Is the +1 scale mail heavy? I imagine we could leave it here for now and scoop it up on our way out of the mansion, er assuming we ever leave.
It sounds like the scale mail's best value for the Bask is as a sale item.
I may have overlooked the full frenzy of the combat, but I think Indus and the Sacred Ibis are both down 4 a piece at least. What's the most efficient way to heal them up? Seben will use a wand charge for both if there is no superior alternative.
For that matter, Seben's down to her last spell and low on abilities, so she remains happy to rest, if there's any interest.
Am I right the skeletons don't have ranged weapons? We could try and take advantage of that by taking up positions to shoot them from afar, although their DR would limit how effective that would be. We'd probably need to engage them in melee ultimately. But we could get a round or two of free shots off, maybe. If they're really going to ignore us, it might be fun to set some trip wires first and really hamper their ability to come at us once we start firing.
Alternately, if the party is going to continue to explore, since Seben has the rear position, she'll try to keep an eye on the skeleton's as much as possible, in case they decide to come at us. Seben will switch the Sacred Ibis into 'Falcon mode' so that it's Perception increases to +11, so it can help Seben. The Ibis makes sure it flies along the ceiling and out of the range of melee attacks.
Still blinking the sleep from her eyes, Seben fights to get to her feet. her knees buckle once or twice as she tries to maneuver to the side so she can see what is happening.
Move action to rise, standard action to travel - repositioned on map, hoping to keep away from that sleep effect. Getting ready with a Bolster Companion immediate action, if needed here. The Sacred Ibis is pretty fragile.
Sebens gush of water soaks the sandman and briefly pushes it up against a column in the corner of the garden, but all this accomplishes is another shriek of fury from the enraged elemental-kin. Solid tactic! Unfortunately, it does not really pan out in this case. The creature is moved back 5 ft, but involuntary movement does not trigger AoO.
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Ah, right! Well that's what I get for posting while I'm rushing out the door!
Seben is awake, but prone and has dropped her bow.
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I can work with that!
Seben's mind flashes back to the battle with the sandling in the tomb of Ahkentepi. Ever since then, she prepared a little something...
Rise as a move action. Cast hydraulic push as a standard action, at the creature.
Attempted bullrush with hydraulic push at caster level 2, with +3 Wis Modifier: 1d20 + 2 + 3 ⇒ (14) + 2 + 3 = 19
Really all this does is push the target backwards, and only if their CMB is low enough. But I'm kinda hoping there's a vulnerability to water here to do some damage or effect. If not, well at least she'll look cool doing it. She's been holding that spell on her list on spec for a long time.
Seben opens a mystic gate to the dark death world from which she sprang - but opens it to the River Styx! A black watery froth gusts forth like a horizontal waterfall, blasting at the creature.
Another possible benefit here: if the creature gets moved from its square, it might trigger an Attack of Opportunity from Indus as I think he has the creature based.
"I'm not going anywhere, don't worry." (Seben is worried...)
"I am sorry to learn you went through all of that," she says empathetically. She does, after all, know something about the horror of being dead... trapped in place.
"But you are right. It sounds as though much time has passed since you were outside these walls. I am pleased to report that, without minimizing the tragedy, much of the news is good. The plague is over and the city has survived."
Seben takes a chance. She gulps some air and lowers her bow to the ground entirely, releasing it so that her hands are empty.
Seben, who was practically dragging her bow on the ground, suddenly tightens her grip. Her lips tighten into a sharp line.
"Uh, guys?" she calls, with fear in her voice.
"I, uh, might have just walked into a trap." Seben seems unable to take her eyes off of whatever is in front of her.
"I sorta got pulled here. Magic, or something. Be careful!"
Then Seben switches tongues, testing out her Ancient Osiriani.
"Kathora-HO, Ma-Kaski-Ta" ("Hello, my Lady,") says Seben to whatever is in front of her, doing her best to sound casual, yet failing abjectly. "Jatika, May Who-na-ti-Pa." (Is everything alright?)"
