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Finding the Spark (Pathfinder 1E Quest)

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Arc 10: Post 34: Shedding Dead Blood
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    • Shedding Dead Blood ​

    30th of Kuthona 4707 A.R. (Absalom Reckoning)

    The assassin bounds upwards, lighter than flesh and blood should ever be, to stand gracefully under the tree, a smile on his lips, a star-shaped knife between his pale fingers for an instant before he hurls it upward, cutting through Cob's cheek and near to taking out his eye before striking Gorok's armored back.

    What the...?

    In a single graceful arc the the knife returns to his hand like a sated hunting lizard even as Cob flashes behind him. Dead lips form something that might be called a smile of grudging admiration even as he nimbly dances through his blows. Where other foes had underestimated the goblin for his stature and thought first to guard their knees, Cicat knows to guard his eyes and face against a blow that would match the one he dealt.

    But Cob was not the only foe he had to face.

    "Nest raider!" Gorok shouts in Taldan so that the foe will know what anger drove the sword that skewered his chest once, twice, thrice, piercing silver-true through his dead heart.

    Yet there he still stands, wounds bleeding sluggishly onto the earth which he had given to his god, until a bolt of golden fire strikes him from Mina's hand into the bleeding wound on his chest. He melts to swirling mist, sinking into the earth like maggots even as you send another chain to drag the black sand idol he had made back down.

    Assassin Acrobatics: 1d20+17 = 36 (Success)
    Assassin Startoss Shower vs Cob, Gorok:     37 (35!), 21 (Crit, Miss)
    Cob Takes     27 Damage -> Now at 48/75
    Cob Attack: 24, 22, 20 (Miss, Miss, Miss)
    Gorok Attacks:     31, 36 (34!), 29, 18 (Hit, Crit, Hit, Miss)
    Assassin loses     7 Temporary HP and Takes 70 Damage -> Now at 8/77
    Mina Ranged Touch Attack:     24 (Hit)
    Assassin takes     35 Damage -> Reduced to 0 HP
    Akorian Chain:     37 (Trip)

    If it cannot rise the idol crawls forth, face set in a mask of joyous hatred at the debasement heaped upon it as it screams out a wave of boiling sand.

    Head tucked inside your arm you jump out of the way, feeling the sand burn through your armor. As you turn your head you're glad Mina also managed it. "Not as bad as the dragon!" you shout.

    "We never fought the dragon!" she calls back as Warty finally gets a grip on how to pummel the black sand thing. It's slow going, but it is going and you have no doubt that with some help from Cob and Gorok he can wear it down, but it's just a tool while the assassin is escaping through the earth.

    Reflex Saves Akorian, Mina: 20, 19 (Success, Success)
    Akorian and Mina take     6 Damage
    Warty Attack: 26, 29, 31, 30 (Hit, Hit, Hit, Hit)
    Golem takes     22 Damage -> Now at 74/96

    "The vampire! Kill it!" you call out to Sirim, Cob, anyone with a plan and a weapon.

    "He cannot be slain until he returns to solid form in his coffin," Sirim reminds you.

    Right... some part of you knew that, an old hate bubbling to the surface, mixing with new urgency.

    What do you do?

    [] Try to mark the vampire somehow before it fleet

    [] Just finish off the idol

    [] Write in

    OOC: Cicat the assassin had less luck this time around, but he's smart enough to know soil is porous and none of you have the means to track him through it normally. So if you have any clever plans now would be the time, otherwise he is going to show up for round three with even more lessons learned.
     
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    • Cicat doesn't know who he's fucking with.

    Time for Kori to flex.
     
    Must resist the urge to giggle. Must resist the urge to giggle. Must resist the urge to giggle.

    /giggles :lol::rofl::lol::rofl:

    Cicat is turbo fucked and he doesn't even know it. In Gaseous Form he's basically indestructible, but he only has a maximum of two hours before he must return to solid form inside his coffin, which must be hidden somewhere very close by. His speed in that form is only 10. Meanwhile, Kori can maintain his Shadow Projection for up to 11 hours and his speed is 40. Once Cicato reaches his coffin and he returns to solid form, he's helpless for an hour before he begins healing. At that point, all Kori needs to do is cast a CLW spells on him and he's toast.

