GM Doug's Troubles in Otari (Inactive)

Game Master Doug Hahn

Well, that's only 75 ft...

Biltri drops his chain, retrieves his sling from his belt, and loads it with an iron ball. He whips the sling around and flings it toward the shadow of the bugbear in the woods. The bullet cracks loudly off of a tree trunk. "Gah!"

Sling, +1 range increment: 1d20 + 6 - 2 ⇒ (2) + 6 - 2 = 6 through cover
P: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 = 8

We would cease being able to track at the point we reached fatigue. :(

Dethor drops his blade and shield, draws his bow, and shoots.
Assuming he is less than 120' away
shortbow: 1d20 + 10 - 2 ⇒ (10) + 10 - 2 = 18 P;deadly: 1d6 ⇒ 21d10 ⇒ 4
Assuming this is a miss

Just as he is about to shoot, he notices a slight glimmer in the air, as if there was a thermal pocket between himself and the hobgoblin. He adjusts for this, and shoots!
shortbow HP reroll: 1d20 + 10 - 2 ⇒ (19) + 10 - 2 = 27

HAHAHA! NO ONE CAN CATCH LUROK! CATCH ME IF YOU CAN, FOO—

The fleeing bugbear's triumphant taunt is cut short as Dethor's lucky arrow knocks him upside the head. He drops like a sack of dwarven bricks!

You can stabilize him and interview him, but you will need to succeed at a DC 15 Intimidation check to Coerce him or a DC 17 Diplomacy check to Request.

Nandipha is happy to stabilize the Bugbear.

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (15) + 5 = 20

"You're in a terrible spot, Lurok. We have healed you, but I don't guarantee my friends won't try to hurt you again if you don't give us answers. Come, sit with us and tell us what you know, and we can have a nice chat instead."

I slept nearly 20 hours, and am still woozy from Moderna #2. It kicks like the back end of a horse!

Biltri begins stomping his way through the underbrush to try to retrieve Dethor's kill. "Bloody weeds growing everywhere and grabbing every nook and cranny on my armor, like I'm wading through a pit full of kobolds..."

I don't think I'll get there until 1 action into the third round since he dropped.

Dethor chuckles at his shot and looks to Biltri, "Yup."

He puts his bow away, and picks up his shield and sword.

The bugbear won't say much without actual healing. Stabilize only makes him lose the dying condition. He's unconscious with 0hp, and Wounded 1. That's if Nandipha can get within 30' of him before he dies - the range of the spell.

"We can just follow his tracks back. At the min', dose hounds gotta haf left a trail."

Baux goes and retrieves his starknife.

Then he wanders over to where the bugbear was felled. “Nice shot!”

“Git it bound, then I can heal the lot of us. Gettin’ late, would like ta wrap this up an git some sleep soon.”

Once Biltri slogs his way over to the unconscious bugbear, he slaps a set of manacles onto the goblinoid's wrists.

Manacles. One of the best negligible bulk, cheap options in the CRB.

You make it there before the bugbear bleeds out. He wakes up with a black eye, a sore head, and manacles on his wrists.

He squints at Nandipha. "As you like. I have no skin in this game, after all. This was just a fun little job. A little arson, a little easy money… well… it's less fun now." He rattles the manacles.

"The Leadbuster Lads hired me to burn the flume. They gave me a couple of hounds to make the job easy. Flumes don't go up easy. Not like your typical farmhouse."

"Funny thing. The four of those 'Leadbuster Lads' are dwarves. And four of you lot are dwarves, too. But they don't have a scary elf, so maybe that tips the balance in your favor. Maybe not. We'll see soon enough, I'm sure. He chuckles. "Now. That's all I know. Promise."

Dethor thinks he's lying. Dwarves would never hurt the local industry, burning a flume! Outrageous. It's surely a bugbear incursion, and he's trying to cover for his own gang.

However the rest of you think he's telling the truth, and that's all he knows.

Lucius grins at being called a scary elf, so used to it by now.

"How did these Leadbuster Lads happen to have hellhounds? And do you know who is leading them?"

