Finding the Spark (Pathfinder 1E Quest)

Here's how we need to do this, I think.

I hate to do it, but we need to split up a bit to make this work. Using the scroll requires 10 minutes to cast, so whoever goes needs to be able to cast at least two Invisibility spells, one to get past the the Construct on the way in and on the way out, and since we had Sirim and Mina split up the casting of their prepared Invisibility spells, that only leaves Kori.

Cob has a Stealth bonus of +24 versus the Construct's +0 Perception. It should only spot him on a Nat 20 roll. He'll accompany Kori to check for traps and to open the tomb if its locked.

We can't bring the whole group, because then we won't have any way to sneak everyone back past the Construct on the way out. Doing it this way will give us just enough Invisibility spells to go around if we hurry on our way out. That should not be too much trouble, since we'll be familiar with the route. Depending on the timing, Sirim might need to cast his on someone else then sneak out using his unique abilities and high Stealth, but that shouldn't be necessary.

With Guidance cast on Cob for the return trip, he'll have a +25 Stealth bonus, meaning he can move at normal speed and still only be spotted by the Construct on a Nat 20.

[X] Sorta-kinda splitting the party...
-[X] Kori, Cob, and Sirim will sneak over to the proper tomb and use the scroll to question the corpse. Kori will cast Invisibility on himself while Cob and Sirim will use Stealth, aided by Guidance spells cast by Mina. Kori will use Detect Magic as they head for the tomb while Cob checks for traps. Once they have finished, Kori will cast Guidance on Cob and Sirim, and Invisibility on himself again, and they'll sneak back over to the rest of the party, then quickly make their escape.
 
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Here's how we need to do this, I think.

I hate to do it, but we need to split up a bit to make this work. Using the scroll requires 10 minutes to cast, so whoever goes needs to be able to cast at least two Invisibility spells, one to get past the the Construct on the way in and on the way out, and since we had Sirim and Mina split up the casting of their prepared Invisibility spells, that only leaves Kori.

Cob has a Stealth bonus of +24 versus the Construct's +0 Perception. It should only spot him on a Nat 20 roll. He'll accompany Kori to check for traps and to open the tomb if its locked.

We can't bring the whole group, because then we won't have any way to sneak everyone back past the Construct on the way out. Doing it this way will give us just enough Invisibility spells to go around if we hurry on our way out. That should not be too much trouble, since we'll be familiar with the route. Depending on the timing, Sirim might need to cast his on someone else then sneak out using his unique abilities and high Stealth, but that shouldn't be necessary.

With Guidance cast on Cob for the return trip, he'll have a +25 Stealth bonus, meaning he can move at normal speed and still only be spotted by the Construct on a Nat 20.

[X] Sorta-kinda splitting the party...
-[X] Kori and Cob will sneak over to the proper tomb and use the scroll to question the corpse. Kori will cast Invisibility on himself while Cob will use Stealth. Kori will use Detect Magic as they head for the tomb while Cob checks for traps. Once they have finished, Kori will cast Guidance on Cob and Invisibility on himself again and they'll sneak back over to the rest of the party, then quickly make their escape.


But would Sirim also follow us?
 
I'm going to need a few more votes here guys.
Adhoc vote count started by DragonParadox on Apr 5, 2024 at 2:45 AM, finished with 14 posts and 2 votes.

  • [X] Sorta-kinda splitting the party...
    -[X] Kori, Cob, and Sirim will sneak over to the proper tomb and use the scroll to question the corpse. Kori will cast Invisibility on himself while Cob and Sirim will use Stealth, aided by Guidance spells cast by Mina. Kori will use Detect Magic as they head for the tomb while Cob checks for traps. Once they have finished, Kori will cast Guidance on Cob and Sirim, and Invisibility on himself again, and they'll sneak back over to the rest of the party, then quickly make their escape.
 
Too... fast... writing :V

[X] Goldfish

I have no idea what you mean...

Vote closed.
Adhoc vote count started by DragonParadox on Apr 5, 2024 at 3:21 AM, finished with 17 posts and 4 votes.

  • [X] Sorta-kinda splitting the party...
    -[X] Kori, Cob, and Sirim will sneak over to the proper tomb and use the scroll to question the corpse. Kori will cast Invisibility on himself while Cob and Sirim will use Stealth, aided by Guidance spells cast by Mina. Kori will use Detect Magic as they head for the tomb while Cob checks for traps. Once they have finished, Kori will cast Guidance on Cob and Sirim, and Invisibility on himself again, and they'll sneak back over to the rest of the party, then quickly make their escape.
 
