This is the Gameplay thread.
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Memories of your past, realities of your present, and fears and hopes for your future suddenly overwhelm you with a torrent of emotion. So many choices you’ve made! So many more to go! Do they even matter? Are your choices yours, or are they always what you’d choose? Do you have a fate that’s set in stone, or do you get to decide your future? Suddenly, you’re standing on a street corner—one you somehow know is in the Grand Bazaar within the city of Absalom. Before you is a wooden building flanked by a flower shop and an open-air meat vendor. A sign above the building’s door reads “Three Moves Ahead,” and déjà vu washes over you. You’ve never been here... or have you? Will you? Should you? A blood-curdling scream shatters the building and, after a brief sense of pain and loss, the vision fades. As your senses return, you realize that clutched in your hand is something new. A single beautifully illustrated harrow card. You don’t remember finding it, but you instinctively know it has always been yours. Though you only now hold it, your fate has been tied to it for a long time.
That was about a week ago. Since then each of you has felt a compulsion, a need, a desire, to find this place and learn what happened here. You have come back together from your various adventures and travels and now you find yourselves stood in front of the same door you saw in your collective vision. Its a cold late Kuthona morning, sleety rain soaks through your clothes and shoppers pass by quickly, their heads bowed against the wind and sleet. The sign for "Three Moves Ahead" creaks above you. The door is shut, the windows shuttered and a sign proclaiming that the shop is closed hangs in the doorway. No lights glimmer inside, the place has the air of being entirely empty.
What do you do?
When the vision struck him, Slick had been making his way back home through the streets of Absalom after getting off work as the head bouncer at The Gutless Griffon in the Ivy District. It had been a quiet night and he'd only had to break up a couple of small fights in his usual efficient manner. No doubt the poor fellows he'd to forcibly evicted from the premises would soon recover from their injuries. Billy occasionally played at the Griffon, but not that night. In fact, it was Billy's recommendation that had gotten Slick the job there. Apparently he and the proprietor, Fronsac Shim, were on friendly terms.
Slick had been walking down the sidewalk when his sight blurred. He managed to grab hold of the nearby railing before his senses were completely overcome by a vision. His whole life flashed through his mind; he saw events that he remembered well, but many were new to him; like memories of events yet to happen. Finally his vision clears and he finds himself standing in the Grand Bazaar in front of a building with a sign reading Three Moves Ahead. He'd been through the Grand Bazaar many times, and though he was certain he'd never been to this part of the Baazar, it seems strangely familiar to him. Suddenly, he hears a blood-curdling scream from inside the building, but before he can react, he once again finds himself standing in an empty street, panting heavily as adrenaline floods his system. One hand is still clutching the railing for support, but held tightly in his other hand he finds a playing card. He looks at it in surprise; the image printed on the card appears to be of a golden dwarf working a forge. He frowns and tucks the card away in a pocket before shaking his head to clear it. "What the heck was that all about? I'll have to tell Billy about it when I see him next. Maybe he'll knows something about all this."
About a week later, the vision half forgotten, Slick and Billy are walking and talking as they're head to work at the Griffon when without realizing, they take find themselves taking the long way around through the Grand Bazaar. Suddenly they stop and both find themselves staring at the very same building they'd seem in their shared vision. The sign reading Three Moves Ahead was exactly where both knew it would be. "Huh! I guess it does exist after all, eh Billy?" He closes his eyes and recalls the vision once more. "I suppose we'll be hearing a blood-curdling scream anytime now."
The building stubbornly refuses to produce a blood curdling scream. It appears eerily abandoned.
When after a minute no blood-curdling scream ensues, Slick adds, "...or not."
Slick watches as first Dramiil and then Nubnonk join them outside the building. They'd already discussed the whole shared vision and card gifts thing a few days ago, so it comes as no surprise to Slick that they just happened to appear here at just the right time. "I take it you two have no idea how you got here? Same with us. I think whatever or whoever sent us that vision and gave us the cards isn't done with us yet."
He turns back to the conspicuously silent shopfront. "Sooo... Shall we go have a look inside then? I'm guessing we won't be given a moment's peace until we do." He pauses a moment, then adds, "maybe it'll be one of us that has to supply the blood-curdling scream. My money's on Dramiil." He chuckles lightly at his own joke.
Offering harrow readings in his normal corner table at The Gutless Griffon, a 4' golden-hued halfling had gone home early that evening. He would usually be performing on the modest stage with his lute, but it was his day off. So readings it was. Until he uncharacteristically fumbled his deck. "How odd..."
