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On the other hand you've chosen your spells in preparation for coping with a powerful psychic in combat, and have a selection of spells tailored for defeating aportation and making you exceedingly difficult to strike. Judicious use of your arcane force and drawing spells from the noosphere of the Astral Plane allows you to shore up the weaknesses you have, and adding a touch of the Elder Power to one spell ignites the Ethereal substance in ruby and sapphire light and limns you in a shimmering black aura for a moment. The Shield spell is visible here, a faint disruption of the Ether. The Vampiric Shadow Shield you craft seethes and taints the Ether in your vicinity with its malevolent hunger.

Yzia is no less dedicated to her own defenses, and in addition grants you and Tzanzi protection from the energies most commonly associated with the power of the Plane of Chaos: the acidic energies of consumption and destruction, and the electrical discharges of the vibrantly active plane. Herself she protects from cold as well, being no fool. Her reasoning is sound – if there's a potency she will use it is most likely be those. She would no more attempt to use fire to harm those who hold truck with the Solar dragons than she would surrender willingly to your might.

You have no intention of giving her the chance to do so, of course.

Finally Yzia bolsters your spiritual and mental wellbeing, surrounding all three of you with the sullen glow of the fires of her confidence and power. Greater Heroism leaves as much of a mark on the Ether as your Shadow Shield does, albeit with the warmth and glory of the stellar fire Yzia bears. At this point you'll be shocked if anything but the githzerai warrior's most puissant attacks could even touch your armor, much less harm you. Of course, that is the point behind the preparations....it would be embarrassing for her to kill you in a single series of attacks the way you tend to do to others.

By the time you are done you've used almost a third of your Elder Power and a little more than half of your cultivated arcane forces.

[] Tzanzi and yourself will lead the assault; Yzia is to prepare an escape should you fall since she can restore life to the recently fallen.
[] You'll lead the assault, Tzanzi and Yzia can follow up after you've tested the enemy's mettle.
[] Tzanzi can lead the assault in her deadly and quiet way, while you distract the githzerai fool with Yzia's assistance.
[] Talk first and take her measure as best you can before engaging in an effort to glean information.
[] All three of you will strike as hard and as fast as possible – no quarter, no chance for her to prepare.
[] Write in?
Siobhan wants to break her Silver Sword, but she understands you may not wish to give up her ability to ignore the physical defenses of an enemy.

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Previous Thread: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/2444474/

Akko, Akatmosoko, like all her kind, has a measure of psychic ability. She will simply use most of these powers without prompting, instinctively, when appropriate. Her spells are another matter.
>She is a high ranking Gish, and may give orders to low ranking Knights; mid-ranked Warriors; high ranking Spellcasters, Skulkers, and Murderers; and any Gish lower ranked than herself.
>True Silver Sword: Siobhan
Siobhan offers her opinions and advice on matters when a vote is called for, drawing on Akko's potent intellect and voicing subconscious thoughts for her to consider.
>Current Spell Selection
Warrior's Mix: Combat+Defense+very few Utility

>Current Cadre:
Yzia, Yzidriava:: Ancient Mythic Solar Dragon, lover and companion. She may carry Akko and nine others, being gargantuan.
Yashi: High-ranked Illusionist (your Spellcaster); Class: Illusionist Wizard, Bound by Oath.
>notSilver Sword: Fehr Vaed
Tzanzi, Tzanziarette: High-ranked Murderer (First in Command); Class: Pureblade Slayer, Bound by Oath and Friendship.
Auena: Mid-ranked Gish (Yzia's new toy); Class: Psychic Warrior, Bound by Oath.
Schechei:: Mid-ranked Gish(your acolyte); Class: Magus, Bound by Oath
>Silver Sword: Tiagothe
Kteine: Mid-ranked Gish (adoptive daughter and acolyte); Class: Psychic Warrior, bound by Oath
>Silver Sword: Achris
Lywedra, Lywaerdrae: Mid-ranked Warrior (an adoring and even doting fan); Class: Steel-Breaker Brawler, Bound by Oath and Debt

>Akko's Current Supreme Leader
Dunzamn, a Lord Knight with a True Silver Sword (Voorsi), leader of the Raid upon the Elven and Human Kingdoms of Iridaiya and Boggsteading, respectively.
>His dragon companion Jacinth, whose true name is an unknown, and is an ancient creature.

Character Sheet always In Progress: https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=1009380

Spell Book: http://pastebin.com/WjH8UfyY

>>2482404
>[] You'll lead the assault, Tzanzi and Yzia can follow up after you've tested the enemy's mettle.

>>2482404
>[] All three of you will strike as hard and as fast as possible – no quarter, no chance for her to prepare.
Maybe? My first instinct is more
>[] Tzanzi and yourself will lead the assault; Yzia is to prepare an escape should you fall since she can restore life to the recently fallen
But that feels like both a defeatist attitude and possibly making Yzia a primary target.

>>2482404

>Lead the assault

>Don't play with her, concentrate on winning. Being victorious by itself will be stylish enough.

>Force the Monk to focus her attention and her traps (as she likely has them prepared) on you, Yzia and Tzanzi will use that to leave her no chance.

>>2482480
I'm not sure any Githzerai would believe that a Githyanki's primary goal would be anything but killing it, provided there were no Illithids present.

Would be funny if Githzerai Monk expect the typical Githyanki fancy combat style and get bonk'd by Akko's strength-focused, direct style.

