[Active Thread] The Hall of Harsh Reflections

[Jinxs-3d]

Ardrea will follow the team and of course.

“Deception”

[CGM3]

Cyrius declares the password -- “Deception” -- before advancing at half speed, taking 10 (for a 17 score).

[JPetherick]

Worrel waits for the others before attempting to cross. Seeing his companions success, he also states “Deception” before stepping off.

[smeltdm]

OUT OF CHARACTER

this is probably meta-gaming, and Pat probably won’t allow it, but aren’t you gonna take the potion before you try to cross the beams?if we were setting at a table I’m certain this would be said

 

Worrel waits for the others before attempting to cross. Seeing his companions success, he also states “Deception” before stepping off.

[patransom]

OUT OF CHARACTER

this is probably meta-gaming, and Pat probably won’t allow it, but aren’t you gonna take the potion before you try to cross the beams?if we were setting at a table I’m certain this would be said

 

Worrel waits for the others before attempting to cross. Seeing his companions success, he also states “Deception” before stepping off.

OUT OF CHARACTER

Completely reasonable and relevant question. Is Worrel taking the potion first? If he's taking the potion, is anyone else holding the doppelganger's rope as you cross?

 

[Silverstone]

Lola says deception then carefully proceeds.

[CGM3]

Cyrius can hold the leash while Worrell discorporates.

[JPetherick]

OUT OF CHARACTER

this is probably meta-gaming, and Pat probably won’t allow it, but aren’t you gonna take the potion before you try to cross the beams?if we were setting at a table I’m certain this would be said

 

Worrel waits for the others before attempting to cross. Seeing his companions success, he also states “Deception” before stepping off.

OUT OF CHARACTER

Completely reasonable and relevant question. Is Worrel taking the potion first? If he's taking the potion, is anyone else holding the doppelganger's rope as you cross?

 

Worrel hands the rope to Cyrius, ensuring that his companion is gripping it before he downs the potion.

[patransom]

With Worrel in gaseous form, the party makes its way across the slippery, wobbly planks into the next room, unmolested by the invisible stalkers. This large chamber is empty aside from two holes in the floor, one a jagged rip where the floor has fallen away, the other a perfectly square opening with a shaft leading down. The doppelganger leads the group over to the square shaft.

Looking down, the shaft is full of water after about thirty-five feet and a wooden barrel bobs on the surface. A crude rope ladder descends to the surface of the water.

“Now, this might be a little complicated, ” says the doppelganger, “We usually ride down one or two at a time in the barrel while someone works the lever in the water control chamber down below. But there's no one there to work the lever right now, so someone's going to have to swim down to the bottom of this shaft, through the tunnel, and up into the control chamber. I'd do it, but I'm guessing you still don't trust me...”

“Or we can all go for a swim and skip the barrel ride...”

ACTIVE EFFECTS

Feather Token Whip: +10 BAB, 1d6+1 nonlethal, free grapple attack (with a +15 bonus on its combat maneuver checks) if it hits; 53.7 minutes remaining 1. Lola - loaded crossbow readied, 30 bolts left, 1 channel energy left 2. Tex - bow readied, 83 arrows left, 3 hp damage 3. Worrel - holding a rope tied around doppelganger, 17 arrows left, 1 lay on hands left, wand of CLW 20 charges left, Gaseous Form 9.5 minutes remaining 4. Ardrea - staff readied, fly 1 minute used 5. Cyrius - uncharged mind blade longsword readied, 7 hp damage 6. Prost - unloaded slingstaff readied, 37 bullets left, 18 bullets +1 left, 26 hp damage 7. Fluffy 8. Doppelganger formerly known as Fake Prost - 31 hp damage including 6 nonlethal, tied around the waist with ropes

[JPetherick]

Worrel looks down at the water, far below.

“"How deep is the water?,"” he asks. “"And, exactly how far across to the control chamber?"”

[smeltdm]

OUT OF CHARACTER

Prost was trying to stay out of sight…so what is Prost current status…appears he is visible to the face Prost…

 

[CGM3]

OUT OF CHARACTER

Cyrius has a +10 Swim bonus; anybody have higher?

 

[ElectroZman]

OUT OF CHARACTER

Tex is an 11 with Endurance. But, can Gaseous form help us here? Cant enter water, but are there any cracks?

 

[smeltdm]

OUT OF CHARACTER

Prost could use some healing, if not offered by healer, Prost will consume one of his CMW potions. Prost swim check of 6 and fortitude save is 6, or another +2 because of fearless halfling race trait... for a +8...Pat how do you read that...I'm not sure

 

OUT OF CHARACTER

If Prost is noticed by fake Prost, he will sugest he goes as he is the only one that can deal with trapes...

 

[Silverstone]

OUT OF CHARACTER

prost, not sure i see you as your trying to be hidden. my cure wound wand is enpty now. Also, i am down to just 2 spells i could cure with... and just 1 channel. Not sure if someone else has a cure wound wand.. also if someone does cure you with a spell, likely the doppelganger will figure out ur here. My swim is low skill.

 

[smeltdm]

OUT OF CHARACTER

prost, not sure i see you as your trying to be hidden. my cure wound wand is enpty now. Also, i am down to just 2 spells i could cure with... and just 1 channel. Not sure if someone else has a cure wound wand.. also if someone does cure you with a spell, likely the doppelganger will figure out ur here. My swim is low skill.

 

Yes I know all that…question was for DM as to up until this screen shot, I was hiding, now I’m not…but that is ok , I’m not the DM.
Given the opportunity, I would of waited till fake Prost was out of sight, and moved to just out side the door…out of sight

[smeltdm]

Pat I’m, ok with current position…Prost will volunteer to dive and open up the valve to let out the water… looking at the fake Prost“This is how the real Prost does it!” waits for any objections…

[patransom]

Worrel looks down at the water, far below.

