Summer Games, Session Five

I think this is the most consistent gaming I have experienced in years.  NOT having alcohol during the game actually makes it better, at least for me.  Who knew?

Earlier logs are here: one, two, three, four. 

Summary: no deaths, no treasure (beyond a mundane spear), stairs up discovered

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We picked up where we left off, in the crypts.  Dave slipped the ring onto his finger, finding that it slipped onto it easily, but then he felt it tighten around the base of his finger.  He has no idea what it yet does, but his gut tells him its magic.

After a brief debate, they checked the crypt across the hall and found it differed substantially from the first three.  Mounted upon the door was a metal plaque (made of orichalcum), with swirling letters that, when they finished swirling, read in a language each could understand (the literate ones and those tall enough to see it, at least):

It would be best

To let them rest

Heed this request

Or become Death's guest

(DM note - I promise my next rhyming riddle will be better.)

After comments about how the lich they suspect is an incarnation of Shel Silverstein, the group opted to skip the remaining three crypts and try the chamber at the end of the hall, so Dave and Daffyd investigated.  (Note that TruggleDave's player is convinced a lich-king is behind all of it).

Approaching the opening, Dave could feel a slight caustic bite in the air. At the entrance, the light from Daffyd's eyebeams revealed a short flight of stairs leading into a large chamber with a high ceiling, a set of stairs leading to dark openings in the other three walls, what looked to be a large pool in the center of the room, and a pair of large skeletal legs attached to large humanoid skeleton holding a large nasty-looking club.  

From HERE - looks like it's sold out...

Said large skeleton (with horns on its skull!) started approaching him as the light panned across it, so Dave retreated, guessing correctly that it was too large to fit through the entrance.

Sharing the news about what he saw, the party discussed several plans, ranging from Roro being sneaky, to throwing Daffyd's head as a distraction (Daffyd was not amused at this plan).  In the end, they decided to tie Daffyd's head to Dack the Boar-Thief's arse, facing backwards, and have the skeleton chase Dack in a circle, while the others raced to the nearest set of stairs.

The plan worked, but to their chagrin (and the DM's joy) the hazard die came up a 1, so the skeletons in the alcoves in the new hallway stepped down and advanced upon the PCs.

Lim-Dul's High Guard by Anson Maddocks

Seeing the mail-clad, spear-wielding skeletons, initiative was rolled and the teams tied.  Brother Frank announced his actions first, holding aloft the fuzzy dice of his deity and calling upon Avrae to turn the walking dead.  

It worked! Three of the four skeletons stepped back into their alcoves, while the fourth lunged at Dave, missing him.  Roro stepped through the legs of the front line and swung the cutlass Sierra, missing.  Varda also swung and connected, learning that skeletons only take half-damage from edged weapons in this world.  Brother Frank then stepped up and rolled a natural 20 with his mace, crushing its skull and ending the threat.

The party hesitated, knowing there were skeletons along the hall and a giant one behind them.  Dave picked up the fallen spear before everyone opted to leave well enough alone and move down the hallway into a rectangular chamber notable for having a pillar in each corner, and an open passageway in each wall.

Studying the pillars, the party saw that they were covered with carvings of people in combat and that - after the entire group failed saves - the carvings began moving faster and closer until suddenly, a plate-armored shade with glowing red eyes stepped out of each pillar!

(DM note: PCs may have evacuated bowels and voided bladders, but players made comments about Ringwraiths and minions of the Lich-King were made.  As a veteran DM, I am not one to let such comments go unheeded... - but just not this session.)

Ihsan's Shade by Christopher Rush

The sudden appearance terrified the party, resulting in all of them backing together in the center of the chamber.  Circumstances allowed for Daffyd's light to shine directly upon one, causing it to momentarily disappear!

