The Tomb

You make it through the night and next day without incident, however, the soldiers that are escorting you keep finding tracks that go nowhere and they all think you're being watched... but you see no sign of other humans anywhere.

You arrive at the spot that Rashid marked on your map... it's at the mouth of a small canyon that you would normally ignore.  As you go into the canyon, you see other tracks moving towards, what looks like, a pit.  When you get closer, you see that earth has been moved away and a door is visible at the bottom of very worn and treacherous steps leading down.  The door at the bottom is open, but only slightly... it looks to be made of granite and would require quite a feet of strength for someone to move without tools or magic.



(there is a door, I just couldn't find the right pic)

JT puts a stiff arm out to block anyone from hastily descending the stairs.  "We are in my domain now.  Please, for all our safety, let me go first.  You go, where I go.  You step, where I step.  You stop, when I stop."




JT will pull out his stethoscope and listen to the stone.....

Perception check for traps, unusual stonework, secret doors, anything unusual

Roll(1d20)+19:
14,+19
Total:33

+3 for traps = 36 to detect traps

shit-fire son! nice roll... uh, no, none that you can detect.

... you think you might hear lions humping a few miles away though.

I meant to tell you that you're nearly certain that you see 4 different sets of foot prints leading down the treacherous stairs

JT slowly rises and takes out his earplugs. He draws his trench axe and heavy pistol. He adjusts his goggles. Each movement is slow, deliberate and silent. JT says in a low voice, "Stay back 30 ft, the light is bad for my eyes underground. Watch for hand signals, we need to be absolutely silent down here." JT raises an eyebrow towards the impulsive Olivia.

JT quickly goes through a few basic hand signals for "stop", "proceed", and "take cover".

JT continues, "My movement pattern is rather tedious, I apologize in advance. But I have dug for miles under German lines, so I know it works. I will search the passage ways for stability and safety as I go, so be patient and we will come out alive."

JT looks at the footprints and the slightly open door. He shakes his head in disgust, "It appears that we are not the first to enter. We can only hope that they set off the traps."

JT inspects the heavy door. "Let's try to open it together. Otherwise..... " JT opens his coat like a street vendor selling stolen watches and reveals several sticks of TNT hanging from inside his coat.

Elliot, who had been keeping watch towards the top of the canyon, slings his rifle and descends carefully, ready to help JT push..

Strength check, I assume?

1d20+2 (18+2)=20

you are not able to budge the stone doors by yourself

"Hidden mechanism, perhaps?"

Perception +9 /+11 for unusual stonework

Result of the throw of dice "1d20" :

16

25 / 27 for unusual stonework

Olivia casts Detect Secret Doors.

Probably just takes some brute strength and a collective effort.

JT puts his broad shoulders into the task of helping Elliot

Str check:
Roll(1d20)+4:
18,+4
Total:22

You manage to budge it a few inches.. damned thing is really heavy, one or two more good efforts like that and you're in.

Colonel: no unusual stonework that you can detect, it was just meant to stay sealed and forgotten.

Olivia: you do not detect any secret entrances.

Elliot says "almost there, JT.. one, two, three, PUSH!"

strength check 1d20+2 (19+2)=21

CR3 pulls a large pry-bar from his suitcase. "Perhaps a bit o leevrage?"

"Travelers' Any Tool" in case you're wondering...

Also, while in this perilous environment CR3 will stay in lock step with the Col. Unless directed otherwise.

Arcturus2 wrote:Elliot says "almost there, JT.. one, two, three, PUSH!"

strength check 1d20+2 (19+2)=21

to the rest of the party, "Come on, lads and lassies, put your backs into it. All together now"

str check
Roll(1d20)+4:
7,+4
Total:11

add +2 for the pry bar to the overall attempt

It being unlikely that the Colonels strength would contribute much to the effort, he keeps watch while the others open the door.

