Red Hand of Doom PBP

Game Master Tanner Nielsen

Adele lays a hand on Findor's reptilian shoulder. "With Shelyn's assistance, we may hope to lay claim to more of the hobgoblins' ill-gotten treasure. Perhaps we can repay your friend with an item of similar value in the future."

Findor nods in agreement. "I concur. The debt shall be repayed."

He raises a claw to shield his eyes from the sunlight.

"I believe I shall retire for the evening and prepare my spells for tomorrow. I just realized we had left a dead hydra very close to a river that may be a major water supply for the townfolk. We should at least move the creature's body to prevent contamination. Of course, my arrow is also still up there, and I should like to collect some... 'souvenirs' of my deadly encounter."

Huffing indignantly as he is hustled out of the shop, Narses let's fly a string of mutterd curses at the esenticity of wizards and their ilk.

"We should get goin' as soon as wer' ready." is Narses's oppinion.

Indeed. I am a little on edge in the settlement, and our last trip was cut short somewhat... I hope our sojourn won't have any unexpected casualties this time...

Hey Dragox, what level do you get Breath of Life? 7th or 9th isnt it?

Also I just realised I can have both the Scout and Swashbuckler archtypes... Woot.

physical enhancement +2 Dexterity: +1 ranged weapons, +1 AC, +1 Dexterity based skills.

Spells Prepared:
3rd: still scorching ray x2, still cat's grace
2nd: still shield x2, still expeditious retreat x2
1st: true strike x5

Spellcraft check to learn mage armor spell from scroll.
1d20 + 12 ⇒ (13) + 12 = 25
(cost 10 gp to record into spellbook)

physical enhancement +2 Dexterity: +1 ranged weapons, +1 AC, +1 Dexterity based skills.

Spells Prepared:
3rd: still scorching ray x2, still cat's grace
2nd: still shield x2, still expeditious retreat x2
1st: true strike x5

Spellcraft check to learn mage armor spell from scroll.
1d20+12
(cost 10 gp to record into spellbook)

Not had a look at the new transmuter stuff yet, but your +2 to dexterity won't stack with cats grace will it? If your ever stuck on what to do with one of those cat's graces you know where i'll be ;)

Findor Liamiel wrote:

physical enhancement +2 Dexterity: +1 ranged weapons, +1 AC, +1 Dexterity based skills.

Spells Prepared:
3rd: still scorching ray x2, still cat's grace
2nd: still shield x2, still expeditious retreat x2
1st: true strike x5

Spellcraft check to learn mage armor spell from scroll.
1d20+12
(cost 10 gp to record into spellbook)

Not had a look at the new transmuter stuff yet, but your +2 to dexterity won't stack with cats grace will it? If your ever stuck on what to do with one of those cat's graces you know where i'll be ;)

It won't stack, but it will replace. :) I'll keep you in mind. So far, it doesn't really look like you need it.

"I would suggest we bypass the ranger's cabin this time around," Adele offers, with a glance at Findor. "If he wasn't eager to welcome us last time, I doubt the addition of a kobold will make his dogs any happier."

Guffawing a laugh at Adele's last comment Narses agreas. "Y'er probbably right on that one hur hur.."

"What a strange reaction," Dragox says as Sertieren slams the door behind the party. "If we make it back here, perhaps we should try to figure out what just happened."

Feek, yep, Breath of Life is a 5th level, so it becomes available at level 9. Long way away!

Findor pulls the hood up over his head, trying to shield his eyes from the dazzling sun's rays.

"Narses, I know I have a lifedebt to repay. Accept this for now."

Findor hands Narses his potion of enlarge person.

"It is not enough to repay your sacrifice completely, but it is what I have for now."

Narses relucantly accepts the profferd potion from Findor, "Well.. umm.. Thanks."

Any other business before departing?

Also, would you like a name for your brave band?

The Elsir Crusaders? We definitely need something that will inspire the populace in the long run...

No other business. I seem to have a huge amount of gold as I had a few thousand left over at character gen... But aside from the potions I bought, can't think of anything to spend it on.

No other business. I seem to have a huge amount of gold as I had a few thousand left over at character gen... But aside from the potions I bought, can't think of anything to spend it on.

