Rise of the Runelords

Game Master Kevin O'Rourke 440

I'm putting it down to Miron's suspicion of these creatures. He's also a bit of a pessimist.

"Come on," Ferocia says. "The dogs aren't coming. We'll have to go to them."

Ferocia leads the others through the brambles to the room with the dogs.

Anneka crouches and stumbles along behind, completely out of her element.

The goblin dogs are clearly agitated by your intrusion but no reinforcements have reached this area yet. For now it's your group versus the goblin dogs.

Drazh
Ferocia
AnMiron
Azalia
Milgen
Anneka
Goblin Dogs

As soon as Miron sees one of the creatures, he signs to Anneka Stop, I can see them.

He then draws his bow and fires at the nearest one that is not in combat.

Green I imagine, since the first two are likely to get dwarf-ed very quickly!

Shortbow vs Green: 1d20 + 5 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (20) + 5 + 1 + 1 = 27

Confirmation: 1d20 + 5 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 5 + 1 + 1 = 10

I imagine that does not confirm.

Damage: 1d6 ⇒ 4

Anneka touches Ferocia gently with her hand, a spark of magic passing between them.

Guidance on Ferocia, though based on my initiative it looks like it won't kick in until next turn.

Ferocia hurries over to the blue one and slashes at it with her claws.

Attack: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (20) + 5 = 25
Damage: 1d4 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5

Confirming the Critical: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 5 = 12
Extra Damage: 1d4 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6

Do we still have bless active? I did not add its bonuses into my attacks.

Bless now has a duration of two minutes, so hopefully it is still going.

It'll still be going for another five rounds?

Grand by me.

Hit with bless vs red: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (9) + 9 = 18
Damage: 2d6 + 6 ⇒ (6, 4) + 6 = 16

Drazh rushed over, swinging his hammer at the "dogs." He was eager to silence them before they brought more goblins to the area.

"I was going to say don't get too close, we can end them from a distance, but whatever..."

Lightning Splash, RTA: 1d20 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (14) + 4 + 1 = 19
Damaage: 1d3 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3

Azalia shoots at Green

Attack: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (10) + 5 = 15
Damage: 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3

Drazh rushed over, swinging his hammer at the "dogs." He was eager to silence them before they brought more goblins to the area.

Ferocia hurries over to one and slashes at it with her claws.

As soon as Miron sees one of the creatures, he signs to Anneka Stop, I can see them. He then draws his bow and fires at the nearest one that is not in combat.

Azalia sinks an arrow into the hide of the same goblin dog as Miron.

"I was going to say don't get too close, we can end them from a distance, but whatever..." His spell puts down the heavily injured dog being made into a pincushion.

Anneka touches Ferocia gently with her hand, a spark of magic passing between them.

The goblin dog before Drazh backs away carefully approximating something part way between a whimper and a snarl.

The other goblin dog howls mournfully but dares not approach your group.

Drazh
Ferocia
Miron
Azalia
Milgen
Anneka
Goblin Dogs Blue -5

"We really should just cut them down from range so nobody gets bitten and gets rabies..."

Lightning Splash, RTA: 1d20 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (14) + 4 + 1 = 19
Damaage: 1d3 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4

Anneka can't bring herself to attack the dogs, even if they aren't real dogs. She retreats to the back, feeling defeated, waiting for this awful business to end.

Azalia moves and shoots at Blue

Attack: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (2) + 5 = 7

Bzzt.

Drazh really didn’t have it in him to kill animals like this. There was no glory in slaughtering cowering beasts. Still, he was practical enough to know it was him or them.

Hit vs orange: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (4) + 9 = 13
Damage: 2d6 + 6 ⇒ (1, 5) + 6 = 12

As the dwarves continue their advance, Miron compensates and fires another arrow. Animal or not, these creatures had to be killed and swiftly.

Shortbow vs Orange, presuming close combat: 1d20 + 5 + 1 + 1 - 4 ⇒ (12) + 5 + 1 + 1 - 4 = 15

Damage: 1d6 ⇒ 5

Fortitude Save: 1d20 + 6 + 1 ⇒ (19) + 6 + 1 = 26 Or +2 higher if it counts as a poison.

Ferocia bounds into the room, stomping right over the dead goblin dog, and slashes at the next nasty beast with her claws.

Attack: 1d20 + 5 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 5 + 1 + 1 = 9
Damage: 1d4 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6

The two goblin dogs are no match and are put down in short order.

From inside the thorny brambled walls to the south east you hear a cold calculated... and of course high pitched which ruins the effect a little goblin voice speak in common. "You think you are strong longshanks? You're haven't fought one of my tribe yet." The goblin deep in the thorns calmly steps back the brambles leaving in unmarred and leaving your field of vision.

Ferocia same check again and it counts as disease not poison.

Miron immediately starts speaking and signing so that Anneka can see.

"One talkative goblin went into the bushes there.", pointing to a spot and "went..."

Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (8) + 8 = 16

If Miron can spot or hear the goblin, he will give a direction. He otherwise shakes his head.

Fortitude Save: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (12) + 6 = 18

Ferocia turns to see a weird goblin slip away through the brambles.

"Then come out and show us if you're so strong!" she taunts.

"I've seen a druid do that before, didn't realize Goblins had druids..."

Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (14) + 7 = 21
Survival if needed: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (12) + 7 = 19

”Never killed a Druid before. Let’s track it down.”

"We won't be able to pin him down if he can slip through the brambles. We should try to make for their fort. He'll either come to us on the trip, or be forced to leave the brambles to follow us."

I think we should try to head for their island base, and ready attacks for if the druid shows himself. Ferocia assumes that path ahead we didn't scout must take us there. Besides, it sounds like the druid just wants to delay us.

Just a note, we're running lower and lower on spell resources.

Azalia nods to Ferocia, and starts out on the trail, keeping her bow ready.

We won't be able to pin him down if he can slip through the brambles.

Anneka has a notion about that.

Are we in initiative? GM, will you allow a readied action at this time? If so, Anneka readies a casting of shadow trap (DC 15 Will Save) for when the sneaky goblin reappears.

Ferocia wrote:

We won't be able to pin him down if he can slip through the brambles.

Anneka has a notion about that.

Are we in initiative? GM, will you allow a readied action at this time? If so, Anneka readies a casting of shadow trap (DC 15 Will Save) for when the sneaky goblin reappears.

Fingers crossed THAT works!

Anneka can ready an action but the goblin hasn't reappeared yet.

Drazh can see no tracks and goblins can be very sneaky when they want to be. It's quite clear hacking through the walls of thorns will take a long time and be far too noisy to let you corner it.

"We can try the path we did not already take, watching the thorns for goblin."

"It will warn the others," Anneka advises anxiously, trying to stay away from the walls. She continues to keep her eyes peeled for a sign of the goblin. Keeping that casting readied.

The thorny tunnel turns left (to the north) and right (to the south).

"Let us try north first."

A rope bridge spans the gulf between the cliff and a roundish, flat-topped island sixty-some feet to the north. Thick patches of nettles and briars grow here and there atop the island, but its most impressive feature is a wooden one-story stockade. Two thirty-foot-tall watchtowers guard the stockade’s southern facade. The rope bridge
itself is made of hairy rope and thick wooden planks; the whole thing creaks and sways in the wind above the churning surf eighty feet below.

Miron whispers and signs to the others.

"A few of us sneaking across could secure the other side of the bridge. I volunteer."

Ferocia nods.

"I'll go with you."

Milgen shakes his head, also whispering and signing. "You'll be unable to sneak on the bridge in daylight with two watch towers. What do you intend to do, hide in the shadow of the ropes? The only way to sneak over would be to hang from the bottom and go hand over hand while hanging 80 ft off. We either need to come back by night or find another way."

Forgot that it was still daytime

"We can check to the south first. It is still too bright."

Azalia shrugs and moves South.

Anneka agrees with Milgen. "I bet they already know we're here, thanks to the one that disappeared into the hedgewall. But we don't want to give them an opportunity to shoot arrows at us as we cross the bridge."

A cloying musky scent lies heavy in the air here. A matted nest of red and black hair sits to the east. A firepelt cougar snarls at you exposing your teeth. Behind him the same goblin as before stands amid the brambles with a determined look on it's face. The blade in it's hand appears to be on fire.

Enemy Initiative: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 5 = 12

Attacking the goblin with a non reach melee weapon will automatically take one point of damage each time they attack.

Miron
Drazh
Milgen
Azalia
Gogmurt and Tangletoot
Ferocia
Anneka

"Take him down from range if possible.", Miron says, trying to keep his face visible to Anneka while he does so.

His hands are on the shortbow, and his eyes then focus on the goblin before he launches an arrow.

Shortbow vs goblin: 1d20 + 5 + 1 ⇒ (19) + 5 + 1 = 25

Damage: 1d6 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 + 1 = 4

"Agreed, from range." He signs with one hand then fires with the crossbow with the other hand.

Crossbow: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (15) + 4 = 19
Damage: 1d8 ⇒ 2

Drazh showed his acknowledgement by throwing a chakram.

Hit: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (20) + 5 = 25
Damage: 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (8) + 4 = 12

Potential Crit there Drazh

That'll teach me to post and run...

Crit Confirmation: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (15) + 5 = 20
Damage: 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (7) + 4 = 11

23 damage total. Makes me wish that I had closed into melee...that would have been 33-63 damage. Still, a good throw.

The throw, by fate or luck, was nearly perfect. It hit with force, becoming buried deep into the goblin's chest.

Still, that's 29 points so far, if Azalia hits, we may have killed him instantly without having to fight him anymore.

There is that firepelt cougar as well. It might be an illusion, it might run off, or it might fight on. But it would be handy not to have the goblin get to act further.