Keep on the Shadowfell IC

[Ridai]

"Oh, hm," Brina muses deeply, followed by watching Melhved marching out of the room. "Are we, are we done? Oh gosh we are done here aren't we," the druid begins to realize (or falsely interpret, whatever works), hastily taking her things, juggling an errant mug part of the way. "I've got to go, my friend wishes to be placeswaslovelychattingwithyougoodbyyyeeee" And she speeds up more and more as she gets closer to the door, until she is only heard from around the doorframe and a waving hand is seen, quickly following Melhved who evidently appears to go to important places. Well. Hopefully. It seems like it?

Spoiler: OOC

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I guess we are traveling to the keep now?

[TurboGhast]

After a short discussion, you leave Agrid and evidence of his treachery in the hands of town guard. While the guards think his group was operating alone, they still arrest him as a threat to Winterhaven's safety. With that matter settled, you spend the night at Wrafton's Inn.

The next morning, you have a swift breakfast, then set off for the kobold lair. Regan stays behind, discussing the route back to Staul's home with him and the halfling during your final preparations. As you leave, Salvana cheers you on with wishes for a swift victory.

After about an hour's march, you reach the area marked on the map Padraig gave you. From atop a short hill, you see a cliffside waterfall about 500 feet to the east, whose water flows downwards to the southwest. Many small glades of trees dot the area in-between, but the waterfall's bottom has a small clearing surrounding it. Notes written on the map say that the lair lies just behind that waterfall. The sun shines beneath mildly cloudy skies as the six of you plan your next move.

Spoiler: OOC

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Your stay at the inn is a long rest.

The key question here is "How do you approach the kobold lair?". The adventure starts this scene with the party on the lair's battle map, asking you whether you're being stealthy as you place your tokens down. Having the party stop a little earlier seems smoother, and opens up options that aren't immediately obvious.

[Ridai]

Brina is gingerly chewing on a mushroom as they survey the area. "So that's where a lot of 'bolds are, yes?" She asks in a whisper somewhere between talking normally and trying to be very quiet. "They'll probably have someone watching their front door. Or, well, what's close enough to one. Traps, perhaps? I'm not very sneaky, but I can look out for things too, and look like the local wolves doing wolf business. People keep remarking I make for a very odd wolf, though." Wolf business is pretty difficult business to do convincingly, it turns out. "I might distract or confuse them, though?"

Spoiler: FYI for everyone else

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While Brina is closeby, everyone gets +1 to their Perception checks

[Phantom Genius]

"I'm not good at sneaking at all in this clunky armor. Maybe we could move in closer staying in those trees or moving from grove to grove.

Or maybe wait nearby for them to send out a raiding or hunting party and we ambush them for a change!"

He seems proud of that last part!

[Rakaydos]

"It seems like most of us are more suited for a direct fight. Might be easier to just knock on the door."

[Dimers]

Brina is gingerly chewing on a mushroom as they survey the area. "People keep remarking I make for a very odd wolf, though." Wolf business is pretty difficult business to do convincingly, it turns out. "I might distract or confuse them, though?"

"Try acting rabid," Gagan recommends. "Everyone expects a rabid animal to behave strangely, and few will get closer to make sure of what they're seeing. Johuan? Care to scout ahead a bit? You've got the elven knack -- your footsteps are so quiet, I had to keep checking that you're with us as we walked." The dragonborn strokes his chin for a moment and muses, "If they're behind a waterfall they're unlikely to hear any us coming."

[Phantom Genius]

I'm fine with either of these. Let's go!

[Ridai]

"Try acting rabid," Gagan recommends. "Everyone expects a rabid animal to behave strangely, and few will get closer to make sure of what they're seeing. Johuan? Care to scout ahead a bit? You've got the elven knack -- your footsteps are so quiet, I had to keep checking that you're with us as we walked." The dragonborn strokes his chin for a moment and muses, "If they're behind a waterfall they're unlikely to hear any us coming."

"Oh! I could try that, yeah. Should I just head on out, have a look-see what I find and what might come out from the waterfall? I'm pretty nippy if needed!" Brina transforms into a wolf, and in this case, it actually helps that the animal looks shaggy and a bit unappealing. The displayed zoomies are quite fast indeed, however. Brina may not be the most athletic elf (or, now, wolf), but despite that, she is unreasonably fast, even for an elf.

Spoiler: OOC

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Surgery went well. German cleric game is OP, pls don't nerf.

[Phantom Genius]

"Oh! I could try that, yeah. Should I just head on out, have a look-see what I find and what might come out from the waterfall? I'm pretty nippy if needed!" Brina transforms into a wolf, and in this case, it actually helps that the animal looks shaggy and a bit unappealing. The displayed zoomies are quite fast indeed, however. Brina may not be the most athletic elf (or, now, wolf), but despite that, she is unreasonably fast, even for an elf.

