DCC #2 Lost Vault of Tsathzar Rho "C&C Style"

[JediOre]

The previous adventure:

http://www.goodman-games.com/forums/vie ... php?t=1333

Here is the current party:

Nightwing is playing Greyson. He is a 3rd level human ranger.
JediWife is playing Alura. She is a 2nd level fighter (archer).
Ragnar1965 is playing Madriel. She is a 2nd level witch (cleric/magic-user) class we pulled from one of the Crusader Magazines.

The Set Up:

With the Black Pearl in the hands of the party’s patron, Jonas the gnome gem-merchant, they leave PortTown and return inland to the village of Dundraville. Gurt the Hobgoblin who really has no one else to turn to meets the party again on the road back. With a bit of whining they allow him to tag along as a cook and general laborer.

Upon arriving in Dundraville, Nightwing pledges to find a large red cloak for Gurt to wear for two reasons, to conceal the fact he is a hobgoblin, and to be able to call him Gurt Red Shirt. NightWing has definite ideas on how to remove the new follower it seems.

They returned to Dundraville to since it was on the way to the druidic farm commune Fairweather. The druid they met at the Druid’s Circle near the small village named Sheryn-ella had invited the party to visit upon completion of the quest to defeat the ogre who had been threatening Dundraville. The townsfolk told the party Fairweather is about three days travel north beyond Lake Dundrae. So off they go.

Three days later the PCs encounter an injured man on horseback. He explains about the crazy ogre ahead who attacked his wagon train and as far as he knows killed everyone but himself. The party asked for more details so I embellished. It seems the Dundraville ogre wasn’t the only ogre working the extortion racket. This ogre, know as Logbrag, has been running a “shake down” for several years quite well. He would charge travelers on this stretch of road coin or livestock to pass by unmolested. The merchants and regulars at first were outraged by this but paid grudgingly until they realized ol’ Logbrag insured no bandits or other riff-raff ventured nearby. The druids in nearby Fairweather came to an understanding with the ogre as well. He could go there for healing and they would not pay a toll to travel on the road.

The merchant told the party how Logbrag would sit on a pile of rocks near his cave by the road and wait for travelers. However, this time it was different. Ol’ Logbrag came racing out of his cave waving his club screaming like the devil was right behind him. The ogre looked plagued as well. He had open sores oozing puss all over his body. It was frightening to behold. The merchant’s two guards attempted to intercept the ogre and were beaten into bloody pulps. The ogre brained one of his two wagon hitched horses. While the merchant quickly unhitched the second horse his servant leapt from the wagon and raced back down the road towards the druidic farms. The ogre continued to rain blows upon the horse as the merchant fled. As he looked back, Logbrag had the dead horse on the ground and was still striking it with his large club and screaming.

The merchant tells them the road ahead is certainly not safe to travel and they would be fools to continue. “Come back with me to Dundraville where we can get a group together to fight crazy Logbrag.”

Not a chance. The party says they will look into it since slaying ogres is becoming their specialty.

And thus, Dungeon Crawl Classics #2: The Lost Vault of Tsathzar Rho begins!

More to come.

[Treebore]

Ha! My daughter is playing a Witch from Crusader 5 too! She is also 3rd level, even thought the rest fo the party is 5th, except the mage assassin.

My son will be running DCC 2 after he gets us through DCC 1 in an online SKYPE/OpenRPG game that involves a group of about 6 players.

Friday, 6 PM PST.

[JediOre]

This little post is to remind everyone:

What follows is spoilers! Don't peek if you're going to adventure here.

We use Castles & Crusades rules and most of what happened through most of the second level occured before May 2007 so it won't be highly detailed.

Sorry.

[JediOre]

So the party approaches the scene the merchant told them about. A large tor towers above the forested region and the party knows that is where the ogre’s cave will be found. They came upon the broken wagon and the horse corpse. The rough stone chair Logbrag used to survey his domain briefly intrigued the party. The elf caught sight of something lying upon the road about a quarter mile further up the trail. They investigate and find the body of the merchant’s servant. It seems Logbrag caught up and bashed him into a terrible sight. The PCs quickly decide the ogre must be confronted.

