August 03, 2008
Sorry it's so slow around here
My apologies for the lack of posts, Gentle Reader. Yours truly has been very busy with many things, among them (happily) RPG writing projects. Expect several posts soon!
July 01, 2008
Running the Tomb, Part 7: There Will Be Blood
Back to our “Tomb tale”…
What follows is Spoiler City. Going to play in the Tomb of Horrors? Yes? Then scat!
Our current player–character breakdown:
Adrian P. (covering for Mike F.)
Ceralt, 14th-level Fighter
Phelan, 9th-level Magic-user
Ken H.
Dendyr, 14th-level Cleric
Valdamane, 10th-level Paladin
Forethal, 9th-level Cleric
Steve C.
Rath, 7th/8th-level Dwarf Fighter/Thief
Will W.
Quint, 12th-level Ranger
Brandice, 4th/6th-level Drow M-U/Thief
The party marched into a fascinating foyer. Walls reflected the light from gleaming brass and beaten copper sheets. Ahead a short set of stairs climbed upwards, each stair constructed of a precious mineral. And at the top: a huge, vault-like door with a central depression and a tiny hole (a keyhole?) therein. A golden key, similar to the one found in the vat room, lay on a step. (Hereafter, we’ll call this the Second Key.)
Rath the dwarf mounted the stairs fearlessly, and proceeded to examine the door. Carelessly, he scratched the surface of one metal door. Almost immediately, the scratch showed red and soon began to drip blood—the blood of all those that died in the area of the Tomb! (This grim knowledge came to the characters, unbidden.) Before long the scarlet flow turned into a steady stream than ran down the stairs.
Forethal, scepter in hand, bravely inserted the scepter’s round, golden end into the door depression, and the great valve swung silently open. The party hastily ran through, but they realized the blood might flood the hall and still continue up… After a tense powwow, Forethal administered several healing spells to the nicked door and the flow finally ended.
The next chamber held many items, among them four fearsome iron statues bearing weapons, a ruined sarcophagus with bones, a smoking jug, and two chests. The thieves went right for the chests, Rath easily defeating his triple-locked chest (and gaining many gems) but Brandice failing his attempt to open his trunk. Meanwhile, the rest of the party inspected the area, including the sarcophagus (which they didn’t believe held the remains of Acererak, despite the named helpfully stenciled across the top in platinum), the statues, and the jug. Ceralt carefully deposited the jug back at the foyer for safekeeping.
A bit of true seeing by Forethal soon showed the true way—a secret trapdoor beneath one of the scary statues. Working together, the stronger party members shoved the statue aside and the group descended into the narrow crawlspace. The party, aware but confused by the “You’ve left and left and found my tomb” potion of the message walked past the actual secret door down a long corridor, but soon doubled back, found a tiny keyhole, and inserted the First Key. A section of wall rumbled away.
Beyond the sliding wall was a smallish area. The group filed in and a tiny hole was discovered in the floor. Another keyhole? Forethal inserted the First Key, and the resulting explosion blew him 5 feet upwards! Carefully, Rath inserted the Second Key, turning it once to the left (nothing) and once to the right, where a tiny click greeted his ears. The party waited … and nothing happened. Could the key have opened a door elsewhere?
Puzzled, they walked back down the corridor, where the hall eventually split. Some investigation led them to realize that the passages reconnected with the hallway leading to the siren’s grotto.
Brandice, assuming the way was clear (he had checked for pits earlier when coming the other way down the hall), waltzed through a door, plunged into a pit, and was stabbed by a poisoned spike. The pit was magical, and phased into the Tomb from another dimension when the door was entered from a certain direction! Climbing painfully out, Brandice joined his companions (who hastily inventoried their scroll collection for a neutralize poison spell).
The group walked back to the sarcophagus room, certain the answer was there! They surveyed the area, and Ceralt went back to the jug he had placed in the foyer, noted the puffs of smoke coming from its top, and popped the seal. Immediately streams of smoke and bright red light spilled forth, as well as an efreeti! The efreeti, pleased to be released after a long imprisonment, offered Ceralt three services. Ceralt choose to have three questions answered. The efreeti (truly happy at this simple arrangement) answered Ceralt’s questions about the Tomb in a truthful but cryptic way, but his last answer hinted that Rath had come the closest to finding the final resting place of the great Acererak.
