Quest of the Kobold King!: Nightmare over Ragged Hollow and Cairn

04 Feb, 2025

Content Warning: Contains wiener jokes that may not be suitable for readers under 10 or over 13 years of age.

The bugbears meet their end...

This is Part 3 in this Series – Check out the previous entries!

Two more weeks of play by post while the real world collapses in on itself. These daily touch points to a fantastic world have been a welcome reprieve from everything happening. Anyway…

We’ve managed to keep up with nearly daily play minus a couple of days when two players just needed to convalesce for various reasons. Though we did continue chatting in the OOC channel it was nice to take the pressure off for a bit. No momentum was lost however, and the party is charging forward in their quest to understand the foul forces at play in Ragged Hollow.

After the narrow escape from the doom goat the “Pipers”, so named as they decided that everyone carries a clay smoking pipe, approached the narrow pass described by the Kobolds as the domain of the vile bugbears.

I’m going to try something different here and essentially repost with some editing how the encounter with the bugbears played out. I hope this will illustrate how I am using the saves and Die of Fate to adjudicate different things. One thing I hear a lot is that rules light games require rulings to fill in the gaps of the rules, and that in fact these rulings then must be recorded in an ever growing list of rules. The outcome being that the weight of the rulings/new rules eventually produces a big clunky ruleset. I haven’t experienced this yet with Cairn. I am finding that simple rules that effectively cover a wide range of situations rarely require a ruling beyond the obvious “make a ____ save.” Also, as it’s a save and not a check its rarely a pass or fail proposition, typically the PC succeeds, but there could be secondary negative effect. “You pick the lock but break your tools,” or “You lift the portcullis but it makes a loud screech that betrays your presence,” etc.. The closest thing to a house rule I am using is occasionally modifying a reaction roll or die of fate roll with a small modifier based on good roleplaying, a good plan, etc. Typically, only enough to eliminate the very best or very worst result (+/- 1 or 2). There are other rulings of course, but I try to keep the reasoning out in the open so if ever there was a situation that spurred a “wasn’t this a WIL save last time?” we can have the discussion about either why this is different or yeah… just make a WIL save. Employing ICI doctrine means there should rarely be a “gotcha” moment.

Anyhow, this will probably look a little like a classic example of play from just about any RPG rule book. Also, a minor content warning - yes, the humor is sophomoric. We let our inner 12-year-olds take the wheel a bit here so maybe not appropriate for anyone under that age, or to share with your supervisor at work (unless they have a healthy inner 12 year old and can appreciate a good [bad?] wiener joke).

I’ll provide any necessary GM/Warden commentary and will paraphrase out of character discussion in italics.

I set the stage with a pretty direct lift from the text’s “read aloud” portions.

The worn path into this valley quickly descends into a narrow defile below a sheer cliff. Atop the edge of the cliff, a boulder as big as a cottage stands precariously balanced above the path. A faint goat track leads up to the top of the cliff near the boulder. To the east, a gentle green slope curves far around the cliff, eventually leading back to the path a few miles ahead.

Warden (Carl) You continue along the rugged trail without event. The weather remains clear and cool but otherwise fair. You cross the pass indicated by the kobolds and the worn path into this valley quickly descends into a narrow defile below a sheer cliff. Atop the edge of the cliff, a boulder as big as a cottage stands precariously balanced above the path. A faint goat track leads up to the top of the cliff near the boulder. To the east, a gentle green slope curves far around the cliff, eventually leading back to the path a few miles ahead.

After some out of character discussion, the party decides to not chance the goat trail and to take the green path on the other side of the pass.

From the module…

Take the green slope detour. This adds 3 hours to the journey, and the spectacle of two bugbears, booing and insulting them, showing off buttocks and genitals, from their vantage point across the valley.

Warden (Carl) Taking the green slope detour will add some time to your overall trip, but within about an hour you are directly across from the huge boulder, which is about 200 yards away across the steep ravine. You see two large figures emerge from behind the massive stone. They start booing and insulting you. “Puny humans! Afraid of a big rock?” and the other, “I’ll show ‘em something big! Har har har!” The one on the left lifts his armored tunic to expose his genitals shifting his hips side to side, while the other turns and exposes his buttocks. They continue to laugh at you, and their own cleverness.

Noa (Jason) Ho there friends! Clearly you have impressive “rocks” all about you here.

