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Old 04-28-2010, 01:17 AM   #51
Abe Sargent
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BYU 14 View Post
I have to admit it, as much as I didn't want it to, this diary is really making me nostalgic for some D&D!

Yay D&D!
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Old 04-28-2010, 01:30 AM   #52
Abe Sargent
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The chests are in a nice, neat little line. One on the far left looks very plain and ordinary. The one on the far right looks very bright, with gold and gems encrusted on it. Each of the five in the middle get progressively more fancy.

As Alzar approaches, he notices the writing on the wall behind the chests, telling him that he has one chance to find the right chest. Remembering the scroll with the note about the value of minor things, Alzar opens the chest on the far left, that looks very poor.

Inside are a variety of things:

1). 100 pp
2). 1500 gp
3). 4 gold wristbands each worth 100 gold
4). A ring
5). A rope
6). 2 potions
7). 2 daggers
8). A talisman

As soon as Alzar grabs the talisman, him, his whole party, the horses and wagon and pack mule, all of the treasure found including the buried coins by the harpies, the undead, and the treasure here all teleport back to the manor where it all began.


This time Lirdrium Arkayz meets Alzar instead of Jenlar Temlin. Arkayz thanks Alzar for his help, and asks for the talisman, which is the Secret of the Rock. Alzar agrees to give it to him. “This was mine long ago, and now you have returned it. You have my gratitude.” Alzar is asked to leave now, however, due to the nature of his minions. The extra 200 gold is paid as requested, but Arkayz is not a fan of the undead.

The crowns are only worth 50 gold each. Alzar will keep them.


Alzar gained gold: 2870 – 70 for exchange (not as much as last time because most is in gold) 2800.
Tiara, 200 gold, wristbands, 100 goldx4, crowns 50 gold x4, gem 50x2, 10 gold

XP Gained: 1586



Alzar arrives back at Regalsford one day later and casts Detect Magic. The following things glow:

The long sword that was very burn-y
Both daggers
Potion from cleric
Rope
Ring


Over the next week, Alzar uses Identify to discover that:

Each Dagger is a Dagger +1. The three vials of are holy water. The potion is healing. The Ring is a Ring of Protection +1, the long sword is the Sword of the Rock +2, cannot be wielded by evil, and the rope is a Rope of Climbing.

He also has animated the rest of the rats in the wagon.

23 animal skeletons.
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Old 04-28-2010, 10:48 AM   #53
Abe Sargent
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Alzar

7th level Fighter (Myrmidon), 3rd level Necromancer (Undead Master)

Lawful Evil
Human

Str: 16
Dex: 12
Con: 10
Wis: 16
Int: 18
Cha: 14

Hit Points: 51
THACO: 13 (Increased with Axe Weapon Master and +1 Axe) or 20 as Necromancer
AC: 9
Total XP: 6766
Total Gold: 5901

Race Abilities:

None Taken

Class Abilities (Cannot use as Necromancer without losing XP gain):

Specialization
Leadership (Alzar can command the tactics, strategy, logistics and more that a large force requires)
3 attacks every 2 rounds



Non-Weapon Proficiencies:

Myrmidon Bonus:

Tactical History 14
Fire-Building 16

Riding 11
Swimming 12
Reading/Writing 13
Survival 14
Blind Fighting
Etiquette 13
Endurance
Heraldry 13
Hunting 10
Fishing 14
Weather Knowledge 10
Orienteering 15

Undead Master Bonuses:

Necrology 14
Netherworld Knowledge 10

Herbalism 14
Alchemy 12
Poison Use 11
Ancient Languages 10


Traits:

Empathy
Fast Healer
Precise Memory





Weapon Proficiencies:

Bonus Kit Specialization:

Battle Axe

Battle Axe
One Handed Weapon Style x2 (-2 AC when using one weapon in combat)
Crossbow
Battle Axe Weapon Mastery
Spear

Total with normal battle axe - +3 to hit, +3 to damage, -2 to AC. An additional +1 with the axe and +1 damage for strength


Staff – Can only use this as a Necromancer


Class Ability:

Alzar can control undead as an evil Priest of the same level, and this ability extends to extra planar beings which are considered undead with the same hit dice for this purpose.

In addition to normal specialist mage stuff, Alzar gets a 10% bonus to XP for his high intelligence


Magical Items:

+1 Battle Axe
Necklace of Adaptation
+1 Ring of Protection
Potion of Healing
3 +1 Daggers
Rope of Climbing
Sword of the Rock, +2, cannot be wielded by evil
Longsword +1, +2 vs undead
Scrolls of: Mordenkainen’s Faithful Phantom Shield-Maidens, Bone Knit and Teleport


Spellbook:


3/2


First Level:

Alzar’s Undead Porter
Animate Dead Animals *
Cantrip
Charm Person *
Detect Magic
Friends
Identify
Read Magic
Sleep *
Tenser’s Floating Disc
Unseen Servant


Second Level:

Attract Ghoul
Blastbones *
ESP *
Forget
Locate Object
Ray of Ondovir
Speak with Dead


Third Level:

Dire Charm
Searing Serpent
Skulltrap

Fourth Level:

Vorthala’s Undead Turning Immunity
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Old 04-28-2010, 10:49 AM   #54
Abe Sargent
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The town is the same as ever, and now Alzar is hearing of a rumor that caverns in Quasqueton have opened up and there are monsters pouring forth. It is four days ride away to the northeast along the lake front and then into the woods to the east along a major road. Options:

1). Deliver package
2). Find Elwyn and orcs
3). Enter the Caverns of Quasqueton

Alzar chooses to deliver the package
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Old 04-28-2010, 04:25 PM   #55
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B7 Rahasia

This classic was written by Tracy Hickman and his wife Laura. It was self-published in 1979 and then Tracy moved to TSR and published it in the early 80s as B7.

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Old 04-28-2010, 07:06 PM   #56
Abe Sargent
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Sinder gives instructions for delivery of a package and offers to pay Alzar 100 gold upon receipt of the package. Alzar tries a Charm Person spell. It works, but Sinder is already giving the maximum amount of money he has. Nothing left to do but journey.

10 days on the main road and Alzar and his wagon reach the spot where they need to turn off. There’s naught been seen except for a few minor monsters and creatures that fled at the sight of the undead. Quickly, Alzar reaches a wood that has a sylvan feel to it, as if magic sparked from the occasional tree or bush.

Another day into the forest with its enchantments and dweomers, Alzar arrives at a place where the forest trail meets a cool river, running swiftly. The colors of the plants are sparkling and exact – reds and greens and blues. Even a purple and orange here and there. However, as Alzar and his entourage get nearer the river, they notice the glint of armor in the path. He arrives and sees a dead Qwith. The armor is slashed by weapons and destroyed, and a search of the body reveals a note, in Typic and Qwith.

It is very long, too long to quote here. But basically it says that Rahasia is a Qwith princess as the daughter of one of the town council, and a few months ago, a stranger named The Rahib arrived at their Qwith village. He came for Rahasia’s hand in marriage, and despite his handsomeness and presence, Rahasia’s father refused, so The Rahib went and proposed to Rahasia and asked to elope. Rahasia refused him. There was something too intense about him. The Rahib grabbed her and she cried out. Her father heard and drove The Rahib to the gate of the town and drove him forth. Then the stranger intoned an evil, vile curse on the village. Recently, the young men and their mentors did not return from the temple. Upon investigation, the curious were driven away from the temple. Rahasia’s father left to investigate and has not returned. His treasure in the lower recesses of the temple has also been lost. This includes her dowry. Her betrothed in the village, Hasan, knew his family would require the dowry, so he too went to the temple and has not been seen. Two days ago the village council received a note from The Rahib claimed that he had placed a curse on all of the Qwith in the temple. It would not be lifted until Rahasia was given to him in marriage. The Qwith there are under the control of The Rahib, and that night, they broke into the village and stole away two Qwith maidens. The villagers are begging Rahasia to volunteer herself to The Rahib, in hopes that he will leave them alone. This note is a plea for help, sent with her good friend, to find someone to assist.
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Old 04-28-2010, 07:32 PM   #57
Abe Sargent
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Okay, Alzar decides to investigate for two reasons. Will the Qwith welcome his help, even though he is a necromancer? And this seems like as good an opportunity as any to gain experience and items. Plus, the person he is delivering the package too? Rahasia’s father, so there’s no gold until he is found.

A couple of miles away, Alzar’s wagon pulls up to the village, with the undead in their normal area in the distance. He drives up to the gate and knocks, and after he announces why he is here, the gates open. Out from the houses come many Qwith, including a young tear-stained face who asks if Alzar will aid her. He immediately nods, and she risks a smile. He asks to speak with her in private, and she agrees. She provides food for Alzar.

They say that the temple did have a powerful guardian, so The Rahib probably slew it. Also, they show sketches of the two maidens so that Alzar will be able to identify them. Rahasia wants to accompany Alzar to the temple, but he declines and tells her why. She admits that she could sense the presence of the undead in the forest, but most of the other Qwith are either not sensitive enough to have noticed, or probably put it down to more of The Rahib’s servants. Whatever it takes.


Alzar moves out to the temple, and led to it. Outside and a short way away is a shrine. Here, Alzar ties up the wagon, rests, and incense is lighted to give him luck. He walks the rest of the way up a short hill to the Temple of Gray Mountain, and the undead join him.

23 animal skeletons, Lastion, Megala, Alzar and full hit points all around.
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Old 04-28-2010, 08:18 PM   #58
Abe Sargent
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The gates of the temple are silver double doors, and they open easily. Animal skeletons move into the courtyard beyond them, and investigate. Inside are stables, open air shrines in the lower corners. The skeletons move in and nothing is immediately there so Alzar moves forward. In front of him is a dais and pool, and to the rear are the shrines and stables to the right and left. Animal skeletons move into the shrine areas first, in the front of the temple, in the extreme left and right corners. In the southeast shrine, a sound is heard and Alzar ourder back the skeletons guarding it, as he sees a Gargoyle flying into the main courtyard to engage the skeletons. Only a magical weapon can hit a gargoyle, so Alzar unsheathes his +1 axe and moves forward while ordering his servants away. The skeletons part like waves and the gargoyle carefully advances, seeing Alzar not afraid.






Alzar swings his axe and it cuts into the gargoyle’s enchanted flesh for 12 damage and rocks are shorn from its shoulder. It recovers and attacks with wings, claws and fangs four times total. Alzar takes 9 damage. Alzar attacks and connects right in the center of the gargoyle, splitting it in two and killing it (9 damage).

