In For a Benny #5 - Claws and Arsenals

 

#5 - Claws & Arsenals

GM Note: Looking at 5e material, there is an emphasis that a party should have a minimum of 4 characters to balance things out. At the start of this episode, I decided that Victor has agreed to join the party. He leaves his two men back at the refugee camp in order to help guard and guide out a band of refugees back to Barncombe while Victor participates to get an equal share of equipment from the security arsenal. As noted from an Oracle check last session, the party is able to approach the arsenal without being immediately spotted. The group is hiding in an alleyway, which Ozzie scouts to the end as he has the best cover and finds the arsenal’s generators still working. At least two wolves are standing outside, one with a slug rifle, the other with a raider’s blade in hand.
---

Ozzie makes a Perception check to see any further details: 17 - Medium+ Success. Ozzie sees the red marks across the chestplate of the armor, the heraldry of the Crimson Claw Pack of Wolf Barbarians. Victor was right, the hostile wolves are taking advantage of Benny’s fall.

Ozzie makes his way back to the party to inform the group what he saw.
---

“At least two out front. One armed with a rifle. They’re bearing marks of the Crimson Claws,” Ozzie said. He might have been ignorant of the Moon Guard Pack, but he perfectly recalled the most hostile of wolf packs.

“The Crimson Claw will accept no quarter and will kill anyone who gets in their way,” Victor says, drawing a high frequency blade from over his shoulder.

“How many members are there in a raiding party?” Morrigan along with Starkweather and Ozzie clutched guns over blades.

“Five, probably six with a leader present,” Victor said, “They may have a vehicle nearby as well in order to move any spoils.”

“Then we also have a chance for a vehicle,” Morrigan said.

---

The party moves forward with Ozzie in the lead. He Attempts to Ambush Raider #2

Ozzie Stealth: 11 vs. Perception: 17 - Ozzie is spotted. Neither side is surprised.

---

Ozzie drew up his blaster as he made his way at the edge of the alley. At first, the wolves appeared only semi-alert until a wind passed through the alley and through Ozzie. That’s when the second wolf turned and snarled something to his partner.

“Fresh meat!” The second snapped, gripping his raider’s blade.

---

Initiative - Round #1 
Party: 19
GM: 17

Ozzie kneels and fires a blaster rifle at Raider #2. Attk: 8 - Miss

Victor activates Rage and charges Raider #2. Attk: 14 - Hit. D: 13. HP: 7/20. Rage Rounds: 1/10

Morrigan moves up and fires her Blaster SMG at Raider #1. Attk: 22 - Hit. D: 5. HP: 15/20

Starkweather moves up and attacks Raider #1 w/ Blaster Rifle. Attk: 20 - Hit. D: 4. Raider #1 HP: 11/20

Raider #1 fires his slug rifle at Morrigan. Attk: 18 - Hit. D: 9. Morrigan HP: 13/22. After shooting, he retreats down the alley towards a side entrance to the armory barracks.

Raider #2 attacks Victor w/ Blade. Attk: 18 - Hit. D: 8/2 = 4. Victor HP: 28/32

Round #2
At the start of the round, the front door into the security armory begins opening up as three more Crimson Claw Raiders start moving towards the fight with slug rifles and warblades.

Ozzie maneuvers and attacks Raider #2 from the side. Attk: 24 - Hit. D: 9. Raider #2 HP: 0/20 - Slain

Victor moves to the end of the alley and then turns back with a dash to face the other three raiders that are charging the position. Rage Rounds: 2/10

Starkweather runs up to Morrigan and deploys his healing kit, complete with green regen chems. He begins to treat her wounds with Administer Aid. Heal: 2+4 = 6. Morrigan HP: 19/22. Maneuver Dice: ¾

Morrigan burst fires at the approaching Crimson Claws. They have to make a Reflex Save: 15 to negate damage.

Saving Throws
Raider #3: 9 - Failure - HP: 15/20
Raider #4: 15 - Success
Raider #5: 13 - Failure - HP: 15/20

D: 5 - Burst Remaining: ⅔

Raider #3 and #5 kneel and take potshots with slug rifles while #4 uses a war blade.

