Doug M's Way of the Wicked (Inactive)

Game Master Douglas Muir 406

Is it possible to go all glorious bastards on them and take them out at the play?

The simple fact is that the guards going on patrol seem to be a red herring. We can take them out, but if we do not get them all and one escapes, then he will go straight back to the fort and they will be forewarned. They are going to be gone for 3-6 days. This means that we have 3 days to get the lady tramp and her captain in a shouting match, hopefully including sharp metal shouts, with her husband. This will mean that all three captains will be out of the equation.

We continue scouting as much as possible this night and then, if necessary, go back tomorrow. Remember, if we are scouting during the play, we are scouting in the early evening when the troops in the fort are still awake - drinking, playing cards, etc. This greatly increases the danger.

I think that Xen, Cy and myself go to the play. Jax can come as well if he wants. Edmin and Dren stay at home, Dren watching the door and Edmin drinking it up, but not to the point of complete incapacitation, with his dwarf friends.

The other option is to ignore the tunnel for a day or two - we still have more than two weeks for the bugbears. Have one person, perhaps Xen, stay to watch the play and the rest of us track the guards. Mind you, having a large group leave the city and then having the guard go down may raise some flags.

I would love to take out the patrol, but this is not our objective. The goal is to take let the bugbears into the fort.

Is it possible to go all glorious bastards on them and take them out at the play?

Didn't the attackers also die in that fight?

The simple fact is that the guards going on patrol seem to be a red herring.This will mean that all three captains will be out of the equation.

There is a captain leading the patrol, if we take him out that's one less leader and some men as well. I don't think its a red herring, as DM said there are several ways to go about this, if this can be done we should consider it.

We continue scouting as much as possible this night and then, if necessary, go back tomorrow. Remember, if we are scouting during the play, we are scouting in the early evening when the troops in the fort are still awake - drinking, playing cards, etc. This greatly increases the danger.

We can count, that's why the Judge has to go to the play. We subtract how many we see leaving on patrol, we subtract how many are at the play. There are officers, plus clerics, the magister and 102 men, we do the math.

Edmin drinking it up, but not to the point of complete incapacitation, with his dwarf friends.

Watered down ale for Edmin, and every third is only water. He gargles with the stuff before he meets the dwarves so that he smells like them.

Mind you, having a large group leave the city and then having the guard go down may raise some flags.

Except we will not ever leave and return as a group while the fort still stands, obviously we leave in two's or individually right?

I would love to take out the patrol, but this is not our objective. The goal is to take let the bugbears into the fort.

I say striking at the patrol is well within our means, it will weakien the fort's over strength and we get to see how strong our enemies are, better we learn this when we are fighting 8 and not up against 50, time for the Ninth to man and woman up.

Man, woman, dog and shadow-thing up? -- Watching with interest, anyway.

Cуровую's shopping list

What I ment was, can we burn the place down with most of them in it, or is it an outside venue. We don't want to show our hand yet until we are ready to really do this but if we can poison, burn, sabotage, etc this could be the time to do it.

Oh and a thing that does irritate me, and I see it happening to others as well, is people not really reading post and continuing with their own ideas plans etc. with out consideration for others. I would like to pose a way to stop this before it becomes more than just a minor irritation.
I believe this should get input from everyone so we can all come to an agreement.

Maybe something as simple as bolding/enlargeing major plans, ideas, or actions to make it easier for some to focus on them? It does seem to grab attention but will lose it's purpose if entire post are done that way.

Open for ideas or comments. Remember this is a game that everyone seems to enjoy playing. Let's not let this degrade into a finger pointing pouting match.

Goblin point finger at KANIGHT

but seriously. I have no idea what the current plan is. I am just following along and waiting for someone to tell me to do something, other than the bit with the wine, but that was a crime of opportunity in any event.

Currently if judge ays do this, then I do that, if someone else says do this I do that, unless it is totally against character.

Well, at least you did not pout.

Goblin pout!! See!? Kanight watch goblin pout!!!

I would watch you ...but your dead. I think you must be a drunken hallucination.

Goblin not dead. Goblin more powerful than u can possibly imagine!

Sorry been traveling the last two days and will be away until Sunday night sometime. Trying to get caught up now!

Jax is like Xen, he'll go along with whatever plan the others decide on. He made some comments but its too difficult to debate things with too many voices via PbP so he'll gladly stand down and accept whatever the others decide as long as its not out of character for him.