No XP> Alzar at 42/51
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Old 04-28-2010, 08:49 PM   #59
Abe Sargent
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A search of the shrine shows that stairs go down, and the gargoyle had killed previous people and they had 80 gold and 4000 copper. These coins are gathered in the small leather sacks around the area and ran back down to the shrine.

The other shrine has nothing but more stairs down, a platform and altar, and a statue that neither moves nor looks anything other than normal.

An investigation of the eight stables here by the animal skeletons shows that one has a sack with the word Tithe on it, and 250 copper. Alzar choose to leave it here since it’s just 2.5 gold and could be the temple’s. It’s not worth pissing them off just for 250 copper.

As Alzar moves forward, he sends the animal skeletons towards the dais and pool in the north section of the temple. As they approach, a watery creature springs from the brackish water and strikes at a skeleton, but doesn’t kill it even though it hits. Alzar orders the skeletons to take out the Water Weird.

Because the Water Weird only does drowning damage, the skeletons kill it in two turns without any dying. 17 XP for Alzar. In the pool are two large jars, and Alzar has Lastion grab both out, and each has 150 cp, 350 silver and 299 gold in them. The bottom is very murky, so Alzar sends in all of the animal skeletons at once, and in just a short period of time, they find 6 gems, each worth 100 gold.

There are some stairs leading up to a platform behind the pool and dais, and Alzar flies up Megala to check it out through its eyes. He sees a landing and a Qwith hiding behind a curtain. Is the Qwith hiding because it thinks Alzar will hurt him, and he is not a bad guy, or because he is a bad guy, and thinks Alzar will hurt him. Alzar casts ESP.

After a few seconds, it’s obvious that the Qwith is a good aligned guy who came here to take out The Rahib, warrior-mage who has already cast his spells, but is willing to continue the fight. The combination of undead and the battle has left Alki, Qwith Wariror-Seer a little shaken. Alzar walks up the stairs with no weapons ,just just staff. As he reaches the top, Alki jumps out and shouts a warrior’s charge. Alzar drops his staff visibly in front of Alki and holds his hands out in a sign of peace. Alki halts his charge.

Alzar, with one round left of ESP, knows the perfect way to get in Alki’s graces, uses it, and Alki agrees to Alzar’s request to join the party, even knowing what Alzar is working with. (he has not seen Lastion, jus the skeletons, which are generally thought of as neutral.). Alzar orders Lastion to hide for now. Alzar escorts Alki down for now and escorts him to the wagon. In return for helping, for the rest of the adventure, Alzar allows Alki the use of The Sword of the Rock. Alki replaces his long sword. He also has a long bow, shield and chain mail. He will fight as Alzar commands, unless it is unusual.
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Old 04-28-2010, 09:17 PM   #60
Abe Sargent
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Alzar finds a cloak room back at the top of the steps. Inside are some brass coffers, which are tested by the animal skeletons. They have 1100 cp and 100 sp in both of them combined. Alzar leaves them here for now. After he leaves, and after the area is cleared, he will have Lastion act as a porter, moving these items back and forth from the wagon to here.

Alzar and his crew go right along a corridor on the upper level. They reach a another shrine, this time a temple that appears to be a room with several praying benches and statues, an alter with a dusty altar cloth, and more typical accoutrements, including candelabras with candles still lit. There are robes of the temple Qwith, called the Siswa, here as well. Alzar makes sure to remember to add them to the magic pile, just in case.

A doorway continues to the north and Alzar sends some animal skeletons down the hallway. There are several alcoves here used for study, and all are completely devoid of anything., even furniture. They reach an intersection and the corridor continues forward and right into blank walls, and right down the hallway. Alzar and his crew see some movement from the path down the west. Before he goes down there, Alzar sends one animal skeleton down each hallway to the north and east to make sure that there is nothing there. As they get to the end, they disappear. Since they have not been given further instructions, they remain standing where they arrive. It appears there are portals at the ends of the hallway. For now, Alzar goes west, and sends some animal skeletons down the way to see.

No traps are found, but 5 of the Siswa, Qwith priests that are possessed or charmed or something, are there. They have not noticed the animal skeletons yet. They are huddled around a fire, resting. Alzar orders his animal skeletons to return and moves away. He will come back later if needed.

They go around back to the dais, and then up the other staircase to the left and move west into yet another temple area. This one has frescoes on the wall depicting holy rites and various implements, but no robes. The alter here looks more like a well, with an open area that goes down a long way. Alzar has Megala fly down, and he sees a well that descends more than 50 feet, and then there is a locked iron grate at the bottom. Rather than risk that, Megala flies back up and they continue north from the hallway here. Once again, alcoves, and once again ,nothing here, except for a black jade statue in the rear of one of the alcoves.

On the statue is a golden pendant with a black jade stone, just like the statue. Alzar touches it, and then tries to take it from the statue, but cannot. It is shimmering and beautiful and worth 1300 gold, but Alzar cannot take it, it is sealed there somehow.
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Old 04-28-2010, 09:32 PM   #61
Abe Sargent
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They move north to yet another intersection, to the west of where they did before, and again with pathways to the north and west, and a hallway to the east back towards the Siswa. Alzar sends skeletons north and west, but they do not disappear. Suddenly, a group of four humans appears from the west and nd moves to attack Alzar and his group. At first, they move to attack, but then they realize that Alzar is not Siswa and hold up their attack.

The leader moves forward and introduces himself as Teikus. They came here to loot the temple, but have been confused and lost due to the teleporters. They have robbed five bags of loot and offer Alzar one in exchange for info out. Knowing that he has Alki with him, Alzar gets him to agree to two bags, and then tells them how to get out. They thank him and move off. Alzar makes a show of putting he bags of Tithe treasure in an alcove for the Siswa to find later, but in reality, he issues a command to Lastion to collect them. 100 EP total gained.

Alzar now has several options. Jump down the well/altar. Go into the north corridor into a portal. Go into the east corridor into a portal. Go down the stairs in the south east shrine. Go down the stairs in the south west shrine.

The south west shrine, where he can keep his bearings.

The stairs arrive at a lower level. Alzar moves out and runs into two Siswa guards who charge him. They have gleaming curved blades in each hand, and the qwith move silently. Alki shoots an arrow and nails one for 2 damage before they get near, before switching to a new weapon. Alzar grabs his staff. Animal skeletons nail a few for 6 damage in four hits. One hits Alzar for 5 damage (37/51). Alzar smacks one with a staff for 5 damage and it dies. Alki slices another with the magic sword for 6, and he dies.

XP – 40. Weapons, armor, cloaks added to magic pile. This is the prison, with a large number of cells in here. There is also a central room. At the end of a hallway, Alzar can see stairs up to the south east shrine, so both stairs led here.

Quick inspections by the Animal skeletons show the cell area to be a squre, with four hallways, each with cells on the outer edge. There is a large compass rose in the floor. There is a door out to the north, and adoor into a central chamber.

One jail, when searched, has a chest in it. It shoots darts with sleep poison on them at the animal skeletons that touch it, and they take no damage. The trap spent, it opens to Alzar’s touch and reveals 200 silver, 150 electrum and a battle of wine. Added to the wagon by Lastion later.

One cell is darkened, and inside, Alzar makes out the forms of many Siswa sleeping. He skips it. Could be allies, could be a lot of enemies. He comes across more. A check shows the door unlocked, so Alzar thinks these may be guards or a sleeping group. He is glad the fight was over quick and the foes were relatively quiet.
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Old 04-28-2010, 09:52 PM   #62
Abe Sargent
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The door into the central area is opened. There are alcoves to the west and east. Inside is smoking torches, a nd the words Kesini over the west alcove and Kesana over the east. Alzar sends in animal skeletons and one disappears to the east, but not the west.

20 skeletons left with the team.

Alzar opens up the north door and he enters a hallway that runs east to west. At the end of each is an intersection, and at each is an animal skeleton from above, that return and rejoin the group. In front of Alzar is a door. Alzar orders skeletons around the hallway, and like upstairs, this is another square. They run into a Gelatinous Cube in a hallway, and Alki pokes it with arrow after arrow until it dies, because it moves so slowly. No treasure in it. (No XP for Alzar, just for Alki)

Alzar sends animal skeletons down every alcove, and only in one corner do two disappear down each alcove to the west and north.

20 left. There are doors in the east and west hallways to the center room, but no others. Alzar enters from the east.

Strong wooden double doors, ornately carved, open, and a huge, natural cavern the temple was built around is revealed. There is another large compass rose in the floor. A raised platform juts out 30 feet from the north wall, and on it is a clay statue and a black robed figure, burning incense at an altar . As Alzar opens the door, the figure sees the group, his eyes widen, and then he throws his hands in the air and disappears in a puff of smoke. Alzar orders Megala to fly up to where he was, and as Megala gets close, the clay statue animates and begins to move towards them. As it moves, the clay falls off, revealing a walking construct made of bone.



This can only be hit by magical weapons, so Alzar and Alki move forward with their magical weapons. The golem has four arms, each with a long sword in it. It is big, nasty, and won’t take no for an answer.

Alzar moves in front of Alki, ready to take the first swing. I roll a 7. It gets +3 for axe mastery, +1 for the magical axe, and +2 for the AC – target 13. However, Alzar’s target with an axe is 14, so he misses, barely. The golem swings four swords at Alzar. Only one hits for 8 damage. (29/51). Alki nips in and rocks it for 10 damage back – a full hit.

Alzar’s axe swings in again, and this time he rolls a 19, easily a hit. He doles out 11 damage of pain (a 6, plus 3 for mastery, 1 for strength, 1 for magic of axe). The golem swings again, Alzar is hit twice for 12 damage (17/51). Alki swings with The Sword of the Rock and misses (rolled an 8).

Alzar loses iniitave, and the golem swings first, Hitting three times for 14. 4/51. Alzar swings the axe and hits (rolled a 9) for 7 damage. Alki swings again and notches a 15 and hits for 5 damage, and the golem falls dead.

Alzar and Alki split 1750 experience.

(Aside: In this adventure the Bone Golem is supposed to be so powerful you have to leave and think of a way past it. In this case, we had two magical weapons and were able to bring it down, barely).
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Old 04-28-2010, 09:58 PM   #63
Tellistto
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Close call on that fight. Would have been a tough loss to take with the two of you going at it.
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Old 04-28-2010, 10:13 PM   #64
Abe Sargent
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With a severe amount of wounds, Alzar and Alki decide to call it, and head back to the qwith town for
rest.

