It basically makes everyone really likely to miss an attack on the same turn. It is too good to pass up. We can even combine it with Cackle in the future so that we can make someone an eternally annoying tank.
It allows a saving throw, but only to shorten the duration, so Mina could inflict a guaranteed penalty of our choice on a target, and unlike a lot of Hexes, this one doesn't have a limit on uses against a target. She could stack multiple penalties in a target.
For forcing rerolls, she has Ill Omen and Herman Potential, arguably two of the best spells on the Witch spell list, or any spell list for that matter.
I'm wondering whether we should even go back to Cauldron now to get paid for this job. 900 gold is a lot for us, but we're very close to the surface now, and have a plot hook we could follow-up on.
On the other hand, 900 gold is a lot for us, plus we probably haven't exhausted the opportunities around Cauldron for loot and XP. Leaning toward making the trip back to Cauldron for now.
It allows a saving throw, but only to shorten the duration, so Mina could inflict a guaranteed penalty of our choice on a target, and unlike a lot of Hexes, this one doesn't have a limit on uses against a target. She could stack multiple penalties in a target.
For forcing rerolls, she has Ill Omen and Herman Potential, arguably two of the best spells on the Witch spell list, or any spell list for that matter.
-Protective Luck works against everyone attacking the same target. It is a way to apply it to everyone at once if they focus on one target. Alternatively, she can use it on everyone before battle and use Cackle to make it last forever. Imagine Cob baiting everyone to attack him, only for everyone to fail. Protective Luck has a lot of potential.
-Those are nice spells, but they are also nice in hex form, because you can extend them with Cackle.
I'm wondering whether we should even go back to Cauldron now to get paid for this job. 900 gold is a lot for us, but we're very close to the surface now, and have a plot hook we could follow-up on.
On the other hand, 900 gold is a lot for us, plus we probably haven't exhausted the opportunities around Cauldron for loot and XP. Leaning toward making the trip back to Cauldron for now.
I like the Mongrelmen. They accept anybody, and we are all rejects. So I like them. Also we still have Gorok's quest to do. That is important.
Also, in the surface is Cheliax. We are not the kind of group that would be comfortable in Baatezu-dominated autocracies. Well, Gorok maybe, but not the rest.
Also, in the surface is Cheliax. We are not the kind of group that would be comfortable in Baatezu-dominared autocracies. Well, Gorok maybe, but no the rest.
At the very least, I would like to wring out all of the XP and treasure we can reasonably manage from the Cauldron area before we move on, assuming outside events allow us to do so. If we can first get a few levels under our belts, I would feel a lot better about making some exploratory trips to the surface.
At the very least, I would like to wring out all of the XP and treasure we can reasonably manage from the Cauldron area before we move on, assuming outside events allow us to do so. If we can first get a few levels under our belts, I would feel a lot better about making some exploratory trips to the surface.
There is an entire economy, an entire world under the surface, from the drow cities of Sekamina trading in poison, arcane drugs and things far darker to the ghoul-lords of Nemret Noktoria running vast trade caravans of slaves though the lightless depths to be devoured in decadent feats, the most 'fortunate' of their number allowed to rise and join those who consumed it, to the dark children of Droskar prospecting for black iron in far delvings, to the nameless things that rise from the depths of Orv for unknowable purposes. You are never going to run out of things to do in the Darklands, or really even in Cauldron since once words starts getting out that Gorok and company are good at this sort of work they will be send deeper and deeper metaphorically and perhaps literally. It is never going to run out, no more than the surface world would.
There is an entire economy, an entire world under the surface, from the drow cities of Sekamina trading in poison, arcane drugs and things far darker to the ghoul-lords of Nemret Noktoria running vast trade caravans of slaves though the lightless depths to be devoured in decadent feats, the most 'fortunate' of their number allowed to rise and join those who consumed it, to the dark children of Droskar prospecting for black iron in far delvings, to the nameless things that rise from the depths of Orv for unknowable purposes. You are never going to run out of things to do in the Darklands, or really even in Cauldron since once words starts getting out that Gorok and company are good at this sort of work they will be send deeper and deeper metaphorically and perhaps literally. It is never going to run out, no more than the surface world would.
