DM Carbide's Core Emerald Spire

Game Master John Woodford

Shoot in melee: 1d20 + 2 - 4 ⇒ (16) + 2 - 4 = 14
dmg: 1d6 ⇒ 5

Corbrae shoots and misses

The final goblin proves exceptionally difficult to hit, dodging the wolf, the druid, and the bard.

Round 4:

Joseph is back up!

Joseph takes a shot at the remaining goblin.

ranged vs red: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 10
piercing dmg: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7

"Hold still!"

The goblin does not oblige Joseph. However, its offense also suffers, and Blitz is able to avoid a shortsword thrust.

Everyone else can act! Finish it!

Because she has nothing better to do, and because she actually hit it last time, Mrs. Book splops sounds like a good work the goblin.

to hit acid splash ranged touch, into melee: 1d20 + 2 - 4 ⇒ (12) + 2 - 4 = 10
acid damage: 1d3 ⇒ 3

Tibearius swings at the last goblin.

mace, ic: 1d20 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (16) + 1 + 1 = 18
bludgeoning, ic: 1d8 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 + 1 = 6

Refreshed from his healing, Tibearius steps back into melee and cracks the goblin's overlarge head. It falls to the ground, dying and definitely out of the fight.

Out of combat!

There is nothing of particular interest in the room, although there's a door directly opposite the one the party entered through.

"I suggest we take a much needed rest in town and come back to finish this... goblin relocation program..." says Tibearius, wiping off goblin brains from his mace with a dirty rag.

Remember that you have a CLW wand with 20 charges.

Ok forgot about that; what's the status of our HPs?

we should be good on hp with last channel.

Viridian breathes a sigh of relief.

”I did not expect to find so many of these buggers in here. I suspect we are not done yet either. Who knows what mischief they are working here. “

By my math, Tibearius is still down 4 HP, but everyone else should be full up.

Tibearius applies some of the wand's magic on his wounded arm.

Wand CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3

What do you want to do?

"Just one more room before we return?"

”Agreed. Then depart for rest. “

Viridian hears nothing at the door, and on opening it finds a room that joins up with one the party has previously explored (and killed two goblins in). The druid easily spots another painted canvas cover over a narrow tunnel mouth.

There are two sets of double doors off of the room, and a single door that turns out to be locked.

Mrs. Book looks around curiously, a little surprised not to be met by a squad of angry midgets with teeth.

[b]"Well, I know I said one more room, but I really meant one more room with an opponent to deal with. We could check out that center room before we leave if you want to."[b]

”Aye, I expected a new room to be defended. I see little here of note
“

Per : 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (9) + 13 = 22

Listening at the central double doors, Viridian hears shuffling and an occasional sound of a goblin whining about something.

Viridian motions to the others about the noises , holding up two fingers and moves to flank the door.

Once the party is prepared, someone throws the door open. Illuminated by the eldritch glow of the central core are two goblins, who look up in surprise.

Surprise Round:

Initiative order
Joseph
Corbrae
Viridian/Blitz
(Goblins on Round 1, if they survive the surprise round)
Mrs. Book
Tibearius

Everyone can take a move or standard action! Note the confined space in front of the double doors. I've placed you in what seems to be a reasonable arrangement.

Goblins: AC 16 T 13 FF 14 HP taken - Purple: 0 Magenta: 0

Before anyone else can react and get in the way, Mrs. Book unloads with her last spell, a DC 18 Color Spray.

Oooh, good one!

Both goblins go down, clutching at their eyes and drooling. They are easily dispatched in that state.

Out of combat!

As can be seen from the map, a staircase leads down around the glowing core. In the silence that follows the end of the fight, everyone can hear movement from somewhere below, like someone shuffling, punctuated with the occasional low moan. The sounds don't get any closer, though.

”Strong work. We need that spell more often! Takes the fight right out of these. “

Viridian has no qualms dispatching them

"But that's it for the day. I need to rest if I am to do it again. Otherwise I'm a torch carrier."