They enter the cave and immediately encounter Logbrag setting on the far side of the cave resting with his club in hand. I described the beast as plagued by some horrific disease with the oozing sores and the sickly jet black skin coloring. He welcomed the party and asked if they were ready to “take him home?” I remember Ragnar1965 being completely puzzled by meeting the ogre first thing. He firmly believed Logbrag was the main villain. The players had their characters approach the ogre slowly with weapons drawn and ready. The ogre continued to say things that illustrated to the PCs he had become completely psychotic. A fight began. The ogre’s club was deadly knocking Nightwing’s ranger a couple of times, but Logbrag couldn’t stand before the combined might of Jediwife’s elf and Nightwing’s ranger.

They looked about the cave and puzzled about the tunnel beyond and the ogre’s ambiguous “little people who became very mean to poor ol’ Logbrag.” On the party went. They came into the Great Cavern.

I don’t remember the fight with the stirges, but the party fought them and I do recall having the ranger notice the stirges had a strange appearance. They seemed to have undergone a mutation causing the skin to become thin and elastic. This made the players talk about the fact that the ogre also had a transformation of his skin. What was up?

They followed the edge of the cavern and made their way into the lair of the fire beetles. Again, since this occurred many months back I don’t remember both fights. I described the strange mutations of these beetle’s glands. The fact the glands seemed to be miniature human skulls made eyebrows rise. They were interested in the small tunnels leading out of the last fire beetle caves, but they were too small for them to explore.

They then returned to the Great Cavern. They continue to follow the wall passing the tunnel leading off to the east, but marking it for later exploration. Finally they find the large puddle of water. They spy the hole far up in the cavern ceiling. Nightwing wants to find out what’s up there. Out comes his ranger’s grapple hook. After several attempts the ranger is able to snag the hook. Up goes the ranger sixty feet to peer into the hole. Nightwing has his ranger climb to the top and brace himself upon the rope while his arms secures himself in the hole. In other words the ranger doesn’t climb up into the hole, he continues to dangle on the rope, using a knot in the rope to stand on while his torso is in the hole. I think he choose to have the ranger do this incase the PC needed to flee down the rope. However, what they do next makes me wonder!

Now the ranger begins to light a torch using flint and steel. He’s peering into the total darkness of a tunnel. Meanwhile, down below in the Great Cavern Ragnar1965’s player is yelling up to him asking if he can see anything. The ranger replies, “Not yet.” They call out to each other a few more times when all of a sudden the torch lights. Nightwing excitedly informs me his ranger looks about. What the ranger sees is not to his liking. A squinting kobold is within five foot of the ranger and holds a crossbow pointed at his head. The kobold mutters, “die” and pulls the trigger. I roll a natural 20! Double damage. The ranger takes a crossbow bolt to the head, loses his grasp on the rope and plunges sixty feet to what was almost certainly his death.

I laughed my self silly. The image of a kobold guard seeing a large human hanging off the edge of a drop yelling down to his companions all the while trying to get the torch light still makes me grin!

He lost 33 hit points on that little adventure and lives with –8 hit points. The cleric had almost no spells left and used a 0-level spell to get him a wee bit further away from that dreaded –10 hit points. At this point a fuming Nightwing who wants to get back up there to crush a certain crossbow wielding kobold dominates the game. Very funny. However, the party retreats from the cave system since their spellcaster had no cures left and headed out to the druidic commune of Fairweather.

More to come.

[JediOre]

The party flees the cavern system and the cave of Logbrag. Gurt the Hobgoblin began packing their camp and helped get the ranger safely on a quickly made gurney that would be pulled by one of the horses. They follow the road northwards about two hours leaving the odd lone mountain behind (temporally) with the hopes of healing and information from Fairweather.

Upon arriving at the druidic commune the party got to met both the young lady druid, Sheryn-ella, and the leader of the village, Thistle. Thistle, a man-like plant being, puzzled the players but the information concerning the legend of the lone mountain and the caves beneath them interested them more.

