Teh Fontia!, d20 Campaign

Burger, Disciple of Subway

2011-04-26T07:39:00.000-07:00

Burger/Ranger 6/Beastmaster 2
Small Sized Garden Gnome (Humanoid)/Chaotic Good

Hit Dice: 4d8 + 4d6 + 8 (55 hit points)
Initiative: +5 (+5 Dex)
Speed: 20' (20' base)
AC: 21 (+5 Dex, +5 armor, +1 size), Touch 16, Flat-footed 16
Base Attack Bonus: +8/+3
Base Grapple: +7 (+8 base, +3 Str, -4 Size)
Melee Attack: Magical Greatsword +12/+7 (+3 Str, +1 Size)
Melee Damage: Magical Greatsword 1d10+5 (Crit 19-20/x2)
Ranged Attacks: Magical Composite Longbow +13/+13/+8 (+5 Dex, +1 Size, +1 Magic, +1 Focus)
Ranged Damage: 1d6+4 (Crit 20/x3) + 1d6 acid (crystal)
Face/Reach: 5' x 5'/5'
Special Attacks: Divine Spells, Favored Enemy (Human +4, Elf +2), Improved Ranged Combat Style

Special Qualities: Alertness, Animal Companion (11th), Endurance, Racial Traits (Low Light Vision, +1 on attack rolls against kobolds and goblinoids, +4 AC bonus against Giants, +4 to Hide and Move Silently checks, +2 to Listen and Spot checks), Spell-like abilities: Bark Skin 1/day (10 minute duration), Know Direction 1/day, Pass without Trace 1/day, Speak with Animals 1/day, Tree Shape 1/day (1 hour duration), Track, Wild Empathy

Base Saves: Fort +8, Reflex +8, Will +2
Total Saves: Fort +12 (+3 Con, +1 magic), Reflex +14 (+5 Dex, +1 magic), Will +5 (+2 Wis, +1 magic)

Strength: 16 (+3)
Dexterity: 20 (+5)
Constitution: 12 (+1)
Intelligence: 14 (+2)
Wisdom: 12 (+1)
Charisma: 6 (-1)

Skills: Climb +13 (10 ranks, +3 Str), Handle Animal +11 (10 ranks, -2 Cha, +3 focus) Hide +23 (11 ranks, +4 Dex, +4 racial, +4 Size), Jump +8 (5 ranks, +3 Str), Knowledge (nature) +15 (11 ranks, +2 Int, +2 synergy), Listen +14 (11 ranks, +1 Wis, +2 racial), Move Silently +19 (11 ranks, +4 Dex, +4 racial), Ride +9 (5 ranks, +4 Dex) Spot +14 (11 ranks, +1 Wis, +2 racial), Survival +14 (11 ranks, +1 Wis, +2 synergy)

Feats:
1st: Weapon Focus (Longbow)
3rd: Skill Focus (Handle Animal)
6th: Natural Bond*

Bonus Feats:
Ranger 1: Track
Ranger 2: Rapid Shot (Combat Style)
Ranger 3: Endurance
Ranger 6: Manyshot (Combat Style)

Possessions (magic items are italicized):

Melee Weapon: +1 Magical Greatsword
Ranged Weapon: +1 Magical Composite Longbow
Head:
Face:
Neck:
Back: Vanisher Cloak (Invisible self + pet for 3 rounds or until attacking, 3/day)
Torso: Vest of Resistance +1
Body: Mithralmist Chain Shirt +1
Wrist:
Hands:
Waist:
Feet: Anklets of Translocation (Teleport 10-ft as a swift action, 2/day)

Ring 1: Ring of Feather Falling
Ring 2:
Trinket 1: Lesser Crystal of Acid (+1d6 acid damage)
Trinket 2: Efficient Quiver
Trinket 3:
Trinket 4:

Ammunition:

Quiver Slot 1: Silver Arrows (30)
Quiver Slot 2: Cold Iron Arrows (30)

Spell casting

Base Caster Level: 3

Divine Spells Prepared (DC 11 + Spell level):

1st (1+1) – Hunter’s Mercy (x2) – Your next bow attack after casting this spell automatically crits.

-----

Bun (Animal Companion)

Size/Type: Large Animal
Hit Dice: 8d8+32 (68 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares), swim 30 ft.
Armor Class: 23 (-1 size, +1 Dex, +5 natural, +8 plate barding), touch 10, flat-footed 22
Base Attack/Grapple: +6/+18

Attack: Magic Claw +14 melee (1d8+9)
Full Attack: 2 Magic Claws +14 melee (1d8+9) and Magic Bite +9 melee (2d6+5)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Improved grab, Magic Fang (attacks count as magic)
Special Qualities: Low-light vision, scent, Link, Share Spells
Saves: Fort +10, Ref +7, Will +3
Abilities: Str 27, Dex 13, Con 19, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 6
Skills: Hide -2*, Listen +5, Spot +7, Swim +16
Feats: Endurance, Run, Track
Equipment: Plate Barding

The Good, The Bad, and The Sketchy - Lots of Az

2011-04-26T05:49:00.000-07:00

In this, the second chapter of The Good, The Bad, and The Sketchy, our heroes - Aldeco the Sorcerer, Burger the Ranger, Martini the Beguiler discovered a lead. While the goblin had, in fact, revealed the complicity of Don Cordon in the recent proceedings and the theft of Az the Sodomizer's statue, they also heard strange and terrifying rumors of a buggery wizard of great power terrorizing the countryside, doing odd things to his victims, especially the sheep.

The group is sent to investigate, and are joined in this endeavor by Sir M.C. Mallet, a crusading street preacher and Mostly Holy Knight of Times New Roman. Traveling without Colonna, they come across rumors of the wizard being sighted in the direction of Mayflower, a town to the south and west. Arriving at said town, the group discovered the place completely devastated - the buildings were charred, and everything, save the church was burnt down. The bodies of the townsfolk, too, were well scorched and lay in a neat pile in the town square.

Skirting the area of devastation, the group approached the church first, where they discovered several survivors - all young children, and a nun, who inform them that a powerful half-elven wizard had attacked the village without provocation. The townsfolk had tried to parley, and even the village priest, a cleric of Times New Roman, had joined in to help, but they were clearly no match. It was only with the grace of the gods that the children had survived.

Sir Mallet frowned upon such a great indignity, and rallied the others to at least give the townsfolk a decent burial. Unknown to them, however, the townsfolk had been turned into zombies and shadows, and the minute the goodly knights approached, they sprang up to attack. It took all their courage and piety to help them prevail. Martini's mind magic was hopeless against the undead, and arrows from Burger didn't do much damage. The strength sapping powers of the shadows, too, proved painful. Fortunately, they won through, but not without blowing up a few more buildings and the town square with fireballs in the process.

Pressing on, they discovered that the wizard had left in the direction of the town of Magnolia, in the direction of the mountains, so they rushed after him. Traveling through the forest, the group encountered a druid of Bud Wiser, who was hunting someone who had desecrated and buggered the cute woodland critters, and warned him that Magnolia was in grave peril. The druid left to warn the town, while the party continued their pursuit.

Eventually, they caught up to the wizard, who turned out to be none other than Az the Sodomizer. However, taking him down proved more of a challenge than they thought. The wizard was rumored to have mastered over 9,000 spells, and was the most powerful caster in the world of Fontia, and it took all their combined efforts to knock him out.

It was only after Az was arrested did they discover that something unusual had happened. This Az was not anywhere near as powerful as the legends claimed he was. Also, he'd lost his mind - it had fragmented into several pieces. They had found the Chaotic part of Az, but the Neutral part, and the Sodomizer part were still out there somewhere.

After reporting back to Lady Ramen, the group gained another lead, as well as a new member - a mostly holy monk, Orly, had volunteered to join the group, and this time they set off for the farming community of Marigold, where there were stories of a buggery creature terrorizing the sheep (again). It sounded very much like Az the Sodomizer, so the group traveled there to find out for sure.

As it turned out, the townsfolk proved incredibly hostile, and were completely uncooperative. However, by throwing about their authority, the group convinced the headman to let them stake out the pastures. True enough, a massive wolf creature attacked that night, and it very nearly spirited away Orly. Fortunately, the group beat the wolf back, and chased it away.

The following morning, the group confronted the headman, who refused to tell them more. Asking around the town, they discovered that an adventurer called Ambrose had been taken ill after vanquishing a goblinoid invasion, and was resting in Marigold. Confronting Ambrose, the group suggested that Ambrose could have been the wolf creature, which Ambrose denied.

They later discovered that Ambrose had disappeared, and resolved to track him down. Information pointed to the resurfacing of a goblinoid horde nearby, and that Ambrose had planned to attack them, and possibly die in the process. The group arrive at the encampment, which turned out to be a cave in the nearby forest, and proceeded to decimate the goblinoids within. Blasting down the barriers with fireballs and lightning bolts, they stormed the cave, only to be confronted by a shaman who was also a werewolf.

After a hard battle (and the loss of a theurge who shall not be named), the group vanquished the lot of them, and discovered that someone named N had planted the seeds of conspiracy, and was instigating the goblinoids to attack the civilized lands, and even provided a means for them to spread the werewolf curse to make their hordes stronger. Ambrose arrived just then, and the group convinced him to return to seek healing from the Mostly Holy Knights.

Subsequently, the party discovered several new leads, none of them good. Don Cordon had discovered some sort of secret that had put something he coveted (presumably Az) in his grasp, while somebody else was working on raising a goblinoid army, and had even started recruiting from within the city.

Through careful subterfuge, Martini discovered that the person raising that army might be Don Cordon (whose name was Nicole), and also that the goblinoids were being mustered to the south, past the town of Periwinkle. As a group, the party decided to infiltrate the town, and put a stop to the goblinoid plans before they could cause any harm. They also figured that they might be able to catch N in the act, and prevent any further incidents of werewolf turning.

Arriving at the town of Periwinkle, the group discovered that the bulk of the townsfolk had been massacred, and that the rest - mainly the young ones and the women, had been corraled into a pit. The party decided there and then to call for aid from Lady Ramen, and then charge through the front gate, using the element of surprise to take out the goblinoids before they could do any worse, and rescue the prisoners at the same time.

The group stormed the gate, where they were beset by were-goblinoid defenders, who swiftly fell to their magic. The shamans that assaulted them after proved a tougher challenge, but were nonetheless dispatched. The group then moved to the pit, where they managed to liberate the prisoners, and got them to hide in a place of safety.

They then moved towards the central longhouse, where the chief of the goblinoids, reported to be a giant wolf, resided. Aldeco tried to spy on the longhouse, and was surprised when the wolf was riled up.

The wolf sprang to attack - it was twice the size and height of the other werewolves, with superior strength and reach. Worse still, it was aided by several shaman, who pelted the group with spells while they split up to engage the large wolf.

The wolf struck powerfully, and battered both Orly and Sir Mallet, even as the others pelted it with powerful spells and arrows. As Sir Mallet fell, the wolf seized him by the leg, and hurled him into Aldeco, knocking both of them out. It then tried to savage Orly, but got clouted in the snout, and electrocuted. Meanwhile, the ranged attackers in the group managed to defeat the shamans, all save one, who dropped his disguise, revealing a darkly cloaked figure in black armor, that promptly teleported away.

That was when the airship with the remaining Mostly Holy Knights arrived to mop up the mess.

What else will our party get up to in their continuing adventures and the hunt for more Az? Stay tuned to find out!

Experience

1. Survivors all reach Level 8.

2. Consolidated Statement of Loot:

a. An Amulet of Vermin (summon a Giant Stag Beetle 1/day for 1 minute)

b. A Belt of Giant Strength +2
c. A Ring of Protection +1 (from one of the dead shamans, +1 Deflection bonus to AC)
d. A Vanisher Cloak (Invisibility for several rounds, 3/day)

e. Staff of the Four Winds - A Cold IronQuarterstaff +1, that also grants either a +2 bonus to AC for 1 round, or Feather Fall, up to 4/day. (looted by Mason)

Orly, the Mostly Holy Monk

2011-04-01T06:57:00.000-07:00

Orly / Monk 3 / Sorcerer 4 / Enlightened Fist 1 [Re-Roll: 6/Session: 1]
Medium Sized Human Male (Humanoid) / Lawful Good

Hit Dice: 3d8 + 4d4 + 6 (42HP)
Initiative: +3 (+3 Dex)
Speed: 40-ft
AC: 18 (+3 Dex, +4 Charisma, +1 monk bonus); Flat-footed 15; Touch 18
Base Attack Bonus: +3
Base Grapple: +6 (+3 Base +3 Str)
Melee: Unarmed Strike +6 (+3 Base, +3 Str) or Flurry of Blows +4/+4 (+3 Base, +3 Str, -2 Flurry)
Damage: Unarmed Strike 1d6+3 (+3 Str)
Face/Reach: 5’ X 5’ / 5’
Special Attacks: Arcane Spells, Flurry of Blows, Stunning Fist 4/day
Special Qualities: Evasion, Ki Strike (magic), Metamagic Specialist, Monk abilities

Base Saves: Fort +4, Reflex +6, Will +9

Total Saves: Fort +7 (+4 Base, +1 Con, +2 magic); Reflex +11 (+6 Base, +3 Dex, +2 magic); Will +10 (+9 Base, -1 Wis, +2 magic)

Strength: 14 (+2)/16 (+3)
Dexterity: 16 (+3)
Constitution: 12 (+1)
Intelligence: 10 (+0)
Wisdom: 8 (-1)
Charisma: 19 (+4)

Skills: Balance +10 (5 ranks, +3 Dex, +2 synergy), Concentration +6/+10 (5 ranks, +1 Cons/+4 Combat Casting), Hide +8 (5 ranks, +3 Dex), Jump +9 (5 ranks, +2 Str, +2 synergy), Knowledge (arcana) +5 (5 ranks), Move Silently +8 (5 ranks, +3 Dex), Spellcraft +7 (5 ranks, +2 synergy), Tumble +10 (5 ranks, +3 Dex, +2 synergy)

Feats:
Human: Combat Casting
1st: Versatile Unarmed Strike
3rd: Practiced Spellcaster (Sorcerer)
6th: Ascetic Mage

Languages: Common

Possessions (magical items are italicized): Anklets of Translocation, Cloak of Resistance +2, Gauntlets of Ogre Power, Healing Belt, Ring of Four Winds, Adventuring sundries (100 g)

Gold and Treasure: 5 g

---

Class Features:

Spells Known (DC14 + Spell Level, Caster Level 7th)

0th (6/day) - Detect Magic / Read Magic / Mage Hand / Message / Prestidigitation / Light

1st (6+1/day) - Mage Armour / Shield / Shocking Grasp

2nd (3+1/day) - Scorching Ray

---

Magical Item Description:

Anklets of Translocation
Teleport up to 10-ft (2 squares) as a Swift action. 2/day.

Ring of the Four Winds
Feather Fall (as spell) or gain a +2 deflection bonus to AC for 1 round. 4/day.

Healing Belt
+2 on Heal; 3 charges, heal damage with touch
1-2d8 points of damage 2-3d8 points of damage 3-4d8 points of damage

The Good, The Bad, and The Sketchy - A new Fontian adventure

2011-03-12T07:46:00.001-08:00

In the first instalment of our new Fontian tale - The Good, The Bad, and The Sketchy, our heroes - Aldeco the Sorcerer, Burger the Ranger, Flammenwurfer the Dragonfire Adept, Martini the Beguiler and QQ the Wizard, were deputized by the Mostly Holy Knights of the Holy Empire of Garamond to aid in a matter of great national import - the recovery of a statue belonging to the royal palace.

Intelligence abound that the statue had been stolen from under the noses of Lady Ramen's entourage whilst transiting in Colonna, and that the villains involved were a group of badniks who had doublecrossed one of the Colonnan crime bosses, then absconded. The situation was thorny, and our new deputies had to exercise due discretion when investigating.

After boarding an air ship to Colonna, our deputies reported to Lady Ramen, who led them to Warehouse #23, which had been commandeered as a Mostly Holy Knights outpost in Colonna's seamy Underbelly. There, they were given the opportunity to question Paddy Brownbeard, a ship captain who claimed to be a "Mostly Honest Merchant", but was quickly revealed to be a smuggler who'd turned coat on both Don Cordon and now Boss Cromag, thanks to Martini's clever mind tricks.

They also discovered several leads - firs, that the villains they were chasing had stopped in Maiandra, then departed for parts unknown.

Secondly, the Baker's Guild had relocated to a flour processing plant on the outskirts, after an explosion at their guild house. However, there were rumors that the plant had something to do with Don Cordon, which made it seem "Mighty Suspicious".

Thirdly, there was talk that the villains were seen casing out a local laundry shop, which was also pretty suspicious, since they did a lot of their business at night, and scouts reported shady individuals loitering near it.

Finally, they'd also gotten wind that the villains might have been collaborating with Boss Cromag, and might have to check on the black market boss.

Weighing their options, they decided to visit the flour plant first. En route, they noticed a suspicious goblin sitting on a bench across from Warehouse #23, spying on them through peepholes carved into a sheet of newspaper. Martini approached, casting silence upon the bench. The goblin instantly tried to move away, sidling off as nonchalantly as he could, but was put to sleep immediately by Aldeco's spell.

The group quickly lugged the goblin into Warehouse #23, whilst placating the curious passers-by and claiming that it was watch business.

With that out of the way, they advanced towards the flour plant, which turned out to be on the outskirts of town, in a field of dried grass. It was a forbidding place, surrounded by metallic fences. The group debated for a moment, before finally deciding to take the direct approach. The fence was most assuredly trapped, and they decided not to chance it.

Upon knocking on the door for several counts, a cagey, wild eyed and unkempt dwarf appeared. He was armed with a shotgun, and claimed to be the caretaker of the place. Introducing themselves as investigators from the Mostly Holy Knights, the party demanded to be let into the place to perform an inspection - a task which the dwarf grudgingly agreed to.

The plant, as our heroes discovered, was owned by the Baker's Guild, and was built with three large drums and machinery including conveyor belts and chains that transported goods from the mill to the sifters. The entire basement area was a concrete floor, and the only way to move around the area was on stairways and catwalks.

The party's demands for samples of flour led them to the office of the plant, where they also noticed a picture that showed four people in it - one of them being a rather familiar guy called Cordon Bleu. The group blurted out that this person looked a lot like Don Cordon, a fact which the dwarf denied plainly.

The dwarf then led them towards the stairway - a narrow strip leading to the basement, but as the group followed, he suddenly turned around and yelled "Get em boys!"

Only Burger and Flammen had the presence of mind not to be surprised, and Burger quickly put two arrows into the dwarf. Grappling hooks shot out from the conveyor belts near the vats, and several darkly clad and swarthy workmen showed themselves. The hooks netted Martini and Aldeco, and with a tug, pulled them in the direction of a nearby flour sifter. Fortunately, they had items that helped them fall slower, and this prevented them from instantly falling inside.

The dwarf then unleashed a powerful blast from his shotgun, catching Martini and Flammen with the pellets, while another one of the workers, armed with pistols this time, put two arsenic laced slugs in Flammen. Another worker came up from behind, and did the same to QQ with a rifle.

Aldeco gestured as he floated gently down, and instantly put one of the thugs to sleep, while QQ hurled a spray of glitterdust onto two of them. He managed to coat the sleeping thug, but the other covered his eyes in time, and avoided the worst of the spell. Martini's pet flew down to distract the scoundrels, while he extracted a rod of surprises from his bag, and began to manipulate it.

Flammen breathed a cone of cold on the dwarf, who nimbly danced around it, and countered the attack by pulling out a wand and sizzling Flammen and several others on the catwalk with a lightning bolt. The rogues pressed their attacks, but QQ zapped one of the rogues down with a scorching ray, and Aldeco pelted another with missiles. Burger, too, fired arrows at the dwarf, trying to take the dwarf down. Inside the vat, Martini had extended his magic rod, and Aldeco grabbed on. Using the rod and their weight to counterbalance each other, they stopped their descent, and even swung Aldeco back to the catwalk.

Flammen, reduced to within a sliver of his gnomish life, made a beeline towards the door using his draconic wings. He would have made it, too, except the dwarf blasted him in the back with a second lightning bolt. Flammen instantly charred and turned into a crisp.

However, the tables were turning. Martini seized upon the opportunity to spider climb against the wall of the sifter, and managed to make his way out, while the others proceeded to shoot down the rogues with spells and arrows. Seeing that they slowly losing their advantage, the pistol wielder fled, ducking through a hatch under a nearby stairwell. The dwarf, too, pulled out a grenade, and tossed it in the direction of QQ, before running down the stairs.

Except he slipped on flour, and rolled down awkwardly, bumping himself unconscious in the process.

The grenade exploded, singing QQ in the process, and setting fire to the walkway. The fire spread, and it became obvious that the plant was a very very bad place to be. The group dashed out, and made their way past the fence, to safety. It was just in time too, as fire finally engulfed the building, and the flour reacted explosively. The plant was consumed in a massive fireball that lit up the sky and put out a mushroom cloud a mile high.

As they stood and stared, they heard the sounds of the fire crew from town, who demanded to know what the mess was all about. With some clever questioning, Martini turned the tables, and had the fire chief in charge corroborate that there was in fact no Baker's Guild, and sought their cooperation for an investigation.

Armed with this knowledge, they decided to return to Warehouse #23 to lick their wounds. They were then presented with good news. The goblin they had arrested had squealed, and was willing to become a double agent and spill the beans on Don Cordon.

What new developments would the party discover next week? And would there be any help for Flammen the Fried Waffle?

Stay tuned to find out!

Experience

1. Survivors receive 1,500 xp.

2. You looted a Rifle (1d12 damage, Crit 19-20/x3, range 110-ft, 7 shots) and a Shotgun (3d6 damage in 15-ft cone, no AC, no Save, 1 shot left). These were released to you after being impounded for evidence.

Wicked! The End of the Road

2011-03-08T05:47:00.000-08:00

In our seventh (and final) instalment of Wicked! A Fontian Adventure, our villains - Callahan Calamari, Potina, Sir Crayon, Maximilian Facsimile, Thomas Hobbes, Knife and Timmy Icanhaz delve deeper into the ruins of Castle Maiandra, where they discover danger, death, and betrayal.

After discovering the tracks leading through the sealed door, Calamari, Hobbes, Knife, Maxi and Timmy decide to venture within, leaving Potina and Sir Crayon outside to literally man the fort.

Entering the next area, the group discovered a spiraling ramp leading downwards, into an area filled with alchemical apparatus. Looting the area, Timmy discovered a token, which conferred some minor protection against cold to him.

They passed through this area, into the next, a similar chamber with a ramp, this time filled with piles of bones. A scrap of magical armor caught Timmy's eye, and after the party dug it out, Maxi decided to strap it on. It was well made, and certainly made him feel bolder and safer.

In the next area, the party discovered a battered down door, but they also noticed a second one on the ceiling. Timmy clambered up to inspect it, and found a series of holes in the eye sockets of the figures depicted on the seals. He also noticed that there were switches in them, and stuck both his hands in, to activate the switches. Unfortunately, it was a cunning trap, and Timmy's fingers were neatly severed.

After climbing down (sans fingers), he discovered that there was a cryptic note and a sequence to pressing the switches: East, West, West, East. And when he pressed in order, the portal opened, and bricks started floating downwards, forming a stair.

Moving up, the party discovered an ancient library filled with books. They also noticed an unusual mirror, which Maxi approached. Noticing that it was a portal of some sort, Maxi entered it, taking his light source with him.

As the room below plunged into darkness, the stair disappeared, Hobbes casted a spell to create dancing lights. What he saw, however, spooked him. Shadows were peeling themselves off the walls, and these shadows were turning into solid doubles of the party, which started to attack. Meanwhile, Maxi discovered an emerald tablet in the room behind the mirror, and was fascinated with trying to get it loose.

The party fought as best they could, though they had difficulty seeing in the dark - which their shadowy counterparts clearly had no trouble with, and were quickly beaten back. Gravely injured, Calamari escaped into a Rope Trick, taking the chance to be teleported far and away, rather than slain, and managed to somehow make his way out of the trapped space.

Hobbes was frozen by his own deadly breath, and then stabbed in the back by Knife's double, while Timmy was harassed and chased by his own little clone. Eventually, Maxi stuck his head out of the mirror room, and noticed that the rest of the party was out for the count except for Timmy, who had destroyed his own double. With just the two of them in the secret area, they decided to slay the unconscious Hobbes and steal his treasures.

Eventually, the group returned to the fortified tower and rested, to venture in again the following day.

This time, when the group returned to the secret chamber, they discovered that several new foot prints led in the direction, and when they arrived, noticed a cloaked figure and a large, armored man standing beneath the hidden chamber.

Timmy confronted the cloaked figure, thinking it was Rumbolt, but as it turned out, it wasn't. The figure caught Timmy by surprise with a spell attack, and battle was joined. With some effort, the group finally managed to down the cloaked figure, but the armored man was still uncontrollable, and attacking at random. That was when Maxi decided to use the glowing tablet he'd looted, and discovered he could command the creature.

Ordering it to step down, and with the threat initially averted, the party proceeded to investigate the final chamber, which turned out to be a lavish tomb with a cracked sarcophagus.

Studying the tomb, they realized that it was the tomb of the Wych King of Maiandra, and by examining the portrait behind the sarcophagus, uncovered that there was an inscription stating that the Wych King was a blight that had to be sealed away with the High Marshal's Sword and the Shieldmaiden's Spear.

They also discovered a magical glow behind the wall, which yielded a teleportation circle. Potina tried to shove Calamari through the circle, but failed, and fell through it instead. She was soon joined by Sir Crayon, while the others, thinking they were finally rid of the two, ventured back upstairs the normal way.

They immediately heard a cry for help from the moat, which turned out to be Potina. The cry was cut off abruptly. Maxi and his new armored pet went outside to investigate, and noticed both Potina and Crayon lying still.

He had the golem drag them both back, and after they were pulled into the safe room, sprang an evil and dastardly surprise attack.

Potina shot Timmy with her crossbow and killed him instantly with a sneak attack, while Sir Crayon grappled Calamari. Knife chose this time to flee, leaving Maxi and his golem alone with the turncoats.

Potina and Crayon had conspired to ambush the party to seize the golem, and were now putting their plans to fruition. With Calamari grappled, he was easily shot by Potina with the crossbow, and then the two ganged up on Maxi.

Maxi managed to keep his golem in between himself and Sir Crayon, and did his best to survive. He even fought back, forcing Potina and Sir Crayon to flee. It became a war of attrition, with them exchanging crossbow shots across the courtyard of the keep. Eventually, Potina scored a lucky shot, which knocked out Maxi when he was out of range of his golem, causing it to become inert.

The evil duo then stole the golem, and rode off into the sunset.

And that concludes Wicked! A Fontian Adventure.

Next week, our players come back as heroes and bounty seekers from the Holy Empire of Garamond and the goodly lands around Colonna, ready to hunt for Potina and Sir Crayon.

What will become of Wicked, turned Not So Wicked? Stay tuned to find out!

Wicked! Tomb Raider!

2011-02-26T08:25:00.001-08:00

In our sixth instalment of Wicked! A Fontian Adventure, our villains - Callahan Calamari, Potina, Sir Crayon, Thomas Hobbes, Knife and the elusively mysterious Timmy Icanhaz embark on their round trip through the Maiandran countryside, looting and pwning (and getting pwned) along the way.

After a falling out with Marshal Martlett, Timmy Icanhaz, the mysteriously black robed, unsmiley-faced individual who had aided the group in closing the rift and distracting the jellyfishes of doom decided to join the party.

He didn't join the party, but so much as insist on joining them, which resulted in him being blinded by Calamari, shot with a crossbow and punted in the 'nads by Potina's club. Eventually, after yielding and crying uncle, the party decided to have him along, since he'd make a useful guide in this here parts, and an extra warm body for the monsters.

As it turned out, Timmy was a member of the Schwartzwaffel, a secret corps of spies and operatives set up by the Marshal to handle covert activities of an intelligent nature that was comprised of mostly magic users. Timmy also brought with him some interesting news and rumors about the goings on in Maiandra - stuff that could prove possibly lucrative for our money minded peeps.

It seemed that a lode of mithral had been recently discovered in a mine a day's ride to the west. The only issue with the mine, though, is that it's in a geographically unstable area beset by constant tremors.

There was, of course, a safer option, and that was the proliferation of burial mounds and ruins to the north, near the remains of the old empire. It was not uncommon for grave robbers to pilfer from the burial mounds, as many of these were the tombs of the hierarchs from the past - ministers and magistrates who owned great wealth.

The ruins of Castle Maiandra, too, lay in that direction, and the Schwartzwaffel even had a presence there. If the Marshal had seen fit to post a guard, then surely there was something important there. The Schwartzwaffel had uncovered many magical treasures there in the past, and it was certain there were likely more in the lower levels, which had not yet been explored or breached.

Lured by the prospect of easy money, the party naturally gravitated north - towards the ruins of Castle Maiandra. They found the ride easy and relaxing - for a country full of ignorant folk, Maiandra was surprisingly peaceful. Plains covered with grass and farm produce quickly gave way to hilly screes and mounds that dotted the landscape. Eventually, the party crested a hill, where they noticed what appeared to be ruined grave markers poking suspiciously out of the dirt.

The group decided to investigate, and Potina began digging through the earth with her spoon. She eventually uncovered a whole skeleton that seemed to have in its grasp bits of jewelry. These were completely not magical, as Calamari noticed. But his spell did pick out a protective aura deeper in the earth, and the party soon uncovered what appeared to be a circular stone hatch wedged into the ground like a plug.

It had an inscription on it that said "This is the tomb of a hierarch. Sayeth ye the magic number, and ye shall pass. Sayeth ye wrong and ye shall be cursed."

There was also some fine print, which Timmy could read. It turned out be a trap, however, and blew up in Timmy's face. Fortunately, his face was not badly scarred.

Delving into the tomb, the party discovered a statue of the hierarch, holding an orb in its left hand and with his right held up in a gesture of benediction. Calamari recalled that the position of the orb was odd, and Hobbes suggested that they switch the orb to the right hand.

When they did this, a passageway opened up, leading deeper into the tomb. Knife decided to investigate, but without realizing it, triggered two pendulum blade traps which sliced him somewhat. Surviving the slashes, he reached a second circular door, inscribed with the words "Show ye respect to the hierarch".

