Little Trouble in Big Absalom; Game Thread

[sandmote]

Yup-Tik is in the other room when the mystery creature attacks, but is able to help instruct Wugga how to deal with the spores.

Smoke fails to climb up the wall, but is able to get a clear view of the area of fungus around Wugga. Whatever attacked him doesn't seem to be merely hidden, as only patches of fungus and tall mushrooms are visible in the room.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

The creature isn't "hidden;" its doing something else. A nature, survival, or appropriate lore check involving the mushrooms might still be useful in identifying what is going on.

[Starbin]

Wugga the Dog

Once Yup-Tik helped him clear the burning spores from his eyes, Wugga's rapid breathing and squirming slowed until he was as calm as could be expected. With a grunt, he pointed towards the fungus.
"Dere's sumtin' dere! Not sure wot, but it burned m'eyes. Mebbe ... mebbe we burn it back?" Wugga drew his sling and watched the area intently, waiting for more puffs of spores to signal an attack.

---

OOC - Look around for items to burn the fungus, holding his weapon at the ready. Does the poisoned condition remain? Or is the only thing still impacting Wugga the hp damage?

Spoiler: Status

Show

AC 18 HP 9/16 Class DC 17 Move 25'
Abilities Str 12 Dex 18 Con 12 Int 14 Wis 10 Cha 12
Saves Fort +4 Ref +9 Will +5 Per +5
Skills Athletics +4, Acrobatics +7, Arcana +5, Crafting +5, Deception +4, Lore (Underworld) +5, Medicine +3, Nature +3, Occultism +5, Religion +3, Stealth +7, Survival +3, Thievery +7
Class/Ancestral Mage Hand (1st lvl, at will), Snare Crafting, Trick Magic Item, Rogues Racket (dex to damage), Trap Finder (+1 Perception/AC/Saves vs traps), Detect magic (1st lvl, at will), Sneak attack (1d6)
Languages Common, Draconic, Undercommon
Weapons Shortsword (+7 / 1d6P+4); sling (+7 / 1d6B+1)
Effects: poisoned; Darkvision

[sandmote]

Spoiler: OOC

Show

No poisoned condition: the damage was the primary effect and the effect on eyesight lasted as long as the poison damage did. Both have ended.

With the party looking out over the fungal growth running between the two rooms, there is no additional sign of movement. Whatever you can't seem to distinguish from the natural growth seems to be intentionally waiting for you to look away before it is willing to continue doing anything.

Given no one knows what the creature is, they can't determine whether or not the creature can be reasoned with. It is also possible that someone familiar with mushrooms might be able to find a clue to the mystery, and of course everyone present knows that mushrooms can be burned.

Spoiler: OOC 2

Show

Perception checks don't work here, all PCs may take their next turn at this time.

[Starbin]

Wugga the Dog

Wugga frowned, wiping the tears from his eyes. He peered back at the books, then wondered if there was anything in them that mentioned mushrooms ...

---

OOC - Not sure if Wugga officially tried a Recall Knowledge check, but here goes a few. Nature - (1d20+3)[19], Arcana - (1d20+5)[20]

Spoiler: Status

Show

AC 18 HP 9/16 Class DC 17 Move 25'
Abilities Str 12 Dex 18 Con 12 Int 14 Wis 10 Cha 12
Saves Fort +4 Ref +9 Will +5 Per +5
Skills Athletics +4, Acrobatics +7, Arcana +5, Crafting +5, Deception +4, Lore (Underworld) +5, Medicine +3, Nature +3, Occultism +5, Religion +3, Stealth +7, Survival +3, Thievery +7
Class/Ancestral Mage Hand (1st lvl, at will), Snare Crafting, Trick Magic Item, Rogues Racket (dex to damage), Trap Finder (+1 Perception/AC/Saves vs traps), Detect magic (1st lvl, at will), Sneak attack (1d6)
Languages Common, Draconic, Undercommon
Weapons Shortsword (+7 / 1d6P+4); sling (+7 / 1d6B+1)
Effects: Darkvision

[sandmote]

As Wugga peers at the mushrooms, one section of the fungal growth sticks out. Starting at about 5 feet from the western door some of the larger fungal growths push everything else aside, as if they had pushed through from below just now. This strange pattern continues on for a few more feet, and doesn't appear anywhere else along the path. The change doesn't catch your eye unless you're well familiar with the mushrooms that grow through the tunnels around where the Hookclaws call home.

