IC: Dichotomy's Age of Worms Redux, Part V(b)

[Dichotomy]

After casting the protective spells, Kushnak lays into the door. While it is stronger than he expected, the half-orc still makes short work of it, hacking a hole open and then kicking out the bar behind the doors.

The battered doors swing open and reveal the next chamber. In the center of the tall domed chamber is a large brain, carved from a single block of purple-veined white marble. Its veins seem to pulsate with every breath you take, as if aware of your presence. Four stone benches are arrayed around the room, each with a pair of iron manacles bolted to the top.

[sblock=OOC]Erdolliel: hides
Nethezar: casts protection from evil on Erdolliel and himself
Kushnak: cast protection from evil and attacks the door
Round 1: 28 damage and 25 damage (53)
Round 2: 26 damage and 26 damage (105)
Round 3: 23 damage (128); door breaks

Fly in effect ~ 36 rounds. Faerie fire 25 rounds. Protection from Evil: 3 rounds (one less for Nethezar)

Unless otherwise noted, in this section, in the rooms the ceilings are 40 feet high, but in the hallways/corridors they are 20 feet high.[/sblock]

 

[TiCaudata]

Erdolliel cautiously moves into the room for a better view.[sblock=oc]Move to 25' above IT and look (+13 for listen and spot) down the hallway. Erdolliel has her bow out (fyi) and is moving silently (+15) without penalty and trying to stay hidden (+15)

Also, do the manacles have chains on them too are are the just bolted straight in? How long are the chains? I don't want these things to be telekinetic as well as psionic...[/sblock]

 

[o3caudata]

[sblock=oc]IT is the brain. Just in case.[/sblock]

Kushnak keeps his eyes locked suspiciously on the centerpiece of the room as he follows Erdolliel inside, taking obvious caution to stay out of reach of the chains.

"Note the manacles, Nethezar. And DO NOT touch the brain. That goes for you too girl." he spits, in a poor attempt at whisper.

[sblock=oc]Once it's clear there's nothing in the room, Kushnak goes 5' inside and 20' off the ground(unless the chains still reach him, then higher to avoid.)
[/sblock]

 

[Dichotomy]

Erdolliel flies into the room. The elf doesn't notice anything untoward, and the manacles are all bolted directly to the benches, with no chains at all. The elf sees a passage leading to the next room, however the corridor steeply rises up about 30 feet, making her view of the next room obstructed.

Kushnak moves into the room. The half-orc notices nothing untoward. After a moment, Nethezar follows.The half-orc immediately senses what can only be described as an immense mental presence in his psyche. Suddenly, that presence lashes out, attacking Kushnak's mind. The half-orc hears a mental voice tell him to kill his companions, but Kushnak feels no compulsion to obey.

[sblock=OOC]Kushnak: will save 4+ fail; Kushnak is dominated, however protection from evil is suppressing it (while PfE is still in effect).

Do either of you have any thoughts on whether Kushnak himself would KNOW that something targeted him and what it might be (such that he would know how bad it could be if he loses PfE)?

Fly in effect ~ 37 rounds. Faerie fire 26 rounds. Protection from Evil: 4 rounds (one less for Nethezar)[/sblock]

 

[o3caudata]

[sblock=oc]

Actually, i'm fairly sure that he can't 'command' me at all. Providing a command is done using the 'telepathic link' from the dominate spell, and that is 'blocked' by PFE.

You can control the actions of any humanoid creature through a telepathic link that you establish with the subject’s mind.
.
.
.
Protection from evil or a similar spell can prevent you from exercising control or using the telepathic link while the subject is so warded, but such an effect neither prevents the establishment of domination nor dispels it.

So, essentially I don't think Kushnak knows he's under the effect at all. (once the PFE ends, he'll be able to command me obviously)

We should probably just forget about that though...


[/sblock]

 

[TiCaudata]

[sblock=oc]I did some searches in the srd and came up with this So, I know that we aren't using psionics per se, but since this is a mind flayer I thought it might be relevant. if you look under "failing a saving throw against Mind-Affecting Powers" it says "If you fail your save, you are unaware that you have been affected by a power." So I think that o3 is right. unfortunately...

Guess that means that we have a few minutes to kill the thing, not that the PCs know that though.[/sblock]

 

[o3caudata]

[sblock=oc]

Right. I think it's generally accepted that if you fail a save you don't know that you did so unless there are obvious affects which would tell you.(even then it's probably at best a spellcraft check to 'get' it)

Point being, Kushnak is not 'under the influence' of the caster at all yet. All that's happened is that he has the potential to initiate orders via the telepathic link. To me, this means that the caster can expend actions attempting to order me, but those orders never reach me. (I think that the verbiage of 'using the telepathic link' necessitates action on his part.)

SO, IMO even if the PFE expires, he must still attempt to 'activate' the link by providing me a command(and since he doesn't have a real idea what is stopping it from working and for how long, that could be tricky for him to navigate). And even in that case, the obvious incongruity of his request should allow for additional saves with the +2 bonus.

In the event that there is a constant affect influencing him(and i don't think there's evidence to support it), which he is able to disregard for the time being, Kushnak could potentially be afforded the Sense Motive check afforded to others in identifying the 'influence' of an enchantment. see: Sense Motive :: d20srd.org That'd be +4 for Kushnak.

[/sblock]

 

[TiCaudata]

[sblock=oc]agreed[/sblock]

 

[Dichotomy]

[sblock=OOC]After discussion, I think we agree that Kushnak really has no idea that anything happened at all. I have adjusted the last IC post accordingly.

Anything else?[/sblock]

 

[TiCaudata]

[sblock=oc]Oh yeah, that means it's our turn again, I forgot...[/sblock]Erdolliel keeps moving ahead, carefully sticking to the ceiling.[sblock=oc]Same goo as before. Move up the passage looking (+13 for listen and spot) towards the next room. Move silently (+15) without penalty and trying to stay hidden (+15). So she'll move downwards slightly to get into the corridor, but then stay 15' up to remain on the topmost cube of the 20' ceiling. Are my heights correct?[/sblock]