Adventures in a Doomed World: Session 14

Hobgoblin fight.

I'm playing a mashup of Scarlet Heroes and Basic Fantasy RPG with a few supplements to turn it into a solo fantasy hexcrawl in the world of Eilobar, a doomed land entering its end times. I'm using the Level 0 Character Tumbler, Hexcrawl Aventures and also 47 Critical Hit Tables to Spice Up Your Game. Starting with level 0 characters I'm attempting to keep them alive long enough to level up from -100 to 1 XP and become actual heroes.

Introduction

Last time, the celebrations over Mothric's death were cut short as the party learned of the fate of Laford, the small hamlet where we started the first character tumbler/funnel adventure. They're now on their way to liberate it from the goblin tribe that overran it.

The Adventure

Laford lies about six hexes to the southwest. Not far, but we don't know what the terrain is like yet. The heroes set out immediately. In the plains to the west they discover heavy flooding (this is the rainy season), and they have to spend time finding a way around it which delays them until the following day. That day they reach some hills, which slow them down a bit and they're forced to make camp for the night there. Descending from the hills the next day they enter a dense woodland. On the second day crossing the forest they fall victim to an ambush by hobgoblins! Eight of them spring an attack from between the trees, led by a hobgoblin warrior.

Up til now I haven't mentioned how I'm playing out the wilderness encounters and dungeon combat, so I thought I'd use this post to share that with you. As we know, I'm using the Hexcrawl Adventures supplement by Luke Kennedy. I've got the PDF but I'm not sure where I downloaded it from because I can't seem to find it anywhere now. Weird. For a wilderness encounter in Hexcrawl Adventures you drop two sets of dice onto a wipe-clean mat or large sheet of paper and they represent features like trees, boulders etc.

I don't have a large surface to play on at home, I live in a small flat in London, so to do this I use Tabletop Simulator. I downloaded a workshop item called Graph Paper Table which is exactly what you'd expect. I'm still using Roll20 for the character sheets though. You can import PDFs into TTS and set them up with custom text fields and number counting fields, but the interface is quite fiddly so Roll20 or pencil and paper is much easier.

I throw the dice onto it as best I can using the janky physics engine in TTS, and then I draw the battlemap using the drawing tools, based on where the dice land.

Here are the dice and what they represent:

D4: Tree

D6: Brush

D8: Rock

D10: Boulder

D12: Rock outcrop/ridge

D20 Terrain change (water or elevation change depending on the number rolled)

Since this is a forest encounter I'm going to change the rocks and outcrops to trees so there'll be more of them.

The forest battlemap in Tabletop Simulator.

Once that's done I can add the heroes and monsters. For this I found a really good collection of 3D scanned D&D miniatures in the Steam workshop, called D&D Miniatures R.R.O. As this is an ambush I'll place the heroes in the middle. By the way, the hobgoblins were rolled on a forest encounters table I made myself using the Basic Fantasy rulebook and field guides. Once I've finished all the encounter tables are making I might share them online, so look out for that.

Stilda (Red), Helia (Brown), Cyna (Blue) and Bryne (Teal).

They don't have counters above their heads for HP like the characters in Roll20 so I rename them and put their HP in brackets after the name. This pops up as a tooltip when you mouseover them. Also, all the miniatures are untextured so I colour code them myself.

In the BFRPG rules one in every six hobgoblins will be a warrior with two extra hit dice, so we'll have seven normal ones and one warrior. I like to roll on a table to see what weapons low level enemies like these will have:

1. Dagger

2. Shortsword

3. Club

4. Shortbow (and dagger)

5. Sling (and dagger)

6. Light spear

7. Longsword

8. Mace

9. Handaxe

10. Battleaxe

Let's say the warrior has a battleaxe - it makes sense he'd have a 1D8 weapon rather than one of the weaker ones. So that means I need to roll 7 D10s. Apart from generating the battlemaps and dungeons this is the only time I use the dice in TTS - when I need to roll a whole load at once it's faster to just duplicate them in TTS than roll my two real D10s several times.

Rolling a whole load of dice I don't own IRL

That's two shortswords, a dagger, a shortbow, a sling, a longsword and a handaxe. Now I'll place the hobgoblins using the D&D miniatures.

The hobgoblins jump out from behind four trees, launching their attack.

This could be quite a tough fight! Just this once I'll detail all the dice rolling, not just the narrative of the battle, and if any weird homebrow house rules pop up I'll explain them. It's mostly just Scarlet Heroes though. They roll a D20, add their attack bonus, stat bonus and the enemy's descending armour class and 20 is a hit.

