Game log for 13 September 2015

Dramatis personae

Anêr, a swashbuckler (John, running for Eric)
Yémos, a cleric (John, running for Eric)
Kim, a thief (John)
Mayhem, a barbarian (Chris)
Caleb, a wizard (Chris)

NPCs

Likháfrikh, a dwarf engineer
Kúflaug, an orc miner

Quid occurrit

Back to the fight.

Anêr took a stab at the face of the hobgoblin with a bulbous nose, but the hobgoblin parried. Then Kúflaug took a step and swung at the other hobgoblin with a halberd, with plates in his earlobes, but missed, as is his wont. Mayhem, still on the ground, grabbed the leg of the hobgoblin with plates in his earlobes, who tried to swat him away with his halberd, but could not. Likháfrikh stepped next to Anêr and swung his axe at the bulbous-nosed hobgoblin, who got out of the way.

The two hobgoblin bowmen nocked arrows, while the hobgoblin with a little man on his leg changed the grip on his halberd. The big-nosed hobgoblin stepped back and took a swing at Likháfrikh, who got out of the way.

Yémos stepped over and cast a Major Healing spell on Caleb, whose eyes fluttered open to hear Yémos whisper, "Whammy." Caleb rolled onto his butt and looked up the stairs, wondering which hobgoblin to zap with a spell. At the top of the stairs, Anêr again missed the big nose on the hobgoblin. However, Kúflaug at last hit the hobgoblin with the plates in his earlobes, and when he fell to the ground, Mayhem wrenched the hobgoblin's leg. Likháfrikh took a step toward the big-nosed hobgoblin, who couldn't parry the blow, and fell down.

The big-nosed hobgoblin sat up and looked, while the one with a Mayhem on his legs tried to stop being a hobgoblin with a Mayhem on his leg, but couldn't get him off. Yémos stepped back to Kim and cast a Minor Healing on her, but she still lay still. Caleb cast a Fireball, still looking up the stairs for a target. Anêr, however, took out the target at his feet with a stab, while Kúflaug did the same to the one at his feet. Mayhem grabbed his axe, and Likháfrikh rushed towards the scrawny hobgoblin bowman in the corner, and whacked him with his axe. The two hobgoblin bowmen saw how the score had changed, and pulled away. Mayhem came to his senses, and Yémos healed some of his wounds.

The gang chose to get out, with Kim still knocked out. They made it up the stairs, with Kúflaug bearing Kim over his shoulder. At the top of the stairs, they heard a man's voice down the hall call out, "Hey, who goes there?" There was a soft light a ways away.

Mayhem yelled back, "Who you?"

The man said, "We are with the tribe."

Anêr boldly said, "I am Anêr the swordsman!"

The man said back, "I do not know you in our tribe. We shall beat you!"

Anêr, however, had a plan that wasn't as dumb as his statement. As the hidden door to the room with the statue and the pillars was but around the corner, he hid Yémos's light, and everyone moved around the corner and opened the door. The light came nearer, and Anêr yelled, "Go down the stairs!" before shutting the door with everyone in the hall. The gang heard the footsteps go around the corner and down the stairs.

In the narrow hall leading to the big chamber, everyone rested 45 minutes until Yémos's strength came back. Once back, he healed Kim again, and she stood up. Caleb held back from the yen to look at the flaming statue again, and then, everyone went back to camp.

Back at camp, they told Péllē the slaver about the flaming statue, and she said, "Well, there's some odd stuff down there. Was it made of copper?" Caleb thought it was made of some kind of metal, while Likháfrikh shrugged. Everyone spent the rest of the day and the next doing light work and looking over the slaves.

Scio neminem ex uobis hoc legere posse, ergo aliquid scribo iocosum

I gave out 10 character points for the last four sessions together, as I hadn't given any for some time.

I'll fess up: I thought about going easy on them with the hobgoblins to keep away a total party kill, but I chose to keep the hobgoblins fighting. (My plan to wuss out was to have the bowmen withdraw to get help.) I'm glad I didn't go easy on them, and, lucky for them, the dice went their way this time, and they rolled well for the NPCs, too.  (The players pick most of what the NPCs do in a fight.) Then again, they had been making critical miss after critical miss the last time we played, and the hobgoblins no longer had the boon of surprise. (And the bowmen had to reload.)

Paying more heed to the lighting and the other little bits and bobs has made for a better dungeon crawl. The lighting played well with the tribesmen. Neither group was near enough to the other that it knew anything about the other because the edge of the lights didn't get near. Thus, the players chose the trick of ducking behind the hidden door (to 27A, for those playing at home) after the two groups parleyed for a few seconds.

One thing that keeps getting to me is I never can recall wrestling rules, and they came into play today. I should do a mock combat or three to make myself learn them better.

We broke off early. The buses held up Chris so we were late starting, and John was half-asleep the whole game so he couldn't go much longer.

