Aubrey's Rise of the Runelords campaign (Inactive)

Game Master Aubrey the Malformed

“The lizards aside, it seems that we would have a better chance of approaching unseen underground than through the air. Although I prefer the open sky to a constricted tunnel, it seems that the tunnel might be a better idea.”

“Additionally, I have investigated the time it would take me to scribe scrolls of the Fly spell – a day for each, far too long.”

“Additionally, I have investigated the time it would take me to scribe scrolls of the Fly spell – a day for each, far too long.”

"If I joined you, we could scribe two per day. Two days makes four scrolls... plus one more if you memorize an instance of the spell on the day we set out. That wouldn't be so bad."

Attempt to learn Glitterdust from Scroll (1 hour). Spellcraft: 1d20 + 13. Copy into spellbook (2 hours, 2 pages, 60gp cost).

Keep the scroll and learn it from Vethran's spellbook instead. Having a scroll of that around will be useful.

"All this talk of scrolls: I like it. I can give thee money if thee needs it to scroll them. I don't know any scrolling; I leave it to you smart guys. But you want some of my 8.....tenten's of gold, tell me; I can give you some. Don't need much. Got my horse...."

Casting read magic to decipher magical writings.
Attempt to learn vampiric touch from Mammy Graul’s spellbook (1 hour). Spellcraft: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (19) + 15 = 34. Copy into spellbook (3 hours, 3 pages, 90gp cost).
Attempt to learn summon monster III from Mammy Graul’s spellbook (1 hour). Spellcraft: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (11) + 15 = 26. Copy into spellbook (3 hours, 3 pages, 90gp cost).
Attempt to learn true strike from Mammy Graul's spellbook (1 hour). Spellcraft: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (8) + 15 = 23. Copy into spellbook (1 hour, 1 page, 10gp cost).
Attempt to learn dimension door from Mammy Graul's spellbook (1 hour). Spellcraft: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (4) + 15 = 19. Copy into spellbook (4 hours, 4 pages, 160gp cost).

EDIT: Hit the DC for dimension door right on the nose! Woo-hoo! All I need now is to level up so I can cast it. The rules don't seem to imply that you can't scribe a spell into your book of higher level than you can cast. If you want me to take it off, Aubrey, let me know.

I have now selected Vethran's spell list for the day we raid the fort. The Evoker is set to "kill." If you want utility spells, talk to someone who cares. :)

you spellcasters need any cash for scrolls, let me know.

“Well … as it happens, I did purchase a scroll of Fly before we left Magnimar … and I could prepare two instances of it – leaving us to scribe only two more scrolls between us.”

Elisile thanks Vethran for allowing her to scribe Glitterdust from his spellbook, allowing her to retain her scroll. Didn’t check to see if you have it – yes, a scroll might come in handy. Likewise, if Veth wants to scribe anything from Elisile’s book he’s welcome.

you spellcasters need any cash for scrolls, let me know.

Same for me. Alwyn can't scribe scrolls... I might buy a scroll or two at the local temple, but feel free to take all my money if it'll get you anywhere.

“Well … as it happens, I did purchase a scroll of Fly before we left Magnimar … and I could prepare two instances of it – leaving us to scribe only two more scrolls between us.”

"Sounds good then. Let's do it."

I'll need to scribe fly into my book in order to make scrolls from it. Luckily, it's in Mammy's spellbook. Read magic to read it. Spellcraft to learn it: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (20) + 15 = 35. I'll mark off the 90gp for this scribing too. I can now make fly scrolls. I'll also spend 15gp to buy myself a new spellbook. This one is running out of pages.

Hudak wrote:

you spellcasters need any cash for scrolls, let me know.

Same for me. Alwyn can't scribe scrolls... I might buy a scroll or two at the local temple, but feel free to take all my money if it'll get you anywhere.

The scrolls are going to set us back 350gp each and we need to make 2 of them, so... if each of you wants to pitch in 350gp, we're golden.

Done!

I'll do that. 350 it is.

Potioned up.
First character sheet edit didn't take. What a consternation!

Ready to roll; only question......how many days' journey is it? I got 10 day's food for me and my horse; don't know if I need more.

It's not that far - a day at most.

Vale draws the party a swift sketch of the fort.

OK, A to U across the top, 1 to 22 down the side. Each square is 20', so this is not a battle map. Draw a diagonal from the point in the middle of A/19-20 to S-T/1 (i.e. from the edges of the map). This is a cliff against which the fort has been built. The walls of the fort are at A19 to M19, then diagonally from M19 to S13, and then from S14 to S1.