Have we heard of this group? I don't remember them from the Otari primer.

"Hmm." Biltri grunts. "We're going to have to drag him all the way back to town, aren't we?" He frowns then raises a finger. "Wait! No. We just need to bring him to Klorte!" He chuckles grimly.

"Hells, does we even needs t' do that?" ask Dethor. "Th' lyin' scum didna surrender, so nae dwarven sense o' honor needs be bruised by just finishin' 'im off roight here and now. Ain't wort' nae effort t' be bringin' this lout inta th' guards. Burnin' goodman's livelihood an' houses, them's hangin' offenses where I come from."

He plays this up in front of the bugbear.
Deception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (9) + 8 = 17

"Leadbuster? Anyone hear tell of such a clan?"

Scratching at his beard, he adds "Not certain Klorte wants ta be woken at this time of night."

Yawning, he says "Best deal some healin' now."

He checks that the bugbear is securely bound and then calls on Desna for healing.
3 action heal: 2d10 ⇒ (2, 9) = 11

Klorte Hengus would prefer any neer-do-wells go to the town jail. He doesn't want to invite any trouble into his business!

You heal up and rest the night. The next morning, you ask around town and don't hear much about these "Leadbuster Lads." They must be from out of town, and operating outside the city — you've never heard of them.

Or perhaps Dethor's suspicions are correct and the bugbear's information was a red herring!

It's getting on to mid morning. With no further leads, you can return to Klorte Hengus for his magical axe, or to Slab Hill to pick mushrooms.

"Get paid for what's done. Then go hunt mushrooms," Biltri mumbles his suggestion while finishing breakfast.

Baux nods his agreement. "Seems sensible. If'n we git done with the mushrooms quick enough, maybe we kin try an follow the trail the attacks took to the flume."

Lucius also agrees.

"Getting paid would be nice. And, yes, it seems we're going to have to track down these "Leadbuster Lads" ourselves. You'd think a party of four dwarves causing trouble around town would have caught someone's attention, but I guess not."

He turns to Dethor.

"Unless of course... I mean, I suppose there could be a bugbear incursion. You have been right before, haven't you?"

Lucius scratches his bearded chin, trying to remember.

"So, let's do two t'ings, here. Let's get dat axe and den mebbe see if ders a trail to follow. Don't t'ink dat bugbear's smart 'nuff to hef covered his tracks on da way in. Plus, dem fire dogs hef to hev left marks." says Dethor.

"Happened once or twice, Lucius. I don' let it go t' me 'ead."

"Seems we got mix of plans. Everyone agrees we pick up the payment of the axe."

"Do we do mushrooms or follow the trail next? Mushrooms hopefully be done quick, but these Leadbuster Lads seem ta be troublemakers. Longer we leave them be, more likely they are ta make more trouble."

Slight preference for trying to track down the Leadbuster Lads. Willing to do either.

Klorte hands you a +1 striking hatchet after you tell him the news. "Good work."

"Now, I know what you're gonna ask, so I'll bet ya to the punch…. Don't know no Leadbusters. Don't know who'd wanna to hurt my flume. We do millin' work here for lots of lumber companies here. Used to be all Kortos Consortium-owned land around here, but lotsa locals broke off to do their own thing, start their own ventures. Much like myself. An' we all get along. So whoever's hurtin' the flume hurts us all. Boggles the mind."

That is all he knows.

❧ ❧ ❧

You follow the tracks, but soon they are covered up by a mess of kobold prints. It looks like your old friends have been traipsing around these woods too, and they accidentally obscured the hobgoblin's tracks! It is impossible to track the hobgoblin further.

”To bad i ne’er got th’ hang of them little axes, ” comments Dethor. ”Looks like it’d be a decent upgrade in weapons. Ennie you able to transfer runes?”

Thinking about the road ahead. ”Trail gets colder the longer we wait. Plus, the longer he is late, the more likely his gang moves on. ”

"I'm not the smartest dwarf in the shed, but the bugbear said he was hired, not part of the gang of dwarves. He also didn't know where to find them," Biltri says. "So I don't think tracking the bugbear's old trail is going to amount to much, but if that's what you want to do..."

