Play Report May 12 2026 - Crow's Keep #35
Introduction
Nothing I love more than a classic big table. We had a lot of interest this week, which made up for not meeting quorum on May 5. Naturally, this was the one time I was short on pregens to hand out to all, but my players stepped in and offered up their retainers as PCs to the newbies. That'll teach me!
We skipped downtime and instead moved straight into expedition planning. With four new players, I really wanted to cut straight to the chase, and ensure we had an action packed session that also could stand on its own should they never return. I feel I was quite successful in my aim!
Most of the two and a half hour session was one pitched battle at the edge of the Caves of Chaos. Speed sandwich initiative was key, as the band was up against nearly two dozen goblins, a half dozen hobgoblins, and the Great Goblin himself. In this case, the players were on the ball and knew exactly what they wanted to do. I also tried to keep things very grounded in the fiction, that is to say if a character was in a particularly dire situation when their initiative came up, I'd ask them to go first or suggest a course of action for their fellow players.
For a map, I used a not-to-scale contour map of the goblin and hobgoblin lairs, with the ground floor, the mid-level, and the top of the canyon as the three zones. I reasoned that the canyon walls were rough and ragged enough that a character could use a full turn to ascend. This created some interesting tactical choices as players and goblins alike scrambled for position, while not stressing much about the actual footage of the movement and battle.
I ruled very generously, both for the new players and because I feel it kept things moving quickly. Of course you can hide in the middle of the canyon, thief; the goblins are surprised, choking on black smoke, and in the daylight. Absolutely, dwarf; here are a three spots where you could roll a good sized-rock down upon the goblins. Fuck yeah you can attack him from 50 feet up like he's the Asylum Demon in Dark Souls on a deed; just don't miss!
Lately I've been feeling a little stagnant with this campaign, but this session reminded me why I love it so much. I hope some new players return this week!
Report
In attendance:
- Aislinn Half-orc, level 2 thief
- Boris, level 1 dwarf
- CC the Second, level 1 dwarf
- HBGB, level 2 halfling
- Ingham the Priest, level 1 cleric
- Marrow the Goblin Strangler, level 1 thief
- Rolfr the Magic Arrow, level 1 wizard
Their ranks swelling with newly arrived adventurers, the Ogre-whelming Force launched an operation to suppress the goblins! They planned to approach the Caves from the west, via the Whispering Woods, with a quick stopover at Quasqueton before launching the attack.
Luck and weather favored the band, with clear skies and nary a monster to be seen. The late spring sun would surely be a formidable ally against the goblins, who shunned the day.
Scouting the area revealed exhaust shafts in the woods, little chimneys carved by the goblins to vent smoke from their lair. Newcomer CC the Second enlisted Boris in a cunning plan: stop up the ventilation shafts for the goblin lair and force them into the noontide brightness. Aislinn, who still possessed a number of Spiderwood fuliginberries, recalled a previous trick against the goblins and sought to replicate it.
Thus, the plan: CC the Second and Rolfr would dump oil and fuliginberries into the ventilation shafts, while HBGB covered the middle shelf of the canyon. The remaining members of the Force would lie in wait as the goblins were smoked out!
With the deadly shadow fruits down the chimney, jet-black smoke poured out of the ground floor cavern entrances. Soon over a dozen goblins poured out, dazzled and disoriented. The Force fell upon them, with Marrow garroting three in a row as they milled about. It was in this manner he became known as Goblin Strangler.
As the goblins became aware they were under attack, their response became coordinated. Additional goblins charged out with weapons at the ready, and hobgoblins in mail joined the fray. A rumbling was soon heard in the walls of the canyon as the battle wore on. Boris swung the orc mace at a goblin, striking him and weaving the weapon's strange magic. The goblin's flesh bubbled and roiled before the little blighter exploded, leaving behind a toy pig!
From his vantage atop the canyon wall, the hale Rolfr's bow twanged and slew many goblins, earning him the epithet "Magic Arrow". CC the Second located a number of loose rock to be rolled upon the goblins, and killed several of them with a well-timed push. By now, the rumbling had grown loud, and a hobgoblin's herald horn announced the Great Goblin was entering the battlefield!
The king of the goblins was a 12-foot tall monster dragging an oversized blade behind him. He emerged from the mouth of the hobgoblin cave on the mid-level of the canyon. CC kicked one of them into the canyon, slaying him instantly. Using her magic rope and newfound orcish fury, Aislinn pulled down a portion of the canyon wall upon his head. CC the Second then executed a daring plunge attack, from the top of the canyon, dealing a grave wound to the Great Goblin!
The battle continued with a new desperation. The Great Goblin was a fearsome foe, hurling one of his teeming goblin subjects as a projectile with terrifying force! Great sweeps of his sword threatened to wipe out swaths of the Ogre-whelming Force. Aislinn and CC the Second tried to use the magic rope so that they could hang the Great Goblin from the canyon wall, but the Great Goblin seized CC instead. A word of command from Ingham compelled the Great Goblin to descend the canyon, causing the monster to tumble fifty feet!
Though gravely wounded, the Great Goblin was able to summon the strength to badly wound Boris, Marrow, and CC! For a moment, it looked as though the tide had turned and the Ogre-whelming Force was done for, but Rolfr loosed a final arrow into the Great Goblin's neck, felling him! With their leader dead, the surviving goblins scattered in terror. The band scarcely had time to steal the dead king's crown, though his mighty sword was left behind like a tombstone. Boris, perhaps dazed from his brush with death, was charmed enough by the toy pig's cute and sinister aura to bring it home...