Wren (Matt) “Never have I seen such big rocks”

Noa (Jason) “We weren’t expecting to meet such clever and hard folk up here.”

Ok, here we go with the wiener jokes. In OOC the party is discussing that they have the mushrooms that Olias had used to try to knock them out and hatch a plan to get the bugbears to take a swig for “enhancement.” This is a friggin great idea and exactly the kind of play I want to encourage. Its not going to be a gimme, but this should be given a good chance to work

Reed (Jack) Reed looks at Noa, then back at the bugbears. He speaks loudly, hoping his voice carries across. “Noa, you don’t think these fellows would be interested in your famous growth potion do you?” He looks back over at the creatures, “it’s a bit smaller than I would have thought, honestly.” He says as he squints at the one on the left. “Maybe they could use a little extra pep.”

Noa (Jason) “Well I wouldn’t want to insult these fine gentleman and their, ahem, accoutrements. But indeed anyone would want to enlarge their manliness. What say you fine fellows? Shall I brew you a growth potion in trade for passing through your territory?”

Here decided to use a reaction roll with a +2 to reward the creative roleplay and critical thinking. Also, I view these bugbears as the two dumbest guys in your junior high class…they are going to love the idea of a “growth potion.” The +2 really just eliminates the worst or most negative result. As mentioned this is not really accounted for in the rules so is one of my house rules.

Warden (Carl) - Dice Maiden Request: [2d6+2] Roll: [6, 3] Result: 11

Solid positive result of a 9-11 depending on how you want to look at it. Either way it lands in the reaction of “kind.” Which will serve our purposes here. Alternatively, I could have used a roll of the Die of Fate (d6 oracle) or possibly even a WIL save for the bugbears. However, since they were “reacting” to the characters, and it was a question of disposition to an offer, a reaction roll seemed best.”

Warden (Carl) The bugbear on the left stops gyrating and looks down at his groin…frowning. The other stops mooning you to laugh and point at his friend. Then you see the first point back at the second, clearly asking a question about how he feels about his own endowment. Both turn bashfully away from you to continue their conversation, periodically lifting their tunics and looking down then holding their hands up a foot or more apart. After a minute or so they turn and motion for you all to come back around by the goat track. “Ok, bring yer potion. We’ll make some tea stuff to share while you show us your good treasure!”

I burn off a couple hours for them to make their way back to the base of the goat trail, and do not make them roll to get to the top where the bugbears wait as it is not contested and they can take their time.

Wren (Matt) Wren begins to follow the bugbears and begins to lay out preparations. She gestures to Reed to start producing the treasures as she begins to mystically play the pipes over the food at various steps of preparation. “Group rituals you see” She switches between mystically playing the pipes in intervals and chanting in a foreign language she had heard in her travels (well smatterings of it…words…sounds really, surrounded by other similar sounding gibberish).

Noa (Jason) Noa discreetly removes the mushrooms when the water is boiled and drops the mushrooms into two cups of hot water. He waves his hands over them as Wren plays her pipes. Then he says “horse cockus massive rockus!”

Noa picks up the cups and offers them to the bugbears. “Careful it’s hot!”

Reed (Jack) Reed makes a display of unrolling their best bedroll and placing down each treasure they uncovered from the hut earlier, taking care to polish to a shine each bit of metal with a sleeve. He holds and places each item reverently, as if it were priceless.

Warden (Carl) The two bugbears sit down cross-legged to see what has been laid out. You gather from their talking that they are named Korgle and Gorkle, and they bear a strong resemblance to each other - enough they are difficult to tell apart. They accept the cups of “potion” and sniff it before taking a swig. “Oh Gorkle, I can’t wait to grow and get treasure!” “Yes Korgle, great luck today!”

Here I decided to use a Die of Fate roll to determine if anything about the mushroom brew was at all off-putting or alarming to the bugbears and if they might then hesitate to drink. I used no modifier here.

Warden (Carl) – Dice Maiden Request: [d6] Roll: [6] Result: 6

Boom. Highest possible positive result for the party. No hesitation, they will drink.

Warden (Carl) Both bugbears happily swallow the mushroom brew! Every drop!