>>2482489

She's very strong, and her last battle ended with the Githzerai having survival as their primary goal, plus if the Princess gets grabbed she would a) have failed her mission b) gave the Githyanki everything they needed to get a ransom.

She has every reason to believe the Githzerai don't want to engage her, and a lot of reason to believe they'd rather avoid her and get a King's ransom for the King's daughter.

I'm not saying it's going to be easy to make her believe that, but it's a story that makes sense. Plus it's one of the few ways we can surprise her, given she's a monk and a seer. Granted, we better hope she messes her Sense Motive

>>2482499
Possible, but remember that she swore an oath to protect the princess and I'm pretty sure Githzerai take that kind of thing seriously. If she does fall for that ruse, I'm not really sure that it would make her lay off the pressure on Yzia and Tzanzi. Like it's hardly as if she'd still be permitted to stay in the castle if she let the princess be kidnapped.

>>2482509

My point was that she'd try to go protect the Princess at all cost, even if it meant taking a big risk.

I deleted that vote because I realized it went against my "no toying" vote.

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[X] Write in? Leading the assault to focus her entire attention upon you so that Yzia and Tzanzi can strike her hard from another direction rather than acting as follow-up.

I will take the lead and make certain she believes I am the most dire threat; I want both of you to take her simultaneously while she deals with me. If she presumes I am the distraction so much the better. You draw Siobhan with only a little effort, the spells fo flexibility and positional awareness you use to make it that much easier to surprise the enemy making a back-sheath draw more tenable.

I find the idea of subjecting yourself to a dimensional assault from her unsavory, Akko, Tzanzi murmurs into your mind. A creature like that will use her most powerful assault first, so she will undoubtedly strike for a nerve cluster or strike your skull with great force to render you momentarily helpless.

I think that Akko's plan is sound, and that she will undoubtedly consider Akko to be the Supreme Leader – typically very few wielders of a True Silver Sword would deign to follow the commands of another. That is something you hadn't considered; the fact that you're not a Supreme Leader by choice is an unusual situation, especially while on a raid. It will fall to use to ensure that Akko, if she is disabled for a few seconds, survives long enough to continue the fight. I doubt someone like this will fall as easily as her previous enemies have as of late.

I have very little doubt that I am going to need to be slaked of my battle lust. It would be unfortunate for me to be let loose on our poor, unsuspecting acolytes. Tzanzi hisses laughter and Yzia sends fond thoughts and looks forward to satisfying your needs. That said....I would enjoy capturing this creature.

Unlikely and foolhardy. Unless she is maimed she would remain a threat at all times. You can't help but smile at the undertones of Tzanzi's thought. The very vicious, rather rapacious ones she isn't voicing aloud.

Why Tzanzi, I thought you were like Akko in that you didn't indulge in rape.

....I don't rape other githyanki, Yzia. Have you seen what I do to my slaves?/

Not nearly often enough. Tzanzi laughs silently.

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Playfulness aside, would it be possible to break the wards and the Ethereal materials here and enter through this plane rather than doing so in the material? I can see the wards and guards here, and I presume that there is no way to enter without alerting her in the material at all. It is enough of a surprise that we are assaulting her while she is meditating and unaware at all, given Yashi's report. To enter the room and assault her from the material while leaving the building intact would be ideal.

[] Attempt to Mythic Greater Dispel the wards. Roll 4d20 for the caster level checks.
[] Plane Shift and allow Yzia physically destroy the wards and a wall so that you may Fly to the attack. Roll 3d20 – two saving throws for the building, and one attack for Akko
[] Have Yzia destroy the Ethereal walls and defenses as you temporarily take down the magic barriers with an area Dispel Magic; save the Mythic Greater Dispel for the githzerai. Roll 1d20+18.
[] Allow Yzia do use her magic to take down the wards and then the Ethereal material, before enterign the room and Plane Shifting, then drop your Mythic Greater Dispel on the Githzerai. Roll 7d20 – 3 Greater Dispels for Yzia, and 4 Mythic Greater Dispels for Akko.
[] Write in?
Siobhan is singing for mayhem and battle.

>>2482535
>last line correction
Not nearly often enough, Yzia replies mildly. Tzanzi laughs silently.

Rolled 11 + 18 (1d20 + 18)

>>2482537
Aw shit, I'm late for raiding! But just in time to vote.
>[x] Have Yzia destroy the Ethereal walls and defenses as you temporarily take down the magic barriers with an area Dispel Magic; save the Mythic Greater Dispel for the githzerai. Roll 1d20+18.

Rolled 2 + 18 (1d20 + 18)

>>2482537
>[] Have Yzia destroy the Ethereal walls and defenses as you temporarily take down the magic barriers with an area Dispel Magic; save the Mythic Greater Dispel for the githzerai. Roll 1d20+18.

>>2482548
Damn, that won't do at all.
>>2482544
That might though? I don't know enough about this level of characters to know whether or not DC40 is to be expected.

Rolled 14 + 18 (1d20 + 18)

>>2482537
>[] Have Yzia destroy the Ethereal walls and defenses as you temporarily take down the magic barriers with an area Dispel Magic; save the Mythic Greater Dispel for the githzerai. Roll 1d20+18.

Rolled 5 + 18 (1d20 + 18)

>>2482537

>Have Yzia destroy the Ethereal walls

>>2482544

This won't be seen from the Material Plane, right?

>>2482549
We should have decent odds of success and if it's too low, well, at least it's better to fail here than in the middle of the battle. A little bit better.

