The Unseen Servant forums

Sorry for the late post. I am in the middle of traveling. I'll do my best to keep up.

Maybe the Ogre Cave secret door is not guarded. Possibly Lardo can use a small sip of that potion and do some scouting.

I think Saeros and Lardo's suggestion to go via ogre cave is good.

i too agree sounds like a good starting point.

Maybe we can park the animals in there?

I want to check the secret door from the cave-side first and make sure it's still spiked — that would indicate to me that the hobgoblins are unaware of it.

Removing the spikes could generate some noise. I don't suppose we have access to a silence spell, do we?

Gelatinous Q wrote:I want to check the secret door from the cave-side first and make sure it's still spiked — that would indicate to me that the hobgoblins are unaware of it.

Removing the spikes could generate some noise. I don't suppose we have access to a silence spell, do we?

Maybe wrapping the spikes in a sack can help muffle the noise.

I envision iron spikes as similar to railroad spikes or pitons (they weigh around 12 oz each), and that jamming the door involved pounding them into rock. How do you propose to remove them? It's not like they're nails you can yank out with a claw hammer.

Spartakos wrote:I envision iron spikes as similar to railroad spikes or pitons (they weigh around 12 oz each), and that jamming the door involved pounding them into rock. How do you propose to remove them? It's not like they're nails you can yank out with a claw hammer.

Oh...oh well..... so removing them will make some noise. But if they are still there we can at least know nobody was probably in the Ogre Cave. maybe it can serve as a base of some sort.

Lets head to the Ogre cave and check it out.

Door is still spiked. Bearskin is gone. Goblins probably fled. Hobgoblins might have a way into Goblin lair since no one saw them enter/leave. So we can possibly get in that way and get to the prisoners.

Lardo can do some invisible recon thru the first few rooms. Gotta think the hobgoblins are spread thin if they've taken over the goblin lair.

How long do I have on one dose of the potion?

Maybe with Saeros and Cornac as back up at the entrance just in case. Give a yell and we can help.

Potion invisibility duration is in the LL book. I'd look , but I'm at work. I think a few turns, each turn is 10 minutes. Should be good to scout if you sip at the entrance.

See what Spartakos thinks.

Gelatinous Q wrote: How long do I have on one dose of the potion?

A healthy swig (1/8 of the potion) lasts for 3-6 turns (a half hour to an hour), though it will of course be negated if you take hostile action during that time.

Drinking the whole potion lasts much longer; the potion description says "as the spell", but the spell is technically of infinite duration unless broken, and I think that's too strong for a potion. I am ruling that a full potion will last 24 hours if not broken before before then.
(of course, I find that the most common use for invisibility is short-term anyway, so using it in swigs is more likely).

I am good with the idea of using the potion to scout, and thank you for volunteering Gelatinous. Focus should be on finding the path to hobgoblin caves and eventually the prisoners.

Here's what I propose:
• Assuming it's clear, Lardo will take one swig of the potion at the mouth of the goblin caves and work his way in, moving silently, to the room where we fought the ogre.
• If the coast is clear there, he will give a three knock signal on the secret door, letting the party know that they can de-spike the door and come through.
• Along the way he will note hobgoblin numbers & positions, as well as goblin and hobgoblin losses. Also looking for side passages, doors, etc.
• I'm a little worried that the wolf may now be in the hobgoblins' service, and that he might be able to sniff Lardo out. So if he has an opportunity to discretely mask his scent with a dead goblin's/hobgoblin's gear, he'll do so.

Gelatinous Q wrote:Here's what I propose:
• Assuming it's clear, Lardo will take one swig of the potion at the mouth of the goblin caves and work his way in, moving silently, to the room where we fought the ogre.
• If the coast is clear there, he will give a three knock signal on the secret door, letting the party know that they can de-spike the door and come through.
• Along the way he will note hobgoblin numbers & positions, as well as goblin and hobgoblin losses. Also looking for side passages, doors, etc.
• I'm a little worried that the wolf may now be in the hobgoblins' service, and that he might be able to sniff Lardo out. So if he has an opportunity to discretely mask his scent with a dead goblin's/hobgoblin's gear, he'll do so.

Im good with that. But Saeros and someone else like Cormac , can be at the cave entrance in case you run into trouble and need back up. Then we can help you in a hurry, instead of unspiking the door or running from the Ogre cave.

If its dark & quiet in the cave- it might be abandoned. For now anyway.

Heads up, guys: I start a new M-F 8-5 job tomorrow. Posting will probably be pretty light over the next week or two as I get on-boarded.

To let everyone know, Bloodaxe has left the game. Saeros will continue this expedition as an NPC, and then you can decide what to do with him.

any reason as to why he left?