A few hours later, they return. Each will rest tonight, and tomorrow, Alki will have Magic Missile and Shield, Alzar will have his normal five spells, and Alzar will purchase some healing potions.

Alzar found the two missing animal skeletons upstairs by the section of the corridor that this not transport, so it looks like one part of the portal sends and the other receives.

There is still one missing.


In the morning, Alzar purchases the maximum number of healing potions in the village – 5 of them. He quaffs three for 21 points of healing. (26/51).


He has three left. He spent 800 gold (they gave him a 20% discount)

Alzar and Alki return to the temple and the same room they left. They stayed away from areas they knew had the possessed qwith priests. They also left behind treasure in the village, stored for Alzar (behind Alki’s back)
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Old 04-28-2010, 10:14 PM   #65
Abe Sargent
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Originally Posted by Tellistto View Post
Close call on that fight. Would have been a tough loss to take with the two of you going at it.

Yeah, would have sucked a lot.
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Old 04-28-2010, 10:26 PM   #66
Abe Sargent
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In the room with the dead Bone Golem, Alzar’s minions find a trap door behind the altar. Alki searches with his special qwith skills and finds a secret door trap door behind the Bone Golem’s stand. They decide to open that door. As they descend the stairs, they come to a fully locked door. Alzar has no way to open it. They go back up and take the trap door stairs down behind the altar instead.


They arrive in an octagonal shaped room with frescos and polygons on the ground. There are doors to the south, wrest and east. Alzar has his skeletons serach the room, and while they do, a ghostly apparition appears. Alki bolts but Alzar halts him. Heis knowledge of the undead is tested (roll a success) because of the unusualness of this Haunt. It is a stately qwith, who identifies himself as ARahasia’s father, and then intones the following message for Alzar and Alki:

By The Rahib’s Hand
Was I here felled
And long awaited
You to come

Rahasia’s pain
I have dearly felt
But you have come
To free her

Hasan is in the dungeon south
My gold is toward the north
An ally in the dragon guard
Warts before the gold

The Rahib is but a pawn
A darker evil lies below
The dragon guard knows the story
And guards the way below


The haunt fades, its message delivered.
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Old 04-28-2010, 10:57 PM   #67
Abe Sargent
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With that knowledge, they open the door to the south. There is a long dark hallway with locked cells running east and west. A gate of iron blocks the west end. After searching for the keys and finding them, they unlock all of the cells and the gate. The gate is the well bottom. Inside the cells are two people willing to join Alzar’s cause for the dungeon, and Alzar casts ESP to prove it.

Hasan, level two, 15 hp, level 2 elf warrior, unarmed and unarmored,
Baik Telor, human fighter, level 4, 24 hp, chainmail, unarmed,

Both are lawful. Alzar grabs swords from the dead Siswa killed yesterday and gives them each a long sword. Hasan is given the chainmail from a dead Siswa. Both now have ACs of 5. Because Alki and Rahasia vouches for Alzar, and because the father trusted him, both are willing o join. Plus, all I know is that both are lawful, they could be lawful neutral or lawful evil, and not just lawful good.

Alzar and his party go back to the octagonal room and head right, east. The double doors to the library swing open.

There are many books on shelves along the walls, plus a table and chairs. Sitting at a table and reading, facing you, is The Rahib. Apparently, the dark cloaked figure did not hear the Haunt;s message, since it was not meant for him. With four people in armor and a score of animal skeletons, The Rahib chooses to flee into a door at the east of the library. Alzar and the party pursue quickly, not wanting him to flee
again.

The next room is the bedchamber of The Rahib, with plush fabric recently brought in, and more. Here The Rahib waits with two black panthers, and he orders them to attack as soon as the party arrives.


The Rahib manages to cast a spell first and Alzar is silenced. He can issue commands to Megala (Lastion is not here), but cannot order the skeletons or cast spells. Alzar draws a staff. The panthers arrive and attack. One hits Baik Telor for 6 damage (18/24). Another claws Alki for 1 damage (11/12).

Alki spits Magic Missile at The Rahib and he takes 5 damage. Baik nails a Panther for 2 damage, and Hasan nails the other for 2 more. The skeletons are unable to attack unless they are directly attacked.

Next turn, Alzar swings a staff and smashes a panther for 4 damage. Baik hits for 1 damage, and Hasan misses. Alki grabs a longbow and fires at The Rahib for 12 damage, a critical hit. The Rahib chooses to cast Hold Person at Alki and…It succeeds. Alki is paralyzed for now. Baik is missed by a panther, and Alar is nailed for 3 by a panther claw (23/51)

Things are not looking good for the home team, so Alzar silently orders Megala to fly at The Rahib and attack him. Alzar swings a staff hard and cracks panther for 6 damage. Hasan hits and kills the wounded one – the other just has 2 damage. Baik misses. Megala misses the cleric. The Rahib choose to swing a mace at Megala for 4 damage (8/12). The panther deals 8 to Alki (3/12) after hitting with all three attacks.

The Rahib swings at Megala and hits for 4 more damage. (4/12). Megala claws and misses. The panther bites into Alzar hard for 4 damage and claws him twice for 4 more . 15/51Alzar hits for 2 damage and Baik and Hasan both hit for 13 damage and kill the other panther.

Seeing the panthers dead, The Rahib choose to flee, creating one attack of opportunity for Megala. Can the homonculous hit him and perhaps put him to sleep? He rolls a 18 and hits….3 damage and…The Rahib easily makes the save and in another puff of smoke, disappears.

XP – Alzar gained 40. A search of this room and the library for the next few turns finds nothing. Alzar gets speech back and Alki can move again. Actually, they manage to find keys in a room to the south – a study. There are drawing of the captured maidens and Rahasia here.
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Old 04-28-2010, 11:11 PM   #68
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Alzar takes a look quickly through the library and pockets a few books here and there of professional interest. They go into the west door in the octagonal room and find another room with some teleporters with the same words as before, upstairs over them. There are doors to the north and south. They open the south door and in here are 8 giant rats in a storage room. There are various supplies and broken jars in here, and Alzar moves forward and again uses blastbones to clear them out, and immediately animates three to join his group (23 now) and grabs five corpses for later use.

There is nothing in here. The north door has a snake like reptile glittering in the center of the room, which is otherwise bare except for a hallway in the north. Since Hasan is here, the entity named Ular-Taman addresses him, and tells its story. The creator of the temple long ago created this lawful and good creature to guard the entrance to the lower levels. Recently, it failed, but Rahasia father came and helped it recover from its wounds after being attacked by The Rahib and many guards. It came here to guard the treasure of Rahasia’s father, and gives Hasan a Black Jade Ring. It can get the Amulet upstairs.

There is a powerful object in the ruins of the temple’s creatot below the temple, and The Rahib is a pawn of someone looking for it.

It tells the group that the Siswa are free of The Rahibs grasp while near it, and to bring any to it to be freed, but they will have to remain until the solution to this is permanently found.

They can take the tunnel, enter ht treasure room, and then there is a secret door at the back to take them down.

Alzar moves into the treasure room, and they find:

800 gold
A long sword
A staff
A ring
A potion
6 inlaid gems in a marble jar – 1000 gold
2 doves made of platinum – 700 gold each
12 gems, each worth 100 gold

Instead of going down the secret door, Hasan goes up and grabs the amulet by pressing the ring into its center. Whenever the word, Rahasia, is said while holding the pendant, a circle of power is created and mo evil can enter. Spells cast by evil in the circle fail (includes Alzar). This works three times, and lasts ten rounds each time. Hasan has it.


The keys from the study open up the doors in the stairway back up, by the way.

With a secret door in front of them, the party decides to head back with the treasure to rest and heal.
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Old 04-28-2010, 11:24 PM   #69
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The village welcomes them, and Rahasia takes back her dowry, which are the doves and jar is hers now as well. She also gets the gems and gold.

After a day, Alzar casts Identify on the likely magical items and they come back as:

A Snake Staff, a Ring of Animal Control, A Long Sword +1. Hasan takes the sword, permanently. Alzar is offered the staff, but barters for the Ring instead. The potion is id’d as a healing potion by another.

Three days later , the groups is ready to return, with:

Alzar at 20/51 from herbs
Hasan fully heald 15/15
Alki at 10/12
Baik Telor fully healed
Megala at 8/12

And 28 skeletons.


They arrive back at the treasury room and move to enter the ruins.
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Old 04-28-2010, 11:50 PM   #70
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After a short period of time, they have arrived at the gates to what appears to be an old tower. There is a small cavern in front, caused by an old rockfall. It appears that at one time, there was a tower here, perhaps free standing, and this was the entrance. The builder of the temple, Elyas, probably also built this tower as well, long ago. Only this lowest level of the tower appears to still be standing, as the rocks have crushed everything above it. Rocks from the upper level of the tower can be seen in the rock fall and detritus.

The gates are tough to open, and it takes several people pushing together to open them. It opens into a long corridor and as Alzar scouts ahead with animal skeletons, two bandits melt from the their hiding places in the shadows of the corridors and chop two skeletons dead. 26 left.

Without hesitation, the group unsheathes their weapons and moves forward. As they two, two more melt from behind the group and stab at those in the back – Alzar and Alki. One…hits Alki for12 damage and kills him!

Wow, that was a lucky backstab.

Alzar swings a staff around and cracks open the head of a theif for 7 damage. It dies. Hasan manages to hit and carves one for 5 damage with the magical sword and it dies. Baik misses. The two in front manage to kill another skeleton, and Alzar orders the rest away.

One thief stabs Alzar for 4 damage (16/51). The other misses. Hasan critically wounds one and kills her. Baik hits the final one for 8 damage and kills him.


Alki has died. Alzar convinces Baik to take The Sword of The Rock or the rest of the adventure. Hasan grabs the quiver and long bow. Alki is left behind for later.

XP – 30. They find four suits of leather armor, four short swords – for the magic pile, and 120 sp, 200 gp in one’s backpack and an extra dagger, plus two bottles of Sour Wine. They load up a backpack and carry it with them.
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Old 04-29-2010, 12:32 AM   #71
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The hallway enters into a large hall, that is now full of rubble from a collapsed ceiling, but which was once beautiful. There are double doors at the south end (They entered from the north end, so it’s across from them)and corridors going off to the east and west. Alzar has the skeletons quickly search the rubble and they find a 100 gp gem he pockets.

