When Badger sees where he's going, he balks, afraid he'll hear the voice again. "Wait, wait. We know a number of the ruffians have left. I say we rush in now and take care of business while we still have the element of surprise."
Ash just shrugs. "I'm fine with that. Kristofferson?"
K looks back at Droop, then simply nods, ready for battle, gripping his quarterstaff.
Badger says, "I'll head in first. Ash, can you quietly make sure the door isn't locked?"
Ash nods to Badger and, when Badger indicates that he is ready, swings open the door suddenly.
Badger charges in, tries to move beyond the first enemy in view (to perhaps grant some flanking advantage), and swings away at the second closest enemy (14 to hit, 3 slashing damage).
Ash swings open the door and Badger charges in to square room with another door on the north side. Several worn tables and chairs are scattered around this large room. Wooden benches are drawn up against walls decorated with draperies of brown and red, and several ale kegs are propped up and tapped. Three tough-looking human warriors wearing scarlet cloaks are gathered around one of the tables. A stack of coins and trinkets is heaped upon the tabletop between them. They were in the middle of a perhaps tense conversation and are taken by surprise.
Initiative
Badger - 13
K - 11
Ash - 8
Ruffians - 8 (Dex tie-breaker)
Initiative played along! So Badger carries out his action as described, slashing the back of Ruffian 2.
Kristofferson runs to the nearest ruffian (3) and clubs her with his quarterstaff (14 to hit, 7 bludgeoning damage), then knees her in the gut (6 to hit (nat 1!)).
Ash joins Badger at ruffian 2 and slashes with his two shortswords (23 & 12 to hit, 6 piercing damage (+sneak))
Badger swings his battleaxe again (8 to hit, miss) but can't get his weight behind a strong swing.
K brings the end of his quarterstaff up to ruffian 3's jaw (17 to hit, 6 bludgeoning damage) and follows with an uppercut (16 to hit, 4 bludgeoning damage)
Ash steps north to get flanking advantage with Badger, then slashes twice (24 & 22 to hit, 16 piercing damage (+sneak)); then he backs east so the last ruffian has to get between he and Badger to reach him.
Ruffian 1 watches his two companions get cut up before they're even able to react, and drops his sword. He raises his hands in resignation. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. I think there's been a little misunderstanding here. What can I do for you?"
Badger keeps his battleaxe ready. "Where are you keeping Albrek? What happened to the Dendrars? Where's all the gold you extorted? Yeah. It's a little more than a misunderstanding."
The ruffians looks between the three of you, and looks nervously towards the door to the north as if measuring his chances to flee. "I don't know who Albrek is or what dendrars are. I don't see any of the gold. That all goes right to Glasstaff. Most of us are just here for shelter and regular meals without having to work the mines or the fields."
Badger: The ruffian looks to be telling the truth, at least partially. Though when K speaks, he responds differently. He seems interested in the mention of a wizard, and he seems to recognize the description of the Dendrars.
When Ash blocks the door, his body loses tension, as he's resigned to being trapped, and he frowns.
He says, "Ah, yeah, the woodworker. Well, if you spare my life, I can help you save the family. The woodworker is beyond saving at this point."
Kristofferson is relieved that at least the family is still alive. "Is the family here in this hideout?" he asks, trying not to sound urgent.
Badger responds, "You'll help us save the family, of course. But what do you know of the missing wizard? And who is this Glasstaff? The Redbrand leader?"
Ash points a shortsword at the ruffian's neck and starts slowly moving it closer, as if he isn't paying attention and just waiting on the okay to slice him up. Intimidation: 21 (crit!)
The ruffian bristles at the shortsword. "Okay, okay. Look. We have a few holding cells across the crevasse near the storeroom and the crypts. I don't know how much of this place you know. Have you met the eye monster protecting the crevasse? Anyway, oh, and there's a secret door in the storeroom to get to the cells. It's easy to find and open once you know it's there. And Glasstaff? Well, Glasstaff pays us and runs this hideout. He's no Redbrand, but he is the boss. And anyway, he's a wizard so we do what he says. He's got a staff made of glass is why we call him that."
The ruffian shrugs. "Glasstaff? He stays in the room just on the other side of the hall." He gestures to the north door. "But you don't wanna mess with him."
Just then you hear voices to the south coming towards the door.
The ruffian's eyes go wide and look at his own sword, wondering if he should pull it now, but his hesitation gives you the jump.
Initiative
Badger - 11
Ash - 8
K - 7
Ruffians - 6
Judging by the voices, two or more ruffians will be entering the room in one round.
Ash says, "Ehhh. Just a preview if you betray us." He slices the ruffian in the back of his thigh (20 to hit (+flank), 12 piercing (+sneak)) where it won't be easily seen.
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Ash asks in goblin, "Do you know how many bullies are usually in there, Droop? Is there another way in?"
Droop shrugs, but then motions to follow him and starts walking toward the cavern.
When Badger sees where he's going, he balks, afraid he'll hear the voice again. "Wait, wait. We know a number of the ruffians have left. I say we rush in now and take care of business while we still have the element of surprise."
Ash just shrugs. "I'm fine with that. Kristofferson?"
K looks back at Droop, then simply nods, ready for battle, gripping his quarterstaff.
Badger says, "I'll head in first. Ash, can you quietly make sure the door isn't locked?"
