Outpost VIII - 'Gallows of Madness - What Lurks in the Woods' (Inactive)

Game Master Shadow Dragon

Jakeric limps closer to the gate and tries to peer through the gloom. He gasps: "There's a p-p-person on the goblins' side!" he shouts.

Move action and total defense for now. Jakeric is working on a plan!

Jakeric limps closer to the gate and tries to peer through the gloom. He gasps: "There's a p-p-person on the goblins' side!" he shouts.

Move action and total defense for now. Jakeric is working on a plan!

Actually she's asking all of you for help. ;)

Eadric's arrow whistles by the bugbear, ruffling it's hair.

Vreekka is UP!

You sure about that? I think she's fighting them... the dhampir says as he looks for a target.

Vreekka moves up and lobs a vial of acid at the Sneaky Goblin.

Acid flask, range: 1d20 + 6 - 2 ⇒ (17) + 6 - 2 = 21 (vs touch AC)
Acid: 1d6 + 5 ⇒ (1) + 5 = 6

*sigh* Minimum damage...

The goblins screams as the acid burns it.

"Aaagggh!"

Round 2 – Rave in the Cave

Guardian XI
Daegon
Cannoli
Human
Sneaky Goblins!
Grizzlebin
Bugbear [-18]
Goblin Rider
Eadric
Vreekka
Jakeric

Guardian XI, Daegon, and Cannoli are UP!

The human flanks the bugbear and slashes at it with her sword and tries to bash it with her shield:

Sword, Flank: 1d20 + 4 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 4 + 2 = 181d8 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 3 = 9

Shield Bash, Flank: 1d20 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (20) + 3 + 2 = 251d3 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5

Crit confirm?

Shield Bash, Flank: 1d20 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (17) + 3 + 2 = 221d3 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4

And connects with both including a particularly powerful bash of her shield.

Wow did she open a can of whoopbutt on the bugbear!

Cannoli steps up and swings at…

…the dog, obviously. If you guessed something else, you haven’t been paying attention.

MW CI Morningstar: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (8) + 4 = 12 for LB CI/P and B: 2d6 + 2 ⇒ (3, 5) + 2 = 10

The dog jukes Cannoli's attack and snickers at her - how rude!

Jakeric wrote:

Jakeric limps closer to the gate and tries to peer through the gloom. He gasps: "There's a p-p-person on the goblins' side!" he shouts.

Move action and total defense for now. Jakeric is working on a plan!

Actually she's asking all of you for help. ;)

Folks, who are you gonna trust? Me or the GM? What? Fine!

Guardian thinks that bugbear looks pretty tough. He wants to try it...

[move] 10ft

[standard] attack bugbear
shadow weapon attack bugbear, slashing damage: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (11) + 7 = 182d6 + 6 ⇒ (6, 6) + 6 = 18

Daegon fires a bolt at the goblin Vreeka hit.

xbow: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 2 = 71d8 ⇒ 2

Daegon misses the goblin with his crossbow while Guardian XI finds the taller bugbear an easier target and slays it!

Oof max damage from Guardian XI after eating two hits, including a crit, earlier was just too much for it to bear. ;)

The acid-burned goblin, dismayed by the loss of its leader, fires at the wicked Guardian XI to exact revenge:

Shooty, Smite: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (5) + 4 = 91d4 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5

But its tears of grief (and pain) cloud its vision and it misses. The exertion of firing the bow proves too much to handle and it falls over.

Round 2 – Rave in the Cave

Guardian XI
Daegon
Cannoli
Human
Grizzlebin
Goblin Rider
Eadric
Vreekka
Jakeric

Hah Vreekka left it at 0 HP hehe. Grizzlebin is UP!

Sneezing again already, Grizzlebin *almost* curses (he's a divine being, after all, and above such trivial things as profanity) as he kicks the goblin dog in the face!

Clawed Foot vs Goblin Dog: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (14) + 4 = 18
damage: 1d4 + 5 ⇒ (4) + 5 = 9

Sneezing again already, Grizzlebin *almost* curses (he's a divine being, after all, and above such trivial things as profanity) as he kicks the goblin dog in the face!

[dice=Clawed Foot vs Goblin Dog]1d20+4
[dice=damage]1d4+5

Why only one hit? I thought Grizzlebin was adjacent to the goblin dog and rider?

I have my reasons! (I just don't remember what they are) Please proceed.

Enraged that Grizzlebin clawed his mount the rider and the dog both attack Grizzlebin:

Bonk Bonk!, Smite: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 61d6 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6

Chomp!: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (11) + 2 = 131d6 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6

Both miss again (must be that agathion blood weirding them out) and the goblin dog falls to its wounds.
The rider hops off next to his mount both sad and angry.