While they are searching, the noise summons a large Taurian from the west hallway. It snorts, waves a large halberd, and charges towards the group. Hasan fires an arrow and…crits it for 12 damage, right in the nose. It bellows in pain and keeps coming. Alzar orders the skeletons to converge on it and they hit several times, killing it, but not before it kills another. 24 left.

Alzar gets 40 XP

The halberd is added to the magic pile. The Taurian has nothing else on it.

They decide to go west and see where the Taurian came from.

The west corridor continues for a bit, and then two doors on the north and south side ban be seen, and the corridor continues, ending in double doors. The wooden doors in all three places are badly scorched. That’s never a good sign.

They go north. They see a long corridor with six doors, three on each side, and then it ends. Alzar has the skeletons run up and down it and see nothing. They start on the right with the first door. This is an empty prison cell, quite nice – much better than the ones above in the temple. There is nothing in here but chains, bedding, etc. The middle door of the right has a human wizard in leg chains, who immediatley casts sleep when the door is opened. Baik falls asleep. Alzar jumps into front of Hasan and casts ESP. After a few seconds, he realizes that the wizard, Merdiz, believes they are servants of two witches that captured him. Alzar orders Hasan to lower the bow and talks to Merdiz, and uses the ESP to talk correctly.

In a few moments, Merdiz is freed, and joins the party.

Mardiz, Human Mage, level 4, Neutral, Sleep, Light, Web, Wizard Lock, given a +1 dagger to fight with by Alzar. 9 HP.

While helping him out and waiting for Megala to fly and get the dagger from the wagon and fly it back it (via the well…) they hear someone coming to check the cells. It’s The Rahib!

He has been fully healed.

Hasan fires his bow at The Rahib. The arrow bounces off The Rahib’s chainmail armor under the black robes. This time, Alzar gets off the first spell and casts Charm Person on The Rahib. It fails. Another silence spell is cast at Alzar and…Alzar fails, and it works, once again silenced. Mardiz blinds The Rahib with a Light spell. Baik closes and swings, ciritically hitting the blinded cleric for 16 damage.

The Rahib fumbles around and swings with his mace at Baik, but misses poorly. Alzar misses. Mardiz’s magical dagger zips by, just hitting The Rahib and scratching him for 4 damage. An arrow thunks into his thigh for 4 damage as well. Baik swings The Sword of the Rock and adds 9 damage, which kills him. The Rahib collapses.

His chainmail and mace are added to the magic pile. He is not carrying any gold or other items.

Alzar gained 100 XP
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Old 04-29-2010, 01:55 AM   #72
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Poor Alki. That's what you get for being a drunk.

Fantastic stuff, Abe!
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Old 04-29-2010, 02:20 PM   #73
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Thanks!
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Old 04-29-2010, 03:46 PM   #74
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The group moves to the last door on the right. There are thick cobwebs in here, and something moves slowly. It is pitch black in here. Everybody backs away from the doorway, and suddenly, a giant Black Widow Spider leaps out, into the hallway, and gets a free attack on…Alzar. The attack hits and nails him for 9 damage. Alzar saves vs poison or dies. He easily makes the save (whew)

(7/51 hp left).

Alzar backs up and quaffs a potion. 15/51.

Baik and misses the spider, but Hasan’s enchanted blade penetrates the chitin for 8 damage. Mardiz stands back and risks a throw of his only weapon, because he knows well enough to stay out of its range. It misses and clangs to the floor., The spider tries to fang Baik and…just hits him for 7 damage and Baik…just makes the save (he rolled EXACLTY what he needed to make it).

Baik is at 17/24. Alzar’s staff misses the spider, and both fighters miss. The animals skeletons have arrived and peck at the spider twice for 4 damage. The spider misses Baik. It wins init and stabs out at Baik yet again and misses, yet again., Alzar’s staff cracks it for 2 damage, and it takes 13 damage from skeletons and Baik, and dies.

Alzar gets 25 XP

They take a torch instead the room and find a dead adventurer, with two daggers and leather armor, plus a belt pouch with 50 gold, 20 platinum, and 10 50 GP gems. The daggers are handed to Mardiz, who now has three, two to throw and one to keep. The armor is added ot the magic pile.

They move to the rear left door. In here is a woman who claims to be an elf maiden named Miryala, who was just captured an hour or two ago. Hasan vouches for her. They release her, and spend some time escorting her back to the magic guardian in the temple who will watch over her until they are finished here.

They arrive back and hit the other two cells – both empty even after searches.
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Old 04-29-2010, 06:53 PM   #75
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Next they move south and open the door.

This is a small corridor with a door on the east and west sides. They go back towards the center of the tower.

As they enter, a giant Red Dragon raises its head, and belches flame at the party!





Everybody but Alzar believes it is real and “die” to the fire and collapse. Alzar sees that it is just an illusion and chuckles.

He slaps awake his companions and they take some time to regain consciousness, so Alzar moves into the next room. This has a brilliant red light at the north of the room, and nothing else. Alzar pushes forward into the “wall” while the other still see a wall and an illusion.

Alzar enters Elya’s laboratory. There are ancient beakers, lab equipment, tables, most cracked and all show serious age. In here is a woman’s hat with pink feathers and it appears two more alcoves with teleporters. Alzar confirms this after he tossed a small piece of a chair down one and it disappeared, but the other did not.

A quick searches shows that everything in here is broken or aged too much and Alzar leaves. The other room to the east has another illusion in it and Alzar disbelieves and returns to the group mostly recovered. They continue down the west path and reach the double doors.

This is the charred remains of a long, elegant library with some shelves and books still in okay condition. A search shows nothing.

There is a door to the south and they take it. They ender a map room, with maps on the walls. And map cases into the room. The fires did not touch this room. They start a search and find several bottles of Sour Wine in some of the map cases, and maps old and faded in the others. The wall maps show the local area.
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Old 04-29-2010, 07:42 PM   #76
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They head back and take the east doorway from the great hall. There are double doors in front of them, and then passes continues north and south, with a door to the north as well. They go north, and find stairs going up, compeltely destroyed. They open the door and see an old kitchen, with a butcher’s block, and several tables. It appears to still be functioning and in good order, and food can still be smelled her.

A quick serach of the room reveals that there are ups and plates in several cupboards. The shelves are well stocked with meats and cheeses and breads and fruits. As the group finishes their search, one of the captured elf maidens, arrives with a Black Panther. She orders her black panther to attack the party and then runs, casting Hold Portal on the door as she does.

An arrow thunks into it for 4 damage and a dagger flies by and misses. It kills two skeletons near the door. 22 left. It kills another two the next turn 20 left. Alzar misses it and drops his staff as he fumbles. Another arrow tags it for 4 damage and another dagger misses. Baik swings into it for 5 damage. It dies.

XP gained – 20

20 skeletons left

The door is forces open after a few rounds, and the elf maiden is nowhere to be seen. She probably is possessed too. Merdiz says that she is one of the two witches, and that seems to correlate with her being possessed.

They head back and take the double doors. There are two alcoves on either side of this hallway, and each one have a statue in it. At the end are double doors made of brass. They all appear to be amazingly lifelike statues of adventurers running, with great detail. They do not animate, and they are made out of platinum. A search reveals nothing more.

The double doors are opened, and inside is a 30 foot diameter circular room with a domed celing. There appears to be a another well that drops down into the darkness, and there are statues to the west, north and south of the room On the wall are carves the words Pah and Nwad.

After a search, Alzar decides to say Nwad and nothing happens. He then says Pah and a blue glowing disk begins to move slowly up tehwell and arrives in a minute or so. He says Nwad and it begins to descend. Knowing how the mechanism works, the group leaves to finish exploring and scouring the level, in order t onot leave any foes behind. Alzar leaves behind a few animal skeletons to make sure that no one come sthis way.

They go south at the junction and arrive in an L shaped inesection just as they roun the corner. In front the corridor ends with a door. To the south are four doors, two on each side, before it ends.

They choose the single door and open it. Inside is a darkened room with sputtering torches in blackened sconces and five dark hunched figures orcs. The orcs attack with long swords and scimitars, and are wearing studded leather and carrying shields.

Within seconds, they are all fast asleep from Alzar’s Sleep spell. A quick slice of their neck swiftly and quietly puts them out.

Alzar gets 50 XP

They have 270 silver on them, and there is a box in here with three bottles of Good Wine, and a mace, added to the magic pile, and it has 100 gold, 500 ep, and 50 pp. They are all taken.

Hasan finds a secret door in the back of the room while they search, and opens it. Behind is a corridor that bends and goes behind the hallway and rooms back in the hallway.
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Old 04-29-2010, 08:19 PM   #77
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They head back and check out those rooms first.. The lower right door has one giant room behind it – two doors. The room has been blasted and is empty save for rubble. A search finds nothing. The lower left door leads to a room with a large number of shelves. Dusty jars and bottle are in here, and the room has a sickening order in it. Alzar sends in the animal skeletons and they run into giant rats and they fight in there, while the people who breathe are far away from the door.

Two animal skeletons die, and then four rats die. The next round, Alzar’s go first and the undead ones kill the giant rats. Alzar animates three immediately and now has 21. The remaining 5 corpses will be gathered later for further reanimation.

Alzar gains 20 XP.

After a serach, with Megala being the eyes, nothing is found in here. Alzar moves to the last door, and in here is an empty storeroom with unused shelves. Another search turns up nothing.

They decide to take the secret corridor and run into a door, and the hallway goes on. They open the door and inside is a wine cellar. A search finds nothing but 125 bottles of Good Wine in here.

They continue on and the secret hallway ends at nothing. They search and find a secret door and open it. They see a large square area with a large pillar in the middle. To the north goes a hallway. The skeletons enter and they run into a gelatinous cube. They are order to back out and the bow of Hasan kills the Cube. Inside it are 60 ep, 40 gp and a 50 gold gem.


A search of the room finds a secret door in the pillar. When opened, there is a vault in here with a chest on one wall. The skeletons enter, and the cumulative weight of 20 of them on a plate triggers it and a pendulum swings down, but high enough to miss the animal skeletons. Forewarned, the rest of the group skips the stone that triggers the trap. The chest is locked, and there is no way to open it right now, so the Chest is taken back to the blasted courtyard on their way back, which will then be picked up and portered by lastion.

