This site is an online accumulation of the Post Reports for my current ongoing D&D Campaign - for anyone who might be interested in reading them.

Friday, July 23, 2021

PBEM - Episode 479. Rampant Zealotry and the Hobgoblins.

Hobgoblins are smart, and their leader does NOT want to lose anymore. Right now he has numerical superiority and wants to engage the party in an area where he can use that to his advantage - and this is not the place for it. He doesn't know how hurt they all are, but he doesn't like the barrier and knows it will slow his people up. So he opts to withdraw for now and try again another time or tomorrow.

Follows:

FOUR HUNDRED SEVENTY NINE

(I/C)

Using the arrow that he just pulled free from the dead body, Wyn skittered down the slope of dead bodies and fired it at the wounded revenant (>+8 to hit, Orange 11). “What’s the plan, mes amis?” he asked as the undead pitched backward, adding its corpse to the ridiculously large mass on the floor (1d6 Damage, Orange 3, 3 Damage and killed!!).

Hunching low behind the barrier, Kovid placed his hammer on the ground and rubbed his head, “We gotta kill that Fury fella. I promised I'd piss down his neck. I'd hate to disappoint."

Readying her Flail to swing, Lyra could see Abraxas winding up to take out the prone revenant trying to stand up, so turned to Hobgoblins and the last of the burning web, shield up and blocking the gap at the north end of the cabinet with her body. “What now? Fight or run away? While I’m feeling nice and fresh I think I’ve just about had it for today. We want to try to take out a few and then get out?”

The Fighter hacked down hard (>+8 to hit, Blue 20 –Critical, Max Damage 8+4=12 damage and killed!!), cleaving the undead hobgoblin’s head free and slaying the very last of the revenants. "Amigos, keep los Roberts busy while yo get los potions de healing por SeƱor Koxic y yo.” He threw himself behind the cabinet next to the dwarf, taking his pack off and digging out the bag of holding within. Unlacing the top he started to root around inside and added, “Then, we can get back a making greenskins into paste."

Nodding in agreement, Lyra said, “Wouldn’t hurt to have a few less goblins in this bitch of a castle.” 

Working up a spell on seeing the first of the hobgoblins coming out of the hall, Lannis said, "Hopefully they didn't bring their slow crossbow guy with them. Oh well, Little Nemo, take me home!"

Meanwhile Brendon was looking to push past Lyra, fumbling in his bag. “I’m going to use that gnome fire finally. Throwi it at them bastards. I’m hoping for a two bagger or a turkey on this throw.”

“Hello, sleep spell?” Lannis asked, still working the spell. “That’s the plan, right?”

Dragging out the edge of the chest finally, Abraxas asked with some concern, “Um... Brendon... we are putting them to sleep. Why burn them?”

"Okay, Brendon has a new plan, I can see why he's the captain.” Lannis was letting the spell shift as he started to alter his enchantment. “Well, he looks like he knows what he's doing." The Scout was ransacking his pack, frowning as he shoved things all about, murmuring, “where is it, where is it?”

"Que la Pinga, Brenjen,” Abraxas hissed, “No one said anything about fuego!"

“I can’t find the naptha!” Brendon hissed back.

“I have it, Brendon,” Kovid said. “Pretty sure it’s at the bottom of my pack.”

“What the fuck?!”

“Oh good, we’re back to sleep then,” Lannis once again shifted his enchantment back to his original one as the Scout and Dwarf sniped at each other.

“I’ve had it for a while, damn it.”

“It’s GNOME fire. GNOME. You don’t like gnomes. I like gnomes! Why would you have it?!”

“Declaring dibs and saying you have something doesn’t mean you actually have it,” Kovid rebuked him.

“Tell me about it,” Lannis muttered and then finished up with, “ZU!!” and a burst of pink light flew out and struck the lead hobgoblin in the face. (4d4 hd: 3+2+1+2 = 8 hd!) and we then heard a few bodies fall and hobgoblin voices crying out in surprise. “That’s a few more,” the Magic User muttered.

