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

[JediOre]

The party now continues to explore and proceeds along a natural tunnel that slowly ascends. As they proceed they begin to notice a change in the rock tunnel. The natural stone begins to change into a strange “black substance.” It “is cool to the touch and reacts much like granite to weapon strikes, tapping, and other efforts to inspect it.” However, this substance has a menacing quality to it as well. Jediwife’s elf immediately begins to feel a sense of dread as if they were walking into an evil far beyond the vile temple of the summoner Suto and the demonic “Voice Below” from DCC #0. Ragnar1965’s PC, bring up the rear, has a slight panic attack as the shadows from their lamp seemed to bunch about her as if they had a life of their own and wished to smother her.

Truly they feel they are getting to the root of this evil mutation and perhaps will get an idea as to what is going on in this module.

Their concerns about the transformation, or perhaps mutation, of the surrounding stone is stopped when I declare a melee and a troop of twelve kobolds attack with six of them using crossbows and the others marching upon our heroes with shields and short sword. Although I have no memory of this particular combat (it occurred five months back) it was enough to drop all the party members to less than ten hit points each. I do remember all of them exiting combat with little left to fight with.

It was at this point the players ruin a perfectly good idea of retreat with an incredibly bone-headed idea as to where to retreat to!

The party flees after looting the bodies of the dozen mutated kobolds (each of which had the strange pendent again) back to the beach. Instead of boarding the raft and returning to the above level, the party camps on the beach only several hundred feet from the latest combat and beyond is a corridor leading to who knows where. The party will learn that no rest is given to sillies who camp on an enemy’s doorstep.

More in my next post.

[JediOre]

As I mentioned earlier, the party retreats to the shore and sets up camp. They do take the precaution to use two of the mushroom stock rafts as a make-shift wall. About an hour into their rest a kobold scout locates them and problems begin.

After two waves of kobolds, the party, now truly “on the ropes,” decide it would be best to take to the water and pole their way back to a safe haven. They used several of their precious potions of cure wounds to keep the party able to fight off the vicious mutant kobolds, which they did well.

After a brief discussion the players opt to travel back to the first level where they know no kobolds remain. They also took the preventative measure of setting off with all the rafts in tow, insuring (they hoped) the kobolds would be hard pressed to follow them.

They had even come up with a method to dispatch the giant spider if need be. I thought it was a sound strategy and they got to put it in action. As the ranger poled upstream the elf strained her eyes peering upwards into the gloomy shadows above seeking the dark bulk near or on the web that would reveal the spider’s presence. She located it (it was too close for comfort) and strung her bow. Ragnar1965 had his spellcaster ready what had to be one of the last spells she had. The elf pulled the bow and aimed carefully at the spider. The spider had prepared itself to pounce on the party and the ranger had almost pushed the raft into its range. Just before she released the cleric/magic-user cast magic flame on the fletching of the arrow and off flew the missile!

Jediwife rolled very well, and even with a severe penalty, her PC struck true. The spider now had an arrow deeply embedded in its thorax while the feathered end shown like a beacon for the party to home in on. And that’s exactly what they did too. The elven archer fired her bow. The ranger pulled the pole onto the raft and began firing his crossbow. The witch pulled her new wand of magic missiles and used it we gusto. They had no intention on allowing that spider a fair shake in this battle. I was robbed! The spider never had a chance. It couldn’t run and hide with the glowing arrow and it was going to take several rounds for it to remove the arrow. Thus it dropped quickly upon the party. That didn't even go as I had planed because I had to rule the raft, not being poled, was drifting away from the spider quickly. So the spider had to really jump if it wanted to bring the fight to the party. It made it, nonetheless, the ranger finished it the moment it landed with a cleave of his bastard sword. The beast slipped off and sank into the murky depths of the river, gliding downstream all the while.

The PCs reached the pier at the far end of this river, the location they had rested the night before. Here they camped for several days regaining their strength.

[ragnar1965]

You have no idea how much I can't wait for 4 or 5 more levels. Jedi loves 1st-3rd level. I don't. Give me spells like Wall of Ice, Charm Monster, Implode...alright, that comes a little later. You get the idea. I prefer making things that don't agree with me go...boom. And most importantly, you NEVER run from a kobold.

I have two characters in the aforementioned 8-10 party group. At least they used to be in that group. Now, they are in my solo party of 5 going though Fane of the Witch King. It's a 10th level wizard and 12th level Ranger/Battle Blade PC. 10th level wizards in 3.x were fun enough, but 10th level wizards in C&C are more like a 1st edition 10th level wizard. They are truly bad news. A 2nd level wizard/cleric running from kobolds, however are really hard to swallow. Especially when I'm pretty sure the main baddie in this module is NOT going to be a kobold.

