GM G's Rise of the Goblin Guild (Inactive)

Game Master Magabeus

Nodding vigorously at the decision to keep weapons out of the hands of the vermin, Sterelin adds to the conversation, "Should we begin at a tavern, see if there is any word on the street as to this goblin ring? I'd rather not simply trust this creature's word on the situation."

"Hmm... not a bad idea. Let us see what's the bees knees!"

You visit several taverns and confirm what Merevelyn already knew.

Venture Captain Heidmarch loans you a horsecart and horse and also gives you some jars of pickles. Merevelyn manages to convince Ekkie to lay low in the cart, although Ekkie obviously is disgusted at seeing the horse.

Ekkie can peek out through a small hole and leads you to a knackery, where you see a middle-aged man of mixed Varisian / Chelish descent and a graying walrus-like mustache just closing down the premises.

Ekkie whispers to Merevelyn "that is the longshanks horse-killer"

Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (2) + 5 = 7
Marduk takes in the scenery and notices more of the environment in general rather than finer details.

He leans in to Saitama.
"That mustache is awful, irori would likely rip it off if it was up to him."

"Do we want to apprehend this man to? Or wait for him to leave," Darmut asks grimly.

Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 5 = 8

Perception: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (1) + 11 = 12
Caelum's Perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (11) + 9 = 20

On the way, Caelum flits to each of the team, letting them know that Ekkie can, indeed, understand Common, and then back to Merevelyn with his new findings.

"Excuse me, sir, but may we have a moment? We're Pathfinders and are seeking to investigate and end a goblin threat to the Society and the city. Something tells me that you may be experiencing such difficulties yourself? We'd be grateful to learn what you know and glad to help if there's a problem."
Diplomacy: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (17) + 15 = 32

The man twists the end of his mustache as if he is in pain and almost whines

“What could I do? Those little vermin have got me right where they want me! At first, I tried locks and bars to stop them, but the thefts got worse. If there’s any way in, they’ll find it!. Then the big, creepy one, at least a foot taller than me, came one night. It put the fear right into me, I’ll tell you, lurking there in the shadows with its snuffling breath and twitching ears. It said it knew exactly where my family lives and said it’d know if I tried to go to the watch. Then they burned down my shed outside to make their point. So I’ve had to go along with them, leaving the best slabs of meat for them and ignoring the scurrying I hear down in the cellars at night. If I don’t, they’ll burn down my home and murder my family!”

He reopens the gates and lets you through.

"I will show you where they come out of the sewers, it is an old drain where I leave good meat to pay for their 'protection'"

Kinda got skipped ahead before I could say this, but can we wait a day before doing this? It does not seem hugely time sensitive and having spells back would be good.

Sure, then read "just closing down the premises" as "just opening the premises."

Sounds good. We'll have taken turns with babysitting the little monster, except Merevelyn since she need her uninterrupted "mage's sleep". ;)

Merevelyn asks for what details the butcher can remember about the large goblinoid and tries to identify it. She then advises the butcher, "Continue to leave the protection meat for now, but be careful and consider having your family stay somewhere else, in case some goblins slip away and think of revenge. We'll make sure, though, that they know that we are Pathfinders, not the city watch."
K (Local): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (14) + 8 = 22

"I didn't think about the horse!" Merevelyn admonishes herself, then apologizes to Ekkie, promising that the party is just keeping it around until it is time to eat it. "How far is the lair from here, Ekkie?" Merevelyn asks, in Goblin, keeping up the pretense.

From the details the butcher remembers Merevelyn pieces together that the large goblinoid is probably a bugbear. Ekkie says that it is approximately an hour's walk through the sewers to the lair.

Can you specify your order of march in the sewers? Sewers are 15 ft wide, with a 5 foot wide sludge channel in the middle. That leaves two 5ft wide ledges on either side. Do you all walk on the same side?