Bolstered by the result of Daffyd's light making one shade briefly blink out of existence, Dave's player forgot the game's genre, suggesting that the armored shades were merely holograms, and tested his theory by trying to walk past them.  While they moved menacingly closer, they did not engage, so he was able to use Daffyd to make cursory examinations of the other openings, revealing other passages, to include one that appeared to end in a statue - so the group headed that direction, unmolested by the illusions of shades.

With Daffyd harnessed to his torso, Allistar took the lead and off they went to the statue, crossing another passage in the process.  Shining Daffyd's eyes to the north revealed a set of stairs heading up and to the south revealed more corridor.

Thus we ended, around a statue in a dead-end chamber.

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Brother Frank was voted MVP for his successful turning of most of the skeletons AND the natural 20 that crushed the skull of the one that didn't turn.

No treasure was discovered (beyond a mundane short-spear), but stairs up were, so escape is now theoretically possible within the next few sessions.

Overall, the group being effectively stuck on the second level means the potential for exploration XP is high - even if they find the shortest route back to the main entrance on level one (and the tax collectors at the top of it).  Presuming they make it back to Skara Brae, some might actually level up.  

Roro's player has been mapping the entire time and it is glorious! Several sheets of notebook paper with nothing to scale - I know the plan is to sell it to Ebeneezer Hardbottle, but until then, it is being used in game and is awesome.  I'm hoping they'll make use of it to determine potential hidden areas.

As an added bonus, if the mapper's PC falls, that map becomes an excellent treasure for the next explorer! Add a mapper to your games - you won't be sorry!

Dungeon Map by Aaron Miller

I definitely need to incorporate encumbrance with all the running and carrying heavy things they are up to - and warned the players as much.

At one point, the session became focused on my and Varda's character jointly reciting Jabberwocky, after a rambling story about White Rabbit and drugs (brought on by the pillar-shades appearance being compared to an acid trip), so I am thinking a vorpal blade that goes snicker-snack is kicking around in the dungeon.

Somewhere.

Probably some custom monsters too: the Manxome Foe, the Bandersnatch, the Jub-Jub Bird, and the Jabberwock itself.  Luckily, most of these, if not all, already exist in one form or another, so my homebrewing is limited to merely cherry-picking what I like best from the Google.

Note that the Chesire Cat is more NPC than actual monster and will also be making an appearance - multiples, probably, because recurring NPCs are fun.

As an aside, I'm excited for Andrew Kolb's take on Wonderland, so I can loot it of ideas.    His Oz and Neverland books are excellent, so I have high expectations. It should be available in November, just in time for Christmas!

Speaking of Jabberwocky, here is the Muppets version - which is awesome, and here is a telling (with music) by Omnia, which is also awesome.

Summer Games, part four

Earlier logs are here: one, two, three.

Summary: still in the dungeon, no one dies, 1 and part of another person join the adventurers, loot acquired and laughter made manifest.  Overall, I count this session as a win. 

First, though, some player-created art - after all, the character sheets do have a place to add a drawing, sigil, or coat of arms.

Truggledave or just plain Dave, drawn by his player.

Roro the Rash, drawn by her player

Not pictured are 

Varda, Elf 1

Allistar, Thief 1

Brother Frank, Cleric of Avrae 1

Dack, Boar-Thief 1

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We began the session in the entrance chamber, with Dack the boar eating a fallen zombie (because that IS what pigs do - eat).  As he munched, the party decided to begin moving south, from whence the zombies came.  Inspecting the first set of alcoves, they discovered that the back walls were stone slabs, which, after some effort, they managed to drop with a crash!

Sadly, this noise triggered the first of MANY hazard die checks that did not bring anything to investigate.

Entering the chamber, they found a pair of stone sarcophagi.  Upon investigation, they were revealed to have some form of effigies on the lids, but too faded and worn to determine exactly what might be entombed within.  It was also noted that both sarcophagi had a pair of round holes on each side - no doubt for poles or spearshafts to more easily raise and lower the lid.