>>2482556
>>2482549

To have a DC above 39, the wards would need to be a spell of the 29th level. I think we're good.

Rolled 2 + 18 (1d20 + 18)

>>2482537
>[] Have Yzia destroy the Ethereal walls and defenses as you temporarily take down the magic barriers with an area Dispel Magic; save the Mythic Greater Dispel for the githzerai. Roll 1d20+18.

>>2482554
It will not, but that may not stop her from being alerted depending on what other spells might be in effect. Akko isn't seeing an Alarm[]/i] spell, at least....

>>2482560
The DC is 11+Caster Level of the spell being removed.

>>2482566

Oh, right. So unless the Caster Level is above ours well be fine.

Rolled 4, 6, 8, 4, 2, 9, 5, 7, 1, 4, 4, 3, 5, 7, 1, 10, 7, 9, 4, 9 + 40 = 149 (20d10 + 40)

On another topic, WotC released the statblock for the 5e version of the Astral Dreadnought.

And it's awesome

>>2482575
That's a lot of numbers

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Rolled 18, 11, 6 = 35 (3d20)

Tzanzi Perception, Akko Sense Motive, Githzerai ?

>>2482582
Yzia is a big dragon.

>>2482585

For /u/.

>>2482583
Well at least our opponent got the lowest flat number, though considering modifiers, I wouldn't be surprised if she actually got a higher total than Tzanzi.

>>2482583
Githzerai not so lucky today

>>2482585
Just the way we like her

>>2482588

Considering Akko's comments, I'd find it unlikely that the Monk has a modifier over 12 points higher than Tzanzi.

It's possible, but unlikely.

Rolled 8 + 18 (1d20 + 18)

Akko Dispelling - she does have her mythic Greater Dispel handy still.

>>2482593
Damn, Akko's rolling quite poorly at the moment

26-11= 15

It's bad, they probably had someone with a caster level of 16 of more.

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[X] Have Yzia destroy the Ethereal walls and defenses as you temporarily take down the magic barriers with an area Dispel Magic; save the Mythic Greater Dispel for the githzerai. Roll 1d20+18. 29, 20, 32, 23, 20; Average=24.

Yzia....destroy the barriers between us and her that lie in this plane of existence. I will use my power to disrupt her personal spells and effects when we begin our attack.

Yzia's spell does cancel out two of the wards, but the two most important ones remain active – the Teleportation Barrier and the Thaumaturgic Circle which prevents ingress from the Ethereal. It's not surprising; those two would have to have been crafted by a powerful wizard. Her irritation is drowned out in the roar of primal flames as she spills her breath over the walls, windows, and frames that are crafted within the Ethereal.

These do not hold up nearly as well under the assault of dragon-breath as she spells did; while the physical structures in the material world are intact, those in the Ether are melted to slag where they are not outright vaporized, leaving a pair of wide openings on either side of the tower. Tzanzi tilts her head, and seems to be listening carefully, while you scan the room for any signs that the traitor has noticed anything amiss.

Tzanzi glances at the ruination of the Ethereal parts of the castle, which have ghostly remnants that represent the castles physical presence. She speaks aloud, mostly from habit you suspect, as you watch the githzerai ascetic open her eyes and look around slowly, confusion evident in her expression. “The glass panes in the physical world have cracked in several places,” she warns you.

Peering through the Ether, you can see she is correct; while the glass does not have an actual Ethereal presence, it is mixed with something that would make ordinary massage through the Ethereal Plane impossible....save that Yzia's breath has destroyed that quality in those panes caught by the potent blaze of primal fire. That leaves the Circle and the Teleportation Barrier.

The circle is the real issue – once inside the barrier, you would not be able to teleport away from it, but you won't need to stay long, in theory. It doesn't stop effects that originate and end within it's area, which is why the ascetic could use Dimensional Steps in her assaults while the githyanki fighting her could not Teleport away. You gesture and hiss the words of Dispel Magic, determined to remove at least the circle. It wavers....then collapses, shattering under the effects of the spell. The githzerai stands, looking confused and irritated, pulling her hood back and trying to listen for something, anything to indicate something more is wrong or something untoward is happening.

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You cast one other spell – Haste – upon yourself and your companions. Yzia, move in. You and Tzanzi flank her; I will take point and move in immediately. Remember – she will be aware of our assault instantly. There is no point in trying to actually surprise her, but I will position myself so that she must defend herself fully from me, allowing Tzanzi to target her vitals.

You're so thoughtful, my Leader, teases Tzanzi.

These spells are old and powerful; I doubt we will be able to rely on Teleportation magics to escape easily. Try not to get yourselves killed – I like my diamonds. Siobhan's song is mirthful, and you smile wryly as she hovers above the opening she has created, allowing you and Tzanzi to leap off before she takes a curvaceous githyanki form, clothed in shimmering opalescent black silk blouse and loose pants provided by Siobhan. Stylishly backless and low cut in the front, both blouse and pants. Oh, very stylish, darling Siobhan, thank you!

Someone is going to get ravished when you're done here, that's for certain.

You all move into position, and prepare yourselves for an assault, as you transform Siobhan into the ghostly blade of black energy and deadly intent, her power focused on slaying the traitorous being before you.

