The Complex of Doom (IC) Thread 2

[J-H]

It's not an audible sound and doesn't seem to be harmful to you.

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I don't think anyone has K: Psionics to identify this, but to save us several days of real time I'll say that it's similar in effect to Catapsi

[Dexam]

Caidacyn eyes the strange stone distastefully, shaking her head slightly to try and clear the buzzing noise.

"That's... not good," she says, frowning, "If we can all 'hear' it, it's safe to assume that others can 'hear' it, too. I wonder how far away you need to be in order to hear that noise?"

She turns invisible, and slowly moves away from the stone, paying attention to if (or when) the 'noise' diminishes or vanishes completely.

When Caidacyn returns, she becomes visible once more. "I have no idea how we're going to move it, either. I have a magical backpack that can hold many items and still weigh the same, but I'm fairly certain that it couldn't hold an object of that size or weight. Do we know if the stone needs to be intact? Can we break off a smaller chunk, or several, and take them? Should we keep searching for a smaller stone?"

[razorback]

"My question is whether we think something is coming or if it is some... aspect of this rock that was pulled out of that green goo?"

[Cavir]

"We were looking for a stone to work against someone with psionic powers right? Maybe that is the effect on those without those powers." Kricen hops back on the broom and flies towards the side they came from. If the buzzing goes away he'll circle around and pay attention to how far from the stone the buzzes kicks in again.

Is the water still frothing now that the stone is out?

Spoiler: OOC

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Caidacyn explored distance while invisible, so Kricen wouldn't know.

[J-H]

The water is frothing less. There may be other stones under the water and out of sight.

[Cavir]

Kricen orders Victor to start pulling rocks out of the water from the same area the large stone was in, and pile them on the shore. Without getting wet Kricen watches what gets retrieved and if Victor shows any effects from the green water.

Spoiler: OOC

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Assuming the sound effect is a range of 30' from the spell?

[J-H]

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There is no sound. It's just in your head. Victor doesn't find any other rocks that look interesting.

[razorback]

"Interesting..." Shim says as he walks closer, nearly touching the stone, then walking away from it, seeing if there a change in the pitch of the sound.

[J-H]

There's no change within the 60' radius.

[Cavir]

When Caidacyn returns, she becomes visible once more. "I have no idea how we're going to move it, either. I have a magical backpack that can hold many items and still weigh the same, but I'm fairly certain that it couldn't hold an object of that size or weight. Do we know if the stone needs to be intact? Can we break off a smaller chunk, or several, and take them? Should we keep searching for a smaller stone?"

"Carrying it? That's what Max is for. Have to make sure he doesn't get destroyed right?" Kricen grins. "Can it be broken up? That would be ideal, we could each carry a piece. I don't know. Let's take a closer look."

Spoiler: OOC

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Shim has K:Psionics.

Maybe be able to piece together some ideas?...
K: Complex (1d20+13)[21]
K: Arcana (1d20+8)[13]
K: History (1d20+4)[17]
K: Nature (1d20+8)[22]
Spellcraft (1d20+15)[22]

[J-H]

You could try breaking it up, but it's likely that smaller chunks would be less potent. There's also the risk of it shattering if you try to split it, unless you have something that can cut through rock.

[razorback]

"Maybe more, smaller, pieces in that lake of goo?"

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Kn:Psionics
(1d20+3)[7]

[Cavir]

"Don't need to try breaking it up for now." Kricen has Max carry the stone to the wall then 75' south. Still near but on the far side of Victor from the water, Kricen waits to see if the mental noise goes away after Max clears the area. Perhaps there was another source of the noise.

[J-H]

There's nothing strong enough to detect.

[Cavir]

"That answers that." Kricen orders Max to come back.

"There's another glowing pool like this, on the other side of the rex area. We get to that one and we'll have a spare stone to try breaking. We can go straight through and deal with all the rex, or go back around the way we came. As much as I'd like a pet rex we don't know how many there are. The raptor fight was tough enough. Even I don't want to face a herd of rex's. Ideas?"

"The other problem is the broom can't handle the weight of the stone. We'll have to risk Max wading across."