With no such poles, the party improvised a plan involving rope, a boar, brute strength, and ignorance.  The end state was the first lid hit the floor with a crash, and everyone was surprised to see a human in full dungeon kit looking up at them, coughing a bit from the dust and blinking his eyes in the party's light.

A brief interrogation revealed that his name was Allistar the Thief and he had no idea how he ended up in the sarcophagus; when Varda realized it was her ex-husband in the sarcophagus, he claimed amnesia there, as well.

The lid crashing down should have brought trouble, but no encounter was rolled, just spoor of a future encounter, and with that, a buzzing sound was heard in the near distance.  This sound caused Dave to fire a flaming arrow down the hallway, which eventually landed maybe 200 feet further, and the buzzing ceased. 

Then with Varda to grudgingly vouch for him, Allistar joined the party in the looting of sarcophagi.  

As they approached the second sarcophagus, the room got noticeably colder.  Removing the second lid yielded a dead head, in that it was grey and dead, but had a glorious topknot of hair.  More importantly, it was gagged and a blue-white light beamed from its eyes, like a modern day flashlight.  Lifting it up and removing its gag, more of the same light came out its open mouth as it said, "thaaaannnnk yoouuuu."

Conversation with the talking head revealed its name to be Daffyd Byrns, who not only spoke in song lyrics (that only one player recognized) but also knew Allistar, calling them both brothers of the shadow.

True to form, Allistar claimed amnesia and the group prepared to cross the hall, but not before Allistar's latent desire for loot (muscle memory?) saw him leap into the sarcophagus that had held Daffyd, and begin searching it.  His efforts were rewarded with the observation that the wooden plank on the bottom lifted up, revealing a sealed box large enough to hold a book.  The box had no easy means of opening it, but Varda saw it was covered with magical markings and sigils that she couldn't read.

So the box ended up in a backpack for later investigation and the group ate and rested, before moving across the hall.  

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Crossing the hall to force the door, the party found themselves in a similar room, complete with another pair of sarcophagi and a die roll indicating no random encounter, just an indicator of one, so they heard that buzzing again.  At this point, Roro declared she was going to guard the corridor, so stepped out of the room and sat down.  As she had a sewing kit and extra sacks, she began to fashion a chest harness for Daffyd's head - the goal being to free up hands.

Picture of Dave wearing the Daffyd head harness, by Roro's player and Dave's player

With Roro in the corridor, the sarcophagus opening procedures were carried out, and as the lid crashed down, it kicked up so much dust that everyone in the room had to make (and most failed) saves or fall into a coughing fit.  When the dust cleared, it revealed a dessicated corpse lying there, but Daffyd's eyebeams revealed jewelry: a necklace, matching bracelets, and matching anklets.  This jewelry was divided up between Varda, Roro, and Dack the Boar-Thief. (DM note - does Daffyd's eyebeams have detection properties?  I don't yet know!)

The second sarcophagus featured an effigy of what appeared to be a woodsman.  In addition, buzzing could be heard from within, and Varda's infravision revealed a heat difference, so they braced for combat as they opened the lid.

Inside was a decomposing body wearing decaying hunter's clothing, everything tattered and stained except for the high soft boots laced up on his feet.  In addition, they could see the chest and stomach moving and heaving under the clothing, so the taller sorts circled the open sarcophagus and raised their blades to begin simultaneously striking the corpse and whatever was squirming inside.

With the first strikes, a swarm of cockroaches (the big nasty buggers like what we get here in Alabama) came flying up and out and around, sending the party into a mix of swatting and yelling and panicking.

They even dropped Daffyd's head in the sarcophagus, and roaches began crawling into his mouth.  Poor Daffyd.

Despite the noise, the encounter die disappointed me again, and nothing headed their way.  

Using fire and smoke (and Brother Frank's mace), the swarm was driven away.  With that, Allistar retrieved and donned the fancy boots, because how else will they learn what the boots do? 

