary of Pharaoh Djederet II and apparently during the time period when the Scrolls of Inquiry were purportedly written. It is apparent to the party that these scrolls, and perhaps more information, are still to be found somewhere in the Dark Depository - perhaps in one of the other rooms they've yet to explore. As well, they hope to find the location of this Vault of Hidden Wisdom, where Khnenti indicated he stored his most precious research on Hakotep, including the Sky Pharaoh's 'darkest secrets'. Their research finally revealed the Scrolls of Inquiry, the scrolls proving to be both cumbersome and difficult to read, with most of the confessions meaning nothing to them. One transcript, however, does contain some useful information (OOC - see Player Handout #2 in the Google Slides for details). After hearing the others tell of this, Devin realizes he may have heard something about that. The half-orc bard recalls he heard some months earlier. The story went that an important and high-ranking priestess of Nethys was said to have discovered an artifact of some kind beneath Azghaad's Spire in Sothis. Her name, as he recalls, was Serethet - and soon after the discovery that had all the treasure hunters and nobility in the capital city of Osirion buzzing with excitement, the priestess disappeared. There were rumors that she had fled Sothis after being summoned to an audience with the Ruby Prince himself. Besides the grim contents of the scrolls, the party also discovered a collection of architectural plans detailing a series of tomb designs of incredible complexity. Each plan is labeled with a double hieroglyph of an owl inside a house. It didn't take long to cross reference the hieroglyph as the signature of a very famous architect from the First Age of Osirion, a talented man called Chisisek. There is also a note mentioning a meeting between Chisisek and the Sky Pharaoh, but nothing more is found on this topic here. It appears that the interred priest Khnenti possessed further research on Hakotep and the architect both, but these can only be found in the Vault of Hidden Wisdom - the third and hopefully final library in their quest for knowledge. The location of the Vault is secret, but there is a notable clue that "worthy scholars can find the entrance by casting their eyes from the summit of the Tower of Ra’s Glory at dawn on midsummer’s day." The party, however, is able to glean some knowledge from the corpse of Khenti using a Speak with Dead spell. And though the spirit of the long-dead scholar gives no further instruction on how to find the Vault of Hidden Wisdom, the question "Why is the Temple of Nethys hiding information about Hakotep?" elicits the answer of. "The Sacrosanct Order of the Blue Feather, a sect of the Temple of Nethys, sought to learn the secrets held by Sky Pharaoh Hakotep I, where he lay interred in his tomb. But the knowledge they gleaned was deemed too dangerous by Pharaoh Djederet II and the Order was charged with keeping it secret from all except themselves. For not even the Pharaoh, himself a worshipper of Nethys, would see valuable knowledge destroyed." The final question, "Where is Chisiek buried?" brings a strong response from the corpse. "Chisiek's tomb lies in the Parched Dunes, north of the source of the Crook River in the foothills of the Barrier Wall within a steep-sided ravine at the western edge of a valley hidden from those that are not seeking it carefully." The body of Khnenti even went so far as to turn its head to seek the eyes of the spellcaster, adding an addendum to its final answer. "Find the tomb of the architect who built the Sky Pharaoh's sacred pyramid. Finish my work!" After finding the third and final library, the PCs find the remainder of the journal of the Nethysian priest Khnenti, whose spirit they actually spoke with in the Dark Depository. According to the journal, with Hakotep’s ib and ka trapped in his heart and funerary mask, the third part of his soul, the ba, remained trapped within the pharaoh’s body in his pyramid. In order for the Sky Pharaoh to pass into the afterlife, the three parts of his soul — his ba, ib, and ka — must be rejoined. Khnenti goes on to speculate that reuniting Hakotep’s ivided soul might even return the Sky Pharaoh to life. The research also confirms that the architect Chisisek designed and built Hakotep’s pyramid. When construction was completed, Chisisek was killed and buried in a hidden tomb to preserve the pyramid’s secrets, but no plans of the pyramid seem to have survived. They do learn that the Sky Pharaoh’s pyramid was capable of flight, and when Hakotep’s body was entombed within, the
However, Francis found a text that confirmed that although none know the location of Chisisek’s tomb, his funeral was commemorated in a fresco in the Vault’s rotunda by the greatest artist of the age, Hor-hepu. This is the same fresco that was hidden behind the false ceiling, and in studying the fresco painted on the true dome of the rotunda, the PCs learn that Chisisek’s tomb - sealed with his double hieroglyph of an owl inside a house - is said to be located “across two bridges, where
Lastly, they find that the geometric shapes on the fresco are far more than just design elements; they represent a fantastic weapon of vast size used against winged cities populated with strange figures bearing weapons that launch black fire - clear refence to the ancient people known as the Shory.
