Highfell Journals Session #12 (16 DECEMBER 2024)

   Picking up where you left off in a dungeon runs the greatest risk of one player out and another player in, Almost every single time. SO having paused after the Wandering Monster attack of more of these Woad Goblins the PCs I check the Time sheet at a glance. Determine how I am adding one character to the party and then have to figure out what to do with the PC not present, to run as a NPC or not. I chose not to as it is a very large group anyway. I allow the Postulant Alaric to have imbibed his Potion of Flying and have been about a Turn or so behind the party. Observing their rudimentary explorations before landing on the tower they are currently exploring now. Making a few rolls on the top of the tower he notices nothing and descends striking up a torch to see as the party below is searching. The PCs are reunited shortly and begin examining the norther chamber where the goblin in Ring Mail adorned with bone and  the Adamantine Coif came from. They discover some treasure under a loose stone under a cot and find a large silver key. Gerean Halfling Fighter/Thief was the PC crawling under cots and searching for the most part. They decide to head south and search that chamber as well after a fairly odd length of discussion on which direction to go.

    The chamber is covered in leather work, bridles and saddles of unusual design. They determine it is some sort of animal trainer or leatherworker by trade for a goblin. Some well crafted goad sticks are found as well further adding to the confusion on what the role of this goblin was ...

    It is at this point I decide to change how they have been deciding on exploration. Having chosen one of the lead characters leading the party in Marching Order to call which direction of exploration as it is has been a struggle getting straight answers from the PCs and often having to wait for a series of interjections to subside before clarifying the course of action. The clarification questions inevitably triggering second guessing of the the multiple choice options tossed into the air. I am not sure if they are fishing for clues or what but it eats up a ton of time of our 2 1/12 game session slot. Freebooter Bristerhahn is going to determine course of exploration. Hopefully a leader will emerge for the party eventually and things will move a bit smoother, it is currently smoother going compared to previous sessions already.

    They check the hall off of the location where they have battled the Woad Goblins and confirm it goes to a set of stairs leading up to the roof opposite the room they gained entry to this level, that it leads to a stinky chamber down the hall as well they saw upon entering the level and go back to check the rooms where the bulk of goblin came from. AS they are searching I go ahead and roll for Wandering Monsters and it comes up encounter. There is no chart supplied for this location so I just make it more goblins as it is a lair. Rolling the normal encounter number of 2d4 I get a hefty 5 for the party. I check for Surprise as no guard was stated as they were searching, that's the way it always goes right. No Surprise is gained and a battle is joined. They try to bottleneck the door and then immediately complain about not being able to safely fire missiles weapons into, or thru, melee. We go over this several times a session but since we use the battle mat rarely as I find it drags combat to a crawl it is a back and forth. I am reconsidering the battlemat but I figure it will bite the PCs in the ass more than they gain from it imao.

    This bottlenecking is common in any game I run but how Dragonslayer prevents you from moving through a friendly hex while they are engaged in combat means it's a chokepoint for PCs who could possibly join the melee when the lead character plants their feet. Adding to that the 1-4 automatically hits a PC when firing into or thru melee combat and you get this limiting of options. totally self inflicted I might add which I find amusing but it does lead to the same queries and issues repeatedly. Yeah thinking about it the Battlemat my illustrate it for a visual learners so I'll prepare rooms for the current tower before next session.

    Critical fumbles, I am not a fan. I always view a PC as a competent adventurer even at first level even though we make jokes about inexperience for lower leveled characters. The PCs however love the random nature of it and voted to keep them in an in between session discussion. I am not giving Monsters critical hits so I do not penalize them with critical failures. So as Bristerhahn steps in front of Rork who is using a pole arm and bottlenecks the door he rolls a natural 1, and it is Hit Closest Ally: Dexterity Check to half the damage. That would be Rork, and he fails his DEX Check reducing him to the negatives and then he fails his Save vs Death. Rork is slain by Bristerhahn wildly swinging his Two-Handed Sword. I  think Gereon is near too since he is trying to get Point Blank Shot at every opportunity and is near the combat. The optimization of combat advantage is risky since they are using the Critical Miss and there is a 2d6 damage dealing weapon in the mix. Funny to think that the Halberd could in theory do the same thing to one of the rear casters as well. I make a ruling hat it has to be a PC within weapon range on the spot as accidently killing the closest PC who is 20 feet away with a sword swing is ludicrous.

