Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Kevtar 08-30-06, 07:50 PM	Hi all, I've just set up the next encounter for my sons' group, and I thought I'd share it. Their group is pretty big and consists of the following PCs: Human warlock 3 Human Paladin 2/Monk 1 (Ascetic Knight feat) Halfling Rogue 3 Barbarian Dwarf 3 Human Barbarian 1/Cleric 2 Human Fighter/Mage 1/2 (working towards eldritch knight) Half-elf Ranger 3 Elf Ranger 3 Kender Druid 3 (PHB II variant) The castle is set deep inside a swamp (yes - I know, but there is a backstory that explains how the swamp came to be and didn't sink ;) ) Anyway, the PCs have to retrieve a sacred idol that was stolen from a local village. They only have one day left before the villagers revolt/abandon the town/etc... So, the PCs have asked a local druid to aid in some divination where they have seen the following http://home.cinci.rr.com/bretnae/pic1.html There are a total of 82 minis on this map (some showing, some not showing). I wanted to challenge them with some different tactics than their usual "I CHARGE!" strategy. I figure, as a direct onslaught, they'll get nailed. However, if they go in quietly and dispose of key elements quickly, they may be able to survive. I would love to hear your ideas on how you would "Storm the castle" - so please post your suggestions. Here is some more detail about the scene: - The kobold sqauds march their movement every round around the courtyard. There are a total of 5 squads. - There is a Knight and four warriors speaking to a Cleric of Nerull in the West courtyard (if the PCs watch long enough, the Cleric will go to her tower on the North East side of the castle and the Knight and his warriors will leave the grounds to monitor the perimeter. - There are animals and a well in the North East corner of the map. - There is a chapel with a flooded graveyard in the center of the map. Careful study reveals that stone stairs leading into the chapel have been dug-out. It's possible the interior of the chapel is also flooded. The water is approximately 2 feet high. Human guards watch the door to the chapel. - The Tiefling captain is inspecting two squads of kobolds. If the PCs wait long enough, he will walk over to the Cleric's tower shortly after she reaches her quarters. If there's any more information you want, let me know and I would be glad to provide it. Thanks
Tunjunz 08-30-06, 08:09 PM	ive got to say that your kid must have one of the coolest dads!! i just wondered were you came upon the scenery and game board underneath! about the mission i suppose i would climb up the towers to kill the guards also perhaps use a bit of disguise but its hard 2 say what i would do now that some of the movement has been revealed ! great plot though!
MistWolf 08-30-06, 08:18 PM	Why didn't you list the wheel barrow as one of our assets? What I wouldn't give for a Holocaust cloak. Or just load the Dwarven Barbarian on a catapault. Three basic ways in: Under, over or through the walls. Unless they have access to the right kind of magic they'll be limited to sneaking through the gate, finding the forgotten secret passage or the old rope & grappling hook routine. They'll need extreme stealth, so leave that heavy, clunky plate armor behind or use a silence spell. If they have rings of feather fall, they could easily use the catapault idea. Illusions could prove to be useful. A dark shadowy image swooping over the castle would be a great distraction, particularly if it led the kobolds to believe it was a hunting dragon. If they could emulate the dragons' fear effect, all the better. Does the Paladin have protection from evil? If so, he could come near the walls and let it create an uneasy feeling in the nearby kobolds and possibly start a panic. What kind of weather is brewing? If it looks like a dark & stormy night is rolling in, that could give them cover. Combine that with the illusionary dragon and Mission Impossible is a go. The Kender Druid might be able to do something with the critters inside lending to the confusion. A magical light show would also be a distraction especially if fascinate is used. They could also attempt to hire a bard- "I am here to entertain the great Lord of Wet Castle! Songs and stories a specialty. Juggling and tumbling too. And I'm always looking for new stories of great leaders daring to seize what should be theirs!"
Kevtar 08-30-06, 08:32 PM	i just wondered were you came upon the scenery and game board underneath! The game board are the battlemats that came with the harbinger set and one of the later sets (I can't remember which now, but the black and white grid mats are from Harbinger). Anyway, I laminated the mats and the taped them to the table. Dry erase markers or Vis-a-vis work great on them and wipe off with no problem. I have a set of tac-tiles too, but I only use them when I don't have 3-d components (like castle walls, etc) to deal with.
Tunjunz 08-30-06, 08:43 PM	oh ok thanks for your help but what is harbbinger? im new sorry if these are obviouis questions
Kevtar 08-30-06, 08:44 PM	Harbinger was the first package of minis that WOTC brought out. They're out of print now, but had some great figures like Umberhulks and Hound Archons.