    [X] "This isn't even my final form!"
    -[X] Kori asks Sirim to look after his body, then activates his Shadow Projection Revelation to follow after the Vampire, then casts Invisibility on himself to prevent Cicato from noticing him. He stays out of sight, allowing Cicato to believe he has escaped.
    --[X] Sirim casts Marionette Possession to pilot Kori's body in his absence. He will send Avarice to attempt to follow along with Kori, keeping in telepathic communication with him so long as Kori doesn't need to go too deep underground in his hunt.
    --[X] If Kori has any difficulty tracking Cicat as he flees, he will use Inspired Spell to cast an Undeath Sense spell.
    --[X] While Kori deals with Cicat, the rest of the party will finish off the Golem and search for the missing children, then use the Abductor Beast to fly back to camp.
    ---[X] Mina will cast Summon Monster IV to transform Pepper into a Guardian Spirit to aid against the Golem while Cob, Gorok, and Warty keep it occupied.
     
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    DragonParadox said:
    Do keep in mind that Kori would then be alone with whatever is protecting the vampire assassin's coffin. It could just be nothing with him trusting secrecy, but this is Cheliax which is a friendly country to his kind.
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    He's going to be Incorporeal and have full access to his spellcasting ability. He's even stealthier than normal and has higher AC as a Shadow. As a Shadow, his touch attack is extremely difficult to avoid and will kill or cripple most living creatures with just a handful of hits, and that's without boosting it with his Shadow Claws spell to make it even more dangerous.

    Even if his Shadow is destroyed, he'll just be returned to his body and need to be healed.

    That said, I'll be surprised if there is much protecting the coffin. If Cicat had powerful or dangerous allies he would be willing to entrust his coffin to, he would have probably brought them with him to kill Sirim.
     
    Goldfish said:
    He's going to be Incorporeal and have full access to his spellcasting ability. He's even stealthier than normal and has higher AC as a Shadow. As a Shadow, his touch attack is extremely difficult to avoid and will kill or cripple most living creatures with just a handful of hits, and that's without boosting it with his Shadow Claws spell to make it even more dangerous.

    Even if his Shadow is destroyed, he'll just be returned to his body and need to be healed.

    That said, I'll be surprised if there is much protecting the coffin. If Cicat had powerful or dangerous allies he would be willing to entrust his coffin to, he would have probably brought them with him to kill Sirim.
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    This whole thing has the air of a religious ceremony, not the kind of thing you bring devil worshipers even if you do have contracts solid enough to let them watch over your coffin.
     
    Goldfish said:
    Must resist the urge to giggle. Must resist the urge to giggle. Must resist the urge to giggle.

    /giggles :lol::rofl::lol::rofl:

    Cicat is turbo fucked and he doesn't even know it. In Gaseous Form he's basically indestructible, but he only has a maximum of two hours before he must return to solid form inside his coffin, which must be hidden somewhere very close by. His speed in that form is only 10. Meanwhile, Kori can maintain his Shadow Projection for up to 11 hours and his speed is 40. Once Cicato reaches his coffin and he returns to solid form, he's helpless for an hour before he begins healing. At that point, all Kori needs to do is cast a CLW spells on him and he's toast.

    [X] "This isn't even my final form!"
    -[X] Kori asks Sirim to look after his body, then activates his Shadow Projection Revelation to follow after the Vampire, then casts Invisibility on himself to prevent Cicato from noticing him. He stays out of sight, allowing Cicato to believe he has escaped.
    --[X] Sirim casts Marionette Possession to pilot Kori's body in his absence. He will send Avarice to attempt to follow along with Kori, keeping in telepathic communication with him so long as Kori doesn't need to go too deep underground in his hunt.
    --[X] If Kori has any difficulty tracking Cicat as he flees, he will use Inspired Spell to cast an Undeath Sense spell.
    --[X] While Kori deals with Cicat, the rest of the party will finish off the Golem and search for the missing children, then use the Abductor Beast to fly back to camp.
    ---[X] Mina will cast Summon Monster IV to transform Pepper into a Guardian Spirit to aid against the Golem while Cob, Gorok, and Warty keep it occupied.
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    Not bad, I didn't know about that Undeath Sense spell.
    Tricks that allow you to track a gas escaping through porous earth are really some next-level cheese.
     