A couple of NPCs

There is no game today, since I took my family to the Minnesota State Fair, where we fought Sweet Martha and her killer calories. I'm taking a page from the master of Dungeon Fantasy game blogging, Peter Dell'Orto, and posting a couple of NPCs who have been fighting alongside the PCs. A couple of things from their character sheets are lobbed off, since they have yet to affect play, or are a special number like Loyalty that nobody other than I should know.

Likháfrikh

Likháfrikh is a dwarf from Mōr-Nembe who has been an engineer at the Zúbrās Mines for four years. His snub nose peeks out over his big, bushy brown and auburn mustache, and he is strong and muscular. He is missing four teeth from the left side of his mouth. As an engineer, he’s unremarkable. He likes going into the mines himself and bossing the slaves, as the danger gives him a thrill. Likháfrikh likes to have others around and likes chatting with them, though, like most dwarves, he trusts neither elves nor goblin-kin. He knows the built-up spots of the mines well, but sends orcs or goblins into the unknown spots, and makes them bring back news. Better they die than he. He likes to be known to be good at his job, and talks up even his small deeds in the mines to anyone who may listen.

ST: 13	HP: 13	Speed: 6.00
DX: 12	Will: 10	Move: 5
IQ: 10	Per: 10	SM: 0
HT: 13	FP: 16	DR: 5/3*
Dodge: 8	Parry: 10U	Block: n/a

Great Axe (15): 2d+3 cutting. Reach 1, 2*. 
Punch (14): 1d crushing. Reach C.

Traits: Alcohol Tolerance; Chummy (12); Code of Honor (Dwarf's); Dwarven Gear; Greed (12); Lifting ST 2 (ST 15); Night Vision 5; Obsession (Mine safety) (12); Pickaxe Penchant 1; Resistant to Poisons (+3); Risk-Taking Behavior (Goes into the mines and works with the slaves); Stubbornness; Wealth (Comfortable).

Skills: Area Knowledge (Zúbrās Mines)-12; Brawling-14; Carousing-13; Climbing-12; Crossbow-13; Engineer (Mining)-12; Fast-Draw (Arrow)-12; Forced Entry-14; Intimidation-10; Lifting-13; Prospecting-14; Survival (Subterranean)-11; Traps-10; Two- Handed Axe/Mace-15.
Class: Mundane.
Notes: Reacts to others at +2. Armor not compatible with human armor. He speaks and reads Dwarfish and Mannish at Native, and speaks Goblin at Broken. Gear includes:

• Fine Mail Hauberk (covers Torso, Arms on 1-3 on 1d, Legs on 1-3 on 1d), $1,575, 26.25 lbs.

• Great Axe, $100, 8 lbs.

• Hardened Leather Gauntlets (covers Hands; gives Ham Fisted 2), $13, 1.5 lbs.

• Leather Boots (covers Feet; DR 2/1 against impaling), $80, 3 lbs.


• Light Layered Cloth Leggings (covers Legs on 4-6 on 1d (Shins); DR 2*), $150, 12 lbs.

• Light Layered Cloth Sleeves (covers Arms on 4-6 on 1d (Forearms); DR 2*), $75, 6 lbs.

Kúflaug

Kúflaug is an orc miner. He has a ring in his septum, with a paunchy body, a craggy face, straight dark brown hair over his ears, and an unkempt mustache. He is truly worshipful of Kásnotok (aka Rōripermónē, goddess of farming), and wants to set up a bigger garden for the orcs, and sow some fields. Kúflaug isn't the best miner, but he has been in the mining camp most of his life and so knows the layout well enough. He feels the need to be calm, and bullies others sometimes to get them to calm down too.

ST: 14	HP: 16	Speed: 6.25
DX: 10	Will: 9	Move: 4
IQ: 8	Per: 9	SM: 0
HT: 13	FP: 9	DR: 2/1*
Dodge: 8	Parry: 8	Block: n/a

Axe (11): 2d+2 cutting. Reach 1. 
Punch (10): 1d-1 crushing. Reach C.

Traits: Acute Hearing 2; Appearance (Ugly); Bully (12); Fit; Infravision; Lifting ST 2 (ST 16); Rapid Healing; Religious (Kastonok); Resistant to Metabolic Hazards (+3); Sense of Duty (Owner); Social Stigma (Savage); Social Stigma (Subjugated).

Skills: Area Knowledge (Zúbrās Mines)-10; Axe/Mace-11; Brawling-10; Climbing-9; Gardening-8; Intimidation-9; Lifting-13; Wrestling-10.
Notes: Right now, he is carrying a halberd (12 lbs.) and wearing medium leather armor (36 lbs.). He wears an iron slave collar (1 lbs.) and normal clothes. He speaks Goblin and Mannish at Native, but cannot read.

Class: Mundane.

Notes:

• I based Likháfrikh off the Dwarf template that appeared in Pyramid #3/50, Races as Professions, and lobbed off 1 from each of his attributes. I also ignored most of the optional picks. I didn't want him upstaging the PCs.
• I based Kúflaug off the Laborer template from GURPS Dungeon Fantasy 15: Henchmen. Unlike Likháfrikh, I didn't worry that he would outshine the PCs since the template is only 62 points, and not focused on fighting.
• Kúflaug's armor is a generic armor that I made from taking the Torso armor in GURPS Low Tech: Instant Armor, and making the weight and cost threefold it so that it covered everything other than the face and neck. Unofficially, I leave gloves and boots at DR 2*, but mostly I don't fret about that since it seldom comes up.