You'll probably be happy you have it if we ever get to Brindol, where all the high-level casters seem to live. :) No, no more business in town. As for names, I'm terrible at them, particularly with a group as heterogeneous as this one. The Valiant of the Vale? The Silver Sword of Freedom, to contrast with the Red Hand of Doom?

I am fine with anything the team agrees with. Unfortunately I have zero creativity coming up with cool monikers.

Let's see if we can get a little further before trying to come up with a name for ourselves. After our next genuinely valiant battle, I think we can come up with something. We may have been traveling together for a while, but I don't think for our entire adventuring careers, so we might want to really see how well we can engage before we can truly give our group a name. I'm all for the flair and dramatics, but I think it should be truly descriptive.

I think it should have something to do with a dragon, preferably a silver dragon, but I could not tell you why or how I came up with that. Perhaps it is because the Hobogblins use the red claw symbol, and call themselves the People of the Dragon, which makes me think of a Red Dragon, and the Silver Dragon is the archetypal enemy of the Red.

Something like The Silverclaws or Silverscale Warriors but I'm hoping something a little more descriptive will pop into my mind after adventuring some more together.

After some rest, relaxation, and reincarnation, you are back on your feet and traveling through the Witchwood. You pass Jorr Natherson's cabin and the causeway where the hydra carcass still lies half-submerged in the muck. No other animals or creatures harass you and your travel is fast and fleet. Within a day's journey, you near the spot marked 'Vraath Keep' on the map given you by Jorr.

Looming out of the shadowy woods ahead is a haunting sight - a ruined keep. The old castle sits on a small rocky hillock, and you can catch glimpses of a broken tower between the trees. A moss-covered stone at the side of the road you're following marks a footpath that looks like it leads up to the keep.

Eyeballing the distance, you appear to be 200 yards away.

DM, did we get a chance to rest for an evening and get spells back? If so, I might swap a couple out real quick, if that is cool with you.

Yes, you spent an incredibly restful night at the village inn before proceeding with your quest.

Feek sees they are approaching the keep, and immediately beckons the party to the undergrowth, out of sight from the keep.

We don't know what we're up against... Give me 15 minutes to have a scout around- i'll be invisible and there's no way they'll hear me coming. the Goblin says in a quiet voice.

"I can cast a spell to ensure you make no noise, if you would like, Feek."

Wanna Silence spell cast on you?

Current spell list is on my profile, DM.

"I can cast a spell to ensure you make no noise, if you would like, Feek."

Wanna Silence spell cast on you?

Nice idea, but i'd like to be able to re-apply Invisibility if I need to.

No thankyou, Dragox Feek says with a smile.I'm already like a ghost... We have to give these hobgoblin's a fighting chance...

DM, plan for the first casting of invisibility is to do a sweep of the outside of the keep, doing a perimeter sweep and looking for entrances, guards, things of interest. Feek has a 40 feet movement speed, and i'll roll Stealth and Perception now in case they are needed. Would like to know how much invisibility duration I have left when the sweep is done too, roughly.

Stealth-1d20 + 40 ⇒ (2) + 40 = 42
Perception-1d20 + 11 ⇒ (9) + 11 = 20

As they returned to the site of the hydra's death, Findor goes about with a strange arcane ritual of cutting loose the hydra's teeth, until he has gathered several up, then he looks for his durable arrow, fingind it still imbedded in the hydra's body. He takes out his unguent of timelessness and poors a drop or two on the arrowhead, preserving the blood on its surface, then he snaps the head off the arrow. (-1 durable arrow)

With everyone's help (I'm assuming?), the hydra's body is pulled onto dry land and set aflame.

"Do be careful, Feek," Adele whispers before he heads up the path. "If the hobgoblins are in there, they may have trapped the approach." She manages a smile. "If you get in trouble, yell loud."

She turns to Findor, still whispering in case there are enemy ears about. "If you don't mind my asking, Findor -- and if you think there's any chance I could understand the answer -- what were you doing with the arrowhead from the hydra? I assume there's some sort of arcane purpose to it?" Adele has seemed particularly attentive to the elf-turned-kobold on the journey, perhaps watchful for any signs he is having trouble with the bodily transition.

Staying in point during the journey, Narses will let Feek do what he does best. Watching him in quiet amazement as he darts to and fro from flank to flank as he seems to scout every angle at once.