BTW, my dislike for low level characters is in no way indicative of the low level modules. This is a great module so far. It's just a personal choice for me to not be crazy about playing low level pc's.

[Nightwing]

They had even come up with a method to dispatch the giant spider if need be. I thought it was a sound strategy and they got to put it in action. As the ranger poled upstream the elf strained her eyes peering upwards into the gloomy shadows above seeking the dark bulk near or on the web that would reveal the spider’s presence. She located it (it was too close for comfort) and strung her bow. Ragnar1965 had his spellcaster ready what had to be one of the last spells she had. The elf pulled the bow and aimed carefully at the spider. The spider had prepared itself to pounce on the party and the ranger had almost pushed the raft into its range. Just before she released the cleric/magic-user cast magic flame on the fletching of the arrow and off flew the missile!

Jediwife rolled very well, and even with a severe penalty, her PC struck true. The spider now had an arrow deeply embedded in its thorax while the feathered end shown like a beacon for the party to home in on. And that’s exactly what they did too. The elven archer fired her bow. The ranger pulled the pole onto the raft and began firing his crossbow. The witch pulled her new wand of magic missiles and used it we gusto. They had no intention on allowing that spider a fair shake in this battle. I was robbed! The spider never had a chance. It couldn’t run and hide with the glowing arrow and it was going to take several rounds for it to remove the arrow. Thus it dropped quickly upon the party. That didn't even go as I had planed because I had to rule the raft, not being poled, was drifting away from the spider quickly. So the spider had to really jump if it wanted to bring the fight to the party. It made it, nonetheless, the ranger finished it the moment it landed with a cleave of his bastard sword. The beast slipped off and sank into the murky depths of the river, gliding downstream all the while.

The PCs reached the pier at the far end of this river, the location they had rested the night before. Here they camped for several days regaining their strength.

I thought we burned the web and it burned the spider. Am I thinking of something else? To be pretty honest I am getting tired of the endless waves of kobols it's like Aliens. I think we should find momma kobold cut her head off and nuke the site from space.

[JediOre]

Now that you mention it, that may have been the reason the spider had to make a jump for the raft. Gee, it's been so many months ago. Fire does seem to have played a part in this fight.

I do remember this was the first time in the ranger's career (and he's third level) that his crossbow actually hit something.

[ragnar1965]

I do remember this was the first time in the ranger's career (and he's third level) that his crossbow actually hit something.

Wow, I felt that sting all the way over here! Who knew Jedi had a sense of humor?

[Nightwing]

[quote="I do remember this was the first time in the ranger's career (and he's third level) that his crossbow actually hit something.[/quote]


Danger this line of talking will lead you......

[JediOre]

So, the party poles their way back down the river to try their luck with the kobolds again. What both Nightwing and Ragnar1965 have written about their dislike of kobolds in the above posts was already in place way back in May. This seemed to be a one way trip. They didn’t plan on returning to this spot for rest again. It’s amazing to see such grim determination in the game.

They beach the raft without problem near the dock. Carefully they proceed back to the corridor with the transmutated black stone. Up they go slightly tense that just ahead of them in the darkness lurked more of the mutated kobolds. Again upon gaining the region of the natural rock changing to the strange black rock-like substance they all had a since of dread. The shadows began to take on a more sinister form. The elf could feel a miasma fall about her like a wet cloak.

They did not encounter any kobolds and entered into a finely crafted chamber built from the black rock. It contained pillars and the walls were...

“covered in frescoes that depict a bald human male in blue robes calling bolts of lightning down upon a castle, binding a scorpion demon into a pentagram, blotting out the sun with a monstrous, black hand he controls in the sky, and sundering the temple of some unknown god with a bolt of red magic.”

The eight pillars resembled a human figure but was clearly from an exotic, long vanished line of ancient linage. I think Ragnar1965 decided that Tsathzar Rho’s tower may have had under-chambers and they had come into one. Either Jediwife or Nightwing postulated that perhaps the tower was pulled down into the lonely tor for the evil this ancient sorcerer did. They didn’t have any time to talk further because oozing forth from the two northernmost pillars came a disgusting material similar to vomit. These two bubbling goos begin to form into vaguely man-like forms and slide/slime towards the party.