Round 2 – Rave in the Cave

Guardian XI
Daegon
Cannoli
Human
Grizzlebin
Goblin Rider w/o mount
Eadric
Vreekka
Jakeric

Eadric, Vreekka, and Jakeric are UP!

Moving further into the cave Eadric takes a shot at the remaining goblin...

longbow vs goblin + PBS + divine favor + fate's favored: 1d20 + 6 + 1 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (12) + 6 + 1 + 1 + 1 = 21
cold iron piercing damage + PBS + divine favor + fate's favored: 1d8 + 2 + 1 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 2 + 1 + 1 + 1 = 12

20% miss chance as he doesn't have low light or dark vision (1-20 miss): 1d100 ⇒ 98

Seeing Eadric's shot strike true, Jakeric knows the battle is all but over.

"D-d-don't worry m'am," he says to the stranger. "I'm not really a fearsome tiger-man!" The tiger-head mask is stuck for a moment, but then he's able to wrench it free and give her a shy smile.

If combat is over after Eadric's attack, Jakeric will Take 10 on a Diplomacy check (for a 16). If combat is still going on, he'll do Total Defense instead.

Eadric's shot strikes the goblin rider in the chest killing him instantly.

The woman looks relieved and addresses Jakeric, "I was hoping you weren't allied with these fiends. Thank you for rescuing me. My name is Nixa Volsetti. Who are you and where do you come from?"

"Hi Nixa! We're p-p-professional P-P-Pathfinders! I'm Jakeric, and the furry g-god over there is Grizzlebin."

Cannoli snorts at the last part.

She smiles, ”Sorry, it stinks in here and made me gag. Also to add, the mayor of Sarringallow sent us to wipe out these gobbos.”

The catfolk looks around at the carnage, ”Which I think went well.”

Guardian gives a meh look.

It went okay. My blade is too dry. All's well that ends well I guess.

He gets an eager look and asks Nixa

Hey wait, are you sure these were all the goblins?

Vreekka scrutinizes the human - and she also looks for any signs of demon bile on her.

Knowledge: Local t: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (15) + 12 = 27
Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (11) + 4 = 15

She then makes sure that - while checking the dead foes for items that might be of interest (=looting) - the demon bile is taken care of with her cold iron dagger.

Nixa replies to Guardian XI, "I think there's more goblins that live here. I've seen them come and go usually on the orders of the bugbear and the other goblin who seemed to be second in command. Did you encounter any goblins on your way here?"

To be clear: This cave doesn't have any further tunnels, etc. but there are the buildings in the Yard that you didn't check/search. The group went through the Yard to get to the cave.

Nixa smiles at Vreekka, "It's wise of you to examine me for any signs of whatever is wrong with the goblins. No I haven't been infected - yet. They were trying to interrogate me first to extract information about Saringallow and its defenses."

Since I'm unsure if the goblin rider has the same gear as the earlier ones (it was an add on) I'll just give the list of loot I know is here:

On the bugbear Vreekka finds the following: potion of cure moderate wounds, studded leather, javelin, mwk falchion, three fused rubies, and a wooden unholy symbol of Lamashtu

You did well to hold out...good job. Are you hurt at all? Daegon says as he looks around the area.

i'll snag the javelin if no one wants it...better to have it than not...

You did well to hold out...good job. Are you hurt at all? Daegon says as he looks around the area.

i'll snag the javelin if no one wants it...better to have it than not...

"I'm fine. That beast pointing to the bugbear corpse tried to strangle me when he heard your group enter the complex. I was able to get away from him when you stormed the cave and distracted him. Again, my deepest thanks for saving me."

Because who doesn't lock up their prisoners with all of their gear?

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (6) + 0 = 6 Yeah, she definitely speaks the truth.

Vreekka smiles back. "I'm glad we came here in just the right moment."

Cannoli tisks, ”Dang, these goblins ARE dumb. They left you with all your gear and armor on. Weird. Anyway, more buildings to check. Maybe even some gobbos hiding we need to kill. Anyone hurt before we do that?”

I'm fine...thank you for asking... Daegon says with a sly grin.

If there's more of these sawed off little runts, let's go deal with them...

Grizzlebin nods at Daegon, and then says to the newcomer "Nice ta meetcha, lady. Better finish business before chattin'." He accompanies the other Pathfinders to the nearest building in order to begin a search for more of the chaotic little menaces.