[] A lethal and no holds barred full attack to kill. Roll 5d20.
[] You want this one alive – you have plans for her....Roll 5d20
[] A Quickened Gloomblind Bolts combined with a spell-strike using Mythic-Maxmimized Enfeeblement to render her helpless before your companions attack. Roll 6d20, with the first roll being the spell-strike
[] As a swift action, use your Magus Strike burning one of your empty 5th level spell slots, combined with your Pool Strike in full assault to kill her. Roll 6d20, with the pool-strike being first.
[] Hammer her with the spell-strike of Mythic-Maximized Enfeeblement as well as a full assault to subdue, keeping your swift action to defend yourself. Roll 6d20, with the spell-strike being first.
>Using a Quickened Spell or Mage Strike will deny Akko the use of a swift action next round – no Quickened Spells or use of certain arcana.
Siobhan thinks you should use lethal attacks first, and if she is sorely wounded, follow up with attacks to subdue her.

Rolled 16, 6, 3, 16, 3, 5 = 49 (6d20)

>>2482611
>[] As a swift action, use your Magus Strike burning one of your empty 5th level spell slots, combined with your Pool Strike in full assault to kill her. Roll 6d20, with the pool-strike being first.

Rolled 3, 5, 4, 20, 6, 1 = 39 (6d20)

>>2482611
>[] A Quickened Gloomblind Bolts combined with a spell-strike using Mythic-Maxmimized Enfeeblement to render her helpless before your companions attack. Roll 6d20, with the first roll being the spell-strike
It's tempting to outright aim to take her alive, but disrespecting her power that much seems unwise. Even putting everything into disabling her rather than killing might be unwise.

>>2482614
Ouch. I am not proud of these rolls

>>2482613
These seem a bit better at least

Rolled 11, 20, 4, 6, 20 = 61 (5d20)

>>2482611

>Lethal and no hold bared full attack to kill

She's a Monk, meaning that she can kick our ass with 1 in STR (reducing Enfeeblement's efficiency) and that she can resist spells fairly well.

On the other hand, she can't have that much HPs

>>2482613
>>2482614

Both those strategies would be great against a Githyanki, but against a Monk with Elder Power...

We're going to need that swift action next turn.

>>2482618

>two crits

Okay.

>>2482618
>>2482619
Monks are good at resisting spells?

>>2482621

Well, they're not good at much, but they tend to have high Save mods and can dodge a number of effects

Rolled 16, 2, 3, 19, 4 = 44 (5d20)

>>2482611
>[x] A lethal and no holds barred full attack to kill. Roll 5d20.
Siobhan knows best.

>>2482618
I like your rolls anon

Whether our attack succeeds or not, there's still a chance Yzia or Tzanzi will deliver something devastating, no? But, I feel like it won't end up being that easy. If only because there was little chance one single Githzerai could stand up to even half a cadre the level of Akko's, so there must be further complications ready to show up and ruin our day.

Unless we managed to bypass them with our angle of attack, but it doesn't seem quite so unusual that she'd not prepare for it.

>>2482629
I remember us hearing that she's effectively here as a counter-raid to call a certain number of Githyanki, but I forget if that's a group effort or not.
Like it's possible that she might have allies nearby and concealed them from our scrying, but I'm not sure how.

Rolled 12, 17, 11, 19, 11 = 70 (5d20)

>>2482611
>[X] You want this one alive – you have plans for her...

>>2482629

We won't surprise her, but there is such thing as overwhelming force.

We're bombing her with roughly three times her power level.

Rolled 12, 11, 6 = 29 (3d20)

>>2482618
>>2482622
Confirming 3 possible crits.

>>2482635
In a straight-up competition of personal power, yeah I can't see a way she'd stand a chance. But at the same time, it would make this place a little pathetic if we can just go into their fortress and gank their strongest combatant instantly. Both pathetic in power-level, and pathetic in prepared defenses, their one advantage against a Githyanki raid.

>>2482633

Bad anon, bad.

No sparing the sexy monk. She's more troubles than she's worth, and given how much she's worth it's saying something

>>2482640
But she IS sexy. And look, apparently the dice approve. Perhaps that anon has the right idea...

>>2482638
On the other hand, at this point we are well beyond the upper limit of how strong a Githyanki is allowed to be, so it makes sense that we're not something that can be accounted for.

... which reminds me, part of me feels like we should have hedged our bets and asked Skattish to stick around a while longer in case our victory raises questions.

>>2482642
Hmmm, maybe but I'm not sure I see anons going through with it anyway unless it was presented as the only real option. We seem to be too fond of our cadre by now!

Rolled 3, 7, 3, 8, 4, 2, 1, 2, 5, 1 = 36 (10d8)

Base damage, including one successful crit.

Rolled 4, 4, 4, 3, 6, 3, 4, 3, 4, 4 = 39 (10d6)

And bonus Githzerai Bane damage.

>>2482644
Well yeah, I'm just saying that against the alternatives of desertion with a True Silver Sword or believing that Vlaakith is actually just misunderstood and the really strong people don't have their souls eaten but instead are given super special missions, becoming an Elan isn't the worst idea.

Rolled 62 (1d100)

And finally, Fortification from the Mental Barrier - does the crit get through? High=yes, 50% chance.

>>2482647
>>2482649
Ouch. But if her hd is anywhere near Akko's, she shouldn't be downed by that, just mutilated a bit

>>2482651
True enough, though I didn't vote for it myself I also didn't think it was a bad idea like some others.

>>2482647
>>2482649
>>2482652
Oh my.

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[X] A lethal and no holds barred full attack to kill. Roll 5d20.

