[UNKNOWN]: You
[SPEAKER_04]: Welcome back to Dark Nexus.
[SPEAKER_04]: Tonight, it's Act 4.
[SPEAKER_04]: Chapter 152.
[SPEAKER_04]: All right, we're in it now, Act 4.
[SPEAKER_04]: The table is set, and our four heroes, Dabwick, Grip.
[SPEAKER_04]: Bash and Pandora are all finally awake after sleeping away the last two months.
[SPEAKER_04]: Dabwick has had their moment to confront J-dove and while it probably feels like a small relief to have gotten some of their feelings off their chest, there's still a lot of baggage hanging out and filling the corners of this cozy little flat.
[SPEAKER_04]: Maybe they're always will-be.
[SPEAKER_04]: The grip is, of course, reeling from being robbed of the opportunity to see the cell and starling and tell the crew all they meant to him, but he's otherwise adapting with fairly steady footing to the influx of another life's worth of memories.
[SPEAKER_04]: He knows who he is, and he seems to have kept a hold of that, and walked out of the other side of this recent experience, mostly intact.
[SPEAKER_04]: Mmm, not so much the other two.
[SPEAKER_04]: Vick has changed again.
[SPEAKER_04]: Remembering fully, fully remembering and reliving two decades of life with his lost family and die-lath-lean has clearly left the mark on him.
[SPEAKER_04]: He now seems to have come back as the man he was pretending to be during that time.
[SPEAKER_04]: Sebastianis or Bash for short.
[SPEAKER_04]: New act, new name, new Johnny, and Dora is now Pandora.
[SPEAKER_04]: And after 150 odd chapters of Katie talking about how her character will just keep choosing to set grief aside to be felt another day, seems like after reliving the 80 odd years of her previous life, the floodgates have finally opened.
[SPEAKER_04]: And something else is going on as well, something having to do with having lived a thousand lives.
[SPEAKER_04]: There's more to learn, of course, and everybody's case.
[SPEAKER_04]: and everybody's story and that of course is what we'll spend act for doing.
[SPEAKER_04]: Among other things, and which of those other things will our heroes decide to do and in which order?
[SPEAKER_04]: How will they triage their current fucked up situation?
[SPEAKER_04]: We're in a new position here at the start of this act.
[SPEAKER_04]: The road ahead has often been fairly straight forward as we've done our top-of-act table setting in the past.
[SPEAKER_04]: Act one, escape the asylum.
[SPEAKER_04]: Act two, find out what's going on in town.
[SPEAKER_04]: Act three, read books and sail the river.
[SPEAKER_04]: This time, we got some choices to make.
[SPEAKER_04]: And I think that's what's going to end up being our theme, this act, choices.
[SPEAKER_04]: What?
[SPEAKER_04]: And who?
[SPEAKER_04]: We choose to prioritize.
[SPEAKER_04]: And what those choices
[SPEAKER_04]: Your day is of floating down a lazy river for months, while drifting in and out of dreams, where time is irrelevant, those days are over, we are back in the real world, babies.
[SPEAKER_04]: And the list of things we could choose to pursue keeps growing.
[SPEAKER_04]: Uh, Loles and Mon, apparently set sail for Absalom two months ago, did they leave any trouble behind them?
[SPEAKER_04]: Stasi stand hope and some random elf dude left in pursuit of them, where are they now?
[SPEAKER_04]: Where is the Necronomicon?
[SPEAKER_04]: Do they already have it?
[SPEAKER_04]: Where are Nebyn Ulf?
[SPEAKER_04]: Shady ship went down with Lose's yacht, the Aurora, and the days immediately following its arrival in Kazimir, and whatever Stazzy found in it left her shaken.
[SPEAKER_04]: Dad would now, of course, remember that they left, Aliana, Chet, and Sam the sliver trapped in a painting of Carcosa in Mons' house a little over a decade ago.
[SPEAKER_04]: Could they still be there to rescue?
[SPEAKER_04]: And the prisoner is in chains in biting lashes stronghold, blossoming thorns.
[SPEAKER_04]: So yeah, all of that is on the table.
[SPEAKER_04]: Plus we do have a more immediate concern shopping shopping Rolling on some for shopping.
[SPEAKER_04]: We're a we're in Dab's living room and some sort of demonic horror just teleported in a grotesque creature almost a foot taller than grip roughly humanoid hereless arms cap paws
[SPEAKER_04]: Cat hunches, but charred backwards facing burnt and blackened human feet.
[SPEAKER_04]: Huge white, feathery wings, flecked with red and black.
[SPEAKER_04]: Lions head, with an angel face erupting out the back of it.
[SPEAKER_04]: It's gripping a flaming long sword and just demanded that grip, prostrate himself, and swear the oaths, to nergall.
[SPEAKER_04]: Let me, long, make take it to a map here.
[SPEAKER_04]: How look at this huge room?
[SPEAKER_04]: Um, yeah, everyone's in uncautably close proximity.
[SPEAKER_04]: The Dabwick-Bash and Gripp were gathered around Pandora who is still on the floor on her cot.
[SPEAKER_04]: Dabwick's kneeling beside her to the south, Bash is standing over her to the north, gripper to the east.
[SPEAKER_04]: The creature is adjacent to Gripp, but that also means that Bash and Pandora are in its reach as well.
[SPEAKER_04]: Chester and Jade of are just emerging from the kitchen about 10 feet north west of the creature, and Barnabas, first level, helpless Barnabas, is sitting, uncomprehending about the same distance away in the northeast corner of the room.
[SPEAKER_04]: You are all in the same green druid robes with no other equipment, except Abwick is now wearing their new Swallow Tail Bracers.
[SPEAKER_04]: The only weapons in the room are Jade of Starknife, which is down on the table at the south end of the rooms.
[SPEAKER_04]: Yeah, yeah, that ping looks right.
[SPEAKER_04]: And then, Melisons now on magical rapier is on the floor next to Barnabas.
[SPEAKER_04]: So let's say it's in the square where Barnabas's token is.
[SPEAKER_04]: All the rest of your equipment is neatly stored away in a trunk in DaWig's bedroom, but DaWig is the only one who knows that.
[SPEAKER_04]: Okay.
[SPEAKER_04]: Just in case of fight happens here, just in case, just in case, we decide not to bow down to Nergol and frame the next half of the campaign that way.
[SPEAKER_04]: We should adjust everyone's sheets here.
[SPEAKER_04]: Poly, go to the additional tab, AC items, and unclick the little equipped box next to your armor.
[SPEAKER_04]: I think everyone can safely still be assumed to be wearing their rings, so you can leave your ring a protection on, Poly.
[SPEAKER_04]: Then go up to your buffs, and here we go, turn off your boots, cloak, headband, and amulet.
[SPEAKER_04]: Robert, AC items, on click your breastplate shield, and amulet.
[SPEAKER_04]: Right, shield, shield, amulet.
[SPEAKER_04]: And in your buffs, click off your cloak.
[SPEAKER_04]: Betcher your AC's probably hot garbage now, huh?
[SPEAKER_04]: How bad is it?
[SPEAKER_04]: The garbage is 17 high down from 30.
[SPEAKER_04]: They're at number one.
[SPEAKER_04]: Johnny turned off Bash's armor and amulet and cloak and belt under the buffs.
[SPEAKER_04]: Not too huge of a deal, but obviously the crippling thing here for you is that you have no stuff.
[SPEAKER_04]: and Katie click off your van braces and then don't boy or your buffs turn off your cloak headband belt and eons stone oh god my hair class oh that is yours didn't change that is yours joining 15
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, that's my armor class too.
[SPEAKER_04]: Oh, everybody except for the gripper, please click on the fatigue condition.
[SPEAKER_04]: This is to reflect the state of your bodies as you're still adjusting to waking up after all that time.
[SPEAKER_04]: Gripper thanks to his supernatural boost of strength that he obtained at the Mad Poets of Wases has managed to make his way through that a little bit faster than the rest of you.
[SPEAKER_04]: Oh, geez, that all just went down again.
[SPEAKER_04]: Yeah, I think everything's going down.
[SPEAKER_04]: Alright, so Robert, grip has just been ordered to bow down and swear allegiance to their gall.
[SPEAKER_04]: This creature is standing looming over you, wings outflare the heat of the flames coming off of its long sword, practically scalding your flesh nearly burning.
[SPEAKER_04]: Those green
[SPEAKER_07]: I'm promised to another out of a moment.
[SPEAKER_07]: So, if Nurgol wants to take care of that, if he can figure out who the other one is, they can do cut out themselves and then let me deal with whoever's left.
