IC Lords of Ruin (Spheres PF1)

[rs2excelsior]

Eshegan narrows his eyes, gripping his weapon tighter. ”Do you see that? It’s like the heat’s coming towards us. Keep your eyes open... and let’s get the others up here quick.” Lightning dances over the blade of his weapon and the wind begins to pick up...

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Increasing the wind severity to 3 (strong), just in case. I’ll concentrate on it for now. Also, I just noticed on the weather sphere that severity levels go up or down by one per round. So if we assume severity level 1 to start (there’s no level 0), this round it’ll increase to 2 and next round it’ll hit 3 (and Atmoturgy will kick in)

[CasualViking]

Calben Traser Perception +4|AC 23 (+4 vs giants), Touch 12, FF 22, CMD 15|Fort +6 Ref +4|HP: 68/68 Without a word, Calben draws his fighting wand and brings up his shield.

[Athaleon]

Volistad lay his greatsword on his shoulder and squinted up at the cliff appraisingly.

Spoiler

Show

Is the cliff more or less solid stone, or is it a lot of dirt? Volistad is contemplating using Size Change (and Quick Change to set his CL = HD) to make himself ~28 feet tall—enough that he might just be able to grab the top of the cliff with an outstretched hand, but if it's soft material it might not be enough to support all 12.8 tons of him. If it does work, it would allow him to climb the cliff very quickly and carry Krova with him.

[Bansheexero]

Even as the heat shimmers seem to get closer, they don't appear to take any shape or form.

Spoiler: Initiative

Show

HS (1d20+8)[10]

Calben (1d20+1)[3]
Volistad (1d20+1)[19]
Eshagen (1d20+2)[15]
Xerxes (1d20+2)[7]
Krova (1d20+3)[13]

*Note, I am working on the map, and I am keeping the color tiles on the map for them as hard to see as possible, because of what they are (they are a homebrew variant, but mostly similar). I am also not giving the specific names for similar reasons. If they move, they change direction or act, a new Perception check may be in order, even if you have already identified their location once. Plus, you cannot be sure of how many there are.

[Athaleon]

Volistad closed his eyes and took a deep breath. After a few seconds he grew to the size of a true giant—nearly 30 feet tall—and signaled Krova to climb onto his hand. "Bring the donkey," he whispered as quietly as his new size would allow.

Spoiler

Show

Move Action: Quick Change (to Burning Blade persona)
Standard Action: Cast Alteration sphere ability w/ Shape Change, spending a spell point to maintain it without concentration.

He'll try to just place Krova and the donkey atop the cliff before climbing up it himself, just in case.

[Bansheexero]

As Volistad grows in stature, he casually lifts Krova and Donna and places them safely at the top of the cliff.

Spoiler

Show

I'll say lifting and placing them is a move action. Of course, while Xerxes saw the heat shimmers, Krova was not there and has to make her own Perception check. I should point out, unless attacked directly, each player will need to make a Perception check every round, unless they have a means of pinpointing the location of things without sight. Also, they have 30% Concealment.

[Hazuki]

"So. I'm here now," Krova says as she's placed in the danger zone with...something?

Spoiler: Perception

Show

(1d20+11)[26]

[rs2excelsior]

"Some sort of heat shimmers," Eshegan states, eyeing them as they draw nearer. "But I've never seen heat shimmers move like that before..." Stepping closer to one of the... creatures? he lets out a shout and takes a swing with his glaive, lightning running down his arms and coalescing onto the blade in a dancing blue ball as the weapon arcs through the air.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

I assume only one round has passed, so the wind severity is only up to level 2--not enough for atmoturgy to kick in.

Spending one spell point to allow the weather effect to persist without concentration (14/16 left). It will continue for 6 minutes.
5ft step to M34
Create a destructive blast (CL=8; base 7 +1 for electric type) with Energy Strike and Shock Blast (costs 1 SP: 13/16 left) and attack the creature in O35
Attack: (1d20+9)[24]
Damage: (1d10+2)[3] weapon damage plus (4d4+3)[12] electric damage plus if the attack hits it must make a DC 19 fort save or be dazed for 1 round.

[Bansheexero]

As Eshagen swings, he feels it hit something, mostly solid, but less dense than most creatures. The electricity spreads, momentarily outlining something vaguely bipedal in shape, but far less defined.

