I'm preparing for what amounts to a low-level dungeon delve. The PCs are going up against a small tribe of goblins in the canals under a city. My main concern at this point is pacing. There are too many goblins, including leveled leaders and monster "pets", for the party to assault all in one go at their level. At the same time, falling back repeatedly (the "fifteen minute adventuring day") is both lame and impractical given the specifics of this adventure (the party cannot go back the way they came due to having disturbed a creature beyond their power to defeat; they escaped, but the monster blocks their way back).
Being in a sewer/canal, I've placed some levels and gears in the first encounter area which I'll emphasize to the players; the point being that they can turn these to shut some doors and control the flow of the goblins. However, I fully expect the party to then tackle one region of the goblin complex at a time, most likely resting between those forays. The problem is keeping the status quo once the levers are thrown and the wheels turned. I hate having intelligent enemies just sit around and wait for the PCs to come kill them; the golbins would logically set about engineering ways around the doors and (being cunning and clever, at least in my setting) likely would meet with success within a matter of hours (which is far too little time for the PCs to complete the adventure without risking a TPK, I think). It only makes sense, considering this is the goblins' home. If the goblins manage to find a way around those doors, they will either swarm the party (read: TPK) or simply escape (taking with them the McGuffin needed by the party).
I realize the description is a little vague, but I'm not really sure where to start, and there's still room to change things around in the adventure, as well. I'm more than willing to provide more details as needed. I'm looking for an explanation as to why the goblins cannot get around the doors and either mass an attack on the party or flee off into the urban underworks. I find simpler explanations are usually better, but my class schedule (two concurrent summer Literature courses) have been keeping me busy enough with readings and papers that I haven't had time to think of a solution.
Hm...what you have is a kind of Blackhawk Down/Thirteenth Warrior type of scenario. Basically a well defended area but one which is vulnerable to attack.
I'm wondering if the goblins are native to the city or are invaders, and what kind of connection to the surface remains open to the pcs.
Maybe drop some scrolls (for casters) and potions of healing (for combatants) and ammo when the goblins are killed. The wizard might be out of spells, but he can still read from the scrolls. Rogues and Fighters can go all day long if they have access to healing.
What level are the PCs? What race/class combos? Some classes have real staying power, because their abilities naturally re-boot themselves, like binders and dragon shamans. Others don't need to, like fighters and rogues and rangers, and to a lesser extent, paladins and barbarians.
EDIT: also, have the goblins set up ambushes, bit different kinds of ambushes. Snipers, murder holes, pets, skirmishers, pikemen, etc.
the golbins would logically set about engineering ways around the doors and (being cunning and clever, at least in my setting) likely would meet with success within a matter of hours (which is far too little time for the PCs to complete the adventure without risking a TPK, I think). It only makes sense, considering this is the goblins' home. If the goblins manage to find a way around those doors, they will either swarm the party (read: TPK) or simply escape (taking with them the McGuffin needed by the party).
Guten Tag, mein Freund!
If the goblins are having to circumvent these locks, they may be expending resources (that is, spells, equipment, and warm bodies) to go around.
It sounds as if the goblins will have to leave their territory within the canals, in order to go around the locks. If they do so, they're going to run into other canal dwellers that will thin out their numbers. This attrition will make it easier for the PCs to deal with, and it might weaken a larger monster that the party might not otherwise be able to handle, giving them a greater degree of tactical freedom.
Alternately, if the goblins are going to mine their way through the walls, rather than take the long way around, the noise will let the party know what the goblins are up to. A few PCs should be able to hold a narrow gap against a numerically superior enemy (thank you, '300'). Also, the goblins might be fatigued or exhausted by the time they get done tunnelling, making them easier to deal with.
Consider putting in a much tougher creature that the PCs might be able to bribe, hire, or use Diplomacy on to recruit to their cause. I don't know the particulars of what you have in mind, but if there's a troll shaman in part of the sewers who has been fighting the goblins, he or she might be willing to provide some healing and buff spells in exchange for tasty goblin tidbits or spell components. Another idea might involve a troll being herded toward the PCs by torch-wielding goblins might appreciate the PCs doing something brilliant that extinguishes those torches. The troll could demonstrate its gratitude by tearing those same goblins limb from limb for the party.
A Fleshwarper (Lords of Madness, pg. 189) whose secret laboratory is located in the canals might provide a place for the PCs to find refuge and some support, in exchange for experimental subjects (that is, live goblins). This NPC could be worked into the game later in the campaign as a possible mentor to PC magicians, a sponsor for future adventures, or as an enigma (is she truly evil or just misunderstood?).
Can the PCs make a raid against the goblin spellcaster type to steal much needed healing potions, spell components, scrolls, etc.? By allowing a commando raid into the enemy lair, that could provide drama and a high level of excitement while denying the enemy some of its strength.
Just throwing out some ideas. I hope some of them are useful.
Perhaps you could introduce a conflict in the goblin tribe, e.g. the leader is challenged by a young and popular goblin champion. That would be a reason for the goblins to not attack en masse, but in groups (the leader wants to keep some bodyguards with him, so that the upstart goblin cannot assassinate him; the upstart wants some bodyguards as well). You could then make two final encounters, one with the upstart leader and one with the leader. The PCs could fight these, but probably also try to play them against each other, with diplomacy checks.
