Against the Dragon: An ECL 20 Mini-Adventure

[Toliudar]

Ah. Right. I'm not targeting the dragon with either spell, and the target is me, so I'm hoping that mind blank doesn't come into play. And, as noted, Hide the Path doesn't work on spell cast outside of itself.) CL Checks: (1d20+20)[28] (1d20+20)[32].

Questions for Commune with nature:

"Where is the nearest underground space within 20 miles of here?"
"Where is the greatest accumulation of gold within 20 miles of here?"
"Where is the largest stand of trees within 20 miles of here?"

[PhoenixRivers]

As previously stated by me. My interpretation for hide the path is that the "doesn't affect clause" refers to divination effects that do not gain information about the area protected, not the location of the caster.

To interpret it any other way provides for a level 6 spell that does absolutely nothing.

Further, Gold is not one of the allowed information pieces. Choose up to three of the following:

1) the ground or terrain
2) plants
3) minerals
4) bodies of water
5) people
6) general animal population
7) presence of woodland creatures
8) presence of powerful unnatural creatures
9) the general state of the natural setting

Select information you wish to know, and you'll get that information.

Self-followup: Gold is a mineral, and qualifies.
Information already selected.

[PhoenixRivers]

1) Nearest Underground? - 1 mile West. (your destination, 1 mile out).
2) Largest Accumulation of Gold - 7 miles northwest.
3) Nearest Stand of trees? 3 miles west.

[Toliudar]

Your call, and I'm not trying to change your ruling on Hide the Path (thanks for repeating - I missed that the first time around), but the spell does in fact still do quite a lot. Find the Path is great for getting through labyrinths and large complexes in an expeditious manner. Hide the Path totally nerfs that. It gets you TO the general location, but then you get none of the detailed "step around the pit trap there, tell the sentry the password is Harbinger" information that makes Find the Path such a great spell.

--

And from Lay of the Land? Just hoping for a sense of the overall geography, in case it provides any clues.

--

I'm assuming that we then head on to the cave where Kagronac met Eolestrix yesterday.

[PhoenixRivers]

Your call, and I'm not trying to change your ruling on Hide the Path (thanks for repeating - I missed that the first time around), but the spell does in fact still do quite a lot. Find the Path is great for getting through labyrinths and large complexes in an expeditious manner. Hide the Path totally nerfs that. It gets you TO the general location, but then you get none of the detailed "step around the pit trap there, tell the sentry the password is Harbinger" information that makes Find the Path such a great spell.

--

And from Lay of the Land? Just hoping for a sense of the overall geography, in case it provides any clues.

--

I'm assuming that we then head on to the cave where Kagronac met Eolestrix yesterday.

Nothing immediately apparent. You note the cave to the west, the trees to the west. No geographic features are apparent to the northwest, other than mountains.

As for FTP? It would still be useful against that one spell. But no other divination that I know of requires you cast it in a hot zone. A level 6 spell that only effectively blocks a single specific level 6 spell? Is useless.

[Superglucose]

I suggest we wait at the meeting place from before for about a half hour, and then investigate the cave. Wrangle for an invite, and then operate under the assumption that she was using some form of projection or illusion to speak with me.

[Pharaoh's Fist]

"The meeting place will likely not be too fruitful, unless the dragon shed a scale while waiting yesterday."

[PhoenixRivers]

If that's the consensus, and nothing else is being done at 1 mile, I'll announce what you guys detect at the previous meeting site.

[mostlyharmful]

Torvin'll prep the Divs and cast them. lets pin down this things spell choices.

[PhoenixRivers]

In order for me to provide answers, I need spells and questions.

Or at least guidelines (subject to the question hashed out earlier). How many spells, from the top down, are you going for?

Are you going to verify them with a second source?

[Toliudar]

I'm good to move to the meeting place.

[mostlyharmful]

In order for me to provide answers, I need spells and questions.

Or at least guidelines (subject to the question hashed out earlier). How many spells, from the top down, are you going for?

Are you going to verify them with a second source?

Of the spells that Eolestrix knows how to cast, what is the name of the most powerful one that I am not currently aware of?

I'll just spam that one since it'll save time and effort. Note that if I get a faulty casting the next one on the chain will give the right answer so we'll have two lists of spells for some, one right and one wrong so we'll at least have some info to go on. four castings with 11 questions each. should get through his spells.

The fifth casting will be reserved for follow ups the team has.

As I said, I'd like you to ping me with your copy of Torvins sheet cause I don't know what it is at the moment.

