KotB - Episode 4

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: Julian the Weasel

   

Inside the Caves of Chaos
   
 * 0’07”  Dave and Hilary take custodianship of the absent player’s characters, flipping a coin to determine who controls whom.
 * 0’17” The standard rules for turns, rounds, resting and combat duration are in use. (B19 & B23)

   
 * 0’23”-0’30” Our valiant vagabonds hear the sound of Kobolds chattering in the cave ahead (Room 6), while the passage North remains quiet. Moments later,  a jolly voice calls out to them from the mouth of the cave. (Marked “A”). Fearing a confrontation, our gang of intrepid introverts skulks down the tunnel to the North, while The Shadow sets a trap at the junction to guard their rear.
 * 0’30” Setting a trap is a find/remove traps roll. A 20% circumstantial bonus was applied for preparation. (Expansion of standard rules, B8)
 * 0’34”-0’40” The voices towards the dungeon exit discover Julian The Weasel’s body in the pit, and argue over whether to loot it. Not long later, the chatter in the corridor turns to shouts and screams as the Kobolds and the new arrivals clash in combat. From what our noble heroes can hear, the new arrivals are victorious, but a single Kobold manages to flee. The voice calls out to them again: “Hey, you with the torch, could we get some help, we have injured here.”
 * 0’42”-0’50” Chunk Flunkins cheerily greets the newcomers from the relative safety of the head of the corridor. Of the seven Halfling adventurers he sees before him, one is dead and another (Falco) is dying, but Gringo, introduces his ‘cousins’ Bongo,  Honey,  Lily, and Pud. After a tense moment, they become fast friends, agreeing to split up to explore, and reconvene later at the cave mouth.
 * 0’52” Our gang of scrappy scavengers search a storeroom to the West (Marked “3”). Aside from a large cask it seems to contain mostly staple foodstuffs grains, dried meats etc. Gristle Turnipsworth fills her pockets with salami. On close inspection, some of the vast quantity of food here is starting to rot, as it’s more food than the Kobolds can eat, the party suspect it’s been stolen from travelling merchants.
 * 0’57” Heading East again, the passage opens out  into a cavern before our plucksome explorers. Without warning,  three very large Kobold guards fire a volley of arrows and prepare to attack. On the door they guard, Kobold runes read  “Chieftain room stay out!” (Room 4)

After 1st Break - They’re pretty big, for Kobolds.

 * 1’11” The Kobold Guards have erected a crude barrier of trash to serve as cover. Missile fire is at -2 to hit and charging the Guards will require a check to leap the barrier.
 * 1’19” Moving through allies’ spaces is a DEX check, success indicates that the PC can do so without penalty, failure means their movement ends immediately after passing their allies squares. (DM ruling)
 * 1’26” PC DEATH Gristle Turnipsworth dies in a pool of blood and cured meats, gut-shot by Kobold arrows.
 * 1’31” Rolph the Younger casts ‘Hold Person’, binding all three Kobold guardians with the chains of Law, before bringing his warhammer of retributive justice down upon their heads.


 * 1’35” Any thrown missile weapons, or fired ammunition are considered lost or destroyed; they can’t be retrieved. (DM ruling)
 * 1’40” All characters have a 1 in 6 chance (2 in 6 for dwarves) of finding non-magical traps. Thieves also have a percentage chance that can be modified by circumstantial bonuses, and may also apply to magical traps. Thieves can choose to take whichever chance is better.  (Clarification of rules, B22 & B8)


 * 1’44” With a mighty kick Chunk Flunkins bursts through the door to Sawtooth, the Kobold Chieftain’s chamber. The Chieftain’s eyes widen, and a gasp erupts from his five brightly painted lovers, the Kobold Concubines, as they draw knives and ready for battle.


 * 1’50” The Chieftain will always lose initiative because of his two-handed battle axe. (Standard rule, B27)
 * 1’55” A torch used as a weapon in melee has a 3 in 6 chance of going out. (DM ruling)


 * 2’05” Feldrick the Far-voiced’s FIRST TRICK: juggled a dagger at a Kobold Concubine; it was the Concubine’s last trick.
 * 2’06” The Shadow showed a Kobold Concubine (clambering on Rolph the Younger’s back) the business end of an arrow from his longbow.
 * 2’16” The Shadow’s aim is true, he puts a magic arrow through another Kobold Concubine attacking Rolph the Younger.
 * 2’26” Chunk Flunkins bludgeons Sawtooth, the Kobold Chieftain into a fine paste with a mighty blow from a warhammer.
 * 2’27” A Concubine screams “Noo, you killed my boyfriend”, they all vow to fight to the death.
 * 2’30” Rolph the Younger smashes a Kobold Concubine, it splatters on his shield.
 * 2’32” Chunk Flunkins peels the final Concubine away from Hawthorne, bashing its brains out against the cavern wall.

