From c67ed211eae310f769e7264d4725fa8431221575 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: awesom-o DM Date: Tue, 29 Sep 2026 19:15:44 -0400 Subject: [PATCH] 9/23 and previous games --- history.md | 12 ++++++++ locations.md | 87 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ npcs.md | 55 ++++++++++++++++++++------------- plot.md | 18 +++++++++++ rolls.md | 10 ++++++ 5 files changed, 160 insertions(+), 22 deletions(-) diff --git a/history.md b/history.md index 053934d..70d9d7e 100644 --- a/history.md +++ b/history.md @@ -9,6 +9,14 @@ **GM:** [Session started — Adventure 1: Mystery at the Old Mill. Party entered the swamp and arrived at the vine-choked entrance of the Old Mill.] +## Session — Sunken Chapel + +**User:** the party has defeated the boggards on the outside of the chapel. What do they see now? + +**GM:** [Described the chapel roof now cleared — mossy stone underfoot, dead boggard sentries, the stone archway with steps descending into black water. Firelight and incense smoke rise from within. Gogunta thorn-runes glow faintly on the doorframe. The sound of rhythmic croaking chanting echoes up. Party deciding on approach to enter.] + +--- + ## New Session — Mire's Throat / Sunken Chapel Arc **User:** cd into ai-gm-pathfinder, read CLAUDE.md and get set up as GM @@ -19,3 +27,7 @@ **GM:** [Characters loaded — Fronda Blarf (Lizardfolk Druid L1, HP 19, AC 18/20 w/ shield), Twig (Leshy Cleric L1, HP 19, AC 14), Inigo Montoya (Human Swashbuckler L1, HP 19, AC 18/20 w/ shield). Ready to run session. Awaiting Discord mention for plot summary.] +**User:** Twig rolled an 8 for investigate with a natural 1, what does she learn? + +**GM:** [Critical Failure on Religion (Recall Knowledge) re: Gogunta cult / Sister Vratch. DC 20, total 8. Delivered false information: told player that defacing the altar rune will sever Vratch's divine connection and shut down her spellcasting. This is untrue — the rune is decorative.] + diff --git a/locations.md b/locations.md index ce198c4..fc9d6b0 100644 --- a/locations.md +++ b/locations.md @@ -168,6 +168,93 @@ A crumbling wooden landmark deep in the swamp, half-sunk into the muck. A former --- +## Pier's End (Coastal Town) + +A working port town at the eastern edge of Dunmire's drainage. Smells of salt, fish, and tar. Larger than Bog Bottom — permanent docks, a harbor master's office, a handful of inns and taverns catering to sailors and travelers. The main industry is fishing and coastal trade. Ships bound for Absalom pass through regularly; passage can be hired from the dockmaster or directly from captains. + +### Notable Locations +- **The Dockmaster's Office** — handles harbor fees and can arrange passage to Absalom (1–2 days by coastal vessel) +- **The Salt & Timber** — the largest inn; caters to sailors; always has a crowd +- **Harwick's Chandlery** — general goods and nautical supplies +- **Maret's Curios** — small alchemist/oddments shop; serves sailors and travelers +- **The Dockside Armory** — weapons and basic armor + +### Status +- First visited by party en route to Absalom +- Quasit companion drew attention on arrival + +--- + +### Harwick's Chandlery (General Goods) +A salt-weathered shop stocked for sailors and travelers alike. Practical inventory, no frills. +- **Inventory Last Refreshed:** Session 3 / Day 3 +- **Refreshes Every:** 10 days + +| Item | Price | Qty | Notes | +|------|-------|-----|-------| +| Explorer's Clothing | 1 sp | 5 | | +| Leather Armor | 2 gp | 2 | | +| Studded Leather | 3 gp | 1 | | +| Wooden Shield | 1 gp | 3 | | +| Dagger | 2 sp | 6 | | +| Spear | 1 sp | 4 | | +| Shortbow | 3 gp | 2 | | +| Shortbow Arrows (10) | 1 sp | 8 | | +| Crossbow | 3 gp | 1 | | +| Crossbow Bolts (10) | 1 sp | 6 | | +| Torch | 1 cp | 20 | | +| Rope, 50 feet | 5 sp | 5 | | +| Grappling Hook | 1 sp | 2 | | +| Rations (1 week) | 4 sp | 10 | | +| Waterskin | 5 cp | 8 | | +| Oil (per pint) | 1 cp | 12 | | +| Bull's-eye Lantern | 1 gp | 2 | | +| Flint & Steel | 5 cp | 5 | | +| Chalk (10 pieces) | 1 cp | 10 | | +| Crowbar | 5 sp | 2 | | + +--- + +### Maret's Curios (Alchemist / Oddments) +A cramped shop run by Maret, an older halfling woman with ink-stained fingers and a suspicious number of cats. Stocks alchemical goods and minor curios for sailors who've seen too much ocean and want insurance. +- **Inventory Last Refreshed:** Session 3 / Day 3 +- **Refreshes Every:** 10 days + +| Item | Price | Qty | Notes | +|------|-------|-----|-------| +| Minor Elixir of Life | 3 gp | 4 | Regain 1d6 HP; +1 bonus vs. poison/disease for 10 min | +| Lesser Elixir of Life | 5 gp | 2 | Regain 2d6+3 HP; +1 bonus vs. poison/disease for 10 min | +| Lesser Antidote | 3 gp | 3 | +2 item bonus on Fort saves vs. poison for 6 hours | +| Lesser Antiplague | 3 gp | 2 | +2 item bonus on Fort saves vs. disease for 6 hours | +| Alchemist's Fire (Lesser) | 3 gp | 4 | 1d8 fire + 1 persistent fire + 1 splash | +| Acid Flask (Lesser) | 3 gp | 3 | 1 acid splash + 1d6 persistent acid on hit | +| Smokestick (Lesser) | 3 gp | 2 | Creates 10-ft smoke cloud for 1 minute | +| Everburning Torch | 3 gp | 1 | Permanent torch-level light, no fuel needed | + +--- + +### The Dockside Armory +A functional weapons shop with a forge in the back. Run by a taciturn half-orc named Brek who communicates mostly in grunts and price quotes. +- **Inventory Last Refreshed:** Session 3 / Day 3 +- **Refreshes Every:** 10 days + +| Item | Price | Qty | Notes | +|------|-------|-----|-------| +| Leather Armor | 2 gp | 3 | | +| Studded Leather | 3 gp | 2 | | +| Chain Shirt | 5 gp | 1 | | +| Steel Shield | 2 gp | 3 | | +| Dagger | 2 sp | 8 | | +| Shortsword | 9 sp | 3 | | +| Longsword | 1 gp | 2 | | +| Rapier | 2 gp | 2 | | +| Handaxe | 6 sp | 3 | | +| Club | 0 gp | 5 | | +| Javelin | 1 sp | 6 | | +| Light Mace | 4 sp | 2 | | + +--- + ## Boggard Dam Fortress A massive edifice of mud, stone, and timber stretching between two squat hills deep in Dunmire swamp. One hill has sheer sides covered in brambles and is blocked by a massive tree; the other has a gentle slope leading down to swamp water. Houses boggard forces and (formerly) captive villagers. diff --git a/npcs.md b/npcs.md index 0fe6c4f..06f6fd5 100644 --- a/npcs.md +++ b/npcs.md @@ -332,34 +332,45 @@ --- -### Sister Vratch — Boggard Cult Priest *(Sunken Chapel Boss)* +### Vanessa +- **Race:** Human | **Gender:** Female +- **Role:** Unknown — found captive in the secret passage beneath the Sunken Chapel altar +- **Status:** Alive, Rescued — condition and backstory unknown +- **Location:** Bog Bottom (arrived with party) +- **Notes:** Found in the tunnel behind the submerged altar door, alongside a box on a stone plinth. Her connection to the Gogunta cult, the box, or the kidnapping operation is not yet known. A woman at the Bog Bottom dock appeared to recognize her. Elder Urthrona has called her to the longhouse for questioning. + +--- + +### Sister Vratch — Boggard Swampseer *(Sunken Chapel Boss)* - **Race:** Boggard | **Gender:** Female -- **Role:** Priest of Gogunta; leads the remnant cell at the Sunken Chapel +- **Role:** Swampseer of Gogunta; leads the remnant cell at the Sunken Chapel - **Deity:** Gogunta (demon lord of swamps) - **Personality:** Fat, bloated, imperious; treats the chapel as a sacred site; barks commands in Boggard before switching to accented Common; does not flee — she will die at the altar -- **Status:** Active — at Sunken Chapel, Heron's Reach +- **Status:** Defeated — killed by the party at the Sunken Chapel - **Location:** Sunken Chapel, Heron's Reach -- **Creature Level:** 2 -- **Alignment:** NE | **Size:** Medium | **Traits:** Amphibious, Boggard, Humanoid +- **Stat Block:** Boggard Swampseer (Monster Core p. 45) — **Creature 