Either someone has fertilized just that spot very recently (something unlikely, given no one appears to have passed through here much) or the growths are related to the mystery attacker.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

The western door is the one the party has neither gone through nor peeked under. The spot isn't visible from the room Smoke and Yup-Tik went to search either, supporting the idea the mystery creature is tied to the mushrooms.

[dariathalon]

Yup-Tik, Kobold Cleric

Yup-Tik moves back, trying to get a better view of what was causing the excitement. He scratches at his scaly chin with one clawed finger as he thinks about whether he has seen anything like this before.

Spoiler

Show

Action 1: Move to a better position to see it.
Action 2: Recall Knowledge: Lore Caverns - (1d20+3)[17]
Action 3:

• If the recall knowledge is successful, Yup-Tik will cast Shield on himself.
• If the first recall knowledge is not successful, Yup-Tik will try thinking on it again from a different angle. Recall Knowledge again Survival - (1d20+4)[21].

Either way, Yup-Tik will still be ready to use Protector's Sacrifice focus spell as a reaction if something attacks Wugga again.

[sandmote]

Yup-Tik has heard of tales where mushrooms can come alive, becoming clever and nasty creatures, about the size of a kobold. They're said to be able to emerge from the walls of growth, ambushing poor kobolds who were just trying to grab a bite to eat. It is said that when a kobold is able to defeat on one, they become imprisoned as the creature turns into a giant wall of mold

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Note: this is biased by the way that this information would be passed down among the Hookclaws, and the truth is likely less dramatic.

The shield shimmers in place around him.

[Starbin]

Wugga the Dog

Looking from the books back to the mushrooms, Wugga realized there was a different looking section not far from the door opposite the group. Frowning, Wugga gestured and whispered to himself and called a glowing hand into existence. It picked up a book and hovered across the room, over the strange spot along the wall. Once there, it dropped it on the spot.

"Dere's sumtin riiight .... dere!"

---

OOC - Casting mage hand (at will), sustaining for distance and using it to drop something on the sus mushroom patch. I think that's three actions?

Spoiler: Status

Show

AC 18 HP 9/16 Class DC 17 Move 25'
Abilities Str 12 Dex 18 Con 12 Int 14 Wis 10 Cha 12
Saves Fort +4 Ref +9 Will +5 Per +5
Skills Athletics +4, Acrobatics +7, Arcana +5, Crafting +5, Deception +4, Lore (Underworld) +5, Medicine +3, Nature +3, Occultism +5, Religion +3, Stealth +7, Survival +3, Thievery +7
Class/Ancestral Mage Hand (1st lvl, at will), Snare Crafting, Trick Magic Item, Rogues Racket (dex to damage), Trap Finder (+1 Perception/AC/Saves vs traps), Detect magic (1st lvl, at will), Sneak attack (1d6)
Languages Common, Draconic, Undercommon
Weapons Shortsword (+7 / 1d6P+4); sling (+7 / 1d6B+1)
Effects: Darkvision

[sandmote]

The object bouces off the first mushroom it lands on, breaking the cap. As the party watches, the oddly places mushrooms reform into a green creature, apparently made of fungus and about the size of a Kobold.

It bursts out in Common, "Hey, thing hurt! You break garden too."

Spoiler

Show

I'm away from my usual device, so ill have to add the color of its speech later. The creature can only get a failure on the roll, so I'm not bothering with a formal reflex save. It takes 1 damage from the falling item.

[Starbin]

Wugga the Dog

Wugga shook his fist at the little creature. "Me knew it! Dat dust hurt me eyes, so fair's fair. Why you burn me? We juz lookin' 'round ..."

---

OOC - Keeping the mage hand 'handy' (i.e., sustaining). but watching for any sneakery!

Spoiler: Status

Show

AC 18 HP 9/16 Class DC 17 Move 25'
Abilities Str 12 Dex 18 Con 12 Int 14 Wis 10 Cha 12
Saves Fort +4 Ref +9 Will +5 Per +5
Skills Athletics +4, Acrobatics +7, Arcana +5, Crafting +5, Deception +4, Lore (Underworld) +5, Medicine +3, Nature +3, Occultism +5, Religion +3, Stealth +7, Survival +3, Thievery +7
Class/Ancestral Mage Hand (1st lvl, at will), Snare Crafting, Trick Magic Item, Rogues Racket (dex to damage), Trap Finder (+1 Perception/AC/Saves vs traps), Detect magic (1st lvl, at will), Sneak attack (1d6)
Languages Common, Draconic, Undercommon
Weapons Shortsword (+7 / 1d6P+4); sling (+7 / 1d6B+1)
Effects: Darkvision

[Triskavanski]

Smoke

The sneaky kobold contemplated her in ability to climb the wall for a good long while, before finally turning to situation at claw. "Vell, ve could avayz ztart vif zee diplomazies" she comments, though her handling of the crossbow implies less than peaceful intent, diplomacy at the tip of a crossbow.

