KotB - Episode 3

A break down of the major happenings in the third episode of the Keep on the Borderlands play-through, with timestamps. (Courtesy of fake_alex_blue on Twitch)

Character Recap
Andrew’s PCs: Feldrick the Far-Voiced (Magic-User), Lumpy (Magic-User)

Dave’s PCs: The Shadow (Thief), Rolph the Younger - (Cleric)

Hilary’s PCs: Gristle Turnipsworth (Halfling), Ingrid the Plain (Fighter)

John’s PCs: Hawthorne (Elf), Chunk Flunkins (Dwarf)

John’s Retainers: Julien the Weasel

== At the entrance to The Caves of Chaos ==
 * 0’19” Lumpy decapitates the defeated Ogre, and claims its head as a trophy.
 * 0’21” Julien the Weasel spots Goblins returning from the Eastern woods.
 * 0’27” Richard, the Goblin book-keeper, isn’t happy that our meddlesome explorers have slain the Ogre, who the Goblins were paying to protect them. Chunk Flunkins manages to convince him not to mention the dead Ogre to Snot the Black. Instead, the accountant offers to pay them 100GP, if they can clear the Northern caves of hostile Kobolds.


 * 0’34” Understanding a contract is an INT check. No bonus by default.
 * 0’35” Chunk Flunkins signs a convoluted one-sided contract with Richard, the Goblin book-keeper essentially binding him to indentured sycophancy for a variable hierarchy of Goblins. There might be some implied obligations to protect Goblin-kind, possibly in exchange for payment, possibly at a cost. But probably not.

At The Keep on the Borderlands

 * 0’42” Seeing the party return, bearing aloft the head of the Ogre, Tomas, the Bailiff and Bogdan the priest, lead the adventurers directly to the tavern, offering them drinks and overnight-lodging by way of celebration.
 * 0’51” Tomas promises Rolph the Younger that he’ll take the story of their prowess to The Castellan and report back to them in the morning.
 * 0’54” Our abstemious champions flog the sealed keg of brandy to the innkeeper in exchange for 50 GP.
 * 1’00” Equipment and weapons can be sold at the Keep for half their listed purchase price.

 
 * 1’02” The fee for withdrawing banked money is 10% of the amount withdrawn.

After First Break - Threats, Promises & Lies

 * 1’14” While they’re dividing up their loot, The Shadow harangues Julien the Weasel about his cowardice,  but Ingrid the Plain sticks up for him.


 * 1’19” Tomas the Bailiff advises the party that if they wish to secure an audience with The Castellan herself, bringing back proof that they’ve slain one of the leaders of the groups inhabiting The Caves of Chaos, eg. The Fat Goblin King, or the Kobold Chieftain, would surely impress her.
 * 1’21” Bogdan the Priest is willing to accept donations to the church. In exchange, his acolytes will pray for the party’s success, which, in turn, would surely incur the blessings of gods. (And might help attract the attentions of The Curate.)

 
 * 1’21” Everyone declines, but Rolph the Younger promises to return and make a donation to the church.
 * 1’23” The party learn that The Castellan has many soldiers who she can order to aid the adventurers, and likewise, The Curate can bless their armour and weapons; but first our heroes will have to prove that they are worthy of such attentions.
 * 1’24” The party are told that a travelling merchant reported hearing the cries of an imprisoned maiden coming from The Caves of Chaos. (Result 9 on the Rumour Table.)

Back on the Road - Campfire Hill & Highway Robbery

 * 1’31” As night falls, our demi-human protagonists spot a group of seven dark-robed men and women standing around a wagon that’s lost its wheel.
 * 1’34” The Shadow, cautious as ever, hides himself in the overgrown foliage by the riverbank.
 * 1’37” Ingrid the Plain, talks to the shaven-headed cultists, recognising the ‘iron stars’ they wear around their necks, as being the holy symbol of an ascetic religious sect that is neither Good nor Evil (but who also generally considered heretical. This sect is as unpopular among those of more mainstream faith, as it is with the mother church of Neutrality.)
 * 1’37” Identifying the meaning of a holy symbol is an INT check. No bonus by default. (Expansion of “There’s always a chance.” rule, B60)