[Bansheexero]

The heat shimmers seem to close in on Eshagen and Krova. There is a sudden increase in heat, but not enough to burn, instead moisture seems to drain away from their proximity.

Spoiler

Show

HS1 moves to Krova and attacks (1d20+12)[28]
Crit? (1d20+12)[30]
Damage (2d6+4)[11]
Effect vs Fortitude (1d20+8)[11] if successful Fatigued for (1d4)[3] round(s) and (1d4)[3] nonlethal from dessication. Fail deals half nonlethal damage and does not fatigue.

HS2 5 ft steps to Eshagen and attacks twice.
Attack #1
(1d20+12)[16]
Crit? (1d20+12)[14]
Damage (2d6+4)[10]
Effect vs Fortitude (1d20+8)[26] if successful Fatigued for (1d4)[4] round(s) and (1d4)[1] nonlethal from dessication. Fail deals half nonlethal damage and does not fatigue.

Attack #2
(1d20+12)[16]
Crit? (1d20+12)[28]
Damage (2d6+4)[14]
Effect vs Fortitude (1d20+8)[18] if successful Fatigued for (1d4)[2] round(s) and (1d4)[2] nonlethal from dessication. Fail deals half nonlethal damage and does not fatigue.

[CasualViking]

Calben moves into position. The fist that holds his wand turns into a rocky clobbering appendage.

UMD check for wand: (1d20+16)[29]

[PotatoGolem]

Xerxes raises his sword high. Hiding in shimmers, eh? Two can play at that game. Shifting time, conceal us! Golden light plays around Xerxes and the Beast, with a chorus of unearthly voices whispering his words. Time... Conceal.. The light resolves, and he and his mount seem to flicker in and out of reality, appearing in multiple places at once, their actions disjointed from the flow of linear time. From atop the Beast, Xerxes begins to issue commands, directing his allies on how to work together better. The Beast coils up like a spring, ready to strike at anything that approaches it.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

(Standard action to cast afterimage, spending a spell point to have it also affect my companion. Move action to start Aggressive Flanking tactic. Beast readies an action to attack anything that attacks it.)

[Bansheexero]

As Eshagen and Krova combat the creatures, they seem to start slipping from view again, becoming hard to follow.

Spoiler

Show

Stealth roll [roll]1d20+15)[/roll]

Calben Perception (includes +4 from having it pointed out to you (1d20+8)[20]
Xerxes Perception (includes +4 from having it pointed out to you) Roll 3 (1d20+11)[25]
Eshagen Perception (includes +8 from interacting with it directly) (1d20+16)[27]
Krova Perception (includes +8 from interacting with it directly) (1d20+18)[21]

Volistad does not get a Perception check yet as he is still below all the action.

Remember, you suffer a 30% miss chance against them due to their pseudo-invisibility

[Bansheexero]

Spoiler: stealth roll

Show

Whoops, messed up syntax for the one roll (1d20+15)[28]

[Hazuki]

Krova winces from the last hit, holding her arm half-up as though it'll help fend off the blow.

"I am sorry, but I cannot see ****," she tells her companions.

[rs2excelsior]

Eshegan takes a step back as the creature shimmers and shifts, slipping from his view. "Think you're clever, eh?" He calls up his lightning again, swinging his glaive in a brief arc as a fan of lightning dances out over the area where the creature stood.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

AoO, you say? I can do those :D

5ft step to L34
Destructive blast using Electric Blast (0 SP) and Sculpt Blast (1 SP). CL is 9 (7, +1 electricity, +1 atmoturgy - wind severity 3). Not spending a spell point to increase damage. Blast will be a 45 ft cone, starting in M34 and extending to U34/R39ish (off-map). I doubt the -3 to the save for the target wearing metal armor is going to apply.

Reflex "save": (1d20+9)[12] (half damage on failure)
Damage: (5d6)[18] electricity

I'm thinking about using weather sphere to create rain/drop the temperature, but I'm torn--I figure either that's the clever little trick that'll negate their rider effects, or it'll accomplish nothing other than making us all cold and damp

[CasualViking]

Calben Traser Perception +4|AC 23 (+4 vs giants), Touch 12, FF 22, CMD 15|Fort +6 Ref +4|HP: 68/68 Calben steps out of the way, squiting his eyes to focus on the nearest shimmer. Next to himself and each of his allies, an illusory double appears. "Just a little cover!" he yells, because he totally planned for that to happen. Totally. Move action to Search Perception - (1d20+4)[6]. Standard action, attempting to cast a Hostile Glamer, encasing the nearest Shimmer's "head" in a shiny purple piñata. miss chance - (1d100)[46], wild magic - (1d100)[93], Will Attack - (1d20+6)[19]

[Athaleon]

Volistad only needed a little hop to grab the cliff-edge, and after getting the feel of the rock under his hands, he began hauling himself up.

