Goblins and Tracking
Subject ?
Hi everyone. Just checking to make sure you all got the turn that I sent out late last Thursday. So far I have only heard back from Kevin, Rob and Derrell. Did the rest of you get the turn?
From: Karl
Subject Turn
Got it. Had a very busy weekend and morning today. Hope to send something soon.
From: Karl
Subject Alatyr's story
Salix sends Noctis away, saying a small prayer that he may return safely. He isn't too concerned, however, as adult Great Horned Owls have few predators. Humans and Orcs were a danger, true, but since owls aren't particularly good eating even those threats are minimal.
Noctis gone for the evening, Salix sits down next to Alatyr, near the fire. "What can you tell me about your caravan? Do you have any idea why the goblins might have attacked? Any feeling as to whether this was an attack of opportunity or if it were planned ahead?"
He listens to Alatyr's response, expecting either no useful information, or maybe something that would confirm prior planning on the goblins' part.
(OOC - Mark, can I get a knowledge check or something for Salix. What would he know about goblins and their habits. What would he think the chances are that this is a random attack? aside from the obvious coincidence.)
From: Mark
Subject Goblins
Knowledge check(DC15, 15+7=22), This attack seems in character for goblins. When they attack they tend to do it by surprise or overwhelming numbers, or both. The idea of a fair fight never crosses their minds. A "Fair" fight is one where the other guy never sees them coming. Salix knows however, that he is making this judgement on very limited information.
From: Randy
Subject Alatyr's story
Ran informs the group that starting in the morning they will be using every available moment of daylight to try to track the goblins. He speaks to the spellcasters and asks if there is any way they can speed up the travels or gain insight into the whereabouts of the caravan. He also asks the Rangers to continue taking the lead and investigating any possible tracks (especially coming from Alatyr's horse).
Ran will respond to any other conversation others initiate but will generally be brooding a little.
As they turn in for the night, Ran goes off to pray to his god. 'Please grant me wisdom to lead and help speed us on our journey. Help us find the goblins and bless Lady Rochell that she has survived this encounter.'
OOC: Sorry for the lack of response earlier. I had a really busy weekend and morning as well.
From: Mark
Subject Tracking
Just some quick info on tracking. Both of the rangers can make track checks.
TRACK [GENERAL]
Benefit: To find tracks or to follow them for 1 mile requires a successful Survival check. You must make another Survival check every time the tracks become difficult to follow.
You move at half your normal speed (or at your normal speed with a ?5 penalty on the check, or at up to twice your normal speed with a ?20 penalty on the check). The DC depends on the surface and the prevailing conditions, as given on the table below:
Surface Survival DC Surface Survival DC
Very soft ground 5 Firm ground 15
Soft ground 10 Hard ground 20
Very Soft Ground: Any surface (fresh snow, thick dust, wet mud) that holds deep, clear impressions of footprints.
Soft Ground: Any surface soft enough to yield to pressure, but firmer than wet mud or fresh snow, in which a creature leaves frequent but shallow footprints.
Firm Ground: Most normal outdoor surfaces (such as lawns, fields, woods, and the like) or exceptionally soft or dirty indoor surfaces (thick rugs and very dirty or dusty floors). The creature might leave some traces (broken branches or tufts of hair), but it leaves only occasional or partial footprints.
Hard Ground: Any surface that doesn't hold footprints at all, such as bare rock or an indoor floor. Most streambeds fall into this category, since any footprints left behind are obscured or washed away. The creature leaves only traces (scuff marks or displaced pebbles).
Several modifiers may apply to the Survival check, as given on the table below.
Condition Survival DC Modifier
Every three creatures in the group being tracked ?1
Size of creature or creatures being tracked:1
Fine +8
Diminutive +4
Tiny +2
Small +1
Medium +0
Large ?1
Huge ?2
Gargantuan ?4
Colossal ?8
Every 24 hours since the trail was made +1
Every hour of rain since the trail was made +1
Fresh snow cover since the trail was made +10
Poor visibility:2
Overcast or moonless night +6
Moonlight +3
Fog or precipitation +3
Tracked party hides trail (and moves at half speed) +5
1 For a group of mixed sizes, apply only the modifier for the largest size category.
2 Apply only the largest modifier from this category.
If you fail a Survival check, you can retry after 1 hour (outdoors) or 10 minutes (indoors) of searching.
Normal: Without this feat, you can use the Survival skill to find tracks, but you can follow them only if the DC for the task is 10 or lower. Alternatively, you can use the Search skill to find a footprint or similar sign of a creature's passage using the DCs given above, but you can't use Search to follow tracks, even if someone else has already found them.
Special: A ranger automatically has Track as a bonus feat. He need not select it.
This feat does not allow you to find or follow the tracks made by a subject of a pass without trace spell.
So the base DC will be 15. If you move at normal speed the base DC will be 20. It will be modified by the time( A couple of days, so +2 or +3), the weather(no problem yet) and the number of creatures being tracked and their size(unknown by the group at the moment). The ranger who picked goblins as their favored enemy get a +2 in addition to any Stat mods and ranks. For example, Cai has +7 and gets +2 for favored enemy, so has a +9 to her rolls.
If the group wants to not move at normal speed it will give the rangers a better chance to track.
From: Karl
Subject Goblins
What else does Salix know about goblins? Are they likely to be in league with another power? Would they do a work for hire, for instance? Or would they only do this sort of thing for themselves?
From: Mark
Subject Goblins
Salix knows that that they are easily cowed and bullied. They are only 3-1/2 to 4 feet high. Numbers is their biggest advantage. They are sort of the grunts of the evil humanoid world. Not terribly smart, but cunning. It would be possible that some one is using them. It depends on what was done to the caravan and the people. Right now either option, this just being a goblin raid, or an organized attack run by someone else, is possible.
From: Karl
Subject Ran
Salix watches Ran and notices his brooding. Knowing that he has taken leadership reluctantly, Salix thinks to give him a word of encouragement when he sees Ran leave the group briefly. Not wanting to disturb him, Salix waits until he returns and stops him before he rejoins the others. "Your decision on handling the Orcs was a good one. You were more merciful to the underlings than I probably would have been, but compassion is hard for me where Orcs are concerned. Nevertheless, you showed good judgment and a level head. Angelwing was wise to name you leader."
From: Ami
Subject Goblins and Cai
Goblins are something Cai has come up against many times in her travels. She is confident in being able to confront them once they make contact, but she is frustrated with the wait and the time it will take to catch up. She will track the goblins at Ran's direction (speed wise), when they get to the site.
During her rest, she meditates about the lay of the land, to know if there could be any traps set by any creature (preparing Detect Snares and Pits: Reveals natural or primitive traps.). She thinks the spell will be useful once they reach the site where the caravan was overrun.
Thinking ahead, after they pass the site and start tracking the Goblins, she will prepare to be ready to call for help of one of the forest creatures here (Summon Nature's Ally).
From: Randy
Subject Ran
"Thank-you Salix. I am grateful that I have your support and I hope that my leadership will be sufficient to complete our quest. I only hope that it is not too late for Lady Rochelle."
"I am always open to any suggestions of where my decisions can be improved and I appreciate the advice you have been able to offer me so far."
From: Rob
Subject Tacking
Bel goes ahead with Cai to try and track the goblins, and also look for tracks made by the horse (Track).
He also sends Ebon out to scout ahead, looking for more goblins, or other large groups of creatures.