So, the pistolero had adamantine bullets? The promethean has DR/adamantium (I believe it to be 15, and I'm using that, but I could be wrong) which would cut damage by a lot. From a pistol, damage should be ~1d8+10 (5 Dex, 1 magic, 4 Deadly Aim) per shot, which averages to what? 1 point of damage? Up Close and Deadly adds 2d6 per shot, so we're up to 8 damage per hit now on average with the crit still being ~35 damage after DR if it was only x3. Without the DR, your numbers add up, but it sounds to me like you may have forgotten DR.Also remember that pistols have one shot per magazine. Unless your gunslinger was using alchemical ammunition, he literally could not shoot three times with two pistols. Alchemical ammunition increases misfire chance though, so if that's the case he misfired on a 1 or 2. With three shots, that's a 30% chance he'll break one of his weapons ...
Yep, he had adamantine bullets. And he had a pepperbox gun and a normal gun on one of those weapon strings. His actions were 100% legit under the rules.
If he's willing to throw large sums of money at a monster (adamantine ammunition costs a fortune) he should get a good return then :). I'm still wondering why his damage was so high honestly. I reran the numbers and I'm still not getting 116 ...Yep, he had adamantine bullets. And he had a pepperbox gun and a normal gun on one of those weapon strings. His actions were 100% legit under the rules.
So, the pistolero had adamantine bullets? The promethean has DR/adamantium (I believe it to be 15, and I'm using that, but I could be wrong) which would cut damage by a lot. From a pistol, damage should be ~1d8+10 (5 Dex, 1 magic, 4 Deadly Aim) per shot, which averages to what? 1 point of damage? Up Close and Deadly adds 2d6 per shot, so we're up to 8 damage per hit now on average with the crit still being ~35 damage after DR if it was only x3. Without the DR, your numbers add up, but it sounds to me like you may have forgotten DR.Also remember that pistols have one shot per magazine. Unless your gunslinger was using alchemical ammunition, he literally could not shoot three times with two pistols. Alchemical ammunition increases misfire chance though, so if that's the case he misfired on a 1 or 2. With three shots, that's a 30% chance he'll break one of his weapons ...
He's a Pistolero archetype. He blew his two Up Close and Deadly, critted with the other shot and he is an Alchemist 1/Gunslinger 5... he took the Vivisectionist archetype and thus has 1d6 Sneak Attack damage. Since the AP was grappling the Paladin, it was flat-footed against the Gunslinger. His dexterity should be about 21, his gun was at the time +1 enchanted, so that makes 1d8+6 base damage, plus all the other stuff.
He's a Pistolero archetype. He blew his two Up Close and Deadly, critted with the other shot and he is an Alchemist 1/Gunslinger 5... he took the Vivisectionist archetype and thus has 1d6 Sneak Attack damage. Since the AP was grappling the Paladin, it was flat-footed against the Gunslinger.
I'm pretty sure being grappled doesn't make you flat-footed, it only gives you a -4 penalty to Dex. So I don't think the sneak attack damage should have been applied. (Not that it matters much in this case.)
He's a Pistolero archetype. He blew his two Up Close and Deadly, critted with the other shot and he is an Alchemist 1/Gunslinger 5... he took the Vivisectionist archetype and thus has 1d6 Sneak Attack damage. Since the AP was grappling the Paladin, it was flat-footed against the Gunslinger.I'm pretty sure being grappled doesn't make you flat-footed, it only gives you a -4 penalty to Dex. So I don't think the sneak attack damage should have been applied. (Not that it matters much in this case.)
True, I just checked. Well, that takes off about 10 points of damage, which would have put the AP at 11 points short of destruction after one full attack. That still means that the Gunslinger took off 87% of his HP in one stroke.
And I just put together the numbers, because they weren't adding up for me, neither. The Gunslinger also has Deadly Aim and Point Blank Shot, which adds another 5 points of damage to each attack, so the AP suffered a total of 5d8+55+4d6+3d6 damage ( including the Sneak Attack here and taking into account that due to the critical hit deck another 1d8+11 damage was simply avoided ). So my player just rolled a little bit over average ( Average would have been 102 damage, instead of 116 ).
As with my last obit, this isn't exactly for a death but is a change of character regardless.
Name: Phoenix
Race: Elf
Classes/levels: Alchemist (Grenadier) 6
Adventure: Trial of the Beast
Location: The Breakfast Table
Catalyst: Mars Needed Him
The Gory Details: Player DL lost his character sheet. He decided that rather than rebuild his character sheet, he would make a new character as none of the other players really liked Phoenix as Phoenix as a) evil and b) creepy. As the group was planning on setting out for Schloss Caromarc at the start of the session, it was decided that DL would spend the session building his new character while we played a somewhat shortened session (due to the missing sheet drama and T having work early in the morning.)
So when I started the campaign I declared that they were all eating breakfast... when Azren (the broken and overpowered synthesist that I asked T to retire due to no one else getting to do anything when he was around) dimension doored in, declared "MARS NEEDS YOU," grabbed Phoenix, and dimension doored out. The PCs did not bat an eyelash, except for the newest addition, the tiefling magus Sertiyel (T's new character), who--having only been with the party for two days--was kind of freaked out. The other PCs reassured him that this was normal for them. "But what does it mean, Mars needs him?" asked Sertiyel and of course none of the other PCs knew because this is Golarion and Golarion has no Mars. "I don't even know and I'm the Narrator," said I.