The party attempts to engage these beings in combat, but quickly finds out only the ranger’s magic rapier, Whisker, does damage to these things. These vile things reeked of rot and continued to press the attack. Nightwing has his ranger slice the beings with Whisker left and right. As he downs one and begins on the other, they see these things continue to bubble and boil and begins to reform. They may not be able to defeat these things.

The party quickly decides to leave the things as they are reforming and try their luck with a door on the east side of the “Outer Fane.”

They open the door and enter into “The Great Hall.” They also close the door behind them in hopes those things will stay away. A large, long room greeted them. More pillars line this hall as well. They also depict larger-than-life beings. They walk along this hall, passing a door on the south wall to approach a large door on the opposite wall from the door they entered the hall by.

[Harley Stroh]

It does my heart good to see that Whisker still gets some use.

//H

[JediOre]

Harley, your rapier will see action for some time to come, for the course of adventures the players are picking will keep them near the sea.

[JediOre]

The party opens the door to a strange chamber. What must have been a magical, underground paradise greeted them. Dead shrubbery ten feet tall and extending along a path as far as the light source would shine wasn’t what they expected. These dead vines and briars would be extremely difficult to push through so the PCs begin walking along the pathway.

Above and somewhere ahead of them they heard voices, sounds I described as similar to the raptors from Jurassic Park. They spoke in Dragonic so the ranger understood a trap was being set up. The party was being quickly surrounded. But by whom? They shown the light to and fro and saw to their amazement several beings who vaguely resembled kobolds, but the mutations had been far greater than before. These beings ran atop the brambles on bird-like legs and resembled some sort of blending between kobold and dinosaur. Each of them carried a crossbow and was intent on using them.

Nightwing begin to ask more about the brambles. How old did his ranger estimate them to be? How long had they been dead? How dry was this room?

I told him the ranger couldn’t be sure, but the fauna in this large chamber had probably died long before he had been born. The room had almost no moisture content to it as well.

He liked my answer and bellowed for the players to have the PCs retreat ASAP. His ranger brought up the rear and got a torch light while having one of the others open a flask of oil. They dumped the oil near the door and as they fled the room, the ranger tossed the torch into the briar dripping in oil. The flames took to the wood greedily!

I was very impressed with Nightwing’s answer to this room’s challenge. Although he is very much the “junior” player when it comes to years of role-playing, his playing style has matured quickly.

The last thing they heard as they closed the door was the crackling of the fire and the worried croaking of the mutants.

Since I had said the door opened into the “Great Hall” when they first entered the now burning room, the PCs blockaded the door with an iron spike. The hammering caused the other door in the hall to open and out poured more kobolds. These kobolds had the more standard mutation. Quickly the party battled them back and several fled into the room beyond the south door.

The battle of the library began. I have no memory of this battle except for the main antagonist was a magic-user mutant kobold. This being was disturbing as well. Both of its eyes had been covered almost like a blind cavefish, but a third eye had risen atop a short stock from the being’s forehead. Yet another strange mutation. All the kobolds had the strange three-fingered pendent.

The players decided to spend several game hours in the library while Ragnar1965’s spell caster examined the contents of the room. Later the party head over to the spiked door. The ranger feels the door and finds it to be warm. They throw caution to the wind and open the door slowly. What has happened within pleased them all. The room has become a complete ruin. The fire has consumed the contents of the room and a dozen small charred skeletons are all that remains of the enemy. They see the small building and investigate it. Once the door was broken through they found the dead body of the strangest being yet. This reptilian being was covered in pale white scales and it to them several minutes to conclude it had once been a kobold as well. They think it died of asphyxiation but aren’t sure. A stairwell leads further into darkness below is also in this small building.

The players opt to “clear the level” and leave this room to explore elsewhere. They travel back through the “Great Hall” and fret about how to approach the “Outer Fane” and the otherworldly ooze beings. They decide to open the door quickly and race across the room at full speed. Hopefully the things won’t have time to form before the party is through the northern door.

And that’s exactly what happened.

Beyond the northern door the party entered a corridor and came to a “T.” They choose to take the right branch and came to a door. Through the door they encountered a room full of yet more kobolds. These foes were writing on the floor with chalk. These writings are in front of the room’s walls. Spaced along the walls are draperies at regular intervals. Something one might see at an art exhibit with the draperies being closed over a painting waiting for the guide to reveal each work of art during a tour.

Nightwing immediately had his ranger pull his bastard sword and rush into the room to vanquish the enemy. He truly had become weary of these nasty little, mutated, beasts. Ragnar1965 tried to tell Nightwing to wait, but I ruled the ranger had already committed himself to the action. I vividly remember Ragnar1965 shrugging his shoulders and saying, “Oh well, he has most of his hit points. I cast sonic blast into the room.”

