The Complex of Doom (IC) Thread 2

[razorback]

Grumbling under his breath after ending his attempt at parleying with the creature, Shim keeps an eye on the water while addressing his companions. 'What now? Besides these arrows, which are about as effective as udders on a troll, I've got nothing. I don't see us being able to draw this thing out unless it wants too and, in all honesty, I'd find something else to eat other than us."

[Cavir]

"Now we can see it. Save the good arrows. Torlak, close enough for you right?" Kricen's spectral hand races out at the creature as he and the zombie hold their ground.

Spoiler: OOC

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Assuming the DT did not move and Babs can't attack from its position. If it did move closer then zombie moves 10' back and Kricen moves 5' back.

Ranged Charnel Touch (1d20+6)[13] crit: (1d20+6)[16] touch
Damage: (1d8+1)[6] crit: (1d8+1)[6]

[Kish]

Matai points a wand at Kricen and steps back, uninclined to try to participate in melee while the creature is submerged.

Spoiler

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Protection from Evil on Kricen for one minute.

Maneuvers just in case it matters:

1. Crusader's Strike
2. Shield Block
3. Mountain Hammer
4. Battle Leader's Charge
5. Tactical Strike

(1d5)[1]
(1d4)[1]
(1d3)[3]

[alanek2002]

Torlak shakes his head at Kricen's remark. "Sorry. Seems to be just out of reach for me." He says, moving closer regardless.

Spoiler

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Torlak moves 25 feet south.

[J-H]

Darktentacles (again) Round 2, Part 1

Torlak moves south, while the other two stay close to the runeforge. Matai protects Kricen, while the necromancer inflicts minor damage on the creature.

Spoiler

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DT 76 damage

Kricen 1 damage, PFE
Matai 9 damage
ZB 13 damage

Round 2, Part 2

The creature circles to the south with splashing tentacles, and Kricen feels it attack his mind once more.

Spoiler

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Hold Monster, Will DC 16
Kricen Will (1d20+13)[29] includes +2 resistance bonus from protection from evil against evil creatures. saved

Spoiler: Map & Status

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DT 76 damage

Kricen 1 damage, PFE
Matai 9 damage
ZB 13 damage

=> Party

[Cavir]

Kricen smiles. "It keeps trying to use its magic on me. It fears me the most. Hehe. Let's give it another reason for fear. Have some Slimy Doom!" The zombie withdraws to the northeast toward the shore. Kricen backs up away from the water and embeds a Scabrous Touch to the spectral hand, which then attacks the creature again.

Spoiler: OOC

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Babs withdraws to BA148. Kricen moves to BF151.

Charnel Touch + Scabrous Touch (like Contagion spell, Slimy Doom: initial Fort DC 17, secondary saves DC 14. 1d4 CON damage each

Touch: (1d20+5)[10] crit: (1d20+5)[14] Touch
Damage: (1d8+1)[5] crit: (1d8+1)[7]
+ Disease save or (1d4)[2] crit?: (1d4)[3] CON Damage (plus associated HP loss)

[alanek2002]

Torlak grins as he moves southwest. "And now it's in range." He says around a mouthful of flames.

Spoiler

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10 feet south and 10 west, (4d6)[17] fire damage, Dc 18 reflex for half.

[Kish]

Matai moves toward the edge of the water.

Spoiler

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Move to BF-151 and use the Wand of Protection from Evil on myself.
New granted maneuver: (1d2)[1]

[razorback]

As Kricen and Torlak discuss, Shim shrugs and fires.

Spoiler

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Shim the Charming
AC = 17 ; Current = 17
HP = 56 ; Current = 40



Standard action
Fire at Darktentacles
(1d20+9)[15]

Damage
(1d8+2)[4]

Crit 20/x3
(1d20+9)[20]
(2d8+4)[15]




Effects ~

Stance = Iron Guard's Glare
Vanguard Strike O
Mountain Hammer O
Douse the Flames O
Leading the Attack O
Tactical Strike O

[J-H]

Round 3, Part 1

Shim fires an arrow, but it splashes in the water and sinks.

