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Spoilers! Spoilers!
Last game, after some butt numbing research at the House of Blue Stones (“What the hell is a Malfeshnekor?”), my players finally made their way to Thistletop. They dispatched the tethered goblin dogs, Gogmurt and the refugees in the thistle, but the whole affair made a lot of noise. Barking dogs and a wand of produce flame will do that.
I was just about to raise the fort alarm, but what my players did next had me back-peddling to avoid a tpk: three of them crossed the bridge at the same time. The sorceress managed to leap to the cliff and the rogue was almost to the island, but the poor cleric swung from the middle span of rope, heavy as a lead buffalo. Despite the rogue’s impressive Cirque Du Soleil efforts, the cleric took a dive into the drink. He survived, with one hit point to spare, but sunk like a stone as the player debated the cons of death vs. losing his ancestral armor. He chose wisely (after some kicks from his wife under the table) and managed an amazing role to break the surface and scale the rope provided by a very surprised rogue. It was a dramatic scene: everyone needed a smoke.
This left the men (the rogue and cleric) on the island, and the ladies (sorceress, bard and paladin) in the thistle, joking that they should ditch the men-folk. The guys convinced them to shimmy over to the island, where the entire party took refuge in the thick bushes along the east wall.
This escapade should have raised alarms and left the characters riddled with arrows, but I didn’t have the heart. They’re a new group and really enjoying themselves. A tpk at third level isn’t what I want them to remember about RotRL. I decided the goblins were at prayer with Nualia. It was evening – why not.
But when the goblins return to their posts and see the bridge out, all hell will break loose. The PCs are likely facing a combat on the fort’s exterior, with goblins (and possibly Ripnugget) trying to push them into the sea.
I’m looking for suggestions for creative, interesting ways to manage such a combat that won’t send the characters falling to their doom with one or two bad rolls.
Ideas?
While underwater, the cleric could have sworn he saw another entrance to Thistletop via the submerged route to the hermit crab area, or they see the opening in the side of the "head" of Thistletop that leads to the tentacle creature. How's the group's spelunking/ mountaineering skills?
Are your players willing to run away?
Give them an overwhelming force of ranged attackers until they run away. The goblins are going to have to rebuilt the bridge at some point, and the players can return and try again.
I've seen my PCs in similar situations, and when I am going to overwhelm them with a whole dungeon-load of creatures because of their own bumbling, then I make it abundantly clear that they are about to die. This affords them the chance to ditch their armor and escape into the sea. Hopefully they can all swim.
I would explain that a huge din erupts and goblins come out to check out the the rope bridge, looking down into the water. Goblin archers, goblin commandos, goblins, a bugbear, a ranger, goblins, yeths, and more goblins.
And I would get rid of the... the... what's the name of that thing in the water? Oh yeah, a bunyip. Or feed it some goblins: before the real search begins Ripnugget becomes enraged and throws some of the guards over the edge... the howling stops, the bunyip is eating, and anyone with an IQ over 70 makes good their escape or they will most certainly die.
This is why I like to have an NPC. When my players are about to die by failing to flee the NPC always bails and the players all know what that means.
My 2c.
This is why I like to have an NPC. When my players are about to die by failing to flee the NPC always bails and the players all know what that means.
I love DMPCs.
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I doubt the characters will flee and regroup. They're convinced that Nualia will get word of Tsuto's death (he hanged himself the night before in the barracks prison) and she'll order an immediate attack on Sandpoint. From what they know of his journals and her history, they believe they're deeply in love and Tsuto's the father of her child. It's not a bad assumption. The PCs are working against the clock.
The underwater cave idea is a good one, but it was night when he fell and the tunnel and giant hermit crab are too perilous for a group that would need to go in armorless.
The tentamort cave is the likeliest option, since it's directly below them. A dramatic spill over the edge could plop them right at the lip of the cave (with the slope of the head), but that would leave them with an angry monster and some NPCs scrabbling down the stairs to meet them. Hmm.
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For an inexperienced group what I would do would be a deux ex machina in the form of a group of goblins that die while obligingly carrying several potions of cure light wounds or similar scrolls, allowing the PCs to heal up between waves of enemies.
Then afterwards I would point out what might have been better tactics.
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I'm looking at the map right now. It's possible with the narrow paths around the Northeast and Southeast corners of the fort for the characters to turtle down in the thicket. The goblins would either have to come one at a time or, after a few of them died, scamper across the roof. The primary concern would be the tower, where the commandos and Bruthazmus would take station with their bows.
If a certain Ms. Shalelu Andosana were to show up, providing bow support across the gap...would that be deus ex machina enough? Five PCs + Shalelu vs 10 goblins and Bruthazmus? The other NPCs would initially stay inside, trusting the first line to deal with any invaders.
Invading a fort is tough work for low level characters if they're not an altogether stealthy group.
Sheriff Hemlock does return to Sandpoint with Magnimarian reinforcements, and with Shelelu, could provide a mean of support. . . albeit with less XP for the party as a result.
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Hemlock is currently in Magnimar. Shalelu is not with him: last the PCs heard from her she returned to Mosswood to gain more information. If I bring in Hemlock and his men, I might as well sigh, roll my eyes and laugh at my players.