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Finding the Spark (Pathfinder 1E Quest)

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Goldfish said:
@DragonParadox, what is the condition of our ship? I'm guessing the sails are a complete loss? We've got a spare, I'm sure, but I don't have any idea how long it takes to replace sails and the associated rigging for them. Can't find any info on it, either.

If Gavhaul has a scroll of Make Whole, or keeps the spell prepared, I can see us getting back into the chase reasonably quickly, but otherwise I don't see how we're going to be able to chase them down before they get away.

How far away is the enemy ship now? Did the fire we started on it damage their sails as well?
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Sails are lost, they would have to be replaced, he does not have a Make Whole scroll. It would take about half an hour to get the new sails up, that is not so long for the Fang to get out of sight in this weather... which means a long chase

Right not the Fang is 55 ft and starting to turn away, they seem to be getting the fire under control.
 
Did the manage to control the fire far enough that the ship can flee at all?

I thought a rampaging Fire Elemental could make quicker work.
 
I am of a mind to let them go while we interrogate the corpse of their captain as to their intentions.

I'd also like to grab the loot. Can we use the Looter's Satchel on the shards? The remains of the spider qualify as a body, no?
 
DragonParadox said:
Sails are lost, they would have to be replaced, he does not have a Make Whole scroll. It would take about half an hour to get the new sails up, that is not so long for the Fang to get out of sight in this weather... which means a long chase

Right not the Fang is 55 ft and starting to turn away, they seem to be getting the fire under control.
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How many people do we have onboard with ranged weapons?

If the Fang is only 55 feet away, they're well in range of bows and crossbows, not to mentions some spells.
 
Goldfish said:
How many people do we have onboard with ranged weapons?

If the Fang is only 55 feet away, they're well in range of bows and crossbows, not to mentions some spells.
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You have
  • 24 Mercenaries armed with Heavy Crossbows in addition to maces
  • Mel with javelins
  • Gavhaul with... whatever magic he has, you have not seen him use anything beside dispel
  • The party with all your resources
 
zxzx24 said:
I think we are going to have to end up making a slight of hand check, almost no matter what.
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Since you have a telepath to coordinate you could tell Cob to get in there himself which would be stealth, if you can figure out a way for him to enter stealth, he does not have any ability that allows him to stealth in plain sight at the moment.
 
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Anyone has an Invis spell left? Cob is inconspicuous at the best of times, I doubt anyone would notice him disappear.
 
The Fang is very close and just now starting to turn, which doesn't happen fast for a ship at sea. If we focus on preventing them from controlling their ship, we can make them flounder while our allies pepper them with ranged attacks until they're unable to flee.

Kori has three 2nd level spell slots remaining, and Mina still has her Glitterdust spell. That's a lot of potential to Blind anyone attempting to steer the Fang. And Burst of Radiance is going to inflict 5d4 damage on anyone with an Evil alignment, no save allowed. That could outright kill some of the pirates who try to use the wheel.

Hopefully Gavhaul has something useful prepared to help with this as well.

Also, this should make for a great distraction to get the crystals and anything else of value from the Construct's remains into our satchel.

[X] "They haven't escaped yet! If we cripple them now, we won't have to hunt them down later."
-[X] Mina targets the helm of the Fang with her Glitterdust spell, aiming to Blind whoever is steering the ship and as many nearby pirates as possible.
-[X] If Mina's spell isn't successful in Blinding the helmsman, Kori immediately follows up with a Burst of Radiance spell. If she is successful, he instead waits until someone else attempts to take the wheel, then uses Burst of Radiance to Blind them. He continues using Burst of Radiance to Blind and damage whoever is at the wheel until his 2nd level spells are exhausted.
-[X] The mercenaries begin targeting enemy pirates using their heavy crossbows, especially any of them trying to get the fire under control or help steer the ship. Captain Mel and any of her sailors with ranged weapons help as well, including any siege weapons our ship may possess, while Gorok uses our heavy crossbow, and the Iruxi use our stonebows.
-[X] Sirim and Cob work together using telepathy, stealth, the distraction from the ongoing fight, and Mage Hand spells to place the crystal shards and any magical weapons the Construct might have carried into the satchel.
-[X] The remaining sailors begin the process of readying new sails.
 
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Use the flying abductor beast to board the ship. We can use Cob and Gorok for a beachhead, then we can keep carrying more people
 
Tomcost said:
Use the flying abductor beast to board the ship. We can use Cob and Gorok for a beachhead, then we can keep carrying more people
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It can't carry enough people to make that feasible. Not yet, at least. There are too many enemies left on the Fang, including a wizard and what looked like a couple variant Quasits. Until we soften them up some, anyone ferried over like that could be drowned in numbers.

If we can stop them from fleeing and keep them in crossbow range, we might be able to whittle them down enough to make it work.

Besides, the Abductor is an ace I would like to keep hidden for a while longer if possible. Remember, Gavhaul is only an ally for now. He'll likely become an enemy fairly soon, so the more we show now the fewer surprises we'll have later.
 
Goldfish said:
It can't carry enough people to make that feasible. Not yet, at least. There are too many enemies left on the Fang, including a wizard and what looked like a couple variant Quasits. Until we soften them up some, anyone ferried over like that could be drowned in numbers.

If we can stop them from fleeing and keep them in crossbow range, we might be able to whittle them down enough to make it work.

