SESSION 47: MOMENTUM
"Ok let's do it" says Lothar.
Trone and Lothar had been debating the merit of hiring some mercenaries to help them at the caves. Whilst they had profited well from their first forage they are quite worried that, even with the power of Asmodeus helping them, the odds are stacked against them.
Over the next two days they make their preparations. Lothar spends his days scribing scrolls of Cure Light Wounds and is able to inscribe 8 over the two days. They decide that they need more protection and visit Fenton and sell their scale mail armour and purchase a set of chain mail armour each.
As the caravans come and go some guards are not retained. [DMs note, there is a 50% chance of 1d4+1 mercenaries being available per day at The Salty Tusk, see page 10 of the module]. During the two days of preparation they are able to find three guards, Tedrick, Lamarr and Georg. Not quite as many as they would have liked but it'll be enough.
They talk to Fenton about masterworking Trones long sword but Fenton says it'll take a week. Hmmm Trone and Lothar want to get back to the caves much quicker than that. "A composite long bow?" asks Trone. "A week," responds Fenton. "What about a couple of planks of wood?", "Here have these for free."
"Alright it looks like this is all we're going to get at short notice" observes Lothar.
"Agreed, lets rest tonight and we'll go at first light tomorrow morning."
Summary of the party's finances is below.
In terms of party equipment, Trone has a potion of Cure Light Wounds (ie one from his initial equipment) and Lothar has 9 scrolls of Cure Light Wounds (one from his initial starting equipment and a further 8 just scribed).
They rise early on the morning of the 26th and make their final preparations. None of the other party have risen yet and so they take breakfast with only Eldred to keep them company.
"What will you do?" asks Eldred.
"We'll slaughter all of the kobolds and rid this land of them once and for all?" responds Lothar as a look of pride spreads across his face.
"How many of them are there?"
Trone interjects "It doesn't matter, we've got the power of Asmodeus with us and we will prevail."
Lamarr offers his opinions, "The kobolds are weak cowardly things. They often set traps for us which might damage one of the wagons and then they would sometimes attack but we always beat them off. One man is work two kobolds. We'll be fine."
"I'll have Karla get your lodgings in order for when you return" confidently offers Eldred.
Leaving the warmth of the tavern they notice that the weather has turned overnight. The temperature has dropped and it is overcast and gloomy. Looking up at the sky, shielding his eyes from the glare of the sun coming through the clouds Trone says "Looks like it might rain".
Bending down and patting Luki, Lothar agrees "Let's get on with it. Glory or death awaits."
The guards look sideways at each other and silently thing "hmm we're here more for the glory rather than the death….".
They leave the small hamlet and stride towards the caves.
Along the way Lamarr asks Lothar "So how many kobolds did you meet the first time?"
"Six but they had pets about 20 or so large….." Lothar never answers the question for to the left of them, they hear some strange clicking sounds and then, emerging from the bank of the shallow river two large armoured crabs appears. [DM's note – rolled a 1 on a d6 to check for a random encounter and then two giant crabs on the random encounter table].
Initial set up for the encounter sees the two party members and their three guards in a lose formation whilst Loki and Luther are running around enjoying themselves picking up scents and all the rest of things that dogs do when they are on a walk.
The two giant crabs appear about 20 to 30 feet to the south east.
ROUND 1A – NOT SOFT SHELLED CRABS
Initiative: Monsters = 1 + 1 = 2. Party = 7 + 0 = 7
• Lothar uses Move Action to do a Handle an Animal Action on Luther. The action will be to Attack the nearest crab. It's a DC 10 check and Lothars' Handle Animal skill is 3 so he'll need to roll a 7 on a D20. He rolls a 4 and Luther looks back at Lothar dumbfounded and cannot understand command. He immediately turns uses his Standard Action as a Move Action and tries again. He rolls a 1 and Luther fails to understand his masters command [DM's Note – never, and I mean never, work with children or animals. FC on the graphic means Failed Command].
• Trone Charges the nearest crab and stabs at it with his long sword. He places himself between the two monsters hoping to use Cleave if he hits the first but he just misses the first crab.
• Seeing Trone charge in Tedrick follows suit and charges the nearest crab, stabbing at it with his spear but he also misses.
• Georg charges the southern most giant crab and also misses.
• Lamarr cannot get in a straight charge so he moves up to try to attack next round.
• Excited by all the action Luther and Loki bark incessantly at the crabs and go on their default Guard mode. If either crab should attack Lothar they will respond by attacking them.
ROUND 1B – DOUBLE TROUBLE
• The northern most crab attacks 1-3 Tedrick, 4-6 Trone, 6 = Trone with its two claws. It misses with one but the other gabs him on the right leg and does 6pts of damage.
• The second crab attacks 1-3 Trone, 4-6 Georg, 5 = Georg with its two claws. It hits him twice, grabbing him both times in the left shoulder for 4 and 3 pts of damage. Georg squeals and will need to take a morale check next round (as it is the first time he's been wounded).
