[Evening, Thistletop, 7th Day After Goblin Raid, Thistletop]
After resting fully, darkness creeps across Thistletop. The fall air is crisp and wisps of fog roll in from the ocean.
Right as you all wrap up preperations, there's a quick knock at the western door, at the floor of the tower. A nervous goblin voice shouts from the other side. "Follow me, sires. Chief is too drunk to show the stairs. I take you."
If no one else moves to do it, Lleidr will open the door and follow the goblin down to the stairs.
Ned will caution quietly, "Be wary. This could be an ambush." then louder, "Of course if this goblin is leading us into an ambush, it will be the first to die."
Although probably not the intended target, poor little Lleidr can't help but shake a bit as he much more cautiously approaches the door.
Nicholae also readies himself.
Lleidr, to answer your question, you found the wand well before coming to Thistletop, I think. Wasn't that Elyrium's? So your Identify check could have been a Take 20, unless I'm mistaken. Anyone wanna weigh in?
[Evening, Thistletop, 7th Day After Goblin Raid, Thistletop]
The door swings wide, and its opener, a wounded, little goblin, is quaking in his crude shoes. He skitters down the passage in the foyer, and smacks the courtyard door hard several times with his palm.
At that noise, you hear a dreadful wailing from several goblin dogs from within the courtyard, followed by several goblin shouts. More shouting comes at you from the north passage, from behind the great doors leading into the hall.
A similar ruckus starts up from the south, from a good distance away, most likely the other side of the rope bridge.
The wounded goblin standing at the door gapes at you, cringing. Despite his fear, he's drawing a blade. "Oh yes, show them the stairs, indeed."
.
The cleric draws his blade but does not attack.
It could be ambush... it could be they test our resolve. I am unsure - be ready.
Lleidr, to answer your question, you found the wand well before coming to Thistletop, I think. Wasn't that Elyrium's? So your Identify check could have been a Take 20, unless I'm mistaken. Anyone wanna weigh in?
Yes, the map is updated. Click the 'Thistletop' link on my prior post.
So you can't take 20 on Spellcraft checks? i thought you could.
[Evening, Thistletop, 7th Day After Goblin Raid, Thistletop]
"Arrogance commands a price, longshanks. And today, you'll find that price too steep. Today, you dared intrude into my home and demand terms from me! Tomorrow, I'll be dragging your heads through the streets of a burning Sandpoint!"
Ripnugget shouts and his face is twisted in fury, as the double doors are swung open. From inside the hall, you hear a familiar baleful tune from the goblins' warchanter.
The courtyard door opens as well, revealing a surge of goblins, some of them unwounded, blinking wildly in the evening sunlight. Some are obviously female, dressed apparently for a harem, not for battle.
From the south, you hear more goblins, but they're much further away. Actions, please!
Just remember ... goblins are evil, but can also be pretty stupid in a fight.
Casts Bless.
"Surprise, surprise." Ned grumbles taking a 5' step southwest to stand beside Hakak and shooting at the guide
(precise shot)
"I'm going to take out the bridge before their reinforcements can cross...I hope!"
As soon as Ned moves, Lleidr will use a double move (3 south, 1 southwest, 1 southeast, 2 more south, and 1 more southeast) to run out to the bridge.
Selia will begin Summon Monster
[Evening, Thistletop, 7th Day After Goblin Raid, Round 1, Thistletop]
The goblins go first.
The warchanter’s dire chant rouses the goblins in the great hall into a battle fury. There’s also a somewhat more distant sound, a pitiable neighing from the courtyard.
Ripnugget, sitting atop his mount, recedes into the hall’s darkness, as his goblin warriors step forward.
A goblin commando steps forward in the doorway of the hall, and fires at Nich (4 hp dmg).
The goblins in the courtyard hesitate, their ugly hairless dogs yipping and barking madly among the throng. There’s a powerful deep voice booming from their midst, “So, we’ve got Sandpoint boys coming into the yard, do we? Good job on coming downstairs.”
The goblin voices from the south get much closer. The guide in front of you leaps forward towards Hakak, but his blow is all too easy for the massive half-orc to parry.
From the tower’s interior, there’s a sound of a creaking door on the north wall (4 squares east of Selia and 1 square north).
Selia begins chanting a spell.