Now comes a small flurry of rolls for saves, die of fate, and attacks that yield an intense moment in the world. It’s a very good example of combat where the party has stacked the deck in their favor through critical thinking and planning – magnified by some good rolls. Here are the bugbear stats for reference:

KORGLE AND GORKLE, BUGBEARS 4 HP, 1 Armor, 14 STR, 12 DEX, 11 WIL, Club (d8)

Warden (Carl) Gorkle makes a STR save…

Warden (Carl) - Dice Maiden Request: [d20] Roll: [12] Result: 12

Success, Gorkle’s good strength and constitution save him from unconsciousness…

Warden (Carl) And Korgle…

Warden (Carl) - Dice Maiden Request: [d20] Roll: [17] Result: 17

Korgle is not so lucky as his brother and goes down from the intoxicating brew…

Warden (Carl) Korgle tips over backwards, unconscious. Gorkle looks at his brother and…

I decide to use the Die of Fate to determine if Gorkle catches on to what is happening. A low roll will result in an immediate attack against a party member, and higher roll an opening for the party to strike first.

Warden (Carl) – Dice Maiden Request: [d6] Roll: [6] Result: 6

Best possible result, Gorkle will not just leave an opening for attack, but possibly an enhanced (d12) attack. Since Reed is using a magical weapon it makes sense that his attack would be the one to benefit the most, also he is less involved in the “ritual” so has a better opportunity.

Warden (Carl) Gorkle turns to shake him, putting his back to you. “Korgle! Why are you sleeping? We are getting treasure!”

Wren (Matt) Wren pulls out her rapier, levels at the back of Gorkle, and lunges forward. Dice Maiden Request: [1d8] Roll: [7] Result: 7

Noa (Jason) Using his foot, Noa flicks his spear into his hands and drives it into Gorkle. “New magic trick Gorkle, I’m gonna make this spear tip disappear!” Dice Maiden Request: [d8]: [3] Result: 3

Reed (Jack) Reed draws Veinseeker and swings it at Gorkles back. Dice Maiden Request: [1d12] Roll: [12] Result: 12

As the party is all attacking the same adversary only the best roll (Reed’s) applies. I choose to visualize this in a couple different ways depending on the situation. First it could represent just the collective cuts and hits striking home, none of which are particularly devastating, or it could be that the lesser rolls are hits that are avoided and leave the enemy open to the more powerful strike. In either case the best roll is 12 on a d12 and that is enough to bypass all of Gorkle’s HP with 8 damage to spare going to his strength. He needs to roll under his new strength of 6 to avoid critical damage.

Warden (Carl) – Dice Maiden Request: [d20] Roll: [17] Result: 17

Gorkle fails rather spectacularly. I kind of envisioned Reed drawing and slashing in one smooth motion, so decided to go with a bit of a samurai film thing here. I resisted the urge to have a single cherry blossom spin to the ground…

Warden (Carl) “Korgle! Korgle! What’s happe….” Gorkle sees the attacks from Wren and Noa, shifting to avoid their blades. In doing so he exposes himself fully to Reed‘s attack. Veinseeker whistles through the air in a gleeful scream as it cuts down the center of Gorkle’s back. It splits armor and spine from top to bottom, and comes out drenched in blood and spinal fluid. Gorkle slumps on top of his unconscious brother. “Korgl….” And is still… It’s quiet now, no birds or animals can be heard, only the wind murmuring through the trees above, and the soft bubbling of the pot…

Jack mentioned at this point he almost felt bad, which I had been kind of angling for, and hoped to put a little humanity into the monsters that would strike home a bit. However, once Noa dispatched Korgle, they searched the bugbear cave and found a small half-eaten humanoid (halfling or maybe human…) it was more clear that these weren’t nice guys they had just murdered and that some justice had been served here.

UPDATE

Since I started writing this last week life has intensified a bit! However, we’ve been plucking away. The party made it back to the Kobold den at the Old Dwarf Tomb, narrowly escaping an encounter with a Basilisk through the clever use of Wren’s new spell book Thicket found in the bugbear cave. She tossed up a wall of foliage that surprised and slowed the monster enough to allow them to escape.

Back at the Kobold cave they found the new kobold “King” using his new “powers” to organize the tribe. He kept up his end of the bargain and delivered the dwarven grappling hook. After being declared the adventuring knights of the Kobold King and a short tour of the “palace” they set off again for Ragged Hollow to prepare to enter the temple on the 7th day...

Cairn