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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Goonalan" data-source="post: 9698134" data-attributes="member: 16069">Not KotSSession #010b: End of Level Bad Guy?The Inspectors.Chromium Malifax aka C-Fax (Rob), Male Silver Dragonborn (Noble) Paladin of Bahamut Level 2Mavis Golightly aka Mave (Sandy), Female Half-Elf (Acolyte) Cleric of Chauntea Level 2Arbuthnot McGow aka McGow (Al), Male Mountain Dwarf (Soldier) Fighter Level 2Snakebite (Kenji), Female Half-Orc (Outlander) Monk Level 2Travis Pickle (Yui), Male Lightfoot Halfling (Criminal) Rogue Level 2Dead PCsThe Inspector aka Spek (Kenji), Male Rock Gnome (Charlatan) Sorcerer Level 1- Killed in Session #2 by Eggnog the Kobold Dragon Priest.To-do list/Quests-#001 Save Dicky Bird aka The Fat Pidgin, and bring him home safely to Edna Gingster, although Dicky is on his way to the Narthex, which is in the Labyrinth, which is near the Seven Pillared Hall- which is in the Underdark- Bugger. Reward: 2000 XP & 1000gp each.<s>#002 Find and investigate the ancient dragon burial site Dicky was looking for, he might be there. Reward: 250 XP.</s> COMPLETE<s>#003 Destroy the kobold menace, including their leader- ‘Chopper.’ Reward: 250 XP & 75gp, with 1gp paid for every kobold tail handed in.</s> COMPLETE#004 Stop Orcus-worshipping Karl’s ritual to bring an undead army to Kirkgate. Basically, save the village, begs (eventually) Lord Crumble. Karl is in Kirkgate. 1000 XP & 250gp reward.#005 Find/Save Cheggers. That's it really, the PCs just need to find/save Cheggers (he’s with Karl, if he’s still alive), for Fionulla (the spy). Reward 100 XP.#006 Find and kill/capture the Bloody Heck- including any leaders. Recover any prisoners they have kidnapped. Find out where Karl is based. Reward: 400 XP & 100gp, with 1gp paid for every member of the Bloody Heck confirmed dead or captured.We’re back.From last time-[ATTACH=full]410441[/ATTACH]But what’s this?The DM tells the PCs that you can’t expect every map that gets used here in Fantasy Grounds to be exactly right in every detail. So, what the PCs can (only just) see in the small pools of light situated nearly two hundred feet to their east is… the armoured skeletal remains of… well, a tall, armoured humanoid.But the PCs, or at least some of them, are broken, and… the lone skeleton knight illuminated in the chamber over, well… that looks like another encounter, and so the PCs are wary.Particularly the broken ones.And most broken of all is C-Fax.The paladin has pretty much got nothing left- powers, hit points etc.The order therefore is retreat, to check out this place-[ATTACH=full]410442[/ATTACH]And, to take a good look around the rest of the muddy caves down here, although- as it turns out- there’s nothing else to find on this level of the dungeon.But this place- well, first impressions- after half-a-dozen more checks, prove to be correct- as far as they go.This is the way down.It’s blocked.By some sort of dark vs light energy, most likely the evil of Orcus (black mist) vs the good of Bahamut (glowing circles of light and runes).Obviously, the Inspectors need to unblock the way down.Which will likely involve the big armoured skeletal knight the PCs spotted earlier, they think.Note, Snakebite tried walking into the fog and lights but was repulsed (physically) and subject to saving throws to avoid both necrotic and radiant damage (1d4 of both). She (Snakebite) made both saves. She is however certain that moving through the phenomena isn’t an option.The PCs are therefore of the belief that the lone armoured skeleton may prove to be tough, they think they’ve found an End of Level Bad Guy (or equivalent).They are, of course, correct.Now, in game I (the DM) am trying to spin out the rest of this session so that I can save the next encounter for the next session. Well, that didn’t work, and keep in mind that two of players insisted that we finish on time tonight.The PCs are however very keen to get on, and so after another short rest, they head back into the ruins- back to where they spotted the armoured skeleton knight, who may in fact be the Traitor, as stated on the sarcophagi above, at least that’s the Inspector’s present thinking (some of them).[ATTACH=full]410443[/ATTACH]But when the PCs get close, the skeleton knight springs into life- it dances to its feet, dragging its longsword quickly into threat, and then rushes straight at the PCs.“INTRUDERS!”But the skeleton doesn’t appear to be speaking, the screamed ‘Intruders!’ is happening in every PCs head.Note, this place looks to be some sort of pillared hall, although water from the natural pool to the north seems to have seeped in, causing the flagged floor to sink into puddles of stagnant water in places.And the skeleton, when it leaps up and into action is armed and armoured like a knight, wielding the remains of a jagged and rusting longsword and wearing equally ancient scalemail, and… it’s a dragonborn skeleton, and- as confirmed a little while later, was in-life a worshipper of the Platinum Dragon.But the PCs are on it and expecting the skeleton knight to come on strong.Therefore, the next thing that happens is a sling stone suddenly arcs out of the dark and slams squarely into the helm/skull of the formerly fast-approaching knight, who immediately curtails his charge- and with pointing longsword intones…[ATTACH=full]410444[/ATTACH]“I swore to defend this place from all intruders. Why are you here? Answer me true and prove yourselves worthy of this test.”Again, the voice- a rich baritone is in the PCs heads.And each PC, as explained by the DM must deliver their reply- as and when the dragonborn skeleton knight points his longsword at them, which is in initiative order. Although the PC instigating this event gets to decide if they want to reply first or last in the order.Keep reading, it’ll all make sense.The players have three minutes to write their PCs speech and then send it to me as a whisper (a secret message seen only by the DM) on Fantasy Grounds, and then of course to deliver their replies as per above, and in character.The players after a little chatter buy into this.And then it gets good (or else fun/funny).Note, C-Fax is obviously very eager to get into this (mainly because Rob loves the sound of his own voice), and equally keen to get the other players on board, because this- as the skeleton knight said- is the ‘test’. The DM lets the PCs know that their replies need to be accompanied by a DC 11 check (skill to be tested agreed between the PC and the DM, and bonuses given by the DM for hamming it up/or just plain clever/funny with their speeches).This is a skill challenge of sorts and triggered by the skeleton knight suffering 20 (actually more than twenty) HP damage in one hit from Travis’s sling (with added sneak attack).And so, the PCs answers/replies, but I’m not going to write all of these out here, here’s a precis for the first question.C-Fax recounts the Inspectors journey thus far to the skeleton knight (very succinctly, of course) and let’s the ‘Traitor’ know that he (C-Fax) has an appointment with Evil Karl down below. He is triumphant (and condescending).Mavis does something similar, although she’s much nicer- and so there’s more about the poor folk of Kirkgate and the terror of the approaching undead army. Both of which C-Fax somehow managed to forget.Snakebite, remarkably, also goes with the plot thus far, and the fact that the Inspectors need to get below, to Karl. None of his cod wisdom, nothing funny or else dumb.McGow is very sweary, choosing to insult the Traitor rather than answer the question.Travis, the last to offer a reply to the skeleton knight, is sweetness and light- the search for ‘my beloved Uncle Dicky’, he explains, has been put to one side because of the terrible undead ‘threat to the good people of Kirkgate’.Travis wins the round- the players get to vote for their fave reply to each question (there are more coming- obviously)- they can’t vote for themselves, of course; that’s an extra 10 XP for the halfling rogue.Note, Rob (playing C-Fax) gets the hump for a short while here- why? Because Travis is employing his Deception skill (which is his best social skill, I think) and making himself out to be the sweetest, most gentle- and brave- and heroic halfling that has ever lived. And worst of all- it’s funny and it’s working.It is bordering on the glorious at times, leaving C-Fax spluttering.C-Fax (and Rob) come around to the logic of Travis’ approach a short while later.Further note the PCs pass the first part of the ‘test’ with four successes at their checks and one failure (the sweary McGow).We go on, or else the fight gets going, and guess what?[ATTACH=full]410445[/ATTACH]The skeleton knight has high initiative, a high AC (C-Fax misses it twice in his opening turn- he’s really not happy about this- see later), lots (and lots) of hit points, and it hits hard, bloodying C-Fax (again) in an instant, and with a Crit reducing Snakebite to just four hit points with one backhand slice.Note, some of the PCs are screaming at this point- and there was a very un-paladin-like display just about now (I won’t name or shame the PC, I’ll just make it very obvious), and some particularly offensive language.But then the equally sweary McGow gets into action, and he hits hard.