Instinctively, Knife raised his sword in a salute, which caught a shaft of light emanating from the roof and threw it on the door. The door creaked open, to reveal a second statue, except this time the statue was holding both an orb AND a scepter.

After disabling the pendulum trap outside, the party entered the room. Knife, being curious, removed the scepter as everyone crowded around the statue. It wasn't such a good idea, it seemed, because the shade of the hierarch manifested.

Worse, it went for the nearest target, taking a swipe out of Timmy. It then began to doggedly pursue our adventurers, hounding them back into the tunnel (which triggered the trap again, and in a bad way). Hobbes peppered the ghost with magic missiles, which diminished its form a bit.

Unfortunately, Hobbes was cut by the trap as he retreated from the ghost, and was knocked out. Potina strategically withdrew to call for help from Sir Crayon, which Calamari stayed hidden and invisible, trying to find a way to break through.

Finally, Calamari was able to retrieve the scepter from Knife, and used to to lay the spirit of the dead hierarch to good, supposedly. The party then escaped, and rode like Hell was after them, in the direction of Castle Maiandra.

Reaching the castle at close to the 10th candlemark, they soon started checking for signs of habitation and the other Schwartzwaffel agent. Pity, however, that they couldn't find anything of value - either in the watch tower, and in the outer perimeters.

They also discovered that the sending stone in the tower had been tampered with, and that it was made to repeat the same message over and over at correct intervals. They decide to call it a night, resting and preparing spells. Sir Crayon, however, was digging outside the castle, hoping to make a location he could use to keep an eye out for trouble.

The following day, the party proceeded to investigate the upper stories, aided the maps kept in the watch tower. They discovered several leftover items, the workshop where a statue of a 20-ft tall man had been stored but was now empty, as well as a painting depicting the Maiandran ruler from 400 years ago, which looked rather familiar, in a Marshal-ish kind of way.

Concluding their sweep, the party ventually finds a pair of double doors, inscribed with magical symbols, as well as an inscription on the door that stated "Blood calls to like. Herein lies the legacy of the Maiandran empire."

Both Calamari and Hobbes tried to figure out how to open the door, except they realized on close inspection that they didn't need to.

Somebody had opened it already - somebody with a pair of giant sized feet, and somebody with normal sized ones.

What made those prints, and was it safe to continue through the doors?

Stay tuned to Wicked! A Fontian Adventure to find out!

-----

Experience, Loot and so Forth:

Everyone gains 1,000 xp for Session 6.

1. Gold Orb (x2, 1 magical, 1 normal) - Transmutation aura. Unspecified monetary value.

2. Maps of Castle Maiandra - Map showing everything on the above ground floors

3. Infinite Scrollcase - Awarded by Marshal Martlett for services rendered. Taken by Callahan.

4. Library access - Awarded by Marshal Martlett for services rendered. Arcane casters may study from his library while in Maiandra.

5. Misc. souvenirs and accessories - 500 gp worth, split 5 ways for 100 gp each.

Wicked! On His Marshal's Secret Service

2011-02-19T19:42:00.000-08:00

In our fifth instalment of Wicked! A Fontian Adventure, our villains - Callahan Calamari, Maximilian Facsimile, Potina, Sir Crayon and Thomas Hobbes arrive in Maiandra, only to be swept up in the wake of political upheaval, magical mysteries, and sinister seafood as they seek the location of Trag Boulderfist, the representative of Boss Cromag's cartel in the land of the 1337 and Pwnty.

It wasn't difficult for the group to sift through rumors (and there were rumors aplenty here where everyone worships Typo) about what had happened to the Salty Wench. There were stories alternating between the creative and far-fetched fantasy that described how the tavern had been blown up by the bad guys, that the orcs had invented rapidly expanding soap, that they had been abducted by aliens, and that sinister forces were at work. :o

With few avenues to pursue, the group decided to pay the Marshal of the city, Lord Martlett, a visit. The Marshal's keep was on a high bluff, and though they arrived unmolested, there was a feeling that the group was constantly being watched. They were let into the keep, which was sparsely staffed by servants (and thronging with guards), where they had their audience with the Marshal.

As it turned out, the Marshal was an unusual fellow. He was intelligent, well read, and didn't Hurhurhur like the rest of his countrymen. He was also the spitting image of Alan Rickman, in his Sheriffy aspect. The party was received warmly, and given free run of the keep as the Marshal's esteemed guests for their associations with Boss Cromag, with one sole caveat. They were forbidden to visit the tower in the back of the keep, by the cliff. It was rickety and dangerous, and was due for renovations, the Marshal claimed.

Naturally, being wicked cutthroats, villains and rebels without a clause, the party chose to snoop around the keep, searching for treasure to pillage, items to pilfer, and secrets to score. Callahan discovered that the Marshal had a great interest in arcane matters pertaining to transmutation and stupidity inducing effects, as well as a locked drawer in the library, while Sir Crayon entertained the Marshal at jousts and discussed military strategy to keep him occupied. Potina, of course, pottered around the keep, and discovered a secret passage by the back wall, near the privies.

While the others were at the keep, Maxi was skulking about town, finding out more about the Marshal and the local toot. He managed to corner a hippie hipster in a tavern that proved to be smarter than the average schmoe, and figured out that there was a conspiracy at work - just not the sort that the group had had in mind. There were sketchy individuals in Maiandra, hiding in the shadows wearing black cloaks and unhappy face pins, and these people were supposedly responsible for the sabotage at the Salty Wench. There were even rumors that these folks were part of the Marshal's Secret Service! :o

Returning, the group convened near the secret passage Potina had discovered, and proceeded to traverse it. Following the tunnel under the wall of the keep, they came up towards a trap door, behind which they heard the sounds of machinery and chatty orcs complaining about tight schedules.

Disguised as an orc kid, Potina clambered out of the tunnel, and convinced the orcs in there that she and her companions had been sent to help with whatever they were doing. As it turned out, the lead orc here (there were 3 of them) was Trag Boulderfist himself, and he'd been situated here with his apparatus after the Wench had been blown up, to help the Marshal with a task.

The task, as the group discovered, was the study of the local waters, and the pinpointing of a magical rift that the Marshal suspected was the cause of the stupidity and inbred hurhurhuring of Maiandra's populace. They also pieced together the fact that the Wench had exploded shortly after a visit by several figures in black robes wearing the unhappy face pin.

Armed with this information, they returned to the Marshal, where they offered to help close the rift, to secure both the Marshal's goodwill and very possibly a sizeable reward. The Marshal acquiesced, and offered to provide magical aid to help make the trip down smoother.

Once they were properly girded and provisioned, they decided to make their first descent, from the harbor. It didn't take the party long to swim through the waters towards the gate, which looked like a giant, clam shaped rip in reality surrounded by clusters of twisted coral and hairy seaweed. A cloak the Marshal had provided, which turned Sir Crayon into a manta ray they could cling to, helped them easily navigate the waters. They were also accompanied by Knife, one of the Marshal's warriors in this endeavor.

After studying the rift, Maxi picked up one of the nearby fish, tied a rock to it, and threw it into the rift. At first, nothing happened, but after a few shuddery moments, two large creatures emerged from the rift - frogs with mottled green and red skin, mouths filled with razor teeth, and the arms and legs of humans. After defeating these two creatures, Knife recklessly jumped through the portal, and found himself floating in a black void filled with stars. In the distance, more of the frog creatures were clustered around a large oval rock that seemed like a burnt out star. He withdrew through the portal, and the party decided to beat a hasty retreat when they discovered their magic could not close the rift.

Returning to the Marshal, the party was told that they had likely been through the rift into Limbo, a plane of absolute chaos and confusion, and the Marshal identified the frog creature as a slaad, one of the plane's intelligent denizens. He then suggested that the group should return, and destroy the dead star in the rift, because that was likely what kept the rift open. He also mentioned that crossing the rift was hazardous, and that he could make an oil to stave off the dangers the rift could pose, but that it would possibly attract monsters.

The following day, the party attempted to close the rift again. This time, they descended with greater care, and carefully made their way through the portal after oiling themselves up. Most of them did, anyway. Hobbes didn't, and he realized to his chagrin that he was much changed by the swirling chaotic energies - he was a halfling now, and no longer human.

As the party wondered at the sudden transformation, they began to wonder about what the Marshal had warned about. Maxi smeared a dab of oil on a rock, and tossed it away from him. As it floated through the Limbo plane, something snatched it up and it vanished. Knife shot a crossbow bolt in the direction of a movement he saw, and a creature that looked like a mutated cucumber appeared. It gibbered at the group, and ran away, but was cut down by several crossbow bolts at once. After giving the creature a once over, the party bagged its body and continued forward.

They soon came to the dead star, which they discovered hovered in Limbo and was close to 40-ft wide. They also spied several cocoons dangling from beneath the star, containing sleeping frog creatures.

Maxi smacked one of them, while Knife prodded the star with his knife, and as the creature died, it shrieked and woke the remaining Slaadi. They massed and attacked the party, but were dispatched pretty easily. However, several of them closed and quickly fused, becoming much larger than they previously were. The big slaad then attacked and grabbed Sir Crayon, while the dead star, which turned out to be not so dead afterall, rolled around, revealing beady eyes and a curvy mouth.

It was some primordial titan, and it had secreted the slaadi, and now that it was awake, it was ready to rickroll the party. And it did. It spat clouds of chaotic energy at the group, healing the big slaad and weakening our villains, and proceeded to bowl them over with its bulk. It was also resistant to most of the spells and attacks of the group, and it took all their effort just to stay alive and out of reach.

Just then, a black cloaked figure with an unhappy face pin popped out of nowhere and blasted the titanic goo ball, before disappearing again. It was an opening the party needed, and they laid into the goo ball with their combined range and spell attacks. Potina delivered the death blow with a well placed crossbow bolt, and as the goo ball deflated, they realized the portal, too was going to close.

Rushing through and holding hands, Callahan activated a scroll the Marshal had provided, teleporting the group back to the surface.

Their mysterious benefactor, though... well, that was a story for another time.

So don't miss next week's installment of Wicked! A Fontian Adventure.

-----

Experience, Loot and so Forth:

Everyone gains 1,500 xp for Session 5.

Items looted from Afro's Corpse

1. Plate Armor +1 - Sold for a share of 100 g each.

2. Heavy Steel Shield +1 - Shield Bonus to AC +3, grabbed by Sir Crayon

3. Cloak of Resistance +1 - Nicked by Maxi.

4. Amulet of Vermin - 1/day summon a Giant Scorpion. Nicked by Maxi.

5. Tunic of Steady Spellcasting - +5 to Concentration checks. Stolen by Callahan.

6. Healing Belt - +2 Heal checks, 2d8 or more healing up to 3/day. Taken by Callahan.

Items given by Marshal Martlett

1. Cloak of the Manta Ray - Turns the wearer into a manta ray when he enters salt water.

2. Wand of Water Breathing (11th level) - 3 charges. 1 charge was used, so 2 charges left.

3. Scroll of Dimension Door (11th level) - 1 charge. Used to teleport out of the water. It's gone! :P

Items found in the corpse of the cucumber

Cutting open the cucumber monster, the party realizes that it's gullet contains the following items:

1. A bag of Tricked Dice - A bag containing 7 six-sided dice made of a curious, chalky material. Whenever you make a reroll using either your Session Reroll or Level Reroll, you may use a Tricked Die to add 1d6 to the result of your Reroll. Regardless of the result, Tricked Dice crumble into dust after being used.

2. A Ring of Feather Falling

3. A gross looking piece of purple gummy - this gross looking bit of space gunk adheres to your upper palate and refuses to go away. The gummy is actually a symbiotic creature called a Gummy Worm. While attached, the host has both his Charisma and Wisdom scores reduced by 2. However, the host is immune to poison. Additionally, 3/day, the host can extend a gummy tendril as a melee touch attack (with a reach of 15-ft). On a successful hit, the target takes 4d6 poison damage (Fort save DC 13 for half).

Ker'flab and his fellows

2011-02-14T08:57:00.001-08:00

KER'FLAB [CHAOTIC EVIL]

Ker'flab, the Tentacled God who Stacks Things Atop Other Things: An entity from the Great Beyond, the inscrutable Ker'flab extrudes his slimy pseudopods into the businesses (and business ends) of others, and insinuates that the ends, often, hold their own reward. Venerated by seafood worshipping cultists in Colonna, Ker'flab is considered an abomination in most other kingdoms, and rightly so. Recently, cultists were found to have penetrated the deepest circles of the Mostly Holy Knights, and corrupted the Knighthood from within in a multilayered conspiracy that stacked one evil plot atop another.

This deity spreads Chaos, Madness & Suffering, and his clerics are also trained Summoners of the tentacled beings from Ker'flab's realm.

It's holy symbol is three stylized squids with eight tentacles, stacked atop one another, and impaled upon a sharp stick.

Ker'flab's favored weapons are the lance & the flail.

FIAT [CHAOTIC NEUTRAL]

It is not known how the inimical Fiat came to be, save that one day, curious pyramidal shrines started sprouting out of the ground near places where adventurers cared to roam. The likeness of Fiat has been described to be generally non-Euclidean, and that his features are constantly in a state of flux, leading to speculation that he, too, is a being from the Great Beyond.

Fiat dangles like a threat above the heads of would be adventurers, hindering their path unless they pay him tribute, often in the way of coin. Those that do, however, claim that he blesses them, turning their luck to a good end. Because of this, gamblers frequently make offerings to Fiat, and adventurers tend to show Fiat a smidgen of reverence, more out of fear than anything else.

Fiat governs the domains of Fate, Luck, Pride and Time, his favored weapon is the shuriken, and his holy symbol is a 20-sided die.

Wicked! To Maiandra!

2011-02-14T07:18:00.000-08:00

In our fourth instalment of Wicked! A Fontian Adventure, our villains - Afro Apollo, Callahan Calamari, Maximilian Facsimile, Potina, Sir Crayon and the Mystery Gourmet attempt to pull off one final heist, before making their getaway to Maiandra, the land of the Knights Who Say 1337.

After convincing Paddy Brownbeard to sail the Saucy Lass under the "Burger" banner, our villains decided to take one last trip about town, both to stock up on much needed supplies, dispose of their ill gotten gains, and to find out a little more about the situation at hand before saying their goodbyes.

As Afro, Callahan and Maxi visited the black market, Sir Crayon and Potina went about town, gathering the latest gossip. Whilst at the black market, the ACM crew quickly got wind that Don Cordon trafficked in firearms and powder weapons, and resolved to rob the place blind, whereas Sir Crayon and Potina found out a fair bit about local goings-on, including how the bounty on their heads had been upped to 4,000 gold apiece, that the Mostly Holy Knights had been granted jurisdiction to investigate locally, and that there was a riot where they were headed, in Maiandra.

Meeting up at Boss Cromag's train yard, the party conveyed their intention to depart for Maiandra, which happily coincided with a spot of trouble Boss Cromag's had recently suffered. Apparently, his branch of smugglers in Maiandra, headquartered in the Salty Wench Tavern, had been uncontactable for the past week, since the riot. The party was encouraged to venture forth, and even given sending stones for communication, so they could report back to Boss Cromag once they got a clue about what happened.

The party then separated once again, to make their final preparations. Afro, Callahan and Maxi decided to put their plan to steal Don Cordon's firearms into action, and even roped in Mystery Gourmet to help, whilst Sir Crayon and Potina decided to follow up on another lead, which led them to Warehouse #23.

At Whitefish Bakery, A, C and M decided to send in the Mystery Gourmet as a buyer, whilst they cased out the location. It sounded like a good plan on paper. Except Mystery Gourmet made a social faux pas, which drew the suspicion of the goblin supervisor, and the dwarven bakers to him. As the shutters came down, it soon became apparent that Gourmet was in a rather precarious position, prompting Callahan to spy with his familar, and Afro to make ready an ambush. Maxi too, disguised himself, and quickly thought up a clever distraction.

Pretending to be a customs inspector and his guard, Maxi and Callahan surprised the smugglers by barging in. A quick spell by Callahan knocked out the bulk of the dwarves, while Afro teleported in and followed up with a blast of frost. Reeling in surprise, the goblin stumbled away and pressed a button on a stick, triggering a mechanical trap that caused flour to spill over everyone in the bakery.

Blinded, Maxi blundered out of the bakery, and in time too. While the others attempted to shoot down the goblin despite the cloud of choking flour, they didn't notice, until too late, that the goblin had something lit and burning in her hand. And that thing, as it turned out, was an incendiary grenade.

The bakery rightly exploded.

At this point, it just so happened that Lady Ramen and her contingent of Mostly Holy Knights were in the area, having received a suspicious tip off about suspicious figures. Callahan managed to make a quick getaway, by holding up his pretense as a Garamond soldier, and yelling that Don Cordon was responsible for the mess. He then ran like Typo was after him, while his weasel chased the goblin, keeping tabs on her and tracing her to Breadfish Laundry, a shop owned by elves. He chose not to follow up this lead though, because they had bigger things on their mind.

Maxi, too, held up his disguise, and claimed that he was a passing noble who got singed in the explosion. It was a very successful ruse too, and they bought his story that he was a Maiandran noble completely.

Afro and the Mystery Gourmet weren't quite so lucky though. Having teleported into the alley way nearby, Afro was spotted by the swarming soldiers, and promptly disabled. Mystery Gourmet, too, was arrested after he suffered from Foot-in-Mouth Syndrome, and confessed to being a thief.

Across town, Sir Crayon and Potina raided Warehouse #23, which happened to be lightly guarded because the guard had been turned out in force, and made away with both the stash of gold, and the two barrels of weed.

As those who made their getaway convened on the Saucy Lass, Afro was submitted to much questioning in a jail cell. After incriminating himself further, he was escorted away by a goblin cleric, who just so happened to be Don Cordon himself, in disguise. A geas was placed upon him, and Afro was compelled to lure the other adventurers to their doom before being allowed to escape from custody.

Fortunately, the rest of the group weren't quite as foolish, and being rightly suspicious bastards, welcomed Afro back aboard the Saucy Lass, only to kill him dead for selling them out. XD

And who says these chaps aren't Wicked!?

With Afro dead and pickled, and ready to make a break for it, the group sets sail into the sunset, heading for Maiandra.

What lies in store for them next? Stay tuned to find out!

-----

Experience, Loot and so Forth:

Everyone gains 1,250 xp for Session 4, and should be Level 6.

Respective loot in whispers.

Wicked! Thar be pirates, yarr~!

2011-01-29T05:47:00.001-08:00

In our third instalment of Wicked! A Fontian Adventure, our villains - Afro Apollo, Callahan Calamari, Maximilian Facsimile, Potina and Sir Crayon descended into the bowels of Thunderthighs Apothecary, eager to discover what the dubious dwarf Gustaf had hidden in his underground closet that had to be so thoroughly secured by undead monsters and magical traps.

In true Fontian fashion, Potina, whose aunt had the same penchant for pushing people down stairs (it probably runs in the family), did so to Afro Apollo, sending the poor ardent tumbling down several flights, into the dank, mildewed depths below. It was certainly a dark and dirty place, dripping with gunk and all sorts of seepage as our villains found out once they had congregated at the bottom.

Led by Maxi's unseen servant bearing the continual torch, the party proceeded to investigate the area. Coming to a fork in the passage, they decided to follow some tracks to the right, coming up against a locked and sealed door. It soon became apparent that the door was magically warded with a glyph, and true enough, no sooner had the party sprung the door that a massive centipede attempted to take a chunk out of Maxi. It didn't take long for the group of villains to butcher the magically summoned guardian, however, giving them access to the rest of Gustaf's sizeable trove of magical supplies. In one of the crates, they also found several potions, a wand, and a small helmet made of bronze.

Turning left now, they proceeded towards a series of three splits in the path. Behind the first, they discovered a food store, and a sleeping dwarf, whom they proceeded to surprise, beat up, and otherwise steal the pants off. The dwarf, as it turned out, was a food thief called Mystery Gourmet, and said dwarf was quickly coerced into joining the group. The other door, locked but not warded, turned out to be another room full of supplies. This left, naturally, the north fork, which led to a massive pair of double doors carved with dwarven symbols.

Reading the symbols, Gourmet explained that they had to turn left thrice, then right twice, then kick the door. Potina spun Gourmet around, and insisted that Gourmet kick the door - to no avail. Instead, Gourmet was rewarded with an electrical shock that jolted him and caused his beard to stand on end. Searching the area, Maxi and Callahan discovered two statuettes radiating with magic, and proceeded to meddle with them. Maxi put the helmet they had found on the statue, causing it to tilt slightly. Again, Gourmet was ordered to kick the door, and again he was shocked. Finally, after studying the warning, Maxi decided to twist the statues around, and this time, Gourmet managed to open the door.

What greeted our group was a long, winding passage that led to what seemed like a pinprick of light in the distance. Silhouetted against the light were faint figures, and the smell of the seabreeze touched their noses. Scouting ahead, Gourmet discovered that there were pirates about, unloading cargo from a ship docked at the entrance of the tunnel. Unfortunately, his dwarvish feet scuffed against the stone on his way back, and this alerted the pirates, who sent one of their number ahead to investigate with torch and cutlass in hand.

As the pirate closed, Gourmet feathered him with a pair of arrows. The torch guttered out as it landed on the ground, and Callahan threw a Ghost Sound spell into the area to mimic the pirate's whistling, to buy the group some time. Of course, this did not stop the other pirates from growing suspicious, and they proceeded to cautiously investigate.

Knowing that it was only a matter of time until they were spotted, Callahan fired a crossbow bolt in the direction of the leading pirate. This was all the indication the pirates needed. As the pirate staggered back, their leader, a better dressed individual with a full, brown beard, began yelling for people to man the ballistas, and proceeded to rattle off an incantation.

A ball of water, chilling and scalding at the same time, exploded in the middle of the party, drenching them. This was followed by a wave of pirates, who rushed forth even as Sir Crayon and Maxi rushed to engage. Afro charged up a blast of electricity and returned fire, searing one of the pirates, but the others, being savvy against these landlubbers, managed to avoid the burst, and proceeded to swarm Sir Crayon, pulling him off his high horse. Gourmet dropped another pirate with two arrows, while Potina sneaked forward to find a better position. Callahan felled several pirates instantly by forcing them into a Deep Slumber, only to be dropped by a bolt of lightning as the pirate captain returned fire. The spell assault had weakened the party severely, and now, disadvantaged as they were, they fought desperately to clear a path to the deck.

A ballista bolt fired from the interior of the ship, barely missing Sir Crayon and slamming into the pirate in front of him. Afro launched another psychic explosion, of frost this time, into the pirates, wiping them out and clearing a path. Taking this opportunity, Sir Crayon mounted his horse and charged, up the gangplank of the ship, to challenge the pirate leader as Gourmet and Potina laid down cover fire. Maxi, taking the opportunity to reposition himself, took this time to tend to the unconscious Callahan with a healing potion.

Unsurprisingly, the pirate leader reached out and groped Sir Crayon, dropping him with a jolt of electricity. Several other pirates, who had rallied around the deck this time, also began to pelt the group with ranged attacks. Maxi was struck by several crossbow bolts, and sank to the ground. Callahan cast another pall of Sleep on several pirates, while Gourmet shot a couple of pirates from the rigging. Charging up the gangplank, Afro blasted a wave of frost at the pirate captain and the other pirates arrayed against them, knocking several out cold. He was greeted with a return volley of magic missiles, which veered towards him, as well as Callahan, knocking the poor mage out again.

It looked like the battle was going to go badly, until Gourmet once again fired an arrow, this time accurately, hitting the captain and knocking him unconscious. And thus, the battle was won.

As it turned out, the pirates were under the hire of Don Cordon, and had been smuggling goods and materials the Don didn't want taxed directly to Thunderthighs Apothecary via this secret route. After forcing the pirate captain, Paddy Brownbeard's cooperation, the party decided that this was to be a lucrative source of income, and a new development they could report to curry favor from Boss Cromag. Needless to say, they also commandeered the ship, called The Saucy Lass.

With our Wicked! villains gaining ownership of the ship, where will it take them? Stay tuned for next week's episode of Wicked! to find out!

-----

Experience, Loot and so Forth:

Everyone gains 1,250 xp for Session 3.

1. Spell components and Materials - Worth 1,500 gold collectively. Profits at 125 gold per player when sold.

2. Potions - Taken from the store house. Potion of Cure Moderate Wounds (x2, Maxi, Callahan, both used), Potion of Flying (x1, Potina), Potion of Mage Armor (x1, Callahan), Potion of Fire Resistance (x1, Callahan), Potion of Shadeform (x1, Maxi)

3. Wand of Magic Missile - 50 charges, 1st level. Equipped by Maxi.

4. Cloak of Resistance +1 - Looted from Paddy Brownbeard. Equipped by Callahan.

5. Wand of Lightning Bolt - 3 charges, 5th level. Equipped by Maxi.

6. Bag of Holding - Taken from the ship. Contains Pirate Captain's Outfit and 200 gold. Looted by Potina.

7. Paddy Brownbeard's Spellbook - Contains the following spells - 1st - Alarm, Animate Rope, Cause Fear, Comprehend Languages, Endure Elements, Mage Armor, Magic Missile, Shield, Shocking Grasp; 2nd - Glitterdust, False Life, Fog Cloud, Scorching Ray; 3rd - Fireball, Lightning Bolt

Mystery Gourmet, the Mysterious Ranger

2011-01-28T10:48:00.000-08:00

Mystery Gourmet/Ranger 6/Order of the Bow Initiate 2
Medium Sized Dwarf Male (Humanoid) / Neutral

Hit Dice: 8d8 + 24 (70 HP)
Initiative : +3 (+3 Dex)
Speed: 20-ft
AC: 18 (+3 Dex +5 Armor), Flat-footed 15; Touch 13
Base Attack Bonus: +8
Base Grapple: +13 (+8 Base +5 Str)
Melee Attack: Masterwork Dagger +14 (+5 Str, +1 Masterwork)
Melee Damage: Masterwork Dagger 1d4 +5 (+5 Str) (Crit 19-20/x2)

Ranged Attack: Flaming Magic Bow +13/+8 (+3 Dex, +1 Magic, +1 Feat) or Rapid Shot +11/+11/+6

Ranged Damage: Flaming Magic Bow 1d8+6 +1d6 fire damage (+5 Str, +1 Magic) (Crit 20/x3)
Face/Reach: 5’ X 5’ / 5’
Special Attacks: Favored Enemy +4/+2 (Human, Undead), Ranger Spells, Ranged Precision +1d8, Close Combat Shot
Special Qualities: Animal Companion, Combat Style (Archery), Darkvision 60-ft, Dwarven Bonuses (+2 to save vs. poison, +2 to save vs. spells, +1 to hit vs. orcs and goblinoids, +4 to AC vs. giants, +2 bonus to Appraise and Craft checks), Dwarven Weapon Familiarity, Stability, Stonecunning, Track, Wild Empathy

Base Saves: Fort +5, Reflex +8, Will +5

Total Saves: Fort +10 (+3 Con, +2 magic), Reflex +13 (+3 Dex, +2 magic), Will +8 (+1 Wis, +2 magic)

Strength: 20 (+5)
Dexterity: 16 (+3)
Constitution: 16 (+3)
Intelligence: 10 (+0)
Wisdom: 12 (+1)
Charisma: 6 (-2)

Skills: Handle Animal +6 (8 ranks), Hide +11 (8 ranks), Knowledge (dungeoneering) +8 (8 ranks), Knowledge (nature) +8 (8 ranks), Listen +9 (8 ranks), Move Silently +11 (8 ranks), Spot +9 (8 ranks), Survival +11 (8 ranks, 2 synergy)

Feats:
1st: Weapon Focus (Longbow)
3rd: Point Blank Shot

6th: Precise Shot

Bonus Feats:

Ranger 1: Track

Ranger 2: (Rapid Shot)

Ranger 3: Endurance

Ranger 6: (Manyshot)

Languages: Common, Dwarven

Possessions (magical items are italicized): +1 Mithralmist Chain Shirt, +1 Flaming Magic Bow, Efficient Quiver, Healing Belt, Cloak of Resistance +2, Ring of Feather Falling, Fireball Arrow x3, Adventuring Sundries (100g), Masterwork Dagger, 60 arrows.

Gold and Treasure: 225g

---

Class Features:

Favored Enemy (Ex)

Mystery Gourmet gains a bonus on Bluff, Listen, Sense Motive, Spot and Survival checks, and a bonus on damage against his favored enemies. He has a +4 bonus against Humans and a +2 bonus against Undead.

Wild Empathy (Ex)

Mystery Gourmet can improve the attitude of an animal. This ability functions just like a Diplomacy check to improve the attitude of a person. He rolls 1d20 and adds his ranger level and his Charisma modifier to determine the wild empathy check result. The typical domestic animal has a starting attitude of indifferent, while wild animals are usually unfriendly.

To use wild empathy, the ranger and the animal must be able to study each other, which means that they must be within 30 feet of one another under normal visibility conditions. Generally, influencing an animal in this way takes 1 minute, but, as with influencing people, it might take more or less time.

The ranger can also use this ability to influence a magical beast with an Intelligence score of 1 or 2, but he takes a -4 penalty on the check.

Combat Style (Ex)

Mystery Gourmet is a master of the Archery combat style.

Animal Companion (Ex)

Mystery Gourmet's companion is a Hawk named Chicken.

Ranged Precision (Ex)
Mystery Gourmet can deal an additional +1d8 damage to a target he hits with his arrows within 30-ft.

Close Combat Shot (Ex)
Mystery Gourmet does not provoke attacks of opportunity for using a bow in melee.

-----

Spells Prepared (DC to resist 11 + Spell level, Caster Level 2):

1st (2) - Longstrider (increase movement speed by +10-ft for 1 hour/caster level), Speak with Animals (speak to a small, woodland critter)

Magical Item Description:

+1 Mithralmist Chain Shirt - 7/day creates a Fog Cloud, centered on you.

+1 Flaming Magic Bow - Counts as magical for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. Add +1d6 fire damage per successful hit.

Efficient Quiver - Contains up to 60 arrows and other sundries, while weighing only 10 lbs.

Healing Belt - +2 on Heal checks; 3 charges, heal damage per charge; 2d8/3d8/4d8 damage with a touch.