Olivia is no Hercules either. She hangs back chewing some gum and files her nails.

you just manage to get the stone slab moved a few inches... enough for everyone to enter (you may have to scrunch a bit)...

darkness is all that is visible to those without improved vision.

Order of entry? Actions?

Elliot will secure the horses or camels and retrieve a lantern (or preferably an electric torch, if the British garrison supplied us with one) from the equipment..

He double checks his rifle.

Since JT is the expert underground and already said he's going first, Elliot will being up the rear guard. Elliot's light would bother him anyway. Anyone else without unimproved vision can go ahead of him to share the light he has.

He says a brief prayer and is ready..

whit10 wrote:
darkness is all that is visible to those without improved vision.
Order of entry?  Actions?

JT has Darkvision 60ft.  JT motions for the others to wait, he will peer into the Tomb.

Perception to check for any unusual stonework, secret doors and traps
Roll(1d20)+19:
11,+19
Total:30  
+3 for traps = 33


How is the passageway constructed?  (natural tunnel, carved stone, tile blocks, etc)

whit10 wrote:I meant to tell you that you're nearly certain that you see 4 different sets of foot prints leading down the treacherous stairs

Survival to interpret, identify and follow the tracks, using his archetype feature Improved Tracking
Roll(1d20)+20:
11,+20
Total: 31

JT puts 1 finger to his lips to remind the party of silence, then uses the same finger suggest they wait a minute after he enters.

Olivia will go somewhere in the middle of the party order. She reaches in her pack and pulls out a small clump of dirt (earth from a grave), ready to cast Detect Undead.

CRIII also has darkvision 60', but he doesn't tell anyone.

CJC has darkvision. He'll take the tail position.

The tracks appear to be human and they disappear at the entrance....

The tunnel is unfinished stonework, about 3' wide by 5' tall, some of you may have to stoop. It looks like it goes on for about 20' and then turns into a room, you can't make anything else out at this time.

whit10 wrote:The tracks appear to be human and they disappear at the entrance....

The tunnel is unfinished stonework, about 3' wide by 5' tall, some of you may have to stoop.  It looks like it goes on for about 20' and then turns into a room, you can't make anything else out at this time.  

Ok, player to GM here....

The rules don't specify how much area any given Perception check encompasses.   I want to avoid bogging the forum down with perception checks every 5ft.  So I would like to point out to the GM the following racial ability of dwarves (just another reason they are awesome).  Assume JT is moving slowly and carefully, so not incurring penalties for moving fast.


Stonecunning: Dwarves receive a +2 bonus on Perception checks to potentially notice unusual stonework, such as traps and hidden doors located in stone walls or floors. They receive a check to notice such features whenever they pass within 10 feet of them, whether or not they are actively looking.

You identified the passageway as "stonework", so I am going to rely on the GM to make any and all checks for JT.  JT has +19 for all stone and +22 to notice traps in particular.

**back to the game**

JT motions for the others to wait and he creeps silently ahead to peer around the corner.

Stealth
Result of the throw of dice "1d20 +13" :

14 + 13 = 27

you move slowly down the hall (though you accidentally kick a couple pebbles) you are also pretty quiet. There is a strong odor of sulfur. You see a larger room start to come into view. No traps thus far.

whit10 wrote:you move slowly down the hall (though you accidentally kick a couple pebbles) you are also pretty quiet.  There is a strong odor of sulfur.  You see a larger room start to come into view.  No traps thus far.

kick a couple pebbles with a 27? wow, lol

what does JT see in the room?

Chris wrote:

whit10 wrote:you move slowly down the hall (though you accidentally kick a couple pebbles) you are also pretty quiet.  There is a strong odor of sulfur.  You see a larger room start to come into view.  No traps thus far.

kick a couple pebbles with a 27?  wow, lol

what does JT see in the room?

