A Golden Morning

The clucking sound of a small group of compys wakes Zang from his sleep.  They are pecking the ground and digging about for a meal.



Warm sunlight greets Zang eyes.  Next to him, Skree opens one eye.  His tail twitches slightly back and forth.  Zang knows Skree well enough to recognize the look....


Zang, describe where you sleep and your morning.  It is the 43rd day of the rainy season....

He must have been quite busy on the previous day. Zang usually doesn't sleep, preferring to spend the night crafting arrows, stargazing, or communing with Matron Paraxia.




*From what I understand of the rules, a half-construct spell caster only needs to sleep in order to regain spells or gain some other benefit.

Zang is in a field, close to the edge of a thicket of trees. Most mornings Zang (skips breakfast, naturally and) spends time memorizing his spells. Then with Skree scouting ahead, he slowly walks the perimeter of his domain, checking for anything new or troubling.

oops, dang robots!

edited for clarity

Chris wrote:The clucking sound of a small group of compys wakes SKREE from his sleep.  They are pecking the ground and digging about for a meal.



Warm sunlight greets Zang eyes.  Next to him, Skree opens one eye.  His tail twitches slightly back and forth.  Zang knows Skree well enough to recognize the look....


Zang, describe where you spend the night and your morning.  It is the 43rd day of the rainy season....

Robyo wrote: Zang usually doesn't sleep, preferring to spend the night crafting arrows, stargazing, or communing with Matron Paraxia.




Zang is in a field, close to the edge of a thicket of trees. Most mornings Zang (skips breakfast, naturally and) spends time memorizing his spells. Then with Skree scouting ahead, he slowly walks the perimeter of his domain, checking for anything new or troubling.

Skree creeps forward silently, his tail still twitching slightly side-to-side.  He crouches down in the tall grass, waiting....  then he springs on a nearby compy!  The rest of the flock scatter into the woods, chirping in alarm.  Skree plays with his breakfast for a few minutes, releasing it and catching it before biting off it's head and eating everything except the guts, which he leaves in a nice pile for Zang.


Zang communes with Matron Paraxia.   He feels a vibrant, youthful presence.  The world is in full bloom during the rainy season.  Plants thrive, animals are well fed and watered.  Life is awake and the goddess is afoot!

Matron's blessing of Life:  today, Zang casts all spells as if +2 levels higher (it doesn't give him access to any new spells, but only effects variables based on level)

anything else before Zang begins his morning patrol?

Cool! Yeah, that all sounds good. Zang goes on his morning stroll/patrol.

sorry for the delay

Robyo wrote:Cool! Yeah, that all sounds good. Zang goes on his morning stroll/patrol.

Zang strolls through the forest.  Dew hangs off the wide ferns and humidity thickens the air.  Zang wanders through an area that he recognizes is near the border of the Ssyk Empire.  

Passive Perception 23 (10+13) from 5e

Zang hears a thud, followed by the crunch of broken branches off to his left.  He hears heavy, labored breathing....

Chris wrote:Zang hears a thud, followed by the crunch of broken branches off to his left.  He hears heavy, labored breathing....

Zangulor will hide behind a tree. He motions for Scree to Seek the cause of the commotion.

Stealth check for Zang? 20 + 2 = 22

*Stats for Zang and Scree are finished now.

Skree skulks forward silently.

 Do Zang and Skree have any special means of communication?  
How would Skree relay information to Zang?  


Skree sees the following in a clearing.  It is struggling to breath

Good questions! Zang has Speak w/ Animals memorized. He also has Totemic Transformation, (takes a move action and lasts a total of 8 minutes a day, can be spaced out, but minimum of one minute increments), which allows him to speak with animals (dinos and reptiles only) at will.

Zangulor is concerned for the sickened trike. Scree will sniff it out and Zang will stealthfully head over to it, keeping in shadows, senses peeled for any spies or danger about. Once he thinks it's safe, he checks the trike's  condition.

Those are a couple great and easy options!  

I assume the two also know each other well enough to read body language and subtle signs, though relaying something specific would be covered by your abilities.

Zang creeps up but doesn't notice any other threats.

Skree sniffs the trike all over.  He backs away a couple steps, shaking his head as if trying to clear something out of his nose.  He snorts several times, followed by a couple quick coughs.  

Zang feels like it is safe to assess the trike.  Does he have any special skills or spells?  Or just a Perception check?