Kevtar 08-30-06, 08:45 PM	Why didn't you list the wheel barrow as one of our assets? What I wouldn't give for a Holocaust cloak. Or just load the Dwarven Barbarian on a catapault. Three basic ways in: Under, over or through the walls. Unless they have access to the right kind of magic they'll be limited to sneaking through the gate, finding the forgotten secret passage or the old rope & grappling hook routine. They'll need extreme stealth, so leave that heavy, clunky plate armor behind or use a silence spell. If they have rings of feather fall, they could easily use the catapault idea. Illusions could prove to be useful. A dark shadowy image swooping over the castle would be a great distraction, particularly if it led the kobolds to believe it was a hunting dragon. If they could emulate the dragons' fear effect, all the better. Does the Paladin have protection from evil? If so, he could come near the walls and let it create an uneasy feeling in the nearby kobolds and possibly start a panic. What kind of weather is brewing? If it looks like a dark & stormy night is rolling in, that could give them cover. Combine that with the illusionary dragon and Mission Impossible is a go. The Kender Druid might be able to do something with the critters inside lending to the confusion. A magical light show would also be a distraction especially if fascinate is used. They could also attempt to hire a bard- "I am here to entertain the great Lord of Wet Castle! Songs and stories a specialty. Juggling and tumbling too. And I'm always looking for new stories of great leaders daring to seize what should be theirs!" Aha - great ideas. I'm thinking of making my sons and their friends read this if they get frustrated and attempt the suicidal "I CHARGE" thing...
Vintar 08-30-06, 08:49 PM	Personally, if I was them I'd pretend that I was attacking head-on -then quickly retreat into the swamp. Where I would adopt guerrilla tactics - along with many pre-made traps. Since the group is so large, a couple of them could split off and attack the castle stealthily while the majority of the party is playing hit-and-run in the swamp. Those in the castle would probably take a minus to listen/spot too, because even if they didn't go into the swamp, they're probably paying attention to the occasional scream etc. issueing forth from it. Of course, I almost always take craft trap - except with arcane casters - which I rarely play. Actually I rarely play at all - I usually DM.
SageBahamut 08-30-06, 08:54 PM	-Send in the Rogues to one by one assassinate those patrols. If he has Bracers of Swift Striking or could come by a cheap item of Snake's Swiftness, so much the better, but not necessary against mere kobolds. -Make the Druid go in and get the animals to spook and bolt away from there, sending everyone scrambling to recover them. -Sneak everyone over the now-unguarded walls into the corner where the animals used to be. -Ambush the Cleric on her way out to see what the confusion is, preferably with the benefit of a Silence spell. -Ambush the tiefling captain when he comes to investigate the disturbance in the Cleric's tower. -Leave the fighter-types to have their way with the remaining guards in the courtyard, perhaps with one of the blastomancers to serve as field artillery. -Send all the stealth-capable ones to go get that idol.
Kevtar 08-30-06, 09:18 PM	-Send in the Rogues to one by one assassinate those patrols. If he has Bracers of Swift Striking or could come by a cheap item of Snake's Swiftness, so much the better, but not necessary against mere kobolds. -Make the Druid go in and get the animals to spook and bolt away from there, sending everyone scrambling to recover them. -Sneak everyone over the now-unguarded walls into the corner where the animals used to be. -Ambush the Cleric on her way out to see what the confusion is, preferably with the benefit of a Silence spell. -Ambush the tiefling captain when he comes to investigate the disturbance in the Cleric's tower. -Leave the fighter-types to have their way with the remaining guards in the courtyard, perhaps with one of the blastomancers to serve as field artillery. -Send all the stealth-capable ones to go get that idol. Ah yeah, I was thinking along these same lines. The party doesn't really have any magic items at their disposal (well, they're only 3rd level), and I'm being tight on loot (meaning I'm observing the suggested PC wealth/level from the DMG [pg135] as closely as possible). So any magic outside of the 2nd lvl cleric, 3rd lvl warlock, and 3rd lvl druid is basically out of their reach right now. Also, there's something that isn't being revealed right now, but I'll give you some hints. - There are plenty of kobolds around and they each have a black claw serving as the insignia of their small army. Anyone have ranks in knoweldge (arcana)? ;) - The castle is in a swamp, and the graveyard and chapel are heavily guarded. - In addition, the water flooding both the chapel and the graveyard is putrid, brackish water that is on average 2 feet deep. Of course, inside the building, things get much worse... :) So, there is yet another foe inside.
