OGGM's Hook Mountain Massacre (Inactive)

Game Master Jeff Przybylo

"If they have the misfortune of being in our way, we will deal with them appropriately and permanently."

"Tough!" Praxim says as he makes a rude gesture at the warning sign and deliberately climbs the next few steps.

"Yeah! You tell 'em, lad! Tough!" Thordak reemphasizes.

"If they have the misfortune of being in our way, we will deal with them appropriately and permanently."

"That's right! Permanently! We HATE giants and we will kill them all dead! DEEEEEEAD!" he yells at a random marking and then spits on it before following along after the others.

Rhianni sees the hatred in Thordak's eyes and hopes he never turns on her like that. She follows the others silently, wondering what these giants have in store for them, and hoping that they will meet the obstacles with their own strengths and power. She trembles a little at the thought.

"I am inclined to agree where Ogres are concerned," Lym says, "but I do not have sufficient experience of other Giants to agree or disagree. Honesty compels me to say some Giantish creations are quite aesthetically pleasing. The paintings of Rau Bhem are quite impressive, and his poetry is very moving."

The short passageway ends in a small alcove, but to the west, a fifteen-foot-high ledge provides access to a larger cave beyond.

It's a DC 15 Climb check to get up the ledge. What's more, there's a lot of loose rubble around, giving you a -4 to any Stealth check you might make on/around the ledge.

"I am inclined to agree where Ogres are concerned," Lym says, "but I do not have sufficient experience of other Giants to agree or disagree. Honesty compels me to say some Giantish creations are quite aesthetically pleasing. The paintings of Rau Bhem are quite impressive, and his poetry is very moving."

Are we speaking of Rau Bhem in his Surrealist period? Or in his short but brilliant Cubist period? I prefer the latter. Nicely done!

Lym Blackhand wrote:

"I am inclined to agree where Ogres are concerned," Lym says, "but I do not have sufficient experience of other Giants to agree or disagree. Honesty compels me to say some Giantish creations are quite aesthetically pleasing. The paintings of Rau Bhem are quite impressive, and his poetry is very moving."

Are we speaking of Rau Bhem in his Surrealist period? Or in his short but brilliant Cubist period? I prefer the latter. Nicely done!

Thank you. ^_^ And while the surrealist period is highly regarded, Lym prefers the cubist period, too. Given the size of Giantish paintings, one can walk into a cubist painting if it's folded correctly for the full artistic experience. :D

The paintings of Rau Bhem are quite impressive, and his poetry is very moving."

Kellen examines the ledge and casually adds:"Hmmm...problem is that for every Rau Bhem, you get Gontar's Black Paintings. Ain't much above what the Kreeg's were doing, if you ask me."

Without much preamble, he clambers to the ledge as quiet as cat and scans around. He then ties off and lowers a rope, whispers:"I'll brace for someone to come up...careful now."

Climb: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (16) + 8 = 24
Stealth: 1d20 + 14 - 4 ⇒ (13) + 14 - 4 = 23
Perception: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (6) + 12 = 18

Hopefully, that will help with the climb and noise factor.

"I am inclined to agree where Ogres are concerned," Lym says, "but I do not have sufficient experience of other Giants to agree or disagree. Honesty compels me to say some Giantish creations are quite aesthetically pleasing. The paintings of Rau Bhem are quite impressive, and his poetry is very moving."

Thordak turns to Lym sporting a confused look. "Who?" Shrugging as he doesn't really care, he moves to take the rope and climb up.

Climb: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (15) + 10 = 25

Tomaru does not say much as he climbs.

Climb: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (12) + 3 = 15

Climb 1d20 - 2 ⇒ (9) - 2 = 7

Rhianni uses the rope to climb to the ledge, with great difficulty.

Climb: 1d20 + 1 - 3 ⇒ (17) + 1 - 3 = 15

Praxis scrambles up the rope, making a point of completely ignoring the horrid conversation about giant painters.

Climb check 1d20 ⇒ 4 Lym is clearly having difficulties...

Kellen grips the rope tighter - hoping that helps sturdy it for Lym. "Less philosphisn'; more climbin'," he utters quietly.

Hold up there cowpokes! As Kellen reaches the top of the ledge...

In the far corner of the room, a large humanoid shape is huddled, gnawing on some old bones. As Kellen watches, the thing's two heads come and snuffle about, looking for more food...

The rest of you are still down on the lower part. It hasn't seen Kellen yet. Map is posted as 'Ettin Cave'.

This cowpoke is now holding ready to poke....

Kellen waves down to the others to indicate a quick stop. He whispers as quietly as can be heard: "Two-headed giant...be careful."

If there someplace to tie off the rope, he will try to do that while keeping an eye on the ettin. If that doesn't work, he will try and sneak away from the entrance to the upper corner. [

Stealth: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (16) + 14 = 30

There is no place to tie off the rope. Plus, you know the loose gravel will make it very difficult to climb quietly, even for you. You just happened to make it up without the ettin noticing.

"I can get the rest of us up there." It will use up most of my Dimensional Hop ability, but we'll all be up and fighting.

OK - then plan B. While Tomaru starts moving people, I'll try to sneak around to the upper corner. The idea is to get where I might be able to strike, but alternatively create a distraction so that he's not focused on the ledge.

"Thank you," Lym whispers, "but I can move myself."

The Wizard lets herself slide back down the rope and, once her feet touch the ground, mutters an incantation. Immediately, she lifts off again and comes to hover near the others.
"Have we a plan?" she asks. "And does it involve my flying out a few hundred feet and casting an Iceball into this giant's cave?"

Yay for Overland Flight! ^_^

"That could be one plan," Praxim agrees, before he and Tomaru wink out and appear topside.

Praxim knocks an arrow and trains it at the ettin, but waits.