Game was then paused while the players discussed the significance of MARS. Meanwhile I was diabolically inspired. I told T that he should build versions of Phoenix and Azren (as well as Darsk and Kwen, T and DL's characters who perished in HOH) at level fifteen so that once Carrion Crown is done I can send them after the PCs for one final session. Mars, it was declared, is the name of the party of discarded characters and each time someone discarded a PC so that he could play a new shiny, that PC would become a member of Mars. I am hoping this will reduce PC turnover. Although, S1--the barbarian's player--had been making noises about replacing his guy with a paladin, so it remains to be seen whether or not he wants to give Mars the ability to RAGE LANCE POUNCE.
Anyway, DL's new character, a halfling sorcerer of the arcane bloodline named Rassilon (yeah, I know), was found tied up and gagged in a trunk inside the gatehouse of Schloss Caromarc with crude drawings on his face (probably done by the trolls or their goblin slaves) at the end of the session. It was further established that he was a friend of the Count who had come to visit him and--upon seeing the trolls--tried to sneak in using his hat of disguise. Unfortunately, he hadn't really thought about the fact that the hat doesn't change your size category and hence was caught fairly easily.
He is Lawful Good and evidently is a bit confused as to where his spells come from. A devote worshipper of Sarenrae, he seems to have formed the impression he gets his spells from her instead of from his bloodline. It is likely that he will end up being Lawful Stupid, but hopefully the other players will find this an improvement on Creepy Evil and that Rassilon will last the rest of the campaign. Or at least longer than one book.
Wow. I wasn't aware of that. Ofcourse he still would've been dead from the -2 con because of the reduction in hit points. At 9th level he'd have lost 9 hitpoint from the con damage, actually bringing his HP total to - 20 with a con of 14. But this is still an important clarification that may save another player down the road.This is true. It's one of the more overlooked changes from 3.5 to PF, and overall a very good one from the point of the PCs. It makes stat damage not quite so ungodly painful while maintaining stat drain as being really bad. But it means an empowered ray of enfeeblement doesn't prevent a 10 Str cleric in full plate from casting spells or moving anymore.Yeah, that's not how ability damage works. When you take ability damage, your actual score doesn't go down. You only take a penalty that applies to specific things. For example, for every 2 poitns of str damage you take a -1 penalty on all attack and damage rolls. Even if your Str drops to 10, you can still use Power Attack, becuase your actual strength is still 13 (or more).
Similarily, when you take con damage, you take hit point damage, but your original Con score doesn't change and you die at -your original con, not modified.
It would have to be an ability DRAIN to affect you so. With ability drain, you wouldn't be able to use Power Attack with Str 10.
Wow. I think this might invalidate Elzbeth's death...must read more!
Name: Supply Room Door
Race: Door
Classes/levels: Heavy Metal Door
Adventure: Haunting of Harrowstone
Location: First floor, right of entrance
Catalyst: MONK SMASH
The Gory Details (includes a few HoH spoilers):
So now the 9 foot tall dwarven monk with a magical beatdown stick goes to town on the door using flurry of blows. It only took 8 rounds of hitting the thing before it is completely smashed open. Then using the remaining duration, he runs off and destroys the haunted slamming portals. The players decide not to also smash the safe for fear of breaking the things inside (as I had hinted might be inside).
Then, just to rub it in, they get a natural 20 on searching the place and find the secret door. Jokes on them, they believed the planchette's "Cursed items? Oh certainly not... nope, no problems here, go right ahead and take them!" and gave the wizard the spell book.
Name: Samuel Trench and Balrig
Race: Human and Tiefling
Classes/levels: Level 5 Truenamer, Level 5 Alchemist
Adventure: The Trial of the Beast
Location: Sanctuary's Cellar
Catalyst: Ghoul Paralysis and Coup de Grace
The Gory Details: Balrig climbed down a rope into the cellar and was jumped by the ghasts. One round and coup de grace later he was dead. Samuel was lured down by the rest of the party with some ominous last words, "There's only one left! Jump down!" One failed acrobatics roll and one prone Truenamer next to a ghoul = AoO and then immediately a coup de grace.
This encounter can be *deadly*. Ouch.
Name: Jonathan Harker
Race: Undine
Classes/levels: Alchemist 1/ Gunslinger 6
Adventure: Broken Moon
Location: Ascanor Lodgle
Catalyst: Paladin smite frenzy during player cerebral shutdown.
The Gory Details: The party had investigated Ascanor Lodge pretty thoroughly during the last two sessions, resulting in Estovions paranoia score easily jumping past eight already on the last session.
After defeating the giant tarantula at the end of last week, the group continued to try to find more clues about the plans and whereabouts of the Whispering Way. During the night, Estovion unleashed the Vilkacis and Cilas Graydon was killed by the possessed Corvin Tergsvor.
The party investigated the gruesome murder site, but did not get definite evidence to indict someone. However, they had already tried to ask Estovion about the Halo of Dreams and it had been a bit obvious that he had something to hide. So the party Wizard and the Gunslinger went to investigate. Finding the top floor of the library tower still occupied, via seeing light coming out of the window, the Wizard cast Invisibility and Fly on himself, looking through one of the seven windows of the tower to see Estovion being in the process of summoning the Vilkacis. After looking at the ritual for a few minutes, he returned to the anxious Gunslinger below and told him of the situation. Jonathan increduously asked the Wizard why he hadn't interrupted the ritual, to which the Wizard shrugged his shoulders, flew up again and sent some magic missiles through the window at the unsuspecting warden of the lodge.