They rested again before adjourning across the hall, because panicking is hard work.  Roro finished her harness and talked nice to Daffyd.

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This was the last room they entered before the session ended.  

They could smell brine and sea air once the door crashed down and saw that one of the effigies looked like a stereotypical pirate.  Excited comments were made about it likely containing treasure OR a portal, and they were correct on both counts.  The lid came off like all the others, and Dave shone the light of Daffyd into the seawater, thrilling to see the lights reflected off the shiny things below.  Reaching for a shiny, Dave felt a pull on his arm and failed his save vs spells, then fell in to the far deeper than it should be water.  Determined to find some treasure before he died, Dave grasped a goblet that would have fit in with the treasures of the Nuestra Senora de Atocha.  

He then began to drown.

Image from generic image search - it might even be AI, but I didn't use such an engine.

This goblet (chalice? using connotation, which word sounds more valuable?) should cover Dave's debts, and probably more besides!

Dave's companions thought quickly and opted to make use of the roped boar to maybe pull Dave out.  The rope was weighted and thrown in, and after a few failed attempts, Dave grasped the rope and was pulled out and to safety, Daffyd and the goblet along with him.

Soaking wet and panting, Dave related to the others that there was more treasure where the goblet had come from AND that he had noticed a large shadow moving around in the water, believing (correctly) that something was down there. DM note - at this point I opened the Monster Overhaul to page 277 in eager anticipation, but alas, alea iacta est and no one was eaten.

Without hesitation, Roro announced 'we're going fishing' and stripped down to her unmentionables.  She then donned the harness to hold Daffyd in place, so she could see.  The others tied a rope around her ankle, and with dagger and sack in hand, she was heaved into the water (she is too short to actually see over the top of these sarcophagi).  Roro felt the pull of the magic, but made her save, so would be able to move freely.

Daffyd was annoyed - he may not need to breathe, but that doesn't mean he likes being under water.  Soothing him with a head pat, she kicked towards the gleaming gold.  The encounter dice were again unkind to the DM, so she was able to scoop up a mix of treasures into the sack, then grab a suspiciously new-looking cutlass thrusting up out of the sand.  When Roro tugged the rope as they had prearranged, Dack the Boar-Thief began pulling her out of the water. (As I type this, I realize I missed a chance for the shadow-casting thing to make an appearance and get a jump scare - next time - the players know there is treasure still in the water).

Back in the crypt, the sack was emptied to see what she grabbed: silver trade bars and golden coins.  Roro claimed the cutlass for herself, even though it was almost as long as she is tall.  Investigation revealed the word Sierra engraved upon the blade.

From HERE, and for the low low cost of $189 and shipping, it can be yours!

As Roro toweled off, the group turned to the last sarcophagus and took up their stations.  Infravision showed no heat within, and the effigy on the lid was too defaced to tell what might be within.

The boar grunted, the lid crashed down, and the zombie within sat up and swiped at Brother Frank, dealing 1 point of damage and sending him into a tizzy.  The rest of the tall folk quickly did the zombie in, and Dave claimed the silver ring found upon its finger. 

What will next session hold?

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Today's session ended with lots of treasure and Roro being voted MVP (for making the harness for Daffyd).  Of course, they still need to escape to cash it all in.  By the time they find a way up, they may make bank on the exploring rooms xp my houserules make use of.

Or die trying.

Total loot:

Necklace (Varda)

Matching bracelets (Varda, Roro)

Matching anklets (Roro, Dack)

Book-sized box covered with magical symbols - I don't recall - Brother Frank, perhaps?

Fine leather hunters' boots (worn by Allistar)

Golden bejeweled goblet (Dave)

A cutlass named Sierra (Roro)

Sack containing 2 trade bars of silver and 289 gold pieces - I don't recall

Silver ring - Dave

If any of my players can remind me about who is carrying what, that would be grand.  As the group has no Detect Magic spell, they are relying on gut instinct to determine what, if anything, is magical.  I'll need to have this printed and ready to go by next session.  This, as well, for those items the party cannot easily determine on their own.  