In the meantime, Max is ordered to lay down on its side so that the stone can be secured to Max's back with rope. Babs holds the stone in place while the rope is wrapped around the stone and bones in multiple directions so it can't slip out. Kricen asks for help with tying the knot. Extreme care is taken to make sure it is solid.

Spoiler: OOC

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Take 20 on Use Rope for a 22. Aid Others from the others too I hope.

[razorback]

"Alright, but mind your hands and feet. Best we march backward rather than doing the hand over hand thing. Don't want any of the green goo on our hands, eh?" as he gives Matai a nudge.

[Dexam]

"According to the hobgoblin's map, there might also be a glowing pool where the fey creatures dwell; if we want to search for a second stone, that might be a safer option than risking entering the territory of a tyrannosaurus that has been warped by strange magics. Going to the possible fey pool means going past the way out of here, so we do have until then to decide - what say you all?"

"As for crossing the river, if the undead wading across is the only option, so be it - maybe we can find a section of river that is narrower or shallower, to make the passage less risky? The other thing that we need to consider is that we'll need to be on our guard even more so than usual - I'm guess that everything within about 60' of that stone can 'hear' it, so we have no chance of stealth or hiding if anything gets too close."

[Cavir]

"We're agreed on heading back along the north side of this river. Good. If we're lucky the slaad recleared the way for us. Caidacyn, take the broom and pass over the water watching for anything coming while Max wades across? Once it crosses send the broom for the rest of us. Watch for anything coming from the south too."

"Once we get to the lake we can see about going straight to the fey or grabbing the southern stone first. By going around the rex area we can grab the stone there just like we did this one."

[razorback]

"Smart plan. Nothing I can think of to improve upon it. You're right, though. Even if we are as sneaky as can be, these stones might be like an unseen hornet's nest buzzing about everything we run across. Even someone who can disappear might have a hard time. Don't know what we can do about it. Maybe there is some way to make it stronger, though, and it might have some extra effect on these creatures strange magical powers."

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Strange magical powers = psionics

[Kish]

"This place is creepy even when it's just attacking outright," Matai comments. "Dealing with fey...I'll let Caidacyn do the talking there."

[Cavir]

"Back across the water then." Kricen looks to see if there is a good place for Max to walk across the bottom. Hopefully the water closer to the wall would be less gooey green if at all plus Max could use the wall to maintain direction under water. If he can borrow rope from someone he'll tie one end to Max and hold onto the other end to help keep track of where it is.

Max's orders are to cross to the other side by walking, get out of the water, then wait. Once it submerges Kricen gets on the broom with Babs and flies above trying to keep visual contact and holding onto the rope, careful to leave slack so he doesn't get pulled off the broom into the water. Worst case he'll let go of the rope. If all goes well he'll meet Max on the other side then send the broom to start bringing the others over.

How wide is the water?

[Dexam]

As requested, Caidacyn climbs onto the flying broom and turns invisible. She hovers some 15' above the water as the undead creature carrying the stone crosses, looking for anything below the surface and scanning for signs of life.

Assuming that the undead 'Max' crosses without incident, she lands on the other side of the river, and sends the broom across for the next passenger.

Spoiler: Actions

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Spot: (1d20+4)[15]

Using Walk Unseen and See the Unseen.

Spending a move action each round to use Killoren Hunter to sense living creatures within 30' - not sure if water blocks Line of Effect?

[J-H]

The group heads east towards the central lake. The area along the riverbank here is relatively open in many areas, and the trees less dense.

The river doesn't flow in exactly a straight line as depicted on the map, and as you round a sharp localized bend, you see a large, greenish humanoid - a troll! - swimming from the far side of the river towards where the group is. It's moving surprisingly quietly in the water for such a large beast, and it appears to have several weapons slung on its back.

Spoiler: Map

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=> Party
State any brief prep actions now!

[razorback]

Shim, looking at the water, isn't particularly happy at running into another creature who lives there. Once on firm ground away from something he thinks capable of reaching him, he switches his wand in his weapon to his Grease wand, before turning to the others. "Ready when you guys are.
"

[Kish]

Matai draws his axe and moves up toward the approaching creature.

