Roleplaying Game

Streets & Spores – update

David Skelector Fantasy, musings, Roleplaying Game, RPG

Okay my friends, it’s like my first blog update ever on Streets & Spores I think. Been writing this blog for 9 years (that’s crazy) and well, I’m not much of a dedicated blogger really. Always thought of this as my ttrpg personal journal first and foremost but y’know, some people read this and I’m happy about that.

So here we go, vacation near a end, which means I’ll get back to write more frequently. Perfectly logical I tell you. I also have a bit of a backlog to get through, with several sessions of Gunderholfen to write about. Campaign is progessing well & fast. It’s really fun too but I’m still experimenting with how I want to proceed, not the exploring part mind you that’s up to the players but the surrounding gameplay part if that make sense, and I have the sinking feeling that everything will click in my head only when we’ll be near the end of it. I’ll have to do some post-mortem for sure but we have a long way to go still.

Nothing for Frosthaven for the moment for those interested on that front, but we’ll get back to play soon enough I think. We’re more than halfway through and we intend to finish the game.

Also, as long as I’m updating, I’ve decided recently that my Gunderholfen campaign will be exclusively for my kids. My sister and nephew missed too many sessions by now. The last time they played, a few weeks ago, was for a 5E session that they kept pestering me to have until I gave in and did a truly abysmal, halfassed effort that still somehow seemed to make them happy, sigh. I mean, I had good hopes for my nephew to convert him to a more hmm, humble playstyle, after all he truly loved our Castle Xyntillan campaign, that much was obvious. But no, still wanted to play 5E and have an entire session seeking to fish a crit with a maxed-Ki Air Punch or some such so he could do the most damage for his monk character on a single attack… Man, I love him, and he’s only 16 yo, but thats’a bit heartbreaking.

But moving on, another thing that should happen in the coming months hopefully is a new campaign with my older son and some of his teenager friends (and his younger brother too, as always) with me as the DM. Another published osr megadungeon, can’t get enough of those, this time it’ll be The Forgotten Caverns of Archaia by Greg Gillepsie. For once with the intended system, Dragonslayer, That should be interesting.

What else? I’m slowly working on my own megadungeon, I’ll try to pick up a better pace if I can.

My younger son is still improving and is immensely creative with his dungeon-craft and I’ll try to write about this too.

I also have several non-play reports drafts to complete, probaly will get to it this autumn.

Lastly, prompted by 52 Monsters and its excellent author Brian Garthwaite, I’m thinking of being a bit more active on sharing some other blogs content. Could add a blogroll too, I read a lot of interesting stuff from other people after all. We’ll see.

Heh, that’s it for this update, oher post coming soon!

Dragonbane – rulebook walkthrough pt 1: character creation and magic

David Skelector Dragonbane, Fantasy, jeux de rôles, Play reports, review, Roleplaying Game, RPG

I’ve been using the Dragonbane ttrpg system (DB) for several sessions now- testing the limits of it in fact, with a megadungeon campaign, but I think for the moment I’d do something between a walkthrough and a true review. Suffice to say I like Dragonbane a lot but like every other systems, it also has some flaws.

First thing first, I’ve seen it often called an « OSR » game but I don’t think that’s quite accurate. It’s a fairly light system (the rulebook is slim at 112 pages) and there’s also many random tables (i.e magic mishaps, injuries, etc.), but here the comparison ends as I think the implied style of play is a bit different than OSR (i.e all the different actions you can do in combat).

Character creation:

You have the classical humans, elves, dwarves, halfings and then you’ve also got those guys, the duck-persons mallards and also wolfkin.

Choosing your Kin, you get an ability from it, a small power that you can activate spending willpower points (your wp pool is equal to your willpower score), for example the mallards get « ill-tempered » giving them a boon (advantage, roll twice take best) on attacks at the cost of getting angry (a condition, more on that later).

Choosing a Profession (the complete list: artisan, bard, fighter, hunter, knight, mage, mariner, merchant, scholar and thief), you get an Heroic Ability, another thing you can activate spending willpower points (the fighter for instance gets Veteran, something that lets him play with his initiative order a bit).

If you choose the Mage profession, you don’t get a Heroic Ability but instead get access to three Rank 1 spells and two Magic Tricks from one magic School. Others can also learn magic but not at the beginning.

Next step is rolling your attributes (the same 6, or thereabouts, willpower instead of wisdom, 4d6 take three, assign to one attribute at a time.

Lastly, based on your attributes numbers, you’ll have scores on skills, which are either free or trained (chosen from your profession’s list and a few you can choose as you wish), the minimum is 3, maximum is 14. thus if you have a 17 or 18 score in an attribute on a trained skill, you have 14 for that skill that will be used with a d20 roll under or equal. So, it’s a Roll Under system.

The whole character creation is pretty easy and fast as apart for Kin and Profession most of the choices are already made for you. A few more customizations, rolled randomly (i.e starting gear, a memento), and you’re ready to go. Nothing to complain there, all good.

Magic:

Spells are ranked from 1 to 5, with most within the 1-3 range, with each rank from 2 and above having a lower-ranked spell as a prerequisite.

There’s four magic schools: General, Animism, Elementalism and Mentalism. Everyone that has the Magic Talent heroic ability (from being a mage most probably) can access General magic and also choose one of the three other schools.

You can remember a finite number of spells depending on your Int score but can have more into your Grimoire. The magic system is somewhat Vancian (memorizing spells, spending them and getting to choose anew after resting) but with the addition that you can cast any spells that you have in your Grimoire if you double the casting time (2 rounds instead of 1 for most spells). That’s a nice touch, a bit more flexibility is good.

Spells also take magic points to cast (from you wp pool, as determined by your willpower score) and cost 2, 4 or 6 points depending on how strong you want the effet to be.

So both memorized spells and spell points, a bit cumbersome in my opinion.

But something pretty big is effectively missing from the whole thing: how do you acquire new spells? As it stands, it’e pretty much up to the DM to decide, that’s weird.

I would add that the spells list to choose from is a bit limited, some offensive spells are just stronger versions of lower-ranked ones, making the latter completely obsolete (which also feels wrong). There’s seventeen Rank 1 spells to choose from initially, with not too bad a variety of effects but it could also be better.

There’s also a nice (optional) Magical Mishaps table in case a character roll a 20 (remember, it’s a roll under system) whereas they could vomit a frog the moment they tell a lie for some time or some such.

Addendum:

There was a KS going on recently for financing two more Dragonbane books, one being the Book of Magic… They clearly recognized the need, that’s great, because as it stands the magic part of the game is the weakest.

