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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Goonalan" data-source="post: 9633564" data-attributes="member: 16069">Not KotSSession #002b: Eggnog and Snakebite.The Adventurers (in no particular 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 1To-do list/Quests-#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.<s>#002 Find and investigate the ancient dragon burial site Dicky was looking for, he might be there. Reward: 250 XP.</s> COMPLETE#003 Destroy the kobold menace, including their leader- ‘Chopper.’ Reward: 500 XP & 75gp, with 1gp paid for every kobold tail handed in. Here we go some more… the voice comes again from the ancient electrum mirror-“HAGRID! HAGRIIIIIID! Where the bloody hell is he?”The voice is- best guess, human and educated, commanding. The PCs panic for a short while, and then- the Inspector takes charge, the gnome dashes to the fire pit, smothers his hands and then his face in the blackened ashes, and then grabs up and puts on Hagrid’s voluminous cloak- which is all-encompassing even on the bigger Spek.Spek scurries before the mirror- not too close, and then flops onto the floor- head down, he squeaks-“Yes, Master!”And then rolls a ‘13’ plus bonuses- we go on; note all (well, nearly all) Spek has to do here is answer “Yes, Master!” every time the voice stops talking. Spek, played by Kenji, however, must do his best to replicate the bloody silly/squeaky voice that I bestowed upon Hagrid earlier in the session. He tries his best.There is laughter. Gales of it at times, Kenji hams it up a treat.Here’s the voice’s instructions to Hagrid in full, each one requiring a separate “Yes, Master!” in swift reply.“Have the pesky adventurers been taken care of?”“Good… Good.”“I require no new ‘supplies’, the ritual is underway- I have everything I need.”“Any fresh ‘supplies’ you acquire are therefore yours to do with as you wish, although…”“The Bloody Heck are sending more of their fellows to the region, talk to Chopper, they may wish to buy any excess ‘stock’.”“There’ll be a pretty penny in it for you Hagrid, if you can keep yourself from consuming too many of the ‘goods’, the goblins will pay very well for fresh ‘stock’.”“Everything is proceeding as I planned!”“Mwa-ha-ha!”“Our glorious Lord will send me my army in just eight days’ time, and then…”“Kirkgate will be no more!”“Aaaaagh-ha-ha-ha-ha! Ha-ha-ha-ha… Yes…”And that’s about it- save to say, at the end when Spek is still ‘Yes, Mastering’.“Why so glum, chum? Hagrid, are you of low mood again, I have told you before- you need to work on this every day- you must stay in the moment Hagrid. Do not yearn. Find your Now! Hm?”“Come on, really let yourself go- imagine all those disgusting villagers in Kirkgate being torn apart, delightful?”“Aaaaagh-ha-ha-ha-ha! Ha-ha-ha-ha… Yes…”At which point Spek/Kenji is required to replicate, at length, Hagrid’s snorty-squeaky laugh.“There… that’s better. Remember- eight days and the world ends… for Kirkgate!”And the voice is gone.And that really is all of the creative writing done, I’m caught up and about to get to the bare bones, just what, where and when.So, the PCs have a lot to chew on, here’s a few of their first thoughts-Hagrid & Chopper (King of the Kobolds?) are working for the Voice.The Voice is getting an army in eight days time (when the ritual is complete?) at which point Kirkgate is in trouble.The Bloody Heck are a bunch of goblins, most likely slavers.The supplies/stock spoken about are people, again- these folk are slavers, or else require people to sacrifice- part of the ritual to deliver an army?And lastly-This was a set-up, Hagrid and his bandits knew that the PCs were coming here, who the hell told them?But also-Where’s Dicky Bird in all of this?About to be sacrificed as part of some ritual?Already sacrificed?Or in chains and subject to the whims of the goblins- the Bloody Heck?Exposition worked.That was an extra 50 XP for Spek’s performance.So, the PCs have lots of questions for Hagrid (still unconscious) but it’s getting late now, and the guys are