Année: 2024

Delicious in Dungeon: the Golden Kingdom megadungeon, Book 9

David Skelector Books, Delicious in Dungeon, Fantasy, manga, Monsters

Okay we’re at Book 9 now. Took me some time as my son had managed to lose the book inside his own room and couldn’t find it back even after I browbeat him into cleaning his mess. Kids… I mean, my son is awesome but tidiness is NOT is forte. Anyhow, I finally managed to find the book on the bottom of a drawer so here we are.

  • Right at the start we get an encounter with a black-armored, sword and whip wielding Dullahan (headless knight). It seems like it’s part spirit part physical. Its sword attack goes right through armor without damaging it. It’s also impervious to attacks, even magic ones! What’s one suppose to do? Laios, critically wounded, manages to make a deal with the Dullahan and it was pretty much the only reason why he didn’t die.
  • After that we have probably the most extreme example of dungeon ecology/monster biology to date when Laios’ Guild stumbles upon the reproducing ground of a swarm of Succubus [succubi]. True Succubus are demonic in nature but there’s another sort of creature that have been named after them: the Succubus Mosquito! Just like their namesake they can take the appearance of something of irresistible sex-appeal to their would-be victim. When they’re close enough they plunged their piercing, hollow tongue inside their victim to suck them dry. But wait there’s more, they then transform the stolen blood into a milk-like substance to nourish (via their anus, for good measure) their insect larvae that are kept in still water…
  • In the last third of the book we learn a lot about dungeons, why they exist and how they grow over time when it has found a « master ». Dungeons are basically prisons for demons (entities from another world), one demon per dungeon to be more precise. A demon/dungeon needs to interact with people to get stronger and thus does what it can to lure people to itself (riches and desire-fulfilling promises). The more powerful and complex the desires of someone are, the more strength the demon will gain when it will feed (literally) upon them. A person « eaten » in this manner will be either too weak to survive or become a shell of its former self.

So you see, Delicious in Dungeon has many typical fantasy fares, and not typical at all dungeon ecology and monster biology. It’s also sort of about food, nutrition and food taboos… But it could also have been called Dungeons & Demons!

Château des Faussesflammes (Castle Xyntillan) – Session 9

David Skelector Château des Fausseflammes, Dungeons and Dragons, Fantasy, jeux de rôles, megadungeon, OSR, Play reports, Roleplaying Game, RPG

Aranéa Malévol, the one who was put in charge by the Malévol Council to take care of their little invasion problem has been thoroughly vanquished by the adventurers. I’m letting the players know that they have earned a respite, the pressure is down for a while, so they can resume their exploration of the cursed castle on more « normal » terms. Short session, 2 1/2 hours.

Castle Xyntillan, by Gabor Lux. https://emdt.bigcartel.com/products

System used: Worlds without Number, by Kevin Crawford

Adventurers – Player Characters (PCs)

  • Cordélia Lenoir (Marjorie), using the dark arts for Good (probably), Necromancer lvl 3>>4
  • Bruno the Wolfman (Marjorie), controlled lycanthropy, Warrior/Skinshifter lvl 1>>2
  • Noah (Isaac), crafts stuff, has a repeating crossbow, Expert lvl 4
  • Monmon (Edmond), has a powerful antique spear, Warrior lvl 4
  • Paul Nareff (Olivier), friend and sponsor of the numerous Jean clan, Warrior lvl 4
  • Paul-Jean Paul (Olivier), don’t confuse him with Jean-Paul Jean, Warrior lvl 2>>3
  • Constant Jean (Olivier), vigorous member of the Jean clan, Warrior lvl 2

Retainers:

  • Stuffed Jean-Paul (Marjorie), killed by stuffed animals, now stuffed himself, Morale 12
  • Raymond, (Isaac) Man-at-Arms, gruff, vassal of the Comte de la Frenaie, Morale 7
  • Pierrot (Isaac), caravan hand, begs for more money, Morale 8

Crypt

  • Zachary, Elementalist, electrocuted in front of the Anteroom (corpse in castle)
  • Pierre-Jean Pierre, ex-monk, clawed to death by a dark monk (RIP)
  • Edgar, daytaler, throat slashed by a dark monk, (corpse in castle)
  • Charles, daytaler, skewered by a drunken skeleton (corpse in castle)
  • Hercule, caravan hand, seized off the raft by the Lake Monster (MIA)
  • Pierre Laroche du Rocher, mason, pierced by the Huntsman’s arrows (corpse seized by Charon, RIP)
  • Alphonse, crusader, savaged by Count Giscard’s Children of the Night. (corpse in castle)
  • Jacques, daytaler, got hit in the face by an Empty Armor’s halberd (corpse in castle)

Previous Infractions:

Eliminated Tristano Malévol the Love-Lost. Eliminated Merlerik the Ancient. Eliminated Aranéa Malévol (0)