After 2nd Break - No longer Foyer Lurkers, We’re Dungeoneers.
They find: 203 CP, 61 SP, 22 EP, and 63 GP. In addition, they recover 5 ceremonial knives, Sawtooth’s battleaxe, and a great golden chain set with a large single gem (worth 1200 GP, weight 12 coins).    
 * 2’39” Our spunky spelunkers scour the Chieftain’s lair thoroughly.
 * 2’43” The party sever the Chieftain’s helmeted head to take back to The Keep on the Borderlands as proof of their prowess. (The head weighs 10 coins.)
 * 2’51” The party head back towards the cave exit, intent on returning to town to spend the spoils of their victory, they emerge from the cave mouth as the sun starts to set.

On the Road - Digging up Schrödinger’s Treasure.
They collect: 40 EP, 74 GP, and gem worth 100 GP.    
 * 2’59” On the 3 day journey back to The Keep, The Shadow, Chunk Flunkins and Feldrick the Far-voiced sucessfully locate and retrieve the previously hidden treasure.

At The Keep on the Borderlands - A Not-So Terrible Price.

 * 3’10” Back at the Keep on the Borderlands, Chunk Flunkins and The Shadow speak with Tomas the Bailiff, who promises to inform The Castellan that our heroes have defeated Sawtooth, the Kobold Chieftain. He’s convinced she’ll be impressed by this act of righteous murder.
 * 3’11” Rolph the Younger commissions a customisation to his armour. Sawtooth’s upper-jaw now adorns one pauldron of his plate armour.  Chunk Flunkins, by contrast, is much more interested in swaggering around wearing the heavy golden chain.
 * 3’14” The next morning, after breakfast, Robin the Pageboy approaches the party carrying a set of cloak-pins bearing the sigil of Helena, The Castellan of the Keep. The sigil is a silhouette of The Keep rising up over woods underneath, in a deep indigo colour, overlaid with a silver hand. As long these tokens as they are worn, the bearer will be granted passage through the stone gates of the inner gatehouse, which leads to the inner-bailey. (Marked “18” & “21” respectively)
 * 3’17”- 3’26 As our triumphant troop reach the grassy field that lies before the great keep, Robin the Pageboy informs Chunk Flunkins and the other adventurers that The Castellan is busy attending to her administrative duties, but introduces them to Ludmilla, the Captain of the Guard. She is initially dismissive of their achievements, but recognising a warrior kinship with Ingrid the Plain she warms a little to our heroes; regardless, to earn her trust will require results.
 * 3’29” The Shadow can’t fail to notice that Ludmilla’s sword, shield and armour are all definitely magical.
 * 3’33” Ludmilla passes on her advice about The Caves of Chaos. She mentions that while “most good folk think of the races of villainy as being united against them; there is dissent among the forces of evil, if the you can turn thee tribes of fools against each other, you might stand a chance.” (Result 3 on the Rumour Table)
 * 3’39” Our pious protagonists head to the Keep’s chapel wherein they meet Yorick the Curate. The Shadow can’t help but realise that his ironwood staff and golden ring, which if not magical, are insanely valuable.
 * 3’42” Chunk Flunkins’ reaction roll modified by +1 as Rolph the Younger encourages the party to make the proper obsequiances.
 * 3’45” Yorick the Curate will grant the PCs a blessing in exchange for an offering of 100 GP per person. The blessing lasts for 3 days and 3 nights, and grants +1 to all attack rolls and saving throws. With an appropriate (as yet, unspecified) donation The Curate can also scribe scrolls of magical scripture for the party clerics.
 * 3’51” On their way out of the chapel, our wicked wanderers meet and befriend a not-so-wise Halfling adventurer.

== NEW Character ==

Hilary’s PC: Thistle Turnipsworth (Halfling)  7hp