Seriously, the blog d4 Caltrops is the gift that keeps on giving!  Go check it out and download/print what will work for your games - you will not be disappointed!

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I may have to change out my d6 for the encounters - with all the noise they are making and time they are taking, something should have wandered their way.  Luckily, they are close to keyed trouble, and will probably reach it - and outsmart me again - next session. 

Yes, I could have wanderers show up via DM fiat, but I'd rather not.

Encumbrance came up in discussion during the game, so within the next two sessions I will need to provide some encumbrance pages - I really like slot-based inventories, so probably one of them.  I have a few I have culled from the internet, so will make my choice closer to time.

I haven't worried about encumbrance so far because they are new PCs with minimal gear, but now as they gain treasure, it will begin to matter.  That said, the rate they go through rations may result in room after all.

The Staff of Pmurt the Orange

A magic item that came to me as I drove home.  

I promise the write-up for session four is almost done and should hopefully be finished tonight.

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Pmurt the Orange was an average wizard born to wealthy parents.  His parents' wealth brought him everything but skill at magic, which could only be achieved through patience and practice.  Given that Pmurt lacked patience, it was only a matter of time before a magical experiment went awry, permanently staining his flesh and hair a sickly shade of orange, a shade that cannot be hidden under any magics yet tried - which only served to increase the anger that Pmurt the Orange felt at being born.

With time, however, Pmurt the Orange did master his craft, at least enough to craft a magestaff of some potency.

Thornbite Staff by Jesper Ejsing

Unfortunately, the staff picked up some of Pmurt's negative personality traits during its creation and, as such, using the staff can be exhausting.  Indeed, merely attuning to it costs the wielder 1d4+1 temporary Charisma loss, a loss which can only be restored when the wielder gives up the staff.  Getting it to actually work requires the wielder to force their will upon the staff, and the more potent the power, the more exhausting the battle of wills.

Mechanically this means that to activate a power safely requires the wielder to make a Charisma save; failure to make the save means the power is still used, but the wielder acquires one or more levels of exhaustion. 

DC10, 1 level of exhaustion - Light, Dancing Lights, Ventriloquism

DC12, 1 level of exhaustion - Detect Thoughts, Knock 

DC14, 1 level of exhaustion - Suggestion, Charm Person

DC16, 2 levels of exhaustion - Dispel Magic, Wall of Ice

DC18, 3 levels of exhaustion - Confusion, Fear

DC20, 4 levels of exhaustion - Teleport Self (like Teleport, but only the wielder goes)

In addition to the above powers, Pmurt's staff has a pair of unique abilities that only exhaust others:

Fleeting Luck - when this power is active, the wielder rolls all rolls at advantage; the drawback is that one of their local allies (chosen at random or by DM fiat) suffers the opposite, and all of their rolls are at disadvantage.  When active, it lasts for 8 hours before having to be reactivated.

Energy Vampire - the wielder heals themself of damage at the expense of their allies.  When activated, a local ally is chosen at random (or DM fiat), and the wielder is brought up to full hit points.  This ability can even heal some conditions, but not exhaustion.  

These abilities seem harsh, but the truth is that Pmurt the Orange was a narcissist, and cared not at all for his allies beyond what they could do for him in the short-term.

Lastly, using the staff slowly stains its wielder the same ugly orange as Pmurt, beginning with the palms of their hands and spreading outwards, until the body is covered.  Using the more powerful abilities makes the stains spread faster; to date, there is no record of what happens to a wielder who goes completely orange, although it is speculated that this is a form of slow-moving possession, and one that reaches full orange becomes Pmurt himself (and therefore, an NPC).

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Note that the Staff is sentient and will activate the Teleport Self if it believes it or its wielder is in danger.  This has the side effect of making the wielder appear to be a coward in the eyes of allies.

