Session 14 Part 1: Berserker Beatdown

 

Brogallo and Kleptikos decide that the usurpers (and the Old Brightwood treasury funds they stole) are too good of a target to ignore. Brogallo recruits two more mercenary companies with officers, successfully hiring 27 crossbowmen and 24 light infantry per DMG pg 30. He pays to kit them out, but of course, doesn't trust them to keep quiet if they successfully defeat the usurpers. Working with Kleptikos, he discretely purchases enough poison from underworld contacts in Old Brightwood, Tallow Watch and Valthrun (type A and type C, per DMG pg 20) to kill them all after the treasure is recovered. Let's not forget that both of the Bros are Neutral Evil, not to mention bloodthirsty bastards, so this is absolutely in character! If the existing mercs have a problem with this, well, they can be dealt with as needed...

I randomly roll for direction and distance and find that the usurpers have fled northeast and are 8 hexes distant, putting them in Hex 311.289. I roll up an NPC Party for the usurpers per DMG Appendix A pg 175 and decide that they'll have a group of berserkers as fanatic followers, mainly because I'm tired of bandits and want something a little different. I roll up a group of 52 berserkers with leaders per MM. In terms of loot, I decide the treasury will be Treasure Type H (again per the MM), and the berserkers will have additional loot per their MM entry.

Brogallo leads his warband out of Old Brightwood (starting hex 302.295) and begins searching. I'm using a d6 to determine random direction on the hex map and checking for random monsters as the Bros enter the hex. I hit paydirt immendiately as hex 303.294 comes up with...a white dragon! Of course, this must be Zenabarithon and his hungry mate looking for snacks!!

I check for surprise and the Bros win 4-1 which gives them 2 segments of surprise attacks. Zenabarithon was caught lacking by his opp!! Encounter distance is 12", so I decide the boys catch the dragons in mid-flight. The bros open fire with all available missile weapons and roll insanely well, scoring 29hp on Zenabarithon. ROF of composite longbows is pretty devastating in surprise attacks!

Round1: Bros win initiative 4 to 1

The mercs are affected by the dragons' fear aura and all flee in terror. One of the captains and two of the sergeants come from sterner stock, make their saves and stand fast. Missile fire from Brogallo, No Tiki, and Voon deal 14hp total, killing Zenabarithon!

Manderbro casts Melf Minute Meteors for 6hp against the female dragon. Manderbro casts Fireball for 30hp and the dragon makes her save, taking 15hp

Zenabarithon mate rolls 21% for breath weapon, so goes for a claw/claw/bite attack on Man-lee, hitting for 4hp

Round 2: Bros win initiative 6-2

Missile fire from Brogallo, No Tiki, and Voon deal 21hp total, killing Zenabarithon's mate. Vengeance is a dish best served cold (HA! see what I did there?)

The Bros spend 16 turns rounding up the terrified mercs (see Dragon entry in MM for fear aura effects) and fortunately don't encounter any more trouble while doing so. They continue searching for the usurpers and have the following encounters while doing so:

Hex 304.294: The home of Yuancheng Al-Khatib (Lawful Good)

Reaction (20% reaction roll + Kleptikos 30% = 50% Neutral): The old hermit tells PCs he saw the usurpers fleeing northeast towards the villages. Being a good and kindly soul, he takes Brogallo aside as he turns his mount to continue his journey and says "Be careful if you go to the village of Eastsea. They are a queer and secretive people that have an unsavory demeanor about them. I don't know what they're hiding, but I think it is a deeply ingrained evil".