Ring of Feather Falling - Feather Fall (on self) when you fall 10-ft or more.

Fireball Arrow - Fired from the bow, this arrow creates an explosion that deals 6d6 damage at the point of impact (as fireball spell), Ref DC 14 half.

---

Chicken, Mystery Gourmet's Pet

Tiny Animal

Hit Dice: 3d8 (13 hp)
Initiative: +4
Speed: 10 ft, Fly 60 ft (average)
Armor Class: 20 (+2 Size, +4 Dex, +4 Natural) Touch 16, Flat-footed 16
Base Attack: +1
Grapple: -9
Attack: Talons +8 Melee
Damage: Talons 1d4-2
Space/Reach: 2-1/2 ft./0 ft.
Special Attacks: None
Special Qualities: Low-light vision, Empathic Link (Su), Share Spells, Evasion

Saves: Fort +3, Reflex +6, Will +2

Strength: 7 (-2)
Dexterity: 18 (+4)
Constitution: 10 (+0)
Intelligence: 2 (-4)
Wisdom: 14 (+2)
Charisma: 6 (-2)

Skills: Listen +6, Spot +18

Feats: Alertness, Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus (Talons)

Sir Crayon, Ex-Mostly Holy Knight of Garamond & Goon of Ker’flab

2011-01-15T10:35:00.000-08:00

Crayon von Heineken / Paladin of Tyranny 6 [Re-Roll: 6/Session: 1]
Medium Sized Human Male Age 30 (Humanoid) / Lawful Evil

Hit Dice: 6d10 + 6 (55HP)/79HP w tears
Initiative: –1 (-1 Dex)
Speed: 20 Ft w Armor (30 Ft Base) / 50 ft Mounted
AC: 19/21^ Melee (-1 Dex +9 Armor +1 Buckler/+3 Heavy Steel Shield^) Flat-footed; 9 Touch
Base Attack Bonus: +6/+1
Base Grapple: +10 (+6 Base +4 Str)
Melee: +1 Takopachi Stick° +12/+7 [+6 Base/+1 Base +4 Str +1 Focus +1 Magical]
Masterwork Adamantine Dagger +11/+6 [+6 Base/+1 Base +4 Str +1 Masterwork]
*Note: +1 if target is smaller than horse (Large) and on foot. +2 attack roll -2 AC when charging.
Damage: +1 Takopachi Stick° 1d8 +8 [+4 Str +1 Magic (+2 Str Two-H Bonus)+1 Acid] (Crit 20/X3) (X2 w Charging Mount)
Masterwork Adamantine Dagger 1d4 +4 [+4 Str] (Crit 19-20/X2)
Face/Reach: 5’ X 5’ / 5’ or 10’ w Takopachi Stick°
Special Attacks: Smite Good (Su) 2/Day, Cause Disease (Sp) 1/Day
Special Qualities: Aura of Evil (Ex), Detect Good (Sp), Deadly Touch (Su), Aura of Despair (Su), Rebuke Undead (Su), Spell Casting, Special Mount (Sp), Divine Health (Ex), Divine Grace (Su),

Base Saves: Fort +5, Reflex +2, Will +2

Total Saves: Fort +9 (+5 Base +1 Con +3 DGrace) Reflex +4 (+2 Base –1 Dex +3 DGrace) Will +7 (+2 Base +2 Wis +3 DGrace)

Strength: 18 (+4)
Dexterity: 8 (-1)
Constitution: 12 (+1)
Intelligence: 10 (+0)
Wisdom: 14 (+2)
Charisma: 17 (+3)

Skills: Concentration 1 (+1 Cons), Diplomacy 8 (+3 Ranks +3 Cha +2 Sync), Handle Animal 8 (+3 Cha +5 Ranks), Heal 4 (+2 Wis +2 Item) Knowledge Religion 8 (+8 Ranks), Ride 4 (-1 Dex +3 Ranks +2 Sync), Sense Motive 10 (+2 Wis +8 Ranks)
Total Skill pts @ 6 Human Paladin : 27 (+3/pal level)

Feats:
Human: Short Haft*
1st: Weapon Focus (Lance)
3rd: Mounted Combat
6th: Ride-by Attack

*Player's Handbook 2

°Customized Item - Takupachi Stick is a Masterwork Lance (att Jason for approval)

Languages: Common

Possessions (magical items are italicized): +1 Full Plate with Least Crystal of Aquatic Action (1150+1500+250), Ring of Feather Falling (2200), Healing Belt (750), Darkwood Buckler (215), +1 Masterwork Lance with Least Crystal of Acid (2300+300+10+600), Masterwork Adamantine Dagger (300+loot+2) Sending Stone (Cromag Loan), Amulet of Tears (2300), +1 Heavy Steel Shield (loot)^
Adventuring Sundries (including matches, tobacco, rope, letters^),
Others: barrel containing Afro Apollo's body w/o head (w ale as preservatives)
Maintenance Allocation^ (50g - 50% allocation from loot)

Gold and Treasure: 148g^

---

Class Features:

Spellcasting (DC12 + Spell Level)
Blackguard Spell List
1st (3)— ( )bane, ( )blade of blood*, ( )blessed aim%, (   )corrupt weapon, (   )create water, (   )curse water, (   )detect poison, (   )detect undead, (   )divine favor, (   )divine sacrifice#, (   )doom, (   )endure elements, (   )golden barding#, ( )faith healing%, (   )inflict light wounds, ( )know greatest enemy%, (   )magic weapon, ( )mark of the outcast%, (   )protection from chaos, (   )protection from good, (   )read magic, (   )resistance, (   )resurgence#, ( )strategic charge%, ( )summon undead I%, ( )traveler's mount%, (   )virtue

x2nd (0)— (   )bull's strength, (   )cure light wounds, (   )curse of ill-fortune#, (   )darkness, (   )delay poison, ( )demonhide%, ( )divine presence@, (   )eagle's splendor, ( )execration@, ( )hand of divinity%, (   )hold person, ( )increase virulence*, (   )inflict moderate wounds, ( )master cavalier@, (   )owl's wisdom, (   )resist energy, ( )summon undead II% ( )turn anathema, (   )undetectable alignment, ( )veil of concealment%, (   )wave of grief#, (   )zeal#

x3rd (0)— (   )bestow curse, (   )cure moderate wounds, (   )deeper darkness, ( )deific bastion@, (   )discern lies, (   )dispel magic, (   )greater magic weapon, (   )heal mount, (   )prayer, (   )inflict serious wounds, (   )magic circle against chaos/good, (   )mental of evil, (   )resurgence, mass#, ( )spiritual chariot%, ( )summon undead III%, ( )unholy storm%, (   )war mount@, (   )weapon of the deity%

x4th (0)— (   )aligned aura@, (   )bleed@, (   )break enchantment, (   )cure serious wounds, (   )dispel chaos, (   )dispel good, (   )dominate person, (   )implacable pursuer#, (   )inflict critical wounds, ( )phantom charge@, ( )revenance#, ( )summon undead IV%, (   )unholy sword, ( )visage of the deity, lesser#, (   )weapon of the deity#, ( )winged mount#

#Complete Divine - New Blackguard Spells
@Complete Champion - New Blackguard Spells
%Spell Compendium - New Blackguard Spells
*Player's Handbook 2 - New Blackguard Spells
~~spell~~ - banned or changes. Book of Vile Darkness, Libris Mortis banned. Summon Undead DM approval.

---
Notes:
Magical Item Description:

Least Crystal of Aquatic Action
No armor check penalty on Swim.

Least Crystal of Acid^
Least: This crystal adds 1 point of energy damage of its type to the weapon's damage.

Amulet of Tears
3 charges/day, gain temporary hit points for 10minutes
1-12 hit points 2-18 hit points 3-24hit points

Ring of Feather Falling
Triggers feather falling if you fall more than 5 ft.

Healing Belt
+2 on Heal; 3 charges, heal damage with touch
1-2d8 points of damage 2-3d8 points of damage 3-4d8 points of damage
Resource: Magic Item Compendium-ORC

Deadly Touch (Su)
Damage 18 = 6 Pal Level x 3 Cha pts [DC 16 = 10 + 3 (1/2 Pal) + 3 (Cha)]
Cause Disease(Sp)
Disease        Fort. DC     Damage Infection Others
Blinding sickness     16     1d4 Str1 Ingested Spread in Tainted Water 2 or more Str damage roll additional fort save or be permanently blinded.
Cackle fever         16     1d6 Wis Inhaled High fever, Disorientation, bouts of laughter
Filth fever         12     1d3 Dex and 1d3 Con Injury Filthy surroundings and Dire Rats and Otyugh
Mindfire         12     1d4 Int Inhaled Causes stupor
Red ache         15     1d6 Str Injury Skin turns red, bloated and warm to touch.
Shakes             13     1d8 Dex Contact Twitches, tremors and fits
Slimy doom         14     1d4 Con Contact Victim turns into infectious goo from the inside out. Cause permanent ability drain.When damaged, character must succeed on another saving throw or take 1 pt of damage is permanently drained instead.
---
Career Record
Episode 01: 2 Holy Knights of Garamond KIA
Episode 02: N/A
Hostile with Don Cordon
Episode 03: 1 Pirate KIA
Friendly with Paddy Brownbeard; Acquainted with Boss Cromag
Episode 04: 1 Holy Knight of Garamond KIA
Unfriendly with Maiandran Wharf Master; Acquainted with Marshall Martlett
---
Aura of Evil (Ex)
The power of a paladin of tyranny's aura of evil (see the detect evil spell) is equal to his paladin of tyranny level, just as with the aura of a cleric of an evil deity.
Detect Good (Sp)
At will, a paladin of tyranny can use detect good, as the spell.
Smite Good (Su)
Once per day, a paladin of tyranny may attempt to smite good with one normal melee attack. This ability is otherwise identical to the standard paladin's ability to smite evil, including increased daily uses as the paladin of tyranny gains class levels.
Deadly Touch (Su)
Beginning at 2nd level, a paladin of tyranny can cause wounds with a successful touch attack. Each day she can deal a total number of hit points of damage equal to her paladin level x her Charisma bonus. An opponent subjected to this attack can make a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 paladin level + paladin's Cha modifier) to halve the damage dealt.
Alternatively, a paladin of tyranny can use any or all of this power to cure damage to undead creatures, just as an inflict wounds spell does. This power otherwise functions identically to the paladin's lay on hands ability.
Aura of Despair (Su)
Beginning at 3rd level, a paladin of tyranny radiates a malign aura that causes enemies within 10 feet of him to take a -2 penalty on all saving throws. This ability otherwise functions identically to the paladin's aura of courage class feature.
Rebuke Undead (Su)
A paladin of tyranny rebukes undead rather than turning undead.
Cause Disease (Sp)
A paladin of tyranny can inflict disease with his touch (as the contagion spell) a number of times per week that a standard paladin of her level would normally be able to remove disease.
Resource: http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#paladinofTyrannyClassFeatures
Divine Health (Ex)
At 3rd level, a paladin gains immunity to all diseases, including supernatural and magical diseases.
Divine Grace (Su)
At 2nd level, a paladin gains a bonus equal to his charisma bonus (if any) on all saving throws.
Special Mount (Sp)
Upon reaching 5th level, a paladin gains the service of an unusually intelligent, strong, and loyal steed to serve her in her crusade against evil. This mount is usually a heavy warhorse (for a Medium paladin) or a warpony (for a Small paladin).
Once per day, as a full-round action, a paladin may magically call her mount from the celestial realms in which it resides. This ability is the equivalent of a spell of a level equal to one-third the paladin’s level. The mount immediately appears adjacent to the paladin and remains for 2 hours per paladin level; it may be dismissed at any time as a free action. The mount is the same creature each time it is summoned, though the paladin may release a particular mount from service.
Each time the mount is called, it appears in full health, regardless of any damage it may have taken previously. The mount also appears wearing or carrying any gear it had when it was last dismissed. Calling a mount is a conjuration (calling) effect.
Should the paladin’s mount die, it immediately disappears, leaving behind any equipment it was carrying. The paladin may not summon another mount for thirty days or until she gains a paladin level, whichever comes first, even if the mount is somehow returned from the dead. During this thirty-day period, the paladin takes a -1 penalty on attack and weapon damage rolls.
Resource: http://www.d20srd.org/srd/classes/paladin.htm
---

The Paladin’s Mount
Carlsberg/Large Animal Heavy Warhorse

Hit Dice: 4d8 + 12 +2d8 (41HP)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 50 ft
Armor Class: 18 (-1 Size +1 Dex +4 Natural +4 bonus Natural Armor) 10 touch, flat-footed 17
Base Attack: +3
Grapple: +11
Attack: Hoof +6 Melee
Full Attack: 2 Hooves +6 & Melee Bite +1 Melee
Damage: Hoof 1d6+4
Bite 1d4+4
Space/Reach: 10ft./5ft.
Special Attacks: None
Special Qualities: Low-light vision, Scent, Empathic Link (Su), Improved Evasion (Ex), Share Spells, Share Saving Throws

Saves: Fort +7 Reflex +5 Will +2

Strength: 18 (+4) +1
Dexterity: 13 (+1)
Constitution: 17 (+3)
Intelligence: 2 (-4) +6 (-1)
Wisdom: 13 (+1)
Charisma: 6 (-2)

Skills: Listen +5, Spot +4

Feats: Endurance, Run
CR2

Resource: http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/horse.htm#warhorseHeavy
---

Class Features:
Bonus HD
Extra eight-sided (d8) Hit Dice, each of which gains a Constitution modifier, as normal. Extra Hit Dice improve the mount’s base attack and base save bonuses. A special mount’s base attack bonus is equal to that of a cleric of a level equal to the mount’s HD. A mount has good Fortitude and Reflex saves (treat it as a character whose level equals the animal’s HD). The mount gains additional skill points or feats for bonus HD as normal for advancing a monster’s Hit Dice.
Natural Armor Adj.
The number on the table is an improvement to the mount’s existing natural armor bonus.
Str Adj.
Add this figure to the mount’s Strength score.
Int
The mount’s Intelligence score.
Empathic Link (Su)
The paladin has an empathic link with her mount out to a distance of up to 1 mile. The paladin cannot see through the mount’s eyes, but they can communicate empathically.
Note that even intelligent mounts see the world differently from humans, so misunderstandings are always possible.
Because of this empathic link, the paladin has the same connection to an item or place that her mount does, just as with a master and his familiar.
Improved Evasion (Ex)
When subjected to an attack that normally allows a Reflex saving throw for half damage, a mount takes no damage if it makes a successful saving throw and half damage if the saving throw fails.
Share Spells
At the paladin’s option, she may have any spell (but not any spell-like ability) she casts on herself also affect her mount.
The mount must be within 5 feet at the time of casting to receive the benefit. If the spell or effect has a duration other than instantaneous, it stops affecting the mount if it moves farther than 5 feet away and will not affect the mount again even if it returns to the paladin before the duration expires. Additionally, the paladin may cast a spell with a target of "You" on her mount (as a touch range spell) instead of on herself. A paladin and her mount can share spells even if the spells normally do not affect creatures of the mount’s type (magical beast).
Share Saving Throws
For each of its saving throws, the mount uses its own base save bonus or the paladin’s, whichever is higher. The mount applies its own ability modifiers to saves, and it doesn’t share any other bonuses on saves that the master might have.
xImproved Speed (Ex)
The mount’s speed increases by 10 feet.
xCommand (Sp)
Once per day per two paladin levels of its master, a mount can use this ability to command other any normal animal of approximately the same kind as itself (for warhorses and warponies, this category includes donkeys, mules, and ponies), as long as the target creature has fewer Hit Dice than the mount. This ability functions like the command spell, but the mount must make a DC 21 Concentration check to succeed if it’s being ridden at the time. If the check fails, the ability does not work that time, but it still counts against the mount’s daily uses. Each target may attempt a Will save (DC 10 + ½ paladin’s level + paladin’s Cha modifier) to negate the effect.
xSpell Resistance (Ex)
A mount’s spell resistance equals its master’s paladin level + 5. To affect the mount with a spell, a spellcaster must get a result on a caster level check (1d20 + caster level) that equals or exceeds the mount’s spell resistance.

^ - New Changes
x - Not Applicable

- 13/02/2011 - Level 6 Paladin of Tyranny.
Changes: BAB, Cause Disease, Items, Gold, Additional Spells - Libris Mortis (attn: Jason).
- 15/02/2011 - Level 6 Paladin of Tyranny
Changes: New items: Amulet of Tears
- 23/02/2011 - Level 6 Paladin of Tyranny
Changes in spell list. New blackguard spells from Spell compendium and Player's handbook 2. Libris Mortis removed Blade of Pain and Fear and Fangs of the Vampire King removed. Summon Undead retained. Shield; heavy steel added as loot. Lance attack rolls reduced -1. Additional information for HP added for Amulet of Tears

A Wicked! Beginning

2011-01-15T08:26:00.001-08:00

In the first instalment of Wicked! A Fontian Adventure, our villains - Afro Apollo, Callahan Calamari, Maximilian Facsimile, Potina and Sir Crayon received a summon from Don Cordon, a crime boss in Colonna's Underbelly - a seedy, waterfront district in the seafaring nation's capital that is almost a nation unto itself.

Having sought the Don's patronage and protection early in their criminal careers, these five villains have been made an offer too good to refuse - retrieve a marked crate being shipped into town, and all debts are paid, all favors written off. After making their way to Whitebread Fisheries at Fisher's Wharf and making each other's acquaintances (some more violently than others) our five villains are greeted by the Don himself, and furnished with details about a precious shipment coming on the tide that night, from the Holy Empire of Garamond.

The ship, the Maiden's Fancy, will be making port at the 11th hour, with a crate the Don is interested in, as well as shipments of gold bullion and Edessan Pixie Dust. Information from the infamous Don suggested that the ship would be guarded by a heavy security detail - a whole contingent of Mostly Holy Knights from the Holy Empire itself. However, the Don was certain the the crate would be transferred to a warehouse across town, and suggested that the group formulate their plans with this in mind. With some wrangling, Maximilian managed to convince the Don to provide token material assistance, earning him an audience with Gustaf Thunderthighs, a shady alchemist based in Finder's Alley.

While Afro, Callahan and Maximilian approached the apothecary, Sir Crayon and Potina wandered around town, stealing candy from babies, making the acquaintance of street children, and gathering information about the state of the wharf's security arrangements. True enough, they discovered that the Garamond detail had hired not one, but three wagons. Potina purchased some paint so she could mark the wagons, while Sir Crayon purchased rope and lubricant, just in case.

In the meantime, Afro, Callahan and Maximilian realized that Gustaf was a sketchy sort of dwarf, and after some flirting and overt overtures, Maximilian managed to convince Gustaf to part with some of the Don's potions, which Maximilian naturally pocketed. Callahan proceeded to prepare his spells for the evening, while Maximilian visited a tavern to talk the toot and have a meal. Afro, still smarting with his encounter with an angry garden gnome, proceeded to visit leeches and temples, hoping for some magical healing. Unfortunately for him, he didn't have the money, nor the social know-how to secure the right kind of helpful mojo to make him go-go.

Once all preparations were made, the villains convened at Fisher's Wharf. True enough, a group of Mostly Holy Knights were already in place, keeping an eye on things. There was a particularly rough looking woman standing at the head of a column, watching the sea, and Maximilian approached her, hoping to seduce some information out of her. Sadly, his ruse failed, and she didn't even give him the time of day. Noticing this, Sir Crayon quietly left the scene, and headed to the warehouses across town to intercept the shipment, should it arrive.

At the same time, Afro and Callahan decided to ambush a patrol of Holy Knights, so they could steal their clothes, impersonate the guards, and maybe make off with the crate that way. Hiding in the back door of Whitebread Fisheries, they tried to jump one of several pairs of Knights making their rounds. As Afro attempted to distract the guards and allay their suspicions, Callahan performed a Sleep spell. The Knights were, unfortunately, made of sterner stuff, and shrugged off the compulsion easily. Callahan then tried to Charm one of the Knights, with equally poor results. One of the Knights made a quick break for it then, eager to raise the alarm about these suspicious folk, while one remained to threaten them with his halberd. Afro rushed out of the warehouse, after the running guard, leaving Callahan alone to deal with the armed one. Callahan, of course, did the clever thing. He turned himself invisible, snuck away, and dropped the shutter of the warehouse - effectively keeping the guard out, and himself safe.

The commotion at the rear of the row of warehouses provided ample distraction for Maximilian to gauge the reaction of the female knight, as well as the other knights milling about the place - and boy, were they slow. It also provided ample distraction for Potina to creep to the wagons the knights had driven to the docks, and to hide herself in one of them. As Afro made his escape over the rooftops of the warehouses, the guards finally started taking notice. Several clambered up ladders nearby, while others took some pot shots at him with crossbows.

Several guards, however, stayed near the wharf, and it became apparent once the ship arrived that there were not one but three crates. They were placed in the three wagons, and the knights quickly started heading out. Maximilian attempted to stall them by addressing the female knight as she mounted one of the wagons, and even went as far as to spook the horses with his magic, but to no avail. The wagons started making their way down Fisher's Wharf and across town. Dismayed, Maximilian pulled out his non-existent credentials as a city official, and stopped the final wagon before it could leave. Convincing the knights manning the wagon to allow him to inspect the crate, Maximilian discovered that it was, in fact, empty. The wagon was a decoy.

Similarly, the female knight's wagon trundled up to the warehouse district, and Sir Crayon spied the entourage waiting outside the warehouse. He also overheard, after sidling surreptitiously up to the wagon, that the female knight's wagon was another decoy. The real wagon was already well on its way.

True enough, the wagon Potina had hidden herself in was making it's way up towards Griffon Hill, past Finder's Alley, along familiar rows of rich terrace houses, towards, she noticed, the Colonnan Maritime Museum. Once the wagon stopped, she waited for the knights to unload the crate, and then slipped away to hide in the bushes nearby after disabling the wheels of the wagon.

Maximilian soon caught up to this wagon, after getting wind of it from Gustaf Thunderthighs. He also left news that he would be heading there with the apothecary for the others. Arriving at the museum, our villains, hidden or otherwise, discovered that the knights were trying to manhandle the crate into the entry way of the museum, and that they were supervised by a robed halfling in the vestments of Typo. It was a trigger happy sort of cleric too, as Maximilian discovered. The halfling had no qualms about calling down Typo's fires on his dark companion, which had sneaked a tad too close and had been detected.

To avoid further detection, he pried open a window, and made his way into the museum, ending up in a store room. Potina quickly followed, and put her sneaky skills to good use by unlocking a locked door, and disguising herself as a cleaning lady so she could spy. The halfling detected her quickly, however, and challenged her. The halfling then threw a fiery spell in her direction, causing Potina to scurry away and hide in a nearby pot. The pot exploded from the heat, and the commotion brought Maximilian running forward. The others, who had massed outside, got themselves ready as well.

Potina created a cloud of fog from her armor, and sneaked around, while Maximilian moved forward to try to snatch the crate. At the same time, one of the guards blundered outside, right into Sir Crayon. Sir Crayon, of course, tapped him on the shoulder, causing him to explode in a gory fashion. And then the battle was joined. During the confusion, the villains managed to dispatch or otherwise knock out the knights who had brought in the crate, and they had the halfling on the defensive. The halfling tried to summon a giant centipede, but the creature was quickly slain. In annoyance, the halfling vanished, seemingly teleporting away. This gave our villains a breather, and a chance to study their find. There was a lifelike statue inside, that of a half-elven wizard in the midst of casting a magic spell.

Packing it back up, the group hitched the crate to horses from the wagon, and fled. And not a moment too soon. As they pelted down Griffon Hill, they passed the female knight and her group of guards, driving up to the museum in a wagon at a ridiculously fast pace.

Stopping temporarily at Gustaf's, Maximilian again convinced the dwarf to help them stow the statue, while they proceeded to check out the Don's interest in this most curious bit of treasure. The villains then went their separate ways to dispose of the horses they had stolen, and then to gather information - Maximilian and Callahan to the black markets, Potina to the taverns, and Sir Crayon to the local newspaper vendor. Afro, of course, was lying low.

It soon became apparent that the statue was a rumored artifact, and there was ample speculation on the black markets about its value. It turned out that Boss Cromag, a local racketeer, was one of the interested parties. Potina and Sir Crayon also discovered that the Mostly Holy Knights were already out in force, and that even the Colonnan Watch had been mobilized. The noose was tightening fast, and their botched heist was affecting the already tenuous climate in Underbelly.

Ever the opportunist, Potina waited for some of the Holy Knights to cause a disturbance at the taverns, and then ambushed one of them as they were running away. She then proceeded to pilfer his treasure, making off with a Mostly Legal Writ and a key stamped with the Garamond seal.

A cursory inspection at the docks also revealed to our villains that Don Cordon's Whitebread Fisheries had been sealed off, and that the Holy Knights and the Colonnan Watch were having a field day gutting the Don's fishes and confiscating the arms he was trying to smuggle out of town.

With little else to do, our villains returned to Gustaf, and retrieved the statue they had stashed there. Callahan then shrunk it with magic, and they transported the now shrunken, pint sized statue up to Lantern Hill, where the Don had his home.

Meeting up with the Don proved to be a bad idea. The Don revealed his reasons for the caper easily enough. The statue was in fact a wizard called Az the Sodomizer, who had offended the Don several years in the past. It was all about getting even. Potina, though, noticed something about the statue. She had made a small mark before they left the statue with Gustaf, and now she observed that the mark was gone. This wasn't the real deal. Knowing that things were going to go sour fast, she made an excuse about going to the potty, and ran away.

The others, too, were dismissed. They left the mansion, and not a moment too soon. As soon as they were out the gates, they heard a loud, goblin-ny yell claiming that he had been double crossed and lied to.

Escaping the Don, our villains soon realized that someone had swapped the statues. Putting two and two together, they rushed to Gustaf's apothecary, only to see that the place was closed. A magical examination by Maximilian and Callahan revealed a glyph on the door, which Potina was able to erase with a bit of cloth and elbow grease. The glyph, though, wasn't the only trap. No sooner did Maximilian open the door, that he was almost doused in alchemist's fire. That wasn't the final trap, either. Sir Crayon sent his faithful steed in next, and the steed ended up almost decapitated by a spring loaded steel wire. It was only the horse's thick hide and keen reflexes that saved it.

Having noticed the traps, everyone decided to wait outside, across the street, while Maximilian investigated. The place had been swept clean, all the magical items looted bare. The house was also unlit and unoccupied. Maximilian's investigations soon turned up something however. The dwarf Gustaf was dead, and so was Gustaf's familiar - a cute kitty with white fur and a pink bow tie. The rest were informed about this development, and they proceeded to investigate. Callahan's magical lore pointed out that somebody with magical powers had killed the dwarf using necromancy - likely an arrow of bone, while a search of the chimney in the laboratory revealed a scrap of fine cloth.

Further investigation also turned up the bodies of Gustaf's apprentices, all killed in a gory fashion by crushing and suckering, as well as the fact that the crate was not only open, but that it's contents were missing. A scrap of parchment, scribed with ink describing a Stone to Flesh spell, lay nearby. It was obvious that something or someone had freed Az the Sodomizer, and it was likely the culprit who had done all the killing as well.

The group then quickly left, since they heard the Holy Knights, especially the angry female knight, coming.

The following morning, our villains discovered that the word on the street was an unkind one. Not only had Don Cordon put a price on their heads, the smelly goblin had also sold them out to the Watch. Bad news indeed! With the whole group becoming fugitives, they had no choice but to seek the help of the black market vendors, who suggested that Boss Cromag might be able to help them.

Meeting Boss Cromag at the train yards, the party convinces and swears fealty to him. Boss Cromag then suggests that they find out what happened to the statue, and fast. The group split up to do some leg work, and this time, they discovered several new facts. Az the Sodomizer was supposedly one of the most powerful wizards in Fontia, with knowledge of over 9,000 spells. They also discovered that the halfling they had spied at the museum was shady, that the museum had been closed for two weeks before last night's heist, and that the curator and workers had all gone on holiday at the same time.

They also recalled that there was a door set in the wall of the apothecary's home that they had not yet investigated, and that the door was the source of a third, unexplored chimney in the three chimneyed building. Making their way there, and kicking down the door, they discovered that the interior of the opening was concealed by magical darkness.

Maximilian, bearing a continual torch he had removed from Gustaf's home, entered the area to investigate. He turned up nothing, and felt rather tickled by something that left him chilled and weak instead. Afro blasted the room with a burst of supercooled air the minute it was reported to him, shattering an object that was tied to the darkness.

As the darkness dispersed, the group noticed three shadowy figures materializing from the walls and ceilings and floors. These were shadows - undead creatures that drained Strength with a touch, and battle was quickly joined. Several exploding flour sacks and exploding shadows later, the group noticed that the powers Afro was flinging had actually blown open a chunk in the ground, revealing a staircase.

What lies beneath? What's up with the statue? And will Afro Apollo get his Afro back?

All this, and more, in next week's installment of Wicked!

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Experience, Loot and so Forth:

Everyone gains 1,500 xp for Session 1, and 1,000 xp for Session 2.

1. Official Writ - Allows the bearer to search any premises for criminals pertaining to the stolen crate and statue case.

2. Garamond Key - A small, bronze key made from a clay cast. The original key belonged to a Holy Knight Potina mugged. It looks like it has the Garamond crest on it.

