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Post by Ginger on Jul 17, 2005 22:23:19 GMT -5
We found the treasure room filled with around 30,000 gold. The dexterity draining was temporary, so everyone's all good to go, except for the people who are too weak to fight. And Al, he's still not ok. But other than that, we're all set. The horses are packed (All 6 of them!) and the "former captives" are laden with supplies and treasure.
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cedrus
Junior Member
split personality
Posts: 51
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Post by cedrus on Jul 18, 2005 2:03:15 GMT -5
I'm looking forward to the moment when we tell a hundred "former captives" that they have to hand over all the treasure they're carrying.
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Post by Mr. Trommer on Jul 18, 2005 7:45:28 GMT -5
Of course the cliff hanger is that there is a Hobgoblin war party a days march away. I'm sure we won't have any problem erasing the tracks of our 100 strong party.
Al's doing fine. We pickled him in a keg of beer.
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Post by Dell on Jul 18, 2005 7:52:36 GMT -5
Use the mind-numbed ones to carry the gold and valuables - the others will carry the food and other supplies. Some of the gold will be used to get them smuggled out of the country by the priest, and some will be given to them to help them get a start after they get back to wherever it is they're from. Ten gold is like a year's salary to these people, so we can buy them off pretty cheaply.
Besides, if they wouldn't fight the hobgoblins to save their lives, they're unlikely to fight their rescuers just to get some gold - especially when that leaves them defenseless in the middle of the Pomarj.
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Post by Wolfgar on Jul 18, 2005 8:36:08 GMT -5
How do we know there is a hobgoblin war party a day away? How many able bodies do we have at this point? The hobgoblins could just follow us for several days and then attack in the middle of the night. It will be very tiring to keep a watch for them constantly. Maybe Winthrop can cast protection from normal missles, then march out to them and spray them with fireballs. I am sure that would be pretty denormalizing. Any that remain he can charm and we can use a porters. Also it might be helpful to have a whole bunch of light stones that we can use to demark a wide perimeter to the encampment at night. That should keep the slave fairly close and prevent anyone from sneaking up to close without detection. Of course it will be a big beacon for anyone looking for us as well.
Did we find any extra magic items? Did we find the Markessa's other spell books?
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Post by Mr. Trommer on Jul 18, 2005 9:14:56 GMT -5
While we were in getting the money Dell talked to three Orcs that were part of the group we beat up. If I remember correctly Dell told them they needed to bring some heads of their enemies to us to prove their worth to us at the stockade. They brought three heads and told Dell that the war party was coming and was a day away.
If the war part gets close I could spell up and fly invisibly and lob a couple of fireballs. I'd at least be able to get a spell off at the leaders of the party before they know it.
I tried identify a couple of potions to see if one was a cure poison. Unfortunately one was cure lycanthropy and the other giant strength. You were feeling quite buff yesterday with an 18/70 strength but you wouldn't fight the probable banshee. We closed the door and let it be. We did find some more potions and haven't open the mahogony box or one of the coffers. The other coffer had some potions in it.
We did hear some noise like a lightning bolt going off down near the portal. It did cause some major panic in the party while I was extracting the loot from the hole. Nothing came down our way and we didn't go down to look.
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Post by Ginger on Jul 18, 2005 9:37:54 GMT -5
I think that it's highly unlikely that the hobgoblins will come after us. This is the situation they find themselves in: Their warband approaches a stockade, ready to fight, and finds it unoccupied. Despite our looting, there is still a ton of loot there, enough for them to be comfortable for a while. There is a mountain of 100 hobgoblin corpses. There are tracks of 100 people leaving the camp the previous day.
If I were them, I'd fortify my new home and explore it fully, since there are still thousands of gold pieces worth of goods there. Maybe they'll explore near the portal?
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Post by Wolfgar on Jul 18, 2005 9:40:31 GMT -5
While we were in getting the money Dell talked to three Orcs that were part of the group we beat up. If I remember correctly Dell told them they needed to bring some heads of their enemies to us to prove their worth to us at the stockade. They brought three heads and told Dell that the war party was coming and was a day away. Isn't that nice. We don't kill someone and they do us a favor. That is a good idea. I think you should just take the preventive strike approach. You should be able to cover ground pretty quickly flying and should be able to find them pretty easily from the air. You could do the invisible, fireball, invisible, fireball, invisible method. Of course with protection from normal missles the extra invisibles would just be for effect. That sounds more like Otto.
