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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Goonalan" data-source="post: 9612869" data-attributes="member: 16069">Not KotSSession #001a: Great Balls of Fire!The Adventurers (in alphabetical order).Chromium Malifax aka C-Fax (Rob), Male Silver Dragonborn (Noble) Paladin of Bahamut Level 1Mavis Golightly aka Mave (Sandy), Female Half-Elf (Acolyte) Cleric of Chauntea Level 1Arbuthnot McGow aka McGow (Al), Male Mountain Dwarf (Soldier) Fighter Level 1The Inspector aka Spek (Kenji), Male Rock Gnome (Charlatan) Sorcerer Level 1Travis Pickle (Yui), Male Lightfoot Halfling (Criminal) Rogue Level 1Quests-#001 Save Dicky Bird aka The Fat Pidgin, and bring him home safely to Edna Gingster, keep in mind Dicky could be travelling incognito. Reward: 2000 XP & 1000gp each.#002 Find and investigate the ancient dragon burial site Dicky was looking for, he might be there. Reward: 250 XP.[ATTACH=full]400881[/ATTACH]And so enroute to Kirkgate the players take a moment to introduce themselves to each other, the road is long etc., and it is time to get along.The adventurers are in the back of Parp Lowder’s cart, having hitched a ride with the farmer from the next village over all the way to Kirkgate, where they believe, Dicky Bird was heading.It is a cool summer’s evening, cloudy but no signs of rain- overcast.It is at this point, only half-an-hour to go until Kirkgate, that the kobold bandits attack.First combat, here we go.[ATTACH=full]400882[/ATTACH]Kobolds! And one of the little buggers dashes a sling stone, or else something similar, against the forelegs of Beef Wellington (the ox pulling the cart) and the great beast is somehow stuck to the spot. The big bovine lad is not going anywhere.With a variety of calls, shouts and cries the kobold horde (all eight of them) launch their attacks, but the PCs are on it- DC 13 and none of them fail their Perception rolls, and so they too leap into action.[spoiler= The Bad Guys]Enc#1 The Kobold Bandits 260 XP CR 2 Deadly.5 x Kobold Mook (25xp each) As per MM Kobold except AC 13 (Padded), Resist: Acid & better HP spread = 2d4+2.1 x Kobold Stoner (35xp) As per MM Kobold except AC 14 (Leather), Resist: Acid, Dex 16 (+5 To Hit), Con 10, Special Fire & Glue shots with Sling, & better HP spread = 2d4+4.2 x Kobold Warrior (50xp each) As per MM Kobold except AC 15 (Leather & Shield), Resist: Acid, Str 11, Con 12, armed with Shortsword instead of Dagger, 3 HD & better HP spread = 3d4+9.Tactics- Kobold Warriors- shout and give orders, get in the cart and slay the PCs, get Pack Tactics going; Kobold Stoner- glue the ox (auto hit- DM fiat) then stay out of the way and sling- sling- sling, with Pack Tactics and special shots; Kobold Mook- get rumbunctious, charge in to melee.[/spoiler]A hollering kobold warrior clambers up into the back of the wagon and attempts to gut Travis Pickle, the halfling rogue is too quick for the feisty yapping marauder, he dodges aside- quick draws his rapier and then on the second attempt (IP) stabs the stiletto blade into the warrior’s gut. Alas it survives the ordeal.A sling bullet slams into McGow’s upper body almost sitting him down again.Another missile- a small clay pot- slams into C-Fax’s mailed groin area, the paladin sucks in air and hunkers down (a Crit for nine damage), the out-of-breath dragonborn can smell burning. He is the source of the singed aroma. Like a scalded cat he yelps and straightens- his crotch is on fire, or else the contents of the kobold’s clay pot missile are heating the area rapidly.The paladin is broken, critically wounded (down to two hit points) and effectively on fire (1d3 fire damage ongoing).There is screaming- Bahamut does not get a mention.Mavis, C-Fax’s life partner (in life and in-game) has tears in her eyes, then again- everyone else at the table seems to be equally amused.Just prior to the combat Rob, playing C-Fax- the instigator of this game, gave a brief pep-talk to his colleagues about the ins and outs of combat in D&D 5e he said, do as I do.Which right now is clutch his burning groin and swear.Oh, but we are not using a hit location table here, somehow critical hit got mistranslated into Japanese and ended up being interpreted as C-Fax being hit in a critical spot. It was only a short step from this to the Paladin’s- as the title says- Great Balls of Fire!We move on…Spek shuffles towards the kobold warrior in the wagon, and then declares, in draconic-“Pull my finger!” He offers said finger to the bemused kobold warrior, the reptile humanoid does not fall for the trick, and so Spek is left trying to tag the thing with his digit. No cigar.McGow edges past his odd gnome companion and smashes his warhammer into the kobold warrior’s skull- caving it in. The dwarf kicks the dead thing off the back of the cart, spies another kobold fast-approaching- grabs out a hand-axe and lets it fly (IP). It thunks into the chest of the small dragon-like humanoid. Enough to slow it down, but not enough to kill it.Sling stones zip and ping, but no more hits, for now.But the burning