DM Greg's Red Hand of Doom

Game Master Algar Lysandris

Pst, GM, if you're still here, check Gob Smash for a clarification...

EDIT: Thanks, GM!

Marru, the river is rather deep and is crossing is done by using a ferry. Two enormously thick ropes span the Elsir affixed to a huge wooden capstan. A pair of draft horses harnessed to the capstan turns the device drawing the ropes to which the ferry is secured. when drawn by two horses the ferry crosses the elsir in 6 minutes (at a very slow mvt rate). There exist only two ferry.

Yes, but the enemy will eventually want to cross the river, one way or the other. I want to make that hellish for them. They will not enjoy crossing that river, and it will cost them to do so. Fi'dho is planning on hanging around with his bow, you know. :)

i have no idea what kind of traps one can make (as i have no idea on the subject) but i'll give you that you will be able to make a few things to delay the Red hand should they want to try and land on the opposite bank of the Elsir (town side)

Cutting the rope and opening holes in the ferry is what the module assume you can do :)

Normally I would not suggest it but due to our easy access to ridiculous digging speeds We can pretty much set this place up with world war style trenches.
Due to Borrum and Galdamor's profession in war such ideas are absolutely within reason and with the reality breaking powers of magic we can likely do quite a bit more than the module thinks.

@All: Do we want to go into uncharted territory on this or would you prefer we stick to the module?
Because I have an idea about hollowing out some territory and making an erosion based sinkhole/ant lion pit style trap.

That's why I'm an advocate of spears - or at least sharp, pointed things - high under the water. I've read more than a few novels (most recently, I think, Spirit Gate) where, when faced with opposition that plans on crossing by ferry, they place said sharp spike things under the water. In most cases, it was a surprisingly effective tactic. (The one time it wasn't was when the other group used exclusively flying forces, so, you know, naturally they couldn't be caught by underwater spears.)

The basic idea is actually simple: have a row of sharp things (traditionally spears) that sit under the low wave of the water to make it (effectively) invisible.

These will catch on anything that attempts to ride over them (usually boats of any kind) and will make it very dangerous for any would-be swimmers (unless they're underwater... at which point they have other problems, due to fighting the current). In addition to catching boats, it has a tendency to destabilize them, as, if you move into it, you raise your boat higher than it would naturally sink, such that even if spears were snapped or moved away, it's still more dangerous, annoying, and slow-going than normal. Anyone that falls off the boat, also falls into the various noted sharp pointy things... basically falling on a spear in the water.

As noted, underwater swimmers and fliers are unaffected... but you leave a few hidden and carefully placed bear-traps for the underwater swimmers...

Anyway, it's not a common tactic (in fact it's always presented as rare and unexpected) because, frankly, people don't like putting pokey things in the waterways they plan on returning to later... and it's certainly not the kind of thing that would be expected of a small ferry-town like this.

The end goal is to make attempting to cross the river into a death-trap. They won't all be stopped (depending on how many there are), naturally, but they will have a very hard time of it. Additionally, if possible, he'd rig a few with alchemist fires, if the town is willing to part with them, in order to light the first few boats up from below - meaning they will have no chance of actually putting out the fires, as they're actively sailing on top of the fire (which is the bottom of their boat).

I'd guestimate (purely on the fiction that I've read), depending on the type of boat they have (I'm going off the idea that they have river-style craft, naturally), such tactics could entirely shut down and destroy three to five boats (presuming they spread out - if they go all in a line, it'll shut down a whole lane from three-to-five wide, up to about two or three boats thick).

Now, naturally, that's presuming everything goes right, and a full set of resources will be put into it. Based off of what I'm reading, it's only being mildly supported. Thus, I'd guess maybe two to four boats total - or up to maybe double that, presuming they go in rows of two to four.

Only the first boat will be destroyed outright (by the alchemsit fires, if we can get them), but the second will be halted and open to fire... and will be stuck in turbulence, making return fire unsteady and unlikely.

At least, that's the idea.

EDIT: Huzzah! At last, after an hour of attempting to post this thing, it got posted!

I personally don't understand why we are trying to set up defensive positions. We are not going to stop a horde with our small group. I don't think this is the intent of this module, so I am just waiting for some indication on what we should be doing next. When Borrum starts seeing hundreds or thousands of troops coming, he is not staying at this river crossing. You want to see NPCs pick up the pace on an evacuation... stop defending them. A few get hurt or die, they realize they can't stay here and safely pack-up their belonging.

With the number of troops they have coming, cutting a ferry, burning a ferry, etc is only a speed bump. Additionally they will have the footing for a bridge already in place, that they will just complete and cross the river with.

This is my opinion, and as such I will continue to post that Borrum is working on the westside of the river, unless directly ask a question or given additional instructions.

We have been told of a road block that hobgoblins and ogre waylaying any travelers heading into or out of the vale from the North. I think we should be working on these type leads.

Fi'dho is planning on hurting them as much as possible. A horde might not be able to be defeated, but it can be hurt, and it can be stopped - at least temporarily. I don't know the module, but it seems like if it's that big a deal, anything that can actually hurt them, cost them time, etc., is a solid thing to do.