Jubrayl charges towards the hall. “Ripnugget! We dealt with you in good faith and fairly. End this madness, or your reign ends tonight.” His axe smashes into a smirking goblin, who howls in pain and surprise.
Nicholae casts a holy prayer upon his allies.
Lleidr sprints outside towards the bridge. “Birdcrunchers, forward!” shouts a goblin in the lead. At least half a dozen goblins, in attire distinct from the Thistletop crowd, race across the bridge. “No, wait, hold on!” shouts a Thistletop goblin on the other side. The bridge sways, the ropes crack, and Lleidr is just in time to see the remnants of the Birdcruncher tribe tumble 80 feet down into the surf below.
Hakak neatly lops the head off their goblin guide.
Ned fires at a goblin standing in the courtyard, and catches a glimpse of a particularly burly, evil looking chap bounding towards the foyer where you all stand. The goblin falls down dead.
NOTe - even though the bridge is still on the map, it's completely vertical, on the island side. There are loose ropes dangling across the chasm hanging off the foot of the bridge lying near the sea, which loop back up the other side.
Round 2
hp: 25 of 25
4 of 4 1st lvl spells
Bless, 3 mins, +1 to hit and save vs fear
Lleidr will skid to a halt at the edge of the cliff, wave at the remaining Birdcrunchers on the other side, and head back into the fortification (2 NW, 1 N, 1 NE).
Line of sight doesn't seem an option into the courtyard, so unless things change drastically, Lleidr will ready his short bow as a free action, enhance an arrow with Arcane Strike as a swift action, and fire that arrow at the goblin 8 squares north of him.
Maybe Lleidr should've yelled "Fore!" with that shot. Jeez.
Nicholae takes a 5ft step backwards and towards the paladin and casts shield of faith.
Hold that door - I'll help Jubrayl and take out the chief.
Well, we're still waiting on Ned and Hakak to tell me what they want to do. Jubrayl will keep attacking opponents blocking him from Ripnugget; Selia should finish summoning this round and will investigate the opening door in the tower.
Ned will take aim at the nearest accessible goblin.
(precise shot, deadly aim)
Nich, who's getting the Shield of Faith? Yourself?
[Evening, Thistletop, 7th Day After Goblin Raid, Round 2, Thistletop]
The goblin warrior facing Jubrayl swing’s a nasty looking horsechopper right at the paladin’s face, but Jub neatly catches the blow with his axe.
A second goblin warrior runs out of the tower, and smashes his weapon into Selia before she can finish casting her spell (5 hp dmg).
The warchanter slides around a column to get a better view of Jubrayl, points, and casts some sort of spell. There’s no visible effect.
Goblins begin streaming out of the courtyard, running towards you. (NOTE – I went ahead and rolled AoO’s for all 3 of you, including 3 for Hakak. Unbelievably, my d20 rolls ranged from 3 to 5, for all 5 rolls!). You can also see that a great number of goblins, including several of the dogs and the big burly fellow, went running towards the courtyard’s western wall. The smaller goblin in the great hall stabs at Jubrayl with his dogslicer (3 hp dmg).
From within the hall, you hear the sneering laughter of Ripnugget. “Surrender, you fools. Drop your weapons now, and only half of you will burn for Lamashtu.”
With a terrific strain, Selia completes her spell. An eagle appears behind her assailant, who proceeds to rip huge chunks of flesh from the goblin warrior. The goblin is overcome and lies motionless on the ground.
Jubrayl’s axe swing misses the goblin warrior. “Face me, Ripnugget. Or would you rather slink in the shadows as a coward?”
Nicholae prays again to give his friend a holy blessing, completed with a light tap on the shoulder.
(NOTE – since the goblins are going first in this combat, they’ve left the courtyard before Hakak can get in it). With a roar, Hakak wields his axe and fells the closest foe.
Lleidr fires at a goblin running through the foyer, but misses.
(NOTE – for Ned’s bowshot, I’m assuming a 5’ step, so as to avoid an AoO). Ned’s bow sings, and the goblins quail at the sound. A goblin stumbles, rolls, and lies motionless on the ground.
Round 3
hp: 25 of 25
4 of 4 1st lvl spells
Bless, 29 rounds, +1 to hit and save vs fear
If the swarm of goblins from the west don't get up on us, Lleidr will say, "Maybe we should move up behind our healers and force the crowd to come to us in the narrow?"
