Rhenny
Adventurer
Travensburg Campaign – Part 19 – 4/19/14
“Bugbears in the Night”
We played for 2 hours…5 players –– 6th level PCs – Continuing our Campaign
T’rissril Eilsndar the Drow Bard
Fid (the Dwarven Fighter who transformed into a Warforge Fighter)
Fawnsworth the Gnome Illusionist ex-jester
Nalcon the Noble Cleric of Pelor (not present this game)
Darhgel the Tiefling Evoker
Rhaegar the Dragonborn Paladin (Bounty Hunter – Oath of Vengeance Build - Acid)
The party spent the day and a night at Lord Xexor's manor, learning more about politics and history of Freehold, resting, praying, sharpening weapons and repairing minor damage to their gear. His hospitality was a balm for their aching bones. In fact, he entreated them to stay one more night before setting out. Later that night, just before retiring, the adventurers heard a servant speak quietly to Lord Xexor. He seemed to have the jitters. "I looked outside for a moment, and thought I saw movement in some of the trees and bushes. I watched for a few minutes, but then everything was quiet. It may have been the wind and my nerves. I just wanted you to know before we all retire for the night." Lord Xexor thanked the servant and then turned to the party and asked the party what they thought. Fawnsworth was the most worried about a possible attack so he and Triss climbed up to the roof to scan the area. The others found beds for the night and began their rest. Sure enough, Fawnsworth saw some shaking bushes in the front lawn and with that he ran down to the front door alerting the others.
Triss remained on the roof with her crossbow scanning the yard. Fid charged out to the middle of the yard and yelled out for all to hear. All was quiet. Darhgel made his way to the front door while Rhaegar began putting on his armor again. After a short time, bugbears emerged from some trees to attack Fid. Darhgel even saw one jump down behind Fid as if it was jumping out of the sky out of nowhere. Fid was nearly surrounded and he fought to hold the bugbears at bay. These were all tainted bugbears, more of the creatures who had contracted that strange disease the group encountered earlier when they fought to get to Lord Xexor’s manor.
Eventually, a few very proficient warriors were attacking Fid, and other tainted bugbears moved in to join the fight. Darhgel and Fawnsworth stayed at the manor door and fired rays of frost to lightly injure some of the foes. Tris fired a crossbow from the roof; then she attempted to jump down to the yard, falling and hurting herself badly. During the pitched battle, Fid dodged and withstood some attacks, but one of the better bugbear warriors smashed him twice with an oversized morningstar. Fawnsworth and Darhgel then saw a bugbear shaman appear from the sky (out from a rope trick). The shaman hung on to a rope and fired a fireball that hit the trees behind Fid and burned Fid badly. Then the shaman pulled himself up again and disappeared into his extra dimensional space. Darhgel fired a scorching ray at a number of foes and Fawnsworth shot forth a sickly green ray that hit the bugbear warrior, weakening it. Fid struck another warrior with a number of blows, but the creature would not go down. Tris moved up and attacked killing one tainted bugbear, while Rhaegar finished buckling up his armor and started to run down toward the front door. Fid was hit by a few more attacks and now he saw how dangerous the situation really was. He disengaged and ran back towards the house, but the weakened bugbear warrior followed.
The party exchanged attacks against the foes and a few more went down, but then the shaman fired another fireball, this time catching Fid, Triss and Darhgel. The heat was too much for Fid. He fell to the ground unconscious and dying. Triss and Darhgel took the burning damage and kept on fighting. Triss, seeing that the bugbear shaman was hidden in its extra dimensional space, casted darkness on a crossbow bolt and fired it right below where the bugbear shaman had appeared last time. The darkness enveloped the area and when the shaman peaked out, all it could see was the inky blackness. It decided to hop down and move to where it saw Fid last, so when it broke out of the darkness it was alone in the middle of the yard. Rhaegar finally made it to the doorway and he tried to get to Fid but couldn’t make it yet. Triss jumped up and attacked a bugbear warrior with rapier and dagger, hitting with the dagger, and Fawnsworth used his icy ray to freeze another bugbear.
The shaman moved over a bit and lined up Triss and Darhgel as lightning fired from his outstretched hand. The heroes dodged and took some damage from the bolt. Then the shaman started moving away to the east.