The other thing is that I'm not sure we have the time to travel all the way to the road block. I was imagining that to be a thing that we did after we left here, if we did.

Rigo's a paid mercenary. He's doing what the people who paid him want him to do. If they want to waste his time defending a town that's being abandoned, he'll do it, up until when it would become suicidal.

If the people who hire him say they want to go hit the roadblock, he'll go hit the road block.

i like that idea Marru.

i'll model the possible damages and outcome if it ever comes into play.

Thanks! I'm a big fan of traps by PCs: why should the monsters be the only ones to get all the fun? >:) That's why I want to collapse the town on top of them, too. Add lots of little gopher holes to break the legs of their mounts and runners (and possibly the necks of their riders), spiked pit traps, and pretty much anything that makes Drelin's Ferry the most expensive abandoned village the horde has ever purchased. Expensive in lives and effort. I want them demoralized and convinced they face their own most terrible masters, such that wherever they step (figuratively) there is (in their own mind) another trap waiting to kill them. This is their 'reward' for stealing the lives and homes of others - the reward of all those I just and unvalorous enough to do this. EDIT: important note: several redundant copies of where everything is would be given to the captain. That way, when people come back, everything can be deactivated safely and easily and repaired to normal.

Indeed it is the expectation of the people to come back to drelin's ferry once the crisis is over.
It wont do to have the town collapsed and the fields un workable by the population.

But you're river bank spiked pole traps are going to be in marru ;)

As for pit holes they are going to be a last minute thing remember that currently the town is bussy with the evacuation. So there is heavy foot / mount traffic in every part of town ( and the nearby field in order to recover / burn every thing)

Sure. I recognize that. (Hence giving the captain every single location of every single trap in - at least - triplicate.) I don't want to make every inch a trap... but I want every inch to feel like a trap. Just enough to make them need to keep the town (if they're going to keep it at all) while also making them exceedingly frustrated every step of the way. Also: burrowing super-badger (aka Swirls mist). :D

*shrug* I'm aware that our actions here are not likely to provide much of any help. Fact is that Swirls mist is being asked to help, and is as such helping.
unfortunately the book does not seem to have forseen the PC's choosing to attempt their own fortifications. So I'm quite fine with leaving off on it if the consensus is that we wish to let the events in place happen as they are described.

Swirl's mists ability to manipulate terrain would mean short of completely wiping the town off the map* that he can return and fix what has been broken.

Getting Jorr to help seed the forest with bear traps and pit traps would be a good use of our time, as making the witchwood more dangerous is not really a problem.

*Like say creating a 20-40ish deep, town wide cavern, with cross hatched tunnels of loose dirt above. Which then collapses once the tunnels are opened to the river next to the town flooded with water gaining weight and eroding from the fast moving water. Sinkholes being next to impossible to detect before its already collapsing could result in some massive deaths plus a rather annoying hazard to step around.

The more they die - especially if it can be fixed later - the more Fi'dho would be all about this plan.

EDIT: One more thing! I don't know if it's clear, or not, but Fi'dho is planning on dying. That is to say, he's not going to try to die - he'll do his best to live - but he's planning on dying. He will entrust his little book that he's been constantly writing in to the captain to get to the local capital where it will be located by "a colleague" (either the next Marrulurk or another agent of the Hand).

To be clear, he won't swim if he thinks it's not a good idea or if it's not as fast as the ferry. If he does and he can, he will, but only to snipe and hide - eliminate as much needless death as possible. Also, does a carried catfolk count as "equipment" for Wild Shape...?

No, it doesn't.

Are you suuuuuuure~?

Rigo weighs 205 pounds, with about 20 pounds of gear.
As a 18str aquatic creature Fih'Do's heavy carry is 300 pounds.
This would impart a -6 on your swimming check but unless I miss my mark there is nothing preventing you from just attaching a rope to the catfolk and using yourself as a muscle powered tugboat.

Well yano unless the catfolk happens to have concerns about this. and would perfer to not trust in a horse faced halfling to swim like he has fins. (shifty glance) Cuz he totally doesn't.. yeah.

Secondly, how large is the approach the Red hand is marching to drellin's ferry on? Most of the spells Swirls mist has prepared today have absolutely gigantic areas of affect.

No, no, no, no, no. You misunderstand. I wasn't asking about dragging Rigo through the river (hilarious as that may be). I was talking about treating him as an object that you could meld into your form and make "non-functional" until you return to your normal form.

^-^

Because I'm pretty sure that could work.

(Heehee, I'm calling the catfolk an object. It's like and insult, if it actually meant anything.)

Well not that Swirls mist would object much but the only time a PC is ever considered an object is if they are dead or petrified. So if we had a basilisk handy...

But in all honesty I think Swirls mist will just stay with the group this time. My big combat spells this time around are massed AOE's that wont cause much damage but they will cause it reliably to everyone in the area.
And a flying beasty like a manticore or a Chimera would pretty much kill me as I am without a trusty animal companion.