The charismatic bard was hoping to see Slick that night, but his friend would understand. Something didn't feel quite right to the fortune-teller. He downed the last of his honey mead, packed up his cards and his trusty lute, and he made his way to the exit.
Before leaving, the good-looking halfling examined himself in the large mirror above the bar, as he always did, and pulled out his comb to work on extremely stubborn lock of golden hair. Giving up, he muttered to his proprietor friend, Fronsac Shimm, "Not feeling well, Shimmy. Even these glorious golden locks of mine aren't cooperating. Best to call it a night."
Billy Bardy arrived home shortly and went straight to bed. It was a fitful night of dreams: he found himself on a curious corner of the Grand Bazaar, beneath an odd establishment, Three Moves Ahead. It almost seemed familiar. About to investigate, a blood-curdling scream startles him awake. "Was the scream real or from my vision?" He tosses and turns the rest of the night.
Billy prepares for the day, which always involves far more grooming than seemingly necessary. And in always includes a single casting of his Wand of Lucky Number
He smiles, "A good result: Surly an omen of continued good fortune to come!" He stows the wand and rushes to meet his friend Slick for their walk to the Gutless Griffon.
He's not surprised when their path takes them to Three Moves Ahead. He comments to Slick, "Today is gonna be special, my friend. Can you feel it? We're finally going to learn about our odd visions!" Billy is excited to explore within.
Dramiil relaxed in his quiet perch in the Petal District, hearing the low hum of the city. He'd been on break from Harrowing for a bit; too many strange card combinations put his mind ill at ease. Instead, he'd had a month of playing 'magical veterinarian' at the College of Mysteries. Someone truly foul and idiotic had managed to conjure up a roru or three, and they had infested the bestiary. He had banished all that he had found, but the stink of gorgon still lingered in his nostrils, despite sipping on many cups of hibiscus and mint tea. He fiddled with his Harrow deck, but still didn't want to cast the cards. He soon slept.
He awakened to the sound of a scream (his? whose?) still ringing in his ears, and in his hand, the Rabbit Prince card. He spent the week studying it every which way he knew, and mages at the College were equally befuddled as he--no resonance, no aura save for that invested in the card.
After a few days, he sent a runner to the Griffon, and informed the College he'd be ending his contract.
Dramiil locks up his flat, sighs, and heads out to the Grand Bazaar. Haven't seen Billy and Slick and Nub in a while, he thinks. Gotten lost in work and thoughts again.
He pauses to admire native flowers growing in the earth as he walks, in addition to more exotic blooms from Qadira and Jalmeray, kept magically fresh in gleaming pots.
Intending to get there early, he realizes he's lost track of time slightly, and then sees Slick and Billy. He waves and trots up to them, a Varisian of average height with eyes and skin that speak of Tien blood as well. He wears soft gray and green cloth and a darker green and blue chapan-coat to ward off the cold and wet of the of the day. He sports gleaming bracers of mithral upon his forearms, and the scents of vetiver, blood orange, mugwort, and myrrh bloom from the little satchels he carries.
"Slick, yes, of course, I sent a messenger, but the message must have gotten lost in the drink somehow," says the psychic with a slight smile. "Yes, all of us with Harrow cards. I haven't wanted to touch the deck for a bit. Kuthona, you know, the dying-month." He shivers a bit, and his smile turns into more of a grin-grimace.
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Visions were something that most goblins weren't used to. But Nubnonk wasn't most goblins. The world was strange, and the oftentimes the only way to survive in it was to be stranger still. At least that was what the old goblin had decided. In the fullness of time, he found himself back in The Puddles district in Absalom, drinking sour whiskey with Chief Zuskut the Goblin King.
"And just like that, pretty card appeared in Nubnonk's hand. This one!"
Nubnonk holds a beautifully illustrated card up to his chief, showing a ghostly man in a robe and crown kneeling on the ground before an obelisk memorial, his face obscured by long fallen hair. A brazier at the foot of the obelisk burns with faint smoke while a fallen bouquet of flowers lays before the kneeling figure. A few leaves fall overhead while a statue resembling the man rises in the background, a single hand outstretched.
The Goblin King does not seem amused. "You think I do not know the Harrow, Nubnonk? I know the Harrow."
Nubnonk takes a sip of his whiskey and shakes his head. "No, you no understand Nubnonk! Is not your throne empty. Is about me!"
Zusgut growls and bonks Nubnonk on the head with his fist. "You're not the Goblin King, Nubnonk."