The three of you circle her, moving in close, and the thrill of battle makes your heart beat just a bit faster. You grin wickedly, baring your spurs, and step out of the Ether into the physical world. The githzerai's uncanny senses prevent her from being entirely surprised, and the instant she sees you and Siobhan she throws up a Mental Barrier, a solid sphere of psychic force drawn from your racial memories as slaves and victims. You strike, fast and hard, Siobhan's immaterial blade sliding through the psychic projection and the field of force her magical bracers provide.

Your blade strikes true, but only because she is immaterial; if she had been a physical weapon, you know for a fact that only your first strike struck true enough that you would have done any harm to her. As it is, you ravage the female, the immaterial blade slicing through rock hard flesh and biting into iron hard bone as you use both hands to strike true. After four wide swings, your final blow runs Siobhan though her liver, slicing the tender organ apart and making her give a whistling shriek of agonized pain.

Her eyes flash angrily and her hands move faster than your eyes can follow as she attacks, still impaled on your blade, her fingers claw-like and rigid as she tries to kill you.

[] Burn your swift action to put up your own Mental Barrier to prevent what you just did to her from happening, providing a physical defense and strengthening your body against lucky strikes.
[] Burn your swift action to activate your Prescient Defense, boosting both your ability to avoid her physical attacks and any ranged or area of effect attacks that may be made against you.
[] Retain your swift action just in case something weird happens – if nothing does, it will be wasted for this round.
[] Burn your swift action to activate the Conjuration Foil spell that has a very good chance of preventing her ability to Dimension Step – this will prevent her from escaping your friend's assaults, and she is in a bad way at the moment.
[] Wait and see if she attempts a magical ability that you can counterstrike against; this may obviate any further defenses you might activate – if it does not, you may combine this with one of the previous choices, but you will not be able to use it against the first attack.
[] Write in?
Siobhan is dumbfounded at her survival!

>>2482669
>[x] Burn your swift action to activate the Conjuration Foil spell that has a very good chance of preventing her ability to Dimension Step – this will prevent her from escaping your friend's assaults, and she is in a bad way at the moment.
C'mon now Siobhan, this one's supposed to be tough! Just the way we like it.

Rolled 6 + 23 (1d20 + 23)

Akko's Fortitude save. Just in case.

>>2482669
>[] Burn your swift action to activate your Prescient Defense, boosting both your ability to avoid her physical attacks and any ranged or area of effect attacks that may be made against you.

>>2482674
Let's not have to rely on this roll

>>2482678

We're the bait, here, we're drawing fire so that our dragon and our SIC can hit her.

>>2482679
Yep, though Akko does also have a decent CON bonus and pretty good rolls on the dice. Still I'd expect her to have at least twice as much health, and probably about the same as Akko.

>>2482674
Considering that that's a fortitude save and she's a monk, I suspect that she just attempted Quivering Palm on us.
I'm not really confident if she did something to boost the DC of that.

>>2482669
>[] Burn your swift action to activate your Prescient Defense, boosting both your ability to avoid her physical attacks and any ranged or area of effect attacks that may be made against you.

>>2482686
Doesn't sound very pleasant

>>2482669
>[] Burn your swift action to activate your Prescient Defense, boosting both your ability to avoid her physical attacks and any ranged or area of effect attacks that may be made against you.
>>2482689
If she succeeds in damaging us, she can attempt to will us to die as a free action, negated by a fortitude save. Considering our roll vs the apparent DC, we're probably fine, but there might be some esoteric feats that make it even deadlier that I'm unaware of.

>>2482691

There's a feat to get +2 to the Quivering Palm DC, and it's about the only way she could hurt us with how much we have.

That being said, if she does manage to hit us, and has this feat (which she likely has), we're toast.

But I really, really want to prevent her escape. If she escapes, everything we did here is for naught.

Rolled 11, 10 = 21 (2d20)

The power of the Elder Ones flows through your enemy....the better is her attack..

>>2482706
Technically our mission is to make the Githzerai go away so the other Githyanki can plunder the kingdom better and we personally can kidnap the princess, and the Githzerai is probably not willing to call it quits and go back to Limbo just yet, which means we could get a rematch.

>>2482710
Her attack is...just plain average! For the power of the Elder Ones anyway.

>>2482710

Even with the best one, Akko couldn't hit herself with that roll.

Rolled 1, 6 + 25 = 32 (2d8 + 25)

Damage....

>>2482720
Well barring a special effect, that went okay!

>>2482717
Akko's current attack bonus is +41. With prescient defense active she has an AC of 58. So, you would be correct....Akko would have missed by a mere 7.

Unfortunately, Akko isn't the one making the attack.

>>2482720
...Oh dear, even with Prescient Defense she still dealt damage and our Fortitude Save is probably still just a litle bit shy of what we need to avoid our hearts exploding.

...Hopefully Yzia and Tzanzi can finish the job and Yzia can ressurect us.

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[X] Burn your swift action to activate your Prescient Defense, boosting both your ability to avoid her physical attacks and any ranged or area of effect attacks that may be made against you.

You've never used this ability before, only theorized and imagined it's use.

You gather arcane force and run it through your brain – literally supercharging your nervous system with pure, unadulterated magic – and forge a sympathetic link from yourself to your prey through the blood that Siobhan has shed. And is currently soaking in, given her substance is only physical to the flesh and blood of others. It takes but a thought and the experience is mind altering as well as nerve wracking. Once it is done however....

You can see every movement she makes even as she makes them. Her speed and precision are phenomenal; without this ability she will undoubtedly land most strike. Even then, it is not enough: her fingers connect with your cuirass and she rams them through, her nails touching your skin. You feel your hearts stutter, and as you lift your head look into her eyes, her expression twists into a grim visage of satiated vengeance.

