Planescape: Center of All - IC

[Toliudar]

Ash

Ash steps back from the door.

*No traps or impediments from the door itself. There seems to be a swarm of some simple-minded creatures on the other side. And given that this is Pandemonium, it's likely that they're singularly quirky, vicious beasts.*

[Archmage1]

Eilyra sighs at Ash's pronouncement. "Swarms. Lovely. Just what I am not well prepared to fight." She spreads her wings, and lifts off, getting clear of the ground, before she looks down at the party. "Whenever you're ready, I can open the door."

[Cavir]

"I have an energy cone that should do well against swarms. The question is which form of energy would be best for the creature type but yet not destroy what is inside that we might want."

"Let's do this. Eilyra and Ash move back a good ways. I'll move back some. Center opens the door and then teleports behind me. As the swarm comes I'll blast them. If someone can call out cold, electricity, fire, or sonic I'll use that type."

Spoiler: OOC

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In case there I don't get a chance to post before action happens, I'll move back about 20'. When Center opens I'll ready an action to use Energy Cone. I'd suggest Eilyra and Ash move back like 40-50 feet.

In the meantime activate extended Energy Adaptation (resist 30 all, 6.3 hours) 9PP

[Toliudar]

Ash

The golden-skinned woman also flits up and back away from the door.

*I also have some ability to use flame and other energies against an entire area, but my resources are quite limited.
I'll help as I can, and tell you what I can about the creatures once I can see them properly. It might be best for all of us to move back away from the doors, to make it easier to avoid hitting each other.*

Spoiler: OOC

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Ash transfers all +5 of her defending gauntlet's bonus to AC, raising hers to 49. She moves to a position about 50' back and towards the roof of the passage.

[kinem]

The tunnel is about 15' in diameter, so that's how high the ceiling is.

Center says "I can cast cones of cold, though not other kinds of energy.

Alright. Eilyra, shall I open the door? You have the key."

[Archmage1]

Eilyra shakes her head at Center's question as she reaches into her bag. "Perhaps we open the door while standing a bit away, to give a chance for yourself and Avakuss to utilize your area of affect effects before getting swarmed by the swarm." While speaking, she produces a rope from her bag, and ties it around some of the jutting carvings, before she unlocks the door, motions to Center to shift back as she moves back past Avakuss.
(1d20+10)[18] Use Rope
Once both were in place, and ready to blast, Eilyra, flying behind the pair, pulls the rope to open the door.

[kinem]

OOC: Does anyone have a light source right now?

The ancient stone door proves difficult to pull open (Strength check DC 22), but with Eilyra getting help from the others, you are able to open it.

The door scrapes open slowly and noisily at first, then more quickly as the torque required decreases once the door clears the doorway.

The cavern beyond the door is dark and smaller than you might have expected at about 20' in diameter.

Spoiler: Portals

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There are three magical portals in the cavern.

A huge number of strange spider-like creatures about 9" in length fly about in the cavern. Once the door opens, they move to attack!

OOC: Knowledge (Dungeoneering) DC 30 to identify the aberrations.

Due to the slowly opening door, there is no surprise round. Initiative (1d20+5)[23]

[Archmage1]

Seeing the swarm of spider like creatures start to attack, Eilyra drops the rope she had been attempting to pull, makes a lightning fast gesture, her form seemingly blurring with speed as she completes it, quickly chants a second spell, although it has no visible effect, and readies Freezing Fog, to cast it once the creatures are in the tunnel, within easy blasting range for Center and Avakuss, but before they actually reach us to start swarming.

She also makes certain she is behind the blasting duo.

Spoiler: Cast Spells

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Eilyra is casting Haste, as a free action for everyone.
She's then burning Iron Body to cast Extended Moment of Prescience(Using her handy dandy impromptu metamagic)
Then readying Freezing Fog, to make sure that the swarm is in optimal blast range for as long as possible. The edge of the fog will be just in front of Avakuss/Center.

[kinem]

As the strange creatures begin to approach, Avakuss' light show that they are of various colors - all the colors of the rainbow. It's hard to tell though if each one stays a single color as they flit about, or if they change.

Eilyra casts her Freezing Fog Spell, hiding and delaying the creatures.