an hour-and-a-half away from Kirkgate. Therefore, after a short rest- and a bit more chatter- they head back to the village.Only…[ATTACH=full]402150[/ATTACH]Maybe thirty minutes shy of Kirkgate the PCs are stopped in their tracks. Note, unconscious Hagrid is tied up and has been stuffed in a sack, carried by McGow (and not visible).A pair of tough looking kobold warriors (as identified from the first encounter) block the path ahead, another kobold warrior brings up the rear, and then- on a stony bluff to the adventurer’s left there’s a much more elaborately dressed kobold. This is Eggnog, he does the talking.Eggnog has a skull-hat on (a helm shaped from a dragon-ish shaped skull) and is wearing a madly embroidered robe- up close the imagery is very dragon-orientated, although all of the various dragons depicted have x’s instead of eyes. As if they are dead dragons.The talking done by Eggnog is very mostly shouting.Imagine a badly educated (but nevertheless educated) yapping kobold (with accompanying sniffs and pants) who thinks he’s the big I am, or else a deputy of the big I am. He knows (a little) of the common tongue.“You bad now! I Eggnog! We kill you good! Chopper bad-happy, we make Chopper smile-smile!”But of course, C-Fax (and several others) leap to the chatter, if only to put off the kobold’s attack.It doesn’t work… much.“Dragon-dead! Chopper show us the way! Great Master comes! I Eggnog! We Kill! Kill! Kill!”But the PCs are now a little better prepared.[ATTACH=full]402151[/ATTACH]Travis, even before the daft kobold on the ridge has stopped shouting, scampers away to find cover- alas he finds a kobold sneak hidden behind the cover he was heading for. He stabs the little bastard as hard as he can and leaves the kobold critically wounded (after missing with his first attack- IP spent).The squealing kobold replies in kind.Bloody hell- that hurt a lot, Travis is both terrified and enraged- wanting both to run and to Kill! Kill! Kill![spoiler= The Bad Guys]Enc#3 Return of the Kobold Bandits 385 XP CR 3 Deadly.1 x Kobold Sneak (35xp) As per MM Kobold except AC 14 (Leather), Resist: Acid, Str 10, Dex 16 (+5 To Hit), Con 10, 1d6 Sneak Attack, & better HP spread = 2d4+4.3 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+9.1 x Eggnog, Kobold Dragon Priest (200xp) As per MM Kobold except AC 15 (Robes & Mage Armor), Resist: Acid, Str 10, Dex 12, Con 12, Int 14, Wis 16, Cha 10, armed with Claws (1d3 slashing) & Quarterstaff, 1st level Spellcaster (Wizard), 5 HD & better HP spread = 5d4+15.Tactics- Eggnog- shouts a bit, fires down spells- basks in glory- runs away if things get too frightening; Kobold Warriors- Kill! Kill! Kill!; Kobold Sneak- stab or sling a PC and then get into cover to do it again, run off if things look bad.[/spoiler]Then the kobold warriors get into action and things are very swiftly pretty bad, C-Fax gets sliced, as does McGow, while Spek gets gutted, and is left on just one hit point.[ATTACH=full]402152[/ATTACH]Bloody hell- they hit hard (my attack rolls were- 23, 20, 23; the players were screaming by the third roll). Note, Mavis scampers out of the way of the charging kobold warrior’s- she’s not a toe-to-toe kinda girl, and fires off a Sacred Flame at the kobold sneak. Dead, and dead.“FOR BAHAMUT!” C-Fax leads the line, and manages to cut one of the kobold warrior’s he’s facing twice (with IP) in quick succession with his longsword- the second attack a crit. The kobold warrior survives the ordeal, but only just- it’s going nowhere except down in the dirt, however.McGow pivots around and smashes his warhammer into the mostly broken kobold, it’s dead- and then pivots right back again to bop his warhammer into the chest of the kobold warrior that just stuck the dwarf (IP spent).