(Later, inside is 5000 copper, 100 gold, 20 platinum and 3 bottle of Superb Wine.)

They head to the hallway off the room and I goes due north until it ends. They find a secret door and emerge into the east hallway, just outside of the central, crumbling hall. They drop off the chest, and then head south to the double doors.

This dark, 30 foot wide hall has a flat ceiling, several small alcoves, and a red velvet curtain on the north side about 50 feet down. Animal skeletons run up and down and find nothing.

Thy group moves south to the curtain. Alzar pushes aside the curtain.
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Old 04-29-2010, 08:53 PM   #78
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Most of this room is taken by a platform, and if Alzar’s calculations are correct, this room is immediately beside the room with the vault in that pillar in the secret area they found. Three steps lead up to the platform. A brazier, standing in the middle of the platform, is blazing with a bright light and eliminates almost all shadow from the room. Three stone coffins are arranged in a triangle around the brazier, and covered with carvings and runes. There is an ornate cast-iron throne at the back of the platform. There is a metal stand that had an ancient leather-bound book on it with a large quill pen on top that can be seen from the entrance.

Alzar moves to the first coffin. All of the seals on it are broken. It take several to life it and inside is a skeleton with rusted chain armor, rotting furs, and it is holding a damaged sword with a scroll in the other hand. Alzar reches for the scroll and pulls it out and opens it up.

“A second chance is seldom found
To revenge those beneath the ground
On ye this fate I do intone
That you ma feel the strength of bone.”

The skeleton animates and Alzar tries to control it. He fails, and it attacks. It misses with the sword. 6 damage is dealt by Baik Telor’s Sword of The Rock. Hasan slices off an arm for 5 damage. It is destroyed and falls over.

XP 10

They move to the next coffin. It is covered with unknown symbols and broken seals. It is opened and inside is another skeleton with a tattered blue robe, and nothing else.


The third coffin is still sealed. Each is broken off and the lid moved. Inside is a skeleton with a ruined and rotting tattered red drew and nothing else.

Alzar moves to the book and touches it, opening it up. This it the Book of Years. The quill Windscribe begins to write a tale about Elyas, the one who made this place. There was a Black Opal that Elyas had, and he trapped three witches in a dragon’s eye and yet they stayed alive forever trapped.

Alzar takes the book and the quill for further study later. They search the room and find a hidden cache with:

500 gold, 1000 copper, 800 electrum

They return to the room with the floating blue disc and the skeletons are unharmed. They intone the magic word, and descend 1000 feet into another circular room.
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Old 04-29-2010, 09:37 PM   #79
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This room is identical to the first, down to the same three statues and an westward exit.

They open the door and see another hallway of alcoves and statues, except this time three on each side, and then double doors at the end. Skeletons run up and down it, and find nothing. There are statues exactly like those above in here. Platinum, adventurer types, running, happiness on their faces too.

The double doors are opened and they enter a 20 foot square room bathed in golden light. To the west are double bronze doors with ornate lattice work on them. There are arches to the north and south, with rooms on either side.

Beyond the north arch is the light and glinting of thousands of gold pieces. The south room appears identical to the north room, but devoid of anything.

Animal skeletons are sent north and south, and as soon as the first one crosses each, they turn to platinum and are dead. The rest are recalled. 21 left. They are levitated out of the area and disappear.

Without an obvious option, they open the bronze double doors.

There is a corridor with normal doors to the north and south, and double doors to the west at the end of the 30 feet.

They go north, parallel to where the treasure is, after sending in skeletons.

This is an extravagantly furnished bedroom with a gilt framed bed, tapestries, a huge vanity and wardrobe, mirrors, small jars and a large glass vial, and there is a gate that leads to an alcove with a level attached to the wall next to it. After an extensive search, nothing is found here, the level opens the gate and something tossed through it disappears, as expected.

They go south and try the door, but it is locked. With no way to open it, the party continues.
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Old 04-29-2010, 10:22 PM   #80
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The double doors are opened and inside is a fat statue of a man, and a room with portcullises to the north, south and west, with pathways leading past them. The statue has a plaque saying, “I judge by taste.”

After a search, nothing is found here. They try putting food into its mouth unsuccessfully. They have some wine with them – specially two bottle of Sour Wine still in a backpack, because they never took any of the other. They pour it in the mouth of the statue and the south portcullis opens.

They move into the hallways and the skeletons observe that the place ends in a three way intersection with small alcoves to the south, east, and west.

The numbers 1, 2 and 3 are carved in each alcove. A quick toss of a copper piece shows that each alcove is a teleporter.

Until now, Alzar has just skipped the teleporters, but that appears to be no longer possible.

Alzar chooses to move through…( I roll randomly)3.

A flash of white light reveals that Alzar and company are on a platform in a large arena shaped area with 5 skeletons on the other side, 60 feet away. Alzar runs in front and tries to control the skeletons. He controls two of them, and they immediately start attacking the other three. In a few minutes, all are dead from the battle, or daggers and arrows tossed in. When the last is destroyed, they reappear in the same room, with their daggers and arrows replaced.

XP gained – 30

Alzar choose 1.

They appear in a 10 foot room with an alcove on each side marked 1-4. It appears they chose correctly. Alzar choose…1.

They arrive back at the area. This time, 5 orcs are on the other platform. Arrows and daggers cut the number to three before they reach Alzar’s group and The others are cut down and only kill one animal skeleton

XP – 10

22 skeletons

This time, Alzar choose 3.

Back to the arena, and more orcs. Three are cut down, and they other two die, but one managed to hit Hasan for two damage first.

Hasan is at 13/15.

Back, and Alzar choose alcove 4.

They move to another alcove, with four choices again. Alzar chooses. 2.

They move to another alcove. Alzar chooses three

They move to another alcove. Alzar chose 3 again. Back to the Arena

2 Ogres are on the other side. They charge. The daggers miss and an arrow hits one for 5 damage. The ogres attack with giant swords. Each misse,s and one drops his sword accidentally. Alzar staffs one for 5 damage and kill sit. Hasan nails another for 7 damage. Two animal skeletons hit for 2 more damage.

Alzar misses. Baik Telor nails it for 9 and it dies.


XP 75

back to the alcove, and Alzar chooses 4.

Two more ogres in the arena.

One takes three from an arrow., The other is daggered for 4 damage. They swing and one hits and crushes an animal skeleton.

21 left

Alzar crits one for 11 damage and it dies. The other is hit by Baik for 3 and a skeleton for 2.

Alzar swings and nails it for 4 damage. Hasan kills it with his sword.


XP 75

Alzar choose 1 and they go t another alcove area.

Alzar chooses 2.

They go to another alcove room. Alzar selects 2 again.

Arena.

2 Taurians are the foes, with 28 hp each. As they charge, arrows plink them, and our resident mage casts Web to hold them. Success on both, and they are arrowed to death by Hasan.

Back to the Alcove. Alzar choose 1.

They move to another alcove.

Alzar chooses 1

Arena. This time they face a….Green Dragon.




Holy balls.
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Old 04-29-2010, 11:13 PM   #81
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It has 31 hit points and it is pissed.

60 feet away is too far for its breathe weapon, so it needs to get closer. Alzar orders everyone to charge the Green Dragon. They do, and the Green Dragon breathes chlorine gas at them. Baik Telor is caught in it, and takes 16 after making his save. 1/24 (literally). Hasan dodges it, and the mage takes it full and dies. Alzar would take it, but the Necklace of Adaptation keeps him from taking any damage from it. (Gases don’t hurt Alzar). Also failing to get out of the way are the Animal Skeletons, which are just too slow. They all die.


This needs a fast answer, so Alzar leans down and picks up some bones fromt eh dead skeletons.

Hasan and Baik swing at the dragon. Both manage to crack its AC of 1! It takes 12 damage from the two magical swords.

Alzar tosses the bones to the rare of the chamber behind the dragon and casts Blastbones. It takes 5 damage from the spell.

The dragon casts Sleep spell. Alzar falls asleep. Baik nails it for 7 damage.

The dragon wins initiative and casts Mirror Image and creates three duplicates. Whenever it is hit, there is a chance that it hits the image equal to the number of images -1. Baik misses and Hasan kills an image. Megala flies in and misses.

The dragon casts Magic Missile at Hasan and deals 10 to him. 3/15 left. Baik hits and takes out another image. Megala rolls a 19 and actually hits. He hits the dragon for 1 damage. The dragon…makes its save.

The dragon rears back and attacks. It kills Baik Telor with a bite that doles out 11 damage. Megala misse and Hasan takes out the final image.

Hasan wins init and slashes out, but misses. Megala hits and does 2 damage and….the dragon falls asleep.

With just a few hit points left, Hasan grabs his sword, aims it well, and plunges it deep into the dragons neck, and it dies.

Immediately, everybody is teleported back to the alcove. Alzar is awakened shortly. Hasan takes one of his healing pots and swallows it. He is back to 12/15.

Alzar is awake, with just Megala left. They take back the magic weapons and other weapons distributed to the now dead people, and Hasan takes the better Sword of The Rock.

Which to choose? 2 or 3 or 4? (roll a die) 4.


And they are out.

Alzar gained 875 XP
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Old 04-29-2010, 11:31 PM   #82
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Alzar is down to just himself and Megala. He quaffs the last healing pot. He gains 6 life. 27/51. Megala is still at 8 life/12.

Alzar is out of spells. He is out of healing potions. He is out of animal skeletons. He is out of allies except for Hasan. They cannot g o back through the portal maze, but it’s getting to be slim pickens here.


Where are they?

They are in a 10 foot square alcove and emerge into a room with doors to the north, south and west. In the center of the room is an obelisk, and there are constellations on the walls. Alzar asks Hasan how he is doing.

The Obelisk speaks when Alzar asks that question. “Answer me and I’ll answer three in truth, if but to questions three: What is your name?”

Alzar answers truthfully, and the Obelisk asks the quest, which against Alzar answers truthfully – to end the shadow over the village, and give them peace. Do you know the name of the last creature you killed?

Nope.

Alzar asks how he can complete the quest, and gets this answer:

Beyond the three temples of the elements
The black dragon’s eye waits for thee
Findi ts secret through nearby magical ways
That have waited for many long years
Beware the tricks of old Elyas
And return here with the Black Opal Eye to give it power
Then, set it in its place and behold
The end of great sadness: the beginning of life:
The destruction of evil and the end of strife


He asks if the Obelisk will it heal them or give them aid?