[SPEAKER_07]: But for right now, I'm spoken for you, fuck.
[SPEAKER_03]: Let's free more!
[SPEAKER_04]: Everybody roll initiative.
[SPEAKER_04]: Sorry guys.
[SPEAKER_04]: Oh, I think we knew we were fighting here.
[SPEAKER_04]: Really?
[SPEAKER_04]: Grip her.
[SPEAKER_04]: Nine.
[SPEAKER_04]: Huh, Debwick.
[UNKNOWN]: 16.
[SPEAKER_04]: There we go, Pandora.
[UNKNOWN]: 10.
[SPEAKER_04]: Mm-hmm, bash.
[SPEAKER_04]: Come and write in under that with an eight.
[SPEAKER_04]: Okay.
[SPEAKER_04]: Chester got a seven and Jade of got a 20.
[SPEAKER_04]: Beating the demon by one y'all.
[SPEAKER_02]: And Jade of is like a 13th level cleric, right?
[SPEAKER_02]: Jade of is- Probably got this missing.
[SPEAKER_02]: Oracle?
[SPEAKER_04]: Jade of is an Oracle.
[SPEAKER_07]: Oh, yeah.
[SPEAKER_02]: She's not quite sure of her high level, right?
[SPEAKER_02]: And can just get rid of this thing and one go.
[SPEAKER_04]: Better than the commoner I was assuming, assuming, assuming, assuming, assuming, assuming, assuming, assuming, assuming, assuming, assuming, assuming, assuming, assuming, assuming, assuming, assuming, assuming, assuming, assuming, assuming, assuming, assuming, assuming, assuming, assuming, assuming, assuming, assuming, assuming, assuming, assuming, assuming, assuming, assuming, assuming, assuming, assuming, assuming, assuming, assuming, assuming, assuming, assuming, assuming, assuming, assuming, assuming, assuming, assuming, assuming, assuming, assuming, assuming, assuming, assuming, assuming, assuming, assuming, assuming, assuming, assuming, assuming, assuming, assuming, assuming, assuming, assuming, assuming, assuming, assuming, assuming, assuming, assuming, assuming, assuming, assuming, assuming, assuming, assuming, assuming, assuming, assuming, assuming, assuming, assuming, assuming, assuming, assuming, assuming, assuming, assuming, assuming, assuming,
[SPEAKER_04]: burst of energy throughout the entire room that hits all of you.
[SPEAKER_04]: You all feel just a little touch of Desna's luck infuse you.
[SPEAKER_04]: You now know that you have the option as an immediate action before you make a saving throw.
[SPEAKER_04]: You can choose to use this luck and roll twice taking the better result.
[SPEAKER_04]: Once you use this, it is gone.
[SPEAKER_04]: As you all feel that little bit of deithic luck, wrap its cozy arms around you.
[SPEAKER_04]: The demon finishes screaming that word blasphemer and there is a concurrent blast of dark energy through the room.
[SPEAKER_04]: You smell the rink of sulfur once again.
[SPEAKER_04]: You hear the screams of millions of tortured souls.
[SPEAKER_04]: I need will saves from everybody that includes Barnabas.
[SPEAKER_04]: In Barnabas's case, this is a save or die.
[SPEAKER_04]: Do you want to make this role or do you want me to make it, Robert?
[SPEAKER_04]: I'm going to throw that over to you.
[SPEAKER_04]: Okay.
[SPEAKER_04]: I'll roll it publicly and roll it to me.
[SPEAKER_02]: In Barnabas, also blessed by doesn't it?
[SPEAKER_04]: Barnabas cannot take actions.
[SPEAKER_04]: So, cannot use an immediate action.
[SPEAKER_02]: Can the rest of us use this, this time because we haven't gone yet.
[SPEAKER_02]: So, you shouldn't be able to take a immediate action.
[SPEAKER_04]: Yeah, no immediate actions till you're gone.
[SPEAKER_04]: Let me start with... J-dove and Chester.
[SPEAKER_04]: J-dove gets a 28.
[SPEAKER_04]: Chester gets a 25.
[SPEAKER_04]: Gryber.
[SPEAKER_04]: That's a fuck me natural one.
[SPEAKER_03]: Oh no!
[SPEAKER_04]: Oh, this is, oh, this makes sense.
[SPEAKER_04]: This is basically specific magic targeted for your punishment.
[SPEAKER_04]: And I think, I think, a little bit of a little bit of a de-e-e-fick demon-lord influence, maybe, seeps in there.
[SPEAKER_04]: I was awfully flipped to the demonic messenger, so yes.
[SPEAKER_06]: Do you feel like the tattoos on your arms burn and ride or anything like that?
[SPEAKER_07]: Yeah, they're pretty uncomfortable right now.
[SPEAKER_04]: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
[SPEAKER_04]: All right, bash.
[UNKNOWN]: 26.
[SPEAKER_06]: Keeping it?
[SPEAKER_02]: Uh, I'm using an action point.
[UNKNOWN]: 22.
[SPEAKER_00]: Daplic.
[UNKNOWN]: 27.
[SPEAKER_04]: Alright.
[SPEAKER_04]: Barnabas' will save at first level is plus five.
[SPEAKER_07]: That's only one worse than grips at level 10.
[SPEAKER_07]: Oh, my god.
[SPEAKER_07]: Without any of his gear.
[SPEAKER_06]: Wait, he was stripped of all of his levels of... Oh.
[SPEAKER_04]: He's in the same boat as you were.
[SPEAKER_04]: We started the campaign.
[SPEAKER_04]: Oh.
[SPEAKER_04]: Yeah, it's all gone.
[SPEAKER_04]: God.
[SPEAKER_04]: Everything's gone.
[SPEAKER_04]: All right, here we go.
[SPEAKER_04]: This is four Barnabas.
[SPEAKER_04]: It's a 13.
[SPEAKER_04]: He's non-responsive to stimuli in the room around him, so he's sitting there blankly and anthropomorphic fox form.
[SPEAKER_04]: Kind of maybe humming a little too, himself, and then just you see.
[SPEAKER_04]: It's like Strings cut on a marionette.
[SPEAKER_04]: He just crumbles to the ground.
[SPEAKER_04]: His body's ability to hold itself up.
[SPEAKER_04]: Who've kind of the one of the last things left in there.
[SPEAKER_04]: Striped out from underneath him.
[SPEAKER_04]: Both, Chester and Jade of, made their saves.
[SPEAKER_04]: And they only take half of the strength damage that is Delta them, but they both crumpled to the ground unable to hold up the weight of their clothing and equipment.
[SPEAKER_04]: They are riding on the ground out.
[SPEAKER_04]: What looks uncomfortably similar to a round where Dora was when she got hit by that symbol.
[SPEAKER_04]: The gripper is dazed for one round, no actions for one round, although you can defend yourself normally.
[SPEAKER_04]: Dabwick, Bash, and Pandora are unaffected.
[SPEAKER_04]: At the other end of the room, watching Barnabas's life slip out of him as he crumbles to the ground on Skywind's pallet.
[SPEAKER_04]: David, you're up next, you have no equipment.
[SPEAKER_04]: You are on the ground next to Pandora, 10 feet away from the creature, adjacent to the table.
[SPEAKER_04]: What do you want to do?
[SPEAKER_00]: How does Divine Focus work for a druid?
[SPEAKER_04]: The divine focus for a druid or ranger is like for a cleric, a physical object that you would normally keep within your spell component pouch typically a sprang of a sprig of holly or some other sacred plant.
[SPEAKER_00]: A knowledge check on the demon?
[SPEAKER_00]: Plains, please.
[SPEAKER_00]: Plains.
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't have that.
[SPEAKER_00]: I gotcha.
[SPEAKER_00]: All right, dabwick will emit an aura protection.
[SPEAKER_00]: giving us resistance five against fire.
[SPEAKER_04]: Cool.
[SPEAKER_00]: Awesome.
[SPEAKER_00]: 30 foot aura.
[SPEAKER_04]: That's a standard action.
[SPEAKER_00]: That's a standard action.
[SPEAKER_04]: And effects is everybody affected by that.
[SPEAKER_00]: Every minute, 30 foot.
[SPEAKER_04]: Amazing.
[SPEAKER_04]: It's everybody in the room.
[SPEAKER_04]: And how much resistance?
[SPEAKER_00]: Five.
[SPEAKER_00]: So, David's going to stay where they are within healing distance of grip.
[SPEAKER_04]: Excellent.
[SPEAKER_04]: All right.