After some brainstorming, the party walked back to the tiny floor depression and Rath again inserted his golden key into the keyhole. He turned the key, once, twice, three times, and suddenly the floor bulged, bent, and began to rise! Leaping away and avoiding being smashed to a pulp (my ominous DM countdown didn’t hurt), Rath watched in wonder as a huge mithril vault raised into the room. A humble pull-ring on a mithril door begged for use. The party walked forward, into the last room in the Tomb any would ever enter…
Stay tuned, gentle reader, for Part 8: Death to Acererak!
What follows is Spoiler City. Going to play in the Tomb of Horrors? Yes? Then scat!
Our current player–character breakdown:
Adrian P. (covering for Mike F.)
Ceralt, 14th-level Fighter
Ken H.
Forethal, 9th-level Cleric
Steve C.
Rath, 7th/8th-level Dwarf Fighter/Thief
Will W.
Quint, 12th-level Ranger
Brandice, 4th/6th-level Drow M-U/Thief
The party marched into a fascinating foyer. Walls reflected the light from gleaming brass and beaten copper sheets. Ahead a short set of stairs climbed upwards, each stair constructed of a precious mineral. And at the top: a huge, vault-like door with a central depression and a tiny hole (a keyhole?) therein. A golden key, similar to the one found in the vat room, lay on a step. (Hereafter, we’ll call this the Second Key.)
Rath the dwarf mounted the stairs fearlessly, and proceeded to examine the door. Carelessly, he scratched the surface of one metal door. Almost immediately, the scratch showed red and soon began to drip blood—the blood of all those that died in the area of the Tomb! (This grim knowledge came to the characters, unbidden.) Before long the scarlet flow turned into a steady stream than ran down the stairs.Forethal, scepter in hand, bravely inserted the scepter’s round, golden end into the door depression, and the great valve swung silently open. The party hastily ran through, but they realized the blood might flood the hall and still continue up… After a tense powwow, Forethal administered several healing spells to the nicked door and the flow finally ended.
The next chamber held many items, among them four fearsome iron statues bearing weapons, a ruined sarcophagus with bones, a smoking jug, and two chests. The thieves went right for the chests, Rath easily defeating his triple-locked chest (and gaining many gems) but Brandice failing his attempt to open his trunk. Meanwhile, the rest of the party inspected the area, including the sarcophagus (which they didn’t believe held the remains of Acererak, despite the named helpfully stenciled across the top in platinum), the statues, and the jug. Ceralt carefully deposited the jug back at the foyer for safekeeping.A bit of true seeing by Forethal soon showed the true way—a secret trapdoor beneath one of the scary statues. Working together, the stronger party members shoved the statue aside and the group descended into the narrow crawlspace. The party, aware but confused by the “You’ve left and left and found my tomb” potion of the message walked past the actual secret door down a long corridor, but soon doubled back, found a tiny keyhole, and inserted the First Key. A section of wall rumbled away.
Beyond the sliding wall was a smallish area. The group filed in and a tiny hole was discovered in the floor. Another keyhole? Forethal inserted the First Key, and the resulting explosion blew him 5 feet upwards! Carefully, Rath inserted the Second Key, turning it once to the left (nothing) and once to the right, where a tiny click greeted his ears. The party waited … and nothing happened. Could the key have opened a door elsewhere?
Puzzled, they walked back down the corridor, where the hall eventually split. Some investigation led them to realize that the passages reconnected with the hallway leading to the siren’s grotto.
Brandice, assuming the way was clear (he had checked for pits earlier when coming the other way down the hall), waltzed through a door, plunged into a pit, and was stabbed by a poisoned spike. The pit was magical, and phased into the Tomb from another dimension when the door was entered from a certain direction! Climbing painfully out, Brandice joined his companions (who hastily inventoried their scroll collection for a neutralize poison spell).
The group walked back to the sarcophagus room, certain the answer was there! They surveyed the area, and Ceralt went back to the jug he had placed in the foyer, noted the puffs of smoke coming from its top, and popped the seal. Immediately streams of smoke and bright red light spilled forth, as well as an efreeti! The efreeti, pleased to be released after a long imprisonment, offered Ceralt three services. Ceralt choose to have three questions answered. The efreeti (truly happy at this simple arrangement) answered Ceralt’s questions about the Tomb in a truthful but cryptic way, but his last answer hinted that Rath had come the closest to finding the final resting place of the great Acererak.
