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Post by Kristian on Feb 12, 2020 10:30:51 GMT
Tom's plan... (I kinda want to watch this movie now )
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Post by Kristian on Feb 12, 2020 10:53:02 GMT
Seriously though, is there any chance of getting a quick sketch of the area/situation to help visualise how screwed we are? Or is it just a pitched battle with the orc army's back against a mountain wall ...i.e. something like this?
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gilbo
2019 Group
Posts: 1,446
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Post by gilbo on Feb 12, 2020 11:17:45 GMT
Seriously though, is there any chance of getting a quick sketch of the area/situation to help visualise how screwed we are? I will have a go at putting something up later. Half of the orcs and the giant are inside the fortress. The other half plus an ogre and troll have come out to attack the dwarves who were stationed outside. There is a bridge across to the main fortress. You and Gliss are near the dwarves.
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Post by Kristian on Feb 12, 2020 11:21:18 GMT
Half of the orcs and the giant are inside the fortress. The other half plus an ogre and troll have come out to attack the dwarves who were stationed outside. There is a bridge across to the main fortress. You and Gliss are near the dwarves. So it's kinda like a mountain fortress with a castle-like frontage (rather than a Moria-like gate) - gotcha. Did the Dwarves at least bring siege weapons?
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Post by brumguvnor on Feb 12, 2020 11:56:18 GMT
I am so glad it was not me that weakened first and drew a map - I've been itching too ever since the session ended on Monday!
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gilbo
2019 Group
Posts: 1,446
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Post by gilbo on Feb 12, 2020 13:42:28 GMT
So it's kinda like a mountain fortress with a castle-like frontage (rather than a Moria-like gate) - gotcha. Did the Dwarves at least bring siege weapons? Well not really. It is a stand alone fortress on a prominatory. No, neither side has any siege weaponry. Meldar, and the others who were hiding in the secret tunnel below the well were discovered and had to scarper. They have rejoined the other dwarves. The orcs have blocked the well. BTW Kris you have defended this place before in a previous life. It was during Jarl 1, and I reckon I brought in a plastic castle. There was a frost giant involved then too, so it just shows how original I am.
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Post by Kristian on Feb 12, 2020 14:03:29 GMT
neither side has any siege weaponry. Feckin' Dwarvish amateurs you have defended this place before in a previous life I remember now (well I remember the castle at least ...everything else is a little hazy) I keep thinking of that (American?) guy when you say that name ...you know, the one that would roll a 3, and knock the dice (or pick it up super quickly) and announce he had rolled a 15!
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gilbo
2019 Group
Posts: 1,446
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Post by gilbo on Feb 12, 2020 16:00:17 GMT
I keep thinking of that (American?) guy when you say that name ...you know, the one that would roll a 3, and knock the dice (or pick it up super quickly) and announce he had rolled a 15! Bloody hell he was the worst! Not only was he a massive cheat, he was a big supporter of the NRA and used to post loads of horrible stuff on Facebook.
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Post by Kristian on Feb 12, 2020 16:39:48 GMT
I think he played a couple of characters (briefly) in 2 different games ...both named Meldarth (hence the association).
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Post by brumguvnor on Feb 12, 2020 17:46:29 GMT
Kris - does sir Tom have a ranged weapon right now? - because he's gonna need one if we go for the wall of throns option... - he can use my +1 shortbow if he wants
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Post by Kristian on Feb 12, 2020 18:09:35 GMT
He has a cantrip from one of the items I believe.
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Post by brumguvnor on Feb 13, 2020 13:32:22 GMT
So: here's my current thinking:
There's no point trying to scoop up the lady Glissandel and then running for it - there is an entire army there with a frost giant and an ogre: they are NOT going to let us get away easily - so we might as well stand and fight. On top of that, Tarrik really firmly believes in "leave no man behind" - so, my conclusion is - go in all guns blazing. (although I will get Rook to drop a goodberry into her mouth - just in case...)
Having Graggar take the beans of invulnerability and storm giant strength are a no brainer for me: personally I think he should run straight at the frost giant, ignoring everything else, and kick his head in before the invulnerability runs out. My only question is - should I take the bean of heroism to offset the HP loss I will get from using the staff?
Apart from that we have a decision to make: my 2 most powerful abilities from the Staff of Thorns are summoning needle blights and creating a wall of thorns. I don't think I can do both, so we need to decide which one to use. Summoning another 8 needle blights leads to fairly obvious tactics: using the wall of thorns would be different - we create a U shape, all around us with the open end pointing at the largest group of enemies: I then cast spike growth on the entrance to the U; all of the needle blights and every other person with any ranged attack then rains down hell on anything that enters the open arms of the U shaped thorn wall - except perhaps for me and Rimmir who use mold earth to create a ditch and small pile of earth in front of us first and then all around us, to provide cover for when we get charged and then for when the thorn wall goes down. (it lasts 10 minutes)
This would mean that all enemies have to come at us over spike growth, both slowing them and causing damage, and we get to pepper them with ranged attacks whilst they do so. And obviously the alternative strategy of summoning another 8 needle blights gives us that much more firepower.
Whadya all think?