That was great. And yes, the ranger got hit with his second sonic blast from the witch this adventure. Jediwife tee-heed about that as she had her elf pick of the survivors.

Well, that’s as far as we have got in this module to date. Starting tomorrow, November 8, A. D. 2007 we are having our annual three-day game fest. I figure will finish this module off before Thursday is done (we are doing Thursday through Saturday 10 am to 6 pm). I’ll continue to post the adventure here.

I hope everyone who’s reading this has been enjoying our little adventure. I truly hope the author of DCC #2, Michael Mearls, likes my attempt to run his fine adventure.

[JediOre]

Well, me and my group finished our little 3-day game fest.

They completed DCC #2, part one of DCC #14, and DCC #24! I'll be posting this stuff until the New Year.

We had a great deal of fun. The PCs are now 4th and 5th level.

Castles & Crusades rocks! No way in the world would we have done all of this adventuring had we been using 3.X.

[JediOre]

The party explores the room with the various portals in it. I say the party, but really it was Nightwing’s ranger. The other two positioned themselves in such a manner to avoid any “unseemly” accidents should opening the drapes prove deadly.

The ranger discovers the demi-plane but the party decides to wait and explore it later. Next the ranger gets covered in a small earth slide and the others have to dig him out. Then the ranger unleashed a flood of water that caused the players quite a bit of concern. At that the party tries one last drapery. Ragnar1965 has his PC tie a rope to the edge of the charred drape and pulls it open from afar. The fireburst is impressive.

They experiment with the demi-plane. Nightwing ties a rope to a kobold corpse and uses it to see if the portal is safe. They finally make their way into the small room and loot the goods.

They explore the torture chamber next. It’s inhabitants had lost their lives when they attacked the party on the beach many days before so no combat occurred. They did, with Ragnar1965’s urging, destroy the fixtures to this diabolical room. The parchment they burned. I’m not sure what they made of the fact that it was plain the kobold’s had plans to torture derro.

As the party left the room, the first of many “odd” things began to occur. I handed out a 3X5 notecard to each player and asked them to read it, but not out loud. They had to pass them back to me and then could use the information written however they saw fit.

To Jediwife I gave the elf a feeling of something intensely evil was upon them.

To Ragnar1965 I wrote his PC briefly saw an eye open on the back of Nightwing’s PC’s neck. The moment the eye saw someone watching it, the eye closed. This event occurred in less than two seconds.

To Nightwing I wrote his ranger noticed something moving on the ceiling at the corner ahead of them. Since it was in deep shadow he couldn’t be sure what it was, but it reminded him of the “Voice From Below,” the small demonic being they found and presumed killed back in DCC #0. As he turned his head back to the party he noticed the spellcaster gazing upon him with suspicion.

Let me tell you, this put a whole new spin to the adventure right there. Each of them didn’t know what to think of the notecards. Ragnar1965 leaned over to Jediwife and whispered what his PC had seen. Nightwing overheard him and put his hand to his neck, thinking (I guess) he was referring to something actually on his neck (not a third eye of course since Nightwing didn’t hear the whisper clearly.). Nightwing chose to tell the party he saw “something” but didn’t tell them what his PC thought it was. They bantered back and for with Jediwife saying her elf is concerned about what this feeling she keeps having means. Finally Ragnar1965 tells Nightwing what he recalled from the notecard. The PCs are unable to locate any eye upon the ranger’s neck, but fearing a mutation was in the works, Nightwing had his ranger wear his hood up from this point forward in the event this eye was spying upon them.

The party, now slightly concerned, flees through the “Outer Fane” insuring the ooze being can’t form in time and back to the room Nightwing had torched. They then head to the small inner building and down the stairs. The nightmare had begun. And what fun it was for all!

[Nightwing]

To Ragnar1965 I wrote his PC briefly saw an eye open on the back of Nightwing’s PC’s neck. The moment the eye saw someone watching it, the eye closed. This event occurred in less than two seconds.

The eye was pretty freaky. If anyone ever watched Babylon 5 in the later seasons there was on alien that attached itself on the body and it had an eye. I think it was called "a keeper" and that is what I thought of.

[JediOre]

(Nightwing, I thought the same thing about the eye. Those things in Babylon 5 were freaky.)

