Watchfort Reclamation, Summer 668

[Leitz]

Point of order: Balin is an alchemist, so you have 2 in the company. You have 2 Clerics and 3 Mages in total as well. Hemia as a Healer can help out with alchemy though her focus is of course on medicines. Morwen and Cuivne can both assist on most technical matters as well.

I'm not sure that JJh has the info, but he will get as many folks involved as possible.

[scarik]

Point of order: Balin is an alchemist, so you have 2 in the company. You have 2 Clerics and 3 Mages in total as well. Hemia as a Healer can help out with alchemy though her focus is of course on medicines. Morwen and Cuivne can both assist on most technical matters as well.

I'm not sure that JJh has the info, but he will get as many folks involved as possible.

At this point you can assume you know everything you need to about the skills and classes of the company members.

This adventure is over so this thread is for wrapping up. Clearing the area will get its own thread.

[GreyWolfVT]

Balin enters to see what is going on "I'm a bit of an alchemist what do ya need help with?" he asks having been originally at the front of the caves before the battle and having overheard a bit of what was recently said decided to enter and speak with Bofur and the others.

[Leitz]

Jing Ji-ho

Stepping slightly to include Balin in the conversation, Ji-ho nodded to the others. "You're right, and in the din of things I had forgotten. Besides clearing the area around the fort, we need to prepare for winter here. I ask that alchemical experiments not be done in the fort, as the air circulation is low. That means we need a building, a workshop, for those of you who wish to make potions."

"The current question also include taking any components or poisons from the spiders before it goes bad. I have no issue with that, but I have no skill for it either. Taking the poison may help with antidotes, or other processes you all know and I do not."

"Si-woo will be going back to Borderton in the first group. If any of you wish to join him for your own reasons, feel free. If there are things you need procured, he can help with that, although he is not an alchemist either. At Borderton the treasure will be exchanged for coin, so you will have your full pay to deal with."

[scarik]

Who is staying to pacify the surrounding area and thus make it safe to use as a rest stop?

[Leitz]

Of the people that I control directly:

Staying: Jing Ji-ho, Morphin, Darfilla, Verdugo, the rest of the troops (3 LI, 3 Sk, 3 HI, 2 HXb).

Going to town: Si-Woo, Rolton, Hemia, Gar, Drotik (starting his quest), 3 LI

Morwen, Bofur, Gurav, and their henchpeeps are up to the respective players/DM. Any who stay are welcome, but the treasure is going with Si-woo so that he can turn it into coin.

Bofur can take his in the gems we've found, up to him.

[scarik]

i will set up the clearing operation this afternoon

[roobeastie]

Morwen and her companions are staying to help with the cleanup, and to see what other items might be discovered, since they could end up being useful as reagents.

[scarik]

Gurav will be staying with the fort to get it ready. I assume the PCs are all present

It is early morning when the patrol sets out on foot to secure the land around the reclaimed fort. The excavated hill itself will be a good safekeep and to those with a military mind its fair to say it can currently secure about 5 square miles of the area through occupation and vigilance of the garrison. But first the surroundings need to be cleared of monsters and noted for dangers and resources. They expect it will take two days to do a full survey of the immediate area and after that they can spread out further.

One thing they know is that water won't be an issue. The fort is of cunning make, designed to divert the heavy mists into the cisterns and the area to both north and south of the buried road is crisscrossed with furrows that fill up with water and form streams and pools. On hot summer days only the deepest ones stay filled past noon, but that leaves plenty of groundwater for early risers. If anything keeping dry is the real challenge.

The day is grey and dim a light breeze has failed to displace the pooling mists around mid morning. As always those mists lay thickest in the furrows so that you have to be on top of them to see the water pooled there. The men are well accustomed to taking care and using their spears and staves to check the ground and steady their gait and are glad to be afoot as this particular patch of grassland would be treacherous for horses. All is going well with the lighter infantry screened out ahead.

And then the wind changes and a foul stench of death and rot rises up from one of the deeper depressions. The sheer magnitude of the odor would make a buzzard's stomach turn and no one is surprised to see corpse that caused it. They are taken aback, however, when it leaps to its feet with harrowing speed and rushes for the nearest man. Luckily the monster has sprung its ambush too soon and it has ground to cover. Less luckily there are a dozen and a half of the foul ghouls behind it likewise rushing toward the patrol!




You are not surprised and are in an open, skirmishing formation while patrolling.
You have a round to change formation and prepare to meet them in melee.
Ji-ho should roll Captain to deploy the men.
Morwen should roll Scholar to identify these undead.

Clearing Land Encounter Hex 1 [1d6]=6
Encounter [1d100]=80
Encounter [1d100]=29 subtable k
No. Appearing [4d6]=17, [1d6]=6
Surprise [1d6]=6 None.

