Baldwin the Merciful's Razor Coast: Black Spot (Inactive)

Game Master baldwin the merciful

There are a total of 4 oars in the boat. I assumed Markus and Jean were each rowing, while the capt steered. I didn't think the librarian halfling and spellcasters were pulling that duty.

Responding to Markus comment about the habitat, "Apparently not."

Swarms...you truly are an evil, evil DM.

I could channel negative energy, but selective channeling will only exclude 3 people from the damage. Hmm...

"Get away from me, I need to throw out destructive energy and I don't want to hurt any of you!" Revhi goes to the end of the boat or until she's at least 35 feet away from everybody else.

Tell me how possible this is.

Using your versatile channel feat would permit you to send forth a burst of negative energy to affect the living. It's a burst effect so it can do some damage. You can pick which comrades to exclude form the burst. Are you excluding yourself?

You don't have to have selective channeling to make yourself excluded from the effects of channel energy.

A cleric may channel energy a number of times per day equal to 3 + her Charisma modifier. This is a standard action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity. A cleric can choose whether or not to include herself in this effect.

I'm just wondering if Revhi went to one end of the boat and had everybody else go to the other end, would that be far enough to get them out of range, or if not how many would still be in the range?

There are a total of 4 oars in the boat. I assumed Markus and Jean were each rowing, while the capt steered. I didn't think the librarian halfling and spellcasters were pulling that duty.

Good thing, I really hope this boat is 35'

Let's go Poulain, Geet your ass on the seeet and get rowin'

Marcus says, again doing a pisspoor imitation of our stick up his arse ranger

"Pirhanas foutu!" Poulain curses, trying to get out of the cleric's way.

Unsure what the others are doing, the out of place librarian reaches into her pouch and pulls out a small flask. Uncorking the flask, she tosses it at the swarm causing the contents to siphon out of the flask and turn the air into a sudden inferno engulfing the fish swarm.

Move: draw alchemist flask

Attack: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (4) + 9 = 13
Damage: 1d6 ⇒ 2

Oh well, I assume that is 1 point of splash damage (+50% if vulnerable)

Damn. Those are expensive.

The fire causes a brief break in the mass that was trying to gnaw on the hull of the boat. Although it mostly fizzled it did enough to deter the swarm. The Captain tosses a few coppers away from the boat and that helps draw the swarms attention away.

"Put your back into those oars."

Davkas surveys the swarm around him and clasps his hands together.
Speaking a few quiet arcane words a number of his tattoos glow as he stratches forth a hand and fan shaped eruption of freezing clod springs from his finger tips directed at the swarm.

Casting Burning Hands and using Versatile Evocation to make it COLD Damage
Cold Burning Hands DC16, CL7+Intense Spells+Bloodline Arcana: 5d4 + 2 + 5 ⇒ (1, 3, 4, 4, 1) + 2 + 5 = 20
Swarms take an extra 50% damage vs evocation area spells. So 30 damage total

The water seems to cake over somewhat on the surface at the sudden,beutal drop in temperature and a number of the fish stop moving...

save from cold hands: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (13) + 7 = 20

One of the swarms disperses as the water chills.

After navigating through the swarming fish, jolly continues towards it's destination. Eerily, the sea is calm and dark, light seems to vanish upon it's surface. All around, a dense fog swirls. Every stroke of the paddle stirs the mist, creating small wisps and eddies that tremble and die away. Pushing through, the ship soon comes into view.

It’s a brig by the look of it, two hundred feet long, and in battered shape. The sails are shredded and in dilapidated shape. The rigging appears to be frayed and rotten from your point of view. The main mast still stands straight and tall, bearing a rugged crow’s nest, but the mizzen has snapped and collapsed across the broken quarterdeck. The quarterdeck itself is obscured by the tangle of debris.

The summit of a great stone peak lifted the ship out of the water. It's bow is high but parts of it's aft is below the surface. Beneath it a seamount extends down into the black depths, almost as if some massive giant used the submerged mountaintop to impale the
vessel.

As the jolly comes close enough to board her, there are no signs of life. You don't even see corpses; it appears as if it's a deserted vessel...all souls simply vanished. Upon the bow, this doomed ship’s nameplate is conspicuously absent — whether removed by the whims of nature or some more diabolic means, that remains unknown. Rocky protrusions brace her sides offering access to the top deck.

Marcus surveys the rather strange sight and utters a whistle.

Now there's a strange sight,it looks as if the mountain rose up and pierced the ship

Marcus will row up close and look for a place to tie up.

Unsure of what is before them, Dinetta moves up to the front of the boat and looks up at the impaled ship attempting to determine what might have caused the ship to become so stranded.

