NeverEnding Dungeon - Pepperjack (Jarian)

[NeverEnding DM]

You come to in the following room:{table]|A_|B_|C_|D_|E_|F_|G_
1|||||||
2||T|T||K||
3|||||||[/table]

The entire room is surrounded by heavy black curtains.

There is a table to your west. There are seven sheets of parchment on the table, six with writing of some sort on them, while the seventh is blank. There is also a red lacquered inkpen resting near the blank sheet, with a note attached to it.

DM notes:
Sheet. (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=211000)

[Jarian]

Pepperjack draws a scroll of Manyjaws, then uses the Darkness invocation on a coin and sticks it his backpack, blocking Line of Effect. He slips into the Bolstering Voice stance, which I suppose means he clears his throat.

Attempt to activate wand of Unseen Servant: [roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]
[roll3]
[roll4]

Edit: Bleeeeeeep. First UMD and it's a nat 1. That's just perfect.

Pepperjack puts the useless wand into his backpack and checks out the table himself, then. Visual examination only.

[Saph]

Darkness thingy is in your backpack, so no sphere of darkness at the moment, correct?

The pages on the table are covered with dark brown ink, heavily blotched with larger dark brown areas. Want to read them?

[Jarian]

Correct. Pepperjack is still technically within 10 ft of an area of darkness, allowing him to use his hide in plain sight ability, but it doesn't obscure his vision.

I'll read them, confident that if I die, I'll at least go down in history for managing to die within two posts.

[Saph]

Am I going to have to start checking up on the legality of your stuff already? You're seriously saying you should be allowed to hide in darkness even if you're not in darkness?

[Jarian]

Not at all. Blend Into Shadows allows you to hide in plain sight, even when observed, as long as you're within 10 ft of an area of magical darkness. You don't have to be in the darkness itself at all.

I can PM you the relevant text if you don't want to dig through the books. I may be cheesy, but I'm not a cheater.

[Saph]

I've got the relevant books in this case.

The feat states that you have to be within 10 feet of magical darkness, but the feat seems written with the assumption that you're going to at least have line of effect to the spell. It doesn't say anything about what happens if the spell is blocked off. I'll have to think about this one for a bit.

[Jarian]

...it doesn't say anything about having line of effect to the darkness.

I get that this wouldn't fly in a normal game. I don't use stuff like this in a normal game. The NED isn't a normal game. RAW abuse is pretty rampant, from what I can tell.

If you're planning on invalidating this tactic, just tell me and I'll soak the miss chance from concealment. I don't agree, but it's not my call.

[Saph]

...it doesn't say anything about having line of effect to the darkness.

I know. It ought to specify it one way or the other. It's a badly written feat.

Still thinking.

[Saph]

Okay, after looking it over, under RAW, your interpretation seems correct. The effect works even if you don't have line of effect to the Darkness spell.

However, the feat also says that the way it works is that you "cloak yourself in darkness", ie, you're hiding yourself in darkness, rather than actually turning invisible. So there are still going to be visible shadows/darkness in your square.

You'll benefit from total concealment and won't have any miss chance, but enemies will be able to see darkness in the square you're hiding in, even if they don't have any way of knowing what it is. Reasonable?

[Jarian]

Not really. I'd rather be able to hide as a move action if they're going to know where I am anyway.

Pepperjack takes the coin out of his backpack and holds it in his teeth, after reading the sheets.

Edit: That is to say, I think it's perfectly okay for it to work that way, but it doesn't serve Pepperjack any purpose if it does.

[Saph]

The note says "Would you like to add your own story?"

The pages are covered with dark brown ink, heavily blotched with larger dark brown areas.

Sheet 1: The curtains... they*blotch* so still. They seem so ordinary*blotch* and then it's too late. Be careful.

Sheet 2: Clank... clank... clank... I will hear that awful noise for all eternity.*blotch* and*blotch*

Sheet 3: It hardly seems likely that*blotch* could have the*blotch* And yet it is so. A truly terrible foe.

Sheet 4: She's looks a princess, but she strikes as though she has trained her entire life. What's more, I have seen*blotch* and*blotch* What is this place, to attract such a mystery as herself?