The trail dead-ends. With no further leads on the leadbusters, you decide to pick mushrooms.

You easily find Slab Hill — hopefully, you are not too late. You remember Magiloy spread the word that she is looking for copper-cap mushrooms, so there may be other shroom-hunters out! In fact, several spots on the trail up to the hill look picked clean.

As you leave the woodlands you notice that one of the slabs on Slab Hill has been shoved aside, revealing an opening into the hill. Nandipha can tell from the mud around that it may have been dislodged in a recent rain.

Near this opening is a basket full of copper-cap mushrooms. On the fallen slab is carved a message in Dwarven, so eroded that it's mostly illegible. However, you can make out a few words:

HERE … … GREAT EVIL. KARSTIN STAR-HAND … …

… … WARLORD … …
SCOURGE OF … …
… … …
A CURSE … … WHO OPENS THIS PLACE.

Sadly, it looks like whoever was picking mushrooms was not able to read ancient dwarven. The owner of the basket is nowhere to be found and you can only assume they went inside, looking for treasure.

Of course, you also now realize that "slab hill" is actually a massive burial mound; all those slabs are ancient tomb doors. How quaint.

The basketful of mushrooms is here, and you could pick them up and deliver them to Magiloy. Or, you can investigate this terrible place…

"Does non one read?" Biltri grumbles upon noting the opened tomb. "We'd better put down whatever they woke."

You draw weapons and move inside with a sense of trepidation.

Sconces that flicker with an eerie, greenish light illuminate the rooms. In this chamber, thick mats of spiderwebs cluster in the corners, and the walls bear crude carvings of human soldiers standing at attention between shallow niches. A passageway deeper into the hill has an emblem above it: an open hand with a star on the palm.

Four cobweb-ridden skeletons lurch forward, each bearing a scimitar! Another creature with glowing red eyes turns and looks at you. Its flesh is rotting and putrid and its body skeletal in places. Its dry voice whispers: More flesh for the massssster…

It rushes forward and claws Biltri in the neck! As the cold talon sinks into his flesh, the dwarf feels his life-force being pulled away. Please make a fort save against divine / necromancy

It then runs back into the room, clearly intelligent enough not to stay near the meteor-hammer-wielding person.

❧ ❧ ❧

Of Course People Pick Mushrooms Next to a Horrible Tomb

Red-Eyes, +3 THP
--
Baux
Biltri, -12 HP, DC 17 Fort needed
--
Skelly 3
Skelly 4
Lucius Caligari
Dethor
--
Skelly 1
Skelly 2
--
Nandipha

Fortitude: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (4) + 10 = 14
Flargnabbit!

"Bastard!" Biltri curses as the creature rips open his neck and runs away. There is a loud clang and forge sparks rise from his neck. The links in his meteor hammer's chain begin to glow with heat as well. "Let the dumb ones come break themselves on my fist in the doorway! Those pointy blades won't do much good."

Cast (S): lay on hands, Rage, Recall Knowledge vs. Skeletons

Biltri recognized the skeletons as skeletal guards. skeleton guard. They resist cold, electricity, fire, piercing, and slashing. 5 each

Religion +10 E on Red Eyes

Baux tries his best to recall what he was taught about creatures matching the one that attacked Biltri.

He then casts a spell that causes a twinkling mote of light to appear and then grow into the form of a starknife as it flies towards Red Eyes.
Spiritual Weapon: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (15) + 8 = 23
Force: 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5

"Well, den, I ainta gonna be no good against dem. Guess I get big bad eyes."

The skeletons move forward and wave their scimitars at you menacingly, prepared to strike anyone who should enter the tomb. Though mindless, they may have been tasked to defend this place from anyone who steps inside. Unfortunately, because they are mindless, one of them mostly blocks the door.

Stride x2, ready x2

❧ ❧ ❧

Of Course People Pick Mushrooms Next to a Horrible Tomb

Red-Eyes, +0 THP, -2 HP
--
Baux
Biltri, Drained 1, -12 HP
--
Skelly 3, readied attack ready spoiler if you step in
Skelly 4, readied attack ready spoiler if you step in
—
Lucius Caligari
Dethor
--
Skelly 1
Skelly 2
--
Nandipha

"Bloody hells!" yells out Dethor, and he thinks about his choice of weapons.