Smoked the Ruined Quarters: 1/2 Angered a werewolf washwoman: 1/2 Stole the Reliquary of Bygone Kings: 1 Failed to convince Jean-Honoré the butler of their lies: 1/2 Stole a treasure chest full of gold from the Lake Grotto treasury: 1/2 Interrupted Runcius Malévol’s pagan ritual: 1 Slightly annoyed Count Giscard Malévol while he drank « wine »: 1 Stole the Scepter of the Merovings: 1 Defaced living portraits with holy water: 1 Bullied Jean-Honoré the Butler 1/2 Smashed the busts in the Bust Gallery 1

Vanquished Aranéa Malévol’s retributory patrol -5

Infractions rating: 3 1/2

Rumors:

  • I’d bring a few horses or a cart for the bulky valuables. You’ll thank me later.
  • Aristide Malévol the Patrician, who had conquered death by unholy means, is the true power in the Château des Faussesflammes. Do not cross him!

We start in Vyônes. Noah has upgraded his (already potent) crossbow to a repeating crossbow. Cordélia has made the ritual to link the homonculus to herself. The party goes to Périgon where they hire two brothers with horses and a cart. Pierrot begs the party so he can have 20 gp more than his agreed salary; his house is in disrepair, his wife is sickly, his grandmother has died, all manners of woes afflicts the poor guy… Noah refuses to give him more. Monmon gives him 5 gp from his own money.

Gatehouse:

  • The party leaves the cart, its team and Raymond at the entrance and then enter through the Gatehouse, under the scrutiny of the ravens as usual. Their plan is STILL to go explore the Occult Maze on the 2nd floor.
  • Storerooms. There’s two dead adventurers in the corridor with the spectral horses. Cordélia cast Raise Corpse on one as a diversion for the horses and the party hurry to the nearest door on the left while the zombie is being trampled.
  • From one storeroom to another they get to the coffin where Paul got his magic dagger by removing it from the heart of a dead woman, a geyser of blood had erupted from her pierced chest when de did. The woman’s body is nowhere to be seen but there’s still (fresh) blood dripping from the coffin. Cordélia pours a vial of holy water in the coffin and they hear a languished scream. The ghost of Gisèle Pierced-Heart, discarded mistress of a Malévol, is no more.
  • They get to the stairway nearby that leads to the Maze of the Occult. They can hear children singing a twisted melody. The singing stops abruptly when the party gets in the hallway, the air gets colder instantly and The Strangler appears and assaults Monmon. Monmon dodges the attack and pierces the specter with his magic spear. Paul strikes it with his magic dagger and The Strangler is once again vanquished.
  • A bit further, the adventurers open a door to a room where some kind of entertainment gig is going on for a ghostly audience. Knives juggling and throwing; Stuffed Jean-Paul is unfazed when knives fly all around his head and his awarded a money pouch for having (unwittingly) served in the performance. There’s also prestidigitation tricks and a floating hand holding cards. Paul picks a card, there’s Death on it and it gets out of the card and attacks! Fortunately the Reaper keeps missing Paul with his scythe and Paul slays it. The Death on the card transforms into an Emperor and Paul feels more vigorous.
  • On the next room the party come face to face with Count Giscard, the vampire they already encountered and whose Children of the Night nearly TPKed them. This time the Count, still drinking a glass of « wine », is having a contest with two captured adventurers: a fight to first blood. He asks the PCs to participate in the event and wily Cordélia delegates Stuffed Jean-Paul (whom doesn’t bleed!) to the fight. Stuffed Jean-Paul wins, the adventurer is promptly drained of his remaining blood by the Count. However, the contest isn’t finish, there will also be fight against his servant in full plate, the first to achieve three significant strikes. This time (after much hesitation from the players) it’s Paul that comes forward. He fights brillantly again and wins. The Count gives him a Laurels Wreath as a reward and then asks to get themselves out of his sight.
  • On the next room, the Yellow Room, the PCs find many things. Cordélia collects small yellow flowers that were growing over the remains of two interlaced skeletons. Monmon finds a black cloak +1 in a closet. Noah finds for 1000 gp worth of perfumes, makeup and other beauty paraphernalia. Paul is almost killed by a guillotine trap set in another closet but survives by some extraordinary luck. He finds a message stuffed inside a old boot that describes the location of a treasure.
  • The party having explored all the doors on this corridor backtracks into the hallway and open the door to a small chapel. There a plaque under the statue of a saint invites them to unburden them of « Vanity ». Cordélia cut a lock of her hair and feels a bit more confident after doing so.
  • In another room they find creepy wax figures and crates full of candles. Paul is pretty sure he saw one figure moving very sligthly. The party gets out but Noah takes one last peep inside and sees that one figure now looks eerily like Paul. Noah barricades the door efficiently with furnitures and planks. The noise doesn’t attract anything fortunately.
  • In the next room there’s a supply of utilitarian bottles and also a poltergeist throwing the bottles at them. Stuffed Jean-Pauls eats a bottle right in the face and an animated feather duster swipes glass from him right after. Monmon, Noah and Paul attack the poltergeist as he was seizing another bottle and slay it.
  • Now, the PCs have run out of doors to open in this section, except the one that killed Zachary with an electric arc. There’s writings on the door: « Here be the laboratory of Aristide Malévol the Patrician. If you know this name, you know you have no place here; if you know it not, let this warning suffice. » Warning unheeded, Cordélia orders Stuffed Jean-Paul to open the door. He does so but also bursts into flames. It’s the end of Stuffed Jean-Paul…
  • Through the open door, inside the Anteroom, the PCs see copper coils each side of the rooms that seem to come out of the floor below.
  • They’ve done enough for the moment and start to exit the castle. They’re back in the courtyard when they hear joyful yapping and see young-looking wolves, werepups they’re guessing, coming at them fast. Noah wants to shoot them with his repeating crossbow and silver bolts he has but Cordélia has a better plan. She takes out lengths of clothing and quickly makes a ball with it, throws it in the opposite direction. the werepups race each other to get to the improvised ball and the PCs hurry outside the castle’s perimeter!