Raider #3 shoots at Victor. “Moon Guard Scum!” - Attk: 12 - Miss

Raider #5 shoots at Morrigan. Attk: 22 - Hit. D: 5. Morrigan HP: 14/22

Raider #4 waits for the door to open before he engages in a sword fight with Victor.
---

Raider #1 opens a side door into the armory and makes his way through the barracks to the armory where the Crimson Claw leader, Raider Hephaestus, is looking over gear.
----

Round #3
Ozzie moves to one side and gains light cover as he fires around the corner at Raider #5. Attk: 22 - Hit. D: 6+4 = 10. Raider #5 HP: 5/20

Ozzie spends Action Surge (0/1 Remaining) for a second attack: 8 - Miss

Morrigan moves to the other side and uses the cover for a Hide roll. Hide: 10 vs. 12 - Failure. She gets a normal attack against Raider #4. Attk: 12 - Miss

Starkweather moves to the opposite corner of the same side as Morrigan to watch around the alley that Raider #1 had disappeared down into.

Victor charges at Raider #4 and uses his sword. Attk: 23 - Hit. D: 12. Raider #4 HP: 8/20. Rage: 3/10

Raider #5 attacks Ozzie w/ Slug Rifle. Attk: 7 - Miss

Raider #3 shoots at Morrigan w/ Rifle. Attk: Natural 20 - Crit. D: 15+4 = 19. Morrigan HP: 0/22. Down! She begins making Death Saves starting next round.

Raider #4 attacks Victor. Attk: 7 - Miss

At the end of the round, Raider #1 and Raider Hephaestus appear with Hephaestus wielding his own raider blade. “Well, well, a Moon Guard pup and his little minions have come to play.”

Round #4
Morrigan Death Save: 10 < 11 - Failure 1/0 Successes

Starkweather heals Morrigan for 7 points. Morrigan HP: 7/22. “Easy… easy… we may need to get ready to run.”

Administer Aid is a bonus action, he is able to stand and taking to the corner that Morrigan stood, he returns fire at Raider #3. Attk: 13 - Hit. D: 6. Raider #3 HP: 9/20

Ozzie attacks Raider #5 w/ Blaster Rifle. Attk: 11 - Miss. He grants Tactical Advantage to Victor. Use: 0/1 Remaining

Victor charges Hephaestus and attacks w/ High Frequency Sword. Attk: 25 - Hit. D: 14. Hephaestus HP: 38/52. Rage: 4/10

Raider #1 attacks Ozzie w/ Slug Rifle. Attk: 9 - Miss

Raider #3 attacks Starkweather w/ Slug Rifle. Attk: 8 - Miss

Raider #4 moves from the fight with Victor, invoking an Attack of Opportunity as the wolf is eager to spill Ozzie’s blood. Victor Attack of Opportunity. Attk: 25 - Hit. D: 7. Raider HP: 1/20

Raider #4 charges on Ozzie and attacks w/ Sword. Attk: 23 - Hit. D: 8. Ozzie HP: 17/25

Hephaestus attacks Victor and uses Reckless Attack w/ High Frequency Sword. Attk: 20 - Hit. D: 4. Victor HP: 24/32

Second Attack: 12 - Miss

Raider #5 attacks Starkweather w/ Slug Rifle. Attk: 10 - Miss

Round #5 
Morrigan rolls up and attacks Raider #4, who is distracted trying to stab Oz. Attk: 17 - Hit. D: 14. Raider #4 HP: 0/20 - Slain.

Starkweather attacks Raider #3 w/ Blaster Rifle. Attk: 22 - Hit. D: 3. Raider #3 HP: 6/20

Ozzie attacks Raider #5 w/ Blaster Rifle. Attk: Natural 1 - Weapon Jam!
Second Wind (0/1 Uses Remaining): 5. Ozzie HP: 22/25

Victor attacks Hephaestus w/ Raider Blade. Attk: 21 - Hit. D: 12. Hephaestus HP: 26/52. Rage: 5/10

Raider #1 slips through the side door. He is going to try and return to the cargo vehicle the Crimson Claws are using to bring reinforcements as soon as possible.

Raider #3 attacks Starkweather w/ Slug Rifle. Attk: 20 - Hit. D: 4. Starkweather HP: 21/25

Raider #5 turns back to a reappearing Ozzie and attacks w/ Slug Rifle. Attk: 8. He drops the slug rifle and draws his waraxe for next round.

Round #6
Morrigan makes a Stealth roll to ambush Raider #3 who is partly distracted by Starkweather. Stealth: 21 - Success. Ambush! Attk: 20 - Hit. D: 14. Raider #3 HP: 0/20 - Slain. Assassinated! Morrigan gains a free Stealth roll to try and disappear around the corner. 18 - Success.