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Post by Mr. Trommer on Jul 18, 2005 9:49:27 GMT -5
Since the Orcs have proven themselves to us by bringing the heads of their enemies I think we should ask them to get their buddies and hold the fort fort us until we get back from delivering our cargo.
If the war band has someone that knows about the 30,000 gp we took from the vault and finds it empty I think they will come after us. If nothing else Dell should leave a note on the door for the leader of the war band.
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Post by Dell on Jul 18, 2005 10:20:26 GMT -5
The orcs that Dell so mercifully spared on our way here have returned, just like he suggested. And they brought word of the Hobgoblin horde on its way. The three orcs seem to be unwilling to go fight the horde for us, though.
So let's get some arguing out of the way here:
The hobgoblin war party is one day away. If we leave now, that puts us a day away from here when they get here. They may spend a day searching the place for supplies and cleaning it up, which puts us two days ahead by the time they're done at the stockade and set out after us and the slaves.
Now, the horde will be faster than us, so they would probably catch up with us at around day four or five. Some of the horde will stay at the stockade to fortify it, which is good. But they can more easily flank us when we're outdoors, which is bad.
If we stay, we have a very defensible position, but few people to actually defend it. Plus, the hobgoblins know of the secret entrances, so we'd have a two-front fight. Winthrop's spells would likely be more effective indoors, plus the non-combatants would be safer.
Then again, they might just stay at the stockade and not follow us, or just send a small squad to track us. They may be low on food, and so they wouldn't have the supplies to leave so soon.
I say we leave now, and then if they do follow us, we can deal with them then. What does everyone else think?
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Post by Mr. Trommer on Jul 18, 2005 10:42:57 GMT -5
I say make a run for it or walk for it considering our movement speed. We have just enough to to make it. I have to look at the spell but mabye I could use Cloudburst to try and hide some of our tracks. At least near the stockade,
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cedrus
Junior Member
split personality
Posts: 51
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Post by cedrus on Jul 18, 2005 10:57:04 GMT -5
Let's get the hell out of the stockade asap.
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Post by Wolfgar on Jul 18, 2005 11:37:30 GMT -5
Do we know what direction the hobgoblins are coming from? Since the orcs where on the same path as us to the stockade it makes sense that they saw the hobgoblins when they were coming to the stockade with the heads. I think it would be a bad idea to lead the caravan right into the oncoming hobgoblin horde. That is why I think we should do some invisible, flying reconnaissance. If I was thinking earlier I would have had Winthrop do a fly spell on me while we were searching for the horses. We certainly would have covered a lot more ground and maybe found a couple more horses.
How big is this war party by the way? Do the orcs have any notion of the purpose of the war party? Are they going against the slavers or are they the hobgoblins we let get away coming with reinforcements? Do they know what tribe these are?
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Post by Ginger on Jul 18, 2005 12:12:02 GMT -5
Do we know what direction the hobgoblins are coming from? Since the orcs where on the same path as us to the stockade it makes sense that they saw the hobgoblins when they were coming to the stockade with the heads. I think it would be a bad idea to lead the caravan right into the oncoming hobgoblin horde. That is why I think we should do some invisible, flying reconnaissance. If I was thinking earlier I would have had Winthrop do a fly spell on me while we were searching for the horses. We certainly would have covered a lot more ground and maybe found a couple more horses. How big is this war party by the way? Do the orcs have any notion of the purpose of the war party? Are they going against the slavers or are they the hobgoblins we let get away coming with reinforcements? Do they know what tribe these are? The orks hadn't left by the time we stopped playing, so we can ask them. Also, why do we assume that they know where the treasure is or how to get it? From the design of the treasure room, it seems pretty clear that Blackthorn is a very, secretive, paranoid guy. The hobgoblins might know that Blackthorn takes stuff back to his room, but not know where all the secret doors are. Once they find the treasure room, it'll probably take them a long time to get into it, since it took us lots of spell casting. Maybe they'll want to get the treasure and run off before reinforcements from Suderheim come to claim it for themselves?