[SPEAKER_04]: Then on the floor.
[SPEAKER_04]: Pandora is up next.
[SPEAKER_02]: Pandora will make a plane's check.
[SPEAKER_02]: Roll it.
[UNKNOWN]: 27.
[SPEAKER_02]: Have I identified the creature?
[SPEAKER_04]: You have.
[SPEAKER_02]: Good, because now I get a plus one competence bonus on attack rolls, opposed ability check, skill checks, and cast her level checks, most importantly.
[SPEAKER_02]: Oh, against this type of demon.
[SPEAKER_02]: Oh, it's pretty good.
[SPEAKER_04]: One minute, that is pretty cool.
[SPEAKER_04]: This is something new, is it not?
[SPEAKER_04]: It is.
[SPEAKER_04]: You are looking at a Shah's demon.
[SPEAKER_04]: these are the living embodiments of blasphemy.
[SPEAKER_04]: They form in the abyss from truly blasphemous souls, and they are sent out by demon lords, typically on one of two missions.
[SPEAKER_04]: as you're witnessing.
[SPEAKER_04]: To punish those that have blasphemed against them, to actually turn clerics of good deities into agents of chaos and evil.
[SPEAKER_04]: They have the ability you know to merge sort of like you're seeing this angelic form merging in and out of the body of this thing itself.
[SPEAKER_04]: They have the ability to merge their entire body.
[SPEAKER_04]: with a helpless creature and then they take the body over.
[SPEAKER_04]: That person then forever becomes chaotic evil and they basically operate that body like a meat puppet for as long as they feel like it and they can do whatever they want with it.
[SPEAKER_04]: They often will go to the material plane and find a kindly good priest of, say, does
[SPEAKER_04]: So you know the ability to merge with hosts and turn them chaotic evil.
[SPEAKER_04]: And you know that they definitely have spell resistance.
[SPEAKER_04]: of a level that you would consider it to be like roughly a 50-50 chance you could penetrate it or so.
[SPEAKER_04]: And then anything else about it, you could certainly make some guesses based on some men and all that Katie might have.
[SPEAKER_04]: Demons often have DR overcome by either,
[SPEAKER_04]: cold iron and or good weapons, they often have immunities to fire and or electricity.
[SPEAKER_04]: They often have a lot of energy resistances and a lot of ton of spell-like abilities.
[SPEAKER_04]: But that's what you know for certain.
[SPEAKER_02]: Okay.
[SPEAKER_02]: I cannot take a five-foot step because I am on the cot.
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_04]: Correct.
[SPEAKER_02]: I could try to dimension door away with everyone, but that would leave Chester and Jade of in the room alone.
[SPEAKER_02]: I could try to take some people and not others, or I could try to make grip not dazed.
[SPEAKER_02]: Which I think is probably
[SPEAKER_02]: My best bet.
[SPEAKER_04]: Interesting, um, because- Oh, is that in your- I'll see what you've done with that.
[SPEAKER_02]: Great.
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_04]: You gotta go for that.
[SPEAKER_02]: I need to just take dabs into the next room and have Vic and- I'm sorry, bash and grip immediately.
[SPEAKER_02]: Dolly at the hands of this creature, right?
[SPEAKER_04]: So do you want to cast defensively?
[SPEAKER_02]: I do.
[SPEAKER_04]: So that will be DC-15 plus double the spell levels at a third level.
[SPEAKER_02]: It is a second level spell.
[SPEAKER_02]: Nice.
[SPEAKER_02]: D-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-
[SPEAKER_04]: She makes a spellcraft check, is she doing math?
[SPEAKER_02]: Hard to tell.
[SPEAKER_04]: Whatever she does it works sure does.
[SPEAKER_02]: I see that she reaches out to grip She's so used to having a telepathic bond that she thinks.
[SPEAKER_02]: It's all right Even though no one can hear it And as an 11th levelcaster.
[SPEAKER_02]: Oh, she casts Let's see both acts.
[SPEAKER_02]: Hi, so I think this means I cannot fail the concentration check Unless a one is an automatic feeling.
[SPEAKER_02]: It is not
[SPEAKER_02]: Cannot build a concentrate set because I get a plus one boost to that check from being an 11th of a caster for the spell and my concentration check is currently 18 fairytale plus 19 Bye-bye days condition.
[SPEAKER_07]: Yes.
[SPEAKER_07]: Thank you.
[SPEAKER_02]: So much stuff just happened.
[SPEAKER_07]: Did you just use a somatic component?
[SPEAKER_04]: No, okay But I I think it might have looked like it to grip.
[SPEAKER_04]: Yeah, yeah, I mean.
[SPEAKER_04]: Oh, yeah, oh, yeah, it might have looked like it.
[SPEAKER_06]: Yeah How did you become an 11th level caster?
[SPEAKER_04]: to be in the stars, buddy.
[SPEAKER_06]: Oh, that's in the star.
[SPEAKER_04]: So just in time for his turn, Robert, grip can actually act now, standing toe to toe with a shock demon.
[SPEAKER_07]: Okay, I'm thinking of trying something that might be crazy.
[SPEAKER_04]: Oh, I like that.
[SPEAKER_07]: I like that.
[SPEAKER_04]: Yeah, we haven't had a combat in like six months.
[SPEAKER_04]: Let's break it all out.
[SPEAKER_07]: What I think I'm going to do is you're going to see his face go slack his eyes roll back his neck go And as a swift action, he's going to take two feet.
[SPEAKER_07]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_02]: Oh, yeah.
[SPEAKER_07]: I will take greater grapple off and and dedicated adversary
[SPEAKER_04]: and i'm gonna try to grapple a demon okay here we go yes because of improved grapple you do not provoke an attack for opportunity this will be a cmb check against its cmd that's a 28 28 28 24 I'm gonna spend five stamina points 30 33 do you want to use an action point as well it's a fucking demon isn't it it's a demon
[SPEAKER_07]: Uh, with another, with a four.
[SPEAKER_07]: Uh, so 37.
[SPEAKER_07]: Only due to the action point.
[SPEAKER_04]: You have grappled the shot-hot demon.
[SPEAKER_02]: You did not throw it away.
[SPEAKER_02]: You did not.
[SPEAKER_04]: All of those resources were very well spent.
[SPEAKER_04]: All right.
[SPEAKER_04]: Now, let me, I got to tell you.
[SPEAKER_04]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_04]: Click some things on.
[SPEAKER_04]: So both of you have the grappled condition right now.
[SPEAKER_04]: Which means, in the demon's case, it cannot make attacks of opportunity.
[SPEAKER_04]: I'm so... That's fucking awesome.
[SPEAKER_02]: It's gonna go before I get to go again, though.
[SPEAKER_02]: So, hang on.
[SPEAKER_04]: But it's options just became pretty limited.
[SPEAKER_04]: And the thing about... So, you know, some outsiders have a whole bunch of supernatural abilities.
[SPEAKER_04]: Demons have a bunch of spell-like abilities which require concentration checks to use if you're in the middle of a grapple So a bunch of it's a heavy hitters.
[SPEAKER_04]: My team work.
[SPEAKER_04]: There we go team work.
[SPEAKER_04]: All right.
[SPEAKER_04]: Yeah, I assume that's down if you're turning their rubber
[SPEAKER_04]: Very good.
[SPEAKER_04]: All right, Bash.
[SPEAKER_04]: You are up next.
[SPEAKER_06]: You are right next to the demon, which at now is inside the loving embrace of our friendly gripper I too would like to make a knowledge check on it to see if there's anything that I would know about this Yes, Dorad did not necessarily share information It's been so long since we've been out of a telepathic bond.
[SPEAKER_04]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_06]: Yeah, that's a 26 So I think I probably know the exact same things.
[SPEAKER_04]: I'll give you one more because you know you have different knowledge
[SPEAKER_04]: You do know that these blasphemy demons have the ability to touch divine spellcasters that would include Debwick, that would include Jay Dove.
[SPEAKER_04]: And fill them with so much doubt that they have a 20% chance of failure every time they attempt to do any divine ability for the rest of their lives, unless they can somehow get the curse removed, and it's a difficult curse to remove.
[SPEAKER_04]: And you would also know because of it has the ability to shoot faces outside of the back of
[SPEAKER_02]: But you're gonna do, buddy.
[SPEAKER_06]: Fash, first of all, studies this demon making it his studied combatant.
[SPEAKER_06]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_06]: And then he is going to push past Pandora and Dabwick over to the table.
[SPEAKER_06]: So he's right next to grip, but still able to be at the table.
