Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Drazulfel" data-source="post: 5274088" data-attributes="member: 43826"> <a href="http://draz01keepontheshadowfell.blogspot.com/2010/07/sunday-26th-anyas-528-nr-noon_25.html" target="_blank">Sunday, 26th Anyas, 528 NR, Noon</a>    4E Meta: This  encounter, as written, includes a couple of kobold variations that  don't appear in the MM. If we were at the table using pencil &  paper, that would be no big deal since the stats and information for  these new creatures are provided in the encounter text. However, since  we're using FGII now, and I currently have only MM creatures available  for me to drag-and-drop, I am very thankful for 4E's NPC "role"  designations. It made it quite simple for me to swap out NPC's while  still keeping the encounter balanced, and without changing its flavor.  For example, Dungeon Magazine called for a Kobold Pikeman, which isn't  in FGII's MM module. But, since I knew that the Kobold Pikeman was a  level 2 brute, I was able to easily swap it out with another level 2  brute which was able to serve the same purpose in the battle. In this  case, I used a Guard Drake. Likewise, Dungeon's Kobold Hurler--a level 2  artillery--was easily replaced with a Goblin Sharpshooter with  little-to-no impact.The  friends departed Winterhaven through the east gate, and followed the  road back towards their campsite from the night before. After about a  mile, they came to the place where Lord Padraig's map notes indicated  they should start looking for a wagon trail. After a few minutes, the  group found the winding trail, and they turned south off of the main  road. The road was filled with rocks and ruts, but it was easy enough to  follow--especially with Paget in the lead practically dragging the  others along. After another mile, or so, Paget came to a spot where the  worn dirt road curved to the southwest, bounded by an increasingly steep  escarpment on the east and southeast. A large copse of birches  clustered east of the road, and barrels and bags seemed to have tumbled  from two wagons that had been overturned. The horses that once drew  these wagons were nowhere to be seen.<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4FJjQESU4S8/TEyO73dg6zI/AAAAAAAAABU/8_xEcies3TI/s1600/Map+-+Wagon+Ambush+-+Web.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4FJjQESU4S8/TEyO73dg6zI/AAAAAAAAABU/8_xEcies3TI/s320/Map+-+Wagon+Ambush+-+Web.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" /></a>Paget  halted, and raised a hand in warning. Phoebe inched forward and, taking  in the scene, wondered aloud if these were, in fact, the ill-fated  supply wagons that were bound for the Wrafton Inn. Urging the others  into silence, Phoebe concentrated and heard sibilant whispers coming  from behind the wagons. She nodded to Paget, and the grim-faced  companions drew their weapons. Instantly, they all heard scrabbling and  hissing from behind the wagons as kobolds leaped from cover to attack!Without  hesitation, Phoebe called upon Bahamut to protect her friends from harm  with a Beacon of Hope. The companions, comforted and encouraged by the  blessing of the Platinum Dragon, rushed forward into battle. An armored  kobold, twirling twin short swords in a dizzying fashion, stepped out  from behind one of the overturned wagons and began to advance towards  the party. At the same time, something large rumbled out from behind a  stack of overturned barrels at the top of the ledge which overlooked the  road, and slowly lumbered in Paget's direction. The halfling was  stunned at the site. "Is that... a dragon?!" Paget could barely contain  his excitement. "Oh, he's SO mine," he yelled.<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4FJjQESU4S8/TEyPPfeYvsI/AAAAAAAAABc/t2O8NjfgSss/s1600/Img+-+Guard+Drake+-+Web.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4FJjQESU4S8/TEyPPfeYvsI/AAAAAAAAABc/t2O8NjfgSss/s320/Img+-+Guard+Drake+-+Web.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" /></a>Guard DrakeTwo  squeaking kobold minions pushed past their sword-wielding master to  take jabs at Bakbuk with their javelins. The dwarf grinned as he easily  swatted their weapons aside and, with a mighty swing of his two-handed  maul, he smashed through both reptiles as if they were nothing more than  a pair of ripe melons, ending both of their lives in a spray of pink  mist. A third minion circled around the wagon, but stopped dead in its  tracks when it saw what the mighty Bakbuk had just done to its two  allies.With a mighty war cry, Paget rushed across the road and  attempted to scramble up the escarpment, determined to face the  approaching drake head on. But, the loose stones and dirt gave way, and  the halfling was dumped ignominiously back onto the road. He growled  with frustration when yet another minion's head appeared at the top of  the ledge, and the creature chuckled at his misfortune. Paget jumped up  to threaten the irritating little lizard, when suddenly a goblin stood  up from behind a couple of well-placed barrels at the top of the ledge  and fired a crossbow bolt into the hapless rogue's hip. Paget cried out  in surprise and pain as the green-skinned assailant ducked back down  behind the barrels to load another bolt into his weapon.