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Old 05-04-2010, 09:49 PM   #201
Abe Sargent
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Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Catonsville, MD
The village is about 5 miles away in the woods and has way too many centaurs to trifle with.

He returns to the wagon train, and they move on. He will probably cast Attract Ghoul again at some point in time, but they are too conspicuous right now in travel.

A few days later and Alzar has moved the stealth with the +1 dagger to his belt, handle up, and lined it with the right things to keep it super tight. Using his Poison Use skill, he has taken some of the poison from a Poison Potion and added to the blade, and it will keep nice and neat. Alzar can draw it and swing, with one poisoned touch. He gets a major minus to attacking with a weapon he doesn’t know all too well, but just a hit should be enough to kill a creature in an important situation.


They keep going, and the road isn’t super hot, but it suffices

A few days later, they run into a band of orcs that are out raiding. There are 17 of them. Alzar is out in two rounds, as they are raiding the horses. He casts sleep and 6 fall. Aleigha is out and Estaish is by the horses stabbing at an orc while three more are trying to hammer him with warhammers. Another sleep spell puts 5 more to sleep, and now there are just six. Estaish makes it 5 with his sword, and the rest flee. The ones here are killed and:

XP – 25 to everyone


The following day, Alzar and crew swing by two groups of people in the road arguing and shouting at each other. They ignore the two groups and continue on.


Three days later, they pull into an inn and rest for the night. Nothing happens.

The following day, a pair of griffons are sighted on the wing, but they do not swoop down or attack or anything.
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Old 05-04-2010, 10:09 PM   #202
Abe Sargent
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That night, however, the night before a full moon, Aleigha changes into her Werebear form. She is peaceful when she is in it, eating berries, or killing fish and squirrels - not a harm to humans. However, while she is in it, she apparently smells like a werebear. Because a quartet of red glowing eyes emerge from the woods. Aleigha roars Estaish and Alzar awake.

Alzar emerges and Estaish is too far asleep to help. The eyes soon become six sets, and then all of the sudden, they run out in one horde, 6 wererats, racing to attack Aleigha. Dryshik breathes a Mist Ball around the lead wererat, but it is immune to it (silver and magic weapons only).

Alzar summons a Searing Serpent to help Aleigha.

Searing Serpent: This serpent, from the Elemental Plane of Fire, strikes with Alzar’s THAC0 (19), causes 1d8 fire damage, sets fire to flammable things, Last 7 rounds, It has no hit points, but it can be extinguished like afire with water or earth and such – with Alzar’s AC – 6.

The first wererats are at Aleigha. They have AC 6, HP 12 for all of them except 15 for their leader, and deal 1d8 with scimitars. Aleigha roars and swings with her paws. She slashes one for 3 damage. The Seraing Serpent hits for 8 and ignites another. Azalr’s staff twirls and twacks the one Aleigha hit for 3 damage. They focus their attacks on Aleigha and hit her twice for 6 damage:

15/21

They go first this time and hit once for 5. 10/21. Her great AC, completemented by the Ring is helping her out a lot. She swing and bites. She misses three times (she rolls 1, 2, and 7). Alzar Smashes the injured one he hit before for 6 damage and kills it. The serpent misses.

Azlar’s crew go first and Aleigha Bites and slashes an untouched one for 8 damage. It is the leader. The serpent hits and finishes off the charred one for 5 damage. Alzar twirls his staff but misses. The four remaining wererats hits once, but for a crit, for 2 damage (the minimum)

8/21

Alzar orders Aleigha to fall back, but she won’t listen to him in her enraged werebear form. The rats for fits and roll 1 2, 2, and 8, and miss her. She doesn’t miss at all and kills the leader. The serpent misses and Alzar slaps one for 7 damage.

With their leader dead, and their number halves, they make a morale check. They break away. Alzar casts Blastbones as they flee and manages to deal 5 damage to them all. Another one dies. The other two make it out of the clearing.

Four wererats dead. Alzar inspects their items, casts Detect Magic, and finds nothing.


Alzar and Aleigha split 1080 to 540.


Alzar is at 22730

They are undisturbed for the rest of the night.
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Old 05-04-2010, 10:30 PM   #203
Abe Sargent
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Aleigha sleeps during the day, but unfortunately, she will again be a werebear tonight and tomorrow. Fearing an attack with much more numbers, Alzar orders the wagons to press on as much as possible. During the night, they stop in a place with mostly meadow, with one group of trees nearby. Alzar casts Skulltrap in that area, in case the wererats attack again.

Smart plan. A few hours into the night, with Aleigha eating quietly and Estaish on guard with full armor, three wererats sneak in to spy on her, and one triggers the Skulltrap. They all take 18 damage, or save vs half. One makes the save and limps away, the other two die.

Alzar gains 200 XP for the trap and kill

XP 22950

They are not bothered on the third night.

Aleigha heals very quickly.

Two days later, when lunching, Estaish is grabbing some water when he collapses from weakness. He has apparently caught some sort of condition from the travel. Aleigha uses Cure Disease on him and he recovers instantly.
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Old 05-04-2010, 10:53 PM   #204
Abe Sargent
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Alzar and group are slowly leaving the woods behind as the forest begins to make way for plains and meadow. The copses of trees are become fewer. The road is getting better and easier and they are making better time.

That day a rumbling can be heard from below. Alzar orders a full stop and it continues. Then, out from the ground comes a Thoqqua, a giant worm that is super hot and uses that heat to melt earth in order to move and find food. Alzars orders Dryshik to Mist Ball it and Estaish to take the horses and wagons and pull them back. He dismounts and moves in. Dryshik’s Mist Ball fails to affect the Thoqqua. Alzar runs to attack it first, and it leaps from the ground and hits Alzar. Normally it would deal 4d8 damage of heat, but Alzar takes -2 less per die (Gloves of Fire Resistance). Additionally, his items won’t be inflamed and damaged. He takes 11 total.







40/51

Alzar’s staff misses. The next round, Alzar swings and misses. Aleigha is there and stabs with her sword and misses. Dryshik breathes another ball and nothing. The mist is evaporating before it can hit the Thoqqua, so Alzar mentally orders it back. It nails Alzar for 4 heat damage. (which would have been 6 and damage his items, etc)

36/51

Alzar’s staff finally makes a connection for 6. Aleigha misses and Estaish is now here and adds a hit for 7. The Thoqqua misses. The next round, the worm wins init and hits Alzar again for 1 damage. Alzar fumbles his staff. Aleigha misses. Estaish does not and nails it for 8 more damage, killing it.

39/51

XP – 75 for all three
XP 23032 for Alzar


They all back up and wait for the corpse to cool down. Alzar has only read about these worms, and never fought one before. It cools, and Alzar checks but finds nothing around, or in its stomach of value.
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Old 05-04-2010, 11:43 PM   #205
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They continue.

They arrive at a decently sized town of maybe, 1000 people Alzar guesses. It’s a trade town where the farmers from the plains meet to trade with goods from the forest like lumber and syrup. In fact, this entire town seems to love syrup and honey. They get both in droves here. There’s no sign, but Alzar asks and is told the name of this place is Faryth’s Foot. Faryth is the old name for the Goddess of Distance and Travel - Laima. Of all of the deities, she is the least venerated, so when Intaria became a new country about 50 years ago, the people could only agree to venerate Laima, as a compromise. They even named a new capital Faryth. They must have entered Intaria’s borders. They only skirt it for a few days, which is good because Intaria is notorious for having adventurers in it. It was formed by several allied adventuring companies who wanted to give a greater level protection for the cities towns and people of the area. Retired adventurers form the ruling council and there is a lot of adventurer gold and magic in Intaria.

They find little trouble in Faryth’s Foot. They easily find room for the night, with good food, although even the dinner was sweetened here. He mentions that the birch syrup they use was a bit too sweet for his dinner, and bring out a hickory syrup that was bitter. Not much of a fan of that either.



They leave after replenishing supplies and verifying direction info with the innkeeper, who of course was once an adventurer from the Chance Protectorate and knows travel in the whole side of the continent pretty well.

The area around Faryth’s Foot is pretty quiet and for three days, they come across no dangers at all. On the fourth day, they reach a fort that signifies the end of the Intaria border – back into the wilderness. The friendly guards tell Alzar that bandits have been attacking a few days south on this road and too watch out.

Two days later, Alzar and group come across a broken down cart over to the side of the road. Alzar calls a halt and has Megala and Dryshik fly around and scout, each going in a different direction. They find ten bandits crouching in a ditch some 30 yards from the cart, and can’t be seen from the road by shrubbery. Alzar informs his colleagues. He dismounts and moves to the cart, and then from the cart, without being able to see the bandits, but seeing them from behind by Megala, he casts Sleep and two gently fall asleep unnoticed by their colleagues because they were already crouching. Alazar casts another and 4 more fall asleep. This time, someone notices, and Alzar orders Megala and Dryshik to fly in and harass those still awake. He laughs at the remaining four run off, and Megela hits one for 2 damage and she falls asleep and Dryshik Mist Balls two more and blinds them, and just one manages to get away. All nine are killed.

XP for Alzar Only – 75

No items are magical. There is nothing in or around the cart of notice but some fruit, vegetables, and such.
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Old 05-04-2010, 11:52 PM   #206
Abe Sargent
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The plains are much quieter. A week has passed with only a few bats and rats to deal with. This is not lie The Khoury, a plains area far to the east infamous for its raiding bands of monsters, warlords and low life expectancy. Other than bandits, the only creature they have come across was a worm from below ground.

Two days later, they reach a crossroads and have to go south, and this road is not as good of quality, so they slow a bit.

One day earlier, a nasty thunderstorm has forced them to stop for two days. They broke a wheel from a wagon in the mud and they have to make a new one. It’s not great, and it will slow them down even more.

Three days later, Alzar begins to make out the foothills of the next mountain chain. They will have to break off their southly direction in a day or two and move west. They are near the end of the mountains, and should have no problem getting around them.

The next day, they reach a small villa, and this marks the move to the west road. Alzar gets a better wheel and picks up a spare, and they stay in the decent hotel here for a night, and pick up new supplies.

They leave the next day, and that night, they run into a horde of insect swarms and have to go inside. The horses are bitten badly and Alzar decides to rest them for a day and they return to the villa and rest.

Two days later they are back on the road. One of Alzar’s best friends can be seen, and yes , it chooses to attack. This is a wyvern - another.