Part 2 – character development and conditions

Gunderholfen – Back in Longfelt (session 10)

David Skelector Dragonbane, Fantasy, Gunderholfen, jeux de rôles, megadungeon, OSR, Play reports, Roleplaying Game, RPG

Short session without any combats but in which the PCs managed to get out of the dungeon efficiently (after 3 sessions inside) with the help of their new friends.

1,5 hours

Gunderholfen by G. Hawkins: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/265629/gunderholfen

Player Characters (PCs):

  • Aracyne (Isaac), Elf Hunter, Guild Leader
  • Forka (Edmond), Dogman Knight
  • Torch, Goblin Torchbearer (Edmond)
  • Ghardeet (me) Hobgoblin Mage/Shaman
  • Tiali, Ratwoman Thief (me)
  • Jedri, Ratman Thief (me)

Level 3

  • We start in Level 3 in a set of rooms occupied by Tiali and Jedri, cursed adventurers turned into rat persons. They shared a nice broth together and had time to rest and talk.
  • Among the things Tiali and Jedri shared is a shortcut to get to the entrance of Level 2. It’s near, to the north, next to the kiigoths’ den.
  • The PCs set for a plan of action, they would get out of the dungeon ao that Tiali could ask in town for a cure to her affliction. Jedri for his part, doesn’t mind being a rat person as it gives some good advantages as a thief and he never was a good-looking fellow anyway.
  • Getting out of the room, wary of the Gelatinous Cube in the vicinity, the PCs go north at the pair of double doors.
  • They get inside a large room that has a dead ogre and 3 dead kiigoths, casualties from the conflict going on between these two sides.
  • There’s a locked room at the left but the two thieves warn that there’s something dangerous inside.
  • Door to the right, there’s a small closet with a lone skull in a corner. Forka smashes it with his 2h hammer and kills a green centipede at the same time.
  • Going north they get into another large room with another dead ogre (no kiigoths this time) and a ladder next to the northern wall.
  • Forka goes first up the ladder followed by Torch (they named the goblin follower by what he does) and everybody else and up they go for a 100 feet until they reach a secret room right next the great hall, the entrance of Level 2!
  • From there they get among their hobgoblin allies and separate from Ghardeet and Torch until their next delve, maybe.
  • They get out under the sun, which they haven’t seen for several days, and start the trek through Ganfal Swamp. Aracyne the hunter manages to lead them well through the treacherous swamp and they reach the town of Longfelt before the end of the day. They leave Tiali to her own device but promise Jedri to invite him for the next delve.
  • Forka and Aracyne both takes training course in their respective guilds, pay 100 gold each and learn new tricks.
  • They’re then ready to leave for their next delve, out in the farmlands they encounter a patrol of horsemen and talk with them a little. They learn that the adventuring party « The Protectors » led by Bayard came back from Gundeholfen a few days ago with 9 pairs of hobgoblin ears that will earn them money by one Reginald in town, a Halfling inn-owner who pays for any dead hobgoblins.
  • The PCs are unsure if they can do something about that at first but then decide to turn back and talk to Reginald at his inn. They learn thar Reginald’s village had suffered heavily from hobgoblin raids in his youth and now he spends his money to avenge himself.
  • TBC…

Closing comments:

  • No big eventful things happening but a very useful session nonetheless for the players as they progress in their knowledge of Gunderholfen.
  • Jedri will be a nice addition to the team.
  • I finally chose how to deal with the Ganfal swamp in my game: I make Aracyne the hunter makes a bushcraft check, that’s a skill in DB, if he succeeds there’s still a 1 on 6 chance of encounters, if he fails there’s a roll on the Dragonbane journeys’ mishaps table and also a 1 on 6 chance of encounters. At the moment, there’s still a bit more than 50% chance that something inconvenient/bad happening which seems fair to me.
  • Forka learned the heroic ability Massive Blow with his weeklong training and Aracyne learned Fast Footwork with his.

Gunderholfen – Stinky Halls of Level 3 (session 9)

David Skelector Dragonbane, Dungeons and Dragons, Fantasy, Gunderholfen, jeux de rôles, megadungeon, OSR, Play reports, Roleplaying Game, RPG

Second session at our cabin. The boys nearly got themselves killed the previous session in Level 2 so the logical thing to do is to go deeper, of course!

Gunderholfen by G. Hawkins: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/265629/gunderholfen

Player Characters (PCs):

  • Aracyne (Isaac), Elf Hunter, Guild Leader
  • Forka (Edmond), Dogman Knight
  • Ghardeet (me) Hobgoblin Mage/Shaman
  • Expendable & Nameless Goblin (me)

Having fled from Living Deads and Giant Ants, their wounds magically healed by Ghardeet their hobgoblin honorary mage, the PCs are ready to explore some more. They start by opening the door in the large boulders room and it’s not long before they find a set of stairs that goes down and down…