Hex 307.293: The Hamlet of Eastsea (Chaotic Evil)

Reaction (84% reaction roll + Kleptikos 30% = 114% Enthusiastic Friendly): Brogallo and Kleptikos immediately notice the odd appearance of the village and its inhabitants. There is an abundance of serpent imagery decorating the interiors and exteriors of their homes and there is an unmistakable marine odor of rotting fish, though the village is nowhere near the sea. The villagers themselves seem to have an oily sheen to their skin and speak with an excessive sibilance. Their jewelry repeats the serpentine motif seen on the buildings, though they oddly try to hide the items if they notice anyone staring at them too intently. Mysteriously, they are perhaps too enthusiastic in their welcome of the Bros as they tell Brogallo that they saw the usurpers heading north towards Cornhenge. They say there are about 60 savage looking troops led by a group of a dozen adventurer types. Brogallo and Kleptikos, hackles raised at the eerie villagers' behavior, thank them and quickly depart before the situation can spiral into chaos.

Hex 307.292: The Hamlet of Kendra (Lawful Good)

Reaction (95% reaction roll + Kleptikos 30% = 125% Enthusiastic Friendly): The villagers have received word from their friends and relatives in the village of Brofield (hex 302.291) about Brogallos victory over Zenabarithon and great the Bros as heroes. They tell Brogallo that two of the villagers followed the group and saw them make camp in the ruins in the mountains near the town or Welland. They think the group is looking to loot the town.

Hex 307.291: The Hamlet of Cornhenge (Lawful Neutral)

Reaction (46% reaction roll + Kleptikos 30% = 76% Friendly): The local chieftain tells them the usurpers were seen heading northeast and they should check at Kendra. The Bros spend the night to recharge.

Hex 311.289: The Ancient Graveyard

The boys make contact with the usurpers who have set up camp in the fields surrounding the ruins of an ancient temple and graveyard complex.

Neither side is surprised (5-5) and encounter distance is 14". We proceed to combat using our mass combat rules.

Round 1: Bros win initiative 6-1

Crossbowmen hit berserker unit 1 for 8 kills

Lancers 1st Company hit berserker unit 2 for 4 kills

Lancers 2nd Company hit berserker unit 2 for 11 kills; berserker unit 2 wiped out

Brogallo hits berserker unit 3 for 9 kills

No Tiki hits berserker unit 3 for 8 kills; berserker unit 3 wiped out

Voon de Goon hits berserker unit 1 for 11 kills

Kleptikos hits berserker unit 1 for 1 kill

Ah-Soh misses L10 berserker leader

Man-Lee hits L10/L7/L6 berserker leaders for 6hp

Manderbro casts Sleep against L1 berserker elites, taking out the unit

Berserker leaders all hit Ah-Soh, killing him

Remaining Berserker troops fail morale check with 38% and flee the battle

Round 2: Bros win initiative 6-5

Crossbowmen hit Usurper leaders, killing Kybold and hitting Mara for 8hp

Lancers 1st Company get 8 hits on Mara for 31hp

Lancers 2nd Company get 11 hits on Faris for 44hp

Brogallo hits Faris for 10hp, killing him

No Tiki hits Jue Basha for 5hp, killing him

Voon de Goon hits L10 berserker leader

Man-Lee hits Ienepa with Melf's Acid Arrow for total of 10hp

Manderbro hits Ienepa with Burning Hands for 6hp

Berserker leaders hit Kleptikos for 3hp

Dejing hits Brogallo for 4hp

Round 3: Bros win initiative 5-3

Brogallo kills Ienepa

No Tiki kills Olag

Voon de Goon hits L10 berserker leader for 14hp

Man-Lee hits Mara with Burning Hands for 7hp

Manderbro hits Ienepa with his staff, killing her

Dejing hits Brogallo for 7hp

Berserker leaders hit Kleptikos for 7hp

Round 4: Usurpers win initiative 3-2

Remaining berserkers fail morale and flee

Remaining usurpers fail morale and surrender:

• Dejing pan Ark - Human Female Lvl10 Thief (True Neutral)
• Yelu Falone - Human Female Lvl3 Cleric (Neutral Evil) 
• Culrink - Surface Gnome Female Lvl3/3 Illusionist/Thief (Chaotic Evil) 

A lot of action this session with more to come. Stay tuned for part 2...