Pixie Rogue's Adventures in Darkmoon Vale

Game Master Pixie Rogue

Gilgar struggles to get the leverage he needs to peel the gooey, drying stuff from his body with his free hand. He even seems to consider using the hammer to crack the shell forming around his face for a moment.

Gilgar's a round ahead of Nox, but going nowhere.

Nox will move towards the open doorwary in the brick wall as it is the only open door, but he will move carefully ready to fire if the newcomes can get through the goo.

1d20 + 9 ⇒ (19) + 9 = 28 perception check

The elf's sharp eyes serve him well. There was obviously a scuffle here, either among many creatures or at least for quite a while. The dust of a hundred years has been disturbed multiple times nearly everywhere, making it hard to read the tracks, but there are a couple of clear footprints where a kobold appears to have hidden behind a crate.

As he searches carefully, expecting an ambush, he finds no sign of any combatants until he looks behind the last barrel. He sees a tiny creature - definitely not a kobold - smaller than the halfling girl, even, but with extraordinarily long arms. Eyes wide at being found, it feebly tries to reach the Small barbed spear lodged in its back, but it is so weak that it can barely lift its arm.

It gives out an inarticulate moan of fear.

Nox will move slowly, and going through his languages to try to speak with the small creature...telling him that he means no harm.

languages: Common, Elven, Sylvan, Orc, Gnome, Druid, Draconic

It does not respond verbally, but the druid's tone is not lost on it. It relaxes somewhat but continues to watch, its eyes the only movement once it stops struggling and lets its arm fall limp.

A Knowledge (Dungeoneering) check might let you identify it. If you have no ranks in that Knowledge skill, you can still try up to a DC 10, sufficient to get a name.

1d20 ⇒ 2 knowledge dungeoneering

Duuhhhh, I dunno?

Heh, even with your Intelligence modifier, you can't hit DC 10.

The creature is pathetically weak right now. The spear still in its back is only one of several that struck it based on the other recent wounds on its body. You suspect that the spear might have carried a poison like the one that afflicts Graymoon, causing the weakness.

You don't know the thing's name, but it certainly does not evoke the personal reaction that a goblin or a kobold does to your elven blood. What do you wish to do?

Which reminds me - what is the state of your spells? Do we need to be looking for a rest? Gilgar, what about your rage for the day?

I believe I have 16 rounds of raging good time left, Cap'n.

My spells are pretty well cashed.

I will do a heal check on the creature.
1d20 + 7 ⇒ (12) + 7 = 19 heal check

You are sure the wounds were inflicted by more of the barbed spears and that there is poison involved in the creature's current state. If you wish, that roll will allow you to safely extract the remaining spear. You think that will allow him to survive since he did not bleed out from the actual wounds.

I will extract the spear.

The poor creature squeezes his eyes shut as you reach for the spear, visibly quivering. When you gently remove it, it obviously causes pain as it gasps. When it realizes that you have removed it, it looks at you with confused and grateful eyes.

After a moment, it is able to drag itself further into the shadows, hugging its knees with its long rubbery arms while it regards you.

Well done. You've made a friend - what it gains you will be determined later.

Nox will search the room and walls for anything of interest or use.

1d20 + 9 ⇒ (17) + 9 = 26 perception check

Unfortunately, what goods were once stored here have either been carted off - you can see signs of crates and barrels no longer present - or they have spoiled with age. The crates and barrels themselves might have value if you have reason to want dry seasoned wood.

When you come back around to the position of the odd little creature, he's disappeared, but a quick glance upward reveals a small foot disappearing into the shadows in the height of the room. His small face appears alongside the stone rafter and he looks at you for a moment before he retreats, disappearing from sight altogether.

Smoke has started to issue forth from the left webbed tunnel. The halfling girl pipes up, "That's cheating! The web won't last very long if they burn it out; less than a minute, maybe a lot less."

"Well, then, shall we see what they are made of? Or retreat to a more defensible position above?"

Gilgar finally frees himself from the drying slurk slime. By the time his breathing returns to normal, we are at the aforementioned point in the discussion - what's your next course of action? There are four of you present to defend one bottleneck and maybe two if they get the second one cleared.

Looking to the others who are fatigued from the recently battle What say you friends, do we fight, or regroup?

"Much as I's fer killin' vermin... We got who we come fer?"

Ol' burly and surly seems a little confused (probably oxygen deprivation from the slime mask)...

"Aye, that we do. Except for the halfling's friend, all the hostages are accounted for."

"So we's miss'n some'n... Good 'nuff excuse tuh keep killin' these li'l turds!" Gilgar bellows, eyes bright with malevolence...

So are you going to stand your ground here?