Session wrap up

  • Olivier was absolutely JUBILANT after he won the Emperor card giving his character 1 HD to add and even more after he got the laurels wreath that gives + 1 level (and saving his life one time)!
  • Isaac on the other hand was disappointed that he didn’t have to try his new repeating crossbow, Van Helsing-style, on anything this session.
  • The players seem determined to access Aristide’s laboratory, that should be quite interesting in the upcoming session.
  • XP: Participation: 1 Treasures: 3 Secrets: 1
  • Treasures: a pouch of 200 gp, an Emperor card, a crown of laurels, 1000 gp worth of perfumes & paraphernalia
  • Quote: « Here, go fetch! »
  • Fatalities: Stuffed Jean-Paul took on fire after touching the anteroom’s door
  • New Infractions: Played ball with the werepups (-1, substracts to infractions level, they liked it)

Frosthaven – Crystal Enclosure (10)

David Skelector Boardgame, Fantasy, Frosthaven, Play reports

We’re back on track on the campaign’s algox thread as we’re now pursuing on our brand-new sled those who’d set a trap for us a bit earlier at the Frozen Crypt.

Characters

  • Miasma the Boneshaper (David) lvl 4, minions: Bob the dead lumberjack and Raging Sally
  • T-Gee/Mina the Geminate (Math) lvl 3, two competing hiveminded insect swarms in a single body
  • Tredir the Drifter (Guillaume) lvl 3>>4, versatile Inox fighter

This time the Icefolks are channelling magic through icy « conduits », protecting them from damage unless we break these first.

2 algox priests and a guard, nothing to stop us there except for their magic protection. The Geminate start off the hostilities with a powerful Hail of Thorns, damaging everything nearby (and even a bit of collateral damage too!).
The drifter efficiently smashes an ice column with his club and then throws an explosive vial at another. Soon after the protection is down and we’re able to kill the algox
But we’re in for a big surprise as the Geminate steps forward we’re suddenly forced (pulled, slide down?) to another area just as we thought we could take it slow and steady. This time there’s an Algox Icespeaker (with the blue axes, nice mini), a tricky foe.
Again we have to break those damn ice columns if we wish to have any hope of harming our opponents whilst they suffer from no such limitations. The Drifter: « I’m so dead! » The Boneshaper: « Smash this inconvenient ice my minions! »
The Drifter survives to his own surprise but is forced back to lick his wounds a little. But T-Gee/Mina are ready to take over and get in the fray. I protect them as much as I can with a power I’ve just acquired, a wonderful not-gruesome-at-all Flesh Shield.
Meanwhile the 2 algox priests keep using their healing powers on their allies so the fight is a bit of a slog.
But we have greater resilience and determination than the Algox clearly and the survivors are now in disarray. My undead minions slay the last guard and the priests soon join him in whatever subzero afterlife he went.

Closing Comments:

  • Just realized that Math’s character’s names T-Gee/Mina are an anagram for Geminate… Well done Math, well done.
  • Because of how the scenario was designed, forcing us forward unexpectedly, we were a bit caught off guard for the big fight. The Drifter in particular was already at half his HP and kept saying that he was gonna die. Plus, we’ve left loot tokens behind in the previous area. Annoying.
  • The Algox Priests picked the healing card like 3-4 times in a row, slowing our killing, but not contributing much else to the fight fortunately.
  • As Math mentioned, all three of our starting characters have big hands of cards (12,12 and 14), which in haven terms, means we can survive longer and soak blows (discarding a card) if we’re low on HP. We can handle being in trouble for a while, even when it seems a bit overwhelming like it did in this scenario.
  • The Geminate looted the treasure tile and picked (at random) a Freezing Crystal, really fitting for this scenario, nice!
  • We’ve built the Lvl 3 craftsman in town and unlocked a few interesting items doing so.