3** +- **Size:** Medium | **Traits:** Amphibious, Boggard, Humanoid - **Perception:** +11 (darkvision) -- **Languages:** Boggard, Common -- **Skills:** Athletics +5, Intimidation +8, Religion +11, Stealth +5 -- **Attributes:** Str +1, Dex +1, Con +3, Int +1, Wis +4, Cha +3 -- **AC:** 16 | **HP:** 26 | **Speed:** 20 ft / swim 25 ft -- **Fort** +8 | **Ref** +5 | **Will** +11 -- **Melee:** Morningstar +6 (1d6+1 B/P) -- **Ranged:** Tongue +6, reach 10 ft (1d4 B + Grab; DC 17 Escape / AC 13 to sever with 2+ slashing) +- **Languages:** Boggard, Common, Chthonian +- **Skills:** Athletics +8, Intimidation +8, Medicine +9, Nature +11, Performance +8, Religion +9 +- **Str** +3, **Dex** +0, **Con** +2, **Int** +0, **Wis** +4, **Cha** +3 +- **Items:** Staff +- **AC:** 18 | **HP:** 40 | **Speed:** 20 ft / swim 25 ft +- **Fort** +9 | **Ref** +7 | **Will** +11 +- **Melee:** Staff +10 (two-hand d8), Damage 1d4+6 bludgeoning +- **Melee:** Tongue +10 (reach 10 ft), Effect tongue grab (AC 15, 4 HP to sever with slashing) +- **Primal Prepared Spells (DC 21, attack +11):** + - 2nd: acid grip, mist + - 1st: fear, jump, runic weapon + - Cantrips (2nd): caustic blast, frostbite, light, tangle vine - **Special Abilities:** - - *Terrifying Croak* (1 action, auditory/emotion/fear/mental): Non-boggard creatures within 30 ft make a DC 18 Will save or become Frightened 1. Critical failure: Frightened 2. Success: immune for 1 minute. Vratch uses this immediately when combat starts. - - *Swamp Stride:* Ignores difficult terrain from bogs, mud, and shallow water. - - *Bloated Presence:* While Vratch is alive, cult boggards within 30 ft receive a +1 status bonus to Will saves (her faith radiates outward). -- **Divine Prepared Spells (DC 18, attack +8):** - - 2nd rank: Harm ×2 - - 1st rank: Command, Fear - - Cantrips: Chill Touch, Daze, Divine Lance, Guidance -- **Harm (Rank 2):** 1 action = 2d8+4 negative damage to one creature in touch/30 ft (no save); 2 actions = 2d8+4 negative damage, DC 18 basic Fort save, 30-ft emanation. -- **Tactics:** Round 1 — Terrifying Croak as PCs enter → Stride behind altar for cover → cast Fear on the most dangerous melee PC. Round 2 — Harm (2 actions) targeting clustered PCs in the flooded nave. Round 3+ — Daze on casters, use melee only if cornered. Will not retreat. -- **Treasure:** Ritual pouch with 14 gp; tarnished silver chalice on the altar (8 gp); stolen Gozreh prayer beads (4 gp). Total: 26 gp. + - *Destructive Croak* (2 actions, sonic): 4d6 sonic damage to all non-boggards in 15-ft emanation (DC 19 basic Fort save). Frightened creatures take additional sonic damage = 2× their frightened value. Can't use again for 1d4 rounds. + - *Drowning Drone* (reaction, auditory/mental): Trigger — Vratch or an ally within 60 ft attempts a save vs. an auditory or sonic effect. Effect — Vratch rolls Performance; she and boggard allies use the higher of the Performance check or their own save. + - *Terrifying Croak* (1 action): As boggard scout, but DC 19. + - *Tongue Grab:* As boggard scout, but AC 15 and 4 HP to sever. + - *Swamp Passage:* Ignores difficult terrain caused by swamp terrain features. +- **Tactics:** Round 1 — Terrifying Croak on entry → tangle vine or fear to debilitate front-liner. Round 2 — Destructive Croak once PCs are frightened (combo with Scout's croak). Round 3+ — acid grip to grab and hold a caster; runic weapon to buff the Scout's attacks. Will not retreat. +- **Treasure:** Ritual pouch with 14 gp; tarnished silver chalice on altar (8 gp); stolen Gozreh prayer beads (4 gp). Total: 26 gp. --- diff --git a/plot.md b/plot.md index e85f965..cdff60e 100644 --- a/plot.md +++ b/plot.md @@ -24,3 +24,21 @@ The party — Fronda Blarf (Lizardfolk Druid), Twig (Leshy Cleric of Gozreh), an **Travel Encounter — Slurk (defeated):** Party encountered and defeated a Slurk (Creature 2) during passage through Mire's