The hall, tall and narrow, was filled not with the solemn songs of Remembrance, nor with joyous Harvest-Time thanksgiving, but instead with the desperate prayer and the crying of hungry children. It never seemed to stop, except when they coughed in the tainted air. Master Ittai had locked himself in his workshop again. The six pointed star shining silver upon the door, for so long a symbol of sanctuary, new beginning, and a balm upon the soul, seems to mock you now. Why was its magic still bright when the Healing Touch had withered, his miracles made dust?
Tick tock, tick tock, clicking of your brass heart with which you had grown long accustomed is suddenly loud in your ears, parting one moment from the other ruthless as an executioner's blade. The temple's stores of food were enormous thrice three times the size of the gallery, the nave and the living quarters put together, for they had been built by the old law dating back to the Age of Unification, but it was nine tenths empty. A waste of church resources to fill it any more when everything you could ask for would be carried hence by ship from Bilith-Vel. Now the City of the Moon may we well be upon the surface of the moon itself. Both are hidden under this damnable dust, the ash of Azlant's pyre.
A girl draws near, six or seven, her hair tangled, eyes too large for her thin face. "Hurts," she whispers. Looking down you are horrified to see red bleeding through the dirty yellow her dress. Her knees give out, you barely catch her
"Master!" you shout, banging on the door. "Master Ittai, please, we need you!"
Three of the refugees hasten to your side, but from beyond the darkwood door there is only silence as the child's life fades away. The pair of men approaching are trying to explain to make some sense of the madness, but their words don't make sense...
"Her aunt went and killed herself, said it would be kinder to meet the Lady's judgement then this, tried to take the girl with her..."
It just doesn't make sense.
As you had so, so many times you reach out, with your hands to hold the patient, with mind and soul to the Beyond for the power to mend what had been marred, to set right the wounds of the People, but this time in your haste the words of the prayer blur together and yet... and yet instead of the flash of pain that is the reward of haste and folly, there is more than silence there, a single chord in the dark. It passes through you and into the girl and you can feel the spark of her life no longer ebbing.
What...
***
The Season of Still Stone
"What's the moon?" you ask, waking with a shiver from the cold stone floor with nothing but your cloak in between.
Mina, already up and staring at her cat for some reason, turns towards you, intrigued. "Why? Did you dream about it?"
"I dreamed about missing it." Even as you answer the details of the dream seem to flow together like the warm colors of life seen through deep dark water. Or perhaps it is just the unique smell of the moldfolk boiling in their own cauldron under the watchful eyes of Gorok and, surprisingly, Cob, who is stirring with one hand and adding more of the refuse in with the other.
Vegepygmies and Thorndog corpses rendered down to 270 gp worth of Fungal Paste (Can only be used in Alchemical crafting)
The ghoul for all his protests had ended up no better, his brain scooped up and decanted in a covered pot, may it serve whatever magician makes use of the thing better than it did its previous owner.
Ghoul Brain Recovered for 10 gp
Among the rest of the moldfolk lair the others had managed to find other remains of their victims, either thrown carelessly away or made into macabre shrines with no rhyme or reason that anyone could discern. A fine agate and silver pendant had been dragged off by the thorn hound to its lair, mayhap because it liked the sparkling, whereas copper coins had been set carefully over the eyes of some of the corpses, a ritual Mina tells you to honor the dead among her folk and many others beside.
One of the unfortunates who had birthed the colony of moldfolk, perhaps even the chief from the state of his body, had been a priest of Abadar, 'Master of the First Vault', whatever that might be, who had come prepared for many magical dangers, though not it seems what he had found. His company had included several blades for hire, some of which still had weapons and armor in good repair, but the strangest find had been discovered inside the hollow wooden leg of one of the warriors, strips of parchment with neat identical lines of script which Mina calls 'bank notes'. The fact that she admits to never having seen one before, let alone used them, does not make you very convinced of her account of the things.