Oh and a thing that does irritate me, and I see it happening to others as well, is people not really reading post and continuing with their own ideas plans etc. with out consideration for others.

I make a point to read everyone's post, sometimes multiple times to make sure I understand. I also keep a notebook with a lot of notes, highlighted and with cute/not so cute drawings.

I've tried to post our group's ideas as well as our collected information about the fort and the occupants.

Jax has it on his page as well, it may not be fully updated.

I have a plan to suggest for the next day which I will post after the scouting mission. It involves Jax or perhaps Xen.

Burning the theater you say Edmin?

Interesting.

Burning the theater you say Edmin?

If we could make it like an accident, without putting the fort on alert, is there part of the play which fire is involved?

Also I don't think it would kill people, just rattle them up.

Still its an idea.

If we can trap them in and burn it down the fire or even the smoke may kill or incapacitate many. I say we scout it out and see if it is even a viable plan.

Its amazing what a fire elemental can do.

Edmin Al'Roth wrote:

Oh and a thing that does irritate me, and I see it happening to others as well, is people not really reading post and continuing with their own ideas plans etc. with out consideration for others.

I make a point to read everyone's post, sometimes multiple times to make sure I understand. I also keep a notebook with a lot of notes, highlighted and with cute/not so cute drawings.

I've tried to post our group's ideas as well as our collected information about the fort and the occupants.

Jax has it on his page as well, it may not be fully updated.

I have a plan to suggest for the next day which I will post after the scouting mission. It involves Jax or perhaps Xen.

Burning the theater you say Edmin?

Interesting.

As far as I know, its updated. Although not with current scouting information nor the specific dates for things (play, Mama Kolo stew) which we got recently. I updated it with your last big post on things to add. Let me know if its behind! Its handy to have that list to refer to (at least for me!)

We now have a clear way into the fort, we also have the names of all the captains now, the most senior sergeant, Captain Mott's adulterous wife, the pilfering inn keeper, possible results of the poison thanks to your alchemy, and knowledge that a captain is leading the patrol.

mm. Well, to reiterate, it's the night of Day Seven; tomorrow the patrol rides out, tomorrow night is the play, four days later is Mama Kolo's Stew Day. You're currently exploring one corner of the tower. What now?

Can we get a rundown of where the play will be held?

Once we finish this scouting run we should lay out all of our ideas and then figure out what we want to do.

We shouldn't discount any ideas but keeping it simple is always easier.

The performance will be in the great hall of Balentyne Tower itself.

I think the rundown atm is:
Judge - In favor of scouting tower and going to play
Dren - In favor of scouting tower
Cimu & Jax - in favor of scouting tower, taking out patrol (or at least watching where it goes to try and catch up to/annhilate it next day) and going to play

Xen seems fine going with whatever the majority choose and Jax is willing to do whatever if outvoted to move things along and lack of having too strong an opinion.

Add me to Cimu and Jax's pov.

Scouting the tower can be done at any time (though it's probably a better idea to do it at night, when most people are asleep and the lights are out).

Taking out the patrol conflicts somewhat with going to the play, because the patrol leaves tomorrow and the play is tomorrow night. It's not inherently impossible to do both, but by the time the play happens the patrol should be miles away.

BTW, a general question for you guys. This part of the adventure has been slow-ish, as you gather information and try to figure out the best way to tackle the Tower. By definition it's a lot of role-playing, information gathering, skill checks and discussion without any combat or action (yet).

Is it too slow? Too complicated? I have the impression people may be getting a little frustrated; is that right? It's a slightly unusual and challenging part of the adventure, and I am as usual adding in stuff and throwing the occasional curve. Just checking to see if this is working for y'all, or not.

I think we are almost at the point of some major action and I am fine how things are going. But to be honest my character is better suited to social interaction and scouting and less with combat anyways...

The social part is always tough unless the PC and DM are on at the same time and can toss back and forth statements. Nonetheless, it has been very interesting seeing the social structure of this ort develop.

I have been less involved than usual as work and moving my family really took a lot more time than expected. I am getting back into the swing of things, but sometimes it is tough to read 20+ posts and then respond to some/all of them. And it is even worse if I read them and cannot respond to them all, because when I return, I have to remember that I did not finish responding.

Anyway, I am having a great time with this so far and look forward to seeing how the party/campaign progresses.