I wouldn't be too suspicious: a lot of adventures don't go to the trouble of thinking "realistically" about gear. That's why so many adventures have PCs attending balls, temple services, and festivals still fully outfitted in 100 pounds of weapons, armor, and travelling gear :) Though on the other hand, I did initially miss the bit that she was on our side and accused her of being with the goblins, so maybe Jakeric is prescient?

Since you're going to ransack thoroughly explore the complex I'll summarize the findings. You can follow along with the map in the 3rd Slide.

H5 – Goblin-Dog Kennel

The interior of this squat, wooden kennel is filled with hay and stinking excrement. A door leads to the east.

H6 – Goblin Bunkhouse

This wooden shack is built more soundly than the others. It contains a large bed stained purplish-black with sludge, and a short wooden table piled high with maps and papers.

These foul-smelling buildings are filled with filthy piles of rags and straw.

H7 – Bugbear's Quarters

This wooden shack is built more soundly than the others. It contains a large bed stained purplish-black with sludge, and a short wooden table piled high with maps and papers.

The papers on the table include maps of Isger, particularly of the areas around Saringallow, all of which are annotated with invasion plans. The remaining papers on the table constitute a journal of the bugbear’s increasingly disjointed thoughts.

H8 – One Goblin's Workshop

Crudely fashioned tools hang from hooks along the eastern wall. Drawings of questionable skill cover the remaining walls, depicting humans being crushed, dismembered, or otherwise mutilated by elaborate and impractical traps.

You also find a diagram of a trap that along the entry walkway the group bypassed by climbing the stoneface instead.

Congrats! You can also retrieve the components of the trap if you want to Disable Device.

Vreekka notices that the tools along the wall are of unusual quality given the squalor of the complex.

Give me an Appraise check please.

H9 – Storehouse

This room is where the goblins keep their filthy supplies.

Assuming the PCs take 10 multiple PCs can hit the DC:

Amidst the filthy supplies some lucky hero finds a silver-and-pearl earring!

H10 – Shrine to [Knowledge (Religion) check please]

The floor of this small building is recessed into the ground about a foot and filled with viscous purplish ooze. A crudely carved image of a three-eyed face decorates the far wall.
Since I know someone will check it:
Each of the carving’s three eyes is set with a faceted peridot.

Hmmm...the shrine looks like something I studied a ways back...
k. religion: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (18) + 2 = 20

It just seems like there's no more goblins to fight here...

Guardian frowns.

It just seems like there's no more goblins to fight here...

Guardian frowns.

The catfolk puts away her weapon and agrees, ”Yeah, we wiped em all out. But look on the bright side, we stopped a full scale invasion! That’s pretty cool.”

She inspects the diagram of the trap.

What components are valuable enough to risk triggering said trap to get?

Hmmm...the shrine looks like something I studied a ways back...

[dice=k. religion]1d20+2

Daegon recalls from his studies that the ugly face is the unholy symbol of Lamashtu and that one of her titles is 'Mother of Monsters.'

Guardian XI wrote:

It just seems like there's no more goblins to fight here...

Guardian frowns.

The catfolk puts away her weapon and agrees, ”Yeah, we wiped em all out. But look on the bright side, we stopped a full scale invasion! That’s pretty cool.”

She inspects the diagram of the trap.

What components are valuable enough to risk triggering said trap to get?

Cannoli feels more confident in disabling traps after reading the diagrams.

Does Cannoli, or any PC, either read Goblin or have Comprehend Languages?

No speaking that disgusting language here. But she has a scroll of comp lang if no one else can manage it cheaper.

Cannoli pulls out her tools and goes to look the trap over. She asks the group, "Hey, can someone watch my back in case this thing goes off? I don't want to be by my lonesome with no one to even raise an alarm if something goes bad. I'm impulsive, not stupid. Well, not THAT stupid."

No speaking that disgusting language here. But she has a scroll of comp lang if no one else can manage it cheaper.

Cannoli pulls out her tools and goes to look the trap over. She asks the group, "Hey, can someone watch my back in case this thing goes off? I don't want to be by my lonesome with no one to even raise an alarm if something goes bad. I'm impulsive, not stupid. Well, not THAT stupid."

** spoiler omitted **

I should've clarified but that's why I asked about anyone being able to read goblin: While the diagrams *show* how the trap works the details are written down - in Goblin. That would allow whomever is reading it to know what's in the trap.

Eadric follows Cannoli over to the trap while muttering a prayer to Erastil.

Eadric will cast guidance on Cannoli.

He can't read goblin so isn't able to help with that.