Acrobatics: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (1) + 9 = 10
He moves in, and tries to tumble through #3's square. He fails on his first attempt, and tries again.

Acrobatics: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (6) + 9 = 15

Sigh. Stupid dice

Still, he can't get by. So he tries again. He wonders if dwarves were meant to be nimble.

Acrobatics: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (7) + 9 = 16

Sigh.

Dethor somehow fails to tumble through. Somehow the skeleton's very reflexive!

Wow. DC is 18.

"Really should pick up a tree branch," Biltri comments. "Stay there. Or fall back. I'll smash them either way."

Lucius delays!

Both skeletons swing and miss Dethor.

Skeleton one moves in and swings at the dwarf and misses, its second chop knocking mortar off the wall. The last skeleton sheathes its scimitar, draws a longbow, aims through cover… and misses.

❧ ❧ ❧

The weapon slashes into the wight! Its flesh, having absorbed some of Biltri’s life essence, sustains some of the damage. Hit for 5, meaning 3 temporary HP are gone and then 2 damage. I’m not sure how to really dramatize that.

Dwarf-Jam

Red-Eyes, +0 THP, -2 HP
--
Baux, Sustaining Sp. Weap
Biltri, Drained 1, -0HP
--
Skelly 3
Skelly 4
—
Lucius Caligari
Dethor
--
Skelly 1
Skelly 2, bow weilded
--
Nandipha

Religion vs Red Eyes: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (3) + 10 = 13 Well, that could have been better.

Baux doesn't recognize what sort of creature the red eyed one is. Too many different undead, all very similar.

"Red Eyes? I'm going to give him a Red Head."

I guess we will find out the hard way if Red Eyes is resistant to fire.

Nandipha twitches her tail impatiently, eager to get into the action. Still, she is capable of using more than one tool while she waits. She casts Flaming Sphere in Red Eye's square.

Flaming Sphere (DC 19 Reflex): 3d6 ⇒ (2, 5, 6) = 13

◈◈ Flaming Sphere

I have nothing else I can do, so we will leave it at two actions here.

The sphere only has a range of 30 feet — the red-eyes is 35 feet away. would you like to target any of the front skeletons, or delay?

When Nandipha realizes she cannot quite reach Red Eyes, she burns Skeleton number 1 instead.

The skeleton moves out of the fire! Made the save; no damage.

The Red-eyed creature chuckles. Come inside!

Delay.

❧ ❧ ❧

Dwarf-Jam

Baux, Sustaining Sp. Weap
Biltri, Drained 1
--
Skelly 3
Skelly 4
—

Dethor
--
Skelly 1
Skelly 2, bow wielded
--
Nandipha, Sustaining Fl. Sph.

--
Delayed:
Lucius Caligari
Red-Eyes, +0 THP, -2 HP

"Watch your head!" Biltri warns Dethor as he rapidly spins the anchor on the chain and then launches it at the skeleton in the doorway (#3), snatches it back and repeats.

Strike, Strike, Strike

+1 Meteor Hammer: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (3) + 10 = 13
Magic, B, Rage: 1d8 + 4 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 4 + 2 = 12

+1 Meteor Hammer: 1d20 + 10 - 5 ⇒ (10) + 10 - 5 = 15
Magic, B, Rage: 1d8 + 4 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 4 + 2 = 7

+1 Meteor Hammer: 1d20 + 10 - 10 ⇒ (12) + 10 - 10 = 12
Magic, B, Rage: 1d8 + 4 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 4 + 2 = 10

Well, that will drag this out... bad dice!

Baux gestures and his divine starknife flies at Red Eyes again.
Spiritual Weapon: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (7) + 8 = 15
Force damage: 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 3 = 7

Then he points at the skeleton directly in the entrance and says “Be gone!”
Disrupt Undead, positive energy: 2d6 + 3 ⇒ (4, 5) + 3 = 12 DC 18 Basic Fortitude save

The spiritual weapon misses. The "reflexive" skeleton seems to stand up to the onslaught… but then it crumbles to dust! Finally!