Frosthaven – The Ruins of Solstice (104)

David Skelector Boardgame, Frosthaven, Play reports

Another random scenario, this one unlocked when we’d found a key in the Glowing Catacombs (loot deck). It gave us access to a strange pocket dimension where Spring and Winter coexists at the same time, separated only by a thin line.

Mechanically speaking the scenario offers something interesting as the board is split in two halves, with the Earth element always strong in the left and Ice in the right. Furthermore, monsters each have an elemental affinity and are vulnerable (lose 1hp) if they finish their turn on the « wrong » side.

Characters

  • Miasma the Boneshaper (David) lvl 3>>4, minions: Bob the dead lumberjack and Raging Sally
  • T-Gee/Mina the Geminate (Math) lvl 3, two competing hiveminded insect swarms in a single body
  • Tredir the Drifter (Guillaume) lvl 3, versatile Inox fighter

Me and Bob choose Spring, you may go into Winter. (2 rounds later, Miasma fleeing from Earth Demons) « I’ve changed my mind, I prefer Winter! »
Tredir the Drifter smashes a Frost Demon to pieces.
My, my… Lots of things going on. The cloaked figures are dangerous dudes (Savvas Icestorm) and the very first thing they do is to summon additional demons, that’s troublesome. T-Gee/Mina kills a bunch of Faeries. Raging Sally is downed by two ranged (piercing) attacks from the Savvas, nooooo!
We’re slowly cleaning up the place, I heal the Drifter some more so he can get back into the fray.
One more area to go. Me and the Drifter aren’t in great shape by the time we get there. Fortunately the Geminate stil has most of their power and is here to save the day.
You know what, between mud and snow, this whole seasonal change is a real pain if you ask me.
T-Gee and Mina are quarreling over their body even more than usual today, what’s up with that? It’s left to Tredir and I to end this Solstice thing already.

Closing Comments:

  • T-Gee/Mina achieved a new Mastery after managing to switch between forms every single round. This and his numerous 2-perks battle goals achieved means that he has a LOT of perks unlocked for such a new character.
  • Maybe we could have exploited the 2 halves of the board gimmick a bit better. A team with crowd control-type characters would certainly have had an easier time.
  • Having easy access to the earth element in this scenario was really convenient for my character, giving me several boosts to my cards all along.
  • The Drifter had a whole bunch of curses put on him by the faeries, like 7-8, but he didn’t pick a single one of them, that’s some luck!
  • Losing Raging Sally in the middle of the scenario was a hard blow, hindering my capacity to ditch good damage further on. What I managed to provide was a lot of healing to my companions, something that the Boneshaper is surprisingly good at.
  • The Drifter gets even more xp than I now that he’s got a good handle on his character’s back and forth abilities.

Frosthaven – The Eternal Crave (122)

David Skelector Boardgame, Fantasy, Frosthaven, Play reports

We do our first random scenario of the campaign, one that has been revealed in a road event because Tredir our Drifter accepted the challenge of eating a Firepepper! Hurray!

Characters

  • Miasma the Boneshaper (David) lvl 3, minions: Bob the dead lumberjack and Raging Sally
  • T-Gee/Mina the Geminate (Math) lvl 2>>3, two competing hiveminded insect swarms in a single body
  • Tredir the Drifter (Guillaume) lvl 2>>3, versatile Inox fighter

A fortuitous encounter has led us to participate in an important ritual in order to placate a dangerous entity that goes by the lovely name of Hungry Maw. In short, we already found Fireppers – now we must find some special bark, the last ingredient in order to nourish nothing less than its Eternal Crave…

Or we could just fight the entity but I mean, we can’t pass the occasion to be chefs can we!

We must navigate a treacherous path with slippery ground, traps and ice shards. The polar bear roars whilst the snow imps throw snowballs at us, damn the little annoying buggers!
Poor skeleton Bob wants to join the action but falls into a pit trap.
I think it’s mating season for the polar bears, lucky us.
The drifter: « don’t mind me ». whistles
The Geminate and Raging Sally fight the bears as the Drifter goes further and gets a look at another area.
Here it is, our goal, almost encased in ice.
But some sinister force conspires against us and new foes appear literally from nowhere (hey you, yes you scenario designer, stop throwing curveballs at us!).
The drifter has the bark, now he needs to get back to the cauldron at the entrance and get on with the special brew. The geminate helps him get through another wave of monsters with a Firefly Swarm attack that kills 3 snow imps at once! Impressive!

As for me, I’m too busy stealing every bit of furniture that’s lying around, there’ll be not a single bit left after I’m done!