This accomplished two things: The Vilkacis was summoned completely and without even the slight control Estovion had on it. Estovion used his dimensional steps ability to get out of sight and the Vilkacis drifted through the floor and ripped one of the two mercenary guards posted outside the private library to shreds, possessing the other. The Gunslinger and Wizard meanwhile had returned to the rest of the group, which after being warned about the situation came running to confront the possessed guard.
Jonathan shot the slavering Vilkacis-possessed guard with a silver bullet, prompting a surprisingly successful will saving throw from the mercenary, who promptly took off in a panicked screaming frenzy ( he won the initiative over the Vilkacis and withdrew from combat, running past the party ). The Vilkacis then took his turn and successfully possessed Jonathan.
Our intrepid Paladin of Iomedae then stepped forward and, without any hesitation, triple smited his clearly possessed and raging ( +21 non-temporary, non-returing hitpoints ) party member for 77 points of damage. While the party Cleric tried to mitigate the damage done by channeling positive energy, he rolled impressively low on his 4d6, for only 10 points of healing.
The rest of the party told the Paladin to take it easy on their possessed party member, who had little chance to do much damage anyway to them ( given that he had a natural strength of 8 and so was doing an pretty unimpressive 1d4+2 with his claw attacks while Greater Rage-ing... and had a very low chance to hit with his secondary bite attack ). To which the Paladin used his Mithral shield to bash the Gunslinger in the head, for 1d6+2+2d6 damage... driving the Vilkacis out due to a successful will saving throw by the Gunslinger, but putting Jonathan into the double digits negative hitpoints, due to the Greater Rage expiring ( at about -22 HP ).
Let's just say that there was a lot of facepalming, especially as other characters had prepared Protection from Evil's and were planning to give the possessed Gunslinger a chance to will save again, without suffering more damage or after being healed a bit more.
The Gunslinger was immediately raised by the Paladins Ultimate Mercy ability, but the two permanent negative levels are going to be a drain on the party and the player.
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In any case, I am planning to have a dream sequence in the following rest period, having a vision of Iomedae visit both the Paladin and Gunslinger in their sleep and having said vision transfer the two permanent negative levels to the Paladin, explaining very clearly to him that being a Paladin of the goddess of Justice means more than just smiting without thinking. Given that the party has access to Restoration and enough funds to do two negative level reversals in the next eight days, it hopefully will serve as an object lesson for the Paladin player to critically think a bit before multi-smiting clearly possessed friends.
Interesting approach to the Paladin/level thing. I'd spell out a solution to the Paladin (ie use the magic you have or I will make a way for you to fix this and send some one to you etc) so he feels boned but won't get bad tempered about it.
It's not much of an issue, anyway. The party has a superior composition ( Paladin/Gunslinger/Cleric/Wizard/Sorcerer ), so I don't foresee them getting too badly challenged until Feldgrau. The Paladin will be able to smite quite a lot, so the one negative level he will have to content with for one week won't hurt him too much.
It's more of an object lesson I want to give him that being a Paladin means not only having awesome powers, but also using those responsibly. Using three smites on someone who ordinarily is your friend is not responsible, IMO.
Name: Anvilus CragHammer
Race: Human (orphaned at birth, raised by dwarves in a Dwarven Tin miners in the eastern mountains of Barstoi).
Classes/levels: Level 6 Cleric of Gorum (god of war / battle cleric)
Adventure: Trial of the Beast
Location: Rickety rope bridge connecting the Museum to the Blown-up Alchemical Laboratory in Schloss Caromarc
Catalyst: The Erinyes Summon Monster Trap on the bridge and subsequent plunge to his death below.
The Gory Details: The PCs had tested out the bridge and it seemed sturdy, but they were worried about the winds. They tied themselves together like a linked-chain using a Rope of Climbing. Each PC was in single-file, one per 5-foot square as they inched out across the bridge. The Witch PC was flying nearby. The ends of the Rope of Climbing were instructed to bind the pack to the bridge in front and back. As such, they inched forward along the bridge. Several of them failed Acrobatics and even subsequent Reflex saves (including Anvilus) and fell, dangling over the roaring rapids below and were pulled back up by their party members.
When they reached the middle of the bridge, the ninja-inquisitor (a Chelish infiltrator of Lawful-Evil alignment, trying to discover information about Ustalav and whose class, religion, and alignment are unknown to the players and PCs) failed to notice the trap, triggering an Erinyes to appear hovering in the air nearby. After a brief exchange in Infernal (then leading to Telepathic) trying to negotiate with the Erinyes the devil (fallen angel, basically) attacked and the ninja/inquisitor shouted to clear the bridge.
Anvilus was the target of a volley of arrows (being goodly and all) from the Erinyes who dropped him to single digit hit points. Additionally, he failed his Acrobatics and Reflex saves and fell from the bridge - dangling again over the river. The linked PC (fighter in this case) pulled him up as a full action. Anvilus tried to move, still tied to the rope and slipped and fell again! Next round, the Erinyes distracted, the fighter pulled Anvilus up again. Another attempt at moving on the rocking bridge and he slipped AGAIN, but this time caught himself (made the Reflex save) so was in a position to pull himself up next round.
The PCs had all untied themselves except the ninja/inquisitor who was still bound to Anvilus. Additionally, all the PCs had fled (one having slipped and fallen into the rapids below, barely alive and only saved by the flying witch who retreated to heal and help him surface). One Anvilus' third attempt, still tied to the rope (which had a lot of slack by now) he tried running to safety - off the bridge - to reach the ninja/inquisitor. For a third time he slipped and fell, dangling over the rapids. This time, however, only the ninja/inquisitor was attached to the rope. Herself failing a reflex save she was pulled down into the water with Anvilus.