This time, Alzar know swhat to do, and as the wyvern is swooping down, he again casts Ray of Ondovir. However, this time, the Wyvern makes it saves. It does not fall down. Alzar orders Megala and Dryshik to hide. It flies for Estaish’s riding horse, and Alzar orders Estaish off and cut the saddle bags. Estaish manages to do both with a successful Riding proficiency and the wyvern flies off with the riding horse it its claws. Damn.

Alzar choose not to go back to town again and slow down. Instead, one person will ride a draft horse or wagon while two others are on riding horse, and they will rotate.

That night, Estaish comes across a dangerous Snapper-Saw plant, an plant that tries to cut and kill victims by quickly moving its large saw like plant leaves. It rebounds from Estaish’s armor, and he returns, grabs a brand, and kills it by burning it.

XP – 50 to Estaish

The next day, they see a surprising sight – a dragon in the distance, but it takes no notice. Alzar could tell it was a reddish or brownish color – but that could also mean bronze, ruby, brass, brown or red – or lots of others for that matter – there are a lot of dragons out there.

Using his Alchemy skill and the lab he has, Alzar makes a flask of acid and adds it to the Bag of Holding.
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Old 05-05-2010, 12:13 AM   #207
Abe Sargent
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Four days later, nothing has crossed their path except a traveling group of monks, and they passed a corpse of a horse, but not their own. Then they spy a large beetle up in the hills. It’s very large, and starts moving towards them. Alzar doesn’t know the various large beetles from each other – except for Oil and Fire Beetles. It has no horns, just a long, thin body with nasty looking pincers.

The horses and wagons are secured as the beetle is moving closer. Without another obvious move, Alzar summons the Searing Serpent right in front of the beetle, but the beetle ignores it. Well, huh.

Alzar orders the serpent to attack. It misses. He moves in front and swings his staff. It misses. This not going to be easy. It slices into Alzar for 8 damage. Those are very sharp pincers. (It’s a Slicer Beetle for those who know and care)

43/51

The next turn, it goes first and tears into Alzar again for 8 more damage.

35/51

Alzar misses, The serpent misses, Aleigha misses and Estaish misses. Weapons are bouncing off this thing, and it appears to have a really tough chitin. A Mist Ball flies in from Dryshik and it makes it save.

Alzar backs up and tries a different tactic. He casts Ray of Ondovir on it. It fails its save. It is forced to attack exactly how it did before. That makes it much easier to hit and dodge. Aleigha pierces it for 7 damage. Estaish hits, barely, for 3. The serpent does not get a + to hit it since it does not know it will be making the same moves. It misses anyway. The Beetle totally misses. (It would have rolled a 19, which would have meant a lost arm or leg on Alzar, but since he cast Ray of Ondovir, he automatically dodged the piercing).

They win init. Alzar rolls a 14. +1 for the staff is 15, +2 for AC if 18, which is still not enough to hit. Aleigha rolls a 14, and +2 for her sword, +3 for AC, and a ThAC0 of 18 is a hit. 4 more damage. Estaish rolls a 12. +2 for sword, +3 for AC is 17, and his THAC0 is 20, so no go. The serpent rolled a 11, a wide miss. The beetle rolls a 9, and with Alzar’s AC of 6, and a THAC0 of 16, and is just a hit for 2d8 damage, Alzar takes 14.

22/51

The beetle wins init and hits again for 9 damage

13/51

Alzar hits for 5 damage. The serpent misses. Aleigha crits it for 6 damage and severely damages it. Everyone else misses. A Mist ball fails.

(If a Slicer Beetle attacks and rolls a 19 or 20, it slices off a leg or arm)

The beetle runs off at a movement way faster than them on the rocks. Alzar throws a dagger at it and misses. He orders his familiar to follow it. It goes into a cavern about 700 yards away. Alzar orders the group to follow it to the cave and leads them there. Megala guards the wagons in case someone comes across them.

They spend 20 minutes picking their way over rock and reach the cave where it lurks. They enter, with a torch tossed in so they can see. The Beetle is alone, and sees them, and backs into a corner, mandibles out. A third Mist Ball hits it, and this time is fails its save and takes some poison damage and it is blinded. They go in as one and stab at it, and two swords hit it for 9 more damage and it falls.

200 XP for all three

Inside the cave, they find some weapons, boots and gloves, and a gauntlet. Alzar casts Detect Magic and a magic boot. Alzar goes up to it and investigates it. He can’t identify it so he takes it back to the wagon for later.


(It’s a left Boot of Elvenkind)
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Old 05-05-2010, 12:32 AM   #208
Abe Sargent
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Alzar needs some serious fixing. Two days later, Alzar is at 18/51 from Fast Healing, and they hit a large brook. They cross a bridge after checking and spying around and finding nothing.

The next night, Aleigha is on guard when a group of vampire bats fly by, but they do not appear to be interested in them.

The hills are fading and woods are getting close. Alzar believes that they are roughly 3 weeks from their goal, the first city of Fort Amber, where a large city has grown up around the only defensible city in the area, and along the River Storm.

A few days pass with only minor or close encounters. The hills are behind them and they turn south at crossroad the day after staying a night at the inn here.

About three days later, they arrive in the first village since the hills this way, or the last village from the south the other way. There are a cross roads at this quaints,, sleepy little village. The wagons pull into a this town in the woods and make for the inn. They are near a recently made ruin a few miles away. It’s a sleepy little town, but its closeness to the ruin of that temple have made it pretty hopping.

Welcome to Hommlet


Let’s do XP before we begin.

Alzar: 23,334
Estaish: 1745 (Level up at 2k)
Aleigha: 6635 (Level up at 8k)
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Old 05-05-2010, 12:46 AM   #209
Abe Sargent
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T1 The Village of Hommlet





I wanted to get you a map of Hommlet, and in some ways, this may be the most famous and popular small town from AD&D. This module was widely produced and many have it. There was a follow up called The Temple of Elemental Evil that goes back to Hommlet. Then, there is Return to The Temple of Elemental Evil, another very popular module that again goes back to Hommlet. Finally, there is the video game that goes there. I can’t find my map, from the original module. This is a major module, and all three modules have had a lot of success. T1-4 The Temple of Elemental Evil was rated the 4th best module of all time, and Return the 8th. The firs tone is a classic Gary Gygax module with maps for everything and all characters listed including stats for the tailor and stuff, in case you want to turn Hommlet into your base of operations.


I found the map finally. It’s big though. Very big. Get ready:


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Old 05-05-2010, 03:53 PM   #210
Abe Sargent
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Join Date: Dec 2001
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In case you are wondering, these are the books I've used thus far:

1st Edition:

Fiend Folio
Monster Manual II


2nd Edition:


Monstrous Manual
The Complete Book of Necromancers
Player's Option: Skills and Powers
PO: Spells and Magic
Player's Handbook
DM's Guide
Mystara Monstrous Manual
Volo's Guide to All Things Magical
Wizard's Spell Compendium Vols 1-4


D&D:

Basic Rules


Plus the modules, obviously
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Old 05-05-2010, 07:09 PM   #211
Abe Sargent
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Join Date: Dec 2001
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Alzar and group are coming in from the north heading south, so the first thing they pass is the temple. Several people around wave hello at the north of the village. Alzar and crew decide to go straight to the Inn of the Welcome Wench, where the roads meet. They ford the brook with no problems.

The innkeeper, Ostler Gundigoot is in, and welcomes us. His stableboy and groom takes the wagons and horses and begins to rub them down. The wagons are locked and Alzar’s familiar and humonculous stay there to watch over them for the night. The animal skeletons are locked up in a wagon, 10 in each, as extra guards. Plus the purple moss is unlocked in Alzar’s lab/library wagon and a nice little trap.

The trio grab a seat for a nice midday meal. A serving wench brings food and Alzar pays for it, and their nicest room that is unrented. The food here is more expensive, because it is the only inn for miles in each direction. The choice meals are boiled crayfish in drawn butter and trout stuffed with specially prepared mixtures or steak and kidney pie with mushrooms. They order their foods and drink.

The serving wench apologizes, because they haven’t prepared their full menu yet, so items like goose and venison are not here. Alzar waves away the apologies when the delicious crayfish arrives. Estaish mentions that he really likes this place and both agree with him. Alzar agrees that they can stay here for two nights instead of one. It is not the first time they took an extra day in an inn or tavern, since they have been few and far between on their road.

They have rented a private suite at 5 gold a night. It comes with complementary breakfast. It comes with an entry room and parlor and sitting room, and then a very spacious bedroom with several beds, and finally a bath room to the rear with a lock, with a bath. The room and bath are heated.

With lunch in their bellies and a room theirs above, they decide to explore the town of Hommlet to see what is here.
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Old 05-05-2010, 07:23 PM   #212
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At first, they decide to swing by the various traders. There are leather workers, blacksmith, traders, a miller, a cheese maker, a weaver, a money changer, a potter, a limner, a wheeler and wainwright, a stonemason, a teamster and a tailor. There is also…a mage in the tower (at 31).

The mage interests Alzar. They start by looking at the traders. This shop sells to locals, merchants, and travelers, so it has a large number of items, from farming implements and seed to small weapons and tools to shoes. They also have some animals for sale - dogs and horses. There’s not much here of interest to Alzar and his group, so they move on. The jeweler and money changer has doesn’t really have a lot on display. He makes jewelry, buys and sells gems, and can change money into other pieces, all at profit, of course.

They walk down and skip the tailor and weaver, and head to the blacksmith. The blacksmith can make typical stuff like horseshoes and nails, and he can do modest weapons like an axe or hammer head. He can’t do swords or armor.

Alzar notices the town symbol in a few places, acorns above a sheaf of grain. He inquires about it, and he is town that many in the town are of the druidical persuasion. Interesting. The church he passed was to Bathala, Goddess of Agriculture, Harvest and Fertility. There must be some adherents in here as well.

Alzar decides to try the mage, and the others keep looking at the leather worker’s place.

The tower is a two storied affair. On top are some men-at-arms guarding. It looks like a watchtower for military use, now grabbed by the mage, Burne, His Most Worshipful Mage of Hommlet. Some mages are so pretentious.

Alzar waves to the men at arms so they won’t think he is a bandit or some such, and climbs a round stepped ramp and curls around the tower. He then knocks on the door. (I roll a die). A fighter in chain and shield answers. He gruffly asks what Alzar wants. He asks if Burne is available. As a mage himself, he would like to talk with a fellow magic user. Rufus tells him to wait and asks Burne, and he says sure.