With a bit of fiddling we manage to cook the special recipe, the Hungry Maw is satiated and gets back to sleep. Success!

And don’t forget, what’s hot entering is hot exiting too!

Closing Comments:

  • We’ve had a much easier time with this one than the last scenario but it took more than 3 hours, longer than usual. Part of the set-up we didn’t even get to see: the room with the Hungry Maw and a forking path that has locked when we chose to go the other way.
  • There was a (mainly) mathematical puzzle at the end, our first answer was wrong but was taken into account by the scenario, providing us with another hint. The hint confused the hell out of me but Math came up with the answer, phew!
  • We’ve got through the entire loot deck this time with me picking up a big chunk of it as I’m almost always lagging behind. What can I say, someone has to do it!
  • Hey look! I’ve finally added the names of our characters! I guess Miasma is finally remembering who’s tagging along beside her undead minions…

Delicious in Dungeon: the Golden Kingdom megadungeon, Book 8

David Skelector Books, Delicious in Dungeon, Dungeons and Dragons, Fantasy, manga, megadungeon

There’s many unusual themes in Delicious in Dungeon even if we put aside the culinary one. There’s a strong sense of a biophysical verisimilitude applied to this D&D-like world, something that is definitely against the current zeitgeist both in gaming and in the real world. I personally find this refreshing.

  • the book start with Laios’s party members being subjected to the Changeling Mushrooms spores and thus all of them are transformed into another race/species
  • after the initial shock, the character are each able to see the benefits brought by their new body but soon enough what new limitations they now have
  • this come into effect with much clarity when the party gets into a fight against gargoyles, their usual effectiveness is completely gone
  • Laios, who’s a fighter type, enjoys the strength of his new dwarven body but finds that all this muscle density is consuming a lot more energy and it takes a real toll on his endurance (Dwarves need to eat more often)
  • Marcille the Half-Elf magic-user is impressed by her new heightened senses from her halfling body but finds out that she can’t cast strong spells without suffering from magic fatigue, halflings are just not suited for magic
  • Senshi the Dwarf, now a beautiful elf (always depicted with roses around him, it’s hilarious), doesn’t even try to fight as his weapons are now too heavy for him
  • As usual it’s more clever in the book than in my snippets but you get the idea I think. They eventually manage to cancel the effect of the changeling spores and get back to their own racial integrity
  • Laios’ Guild manages to open the magic-locked door and enter into a dwarven-made section full of pipes (steampunk technology). Soon after they get on an elevator and descends (it takes a while) to what should be 7th Level, an ancient, abandonned dwarven city.
  • Meanwhile, on the 1st Level, with the investigation of the Canaries, we see a first sign that a Dungeon, which is pretty much an actor of its own in this universe, thrives on disturbance. The more people try to meddle with the Dungeon the more it gains power until it can’t be managed anymore and it spills out on the countryside and does great damage.
  • Walking Mushrooms are pretty much the basic « starting » monster of the dungeon, numerous but almost inoffensive to anyone but the greenest of adventurers. But now we see that they can attain great size and can release spores with a mind-numbing effect.
  • In the 7th Level, Laios’ guild encounter a Bicorn. Unlike the virtuous-loving Licorn, the Bicorn is attracted to depravity. It also like to eat virtuous husbands.
  • Virtuous husbands taste good, of course!

Book 9 Here

Frosthaven – Glowing Catacombs (9)

David Skelector Boardgame, Frosthaven, Play reports

From the Frozen Crypt we go to the Glowing Catacombs. I mean, I’ll take glowing over frozen any day of the week except – the damn place is a lot more dangerous!

Characters

  • Boneshaper (David) lvl 2>>3, minions: Bob the dead lumberjack and Raging Sally
  • Geminate (Math) lvl 2, two competing hiveminded insect swarms in a single body
  • Drifter (Guillaume) lvl 2, versatile Inox fighter

First room is crowded, full of monsters, traps and obstacles. I’m frontline with Bob the dead lumberjack (that’s a bit foolish with my impressive 5 hp). Bob is back to a pile of bones almost immediately. Those Living Dooms (center) hits hard! The Geminate and Drifter gather their strength.

The Geminate is annoyed at the lack of fresh air and more importantly, room to manoeuver. At least, that’s how I’m interpreting his constant buzzing. What, they’re actually speaking, oops, my bad!

Raging Sally gets in from nowhere and proves that she has more angst than the Living Spirit. She also picks up shiny loot, she likes those. Can we have it Sally? « GRRAAHAAAH! » Okay, okay, you can keep it sweetie.

After (what felt like) two hundred rounds we finally get out of the first room and… WHADDAHECK – more frikkin Ice Wraiths and Living Spirits. And what’s that dripping sound we can hear from farther away? An Ooze?

Can we even make it? Do we turn back? The Inox Drifter isn’t one to ask himself these questions, here he is rushing gallantly forward. Alone. Very far from us. Seriously he’ll get himself killed – I think we should help.