Sheet 5: Horrible. Just horrible. How can it be alive after so much torture?*blotch* and that*blotch*

Sheet 6: That impish smile. You just know*blotch* even if he never speaks it aloud. He is fast, and deft with his fingers.*blotch* fall into his hands. He will*blotch*

A Decipher Script check for each blotch may be able to determine more.

[Jarian]

...I actually have that trained.

Decipher Script: It's not just for Synergy bonuses!

Take 10 on first blotch for a 17.

[Saph]

You manage to decipher it.

Sheet 1: The curtains... they*blotch*('re... unnatural,) so still. They seem so ordinary*blotch*(until you look closely) and then it's too late. Be careful.

[Jarian]

Well that's not creepy at all.

Take 10 on subsequent blotches.

[Saph]

Sheet 2: Clank... clank... clank... I will hear that awful noise for all eternity.*blotch*(Avoid the golem) and*blotch*(vary your attacks if you cannot.)

Sheet 3: It hardly seems likely that*blotch*(something so brutish) could have the*blotch*(necessary mental strength for weaving spells.) And yet it is so. A truly terrible foe.

Sheet 4: She's looks a princess, but she strikes as though she has trained her entire life. What's more, I have seen*blotch*(her throw balls of blue fire) and*blotch*(kick faster than the eye can follow.) What is this place, to attract such a mystery as herself?

Sheet 5: Horrible. Just horrible. How can it be alive after so much torture?*blotch*(No eyes, no skin...) and that*blotch*(horrendous spear of bone. It hurts you long after you've been struck. What is this beast?)

Sheet 6: That impish smile. You just know*blotch*(that he delights in his mischief) even if he never speaks it aloud. He is fast, and deft with his fingers.*blotch*(Guard your goods, lest they) fall into his hands. He will*blotch*(destroy them without second thought if you are not careful.)

[Jarian]

...okay then.

I don't have anything to burn down the curtains, so Pepperjack will carefully open the north side, hiding to one side of the opening if he can.

[Saph]

Which square do you want to open the curtains at?

[Jarian]

D-1, with Pepperjack standing in E-1.

[Saph]

Peeking through the curtains, you see an empty room bordered by more curtains, and a shelf of bottles to your north.

To the west, light flickers from something floating in the air, just outside your field of vision.

[Jarian]

Activate wand of Tenser's Floating Disk:UMD: [roll0]
UMD: [roll1]
UMD: [roll2]
UMD: [roll3]
UMD: [roll4]

Pile 10ft pole and the empty sack on the disk.

Proceed north to get a better look at the room, taking 10 on hide checks for a 28.

[Saph]

Opening the curtains and walking around a bit reveals the following room (x marks the room you just left, which is inside this room): {table]|A_|B_|C_|D_|E_|F_|G_|H_|I_|J_|K_|L_|M_|N_|O_|P_|Q _|R_|S_|T_
1|||||||S|S|S|S|S|||||||||
2||||||||||||||||M||||
3||||||||||||||||||||
4||||O||||||||||||||||
5|||||||x|x|x|x|x|x|x|||||||
6|||||||x|x|x|x|x|x|x|||||||
7|||||||x|x|x|x|x|x|x|||||||
8||||||||||||||||||||
9||||||||||||||||||||
10||||||||||||||||F||||
11||||||||||||||||||||[/table]
O is a floating glass sphere that occasionally crackles with electricity.
S's are a long shelf with twelve glass vials on it, each a different color.
M is a statue of a robed scholarly looking fellow, standing with one arm extended palm out toward his partner, the F, which is a female version of the same statue. A light blue shard of crystal floats back and forth between the pair's outstretched hands, never quite touching either.
The walls here are the same as in the starting room, dark curtains.

[Jarian]

Activate Detect Magic. Scan everything.

[Saph]

You detect the presence of magic in all directions.

[Jarian]

Focus on each source in turn, determining strength and location of each aura.

Determine schools if possible.

Spellcraft, use as needed:[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]
[roll3]
[roll4]
[roll5]
[roll6]
[roll7]
[roll8]
[roll9]
[roll10]
[roll11]
[roll12]

[Saph]

After five minutes or so of scanning everything repeatedly, you've concluded the following:

The orb is radiating Evocation magic.