AcidAngel 08-31-06, 03:05 AM	That just looks so awesome. Are you looking for another son, because i'll put myself up for adoption. I'll live in the cuboard under the stairs, i won't take up much room, and i'm very quiet, i promise. I applaud you on the time and effort in setting this up. You son is very lucky.
Ranger REG 08-31-06, 05:08 AM	If there's any more information you want, let me know and I would be glad to provide it. Thanks Nice model, but I need a map that shows the location of the castle in the swamp, including the surrounding terrain (mountains, rivers, lake, road, paths, etc.).
Kevtar 08-31-06, 01:45 PM	Nice model, but I need a map that shows the location of the castle in the swamp, including the surrounding terrain (mountains, rivers, lake, road, paths, etc.). Ok, well I whipped up a small (and slightly crude) map to show you how the castle sits in relation to its surroundings. The map is at the bottom of the page provided by the link above. The area is a delta, similar to the Mississippi delta but hotter and more humid. There aren't any paths per se, and the map doesn't have that level of detail to it, but there are many banyan-style trees around and the surrounding area is very boggy with standing water in many places and soft, uneven ground. There are low rising hills about 10 miles to the north and to the south, the land falls away to low-lying plains that reach the ocean. More information is provided on the page. Thanks for your comments.
Echo_that_Pains 08-31-06, 02:02 PM	Wow! Can i come over to play too? :) That is an incredible setup that you have developed!! I have always wanted to find some way to do a setup similar to that, but have become too distracted with work to be able to go into it too far. As for suggestions on storming the castle, i have 1 question: Do the defenders KNOW an attack is coming and they are currently on active alert? Or are they just pacing around kicking stones bored but doing their "guarding" job? Based on the answer to that would depend on what strategies would be useable. If they are not actively anticipating an attack, then just studying them for a day or so would probably prove to be a huge benefit to the characters. They would be able to get shift changes, general patrol paths, poitns of weakness, etc. If the defenders are on active patrol (as in expecting an attack at any second), then the options of getting in will be a bit more difficult and due to the level of the players i am unable to think of many effective strategies other than what has been posted previously. Once again, awesome layout on the board!
Wren 08-31-06, 02:09 PM	With a little resistance to electricity... the group could sneak in under the cover of the storm if such happens. A bribe to the druid (if he is powerfull enough) could incourage at storm to happen. Rain would provide cover while sneaking up to the castle. The sounds of the storm would also help cover sounds of combat. However... with all the wet stone and mud... there would be a higher chance of slipping and falling prone. The other possibility... is that there is a secret entrance in through the crypts... if they indeed know it is flooded. It might be possible to sneak in through a water filled tunnel.
Reinforcements 08-31-06, 02:20 PM	The castle is set deep inside a swamp (yes - I know, but there is a backstory that explains how the swamp came to be and didn't sink) Obviously because it's on top of three previous castles, all of which sank into the swamp. I know, I'm terrible.
Kevtar 08-31-06, 02:36 PM	Obviously because it's on top of three previous castles, all of which sank into the swamp. I know, I'm terrible. But Father! I want to SING!
Kevtar 08-31-06, 02:39 PM	As for suggestions on storming the castle, i have 1 question: Do the defenders KNOW an attack is coming and they are currently on active alert? Or are they just pacing around kicking stones bored but doing their "guarding" job? The inhabitants of the castle are NOT expecting an attack. In fact, they are gearing up for an onslaught of the local villages. Also, the PCs have roughly 24 hours to complete this task, so observations are limited to a few hours. With a little resistance to electricity... the group could sneak in under the cover of the storm if such happens. A bribe to the druid (if he is powerfull enough) could incourage at storm to happen. The Druid is 7th level, but he is crippled and can’t adventure anymore. Any requests have to be performed from his home. …with all the wet stone and mud... there would be a higher chance of slipping and falling prone. I didn’t think about that. I utilize skills very heavily in my campaigns, and follow the skills-rules to the “T,” so that could add another layer of difficulty… nice. … is that there is a secret entrance in through the crypts…. There is not a secret entrance through the crypts. However, if the PCs choose to climb down the well, they will find an underwater channel that leads to an underground “aquifer” (well, it’s not a real aquifer, but it’s basically a large, underground chamber with water. There is also enough room to get on a ledge, breath some air, and, if they think to check the decaying cavern walls, they may detect the cracks in the wall that separates the sewage tunnels from the fresh-water source. If they break through the wall, they get access to the underbelly of the castle AND pollute the inhabitants’ fresh-water source. The reason why the courtyard and chapel are flooded is because a medium-size black dragon has taken over the complex. The army are serving her until she grows tired of them. She has excavated the floor of her chapel and flooded the area so that she can hide in the putrid pools and ambush intruders. She has also dug tunnels leading into the watery sewers and out of the complex for escape. So, not only will the PCs encounter a black dragon, but they will have to navigate deep pools of water and thin ledges sunk slightly beneath the surface to survive.