[dariathalon]

Yup-Tik, Kobold Cleric

Yup-Tik holds his staff in front of himself defensively. "Be careful, I've heard stories of these things. Not good. Not good!" he says to the other kobolds with certainty.

He turns his attention to the fungus thing. "Hookclaws come to explore and salvage. You attacked us!"

[sandmote]

The leshy doesn't appear to be quite fluent in common, and appears to have confused "salvage," with "savage." "Look round is good, but you salvage with your feets. Me work very hard on garden, to make real good, and you salvage. You salvage there," it points to the area where Yup-Tik opened the door to the north.

Still visibly upset, it turns to smoke. "Me not know this diplo-masie. Diplo-masie fix garden? Me think you salvages not like Diplo-masie, if it fix garden."

[Starbin]

Wugga the Dog

Wugga didn't care about the mushrooms. He would just as soon avoid them as not (and had), but the creature had still attacked him. Given that and his still watering eyes, Wugga didn't care if the garden burned to the ground; but he resisted the desire to go stomp through and simply nodded. If others wanted to help out, that was fine. He just wanted to find some good stuff to take back. "Gonna search. Better not spray me aginz ..."

---

OOC - Wugga will release the magic hand and head to the door w/o mushrooms in front to listen and scout.

Spoiler: Status

Show

AC 18 HP 9/16 Class DC 17 Move 25'
Abilities Str 12 Dex 18 Con 12 Int 14 Wis 10 Cha 12
Saves Fort +4 Ref +9 Will +5 Per +5
Skills Athletics +4, Acrobatics +7, Arcana +5, Crafting +5, Deception +4, Lore (Underworld) +5, Medicine +3, Nature +3, Occultism +5, Religion +3, Stealth +7, Survival +3, Thievery +7
Class/Ancestral Mage Hand (1st lvl, at will), Snare Crafting, Trick Magic Item, Rogues Racket (dex to damage), Trap Finder (+1 Perception/AC/Saves vs traps), Detect magic (1st lvl, at will), Sneak attack (1d6)
Languages Common, Draconic, Undercommon
Weapons Shortsword (+7 / 1d6P+4); sling (+7 / 1d6B+1)
Effects: Darkvision

[sandmote]

"All you come in, me keep you from garden." The leshy glares around at the party, including the back of Wugga's head.

Wugga doesn't notice anything new upon listening at the door again; this is the same door from which he heard the soft laughter earlier.

[sandmote]

"Youse going away or going to mess up garden more?"

[Starbin]

Wugga the Dog

Wugga frowned at the little creature, hushing it as he backed away from the door while avoiding the fungus. He then called upon his small invisible hand and used it to manipulate the handle, trying to open the door from a distance.

---

OOC - Wugga will use mage hand again after backing away. Trying to open the door.

Spoiler: Status

Show

AC 18 HP 9/16 Class DC 17 Move 25'
Abilities Str 12 Dex 18 Con 12 Int 14 Wis 10 Cha 12
Saves Fort +4 Ref +9 Will +5 Per +5
Skills Athletics +4, Acrobatics +7, Arcana +5, Crafting +5, Deception +4, Lore (Underworld) +5, Medicine +3, Nature +3, Occultism +5, Religion +3, Stealth +7, Survival +3, Thievery +7
Class/Ancestral Mage Hand (1st lvl, at will), Snare Crafting, Trick Magic Item, Rogues Racket (dex to damage), Trap Finder (+1 Perception/AC/Saves vs traps), Detect magic (1st lvl, at will), Sneak attack (1d6)
Languages Common, Draconic, Undercommon
Weapons Shortsword (+7 / 1d6P+4); sling (+7 / 1d6B+1)
Effects: Darkvision

[sandmote]

Spoiler: Map Image

Show

Beyond the doorway, the first thing Wugga can make out a large yellow object, looking a bit like the carved toys that the Hookclaws sometimes make to entertain hatchlings. This one is almost the size of a kobold.

There's also some stuffed animals, all of poor shape. The largest is a crocodile crammed beneath a low table covered in oddly shaped pieces of cardboard and small wooden blocks, but there's also a dog and a few birds visible.

Beyond them sit all sorts of shelves loaded with additional boxes and crates, with a few additional pieces of furniture left around the room. At first glance, nothing appears to move.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

All the usual checks to look around or identify stuff are available in the newly opened room.