    DragonParadox said:
    This whole thing has the air of a religious ceremony, not the kind of thing you bring devil worshipers even if you do have contracts solid enough to let them watch over your coffin.
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    It's worth a try, IMO. Kori isn't in any real danger, and if things look dicey for whatever reason he can simply cancel the effect and instantly return to his body. There's a reason I wanted this Revelation so badly.

    I can't really think of any other way to stop Cicat at this point, not when he's already taken Gaseous Form to slip beneath the surface. We can't hurt him in that form and we don't have the right kind of resources remaining to trap him.

    You can only prepare for so many eventualities, and Cicat should have no clue about Kori's Shadow Projection ability. He's been tracking us since we came to Cheliax, and we have set a pretty brutal pace, all things considered. It's unlikely that he has been able to setup much in the way of contingencies on such short notice, not that he would have much reason to do so in the first place.
     
    Artemis1992 said:
    A Wind Wall could probably stop him, but that's short in duration and we can't use it in earth anyway.
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    A Wind Wall spell could make a cylindrical wall, but it wouldn't have a bottom or to prevent him from slipping away.

    If Sirim had two Mythic power remaining, he could attempt to trap him in a Resilient Sphere spell, but even if that succeeded it would only hold him for 9 minutes.

    Sirim using Wild Arcana to cast a Command Undead spell wouldn't work, either, because anything he tried to convince him to do would also delay his return to his coffin, since it would equate to a threatening act and break the spell.

    @DragonParadox, did Cicat fail his Will save against any of the groups' Greater Hide from Undead spells?
     
    Anyone else have any ideas on how to stop the Vampire? I've looked and can't come up with anything that seems like it could work now that he's already seeped into the ground.
     
    Goldfish said:
    Anyone else have any ideas on how to stop the Vampire? I've looked and can't come up with anything that seems like it could work now that he's already seeped into the ground.
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    Maybe this.

    Solidify Earth - Spells - Archives of Nethys: Pathfinder RPG Database

    Stone, dirt, and other types of earth within the area become more tightly packed. Burrowing creature (including those using earth glide) treat the area as difficult terrain. Any creature that begins its turn burrowing in the affected area becomes entangled for 1 round (Reflex negates)...
    aonprd.com

    Could we trap him inside the earth, when it's no longer porous?
     
    Artemis1992 said:
    Maybe this.

    Solidify Earth - Spells - Archives of Nethys: Pathfinder RPG Database

    Stone, dirt, and other types of earth within the area become more tightly packed. Burrowing creature (including those using earth glide) treat the area as difficult terrain. Any creature that begins its turn burrowing in the affected area becomes entangled for 1 round (Reflex negates)...
    aonprd.com

    Could we trap him inside the earth, when it's no longer porous?
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    I saw that one, too, but the duration is too short. We could trap him, but it wouldn't last nearly long enough.
     
    Plan updated. It uses Kori's last Mythic power for the day, but it will keep Cicat locked down for 9 minutes. That should be more than enough time to deal with the Golem and find the kids if they're nearby. I'm having Kori use his last Mythic power instead of Sirim or Mina because he still has a lot of other spells options available, while the other two are far more depleted. If necessary, Sirim can cast Undeath Sense on Kori after this fight so he can follow Cicat.

    The Golem is down to 74 HP. It's DR is still a factor, but Gorok and Cob's first attacks will bypass that and should knock a big chunk off. Between their follow-up attacks, Warty, and Pepper, we've got more than enough DPS to burn it down.