"Ow!" the other goblin says, though it hadn't really hurt. "No! Nubnonk know! Pretty card mean those gone always with us! Crookedtoes of past! Many lessons learned, yes."
This earns Nubnonk another bonk on the head. Zusgut growls. "I know the Harrow, dumb dumb!"
Nubnonk rubs the spot. Zusgut had been accurate and hit the same spot twice. A third time and Nubnonk's head might actually start to hurt.
"Why tell me?" Zusgut asks.
Nubnonk's beady red eyes light up and he gets to the point. "Oh!" he shouts. "Nubnonk has to leave and might be gone long time. Nubnonk might die!"
Zusgut spits a stream of whiskey out in Nubnonk's face at the other goblin's pronouncement. "Why didn't you say so sooner? We have to celebrate!"
Nubnonk's eyes narrow. "Celebrate Nubnonk leaving or celebrate Nubnonk being good Crookedtoe?"
"Why not both?"
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Nubnonk's last week in the Puddles had gone quickly. The Crookedtoes' partying had given the Muddied Center Reserve Civilian Corps (the Muckrakers) more work, but it wasn't every day that an old, old goblin set out on a fresh adventure. Nubnonk travels from the Puddles to the Grand Bazaar, toddling along and striking a curious figure with his many items strewn about his body and within a bag strapped to a cumbersome-looking harness. Goblins were not so uncommon in Absalom now, not for a few years at least, that Nubnonk mostly draws curious stares because of his accoutrements rather than his heritage. Still, he bustles through the cold rain to the "Three Doors Ahead." There he sees three familiar faces outside.
"Nubnonk last!" he cries out as he sees them, puffing out his chest and taking pride in the "accomplishment." "Nubnonk happy to scream." The goblin inhales a deep breath and looks to the others for confirmation that he ought to scream.
Slick smiles when the thaumaturge appears. "And Nubnonk makes four." When Nubnonk threatens to provide the expected blood-curdling scream, Slick puts his finger to his mouth. "Let's not warn the occupants that we're here just yet. If there's going to be a blood-curdling scream, it'll be from whatever is waiting for us inside, not from us."
Slick them moves quietly up to the door of the Three Moves Ahead and gives a quick looking over for any traps or locks before trying to open it.
Stepping up to the door Slick checks it over. It seems like a normal, ordinary shop door. There are no traps he can see and, while it has a lock it doesnt appear to be locked. Carefully reaching forward he turns the handle and opens the door.
Inside the shop consists of a single wide room. A few shelves hold dice games and card decks, while private gaming rooms to the west sit beyond open curtains. Chalk lines cover the floor of the room in front of the door, some of them smeared beneath the body and blood of a dead Varisian woman.
At the far end of the room a creature is busy ransacking some shelves. Tall, winged, with a large fanged maw and skin the colour of rust it turns and hisses at Slick.
Briefly shocked by the appearance of the creature the group hesitates, giving the enemy the upper hand. Suddenly, a second, much larger creature, made apparently of bone, appears as it casts a spell. The group is enveloped in cold, white light, which shimmers and lingers in the air. Most of the group is fine but Slick feels slightly distracted and Dramiil feels oddly communicative.
The bone creature then twists it long tail around and sends a barbed bone spike straight at Slick but it buries itself in the wooden door frame.
The rust coloured creature also casts a spell, sending pale grey energies washing over Slick. Slick begins to feel his limbs stiffening and his flesh turning gray and grainy.
Round 1
Turn Order
Blue Enemy ◆◆ Cast Spell, ◆ Ranged Strike
Red Enemy ◆◆ Cast Spell, awaiting last action
The Party (resolved in order of posting subject to anything in your post
Will Saves vs Blues spell
, Walls of Will
, Bravery
, Resolve
, Resolve
Dramiil fails, Slick passes, Nubnonk and Bill Critically Pass (due to Resolve for Billy). I am going to assume no-one wants to HP this, the effect is quite minor.
Dramiil and Slick are taking a -2 penalty on Deception checks. Dramiil cannot speak any deliberate or intentional lies although he can just keep quiet if asked a question.
Miss
Slick is about to enter the store when he catches some motion. Before he can do anything, he feels himself start to stiffen up. Looking down, he sees his hands turning gray. "Uh oh. This can't be good."
He pictures one of his harrow cards, the one with the shield, and uses its power to try to shake off whatever is happening to him...
...
Slick manages to throw off the magical effect which he realises was trying to turn him to stone! Snarling the creature spreads its wings wide and hurls a rusty metal feather straight at him but a second missile embeds itself into the door frame.
