Enter the gninja:
The following fight involves goblinoids and not just goblins, and is is from my Eberron game (see sig). The situation involved the PCs being attacked by a group of mercenaries in the tunnels under Sharn. Five very buff 8th level PCs, with very high point buy and equipment equivalent to that recommended for 9th lvl PCs vs. five CR6 goblinoids. Challenging but reasonably easy fight, right? Wrong!
The PCs are:
Gareth Byron Deneith - Human Pal3/Clr2/Exorcist of the Silver Flame3
Korm’akhan - Orc Drd7/Hexer1 (replacing Corven)
Luna - Shifter Drd8
Mithral 6 of 6 - Warforged Ftr2/Scout4/Extreme Explorer2
Nameless - Human Wiz6/Alienist2
* * * * * * * * * *
The enemies Six sees are all goblinoids. In the lead is a burly-looking bugbear with a gleaming greatsword. Next to the bugbear is an armored hobgoblin with a tower shield, whom Six recognizes as the one that was with Ras at the Lava Pit. The goblin who was with them is also present, along with four mirror images that mimic his movements. A small glowing magical hand floats at his side. A second unarmored goblin walks beside him. The fifth member of the group is another hobgoblin in full plate, though this one carries a heavy steel shield and has no drawn weapon. A holy symbol hangs at his throat.
Even as Six shouts a warning, the first goblin makes a gesture and speaks a string of arcane syllables, causing an invisible burst of force to explode among the Angels. The spell is still in the process of being cast as the second goblin races forward, diving past Six before he can react and coming up on the opposite side. Even as the goblin rises, it disappears from sight. A shuriken leaps from the point where it was last seen, crackling through the air to embed itself in Nameless’ chest.
Nameless staggers back and gasps, “Sharaat’khesh!”, identifying it as one of the infamous goblin ninja. Shaking off the pain, the alienist does what he does best, summoning three pseudonatural bison, two within the tunnel to block the goblinoids’ egress and one next to the invisible ninja. The leading bison hurls forward, driving the hastily raised tower shield into the helmet of its wielder. The one near the ninja butts at an empty space and bellows its frustration as it misses.
“Keep them bottled in there!” advises Gareth as he hurries up to the tunnel, placing himself behind the bison filling it. As Korm follows, the hobgoblin in the rear drops a dispel magic in the area. Not only do many of the adventurers feel a spell being stripped off them, but the three bison promptly disappear.
As soon as a space is created, the goblinoids move forward, with the tower shield-user in the lead. Gareth slices at him and is surprised as he smoothly pivots, letting Kizmet slide off his shield, and wraps his flail around the paladin’s foot, almost pulling him off balance. Without pausing, the hobgoblin continues by, placing himself before Korm. The large bugbear roars a battle-cry and stops to cut at Gareth and land a deep cut on his shoulder, while the wizard and the cleric (whose symbol is now seen to be the curved blue dagger of the Keeper) also move closer.
Both Six and Luna are temporarily dazed by the effects of the goblin’s first spell and this lets the enemy focus on the others. The wizard sends his spectral hand shooting forward to strike Nameless in the chest. A powerful shock rocks the wounded alienist and he collapses. The cleric drops a sound burst between Korm, Six and Gareth, further wounding all three.
Korm, shaking off the spell’s effects, moves closer, his newly manifested ability to scent enemies letting him pinpoint the invisible ninja. The big orc quickly drops a faerie fire in the area, illumining the goblin with insubstantial purple flames.
The momentary success is one of very few for the adventurers. The attackers display an eerie combination of excellent tactics, teamwork, unexpected abilities and not inconsiderable luck. The ninja dives through the Angels to come up on the far side, snapping, “Get this off me!” to his allies. To the disgust of Korm and the others, the cleric promptly does so, allowing the ninja to disappear again and strike Luna with a shuriken she cannot dodge.
The druid in bear form growls at the pain and focuses on casting a summon spell of her own. Since it takes longer than Nameless’ ones do, she is a target of opportunity while casting and suffers an attack from the wizard, his spectral hand now draining some of her health with a vampiric touch. Despite the distraction, she retains her focus.