Alzar is let in and sits waiting in a main room of the watch tower. There are two fireplaces in here, a cooking area, and some seating. After a few minute, Burne arrives. They chat about the art for a while, and then Alzar mentions the classic device of trading spells. After an hour, they agree to a trade of spells. Burne will let Alzar try to learn Dimension Door from one of his spellbooks and Alzar will let Burne learn Teleport. Alzar succeeds and Burne does as well. Technically, Burne made out, because he traded a 4 for a 5, but both are common spells and have lesser values on the trade market as a result.

Burne is not interested in selling or trading magic items, however. Ah well, Alzar bids him adieu, and Burne mentions that he may swing by the Wench tonight.
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Old 05-05-2010, 07:42 PM   #213
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He heads back to the Inn just as the evening is beginning. In the room is Estaish. Aleigha is apparently upstairs napping in their suite. There is a guy who looks very much like a professional soldier. As myrmidon himself, Alzar can always tell a solider from a commoner who knows how to use a weapon. The fighter is sitting by himself looking into the fire. There is also a merchant looking guy currently at the bar, but something seems a bit odd about the guy. A few mercenaries with lodging in the tower are here at a table, laughing about how a year ago, some guy did such and such and oh how that was funny. Coming down the stairs now are a fighter who is totally wearing a sword, and a robed guy, looks like a cleric.

The good wife Gundigoot is welcoming people now. Alzar and Estaish are at a table near the middle of the room and grabbed a chair for Aleigha when she wants to join them. The merchant looking character at the bar sees Alzar seating, and decides to come over. He asks for the seat, and then sits down without an answer. He introduces himself as Spugnoir, a trader and merchant travelling through. After a short introduction and conversation about the weather, Spugnoir asks Alzar if they plan on going there.

Going where?

A lot of strangers decide to visit the ruins of the Temple of Elemental Evil. But it’s not the temple itself, oh no. They had many towers and bases outside the temple. The Temple itself was destroyed and sealed against entrance. But there are others out there. Like the Moathouse. It’s just a mile away from the village and they say it’s becoming lively again, if you know what I mean. Most people who come here looking like you are going out that way.

Look like me?

A fighter still wearing chainmail and a mage? Oh yes.

Alzar turns to Estaish, Why are you still wearing it? “You never know when you need it.”

Alzar turns back to Spugnoir. Spugnoir tells him the story of how Hommlet was a peaceful town with goodly and kind folk, but then the Temple was built about 6 miles to the east and everything changed. For miles and miles around, crops withered, evil grew, and more. Then the Baron of Castle Amber sent an expeditionary force here and fought the evil troops in a battle, razed the temple, and sealed the ruins magically. This was about ten years or so. Then adventurers came here a lot and cleaned out the lingering evil in the area, and they stopped coming about five years ago, but since there, something more has risen at the Moathouse.

How do you know this?

I’ve been here for three days, and learning the local history is easy, they talk about it a lot once they start drinking. Anyway, are you going there?

Alzar looks at Estaish who shrugs his soldiers. Maybe, Alzar replies. Maybe. Spugnoir offers them luck, and offers to sell them some supplies. Alzar tells him no thanks.

Alzar orders more of the crayfish, Estaish grabs mutton and Aleigha joins them for goose. As they do, a few locals join the tavern for company and drink, having already eaten dinner. Burne and Rufus also arrive, and Burne nods at Alzar before heading to the bar.

After a half hour, with full bellies, Burne comes up, introduces himself to Aleigha and Estaish, and then says he heard Alzar will be heading out to the Moathouse tomorrow.

Alzar smiles, Is that what you heard?

That’s what they are saying, so good luck. Burne returns to Rufus.

As the night continues, the trio check on the horses and wagons, and then move to their suite.

(Unbeknowingst, their actions have been reported to the following people – the agents of the Temple, the druid, the priest of Bathala, the local lord thirty miles away in his keep, and the town elder).
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Old 05-05-2010, 08:15 PM   #214
Abe Sargent
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The night is largely quiet, although someone in shadow does come by to look at the wagons, and then leaves. Nothing more though.

The following day, Alzar agrees to investigate the Moathouse. It’s been a while since they’ve done any adventuring, time to do it again.

They head east and past the tower, where Burne waves them over. They come over and he tells them all good luck, and watch your back. Okay then. The road east hit s path about a third of a mile away from Hommlet, they take it and head up a gentle incline about a half mile until they reach the abandoned moathouse.






There is a scrub of thorns and thistles on the track, and the recent rains have made this track a muddy. They bog a wagon down twice.

The track continues past the ruins for about 5 or 6 miles until it reached the abandoned and now magically sealed ruins of the Temple. There is no such seal on the Moathouse though.
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Old 05-05-2010, 08:46 PM   #215
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The trail brings them to the moathouse, and in from of the moat, is a pond that leaks water into the moat at times of high rain. The moat around the buildings has become a bog or marsh. Alzar ties the horses and wagons down and they move in. As they get near the pond, 6 giant frogs leap out of the pond and the marsh and attack. The group are surprised.

One frog hits with a crit for 12 damage on Alzar. 39/51. Another swings a tongue at Estaish and tries to wrap him up and draw him in. It misses though.

Next turn, Alzar ,Aleigha and Estiash grab weapons and move to attack the giant frogs. The frogs win init and Three bite Alzar, Aleigha and Alzar for 6, 6, and 5. Estiash is wrapped up and drawn into the mouth of one over 150 pound frog. Alzar orders the 30 animals skeltons, newly arrived to attack the frog that is eating Estaish. Only about 5 can actually attack. One hits for 1 damage. Alzar throws his dagger at the one eating Estaish and misses. Aleigha can’t get there and instead stabs a nearby one for 8 damage and kills it.

Alzar is at 28/51
Aleigha at 15/21

The frogs win init, Another larger one swings its tongue out and misses. The other three bite Alzar for 6 and Aleigha for 2.

22/51
13/21


Alzar sends in Megala to try to stop the one eating Estaish. It misses. Alzar twacks the one in front but it just bounces harmlessly off. Aleigha got away and charges the one in the back and misses it. Five animal skeletons peck it for 2 more damage. Next turn, if that frog gets to attack while still alive, it will swallow Estiash and begin to severely damage him with its stomach acids.

Alzar’s team rolls a 4. The frogs roll a 5. Alzar’s group wins. Alzar cracks the one that has been biting him a lot for 6 damage. It dies. Aleigha misses and drops the Sword of Spartusia from a fumble. Megala misses. That leaves just the animal skeletons who hit once for a critical for 2 damage and hit another time for 1 damage. The frogs attack. Estiash is fully swallowed and takes 5 hp. 4/9. Any attack on the frog may damage Estiash inside. Another frog enwraps Alzar in its tongue and draws him in. He can no longer attack now either. Aleigha is nailed once for 1 damage

12/21
4/9


The next round arrives and the frogs go first. Alzar is drawn in. Estiash takes 3, 1/9. Aleigha is hit for 6 damage

6/21
1/91
22/51

Aleigha misses the frog yet again. She only needs a 9, and has missed a ton. Megala misses (needs a 13). The animal skeletons attack again and two hit for 5 damage. A Mist Ball flies in from Dryshik on the toad and…fails its save. It takes 5 poison damage and dies.

Estiash will take a round t ocut himself out, but no more acid damage.

The frogs go first. Alzar is now swallowed and takes 4 damageAleigha is hit aghain for 1 damage

18/51
5/21

Aleigha attacks the frog eating Alzar and finally hits (rolled a 10) for 7 damage. Megala swings in for a crit and it takes 6 and dies. The animal skeletons surround the other two frogs and attack. One is brought down and the other had taken no damage.

Aleigha stabs the last one for 8 damage and kills it.

That was way too hard. These guys were AC7, four of them had 1 HD and the other had 2 HD, they had 13, 10, 7, 6, 4, and 4 hit points and that’s it. Way too hard.
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Old 05-05-2010, 08:52 PM   #216
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Those months away from adventuring made Alzar and his crew rusty. Good stuff though!
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Old 05-05-2010, 08:57 PM   #217
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While the group is busy recuperating, suddenly, two figures fly from the road and attack!!!

These are two people seen at the inn last night, a fighter and cleric looking guy. The hulking fighter is already at them with a sword drawn. Combat is engaged. Alzar’s group goes first and Alzar casts sleep. The cleric looking guy drops. The others miss. Kobart nails Alzar for 10 damage.

8/51

Next turn, Kobart swings first and misses. Alzar swings hard for 6 damage. Aleigha crits him for 18 damage (max on a crit) and drops him.

Whew. That was tough.

Alzar uncaps and quaffs a pot of healing. 16/51. Just as he does that, and Estiash is done killing the monk guy, they are attacked YET AGAIN, this time by a sleep spell. Aleigha and Estaish are dozing. Alzar has his scouts fly around, and they find a mage that looks exactly like Spugnoir from last night at the bar. Dryshik breathes a Mist Ball on him. He fails his save and takes 2 poison damage and is blinded for 5 rounds. Alzar runs over and punches him twice, knocking him out. He is tied up.

Alzar punches him awake and casts ESP. What are you going here? He made his save.

What are you doing here? Spugnoir is a mage, and he needs more spells – he only knows three, so he came here to find scrolls, and when he saw Alzar was a mage, he thought he would follow up and wait until he was weak, and then attack and take his spellbook.

What about the moathouse? Everything he told Alzar was true. He didn’t want to lie in case Alzar had talked to others. There was also a mage rumored to have lived here once, so Spugnoir came to the village to begin with.

Alzar had searched Spugnoir but found nothing magic. He casts Detect Magic to see if anything the three had. Spugnoir said he didn’t know who those two were.

Alzar kills Spugnoir as well. He tears off some of his flesh to feed the purple moss.
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Old 05-05-2010, 08:57 PM   #218
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dolemite73 View Post
Those months away from adventuring made Alzar and his crew rusty. Good stuff though!

Thanks!
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Old 05-05-2010, 09:23 PM   #219
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From the corpses they have gained 11 pp, 21 gold, 12 silver, 40 copper. The group is pounded, so Alzar orders a retreat from the moathouse and back to the church.

They arrive and the cleric, Terjon, tends to their wounds. After a donation of 100 gold to the church, Terjon casts several curative spells. Alzar is at 32/51, Estaish fully healed, and Aleigha at 18/21

They decide to head back tomorrow.

XP Gains: 400 each, 440 for Alzar

Estaish - 2145 and level 2. He now has 16 hp.
Aleigha – 7035
Alzar – 23774

This night, the inn is a bit quieter, but a trader that just came into town is gambling in the back, and wants to gamble with Alzar and/or his comrades, but they skip it.