3. Misc gold and tasty bits - Stolen by party members.

Potina the Bandit

2011-01-14T09:30:00.000-08:00

Potina the Bandit/Rogue 5/Assassin 1
Small Sized Garden Gnome (Humanoid)/Neutral Evil

Hit Dice: 6d6 + 18 (49 hit points)
Initiative: +4 (+4 Dex)
Speed: 20' (30' base)
AC: 20 (+4 Dex, +5 Armor, +1 Size)
Base Attack Bonus: +3 (+3 base)
Base Grapple: -2 (+3 base, -1 Str, -4 Size)
Melee Attack: Magic Club +9 (+4 Dex, +1 Magic, +1 Size)

Ranged Attack: Magic Crossbow +10 (+4 Dex, +1 magic, +1 Weapon Focus, +1 Size)

Melee Damage: Magic Club 1d4 + 1 Fire (Crit 20/x2) (-1 Str, +1 Magic)

Ranged Damage: Magic Crossbow 1d6 + 3 + 1 Acid (Crit 17-20/x2) (+2 Dex, +1 Magic)
Face/Reach: 5' x 5'/5'
Special Attacks: Sneak Attack +4d6 (up to 60-ft with crossbow), Death Attack (DC 15), Poison Use, Spells
Special Qualities: Evasion, Racial Traits (+1 vs. kobolds and goblinoids, +4 AC vs. giants, +2 racial bonus to Listen and Spot checks, +4 bonus to Hide and Move Silently, Low-light vision, Spell-Like Abilities: 1/day - Barkskin (10 minutes duration), Tree Shape (1 hour duration), Know Direction, Pass without Trace (self only), Speak with Animal (woodland creatures only)), Trapfinding +1, Trap Sense, Uncanny Dodge

Base Saves: Fort +1, Reflex +6, Will +1
Total Saves: Fort +5 (+1 Magic), Reflex +11 (+1 Magic), Will +3 (+1 Magic)

Strength: 8 (-1)
Dexterity: 18 (+4)
Constitution: 16 (+3)
Intelligence: 19 (+4)
Wisdom: 12 (+1)
Charisma: 6 (-2)

Skills: Appraise +9 (5 ranks), Balance +11 (5 ranks, +2 synergy), Decipher Script +9 (5 ranks), Disable Device +15 (9 ranks, +2 tool), Disguise +13 (5 ranks, +10 magic), Escape Artist +9 (5 ranks), Hide +21 (9 ranks, +4 Size, +4 Race), Knowledge (Local) +9 (5 ranks), Listen +9 (8 ranks), Move Silently +21 (9 ranks, +4 Size, +4 Race), Open Lock +15 (9 ranks, +2 tool), Search +12 (8 ranks), Sense Motive +9 (8 ranks), Sleight of Hand +13 (9 ranks), Spot +9 (8 ranks), Tumble +11 (5 ranks, +2 synergy)

Feats:
1st: Telling Blow (add Sneak Attack damage on a crit)

3rd: Weapon Focus (Crossbow)

6th: Crossbow Sniper

Languages:

Common, Dwarvish, Elvish, Gnomish, Orcish, Sylvan

Possessions (magic items are italicized): Anklets of Translocation, Hat of Disguise, Mithralmist Shirt, +1 Magic Club with Least Crystal of Fire, +1 Keen Magic Crossbow with Least Crystal of Acid, Bundle of 1000 Crossbow Bolts, Masterwork Thieves’ Tools, Alchemist's Fire (5), Thunderstone (5), adventuring sundries (100 g), Bag of Holding, Sending Stone, Amulet of Vermin (Giant Stag Beetle)

Gold and Treasure: 25 g

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Class Features:

Evasion – Whenever a rogue succeeds on a Reflex save against a spell or ability that allows for half damage on a successful save, the rogue instead takes no damage.

Sneak Attack – The rogue deals an extra amount of damage (represented in dice) when flanking an opponent, or whenever an opponent is denied his Dexterity bonus to AC.

Trapfinding – A rogue can Search for and Disable traps that have a DC of 20 or higher, and magical traps that have a DC of 25 or higher.

Trap Sense – A rogue gains a static bonus to Reflex saves and AC against attacks made by traps.

Uncanny Dodge – A rogue retains her Dexterity bonus to AC even if she is caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible character.

Death Attack - After studying a target for 3 rounds, the assassin can make a sneak attack as a melee attack. If the attack hits, in addition to taking damage, the victim must make a Fort save (DC 15) or die.

Poison Use - An assassin can use poison without danger of accidentally poisoning themselves.

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Spells Known and Spells/Day:

1st (1) - Distract Assailant, Sniper's Shot

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Spell Descriptions:

Distract Assailant (Enchantment) - Casting Time: 1 swift action; Range: Close; Target: One creature; Duration: 1 round; Save: Will negates; SR: Yes. If the target fails its save, it is treated as flat-footed for 1 round.

Sniper's Shot (Divination) - Casting Time: 1 swift action; Range: Personal; Target: You; Duration: 1 round. Your next ranged attack in this round can be a sneak attack, regardless of range.

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Magic Item Descriptions:

Anklets of Translocation – Teleport 10-ft as a swift action. 2/day.

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Hat of Disguise – Magically change your appearance. +10 to Disguise checks.

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Mithralmist Shirt – Counts as a +1 Mithral Chain Shirt. Create a Fog Cloud, centered on you. 7/day.

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+1 Magic Club with Least Fire Crystal – A wooden spoon. It is affixed with a crystal that causes additional 1 Acid damage.

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+2 Magic Crossbow with Least Acid Crystal – A child sized peashooter. It is affixed with a crystal that causes additional 1 Acid damage.

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Amulet of Vermin (Giant Stag Beetle) - Summons a pet Beetle to attack your enemies and flank for you 1/day. The beetle lasts for 10 rounds.

Size/Type: Large Vermin

Hit Dice: 7d8+21 (52 hp)

Initiative: +0

Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares)

Armor Class: 19 (-1 size, +10 natural), touch 9, flat-footed 19

Base Attack/Grapple: +5/+15

Attack: Bite +10 melee (4d6+9)

Full Attack: Bite +10 melee (4d6+9)

Space/Reach: 10 ft./5 ft.

Special Attacks: Trample 2d8+3

Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., vermin traits

Saves: Fort +8, Ref +2, Will +2

Abilities: Str 23, Dex 10, Con 17, Int Ø, Wis 10, Cha 9

Wicked! A New Fontian Adventure

2011-01-11T23:18:00.000-08:00

For 2011, The Fontian Adventuring Company will be playing in a new campaign titled Wicked!. Wicked is a game that is markedly different from the norm, in the sense that everyone plays an Evil character. Starting in the seedy city of Underbelly in Colonna, this adventure will see your party working for the mysterious organization known as the Order of the Ineffably Evil.

What follows is character creation rules for Wicked!

Refer to the " Fontia campaign post " here for additional details.

Character Creation

1. Characters begin at 5th level.

2. Ability scores are 18, 16, 14, 12, 10, 8. Arrange this array as you like.

3. Characters begin with 9,000 gp wealth to spend on items and magical treasure.

4. You receive maximum hit points for your first 3 levels. Subsequent hit points when you level up are to be rolled. Alternatively, you can take half.

5. Allowed books are all Core rulebooks (material from www.d20srd.org), Complete series and the Magic Item Compendium.

6. Any Evil.

Play Schedule

This game takes place on Saturdays, from 2 pm. It will be held at SCAPE (Grid MMS) in Orchard Road.

Eberron Mystery Theatre - Die Hard. With a Vengeance.

2010-11-21T22:58:00.000-08:00

In our final instalment of Eberron Mystery Theatre, our heroes - Jacquesaurs, Jalros, Picadilly, Vicks, Sir Colin and Palladium brave Hell's Heart, where they discover that the prison and it's supervisor have been suborned by the criminal genius Victor Saint-Demain.

Following their adventures in Stormreach, where they foiled an invasion by an ancient, bodysnatching evil from the Age of the Giants and halted the zombie invasion, our inquisitives are informed that the papers have come in from official sources, allowing them to finally serve a writ of execution to Victor, who has been incarcerated in Hell's Heart. Baron d'Medani has requested their presence as witnesses and executioners at the proceedings, and the entourage visit the prison compound, which is suspended in mid air above Sharn via skyship. Along the way, they meet Khielas Mourn, a magistrate from the Citadel, who has also taken a personal interest in the proceedings.

Arriving at Hell's Heart, the inquisitives meet Warden Krebowski, a jovial gnome who takes great delight in showing the group around and pointing out the amazing qualities of the prison complex and it's amenities. The group also notices that all the prison staff are warforged, and that the gnome is the only living staff member - a curious fact indeed.

They are led to lunch, where a feast was prepared by the prison cook - a warforged with a chef's hat and painted on moustache called "Cook". However, it seems that the situation between the Baron and Khielas Mourn is tense and there is some bad blood between the two. Jacquesaurs attempts to find out more from Khielas by convincing him to step outside, while the rest of the adventurers continue to eat. Little did they know that treachery was afoot. Jacquesaurs was smacked unconscious from behind as he and Khielas visited the privy, while the party was disabled by magical spells and sleeping poisons in the feast hall.

Waking up, our inquisitives found themselves in the lowest level of the prison - the solitary cells, trapped behind a wall of force without their weapons or gear. As everyone attempted to find a way to escape, Jalros noticed that he could loosen a brick in his cell, which allowed Jacquesaurs to squeeze into his cell. Further scrutiny also revealed that there were loose tiles in the ceiling above Jalros's cell, which Jacquesaurs managed to dislodge with magic. Climbing through the hole in the ceiling, Jalros and Jacquesaurs retrieved the key stone lying in a corner, and freed the others. Together, the party entered the teleporter on this floor, and were sped into another layer of the prison.

This time, our inquisitives found their geared chained to a pillar beneath a grille, and a series of levers. Attempting to pull the levers randomly caused the chains to snap, and their items to fall into a pit to oblivion. With some clever manipulating, the adventurers managed to bust open the grille and retrieved their gear, and not a moment too soon. They were attacked by slime monsters as soon as the grille dropped, and barely managed to escape after fending them off.

Stepping into the teleporter, the adventurers found themselves in a blasted battlefield suspended in a black void. There, they encountered three former inmates - a duskblade, a wizard and a skilled dervish, and had to fight their way past to freedom. It was a difficult fight, and Jacquesaurs was knocked out, but the group eventually persevered. Securing their freedom, they stepped through the teleporter into the next area - a sea of floating rocks suspended in mid air, between the upper prison and lower prison.

Swimming through the air and dodging the revolving rocks, the inquisitives found their way to the upper prison chute barred by two cloud drakes. These drakes were initially non-hostile, but as they came closer, frayed nerves and paranoia took hold, and the party attacked. The drakes were quickly dispatched with Vicks's magic and everyone's combined effort, and the party made their way to the chute, and into the next area.

The next area was dark, and dimly lit. It was a circular chamber, with several sectioned off rooms. Picadilly stepped towards the room labelled garden, and sniffing apples inside, opened the door. It led to a large garden that was bigger than it seemed, with an apple tree in the very center. Sensing something amiss, Palladium instantly recognized it as an illusion. He alerted the others as well, but Picadilly was not able to resist the lure of the apples and stepped inside. And that was when enemies attacked, and not a moment too soon either. The apple tree was actually a giant meat grinder, and if Picadilly had stepped closer, she would have turned into corned beef.

Their assailants this time were a wizard and two spearmen, who wielded their polearms dextrously. A gust of wind stopped the party from escaping, while the threatening polearms tripped anybody who tried to make their way through the doorway. Vicks halted the meat grinding blade barrier with magic, and Palladium summoned up a wall of sand to disrupt the attackers, while Picadilly started pounding on the wall to make a hole the others could escape through. Jacquesaurs was trapped outside, but he managed to turn invisible. The wizard dismissed the wall of sand, and then proceeded to fling spells at the group, while the spearmen tripped and hampered their attempts to escape the room. Jacquesaurs attacked one of the spearmen with a sound lance, blowing him to bits, but also breaking cover. That was when the wizard struck. He hit Jacquesaurs with a disintegration spell, and turned the gnome to dust almost instantly.

Sir Colin charged the wizard, and skewered him, killing him instantly, while Vicks turned into a bear and mauled the remaining spearman. Scooping up the dust that remained of Jacquesaurs, the party pressed on while Vicks performed a ritual to bring the gnome back - as an elf.

The new elf Jacquesaurs quickly clothed himself, and the party proceeded to explore the rest of this level. The pantry proved to be stocked with food, while the laboratory harbored an actual prisoner in addition to lab equipment. Freeing the prisoner, the party discovered he was called Sigmund Fraud, a dwarf who had once worked at the prison before being turned into a lab rat. The party also discovered that said dwarf was probably crazy, even if he possessed some powerful spells. They released the dwarf, and convinced him, on pain of death and beard burning, to join the group and help them get away from the prison.

Searching the lab, the party discovered a vial of the warden's extracted memories, and Vicks drank it. He soon discovered Victor's nefarious plot through the warden's memories, as well as important details about how to utilize the prison's security features including the teleportation commands and the warforged. Armed with this knowledge, the party could now confront and foil Victor's schemes once and for all.

After overriding the warforged using the observation chamber, the party quickly commanded the entire garrison to go with them to the viaducts, where Victor was currently gloating about his soon to be complete victory. The Baron and Lady Zalina were trapped in an adamantite cage that was rapidly filling with water, and would drown if the device were not switched off. However, there was a bomb attached to the console, rigged to detonate and drop the entire prison colony on Sharn if it were tampered with.

Things looked bleak indeed. Picadilly used her cloak to translocate up to the grille where Victor and his accomplices were standing and gloating at the adventurers, while Vicks turned into an octopus and casted water breathing on everyone, allowing them to ignore the flooding chamber. The warforged garrison started making their slow way up the ladders at the sides, and both Palladium and Sigmund Fraud started hovering towards the platform. Jacqeusaurs conjured black tentacles to grope the villains, but only managed to grab the other gnome.

As it turned out, Khielas was in fact the changeling Vrinn, and he started pelting the unfortunate party with lightning from a wand. Warden Krebowski used his spells to free himself, and scurried away. Victor activated a scroll, and attacked both paladins with a prismatic spray. He cooked Picadilly halfway through with two magic rays, while Sir Colin managed to avoid the worst of the spell. Palladium then cast Silence on the holy cow, causing confusion amongst Victor and his cronies.

Sir Colin smacked Vrinn as the changeling tried to use his wand again, and this time, the changeling fell off the platform, plunging down onto the top of the adamantite cage and to his doom. Warden Krebowski retreated away from the silence, and used an item to cast a Polar Ray in the direction of Palladium. Palladium activated his protective ring, and caused the spell to rebound to Victor. Victor was surprised by the attack, and thinking that the warden had betrayed him, shot the warden with a poisoned crossbow bolt before doing the same to Picadilly. As Picadilly fell down, Victor retreated and brandished another scroll.

Down below, Vicks summoned elementals and arrowhawks in the direction of Victor, while Jacquesaurs casted dimension door and made his way up to the platform. Now outmatched, and bereft of his allies, Victor began to incant from his scroll, claiming that he would not soon be defeated. Meteors exploded from the scroll and rained down on the platform, knocking the party off their feet and collapsing the platform. Fortunately, having had their share of falling encounters, the adventurers had equipped their rings of feather falling. All except Jacquesaurs, who started plummeting to his death. Luckily, Vicks was able to get his arrow hawk to rescue the falling elf before he hit the ground and went splat.

Vicks was also able to raise the level of water in the room, and this cushioned the falling platform. Instead of crushing everyone down below, it only made a large splash. The impact also freed the Baron and Lady Zalina from the cage, allowing them to slip free. Sigmund Fraud finally made his way onto the platform, and tried to snipe Victor with a spell. But he missed!

The distraction though, allowed Palladium to drop a huge ice storm on Victor, battering the villain off the platform. Victor plunged down, onto the ruins of the cage, and was impaled. He was finally dead.

The adventurers had their victory, but they hadn't diffused the bomb. Quickly, the adventurers teleported out of the viaducts, and not a moment too soon. As they rushed to the Baron's skyship, explosions resonated through the lower prison compound. Flying away from the prison colony, the adventurers saw the upper compound catch on fire, and start plummeting towards Sharn.

In the days to come, it was discovered that the prison complex had missed Sharn by a hair, though it did scrape a new groove on Clifftop. The adventurers were lauded for their bravery and quick thinking, and their agency was given an award by House Medani, the city of Sharn, and the Citadel. Having finally established themselves, after numerous trials, tribulations and misadventures, our adventurers had finally come full circle.

They had solved all the mysteries that had come their way, overcome danger, had their share of alley and rooftop confrontations, and finally won through to be lauded as heroes.

And thus concludes the adventures of Jacquesaurs the Bard, Picadilly the Holy Cow, Sir Colin the Paladin, Vicks the Druid, Palladium the Cleric and Jalros the Ranger.

Thus concludes Eberron Mystery Theatre.

Thanks for playing!

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Experience, Loot and so Forth:

Everyone gains enough experience points to level them to 13th.

You are all also given an item:

1. Jacquesaurs - A Cli Lyre. (MIC p. 154)

2. Picadilly - A Overhead Shield (MIC p. 20)

3. Sir Colin - A Shirt of Ironskin (MIC p. 135)

4. Vicks - A pair of rings. Ring of Mystic Fire and Ring of Mystic Lightning (MIC p. 125/126)

5. Palladium - A Circlet of Rapid Casting (MIC p. 86)

6. Jalros - A Quiver of Energy (MIC p. 172). You choose what energy type when you draw the arrow.

Eberron Mystery Theatre - Night of the Living Dead

2010-10-16T09:21:00.000-07:00

In this instalment of Eberron Mystery Theatre, our heroes - Jacquesaurs, Jalros, Picadilly, Vicks, Sir Colin and Palladium discover the truth behind Stormreach's zombie apocalypse, and even manage to stop the masterminds, though at the expense of one gnome.

The long awaited day when the duke's mages completed the teleporting circle finally arrived, and a celebration was held in the honor of the party and survivors. Liberal amounts of alcohol and food from the duke's personal larders was served, and the adventurers turned in happy and content in the fact that tomorrow, they would be back in Sharn, and this mess with the zombies behind them.

And it would have ended happily ever after too, except something rotten was afoot. As Jalros woke up from his reverie on the airship, he noticed that the courtyard was quiet - too quiet. The mages had all disappeared, and the guards were standing still in a daze. He approached them to investigate, and realized too late that the guards had all been slain. That was when he noticed that the gate of the keep was unbarred, and that somebody was tampering with the airship.

True enough, the escaped rogue had lain low in the keep in the past few days, and had finally made her move. Jalros sent for help, and had his bird alert the others. Those who slept in the keep though discovered that apart from the rogue and the dead guards, the survivors, all 150 of them in the keep had been poisoned and were dead. What was going on? :o

As Vicks and Jalros rushed to subdue the rogue, Jacquesaurs ran to Captain Seele's quarters, and discovered that she was dead, with a second grin from ear to ear carved in her throat. Vicks attacked the rogue, and their struggle resulted in the ship's hold catching on fire. As the fire spread, the rogue jumped out of a porthole, only to be shot dead by Jalros. Vicks then quickly tried to put out the fire, and Picadilly and Sir Colin helped. By now, zombies had entered the keep, and Jalros was hard pressed to fend them off by firing arrows.

Jacquesaurs took the helm of the ship, and managed to put it on course. As the party jumped aboard, and as the ship flew skywards, everyone spotted some furtive movement on the third floor of the keep, where the keep had a balcony and audience hall. True enough, Duke Thoric was inside, and so was Zan Zar the merchant and the mages from downstairs. As soon as they spotted the ship, two of the mages headed towards the balcony, and sent a volley of fireballs to detonate against the ship, blasting holes in the wood and causing the fires to spread.

Vicks retaliated with spells of his own, as more mages joined the fray. Picadilly teleported to the roof of the audience chamber and began to smash it with her hammer, while Jalros returned fire with arrows. However, the magical onslaught proved difficult for Vicks to defend against, and Jacquesaurs had to ram the ship into the balcony so the melee combatants could disembark to help out.

Zan Zar struck up a dirge song, causing the party to feel sickened and demoralized, and Duke Thoric, whose shadow seemed unusually large and almost solid, leapt to attack the group. With a devastating charge and a jump, he cleaved his sword into Jalros, badly injuring him. Jalros was then knocked down by a fireball from one of the wizards. More spells slammed into the party as the wizards redoubled their efforts, though some of them pinged off Sir Colin's magic shields with little effect. One of Sir Colin's fellow adventurers, who holed up in the bell tower when treachery took place, quickly joined the fray. This mystic was called Palladium, and he flew up to offer what healing aid he could.

Sir Colin activated Angel's Ashes, causing it to burn with brillance at the expense of his own health. As Sir Colin crumpled over, the undead in the courtyard, the skeleton mages, Duke Thoric and Zan Zar felt the wrath of the heavens. The zombies and skeleton mages turned to ash, and Duke Thoric was blinded. Zan Zar smoked and charred, but was mostly unhurt. Zan Zar retaliated with a spell as Duke Thoric flailed with his sword blindly. The sonic vibrations smashed into Sir Colin, killing him. But the miraculous Angel's Ashes took effect again, and Sir Colin came back to life, a little worse for wear as the power of the orb was completely spent. With a charge, Sir Colin skewered Zan Zar, and at the same time, Picadilly finally smashed the roof, causing it to fall on the fat merchant.

Duke Thoric used some foul magic to revive the skeleton mages, and they began casting magic missiles at the party. Most of the missiles that struck Sir Colin and Palladium were negated by their protections, but Jacqeusaurs was not so lucky. He had been doing his best to pilot the ship, so when the missiles slammed home, he had no way to defend against them. Jacquesaurs was drilled through by the missiles and slain outright.

The ship started listing and sinking towards the glowing magic circle in the courtyard. With no one to control the ship now, it would land in the circle and be teleported, likely to Sharn. Angered, Sir Colin charged Duke Thoric, lancing him through the chest and causing him to fall off the balcony. As the body of Duke Thoric pulped on the ground, the shadow detached from his body and made towards the magic circle. Jalros fired arrows at it, but the arrows failed to cause significant harm. Jalros's pet managed to snag the Amulet of the Keeper from Zan Zar's corpse, which quickly decomposed.

Palladium tried to freeze the shadow in place with a moon bolt, causing it to falter, and then Sir Colin hit it with magic missiles, which shredded it to pieces. As the shadow faded away, Palladium casted a dispelling on the teleporting circle, snuffing its magic. The undead outside the keep seemed to stop collectively, fell flat on the ground, and were still.

The party stopped to rest and recover from their ordeal. Searching Zan Zar's body, they retrieved a sending stone, which turned out to belong to Simon the Necromancer. Speaking into the sending stone summoned the wizard to the group, and as they conversed, it seemed more of the mystery came to light. Piecing all the information they had together, the adventurers then could logically conclude that Zan Zar and the Duke were either possessed by the giant spirits that had been loosed from the dragonshards, or were in cahoots with the spirits. The spirits had orchestrated the zombie apocalypse, and the amulet Zan Zar had tricked Simon into retrieving amplified their command of the undead to all undead in the city.

It was fortunate then that the party had put paid to the evil scheme when they did. What if the undead had crossed the portal and attacked Sharn?

Eventually, the party sailed back to Sharn, where they revived Jacquesaurs. They also came out of the adventure stronger, wiser and more powerful. All in time too, since they had to contend with Lord d'Medani's scheduled prison visit on the morrow.

There was ample time though, for Jacquesaurs, who had just recovered from death, to gain some much needed experience before the coming trials. So that was why he and the others descended into a newly opened shaft in Under Sharn to do some exploring.

But that's a story for another time, and best said in Jacquesaurs' own words.

What else will the party come up against in the weeks to come? Stay tuned to Eberron Mystery Theatre to find out!

Palladium the Mystic

2010-10-05T19:42:00.000-07:00

Palladium / Battle Sorcerer 4 / Cleric 3/ Mystic Theurge 4
Medium Sized Human Male (Humanoid)/Lawful Good/Worships Aureon
Hit Dice: 8 + 3d8 + 3d8 + 4d4 + 11
Initiative: 0 (0 Dex)
Speed: 30' (30' base, 20’ in heavy armour, triple speed if running)
AC: 15 (base 10, +5 armour)
Base Attack Bonus: +7 (+7 base)
Base Grapple: +6 (+7 base, -1 Str)
Attacks: Masterwork Heavy Mace +7 (+7 base, +1 masterwork, -1 Str)
Damage: Masterwork Heavy Mace 1d8-1
Face/Reach: 5' x 5'/5'

Special Attacks: Arcane Spells, Divine Spells, Domain Spells (Magic, Law)

Special Qualities: Summon Familiar, No Arcane Failure from Light armour, -1 Spell Slots/Known from all levels (Min 0/1), Turn Undead 12/Day, Turning Check +2 (Synergy)

Base Saves: Fort +5, Reflex +3, Will +11
Total Saves: Fort +8 (+1 Con, +2 magic), Reflex +7 (+2 magic, +2 familiar), Will +17 (+4 Wis, +2 magic)

Strength: 8 (-1)
Dexterity: 10 (+0)
Constitution: 12 (+1)
Intelligence: 14 (+2)
Wisdom: 19 (+4)
Charisma: 16 (+3)

Skills: Concentration +15 (14 ranks, 1 Con), Craft Alchemy + 6 (4 ranks, 2 Int), Decipher Script +4 (2 ranks, 2 Int), Heal +8 (4 ranks, 4 Wis), Knowledge (Arcana) +8 (6 ranks, 2 Int), Knowledge (Religion) +9 (7 ranks, 2 Int), Listen +6 (2 ranks, 4 Wis), Search +6 (2 ranks, 4 Wis), Spot +7 (3 ranks, 4 Wis), Sense Motive +8 (4 ranks, 4 Wis), Spellcraft +12 (8 ranks, 2 Int, 2 Synergy),

Feats:

Human: Practiced Spellcaster (Cleric)

1st : Extra Turning

3rd : Quicken Spell

6th : Divine Metamagic (Quicken)
9th: Sudden Widen

Possessions (magic items are italicized):

Metamagic Rod of Maximize, Lesser [14k]: 3/day maximize spell without changing spell slot

Mithralmist Shirt [swift] (3460gp): 7/day concealment for 1 min, mithral shirt +1,

Greatreach Bracers [swift] (2k gp): 3/day increases reach by 10’ for one round

Gauntlets of Arrow Reflection [immediate] (2k gp): 3/day as Deflect Arrow feat

Ring of Spell Battle [immediate] (12k): Detects any spell casting within 60’. Allows Spellcraft check to identify (DC 15 + spell level) after which allows 1/day counterspell as if dispel magic or change target to any target within 60’.

Ring of Mystic Healing [swift] (3.5k gp) +1 Caster lvl when casting Cure spells, 3/day Add 2d6 to cure spell

Vanisher’s Cloak [standard] (2.5k): 3/day Invisible for 4 rounds.

Reliquary Holy Symbol (1k gp): +2 turnings /day

Vest of Resistence +2 (4k gp): +2 to saving throws

Skin of Power Dampening [Immediate] (10k): 3/day when activated, all spells, SP, power or PSI-like ability is minimized.

Gwaeron’s Boots (6k gp): Continuous Pass Without Trace, cannot be detected by scent

Rod of Viscid Globs [standard] (2k gp): 3/day fires glob up to 100’ that acts like tanglefoot bag and the glob acts as a splash weapon.

*An entangled creature takes a -2 penalty on attack rolls and a -4 penalty to Dexterity and must make a DC 15 Reflex save or be glued to the floor, unable to move. Even on a successful save, it can move only at half speed. Huge or larger creatures are unaffected by a tanglefoot bag. A flying creature is not stuck to the floor, but it must make a DC 15 Reflex save or be unable to fly (assuming it uses its wings to fly) and fall to the ground. A tanglefoot bag does not function underwater.*

Headband of Conscience Effort [immediate] (2k gp): 1/day Use Concentration check for Fort save.

Masterwork Heavy Mace of Returning +1, Lesser (1312gp): Draw weapon as free action. Calls weapon from 30’.

Adventuring sundries (100 g)

Gold and Treasure: 28 gp

Powers:

Divine Caster Level: 11^th (+1 when casting cure, law spells)

Spells Prepared: DC 14 + Spell level

0th (6) - Create Water ( ), Cure Minor Wounds ( ), Detect Magic ( ), Detect Poison ( ), Guidance ( ), Inflict Minor Wounds ( ), Light ( ), Mending ( ), Purify Food and Drink ( ), Read Magic: ( ), Resistance ( ), Virtue ( )

1st (4 + 1 + D) - Bane ( ), Bless ( ), Bless Water ( ), Cause Fear ( ), Command ( ), Comprehend Languages ( ), Cure Light Wounds ( ), Deathwatch ( ), Detect Chaos/Evil/Good/Law ( ), Detect Undead ( ), Divine Favor ( ), Doom ( ), Endure Elements ( ), Entropic Shield ( ), Hide from Undead ( ), Magic Stone ( ), Magic Weapon ( ), Obscuring Mist ( ), Protection from Chaos/Evil/Good/Law ( ), Remove Fear ( ), Sanctuary ( ), Shield of Faith ( ), Summon Monster I ( ), Nimbus of Light* ( )Lesser Vigor* ( ), Impede# ( ), Nightshield* ( )

2nd (3 + 1 + D) - Aid ( ), Align Weapon ( ), Augury ( ), Bear’s Endurance ( ), Bull’s Strength ( ), Calm Emotions ( ), Consecrate ( ), Cure Moderate Wounds ( ), Darkness ( ), Death Knell ( ), Delay Poison ( ), Eagle’s Splendor ( ), Enthrall ( ), Find Traps ( ), Gentle Repose ( ), Hold Person ( ), Make Whole ( ), Owl’s Wisdom ( ), Remove Paralysis ( ), Resist Energy ( ), Restoration, Lesser ( ), Shatter ( ), Shield Other ( ), Silence ( ), Sound Burst ( ), Spiritual Weapon ( ), Status ( ), Summon Monster II ( ), Undetectable Alignment ( ), Zone of Truth ( ), Curse of Ill Fortune* ( ), Deific Vengeance* ( ) ,Quick March * ( ), Benediction others# ( ), Bewildering Substitution# ( ), Conduit of Life# ( ), Divine Presence# ( ), Turn Anathema# ( )

3rd (2 + 1 + D) - Bestow Curse ( ), Blindness/Deafness ( ), Contagion ( ), Continual Flame ( ), Create Food and Water ( ), Cure Serious Wounds ( ), Daylight ( ), Deeper Darkness ( ), Dispel Magic ( ), Glyph of Warding ( ), Helping Hand ( ), Invisibility Purge ( ), Locate Object ( ), Magic Circle against Chaos/Evil/Good/Law ( ), Magic Vestment ( ), Meld into Stone ( ), Obscure Object ( ), Prayer ( ), Protection from Energy ( ), Remove Blindness/Deafness ( ), Remove Curse ( ), Remove Disease ( ), Searing Light ( ), Speak with Dead ( ), Stone Shape ( ), Summon Monster III ( ), Water Breathing ( ), Water Walk ( ), Wind Wall ( ), Chain of Eye* ( ), Telepathic Bond, Lesser* ( ), Vigor* ( ), Vigor, Mass Lesser* ( ), Visage of the Deity, Lesser* ( ), Holy Storm* ( ), Axiomatic Storm* ( ),

4th (1 + 1 + D) - Air Walk ( ), Control Water ( ), Cure Critical Wounds ( ), Death Ward ( ), Dimensional Anchor ( ), Discern Lies ( ), Dismissal ( ), Divination ( ), Divine Power ( ), Freedom of Movement ( ), Giant Vermin ( ), Imbue with Spell Ability ( ), Magic Weapon, Greater ( ), Neutralize Poison ( ), Planar Ally, Lesser ( ), Poison ( ), Repel Vermin ( ), Restoration ( ), Sending ( ), Spell Immunity ( ), Summon Monster IV ( ), Tongues ( ), Moon bolt* ( ), Sheltered Vitality* ( ), Sound Lance* ( ), Summon Hound Archon* ( ), Wall of Sand* ( )

Domain Spells:

Magic Domain

Granted Power: Use scrolls, wands, and other devices with spell completion or spell trigger activation as a wizard of one-half your cleric level (at least 1st level). For the purpose of using a scroll or other magic device, if you are also a wizard, actual wizard levels and these effective wizard levels stack.