Her knuckles have a death drip on her bow, but she keeps it lowered, no arrow knocked.
Is Seben free willed at this point? Or is she under a compulsion? I.e. should I be playing along and just have her say something to the effect that she got bored and really loves the courtyard. Or can she be like, "holy crap!" (I'll have fun playing it out, either way)
Does she still see the female shape? And does anyone else see it? Or only Seben?
Seben takes up a perch in the center of the room (moved on map) so she has sightlines to the west and south. She'll cover the cleaning crew.
Not that she's above hard work, but she might be more useful as a sentry. We'll out the Ibis back on Animal Focus (Falcon) to get that +11 Perception. He'll call out with a warning cry if he sees anything.
Seben will take a readied action to (possibly) fire at any hostiles. She's not looking to shoot any ghosts or false ghosts though - she wouldn't expect the arrow to do anything, and the lady didn't seem threatening... when she caught a glimpse anyway.
How about we continue with our search marching order? We'll have our high Perception guys, Indus and Sobek handling the trap detection. Seben and maybe Lueck can back up Sobek on the detect magic and alert the Bask to anything that registers.
"Ah, anything... life-threatening on those pantry shelves?"
That’s settled then. Just note who’s carrying the flail for now and we’ll move on. If you are exploring the main house, I can go off Sobekhoteps post above where he examined the side entrance.
Sounds good!
If the door is going to be opened, right before that happens, the Bask fires off a chain of guidance spells.
P.S. Indus has the flail. I may be reading way too much into it, but I think it's going to be important at some point.
Not feeling too strongly towards any of the options here.
Heavy Flail: 1d10 (two-handed) vs Morning Star: 1d8 (one-handed).
Better damage with the flail and Diorio doesn't carry a shield anyway, but I bet he's got a bunch of abilities that are keyed around one-handed weapons. I guess if it's a morning star we could potentially pass it around to more people?
If we sell, there's a fractional extra value in the flail, but I'd lean towards keeping it. What if it was planted here cause we're going to need it later on?
How about a morning star to Indus as a 'thank you' for going on that shopping trip when he did? It's like a muffin basket, only adamantine and spikey.
Well thank goodness Indus was prepared like a boy scout. I think that could have otherwise gone a lot worse for us.
Heal:1d20 + 7 ⇒ (6) + 7 = 13
Seben hears Lueck's explanation.
"So maybe some thugs are using this room to stash their victims? Perhaps they even count on the beetles to devour the evidence."
She shakes her head in disgust and then looks at the much larger structure to the west.
"I don't like it. It's conceivable, we could find whoever is doing this is now hiding out in the mansion. This place just keeps getting worse."
Seben is the only one who uses martial weapons? That's a terrifying thought. I would think Diorio can use a flail in a pinch? Maybe give it to him? Or make it a morning star and give it to Lueck? Seben will certainly take it if no one else will as I think it's a great find, but she's probably not the highest and best use for it.
Perhaps we'll need it against something like a golem with DR/adamantine. You can also get creative and use it to trash structures, like walls or load-bearing columns. It bypasses hardness.
Seben drops her bow, in favor of hurling the small glass vial Indus provided her with.
By my count Seben can just barely hurl the flask without a range increment penalty, but if not, let me know.
Also, I don't know if you will permit me to include +1 for guidance. I had a post that it be a standing order to cast it before the party opens a door. I did not specifically say it in my post on preparation in this case, though. My roll below currently includes it.
Attempted hurl of lesser alchemist fire from Indus:1d20 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (16) + 3 + 1 = 20
Possible damage from lesser alchemist fire: 1d8 ⇒ 4fire damage, plus 1 point of persistent fire damage and 1 point of fire splash damage.(Edit: I think that's 6 points of fire damage with the extra 50%)
"Quick! Spread out!" Seben calls as she dashes across the sand.
After her throw, Seben takes a move action to move south west - she gets to the edge of the stairs, next to the pillar. Unfortunately, she's separated herself from her lit torch. If she had to use her move action to ready the flask, she instead stays put and doesn't follow her own advice.
