DM rel20's "Shadowed Keep on the Borderlands" Part 2

Game Master djpika

Skorl Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (6) + 5 = 11

Zzzz...

Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (5) + 4 = 9

Ok, those that make their checks start to smell the heavy scent of smoke. For those that are just waking up, you will start in room W5 in the Watchtower_W3 map.

Is Reithic still with us?

"Ah, awaken, companions! I fear our presence here will no longer go uncontested!"

Does either door have a little window or peep hole or something?

No, Reithic is not with you guys.

No windows or peep holes. You can open the barracks door to peek below via the battlements though.

Zordlon, the fragile wizard, won't open the door to look out, but if shouting isn't enough to rouse Alcalde, he'll vigorously prod him with his boot.

Nibb nudges Skorl to wake him.
"Come on, Skori! You should be the one waking me up!"

Zordlon and Nibb spend a standard action to waken Alcalde and Skori, who can now smell the distinct scent of charred wood.

Rowbin, are you doing anything this "round"?

Otherwise we'll move into the next round:

initiative Skorl: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 2 = 17
initiative Nibb: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (7) - 1 = 6
initiative Zordlon: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (4) + 5 = 9
initiative Alcalde: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5
initiative Rowbin: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (14) + 9 = 23

Sorry, was kinda a long weekend with the girls and their activities, so just getting around to seeing this

Rowbin gags alil on the smokey air, but clambers to his feet and grabs his weapons and starts towards the door to check it for heat (fire heat).

Does Rowbin notice smoke coming under the door, or heat at the door, or noises on the other side?

Perception: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (9) + 3 = 12

There's no heat by the W5 door leading to the hallway or by the door leading to the battlements, although wafts of smoke are coming in from both.

I'll go out on a limb and guess that Skorl, lacking opposable thumbs, won't be opening any doors and will probably delay, or at least won't do anything that would change Zordlon's action.

Zordlon opens the door to the battlements and carefully looks outside.

Just in case.

Perception: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6

Rowbin prepares his weapons and stands readied for action while Zordlon goes to open the door.

Acts of agression at the door will be met in kind, Will first offer a kindly look of "friend or foe" if someone stands there ready for action. Diplomacy check made untrained
Diplomacy: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (18) - 1 = 17

Peaking out the door, Zordlon sees a thick cloud of smoke and what appears to be the source of the fire. A band of goblins have built a fire around the tower door. Standing in the middle is a large, brutish figure with beady eyes and a wide mouth filled with ill‐fitting teeth. The goblins teeter with anticipation. See the ground floor.

The fire doesn't seem to be all that close to the door. Confused!

Can I tell what weapons they have? What's the range from the battlements to the nearest and farthest enemy?

I assume that the large, brutish figure is actually a medium, brutish figure. :-D

I didn't draw anything on the map for the fire. I'm guessing you're looking at the "large" brutish figure as the fire. But yes, he's large for a humanoid but medium as far as keyword/game mechanics go.

I'm assuming you're not poking your head too far out the door, so you may pick up a sword or spear tip here and there, but no really an accurate count.

Okay, I couldn't really tell what that was, but if you squint at it just right it looks vaguely like a campfire. Can Zordlon not judge the distance? 30' is the magic number.

Ha! I made a funny!

Wow, tough crowd.

Nearest is 10'. Farthest is 40'. Swords and spears, mainly. Apparently goblins are immune to gaming humor.

Anyone else doing anything?

"Ah, it seems we've attracted the attention of the resident goblins! I suggest we snipe at them from the wall." Zordlon prepares to follow his own advice.

So, to be clear, they're building a fire at the (wooden) ground-level door of this (stone?) tower? Is this the room that had the bedsheet escape rope?

Alcalde shakes his head a couple of times to clear the grogginess, unlimbers his shortbow, and heads over to peek out the tower door.

"Does anyone have something we can use to spike the tower door while we fight them from the battlements?"

The tower has the following general features:

Ceilings: The ceilings in the tower are 12 ft. high.

