Storytime - Palace in the Wastes

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Jezza
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Storytime - Palace in the Wastes

Post by Jezza »

Run under Pathfinder Beta Rules.

Our heroes -
Shadow, CN Half-Elf Rogue 8
Bud Rockford, CG Dwarf Fighter 7
Kvorth, CG Human Bard 7
Madeline, NG Kobold (orginally Half-Elf, died and reincarnated) Druid 6
Danbar, CN Elf Ranger 1 / Rogue 4 / Shadowdancer 1
Morpeus, CN Dwarf Barbarian 6
(Also Tanis Farreach, NG Dwarf Ranger 5. Currently without a player, travelling around with the group but not actively adventuring.)

Some time back, the heroes found a map on the body of a minotaur-blooded bandit they slew. On further examination it turned out to reveal the location of the legendary Palace in the Wastes. They have now mounted an expedition to the Achsfel Wastes to see what they can loot from this fabled location. After they reached the strange building, straddling a huge ravine in the desert, they fell back to a cave they had seen about an hour back to set up their camp.
The next day Tanis remained at the cave as backup and the others returned to the ravine. The front door was open and as the sky began to rain acid, they stepped through, ignoring the intricately carved pillars at the entrance...
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Jengenritz
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Joined: Sat Dec 04, 2004 7:44 pm

Re: Storytime - Palace in the Wastes

Post by Jengenritz »

ignoring the intricately carved pillars at the entrance...
HAHAHAHAHA! Fools! FOOLS I say!
Co-Author: The Almanac of the Endless Traders, DCC #13, DCC #29, DCC #49, DCC #51, DCC #52, DCC #63

Author: DCC #55: Isle of the Sea Drake, DCC #61: Citadel of the Corruptor, more to come....
Jezza
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Posts: 88
Joined: Tue Dec 26, 2006 1:35 am
Location: Auckland, New Zealand

Re: Storytime - Palace in the Wastes

Post by Jezza »

Oops, never got round to keeping this up to date, and we've been playing this module for over three months. Might well finish tomorrow though.
In the last session the heroes had just killed Bullba and Shaviss.
Madeline's player left the group due to moving in RL and so the kobold druid is now a support character like Tanis.
A new player brought in a 6th level cleric last week, and tomorrow we will be joined by a 6th level sorceror and the guy who played Bud is bringing in a 7th level wizard.
Danbar was killed by Ordo, but Madeline was able to bring him back to life when the dryad gave them some components for reincarnate, he went from being an elf to a half-elf (as he originally had 10 Con I suggested this was the gods' way of telling him he needed more hit points)
The heroes have the rod, the ring and the ribbon, and have completed the first two parts of the ritual (due to the number and level of the party they need all three to get protection from the hand). I'm pretty sure they'll get the third as well so there'll be no Unmade shenanigans (sadly).
Amusingly Bud ending up killing the demilich as he didn't understand the creature's pleas for mercy in Falsoom and Draconic, and that the fate of the world depended on it. Some of the others understood the latter and tried to tell him to stop but but the group had some nasty experiences with the demilich in DCC#14 and he wasn't having it. Korok's shell should have protected him... but Bud rolled a natural 20. The bard realized that the creature would at some point come back to life, so on subsequent days it was a matter of going and checking if it had happened yet (getting Bud to wait in the corridor).
They ended up getting the oil without defeating the effigy, and at the cost of Bud's life, as it came chasing after him as the only chaotic person present. Everyone else was able to get away, but at only 20' movement poor Bud kept getting charged until it took him down in the harpies' courtyard.
The only rooms they have left to explore are the spherevault (which they haven't yet found due to very poor rolls on the eleven senses search check by myself on behalf of Shadow), the hag room, Raknulz' cave and Yephaiel and the Well of the Axe.
After this we'll go onto either the Vault of the Iron Overlord, the Volcano Caves or Escape from the Forest of Lanterns, I'm going to let the characters decide.
Jezza
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Posts: 88
Joined: Tue Dec 26, 2006 1:35 am
Location: Auckland, New Zealand

Re: Storytime - Palace in the Wastes

Post by Jezza »

Finished this the week before last in a very fun session.
The heroes had obtained shellcracker and were well prepared for Yephaiel when they fought him, taking him down in 3 or 4 rounds.
Being drawn into the Well rather caught them on the hop, however, and they had a mcuh tougher time with the Hand of Cadixtat.
The barbarian and the wizard Electra (a new character, brought in to replace the late Bud) were both blinded by the belliphim's death throes, so I made them go into the adjoining room before I drew up the battlemap. The barbarian had taken Blind Fight a few levels back and never used it so he was glad to get a chance.
The rogue had tumbled up onto the altar and was trying to figure out what to do. His first thought was that the altar had to be unlocked before the Word could be spoken... good thing it wasn't him who had the Key of Yephaiel.
Tanis the ranger (who was a spare character and has been taken over by a new player whose only experience of the game was 1st Ed) found the Horn of Blasting in amongst the wreckage and proceeded to pick it up and use it against the hand... 4 times! He had 37hp and thus there was a possibility that he could have been killed if it had blown up, but I always rolled over the ever-increasing explosion chance.
Kvorth the bard had the Rod of Law stuck in his hand and was glad to be in a situation where he could be effective in melee for once. Between his extra-powerful blows and the sonic blasts from the horn they managed to kill the Hand.
They were then able to seal the axe once and for all, and Shadow, Kvorth and Morpeus were happy to return to their true alingments (CN, CG and N respectively).
With an excellent knowledge roll Kvorth was able to figure out what the blood of Cadixtat he'd been carrying around in a bottle would do (1d4 decrease to a random stat, the same amount added to another random stat). Being chaotic again he decided to knock it back and see what happened. He rolled some dice and went from 12 Strength and 19 Charisma to 11 Strength and 20 Charisma, a result he was very happy with.
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