The curtains, both the ones you've come through and the ones around the outside, are radiating Transmutation magic. You think it's the same effect.

There is a source of Evocation magic between you and the statues, running from O2 to O10, which you identify as a wall of force.

The wall of force blocks line of effect of your Detect Magic to anything further.

[Jarian]

What about the potions? colored glass vials that are obviously not potions? :smallwink:

[Saph]

Make me a Will save.

[Jarian]

...lovely.

[roll0]

[Saph]

The vials do not register as magical.

[Jarian]

Okay then. We've got a wall of force, an orb radiating This Is Probably Going To Hurt You magic, and creepy curtains.

...Let's go for the curtains.

Hide (Take 10, 28) in B-1, open curtains in A-1 on the north side.

[Saph]

You reach B1 without incident and open the curtains.

Behind the curtains is a long, empty room. Four longswords hang unsupported in midair.

[Jarian]

Detect Magic again.

Edit: And what are the dimensions of the room?

[Saph]

Room dimensions are 75' by 30'.

The swords, obviously, radiate magic. Transmutation, moderate.

[Jarian]

Should have thought to take the Shatter invocation.

How much hardness does an animated longsword have, again?

[Saph]

Roll Knowledge (Arcana).

[Jarian]

K. Arcana: [roll0]

Edit: Just noticed I'm missing my synergy bonus to spellcraft from having 5 or more ranks in Arcana.

[Saph]

Good enough.

An animated object typically has the hardness of the material making up the majority of its body (in this case, metal). There are ways to boost this further, however.

[Jarian]

Well, yes, I know. That was a general question on steel's hardness, since I don't remember offhand. :smalltongue:

Off the top of my head, I think a longsword would have hardness of... 8 or 10?

[Saph]

Sounds about right.

[Jarian]

Can't do diddly to them, then. Not without a lot of time or wasting a lot of scrolls. Close the curtains, sneak over to A-1, hide (take 10, 28) and open B-1.

Edit: Since I forgot to do so earlier, activate See the Unseen.

[Saph]

The curtains open onto a 25' by 55' room, with something floating in the centre that looks like a thing out of nightmare. It has a vaguely humanoid shape, but it’s a shape without features that has been distorted and bristles with madness. From the waist down, it trails away into vaporous nothingness, leaving a faint trace of fog behind it as it moves.

Make a Will save, and roll initiative.

[roll0]

[Jarian]

Hi there Mr. Allip.

Will vs Babble, if I don't miss my guess entirely: [roll0]

Allips don't have any special detection methods as I recall, but just in case, K. Arcana to determine if this one does, and if it would be prevented by Darkstalker: [roll1]

I automatically lose initiative.

[Saph]

Nothing from the Know (Arcana) check. You need Knowledge (Religion) for this one.

Save succeeds. The creature flies towards your space, babbling and flailing wildly away.

Incorp. touch attack: [roll0]
Damage on hit: [roll1] Wis
Misschance (1 misses): [roll2]

[Jarian]

Dur dur dur, I knew that. Nothing wrong with me. :smallredface:

How does it know where Pepperjack is, if I may ask? He's got a 28 on hide currently.

[Saph]

It didn't, in this case. Attack misses. Your turn.

[Jarian]

Activate scroll of Manyjaws: [roll0] vs DC 24.

On success, force damage: [roll1] reflex DC 13 half.

Turn not done, need to see result of its save.

[Saph]

Reflex: [roll0]

[Jarian]

Drop coin in current square.

Move east fifteen feet, hiding: [roll0] and moving silently: [roll1]

Swift: White Raven Tactics.

--

Standard: Continue concentration on Manyjaws: [roll2] reflex DC 13 half.

Move: Move five feet west into darkness, hiding: [roll3]

Swift: Swift hide, if above is less than 38: [roll4]

Done.

[Saph]

You were next to the creature at the start of your turn, if that changes anything.

[Jarian]

It can't take an AoO if it can't see me, so not really.

[Saph]

And now I have to look up how attacks interact with Hide checks . . . sigh.

[Jarian]

Pepperjack is like educational television.

[Saph]

Eh, can't find it. Doesn't really matter. You break stealth to attack, but then re-stealth before it can do anything about it. Its reflex save: [roll0]

[Saph]

Hmm.

