[Outpost IV] GM Enchanter's Flooded King's Court (Inactive)

Game Master Enchanter Tim

With as much dignity as she can muster, Erryn hops forward, twice, and speaks in a serious, clipped tone. "Is true. Undead everywhere."

Performance: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 2 = 17

The goblins cheer and whistle at Zug and Erryn. There are a few shouts at Zug for being a goblin too.

"BUT!" Birgid bellows, her voice overpowering even up on the stage. "WE HELPED THE LONG SHANKS ESCAPE! NOT THE UNDEAD THOUGH!"

Performance: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 9

Birgid's line sends the goblins into riotous laughter. At first you think they're enjoying her line, but then you realize they're just laughing at her.

Great job, everyone. Keep it up! Eager to see Zagnut's impersonation of a wolf.

At a signal from Highwire, Zagnut perks up from his position on the ground near the other performers. He kneels down, squirrel tail in the air, and begins chittering in a surprisingly "woof"-like fashion ... though, to be honest, he is hamming it up a bit beyond what is required. After a few moments, he quiets down.

Ernir comes up to the front of the stage, lingering for a few seconds more than what is required to build anticipation. He coughs, clearing his throat.

"I helped collapse the tunnel behind us. It was great!"

Performance: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (20) - 1 = 19

He mutters to great applause.

Limping up from stage right, Itka huffily exclaims in her gravelly voice: "I found people who appreciate my singing. Here, let me show you." She clears her throat, a grinding, grating sound. Straightening her hunched back, she rises to her full height, spreading her arms wide and opening her mouth as if to start singing.

Performance of her life: 1d20 ⇒ 17

"Quiet!" Erryn interrupts. "Chief's speaking!"

A hush goes over the goblins as Ernir pauses for dramatic effect. Then cheers erupt at his line. Dozens of goblins belt out notes to help Itka and then devolve into laughter. The crowd goes quiet again when Erryn speaks.

Great job everyone. I realize this is taking a bit, but you're doing great!

At being hushed by Erryn, Itka immediately slouches back down into her customary hunch, a pouty, grumbly expression on her face. She sticks her tongue out at Erryn, then subsides to let the focus turn to the Chief.

Itka didn't expect to roll do so well, so she's hamming it up now.

Zug throws himself on all fours before Highwire. ”Pleeease, my lord, we beseech you and ask the help of your mighty tribe.” he begins in a whiny voice, bowing and groveling before his “king”.
”We are but mere hoomans, and lack the cleverness and skill needed to escape the clutches of the undead. Will you aid us?” Zug continues his line, and in the heat of it, briefly loses the ‘human accent’. In addition to the accent, he also manages to lose the wig off his head with all that bowing.

Highwire, recognizing that they're always more renowned for their acrobatics than acting, says, "Of course, of course!" They jump up, flipping in the air, and landing to balance on top of the goblin king's throne. "Crookedtoes, my people, harken to me! Now is the time foretold, the time when the longshanks would come before us in desperate need."

"We help too! We know how to fight undead longshanks!" Erryn stands up straight, pounding her fist once against her sternum.

The goblins visibly straighten as Highwire delivers his line. A few cheers go up as the brave goblins (in the play) come to the rescue.

Perform: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 9

"YES! MITZI," the dwarf points at the squirrel for emphasis. "WILL TEAR THEM APART WITH, uh, FIERCE WOLFISHNESS!"

@GM Enchanter: It looks like most (but not all) folks are only rolling one performance check for the whole play. Is that the right way to do this?

Yes, just one check per character for the whole play. I probably should have had you do them at the end, but it's fine. Good job, everyone! Just a bit more!

The goblins laugh at Birgid. They point at her pointing at the squirrel.

Zagnut again hams it up, jumping up and down and makes sounds with all the tenacity of an angry terrier.

Rising up again into what she assumes would be the posture of an opera singer, Itka's voice grates out: "And I will compose a war song to lift our hearts." Her lungs fill like a bellows as she's about to sing, but she immediately deflates and sinks back down once everyone groans, glowering petulantly at the others.

Ernir groans way too eagerly.

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHH!" Birgid's groan comes across more like a battle cry.

"Ughhhh," Erryn complains.

Zug quickly takes the script from pocket and tries to inconspicuously check it.

All groan? Or all goblin groan?

Well, there should be no harm in groaning even if not supposed to, so the goblin lets out an audible murmur of compain.

The goblins in the audience groan with you all...those that aren't snickering or giggling, at least. Off to the side, you see the King stand up in anticipation of the final lines.

Bring us home, Ernir and Highwire!

Highwire groans, swaying precariously from his perch on the throne, looking almost like he will topple over for a moment.

After Ernir delivers Crimsi's line, Highwire again stands up on the throne, lifting his hand dramatically into the air. "I think we need to hurry; no time for catapults or songs. Prepare for the journey south and into our destiny! Now, WE be heroes!"