Game log for 16 August 2015

Dramatis personae

Kim, a thief
Mayhem, a barbarian
Caleb, a wizard
Anêr, a swashbuckler
Yémos, a cleric
Kúflaug, a slave
Likháfrikh, an engineer (intrans actum in alterum)

Quid occurrit

Caleb lifted his head to let out an Acid Jet, but passed out from his wounds. Anêr started to stand with his rapier in hand, while a guard poked him with his sword. Another guard tried to smite Mayhem, but slipped and fell. Mayhem had reached his limit, and snapped. He planted his axe into the guard before him.

The two cultist clerics again tried to get Mayhem and Anêr to drop their weapons, and again Mayhem held onto his while Anêr dropped his. Yémos turned around, and started back towards the cleric cultists, while Anêr again grabbed his sword. The guard by Anêr struck him, and Anêr couldn't parry, taking a nastier hit. Mayhem rushed one of the clerics but missed, but Yémos stepped behind the cleric and smacked him with his staff, killing him.

The other cleric, now worried about Mayhem, tried to bid Mayhem to drop his axe, but Mayhem shrugged off his words. Anêr stood up, while the guard before him tried to hit him and missed. Mayhem, now on a tear, stepped towards the standing cleric, and smashed his axe into him, killing him. Anêr tried to stick his rapier into the mug of the guard before him, but the guard parried his blow, then dropped his sword and lifted his hands into the air.

Mayhem snapped back to reality, which was good for the guard throwing in the towel. However, another cowled guard slipped out of the hallway in the back of the room and lifted the lever to let out his trapped fellows.

The gang saw this and ran, grabbing Caleb and Kim and slipping past the secret door, near which Kúflaug was waiting. They shut the door, and Yémos cast Watchdog to keep them safe. Then, they rested for the next 20 hours, with Yémos healing Caleb, Kim, Anêr, and Mayhem. After that, the whole gang went back to the room with the columns and the chasm, and Caleb cast Levitate on everyone to get over the chasm.

Nothing bothered them until they made it to the stairs out of the bat shit room. The bats squawked, and as they started up the stairs, Kim stopped before she stepped into a big cube of nothing. They tried to hustle around the cube, but it could keep up with them. Thus Caleb, the last one, hung back and scorched the cube with a few Fireballs, which left it as a big puddle.

They came outside, and found a sunny morning after a rainstorm. They went to talk to an amazed Péllē, who was thrilled to hear that they met cowled men down in the dungeon. Kim told her they would bring her back one. After talking to Péllē, they talked to Likháfrikh, to see about building a bridge over the chasm. Likháfrikh said he didn't have any workers to spare without maybe getting some ore from the ruins. She also told him about the gelatinous cube, and Likháfrikh said, "That's why we send two kobolds. One can come back and tell us what happened to the other."

The next day, they went back down into the dungeon, and got Likháfrikh to come with them. They went to the side of the chasm, where Likháfrikh said it would be tough to make a bridge since the sides were so crumbly. Then he asked how deep the chasm was. Yémos cast Continual Light on a stone, then dropped it. Likháfrikh looked down at the little light at the bottom. "Yeah, I can see why you'd want a bridge," he said. "That's a big drop."

They also showed Likháfrikh the trapdoor in the floor of the alcove at the end of the room near the secret door, but he could tell them nothing that Caleb didn't already say. Mayhem wanted to light the gas, so he went between the columns to light a torch. No sooner did he get there and pull out his torch did jets of flame shoot up from the holes around the trapdoor, and slowly a big demon-head statue came out of the trapdoor, laughing, its eyes gleaming, and its mouth spewing flames. Mayhem lobbed his torch at the statue, but all it did was bounce off and go up in flames from the smokeless fire shooting out of the floor. And thus, the gang chose to run.

They got out the door and down the secret hall to the main hall, then went downstairs. They saw the rubble by which they saw the battle a few days before, and Yémos found his lit stone. They heard some hubbub to their left, and walked towards it.

They made it as far as a short flight of stairs when arrows greeted them. Anêr got out of the way of two of them, but Kim took both of them, and soon fell unconscious, bleeding. Anêr, Kúflaug, Mayhem, and Likháfrikh dashed up the stairs, while Yémos moved towards Kim's body lying on the ground. Anêr and Mayhem could see that four hobgoblins, hiding behind columns at the top of the stairs, had shot at them, and two were getting out their halberds. Anêr stabbed at one, but he missed, not able to see well. Mayhem tried to strike at another, but strained his shoulder. The two hobgoblins with halberds struck at Anêr and Mayhem, and dropped Mayhem prone. Yémos lobbed his lit pebble to the top of the stairs, while Caleb cast an Explosive Fireball. Mayhem lost his cool, and tried to punch the foot of the hobgoblin before him, but he parried. Likháfrikh, now at the top of the stairs, missed with a blow, while a hobgoblin hit Kúflaug, who somehow stayed standing. Another missed Anêr, while the other two shot at Caleb and Yémos, missing Yémos but dropping Caleb. Yémos healed Kim to get her out of immediate danger.