Knowledge is the only aid I have



Alzar decides to leave the Obelisk. They can always come back and ask another question if needed.
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Old 04-30-2010, 12:01 AM   #83
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Location: Canada eh
Wow, nicely done. Great read so far.
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Old 04-30-2010, 12:12 AM   #84
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They go north, after a quick search of the room.


This room;s ceiling arches 50 feet above the stone floor. The ceiling and walls depict raging flames, and firestorms. At the west end of the room, an altar stands atop a platform. Behind it, the life size shape of a human right hand is engraved in the wall.

A search finds nothing. Alzar puts his hand in the indentation, and the walls asks: By what name call ye these temples three?” Alzar answers fire, water and earth (he determined randomly) and a column of fire bursts from the ceiling, and hits Alzar for 2 damage. He decides not t try again just yet.


25/51

The south door enters into another temple looking thing, with frescoes of wind, clouds and such, Another altar, and a another indentation. Alzar moves to the middle one to the west. In this is a third temple with earth and rock frescos. There is another Karalena in here. The same person that attacked the group in the kitchen is back. Hasan reminds Alzar that she is possessed by a witch, and he nods and sends in Megala to try and put her to sleep.

She casts sleep and Alzar falls asleep (Hasan is immune because he is a qwith). Hasan fires an arrow and misses.

The next turn, Hasan has closed, Megala swings for an actual hit (16 rolled) and deals 1 damage plus she makes her save. She stabs out at Hasan with a dagger and hits for 1 damage.

12/15

Megala hits again for 2 damage and she fails the save and goes to sleep (as a possessed, she loses her natural qwith immunities). Hasan ties her up with some extra rope really tightly so that she cannot escape, removes all daggers, weapons and spell components, and binds her mouth.

Alzar gets 10 XP

Alzar is slapped awake.

He puts his hand in the alcove, answers fire, earth and wind, and the wall slides open. There is a hallway back here that all three of the temples lead too.

They have entered the Inner Sanctum of Elyas.

This circular room sis 30 feet in diameter, has another 30 foot domed ceiling. There is a throne here that mirrors the one above. On each side are three carved dragon heads, with gems in the southern and northern ones glowing dimly, and the one in the west glowing very brightly. There is a black dragons head carved into the throne with one eye missing, and the other one with a black stone. There are alcoves to the north, south and west.

A quick search shows nothing, but coins tossed in the alcoves show that two disappear. Alzar tries to pry the eye loose, but it will not budge. He wasn’t sure that was the right eye anyway, since the other is missing. He goes back out and asks the obelisk which way to go. He is told to take the south.
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Old 04-30-2010, 12:13 AM   #85
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Travis View Post
Wow, nicely done. Great read so far.

Thanks!
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Old 04-30-2010, 12:23 AM   #86
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They enter the south alcove and are teleported to a room with a dais in it, and double doors in front of them. A quick search reveals a secret door to the left, which they open.

This is another opulent bedroom similar to the one they saw earlier, and in there is another of the kidnapped women, just getting up from a nap. She shrieks out and thanks Alazr and Hasan for saving her. She does not know Hasan’s name hwoever, a clear giveaway hat she is possessed and trying to fool them. Hasan plays along and moves to her to give her a hug, and when he gets there and hugs her. He Grabs her and restrains her easily. Alzar helps, quick as a light and she is tied up, all items confiscated, and gagged, There is nothing in the room.

After a few minutes of searching, A black panther charges into the room and attacks! It hits Alzar for 6 damage with two claws.

19/51

Alzar twacks it with his staff for 2 damage and Hasan stabs it for 4.

It bite Alzar for 4 damage

15/51

Alzar and Hasan finish it off easily.

XP 35

They go back south and open the double doors. This appears to be south of the arch in the room that turned those things to platinum. Way up on the domed ceiling is a dangling necklace with a black opal stone in it. It is too high to get too, but Megala flies up and grabs it and flies back down. Stone secured. The only way out is east. Nothing is found in the search. The only thing in here is a teleport room.

They arrive back at the inner sanctum, and this time, Alzar pushes them north. They Tp into a room with double doors to the east and a search reveals nothing. They go east, and arrive in that treasure room. A quick search shows 4000 copper, 3000 silver, 5000 gold, 500 platinum, 3 100 gp gems, 10 50 gp gems, and a potion and a scroll with two spells. Once again, they can only go east, so they do, and hit another teleport back to the inner sanctum.

Alzar goes to the Obelisk with the stone. The point of the obelisk glows and the stone is placed in an indentation at the top, and then it too glows. Alzar takes it to the dragon throne in the inner sanctum. He places it back in the dragon’s eye.

All three witches are destroyed, one still in her prison, and the other two in the bodies of the qwith maidens.

Everybody is restored to full health.
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Old 04-30-2010, 12:45 AM   #87
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With only two qwith slain in the excursion by us, plus the death of Alki, the qwith are ecstatic about the results. Hasan collects the treasure of Rahasia’s father, and Alzar delivers the package to her instead of her father. He is asked to return the Ring of Animal Control and he gets to keep all of the other treasures.

A week later and Rahasia and Hasan are wed. Alzar has discovered that he has the following magic items:


Magic pile has +1 chainmail, 2 +1 maces from The Rahib and the orcs.
Potion of Gaseous Form
Scroll of Read Languages and Odeen’s Magic Cloud


7 animal skeletons from the rats and see below.


Alzar gained this XP: 1802. That comes with the XP bonus.

Total: 8478


Now, gold: 15,000 is the total he now has, with the a cut going to the elves for translating it to gold and platinum for easier portability.

Gems: 100x10, 50x21


He also got The Book of Years, Windscribe, and took books that will add 1000 gold to the value of his library when he decides to make one.



All of the platinum statues came back to life, including the two animal skeleton ones. Most were dazed, but most were also grateful. All were eyed on their way back in order to make sure that they didn’t take anything that was not theirs. Alki, Baik Telor, and Mardiz were the subjects of Raise Dead spells by one of the high level priests in the temple as a thanks. All are recuperating. Baik Taylor is waiting to join a caravan and Mardiz has agreed to come as well as guards.

The temple and tower have been fully cleared out of bad guys.


Alzar gained a ton of gold and a respectable amount of XP. If he had fought the Bone Golem as a mage, he would have added another 950 XP to his total.
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Old 04-30-2010, 12:51 AM   #88
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With the wedding done, the caravan moves into the area and is heading out into the desert, and they are looking for guards. Alzar is introduced by Baik Telor and Mardiz joins the caravan. Alzar has a few options:

1). Head out into the desert with the caravan, and basically leave behind Regalsford.
2). Return to Regalsford for the 100 gold for delivering the package, and then see if there are more opportunities for adventure there.
3). Go and do anything else he wants, of course.


Well, 100 gold isn’t much these days, and Alzar can always return to Regalsford later if he wants.

Let’s join the caravan.
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Old 04-30-2010, 12:59 AM   #89
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B4 The Lost City






This is a classic – one of the Tom Moldvay modules, which, along with The Isle of Dread and Castle Amber, are some of the best of the best modules, plus A2.

A1-4, Castle Amber, The Lost City, and The Isle of Dread all made the Top 30 of all time list published by Dungeon Magazine. In other words, of the Tom Moldvay modules, all made the Top 30 list. This gets us to one of them right now.
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Old 04-30-2010, 05:33 PM   #90
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The caravan is slow but steady. One week in, and Alzar has 11 animal skeletons and they are able to be around him, since in the desert, they are so wind bleached that they don’t spook the camels. Lastion follows from a strong distance, and none know of him. He found and killed a few kobolds and feasted on their flesh and is quite content as a result.

A few days later, a number of bandits on camels and horses are spotted by scouts, but nothing comes.

Two days later, a wind picks up, and within a hour the storm is fierce. It blows sand to and fro with great power. Alzar is reeling. H hides inside the wagon with Megala and the sand covers much of it. They fall to sleep.

In the morning, Lastion has fought through the sand to return to his master, and has clawed through the sand blocking the door so that Alzar and Megala can emerge. The pack mule died, as did Alzar’s riding horse. Both of the draft horses are found easily by Lastion’s nose. They are damaged a bit, but otherwise fine. The animal skeletons were all destroyed or scattered very far. They find two camels nearby and grab it to aid them. Inside the wagon are all of the possessions Alzar has accumulated. He manages to get the horses and camels to pull the wagon out of the sand after lightening the load a bit, and then it can move again freely. Inside the wagon are a large amount of food and water, plenty for days without finding any. The caravan was going east.

Alzar sends up Megala to see if they can find anything more. They find a few corpses, and a few dead camels, and a few blankets and clothes, but nothing of any significance. Time to move out and on.

East or west? West takes them back towards the qwith woods and the village. East takes them further into the desert. There was supposed to be an oasis up ahead somewhere, but Alzar does not know how far ahead it was. He’s not even sure how far into the desert they are. He figures between 40-60 percent in. Which makes it an even split.

He decides to head back west, because he might see some landmarks if they haven’t been buried by the sand.

One day passes, and even with Megala as a scout flying in the air, he can’t find anything of any import. No monsters, nobody or things from the caravan, and no landmarks. Just sand hard and soft, and so forth. The ground the caravan moves on is a natural track though the desert, since the ground here is much harder than basic soft sand. The wagon has only gotten stuck three times.


Three more days pass and the desert rolls beneath their hoofs, feet and wheels. Still, nothing can be found or seen anywhere.

On the sixth day since the sandstorm, the food is thinning and the water getting slim. The desert has gotten a little less hot, and that’s it.

Then, Megala/Alzar spy some stone blocks. He turns the group south-ish and moves towards them. There is a stone wall here, and on the other side, a ruined city can be seen, with the occasional head of a building or wall peeking through the sand. Alzar finds a crack in the wall and moves in. He dismounts and keeps going with Lastion and Megala after tying down the horses and camels.

In the center of the city is a pyramid that blended in with the sand color. Many lower tiers appeared to be covered with sand, but several continue up. At the top are three giant 20’ tall statues – a bearded man holding balances and a lightning bolt, a winged child with two snakes around its body holding a wand, and a beautiful women with a sheaf of wheat and a scythe.

A quick check shows a ramp leading up to the highest tier of the pyramid. Alzar climbs up it and finds a secret door after a quick search.