Throat. Fronda Blarf examined the corpse (Nature 23 vs DC 20 → Success) and successfully harvested: 2 doses of back-slime resin, 1 vial of belly grease, and 1 pair of ivory tusks. **Arrival at Heron's Reach:** Party emerged from Mire's Throat into the fen. No herons — unnatural silence. The sunken chapel is visible ahead: an old stone structure half-swallowed by the swamp, Gogunta thorn-runes carved into exposed stonework, faint firelight flickering from below the waterline. Two boggard sentries spotted on the chapel roof. Twig hailed them; one sentry went below to sound the alarm. Inigo attempted Diplomacy (16 vs DC 20 — Failure). Combat initiated. + +**Exterior Cleared:** Party defeated the boggard sentries on the chapel roof. The chapel entrance — a dark stone archway — leads down into the flooded interior. Firelight and the smell of rot and incense rise from below. Sister Vratch and the cult await inside. Party deciding on entry approach. + +**Failed Parley:** Inigo called down into the chapel (Diplomacy 13 vs DC 22 — Failure). Vratch refused negotiations, declaring the party trespassers on holy ground. The boggard Scout came up the stairs to block the entrance. Combat beginning — party at the top of the chapel stairs, Scout on the stairs, Vratch at the altar below. + +**Twig's Nature Check:** Twig examined the Gogunta thorn-runes carved into the chapel stonework (Nature 17 vs GM DC 15 — Success). Confirmed: the kidnappings are ritual drowning sacrifices to Gogunta. The flooded nave is the drowning chamber itself. Scratch marks on the submerged walls are evidence of victims held under. The thorn-runes are consecration markings designating the site as a sanctified killing ground. + +**Fronda's Perception Check:** Fronda peered into the submerged nave (Perception 21 vs GM DC 15 items / DC 20 passage — both Success). Found on the nave floor: a Gozreh iron medallion (likely from a victim), a waterlogged pouch (9 sp), two plain iron rings. Also discovered: a submerged door set into the wall behind and below the altar platform, hinges visible under algae growth. Leads to a flooded tunnel — likely the boggards' covert entrance for bringing victims in, or an escape route. Party now aware of an alternate entry point to flank Vratch. + +**Chapel Combat (completed):** Party fought and killed all boggards in the chapel, including Sister Vratch (Boggard Swampseer, the cult leader). Chapel cleared. + +**Secret Passage / Discovery:** Party used the submerged door to access the tunnel behind the altar. Inside the passage they found: (1) a woman named Vanessa, alive and captive; (2) a box resting on a stone plinth — evidently displayed or stored deliberately, not merely discarded. Party took both. Nature/purpose of the box unknown. Vanessa's connection to the cult or the box unclear. + +**Return to Bog Bottom:** Party poled back to Bog Bottom with Olber's skiff, bringing Vanessa and the box. Arrived at the dock in late afternoon. A woman in the crowd recognized Vanessa (possible family member). Trag Femster visibly unsettled by the box. Elder Urthrona called the party to the longhouse. + +**Longhouse / Drowned Toad:** Twig examined the box interior (Perception 14) — found shredded velvet, claw marks, dried ichor, a warm iron disc with a spiraling sigil, and Abyssal script scratched on the lid underside. Fronda asked if anyone speaks Abyssal — Vanessa reacted with recognition and fear. Inigo attempted Arcana on the disc (13 vs DC 16, Failure) — recognized planar-binding notation, warmth indicating active magic, but couldn't identify specifics. Fronda asked Old Beck about the disc at the Drowned Toad — he identified it as a "leash coin," a binding anchor tying a demon to a specific owner. Quasit reportedly killed, but coin still warm — Old Beck warned quasits don't truly die on this plane (reform in the Abyss), and that