I have never been a fan of the mechanic where a fighter can whack a foe with HD under 1 at the rate of 1 per level (5th level Fighter can make 5 attacks and mow down 5 goblins or kobolds or giant rats in a round). It is just disingenuous. Combat takes time and you shouldn't be able to turn on the weed whacker and take them out. Ergo the opposite applies, when you have your coterie of linkboys, valets, and porters - the enemy Ogres and Gnolls should be getting multiple attacks on wiping out the peasantry. Keep it real, it's balanced and doesn't require a "speed up" mechanism. Let the monsters have their chance, and let the Fighters earn their kills.
Follows:
FOUR HUNDRED TWENTY ONE
(I/C)
Taking a quick look back down the hall, happy that nothing was coming that way, Wyn ducked a wicked slash and drew one of his few scrolls out to use. “Hm... dis gonna get worse before it get better... I tink we need more targets fer deze gobs...KAL MULTOS EGO!”(1d4 Images: Orange 4 – good job!) Immediately 4 more images of Wyn appeared, crowding the hall along with all the Lannis images, and making it even harder for the greenskins to pick out either spellcaster.
“Ugh! You are right, Clipclop!” Lannis frowned, “That is the worst spell ever when someone else casts it!”
Forcing the nearest goblin to back up a step with a hard poke from her Flail, Lyra coughed and addressed the Magic User, “Oh my GODDESS Lannis, you bitch SO much!”
“I can’t help if I have the intellect of a colossus. And you should do your job and fix my boo boos!”
“Is that all I am to you guys? The healer?” She sidestepped a stab and kicked out with her boot. “You’re going to have to wait for a potion Lannis. All my baby heals are out. Just duck and cover.” She brought her Flail up and called out, “AINE! BY YOUR MIGHT!” (<Righteous Fury: White 04) The Lolthian Weapon took on a radiant nimbus glow that only intensified as she swung it out at the less stunned and dangerous goblin with the Spinner (>+4 to hit, White 10 – would have hit normally, +2 carried over to damage). The weapon screamed a bit as it split the air and STRUCK with a thunderclap, the white empowered strength added to the Flail from Aine’s will discharging on impact (1d6+2 Damage, +2 Righteous Fury: White 3+2=5+2=7 Damage and killed!!). The Spinner gasped as his skull was caved in and then he hit the ground with a wet thud and ceased to move. She hooked the goblin weapon with her free foot and kicked it behind her with a rattle of chains. “Thank you, Goddess!”
“Well…I could have done that,” Lannis shrugged, working a spell in place. “They seem mad at me. That whole ‘Lannis Sucks’ thing isn't so funny anymore now is it? Let me just protect myself, and maybe a quick science experiment too. IN SANCT EGO!” He cried out, a shimmering shield snapping place around him and then faded away.
On completion he kicked the closest dead goblin a few times in the chest and the side, making Brendon concerned, “Hey! Knock it off, unless you WANT to be in the front get behind!”
Lannis pointed down at the dead greenskin’s jerkin, where a mouse was crawling out of an inside pocket and scampering away. “Just checking, Manmeat, alright?” He pointed down the hall, “Go do something useful!”
“Useful, huh?” Brendon angrily nocked an arrow and fired it down the hall at one of the slingers (>+6 to hit, -2 interference, Red 18), where it hit him high in the shoulder and made it curse back at the Scout (1d6 Damage, Red 4). “Like that?”
“Um…yeah. Good job!”
From inside the room, Kovid was getting worried at the approaching conflagration. “Gotta get passed and over,” he grumbled, seeing the wall grow ever closer.
"Jajajajaja,” Abraxas laughed, noting the fire seemed to be moving a tad slow to his hasted vision. The north side of the room currently was not engulfed in flames. Smiling he spun his Scythe and quickly took three deep breaths, bracing his back foot to run. “SidePocketSeñorKorend.”
The dwarf was not paying much attention to the Fighter, looking over the oil flames and doing some quick guesses. He suddenly grinned and said, “Ah ha!” He snapped his fingers and picked up a greenskin, tossing the dead body into the fire. He then grabbed a second and threw it on the first and just a bit passed it, smothering some of the fire. Not confident, he grabbed a third body and did the same, throwing it on the fire and a bit closer. He could see the barrier beyond it through the curtain of flames. “Alright!” he muttered, readying himself to run forward (<Wis check, +2 bonus, Yellow 8 – yes!).
