Rollohi-ep14-script

The old watchtower job

14.1 the pitch

Kaelen the sharp had not managed to inspire Xantu the level 2 dwarf with her secret, but she approaches him directly. The lord of the area, a baron, is about to betray his vicomte's alliance with vicomte Jon Coen and open the town to the nearest dwarf lord, a chaos-worshipper who can only mean ill for the region. 

 

If the party can "convince" the baron to stay true to his oath she can arrange a reward in kind, meaning top quality gear. 

 

All characters are level 2. 

Eryn the female fighter is an advocate type personality. 

Ingle the male cleric is a spiritual type who wishes to specialize in divination. 

Jack the male thief is a selfish type 

Umbert the male magic user has a militant disposition 

Pod the male halfling has a cautious disposition, but as if in balance, his partner Cied the female halfling has a reckless one. 

Kylie the female elf is so alien in her thinking noone can really make out her disposition. 

Lastly Xantu the dwarf who introduces the party to Kaelen is of a militant disposition. 

 

Portray the debate the characters have about taking on the job. Kaelen is allowed to flesh out some details such as the habits of the baron and the weakest defenses his holdings might have, but cannot promise magic items. 

 

"I won't lie. This is a difficult job," Kaelen said, her sharp eyes scanning the group. "But the risk is worth the reward. The baron is a treacherous fool, but he's also a creature of habit. He's been meeting a courier from the dwarf lord every night for the past week in the old watchtower. That's a good place to intercept them." 

"The watchtower is a dangerous place," Pod the halfling squeaked, wringing his hands. "The guards will be on alert. We'll be walking into a trap." 

"Pod's right," Cied his partner shot back, her hands on her hips. "But it's a risk we have to take. We can't let a chaos-worshipper take over the town. Think of all the loot!" 

Umbert the magic user scoffed. "Loot? We're not here for loot. We're here to stop a war. My signature spell to charm one of the guards, a well-placed fire to distract them, and we'll be in and out before they know what hit them." 

"A fire?" Eryn the fighter frowned. "That's a bit extreme, isn't it? We're not here to kill anyone. We're here to convince the baron to change his mind. Maybe we can appeal to his sense of honor, his loyalty to the vicomte. He's not a monster, just a man who's lost his way." 

"Honor? Loyalty?" Jack the thief snorted. "He's a baron. He's got no honor. The only thing he cares about is money and power. We should just go in, take what we can, and leave him to his fate. Let the dwarves have him. They'll probably kill him anyway." 

"Jack's right," Xantu the dwarf grunted, his hand on his axe. "This isn't about honor. It's about survival. We can't let the chaos-worshippers take over. We have to be prepared for a fight. A good fight." 

Ingle the cleric, who had been silent until now, spoke up. "This is not just a fight, but a spiritual one. I sense a great evil coming from this dwarf lord. It is our duty to protect the innocent from this darkness. I can use my divinations to see the path ahead, but only if we are all in agreement. We must stand together." 

"My people have been fighting chaos for generations," Kylie the elf said, her voice soft but firm. "It is a sickness that must be purged. We will join you, but we will not fight for gold. We will fight for the balance of the world." 

Kaelen listened to the group, her face a mask of neutrality. "I can't promise magic items, but I can promise the finest gear in the land. And I can promise you a chance to make a difference. The baron's holdings are not well-defended. The walls of the watchtower are crumbling, the guards are lazy, and the patrol routes are predictable. We can get in, convince the baron to change his mind, and get out before anyone is the wiser." 

"So," Kaelen said, looking at the group, "what's it going to be?" 

"Now when you say we..." Pod queries 

"I mean you of course, deniable but well compensated assets," Kaelen laughs. 

"We're going to need more rope " - Jack 

 

14.2 the job begins

It's the final night of waning Crescent. Weather is the same fog on the river land they saw yesterday  and ideal for going to cover near the old watchtower 

 

To tell the truth while neither Eryn nor Kylie noticed the old tower on their Silas mission,  

All the others had, and most dwelled some time on the sight, associating it with ghost stories. It must date, they hazard, from the same date as the ruins in Whisperwood. (In fact they are completely wrong and the Whisperwood had already claimed that ruin when the watchtower was built). 

 

 

As you would expect it stands high so getting to it is the first big challenge. Night and the tiny moon help of course. Now let's check fog. D6: The fog 1 is already gone to 6, it stands their friend 

3 is wisp and shreds allowing advantage stealth checks on DEX - noone nat 20s so I accept they get to the walls. Unless guards are alert? 

 

Guards are 1 unusually alert 6 even lazier 

4 reliably lazy. 