[SPEAKER_06]: I see, yes, yes, yes, grab the star knife.
[SPEAKER_04]: Yes, it's in your hands.
[SPEAKER_06]: So it's in his hands.
[SPEAKER_06]: So that is his move standard and swift action.
[SPEAKER_06]: And that's he goes by Dabwick he whispers don't let it touch you right might stop you from ever cast him a spell again Magicless wick
[SPEAKER_04]: and then on Danewood.
[SPEAKER_04]: Riving on the ground at the end of the turn here, Chester has enough strength to motor small incantation and send a blast of five magic missiles out at the demon for 2021 points of damage.
[SPEAKER_02]: Whoa.
[SPEAKER_02]: Dang, Chester.
[SPEAKER_02]: All right, got to beat spell resistance.
[SPEAKER_04]: Success.
[SPEAKER_04]: All right.
[SPEAKER_04]: There you go.
[SPEAKER_04]: Nice 21 points of damage.
[SPEAKER_04]: Blood 2 the Shah-Hoth demon at the end of the round Go chester.
[SPEAKER_04]: Yeah, you got this chester.
[SPEAKER_04]: Come along way from being picked that leaf.
[SPEAKER_04]: It's so true That's the end of round one top of round two.
[SPEAKER_04]: Jay dove is up.
[SPEAKER_04]: Jay dove.
[SPEAKER_04]: I
[SPEAKER_04]: I'm not quickly seeing any spells that only have verbal components, so I think she's just writhing it agony on the ground, this turn.
[SPEAKER_04]: Demon is up!
[SPEAKER_04]: Okay, grip, you've got this creature in your grasp, the lion's mouth opens up and the angel face pops out of it and says, right in your face, now you've made it mad, why have you made it?
[SPEAKER_04]: and then move the blind mouth closes down on the angel face and then just howling this huge lion roar, the thing just starts hacking at you with the flaming long sword in its hand.
[SPEAKER_04]: I don't suppose this goes against my CMD, doesn't it?
[SPEAKER_04]: It does not.
[SPEAKER_04]: However, he has penalized because he's got the grappled condition.
[SPEAKER_04]: Here we go, first attack.
[SPEAKER_07]: That's gonna be bad.
[SPEAKER_04]: Yeah, something to 30s.
[SPEAKER_04]: You only have, yeah, yeah.
[SPEAKER_04]: 16 points of damage and five fire damage, which I guess you take none of.
[SPEAKER_04]: Thank you, Debwick.
[SPEAKER_04]: Nice.
[SPEAKER_04]: Second attack hits, armor class 24.
[SPEAKER_04]: That'll also hit.
[SPEAKER_04]: 13 points of damage and four fire damage, which you ignore.
[SPEAKER_04]: Third attack.
[SPEAKER_04]: Natural 20.
[SPEAKER_04]: Oh my.
[SPEAKER_04]: Natural 20 on the back.
[SPEAKER_04]: Oh, no.
[SPEAKER_04]: 21 points of damage and six fire, which means you actually take a point.
[SPEAKER_04]: I'm so happy for myself, I just did a thing, all right, so the rest of you are watching in horror as the thing is just laying into grip Just hacking at his shoulder with his burning flaming long sword almost but not quite bloody.
[SPEAKER_04]: Ooh, dawek you are up a Jason to grip Yeah, exactly exactly where you want to be exactly where I want to be everything's coming up dawek
[SPEAKER_00]: Dabwick casts, uh, cure moderate wounds.
[SPEAKER_04]: Yes, and that's only verbal somatic spell.
[SPEAKER_04]: The opponent?
[SPEAKER_00]: That's correct.
[SPEAKER_04]: Nice.
[SPEAKER_04]: Roll it up.
[SPEAKER_00]: That's 19 points.
[SPEAKER_04]: Here we go.
[SPEAKER_04]: The hit points go out.
[SPEAKER_04]: The hit points come in.
[SPEAKER_04]: Thank you.
[SPEAKER_04]: You can stay in there.
[SPEAKER_04]: Yep.
[SPEAKER_04]: Pandora on the floor, you were up.
[SPEAKER_04]: So standing is a move action.
[SPEAKER_02]: It is.
[SPEAKER_02]: And then moving would be a move action.
[SPEAKER_04]: That's correct.
[SPEAKER_02]: You take a five foot step, though.
[SPEAKER_02]: So I could stand, take a five foot step and still cast as well.
[SPEAKER_02]: Yes.
[SPEAKER_02]: Great.
[SPEAKER_02]: I'm going to do that.
[SPEAKER_02]: She moved down between Debwick and Bash.
[SPEAKER_02]: Uh, again, her finger begins tracing something.
[SPEAKER_02]: No, her is probably.
[SPEAKER_02]: Rose, Collins, in the air, you know about the meths.
[SPEAKER_02]: I certainly do, and I know a lot about this particular mouth.
[SPEAKER_02]: Let's get this checked out.
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, I know.
[SPEAKER_02]: This is my thing, I guess.
[SPEAKER_02]: I know.
[SPEAKER_02]: It's like, where have you been all my life?
[SPEAKER_02]: So I boost my cast or level again, reach out to grip and cast a new spell.
[SPEAKER_02]: She feels deep feelings, oddly enough, of atonement.
[SPEAKER_02]: of making up for something.
[SPEAKER_02]: As she imagines, she visualizes, dabble at casting lesser restoration on her over and over and over again which she can't hear.
[SPEAKER_02]: She just knows that's what they're doing.
[SPEAKER_02]: She owes the universe for the gifts that were given her to bring her back to her store.
[SPEAKER_04]: Nice.
[SPEAKER_02]: And you get 27 hit points.
[SPEAKER_02]: And if that takes you over,
[SPEAKER_04]: You can't possibly do this, right?
[SPEAKER_02]: Okay.
[SPEAKER_02]: Did never mind.
[SPEAKER_02]: You don't have any pain effects or any other abilities for damage or any other conditions, right?
[SPEAKER_07]: Correct.
[SPEAKER_07]: Just a grapple.
[SPEAKER_07]: Condition, but I'm keeping that.
[UNKNOWN]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, yeah.
[SPEAKER_02]: I can't get rid of it anyway.
[SPEAKER_02]: You feel terrified in some way.
[SPEAKER_02]: Nice.
[SPEAKER_04]: Oh.
[SPEAKER_02]: Thank you.
[SPEAKER_04]: Just in time for your turn, gripper.
[SPEAKER_04]: Okay.
[SPEAKER_07]: So, with this greater grapple.
[SPEAKER_07]: Yes.
[SPEAKER_04]: normally I would I can just do one check to do one thing or so he attacked me with all his attacks which means all of your grapple checks this round are at plus five okay because you decided to stay on the grapple this round so
[SPEAKER_07]: But I could shoot, I can attack him with a full attack or I can only do these grapple checks with the greater grapple.
[SPEAKER_04]: If you do a full attack, you're releasing the grapple.
[SPEAKER_04]: If you want to stay in the grapple, you can make.
[SPEAKER_04]: Normally, you could make one grapple check as a standard action.
[SPEAKER_04]: If you succeed, it remains held, and you also deal damage as with an unarmed strike.
[SPEAKER_04]: Because you have greater grapple going, you can do one as a standard action, one as a move action, and then maybe with some stamina points, you could even do a third potentially.
[SPEAKER_07]: with the pin action.
[SPEAKER_07]: Does that then prevent him from being able to take a tax on his next turn?
[SPEAKER_07]: Yes.
[SPEAKER_07]: So I could make a check to pin him and make a check to deal damage to him.
[SPEAKER_07]: Yes.
[SPEAKER_07]: That's what I'm going to do.
[SPEAKER_07]: Done and done.
[SPEAKER_07]: First for the pin.
[SPEAKER_07]: That is a 30.
[SPEAKER_07]: How you like it?
[SPEAKER_00]: And that's with the
[SPEAKER_07]: Did you have those hive to there?
[SPEAKER_07]: I did not.
[SPEAKER_07]: Oh, no, 35.
[SPEAKER_07]: All right, so then I will do two stamina points to get me to 37.
[SPEAKER_07]: Success, the creature is pinned.
[SPEAKER_07]: Great, and now I will make one to try to damage the demon.
[SPEAKER_07]: That's not gonna do it, that was that's the 20, I don't think I can boost that any higher.
[SPEAKER_07]: Because it's 10.
[SPEAKER_07]: It's 25, so 25 would be a plus 5.
[SPEAKER_04]: You know that it's now denied its dexterity bonus and is taking a total of minus 6 to its CMD.
