Rise of the Runelords–The Shadow Clock

[Game date: 2013 Dec 26]

1. Session 18:
   1. Date: 2013 Dec 26
      1. Players: Camla, Derrik, Gragdar, Vaelmorn
   2. Rested in Sawmill for the evening. The following morning, they released the assumed messenger ravens found on the rooftop and followed them by riding on Vaelmorn’s giant Bats. It led the group to a rickety clocktower in the Underbridge.
   3. Assault on Clocktower

                                               i.     Vaelmorn and Camla leapt into the top floor through an open doorway. As they did so, a demon appeared in a cloud of smoke and lightning, accompanied by the smell of pungent sulfur.

 

 

 

                                             ii.    Seeing the fight, the others followed in on the second bat, but Derrik was suspicious and stayed out of combat, instead spending 3 rounds detecting evil. It paid off as he realized that the demon was just an illusion! And the true source of evil was just behind them! Just as the Paladin tried to warn his companions…

 

 

                                           iii.     The other demoic being cast off her clock of invisibility – a woman from the waist up, and a large snake below; Xanesha as she was known attacked Camla from behind, the devastating blow almost killing the man outright.

 

 

                                            iv.     The group shifted their attention to her. Gragdar’s undead hosts bore the brunt of her deadly spear attacks, giving the others time to reform battle lines.

 

 

                                             v.     A decisive use of the Blindness spell by Gragdar allowed them to finally close and surround Xanesha without provoking the deadly attacks of opportunity, even though she was able to remove Blindness on her next action.

 

 

                                            vi.    Lots of magical summons and Xanesha was trapped; boxed in by the confines of the small tower made her unable to use her spear. The naga resorted to the use of powerful magics, with particular benefit of Scorching Ray, to the chagrin of Vaelmorn.

 

 

                                          vii.     The heroes eventually succeed in killing her and find in her possession a letter from “Lucrecia”.

 

 

4. Taking stock of their situation, they are deciding whether to explore rest of the Clocktower, or return to the Mayor.

 

 

 

Here’s the overview of the DF layout – as it was just the top floor of a clocktower, I used just the minimul of pieces. This picture is of when Camla and Vaelmorn leaped into the open doorway from atop the flying giant bat.

MECHANICS:

I ran Xanesha as written in the re-released Rise of the Runelords hardback version (Rogue 1). She is the first creature the group has fought with a base 6d12 combat dice; combined with her magical spear and her spellcasting, she was quite a formidable opponent. An illusory deman, and invisible sneak attack on Camla brought down half the group; later, two 8d6 Scorching Ray attacks on Vaelmorn brought the pain.

Rise of the Runelords–Sawmill

[Game dates: 2013 Dec 07]

1. Session 16:
   1. Date: 2013 Dec 07

                                               i.     PCs: Camla, Derik, Vaelmorn, Gragdar

2. Meeting with the Mayor

                                               i.     Heroes meet with Mayor Haldomeer Groboras in City Hall, where they are informed that one of the Magnimarian Justices is leading the hunt for the murderers.

                                             ii.     Justice Ironbriar is summoned and they meet a stern tall elf. Unbeknownest to them, he is also the leader of the cult of the Brothers behind the murders – of whom Aldern was only a puppet.

3. Assault on the Sawmill

                                               i.     They manage to track down which sawmill and then try to gain entry, but are turned away. Derrik detects evil in the workers.

                                             ii.     They decide to scout, and fly on bats to rooftop, where they sneak in through the messenger raven coop.

                                           iii.     They drop into the main floor, where they find Justice Ironbriar! He is surrounded by cultists in the midst of a ritual murder. In addition, they see Lyrie and Tsuto are part of the group!

 

 

 

 



 

                                            iv.     Vaelmorn drops in, and puts up darkness, but finds that it is repeatedly countered by Daylight. The fight is touch and go, leading to the destruction of most of Gragdar’s undead horde, but they prevail in the end.

 

MECHANICS

I thought that Ironbriar would be an ideal Inquisitor – not only the NPC background of a stern Justice, but specifically the Infiltrator that defeats the pesky Paladin’s Detect Evil. And with the high-crit Elven Curveblade, and the ability to make it Keen and Bane, he was a formidable opponent. Adding on his followers, plus Tsuto and Lyrie (whom’s freedom he saw to – and who warned him about the drow’s Darkness abilities), the encounter turned out quite challenging and fun for all.