There are two gates, at H19 and S5. A stream/moat runs round the walls from D20 to N20, diagonally from N20 to T13, and then from T14 to T1, and then off at U1. Each gate has a drawbridge at H20 and T5 respectively. The sluice gate runs into the stream at L19. There is a pool and the waterfall from the top of the cliff at A-C/20-22. At A19, behind the waterfall, is a concealed passage into the tunnels.

Inside the compound, the biggest building is the keep. (This is a triangle - imagine a square H-M/7-12, then discard the bit that is inside the cliff. The bit that is left sticking out is the keep.) There is also barracks at H-I/14-16, a cook house abutting the wall (diagonally oriented in the same direction of the wall, M17 to O15), a stables at Q-R/7-8 and an old guard tower at Q5. There is also a passage running O5 to O1 (and beyond) which eventually winds up the cliff to the eagles' aerie.

The tunnels (roughly) run from A19 to A15, then diagonally from A15 to N1. There is also a tunnel at F11 to F14 (which ends at a secret door leading into the bailey), another at N1 to N6 (again a secret door leading into the bailey and J7 to J10, leading to the lowest level of the keep.

"Any questions?"

"Just to make sure; the cave behind the waterfall to the electric lizards' house; it's low, or is there any climbing involved to get to it? And how hard is it to find in a hurry? That's the way in we wanna go, I reckon. The sluice looks not only nasty, but there's a lot of open ground to cover once we get inside the walls."

finally drew the map....I'm slacking due to working a lot I reckon.

finally drew the map....I'm slacking due to working a lot I reckon.

No worries - I reckon we are all under the cosh a bit.

"How hard is it to climb down to the eagles' aerie from the area by the waterfall?"

"The cliff is an overhang above the aerie, and anyway it is pretty much cliffs and mountainside up there above the fort. They built it there because it's hard to clim in from above. I don't know, maybe if you are a mountain goat..."

"I'm liking the waterfall entrance."

"Me too. I guess we'll fly there through Vethran's magic."

"Me too. I guess we'll fly there through Vethran's magic."

"And my magic," Elisile adds, with a sideways glance at Alwyn.

"I got no magic."
*snif*

"And your magic, of course. Sorry 'bout that." Alwyn turns to Hudak. "You survived having that cursed spider pump a gallon of poison into you. I'd say that's pretty magical."

So our plan is to cast Fly off scrolls and then quietly make our way to the aerie? I like that - it has a James Bond-ish feel to it. Perhaps some magicks that will shield us from the electro-lizards would be in order as well?

"Yeah. Yeah. I did." he walks around proud as a peacock. "I'm a magic kinda guy...."

All ready to roll? You probably don't all need a map since it isn't battle-scale.

"Let us be on our way then, if we have all now made our preparations."

Perhaps some magicks that will shield us from the electro-lizards would be in order as well?

I'd recommend picking up some potions of resist energy (electric) for that. I have protection from energy, but it's a 3rd level spell and I could only cast 2 of them, depriving me of 2 valuable 3rd level spell slots.

"Yes, a brief stop by the marketplace for a few odds and ends and we should be all set."

So, to recap, we've scribed two scrolls of fly, Elisile had one already, and she's going to prepare two more instances of it today? Transmutation is a prohibited school for me, so I would have to use two slots to memorize one casting of it otherwise.

I'm ready to jam.

So, to recap, we've scribed two scrolls of fly, Elisile had one already, and she's going to prepare two more instances of it today? Transmutation is a prohibited school for me, so I would have to use two slots to memorize one casting of it otherwise.

That's right, but Elisile will have before hand asked the rangers how far it is to the fort - if it's more than a day's travel she won't have Fly x 2 prepared today.

The rangers confirm that the fort is about half a day's ride almost due east from Turtleback Ferry.

Assume you have a few days to memorise spells, prepare and plan, buy and sell stuff, and so on. Nothing fancy - maybe a few first and second level scrolls, potions and the like. What you have described sounds fine.

The party set off on a chilly but bright day. The mayor of Turtleback Ferry and the rangers solemnly wave them off early in the morning, and the heroes carry the blessings of Erastil with them when they go, together with provisions and the maps provided by Vale. While it is still early in the year and the sun remains low in the sky, and spring has not yet properly arrived, a few green shoots and the occasional brave snowdrop or yellow winter aconite spear though the leaf litter of the previous autumn to herald the coming change in the season. The scene is deceptively cheery, considering the mission the group find themselves on.

After a brief, and somewhat tense, break at midday to take a meal of fresh bread and smoked fish in the deep dark of the forest, the party find themselves growing close to the position of the fort. To the north looms the bulk of Hook Mountain, its lower flanks clothed in dark green conifers and the grey skeletons of dormant deciduous trees, its upper reaches being bare rock, winter snow and ice. From that mountain descended the horror of the Kreeg ogre clan that laid low the rangers of Fort Rannick. The near woods are quiet. According to the map, over the next rise the party should see the fort, tucked against a cliff at the base of the mountain.