[SPEAKER_07]: I'm sitting at 25 right now.
[SPEAKER_07]: I could spend six more stamina points and still have one in my pool.
[SPEAKER_07]: Only can spend five on a single roll though.
[SPEAKER_07]: You're right, but I could spend five to get me to 30.
[SPEAKER_07]: And I'm going to risk an action point just to be sure.
[SPEAKER_07]: All righty.
[UNKNOWN]: 33.
[SPEAKER_07]: You have damaged it.
[SPEAKER_04]: Yes, and that's gonna be one deep temper.
[SPEAKER_04]: Grypper with his now supernaturally enhanced strength is just crushing this leonine creature in his grasp.
[SPEAKER_04]: Feathers, there's filthy fucking feathers all over your apartment, Dabwick.
[SPEAKER_04]: It's for so dirty.
[SPEAKER_07]: 14 points of damage.
[SPEAKER_07]: Got it.
[UNKNOWN]: 35.
[SPEAKER_07]: And he has grappled and immobilized.
[SPEAKER_04]: rolling in rage, and I'm going, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, sh
[SPEAKER_06]: Ooh, a 27.
[SPEAKER_06]: Keep it in it?
[SPEAKER_06]: Yeah, because it's pinned, so it's gonna hit it hopefully hit.
[SPEAKER_06]: It is colossally ahead.
[SPEAKER_06]: All right.
[SPEAKER_06]: And that's gonna be, that's gonna be seven points, and I'm gonna go ahead and spend my study combatant on it now.
[SPEAKER_06]: Yep.
[SPEAKER_06]: And that will add another 3D6 for five four
[SPEAKER_04]: 3.
[SPEAKER_04]: What was that total?
[UNKNOWN]: 12.
[SPEAKER_04]: It looks like it took barely any of that.
[SPEAKER_04]: So it needs cold iron.
[SPEAKER_04]: What a good?
[SPEAKER_04]: Yeah, a little bit got through, but just a little bit.
[SPEAKER_02]: That was 12 was just the study target damage.
[SPEAKER_02]: I don't know what the weapon damage was.
[SPEAKER_06]: Sorry.
[SPEAKER_06]: So what was the total in the attack?
[SPEAKER_06]: The whole.
[SPEAKER_06]: So it had been 7 plus 12.
[SPEAKER_06]: It would have been
[SPEAKER_04]: Looks like it took about half of that.
[SPEAKER_06]: Okay, so it's got DR-10.
[SPEAKER_06]: All right, he's gonna go ahead and try to attack it again right now because he is not gonna be able to do a move action or anything like that.
[SPEAKER_06]: Cool.
[SPEAKER_06]: So he's gonna again make it his, take a swift action to make it his study target.
[SPEAKER_04]: Yep.
[SPEAKER_06]: And attack it again with his second lowered BAB and see if he can hit it.
[SPEAKER_06]: And that's a 23.
[SPEAKER_06]: That's a hit.
[SPEAKER_06]: Excellent.
[SPEAKER_06]: And that's going to be for not going to fuck around.
[SPEAKER_06]: It's AC is still low right now.
[SPEAKER_06]: Four plus three is seven and then nine ten twelve.
[SPEAKER_06]: So it only did two points damage.
[SPEAKER_06]: Twelve becomes two and he yells out you got any cold iron in this house.
[SPEAKER_04]: to the two people writhing on the ground.
[SPEAKER_04]: Dude, this is Dad Wick's house.
[SPEAKER_04]: Chester Feebley looks over from the floor.
[SPEAKER_04]: You're a quimit!
[SPEAKER_04]: Isn't the trunk right here?
[SPEAKER_04]: Like, feebly lifts his hand is now pointing to... Johnny, I'll keep him in the bin over in this room.
[SPEAKER_04]: He's pointing over into this room over here.
[SPEAKER_04]: Okay.
[SPEAKER_04]: Pointing into Dadwix, bad room.
[SPEAKER_04]: And he seems to be indicating, oh my god, all your stuff is so close.
[SPEAKER_04]: It's like right there.
[SPEAKER_04]: Got it.
[SPEAKER_04]: Chester will attempt to magic missile one more time.
[SPEAKER_04]: Does not penetrate spell resistance.
[SPEAKER_04]: That's the end round two top around three poor Jaydove is in a state.
[SPEAKER_04]: The demon is also in a state.
[SPEAKER_04]: Ah
[SPEAKER_04]: All right, pinned.
[SPEAKER_04]: A pinned?
[SPEAKER_04]: Creature who attempts to cast a spell or use a spell capability must make a concentration check.
[SPEAKER_04]: Oh, oh, oh, DC10 plus the grapplers CMB plus the spell level.
[SPEAKER_04]: Oh, it's gonna, it has to make an attempt.
[SPEAKER_04]: All right, so what's your CMB right now?
[SPEAKER_04]: See, Rapples is 16 right now.
[SPEAKER_04]: Okay, it's on 26 plus spell level.
[SPEAKER_04]: All right.
[SPEAKER_04]: It can make it, and with a whiff of smoke and the sound of screams, it fattishes out of your arms.
[SPEAKER_04]: You're left holding nothing but filthy air and dirty feathers, as Tom sees just like filthy bird feathers all over their apartment.
[SPEAKER_04]: Tell craft check.
[SPEAKER_04]: Yeah, please, please, please make it.
[SPEAKER_07]: 26 25 13 greater teleport it's gone teleported away But I bet that's the last week's scene of him
[SPEAKER_06]: And as he says that he is literally walking over to the to the bedroom and like walking immediately before he does anything else.
[SPEAKER_02]: Dora is going to Chester and Jade of and we'll cast the same spell on both of them that she cast on grip to heal them above all their strength damage.
[SPEAKER_02]: Oh, awesome.
[SPEAKER_02]: And 38 plus 10.
[SPEAKER_04]: They're doing fine at hip joints, but yeah, they had, so they actually made their save and only took and then only took half damage But I rolled 11 and 12 for their strength damage It took six and five just like, oh, this is gonna be nothing.
[SPEAKER_04]: Oh, they both have regular like 10 strength or lower possibly lower Yes, they are they are both non-maila combatant to spell castry types.
[SPEAKER_04]: All right, so everybody is able to gather up their belongings
[SPEAKER_02]: Dora would go to Barnabas immediately after healing them.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, yeah, okay.
[SPEAKER_00]: Great.
[SPEAKER_00]: That would also be going to Barnabas.
[SPEAKER_04]: So we're easily able to get Chester and Jade of back on their feet.
[SPEAKER_04]: And then we are left facing the...
[SPEAKER_04]: The nap now literally dead body of Barnabas in the corner and has stayed indeed after death in this hybrid form, this anthropomorphic fox form.
[SPEAKER_02]: She, um, kneels beside him and lays a hand on him.
[SPEAKER_02]: I don't know.
[SPEAKER_02]: If he would have wanted this, she's still obviously extremely shaken from what happened, you know, 30 seconds ago when she woke up.
[SPEAKER_04]: Yeah.
[UNKNOWN]: But I could give him the second chance.
[SPEAKER_06]: Bash comes up from behind and puts his hand on your shoulder and he's got like vanity in his other hand.
[SPEAKER_06]: Yeah, and he goes, Let him go.
[SPEAKER_05]: It's a mercy.
[SPEAKER_05]: He chose this.
[SPEAKER_02]: Ahhh.
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't know what's to.
[SPEAKER_00]: What are you thinking of doing?
[SPEAKER_02]: And she's really, really deep in grief.
[SPEAKER_06]: Well, then there is no wrong answer.
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_06]: There is no wrong answer.
[SPEAKER_06]: There is only story.
[SPEAKER_06]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_04]: She's going to make a choice.
[SPEAKER_01]: We don't know.
[SPEAKER_01]: Perhaps that is his salvation.
[SPEAKER_01]: live another life, as someone who knows nothing of any of it, any of it, this, I need I would need something worth something.
[SPEAKER_02]: Maybe the closest thing that I have is the wedding ring.
[SPEAKER_02]: Which two months ago, would have no value to me, but now represents a life-lived, a painful, drugged, horrible, if it's not positive psychic significance.
[SPEAKER_04]: It's just significant.
[SPEAKER_02]: But it is powerful psychic significance, I think, to her now.
[SPEAKER_02]: It represents something too.
[SPEAKER_02]: That is not hearing.
[SPEAKER_02]: Bye-bye then.
[SPEAKER_02]: Dora would gladly trade that wedding ring and let go again in order to find out if Barnabas wants a second chance.
[SPEAKER_04]: Is that what she does?
