Dungeons and Dragons

Château d’Éfaurmaje – Edmond’s first dungeon

David Skelector aventures d'Edmond, Dungeons and Dragons, Fantasy, Homebrew, jeux de rôles, my kids, Roleplaying Game, RPG

Inspired by our ongoing Castle Xyntillan’s campaign, both Isaac and Edmond are designing their own castle/dungeon. I’ve been thinking about doing something like this for the last 2-3 years but I’m proud to say that my sons have beaten me to it. Here’s Edmond’s maps. Keep in mind that he’s 8 years old!

Edmond tells me that the dice on the maps are meant to indicate how many dice you rolls for random encounters on each location. I see that there’s two mimic monsters, some sort of teleporter, a LOT of traps and at least one secret door. Edmond tells me that a magic item to be found is a chess pawn that boosts xp gained while you wear it, pretty awesome!
Items are drawn on his maps: treasure chest with their value in gold, a set of armor, a knight’s helmet, another special treasure that gives a big chunk of xp and many other things.

The best part is that it will be playtested very soon!

Special thanks to Gabor Lux for his Castle Xyntillan module!

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)

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

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

Delicious in Dungeon: the Golden Kingdom megadungeon, Book 6

David Skelector Delicious in Dungeon, Dungeons and Dragons, Homebrew, jeux de rôles, manga, megadungeon, Monsters, Roleplaying Game, RPG

Book 5 has ended with the meeting of 3 adventuring guilds, mostly in a friendly manner. Now, taking a big chunk of book 6 is an EPIC fight with a special monster that takes on the whole gang of adventurers, killing 7 of them, incapacitating another, before getting away. Oh, and by the way the show on netflix starts tomorrow!

  • We can add harpies to the monster list of the 5th Level (the City). We learn that they’re mostly just like birds, nothing very special there. One funny bit is that harpies don’t hesitate to shit on corpses to discourage other meat eaters and keep it for themselves. Pretty gross.
  • After the aforementionned epic fight Laios’ guild get down through a set of large stairs to the 6th Level. 6th Level is made of the sum of the aqueducts, sewers and prison cells below the Castle.
  • 6th Level is known to be uncomfortably warm but this time around its really cold, there’s even a snowstorm going on inside!
  • 6th Level is also known for its many psychic monsters.
  • One is the Shapeshifter. A bit of a misnomer as its main gimmick is making illusory doubles of its preys to create confusion, maybe? It’s like a doppleganger situation but the whole thing is an elaborate illusion? Frankly it’s not really clear what’s the point of the illusions on a tactical level. On a narrative level that’s another thing entirely as the party has to identify who are the clones among them, knowing that the clones are not perfect replicas as the images are taken from each other’s faulty memories or bias perception of their companions. So, I would say, this time the monster doesn’t make much sense but the scene is absolutely great.
  • It’s pretty much the same pattern with the Nightmare monster. Manifesting in one’s sleep, the monster feeds on its victim’s fears, draining its vital energy slowly. It’s a bit underwhelming to learn that their real physical appearance is a clam-like pest that infests your pillow…

Anyway, great tome, great scenes, a bit less stellar on the monster ecology front. I do like the concept of a dungeon Level with psychic monsters as its main threat though.

Book 7 Here

Delicious in Dungeon: the Golden Kingdom megadungeon, Book 5

David Skelector Books, D&D 5e, Delicious in Dungeon, Dungeons and Dragons, Fantasy, jeux de rôles, manga, megadungeon, Monsters, Roleplaying Game, RPG

There’s a lot of good stuff in book 5. The story definitely takes a darker turn just when we think that Laios has succeedeed in bringing his sister back from the dead. The comedy is still here but it’s obvious there’s some sort of bleaker plot down the line. Very clever in my opinion. And the dryad scene is awesome!

