Immersive Ink

The hail of deadly quarrels zips through the dust-filled air to dint stones, puncture Zem and Arian's shields, and alas skewer Master Dopey for 5 hp, reducing him to but 2.

Combat Turn 1, Surprise Segment

The hobgoblins use their surprise segment to fire missiles.

Six crossbows at short range: 6 # d20+2→ [8, 14, 19, 3, 9, 15]
Potential targets are (1=Leudigar, 2=Zem, 3=Fried, 4=Arian, 5=Kianna, 6=Dopey, 7=Faengol, 8=reroll) 6 # d8 → [6, 4, 6, 5, 5, 2]

8, 19 vs Dopey (AC2) is one hit, d6 → 5 hp!
14 vs Arian (AC4) miss (by one pip!)
3, 9 vs Kianna (AC4), two misses.
15 vs Zem (AC3) miss (by one pip!)

Thus ends the surprise segment.

The room is revealed to be a 60ft x 50ft chamber. Currently it is about 50ft across the room to contact the hobgoblins, which means at least one move to get into contact for either side.

Your orders?

"It's a trap!" cries Arian, completely unnecessarily.

If she has a clear target she lets fly her spear at the hobgoblins, then falls back as commanded.

Leudigar likewise fires his crossbow at the hobgoblins.

"AGHH!" screams the hobbet in shock and anguish.

He struggles to pull himself onto all fours, and looks up dazed at the countless hobgoblins swimming before his blurred and bloody eyes. Dopey cups his hands to the entry wound, desperately trying to hold in the blood.

"AGHH!" cries the hobbet, and flees desperately toward the party. He reaches down to apply pressure to the wound and discovers to his horror that his plate armor is in the way. Realizing his dirk and shield are now sitting at the feet of a band of hobgoblins, the hobbet tries to collect his few wits and considers his resources.

Like all hobbets in a moment of crisis, Dopey reaches absentmindedly into his pocket and discovers the small Bleakmass present, which he had tucked away for later consideration. "What do I have in my pocket?" asks Dopey aloud, to no one in particular. He steps back from the battle line to unmask what treasure lay at his fingertips, in his moment of need.

Freid steps forward to impose his shield between Dopey and the hail of bolts,"Fall back!" he shouts, "Get back up the corridor so we can take them as they try to come into the room."

Freid will attempt to cover the retreat, but won't wait too long before retreating himself.

Once we fall back to the cooridor, Faengol will cast his Yizmund's Unlikely Rorqual on Zem!

"Our victory lies with you now, Dwarf! Let your ancient ancestors look upon your majesty!"

Zem brings his shield up just in time as the bolt speeding towards his head is stopped. "Curses these hobs, by beard and blade! Dopey behind us now!"

Zem is ready to kill any Hobgoblin that comes near but will slowly retreat around the corner once the Hobbet is safely back in the group.

Zem brings his shield up just in time as the bolt speeding towards his head is stopped. "Curses these hobs, by beard and blade! Dopey behind us now!"

Alas, Zem doesn't speak the Emperean tongue (that being primarily the purview of the Lawful Temples), so I've edited his dialog to use the Illiberal (common-speak) dialect instead.

After firing a round off, Leudigar retreats as well, not wanting to be the only target for their return volley...

"YIG-GAAR!" roars the giant hairy Goblin at the back, stabbing an accusing finger at the players, and the hobgoblin line simultaneously drop their spent crossbows and respond "YIGGAAAAAR!!" as they charge!

Arian hurls her spear and Leudigar fires a quarrel into the onrushing line as their fellows haul Dopey out of harm's way in a hasty retreat. One hobgoblin drops--Arian's spear through his neck--but the others come screaming!

There is a frantic rush to scramble into the narrow passage with Leudigar and Arian scarcely evading the numerous deadly club and axe blows in a vain effort to delay the enemy. Fried and Zem are in the passage right behind them as they stagger back; fierce hobgoblin fighters pressing them hard! Arian can't find room to dodge a blow that costs her 2 hp as the fighting carries into the passage! It will be two-on-two fighting here!

Combat Turn 1

The surprise segment is done with; following that are the regulation segments of turn 1.

I have it that:
Arian and Leudigar will fire missiles as the others retreat, then retreat themselves.
Faengol will retreat, then bring forth his magic incarnation. However, spell casting can't occur on the move, so Faengol's orders will necessary span two turns (see the Order of Battle).

Here come dice!

The ref dices for some Goblinkind hp:
Hobgoblins 6 # d6 + 1 → [3, 5, 7, 3, 3, 5]
Bugbear 1 # 3d6 → [16] oh my!

The ref dices for initiative, players d6 → 2 then non-players: d6 → 3 so the hobgoblins still have the initiative this turn.

Missile/Magic Segment
The hobgoblins charge, abandoning any chance to fire this turn.
Faengol cannot conjure on the move.
Arian and Leudigar loose their missiles: 2 # d20 → [15, 20], that's two hits 2 # d6 → [4, 2] for 6 hp damage.
[3, 5 2, 7, 3, 3, 5] One hobgoblin goes down.

Movement Segment
It is 60ft across the room, but only 50ft between the parties.
The Hobgoblins can possibly charge up to 120ft (9" movement + 3" charge allowance),
The ref assumes Leudigar and Arian were firing on the move (a -2 attack adjustment, but allowing a half-move backward--3" for Leudigar and 4.5" for Arian--before they are caught). Thus the ref determines that only a single round of combat will occur this turn.

Melee Segment, 1st (and only) Round
How many of the five hobgoblins can actually find space attack as Leudigar and Arian withdraw toward the narrow passage? 1 # d6 - 1 → [4] so four.

4 # d20 + 1 (FC Man+1) → [3, 9, 6, 17] that will be one hit (17+ will hit AC 2).
Who is targeted? 1-3 Arian, 4-6 Leudigar d6 → 2, so it's Arian. d6 → 2 so 2 hp damage.

The players reply. Since everyone is cramming down a narrow passage, who can find room to attack?
The ref decides that everyone else is in the passage before Leudigar and Arian and can't attack through them. Our stalwart defenders can of course attack:
Leudigar (FC 2 Men-1) 2 # d20 - 1 → [12, 12] two misses (both by exactly 1 pip!).
Arian (FC 1 Man) 1 # d20 → [3], miss.

No morale dice necessary.

End of Combat Turn 1.