Episode 3: Jailbreak!

While the heroes rested, recovered, and ate chicken feed and roast bat, they had plenty of time to explore their meager surroundings. Starq discovered a rather pleasant goblin voice drifting through a tiny hole in the wall of the bat tunnel. It recited “Oak, Oar, Oat, Oath, …” in Common, apparently to a pile of carpets on the floor. Starq warned everyone to be quiet.

Further down the bat tunnel, Erannar found a fairly large hole about three feet off the ground, shabbily boarded up as the upper entrance had been. Through a crack in the boards he could make out a beautiful small throwing axe, a block of cells containing one Halfling on the fourth floor, and two goblin voices. Dreneil translated that they were yelling about whether it was supper time or not. Another goblin voice asked for his supper too. Only one of the goblins was visible, looking down from the far side of the room, four stories up and by a thin plank bridge.

After some debate, the adventurers decided to rush into the room and kill the goblins before they could raise any alarm. Dreneil took the axe, which was of a well-known goblin make, cold to the touch, and made a sound like a breeze. She shoved the boards aside and leapt into the room to the great surprise of the goblins. Erannar focused on the Upper guard, while Dreneil took out the Lower guard with her frosty throwing axe. Starq contributed to the demise of both. Eltana stood in front of the bell to prevent anyone from ringing the alarm. The Upper guard almost got away, but Starq finished him off with a magic missile.

Eltana began to converse with the third goblin, who was in a first floor cell. He threatened the adventurers that he would raise the alarm and thus win his way back to favor in the goblin stronghold unless they made him a good deal. Meanwhile, Starq climbed the ladder to the fourth floor and unlocked Condros’s cell with the keys Dreneil had retrieved from the Lower guard. Varen the raven had already picked away his gag, and Starq unlocked the manacles. Condros started to explain why he had been locked up, but the goblin below announced that he was going to sound the alarm if they didn’t make him a good offer soon.

The adventurers offered freedom, but Chrupus (that was the goblin’s name) claimed he wasn’t going anywhere unless they gave him a better job than the one he already had. He was the steward to the goblin chief, and had only fallen out of favor because he refused to juggle the accounts to give the chief some of Coalburn’s tribute. At this point, Starq took Condros’s gag and put it on Chrupus. Condros mentioned that he could probably get him a good job, but the adventurers tried offering him gold. He motioned that he would want a lot of gold. Eltana offered him the magical throwing axe, and he nodded eagerly until he realized that she meant to use it on him, not give it to him. After that he became quite compliant and went with the heroes back to their bat cave.

Here, the group ungagged Chrupus, while keeping their daggers close to him. Condros and Chrupus explained the situation to the heroes.

Condros had been captured by the goblins several weeks ago, along with the latest shipment of flying carpets to the Flight Division of Culdin’s militia. Condros, as steward of the flying carpets, was one of the few people who knew the carpets’ command words. He had been kept prisoner by the goblins, but refused to give them the passwords. He requested the adventurers to get the carpets back for the city of Culdin. Not only would it be a good deed, but it should be well rewarded. He had also gleaned that the carpets were to be used against a good dragon.

Chrupus knew that the goblins had stolen the carpets because they wanted to break free of the dragon Coalburn’s tyranny (which seemed mainly to consist of a yearly tribute). Flying on the carpets would help a lot in a dragon fight; plus, they would look like part of the tribute until the right moment. The only problem was that the goblins didn’t know the command words and Condros wouldn’t tell them. They had their bard going through all the words he knew in all the languages he knew, but so far none of them had worked.

The heroes asked whether Chrupus could get them to the treasure room, but he said that that would mean going past a lot of guards and going through the throne room. They decided to wait instead for the goblins to leave for Coalburn’s with their tribute on the morrow, and try to recapture the carpets out in the open. Eltana was most pleased with the prospect of getting back to the woods.

The party went back out of the goblin stronghold the way they had come, using some of the oddments from the poultry room to reach the hole in the ceiling. Condros had his invisible servant return the crates to their proper places. The troop began crossing the mountain to its northeast side, where Chrupus said they could find the back entrance, from which would emerge the goblin caravan.

The Idealist

I know it isn't quite done yet; I still need to pick skills and a hit die and better define some of the special abilities I made up. But, what do you think?



The Idealist sees the innate energy of the world and knows its link with matter and with the spirit. She seeks to use this energy directly, and also to improve the innate qualities of her body and of her spirit. She eschews the use of others to accomplish what she could learn to do herself. She also prefers permanent abilities to temporary powers.
Or, “That Class with all the spell-like abilities.”