Spoiler

Show

(1d20+14)[20] Climb

If he has a Standard Action at the end of this, he'll cast a Light Sphere glow effect on himself, and as a Free Action use the Glory effect to brighten it to activate Encompassing Light.

[Bansheexero]

*Note - Calben acts after the enemies do, so I will apply his effects after the attacks from the heat Shimmers.

While the Heat Shimmer attacking Krova presses the offensive. As Eshagen projects his electrical blast, it does not reveal the shape of the creature, so if and how it affected it is unknown.

Meanwhile, Volistad clears the cliff, standing amidst the battle, large and in charge.

Spoiler

Show

HS1 attacks Krova twice
Attack #1
(1d20+12)[29]
Crit? (1d20+12)[24]
Damage (2d6+4)[10]
If Crit, add (2d6+4)[13] lethal damage and (1d4)[1]
Effect vs Fortitude (1d20+8)[9] if successful Fatigued for (1d4)[1] round(s) and (1d4)[1] nonlethal from dessication. Fail deals half nonlethal damage and does not fatigue.

Attack #2
(1d20+12)[19]
Crit? (1d20+12)[28]
Damage (2d6+4)[9]
If Crit, add (2d6+4)[13] lethal damage and (1d4)[1]
Effect vs Fortitude (1d20+8)[15] if successful Fatigued for (1d4)[3] round(s) and (1d4)[4] nonlethal from dessication. Fail deals half nonlethal damage and does not fatigue.

Afterwards, Calben begins casting a spell, but in so doing, is attacked from the North.

Spoiler

Show

HS? (Can't see them) attacks as an Attack of Opportunity. I'll point out that Calben is flat-footed, which did not really apply to Krova as she has Uncanny Dodge.

Attack
(1d20+12)[31]
Crit? (1d20+12)[16]
Damage (2d6+4)[14]
If Crit, add (2d6+4)[8] lethal damage and (1d4)[1]
Effect vs Fortitude (1d20+8)[13] if successful Fatigued for (1d4)[1] round(s) and (1d4)[3] nonlethal from dessication. Fail deals half nonlethal damage and does not fatigue.

[Bansheexero]

Spoiler: Calben's Concentration Check

Show

(1d20+13)[17] vs DC 31 (needs a 17 or higher).

[PotatoGolem]

Can't see a damned thing. Any of you have anything that could make them easier to see? Eshagen, you seem to have weather magic- can you make it rain or snow? Xerxes and the beast prepare themselves to counterattack if anything comes for them.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Both ready actions to attack if attacked.

[Bansheexero]

As the Heat Shimmer's move, their presence is hard to pinpoint.

Spoiler

Show

Stealth roll (1d20+15)[20]

Calben Perception (includes +8 from interacting with it directly) (1d20+12)[13]
Xerxes Perception (1d20+6)[22]
Eshagen Perception (1d20+8)[19]
Krova Perception (1d20+11)[31]
Volistad Perception (1d20+7)[16]

Remember, you suffer a 30% miss chance against them due to their pseudo-invisibility

[Athaleon]

Volistad squinted around his allies but couldn't make out whatever it was they were fighting. "Invisible, eh? Just ****in' try me!"

Spoiler

Show

Casting the Light sphere effect on himself if he wasn't able to do so last round. If he did, he will move near his allies, activate Aura of Fear (in the off chance it does anything; at least it's a Free Action) and use Frightful Roar (Will DC 15 or be Shaken, or if the Aura did render them Shaken they would be Frightened).

Since he can't see them, he will position himself around the middle of the group and use his huge reach to make attacks of opportunity should any targets present themselves and provoke e.g. by movement.

[Hazuki]

Krova, who realizes she can't see and can't use her main method of fighting against them, just readies herself to move away should one attack her again.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Readying a 5ft step with the trigger of being targeted for an attack.

[rs2excelsior]

"Worth a shot..." Having lost track of their exact positions and not too willing to fire off lightning too freely within the group, he raises his weapon skyward and the winds begin to circle around it, as the sky begins to darken...