External Walls: Although of solid construction, the tower’s
outer walls have begun to deteriorate. Mortar between the great stone blocks has begun to flake away.

Arrow Slits: Chambers without windows have arrow slits. Arrows slits provide improved cover (+8 AC, +4 Reflex saves,
improved evasion) and enable dim light (20% miss chance) to
filter into the room.

Wooden Doors: A standard, unlocked wooden door wards most rooms. Doors
open inwards.

The original description of the outer door:

A well fitting iron‐bound door provides access to the tower. In
places the door’s sturdy wood is pitted and splintered and the
bottom portion bares scorch marks. It is otherwise in good
condition and appears firmly shut.

The goblins have built a fire outside the ground floor door. You guys are currently in the bunk bed area on floor W3 in room W5.

The room with the escape rope is a floor up.

Startled by Nibb waking him, Skorl's ears prick upwards and he scrambles to his feet, sniffing at the air.

Nibb retrieves her shortspear and quickly points the handle at Alcalde. "Use this. It should hold."

Are we waiting on anyone in particular?

My char doesn't have a ranged weapon, i didnt see if someone claimed that light xbow from the encounter before, if it is free, i'll grab it and ready to fire when other ranged attackers are ready, keeping my rapiers close.

Zordlon took a crossbow from the first super-bandit. I don't know if anyone claimed the crossbow from W5. Zordlon can give you his, though. He's got a cantrip that he'll probably use anyway.

I was kind of waiting to see what the party wanted to do.

I have a shortbow. We pulled the rope up, right? I assume then that think they wouldn't have seen it on the way in.

"The rope above can be an escape plan for us just as it was for our foes. But we'll be cut off from it if we fight them here. This is a castle, so let us use it! Shoot them from the battlements while one or two of us hold the ground floor, or stairs. If they do manage to breach the door, we can hold them at the second floor stairs while the rest of us arrange to retreat or drop down and hit them from behind!"

I can tank or archer - but my Dex is pretty good so maybe our Dwarf NPC should be the canary on the ground floor?

I was under the impression that the dwarf left after regaining consciousness. Alcalde and Zordlon snipe while Rowbin, Nibb, and Scorl guard the door?

"Ah, yes, and excellent plan. The vermin will feel the full might of my magic as it rains down on their heads!"

Who's turn is it? I'm confused.

Reithic left after his captors were defeated. The party can act. Those moving out on the battlements for missile fire can make their rolls. Anyone rushing down the stairs to support the door will need to spend their round moving.

Since Zordlon didn't notice any ranged weapons, he'll head out along the battlements. I placed his marker on the Shadowed Keep Ground Floor map, even though he's not on the ground floor.

Zordlon boldly moves through the door out onto the battlements, takes position near the closest goblin, and lets loose a blast of magical energy.

Zordlon casts acid splash at the nearest goblin.

Ranged touch: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (19) + 4 = 23
Acid damage: 1d3 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3

Should've led with the crossbow.

Alcalde follows close on Zordlon's heels and lets fly at the nearest goblin (as well, assuming it's still up).

To Hit: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 5 = 8
Damage: 1d6 ⇒ 3

Zordlon boldly moves through the door out onto the battlements, takes position near the closest goblin, and lets loose a blast of magical energy that burns its flesh with a sickly chemical smell. Unfortunately, the erratic motions of its dance of pain causes Alcalde's shot to miss.

Red: -3

I'll let Nibb/Skori/Rowbin act and then jump to initiative:

initiative Skorl: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5
initiative Nibb: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (3) - 1 = 2
initiative Zordlon: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (6) + 5 = 11
initiative Alcalde: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7
initiative Rowbin: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (3) + 9 = 12

"Guard the door, Skori!", Nibb commands. Nibb doesn't wait for Skorl to take position before she run out to the battlements. She takes cover and reaches out in the direction of the fire, grasping at the air and flinging her hand in the direction of the goblins. She mutters Gnomish incantations.

