Zothan the Seeker's page

As the conversation turns to talk of strangulation, Zothan's grip tightens on his scorpion whip, and the tip of his tail starts to flick lightly.

"Hold on now - If you want to be released from the gem, we'll do what we can. But let's do so without anyone else getting killed. You'll find no volunteers in this group."

Concious not to have everyone bombard Thenur with questions all at once, Zolthan stays quiet for now, and studies the living doll intently.

RK - Escoteric Lore: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (16) + 10 = 26

Zothan takes up position by the door, whip in one hand and his scepter in the other. Anyone got a hand free for a torch or other light source?

”I’ll wager the special soulbound doll is beyond that door, which likely leads to the top of the tower. It will likely attack our minds like the others, but we don’t want to risk the gem being destroyed if we kill it. Perhaps we can grapple it an pin it down, while one of us pries the gem free?”

”Well, that certainly was illuminating, though a bit on the technical side. Curious little contraptions. I wonder what else is recorded,” Zothan says, activating the remaining recordings one after another.

Once the messages have played, he muses ”Perhaps we can send one of them into the Xulgath village to learn more about the inhabitants and if they have discovered signs of our presence?”

Good point about the cooldown on guidance. Just subtract 1 from each roll after the 1st then. Assists are welcome and yes, Zothan would also have checked the thing for traps before going to work.

”I’ll take a look at that box. Should be able to get it open. Korox, could I trouble you for a bit of divine guidance while I work?” Zothan says after getting cleaned up by Jaxi. He pulls out a set of slender metal tools and gets to work.

Thievery - lockpicking w/guidance: 1d20 + 8 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 8 + 1 = 15

Thievery - lockpicking w/guidance: 1d20 + 8 + 1 ⇒ (14) + 8 + 1 = 23

Thievery - lockpicking w/guidance: 1d20 + 8 + 1 ⇒ (12) + 8 + 1 = 21

Thievery - lockpicking w/guidance: 1d20 + 8 + 1 ⇒ (10) + 8 + 1 = 19

Thievery - lockpicking w/guidance: 1d20 + 8 + 1 ⇒ (19) + 8 + 1 = 28

"Well done! Keep at it, we have almost cut it to pieces already!" Zothan calls out as he follows Halanestra and the others into the fray.

◆ Strike Scorpion Whip: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (3) + 9 = 12
Damage (physical/slashing): 1d4 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 + 2 = 5

◆ Strike Scorpion Whip - MAP: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (13) + 4 = 17
Damage (physical/slashing): 1d4 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 + 2 = 8

◆ Strike Scorpion Whip - MAP: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (9) - 1 = 8
Damage (physical/slashing): 1d4 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 + 2 = 8

Well, if a nat 20 does not reveal any further info, I guess the only way to learn for sure is the hard way.

"Looks like we might be facing another battle. That is an assassin vine, a very deadly bit of flora indeed. Flames and sharp blades usually do the trick, but this one might be special."

Are there any windows, in case we start hurling fire at it? Don't want to give away our position.

Cautious due to their previous encounters with fungi, Zothan pauses before entering and regards the room carefully, trying to identify any threats.

RK - Lore: Escoteric: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (20) + 10 = 30

”Go back? Just when things are becoming interesting? Certainly not! We signed up for adventure, excitement and glory. How would it look if we came back without the lost clan dagger because we were afraid of a few undead and xulgoth? That would reflect very poorly on us and clan Tolorr.” Zothan declares in his usual flamboyant fashion.

Zothan searches the bodies and looks for secret doors.

Zothan maintains a careful watch as long as the healing is in progress.

Right...he just keeps it away from the opening we cleared to enter.

As soon as the immediate threat is neutralized, Zothan moves to recover his dropped torch. He then moves away from any windows or openings where the light might give away their location.

"That was a nasty surprise. We had better search the rest of this building and make sure no more threats are lurking. Probably best to stay close together while doing it."

I suggest a systematic search of the structure, beginning at the kitchen, without splitting the group.