[ATTACH=full]410446[/ATTACH]“Who do you serve? To what God, or nation, or faction, do you swear loyalty? Can I trust that you are true to this service?”The skeleton knight is forty hit points down, note the PCs/Players have not figured this out yet- at least not the exact amount, they have figured out that beating the knight up instigates further questions, obviously. They know how the ‘test’ works.And again- three minutes for the PCs to come up with an answer, and their replies follow the pattern set above (mostly).So, the holy duo advertises their particular patron deities (Bahamut & Chauntea), and their unswerving faith to the same.McGow is not really engaging with the questions- he’s mostly just bad-mouthing the Traitor, and swearing- always swearing, but y’know- suitably in-character.Snakebite however goes off script, the question provokes some very deep thinking from the half-orc. Ultimately, she believes that she is here to ‘do the right thing’, and ‘to kick the head off all of the bad peoples.’Travis?Travis kinda does a similar thing to Snakebite, but his big truth is… ‘truth’, and the need for ‘good to prevail against the tide of evil’; he’s a lying little bastard. He rolls a ‘20’, of course.The skeleton knight takes a moment to salute the saintly halfling before the fight gets going again.There’s a lot of giggling, and Travis/Yui is playing to the crowd now, ladling it on.Travis, of course, wins the player vote again.Although Snakebite’s long mental journey gets a few votes, too.Note, that was another victory- four successes and one failure for the PCs checks, the failure? Sweary McGow, natch.And moments later…[ATTACH=full]410447[/ATTACH]“If you trust your senses not to betray you- look upon me, and tell me what you see before you? I shall not blush if you offer me insult or slight.”The third question comes ten seconds after the second, this because McGow’s second attack (IP) is a Crit, and the skeleton knight is now sixty hit points down.And so, we go again- three minutes to write their replies, and then in Initiative order they deliver their speeches, and…The skeleton knight is the Traitor- a fallen knight of Bahamut who did something really bad a long time ago, or at least that’s the opinion of C-Fax and Mavis, although Mavis’ version is (again) more forgiving.McGow ain’t stopping- he’s on a roll, and so once again and with more earthy language the dwarf says lots more bad things about the Traitor/skeleton knight.Snakebite, and Travis, somehow manage to turn the Traitor image around- 360 degrees- Travis’ states that he sees ‘hope before me- a fallen knight that has lost his way, and yet even in undeath cannot relinquish the task that life, and his faith, assigned him’, or something very similar. Snakebite’s version is much simpler (and sweeter), the half-orc even volunteers to help the Traitor (by kicking it’s head off).Snakebite wins the XP/PC vote, and five successes for the checks.The PCs are loving this.They’re also hitting much more often, and Mavis has got her Bless spell going, and more remarkably my skeleton knight just keeps on rolling four or below for his to hit rolls, also (I think) Snakebite has necked her Potion of Healing.Soon after the skeleton knight is eighty hit points down.[ATTACH=full]410448[/ATTACH]“You, each of you, wear a fearsome demeanour. Are you as formidable as you look. What skills do you possess that will aid you in your quest?”Which conjures more replies- and five more successes with the rolls.Note, Travis has a hard time answering this one (well) because he’s deceiving the skeleton knight by making out that he’s just a young innocent halfling that has wandered into a world of adventuring (in search of his ‘beloved uncle’). So, he can’t tell the skeleton knight that he is great at, and just simply adores, murdering folk (humanoids). But he really wants to say this.Snakebite wins the people’s vote- mainly by sticking with his ‘kicking the head off bad peoples’ schtick.We go on.[ATTACH=full]410449[/ATTACH]The skeleton knight cuts Snakebite down, and the half-orc has already used his Relentless Endurance today and so… she really is down and dying.But not for long- Mavis uses her last spell (I think) to get the half-orc back up and in the fracas, which works out well because seconds later she hits and then Crits the skeleton knight.Which gets us to question #5, the undead champion has taken 100 hit points damage now.[ATTACH=full]410450[/ATTACH]“Unnatural forces abound within this place. Are you equipped to overcome these dark forces, are you experienced, are you ready?”The last two questions (on review) need reworking but, they worked (in-game)- or else generated more replies (but were not as good as the first three questions).Five successes out of five- the test is passed.The people’s vote (and 10 XP) goes to McGow mainly for his commitment to swearing (and not really answering the questions), and his likewise continued use of Intimidate in place of a ‘social’ skill, and… for the fact he rolled a ‘20’ and then went on a mini swear-nova to celebrate.But that was the end of the session, only ninety (plus) minutes over time.Oh, but here’s the bad guy-[ATTACH=full]410451[/ATTACH]Right at the end of the session I remembered I had a picture of this fellow (only his equipment is battered and broken). I forgot to send it earlier because we were just on a roll.More of this next time.Extra XP- Snakebite & Travis 20 XP each, McGow 10 XP, as voted by the PCs.Next time.Cheers goonalan and the Tokyo Massive.</blockquote>

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