Level 3

  • With Expendable Nameless Goblin now officially the group’s torchbearer (he tries hard to be useful and is obsequious to Forka, his savior), the PCs exit the stairway into a dwarf-made room with layered stone and bricks and 3 sets of double-doors.
  • Listening to each doors, the PCs finally opt to open the northern ones and enter into a very long hallway that goes well beyond their torchlight.
  • Aracyne listens to the first door at their right and hear some metallic scrapings and they decide to let it be.
  • They go the next and see that it’s staked to make it unopenable.
  • Still further on the hallway, in an open area at their right, they see a sun-face carved on the wall. They interact with it, manage to make it open its mouth but it doesn’t seem to do much else.
  • Everything is quiet at the next door and they open it to reveal a small room with a pedestal in the middle, with drawings of dwarves holding something up. Ghardeet casts sense magic and says there’s some dwarven-affiliated magic at work here but isn’t able to do anything with it.
  • Next room, after opening the door, Forka’ sense of smell is assaulted by overwhelming body odors, rot, excrements and other unpleasantness. A trophy of sort is in the middle of the room, with non-human (pointy teeth, giant bat? feline?) skulls on display and with a crude drawing of large matchstick men smashing smaller figures with their clubs.
  • Listening to the door they can hear several loud snorings coming from nearby.
  • The PCs get out of this smelly den of brutes and continue north, still in the long hallway.
  • Now in a large doorless room, full of large mushrooms, something is moving amongst them but hidden from view. They send in E & N Goblin (thus proving that his expendable status still applies), he wearily moves into the mushrooms and soon let out a surprised yap and flees back to the adventurers, pursued by a Giant Beetle. The beast is obviously heavily-armored so Aracyne aims at a weak spot with one of his newly-acquired magic arrow and inflicts a severe wound. A massive blow from Forka’s 2H hammer is enough to slay the dangerous monster before it could do much (slow iniative). A good search of the floor beneath the mushrooms revealed an impressive hoard of coins as well as dozens of semi-precious and precious stones. Treasure, at last! They also collect several rations worth of edible mushrooms.
  • Thence, the PCs get out of the mushrooms room, continue their way north and, after a 45 degree angle turn, get in front of a large cistern, water dripping in it from the ceiling – and more importantly, before 4 surprised, hairy humanoids that were busy filling many waterskins (more than for their own use for sure).
  • The adventurers quickly fell 2 Kiigoths before they even reacted. Those, despite being mortally wounded, still had the will to fight but one more blow each and they stopped moving. The 2 surviving creatures proved no match for the PCs who won the fight without a scratch.
  • The PCs refilled their own waterskins and then checked the great double-doors across the cistern but couldn’t open them, even with their combined strength – they were blocked from the other side most likely.
  • They then got back to the stairway room and went east from there, past another set of double-doors.
  • They got into a large rectangular room with a basin within filled with murky, smelly water full of algae.
  • They open a door and get into a long hallway with many doors and openings. Aracyne listens to the first door at their right but is immediately assaulted by some kind of psychic attack and is disheartened.
  • Not opening this door, they go further in the hallway and turn right, into a side corridor and then left, which gets them back in the main hallway. (it wasn’t obvious beforehand, proceeding forward with torchlight hides much) They see a small, sooth-covered room in front of them but also, oddly enough, there’s a floating sword (in its sheath), very near them at their left.
  • Forka try to seize the sword but screams in pain as he forcibly pulls back his forearm, acid goo dripping from it. The sword (and its near-invisible Gelatinous Cube holder) then lunges forward but Forka and his companions retreat hastily.
  • Seeing that they run faster than the « sword », the PCs calmed down a little and lured the monster in the side-corridor just enough so they could then have time to get to the unexplored area.
  • They opened a door (didn’t have time to listen) into a narrow corridor and came face to face with two armed rat-persons (rat-headed humanoids, clothed, not too unkempt). Both facing them, obviously ready, one in front with a wicked dagger, one behind with a spear. As the PCs didn’t attack outright, the rat-person with the dagger started talking, said that he was named Jedri and his companion was Tlali and enquired who they (the PCs) were. Aracyne told them they were adventurers, that they came in peace and reassured them enough so that the two rat-persons invited them to their dinner in the adjacent room. There, a cauldron of broth was put above a small fire and the PCs added mushrooms and fish and thus enhanced it considerably, making everybody one step happier.

Closing Comments:

  • Level 2 is now mapped something like 85% but several rooms were barely entered because they seemed to hold danger in them.
  • Related to this, before finding the Mushrooms room hoard, Isaac complained of the lack of treasure (they found nothing significant since the meagre kobolds’ treasure) but, well, it’s a push-your-luck game. There IS treasure, but it often comes with danger.
  • If Level 1 was mainly humanoids and Level 2 mostly populated with critters (with a few surprises here and there), Level 3 is more mixed, having two groups of humanoids within (among other things). Still pretty vanilla stuff, but it gets weirder the deeper you go in Gunderholfen, oh, yes it does.
  • The encounter with the Gelatinous Cube was fun, a beginner’s mistake by 10 yo Edmond for sure, but we have to do them in order to learn… I was lenient, giving them time to react (rolling ini) instead of being surprised, next time though…
  • Jedri and Tlali in the book are supposed to be evil wererats that will try to murder PCs with a devious plan but I’ve changed them into cursed adventurers and potential allies in my game. They know some useful stuff about the dungeon too (not shared yet) and at least one could become an hireling if the players wish so.

Gunderholfen – Mud Spa of the Living Dead (session 8)

David Skelector Dragonbane, Dungeons and Dragons, Fantasy, Gunderholfen, jeux de rôles, megadungeon, OSR, Play reports, Roleplaying Game, RPG

We’re back from our first trip of the season at our cabin. Just in time to catch some morels too! Weather was good at first but got rainy afterward – no matter, I had brought something to entertain me and the boys…

Short session: 1 1/2 hours

Player Characters (PCs):

  • Aracyne (Isaac), Elf Hunter, Guild Leader
  • Forka (Edmond), Dogman Knight
  • Ghardeet (me) Hobgoblin Mage/Shaman
  • Expendable & Nameless Goblin (me)

Level 2

  • We start inside the dungeon, in the southern part of Level 2 (which is about 80% natural caverns), in a large cavern lit by a sofly-glowing green moss.
  • Checking his map, Aracyne first leads the group to an unexplored, low-ceilinged area nearby where they find a message scribbled on a wall: « Find the Floating Level. Nym ». Their second reference to the « Floating Level » to date.
  • Otherwise it’s a cul-de-sac and they go back at the large-boulders cavern (where they fought the Vilstraks) and check the door they found earlier, see that it’s locked and decide to go explore another area instead.
  • They go into a long, twisting and ascending passage and get into new territory in the south-west corner of Level 2.
  • There’s a chasm to their right with Giant Ants on the other side, with some bigger ones too but they don’t seem too agressive for the moment (good reaction roll).
  • Further on they get at the entrance of a room covered by mist that reeks of rot and decay and Forka can also smell the presence of some unknown predatory beasts lurking nearby. They don’t enter the room and prefer to go in another area.
  • In a smaller cavern they find broken crates and searching them they find 2 quivers full of arrows. Five of the arrows are rather deadly-looking and Aracyne is happy to take them all.
  • In the next cavern they find an obelisk with writings on it (dwarven?) but unfortunately nobody can translate it in the group.
  • Thence, they get at the entrance of a warm cavern obscured by steam. Mud covers the floor and there’s several bubbling pools that let out jets of steam interminently. And Forka detects a faint odor of rotting flesh. The PCs get inside to investigate and immediately find what is obviously a gravestone.
  • A rotting hand emerges from the mud! Several corpses, dwarf-sized, with dead flesh half-boiled half-rotten, slowly extirpate themselves from the ground – enough to send the PCs running for their lives.
  • They get back to the broken crates area where they decide to make a stand against the incoming Living Dead. Aracyne shoots an arrow and manages to miss. Forka is charged by a Living Dead and almost get his heart torn out, he takes big damage! The PCs are now gueninely worried and start to flee again with Expendable & Nameless Goblin, already scared (a condition in DB), going first and Aracyne taking the back and shooting his bow when he can.
  • They near the chasm but E&N Goblin get assaulted by a Soldier Ant, is severely wounded and trapped under it. 2 Worker Ants are also blocking the way and threaten the adventurers.
  • With the Living Dead coming behind (they’re typical zombie-slow fortunately), the PCs do an all-out attack against the Ants. Ghardeet wound a Worker Ant with his magic-augmented Iron Fist Staff.
it looks like this
  • Aracyne wounds the Soldier Ant with an arrow and Forka finishes it with a big blow of his 2H hammer. Aracyne then kills the wounded Worker Ant, Ghardeet shove the other one down the chasm. E&N Goblin is still stuck under the corpse of the Soldier Ant and pleads for his life, Ghardeet reminds his companions of his E&N status but Forka takes upon himself of saving him and pulls him out of his predicament.
  • Aracyne takes a parting shot at one Living Dead and has aimed well but his target doesn’t seem to care much that he’s supposed to be dead. The PCs then hurry away because several other Giant Ants are coming from the walls and ceiling to cross the chasm. Some go at the Living Dead and some others at the adventurers.
  • The PCs interrupt a moment their flight to throw food at the Giant Ants, some rations and fish they had caught earlier (but not all), and that seems to distract the insects out of their pursuit.
  • They reach once again the big cavern with large boulders and unite their efforts to move one of the boulder to block the way they came (there’s another way to the north-east and a door to the south-west). Ghardeet then heal Forka and reluctantly, after being convinced to, also E&N Goblin.

