Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.
Rocket your D&D 5E and Level Up: Advanced 5E games into space! Alpha Star Magazine Is Launching... Right Now!

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Goonalan" data-source="post: 9799227" data-attributes="member: 16069">Not KotSSession #017b: Death to Kirkgate.The Inspectors.Chromium Malifax aka C-Fax (Rob), Male Silver Dragonborn (Noble) Paladin of Bahamut Level 2Mavis Golightly aka Mave (Sandy), Female Half-Elf (Acolyte) Cleric of Chauntea Level 2Arbuthnot McGow aka McGow (Al), Male Mountain Dwarf (Soldier) Fighter Level 2Snakebite (Kenji), Female Half-Orc (Outlander) Monk Level 2Travis Pickle (Yui), Male Lightfoot Halfling (Criminal) Rogue Level 2Dead PCsThe Inspector aka Spek (Kenji), Male Rock Gnome (Charlatan) Sorcerer Level 1- Killed in Session #2 by Eggnog the Kobold Dragon Priest.To-do list/Quests-#001 Save Dicky Bird aka The Fat Pidgin, and bring him home safely to Edna Gingster, although Dicky is on his way to the Narthex, which is in the Labyrinth, which is near the Seven Pillared Hall- which is in the Underdark- Bugger. Reward: 2000 XP & 1000gp each.<s>#002 Find and investigate the ancient dragon burial site Dicky was looking for, he might be there. Reward: 250 XP.</s> COMPLETE<s>#003 Destroy the kobold menace, including their leader- ‘Chopper.’ Reward: 250 XP & 75gp, with 1gp paid for every kobold tail handed in.</s> COMPLETE#004 Stop Orcus-worshipping Karl’s ritual to bring an undead army to Kirkgate. Basically, save the village, begs (eventually) Lord Crumble. Karl is in Kirkgate. 1000 XP & 500gp reward.#005 Find/Save Cheggers. That's it really, the PCs just need to find/save Cheggers (he’s with Karl, if he’s still alive), for Fionulla (the spy). Reward 100 XP.#006 Find and kill/capture the Bloody Heck- including any leaders. Recover any prisoners they have kidnapped. Reward: 400 XP & 100gp, with 1gp paid for every member of the Bloody Heck confirmed dead or captured.<s>#007 Find all five symbols of Kurgan Kurgan’s office to open the way below Kirkgate. 1000 XP reward (and the PCs get to keep the items of course).</s> COMPLETE<s>#008 Save the Lowder’s and their farm from the Bloody Heck slavers. 250 XP reward.</s> COMPLETEThe dragon is dead, all the PCs are alive, and the DM is in a grump.The Inspectors are now very keen to get back to Kirkgate, they’ve got the five items that they need to descend further beneath the cemetery, to assuage Kurgan Kurgan and to open the way down to evil Karl. The Inspectors are on it.And so, after a celebratory breakfast, back up in the sunshine, they clip-clop home to Kirkgate, and… the gates of the village are shut- most odd, every day is a market day in Kirkgate, and the gates are always open (during the day).A bit of hammering on the wooden portals and eventually we get a result, but not the result the PCs were expecting- Derek and Clive, the sweary guards from Kirkgate Manor, and they’re- well, a lot gets said, mostly in an invective filled stream-of-consciousness.In precis- death and the undead have come to Kirkgate.Hang on, run that by me again. The Inspectors check their watches- what’s going on here, have they got their timings wrong, or else has evil Karl gone early? Can he go early?Note, Snakebite climbed the village wall while waiting for Derek & Clive to show up- Kirkgate looks to be deserted within, there’s no-one on the streets, every building looks to be shut up tight.And so…[ATTACH=full]422077[/ATTACH]Kirkgate Lockdown.Derek & Clive let the PCs in and then urge them to go and see Lord Crumble, ostensibly for the big reveal, the pair of sweary guardsmen it seems have been waiting for the Inspectors to return.But the Inspectors aren’t playing that game- what’s going on here?Eventually the swearsome guards tell what they know- last night something bad happened in the Kirkgate Barracks, the bad thing involved screaming- which woke a few nearby folk up, although the few locals that dared to investigate were put off by the sight of an armoured and armed hobgoblin seemingly wandering around within the barracks.Furthermore, the hobgoblin wandering around was quite clearly already dead.Also, the guard captain- Rondo a La Turk is unaccounted for, and so most likely still in