Goodman Games

Account of my play by post game. I paraphrased some of the flavor text included in the module. I hope that doesn't cause any problems. This is my first campaign log, and I'll admit I'm a little disappointed by how cliche it comes off. I'm no Jordan or Martin. Or even an R.A.S. But I had fun writing this first part, and I guess that's what counts. If anyone else reads it and likes it, I guess that's just a bonus.
Most of the RP stuff is added by me to make it a more interesting read. I also noted some of the mechanics in superscript (is that what it's called?)
Feel free to post any questions.

Ques- 2nd level human paladin- group leader
Grundel- Fighter1/Rogue1 orc- scout and ranged fighter
Bromm- 2nd level illusionist gnome- token greedy small character
Tai- 2nd level human female Shugenja(Comp Div)- healer from a distant land
Alexis-NPC female ranger. Agreed to lead party to suspected Kobold hideout.

A steep rocky wall rose up behind the thick tangle of trees before the companions. They spotted a small belt pouch lying discarded up the ground at the base of a briar-filled thicket. Just above it, they saw a patch of shade which, upon closer scrutiny, appeared to be a gap in the foliage.
“This is the place” stated Alexis, while Tai went over the discarded pouch. “The kobold menace seems to be centered right on this area. We must now part ways. I pray the gods smile on your foray.” Without another word, the ranger flung her cloak over her shoulder and darted back toward the road from whence they came.
“Hrmph,” grunted a sun-baked orc. “Seems to me she coulda stuck around and helped out. After all, it’s her ****** town we’re helping.” He broke the end off of the small animal bone he was using to pick his teeth.
Tai cast the orc a quick glance with her almond shaped eyes, then continued examining the gem stone she found in the discarded pouch. Satisfied, she slipped it into her own belt pouch.
Meanwhile, Ques sighed. Grundel was trying, but his orcish nature still shone through more often than not. Ques rubbed the wooden sun burst hanging from his neck before he spoke. “Grundel, we took this quest up with the understanding that Alexis would lead us to the area suspected to be the hideout of the kobold bandits. The agreement said nothing of her going in with us to eradicate the threat. As is stated in the Texts of Pelor, ‘When your brother offers a goat, chastise him not for keeping his cattle.’
“I swear Ques,” complained the fourth member of the party as he pushed through the brambles to join his companions. “No one I’ve ever encountered puts so much effort into quoting moldy old scrolls.” Bromm nodded toward Grundel. “Besides, the neanderthal’s thick skull will undoubtedly deflect most of the wisdom you are trying to force through it.”
Grundel gave the gnome a grin which Bromm slyly returned. Bromm was well aware that Grundel had a limit of tolerance for his jibes, but as of yet, he hadn’t made any attempt to test it. Besides, the best thing in the world for a gnomish wizard is a hulking orc watching his back. Best to keep things friendly.
Bromm approached Tai, draped in her exotic robes from lands he had only read about, and gave them a gentle tug. “Tai, my dear, might I examine that gem you found?”
Ques stopped this conversation short, recognizing the ease with which material riches can derail the diminutive illusionist from the team’s goals. “Later, Bromm,” he said. “For now we must make sure that this is the right spot. It will do us no good to be waylaid by the lair’s entrance while we examine the stone.”
Bromm sighed in agreement, and the companions pushed through the gap in the foliage. The group found themselves looking upon a squared depression in the rock wall, heavily choked with ivy. The space ended with the conspicuous outline of a large stone door that looked like it hadn’t been opened in centuries. There didn’t appear to be any opening mechanism or pull-ring for the door. Many of the curling vines had been half torn down from the walls, and behind the vines, the companions could make out a series of intricate bas-reliefs.
Tai ran her hand over the carved stone door. It depicted a morbid scene; a robed and hooded man administering a potion to an enshrouded, skeletal corpse that lay upon a bier. Behind them, an open sarcophagus awaited. Upon the left-hand wall was carved a tall, life sized figure in a long, hooded robe. Though his countenance was grim, he strongly resembled the man depicted on the central wall. Finally, a life-sized skeleton wrapped in a death shroud was carved into the right hand wall. The grooves of the relief were deep, giving the impression that it was about to step out of the wall. Though its arms were folded across its chest, the skeleton’s jaw hung open wide as though screaming in silence.