Magic Domain Spells

1. Magic Aura: Alters object’s magic aura.

2. Identify: Determines properties of magic item.

3. Dispel Magic: Cancels magical spells and effects.

4. Imbue with Spell Ability: Transfer spells to subject.

Law Domain

Granted Power: You cast law spells at +1 caster level.

Law Domain Spells

1. Protection from Chaos: +2 to AC and saves, counter mind control, hedge out elementals and outsiders.

2. Calm Emotions: Calms creatures, negating emotion effects.

3. Magic Circle against Chaos: As protection spells, but 10-ft. radius and 10 min./level.

4. Order’s Wrath: Damages and dazes chaotic creatures.

Arcane Caster Level: 8^th

Spells Prepared: DC 13 + Spell level

0th (5) – Detect Magic, Ghost Sound, Dancing Lights, Light, Mage Hands, Message, Prestidigitation

1st (6) – Shield, Magic Missile, Featherfall, Comprehend Languages

2nd (6) – Alter Self, Touch of Idiocy

3rd (5) – Fly

4th (2) – Evan’s Spiked Tentacles of Forced Intrusion

Weasel

Size/Type: Tiny Magical Beast

Hit Dice:
Initiative: +2
Base Speed: 20ft, Climb 20ft
Armor Class: 16 (+2 size, +2 Dex, +2 natural armor), Touch 14, Flat Footed 14
Base Attack/Grapple: +7/-5
Attack: Bite +9 (1d3-4)
Full Attack: Bite +9 (1d3-4)
Space/Reach: 2-1/2ft/0-ft
Special Attacks: Low-light vision, Scent, Deliver Touch Spells, Attach
Special Qualities: Empathic Link, Improved Evasion, Share Spells
Saves: Fort +5, Ref +4, Will +11
Ability Scores: Str 3, Dex 15, Con 10, Int 7, Wis 12, Cha 5
Skills: Balance +10, Hide +11, Move Silently +8, Spot +3
Feats: Alertness, Weapon Finesse

Eberron Mystery Theatre - Magnifique?

2010-10-04T21:17:00.000-07:00

In this instalment of Eberron Mystery Theatre, our heroes - Picadilly, Jacquesaurs, Jalros and Sir Colin conclude their investigation of the alchemy lab, and also rescue a group of survivors, with repercussions.

Where we last left off, the party had just descended into the waterlogged tunnel beneath the burnt out apothecary. Disabling a second puzzle door, the group entered what appeared to be a well stocked alchemy lab, replete with all the tools of the alchemists' trade, a live sized skeleton of a pterodactyl hanging from the ceiling, and the requisite book shelves filled with tomes of formulae. Careful searching revealed that the pterodactyl was a dud, and that it was actually a mechanism to open a hidden door in the ceiling. Pulling on it, Picadilly dislodged a large block of stone, which landed on her, but it also revealed a 30-ft shaft ascending into the rock and an oiled rope ladder. Jalros clambered up the rope to another door in the chamber above, but before he could open the door, he triggered a trap, which caused the rope ladder to catch on fire.

Fortunately, the ranger was nimble, and managed to secure himself in the tunnel, whilst letting the rope ladder burn out. He dextrously kicked down the door, and found himself in a square chamber with a plinth in the center, and four mirrored columns. Eventually, Jacquesaurs clambered up to join him, and after awhile, they puzzled out the mechanism. Using the bunch of potion bottles and scrolls in the lab beneath, Jacquesaurs changed three of the pillars into colored pillars, and he released a searing light from the scroll. As the light linked all four mirrors together, a beam cut through the center of the plinth, revealing a glowing white orb. The two also discovered that the door leading out of the plinth room led nowhere, but into a deep, star filled void where no sound was heard. They hastily closed the door, in case they fell inside. :P

After examination, the orb was eventually revealed to be an Angel's Ashes, and Jacquesaurs happily pocketed it because it was so powerful. And then Sir Colin noticed it and confiscated it. XD

The Angel's Ashes though bonded with Sir Colin, granting him angelic powers to help save the people of this place. Armed with this new item, the heroes left the alchemy lab, and proceeded to fly back to the keep. En route, they noticed the Maiden's Head tavern was sending out smoke signals, that it was fortified, and there was an armed dwarf on the rooftop waving his arms at the airship and prodding suspiciously.

Stopping at the Maiden's Head, the party picked up the dwarf and several other survivors - some adventurers had stayed at the Maiden's Head before the zombie attack, and were now eager to be rescued since supplies were low. There was a feral halfling from the Talenta Plains, a goblin ranger who turned out to be pretty righteous, a couple clad in leather armor with no visible weapons, the tavern keeper in his frilly tutu, a dwarven cleric who quickly retired below decks to pray for his spells, the dwarf, and a cloaked elf with a slimey expression.

Shortly after the group boarded however, the party noticed the sinister looking elf, who claimed to be called Martineau the Magnifique fiddling with the ship's elemental ring. When the ship stalled, the party discovered that the elf had in fact disabled the magic and was taking the ship captain hostage.

A battle soon ensued, and the party realized to their detriment that the dwarf, as well as a human couple were all in cahoots with the elf. The elf was a wizard of some power, and he flooded the deck of the airship with choking gas, poisonous gas, and solid fog. He also tried to mind control Jalros, threw people into the clouds, and practiced all sorts of shady magic. The dwarf charged at Picadilly, but was swiftly dispatched by her mooing horns and swinging hammer, as well as Sir Colin's dangerous spear from behind. The couple though had a field day with Jacquesaurs, who stumbled out of the cloud into their arms, to be backstabbed multiple times. They were rogues, the lot of them.

The battle was hard fought, and Jacquesaurs thought he hovered on death's door thrice, but everyone worked together to overcome Martineau. Eventually, they slew the hijacker, rescued Captain Seele, and liberated the ship. The female of the roguish couple though had fled during the fight, and nobody knew where she went. Picadilly thought that maybe she jumped ship.

Once the poisonous gases dissipated, the party returned to the keep, where everyone got some much deserved rest.

But that wouldn't be the end of it, would it? Such a bland ending to Eberron Mystery Theatre? Certainly not. There's still Zombies At The Gates, as our adventurers find out next week. So stay tuned, for the next installment of Eberron Mystery Theatre.

-----

Treasure and Experience

1. Everyone gains 1,500 xp.

2. Scroll of Fireball, Scroll of Polymorph - found in a scroll case in the alchemy lab hidden under the apothecary's shop.

3. Angel's Ashes - Said to contain a real angel's remains. Grants Sir Colin the ability to use Sunburst 1/day. It can also Heal (150 hp) a person it touches 1/day. If Sir Colin uses the Sunburst power, it is Maximized (15d6), but he also takes the same amount of damage as was inflicted to the enemy. Both abilities are used as if by a 15th level caster.

4. Martineau's Cloak - A Minor Cloak of Displacement. Grants 20% miss chance against enemy attacks that require an attack roll.

5. Martineau's Spellbook - A book containing powerful conjuration, enchantment and illusion spells. It has the following spells: 1st - Color Spray, Disguise Self, Hypnotism, Mage Armor, Mount, Unseen Servant; 2nd - Hideous Laughter, Invisibility, Glitterdust, Web; 3rd - Hold Person, Stinking Cloud, Suggestion; 4th - Charm Monster, Phantasmal Killer, Solid Fog; 5th - Cloudkill, Dominate Person, Telekinesis

6. Battlerager's Helm - A dwarven war helm with one broken horn and one intact horn. It allows the wearer to enter a Barbarian Rage 1/day.

7. Blood slick dagger - A dagger of venom. It has a +1 enhancement bonus, and can cast Poison (DC 14) 1/day. This dagger seems to have taken many lives and is EVIL.

Eberron Mystery Theatre - Resident Snivel

2010-09-25T19:58:00.000-07:00

In this instalment of Eberron Mystery Theatre, our heroes - Picadilly, Jacquesaurs, Chris, Vicks, Jalros and Stab continue to investigate the zombie apocalypse in Stormreach, with some fatal consequences.

Picking up where we left off, Stab was dangling on a limp piece of rope from the railing of the airship, and any negotiations with Simon the Necromancer seemed like they were breaking down. In exasperation, Chris decided to curse the rope holding Stab safely in mid air, causing the poor stubby spellthief to fall onto the demonic summoning circle in the center of the tent.

This turned out to be A VERY BAD THING, because Stab's falling into the circle disrupted the magic holding the demon in place, and caused it to break free. It also affected the protections surrounding Zan Zar's tent, and allowed the zombies, all 300 of them, to start breaking through.

The demon was an insectile creature with a scorpion like tail and cockroach features called a Gelugon, and it made short work of Stab. Stab was pierced by the tail and poisoned, turned instantly into a weak, helpless lump of dwarf flesh. Chris and Picadilly jumped down to help, while Vicks, Jalros and Jacquesaurs supported the group from the railing of the ship with arrows and spells. Frustrated, Simon attacked the demon with magic as well, hitting it with a prismatic spray. Unfortunately, Stab was in the vicinity of the demon, and was also hit. Needless to say, he was instantly vaporized. The demon survived though.

Zan Zar panicked and ran towards the tent entrance as the hooded figures in the tent, revealed to be death knights under the control of Simon the Necromancer, moved to engage the zombies. Jacquesaurs polymorphed himself into a bird using his cloak, and flew after Zan Zar, casting a Hold Person spell after to try to stop the fat merchant from fleeing. But Zan Zar shrugged off the spell, and darted away. As he fled through the zombie hordes, Jacquesaurs spied a very sinister look on Zan Zar's face.

But the group didn't have enough time to think about it. The demon was still active, and the zombies were pressing in. With Simon's help, they made quick work of the demon, but the necromancer refused to have anything further to do with the zombies. Zan Zar had hired him to solve the problem, but the party had messed it up. He was not interested in cleaning up after them, so he picked up his payment - a powerful magic staff and a bag of coins from the till, and teleported away with his servants.

This left the party in A VERY BAD PLACE. Vicks turned into a giant eagle, and flew Picadilly back up to the ship and safety, while the others began to gather what treasure they could, before making their way back to the ship. Chris held back the zombies with his fire staff, but to little avail. There were too many, and he was soon overwhelmed. However, he managed to grab hold of another one of Zan Zar's treasures, a staff with a dragon's claw on it, and used it to summon a dragon to help him. He quickly flew away on dragonback, scoffing at the party.

And then, of course, the tent blew up. The explosion rocked the airship, but thankfully, only Jalros's bird was killed. Returning to the keep, the group dropped off the survivors they had rescued, turned in the supplies they had found, and helped with the fortifications.

The following day, a knight in shiny armor rode up to the keep gate, seeking sanctuary. As it turned out, this knight was a paladin of Aureon, the god of knowledge and magic. His name was Sir Colin, and he was quickly integrated into the party after he volunteered to help.

Discovering that there was an apothecary's shop on the third tier that could have valuable supplies, the group set off again. Dispatching the zombies in the shop easily, the group soon found a magical glow coming from underneath an intact cupboard of ironwood. They flipped it over, and discovered that they had freed a trapped air elemental. The air elemental parleyed with the party, and informed them that there was magic beneath the shop that could aid them.

Searching around, the party uncovered a sealed hatch inscribed with symbols that had 30 buttons on its surface. It took the group several attempts to puzzle through the mechanism, since they no longer had a rogue who could disable devices with them. The party also triggered several traps in the process, and Jacquesaurs was turned into a chicken.

Fortunately, the magic was not beyond dispelling, and after entering the water filled tunnel beneath the shop, Vicks was able to magic Jacquesaurs back to normal. Of course, there was another door in the basement. With another magical mechanism looking strangely like the first.

What lies beneath (and by association beyond)? Will Jacquesaurs be turned into another fluffy animal? Will somebody cry FOWL? All this and more in next week's installment of Eberron Mystery Theatre.

-----

Treasure and Experience

1. Jacquesaurs finally reaches Level 11.

2. Magic Map - found in a scroll case in Zan Zar's shop. This map allows you to detect the layout (but not features) of a dungeon or compound up to 1-mile wide. It is usable 1/day.

3. Beastbane Axe - +1 Battleaxe, Beastbane. Counts as a +3 weapon that also inflicts an additional 2d6 bonus damage against Beast type monsters.

4. Enchanted Spear - A +1 Cold Iron Spear.

5. Everfull Quiver - This quiver looks like it can contain 20 arrows. However, so long as there is at least 1 mundane arrow remaining in this quiver, it will never run out of arrows, since it magically produces mundane arrows to replace any that are drawn.

6. Wand of Restoration - 10 charges.

Combat in Lord Valkar's crypt II

2010-09-18T09:13:00.000-07:00

"the shadow monster snapped Ellis like a twig.... "
- Eberron Mystery Theatre - Curse of the Golden Door

Combat in Lord Valkar's crypt

2010-09-18T09:08:00.000-07:00

Map on Stormreach Keep

2010-09-18T08:58:00.000-07:00

Eberron Mystery Theatre - Curse of the Golden Door (also the Zombie Apocalypse, but more on that later)

2010-09-18T07:44:00.001-07:00

In this instalment of Eberron Mystery Theatre, our heroes - Picadilly, Jacquesaurs, Stab, Vicks, Jalros and Ellis, fresh from their defeat of the Raven, discover that downtime's not all about rest and relaxation - there's still adventure to be had, and these adventures, as they soon realize, can prove to be quite deadly.

With two weeks to spare before a scheduled inspection of the Hell's Heart Prison, where the mastermind behind the Raven's killing spree - their archnemesis Victor Saint-Demain - has been imprisoned, our heroes realize that they have some time to spare before they are called upon to finally indict the old bastard, and see to his execution for crimes against the goodly folk of the city of Sharn.

Thusly, they decided to take up some work to earn them extra money, money that would help them refurbish their new lodgings in Morgrave University's Old Quarter, and as it turned out, there were quite a few quests to be had.

The Church of the Silver Flame was financing an expedition to the Eldeen Reaches, where a sliver of rock and a dreaded rift from the great dark beyond had appeared.

In the same vein, the Merchant's Concern, chaired by Lord Hubert ir'Maron, had received a somewhat sensitive request. One of their members, an artificer called Frederick, an excoriate of the House of Cannith, was seeking aid with the retrieval of a precious medallion and scepter from the crypt of Lord Valkar, which the adventurers had attempted to pillage previously. Of course, the medallion had been sold by Jacquesaurs on the black market, but the scepter was still somewhere within the crypt, or so it seemed.

Seizing the opportunity to finally acquire the golden doors they'd left in Lord Valkar's crypt, and seeing this quest as a sign of providence, the inquisitives, together with a reluctant Picadilly, traveled through Undersharn towards Valkar's resting spot, and there they began to tear the crypt apart. The shadows that spawned now were not a match for the group, and Jalros easily dispatched the lone shadow that materialized in response to Picadilly's presence.

True enough, there was a hidden compartment in the portrait in Lord Valkar's crypt. A cunning shelf of rock was hidden behind the picture frame, and there was something caught inside it. Vicks used his ability to soften earth and stone to break open the stone shelf and secure the scepter within. But the scepter was clearly a foul relic. As soon as Vicks touched it, he felt his lifeforce being drained away. Picadilly retreated out of the chamber, and Vicks tried to do the same, but Vicks realized that he couldn't exit the chamber.

Jacquesaurs entered the chamber to help, and so did Ellis, and the both of them were stuck. It was then that they realized that something was wrong, and that their presence had caused a shadowy creature to spawn in the center of the room - an abomination that was an amalgamation of all their images.

Outside, the other adventurers realized that they couldn't hear what transpired within, or affect the interior. Even worse, Picadilly and Jalros couldn't enter the chamber. A potent magical force kept them at bay. Stab, who was naturally cautious, hung back and began to observe his surroundings for a clue.

Inside, the trapped adventurers found a talisman, which Ellis attempted to use on the magical symbol of the Keeper that they had suspected was responsible for the magic keeping them in the chamber and summoning the shadow creature. Unfortunately, the talisman only sped up the process of summoning the shadow, and it quickly grew active. Swinging one of its four arms up, it grappled Ellis, and started draining the poor rogue's strength. It then moved closer to Jacquesaurs and Vicks, and began threatening them.

Outside, Picadilly, Jalros, his bird and Stab started poking at the runes and symbols around the door, which were designed to prevent them from entering. It was tough work, and as they watched, the shadow monster snapped Ellis like a twig, and then proceeded to squeeze the life out of Jacquesaurs. Vicks hurled several Flame Strikes at the monster, and then wailed at it with his paws in bear form, but those attacks didn't seem to hurt too much. Ellis rose up as a shadow creature, but was incinerated by a Flame Strike.

Eventually, the outside group managed to break down the magical symbols, but it was too late for Jacquesaurs. The monster smacked Jacquesaurs about, and Jacquesaurs died, drained to a withered husk. Jalros feathered the monster now that the room was back in phase in the real world, and exploded it, and then Jacquesaurs, who had been killed, turned into a shadow creature. Vicks flailed him and destroyed his remains quickly, before he could take an offensive action.

Now that the group had lost two of their members, very likely permanently, they quickly packed the scepter, retrieved the golden doors of Lord Valkar's tomb, and beat a hasty retreat. Eventually, they decided to consult with the goodly temple of Dol Arrah that Picadilly was from, and sought help bringing Jacquesaurs back to life. It was an expensive proposition, however, which would eat up any profit they would make out of selling the golden doors. But the gnome was a good friend who would be sorely missed otherwise.

So they steeled themselves, and requested the high cleric to pray for a Miracle. The Miracle was granted, and Jacquesaurs was returned to the land of the living, none the worse for wear, and heavily in debt to the party.

With the gnome bard alive again, the party decided to pursue their other lead. They had to track down the other part of their mission - the amulet that Jacquesaurs had sold away on the Tyrants' black market. They visited the Tyrants, only to realize that the amulet had recently been purchased by an agent of Zan Zar, the merchant the party had crossed in Xen'drik. The agent was none other than Simon, the Necromancer. It seemed that some characters from their past had cropped up. How odd was that?

Resolving to pursue Simon and collect the amulet, the adventurers boarded the White Seele, bound for Stormreach, where Zan Zar was based. But when they arrived, they discovered Stormreach to be devoid of life - it looked as if some disaster had swept the streets - not a soul was in sight, and what movement they saw was due to zombies. The city was filled with those undead things, crawling with zombies, and the living, or what was left of them, were scattered in tiny pockets across the three tiered city.

Flying up to Stormreach Keep, the adventurers encountered the one remaining lord of the city, Lord Thoric, and his ragtag group of survivors. He had managed to keep some 300 of the citizens, members of the watch, and several members from the Dragonmarked houses safe, and they were doing their best to make a spirited, if somewhat futile defense against the zombies. Somehow, all divine magic in the city had failed, and with no clerics to stem the undead tide, they had washed over the city quickly. The city watch had fallen within a day, riots had broken out in the lower levels, adventurers had caused more harm than help, and everything had bloody went to hell in a handbasket, or so Lord Thoric claimed.

Our inquisitives decided to pitch in, since they had an airship. They offered to take some of Lord Thoric's men on a supply run, and ended up rescuing some additional members of the town watch who had been sent for supplies and were waylaid, as well as a bunch of survivors who had hidden themselves in a tavern.

The airship hovered towards Zan Zar's tent, which seemed to be zombie free, and Stab rappelled down to spy. He poked a hole through the canvas, and noticed Zan Zar in communion with a cloaked figure, talking in Abyssal. Using the sending stone in his possession, he attempted to transmit the conversation to the others so they could figure out what was going on. However, he was noticed, and barely escaped being incinerated by a blast of acid.

As the tent dissolved away, everyone discovered that Zan Zar was in the tent with several other hooded figures, and Simon the Necromancer. There was also a magic circle with a bound demon in it, and their conversation, which revolved around demons and sacrifices, sounded rather sketchy.

It was a surprising reveal. There was obviously something going on here, and clearly both Zan Zar, who was spotted wearing the evil amulet, and Simon the Necromancer, were involved somehow.

But what was going on exactly? What will the party get up to next in Eberron Mystery Theatre? Stay tuned to find out.

-----

Treasure and Experience

1. All adventurers gain enough XP to put them at Level 11. Those who perished today however only gain 1,500 xp. Please update your character sheets accordingly.

2. Golden Doors - From Lord Valkar's crypt. Sold for 25,000 gp.

3. Scepter of the Keeper - A quest item, claimed by Frederick the Excoriate to possess the ability to act as a power source. Currently possesses undocumented powers.

Eberron Mystery Theatre - Quoth the Raven, Nevermore

2010-09-04T22:28:00.000-07:00

In this instalment of Eberron Mystery Theatre, our heroes - Picadilly, Jacquesaurs, Chris, Stab, and their new friends Jalros (the stalker) and Ellis (a rogue) uncovered the Raven's hidden lair, braved a series of nefarious traps and dangerous tests, and finally fought him on the rooftops of a clock tower, where they finally defeated him and ended his killing spree.

Rushing back from the Orien train yards, our heroes discovered that Clifftop was, in fact, burning. A thick blanket of ash, filled the skies above the water tower, and flames that burnt black and red and orange in the night flickered ominously in the distance. Rubble rained down from the edge of the cliff - bits of detritus, loose bricks, debris, a half eaten hand, and Diaspo, whose broken and battered body had been shot full of holes and eaten by some sort of carnivorous plant.

Arriving at Clifftop, the party witnessed first hand the destruction wrought by the Raven. The ground was pitted and charred, rocks blasted black and broken. Nearby oak trees had been blasted apart by lightning, and continued to smoke intermittantly. The water tower was in shambles, a collapsed, smoking ruin, and bodies - those of Chris's hirelings, littered the area. They had tried to put up a fight - that much was obvious, but it was clearly one sided.

A murder of crows flocked ominously above the water tower, and as the party scrambled onto the scene, one of them grew larger, changing shape into a robed figure clad in black feathers. The crows parted, as if following his mental command, and hovered around him sinisterly, their darkness blocking out all light, their wings blotting the sky.

Gloating, the figure introduced himself as the Raven, and after raining a few lightning bolts down on the party, flew away, leaving only a vellum note - a challenge for the party to find him, before he killed off the hostages he had taken from Clifftop.

Jalros joined the group immediately, eager to take revenge on the Raven for his murder of Star, but a passer-by, who had joined the fray with his crossbow in hand, slipped away before the party could question him further. Who was this mystery helper? The party wondered, but they had more pressing concerns before them. They only had 24 hours before the Raven would kill the hostages, and not much of a clue to start with.

Everyone examined the note anxiously, and then Stab had an epiphany. The note hinted at a clock tower, and there were only three such places in Sharn. The most likely one, though, was the one in the orphanage at Aureon's Gate, where everything had started.

The party passed into the Gate of Gold, and into Aureon's Gate, where they spied somebody lurking about in one of the rooms. Jacquesaurs casted an invisibility spell on himself, and sneaked in, only to spot that the lurker was none other than Star - who had been presumed dead. Jacquesaurs sneaked closer for a look, only to step on some bits of spikey broken glass in the doorway, cutting his foot and giving his position away. Held at sword point, Jacquesaurs was forced to drop his invisibility and fast talk his way out of the situation. It seemed that Star had escaped from the Raven, and was ready to flee the town. But Picadilly, observing the exchange from a nearby window, noticed something strange. Star's nose was glowing an unhealthy shade of red, a sure sign of evil. Stab pulled out a placard and stuck it on the window to alert Jacquesaurs, and as the bard stalled for time, Picadilly busted through the wall with her hammer, and conked the imposter senseless.

The imposter quickly surrendered, revealing himself to the be none other than Vrinn the changeling. He had been alternately hired and blackmailed by the Raven into masquerading as Star, and everything had been an elaborate set up. The real exotic dancer had been killed several days ago, and left to rot in the rail car, while Vrinn had adapted himself into Star's life, and pretended to be kidnapped while dancing on stage. The flash of light was a careful ruse to blind anyone who might be able to spot him while he drank a potion of invisibility and fled into the rafters. He was the one who had dropped the note on the stage in the Glitterdust, and also disguised himself as one of the stage hands after the act.

The plan, it seemed, was motivated by revenge. The Raven was out to get the party because of their involvement in the capture of Victor Saint-Demain, whom the Raven admired. In exchange for his life, Vrinn took the party to the place where he normally met the Raven, an open area beneath a large tree at Skysedge Park. From there, the party quickly traced the Raven's animal messenger, a small crow, to Morgrave University's sealed section.

After gaining entry into the University and asking the permission of Headmaster Larrian, the party converged on the sealed section - an old quarter of the university comprising several hostels, classrooms, and a clock tower, long since abandoned. There, they found the Raven's telltale pets hovering about, and the clock tower's hands moving, counting backwards, to the 12 'o clock.

Entering the clock tower, the party found Chris's dwarf chained to a marble slab. Ominous music played from a pipe organ set in the walls, and steam jets and chains manipulated a crushing weight above the slab. As the music went up a key, the weight lowered, pressing closer onto the poor dwarf. Eager to save his hireling, Chris cursed the organ with his magic. But his Baleful Utterance backfired, and released the weight immediately, flattening the poor dwarf and turning him into paste. At least the way was clear up to the second level.

On the second level, the party discovered Chris's artificer friend tied to a chair, with long needles stuck into his arms and legs, bleeding him for 'ink'. Wires and pulleys connected the chair to a printing press, and the printing press to a large ladder that dangled from the ceiling. This trap was more elaborate than the last, and as the adventurers tried to puzzle out the way to disable the trap, they thought they heard the Raven's mocking laugh echoing down.

Faced with little time or choice, the adventurers quickly cut the cables connecting the artificer to the machine. True enough, it dropped the ladder, allowing entry to the third level, but it also caused a sudden spurt of blood to pour out of the artificer, causing his death.

The third, and final trap that awaited them was a true marvel of evil engineering. In the center of the chamber was a large glass jar, and in it, Chris saw Cassandra Seele, the ship captain he had recently sponsored. Tubes poured a nasty chemical into the glass jar, and four sconces at the edges of the room were directed towards the gas pipes, likely to ignite them. Everyone noticed this immediately, and quickly disabled the torches. However, their efforts only caused the gas to be emitted faster. Chris was flustered, and tried to curse the bell jar open, to no avail. Picadilly helped to bash the jar with her hammer, and the others joined in as well.

Eventually, with great effort, the party managed to break enough of the bell jar to allow the poisonous gas to disperse, and pulled Cassandra to safety. The doorway to the fourth level was unbarred, but this led to a precarious, one foot wide ledge that circled around the outside of the tower, to a ladder up to the fourth floor.

Jacquesaurs, being the lightest, was the first one to brave the ladder. He managed to climb up, and opened the door to the fourth floor, only to trigger a trap that hit him with a big gust of wind. Fortunately, he was tied to a rope, and did not fall to his death. It was, however a near thing. The party made their way up more carefully after that, and as they piled into the fourth floor chamber, realized that it was the Raven's laboratory and study. Sifting through the notes, they discovered that the Raven had plotted everything in great detail. They also discovered damning letters between the Raven and Victor, who was supposedly locked away in Hell's Heart, a maximum security prison floating on a rock outside of Sharn.

They had everything they needed to convict the villainous Raven now. All they needed was to find him. Hearing another cackle from the top of the tower, the adventurers decided that instead of climbing up to face him, they would fireball the top of the tower, blowing it up, and the Raven with it.

Rappeling down the rope to the ground floor, the party took cover, and both Chris and Jacquesaurs used fireball charges to destroy the fifth floor of the tower. Both fireballs impacted the clock face, blowing it to smithereens. As the parts of the clock rained down on the ground, the party noticed the figure of the Raven unfurling his cloak and taking to the air, seemingly unscathed.

What followed was a long battle where the party and the Raven traded spells and attacks. Lightning bolts, scorching flame strikes, swarms of stinging insects and even a water elemental were summoned by the Raven, who seemed to have the upper hand from his perch. Picadilly teleported both Stab and Jacquesaurs to the top of the tower, but to no avail. The Raven simply blew Stab off the tower with a gust of wind, and sent his elemental after Jacquesaurs, causing Jacquesaurs to fall off.

That was when the mysterious helper - Ellis the rogue, joined the fray. He levitated cunningly up from the rear of the tower, and took several shots at the Raven. With the addition of a new member, the tide of battle slowly turned. The Raven's magical protections were whittled away, and he was forced to cast a spell of acid rain to take out the adventurers. But by then, the Raven was on his last legs, and the combined effort of the party, and a well placed crossbow bolt from the friendly rogue took care of him, ending the Raven's spree forever.

With the threat of the Raven neutralized, there were still questions to be answered. Victor was obviously involved somehow, and there was the question of finding a new place of business and refurbishing it.

What will the party get up to next in Eberron Mystery Theatre? Stay tuned to find out.