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Post by Wolfgar on Jul 18, 2005 12:51:45 GMT -5
Could the DM answer these now so that we can continue to argue about (I mean plan) what we are going to do next week?
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Post by Mr. Trommer on Jul 18, 2005 12:55:09 GMT -5
We did ask the Orcs and the Hobgoblins are coming from Suderheim to the West. We don't know how big the war party is. I'm not sure if the Orcs know that or who is leading them. Some of the occupants of the stackard escaped so I assume they ran to get reinforcements. It took them a number of days to get there and now they are coming back.
San is a tricky one. He may know that the money is somewhere there if nothing else. He may assume we found it and pursue on that principal alone. Whoever is sending the war party has to think that Blackthorn is loaded and that we will find it. When they find us gone they will probably purse on that assumption. This is if the war band is lead by competent leaders like...San. If it is only Hobgoblins they may ransack the place first.
We will probably want to make sure the gate and portcullis are up before we leave.
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Post by Ginger on Jul 18, 2005 12:56:30 GMT -5
Could the DM answer these now so that we can continue to argue about (I mean plan) what we are going to do next week? That reminds me that Scott, Jon and I will all be out of town for the next game, just so you know.
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Post by Ginger on Jul 18, 2005 12:58:48 GMT -5
We will probably want to make sure the gate and portcullis are up before we leave. Why? Maybe if we have the drawbridge up and the gate down they'll waste time coming in, and also waste time looking for us, thinking we're hiding?
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Post by Mr. Trommer on Jul 18, 2005 13:06:44 GMT -5
Exactly. They may think we saw them coming and ran to hide. The other option would be to torch the place which just might upset them. It would be the ideal thing do anyway if we had time. I could switch out a spell and Wizard lock it for fun or go cast knock on the gem encrusted chest to see if anything happens.
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Post by Dead Greyhawk on Jul 18, 2005 21:10:36 GMT -5
Most of the information that is in this thread is accurate. The Orcs say that the hobgoblins are coming from the west. The foothills continue in that direction. The map that you have which appears to give directions to some caves and on to Suderheim indicate that it is south of your current location, in the Drachensgrab mountains. The orcs also told you that the hobgoblins were Turrosh Mak's men.
In terms of distances, Highport is about 4 to 5 days travel north, Blue is about 7 to 8 days travel east. This travel time is based on normal movement rates, not your injured rate of 3".
You have 7 horses, including Otto's and Raven's mounts. Your freed captives are mainly women and children at this point, with about 30 healthy adults out of the 100 that you have freed. The latter are the mind-numbed ones who seem to need someone to watch over them. They each can carry about 35 pounds.
You have edible food for the bunch of you for 11 days. 11 days of food weighs about 10 pounds. A full waterskin weighs 5 pounds. 16 pounds is a fairly heavy load for a child and for the wounded. You could have more food if you decided to purify some of the moldy stuff.
You also have 100 sacks of coin, each weighing 20 pounds.
You also have all of the other items that you picked up, the armor of the wounded, who can't move if they're encumbered.
To remind you, those who went deep into negatives have a movement rate of 3". They can't do anything strenuous and aren't able to haul much. The above travel times are based on a 12" movement.
For what it is worth, James's timeline seems fairly reasonable as well.
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cedrus
Junior Member
split personality
Posts: 51
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Post by cedrus on Jul 18, 2005 21:52:21 GMT -5
Hmm, looks like it will take us twenty days to get to Highport moving at that speed?
Although we don't have many party members to spare, I wonder if it would be a good idea to send somebody off to Highport on horseback for reinforcements. Otto, maybe? Where was the cleric who trained me and who runs the underground railroad (I forget his name); was that in Highport? He might be able to round up some horses or carts or volunteers to race back and protect the party and the freed slaves. Would it take less than 5 days for someone to get to Highport on horseback?