<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4FJjQESU4S8/TEyPqfRW5sI/AAAAAAAAABk/YV-obXUaea0/s1600/Img+-+Padget.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4FJjQESU4S8/TEyPqfRW5sI/AAAAAAAAABk/YV-obXUaea0/s320/Img+-+Padget.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" /></a>PagetKobold  minions truly seemed to be crawling out of the woodwork, as another  circled around the back of the wagon in the road, and leveled its  javelin at the wounded halfling. Without hesitation, Gildras stepped  forward and skewered the beast with a quick Viper's Strike from his  longsword. Raxil moved forward to stand beside his wounded friend, and  unleashed a Scorching Burst over the ledge and into the face of the  approaching drake. The beast screeched with pain and rage as the flames  washed over its hide, and singed the goblin sharpshooter in the process.  Meanwhile, on the road, two more minions stepped out to replace their  fallen comrades, and flanked their dual sword-wielding master.Relief  was felt by all of the friends as another wave of Bahamut's healing  power washed over them. The cleric, Phoebe, stepped into the fray and  unleashed a Lance of Faith towards one of the minions near the cart.  Unfortunately, the slyblade kobold rushed forward and managed to knock  Phoebe's aim wide with one sword, and cut a gash across her arm with the  other. It hissed out an unintelligible threat, and shifted back between  its minions, both of whom stepped forward to protect their master from  harm. As Phoebe winced in pain, she turned her head just in time to see  the drake come barreling over the edge of the escarpment and into the  road behind her, its beady eyes focused on the wizard that had brought  it pain. The creature opened its jaws, and chomped down hard on Raxil's  shoulder, opening a painful gash across the frail wizard's upper chest.  Paget reacted instantly. Drawing both daggers, he flanked the scaly  beast between himself and Raxil, and tore chunks out of its hide with a  sneaky Sly Flourish.In blind panic, Raxil shoved the drake away  with a fiery arcane blast from his Burning Hands spell, not realizing  that two of his friends were so close. The drake roared as the wizard  burned it a second time, but Gildras and Paget were also engulfed in the  sudden gout of flame. The tiefling managed to absorb most of the  assault stoically, but Paget was already badly wounded, and Raxil's fire  left him in a bloody state. While it was distracted, Gildras attempted  to charge at the furious drake with two precision attacks from his  longsword, but the heat of the blast and the loose gravel on the road  threw the warlord off balance, and it was all he could do to remain on  his feet. Meanwhile, the goblin sharpshooter seized the opportunity to  launch another bolt into Paget's back, leaving the poor halfing very  near to death's door.Heedless of the chaos and carnage behind  him, Bakbuk squared off against the pair of minions near the cart. Both  of them tried, once again, to break through the fighter's defenses, but  Bakbuk was able to hold them off. However, their coordinated attack  caught him off guard to the point where he wasn't able to land a blow on  either of them before they shifted, snickering, back to their master's  side. Phoebe noted that Bakbuk seemed to be handling himself nicely, so  she turned her attention to the melee with the drake. As another healing  wave from the cleric's Beacon of Hope rejuvenated the companions,  Phoebe uttered a Healing Word on Gildras' behalf, and managed to launch a  divinely aimed Lance of Faith into the reptile's flank. With her focus  diverted, Phoebe didn't see the slyblade step forward with his twin  blades, and slice a chunk of flesh out of Bakbuk's cheek. She turned  when the dwarf cried out, and she saw Bakbuk's scowl of pain turn into a  look of fear and horror as the drake lunged at Paget, picked him up and  shook him in its jaws, and dropped the unconscious and dying halfing  onto the rocky road.Determined to save his friend, Bakbuk