Despite your skills and power, despite your magical prowess and the Elder Power surging through your mind and body, she manages a single blow, and your heart skips a beat. You wrack your supercharged brain for any edge, any effect, any power that can be spent to keep your hearts beating steadily and true. You find none, though it makes you laugh to yourself softly that you actually had a spell, a spell of great power that you learned only recently that could have garnered you that brief instant more that could have saved your life.

The soft warbling chuckle angers the githzerai no end and she hanks her fingers from your chest, and your hearts go into spasm, exquisite agony erupting throughout your chest and up the arteries and veins that spread throughout your body. You feel consciousness leave you, as she takes your life.

You open your eyes in darkness strewn with sapphires, rubies, and emeralds. You are not breathing, and your hearts are still. But there is no pain, and as you sit up, naked and unadorned without even a single crystal in your hair, you feel....you feel well. Satisfied. You fought the good fight, and you achieved heights of power unimagined by most. It was a clean death – a bit of chance, the slightest mistake, and death is your reward.

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I am disappointed in you, Akko, comes the soft, loving thought, burgeoning with love, desire, a near fanatical devotion that is to you, and you alone. There is no concern for the species, no consideration for the grand war that she was designed for. She holds you and only you in her heart and mind. Well, mind perhaps; she has no heart, unless you count a core of deep crystal fused with the blood of githyanki and solar dragons and mixed with mithril and strewn with priceless gemstones.

Siobhan smiles at you as she sits on nothing in the darkness, silks shimmering with her slightest movement. But then, you were facing a foe nearly your equal – perhaps actually your equal, for once. I was looking forward to seeing your battle lusts sated by your lovers and friends. Perhaps even myself.

Siobhan.... you murmur softly in her mind, letting her feel your love and affection, the peace you have....well....perhaps not. It irks you, really. To have died in such a fashion, one tiny error, one slight misstep. A slightest chance that brought you low.

She rises and moves over to you, offering you her hand. Shall we discuss your fate, my love? she asks softly, compassion in her gaze....and twisted lusts and brilliant love in her heart.

>To Be Continued....

>>2482733
...We fucked up, huh?

>>2482731
>though it makes you laugh to yourself softly that you actually had a spell, a spell of great power that you learned only recently that could have garnered you that brief instant more that could have saved your life.
It was Borrowed Time, huh?
...I guess that's what I get for not really looking at the spells.

Thank you for Reading and Playing.

Siobhan's Special Purpose Power was chosen from the start, and you now get to learn what it is: True Resurrection, once per month, for the wielder alone. But Akko has to agree to allow it.

>>2482733
Hmmm, well this is suboptimal. Very much so! Even with our dodging action as well.

>>2482735
It was very, very, very close. You can't even imagine how close - though Prescient defense was one of the better choices.

>>2482737
Well I'm not really sure why we wouldn't, unless Yzia is capable of casting Resurrection on us and we want to hedge our bets that someone else might be able to kill us within the month.

>>2482737
Thanks for running!

As for the spoiler, that's quite the while to hold off on payoff. But then I suppose if it came any earlier that would be signs that we were doing very badly indeed. I am glad to know we didn't accidentally end the quest to a poorly judged assault, mostly to rolls!

>>2482737
Well, that's convenient. And infuriating from the other side, but that's kinda the goal.

Fuck I hate autores so much.

>>2482739
Was it a one point difference both on the Githzerai's to hit and our Fortitude Save?

>>2482740
Because Greater Restoration is insanely difficult to come by for githyanki, and is the only way to remove the two permanent negative levels she'd gain from the raise dead - Yzia only has Limited Wish, not Wish.

>>2482737
Thanks for running
Hope Yzia and Tzanzi took revenge

>>2482745
Four point difference. The githzerai's attack bonus is base 44, +6 for her sudden attack, so she literally hit by two points against Akko's 59 AC.

It really was less than a d6 of difference - if either of them had been able to expend surges, it could have decided it firmly one way or the other, but neither could.

>>2482752
While that does seem pretty bad, I guess I'm not sure how that's enough of an inconvenience to stay dead over, though I guess I don't know the alternatives beyond a game over.

>>2482752
Well that's quite the bummer, although it still sounds quite a bit better than being, well...dead.

>>2482760
There are a number of them. Some are interesting, others strange, and a happy ending is even one of them.

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Main argument against becoming an elan was, as I understand it, loss of developed skills and power. Now that we're losing two levels of the good shit anyway(which I sincerely doubt will remove her majesty's attentions from our lovely heroine), so why not take the opportunity inherent to being killed to fake our death and bail?

>>2482767
That sounds interesting, but I'm still a bit bummed out.

>>2482769
From what I'm reading, negative levels don't remove spell slots, it's instead a permament -2 penalty to pretty much everything except HP which gets -10. And that... really doesn't seem that bad? Especially considering how stupid high Akko's modifiers almost always are.

>>2482772
Well, not high enough to beat this chick, but fair

>>2482774
Well yeah. But that just means we can take a detour to find some powerful cleric or shaman we can either do a favor for or try to shake down.

Though that depends on how tempting the other offers are.

>>2482772
As I recall it also means no leveling normally until the difference is recouped.

>>2482767
I forgot to ask earlier, but how are feeling this morning? Seems like you had a pretty stressful weekend.