Soon after, Fid stabilized and regained consciousness (he rolled a 20 on his death save), and the others made short work of the remaining bugbears. Then they gave chase to the shaman as Rhaegar used his healing hands to restore some health to Fid. Tris enraged, ran after the shaman and madly attacked, but could not score a hit on the blurred foe (the shaman had cast blur inside his rope trick). The others moved up to attempt to waylay the shaman, and then Rhaegar called to Bahamut and the shaman froze in place, held fast. Fawnsworth tied up the creature and Fid beat on it slightly with the butt end of his warhammer. When the creature was secure, the Paladin, Rhaegar spoke with it in Goblin language. Rhaegar also used his divine powers to cure the creature of “The Taint” and when the bugbear shaman became normal again, it was able to explain what it last remembered. It said that he remembered being in their cave, drinking from a pool…something about a ritual…but that was all. He said that Gorkill, their leader, was conducting the ritual. Gorkill was strong…a great warrior and shaman. The group found out that this shaman’s name was Iglip, and they also found that the bugbears’ cave was only 1 hour from this keep.
Just when it seemed as if Iglip would say no more, Rhaegar casted a fear spell. This made Iglip speak more. Iglip told the group that the bugbears had an alliance with hobgoblins but he was not sure how many of the creatures still lived at the caves. He did tell the group about guard drakes that were Gorkill’s pets. They guarded the cave. When asked if there was a secret password or way to get into the cave, Islip told the group that they just needed to be bugbear to enter.
The group kept Iglip tied up and gagged. Then they told Lord Xexor about the bugbears and they decided to lock Iglip in a closet in the keep until they could check out the cave in the morning. The party told Lord Xexor that they would impersonate some of the bugbear and bring back some treasure from the keep to make it seem as if they had succeeded on their raid. That way they might gain surprise (or use trickery) on the force of bugbear and hobgoblins in the caves. That was their plan, but first they would rest the night and set off just before sunrise.
Comments
Area of Effect Spells are definitely dangerous. This experience humbled Fid a little and reinforced the idea that the party should stick together and coordinate.
The one big battle had drama and lasted a considerable amount of time. It didn’t drag on, but it felt appropriate for a larger, more dangerous battle.
Tris and Fawnsworth made their constitution checks to resist “The Taint.” Fid and the Paladin were immune. Darhgel never got close enough to the creatures to contract the disease.
Although Rhaegar took a while to get his armor on and enter the battle, he came in at a dramatic moment and his lay on hands saved Fid. Then his hold person spell kept the shaman from escaping.
Lots of roleplaying to interrogate Iglip and to devise plans for the party’s next step.
“Bugbears in the Night”
We played for 2 hours…5 players –– 6th level PCs – Continuing our Campaign
T’rissril Eilsndar the Drow Bard
Fid (the Dwarven Fighter who transformed into a Warforge Fighter)
Fawnsworth the Gnome Illusionist ex-jester
Nalcon the Noble Cleric of Pelor (not present this game)
Darhgel the Tiefling Evoker
Rhaegar the Dragonborn Paladin (Bounty Hunter – Oath of Vengeance Build - Acid)
The party spent the day and a night at Lord Xexor's manor, learning more about politics and history of Freehold, resting, praying, sharpening weapons and repairing minor damage to their gear. His hospitality was a balm for their aching bones. In fact, he entreated them to stay one more night before setting out. Later that night, just before retiring, the adventurers heard a servant speak quietly to Lord Xexor. He seemed to have the jitters. "I looked outside for a moment, and thought I saw movement in some of the trees and bushes. I watched for a few minutes, but then everything was quiet. It may have been the wind and my nerves. I just wanted you to know before we all retire for the night." Lord Xexor thanked the servant and then turned to the party and asked the party what they thought. Fawnsworth was the most worried about a possible attack so he and Triss climbed up to the roof to scan the area. The others found beds for the night and began their rest. Sure enough, Fawnsworth saw some shaking bushes in the front lawn and with that he ran down to the front door alerting the others.
Triss remained on the roof with her crossbow scanning the yard. Fid charged out to the middle of the yard and yelled out for all to hear. All was quiet. Darhgel made his way to the front door while Rhaegar began putting on his armor again. After a short time, bugbears emerged from some trees to attack Fid. Darhgel even saw one jump down behind Fid as if it was jumping out of the sky out of nowhere. Fid was nearly surrounded and he fought to hold the bugbears at bay. These were all tainted bugbears, more of the creatures who had contracted that strange disease the group encountered earlier when they fought to get to Lord Xexor’s manor.
