Into the Dolmenwoods (Inactive)

Game Master Daniel Stewart

"Duly noted, Pickles. We shall all have a look now."

Siegen advances into the ruins, seeking any clues or trails.

Wisdom 14: 1d20 ⇒ 11 ?

Detect Construction 2-in-6: 1d6 ⇒ 5

Detect Room Traps 2-in-6: 1d6 ⇒ 3

Listen 2-in-6: 1d6 ⇒ 1 Success!

Brother Jacob moves into the ruins to take a look around, but is too distracted trying to keep an eye on his companions to find anything of note. Wisdom of 16: 1d20 ⇒ 18

As Siegen passes the remains of one of the outbuildings, he can hear a sound coming from somewhere close by. It is very weak but sounds almost like some animal giving squeak.

After a short search, he finds a puppy hiding under the old building in a small hole. The body of a second pup can be seen poking out from under a burned beam. The puppy cried and seems to be trying to crawl out of the hole, but is too weak to manage it.

Ziyad skulked about the ruins, digging his dagger point here and there in the ash...

Wisdom vs 10: 1d20 ⇒ 1

With Pickle's safe return, Siegfried carefully follows alongside his comrades through the ruins of the farm. His eyes dart to every shadow, wary of what evil may be hiding in ambush for them. His observances reveal no hidden foes as he tightens his grip on his weapon.

"This place was supposed to be a slaughter. Where are all the bodies? Where did those monsters take them?"

Wisdom vs 12: 1d20 ⇒ 20
Listen - 2 in 6: 1d6 ⇒ 4

[ooc]Nailing it.[/i]

1d20 ⇒ 7 WIS (07)

Pickles is a bit disappointed that there are no dogs here.

Siegen calls over:

"Pickles. You may wish to see this. There is a puppy alive here."

"Where! where! He needs my help"! Pickles rushes over to Siegens area determined to rescue the innocent pups.

"Beneath this building, in that small hole. Should you need me to smash through the wall, just say so.", says Siegen, having some sympathy for the poor beast.

The puppy is easy to extract but seems to be terrified. It shivers and whimpers in Pickle's arms.

Pickles please make a WIS ability check please

The rest of you fan out and explore the ruins of the farm. Nothing of value can be found, and no bodies located.

"When the farmers first came upon the site, they gathered the family up and buried them over there...the family cemetery, but they never touched the dead animals. Someone...or thing, must have returned and removed the corpses. Maybe we should check the cemetery? I really hope they did not do anything to the bodies of the family...", Robin says while looking over the cold ruins.

"The little fiends might. Let us make certain one way or another. Where is the cemetary?", replies Siegen.

Robin takes those who are interested to the family plot, set off to one side of the farm. A low, stone wall shows where the cemetery is located, and with a sigh of relief, you can see the newer graves.

1d20 ⇒ 7 WIS (7)

He tries to calm the puppy down, giving him a few scraps of food, as he joins the others headed towards the Cemetery.

The puppy squirms for a bit, but quickly settles down once Pickles offers it some food. Shortly after eating the puppy falls asleep.

The rest of the party moves back towards the main ruin of the farm. Walking the perimeter you can easily see signs of where some of the larger animals were dragged away and just in the eves of the forest you locate the spot they were butchered. The remains look to have been scattered about by various forest scavenger, including the prints of a medium-sized bear. All the animal prints are fairly recent, while a separate set of tracks seems to be older and of a completely different make. Heavy, but small hobnailed boots prints lead off further into the tangle of the Dolmenwood.

"There. The tracks of the little blighters, laden down with their spoils. Let us follow them."

Ziyad concurs, walking along cautiously towards the middle of the group... "Keep an eye for snares...we're in the goblin's hunting grounds now..." he remarks, looking over the butchered animals.

Brother Jacob shudders at the thought of goblins trapping them in the woods, but he guesses that these are the kinds of things that will happen to him now that he has become a vagabond adventurer.

Lost in thought, he lags behind the others as they leave to follow the trail, but quickly catches up to Pickles and asks to see the puppy.

"I would like to check him or her for injuries, if I may, Pickles."

Sigfried cautiously walked amidst the ruins, a scowl seemingly burned onto his face. This place was not too different than the farm he had grown up around, the little community he had called home before he was left for greater and better things. The similarities stirred the anger in his heart; how many more homes would be ravaged and destroyed by these foul creatures if they did not stop them? Gripping his sword tighter, he would join the others at the forest's edge.

"Back into these damnable woods.." Sigfried murmured softly, eyeing the tangled forest with suspicious eyes. Hefting his equipment once more, he turned to his companions and gave a nod. "I am ready to enter when you all are. Slow and steady, we'll hunt down these fiends."