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Post by Dell on Jul 18, 2005 21:59:17 GMT -5
I'm assuming that if all the injured are riding horses or mules, we get the regular movement rate and not the reduced rate. So all the wounded will be on horseback, and some mules will need to be created to carry the foodstuffs and treasures...
I'm thinking it might be better to head to Highport than to try and deal with the hobgoblins. We may be able to make it there, then hire or steal a ship to take us to Blue.
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Post by Wolfgar on Jul 19, 2005 8:24:48 GMT -5
Most of the information that is in this thread is accurate. The Orcs say that the hobgoblins are coming from the west. The foothills continue in that direction. The map that you have which appears to give directions to some caves and on to Suderheim indicate that it is south of your current location, in the Drachensgrab mountains. The orcs also told you that the hobgoblins were Turrosh Mak's men. I guess that begs the question: Who is Turrosh Mak? Is he a slaver or just a local hobgoblin chieftain? I still think Winthrop could do a lot of damage to the war party even before they get to the stockade. A couple of fireballs or lightning bolts (they may be in a nice marching order) could do wonders to slow them done and make them reconsider if they even want to follow us. Give them at least as many wounded as we have and they won't be moving any faster. Since they are moving through the foothills, you could maybe wait until they are moving through a hollow or a small ravine and use your spells in relatively confined area to get maximum effect.
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Post by Ginger on Jul 19, 2005 8:41:23 GMT -5
Maybe Cedrus and Otto could spend some time creating tracks to make it look like we went to Highport and making it look like we went to Blue? I definitely think it's a good idea to send someone to quickly go to Trevor's house for him to send more horses, etc.
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Post by Wolfgar on Jul 19, 2005 9:23:14 GMT -5
I could go ahead to Blue to get the Grey Lady. We could sail back along the coast to somewhere between Blue and Highport. That should be a shorter trek for the wounded and women and children.
Note that it shouldn't take 20 days to get to Blue because after another 4 or 5 days a lot of the wounded will be actually be combat worthy again and be able to move at full movement rate. Which also means that if we can delay the hobgoblins long enough they will be coming at us near full strength.
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Post by Ginger on Jul 19, 2005 10:41:17 GMT -5
Note that it shouldn't take 20 days to get to Blue because after another 4 or 5 days a lot of the wounded will be actually be combat worthy again and be able to move at full movement rate. Which also means that if we can delay the hobgoblins long enough they will be coming at us near full strength. Alas, it doesn't work that way. You recover to full strength after a week of "rest." A march is not rest.
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Post by Dell on Jul 19, 2005 10:45:27 GMT -5
No one is leaving the group to go ahead. We have very few able-bodied fighters, we can't afford to spare one. We can't afford to spare horses, either. With the injured riding instead of walking, we should get our full movement rate, so we may be able to make it to Highport before the hobgoblins. We've got 7 horses and I think 8 injured - Winthrop will whip up some mounts to take care of that, as well as some mules to do some of our heavy lifting. Unfortunately, travel is not "rest" so the injured will not actually heal over this time. But if we can get to Highport, we can hire a ship to take us all to Blue.
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Post by Mr. Trommer on Jul 19, 2005 11:12:02 GMT -5
I may even be able to call up some camels!
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Post by Mr. Trommer on Jul 19, 2005 12:06:08 GMT -5
If we go to Highport we can take another crack at the place there to see if they remember us.
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Post by Ginger on Jul 19, 2005 12:53:50 GMT -5
No one is leaving the group to go ahead. We have very few able-bodied fighters, we can't afford to spare one. We can't afford to spare horses, either. With the injured riding instead of walking, we should get our full movement rate, so we may be able to make it to Highport before the hobgoblins. We've got 7 horses and I think 8 injured - Winthrop will whip up some mounts to take care of that, as well as some mules to do some of our heavy lifting. Unfortunately, travel is not "rest" so the injured will not actually heal over this time. But if we can get to Highport, we can hire a ship to take us all to Blue. Unfortunately, we're in worse shape than that. The injured have a movement rate of 3. However, the brain dead slaves freed captives have a movement rate of 6. That's still half speed.
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