Concerned for the badly injured Batsu, Zothan does his best to eliminate the threat against him.

◆ Strike at undead gnome Scorpion Whip w/Personal Antithesis and Guidance: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (5) + 9 = 14
Damage (physical/slashing): 1d4 + 2 + 2 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 2 + 2 + 3 = 9

◆ Strike at undead gnome Scorpion Whip w/Personal Antithesis and Guidance - MAP: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (5) + 4 = 9
Damage (physical/slashing): 1d4 + 2 + 2 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 2 + 2 + 3 = 8

◆ Strike at undead gnome Scorpion Whip w/Personal Antithesis and Guidance - MAP: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (20) - 1 = 19
Damage (physical/slashing): 1d4 + 2 + 2 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 2 + 2 + 3 = 11

If the first or second attack hits and kills the undead gnome, Zothan moves to engage the last doll.

Able to see more clearly, Zothan carefully moves past where Halenstra and Dyrm are fighting the doll to come to Batsu's aid.

◆ Stride
◆ Stride
◆ Strike at undead gnome Scorpion Whip w/Personal Antithesis and Guidance: 1d20 + 9 + 1 ⇒ (16) + 9 + 1 = 26
Damage (physical/slashing): 1d4 + 2 + 2 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 2 + 2 + 3 = 11

Thanks

Determined not to get caught fighting blindly, Zothan pulls a torch from his pack and drops it on the floor, then pulls out his flint and steel and lights it. Assuming that the floor is not cover by a carpet or something else flamable.

Exactly how are the lighting conditions? Zothan has low-light vision (and scent), so if he can fight without penalties, he won’t bother trying to get more light.

Zothan sizes up the undead, searching his memory for knowledge he can use to defeat it.

Exploit Vulnerability vs undead: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (6) + 10 = 16

”Krohan, could I trouble you to find a bit of light? It would be rather helpful to those of us who don’t have darkvision.” he asks calmly.

Zothan regards the dead woman with apprehension, but leaves it to Dyrm and Batsu to take a closer look.

The room does not appear to provide much in the way of defenses, but he is impressed with Korox's quick thinking in spreading the caltrops. "Nicely done, Korox, that should buy us a bit of time. But you are right, we should quickly check the rest of the building to make sure no surprises are lurking to ambush us from the inside. Don't wander off alone, any of you."

He follows Halanestra into the kitchen, his scepter in one hand and scorpion whip in the other. He sniffs the enclosed air as they go, trying to determine if something is lurking ahead.

Using Scent to seek for unseen threats.

Athletics: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (19) + 7 = 26

Zothan is helping to clear the rubble blocking the entrance to the tower, including use of his crowbar if that is relevant.

Do we need to roll anything?

"Woah..." Zothan says, dusting himself off and regarding the destruction around him.

Hiding sounds like a good option, but perhaps we have time to get this door cleared, so we can take cover in the tower. That might also give us a better defensive position, if we can't hide or talk our way out of a confrontation with the xulgath."

Thank you for the explanation. In this case, we were clearly a bit confused by the size and position of the rock and what options we had available. But we also rolled poorly on our Lore rolls.

As it is, we've certainly added a bit of danger and excitement to the adventure. That's not a bad thing in my book.

"I have a crowbar - just be careful, we still don't know what's causing the glow." Zothan says, pulling the metal tool from his pack.

"Curious...I wonder what is causing this phenomenon," Zothan says, examining the glowing rock.

Recall Knowledge - Lore: Escoteric: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (3) + 10 = 13

What door…erh, rock?

Ah, the dreaded P.U.P.-error (Puppy-induced Unreliable Powersupply). A classic bane of IT equiment everywhere.

"Right...let's check out the building and see if we can figure out where that light came from."

Exploration activity: Investigate

Create Water is a 1st level divine spell, so Korox should be able to supply everyone next time he prepares spells.

"Alright then....easy there, fellas....look at all the nice water we have, much better than thick and sticky ol' blood. Here you go..." Zothan adds, while carefully walking forwards and pouring out his water in front of the other mudwretch.