OOC: Avakuss to act

[Cavir]

Interesting colors. Avakuss doesn't allow himself to be distracted though. Whatever they are, being here meant they weren't common spiders. He points his finger at the swarm and a cone of electricity sizzles all within the mist.

Spoiler: OOC

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Energy Cone 19PP
(19d6)[71] plus bonus for swarm.
Reflex DC 31 for half (10 base, +3 3rd level, +9 WIS, +2 electricity, +7 augment

[kinem]

OOC: Swarm Reflex (1d20+9)[15]

Shrieks indicate that Avakuss' electrical blast has found its marks.

Center unleashes a Cone of Cold:

(15d6)[47] cold; (1d20+19)[20] vs SR; Swarm Reflex (1d20+9)[21] vs DC 23

[Archmage1]

Spoiler: Freezing Fog effects

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(1d6)[6] Frost damage(* 1.5, so 9, since it is an AOE effect)
DC 26 reflex save or be knocked prone.
A DC 10 balance check is required in order to move at all, getting knocked prone if it gets a 5 or below.
And, of course, because balance is awesome, unless it has at least 5 ranks in balance, every time it takes damage, it needs to make that DC 10 balance check or fall prone.

Eilyra quickly follows in the wake of the blast of cold energy Center unleashed, to dart into the fog cloud, and determine the status of the creatures.

Spoiler: Actions

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Head forwards near the wall until she reaches the point where they were when she cast her spell, or she encounters them.
If they are alive, Bounding Attack!
(1d100)[50] Concealment (20 or less is a miss)
(1d20+37)[50] Attack 1
(1d10+17)[18] Piercing + (1d6)[2] Fire(Which should always affect swarms)

(1d100)[15] Concealment (20 or less is a miss)
(1d20+35)[42] Attack 2
(1d10+17)[19] Piercing + (1d6)[2] Fire(Which should always affect swarms)

If they are still alive, and she has enough movement to waste ten feet, and still get behind the blasting duo, she will bounding attack again.
If they are alive, Bounding Attack!
(1d100)[47] Concealment (20 or less is a miss)
(1d20+37)[54] Attack 1
(1d10+17)[21] Piercing + (1d6)[3] Fire(Which should always affect swarms)

(1d100)[78] Concealment (20 or less is a miss)
(1d20+35)[55] Attack 2
(1d10+17)[18] Piercing + (1d6)[4] Fire(Which should always affect swarms)

Either way, she will move back to her starting position, smiling.

[Toliudar]

Ash

Ash drifts upward. She didn't want her fire magics to interfere with Eilyra's ice fog, so opted to simply wait to see what might emerge.

Spoiler: OOC

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Ash 5' steps up, and readies an action: If the swarm emerges from the freezing fog this round, she flame strikes their area, avoiding her colleagues . DC 28 for half damage on (15d6)[57], half fire and half divine.

[kinem]

Spoiler: Eilyra

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Eilyra can see that Avakuss' and Center's energy blasts have taken a devastating toll on the swarm of flying creatures, slaying many, but not enough to break up the swarm.

The cold from the freezing fog does not seem to have done much though, as the creatures have some cold resistance. They also have fire resistance, so her flaming blade attacks don't help.

As the creatures are flying, falling prone is not an issue and not possible. They don't seem to be using wings to fly.

Spoiler: Ash

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Avakuss' and Center's energy blasts have taken a devastating toll on the swarm of flying creatures, slaying many, but not enough to break up the swarm.

The swarm seems to have started to retreat into the room, trying to take shelter from further energy blasts away from the doorway.

The creatures did not, as of yet, emerge from the fog.

OOC: PCs to act.

[Cavir]

"Well? Are they still there?"

Spoiler: OOC

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Spot (1d20+25)[45] (with +6 from Steadfast Perception)
Listen (1d20+10)[14]

Holding action for answers from others.

OH YEAH! My Goggles of Draconic Vision give me Blindsense 30'. What do I get from that?

[kinem]

Spoiler: Avakuss

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Avakuss' and Center's energy blasts have taken a devastating toll on the swarm of flying creatures, slaying many, but not enough to break up the swarm.

The swarm seems to have started to retreat into the room, trying to take shelter from further energy blasts away from the doorway.