Rhianni waits at the bottom of the ridge, waiting for the sounds of battle to be joined.

I'll start this and update the map later, because I may not have time tonite.

Kellen sneaks his way around to the northeast of the ettin, and waits. In a flash, Praxim and Tomaru appear, swiftly followed by the flying Lym. With a roar, the ettin gets to his feet and hefts his club.

"You no bribe me! I smash you for Skulltakers!"

Despite the appearance, you have the surprise round on the ettin. You each get an action. Then we'll get Init rounds going.

Tomaru will move to get into position to hopefully provide a flank for his allies.

Before any of the others can move into the cave, Lym mutters an incantation and shoots a tiny bead of blue light into the cave. Howling, arctic wind erupts out of the cave mouth as the air inside becomes deathly cold...!

Iceball on the Ettin. Reflex save DC 18 to halve 1d9d6 + 2 ⇒ (2, 4, 1, 3, 2, 3, 5, 1, 5) + 2 = 28 cold damage.

After Lym's ice storm, Kellen takes advantage of the ettin's distraction to take a shot at his back.

Falcata: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (15) + 10 = 25
S.Sword: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (4) + 10 = 14

damage: 1d8 + 5 ⇒ (2) + 5 = 7
damage: 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7

sneak attack: 3d6 ⇒ (2, 2, 1) = 5

Praxis unleashes a thistle arrow.

attack: 1d20 + 12 + 1 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (13) + 12 + 1 + 2 + 1 = 29
Damage: 1d8 + 8 + 1 + 2 + 2d6 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 8 + 1 + 2 + (5, 4) + 2 = 23

Bleed 1 on its turn.

Thordak climbs up after the others, hearing the ettin as he does. "Blast! I'm gonna be late to the party!"

Climb: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (15) + 10 = 25

Tomaru brought Thordak up with him and Praxim. Thordak gets an attack.

Oh okay. Cool.

Thordak draws the ogre hook he collected and readies to attack. "I'm comin' for ya, ya two-headed freak o' nature!"

Draw weapon

Thordak is indeed late. The ettin barely gets to its feet to lunge at you with its clubs before the party takes it down. Both faces look at each other in disbelief, then it dies.

Ettins ain't what they used to be, it seems.

Kellen pauses to listen and see if the noise of the attack has brought further attention or alarm from further inside.

Perception: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (1) + 12 = 13

"Was he some sop living here, or was he a sentinel or lookout?" Praxim asks nobody in particular.

You can hear a faint sound of metal on stone, coming from the direction of the dam through the cave opening. Add the sound of the water pouring over the hole in the dam, and its pretty obvious why no one heard the quick dispatch of the ettin.

"Was he some sop living here, or was he a sentinel or lookout?" Praxim asks nobody in particular.

"If he was, didn't seem to help much either way. Wonder if he has a key or anything important for passage," Kellen responds.

"Do you all hear that?" Lym asks as she comes floating up to the cave. "Metal on stone... Someone working to do even more damage to the dam?!"

"It could be a dwarven clan bent on making repairs." Not even Tomaru believes that though.

"It could be Saranrae pole dancing in an adamantine thong, but it isn't," Praxim retorts. "Let's end their efforts, shall we?"

Rhianni calls up for help to climb up, using the rope, but doesn't seem to make progress, for ebven this seems too difficult for her.

Climb 1d20 - 2 ⇒ (5) - 2 = 3

"It could be Saranrae pole dancing in an adamantine thong, but it isn't," Praxim retorts. "Let's end their efforts, shall we?"

"I'd pay good coin for that sight," Kellen says with a grin as he walks to the ledge.

Rhianni calls up for help to climb up, using the rope, but doesn't seem to make progress, for even this seems too difficult for her.

Miss Verdani, we have an appointment for six awaiting your arrival; let's make sure you don't miss it, eh? Grab hold and let's get you up." Kellen will take hold of the rope and hopefully be able to haul her up.

Tomaru activates the power on his Sihedron Medallion.
False Life: 1d10 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 = 8

"It could be Sarenrae pole dancing in an adamantine thong, but it isn't," Praxim retorts. "Let's end their efforts, shall we?"

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Good one, lad! Sarenrae pole dancin' in a thong... oh that's rich! Especially one made out of adamantine! You'd think she would've used mithral!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!" Bowling over in laughter, the dwarf finally manages to calm down. "Oh boy, that was a good one," he says as he wipes the laugh tears from his eyes. "Okay, I'm good. Let's go kill us some more giants," he says with a sniff.

+1 million for the Sarenae adamantine vs mithral thong thing: Praxim and Thordak. Did you guys get suddenly uninterested in loot? How will you pay for seeing goddesses in thongs pole-dancing? Searching...

The ettin keeps his treasure in a disorganized heap near his collection of sleeping furs in the northeastern cave. The loot consists of 693 gp; 1,240 sp; a velvet pouch containing six 100 gp pearls; a phylactery
of positive channeling; and an ivory scroll tube inset with strips of jade (itself worth 300 gp) that contains a scroll of cone of cold, a scroll of hold monster, and a scroll of telekinesis.

The loot consists of...

Noted on the loot list. ;-)

Lym frowns as she looks at the haul.
"It mentioned bribery... Seems to me someone was paying it to stand guard. All in all, they could have done better for this much loot."

"Who pays ettins in wizard scrolls? This is probably the property of some late fool adventurer the ettin had for breakfast."

"Let's go see just who employed our recently deceased watchman."

At Tomaru's suggestion, Kellen nods and stashes his bag. He then moves ahead to check out the entrance to the north.

Perception: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (13) + 12 = 25

Rhianni thanks Kellen for the help in getting up to the group, she then watches on as he looks to the cave to the north.