I like it. I think we have ground to a crawl a bit. But that is because we are indecisive. We just need to make some decisions and go with it.

Also did we did figure out how to use the poison right?

I think we have a couple of options on the poison.
Mama Kolo's Stew Day is an obvious potential.
The other is poisoning the well with either the waters or both.

Cуровую, Jax and Edmin - in favor of scouting tower, taking out patrol (or at least watching where it goes to try and catch up to/annihilate it next day) and going to play

Here's my thought on that.

Cуровую will need a letter delivered to the tower early the morning day 8, hopefully before the patrol leaves. This will be a heavily Disguised Jax or Dren posing as Lieutenant Ivan St. Austell-in-the-Moor Biggleswade-Brixham.

On the way out Disguised Lieutenant Jax/Dren will 'coincidentally see' the patrol and ride with out with them for an hour or two, getting information of where they are headed.

The patrol can also be shadowed by Morsum, already sent out of the town the night before the patrol leaves if the Judge is willing to send Morsum to track.

The question now becomes do we try to take the patrol out right before the play and head back to town to attend the play and scout the tower or deal with it after the play?

This part of the adventure has been slow-ish, as you gather information and try to figure out the best way to tackle the Tower. By definition it's a lot of role-playing, information gathering, skill checks and discussion without any combat or action (yet).

Is it too slow? Too complicated? I have the impression people may be getting a little frustrated; is that right? It's a slightly unusual and challenging part of the adventure, and I am as usual adding in stuff and throwing the occasional curve.

We have great group here, lucky to have an exceptional DM (even if he wants to kill us), if we were around a table sipping wine/liquor, eating salty foods and making jokes at each other expense this would not even be needed to be asked.

Because of the nature of the mission there is the need of this type of back and forth between all of us, I really am enjoying the game, I take time to read all the posts (even the banter ones) and think things through, I am just worried that because of the length we are taking between posts that we forget some key ideas or miss a subtle DM hint.

The trip on the ship had 'slow' moments as well, we were just posting more frequently so it did not feel like a grind, I think everything is fine as long as we keep up our pace and ideas going.

Jax Naismith wrote:

Cуровую, Jax and Edmin - in favor of scouting tower, taking out patrol (or at least watching where it goes to try and catch up to/annihilate it next day) and going to play

Here's my thought on that.

Cуровую will need a letter delivered to the tower early the morning day 8, hopefully before the patrol leaves. This will be a heavily Disguised Jax or Dren posing as Lieutenant Ivan St. Austell-in-the-Moor Biggleswade-Brixham.

On the way out Disguised Lieutenant Jax/Dren will 'coincidentally see' the patrol and ride with out with them for an hour or two, getting information of where they are headed.

The patrol can also be shadowed by Morsum, already sent out of the town the night before the patrol leaves if the Judge is willing to send Morsum to track.

The question now becomes do we try to take the patrol out right before the play and head back to town to attend the play and scout the tower or deal with it after the play?

Seconded. Simply for the sake of making decisions to do something, as Xen said.

I have a Survival of +4, and Ragnar has one of +3 and Scent. I bet we could track them.

I have a Survival of +4, and Ragnar has one of +3 and Scent. I bet we could track them.

Are there any spells that boost track?

Not really. We could assist someone though, with guidance we can up it very quickly

Well Ragnar is useless. He has never rolled above a 5

Guidance has its limitations. But Survival is untrained, so it's usually not too hard to pile on the bonuses. "Everyone spread out and look for tracks!"

I suggested that either Jax or Xen in the Disguise of Lieutenant Ivan St. Austell-in-the-Moor ride for an hour with the patrol to get information on their route, and that Morsum could track them part of the way before he has to be dismissed, just to get an idea of their direction.

The White Witches of the North seem to have made use of Survival as part of their conditioning Cуровую has +9. (DM gave it as a class skill, wonder if he did this for this reason. Cheeky.)

Dren is fine with following them and slaughtering them. Having someone go along sounds risky.
The other issue is DM said it will be very difficult to do both. Do we want to take out the patrol or go the the play I think it is really one or the other. Remember we could use their uniforms and armor to pretend to be the captain once we enter the tower to cause even more confusion.
Whomever was the captain could issue orders to the men and they would probably be followed unless they are obviously against the towers interest or suicidal.

That being said, if the patrol is away, as long as we take out the tower before they return we gain nothing by taking them out, other than the disguise possibly. This doesn't hold true if they return before we try to take out the tower.