the barracks- perhaps she knows what happened last night, certainly she needs rescuing.Lord Crumble ordered the village locked down, and folk have been told to stay safe in their homes, the few guards that the village have are watching and waiting to see what happens next. Note, it was made clear to the PCs much earlier in the adventure that Kirkgate has only half-a-dozen members of the watch, and that number includes Rondo, Derek and Clive. So, they’re short of stout defenders.Bugger. Is the consensus.The Inspectors are therefore not going to see Lord Crumble, they’re going to see what’s occurring within the barracks, and rescue Rondo- if they can.The DM gives the Inspectors a new quest-#009 Rescue Rondo from the Barracks. Reward: 250 XP.The Inspectors are on it, and with a variety of villagers watching them to their task through various windows and/or half-open door/ways.We get to here, or else Travis does.[ATTACH=full]422078[/ATTACH]With the good folk of Kirkgate watching Travis steps up, he’s the scout after all.The place is as silent as the grave; there’s blood on the floor here and there- the torches and the fire have all burned down but… nothing. Keep in mind Travis is stealth 20-something atm. The halfling rogue has a very (very) brief look around- by which I mean he takes five small steps into the corridor to the east (in the image above) stands statue for five minutes and then exits the building to tell his comrades that he’s had a good look around and he can’t see anyone about. Although there are signs of violence.Travis is a simply marvelous scout.C-Fax thanks the rogue for his great work.Note, the players are very aware that Travis is a sub-optimal scout, the rogue’s fellow PCs do not.We get to here, only moments later-[ATTACH=full]422079[/ATTACH]C-Fax clomps into the doorway and instantly spies the now incredibly emaciated figure of an armoured and armed hobgoblin. That’s Zospin, he doesn’t look well, C-Fax thinks, and then Zombie Zospin makes a terrifying noise and barrels down the corridor straight at the paladin, a longsword held before him like a lance.And then…Zombie Bignut (the hobgoblin taken prisoner at the Lowder farm) comes high stepping down the stairs, flailing wildly with a sword too.[ATTACH=full]422080[/ATTACH]It gets swingy.Keep in mind the two hobgoblin zombies are AC 16 and have 40+ hit points each.It’s a fracas.[ATTACH=full]422081[/ATTACH]And the Inspectors don’t have it all their own way. C-Fax gets mullered, a crit from Zospin, and McGow is taking hits.Like I said- swingy.[ATTACH=full]422082[/ATTACH]Zombie Zospin is put down, Zombie Bignut is surrounded and cut to ribbons.[ATTACH=full]422083[/ATTACH]It takes the best part of four turns to get to here, the two zombies lasted longer than my skeleton dragon.And then…[ATTACH=full]422084[/ATTACH]Travis, he’s so brave, leads the Inspectors further in. Next stop the basement.Initially the Inspectors are cautious- there are more cells and a few interview rooms in the basement, the PCs have been here before.That said, we very quickly get to here-[ATTACH=full]422085[/ATTACH]Let me explain- the PCs go creeping. McGow is looking down the long corridor when Zombie Sgt Groan steps into the dwarf’s vision. McGow screams a warning and then charges towards Zombie Sgt Groan, alas Zombie Chopper was waiting for such an event, the goblin former king of the kobolds is unleashed darting out to slice at the unsuspecting dwarf.I’m having a great time by the way. I only put this encounter together maybe an hour before the session started, just a bit of fun I thought- and a way to slow the PCs down, but I’m really enjoying it.[ATTACH=full]422086[/ATTACH]McGow gets stuck, he also gets hit again- and then must get his Second Wind (the bugger rolled max for his healing).It gets shouty.Mainly because McGow will not give ground, and the corridor here is very tight (lots of minuses to fire past McGow), it’s very close quarters.[ATTACH=full]422087[/ATTACH]McGow is on a hitting streak, and Mavis manages to deliver some of her Sacred Flames- the zombies don’t like radiant damage.[ATTACH=full]422088[/ATTACH]Eventually McGow takes a step back to allow Zombie Chopper out into the corridor of death, or death row as it will now be known.