With that in mind, Lleidr will keep his bow in his right hand, ready the FoE (free action) in his left, enhance it with Arcane Strike (swift action), and move (1 N, 1 NW, 1 NE, 1 NW) up and zig zag between Hakak and Ned's current positions, or as close as he can get to that area after everyone else has moved. When he finishes moving, if there is a target coming through from the courtyard, he'll stab at it
or if more appropriate, throw the FoE, same to hit modifiers and damage for ranged as melee above.
If the mass of goblins from the west does get to us, I guess Lleidr should Withdraw (up to 8 squares movement, still focused on getting up closer to Jub and Nich), but since the withdrawal will probably still provoke some AoO's, Lleidr will use Acrobatics to help him move through threatened squares without provoking AoO's (DC=opponent's CMD, cuts Lleidr's speed in half unless he beats (all of?) the DC(s?) by 10 or more).
Here's three. I don't think he'll end up moving out of more than that many threatened squares...I hope...
Ned will move 10' north calling out, "Selia, I don't want to rush you or anything but could you move up by Nich?"
(precise shot, deadly aim)
Hakak, can your horn attack hit a 2nd opponent instead of the same one?
Yep, secondary attacks can be used on a different opponent. Just like if you were fighting a monster with 2 claws and a bite. He gets to use all of those, if he's full attacking, and they can be used against 1 opponent or up to 3.
ok, i will move up beside Nich
So, Nich, you cast Shield of Faith on Round 2, but now I need to know what you're doing on Round 3.
Nicholae attacks the lizard in from of Jubrayl.
5ft step up
Attack
Damage
Yes, I noted the SoF bonus going to Hakak, since you mentioned the barbarian.
[Evening, Thistletop, 7th Day After Goblin Raid, Round 3, Thistletop]
Goblins manage flank Hakak and land a couple of solid blows (2 hp dmg). Another attacks Jubrayl, who shrugs off the attack with his shield. A goblin from the courtyard fires a bow at Hakak (2 hp dmg). The double doors leading to the western tower are flung wide, and a goblin charges out, straight at Lleidr, who nimbly dodges a particularly wicked dogslicer.
A goblin dog bounds from the north door leading into the courtyard, snapping and biting at Hakak’s legs. Three more stream from the western passage, coming from the tower, with two ganging up on Lleidr and yet another dog trying to engage Hakak.
The goblin warchanter leaps up close behind the goblin warrior fighting Jubrayl, his hand exuding the glow of a warm light. The warrior looks newly strengthened. This goblin warrior then lands a terrific blow against Jubrayl, his horsechopper biting deep into the paladin’s side (9 hp dmg).
You can also see Ripnugget heading into the southeast corner of the great hall, and then vanishing from sight. Back in the foyer, a massive figure comes into full view, laughing. “This is invasion from Sandpoint? Heh, this is joke, right?” You hear a few nearby goblins mutter this villain’s name in fear … “ Bruthazmus ” (NOTE – maybe this name rings a bell? Check out the list of NPCs that’s linked in the Campaign tab)
Selia’s eagle flies up and then straight west, then descends again, nearly next to Hakak. It’s great horned beak lashes out and rips flesh from one of the dogs attacking Hakak. Selia also strikes with her spear, but her weapon just bounces off the leather armor of her goblin opponent.
Jubrayl returns the favor against the warrior who just wounded him, delivering a powerful blow (10 hp dmg). “Running already, Ripnugget?” he shouts.
Nich steps forward to challenge the goblin foes left in the great hall, his weapon smacking against the goblin’s tough leather armor. The goblin gives you an angry scowl.
With a masterful nimbleness, Lleidr lashes out at a nearby goblin, and runs into the hallway. A flurry of attacks from horsechoppers and dog bites are made in vain against the halfling.
Ned moves towards Selia, trying to plug the gap, firing off a defensive shot, and nearly getting himself stabbed in the process of a nasty goblin lurking at his feet.
Round 4
hp: 25 of 25
4 of 4 1st lvl spells
Bless, 28 rounds, +1 to hit and save vs fear
Lleidr will enhance the FoE with Arcane Strike (swift action) and stab at the goblin between caught between Hakak and him.
plus
Ned will drop his bow, quickdraw his greatsword and swing at the goblin beside him
(power attack)
"Take a step back Hakak, I'll guard your flank!"
The cleric takes a 5ft step back and begins summoning.