The play, it is held in the tower. Sounds like there is a lot of pitfalls but since it is in the tower maybe it is a better opportunity for us to complete scouting the tower. I was worried that we would be on the other side of town if Nimpy shows up...maybe we should use the opportunity.

Dren is fine with following them and slaughtering them. Having someone go along sounds risky.

That being said, if the patrol is away, as long as we take out the tower before they return we gain nothing by taking them out, other than the disguise possibly.

Only part of the way, no more than for an hour or two, to find out their route. It was just a suggestion.

DM mentioned the patrol would be back in a few days, a little under a week. I would expect we go after them well within the first 18 to 24 hours to put distance from the fort but still close enough for us to make use of the days before Mama Kolo's stew.

Group looking into the patrol (roll roll):

The patrol consists of Captain Varning and six men, all mounted. They leave at dawn tomorrow. For opsec reasons, the details of patrols are never discussed in advance, but a typical patrol lasts between three and six days and goes along the border either to east or west.

Weakening it might include:

-- Killing, removing or incapacitating enough soldiers so that the walls cannot be manned
-- Killing, removing or incapacitating enough leaders so that the soldiers cannot be effectively commanded
-- Eliminating key support personnel (clerics, the Magister, others?)
-- Eliminating key strategic assets (the rookery and its comm ravens, others?)
-- Eliminating key tactical assets (siege defense engines, others?)
-- Opening the portcullis (and keeping it open until the bugbears arrive)
-- Lowering the drawbridge (and ditto)
-- Other: Demoralizing or otherwise reducing the defenders effectiveness? Somehow blasting a big hole in the wall?

Let's keep this in mind.

Almost forgot the play will be in the tower, that will have to be of use to us as well, thanks for reminding Dren.

I am really worried about Nimpy and keep thinking of him, I would love to know his intelligence because I assume DM is playing him as such.

Jax how do you feel about riding with the patrol?

Xen as well, although you may be better at getting in with the actors.

I think Xen is better to try to work his way in with the actors

in fact way back I made a post about trying to get in with them. But since we have not advanced to teh next day it has not happenned

DM let me know if you need me to reroll things

I am really worried about Nimpy and keep thinking of him, I would love to know his intelligence because I assume DM is playing him as such.

If nothing else, he's had a lot of time to sit in the dark and think about things.

How exactly would Jax ride with the patrol, now? They don't normally allow civilians along.

Okay... you spend some time with Jax comparing notes and it turns out you have a mutual acquaintance. Lieutenant Ivan St. Austell-in-the-Moor Biggleswade-Brixham is the heir of the Viscount, and a noted wastrel. You ran into him a couple of years back, so you can mimic him effectively. Jax provides the information that Biggleswade-Brixham is a royal courier; he's an empty-headed dolt, but he does excel at horsemanship and he has a certain cavalier flair that impresses the peasants when he comes galloping through. He's been given the job to keep him out of the capital and out of trouble. It would make perfect sense for him to show up, hand over a document, and then ride off. Furthermore, he wouldn't stop long to chat with anyone he'd consider his social inferior (which is almost everyone, though a sufficiently aristocratic officer might compel his attention).

In the Disguise of Lieutenant Ivan St. Austell-in-the-Moor, he is hardly a civilian.

Douglas Muir 406 wrote:

Okay... you spend some time with Jax comparing notes and it turns out you have a mutual acquaintance. Lieutenant Ivan St. Austell-in-the-Moor Biggleswade-Brixham is the heir of the Viscount, and a noted wastrel. You ran into him a couple of years back, so you can mimic him effectively. Jax provides the information that Biggleswade-Brixham is a royal courier; he's an empty-headed dolt, but he does excel at horsemanship and he has a certain cavalier flair that impresses the peasants when he comes galloping through. He's been given the job to keep him out of the capital and out of trouble. It would make perfect sense for him to show up, hand over a document, and then ride off. Furthermore, he wouldn't stop long to chat with anyone he'd consider his social inferior (which is almost everyone, though a sufficiently aristocratic officer might compel his attention).

In the Disguise of Lieutenant Ivan St. Austell-in-the-Moor, he is hardly a civilian.

Even disguised, I don't think they'd let him come along. And we don't have any good, long-term disguise spells. Remember that Jax's alter-ego looks like a weak scribe. Not exactly the soldiery type.