Next morning, refreshed, no nonsense with the wagons overnight.
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Old 05-05-2010, 09:35 PM   #220
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They arrive back at the moathouse, tether the wagons and horses, and head up to the entrance. It is just before mid-morning. The drawbridge is down and weakened. Glad they are not taking horses over it. One of the gates is splinteres and holed and the other is barely handing on one hinge. There are bootprints in the ground.

Here is the map of the Moathouse from the game, only redone with Dundjinni for wargaming or playing with D&D figures to show where the monsters and characters are.






Here it is in full size. Look at that detail.

The Mad Mapper: Click image to close this window


The people move into that large courtyard area just inside the gate. There is rubble throughout and the place looks mostly deserted, but traffic has spread some mud around.

They decide to check the tower to the left of the gate. The upper portion has collapsed. Animal skeletons are ordered in, and nothing happens. Alzar steps in, and a huge wolf spider sees him and leaps down from the ruins of the tower. Alzar is surprised. The spider nails him for 4 damage and a poison save he makes it easily.


28/51

His staff is knocked to the side by the quick spider and Dryshik Mist Balls it for success as it takes no poison damage (it is immune) but it is blinded for 1 round. It lashes out in fury and Alzar easily evades.

It can see again and just misses Alzar (His Ring of Pro kept him from taking that damage). Alzar cracks it for 5 damage, and the others have arrived. Estaish lances his sword into it for 7 damage and Aleigha hit it as well for 5 and kills it.

XP – 90 each

Alzar has Megala fly up and check out the top to see if anything is up there. They see some copper and silver in a web up there, plus an ivory box worth maybe 50 gold that Megala flies back down.
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Old 05-05-2010, 10:04 PM   #221
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They head back to the courtyard and move to the stairs. This will enter the house section of the building. The doors are sundered.

They enter a great hall with destroyed furniture, tattered banners and heaps of rotting cloth into the corners. This was probably a audience chamber once. A quick search reveals nothing. While they are searching, a group of human voice scan be heard coming up behind them, up the stairs. Alzar orders people to move to the sides, and awaits them. They see Alzar standing by himself, and immediately yell for help and attack. No parley, just an attack. Well let’s kill them. Alzar smiles, twirls the staff around his body, and orders Megala, Dryshik, and a horde of 30 animal skeletons towards the three men dressed in leather, two with shields and all with maces. They steel themselves. They go first and two manage to kill animal skeletons, 28 left. Three of them hit the first of these guys for 6 damage total and he dies. Suddenly, the doors to the back tower or room burst open, and more of these, about 9 more. Crossbow bolts fly out and one nails Alzar for 4 damage. Alzar kicks himself for allowing himself to be outflanked – he’s smarter than that.



24/51

Aleigha and Estiash swing from the corners of the room.

The next turn, Alzar goes first and casts sleep on the back group. Only four fall asleep. Megala and the animal skeletons kill another bandit in front. The leader orders the bandits in back to throw, and several heave spears while two more crossbowmen fire. Alzar takes 10 damage from a spear and bolt.

14/51

Alzar just wins init and he tries to throw his throwing dagger at one of the crossbowmen. It hits for 6 damage (the max) and kills an archer. Megala and the skeletons lose another skeleton (27) but kill the bandit in the front – the final one. Aleigha and Estiash have arrived to help. They both attack the one with a voulge, Estiash hits for 10 damage and kills her. With only three left, including the leader, they begin to back up. A crossbow bolt crits Alzar for 10 damage. The leader hacks at Aleigha for nothing, and the final one misses. After getting badly wounded. Alzar orders Dryshik to Mist Ball the leader, which he does. The leader fails the save, takes 5 poison damage and is blinded for 2 rounds.

4/51


Alzar pulls back and orders Megala in. Aleigha slices the other crossbowman for 6 and kills him. Estiash easily trounces the blind leader for 7 damage. The leader swings wildly and clangs his sword against Estaish’s armor but misses.

Aleigha kills the leader after hitting him for 7 damage.

5/51 for Alzar after resting for a bit, searching their items, and making a magic pile for later. They search the room and find a secret door going down.

XP – 100 each

They find, 145 silver, 10 gold ,30 electrum, 10 platinum, a 250 gold gem on the leader, and a chest in the rubble they find when they search. Alzar has the animal skeletons scratch and paw at it, but nothing happens. It’s not locked. It holds 2000 copper pieces, 2 bolts of fine cloth worth 60 each, a crystal flagon and 4 goblets with 80 total, an inlaid wooden box with ivory handle worth 45 and some arrows.

There are fires and bedrolls here. This has been their home for a while. Alzar and crew go south, but Alzar will be staying far in the back, hiding.
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Old 05-05-2010, 10:25 PM   #222
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They pass a stairway up that is now destroyed. They search the rubble and find nothing.

They arrive at a door on the right and open it. Its empty and dirt and wreckage show no evidence of life. They search and find a broadsword wedged into the wall and added to the magic pile. They try the next door down and find a bed chamber. It is a total wreck, with a chopped up bed, and smashed furniture. A search here takes twice as long and still finds nothing. The next door across the hallway is opened and inside was a salon where furnishings were, and tatters that spoke of wealth. They search and scare some bats in the room, but find nothing else. They hear a squeaking and rustling from below as well.

They enter the wide open room at the end of a hall and see a giant 12’ long adder. Attack or leave?

Alzar knows this is a poisonous snake that can cause death in one round (Poison use gives him that info). Instead of risking the people who are alive, he sends it the animal skeletons. They rush in. The snake attacks first and misses. It is hit three times from the 8 that can get t it, for 5 damage. Alzar throws his dagger in for good measure. Miss. The animal skeletons go and crit once and hit twice more for 7 damage. The snake hits a skeleton for 1 damage. It hits again next turn for 2 and kills it – 26 left. Only one hits for 2 damage. Next turn, they hit for 5 damage. The serpent misses. They next turn they hit four times for 6 damage and kill it.

XP 30 each

They search and find a jeweled dagger in its nesting area.

They head back and move to the other section. They go into the open space next to the great hall and find a storeroom, and the stairs down. Inside are a horde of giant rats. Alzar orders his animal skeletons back, casts Blastbones on one, and has it rush in., It explodes and deals 5 damage to them all and kills them. Alzar is down to 25, but animates three to take him to 28.

They go to the hallway and take the first down on the left. This appears to be an empty trophy room except for broken antlers, ruined pelts, and so forth. Search finds nothing.

The next room on that side is totally empty. A search finds nothing. They cross the hall and find the kitchens. There are old and broken work tables and a wooden cask. There is a Giant Tick in here, and Alzar’s minions are dispatched again. It kills one and then dies to the 18 damage it takes from TWO crits and three more hits in 6 attacks. Rar!

XP – 20 each

27 skeletons left

A search finds nothing. They head to the end room. This appears to be the old barracks with ripped and rotted cots and a few chest a here and there. There is a giant lizard dozing up against the south wall. Alzar needs to search the room, because you never know, and that lizard may prevent him from doing anything. Alzar decides to be tricky and open with a Mist ball from Dryshik. It fails that save and takes 3 damage and is blinded for 3 rounds. Alzar orders everybody to charge it and kill it before it recovers. They do without taking any damage back.

XP – 50 each

A search of the room finds some weapons and armor, crossbow bolts, and an intact chest with 33 copper in it.
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Old 05-05-2010, 10:37 PM   #223
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Go down, or go home? The cleric has used all of his curative magic this round, but that mysterious druid may have something to help. They arrive, dismount, and go into the grove and Alzar is asked to donate o the grove in order to make a request of Jaroo. He asks for healing so that he may go back and finish cleansing the moathouse. Jaroo looks at him, and agrees. No more money needed. He casts two cure spells on Alzar, and dismisses him.

Alzar is at 29/51

They return and it is just after 1 in the afternoon. Because they will be going down, Alzar keeps Megala with the wagons and horses.

When in question, Alzar always takes the secret doors down, not the normal ones.

Here are the dungeons in the same map style:


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Old 05-05-2010, 10:57 PM   #224
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They come down into a small room at the top of the map, with no doors. Suspicious. Alzar orders a search and nothing. He draws and uses the Wand of Secret Door Location and finds one on the right, and one on the left. They open both. One is some steps down and then the corridor continues. And the other opens into a room with a small ogre, pillars, and immediate attention needed. Alzar sees her wield a nasty bardiche, and swing it around expertly. He orders everything and everyone back, casts Skulltrap on a head cut from a bandit upstairs, place sit at the door and runs. The ogre runs after them and right into the trap. It takes15 damage. Alzar throws a dagger while it is reeling. Miss. It enters the secret area and battle ensues. They win first and Aleigha fumbles her sword but Estaish nails the ogre for 9 and kills it.

XP – 50 each

The ogre’s weapons and armor are added to the magic pile. They search the room, and find nothing. There are two doors out., and they take the left one.

This is Lubush’s pantry, and inside at the remains of two humans were killed and began eating by the ogre. Alzar has his skeletons search and they find another pair of humans still alive underneath a pile of clothes. They are severely malnourish and thirsty. Alzar gives them water. They claim to be merchants, and an ESP spell verifies it. He has Dryshik show them out and they follow the Mist Mephit out. A search finds nothing else.

Dryshik returns. They go near the wagons and horses, but Megala scares them away.
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Old 05-05-2010, 11:44 PM   #225
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They go to the other door and inside is a storeroom littered with filth and junk. There is a door on the left side of the room. A quick search turns up nothing.

The next door is opened, and they see some doors to the end, a few pillars, and to the south, some doors along a wall, and in a couple of seconds, zombies start coming out. Alzar looks very pleased. He tries to control some and total success. 4 are now his. A few more keep coming out of the rooms, slowly and surely. Alzar tries to control again and gains 6 more. That’s all of them. Alzar now has 10 zombies. He sends them into the room right next to them that is open.

There are no creatures inside though, but caution is dandy. This is a torture chamber with implements around. A search finds nothing. Alzar orders zombies into the small cells they came out of, nothing. A search there finds a loose stone in one with a 500 gp gem behind it.

Alzar got 100 XP for the zombie stealing too, btw.

They head up and find the stairs. While leading with zombies, two green slimes fall and attack the zombies. Alzar asks everyone to back up, drops oil from an oil flask on each, and then lights them on fire with a torch. They are both killed in two turns.The zombies have been largely disintegrated and are dead.

XP = 100 for Alzar
8 zombies left.


Alzar has the zombies try the doors at the end, but both of are locked. Perfect! They have nice neat new locks too. Alzar reaches into his bag of holding and grabs that acid flask he prepared. He uses half for each lock, and they dissolve. Each is an armory with weapons, shields, arrows, and such. All added to a giant magic pile.