[roobeastie]

Scholar [2d6]=6

[Leitz]

JJh Captain [_2d6+1]=(5+5)=10+1=11

[scarik]

Morwen can confirm that these things are Ghouls. Their claws and maws drip with venom empowered with black magic that paralyzes the living. And by the foul stench she knows there are Ghasts among them: more powerful, but indistinguishable save for the stench. Unfortunately she can't tell which are which and you will only know when forced to make saves vs poison due to nausea.
Ji-ho succeeds handily and can set up to handle the enemy. There are 23 of them coming at you directly without any formation in two groups since their ambush failed. The first half enters melee just as you form your line.

You may make missile attacks. They will randomly be distributed since you can't tell which targets are the Ghasts.
Ghouls have 2HD and 2hp. They are Decently Armed.
Ghats have 4HD and 4hp. They are Well-armed.

[Leitz]

Jing Ji-ho

By this time everyone knew their place. Morphin ran to post, centered towards the threat. Gurav and his kin fell in line to Morphin's left, the heavy infantry formed a small shield wall to Morphin's right. Verdugo was to the right of the HI, and then the LI in descending line to guard the flank.

The missile troops fired and then retreated to the line, the HxB to Gurav's far left, the Sk to the far right. Jing Ji-ho fell back to replace Morphin, who joined the HI. Darfilla ran behind JJh and prepared herself.


Short Range, Missiles need 3+ to hit
Sk: 6 to pen ghoul, 7 for ghast
HxB: 5 to pen ghoul, 6 for ghast
JJh: As Sk
Note that the "Current Roster" arms for JJh and Verdugo are accurate *after* the others return from town. Right now JJh has a self bow and Verdugo has no missile weapon. Not sure Darfilla has any spells yet, either.

Sk: 2 connected, no hits.
Sk vs Ghoul/Ghast [_3d6]=(5+1+4)=10[_3d6]=(3+3+2)=8

HxB: 2 connected, 1 potential hit. Depends on if you're taking the dice in order, or 1:1
Hxb vs Ghoul/Ghast [_3d6]=(4+1+6)=11[_3d6]=(1+6+1)=8

JJh: 4 connected, 2 possible hits if they are ghouls
Ji-Ho Missile Attacks [_4d6]=(4+5+4+6)=19, Missile Damage [_4d6]=(6+6+5+3)=20

[Leitz]

For the other PCs, the best place for Morwen and hers are behind Ji-ho. It's a new day, and Morwen would have her spells. Keeping Macnav close to her will help if/when the uglies break through the line.

If Bofur and his are here, then far left. That way he's with the other dwarves.

If the clerics can turn any of these beasties, it'd help. At least if it can slow them down.

[GreyWolfVT]

Bofur "Dwalin yer a priest ya know what ta do." he says not really sure what to have his alchemist elder dwarf friend Balin do. He himself knows what to do strike from a ranged position until melee is the only option.

missile attack hit [_3d6]=(3+4+2)=9 damage [_3d6]=(6+4+3)=13
missile attack hit [_3d6]=(6+6+3)=15 damage [_3d6]=(1+6+4)=11
missile attack hit [_3d6]=(4+2+5)=11 damage [_3d6]=(3+2+1)=6

just throwing some ranged out there

[roobeastie]

Morwen

Glancing at Macnav and Cuivne, assured they knew what to do, Morwen moved to stand behind Ji-ho, while taking a moment to survey the assembled hungry undead. She decided to see if she could figure out which were ghasts, so she could focus exclusively on them. With an assured air about her, Morwen cast Command Undead at the ones she identified.

Spy Skill [_2d6]=(6+1)=7

[scarik]

The slathering fiends close in and the men, while well lead, shrink slightly at the unholy mass before them. Were they but soldiers lead by common officers there is little chance they would hold for long, but their leaders are anything but common.

A flurry of missiles does less effect than expected but one of the foul ghouls is struck and falls lifeless into the mud. Others simply shrug off the missiles and continue on.

Balin the Runepriest steps forward, strikes his hammer to his shield and the runes he has carved on both glow pale blue in the grey morning light, "Blasphemous beasts! Cower before the Carver of Worlds!" he roars at the oncoming undead, and for a brief moment the clouds part and the rays of the sun illuminate several of the ghouls. The horrid beasts recoil at the touch of the holy light and flee with all haste.

More subtly Morwen's necromantic magic takes effect causing the lead Ghast to slow down and then suddenly round on its fellows in the second wave with fiendish rage. One of the Ghouls stumbles as well as it tries to fight off her spell.