It is also dark down in the sewers, so please take care of that. Is Ekkie bound or can she move freely while guiding you? Anything else the GM needs to know before he posts the map?

Marduk wil, take middlewatch if there is no problem. Equal chance to run at when either side is attacked.

"Most of my powers work well from a distance, so I would be best behind the lines so to speak. I can make dancing magical lights that last about a minute and have a couple of torches if no one has more potent magic."

Merevelyn takes her ioun stone out of a pocket and sends it flying around her head, providing torch-like illumination around her.
Merevelyn has low-light vision, so will be able to see normally 40' and dimly to 80'.

Merevelyn is a bit squishy too, so she'll be just ahead of Sterelin.

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (10) + 6 = 16

Wyeth has a reach weapon, so he can work from the front line or back one rank. I'm fine with whatever you folks think is best.

Once out of sight of the butcher, Merevelyn asks first about Ekkie, "So, do we let the cat out of the bag?"

Then she asks, "Same side or opposite side of the sludge? Opposite would allow two of us to strike from the front, to better flank opponents, and to strike from distance unblocked."

Darmut shrugs, "Me and Shersht can take the lead, we will follow the goblin's directions and if she runs Shersht will be at hand to... disme... discourage her."

Darmut on one side Shersht on the other flying where possible.

I have a good hunch at what you were about to say. With Merevelyn present it will likely not come to the need i hope.

After almost an hour's walk you come to a T-junction. Ekkie points to the left and says, "there the lair begins, it was at that junction that they found me and that Versevosh spoke with me, telling what I was to do."

Map posted
Taking it slowly, so that I do not rush you into something.

Merevelyn casts Mage Armor on herself, and then on Sterelin, too, using a scroll. "Sorry, Wyeth, you look studier and I am out of spells. I may look into a wand, pull a few strings with the Lodge." "Ha, Merevelyn! Listen to yourself!"

She then casts Detect Magic and scans both directions at the intersection.

Caelum flits ahead and lands just before the intersection to the left, listening before flying back to Merevelyn.
Perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (8) + 9 = 17 (Some things seem like they should always be rolled...)
Stealth, take 10 for a 24.

"Thank you, Ekkie ... and Plurk," Merevelyn tells the goblin - in Common - with a wink and a smile. "Follow, tell us what you know, and take care of yourself, okay? I'll reward you with pickles, spicy horse meat, and more if we all get through this."

She then carefully checks the slipperiness of the edge of the sewer, backs up, and takes a running leap across. "Going to need that scroll of prestidigitation before this is over..."

Acrobatics, Take 10, for a 12. (... But not a jump across a sewer.)

Unfortunately a thrush has no darkvision, do you send a light with Caelum?

Good point, but it does have low-light vision (Thrush familiar). So, if Merevelyn was standing where she is (by my counting), the light from her ioun torch would appear normal just up to that western intersection, and then dim for up to 40 more feet beyond that, depending on how the corner blocks it. (He's just listening there, not trying to peer around the corner.)

Saitama would be in the front lines, headstrong and cocksure... or was it the other way around? He'd also have a torch in his buckler hand, too.

Darmut casts light upon his trident as he moves forward.

Caelum comes flying back and tells Merevelyn that he heard some noise around the corner, as if someone was scratching an itch.

Merevelyn bluff: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (17) + 9 = 26
Ekkie sense motive: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (15) - 1 = 14

Ekkie almost falls in the sludge channel at Merevelyn's words and then blushes. She replies in common

"Yes misses, I will do that"

Merevelyn lands perfectly on the other side of the channel

the channel jump is a dc10 as it is just 10 ft.

Saitama will leap over the crevice easily with a T10 on Acrobatics.

"Wait, what?", Saitama replies, now aware that the goblin can speak in non-Goblin. "By Irori's blessing, you have already learned so much from us!", surprised as how fluent Ekkie is her "new" language.

Darmut snorts in amusement and motioning to Shersht leaps the channel and after waiting for his companions turns the corner.