Being sentient, it can speak, but chooses not too unless absolutely necessary.  

Summer Games, part 3

Three sessions in a row!  2024 is turning into a great gaming year for me.  I even got to play some Magic this Wednesday.

Our cast:

Varda, the Elf

Dave, the Fighter

Roro, the Halfling

Dack, the Thief - currently a swine

Brother Frank, Cleric of Avrae

Land, Cleric of Ikea - rolled and run by Dack's player

Anyhow, we left off last week with Dack turned into a swine and everyone off to meet with Frankie Breakbone, the moneylender.

Frankie Breakbone, courtesy of MtG card Tavern Swindler by Pauline Voss

As might be expected, the conversation ended with our heroes having a month to find the money needed to pay her back.  About 1000gp between Dave, Dack, and Frank.

They also learned that Circe might turn Dack back into a human for a price.  Her price being the recovery of a large gem that she is fairly certain is on the third level of the dungeon - at least her divinations suggest as much.  

Circe the Witch.  Elvira, Mistress of the Dark is an alias.

When does she want it?  Before she sails back to her island in the Aegean Sea in a few months.  With that, she dismissed the party and her guards escorted them out.

Balking at Circe's demand, the party makes use of the I Know a Guy houserule, and Varda introduces the table to Cornelius de Bleu, a wizard who had enough of a crush on her to follow her to Skara Brae and set up shop.  It turns out, he also had an outrageous French accent, kind of a mix between Monty Python and Pepe LePew.  Note that about halfway through, the DM slipped into a bad Antonio Banderas impersonation.  Ah, wizards.

Cornelius was willing to provide an answer out of kindness to his crush.  His researches suggested that if a person were to walk backwards across the Bridge of Broken Souls (item 94 on this table).  Unfortunately, Cornelius wasn't certain where said bridge might actually be - perhaps in the dungeon. (DM Note - it would be funny if it had to be crossed to retrieve the gem Circe wants).

By this point, Dack's player had finished rolling up and equipping Land, Cleric of Ikea, so the party followed Dack the Swine's lead to the temple of Ikea, where it nosed into Land.  After introductions, we learned that Dack had been raised by the temple, but did not jive with their neutral ways.  Still, Land remembered and felt pity for the swine, so offered up that the temple of Ikea had access to the dungeon, and would provide it to its members.

As they prepared for the delve, they discussed the rumors they had heard over the past few days, and I, the DM had each of them roll on d30 rumor table.  They learned the following:

Ebeneezer Hardbottle is still willing to pay for maps.

Tristan's bride-to-be was kidnapped and her dowry stolen by bandits on the first level.

A flaming sword was lost to the orcs on the first level.

A treasure-laden funeral barge floats on a vast reservoir deep down on the tenth level (this was a popular topic, being rolled three times).

The Church of Starry Wisdom keeps a treasure vault on the second level.

Spinning a Wheel destroyed the gossip and their friends.

A pair of ogres named Smash and Grab enjoy ale and mules.

Some folks bathed in a pool and woke up ... different.

Rumors shared and bags packed, they headed down a dark spiral staircase, farther down than they initially thought possible (DM note - all the way to second level) where the air grew cold and still - like see-your-breath cold.

The stairs bottomed out into a 30'x30' chamber with an opening in the center of each wall.  Peering down two of them, they saw nothing but alcoves in the walls and darkness stretching out past their torch and candle light.  Without checking the third opening, Roro the Rash called out "Hello!" down a passage and was rewarded with a distant shuffling and moaning that grew closer and closer until their light revealed a pair of zombies shambling towards them!

The zombies were met with bowstring and steel, but alas! poor Land, Cleric of Ikea, fell to the blows of a zombie! This enraged Dack the pig, and looking in the rules, we found that Boars are listed, and as Dack is a male, we ran with it.

The final zombie fell beneath the furious feet of an enraged Dack-boar! 

And with that, we ended!

BX combat is fatal!