Closing Comments:

  • My nephew Olivier was supposed to come along with us at the cabin but couldn’t make it unfortunately. I’ve found the solution to still have a decent group of PCs with the addition of the hobgoblin shaman and expendable goblin, putting their prior efforts to the forefront in this manner.
  • I try as much as I can to feed inputs for Forka’ superior sense of smell and telegraph things to the players accordingly. I’m quite amazed in fact at how a great sense of smell could be even better than darkvision in a dungeon environment and more appropriate to nuances in many cases. Quite the revelation to me.
  • They truly got themselves between a rock and a hard place with the Living Dead and Giant Ants. Pushing forward with enemies at your flank wasn’t a sound exploration strategy and I think the boys learned that.
  • I think the Living Dead in Dragonbane are a lot more dangerous than classical D&D zombie meatbags, maybe a bit too much even. They’re not unbeatable either, I think I’ll keep them as is, the players just have to be careful about it.

A RPG campaign that emulates Ryoko Kui’s Delicious in Dungeon

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

Here’s some concepts I’m stealing from Delicious in Dungeon for my ongoing megadungeon campaign. It’s not even the food aspect of it, don’t care much about that, but there’s plenty other things that are worth borrowing.

See my highlights of the manga:

(Note that the manga go further than that (14 books) but from book 10 and on it diverges from my main interest/obsession, the dungeon, as the story devolves into a big crisis and final resolution for the last few books.)

In bold is stuff I want forefront in my Gunderholfen campaign.

Dungeons, Demons and Masters

There’s two kind of dungeons in Delicious in Dungeon. Natural dungeons are simply places where magic happens to be strongly concentrated. Unnatural/real dungeons are different and are basically prisons for demons (entities from another world), one demon per dungeon to be more precise. Dungeons of this latter type are huge, sprawling, expanding and sometime changing to fit the need of its Master.

Part demon’s accomplice, part roadblock to its liberty, the Master of the Dungeon is the one who controls the physical object that detains the demon, somewhere in the deeper levels of the dungeon. Probably already powerful, a Master gain extra powers once they take over a Dungeon, like the ability to create monsters, modify the dungeon, and have access to unique spells. This comes at a cost as the demon’s influence slowly erodes the Master’s grasp on reality and leads to madness down the line.

Demons have some limited abilities to interact with interlopers and can try to influence them in some way. Adventurers can also become unwittingly the demon’s liberators if they manage to kill the Master without further precautions.

Aside: a Player Character managing to become a Master most probably become an NPC and a villain for another campaign…

The Deeper you go, the more Magic/Mana there is

Mana is everywhere but there’s a lot more mana inside dungeons than outside. It has two main effects. The first is allowing the presence of monsters as they need ambient mana in order to exist at all, and larger amounts the more powerful they are. Thus, powerful monsters cannot normally venture on the upper levels without seriously comprimising their health. (if you ever needed an explanation for monster placement here you go).

The second effect is on magic-using. Spells are easier to cast and are more efficient inside the dungeon. (and to go further than the manga on this particular point>>) The deeper you go the truer it becomes. This also means that more powerful magic can only be cast on deeper levels (or a special place like a wizard’s tower perhaps) and isn’t purely in proportion to it’s caster’s might/high level. (If you follow my meaning, this implies a system that is probably NOT D&D).

The all-important, well-rounded Magic-User

Magic-users are absolutely essential to a party of adventurers to the point where not having one would be a serious issue. Potions, scrolls and other one-shot items are non-existent, you MUST rely on the magic-user for utility spells (water-walking comes to mind), protection spells, sheer firepower and most of all, healing (resurrection even). It’s a world without clerics where mages can cast fireballs AND heal (but some are better at one or the other). Protecting the party’s magic-user is not to be taken lightly. This implies that magic-users are polyvalent, have large ressources (are not depleted that quickly, have also an additional reserve with their mana-staff) but must manage them as there’s nothing else to fall back to.

Know your Monsters: Dungeon Ecology

Monsters, except the very weakest, should always pose a threat if you don’t know much about them. You have to have knowledge of their abilities, weaknesses, favored tactics, etc. if you wish to reliably be victorious in encounters with monsters. Theoritical knowledge (from a book say) is fine but isn’t always reliable. Hard gained practical knowledge is best of course but isn’t widely shared and often kept to one’s group to have an edge over others.

Adventurers Guilds

Adventurers work in guilds (the same as a party), with each members having signed contracts (with terms that could differ from one another). The guild’s leader owns the party’s equipment in its entirety (weapons and armors included). He’s the one who buys provisions and equipment for everybody each delve. The guild members can leave the guild if they wish so as long their contracts allows it.

Fatigue and Resting

The food aspect of Delicious in Dungeon (i.e eat properly in your dungeon-delving or suffer dire consequences) is interesting but hard to put in place in a ttrpg I think. A more general approach that includes stamina/fatigue that player characters have to take into account is something I wish to put more emphasis on (resting as something more that regaining hit points or abilities) in my campaign.