Ques approached the carving of the robed figure. There was something vaguely familiar about the man, but the paladin could not place him[1] “Anyone have any idea what we’re looking at, here?”
“No idea.” Grundel was already examining the door on the central wall[2]. “I don’t see any way to get this ******* thing open.”
Ques gave an auditory sigh upon the orc’s cursing. Grundel shot him an apologetic look.
Meanwhile, Bromm was busy looking over the carving of the skeletal figure on the right wall [3]. “I think I’ve got something over here!” The rest of the group converged on the gnome’s discovery. “You can barely discern it; a fissure around the carving. It looks as though we’ve discovered a secret entrance to the kobolds’ lair.” He banged on his orc companion’s studded leather armor. Small blue runes glowed briefly on the armor’s surface upon impact. “Grundel, up! I want to take a closer look at the skull.”
The hulking orc sheathed the javelin he was carrying and wrapped his hands around the gnome’s rib cage. With little effort, Grundel lifted Bromm up until he was eye to eye with open mouthed skeleton.
Bromm poked his finger into the skeleton’s mouth. Tenetively at first, then with more confidence. “It seems that this fellow's maw extends deeper into the wall than is at first apparent. Perhaps this is a clue about the procedure to open the panel.”
Ques was already way ahead of Bromm. He uncapped his water skin and poured a generous amount of water into the skeleton’s mouth. The companions heard a click, and then the wall depicting the skeleton slid to the right, revealing a dark passage beyond. Bromm blinked in surprise. “Just like the carving on the central wall,” Ques explained.
Bromm bit his lip. “Two more seconds and I’d have figured it out. Let me down, you tusked buffoon.” The gnome hit the ground with a thud.
Bromm and Grundel’s darkness attuned eyes picked up no immediate threats from the dark passage. It was time for the companions to prepare for the raid. Bromm gestured and chanted, weaving a spell of invisible, protective armor around himself and Tai [4]. Grundel and Ques had no need for such magic, as they wore armor of leather and steel. Tai reached into her pack and retrieved the hooded lantern that she and Ques depended on to pierce the darkness. While she lit the lantern, Ques gave his group the usual pep talk.
“By the books, people. I want a quick clean strike, but let’s not forget to take enough time to check corners and doors. Bromm’s Mage Armor will only last a couple of hours, after that, he and Tai are going to be vulnerable. I’d like to have this over before then. Be smart, watch each other’s backs. We’ll all make it out alive and be back to base in Verbonic before we know it. Grundel, scout duty as usual. Remember, no more than 100 feet in front of the group. We don’t need a repeat of what happened with the wererat [5].
Grundel started down the corridor, which only went about 5 feet south before turning to the left and heading east. He padded along [6] as he had countless times as a scout for his desert tribe, before he was chased out on pain of death. For the millionth time, Grundel lamented the intolerance and cruelty of his people as he crept down the corridor of worked masonry stone. His mind snapped back to the present as the corridor made another left turn and abruptly ended at a wooden door[7].
Grundel crept to the door and put his ear against the wood. He listened for a count of one hundred, which was the standard operating procedure set forth by Ques [8], but heard not a sound [9]. The orc skulked back to the entrance where his teammates waited, unaware of the danger that he was about to lead them into.
Ques and the others were eager to be on their way. The paladin called for the usual marching order the group had adopted for a 5 foot wide corridor. He would be on point, followed by Grundel with his javelins. Tai would be holding the lantern behind Grundel so Ques would be able to see. Bromm would be taking up the rear. The companions marched down the corridor, stopping at the door. Ques took one last listen at the door [10], and flung it open. Then all hell broke loose…