-----

Treasure and Experience

1. All adventurers gain 1,500 xp.

2. Keen Rapier +1 - From Vrinn.

3. Wand of Call Lightning - 5 charges

4. Wand of Invisibility - 7 charges

5. Cloak of Black Feathers - 3/day Polymorph into a raven for up to 10 minutes.

6. Stonebark Armor - Hide Armor +3. 1/day Stoneskin (DR 10/-, Absorb up to 70 damage) for 7 rounds.

Eberron Mystery Theatre: Quoth the Raven, Once More.

2010-08-15T00:53:00.000-07:00

In this instalment of Eberron Mystery Theatre, our heroes - Picadilly, Jacquesaurs, Chris and Stab attempt to discover the whereabouts of Star, the abducted exotic dancer from the Glitterdust tavern, and how the elusive Raven factors into this strange and certainly sketchy mystery.

After subduing and questioning the mysterious stalker in the Glitterdust tavern, our adventurers realize that he is a Valanar elf named Jalros, a hapless fan who has been keeping an eye on Star upon realizing that somebody or something was stalking her. He had attempted to break into the tavern to warn her after discovering some raven feathers near her abode, but had been delayed by the party. In the confusion, the Raven had done the deed, and abducted Star, or so it seemed.

True enough, there was another warning, penned in red ink, left in the center of the stage, where Star had last been seen. It described a graveyard of warforged and discarded rail cars, deep in the Cogs. Tapping their contacts for more information, our adventurers realized that there were tales of a spider creature in that particular sector that was dangerous and threatening, and they resolved to visit the House Cannith enclave to seek advice from the artificers.

Both Stab and Jacquesaurs decided to infiltrate one of the staff rooms of the Cannith enclave while Picadilly and Chris waited in line for their consultation. Both our roguish adventurers bit off a whole lot more than they could chew though, and Jacquesaurs ended up indebted to Patriarch Merrix, the chief artificer and leader of the Cannith house in Sharn! :o

Still, they managed to wrangle enough information out of the Cannith artificers about the spider. It was likely an adamantite spider walker from the Last War that had been experimented on and decommissioned. Somehow it must have been brought back to life, and it would prove difficult to put the creation down. Armed with what knowledge they discovered, the adventurers headed deep into the Cogs, past the poisonous coal vents and burning fires in Khyber's Gate and Blackbones, to Orien's Graveyard, where Star was presumably held.

Our adventurers were ambushed in the fog as they poked through the burned and wrecked husks of carriages and lightning rail cars by primitive looking warforged made of brass and bronze that wielded fire throwers and sharp spears. They easily dispatched these annoyances, but these turned out to be purely fodder. The spider construct took the opportunity to surprise them and joined the fray, lobbing steel cables and fire balls left and right, while at the same time stamping and stabbing with its adamantite legs.

The battle was hard fought, with Jacquesaurs doing all he could to hide and bolster his companions with his rousing songs, with Chris zapping willy nilly, and Stab stabbing the spider whenever he could. Picadilly clobbered the spider too, but was toasted and made into beef jerky by a fireball. As more fireballs landed in the yard, causing rail cars to explode and shower the party with debris, Stab found an opening, and hurled his meteoric knife. It stuck in a vital piece of arcane circuitry, and caused the spider to implode.

Chunks of the spider landed haphazardly in the yard, and as it rolled to a stop in front of the adventurers, they realized that it was indeed a cross between a warforged and a mechanical spider contraption, armed with wands and other such implements. Implements which they of course looted.

Now that the danger was out of the way, the adventurers continued to search the train yard, kicking down doors as they came across them. One of the train cars, a group of three cargo cars chained together, smelt funny, and they decided to investigate it. True enough, the smell of dried blood, rotten meat and decay permeated the place, and it was all the adventurers could do to keep their dinners and not gag.

Chains hung from the ceilings in these cars, or lay in piles on the ground, mixed with crates containing rotting foodstuffs and rubbish. Bugs creeped and crawled through the melange, and a half dozen putrid cow carcasses hung, strung up, from the rafters. The party split up, with Chris and Stab moving to investigate the cow carcasses, while Picadilly and Jacquesaurs proceeded to the final cart, where they discovered Star's flensed body, hanging from a meat hook.

Before they could liberate her body however, the chains in the cart started to dance, and the doors all slammed shut, sealed by dancing, clanging and whipping chains. A lithe, naked creature with glowering yellow eyes descended from the darkness, and started flailing at the party. Another guardian had been placed here - a chain devil.

Once again, Stab won the day. As the party wailed at the chain devil with weapons and spells, he shivved the devil but good with his knife, killing it. This stopped the chains from moving magically, and released Star from her hook as well.

As Jacquesaurs inspected Star's body, he discovered a note shoved halfway down her throat. It was the third piece of the Raven's tale, and it held ominous portents. It was scrawled, rather than written, in a hasty hand, and it described how the adventurers had gone about their investigation, how they had fought the warforged and the spider thing, and even their battle with the chain devil. It was as if the Raven had been nearby, watching all along.

It also portended something sinister and grim. The adventurers were the true targets of the Raven, and he promised them a surprise when they returned to Clifftop. They would arrive in time to see it burn.

And that was when Jacquesaurs read the final line, which described how the Raven had rigged the note with magic. And then the note exploded in his face.

Will the adventurers rush back to Clifftop in time to stop the Raven, or will they arrive too late to defeat this new nemesis?

Stay tuned to Eberron Mystery Theatre to find out.

Eberron Mystery Theatre: Murder, Mystery, Bad Prose, oh my~!

2010-07-31T09:17:00.001-07:00

In today's instalment of Eberron Mystery Theatre, our heroes - Picadilly, Jacquesaurs, Chris, Stab and Vicks returned to Sharn, the fabled City of Towers, but not before leaving a fair bit of mayhem and confusion in their wake in distant Stormreach.

Having vanquished Hrothgarr the Terrible in Dulled Quartz, our inquisitives decided to visit the Thieves' Market in Stormreach before hitching a ride back to Sharn in the White Seele, both to pawn off their ill gotten gains, and to secure an elemental core for the airship. It would have been a relatively uneventful shopping trip too, if not for Chris shooting his mouth off whilst bartering for a better price on above said ill gotten gains.

As it turned out, his rude comments angered a Cleric of Kol'Korran, and things quickly went south from there. Jacquesaurs turned invisible and retreated really quickly, singing an Allegro as he did so. Stab too, tried to hide in plain sight, leaving Chris to fend for himself. Fortunately, Chris was not a complete pansy, and ducked onto a table, where he erected a wall of fire to shelter himself. Eventually, Stab passed our errant warlock a gas form potion, which he quaffed, before he too, ran away. Chris oozed his way past his attackers, and flowed into a drain pipe, only to find himself flushed by a gush of water, and later stoppered in a jar. Stab's quick thinking, and a helpful disguise that turned him into the chief cleric of the adjacent temple though, allowed him to rescue Chris before his gassy ass was toasted.

Returning to Sharn, our inquisitives discovered that much had changed in the past two weeks - a fire had ravaged the Cogs. One of the coal shafts deep in Blackbones and Khyber's Gate had ignited, and the blaze still raged two weeks on. The air in Sharn was black and choked with soot, and a perpetual ash fell like dirty snow, blanketing the town. Martial law and a curfew had been put in effect for the sake of public safety, public sky coaches were inoperable, and flying of any sort was hazardous, thanks to the low visibility.

Similarly, a string of sensational murders had taken place in the past two weeks, murders that taxed the already strained resources of the Sharn Watch to the breaking point. There was a serial killer on the loose, one with a self-styled artistic flair and an unusual modus operandi - he would send gaudily descriptive prose, written in blood or red ink to the Sharn Watch and the Sharn Inquisitive to publicize and describe his deeds in gory detail. Already, a Morgrave University professor of literature and a prostitute from Firelight had fallen prey to this depraved murderer, and it seemed, there was soon to be a third.

Of course, not all news was bad news. Stab had in fact received a letter from Lady Zelina suggesting that they date (which was exaggerated wildly in the press as an engagement) and our dear 'locksmith' had been informed that the good Baron had set him up with a deputy-ship with the Sharn Watch that included a decent salary and staff benefits. And then there was the mandatory letter in the inbox from Captain Travish of the Sharn Watch. Demanding that the group head down to see her as soon as they were back.

So they did.

As it turned out, Captain Travish was keen to start Stab off on his road to becoming a Watch officer. The Baron had insisted, very strongly, that they give Stab a chance to prove himself, and the perfect opportunity had presented itself. With the Watch's manpower bollocksed by the fire and the pollution, the inquisitives were given the task of tracking down the serial killer, dubbed the Raven, and stopping him before he strikes next.

After checking the handwritten notes sent to the Sharn Watch, and the sizeable collection of cleric's reports about the first two murders, our inquisitives decided to split up into three groups - Stab and Chris headed to Firelight to look for the house of the second victim - Elisna e'Claire, while Jacquesaurs and Vicks went to Morgrave University to interview people who might know Professor Litan ir'Tassan. Picadilly stayed behind at the watch house to puzzle over the latest note, which described a Star in the Darkness.

The investigation turned out to be full of strange twists and turns. Interviewing one of the prostitutes' colleagues in the skin trade, Chris and Stab discovered that the victim was a typical prostitute - promiscuous, cheap, and with a distaste for gnomes. Nothing that would have gotten her killed. They did however discover that she had complained about being watched by a bird and losing sleep. A crow's feather was also found stuck under one of her bed posts at the site of her murder.

At Morgrave, Jacquesaurs and Vicks questioned the staff and students, and even had their helpers from the agency sift through the writing samples of the professor's students to cross reference for similar writing styles with the culprit, but this turned up a blank. The maid Fennel, who had discovered the professor's body, professed no knowledge of the crime, other than that she had taken him his dinner several days before, and that she'd discovered the body after three days, and had detected a bad smell from the professor's room.

Opening the door, Jacquesaurs and Vicks discovered the window ajar, and everything else otherwise neat and tidy (if ash coated). They spotted several black feathers in the chamber, and a tiny, clawed footprint near the window sill, but nothing truly incriminating.

Later on, once the party reconvened, Picadilly suggested checking the latest note for clues, and after wracking their brains, the inquisitives discovered that there were several paragraphs, just like the notes before, which described a possible victim. The victim would be a famous Star, and there was only one really popular one in town - the Star of Glitterdust, a high classed tavern with cabaret acts complete with magical light shows in the Menthis area.

Travelling there, our inquisitives made the acquaintance of the club bouncers and their badly dressed half-ogre leader Ursk. It didn't take them long to convince the bouncers that they were watch members, and they were led backstage to interview Star. Her initial reaction to the party was cold, and she dismissed them until they mentioned their exploits. She listened with especial interest when they described how they had taken care of Victor Saint-Demain, and consented to let them stay backstage till after her show tonight. She also confessed that she felt like she was being watched in the past week or so, and hoped the inquisitives could be an effective deterrent.

Chris and Vicks blended into the club crowd as the show began, while Jacquesaurs stayed on stage, close enough to protect Star, but far enough away to not interfere with her performance. Picadilly stayed backstage to keep a watchful eye for suspicious activity, while Stab chose to hide in the cabinet in Star's backstage area, in case somebody sneaked in from behind.

True enough, as the show began, Stab noticed the back door creaking open, and something come in. He quickly flipped his eye patch, and discovered a tall, slender figure in a black cape standing over the dresser table. He seemed to be fiddling with some of Star's make up, and even had a large black feather in one hand.

The figure eventually made its way to the cabinet, and that was when Stab attacked and stabbed the figure. As the two tussled, Stab realized that he was squaring off against an elf with a double scimitar, an exotic weapon from distant Valenar. The elf had a crazed look in his eyes, and seemed eager to run Stab through. Stab quickly called for help using his sending stone, and also summoned a beetle from his necklace to buy him time. It worked, and Jacquesaurs rushed in from behind the curtains leading to the main stage to help, a Hold spell at the ready.

The spell took effect, but the figure shrugged it off and pressed the assault. Picadilly heard the noise and joined in, and found the others trying to wrest the scimitar out of the elf's hands. She proceeded to help, but wasn't very effective since the elf was surprisingly stubborn. He shrugged off the spell again, and tried to run away, only to be forced into a corner. He pressed and attacked while he retreated.

Outside, the lights flashed dramatically and there was a puff of wind and smoke. When the smoke cleared, the idol Star was gone. But that wasn't the part of the show. It was then that our inquisitives realized too late that as they were busy stopping the interloper, the Raven had snatched Star from under their noses.

What will happen next week in our energy charged and highly investigative murder mystery?

Same time, same day. Stay tuned to Eberron Mystery Theatre to find out.

Eberron Mystery Theatre: The 6 o'clock Shadow

2010-07-24T09:59:00.000-07:00

In today's instalment of Eberron Mystery Theatre, our heroes - Picadilly, Jacquesaurs, Chris and Vicks continue their adventures in Xen'drik, at the shadow infested town of Dulled Quartz, where they experience an earth shattering supernatural occurrence, and more danger than they'd ever faced before.

Seeking shelter at the temple of Arawai, our inquisitives chanced upon Sir Herman and his sister, the cleric Fiona Flamehair investigating a series of crypts in the temple catacombs. As it turned out, Vicks also discovered, upon setting foot in this hallowed place, that he could once again seek the divine intercession of Arawai, and quickly proceeded to offer up ablutions and prayers at the altar while his friends continued their search.

The underground catacombs, as it turned out, were treacherously dark and the ground uneven. Approaching the largest crypt, where Sister Flamehair was scrutinizing something, the party discovered that it was in fact a sarcophagus of stone that interred the bones of an ancient warlord - Hrothgarr the Terrible, Scourge of the Dragon Lands. Further investigation also revealed that other sarcophagi in various sealed crypts near to this place contained the remains of his numerous sons and daughters. and his close to two score sons and daughters. The tomb of Hrothgarr had been destroyed somehow, split in twain as if by a great blow, and the rest of the sarcophagi bore marks of wear and tear.

Sniffing about, Picadilly also discovered a bunch of tracks leading up to the tomb of Hrothgarr and a brass button - the sort worn by the clergy of the Host. Curious indeed. Following up on this lead, Picadilly decided to hunt for the temple's keeper, and clambered up to the chambers above to investigate, while Chris and Jaq decided to unseal some of the crypts, to nose around for more information about the tomb's denizens. Understandably, both Sir Herman and Sister Flamehair chose to have no part of this sacrilege, and excused themselves to investigate the town further.

Though the temple keeper was nowhere to be found, Picadilly did discover the cleric's effects left in a dresser in the room, and a journal describing the goings on in the past tenday. It seemed everything had started with a curious storm brewing on the horizon, and a strange sound in the sealed chambers below.

Meanwhile, Chris and Jaq were happily busting the sealed crypts open, and had come into the possession of an incredibly sharp bronze sword and what appeared to be a cruelly barbed spear with a blood groove. Gripping the spear, Jaq was possessed by an evil force, and a voice in his head shouted for him to stab Chris with it. So he did. As blood ran down the blade, the two finally realized what the item was, and its cursed nature, and quickly ran towards the ladder leading up. They slammed the trap door down as the spear animated and chased after them, causing it to lodge in the planking. Their antics gained the attention of Vicks, who had just about finished his ritual ablutions, and with Vicks's help, they managed to subdue the weapon. Jaq then grabbed hold of it and stuck it in his pack for safe keeping.

After securing the temple, and finding no sign of the brother sister duo, the party decided to rest for the night. The following morning, they were woken up by the sound of bird song and the ringing of the church bell signalling the morning mass. As sunlight streamed into the temple, they discovered that every thing about the town seemed to be well. People were in the streets, going about their business, and the temple keeper was pottering about cleaning around the altar.

Everything in Dulled Quartz seemed to be well. The blasted cart stood in the street, but already it was being cleared away by the townsfolk. A gruff dwarf was supervising the clean up, and all along the main thoroughfare and the square, it seemed the town was one full of life, instead of one wracked by death. Still, there were houses that were marked off and quarantined, and as the cleric explained, there was a strange illness about. People were falling ill, turning pale and sickly and weak, and dying.

As our adventurers made their rounds with the cleric to administer to the sick, they began to notice a strange pattern to the casualties. Some ten of them had perished over the course of the night, and some of these people looked, if anything, strangely familiar. Like the shades that had been slaughtered to a man by the inquisitives the night before. Also, Jaq began to notice a curious pattern in the way each house was positioned. They formed a rather ominous symbol, when joined together by lines on the town map.

Something was definitely wrong here.

Picadilly wandered the streets as Chris, Jaq and Vicks conferred. She was happily munching on apples bought from a nice, old lady when she reached the perimeter of the town. Biting down on the apple left a strange after taste, and when she gave it a closer look and a sniff, she discovered that the apple tasted chalky and wormy. It was, in fact, rotten. And the basket the old lady had given her was tattered and charred. After alerting the others, it became apparent that something, or someone, had cast a powerful pall over the village. Now that they were aware of the truth, the party finally saw the village for what it was - a ruined husk, burnt and rotted and twisted, and the people were shadows - murky blobs that only marginally resembled their former selves.

Truly, something terrifying and nefarious was afoot here.

Rushing back to the church, where everything strange had began, the party discovered the source of the corruption. Evil bled from the depths of the catacombs, and descending deep beneath the church, everyone discovered a mountain of bones and the remains of the townsfolk, as well as Hrothgarr the Terrible, risen to a state of gruesome unlife.

Mocking the party, and thanking Vicks for helping to bring his soul back to the body locked within the sarcophagi, Hrothgarr summoned his children and pressed forth his attack. The two crypts that were already open spilled forth their inhabitants - two skeletons clad in ancient armor, who called the weapons they had wielded in life back into their hands, out of the possession of Chris and Jaq.

A tough battle ensued, though Jaq's dragon touched music, Vicks's flame strikes, Chris's eldritch blasts, and Picadilly's hammer smites won the day. After ploughing through Hrothgarr's initial children and braving his magical assaults, the party finally smote him and brought him low. As Hrothgarr's earthly shell dissolved into ash, black flames erupted in the remaining crypts, incinerating everything.

As the flames burned, so too did the magic around the town, The town revealed itself for what it was - a ghost town populated by ghosts who knew nothing about their own unearthly conditions, wrapped up as they were in the illusion as well. And thusly, did our inquisitives uncover the source of the trouble at Dulled Quartz. They also discovered the remains of Sir Herman and Sister Flamehair merged amongst the bones of those who had been slain.

Taking responsibility for the evil they had unleashed in their previous quest to procure the dragon shard, they decided to spend the better part of the next two days laying the victims in this town to their final rest.

Their holiday time in Xen'drik, as it were, was finally up. With only a day left to spare, they had just about enough time to do some souvenir shopping before heading back to Sharn in Cassandra Seele's newly refurbished airship.

What will their return to Sharn bring? And what news, since it's been a week since the inquisitives left the fabled City of Towers.

All this and more in next week's installment of Eberron Mystery Theatre.

-----

Treasure and Experience

1. All adventurers gain enough XP to reach level 10.

2. Bronze longsword +2 - +2 keen longsword

3. Blood Seeker Longspear +1 - +1 magebane, seeking longspear

4. Hrothgarr's Sword - +1 Unholy greatsword. Additional powers unknown.

Edric's D&D

2010-07-20T22:53:00.000-07:00

Running concurrently with Eberron Mystery Theatre is Edric's D&D campaign on Saturdays. This campaign takes place in Edric's homebrew setting, and will be logged and archived on the Fontia blog.

What follows is character creation rules for Edric's game.

Character Creation

1. Characters begin at 3rd level.

2. Ability scores are 18, 16, 14, 12, 10, 8. Arrange this array as you like.

3. Characters begin with 2,700 gp wealth to spend on items and magical treasure.

4. You receive maximum hit points for your first 3 levels. Subsequent hit points when you level up are to be rolled. Alternatively, you can take half.

5. Allowed books are all Core rulebooks (material from www.d20srd.org), Complete series, Magic Item Compendium, and any other books, as determined on a case by case basis.

6. Alignment restriction. No evil characters allowed.

Play Schedule

This game takes place on Saturdays, from 3 pm. It runs concurrently with Eberron Mystery Theatre.

Eberron Mystery Theatre: The Shadow(s)

2010-07-17T19:00:00.001-07:00

In today's instalment of Eberron Mystery Theatre, our heroes - Picadilly, Chris, Stab, Vicks, Diaspo and their probational members Akamiya and Saren continued their adventures in Xen'drik, this time to rid Vicks off a fiendishly clever curse.

After returning to Stormreach, our adventurers found themselves in the possession of a chunk of dragon shard almost a full 5-ft tall, some three days to spare before their holiday was over, a tribe of three barbarians, and Vicks possessed with a sleeping disorder and bereft of his spells. After cashing in the dragon shard for a hefty 21,000 gold at Zan Zar's Magic Emporium, our adventurers decided finally, after several distractions, including an act of vandalism, a run-in with a fire belching drunk in the slums, and general sketchiness, to investigate the cause for Vicks' distress. Afterall, if the party's one life line back to the land of the living was unable to in fact revive anybody, then it would be quite the pain.

Returning to Zan Zar, Vicks discovers that help might only be a short few days trek away. The paladin Sir Herman, recently rescued from the Demonweb Pits, was in fact a capable exorcist of the Silver Flame, and could likely liberate Vicks from whatever night terrors were plaguing him with his powerful prayers. Of course, finding Sir Herman was another issue, and that meant tracking him down. Zan Zar also sold Vicks a Khyber shard, a piece of the original shard that the possessing spirit supposedly had come from.

With receptacle in hand, the party began making their inquiries about town, and through some stroke of good fortune, discovered that Simon the necromancer, who was a part of the group Sir Herman and Lady Alanis were with, was in fact still in town and was staying at the Culled Swine Tavern.

Visiting the necromancer was an unnerving experience. The group was teleported into an extradimensional plane, where they were quizzed about Vicks's problem. Simon though proved that he could in fact offer a solution; with the Khyber shard, Simon could transfer the curse on Vicks to somebody else in the group. And all for the low low price of a soul. It was not a goodly act, however and Vicks refused. This meant, of course, that they had to go after Sir Herman after all.

The trip to the town of Dulled Quartz proved uneventful. The party chartered a wagon, and led by Korf and his fellow barbarians, made good time through the forests of Xen'drik. A strange silence permeated the forest, and as they got closer to the tiny hamlet, chanced upon a caravan, abandoned by the roadside. It's cargo was still intact, and the horses unharmed, but the teamsters were all missing, vanished without a trace. Searching the caravan for loot, the adventurers discovered that the cargo was in fact sundries and provisions ordered by the Builder's Guild, the Adventurer's Guild, and the Merchant's Union in Stormreach, and resolved to return the lot for a reward. Sending Korf and friends back to Stormreach with news of their find, the party pressed on to Dulled Quartz in their newly commandeered caravan, and made the town by nightfall.

Dulled Quartz was a sleepy hamlet, about two score thatched buildings surrounding a circular town square. A beaten dirt road ran down its middle, while a creek, flowing from a lake over yonder, ran through it and joined with the river down south. The lone temple, a small shrine to Arawai, stood in the distance, atop a stumpy hillock. The atmosphere was was cold and lifeless, and the air felt thick with evil. Evil so strong it made Picadilly's eyes cross and squint in the darkness. Vicks lit a lantern and hung it from the caravan post as he drove the caravan along the dirt road, and our adventurers made themselves ready. Eyes peeled and weapons drawn, they spread out and advanced cautiously towards the temple.

But all their preparations weren't enough to stay the creatures that assailed them. First, the two horses pulling the caravan neighed, quietly, and dropped dead, forcing the caravan to grind to a halt. Then peeling themselves off the walls, wispy shades that looked like villagers swarmed over the party, assaulting them with insubstantial hands that thirsted after life force.

These beings, shadows of their former selves, looked pallid and miserable. Their visages were crooked and twisted, and their eyes hollow, black pits. They swarmed over Akamiya, who had chosen to creep around near one of the buildings, and then the others, draining their strength and numbing their bones.

It was hard for our adventurers to strike back. The creatures were incorporeal, and proved difficult to hit with weapons, even enchanted ones. Spells and powers alone seemed to have some effect - Chris and Diaspo blew some of the shadows to bits with eldritch blasts and thundering cones. Saren lobbed an exploding sonic stone in the direction of the shadows assaulting Akamiya and distracted them, while Akamiya fought back, and stabbed a shadow in the face with his magic knife. Picadilly swung her hammer blindly, and missed on both counts, while Stab, too, stabbed ineffectually at the shadow next to him, drawing only thin lines.

But it wasn't quite enough. There were 10 shadows assaulting the group, a veritable mob. Even as Chris and Diaspo blew three of them to pieces, the others renewed their assault. Akamiya collapsed under the onslaught, drained off color and vitality, and Saren soon followed. Pulling out his staff of fire, Chris lobbed a big one at the rear of the wagon where the shadows had converged, blowing several of them to bits. The wagon too, exploded into flinders. Vicks then took the staff, and conjured a wall of fire on the shadows, searing them again.

The group finally overcame the shadows, thinning their ranks with more spell attacks. However, it was too late to save Akamiya and Saren. No sooner had the group dispatched the last of the shadows, that Saren and Akamiya's bodies become the same as the creatures that had slain them, turning into beings composed of shadow stuff. Reluctantly (or perhaps happily, depending on how you look at it) the party dispatched off their newly turned friends, and lamenting the loss of their erstwhile probationary companions (and all the phat lewt they carried), sped their way to the temple.

What further shenanigans await our party in Xen'drik? Will Vicks' curse be lifted? Will there be new party members?

All this and more in next week's installment of Eberron Mystery Theatre.

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Treasure and Experience

1. All adventurers gain 1,500 xp, and an additional 500 xp for roleplaying. That makes 2,000 xp in all. Vicks reaches Level 9.

2. Since the caravan was blown up, and there are still shadows encroaching, you don't get the chance to scavenge from the caravan or search for treasure. Perhaps you will be able to do so when the next day dawns. :P If you survive.

Eberron Mystery Theatre: To Xen'drik!

2010-07-11T19:37:00.000-07:00

In today's instalment of Eberron Mystery Theatre, our heroes - Picadilly, Chris, Stab, Jacquesaurs and their probational members Akamiya and Seran ventured into the ruins of Xen'drik, where much adventure, death and disaster awaited.

While seeking prospective work and income in Xen'drik, our adventurers chanced upon a posting at the Maiden's Head, advertising an easy scouting mission - uncover whether a dragon still dwells in a suspected dragon's lair. Thinking that it would no doubt lead to an easy source of treasure, our adventurers took the bait, and proceeded to meet the client in the lower parts of town, by the wharfs. As it turned out, their prospective employers were a tribe of dragon worshiping barbarians, led by a shaman called Krish. After promising to meet a scout appointed by Krish at the outskirts of the city in two candlemarks, the party proceeded to the local adventurer's guild house, to gather additional information about said lair, hire additional help, and to check out another prospective employer.

True enough, Picadilly picked up another member - a doped up, dreamlily addicted druid named Vicks who worshipped Arawai in her bovine incarnation. This supporter of the sacred cows decided to serve Picadilly, and tagged along. The adventurers then went on to visit Zan Zar, a merchant dealing in magical artifacts who wanted them to chart out and prospect a lode of dragon shards. This merchant, as it proved, was a cunning and witty bargainer. He did, grudgingly, ink the deal, and provided a map to the supposed dragon shard lode. Curiously the map looked similar to the scrawls from the barbarians, which was cause for much rejoicing. They could kill two dragons with one shard, so to speak.

Thus prepared, everyone left Xen'drik, and followed Korf the barbarian into the forests of Xen'drik. The trek was swift and uneventful, and after two candlemarks, Korf suggested taking a break in a forest clearing to break for dinner. As Korf sidled off, the party proceeded to make camp, and that was when a large glob of acid rained down on everyone.

It was an ambush, and the barbarians from the wharf attacked. :o It was a battle of attrition. Led by the dragon shaman, the barbarians pressed their surprise advantage, cutting savagely into the group with their weapons and their longbows. Akamiya retreated swiftly after several telling sword strikes. Even her luck couldn't save her from a concerted assault. The others too were hurting badly. Jacquesaurs started singing, calling upon dragonfire inspiration, while the others retaliated. Stab vanished, as was typical of him, and proceeded to sneak towards the shaman. Chris lobbed eldritch blasts left and right, while Picadilly and Seran wailed away at nearby barbarians. Vicks turned into a bear, and started mauling people too.

Eventually, the barbarian ranks thinned, but the respite was short lived. The dragon shaman called upon his powers once more, and mired everyone in a patch of sticky, acidic tar to which the shaman's brethren seemed strangely resistant. The adventurers scrambled to escape the caustic mire, and Seran popped forward to tap Akamiya with a healing wand. The others continued to beat back the barbarians, and started finally gaining ground. However, the barbarians scored a quick casualty. As they fell back, one of them smashed Akamiya into the ground, knocking her out with a well placed swing.

Stab popped out of invisibility and ran the dragon shaman through from behind, but surprisingly enough, the wound closed quickly, and the shaman showed no signs of falling. Vicks charged, and took several swats at the shaman as well, and both gnomes in the party took potshots with their crossbows. Enraged now, the dragon shaman retaliated by calling upon his totem, and breathing a stream of acid in the party's direction. The acid seared everyone, including Akamiya. The helpless Akamiya was melted beyond recognition.

The adventurers continued harrying the barbarians, and this time, Jacquesaurs managed to feather the shaman through the chest with a crossbow bolt. He hit something vital, and the shaman finally gave up the ghost, and Stab managed to grab the shaman's staff of office before it tumbled into a crevice. With the shaman dead, the barbarians gave up the fight and surrendered. Stab was also appointed the new Chieftain of the tribe for wresting the staff from the shaman's control.

It turned out that the dragon shaman had ousted the previous chieftain of these barbarians - the Black Dragon's Tooth tribe, and had been using them to waylay prospective adventurers and sacrificing them at an altar somewhere in the mountains. Everything was a scam. The barbarians though were glad to be finally rid of the shaman, and more than happy to serve Stab even though their tribe was greatly diminished, and they were only three now. In uncharacteristic magnanimity, Stab allowed them to live and return to Stormreach, where they would await the party's return.