Meanwhile Abraxas pushed off, running hard Scythe out, holding it as low to the base as he could. As he hit the wall, he turned and planted the weapon, shoving up and out (<Dex check, -2 BX Baby, hit wall, and polevault sideways through the flames, Blue 3 – yes). The bladed end was in the fire, he ran up the wall, jumped hard and trailing fire on his silvered weapon, crashed on the other side of the barrier where he looked south and smiled at the three goblins there who were laughing up until a moment ago.
“Arriba!ComeComeSeñor. SiempreMuchoDespacio. NecessitamosSerMasRapido. HaceTodosMasFacil. MuerteMuerteGobs!" (Haste action, >attack @ +8, Blue 20 – Critical, Max damage 12 and killed!!) He stalked forward, and using his entire body, swung the Scythe up over his head, whirled it around, and spinning 360 degrees, let it hit where it bisected the goblin in half and pitched the front end against his two friends hiding back here.
Kovid ran through the fire, flames dancing next to him, the fire already turning the dead goblin’s smoky, and jumped and pulled , clambering up the barrier to the perch the goblin’s had used earlier. “Come Abrax... oh you’re already over. What’d you jump it, you twitchy maniac?”
“Si! Dosleft!!”
In the hallway, the two rear slingers took aim at the multitude of elves and magic users and let their stones fly (>+1 to hit, White 11..>+1 to hit, White 20). One of them cracked against one of the elf images and popped it, while the second one slammed into Lannis throat…but only popped an image instead. “That would have prevented me from talking!” the Magic User gasped.
“Maybe they can try again?” Brendon offered.
The two in the front swung weapons against Lyra and Wyn (=+0 to hit, Green 17..<+0 to hit, Green 15), the Cleric getting the sharp end of the sword slicing against her left arm beyond the shield, trailing blood from the hit (1d6 Damage, White 3 – Take 3 Damage!) and the elf getting another image popped – leaving him with 2 addition and Lannis with 1.
From the hall, another goblin closed enough to strike at Wyn (<+0 to hit, Teal 7) but couldn’t land a blow on the shifting images and was forced to swing his sword wildly without hitting. The other goblins in the back couldn’t get close enough to engage in melee so they drew slings and let stones fly. Two of them fired at Lyra (<+1 to hit, Black 9..<+1 to hit, Black 12), both rocks hitting her shield that she raised in place, twin CLANGS on impact but nothing more. The last one saw what was happening in the former Adept chamber and decided to sling his stone at the dwarf perched on the barrier (<+1 to hit, White 14), striking Kovid in the head, but it bounced off the helmet and flew into the flames.
And lastly the two wolves had finally arrived. The goblin in the read whistled and pointed north into the fire room and west towards the melee, snarling, “Attack!!” With baying howls, both animals sprang.
The westward running one weaved through the combatants and with a mounting growl, leapt up teeth flashing and claws scrabbling, trying to get Lyra in the throat (<+3 to hit, Yellow 4), but the Cleric saw it coming and braced herself while struggling with the goblin she was already engaged with, and shoved shield at the wolf, keeping its teeth from hitting and lowered it back to the ground. “Aine damn it! Wolf problem here!”
“Don’t let him buy you a drink!” Lannis warned, “It’s a Roofie Colada!”
The other lupine tore into the fire chamber and raced past the two goblins, leaping up to savage Abraxas’ weapon arm (>+3 to hit, Steel 19). The Fighter could feel the teeth sink in through the back of the bracers (1d6+2 Damage, Yellow 4+2=6 Damage. Damage Deflection, <Str 13 – yes. Take 3 Damage, -4 to hit next attack), but he twisted his arm in time and the wolf’s bite was broken before it could get worse.
(Initiative: Party Steel 6 vs Enemy Red/Black 5 – wow – FIVE initiatives in a row you’ve won!! Dean obviously isn’t rolling)
Time now is Day 10, 7:33
(OOC)
Haste – 29 minutes
Resist Fire – 17 minutes
Shield – 19 minutes
Really whittling them down guys. There are two small batches of goblins left to run up – the ones that were in the south hall (#??), and however many were in the baths (#??). Two fighters on the right side of the fire wall. Silence spell is STILL preventing the ghouls or Grimtooth’s people from hearing. Hobs are not in listening range at this time – so there is still no WMC. I know hp’s and Brendon’s arrows are fading, but you guys are taking the goblins to town. Keep it up!
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