Perception: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (16) + 11 = 27

dinetta the jagged stone looks as it reached out form below the surface to spear the vessel. Almost like a sea god let loose it's mighty trident...for pleasure.

The Captain frowns, "Aye, never seen such sights before. truly is strange, where are the survivors...the crew?" He motions to bring the jolly closer to the stone, where the ship can be tied off to. "A ship without a name." He mumbles.

Map of the area

*Here is visual of what you see.

Everyone Marcus calls out It looks like I got a good place to tie off and it looks like a fairly easy way to the upper deck of the ship

Marcus will tie off and begin the climb up to the ship

Revhi whistles at the ship. "Quite a beauty. No name, eh? I'm sure we'll figure it out if we take a look inside." She grins and follows after Marcus, still looking up at the ship.

Davkas grins with satisfaction as the swarm he targeted simply freezes and dies, a number of fish simply floating to the surface while the rest get the message and beat a retreat.
He then frowns as everyone seems to not notice his prowess as the ship ventures into view.

He uses the quiet time of their gawking to pull a pearl of power from his robes and renews his spell.

Let's see what we will see then.

Dinetta nods and then shakes her head at her apparently risk blind companions:
A ship without a name perched precariously upon a spire of stone that appears to have simply grown out of the water. Do none of you think that perhaps we should use a little care before jumping in with both feet?

Dinetta carefully examines the ship above attempting to determine whether there is any sign of the cause of the ship being where it is, of the crew, or of anything else to provide insight into and dangers about.

Perception: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (15) + 11 = 26

If she already got all the general info, then she will follow the others with an eye out for unexpected dangers, including traps, using the above roll.

If she already got all the general info, then she will follow the others with an eye out for unexpected dangers, including traps, using the above roll.

You've gotten all the general info about the scene. I'll use the 26 perception for the next search/trap roll that I need.

It takes a bit of time but Markus finds another hand holds to mark for the others to follow. The group eventually makes it onto the maindeck. The floorboards groan with distress from your weight. Wind, rain, and salt corrosion have turned what was once a fine vessel into a debris-strewn wreck. Fallen and tangled rigging, splintered masts, broken beams, and rotten wood create a natural obstacle course.

The entire deck is treated as difficult terrain.

Map of Decking as you climb over the rail

"I think this time we can ignore the ladies first rule." Revhi quips. "Lead on. I say we find out what's in the lower decks."

Remember you all get some passive bonuses from Poulain. +2 to Perception, Stealth, and Survival. Poulain silently wracks his brain over how this could have happened. Taking 20 on survival for 33.

I cannot view the map at work

Marcus takes a look around for a way down below Perception: 1d20 + 12 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 12 + 2 = 15.

I think this time we can ignore the ladies first rule." Revhi quips. "Lead on. I say we find out what's in the lower decks."

That sounds like as good a plan as any Revhi Marcus will pull out his 10' pole and probe ahead

These boards sound like they could give out at any time, careful all

The decking protests with anger as Marcus begins to probe the floor, he finds a soft spot on the decking and the pole pushes through.

the map has each square as 10 feet, since it's a 200 ft vessel. I'll tinker with the grid on maptools this evening to see if I can get it where everyone is in a 5ft hex. 10 ft hexes wreck havoc on spacing, movement, and spell template.

Perception: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (8) + 12 = 20

The small librarian peers up through the misty weather toward the top of the ship, before looking around at the deck.
Careful all, something is watching us from the crows nest and the side railing appears to have deep gouges in it, as though from something with strong claws.

Poulain nods slightly, keeping his head on a swivel.

Careful all, something is watching us from the crows nest and the side railing appears to have deep gouges in it, as though from something with strong claws.

Stopping in stride, Marcus looks up at the crows nest. Well...you may as well come on down as he readies his weapon

Davkas similarly looks up. He absorbs CJATYERBEAK into his tattoos in order to protect the familiar.

He hands his hands ready and to the sides and casts DANCING LIGHTS to form a vaguely humanoid shape and has it float up towards the crows nest

Updated Map

*For some reason I couldn't lay a grid on this map, but I did condense the coordinates to try to reflect that every hex was 10 feet.

Marcus your pole hit the soft area on the deck near the dashed line.

Looking up at the crow's nest you notice that it is large wooden platform surrounded by a palisade of wooden slats. You figure two people can easily fit up there with room to spare, and keep watch over the entire area. You don't see any ladder to get up there to speak of, but there is some broken scraps of wood tossed about the ship, some of which vaguely resemble the makings of a ladder.

You don't see any movement in the crows nest and what ever, if anything, that is up there has not responded to your calls.