[Starbin]

Wugga the Dog

Wugga glanced around, concentrating for a moment to see if anything looked magic. Then he grunted over his shoulder (without taking his eyes off the room), "Moar stuff here ... toys and tings." He leaned aside to let the others go in first, if they so desired.

---

OOC - Wugga use detect magic to scan for anything of interest. Looking around from the door (I'm not scared, you are!)
perception - (1d20+5)[21], Underworld - (1d20+5)[13] ... and if anything pings magic Arcana - (1d20+5)[21]

Spoiler: Status

Show

AC 18 HP 9/16 Class DC 17 Move 25'
Abilities Str 12 Dex 18 Con 12 Int 14 Wis 10 Cha 12
Saves Fort +4 Ref +9 Will +5 Per +5
Skills Athletics +4, Acrobatics +7, Arcana +5, Crafting +5, Deception +4, Lore (Underworld) +5, Medicine +3, Nature +3, Occultism +5, Religion +3, Stealth +7, Survival +3, Thievery +7
Class/Ancestral Mage Hand (1st lvl, at will), Snare Crafting, Trick Magic Item, Rogues Racket (dex to damage), Trap Finder (+1 Perception/AC/Saves vs traps), Detect magic (1st lvl, at will), Sneak attack (1d6)
Languages Common, Draconic, Undercommon
Weapons Shortsword (+7 / 1d6P+4); sling (+7 / 1d6B+1)
Effects: Darkvision

[dariathalon]

Yup-Tik, Kobold Cleric

Yup-Tik addresses the fungus thing as Wugga begins exploring further. "We don't want your moldy old garden. Just want good stuffs. We'll walk through careful. We leave you alone, you leave us alone. You attack again, we smoooosh you." Yup-Tik grinds the butt of his staff against the stone to emphasize his point. "You leave us, we leave your planty-stuff. Deal?"

Spoiler

Show

While Yup-Tik slipped a little threat in there, it was because he was trying to reach a peaceful resolution. I think that probably means this is more of a diplomacy situation than an intimidation one. If you'd like rolls for either, let me know.

[sandmote]

"Yes! garden is old and moldy. And you ruin. You ruin again, me get real mad." The Leshy doesn't calm down at all, but it doesn't attack either.

The doorway to the south remains open.

[dariathalon]

Yup-Tik - Kobold Cleric

Yup-Tik shrugs at the angry gardener. He doesn't understand the leshy's point of view, but at least it seems that something resembling peace has been made for now.

Hearing the call of good stuff in the next room, Yup-Tik grabs an empty sack from the wheelbarrow. He takes the lead, advancing with treasure sack at the ready.

[sandmote]

As Yup-Tik starts to survey the room, the stuffed dog comes to life, snarling at him, and two other dogs join it from behind some other furniture. There is no sign of intelligence behind their glass eyes, and they give off an aura of malice.

Spoiler: Initiative

Show

I'm going back to a blocks.

The Taxedermic Dogs (average perception +7) have the first turn. They don't attack, but do snarl and bark.
The party has the next initiative block (average perception +6).
Leshy will go after the party. It might or might not attack, but it isn't likely to help the party.

Negotiating to get friendlier behavior out of anyone requires an action and a diplomacy check.

[Starbin]

Wugga the Dog

Wugga glanced in, looking past Yup-Tik. He whispered, [i]"Dere's death magik in dere ... mebbe talk t'the doggie ...?"

---

OOC - Wugga will assist as necessary, but not sure if he's the best diplomacy type. But he does have deception, if that's useful.

Spoiler: Status

Show

AC 18 HP 9/16 Class DC 17 Move 25'
Abilities Str 12 Dex 18 Con 12 Int 14 Wis 10 Cha 12
Saves Fort +4 Ref +9 Will +5 Per +5
Skills Athletics +4, Acrobatics +7, Arcana +5, Crafting +5, Deception +4, Lore (Underworld) +5, Medicine +3, Nature +3, Occultism +5, Religion +3, Stealth +7, Survival +3, Thievery +7
Class/Ancestral Mage Hand (1st lvl, at will), Snare Crafting, Trick Magic Item, Rogues Racket (dex to damage), Trap Finder (+1 Perception/AC/Saves vs traps), Detect magic (1st lvl, at will), Sneak attack (1d6)
Languages Common, Draconic, Undercommon
Weapons Shortsword (+7 / 1d6P+4); sling (+7 / 1d6B+1)
Effects: Darkvision

[sandmote]

It has been half a month; I am formally killing the game. My thanks to everyone who participated; it was nice while it lasted.