Well, even with the successful save, it's fairly chewed up and it can't see anything to attack, so I guess it'll move back into its room out of your line of sight and effect. The curtains fall back into place.

[Jarian]

Partial move to "doorway".

Not done.

What's the distance between it and Pepperjack?

[Saph]

The curtains have fallen back into place in the "doorway", so at present you can't tell.

[Jarian]

Bother.

Can Pepperjack step through them, or do they have to be opened?

Edit: Ah, I see you mentioned them falling back into place before. Don't know how I missed that.

[Saph]

You could just shove through blind. Call it an extra square of movement for difficult terrain.

[Jarian]

Pepperjack punches through the bothersome cloth barrier!

Relative positions?

[Saph]

You push through and see . . . an empty room. That's odd.

[Jarian]

"Sighhhhh..."

Cheddar takes 10 on hide, if there's nothing threatening him, else [roll0].

Swift to recover manuevers, standard to cry about wasting the last round of Manyjaws.

[Saph]

DM only:
15% chance, low hits: [roll0]
Edit: Not threatened. Your next action.

[Jarian]

Take 10 on hide for 28.

Stick around for ten rounds.

[Saph]

Okay, need to do a few rolls.

Let's call it 15%. If after 10 rounds it still hasn't hit, it'll pop up.

100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100

[Saph]

Fail.

[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]
[roll3]
[roll4]
[roll5]
[roll6]
[roll7]
[roll8]
[roll9]

[Saph]

On the second round of your waiting, a black incorporeal claw swipes up from the floor. This time it does target your square.

Incorporeal touch: [roll0] for [roll1] Wis
Misschance (1 misses): [roll2]

The claw sinks back into the floor.

[Jarian]

"Ah, so it's like that, then."

If it's just going to keep hiding, Pepperjack has no way to harm it, unless you think a readied action to blast an appendage popping out of the ground could work.

Without a burrow speed, I can't get it out of the walls or floor, so Pepperjack exits the room and consults his brother Cheddar's instructions on what to do with unkillable encounters.


"Remember, Pepper: it's like Uncle Pun-Pun always said. Beat the DM over the head until they give you the xp for defeating it anyway."

If that's applicable, he'll grab a random spoon off the floor and start beating at the air demanding justice.

Edit: Take 10 on hide, juuuuust in case.

[Saph]

"Ah, so it's like that, then."

If it's just going to keep hiding, Pepperjack has no way to harm it, unless you think a readied action to blast an appendage popping out of the ground could work.

That's specifically mentioned in the description as being allowed, in fact.

[Jarian]

Way to ruin my fun. :smalltongue:

Er, I mean, yay for xp?

Pepperjack moves into the center of the room, hides (28) and readies an action to Eldritch Blast on sight. I may regret not using another scroll when I miss due to incorporeality.

[Saph]

You wait a few rounds, then sure enough, the thing swipes up at you.

Your readied action goes off first, followed by its incorp. touch.

Incorporeal Touch Attack: [roll0]
On hit: [roll1] Wis
Misschance (1 misses): [roll2]

[Jarian]

[roll0] vs flatfooted touch.
[roll1] concealment from Darkness, 1-20 misses.
On hit, [roll2] damage.
Incorporeal miss chance: [roll3] 1 misses.


ARGH. :smallmad:

[Saph]

Mutual fail.

Sticking around for another try?

[Jarian]

Might as well.

Hide, ready action to EB on sight.

[Saph]

Roll your attack first, then, since your readied action goes off before its touch.

[Jarian]

I was sort of hoping it just gave up. :smalltongue:

[roll0] vs flatfooted touch.
Concealment: [roll1] low misses.
Damage: [roll2]
Incorporeal miss: [roll3] low misses.

...

Me and the RNG are going to go have a talk about mocking me. One moment.

[Saph]

Incorporeal Touch Attack: [roll0]
On hit: [roll1] Wis
Misschance (1 misses): [roll2]

edit: now that's just sad.

[Jarian]

Stick Darknessed coin in backpack. We're going with DM's option on Blend Into Shadows now. :smalltongue:

Move a few squares away and swift hide for 28.

Ready action to EB on sight.

[Saph]

There's a couple rounds of nothing, then the same thing happens again. Take your shot.