  • Laios’ guild is still in the 5th Level (the City) and its success in dealing with monsters has incurred the wrath of the master of the Dungeon, the Lunatic Magician. His magic intervention has the effect of shifting the layout of the Level every so often, confusing the adventurers into going in circles.
  • One fortunate thing though is that the Ghosts of the City are often helpful as contrary to those of the higher Levels they’re not insane. They show up when they wish so and the paths they follow are always safe.
  • There’s a great scene with the Corpse Retrievers, the same shady group that we’ve seen in a previous book, they use a powerful illusion so that adventuring guild members fight among themselves (they see each other as monsters). If you don’t find corpses you can help a little is what they say!
  • This other guild leader, Kabru, is like the antithesis of Laios, not that great against monsters but very shrewd and deadly against humanoids. He would probably be an assassin in AD&D.
  • We can add Sea Serpents to the Flooded Level, another Top of food chain monster.
  • We see yet another guild, this one with an oriental background. The leader, Toshiro, is a samurai-looking guy. Another member is a powerfully built female Oni warrior.
  • Meanwhile in 5th Level, with the Red Dragon gone, the local monsters are back. 5th Level is in fact reputed for its abundance of monsters.
  • A fight against Dryads in a kind of cemetary surrounded by trees and bushes. They’re dangerous but very fragile, looks like any hit would kill them, thus releasing their spores…
  • … and provoking an INTENSE allergic reaction. That’s where the fun begin, fighting the other dryads whilst you can’t see or breath properly…
  • Dryads are basically like flowers, ugh well, except that they reproduce by kissing each other… Of course they do.
  • We see Laios training in regenerative magic. That makes me think: I’ve mentionned that Delicious in Dungeon is D&D inspired but there’s some things that diverge obviously. One is that there don’t seem to be firm adventuring classes except maybe for the mages, I think the default system would be closer to something like GURPS where you invest your character points in whatever you want.
  • Speaking of diverging with D&D, the magic system is obviously not Vancian. It’s more like a magic/mana gauge that you can deplete.
  • There’s a fight against a Cocatrix, a bigger, meaner relative of the Basilisk. A bite of the serpent head can turn you into stone. Turning someone back to flesh is possible but not easy. You also have to take care of the body so it doesn’t break (i.e by falling over) before you find a cure.
  • Ghosts are often shown like they try to tell something but can’t. Some people are sensitive (?) enough to understand and talk to them.
  • There’s someting called Cleaners, inoffensive and amorphous organisms that repair damage caused to the dungeon.

Book 6 Here

Delicious in Dungeon: the Golden Kingdom megadungeon, Book 4

David Skelector Delicious in Dungeon, Dungeons and Dragons, Fantasy, jeux de rôles, manga, megadungeon, Monsters, Roleplaying Game, RPG

There’s a lot less monster variety and monster ecology in action in book 4. The reason to this is that Laios’s guild is now at the 5th Level (the City) and will encounter its deadly new resident, the Red Dragon, who (we can safely guess) pretty much chased off everything else (except ghosts). Of course its also the kind of encounter that can take quite a few pages…

(As usual, I’m keeping the spoilers to a minimum)

  • The book start with a scene with the richly-attired governor of the island (from the village above the dungeon) and a couple of gnome magic-users that serves as his advisors. One thing to note is that the plundering of the dungeon has brought tremendous wealth to the village, probably more within the first few years of its discovery. Now that it doesn’t seem so treasure-filled what’s still of great value (to some people at least) is its secrets. The Biggie being the special magic that binds soul and body. The governor is thus encouraged to continue to pay adventurers (as loot isn’t so prevalent anymore) to get below and kill monsters so that others can do their research with less risk.
  • The City Level is still mostly in good state. Its 3-4 story high buildings are densely packed, in proper medieval-style, with many covered bridges crossing above the streets.
  • We already knew that the Red Dragon has displaced an Orc tribe, we now see dead wargs, incinerated by fire breath.
  • Dragons have only one weak spot, on the neck, just below the jaw. Their scaled skin is otherwise impervious to normal weapons (non-normal include those made in adamantium and mithril).
  • We see a demonstration of forbidden Ancient Magic. The Elf Marcille, its user, argues that it’s what we make of it that counts. Chilchuck the Halfling counters that it hasn’t been forbidden for nothing, he also says (not to her face) that he hopes that she isn’t a « dark elf », obviously not a racial thing in this context.
  • We see someone asking hospitality from a gentle-looking ghost of a young girl that agrees.
  • We learn that wargs are ferocious, that a pack can hunt much larger prey, that they’re very smart but also that they live with orcs of their own volition and not because they are trained by them.