"No need to apologize, Merevelyn. Apply your resources where they'll do the most good."

Wyeth eyes the sludge channel, then looks down at his stump and sighs. Backing up to the wall, he takes something approximating a run at the gap and leaps across.

Acrobatics (jump): 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (16) + 2 = 18

"Okay, which way, now? Left, right?" he asks with a grin.

Status

Darmut's Light Spell: 9 rounds left

Next:
Darmut

Darmut, moving around the corner is either 5ft step or part of a regular move action, your choice

Darmut hurls his trident, but cannot quite connect then he whistles calling for Shersht to flank and attack.

The roc soars around the corner over the goblins and snaps at the western most goblin from behind, but cannot pierce its armor.

Trident: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (10) + 1 = 11
DC 15 Fly check to turn corner: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (12) + 9 = 21
Bite: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (6) + 6 = 12 Damage: 1d6 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 2 + 1 = 9

Darmut, as you have a +8 on handle animal for Shersht, please roll the DC10 to get Shersht to attack

Saitama, you are next!

Oh, sorry, sure :)

Handle Animal: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (9) + 8 = 17

no problem, remember to assign a rank to HA when you level :-)

Hearing Darmut engage, Sterelin nods and says,"now that we're in the thick of things..." Sterelin then utters arcane words of protection and then steps up around the corner so that he can see what we are facing.

Cast mage armor

Seeing Darmut draw a weapon and call out to attack, Saitama darts forward, ahead of Darmut. Seeing a trio of goblins, the Tien man braces himself for goblin attacks using the patented Iroran Monkey Dodge technique.

Saitama is moving so that he's 4 squares South of the West-most goblin, then taking total defense for +4 AC

Goblin NW, flank: 1d20 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (16) + 2 + 2 = 20
Damage: 1d4 ⇒ 3
Goblin SW, flank: 1d20 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 + 2 = 10
Damage: 1d4 ⇒ 1

Saitama darts forward and steps just in time as he spots a pit trap right in front of him (red area)! Two of the goblins gang up on the Roc that just landed in their midst, but luckily they miss. The last goblin waits to see if someone comes over the pit, he has a net in hand, ready to throw.

Sterelin casts a protective spell and also steps around the corner. Ekkie waits where she is.

Saitama notices that the pit has ledges on either side, 6 inches wide. Acrobatics DC15 to move over that at half speed, and there is a goblin waiting with a net to throw when you are balancing there...

Status

Darmut's light: 8.5 rounds left
Goblin E: readied attack

Next:
Darmut
Ekkie
Marduk
Merevelyn
Saitama
Shersht
Sterelin
Wyeth
Goblins

Ah, I didn't realize Sterelin already had mage armor; I thought I checked. :-\ So, perhaps I can have had Merevelyn cast it on Wyeth instead. Either way.

Merevelyn runs around the corner, levels her wand at the nearest goblin, and fires a bolt of force into it.
Magic Missile: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5

I've never understood whether one can stand in the space right before turning the corner and, with a ranged weapon, fire and get cover. I think so, picking a far corner and 'shooting down the line', but its unclear.

Darmut retrieves his club steps forward and flings it at the net wielding goblin but missing his target. Shersht assaults the goblin, his claws both drawing blood as his beak struggles to penetrate the beasts armor.

Club: 1d20 + 1 - 4 ⇒ (15) + 1 - 4 = 12
Bite: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (10) + 6 = 16 Damage: 1d6 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 2 + 1 = 5
Talon: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (15) + 6 = 21 Damage: 1d4 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4
Talon: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (19) + 6 = 25 Damage: 1d4 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3

"Aye carumba!", shouts Saitama, invoking one of Irori's many secret blessings of praise for the fortuitousness to not fall into a pit.

Taking out his sling, the warpriest flings a sling bullet at the closest, the net wielding one already distracted by the bird.