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, it takes 10 minutes.
[SPEAKER_04]: So Dora is leaning over Barnabas's body holding this wedding ring in her hand.
[SPEAKER_04]: and while she takes 10 minutes to do whatever the heck she's doing, let's take a little pause here and talk about levelling.
[SPEAKER_04]: And then we'll see exactly what Pandora is up to.
[SPEAKER_04]: Like I did in chapter 36 and 90, I put together a little descriptions of your current kit against half-minded fun.
[SPEAKER_04]: Let's start with the Outwear.
[SPEAKER_04]: Dabwick looks basically identical, gear-wise, to the top of Act 3.
[SPEAKER_04]: T-Hara of Inspired Wisdom, it's golden, we realize boots slash horseshoe slash swim socks and starting and springing and they're great cloak of Elvin kind.
[SPEAKER_04]: Just a little meta note here for you all, between Acts, I went in and checked the value of everyone's equipment just to see where we were after that very weird book spent early in the real world.
[SPEAKER_04]: The good news was that Vic and Grip were basically right on track with where they should be at this level.
[SPEAKER_04]: Dora was a little down, and Dabwick was way, way, way down, and I think we can see evidence of that, and the fact that they basically acquired no new equipment during levels 7, 8, and 9, so something for everybody but poly.
[SPEAKER_04]: Essentially, every time he says Dabwick doesn't need anything, when you're talking about buying or enchanting things, maybe ignore him once in a while.
[SPEAKER_04]: So these new swallowtail brasters will go a long way to getting dabble closer to where they should be at, but it's just it's just something to note and you know Obviously both gripper and Vic now bash Require a lot more stuff to do the things that they do effectively and to armor themselves, but just just a note
[SPEAKER_04]: So Paul, won't you talk about this level?
[SPEAKER_00]: Level 10 for Dabwick.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's funny, this, you know, for lots of druids, the wild shape has been going for some time on their character, but this is still new for Dabwick, and at this level, Dabwick can now transform themselves twice a day with wild shape, and include tiny and large creatures within their wheelhouse and elementals.
[SPEAKER_00]: Well, adding that to the pantheon of things that they can change into.
[SPEAKER_00]: I can't forget that part.
[SPEAKER_00]: So that's exciting.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_00]: And another thing is...
[SPEAKER_00]: That Wix domain spells come from the protection, fortifications, house, and in that domain, their saves go up every once in a while.
[SPEAKER_00]: So I just got another boost in saves, and the saves are looking really good for Dabwick.
[SPEAKER_00]: But other than that, it wasn't a huge change at this level.
[SPEAKER_02]: You get new levels of spells at odd levels, is that right?
[SPEAKER_00]: That's correct.
[SPEAKER_00]: I can cast more of fifth and fourth level spells on extra one of them each day, so that's going to be good.
[SPEAKER_04]: And as we hit 10th level, all of our signature skill things, as long as we have 10 ranks in whatever we took that feat in, you get a new ability at it on to it.
[SPEAKER_04]: Are you at 10 ranks, would you take nature as soon?
[SPEAKER_00]: Now is nature.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, that's right.
[SPEAKER_00]: So yeah, 10 ranks.
[SPEAKER_00]: When you successfully identify a creature, you gain a plus one competence bonus on attack rolls, a postability checks, skill checks, cast your level checks against the creature that time.
[SPEAKER_04]: That's what we saw you do at the moment.
[SPEAKER_00]: Four, one minute.
[SPEAKER_04]: Nice.
[SPEAKER_04]: Very, very cool.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_04]: All right.
[SPEAKER_04]: So next time we're fighting animals or plants or something, we got to remember to do add that in.
[SPEAKER_04]: Alignment still feeling like this is the alignment for the dabs.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I mean, player Pauli is more of a, more of a good, and I'm trying to keep Dabwick a little more neutral.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_00]: That's a hard balance for me personally, but I'm, that's the choice I'm making.
[SPEAKER_04]: I love it.
[SPEAKER_04]: All right, next it's the gripper, he got a ton of new loot in Act 3.
[SPEAKER_04]: He's still carrying the magical wooden shield from Briarstone, still, but it's even more potent thanks to Vic and chanting it further, and carrying low winds back of holding, and Ramotry's composite short bow over his back, but otherwise everything else is all new.
[SPEAKER_04]: He's wearing flowers plus two mythril breastplate.
[SPEAKER_04]: Chester's ringer production plus two, he's got V-drax plus two simitaron one hip and that plus two Dan Bong that Vic and Chended for him And he's also wearing the magical monks robes.
[SPEAKER_04]: He's kidded up and you know, of course.
[SPEAKER_04]: He also got that physical ability bump from the mad poet So he just like he looks insanely buff
[SPEAKER_04]: So Robert, talk to us about what you got.
[SPEAKER_07]: Yeah, 10 was, I don't know, it feels very workmen-like.
[SPEAKER_07]: He, B.B.
[SPEAKER_07]: goes up, Forten Reflex saves increased skills.
[SPEAKER_07]: He put another point in intimidate, which he hadn't done in a while.
[SPEAKER_07]: Still going with perception and to what will be his last for the foreseeable future rank of professions sailor.
[SPEAKER_07]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_07]: His knockout ability increases to twice a day.
[SPEAKER_07]: Sweet.
[SPEAKER_07]: That's awesome.
[SPEAKER_07]: Marshall Flexibility, he can now do one feet as a free action, two feats as a swift action, or three feats as a move action.
[SPEAKER_04]: Good.
[SPEAKER_04]: Free action to take a feed.
[SPEAKER_07]: Free action to take one feed.
[SPEAKER_07]: That's so cool.
[SPEAKER_07]: Took a extra hit point.
[SPEAKER_07]: He only rolled a two when he rolled his hit points.
[SPEAKER_07]: But his points in the waking world are now 104.
[SPEAKER_07]: Oh, Jesus.
[SPEAKER_02]: Nice.
[SPEAKER_07]: It's not me.
[SPEAKER_02]: It was a rub, doing me.
[SPEAKER_04]: I assume you don't quite have 10 ranks in intimidate your signature skill, right?
[SPEAKER_04]: Not yet, not yet.
[SPEAKER_04]: And let's talk about your campaign trait, pugnacious.
[SPEAKER_04]: Remember how I said you all, that these get new things added in?
[SPEAKER_04]: Right, I forgot to look at them.
[SPEAKER_04]: So I don't even put it in there.
[SPEAKER_04]: I will tell you.
[SPEAKER_04]: All right.
[SPEAKER_04]: This is the first time you're hearing of it.
[SPEAKER_04]: So after regaining your memories, you just can't get the image of count roles as face.
[SPEAKER_04]: looming over you, forcing you into the waters of the oasis.
[SPEAKER_04]: You can't get that image out of your head, and you find yourself periodically shaking with rage, but that rage can also occasionally empower you.
[SPEAKER_04]: Once per day, as a free action, you can gain either a plus one trait bonus on all attack rules or all weapon damage rules for an entire combat.
[SPEAKER_04]: Free action.
[SPEAKER_02]: Sweet.
[SPEAKER_04]: Oh, that's bad.
[SPEAKER_07]: Either either to hit or damage.
[SPEAKER_04]: Exactly.
[SPEAKER_04]: And it's a what was the plus plus one.
[SPEAKER_04]: But it's a trade bonus, so it'll stack with any other buffs you got going.
[SPEAKER_04]: Nice.
[SPEAKER_04]: Very, very cool.
[SPEAKER_04]: Awesome.
[SPEAKER_04]: That is badass.
[SPEAKER_04]: For one whole combat.
[SPEAKER_06]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_06]: That's badass.
[SPEAKER_04]: And sometimes our combat's last for multiple sessions.
[SPEAKER_04]: So it could be a lot of runs.
[SPEAKER_06]: In the real world, that could be months of fun.
[SPEAKER_04]: But if the course of counted as one combat, that one, I think it was one part of it, was it?
[SPEAKER_04]: Yeah, it's their case, certainly, would have.
[SPEAKER_04]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_04]: Because we got up to around like 30 summer.
[SPEAKER_02]: Don't even.
[SPEAKER_04]: Yeah, it was, it was forever.
[SPEAKER_04]: What about, what about alignment?
[SPEAKER_07]: I think we're having another little shift.
[SPEAKER_07]: What shift in again?
[SPEAKER_07]: I think, I think he's, I think he's, and this is, I picture this being where he lives for a while, but I think neutral good.