Anvilus died from the plunge of 150 feet into the rapids below. The ninja/inquisitor survived, barely, and only with the assistance of the witch again healing and helping her surface. The Erinyes sped after the fallen holy cleric, plunging into the depths and surfacing holding his lifeless corpse in her arms. Frustrated that he was dead (since she wanted to torture him for all eternity - yes, I know a Summon Monster shouldn't be able to do that but we were playing it as such) she screamed in frustration and dropped his body back into the waters before disappearing (summon trap expired).
RIP Anvilus CragHammer.
So, no arcane caster with Feather Fall, Levitate or Fly memorized? That's how our Paladin and Cleric survived the Air Elemental on the other bridge and another fall off the mountain path before the towers. ^^
The Erinyes also was a harsh encounter, but since only our Gunslinger with many skill ranks in acrobatics was on the bridge, the group was holed up in the dilapitated building on the near side of the rope bridge. It was still pretty intense, with the Erinyes casting Unholy Blight for six or seven rounds in a row, while the Cleric and Paladin were both channeling like crazy to counterheal the damage. She finally went down to a critical hit from the Gunslinger.
So, no arcane caster with Feather Fall, Levitate or Fly memorized? That's how our Paladin and Cleric survived the Air Elemental on the other bridge and another fall off the mountain path before the towers. ^^
The Erinyes also was a harsh encounter, but since only our Gunslinger with many skill ranks in acrobatics was on the bridge, the group was holed up in the dilapitated building on the near side of the rope bridge. It was still pretty intense, with the Erinyes casting Unholy Blight for six or seven rounds in a row, while the Cleric and Paladin were both channeling like crazy to counterheal the damage. She finally went down to a critical hit from the Gunslinger.
My party's gunslinger was critically hit on the first shot, dropped into negatives and fell off the bridge. The synthesist had magical flight at that point and caught him, and the wizard just dispelled the erinyes with a strong roll.
The hazard of that location plus the danger of that fight is just unreal. If my party would have fought her like the module wanted us to, we'd have lost at least two PCs.
Yeah, the penalties for failing a few rolls in that location are harsh... but, man, that's a great place to adventure. Narrow bridges above a series of waterfalls, with the backdrop of several buildings built right into the surrounding mountain? Definitely one of the most memorable and probably beautiful places I've "been" to in Golarion.
Name: Horatio Sonnenschein
Race: Aasimar
Classes/levels: Paladin 9
Adventure: Wake of the Watcher
Location: Thrushmoor
Catalyst: Clanartus Viliras and his two ghouls.
The Gory Details: Not that much to tell this time. The party arrived in Thrushmoor and easily found out that the dark riders went to the Livery Stable and changed their horses there.
Then they decided to split up.
Most of them went to sell loot to different merchants and the Sorcerer went to ask someone at the Livery Stable about those two horses. Clanartus already was waiting for him, but since our Sorcerer is a halfling with a strength of 6, he of course wasn't able to comply with the request to help out with the hay wagon. So the Sorcerer went off and got the Paladin, the only party member with decent strength, to lift the wagon in the way asked. Since both botched their perception and sense motive checks, the ambush went off without a hitch, the ghouls doing a partial charge from beneath some conveniently placed hay stacks on the Paladin ( because the whole set-up as stated doesn't make much sense... how exactly are the ghouls hiding under the wagon, if the Paladin is also lying beneath it? ), while Clanartus used Quickdraw to get one of his daggers. All three opponents got in their sneak attack.
Then they all rolled higher than the Paladin in their initiative rolls. So, after the second full attack Horatio had eaten some 117 points of damage, thoroughly killing him, and the three assassins turned on the Sorcerer. Milius, the Sorcerer, got out by casting Dimension Door, but not without eating some more attacks before he could escape.
Not sure what to do with Clanartus and the ghouls now, I guess they will ambush the party on the way to Illmarsh. Should give an interesting encounter if they get some help.
Name: Tavi
Race: Tian Oread
Class: Hungry Ghost Monk 6
Name: Samuel
Race: Andoren Human
Class: Truenamer 6
Adventure: Trial of the Beast
Location: The Door to the Manse
Catalyst: Guardian of Air trap
The party had a terrible time fighting the Trolls. It's a long story. The party took care of the Golem hound by shooting at it from the towers and then went across. They failed to spot the hidden bell and proceeded to pick the lock of the door, failing their attempt to look for traps.
The air elemental triggered and won initiative and in subsequent rounds it swept those it could off the edge of the bridge where they smashed into the raging water and skewered against the rocks beneath the falls.
Those two bridges are real deathtraps. :D
Those two bridges are real deathtraps. :D
They didn't stand a chance. I am glad I forgot there are two reflex saves (and then corrected myself) or else it would have been 3 characters. This group is not used to traps (in my homebrew games I rarely do dungeon crawls) but they started to learn to keep an eye out in the Chymical works.
As it is the deaths give me an opportunity to:
The two characters are disappointed their characters have died (and unable to afford raise dead) but excited about the Palatine Eye.
...how exactly are the ghouls hiding under the wagon, if the Paladin is also lying beneath it?
They aren't, the book says they are hiding under the hay -in- the wagon, which is described as near busting with the load of straw it bears. The idea was that the rogue ghouls burst from out of the very wagon that the PCs are conveniently flatfooted holding up, allowing sneak attack and possibly paralysis. A coup de grace may soon follow as it did in my game, that's how one of my PCs died.
In your case there may likely be a third, well equipped ghoul in the next attack... or ghast, really, considering he had more than 5 HD.
