Season 1 - Episode 4: The Goblin Caves

[JoeCarr28]

Waiting for Nivek ...

[SmootRK]

[ooc] whoops sorry, I work long hours on weekends... just getting around to this.

Nivek reacts to Tannen's command to 'withdraw and lure the goblins' by moving to the NW (by both Paladin and Hiker) where he will wait for an opportunity to strike a goblin that moves into melee. He makes sure that Paladin has room to move past to a place behind the front lines (should he choose to).

[JoeCarr28]

Initiative
Paladin: 6 + 2 = 8
Goblins 10 & 11: 6
Doughbert: 4 + 1 = 5
Nivek: 5
Hiker: 3 + 1 = 4
Tannen: 4
Goblins 1 & 5: 4
Goblin 9 &12: 3
Karl: 2
Goblin: 3 & 6: 2
Goblin 13: 1

Paladin attempts to arc an arrow over Nivek at the goblins. However, it’s not easy given the low trajectory required and the fact that the dwarf is standing right in front of him, partially blocking Paladin’s view [roll: 5 + 1 (attack bonus) + 2 (dexterity) + 1 (halfling) + 1 (short range) - 5 (general difficulty of trying to ‘arc’ over Nivek) = 5: miss]. There’s a chance that the arrow might instead catch Nivek on the way through [roll: 9 + 1 (attack bonus) + 2 (dexterity) + 1 (halfling) + 1 (short range) + 2 (‘attacking’ Nivek from behind) = 16: hit! for 6 damage]. Paladin’s arrow embeds itself in Nivek’s back, and the dwarf falls forward to the ground bleeding.

Cackling at the dwarf’s misfortune, Goblin 10 strides forward, trampling over Nivek to attack Paladin. It thrusts its short sword into the halfling's side for 5 damage. Paladin, having felled his ‘shield’, finds himself on the wrong end of a goblin’s sword and he also crumples to the ground.

Goblin 11 moves forward to engage Tannen. However, its swipe is pathetic and Tannen easily parries it.

From where he’s currently standing, behind Karl and Tannen, Doughbert can’t get a clear aim with his oil flask. Learning from Paladin’s experiences, he decides and wait and see whether a better opportunity presents itself.

Hiker, increasingly bewildered at the scene unfolding before him, keeps things simple and attempts to strike Goblin 10 with his hammer [roll: natural 20!!! for 5 damage]. It's a devastating blow that smashes the goblin’s skull.

Tannen is now engaged with Goblin 11, so his plan to retreat will have to be a fighting withdrawal. He can’t withdraw through Karl, and so backs off to the north-west, trying to avoid treading on Nivek and Doughbert. The goblin follows as Tannen attacks it with his longsword [roll: 12 + 1 (attack bonus) + 2 (strength) = 15: hit! for 8 + 2 (strength) = 10 damage]. Another goblin is slain.

With Tannen out of the way, Doughbert takes his opportunity. Having lit his flask of oil from Tannen’s torch, he hurls it around the corner towards Goblin 1. [roll: 7 + 1 (attack bonus) + 1 (dexterity) + 1 (halfling) = 10: miss! ]. Rather than hitting the intended goblin, it falls just short, landing in one of the pools of oil and setting both pools on fire. Fiery splashes are sent towards Goblins 1, 5 and 12. Goblins 1 and 5 both dodge successfully, but Goblin 12 is hit, albeit not fatally.

With the goblins trapped behind Doughbert’s wall of fire, Karl is the only one who can still meaningfully act this round (the goblins have no missile weapons and are understandably reluctant to run through the fire). Karl pulls his handaxe from his belt and hurls it at the injured Goblin 12 [roll: 18 + 1 (attack bonus) = 19: hit! for 6 damage]. Goblin 12 finally falls.

With the goblins reduced to less than half their original number, they weigh up their options [rolls]. From the other side of the flames, you sense their will to fight is broken, and they begin to turn as if to flee up the north-easterly passage.

Updated tactical map at: https://sites.google.com/site/marketstonecampaign/. Again, I’ve removed the dead bodies for clarity.