With a need for water and food, Alzar opens the door to investigate what is inside…….
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Old 04-30-2010, 05:50 PM   #91
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He moves a dead hobgoblin body into the door to keep the secret door open. It has been dead a few weeks and stinks, and has a crossbow bolt in its chest. All of its equipment has been taken. There are several pairs of footprints in the floor. Alzar spies a crossbow trap but the trap is unloaded and he moves forward.

As he does so, the door to the room snaps shut and cuts the carcass in half. A hissing sounds begin to fill the room. In the center of the room are three large cylinders of bronze, each with a door in it

The hissing sound is a toxic gas being pumped in. Alzar doesn’t care. He is immune to gas due to his necklace, and Lastion and Megala don’t breathe.

Alzar taps the cylinders and they are hollow. A quick search of the room turns up nothing. He moves to open one of the doors. The door opens and Alzar hears a click but nothing happens. There is a ladder going up and down inside the cylinder and it appears to be the center statue outside. He climbs up and sees gears and levers designed to move parts of the statue from inside.

Alzar climbs down the ladder and it ends just 20 feet down. He opens another door into a new room. In here are each of the three cylinders from the statues again. The place is lit by three fire beetles in cages that light up the room.

This room appears to have machinery for the statues above, as well as covered clay pots. There is an exit to the northeast and two to the southwest. There is a foundry here for fixing things, with hammers and stuff. Alzar searches and finds nothing. The pots have old oil in them and it could be gathered and used as flask of oil. Alzar does so, and about 30 minutes later, he has collected all of the oil into five flasks.

Alzar takes the northeast door. It opens to a corridor with doors to the right and left, and a T intersection. Alzar goes right.

This room looks like it might have, long ago, been the quarters of a cleric. There is old and used furniture and an old holy water cistern and a small alter in here, with a holy symbol emblazoned on the wall. A search turns up nothing. Alzar heads out and goes left into the other door.

This room contains an old bed, writing desk, chair, chest, and it looks abandoned for a while. Suddenly the head of a large lizard bursts into view from under the bed. It’s a large gecko, about the length of a leg sideways from thigh to foot. It is munching on the skin of a dead creature, which cannot be made out from here. Because it is eating, it is not interested in more food. Alzar needs to inspect the room to see if anything is in here, so he carefully moves to the chest and checks around, but finds nothing and leaves .
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Old 04-30-2010, 06:12 PM   #92
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He goes left at the intersection. It stops fifty feet down and he searches for secrete doors and finds nothing. He goes right and after a while hits two doors, and then a statue is at the end of the hallway. Alzar starts out by going into the first door on the right.

This room contains three double bunk beds, and five men are seated on the lower beds talking. Each man is wearing an iron chain mail vest and identical golden masks. The men stand up and approach Alzar curiously. Alzar sees beards under their masks, and they speak an ancient dialect of Typic. Luckily, Alzar knows it with his ancient languages proficiency. This language was thought dead.


After talking with the Brotherhood of Gorm for a while, Alzar has gotten the basic picture. This city outside was once great city, Cynidicea, which held back the desert with irrigation but slowly began to become decadent and lost. They formerly worshipped the statues, and slowly, over time, they lost their faith, until the Zargon was found, and became their new god. They don’t know much about what or who Zargon is. A few of the Cynidiceans are able to think for themselves and have formed groups around trying to re-establish the old days. This Brotherhood is founded around Gorm, the one represented by the lightning bolt, the scales and the bearded one. There are two other societies, enemies of the Brotherhood, that also seek to reestablish the old ways.

The Cynidiceans are changed by their centuries in the pyramid hiding from the rest of the world. They are albino-ish, with the ability to see infravision – just like qiwth and dvergr.

They are not unfriendly, but they are not friendly either. This corner of the tier is Brotherhood territory, and Alzar is kindly asked to leave after an hour of talking with them. He does, and returns to the room with the statue pillars and this time, takes the upper south west door out. This is a corridor that goes forward, then right, and then wraps around left with no doors, before Alzar sees a door to the right, and he approaches it. It contains rotting bales of clothes and dusty crates. It looks like no one has been in here for a long time. A search finds nothing.

The hallways continues and takes two more bends before hitting a door on the left. Opening it reveals a dry room that has half a dozen crates on the floor. There are numerous small winged sprites flying about the room merrily. They flit about Alzar and laugh at him. Within a few moments, they tire of him and move on.

The crates contain old fireworks that are not known to even work or not They will make lots of smoke and bright lights and noise they won’t explode or anything. Alzar leaves them alone, not knowing if they would work, or backfire, after this long. He finds nothing else in the room.

The hallway continues and ends at another room, that Alzar opens. The entire floor of this apparently empty room is covered with a green oozing slime, which moves towards Alzar as soon as he opens the door. It moves very slowly. Alzar opens a flask of oil and pours it on top of the slow moving but dangerous slime. He lights a second torch, and throws the old one on top of the green slime. As it dies makes a nasty acrid odor.

Gains 50 XP
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Old 04-30-2010, 06:39 PM   #93
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The room is barren. Alzar retruns and searches the corridor for secret doors. He finds one in the long section of hallway where there were no doors. However, while he was searching, he ran into a group of seven goblins moving through the tunnel. Lastion and Alzar bare their weapons, and the group flees the way they came.




Alzar opens the secret door. Inside are several birdlike/insectlike creatures with large, long beaks like tubes – stirges. Alzar has fought them before. There are seven of them. Alzar throws a bone at them as they fly towards him and casts Blastbones. They each take 5 damage and die. Alzar was caught in the blast and takes 5 too.

46/51. 105 XP.

They are too big for Animate Dead Animals spells.

A search turns up four gems, worth 1000, 100x2 and 50 gold.

Alzar takes the last door from the original room. The corridor bends and hits a door. Once opened, Alzar finds stairs down. There is a door along the hallway still, and Alzar opens it up, and finds another room that looks like it was a priest’s chambers long ago. A dead hobgoblin recently killed is in here, and Alzar takes its full waterskin, plus a purse with 45 gold and 135 silver. A search finds nothing. Alzar sends Megala down the stairs to scout, and then follows.
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Old 04-30-2010, 07:13 PM   #94
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He opens the door at the end of the steps and moves into a hallway. It bends twice and is quite long. Remembering what happened above when there was a hallway that wound this long, he begins to search. Finding nothing, he moves on and into a doorway.

Alzar opens the doorway into a most interesting chamber. The room is a complete circle, and opens up, with a pit underneath, stretching far below. There are eight doors around the circle, and each opens into a small platform, and that’s it, except for a panel of eight buttons in each platform There is a walkway currently going from Alzar’s platform to the one directly across. He walks across and sees another panel in the walkway halfway down it. He continues down, opens the door, and enters another corridor that goes for some time. He searches and finds nothing.

It hits a T and he goes Right. At the end is a door. Just before he opens it, he hears a noise behind him – something is moving up the corridor he just came. He goes over, and sees a group of five Cynidiceans in brightly colored robes and masks. As Alzar approaches, they scream in panic and run away, shouting that the Barbarian Lord has returned. He chooses not to follow.

The door looks like a ruined chapel, with smashed and wrecked pews, and alter, and the word Zargon inscribed hastily on the wall. As Alzar searches the room, the floor in a corner swings down to meet a ramp from the below room and Alzar tumbles into the new room –

44/51 hit points.

The new room has beautiful frescoes on the walls depicting a king and queen being entertained by a small jester. The room has a door that opens to the north and a small coffin in it. Alzar searches and finds nothing, and then opens the coffin. It springs off as soon as it is touched and an oversized wooden model of the jester jumps out and scares Alzar. Alzar searches and finds four teleport jars. Any item placed in one will teleport to another, and then items placed in it teleport to a third, and then to the 4th, and then back to the first one.

Alzar takes them back up the ramp to the previous level he was on. Due to their fragileness, he takes a walk to return them to the wagon now. He leaves the gems, gold, and waterskin here and comes back in with a few extra torches and returns to the same hallway. While traversing, he runs into one Cynidicean in a wolf mask. She says to Alzar, “Watch out, I’m a werewolf.” She drops to all fours and starts howling, although clearly, she has not changed at all. She sniffs loudly, and when Alzar draws his magical axe, she sees it and flees
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Old 04-30-2010, 08:11 PM   #95
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He takes the left branch at the T and arrives at a door. It opens, and like normal, Alzar sends in Lastion first, who is suddenly surprised when the door slams shut and the rooms begins to fill with water. Twenty minutes later, the water subsides and the doors reopens, and Lastion, water logged, retreats. Lastion is ordered back in, but the trap has not reset, so Alzar goes in. A quick search finds nothing. Alzar returns to the room with the switches, then gets on the hallway.

He punches the first button and nothing happens. He punches the second one and the suspended hallway rotates to connect two different doors. Alzar goes back the way he came, into a different hallway, flanked by two statues of women warriors.


Alzar triggers a silent alarm in a later room by having Lastion cross in front of the statues, and joining the ghoul on the other side and continuing. The hallway ends at a door, and it is locked. He orders Lastion to start banging on it in order to batter it down. About ten minutes later, Lastion is finished.

As they enter, they see a altar with green and white cloth, a 3’ tall state identical to the third one outside, three small braziers burning incense. This is a chime to Bathala, goddess of agriculture and fertility - and the only one of the three statues to be an actual god of Thorasia.

Also in the room are a group of seven female Cyndiceans wearing bronze chain mail and an identical bronze mask of Bathala’s face. One steps in front and is quite upset that their door was battered down. Alzar apologizes, explaining that he did not know this was their enclave, and he is new to the pyramid, which makes them wonder at him. After a moment, the awe wear out, and they tell him that men are not allowed back here, especially with that thing and she points to Lastion. They will forgive him this time, and show him where their area is here, but he must go. Facing down seven of them with unknown levels of ability, Alzar agrees.
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Old 04-30-2010, 08:32 PM   #96
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He returns to the room and goes across to the new door that his last switch moved it too and opens the door there. There is a short corridor. At the end is a statue that looks like the middle one – the winged child. There is also a corridor heading just south west, and ending at a door. Alzar searches the statue and corridor. He finds nothing. He moves to the door.

This is a storeroom, and active, with crates and barrels in here, and four large brown beetles about three feet long are breaking into them. Alzar attacks the oil beetles. They will spray a painful oily fluid and if it hits skin, it will cause painful blisters.

Lastion attacks the nearest one and It takes 7 damage. Alzar’s staff thwacks one for 6. The two attacked bite and one hits Alzar for 6 damage (39/51)

The other two spray because they are farther back. One hits Lastion for blisters, and as a ghoul, he is subject to it. Lastion will fight with a -2 penalty for 24 hours.