Into the Dolmenwood you go!

The forest quickly envelopes you in the sounds, smells and sights of this expansive woodlands. From the songs of the birds to the skittering of small mammals in the underbrush, the forest is alive with sound. The smell of pine, ash and oak mingles with an undercurrent of wildflowers and, the deeper you penetrate into the forest, dank smells of rot and dampness. At the edges of the wood, sunlight can still penetrate the canopy and dapples the ground in small pools of light, however, this soon disappears and the area takes on a strange green tone that makes everything seem more sinister and unreal.

You track the goblins past the noon sun and as the forest around you begins to darken, ahead you can hear a noise, as well as smell cooking meat. Any further forward motion will need a level of stealth and wood knowledge so as to not alert those ahead.

Siegen turns to the others and quietly says:

"The goblins may be up ahead. It may be other travellers, who came to that spot by ill chance. I doubt we will achieve surprise, but we can make the attempt. Or we can rush them."

He looks at the others, seeking responses.

Brother Jacob hunkers down and whispers: "Rushing them sounds like a good idea."

"Here hold this". Pickles thrusts the sleeping bundled puppy to brother Jacob. "Let me sneak up and see what we're up against before we go charging in. Might be a preferable approach. Keep an ear out for my shouts if I get in danger though".

1d100 ⇒ 94 (90%) Chance to hide/sneak in forested area.

I'll be damned. I must be the least sneaky halfling in the world...

As Pickles starts forward, his new puppy friend awakes and starts howling for his missing master.

HAHA...that is what I was going to do...darn puppy!

As the sneaky halfling begins to move forward, the little puppy he found wakes and begins to whimper, bark and howl. This, unfortunately, has alerted who or whatever is before you.

Please roll initiative

Siegfried nodded at Pickles's plan, the halfling was quiet and skilled. Yet as he began to make his move away from them all, the puppy's barks broke the silence of the forest. Gritting his teeth with irritation, he heard movement up ahead. "No time like the present then, men." He growled, drawing his blade and readying his shield for combat.

Initiative: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7

The wizard drew a few daggers into hand, trying to put a tree between his heart and the volley of goblin arrows...

Not sure if its d6 or d20 for initiative, will roll both

Init: 1d6 ⇒ 6
Init: 1d20 ⇒ 7

Initiative: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5

So I placed a reference on the discussion form for combat...The initiative is a d6 (I had actually forgotten that..lol)

Initiative: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3

As he is handed the dog, Brother Jacob puts him down on the ground to get a better look at him and check him for injuries. He is a small, squirmy thing, and the priest has a hard time keeping a good hold of him.

"Hold still, will you, I'm trying to help," he whispers to the puppy.

As it begins to howl for Pickles, Brother Jacob's eyes grow wide as he quickly tries to clamp the dog's mouth shut.

"Shhhh!" he says way too loudly.

Initiative: 1d6 ⇒ 5

Stauntram readies himself to rush to the goblins and wreak havoc.

Initiative: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7

Unbelieveably you all have initiative against the unknown dread beyond the trees..lol

Pickles you walk a few steps before the puppy begins to wail. In that space you have come across a clearing where several goblins seem to be cooking large slabs of various meat. They are surprised to see you.

Goblins in the Woods

There are 3 spear-wielding goblins, 2 archers and one who is dressed almost like a knight, or perhaps a squire?? plus its mount, a warg!

Daniel, you have to change the permission of the Google Doc.

Siegen charges straight at the goblin mockery of a knight, to deny the wretch a chance to charge first! His dwarven longsword flashes as the blade swings...

Longsword vs 'Knight': 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (8) + 3 = 11

Any bonus for charging?

Damage: 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 3 = 7

Brother Jacob puts the puppy down as gently as he can while reaching for his flail.

"Run away, puppy!" he orders, pushing it away with his foot. "This is no place for little dogs!"

Goblins

Ok, I thought I had given access to everyone with the link, but I was wrong..lol This one should work correctly!

@ Siegen: There are no rules for charging, so no bonuses.

Charging the goblin 'squire', the dwarf is surprised by the creatures training, as well as the quality of his arms and armour. While the sword hit, it could not penetrate the goblin's chainmail armour.

Siegfried moves with a quickness that is almost uncomfortably with his size and strength, charging through the forest line. The dwarf immediately engages the would-be knight. While his honor demands to put down the mockery of a knight, his mind knows good tactics and how to apply them. Using the hesitation of the goblins to his advantage, he moves through their midst and descends upon the one of the archers.