Pedicabo ego vos

Two important things. First of all, I went over the character sheets, and held everyone to their disadvantages a bit more. This mostly affected Mayhem, who lost some Reach from to his short arms, and Anêr, whose encumbrance knocked down his fencing skills a bit. Yeah, I feel like a shit, but they got points for that stuff. I should have been more diligent. Bad GM.

The other thing? When you drop a lit pebble down a chasm, anyone down there will know something is up, even a hobgoblin. Hell, an ogre would figure this out. Thus, when the hobgoblins saw the lit pebble fall, they were alert, and when they saw the gang come down the stairs, they nocked arrows.

So again we leave on a cliffhanger, but this time, the battle is going even worse for the heroes. Kim had lost 24 HP from those two arrows, and luckily she made her HT roll to stay alive. Mayhem going Berserk (another thing I've been enforcing more these last two sessions, but this one is much more fun in play) makes it harder for everyone to withdraw.

Game log for 15 March 2015

Dramatis personae:

Anêr, swashbuckler
Mayhem, barbarian
Yémos, cleric
Caleb, wizard

wik

Kúflaug, orc slave

also wik

Likháfrikh, dwarf engineer

Quid occurrit

The battle started (in room #38 for those who own the original adventure and are keeping track at home). Three hobgoblins with greatswords came through the double doors make a wall, and a fourth followed them with a longbow and an axe. The bowman, a hobgoblin with thin lips (if anyone knows how hobgoblin lips look, of course), nocked an arrow. The heroes also made a wall, with the spellcasters behind, and both moved slowly past the trash pile to meet. Yémos cast Shield 3 on Anêr, while Caleb tried to cast Blast Ball, but instead it made a big flash of light.

The two groups moved slowly towards a corner to meet. The hobgoblin bowman let loose an arrow that hit Likháfrikh. Still, all crept forward, and Yémos cast another Shield 3 on Mayhem, while Caleb started to cast Sunbolt. After another second, Caleb lobbed his Sunbolt at the bowman, wounding him. Then the hobgoblins moved to the corner, and the heroes met them there. Another hobgoblin, with a metal tooth and a morningstar, stepped through the door.

In the corner, one hobgoblin with unkempt hair swung at Anêr, who got out of the way. Then another hobgoblin with a circle shaved into his head swung at Likháfrikh, who could not swat away his blow. Likháfrikh staggered while the hobgoblin with the morningstar moved to behind the line and the bowman kept aiming.

Yémos got out his paut, and Caleb cast Blast Ball. Anêr stepped forward and swung his rapier, but could not hit the hobgoblin before him, much as Kúflaug did with his axe. Mayhem planted his axe into the chest of hobgoblin with the shaved pattern in his hair, while Likháfrikh passed out from his wounds.

The hobgoblin having a bad hair day smote Kúflaug, who could not parry his blow, but stayed standing. The guard, another hobgoblin with thin lips, swung his sword at Mayhem, but Mayhem got out of the way. The bowman let his arrow fly at Anêr, who stepped aside, and yet another hobgoblin, this one with an axe and a bad shave (well, maybe he plucked his facial hairs badly) stepped into the room.

Yémos drank his paut and Caleb got off his Blast Ball afore the hobgoblin by the door, singing him, the bowman, and the one with the morningstar. Anêr twitched his rapier past the sword of the hobgoblin with the wild hair and into his side, dropping him to the ground. Kúflaug stepped back but otherwise stood pat, and Mayhem smashed his axe into the side of the thin-lipped guard. However, the guard stayed standing.

The hobgoblin with the wild hair started to stand, while the one with the circle in his hair barely missed Mayhem with his sword. The one with the axe came forward, and the bowman nocked an arrow while the others held their ground.

Yémos stepped forward and cast Major Healing on Kúflaug, and Caleb fired up a Sunbolt, luckily a mighty one. Anêr stuck his rapier in the neck of the hobgoblin on all fours, killing him. Kúflaug heeded the words of Yémos and picked up one of the big swords. Mayhem swung at the thin-lipped guard, landing his blow and killing him.

The hobgoblins slowly took two steps backward, while the bowman aimed his bow. Yémos pulled out an alchemist's fire flask, planning on handing it to Anêr, who put his rapier in his left hand. Caleb took a step and let loose his Sunbolt, which was so nasty that it killed the unwitting bowman. (Aside: Chris rolled a critical success to get the spell off, which I ruled meant automatic maximum damage. Then he rolled a critical success to throw the spell, and got double damage on the critical success table. After DR, it was 18 HP of damage to the bowman. Pretty good for a 1d Sunbolt.) Anêr reached for the flask, while Kúflaug got the big sword. Mayhem rushed forward and swung at the hobgoblin with the odd circle shaved in his hair. He landed his blow, killing the hobgoblin.