Ah, well. I guess I misread the set-up slightly. Anyway, it worked out well enough... for the bad guys. ^^
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Name: Findaráto Anwarünya
Race: Elf
Classes/levels: Wizard [Evocation] 2
Adventure: THoH
Location: U11: Nevermore
Catalyst: Persistance
The Gory Details:
Little did he know that his refusal to quit would lead to his demise. Allowing access into the inner sanctum of the Splatter Man, Finn became mind fraked by his bloody name appearing on the wall, slowly drifting into madness, but at least confident that it would take the ghost of the Splatter Man a long time to finish his name. As the party madly struck at the walls to destroy the letters that appeared there, they were shocked by the sudden cave in as the power of the haunt failed.
Proud but brave, Finn did not mention to his colleagues how injured he was in the collapse, and as the ghost of the Hean Feramin rose from the water filled oubliette the battle was truly joined. The party swiftly found themselves over matched as the Splatter Man's magic missiles lanced through out the room, nearly a full barrage striking Finn before he could raise his shields. As Finn's soul teetered on the edge of Phrasma's Boneyard, Shiphra, one of Phrasma's devote servant made a desperate play. Tearing up the strange Varisian Harrow Card she had received from a gypsy woman, Shirpha found herself able to reorder the events of causality, reaching Finn's side at the very moment of his death. She plied him with the best first aid she could manage, but the Lady of Graves will could not be thwarted, and Finn's life was ended.
Less poetically, the party has pushed hard against the adventure striking out for the prison much ahead of schedule and under level. The meeting with the TSM was much earlier then it should have been, and the party was wounded. Finn took 3 of 4 missiles from one of the early maximized magic missiles, and with his earlier wounds was dropped to -12 (his con score and technically death.) I allowed an attempt at a save with the Harrow cards system, but the oracle who has no actually healing spells failed her heal check, in part because she was at -4 wis from the haunting encounter earlier. This was a near TPK, with all but one character being out cold at one point in the fight or another. The party was saved by the paladin's smite evil, the monk ripping up Hean's spellbook and the Alchemists use of a shield spell and taking cures for the day. The Oracle went down early, and do to her unique nature (Black blooded curse) was down for the count. On the flip side the curse did help her out a fair bit against the Lopper so it is all good. The parties cleric wasn't around for the evening, so that made things a might bit more challenging as well.
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Name: Marcellano
Race: Human
Class: Inquisitor 7
Adventure: Trial of the Beast
Location: L1: The Insane Guardian
Catalyst: The Guardian of the Tower
The Gory Details:
The party described the battle to Waxwood, so I had him rummage through the clutter and destruction that the Whispering Way caused and found them a Raise Dead scroll for the Cleric to use, claiming he found it on one of their corpses that the Promethean had killed. The Cleric BARELY rolled high enough to use the scroll successfully and brought back Marcellano just in time for the final showdown.
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Name: Cuseth
Race: Dwarf
Class: Rogue 2
Adventure: The Haunting of Harrowstone
Location: S18 The Training Room, with T7 effects.
Catalyst: The Auditorium (location S15)
The Gory Details:
Cuseth was affected by the Father Charlatan haunt at a very inopportune time, when three out of four of his companions had already retreated. His brother, Zane, has learned of his brother's demise and is seeking vengeance upon the spirits of Harrowstone...
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Name: Saskar
Race: Tiefling (Chain devil variety)
Classes/levels: Sorcerer 1, Cleric 1, Archaeologist 4
Adventure: Trial of the Beast
Location: Schloss Caromarc
Catalyst: Erinyes from summon monster trap
The Gory Details: Saskar strolled confidently across the rope bridge are determining that it was structurally safe (she took a rank of knowledge engineering last level). However, a trap went off which summoned a fearsome Erinyes. Being able to fly, the Erinyes stayed a distance away from the party and shot flaming arrows each round. Saskar who was in the lead, took the first few volleys and soon fell.
She did not want to be raised as her soul is perfectly happy where it is now (on the Shadow Plane with Zon-kathon, being tortured for the rest of eternity)
Name: Alois Taber
Race: Human
Class: Rogue 1/Inquisitor 6
Adventure: Broken Moon
Location: Ascanor Lodge
Catalyst: Event 5: The Spider
Seeing the spider Alois charged in with his sword(s) raised. The spider retaliated "spearing" him with one it's legs as he ran in for 32 damage. The spider's turn was next and it's fangs pierced straight through him for 32 damage. Afterwards the remaining group member lured it outside and fought a running battle before it retreated into the lodge and nearly killed the others.
This was the second to last of my original characters - the others have all died terribly in Trial of the Beast (see previous posts). The last survivor is fearfully awaiting his own demise.
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Name: Tord
Race: Half-Orc
Classes/levels: Paladin 9
Adventure: Wake of the Watcher
Location: 280 feet under Avalon Bay
Catalyst: Grabbed, Crushed, and Savagely Bitten by Dhauggota, the Devilfish Sorcerer
The Gory Details: When the irascible gutaki sorceress attacked our deep-lake diving heroes, they slew her summoned sharks with ease, disabled her magic by a casting of silence from the party oracle, and intercepted her before she could reach Croon’s submersible. Her attempts to silently cast spells were ruined by a swimming charge from Tord, the smiting paladin of Ragathiel, who wore a helmet of underwater action. Quickly after followed Ursa the half-orc ranger, further complicating casting for the cephalopod spell-slinger. Frustrated and infuriated beyond belief, she expelled a cloud of Dagon’s Blood, releasing a darkness within which even their orcish eyes could not see. Now utterly noiseless and completely obscured, Dhauggota attacked.