[1] Knowledge Religion Check: 18
[2] Search check 10
[3] Search check 23
[4] Mage Armor
[5] Referring to a near fatal failed attempt to complete DCC#1
[6] Move Silent check 8
[7] [Listen check 5. Kobold warrior listen checks at -12 for distraction, distance, and door: all fail. Y’dak’s listen check at -7 for distance and door: 11. Hears Grundel creeping up to the door.]
[8] Taking 20
[9] Y’dak commanded other kobolds to be silent before Grundel reached the door.
[10] Nothing to hear, the kobolds are quietly waiting in ambush

Ydak gripped his mace tightly and again cursed his lot in life. Everything had been so simple for the kobold warrior before Tazex returned to the tribe and slain Kerrak, the chief. Things were different for all the kobolds of the tribe now, but Ydak’s life had definitely taken a turn for the worse. When Kerrak had exiled Tazex for coveting his consort, Ydak had been the one to drive the chief’s point home, as was his duty as one of the tribe’s elite warriors. The memory of Tazex’s cry as Ydak’s mace shattered his elbow brought a smile to the right corner of Ydak’s scaly lips.
“Nupnup, you’d better not be cheating again. I don’t care what Tazex says. When I get cheated, kobolds get choked out!” The threat brought Ydak back to the present. He looked over to the group throwing bones on the floor.
“Shut your trap, Omeep!” hissed the accused Nupnup. “Just because the bones aren’t falling in your favor doesn’t make me a cheater!”
At this, Omeep stood. “You are a cheater, Nupnup! Grbik here caught you last week, but he simply didn’t have the stones to say anything!”
Grbik, the smallest of the six kobolds in the guard chamber, visibly swallowed and stood next to Omeep. “It’s true, Nupnup! Those bones you throw…”
Nupnup jumped to his feet, claws clenched. “Pick your next words very carefully, runt. Or I just may break some of your bones!”
This had gone on way too long. Kerrak had always kept a reign on squabbles within the tribe, but under the rule of Tazex, everything short of murdering a fellow tribesman was mostly overlooked. Ydak had heard enough of this particular argument, though. He slapped his mace into the palm of his hand. Five sets of reptilian eyes darted over to the large warrior. Everyone in the room knew he could more than likely wade into the bone throwing group and kill at least three of them before the other two even had a chance of putting him down. Ydak was clearly in charge here. He looked with disdain at the three arguing kobolds, then at the two still sitting on the floor; the dregs of the tribe, to be sure.
When Tazex had strolled back into the tribal grounds two months ago, he was barely recognizable as a kobold. Something had changed him, made him larger, more powerful. His elbow was once again whole, and on top of that, he sported an extra set of arms! Upon seeing him, and realizing who he was, Ydak stepped aside like a coward and allowed Tazex to slay Kerrak. When the brief battle was over, Ydak considered running, but his pride as a warrior would not allow it. He fully expected Tazex to stroll up to him, sparking battle axe clenched in all four of his hands, and lop off his head. Instead, Tazex glared at him for a long minute before claiming the mantle of chief and moving the tribe to this strange underground lair. No, Tazex didn’t kill Ydak, instead, he stuck him on guard duty with the five most annoying and simpering males in the tribe.
Now Ydak stood, opening his mouth to voice this low opinion of his comrades, when he heard a strange shuffling coming from behind the door in the southwest corner of the room; the door to the outside. Tazex had sent no raiding parties or patrols outside the complex today. Ydak grinned to himself. Intruders! Finally a chance to get his mace wet after all these long weeks. Since he already had his group’s attention, it was a simple matter to keep them quiet and prepare an ambush for whoever was heading this way. He gave the most important job to Grbik. When the intruders opened the door, Grbik was to strike the magical alarm gong, alerting Tazex to the situation. Ydak motioned the two kobolds sitting on the floor to stand by the door in the northeast corner of the room. They nodded in understanding and grinned to one another. These intruders were definitely in for a surprise. Omeep and Nupnup, their quarrel momentarily forgotten, took positions in the center of the room, slings loaded and swinging. There was the sound of heavy armor and more footsteps on the other side of the southwest door. Ydak unsheathed his throwing axe. The first creature to open that door was going to be sorry.
The door swung open. Then all hell broke loose…

Thanks for sharing this, Phil.

“Anyone have any idea what we’re looking at, here?”
“No idea.” Grundel was already examining the door on the central wall[2]. “I don’t see any way to get this ******* thing open.”

How nice to see area 1-1 be so infuriating.

And I see you've fleshed out the NPCs a bit. Nice.

Jeff LaSala wrote:Thanks for sharing this, Phil.

No problem, Jeff. We're having fun with the adventure. So much goodness for two paltry dollars! Congrats on your success.

Just a reminder:
Ques-Human paladin
Tai- Human Shugenja(sp?)
Bromm- Gnome illusionist
Grundel-Orc rogue/fighter
Y'dak- Kobold guard leader
Grbik, Nupnup, Omeep- Kobold guards
There are two more unnamed kobold guards here as well.