-------------------------------------------- PC Health / Adventure Notes: Amenhep 58/58 Devin 59/59 Elliander 63/63 [Armor Crystal - DR 1, has absorbed 0 (of 10) damage this day] Francis 53/53 Nevitash 71/71
@Morrow - See my comment in OOC. Post for 2nd round as though you're free to move, though if you want to wait until after the demons take their actions, you can do that. In the meantime, please roll your opposed Grapple check IF you can actually beat the one below. If it's too high to beat, no need to bother doing so. The demon's Grapple modifier is in the stat block, and yeah, it's pretty high - but they ARE large, after all, and quite strong.
As far as escaping a grapple in 3.5, I hate how complicated it is, but you can basically use your own attack action (or multiple attack actions, since you can take more than one attack action in a round) to make your own opposed grapple checks to break free. Or make an Escape Artist check, though you can only do that once, as it's a standard action. Here is the online SRD I looked up to refresh my own memory earlier today. And yet I still did it slightly wrong...
It's a special weapon that the demons have: Snap-Tong This exotic weapon consists of crescent-shaped pincers arranged around a sharp spike on a pole. The pincers snap shut when the weapon strikes. If a rutterkin hits a Medium or smaller creature, it can attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking attacks of opportunity. If the rutterkin gets a hold, the snap-tong deals 2d8+7 points of damage each round the hold is maintained. After a quick internet search, I found a better picture of your enemy actually holding one of these weapons. I deemed that their using the grapple effect wasn't terribly effective in most cases, especially when they get a full-round attack action - it's giving up three attacks that each actually do a bit more damage than the single instance of automatic damage the weapon does against a grappled opponent. I suppose it'd be handy if they really wanted to just hold someone for some reason and do a bit of damage as a bonus, but I think they'd much rather just make their three attacks for the most part. In this instance though, keeping a foe at bay with an AoO so they can't attack that round is ideal from a tactical standpoint. Now that said, I realize I DID do something wrong in my post, as you pointed out. Not sure why I was thinking that its Grapple check was the same as the weapon attack, that's not true at all. In Pathfinder it's a bit easier with the whole CMB vs CMD thing. But in 3.5 (which is the ruleset for this particular game), it's an opposed Grapple check - so he should have rolled separately for that. I'm going to do that now, and you should roll your own. If you beat its grapple check, you aren't grappled and you can move and make a single standard attack, which I'll retcon. So please roll your opposed Grapple check first, and then your action for the 2nd round. I'll give you a heads up that he won't be maintaining the grapple (if he lives beyond Sobok's action, which is unlikely), so post your action as though you're free to move.
Freeday, 20th day of Planting (i.e. April), 597 C.Y.
------------------------------------------------- Sobok steps forward and uses the glaive to strike at the brutish demon, and though both blows connect solidly, still the raging shaman knows that the creature is protected to some degree from the weapon he uses (-5 DR, 59 damage total). Fash casts a spell at Vayne, though it has no discernable effect... (Fash, please give me a Will save) as the whisper gnome slips back into the shadows behind the others and out of sight. The demons eagerly crowd forward to attack these newcomers with hungry roars, and though they seem unwilling (or unable) to move past the dimly glowing outer circle as well as the inner ones, the one closest to Sobok uses its own reach weapon - a strange, crescent-shaped pincers mounted on a pole topped with a spike - as the other two launch similarly exotic, three-bladed wedges from a slinglike device at Gear! The dragon shaman is struck twice by the serrated blades of the scythe, which inflict deep wounds in both sides of his chest (35 damage total) and though most of the whirling blades miss the cleric, one slices (11 damage) into his left bicep painfully. Reonnyn readies a wand as Morrow moves to step bravely across the glowing rune circle - though just before he gets there, the demon strikes at the duskblade with its strange weapon, the scythes inflicting a terrible injury (20 damage) even as the weapon catches him in its serrated jaws and holds him fast, just out of range of his weapon's reach! Vayne, his face still twisted into an indolent sneer, laughs and calls out. "Oh my... here you are, standing in my innermost sanctum, and as helpless as babes to do me any harm. Why don't we set my pets loose so I don't have to bother feeding them dinner." He seems to concentrate for a moment, and then the dim runes running along the outer circle fade away as he slowly stands and draws a slender black wand from his belt... Gear steps forward to engage the wounded demon and slashes his blade, inflicting yet another terrible wound (-5 DR, 32 damage) into the badly bloodied creature - and yet it doesn't fall, instead it snarls at Gear while continuing to hold Morrow in the pincer-like grip of its exotic polearm. vs Sobok's AC = Hit!
vs Gear's AC = Miss! vs Gear's AC = Hit!
vs Morrow's AC = Hit!