Earlier

Zothan ponders what he knows about Xulgath.

RK Xulgath - Lore: Escoteric: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (18) + 10 = 28

Meeting the Mudwretches

Zothan keeps his distance and produces his waterskin. He tries to recall if he has ever heard of Mudwretches.

RK Mudwretch - Lore: Escoteric: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (15) + 10 = 25

"I'm all in favor of diplomacy. If things go bad, I can probably cojure somthing up that can trigger their vulnerability to fire."

Stealth (Follow the Expert): 1d20 + 3 + 4 ⇒ (19) + 3 + 4 = 26

From their hidden vantagepoint, Zothan regards the torn village with apprehension.

"We won't learn much more from this distance, but we must be careful if we move closer - Xulgath are not to be trifled with. I suggest we investigate the tower in the ruined section first. If we do have to interact with the Xulgath, perhaps we can use that badge we found to negotiate? Avoiding further hostilities would be preferable."

”I agree, we were all exposed to all kinds of spores and toxins. Better to recover here, in relative safety, than go trudging through the Darklands with party members who are feeling poorly.”

re: Tut-tut. That feat also has Firebrands access required and is an uncommon feat, so I will have to think about it, and Zothan may need to make contact with the Firebrands to learn it, which is certainly not impossible.

I think you mentioned this once before. From what little I know of the Firebrands, they sound like just the type of organization Zoltan would naturally gravitate towards.

In case we don't run into any Firebrand members before we hit level 4, I think we could safely assume that Zolthan has already had some off-screen contact with them. He may even have declared himself a member.

I specifically want to call out the demoralize on Skibrellon; I was going to do so myself but Zothan got to it first. I think we may want to focus on that tactic going forward: frightened is another strong condition, and we have several characters with the skill to apply it regularly.

Way ahead of you on that front. As you may already have noticed, Zothan is a very social creature and great with all three social skills. In combat, he's going to make ample use of Demoralize. He already has Intimidating Glare, so he does not get penalties for language barriers and next level, he gains Tut-Tut, which lets him Demoralize every enemy within 30 ft.

I think that someone who's skilled in diplomacy should keep the badge, at the very least. I was expecting to take it, but it seems we've got a surfeit of diplomats in the group, and I'm not even the best!

Zothan definitely has his eye on the badge. Only drawback is that he already gets an item bonus from his regalia implement, so that won't stack.

Lia, did you remember that Skibrellon is frightened from Zothan's Demoralize?

Bolstered by Korox's healing magic, Zothan does his best to bring down the enraged leshy before he can inflict any more damage. Shifting position, he lines up Skibrellon between himself and Batsu and strikes twice.

◆ Step to flank
◆ Strike - Scorpion Whip - flanking: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (4) + 9 = 13
Damage (slashing+physical ): 1d4 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 + 2 = 6 plus Exploit Vulnerability (either trigger vulnerability or +3 damage from Personal Antithesis).
◆ Strike - Scorpion Whip - flanking: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (8) + 4 = 12
Damage (slashing+physical ): 1d4 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 + 2 = 5 plus Exploit Vulnerability (either trigger vulnerability or +3 damage from Personal Antithesis).

Flat check vs DC 15 to end persistent poison damage: 1d20 ⇒ 7

2 damage and still poisoned

Increasingly angry, Zothan sniffs the air keep track of Skibrellon as the Leshy moves out of his reduced vision range. Using Scent to determine his exact square and move in the right direction until I can see him again

"If you care so much for the fungi, take solace in the fact that the dead bodies of you and your pets will soon fertilize this cave." he growls, barring his fangs and lowering his ears. Then he lashes out with another strike.

◆ Stride
◆ Demoralize Intimidate: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (18) + 11 = 29
◆ Strike - Scorpion Whip: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (1) + 9 = 10
Damage (slashing+physical ): 1d4 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 + 2 = 8 plus Exploit Vulnerability (either trigger vulnerability or +3 damage from Personal Antithesis).