They serach these rooms and come up with nothing else. While searching,3 gnolls come down the stairs, and Alzar orders the zombies to attack. They see 8 zombies and they turn back up and disappear. Megala didn’t see them come in, so they must have another entrance up top to the Moathouse. He orders Megala to fly up, and sees them run into the rocks at the northeast and across the marsh and out.

This section is cleared out, so they head back to the secret door and try the stairs.

As they go down, a zombie is killed in a pit trap with spikes.

7 left


Alzar grabs some boards from the moathouse drawbridge and places it over the pit and the zombies can walk across. This took twenty minute and nobody saw or heard anything in that time.
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Old 05-06-2010, 12:02 AM   #226
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They arrive at a split in the corridor. East or south west? South west. (roll randomly). They head southish. They arrive at a large room with nothing in it, three doors at the far end, and a hallway to the right. They go right. In here are 9 gnolls. They grab their weapons, and Alzar and party grabs theirs. In seconds, zombies clash with gnolls. Alzar casts sleep and three fall asleep leaving 6. Estiash and Aleigha are behind the zombies and can’t get in. The gnolls kill a zombie for 11 damage. The 6 zombies hit twice for 12 damage and kill a gnoll. The next turn, the gnolls go first and dice one zombies for 9 and kill it, and hit a second for 2. Alzar throws his dagger and crits one for 6 damage. The zombies swing and One crits a gnoll for 10 damage and kills it. Two others kill another gnoll, just leaving three up. They cannot retreat, and get init the next turn. They dice two more zombie,s the injured one and another. They three zombie skill a gnoll, and Alzar’s staff beans one for 7 damage and kills it. Aleigha pierces another for 7 and kills it too. All dead after sleepers die.

Alzar searches and finds 100 silver, a 10 gold gem, 11 gold among the group. They head back.

3 zombies left.

Alzar orders the zombies to try the doors. One is nothing, another is a false door with wall that slides down and kills the zombie (2 lefT) and the last one enters into a hall that quickly goes south or south east.

South it is. The pathway veers off again, south or west. South seems to end in a few feet, so south. They hit a room with a natural pool of water, and this must be the water source for the Moathouse. It looks like spring from underground. They edge to it, and see a giant crayfish in the pool. There is also a glint of metal at the bottom. The Giant Crayfish gets close to the top, and they attack each other by mutual decision. Alzar sworps it for 8 damage and it reels. Aleigha drops her sword into the pool. Estiash cracks it for 3 damage. The crayfish snaps at Alzar and hits once for 8 damage

20/51

Estaish hits it for 4 and Alzar’s staff rebounds off its shell. Aleigha stabs it with a backup dagger for 2 damage. It snaps at Aleigha who just hit it for 4 damage

14/21

It wins init and cracks Aleigha once more for 7

7/21

Alzar misses, Estaish slices it for 10 damage and finally kills the thing.


XP -100 each

Alzar is now at 21/51

He jumps into the water. The Necklace of Adaptation creatres a bubble of fresh air around you that no gas can penetrate, and that allows you to breathe underwater. The Ring of Free Action give shim full movement.

He grabs Aleigha’s sword, and finds:

Platinum Pin with giant ruby in it – 2000 gold
19 gold, 30 silver, 17 copper
A bone tube.

Alzar opens the bone tube after emerging and drying off. and it was water tight and has magical writing on it. Stored for later. A search above found nothing.
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Old 05-06-2010, 12:41 AM   #227
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They continue west, led by two zombies. The corridor goes for a bit and Alzar orders a search but nothing.

They continue and it ipoens into a delicious burial crypts, with four ghouls surprised and looking up. Alzar tries to gain some more undead. He easily succeeds and they join his squad.

XP – 150 for Alzar.

There are crypts to the left. Alzar searches the are here, but there were not a lot of years for this place to have a lot of buried dead, so they find nothing. With zombies and then ghouls in front, they head to the left and enter a natural area. The first grotto opens up and there are bones and skulls here. Alzar grabs some extra skull trap skulls, and they search, turning up vials of water (7), 800 silver, a potion and a scroll. They try to continue, but the ghouls point out there is nothing in these caves for miles and miles, so Alzar pulls everybody back. They retrace their steps and head right at the split off. They arrive at a door that a zombies opens. There is a passage here with a nice breeze, and a door ot the left. Alzar orders the door opened b a zombie. Inside are many humans. One is right by the door, and the undead instinctively attack. The guard yells for help, draws a morningstar and swings and misses. The zombies miss. Alzar orders zombies in front, ghouls to flank and be behind, and people behind them. There are two more guards rushing towards them. The hallway is just 10 feet wide and only four of them can fight at a time, but six in the hallway can attack anyone in the door, because they can go to the sides.

The ghouls completely kill the guardsman in this round. Alzar orders the undead to hold the line in case more come in. Two more arrive at the door form the hallway and several more are entering the hallway.

The two at the door go first and totally miss (a 2 and a 5). The zombies miss (a 2 and a3). The ghouls on just tear into both and one is dead and another paralyzed. An officer orders every to move, and aims a crossbow. The bolt misses a zombie. He then orders down four guardmen at a time in orderly fashion. Smart. Alzar waits until they have gotten close, and then casts Searing Serpent right in front of the officer.

The four guardsman win init and swing. A zombie falls from a Morningstar. A bolt thunks into the other one for 1 damage. The last zombie hits a random guard for 1 damage as well. One ghoul misses, another is too bothered with the parpalyzed guy and kills him. A thinrd crits and kills a guard. The fourth also cdcrits and kills a guard.

5 dead, one wounded, and one injured At the end of the turn, Alzar’s serpent attacks and misses.

In a second, eight more guards in rows of 4x2 arrive, and begin marching down the corridor. The ghouls go first and kill the two guards there, and the crossbowman officer ignores the serpent and fires a bolt a the zombie, hits it for 8 damage and kills it. No more zombies. The serpent misses.

At the end of this round, two more crossbowman arrive. Alzar casts charm person on a crossbowman. Success. Alzar tells him to try and get his buddies to stop firing arrows at him.

He starts to talk to the other officers.

The next turn, the guardsmen have arrived, and another set of four enter the hallway. Alzar’s group just gets the init (1 to 2) and the ghouls attack. Two guards die. The remaining two guards hit a ghoul for 6 damage and fumble her Morningstar. The serpent attacks and does 1 damage to a crossbowman not charmed. One bolt is fired at a ghoul and hits for 1 damage. The other one does not fire for interference into the charmed one.

At the beginning of the next round, a person unseen pours beer all over the searing serpent and put sit out. A cleric looking guy enters the hallway. The guards at the hallway now attack. Three miss but one hits and kills the injured ghoul. Another crossbow bolt flies down and misses. The three ghouls left Kill one guard. Another one moves up. The cleric casts Hold Person at Alzar, failure. Alzar draws his Wand of Paralyzation and fires it at the whole hallway. Cleric makes it, two crossbowmen fail and that includes the charmed one, One guard in the front line makes it, the others fail. All in the second rank make it, and both in the final one fail.

The next round, they go first. A big burly warrior enters the hallway and moves in front of the cleric. The cleric tries to wrest control of the ghouls from Alzar. Success. The crossbowman fire and totally misse,s and the one guard in front who can attack misses. Alzar orders Aleigha and Estiash in and tries to control the ghouls again. Success. Dryshik is ordered to Mist Ball the cleric and he makes his save. Animal skeletons move into the gap from the extra Ghoul and kill a paralyzed guard.

On th next turn, Alzar and group win init. He orders the ghouls to kill those in front and they kill three guards. Aleigha and Estiash kill two in the next row. Alzar throws a throwing dagger at the cleric and hits for 4 damage. The others counter attack. A crossbowman hits Alzar for 3 damage.

17/51

Two guards swing at Estaish and one hits for 6 damage. 10/16. The cleric tries to wrest control and success. This time the cleric’s team wins init and the ghouls attack. Alzar is hit for 9 damage and is immune to the paralysis. A bolt misses. The cleric casts Hold Person on Estiash and it succeed and he is held. Aleigha kills a guard for 8 damage. The fighters moves up. Alzar gains control again. Animal skeletosn peck and kill two paralyzed guards.

8/51

All that is left is the fighter, and three crossbowman and the cleric. The crossbowman are de-paralyzed this round. One is still charmed.

Alzar grins as they win init and the ghouls attack the fighter. He is only bitten once for 4 damage,but fail his paralysis save. Aleigha crits him and doles out 10. Crossbow bolt into the frozen Estaish for 5 damage Aniaml skeletons peck away for 1 damage. The cleric wrests control.. Alzar wins init. He wrests control back. Aleigha moves in and attacks a crossbowman but misses. Animal skeletons peck at the warrior for 3 damage. Dryshik breathes another Mist Ball at the cleric and he misses his save, takes 4 poison damage and is blinded for 2 rounds.

5/16

The crossbowman drops his crossbow and grabs a battle axe and tears 2 damage out of Aleigha/.

13/21

They win init. The cleric tries a random attack with a war hammer. He misses. A axeman misses. The other one final wrestles the charmed guy to the ground and ties him up to get him out of the way.

Aleigha crits the axeman for 10 damage. Animal skeletons finish off the warrior and Alzar orders the ghouls in to attack the cleric, the they hit five times for 12 damage. No paralysis though.

The ynext round, they go first. The cleric swings an dhits Aleigha for 4 damage. The two axemen hit once for 4 damage.

5/21

Aleigha’s sword misses and scrapes the side of the tunnel. Alzar’s ghouls finish the cleric and the wounded axeman. Dryshik breathes his final Mist Ball on the last one and failed save, 2 damage of poison and blind. Next turn he is finished off.

Dead: 1 5th level cleric, 1 4th level fighter, 3 3rd level fighter, 15 1st level fighters.


XP – 450 each
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Old 05-06-2010, 01:24 AM   #228
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All of the weapons and items are brought into the magic pile. They check out the rooms back here and find chambers and bedrooms. Everything is pulled out.

They find (total for everything):

39 pp
90 gp
1275 sp
30 ep
Gold neckchain worth 50 goldx3
100 gp gems x29
10 gold gem
Gold Medallion with Topaz – 1000 gold
1000 g p gem
Silver Serving Set worth 4000 gp
Alabaster box worth 800
String of matched fire opals 15000k
ivory box worth maybe 50 gold
2050 copper pieces
250 gold gem
500 gp gem
2 bolts of fine cloth worth 60 each
a crystal flagon and 4 goblets with 80 total
an inlaid wooden box with ivory handle worth 45
Jeweled Dagger – 850 gold
Platinum Pin with giant ruby in it – 2000 gold



With the place cleaned out, a quick check finds everything else emptied. Some bugbears in the north chamber ran away and nothing was there. Various searches found nothing more.



