Reworking Thistletop

[Samaru]

So my PC's have decided to make my life difficult and beeline straight to the bottom floor of Thistletop. They managed to sneak down the back stairs and miss all of the first floor except for Lyrie (who fled to Nulia). I am attempting to come up with a plan so that they have a chance of dealing with the contents of the other floors as they come to investigate the noises coming from the 2nd floor. My thoughts for the order of events were as follows...

1) Nulia and Lyrie will come out into the main hall area of 2nd floor to see what is going on as a couple of the goblins from upstairs who were sent down to investigate reach the bottom of the stairs. PCs then fight them. Lyrie may stay more on the sidelines and plead for mercy if in trouble. I'd like the opportunity to bring her and Orik back later.

2) One of the goblins will go upstairs to fetch Orik. Orik will make it down right about the time Nulia is killed. Because of this he will decide that this really isn't worth it and plead for Lyrie's life if she is still alive.

3) Sometime after this, Bruthazmus and more of the goblins comes down to help defend Nulia. Orik and Lyrie will probably help the PCs if alive as a way of getting on their good sides (and hopefully escaping later).

4) After defeating Nulia and Bruthazmus, the PCs could then complete the 2nd floor and defeat any of the remaining enemies on the 1st floor. I'm also guessing that after learning of Nulia's defeat and Oriks defection that Ripnugget and whatever goblins are left upstairs are busy fleeing.

Can anyone think of anything I'm missing or have any suggestions?

Thank you!

[Kris Vanhoyland]

That's an interesting situation. I like some of the suggestions you've made, though personally I would change a few things:

1- If Nualia is alerted, I would consider having her wait in the hallway to possibly lure one of the PC's into the cage trap there. Don't forget she also has a Yeth hound still with her at this point.

2- I love this, I find Orik a very interesting NPC, and I feel he's struggling with himself. He's gotten more than he's bargained for, but he can't really change his current situation by himself. I'd try and make sure he survives his run-in with the party.

3- At this point, Lyrie actually might try and use her invisibility spell (if she still has it) to try and escape on her own, since she doesn't really seem to care for Orik either way.

4- Actually, I would consider Ripnugget bold and stupid enough to launch a badly prepared counter assault against a party to try and hold on to his goblin lair rather than flee it.

Hope this helps!