I hate having intelligent enemies just sit around and wait for the PCs to come kill them; the golbins would logically set about engineering ways around the doors and (being cunning and clever, at least in my setting) likely would meet with success within a matter of hours (which is far too little time for the PCs to complete the adventure without risking a TPK, I think). It only makes sense, considering this is the goblins' home. If the goblins manage to find a way around those doors, they will either swarm the party (read: TPK) or simply escape (taking with them the McGuffin needed by the party).
I realize the description is a little vague, but I'm not really sure where to start, and there's still room to change things around in the adventure, as well. I'm more than willing to provide more details as needed. I'm looking for an explanation as to why the goblins cannot get around the doors and either mass an attack on the party or flee off into the urban...
Even though from a player/DM perspective it seems like the goblins are sitting around waiting to be killed, maybe the goblins consider staying safe with their hides intact to be clever. When you see all sides of a conflict it's often easy to forget that the participants don't have as clear a view as you do. The goblins don't know exactly who or what is coming. Maybe they think staying holed up in their home is the safest and best course of action.
The goblins may be cunning and clever, but are they truly "intelligent"? In my own personal campaigns goblins have always been the ultimate unwashed unruly mob. Difficult in numbers, but usually easy to break. That is, until they get organization from someone with a more refined sense for these things...a cadre of hobgoblin leadership, or a leveled goblin leader (sounds like there may be a couple of these in your adventure).
So anyway, don't underestimate the survival instinct of the goblins, as well as their potential for cowardice once some of their numbers have been taken out. Overconfident, they may try to take the group out at first, but once that initial probe is defeated they may reconsider an all out attack. After all, it sounds like they have a good thing going. Why risk their safe home if they can try to deter someone from coming in?
Traps, ambushes, hit and run encounters would be the order of the day. If the group tries to rest too long, a patrol may probe their defenses. If the party can't outright flee, I'd be careful about not letting them rest at all, but anything longer than 8 hours would be risky.
If I needed to justify to myself why 50+ goblins wouldn't gang tackle the party, this is the path I'd take. The group needs to feel pressured, but completely denying them the chance to recover spells may push them into frustration.
Sounds like a fun couple of sessions, best of luck.
Thanks for the responses! M. Balmer and Luna eladrin, I really like those ideas. I'm not sure I'll have a lot of time to fully implement them, but I'll do my best. If the goblins were in two factions, the party could find the "boss" in the complex, but instead of fighting him, be presented with the option of tracking down either the remnants of the old regime or the break away faction of the upstart leader. The party has a ranger, so an underground tracking episode could follow, tracing the blood and footsteps and perhaps even some dead goblins to the weaker, hastily-set-up camp of the "renegades." Many of the fights could be with already-wounded combatants, making them easier.
SmiloDan, that's a great solution as well. I can place an armory/treasury (basically just a place for the goblins to stash their hoard of stolen goods), in which could be a surplus of potions and scrolls (maybe a wand) to keep the party loaded with hit points and offensive capabilities throughout the rest of the adventure.
J. R. Farrington, Esq., I appreciate the input as well. I run goblins as essentially a whole race of Gollums (not Smeagol), but with more affinity and skill at crafting weapons and armor. They will flee when put in great danger, but are also extremely cruel and mallicious and will return to stalk and hunt their foes. I also play them as trap users, but of a different sort than kobolds. Kobolds are masters of creating mechanical traps, whereas goblins use tactical traps. They prefer the simple but effective, combining ambushes with terrain to give themselves the advantage they need.
Thus, it makes sense they would design their lair in a similar way, so when it goes on alert after the PCs invade, they will take up ambush positions and simply wait. Combined with caches of healing potions and spell items (scrolls, wands, etc.), the PCs should be able to move through the adventure quickly enough that it makes sense for the goblins to stay at ambush readiness rather than leaving their hiding spots and trying to find a way out.
MrFish, the goblins are natives. The city is ancient with numerous layers of underworks, dungeons, and eventually natural caverns. The goblins are a continual pest. The city watch has long maintained a standing bounty on goblin ears, 1gp per pair, and lets adventurers and would-be adventurers clear the lower levels for them. The party will most likely need to find a shaft (preferably a well shaft and not a refuse shaft) and climb back out. Think of the scene in The Last Crusade when Dr. Jones climbs out of the crypts in the middle of an outdoor lunch spot.
Thanks again for the ideas! You all have given me fuel for the adventure which will smooth things out and make it better than I could have managed on my own with my schedule. I'm sure my players will love this!
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I only scanned the posts upthread, so this might be a repeat of someone else's suggestion, but maybe give the goblins something else to worry about. You mentioned that the PC escape route is blocked by a tough monster. Maybe that monster (or its less powerful offspring) got into the goblin lair. The goblins will be too occupied dealing with that to counterattack the PCs (and might even manage to route it to be just outside the PCs redoubt).
Saern, I have to say that you've presented one of the best reasons for there being awful creatures under a city. I really like the "The Descent" element you have brought into your game as well. It sounds fun and I hope your players enjoy it.
Good luck with the adventure. Please let us know how it works out.