Used one charge of each wand.


Magic Pile: 4 +1 arrows. Scroll of Push, Stinking Cloud, and Fly, potion of Undead Control, and scroll of protection from undead. Staff of Striking, Phylactery of Action, +1 plate armor

10 giant rat carcasses.


XP Gained:

Alzar: 1364
Estiash and Aleigha: 890

Total – Estiash 3035, Alzar 25138, Aleigha 7925 –that close to level 4
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Old 05-06-2010, 07:44 AM   #229
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The group heads back to heal and regroup at the Inn of the Welcome Wench. Alzar keeps his three ghouls under his control and the additional 6 ghouls he gets when the people they killed rise from the dead that night. He may need them later before moving on, you never know.


Five days later, they prepare to leave Hommlet after healing and rest, and identification of items. Alzar gave all of the coins to Aleigha and Estiash to split and took the jewllry, gems, objet d’arts, and magic items.

It is the final night in the village, when Megala notices someone near the wagons. Alzar is immediately awake and seeing through its eyes. There is an individual there, lurking in the shadows, and observing. Alzar orders Megala to stay put, and pulls out his Crystal Ball.

Alzar grabs his stuff, weapons, Bag of Holding, and everything else. The downstairs door is opened by the stranger who sneaks in and disappears. Alzar activates the Crystal Ball before he does, and it automatically follows him. He cannot be seen, having melted away, but after a pause, the person is sneaking in through the darkness. Alzar’s two followers are asleep in the bedroom, so he shuts the door ot the antechamber and casts Skulltrap just inside the door to his anteroom. He then prepares a Blastbones to trigger if the Skulltrap triggers.

The figure is at the top of the stairs, and Alzar backs up, sits down, places the crystal ball on the floor out of the way, and pretends to have fallen asleep. Secretly, he orders Dryshik out of the window and then down into the now opened door and into the common room downstairs. Alzar’s suite is the first door up the stairs after about ten feet, with a locked door.

In just a second, the door to Alzar’s chamber opens, completely silently. The stranger managed to pick the lock and open it very quickly, and did it all without a sound., Alzar is impressed. Just soon as the door is opened enough, it touches the skull. It explodes, and triggers the Blastbones.

The Skulltrap does 15 and the Blastbones add 6. The assassin makes her save and takes 14.

Level 10 Assassin – 41, Dex 17, AC3, Wearing noise proof cat suit, poisoned daggers in each hand, Cloak of Displacement, save vs death. Dryshik silently casts Wall of Fog on the stairs behind the burglar, and Alzar opens his eyes. He throws his readied dagger at her. She jumps in. The dagger sails wide. She stabs Alzar twice, dealing just 3 damage but Alzar has to make two poison saves. He makes the first one, but would have failed without the Periapt. He fails the second one. In three rounds, he will die. He cannot attack and his muscles are contracting painfully.

Dryshik has flown back up and Mist Balls the assassin. She fails her save and takes 4 poison damage and is blinded. Megala is flying into their room and trying to awaken the others. Alzar uses his knowledge of Poison to identify the poison from the look, and feel and how it is acting – it’s scorpion venom – a common poison to acquire or make. It takes a bit to work, however. There are much deadlier ones.

Alzar knows that there is a chance to save himself. Dryshik flies in under Alzar’s suggestion and grabs the Extra Healing potion from his belt. He undoes the stopper and pours it in Alzar’s convulsing mouth and after a round, the pain has stopped. The potion does not heal Alzar, since it was used exclusively to kill the poison. The assassin has bounded up and trying to leave the inn. Several voices can be heard from upstairs as people are being woken up.

Estiash is the first one out and he sees the assassin flee, Alzar’s condition, and leans down to make sure Alzar is all right. Megala is ordered to fly back out and sees the Assassin flee the inn, and hut and lock the door behind her in about 15 seconds. Alzar orders Dryshik to also give chase. He waves Aleigha and Estiash on and gets up himself. He grabs his Crystal ball to spy on her again, and gives orders through Megala and Dryshik;’s connection. The mephit is just a round behind.

The assassin is moving into a plains area, and will soon spot Megala who will be able to hid in the trees. Alzar orders Megala in to attack and distract her until Dryshik can catch up and Mist Ball again and then perhaps everyone else can catch up. Megala swoops down and misses her. She sees Megala and throws a dagger at him. He takes 2 damage (no more poison). Megala is ordered in again, as Alzar sees her grab for a potion from her belt as well. Megala wins init and gets there first. He actually hits her (rolled a 17) and deals 1 damage. She…makes her save and is not put asleep. Dryshik is there (he flies) and Mist Balls her. She makes her save again. The potion puts her invisible. Dryshik and Megala can no longer see her, but the Crystal Ball follows her, even though it cannot reveal her. Using his knowledge of where she is and is going, he has Megala go and show Aleigha and Estiash where the Assassin is by pointing, while Dryshik stalks her. She slides over into some bush and scrub. In a moment, Estaish and Aleigha begin to be seen. Will she hide or will she ambush. Dryshik is ordered to Mist Ball the specific space the Crystal ball is pointing. There is a chance it will miss, so I roll. 13. I consider that to be enough of a hit, since no AC bonus applies due to armor or the cloak or invis. She fails her save and takes 5 poison damage and is blinded for 3 rounds. Dryshik and Megala fly in to where she is and start attacking. Aleigha and Estiash follow. Both of the flyer smiss.

The next round, Dryshik is ordered up and becomes the lookout. Megala misses. Estiash hits her for 9 damage and Aleigha nails her for 4. She runs, but she is easily followed by her noise and the Crystal Ball.

Megala misses. Estaish hits her on the run for 7 and she dies.

On her body is nothing but the knives, a vial of scorpion poison half used, and nothing magical but the cloak.

Alzar is able to identify it as a Cloak of Displacement right away. A Detect Magic spell shows nothing else.

Lost an Extra Healing pot.

XP – 600 each
660 for Alzar


Total – Estiash 3635, Alzar 25798, Aleigha 8525

Aleigha gains 7 hp and is now at 28, level 4.
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Old 05-06-2010, 09:40 AM   #230
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Alzar switches to the Cloak of Displacement from the Ring of Protection +1. This will give him +2 to saves and AC, and drop his AC to 5. Also, the first melee or missile attack from someone will miss.


The morning dawns, and they wait another day in Hommlet, and will leave tomorrow. Burne heard about the assassination attempt, and says that the Temple doesn’t like those who interfere. Normally, the path south would be a good plan to get straight to Fort Amber, but perhaps in this case, Alzar should go down a few miles, and then take a less used westerly track to Ghiarathor, and then turn south from the village and skirt around the main round. It sounds like good advice. Burne also says, Besides, Ghiarathor is an interesting town, you may like it.



And with that, they decide to do that. They leave Hommlet bound for Fort Amber, and publicly state their destination along the main road, but then quickly veer off west for about 12 miles until they reach Ghiarathor.
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Old 05-06-2010, 09:41 AM   #231
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A Hero’s Tale – At the Races




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Old 05-06-2010, 09:48 PM   #232
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They pull into Ghiarathor and find that this really is a one of a kind town. At the end of a road that only goes to it from the south and east, this quiet town of a couple hundred has no tavern, no inn, no business at all. There ar e just several long wooden lodges in the town that everyone lives in. They are riding and caring for Giant Stag Beetles, which they call Ki’o.

Apparently, Ki’o are the only trade here. They raise them from larvae, use them as steeds, kill them for meat, carve and cut their chitin into tools and furniture, and there is a fungus that grows on them that is cultivated and eaten. The Ki’o are domesticated and largely docile.

That is interesting to see. However, there are other wagons and such here, because the monthly Ki’o races will be held tomorrow. As part of a religious festival, the people of the town race their Ki’o. The winners of the various races are venerated for the month until the next festival. There are some who have heard about the races and come to watch.




There are also those who come to place bets and gamble on the winner of the Ki’o races. There are special foods made for this celebration of the Ki’o. Ki’o stew, dumplings, and pudding are samples. There are arrows in a quiver that Alzar sees, and a Chitin helmet nearby. The food is free as the people here have no economy.
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Old 05-06-2010, 10:11 PM   #233
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The place the ki’o race is about a half mile or so west of the town. It has a long, circuitous rout, around trees and rocks, and then back to the beginning. It can all be seen from the tops of trees in the center, where people go to see the races.

Over the last few years, Ruce and Rhet, two Flanson brothers, have been running the gambling operation here for a few years. The max bet is 50 gold, but most bet in the silvers or coppers. They determine odds based on past performance of the Ki’o and its rider. Ki’o are not owed by the people here and are all communal property, so various people could ride different Ki’o throughout the year.

Alzar decides to stay the night here and enjoy the races tomorrow. They stay in the wagons, eat the food of Ghiarathor and welcome the morning. More people have arrived in the night, and the place is starting to get a bit packed. As they eat, and then make their way to the races, the Flanson brothers are getting a lot of action and bets, and they look nervous. One of them sees Aleigha and Estiash in their armor and approaches. They’ve had a lot more people bet, and in some high numbers and max bets, and are a bit nervous, so they want to hire a couple of guards for 20 gold each, just to watch over things, make sure things go smoothly and to keep an eye on thieves. They agree and move to the table to help out.

Alzar takes a place in the bleachers and orders Megala and Dryshik to fly in close so he can see the action much closer.

There are seven races today. Many of the people getting ready to watch the races are normal looking people, but five well armed and armored people are in the front, not sitting, and watching excitedly
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Old 05-06-2010, 10:21 PM   #234
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A few more join, and the bets are placed. It is a few minutes until the first race. There are six racers each time. And then, the first race is off. At first, a few Ki’o are in front, but quickly, the dark horse of the race, the third one in, pulls out and dominates the others. It had the longest odds of winning, and few one, but one of the soldiers heads over to collect winnings and gets a lot of gold at the winning table. The odds were ten to one, so he made out.

A few minutes pass and the second race begins. The riders are racing their beetles around the course, dodging rocks here and crawling under a fallen tree there. The favorite and the dark horse are challenging for the lead for the first half, but the dark horse pulls out in front for the second and wins easily. The odds were 8-1. Again, few people collect, but the same warrior walks over, and collects a pile of money.