He then joins the chanting with the other "goblins" in his troupe.

I'm going to move us along. Great job, everyone! I know it took some time, but I hope it was fun.

The goblins erupt into cheers and they all join in to chant with you. "WE BE HEROES! WE BE HEROES! WE BE HEROES!" To the side, you see King Zusgut beaming and chanting along as well.

Finally, Zusgut comes out on stage. He raises his hands for silence, and most of the goblins quiet down or wander off. “Well that was exciting,” he says. “But now it’s time for the tough decision.” The king pauses dramatically, and from somewhere nearby a goblin beats a drum in a rhythm reminiscent of a heartbeat.

“It’s a difficult choice,” Zusgut continues, drawing out the moment. “But I have to say that one performance…” he pauses as the drum continues to beat. “Rose above the other.” Another pause. “Today, the winner is…” He stops again, and now the goblins are all paying close attention. “The Pathfinders!” A cheer rises up at his words.

Before Highwire

"Pssst... line!!" Ernir whispers to the side as everyone waits intently. He mutters it, not really putting any effort to bolster his voice.

After we are declared the winners

"Ah! I knew we had it in us!! Good job everybody." Ernir claps once as he goes to grab his staff backstage.

That was actually quite fun! I can only imagine how it would be to do it in person.

Ego stroker. This king doesn't really impress Itka, but at least his subjects don't seem afraid of him. She bows her head after he announces their success. "Thank you, King Zusgut. We are honored."

The next moment, several thoughts pop into her head: Now what? Do we just start walking? Which way? Blinking, she decides to wait a minute to see if these questions will be answered spontaneously.

Highwire bows to King Zusgut. "We will do you proud ..."

King Zusgut grins with a mouthful of sharp teeth. "Me have no doubt! Such a performance deserves a reward! You will be the Crookedtoes' champion to explore our basement!" The remaining goblins in the main theatre cheer and hoot at the danger. Across the stage, the mercenaries sulk and move to a quiet corner to talk.

The goblin king continues. "A gigantic monster is down there. It's very, very big, has a giant mouth, sharp teeth, and is green. Goblins need our home! You kill monster and make sure Crookedtoes' home safe!"

He pushes Anzak forward to lead you to the basement.

I'll pause in case you have anything to do before we start the next part.

Highwire nods, pulling their cloak up and stepping into the shadows as they begin their exploration of the basement.

Exploration activity: Avoid Notice, Stealth +6

Itka stumps along behind Anzak, her limping gait causing her to gradually fall to the back of the group. Every once in a while she pauses to look around for anything that could be a threat or of interest to the Society.

Exploration activity: Search +4

"Hooray, we bestest!" Zug rejoices the King's reward.

Once its time to descend to the basement, Zug gathers his belongings and starts following the lead. He is a brave goblin, but not so brave as to take the lead. In fact staying in the middle ensures everyone can hear his cowbell in times of danger - so it makes sense to take that position.

Anzak leads you to the basement stairs. He points down them. "Ok, you go now!" He grins at you and waves as you descend.

Twisted and bloated, the wooden stairs connecting the main floor and basement are slick and saturated with water. The walls are covered in algae and the ceiling is coated with black mold, while old furniture and props from the theater are piled in the corners in soggy, crumbling heaps. Small crustaceans and numerous insects occasionally peek from the detritus or scramble into cracks or the shallow pools on the floor. The smell of rot and salt water hangs damply in the air.

To the west, a section of the brick wall has crumbled into a heap, creating an opening into a larger area beyond. In the room sit two large green creatures. When you near, you hear one of them growling deeply.

Round 1
Green
Birgid
Itka
Red
Erryn
Highwire
Zug
Ernir

Bold may go! Map

There's enough light coming in from up above for low-light vision. If you have a light, though, let me know. If you don't have low-light or darkvision and no one has a light, creatures and objects are concealed from you.

I have a wayfinder. If things begin to get dark, I would activate its light ability and hand it off to one of the humans, if they don't have another source of light, if that's OK.

There's enough light coming in from up above for low-light vision. If you have a light, though, let me know. If you don't have low-light or darkvision and no one has a light, creatures and objects are concealed from you.

Ernir casts light on his staff out of courtesy for his more visually impaired comrades.

Birgid bows shallowly in acknowledgement of the praise and glances over at the mercenaries to gauge how they're taking their loss. When violence or argument doesn't appear to be in the offing, the dwarf turns and follows Anzak into the darkness. Strapping her shield to her arm and drawing her blade, she makes sure everyone's light situation is sorted before pressing on.

+ + +

"Aha, big, green, toothy. Check check check. His Majesty neglected to mention there were two of it, however!" Birgid advances upon the nearest of the beasts, shield before her and sword leveled in readiness. "The Pathfinders are good to their word, these sewers will be made safe for the Crookedtoes goblins!"