ROUND 2A – A TESTING TIME
House Rule #2: Morale. For a solo or remote campaign, it's more important to have rules for both monster and player character retainer morale. For the monsters, I've essentially adopted the same morale statistics as in Basic D&D. Monsters will test upon their first casualty and upon reaching 50% casualties. Retainers test against a base morale of 15, being the same number required under a Diplomacy check for providing aid that could result in punishment. This is modified by their leaders Diplomacy skills, if they have fought together before with success or failure in their previous engagement (positive or negative modified of 2) and a retainer can have other individual modifiers for personality characteristics such as bravery or cowardice, religious fever, military training. All modifiers could be a positive or negative modifier of 2 and are cumulative. Retainers take an individual test the first time they are wounded. Each individual in a unit takes a test upon the first death of a team mate and upon 50% of the party being dead. As such retainers in a party may start to fail morale and fall away but it's unlikely that all of them would route at once.
• Georg was wounded last round and will need to take a morale test. He'll need to roll a 15 – 2 for prior military training – 6 for Lothars' Diplomacy skill = 7 or more on a d20. He rolls a 12 and will stay in the fight. He stabs at the crab opposite him trying for some revenge but he misses.
• Lamarr 5ft steps to the south east and attacks Georgs' crab and also misses.
• Trone attacks the crab to the east and hits it for 10pts of damage, deeply penetrating its carapace. He immediately Cleaves the crab to the south east and hits it also for another 6pts of damage, chopping off one of its legs.
• Tedrick stabs at the northern most crab but he also misses.
• Lothar wants to cast Cure Light Wounds on Trone this round but cannot quite get to him in time so he moves forward 20ft to the south east and uses his Standard Action to again try to get Luther to attack. He rolls a 9 and the hound recognises his masters command and moves into an attack stance.
• Luther rushes forward and attacks the crab, nipping at its legs but he misses.
ROUND 2B – THE SHAK
• The northern most crab is becoming confused by the amount of enemies engaging it. It attacks 1-2 Luther, 3-4 Tedrick and 5-6 Trone, 1 = Luther with two claws but it misses both times.
• The remaining crab attacks 1-2 Trone, 3-4 Georg, 5-6 Lamarr, 1 = Trone with two claws and misses him both times.
ROUND 3A – SOOTHING SALVE
• Lamarr 5ft steps to the east and attacks the southern most crab with his spear. Whilst he does miss he has set up a flank position for Georg and Trone.
• Trone takes full advantage of this and stabs at the southern most crab with his long sword but he misses.
• Georg stabs with his spear and also misses.
• Luther isn't intelligent enough to use advanced tactics to try to flank the crab (rolled a 14 against an Int of 2) and attacks the northern most crab and misses.
• Tedrick stabs with his spear and also misses. It's like these crabs have heavily armoured shells!!!
• Lothar 5ft steps to the east and casts Cure Light Wounds upon Trone healing him by 6pts.
ROUND 3B – MINDLESS ASSUALT
• Clickering to themselves the two crabs continue their attack.
• The northern most crab attacks 2 = Luther again and again misses the dog twice.
• The southern most crab turns its attention to George and hits him once on the left shoulder again, deeply scaring the frontiersman and dealing 5pts of damage. Georg screams in pain and is almost rendered unconscious.
ROUND 4A – CALCULATED BENEFITS
• Lothar is frustrated that he needs to use one of his precious scrolls of Cure Light Wounds upon a mere guard but rationalises that he'll need all the combat power he can get once they get to the caves. He casts a Cure Light Wounds upon Georg healing 9pts of damage. Lothar uses his Move Action to try to get Luki to attack and he rolls an 18.
• The hound immediately moves up and attacks the crab but he too cannot quite penetrate the tough shell of the monster.
• From his flanking position Trone attacks the southern crab and smashes it for 11pts of damage. He immediately turns and attempts to Cleave the northern crab and hits it for 9pts of damage almost killing it outright.
• Georg attacks the crab opposite him but once again misses.
• Lamarr tries to stab it from his flanking position and also misses.
• Luthar nips at the northern crab and misses.
• And finally Tedrick stabs at the northern crab but he also cannot penetrate its hard outer shell.
ROUND 4B – A STING IN THE TAIL
• In its last dying grasp the northern crab attacks 5 = Trone but misses him both times. The superior armour and training of the devout warrior, despite the fact he is cleaving, is enabling him to fend off multiple attacks.
• From its exertions the northern most crab bleeds out 1pt of damage and dies.
• The southern most crab attacks 1 = Trone, 2 = Georg, 3 = Luki and 4 = Lamarr = 4 Lamarr. The monster spins and tries to pincer the guard and nips him on the head for 3pts of damage with the first attack but misses with the second attack.
ROUND 5A – FORTUNE
• Lamarr must test morale and needs a 7 or more on a d20. He rolls a 16 and easily passes.
• Luther advances 10ft to the south and nips at the beast but misses.
• Trone flails away in frustration and also misses.
• Tedrick moves up and completes the surrounding of the crab and stabs at it with his spear but just misses.
• Georg tries to kill it quickly but also misses.
• Luki attacks and grabs the monster in his maul, dealing 9pts of damage, killing the monster.
• "You always were my favourate Luki" Lothar thinks to himself.
A quick check of the party shows that everyone is still at full health with the exception of Georg and Lamarr who have 9 or 12 hit points left.
Trone turns to Lothar, "Well that was unexpected."
"Yes it seems that the borderlands haven't been tamed yet. Still that could have been much worse. I don't think our guards hit once."
"Trone you have been touched by Asmodeus there is no doubt. When we get back to the Keep the first thing we're going to do is to get you a better sword. You deserve it."
Chuckling to himself Trone turns to towards the caves, "Let's go. We've still got a lot to do."
DEW
updates the bases on some cheap pre-paints.
