Dungeons & Drogans: Session X

Session X Summary

With Stephen unable to attend, Dave agrees to control Autumn.

The Drogans make for Shadowfell Keep as villagers cheer for "the Heroes of Winterhaven." Once at the keep's ruins, the party descends a staircase into a chamber and spots a goblin.

Coltaine charges--and plummets down a pit trap swarming with rats. Rekoj leaps into the pit and helps Coltaine fight the vermin swarm.

Three more goblins surge into the chamber. Zacsarrd falls in battle under the goblin onslaught, followed shortly by Autumn.

By the end of Round 5, the four goblins remain untouched, but the rat swarm is on the verge of dying. Two Drogans are down, with a third running out of HP. The Drogans' darkest hour is at hand.

Rekoj and Coltaine finish off the rats and climb out of the pit. The warlord is struck down by a javelin, but Nick rolls a 20 on Coltaine's death save, bringing him back into the battle.

Rekoj slays three goblins with ease. As Round 11 ends, the situation has evolved from ominous defeat to most assured victory. The final goblin begs for mercy.

Session X - Part 1 Summary

With Stephen once again unable to attend, Dave agrees to control his character, Autumn.

The Drogans awake and make ready to head out to Shadowfell Keep. Rekoj asks if any of his companions can map out the ruins, and after some deliberation, it's decided that if worse comes to worst, he can hire some hobo off the streets--such as Jacques.

Session X - Part 2 Summary

As the Drogans leave the town, villagers gather and cheer for "the Heroes of Winterhaven." Coltaine smiles and waves, but John and Dave are disappointed that their hard work hasn't earn them more than just gratitude--apparently forgetting the reward they received from the Lord Mayor.

The Drogans arrive before the ruins of Shadowfell Keep, wherein they see a staircase descending into darkness. After a few minutes spent debating their marching order--replete with double-entendres involving the "rear"--the players settle on Nick's originally-proposed idea.

More time is spent deliberating over who will hold the torch. The idea of strapping the torch to Rekoj's forehead is quickly dismissed, and torch-duty is dumped on the one character who would prefer to remain in shadow--Autumn, the rogue.

At last, the Drogans descend the staircase.

Session X - Part 3 Summary

As the Drogans descend the staircase, light shines from below, and they realize that lanterns illuminate the lower level--rendering their torch redundant.

A goblin stands on guard in a chamber with four pillars and three connecting corridors.

The players roll initiative.

Autumn moves forward and tosses the torch into a corner, then equips her second katar. The torch patters against the flagstone floor.

Coltaine surges down the stairs, halberd in hand--and falls into a pit. The warlord didn't spot the trap, covered by a stone-colored tarp, and finds himself amidst a swarm of rats.

Session X - Part 4 Summary

Rekoj leaps over the pit and charges the goblin on the other side. The goblin scurries out of the way just as the warden's battleaxe comes crashing down onto the flagstone tile, smashing it in half.

The rats nip and bite at Coltaine's exposed flesh for 9 damage and 3 ongoing damage.

Session X - Part 5 Summary

Zacsarrd rushes onto the scene and grabs a piece of shattered flagstone, intending to crush the rats.

Coltaine takes 3 ongoing damage and is gnawed down to 14/30 HP.

Rekoj leaps into the pit and squashes a few rats under his giant feet.

Session X - Part 6 Summary

Zacsarrd hears a door open down the southern corridor, and soon after, a goblin with a hand crossbow comes out from around the corner and bolts the dragonborn for 9 damage.

A third goblin rushes down the eastern corridor with a spear and takes cover behind a pillar.

Zacsarrd launches the broken flagstone and crushes a couple rats, then heals Coltaine to 23/30 HP.

Round 2 ends. Three goblins and the rat swarm are engaging the party.

Autumn stabs at the goblin behind the pillar, but strikes the stone column instead.

Session X - Part 7 Summary

The ongoing damage from the rat swarm takes Coltaine down to 20/30 HP. The warlord smashes some rats with the flat of his halberd and bolsters Rekoj's resolve.

Rekoj sweeps his battleaxe through the rats, cutting the swarm down to half of its original number.

The spear-wielding goblin pulls out a javelin and impales Zacsarrd down to 12/27 HP.

A fourth goblin grabs a javelin and impales Autumn down to 16/24 HP.

Zacsarrd tries to call down sacred flames onto the rats, but John rolls a 1. The dragonborn instead manages to blind himself with his own holy light.

Round 3 ends. Four goblins and the rat swarm are engaging the party.

Autum takes cover behind a pillar.

A crossbow-wielding goblin strikes with deadly accuracy and nails Autumn down to 3/24 HP with a bolt.

Session X - Part 8 Summary

Ongoing damage brings Coltaine down to 17/30 HP. The warlord shouts inspiring words to Autumn, and the eladrin recovers to 13/24 HP. Coltaine then smashes some more rats while bolstering Rekoj, who is happy to oblige as he continues to kill rats with impunity.

A goblin hurls a javelin at Zacsarrd, impaling him through the chest for him for 12 damage. The dragonborn collapses. John can hardly believe the roll--Zacsarrd had exactly 12 HP left.

Zacsarrd then fails his first death save.

Round 4 ends. The DM can't stop laughing at the absurdity of the situation: the party charged down a flight of stairs, Coltaine fell into a hole and started getting killed by feeble little rats, and Zacsarrd was gang-banged by goblins while Rekoj went to help kill rats.