Wielding the trident of warning (which gives the direction of underwater predators,) Tord was the only one able to find the silenced and concealed Dhauggota within the cloud, and engaged her in single combat rather than retreat and risk her casting spells or getting away. The duel was regrettably weighted, for he was still blind and she could see him perfectly. Though he wounded her seriously, eventually she grabbed the paladin, and once she held him in her tentacles, the cephalopod crushed, pinned, and savagely bit him unto death, (critically hitting twice on the bites.) Despite the brave efforts of Belmondo, the party inquisitor, to invade the ink cloud and save his dear friend, all was for naught. Tord, the half-orc paladin died in silence and impenetrable darkness.
That Dhauggota perished moments later when Belmondo detonated a bead of force centered upon himself, was little comfort to the survivors.
Name:Paul Alsinacht
Race:Human
Classes/levels: Inquisitor 7
Adventure: Broken Moon
Location: Ascanor Lodge
Catalyst: Giant Tarantula
The Gory Details: The parties investigations at the lodge are interupted by screams coming from the sitting room. Having left their gear in their rooms (for the most part), the party advances, lets the theurge and alchemist drop some buffs, the bladebound teleports his black blade to his had and buffs...and the inquisitor grabs a poker from the fire place and charges the huge sized spider...instead of waiting for one of the characters with mobility or a higher ac to soak up the attacks of opportunity. One critical hit later and he was out, full hp to dead in one attack. He still hasn't lived this one down.
Name: Kaleb "Big Guy" Applehat
Race: Halfling
Classes/levels: Fighter 5 / Rogue 3
Adventure: Broken Moon
Location: Feldgrau
Catalyst: Auren Vrood
The Gory Details: This one was simple, and rather amusing (I think). In the very last fight that they could ever be effected by it, Vrood hits the whole party with Circle of Death. He rolls just enough to target the Paladin, Bladebound, and Kaleb. One failed save later and the Big Guy was dead.
It does bear mentioning that both pc's are alive and well after these. The party was able to Raise them both in time for the fun at Illmarsh. They are currently in the Tunnels, and the Bladebound has dropped game, so we'll see how that goes.
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Name: Tord
Race: Half-Orc
Classes/levels: Paladin 9
Adventure: Wake of the Watcher
Location: 280 feet under Avalon Bay
Catalyst: Grabbed, Crushed, and Savagely Bitten by Dhauggota, the Devilfish Sorcerer
Prop's to Tord and his player, that is an awesome self-sacrificing paladin death.
Surly his death will be sung about in feast halls, and the orders of his deity.
Name: Boram
Race: Human
Classes/levels: Ranger 3
Adventure: THoH
Location: The Oubliette
Catalyst: The Lopper
The Gory Details: A 3 men party (15 point buy), with no cleric and no paladin, against the Lopper, this was asking for trouble. The Lopper was healing his wounds faster than we could damage him and we were all bleeding, so we decided to flee so that we could fight another day. But Boram the Ranger wasn't fast enough, slowed down by his medium armor, which was of no use against this incorporeal foe, since the Lopper reached him, rolled a critical hit and lopped his head off (Borom went from positive hp to 0-CON). My character, an elven alchemist, barely made it out alive, since the Lopper was on my tail when I reached the rope that we used to climb down into the basement. Luckily, sunlight reaching down from the hole in the roof of the basement kept the Lopper at bay while I was climbing up the rope. Me and the other surviving PC, a human wizard, runned all the way back to Ravengrow, without looking behind us a single time, tears and blood running down our cheeks.
The Lopper's axe remained with Boram's body as well as our last haunt siphon and our undead bane and ghost touch arrows. Things are not looking good for us. :\
Name: Simon Belmont
Race: Human
Classes/levels: Ranger 8
Adventure: Broken Moon
Location: Feldgrau
Catalyst: Auren Vrood
Name: Evan Cosgrove
Race: Halfling
Classes/levels: Oracle 8
Adventure: Broken Moon
Location: Feldgrau
Catalyst: Auren Vrood
Name: Millie
Race: Gnome
Classes/levels: Rogue 8
Adventure: Broken Moon
Location: Feldgrau
Catalyst: Auren Vrood
The Gory Details: The party has decided to take out the cultists as quickly as possible before facing off against the Demon Wolves. They've just recovered the heart of the packlord, and decide to use their rope of climbing to go up the back side of the old tower. The skeletons on the top of the tower spot them, and a brief combat ensues...but comes to an end when Simon uses Stone Call to drop a rain of stones on top of the building.
They then enter through the top of the tower, climbing down the rickety stairs to the bottom. Auren Vrood sees the first one (an elven mage) coming around the corner and promptly throws a Circle of Death in the middle of the tower. Three bodies just drop dead...and with a failed spellcraft check, there's no known cause. A quick retreat back down the rope occurs.
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Spoiler:Name: Simon Belmont Race: Human
Classes/levels: Ranger 8
Adventure: Broken Moon
Location: Feldgrau
Catalyst: Auren VroodName: Evan Cosgrove
Race: Halfling
Classes/levels: Oracle 8
Adventure: Broken Moon
Location: Feldgrau
Catalyst: Auren VroodName: Millie
Race: Gnome
Classes/levels: Rogue 8
Adventure: Broken Moon
Location: Feldgrau
Catalyst: Auren VroodThe Gory Details: The party has decided to take out the cultists as quickly as possible before facing off against the Demon Wolves. They've just recovered the heart of the packlord, and decide to use their rope of climbing to go up the back side of the old tower. The skeletons on the top of the tower spot them, and a brief combat ensues...but comes to an end when Simon uses Stone Call to drop a rain of stones on top of the building.