Ash nods and checks the door. Stealth: 14
Droop doesn't notice that you stopped following him and kept walking until he was out of sight.
Ash: the door is unlocked. You feel confident you didn't make much noise.
Ash nods to Badger and, when Badger indicates that he is ready, swings open the door suddenly.
Badger charges in, tries to move beyond the first enemy in view (to perhaps grant some flanking advantage), and swings away at the second closest enemy (14 to hit, 3 slashing damage).
Ash swings open the door and Badger charges in to square room with another door on the north side. Several worn tables and chairs are scattered around this large room. Wooden benches are drawn up against walls decorated with draperies of brown and red, and several ale kegs are propped up and tapped. Three tough-looking human warriors wearing scarlet cloaks are gathered around one of the tables. A stack of coins and trinkets is heaped upon the tabletop between them. They were in the middle of a perhaps tense conversation and are taken by surprise.
Initiative
Initiative played along! So Badger carries out his action as described, slashing the back of Ruffian 2.
K is up!
Map:
Kristofferson runs to the nearest ruffian (3) and clubs her with his quarterstaff (14 to hit, 7 bludgeoning damage), then knees her in the gut (6 to hit (nat 1!)).
Ash joins Badger at ruffian 2 and slashes with his two shortswords (23 & 12 to hit, 6 piercing damage (+sneak))
Ruffian 3 gets clubbed on the head, but managed to block the knee attack. Ruffian 2 takes another slash, this time to the arm.
All three ruffians, bring surprised, spend the round pulling out weapons and preparing to attack.
Badger is up!
Map:
Badger swings his battleaxe again (8 to hit, miss) but can't get his weight behind a strong swing.
K brings the end of his quarterstaff up to ruffian 3's jaw (17 to hit, 6 bludgeoning damage) and follows with an uppercut (16 to hit, 4 bludgeoning damage)
Ash steps north to get flanking advantage with Badger, then slashes twice (24 & 22 to hit, 16 piercing damage (+sneak)); then he backs east so the last ruffian has to get between he and Badger to reach him.
Ruffians 2 & 3 are dead.
Ruffian 1 watches his two companions get cut up before they're even able to react, and drops his sword. He raises his hands in resignation. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. I think there's been a little misunderstanding here. What can I do for you?"
Badger keeps his battleaxe ready. "Where are you keeping Albrek? What happened to the Dendrars? Where's all the gold you extorted? Yeah. It's a little more than a misunderstanding."
The ruffians looks between the three of you, and looks nervously towards the door to the north as if measuring his chances to flee. "I don't know who Albrek is or what dendrars are. I don't see any of the gold. That all goes right to Glasstaff. Most of us are just here for shelter and regular meals without having to work the mines or the fields."
Badger wonders if he's lying. Insight: 21
Ash moves to the north door with his shortswords out, blocking his escape route. Intimidation: 16
K: "Albrek is a wizard that went missing from Phandalin, and the Dendrars are a family from Phandalin that went missing. The father was a woodworker."
Badger: The ruffian looks to be telling the truth, at least partially. Though when K speaks, he responds differently. He seems interested in the mention of a wizard, and he seems to recognize the description of the Dendrars.
When Ash blocks the door, his body loses tension, as he's resigned to being trapped, and he frowns.
He says, "Ah, yeah, the woodworker. Well, if you spare my life, I can help you save the family. The woodworker is beyond saving at this point."
Kristofferson is relieved that at least the family is still alive. "Is the family here in this hideout?" he asks, trying not to sound urgent.
Badger responds, "You'll help us save the family, of course. But what do you know of the missing wizard? And who is this Glasstaff? The Redbrand leader?"
Ash points a shortsword at the ruffian's neck and starts slowly moving it closer, as if he isn't paying attention and just waiting on the okay to slice him up. Intimidation: 21 (crit!)
The ruffian bristles at the shortsword. "Okay, okay. Look. We have a few holding cells across the crevasse near the storeroom and the crypts. I don't know how much of this place you know. Have you met the eye monster protecting the crevasse? Anyway, oh, and there's a secret door in the storeroom to get to the cells. It's easy to find and open once you know it's there. And Glasstaff? Well, Glasstaff pays us and runs this hideout. He's no Redbrand, but he is the boss. And anyway, he's a wizard so we do what he says. He's got a staff made of glass is why we call him that."
Badger looks to Ash and K. "What do you think? Wizard rivalry gone wrong?"
K: "Or is Glasstaff actually Albrek breaking bad?"
Ash, to the ruffian: "Where is this Glasstaff? We have questions for him, too."
The ruffian shrugs. "Glasstaff? He stays in the room just on the other side of the hall." He gestures to the north door. "But you don't wanna mess with him."
Just then you hear voices to the south coming towards the door.
The ruffian's eyes go wide and look at his own sword, wondering if he should pull it now, but his hesitation gives you the jump.
Initiative
Judging by the voices, two or more ruffians will be entering the room in one round.
"Hells!" Badger hurries to the northwest corner and grabs the ruffian roughly. "Tell them we're recruits or you're dead." Intimidation: 22
Ash says, "Ehhh. Just a preview if you betray us." He slices the ruffian in the back of his thigh (20 to hit (+flank), 12 piercing (+sneak)) where it won't be easily seen.