Ben takes a deep breath and a moment to collect himself after what turned out to be a brutal beat down rather than a precision strike.
"Well, sorry about that Ruth."
"Ess and Ash, strip these two of their weapons and tie them up with Willard." He gives them his rope if they need one and turns to Kay, "Okay, she didn't scream very loud but we are definitely on a short timer now, someone will miss them soon."
He outlines the layout of the caverns and the number of smugglers left suggesting,
"I will go out and make sure no one is coming this way. If it is still clear I won't come back here and Ess and Ash can come out in the larger cavern to the south, I will show them where, and you can let the skeletons out. When you bring the skeletons out I will stand where they can see me when they come down while you run and hide with the other two in the cavern. I will bring the skeletons to me and the smugglers."
He will wait a moment to see if that plan sounds good to the others and listen to any alternate suggestions and then will nod to them, light the torches again, and head back out to stand at the mouth of the tunnel down to the second cavern out of sight of the hob and those around the bend.
Ash strips the women of their armour, weapons and belongings ((anything useful??)), ties them up, and hides them with Willard under the stairs and in the crates.
Before Ben disappears, Ash shows him the spellbook... “I really like the plan, but can you make anything of this?? ... ...What if their boss is into skeleton magic?! Could he turn them back on us? Is there any way to tell from this? ...Youre magical aren’t you?...”.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Ben will pause and quickly flip through the book saying as he does,
"Well, considering that Willard said it was the alchemist that lived here that did...whatever he did... and they kept the result locked up? I feel confident the boss isn't into their type of skeleton magic, at the very least."
Book Arcana: 9
He will then put the book in his bag for safe keeping before heading out as planned.
Ash agrees, “True. It WAS the former owners, who were more into all that... If it’s not immediately clear from those pages, I say we go ahead as planned”. She flashes him a toothy smile, her canines catching a shine in the torchlight. Then she stands ready to follow the plan of attack.
"If you're going back in as Willard, here, take his crossbow. If the skeletons attack the smugglers, you don't want to be in the front line, do you? Gives you a reason to fall back and get in a better position, if the smugglers take down the skeletons, we can spring the ambush when you signal. I'd say a torch going out is a pretty good signal, don't you think? Even if some of them can see in the dark, it sorts any humans or halflings besides me and Ess."
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DM:Forged in Chaos, Spiders of the Abyss, The Sundered Way, Champions of the Citadel
((Ben has a crossbow but it is smarter to take Willard's. He'll trade with Kay.))
"Good point, I'll be in the tunnel heading to the boat. Don't plan on getting cornered and eaten by the skeletons if things go badly. Or the smugglers getting away to get help."
Ash checks Korrik is ready. She watches the halfling half proud, and half worried, as he goes over to stand by the skeleton room. She looks at him and says “Be carful!...”. She goes to say something else, but then swallows it back down. She just manages a professional nod...
She then heads out through the secret doorway, to wait a second or two in the crooked passage, to make sure Ben is happy the coast is clear. Then she signals to Ess that they should both sneak out, to find the south cavern and get in position to wait...
Ess would stow one of the longbows on his back. "Score!" (I will update Ess's stat block ASAP!)
Ben, you aren't able to decipher the scripture in the book either. You just know it's a spellbook.
LOL @ erotic poetry.
Ess says "Yeah. Let's do it."
Ben, disguised as Willard, reenters the caverns. Ben, you notice that the hobgoblin and another woman might be a touch closer to the entrance than before. The other people maybe moved a bit as well. Given the combat as well as dragging the bodies, tying them up and briefly talking, everyone in the caverns would've moved a bit. Taken a few steps, etc.
They are not yet curious about where Ruth and the other one are yet, as not that much time has passed.
Ben, the hobgoblin definitely sees you when you re-enter the caverns. It isn't putting anything together in his head yet though.
Please check out the map.
Ess and Ash are going to have to make stealth checks as they cross the sight of that hobgoblin to get to the larger SW cavern if that is still happening. The woman won't have the line of sight so they would just have to beat the Hobgoblin's passive.
Or Ben, will you now do something different now that the people have moved a bit?