Wren 08-31-06, 03:04 PM	The inhabitants of the castle are NOT expecting an attack. In fact, they are gearing up for an onslaught of the local villages. Also, the PCs have roughly 24 hours to complete this task, so observations are limited to a few hours. The Druid is 7th level, but he is crippled and can’t adventure anymore. Any requests have to be performed from his home. I didn’t think about that. I utilize skills very heavily in my campaigns, and follow the skills-rules to the “T,” so that could add another layer of difficulty… nice. There is not a secret entrance through the crypts. However, if the PCs choose to climb down the well, they will find an underwater channel that leads to an underground “aquifer” (well, it’s not a real aquifer, but it’s basically a large, underground chamber with water. There is also enough room to get on a ledge, breath some air, and, if they think to check the decaying cavern walls, they may detect the cracks in the wall that separates the sewage tunnels from the fresh-water source. If they break through the wall, they get access to the underbelly of the castle AND pollute the inhabitants’ fresh-water source. The reason why the courtyard and chapel are flooded is because a medium-size black dragon has taken over the complex. The army are serving her until she grows tired of them. She has excavated the floor of her chapel and flooded the area so that she can hide in the putrid pools and ambush intruders. She has also dug tunnels leading into the watery sewers and out of the complex for escape. So, not only will the PCs encounter a black dragon, but they will have to navigate deep pools of water and thin ledges sunk slightly beneath the surface to survive. Ah... so no secret tunnels. A few things the Druid could do would include "Scrying" and "Animal Messagers" to keep the group up to date on events indoors. This can be done from his house. At 7th level the druid is not powerfull enough then to control the weather. If he was, he could actually most likely do that from home as it has a several mile radius on the caster. :D An added aspect... if the PC's watch the castle and see that they are gearing up for an assault... the best thing they could do would be to empty the village of people. Depending on how certain the Druid was about the rain... that seems to be the best plan for sneaking in. Most of the guards would be inside away from the rain. It would provide cover and decrease visable spotting distance. A storm could provide noise to drown out the sound of a guard being killed. Minor illusions could be used to increase the "effects" of the storm and thus provide greater distractions. Sudden flashes of light are also expected during a storm... lightening anyone? (A few eldritch blasts and magic missiles might be overlooked). One question though... what focus does the party rangers have on fighting style? I.E. melee <> range.
Kevtar 08-31-06, 07:28 PM	Ah... so no secret tunnels. A few things the Druid could do would include "Scrying" and "Animal Messagers" to keep the group up to date on events indoors. There is one secret passage leading from the dragon's lair to a non-disclosed point in the part of the swamp the PCs have not yet explored. This is one of the dragon's escape routes. The PCs have no way of detecting it without stumbling across the entrance/egress in the swamp and then working their way towards the castle. However, that is difficult since it is almost entirely a water-filled, subterranean tube. They have already asked for scrying which is how they got to see the castle. Animal messengers would be good. Another tool I hope they use is the livestock, etc. If the Druid can cast speak with animals, they may learn of the dragon's presence before blindly walking into its lair. The best thing they could do would be to empty the village of people. True, but the PCs don't really know what they bad guys are gearing up for, or where. Depending on how certain the Druid was about the rain... that seems to be the best plan for sneaking in. Most of the guards would be inside away from the rain. It would provide cover and decrease visable spotting distance. A storm could provide noise to drown out the sound of a guard being killed. Minor illusions could be used to increase the "effects" of the storm and thus provide greater distractions. Sudden flashes of light are also expected during a storm... lightening anyone? (A few eldritch blasts and magic missiles might be overlooked). The storm will definitely help with the element of surprise. One question though... what focus does the party rangers have on fighting style? I.E. melee <> range. Even though they almost all have Mighty Composite longbows, they are much-too focused on melee. The only true ranged fighters are the rogue (because he's a chicken - which is great to have a cowardly rogue who only finds his bravery when he expects loot to be found), and the Elf ranger. She's the only female in the group, and I tell you, she is the best player and a KILLING MACHINE. Other than that, everyone just jumps into the fray. Last time, the Warlock was dropped to 0 in one hit by charging an ogre. :rolleyes:
Wren 08-31-06, 11:13 PM	There is one secret passage leading from the dragon's lair to a non-disclosed point in the part of the swamp the PCs have not yet explored. This is one of the dragon's escape routes. The PCs have no way of detecting it without stumbling across the entrance/egress in the swamp and then working their way towards the castle. However, that is difficult since it is almost entirely a water-filled, subterranean tube. They have already asked for scrying which is how they got to see the castle. Animal messengers would be good. Another tool I hope they use is the livestock, etc. If the Druid can cast speak with animals, they may learn of the dragon's presence before blindly walking into its lair. True, but the PCs don't really know what they bad guys are gearing up for, or where. The storm will definitely help with the element of surprise. Even though they almost all have Mighty Composite longbows, they are much-too focused on melee. The only true ranged fighters are the rogue (because he's a chicken - which is great to have a cowardly rogue who only finds his bravery when he expects loot to be found), and the Elf ranger. She's the only female in the group, and I tell you, she is the best player and a KILLING MACHINE. Other than that, everyone just jumps into the fray. Last time, the Warlock was dropped to 0 in one hit by charging an ogre. :rolleyes: I guess I don't see them figuring out about the tunnel then. If it is completely under water... they would need to have the same info you gave us about the brackish swamp water in the chapel and cemetary to figure out thier might be a tunnel. Well... in this mental excersise of storming the castle with the PC's as the only forces I could martial... I'd be using those bows. It is nice to hear that they have at least one powerful archer. If I was the Warlock I'd be sitting back having a cocoa till the enemy got about 120 and then begin using Eldritch Spear Blasts. (I think that works at 120) Best thing the warriors could do would be to put up a shield wall of sorts till the enemy closed in if they are not going to use those bows. However... thats beside the point. Considering this groups focus on melee... their best bet is to get in close to the enemy before they realize what is happening and suprise them from ambush. Again I point out the storm being their best bet. If it comes to fighting the Dragon... I hope they just stay back and pepper the thing with arrows till it runs away. (It can all too easily grab the party "warriors" one by one in a grapple and drag them under water to drown as it can stay underwater) The party does have a fairly heavy focus on nature types. A Druid, two Rangers, and two Barbarians. Its possible they might make high enough knowledge nature checks to pick up the signs of a big beast in the area. Another chance might be that one of the rangers has enough skill in survival to pick up signs of Dragon tracks. (Tracking can be very useful) Past that... the party has two arcane types (Warlock and Mage 2). Hopefully there are some ranks in knowledges there. I think that dragons fall under Knowledge (Arcane) so perhaps skill there might help during an actual encounter with the dragon. The PC's with Paladin and Cleric levels could possibly identify enemy religions and thus give the party some insight into what to expect on that side of things. Further plans would really depend on the personalities of the individual players. I'd have to sit at the table and pick up favorite tactics and the like to know how to martial my forces best. :D
Kevtar 09-01-06, 11:42 AM	Well, the boys are going spelunking this weekend, so we won't be able to play until Monday. I'll let you know how they did. But they've already told me that they're going to be laying in the cave tonight talking about their plans. My youngest son (13) drew a map of the castle with the positions of all the minis so he could show the rest of the players the "lay of the land." I'm sure they'll come up with something interesting. I'm probably going to have to take it easy with the dragon though. I mean, it is a low CR, especially for 9 3rd lvl PCs, but given the terrain and the fact that they just can't fight a dragon smart - I'll end up just killing two or three of their PCs and then have the dragon run away. ;)
MistWolf 09-01-06, 08:20 PM	I'm probably going to have to take it easy with the dragon though. I mean, it is a low CR, especially for 9 3rd lvl PCs, but given the terrain and the fact that they just can't fight a dragon smart - I'll end up just killing two or three of their PCs and then have the dragon run away. ;)Why do that? After all that work you did creating this setup, why kill a couple PCs and toss it? It's much more impressive when the dragon encounters the party (and they are of course quaking in their boots and sandals) she spreads her wings takes in a deep breath and says "Who dares tresspass on my domain? Why do you slay my servants and my slaves? Puny creatures. Guards! Seize them and put them to work repairing the damages they have caused." Drop the appropriate hints that the dragon might let them go with their lives if they perform her a service. Then after she lets them go watch them plot to squirm out of their promise to an evil dragon. Muhahahaha!