A few minutes later the next race begins. Within seconds, the dark horse candidate pulls way out in front. People are talking about how this particular beetle has been racing for a year, and never gotten better than 5th, but now, at 12-1, it is just trouncing the others. It easily wins the third race . And once again, the warrior who has won twice already starts moving back over.
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Old 05-06-2010, 11:00 PM   #235
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Well, this is just highly unlikely, so Alzar gets closer, and hides the somatic and material components of an ESP spell behind a viewer and his robe and cloak. He begins to check the mind of Vajj.

Vajj fails his save. He is thinking about how his plan to rig all of the races today will make him stinking rich. The next race, the beetle on the inside is supposed to win. He tells himself to play it cool. Alzar is walking to him. Dryshik and Megala have arrived, and Alzar points for Estiash and Aleigha to back his play.

He makes his next save, that round Vajj collects his winnings and starts to move back. He fails it the next turn, and Alzar can hear that Vajj has threatened the others with his surface thoughts. He taps Vajj on the shoulder with his staff and the man turns around and looks surprised and a bit upset. Easily angered, Alzar thinks.

“Excuse me, but since you have cheated and rigged these races, I would appreciate it if you would return your money to the Flansons.” Alzar smiles. He is also speaking quite loudly for everyone to hear. Vajj leans down and says “No one accuses me of cheating!”

“Oh, I’m not accusing you, I’m telling you.” Alzar can read Vajj’s mind during this final round (failed his save), ”I know you threatened all of these townsfolk, and that you told the one on the last beetle that you’d kill his mother, and the one on the middle one on the left that you’d kill the entire town, and that you would posion and kill all of the Ki’o. I know how you threatened each of them. I also know that you have three daggers hidden in your sleeve that you are thinking about killing me with, and trying to come up with a way of getting out of this. I’d recommend surrendering and turning over your gold, before this crowd gets a little too upset.”

Several shouts agree with Alzar. Of course, they come from Estiash and Aleigha. Vajj opens and clenches his fists a few times, and then moves to the table, and places the money that he won. He motions to his fighters to leave, and turns around to threaten Alzar. The next race begins and Alzar has Estiash and Aleigha go back to guarding. The Flansons want to award him, but he brushes them off and follows Vajj.
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Old 05-06-2010, 11:31 PM   #236
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You see, Vajj shouldn’t have threatened him. They should have just left. Alzar orders Megala to follow and finds a perch. A few minutes later, they have found a place about a quarter of a mile away from the races and are talking about how to kill Alzar. He smiles at their stupidity. He can overhear their entire plan. He decides to end this now.

He activates Fly on his belt and flies into the air, high above the five fighters. He is directly above them, and there is no wind. He orders Dryshik to close and get ready to Mist Ball the leader if its needed. While they sit, close together, and talk about a conspiracy to kill him, Alzar pulls out a human skull, casts Skulltrap, and literally drops it on them.

It deals 21 damage, but Vajj and two fighters make the save, and take just 11. The other two took the full 21. The Mist Ball flies in on Vajj. He rolls a 1 and misses his save, and takes 3 damage and is blinded for 2 rounds.

Alzar flies down, and laughs as they have no missile weapons to fire at him. Stupid. He casts sleep as they try and run. One falls asleep. Megala claws the blinded Vajj and misses. The next turn, Alzar casts another sleep and another falls. Megala claws Vajj in the face for a crit for 2 damage and he fails is save and drops asleep. Dryshik Mist Balls one of the two fleeing. He makes the save. Alzar gets ahead of them with fly, and casts Searing Serpent while they close towards him.

They draw swords as the fiery serpent draws near They swing and of course miss. One is burnt for 3 damage. It is enough to kill him after the full damage from the Skulltrap. The other one drops her weapon in surrender Alzar accepts. The others are all killed, Alzar finds no magic with Detect Magic and turns her over to the Flansons.

Alzar gains 800 XP, 880 after the 10% bonus.

The dark horse won in every race except the last one, where a local named Maeris one. He was a 3-1 winner and managed an upset but most people thought it was the only real race, as there was real competition the entire way. That was not what was supposed to happen according to Vajj, but Alzar doesn’t mind someone standing up for himself.

Alzar gives the 320 gold from the corpses to Aleigha and Estiash. He keeps 3 100 gp gems

26678 for Alzar.

Used one charge on Belt of Flying



The town is upset at the deaths, but when explained that they had threatened the lives of the entire town and rigged one of their holy festivals, they accept the deaths
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Old 05-07-2010, 10:54 AM   #237
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A Hero’s Tale – Web of Death



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Old 05-07-2010, 06:54 PM   #238
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They stay the night with more free food and such, and then the festivities end and they leave the following morning on the south trail to eventually get to Fort Amber. They head south, and after around 20 miles or so, the trail starts to wind up the hills and mountains. The goings are getting a little harder. It forks twice, and Alzar was not informed of any branches, and both times, it does not go due south. Scouts by Megala and Dryshik are unhelpful.

He is not sure if they are on the right path when they comes to a gorge, with a stone path over it. The wagons won’t go over though. It is the right path or not? Alzar always chose the path closest to the south. They could go back and then return if another is not the right way. Of course, even if this is the right way, they can’t take the wagons over, but perhaps Alzar can see another way. Dryshik and Megala are sent up and scout ahead, and it looks even darker and rougher there than here.

Alzar orders everyone to stay here with the horses and wagons and moves forward, he has crossed natural bridge mostly before a trap is sprung. A giant web-net hidden with the natural bridge itself strikes and Alzar is lifted into the air as the net springs around him. The web-net grabs Alzar and throws him into a webbed area where all of the bridges and areas look like one giant web-maze.
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Old 05-07-2010, 07:34 PM   #239
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Alzar looks around, and then makes an INT check. He lights two torches and then yells loudly. “I know something out there can hear me. I will drop this torch if you don’t come and talk to me!”

Alzar waits about twenty seconds, hears and sees nothing and gets ready to fling one of the lit torch on the ground when an Ettercap leaps up onto the web-bridge Alzar is currently on. It’s speech is Typic, but guttural. “We are above agorge, and the webs would burn you even if you could survive the fall. “





How do you talk as an Ettercap? I was turned into one by a Transmuter I offended somehow. I built this maze and gathered giant spiders to complete in it for food, and have trained them to be smarter and more cunning. They will find and kill you.

“No, we will not be playing your game today. This is a belt of flying, which will enable me to not take the falling damage, and these are gloves of fire resistance, which will save me from any damage this fire may do. So, you will escort me out, then leave after giving me the info to get back on the right path south.”

The Ettercap clicks, and then says, “No. I do not believe your bluff.”

Alzar smiles. “I never bluff”
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Old 05-07-2010, 07:46 PM   #240
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He flings one torch to each side and the highly flammable web ignites quickly. Megala and Dryshik have been up with the other group and pushing them from the edge. Alzar casts Searing Serpent in front of the Ettercap and adds another source of fire.

The Ettercap has screamed and clicks at the same time and other spiders and Ettercaps are moving about. Alzar sees some move quickly. In just three rounds, half of the web is on fire, and of course, Alzar is immune to the fire. The spiders are not, and many are being crisped and attacked by the fire. Their home and maze and trap is completely going up.

The brides and walkways are beginning to collapse, and the Natural bridge above is actually hardened webbing and the flames are licking it too. Flaming webbing is falling into the gulley, and its stream, below. The walkway below Alzar loosens, and he activates the belt.

It falls, and spiders and ettercaps are dying, but a couple are fleeing up the gully side, and Alzar cannot have that. He flies up to a giant spider, and casts Skulltrap and kills it. Blastbones damage another one even more than the smoke did, and Alzar flies up and twacks it for 6 damage and kills it.

Then Alzar hears a tremendous screech and looks. There is a gargantuan spider much much larger than a Giant one. He’s never seen one that big. The fire has caused it to fall and its bulk is unable to stop the tremendous crash from it hitting the ground and dying.

The Ettercap that was once human is no where to be seen. Did it die? Did it survive? Alzar can’t tell, but there’s no more movement anywhere, and the web is destroyed or still burning on the ground. A few trees in the gully have caught on fire, but it won’t spread. Alzar has Dryshik and Megala and himself fly around and search for spider-y life or treasure that might have been on there. Alzar spies a metallic glint and swings down. It’s a silver rod. Alzar grabs it. He can tell is a Rod of Terror. Identify will be used later for the number of charges (8).

They fly back up, rejoin the group, and continue back and eventually find the right path to get out of this area.
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Old 05-07-2010, 08:09 PM   #241
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Charge used in belt.

Now, how much XP to award to Alzar? Here are the XP combined from all of the creatures in the area. 6950. Should he get XP from them all? For just throwing some torches? So, we’re giving him full XP for the Skull trap and the one he twacked, and then rounding it up to a reasonable number.

2000 +200 for bonus.

2200

Alzar is now at 28878


Four days later, Alzar and company have arrived at a town called Hochoch. It’s about 1000 strong, and they stay at a local inn. About two days south of here, the road veers back to the right path at Fort Amber, and then is about a week away.

One day west of Hochoch is the town of Orlane, a farming community of around 300, but recently the travels from Orlane have been attacked or refused service. It’s pretty weird there right now. Alzar can choose to go south, and try to make it to Fort Amber within 10 days, or go west and check out Orlane.

Why not go ahead and see what’s up?
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Old 05-07-2010, 08:15 PM   #242
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N1. Against the Cult of the Reptile God







This is easily Douglas Niles’s best module for the game. I’m sort of torn between Douglas Niles. He does great stuff like this and Skills and Options, and then he is an awful writer for the Darkwalker trilogy, and such. His other modules are just okay. This one was ranked 19 in the Top 30 article by dungeon about 6 or 7 years ago. I was considering not doing it, since it is for starters, but I will be increasing the numbers of bad guys and removing a key ally for the second half of the module. The final battle against the evil one is helped by an ally with Dispel Magic and a Globe of Invulnerability, etc. We won’t have that ally. I think it will be fine, then.
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Old 05-07-2010, 08:39 PM   #243
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They make for Orlane and arrive after dark, and see no one on their way past houses. That’s not too unusual in a farming town, though, where people go to bed early and wake up early. They pass a few buildings, and then see an inn at a crossroads where the north path passes a bridge and this road continues on into the heart of the town. They dismount and arrive at the Golden Grain Inn.

It is a large wooden inn decorated with wooden golden sheaves, peeling whitewashed paint, and a corral and stable off the side – empty. They lead the wagons and horses in.