[ooc] I'd like to use mage hand to grab and fling burning chunks of wood at the goblins. I'll let you decide how that plays into things. Maybe just acts as an assist for someone's attack[ooc]

Sounds fair, I'll let that be an assist for a ranged attack. Go ahead and roll for the ranged attack to see if you hit the DC 10 to assist.

Following Nibb's gesture, a piece of flaming wood springs from the pyre towards the goblins.

Mage Hand: 1d20 ⇒ 19

C:\>ping group

Ping request could not find host group. Please check the name and try again.

C:\>

Rowbin grabs his rapiers and heads to the door to await an opening to strike.

Rowbin grabs his rapier and starts running down the stairs towards the front door while Nibb startles one of the goblins by reminding what danger little pyromancers can run into.

I'll let that assist "cache" for next round Greg, so just pick who you would like to give it to.

The large horned creature grows annoyed and sneers as they come under fire, yelling "Mabus-tak!" as he points towards the battlements and unleashes a javelin at Zordlon.

Javelin: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (5) + 5 = 10
damage: 1d8 + 5 ⇒ (8) + 5 = 13

The rest of the goblins eye the fire with frenzied anticipation.

Round 1
BOLD is up.
------------------------
Goblins (red -3)
------------------------
Rowbin
Zordlon
Alcalde
Nibb/Skorl

I will delay till I have an opening, or someone moves into range

Second verse, same as the first.

Zordlon presses the magical attack, then takes cover.

Casting acid splash again, same target.

Ranged touch: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5

Ah, that's the dice roller that we love to hate.

After that humiliating performance, Zordlon will drop prone, which should give him a +4 bonus to AC versus ranged attacks, and maybe a cover bonus due to being elevated.

No change from last time, it looks like. Still shooting the wounded goblin

Alcalde frowns and mutters to himself as he nocks another arrow and lets fly.

"Hmpf,must've misjudged the wind on that last one..."

To Hit: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (6) + 5 = 11
Damage: 1d6 ⇒ 2

Nibb will give preference to users of magic. I'll continue lending any bonus to Zordlon unless he doesn't attack, in which case, I'll lend it to Alcalde.

Nibb continues magically plucking burning wood debris from the fire and throwing them at the goblins.

Mage Hand for combat assist: 1d20 ⇒ 6

As Nibb grabs at the air before her, a chunk of wood in the distant pyre moves but is not freed. Nibb growls.

Skorl continues to guard the door below. That is, assuming the smoke is not starting to overwhelm.

Rowbin runs down the stairs and is immediately hit with the scent of wood char. Smoke pours out from the door as orange flames dance across the bottom gap and between pits. The iron frame glows from orange to white around the edges.

@Rowbin

Lacking the element of surprise, the goblins easily move out of the way of Zordlon's acid glob and Alcalde's arrow.

Since there's been a long real world delay, I will remind folks that there are rocks used for tower defense. For example, the rooftop (Small pieces of rubble deal 1d6 damage while larger pieces deal 2d6 damage, on a successful ranged touch attack [but attackers suffer a ‐4 penalty on attack rolls when using these improvised weapons]).

Zordlon=1, Nibb=2
target: 1d2 ⇒ 1

Another javelin is tossed at Zordlon's prone form (+2 partial cover):
Javelin: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (17) + 5 = 22
damage: 1d8 + 5 ⇒ (2) + 5 = 7

Round 1
BOLD is up.
------------------------
Goblins (red -3)
------------------------
Rowbin
Zordlon
Alcalde
Nibb/Skorl

Round 2
BOLD is up.
------------------------
Goblins (red -3)
------------------------
Rowbin
Zordlon
Alcalde
Nibb/Skorl

Ouch! My spleen! I needed that!

Preception: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4

Ouch! I'm obviously fascinated by fire and noise to notice the smoke!

But do you do anything? You're up! Why is the wizard the damage sponge?

Because the beefy guy wanted a spleen kabob?

Do I see anyway to open the door safely?

If so, Rowbin will attempt to open the door and head into melee.

If no "safe" mechanism for opening the door looks available, I'll head back up to the battlements and look to toss some rocks...

I can be considered delayed if no option to open the door is available.