    [X] Caught In The Net
    -[X] Kori uses Inspired Spell to cast Solidify Earth to trap the fleeing Vampire while the party deals with the Golem.
    -[X] Mina casts Summon Monster IV to transform Pepper into a Guardian Spirit.
    -[X] Sirim casts Ashen Path on everyone.
    -[X] Cob expends one Mythic power to make a Sneak Attack against the Golem using Surprise Strike as a Swift Action, he then continues attacking using Piranha Strike. He inflicts the Bewildered (-2 AC for 1 round, -4 vs Cob's attacks) condition on his first Sneak Attack.
    --[X] Surprise Sneak Attack Strike: +22 (+1 Mythic, +2 Morale, +1 Haste, +1 Trait, +1 smaller Size, +1 extra DEX), 1+12+4d6 damage (Ignores DR); 17-20/x2
    --[X] Piranha Strikes: +19/+19 vs -4 Penalized AC (+2 Morale, +1 Haste, +1 Trait, +1 Size, +1 extra DEX, -2 Piranha Strike), 1+12 damage, +4d6 Sneak Attack damage if applicable due to Flanking (which provides another +2 attack bonus); 17-20/x2
    -[X] Gorok expends one Mythic power to use Fleet Charge to Power Attack the Golem as a Swift Action after Cob makes his first attack, then continues to Power Attack it, providing Flanking for Cob to continue making Sneak Attacks against it.
    --[X] Fleet Charge Power Attack: +18 vs -2 Penalized AC (+2 Morale, +1 Haste, +1 Mythic), 3d6+9 damage (Ignores DR); 15-20/x2
    --[X] Power Attacks: +17/+17/+10 vs -2 Penalized AC (+2 Morale, +1 Haste), 3d6+9 damage; 15-20/x2
    -[X] Warty makes a full attack against the Golem.
    --[X] Full Attack: 2 Bites +16/+16 and 2 Claws +16/+16 vs -2 penalized AC (+2 Morale +2 Charge, +1 Haste), Bites: 3d8+8 damage, +1d4 Acid damage per bite (+1d4 in the following round as well), Claws: 1d6+7 damage
    -[X] Pepper sasses the Golem again, then targets it with a Snowball spell.
    --[X] Snowball Spell: +11 vs -2 penalized Touch AC, 3d6 Cold damage, DC 15 Fortitude saving throw to avoid being Staggered for one round.
    -[X] Avarice remains overhead out of sight, looking for additional attackers. He will telepathically warn the party of new threats.
     
    This reminds me of how much better Inspired Spell/Wild Arcana is than its counterparts.

    But really, that is only the case because of our format. Here we can collectively look for the best spells to use, making the most out of the whole Spell-list.
    If this were an actual game of D&D, you'd have to think up what to use your Wild Arcana for within your actual turn, however long your DM and co-players allow you.
    That means most inexperienced or moderately experienced players could only use Wild Arcana for spells they have at the top of their heads, not the most obscure bullshit from a hundred lorebooks like we can here.
     
    Artemis1992 said:
    This reminds me of how much better Inspired Spell/Wild Arcana is than its counterparts.

    But really, that is only the case because of our format. Here we can collectively look for the best spells to use, making the most out of the whole Spell-list.
    If this were an actual game of D&D, you'd have to think up what to use your Wild Arcana for within your actual turn, however long your DM and co-players allow you.
    That means most inexperienced or moderately experienced players could only use Wild Arcana for spells they have at the top of their heads, not the most obscure bullshit from a hundred lorebooks like we can here.
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    Yeah, they are better in a lot of ways, at least from a utility perspective. Us being able to lookup obscure or specialized spells for a given situation is just a workaround for our lack of superhuman mental attributes. 🤓

    That said, while the melee focused versions Cob and Gorok use are much more narrow in scope, they are also extremely effective at what they do. Bypassing DR is always nice, but being able to force a Sneak Attack or cross a room and make an attack as a Swift Action, that's amazing for their action economy and ability to front load damage.
     
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