After some brainstorming, the party walked back to the tiny floor depression and Rath again inserted his golden key into the keyhole. He turned the key, once, twice, three times, and suddenly the floor bulged, bent, and began to rise! Leaping away and avoiding being smashed to a pulp (my ominous DM countdown didn’t hurt), Rath watched in wonder as a huge mithril vault raised into the room. A humble pull-ring on a mithril door begged for use. The party walked forward, into the last room in the Tomb any would ever enter…
Stay tuned, gentle reader, for Part 8: Death to Acererak!
June 15, 2008
Running the Tomb, Part 6: Balloons Away!
Back to our “Tomb tale”…
What follows is Spoiler City. You were warned.
Our current player–character breakdown:
Adrian P. (covering for Mike F.)
Ceralt, 14th-level Fighter
Phelan, 9th-level Magic-user
Ken H.
Dendyr, 14th-level Cleric
Valdamane, 10th-level Paladin
Forethal, 9th-level Cleric
Steve C.
Rath, 7th/8th-level Dwarf Fighter/Thief
Will W.
Quint, 12th-level Ranger
Brandice, 4th/6th-level Drow M-U/Thief
Our intrepid heroes turned their attention to the only unexplored passage, and headed north. They discovered the sneaky secret door hidden behind a false door, despite my attempts to lead them astray. Alas, they missed a second, important secret trapdoor immediately thereafter. A series of double doors led to a fateful passage—filled with potent sleep gas!
(This was my first lapse as DM, into “Old Softy.” I asked the players at the outset they wanted me to “go easy a bit” and they, valiant souls, would have none of it. They unanimously wanted to beat the Tomb on Gygax’s ground, and I respect them for that. I gave them a save not mentioned in the module … at –5 penalty. Back to our narrative.)
Forethal and Ceralt make their saves, barely, and stagger in place. The other PCs drop face forward, dead asleep. Elsewhere, a huge stone juggernaut comes rolling out of the room where until now it lay, quiescent. Rrrrrruble.
The rules: the PCs are asleep 2 to 8 rounds. Each round, if a 4 on a d4 is rolled, the juggernaut rolls 1d6 squares (10-60 feet). The closest characters are about 80 feet away! The PCs who save are extremely foggy, so I allow them 1d6 5-foot squares of movement … and Forethal rolls a 1. Ceralt does better and exits the corridor immediately, leaving his companions to their fate; did I mention he was Lawful Evil? Luckily, the remaining PCs, due to kind dice, only sleep two turns.
Turn one: I roll a 4, and the juggernaut rolls! The stone beast rolls 20 feet and stops. The cloest characters are a mere 30 feet away.
Turn two: The beast stays dormant.
The PCs flee back to the corridor.
At this point they doubled back a bit, confused. Which was the correct way? Many rolls for secret doors take place. Eventually, however, our heroes once again turn north and discover a secret hatch over a roughly dug tunnel that led to an adamantium door with three slots. Rath noted that the slots are the width of a sword blade. After some hand wringing, the PCs plunged three magic swords hilt-deep into the slots simultaneously, and the valve swung silently open, granting access to the pillared throne room. At this point the players, familiar with Acererak’s riddle, knew they were getting closer to their final objective.
Investigation of the pillared hall revealed many things: many burnt skeletons surrounding a glowing orange gem, an ornate throne chair atop which sat a scepter and crown, several glowing doors to the north, and two more stone devil faces high up on the northern wall. Every so often a strong breeze blew through the area.
The party investigated (visually at first) the throne, and then moved around the massive chamber counter-clockwise. Forethal detects a vague wish-related magic about the gem, but given the many burnt skeletons that littered that area none dared attempt a wish or to even touch the gem. The doors were inspected, but not opened. (Earlier harsh lessons obviously had an effect here and the PCs avoided touching most objects!) Eventually the PCs spread about the room and began looking for secret niches in the many pillars.
The characters touching the pillars—all but Ceralt, who maintained a guard position—suddenly found themselves floating weightlessly up to the ceiling, victims of some malign magic! Yet another breeze blew, pushing the floating PCs northward. They soon realized with some horror that they were being relentlessly pushed toward the two gaping demon mouths on the far northern wall!