Kevtar 09-01-06, 11:30 PM	That is an excellent scenario. However, we have a paladin who would need some SERIOUS convincing to go along with such a situation. I assume that only the prospect of saving his party from impending doom would persuade him. Still though, if the situation warrants, I will definitely use this in the encounter just to see what the PCs do. An "escape from Alcatraz" encounter would be a lot of fun too. Thanks!
MistWolf 09-02-06, 08:17 PM	Also, to the dragon, the Holy Relic might be a useless trinket. But the only way the party will be able to retrieve it is by accepting the dragons' deal. The relic cannot be retrieved if the paladin is killed for his pride. Or the Pally can be allowed to stay behind so the party can escape. The heroic sacrifice
High Octane 09-02-06, 08:48 PM	Just wanted to say the title of this thread, best ever.
Rudi_Schteppen 09-03-06, 12:37 AM	I have an idea... First, go to the cavern. Hide. Wait for the dragon. Sounds like death, I know... Second, cast an illusion representing a MASSIVE tentacle headed beast looming from the subterranean pools' depths... Third, get the character with the deepest voice (dwarf barbarian?) to boom out," Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn!" Watch the fireworks... Who cares if you die, you just gave the dragon a heart attack...
Kyant 09-03-06, 11:33 PM	not much to say on strategy(would take too long for me to understand whats going on...soo complex...amazing) but I just need to say that that is amazing! The fact that you have the miniatures to do that is amazing...even if those were your only figures, I would still be blown away...
Toptomcat 09-04-06, 12:08 AM	If it were drier, and if there weren't druids involved, I'd start a forest fire upwind of the castle. The smoke would drive everyone inside, and make for easy sneaking around.
Lord_Bahamut 09-04-06, 01:54 AM	This is pretty awesome, I have to admit. One thing I noticed: Are the towers and walls from MageKnight? They look extremely familiar... An plan of attack (maybe) (under the cover of the storm): 1) Take out the gnoll archers! If possible, have one PC climb up to each tower and coup de grace the gnolls. Then have everyone meet at one tower. You have no idea how annoying having powerful (for 3rd level) ranged enemies on high places are! (well, maybe you do) 2) Hopefully the blues will be in out of the blowing rain an wind, but if not take them out 2 by 2 with ranged attacks ONLY. No flashy spells, they might give you away. 3) Leave behind the full plate--this mission calls for stealth. 4) Bring out the good ol' grappling hook and rope and climb the walls. Get to the top of one of the towers the gnolls were on. If the kobold archers are out, take them down the same way you did with the gnolls. 6) Have the druid mess with the animals, send them running around all over the place so the guards come out to calm them. Make sure you hide behind the battlements at first so that no one thinks you're there. 7) Once again, use ranged attacks to snipe away at the guards running everywhere. Even the fighter characters can join in. The more arrows you're shooting, the more likely you are to hit a guard. 8) If the cleric, knight or tiefling captain comes out, hit them with everything you've got. Killing leaders is a major step towards victory. 9) Climb down the tower and into the courtyard and let your melee people shine. The two barbarians, rangers, and the paladin will do excellent against kobolds and hobgoblins. Your archers (the 2 rangers) may want to stay on the tower at first and whittle down the kobolds at first, but the other 3 won't last long against two dozen kobolds. Don't forget that the warlock, druid and mage can use their spells to buff the melee fighters or shoot people. Summon Monster and Summon Nature's Ally would be good spells to use against the enemies. 10) If any blues are left, take them down. Blues may not be very powerful, but in packs they are nasty. Think psionic wolves. 11) Hopefully you have beaten most of the enemy into mushy stuff or sent them into hiding by now. If not, keep chopping away. If you feel that the sheer number of enemies is beating you, retreat into the inside of the tower and hold them off at the door. Have the cleric cast bless on you or bane on your enemies. And have prepare lots of cure minor and cure light wounds. If you really need healing, remember the paladin has his lay on hands ability. 12) If you ahve successfully beaten the enemies, heal up and head into the temple. What you do then remains to you...