Korm, Six and Gareth, meanwhile, are fighting the bugbear and the hobgoblin warrior. The bugbear swings powerful blows with equal force to Korm, while the hobgoblin focuses on hampering their enemies, constantly threatening to twirl their weapons out of their hands. His most deadly attack, however, is not even launched by him. Korm, just having pulled his greatsword from the clutches of his flail, sets his feet and swings back with all his strength. As the blow comes in, the hobgoblin pivots out of the way, letting Korm’s unusual greatsword slide along the surface of his shield and striking Korm lightly on the shoulder to add to his momentum. Off-balance, Korm has no way to stop himself. Gareth’s eyes go wide in first surprise and then pain as Korm’s sword slams into his side, cracking a rib.*
“Aaargh! What the hell?!” cries Gareth, even as Korm mutters a hurried, “Sorry!”
The sight is almost more of a shock for Luna than the spells and shuriken hitting her, but she manages to retain her concentration and end her spell. A unicorn appears next to Nameless’ recumbent form, looking around expectantly.
! thinks Luna, realizing that she cannot speak in bear form, I can’t order it to heal Nameless! Luckily, Six, Korm and Gareth all shout, “Heal him!” The bear nods vigorously to show its assent and the unicorn nods in return**, touching Nameless with its horn. Some of his wounds close immediately and his eyes open.
“Yes!” exults Korm, as Luna now comes roaring into the fight to claw and grab the bugbear, “Now summon some more of those bison and let’s kill these idiots!”
The moment of hope is unfortunately short-lived. Even as he speaks, the ninja pops in and out of sight, this time sending four shuriken flying through the air. A couple knock Nameless back into unconscious before he can recover enough to cast a spell, while the others embed themselves in Luna’s sides. To add injury to insult, the bugbear seizes the moment to break free as she winces as the pain.
Unable to wound the hobgoblin behind his tower shield, Six focuses on the shield itself and attacks it. Though he puts a couple of large cracks in it, the shield remains whole. Korm, however, ignoring the wizard’s attempt to grease his sword (which he has already had to pick up once after being disarmed by the hobgoblin), does manage to wound the hobgoblin grievously. The warrior backs away and cries to his cleric ally, “Heal me!” Even in the middle of a fight, Korm can’t help commenting to Gareth, “Hey - he sounds like you!”
Luna, already badly wounded and realizing that they need to drop the enemy spellcasters, charges the enemy wizard. Her sense of smell lets her pick him out from his mirror images, but in her hurry she stumbles as she strikes at him***. Before she can recover, the ninja buries a volley of shuriken in her side and she collapses. The clearly relieved wizard steps away from her and fires three magic missiles past her. Nameless, having once more regained consciousness due to the unicorn’s healing, slumps to the ground again!****
Korm shouts an orcish oath and hurls his greatsword, its enchantment sending it flying through the air at first the cleric and then the wizard. To his disgust and disappointment, both targets dodge out of the way*****. Grabbing the sword as it flies back to him, Korm rejoins Six and Gareth in their struggle, but it’s a losing battle. Six is the first to go down, the fact that he hadn’t been within range of the mass lesser vigor making a substantial difference. A second after Six drops, Gareth manages to smite the hobgoblin warrior to the ground. And then collapses on his fallen enemy as the bugbear drives his sword into the paladin’s side. Before the bugbear can recover, Korm decapitates him.
Which leaves the badly wounded orc alone facing the cleric, the wizard and the now visible ninja (who has just slain the summoned unicorn). Only for a couple of seconds. The cleric raises an armored fist, which begins to glow with a dark, coruscating energy. He steps in with an anticipatory smile and touches Korm’s chest. The latter immediately feels a coldness surround his heart and contract painfully, as if the cleric were physically squeezing it. Though he tries to resist, Korm is too badly wounded already and everything goes black for him.******
* Elusive Target is a beautiful, beautiful feat. Esp. when your player is nice enough to roll and confirm a critical on his ally
** The caster has to be the one able to command a summoned creature to do something other than fight, but I figured I’d cut the group some slack. As you can see, they needed it!
*** One of a few 1s the players rolled at crucial times
**** Strangely, though Nameless went down thrice, he never went below -10 hit pts (as Luna, Gareth and Korm did)
***** I think he rolled something like a 2 and 3 to hit, and when using an action pt, again rolled 2 and 3 on the two d6 (needed a 4). Which mimicked Six’s previous use of an action pt.
****** Death Touch is a very nasty domain ability
. However, I hope they can be of use to you in any future goblin endeavours; the noble emerald skinned beasts are some of the best pound-for-pound warriors you can get in 3.5, and it is always nice to see them put to good use (as I have seen in this thread). Every PC should see how the other half lives . . . right up to the time that the other half leaves them dead in a ditch.