Conclusion

The fluff about the Dungeon/Master/Demon isn’t that important to be honest, though it fits with the module I’m actually running (Gunderholfen). What I find much more interesting is to play, to adapt (as the dungeon master) with:

  • how magic is applied in this setting, changed by how deep you are in the dungeon
  • player characters doing a rest as something more significant than in classical D&D
  • and also, and this gives me some work to do, how many monsters should be puzzles to solve for the players (they have to learn how to fight them efficiently).

Gunderholfen – Unsavory Characters – Session 7

David Skelector Dragonbane, Fantasy, jeux de rôles, megadungeon, OSR, Play reports, Roleplaying Game, RPG

I would like this game to be bi-monthly at least – this is the kind of rpg campaign that needs the players to be invested in and remember things, but y’know, between my weekly frosthaven session with my brother-in-law, work, family life and, well, everything else, my ttrpgs ambitions often get the shorter straw…

Short session, 2 hours, with two thirds in town (Longfelt) with players trying to find – and obtain membership, of disreputable organisations.

Player Characters (PCs):

  • Aracyne (Isaac), Elf Hunter, Guild Leader
  • Forka (Edmond), Dogman Knight
  • Hédralynn (Marjorie), Elf Mage
  • J. Lebeau (Olivier), Dogman Fighter

Longfelt

  • Upon hearing of the existence of an Assassins’ guild, J Lebeau is determined to become a member.
  • After a stroll in a bad neighbordood in town, trying his best to be both intimidating and inquisitive, he finally hears from some locals that he should go to the Gasping Playhouse.
  • Here he talks to the owner, an half-elf named Rufina. She quickly guesses that he’s more interested in the real-life applications of the arts of assassination than in theatre.
  • She can introduce him to some friends be he has to prove that he’s got potential first. As he’s a dogman, the arts of impersonation isn’t that relevant but is he good at hiding and acrobatics? He shows, in front of a live audience, that he’s very good at it.
  • J Lebeau is introduced to the Assassins’ Guild, somewhere beneath the city.
  • ______________________
  • Upon hearing of the existence of a Thieves’ guild, Aracyne is determined to become a member.
  • Aracyne goes talk to some shady merchant and asks him to whom he should talk if he has some not-quite-honest merchandises he would like to procure. He’s told that everybody knows (in this part of town) to go to the Ashen Bandit tavern for such dealings.
  • At the Ashen Bandit, Aracyne meets with Belita of the Thieves’s guild. He will be put to the test if he wants to join. How about he goes outside of Lady Keritsa’ Parlour, wait for some foolish fop to come out and come back with something of his?
  • Aracyne finds an easy target, cuts his purse without being seen and goes back to Belita. He gives her the purse and (after a small hesitation) its content .
  • Aracyne joins the Thieves’ Guild.
  • Meanwhile. Hédralynn wishes to find an artisan specialised in security/defensive installation, the kind that uses decapitation apparatus, boltshooters, poisonous gases, etc.
  • She spends some money on spreading the word and soon enough is introduced to a dwarf named Oshida. She wants to hire him and do some work inside Gunderholfen.
  • He assures Hédralynn that he’s an expert in this kind of work but, of course, his expertise don’t come cheap.
  • After a bit of negotiations, helped by the fact that (as a dwarf) he’s interested in Gunderholfen, he asks for 300 gp (100 now) for him and his team to make one very lethal room inside the dungeon at a tbd location.
  • Hédralynn takes most of the party’s collective gold and pays the fore payment.

Gunderholfen

  • Travel through Ganfal swamp went well.
  • PCs talk to their hobgoblin allies, give some suplies. Agree to block other adventuring parties from getting in. Chief Nerulf a bit suspicious of letting a dwarf team in but agrees if they split the spoils (of dead adventurers) 50/50.
  • The PCs then go explore below.
  • They kill some stirges from the nesr at the entrance of Level 2.
  • Past the Wind Corridor (remove their shoes) and flooded cave (walk on water spell), they get to a natural cave room with puffball mushrooms (the unmoving kind, charged with mana) that they’ve seen before. They linger in this room this time, Hédralynn to recharge her mana staff.
  • 4 giant ant workers intrude (random encounter) in but the adventurers react quickly. Alfred wound one ant with his sword. Aracyne aims his bow for an unarmored spot and kills an ant with an arrow right between its mandibles. Forca just smash another with his 2-hands hammer. Hedralynn hurls two fireballs, one normal at the wounded ant and one supercharged to calcinate the remaining unhurt ant.
  • With the ants all dead, the PCs go further south. They get into the room with glowing crystals all over. Hédralynn again takes some of the mana to replenish her staff whilts her companions take some crystals with picks.
  • Now in unexplored territory, south-west, in a room full of mold, they get ambushed by 5 land lampreys. Two latch on Forca to suck his blood, the others miss their targets. Forca burns one to death with his torch. J Lebeau decapitates the other with his hand axe, its head still hanging from Forca’s thigh. Both Aracyne and Hédralynn manage to shoot another one with their bows. Alfred slay the last one with a sword slash. Forca removes the land lamprey’s head lacthed to him a bit messily with a dagger.
  • Further west, they get into a large room with its walls covered with pale moss. A whitish, oval rock stands out in the middle of the room. There’s 9 buttons on it. J Lebeau press them all to no visible effect. Forca and J Lebeau smash the stone to pieces, nothing happens.

Closing Comments;

  • As is my habbit, I did a preamble to our session, laying out a few things about the campaign, information about the home base/town this time around, mostly, and mentionned the guilds (the openly visible ones: fighters’, mages’ and the hidden thieves’ and assassins’, classical stuff). Both Olivier (made him think of Skyrim) and Isaac jumped on the idea of being part of secretive organisations and acted accordingly. In a different campaign I could have made a bigger deal of getting in, making it more difficult to find, with several steps, etc.
  • Marjorie/Hédralynn is trying hard to make it difficult for the competing adventuring parties (I made clear that competition would be a key component of the campaign, more on this another post). Her efforts should amount to something certainly but of course, it can’t be foolproof. I’ll let the dice decide in large part what happens to other parties.
  • I have some critiques of dragonbane (I’ll lay them out if I ever get around to do a proper review of the system) but combat isn’t one of them. It’s fast, fun and full of interesting options. PCs hit about 70% of the time, which is about right IMO, can topple an adversary, aim for a weak spot, try to evade a dangerous attack, etc. PCs are capable without being overpowered, it’s great.
  • Dungeon exploration was rather short this time so no going back to town, we’ll start where we left next session.

