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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Goonalan" data-source="post: 9651763" data-attributes="member: 16069">Not KotSSession #006a: Spiggot! (Enc#8)The Inspectors.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 1Snakebite (Kenji), Female Half-Orc (Outlander) Monk Level 1Travis Pickle (Yui), Male Lightfoot Halfling (Criminal) Rogue Level 1Dead 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, 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<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. 1000 XP & 250gp reward.#005 Find/Save Cheggers. That's it really, the PCs just need to find/save Cheggers, for Fionulla. Reward 100 XP.#006 Find and kill/capture the Bloody Heck- including any leaders. Recover any prisoners they have kidnapped. Find out where Karl is based. Reward: 400 XP & 100gp, with 1gp paid for every member of the Bloody Heck confirmed dead or captured.Here we go some more…After a brief chat with Tybo, the chatty goblin (persuasion ‘20’ courtesy of Mavis last session), just to figure out what lies where down below, and then after some last words for Fionulla- “Stay strong, sister” (Mavis again), the Inspectors descend into the dungeon beneath Dragon Castle.Or else Snakebite does- she’s sneaky and can see in the dark, the latter an ability that Travis lacks.McGow, initially, is acting as back up for the monk. Not ideal but he’s got darkvision and is at home underground. Mavis, the half-elf, has darkvision too, but like Fionulla she’s not that keen on being the first line of defence, or attack- for that matter.[ATTACH=full]404471[/ATTACH]It’s a ruin alright.The place looks uninhabited. Clever goblins.[ATTACH=full]404472[/ATTACH]Where Snakebite leads the others follow. Note the plan was for Snakebite and McGow to scope out the first level of the dungeon- which should be empty (as should the second) as revealed by Tybo. The plan lasted about a minute.[ATTACH=full]404473[/ATTACH]Here we all are again- Snakebite and C-Fax are exploring the second level, and again the place is a ruin. No signs of life.[ATTACH=full]404474[/ATTACH]Snakebite finds the way down to the third level; the stairs here lead directly into the domain of Sgt Groan and his goons.The PCs huddle up at the top of the stairs- there’s light down there, and worryingly the sound of someone or something screaming in pain. The someone or something sounds like a goblin.Snakebite goes solo again; the monk heads below.Note, C-Fax (and Mavis) are keen to get going with the encounter, they abhor torture. Sgt Groan on the other hand, Tybo made clear earlier, is a big fan.[ATTACH=full]404475[/ATTACH]Snakebite’s stealth roll is an adjusted ‘21’. She sees a sturdy looking hobgoblin wearing blood-red and black hide armour, it must be Sgt Groan (it is), the torturer is wielding a white-hot poker. His victim is a squealing goblin- dressed the same as the other goblins here.It seems the victim is a member of the Bloody Heck too.There are four more goblins here, all yelling and snarling in their guttural tongue, they too are taken with the torture.The place looks to be an ancient place of worship; the goblin being tortured is tied to what looks to be an altar.Snakebite scurries back up the stairs to report.Ten seconds later, after two more good stealth rolls, the trap is set.GO![spoiler= The Bad Guys]Enc#8 Sgt Groan’s Torture Squad 375 XP CR 3 Deadly.1 x Goblin Warrior (50xp) As per MM Goblin except better HP spread = 2d4+4.3 x Goblin Scouts (75xp each) As per MM Goblin except Dex 16 (+5 To Hit), Con 12, 3 HD & better HP spread = 3d4+9.1 x Sgt Groan, Hobgoblin Torturer (150xp) As per MM Hobgoblin except AC 13 (Hide Armour of Fire Resistance) = Fire Resistance; Str 14 (+4 to hit), Wis 12, Cha 12; armed with a red-hot poker (1d4+2 bludgeoning plus 1d3 ongoing fire damage); 3 HD (3D8+3) and better HP spread (3d4+15).Note. The prisoner, Spiggot, is also a goblin warrior.Tactics- Goblins- attack the intruders- obey Sgt Groan, get below to warn the rest of the Bloody Heck if things go awry; Sgt Groan- make ‘em squeal, no surrender; Spiggot- scream and beg for your life.[/spoiler]And…[ATTACH=full]404476[/ATTACH]The little bastard just did it again.Travis sneaks down the stairs (with Snakebite) and then leaps into action- surprising the occupants of the chamber completely.The halfling rogue’s first shot is… ‘20’. The crossbow bolt explodes a goblin warrior’s head, Travis’s follow up shot (IP) isn’t bad either (it’s a ‘19’ plus bonuses), a goblin scout gets hit in the back, it screams- dropping its weapon, trying to clutch at the bolt buried in its back, it’s already bloodied.