Skree knows 6 tricks: Attack, Guard, Track, Come, Seek, Fetch. My assumption is each trick has a command word and a gesture. Skree knows to obey either or both signals. Zang is commanding Skree at this time with gestures only, trying to be stealthy.

Of course you are welcome to tailor the specifics, Mr. GM.

Zang will shoot off a few checks, taking ten on a Perception check: 10 + 13 = 23. The druid has learned to be patient.

Then if it seems clear, he'll try a Heal check, visually trying to ascertain the condition of the dinosaur. He is still not touching it: 18 + 13 = 31.

Finally, try a Handle Animal check, trying to calm the trike: 8 + 7 = 15. He's not being vocal. Approaches calmly and slowly.

That all seems fine so far.  And if there are specifics, I would rather you tailor them as you like.

I am a big fan of "taking 10" out of combat, which is kind of the same as Passive in 5e.  Or you can roll, totally up to you.  

The clearing remains quiet and free of threats.  The trike has no visible injuries.  Zang notices a thin covering of what looks like golden dust over the entire body.  There is also some blood mixed with the golden dust around its mouth.  

Otherwise, it just seems weak - no energy, labored wheezing breathing, low heart rate.

It's as calm as it can get.

Zang also can tell the recent path of the trike as it struggled through the underbrush.

Zang undergoes totemic transformation. His metallic hide takes on grey scales, granting him AC +2. He can now speak with animals (reptiles and dinos only) at will.

"What happened to you? Are you poisoned? Can I assist you?"

To Skree, he says, "What do you smell? What do you think? Be on guard."

Zangulor
AC: 23 (leather, shield,amulet); +2 TT buff
HP: 71/71
Pass Perc: 23
Move: 30', Fly 30'
Initiative:+4 (DEX 14)

Robyo wrote:Zang undergoes totemic transformation. His metallic hide takes on grey scales, granting him AC +2. He can now speak with animals (reptiles and dinos only) at will.

"What happened to you? Are you poisoned? Can I assist you?"

To Skree, he says, "What do you smell? What do you think? Be on guard."

cool powers!  


Skree replies, "Ssssmells ssssick.  No eatsssss.   Ssssneeezessss.  Eyesss opensss"

Trike replies,  "belly hard.... head soft....  legs heavy.... sleep"

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This has always been an interesting issue...

Speak with Animals
You can ask questions of and receive answers from animals, but the spell doesn't make them any more friendly than normal. Wary and cunning animals are likely to be terse and evasive, while the more stupid ones make inane comments. If an animal is friendly toward you, it may do some favor or service for you.

It doesn't affect their INT score, both have a 2

Intelligence (Int)

Intelligence determines how well your character learns and reasons. This ability is important for wizards because it affects their spellcasting ability in many ways. Creatures of animal-level instinct have Intelligence scores of 1 or 2. Any creature capable of understanding speech has a score of at least 3.

So even though they can now understand you and the spell says you can ask\receive answers, they still have an INT of 2.  To me that would suggest very simple replies at best.

Let me know if you think the replies are appropriate or not, as this isn't something that comes up often, but will here with Skree

Yeah, I was gonna boost Skree's INT, but opted to make him more of a tank.

That all sounds fair enough, except we should define what is speech. Are only humanoids capable of it? Not sure if there is a rule for it anywhere.... I figured most species of animals can can at least communicate to others of it's own ilk (though not really simple creatures maybe, like amoeba). Is that communication considered speech? If it is only just gestures and clicks, it's still communicative.

"Animal intelligence" should at least be able to express immediate sensations. Maybe not abstract stuff. So what you're demonstrating with Skree and the triceratops seems fair.

But one could argue that modern human speech is just a series of clicks.

I am good with the above, if you are.

You could always buy\make\find a +2 INT magic item and give it Skree.


Any actions?

Yes. Detect Magic. On the dust, the trike, and the path he came up. Also cast cure light wounds on the dino.

No auras detected on the trike, the dust or the path

Zang again feels the youthful, vibrant presence of his goddess. Her vitality flows through him and into the trike like a spring rain. Unfortunately, he isn't injured and his condition doesn't improve.

Zang wonders if the dino is poisoned, but it's apparently not taking damage if it is. I made a Heal check earlier. Can Zang determine if it is poison?

Robyo wrote:Zang wonders if the dino is poisoned, but it's apparently not taking damage if it is. I made a Heal check earlier. Can Zang determine if it is poison?

It does not appear to be poison, as best Zang can tell. Something about it seems familiar, but it just isn't clicking in Zang's head.