Thistle told them that legend had it when the world was young an arch-mage of overwhelming power known as Tsathzar Rho located his citadel atop the tor. It is known today as the Tsathzar Rho Pillar. It was said the magic-user trafficked with otherworldly beings of terrible might and vile in the extreme. It is said a cataclysm, self inflected, removed this monster from the world for all time. At least that is what the ancient elven lore says. So too does the memory of Tsathzar Rho live on in the memories of the great dragons.

Many druids over the years have used their animal forms to travel to the top of the old mountain to find any ruins, but none have ever been found. Perhaps Tsathzar Rho never existed at all, or at least his citadel wasn’t atop the mountain.

Also, a bandit gang used the cavern complex beyond Logbrag’s lair over fifty years again. They disappeared without a trace. It was known they captured townsfolk but no one every found out what happened to the captives. They were never ransomed.

After that the druids healed the party. On the following day, the party sets out for the caves again. Nightwing is ready to pay a debt! Gurt asks if he can stay at Fairweather. He feels he could become a farmer and that appeals to him. Thistle is happy the hobgoblin is interested and welcomes him. The players are happy to let Gurt “exit” from the game. They ask the druid-plant if they can leave their horses stable here and they walk back to Logbrag’s cave.

We ended our first day of gaming here.

[SavageRobby]

Good stuff, JediOre. I enjoy reading these.

[JediOre]

Thanks SavageRobby, glad you like the posts.

This is a great module and one I recommend.

I think the players have enjoyed this module to date as well. I've already related their first "very foolish action" with the ranger and the kobold's crossbow. We have another "what where they thinking" ahead of us that made me scratch my head. But on the other hand, both Ragnar1965 and NightWing have had some great moments to shine.

As of this posting the party is almost through the second level. I've tried my best to raise the hair up on the backs of my players, but not yet.

I'll continue to post more about their adventures as I have time.

[JediOre]

The party returns to the cave system and follows up on the lone corridor they left unexplored earlier. As they traveled carefully along the “narrow passage choked with stalactites and other rock formations” a strange encounter occurred. The ranger was in the lead with his blade Whisker drawn and glowing. Following him is the elven bow-maiden and bringing up the rear is the lady cleric/magic-user . A shroud of darkness fell upon one of the female PCs. I can’t remember if it was Ragnar1965 or Jediwife’s character who was the victim of this attack.

A long and strange encounter unfolded at this point.

I described the darkness that veiled the character. She felt something leathery and waving tentacles brush her face almost as if it was attempting to land atop her head…. The other party members were clueless as to what to do. They couldn’t penetrate the darkness and feared to stab into the darkness since they could harm their friend. Meanwhile the victim figures the creature missed and attempts to flee towards her party members. She leaves the darkness but her ankle is grasped by a tentacle and begins to be drug back into the darkness. The party attacks the darkness but seems to be unable to contact whatever is lurking within. The female party member is quickly enveloped by the darkness, but this time she had a drawn silver dagger that she begins to use liberally against this thing. She scores two hits while being strangled. Ultimately this odd octopus-beast lays dead due to stab wounds while the three players puzzle over what this thing is. (I don’t reveal what various monsters are, for in my opinion it ruins the feeling of mystery and fantasy.)

They continue along the moist corridor until they came to a wide, low cavern.

More to come.

[Nightwing]

I remember this as being a really long strange battle. I think my head was elsewhere thinking of revenge.

[JediOre]

The party enters the low-ceilinged chamber and, after crawling on their bellies, finds a mysterious chest that has been most likely built in this low cave. Since they have no thief to check for traps, they spend a lot of time coming up with ways around this. If I recall correctly, Rangar1965’s witch memorizes an old first edition cleric spell 'find traps.' Maybe not, I can’t remember honestly.

However, they realized the chest was locked and used a hammer and chisel to break open the locking mechanism. Here’s how they did it: the ranger took the dangerous job of laying on his stomach and hammer away at the chest while the females retreated back to what they thought would be a safe distance from any trap. Jediwife’s elf notched an arrow and had it ready for action. The spellcaster waited in silence. After a bit of missing the chisel and generally proving that hammering on one’s stomach isn’t easy, Nightwing’s ranger removed the lock. He carefully opened the chest and pandemonium ensued!