Unfortunately, the next skeleton in steps into the gap and slashes twice at Dethor. It somehow manages to connect once.

❧ ❧ ❧

Bad Luck at the Dwarf-Jam

Baux, Sustaining Sp. Weap
Biltri, Drained 1
--
Skelly 4
—
Dethor, -7 HP
--
Skelly 1
Skelly 2, bow wielded
--
Nandipha, Sustaining Fl. Sph.

--
Delayed, can go any time:
Lucius Caligari
Red-Eyes, +0 THP, -2 HP

’Dwarves can be nimble. I can do this. ’

Dethor takes a deep breath, and tries to dive between the bony legs of the undead in front of him.

’Dwarves can be nimble. I can do this. ’

Dethor takes a deep breath, and tries to dive between the bony legs of the undead in front of him. This time, he finally manages to pull it off!
Acrobatics: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (9) + 9 = 18

He then fakes a stumble in front of “red eyes” and stabs. For a second, it looks like his stumble was real, but he rolls out of it, shoving his shortsword up into the the withered nether of the undead leader.
Deception to feint: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (14) + 8 = 22
ol' stabby: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (3) + 10 = 13 P (or S): 1d6 + 4 + 1d6 ⇒ (6) + 4 + (6) = 16
Attack reroll: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (16) + 10 = 26

Dethor learns the power of believing in himself, and is rewarded not only by getting through but by landing a solid hit on the red-eyed creature!

It hisses at Dethor. You'll be following me gladly soon enough! Red-Eyes coming out of Delay

The first claw slashes the dwarf's shoulder, and he feels the life force leaving his body… almost like getting frostbite. DC 17 fort save please, or Drained 1

It then bounds backwards.

Skeleton 1 slashes ineffectively at Dethor. Skeleton 2 fires three shots at Dethor. All but one clatter against the wall and floor. Nat 20 turns a miss into a hit for… 1

❧ ❧ ❧

The Floodgates Open!

Baux, Sustaining Sp. Weap
Biltri, Drained 1
--
Skelly 4
—
Dethor, -8 HP, DC 17 Fort Save needed
--
Red-Eyes, +3 THP, -34HP
Skelly 1
Skelly 2, bow wielded
--
Nandipha, Sustaining Fl. Sph.

--
Delayed, can go any time:
Lucius Caligari

I'd suggest Nandiptha delay until I smash the skeletons, but I previewed my rolls and am clearly having issues.

Biltr continues to doggedly whip the iron fist at the end of the chain at the skeleton in the doorway.

Stride, Stride, Stride

+1 Meteor Hammer: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (5) + 10 = 15
Magic, B, Rage: 1d8 + 4 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 4 + 2 = 7

+1 Meteor Hammer: 1d20 + 10 - 5 ⇒ (1) + 10 - 5 = 6
Magic, B, Rage: 1d8 + 4 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 4 + 2 = 10

+1 Meteor Hammer: 1d20 + 10 - 10 ⇒ (1) + 10 - 10 = 1
Magic, B, Rage: 1d8 + 4 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 4 + 2 = 10

Fort: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (6) + 5 = 11

The rogue’s elation is drained from him, much like his life energy.

”Ach! You can choke on me essence, ye’ rotten bastage! Nae in has ever said dwarves is good eatin’!”

Dethor seems to have passed Biltri his bad luck, as the barbarian somehow misses the pathetic skeleton 3 times.

The red-eyed creature licks its lips and chuckles at Dethor's Ire.

Well I thought the floodgates would be open, but…

First Baux directs his divine starknife at Red Eyes.
Spiritual Weapon: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (14) + 8 = 22
Force damage: 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (7) + 3 = 10

Baux then directs his attention to the blocking skeleton. "Be Gone!"
Disrupt Undead: 2d6 + 3 ⇒ (2, 1) + 3 = 6 DC 18 basic Fort save