sensation in C-Fax’s groin is getting all too much, or else all too much. The ongoing fire damage should have reduced the dragonborn to unconsciousness, but for the house rule, a first level PC (only) can when reduced to zero hit points or below automatically trigger their healing hit dice (if they have one), and so C-Fax does, and survives to fight a while longer. As you will see.Note the above rule does not apply if the amount of damage done is enough to kill the PC outright.Back to the game.The paladin of Bahamut leaps over the side of the cart, screaming-“For the Platinum Dragon! Follow me to glory”, or some such nonsense, and then charges up the nearby slope and into the nearest knot of kobolds, at which point he unleashes his icy-cold dragon’s breath, two of the small humanoids are left shivering by the frosty onslaught, one of them critically wounded, the other- another tough kobold warrior- not so much.“For Bahamut!” C-Fax cries again, rallying the troops.At which point the recently chilled kobold warrior steps in and cuts the paladin down, the dragonborn tumbles down the slope and lands in a heap on the cart track.Rob has been so looking forward to this game- this is not how it was supposed to go.Mavis, seeing her man sprawling and unconscious fires off a Healing Word, cautioning her true love to-“Stay down! Else get back in the cart. You bloody idiot.”Then she too ducks back into cover on the cart.[ATTACH=full]400883[/ATTACH]A kobold mook attempts to clamber up into the cart, Travis Pickle thinks otherwise, his rapier lances out and neatly pierces the scrambling humanoid’s throat, a pin-prick hole, but enough- the kobold flops back out of the cart- lands awkwardly, and dead, on the hard packed earth of the track.A second mook makes it into the cart and in the ensuing melee stabs McGow in his meaty thigh, a third mook follows up and in- dagger drawn, waving the blade in furious arcs- yapping and snarling all the while.Speck steps closer to the newest cart-invader.“Pull my finger!” he offers, in draconic- while proffering said finger, and a friendly grin, and for some unknown reason the kobold mook complies.ZZZZZAPPPP!The lightning blast (Shocking Grasp for max damage) causes the mook to star jump backwards- up, out and off the cart- it too is dead before it hits the ground. The dead mook lands a good fifteen feet away from the vehicle.Travis whistles his delight.McGow gets his breath back with his Second Wind, and then leaps over the side of the vehicle and trots up the slope towards the kobolds who are now approaching the recumbent C-Fax, who is pretending to be dead atm.“Get away from him yar dirty littul buggers!” McGow yells and gurns.The dwarf smashes his warhammer into the face of the closest kobold mook. It too is dead before it hits the deck.Back in the cart another mook invader stabs its dagger clean through Spek’s foot, the screaming gnome is less than amused, and now heavily wounded and hopping (literally) mad.C-Fax, hero of the hour (so he says)- rises from the dead, he will not be beaten- although his crotch is still very much on fire.“For the Platinum Dragon!” He tries again, regains the slope and is soon in the face of the snarling kobold warrior who cut him down previously.“Say your prayers Kobold scum!” he advises, and then swings furiously with his longsword, and misses with a ‘1’, and then misses again ‘4’ (with his Inspiration Point).His friends and colleagues seem amused by this, Rob however- well, less so.Back in the cart, Mavis Golightly prays fervently to Chauntea and then delivers a divine Blessing targeting C-Fax, McGow and herself.“Please don’t let him die. Please don’t let him die” is her new mantra.Four kobolds’ dead- four still standing.[ATTACH=full]400884[/ATTACH]Back in the cart the talented young halfling rogue Travis Pickle shows his colleagues how it is done- he cuts another one of the mook invaders down and then barges the collapsing villain off the cart.“And stay dead!” He spits, and then grins- “it’s exciting”, he adds, clearly enjoying himself immensely.The kobold stoner, the fellow with the sling and the fiery/gluey sling bullets gets into action again- a sling stone clangs into the side of C-Fax’s skull, the paladin staggers and yet somehow stays on his feet (back to just two hit points, and still on fire- remember).The last kobold mook still standing stabs the farmer driving the cart- Parp Lowder clutches the spot, curses, and then flails wildly with his club- as he has been doing since the fight began. All to no effect.Spek is swiftly to the kobold mook’s side and offering the now bemused humanoid a single digit.