Requirements: The Idealist may have as many friends and traveling companions as he likes, and may freely engage in team tactics in any situation. He may not, however, acquire for himself any individual whose sole purpose is to aid him, such as mounts, cohorts, minions, animal companions, familiars, constructs, intelligent weapons, etc. Such an individual may be borrowed for no more than a tenday out of every month. The Idealist may multiclass with classes which supply these individuals and simply choose not to use them. However, if such an individual is ever used for more than a tenday (as a result of multiclassing or not), the Idealist may take no more levels in the Idealist class. No Idealist special abilities are lost.
Any evil act must be atoned for or the Idealist loses all spell-like abilities and may take no further levels in the Idealist class.


Alignment: Any Good
Attack Progression: +1 to +20
Good Will saves
Proficiency with all armors and all martial and simple weapons

All of the following abilities are spell-like abilities used at will, unless otherwise noted. They have no components. Spell-like abilities cannot be counterspelled or dispelled, but can be detected with “detect magic” and blocked by an antimagic field.

Level 1: Lay on Hands: every day the Idealist may deal (level X Charisma modifier) hit points of positive energy to heal live characters or to hurt undead ones, distributed as desired (as the Paladin)
Level 3: Keen Senses: Choose +10 inherent bonus to either Spot or Listen
Level 5: Control Physique: Choose either Permanent Haste, Permanent Spider Climb, or Permanent Feather Fall
Level 7: Lesser Spirit Sight: Choose Detect Good, Detect Evil, Detect Law, or Detect Chaos
Level 9: Lesser Restoration: once per day
Level 11: Tirelessness: The Idealist does not become Exhausted or Fatigued
Level 13: Hand of the Elements: Choose one of the following:
Vine Fingers makes a twist of vines grow wherever at least one finger has traced a pattern. The Idealist may trace the vines at her normal rate of movement, but they grow at a rate of 5 feet per 6 seconds. They can grow straight up for 5 feet, and can stretch 30 feet between two anchors. They decrease a Climb or Balance check DC by 5, and may also be used as rope.
Wind Fist delivers a gust of wind in one direction, necessitating a Balance Check for Small or smaller characters.
Heat Hand allows hands to shed light as torches, and to keep the Idealist and up to two other characters, who hold her hands, warm in cold environments.
Water Pitcher allows the Idealist to pour pure water out of her cupped hands at the rate of 1 gallon every 6 seconds. Both hands must be used.
Level 15: Greater Spirit Sight: Choose Detect Lies or Zone of Truth
Level 17: Greater Restoration: once per day
Level 19: Conquer Matter: Choose one of the following:
Walk through Stone, at will. (i.e. you don’t have to fall through the floor!)
Permanent Fly
Fiery Touch, at will: anything you touch that can catch on fire does (i.e. you don’t have to set the rug on fire!). On a successful melee touch attack, your hands deal 2d6 fire damage. If you are holding something in one hand, your free hand deals 1d6 fire damage. If you are grappling, your body deals 2d8 fire damage for every round of the grapple. You are immune to fire damage.
Permanent Breathe Under Water
Level 20: Righteous Aspect: You deal 1d6 Holy damage to any Evil creature within 5 feet of your person, administered by and in addition to one of the following:
Electric Illumination: You illuminate the area around you for 60 feet in every direction with your snapping sparks (you choose the color). Every unfriendly creature within 60 feet must succeed on a Fortitude save or be dazzled for 1 round. You deal 1d4 Electricity damage to every unfriendly creature within 5 feet. Wearing both a body covering (cloak, coat) and a head covering (hat, helmet) nullifies all offensive effects of this special ability (illumination, dazzle, holy damage, electrical damage). You are immune to electrical damage.
Melodious Voice: When you speak with a Melodious Voice, all unfriendly creatures within hearing must succeed on a Fortitude save or be fascinated for the duration of your speech or song, causing them to approach you peacefully and voluntarily. You deal 1d4 Sonic damage to every unfriendly creature within 5 feet. A creature is allowed a new save every time it takes damage (from your voice or from anything else). Remaining silent nullifies all offensive effects of this special ability (fascination, sonic damage, holy damage). You are immune to sonic damage
Wholesome Air: You may give off a Wholesome Air or a Poisoned Air. You can change the properties of a 125 ft. cube of air in 6 seconds, either moving to each new area or letting the air spread out from you in a cone shape. When you poison an area of air, any creature occupying it must succeed on a Fortitude save or become sickened, and take 1d3 damage per round. It must make a new save every round it remains in a poisoned area. When you make an area of air wholesome, you negate any effects of stench or poison in the air and allow any one creature in the area (including yourself) to regain 1d3 hit points. After a creature has benefited from an area of wholesome air, the air remains pure but can no longer heal. Any effects in the air are effectively dispersed after 1 minute unless you are in an airtight area.


