Session 5: Redbrands Re-Branded

I got one of my players to do the write-up this time around:

From the previous fight, one of the Red Brands traded information about the Red Brand’s base for saving his life. He revealed that there are 4 human Red Brands left, 3 Bugbears, 1 Goblin and a one-eyed creature waiting in the ruins of the manor above town.

After defeating the Red Brands in the village, Caeside leads Sildar, Madox, Arnel and Silver Feather up the road to the ruins of the […] family manor, the lair of the Red Brands. Disguised as Red Brands, the party is able to defeat the one human sentry. They then enter the ruins and descend into the cellars below. There they captured two Red Brands in their beds, defeated three skeletons, charm person the final human Red Brand and free the wife and kids of a farmer that the Red Brands killed (and burned their home). Ambrosia escorted the freed humans out of the manor.

With the human Red Brands handled, we explore more of the cellar/dungeon. We find Glass Staff’s lab but he escapes us without a confrontation. Before our pursuit of him, Sildar discovers that the wizard he was supposed to meet in this town sold him and us out to Glass Staff (a letter confirmed this). We then chased after Glass Staff. Caeside cast a spell on Madox to make him move so fast that he bearly touched a bridge over a chasm. Because he only lightly touched it, it did not collapse into the crevice where the [ ] waited. It attacked Madox. We fought it and won.

That battle alerted the bugbears to our presence and they came out to talk. Thinking us Red Brands, they did not attack. They asked if Glass Staff had any orders for them. Instead, they returned to their room. We set up an ambush and Caeside went to their room and asked their leader to come to Glass Staff’s office where we ambushed and killed the leader. We then went to the bugbear’s room where Caeside wild shaped into a rat and entered the room to use Thunderclap. We then ran in and dispatched the largely depleted monsters.

Glass Staff escaped as did the 3 wounded human Red Brands. Regardless of that, the night was ours and we found a magic long sword (+1), potions, scrolls, treasure and, most importantly, liberated the town.

My thoughts:

My players continue to milk the benefits of being a dex-based, lightly armored strike force, using lots of stealth and some timely spellcraft to pick and choose the time of battle and then hit hard and fast. Of course, sooner or later someone will get the drop on them, and it'll be interesting to see how they handle it. 

Glasstaff escaping was an interesting development, and definitely not one I had planned in advance. It'll be interesting to see when and where he shows back up.

So far, my players seem interested in setting up shop in Phandalin. So do they become the heroes of the town or just another (slightly weirder) group of Redbrand-type thugs running the show? Time will tell.