Book 5 Here

Delicious in Dungeon: the Golden Kingdom megadungeon, Book 3

David Skelector Books, Delicious in Dungeon, Dungeons and Dragons, Fantasy, jeux de rôles, manga, megadungeon, Roleplaying Game, RPG

We’re now at book 3, Laios’s guild is exploring 4th level, the Flooded Level, and get to an entrance for the 5th near the end of the book. We get another beautiful example of monster ecology on how food chain dynamics can affect a dungeon. Read on and you’ll see what I mean.

  • The book start strong as we see Corpse Retrievers in action. Corpse Retrievers specialize in finding dead adventurers, revive them with magic and charge them accordingly. Their work is obviously useful to adventurers but as their source of income depends on their eventual deaths, they’ll keep surviving tips for themselves…
  • The main monsters of the Flooded Level are the Bladefishes, Krakens, Tritons, Kelpies, Moray Eels, Mermaids, Slimes, Tentacles and Undines
  • One can counter a Mermaid’s song if they sing very loudly (and lousily?) themselves, that’s creepy and that’ll make them flee
  • A lot of Bladefishes means too few middle of food chain monsters, which means too many top of food chain monsters, which means at this Level: Krakens
  • Krakens are colossal and have giant 3′ long Parasites inside their flesh, don’t eat Giant Parasites, they have their own parasites and you’ll get gastro-intestinal troubles
  • We learn that giving back life to a corpse (resurrection if you will) work only inside the dungeon as it’s a feature of the magic curse of the Golden Kingdom: souls are chained to their bodies even in death, so in essence you just have to heal a body so it can function as the soul never departed
  • Undines are water spirits, they’re spheres of water that shoots deadly water jets. They’re made of magic, a magic-user can drink them (once they’re defeated) to get back depleted magic.
  • One way to the Fifth Level (it’s implied that there’s others) is going down through a non-flooded tower that barely jut out of the water
  • It’s infested with tentacles (Japanese love their tentacles, don’t they). Tentacles can strangle somebody and are poisonous. At least one variety hides inside traps mechanisms, good news is that it hinders the trap. Bad news it that an unsuspecting adventurer that tries to disarm a trap can get caught by the tentacle…
  • Giant Frogs are immune to the tentacles and live among them, a good example of monster commensalism

Book 4 Here

Session 47c: Sky’s the Limit

David Skelector D&D 5e, Dungeons and Dragons, Fantasy, Homebrew, jeux de rôles, Play reports, Roleplaying Game, RPG, Ruins of chult campaign

Les joueurs approchent de leur but: s’emparer du bateau-volant. Un dernier danger les menace, mais ils n’ont pas fait tout ce chemin pour échouer avant la fin!

Personnages Joueurs (PJs)

  • (Marjorie) Kalohan, (level 11) High Elf Wizard (evoker), Inheritor,  doit trouver un sort inconnu jusque là avant de pouvoir obtenir son héritage
  • (Isaac) Anfi, (level 11) Locathah Fighter (eldritch knight), Outlander, venu sur la terre ferme en passant par la Caverne-Tunnel, là pour découvrir ce nouvel environnement + Salamandre Géante
  • (Olivier) Léon, (level 9) Human Monk (way of shadow), Outlander, revenu à la vie grâce à Zotzilaha, maintenant libre de faire ce qu’il veut
  • (Edmond) Vingt, (level 8) Myconid Druid (circle of spores), Acolyte, envoyé de Zuggtmoy, la Déesse du fongique + Fourmi Zombifiée
  • (Félix) Flyzus, (level 11), Wood Elf Ranger (hunter), Outlander, n’a plus de famille ni de patrie, là pour l’aventure et se forger une nouvelle vie. Accompagné de son Dire Kakapo juvénile qu’il a sauvé.
  • (Chris) Pax Double-Poches, (level 9), Halfling Rogue (arcane trickster), Criminal, fuyant un passé criminel, a vu de ses yeux les trésors merveilleux qu’a rapporté le ranger Flyzus de sa dernìère expédition et s’est immiscé dans le groupe depuis
  • (Chris) Rufb (level 10), Half-Orc Barbarian (berserker), Mercenary Veteran; capturé par des pterafolks, seul survivant de sa bande de mercenaires, délivré par Flyzus au sommet du Firefinger