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Post by Karrgos on Feb 13, 2020 15:45:49 GMT
So: here's my current thinking: There's no point trying to scoop up the lady Glissandel and then running for it - there is an entire army there with a frost giant and an ogre: they are NOT going to let us get away easily - so we might as well stand and fight. On top of that, Tarrik really firmly believes in "leave no man behind" - so, my conclusion is - go in all guns blazing. (although I will get Rook to drop a goodberry into her mouth - just in case...) Having Graggar take the beans of invulnerability and storm giant strength are a no brainer for me: personally I think he should run straight at the frost giant, ignoring everything else, and kick his head in before the invulnerability runs out. My only question is - should I take the bean of heroism to offset the HP loss I will get from using the staff? Apart from that we have a decision to make: my 2 most powerful abilities from the Staff of Thorns are summoning needle blights and creating a wall of thorns. I don't think I can do both, so we need to decide which one to use. Summoning another 8 needle blights leads to fairly obvious tactics: using the wall of thorns would be different - we create a U shape, all around us with the open end pointing at the largest group of enemies: I then cast spike growth on the entrance to the U; all of the needle blights and every other person with any ranged attack then rains down hell on anything that enters the open arms of the U shaped thorn wall - except perhaps for me and Rimmir who use mold earth to create a ditch and small pile of earth in front of us first and then all around us, to provide cover for when we get charged and then for when the thorn wall goes down. (it lasts 10 minutes) This would mean that all enemies have to come at us over spike growth, both slowing them and causing damage, and we get to pepper them with ranged attacks whilst they do so. And obviously the alternative strategy of summoning another 8 needle blights gives us that much more firepower. Whadya all think? You are not wrong about Tarik. Both plans are good but if you can't do both spells, we won't have the needle blights with us in the Bunker of Thorns. The wall will mean we're immobile and the frost giant is lobbing rocks from inside Krag Krogaur. I don't think Gragger can get into combat with the giant in a minute so me may need to leave the beans for later. Gonna need some aces in the whole for when we try to take the Fortress. My thinking is, save the elf, mob the troll because we've killed one before. Then fall back through the zombies and put the poor bastards to rest. Then we can chat with Borg and Melder to see what they have planned.
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Post by brumguvnor on Feb 13, 2020 16:09:18 GMT
Don't forget - I already have 8 blights summoned before we went through the portal: this plan is around either summoning another 8 or erecting the Bunker of Thorns.
Also - there's no point saving resources to use later against the enemies inside the castle, if we don't survive the army outside, you know? - we're at an all or nothing moment.
Does anyone have any other one-off items or things we can use? - is there any magic stuff in all of the loot we could use?
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gilbo
2019 Group
Posts: 1,446
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Post by gilbo on Feb 21, 2020 2:00:19 GMT
Episode 19 - The Battle of Crag Crorgar
The party, along with Meldar, Borg and 8 units of 8 dwarves each were facing 8 units of orcs, two mounted orog commanders, as well as an armoured ogre and a troll. Furthermore the frost giant was hurling boulders from the safety of the fortress, while an orc shaman stationed on the battlements conjured storms.
Tarrik rushed over to Glissandell and brought her back to Meldar. The cleric determined that she was trapped within the cursed black-heart tentacles, and could only be freed by finding the source of the poisoned tooth. He cast some protective spells upon the party, and the battle commenced.
Rimir conjured a sphere of eldritch darkness, covering the troll and four units of orcs, who were damaged and slowed by the icy tentacles. Seijin, his troop of needle blights, several dwarf units and Tom engaged the orcs emerging from the sphere, while Borg took on the troll. Gragga, Tarrik and the rest of the dwarves took on the other half of the orcs, along with the ogre. Periodically a huge boulder would smash into the battlefield, and a lightning bolt would strike from the storm above.
The battle raged, and with the dwarves and orcs evenly matched there were heavy casualties on both sides. Borg battled the troll, and with the help of Rimir, who's magic stopped the creature regenerating, he was able to defeat it. The blights took down several orcs, before the shaman conjured an ice storm, which destroyed them all, along with two units of dwarves, leaving Seijin and Tom to battle a group of orcs and the orog commander. On the other side of the field, Gragga cut down the ogre and several orcs in his rage, while Tarrik and the Iron Brotherhood worked through many more orcs and faced the other orog. At one point a huge boulder hit Tarrik, but he managed to deflect most of it's force, splitting it in half.
Seijin transformed into a sabre-toothed tiger, and he, Tom and Borg defeated the orog and the orcs around them. Rimir moved forward and hit the shaman with an eldritch blast, disrupting his concentration on the lightning storm. Gragga and Tarrik overcame the other orog, and Meldar healed some of the dwarf monks. With the battlefield now clear, Tarrik leapt over the gatehouse and kicked off the bar, allowing them to cross the bridge to the fortress. The monk jumped up on to the battlements to engage the shaman, while Seijin, with Tom riding on his back, leapt at the giant. The orc war chief and a claw of Luthic also entered the fray.
The frost giant hit Seijin with a vicious blow from his axe, causing the druid to jump to a nearby battlement and turn back into a half-elf. Tom charged at the orc chieftain and dealt him a mighty blow, and the two orcs could not seem to penetrate the gnome's armour. Borg burst through the gate to attack the giant, while Gragga jumped on to the battlement and beheaded the shaman, burning Tarrik in his rage, before going on to engage with the giant. Rimir outlined the enemies with fire, enabling the others to hit them more easily, and the surviving members of the Iron Brotherhood threw shuriken at the orcs with deadly accuracy. Seijin caused the giant's armour to heat up, burning him and distracting him. Despite this, the giant again hit Seijin, who was now a snake, with a terrible blow. Tarrik jumped from the wall, fixed his staff in mid air, and swung from it, hitting the giant with a powerful attack which killed it! Tom, Seijin and Gragga finished off the two orcs and the battle was won. Crag Crorgar had been retaken, and the celebratory feasting (and drinking) could begin!
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