DM Carbide's Core Emerald Spire

Game Master John Woodford

"They do not make good neighbors... or students for that matter."

The stairs up are narrow, so the party is constrained to ascend single file. At the top is a sturdy wooden door with a shuttered arrow slit in its middle.

What's the marching order up the stairs, and how do you approach the top?

I suggest the marching order: Joseph, Tiberius, Viridian&companion, Corbrae, Mrs. Book.

As for how we approach, I guess we could try sneaking up. If so...
stealth: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (18) + 2 = 20

Unless someone wants to volunteer to be in front looking for traps?

"Alright. Sounds good."

Joseph will switch to his glaive and take point. Searching for traps as he goes.

Taking 10 for a 17 if possible.

Viridian nods in agreement and motions to Blitz to follow.

Once the top of the stairs are reached, he will look around...at his wolf.

perception: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (1) + 13 = 14 Bleh

The staircase circles the Spire core a full two-and-a-half times, ascending past ruined and impassable levels until reaching the door described previously. Joseph and Viridian look around for traps on the stairs, but find none.

What do you do at the door?

Aside from the aforementioned casting of protection from evil on Joseph, Mrs. book watches and worries.

Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (19) + 7 = 26

Corbrae puts her pointed ear on the door and listen for noises

Corbrae hears thudding footsteps approaching the door.

Round 1:

Initiative order
Joseph
Tibearius
Enemy
Mrs. Book
Corbrae
Viridian

Joseph and Tibearius can act! Note that the door is closed, and Corbrae is squeezed up next to Joseph. Let me know if there's any shift you want to make in the order, and also note that despite the way the map looks the stairs are lit by the eldritch green glow from the tower's core.

Enemy: AC ? T ? FF ? HP taken: 0

Tibearius casts bless on the party.

With no clear idea of what is coming Joseph will ready an action to attack if someone hostile appears.

Round 1 (ongoing):

The cover on the arrow slit in the door falls inside the room, and an arrow flies out. It hits Joseph for 9 HP. The width of the slit makes it hard for him to hit whatever is on the other side, though, and his blade turns on the door.

Mrs. Book, Corbrae, and Viridian can act!

Mrs. book is clueless. She is at the bottom of the stairs and can't see squat. And even if she could, there is not much she could do unless she was next to the slit.

”We need to open that door quickly or block the murder hole.“

He draws his wand and taps Joseph.

Clw : 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6

Blitz is set to guard and attack anyone he can that attacks the party (unlikely but best he has)

"RETREAT!" yells Tibearius, readying his escape.

Corbrae?

Corbrae crouches down near the door, her eyes on the arrow slit.

As soon as she sees another arrow flying, she plans to rise and shoot back with her crossbow

Readied attack

Tibearius heads towards one of the remaining unexplored rooms, hopeful to get a key or clue to the mysterious ambush room.

See map where I highlighted Tibearius' destinations in red

Viridian and Blitz follow Tibearius until a solution is presented for the barred door.

perception: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (10) + 13 = 23

The party retreats, getting below line of sight without incident. (One more arrow came Joseph's way, but the half-elf managed to duck just in time.)

A search of the rest of the ground level comes up empty (or mostly so)--the remains of the northwest tower contain nothing but a trap rigged to collapse the roof on anyone in the vicinity of the entrance (the area outlined by a red square), and the room behind the locked door (also outlined in red) is a goblin armory: rows of wooden racks on the walls hold a ramshackle collection of rusty blades, scraps of armor, and warped arrows. The only weapons that can be used are six dogslicers and six horsechoppers, all sized for goblins.

What do you do now?

I'm asking to the more martially inclined of you: could one of these blades

She points to the dogslicers and horsechoppers

be used to block the arrow slit?

The hardware could potentially be used to block the arrow slit, but it would take time and a bit of design work (i.e., a Knowledge (Engineering) check).

How big is the arrow slit. Could a shield block the whole thing?

"We can starve him out or burn the door down, eventually. Or go back to town and get a knock spell scroll. Or I could do some research and find another spell that might work, though the scroll price might get hefty."

"Or we could sit down the stairs and call out insults at him, or her, until she flies into a rage and comes out after us."

A tower shield would definitely block it, but a smaller shield might leave gaps at the top and/or bottom.

Know Engineer: 1d20 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (9) + 2 + 1 = 12

Corbrae tries to devise something that could block the slit, but her efforts don't pay off as she would have liked

Joseph thinks about it for what feels like weeks.

"What if we just smoke them out? Burn down the door maybe."

As a Fighter Joseph is proficient with Tower Shields. Do we as a group have 30gp? Joseph has less then 1gp.