Ooze Master & Golden Beholder – Session 49b

David Skelector D&D 5e, Dungeons and Dragons, Fantasy, Homebrew, Play reports, Roleplaying Game, RPG

Deuxième partie de la session forte en combats.

Personnages Joueurs (PJs)

  • (Marjorie) Kalohan, (level 11>>12) High Elf Wizard (evoker), Inheritor,  doit trouver un sort inconnu jusque là avant de pouvoir obtenir son héritage
  • (Isaac) Anfi, (level 12) Locathah Fighter (eldritch knight), Outlander, venu sur la terre ferme en passant par la Caverne-Tunnel, là pour découvrir ce nouvel environnement + Salamandre Géante
  • (Edmond) Vingt, (level 9>>10) Myconid Druid (circle of spores), Acolyte, envoyé de Zuggtmoy, la Déesse du fongique + Fourmi Zombifiée
  • (Félix) Flyzus, (level 12), 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 12), 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 12), Half-Orc Barbarian (berserker), Mercenary Veteran; capturé par des pterafolks, seul survivant de sa bande de mercenaires, délivré par Flyzus au sommet du Firefinger

Ayant espionné magiquement à distance un des doppelganger de Jobal, les PJs savent où trouver le « vrai ».

Le vrai Jobal – Ooze the Master

Avec le raccourci offert par le Passwall de Rufb, les PJs sont dans la salle du bassin d’où surgit le maître des lieux. La discussion est fort courte et la magicienne entame les hostilités avec un Wall of Fire concentré sur le bassin. Les traits fondus, Jobal n’est maintenant qu’une énorme masse visqueuse qui s’élance au plafond, y reste fixé, tout en faisant pleuvoir sur les aventuriers acide et coups de tentacules… Mais les PJs savent désormais que le feu est un bon moyen de lutter contre cette… chose (the Thing!), et ils y mettent beaucoup d’enthousiasme. La magicienne envoi une Fireball mais se fait frapper violemment en retour (1). Anfi fait de gros dommage avec sa hache enflammée tandis que Flyzus tire avec son Hatebow. Vingt quant à lui peut « soigner à l’envers » le monstre puisque c’est aussi un mort-vivant et ainsi le blesser sérieusement. La concentration de l’assaut, en tenant compte des points faibles, a tôt fait de tuer le Ooze Master Jobal (2).

Dirty Dealings with Dirty Talons

Le grabuge a cependant tôt fait d’attirer des sbire du défunt Jobal, des criminels du groupe d’élite des Dirty Talons, le chef et deux autres malfrats. Constatant la mort de leur employeur, ceux-ci veulent bien ccopérer avec les aventuriers mais seulement s’ils reçoivent une compensation monétaire. Ils offrent quelques informations utiles (3) sur le complexe moyennant une coquette somme et demandent encore plus en échange de précisions mais Kalohan, sans pitié, fait un sort de Blight sur le chef pour l’intimider et l’ordonne qu’il serve de guide vers la salle au trésor. Ce dernier accepte de mauvais grâce mais prend la fuite à la première occasion alors que le groupe tourne dans un corridor et que 2 sentinelles, de ces étranges Hommes à tête de scarabée, s’apprêtent à les attaquer.

Flyzus fait un Hunter’s Mark sur le chef des Dirty Talons alors que ses compagnons disposent rapidement des sentinelles et le groupe s’élancent ensuite à la poursuite des fuyards, Rufb et Flyzus (plus rapides) en tête. Après plusieurs croches, les PJs constatent que les Dirty Talons se dirigent vers la sortie du complexe mais Kalohan profitant d’une ligne de vue directe, à la distance maximale de son sort, fait apparaître un Stonewall qui leur bloque le passage. Les Dirty Talons, coincés, n’ont d’autres choix que se battre, ce sont des adeptes d’art martiaux et assez compétents (un dévie une flèche sneak attack de Pax avec aisance) mais une Lightning Bolt bien placée et la force de frappe supérieure d’Anfi et Flyzus en particulier en viennent à bout.

Les aventuriers ont écopés de plusieurs blessures, en particulier contre Jobal et vont de nouveau se reposer avant de poursuivre. Le repos s’étant effectué à l’extérieur du complexe, les aventuriers reviennent pour trouver l’entrée de nouveau gardée mais rien qui peut les arrêter.

Le Roi Soleil

Déterminés à combattre le Beholder surnommé « Le Roi-Soleil » (4), le gardien d’une des deux pyramides surplombant le complexe où ils se trouvent, les PJs se concertent pour trouver un bon plan d’attaque (5). La magicienne espionne le repaire du Roi-Soleil avec un autre Arcane Eye et une fois qu’elle le voit elle lance un sort de Transmute Rock (to mud) au dessus de lui, l’engloutissant dans une masse de boue et puis, avec le même sort, change cette masse en roche!

Le monstre hurle de colère et ne perd pas de temps à utiliser son rayon désintégrateur pour se sortir de là mais les aventuriers en profitent pour se faufiler dans le puit au plafond (Pax lévite et accroche une corde, les autres grimpent) et entrent dans la pyramide.

Ils sont vite confrontés à des Gazers, de minuscules copies un peu grotesques du Beholder. De simples nuisances pour des aventuriers aguerris mais qui les ralentissent suffisamment pour que leur maître se libère…

S’ensuit un affrontement épique où la capacité anti-magique du monstre va radicalement changer la donne par rapport aux capacité habituelles des PJs. (6) Ceux-ci se rendent comptent que leur assaut frontal est vouer à l’échec (trop de rayons les frappent) et bientôt se divisent en deux groupes pour que l’oeil anti-magique ne puissent les englober tous. Pendant ce temps Rufb d’abord frappé par un ralentissement, sera assaillit par son coéquipier Flyzus qui a succombé à un charme (heureusement que Vingt a pu guérir Rufb). Pax passe à deux doigts de se faire désintégrer et boit en vitesse une potion de soin. Anfi ravive l’espoir du groupe alors qu’il parvient lui à proximité de monstre et inflige de lourds dégâts avec sa hache (action surge bien placé). Rufb se fait pétrifier et est définitivement hors-combat. Kalohan est la cible de l’oeil spectral (lair effect) qui la tracte plus loin. Anfi se fait charmer à son tour. La situation est critique mais heureusement Flyzus, libéré du charme, et avec l’oeil anti-magique tourné vers Pax et Kalohan, utilise les pleins pouvoirs de son Hatebow et DÉFONCE le Roi-Soleil avec des flèches dévastatrices. Le monstre est terrassé! (7)

Ne reste plus qu’à ouvrir les coffres à trésor (8), en plus de l’or et joyaux pour une fortune, ils trouvent un légendaire Well of Many Worlds et une armure magique de résistance au feu.