Sling @ Goblin in line with Saitama: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 2 = 7
Damage on hit: 1d4 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 3 = 7

And the bullet lands into the sludge with a plop.

Marduk hears the frantic battlecries and cautiously moves around the corner, ending up in front of Darmut.

Move: as per above
Standard: Total defense, +4 Dodge until next turn. (AC 20)

Saitama also yells out, "Do not cross the Iroran line or you will surely fall!"

Wyeth moves up to the corner and peers around it to assess the situation. I don't see coordinates on the map; he's moving to the square southeast of Darmut.

And I'm not trying to avoid the fight, guys; with a 20' move I can't get him set up for either magic or a useful ranged attack in one round.

Wyeth, putting coordinates on such a big map did not really help, therefore I did not put them down. Please be as clear as you can in moving, for instance "30ft move: N-N-NE-NE-E helps" or, "move to the square to the SE of Darmut" helps a lot ;-)

Shersht kills one goblin with beak and talon and then severely damages the other goblin with the remaining talon. Saitama manages to sling his bullet behind him in the sludge while trying to throw it forward. Merevelyn then finishes the goblin that was already wounded by Shersht.

The last goblin standing has had it and tries to flee around the corner. Shersht is not one to let this go easily and bites at the coward, felling the creature!

Attack: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (18) + 6 = 24
Damage: 1d6 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 2 + 1 = 7

Combat is over, however there is still a trap to traverse at acrobatics DC15.

Before I forget, loot that might be of interest, after you cross the pit...
Alchimist's fire *6
Caltrops *6

Was it at DC 15 at over half speed, or can we try the pit slower and safer along the edge?

Merevelyn is going to look into the pit and see if it appears safer to descend into to get to the other side, or whether it can be transversed more safely along the edge.

Perception: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (9) + 11 = 20

If needed:
Acrobatics: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (14) + 2 = 16
Well, I made it, but most of my characters wouldn't (clerics and paladins).

I wasn't complaining, more like saying if the coordinates were there I'd missed them -- it's a big map! :o)

Wyeth moves to the ledge on one side of the pit and experimentally pokes at it with his peg leg to see how much traction he can get.

"Mighty narrow ledge. Somebody may have to pull me out of the muck in a few seconds."

Almost begrudgingly, the oracle intones "గైడెన్స్" as he motions with his free hand (casting Guidance) and then steps cautiously onto the ledge and begins inching his way across.

Acrobatics: 1d20 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (13) + 2 + 1 = 16 Whoa...

Eventually reaching the other side, he turns to look back across the pit, a huge relieved grin on his face. "Next!"

Was not read as a complaint Wyeth, no worries! And it is a big map, I ran the scenario yesterday night at home and I could not fit the map on my 1.5 m diameter round table in one go.

As you did not disturb the surface of the pit you have no idea how deep it is ;-)

Ekkie easily makes it to the other side
Acrobatics take 10: 10 + 10 = 20

Darmut takes a run up and to his own surprise launches himself effortlessly over the pit. Searching the goblins he takes an alchemists fire.

Acrobatics: 1d20 - 2 ⇒ (20) - 2 = 18

Merevelyn will carefully watch the flasks of alchemist's fires, in case there are any temptations on a certain goblin's part, until they are distributed among the group, and Caelum keeps an eye on Ekkie. "Maybe when you are ready to leave town," she suggests. She'll then help search the bodies for items, giving any 'goblin treasures' (i.e. things unsuitable for anyone else to possess) to Ekkie.

Next, Merevelyn casts Detect Magic and looks down in the pit for auras. She'll toss in the goblin weapons to check the depth. "Could be important for the way back," she explains.

Putting considerable pressure (> 50 lbs) opens the pit, it is 10 ft deep and has clearly be used as a garbage disposal place. Fungi are growing on the ground and walls. No magic is detected.

Darmut tosses the goblins into the pit, retrieves his club and trident and recasts light before turning the corner with Shersht.

I thought Ekkie had left?