Turn Order
Blue Enemy ◆◆ Cast Spell, ◆ Ranged Strike
Red Enemy ◆◆ Cast Spell, ◆ Ranged Strike
The Party (resolved in order of posting subject to anything in your post
The Party is up.
Combat status
Slick 173/173, -2 to deception
Dramiil 107/107, cannot tell a lie, -2 to deception
Nubnonk 153/152
Billy 127/127
Slick successfully shakes off the effects of the spell and is glad to see his skin return to its normal pinkish hue. "If that's the best you can do bub, then this should be a short fight."
He waits a moment to hear Billy's inspiring jingle, then moves into the room and spotting the ugly flying skeletal creature, beelines for it. He feints right to disorient it, then slashes twice with with his greatsword before trying to slam it against the wall with his shoulder. Seeing the other creature now, he calls back to his colleagues. "Watch out! Two bad guys and both ugly-looking. One to the left and the other in the back right corner."
You gain access to the critical specialization effects of all [Swords] for which you have master proficiency.
Sword The target is made off-balance by your attack, becoming flat-footed until the start of your next turn.
Powerful Shove
You can use Aggressive Block or Brutish Shove against a creature up to two sizes larger than you. When a creature you Shove has to stop moving because it would hit an object, it takes damage equal to your Strength modifier (minimum 1). This happens regardless of how you Shoved the creature.
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While Slick is checking the door, the bard is checking his appearance. When Nubnonk turns up, Billy stows his handheld mirror, and says, "Arriving fashionably late again, my friend? A goblin after my own heart. I knew I liked you."
Billy senses Slick rolling his eyes at all the primping. The bard shrugs with a smile, "One never knows whom one might meet." He continues, "Chance favors the prepared" and cradles his lute.
When the door opens, Billy manages to shake off the initial attack -- which he attributes to his grooming. Eager to see what's causing all the disturbance, the bard enters the room. Upon seeing the looters, the luter starts strumming and sings some inspiration.
♫"Four heroes don't easily scare.
Two monsters who think it's a lair.
.....It's time to start fighting
.....But how is the lighting?
I do hope it shows off my hair!"♫
Then, focusing on the winged spellcaster in the NW corner, Billy tries to recall some helpful information to share with the group.
Billy bursts into the room and begins to inspire his allies. The two creatures look significantly unimpressed. Billy has no idea what the strange rust coloured creature might be.
Slick follows him in, slamming into the bone creature. It appears unfazed by his feint but, clearly dropping its guard, Slick manages to land a devastating blow. That blow throws it off centre and the second blow slams into its midsection, smashing it against the wall. The building shakes and dust begins to drift down from the rafters.
The bone creature however seems to be particularly hardy, in spite of its rather rickety appearance and remains standing.
Turn Order
Blue Enemy ◆◆ Cast Spell, ◆ Ranged Strike
Red Enemy ◆◆ Cast Spell, ◆ Ranged Strike
The Party (resolved in order of posting subject to anything in your post)
Dramiil and Nubnonk to post
Combat status
Slick 173/173, -2 to deception
Dramiil 107/107, cannot tell a lie, -2 to deception
Nubnonk 153/152
Billy 127/127, Inspire, 4 rounds (started round 1)
Blue 94 damage, flat footed
Dramiil fires off a Phase Bolt at the larger bony creature, wresting psychic focus from deep within his mind.
"Well, now we know who screamed. May Pharasma watch over your soul," he says grimly to the fallen Varisian woman.
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Dramiil moves in and sends a blast of magic at the large, bony creature. It looks like it is going wide but corrects itself at the last minute, lodging into the bony creature.
The creature snarls as the bolt lodges in its side but remains standing.
Turn Order
Blue Enemy ◆◆ Cast Spell, ◆ Ranged Strike
Red Enemy ◆◆ Cast Spell, ◆ Ranged Strike
The Party (resolved in order of posting subject to anything in your post)
Nubnonk to post
Combat status
Slick 173/173, -2 to deception
Dramiil 107/107, cannot tell a lie, -2 to deception
Nubnonk 153/152
Billy 127/127, Inspire, 4 rounds (started round 1)
Blue 105 damage, flat footed
Talismans (4): Snapleaf for Slick's Armor
Mesmerizing Opal for Slick's Greatsword
Owlbear Claw for Nub's Boomerang
Grim Trophy for Nub's Armor
Exploration Activity: Investigate
Nubnonk lets out a whispered hiss of air instead of a scream, but keeps on smiling. "No scream. Got it. Makes others scream!"