All the way pass the long twisting passage, there’s a strange room with some kind of mechanism. Two switches. And there’s happy Oozes and when Oozes are happy, well, they reproduce like there’s no tomorrow. Of course they do.

The brave Drifter is determined to end this in style. The Geminate skitters as fast as he can and barges in the room and annihilates several oozes. Two switches off and two characters down (exhausted) later, we’re perilously close to defeat. Will the Drifter and Geminate will be slowly, agonizingly dissolved and become part of the BLOB? Me, I’m like a mile away: « guys? GUYS? what’s happening, is that you screaming? »

Pseudopods lash at the Drifter and he hangs on to life by a thread (my curses come in handy!). And you know what, we’re saved by the Law of Conservation of Mass. All that reproducing that the Oozes’ been doing? Not good for their health, they die off just like that, dissolving in an inanimate puddle. And we’re alive, all of us!

Closing Comments:

  • Our very first true test of the campaign, a very challenging scenario where we’ve come really close to regret enabling the « permadeath » option. It came as a surprise too as our first four scenarios were on the easy side of things.
  • We’ve managed to win by the skin of our teeth after having been really close to abandon and we finally got through with a combination of, hmm I’d say, sheer stubbornness, some luck and huh, our astute knowledge of ooze ecology…
  • Speaking of oozes, we just kept getting the card that made them cloning and incidentally, losing 2 hp until their eventual demise
  • Ice Wraiths are a real PAIN, I tell you. Like Math said, even at level 1, with their built-in powers they feel like 1 or 2 steps stronger.
  • Interesting town event with a White Oak official coming to inspect the outpost and actually paying us! Nice! I can’t complain about our lack of pay anymore!
  • Built the Hunting Lodge, all set.

Delicious in Dungeon: the Golden Kingdom megadungeon, Book 7

David Skelector Books, Delicious in Dungeon, Dungeons and Dragons, Fantasy, manga, Monsters

First episode has aired on netflix – a faithful rendition of about half, maybe less, of the first book. I must say though that the voice acting in english was really bad, wooden, I switched to french and it was much better (that’s unusual). Anyway, I’m now at book 7 in this series where I try to highlight the many interesting concepts of Delicious in Dungeon.

  • we’re still on the 6th level and now Laios’ guild is back where it all started – inside the Red Dragon’s Lair in a vast cavern where we can see several tunnels débouching into the place.
  • we learn that this place was thought to be the deepest place of the dungeon but, not too long ago, a magic-locked door was discovered that may lead to deeper levels
  • we see ice golems and like any of their counterpart they have a crudely-carved « core » (very small) buried inside the matter that constitutes them without which they cease to function
  • we see some Barometz, inoffensive magic-loving monsters that are plants with sheep on top:
  • I mean, it’s pretty weird isn’t it? But wait until you learn that the unripe fruits of the Barometz have sheep foetus inside, all perfectly edible of course…
  • The challenge (and interesting idea) with the Barometz is that you may be pretty sure that predators are nearby, attracted by the easy preys
  • we’re introduced to a new faction with the arrival in town of the caravel ship the « Canari » (great fitting name) and its crew of elves that appear when dungeons are close to getting out of control.
  • Elves in this universe are definetely outlandish, non-human, the fact that they have much longer lives changes the way they think, it’s great.
  • In the second half of the book we have a lot of lore exposition, mostly through Yaado (the grandson of the cursed king) and a visit where the human – simple folks but immortals – inhabitants of the Golden Kingdom go about their lives, cohabiting with docile (magically pacified) monsters. There’s milk producing female minotaurs, that’s a thing yes.
  • We learn that the titular god of the kingdom is the Winged Lion, it’s imprisoned by the Lunatic Magician at the deepest level of the dungeon. The Winged Lion sends forth prophecies so he can be freed. We’ve seen statues and fountains of the Winged Lion all along the previous books, nice.
  • The party is now inside a vast dwarven-built cistern with a very high ceiling supported by rows of columns covered by gold sheets. A perfect hunting ground for a griffon nesting high above.
  • We discover that a dwarven expedition found the dungeon from below, a few years before everyone else.

Book 8 Here

Château des Faussesflammes (Castle Xyntillan) – Session 8

David Skelector Château des Fausseflammes, Dungeons and Dragons, Fantasy, jeux de rôles, megadungeon, OSR, Play reports, Roleplaying Game, RPG

Short session, about 2 hours of real play as we had some level ups to do before and after. The players didn’t even do a proper delve but instead had two fights back to back in the Castle’s courtyard, the second being pretty intense and they felt like they were not in good enough shape to go on. Infractions level is high so that was bound to happen.