Narses will quietly watch over the path to the old fort, nodding to Feek as he heads off to scout and making sure the party stays concealed.
Stealth 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (15) + 11 = 26
percaption 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (17) + 11 = 28

Findor raises a claw to his toothy grin in a secretive manner, and conceals himself in the cool shadows of a large leafy bush nearby.

Stealth 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (15) + 9 = 24

He whispers back to Adele. "It will make a fine centerpiece for a necklace I am making. Yes, yes! It will!"

Stealth 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (7) + 7 = 14

Adele does her best, but going unnoticed isn't her strong suit.

Stealth 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (9) + 6 = 15

Wouldn't worry too much, your 200 yards or so away nothing will easily spot you at this range.

Sorry for the wait. I was planning on revealing and describing the keep one section at a time. But since we have a goblin uber-spy with a ridiculous Stealth check, I need to prepare a description of the entire structure. I will get it up in a bit.

Sorry buddy :), initially i'm only scouting the outer section under guise of invisibility. But we wouldn't want to just rush in blind would we :). I'm glad i'm using invisibility considering I rolled a 2.

You complete your initial reconnaissance of Vraath Keep (map is HERE). The numbers below correspond to the number markers on the map.

Looming out of the shadowy woods ahead is a haunting sight - a ruined keep. The old castle sits on a small rocky hillock, and you can catch glimpses of a broken tower between the trees. A moss-covered stone at the side of the road you're following marks a footpath that looks like it leads up to the keep.

The old keep is in very poor repair. The gatehouse is partially collapsed, as is a section of wall to the south. A small wooden building sits next to the remains of a long-abandoned garden in front of the structure. The walls surrounding the keep are about fifteen feet high, with a two-story tower looming in the southwest corner of the courtyard within. Large boulders lie strewn amid the ruins of the two watch towers, and a massive humanoid skeleton slumps amid the ruins of the northern one. The skeleton still wears tattered fragments of hide armor, and a large club lies next to one of its bony arms.

A sickly greenish-yellow light flickers inside the second floor of the ruined tower and the faint sound of eerie moaning can be heard from within.

1 - The keep's gatehouse has seen better days. The watchtowers to either side have partially collapsed, and several large boulders lie strewn about. The decayed remains of two sets of large wooden gates lie in a heap on the ground.

2 - A small wooden shack sits to the east of the keep itself, near an over-grown patch of weeds that might have once been a fine garden.

3 - This courtyard of hard-packed earth has an eerie air of desolation. Jagged boulders embedded in the ground seem to have been dropped here, or thrown from a great distance; many of the walls bear large dents and cracks where these boulders might have once struck. Two massive skeletons lie at opposite ends of the courtyard, one propped up by the watchtower and the other sprawled at the far end by a building that could be a stable. To the south, where a section of the keep's outer wall has collapsed, a third giant skeleton lies partially buried in the rubble.

4 - This partially collapsed tower is empty.

5 - This area is empty, with nothing of interest.

1d20 + 9 ⇒ (14) + 9 = 23

DM, how much longer do I have on my Invisibility? Duration was five minutes. If I have some time remaining, Feek would like to investigate the breach on the south side, and take a look inside. If I don't have time remaining, Feek will re-cast it and go inside anyway lol.

Feek will also make use of detect magic on his foray inside the keep.

As the rest of the group waits as quietly as possible for the goblin to return, Adele surveys what she can see of the Keep. "This ruin really provides an excellent view of the Dawn Way. If we can lay claim to it, it would be wise to speak with Captain Anitah about manning it as an outpost to protect the vale from further incursion -- or if she still insists that Drellin's Ferry can do no more than arm peasants with longspears, we could speak with the Lord of Brindol himself. It would be foolish to let such a useful resource sit empty, only to fall back into the hands of the enemy." She clucks her tongue with impatience at the guard captain's lack of a can-do attitude.

I suppose it depends when/where you cast your first invisibility. Given the distance around the keep, the time necessary to investigate, and traveling there and back, I figured that the duration was just long enough for you to make your way back to the party. If you would like to look again, you're going to have to re-cast the spell.

I wouldn't have headed back to the party as I was planning an internal nose around too. Cast the first invisibility when I was with the party, but have a 40 feet movement speed.