Spores à la Rescousse

Les PJs effectuent une marche forcée au crépuscule pour mettre de la distance entre eux et le volcan. La magicienne fait un sort de Leomund’s Tiny Hut pour leur procurer un repos sans risques. À leur réveil les aventuriers constatent qu’il y une femme juste à côté, la matelot Moza a été laissé là par des Firenewts et elle est sur le point d’exploser! Vingt intervient juste à temps, fait un Remove Curse et voilà un membre d’équipage de plus!

Décollage?

En route vers le site de l’écrasement, marchant la jungle dense, le ranger trouve des signes de violence: les mercenaires qui leur ont fait face la veille ont trouvé leur fin. En inspectant de plus proche Flyzus constate qu’ils ont certainement été tués par des Homme-Scorpions (1). Leon couvre à nouveau le groupe de ses ombres.

Quelques heures après ils trouvent un débris de bateau-volant et peu de temps après l’objet de leur convoitise est devant eux!

Ne reste plus qu’à le faire décoller… Des réparations sommaires sont effectuées. Kalohan et Pax font le guet pendant que les rescapés de l’équipage enseignent des rudiments de navigation aux aventuriers puisque sans eux ils ne seraient pas assez nombreux pour manœuvrer le bateau-volant. Mais voilà que les deux guetteurs ont repérés des agresseurs, sans surprise des Hommes-Scorpions. L’équipage active la procédure de décollage en urgence alors que de plus en plus de monstres approchent. (2)

Les Hommes-Scorpions sont tous munis de chaînes avec crochets (3) et s’en servent pour se hisser sur le pont. Seul Pax, Kalohan et la Salamandre d’Anfi le défendent. Pax se poste en hauteur et tire des flèches. La Salamandre réussit à pousser un Homme-Scorpion par-dessus la rambarde. Kalohan fait un Cone of Cold et en blesse 2 autres gravement que Pax achèvera par la suite. D’autres se hissent pourtant mais les défenseurs font un vaillant effort et le bateau-volant s’envole!

Décolllage! (4)

Port Castigliar

Le Bateau-volant se rend à Port Castigliar, la populace est ébahie!

  • Les aventuriers prennent des nouvelles locales et moins locales (Port Nyanzaru).
  • Font une petite tournée pour amoindrir quelques tensions (5).
  • Réussissent à convaincre le figure de proue magique de l’Indomptable (échouée sur la plage) d’être placée sur le bateau-volant. Félix est promu Capitaine mais doit se montrer digne de son poste.
  • Leon reste quelques semaines en compagnie de Maître Nuage Immanent pour apprendre une nouvelle technique de moine.
  • Ils vont chercher le tas de brique « hanté » pour pouvoir enfin s’en servir. Le monstre de briques est vaincu d’une monumentale « Frappe d’Air » de Leon qui y met tout ses ki pour une attaque grandiose de coup critique de 124 de dommage (voilà c’est répertorié 😉 ). Parmi toutes les briques ils réussissent à en trouver une ayant une rune magique qui activait le processus de défense et la désactive.
  • Kalohan commence le processus qui mettra en place un Teleportation Circle dans le bateau-volant
  • Ils décident qu’ils devront se mêler de la politique de Port Nyanzaru, puisque les événements troublants qui s’y produisent risquent d’avoir un impact sur leur repaire de Port Castigliar.

Notes du DM:

  1. les joueurs savaient déjà que les jungles autour en sont infesté
  2. ils ont besoin de 20 succès collectivement sur des jets d’intelligence
  3. à la Mortal Kombat: « come over here! »
  4. 10000xp pour ce succès flamboyant
  5. le village est en expansion rapide avec un afflux de nouveaux arrivants