Four small wooden puppets leap out of the chest and begin to attack the dumbfounded ranger. He was without dexterity bonus and had heavy penalties being prone. These wooden attackers crawl about the ranger seeking weak point in his armor. They bludgeon his face and ears, one of the puppets begins to wiggle its way into the armor attempting to get at him better. Well, Nightwing doesn’t know what to do. He starts to have his PC grab his bastard sword but stops before I had the chance to remind him of the tight space; Nightwing realizes his ranger is in trouble. He asked about Whisker, his +1 rapier. No, that won’t help him either. His options include his hands or a dagger. Thus the ranger pulls out a dagger and stabs, but begins to look worried when I tell him the fine steel dagger really does no noticeable damage to the wooden puppet.

Jediwife has her elf attempt to shoot at the puppets, but throws the bow aside when I relate any arrow that would strike the puppet will also hit the ranger. The lady elf pulls a dagger and begins crawling forward.

Ragnar1965 is frantically reading over his PCs memorized spells as Nightwing is saying he is in need of help. He finds a spell and asks me how many hit points the ranger still had. I don’t remember the exact total, but it was in the low to mid-twenties as three out of the four puppets did damage this round. Ragnar1965 tells Jediwife to have her elf pull back out of the area. He lets Nightwing know this is going to hurt his ranger.

Round two: The ranger again stabs at the puppet buffeting his face and misses. The puppets all score hits on the prone ranger that puts him into the upper teens or lower twenties on hit points. Jediwife looks puzzled by Ragnar1965’s request, however my wife knows him well enough to play along when it comes to spell casting. The elf backs away and behind the witch.

I’m ready to see what Ragnar1965 has up his sleeve and he delivers a brilliant move. The witch casts 'sound burst' directly at the ranger exploding all four puppets and doing damage to the ranger, but saving him from an embarrassing doom.

They all high-five Ragnar1965 and celebrate the victory. The ranger scoops up the chest’s loot and all three back out of this claustrophobic room.

Ragnar1965, more than any other time than I can remember, was slightly disturbed by this room. He does not like tight places and the mental image of this encounter got to him a bit.

They go back to the great cavern and Nightwing is looking forward to “pay back” time!

[ragnar1965]

Ah yes...the puppet room. I don't remember being disturbed by the room. I do remember being disturbed by the puppets. Life altering memories of being about 10 and watching "Trilogy of Terror" with Karen Black on an old 13 inch tv in my room when I was supposed to be asleep comes to mind. I still remember being terrified watching the last episode about the African Zuni Fetish doll coming to life and terrorizing Karen Black's character. That's what freaked me out about that room. It's amazing how something like that from childhood sticks with you in vivid detail.

Didn't mean to get off on a tangent. I have to admit though, that Sound Burst is probably my second favorite low level spell next to Magic Missile. I'm also glad I was finally able to make my presence known in this module. Well, with the exception of alerting the kobolds up on the ledge that Nightwing was on his way (sorry 'bout that).

Good adventure so far.

[JediOre]

Using the two grappling hooks they found in the sunken chest, which they decided must have been a relic of the bandits mentioned by Thistle, all three party members ascend to the passage sixty feet above the puddle in the Great Cavern.

They played this much better the second time around. Quietly, the ranger ascends first followed by the elf even before the ranger was half way up. Once they climbed into the tunnel the ranger light a lamp and the elf crouched with bow and arrow pointing into the darkness ahead. While Greyson the Ranger is assisting the witch up, Alura the elven archer hears movement further up the low corridor. The party knows this is a bad thing.

Sure enough, the party encounters the kobold squad. The two crossbowmen begin firing at the PCs. The archer returns fire. Nightwing has his ranger pull his rapier since the ceiling is low, and rush the kobolds. He plows right through the footman, taking little damage because he wants to run his blade through the crossbow wielding kobolds. Both kobolds fire at the ranger. I missed with one, but the kobold that hurt the ranger before scored another natural-20. I couldn’t believe that the same beastie could cause so much grief to the same PC! Nightwing’s PC slew a kobold every round. His rapier, Whisker, drank the blood of at least three of the five kobolds.