[ATTACH=full]422089[/ATTACH]Snakebite finishes off Zombie Chopper.Several of the PCs quite liked Chopper, he had personality and a can-do attitude, he was the best of NPC/bad guys captured so far.The Inspectors take a brief breather, C-Fax asks the following question- What has happened here?The replies he receives are all short on detail, although there’s much talk of the shadowy version of evil Karl being back, in precis- evil Karl did this.Then the Inspectors remember (or else the DM reminds them, what is it about players- they have the memories of goldfish) that they still have the guard captain, Rondo A La Turk to rescue. They really like Rondo.We get to here- the upper level of the barracks, and again, we get here remarkably quickly.[ATTACH=full]422090[/ATTACH]That’s Rondo, as spotted by McGow, she doesn’t look well. Oh, and Travis (last to arrive on this level, odd that- he said he was the scout) sneaks past his comrades to hide under the table, at which point he discovers that he is staring into the dead eyes of a zombie hound, the beast is only a few feet from him.“Good doggy?” The halfling whispers.Then…Then there is violence.Here’s the bad guys, right at the end-[spoiler= The Bad Guys]Enc#25 Dead in Kirkgate 575 XP CR 4 Deadly.1x Zombie Hound (75xp) As per MM Zombie except AC 10; Str 13, Dex 10, Con 16; Speed: 30; Vuln: radiant; Resist: necrotic; Slam replaced by Bite attack +3 to hit, 1d4+1 piercing plus 1d3 necrotic damage, and DC 11 Strength check or pulled Prone; Last Bite- when reduced to zero HP or below the hound makes an attack (any random target in range) before collapsing dead; 4HD & better HP spread 4d8+12 = 4d5+24.5 x Zombie Tough Captured Enemies (100xp each) As per MM Zombie except Zospin, Bignut & Rondo are wearing chainmail armour (AC 16), Chopper a chain shirt (AC 14), and Sgt Groan no armour (AC 10)- not even I liked Sgt Groan; Armed with a variety of weapons; Rondo Str 16 so an extra +2 to hit and damage; Zospin, Bignut & Sgt Groan Str 14 or 15 so an extra +1 to hit and damage; Chopper second attack at disadvantage; Vuln: radiant; Resist: necrotic & 4 HD with better HP spread = 4d5+32 (Con 18) for Zospin, Bignut, Sgt Groan & Rondo and 4d3+32 HP for Chopper. Tactics- Kill! Kill! Kill![/spoiler][ATTACH=full]422091[/ATTACH]Travis gets bitten and it hurts (with added necrotic damage from the zombie hound), the halfling however gets away, and somehow McGow (very low initiative- that’s how) gets lumbered with fighting the zombie hound, which is staying under the table and so making itself remarkably difficult to hit.Meantime Mavis, Snakebite and C-Fax are constantly apologising (mostly the LG pair) for trying to hack Zombie Rondo’s head off, they’re so polite.[ATTACH=full]422092[/ATTACH]And I love this picture. McGow gets critted by the zombie hound, the fighter has nothing left in the tank and is down to one hit point. Travis has been trying to shoot the hound through a maze of chair legs with his crossbow for the last two turns- with no success. The rogue, seeing McGow on his last legs, therefore goes for help, or else to tell a grown up (Mavis). Travis then gets a bead on Zombie Rondo and shoots her in the face. In translation- Travis is having no fun here, McGow is fighting for his life = time to find easier things to kill. Bye McGow.Yui, playing Travis, said something like- “as I run out of the room, I stop to nod at McGow, just in case it is the last time I see him alive. Then I skid to a halt and shoot Rondo in the face.”Eventually…[ATTACH=full]422093[/ATTACH]Travis’ head shot left Zombie Rondo on maybe three hit points, the Inspectors race to save McGow, although the dwarf- in the end- manages to save himself.Silence returns to the watchhouse.Everyone is dead.Except for the Inspectors.“…kin ‘ello!”That’ll be sweary Derek the guardsman downstairs, next stop- according to Derek is a visit to Lord Crumble for the Inspectors’ full report, just WFT is going on here in Kirkgate?Oh, and remember the new quest-#009 Rescue Rondo from the barracks. Reward: 250 XP.Well, not today. I only set the quest so that the PCs would think that Rondo was still alive. It sucks to be them (and/or Rondo).Next time.115 XP each for the encounter.Cheers goonalan and the Tokyo Massive.</blockquote>

Verification