 

In theory the baron is meeting the courier. Is he though... d6 again  

The baron is 1 romping a serving wench 6 exactly where Kaelen said he'd be 

3 roaming but not gone 

 

Finally I'll need to find out which of the dwarf lord's retinue is the courier. But that can wait. And ideally they don't appear. 

 

Based on a roman watchtower  

There are 4 levels 

The top can be climbed to by Jack but Umbert plans to get a guard to drop a rope down. He and Jack sneak to the steps that lead up to the first floor. 

Two guards walk out for a perimeter check and Umbert nudges Jack, pointing and signing. Jack nods and creates an "odd noise" kind of distraction for one guard. Umbert walks after the other, and casts Charm Person. The man fails rolling a 13. 

"Listen, we need help to get up to speak to the baron, without anyone knowing it. Would you be able to tie this long knotted rope to the top merlon, above where the baron's chamber is?" 

 

Naturally! does the man happen to know the baron has taken a stroll elsewhere? No but... knows he probably isn't always in the chamber. But hey, first things first right? 

 

I'm turning to solo into the westlands and taking on board the Clocks lesson. I think it's time to set a clock.  

The inevitable departure of the baron, fully guarded, marks failure. Multiple alarms also marks failure. I think given the slackers of the guard I can set this to 55. 

My trigger will be each stage.  

1, rope setting 

2, clambering 

3, sneaking 

4, speaking 

5, leaving 

 

Outsude a smudgepot is going. Jack tosses it into the 2nd floor with a good 10 vs dex 

Thus their man on the inside walks through the disturbance with his rope 

D66 clock check 62, the clock moves down to 50 

With the rope tied each burly member with adequate dex climbs. Definitely Kylie and Cied, Jack should go too, with Eryn and Pod 

All 5 make the climb without advancing the clock 

Next, sufficiently murderous looking members have to sneak to the next floor  

(So not the halflings) 

Three checks successful 

Its time to find out who the courier is with a d4, and it's the level 7 elf! 

The snoopers listen. 

Does the courier hear them no and is perfunctory in dealings 

If there are promises reaffirmed no but referred to  

How does the courier leave 

1 by the stairs down 

2 through the window 

3 by the stairs up yes 

Its time for CiedPod to pretend to be furniture - two more clock checks succeed 

The elf immediately notices the rope! 

He/she peers down... rolls a nat20 

CiedPod push them off 

Surprise characters 6 Elf 1 

It takes a full round for the elf to cast fly, unless they are wearing a magic item that does the job? No and nothing like feather falling either. 

They take 6d6 damage. 24! 

Their hp are less than that, they are dead. (Rolled 20 on 7d6, so can't be higher than 23) 

 

14.3 the job goes south

Eryn Kylie and Jack, wearing bandanas, menace the baron; your treason is known. Change your ways, or see your entire house extinct  

Cha with advantage 05  

The baron rolls 07 against this. 

That's not much of a threat. You may have bested one lone courier but my new friends could smash this kingdom. 

What difference will that make to you, your line will be extinct. Conform to your Lawful vows NOW!! 

Let's see if the baron is neutral. Nope, he's gone over to Chaos. WIS best check is 12 from Jack, over by 3  

Clock check: still ok with a 36 

The baron also fails his WIS check, 16 against 14 

(12 09 14 15 09 12)  

Anyway, he decides to lie.  

Very well, i see how itbis. Let your master know there need be no concern. But the loss of a courier may upset the dwarf lord. Please come with me if he sends for me... just leave me a token by which you can be summoned. 

Cha:cha 10 for the character 11 for the baron, so he wins thanks to moving it up from 9 over time. 

Hesotatingly Eryn undoes a vambrace... but Jack with an 05 on INT says don't be so naive, it's a trap! And we need to go. 

Desperate, the baron opens his mouth to scream forbhelp 

Does kylie stab him yes but not before an init check 

Clock check fine 

Inits even, on 2. 

CiedPod enter  

The baron scream fo help, jack and kylie stab him. Jack gets the backstabbing success for 12 dmg with short sword, Kylie does 5 dmg and somewhat reluctantly Eryn also does 5. The baron has 26 hp. CiedPod jump in to stab as well: 8dmg! 

Does the chamber the baron was using have useful loot 

Yes 

Loot type there is a Magic item armor or shield since I rolled an 04 on my first chance. The baron has his fancy +1 armor and +1 shield on a display here.  

 

Meanwhile Ingle and Umbert loot a level 7 elf who has at least some means of fast travel. I get yesses on 1st 3rd and 4th 

Leather +1 

Ring of water walking 

Potion of levitation 

Elven cloak and boots? 

Kind of makes sense and explains why the elf was happy gping up to the battlements 

Also suggests the waterway links to the chaos dwarf or to easy transport