Attack (TACH019): 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 3 = 9
Damage: 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 3 = 9

Siegfried slashes at the goblin but he missed the creature, who steps back and brings up his bow.

Just waiting for Pickles. Brother Jacob are you doing anything more than setting the puppy down?

Pickles is a bit hesitant to leave his new friends side, so he calmly pulls forth an arrow to loose at one of the archers.

1d6 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5 Initiative

1d20 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 3 = 7 Shortbow.

1d6 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4 Arrow

But his bad luck continues...

Brother Jacob hangs back and prepares his flail to attack anything that comes to hurt the puppy.

Flail THAC0 19: 1d20 ⇒ 7
Damage: 1d6 ⇒ 6

The party springs forward in an attempt to take the goblin's by surprise, unfortunately, their new puppy ruined their chance of ambushing the foul beasts. After a round where none of the adventurers were able to hit the enemy, the goblins have their turn.

Goblin Spear vs. Sigfried: 1d20 ⇒ 9 MISS
Goblin Spear vs. Siegen: 1d20 ⇒ 2 MISS
Goblin Spear Vs. Sigfried: 1d20 ⇒ 14 MISS

Goblin Archer vs. Pickles: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5 MISS
Goblin Archer vs. Jacob: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5 MISS

Goblin Squire vs. Siegen: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (19) + 1 = 20 HIT Damage: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 9

The squire's wolf rushes the woods where Pickles, Brother Jacob and Ziyad are located, following the cries of the puppy.

Two of the goblins engage with Sigfried, whose skill with his shield and blade is put on display. Knocking the first spear strike with a parry of his blade, the other goblin seeks to capitalize on what it thinks is a weakness. The sharp point of the spear aims for his side but the mighty warrior spins quickly, using his shield to bat the spear hard and open a shot for this sword to find goblin flesh in a heavy, overhead strike.

Attack (THAC0:19): 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (8) + 3 = 11
Damage: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6

"Friends, look out! The wolf is coming for you all!" He shouts back before another spear thrust captures his attention again.

Ziyad chucked his dagger at the goblin-trained hound reflexively...the blade whirled through the crisp night air like a desert storm.

Dagger toss: 19 - 1d20 ⇒ 19 - (16) = 3 hits AC 3
Dmg: 1d4 ⇒ 1

The goblin clearly had some skill, avoiding Siegen's blows and landing a solid hit in return.

"This one fights well - for a goblin!", Siegen calls.

THAC0 19 - Longsword vs 'Knight': 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 3 = 9

Damage: 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (7) + 3 = 10

"Oh no you don't"! Pickles draws his sword and goes to intercept the wolf after his new friend.

1d20 + 1 ⇒ (16) + 1 = 17 Longsword
1d8 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 = 8 Edge

While most of the strikes against the goblins once again were deflected by their armour and skill, the squire's wolf mount bore the brunt of the group's attack. As it jumped towards the sound of the frightened puppy, both Ziyad and Pickles managed to strike it. Pickles, in particular, struck a deadly blow against the canine mount, slicing the beast deep upon its flank. Snarling it whirls around and targets the halfling for retaliation.

Goblin Spear vs. Sigfried: 1d20 ⇒ 4 MISS
Goblin Spear vs. Siegen: 1d20 ⇒ 9 MISS
Goblin Spear Vs. Sigfried: 1d20 ⇒ 2 MISS

Goblin Archer vs. Ziyad: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (13) + 1 = 14 HIT 1d6 ⇒ 1damage
Goblin Archer vs. Jacob: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (20) + 1 = 21 HIT 1d6 ⇒ 1 damage

Goblin Squire vs. Siegen: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (13) + 1 = 14 MISS

Wolf vs. Pickles: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (18) + 1 = 19 HIT 1d6 ⇒ 1 Damage

Sigfried fights viciously between the two spearmen, unable to move back to protect his allies and yet not finding a good strike against their armor and protection. He parries a spear thrust away, getting inside of the goblin's guard and going for the menace's throat.

Attack (THAC0:19): 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 3 = 9
Damage: 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 = 8

"Ouch! Stop that. You'll not get to feast on me or my pup".

1d20 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3 Sword

1d8 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 9 Sharp side

"Uh oh! Help! Save the pup".

As the arrow strikes him, Brother Jacob decides that he can't hang back any longer.

"For the Martyred One!" he shouts as he charges the goblin archers.

Attack vs. Goblin Archers (THACO19): 1d20 ⇒ 20
Damage: 1d6 ⇒ 4

Nearly dead, the wizard thought it best to stick with his previous tactic of using a tree trunk to block incoming arrows...

Taking cover if possible.