Forethal and Brandice, the two PCs closest to the faces, tried desperately the push away from the stone idols with their 10-foot poles. Quint and Rath, sans poles, also were towed
helplessly northward. Ceralt surged toward Brandice, and dripping opposite ends of the 10-pole, they brought Brandice “down to earth” long enough to tie him to Ceralt. Rath meanwhile placed a foot on either side of the face that meant to consume him, pushing off and buying a few more seconds of survival.
Ceralt and Brandice hastened to assist the others, several of which were struggling at the very edge of being sucked into a mouth to an uncertain fate. Bracing with their legs and using iron bars, the remaining characters held off—barely—until help arrived. Shortly thereafter the effects of the magic on their persons wore off and they regained normal gravity.
None the worse for wear (except perhaps badly frightened) the party walked straight back to the ornate throne mentioned in the riddle to be both key and keyed. Forethal had earlier discovered a silver ornamentation at the base of the throne that matched the crown. He gripped the scepter and touched the silver tip to the silver rune. A moment later, the entire throne shook and lowered into the floor with a rumble, revealing a brightly glowing foyer beyond. The party stashed the crown and scepter and moved into thee opening toward the brightly glowing area ahead…
Stay tuned, gentle reader, for Part 7: There Will be Blood.
What follows is Spoiler City. You were warned.
Our current player–character breakdown:
Adrian P. (covering for Mike F.)
Ceralt, 14th-level Fighter
Ken H.
Forethal, 9th-level Cleric
Steve C.
Rath, 7th/8th-level Dwarf Fighter/Thief
Will W.
Quint, 12th-level Ranger
Brandice, 4th/6th-level Drow M-U/Thief
Our intrepid heroes turned their attention to the only unexplored passage, and headed north. They discovered the sneaky secret door hidden behind a false door, despite my attempts to lead them astray. Alas, they missed a second, important secret trapdoor immediately thereafter. A series of double doors led to a fateful passage—filled with potent sleep gas!
(This was my first lapse as DM, into “Old Softy.” I asked the players at the outset they wanted me to “go easy a bit” and they, valiant souls, would have none of it. They unanimously wanted to beat the Tomb on Gygax’s ground, and I respect them for that. I gave them a save not mentioned in the module … at –5 penalty. Back to our narrative.)
Forethal and Ceralt make their saves, barely, and stagger in place. The other PCs drop face forward, dead asleep. Elsewhere, a huge stone juggernaut comes rolling out of the room where until now it lay, quiescent. Rrrrrruble.
The rules: the PCs are asleep 2 to 8 rounds. Each round, if a 4 on a d4 is rolled, the juggernaut rolls 1d6 squares (10-60 feet). The closest characters are about 80 feet away! The PCs who save are extremely foggy, so I allow them 1d6 5-foot squares of movement … and Forethal rolls a 1. Ceralt does better and exits the corridor immediately, leaving his companions to their fate; did I mention he was Lawful Evil? Luckily, the remaining PCs, due to kind dice, only sleep two turns.
Turn one: I roll a 4, and the juggernaut rolls! The stone beast rolls 20 feet and stops. The cloest characters are a mere 30 feet away.
Turn two: The beast stays dormant.
The PCs flee back to the corridor.
At this point they doubled back a bit, confused. Which was the correct way? Many rolls for secret doors take place. Eventually, however, our heroes once again turn north and discover a secret hatch over a roughly dug tunnel that led to an adamantium door with three slots. Rath noted that the slots are the width of a sword blade. After some hand wringing, the PCs plunged three magic swords hilt-deep into the slots simultaneously, and the valve swung silently open, granting access to the pillared throne room. At this point the players, familiar with Acererak’s riddle, knew they were getting closer to their final objective.
Investigation of the pillared hall revealed many things: many burnt skeletons surrounding a glowing orange gem, an ornate throne chair atop which sat a scepter and crown, several glowing doors to the north, and two more stone devil faces high up on the northern wall. Every so often a strong breeze blew through the area.
The party investigated (visually at first) the throne, and then moved around the massive chamber counter-clockwise. Forethal detects a vague wish-related magic about the gem, but given the many burnt skeletons that littered that area none dared attempt a wish or to even touch the gem. The doors were inspected, but not opened. (Earlier harsh lessons obviously had an effect here and the PCs avoided touching most objects!) Eventually the PCs spread about the room and began looking for secret niches in the many pillars.