tried  to break away from the slyblade with a Spinning Sweep, but failed to  trip his opponent and was forced to stay locked in melee in order to  defend himself when one of the minions lunged forward with its javelin.Paget  gasped for air, and collapsed back into the dirt as the minion from the  top of the ledge slid down the embankment and leveled its javelin for  the killing blow. The kobold's timing was unfortunate, as at that very  moment the goblin re-appeared from behind the barrels and fired its  crossbow at the dying halfling, only to pierce the minion through the  back of the head, killing it instantly.4E Meta: On  his turn, Paget made a Save vs. Death and failed. A PC that suffers  three Save vs. Death failures before being healed or stabilized will  die. Fortunately, the goblin rolled a natural 1 on its ranged attack on  that round, and I took that as an opportunity to toss a little bit of  good fortune the halfling's way and have the stray bolt toast the  minion.Seeing their friend fall renewed Gildras' and  Raxil's determination to end the threat of the guard drake. Uttering an  Inspiring Word to heal himself of some of his wounds, Gildras pierced  the beast with a well-aimed Viper's Strike while Raxil charred more of  its flesh with another Scorching Burst. Meanwhile, Bakbuk suffered  another painful blow from javelin to the ribs, courtesy of one of the  kobold minions, as he tried to claw his way towards Paget and the drake.Phoebe's  Beacon of Hope, blessedly, was able to revive Paget before the Raven  Queen took him, and the pure adrenaline of the conflict brought the  halfling back to his feet and ready to fight. The drake caught the  movement out of the corner of its scorched eye, and lashed out with its  teeth, bloodying the poor halfling once more. Realizing that Bakbuk  would be invaluable in dispatching the giant lizard, Phoebe turned her  attention back to aiding the dwarf. She blasted the advancing slyblade  with a Lance of Faith, which invigorated Bakbuk. The dual-wielding  kobold reacted with a vicious twin-bladed attack against the dwarf,  slashing him with both weapons, and leaving him badly wounded and  bleeding. Bakbuk's injuries thwarted his counterattack against the  slyblade kobold, but he was able to shake off the effects of his wounds  and staunch the bleeding as if by a shear act of will. His grim  determination wasn't enough to thwart another painful stab from a  minion's javelin.Meanwhile, Gildras backed away from the enraged  guard drake and charged at it with his longsword. The goblin  sharpshooter launched a bolt in the tiefling's direction and missed, but  Gildras had to side-step the attack to avoid being hit and his own  assault failed as a result. Raxil, growing weary of this episode, drew  out his wand, and launched a sizzling Magic Missile into the drake's  hide, finally slaying the beast! Without waiting for the monster to stop  twitching, Raxil ran towards the embankment towards the goblin bowman.  But, like Paget, the loose side of the escarpment thwarted his attempt  to climb it, and he slid back down into the road behind the overturned  wagon as a kobold minion chucked a javelin over the wizard's head.As  Phoebe's opening prayer continued to infuse her companions with divine  healing, she blessed Bakbuk with an additional Healing Word, and turned  to face the slyblade and its two minion lackeys. With Phoebe calling on  the power of Bahamut, a bright glow formed at the slyblade's feet and  exploded up and outwards. When the Divine Glow faded, the slyblade was  left standing, but the two minions had essentially evaporated. In an act  of retaliatory rage, the slyblade launched a whirling assault at the  cleric, opening multiple bleeding gashes across her arms and torso. At  that moment, refreshed from his double dose of healing, Bakbuk stepped  in and slammed the slyblade in the side of the neck with a wicked  Reaping Strike from his massive maul. The creature was still standing,  but obviously getting shaky on its feet.<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4FJjQESU4S8/TEyRKYc1yRI/AAAAAAAAABs/6Fn_J-kf3FY/s1600/Img+-+Phoebe.png" target="_blank"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4FJjQESU4S8/TEyRKYc1yRI/AAAAAAAAABs/6Fn_J-kf3FY/s320/Img+-+Phoebe.