The goblin reaches into his bag and pulls out his trusty flying boom stick and his shiny scepter, and nods that he is ready.
As Slick opens the door, the goblin sees the poor dead lady on the ground and something nasty moving around. He inhales a deep breath and tries to unleash his blood-curdling scream but chokes a little. Normally his battle cries were much more effective than that. Spells are thrown around and the others look unhappy, but the goblin perseveres (as a good goblin does). As Slick charges in, Nubnonk follows after him looks in and roots around in his bag to try to find something that the big bag of bones won't like very much. This he presents before hefting his boomerang and sending it flying.
◆ Stride
◆ Exploit Vulnerability vs Standard DC for the creature's level
◆ Strike
Critical Success You remember the creature's weaknesses, and as you empower your esoterica, you have a flash of insight that grants even more knowledge about the creature. You learn all of the creature's resistances, weaknesses, and immunities, including the amounts of the resistances and weaknesses and any unusual weaknesses or vulnerabilities, such as what spells will pass through a golem's antimagic. You can exploit either the creature's mortal weakness or personal antithesis (see below). Your unarmed and weapon Strikes against the creature also become magical if they weren't already.
Success You recall an important fact about the creature, learning its highest weakness (or one of its highest weaknesses, if it has multiple with the same value) but not its other weaknesses, resistances, or immunities. You can exploit either the creature's mortal weakness or personal antithesis. Your unarmed and weapon Strikes against the creature also become magical if they weren't already.
Failure Failing to recall a salient weakness about the creature, you instead attempt to exploit a more personal vulnerability. You can exploit only the creature's personal antithesis. Your unarmed and weapon Strikes against the creature also become magical if they weren't already.
Critical Failure You couldn't remember the right object to use and become distracted while you rummage through your esoterica. You become flat-footed until the beginning of your next turn. You can attempt to Exploit Vulnerabilities in one of two ways: either by invoking properties that repel that type of creature, or by attempting a more improvisational, ad-hoc method with your esoterica that can impose a custom weakness on any creature, albeit one that usually isn't as dire as a creature's existing weakness.
Mortal Weakness After identifying a creature's weakness, you use a thematically resonant bit of esoterica to attune your attacks to your discovery. Your unarmed and weapon Strikes activate the highest weakness you discovered with Exploit Vulnerability, even though the damage type your weapon deals doesn't change. This damage affects the target of your Exploit Vulnerability, as well as any other creatures of the exact same type, but not other creatures with the same weakness. For example, when fighting a pack of werewolves, you might use silver shavings or crushed moonstone to deal damage that applies their weakness to silver to your attacks against any of the werewolves, but you wouldn't apply this damage to any other monsters with a weakness to silver.
Personal Antithesis You improvise a custom weakness on a creature by forcefully presenting and empowering a piece of esoterica that repels it on an individual level; for instance, against a tyrant, you might procure a broken chain that once held a captive. This causes the target creature, and only the target creature, to gain a weakness against your unarmed and weapon Strikes equal to 2 + half your level.
---
You can find the one weak point in a creature's scales, wards, or armor to get past its resistances. When you succeed at Exploit Vulnerability, you learn about the highest of the creature's resistances that can be bypassed (for example, if the creature has resistance to physical damage except silver), if the creature has one. If you prefer, you can choose the following benefit instead of one of the usual two benefits from Exploit Vulnerability.
Breached Defenses You can choose this benefit only if you succeeded at Exploit Vulnerability and learned the creature has at least one resistance that can be bypassed. Choose one such resistance. Your unarmed and weapon Strikes bypass the chosen resistance.
Nubnonk strides into the room and confronts the two strange creatures. Digging around in his bag he realises that the big bag of bones is likely to be weak to good damage. However, he also realises that it resists all physical damage except for silver and all poison damage.
Hurling his boomerang it cracks off the creatures head before flyng back to him.
Turn Order
Blue Enemy ◆◆ Cast Spell, ◆ Ranged Strike
Red Enemy ◆◆ Cast Spell, ◆ Ranged Strike
The Party (resolved in order of posting subject to anything in your post)
Combat status
Slick 173/173, -2 to deception
Dramiil 107/107, cannot tell a lie, -2 to deception
Nubnonk 153/152
Billy 127/127, Inspire, 4 rounds (started round 1)
Blue 115 damage, flat footed
Round 2
The bony creature snarls in rage and glares at Dramiil. Its voice echoes in your mind, Tell me mortal, have you or your companions received any Harrow cards recently? Answer me!