Will re-cast and enter the keep through the breach, nosing around and not opening any doors or doing anything that will break my invisibility.

Sorry about the miscommunication. Never mind the second casting of invisibility. We can assume you did a quick tour of the interior as well. If you avoid opening doors, then there is not much additional information you would gain. I will update the map later today.

The interior of the keep is essentially empty. More large boulders and a few enormous skeletons lie strewn about the courtyard of the keep, but you spy no living creatures.

Sorry about the miscommunication. Never mind the second casting of invisibility. We can assume you did a quick tour of the interior as well. If you avoid opening doors, then there is not much additional information you would gain. I will update the map later today.

The interior of the keep is essentially empty. More large boulders and a few enormous skeletons lie strewn about the courtyard of the keep, but you spy no living creatures.

Feek will quietly make his way back to the group. He reports on the keep in detail, and if given parchment he will draw a map. He will mention that there are signs of passage in the keep, but no guards as far as he could make out. He recomends sneaking around through the forest and coming out near the south-side, for a quiet entry through the breach in the wall.

Findor listens carefully to Feek's report.

"You say you heard moaning? The place could be haunted. It seems like there was some type of battle here."

"I don't like to leave a spot unchecked at m' back." says Narses, pointing at the shack outside the gates. ["I rekn' we should take a look inside before hedn' into tha keep."

"I don't like to leave a spot unchecked at m' back." says Narses, pointing at the shack outside the gates. ["I rekn' we should take a look inside before hedn' into tha keep."

That would leave us well within sight of anyone inside and we'll lose the element of surprise! Feek hisses in frustration.

The tracks led inside the keep, none led to the shack...

Updated map HERE

In addition to the boulders and skeletons, Feek discovers another caved-in section of wall just to the west of the opening in the southern end of the keep. This hole has been covered with an assortment of beams, boards, and canvas hangings. Small pinpoints of light and muffled whispers reveal what appears to be a campfire on the other side of the repaired hole. The whispers are guttural and barking.

With that information Feek will be even more anxious to enter via the south wall and get the jump on their foe.

Findor listens carefully to Feek's report.

"You say you heard moaning? The place could be haunted. It seems like there was some type of battle here."

"Possible," replies Adele, "or there could be an injured prisoner."

"I don't like to leave a spot unchecked at m' back." says Narses, pointing at the shack outside the gates. "I rekn' we should take a look inside before hedn' into tha keep."

That would leave us well within sight of anyone inside and we'll lose the element of surprise! Feek hisses in frustration.

The tracks led inside the keep, none led to the shack...

Adele listens to both of her friends, then suggests, "Suppose those of us more gifted at being stealthy were to go in the hole in the southern wall, while the rest of us took the main entrance? That would allow us to flank any enemies coming out of the building more easily, as well as give those of us entering by the gate a chance to keep an eye on the shack in case of ambush."

Narses wasn't advocating going into the main entrance, he wanted to look at the small building near the front gate. After a careful scouting mission, I feel we should go through the southern breach, to maximise our chances of a successful assault. Trust me on this, Adele. I saw no prints going into that shack, I don't think they even make use of it.

"Very well," Adele nods. "Does your plan of attack involve surprise at all, Feek? I'm sure Dragox and I will be as stealthy as ever we can, but we can't hope to be as silent as you are. Ought we to stay farther back until the battle is joined, or should we make use of magical means to silence us at the risk of hindering any spells which might be called for?"

Feek just smiles, as he casts Invisibilty upon both Adele and Dragox.

Time to move... Everyone should drink one of those alchemical potions too, we want keen eyes in there.

At the breach, Feek will drink one of his potions of Cat's Grace. Doesn't affect my AC much if at all, but attack rolls, dex-based skill checks and reflex saves are two higher.

"Oh, Feek, you know I hate it when you do that without warning." Adele's voice incongruously comes out of midair. "You ought at least to have let me smooth my hair first; I always feel so mussed when I can't see myself. One more thing," she adds, "before you go in all blades and chaos: please take a moment to be sure these are actually enemies we're attacking. Jorr Natherson was only guessing the hobgoblins might be holed up in here. We can't go blindly attacking what might be innocent creatures taking shelter in an abandoned ruin."