Hello everybody! I've just started the Part Four of Burnt Offerings. What is the situation?
Well, after clearing the Catacombs of Wrath (and drain the runewell), the Heroes of Sandpoint had decided that they were ready to go to face the goblins and Nualia. The party is:
* CG elven magus4 (kanepia dancer and hexcrafter)
* CG Shoanti warpriest of Gorum4
* N tengu druid4 (with a roc as animal companion)
* LN Ulfen slayer4
* CN elven witch4
* Shalelu (she joined in the group to help them fight the goblins)
So, after leaving Sandpoint and have come across a bunch of evil pigs (yeah, EVIL pigs!), they finally arrive in Thistletop.
The elven witch tells me "I use the disguise hexes for appear like a goblin and sneak in their lair"*. The tengu druid approves the idea, and decided to help the witches using wild shape to become a goblin dog. The two arrive without problems to the area C10; they have seen Bruthazmus and a group of goblins throw into the hole (C3) other two goblins, and meet the former shaman Gogmurt (the druid thought that the "goblins" had come by the chieftain, but seeing that he had any message he sent away). Also, the two players have seen a little workshop in C10, and where inside there was a dwarf who forged weapons (the dwarf was kidnapped by goblins on the road of the Lost Coast; Nualia has decided to sacrifice him to Lamashtu, but seeing that the dwarf was a smith has decided instead to force him to repair the goblin's broken weapons for the final assault of Sandpoint).
The "goblin" and the "goblin dog" come back from the party, and the "goblin" informs what they found. The whole party discuss what to do, until one of them does not have an idea: a part of their disguises up as goblins, and the other half will pretend their prisoners!
So: the tengu druid is still a goblin dog, the elven witch is still a goblin, and the elven magus has preparated disguise self for that day. Shalelu, the warpriest and the slayer become prisoners of these "goblins", with his hands tied behind his back (but connected so that, with a simple tug, can free themselves), and weapons hidden under his clothes.
I think their is a good strategy, but I also think that they will keep up the staging until the area C19 when the "prisoners" will be presented to the goblin chieftain. How could the situation evolve? And what would be the consequences?
*Sadly, i just say in the PRD the disguise hexes. I saw that the ability works like disguise self... but in the Italian translation the ability works like alter self! So, thanks to this mistranslation, the party's plan could go up in smoke ... aaaaargh!
Last things first: if the Italian translation is Alter Self, I'd just leave it that way. I assume you're using the Italian translation so you're playing it by the rules! Your players appear to be engaged and being creative so I see no reason you just shouldn't leave it at alter self. Very unlikely to be game-breaking.
You've already established that the goblins in Thistletop are lax enough to let the disguised pc's come and go. It may, however, be a stretch to assume they'll be as trusting with two goblins (and a dog) bringing three prisoners in, including Shalelu - who you might think the goblins may recognize. One of the goblins and the dog were seen a couple hours ago and now they and another unknown goblin show up with prisoners? Common goblins may fall for that but I'm less sure leaders such as Gogmurt or the chieftain would. What's the chance two goblins could take those prisoners by themselves?
I suggest you let the pc's use the ruse to get the drop on the first "leader" they encounter. Perhaps that's Gogmurt. Maybe they can use Diplomacy or Bluff to talk their way past him but it should fall apart when they are brought before Ripnugget. Though again they could get into the throne room without fighting but I'd suggest that's far as it goes. The chieftain or the war chanter could figure out these aren't really Thistletop goblins (or whatever tribe they are pretending to be from.) Is the witch fluent in goblin? Might make things much harder if the answer is No.
For Gogmurt: in my RotR he remains holed up in his corner in the forest ever since the "very angry woman" arrived in Thistletop with others "longshanks" and convinced the tribal chief to ally with them and plan the attack of Sandpoint. Gogmurt has vigorously opposed the Nualia's plan, and Ripnugget has exiled the druid. Now, Gogmurt is is furious at having been humiliated, tossed aside after faithfully served the tribe, but like most of the goblins is lazy and cowardly and does not dare set foot in Thistletop for fear of being killed by Nualia's longshanks.
The PCs agreed to go directly to Thistletop ignoring the druid, but if they were to change their mind will be the following scene: if Gogmurt were suspicious or discover that the "prisoners" and "goblins" are adventurers, do not send the alarm to Ripgunnet. Instead, it tires to use the party instigating to killing the chieftain (or persuade him to give up his plans), so the druid can return safely in the tribe.
