Assault on the Slavers Stockade

[Mr. Trommer]

We should be able to finish aff the rest of the archers with a web spell. The web should be able to anchor and go all around the 5 foot walkway and catch most of them. Then there are the remaining ones in the tower.

[Dell]

For those that weren't there on Sunday (Raven) a little summary of our actions:

We boated back to Blue, where we delivered the rescued slaves over to Trevor. It took about a week for Cedrus to get trained - because of this, he owes Dell 1500 gold. We split up the magic items like this:

Iron Band (Ring of Spell Storing) - Dell
Battered, plain ring (Not fully identified) - Dell
Dagger (Extra bonus against spellcasters) - Al
Bracers (AC6) - Winthrop
Worn, smooth stone (Luckstone) - Raven
Brooch with pearl setting (Pearl of Wisdom) - Cedrus
Potion ("invisibility":) - Raven
Ivory and Onyx ring (Ring of Protection) - Otto

The Saltmarsh contingent and Pavel went ahead to scout while we waited for Cedrus to train. They did an excellent job of recon, as Pavel's Assassin skills let him infiltrate the stockade disguised as a Hobgoblin. Then we spent roughly a month trying to decide on a plan to invade the base without them giving an alarm. And so far, the outside guards haven't managed to notify the people inside, so I think we're doing fine.

And Raven is watching the horses in a cave somewhere.

----

As of right now, the hobgoblins in the front tower are all asleep, so we can get rid of them with little difficulty.All we need to do is wipe out the archers on the right and we have it made. If we keep control of the towers, the hobgoblins will have no place to run except towards our fighters. They can't even retreat, because the gate is down and the drawbridge is up.

[Dead Greyhawk]

The color code is:
blue = ground level
black = 20 feet up
maroon = 30 feet up
green = 40 feet up

I'll annotate this more tomorrow. Feel free to fill in Raven and comment.

[Wolfgar]

Dell said:

All we need to do is wipe out the archers on the right and we have it made.

We need to keep the hobgoblins off of the other tower so they cannot sound the gong on that side. We should keep the archers up on the tower we control to take out any hobgoblins that try to make a break for the gong before we can take the other tower. I suggest we pile all of the dead hobgoblins on the trap door to prevent them from coming up while we take out this level. Of course there may be another trap door up from the second floor in the other tower. I like Winthrop's suggestion of webbing but I think we may want to keep his few remaining spells for once we are inside. How about tossing in the Pelor stone to blind them followed by Al, the lion and I charging in to hacking them up. Dell can secure the exits to make sure reinforcements don't arrive. Once we have the second tower we can use it to take covered arrow practice on the remaining hobgoblins on the wall.

Speaking of arrow practice, can Raven make a miraculous recovery and join us after we have taken the outer buildings? It is not that far back to the cave and assuming we aren't in too much of a hurry we could certainly use his bow.

[Wolfgar]

Dead said:

I'll annotate this more tomorrow. Feel free to fill in Raven and comment.

There is an outer gate house with a drawbridge and portcullis. There is one dead and seven sleeping hobgoblins up there. They use a ladder to access it instead of using the stairs in the west tower - Pavel found a trip wire on the stairs but the rumor is that it is haunted. The east tower has the mechanism for raising and lowering the drawbridge and portcullis. There is a horn in each of the towers for sounding the alarm.

The second gate consists of 40' towers which are connected over a short tunnel. The tunnel is full of crates and boxes to impede progress. There are murder holes in the ceiling of tunnel to allow arrows and hot oil. There is also a portcullis that can be dropped. On the top of each tower is a ballista and a gong. The third floor provides access to the top of the walls which are manned at intervals by hobgoblins. There is a a ladder and trapdoor from the third to fourth floors. We have taken out everyone on the east side of the wall and currently control the third floor room in the east tower. There are archers in the west tower that are firing at us through the open doors that connect the two towers. There is also a trap door in the east tower from the third to the second floor. There may be one in the west tower as well. The second floor has stairs leading down to the ground. There is a door on the stairs which opens into the barracks. Pavel is currently disguised as a hobgoblin and in that room. The room connects above the gate to the other tower. The west tower has stables on the first floor but no stairs up. There is also a door in the barracks which leads into the wall. Possibly the captain's room. I am not sure what is on the ground floor of the east tower.