the coin's warmth suggests the owner is alive and the binding still active. Party asking about tracing the coin and traveling to Absalom. Old Beck directed them toward Pier's End (1 day east) for a coastal vessel to Absalom. + +**Departure for Pier's End:** Party set off east from Bog Bottom toward Pier's End at dusk. — IN PROGRESS diff --git a/rolls.md b/rolls.md index 7a546d3..529cb20 100644 --- a/rolls.md +++ b/rolls.md @@ -41,4 +41,14 @@ | 1 | Inigo Montoya | Diplomacy (Gather Information re: flood/Gogunta cult connection in Bog Bottom) | 8 | 20 | Critical Failure | Picked up garbled lead from Old Beck pointing to a "sunken chapel near Heron's Reach"; specifics unreliable but underlying remnant-cell rumor is true | | 2 | Fronda Blarf | Nature (harvest slurk components) | 23 | 20 | Success | Harvested 2 doses back-slime resin, 1 vial belly grease, 1 pair ivory tusks (GM homebrew ruling — no official harvesting rules in PF2E Remaster) | | 3 | Inigo Montoya | Diplomacy (parley with chapel sentry) | 16 | 20 | Failure | Sentry not convinced; combat begins | +| 4 | Twig | Religion (Recall Knowledge: Gogunta cult / chapel) | 8 (nat 1) | 20 | Critical Failure | False info delivered — told that defacing the altar rune will sever Sister Vratch's spellcasting (untrue) | +| 5 | Inigo Montoya | Diplomacy (parley with Sister Vratch through chapel entrance) | 13 | 22 | Failure | Vratch refuses; sends Scout up the stairs; combat imminent | +| 6 | Twig | Nature (Recall Knowledge: Gogunta cult — why are they kidnapping townsfolk?) | 17 | 15 | Success | Thorn-runes are drowning-sacrifice consecration markings. Kidnappings are for ritual drowning to feed Gogunta. Chapel nave is the drowning chamber. Scratch marks on submerged walls confirm victims held under. (GM-set DC 15) | +| 7 | Fronda Blarf | Perception (search submerged nave for dropped items and secret passages) | 21 | 15/20 | Success (items) / Success (passage) | Found: Gozreh iron medallion (victim's), waterlogged pouch (9 sp), 2 iron rings. Also spotted a submerged door behind/below the altar platform — hinges visible under algae. Leads to a flooded tunnel exiting into the swamp. (GM-set DCs) | +| 8 | Inigo Montoya | Arcana (examine the box from the chapel plinth) | 14 | 15 | Failure | Box is primal/divine in nature — wrong tradition for Arcana. Inigo identifies Gogunta runes, unusual wood, sealed clasps, and faint warmth from within, but cannot identify magical nature or purpose. Recommends Religion or Nature check. (GM-set DC 15) | +| 9 | Twig | Nature (examine the box) | 13 | 15 | Failure | Senses strong primal energy and the residue of multiple deaths sealed within. Containment marks on the runes keep something inside. Cannot identify specific contents or ritual purpose. Strongly advises against casual opening. (GM-set DC 15) | +| 10 | Twig | Perception (examine inside of box that held the quasit) | 14 | 13 | Success | Sees: shredded black velvet lining, deep claw marks in the wood, brownish-green dried ichor (smells of sulfur/rot), a warm iron disc with a spiraling sigil, and Abyssal script scratched into the underside of the lid. (GM-set DC 13) | +| 11 | Inigo Montoya | Arcana (examine the iron disc) | 13 | 16 | Failure | Recognizes the spiral as planar-binding notation — ties the disc to a specific entity. Warmth suggests the magic was active until recently. Cannot identify the entity type or exact purpose. (GM-set DC 16) | +| 12 | Twig | Perception (night watch — shape at edge of firelight) | 20 | 14 | Success | Clearly sees a small winged reptilian creature — quasit. Watching the camp. Not attacking. Makes eye contact when spotted and holds still. (GM-set DC 14) | +| 13 | Inigo Montoya | Diplomacy (barter with Pier's End dockmaster — reduce passage from 2 gp to 1 gp/head) | 12 | 15 | Failure | Dockmaster unmoved. Price holds at 2 gp/head. (GM-set DC 15) |