((where Ash is about to sneak, is it ‘dim light’? And would that impose disadvantage to perception (and therefore -5 to passive perception)? As a professional sneaker, maybe she would know these things, and be able to factor that into the chances of success))
((edit... hmmm scratch that, hobbies have darkvision anyway I think. Although she doesn’t necessarily know she’s against a hobgoblin right now, so it might be worth knowing, even if it pushes her to do something silly. Maybe within 20ft of a torch is bright light anyway. Don’t mind me, sorry just Ash’s internal monologue! :-S ))
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
((Ash weighs up the odds... but looks at Ess... ... ... They will wait a second more, but if Ben stays out there, they will go, as planned shortly...))
In the meantime, Ash pricks up her sensitive ears, and sniffs the air, for any signs of danger nearby...
Ben will move out to the spot just before the big cave. He'll yawn and look down the bigger cavern then nod at the hobgoblin, chin jerk upwards style. He'll then prestidigitate the most noxious stink he can behind the hobgoblin, between him and the woman smuggler.
After a few seconds he make a face and say loudly to the hob,
"Fork! That is awful, what you been eating? Something crawl up you and die? You smell that?"
He will then stand where he is shaking his head.
((He is looking to distract the hob and hopefully get that smuggler on his case for the smell too. He is also standing in the way...))
((OOC: Ash smiles as she remembers one time when she walked behind an unconscious guard she was holding up ‘weekend at Bernie’s’ style. Too late for that now...))
((Once Ess and Ash leave, Korrik gives them a 30 count before opening the skele-door and backing up. He'll keep well distant from them, and use minor illusion to craft sounds to draw them towards the secret door.))
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DM:Forged in Chaos, Spiders of the Abyss, The Sundered Way, Champions of the Citadel
Then Ash, then Ben!
Poor woman...
Let us use Ash's previous AO roll. The dagger connects. *CRACK*
She ALMOST goes down... Ben you just miss with your attempt.
Korrik, you have the last turn before she screams again!
I forgot Ess advantage..... 5
Yup, he still missed.
Staff Attack: 19 Damage: 7
Knuckles to the Dome Attack: 19 Damage: 7
DM: Forged in Chaos, Spiders of the Abyss, The Sundered Way, Champions of the Citadel
Active Characters:
Breldo, Halfling Ranger | Kathryn, Wood Elf Rogue/Ranger | Kroshav, Dragonborn Paladin | T'laren Farsiel, Wood Elf Fighter | Trill, Kenku Bard | Val "Janellae", Mark of Shadow Elf Warlock
((Guessing that will finish the job!))
Ben takes a deep breath and a moment to collect himself after what turned out to be a brutal beat down rather than a precision strike.
"Well, sorry about that Ruth."
"Ess and Ash, strip these two of their weapons and tie them up with Willard." He gives them his rope if they need one and turns to Kay, "Okay, she didn't scream very loud but we are definitely on a short timer now, someone will miss them soon."
He outlines the layout of the caverns and the number of smugglers left suggesting,
"I will go out and make sure no one is coming this way. If it is still clear I won't come back here and Ess and Ash can come out in the larger cavern to the south, I will show them where, and you can let the skeletons out. When you bring the skeletons out I will stand where they can see me when they come down while you run and hide with the other two in the cavern. I will bring the skeletons to me and the smugglers."
He will wait a moment to see if that plan sounds good to the others and listen to any alternate suggestions and then will nod to them, light the torches again, and head back out to stand at the mouth of the tunnel down to the second cavern out of sight of the hob and those around the bend.
Ash strips the women of their armour, weapons and belongings ((anything useful??)), ties them up, and hides them with Willard under the stairs and in the crates.
Before Ben disappears, Ash shows him the spellbook... “I really like the plan, but can you make anything of this?? ... ...What if their boss is into skeleton magic?! Could he turn them back on us? Is there any way to tell from this? ...Youre magical aren’t you?...”.
GILLAIN OF ATHKATLA - Human Paladin - Into the Mists PHILLIP THE GRUNG - Grung Eldritch Knight - Tomb of Annihilation
ROBWIN WINDROBE - High Elf Wizard - Dragon of Icespire Peak EVE DARKSHORE - Tiefling Warlock - Rime of the Frost Maiden
ASH OF THE FIRE - Tabaxi Rogue - Ghosts of Marshswamp LIA STARBORN - Aasimar Bard - Out of the Abyss
Ben will pause and quickly flip through the book saying as he does,
"Well, considering that Willard said it was the alchemist that lived here that did...whatever he did... and they kept the result locked up? I feel confident the boss isn't into their type of skeleton magic, at the very least."
