"Pathfinder Campaign - A Call to Arms - S24" Topic

SESSION 24: RECONCILIATION

The party quickly search the bodies of Uffe, Raakel and the Matriarch that they had just slain and the room as the grease spell dissipates, leaving a nasty stain over Uffe's old rug. .

Uffe was carrying 31gp and a large gold ring set with a gem stone, Raakel has 3gp and the Martriarch has a further 7gp. Uffe was well equipped with the great axe and half plate armour, Raakel with chainmail and a falchion and the Matriarch with studded leather and a falchion.

Searching the room they find, under the bed and in the chest of draws, a small wine barrel, a sack with 500gp, 2 sets of chainmail armour, 4 long swords, an iron chest with another 241gp, a scroll, a potion and a funny looking, especially fine looking length of rope. Risandor quickly casts Detect Magic and the scroll, potion and rope are all magic.

No one has Spell Craft in the party so they decide to gather the items and they'll somehow identify them later.

No one has the Appraise skill either but it can be used untrained. Being the most intelligent (ahem with an intelligence of 14) Risandor sees if he can quickly Appraise Uffe's ring with Halee's assistance. Halee needs to roll a DC 10 to assist with an intelligence modifier of +0. She rolls a 20 and provides valuable assistance. Risandor needs a 20 to appraise with modifiers of +2 for Intelligence and +2 for Aid Another provided by Halee. He also rolls a 20 and confidently appraises the ring to have a value of 700gp (nice, might as well get all those 20's out of the way now).

Uthalin is given the last remaining party Healing Potion and he drinks it healing back 6pts of damage.

Party statistics are as follows:
- Halee, 9hp out of 9hp.
- Ansic, 16hp out of 16hp.
- Cord, 10hp out of 14hp. One round of rage used out of a total of 11 per day. 10 rounds of rage left.
- Risandor, 9hp out of 9hp. One first level spell used and one first level spell slot left. Used 5 rounds of Inspire Courage out of a total of 7 per day. 2 rounds of Inspire Courage left.
- Uthalin, 11hp out of 14hp.
- Thomas, 13hp out of 13hp.
- Dedrik, 1hp out of 12hp. Has taken the short bow from Penn who is now unconscious.
- Ghislain, 5hp out of 12hp.
- Lorah, -4hp out of 12hp. Unconscious.
- Penn, -1hp out of 12hp. Unconscious.

Total loot:
- 741gp in gold and jewelry
- 1 set of half plate armour
- 3 sets of chainmail armour
- 1 set of studded leather armour
- 4 long swords
- 2 falchions
- 3 sets of orc ears
- 1 magic great axe
- 1 magic rope
- 1 magic scroll
- 1 magic potion

The two unconscious team members can be dragged by one person at half speed and if done over a long distance they'll probably be further injured. They can be carried at ¾ speed by two people. The suits of armour are also heavy and will need to be distributed amongst the party members if they are to be recovered.

As they are searching the room they hear a number of footsteps coming down the hall which stop. Some harsh, guttural and obviously robust conversation is held between a number of loud mouthed orcs.

One of the orcs steps around a corner in the corridor which is 40ft to the east and shouts in Common, "Wat you want?"

DEW

They do have some more minions back there… I am genuinely surprised.

"What do we want?"
"What are they offering?"

One idea is to attempt to draw them out to get an approximation of their numbers. We'd need a dialog hook to hang a diplomacy check on.

A different plan – We could turn the bed on its side, advancing with it as a makeshift barrier/shield one side at a time with archers firing around and over it, then dropping it and charging at the right moment… If it is just a frame with lumpy, thin mattress, we can loop a rope around it, tying it up (not the magic rope) to keep it together before using it as a shield, then recover the rope after we are done with this "nest."

Another possibility: identify selves as the party that eliminated the orc tribe in the other cave, had no trouble with them. also had no trouble with your so called leader, see, here's his head. Try to intimidate, tell them leave now or suffer the same fate. If they go, great. If it incites them to rage, let them charge and get funneled in the narrow corridor where they can't use their numbers. Upend the bed across the doorway as a barrier to blunt their charge, grease the hallway and fire it, trapping a bunch of them there, hopefully. Use arrows from behind the barrier. Throw caltrops down the corridor to slow their advance/retreat. Have someone close the 2 secret doors, just to prevent being surprised from the rear (not very likely, but easy to prevent). Is there anyone who could upgrade with the found half plate armor?
Other idea: is there any advantage in trying to persuade them to fight one of the other cave dwelling tribes, like goblins or hobgoblins? Or are orcs too cowardly and untrustworthy for something like that?

If there's not that many then I don't think it's much problem but if there's a whole bunch then caltrops in the hallway would be useful.

Back in the beginning of S15 we cut up that net trap and brought the net with us.
We could use it to tie the bed together or to hold all the large bulky loot and let the men at arms guard/carry.

Two reasons we cannot persuade them to ally with us:

#1 Uthalin would never allow it, I don't even think he'd allow it as part of a ruse, the hatred is too much.

#2 Orcs are too unpredictable and untrustworthy.

RAW, we cannot Intimidate without being within 30ft, so we would have to advance or get them to come to us, then do the whole Thomas with the Uffe's head option & Dazzling Display to affect more than one (mechanically, Intimidate is a Standard Action that if successful, affects only one opponent unless you have the Feat Thomas's player took, "Dazzling Display," which can affect all enemies within 30ft and line of sight.)

So we either have to draw them to us so he can do it, or us advance to them and do it.

What do we want?
We want to talk. Come on down the corridor,. come closer, say, within 30 feet…so you can hear us clearly…

Yea, that's it. All of you…

"It's ok, Gary sent us…"

Look, come closer. Just to show we mean no harm, we'll even block the doorway with this old bed, so we can't rush out at you. See, perfectly safe. Come here…