Besides, the Abductor is an ace I would like to keep hidden for a while longer if possible. Remember, Gavhaul is only an ally for now. He'll likely become an enemy fairly soon, so the more we show now the fewer surprises we'll have later.
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The quasits appear to be heading north rather than following the Fang which is trying to turn west, no idea if they are going to meet up of course, but it could be that they have had their fun and are not heading away from the wizards and pointy arrows.
 
DragonParadox said:
The quasits appear to be heading north rather than following the Fang which is trying to turn west, no idea if they are going to meet up of course, but it could be that they have had their fun and are not heading away from the wizards and pointy arrows.
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That'll help a lot.

Maybe they were Summoned for a single task, which they already consider complete.
 
I'm going to leave this until tomorrow.

Should be the last vote of the battle.
Adhoc vote count started by DragonParadox on May 13, 2024 at 1:30 PM, finished with 21 posts and 3 votes.
  • [X] "They haven't escaped yet! If we cripple them now, we won't have to hunt them down later."
    -[X] Mina targets the helm of the Fang with her Glitterdust spell, aiming to Blind whoever is steering the ship and as many nearby pirates as possible.
    -[X] If Mina's spell isn't successful in Blinding the helmsman, Kori immediately follows up with a Burst of Radiance spell. If she is successful, he instead waits until someone else attempts to take the wheel, then uses Burst of Radiance to Blind them. He continues using Burst of Radiance to Blind and damage whoever is at the wheel until his 2nd level spells are exhausted.
    -[X] The mercenaries begin targeting enemy pirates using their heavy crossbows, especially any of them trying to get the fire under control or help steer the ship. Captain Mel and any of her sailors with ranged weapons help as well, including any siege weapons our ship may possess, while Gorok uses our heavy crossbow, and the Iruxi use our stonebows.
    -[X] Sirim and Cob work together using telepathy, stealth, the distraction from the ongoing fight, and Mage Hand spells to place the crystal shards and any magical weapons the Construct might have carried into the satchel.
    -[X] The remaining sailors begin the process of readying new sails.
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Arc 7 Post 8: Of Flash and Thunder
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    • Of Flash and Thunder​

    10th of Lamashan 4707 A.R. (Absalom Reckoning)

    The fire might be out, but how many of them can work the wheel?

    "Mina, the helmsman!" you call out, motioning to the enemy ship. As she summons her power, you reach out to the warmth inside. Bright light casts deepest shadows... deepest shadows by light are cast....

    A cloud of golden light covers the deck of the pirate ship, as though the sun above had been rendered down into an elixir by some mad alchemist, dazzling and deadly. Chaos reigns, they scream of fire and they call down curses upon all your heads in half a dozen tongues as only a killer offended to find their prey less timid than they had hoped might do. But the helmsman clutches tight the wheel, by luck, by prayer, by simple knowing that should this fail they have nowhere to run.

    "Kindle!" you cry and all the world is light before your eyes for the merest instant, then all that light sharpens to a single point, burning purpose. Flames that burns the wicked.

    Red-weeping are the eyes of the man upon the helm and red his shin as though he had been set to open flame, but still he holds the course by touch alone.

    The mercenaries though do not need any more prodding to do their job, having dealt with the last of the boarders with brutal efficiency the half of them disposed to starboard finish cocking crossbows heavy enough to worry a troll and shoot in a hale of whistling bows. Not only do they kill the wounded helmsman, but two other pirates who had been trying to put out the last of the fire earn bolts to the eyes for their trouble.

    Yet as the man falls the wizard throws herself onto the wheel. The tongue-biting killers are brave, you'll give them that, if not the whit to choose a captain with something beside bat shit between the ears.

    By now there are a good sixty feet between the ships and for her part Captain Mel does not seem too inclined to risk her ship by smashing it against the other.

    Gavhaul curses, eyes bulging and... burning? It's like someone lit a fire behind them. Thunder booms ahead of the Hydra's Fang and the thunder is a ring that splits asunder the pirate ship's figurehead as she moves through it the same way one might peel a stubborn root. He didn't say a word. For all the shock and fear— you'll deal with that later— you still have the literal presence of mind to signal Cob and Sirim to grab the shards.

    Will Save to React in Time (DC 10): 1d20+5 = 22 (Success)

    His skin knotted, mottled brown and red like the deck awash with blood, Cob slips in and with a hiss of displacing air vanishes the shards... and something else, something heavier. One of the weapons then, it must have been magical.

    Perception vs Slight of Hand: 23 vs 25 (Success)

    ***​

    Whatever other treasures there might have been on the pirate ship went down with her as the Aspis agent's strange spell took its toll, though of the wizard there is no sign among the floating bodies. Gorok had thought to ask the captain where the victory took place, near as her charts can place it. From what you understood of her answer she thought it was that the iruxi might mark the deed in some tribal custom. Still fuming at the damage to her ship she had just handed off the question to her second mate.

    "So if we speak to the water people again they can help us find the ship," your friend later explains, but he is about the only one in a fair mood at the battle's end. Neither Mina nor Sirim have any idea what that last spell had been. How strong a mage was he, how deep his understanding and whence was it born? All good questions with no answers in sight.

    For his part, closest Pepper can come up with is "Something akin to a wall of flame, but not that."

    About as useful as saying ice is a rock that melts in the palm of one's hand.

    What do you do next?

    [] Look over your haul

    [] Try to speak to Mel about the battle, maybe you can help

    [] Despite your pilfering Gavhaul thinks better of you after the battle, offer your services to interrogate the corpse of the pirate captain to further ingratiate your band with him

    [] Write in

    OOC: Sorry this took so long guys, there were a lot of rolls, though many of them hidden since the nature of them would be spoilers.
     
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