Book Arcana: 9
He will then put the book in his bag for safe keeping before heading out as planned.
Ash agrees, “True. It WAS the former owners, who were more into all that... If it’s not immediately clear from those pages, I say we go ahead as planned”. She flashes him a toothy smile, her canines catching a shine in the torchlight. Then she stands ready to follow the plan of attack.
GILLAIN OF ATHKATLA - Human Paladin - Into the Mists PHILLIP THE GRUNG - Grung Eldritch Knight - Tomb of Annihilation
ROBWIN WINDROBE - High Elf Wizard - Dragon of Icespire Peak EVE DARKSHORE - Tiefling Warlock - Rime of the Frost Maiden
ASH OF THE FIRE - Tabaxi Rogue - Ghosts of Marshswamp LIA STARBORN - Aasimar Bard - Out of the Abyss
"If you're going back in as Willard, here, take his crossbow. If the skeletons attack the smugglers, you don't want to be in the front line, do you? Gives you a reason to fall back and get in a better position, if the smugglers take down the skeletons, we can spring the ambush when you signal. I'd say a torch going out is a pretty good signal, don't you think? Even if some of them can see in the dark, it sorts any humans or halflings besides me and Ess."
DM: Forged in Chaos, Spiders of the Abyss, The Sundered Way, Champions of the Citadel
Active Characters:
Breldo, Halfling Ranger | Kathryn, Wood Elf Rogue/Ranger | Kroshav, Dragonborn Paladin | T'laren Farsiel, Wood Elf Fighter | Trill, Kenku Bard | Val "Janellae", Mark of Shadow Elf Warlock
((You sure? That erotic poetry book doesn't have any "bone" related content?))
DM: Forged in Chaos, Spiders of the Abyss, The Sundered Way, Champions of the Citadel
Active Characters:
Breldo, Halfling Ranger | Kathryn, Wood Elf Rogue/Ranger | Kroshav, Dragonborn Paladin | T'laren Farsiel, Wood Elf Fighter | Trill, Kenku Bard | Val "Janellae", Mark of Shadow Elf Warlock
((Ben has a crossbow but it is smarter to take Willard's. He'll trade with Kay.))
"Good point, I'll be in the tunnel heading to the boat. Don't plan on getting cornered and eaten by the skeletons if things go badly. Or the smugglers getting away to get help."
((Also, hehe))
Ash checks Korrik is ready. She watches the halfling half proud, and half worried, as he goes over to stand by the skeleton room. She looks at him and says “Be carful!...”. She goes to say something else, but then swallows it back down. She just manages a professional nod...
She then heads out through the secret doorway, to wait a second or two in the crooked passage, to make sure Ben is happy the coast is clear. Then she signals to Ess that they should both sneak out, to find the south cavern and get in position to wait...
GILLAIN OF ATHKATLA - Human Paladin - Into the Mists PHILLIP THE GRUNG - Grung Eldritch Knight - Tomb of Annihilation
ROBWIN WINDROBE - High Elf Wizard - Dragon of Icespire Peak EVE DARKSHORE - Tiefling Warlock - Rime of the Frost Maiden
ASH OF THE FIRE - Tabaxi Rogue - Ghosts of Marshswamp LIA STARBORN - Aasimar Bard - Out of the Abyss
Korrik, your staff goes a bit too high, but your fist lands bing right on the jaw and she's out cold.
Ess nods at Ben as he helps Ash with the women. They are in the same room with Willard and they will awake in 4 hours.
Ash, on the women you find 2 shortswords, 2 longbows and 2 sets of leather armor.
Ess would stow one of the longbows on his back. "Score!" (I will update Ess's stat block ASAP!)
Ben, you aren't able to decipher the scripture in the book either. You just know it's a spellbook.
LOL @ erotic poetry.
Ess says "Yeah. Let's do it."
Ben, disguised as Willard, reenters the caverns. Ben, you notice that the hobgoblin and another woman might be a touch closer to the entrance than before. The other people maybe moved a bit as well. Given the combat as well as dragging the bodies, tying them up and briefly talking, everyone in the caverns would've moved a bit. Taken a few steps, etc.
They are not yet curious about where Ruth and the other one are yet, as not that much time has passed.