Zang and Skree start feeling a little woozy themselves. Both need a Fort save (bonus\immunity vs disease apply, if any)

Zang's Fort save: 15 + 6 +2 (vs disease) = 23... If it's a fey ability in question, then he gets another +2 bonus for Resist Nature's Lure

Skree's Fort save: 9 + 10 = 19

Zang is able to shake of the wooziness, just barely. Skree looks like he just ate some bad Rhonto.

Skree takes 1pt of CON and 1pt of CHA ability damage

"Sorry old friend," Zang tells Skree. "Hold on and I can restore you tomorrow."

Zang wants to further question the trike about where he found the dust, but it sounds like he's falling asleep. Zang casts Wildshape. He transforms into a Huge sized Triceratops!



"At 8th level, a druid can use wild shape to change into a Huge or Diminutive animal, a Medium elemental, or a Small or Medium plant creature. When taking the form of animals, a druid’s wild shape now functions as beast shape III. When taking the form of an elemental, the druid’s wild shape now functions as elemental body II. When taking the form of a plant creature, the druid’s wild shape functions as plant shape I."

According to Beast Shape III:
"This spell functions as beast shape II, except that it also allows you to assume the form of a Diminutive or Huge creature of the animal type. This spell also allows you to take on the form of a Small or Medium creature of the magical beast type. If the form you assume has any of the following abilities, you gain the listed ability: burrow 30 feet, climb 90 feet, fly 90 feet (good maneuverability), swim 90 feet, blindsense 30 feet, darkvision 60 feet, low-light vision, scent, constrict, ferocity, grab, jet, poison, pounce, rake, trample, trip, and web.
Diminutive animal: If the form you take is that of a Diminutive animal, you gain a +6 size bonus to your Dexterity, a -4 penalty to your Strength, and a +1 natural armor bonus.
Huge animal: If the form you take is that of a Huge animal, you gain a +6 size bonus to your Strength, a -4 penalty to your Dexterity, and a +6 natural armor bonus.
Small magical beast: If the form you take is that of a Small magical beast, you gain a +4 size bonus to your Dexterity, and a +2 natural armor bonus.
Medium magical beast: If the form you take is that of a Medium magical beast, you gain a +4 size bonus to your Strength, and a +4 natural armor bonus."

And, under Saurian Shaman archetype (Ultimate Magic):
"At 6th level, a saurian shaman’s wild shape ability functions at her druid level –2. If she takes on the form of a reptile or a dinosaur, she instead uses her druid level +2."

Zang will track the way the trike had come. Skree is following.

Sorry for the delay, playing with the kids this weekend.

I am LOVING the characters so far, such neat manifestations!  good job on realizing the dino-bot shaman

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Zang begins the process of his transforming into a triceratops....  then something unusual happens.  Zang notices that he is already covered in a fine sheen of Golden Dust (which is what prompted the saves).  It must be in the air, but so fine as not to be noticed until it collects enough to cause problems.

The Golden Dust interferes with and alters his powers.  It reminds Zang of some kind of radiation from his high-tech homeworld of Zyr.  As Zang's body transforms, the world around him also transforms.  Zang feels like it isn't random, but is happening as a result of his powers, though once it begins, the chain reaction is out of his control.  

Zang hears a loud chirp of alarm from Skree as he seems to be caught up in the effect as well.



The forest, the mountains, the nearby lake warp around Zang.  It doubles over on itself until it spins like a kaleidoscope.  He his stomach drops, he feels unsteady on his feet and his head spins

Please make the following 3 saves:

Fort
Ref
Will

for both Zang and Skree

then you are paused, until I can get Matt caught up

Chris wrote:Sorry for the delay, playing with the kids this weekend.

I am LOVING the characters so far, such neat manifestations!  good job on realizing the dino-bot shaman

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Please make the following 3 saves:

Fort
Ref
Will

for both Zang and Skree

Thanks! I didn't try to optimize him at all, just went with what sounded cool, and he turned out pretty neat. And tough. Having not generated a druid before in PF, they are clearly one of the better designed classes. Resources up the wazoo!

Saves for Zang:
Fort: 14 + 6 = 20
Ref: 10 + 6 = 16 (-2 for being Huge... did his spell go off? If so, = 14)
Will: 14 + 12 = 26

Saves for Skree:
Fort: 16 + 10 = 26
Ref: 3 + 9 = 12
Will: 14 + 3 = 17

no, the spell didn't get a chance to finish.

since it's just the prelude and I interrupted it for story effect, you don't lose the spell for the day