“Well, when you’re done, I want the Naptha if you don’t mind, ok?”

“Sure, sure, whatever.”

“Get them up!” came the call from within the hallway. “No wasting time. I want them up. Now!”

“Yes Captain!”

There were some kicks and slaps and we saw three others emerge from the hall, kicking and slapping some of the sleeping ones out here. The largest through was a brute of a hobgoblin. Standing just a notch over 6’ tall, he was thick, muscled, and sporting a set of platemail covering him from ankle to neck. He sported a shield with a rearing horse as its center motif, and had a wide bladed long blade held in his right hand. Dragon scales and odd teeth and talons decorated his shoulders and elbows, and he had a manic look in his eyes as he looked over the party.

“Nice blockade,” Rampant Zealotry, Captain of the Hobgoblin forces muttered, voice deep and resonant. “Smart thinking.”

(Initiative 6 vs 6 – reroll. Party Steel 4 vs Enemy Red/Black 5)

“This is not the place,” Rampant Z said. “Get the last of ours up and let’s go. There will be other battlefields.”

“Captain?” One of them asked with surprise.

“Oh, we’re not just walking out empty handed.” He pointed at Lyra standing at the gap. “Edward,” he addressed one of the hobs. “Fireplug.”

“On it!” The hobgoblin in question pulled out a prepared flask of oil, lit it on the candle at the floor, and HURLED it at Lyra and the gap.

“Oh look,” she sighed. “A fire plan.” She turned to Lannis and scowled, shield up and trying the pull back. “Just what I would have wanted!” (>+3 to hit, Black 19 – target to hit – hit! 1d8 Damage, Red/Black 5!) The oil burst on the bottom part of her shield and rained flames all about her and down on the floor, making a concentrated wall of fire right there that the Cleric cried out from as she was burned.

“Nice,” Rampant Zealotry said.

“Captain. Joe Fury doesn’t awaken, and he seems frozen in place.”

“Drag him. Leave none behind.” He turned to the crossbow wielders. “You, shoot her. You, help get him out of here.”

“On it!” The hobgoblin raised his crossbow and fired at Lyra visible through the flames (<+3 to hit, White 7), the blot impacting her in the chest, denting the chainmail, but not skipping through.

“Captain! They might pursue!”

“Hmmm.” He tapped one of the hobgoblin and had him pull something out of his pouch and place it in his hand. “Don’t be a hero. Kill one of you can. We’ll see you later.”

“With honor Captain!” The singled out hobgoblin ran across the room and vaulted up onto the brazier’s edge, sword in one hand, the other curled into a fist, as the rest of the troops were retreating back down the hall.

“Well played, Infidels! I will not waste my troops at this time. We shall meet again! Corfard knows it!”

Seeing the tops of only Kovid and Abraxas possible to be hit, the hobgoblin on the brazier attacked with his sword over the cabinet, slamming and slashing at (1-3 Kovid, 4-6 Abraxas: White 2 – Kovid) the dwarf! (=+3 to hit, -4 cover, Green 19) His blade caught the top of Kovid’s helm and tore it aside, leaving his head briefly uncovered, just enough for a reverse stroke to slam into the dwarf hard (1d8 Damage, Purple 6 – Take 6 Damage!) and run blood down his face as a 3” flap of skin on his scalp peeled up and started gushing! “Ha! Coup on you! Coup on you!”

“I fucking hate hobgoblins,” Lyra muttered, trying to push back and avoid getting burned again.

Time now is Day 10, 4:03 PM

(OOC)

Hobs are pulling back – throwing themselves at the barrier is suicide and they are not going to do it. You have 1 on the brazier, doing to you what Brendon was doing to the revenants. The gap on the side of the cabinet is a sheet of fire for another 2 rounds. Chest is out from the bag and healing potions (1 regular, 1 extra) will be gotten out this round. Let me know what’s what

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