Matai moves up, using a wand. Torlak takes a more direct approach, advancing and breathing flames on the creature. Kricen steps back, attempting to hit the creature with enhanced necrotic energies, but he is not able to make contact.

Spoiler

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18 fire damage, Ref DC 18 half.
DT Ref (1d20+9)[23] including a +4 bonus for being largely underwater. save, 9 damage

Spoiler: Status

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DT 85 damage

Kricen 1 damage, PFE
Matai 9 damage, PFE
ZB 13 damage

[J-H]

Round 3, Part 2

The Darktentacles heaves itself onto the land, revealing a blobbly, fleshy body that support the forest of waving tentacles. It drops one of its weapons and lashes out with a tentacle, attempting to snare Torlak and use him as a shield.

Spoiler

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Charge! Slam attack (1d20+11)[31] hit! crit not confirmed
Slam damage (1d4+4)[7]
If hits, grapple (1d20+30)[35] vs Torlak [roll]1d20+4[roll] auto success
On success, do damage as with unarmed strike/slam (1d4+4)[8]
Plus bonus constrict for (2d6+6)[16] reduced by DR 2/magic.
slam 7-2 =5
Grapple success 8-2 =6
Constrict 16-2 =14

Total = 25 damage

Spoiler: Map & Status

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DT 85 damage

Kricen 1 damage, PFE
Matai 9 damage, PFE
ZB 13 damage
Torlak 25 damage

=> Party

[razorback]

Seeing Torlak get insnared by the creature, and realizing his bow poses as much a threat to his friend as his enemy, he drops it as he lifts his voice high, rushing forward as he pulls his weapon.

Spoiler

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Swift Action
Cast Inspirational Boost

Standard Action
Begin Inspire Courage

Move Action.
Move to BC-149 while pulling his Guisarme

[Kish]

Matai lunges forward, slashing at the monster with his axe.

Spoiler

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Of course, I have all my readied maneuvers granted except for Battle Leader's Charge.

Provoking attack of opportunity, if the Darktentacles can take one while grappling Torlak.

Using Crusader's Strike. Unknown bonus for Inspire Courage not added into roll: (1d20+6)[19] Critical threat check: (1d20+6)[7] Damage: (1d10+2)[5] Critical damage: (2d10+4)[11] Healing to Torlak if it hits: (1d8+2)[7]

Last maneuver automatically granted after Matai's action, just too late to be useful.

Matai is still in Island of Blades stance, should anyone else be adjacent to the Darktentacles.

[Cavir]

"You've got him now Torlak, no way he can dodge your breath that close." Kricen orders the zombie back onto land while he steps back a little. He then attacks the creature with his disease spreading spectral hand.

Spoiler: OOC

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Babs to BB149 assuming it can charge from there along the BB column, otherwise to BC149.
Kricen to BG149

Spectral Hand with Scabrous Touch (like Contagion spell, Slimy Doom: initial Fort DC 17, secondary saves DC 14. 1d4 CON damage each

Charnel Touch (1d20+10)[30] crit: (1d20+10)[28] (+3 BAB, +2 DEX, +2 Spectral Hand, +3 Inspire Courage)
Damage: Charnel: (1d8+4)[8] Crit: (1d8+4)[12] (+3 Inspire Courage)
+ Disease save or (1d4)[4] crit?: (1d4)[2] CON Damage (plus associated HP loss)

I forgot some bonuses to hit last turn, my bad.

EDIT: Some hot rolling!

[alanek2002]

Torlak spits some blood, but then spits far more fire.

Spoiler

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Eh, Spectral hand kills it anyways.

9 damage from the ooc thread if it doesn't.

[J-H]

Finish him!

Torlak breathes fire on the Darktentacles, leaving it barely alive (1 hp). It thrashes and howls, and then Kricen delivers a jolt of necrotic energy to one of its beady, bulging eyes. The creature falls dead, dropping Torlak from its slimy grasp into a small puddle of its blackish blood.