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Move to BI266.

[Dexam]

Caidacyn, moving invisibly and slightly ahead of the rest of group, halts when she sees the troll swimming in the river. She turns to warn the others, but sees that they have already spotted the creature and taking actions; so instead moves quietly to take cover near a tree.

Spoiler: Actions

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Active invocations: Walk Unseen, See the Unseen
Killoren Aspect: Hunter (+2 Hide, Listen, Move Silently, Spot; +2 Initiative; Move action to pinpoint the location of any living creature within 30 feet, provided that you have line of effect to the creature.)

Move 30' to BF-263.

Move Silently check (includes -5 for moving more than half speed): (1d20+2)[7]

[razorback]

As Caidacyn disappears and Matai prepares for battle, Shim calls out loud enough for the group to hear, but no so loud that the approaching creature does. "It hasn't attacked yet... perhaps we can persuade this thing to join us? Or, at least, that its not in its best interest to try and kill us?"

[Cavir]

"A troll that swims and has weapons? Interesting. I can call up its long lost mother for it to fight, unless you think you convince it otherwise. Do you speak giant?" Kricen moves forward, Victor following alongside continuing its orders to defend its master. Babs and Max also move up. Kricen summons his spectral hand and leaves it hidden within his own real hand.

Spoiler: OOC

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My 6 hour False Life spell still active from the Death Blossom fight right?
Kricen moves to BH265. Cast Spectral Hand. (1d4)[2] damage (not from temp hp). Lasts 6 minutes.
Victor to BI263.
Babs to BI264.
Max to BL268/BM269.

Razorback's posts beat me in just enough time for me to change my post from initiating an attack at range.

[J-H]

The team shuffles around; Caidacyn is rather loud, but it doesn’t seem to matter.

Spoiler: Status

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Kricen 2 damage – note: False Life should be expired by now by my rough reckoning of time, but if you want to say that you re-cast it when it expired, that’s fine.

Round 1, Part 1

The troll emerges from the water, its beady eyes staring at the party from under a thick brow. It is tall and well muscled, but at the same time looks strangely gaunt. Two of the ubiquitous tentacles hang from its ribcage. A glint enters its eyes and it snarls.

“ME EAT ALL!!”

Then something unexpected happens, as it seems to glare…and a disgusting-smelling cloud of greenish fog obscures your sight of the creature. It smells like…dwarf farts? Bad meat? Stale beer? Horseradish blended with five-day-old fish guts? The comparisons that come to your minds are many, but none of them quite works. The smell is terrible!

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Easily identifiable as Stinking Cloud, Fort DC 12.
The fog (20’ radius, 20’ high) obscures all sight, including darkvision, beyond 5 feet. A creature within 5 feet has concealment (attacks have a 20% miss chance). Creatures farther away have total concealment (50% miss chance, and the attacker can’t use sight to locate the target).
Living creatures in the cloud become nauseated. This condition lasts as long as the creature is in the cloud and for 1d4+1 rounds after it leaves. (Roll separately for each nauseated character.) Any creature that succeeds on its save but remains in the cloud must continue to save each round on your turn (the troll's turn).

Fort saves:
Caidacyn (1d20+5)[19] save
Kricen (1d20+6)[18] save
Matai (1d20+11)[31] save

Spoiler: Map & Status

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Nobody in the party can see the troll thanks to the fog. However, it was in BK 262:BL263, and you know most creatures can’t move, use magic, and then move again.

Kricen 2 damage, 16 temp HP

=> Party

[razorback]

""Well, I suppose it could have gone worse." Shim says with a shrug as the green beast appears from the water, yelling out its challenge.
In response, Shim starts to sing a battle song, raising the spirits of him and his allies, as he holds his guisarme in one hand and his net in the other.

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



Swift action
Cast Inspirational Boost

Standard Action
Begin Inspire Courage
+2 morale bonus to saving throws against charm and fear effects; and a +2 morale bonus to attack and weapon damage rolls.

Move action
Move to BC-260

Effects ~

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

Borrowed equipment:+2 bow, 51 Arrows, 5 Manifester Bane, 3 acid.