MiscellaneousCampaignsD&Dinos I - The Great Dinosaur Race |
Goblin FortStartGoblin attacks and sightings around Smittyville have been growing more frequent. It seems like only a matter of time before the goblins are bold enough to plunder Smittyville directly… CampaignThe sound of commotion in the middle of the night from the Smittyville livestock pen immediately alerts the guards to trouble. Upon arriving, you see panic amongst the animals and make out a medium size band of goblins apparently trying to kill and drag away cattle. (Combat): 6 goblins After you and the guards manage to dispatch the first few goblins, the rest turn tail and head for the city wall. The goblins have ropes thrown over the wall and attempt to scale it in order to make their escape. Once the goblins have escaped or been killed, you inspect the wall where they appear to have entered the city. There is a kludged series of rigging on the wall, apparently to help them carry out whatever they managed to steal. An Organized ApproachThe goblin band has been dispatched. The people of Smittyville huddle around in small groups, nervously talking to each other about what happened. Others continue to arrive around the edges of the livestock pen, seeking the source of the disturbance. Out of the crowd, you see Glenn, the sergeant of the guard, push his way through, wearing his pajamas and a nightcap. In a rather uncharacteristic moment, he climbs to the top of the fence and addresses the people.
A hush falls over the crowd as the townsfolk look around nervously, unsure of what will happen next. You bravely step forward out of the crowd. The townsfolk look upon you with surprise at first, and then a look of pride and elation comes over their faces. You hear them whispering things like “thank Pelor” and “that’s what this town needs.” Seeing the band of adventurers gathered before him, Glenn climbs down off the fence and walks over to you.
Slowly, the throng disperses and people return to their homes. The sound of locks can be heard behind closed doors and timorous faces can be seen peeking out of windows. An eerie silence falls over the regularly boisterous city. The next morning, you gather together at the barracks. Glenn greets you and leads you into the armory. There are various arms and armor lined up in racks, most in good condition. Glenn says
After selecting your weapons and gear, Glenn gives you the final details of your quest. We have heard that the goblins seem to be coming from Rumple Hill. We can’t be sure exactly where their lair may be or what you will find there, but it is likely to be very dangerous. Goblins tend to fight in small bands, but will usually be organized by a war chief of some kind. You will know him when you see him. I would send the guard with you, but we need everyone here to protect the city.
A Search for GoblinsThe hills to the west of Smittyville are heavily wooded, but there is a road that leads to the base of the mountain. You can see Rumple Hill’s characteristic rolling peaks a few miles in the distance. Getting there will require hiking through some the woodland. (Survival DC 10): You make your way through the woods. Most of the hiking is gently rolling hills with evergreen forests and medium undergrowth. Every once in a while you come across a boulder field or notice a small creature scampering away through the trees. You pass by a mountain stream and the water rolling by gives you a sense of tranquility. (Survival DC 20): You notice a set of tracks on the ground. They look like human tracks and lead away through a dense patch of ferns. Following them further, you climb over a small knoll and come upon a campsite. There is a sleeping bag, a campfire that is no longer burning, and a small satchel. (Search): Inside the satchel, you find a water skein, two rabbit hides, assorted string, and a poem:
(Survival DC 10): You come across a small wooden shack sitting atop an abandoned mineshaft. There is a large rig inside the shack with a rope and pulley system suspended from it, with three ropes hanging down into the shaft, one of which is snapped and is only a few feet long. The shaft descends straight down into darkness far below you and a slow, cool breeze can be felt coming out of the shaft as you lean over the edge. (Strength 15): You pull on the snapped rope and another one of them slowly starts winding onto a large spool. After a minute of pulling the first, you see something attached to the second slowly rising up out of the darkness. As it gets closer, you see that it is a suspended platform. On it lies a pile of bones, a tattered old pair of overalls, a floppy woolen hat, a lantern, and a wooden box. There is also a note scratched into the wood of the platform that says:
(Search): Inside the box, you find some gold nuggets (40GP) and some shiny bluish-black pebbles. (Spot DC 13): As you pass through a stand of hemlocks, you notice a break in the treeline and, high above you, strapped to the trunk of a dead pine tree, a small wooden platform holding a goblin lookout. He is clearly supposed to be on guard, but seems to be mostly preoccupied with finding a way to reach an itch on his back. There is a single rope hanging down that he probably used to climb up to the platform. (Combat): 1 goblin (If alerted): The goblin pulls something from a pouch on his belt and appears to be frantically scraping it together. A spark ignites and he tosses it from his outpost. In midair, it explodes with a thunderous blast and red sparks are thrown in all directions. He seemingly did not realize how loud the explosion would be, stumbles backwards and falls off the platform to the ground, landing with a crunch. (Search DC 5): On the goblin guard, you find two pieces of paper. One paper has scribbled on it in goblin “you one job if bad guys here light bomb ‘n’ throw.” On the other is a crudely drawn map of the area, showing a big building of some kind and a big X that might be where you are standing (see map). The Goblin StrongholdYou come upon a large wall, hewn from timbers and strewn all over with tar and goblin obscenities written in red paint. Beyond you can hear the sound of goblins, squabbling, banging things together and slurping. There is an entrance with a setback wall; however, you don’t see anything moving. Silent Approach: (Move Silently DC 10): Inside the entrance, you see a large, open space with a few buildings, some piles of materials, and a handful of goblins mulling about. Some are making armor, some are operating a manual sawmill, and some are sitting around, talking to each other. There is a large fire pit in the middle of the area, and goblins seem to be congregating to it. At the far side, there is a large outcropping of rock that extends up above the palisade wall. There are a number of timbers leaned up against it, forming a lean-to. (Move Silently DC 13): You manage to sneak your way around the perimeter of the camp. (If alerted): A goblin sees you and cries out. The rest begin to run around, some of them grabbing weapons and coming toward you, the rest either heading into the largest building or under the lean-to against the rock. Alerted Approach: Inside the entrance, you see a large, open space with a few buildings, some piles of materials, and a handful of goblins wearing armor and holding weapons, waiting for your arrival! (Combat): 5 goblins surround you and launch their attack. You see that the lean-to against the rock is hiding a doorway that leads into the rock itself. It looks like it was once the natural entrance to a cave, but has been carved out to allow easier passage. The largest building, into which a handful of the goblins has scrambled, is a two-story building with small windows and a large front door that is held tightly shut from the inside. Dormitory: (Break DC 22): As you smash down the front door, splinters fly in all directions and two goblins that were holding the barricaded door shut (and appear to be female) fall backwards onto the floor. As they scramble to their feet, they shout something in goblin. One pulls out a small dagger and the other scurries away into a nearby room. (Combat): 1 Goblin Most of the rooms are dirty living spaces with mats on the floor for sleeping and assorted trinkets and clothing. The rooms that are not empty are filled with women and children goblins, huddling back from the doorway. They shout out at you and growl as you get close to them. The children spit at you. (Search DC 17): In one of the rooms of the dormitory, you find a black bear pelt with the head attached. Hidden in the mouth of the bear, you find a small bag filled with 10 gold pieces and 10 silver pieces. Armory: (Search DC 10): You find a decent pair of human-size gauntlets and a steel dagger amongst the goblin’s armory. The Goblin TunnelsYou head into the opening in the rock and