The creature then turns to Slick and tries to tear him apart. Its stinger darts over its shoulder and lodges in Slicks hip. Venom pumps into the wound but he easily shrugs it off. Its massive claw sails over his head.
The rust coloured creature flies forward, rising into the air as it does so. It swings its massive metal horns at Draamil and they smash into him, leaving horrific injuries. It then follows it up with a nasty claw, leaving streaks of rust in the trails of blood.
P
x2 + evil x2
+ evil
Turn Order
Blue Enemy ◆ Something weird, ◆ Stinger strike, ◆ Claw strike
Red Enemy ◆ Move ◆ Horns strike ◆ Claw strike
The Party (resolved in order of posting subject to anything in your post)
Dramiil to decide if he answers the creature and about his fort save after which the party can act.
Combat status
Slick 161/173, -2 to deception
Dramiil 37/107, cannot tell a lie, -2 to deception, fort save pending
Nubnonk 153/152
Billy 127/127, Inspire, 4 rounds (started round 1)
Blue 115 damage, flat footed
Red 5'in the air and therefore not flankable
As Nubnonk hurls his boomerang he hears a voice in his mind, Yes, excellent, see what you can accomplish when you apply yourself little goblin. Surely you are a mighty goblin warrior. When you are done with this adventure you should return home and overthrow your King! You are the mightiest goblin in all of Absalom, all of Golarion!
Nubnonk's beady eyes widen as the voice speaks in his mind.
Suit: Hammers, Keys, Shields, Books, Stars, Crowns
Alignment: Lawful Good, Lawful Neutral, Lawful Evil, Neutral Good, Neutral, Neutral Evil, Chaotic Good, Chaotic Neutral, Chaotic Evil
Nubnonk catches his boomerang and looks at the levitating rust monster. "Nubnonk is great, but Zusgut is friend! Get out Nubnonk's head, Ugly!"
Nubnonk tries to resist the effect and is forced to draw on his Harrow powers to stave off the insidious, whispering voice.
Turn Order
Blue Enemy ◆ Something weird, ◆ Stinger strike, ◆ Claw strike
Red Enemy ◆ Move ◆ Horns strike ◆ Claw strike
The Party (resolved in order of posting subject to anything in your post)
Dramiil to decide about his reply to the voice and his fort save
The party can act
Combat status
Slick 161/173, -2 to deception
Dramiil 37/107, cannot tell a lie, -2 to deception, fort save pending
Nubnonk 153/152
Billy 127/127, Inspire, 4 rounds (started round 1)
Blue 115 damage, flat footed
Slick glances down at the little hole that the bony creature's stinger left in his hip. "Wow. You really suck at this don't you? Now look closely and I'll show you what a hole should look like." With the precision of a chef deboning a fish, Slick swings his sword and tears into the animated pile of bones before him.
Slicks first blow drives the big bag of bones into the floor. It crumples, lying very still as a pool of dark green blood forms beneath it.
Reversing direction he heads towards the strange rust like creature and lands a solid blow, however it too seems resistant to weapons.
Turn Order
Blue Enemy ◆ Something weird, ◆ Stinger strike, ◆ Claw strike
Red Enemy ◆ Move ◆ Horns strike ◆ Claw strike
The Party (resolved in order of posting subject to anything in your post)
Dramiil to decide about his reply to the voice and his fort save
Slick has acted
Combat status
Slick 161/173, -2 to deception
Dramiil 37/107, cannot tell a lie, -2 to deception, fort save pending
Nubnonk 153/153
Billy 127/127, Inspire, 4 rounds (started round 1)
Blue Dead
Red 12 damage
.
You dont need these other fools, you have the power to achieve victory on your own. Throw caution to the wind, strike down those who oppose you and seize your destiny.
As slick is cutting into his rustier opponent, he hears it whispering in his mind...
Slick is filled with confidence in his abilities, nothing can possibly stop him now...
"I received a specific Harrow card, yes..." He pauses. "Ah. You're dead."
Dramiil casts defensively.
He immediately goes ghostly, and passes through the rust colored monster.
Finally, he zaps at the rusty thing, narrowing his eyes at it and unleashing invisible psychic energy.
From his (usual) safe distance away, Billy bravely watches as the team quickly dispatches one of the enemies. "Oh, well done, one and all!" He considers getting some popcorn for this exciting matinee, but as a classically-trained performer, he wants to be part of the action. He sings,
♫"Bony didn't last too long.