Profession (sailor): 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (1) + 9 = 10

"Oh she's fine, she's not going anywhere. Let's check belowdecks."

Pro sailor: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (14) + 13 = 27

Yes, she is in exceptional shape for a ship pierced by a mountain. I believe our biggest worry are the floor boards and possibly the masts and rigging. Marcus says to his companions after giving the ship an appraisal

"Oh she's fine, she's not going anywhere. Let's check belowdecks."

Should we at least figure out what is in the crows nest, before delving below? Marcus scratches his chin

I am pretty sure I can make it up to take a look

Dinetta nods in agreement:
I can try to climb up, but would not call it the easiest climb. Definitely looks harder than the stacks I am used to climbing.

Everyone hold a moment. Let's allow ourselves a whisper.

Davkas casts MESSAGE at everyone in the group. Then lowers his voice.
Now you can simply whisper softly at a distance and we will all hear it, no shouting. Lasts about 50 mins.

Where or waht are you going to do form here? There was mention of searching below and also checking the crows nest.

Perception:

Jean Phillipe Poulain: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (12) + 10 = 22
+4 underground/+2 in water
Markus Nightsky: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (9) + 12 = 21
Davkas Gellantara: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (15) + 7 = 22
Revhi: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (12) + 5 = 17
Dinetta: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (10) + 11 = 21

Add +2 to each total for Jean's ability.

Most of you realize that the decking (dotted line area 2)is rotten and won't hold much weight. From where you are located without doing a thorough search you notice there is a small stub of wood which is all that remains of the ship’s second sail (2A). The bulk of the mast fell into the sea, partially crushing the railing of the quarterdeck. The hold covering is torn and shredded, and you can see into the hold. You can see claw marks near the hold and all over the main mast.

The main mast (area marked 3) has an impaled spearhead sunk deep into the wood. Such You quickly realize that they are ruined ballista bolt. Looking back at the quarter deck you can see that the ruined ballista is aimed a the mast. you deduce allowing that the crew desperately fired a ballista bolt and pinned an enemy to the main mast with a single powerful blow.

There are stairs leading up to the bow and the quarterdeck.

Map

A quick reminder that I cannot see the map at work

Marcus will probe ahead and try to get up on the quarterdeck looking for a way to get up to the crowsnest.

Perception: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (20) + 12 = 32

I do not like the idea of leaving a potential threat looming above us, I believe we should see what is up there indicating the crowsnest.

survival: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (12) + 13 = 25

"I haven't' seen the likes of something like this before. Everyone is gone." He motions to the some of the debris. "Some battle..." he mutters. There are crossbow bolt heads scattered about the debris. Wood shafts and feather fletching are largely rotted or blown away. There are a few broken blades and splintered spear hafts amongst the jumble as well.

Markus glares at the mast and then up to the crows nest. Without a ladder or some sort of piton, climbing up will be a challenge. The crow’s nest is almost 60 feet off the deck.

DC 20 Climb checks to scale the rotten mast.

Hmmm...That looks like one tricky and quite unforgiving climb Marcus says eyballing the mast. Perhaps we should explore the rest of the top, we may find some answers as to what in Besmaras name happened here

Marcus will begin a slow tour of the top of the ship probing ahead for weak spots

With no attack apparently coming from above Davkas takes a chance. He spends a moment to 'bring out' Chatterbeak from his tattoos.

Be a brave bird and fly up there and see what is in the crows nest. Stay 10 feet away from the nest out of reach and return if it's hostile.

The Raven flaps up to the height of the crows nest, staying 10feet away from the nest to keep out of reach....

"Monster did this. Big. Got pinned. Got out."

Dinetta looks into her librarian's bag (aka haversack), shuffles things around for a moment and then pulls out some equipment.

Not sure how it got in here, but some pitons and a grappling hook seems to have fallen into my bag. It should help climbing up.

Dinetta has 10 pitons and a grappling hook, and 50' of rope. I assume we need another section of rope.

"Pitons yes those are good. I've got another coil of silk rope." the Captain pulls out a coil of rope form his satchel, the rope looks bigger than the satchel once outside of it. "Here." He toesses it to Jean.

Chatter beak separates from his master's tattoos then flies up towards the crowsnest.

The raven flies up towards the crows nest careful to keep 10 feet between it and the nest, as instructed, once he gets above nest...

From below you those looking up at the crows nest can see two small birds fly towards and tangle up with Chatterbeak.

RD1 :
Gryphs - attacked
Chatterbeak

I'll roll RD 1 initiative soon to join into the action, but for this round it's limited to Chatterbeak.