We start our story with the next installment of the Fantastic Four leaving the site of the orc attack at the farmstead. They have several children in tow and each is bundled up as best as possible with extra clothing. Semi-frontier children these are the namby pamby couch potatoes of our modern society so the’re not really slowing the party down much as the youngest ride on the shoulders and arms of Eric do Deric and Garrawk while Layla and Darta keep an eye front and back.
Around noon as they stop to rest they spot a large force of orcs coming up the trail behind them. Easily 20+ orcs. Ahead of them they spot another farmstead, smaller but with a stout wall. They hurry ahead and reach the safety of the farmstead with the orcs coming up behind them.
The orcs stop out of bowshot range and mill around for awhile [DM: The Deadspeaker was using a ritual that increased the range and damage of his Death's Fire attack, useful for blowing down walls.]. Since they seemed to have breather they took the opportunity to use a Skill Challenge to help shore up the defenses of the troops and succeeded. This had the result of removing some of the orcs in the initial encounter that were ‘hand waved’ out of existence with the rationalization that the successes would have rendered the party some bonuses that would make it easier to deal with them. I find this easier than assigning some plusses to the defenders or minuses to the approaching orcs. I’m gamist, not simulationist.
The fight was tough. The farmers, hearted by the insight and intimidation of the party fought off the second and third force although they did lose 3 of their own in beating the minions back. [DM: I prerolled these fights for fun to see how it worked out]. The party faced off the main force, 6 minions, 2 berserkers, 1 raider, and the deadspeaker.
The deadspeark blew out the main gate with his ritualized Death’s Fire. Eric and Garrawk dropped down from the catwalk to guard the main gate while Layla and Darta provided covering fire with magic and arrows as the orcish forces raced in. The two main damage dealers focused on the deadspeaker while Eric and Garrawk focused on the others. Â Garrawk was, as is becoming his normal thing, burned and set on fire, necrotic fire at that and took 6 rounds to save against it. That’s 5 points of damage a pop. Probably the best value of an ongoing fire damage spell I’ve ever seen. Also as is Garrawk’s usual, he dropped to the ground dying, (still burning) but Eric was able to use the power of his healing to get the burned and beleagured paladin up again where he could use his own Lay On Hands to recover some health. Good thing he’s a dragonborn and naturally hairless.
The fight focused on the main gate as the berserkers kept beating on the cleric and paladin and the cleric’s fiery spirit worked through the minions. Â With Darta and Layla steadily pumping out damage into the orcs the ending soon became apparent to the orcs and they tried to flee with only one of the berserkers escaping back into the mountings.
In scrounging up loot the group claimed a Razor Edged Shield and a Distance Longbow +2 [DM: They're still magic lite and I'm catching them up.]. The farmstead was so overjoyed they gave the Fearless Four their prized posessions, four Bridles of Conjuration. [DM: More plot point than anything else as I get tired of them walking everywhere and real horses end up lunch to something. And these are pretty cheap magic items for the convienence factor.]
Leaving the children at this farmstead along with a sizeable chunk of gold to help the farmers properly provide for them the group continued on to Brindol.
While relaxing in a tavern after dropping off the missives they were sent to deliver, Garrawk was idly toying with the package they’re supposed to deliver back at their hometown. A rod like case about 4″ across and 3′ long of heavy leather that weighs about 4 pounds. He asked the others if they should even go back to their lives as apprentices and students and perhaps instead stick together as they were doing so well. The others didn’t turn him down outright but before a consensus could be reached hobgoblins and goblin blackblades burst into the room attacking and killing the patrons and setting the place on fire. [DM: the fire rules were pretty fun to watch as the fires spread to engulf the room cutting off sections. As the encounter was designed for a brand new group of level 1's it wasn't really that much of a challenge. I did add an extra 2 minions and 1 blackblade but again not that big a deal.]
The bar was a total loss and the peasents were doing the bucket brigade to simply try and keep the fire from spreading. While the party was talking with a couple of wounded guards who were reporting that similar events were occuring all over town, an ogre chained to a wagon filled with hobgoblins (I added 2 to make up for the level differences) came down the street. The ogre tossed a barrel at the clump of people and it struck one guard dead on killing him instantly and setting Garrawk on fire (yet again).
The hobgoblin archers were damn deadly, filling the party with arrows. The ogre was other than that opening cask not really much of an issue. The paladin engaged him and the ogre missed twice while the others concentrated at first on the ogre and then realized just how much damage they were taking from the archers. Â The dragonborn Garrawk breathed fire onto the ogre and the hobgoblins behind him. It was the next round when I realized that by the module the casks of pitch the ogre was throwing would actually explode from that. So they blew up, killing one archer and damaging another. Â Â Another cask blew up the next round killing the hobgoblin who was trying to help the ogre get free of his chains. The remaining two archers, one heavily wounded took off, the unscathed one stopping to sink a last arrow into the Layla.
Layla and Darta finished off the ogre as it struggled to get free while Garrawk and Eric, again, counted their blessings at being alive.
The group rushed off to defend the main bridge into town but the hobgoblin forces had been beaten back although not without heavy losses to the town guards.
[DM: Lootwise the party gained some Windrunner boots and a suit of magical Scale Mail, the type of which I forget but around level 2, and a Lightning Axe + 1. Again this is a loot heavy time to get them up where they need to be and to get everyone some magic gear.]
One of the council called them into a meeting the next day, having heard of their deeds at the tavern and with the ogre and hired them to find the hobgoblins and rescue several important citizens that were captures along with several treasures of the town that were stolen. Â The party interrogated the solitary capture hobgoblin and were able to elicit information out of him as to where the hobgoblins were hiding out as well as some information on the new goblinoid leader.
They had another discussions with the councilman, intending on working on some kind of ‘escape’ plan for the hobgoblin to try and get more information out of him but the councilman countered with an ‘if you let him escape or die you forfiet half your payment for the rescure.” Our Fiscal Four declined so while they have a good idea where the hobgoblins are they don’t have a map.
The party is now staying at a more upscale inn now, resting up and purchasing some needed supplies for their upcoming rescue attempt.
DM Stuff –
Since they’re so close to level 3, 2071 exp, I’m going to go ahead and get them leveled up and printed out rather than doing it in the middle of the session and just give them the new character sheets at the appropriate time. Â Under old school editions, I’d rarely actually level anyone mid session, they’d get their exp at the end of the session and then level up during the downtime between then and the start of the next session but with the tools we have now, having everything ready isn’t a big deal.
The bar fight, espeically the fire, and the idea of the ogre tossing casks of burning pitch around were particularily cool this session I think. Â The Scales of War while even I was rolling my eyes at times is still a pretty good effort and worth using I believe.
As you can see we went through 3 major encounters, 2 skill challenges and some roleplaying and did it all in about 3.5 hours. I’m still not seeing the vaunted ‘slowness’ that keeps spawning threads on how to fix the problem.