Found that Slick was much too strong.
Next, we'll polish off the rust.
Magic Missile him to dust!"♫
Dramiil gives Slick Guidance from a distance, as one does.
Dramiil becomes briefly insubstantial and floats away from the monster. Directing a psychic headbutt at him the creature seems entirely unfazed. Billy's magic missiles then slam into his face, sending him reeling.
Turn Order
Blue Enemy ◆ Something weird, ◆ Stinger strike, ◆ Claw strike
Red Enemy ◆ Move ◆ Horns strike ◆ Claw strike
The Party (resolved in order of posting subject to anything in your post)
Nubnonk to act
Combat status
Slick 161/173, -2 to deception, overconfident
Dramiil 37/107, cannot tell a lie, -2 to deception, Unwell (No current effect)
Nubnonk 153/153
Billy 127/127, Inspire, 4 rounds (started round 1)
Blue Dead
Red 50 damage
Rusty takes 38 force damage as you didn't include Inspire
Billy continues providing inspiration.
♫"Rah rah REE, hit 'em in the knee.
Rah rah RASS, hit 'em in the ... other knee."♫
Nubnonk watches as Slick swings his big 'ol sword and shatters the nasty bone monster. He hadn't even had time to think about what it was, just what might hurt it. Oh well. There was still the one trying to invade his mind. And his space!
when you succeed at your check to Exploit a Vulnerability, compare the result of your Esoteric Lore check to the DC to Recall Knowledge for that creature; if that number would be a success or a critical success, you gain information as if you had succeeded at the Recall Knowledge check.
Nubnonk thinks hard about whether he actually recognizes the creature, and then digs into his bag. He pulls out, of all things, a diminutive skull on a chain. He hands this to Slick, the chain swinging around the guard of his sword and attaching through some unknown force. "Rusty ugly. This belong to great goblin warrior, help Slick fight!"
Finally, he sends his boomerang up at the rust-red horror with a shriek.
◆ Exploit Vulnerability
◆ Share Weakness: Slick
◆ Strike
Nubnonk draws on his strange powers, learning various information about the strange fiend.
Hurling his boomerang it bounces of the creatures head with a solid sounding clunk.
Enraged, Rusty turns on the little goblin, seeking to put him down. The horns land a solid blow but it misjudges Nubnonk's height and the claws sail over his head.
It then spreads its wings to maintain its position as it glowers at the party.
B + evil
Turn Order
Red Enemy ◆ Horns strike ◆ Claw strike ◆ Fly
The Party (resolved in order of posting subject to anything in your post)
All to Act
Combat status
Slick 161/173, -2 to deception, overconfident
Dramiil 37/107, cannot tell a lie, -2 to deception, Unwell (No current effect)
Nubnonk 119/153
Billy 127/127, Inspire, 4 rounds (started round 1)
Blue Dead
Red 65 damage
Nubnonk sees the horns coming and tries to tuck and roll. The nasty blow sends him bouncing.
When you take a big hit, your foe bounces you around like a rubber ball, but you escape the worst of the blow. Your foe can move you any distance of its choice up to 30 feet in a direction of its choice (this is not forced movement, and it triggers reactions as normal). You fall prone and are stunned 1. Attempt a DC 6 flat check. On a success, you take minimum damage from the attack, and on a critical success, if the attack was a critical hit, you don’t take double damage from the critical hit.
The goblin screams as he bounces around. That had hurt. Wherever he lands, he stands up, glares at the red devil. "Ugly and diseased!" he says, vaguely aware that the same accusation had been slung against goblins his whole life. Truth was truth, though. He stands up and throws his boomerang once more.
◆ Stand
◆
Slick is a little insulted that Rusty ignored him and decided to beat up on Nubnonk instead. "Hey Rusty! Didn't you see what I did to your boney friend over there? I don't think you quite grasp the situation you're in here, bub. Whoa, there! Where do you think you're going? Oh no you don't."
As soon as Rusty starts flapping its rusty wings, Slick swings his sword through them to try and keep it on the ground.
Slick then adds, "See? I told you not to and you went ahead and did it anyway. Not real smart of you there. Bad boys like you need to be punished."
Slick then swings his sword up under the flying Rusty before cutting it back across its neck and then head-butting it.
Billy feels his team is doing amazing well, continuing to attribute everyone's collective good fortune to his lilting voice. "Good show, everyone. Our opening act is developing nicely." Wanting to share in the team's glorious combat, the bard belts out another song.
♫"I form a rainbow in my hands.