Ben, the hobgoblin definitely sees you when you re-enter the caverns. It isn't putting anything together in his head yet though.
Please check out the map.
Ess and Ash are going to have to make stealth checks as they cross the sight of that hobgoblin to get to the larger SW cavern if that is still happening. The woman won't have the line of sight so they would just have to beat the Hobgoblin's passive.
Or Ben, will you now do something different now that the people have moved a bit?
*If you just go out, and then come back in that will look sketchy as F to the hobgoblin even if you do look like Willard.
((where Ash is about to sneak, is it ‘dim light’? And would that impose disadvantage to perception (and therefore -5 to passive perception)? As a professional sneaker, maybe she would know these things, and be able to factor that into the chances of success))
((edit... hmmm scratch that, hobbies have darkvision anyway I think. Although she doesn’t necessarily know she’s against a hobgoblin right now, so it might be worth knowing, even if it pushes her to do something silly. Maybe within 20ft of a torch is bright light anyway. Don’t mind me, sorry just Ash’s internal monologue! :-S ))
GILLAIN OF ATHKATLA - Human Paladin - Into the Mists PHILLIP THE GRUNG - Grung Eldritch Knight - Tomb of Annihilation
ROBWIN WINDROBE - High Elf Wizard - Dragon of Icespire Peak EVE DARKSHORE - Tiefling Warlock - Rime of the Frost Maiden
ASH OF THE FIRE - Tabaxi Rogue - Ghosts of Marshswamp LIA STARBORN - Aasimar Bard - Out of the Abyss
((the hobgoblin would see as yep they have darkvision and I wouldn't say that is dim light right at the entrance there.))
I would grant advantage to the stealth checks IF Ben actively stood in front of them when they try and zip by.
However, if that happens and one of them still failed, the hobby would instantly know something's up.
((Ash weighs up the odds... but looks at Ess... ... ... They will wait a second more, but if Ben stays out there, they will go, as planned shortly...))
In the meantime, Ash pricks up her sensitive ears, and sniffs the air, for any signs of danger nearby...
Perception (hearing and smell): 18
GILLAIN OF ATHKATLA - Human Paladin - Into the Mists PHILLIP THE GRUNG - Grung Eldritch Knight - Tomb of Annihilation
ROBWIN WINDROBE - High Elf Wizard - Dragon of Icespire Peak EVE DARKSHORE - Tiefling Warlock - Rime of the Frost Maiden
ASH OF THE FIRE - Tabaxi Rogue - Ghosts of Marshswamp LIA STARBORN - Aasimar Bard - Out of the Abyss
Ben will move out to the spot just before the big cave. He'll yawn and look down the bigger cavern then nod at the hobgoblin, chin jerk upwards style. He'll then prestidigitate the most noxious stink he can behind the hobgoblin, between him and the woman smuggler.
After a few seconds he make a face and say loudly to the hob,
"Fork! That is awful, what you been eating? Something crawl up you and die? You smell that?"
He will then stand where he is shaking his head.
((He is looking to distract the hob and hopefully get that smuggler on his case for the smell too. He is also standing in the way...))
((OOC: Ash smiles as she remembers one time when she walked behind an unconscious guard she was holding up ‘weekend at Bernie’s’ style. Too late for that now...))
GILLAIN OF ATHKATLA - Human Paladin - Into the Mists PHILLIP THE GRUNG - Grung Eldritch Knight - Tomb of Annihilation
ROBWIN WINDROBE - High Elf Wizard - Dragon of Icespire Peak EVE DARKSHORE - Tiefling Warlock - Rime of the Frost Maiden
ASH OF THE FIRE - Tabaxi Rogue - Ghosts of Marshswamp LIA STARBORN - Aasimar Bard - Out of the Abyss
((Once Ess and Ash leave, Korrik gives them a 30 count before opening the skele-door and backing up. He'll keep well distant from them, and use minor illusion to craft sounds to draw them towards the secret door.))
DM: Forged in Chaos, Spiders of the Abyss, The Sundered Way, Champions of the Citadel
Active Characters:
Breldo, Halfling Ranger | Kathryn, Wood Elf Rogue/Ranger | Kroshav, Dragonborn Paladin | T'laren Farsiel, Wood Elf Fighter | Trill, Kenku Bard | Val "Janellae", Mark of Shadow Elf Warlock