Eventually, a few very proficient warriors were attacking Fid, and other tainted bugbears moved in to join the fight. Darhgel and Fawnsworth stayed at the manor door and fired rays of frost to lightly injure some of the foes. Tris fired a crossbow from the roof; then she attempted to jump down to the yard, falling and hurting herself badly. During the pitched battle, Fid dodged and withstood some attacks, but one of the better bugbear warriors smashed him twice with an oversized morningstar. Fawnsworth and Darhgel then saw a bugbear shaman appear from the sky (out from a rope trick). The shaman hung on to a rope and fired a fireball that hit the trees behind Fid and burned Fid badly. Then the shaman pulled himself up again and disappeared into his extra dimensional space. Darhgel fired a scorching ray at a number of foes and Fawnsworth shot forth a sickly green ray that hit the bugbear warrior, weakening it. Fid struck another warrior with a number of blows, but the creature would not go down. Tris moved up and attacked killing one tainted bugbear, while Rhaegar finished buckling up his armor and started to run down toward the front door. Fid was hit by a few more attacks and now he saw how dangerous the situation really was. He disengaged and ran back towards the house, but the weakened bugbear warrior followed.
The party exchanged attacks against the foes and a few more went down, but then the shaman fired another fireball, this time catching Fid, Triss and Darhgel. The heat was too much for Fid. He fell to the ground unconscious and dying. Triss and Darhgel took the burning damage and kept on fighting. Triss, seeing that the bugbear shaman was hidden in its extra dimensional space, casted darkness on a crossbow bolt and fired it right below where the bugbear shaman had appeared last time. The darkness enveloped the area and when the shaman peaked out, all it could see was the inky blackness. It decided to hop down and move to where it saw Fid last, so when it broke out of the darkness it was alone in the middle of the yard. Rhaegar finally made it to the doorway and he tried to get to Fid but couldn’t make it yet. Triss jumped up and attacked a bugbear warrior with rapier and dagger, hitting with the dagger, and Fawnsworth used his icy ray to freeze another bugbear.
The shaman moved over a bit and lined up Triss and Darhgel as lightning fired from his outstretched hand. The heroes dodged and took some damage from the bolt. Then the shaman started moving away to the east.
Soon after, Fid stabilized and regained consciousness (he rolled a 20 on his death save), and the others made short work of the remaining bugbears. Then they gave chase to the shaman as Rhaegar used his healing hands to restore some health to Fid. Tris enraged, ran after the shaman and madly attacked, but could not score a hit on the blurred foe (the shaman had cast blur inside his rope trick). The others moved up to attempt to waylay the shaman, and then Rhaegar called to Bahamut and the shaman froze in place, held fast. Fawnsworth tied up the creature and Fid beat on it slightly with the butt end of his warhammer. When the creature was secure, the Paladin, Rhaegar spoke with it in Goblin language. Rhaegar also used his divine powers to cure the creature of “The Taint” and when the bugbear shaman became normal again, it was able to explain what it last remembered. It said that he remembered being in their cave, drinking from a pool…something about a ritual…but that was all. He said that Gorkill, their leader, was conducting the ritual. Gorkill was strong…a great warrior and shaman. The group found out that this shaman’s name was Iglip, and they also found that the bugbears’ cave was only 1 hour from this keep.
Just when it seemed as if Iglip would say no more, Rhaegar casted a fear spell. This made Iglip speak more. Iglip told the group that the bugbears had an alliance with hobgoblins but he was not sure how many of the creatures still lived at the caves. He did tell the group about guard drakes that were Gorkill’s pets. They guarded the cave. When asked if there was a secret password or way to get into the cave, Islip told the group that they just needed to be bugbear to enter.
The group kept Iglip tied up and gagged. Then they told Lord Xexor about the bugbears and they decided to lock Iglip in a closet in the keep until they could check out the cave in the morning. The party told Lord Xexor that they would impersonate some of the bugbear and bring back some treasure from the keep to make it seem as if they had succeeded on their raid. That way they might gain surprise (or use trickery) on the force of bugbear and hobgoblins in the caves. That was their plan, but first they would rest the night and set off just before sunrise.
Comments
Area of Effect Spells are definitely dangerous. This experience humbled Fid a little and reinforced the idea that the party should stick together and coordinate.
The one big battle had drama and lasted a considerable amount of time. It didn’t drag on, but it felt appropriate for a larger, more dangerous battle.
Tris and Fawnsworth made their constitution checks to resist “The Taint.” Fid and the Paladin were immune. Darhgel never got close enough to the creatures to contract the disease.
Although Rhaegar took a while to get his armor on and enter the battle, he came in at a dramatic moment and his lay on hands saved Fid. Then his hold person spell kept the shaman from escaping.
Lots of roleplaying to interrogate Iglip and to devise plans for the party’s next step.