>>2482776
Yeah, I'm sure we'll find out more next time

>>2482774
It's a roughly even fight between the two of them. Yzia and Tzanzi tilt the balance, but Akko and Vessetra are simply inhumanly fast in comparison (mythic tiers will do that).

>>2482739

What was the best choice, if you don't mind me asking?

Also, can we know the Monk's attack mod/the DC to survive the Palm?

A bit of a shame we didn't beat the monk, but eh, we did our purpose in this assault. Or is the glory shared between us, Tzanzi and Yzia regardless?

>>2482752

I'm confused, True Resurrection doesn't have any downside.

So the only issue is if we die twice in the same month?

>>2482764

We won't have negative levels if we use our sword's ability.

>>2482756

Gods and angels, she was Mythic Tier 6?

Holy fuck.

>>2482779
I'm struggling though it. My writing suffers when I'm dealing with the low part of my cycle, but I'm doing all right. As long as there was some enjoyment, and moment of horror I'm satisfied.

>>2482769

We are not losing levels, and we are NOT becoming an elan.

Accept that.

>>2482772
>>2482776

We are not losing levels

>>2482783
Vessetra huh? That's a pretty name.

>>2482789
Sorry to hear things are sill tough, but thank you for running. You definitely delivered on enjoyment, and in terms of moments of horror, just seeing Akko's low Fortitude Save and understanding what it meant delivered nicely in that regard.

>>2482789

All your sessions have been amazing.

I do have one question, though: if we had chosen any option other than "Akko leads the attack", would have the Monk attacked first, most likely killing one of our companion and leaving us with not enough damage dealers to end her?

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>>2482790
I have no particular preference either way, since both paths seem entertaining. I'm just raising the idea for the sake of discussion. You, however, sound dismissive and pissy.

>>2482790
>>2482784
Huh, could be a homebrew thing to add balance?

>>2482784
DC 36. Not beyond akko's ability to cope with - though her fort save bonus is 29 at the moment, not 23. Literally one point of difference, not the four or so i calculated. Which is why I shouldn't do math in my head.

>>2482736

I don't really see how Borrowed Time would have saved us.

I mean, we didn't really have a way to boost our AC even more, nor our save.

>>2482807
I think what we needed to do was straight up disengage from her via teleportation or something?

Even with Siobhan I don't think getting in melee range with a monk was our greatest plan.

>>2482802

Incredible. We really got ded due to one bad roll.

>>2482784
Mental Barrier would have provided a +8 AC and Fortification.

retaining your swift action would have allowed you to spend a Surge and add a 1d8 to your saving throw.

Conjuration Foil would have guaranteed full attacks from both Tzanzi and Yzia.

Prescient defense helped, it was literally chance that decided your fate, a few points on the oll good or bad would ahve changed the situation entirely (although gettign attacked with an unchained monks full attack action wouldn't have been pretty despite Akko's bolstered hit points and could have ended with her staggered or worse).

>>2482796
Not necessartly. Tzanzi has regained one other ability - she can use a single first level spell 10 times per day....and that spell is vanish. Added to her quiet ways, she could have been on the monk before the monk realized what happened. (Tzanzi is 22nd level) Not that it wouldn't have caused some tumroil and put Tzanzi or Yzia in severe danger - but as you may have guessed, Vessetra is bad news.

There are no 'wrong choices' only choices with different outcomes.

>>2482811
Just Monk Things

Although whenever I play one, tabletop or videogame, palm always only ends up instakilling mooks

>>2482810

Given how she could have killed Tzanzi if we disangaged, I'd say it was one of our greatest plan. Our only mistake was to not boost our Fortitude even more.

Still, even with her hitting, we still had 70% chances of not dying

>>2482807
Incorrect - A Mythic Surge can add 1d8 to any d20 roll, and Borrowed Time would have let Akko take a second Swift action to use it - at a steep price. But that would have made a significant different on a save she failed by 1 point.

>>2482810
Wouldn't have worked - you can only teleport within the tower room itself because of the ward that hadn't been brought down, and the githzerai has dimensional steps, and could have followed.

>>2482816
>Tzanzi is 22nd level
That... that seems like a lot of levels. I'm surprised she's allowed to have so many levels.

So with Mental Barrier, does Quivering Palm count as a Sneak Attack/Critical Hit for the purposes of Fortification?

And would Tzanzi and Yzia have attacked before Vessetra did?

As the dice stand though, it probably would have been better to just boost our Fortitude Save and eat Vessetra's fists because that seems unlikely to have one-hit-killed us, unlike her one-hit-kill technique, since she seems extremely good at overcoming AC.

Ah well, it was still very close.

>>2482816
>>2482825

Fair, fair. How you manage to handle a situation like this and come up with tons of good options with a ruleset like Pathfinder is definitively impressive. I have no idea how anyone can do it in so little time.

I hope Yzia and Tzanzi handle her swiftly, though if we came back to life on the spot and participated it would be great too.

Thanks for running!

>>2482817
Well having OP Mythic powers helps.

>>2482840
>That... that seems like a lot of levels. I'm surprised she's allowed to have so many levels.

Keep in mind her injuries limited her power level a lot. To say nothing of her psychic capacities, which were pretty much gone.

>>2482840
She's a murderer, and not muchof a threat to Vlaakith. Fighters, Rogues, and Slayers can be up to 25th level without danger.

>So with Mental Barrier, does Quivering Palm count as a Sneak Attack/Critical Hit for the purposes of Fortification?
No, it's a supernatural effect.