[Jarian]

[roll0] vs touch
[roll1]
[roll2] 1 misses.

[Saph]

Incorporeal Touch Attack: [roll0]
On hit: [roll1] Wis
Misschance (1 misses): [roll2]

And the "vortex of suck" continues.

[Jarian]

The RNG has a sense of humor. :smallbiggrin:

One more time.

[Jarian]

Ah, right, right. Gotta roll it to make the attack work. Funny, that.

[roll0] vs FF touch
[roll1]
[roll2] 1 misses.

[Saph]

You know, if this thing wasn't insane, I think I'd just have it give up and wander off by this point.

Incorporeal Touch Attack: [roll0]
On hit: [roll1] Wis
Misschance (1 misses): [roll2]

edit: huh. Spoke too soon.

[Jarian]

Damnation! :smallmad:

Fine. This thing has mocked me for the last time!

Draw scroll of Manyjaws, ready action to activate on sight.

[Saph]

It repeats its action. Roll your Manyjaws attack.

[Jarian]

UMD to activate: [roll0] vs DC 24.

On success: [roll1] force damage, reflex DC 13 half.

[Saph]

Reflex: [roll0]

And its attack:

Incorporeal Touch Attack: [roll1]
On hit: [roll2] Wis
Misschance (1 misses): [roll3]

[Saph]

You hit, it misses.

It's pretty much shredded, but not quite gone.

[Jarian]

Maintain concentration on Manyjaws.

Stamp on floor in an effort to draw it out.

[Saph]

It pops up for what'll probably be its last attack. Go ahead and roll your damage.

[Jarian]

[roll0] reflex DC 13 half.

[Saph]

Only 5 HP left, so it disintegrates.

You're richer by 400 XP, and poorer by a Wisdom point and a couple scrolls.

And I'm going to bed. Catch you tomorrow! :smalltongue:

[Jarian]

Night.

I just realized that I haven't actually cast any Infusions yet, so I'll see what can be done to make Pepperjack even more educational slightly better while you sleep.

Edit: 400 xp? The last floor was worth 300xp, and were CR 1/CR 2 enemies. Aw nuts, this is going to be one of those "make Pepperjack work for his xp" things, isn't it. :smallyuk:

[Jarian]

Draw another scroll of Manyjaws, then recover manuvers, sit down for a minute and cast Personal Weapon Augmentation on the sling, giving it the Warning property. As long as Pepperjack holds it, he gets a +5 bonus to initiative checks.

Head out the west wall of this room. I don't have a map so I can't tell you which space.

[Saph]

Interestingly, the west wall of this room is solid. The other walls are curtains, though.

[term1nally s1ck]

Saph:

I miscounted horribly, it's 450XP for all encounters here.

[Saph]

TS:
Oh, OK. Does that mean Titania has a bunch more XP, too?

[term1nally s1ck]

Saph:

Yeah, you should have. Sorry, I didn't count some of the encounters somehow.

[Saph]

Jarian: Have another 50 XP.

[Jarian]

Go through the south curtains then, hiding to one side as usual.

[Saph]

You find yourself in a sort of corridor. There are more curtains to the south, and to the east the room opens up into a wider area with a big square of curtains in the middle.

[Jarian]

Forgot to take the coin out of my backpack. Pepperjack does so now, puts it in his mouth, then creeps south while hiding. If he reaches those curtains unmolested, he opens them with the usual method.

[Saph]

The curtains open onto a 15' by 30' room. There's a hideously warped creature inside, which appears to have been flayed, tortured, and had its eyes gouged out. It's moving, though.

Initiative: [roll0]

[Jarian]

K. Arcana, if applicable: [roll0]

Initiative: [roll1]

[Saph]

This creature doesn't come under Knowledge (Arcana).

[Jarian]

Eldritch Blast: [roll0] vs flatfooted touch
[roll1] damage
Concealment: [roll2]

Move: Snipe hide: [roll3]

Swift: White Raven Tactics

Eldritch Blast: [roll4] vs flatfooted touch
[roll5] damage
Concealment: [roll6]

Move: Snipe hide: [roll7]

Swift: Hide in plain sight, 5-ft stepping north if any of the above hide rolls are less than 10. [roll8]

[Saph]

You hit twice.

