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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Goonalan" data-source="post: 9724624" data-attributes="member: 16069">Dark Squad in the Secrets of SaltmarshSession #163: The Goblin Stair (at last) Part 2.Dark Squad (in alphabetical order, no egos here).Daktari/Dak (played by Haggis) Male Human Uthgardt Sky Pony Barbarian Lvl 9Fellowyn Silverstream (played by George) Male Eladrin Wizard Bladesinger Lvl 9New Tricks/Newt (played by Bear) Male Tabaxi Warlock Lvl 9Ramshambo/Ram (played by Kev) Male Half-Elf Rogue/Fighter Lvl 7/2Vincenzo/Vinnie (played by Haggis) Male Shifter (Wildhunt) Druid Lvl 9DEAD PCs<s>Nicholai Barbaros Kostyiev/Nicky (played by George) Male Dhampir Cleric of Twilight Lvl 8 </s>RIPNPCs<s>Inverna Nightbreeze (played by George) Female Wood Elf Fighter Lvl 8 (Sidekick)</s> RETIRED<s>Garumn Male Mountain Dwarf Paladin of Moradin Lvl 5</s> RIP*<s>Tarbin Tul (played by goonalan) Male Human Bard</s> RETIRED<s>Ubmo (played by Goonalan) Supreme Being Lvl 1</s> EXPLODED<s>Ubdug (played by Goonalan) Supreme Being Lvl 2</s> EXPLODEDUb-Pam (played by Goonalan) Supreme Being Lvl 3*Trapped in the Land of the Bad Dead Ancestors.Servants/FamiliarsGerald (Bat/Giant Bat) servant/mount of New TricksOwly (Owl) Vinnie’s familiarArchimedes (very scruffy & old, Owl) Fellowyn’s familiar.The Dark Squad’s to-do list-<ol> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Find the other four Symbols of Ub, one was left in Deepbridge (Duergar fortress in the Underdark). The others need to be found, they belonged to- Rambles 'Shambles' Bowspirit (halfling killer from Lowhill), Antonio De La Crane (posh kid druid alchemist) & Giggles (crazy wood elf). All these folk lived in the Saltmarsh region, the Dark Squad have found the De La Crane Manse (in the Dreadwood) and the De La Crane Crypt (in Saltmarsh Cemetery).</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Nightshade is in the Deep Dreadwood- except she's not there anymore, but a big red dragon is?</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Blackedge and the Goblin Stair?</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">To join the Pact of the Wild Flame prepare the Witch's Tor for the coming of the starfall, the Witch's Tor is in the Drowned Forest, in the Mere of the Dead Men.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">To join the Pact of the Wild Flame track down the last member of the Pact, a wild elf adventurer called Giggles- and finally put her spirit to rest and recover her maze button. Location unknown. SEE 2. ABOVE.</li> </ol>This is session 163 and the same as last session, only more so.Just one sentence for introduction- the Dark Squad are on the Goblin Stair, on the second level down, they must get to the bottom, they reckon the bottom is two more levels to go- it can be seen on the map.[ATTACH=full]413748[/ATTACH]There is fighting, although we’re on the mop up now. Daktari, in this image, is prone- and the goblins et al are really trying to kill him but of course the 9th level barbarian just soaks up the damage.“It tickles! It tickles!” Cod-Russian if you please.[ATTACH=full]413749[/ATTACH]Ub-Pam is also taking care of business.But there’s not many more goblins left here.[ATTACH=full]413750[/ATTACH]He looks tough, but he really isn’t. Or else he would have been tough if the PCs were level 6, which was the level they were at when I built this dungeon. Great AC – 20, but maybe only 30 hit points.[ATTACH=full]413751[/ATTACH]Newt totals the above tough and then scatters the limbs of a goblin bomber.He’s still screaming all the while, helpfully his microphone is still cutting out for all of the too shrill bits.[ATTACH=full]413752[/ATTACH]The Moonboar meanwhile is running through the goblins on the fungi ledges, and when I say- running through them, I mean exactly that. He’s charging when he can- it gets messy, there are goblin limbs everywhere.[ATTACH=full]413753[/ATTACH]Ram and Fellowyn (with Sydalg) are taking pot shots, and keep in mind that the PCs have five turns- that’s the surprise turn plus four others to finish each level here. Success and they get to keep the surprise for the start of the next level of the Goblin Stair.That’s the incentive- go fast, go hard.It’s working.LEVEL COMPLETE.The PCs have just one turn to swig potions, or else cast spells before they spill out (or climb/fly/float/chopper down) to the next level and the fighting starts up again.The players are also allowed a break when they finish a level, so extra motivation.[ATTACH=full]413754[/ATTACH]Fellowyn is the first to the next level (the third), and now the PCs are certain- there’s one more level below. However, there don’t seem to be that many goblins on this level.[ATTACH=full]413755[/ATTACH]Found ‘em.[ATTACH=full]413756[/ATTACH]Fighting, fighting, fighting. But we’re still in the surprise turn here.[ATTACH=full]413757[/ATTACH]The Moonboar has finally remembered that the last time he was with the goddess (Sehanine Moonbow) he asked for (and received) an improved charge attack. He’s just located the power on his character sheet; it’s like his old charge attack except it does 4d8 (instead of 2d8) additional damage. The goblin at the end of the above arrow, and on the end of the Moonboar’s charge has got approx. 7 hit points, so… a bit of overkill.