[Cavir]

Kricen heads down the slop to the water's edge. "Impressive finish with the fire." He uses his Healing Belt to help Torlak with his wounds. The zombie is ordered to collect the creature's weapons and put them in a pile on dry land.

Spoiler: OOC

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Healing Belt (2d8)[13]

[razorback]

"You've got him now Torlak, no way he can dodge your breath that close."

Shim can't help, even in the heat of battle, but smirk at the comment. It is short lived as he is rushing forward and the rest of the party makes quick work of the creature.

"Well, if you call need me to stand around pretty, you just have to let me know next time, ok?" he quips.
"How are you feeling, Matai? Need anymore healing"

[Kish]

"No, I'll be fine." He uses a wand on Torlak.

Spoiler

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Use a charge from the Lesser Vigor wand on Torlak, healing him for 11 more.

[J-H]

The group begins to heal Torlak. Assuming that he then cleans himself off and begins to identify magic items, here is what you find.

Spoiler

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1 Defending shortsword+1
2 longspear +1
1 greataxe +1
1 flaming handaxe +1
1 holy warhammer +1
1 rapier+2
2 mwk longsword
2 guisarme +1
1 Mwk trident

Spoiler: Status

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Kricen 1 damage, PFE
Matai 9 damage, PFE
ZB 13 damage
Torlak 1 damage

=> Party

[razorback]

As Shim looks over the weapons the creature dropped, he sees the Guisarme's, but looking at trusty Betty, sets them back.
"Can't say I might use any, but these might be handy in a pinch. Torlak, perhaps that shortsword be to your liking?"

[alanek2002]

"Thanks Kricen, but it wasn't my kill." Torlak says. "I could feel it trying to crush me again after I spat flames until your hand poked it." he comments, with a thankful nod to him.

Torlak shrugs. "...And no thanks on any of the weapons, I can't use them worth anything."

[Kish]

"No interest in any of the weapons here, either. Let's feed them to the machine."

[Cavir]

Kricen shakes his head, disappointed. "All this and nothing worthwhile for any of us. Torlak, try sensing for any magic left in the water? The thing had its tentacles full, maybe it had a larger collection to choose from? Whoever had these before probably had other stuff with them? The zombie can fetch for you."

"Instead of dividing the spoils to each I have an idea. Getting over the rivers is a problem. Flight would solve that. A flying carpet is beyond our means but we can use the runeforge and these weapons to get us a Broom of Flying. If can carry us one or two of us at a time over obstacles as well as allow scouting from the air. That would still leave us value to get more too, perhaps a wand of Locate Object for the crystals we week to destroy, or Lesser Restoration. Comments, other ideas?"

In the mean time, Kricen uses his dark energies to heal himself and the zombie.

Spoiler: OOC

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A wannabe Lich flying on a broom

[razorback]

"Sounds good. Maybe not what someone hears in an epic... or, maybe not in a tavern or even besides a campfire, but practical. I think some rest is in order."

[Cavir]

"A rest? It's still early in the day. No better ideas? Broom of Flying it is. We have more than enough for that so think to the forge of your desires."

Kricen has the demon zombie pile up the magic weapons onto the runeforge. After a time several items appear. Kricen takes the broom and his selected items, leaving the rest for the others. He dons the necklace, attaches a crystal to his armor, then puts the black onyx gems in a pouch with the other gems that he has.

A smile crosses Kricen's face as he studies the Broom of Flying. "Going to try this out." He hops onto the broom and activates it. At first he keeps close to the ground, never having flown before. He circles around the nest and gradually gains elevation. He eventually clears tree top level and doubles that before having the broom stop and hover. Gripping the broom far more firmly than needed he gazes outward, getting a lay of the land and looking for locations of note.

He brings his gaze back down towards the nest. Flying down, he tries out gaining speed and buzzes the mostly buried raptors to check on them. He then flies over the waters at treetop height where the darktentacles hid, looking for signs of other goods the creature may have collected.

Returning to the party he orders Babs to get on with him and flies around the nest a bit more. The weight of the zombified demon slows the flight. Returning to the group he and the zombie dismount. "I suggest you each try it out. We'll all need it later. Don't want to end up bug eyed like Khurdurm when he fell into the river. Take your time, we're in no rush today. " He'll show each how to use it.