They then enter through the top of the tower, climbing down the rickety stairs to the bottom. Auren Vrood sees the first one (an elven mage) coming around the corner and promptly throws a Circle of Death in the middle of the tower. Three bodies just drop dead...and with a failed spellcraft check, there's no known cause. A quick retreat back down the rope occurs.
That's BRUTAL.
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Name: Hawkeye
Race: Human
Classes/levels: Ranger 8
Adventure: Broken Moon
Location: Feldgrau
Catalyst: Auren Vrood
The PCs had already cleared out most of the town, so only the mastermind cultist was left. Finally, the man repsonisble for everything would pay.
The ensuing fight with Vrood was brutal.
About halfway through the fight, Vrood drops his dreaded Circle right on top of the party Wizard, Tim; the aasimar Cleric, Otheos, was also close enough to be hit.
Tim rolls terribly on his Will save, so we know he's dead, and has no Hero Points. Otheos attempts to counterspell with blinding speed (Hero Point to counterspell out of turn), but fails. Just as Tim's fate seems sealed, Hawkeye suddenly burns his last Hero Point to leap across the room and take the blast for Tim...
...and promptly Nat 1's his Will save.
Tim sees yet another friend fall for him. If you look back in my posts, you'll see where he watched three of his friends get slaughtered by the Promethean desperately trying to keep it away from the top of the tower and the useless mages.
Vrood was not done though. He whispers into his homoculus, which flies over and lands on Hawkeye...who promptly rises as a Zombie and begins attacking his (former) animal companion and Tim.
Eventually, the cultist falls. Then Otheos, with a tear in his eye, softly places his hand on Hawkeye's shoulder, pouring positive energy into him and whispering, "Be at peace, brother."
Gorey Details
Whoa! Awesome.
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Gorey DetailsWhoa! Awesome.
Thanks! I wish I could take credit for the whole encounter- I am DMing most of the Path, but took a break for Broken Moon (I was the Cleric.)
I have to give a shout out to our DM- it was her first time running things, and she ran it gloriously. Bonus points to her for killing her husband's character!
EDIT: Double bonus points for killing his second character in the Path; he now accounts for half the deaths in the Path thus far (I killed his Magus with the Promethean.)
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Ugh. I should have posted this in a more timely manner, but what the hell. This was just a trifecta of bad luck, suicidal overconfidence, and bad planning.
Name: Wynn Dane
Race: Human
Class: Cleric of Numina
Adventure: Trial of the Beast
Catalyst: .....Ugh. See below.
Name: Quorra Kepbrand
Race: Gnome
Class: Alchemist
Adventure: The same.
Catalyst: .....Embarrassing.
Name: Aux Meatfist
Race: Human
Class: Monk
Adventure: Continuing to be Trial of the Beast.
Catalyst: Just scroll down, you got this far already.
What the hell happened: After a landmark trial in which we get Bruce (the Beast) acquitted of all charges, he invites us to meet his creator. We set off a trap that bull rushes me into the water below the creator's mad science lab about 100' below. This is bad because I play a paladin who infamously uses full plate and a tower shield. Aux jumps in after me, and I make a decision to cast my masterwork tower shield off in order to save my life. (Considering I realized later that I also had a Rope of Climbing and our Folding Boat, I feel like an idiot.)
Anyways...: We reunite a day later and continue on into the manor. We realize something happened to the professor because it looks ransacked. While we split up exploring one of the wings of this truly messed-up place, Wynn sets off a trap that fires a poisoned arrow at him.
He's a Cleric, he can handle it.: He starts casting Lesser Restoration while the arrow's still in him (and he's consistently failing Fortitude rolls.) Unfortunately, Wynn's losing more Constitution than he's recovering, and proceeds to bite it after a few rounds. He doesn't call out or anything, so instead of finding him arterial spewing from the arrow in his heart, we find his body.
...Yes, he had antitoxins on him.
So that's one down.: We fight some rust monsters that rust out my armor. At this point, I have about 18 AC from rusted +1 full plate and a literal door on my left forearm (which we said counted as a tower shield with just 2 AC.) We come across a rope bridge. I do not look forward to crossing it with my mighty -12 Acrobatics. I stow my armor and door (somehow) and entertain crossing it with +3 Acrobatics. Instead, we make Quorra cross it first. Here's exactly what happened.
Quorra: It's okay, guys! I'm a gnome! I can handle this! (starts crossing)
Quorra's Player: (rolls Acrobatics. Gets a 1. Quorra does not have a much better Acrobatics than I do.)
Quorra: YEAAaaaaaaaaaiiiiieeeeeeeee~ .................*splash*
She takes more nonlethal damage than she has max HP, and our gnome takes a couple of lungfuls of water and dies. I'm a bit upset at this point, mostly because we just lost half the party in the span of ten minutes, and Quorra was the time-paradoxed daughter of my Rise of the Runelords character. But still, we press on-
Aux: Sain, I'm getting the hell out of here. Dis ain't worth it.
Sain (Me): No. We finish this.
Aux: YOU can finish this! Aux Meatfist ain't goin' one step further! We saw dat thing yesterday!
Sain: Aux, I assure you, we can handle this. We finish the fight, we avenge Quorra and Wynn.
Aux: ........A'ight. If ya say so. (starts crossing the bridge. He sets off a summon glyph, which brings out an erinys.)