Now the hobgoblins still alive broke for the door. The spellcasters sat down to rest, while Mayhem and Anêr ran to the door. They peeked through, and saw the hobgoblins pushing a man in tattered clothes to the door, whom they pushed to the other side before shutting the door. Caleb yelled out to the man, who understood nothing. Anêr listened at the door, hearing nothing, before Yémos got up and handed a mallet to him. Anêr started hammering a spike into the door when the man in the tattered clothes started babbling wildly at him. Kúflaug said that the man wanted to be with the hobgoblins—the man was speaking Goblin.

Hearing the pounding, the hobgoblins pushed the door. Anêr and Mayhem tried to hold it shut, while the hobgoblins pushed them aside. They burst through, and both Anêr and Kúflaug missed blows at them. Mayhem smashed the metal-toothed hobgoblin with his axe, knocking him to the ground. The hobgoblin with the axe and the bad shave missed Anêr, while another hobgoblin with a cleft lip missed Mayhem. Caleb's Sunbolt did nothing to the hobgoblin with the bad shave, and Kúflaug missed with his sword, but both Anêr and Mayhem landed blows on the hobgoblins with the bad shave and the cleft lip, killing both. Behind them was another hobgoblin with long earlobes and a big sword, who turned and ran to a door on the other side of the room.

The metal-toothed hobgoblin stood, but Anêr stabbed his weapon hand, making him drop his morningstar. Anêr held the hobgoblin at sword point, and bade Kúflaug to interpret for him.

• "Who is the man?" "He's our bitch! We've had him his whole life." (No, not THAT kind of bitch.)
• "Who is your leader?" "Grotch, the mightiest of warriors!"
• "What do you do down here?" The hobgoblin chatted with Kúflaug, who said something back. Anêr asked Kúflaug what he said, and Kúflaug told him that the hobgoblin asked Kúflaug why he was helping the heroes. Kúflaug said they were better than goblins.
• "What do you do down here?" The hobgoblin laughed.
• "What's on the other side of the door?" "Our mighty leader, Grotch!"

Mayhem checked the bodies for slave brands, and three did have them, as well as the hobgoblin still alive. They looted the bodies for their 33 copper farthings, and then looked at the room the hobgoblins rushed out. There was a bunch of trash on the floor, but not as much as the first room. On the wall to the right, they saw a hole in the wall. They peered through, and saw stairs going down.

Caleb and Yémos waited for their strength to come back. As they waited, they could hear some scuffling, clanking, and shouting behind them—the din of battle. Yémos at last got his strength back, and healed Likháfrikh, whose eyes fluttered open. Anêr killed the last hobgoblin, while the man in the tattered clothes wailed and babbled in Goblin.

Anêr, Kúflaug, and Mayhem moved out to the cavern, and saw the fight between six lizard men and six men, whom Mayhem thought to be warriors of a small hill tribe. As they watched, one of the men stuck his spear through the eye of a lizard man, which led the others to break and run up the stairs. The barbarians ran after them.

The heroes rested in the hallway between the room where they fought the hobgoblins and the cavern. Likháfrikh looked through the trash and found another four farthings, and after about a half hour, they heard the door in the guardroom open. The gang moved around the corner into the cavern, and saw five hobgoblins and two lizard men walk into the room. Four of the hobgoblins had greatswords, while the fifth had a broadsword and shield.

The foes made it into the hallway and spotted the heroes. Anêr lobbed the alchemist's fire before the foes, who had the lizard men in the fore, and the hallway burst into fire. The heroes ran, though Kúflaug didn't want to drag the man. None of the foes followed, and they made it out of the dungeon.

Back at the camp, Péllē offered Kúflaug to the heroes to make up for some of the money she had promised earlier.

Notes

Do hirelings get mightier as they adventure? I haven't chosen if and how. It seems like they should. It makes a difference in whether or not the take a slave as payment.

I gave out 7 character points for the last few sessions. There was some discussion of what skills will help, and whether or not there are secret spots of the dungeon they've missed (well, duh!). Forced Entry was the skill I recommended. Why? On a successful Forced Entry door, I let them open a stuck door without a check for random encounters. Without it or failing the roll, I make the check. The striges came on such a check.

Game log for 15 February 2015

Dramatis personae:

Anêr, a human swashbuckler
Caleb, a human wizard of the Order of the Sun
Mayhem, a short human barbarian of the Dragon Claw Clan
Yémos, a cleric of Dōsaútōr, goddess of wisdom and magic

With them is Kúflaug, an orc slave to whom they have given a halberd

Quid occurrit:

24th Blôs, Mid-afternoon

Down in the dungeon, the gang told Kúflaug to chop open the stuck door, which he did As he did so, they could hear drums pounding from afar, away and maybe down. Once the door was chopped, they stepped into the room, and no sooner did they do so then saw a mass of writhing red centipedes. Anêr told Caleb to burn them, but everyone got his whacks on the centipedes before Caleb could get his spell off, with Yémos ending the last one with a stomp. Then they looked around the room, and saw the blood splotches and the dead centipedes that had already been there.