Spoiler: OOC

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My first forge while in this game. Not sure if there are more details to using it. Don't remember the height of the bio-dome.

Broom of Flying. 17k gp. Four way split of the rest is 2,717.5gp.

Kricen will also get:
Chronocharm of the Uncaring Archmage (Mic p86, 500gp) Full round spell as Standard. 1/day
Empowered Spellshard: 1500gp (Ray of Enfeeblement) 3/day
Arcanist Gloves (2/day +2 CL for 1st level spell) 500GP
8 black onyx gems (25gp each=200GP) (components for Animate Dead)

[J-H]

(Caidacyn, a Killoren Warlock played by Dexam, joins the group, as though she's always been there)

As Kricen lands the broom, Caidacyn happens to glance down from her perch on the berm towards the Runeforge. She sees a ghostly-looking creature walk through the wall! It appears only in grey-scaled colors, and is vaguely translucent to her invocation-boosted vision, indicating that it must be ethereal.

The creature is four-legged, with an upright torso and two more arms. It looks like a centauroid bug, and has a stinger at the back of its abdomen.

Spoiler: K: Arcana

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Caidacyn rolls a 20!
Formians are Outsiders, bug-like creatures from the plane of Neutral Order - Mechanus. They are very organized and fastidious, and typically dedicated to spreading their influence.

The different varieties of Formians all have different roles to play, and there is no moving up or between stations for them, although some of the more intelligent and versatile Formians may learn additional skills or magics. They have some manner of hivemind or telepathic communication, although the texts that mention them give conflicting information about how this works.

The one she is looking at is likely a mid-ranked Formian based on its size, and the stinger is no doubt poisonous. Formians are not known for being ethereal naturally.

The creature looks around for a moment, and then begins to walk up the wall vertically, even though it can technically float as an ethereal creature.

[Dexam]

"Hmmph!" Caidacyn grumps, frowning at Kricen. "I was hoping that your mobile affront to the natural cycle of life and death would fall to its doom." The fey lady flicks her slender fingers towards the zombie demon in a gesture of distaste, and her green eyes momentarily darken. "Sadly, no such luck. Mark my words, one day you will come to regret creating such a..." she trails off as unexpected movement in the corner of her vision catches her eye.

"A Formian!" Caidacyn exclaims in surprise. "I wonder what it's doing? I don't think they're normally able to go ethereal - someone or something must have cast a spell on it... maybe there's a group of them, with a leader; or maybe a hive?" She shudders slightly at the thought, and watches it climb up the wall. "I'm going to follow it for a bit," she decides. Of course, to those without the ability to see invisible creatures, the fey lady is staring up at an empty wall.

Scanning the area from where it emerged, she fades from view before beginnings to climb up the wall after her invisible target.

Spoiler

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Detect Magic on the wall it walked through (Standard Action), as well as detect living 30' (Move Action).

Standard Action to activate Walk Unseen; then Standard Action to activate Spiderwalk and climb after it.

Keeping at least 40' away from it, moving silently: (1d20+7)[18]

[Cavir]

Kricen chuckles with Caidacyn's sudden lunacy. "See what happens when diehard beliefs meet common sense? Insanity! Who wants to fly next?"

Caidacyn's focus on the wall still gets Kricen's attention though. He takes notice of the spot relative to the runeforge so that he can pick out the spot again in the future. He'll take a closer look at it, then orders Babs to start breaking through the wall there. Kricen steps back from the wall and glances in the direction Caidacyn was last seen heading, handing the broom off to whoever wants it.

[J-H]

The Formian came through the wall directly behind the runeforge, in the same place that Gyrris had (assume that Gyrris shared his adventure with you). The wall does not have any detectable magical properties, but Caidacyn can tell that her spell does not penetrate far beyond the stone.

The Formian makes halting progress up the wall, repeatedly touching something at its neck. Once it gets about a hundred feet up, it stops, turns around, and starts looking down and around.