immediately go down a set of stairs cut into the rock. At the bottom, the tunnel splits and goes to the right and left. Goblin Defense: At the intersection, you see a goblin defense force. They are waiting for you with shields and spears and shout out as they see you approach! (Combat): 2 shield goblins, 2 spear goblins, 3 goblins Room 1: This room is full of bizarre torture instruments: whips, blades, buckets of ooze, rope, brands. There are cages along the far wall, 2 of which look like they contain prisoners (Lockpick DC 15). The first prisoner is a goblin. He is covered with lash and burn marks and looks pretty dead. The second prisoner is a dark-skinned human. He is very malnourished and unconscious, but appears to be breathing (side note: he is Omar, a fabric merchant from Oasis who was kidnapped on the road to Smittyville. If rescued, he will gladly pay you a reward after returning to Oasis. The Scimitar in the treasure hoard is his.) Room 2: There is a metal gate at the entrance to this room. Inside, it is full of bones. It smells like something has died in here. There is a wooden gate on one wall, about 3 feet square. Room 3: This room has a metal gate at the entrance, and you can immediately see why. In the room, you see 3 large wolves sleeping. You can also see a wooden gate on the wall. Room 4: There is a large wooden door with an iron padlock on the front (Lockpick DC 20/Break DC 25). Inside you find what must be the goblins’ treasure hoard:
Room 5: This room contains more goblin weapons and armor. Unlike the collection outside, this one also has bows, arrows, and ingredients for making bombs. Rooms 6: You proceed up a stone staircase and you find yourself in the goblin war chief’s quarters. It is a large, domed room with hand-decorated draperies on the walls depicting goblins brutally murdering various humanoids. There is a collection of surprisingly well-made furniture, including a desk covered in scrolls and food scraps. Torches adorn the walls, and in their yellow light you see Gornr, the goblin war chief, standing in the middle of the room, waiting for you to arrive. He is surrounded by a collection of bodyguards. In broken common tongue, he talks:
(Combat): Gornr, 5 goblins EndAs you strike down the war chief, his eyes bulge and he gasps for air. He lets out one final breath and says:
Searching the war chief’s room, you find scrolls detailing how the goblins planned on attacking Smittyville and scouts’ reports from the surrounding area. They include designs for siege machines and a reference to support from another goblin clan. (Search DC 16): On the war chief, you find an amulet with the following inscription: Cast fear into thy foes. Back in Smittyville, you are greeted by enthusiastic crowds of people asking the details of your quest. Glenn runs up and greets you:
He gives each of you 25 GP and a scroll signed by the members of the Merchants Guild indicating their gratitude for protecting the city. Goblin Hit Dice: 1d8 (4hp) Initiative: +1 Speed: 30 ft AC: 15 Attacks: Morningstar +1 melee Damage: Morningstar 1d8-1 Face/Reach: 5 ft by 5 ft / 5 ft Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft Saves: Fort +2, Ref +1, Will +0 Abilities: Str 8, Dex 13, Con 11, Int 10, Wis 11, Cha 8 Skills: Hide +6, Listen +3, Move Silently +4, Spot +3 Feats: Alertness Shield Goblin Hit Dice: 1d8 (4hp) Initiative: +1 Speed: 30 ft AC: 16 Attacks: Shield +1 melee Damage: Shield 1d4-1 Face/Reach: 5 ft by 5 ft / 5 ft Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft Saves: Fort +2, Ref +1, Will +0 Abilities: Str 8, Dex 13, Con 11, Int 10, Wis 11, Cha 8 Skills: Hide +6, Listen +3, Move Silently +4, Spot +3 Feats: Alertness Spear Goblin Hit Dice: 1d8 (4hp) Initiative: +1 Speed: 30 ft AC: 16 Attacks: Spear +1 melee Damage: Spear 1d8-1 Face/Reach: 5 ft by 5 ft / 10 ft Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft Saves: Fort +2, Ref +1, Will +0 Abilities: Str 8, Dex 13, Con 11, Int 10, Wis 11, Cha 8 Skills: Hide +6, Listen +3, Move Silently +4, Spot +3 Feats: Alertness Gornr Hit Dice: 1d12+1 (7hp) Initiative: +2 Speed: 30 ft AC: 16 Attacks: Gornr’s short sword +1 melee Damage: Gornr’s short sword 1d6+1 Face/Reach: 5 ft by 5 ft / 5 ft Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft Saves: Fort +2, Ref +2, Will +0 Abilities: Str 10, Dex 14, Con 11, Int 12, Wis 11, Cha 8 Skills: Hide +6, Listen +3, Move Silently +4, Spot +3 Feats: Alertness |