Resting a day in the clearing, the adventurers performed a ritual to bring Akamiya back from the dead, this time as a half-orc, and then proceeded to follow the lay of the river north. The river ended in a basin fed by a tall waterfall, framed by rocks shaped like a dragon's maw. Picadilly activated her water walking ring, and wandered across the basin towards the water fall, where true enough, she discovered a hidden entryway. She ferried the entire party into the concealed area, and then the party started down the corridor, which seemed strangely fashioned out of either magic, or some ancient hand. They stopped after a twist and a turn, at a yawning portal, carved from stone, embossed with giantish script.

The portal said "Seek ye not to disturb the rest of those who dwell here. For they 'wake, though their bodies lie."

It was a strange message, but everyone was egged on by the prospect of treasure, and continued through. Down a stairway that seemed to have grown itself out of the very foundations of the earth they went, until they arrived in a rectangular chamber that seemed to be a sort of a crypt. There were no visible openings here, though the place was lit by lightless sconces carved from the wall. The chamber's walls depicted carvings of giants doing battle with dragons, and the sarcophagus too, was decorated with symbols in giantish and shaped in the form of a large, burly warrior clad from head to foot in plate armor, wearing a horned helm and carrying a double headed axe.

Chris decided to scan the area for magic. Then his eyes crossed, and he dropped dead as a cold draught filled the chamber, and the symbols around the eyes of the sarcophagus started to glow. Stab quivered and keeled over next, before the symbol finally faded away. They had uncovered a Glyph of Warding empowered with a death spell. :o

The adventurers were forced to rest again, and to revive their fallen comrades. Chris was reincarnated as an elf, and Stab as a dwarf. The party was indeed becoming very very diverse and multiracial. Eventually, Stab discovered a catch on the sarcophagus that caused it to spring open. Within it was a short stair, that led to a tunnel that angled into what could only be the mountains. The walls too had taken on a granite quality.

Another pair of double doors halted the party, sealed by a complex mechanism of cogs, gears and pulleys. Akamiya managed to disable the mechanism, causing the doors to spring open, revealing a long, narrow corridor lined with statues of giant warriors. She crept in stealthily, checking each individual statue for traps. She discovered none, until she neared the middle of the tunnel. The doors at the entryway slammed shut, sealing her in, and the statues proceeded to give her a sound thrashing. The party managed to break through just in time, before Akamiya was killed (again), and battered the statues down. The statues proved surprisingly resistant to slashing and piercing blows, and if not for Picadilly's immense strength and magic hammer, would probably have been a much harder fight.

Busting down the next door, everyone discovered another corridor, spaced similarly, and this time spared no expense in breaking the statues. The statues didn't activate this time, but there were pressure plates beneath the statues. As these pressure plates popped up, the doors slammed shut again, and a poisonous gas started filtering through a vent in the ceiling. Vicks quickly casted Gust of Wind to blow the gas away, while the rogues started working feverishly to beat the mechanism keeping the doors shut. They managed it, just barely, as Vicks's spell gave up.

The party barreled out of the death trap into the next chamber, which turned out to be a large, circular area with numerous statues placed against the walls, and a square altar in the middle. The altar was inscribed with giantish symbols, and the walls were carved with more friezes and frescoes depicting the war between the giants and the dragons.

On the altar were the words: "We are immortal. Though our bodies sleep, we yet live on. We will come again to reclaim this world."

Though there was a pall of religious magic in the chamber, it was surprisingly (or perhaps fortunately) free of traps. Yet both paladins detected an overwhelming evil from beyond the doors. Evil so strong they were at a loss for words.

Opening the double doors at the other end of the chamber, everyone beheld an amazing sight. Beyond the altar room was a massive chamber that stretched high up above them. It was as if an entire mountain was hollowed out, and in this area were many dragon shards, growing naturally out of the ground. The entire room glittered with gold and purple radiance, and the shards, sharp and jagged, stretched between ten to thirty feet tall. In the center of the area was a massive shard, almost fifty feet high, and half as wide, that seemed to be bathed with moonlight. Something... large and human shaped swam within. Closer inspection also revealed that these dark shapes swam in the other crystals as well, and there was no shaking off the uneasy feeling that everyone was being watched.

Vicks touched one of the orange crystals, and was burned by the dire radiance of the crystal. It was so cold it hurt. Quickly, Picadilly tossed a swatch of canvas over the crystal, muting its light. She then swung her hammer at it, to knock off a chunk. Vicks peered under the canvas, and beheld something. Something shadowy pressed itself to the edge of the crystal, and leapt out at him. As he scooted back, Picadilly hammered the chunk off, and wrapped it in the canvas.

Whatever it was the group had come here to do, they had done it. At least now they had proof that the merchant's lode indeed existed, and they could probably give some credible directions to this place. The party exited swiftly, through the hole at the top of the chamber. Picadilly teleported everyone up with her cloak, while Vicks flew up with another in tow. They halted on a grassy verge at the top of a mountain, not too far from the waterfall. The area was littered with standing stones, and at the edge of it was an altar.

The altar was stained with splotches of dried blood, and upon closer inspection, the broken stones echoed a sinister warning in the divine and druidic languages.

"Imprisoned beneath are beings of unspeakable evil. Disturb not their slumber, nor shed blood herein."

What does this chilling warning bode, and is there more to these happenings on Xen'drik than meets the eye? All this and more next week, in Eberron Mystery Theatre.

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Treasure and Experience

1. All adventurers gain a level. Chris, Stab, Picadilly, Jacquesaurs and Diaspo gain enough XP to place them at 36,000 (Level 9). Seran, Akamiya and Vicks gain 4,000 xp.

2. You acquired the following treasure:

a. Black Dragon Scepter - A symbol of the barbarian chieftains, and possessed of potent acid based magic. (11/25 charges, Acid Arrow 1 charge, Caustic Mire 2 charges, Vitriolic Sphere 3 charges). This scepter is light enough to be held in one hand as an off-hand item and inflicts damage as a light mace. It also grants Resist Acid 10 to its owner when held. Claimed by Stab.

b. Belt of Dragon's Teeth - A belt of 8 dragon's teeth. Each tooth can be used create a skeleton or several skeletons as if using the Animate Dead (as a cleric of 8th level, maximum 16 HD) spell once. So long as at least one tooth remains on the belt, the wearer also gains a +2 bonus on Fort saves. This belt radiates evil magic. Claimed by Chris.

c. A Tongue Piercing of Tongues - Whoever wears this tongue piercing gains the ability to speak any language as if using the Tongues spell. This ability is usable at will. Being able to speak any language does not mean you are able to understand it.

d. A Ring of Protection +1 - +1 deflection bonus to AC.

e. A bag of dragon scales - Party reagents and components worth 500 gold.

f. A gigantic chunk of Khyber dragon shard [QUEST] - A ridiculously huge dragon shard that glows orange and purple under its canvas wrapping. It is still cold to the touch, weighs a ton, and is probably worth a small kingdom. You get to keep 20% of this kingdom. :P

g. Miscellaneous Gold and Treasure awarded worth 50 gp each from selling the barbarian's and shaman's equipment.

Chris the Warlock & Stab the Spellthief

2010-07-11T01:24:00.000-07:00

ON STRIKE!!!

Jacq the Bard

2010-07-10T01:30:00.000-07:00

ARGH.... HEAVY!!!

Eberron Mystery Theatre: Chasing Alanis

2010-07-05T05:08:00.001-07:00

In today's instalment of Eberron Mystery Theatre, our heroes - Picadilly, Jacquesaurs, Chris, Stab and Diaspo ranged far and wide, from the seamy city lights of seedy Sharn to the exotic land of Xen'drik, where mystery and adventure awaits.

Having had no luck with dismantling the 200,000 lb golden doors in the crypt of Lord Valkar and a particularly nasty run in with a shadowy death trap, our heroes decided to halt their efforts on the interim, and to pursue Lady Alanis ir'Morrisette, who had flown the proverbial coop to Xen'drik, in an unchartered sky galleon called the Dragonfly. Investigations revealed that the vessel was owned by one Captain Justinus Belthazar, and that they had left only three days ago. There was still ample time, it seemed, to catch up to their ship, if they hurried.

Hiring a Lyrander airship, our adventurers proceeded to follow Lady Alanis's trail across the ocean. En route, they chanced upon the wreck of another air ship, wrecked in what appeared to be aerial combat, and its sole survivor, an enraged air elemental. After defeating the elemental and securing the safety of their own ship, everyone decided to move on board the downed vessel to investigate.

It seemed the vessel was crewed by former convicts, cutthroats and freebooters - a pirate vessel, no doubt, except the vessel had likely attempted to take another ship, and bit off more than they could chew. Ballista bolts dented the hull, and the crew had been slaughtered to a man by some foul, poisonous magic. Searching the ship, the party discovered the bodies of the ship's mage and ship's cleric, and a whole slew of magical traps in the Captain's quarters.

Chris was the first to fall afoul of a magical symbol of blinding that caused his eyes to explode. As he flailed about blindly, the party began tearing the Captain's quarters apart to look for more treasure. They discovered a potion of restoration, a healing potion, and an exploding pearl, which exploded in Jacquesaur's hand. Stab also discovered a hidden chest in a cunningly disguised altar box, and another blinding symbol. His eyes also exploded. Hurhurhur.

With two blind mice in the party, the group decided to make a tactical withdrawal, whilst towing the airship along with the one they had chartered. Chris quaffed the potion of restoration, and regained his sight, but poor Stab was left flailing for quite a bit longer. Arriving in Stormreach, the party sent the captured airship to the repair yards, and proceeded to take Stab to the Temple of Kol Korran, where after dealing with an incredibly infuriating priest, got Stab's eyes fixed.

The priest though, was more than cooperative when the donations came pouring into the poor box. He informed the group that Captain Justinus and his crew were in fact at the Maiden's Head tavern, and that they had purchased a 'Miracle' scroll.

Our inquisitives followed this lead to the Maiden's Head, where they met with Justinus's group - a cleric of the Silver Flame, a necromancer, Lady Alanis, who was a capable fighter it appeared, and Captain Justinus himself, an exceedingly eloquent and silver tongued bard. Jacquesaurs casted a spell during Justinus's performance, and was invited by the Captain to join in. This gained the Captain's trust, and Jacquesaurs an invite to travel with the Captain's group on their adventure into the ruins of Xen'drik.

It was later discovered that this expedition was not to gather lost giant artifacts, elven relics, or dragonshards, but rather a rescue mission - Captain Justinus had long been famous for his exploits, most especially for his stealing a solid gold statue of the Spider Queen from one of Xen'drik's temple compounds. What nobody knew was that he'd left a comrade, a stalwart paladin called Sir Herman behind when they had accidentally opened a portal to the Spider Queen's realm in the Abyss. This time, they were going to go through the portal to find their friend, and to rescue him from the clutches of the demons. Jacquesaurs, Picadilly, Chris and Diaspo were invited to come along as helpers, and quite possibly bait.

The following morning, the party was teleported to the ruins by Captain Justinus's necromancer, and the group was tasked with watching the portal and combating the demons that came out while the more seasoned group entered the Abyss to rescue the paladin.

True enough, a spider demon pressed the attack, followed by several abishai, and finally a kyton. It was a difficult battle, probably one of the most difficult the party had faced, as most of their spells and weapons were only able to graze the creatures, causing little harm. Their patience won out finally, when after dispatching the tricky chain devil, Captain Justinus's group reappeared. They had the paladin with them, but not the good Captain. It seemed he had stayed behind this time.

Now that her mission was concluded, Lady Alanis decided to return to Sharn of her own volition, mentioning that she would likely stop adventuring for awhile. She promised to inform her father about the party's fulfilling of their contract, and sailed off in Captain Justinus's ship.

The party then decided to take a break from their usual routine in Sharn for a week, to savor the sights and sounds of this exotic land of opportunity. Afterall, Xen'drik was the perfect place for adventurers to make a name for themselves, and to grow rich on the bounty of all that this deeply forested, tropical zone had to offer.

What will our party get up to in Stormreach, and in the forests beyond? All this and more next week, in Eberron Mystery Theatre.

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Treasure and Experience

1. All adventurers gain 4,500 xp.

2. You acquired the following treasure:

a. A Corsair's Eyepatch - 3/day. See Invisibility or Blindfight for 1 minute. Claimed by Stab.

b. Scalebane - +1 cutlass (as scimitar). +3 vs. aquatic creatures & +2d6 damage.

c. A Hat of Disguise - Disguise Self and other uses. Claimed by Jacquesaurs.

d. A +1 Adamantite Warhammer - Breaches hardness. Claimed by Picadilly.

e. A Enchanted Bottle with Talisman - A silver flask covered with a wax seal and a strip of arcane scroll. Claimed by Jacquesaurs.

f. Wand of Cure Moderate Wounds - 11 charges. Heals 2d8+3 damage.

g. Twilight Mithral Chain Shirt - As Mithral Chain Shirt +1, but no arcane spell failure chance.

h. Staff of Fire - 21/25 charges. Burning Hands or Flaming Sphere (1 charge), Fireball (2 charges), Wall of Fire (3 charges). Uses your Caster Level to determine effectiveness of spells cast from the staff. Claimed by Chris.

i. Ring of Water Walking - Allows continuous Water Walking ability. Claimed by Picadilly.

j. Miscellaneous Gold and Treasure awarded worth 1,600 gp each.

Loot list from Lady Alanis quest.

2010-07-05T05:08:00.000-07:00

Despite having both my eyeballs exploded, being the ever-helpful and diligent party warlock I am, I made a list of the items that we procured from the dead bodies onboard the White Seele (just for safe-keeping! Honest!)

Rations and supplies for 5 days worth 400gp.
Corsair's Eyepatch (See Invis, Darkvision, Pierce illusions)
+1 Cutlass of Scale Bane
Hat of Disguise
+1 adamantite Hammer
Enchanted bottle with a talisman
Wand of Cure Moderate Wounds (11 charges)
Mithril twilight suit
Staff of Fire (21 charges) (Fireball costs 2 charges, Wall of Fire costs 3, Burning Hands 1, Flaming Sphere 1)
Masterwork Culasses
Ring of Waterwalk
And gp! :D

Chris.

Eberron Mystery Theatre - Stoners and Fight Club

2010-06-26T08:00:00.000-07:00

In today's instalment of Eberron Mystery Theatre, our heroes - Picadilly, Jacquesaurs and Chris decided to follow up on the Firelight vandal, a seemingly innocuous quest from the Lamplighter's Guild. Surprisingly, or rather unsurprisingly, the case took a rather deadly twist when they discovered that the vandal was much more than that.

Having solved the Case of the Cogswatch Slasher, the party gained much fame and prominence with the Merchant's Concern, which meant preferential treatment and member's prices at stores. While shopping, Picadilly decided to also shop for new friends to join the group, since Sister Mary had been sent back to her convent in a 6-ft long pine box to recover from her being crushed by a golem. The result was Seran the Halfling, Paladin and Vigilante of Dol Arrah, and Akamiya, a very lucky rogue.

With their new associates in tow, the party decided to follow up on Diaspo's investigation of the Firelight vandal. Whilst meeting up with Diaspo, they discovered the monk snoring and fast asleep outside a bordello with a broken window, and proceeded to investigate. As Chris, Akamiya and Jacquesaurus clambered into the window on the second floor to investigate, Picadilly and Saren stood outside to keep watch. Their antics attracted a fairly sizeable crowd though, and much unwanted attention.

Inside, our adventurers discovered that everything was deadly quiet, and an inspection of the area yielded numerous broken statues of guests and workers in petrified condition, and all indubitably smashed. Picadilly did sniff out a scrawny elf, however, one Jorick, who was a warrior in training, and supposedly a guard at the bordello. Questioning Jorick, the party discovered that something had broken in through the window, and Jorick had hidden under the bed to avoid detection.

Jorick led Jacquesaurus and the two new members to the Daask Clan hideout in Gate of Gold to see their leader, and as it turned out, the bard discovered that there was indeed a pattern to the vandalism in Firelight. It was likely a side effect of attacks on Daask Clan holdings, which had been assaulted by somebody in the past week. The one place yet to be attacked was a fighting pit and gambling area called the Fight Club, recently set up by the Daask Clan on the outskirts of the area.

Jacquesaurus cut a deal with the Daask Clan, and the Daask Clan promised to overlook past transgressions by the party if they could help get rid of the culprit. Jorick, unfortunately, did not survive meeting his boss.

The party visited the Fight Club after, where they discovered that it was quite packed, with numerous patrons from the upper and lower classes. As it turned out, the boss had sent a note ahead and the guards at the Fight Club were waiting for our inquisitives, who were instructed to put on masks, and to keep watch for signs of trouble, like the note said. The orc also convinced both Chris and Jacquesaurus to wager on the outcome of a coming match, to keep them entertained while they did their job.

As it turned out, the coming match was between a Drider Sorcerer and a group of seasoned adventurers. It was a hard and furious match, full of flying spells and deadly magic effects, but the Drider triumphed. As the crowd cheered, the lights suddenly went out, and then the drider was loose.

Fireballs flew into the aisles, incinerating the patrons, and setting the place on fire. The Daask guards quickly ushered their guests out, and then proceeded to barricade the doors before our inquisitives too could flee, leaving them inside the warehouse with the deadly drider.

The drider attacked them quickly, throwing a fireball at the party. Akamiya was quick, and managed to nimbly get away from the blast, but the others were not so lucky. Most of the party were singed, and Chris's wizard cohort had to beat a hasty retreat. Spells and crossbow bolts continued flying, as Picadilly rushed up to engage the drider and Akamiya tumbled past to flank it. Jacquesaurus sang, and the power of dragonfire roared to life on the group's weapons, imbuing them with magic. The drider reached out and groped Akamiya, paralyzing him, and then Saren scored the killing blow, shooting the drider with a crossbow bolt and pinning it to the wall as it reached out to bite the rogue's head off.

And not a moment too soon. The culprit responsible for the Firelight explosions was hovering above the pit by the skylight, mounted on a fearsome dragon-lion hybrid. The culprit flew into the pit, with the dragonne trailing, and threw back its hood, revealing a ghastly, snakelike visage and a mass of hair made of vipers and poisonous snakes. It was a medusa, the culprit the inquisitives had suspected responsible for the slaughter at the bordello, and true enough, she proceeded to attack the party for spoiling her plans.

Chris's wizard friend threw a fireball into the pit, scorching the dragonne, but the medusa escaped unscathed. Then the medusa started its assault, glaring at Chris in an attempt to petrify him. The dragonne roared and pounced out from the pit, tearing into Chris's wizard and then Chris once the bookworm was down. Things were looking grim indeed.

Picadilly jumped into the pit and hounded the medusa, smiting liberally, while the others attacked the dragonne, making short work out of it. The medusa then proceeded to paralyze Chris, and attempted to continue bringing its petrifying gaze to bear on the party. Saren quickly threw up a fog cloud using his armor, which protected him from being turned to stone, and Jacquesaurus and him both attacked the dragonne and then the medusa with crossbow bolts. Picadilly smacked the medusa again, and then the medusa began to back away, more than a little bloodied.

Finally, the dragonne fell down, dead, and Chris took a potshot at the medusa with his eldritch blast. He scored twice, blowing the medusa away. :o

And with that, it was the end of the Firelight vandal's spree, as well as the end of the attacks on the Daask Clan holdings. As promised, the Daask Clan made peace with our inquisitives, and even allowed them to keep their winnings from the fight (even if it had been disrupted) as a token gesture. The Lamplighter's Guild gladly accepted the medusa's head for the bounty, and paid in full.

This meant there was only one contract left for the week. The party had to fulfill the search for Lady Alanis ir'Morrisette, in an adventure that would take them away from Sharn, and possibly into the ruins of Xen'drik. Would they succeed in this endeavour, especially with only 5 days to go?

All this and more next week, in Eberron Mystery Theatre.

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Treasure and Experience

1. All adventurers gain 2,500 xp.

2. You acquired the following treasure:

a. A Girdle of Many Pockets - A belt that allows you to store up to 64 items in its numerous pockets.

b. A Wand of Invisibility - Caster Level 3rd, 15 charges.

c. A Potion of Flying - Let's you fly (as spell) for 5 minutes.

d. A Potion of Cure Serious Wounds - Heals 3d8+9 hit points when drunk.

e. A Wand of Enervation - Caster Level 7th, 3 charges.

f. An Eberron Spellshard - Contains the following spells - Ice Storm (4th), Lightning Bolt (3rd), Stoneskin (4th), and Cloudkill (5th). You can cast these spells from the Spellshard as if using a scroll, or scribe the spells into your spellbook at the standard costs.

g. Cape of the Mountebank - 1/day, Dimension Door you and 3 others up to 760-ft.

h. Mithralmist Shirt - +5 AC, counts as a Mithril Shirt +1, 7/day cloud of fog centered on you.

i. Sound Burst Sling - +1 sling. On hit, inflicts an additional 1d8 sonic damage. Creatures within 10-ft of the primary target must make a Fort save DC 15, or be deafened for 1 round.

Eberron Mystery Theatre - Worms, I see Dead People, and The Golem

2010-06-19T07:45:00.000-07:00

In today's instalment of Eberron Mystery Theatre, our heroes - Picadilly, Jacquesaurs, Diaspo, Sister Mary, and Chris the Warlock (Stab was conveniently absent) continued exploring the dank catacombs in Sharn's undercity, hot on the trail of the Cogswatch Slasher.

After destroying the Phantom Fungi colony, our adventurers continued deeper into the tunnels, caverns and byways, before arriving at a confluence of tunnels. Sister Mary invoked her magic again, and traced the fabric to a large, rocky outcropping just north of her current position, and confident that she had found the killer, goaded everyone on. True enough, the cloak was indeed on the ledge, but so were several pieces of debris, and a host of wormy creatures with lichen mottled hide and thin, writhing tentacles.

These creatures, though, were easily dispatched. Jacquesaurus used his bardic music to inflame the weapons of his allies, and even scored a direct hit with his crossbow on the lead worm, killing it before it could devour Diaspo. Rummaging through the rubbish, our inquisitives discovered a magical blade stamped with the House Cannith symbol - a gorgon, and observed the buildings of Khyber's Gate some 100-ft above them. They rightly inferred that this was likely where the Cogswatch Slasher had landed after his jump off the edge of the roof when making his escape.

Retracing their steps, our inquisitives continued deeper into the undercity, passing through a series of narrow gates and tunnels that seemed to branch endlessly. They eventually came to a tunnel network that led to a grille and giant fan in the ground, likely a remnant of the Cannith facilities rumored to have been sequestered here, and three additional tunnels, one of which was sealed behind a locked grate.

Picadilly smashed the locked grate open, and the inquisitives proceeded to investigate. There was a patch of magical darkness within, which Chris's hireling dispelled, revealing a massive, ornate gate of solid gold. The gate was carved with multiple esoteric symbols and religious diagrams devoted to the Dark Six, and seemed ancient enough that it was probably created years ago, likely in the earliest years of the new Sharn.

Jacquesaurus tried the door, and was rewarded with a jolt of electricity. It was then that Sister Mary recalled the teachings of her faith. Aureon blessed her with the insight to cast a spell of erasing, removing the magical glyph trap on the door. Trying the door again, Jacquesaurus triggered a second trap, releasing a javelin of lightning from behind the door towards the group. Fortunately, no one was hurt. Much.

Beyond the foot thick gate of solid gold, our inquisitives discovered an ornate crypt, fitted with expensive tapestries devoted to the Dark Six, as well as a massive sarcophagus set and sealed with gold knobs atop a raised dais. Black light burned in braziers positioned on the four corners of the dais, and a massive portrait in a frame of gold that portrayed a stern man with a hook nose and wicked countenance oversaw the chamber.

Evil lingered here, warned Picadilly, but that did not stop Sister Mary from tampering with the painting. Her tampering seemed innocent enough, until she attracted the tomb's inhabitant - the shade of the man in the painting - a cleric of the Dark Six named Lord Valkar.

Picadilly jumped at the shade immediately, and smote it mightily with her hammer, giving Sister Mary a chance to retreat. However, Lord Valkar was not about to give up the ghost (hurhurhur) quite that easily, and summoned undead shadows to help. Jacquesaurus started singing again, while Chris's wizard hireling began firing magic missiles willy nilly. Sister Mary made liberal use of her spells and wands too, and even Diaspo got in on the act. Eventually, the group managed to drive Lord Valkar back into the painting, and even burned it down. The ghost attempted one last vain attack on Sister Mary, and succeeded in draining her unconscious, but it too was struck by magic missiles, and dissipated at last.

Now that the evil influence was gone, our inquisitives quickly rested, recovering their energy and resources. They also stripped the chamber bare, defacing what was obviously a wicked shrine. Thus empowered, they followed the other tunnels south, and round several corners, before coming to a metal platform suspended over the gaping chasms leading into the true bowels of under-Sharn; a lightless place people had yet to explore.

This metal platform led north towards a pair of ancient, beaten doors inscribed with the House Cannith seal, and south, towards a poorly concealed secret door. Testing the secret door, our inquisitives discovered that it was a cunningly rigged alarm - a false door designed to distract potential visitors, and turned their attention to the double doors after wasting several precious moments.

The double doors were trapped, however, and as Sister Mary listened at it, she barely avoided being singed by a curtain of fire that shot down towards her. Finally, the adventurers shoved the door open, and came face to face with their quarry - the Cogswatch Slasher, in what appeared to be a ramshackle laboratory.

Garish red light streamed from a magically powered forge - likely a Cannith Creation Forge, in the far end of the chamber, illuminating various vats, alchemical devices, captives still in cages, and a binding circle. Lying on a table in the center of the room was a large, humanoid figure, stitched together from body parts of all sorts, riveted and welded together with metal bits and bobs.

Sister Mary didn't give the Cogswatch Slasher a chance to act. She fired off a quartet of magic missiles immediately, only to watch them ping off a magical shield. Picadilly rushed to attack next, charging in with hammer and goring with horns. Her attack drove the Slasher back, towards the Creation Forge, where it began to tap the energies within to repair itself.

The creature strapped to the table broke free of its restraints, and began flailing about the room as well, assaulting first Picadilly, before moving towards the center of the chamber to threaten the others.

Diaspo ducked into the room to help the captives, and realizing that they couldn't be easily freed, proceeded to prepare himself to help his friends, while Jacquesaurus struck up a rousing song, and Chris and his hireling helped take up the rear.

Our inquisitives renewed their attacks, and the Cogswatch Slasher did the same, firing several bolts of lightning from his wand into the party. Picadilly attacked again, striking at the forge instead of the Slasher this time. She put a big dent into its chassis, and the Slasher howled as his source of healing was diminished. Sister Mary, Jacquesaurus and Diaspo also attacked the large, fleshy creature, identified as a Flesh Golem, with their weapons, keeping it occupied and slowed.

The Cogswatch Slasher continued to pelt the party with lightning bolts, and things looked like they were quickly going downhill, until Jacquesaurs, the gnome of the moment, sang a paralyzing song, which the Slasher was strangely vulnerable to, unlike ordinary warforged.

Picadilly then hammered the Cogswatch Slasher into a pulp. As the Slasher fell, the golem went berserk, and started swinging left and right. It threw a powerful blow at Sister Mary, who was sent flying into the wall. She splattered against it, quite dead. Diaspo reacted quickly after that, and breathed on the golem. The force of the sonic blast knocked it backwards, and it landed on Sister Mary. Then it stopped twitching.

Both the Cogswatch Slasher and the abomination it had attempted to create had been destroyed. And that was the end of the Slasher's murder spree. Hopefully.

Later, while investigating the chamber after scraping up Sister Mary's remains into a water bottle, our inquisitives discovered the Slasher's journal. It had been following directives it had been programmed with before the end of the Last War - to look after its master, who was clearly long dead, and to create a perfect new body for its master. A task which it had failed to accomplish - or had it?

Still, there was a regular monty haul to be had, and a sizeable reward for the solving of this mystery. Gold enough, it seemed, to pay for Sister Mary's reincarnation as a Halfling lass.

With the Cogswatch Slasher defeated, there was still the mystery of the exploding lamps in Firelight and Lady Alanis ir'Morrisette's flight from Sharn. Which of these would our inquisitives take up next?

All this and more next week, in Eberron Mystery Theatre.

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Treasure and Experience

1. All adventurers gain 2,500 xp. Jacquesaurus reaches 21,000 xp - enough to put him at Level 7.

2. You acquired the following treasure:

a. A Cannith Switchblade - Converts freely from a Dagger to a Longsword. The weapon has a +1 enchantment. Retrieved by Picadilly.

b. Ancient Plate Armor - A suit of Ghost Touch Plate Armor +1. Retrieved by Picadilly.

c. Armband of the Shield - An armband that continually grants its wearer the benefit of an Entropic Shield spell. Retrieved by Sister Mary.

d. Ornate Slippers - Slippers of Spider Climbing. Allows the user to walk on walls and climb like a spider does for up to 10 minutes per day.

e. Sigil of the Dark Six - An ancient amulet of the Dark Six, fell and powerful gods of evil bent. Retrieved by Jacquesaurus.

f. Ritual trappings and chamber implements totalling 850 gold. Party Loot.

g. Wand of Lightning Bolt - 6th level caster, 11 charges.

h. Brooch of Shielding (65 missiles) - Protects the wearer from Magic Missiles.

i. Ring of Feather Falling - Allows the wearer to gracefully fall from any height with no chance of injury.

Eberron Mystery Theatre - A Dream of Red Roosters, Gnometopussy, and the Cogswatch Slasher

2010-06-12T07:19:00.000-07:00

In today's instalment of Eberron Mystery Theatre, our heroes - Chris the Warlock Stab the Spellthief, Diaspo the Monk, Sister Mary, and their new associate Jacquesaurus the Bard began to ply the inquisitives' trade about town, signing not one, not two, but three major cases.

These investigations included the search for House Morrisette's wayward daughter, the search for a mysterious vandal in the Firelight district, and a hunt for the elusive Cogswatch Slasher, who has been dismembering victims in the vicinity of Blackbones and Khyber's Gate in the Cogs.

After accepting these contracts, Chris, Stab, Sister Mary and Jacquesaurus proceeded to gather information about town - information that led them to the Red Rooster Dreamlily Den in Khyber's Gate. At the same time, Diaspo staked out Firelight, and discovered that the vandals were indeed afoot. A witness even claimed to have spotted a black shadow on the rooftops, before the latest spate of lamp explosions.