---------------------------------------------- Round 2 - Initiative Order / HP Tracker / Combat Notes: Unknown ??/?? [Placeholder, PCs can ignore this for now] Sobok 97 [117]/132 [152 w/ Rage] Draconic Aura [Power] grants a +3 bonus to melee damage rolls to all within 30'; Raging (+4 to STR & CON, +2 to Will saves, -2 to AC) for 13 rounds; Message (allows whispered communication up to 400' distance with line of sight) for 110 minutes] Fash 68/68 Will Save pending! [Darkvision & Lowlight Vision; Cloak of Shadow (grants 20% miss chance (can Hide as though concealed), only True Seeing or sight in magical darkness can overcome this ability); Telepathic Bond (telepathy between Reonnyn, Morrow and Gear) for 110 minutes; Message (allows whispered communication up to 400' distance with line of sight) for 110 minutes; Mirror Image (6 images) for 11 minutes; Invisible to Darkvision (when actively using magical ring) 3 Demons - Red: Unwounded; Green: -91 HP; Blue: Unwounded Reonnyn 82/82 [DR 2 / Cold Iron; +1 luck bonus to all saving throws, ability checks and skill checks (Luck Stone); Darkvision (Invocation); +2 to Fort Saves (Invocation); +6 to Bluff, Diplomacy & Intimidate checks (Invocation); Seeming (as Disguise Self) for 11 hours; Telepathic Bond (telepathy between Fash, Morrow and Gear) for 110 minutes; Message (allows whispered communication up to 400' distance with line of sight) for 110 minutes] Morrow 64/84 [Grappled; Darkvision 120' & Blindsight 60' (Norebo's Hand); Keen Edge (Crit range for Norebo's Hand is 17-20) for 110 minutes; Telepathic Bond (telepathy between Reonnyn, Fash and Gear) for 110 minutes; Message (allows whispered communication up to 400' distance with line of sight) for 110 minutes] Vayne Unwounded [Notes] Vegeir 108/119 [Divine Power (+18/+13/+8 BAB, +6 STR, +10 THP) for 20 hours; Greater Magic Weapon (extra +1 enhancement bonus to attack/damage to Holy sword) for 10 hours; Magic Vestment (+2 AC?) for 10 hours; Telepathic Bond (telepathy between Reonnyn, Morrow and Fash) for 110 minutes; Message (allows whispered communication up to 400' distance with line of sight) for 110 minutes; Protection from Evil (+2 AC vs Evil, rebuffs physical contact and possession/enchantment) for 10 minutes]
Decided now, the party begins to make their way toward the river, trying to anticipate roughly where they anticipate the slavers would end up by the time they reach the water's edge, based on their earlier pace. They are well aware of the outriders they saw as well, and as they close to within a half mile or so of the river, they can see movement along the banks, about 400 yards to the left. It's impossible to tell friend from foe at this distance, as the lack of light makes all the shapes indistinct, and still the adventurers keep a sharp eye out for those flanking scouts...
Freeday, 20th day of Planting (i.e. April), 597 C.Y.
-------------------------------------------------
Sobok and Fash react first...