[SPEAKER_07]: is where he's feeling I think welcome to the club is um I think his like moral compass right now is could I stand
[SPEAKER_07]: Could he stand in front of Skywin and Katzen and talk about his day and feel good about it?
[SPEAKER_07]: Like that's sort of, that's sort of, that's sort of, oh my god, that's for that, that's his load star right now.
[SPEAKER_04]: I wanna be proud of what I say to them when I have to check it with them and tell them what my day, I love it.
[SPEAKER_04]: That's awesome.
[SPEAKER_04]: That's really lovely.
[SPEAKER_04]: All right, that is the second good member of this party.
[SPEAKER_04]: Welcome.
[SPEAKER_04]: Bash is still in the three-piece flannel suit.
[SPEAKER_04]: He's been rocking ever since leaving thrush more.
[SPEAKER_06]: Yeah, I mean he puts on the clothes because those are the clothes that he has, but that's not but like he doesn't have the hat, he hasn't tied the tie.
[SPEAKER_06]: It's like just like a shirt and pants and you know, a jacket like he's not.
[SPEAKER_04]: It's like a liminal transition space between outfits.
[SPEAKER_04]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_04]: Yeah, I make sense.
[SPEAKER_06]: but but he no longer he he's not wearing a hat right now because he's like he looks he's like I don't I don't need that.
[SPEAKER_04]: I don't need those fanities.
[SPEAKER_04]: Speaking of vanity that's the big change.
[SPEAKER_04]: Since act three the addition of vanity this blocking chunky brutal looking adamantine alchemical torch super enchanted over the course of act three and as usual all the rest of his massive equipment list is tucked away in the magical
[SPEAKER_04]: What about, what about posture and physicality?
[SPEAKER_04]: You know, he's changed the way he's carried himself every act.
[SPEAKER_04]: Is does this change come with a similar physical change or not?
[SPEAKER_06]: Yeah, he carries himself, I think, as if he was older.
[SPEAKER_06]: Like 20 years older?
[SPEAKER_06]: Maybe not like, there's sort of a residual thing of, he's still walking around in his mind in his 50s.
[SPEAKER_06]: But he's, but everything feels good, but he's a little bit more sort of,
[SPEAKER_02]: cautious.
[SPEAKER_06]: Yeah, just careful with himself, just like more still, I think.
[SPEAKER_02]: We had bad from our feet.
[SPEAKER_06]: Yeah, sort of like languid and stuff before when he was Vic.
[SPEAKER_06]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_06]: But now he's just kind of like just more sort of solid.
[SPEAKER_04]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_04]: That's one.
[SPEAKER_04]: Makes any sense.
[SPEAKER_04]: That's really fun.
[SPEAKER_04]: Talk to us about leveling.
[SPEAKER_04]: Would you get what's on your sheet?
[SPEAKER_06]: I got a few new spells known.
[SPEAKER_06]: I got one through a favored class bonus and then I picked up another level three extract and then because of my increase to intelligence I got just more spells known or more spells being able to cast every day.
[SPEAKER_07]: Yeah, still on the investigator.
[SPEAKER_06]: Yeah, because he went up to a ninth level investigator, a ninth level, steel-hound investigator, and still a first-level gun slayer.
[SPEAKER_06]: Yeah, yeah, but he took, I won't tell you what extracts he took.
[SPEAKER_06]: I'll let those be, look, come out.
[SPEAKER_06]: I'm surprised because that'll be fun to completely mess up something that Rob decides to have us do.
[SPEAKER_06]: I'll be like, why did I let you take that extract?
[SPEAKER_04]: And what about signature scale?
[SPEAKER_04]: What was your deal?
[SPEAKER_06]: Heal.
[SPEAKER_06]: So at 10 ranks, when you treat deadly wounds, the target recovers hit points as if it had rested for a full day with long-term care.
[SPEAKER_06]: Now, when I go into long-term care, providing long-term care means treating a wound-to-percent person for a day or more if your heel check is successful, the patient recovers hit points or ability score points lost to ability damage at twice the normal rate.
[SPEAKER_06]: Two hit points per level for a full eight hours of rest in a day or four hit points per level for each full day of complete rest.
[SPEAKER_06]: So what is that?
[SPEAKER_06]: What does that mean in terms of the four hit points per level?
[SPEAKER_06]: Wow.
[SPEAKER_06]: So that is you did that in a minute.
[SPEAKER_06]: Is that right?
[SPEAKER_06]: True trading loans I believe is still an hour.
[SPEAKER_06]: Okay.
[SPEAKER_04]: Yeah, so basically, by spending an hour, Bash can heal someone as if that person had rested for one entire day, the entire day doing nothing while being tended to buy him.
[SPEAKER_04]: Wow.
[SPEAKER_04]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_06]: Which is a lot of it.
[SPEAKER_04]: That's a lot of loss.
[SPEAKER_06]: Yeah, four times your level.
[SPEAKER_04]: So 40 hit points back in an hour.
[SPEAKER_04]: That's pretty awesome, Johnny.
[SPEAKER_04]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_06]: That's... And that's coming from his dad.
[SPEAKER_06]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_06]: He was a healer and a physician and herbalist and all that fun stuff, which I really, I really love that.
[SPEAKER_06]: That it... This didn't come from him.
[SPEAKER_06]: Aping.
[SPEAKER_06]: Vaticus.
[SPEAKER_06]: Vaticus instead it came from his family.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_06]: That's just really sort of like lovely and warm thing.
[SPEAKER_06]: And I feel like you asked about how he moved.
[SPEAKER_06]: I think even though he wasn't necessarily the best dad when he was in the dreamlands, he still was a father, and a parent, and that changes you.
[SPEAKER_06]: And so I think that he's getting, yeah, yeah.
[SPEAKER_06]: So I think that he is now used to walking around with himself not being the focus of his life.
[SPEAKER_04]: Oh, that's a big change.
[SPEAKER_06]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_04]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_06]: So I I I still think but also he wasn't a great guy when he was in the dreamland.
[SPEAKER_06]: He wasn't like a good guy.
[SPEAKER_06]: I think that if Vick had still been around he would be chaotic good without this point because he kept trying to do more things for other people.
[SPEAKER_06]: But now he's he's still chaotic neutral because of those memories in that lifetime kind of having blood in.
[SPEAKER_04]: Yeah, let's see where that takes them.
[SPEAKER_06]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_07]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_07]: I'm curious to see if that will like VIX sense of needing to atone for our previous visits.
[SPEAKER_07]: Like how how that how that developed how that mean if that maintains if that deviates if that if that was strictly a vick thing or if that bleeds through.
[SPEAKER_04]: Interesting.
[SPEAKER_04]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_04]: Let's talk about your campaign trait, full of the strange.
[SPEAKER_04]: As you regained your memories, you regained an entire other life times worth of experience fighting creatures from Breon, your world, your trait bonus.
[SPEAKER_04]: On saving throws against the extraordinary spell-like and supernatural abilities of aberrations increases by one.
[SPEAKER_04]: You know, like a plus two bonus on all saving throws against those things.
[SPEAKER_04]: Wow.
[SPEAKER_04]: Pretty fun.
[SPEAKER_04]: Uh, awesome.
[SPEAKER_04]: Finally.
[SPEAKER_04]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_06]: I do want to say also that unlike, uh, grip, I did take several skill things from, uh, skills and feats from the old triangle man sheet.
[SPEAKER_06]: What'd you take?
[SPEAKER_06]: I took.
[SPEAKER_06]: This will make Katie very happy.
[SPEAKER_06]: I finally took.
[SPEAKER_06]: You can calm down.
[SPEAKER_06]: Precise shot.
[SPEAKER_06]: I know that that'll make you very happy.
[SPEAKER_02]: Levels of minus four shooting in the melee.
[SPEAKER_06]: So that is a nice thing to not have to do the minus four on that anymore.
[SPEAKER_06]: And then
[SPEAKER_06]: He had so many things that he had maxed out that I was like, I have to take some of these because they became such a focus of that character.
[SPEAKER_06]: And even actually having lived in the dream lands for decades that, so he now has max ranks in even though it's basically not quite max ranks, even though it's copying who door was Arcana and Plains and Heal and also now, use Magic Device.
[SPEAKER_06]: It's something Sebastian Jarvis was good at love it so it's not great because he doesn't have a high charisma But it's still it's something it's a start.
[SPEAKER_04]: Yeah, yes, or at least try
[SPEAKER_04]: And, uh, Pandora, she's still rocking the mid-level mage look here, and the silky blue robe covered in arcane sigils, leather necklace, bedecked with magical talismans, bright red cloak of resistance, which I think is Ratchmampies, silver tiara on the brow, the perfect crystal sphere of red and blue, endlessly circling her head.