“LITTUL BASTARDS!” McGow bellows and gets his Second Wind.Top work.Spek meantime, and repeatedly (with an IP), attempts to tag the same kobold warrior with a Shocking Grasp, the enemy dances back and eludes the grasping gnome sorcerer. He rolled a ‘1’ followed by a ‘1’, it’s not his day.Then…The acid blasted remains of the Inspector slump to the floor of the dirt track.McGow gapes- Spek’s head is completely gone, his upper torso melted like some mad wax candle.Let’s take a moment, back up a bit.Eggnog looks for a suitable target for his acid flavoured Chromatic Orb, it’s his one-shot chance, he’s got his Mage Armour going so this is it for the day.The DM- because he is a fair fellow, states- “1d8 = 1 to 5 it’s C-Fax, 6 to 7 McGow, and 8 is Spek”, and then he rolls an ‘8’.A hit, followed by 3d8 acid damage and 8 + 8 + 7 = 23 acid damage.My dice are on fire.Spek doesn’t make a sound.[ATTACH=full]402153[/ATTACH]Several of the players, including Kenji, are screaming at this point.Eventually we go on.Travis yacks up his dinner and then fires an arrow so high and wide of any specific target that he’s not even sure who he was aiming for. Mavis (after an IP) hits one of the two remaining kobold warriors with her Sacred Flames, it survives. Tears are streaming down the priestess of Chauntea’s face.The kobold warrior Mavis didn’t target stabs its shortsword clean through C-Fax’s thigh, the paladin almost collapses- he’s down to just one hit point (and with no Healing HD to call upon).[ATTACH=full]402154[/ATTACH]Eggnog, up on the bluff is having a wonderful time- the Dragon Priest is dancing a jig.“Chopper-Chop! I am saying Chopper-Chop! Chop all off der ‘eads!”But Eggnog’s joy doesn’t last long.Suddenly a large orcish looking figure looms up behind Eggnog, the Dragon Priest turns just in time to be skewered by Snakebite’s shortsword. The kobold dragon priest staggers back- almost backpedalling off the bluff. Snakebite’s follow-up roundhouse kick misses Eggnog’s head by inches. The half-orc monk’s third attack (IP) however is another hit- Eggnog loses three fingers off his right hand as he attempts to ward away the blow away.Eggnog takes to screaming.[ATTACH=full]402156[/ATTACH]The other PCs get to see Kenji’s new PC in action- this is Snakebite, Female Half-Orc Monk, remember I said all the players have a back-up character to hand, I insisted at the start. Some of the PCs have at least one ‘spare’ PC ready to roll.So, we get to Snakebite’s first line, here it is, hush please-“I am help now!”Magnificent.The fight goes on.All the PCs take to shouting things for a while.C-Fax slices the kobold warrior before him, McGow smashes the skull of the warrior he’s facing (another crit) and then attempts to clamber up the bluff to get at Eggnog (he’s not a happy dwarf atm).Alas McGow’s dice think otherwise.[ATTACH=full]402155[/ATTACH]Eggnog, screaming as he goes- runs as fast as he can away from Snakebite, she stabs the kobold in the back as it departs. Eggnog is now critically wounded.Snakebite goes after the kobold but can’t get close enough- she therefore grabs out a dart while running and lets it fly, and another hit… Eggnog stumbles but still manages to run on.Eggnog is on one hit point.Travis steps out from his hiding place and sinks an arrow into the neck of the last kobold warrior standing (another crit) the creature gags and spits for a second and then drops dead.All the PCs chase after Eggnog, who’s hard to see in the sea of corn.They eventually get to the little bastard, or else the badly wounded C-Fax manages to spot the little fellow, the paladin has been delivering the following line for a while now-“Don’t kill it, we want it alive!” Or else a variant of the same.So, it’s a little bit of a shock when Snakebite sprints over and skewers the kobold dragon priest dead.The encounter is over…Although there’s a lot of shouting from C-Fax along the lines of “I just said we wanted to take it alive?”Snakebite’s reply is impeccable in its logic-“That bastard just killed my favourite PC!”Admittedly Kenji is only in his second session ever of D&D but… flawless logic, a bit meta but y’know, I get it.[ATTACH=full]402157[/ATTACH]Snakebite seeks revenge for Spek.That was the end of the session.And that’s 77 XP each, for the survivors.More of this kind of thing next time.Cheers goonalan and the Tokyo Massive.</blockquote>

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