---------------------------------------------- Initiative Order / HP Tracker / Combat Notes: Unknown ??/?? [Placeholder, PCs can ignore this for now] Sobok 132/132 Message (allows whispered communication up to 400' distance with line of sight) for 110 minutes] Fash 68/68 [Darkvision & Lowlight Vision; Cloak of Shadow (grants 20% miss chance (can Hide as though concealed), only True Seeing or sight in magical darkness can overcome this ability); Telepathic Bond (telepathy between Reonnyn, Morrow and Gear) for 110 minutes; Message (allows whispered communication up to 400' distance with line of sight) for 110 minutes; Mirror Image (6 images) for 11 minutes; Invisible to Darkvision (when actively using magical ring) 3 Demons - Red: Unwounded; Green: Unwounded; Blue: Unwounded Reonnyn 82/82 [DR 2 / Cold Iron; +1 luck bonus to all saving throws, ability checks and skill checks (Luck Stone); Darkvision (Invocation); +2 to Fort Saves (Invocation); +6 to Bluff, Diplomacy & Intimidate checks (Invocation); Seeming (as Disguise Self) for 11 hours; Telepathic Bond (telepathy between Fash, Morrow and Gear) for 110 minutes; Message (allows whispered communication up to 400' distance with line of sight) for 110 minutes] Morrow 84/84 [Darkvision 120' & Blindsight 60' (Norebo's Hand); Keen Edge (Crit range for Norebo's Hand is 17-20) for 110 minutes; Telepathic Bond (telepathy between Reonnyn, Fash and Gear) for 110 minutes; Message (allows whispered communication up to 400' distance with line of sight) for 110 minutes] Vayne Unwounded [Notes] Vegeir 119/119 [Divine Power (+18/+13/+8 BAB, +6 STR, +10 THP) for 20 hours; Greater Magic Weapon (extra +1 enhancement bonus to attack/damage to Holy sword) for 10 hours; Magic Vestment (+2 AC) for 10 hours; Telepathic Bond (telepathy between Reonnyn, Morrow and Fash) for 110 minutes; Message (allows whispered communication up to 400' distance with line of sight) for 110 minutes; Protection from Evil (+2 AC vs Evil, et al) for 10 minutes]
Elliander is fairly certain there's a city somewhere to the south of here, but he isn't sure where it is, nor how distant. Perhaps one or more of the slaves would know, should the party decide to rescue them...
Freeday, 20th day of Planting (i.e. April), 597 C.Y.
------------------------------------------------- Fash fades back behind his allies, trying to stay hidden from the dark-haired man even as Gear and Morrow step into the chamber, each of them moving along the curved wall to either side of the door. Reonnyn calls out in challenge, along with the duskblade, and the human sneers as he answers. "I am General Vayne, and yet you still do not answer my question as you dare to step foot into my private sanctum. Thus I can only presume you are assassins, and you will meet with a deserving fate for those that would trespass against me." As Sobok and Gear move along the walls, the demonic-looking creatures suddenly spin to face them, their cruel, deformed faces eager with hunger and bloodlust as they lunge to attack!
---------------------------------------------- PC Health / Adventure Notes: Morrow 84/84 [Darkvision 120' & Blindsight 60' (Norebo's Hand); Keen Edge (Crit range for Norebo's Hand is 17-20) for 110 minutes; Telepathic Bond (telepathy between Reonnyn, Fash and Gear) for 110 minutes; Message (allows whispered communication up to 400' distance with line of sight) for 110 minutes] Reonnyn 82/82 [DR 2 / Cold Iron; +1 luck bonus to all saving throws, ability checks and skill checks (Luck Stone); Darkvision (Invocation); +2 to Fort Saves (Invocation); +6 to Bluff, Diplomacy & Intimidate checks (Invocation); Seeming (as Disguise Self) for 11 hours; Telepathic Bond (telepathy between Fash, Morrow and Gear) for 110 minutes; Message (allows whispered communication up to 400' distance with line of sight) for 110 minutes] Sobok 132/132 Message (allows whispered communication up to 400' distance with line of sight) for 110 minutes] Vegeir 119/119 [Divine Power (+18/+13/+8 BAB, +6 STR, +10 THP) for 20 hours; Greater Magic Weapon (extra +1 enhancement bonus to attack/damage to Holy sword) for 10 hours; Magic Vestment (+2 AC) for 10 hours; Telepathic Bond (telepathy between Reonnyn, Morrow and Fash) for 110 minutes; Message (allows whispered communication up to 400' distance with line of sight) for 110 minutes; Protection from Evil (+2 AC vs Evil, et al) for 10 minutes] Fash 68/68 [Darkvision & Lowlight Vision; Cloak of Shadow (grants 20% miss chance (can Hide as though concealed), only True Seeing or sight in magical darkness can overcome this ability); Telepathic Bond (telepathy between Reonnyn, Morrow and Gear) for 110 minutes; Message (allows whispered communication up to 400' distance with line of sight) for 110 minutes; Mirror Image (6 images) for 11 minutes; Invisible to Darkvision (when actively using magical ring)
The board has been down until today, so I'll give folks a few days to make their posts before I make my own post. |