    They destroy the goblins, and I have the PC roll stats. I was concerned that the Save v Death mechanic for -1 to -9 would result in harder to die characters. That has definitely not been the case so far. A PC death per session for 12 sessions is a fekkin record for me. TBH it's usually the same two PCs as they are greater risk takers than most and a squishy who gets nailed when it is a random party member roll. Dumb luck usually. Ravithor & Buzz are more than normally observers in these chokepoint tactics as they are casters and keeping to the rear as much as possible. I get the feeling it's ben pretty boring for them past couple sessions. There is nothing of note in the sleeping cots or small tables of the goblins, the Wandering Monsters carried no treasure. They come up with the idea of tossing all of the bodies in a body pile in side chamber, I ask if there are any other actions and this is the chamber the Dwarf Acolyte Hjort has been "on guard". There is talk of hiding him under a pile of corpses, it is not followed through upon. There are a few other actions and another Wandering Monster Check is made which results in more Goblins checking out what's going on level four today. A healthy group of 7 show up from a lower level. They engage and circle around attempting to flank the party quickly only to be cut down by missile fire from Gereon, Ravithor & Buzz. While Bristerhahn makes short work of the goblins up front.

    I may have these encounters out of order.... should totally do these that evening before bed or next morning, never a day or two later !

    PCs eventually get around to looking at the tracks of some of the Wandering Monsters they have battel realizing some came from the roof. A roof that was empty when they left it so they head up to check it out. They discover an unusual creature atop one of the columns relieving itself, another trio tied to a large cyclops bound in netting who seems to have been air lifted here as a prisoner. There is some RP moments, and a new part member ! The creatures appear to be a hybrid of a bison, bat & yak called Briyakks. They have some fur coats in the party taken from goblins earlier, the saddles are made for them and are suitable to be ridden by Halflings & Gnomes in the party. The alcoves off of the roof are looked into revealing stables for the creatures and have additional equipment for them. The earlier failed listen checks revealed nothing so it is fitting hat the 6 total could have been out on patrol for the 5 Wandering Monster encountered later, the dice reveal the story and reasons for how things have evolved so far. Bristerhahn tries to befriend one by offering it food but it scurries away, I have rolled indifferent so the creatures take food when offered but otherwise avoid the PCs.

    Hey that's a nice Halberd laying on the floor someone left there recently I think I will use it ! as they return to the lower level. Alaric notices negative space on the map and begins searching for Secret Doors, the party does so after entering the trash chamber; I call for CON Checks for all PCs w/those Failing to also roll a d2 & then make a DEX Check, on a matching area of negative space finding an empty secret room untouched for years. Those who failed their CON Checks begin vomiting from the rancid putrid odor in the chamber as a wall of filth and trash covers the Eastern wall. The DEX check to see if they vomit on themselves. The empty chamber is going to be Hjort's new hiding hole as he is missing this session. PCs muse using it as camp spot within the dungeon before going to the lower level.

    The stairwell continues further down after descending to the third level which the party decides to explore, only going 30 feet before sending the Halfling off by himself to scout around the corner of the T-Intersection. I decide that adding an extra voice channel is in order for future sending the Halfling off to explore. META is META ! Gereon checks a door and Checks for Traps taking a Turn after Listening at Doors and requiring a roll for Wandering Monsters, ballsy move for a solo divided party imo. Unable to open the Door (failed open doors check) he peeks around the corner and see it ends in another door. Returns to the party after chatter calls for it. Yeah I am definitely using an extra voice channel from now on. They as a party go to the first door and Kick it in gaining Surprise. This is a quick slaughter of 5 goblins and some fair amount of loot is gained before they head back towards the other door repeating their Kick in the Door and introducing themselves....

    But this time its Ten Goblins. They do not have surprise and they bottle neck themselves in the door  with a cyclops Vettag wielding a halberd leveling his weapon at the approaching goblins. Now this is where I make a fairly controversial ruling since we are using Attacks of Opportunity in Dragonslayer. The Halberd has reach and anytime you move shift or withdraw from combat you get Attack of Opportunity, the weapon has reach so as the goblins approach they are subject to an attack. This is drawing on experience from AD&D & 3e. Vettag swordsman cyclops kills half of the goblins as they try to get under its reach to attack them partly because of the Cleave Ability of the Fighter as well. Bristerhahn moves into the chamber and the creatures are slain quickly. 

    It is a good time to end the session.

    I have some arguments made against he use of reach weapons but in a sense you are in combat the second you Roll for Initiative. The arguments are only made by one player everyone else is salivating at the idea of abusing it not realizing that Spear is the most common weapon for goblins and other humanoids. Hobgoblins will prolly be the ones consistently using Set for Charge when able. I am making battlemat for the other rooms in this Tower after I finish this which I know will slow down combat but not as much as having them ready to go which also means I really need to know which towers are to be explored before session start but we are winging allot of this and having fun. I do not intentionally run gonzo but this is campaign is full of gonzo moments so far. Hopefully battlemats will get more action for the other players as well

    Game Well, Game Often

plus Merry Frekkin Christmas !