SESSION 7a: GULP
Cord starts biting his sword blades one at a time for good luck. Saliva drips from his mouth in anticipation like a dog when it chews a bone.
Then it emerges. It's giant head first, followed by its large, stooped body.
It turns to face them from the centre of the intersection and roars. The ogre is flanked by a host of goblins all laughing and jeering it on, "KORGA, KORGA, KORGA…" they chant. The mighty beast's chest swells and it roars again, smashing its mighty club against the ground in a show of strength.
Uthalin pulls his shield a little higher. He's heard stories from the forefathers about fighting ogres and whilst he knows the danger he's relishing the thought of challenging the beast.
"Arrr fellas…." Thomas starts, "I'm not too sure we signed up for this."
Ansic responds "Yeah but I don't think we've got a choice, if we flee they'll runs us down anyway. Well at least I'll get run down. This armour slows me down and they'll catch me for sure."
Risandor starts to gently tap his tambor and begins a little ditty. It's a tender melody of a famous party of adventurers who faced great odds and……
Cord, encouraged and enjoying the little tune never does hear the end of it as the giant monster steps forward and swings its massive club.
ROUND 1A – BRACE FOR IMPACT
Initiative: Party 12 + 2 = 14, Ogre and Goblins = 18 -1 = 17. Monsters go first.
Korga has a 10ft reach and not enough room to charge so he steps forward 5ft and swings at Uthalin. Uthalin remembers his training and attempts to dodge against the enormous weapon and easily evades Korga's club.
The goblins file in behind Korga. Two of them firing short bows with viciously barbed arrows at the party. One arrow passes under Korga's legs and thuds harmlessly into Ansic's shield. The other, which was aimed at Uthalin, goes wild and crashes into the wall, losses momentum and lands at Uthalins feet.
ROUND 1B A SOOTHING SOUND
Risandor steps back to allow Thomas a clearer shot at the ogre and starts to play his tune with more vigor. The party immediately recognises the melody and feels encouraged for the upcoming battle (Inspire Courage gives +1 to saving throws against charm and fear effects and +1 bonus on attack and weapon damage rolls. He can keep this up for 4 rounds plus his cha modifier of 3 = 7 rounds total).
Halee yells expletives at Korga in an attempt to intimidate him. "I'll gut you, you warty, poetry reading, smudge rubber" she yells. Clearly Halee has been hanging around Uthalin for too long and she has acquired some of his foul behaviors. The DC that Halee needs is 10 + hit dice of the target + the targets wisdom modifier. If successful, the target is shaken for 1 round. The duration is increased by 1 round for every 5 by which the DC is beaten. There is a +4 or -4 penalty if the target is smaller or bigger than you. The shaken condition gives the target a -2 penalty on attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, saving throws, skill checks and ability checks. The ogre is a 4 hit die creature with a wisdom modifier of 10 (hahaha which is better than some of the characters yes I'm looking at you Ansic) so the target number is 10 + 4 for hit die + 4 for being bigger than Halee = 18. Halee has a skill modifier of +8, she rolls a 6 and thus fails to intimidate the brute.
Thomas draws his short bow and fires an arrow. He rolls a 15 4 for cover provided to the ogre by Ansic, +5 for his abilities with the short bow and +1 for the Inspire Courage and hits the ogre in the right leg for d6pts of damage, rolling a 5 + 1 for Inspire Courage = 6pts total.
Ansic 5ft steps forward and swings his long sword. He rolls a 2, obviously tripping along the way and misses.
Uthalin 5ft steps forward and swings his dwarven waraxe. He rolls a 17 + 4 to hit + 1 for Inspire Courage and strikes the ogre squarely in the head for d10 + 3 Str + 1 for Inspire Courage points of damage being 5 + 3 +1 = 9pts total.
Cord takes a 5ft step forward and looks admiringly at the large frame of the ogre. If only he'd looked after his diet and pumped more weights, imagine how impressive he would be, all big and buff instead of all big and fat. He shakes his head, longing to get into the combat.
The DM silently sobs and a quiet tear which streaks down his cheek as he witnesses the horrible party gang up upon one of his favorite pet monsters.