The next turn, the beetles win init and attack. Alzar is bit for 1 damage (38/51) and the sprays miss. Alzar misses, and Lastion misses. Alzar orders Megala to attack the ones in the back.

Alzar’s staff finishes off the one he hit earlier. Lastion eats the one he wounded for 4 damage and kills it. Megala flies in and misses. The two beetles both attack Megala, for 4 damage. 8/12 for Megala.

Alzar charges in and orders Megala back. His staff misses. Lastion claws one for 4 damage. They both miss.

Alzar misses and Lastion hits for 2 damage. Alzar is nailed for 4 damage. 34/51. Alzar takes another, 33/51 and then connects for 6 damage. Lastion bites for 4 and claws for 3, killing the beetle. Alzar nails the final one for 5 damage and kills it.

Alzar gains 120 XP.

A search of the storeroom shows that the crates and casks have wine and food in them – all good and ready to eat. Alzar decides to have Lastion porter two casks of wine back to the wagon, and he will go on.
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Old 04-30-2010, 09:01 PM   #97
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Alzar returns to the switch room and pushes another button, connecting a new set of doors, and goes back the way he came, into a new door. The door swings open and Alzar finds himself in a corridor that ends at a door. This corridor has been painted black with white dots to match the stars above. Alzar moves down and opens the door, causing a bell to ring.

The room he is in has large tapestries of the major constellations on the south west and north west walls. Alzar has apparently interrupted a religious service because thirteen Cynidiceans in identical silver makes, wearing rainbow colored robes, were praying in front of a large star shaped altar. They look up at Alzar.

One with a small silver tiara on his head moves to Alzar and begins to address him warmly. This must be the third cult trying to restore the old days. They appear to be wizards and mages, instead of warriors. After an hour of conversation, the Magi of Usamiugaras offer Alzar a place in their order. As a mage himself, he should be honored.

Alzar politely declines, and they are visably disappointed, but they can come back any time to this area for rest and study to regain spells. He thanks them, and leaves them behind.

Alzar returns to the room and spins again, because the new door in the other side leads to the other side of the warrior maiden conclave. He pushes another button and it spins again. This time, he again goes back to a new door.

Behind it is a long corridor, and Alzar checks for traps. None found. He opens the door and looks inside. This appears to be an abandoned ceremonial chamber, with tattered tapestries, a dusty altar, a rooted altar cloth, tarnished candlesticks, and more. On the altar was a sleeping Draco Lizard, with wings between its legs that allow it to glide. It jumps off the altar and launches itself right at Alzar.

It misses Alzar and lands gracefully. Lastion and Alzar attack it. All miss. It misses too. It misses, Alzar thwacks it for 3 damage. Lastion misses. It hits for 8 damage on Lastion who is down to 7/15. Alzar hits for 6 damage. Lastion adds 7 with a bite and claw. Alzar orders Lastion to retreat.

Both miss. It hits for 5, Alzar misses. (29/51). Alzar cracks it for 6 damage and it dies.

XP – 75

Behind the altar is a mostly eaten corpse of what appears to have been a thief. It has a full canteen which Alzar procures, and 400 gold and 2 gems worth 100 gold each on it. Lastion takes the gold in a backpack the thief had, and Alzar pockets the gems. A search of the room finds nothing.
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Old 04-30-2010, 09:16 PM   #98
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Alzar returns to the room with the ramp down into the crypt with the jester coffin.

He opens the door on the next tier and it enters and long hallway to the southwest. Eventually a hallway goes to the right. Alzar searches and finds nothing. He keeps going, and another hallway splits off the left with a door at the end. Alzar goes and checks the room.

The door to the room is scorched, and the door is ajar. Alzar has Lastion push it open. Inside is a large room with paintings of a high priest serving a King and Queen. There is an open bronze sarcophagus in the center of the room. Three ghouls are here, tearing apart a corpse.

Alzar tries to control them. He needs a 10 or higher on a d20, Success. The three ghouls turn and will follow Alzar’s simple commands. He has them search the room, and he searches the corpse. On it are a jeweled necklace worth 1500 gold and two jeweled bracelets worth 600 gold each. There is nothing else in the room.

Alzar will have his new minions lead the way from here on out. Back to the corridor and they go on down the halls. As they go down ,they see ghosts of the King and Queen tell them t retreat. The corridor dead ends, and Alzar searches. He finds nothing and he backtracks. He takes the other hallway and it hits a door, so he has a ghoul open it. Inside is a mummified human in plate armor and holding a halberd standing at attention. Grouped around him are nine skeletons holding swords. The skeletons animate and move to attack. Alzar commands 7 of them and they attack the other two and kill them. Alzar now has 7 skeletons with long swords and three ghouls, plus Lastion and Megala. He adds the armor and weapon to his magic pile for later testing. A search of the room reveals nothing.

He goes left down the corridor and winds up, after a while, at a door. He searches the corridor and finds nothing. While he does so, a group of six Cynidiceans arrive with their bodies painted black, wearing vulture masks. They seem friendly enough, and are carrying long wooden boards.

Alzar has a skeleton open the door.

This room has scenes of warfare on the walls and a large upright wooden sarcophagus in the middle. On each side of the coffin are a large white ape that has made this chamber their lair. They attack immediately.

They go first and deal 6 damage to a skeleton and kill it. The skeletons hit twice for 10 damage and the ghouls hits for 12 on the other ape, and it is paralyzed.

The ape slashes out and misses. The skeletons kill it, and the ghouls eat the paralyzed ape.

Alzar has 6 skeletons, 3 ghouls, and gained 20 XP

The Cynidiceans go to work and put a coffin around the dead an uneaten ape, and hammer it together in a few minutes. Their task done, they demand 10 gold from Alzar as payment for the coffin making service. He refuses, and they attack. In seconds ,the skeletons and ghouls have cut them down. They have nothing on their corpses.

A search of the room turns up nothing. The coffin is opened by a skeleton, and Alzar sees a corpse with plate armor and a sword. They are added to the magic pile.
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Old 04-30-2010, 09:42 PM   #99
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They go down the other corridor. It twists along and Alzar searches. It splits into two, forward and left and Alzar choose to go forward. It hits a door and keeps going. Alzar has the door opened. There are ten giant grey rats who attack. With seconds, they are cut down by the skeletons, but not before one is downed. Alzar reanimates three and has the other 7 corpses procured.

5 skeletons, 3 ghouls, 3 animal skeletons.

This room is empty except for the rats nests and bedding – straw, cloth, etc. a search by the undead turns up a hole just large enough for a giant rat to crawl into. Alzar sends in some undead rats and they bring back treasure – 300 gp and quartet of 500 gp gems.

They leave by the other door. As soon as they enter the corridor, the door magically shuts behind them and a giant boulder starts rolling down towards them. Alzar orders his skeletons to jump in front of it and two die but manage to slow and then halt its momentum.

3 skeletons left. Nothing in a search

He goes down the corridor and enters another room. This appears to be a noble lady’s room, with frescoes of a friend of the queen’s. There are flames in jars still burning. A search turns up nothing. The jewelry on the corpse is long since robbed. However, there is a scroll map of this tier, and it shows secret doors and rooms!

He follows the maps to the rooms. The first one he hits is the master thief’s burial room. Inside is a carrion crawler that is auto killed by the undead, since the only damage it can deal is paralysis and undead are immune to…paralysis.

XP – 20

The coffin here is jewel studded, and as a piece of art, would be worth 3000 gold easily. A search finds nothing.

Alzar continues to the Chamberlain’s Burial Room. Inside are six zombies. Alzar fails to command them, and they attack. Swords snick into their bodies and kill one. One ghoul doles out 4 damage, and the other two manage to gang kill one for 10 damage and death. They hit a ghoul for 7 damage and seriously injure it. The skeletons thwack and kill another. Two more fall to ghouls. The last one hits and kills the injured ghoul, and then is killed itself.

3 skeletons, 2 ghouls, 3 animal skeletons

XP – 25

A serach find the room ransacked and nothing here of interest.
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Old 04-30-2010, 10:14 PM   #100
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The next place Alzar goes is the Slave’s Burial Room. In here are piles of bones with hundreds of corpses of slaves killed and sent there. None are animated. They swing by the embalming room. This has tables, large jars and casks, and concealed in here are five shadows. They attack by secret, and Alzar tries to command them. He needs a 13 or higher. He misses. They can only be hit by magical weapons, so Alzar hands his axe to a skeleton while preparing a spellm and a +1 dagger he keeps with him to another. He flanks with the animal skeletons, and two are killed by the shadows.

His axe bites deeply into the shadow for 7 damage form a skeleton, and the dagger misses. Alzar pushes the various undead to the front lines to protect the skeletons with the magic weapons. Another animal skeleton is dead, and a ghoul took 6 damage and is reeling.

The axe hits again for 5 damage and the shadow dies. The dagger misses. The ghoul is killed after getting hit once. The skeletons miss. The shadows Hit twice and barely scratch the skeleton without a weapon. The daggered one hits for 4 damage. One shadow hits for 4 damage and kills the skeleton without a weapon. The shadow takes another 2 from the dagger. The one with the axe takes 1 damage. They attack again and all miss. Both skeletons hit for 7 damage and kill a shadow. Three left.

The axe skeleton is hit for 8 damage and dies. Alzar collects the axe and will wield it next round. The Daggered skeleton hits for 3 damage.

Alzar cuts into a shadow for 12 damage and kills it. The shadows miss Alzar kills another next round and the final shadow flees away.

Should have just done that from the beginning. Lesson learned. No XP. One skeleton left.

The room has various spices and such. They find a magical potion and a chest with 3000 silver.

They move to the Lady-in-Waiting Burial Room. The coffin and room are empty. The next room is the Councilor’s Burial Room. There are giant shrews that have nibbled a hole in the door and live here. They attack and kill the skeleton, hitting it three times for 9 damage. Lastion, Megala and Alzar move in.

Alzar’s staff meets a shrew head for 6damage. It dies. Lastion deals 7 to another and it dies. Alzar takes 4 from one.

25/51

It wins init and deals another 3 to Alzar. 22/51. Alzar kills it. XP gain 60.

A search reveals nothing in the room at all. Alzar moves on, avoids a trap marked on the map, and opens a secret door to a secret section of the burial tier.
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