Cob has a Stealth bonus of +24 versus the Construct's +0 Perception. It should only spot him on a Nat 20 roll. He'll accompany Kori to check for traps and to open the tomb if its locked.
It shouldn't spot him on a Nat 20 roll either. A natural 20 is not an autosuccess on skill checks.
This may be more intuitive if you consider a different skill such as Acrobatics - no amount of retrying will let you jump arbitrarily high.
 
It shouldn't spot him on a Nat 20 roll either. A natural 20 is not an autosuccess on skill checks.
This may be more intuitive if you consider a different skill such as Acrobatics - no amount of retrying will let you jump arbitrarily high.
For some reason, I thought that for opposed skill checks we were using the Nat 20 always succeeds and Nat 1 always fails house rule.

The memory ain't what it used to be. :oops:
 
Arc 5 Post 24: An Unkindness of Whispers
An Unkindness of Whispers

26st of Rova 4707 A.R. (Absalom Reckoning)

Either you or Mina have to be the ones to read out the scroll and force the bones to speak, and after some convincing she agrees that you are the most likely to get out of trouble if that thing should somehow notice. So with Sirim, a cold but not uncomfortable ethereal presence around your ankles, and Cob by your side, his skin having already taken the dusty white color of the marble floor, you start inching across the intersection opposite the far left corner of the tomb. The guardian remains as still as a statue, not even a creak of brass joints to be heard, but you do hear something else.

Angelic Guardian Automatically Bypassed

Stealth (Cob; Akorian): 35; 28 vs Perception ???: 1d20+7 = 26 (Success)

Akorian Perception(DC 15): 1d20+8 = 18 (Success)


A whisper in the still air: "It's all coming apart, all breaking, all falling... This is Hell already... they won..." The words fall apart into distant broken sobbing before picking up again seemingly from the middle of an unrelated sentence. "...doesn't anyone do anything? Say anything? We're just lambs... little white lambs to the altar of Asmodeous... they are all in it together... all of them... even father? No, no, you don't understand! Have to stop them! Have to! They are coming! They are coming!"

"Did you hear that?" you do your best to think at Sirim.

"Whispers, vibrations in the stone indistinct," comes the frustrated answer. "There is a middling strength abjuration aura delimitating the slab leading into the tomb of Ergriso. I very much suspect that he has not departed this plane and had thus been confined within. Given the magical nature of the bindings it seems more likely he arose in spectral form rather than animating his remains."

Sirim Spellcraft (DC 24): 1d20+11 = 20 (Failure)

"Delimitating?" you ask, all too aware that the glamor you are wearing will not last forever. Would it against a shade that has no eyes to see with only hunger and hate for warm life?

"The warding is in the wax seal, not the slab itself," he explains. "As soon as we break it the spirit will attempt to depart its tomb, most likely through the door from reflex and recollection of its old life."

All the while Cob had been looking between the two of you in growing confusion, so Sirim quickly catches him up while you continue to listen in to the babbling from beyond the door. It certainly does not sound like someone that would employ complex tactics.

"What's the metal-bird-man gonna do?" he finally asks.

"That depends on your opinion of the competence of Magnimaran golem-smiths, Master Cob," Sirim answers dryly. "For myself, I do not think it has been imbued with the insight needed to battle the spectral dead, though it might notice and attack us as we battle to defend ourselves."

"It's not reacting to the voice," you whisper. "Can you make a glamor like the one near the entrance, only instead of a being, make it an empty stretch of tomb?"

"That is still within my abilities," he replies and a moment later it is done.

After he darts back to inform Mina and Gorok of what you found and that they should be ready to fight more than constructs if a larger fight breaks out. As you weave the shadows tight around yourself you stand to the left of the slab, and Cob to the right as he breaks the seal.

"They are already here, can't trust the Eagle Knights.... Can't trust uncle... they're coming... they are coming! The Devils are HERE!" The whispers rise to screeches that seem to fill the world as a twisting tripling vaguely humanoid splotch of cold seeps into the air, dozens of mouths forming and falling in on themselves as they babble. What... why?


Will Saves against ??? (Akorian; Cob; Sirim DC 15): 8, 22, 24 (Failure, Success, Success)

The sharp pain of a small booted goblin foot connecting with your leg brings you backs to yourself just as the thing seems to be getting its bearings.

What do you do?

[] Write in

The Party is presently in a surprise round, Cob took his move action to run into Akorian in order to wake him up, but he is still in range to stab the enemy. Initiative order for next round: Spirit, Cob, Sirim, Akorian.

OOC: I hope you guys do not mind me rolling through the prep round, I know those do not get as much engagement and someone already mentioned using Silent Image to keep the constructs from noticing, which was applicable here so I had the party do that.
 
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Well, surprise spirit enemy.