OK, what's the plan?

Mmmmm... Bread and smoked fish.... Um, ah, the plan! Here's my plan: We stash the horses in the forest and sneak up to the ridge on foot to take a look at the fort and the ogres. Once we establish some kind of guard pattern, we glug our recently bought potions of resist energy (electricity), cast the Fly spells and stealthily fly up to the aerie. Once there, Alwyn and Hudak lead the way, hacking up electro-lizards and securing the area. After that, we make our way down the tunnel and start killing ogres, trying to surprise them and wipe them out in small groups or singly. If necessary, we fall back into the tunnels. An alternative could be to trigger an alarm of sorts and then dump Fireballs and missile fire on them as they assemble in he courtyard - the aerie is a great position for that sort of thing. We need to establish if they know about the tunnel first, though.

I don’t think the tunnel from the aerie is the same as the lizard infested tunnel behind the waterfall – is it? I haven’t had a chance to draw the map yet, but that’s what it sounds like based on the earlier description.
Elisile will scout ahead, we should determine whether the aerial or waterfall approach will be better. And she’s got suggestions on tactics too. Couldn’t post earlier (site was down, will try to give more detail later.

You're right - the lizards are in another set of tunnels behind the waterfall. In that case, we keep the potions and save them in case we stumble into the zappers.

The party reach the ridge. Dismounting, they move up cautiously and then crawl the last few yards so as not to present their silhouettes to any ogres that might be watching.

Fort Rannick is perhaps a quarter of a mile away. It is pretty much as mapped by Vale. It lies beneath a high cliff which rises, sheer and virtually unclimbable by mundane means, up the side of Hook Mountain. A narrow trickle of a waterfall falls like a spangled ribbon from the heights to a pool which empties into a stream which runs round the walls of the fort before heading off south-east. A narrow switch-back path can be made out leading partway up the cliff to a ledge, although no movement can be seen along its length and a huge pile of rubble lies at its foot in the fort's bailey.

Of the two gates, the east gate looks badly bashed, the doors leaning precariously, while the south gate seems relatively undamaged but blocked by a portcullis. The walls are pitted, both by age and the more recent attentions of the ogres. Although there doesn't seem to be much activity, a few huge lumbering figures can be made out moving around inside the fortress.

Should we hang around and see if we can ambush a patrol?

“Now that I have seen the place and finally drawn up the map, I start to think that the tunnel behind the waterfall is a better option that the aerie,” says Elisile quietly. “That position up there is very exposed. Although the ogres may not expect an approach from that quarter, if any should glance around, they may see us up there, or flying towards that position. Also, if we need to make our way down that trail to the fort, we will also be exposed. That concern is alleviated if this tunnel here on the map A10 to A1 does in fact reach all the way up there.”

She pauses and thinks. “I can reduce our chance of being located with an invisibility sphere spell – but I would need several hours rest to clear my mind and prepare it.”

“However, being seen is not my main reason for preferring the other way. This waterfall tunnel gives us access to a number of points within the keep, but more importantly a good escape route, so long as we deal with all the lizards on the way in. Ogres are evil and vicious. If we are overwhelmed and they capture us, they will rape, torture, mutilate, and eat us, possibly simultaneously. If things turn against us, I want a good escape route, and entering via the aerie does not allow this.”

“As for ambushing a patrol, I am not against it – it may be a good idea. Although it may alert the ogres that there is a hostile force in the area.”

"Ambush sounds good; we might have to let them a ways' off of the fort though."

"Every ogre we kill out here is one less we'll have to fight in there. If they go for patrols at all, of course. The dumb bastards probably just sit in there picking their noses and scuffling over food."

"(lol) should we watch the place for about a day? They gotta hunt, right? Unless these are cow ogres, and eat grass."

“That is a good point Hudak. Unless they have not finished raping and eating the rest of the Black Arrows and any horses or livestock that were in the fort yet.”

"That's what I was thinking. We wipe out a foraging party and then the guys sent out to look for the missing hunters. The rangers said there were about 40 ogres in there- if we could rub out 10-12 or so before they realise something's wrong, I'd say we're doing fairly well. After that, they'll hunker down inside, and we'll sneak in through the back door, taking advantage of those secret doors the rangers mentioned."

"Demon dogs! More horseback fighting!!!"

“Let us watch the fort then, for a time at least, and see what movements if any the ogres make.”

lol.....poor Aubrey; "great....now I gotta figure out what an ogre patrol does..."

"Excellent. Let's leave two on watch up here - the rest of us need to make a better campsite."

The usual precautions - camouflaged site, no fire or smoke etc.

Elisile volunteers to stay and watch, casting message on her companions first.