ROUND 2A KORGA IS CONFUSED
Confused by the stinging attacks and nasty taunts, Korga starts to take a 5ft step back. He'll use his reach to smash the pesky little invaders.
The goblins directly behind the ogre sense he is going to step back and so they quickly step back 5ft and fire their short bows at Ansic and Uthalin but both shots go wide in the chaos.
Korga steps 5ft back, raises his massive club to squash Ansic and misses.
ROUND 2B BALANCE
Risandor keeps singing his inspirational song and calmly takes his bow, lines up a shot and fires at the ogre but his shot goes wide.
Thomas looks over to Halee and shouts, hey Hal's this is how it's done as he attempts to intimidate the ogre by yelling "You're dead you slothful, hanky-waving sewer rat!!!". The DC is 18 and Thomas rolls a 4 + 9 skill of 13. Korga isn't that impressed.
Thomas shrugs in disappointment and Halee aims and fires a shot from her short bow but misses.
Ansic takes a 5ft step forward and swipes at the ogre but also misses as he tries to avoid a counter thrust.
Uthalin also 5ft steps forward and swings his waraxe but he to misses.
Cord 5ft steps forward but cannot get into the action yet. He is getting really, really, REALLY FRUSTRATED.
ROUND 3A WITHSTANDING THE STORM
The two goblins behind Korga 5ft step back and fire their short bows at Ansic and Uthalin but they both miss again.
Korga switches his attention towards the dwarf but misses him with his club.
The northern eastern most goblin in the western corridor tries a sneaky little stab attack at Ansic whilst he's preoccupied by Korga but he misses too.
The north western most goblin in the eastern corridor tries the same dirty tactic against Uthalin and he hits the dwarf with a nasty groin shot for 2pts of damage.
The goblins immediately flanking Korga fire their short bows against the big human and the dwarf but they both miss.
ROUND 3B THE SURGE
Risandor sings "We are the champions" as the fires another arrow at the ogre but he again misses.
Ansic advances 5ft and stabs at the ogre. He slashes it across the face for 12pts of damage. Blood pours from the brute as it bellows in pain. Briefly glancing down the western passage he is horrified by the horde of goblins that had previously been hidden and he yells to the rear "THOMAS, GET UP HERE AND PROTECT MY BACK!!!!"
Thomas nervously dashes forward, dropping his short bow, drawing his long sword and stabs at the goblin on Ansic's flank. He hits it in the right leg, driving the sword in and past the thigh bone causing 4pts of damage almost dropping the little beast.
Uthalin 5ft steps forward and swings at the brute and buries his waraxe in its head, dropping the menacing fiend with a devastating 12pts of damage. Daintily he whispers to the crowd "It was a doodle". He puts the little finger of this right hand against his lips.
Cord 5ft steps forward and unleashes a torrent of rage in a ferocious combination attack from Milo and Otis upon the nearest goblin. He strikes with the first short sword hit to the groin for 12pts and then he hits again to the left ankle, severing the limb for an additional 9pts. The goblin drops to its knees and Cord places a sword upon each shoulder and with two strokes decapitates the little menace. As its lifeless body slumps to the ground he roars "Don't get ahead of yourself man!!!"
Halee 5ft steps forward marveling at the efficiency of the party.
ROUND 4A TESTING TIMES
Horrified at the carnage and having suffered their first loss in combat (for this combat) and the loss of their champion, the goblins check for morale but the plucky little devils rolls a 4 on 2d6 and will fight on.
The two goblins down the hall redraw their short bows, now unimpeded by the ogre blocking their line of fire and loose a round at Ansic and Uthalin. The first misses Ansic but the second strikes Uthalin in the left thigh for 4pts of damage. The big dwarf grunts as the wounds start to accumulate.
One of the two goblins in the western corridor strikes at Ansic whilst the other strikes at Thomas. Ansic easily brushes away the assault with his shield but Thomas is struck in the chest for 4pts, lucky that it wasn't a critical hit as his reflexes at the last moment saved him from a direct strike to the heart.
The goblin opposite Uthalin stabs warily with its short sword, not really wanting to attract attention to itself and it misses with its pathetic attempt.