“Pull my finger, go on- I dare you!”The kobold dares.ZZZZZAPPPP!But what a way to go- star-jumping backwards off the cart and all the way to kobold heaven.Spek grins too and then bends to lever the dagger out of his foot.Back up the slope McGow connects again with his warhammer, clanging hard into the kobold warrior’s arm and shoulder causing the little bastard to scream and retreat, although only momentarily. It is still in the fight.C-Fax survives a little longer- he had two hit points left; the ongoing fire delivers just one point of damage to his burning nether parts. The paladin therefore Lays on Hands, trying to soothe his flaming man/dragonbornhood. The tears are flowing freely now but that’s Bahamut’s power spent.The kobold warrior therefore ignores his dwarf assailant and takes the easy target, he clangs his shortsword into the paladin’s armoured gut- winding the Bahamut adherent. Who is back to being critically wounded again.“C-Fax!” Mavis screams as a Sacred Flame spell zips past the kobold warrior’s head, inches wide of the little bastard.There are just two kobolds left, the kobold stoner- maintaining a safe distance from the fight but keeping up the barrage; and the gravely wounded kobold warrior who is desperate to take the dragonborn down (or else the DM is).[ATTACH=full]400885[/ATTACH]Travis is not getting out of the cart, at least not yet- he therefore scrambles out his shortbow and then attempts to sink an arrow into the kobold warrior, just wide of the mark alas.As is McGow with his warhammer, up the slope and in the melee with the warrior.Spek has another target in sight, he fires a Ray of Frost at the retreating kobold stoner, but he too is way off target.Which brings us hurtling back to C-Fax, who… clutches the spot again, goes googly-eyed, sinks to his knees and then face plants the turf.“Pants on Fire!”The paladin hisses and then falls into unconsciousness, again.For good measure the last snarling kobold warrior, now sporting a mile-wide grin, ducks beneath McGow’s wild defensive hammer-swing and buries a good few inches of his shortsword in the dwarf’s backside. The now screaming dwarf is heavily wounded too, he must momentarily take a knee.McGow ducks just in time- Mavis fires- her Sacred Flame (after an IP to re-roll) hits the kobold warrior in the face and ignites his smile, the kobold crumples- dead, his blackened reptile skull charred black and still smoking.[ATTACH=full]400886[/ATTACH]The last kobold standing- the stoner, is off and running.Not fast enough.Travis Pickle scrambles over the side of the cart and up on to the ledge, he adjusts for windspeed and… fires his bow, the arrow thumps hard into the back of the fleeing kobold stoner, slowing it, and yet it struggles on.C-Fax meantime is still taking fire damage, he therefore fails a Death Save, Mavis however is swiftly off the cart and to the paladin with a Spare the Dying cantrip, and then to minister to the dragonborn’s injuries- scorched genitalia & broken pride.Spek meantime is also off the cart and chasing after the fleeing kobold stoner, the gnome is alas off target again with another Ray of Frost, but his shouts and calls bring his other comrades running.[ATTACH=full]400887[/ATTACH]McGow staggers after the fleeing kobold, flinging a hand axe at its retreating form, the dwarf misses by a mile and so stumbles to a halt- entirely spent, he is blowing hard.And so, if you want something doing properly… Travis Pickle jogs a little way forward again- until he has sight of the last remaining kobold, and then…[ATTACH=full]400888[/ATTACH]THUNK!It is over.There is cheering.And quite a lot of laughter.In short order the following things take place- Parp Lowder (the farmer/cart driver) is cared for, Beef Wellington (the ox) is unstuck, C-Fax is revived enough to stand (just)- he is, well… let us just say he’s a lot less vocal atm. The kobolds are searched, a grand total of sixty-one copper pieces and seven silver pieces are found and distributed. During this time McGow and Spek also get in a short rest and spend their healing HD, they are both back to good health.Parp, in conversation, reckons there should be a bounty put on ‘dem der koboldy bandits’, they have been bothering Kirkgate off and on for a while now. C-Fax (Rob has played the first five encounters of this game before) therefore advises his colleagues to collect the tails of the fallen kobolds- proof of their slaughter.The adventurers, after another chat, decide that if there is any reward to be had then the money should go to those PCs that did the challenging work- i.e. the killing. Therefore, Travis collects three kobold tails, Speck & McGow two each, Mavis just one, and C-Fax contents himself with the knowledge that he still has the tail between his legs.Last bit, on the journey to Kirkgate Spek lets his colleagues know- he was paying attention, the kobolds kept on shouting out things like- “For Chopper!” or “Chopper-Chop! Chopper-Chop!” and the more revealing still- “Chopper says Chop off their HEADS!”C-Fax heard all this too, the kobolds were after all speaking draconic, but it is Spek that makes sense of it- “I believe that whoever, or whatever’s, in charge of these little scaly bastards is called Chopper.”Then, late in the day, we get to Kirkgate.Next time.That was 52 XP each earned, not that we are counting XP for anything much here, just bragging rights. Its going to be milestones for this one.Cheers from the players and goonalan.</blockquote>

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