As the party descended the stairs, upon coming to the last landing I had all three roll their 20-sided – BEHIND the DM screen – without letting them know why. After I checked the individual rolls and returning the dice I described the scene.

Jediwife’s elf and Nightwing’s ranger noticed the black stone on the east wall actually resembled black paint peeling away from the wall.

Ragnar1965’s spellcaster saw simply the black stone.

The ranger approached the wall, as did the elven archer. They peeled back the black paint to reveal a reptilian-scaled membrane that began to expand outwards. Both back up with alarm.

Meanwhile the lady spellcaster watches her party members fumble about the wall and retreat with a look of growing terror. Ragnar1965 doesn’t know what to do.

The others do however….

The membrane ruptures and out spills a horrific protoplasmic mass rolling with what appears to be unknown organs that rise to the surface and sink back. Nightwing asked if it appeared similar to the Blob. I said, “Yes it does.” This huge mass began to throw out appendages with which it tries to snag the elf and the ranger. Initiatives are rolled and a frightening combat ensued.

Nightwing and Jediwife’s PCs are attacking this thing with the ranger’s bastard sword and the archer’s iron long sword (Lord Tulwar’s from DCC #0). Both PCs slice into the creature. It strikes back missing the elf but scoring a strong hit on the ranger’s left breastbone. I tell Nightwing his ranger is racked with searing pain as the thing’s attack included acid.

Ragnar1965 opts to pass his PC’s attack for all she sees is the others attacking nothing. Of note is the fact that she sees the ranger clutch his shoulder and cry out in pain.

On the second round of combat the elf hits with high damage, severing one of the tendrils that oozes back into the whole at the end of the round. The ranger swings and hits again. I miss both this time around. However the ranger still feels the acid damage. I inform both they can tell the acid is beginning to pit the blades. Nightwing says he has his ranger switch to Whisker, his +1 saber.

The witch watches with disbelief as the elf strikes the wall with her blade sending sparks. The ranger continues to swing his sword as if fighting an invisible opponent. Ragnar1965 is convinced the other player’s PCs have become “crazy” from the strangeness of the place. He can elaborate on this point.

Rounds three and four continue as above. Ragnar1965 abstains from entering this “pretend” combat while Nightwing and Jediwife have their characters fighting for their lives against a truly terrible and mindless opponent. At no point can I recall the two demanding Ragnar1965 to do something. I think the whole thing had them confused. I do believe Jediwife thought her character was seeing things as they were since she is an elf.

On round five the “blob” pulled back into the broken membrane. The membrane healed itself and transformed into the cold, black stone that has surrounded the heroes for all to long.

The damage done to Nightwing’s ranger disappeared and Ragnar1965’s character pointed out to Jediwife’s elf the scratch marks left by Lord Tulwar’s masterwork cold iron long sword. The wall had two such marks.

This convinced the party that Ragnar1965’s PC must be the only one with a clear head. I recall the discussion about the sighting of the eye on the ranger’s neck. Perhaps the players where beginning to mutate as well?!

They continued downwards and came to the door leading into Level 3. They would rely heavily on the spellcaster’s sight to discern what was real and what was unreal from this point forwards. Until that too was proven false; heh-heh-heh.

More to come.

[JediOre]

As a side note, the author's ideas concerning the use of note cards and the whole "did the others see that?" atmosphere is excellent.

This module kept the players guessing as to what was real and not real right down to the end.

Please, if you plan on running this, take the time to think about what to spring on the party. It will be worth it.

[Harley Stroh]

They continued downwards and came to the door leading into Level 3. They would rely heavily on the spellcaster’s sight to discern what was real and what was unreal from this point forwards. Until that too was proven false; heh-heh-heh.

I'm terrified to read how this one turns out. It feels like I've been following the adventures of JediWife, Ragnar and Nightwing for years now.

//H

[ragnar1965]

Rounds three and four continue as above. Ragnar1965 abstains from entering this “pretend” combat while Nightwing and Jediwife have their characters fighting for their lives against a truly terrible and mindless opponent.

So, what happens when the proverbial "irrisistable force" meets the "immovable object"? Well, that paradox wasn't exactly furthered here in the annals of philosophy. It was, however, pretty funny to watch. And, I know, I may look like a coward for not jumping in to help, but trust me...no amount of swinging with my dagger was going to help those two take the wall. Yep, the battle ends, and I find that I'm right. They were fighting the wall. I'm feeling pretty proud of myself about now (of course, I'd never rub it in ). But, as we are all aware, one so-called sane pc's crazy pc call-out does not a C&C module make. Madriel, the witch's, come-uppance will be forth coming.