You can sell the six horsechoppers for 30 gp; it'll just come out of the treasure totals at the end.

I do not know that a trip to town is necessary, if we can find materials here. What about a bench or table the size of a tower shield? Maybe pull one of the other doors off hinges?

Viridian is perplexed and annoyed at the slit delaying progress.

Unfortunately no engineering or woodworking skills per se.

There are tables in the goblin mess hall that can be used for that.

Sometimes the simplest ideas are the best, Viridian! We should do that, use a table as a shield or barricade

The party returns to the goblin mess hall and picks up a couple of tables.

What's your marching order going back up?

Well, Mrs. Book is at or near the end.

Viridian and wolf in middle (3rd)

Don't forget to heal Joseph before you go back up.

Using a couple of benches as an improvised shield, Joseph leads the party up the stairs. Before he reaches the top, though, the arrow slit slides open.

Round 1:

Initiative order
Joseph
Enemy
Corbrae
Mrs. Book
Tibearius
Viridian/Blitz

Joseph can act! You're about ten feet down the stairs from the door at the moment.

Enemy: AC ? T ? FF ? HP taken: 0

"I got this"

Joseph moves up and blocks the arrow sit with the shield as he stands out of the way.

Round 1 (ongoing):

Initiative order
Joseph-acted
Enemy-acted
Corbrae
Mrs. Book
Tibearius
Viridian/Blitz

Grumbled curses in Goblin can be heard from the other side of the door, but nothing else apparently happens.

Everyone else can act!

Enemy: AC ? T ? FF ? HP taken: 0

Mrs. Book decides to wait at the bottom of the stairs and to the side in case boiling oil is poured down on them. Once the others get the door opened she will join them.

Mrs. Book has no way of healing anyone.

Viridian and wolf follow Joseph up. The druid will cure from a wand to keep the fighter ready.

Ready. Are we breaking it down?

CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7

The door does not open when the latch is pulled, and seems to be locked.

At this point, you can try to either pick the lock (Disable Device check), break the door down (STR check), or try to cut it down (attacks). Someone has to be at the top of the stairs holding the improvised shield in place and there isn't a lot of space there, so whoever tries to open the door will have to squeeze, and will be at some penalties for that.

I'm lithe, not strong, I 'll try to hold the shield in place while you hack at the door or push it open

She gets in place and hold the shield to the best of her abilities

Tibearius begins to crash his heavy mace into the door while Corbrae holds the shield. couple rounds' worth, assuming inspire... if not take one off the dmg...

Heavy Mace: 1d8 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 + 1 = 9
Heavy Mace: 1d8 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 + 1 = 5
Heavy Mace: 1d8 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 + 1 = 5
Heavy Mace: 1d8 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 + 1 = 5
Heavy Mace: 1d8 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 + 1 = 3
Heavy Mace: 1d8 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 + 1 = 4
Heavy Mace: 1d8 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 + 1 = 6

The door proves surprisingly resistant to the cleric's attacks, and Joseph steps up to try to break it down. Eventually it yields.

I should be able to get a post up tonight; this isn't something I want to try to type out on my phone.

Viridian helps best he can with door or bench all the while trying to calm Blitz over all the smashing noises.

Mrs. Book continues to wait at the foot of the stairs, fully expecting a wave of flaming oil to come done.

Enough noise has been generated that no one is surprised when the door finally goes down.

Round 1:

Initiative order
Joseph
Mrs. Book
Enemy
Corbrae
Viridian/Blitz
Tibearius

The door opens onto a dark room, with only the area in front of the door illuminated by the party's light sources and a greenish glow from the left indicating the presence of the odd crystalline formation at the center of the tower.

Joseph and Mrs. Book can act!

Enemy: AC ? T ? FF ? HP taken: 0

Mrs. Book delays until something happens upstairs.

"We could use more light up here."

Joseph goes full defense and pulls his bow.

"You got the door open? Coming up then!"

Mrs. Book heads up the stairs, torch in hand, or at least will once the conga line moves forward. (The map shows a major cloggage on the stairwell.)

Reminder: Mrs. Book has a light spell active on the tip of Viridian's spear.

Round 1 (ongoing):

Initiative order
Joseph-acted (-13 HP)
Mrs. Book-delaying
Enemy-acted
Corbrae
Viridian/Blitz
Tibearius

Joseph readies his bow while dodging, and Mrs. Book waits for clearance at the top of the stairs. Then an arrow sails out of the darkness too quickly for the fighter to avoid. Joseph, take 13 HP. A low chuckle is heard from further into the room.

Corbrae, Viridian, Blitz, and Tibearius can act!

Enemy: AC ? T ? FF ? HP taken: 0