"But that's it for the day. I need to rest if I am to do it again. Otherwise I'm a torch carrier."

And acid splasher of intermittent effectiveness, don't forget.

"Well done Mrs. Book. Let's back up to that double door and see what's there yes?"

Mrs. book gives Tiberius a strange look, wondering if the man is deaf. Making sure he can see her lips as she speaks she restates her concerns.

"You are a machine, Tiberius, I will grant you that, but, as I said, I will be of no use against whatever we find behind that door unless I get a good rest. Unless it is a dirty bathtub that needs cleaning from my tiny little acid blobs and stays still so I can hit it."

"You're selling yourself short Mrs. Book. There, grab my longspear..." says Tibearius, tipping the shaft towards Mrs. Book while placing his ear upon the double door. He utters a quick prayer to enhance his hearing.

Perception, Guidance: 1d20 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 3 + 1 = 7

Mrs. book drops her cane in surprise as the spear is levered towards her.

"Well, I suppose I could try one of these. If you insist."

Tucking her cane away and taking the spear she bends suddenly under its weight and ne=early drops it before straightening up and pointing it at the door, the shaft held midway along its shaft.

"My this thing is heavy."

Tibearius hears nothing at the doors.

Joseph shrugs and when everyone is ready he opens the door.

Viridian nods as he and Blitz mans the other side of the door...

Corbrae renews her spell to bring lights to the party, and verifies that her crossbow is ready to shoot

After all that, there is nothing but rubble in this extensive room. There's a door in the southwest that leads to a round chamber with piles of rags and bones heaped up into nest-like beds around it. From the eye-watering smell and the flakes of shed skin in the beds, the party surmises that this is where the goblin dogs slept.

Along the northern wall, a narrow tunnel leads from the northwest tower back to where Viridian spotted the second screen. A rope hangs from the ceiling next to the east end of the tunnel. If anyone decides to pull the rope, let me know where everyone else is when it happens.

The only things left to explore are the stairs going up, the stairs going down, and the locked room.

Where to now? Back to town to rest the night?

Viridian lets a sigh of relief loose before saying.

I am not comfortable going up or down without a rest. A locked room could be checked. Did anyone find keys on those buggers we dropped?

He will search the bodies again if needed.

There are no keys on the fallen goblins.

Yes, back to town. Don't feel like I have to say anything IC as I already said it.

Oh, but the rest of the party might have wanted to get to the boss fight check the last rooms.

Yes, back to town please.

The loot gained so far is enough for the party to spend the night at the Julliver Arms (but it won't affect your gp for the game), and the evening passes uneventfully.

Rested and refreshed, you return to the ruins to finish the job...at least the parts of it that are above ground.

Mrs. Book is feeling most refreshed and, dare I say, plucky?

"Excellent day for goblin hunting, wouldn't you all say?"

Well done!

Having renewed her stock of bolts Buy 20 bolts for 2 Gp, Corbrae feels a little better.

Let's hope any potential remaining goblin did not call for reinforcement. We can manage a few ones, but not too many at once.

Viridian nods in agreement.

By the Green! There were enough of those buggers already. But I fear they multiply as fast as vermin. Let us make haste before they fortify or add further traps.

Is ready to depart with Blitz at his side.

Joseph takes Mrs. Book's advice to heart and eats a low carb non dairy breakfast.

Returning to the tower ruins, nothing disturbs you on reentry. You do, however, find indications that someone has been there while you were resting: the goblin and goblin dog bodies have been stacked up in the large chamber on the west end of the tower. The locked door is still secured, but crudely scrawled on it in blood are the words "COME UP."

"Why does this not give a good feeling. Still, it would have been foolish to expect they would not notice all the bodies, hmmm?"

Before ascending the stairs, Mrs. Book then put away her cane and take out a flask of acid, and then will use a scroll to cast a protection from evil on Joseph when they get to a door.

Viridian follows with Blitz and has spear at the ready.

I share your unease at the audacity of the sign. But that only drives me more to find the author and ensure harboring goblins in this place is Discouraged.