[SPEAKER_04]: And, uh, of course, as always, the Gaudi Pink cowboy boots from prior suicide.
[SPEAKER_02]: And the belt of constitution.
[SPEAKER_04]: The belt of constitution.
[SPEAKER_02]: Similar question to you that I asked of Johnny, is there any Physical change that we'd notice and this is interesting because it's during the last run of artwork that we're up to and the release of book three I started to notice Dora like ain't not quite middle age, but like ancient and I was kind of like I don't know if I should say anything But like I'm older than Dora, but then I'm not going through with Dora's going through so it made sense to me was like
[SPEAKER_02]: This is all this grief being held in, all this stuff.
[SPEAKER_02]: She's compartmentalizing and hanging on to really tightly.
[SPEAKER_02]: It made sense that she would look like that.
[SPEAKER_02]: I think when she woke up today, she looks younger than I do now.
[SPEAKER_02]: Her face doesn't seem as strained or tense.
[SPEAKER_02]: Her body just seems more relaxed.
[SPEAKER_02]: Her shoulders are not tense.
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_02]: She looks...
[SPEAKER_02]: A little new her hair is still silver because that's the color of her hair, but I think her face is a little less lined and a lot less strained That's fine, and despite all the emotion of what she's going through right now in general, I think she's Had a little glow up Cool So Bash looks a little older and Pandora looks a little younger
[SPEAKER_04]: Or Bash is carrying himself a little older.
[SPEAKER_06]: Yeah, I think I think he has that slightly sort of like head forward posture.
[SPEAKER_06]: Sure.
[SPEAKER_06]: Just a little bit.
[SPEAKER_04]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_04]: I know you want to be cagey about talking too much about love.
[SPEAKER_02]: But what do you want to share about love?
[SPEAKER_02]: I do because it's for two reasons.
[SPEAKER_02]: One is just fun to throw stuff out there when it happens.
[SPEAKER_02]: But also Dora doesn't know.
[SPEAKER_02]: I'm sorry.
[SPEAKER_02]: Pandora doesn't know yet.
[SPEAKER_02]: Um, she just woke up.
[SPEAKER_02]: There's a lot going on.
[SPEAKER_02]: She does not automatically categorize things into, oh, that's a new skill and that's a new feat and that's a new this.
[SPEAKER_02]: It's just what what it is.
[SPEAKER_02]: So what you saw today was a new feat, a new signature skill and One new spell And the beginning of another new spell.
[SPEAKER_02]: Um, but what she got from leveling was she's at 60 hip points.
[SPEAKER_02]: She bumped her will save.
[SPEAKER_02]: She has access to fifth level spells now.
[SPEAKER_02]: And I don't want to say too much about anything else.
[SPEAKER_02]: Okay.
[SPEAKER_02]: Um, because it'll come out.
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_02]: In something she can do or something she can't do.
[SPEAKER_07]: So we don't, we don't know yet.
[SPEAKER_07]: If there's still a quote unquote dark passenger.
[SPEAKER_02]: I don't know if you know.
[SPEAKER_07]: Yeah, we would have no way of knowing.
[SPEAKER_07]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_07]: and you ain't talking to her.
[SPEAKER_02]: And I think for anybody who caught her doing math on the side, you would all certainly associate that with Mr. Wanderlust.
[SPEAKER_02]: Because she spent quite a lot of time talking to him about the math.
[SPEAKER_02]: The math.
[SPEAKER_02]: And that's it.
[SPEAKER_02]: All right.
[SPEAKER_02]: She's for sure still neutral good.
[SPEAKER_02]: Double down.
[SPEAKER_04]: Double down.
[SPEAKER_04]: Uh, campaign trade, methodical mind.
[SPEAKER_04]: As you regained your memories, you re-experienced literal years spent studying ritual magic and cosmic evils, and multiple lifetimes methodically learning that which should not be learned will help you in your future struggles.
[SPEAKER_04]: Once per day.
[SPEAKER_04]: You can roll twice when you attempt a saving throw against a mind-effecting effect, keeping the better result.
[SPEAKER_02]: Fantastic.
[SPEAKER_04]: With all that change, hanging in the air.
[SPEAKER_04]: As the cleaning up is going on around the apartment and we're all watching Pandora huddled over Barnabas's body.
[SPEAKER_04]: At the end of 10 minutes, the wedding ring that she's holding in her hand.
[SPEAKER_04]: One of the first things you ever got in this campaign, way back in Chapter 2, it crumbles to dust.
[SPEAKER_04]: There's a flash of light.
[SPEAKER_04]: And beyond the veil, traversing the river of souls through the astral plane, on his journey to the bone yard, where he will be judged, finally, for his actions and choices in life.
[SPEAKER_04]: The soul of Barnabas is aware of a, it first feels a little like a,
[SPEAKER_04]: and nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing from life really matters out here, so it's easy to dismiss at first, but then it starts to feel like like a warm hand stroking your fur.
[SPEAKER_04]: A gigantic hand is stroking your fur in a very protective invitation back to whatever Barnabas in this moment in time can even process as back to life.
[SPEAKER_04]: Is this a call that Barnabas answers or does Barnabas continue on his way?
[SPEAKER_07]: He feels that stroke on his cheek, and it distracts him from the path he's walking, and he can feel... He can feel sunlight, and he can feel the forest, and I think it feels like possibility, and he follows that call.
[SPEAKER_07]: that di-roll said otherwise, because I didn't, I didn't know, I don't know.
[SPEAKER_07]: So, we'll let the dice tell the story.
[SPEAKER_04]: K to give me a percentile roll.
[UNKNOWN]: 78.
[SPEAKER_03]: I love it when it makes it a face.
[SPEAKER_04]: and the rest of you, watch, probably, in absolute awe, as dirt rises up through the floor of
[SPEAKER_04]: like a shadow of a humanoid shape on the ground and has time passes more and more dirt spills up through the earth forming more and more and more of a body.
[SPEAKER_04]: As this happens, you see Barnabas's body begin to crumble into, like, chunky pieces of ash.
[SPEAKER_04]: I guess it's very end-game-y, right?
[SPEAKER_04]: It just, like, starts flicking off Stardust.
[SPEAKER_04]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_02]: The body has to come from something, like, the new body has to.
[SPEAKER_02]: It's magical.
[SPEAKER_02]: It's not like we pluck a body from another dimension.
[SPEAKER_02]: No, the body is this one.
[SPEAKER_02]: Now, body is created by this.
[SPEAKER_04]: it's sinking back into the earth.
[SPEAKER_04]: Yeah, as Pandora's reincarnation spell creates
[SPEAKER_04]: A very tall, nearly 7-foot tall, incredibly thin, humanoid, female, body, pale of flesh covered with complicated, complex, blue-roonic markings all over her skin.
[SPEAKER_04]: and after an hour, Barnabas' soul opens those eyes.
[SPEAKER_04]: And that's the end of Chapter 152.
[SPEAKER_04]: Will, uh, we'll probably get weirder next time, again.
[SPEAKER_04]: Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha
[SPEAKER_04]: This podcast is not published endorsed or specifically approved by PISO.
[SPEAKER_04]: For more information about PISO Inc.
[SPEAKER_04]: and PISO products, please visit PISO.com, that's P-A-I-Z-O.com.
[SPEAKER_04]: Dark Nexus uses music and soundscapes by SirenScape.
[SPEAKER_04]: Check them out at SirenScape.com, that's S-Y-R-I-N-S-C-A-P-E.com.
[SPEAKER_04]: opening and closing themes along with additional music composed by Rob Coslarrick, artwork for Dark Nexus is by Matt Wallquist, a thanks to DMCP Richard and R.I.
[SPEAKER_04]: Pollan Shen and Scotty J.S.J.S.
[SPEAKER_04]: Joe Chelsea Matt Dave, Derek Darren, McKayla J.H.
[SPEAKER_04]: The Biscuit Buddies and everyone we've gained with over the years for all the memories and inspiration.
[SPEAKER_06]: You are, you are a big part of our storytelling as well, and we love it when you know this.
[SPEAKER_02]: You are, in fact, the antagonist.
[SPEAKER_06]: I'm also often how I protect myself, the story pal.
[SPEAKER_04]: You're a story pal.
[SPEAKER_04]: I'm a story buddy.
[SPEAKER_07]: My name is Rob.
[SPEAKER_07]: I'm the story pal tonight.
[SPEAKER_07]: Protagonist antagonist and lover.