Spoiler: OOC

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Surgery went well. German cleric game is OP, pls don't nerf.

"I think you should, but we should quietly move closer to support you."

Spoiler: Heal!

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Glad you did well in surgery.

[Ridai]

Wolf-Brina paw-salutes in response and begins to messily chomp on the mushrooms she dropped, and judging by how her tongue seems to want to desperately escape her snout and the retching, it's hardly the finest meal. As a side effect, or rather, the intended effect, there is quite a bit of slobber amidst the mashed mushroom bits, to sell the semi-deranged beast role a bit more. Brina is just happy she didn't need to do this in elven form, as that would have been even more embarassing (though it would not have tasted as bad, what with lacking the lupine nose and all).

With that, Wolf-Brina pads in a semi-erratic path down into the valley, randomly sniffing at things, sometimes bursting ahead a little, sometimes slowing down. Though always keeping watch for other predators (actually kobolds, in this case, but psst, don't tell anyone), Wolf-Brina gets closer to the waterfall, once also briefly stopping to lap up some water from the waterfall's pond, at times shaking herself, at times hacking up a little bit of mushroom pulp for good measure.

Spoiler: Actions

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I guess this calls for Perception to do some actual scouting (1d20+11)[30]
Also keeping a look out for traps and such

And in the dire circumstance where Brina does indeed need to roll Bluff, well... (1d20-1)[6] edit: Well, she tried.

[TurboGhast]

On her trip there and back, Brina sees about a dozen kobolds in the area around the foot of the waterfall. While this forces her to keep her distance from the pool at the base, she still manages to get plenty of information about the area and pass herself off as a mundane wolf drinking from the river to the kobolds that see her.

Most of the kobolds are just aimlessly wandering around the area, but the more equipped ones are standing guard at specific locations. In particular, one wielding a dragonshield lies in wait around a circle of runes, one wielding a sling sits near the rock wall separating the cave from the outside, and one in hide armor is leaning against the cliff a bit further to the north.

(Feel free to ask for additional details.)

[Phantom Genius]

(Feel free to ask for additional details.)

How close can we get while remaining unseen? Missile range?

[TurboGhast]

How close can we get while remaining unseen? Missile range?

To ensure you'd remain unseen, you'd have to keep two of the lines of trees dotting the area between yourself and the kobolds. The closest place where that's possible is about 125ft away from the closest kobold. Hitting through the trees at that range would be quite difficult, but not impossible. (Spaces containing by these tree lines provide cover, but do not impede movement.)

A line of trees about a dozen feet wide separates the clearing the kobolds are in and the next closest one. You might be able to get close enough to charge though the trees unnoticed, but it's not a certainty. If your stealth skills falter they will be able to notice you.

[Phantom Genius]

To ensure you'd remain unseen, you'd have to keep two of the lines of trees dotting the area between yourself and the kobolds. The closest place where that's possible is about 125ft away from the closest kobold. Hitting through the trees at that range would be quite difficult, but not impossible. (Spaces containing by these tree lines provide cover, but do not impede movement.)

A line of trees about a dozen feet wide separates the clearing the kobolds are in and the next closest one. You might be able to get close enough to charge though the trees unnoticed, but it's not a certainty. If your stealth skills falter they will be able to notice you.

What if we set up at that treeline mentioned above and then our wolf bites one and runs toward us? Too risky for her?

[Ridai]

Brina looks back and forth between the others, having hoped for, well, any reaction to what she found out.

"Sooo..." she begins, trying to get things rolling. "I think there is no quiet approach for all of us with how open that valley is, and getting to the bolds is not fast either with how far away these trees are. I, uh, also would not like to play bait, if possible. They got their fortified positions and there is an awful lot of 'bolds that can throw and shoot things at me and I think I am not that quick."

"Do you know what they are interested in? What they maybe would come to take a look at, send people for, leave their positions for, that sort of thing?"

[Dimers]

Gagan looks to Sarathi, Drang and Melhved to answer that. "You three have the experience with this swarm of kobolds. Any thoughts on bait? I'm willing to try stealth if it comes to that, but I'm not too steady-footed."

[Phantom Genius]

Gagan looks to Sarathi, Drang and Melhved to answer that. "You three have the experience with this swarm of kobolds. Any thoughts on bait? I'm willing to try stealth if it comes to that, but I'm not too steady-footed."

We walk down the road. They jump out of the bushes. We kill them.

[Buufreak]

Aye, the shadow in me wants to simply move past them unnoticed. The inquisitor in me wants to wash them from this earth.

[Dimers]

We walk down the road. They jump out of the bushes. We kill them.

"You're a brave man, Drang," Gagan says dubiously. "I'll stay some distance behind the trapspringers, I think."

[Phantom Genius]

We walk down the road. They jump out of the bushes. We kill them.

To be clear, I meant that our previous encounters went that way.

[Ridai]

Spoiler: OOC

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I am having a bit of a hard time telling what is supposed to be said ingame and what is OOC.