A goblin in the eastern corridor steps forward and lunges at Cord critically hitting the barbarian in the right shoulder for 6pts of damage.
The remaining goblins jeer and shuffle forward towards their enemies.
ROUND 4B – THUNDER
As Risandor continues his ditty, Halee whispers to him "Should we fall back?", "Not yet" he responds as he continues his chorus "We are the champions". He steps 5ft forward and looses another arrow but is frustrated as he misses due to the challenge of trying to miss his friends whilst attempting to hit the enemy.
Ansic, standing like an automaton, fearless and rigid. He strikes at his nearest foe but misses.
"Wade into them" yells the Uthalin as he smashes the nearest goblin, striking it in the stomach, disemboweling the monster, dealing 14pts of damage. He immediately 5ft steps forward over his opponent's corpse.
Thundering forward Cord stabs at his nearest opponent, missing with his first and second strikes as the little goblin ducks under his blades.
Halee 5ft steps forward and fires past Cord at one of the goblin archers in the southern corridor but she misses.
Thomas, smarting from his injury but not wanting to fail his friends 5ft steps forward into the middle of the fray and stabs at the goblin that Cord had missed but he misses the crafty little monster too.
ROUND 5A THE ROCK
The two goblin archers fire at Ansic and Thomas. Ansic's arrow thuds into his left shoulder of his armour but is unable to penetrate. The shot at Thomas goes wide and misses the fighter completely.
One of the goblins yells to his fellows to surround the big human, flank him and cut him down. The first advances 5ft and strikes hard with its bitter short sword but he misses.
The wounded goblin 5ft steps forward and takes up a flanking position upon Ansic, attempting to stab him in the back but at the last minute the big human skillfully dodges the blade.
The next two goblins in the western corridor advance and stab at the colossal Ansic but neither is able to hit the veteran. Risandor, witnesses this amazing feat of defensive combat skill mutters to himself "I'm witnessing the birth of a new legend, THE ROCK, is born".
The last two goblins in the western corridor advance 5ft.
The goblin opposite Thomas slashes at him with his short sword but Thomas easily batters it away with his shield.
The two next goblins in the eastern corridor lash out at Uthlain. Both miss as the skillful dwarf blocks their blows with axe and shield.
ROUND 5B – VIGOR
Risandor 5ft steps forward and whilst he sings "No time for losers" and shoots at the nearest goblin but misses again.
Halee drops her short bow and 5ft steps forward to attempts to backstab' the villain flanking Ansic. She critically hits it in the back of the skull penetrating the brain cavity with her morning star and dealing a massive 14pts of damage to the goblin. "Finally" she mutters to herself. Risandor winks and gives her a thumbs up.
Thomas wonders how he got into this position. Drawing his longsword to his face he instinctly goes into his training routines in an Intimidating Dazzling Display towards the goblins in the eastern corridor. They wonder who this mad man is, wounded in battle and going into a practice routine in front of their eyes. [Thomas has taken the feats Skill Focus Intimidation, Weapon Focus Long Sword and Dazzling Display to enable him to try to intimidate entire groups of enemies. He needs a DC of 10 +1 for targets hit dice and -1 for opponent's wisdom modifier and a bonus of +4 as he is larger than his opponent for a final DC of 6. Thomas has a skill bonus of +9 so cannot fail unless he roles a 1. He rolls a 6 + 9 = 15, beating his target number by 9 and shaking his opponents for two rounds.
Impressed Cord gives Thomas the two swords up and assaults the goblin opposite him. He smashes the goblin with Otis in the left leg for 10pts of damage and strikes him with Milo in the chest for a further 9pts of damage. Cord laughs as he decapitates his opponent once again with his signature strike, utters the words "Don't lose your head" and 5ft steps over the stricken body.
Uthalin raises his waraxe above his head and brings it down upon the goblin opposite him but misses at the last minute as the goblin deflects the blade with his short sword.
Ansic strikes at the goblin directly to his west. He slices it in its left shoulder, cutting it to the bone and incapacitating it for 12pts of damage. He 5ft steps to the west, disappearing into the corridor.
DEW