Whilst investigating the Red Rooster Den, our adventurers discovered several things that didn't quite add up. A miner in the ground level claimed that the latest victim was his foreman, and that the foreman had been called up to organize a maintenance detail even though work in the factories had been suspended due to the killings. Similarly, there was talk amongst the workers that it was the work of a creature called "The Phantom", a mysterious monster that has been haunting the cogs since antiquity.

But that wasn't all our adventurers found out. While snooping around, Sister Mary and Chris discovered the Cogswatch Slasher, and a murder in progress in one of the Den's private suites. They attempted to stop the murderer, but he cut Sister Mary down while she was magically silenced, and dashed out of the window before Chris's lion statuettes could subdue him. An alarm was raised, and Stab went to collect Captain Travish of the Sharn Watch.

Chris followed the murderer, and Jacquesaurus joined in the chase. The two pursued the murderer into the back alleys behind the Red Rooster Den, and over the rooftops. Chris fired an eldritch blast at the murderer, but his attacks fell short, and Jacquesaurus followed up with a crossbow bolt, which pinged off a shiny metal armor plate. They lost the murderer when he jumped off the very edge of the zone and vanished, but not before catching a glimpse of his face - a sinister, skull like metal plate that reflected the moonlight.

Returning to the Red Rooster, the adventurers realized that they had been implicated as potential murder suspects, and that the victim this time was none other than the son of the head of the Merchant's Circle - Lord Hubert ir'Maron. Though they managed to placate the watch, and also make peace with the owners of the den, they soon came to realize that they had only complicated their situation with the Daask Clan.

The following day, the entire group decided to check the location more thoroughly in the light of day, and this helped them uncover a major clue. The murderer had left no tracks in his escape across the roof, and that there was a sewer opening nearby that was, very likely, either the murderer's entry or escape route.

They advanced into the sewers, traversing down the slime encrusted ladder until they arrived in the cavernous tunnels of Sharn's under city. True enough, the murderer had passed this way - a fragment of his cloak hung from a sharp shard of stone sticking out of one ruined and crumbling wall. Retrieving the cloth fragment, Sister Mary intoned a divination, and attempted to locate the cloak it came from - which she was certain would lead her to the Cogswatch Slasher.

True enough, she felt the tuggings of her magic leading her deeper into the lightless depths, past a cavern of oozing, suppurating fungi and ruined thatches. It was here that the party came under assault from invisible beasts, and had to fight for their life. It took great skill and potent magic to defeat the phantom fungi that dwelt here, resources they could ill spare since they had only just started the hunt.

What else awaits them in Sharn's bowels? Will they find the Cogswatch Slasher, or will the denizens of this fell place find them first?

All this and more next week, in Eberron Mystery Theatre.

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Treasure and Experience

1. All adventurers gain enough xp to put them at 21,000 xp. If they haven't already, they level to 7. Jacquesaurus gains 2,000 xp. This puts him at 18,500 xp, and thus halfway to level 7.

2. You acquired the following treasure:

a. An Enchanted Watering Can - as Decanter of Endless Water - retrieved by Stab.

Jacquesaurus the Bard

2010-06-11T10:45:00.001-07:00

Jacquesaurus Bhugaloo/Bard 6/AP: 7
Small Sized Gnome (Dragonblooded, Humanoid)/Chaotic Neutral

Hit Dice: 6d6 + 13 (* hit points)
Initiative: +2 (+2 Dex)
Speed: 20' (20' base)
AC: 18 (+2 Dex, +1 size, +5 armor)/Touch 13, Flat-footed 16
Base Attack Bonus: +4
Base Grapple: -2 (+4 base, -2 Str, -4 size)
Attacks: +1 Whip-Dagger + 4 (+4 Base, -2 Str, +1 size, +1 magic)
Damage: +1 Whip-Dagger 1d4-1 (Crit 19-20/x2) (-2 Str, +1 magic)
Ranged Attacks: +1 Light Crossbow + 8 (+4 Base, +2 Dex, +1 size, +1 magic)
Damage: +1 Light Crossbow 1d6+1 (Crit 19-20/x2) (+1 magic)

Face/Reach: 5' x 5'/5'

Special Attacks: Arcane Spells

Special Qualities: Low-light Vision, +2 bonus to saves vs. Illusion, +1 to DC of Illusion spells, +1 to attack vs kobolds and Goblinoids, +4 to AC against Giants, +2 racial bonus to Listen and Craft (Alchemy) checks, Weapon familiarity (Gnome hook hammer), Spell-like abilities (1/day - Speak with Animals, Dancing Lights, Ghost Sound, Prestidigitation), Bardic Knowledge +11, Bardic Music 6/day (Countersong, Fascinate, Inspire Courage +1, Inspire Competence, Suggestion)

Base Saves: Fort +2, Reflex +5, Will +5
Total Saves: Fort +5 (+2 Con, +1 magic), Reflex +8 (+2 Dex, +1 magic), Will +6 (+0 Wis, +1 magic)

Strength: 6 (-2)
Dexterity: 14 (+2)
Constitution: 14 (+2)
Intelligence: 16 (+3)
Wisdom: 10 (+0)
Charisma: 19 (+4)

Skills: Appraise +8 (5 ranks, +3 Int), Bluff +9 (5 ranks, +4 Cha), Decipher Script +8 (5 ranks, +3 Int), Diplomacy +19 (9 ranks, +4 Cha, +6 synergy), Knowledge (arcana) +8 (5 ranks, +3 Int), Knowledge (history) +8 (5 ranks, +3 Int), Knowledge (nature) +8 (5 ranks, +3 Int), Knowledge (nobility and royalty) +8 (5 ranks, +3 Int), Perform +15 (9 ranks, +4 Cha, +2 instrument), Sense Motive +9 (9 ranks, +0 Wis), Spellcraft +10/12* (5 ranks, +3 Int, +2 synergy), Tumble +7 (5 ranks, +2 Dex), Use Magic Device +13/17* (9 ranks, +4 Cha, +4 synergy)

*only applies to scrolls

Feats:
1st: Dragontouched
3rd: Dragonfire Inspiration
6th: Draconic Heritage (Howling Dragon)

Possessions (magic items are italicized): +1 Whip-Dagger, +1 Light Crossbow (60 bolts), Mithralmist Chain Shirt, Badge of Valor, Mac-Fiurmudh Cithern, Arcanist's Gloves, Cloak of Resistance +1, Wand of Cure Light Wounds, backpack with adventuring sundries (100 g)

Gold and Treasure: 7 g

Bard Spells Known: (DC 14 + Spell level)

0th (3/day) – Detect Magic, Lullaby, Mage Hand, Open/Close, Read Magic, Summon Instrument

1st (3+1/day) – Cure Light Wounds, Improvisation, Inspirational Boost, Tasha's Hideous Laughter

2nd (2+1/day) – Hold Person, Invisibility, Tactical Precision

Magic Item Summary:

Badge of Valor (immediate) - 3/day - increase your Inspire Courage bonus by +1.

Mac-Fiurmudh Cithern - 1/day - Cure Light Wounds, Mage Armor, Sleep. +2 to Perform checks.

Mithralmist Chain Shirt (swift) - 7/day - create a stationary cloud of concealing fog 20-ft wide, emanating from your square.

Arcanist's Gloves (swift) - 2/day - increase the caster level of one of your 1st level spells by 2.

Spells:

Improvisation
Transmutation
Level: Bard 1
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal
Duration: 1 round/level

Gain a floating pool of temporary 2 bonus points/caster level. You can use these points to improve your attack rolls, skill checks and ability checks, though no single roll can be improved by more than half your caster level. You must declare any bonus point usage before the roll is made. Used points disappear from the pool, and any unused points at the end of the duration is lost.

Inspirational Boost
Enchantment (Compulsion) [Mind-affecting, Sonic]
Level: Bard 1
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 round, or special

While this spell is in effect, the morale bonus granted by your Inspire Courage bardic music ability improves by +1. The effect lasts until your next Inspire Courage duration ends. If you don't use your Inspire Courage bardic music before the beginning of your next turn, the spell's effect ends.

Tactical Precision
Divination [Mind-affecting]
Level: Bard 2
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25-ft + 5-ft/2 levels)
Target: One creature/level, no two of which are more than 30-ft apart
Duration: 1 round/level
Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

If two affected allies (including yourself) flank the same creature, each affected ally gains a +2 insight bonus on melee attack rolls and deals an additional 1d6 damage against the flanked creature. Creatures immune to sneak attack damage are immune to this damage.

Eberron Mystery Theatre is recruiting Inquisitives!

2010-06-05T06:01:00.000-07:00

If you've got an interest in pulp detective fiction, a love for all things noir, and think you're hard boiled (or just badass) enough to walk the seedy streets of Sharn, the city of towers in Eberron, then you'll be happy to know that we're recruiting gumshoes of every stripe, shape and variety.

-----

Currently, the party is Level 6, and prospective applicants can use the following method for character creation:

1. This is an Effective Character Level (ECL) 6 game. This means that typically, you'll be 6th level characters if you do take any templates, or races with level adjustments.

2. Ability scores are 18, 16, 14, 12, 10, 8. Arrange as you like. Don't forget you also get a +1 bonus if you have 4 or more class levels.

3. Alignments allowed are: Any Non-evil. In Eberron Mystery Theatre, acting your alignment is an integral part of the roleplay experience. Often, players will be challenged with situations where not everything is black and white - there are sometimes all too many shades of grey. As such, alignment will be policed quite stringently.

4. You are allowed to use any of the Core Rulebooks (including DMG2, PHB2), the Complete series (including Complete Champion, Mage, Scoundrel), the Magical Item Compendium (MIC), the Spell Compendium (SC), and the Eberron campaign book (ECS).

Psionics is NOT allowed.

5. Players have the option of choosing an Eberron specific race, or an Eberron specific class, if they prefer. Examples include the Changeling, Shifter and Warforged races, as well as the Artificer class.

6. Templates are allowed, but you will have to bear with any repercussions and consequences of playing such a character.

No template higher than ECL+3 is allowed. Again, this is subject to DM approval.

7. Monster races are not allowed. Humanoid races (e.g. goblinoids from Droam) are allowed, if they do not have an LA of higher than +1. Again, subject to approval.

8. Starting wealth is 13,000 gp. You may spend all your gold, or save it, as you like. However, no single item you purchase may have a price exceeding 6,500 gp. You may supercede this limit if you have Craft feats. However, you will take a negative xp debt for crafting items, and will advance at a slower rate than other party members.

9. We are using the Action Points System. You begin play with a number of Action Points equal to 5 + Class Level/2. As 6th level characters, this means you begin play with 8 Action points. Action points may be used in any way as described in the SRD and Eberron campaign book. Additional uses of Action Points may be allowed, on a case by case basis.

Eberron Mystery Theatre - Snakes & Ladders, Doors, and Windows

2010-05-29T06:49:00.001-07:00

In today's instalment of Eberron Mystery Theatre, our heroes - Chris the Warlock (and groupies), Picadilly the Paladin, Stab the Spellthief and Diaspo the Monk stormed Victor Saint-Demain's hideout, liberating Lady Zelina d'Medani, and putting an end to the inquisitive's evil plots.

Having discovered Victor's nefarious plans, and uncovered the location of his hideout, our adventurers decided to seek the aid of both the Baron and the city watch, soliciting the help of two score men-at-arms. Combined with the might of Chris's entourage - several rowdy barbarian youths, a shifty rogue, and an apprentice wizard, the lot made for Aureon's Gate in the Gate of Gold district.

At the entrance of said district, the adventurers ran afoul of their old friend again - the leader of the Daask Clan, and Diaspo managed to parley his way through for all and sundry, after convincing the gang leader that he would sign over a share of his reward from the quest.

Arriving at Aureon's Gate, the party made their way up the steeply sloping hill, and Chris's rogue sycophant ran afoul of a steel bear trap. Stab however proved his competence by finding and marking the locations of several other traps, positioned near the building's central approach. As Chris proceeded to curse the traps into submission, he was shot at with an arrow! :o

It seemed that the approach was guarded by Scrimshaw the gargoyle, who started taking potshots at the party from the air. Using his magic, Chris shattered the gargoyle's bow, forcing it to fly close to attack. It was quickly dispatched when everyone ganged up on it - Stab backstabbed the gargoyle, while Diaspo stunned it with a fist attack, and Picadilly hit it with her hammer, and Chris blew it apart with his eldritch blasts.

The adventurers then proceeded to the entrance of Aureon's Gate, where Stab discovered a small magical trap over the door. He tried to disable it, but failed, and was paralyzed. Diaspo lugged him after them while they entered the entrance area.

In the darkness, Picadilly smelt something foul and squiddy. True enough, Regla the Choker was lurking in the shadows, ready to strangle the party. Fortunately, Picadilly's skin was thick, and Diaspo's reflexes were quick, and they avoided the Choker's initial attacks. As the Choker retreated, Chris blasted it with an eldritch blast, and Picadilly hammered it into a pulp.

Two down. Six to go.

The adventurers busted through the double doors leading deeper into Aureon's Gate, and discovered Durok standing over Zelina with a great club, poised to strike. Fortunately, Picadilly's pally senses tingled, and pointed out that both Zelina and Durok were evil. Chris quickly zapped the two of them, and sensing that the ruse was up, Zelina morphed into Vrinn the changeling, and quickly blew a gout of fire at the group. The fire seared everyone but Diaspo, and sent Stab, scorched and charred, spinning away into unconsciousness.

Diaspo shoved a healing potion down Stab's throat however, reviving him. The group then jumped the half orc as Picadilly charged Vrinn, forcing the changeling to retreat. They quickly dispatched the half orc with concerted attacks, but Vrinn downed a potion, and fled.

The next room, it seemed, had a rickety spiral stair that led upwards, and behind that, there seemed to be another chamber. The party approached the far chamber, and discovering that there were no traps, broke in. It was Victor's secret lair, and inside, they discovered not only plans for several ploys, but also evidence enough to implicate Victor for all his crimes. Diaspo opened a chest in the corner of the room, and discovered, too late, that it was trapped. He was poisoned, and it was at this time that Victor's two remaining conspirators attacked.

Since Chris was in the doorway, minding his own business while the others scrutinized the contents of the chest, he made a tempting target. Both Mange and Grimjaw assaulted him, hitting him with a combination of boomerangs and punches. Picadilly turned and hammered at Grimjaw, while Stab shoved a stunned Chris out of the way. Diaspo then tumbled nimbly into the hallway, and using his dragon breath attack, spat a cone of sound in the direction of the villains. The powerful attack brought half the rickety stair down, and Mange with it. Mange was toppled and knocked unconscious, though Grimjaw survived the attack. Recovering, Chris blasted the hobgoblin, and the others laid into him, killing him quickly.

The adventurers then made their way up to the top of the clock tower, while the guards and henchmen took Mange into custody and cleaned up below. On the clock tower platform, the adventurers discovered none other than Victor, clad in his trademark bowler hat, with his silver sword cane, and Lady Zelina tied to the clapper of an ancient bell in the clock tower that was powered by a pulley and gears system. Stab, who was disguised as the Baron, distracted Victor enough and forced his hand, causing him to start the mechanism on the bell early.

With time of the essence, everyone attacked quickly, trying to subdue Victor and rescue Lady Zelina before the death trap activated. Chris conjured a swarm of fire ants on Victor, causing him to retreat, while Diaspo rushed to the clock tower platform, clambering up to try to free Lady Zelina. However, Victor summoned two lion creatures, and these pounced on Diaspo, knocking him down and preventing him from doing anything on the platform.

Stab quaffed his potion of flying then, and flew towards the top of the bell, where he began inspecting the system. Surprised by the adventurers and their cleverness, Victor pulled a scroll out from the hilt of his rapier, and cast a lightning bolt in the direction of Chris and Picadilly, electrocuting them. The lions also redoubled their efforts, and knocked Diaspo unconscious with paw swipes. Stab discovered a catch on the manacles binding Lady Zelina to the bell, and worked quickly to free her. She fell into Stab's arms, fluttering her eyelids at him as he flew her to safety.

The adventurers then attacked Victor with all their might, and seeing that his plans were thwarted and hope was lost, he ran to a window to escape. He jumped out, and attempted to activate a magical device, but at that time, his magic suddenly failed, and he plummeted to the ground to his doom.

In the days that followed, Victor was arrested, put on trial, and sent to Hell's Heart prison, a prison for the criminally insane. The Baron and Lady Zelina were both delighted with the adventurers' help, and not only conferred rewards upon them, but titles and licenses allowing them to work on the House's business in Sharn. Efforts were also made to refurbish Victor's old abode into a place for the adventurers to stay.

Of course, it seemed that Lady Zelina also had a very favorable impression of Stab, and even considered taking him as a paramour. :o

And thusly, our adventures in this first season of Eberron Mystery Theatre draw to a close.

The following are the rewards everyone has received for their hard work.

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Treasure and Experience

1. All adventurers gain enough xp to put them at 19,000 xp. They are 2,000 xp from leveling up to 7.

2. You acquired the following treasure:

a. Gold rewards - 1,000 gold pieces each for completing the mission.

b. 150 gold in misc currency, looted from Victor's hideout. 250 gold worth of gems, and two diamonds of 500 gold value. Two masterwork scimitars and a chain shirt (750 gold total for the lot)

c. Quiver of 9 Alchemy Arrows (+1d6 fire damage) - Stab

d. Cloak of Elemental Protection - 3/day reduce elemental damage taken by 10 for 1 round.

e. Leather Armor +1 of Silent Moves - +5 move silently check

f. Amulet of Natural Armor +1

g. Potion of Barkskin +2

h. Potion of Expeditious Retreat

i. +1 Returning Boomerang - 1d6 bludgeoning damage, Crit 20/x2, Range 30-ft

j. Ki Straps +1 - Natural attacks count as magical weapons with +1 enhancement value

k. Blue Lion Statue - 1/day, turn into a 'Lion' creature that serves you for up to 5 minutes.

l. Victor's Sword cane - +1 silver rapier. Hilt can store up to 3 potions or scrolls (or combination thereof). Activating either a potion or a scroll in this way through the cane is a standard action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity.

3. The Baron has endorsed the retrofitting of Victor's old home on Clifftop into your base of operations. He has also issued a business license for your group to practice the inquisitive's trade under House Medani's banner.

As licensed agents of the House, you can now take jobs exclusive to House Medani, use House contacts, and other resources not normally available to common adventurers.

Salutations from Sir Colin.

2010-05-26T23:51:00.000-07:00

Backstory for Sir Colin for the FR game.

Kaname the Fighter

2010-05-26T12:56:00.000-07:00

Kaname / Fighter6
Medium Sized Human (Humanoid) / Lawful Neutral

Hit Dice: 12 + 5d10 (46HP)
Initiative: +8 (+4 Dex + +4 Improved Initiative)
Speed: 30fts
AC: 21 (+5 Armor +4 Dex +2 Items)
Base Attack Bonus: 6/1

Base Grapple: 9 (+6 Base +3 Str)
Attacks: Masterwork Adamantine Greatsword +11 (+6 Base +3 Str +1 Masterwork +1 Focus)

Damage: Masterwork Adamantine Greatsword 2d6 +4 (x1.5mod) (Crit 19-20/x2)
Face/Reach: 5' x 5'/5'
Special Attacks: None
Special Qualities: None

Strength: 16 (+3)

Dexterity: 18 (+4)

Constitution: 14 (+2)

Intelligence: 13 (+1)

Wisdom: 8 (-1)

Charisma: 10 (+0)

Base Saves: Fort +5, Reflex +6, Will +2

Total Saves: Fort +7 (+5 Base +2 Con), Reflex +6 (+2 Base +4 Dex), Will +3 (+2 Base -1 Wis +2 Feat)

Skills:

Craft [Blacksmith] +6 (+1 Int +5 Ranks) Intimidate +5 (+0 Cha +5 Ranks) Jump +10 (+3 Str +5 Ranks +2 Item) Ride +9 (+4 Dex +5 Ranks)

Concentration +6 (+2 Con +4 Ranks) Diplomacy +4 (+0 Cha +4 Ranks) Tumble +6 (+4 Dex +0 Ranks +2 Synergy) Appraise +3 (+1 Int + 0 Ranks +2 Synergy)

Feats:
H: Iron Will
L1: Dodge

F1: Weapon Focus (Greatsword)

F2: Mobility

L3: Improved Initiative

F4: Combat Expertise

F6: Spring Attack

L6: Elusive Target*

Possessions (magical items are italicized):

Mithralmist Shirt (7/day Obscuring Mist)

Masterwork Adamantine Greatsword (Least Crystal of Return: Quick Draw)

Dimension Stride Boots (+2Jump; 5/day Teleport - 1 charge 20ft; 3 charges 40ft; 5 charges 60ft)

Amulet of Natural Armor +1

Ring of Protection +1

Cure Light Wound Potion x2

Gold and Treasure: 40 gp

Special Abilities

None

*Complete Warrior

Eberron's Elementals need more paid holidays.

2010-05-23T07:34:00.000-07:00

Just my luck, I was just minding my own business a few days ago, taking a walk and checking out the nice houses in Sharn when I almost hit by a flying guard! It seems like there was a jailbreak on the streets but a fragile thing like me would never think of being involved in that kind of risky business!

But being the nice, street-friendly Stab, I had to see if the guard was alright. Unfortunately, the guard was already dead when I reached him. Tearfully, I spoke a prayer while searching his pockets for any thing he might want to pass on to his family.

There was alot of noise and explosions but in the end, I was arrested with this brunch of misfits and was cursed by the guards. Such injustice in this world! D:

It was one hassle after other as I had to help the nun, the monk, the paladin (brunch of do-gooders) and a warlock (totally gay) into helping this noble find his missing silver statue in order to get rid of the 'curse of injustice'.

A clue that was found was that there was an orphanage in the slums that we have to scout out and these do-gooders had to pick me, the only person who cannot fight, to go alone! >_>

I used an 'alter self' spell loaned by the ~~bitch~~ nun to change myself into a bugbear and went off. At the orphanage, I sneaked in through the window and managed to find out that Victor (detective) was in cahoots with the escaped prisoners to kill the noble and as I was trying to search the building for the noble's daughter, I was discovered!!

Without wasting any time, I dived through the window amid crossbow shots from the crazy assholes and was followed by a murdering gargoyle! Diving for cover to escape the pursuer, I went into two bugbears' house and came out a half-orc using the alter-self spell.

The gargoyle actually went up to me and asked if I saw any bugbears! Being the honest man, I told him about the two bugbears in the house and walked away. Well, it wasn't really my fault the house was exploded and the two bugbears killed, right? O_O

Well, I managed to get back relatively unharmed but the crazy group wanted me to be the decoy for the noble the next day! I agreed for the greater good I would be doing. (and half of the warlock's loot and first pick of any weapons we find) *sigh* I'm so soft-hearted.

The next day at the train station, acting as the decoy, I was almost killed by the exploding trains while the rest of the group were chasing after the would-be murderers. I was shot at with an arrow and a message for the noble. Then the do-gooders had the 'bright' idea to fight the two large air elementals released by the explosions!

Well, the fight went badly but it was lucky that one of the elementals was released by a compulsion spell by the nun and the other one was already badly wounded. We triumphed at last and hopefully, we'll storm the orphanage with an army and finally finish this mission and get this curse removed! =_=

Eberron Mystery Theatre - The Plot Thickens, Mission Implausible, and Trainspotting

2010-05-22T07:29:00.000-07:00

In today's instalment of Eberron Mystery Theatre, our heroes - Chris the Warlock (ghosted), Picadilly the Paladin, Sister Mary the Nun, Stab the Spellthief and Diaspo the Monk are drawn deeper into the web of conspiracy and murder.

Having availed themselves of Sister Mary's magical divinations, the party decided to consult a cleric at the Temple of the Sovereign Host to question Victor's remains. Surprise surprise, it turns out that the corpse isn't Victor, but Herbert d'Medani, a cousin of the Medani House. Herbert, as it turned out, was one of Zelina's entourage, and he had been bludgeoned to death by a hobgoblin - the same one who, together with a dangerous looking half-orc, had somehow spirited Zelina away.

Sitting down at yea tavern, the party decided to go through the clues they had amassed so far, they noticed that Victor had, in fact, been siphoning money into an orphanage in the Gate of Gold district called Aureon's Gate. Sensing something amiss, they decided to follow up on this lead, and ended up running afoul of the Daask Gang in the Gate of Gold.

The party was accosted by Daask thugs - a bard with a penchant for bad singing and loud music, as well as his roguish groupies, but soundly defeated them. They uncovered silver jewelry on the bard's body, jewelry which implicated the thug in the murder of the silversmith in Cassan Bridge district. However, before they could go to the watch, the Daask Gang confronted the party, demanding reparations for the slaying of their gang members.

A standoff ensued, where Sister Mary demonstrated her excellent skills at deflecting crossbow bolts. However, the gang of thieves was not impressed, and their leader even ensorcelled Stab the Spellthief into stabbing Sister Mary with a confusing spell. Sensing that the tables were about to turn, the party retreated.

Later, they reported to the Baron, and managed to convince the Baron to not only alter his travel arrangements to Wroat, but also to lend them magical aid in bringing the criminals and Victor to justice. The party engineered a ploy - Stab would disguise himself as the Baron, and the party would pretend to be his guards. They would lure the would-be murderers out into the open and arrest them when they are about to carry out the lightning rail train plot.

As the party rested and prepared for the confrontation to come, Stab was convinced (or rather coerced) into sneaking into the Gate of Gold. With the help of magic stolen from Sister Mary, several potions, and his own sneakiness, Stab crept into the Gate of Gold in the guise of a bugbear, and proceeded to scout out Aureon's Gate, which had been turned into an abandoned schoolhouse.

Disabling an Alarm trap, Stab entered through an unstuck window, and witnessed Victor and his conspirators at work, going over the details of the train plot. However, when he was sneaking away, Stab was heard by one of the conspirators, and forced to flee for his life. Thankfully, he was still under the effects of Sister Mary's spell, and was able to alter his features to avoid capture. Some innocent bugbears nearby though, were not so fortunate and were killed.

In the morning, the party proceeded to the Terminus Station, disguised as Baron d'Medani and his group. As they entered the station, they noticed that it was incredibly crowded, and that there had been some form of train disruption, which required the presence of a group of House Orien engineers to fix. Picadilly and Diaspo spotted several suspicious looking individuals in the group, but lost track of them before they could follow or sound the alarm.

The party proceeded to Baron d'Medani's chartered rail car, where they waited in case the culprits would show up. True enough, Sister Mary spotted movement coming up the tunnel from the train yards, and everyone heard a loud keening sound as an unscheduled train approached the platform. Diaspo ran to the Station Master, while Picadilly and Sister Mary dashed towards the passages leading to the train yard. Stab and the Baron's guards retreated, and not a moment too soon.

The runaway train car crashed into the platform only scant seconds after, causing the Baron's train car to explode. As both cars exploded, the elementals that powered the vehicles escaped, and started threatening the guards and civilians in the station.

Just then, Picadilly and Sister Mary caught sight of the suspicious engineers again, and this time, they dispersed, splitting up and joining the crowd as they ran away from the station. Sister Mary tried to pursue one of them, a bugbear, and caught up with one, only to realize that she'd gotten the wrong man. The real engineer had fled, and had even changed his form into that of an elf during the confusion.

The party decided to take on the air elementals, to prevent them from causing harm to the civilians (and also for XP). Sister Mary's dispelling magic proved potent, and restored the senses of one of the elementals. The elemental departed for its native plane, leaving the other, angry and hurting, to assault the party. Diaspo attacked it with his sonic breath, Picadilly swung at it, and Stab hurled his flaming dagger, to little avail. Sister Mary peppered it with more spells and magic missiles from her wand, which Stab also snatched and utilized. Eventually, the heroes won through.

And that was when somebody decided to take a potshot at the Baron, in this case Stab in disguise. An arrow stabbed Stab in the chest, and with it was a note.

The note said:

"Mwahaha. I am the genius detective Victor Saint-Demain. Your pathetic adventurers cannot hope to defeat me! Come midnight tonight, on the wildest night of Wildnight, your daughter Zelina will die when the bells toll. It will spell the end of everything for you and your house."

It seemed there wasn't a moment to spare. Time was ticking away.

And thusly, the plot thickens.

-----

Treasure and Experience

1. All adventurers gained 3,900 xp total, putting them at 15,900 xp. Stab gained 250 xp more than everyone else, putting him at 16,150 xp.

2. Everyone gains a Level and attains Level 6. Your Action Points are refreshed to 8.

3. You acquired the following treasure:

a. 330 gp (8o gp each) from the sale of items looted from the rogues in Gate of Gold district.

b. 6 daggers, which were picked up by Stab

c. Wand of Summon Monster II (5 charges), picked up by Sister Mary

d. 2 vials of Alchemist's Fire, picked up by Diaspo

e. A scroll containing the following spells - Fog Cloud, Shield, Acid Arrow, Glitterdust, Lightning Bolt, awarded by the Baron to aid in your investigations, picked up by Sister Mary.

f. A wand of Magic Missile (3rd), awarded by the Baron to aid in your investigations. This wand was used in battle, and has 45 charges remaining, picked up by Sister Mary.

g. A potion of flying (5th), potion of gaseous form (5th), and a potion of shield of faith +2 (5th), awarded by the Baron to aid in your investigations, picked up by Stab.

Additional uses for Action Points in Eberron Mystery Theatre

2010-05-17T04:11:00.001-07:00

I have decided to implement the following additional rulings for Action Point usage.

1. By expending 2 Action Points, a character can regain one use of a racial ability, spell-like ability, or innate ability which he or she possesses as a Standard Action.

2. By expending 1 Action Points, a character in possession of an item with charges may restore 1 charge to the item at the cost of 1 Action Point, so long as the item has at least 1 charge remaining. You may only restore 1 charge each round, and restoring a charge is a Standard Action.

3. By expending 2 Action Points, a character that prepares spells may 'forget' a prepared spell, and replace it with another spell on his or her spell list as a Standard Action.

4. By expending 3 Action Points, a character receives a potentially fatal blow reducing him below 0 hp may attempt a Reflex Save (DC = damage received). If you succeed, you are reduced to 1 hit point, but are not slain outright. However, subsequent attacks during the round may still kill you.