Kale, having tried to fly under the radar for as much of this exchange as possible, is only too happy to follow out after the others rather than meet this "doctor" inside.
Once outside by the staircase, he says to them: I do have a pass, but I think it will take more than some quick words and a pretty disguise to go past a place run by literal brain-suckers," he admits. "Though I'm not sure taking our chances on the staircase are much better. What we need is the damn key. If we fight the thing on the stairs, the doctor will meet with us. If we pretend one of us has gone barking mad, the doctor will meet with us. Personally, I don't have any desire to meet with this doctor. What's he going to be, an Elder Brain?" Kale grimaces at the thought.
Noticing Lia, looking heartily confused in the corner, he approaches her. "So... it's been something of a crash course introduction for you here in the city of Elysium. I will say, summoning a golden dragon is an impressive way to make a first impression, though." He whistles lowly under his breath. "Are you a cleric of some sort? Would you be up to a fight against something nasty in close quarters?"
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Merric takes one last look around, smiles again and bows to the mind-flayers. "Goodbye, me wee lasses. We'll be takin' a look atin these stairs and the beastie in 'em...or mayhap on 'em."
Merric backs the mastiff away from the creatures before turning and leaving the building. Gesturing for his companions to come with him, he jogs the mastiff through the rain to the statue. As he waits, he gets down, spreads his arms, and spins a couple of times in the rain. "Now I'm feelin' less dirty...somethin' 'bout that place felt unclean tah me and twasn't the lasses at the door." He examines the statue closely before continuing, "I'm thinkin' we should be goin' after the creature on the stairs. Seems like a way tah'vance in that place," he nods in the direction of the Asylum, "an' I've a naggin' thought 'tis important for us gettin' home. What are you all thinkin'?"
"I am not sure they care whether we find the stairs or not. Would not be surprised if whatever is lurking there was sent or created by those ... monsters."
"There can be another way, of course - someone very brave and very sneaky, preferably invisible - can g to that one cell where they keep their invisible man. Unfortunately, I do not know how to turn someone invisible... It feels we are stuck."
"Actually, don't tell anyone, but that was not an actual gold dragon." Lia says with a smile. She holds up her hand with the ring on it and touches it, her finger passing through and the thing going hazy to your eyes. "Illusion." She explains. She shrugs though and holds up her hands which are filled with rings, as well as various other items around her body for decoration, necklaces, earrings, and whatnot. "I have a few tricks you see."
"As far as invisibility goes, I can get us all to look like a group of those hideous nurses, make us look like some other people entirely, give someone invisibility, and a whole host of other options." She glances to the group. "What do you want to do?"
Whitegaze will nod politely to the nurses and head out after the others, “Unpleasant as it may be, I think the stairs are the better option right now, although we will have to return eventually. Perhaps there’s another way in? Anyway, stairs first, this place later.”
"Stair will let us travel around the city relatively safely, it seems," agreed Al-Ashari, "even if it does not solve our problems, it would be helpful." She joined those searching for the entrance - imagining it, expecting it, believing in it.
Merric nods in thought. "I'm thinkin' I'm fairly sneaky n' could sneak meself to the cell, but then it's needin' openin'. A key? Praps...or praps it be somethin' o' the mind. N' I'm thinkin' there be ways to find thuh invisible not havin' to do with seein' or hearin'. There be thoughts n' such. I'm willin' tah try, though, sneak meself to the cell, if'n that's the vote." He pauses then, to let those words sink in, then continues, "But the lasses, they be sayin' if'n we kill the creature, the Doc'll be seein' us his own self. I'm votin' fer the stairs n' killin' the beastie there."
A character who is aware of the stair (or at least suspicious of it) can attempt to enter it by visualizing it in their mind and making three Charisma ability checks, with a DC of their Intelligence score. These must be made consecutively. and without interruption. The character must remain stationary for the duration, and each attempt is an action.
So everyone needs to give me 3 charisma ability checks. Please note the DC, which is your Int score, when you make the checks.
Well at least Lia is the only one who failed all 3, though she would be pretty hard-pressed to amke it with only a +3 to her roll, so would need a 19 or 20 to get it.
Lia does not go anywhere and gets 3 levels of exhaustion from the attempt.
those who had one success and 2 failures... The character remains in their current location and becomes insubstantial, as per the etherealness spell, and gains two levels of exhaustion.
Those with 1 failure and 2 success (I believe this is only Whitegaze)...The character appears on the Infinite Stair, and gains one level of exhaustion.
(So to be clear, I am there, alone, and can leave, but I can't do anything to get the others here? Also, now that I've been here, is it the same test to come back or is it easier?)
(How about an old trick with the Bag of Holding? We can survive in it for a couple of minutes, while Whitegaze steps on the stairs)
(Oh, and can we communicate - those "insubstantial"? What about with still substantial, can we talk to them? How do we see world around us? And for how long are we blessed whit this condition?)
Kale, having tried to fly under the radar for as much of this exchange as possible, is only too happy to follow out after the others rather than meet this "doctor" inside.
Once outside by the staircase, he says to them: I do have a pass, but I think it will take more than some quick words and a pretty disguise to go past a place run by literal brain-suckers," he admits. "Though I'm not sure taking our chances on the staircase are much better. What we need is the damn key. If we fight the thing on the stairs, the doctor will meet with us. If we pretend one of us has gone barking mad, the doctor will meet with us. Personally, I don't have any desire to meet with this doctor. What's he going to be, an Elder Brain?" Kale grimaces at the thought.