The hobgoblin warrior leads his gang into battle, charging ahead with the melee fighters. The archer shoots at Cyna. He hits, the arrow penetrating her hauberk and piercing her.

17 +1 Attack Bonus +4 Armour Class = 22 (Hit)

Damage die 1D6: 6 (2 HP damage)

The slinger shoots at Bryne but the stone misses.

5 +1 AB +9 AC = 15 (Miss)

As she's bunched up with the others, does it hit Stilda or Cyna next to her? (-4 to AB)

Stilda: 1 -3 AB +4 AC = 2 (Miss)

Cyna: 8 -3 AB +4 AC = 9 (Miss)

Stilda heads to her right, aiming to circle around a boulder to the two hobgoblins to the right.

Helia shoots an arrow at the hobgoblin warrior but it thuds into the tree behind him.

10 +1 AB +1 Dex Bonus +6 AC = 18 (Miss)

Cyna heads for the rest of the hobgoblins to her left. Bryne casts Sleep in the middle of the hobgoblins on the party's right. The Basic Fantasy rules say sleep has a radius of 30ft, but on the scale of the graph paper table 15ft seems more appropriate, otherwise she'd be putting entire dungeons to sleep. Unfortunately Cyna will have to make a saving throw for this along with the hobgoblins, since the rules don't say friendlies aren't affected. It's 2D8 + character level or hit dice, and the target is 11 (10 + Bryne's level).

Cyna

11 +1 char level = 12 (Success)

Shortsword hobgoblin

11 +1 HD = 12 (Success)

Hobgoblin archer

9 + 1 HD = 10 (Failure)

Longsword hobgoblin

2 +1 HD = 3 (Critical failure, he sleeps double the duration)

Hobgoblin slinger

7 +1 HD = 8 (Failure)

Shortsword hobgoblin

7 +1 HD = 8 (Failure)

Hobgoblin warrior

12 +3 HD = 15 (Success)

Four hobgoblins pass out and fall to the floor, asleep for six rounds, eleven for the one with the longsword.

The results of the Sleep spell. I coloured the sleeping ones white, and the one who got a critical fail black.

Enraged by this, the hobgoblin warrior roars and carries on running towards the heroes, Bryne in his sights now. The others follow.

Stilda keeps charges around the boulder with a burst of speed. Cyna makes a beeline for the hobgoblin warrior. Helia shoots at it again but it dodges the arrow deftly.

6 +1 AB +1 Dex Bonus +6 AC = 14 (Miss)

Then Bryne raises her new shortbow and looses an arrow at it too.

5 +0 AB +6 AC = 11 (Miss)

The monsters quickly catch up to Bryne and Cyna. The warrior swings his battleaxe at Bryne but the flat of the blade thwacks against her side, miraculously doing no damage at all.

15 +3 AB + 9 AC = 27 (Hit)

Damage die 1D8: 1 (No damage)

A hobgoblin with a shortsword swings for Cyna but she parries it with her trusty pitchfork.

3 +1 AB +4 AC = 8 (Miss)

Another with a handaxe brings it down on her from behind but she quickly whips the pitchfork around her back and parries it.

3 +1 AB +4 AC = 8 (Miss)

Stilda realises there's no one left behind the boulder she's circling and doubles back, charging at the nearest monster.

Helia shoots at one wielding a shortsword. The arrow hits its neck and it drops to the ground, gurgling blood.

12 +1 AB +1 Dex bonus +6 AC = 20 (Hit)

Cyna shoves her pitchfork into the stomach of the one closest to her, all three prongs stabbing into it. It gasps and falls down dead.

16 +1 AB +1 Str bonus +6 AC = 24 (Hit)

Damage die 1D6: 5 (1 HP)

Bryne swings her donkey's jawbone (don't ask) at the goblin warrior's head but it catches her wrist, yanks hard and she falls onto the ground, scrambling to find her weapon again.

1 (Critical miss)

With Bryne prone on the ground, the warrior sneers and raises its battleaxe high. By some quirk of fate it rolls a 1 on its damage die for the second round in a row, hitting her backpack and bouncing off her thick (but mostly empty) spellbook.

16 +3 AB +9 AC = 28 (Hit)

Damage die 1D8: 1 (No damage!)

I realise I've forgotten the morale check when half the enemies are dead or knocked out, for about the tenth time. I really don't know how to remind myself about it. So we'll give the other hobgoblin one now. It has to roll its morale or under, 9 (includes a +1 bonus from the hobgoblin warrior leading him)

7: Success.