What the heck happened that made the family need to lock up their founder's spirit like this? And why is he a horrible monster?

@Goldfish got any ideas to do an awesome first round strike?
 
Looks like this is where the Positive Pulse scroll could have been helpful.

Okay, I think fighting might not be the answer here. First of all, we really don't want to get the attention of one of the Constructs, and secondly, we really aren't equipped to be fighting Incorporeal Undead. Cob and Kori could at least hit it with their magical weapons, but only 50% of the time, and at a minimum it has some sort of Mind-Affecting power which already got Kori once.

Instead, we can try to talk to it. This could be a much better opportunity to question Ergriso than using the Speak with Dead scroll. Kori is built for Bluffing and Stealth, so why not try to use the former like we've already used the latter?

Also, talking is a Free Action, so we can initiate a conversation right now, regardless of the Initiative order or whether it's a Surprise round. With Sirim's help, Kori's Bluff bonus will be +16, and given the circumstances we could be getting at least another +10 Bluff modifier considering Ergriso's apparent state of mind. +5 if he wants to believe us, which he probably does, and another +5 if he's impaired, which he probably is, considering he's an Undead spirit that's been trapped in his own tomb for no telling how long. If we really can get a +26 Bluff bonus, unless Ergriso has an unusually high Sense Motive, this has a good chance of being resolved without combat.

[X] Lying for fun and profit. And survival.
-[X] Quietly, but urgently, Kori whispers for Ergriso's spirit to calm down before it attracts the guardian's attention. Quickly explain that we have been sent by the Twilight Talons to investigate his disappearance. Before they can take action, they must know how far the conspiracy goes, who all is involved, and why he was targeted.
--[X] Sirim will use Aid Another to boost Kori's Bluff bonus by +2.
-[X] Kori will try to work in the questions from the list given to us by the banker.
 
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If we can to negotiate (via Bluffing) then we should do that. But I am not sure if DP allow such attempt.
 
Hmm...
A whisper in the still air: "It's all coming apart, all breaking, all falling... This is Hell already... they won..." The words fall apart into distant broken sobbing before picking up again seemingly from the middle of an unrelated sentence. "...doesn't anyone do anything? Say anything? We're just lambs... little white lambs to the altar of Asmodeous... they are all in it together... all of them... even father? No, no, you don't understand! Have to stop them! Have to! They are coming! They are coming!"
It do not seems that Ergriso is conscious that he is dead. Also, "The Twilight Talons are a secret Andoren espionage organization under the control of the larger Eagle Knights.", and "They are already here, can't trust the Eagle Knights.... Can't trust uncle... they're coming... they are coming! The Devils are HERE!" - it could be not the best idea to imposter as Eagle Knights whom he does not trust. I would not say that I dpo not like Bluff angle, but it should be more ridiculous, more out-of-context if we have even a chance to persuade him. Something like...

"No! We are citizens of People's Republic of Galt, and we took oath to fight devils to the last drop of blood! We came here to overthrough corrupted authorities and and eradicate any and all Devil's presence during the Revolution!"

Or something like that. Not very good in Pathfinder lore. Or at least disguise as Pathfinders ourselvs.
Not sure if this works, but if even @Goldfish thinks that battle is too hard...
 
Hmm...

It do not seems that Ergriso is conscious that he is dead. Also, "The Twilight Talons are a secret Andoren espionage organization under the control of the larger Eagle Knights.", and "They are already here, can't trust the Eagle Knights.... Can't trust uncle... they're coming... they are coming! The Devils are HERE!" - it could be not the best idea to imposter as Eagle Knights whom he does not trust. I would not say that I dpo not like Bluff angle, but it should be more ridiculous, more out-of-context if we have even a chance to persuade him. Something like...

"No! We are citizens of People's Republic of Galt, and we took oath to fight devils to the last drop of blood! We came here to overthrough corrupted authorities and and eradicate any and all Devil's presence during the Revolution!"

Or something like that. Not very good in Pathfinder lore. Or at least disguise as Pathfinders ourselvs.
Not sure if this works, but if even @Goldfish thinks that battle is too hard...
The banker knew about the Talons and mentioned them to us. It stands to reason that a member of a very wealthy merchant family would be aware of their existence as well. Whether he knows they're subordinate to the Eagle Knights, or feats they were also out to get him, is anybody's guess.

They might not be the most effective dupes to use here, but they make the most sense given what we know IC. If he does know about them, he almost certainly knows they actively work against House Thrune, who are widely known to be Devil worshipers.

Kori can only use what he knows, and attempt lies he can pull off. If we try to make this too complicated, like pretending to be from Galt when we sound nothing like a native and know even less about the place, he will probably figure out something is wrong.
 
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