[ATTACH=full]413758[/ATTACH]A low-level problem deserves a low-level solution.[ATTACH=full]413759[/ATTACH]See the circle top right, that’s the Moonboar’s Spike Growth spell.It’s just like old times- killing goblins with Spike Growth.Also, keep in mind the PCs are desperately trying not to spaff their big powers too soon.This, as the players keep telling me, is the grind.I do so like a bit of grind.[ATTACH=full]413760[/ATTACH]He’s new.The goblin stepping out of the hut is making a mini-Vader noises, as he breathes through the filter on his mask.The next thing that he does is fling a bubbling flask about ten feet- the flask shatters and four PCs are engulfed in the hallucinogenic mist produced by the missile.However, all of them make the DC 15 Con saves and so…The goblin alchemist flees.And is swiftly chased down and decapitated/eviscerated by Daktari.Note, there are maybe three or four more of these guys that pop out of the various hide tents on this level- more bubbling flasks are thrown, and… for all of their attacks only the Moonboar fails his save- just once, and then only for one turn. During that time the Moonboar is slowed by the alchemical mixture. Note, there’s a table for the effects of the hallucinogenic concoctions, slowed is by far the best (for the PCs) of the possible results.[ATTACH=full]413761[/ATTACH]Newt can’t hold it any longer- he blasts a bunch of goblin leader types (mostly) with his Synaptic Static. The goblins take to screaming.Note, Ub-Pam is also caught in the blast, and soon after she’s pretty beaten up- and -6 for her to hit rolls and saves, so sub-optimal.[ATTACH=full]413762[/ATTACH]The Moonboar has climbed over to another section of the caverns, he’s located a few more goblin alchemists that have been flinging flasks. Meantime the Spike Growth is taking care of business.[ATTACH=full]413763[/ATTACH]Another goblin leader type, with good AC, maybe 40-50 hit points and multiple attacks. Daktari murders him in seconds.[ATTACH=full]413764[/ATTACH]Odd picture. An alpha worg (and a few other worg runts/pups) escape the Spike Growth (by climbing on tables and jumping) they come charging straight for Ram and Fellowyn.The rogue maintains his position and keeps on firing his bow.Fellowyn runs off.[ATTACH=full]413765[/ATTACH]We’re getting close to the end here. The goblin alchemists are now throwing flasks which produce poisonous fumes (to which they are immune) but the Moonboar is taking only tiny amounts of damage.And Newt has flown over to do some blasting.[ATTACH=full]413766[/ATTACH]Another goblin leader type, it was this guy that got the worgs out of the Spike Growth without too much in the way of damage. This fellow is the beastmaster. He’s hiding when the Moonboar finds him, alas the big lad with the tusks is out of actions, so…The goblin beastmaster brains the Moonboar (with a crit) but again it’s just little bits of damage.And then Ram spots where he is too and climbs up into the beastmaster’s hidey-hole.Moments later and the goblin is very dead.The last one on this level.LEVEL COMPLETE.And keep in mind Daktari is chugging healing potions, mainly because he’s not used a rage yet, and so any damage he takes (and he’s the front line) is for real.Fellowyn descends…[ATTACH=full]413767[/ATTACH]Bugger, that’s a lot of goblins.It’s a huge fighting pit- with combatants, and half-a-tribes worth of ancillary goblins having drinks and betting on the matches.The poor goblin fools are too taken with the action here.Then the Dark Squad arrive, just in time for the genocide.This then is just the surprise turn. We didn’t get to play anymore, we were already out of time.The Dark Squad unleash. It’s been a long-time brewing.[ATTACH=full]413768[/ATTACH]Fellowyn drops a Fireball.[ATTACH=full]413769[/ATTACH]It burns.[ATTACH=full]413770[/ATTACH]Up-Pam choppers down directly into the fighting pit, she fails to make her mark- even with surprise, she’s -6 to hit remember, she still hasn’t managed to save against Newt’s Synaptic Static. Oh, and that’s a new tough boss goblin, armed with a chain- we’ll see what he/they can do next time.Daktari runs down the stairs guts a goblin or two and then throws a Fireball of his own…[ATTACH=full]413771[/ATTACH]The last bead from his Necklace of Fireballs.[ATTACH=full]413772[/ATTACH]Boom!Not to be outdone.[ATTACH=full]413773[/ATTACH]Newt unleashes his second (and last) spell- another Synaptic Static.[ATTACH=full]413774[/ATTACH]Keep in mind the survivors here are going to have the same -6 on to hits and saves as Ub-Pam, so- small consolation.[ATTACH=full]413775[/ATTACH]And that’s the end of the surprise turn.But…Hang on.Isn’t that another set of stairs heading down- top left.Yes, I think it is.Oh, and there are a bunch of Giant Boars located in various cavern cages here, let’s hope they don’t get out.See you next time.We are all available to play next week, so- more of this.That said, I’ve got another write up on the go, it can be found here-<a href="https://www.enworld.org/threads/d-d-5e-not-kots-5a-dragon-castle-enc-6.712348/" target="_blank">[D&D 5e] Not KotS 5a Dragon Castle. (Enc#6) | EN World D&D & Tabletop RPG News & Reviews</a>It’s a 5e version (sorta) of Keep on the Shadowfell, and lots of fun.Stay safe and well.Cheers the Dark Squad and goonalan.</blockquote>

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