GM thunderspirit's Online Gameday PbP: Burnt Offerings (Inactive)

Game Master thunderspirit

Ander nods, readying his blade.

Initiative: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (10) + 3 = 13

Initiative: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (2) + 10 = 12 Assuming we get to go first,

Quiven will fire an arrow at the (red) goblin dog! Yep, you were right! More doggies!

Shortbow: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (5) + 8 = 13
Damage, with Sneak Attack: 1d4 + 1 + 2d6 ⇒ (1) + 1 + (4, 6) = 12

Initiative: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 2 = 7

Beleg moves into the courtyard and swings at one of the dogs.

Black Blade Power Attack: 1d20 + 6 - 1 ⇒ (13) + 6 - 1 = 18
damage: 1d6 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 3 + 2 = 10

Carl init: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3
LOL, that'll teach him to go radio silent. ;-)

Initiative repost:
Maddie 14
Ander 13
Quiven 12
Beleg 7
goblin dogs 4
Carl 3

Maddie, Ander!

Ander moves into the courtyard and attacks with his curve blade.

Attack: 1d20 + 8 + 1 ⇒ (12) + 8 + 1 = 21
Damage: 1d10 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 9

After moving forward a bit, it probably comes to no one's surprise when Maddie utilizes her Wand of Bless to aid the party!

45 charges left on wand.

Maddie drops a bless on the party.

Ander's curve blade lands a vicious blow on one of the goblin dogs.

Quiven's arrow downs one of the flat-footed goblin dogs.

Beleg's black blade drops another.

Brown retaliates on Ander!
chompy!: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (7) + 2 = 9
dmg: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 3 = 9 plus DC 12 Fort save if hit
It then promptly falls down!

Green does the same on Beleg!
chompy!: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (13) + 2 = 15
dmg: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4 plus DC 12 Fort save if hit

Carl bots in with his scythe and straddles the just-fallen goblin dog (giggity) with his customary Power Attack-ness.
slashy!: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (6) + 9 = 15
dmg: 2d4 + 12 ⇒ (3, 4) + 12 = 19
One headless goblin dog later, the party is OUT OF COMBAT!

"Well we're not getting worse, that's for sure." Beleg notes as he stomps out his cigarette.

You know, you should either get longer cigarettes or just stop smoking all together. They don't last long enough to smoke them and the smell is peee-yeew!

Quiven looks at the results of the party's attack. You're right though... we're getting better! Now where do we go? You wanna try this door here? Quiven moves to the door in the south wall and starts checking for surprises good and bad.

Taking 10 once more on all skills as usual.

"Hopefully they'll be no more Goblin Dogs. What a wretched animal." Maddie opines while she waits.

Sorry, all; my work had me busier than a one-legged person in a butt-kicking contest today. Stupid job interfering with gaming...! ;-)

Quiven doesn't see any traps on the door, and its lock opens easily enough to his dextrous fingers.

Shelves lined with crude tools, nets, and tack for goblin dogs line the walls here. In the corner to the left stands a large L-shaped wooden cage that contains dozens of rabbits.

Oh, rabbits. Nothing to see here! Quiven decides that maybe he should try the door over where Beleg and the corpses are sitting. Take-10 as usual.

When Quiven approaches the door to the outbuilding, he sees that the door has been nailed shut from this side, and additional boards have been nailed over these nails. Closer examination reveals that the door itself is cracked and splintered in places. The two dead goblins here have had their heads crushed by something heavy, and the ripening bodies are covered with flies.

Umm, you guys wanna take a look at this? Quiven says as he checks out the door. And these guys STINK, wow! The halkfling steps back from the door so some of the larger folk can take a look. Other than all the nails it seems safe enough to open... but do we wanna?

Carl listens to the door. Take 10 for 20.

Carl whispers I hear something behind the door. It is probably a sewing machine or maybe a blender. Shall I open the door?

"A what?" Beleg asks.

Nevermind... Carl opens the door.

Carl, give me a Strength check.
(And make it a good one.)

Up to three others may assist if they want.

Ander helps Carl open the door.

STR check AID!: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (11) + 1 = 12

Carl asks Can anyone guide my or maybe other magics?

want me to wait for 3 assists?