[JediOre]

They turn left and come to the “Breeding Chambers of the New Flesh.” They poke about in this room for a while trying to determine the best way to destroy this strange trees and their evil fruit.

Nightwing tried burning again but the plants are too “juicy.” Finally they have ranger use his bastard sword to cut off the pods and they hacked them open allowing the abominations to die

I think the players knew this was their fate should they have been captured but I can’t be sure.


After the PCs cleared this room they left and heading along the corridor, following Ragnar1965’s “turn left” motto they encountered a locked door. Since they don’t have a thief in the party the two options were to batter it down or chop it down. The atmosphere of this place, as the module says, “is a quiet, relaxed realm of peace and amity.” Let’s just say that went away as the ranger slowly broke down the door. It gave way and he fell into the room. And what a room it was! Fecal matter was smeared all over the place and two psychotic derro, chained together at the necks, begin firing crossbows at the downed ranger. Nightwing wasn’t happy when I informed him each of the bolts seems to have excrement smeared on the tips as well.

They slay the crazies quickly and exit the room. From there they took Nightwing’s choice, turn right, and wound up in the old store room. The barrels of mutated, red ooze made them stay for a while as Nightwing tried several things, but no one would touch it with anything.

Leaving the room and returning to the northward corridor I passed out my last set of note cards of the evening. Ragnar1965 had failed his save, although he didn’t know that yet. Jediwife made her save by one or two, so I didn’t let her of the hook completely. Nightwing hit a natural-20 so I decided to use his save differently.

Jediwife got the “something horrible is coming” note card. Just a foreboding feeling and nothing more.

Ragnar1965’s card explained how the party was about to walk into a pit. The floor in front of them was an illusion that only his PC had spotted. This was wonderful since the party had concluded his spellcaster was the only one whose vision could be trusted.

Nightwing’s card was a message indicating the end was near and the party needed to be fully rested if they wanted to have any hope of success. He got a hint from the forces of good.

The immediate affect of the cards was to spend, I’d guess well over five minutes, some time deciding how to cross a ten-foot pit that only one of the characters could see. They rolled one of the barrels from the store room over the pit. The elf and the ranger watched the barrel roll onto the supposed pit and come to a stop in the corridor. The witch saw the barrel plummet into the pit and fade into the darkness without ever hearing it hit bottom. Next they have the elven archer run and jump over the pit with the help of the ranger. She lands safely on the other side. They then toss a rope across. The elf and the ranger both see the rope lying along the corridor. The spellcaster sees the rope dangle in the middle as any rope would when strung across an opening.

At this, Nightwing says enough is enough. No way is this pit real. He concludes Ragnar1965’s PC has also succumbed to the madness and states his ranger, Greyson, boldly strides across this alleged pit. He walks across the corridor with no problem. The witch sees the ground become solid were ever the boot of the ranger steps. Almost as if his force of personality is over riding the reality the witch sees.

Picking up the rope, the lady spellcaster carefully treads across the pit that is there but isn’t and the three party members continues northwards. All look behind them and the pit isn’t to be seen by any of them now.

[JediOre]

I'm terrified to read how this one turns out. It feels like I've been following the adventures of JediWife, Ragnar and Nightwing for years now.
//H

We'll see. I'm not a DM, er CK, with a mean streak. I don't go out of my way to kill player characters, but if it's meant to be, it's meant to be. Heroes can die.

And you're right Harley, I began posting Ragnar1965's explotes in DCC #17 well over a year ago.

You know, the amount of fun we have doing this is so great, well, I can't put it into words. Gaming with good friends is an experience that is hard to beat!

[JediOre]

Next they entered a room with a very mutated kobold sitting in a very plush surrounding. In front of the kobold on a table is a plate with a small beating heart.

The players quickly decide this heart somehow IS the mutant’s heart and by destroying the heart, the monster will die. Jediwife states her PC is going to put a silver arrow into the heart. She rolls well enough to accomplish her task. All that did was to make the kobold aware of the party.

The kobold promptly sprays forth thick, sticky spittle which covers much of the upper bodies of the players. The characters take damage from the burning spittle for two rounds. By the end of the spittle damage, the mutant lay dead at the party’s feet. They take the platter made of precious metal by the way.

Next they encounter the “Chamber of the Guardians.” The random teleporting and the mutated kobolds that seemed able to move about at will really aggravated Ragnar1965 and frustrated the others.

Nightwing’s ranger got himself into a pickle by putting his hand into the power field and soon there after finding himself far into the room and surrounded by the ten kobolds. They really began peeling away the ranger’s hit points.