[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]

[Jarian]

Does using an eldritch blast count as "making a normal attack" for recovering manuevers, in your opinion?

[Saph]

It comes bulling through the curtains, snarling at the air. It can't see you, but seems to have an idea where you are and stabs at your square with its bone shortspear.

Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1] and Fort save
Misschance (1 misses): [roll2]

[Saph]

Does using an eldritch blast count as "making a normal attack" for recovering manuevers, in your opinion?

Depends on the exact wording of the two abilities. Check it to see.

[Jarian]

Warblade specifies a standard action to make a melee attack or flourish. It doesn't seem too far from intended to allow an EB to count, but that's your call.

[Saph]

If it says a melee attack, then no. EB is ranged.

[Jarian]

5-ft north and Eldritch Blast.

[roll0] vs touch or flatfooted touch, +2 if striking unseen
[roll1]
Concealment: [roll2]

Snipe hide: [roll3]

Swift hide: [roll4]

[Saph]

Another hit.

[roll0]
[roll1] if fail

[Saph]

He steps after you and slashes wildly at your square with his spear and claws.

Spear attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1] and Fort save
Misschance (1 misses): [roll2]
Claw: [roll3]
Damage: [roll4]
Misschance (1 misses): [roll5]

[Jarian]

Bother. Should have remembered mage armor.

Fort: [roll0]

[Saph]

DC is 18, so that fails.

You take an extra [roll0] points of damage and are sickened with pain.

[Jarian]

Okay then. I think it's about time for him to die.

Activate scroll of Manyjaws: [roll0] vs DC 24.

On success, force damage: [roll1] reflex DC 13 half.

Move fifteen feet away, hiding [roll2] and moving silently [roll3] -2 to these, forgot to account for Sickened here

Swift hide, if above is less than 28: [roll4] -2 to these, forgot to account for Sickened here

[Saph]

Is the UMD check taking into account the Sickened penalty?

[Jarian]

...I wish it were, but I forgot to add it there, too.

So that's a whole turn of fail.

How long does the Sickened last for?

[Saph]

You'll find out soon.

[roll0]
[roll1] if fail

[Saph]

It comes after you again, but this time it doesn't seem to have as accurate a picture of where you are, and swipes at an empty square next to you.

Your turn. Sickened status ends.

[Jarian]

UMD again: [roll0] vs DC 24

On success, force damage: [roll1] reflex DC 13 half

Move ten feet away, hiding [roll2] and moving silently [roll3]

Swift hide, if above is less than 28: [roll4]

[Saph]

Reflex: [roll0]

[roll1]
[roll2]
[roll3]

[Saph]

You hurt him badly, but somewhere in that, his empty eye sockets lock onto you and he screams and charges.

Spear attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1] and Fort save

[Jarian]

This could end poorly.

Fort: [roll0]

Edit: Yup.

Edit2: Concealment from the Darkness doesn't apply here, I take it?

Blindsight, what with the no eyes, probably.

[Saph]

By remarkable fluke, he managed to actually beat both your hide checks with his perception.

Fort save fails, so you take [roll0] damage and are sickened for 1 round.

[Jarian]

Pepperjack falls unconscious and is mangled horribly, then.

[Saph]

Are you sure? Remember your DR 1/cold iron.

By my count I think you're on exactly 0.

[Jarian]

Drr...

Remembering bonuses is for people who actually want to stay alive. Pepperjack is clearly suicidal to be here in the first place. :smalltongue:

Fft... well then. Do or die, I guess.

Maintain concentration on Manyjaws: [roll0] reflex DC 13 half.

And Pepperjack is now bleeding out, so let's hope that killed it.

[Saph]

Reflex: [roll0]

[Saph]

Succeeds . . . so it's got 8 HP left.

Yeah, I guess you get stabbed to death, unless I've missed something.

[Jarian]

Just make it messy. The next sap that wanders through here deserves a warning.

Restart?

[Saph]

Sure. I just need to check something with TS first.

[Saph]

OK, turns out your starting gold and XP on restart is 5000 xp, 3500 gp.

[Jarian]

Ah. Well, that puts the kabosh on being an Artificer, so I guess I'll come back with something else.