[ATTACH=full]404477[/ATTACH]Snakebite rushes in, she kicks the head off (well, almost) the already badly wounded goblin scout, and then beats the heck out of another of the little buggers.Oh, and it’s at this point that the rest of the PCs come charging down the stairs- spending their inspiration points (all of the remaining PCs) to double move and get to the action.[ATTACH=full]404478[/ATTACH]The surprise round is over.Bloody hell- I’m screwed (again).McGow lands a crit (yep, another) and the goblin scout he’s facing is down to maybe three hit points.While C-Fax, after calling for Sgt Groan to surrender (Newsflash- he doesn’t) runs over and stabs the hobgoblin torturer.[ATTACH=full]404479[/ATTACH]Oddly, next turn, everyone misses everyone.Except for Sgt Groan who bloodies Snakebite in an instant with his red-hot poker, the monk however shows no pain."I must not um feel fire. Fire is the mind-um-killer. Fire is the little-um-death that brings um total oblit… oblitty… end. I will face the fire.”[ATTACH=full]404480[/ATTACH]Then, mere seconds later (after a few more misses), C-Fax blats Sgt Groan around the back of his head with the flat of his blade. Groan collapses- ko’d.Snakebite rushes over and kicks the head off the last goblin scout still standing.Mavis is quickly to the half-orc monk- the red-hot poker’s burn is soon salved.That was remarkably easy.Although… after a very brief scout around it’s not obvious where the stairs down are.Spiggot, the goblin strapped atop the altar, is very keen to help.Soon after and the PCs are being bombarded (verbally), Spiggot is in full flow.In precis- Spiggot thinks that there’s something more to life. He’s fed up of hiding in holes, and of killing folk he doesn’t know. He’s also sick to death of taking orders from no-brained thugs. He’s… mad. Not crazy. Mad at the world. He doesn’t want to be a slaver. He doesn’t want to be a bad guy. He doesn’t want to be a goblin- at least not in the traditional sense. He wants to break free.Spiggot wants to make his own choices.Helpfully he speaks the common tongue, and rather well, so the PCs enjoy a barrage of this stuff.The DM just doesn’t shut up, for a good five (I’d love to say ten) minutes.To make clear- Spiggot is clever.“But itz not right, doe iz it. I don’t want ta be like dis. I feel lyke I’m chokin’. Der’s nuthin to reach fur. If’n I stay ‘ere den I ‘ave nuthin ta ‘ope fur. I mean… I mean, fink abaht it. Yew ‘ave choices. I ‘ave nun. I can’t chews, can ah? My density can’t be full-filled. I’m stuck bein’ me. Dis bod-ee. And… and… and… I don’t wanna be me.”And frustrated.He’s also as annoying as hell.And I make it very clear- there’s no stopping the flow… Spiggot goes on.He answers questions- about where the secret door is that opens to below, about who’s down there (Big Fat Ron and the rest of the Bloody Heck gang- over a dozen more goblins), but- he’s very keen to divert any conversation back to…His plight.McGow breaks first- and punches Spiggot into unconsciousness (one hit is all it took).We then take a short break for our first inter-PC/player row.In precis-The paladin says no hitting, there’s a line, etc.The dwarf begs to differ, or else offers the following nugget-“You don’t get ta draw my line.”Which sounds like something Snakebite would say.We go on…[ATTACH=full]404481[/ATTACH]The dead have been stuffed in an empty chamber, with the ko’d Sgt Groan- who has been tied up good and tight, and the bodies of his dead colleagues piled upon the restrained hobgoblin.The punched-out Spiggot is being fussed over by C-Fax, while Snakebite has got the secret door open- steps heading down, and noises (very feint) and the smell of smoke and sweat come from down below.But here’s the thing- the altar is dedicated to Bahamut, it’s ancient, and obviously fouled- no longer consecrated, but this place must have been dedicated to the platinum dragon.C-Fax is definite that there’s a mystery here to be solved.Although, the PCs are also very keen to get on with things.Therefore, the PCs check again (for the fifth time) that Sgt Groan is well and truly incapacitated- and then after a protracted debate, Spiggot (ko’d) is tied up too.The Inspectors- Snakebite first, descend the stairs.We’ll get to what happens next… next. That was 75 XP each for the encounter with Sgt Groan and pals.With a little XP distributed (in 10 XP ticks on my sheet) for various investigations and roleplay- McGow 30 XP, C-Fax & Snakebite 20 XP each, Mavis & Travis 10 XP each.Cheers goonalan and the Tokyo Massive.</blockquote>

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