Jediwife’s elf kept running into the power fields to attempt a teleport into the fray but time and time again failed.

Ragnar1965 almost talked himself out of using a sound burst fearing, I suppose, the power fields would ruin the spell. We talked about the nature of the spell and he took the risk. It hit and killed most of the kobolds. It also dang near rendered the ranger unconscious. If I remember right, the ranger took this opportunity to flee into the power field. Jediwife finally got a good roll and her elf appeared among the remaining kobolds. These little beasties didn’t go quietly into the night. The few remaining kobolds carved into the elven maid. She finally vanquished them, but the elf was low on hit points.

The party decides to rest in this room for the night after the spellcaster uses all her cleric spells on them. During the night they receive a vision about what will happen if they don’t stop this madness. I took Ragnar1965 apart and told him his PC also was blessed with a cryptic message.

I can’t quote it verbatim but it went something like this: Your reality is what you want it to be. If you want to, you can change from one to the other. (I was trying to give him a clue to the final room. It didn't work.)

On the following day the party retreats from the door on the north wall of this chamber to explore a corridor they missed. It lead them to “The Temple of the Outer Gods” which I’ll explain on my next post.

[JediOre]

The temple on level three is the most disturbing room of the whole module. The walls covered in living tissue and organs; the alter and candlesticks transformed humanoids; it’s all straight from a terrible nightmare.

The mutated kobold priestess was just as twisted as the room. Her skin had become translucent allowing the party to view her innards as one might a glass catfish. The fight itself was one of the longer ones on this level.

I can only relate what I tried to accomplish. I had hoped to unnerve the party as the author attended. The alter and candleholders began crawling painfully forward wailing in Draconic to release them from their unending agony. The kobold started casting spells. I got one of the PCs with her hold person spell (I can’t remember who) and although I tried to cause fear, the player made his save. This vile being died at the hands of the player characters. They performed mercy killing on the alter and candlesticks before looting the chest.

Out they left for the northern door beyond the teleportation room. I was tempted to torment them with random movement about the room, but let it slip away. It would have only aggravated all three of them and they would have ultimately arrived at the door.

Through the door was the “Chamber of Blood Tides.” This was an interesting room and one that intrigued the players. I described the room and its freakish, almost demonic/dinosaur-like, kobolds who let the “wave” pass over them as the blood wall moved towards the party.

Nightwing sent his ranger forward into the room with his bastard sword in hand ready to have the “wave” crash against him. Jediwife thought about her options and decided to send her elf to stand along side the ranger. She had Lord Tulwar’s cold iron masterwork sword ready for the coming combat. Ragnar1965 opted to keep his lady spellcaster out of the foot deep blood in case the whole room became a trap. He said she was ready to cast a spell as needed.

The wave passed the two warriors. Jediwife rolled her balance check successfully, but Nightwing didn’t. His ranger felt the pull of the reverse gravity and lost his balance in the wave falling hard to the floor and being enveloped by the blood on the floor. The elf gracefully passed through the nightmarish blood wave and sprang out the other side ready for battle. Initiative was rolled and the melee commenced. The elf protected the ranger until he could regain his footing and join in the battle. The leader kobold spat forth acidic goo at the elf and ranger, but both made their saves reducing the damage to half. Ragnar1965 had to wait several rounds before the wave passed into the south wall at which point his PC pulled forth her wand of magic missiles causing several of the already wounded opponents to die.

The fight was harder than any of them figured. Four kobolds, mutated or otherwise, shouldn’t have been such a hard task for a 3rd level ranger, a 2nd level fighter, and a 2nd level cleric/magic-user – but it was! I’ll bet at the end of combat all three of their hit points didn’t total 20 combined. The players know full well the end of the module is nigh but are afraid, and rightly so, of continuing with their players on the ropes. Although it galled them, they retreated again to rest for the night and regain hit points.

Since nothing was still alive they had no real worries about wandering monsters, but they didn’t know this. Also, a growing concern of theirs was this being that the ranger had seen was following them. They didn’t know if it was the “Voice from Below” or another tiny demonic thing but whatever it was, they started to believe perhaps it was responsible for the strange visions. I became intrigued since I hadn’t mentioned this thing once since the ranger briefly noted something crawling on the ceiling on level two. However, every time they asked about it I suggested something might be lurking behind them just beyond their vision. It was fun.