Spoiler: OOC

Show

5ft step back to K34, just in case

I have already pushed the wind up to severity 3. CL for this ability is 6. I will use the Greater Weather talent to both create precipitation (up to severity 3) and reduce the temperature (down to cold severity 3 (0F-40F), from whatever level of heat it's currently at). Not cold enough to make it snow. These categories will shift by one level per round. I'll go ahead and spend a spell point to allow it to last for 6 minutes (11/16 left).

[CasualViking]

Calben Traser Perception +4|AC 23 (+4 vs giants), Touch 12, FF 22, CMD 15|Fort +6 Ref +4|HP: 54-1/68 "OI!". Calben staggers away with the blow, turns, points his wand, and it lets out a mighty thunderclap at his unseen assailant. 5' step away, then fire a 40' cone of air at the one who attacked me (O31). UMD - (1d20+16)[23], sonic damage - (1d4+6)[10], Fort - (1d20+3)[11]. if the fortitude hits, deafened for (1d4)[2] rounds.

[PotatoGolem]

Xerxes catches sight of one of them and spurs his mount on. There! Powers of death, heed my call! Hinder this coward's flight! The Beast leaps into the air as Xerxes raises his sword high, gray light swirling around the blade. A thousand ghostly voices whisper Death... death... as the Beast lands in a flurry of teeth and claws and Xerxes drives his sword home.

Spoiler: OOC-Actions and Rolls

Show

For Xerxes, move action is maintaining concentration on Afterimage, swift action is maintaining Aggressive Flanking, and standard action is a Vital Strike Fatal Thrust with Ghost Strike (Poltergeist) and Face Strike. Attack is (1d20+15)[32], miss chance (1d100)[62], damage [roll]2d6+7[roll] regular damage and (2d6)[4] precision damage. Crit range is 17-20, confirmation (1d20+15)[18], damage [roll]2d6+7[roll]. If it hits, the shimmer has a -3 on one roll on in the next round; I'm preemptively choosing its Stealth check, unless it just stands and delivers, in which case the attack roll. If the precision damage hits it, it has a 20% miss chance on its atacks.

Beast is much less complicated- just a charge with Pounce. Bite (1d20+11)[13], miss chance (1d100)[17], damage (1d8+6)[13] and (1d4)[2] cold. 2 claws: (1d20+11)[29], miss chance (1d100)[45], damage (1d6+6)[12] and (1d4)[4] cold, (1d20+11)[18], miss chance (1d100)[13], damage (1d6+6)[10] and (1d4)[1] cold.

I think I did multiple natural attacks with Multiattack right- it's just a -2 on all attacks, right?

[Bansheexero]

Eshagen's Eyes become dark blue again as electricity dancing Alon his form, highlighting his birthmarks. As he finishes gesturing, a cool mist begins to settle about, though much is being swept aside from the wind.

Spoiler

Show

Regarding this areas "default" weather, it is actually temperate, any of the heat is from the mountain, so now the effects are based off of said baseline.

Oddly, this causes the creatures to form an aura of dessication, appearing like voids in the moist air, as well as acquiring a steam-like aura. Bottom line - they are now consistently visible.

Before Calben is able to respond, he is again assaulted by one of the creatures. It lashes out twice to try to strike him, then takes a step back away from both both Calben and Krova.

Spoiler: HS1

Show

HS1 slam #1 (1d20+12)[21]
Crit? (1d20+12)[26]
Damage [roll]2d6+4[roll] bludgeoning, no more dessication/fatigue to worry about
If Crit, add (2d6+4)[7]

HS1 slam #2 (1d20+12)[13]
Crit? (1d20+12)[28]
Damage [roll]2d6+4[roll] bludgeoning, no more dessication/fatigue to worry about
If Crit, add (2d6+4)[14]

Meanwhile, the other creature charges Eshagen in hopes to end his magic.

Spoiler: HS2

Show

HS2 charging (1d20+14)[34]
Crit? (1d20+14)[25]
Damage [roll]2d6+4[roll] bludgeoning, no more dessication/fatigue to worry about
If Crit, add (2d6+4)[11]

[Bansheexero]

Mis-written damage roll (2d6+4)[15]

[Bansheexero]

Xerxes and his "pet" strike true, ripping the creature apart as it dissipates into the air.