After the battle, the party got a good look at the kobold’s mutations. Rough, red scales and elongated canine teeth and nails baffled the party. The fact that the each had a crude gold pendant shaped like a three-fingered hand only added to the mystery. Everything living that they have encountered in this cave system seems to have been or was being mutated. Why? Could this begin happening to them as well?

While they talked about this, Nightwing had his ranger take the carcass of the kobold who had twice did double damage with the crossbow and hurled it down the passage to the Great Cavern below. It gave him great satisfaction when I said his ranger heard the body thud into the puddle below.

They continued onward and came to the river. I really don’t remember much about them crossing. They had to fight the two giant centipedes in the gloomy light of the lamp and no one fell into the water. The did find the “gleam of gold” in the river and upon dispatching the insects proceeded to fish out the skeleton and its iron box. As with the sunken chest, the players thought this may be a relic of the bandits. The eerie part of this encounter that I do remember is that one of the PCs got a brief glimpse of the centipedes carapace having a red mark (Paint? Mutation?) of a three-fingered hand. Since both creatures fell into the river and floated downstream they could not be sure of really what they saw.

Across the river, they explored the left tunnel, noting the right tunnel for later exploration.

The fight with the kobolds and the “rat trap,” I’m sorry to say, has left my memory completely. I don’t remember if they got caught in this nasty little net trap. I vaguely recall they did, but it could be my mind recalling my “dry run” on how I’d play out the encounter if they got caught vs. if they didn’t. Perhaps one of the players remembers a net trap and kobolds shooting at them. Either way, the kobolds in this dead in cave soon expired and the party explored the area, leaving the rats in their pen.

The party returned to the river cave and proceeded along the right hand tunnel.

I hope I’m doing justice to Mr. Mearls module, both in the DMing (CKing) and in the retelling of the adventure. This is a module that should inspire a feeling among the players similar to what one gets when reading Clark Ashton Smith or H. P. Lovecraft.

[Nightwing]

While they talked about this, Nightwing had his ranger take the carcass of the kobold who had twice did double damage with the crossbow and hurled it down the passage to the Great Cavern below. It gave him great satisfaction when I said his ranger heard the body thud into the puddle below.

Kobolds are vermin and I will wipe them out.....all of them. I still have no idea how I survived a cross bow bolt to the head and a fall like that.

[Warduke]

Both kobolds fire at the ranger. I missed with one, but the kobold that hurt the ranger before scored another natural-20. I couldn’t believe that the same beastie could cause so much grief to the same PC!

the sinister dweomers of the vault ought to resurrect that kobold as a ur-lich reverent that will haunt nightwing for the rest of his days.

[JediOre]

Bhaw-ha-ha! The Curse of the Undying Mutant Kobold!

[JediOre]

The PCs encountered another troop of five kobolds and made quick work of them; they got initiative. To date all the kobolds have shown the same types of mutations they first meet back at the tunnel above the Great Cavern. The party has also begun a collection of the odd three-fingered hand shaped golden pendants. I’m asking them what they think is going on, and none of them is willing to offer a guess *sigh* I had hoped someone would be putting together a theory. If any had one at this point in the game, none was willing to venture it.

They decide to continue to follow the sloping tunnel upwards after they notice a stone bounce into the cave from the upward tunnel. The ranger, grasping his bastard sword, led the way. They heard the cry of kobolds. The ranger understands draconic so he understood they had been seen and a defense had been mounted ahead in the tunnel. Nightwing, figuring all hope of stealth was now lost, had his PC roar out a battle cry and charges up the tunnel. Several large rocks come bouncing down towards the PCs. Nightwing rolls several impressive Dexterity Saves and continues onward with little momentum lost. The others however didn’t fare quite as well and got slowed down with each taking some damage from being struck by the large stones.