Does Morrigan possibly see Raider #1 fleeing? Perception Roll: 14 vs. 18 (Raider) - She does not spot Raider #1

Starkweather attacks Raider #5 w/ Blaster Rifle. Attk: 19 - Hit. D: 7. Raider #5 HP: 0/20 - Slain

Ozzie spends the round clearing the jam to his weapon. Full Round Action.

Victor attacks Hephaestus w/ Blade. He makes a Reckless Attack. Attk: 23 - Hit. D: 9. Hephaestus HP: 17/52. Rage: 6/10

Hephaestus makes an Attack w/ High Frequency Sword. Attk: 16 - Miss

Second Attack is a Bull Rush to shove Victor away to make an escape. Shove!

Hephaestus: 9 vs. Natural 20 (Victor). Victor easily holds ground!

Round #7 
Morrigan takes a move and Cunning Action to reach the barracks. She does not detect Raider #1, but she does see the building that Raider #1 had slipped around. She is trying to get behind Hephaestus.

Q: Are there any Benny citizens in the room?
A: No.

Starkweather follows Morrigan at a normal pace. He is 30 feet behind her.

Ozzie holds action to cover the streets.

Victor attacks Hephaestus w/ Raider Blade using Reckless Attack. Attk: 18 - Hit. D: 13. Hephaestus HP: 4/52. Rage: 7/10

Hephaestus snarls and attacks Twice! He cannot abandon or surrender with his men dying around him!
Attack: 23 - Hit. D: 11. Victor HP: 13/32

Second Attack: 23 - Hit. D: 4. Victor HP: 9/32

Round #8
Morrigan moves around and makes a Stealth Roll w/ Cunning Action. Stealth: Natural 1 - She bungles opening the door and falls to the ground.

Starkweather moves up to support Morrigan. As a good lover, he strategically looks away and tries to put out that he saw her fall on her face.

Victor attacks Hephaestus w/ Raider Blade. Attk: 18 - Hit. D: 9. Hephaestus HP: 0/52 - Slain!

---

And then fell Hephaestus… his last words, choking out from the slashing wound that Victor had delivered to him: “Well played, Moon Guard…”

Victor himself nodded, grabbing his side from the cuts he had received from the berserker.

---

Starkweather approached with his medkit and began to administer aid (Use: 1. Remaining: ¼): Healed 8. Victor HP: 17/32

Morrigan had at this point picked herself up and noted, “There’s only four in here… one of them has slipped out.”

“If there is a vehicle present, he’s probably going for it,” Victor said.

“We may need to grab and run, or at least move some stuff in the entrance if we’re going to fight it out. The shooting already may have attracted attention,” Ozzie noted, “I’ll watch the streets, you two are our gear experts, see what you can salvage.” Ozzie looked at Starkweather and Morrigan when he said that.

---

The party conducts a search of the armory and finds the gear partly raided with only 40% of the stock remaining. It breaks down to the following totals:

Blaster Carbines (x12)

Blaster Pistols (x16)
Concussion Grenades (x24)

Weave Armor (x6)
Fiber Armor (x12)

Victor claims Hephaestus’ High Frequency Sword. The remaining gear is as follows:

Slug Rifles (x3)
Waraxes (x2)
Raider Armor (x1) - The rest of the raider armors are too dangerous to be of use.

In addition there is clothing, rations, and finally Medkits are checked. The total for Medkits is 1d4-1 (3). Each Medkit has 10 charges and heals a target 1d6+2 damage per use.

The party also uses this period to perform a Short Rest. The following changes occur:

Victor spends a Hit Die (⅔ Remaining) and heals 16. Hit Points: 32/32

Ozzie spends a Hit Die (⅔ Remaining) and heals 12. Hit Points: 25/25. He also regains a charge on the following: Second Wind, Action Surge, and Tactical Aid

Starkweather spends a Hit Die (⅔ Remaining) and heals 6. Hit Points: 25/25. Regains 1 Maneuver Charge. 2/4

Morrigan spends a Hit Die (⅔ Remaining) and heals 5. She is also treated by Starkweather in one of the recovered Medkits for an extra 8 points. Hit Points: 20/22.

Starkweather Medkit Charge: -1. 9/10 Remaining