[PhoenixRivers]

Of the spells that Eolestrix knows how to cast, what is the name of the most powerful one that I am not currently aware of?

I'll just spam that one since it'll save time and effort. Note that if I get a faulty casting the next one on the chain will give the right answer so we'll have two lists of spells for some, one right and one wrong so we'll at least have some info to go on. four castings with 11 questions each. should get through his spells.

The fifth casting will be reserved for follow ups the team has.

As I said, I'd like you to ping me with your copy of Torvins sheet cause I don't know what it is at the moment.

Shortly into it, I got a power outage. We're going with the current ones.

Let's see, you've already got Miracle, PaO, and Mind Blank.

Assuming criteria for "knowing" that a spell is correct is 2 matching answers, which has a 1.44% chance of not being correct (otherwise, if there was no such criteria, you'd get the same top 11 spells every time)

So let's go down:

First deity, 11 questions, 1 word answers:

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Effulgent
Unknown
Dimensional
Ironguard
Energy
Spell
Waves
Hide
Guards
Heal
Symbol

2nd Deity

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Effulgent
Invisibility
Dimensional
Ironguard
Energy
Spell
Waves
Hide
Guards
Heal
Symbol

3rd Deity

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Invisibility
True
Mordenkainen's
Righteous
Blinding
Death
Polymorph
Divination
Skull
Nondetection
Dispel

4th Deity

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True
Mordenkainen's
Righteous
Blinding
Death
Polymorph
Divination
Skull
Nondetection
Dispel
Anticipate

There you are. Not open and shut, but it gives you a lot more than you had.

[mostlyharmful]

There you are. Not open and shut, but it gives you a lot more than you had.

cool beans. Torvin will reprep his spell list tomorrow for combat/exploration and play majong for a while till the rest of the team gets back.

[PhoenixRivers]

THE MEETING PLACE:

Or is it? There's nobody there.

Any spell effects up?

[Toliudar]

Theda will have her everyday all-day spells, shifting her energy immunity from electricity to fire now that she knows it's a brass dragon. Plus the effects of Heroes' Feast.

So: Longstrider; Cloud Wings; Magic Fang, Superior; Contingent Energy Resistance; Energy Immunity (Fire); Superior Resistance; Heroes Feast.

[PhoenixRivers]

So nothing that would provide greater sight capabilities.

[Superglucose]

That is correct for me as well.

[PhoenixRivers]

Then it seems to be an empty cave for the entire 30 minute wait.

As you leave the cave, however, there's a noticeable change.

Namely, a pea soup fog obscuring your vision...

Vision conditions at the cave mouth: 5' visibility (20% concealment), beyond that, nothing (total concealment).

[Superglucose]

Hello?
here's a few more characters for you

[PhoenixRivers]

DC 16 listen checks. If you pass that, DC 23 Spellcraft checks.

[Pharaoh's Fist]

Listen: (1d20+2)[10]
Familiar Listen: (1d20+7)[14]
Spellcraft: (1d20+31)[50]
Familiar Spellcraft: (1d20+24)[34]

[Pharaoh's Fist]

Neither pass.

Seto shall now cast Superior Invisibility on himself.

[PhoenixRivers]

Seto and the Imp hear something, but can't make it out. It's definately speech of some sort, though.

[Superglucose]

Listen: (1d20+12)[17]
Spellcraft: (1d20+25)[31]

[PhoenixRivers]

@Superglucose:

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Someone in the cloud just cast Superior Invisibility, just before Seto.

[Superglucose]

Nifty.

I cast True Seeing.

[PhoenixRivers]

Well, the True Seeing does work, for the 5 feet of visibility that you have.

EDIT: If anyone else that is present at the cave and has not cast a spell would like to do so, you're more than welcome to. If there's another standard action you'd like to take, let me know.

Following that, I'll be posting a map, and we'll resolve further actions, whether they be combat or diplomacy, within the initiative system.

[Toliudar]

Theda:
Listen: (1d20+36)[42]
Spellcraft: (1d20+27)[43]

Terry:
Listen: (1d20+17)[34]

Theda and Terry will simply move well back into the cave, away from the fog. She calls out.

"We came here under parley. What is the meaning of this, Eolestrix?"

[PhoenixRivers]

@Theda:

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You recognize the sound, clearly, about 65 feet ahead of you. Casting. As you can identify the spell, Superior Invisibility, you also know that you can no longer hear, smell, or see Eolestrix. In other words...

Even if she answered you... You wouldn't hear it.