Also, the goblins in my campaign is very silly and crazy. When, at the beginning of Burnt Offerings, I told the players "Beware of the goblins, they are dangerous", they laughed. "Come on, they are goblins! What ever will they do?"
Well, after the initial attack in Sandpoint and the battle in the Glassworks (i add an goblin alchemist and a vermlek in the fight, and replace Tsuto with Genthus by Towns of Inner Sea), every time they see a goblin they cry "OH GODS, THEY ARE COMING! THEY'RE COMING OUTTA THE F****NG WALLS!!!". One of the players, out of the table, was so traumatized by the stupidity and cruelty of the goblins who said he would would like to fight against the dreadful Sandpoint's Devil instead of having to deal with the goblins for the rest of this campaign!
So, when they decided to use this strategy hope to cheat the goblins and arrive until where they can, perhaps to kill the chieftain. Nualia and his henchmen are in the dungeon, so that at least one of the goblins will not fall down here to raise the alarm will be unaware of what might happen. Much of the goblins is too busy to eat, bicker and torture seagulls to note one or two "goblinoids" in more between them. Obviously they can't ignore three Longshanks, but because they are all "prisoners" they do not suspect anything.
For Warchief Ripnugget: i will change his stats. Now, in this campaign, he become a giant oversized goblin barbarian (feral gnasher)4. Yep, a Large fat goblin. Too much fat, its speed on the ground is 15 foot (including the fast movement's bonus of the barbarian) :D
Goblins are barely civil towards each other, so things could go bad pretty quickly for any "prisoners", Shelalu is likely to recognize any description of Bruthazmus.
Honestly I like your party's plan.
It's more interesting than run-in-and-stab-everything-that-moves, and I believe that should be rewarded at least somewhat, the only problem being that word of capturing a bunch of longshanks is likely to spread across Thistletop pretty quick, and they're likely to bring the whole place down on them at once as all the goblins come running to see the captured longshanks (and of course the anticipated torturous murder of them).
Shelalu could warn them of the dangers of their plan, or she may ignore the dangers in the hopes of getting close to Bruthamuz and killing him.
They did it! Today we played, and the players have adopted the strategy!
Phieram, seeing the bridge's rope, realized that the seemingly safe bridge, actually had been tied so that gave way under a certain weight. He then warned the "prisoners" to proceed one at a time, and so they set foot on the island safely.
The goblins, of course, could not help but notice the longshanks, but the "bugbear" said it was an offer for their chieftain. The goblin dogs have been sniffing around, and began to growl ... but the "goblin dog" carried out a Intimidate's check to demoralize the beasts, managing to make them run away.
Seeing the goblins leave, the PCs have killed a goblin who stood guarding a makeshift armory. Here was a dwarf prisoner, forced to Nualia to repair the goblin's broken weapon. The dwarf, however, did not trust of the PCs, so they decided to leave it there on place rather than take it back to avoid problems.
The party went on to cautiously explore the goblin's camp... and they have made the acquaintance of Warchief Ripugnett (i prefer Ripugnett 'cause resembles the Italian word "ripugnante"). Not a fighter goblin, but a Large goblin, fat like Jabba the Hutt! In the throne room, the goblins had lit a huge fire where they cooked nonstop various dishes, from giant lizards spit ... to stew human!
the group went into a panic, and the "bugbear" shot burning Hands on some goblins, while the warpriest used "create water" to extinguish the fire. Result: a big smoke is given off to the room, providing concealment to all creatures, and infuriated the obese "warchief" making him get up from his seat and charged the slayer, hitting him with a bite that has inflicted 24 lethal damages! But the party, with Shalelu, surrounded the horrendous goblin and be managed to topple the terrible chieftain!
Unfortunately, what appeared to be a jester goblins escaped the massacre in the throne room, alarming to some goblins and then head into the dungeon to alert Nualia and her thugs.
If the PCs have managed to easily defeat Ripugnett, it will not be as easy with Nualia in the next session!
Well, after the initial attack in Sandpoint and the battle in the Glassworks (i add an goblin alchemist and a vermlek in the fight, and replace Tsuto with Genthus by Towns of Inner Sea), every time they see a goblin they cry "OH GODS, THEY ARE COMING! THEY'RE COMING OUTTA THE F****NG WALLS!!!".
What's a vermlek??? I couldn't find it in the bestiary.
Thanks Misroi.
But how did you explain a demon inside glassworks? I mean there were no wizards there and alchemist can't summon a demon.
Yes. I guesss i didn't make myself clear as the question was to Aurelio.... And i just can't make up any excuse for a demon to be in the glassworks even if i want my PCs to be surprised:)