Since there do not seem to be

"O...kay," Brina finally says, with a semi-nervous chuckle. "So, um... why not just have those who are good at sneaking sneak closer aaand those who are not just go for it, tough people front, less tough people back, so the sneaky people get to surprise someone? Aaand... I'll go in as a wolf ahead of people and do strange wolfy things to distract them," she ventures, also trying to spit out and push out a particularly bothersome bit of mushroom pulp with her tongue, and it is really icky and sticky.

The height of strategy right there, Brina.

[Phantom Genius]

That's a fine idea, Brina. I'm one of the non-stealthy, obviously.

Spoiler: I have the high ground, Anakin.

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TurboGhast, is there a way to get above them/the waterfall? Maybe we could fire down on them or push boulders down? I fancy myself a very small giant, after all.

[TurboGhast]

That's a fine idea, Brina. I'm one of the non-stealthy, obviously.

Spoiler: I have the high ground, Anakin.

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TurboGhast, is there a way to get above them/the waterfall? Maybe we could fire down on them or push boulders down? I fancy myself a very small giant, after all.

The cliff the waterfall flows from is about 35 feet tall, and is too steep to slide down. From where you're at, you can see a route leading behind you can easily travel along without the kobolds noticing. However, the area just above the waterfall has been cleared of trees or anything else to hide behind.

[Ridai]

Spoiler: OOC

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The below is for when Brina "initiates" the fight, I guess. Unless someone is discovered beforehand or something. Hopefully the below will distract the 'bolds a bit. And not, like, immediately make them attack Brina, more like trying to shoo the wolf away at first.

Once the others figured out where and how they want to jump on the 'bolds, Brina shifts into the form of a different wolf, one looking a bit smaller than the previous one. She yarfs down some vile mushrooms, then trots down into the valley. The animal is looking a little sick, seemingly just wanting to find a bit of water. When the time to strike comes, Wolf-Brina lifts her head, and looks the dragonshield dead in the eye. For a moment, it is like a spiritual connection is made between the mighty kobold and the lupine beast, wisdom in its eyes. Then the wolf, still maintaining eye contact, projectile vomits just the vilest smelling stuff on the ground between them. And then goes back to drink some more water from the stream, apparently feeling a little better.

[Phantom Genius]

The cliff the waterfall flows from is about 35 feet tall, and is too steep to slide down. From where you're at, you can see a route leading behind you can easily travel along without the kobolds noticing. However, the area just above the waterfall has been cleared of trees or anything else to hide behind.

Would we not then have superior positioning for firing down on them? Or dropping rocks? (Feel free to tell me if I'm overthinking this.)

[WaffleLord]

Melhved Brombriar

"Never have I heard such planning, such proactive thought! I usually come across danger and strike back. I must keep my ears open. I may learn something to my advantage."

"I can't hit far," she says aloud, finally. "I guess I'm more bait. Maybe call after the wolf, looking for my 'lost dog?' We know they like unexpecting targets. A wandering hunter who seems alone could be tempting. Could spring our own ambush for once. You..." She stops herself finding that she has said more today than in the past week. She looks around, surprised at herself."What is it about these new companions?"

Spoiler: OC Planning

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I agree with trying to get them to send out a group to attack, whether by wolf with digestive problems or trickery. Stealthies could lie in hiding while Mel waits for a beating in the open. If we can make them think it's an easy kill, they may not send everybody. Set up an ambush plan. They will be forewarned, but it will help thin the herd. Mel wouldn't be much good from way up on a waterfall.

[Rakaydos]

"I'll go with whatever, but I think you are ALL overthinking it. Lets just attack."

[Buufreak]

"Attack, sneak then attack, all the same to me."

Editting in to say whatever paths the group takes, I will 99.9% of the time take the stealthier one, as I have a racial kit around it.

[TurboGhast]

Spoiler: OOC

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Enough of the party is either suggesting the group follows Brina's plan or is willing to participate in the plan that no further discussion on whether you're going to follow it appears needed - the answer is "yes". The unanswered question here is "Are you going try taking advantage of the cliff?"

Would we not then have superior positioning for firing down on them? Or dropping rocks? (Feel free to tell me if I'm overthinking this.)

You would have a significant positional advantage atop the cliff. However, the area being cleared of trees implies that your foes are aware of the possibility. They might have prepared a counterstrategy that makes the assumption you can get there unnoticed false (that assumption was made here).

[Dimers]

"Well enough, Johuan. Move on ahead in stealth; we'll join you shortly." Gagan rubs his hands together. They start silently sparking and throwing off little licks of flame. "I don't trust the clifftop. Something seems wrong about it. Better to move openly in force with the enemy only ahead of us ..." He looks around behind and beside the party. "... than to split up and risk a prepared trap. Kobolds are all too fond of those. Let's give Johuan and Brina another half-minute to get ahead, then march in ready for a fight."