Kevtar 09-05-06, 02:25 PM	Ok, so things do not go so well for my douty band of adventurers. For one, the fighter/mage, Druid, and one of the rangers could not make the game. However, they did pick up a new player who was running a bard. Now this is where things get weird. The majority of the group decides to "snipe" two of the gnoll archers on the West towers. They succeed in dropping one, but the other one survives. The survivor cries out, but only the Blues guarding the doors below heard the noise. The two "big-hitters" (the barbarian/cleric and the barbarian dwarf) split from the party and proceed to infiltrate the barracks. The blues spot the main group of PCs hiding in the brush and attack. During the course of the fight, the Knight and his entourage make successful spot checks and notice the Gnoll archers are not at their post. Since the Knight and his warriors were getting ready for patrol anyway, he decided to investigate. The PCs dispatch the Blues without any problem and are all gathered in front of the portcullis while the halfling rogue tries to wriggle between the iron gate. As he is making his attempt, the doors behind the portcullis open. The PCs decided to hide outside the portcullis and see who appears. The knight orders the two interior guards (blues) to investigate. The Blues rush out of the castle and provoke AoOs from the PCs. The PCs take their AoOs and thus give away their position. The knight issues his challenge and rides into battle with his four henchmen. To make a long story short, three of the remaining 5 PCs are reduced to negative hit points and Knight demands the PCs to surrender agreeing that if they do so, he will not harm them and will in-fact heal their companions. The Bard and Elf ranger agree to the terms and the party is now held in the dungeon. In the meantime, the barbarian dwarf and the bar/cleric infiltrated an empty barracks and looted while their friends were struggling for their lives. Now, the barbarians are in the barracks with no idea of what has happened to their companions. To make matters worse, the kobold and goblin foot-troops are returning to the barracks after their excercises in the field. The Gnoll Sargeants, hobgobling impalers, and tiefling captain are off to a meeting with the Cleric of Nerull. Things do not look well for the PCs.... :)
Wren 09-05-06, 02:34 PM	Oh... my my my Goblins should not be too hard for the heavy hitters. With them "at large" they might be able to free the others. But, only IF they play it smart. I'd loot some uniforms if I was them.
MistWolf 09-06-06, 07:33 PM	Combat is not the answer in this situation. It's time to start doing some fast talking. Time for the players to connive, lie, and slather the whole enchilada in layers of subtrefuge. If the player of the paladin thinks he cannot lie, sit him down to watch Spock in action in a couple episodes of Star Trek. If the players don't get it, pull the "Queen Dragon orders you attend" card. Now they'll have to make a deal
Wren 09-06-06, 08:01 PM	Combat is not the answer in this situation. It's time to start doing some fast talking. Time for the players to connive, lie, and slather the whole enchilada in layers of subtrefuge. If the player of the paladin thinks he cannot lie, sit him down to watch Spock in action in a couple episodes of Star Trek. If the players don't get it, pull the "Queen Dragon orders you attend" card. Now they'll have to make a deal The pair of PC's with Barbarian levels is going to have a hard time with subterfuge... The rest of the group flat out attacked the enemy forces.
Toptomcat 09-06-06, 08:07 PM	May God have mercy on their souls.
Kevtar 09-07-06, 08:58 AM	LOL - Yeah, I know ;) Well, there is something here that may help them. As you can imagine, it is difficult to get 9 -10 teenagers together every Friday, as a result three of the players couldn't attend, which meant that their PCs could not "storm the castle." Now, it looks like these three players will be able to attend this Friday which means that the "cavalry is coming to the rescue." This will add a ranger, fighter/mage, and a druid to the mix, all of which are unknown to the dragon and her cohorts - so the PCs just might have a chance of getting sprung. As far as the two-loose barbarians... I'm not sure how that's gonna play out yet. ;)
MistWolf 09-11-06, 12:15 AM	Well- What happened next??
bassist33333 09-11-06, 01:42 AM	Wowzers. I must say, you out-DM me by a long-shot. :p I'm never prepared with any scenery or anything that big. Anyways, as for what I'd do...Unfortunately for the party, there's a heck of a lot of Barbarians, and not a lot of rogue-esque personas. But that's alright, I suppose. Going from my usual character, which happens to be a bard character (well...since the last time I was actually an adventurer which was probably a couple years ago), I would climb up, sneakily while the others waited behind, and see if I could snag some armor, or bluff people (or mind-control them) into giving me the armor, pendants, whatever you need to enter. Seeing as they're Kobolds, though, only a few of us could fit into the armor, and you'd have to improvise with the Barbarians, I suppose... In any case, I think the best idea would be for the Barbarians to get up and over the walls as fast as possible, and beat their way down the towers while the rest of the "sneaky group" who couldn't hold up go through the gate unnoticed with one of the patrols. That way, at least everyone's inside. After that...gee, I dunno...I guess just get a sneaky guy to go out and lure a group into a safeguarded area, one patrol at a time. <_< ~Bass'-ist.