Roger that, but having sniffed at the door, does the Sacred Ibis ward us away before returning skyward?
Seben wants to know if she should be miffed at the Ibis later - I mean, she was going to be anyways, but perhaps depending on what happens next she may have extra reason.
Nervously changing her mind, Seben plants her burning torch in the sand, so that it is easily on hand. She then pulls her bow out once more, knocking an arrow aiming towards the door.
Watch it not be a swarm at all... but I would think a rat swarm in a granary makes sense.
How about Seben borrows an alchemist fire off of Indus? She'll pay him for it, if she doesn't hand it back after this encounter.
"Wait!" calls Seben, before realizing that Lueck hears it too. "Don't open that just yet..."
Seben quietly shares what she hears with the others.
I'm gonna guess that "chittering" is the universal callsign for swarms. I feel like the Bask is overdue. But on the other hand, I wouldn't think swarms would be the type to use doors.
Anybody got any more flasks? The treasure sheet Luke put together suggests Diorio and Luek may each have a flask of alchemist fire.
Seben will put her bow away and light her one singular torch. She'll ready that in front of her, ready to deliver its one point of fire damage.
Seben gives a slight frozen shudders when Indus makes a crack about worms. Though secretly, it's more at the use of this 'bone burn' thing. She wonders what would happen if she came into contact with it, and steps carefully around any drops or puddles on the floor.
GM JaceDK wrote:
Make sure to update your current hp and handle any healing you do before you move on.
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Well that was ominous!
I wonder if this is a reference to Indus still being at risk for disease or poison.
"Right, that demon dog bite," she says to Indus, "How are you doing? Still feels okay?"
Can Seben make a follow-up Heal check and see how he's doing? Ignore this roll if she can't. Maybe Lueck or someone else with Heal can give a second opinion?
While mostly terrified, Seben still secretly feels a kinship with the savage undead. She hopes the Bask can help release them from this world.
Seben is going on delay here so more capable party members can go before she gets in the way. She's about to get exposed for not carrying a blunt weapon. She's considering using the back end of her spear as an improvised weapon. But if she can't get in there, she'll just plan to roll really high on damage rolls with her bow. That might actually be her best bet, but even then it makes sense for others to go first.
OK, back to double-up search-mode for party formation.
When as we get to the part where a door is about to be opened, from the rear, Seben supportively taps Lueck and Diorio each on the shoulder - it's really an excuse to hit them both with a guidance. Herself as well, if there's time.
Maybe that should be our 'standard door opening practice' going forward. Perhaps Sobek could cover himself and Indus.
I'm indifferent if anyone else feels differently, but we may as well keep going in order, which would suggest the larger structure in the top right, the North East building - the guard/servant quarters, I think.
Seben rushes over to Indus and stands over him protectively, albeit uselessly, while he slowly recovers.
Diorio wrote:
"Thanks Sobekhotep. But what will be amazing is if we can save Indus. What is this dead horror anyway?
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"I don't know," says Seben. "But whatever it is, at least it's dead--thanks to you!"
Seben can't use Knowledge (Arcana) untrained, so she don't know squat-dilly about dem double-headed doggies with cases of bad worms. Indus might need a bit of a healing top up but I'm also worried about the poison - do we need to head back to the temple? Would Knowledge (Nature), Knowledge (Dungeoneering) or Heal let Seben know if we need to be concerned?
Full Disclosure: Seben gets frequent flyer miles each time and she's saving up for a trip to Absalom.
Knowledge (nature) to try and identify the type of snake. Feel free to give Seben a penalty for distance as she doesn't plan on getting too close.
Knowledge (Nature):1d20 + 5 ⇒ (13) + 5 = 18
I kinda like Sobek's plan of just leaving it alone, but if it shows signs of sliding out from under the bench, Seben would like to try that good old animal empathy.
It's not exactly her strong suit, so she's not that keen to try.