Closing Comments:

  1. Marjorie prend toujours milles précaution pour éviter d’être la cible mais ne réussit pas toujours!
  2. Ooze Master, le template dans Tales of the Yawning Portal (WoTC), un undead ooze avec quelques habiletés de spellcasting et lui ai rajouté des actions légendaires pour l’occasion…
  3. Brisant certaines suppositions des joueurs, Jobal n’est pas le véritable maître des lieux, en dépit de sa condition surhumaine/inhumaine dans lequel il se trouvait. Le maître est le mystérieux Piyyat, un nom déjà mentionné jadis, alors qu’ils exploraient un autre donjon…
  4. Le temple solaire fait partie de son repaire et aussi, il porte une quantité extravagante d’or sur sa personne.
  5. Les joueurs vont prendre BEAUCOUP de temps, en particulier Marjorie qui n’est pas très diligente concernant les limitations de ses sorts (i.e non tu ne peux pas faire 2 sorts qui exigent la concentration en même temps…)
  6. J’ai changé le Ray of Charm; un seul round au lieu d’une heure (!), mais qui met véritablement la cible (qui a manqué son jet de sauvegarde) sous contrôle du Beholder
  7. J’ai joué le Beholder le plus habilement possible et ce fut un combat extrêmement difficile pour les joueurs mais visiblement très apprécié
  8. Pour une fois laissé au hasard, les joeurs ont eu d’excellents jets sur la table des trésors 😀

Under the Old City – Session 49a

David Skelector D&D 5e, Dungeons and Dragons, Fantasy, Homebrew, Play reports, Roleplaying Game, RPG

Suite de notre très occasionnelle campagne de D&D 5E. Je suis très content que Félix ait pu se joindre à nous à nouveau. Je réalise qu’il a maintenant 17 ans et qu’il a commencé à jouer dans cette campagne alors qu’il en avait 11!

Longue session +- 12hrs, en 2 parties

Personnages Joueurs (PJs)

  • (Marjorie) Kalohan, (level 11>>12) High Elf Wizard (evoker), Inheritor,  doit trouver un sort inconnu jusque là avant de pouvoir obtenir son héritage
  • (Isaac) Anfi, (level 12) Locathah Fighter (eldritch knight), Outlander, venu sur la terre ferme en passant par la Caverne-Tunnel, là pour découvrir ce nouvel environnement + Salamandre Géante
  • (Edmond) Vingt, (level 9>>10) Myconid Druid (circle of spores), Acolyte, envoyé de Zuggtmoy, la Déesse du fongique + Fourmi Zombifiée
  • (Félix) Flyzus, (level 12), 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 12), 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 12), Half-Orc Barbarian (berserker), Mercenary Veteran; capturé par des pterafolks, seul survivant de sa bande de mercenaires, délivré par Flyzus au sommet du Firefinger

Les PJs continuent leurs explorations des sous-sols de la Vieille Ville à Port Nyanzaru avec pour objectif d’éliminer le chef criminel Jobal et le pouvoir soupçonné de l’appuyer dans l’ombre. Avec leurs efforts précédents ils sont maintenant à l’entrée d’une section à l’architecture plus ancienne et devant une lourde porte de bronze.

Personifications Multiples

La magicienne fait un sort de Seeming qui change l’apparence des membres du groupe à sa guise. Flyzus aura l’apparence de Jobal, accompagné de ses « sbires ». Ils ouvrent la porte et tombe face à face avec un Homme à tête de scarabée (1), un de ces étranges cultistes, mais celui-ci les ignore. Ils tournent le coin et voilà qu’ils voient Jobal et son entourage mais lui non plus ne semble pas perturbé outre mesure de voir un double de lui-même devant ses yeux. Les aventuriers décident alors de semer la confusion parmi les ennemis. Kalohan jette un sort de Crown of Madness sur une magicienne ennemie qui semblait elle les suspecter et Pax fait un Tasha’s Hideous Laughter sur un garde du corps. Dans le chaos qui s’ensuit, les Pjs attaquent par surprise et après une échauffourée intense mais courte, ils éliminent leurs adversaires.

Ils constatent que Jobal, une fois mort, prend les traits informes typiques d’un doppelganger…

Un corridor lourdement piégé s’enfonce plus loin dans le complexe mais Pax réussit à trouver une porte secrète.

Temple Solaire

S’y engouffrant, et un corridor plus loin, les Pjs se trouvent maintenant dans une sorte de temple dédié à un culte du soleil où ils doivent affronter 2 cyclopes solaires qui lancent des rayons de flammes par leurs yeux!

Esquivant les rayons, Flyzus, Anfi et Rufb vont en combat rapproché. Les cyclopes sont redoutables avec leurs haches et infligent de lourds dégats mais avec l’appui de ceux en arrière les guerriers ont finalement le dessus. Anfi s’empare de la lourde hache enflammée d’un des cyclopes (2).

Pax inspecte le cadran solaire au milieu de la pièce mais se retrouve soudainement tracté vers le plafond (où se trouve une ouverture). Rien de moins qu’un Beholder se trouve juste en haut! Rufb s’élance au secours du pauvre halfling et parvient à le sortir du rayon tracteur. Cependant Pax ne va pas immédiatement à l’abri puisqu’il veut décocher une flèche au monstre, le blesse, mais est à la cible d’un rayon dévastateur qui le tue presque.

À l’écart du trou au plafond maintenant, la magicienne envoi un Arcane Eye pour espionner le Beholder en haut mais son oeil magique est rapidement dissipé par le pouvoir anti-magique du monstre (3). Qui plus est, à intervalle régulier apparaissent de nul part et près d’eux, des yeux spectraux qui leur lancent des rayons néfastes. (4)

Les aventuriers affichant plusieurs blessures et avec une bonne partie de leurs ressources épuisées par leur combats précédents, décident de ne pas tenter le sort cette fois contre cet adversaire redoutable et rebroussent chemin.

Le Vrai Jobal?