The Epic Idealist: at every odd-numbered level, the Epic Idealist may cycle through the Special Abilities again and select another Special Ability, skipping the levels that offer no new choices. (i.e., at level 21 he can gain the bonus to Spot if he first chose Listen; at level 27 he can choose another Hand of the Elements).

Quite Batty

Starq knocked on Marigold’s door once again. He asked her if there was anyone else Condros might have told his plans. She said that he was free to ask, but if Condros had confided in anyone more than in his own sister, she’d have a word with him when he got back.
Erannar volunteered to climb a tree with the Staff of Divination, in order to get it above the disruptive effects of the whirling water about the millwheel. When he attempted to rotate while standing on a branch, however, he fell down. Starq reclaimed the staff and used it from the top of a nearby hill. He focused on Condros’ black-eyed, red-haired visage, and sensed that the Sorcerer was northeast of Filo, and pacing back and forth.
Starq eagerly urged the party to set out at once to rescue Condros, who was perhaps imprisoned. They agreed, and made good speed until midnight, when they camped. Having naught but their cloaks to shield them, Starq opted to sleep in a tree. The others stayed on the ground, Eltana protected by her wolf and the two Elves taking the watches. Erannar, to his annoyance, saw and heard not a thing, while Dreneil sighted a distant Unicorn. In the morning, Dreneil woke Starq by shaking him out of his tree. The others awoke and ate breakfast. The party continued northeast, seeing occasional goblin faces scratched into the tree trunks. Erannar successfully hunted a wild boar to feed the party, and Starq levitated a cracker out of Dreneil’s bag to feed Varen. The night passed uneventfully. In the next three days of traveling, Dreneil also successfully caught a young wild ox. Naught but a small infestation of mice, easily shooed away, occurred during the night. Families and pasts were also discussed, yielding the names of Starq Joiner, Erannar Wayfarer, Dreneil Wayfairer, and Eltana self-named Wolfriend (having left the name of Greyroot behind).
The ground became stonier and hillier. Starq sent his raven, Varen, to scout. The raven reported (in Elven) that a stony gorge was ahead, with two goblins in it. Erannar moved forward stealthily to check it out, and discovered that the gorge was a kind of entrance, protected from above by slim windows for archers. Three small holes punctured the hillside somewhat to the south of the Main Entrance. Erannar came back and reported. Varen was dispatched again to check out the holes. He noted that one seemed to lead to a room filled with birds, and the other two opened on a room full of lots of wolves and one goblin. After some debate, the party agreed to try the hole over the birds. Looking in, Erannar could see that the hole was like a skylight window for a long room full of poultry. At the far end, a large passageway went to the right and a lot of junk covered the wall. The adventurers dropped through the window into the midst of the birds. They thoroughly searched the room, discovering that the mess against the far wall contained several useful items: one everburning torch, one regular torch, two tanglefoot bags, a four-man tent, two coils of rope, an iron pot, a map with the current location of Cothbode marked on it, a barrel of corn for the chickens, and two medium spiked gauntlets. Starq appraised all the items and took a coil of rope. Dreneil took the regular torch and the gauntlets; Erannar took the everburning torch. All replenished their rations with the corn.
Of more note, the search yielded the presence of a large crack in the wall behind some boards. A bat squeaked on the other side. The party removed the boards and went into the crack, carefully covering the entrance again. The crack tunneled steeply down until Erannar, in the lead, was attacked by a swarm of bats. Starq managed to get off a magic missile before he was dropped. Eltana healed him, but he was rendered unconscious again before he could do anything else. As the bats flew back and forth attacking people, Dreneil remembered that fire harmed them. She swung her torch and Erannar lit one of his own and joined her. The two of them attacked the bats as Eltana also succumbed to their bites and was carried into a small cave by her wolf Blade. Erannar dispersed the last of the creatures and helped the others into the cave. They rested there for five days, stealing back up to the poultry room to replenish their food until they regained their strength.




Experience Points:
Using the Staff: 10
Discussing Family History: 10
Entering the Goblin Settlement: 40
Bat Swarm: 150
Staying in the Cave: 30

Total: 240