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" /></a>PhoebeConfused  and disoriented from all the excitement, his various wounds, and brief  brush with death, Paget grabbed his dagger and launched himself quite  aimlessly towards the slyblade, but his weak attack was easily knocked  aside. Just then, the halfling felt a rush of healing power surge  through him as Phoebe's Beacon of Hope once again took effect. The  enraged cleric nudged the rogue aside as she lunged at the slyblade with  a powerful Healing Strike. While the creature was badly wounded, the  divine backlash revived Paget even further. Hurt and confused, the  slyblade swung wildly at Phoebe, but was unable to connect. Bakbuk  lashed out at the kobold with another Reaping Strike, but the  floundering reptile ducked beneath the blow, and Bakbuk only managed to  shatter the rear wheel of the wagon, spilling more boxes and crates onto  the road. Paget, a sly grin on his face, was fully back in the action  as he flipped his daggers around in his hands and, with a powerful  reversed Deft Strike, plunged them into both sides of the slyblade's  neck, extinguishing its life.Up on the ledge, the goblin  sharpshooter stood up from its hiding place and fired a bolt into  Raxil's chest, hurting him severely. Gildras scrambled up the crumbling  slope and jabbed his longsword downward behind the barrels. Steel found  flesh, and the goblin bellowed in fear and pain. Fighting past the agony  of his wound, Raxil lobbed a Ray of Frost at the goblin, freezing and  cracking its flesh. The greenskin dropped its bow on the ground, drew  its short sword and lashed out at Gildras, who easily ducked out of the  way, and frowned at the creature with a look of amused contempt.  Realizing all hope was lost, the goblin turned and fled down the hill.  Gildras snapped his longsword out towards the fleeing creature's hind  side, but missed.DM Note: Allowing  the goblin to run away was a minor failure on my part. One of the  effects of X's Ray of Frost is to Slow the target on a successful hit.  The goblin should not have been able to move more than 2 squares. Oh  well. It turned out okay, as you are about to see.Undaunted,  the tiefling jumped over the barrels and gave chase. With a maniacal  screech, and sword upraised, Gildras came bearing down on the poor, lone  goblin. Faced with certain death, the creature flipped over on its  back, began kicking its legs in the air, and begged piteously for its  life. With much restraint, the furious warlord sheathed his sword, and  punted the goblin all the way back to the road.The exhausted and  injured companions surrounded the unfortunate creature and interrogated  it. While Gildras and Raxil resorted to brute force and intimidation,  Phoebe attempted to reason with the goblin through the use of kind words  and diplomacy. Out of fear for the men, and an attempt to earn the  favor of the lady, the greenskin revealed that a goblin named Irontooth  had hired him and the kobolds to harass passing travelers on the road.  Irontooth resided in a cave behind a waterfall, in the location  indicated by Lord Padraig on Raxil's map. The camp was well protected by  Irontooth's cronies. The goblin also sputtered an apology about an  archaeologist, who was apparently kidnapped from the wagon caravan by an  unknown third party. While the goblin claimed not to know anything  about the prisoner, or the reason why he was taken, he did share that  the man was taken to the site of a "big dig," west of the party's  present location. When it was apparent that the goblin wouldn't be  useful in producing any more information, Gildras provided him with a  merciful death.4E Meta:  This was our first use of a Skill Challenge. I made the interrogation a  simple challenge, requiring 4 successes before 3 failures. A success  could be earned with an Intimidate DC 12, or Diplomacy DC 15. It was an  interesting role-play opportunity that we failed to take total advantage  of. As it was a brand new mechanic to us, we focused more on the rolls  and the final outcome. In the future, I'll see to it that skill  challenges are played out in more depth and detail.The  party took a moment to rest, briefly, and discussed their options. It  was decided that, even though there was a possibility of a living  hostage, the friends would have a better chance to rescue him without  the added threat of the kobolds from Irontooth's camp constantly  threatening trouble. Besides, they weren't one hundred percent certain  that they could trust the goblin's story. After scavenging a few measly  gold pieces from their kobold attackers, the party headed south towards  the waterfall.DM Note: The  "kidnapped archaeologist" is part of an alternate adventure hook,  provided in the module. I tossed that little nugget the party's way to  provide an extra encounter's worth of XP before they get to the Keep. I  thought they might need it, with the near-death experiences they had on  the first two combat encounters! </blockquote>

Verification