On the following day the party returned to the blood room (if I had been thinking, those kobolds should have come back as zombies just for the fun of it). They pass through the room and into the corridor beyond it. They round the corner and the leader, the ranger, spots the small demon curled up in a little ball, fetal style, before a normal dungeon door. When Nightwing asks if the party sees this, I say no and the brief moment the ranger took his eyes off the corpse to alert the others the body, or perhaps vision, vanished.

The door awaits and the party proceeds to open it to this module's conclusion.

[ragnar1965]

Although it galled them, they retreated again to rest for the night and regain hit points.

Nothing galls me more than getting beat up by kobolds. We could be taken down by dire chipmunks, and I would still be ok with it. Well, maybe not ok, but I would feel better than if by kobolds.

This module is over the top in creepiness. Under the right circumstances, it could've been disturbing.

[JediOre]

The ranger opens the door. I had the three players roll their twenty-sided behind the screen for one last time. Then I described what they saw.

Nightwing’s ranger and Ragnar1965’s witch looked upon a frightening scene. A flat, featureless plan stretched out before them. High overhead in the night sky is a single, bright star. Clearly this isn’t earth they are looking out upon. About twenty feet in front of them was an abomination. A rough sphere made of flesh and organs the size of a boulder pulsed and moaned. It seemed something was inside of it trying to push out.

Jediwife’s elven archer viewed a large, plain room with a plain black altar in the middle surrounded by a pentagram. Of to the side, along a wall, is a cabinet.

I ask for action from the players and I got it. Jediwife has her PC sprint into the room heading for the cabinet. Jediwife figures the others are seeing an alternate dimension and hopes something in the cabinet will either stop this vision or be of help against it.

The others see her pass very close to the sphere with no notice. Thus, they slowly approach this pulsating mass with care. They hear the ripping of flesh and out of this horrible egg emerges a transformed sorcerer of old: Tsathzar Rho! He is far from human now, almost looking like a type I demon, but his body is mutating and reforming before the horrified character’s eyes.

Ragnar1965 is asking if the elf has seen or heard any of this and I reply, “no.” The elf is busy trying to break the lock on the cabinet. I call for initiatives and melee begins.

Nightwing has his ranger use magical oil on his bastard sword with allows it to become a +1 blade for three rounds. Ragnar1965 has his PC back away from the battle and readies her for spell casting. The ranger gets first attack and he is a solid hitter through out this battle, hitting every time with his bastard sword (until the oil wears out at which point he drops that blade and pulls Whisker for the last part of the battle.) The witch has a spinal whip crawling after her leaving Tsathzar Rho to focus on the ranger. It was a splendid battle. Both sides take heavy damage.

Meanwhile, the elf has got the cabinet open and Jediwife is very disappointed that the contents have no apparent relation to the fight that her PC can’t see. Ragnar1965 encourages her to focus on the altar.

So while the others are in the fight for their lives, the elf first tries to erase part of the pentagram, which she does successfully. However, this seems to have no effect on the battle. In a moment of inspiration (coupled with the desperate pleas from the others) the elf pulls forth her heavy mace and begins to whack the altar!

Tsathzar Rho begins to miss on the following round. The three are elated. Obviously the alter is the key! Jediwife continues to swing at the altar on her turn. The ranger continues to attack and the witch has dispatched the spine whip so begins to target magic missiles at the monster. The funny thing about Tsathzar Rho’s apparent weakness from this point foeward had more to do with my dice going sour than anything the elf did, but it made for an exciting fantasy encounter.

Due to poor rolls, Tsathzar Rho never hit for the remaining three or four combat rounds. The altar began to have chunks coming off and the monster was looking ragged. Whisker struck again and again, leaving Rho bleeding in numerous places. The magic missiles acted as a wasp, keeping Rho distracted because several of them overcame spell resistance and plugged away at his draining hit points.

Finally it was over, the being that had been a powerful spellcaster lost its ability to remain in this existence and winked out like a light bulb burning out. The foreboding plain that the witch and ranger fought on disappeared and they stood panting in exhaustion in the large, plain room that the elf had been witness to the entire time.

As the party began to congratulate themselves on a job well done, the altar distorted and was pulled into a singular point. As a matter of fact, the entire room began to be pulled into a point in space directly above the altar. The Outer Gods were pulling back into their dimension Tsathazr Rho’s Vault.

The party flees, all thoughts of weariness long gone. They don’t stop until they emerge from Logbrag’s cave into the bright sunlight.

Thus ends the adventure of The Lost Vault of Tsathzar Rho.

[Harley Stroh]

Awesome rendition. Well run and well played!

//H