Après un repos à l’extérieur du complexe les PJs reviennent à l’endroit où ils avaient affronter Jobal et voilà qu’ils se tient de nouveau devant eux (seul cette fois): « mais qui êtes vous et que voulez-vous? » Sur quoi, ayant compris essentiellement que ce Jobal-ci n’est pas plus véritable que le précédent, ils demandent à voir le « vrai » Jobal sans pour autant préciser ce qu’ils lui veulent. Sans réponses le faux Jobal part mais sera suivi à son insu d’un Arcane Eye de Kalohan. Celle-ci voit son parcours, il traverse une partie du complexe et se rend à son maître dans une salle étrange avec un bassin contenant un liquide noir et visqueux. Une figure en émerge et une discussion (ne peut entendre) a lieu.

Ensuite, analysant la configuration des lieux, les PJs s’aperçoivent qu’ils peuvent se faire un raccourci en utilisant le capacité de Passwall de la Hache magique de Rufb. Ils aboutissent ainsi directement à salle de bassin.

La figure émerge de la viscosité liquide et prend vaguement le forme de Jobal. Les aventuriers passent aux choses sérieuses…

Notes du DM:

  1. j’ai volontairement remis plusieurs des éléments les plus étranges d’aventures précédentes pour essayer d’indiquer que les joueurs s’approchent rapidement de la SOURCE de toutes ces étrangetés
  2. Anfi est le seul avec assez de force pour pouvoir manier ces haches énormes
  3. Marjorie, qui n’avait jamais affronté de Beholder auparavant, est sidérée d’apprendre ce pouvoir qui limitera beaucoup les siens par la suite…
  4. Un lair effect bien amusant pour le maître de jeu et bien agaçant pour les joueurs!

Gunderholfen- Breaking the Blockade – Session 6

David Skelector Dragonbane, Dungeons and Dragons, Fantasy, Gunderholfen, jeux de rôles, megadungeon, OSR, Play reports, Roleplaying Game, RPG

It’s been a while since I ran any ttrpg, the good thing is I had time to figure out how I want to manage an osr mega-dungeon campaign with the not-quite-osr and incomplete system that is dragonbane. More on this another time.

Full group of players. 2 hours session.

Player Characters (PCs):

  • Aracyne (Isaac), Elf Hunter, Guild Leader
  • Forka (Edmond), Dogman Knight
  • Hédralynn (Marjorie), Elf Mage
  • J. Lebeau (Olivier), Dogman Fighter

Level 1C, hobgoblin territory

We start with the PCs safe in hobgoblin territory. As the adventurers wish to get back in town (they’re low in rations and have accomplished their official mission) they have to come up with a plan on how to deal with the goblins who block their only (known) path towards the outside world. The hobgoblins also badly wish to have access to an exit so they’re more than willing to help the PCs and will provide half a dozen warriors for the initial assault (and will join en masse in the next phase if it succeeds).

It all comes down to how to manage to cross the « Corridor of Death » between the two factions.

Aracyne had the idea for them to craft two improvized, over-sized shields so they have cover whilst they advance. Hédralynn and Ghardeet the hobgoblin shaman cast Stone Skin on the warriors who’ll be in front and then they open the portcullis.

The group slowly advance in the unlit first tier of the corridor and it’s not long before the goblin sentinels become aware of their presence, yell at the guards room behind them and start peppering the invaders with projectiles. The large shields come in handy and are opened-up for one split-second as the allies let go of their own volley, wounding two goblins in the process. Hédralynn uses a levitate spell on the nearest makeshift barricade and throws a big chunk of it away. The remnant of the barricade is smashed aside by the two shield-bearers and the group is now midway into the Corridor of Death.

The panicking goblins still have a trick down their sleeve, or so they thought, as they throw a Poison Bomb Hédralynn « catches » it midair with her magic and throws it back at the goblins feet! Choking from their own bio-weapon, abandoned by their fellow goblins who’ve shut the door closed behind them, the poor sentinels are not long for this world.

With the Corridor of Death taken, the chain of events is inevitable. The hobgoblins break the door open (they use a stone statue as a ram) and overwhelm the chiefless goblins who, after a brief attempt at resisting, break and flee wherever they can. Some flee northward and escape the dungeon by the side-entrance, the others are eventually rounded up by the PCs and hobgoblins and forcefully conscripted yet again. A bit later, under the suggestion of Hédralynn, those goblins then spearheaded an attack against the surviving kobolds in the section west of there, resulting in the taking over of the entire Level 1 by the Hobgoblins and their very happy chief, Nerulf. The latter gives something to the PCs, a scrollcase containing a message from one Danfelt that mentions something special way down at Level 7, an entrance to the « Floating Level » if one manages to get past the dangerous gray dwarves…

Getting Back to Town

  • Ganfal Swamp encounter: a group of 7 hobgoblins, not from the dungeon, parlay and persuaded to join their ally Nerulf whom they’ve heard of, instead of attacking the PCs
  • Farmlands encounter: peasants tending their fields
  • Town of Longfelt: the PCs went to High Constable Vandehaut with their report on the state of Gunderholfen and with proofs (body part) of monsters inhabiting the dungeon, received their pay and told to come back next day for next course of action
  • Stayed at the Purple Cloth Inn where they see two women have a fight, each claiming to be an adventurer’s paramour, referring to Bayard, leader of a rival adventuring guild
  • Next day, went to see Vandehaut, now accompanied by High Priestess Evadne and anorther city councilor. It has been decided that Gunderholfen will be officially opened to adventurers. Evadne in particular is hopeful that the Rod of Harvest will be retrieved and brought back at her temple.
  • It is believed that the fact that the Ganfal swamp is now expanding and gobbling up fertile lands north of Longfelt is due to the disappearance of the Rod of Harvest from Longfelt.
  • There’s mention also of payment in exchange of mapping the dungeon (which probably has changed over the last decades since the time of the last frenzy of exploration)
  • Hédralynn tries to convince the three councilors of having the exclusivity over other adventuring guilds but her arguments are turned down

Closing Comments:

  • Fun tactical challenge within the Corridor of Death
  • The fighting after this we just handwaved, the PCs & hobgoblins together were obviously the superior side
  • Hédralynn made good use of the flexibility of the Levitate spell on the goblins’ makeshit barricades
  • Hédralynn’s plan ultimately gave the entire Level 1 to the Hobgoblins which won’t be without consequences in the future.
  • Important Hand Out given by the hobgoblin chief if they ever reach Level 7
  • I chose to put forward the idea of the expansion of the swamp as a kind of looming threat to the civilized world. This also puts an incentive to retrieve a powerful artifact and gives a concrete goal for the players aside from mere dungeon exploration.
  • Marjorie didn’t like the idea of having competing adventuring parties involved but it’s part of the game, the PCs aren’t the only heroes in town. And possible rivalries with other parties can be fun to play, for me at the very least!