That appears to be Gilgar's desire...

Good a place as any

This should be interesting. I think a map is in order as well as some other homework. Stay tuned.

A little voice you might have forgotten issues forth from the kettle as the halfling Glenna stands back up and peers over the edge. "The lot of you are crazy, you know that? You three are going to stand here and take on an entire warren of kobolds and you aren't even scared."

She sighs, "I'm the one they want, so I can't let you fight without me. Does anyone happen to have a crossbow for my wee little hands? I lost mine when they grabbed us in the forest. All I have is the crazy old shaman's dagger that I stole before I fled with the boy."

She holds up an ornate dagger. "I can tell it's magic, but the images on the hilt make me wonder if it's a good kind of magic."

"Mr. Dwarf, Gilgar, right? I have something for you." She climbs back out of the kettle and moves over to the barbarian. "This is a good spell. I think you will like it very much, if you let me cast it." She waits for his permission to proceed.

Glenna's Initiative: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (14) + 4 = 18

Initiative rolls, please.

Initiative: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3

"Does he know you have the dagger?"

"He's crazy and old, but I don't think he's stupid. He'll know it was either me or the boy."

Map

It's a bit small, but you can zoom in. The black dot in the lower center of the room is the kettle, suspended over the pit in the floor. The wispy white areas are where webs still fill the two entrances. The one in the north wall (to Gilgar's left) is the one where they are burning out the webs.

From the entrance from which you anticipate the attack to come, you hear a gruff, angry voice and more than one fearful, submissive voice.

You have one round to prepare. Glenna will cast Enlarge Person on Gilgar during that round, assuming he lets her.

1d20 + 2 ⇒ (9) + 2 = 11 initiative.

We have a natural chokepoint with this side room if needed.

"Aye. Do yer spell." Gilgar says, eyeing the web-filled portals...

Needing an initiative roll from Gilgar.

Initiative: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6

The halfling begins casting her spell, carefully weaving eldritch threads into the muscle and bone of the muscular dwarf.

The dwarf can tell the smell of the smoke of the webs is growing stronger and the embers can be seen as the edges burn away from the two torches being wielded. It's still hard to make out much more than shadows through the webs - only the light of two distinct flames and a handful of voices really make it through.

Round 1
18 Glenna Casting Enlarge Person on Gilgar
17 Some Kobolds Clearing webs into the room where the party waits
11 Nox is up
10 Some more Kobolds
06 Gilgar
03 Graymoon
02 Yet more Kobolds

The kobolds are not where you can reach them yet, but they cannot reach you, either. Feel free to take a round to prepare or position yourself (I did not try to add coordinates to the map, so (for example) U3L4 for Up 3 squares, Left 4 squares will probably work best rather than trying to play Battleship on this map.

Gilgar moves to block the smaller passage (L1U1), saying "Block th' other passage. Kill 'em as th' lil buggers step up."

Round 1
18 Glenna Casting Enlarge Person on Gilgar
17 Some Kobolds Clearing webs into the room where the party waits
11 Nox is up Move, ready bow
10 Some more Kobolds Waiting for webs to clear
06 Gilgar Move to block passage
03 Graymoon Move to block other passage, ready weapon
02 Yet more Kobolds Waiting for webs to clear

Nox is going to have intermittent connectivity at best, so I will DMPC him for the moment.

Readying his bow, the elven druid moves to a position where he can shoot down either passage if it's cleared.

More kobold activity is heard from the passageway near the dwarven barbarian, and he steps in front of it as Glenna continues her casting.

The ranger, Graymoon, nods at the dwarf's suggestion and, checking to make sure his bow was stowed and his blade was clean moves into position alongside the other passageway with a nod to make sure Nox had a clear line of fire.

The fire in the passageway continues to move toward the room, eating away at the eldritch webs.

Glenna completes her chanting and places her tiny hand on the dwarf's arm and he quickly finds himself doubling in size. As she does so, the web before uberGilgar finally burns through and he can see a handful of kobolds in the narrow passage beyond, the first two holding torches and light picks, eyes wide at the sight of the enormous dwarf.

A gruff, deeper voice behind them shouts in Kobold.

Glenna shouts from her position next to Gilgar before the kobolds can react to their way finally being clear. "Hey! You ruined my beautiful webs!" Casting a quick spell, she flings the resulting blob of liquid at one of the first two kobolds.

Ranged Touch Attack: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (2) + 8 = 10
Electrical Damage: 1d3 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2

Striking him in the chest, electricity arcs across his chest and he cries out in pain. Scowling, he charges the little mage.