Shoot a ray ... and hope it lands!
Green and Red make quite a pair.
Or Gold to match my gorgeous hair."♫
He casts Chromatic Ray at the enemy.
Electricity Damage + Dangerous Sorcery: (50) + 4 = 54
Billy then moves across the room to be within range of our injured psychic, because as he reminded Slick, 'Chance favors the prepared.'
Nubnonk is bounced across the room, slamming up against the wall of one of the little gaming nooks. Helpfully, this also removes Slick from his fancy aura.
The little goblin hops back to his feet but, still disorientated by the blow, he sends his boomerang well wide.
Meanwhile Slick cuts into Rusty over and over, leaving long red slashes in its strangely metallic body. Rusty red blood, filled with flecks of rusted iron spatter the floor.
Billy launches a crackling bolt of energy at Rusty. It looks like it is going wide but corrects at the last minute. The blast of electricity his the creature solidly in the chest and it explodes, covering much of the room in rusty coloured blood and bits of bone and metallic flesh.
Combat status
Slick 161/173
Dramiil 37/107, Unwell (No current effect)
Nubnonk 136/153
Billy 127/127
Blue Dead
Red Dead
Billy watches in awe as the creature explodes in a cloud of rust and metallic flesh. "Well done, my friends! I have no doubt that glorious songs will be written of our encounter here today." He smiles and adds under his breath, "By me." He strums a few chords as he assesses the group's injuries.
Walking up to Dramiil, the bard points out, "Looks like you dodged when you should have ducked. Glad you're still with us." Billy unpacks his healer's tools and tends to the psychic. Turning briefly to Slick and Nubnonk, he asks, "Maybe you guys wanna search the room for clues as to what happened here?"
After about an hour of healing (and refocusing) to get everyone to 100% , Billy considers the disease. "After our day's adventures, I'll spend some time this evening treating that tetanus."
Satisfied with his work, as he usually is, Billy packs up his tools and asks the others, "Didja find anything?" If they saw any personal object on the dead Varisian woman, Billy asks, "May I?"
Studying one of the belongings from the victim, Billy chants,
♫"Our heroes are bold, a tale of glory.
This object I hold, oh let's hear its story."♫
Billy casts Object Reading to learn what happened to this object in the past week.
Object Reading
Target: 1 object
Description: You place a hand on an object to learn a piece of information about an emotional event that occurred involving the object within the past week, determined by the GM. If you cast object reading on the same item multiple times, you can either concentrate on a single event to gain additional pieces of information about that event, or gain a piece of information about another emotional event in the applicable time frame.
Nubnonk catches his boomerang in his outstretched hand as Slick hacks away and Billy blasts the devil with an enormous bolt of lightning. They could be scary! He was glad that they were on his side. He ducks to cover his head (and mouth) from the shower of gore, and then comes back up. Billy makes an excellent suggestion and Nubnonk gets to Investigating.
When Billy is done treating Dramiil, he stands up, stows his tools, and combs through his hair. He then turns to investigate the dead woman. Assuming he finds an interesting personal item, he casts Object Reading
Glancing over at the dispatched enemies, Billy calls out to our friendly neighborhood Thaumaturge, "What do we know about these creatures, Nubnonk?"
"Thanks, Billy," says Dramiil, patting his clothes ruefully. "I should have worn red."
Dramiil looks over at Nubnonk and then at the fallen foes.
"Hm..." He ponders Rusty, then the bony creature.
He limps around the room. "Nub, you think they came from another plane?"
Lastly, he looks at the chalk markings using Investigate
"So...ah, am I still infected?" He examines his side and winces slightly.
"That they were eeeevil," Nubnonk says confidently in response to Billy's question. He continues hazarding guesses, frowning as he flips through pages of his book. Maybe it would show him pictures with the words this time. "Devils hate silver. I think maybe devils from Hell they were. And no summoned! Gross bodies still here." He pokes at the remains of the bone devil, still oozing ichor. "And Billy right about tet-an-us. Nasty devil."
Billy laughs heartily at the goblin's very helpful response. "Thanks Nubnonk. You are, without a doubt, the smartest goblin ... in this room." The little bard grins playfully at his fellow height-challenged companion.
When Dramiil comments on his blood-stained clothing, Billy admits, "That is certainly not in your color wheel. You're more of a winter." Billy strums a chord on his lute, and sings,
♫"Dramiil's clothes: there's blood I see.
Cleanse him, so he's fine as me!"♫
Billy casts Prestidigitation to tidy up the psychic.