Here is Orlane:

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Old 05-07-2010, 10:08 PM   #244
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They enter the inn and there are around 6 customers, who all appear to be locals. The place is subdued and they are all sitting by themselves except for a couple eating together. The proprietor moves to them and greets them warmly, and introduces himself as Bertram Beswill. He gets them food and tables. The prices are a bit steep, and they order dinner and drink. Bertram welcomes them to Orlane and asks their business. Alzar tells them they are traveling, and want to take a few days off the road. The innkeeper tells them that there are not many travelers these days, and offers them rooms at a discount. Why is that? Well, I’d best not say to strangers, so I keep my mouth shut and my inn clean, Betram replies. Alzar agrees to a room. Betram orders someone to take care of their horses and wagons, and then gets them a room. (Bertram successfully makes an INT roll of his own)

Alzar heads out to lock the doors and surreptiously has Dryshik and Megala take up posts to observe for him. They go check on the room, and it is a nice one for just 2 gold a night a pretty good deal for a nice room like this, but it’s no suite like they had at Hommlet. It’s longer, has a fireplace, a table with three chairs, cabinet, and just one bed, but big though. Alzar decides to call it a night since they got in late, and many have gone to bed in the town already. Beswill points out there is just one bed for all three of them, and offers to put Aleigha up in an empty room by herself (or vice versa) for just one gold more, since they have the empty beds and strangers are rare these days. Aleigha wants to, and Alzar agrees and Aleigha will stay in the very next room.

Four hours later, while Alzar, Aleigha and Estiash are sleeping, Derek Densleigh, a thief in another room uses a secret passage to sneak down towards their room, and moves to open a secret door in the back of Aleigha’s room. Bertram’s INT roll alerted him to Alzar’s quick question about the town, and led him to suspect that Alzar was planning to investigate. Therefore, Derek is moving to handle the situation. He is moving towards her.

Will he succeed in his Move Quietly check? Easily. A cleric casts silence on a stone, and then moves into the hallways and creeps along with five other people to the door of Aleigha’s room, and then they open it. Derek guards the back secret door, and the cleric and her group enter the front door and close it behind them and lock it.

Does Aleigha sense anything? It’s very dark, Derek made his move silently roll, and there is a silence spell going on. Unlikely, but let’s roll. 35 on a 100, not close. The first person attacks with a blackjack to Aleigha’s head. It automatically hits. She takes 2 damage and is knocked out in one blow (blackjacks have that chance). They grab her things, and take her out by the secret door, and away. Nothing of hers remains in the room.
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Old 05-07-2010, 10:37 PM   #245
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Quite the nasty setup they have going there.
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Old 05-07-2010, 10:41 PM   #246
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Alzar and Estiash greet the morning like any morning. They begin to get ready, and then after largely doing so, Alzar leaves and knocks on Aleigha;s door, and hears nothing. He knocks once more and leaves, thinking she may have gone down for breakfast. When the innkeeper’s son says that he hasn’t seen her that morning, Alzar goes back up, knocks a few more times, and then comes back down and asks to be let in her room. The son does so, and they find a room devoid of its occupant or her things. Alzar orders Estiash to get armored, and his weapons, and does so as well. In 15 minutes they are packed and ready to head out. Alzar confirms with Dryshik that he saw nothing last night anywhere near the wagons and stables, and he agrees. Alzar leaves the inn, unlocks wagon, and him and Estaish sit down and talk it over.

The stables can see the front door. Three options – she left magically, they left through an exit elsewhere, or they are still in the inn. Whatever the issue is, there is one blatantly obvious suspect. Who asked them to split up into separate rooms? They will go back into the Inn, demand to inspect the property to ensure she is not there, and Estiash will make a big fuss while Alzar casts ESP and reads Bertram’s mind.

They go back in and demand to see Bertram. In a minute he arrives, and tells them he is terribly sorry about what happened. He will do anything in his power to see her found and returned. He points out that many of those that go missing here come back in a few weeks or days after being pressed. Estaish begins to yell at him and demand they be able to search the entire inn from top to bottom and Alzar turns his back and casts ESP.
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Old 05-07-2010, 10:41 PM   #247
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tellistto View Post
Quite the nasty setup they have going there.

yeah, this is a good one, espeically nasty against 1sts. There are a few npcs you cna use as allies, acouple of elves, a 7th level mage, a ranger. We will be going it bare though.
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Old 05-07-2010, 11:22 PM   #248
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They go back in and demand to see Bertram. In a minute he arrives, and tells them he is terribly sorry about what happened. He will do anything in his power to see her found and returned. He points out that many of those that go missing here come back in a few weeks or days after being pressed. Estiash begins to yell at him and demand they be able to search the entire inn from top to bottom and Alzar turns his back and casts ESP.

The innkeeper makes his save. Alzar moves in front and begins to ask the innkeeper questions about where he was last night to keep him talking.

The next round, the innkeeper fails. Alzar asks if the innkeeper knows where Aleigha is, and he says know. That’s a lie, she is here, in a secret underground chamber. Alzar asks if the innkeeper knows who abducted her, and he says no. That is also a lie. It was a cleric from the Temple of Bathala and a thief upstairs and 5 other locals.

Innkeeper makes the save.

Last round. Fails the save. Why are they taking Aleigha? I don’t know. A lie, to take her and others to The Reptile God and convert her to its service.
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Old 05-07-2010, 11:47 PM   #249
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Alzar smiles and thanks the innkeeper for his service, and he looks a little confused. While I am sure that she is long gone, would you consent to allow us to search your inn, with you at our side of course, as we inspect the area for clues, and just to make sure. Surprised by his kindness and politeness when expecting a lot more, all the innkeeper can do is agree. Alzar orders Megala and Dryshik to guard the entrance to the inn and to see through several windows, and then they agree to start upstairs.

They double check her room for any items or clues and find none. They next door over is without a room, and the one beside it is also empty. The next over is their largest room and someone is renting it out. Alzar knocks and asks to enter. Derek introduces himself, and Alzar instantly recognizes him as the thief Bertram was thinking of. Alzar asks to inspect the room, and Derek looks at the innkeeper and then relents. They make a big show of checking under the bed, in the cabinet, etc. Then Alzar thanks him, and
they leave.

They also check a merchant’s room, a private dining room, and the dormitory room. They then move back to the first level, and check Bertram’s den and bedroom and make a nice show of looking everywhere. Bertram’s son and the cook are a bit puzzled when they enter the kitchen and look and check the whole place. They explain why they are there. Alzar and Bertram and Estaish head downstairs and check the large main cellar room, with tables, chairs, and such. They move to the wetgoods storage room with kegs, casks, and such. There is wines, beers and ales of various sorts in here. Nothing found in an inspection.

Then Alzar, Estaish and Bertram move into the final room. This is the drygoods storage room and inside is a wooden floor, upon which are stacked crates and boxes. They have plates, utensils, flour, grain and other such things., Alzar asks Bertrma to open up all of the ones large enough to hold Aleigha. While working on a particularly stubborn nail, Alzar casts Charm Person on him.

Succees! Sort of. Bertram turns to look at Alzar. “Who are you?”

“Wait, am I not your friend?” “No, I don’t know you, wait, you were a patron last night...” “I’m Alzar, and this is Estaish, we came to stay at your inn here last night, that’s true.” “Things are a little fuzzy. Why are we here in this room?”

This is interesting, Alzar thinks. Bertram was charmed! The combination of two charms means they each cancel each other out. Time for all of the cards on the table.

For the next fifteen minutes, Alzar tells Bertram everything they know, and points out that in Magecraft, one charm cancels another, and since Bertram was charmed by another, Alzar freed him accidentally, because he thought Bertram was their enemy. And everyone else in on it thinks you still are.

Bertram cannot remember everything. Apparently, he was charmed for over a year, and that’s pretty incredible for this spell. It will take him a few days, weeks, maybe a month or two to remember everything (If only this were Alzar at a later level, when he had the Hypnotism non-weapon proficiency)

Bertram does not remember where Aleigha is, but there is a secret room in the main cellar room, so they enter it, and it is a secret meeting room. There is a ladder going up to Bertram’s bedroom. Is has a couple of tables, and there is a door to the east. Bertram tells them that this was not there, and he doesn’t know where it came from. They agree to help out Bertram. Alzar punches Bertram and ties him up. He will pretend to have been knocked unconscious. Just play along, and pretend your memory is fuzzy from the punch. Then we can explore and you won’t get in trouble. Bertram is in.
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Old 05-08-2010, 12:04 AM   #250
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The corridor beyond the door has been recently built and looks really shamble-y. There are heavy, rough hewn timbers keeping the ceiling aloft. They keep going, and soon the tunnel splits into three tunnels heading south, west, and south west. Alzar chooses south, the closest to their original orientation.

They head south and get close to a chamber on the left. They enter the chamber and see, behind a closed gate, three ghouls. Estaish tells Alzar how lucky he is, and he just smiles. One unsuccessful controlling attempt later and they decide to skip the ghouls. (rolled a freakin’ 2)

The corridor splits into threes again, west, north and north west. They continue west. They quickly arrive at a chamber with a giant statue of a giant snake like creature with a human head. It is worth 5000 gold easily but would be very heavy. It was carved out of ivory. They search and find nothing, heading back. They take the northwest passage. It goes for a bit (nobody finds anything). It continues, or another passage goes off west, so they go off, and it curls into a chamber. There is nothing here, and a search turns up nothing. They head back, continues, and find a corner chamber with a large pile of loose earth. They move around, and suddenly a mudviper is exposed from the earth and attacks. Without any undead foes, Alzar orders Estaish back. It ambushes Estiash but it’s fangs cannot penetrate his armor this time.

Alzar tosses his dagger at it. A hit (rolled an 18) for 6 damage. It’s fine though, this is a tougher snake, and poisonous for death. (Alzar recognizes poisonous and venomous animals and creatures with Poison Use). Estaish heads to the entrance, and Alzar is backing up. One Blastbones later, the snake has added 8 damage to its total. The room is cool and they are able to move faster than the cold-blooded creature. The blast wounded it badly, and Alzar orders Estaish to grab his sword, and they will both spring immediately….wait. Alzar just remembered.

He turns the short sword into the Fremlin, which he hasn’t done in a while. Are you damaged by a poison? The Gingwatzim tells him he isn’t. Then fight it. It jumps over and tries to claw the snake. It manages to hit for 2 damage. The snake hits back for 1 and no poison. The snake wins init and misses, as does the Fremlin. The Fremlin crits it for 6 damage and it dies.

300 XP for Alzar, 120 for Estaish.

They search the room and find nothing and Alzar turns the Gingwatzim back into a sword.

They continue and find them selves back to the beginning, so they wrap around and take the north branch this time.
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