Autumn approaches Zacsarrd in the hopes of stabilizing him.

Session X - Part 9 Summary

A crossbow-wielding goblin pegs Autumn with a bolt, bringing her down to 7/24 HP.

Ongoing damage takes Coltaine down to 14 HP. The warlord continues to crush rats and bolster Rekoj.

The goliath kills most of the remaining rats, leaving only a couple of the little critters.

The second crossbow-wielding goblin shoots Autumn in the throat, and the eladrin collapses. The goblin snickers.

Another goblin launches a javelin down the pit at Coltaine and wounds him down to 8 HP.

With Rekoj still at 41/45 hp, he is the only one looking good right now. But the rats finally manage to bite past his armor and wound him for 8 damage and 3 ongoing damage.

Session X - Part 10 Summary

Round 5 ends. The four goblins remain untouched, but the rat swarm is on the verge of dying. Two of the Drogans lie dying on the floor, and a third stands with very little HP. The Drogans' darkest hour is at hand.

Ongoing damage brings Coltaine down to 5 HP. The warlord slashes through the last of the rats, leaving a mass of furry death. He tries to climb out of the pit, but slides back down, then finally saves versus the ongoing damage.

Ongoing damage wounds Rekoj down to 38/45 HP. The warden climbs out of the pit with ease, instilling feelings of inferiority in Coltaine. The goliath then takes cover behind a pillar and slashes into one of the goblins with his axe.

Session X - Part 11 Summary

The wounded goblin retreats from Rekoj before taking a shot at him, and nails Rekoj down to 22/45 HP.

Another goblin retreats and launches a javelin at Rekoj, taking him down to 15 HP.

Zacsarrd fails his second death save--and can only fail one more.

Round 6 ends. The rats are dead, and one of four goblins is injured. Two Drogans are down--one of which is one failed save away from death--Coltaine stands at 5 HP, rekoj at 15. The situation looks even more dismal.

Coltaine shouts inspiring words at Rekoj, and the goliath regains lost hit points. The warlord climbs out of pit and stabilizes Zacsarrd, then uses an action point and strikes at another goblin, bloodying it with one swing of his halberd. The Drogans' luck finally seems to be turning around.

Bolstered by Coltaine's words, Rekoj finds himself with 27 HP and 9 temporary HP. Ongoing damage takes him down to 6 temporary HP.

Session X - Part 12 Summary

Rekoj calls upon his Winter's Herald burst power and wounds two goblins, then spends an action point and uses Hungry Earth to target both once again again. The warden's onslaught kills one goblin outright, and leaves the other bloodied. Coltaine bolsters Rekoj to 32/45 HP and 6 temporary HP.

A goblin scurries away in fright at the sight of his companion lying dead on the stone floor. As he falls back, he hurls a javelin at Coltaine, and the warlord collapses.

Session X - Part 13 Summary

Round 7 ends. The situation looks better for the Drogans, despite the fact that three of them are down. One goblin lies dead, another is injured, and a third is grievously wounded, while Rekoj still has more than enough HP.

One goblin is immobilized by Rekoj's Winter's Herald power, caught in the warden's deadly grasp. As he panics, he draws his short sword and manages to prick Rekoj for 3 damage.

Nick rolls a 20 on Coltaine's death save, and the warlord spends a healing surge and awakens from the brink of death.

With a roll of 20, Rekoj scores a critical hit on the goblin and cleaves it in half.

A goblin pulls out his spear and impales Rekoj for 4 damage.

Session X - Part 14 Summary

Round 8 ends. The tides are turning back in favor of the Drogans, with only two enemies left standing, one of which is bloodied.

Autumn fails her first death save.

Coltaine rises to his feet and stabilizes autumn.

Rekoj chops his axe through the pillar and strikes the goblin taking cover behind it.

As the other goblin rushes forward with a javelin, and Coltaine tries to distract him with a shout, but his shout is cut short as the javelin drives itself into his stomach and he is brought down to 1 HP.

John is bored out of his mind because Zacsarrd has been out of the battle for the base five rounds or so--which seems to be the trend every battle.

Round 9 ends. Two Drogans are down but stable, Coltaine stands uneasily with 1 hp, but Rekoj still has plenty of HP. One goblin remains uninjured, while the other is wounded.

Coltaine calls upon his second wind to bring him back up to 8 HP.

Round 10 end.

Session X - Part 15 Summary

Coltaine advances and wounds the goblin.

Rekoj slashes his axe through the pillar and chops the goblin behind it in half. Debris tumbles down onto the corpse. Having killed his third goblin, the goliath sets his eyes upon the fourth.

The goblin stares in terror at his dismembered allies on the floor and tries to back away, but finds himself caught in the warden's icy aura. He pulls out his spear and tries to hit Rekoj, in vain.

Round 11 ends. The situation has evolved from ominous defeat to most assured victory.

The goblin, seeing the two Drogans bearing down on him, drops his weapons, falls to his knees, and holds up his hands in suppliance. His eyes grow big and watery, his lower lip trembles, and he quavers in broken common, "Please don't kill me."

Round 12 ends.

Coltaine, being the merciful one, places himself between Rekoj and the goblin and urges his bloodthirsty companion to spare his life.

Rekoj grabs the goblin's spear, as he doesn't have one in his vast arsenal, then suggests questioning the goblin before releasing it.