Borrum's got the right idea on making sure everyone's armor is put together right. Also, everyone does have some manner of ranged weapon, yes?

Posting this to all My Games:

I will be traveling this weekend to my vacation destination. There will be no post from me until Monday.

Please Bot me as needed.

From Sept 29 th to October 4th Expect little posting

From October 5th to October 15th Expect Next to no posting

(dunno the internet availability so i am assuming the worst case)

Thank you for your patience

FYI.

you will land on the otherside of the river bank without any problem.

Captain soranna will split her unit in two.

one in the center arc, one in the left arc and you in the right arc.

I will make a game post detailing this etc... (just wanted to let you know tought)

As you must have guessed by now i have no regular and stable internet connection.

So i will resume Game when i get back

:)

Okey Dokey

So as the game is on Hiatus until GM Greg gets back is there anything we players want to finalize, strategy-wise for the events that will follow?

Far as I see it swirls mist is going to drop his AOE's and make life difficult for the red hand. Galdamor is going to use his large area buff spells (BLess and such) on getting off the boat to take advantage of the large number of targets with captain Sorona and her warriors.
Borrum, Rigo and Fih'do are all going to start mixing it up with the red hand warriors.
Galdamor will follow once any needed buffs are used.
Swirls mist will act in support best he can (though lacking any prepared healing spells he woun't be able to do much.)

Actually, I'm hoping to assassinate any mage I happen to come across or, barring that, poke them with my bow until they lose their spells. Otherwise, that sounds correct.

Galdamor is not a cleric support, is a fighter one. He will not stay behind and heal, he will fight and kill those red hand bastards :P

Nevertheless I have prepared some support : one Bless and one Aid

and you have faith healing... Borrum likes faith healing.

yep, I almost buy a wand of it but none of the first players were an Hextor's follower, so I didn't. What a shame !

Heh. The in combat healing is certainly good if the requirement is met.
The Vigor spell still beats it out of combat though.

No I'm more waiting for next level, when Swirls mist can cast spells in animal form and we get two casters capable of L3 spells.
Galdamor might just find a new favorite spell in the form of Girallon's blessing.

My wife is currently in the hospital. Don't worry: we're all fine, and things should return to normal soon, but any lack of posting is due to real life interruptions! :)

Prayers are always appreciated! :D

Get well soon.

My hopes are with your wife !

Hope recovery is quick. Hospital food is always lovely.
best wishes.

Best of prayers.

I got back last night and currently at work (with a mountain of things to do) but we are resuming gaming (will be slow until monday as i have lots of IRL/PhB games do catch up etc :)

Baby incoming today!

Youhou Congratz Tac

Baby boy: get!

First ?

Name? (how is mommy doing?)

Congratz

I've said so in another page already but much congratulations to you and wife-y.

Thread for the curious!

Congratulations to both parent :)

Congratz on the new arrival.

Indeed Congratz

So I just want to ensure my anachronism isn't playing up.
By Paved you mean with cobblestone or some other indigenous rock yes?
Because I don't believe I've ever heard of a fantasy setting with asphalt, which is what I'm seeing in my mind when you say that word.
Is the road we are on not the same one leading out of town, dwarf made and ancient? The Dawn way I think is the name of it.
Given its age I'd ask if there are plants poking through it at this point, that being the case it would be all I need to utilize briar web.

Secondly, are we ignoring the terrain features our group added to the town yesterday? Specifically the tunnels, trenches and berms?

yes i do mean dwarven made cobblestones :) (and yes you are on the road they made that was leading up to the bridge or what is left of it)

I would say no plants poking trough it as is is a well traveled path.

I am not ignoring terrain features your'e group added.

currently you are IN town so i figure that the day of yesterday was spend to first add trenches to the outskirts of the town (like a moat on a medieval castle).

There is so much you can do Swirl in one day (and you are the only one with a burrow speed)

Ah, I had assume that we were at the town outskirts. The map is of drellins ferry is basically showing me nothing but farms.

Secondly, burrow speed in 3.5 is wonky. A dire badger can create 20ft of useable 5ft wide tunnels in 6 seconds. Multiplied out that makes about (20x10x60) about 12000ft of 5ft tunnel displaced in 1 hour. So more than two miles of tunnels in one hours time.
Even assuming that I need to double over the tunnel to make it viable for humans to use thats still more than a mile of tunnels each hour.
I wasnt kidding when I told the rest of the party to tell me what they wanted in earth works.
So its less a moat and more a ww2 hellscape.
Though I suppose I could have easily burrowed to the river in order to make a self desruct to fill the trenches with water as they get taken by the red hand.
Hrmm.. though that would destroy the foundations of the dawnway. Perhaps not.

Though my current action is moot as im pretty sure swirls mist is unable to see the enemies right now with only low light vision to guide him.

you might just need some light or be closer Swirl :)

By the way, although I think I had assumed it was obvious, DM, please 'bot me. Use Fhi'do to the full extent of his abilities and knowledge to help sort this stuff out, kill as many as possible, and stealthily eliminate stuff! Thanks!