"So you put your gold and silver in a vault belonging to someone you do not know save by reputation and then travel hundreds, thousands of miles to another vault belonging to the same folk and hand them these... things, and they will just give them to you?" You shake your head at the sheer absurdity. You would call it ripe for someone being stabbed in the back, only you are not sure if it is even worth to unsheathe a dagger when dealing with people this hollow-headed.
Valuables:
Silver and Agate Necklace
Gold Holy Symbol of Abadar
6x Bronze Ulfen Arm Rings
Amber Charm
1x Hollow wooden leg filled with banknotes of unknown value
By the time you had apportioned out the loot to whoever could use it best, or else tucked if away in your pack,s you had almost forgotten the strange dream filled with the longing for things you have never seen.
How do you equip the spoils?
[] Write in
OOC: Well that took a while to get right, for very different reasons between the parts. Hope you guys enjoy.
Technically it is not paper money yet, just on the way to it, These are literally bank notes, issued by the bank so the customer does not have to travel around with gold and silver long distance.
Technically it is not paper money yet, just on the way to it, These are literally bank notes, issued by the bank so the customer does not have to travel around with gold and silver long distance.
We got quite a bit of good loot from this mission. Unfortunately, we can't actually use most of it for various reasons. That said, all of the Masterwork armor and weapons are worth quite a bit, even after accounting for merchants short changing us.
The scrolls should go to those who can use them, especially the ones Mina can attempt to learn. Mina and Kori can both heal, so I've split the potions between Cob and Gorok, also because those two are most likely to be away from the group for one reason or another, such as scouting or spying, when they might need emergency healing.
The shield goes to Kori, both because he can use it and Gorok is angling for a two-handed weapon build. He just learned the Shield of Swings feat, too. Most everything else should be taken back to Cauldron so we can sell it. We've got a lot of valuable stuff here. Hopefully after we sell everything, and get our gold reward for playing Vegepygmy Exterminators, we can finish getting out crew properly equipped while starting a nice neat egg for later purchases.
[X] Loot Distribution
-[X] Akorian:
--[X] Scrolls: Scroll of Bless, Scroll of Detect Evil (x2)
--[X] Gear: Masterwork Light Steel Shield
-[X] Mina:
--[X] Scrolls: Scroll of Light, Scroll of Magic Weapon, Scroll of Remove Sickness, Scroll of Shield, Scroll of Shocking Grasp
--[X] Gear: Armored Kilt
-[X] Cob:
--[X] Potions: Potion of Cure Light Wounds (x1), Potion of Resistance
-[X] Gorok:
--[X] Potions: Potion of Cure Light Wounds (x2)
--[X] Weapon: If Gorok wants the Masterwork Battle Axe, it's his, but he's already burdened with several other weapons. Recommend he part with the most cumbersome and heavy, his Bone Earth-Breaker to lessen his load.
-[X] Miscellaneous:
--[X] Trinkets: Unless anyone among the party wants them, the Amber Charm, Gold Holy Symbol, Bronze Arm Rings, and Small Loadstone will be set aside to sell back in Cauldron
--[X] Bank Notes: On the off chance Mina is correct and the paper slips hold value somewhere in the Burnlands, we'll secure them in our pack in case we're ever able to use or trade them.
--[X] Everything Else: Fashion a sledge using rope, scrap wood, and other remnants salvaged from the mine, with the Masterwork Tower Shield as a base (being careful not to damage it unduly). We'll use the sledge to help haul the rest of our loot back to Cauldron. If space and weight is an issue, we'll prioritize the Masterwork weapons and armor, and the Vegepygmy paste.
Loot! Can swing by Cauldron to sell excess, get paid for job done, and the come back to explore the mine more since GM mentioned how it has a close exit to surface!
Can check where it lets out and maybe explore it a bit.
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