After checking the rubble in the room, which also looked like it had been a statue, they walked over to the door on the other side. This door opened easily, and behind it were four lizard men were there. Two were standing guard and watching the heroes open the door, and one was healing the wounds of a fourth. Taken aback, Yémos said, “Hail and well met.” The lizard men hissed and made some odd noises at the heroes. Taking a hint, Yémos shut the door. As they walked away, Mayhem listened, and could still hear some faint drumming from afar, down a bit.

They went down a hallway, and turned a few corners before seeing a hobgoblin sleeping in yet another corner. Yémos cast Silence on the guard, then they turned the corner and found a door. They easily opened the door, and Yémos, Mayhem, and Kuflaug were surprised at the six surprised hobgoblins.

Anêr, however, was not surprised, and he stepped into the room and poked a hobgoblin, giving him pain. Caleb lobbed Blast Ball into a corner, and burnt all the hobgoblins, dropping one to the floor in pain, as well as singing himself. Anêr got out of the way, and stabbed the hobgoblin in front of him twice.

No, not THAT Hobgoblin.

Kúflaug stood agape, while Mayhem rushed into the room and took a mad swing at one of the hobgoblins. It was a good blow, as it killed the hobgoblin. One of the hobgoblins snapped aware. He moved and held his ground near Mayhem. Yémos then woke up, and moved in to try to cast Shield on Mayhem, but his spell fizzled. Caleb, still smarting from his own spell, stood his ground. 

Anêr took another two quick stabs at the hobgoblin nearest him, killing him, while Kúflaug snapped aware and rushed into the room. Mayhem swung at the hobgoblin standing tough near him, but the hobgoblin’s axe caught Mayhem’s. The hobgoblin then put his axe in Mayhem’s body. Ouch! Another hobgoblin sprang to battle, and stepped and missed Mayhem, while the hobgoblin down in the corner started to stand.

The spellcasters did their work this time, as Yémos cast Shield on Mayhem, while Caleb shot a Sunbolt at a stunned hobgoblin, killing him. Anêr and Kúflaug missed their blows, while Mayhem swung and dropped his axe. 

Dropping one’s axe was catchy. The hobgoblins threw down their axes and said, “No kill!"

Yémos asked for whom they worked. One said, “Minotaur King.” Yémos asked if the Minotaur King was leading the slave rebellion. The hobgoblin said, “The Minotaur King is our leader!” The gang looted 50 copper farthings off the hobgoblins, both dead and alive, but could not find any rope. Yémos asked the hobgoblin if there were another way out, and he said no. The gang woke the sleeping guard and bade him to drop his morningstar and go with them. He did so.

They went back to the well. After Anêr had a short fall, he made it to the top, found the old rope, tied it to the stake, and threw it down. Everyone made it up after two hours down. The gang tried to learn whether the hobgoblins were slaves, and Kúflaug pointed to the slave brands on the backs of their hands.

They brought the hobgoblins to Péllē and asked for a bounty. First, Péllē said they had to disarm Kúflaug. Now that he was free of arms, she tried to give them 25 silver pennies for the four, and asked the heroes to keep things quiet. Yémos asked for more. Péllē then said 500 silver pennies, but would have to clear it with her higher-ups in Mīstássun, and it would take two moon phases (16 days) to hear from there. Yémos agreed. Péllē agreed to ladder by the pit, but it had to be a rope ladder, and said she would have the whole area cordoned off and have one guard by the pit.

They took the halberd to Likháfrikh, the dwarf engineer, who was in the mess shack. He said it looked from an older time before bragging about making the scaffolding in the fore-room of the mine four years ago, and said it had made it through two slave rebellions. He also said that the overseers were going to execute Gáddurub, the orc who had fled. Then the camp baker set out some food. Yémos thought she was eavesdropping. Likháfrikh said he wanted to go into the mines and see the architecture for himself to see how old it was.

That night, there was a big storm at midnight. The weather the next day was otherwise pleasant. Likháfrikh and Kúflaug were going with them. Both had axes, and the baker gave everyone a meal’s rations. Likháfrikh showed off the scaffolding, and jumped on it. He installed the rope ladder by the hole, which had no guard, and showed them how to use it and how to get it down with a grappling hook. They went down.

These weren't quite so blocky.

They walked through the big hall and past the columns. Likháfrikh said the architecture was older than he was. When they got to end of the main hall with the wrecked statue, they saw the lizard men afore that statue. Kúflaug said these were the same lizard men as the day before. Yémos gestured that the heroes wanted to go into room where the lizard men had been the day before, but the lizard men hissed at him and waved their clubs.

The gang went down the dead end hallway and Likháfrikh found no secret doors. So they went down the other hallway, but as they turned the corner on the other side from where they saw the sleeping guard, two spears shot out of the wall. Anêr dodged, but Likháfrikh took a spear to his back. Yémos cast Minor Healing on Likháfrikh, who then disabled the trap tied to a tile next to some old lizard man scales in the dust.