>would Tzanzi and Yzia have attacked before Vessetra did?
No - Vessetra is about to take her full round attack and use Dimensional Savant along with Dimensional Dervish and hit them both a number of times - and likely stagger one or the other.

>>2482846
...Oh dear, so even as injured as she is it sounds like there's a very real chance she could kill them both before we resurrect.

>>2482851
Both is unlikely unless she concentrates her efforts - which is likely what she will do. She probably won't survive it unless she changes tactics. Or has aces up her sleeves.....

>>2482846

Oh boy. Well, we have to get back ASAP, then. Can't let them get bonked or crippled.

When we rise us, we should say something like " Hard to fight four against one, eh?"

>>2482855
True Resurrection takes like ten minutes to cast. Even if time doesn't pass wherever Akko is, by the time it works, Yzia and Tzanzi would likely already be dead, and Vessetra could kill us a second time.

...I'm making myself depressed now.

>>2482888
Raise Dead only takes one minute to cast, but considering we're playing rocket tag here, even if Siobhan can downgrade it to that level, it still might be too late.
Damnit, this really sucks

>>2482899
Like... whatever happens to Akko will be interesting and fun, but Yzia and Tzanzi won't be so lucky, and we never got to do anything with Tzanzi after she was healed, because people wanted to do a surprise attack last thread.
And I know I'm just getting myself more and more worked up over this but I'm not sure how to stop.

>>2482923
Let's see what the situation is next time before panicking too hard, anon! It's not good for our health!

I doubt XS would do too much permanent damage to either. Dying at the roll of a dice would be harsh enough as it is! Not that I expect to find them entirely healthy, but we have magic for that.

>>2482923
You're making a lot of assumptions, for one thing. Items do not necessaarily take the same amount of time to cast a spell, especially artifacts like Siobhan, who is tied to Akko through the mythic power they share. There are a number of those psychic defenses Tzanzi now has access to that cover areas of effect, so the can protect herself and Yzia with them. There are two of them, and while Tzanzi may not have mythic power, she is a highly capable slayer with more than 4 levels on Vesettra. Yzia is a dragon with mythic power of her own, if not quite as much as Akko or Vesettra. Quivering Palm is a standard action - and it's not going to work on Yzia at all, while Tzanzi's fortitude save is significant. Akko doesn't know the entirety of Tzanzi's repertoire, but Yzia's spells are not the standard Solar Dragon set, and include a number of very nasty tricks. Finally, a 'discussion of Akko's fate' indicates there are other options entirely.

>>2482888
>>2482899

Magic items tend to bypass the spell casting time

>>2482956
>>2482940
>>2482959
Alright I'm feeling better now, thank you.

>>2482956
I'm kinda surprised that Akko doesn't have Instant Death protection and Fort buffing via items. Something to smith when we're free, I suppose.

>>2483154
The spells she uses to boost her combat ability would buff her fort saves as well or better than the items in question. There are two spells in particular - Greater Mythic Heroism and Mythic Transformation - that grant her a +8 to her fort saves and includes an enhancement bonus., Akko doesn't like to rely on items that can be turned off, stolen, or demanded in weregild - such as magical spellbooks. She's used a large number of inherent bonuses (and will use more).

Death protections are difficult to come by for githyanki - no clerics.

>>2484017
Thanks for running XS, love something bad happening every now and then to keep the story fresh.

You'd think some would manage to hire Clerics of Tiamat, given the ties with the dragons.

Then again, it seems like an idea only a peculiar Gith like Akko would consider, given that most Githyanki wouldn't tolerate depending on a non-slave humanoid, and enslaving a Cleric of Tiamat would be incredibly stupid (generously put).

>>2484104

Eh, something bad doesn't *need* to happen, but the risk was nice.

Things will be fun when we establish our Lair

>>2484109
Clerical classes aren't unavailable - they're heretical and slated for Execution By Knight. So they're only technically unavailable. Most healing is done by Bardic skulkers and gish, the rare infernal/angelic healing, and the solar dragons.

>>2482888
But as a spell like ability it's not really being cast in the normal sense, and *might* not take as long to activate. In game terms the effect can specify that it activates faster.

>>2484561
Yeah I guess what threw me off was that due to Siobhan being sapient, I guess I saw her as a "character" and not as a "magical item".

...Also wait a sec, if I'm reading the rules of True Resurrection correctly, doesn't that mean that as long as Siobhan herself is intact, she can keep bringing Akko back more or less forever (still not sure if there are negative modifiers), regardless of whether or not Akko died like 29 days ago or if her body is even remotely intact? Though letting an aberrant True Silver Sword just sit around for a month doesn't seem like the Githyanki way.

>>2484162
I think you mentioned that Antipaladins/Blackguards are allowed right, and presumaly the only patron they serve is Vlaakith. Is it that she's not god enough yet to grant cleric spells, and is too jealous to allow Githyanki to worhip other deities, or could she do so and denying easy access to healing and resurrection is part of her way of modling Githyanki society to her liking?

>>2485699
Res - Siobhan can resurrect Akko as long as she is near the body regardless of how long she is dead, with all spells and power intact from when she died (unike raise dead or resurrection which can leave you without memorized or prepared spells). You are also correct about the paladins and blackguards, although the paladins are also blackguards, with the capacity to heal. Why she allows this and not clerics is unknown. Is it the dedication of the nights that grants the power, or Vlaakith? It's a dangerous question to ask, and possibly more dangerous to get answered.