@GM: Does Linguistics work on the diagram, too?

"These tools here are of better quality than I would expect of goblins. Maybe they are worth taking them with us. Let me check them in detail..."
Appraise: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (11) + 9 = 20

Vreekka goes with Cannoli to help with the disassambling of the trap.
Aid Disable Device: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (3) + 8 = 11

I'll assume someone casts Guidance on Vreekka.

Vreekka examines the diagrams and, combined with her knowledge of dungeoneering matters, tells Cannoli that the trap is rather ingenious - it uses brown mold to damage intruders. Based on that, and what she found on the corpse of the goblin who appeared to be second in command, the goblin probably planned to throw the alchemist's fire on the brown mold to increase its size.

It's up to you all if you want to disable the trap or bypass it by climbing down the way you climbed up. But it sure would be a tragedy if some innocent person was injured - or worse - by the trap... What would heroes do??? ;)

Cannoli already decided to try to disable it, even without knowing what was in it and will stick with that plan. Her roll was in the spoiler above. Add one for guidance and maybe two more if you allowed the aid.

Cannoli already decided to try to disable it, even without knowing what was in it and will stick with that plan. Her roll was in the spoiler above. Add one for guidance and maybe two more if you allowed the aid.

I didn't read it because no one said they were going with until Vreekka and then I forgot lol. I'm getting too old for this I guess?

Cannoli the expert catfolk burglar heroic adventurer sets about disabling the trap. Vreekka accompanies her and gives some pointers gleaned from her reading of the diagrams. Without any intense moments Cannoli handily disables the trap.

Success! :) Vreekka knows any type of cold damage will kill the brown mold or you can just leave it in the containers where it isn't bothering anyone. The group has explored the complex and found what there is to find. Back to Saringallow to report? And remember what your 'contract'/reporting parameters were in your summaries. They're on the first page if you don't remember. ;)

Cannoli collects the containers. Or fights shares them with Vreeka if the elf’s curiosity matches the cat’s.

She looks around at the fort, ”Anybody want to help clean this place up and make it a free home base? Just gotta burn all the goblins and trash and grab the valuables. Shouldn’t take too long. Then we can sleep here too and head back for our payment. After that maybe come back and do some homesteading in our downtime.”

Sure sure. I'm not exactly a cleaning bot, but I think I can be constructive in this task.

@GM: Was the Appraise check for the tools successful? I got a 20 as a result...

"Not a bad idea, Cannoli! However, before we burn the goblins, we need to think of our mission goals. Remember what the mayor said: Find out where the goblins are coming from and who — if anyone — is leading them, then take out the threat. I can offer you a bounty of 5 gold pieces for each goblin you kill, 10 gold pieces for each goblin dog, and an additional bonus of 100 gold pieces if you bring me proof that you’ve destroyed their camp or otherwise dealt with whatever additional threat they pose. So, how do we proove all that? If I were the mayor I wouldn't just blindly believe the words of the group I sent..."

Combining alchemist's fire with brown mold - a simple approach, but still effective. Maybe I should take some mold with me...

I vote for disabling the trap. Vreekka isn't a fan of climbing, and until we really make ourselves home here and store something of value we do not need the protection provided by the trap.

I didn't read it because no one said they were going with until Vreekka.

Eadric went over to the trap with Cannoli, but must have been too stealthy.

"We should also check the area for any remaining demon bile to make sure there is none of it left to cause any more trouble." adds Eadric, pocking at a blob of the purple goo with one of his cold iron arrows.

@GM: Was the Appraise check for the tools successful? I got a 20 as a result...

I was so excited about the trap scene I forgot! Sorry about that. Vreekka can also make a couple of Appraise checks on the earring and the gems if she'd like or trust the Chronicle Gods will give them full gold for the items. ;)

Vreekka cleans off the tools and, despite their appearance, they're actually of excellent quality.

Functions as MW Thieves' Tools!

Can the trap be rendered safe by disabling it? I can drop acid on it to possibly break it...I'm no trapsmith, but if a tripwire is melted and broken it isn't going to work...right?

Can the trap be rendered safe by disabling it? I can drop acid on it to possibly break it...I'm no trapsmith, but if a tripwire is melted and broken it isn't going to work...right?

Cannoli beat the DC by more than 10. She could take it apart, put it back together, reset it, etc. She's da bomb!

"Cannoli, look! We got superior Thieves' Tools!"

Do I trust the GM and the chronicle sheet? There's only one answer:

Appraise earring: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (13) + 9 = 22
Appraise gems: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (4) + 9 = 13

:-P ;-)