Go ahead and roll for Beleg and Quiven (both he and Maddie have a +1, but I'll assume she casts guidance instead). Then roll for Carl.

Maddie indeed casts Guidance on Carl, despite still appearing confused about something he said earlier.

1d20 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2
1d20 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3

I hate me

Carl with help and guidance.
1d20 + 6 ⇒ (13) + 6 = 19

Moreover, so do Beleg and Quiven, evidently.

Carl pulls very hard (huh-huh, huh-huh), but the nailed boards stubbornly won't budge.

Stupid door

assist: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 2 = 10

Assist!: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (14) + 1 = 15

Guidance!

T20!

Carl will take his time with this and take 20 with guidance and assists for a fun loving 30 (if that is possible)

It may be against the rules to T20 here, but a) I'm too busy/lazy this morning to look it up and verify that and b) success here would qualify as cool. So, eff it.

The party pulls and tugs and finally manages to get the boards off the door after a few minutes. With some more work, the door opens too.

Within is a magnificent (though definitely emaciated) and extremely agitated war horse with wild eyes that Carl thinks sounds much like a sewing machine or a blender cos fighters don't get much in the way of Knowledge skills.

All party members may take a standard action before we need to roll initiative.

I'll wait to see if anybody might be able to tame said war horse before I attack or something. One of the few skills I do not have currently is Handle Animal.

EDIT : Forgot to roll for Initiative: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (11) + 10 = 21

Maddie tries to stay out of the horse's way, "I can only imagine what horrors those goblins subjected it to."

Heal Check on Determining Horse's Condition: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (8) + 10 = 18

Initiative: 1d20 ⇒ 20

Beleg casts a spell Arcane Mark on his blade when he sees the foul thing before him.

What does Arcane Mark do for you there?

Nothing yet. But next round if I move up to it I can Spellstrike to get an extra free attack to deliver the spell through my Black Blade.

init: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (19) + 2 = 21

Carl blinks a few times then looks to the party for some sort of guidance..

Initiative: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 2 = 7

Initiative: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6

Ander shrugs, not knowing what to do.

Quiven, sensing that no one is stepping up to try to tame the beast, quickly decides (or panics) that he'd rather not risk getting trampled and fires an arrow while he still has a tactical advantage.

Bow vs FFAC: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (4) + 8 = 12
Damage: 1d4 + 1 + 2d6 ⇒ (2) + 1 + (4, 1) = 8

Tailor-made for a Ranger and/or Druid, and none to be found. Ah, well. ;-)

Hmm. How about a Kn: local check and/or a Kn: nature check from anyone before we roll dice in anger here? It's not critical to anything in the story — just a nice little part that's been included in the AP — so if y'all end up fighting the horse, then you end up fighting the horse.

Knowledge (Local): 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (10) + 5 = 15

Knowledge (Nature): 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (8) + 5 = 13

"Goblins hate horses, it's unusual for them to keep one alive so long." Maddie explains while examining the animal.

KN: nature: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 4 = 20
KN: local: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (12) + 4 = 16

Ander puts his hand up. Quiven don't! Ander moves slowly toward the horse and the halfling. Goblins hate horses, more than they dogs. It is surprising to find one alive, let alone one of this breeding. Someone of stature must have owned this horse.

Oh, I can do that!

Know Local: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (16) + 5 = 21
Know Nature: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (9) + 2 = 11

Before releasing his arrow Quiven recalls something about goblins. Wait! Your right! Why did these guys keep a horse alive? They really do HATE horses, alot! Maybe he is special?

"Or maybe there's something else here, either fighting against the goblins or acting as the goblins' prisoner."

Beleg thinks for a moment. Assuming this isn't a crazy hostile horse "Let's leave it and look around some more. Maybe we'll find the owner."

It is not, in fact, a crazy hostile (to you guys) horse, and it is only too happy to hang about here calmly after you guys drop a little food for it to eat.

Carl gets the smart idea to shut the door again, reasoning that any wayward goblins already know how dangerous messing with it can be, if the goblin corpses are any indication.

Moving on...?

Quiven, relieved that they did not have to fight the beast, moves to the door in the north wall and does his thing. If all is well, he'll open it.