Castle Xyntillan, by Gabor Lux. https://emdt.bigcartel.com/products

System used: Worlds without Number, by Kevin Crawford

Adventurers – Player Characters (PCs)

  • Cordélia Lenoir (Marjorie), using the dark arts for Good (probably), Necromancer lvl 3
  • Bruno the Wolfman (Marjorie), controlled lycanthropy, Warrior/Skinshifter lvl 1
  • Noah (Isaac), crafts stuff, Expert lvl 3>>4
  • Monmon (Edmond), has a powerful antique spear, Warrior lvl 4
  • Paul Nareff (Olivier), friend and sponsor of the numerous Jean clan, Warrior lvl 3>>4
  • Paul-Jean Paul (Olivier), don’t confuse him with Jean-Paul Jean, Warrior lvl 1>>2
  • Constant Jean (Olivier), vigorous member of the Jean clan, Warrior lvl 1>>2

Retainers:

  • Stuffed Jean-Paul (Marjorie), killed by stuffed animals, now stuffed himself, Morale 12
  • Raymond, Man-at-Arms, gruff, vassal of the Comte de la Frenaie, Morale 7
  • Pierrot (Isaac), caravan hand, begs for more money, Morale 8

Crypt

  • Zachary, Elementalist, electrocuted in front of the Anteroom (corpse in castle)
  • Pierre-Jean Pierre, ex-monk, clawed to death by a dark monk (RIP)
  • Edgar, daytaler, throat slashed by a dark monk, (corpse in castle)
  • Charles, daytaler, skewered by a drunken skeleton (corpse in castle)
  • Hercule, caravan hand, seized off the raft by the Lake Monster (MIA)
  • Pierre Laroche du Rocher, mason, pierced by the Huntsman’s arrows (corpse seized by Charon)
  • Alphonse, crusader, savaged by Count Giscard’s Children of the Night. (corpse in castle)
  • Jacques, daytaler, got hit in the face by an Empty Armor’s halberd (corpse in castle)

Previous Infractions:

Eliminated Tristano Malévol the Love-Lost. Eliminated Merlerik the Ancient. (0)

Smoked the Ruined Quarters: 1/2 Angered a werewolf washwoman: 1/2 Stole the Reliquary of Bygone Kings: 1 Failed to convince Jean-Honoré the butler of their lies: 1/2 Stole a treasure chest full of gold from the Lake Grotto treasury: 1/2 Interrupted Runcius Malévol’s pagan ritual: 1 Slightly annoyed Count Giscard Malévol while he drank « wine »: 1 Stole the Scepter of the Merovings: 1 Defaced living portraits with holy water: 1 Bullied Jean-Honoré the Butler 1/2 Smashed the busts in the Bust Gallery 1

Infractions rating: 8 1/2

Rumors:

Skipped the rumors, Oops.

We start in Ximes. Luc le Chaudronnier informs Cordélia that the Homonculus found in the castle could be set free from its bottle if it was bound to a magic-user but the link thus created would be both useful and risky. No decision was made for the moment. Back in Périgon, the monks assures Cordélia that Bruno is mostly under control and could go back to adventuring. He has weird chains on him and he’s hairier than before but at least he’s lost his dreaminess.

Also, Eudes was waiting for them and has something important to share. A proposal. The Comte de la Frenaie would help Eudes be the master of Fausseflammes if only some « minor » obstacles would disappear. There’s the part with the proper heir (Claude Malévol) of the Castle being alive. And of course there are next in lines too. And the pesky thing with the specters and vampires and werewolves and… well, all that. If those « minor » obstacles would be solved somehow, Eudes and his father would be generous towards the adventurers.

After purchasing some supplies (and a détour at the cemetary to fetch some minions) the party is ready for another go at the Château.