Balseraph 09-11-06, 02:19 AM	Amazing stuff! Your group are very fortunate that you are willing (and able, I'm not sure I could manage to run such a large encounter!) to put such effort into the game! Likewise, I think you're very lucky to have such a large group of eager teens who are willing to show up when possible to engage in our great hobby. :) I like that the others are incoming, it certainly allows for some interesting possibilities with two PCs 'at large' within the walls and another three outside. Should they actually manage to communicate with one another, good things could come of it. If not... mayhem of the most entertaining type! I look forward to hearing the outcome, like everyone else here I think :D
Kevtar 09-11-06, 12:54 PM	OK - so here's the update: The PCs who initially raided the castle were taken to a dungeon where they were held by 5 kobolds. The room consisted of four iron-barred cells with a 5' walkway between each cell and a 5' walkway around them. Thus, the PCs could by completely observed at all times. The only feature in the cells (with one exception) was a small hole (toilet). However, the halfing rogue was placed in a cell which had the decaying remains of a previous tenant. Well, since the PCs couldn't speak without being harrassed by the Kobolds, I didn't let the players speak either. They had to come up with a plan on their own. Eventually, a warrior came to the prison with chains so he could present the prisoners to the dragon. As fate would have it, as the kobold opened the paladin/monk's (ascetic knight feat) cell, the palamonk charged the kobold with a flying kick (1d6+1d12) and murderized it. The halfling, not having much faith with this plan, began an escape artist check down the toilet (vis a vis "Phillipe the mouse" in Ladyhawke). The palamonk then drew the attention of the warrior and the remaining kobolds while the ranger/druid summoned nature's allies, and the warlock blasted away with eldritch blasts. Eventually, they were freed, but the halfling rogue was seperated from the group. The Fighter/mage and Elven Barbarian (new player) who did not storm the castle with the rest, climbed the castle walls and infiltrated the fortress. At this time, the forces marching on the ground were heading into the comissary so there wasn't any danger of being outnumbered. The barbarians who were looting the barracks heard/saw the troops marching to the barracks (comissary was in the basement), so they ran up the stairs to the second level and waited for the forces to enter the building. They then leapt out of the windows onto the blues below. (I mean they jumped ON the blues - squashing them flat). This drew the attention of the archers and guards in the courtyard and the barbarians and the mage/fighter and elf barbarian started knocking skulls. However, eventually the alarm was raised, and the PCs new their time was limited. Both groups eventually met-up, but they could not locate the thief. They assumed that he had already stealthily sneaked out of the complex. Eventually, they rushed the doors leading out of the fortress just as the army was pouring out of the comissary. Unfortunately for the thief, his party was dead-wrong. The rogue fell through the toilet into the sewers below. He swam around for a while until he alighted upon a secret entrance directly beneath the chapel and courtyard. He followed his nose (and then succeeded on a series of swim attempts) until he found his way into the dragon's lair. He swam through the deep, putrid pools of her lair and breached the surface of the water just in time to hear the Cleric of Nerull inform the dragon that the PCs were escaping. Now, on his way up through the pool, the PC had spotted the dragon's hoard, so he decided swim back down and search for soemthing to attack the dragon and cleric. He's third level. Yeah. I know. So, he swims back down and locates a neckalce of Fireball Type I. He then proceeeds to get back to the surface where he tosses the only remaining 5d6 fireball left. He kills the cleric and wounds the dragon before diving back beneath the surface of the water. He then hides below the surface while the dragons creeps into the water. She knew he was there somewhere, but she could never pin point him. Eventually, he can't hold his breath any longer, so he climbs out of the water when the dragon turns her back and he runs out of the chapel and courtyard. However, she is hot on his tail. In the meantime, the 2-barbarians who jumped out of the window realized the rogue wasn't with them yet and decided to go back and save him. They rush into the fortress where they see the little guy being chased by the dragon. the barbarians close ranks with the kobolds and goblins in the field to create an opening for the rogue. They then shoot arrows at the dragon for a distraction. Finally, they rush out of the fortress. At this point, I decided to let the PCs escape by having the dragon organize her army for a search of the swamp while she stayed behind to see what exactly was missing from her hoard. So, the PCs failed in their mission, but I'm giving them another chance to save the final Jaday idol. This idol is kept in a shrine located in a village of lizardfolk who have converted to Pelor and have sworn-off violence. The druid who helped the PCs with castle is urging them to defend the lizardfolk against the dragon and her forces so they don't have to break their oath of "non-violence" to Pelor.