Doughbert: HP 3/5. No '0' level spells remaining today.
Hiker: HP 6/9.
Karl: HP 7/8.
Nivek: HP -1/7. Bleeding. No ‘0’ level spells remaining today.
Paladin: HP -1/4. Bleeding.
Tannen: HP 6/9.
5 pm, 27th day of Harvestide.

[SmootRK]

Nivek will use his turn to produce copious amounts of blood, that a goblin might slip and fall. Other than that, he drools.

[Hywaywolf]

Lotta ifs coming up:
If doughbert can still get a range shot and if he can get the wicked oil flask off paladins body and can light it and throw it in one round then he will do that and throw it at the back of the confused and retreating gobs. If all that is too much for one round he will fire his bow at the retreating buggers.

[Birthright]

Tannen, stoops over Nivek's body and attempts to staunch the flow of blood from the Dwarf's wound.

"Hiker! Keep watch with your bow. If anything comes through those flames, shoot it!

Karl, did they teach you about treating sword wounds in the Militia?" Tannen nods in the direction of Paladin.

[Iain_IF]

Paladin will make a wet whistling sound as he breathes, the air coming out his wound.

[actingkeith]

Karl nods to his sergeant and heads over to the halfing. "I told you to get out of the way, and you got right into the way... This is a mess, but you'll be fine," he says because that's what you always say to a wounded man you're treating, whether he'll live or not.

"Should've kept your shield arm high."

[Eevans]

Hiker's smash into the goblin was quickly followed by a few side to side glances, then he watched as Nivek lay on the ground -- "Wow!" thought Hiker, Nivek will certainly come out of this incident VERY STRONG based on Nivek's own "wounds make you stronger" saying and the fact that he is bleeding all over -- "very strong indeed!"

Then flame erupted startling Hiker followed by Tannen's voice:

"Hiker! Keep watch with your bow. If anything comes through those flames, shoot it!

Hiker heard the command and quickly switched weapons happy to have some structure to the confusion. If anything came through that fire he would shoot it - he locked his eyes on the fire, bow ready to fire.

(OOC: please tell me that Nivek hears them saying "Run away, Run away" in Goblin at least -

[JoeCarr28]

Initiative
Hiker: 6 + 1 = 7
Tannen: 6
Goblin 3: 6
Goblin 9 & 13: 5
Doughbert: 3 + 1 = 4
Goblins 1 & 5: 4
Goblin 6: 3
Karl: 1
Nivek: bleeding
Paladin: bleeding

Hiker steps forward over the prone Nivek, pulls out his bow, nocks an arrow and aims towards the flames. However, the goblins show no signs of approaching. Quite the opposite. Goblins 3, 9 & 13 run away up the north-easterly corridor as fast as their little legs will take them. The burning oil pools illuminate their flight and you get a good view of them running towards the sanctuary of their cave.

Doughbert pushes past Karl, relieves Paladin of his wicked oil flask, holds the wick to Tannen’s torch, and hurls the firebomb at Goblin 6 [roll: natural 20!!! for 3 damage]. Goblin 6 falls to the ground, screaming in a fiery death. Goblins 1 and 5 are also hit by fiery splashes, but it’s not enough to kill them and they follow their comrades up the corridor.

Meanwhile, Tannen and Karl treat the wounded. Tannen removes Paladin’s arrow from Nivek’s back and binds the wound. Karl binds Paladin’s wound. The two of them are now stabilised, but badly wounded. They are conscious, but may not move more than a few feet without help, nor may they fight, nor cast spells, until their hit points are again greater than zero.

Updated tactical map at: https://sites.google.com/site/marketstonecampaign/.

If you haven’t already done so, please update you inventories to reflect the oils flasks you’ve consumed - 4 in total.

I’m going to be travelling with work for the next couple of days. Next post from me will probably be Friday. In the meantime, discuss what you plan to do next ...



Doughbert: HP 3/5. No '0' level spells remaining today.
Hiker: HP 6/9.
Karl: HP 7/8.
Nivek: HP -1/7. Stabilised. No ‘0’ level spells remaining today.
Paladin: HP -1/4. Stabilised.
Tannen: HP 6/9.
5 pm, 27th day of Harvestide.