[Toliudar]

Ash

*A lot of the creatures have been killed off, but the rest are still swirling slowly inside.*

[Archmage1]

Emerging from the thick fog like a demon descending from the heavens, Eilyra continues moving until she was behind Avakuss and Center before answers. "They are. They're resistant to fire and frost, but not lightning. Your blasts," As she continues, she looks to both. "Have killed a solid chunk of them, but more remain."

[Cavir]

Avakuss frowns. "I can blast them again from the doorway, but it would be wise to not wander through dense fog in Pandemonium into an unknown swarm."

[Archmage1]

Eilyra nods. "Agreed. Blasting is the best option. I can check after you and Center have blasted, and Ash can sense them. They're in there, and cones should hit them all."

[Cavir]

Avakuss shakes his head. "Can you remove the fog? Or perhaps Center can do the honors?

[Archmage1]

Eilyra stares blankly at Avakuss for a moment, before she speaks, struggling to get the words out as she tries not to sound too shocked. "You just did? Unless you are out of power? They're in the fog still."

Spoiler: OOC

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We were 20 feet back from the door, when we opened it, and they were frozen at the entrance.
Energy cone has a range of 60, and is a spread.
It goes around corners.
They could not have moved enough to get out of the effect.

In comparison, they could get to cover from cone of cold(Which is a blast), assuming they were on the edge of the door when the fog dropped.

[Cavir]

"Seeing would help not waste power." Avakuss was impressed that the swarm survived the initial blasts. He let loose with the electrical discharge, although with less power this time.

Spoiler: OOC

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Energy Cone, Electric. 5PP
(5d6)[8] Electric plus bonus for swarm. Reflex DC 24 for half
Using blindsense to see how well the blast does at minimum power.

Average of 1.6 per on d6's. Wow.

[kinem]

OOC: Cavir: You did ask for minimum power

Avukuss’ second blast seems to have little effect. It would seem that the creatures are somewhat resistant to electricity after all.

Center blasts his cone of cold again, but it catches few of the creatures as they have taken cover inside the room.

OOC: Here we go again ...

[Archmage1]

Eilyra sighs, and looks to the fog in sadness. It was such a good plan. If only these things were either more, or less intelligent. "It seems that we're not going to get more of them like this. I can dispel the fog, once we're ready, using greater dispel. I could teleport us to the other side as well, using dimension door, which is cheaper in terms of magical power, but more risky."

[Cavir]

"Hang on. Just need a little more umph." Avakuss blasts again, this time with more power.

Spoiler: OOC

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So much for the previous idea. 11PP this time.
(11d6)[33] Electric plus swarm bonus. Reflex DC 27 for half

[kinem]

After Avakuss' latest blast, from what he and Ash can tell, the swarm has been devastated beyond its ability to regroup. A few of the creatures are still alive, but pose little threat.

[Toliudar]

Ash

Ash reaches out with her mind, and nods.

*Well done, all. That seems to have killed off nearly all of them, and the rest aren't enough to be a significant danger. If Centre can help us get rid of the fog, we'll see about opening this door.*

[kinem]

Center dispels the fog.

Inside the round cave beyond the door, the remaining colorful creatures are cowed and keep away from you as they can.

To those who can see magical auras, there are three portals in the cave. Each of the portals opens when approached by someone carrying a portal key of the same kind as the other portal, but you can’t see anything beyond the portals from here, which was not the case with the other portal.

[Toliudar]

Ash

Ash flutters through the doorway and up toward the ceiling of the cave.

*If I may have a couple of minutes, I'll learn what I can about the portals.*

She drifts closer to each in turn, then backs up and intones a slow chant.

Spoiler: OOC

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Ash starts with a search of the area around each portal, both analyzing any magic auras and searching for traps. Search: (1d20+37)[51] (1d20+37)[54] (1d20+37)[56]

If none of that turns up anything troubling, she'll cast Analyze Portal, focusing on each of the portals in turn to reveal:

• Any key or command word needed to activate the portal.
• Any special circumstances governing the portal's use (such as specific times when it can be activated).
• Whether the portal is one-way or two-way.
• A glimpse of the area where the portal leads. You can look at the area where the portal leads for 1 round; the range of your vision is the spell's range. Analyze portal does not allow other divination spells or spell-like abilities to extend through the portal. For example, you cannot also use detect magic or detect evil to study the area where the portal leads while viewing the area with analyze portal.
  
  The spell also has a 'limited' ability to detect malfunctioning, creature-only, random or variable portals.