Olivia is puzzled, but thinks it's another signal. "Funny, I don't recall him telling us the code for kicking pebbles," she whispers to Jim.

yikes, my mistake. Sorry about the pebbles thing, I read that as an 11 for some dumb reason... you're as quiet as the dead.

I will update for the room shortly

This is what JT can see the outline of.... the room has a large pool in it that cuts the room in two.  You can't make out what's on the walls at this point (I have to reacquaint myself with Darkvision rules though)

Sorry, for some reason my image isn't uploading... stand by

JT motions for the others to approach. He keeps his eyes and gun trained on the room for any signs of movement.

I'm really sorry guys, I can't get the image to upload. Let me try when I get home tonight.

I can see an image: 4 walls, 2 of which contain hieroglyphics and two open doorways, with which I gather is the pool in the middle. Is there something else that's missing?

you can see the image? ok, that's just weird. It won't come up on my computer at work.

I guess we can keep going then... I'll just have to wing it until tonight, but please proceed.

Chris wrote:JT motions for the others to approach.  He keeps his eyes and gun trained on the room for any signs of movement.

Elliot will creep up slowly to where JT indicates..

He has his rifle slung and pistol drawn in his right hand, the electric torch in his left. His right hand is laid steadied over his left forearm, with the barrel of his .45 pointed downwards and slightly out in front of him. The electric torch casts a shallow pool of light at his feet, sending eerie shadows up the walls immediately by him in the silent tomb.

He casts his old friend JT a questioning look..

I can't see the image either, but if I click on "edit" or "quote" I can see that there is an image embedded

url=https://servimg.com/view/18523270/92    img]https://i.servimg.com/u/f59/18/52/32/70/encoun13.jpg[/img

I took out the brackets, but this the above is present

when I try to click on the image directly, it says that the website is blocked by our Network Admin for pornography, which is weird because all the other images on the other pages still appear as normal (other WoD, SW pages, etc)

Rob - see if you can "save image" onto your computer and then re-post it into the forum.  that might help us figure out if it is a work issue for Josh and I, or a forum issue.

this does happen sometimes, I recall 1 time with SW that I couldn't see images for a day or 2, but it usually self-resolves

YUP - it's us, I can see the image on my phone, but not on work computer. Josh's same yellow hex map, with heiroglyph walls, etc

It must be a work thing... I came home early (not feeling well) and I can see it just fine from my home pc.

Game on...

anyone in the room can now smell sulfur as well... it seems to be coming from the pool.

The hieroglyphs depict a mostly standard scene in the life of the king.. but some reliefs show that something dark happened to him during his life. The scenes only go to that point.

Olivia steps into the chamber. She casts Detect Undead, centered on the pool first, then scanning the rest of the room.

Olivia, none that you can detect...

and just to get this out of the way and to prevent confusion, can I have Initiative rolls please?
... you are not under attack, I just want order of action.

Elliot Initiative: 1d20+4 (4+4)=8

Olivia initiative: 9 + 4 = 13

CJC initiative -

Result of the throw of dice "1d20 +7" :

20 + 7 = 27

BAM! Wasted 20.

9+4=13

MAS wrote:
BAM! Wasted 20.

Roll(1d20)+5:
1,+5
Total:6

better than the alternative in this case

JT remains hidden in the shadows, weapons drawn, as stated earlier. "Perhaps I should go first and clear any traps?"

Chris wrote: "Perhaps I should go first and clear any traps?"

"Quite right, sir! We have you covered from here."

The Colonel readies an action. Upon appearance of hostiles, he will choose a target and engage with his rifle.

Ok, you're still off initiative.

Initiative order:
Colonel Corbett, 27
Olivia and CR III, 13
Elliot, 8
JT, 6

JT will creep forward into the room slowly, checking for traps


Stealth
Result of the throw of dice "1d20 +13" :
2 + 13 = 15

Perception for traps and stone
Result of the throw of dice "1d20 +22" :

18 + 22 = 40

you do not find any so far...