Greyson the Ranger burst into the room and begins swinging at anything that moves. Kobolds die like flies! His dice rocked. He had two of the five troops down fast when a truly frightening kobold makes his presence known. The thing has a huge cloudy eye and a small horn on its head. This kobold has mutations far and away different and much more disturbing than the others. The players didn’t have time to dwell on it because the tables began to turn. This new opponent brandished a wand and two magical bolts flew unerringly into the ranger. Nightwing asks how long before the other two arrive. The to female PCs are two rounds away since both were knocked down by the large stones.

I still remember this part of the fight. Nightwing has his ranger talk in Draconic and insults the lot of the kobolds, promising to remove the life from all in the room. The fight continues with a kobold warrior dieing every round but they began to give as good as they got. Couple that with the wand’s magic hitting the ranger as well, Nightwing began to get a bit nervous.

In the nick of time, Jediwife and Ragnar1965’s PCs arrive to do battle. The lady elven archer fires an arrow into the magic wielding kobold. This is followed up by Rangar1965’s witch casting magic missile into the same. The wand-using kobold crumples back and falls over dead, its body becoming lost in its dirty yellow robes. The ranger ends the battle with a well-placed attack on the lone warrior.

They search the room and its contents. The five warrior kobolds have the same type of changes on their bodies – reddish scale patches, canines becoming fangs, and fingernails becoming sharp claws – and also wear the strange golden pendants. The sixth body clothed in an old yellow robe is a “horse of a different color.” Its right eye has grown to twice the size of the left eye and has taken on a cloudy coloration. Instead of patches of reddish scales, this being’s skin has become overtaken with this reddish scales and a single, small upturned horn protrudes atop its head. All in all this being is both loathsome and scary.

Rangar1965 is very excited about the wand and intrigued with the “leather-bound book containing black, flowing script in an unknown tongue.” Sadly his PC is unable to make neither heads nor tails of what this book might contain and they put it with the rest of the loot to examine later.

They leave the room and return to explore further. Coming to the river docks the party decides to rest the night and in the morrow launch out into the river on one of the mushroom stock rafts.

[Nightwing]

I have a theory on what is happing to the Kobolds. They are not real Kobolds they are created by some sort of corrupted magic. They are like clones but each one is a stranger copy than the last. The symbol is what is creating them.

[JediOre]

Down stream the party went on the giant mushroom stock raft. Nightwing has his ranger hold one of the wooden polls and stays at the back of the raft. Jediwife’s lady archer stays posed at the front with bow and arrow ready against any threats. Ragnar1965 has his witch remain in the middle of the raft with a light torch.

After a few minutes the elf spots a shadowy bulk hanging above in the gloom ahead. The players quickly realize their PCs are heading towards a giant spider’s web. Keep in mind that although spiders lost their intelligence in 3rd edition, mine never did. The players are aware that large/giant spiders have an evil intellect when I run a game. They huddle and Ragnar1965 tells me his PC lights two more torches and now all the party has a light torch. They then have the PCs lie flat on their backs and wave the torches overhead to keep the spider at bay. I’d never heard of such a thing. I rule the spider doesn’t want to attempt to attack with flame moving all about on the raft below. So the party safely drifts under the web and further downstream.

Soon the spider’s web fades into the gloom of the tunnel and all they hear is the lapping of the river against the raft. The tunnel opens into a huge underground pool. The ranger begins to pull the party out of the river’s current and takes the raft to the left into the darkness. They keep the wall of the cavern within sight to their left. Shortly crossbow bolts begin to menace the party. They all figure more kobolds lurk ahead somewhere. Nightwing’s ranger knows kobolds have darkvision so the party is in trouble. Ragnar1965 begins looking in the Player’s Handbook again. I know a spell is being examined. Jediwife wanted to know how long before her elf’s vision will show the kobolds. I let her know the elf will see them before the humans but it might be a while. She also asked if the elf heard anything. I had her roll a 20-sided to see. I told her the elf could hear in this dark, quite cave the sound of crossbows being cocked and, more importantly, the sound of movement on stone.