Stride, Strike, Raise Shield
Attack: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (20) + 7 = 27 Critical!: 2d8 + 6 ⇒ (4, 8) + 6 = 18

Shuffling forward, Itka spies the urban crocodiles with her darkvision. "Hmp." Uttering words of power, she casts Guidance on Highwire. Then, as she stoops to grab a fist-sized piece of detritus, she remarks with a sly twinkle in her eye: "I need to hear some cowbell, Zug."

Highwire gets a +1 status bonus to one attack roll, Perception check, saving throw, or skill check the target attempts before Itka's next turn.

◆ Stride, ◆ Cast a Spell, ◆ Interact

Birgid's sword comes down heavily on the creature's snout, cutting deep to the bone. Looking larger and stronger than the other one, it defends its lair by biting at Birgid in return for her attack. The massive jaws crunch down on the dwarf's arm, though she manages to wedge her shield into the creature's mouth to stop it from simply snapping her arm in two. It does, however, have a firm grasp on her and the creature tucks its legs and rolls rapidly, twisting Birgid's body and pulling her down.

Bite: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (17) + 12 = 29
Damage: 1d10 + 6 ⇒ (6) + 6 = 12

Death Roll: 1d20 + 7 + 2 ⇒ (14) + 7 + 2 = 23
Damage: 1d10 + 6 ⇒ (9) + 6 = 15

Round 1
Green
Birgid (9/36; prone)
Itka
Red (-18)
Erryn
Highwire
Zug
Ernir

Bold may go!

Highwire moves forward, asking, "Does anyone recognize these creatures? Are they mere alligators, or something more troublesome?"

They rapidly strike at the nearest of the creatures.

Strike 1: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (5) + 6 = 11
Strike 1 damage (B): 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4
Strike 2: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (7) + 2 = 9
Strike 2 damage (B): 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4

With their second strike, they twirl around defensively, and whirlwind of purple sparkles dance in the air around them, forming a protective barrier.

Action 1: Stride. Action 2: Flurry of blows. Action 3: Cast shield

Erryn rushes forward to aid Birgid, jamming an enormous looking needle into the dwarf's arm that reinvigorates her. "Always cleaning up your messes," she chides, drawing her rapier.

Battle Medicine for Birgid, DC20: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (14) + 10 = 24
Healing: 2d8 + 15 ⇒ (1, 3) + 15 = 19

◆: Stride. ◆: Battle Medicine (1 of 2 for Birgid). ◆: Draw weapon.

Highwire, did you remember to use Guidance? I don't know what their AC is, so it may not make a difference.

No, I had forgotten ... so that first strike would be 12, not 11. Thanks!

Ernir sorrounds himself with his allies and casts a defensive rune, protecting them from harm. "Stay close to me!"

Protective Ward. Allies within 5 feet of Ernir gain a +1 status bonus to AC.

He then raises his staff in front of him as he chants an arcane word, a transparent tower shield can be barely seen by it's purplish-blue translusent outline.

❖Stride ❖Protective ward ❖Shield (cantrip). Ernir AC: 16

The party rallies around Birgid, healing her and throwing up defensive magic. Highwire's fists bounce harmlessly off the creature's tough hide.

Round 1

Green
Birgid (28/36; prone)
Itka
Red (-18)
Erryn
Highwire (shield)
Zug
Ernir (protective ward; shield)

Zug, go!

"Here comes cowbell!" Zug shouts, and sprints after the others and the sounds of battle.
He grabs the aforementioned instrument, and swinging wildly starts making some oddly inspiring soundscape.

Along with the music, the goblin chants some incantations to the rhythm of the cowbell, forming invisible shield between him and the enemy.

❖Stride ❖Inspire courage❖Shield (cantrip). Zug AC: 19

Inspire courage: +1 atk/dmg, everyone

The smaller monster comes up to bite at Highwire. The massive jaws look like they're going to clamp down on the monk, but at the last second, the purple sparks seem to push off the creature and the jaws snap on air. It whirls and lashes out with its tail, but it just crashes against the wall beside his head.

Jaws: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (9) + 10 = 19
Damage: 1d10 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10

Tail: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (10) + 6 = 16
Damage: 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10

Round 2
Green
Birgid (28/36; prone)
Itka
Red (-18)
Erryn
Highwire (shield)
Zug (Inspire Courage)
Ernir (protective ward; shield)

Bold, go!

It whirls and lashes out with its tail, but it just crashes against the wall beside his head.

Apologies, that should read "beside their head." I even looked at Highwire's pronouns before I posted and still made the error.

Apologies, that should read "beside their head." I even looked at Highwire's pronouns before I posted and still made the error.

No problem. Easy mistake to make.

With everyone crowding into the tight space, Itka can't really see the creatures well enough to get in a good shot. Instead, she casts Guidance on Brigid, Ernir, and Erryn. "Kill 'em or make room for us!"

◆ Cast a spell, ◆ Cast a spell, ◆ Cast a spell