The hobgoblin charges up to Cyna and attacks, taking her by surprise and cutting her arm with its shortsword.

19 +1 AB +4 AC = 24 (Hit)

Damage die 1D6: 2 (1 HP)

Stilda keeps running, reaching that hobgoblin but unable to attack this round. Cyna fights back, but her strikes are parried by the skillful monster.

4 +2 AB +1 Str bonus +6 AC = 13 (Miss)

Fray die 1D8: 1 (No damage)

Helia, seeing the warrior raising its battleaxe again, shoots at it but misses badly.

8 +1 AB +1 Dex bonus +6 AC = 16 (Miss)

The warrior laughs at the arrow that sails past it and swings at Bryne just as she's getting up. It chops into her shoulder with its battleaxe, badly wounding her.

20 (Critical hit!)

Damage die 1D8: 4 (1HP x2 = 2HP)

The other hobgoblin is surrounded. Does it go for Stilda (D4: 1-2) or Cyna (3-4)?

1: Stilda.

It lunges at Stilda with its sword. She dodges a bit too slowly but its blade merely grazes her scalemail. People are rolling a lot of ones in this fight.

16 +1 AB +4 AC = 21 (Hit)

Damage die 1D6: 1 (No damage)

Bryne takes advantage of the fact she wears no armour and quickly moves far back from the warrior, then shoots at it with her bow.

4 +6 AC = 10 (Miss)

Helia doesn't have a clear line of sight to either hobgoblin now so she shoots at the sleeping archer, getting an automatic hit and killing it.

Stilda swings her longsword but the hobgoblin parries it. Immediately she disengages and whirls the blade round, chopping into its neck. It looks surprised for a moment and then falls down.

4 +2 AB +2 Str bonus +6 AC = 14 (Miss)

Fray die 1D8: 6 (2 damage)

Cyna lunges towards the hobgoblin warrior but it sidesteps her and hits the pitchfork out of the way.

7 +1 AB +1 Str bonus +6 AC = 15 (Miss)

Does it hold its nerve now it's the last one standing?

Morale check: 7 (Success).

It roars at Cyna, swinging its axe wildly and she blocks it with her shield.

8 +3 AB +4 AC = 15 (Miss)

Helia and Bryne take up positions and shoot at the warrior. Helia looses an arrow which sticks in the monster's chest.

18 +1 AB +1 Dex bonus +6 AC = 24 (Hit)

Damage die 1D6: 6 (2 HP)

Bryne shoots but misses as usual.

6 +6 AC = 12 (Miss)

Stilda steps up to the warrior and swings for it, scratching its leather armour.

13 +2 AB +2 Str bonus +6 AC = 23 (Hit)

Damage die 1D8: 1 (No damage)

Cyna stabs with her pitchfork but the warrior parries.

2 +1 AB +1 Str bonus +6 AC = 10 (Miss)

The hobgoblin swings the axe at Stilda, chopping at her side and wounding her.

19 +3 AB +4 AC = 26 (Hit)

Damage die 1D8: 8 (2 HP)

Helia gives up on her bow and moves towards the fight. Bryne looses an arrow, which misses.

10 +6 AC = 16 (Miss)

Stilda attacks again, hitting the hobgoblin's armour yet again. What the actual f*ck?! This fight is really dragging on and two of the hobgoblins are going to wake up in a minute!

18 +2 AB +2 Str bonus +6 AC = 26 (Hit)

Damage die 1D8: 1 (No damage)

The hobgoblin is winded from Stilda's blow and doubled over in pain, so Cyna takes the opportunity and stabs forward into the top of its head, two of the pitchfork's prongs piercing its brains and killing it instantly.

19 +1 AB +1 Str bonus +6 AC = 27 (Hit)

Damage die 1D8: 5 (1 damage)

Noticing two of the sleeping hobgoblins are starting to stir and open their eyes, Helia calls out to Bryne and they shoot at them, killing them both with automatic hits. Finally Cyna walks over to the one sleeping more deeply and pins it to the ground with her pitchfork, killing it.

Wow, that was a tough fight! They get 200XP shared between the party, and loot just over 16GP. Stilda bandages the wounded, healing 2HP each.

My Thoughts

That was a really long winded fight, and towards the end I thought all the sleeping hobgoblins were going to wake up. My heroes don't have great stats unfortunately as they're just the survivors of the funnel adventure I put them through, but they're definitely getting better at what they do. I think that sleep spell is going to be more useful than Magic Missile was, to be honest. Anyway, the next post will be a normal one without all the dice rolls and explanation of my setup - hope you enjoyed this!