“"How deep is the water?,"” he asks. “"And, exactly how far across to the control chamber?"”

“You need to swim or sink about 40 feet down, then 20 feet through the passage, then 40 feet back up to the surface in the control chamber,” the doppelganger answers, “Also, you need to bring some food to distract the giant octopus. Otherwise, it will try to drown and eat you.”

Prost will volunteer to dive and open up the valve to let out the water… looking at the fake Prost“This is how the real Prost does it!” waits for any objections…

The doppelganger ignores Prost's comment.

OUT OF CHARACTER

I assumed Prost revealed himself when handing the potion over to Worrel, since it would have been difficult to hide from the doppelganger while doing that. Apologies if that's not what you intended, but it seems like it worked out fine. Especially since the doppelganger doesn't seem to care that Prost is there. Anyone have objections to Prost being the swimmer? Got some food to distract an octopus?

 

[smeltdm]

“the corpses from the resent fight should be fresh” Prost says, not being a bit squeamish about it.

[JPetherick]

“"I can try,"” replies Worrel.

“"Is there any rope to help you go up on the other side? Or, handholds on the sides of the shaft?,"” he asks the doppelganger.

[smeltdm]

““How about two hundred and fifty feet of hemp rope, and a grappling hook...”” Prost offers up and drops on the deck in front of Tex.

OUT OF CHARACTER

5 fifty-foot coils pulled from handy haversack and a grappling hook...been carrying that hemp rope for a long RT ...at least 7 years

 

[ElectroZman]

Tex slings his bow and stows all his gear securely. He ensures a dagger is ready to draw just in case.

He ties a few ends of rope together, then makes a loop in one free end to go around his wrist, loosely.

Then, if all are ready and some minds the rope, will loop the rope around his wrist and cannon ball into the water.

OUT OF CHARACTER

I can never remember what it is to tie a rope. Tex is a Ranger...

 

 

[Silverstone]

Lola says “Tex, don't forget a corpse for the octopus...”

[ElectroZman]

OUT OF CHARACTER

folks, I've been so busy at work, barely paying attention. Didn't notice the bit about the octopus until I went back and read. Then I noticed Prost was ready to go. Apologies, I didn't mean to jump the line. Tex will go with him.

 

Tex looks around, any fish or anything? He asks the doppleganger, “What do you usually feed the octopus?”

If there is nothing to feed it, we'll dump a corpse in the water, wait a min, then jump in.

[smeltdm]

“ The corps of the doppelgängers, I think will do quite nicely, and they get a burial at Sea…so to speak. ” Prost comments after hearing Tex’s question … “We just need to make sure they are bleeding a bit…”

[patransom]

OUT OF CHARACTER

The plan you guys have come up with is sufficient that we can move forward. No dice rolls or anything needed. I just need to set up a new map. I will try to get that up this weekend. Thanks for your patience!

 

[smeltdm]

[patransom]

The party drops a doppelganger corpse in the water. The doppelganger prisoner doesn't seem bothered by this, but his features are a bit hard to read.

Tex and Prost swim down the shaft and notice a giant octopus at the bottom. It ignores them because it is busy feasting on the corpse. They swim through a corridor (1200 through 1303 on the map below, which is at this point underwater), into a large chamber where they can surface. There is a platform here (1207 through 1308) with a large metal lever, along with a walkway leading to a door (at 1211-1311).

Experimenting with the lever, Tex and Prost determine that it lowers/raises the water level both in this chamber and the shaft they swam down (north of 1200). After some trial and error and shouting, the rest of the party is able to ride down the barrel in groups of two while Tex and Prost control the water. Worrel remains in gaseous form and flies down while the water is low.

After a few minutes, the party is reassembled at the top of the platform with the water at its lowest level. There's just a puddle of water left on the floor of the main chamber 50 feet below. The octopus is nowhere to be found, having taken its dinner out through one of the drains.

The doppelganger leads the party across the walkway and out of the water control chamber. A short passage beyond the door leads into a long perpendicular hallway with many doors. “To reach the boss, we want to go east and use that last door on the right,” says the doppelganger (indicating the door at 1715), “Don't touch the rest of the doors. They're trapped.”

OUT OF CHARACTER

I put you in kind of random order on the map. Let me know if anything requires clarification or if you want a different marching order. If you continue following the doppelganger I can do another post pretty quickly, but wanted to give you the option to interrupt/investigate/ask questions on the way.

 

ACTIVE EFFECTS

Feather Token Whip: +10 BAB, 1d6+1 nonlethal, free grapple attack (with a +15 bonus on its combat maneuver checks) if it hits; 48.7 minutes remaining 1. Lola - loaded crossbow readied, 30 bolts left, 1 channel energy left 2. Tex - bow readied, 83 arrows left, 3 hp damage 3. Worrel - holding a rope tied around doppelganger, 17 arrows left, 1 lay on hands left, wand of CLW 20 charges left, Gaseous Form 4.5 minutes remaining 4. Ardrea - staff readied, fly 1 minute used 5. Cyrius - uncharged mind blade longsword readied, 7 hp damage 6. Prost - unloaded slingstaff readied, 37 bullets left, 18 bullets +1 left, 26 hp damage 7. Fluffy 8. Doppelganger formerly known as Fake Prost - 31 hp damage including 6 nonlethal, tied around the waist with ropes

[smeltdm]

Prost will want confirm if in fact doors are or not trapped

[patransom]

Prost will want confirm if in fact doors are or not trapped

OUT OF CHARACTER

Which door(s) does Prost want to check first?