Ironbriar

Elf Inquisitor (Infiltrator/Preacher) 8
NE Medium Humanoid (elf)
Init +13; Senses low-light vision; Perception +11
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Defense
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AC 20, touch 16, flat-footed 14 (+4 armor, +6 Dex)

DEF +9 DR 8 / 10 (magic)
hp 58 (8d8+8); judgement of profane healing 3
hp 69

Fort +8, Ref +11, Will +10; +2 vs. enchantments
Defensive Abilities judgement of profane protection +2; DR judgement of profane resiliency 2: magic; Immune sleep; Resist elven immunities, judgement of profane purity +2, judgement of profane resistance 6 (fire)
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Offense
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Speed 30 ft.
Melee +1 Elven Curveblade +14/+9 (1d10+2/18-20/x2)
Melee keen BANE +1 Elven Curveblade +16/+11 (1d10+2 + 2d6 bane/18-20/x2 – 15-20 w/ keen edge)

Special Attacks bane (+2 / 2d6) (8 rounds/day)

Spell-Like Abilities Detect Alignment (At will),

Inquisitor Spells Known (CL 8):
3 (2/day) Keen Edge*, ??, Ward the Faithful* (+2 to AC and +2 to saves)
2 (5/day) Litany of Defense (double defense), Hold Person (DC 14), Invisibility, See Invisibility
1 (5/day) Doom (DC 13), Shield of Faith, True Strike, ??, Protection from Law
0 (at will) Resistance, Daze (DC 12), Detect Poison, Read Magic, Detect Magic, Bleed (DC 12)
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Statistics
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Str 12, Dex 24, Con 11, Int 12, Wis 15, Cha 8
Base Atk +6; CMB +7; CMD 23
Feats Combat Reflexes (8 AoO/round), Improved Initiative, Toughness +8, Weapon Finesse

Skills Acrobatics +15, Bluff +6, Climb +6, Diplomacy +8, Disable Device +11, Heal +7, Intimidate +10, Knowledge (arcana) +6 (+8 to identify the abilities and weaknesses of creatures), Knowledge (dungeoneering) +6, Knowledge (history) +3, Knowledge (local) +4, Knowledge (planes) +8, Knowledge (religion) +8, Perception +11, Sense Motive +12, Spellcraft +7 (+9 to determine the properties of a magic item), Stealth +18, Survival +2, Use Magic Device +2 Modifiers
Languages Common, Draconic, Elven
SQ domains (murder), elven magic, judgement (3/day), Combat Gear; Other Gear MW Mithral Chain shirt, +1 Elven Curveblade, wand of daylight (10 charges) 150 GP
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Special Abilities
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Bane (+2 / 2d6) (8 rounds/day) (Su) Make the weapon you are holding a bane weapon. Swift to change type.
Combat Reflexes (8 AoO/round) Can make extra attacks of opportunity/rd, and even when flat-footed.
Detect Alignment (At will) (Sp) Detect chaos, evil, good, or law at will.
Determination (3 / day) (Ex): free action

- Aggression: Re-roll attack roll

- Defense: Immediate action to get +4 DEF

- Warning: If ally hit, can force reroll of attack

Elven Immunities +2 save bonus vs Enchantments.
Elven Immunities - Sleep You are immune to magic sleep effects.
Elven Magic +2 to spellcraft checks to determine the properties of a magic item.

Inquisition (Justice):

- Judicious Force (2/day) (Su): +4 confirmation roll for crit if you or ally w/I 10 ft makes threat.

- Chains of Justice (1/day) (Su): bind opponent w/I 60 ft w/ spectral chains (Will negates). Damage is mirrored to both.

Judgements (3 times / day): Can use 2 @ 8^th level

- Profane Destruction +3 (Su) Weapon Damage bonus.
- Profane Healing 3 (Su) Fast Healing
- Profane Justice +2 (Su) Attack bonus
- Profane Piercing +3 (Su) Concentration and vs. SR bonus
- Profane Protection +2 (Su) AC bonus
- Profane Purity +2 (Su) Save bonus
- Profane Resiliency 2: Magic (Su) DR/magic
- Profane Resistance 6 (Fire) (Su) Energy Resistances
- Profane Smiting (Magic) (Su) DR bypass
Low-Light Vision See twice as far as a human in low light, distinguishing color and detail.
Misdirection (Sp): Detects as a LN elf.

Necessary Lies (Su): +8 on saves vs. lie detection

Second Judgement (3/day) (Su) Variable bonuses increase as the combat continues.

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Tactics HERO POINTS: 1
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Before Combat Before combat starts, casts keen edge, shield of faith for +3 deflection, and Ward the Faithful

During Combat

1^st round: Uses Judgment (swift) for Protection and Resiliency, Standard for Chains of Justice, Move to Melee

2^nd round: Swift action to use bane

- Litany of Defense if going into melee (Doubles armor DR?)

- Judicious Force to get +4 to confirm.