The gang went down the hallway which, after a turn, Likháfrikh said it was getting lower. After a long stretch of about 150 to 200 ft., the hallway turned, then went downstairs. Going down the stairs, they found themselves in a big cavern with a big pile of rubble in the middle of the floor. In the ceiling was there was a big chasm. They looked in the rubble, and found rats who screeched.

They went down hallway in the wall opposite the stairs, and found themselves in a room with a lot of rubble. At the other end of the room, there were double doors, which a hobgoblin guarded. The guard yelled at the gang to go back, then barked something in Goblin and opened the door.

End of session.

Res aliae:

Time kept us from a big fight with many hobgoblins.

I'm updating my documents to handle an urban crawl as well. Since they won't be back at civilization for months of real time, I'm in no rush, Justin Alexander's series inspired me.

Game log for 1 February 2015

Dramatis personae

Anêr, a swashbuckler
Yémos, a cleric of Dōsaútōr, goddess of wisdom and magic
Mayhem, a barbarian who is vertically challenged
Caleb, a wizard of the Order of the Sun

Quid occurrit

So the gang went back to Péllē, who batted her eyes at them as they told her about the kobold-sized tunnel. She agreed to their call for kobolds to help them, though she told them that they don't work well with orcs. "We keep them all at odds so they don't get together and hold an uprising," she said. So Kuflaug and Gaddurub, the orc slaves with them, went back to work, and two kobolds, one with a blunt nose and another with broad shoulders and pointier horns.

The gang brought the kobolds down to the room with the dirt mound, which they found easily. Yémos asked the kobolds where the tunnel went, and the broad-shouldered one said, "It seems to go up." Then they sent the kobolds down the tunnel, with Mayhem behind them, and the others behind them on all fours. They followed the kobolds up the tunnel, and, after the kobolds pushed aside a rock blocking the top, found themselves near the opening of the mine.

Amazed, they went back to the room with the dirt. They told the kobolds to tell them about the dirt, and they agreed it came from the lands above. Why? Neither of them said they knew. Unshaken, they asked the kobolds about the mines. The kobold with the blunt nose told them in his nasal voice that they found odd wrought things in the mines, both metallic and stone, with more curves than wont, mostly dishes. The kobold thought they came from the hobgoblins. When Yémos pressed, the kobold said that there were no hobgoblins in the camp as they kept disappearing, falling down shafts or getting into fights to the death. Hobgoblins, he said, were "bad luck."

The heroes brought the kobolds back to camp, then went to lunch. In the dining hall, they chatted with Likháfrikh, a dwarf with a bushy mustache. Likháfrikh said he was an engineer, and had been there four years. Some slaves had knocked out four of his teeth in an uprising some time ago. Likháfrikh said that what the kobold said was true: there were odd curvy items in the mines, as he had found a a few krises. Likháfrikh didn't find this as noteworthy as the heroes, since mines in his home land of Mōr-Nembe also yield artifacts of a bygone time, albeit ones unlike the ones found in the Áos Hills. It was also true that there were no hobgoblins, and no one could find where they went. Did they flee? Unlikely, as a year ago, the overseers sent the orcs to look for holes through which the hobgoblins could flee, and told them the overseers would reward the orcs with more meat if they found hobgoblins. After looking for hobgoblins, the orcs murdered the last hobgoblin still living at camp, and fed his body to the ogres. The overseers chose to give the orcs some more meat anyways. After telling the baker, who was standing nearby, that they did enjoy their meal, they went to Péllē and had her send along the two orcs from earlier.

They went down into the mines again, then walked past some of the workers, down a tunnel, to a chamber with a hole in the middle. The hole was about 6 feet athwart, and looked like a natural well. Yémos threw a penny down the shaft and watched it fall, then move out of sight. After a short chat with Kuflaug, the orc with the nose ring, about the gods (Kuflaug said he worshipped Kasnotok, the goddess of the earth, whom Yémos knew to be Rōripermónē, the farming goddess of men, and seemed happy to find that Yémos worshipped Dōsaútōr, or Laganok, as Kuflaug called her in Goblin), the chose to go down the shaft. Gaddurub  the other orc with the wet hair, said he wouldn't do it, but went along after Yémos and Mayhem told him that they could bring him back to Péllē, who would kill him for not heeding them.

They started with first lowering Kuflaug, with Anêr and Mayhem as belays. After getting him down, they lowered Caleb, but could not keep him from slipping and hurting his belly. After Caleb went Yémos, who cast Minor Healing on Caleb to heal some of his wounds. Then they lowered Gaddurub, who looked at Yémos and Caleb with an evil glare, but did nothing. At last, Mayhem and Anêr, the skilled climbers, went down the rope, which they left hanging at the hole. They waited an hour for Yémos to get back some of his holy might, then went down the tunnel.

The tunnel turned into a wide stair that first went up to a small landing, then down again. Once at the top of the landing, the orcs afore made it no farther than the edge when a flurry of arrows greeted them. The arrows missed, but the heroes sprang into battle.

