Mgtremaine's Grey Council Bout #1

[waysoftheearth]

The Grey Council fidget nervously as they find themselves arrayed in a dim, circular chamber of imposing stone arches. Above each arch are graven runes denoting "Dungeon Level 1", "Dungeon Level 2", "Dungeon Level 3", and so on, all the way thru "Dungeon Level 12".

Here we are in the Underworld folks, watching via the ref's omnipresent inviso-cam...

@mgtremaine which archway does the Grey Council take?

[waysoftheearth]

So be it!

The Grey Council file stoically through the arch for Dungeon Level 2... a heavy portcullis gate clatters down behind them, landing with an ominous thud.

Bold decision to go for DL2...

[waysoftheearth]

The Grey Council march carefully down a dimly lit, 10ft wide passageway toward a stone arch...

This is where I roll up the monster side for this fight.

For this, I'll be using the dungeon gen tables in the V5 (wip).

Being DL2 means there is a possibility of monster level tables 1 thru 4.
1d6=3, so it's MLT2.
1d12=1, so it's hobgoblins.
3d6=10, so there are going to be 10 of them.

The ref notes that because there are 7 player figures there are 3d6 hobgoblins. Had there been 4-6 players, there would have been 2d6 hobgoblins instead. None the less, this could all be over in a flash...

[waysoftheearth]

The Grey Council enter an 80ft wide, torch-lit, octagonally-shaped chamber. The pitched ceiling is supported by four tall columns arranged in a central square, so that there is about 30ft of space between them.

A mob of hairy, sneering hobgoblins are arrayed in two loose ranks between the columns, about 50ft away across the room. They are mail clad, carry shields and spiked clubs and hand axes...

@mgtremaine please describe your team's starting disposition/formation and battle plan. It can be as simple or as involved as you like, remembering that this might all be over with the first sleep spell (assuming your guys get one off).

Ideally, I'll be able to resolve the opening stage of the fight in my next post... give me something to go with

[mgtremaine]

Marching Order was...


Il....Ph <-- Melee Sword/Two-handed Swords
Kl....Ab <--- Lantern carried by Kitelark
Br....Sp
...El <--- Short Bow ready


Action:
Illithur Yeufold and Philanna Feyre will stand their ground and be ready defend against a rush of hobgoblins.
Kitelark is carry Sleep and will us casting it into the center of the horde (I'm assuming that Kit knows about the area of effect will try to exclude our front line to best of his Ability)
Spinderella will Drop back a bit and tell Albert and Bertram to be ready and keep them away from her. She will hold the sleep scroll at the ready but wait until Kit's casting resolves.
Elan Eladril will move to the right and fire his bow at the lead Hobgoblin. (Because Elf damn it)

[waysoftheearth]

Ding!

  Code:

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|___|___|##_|o6_|_(7|_o8|_9)|__##___|___|
|   |  ##  01  (2  3)  O4  o5   |## |   |
|___|##_|___|___|___|___|___|___|__##___|
|  ##   |   /\  |   |   |  /\   |   |## |
|__#|___|___\/__|___|___|__\/___|___|_#_|
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|  #|   |   /\  |   |   |  /\   |   | # |
|__##___|___\/__|___|___|__\/___|___|##_|
|   |## |   |   Il Ph   |   |   |  ##   |
|___|__##___|___KL_Aa___|___|___|##_|___|
|   |   |## |   Bb Sp   |   |  ##   |   |
|___|___|__##___|_El|___|___|##_|___|___|
|   |   |   |###|   #########   |   |   |
|___|___|___|__#|___#___|___|___|___|___|
|   |   |   |  #|   #   |   |   |   |   |
|___|___|___|__#|___#___|___|___|___|___|

Ding!

Aaand it's on folks! We're getting some awful vision from down there... it's looking a bit... ASCII, but each square you're seeing there is about 10 feet across folks.

If you're only seeing half the map, clicking the "expand" button in the top-right of the viewport should help Someone let me know how to expand it by default.

Those shady-looking figures in the top of the map are our nine hobgoblins, the monster side, aaaaand the little group of initials in the bottom of the map are our player side. They'd be feeling prit tee confident about now, what with Kitelark winding up that sleep spell... can't wait to see how that goes off tonight...

[waysoftheearth]

Halfway point of the move, the moment Kitelark's sleep spell hits:

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|  #|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | # |
|__#|___|___|(6_|_(7|_(8|_(9|___|___|_#_|
|  #|   | (1/\ (2  (3  x4(5/\   |   | # |
|__##___|___\/__|___|___|__\/___|___|##_|
|   |## |   |   Il Ph   |   |   |  ##   |
|___|__##___|_KL|_Bb|Aa_|___|___|##_|___|
|   |   |## |   |  Sp   |   |  ##   |   |
|___|___|__##___|___|__El___|##_|___|___|
|   |   |   |###|   #########   |   |   |
|___|___|___|__#|___#___|___|___|___|___|
|   |   |   |  #|   #   |   |   |   |   |
|___|___|___|__#|___#___|___|___|___|___|

Surprise
There is no surprise this time around.

Encounter Distance
2d4=5; so it looks to be about 50ft between the front lines.
Further to the rearward ranks.

Round #1
The hobgoblins close to attack; they have 9" movement, so can cover 90ft. More than enough. But...

Kitelark steps left to throw his sleep spell, as Elan steps right to fire his bow, and Albert and Bertram form up in front of Spinderlla.

Spells and missiles hit half-way through the move, so that will be just before the hobgoblin charge hits home. Dang.

Elan d20=19, it's a hit. d6=3 hp of damage to hob#4. Ref dice for hp: d6=2+1=3. First kill to Elan

Kitelark's sleep spell drops at just about the same moment; targeting hob#7 in the second rank to minimise the chance of ensorcelling friendlies. Noting that at this point the hobs are barely out of arms reach!

4--14 normals are going to be affected. How many will it be? 2d6=9+2 = 11!

Kitelark experiences a moment of P O W E R as the 11 normals closest to (and including) hob#7 are magicked!
Illithur and Philanna are about the same distance from hob#7 as are hobs#1 and #9, but it matters not. Kitelark's spell is perfectly targeted; all remaining 8 hobs, plus Illithur, Philanna, and Bertram are dropped.

And the bout is over, just like that !

Chalk one up for the players, courtesy of a good plan and a perfectly done sleep spell.

[waysoftheearth]

Post mortem considerations...

Imagine how that might have gone had the second rank of hobgoblins held their line.
Kitelark's sleep would then have taken the 4 remaining hobs in the front line (excluding the 1 killed by Elan) and then the 7 next-nearest normals.

So, that's something to think about for next time ...

[mgtremaine]

It was a risk for sure, but that was a lot of hobgoblins and was not sure how many party members I'd lose. I held to the old school way of just giving general direction rather then 3rd edition+ style of looking up spell range, area of effect and getting out the tape measure