Gatehouse

  • They enter through the Gatehouse, under the scrutiny of the ravens as usual. Their plan is to go explore the Occult Maze on the 2nd floor (where Zachary died the first session).
  • They don’t go far before being interrupted by Gilbert the Fox and his bandits that are on the remparts, some behind bushes, all around them. « La Bourse ou la Vie! », Gilbert shouts.
  • The PCs want to parlay but refuse to disarm so its iniative rolls. The PCs win the iniative.
  • Cordélia sends her Reaper towards Gilbert whom responds by ordering his men « kill the witch, now! ». He also runs for his life and disappear inside the castle with one of his man.
  • Meanwhile the PCs dash towards the nearby barracks to protect themselves from the arrows raining down on them. Two arrows hit Cordélia despite Stuffed Jean-Paul’s best effort to block them with his own body. One arrow hit Paul and another Constant. A lot don’t hit their targets.
  • 4 bandits were arming themselves inside the barracks but Paul swiftly annihilate them with one big swing of his sword Guts (improved by Noah in downtime). The PCs are inside, Monmon blocks the door.
  • Some bandits try to storm the barracks but with Noah and Cordélia shooting arrows and bolts from the murder holes and Monmon skewering anything that gets near, the bandits chooses to retreat.
  • Back on the courtyard after a short while, the PCs enter the side door on the NW aisle. They immediately see wet steps on the floor of the corridor and not long after, risen up from a small water puddle, appears Montfort Malévol, well-dressed but with algae and aquatic plants all over him. « What’s all this Grabuge (ruckus) » he shouts angrily ». Thinking quickly Paul says: « Nothing my lord, just bandits, they’ve been taken care of, come I’ll show you! » Montfort is led to 3 dead bandits, murmurs something about someone being glad to have them and start to wander off, pulling 2 dead bandits behind him.
  • A fine plan by Paul but for the impromptu arrival of Aranéa Malévol, screaming « It’s them, Montfort get them you goof! » Stopped on his tracks, Montfort vomits turpid water that gets inside the bandits mouths. They rise up as zombies!
  • The PCs win initiative again.
  • Monmon charged the zombies and kill one. Paul-Jean and Pierrot join him against the 2 surviving zombies.
  • Cordélia sends her Reaper against Aranéa that was coming fast, running on all four on the surface of the wall. The Reaper manages to hit and paralyze the spider woman. Constant Jean throws a rope with a hook at her and pull slamming her down, Aranéa crashes brutally on the ground before being stabbed repeatedly.
  • Meanwhile Montfort has disapppeared, only to reappear behind, oozing out of the small pond. Bruno the Wolman manages to hurt him with his claws but his then knocked out from two powerful punches from Montfort. Cordélia uses her power of Unliving Persistence to save him.
  • Raymond the Man-at-Arms behead Aranéa with a blow from his halberd but she’s not quite dead as her head sprouts new arachnid legs from her severed neck and begins to skitter away. The Horror! Pierrot and Paul-Jean run after the spider-head, stab and burn it with a torch until it stops moving.
  • The PCs turn their attention to Montfort who’s a formidable opponent. He regenerates even severe wounds and he has a special bite attack, his neck and head elongating somewhat like those of a lake monster. Monmon manages to dodge his attack (veteran’s luck). and pierce him with his spear. Paul Nereff and Noah close on him and wound him with a magic dagger and Scrupulous the short sword.
  • Finally Montfort has had enough and kind of melt away leaving only a trail of wet footprints on the ground.
  • Cordélia pick up a pendant from Aranéa’s corpse.
  • The PCs hesitate but ultimately decide to call it day as Bruno is down and several others are wounded.

Session wrap up

  • The status of Gilbert the Fox is unknown to the players, all they know is that he fled inside the castle pursued by Cordélia’s Reaper. The Reaper came back soon after.
  • We had a great Kill it, kill it with fire! moment, always nice. Aranéa Malévol isn’t in the book but I like Spider Ladies too much to not have put her in.
  • XP: Participation: 1 Treasure: 1
  • Treasures: Luckstone Pendant
  • Quote:
  • Fatalities:
  • New Infractions: Killed Aranéa Malévol twice 0

Frosthaven – Frozen Crypt (5)

David Skelector Boardgame, Fantasy, Frosthaven, Play reports

We’re still following the Algox thread of the campaign where we’re mostly being used by one tribe to do its dirty job in killing another. But hey, we’re not picky when it comes to killing.

Characters

  • Boneshaper (David) lvl 2
  • Geminate (Math) lvl 1>>2
  • Drifter (Guillaume) lvl 1>>2

Except that our enemies somewhat object to being killed and even have the audacity of getting us into a trap! The floor opens beneath our feet and we fall into the eponymous Frozen Crypt where we’ll have to fight our would-be victims’ ancestors or something.

I’ve brought Bob the dead lumberjack with me, he’ll be a recurring feature, trust me. Him and Raging Sally. Yes, I’m naming my undead minions. Can’t remember my companions names though ha ha!

We first face off against Icy Wraiths, tricky bastards that do retaliate damage (elite) and range attacks (normal).

And now a classic staple of gloomhaven: the evil altar (utmost left) that we must destroy! ‘Cause if we don’t we’ll soon be swarmed by Frozen Corpses. They’re slow, being all y’know frozen, but they keep coming! But our Drifter does short work of the altar whilst the Geminate distract the undeads. We then turn our attention to our now vulnerable foes and destroy them (Raging Sally doing what she does best).

Closing Comments:

  • Pretty straightforward scenario, 2 rooms, 2 variety of monsters, we’re obviously not yet there on scenario complexity ramping up
  • Frosthaven continue to show us some clever monster tricks, going further on that front than gloomhaven for sure
  • We’re now all level 2, Guillaume was unsure if would go for a range build or not
  • We’ve added a Mining Camp to the village, still a Hunting Lodge to go and we’ll be all set to pumping out ressources (as long as we have the money too)
  • I have to complain, we’re not being paid! What kind of mercenaries are we?! Do-gooders, that’s who you think we are, pwah! Raging Sally, spit on them!