Yémos cast Shield on Mayhem, then Anêr drew his sword and waited for whatever was down there, which turned out to be four hobgoblins. (Is anyone surprised?) Mayhem pulled out his axe and rushed to the edge, while the orcs, taken aback, stood slack-jawed at the edge. The two hobgoblins afore pulled out their halberds, while the two behind them drew arrows.

Yémos again tried to cast Shield, this time on himself, and all of the sudden had a big stone shield in his hands. He felt that he had upset some holy emissary, who was punishing him with a mockery of his spell. Caleb started casting Blast Ball. Anêr moved to before the orcs, while Mayhem waited for the hobgoblins.

The two hobgoblins at the fore swung at Anêr and Mayhem with they halberds, but could not strike them. Then the two bowmen shot at the orcs, one striking Kuflaug in the chest. Kuflaug, however, still stood, dumbfounded. Gaddurub, however, snapped aware then turned and ran. Yémos stepped aside, dropped the stone shield, and ran after Gaddurub, lest he pull up the rope. Caleb tried to get off his Blast Ball spell, but it fizzled. Anêr made a wild swing at the hobgoblin nearest him, but missed, but Mayhem put his hobgoblin with the halberd. Kuflaug still stood agape, while Yémos dropped the stone shield and ran after Gaddurub.

The two hobgoblins at the fore switched grips on their halberds, while the two bowmen drew arrows. Caleb started casting another Blast Ball, while Anêr stepped and put his rapier into the hobgoblin nearest him. Mayhem also hit home for a big hit on a hobgoblin, but the hobgoblin stayed standing. Kuflaug still stood dumbstruck (or even more dumbstruck), while the hobgoblins in the fore stood their ground, and the ones in the back loosed arrows. One missed Anêr, while the other arrow didn't make it to Mayhem, because it hit the hobgoblin he just hit in the back. Needless to say, the hobgoblin didn't know it was coming, and went down.

Caleb got his Blast Ball ready to throw, while Anêr made a nasty strike (Defensive Attack 4, Mighty Blows). He struck the hobgoblin, but the hobgoblin still stood. Mayhem rushed one of the bowmen, and struck him with a wild swing, knocking him down but not out. Kuflaug at last came aware, and turned and ran. 

The hobgoblin before Anêr, hurt but not out, stood fast, but the one bowman left standing turned and ran. Caleb threw his Blast Ball, which ended the life of the hobgoblin on the ground while singing the other. Anêr made another fierce strike, but the hobgoblin, waiting for the blow, knocked it away with his halberd. His success was short-lived, however, much as he was: Mayhem stepped and smote him dead with his axe.

Meanwhile, Gaddurub and Yémos made it to the rope. Gaddurub started climbing, while Yémos grabbed the bottom of the rope. As Gaddurub climbed, Kuflaug made it to the rope and told Yémos that he took an arrow and was going. Yémos offered healing to Kuflaug, but Kuflaug started climbing anyways. Gaddurub started to pull the rope, and Kuflaug fell off and passed out once he hit the ground. Yémos tried to keep the rope down, but after Gaddurub lifted Yémos a few feet into the air, Yémos kept down.

On the ground, he poured a minor healing potion down Kuflaug's throat, while the others dressed him in the armor of one of the hobgoblins. Over the next hour, the group talked about their lack of rations, and Yémos said that casting Create Food on the hobgoblin bodies was the best bet. Collective squick followed. Once the hour was up, Yémos cast a Minor Healing spell on Kuflaug, and they set forth down the stairs.

They found themselves in a big chamber filled with bat guano. They looked up to see a ceiling full of bats, squawking at their light (they had cast Continual Light earlier). There were three ways out. The first was a dead end, while the second led to a room with columns and more bat shit. At the end of the room was an alcove with a door to each side and a broken statue, while bats flew near their heads. The door to the right was ajar, while the one to the left was stuck shut. They chose to keep left, and both Mayhem and Kuflaug tried to shove the door open. After a couple of failed tries to open the door, four striges flew from out of the bats and at them, but the gang made short work of them.

Res aliae

Does Jennell Jaquays have a serious thing for halberds? When I rolled that the hobgoblins had halberds and longbows, the players were a little surprised. Then I told them that the gnolls—er, hobgoblins—had a 50/50 chance of having halberds, which brought a few giggles.

Now that they've armed Kuflaug, it seems I have an orc to fully stat out. I never thought they'd give him a halberd, much less a weapon.

The halberd wasn't good for the hobgoblins. They spent a lot of time changing grips as the heroes moved nearer to them, though it did frustrate Chris (Mayhem's player) that they had longer Reach than he had. The hobgoblins had a lot of HP for mooks—17—but didn't have much in the way of other defenses, nor skill. If they had hit, it would have hurt.

This wasn't in the log, but a good bunch of time we passed by talking about world things, mostly about humanoid slavery but a bit about the political situation too. There hasn't been much in the way of non-human NPCs until now, so Likháfrikh, the dwarf, brought out a few world details.