Jediwife puts two and two together and figures they must be close to the “shore” of this body of water. Rangar1965 had Jediwife look at something in the Handbook. Nightwing has his ranger and the other PCs crouching low to make it harder to hit them.

Jediwife asks me if her PC has a good idea where the crossbow firing opponents are. I rule the elf had a general idea. That was the answer the two of them wanted. Rangnar1965 whispers stuff to Nightwing. It was driving me crazy. Nightwing likes what he hears and declares his ranger sheds anything cumbersome including armor.

Ragnar1965 has his witch cast a “light” type spell (I don’t remember which one) on the feathers of one of the elf’s arrows. The elf, in turn, stands up and fires the arrow in the direction of the enemy. She makes me know the archer is aiming low. The arrow shoots across the distance and embeds itself amidst a group of kobolds. With the light spell showing the party who and where the enemy is, Nightwing has his ranger leap into the water and, swimming underwater, quickly climbs up among the kobolds all the while pulling his bastard sword out to bring the fight to the kobolds.

The elf continues to fire arrows only this time at the kobolds. The small witch is left to try and poll the raft towards the shore.

Soon the fight is over with five mutated kobolds dead at the feet of the PCs. The party beaches the raft and begins to explore this new cavern system.

[Nightwing]

I thought for sure the spider would attack. I kept thinking Lord of the Rings.

[JediOre]

Yea, my idea of fantasy spiders comes from my reading The Hobbit as a boy. Nasty things those spiders!

Shelob wouldn't have fallen for your little game, but this spider was no Shelob.

[Warduke]

awesome tactics. such a change from the money shot with the crossbow. i'm really loving following the ongoing adventures of your party.

[JediOre]

Thanks Warduke. That made my day.

[JediOre]

So the party moves further into the cavern system. They encounter a large cave that serves as a barracks for many of these mutilated kobolds. This fight was much more intense as all ten kobolds almost overcome the party of three. We battled for well over eight rounds before the last mutant died. This battle pealed away quite a bit of hit points from the elven archer and the ranger. In turn, many of the witch’s curing spells were used to get the fighters back up to speed. More of the strange three-fingered pendants are found on each of the kobolds.

The party continued to explore further into the barracks and carefully pushed their way past an old rotten carpet that was being used as a door. They come into the derro chamber. I wish I could remember this encounter well because it was a gem! I recall the vile, degenerate dwarves lurked under the beds and each fired their crossbows at the elf. I recalled both hitting but Jediwife was able to overcome the poison. She had her elven maiden race across the space and leapt atop one of the beds. Nightwing had his ranger also charging across with his bastard sword ready to be thrust under the bed. It was cool. I remember Jediwife having the elf shooting arrows through the mattress in hopes to strike the unknown assailant. Meanwhile the ranger is taking shots from a crossbow while he slashed under the bed. It was cool. I do apologize for this battle being fuzzy.

The players were amazed when Ragnar1965’s PC identified the strange, stocky corpses as derro. What on earth are these sadistic, depraved dwarf-kin doing here? They didn’t seem like leaders; perhaps allies or guests? They simply don’t have enough of the puzzle pieces to come to a conclusion as to what’s going on.

The party leaves the room with both fighters at roughly half their hit points. Danger lurks ahead for the PCs.

[ragnar1965]

I'm having a lot of fun with this adventure. It's funny though...I've been use to playing in a group that had 8 pc's (sometimes 9). Now I'm playing in a group that has 3...2 fighter types and my cleric-magic user. No thief, no full fledged cleric or full fledged magic user. I'm finding play much different with this few of characters. We have to be much more careful (something that I'm not really famous for). I think it's making me a better player though.

Wow, that was a paragraph of complete and utter nonsense that will mean nothing to anyone but me. Broke up the monotony of back to back posts though. That way Jedi doesn't get all broody and self conscious.

[Treebore]

I have a theory on what is happing to the Kobolds. They are not real Kobolds they are created by some sort of corrupted magic. They are like clones but each one is a stranger copy than the last. The symbol is what is creating them.

That is a nice evil idea. There is even a monster that can do that.