Gilgar can make an AoO on the wounded one in the front before it attacks him (it has -2 to AC). If it falls to the AoO, the second one will move up and attack. Since they cannot move past the dwarf, they will still be there on his turn, so he can make a second attack on his turn if he so chooses. (Is there any doubt?)

Whichever kobold makes the attack, it fails to hit.

Gilgar's turn

Round 2
18 Glenna Casting Acid Splash
17 Three Kobolds Charge Gilgar, one provokes AoO
11 Nox is up Readies attack with bow
10 Four Kobolds Stuck behind first three
06 Gilgar
03 Graymoon
02 More Kobolds

Map updated!

Via Enlarge Person, Gilgar gets a +2 Str and a -1 on attack rolls, so that's a wash on the attacks.

AoO 1-handed MW Adamantine Warhammer Attack: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (12) + 8 = 20
MW Adamantine Warhammer 1-handed damage (Enlarged): 2d6 + 3 ⇒ (3, 4) + 3 = 10

Gilgar, clearly gleeful at the prospect of destroying some more pesky rodents, bellows a gravelly "Yyyyyyyah!!!" as he feels the satisfying crunch of the hammer striking home.

Second attack
1-handed MW Adamantine Warhammer Attack: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (19) + 8 = 27
MW Adamantine Warhammer 1-handed damage (Enlarged): 2d6 + 3 ⇒ (2, 6) + 3 = 11

Awww! So close to a crit threat, yet so far away...

Round 2
18 Glenna Casting Acid Splash
17 Three Kobolds Charge Gilgar, one provokes AoO and gets crushed
11 Nox Readies attack with bow
10 Four Kobolds Stuck behind first three
06 Gilgar Crushes a second kobold
03 Graymoon Remains ready at the second passage
02 More Kobolds Charge Gilgar, one provokes AoO, awaiting result

The third kobold's eyes bug out and he yells, even as he continues forward,

Graymoon shakes his head at the explosion of gray matter and figures the dwarf needs no help. Turning back to the second passage, he concentrates, looking for signs that the webs are giving way anytime soon.

Another kobold moves past his fellows and into Gilgar's range and attacks. Since you have attacked, your AoO is reset. Feel free to roll your AoO if you wish. No map update yet.

FAR be it from me to not take an AoO

Enlarged AoO 1-handed MW Adamantine Warhammer Attack: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (15) + 8 = 23
MW Adamantine Warhammer 1-handed damage: 2d6 + 3 ⇒ (3, 3) + 3 = 9

And he tent-pegs another one! I will describe developments in another post when time allows.

Round 2
18 Glenna Casting Acid Splash
17 Three Kobolds Charge Gilgar, one provokes AoO and gets crushed
11 Nox Readies attack with bow
10 Four Kobolds Stuck behind first three
06 Gilgar Crushes a second kobold
03 Graymoon Remains ready at the second passage
02 More Kobolds Charge Gilgar, one provokes AoO and gets crushed by the enlarged dwarf

End of Round 2

Round 3
18 Glenna Casting Acid Splash
17 One Kobold Tries to pass Gilgar
11 Nox
10 Four Kobolds
06 Gilgar
03 Graymoon
02 More Kobolds

Glenna casts the same spell again, flinging a small orb down the passage.
Ranged Touch Attack: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (8) + 8 = 16
Damage: 1d3 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3

Her strike is visibly affective as sparks run across the creature's shoulder and it screams in pain.

A kobold tries to tumble past Gilgar, who is still dealing with the followthrough of his mighty hammer and is unable to swing at the creature. However, the maneuver is too tricky for the kobold and he doesn't get by the dwarf.

Nox is up!

Map update!

Nox will let fly at the first Kobold in line

1d20 + 6 ⇒ (3) + 6 = 9 bow attack

Nox is unable to strike the kobold past the dwarf.

The rest of the kobolds are unable to get past the dwarf. The closest tries to attack and finally draws blood from the massive dwarf.

Attack: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (11) + 3 = 14
Damage: 1d3 - 1 ⇒ (3) - 1 = 2

There are four kobolds left. They are lined up in the passage in front of Gilgar. I won't bother with the map at this point.

Gilgar is up!

Gilgar howls with glee as one of the little buggers finally has the stuff to show that they're worthy of the energy he's expending sending them to their graves. Whatever small measure of mirth was in him is quickly consumed, however, by the fire of Gilgar's wrath.

1-handed MW Adamantine Warhammer Attack: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (13) + 8 = 21
MW Adamantine Warhammer 1-handed damage: 2d6 + 3 ⇒ (1, 6) + 3 = 10

Gilgar's erstwhile attackers dodges no better than his fellows and he joins them on the floor, broken and discarded.

Graymoon holds off, sure his turn will come. Delaying.

No further activity this round...

Glenna is up!