Of the dozen undead who charged only 5 reach the line and as they do their stench drives men back as if struck. If it weren't for the heroic presence of Jing Jiho and Bofur the line may well have broken right then. But their keen battlesenses allow them to intercept the more potent Ghasts and focus their horrid powers on themselves.

The Undead are immune to subdual and never check morale.
To repeat from earlier. Gurav and his kin are not patrolling. He will winter at the fort and join you on clearing the others but if you want to control them then the PCs are on their own to clear and hold the territory.

Is Darfilla here? Her Burning Hands spell would be handy once you are fully in melee.

JJh Ghoul (1-3) or Ghast (4) [_2d4]=(4+2)=6 JJh hits a ghoul.
Bofur Ghoul (1-3) or Ghast (4) [_1d4]=(1)=1 Bofur hits a ghoul.

I believe you both rolled not enough attacks. I'm going to give you the benefit of leveling up so the PCs are at least Level 4 and the NPCs are level 2.
Make up missile attacks [_3d6]=(1+1+2)=4, [_3d6]=(4+3+3)=10 No help.

Macnav Javelin,[_2d6]=(2+3)=5, [_2d6]=(3+6)=9, target [1d4]=4 Maybe...
Macnav maybe wound (needs 7) vs Ghast [1d6]=3 Alas.

Balin Turn Undead [_2d6]=(5+2)=7 Undead of up to his level (2) are Turned with a total of 9HD worth repelled. Ghouls have 2HD so this sends 4 of them fleeing. As with all Channel rolls this requires him to concentrate on the effect and take no other actions apart from moving at a walk.
Dwalin ranged [_3d6]=(5+4+2)=11, [_3d6]=(3+2+2)=7, target [1d4]=4 His pick hits a ghast but does nothing.

Morwen Targets 1 Ghast and another on 3+ [_1d4]=(1)=1 1 Ghast and 1 Ghoul are targeted by Command Undead
Save vs Command Undead Ghast [2d6]=3, Ghoul [2d6]=7 The Ghast suffers the full effect and is under Morwen's complete control. The Ghoul is resisting and gets to retry the save each round until this result changes. As long as it is not attacked it will stay where it is and do nothing else.

All told you get the benefit of combining damage so 1 Ghoul is slain, 4 are turned and 1 is partly Commanded. 1 Ghast is Fully Commanded and turns on its fellows in the second wave.
The first wave was 12 enemies, 9 Ghouls and 3 Ghasts. 6 Ghouls are otherwise removed as is 1 Ghast. 3 Ghouls and 2 Ghasts reach melee.

Melee is joined
Bofur and Ji-ho each must fight a Ghast and make Saving Throw ( [_2d6]+CON misc bonuses) vs their nauseas aura. Anyone else who attacks the Ghasts must also make this save.
Dwalin, Morphin, and Verdugo can face the Ghouls at 1 each.
I will assume you maintain the line and so if those people fail to take out their enemies you can add some soldier attacks.

[Leitz]

Jing Ji-ho

With a strong voice Ji-ho encouraged everyone. Darfilla prepared her spell, but waited for a gap in the line. Had she not been so terrified, she would have made a suggestive comment about protecting such a nice rear.

Encouraged by their leader, and unwilling to show fear in front of their men, Morphin and Verdugo destroy their opponents.



JJh Con save: Rolled a 10, yay!
Pair dice roll [_2d6]=(5+5)=10

JJh attack the ghast on him: 3 hits
Ji-ho Melee attacks: [1d6+1]=1+1=2 [1d6+1]=5+1=6 [1d6+1]=5+1=6 [1d6+1]=6+1=7
The attack I forgot, even after you mentioned it: 0 hits
JJh missing attack [_1d6]=(1)=1

Morphin attack: 2 hits
Morphin attack [_3d6]=(2+5+6)=13

Verdugo attack: 2 hits
Verdugo attack [_3d6]=(4+5+2)=11


2 HI help with Ghast:
#1 Save: 7 Pair dice roll [_2d6]=(2+5)=7
#1 Attack: 0 hits One d6 [_1d6]=(2)=2

#2 Save: Pair dice roll [_2d6]=(3+5)=8
#2 Attack: I think 0, since Decent Armed vs Well of Ghast Henchman Melee Attack [_1d6]=(5)=5

[Leitz]

Updated JJh's attacks above, since I forgot one. He missed.

[GreyWolfVT]

Bofur
[2d6+1]=7+1=8 Save I assume that is a save?
melee attack [3d6]=15
Well Armed dmg [1d12]=11
melee attack [3d6]=10
Well Armed dmg [1d12]=8

Dwalin
melee attack [3d6]=10
Well Armed dmg [1d12]=6
melee attack [3d6]=15
Well Armed dmg [1d12]=2

I only had a well armed dmg macro not sure what the difference is for decently armed vs well armed