Winthrop just cleaned off the east wall with a lightning bolt. Dell's lion is activated and has mauled a couple of hobgoblins. Diego, Al, Otto and Tom used arrows to take out the hobgoblins on the tops of the towers while Winthrop slept the ones on the gate house. Dell has had surprising luck with his explosive ruins having gotten the hobgoblins to read two scrolls. It is not clear where the second one went off as we just heard the noise. My guess is that it was taken down the trap door in the west tower to the second floor where it is read by the captain and hopefully took out a number of his men.

The Saltmarsh men along with Cedrus are occupying the covered garden area. They took out one hobgoblin which tried to alert the main building. Cedrus and Jerry are still invisible.

I think we have taken out something like 20 hobgoblins not including the 8 on the gate house. That leaves about 25 left on the wall, in the west tower and on the second floor.

[Mr. Trommer]

If we want to pick off the archers one at a time I could stand in plain view on the tower since I have the protection from normal missiles up. That way I can be used for cover by our archers. Dell could always "Jump" to the other tower to dispatch the hobgoblins there and remover the gong. He might try it to the from gate to let Raven in if he shows up.

[Ginger]

Otto said:

Speaking of arrow practice, can Raven make a miraculous recovery and join us after we have taken the outer buildings? It is not that far back to the cave and assuming we aren't in too much of a hurry we could certainly use his bow.

I think that Raven would be bored of guarding horses and wander off to find bad guys to slay.

[Mr. Trommer]

We certainly hope that Raven gets over his intestinal illness and shows up. The problem will be getting you inside. Half of the party is up in the tower and the other half making sure no gets inside to sound the alarm.

We are going to have to fight our way down in order to open the gate. We could lower someone down from the tower on a rope. Then the volunteer could go lower the drawbrudge and raise the portcullis to let Raven in. Then the two could go up the haunted part of the gate to the roof to dispatch the sleeping hobgoblins.

A perfect plan!

[Ginger]

Yeah, Raven isn't scared of a haunted staircase.

[Mr. Trommer]

We know he isn't as long as he has his shield out and his new lucky stone. We have faith.

[Wolfgar]

I am sure that Pavel or even Dell (if he can borrow the feather fall ring) would have no problem climbing the gate house to dispatch the sleeping hobgoblins once we take care of the other hobgoblins. They should be asleep for at least as long as it take to dispatch the rest of the hobgoblins.

[Mr. Trommer]

I apologize if that came across as harsh instead of a joke. It was not meant to be anything like that.

If not mentioned before I will be out of town this weekend. Winthrop will stay with the party. As I remember it I have the following spells remaining and items abvailble to use:

(2) Web; (2) Minor Globe
Gem of Blinding Pellor Power
Scroll: Sleep
Stone of Fire Starting

[Wolfgar]

I understood the teasing nature of your comment. I guess mine didn't come off that way either. I will have to start using the emoticons.

[Dell]

As the leader, I forbid the use of emoticons. They are evil.

Or is that decepticons I'm thinking of?

Remember, I want a prisoner, dammit. I love questioning prisoners.

[Dead Greyhawk]

HP update.

Winthrop, Tom Stoutly and Al are slightly wounded. Diego is at 2 HP. Otto has taken 18 HP (unlucky arrow hit). The lion is wounded.

[Dell]

So after we secure the area, we can send Diego back and have Raven come up. and join us.

[Wolfgar]

I have a soccer game at 10:40 so I won't be there at the beginning. Otto should stay with the group and enter the main complex unless he is more critically wounded and unable to be healed. Currently he has 18/60 strength, AC of 1 due to the critical hit and 13 h.p. Make sure to replenish his (and everyone else's) arrow supply since the hobgoblins should have plenty.

Like I said earlier the important thing is to make sure no one can reach the gong on the other tower. I don't know what the rules are for bow specialists but it seems like Diego and Tom should be able to shoot anyone who tries to make a break for the gong regardless of who has the iniative. But if that is not the case then we need to take control of the third floor of the other tower immediately. Should be fun.

[Ginger]

If bow specialists don't perform actions in the previous turn, they can take a shot at someone during his turn as he appears.