Noticing Lia, looking heartily confused in the corner, he approaches her. "So... it's been something of a crash course introduction for you here in the city of Elysium. I will say, summoning a golden dragon is an impressive way to make a first impression, though." He whistles lowly under his breath. "Are you a cleric of some sort? Would you be up to a fight against something nasty in close quarters?"
Merric takes one last look around, smiles again and bows to the mind-flayers. "Goodbye, me wee lasses. We'll be takin' a look atin these stairs and the beastie in 'em...or mayhap on 'em."
Merric backs the mastiff away from the creatures before turning and leaving the building. Gesturing for his companions to come with him, he jogs the mastiff through the rain to the statue. As he waits, he gets down, spreads his arms, and spins a couple of times in the rain. "Now I'm feelin' less dirty...somethin' 'bout that place felt unclean tah me and twasn't the lasses at the door." He examines the statue closely before continuing, "I'm thinkin' we should be goin' after the creature on the stairs. Seems like a way tah'vance in that place," he nods in the direction of the Asylum, "an' I've a naggin' thought 'tis important for us gettin' home. What are you all thinkin'?"
Perception for statue or stairs: 10
Tandor the White, Human Life Cleric
"I am not sure they care whether we find the stairs or not. Would not be surprised if whatever is lurking there was sent or created by those ... monsters."
"There can be another way, of course - someone very brave and very sneaky, preferably invisible - can g to that one cell where they keep their invisible man. Unfortunately, I do not know how to turn someone invisible... It feels we are stuck."
Meili Liang Lvl 5 Monk
Dice
Lia nods to Kale.
"Actually, don't tell anyone, but that was not an actual gold dragon." Lia says with a smile. She holds up her hand with the ring on it and touches it, her finger passing through and the thing going hazy to your eyes. "Illusion." She explains. She shrugs though and holds up her hands which are filled with rings, as well as various other items around her body for decoration, necklaces, earrings, and whatnot. "I have a few tricks you see."
"As far as invisibility goes, I can get us all to look like a group of those hideous nurses, make us look like some other people entirely, give someone invisibility, and a whole host of other options." She glances to the group. "What do you want to do?"
Whitegaze will nod politely to the nurses and head out after the others, “Unpleasant as it may be, I think the stairs are the better option right now, although we will have to return eventually. Perhaps there’s another way in? Anyway, stairs first, this place later.”
"Stair will let us travel around the city relatively safely, it seems," agreed Al-Ashari, "even if it does not solve our problems, it would be helpful." She joined those searching for the entrance - imagining it, expecting it, believing in it.
Meili Liang Lvl 5 Monk
Dice
Merric nods in thought. "I'm thinkin' I'm fairly sneaky n' could sneak meself to the cell, but then it's needin' openin'. A key? Praps...or praps it be somethin' o' the mind. N' I'm thinkin' there be ways to find thuh invisible not havin' to do with seein' or hearin'. There be thoughts n' such. I'm willin' tah try, though, sneak meself to the cell, if'n that's the vote." He pauses then, to let those words sink in, then continues, "But the lasses, they be sayin' if'n we kill the creature, the Doc'll be seein' us his own self. I'm votin' fer the stairs n' killin' the beastie there."
Tandor the White, Human Life Cleric
A character who is aware of the stair (or at least suspicious of it) can attempt to enter it by visualizing it in their mind and making three Charisma ability checks, with a DC of their Intelligence score. These must be made consecutively. and without interruption. The character must remain stationary for the duration, and each attempt is an action.
So everyone needs to give me 3 charisma ability checks. Please note the DC, which is your Int score, when you make the checks.
Lia's checks.
1 ... 16
2 ... 19
3 ... 10
DC is 22.
((Why, oh, why did I make Al-Ashari clever... Wait, Lia's Intelligence 22?! I have nothing to complain about))
DC 14
Rolls: 1. 13 2. 14 3. 8
Meili Liang Lvl 5 Monk
Dice
Kale concentrates on finding the stairs (DC 14):
7
18
19
Whitegaze DC 13
14
9
13
Merric, dc 13
5
7
15
Tandor the White, Human Life Cleric
Well at least Lia is the only one who failed all 3, though she would be pretty hard-pressed to amke it with only a +3 to her roll, so would need a 19 or 20 to get it.
Lia does not go anywhere and gets 3 levels of exhaustion from the attempt.
those who had one success and 2 failures... The character remains in their current location and becomes insubstantial, as per the etherealness spell, and gains two levels of exhaustion.
Those with 1 failure and 2 success (I believe this is only Whitegaze)...The character appears on the Infinite Stair, and gains one level of exhaustion.
(Am I able to open a path for the others or anything?)
No, but you know that it is only an action to leave, the door is a tangible door on this side.
(So to be clear, I am there, alone, and can leave, but I can't do anything to get the others here? Also, now that I've been here, is it the same test to come back or is it easier?)
You will have advantage to come back, since you sort of 'figured it out' a bit from this first go.
(How about an old trick with the Bag of Holding? We can survive in it for a couple of minutes, while Whitegaze steps on the stairs)
(Oh, and can we communicate - those "insubstantial"? What about with still substantial, can we talk to them? How do we see world around us? And for how long are we blessed whit this condition?)
Meili Liang Lvl 5 Monk
Dice
Joetaro CHS saves
32
14
14
I have an intelligence of six, I know what I'm doing.