Erinys: (shoots Aux)
Aux: (does not make the requisite balance check to stay on the bridge) $@%& you, Saiiiiiiiiiiiin~ (gives the middle finger the entire way down to his death)
The story of Sain Golus's not-so-miraculous escape is boring, and truly uninteresting at this point.
Oopsies? <grins>
Aahahaha!
Yes, that duo of bridges at the Schloss is a real character meatgrinder. My players had the luck of having a.) a Ring of Feather falling and b.) a *very* well prepared Wizard with Fly and Levitate memorized.
Quorra: It's okay, guys! I'm a gnome! I can handle this! (starts crossing)
Quorra's Player: (rolls Acrobatics. Gets a 1. Quorra does not have a much better Acrobatics than I do.)
Quorra: YEAAaaaaaaaaaiiiiieeeeeeeee~ .................*splash*
Does he know about take-10?
I'm amazed at the number of players that don't take-10 for virtually everything like this...
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I'm surprised a splash into a river rusts the armour after 1 day so bad that it is a negative to its normal AC.
Oh, no, it got rusted out from the rust monsters. (And I got my math wrong about crossing the rope bridge. I had -10 from broken +1 full plate, -10 from the literal door strapped to my left arm, and +1 Dexterity, for a grand total of 1d20-19 for Acrobatics. THE PALADIN WAS HAVING SOME ENTERTAINING THOUGHTS ABOUT CROSSING THAT BRIDGE)
And yes, Quorra's player knew about taking 10. Her Acrobatics+10 wouldn't have been enough to cross safely (but not enough to fall!)
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Quorra: It's okay, guys! I'm a gnome! I can handle this! (starts crossing)
Quorra's Player: (rolls Acrobatics. Gets a 1. Quorra does not have a much better Acrobatics than I do.)
Quorra: YEAAaaaaaaaaaiiiiieeeeeeeee~ .................*splash*Does he know about take-10?
I'm amazed at the number of players that don't take-10 for virtually everything like this...
It's not natural to think about. When up against something that's obviously a challenge, you naturally assume you can't just "take 10" and avoid the whole thing.
Also, he may not have a +5 or more to his check.
Yeah, I personally found the Acrobatics check a bit too high, given how there are few plate wearers which would even have the skill. Normally that would present a nice challenge and cost some resources ( in a way which a normal mook encounter would not, given the ineffectiveness of most AP mook encounters ), but with a summoned Erinyes in the mix, it can turn very, very deadly. Hilariously so in this case. ^^
Name: Paul Alsinacht, Cecil, and Quinley Basdel
Race: Human, Half-Elf, Dhampir, respectively
Classes/levels: Inquisitor 12, Wizard 3/Cleric 3/Mystic Theurge 7, Rogue 6/Fighter 3
Adventure: Ashes At Dawn
Location: The Noblemans Stitch (area E2)
Catalyst: The store "mannequins"
The Gory Details: The party breaks into Radvirs shop, after knocking, yelling, and pretty much alerting the entire neighborhood to their presence. No one makes the perception check to notice the "mannequins" in the display windows are a little too realistic, nor do they make the perception check to hear the doors open behind them. One of the vampires uses a cantrip to cause a distraction in the fitting rooms, causing the party to bunch up around the entrance. 3 fireballs later, Quinley was a smoking corpse on the floor, while Paul and Cecil were spending their last hero points to stave off actual death (the Theurge would have been at -33 hp, had he not had the 2 hero points that he needed, and the inquisitor wouldn't have had his extra point, had he not missed the last session and made up for it with a three page long argument to sway the parties paladin against killing all the vampires of Caliphas). Even though they didn't technically die, I still count this as a "death," bringing the kill count for this AP up to 5, the deadliest campaign I've run to date.
Name: Paul Alsinacht, Cecil, and Quinley Basdel
No one makes the perception check to notice the "mannequins" in the display windows are a little too realistic, nor do they make the perception check to hear the doors open behind them. One of the vampires uses a cantrip to cause a distraction in the fitting rooms, causing the party to bunch up around the entrance. 3 fireballs later, Quinley was a smoking corpse on the floor, while Paul and Cecil were spending their last hero points to stave off actual death.
Wait... you turned Quinley Basdel into a PC? That's so cool. Did you do this from the start, or did the player die earlier in "Ashes" and then come back as Quinley? Tell us more!
Also, what DC did you use for the doors opening? Was that vs the Vampire's Stealth or just the plain DC10? Either way sounds like your party had very sucky Perception skills as Vampires are actually pretty rubbish at Stealth (barring their invisibility/gaseous ofc).
Name: Darrius
Race: Human
Classes/levels: Cleric 4 of Iomedae
Adventure: Trial of the Beast
Location: Sanctuary
Catalyst: Trying to save the Iomedae paladin from hungry ghasts
Fully knowing that ghasts were prowling the area the group decided to drop a rope down into the shaft. Dmitri, the paladin, attempted to climb the down the rope in his full plate only to fall 30 feet. Then proceeded to become nauseated and paralyzed when the ghasts jumped him.
Brave Darrius wanting to save his companion bravely attempted to climb down the rope in his full plate only to fail and drop 30 feet on to Dmitiri. He likewise became nauseated by the stench of the ghasts and was unable to channel the might of Iomedae. The ghasts bit and clawed at Darrius rendering him paralyzed...from that point the ghasts continued to munch on Darrius until he was a bloody pulp.
In the meantime Dmitri was able to shake off the paralysis but was still nauseated. The other 2 party members attempted to help but only the wizard was not nauseated. In the end the elf wizard dropped the final ghast via spells.
In general the dice may have killed the cleric.