 * 1’49” Persuading an NPC to trust the party is a CHA check. Circumstantial modifiers may apply.(Expansion of “There’s always a chance.” rule, B60)
 * 1’49” Feldrick the Far-voiced fails to persuade the Monks that they’ll guard the wagon while the sect carry their cargo to the Keep; instead, three of the order are tasked to transport the goods, while Brother Orrin and the other three most hardy looking cultists stand guard.
 * 1’54” The Shadow follows them, waiting until the treasure-laden cultists are out of sight of the main group before springing his ambush.
 * 1’54” When adequately concealed, at night, against humans, who have little in the way of light sources, Hide in Shadows automatically succeeds. The Shadow’s Move Silently check received a 20% bonus for distance to his quarry. (Expansion of rules, B8)
 * 1’55” The Shadow SLAYS all three Monks, murdering one after another with crossbow bolts in the dark.

 
 * 2’00” After hiding the bodies and their cargo, The Shadow rejoins the party at ‘Campfire Hill’. He conspires with Feldrick the Far-voiced and Chunk Flunkins, intending to collect the treasure in the morning; but Gristle Turnipsworth persuades them to leave it in place for now, and retrieve it when they they next travel back towards the Keep on the Borderlands.
 * 2’08” When our noble heroes return to pick up the hidden treasure, The Shadow will roll to determine how well it was hidden, and whether it remains where it was left. Until then, it is Schrödinger’s treasure.

After Second Break - back at The Foyers of Chaos

 * 2’22” The party discover a crude effigy of a Kobold, posted up like a scarecrow,  where the bloody sign previously stood. Around it’s neck it bears a plaque written in Gobblish, that reads “Fuck you Kobolds”.
 * 2’26” Our brave protagonists skulk cautiously through the valley, picking their way through the undergrowth, wary of further ambushes. At the far end of the ravine, they discover what appears to be a little-used cave entrance (marked “G”), overgrown and obscured by twisted roots and leaves.
 * 2’34” Returning to the copse of trees near the site of their previous ill-fated encounter with the Kobolds (marked “A”), the party prepare missile weapons while the Shadow climbs a tree, to gain an advantage, spotting two more cave entrances further up the rock-walls of the ravine. (Marked “B” & “C”, respectively)
 * 2’36” Julien the Weasel throws a flask of burning oil at the base of a tree above the Kobolds’ cave entrance, intending to draw the Kobolds out of hiding. Instead, four fearsome Orcs lumber out from the upper-right most cave and sound an alarm.
 * 2’43” Feldrick the Far-voiced uses his ventriloquism to create a goblin-based distraction that sends the Orcs back into their distant cave. Meanwhile, all the commotion causes a squabble of Kobolds to emerge from the nearby cave-mouth. Murder ensues.
 * 2’52” Rolph the Younger’s FIRST KILL, he revenges his father’s death, braining a cheeky Kobold with a bullet from his sling..

 
 * 2’54”-3’02” Hawthorne, The Shadow, and Chunk Flunkins perforate a Kobold apiece.
 * 2’58” Confirmation that the maximum range for a thrown flask of oil is 50 ft. (B27)
 * 3’13”-3’22” Rolph the Younger, The Shadow, Chunk Flunkins, Lumpy, and Ingrid the Plain poke holes in five more Kobolds.

After Third Break - Adventurers are best in* Caves

 * 3’29”-3’32” Chunk Flunkins, and Rolph the Younger separate another two Kobolds from their lives.
 * 3’35” PC DEATH  Lumpy’s internal organs were made external by Kobold spears. (Andrew’s PC)
 * 3’39” Ingrid the Plain slides across Lumpy’s body, and slides her sword across a Kobold throat.
 * 3’40” Together, Chunk Flunkins, and The Shadow put the last Kobold out of everyone’s misery.
 * 3’41” A gristly group of Orcs mock our courageous heroes, with a round of applause, before returning to their caves.
 * 3’45” Searching through the belongings of the dead, the party scavenge 12 SP, before finally entering The Caves of Chaos proper. (marked “A”).


 * 3’51” Julien the Weasel bites down his fear and agrees to use the 10 ft pole to test the cave floor ahead of the other adventurers.
 * 3’57” RETAINER DEATH Rolph the Younger reaches out his hand, but can’t save Julien the Weasel, who falls backward into a Pit Trap as the floor collapses beneath him. (Fortunately, the 10 ft pole is unharmed.)