Ques realized his mistake as soon as he opened the door. As a paladin of Pelor, he simply has to concentrate in order to detect evil creatures. Had he done so, he may have been better prepared for the ambush waiting on the other side of the door. Grundel wasn’t always thorough enough when checking doors for noise, and this time, it appeared that Ques may pay the price.
Y’dak let out a yell as he hurled his throwing axe at Ques’s head. His aim was off though, and the axe sailed over Ques’s left shoulder. The heroes all heard a dull crash as Grbik pounded the gong hanging by the north wall. Ques smiled in momentary relief. That gong wasn’t nearly loud enough to summon any reinforcements. His relief was short lived, however, because Nupnup and Omeep let loose with their slings. Omeep scored a hit, but the bullet bounced off of Ques’s gleaming armor. In the northeast corner of the room, Ques spotted two more kobolds open a door and slip out of the room. They would have to be dealt with later. Now, Ques focused his attention on Y’dak, the obvious leader of this guard squad.
Grundel followed Ques into the room and targeted one of the retreating kobolds. His javelin found its mark, and the fleeing kobold fell face first onto the floor, breaking his front teeth with a wet crash. He writhed on the floor for half a second, then was still.
Omeep saw an opportunity to cut Grundel off from the rest of the intruders. He pulled out his spear and thrust it at the orc’s midsection. The thrust would have hit home if not for the magical enchantment of Grundel’s armor. Blue runes lit along the edges of the armor as Omeep’s spear was deflected. Omeep spun and brought his spear around to stop Ques’s charge into the room, but was again foiled by the paladin’s armor.
Ques’s charge was quite a thing to behold[1]. He swung his greatsword, cleaving through Y’dak’s defenses and into his side. Y’dak suspected at this point that this heavily armored human would be his final foe in the mortal realms, but he wasn’t going to make it easy on the paladin. Though shaken, Y’dak managed a counterstrike with his mace that rattled Ques’s teeth. Ques heard the lantern hit the ground behind him as both Tai and Bromm began chanting incantations.
Bromm strolled confidently into the room’s entrance and motioned at Y’dak. A piercing light exploded in front of the kobold’s eyes, but the creature continued to struggle against Ques as if nothing had happened. Bromm gritted his teeth and scanned the room for his next target. Nupnup and Omeep had Grundel surrounded, and were taking cursory pokes at the large fighter, trying to test his defenses. Meanwhile, another kobold had entered the room through the northeast door. Bromm noted that Grbik, the small kobold that had banged on the gong, gave this new arrival a wide berth while he made his own escape through the door. Bromm’s nose involuntarily wrinkled. An overpowering stench had entered the room with the kobold.
While Bromm pondered this, he made himself just too tempting of a target for Omeep to resist. The scaly warrior lurched at Bromm, thrusting with his spear. He was about to hiss a threat at the mage, when he was cleaved in two down his vertical axis by Ques’s greatsword. Needless to say, all the combatants in the room were showered in a spray of liquid gore.
“Bromm! How many times must we have this conversation! Stay out of…” Ques’s order was cut short as Y’dak renewed his attack, though Ques could tell that the large kobold was still feeling a bit uncertain following their first exchange of blows. He felt a light hand touch the back of his head, and the pain inflicted by the kobold’s mace was gone. He was not exactly sure about the philosophy that Tai prescribed to, but he was always happy to have her along.
Bromm ignored his leader’s orders and instead shot a crossbow bolt at Grbik, who had just re-entered the room. Although Bromm missed horribly, he noted that the stench got worse when Grbik came back into the room. He could see a hint of a green cloud surrounding the two kobolds that had reentered the room. The entire party gagged as the green vapor enveloped them. Grundel, bleeding from a spear wound inflicted by Nupnup, brought his own spear to bear and skewered the larger of the vapor shrouded kobolds. He then almost vomited from the stench that Grbik was producing. Nupnup took advantage of the large warrior’s discomfort and put another bleeding gash across Grundel’s face.
Tai had her hand over her mouth as she rushed out of the room to escape the stench. Bromm dropped his crossbow and pulled out his dagger, trying to cover her escape. He took a half-hearted slash at Grbik. “Back, I say, lizard!” yelled Bromm in the kobolds’ own hissing language. “Your foul odor is upsetting my lady friend!” The nasty little kobold hissed at the gnome until Grundel’s spear spouted out of its chest. Grbik looked down at the bloody spear as if confused. His expression never changed as the spear slid back out of his body and he hit the floor.
Nupnup winced as his clawed feet crushed the specially weighted bones he had been using to cheat his fellow kobolds minutes ago. He gave Grundel another poke with his spear, this time in the left hand. If he could just keep up with the small hits here and there, maybe the orc would bleed to death where he stood. His thoughts were interrupted as Bromm advanced toward him, slashing with his dagger.
Grundel used this distraction to step forward and thrust his spear into Nupnup’s belly. The kobold lurched a good three feet off the ground and died in mid air on the end of the orc’s spear. Grundel put his boot on Nupnup’s dead face and pulled his spear free. He circled around Ydek, who had been exchanging blows with Ques. Ydek’s eyes flicked to Grundel for just a moment, but it was all the time Ques needed. The elite kobold’s worries about his standing in the tribe were put to rest when the paladin’s greatsword bit into his skull.

[1] Ques has the feat Dreadful Wrath