Flat check vs DC 15 to end persistent poison damage: 1d20 ⇒ 6

2 damage and still poisoned - Zothan is starting to look fairly injured

Fort save: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (7) + 9 = 16 So that's 2 points of persistent poison damage, and cannot see more than 20 feet

Zothan growls as his fur is sticky with poisonous goop.

Lia, the extra +2 damage is from Implement's Empowerment. It's physical damage.

Coming right up!

"Our deepest apologies - it seems we have a bit of a cultural clash on our hands. However, you'll have to forgive us if we resist any efforts to turn us into compost." Zothan says, as he circles around the agitated leshy to provide flanking opportunities for his allies.

Thinking carefully, he looks for some advantage to exploit before lashing out with his whip.

◆ Stride
◆ Exploit Vulnerability Lore (Esoteric) vs standard DC: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (17) + 10 = 27
◆ Strike - Scorpion Whip: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (18) + 9 = 27
Damage (slashing+physical ): 1d4 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 + 2 = 7 plus Exploit Vulnerability, if relevant.

Fort Save: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (3) + 9 = 12

Yeah, Hero Point that as well…

Fort Save: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (12) + 9 = 21

Much better! So, that’s 3 hp of damage and no bleed, right?

Satisfied to see the effect of the holy oil on the zombie, Zothan lays another two lashes on the plantlike undead. Then he shifts position to a spot where he both helps Korox flank the other zombie and threatens Skibrellon.

◆ Strike vs Zombie 2 - Scorpion Whip: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (8) + 9 = 17
Damage (slashing+physical ): 1d4 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 + 2 = 7 plus Exploit Vulnerability
◆ Strike Zombie 2 - Scorpion Whip: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (10) + 4 = 14
Damage (slashing+physical ): 1d4 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 + 2 = 5 plus Exploit Vulnerability
◆ Stride

Hopefully the attacks are enough to take out the zombie, but Zothan will move regardless of whether it drops or not.

Reeling from the powerful blow, Zothan also closes the distance to engage the enemies in melee. He picks the remaining zombie and grabs a small sample of sanctified oil from his collection of esoterica to rub on his scorpion whip.

◆ Stride
◆ Exploit Vulnerability Lore (Esoteric) vs standard DC: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (12) + 10 = 22
◆ Strike - Scorpion Whip: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (12) + 9 = 21
Damage (slashing+physical ): 1d4 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 + 2 = 8 plus Exploit Vulnerability

Relieved to see the rust monster fall, Zothan retrieves his scepter and prepares to engage the rest of the enemies.

"Stand your ground and don't get too close. We don't want to move into range of those cannons."

He then tries to recall knowledge about both the zombies and the leshy that could help him exploit their vulnerabilities.

RK - Lore: Escoteric - zombies: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (10) + 10 = 20

RK - Lore: Escoteric - leshy: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (9) + 10 = 19

Or rather…who is up?

Correct, a Grabbed creature is flatfooted and immobilized.

Hopefully Zothan’s wrestling match is going to keep it somewhat contained. Just make sure he does not get stabbed in the back.

If Jaxi’s Diplomacy produces any results, Zothan may change his action. But until then…

The mention of Slag Whisker’s rusting ability ravaging his precious scepter sends shivers down Zoltan’s spine. He quickly shoves his regalia into his backpack, where it is relatively ♦ Interact: store item.

He then strides close to the rust monster and grabs hold of the flailing antenna, hoping to restrain the creature before it can ravage the weapons and armor of the rest of the group.

♦ Stride
♦ Athletics - Grab: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (11) + 7 = 18

Zothan moves to stand shoulder by shoulder with Dyrm, lashing out at the sheeps head with his whip.

He then turns his attention to the strange creature coming out of the shroom house, trying to figure out what it is.

♦ Stride
♦ Melee strike - Scorpion whip: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (15) + 9 = 24 Whip damage: 1d4 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 + 2 = 5
♦ Recall Knowledge vs insect-like creature - Lore: Escoteric: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (3) + 10 = 13