The characters touching the pillars—all but Ceralt, who maintained a guard position—suddenly found themselves floating weightlessly up to the ceiling, victims of some malign magic! Yet another breeze blew, pushing the floating PCs northward. They soon realized with some horror that they were being relentlessly pushed toward the two gaping demon mouths on the far northern wall!
Forethal and Brandice, the two PCs closest to the faces, tried desperately the push away from the stone idols with their 10-foot poles. Quint and Rath, sans poles, also were towed
helplessly northward. Ceralt surged toward Brandice, and dripping opposite ends of the 10-pole, they brought Brandice “down to earth” long enough to tie him to Ceralt. Rath meanwhile placed a foot on either side of the face that meant to consume him, pushing off and buying a few more seconds of survival.
Ceralt and Brandice hastened to assist the others, several of which were struggling at the very edge of being sucked into a mouth to an uncertain fate. Bracing with their legs and using iron bars, the remaining characters held off—barely—until help arrived. Shortly thereafter the effects of the magic on their persons wore off and they regained normal gravity.
None the worse for wear (except perhaps badly frightened) the party walked straight back to the ornate throne mentioned in the riddle to be both key and keyed. Forethal had earlier discovered a silver ornamentation at the base of the throne that matched the crown. He gripped the scepter and touched the silver tip to the silver rune. A moment later, the entire throne shook and lowered into the floor with a rumble, revealing a brightly glowing foyer beyond. The party stashed the crown and scepter and moved into thee opening toward the brightly glowing area ahead…
Stay tuned, gentle reader, for Part 7: There Will be Blood.
June 08, 2008
Running the Tomb, Part 5: Slime All the Time
Recently I had the pleasure to DM the second half of an old-style, AD&D Tomb of Horrors session with friends (including two active members of the Goodman Games clan).
What follows is Spoiler City. Don’t read if you intend to enter the ToH as a player!
Our current player–character breakdown:
Adrian P. (covering for Mike F.)
Ceralt, 14th-level Fighter
Phelan, 9th-level Magic-user
Ken H.
Dendyr, 14th-level Cleric
Valdamane, 10th-level Paladin
Steve C.
Rath, 7th/8th-level Dwarf Fighter/Thief
Forethal, 9th-level Cleric
Will W.
Quint, 12th-level Ranger
Brandice, 4th/6th-level Drow M-U/Thief
Our brave PCs emerged from their battle with the “false Acererak” ready to continue their search for the real McCoy. A bit of backtracking (a dangerous thing in this place) led them back to the remains of the Chapel of Evil, there to bed down the night, rest, and recover spells. While there, they tested the archway of glowing orange mists in various ways, but didn’t tempt fate by stepping inside. Sound did not carry through the mist, nor did sight. (One character in the party, thinking evilly, animated the skeleton discovered earlier in the chapel and ordered it to step through the arch. He then ordered it to return, but it couldn’t hear his commands … presumably it stands there still.)
The party investigated the mummy preparation area, and Dendyr the cleric soon discovered the halves of the One Key hidden in the stone vats, and also the hidden ochre jelly! The jelly reared up and attacked, but was swiftly dispatched by Ceralt the fighter and Quint the ranger.
Next the party came to a long, open pit in the corridor. Many spikes dotted the floor. After some discussion, Brandice the drow mage-thief levitated across and affixed a rope to the far end. Each PC then would step down into the pit, walk across using the rope for balance, and climb up the other side. Simple! Dendyr crossed first, only to unleash a volley of spikes upwards as he stepped into the final third of the distance. Twenty-one points of damage later… time for a new plan!
A harsh turning point came for the group at the Jumbled Chamber (my term), a room of battered furniture, trunks, coffers, funerary items, and hideous greenish curtains depicting undersea life. Dendyr, Quint and Brandice busied themselves examining the walls behind the curtains, while Rath the dwarven thief-fighter checked out the (empty) chests.
Moments later the precariously balanced room responded to their movements, sending the characters flying. This happened several times. Finally, as the bruised characters were desiring to move on, Phelan decided to yank down one of the long curtains. Rrrrip! tearing the enchanted curtain reverted it to its natural state—an enormous quantity of green slime that fell in a sheet to cover a 10 by 20 foot area. In but a moment, Phelan and Dendyr were buried under mounds of green slime and destroyed, eliminating the group’s 14th-level cleric and 9th-level wizard in one fell swoop!
The band of adventurers trudged ahead, bypassing a spiked pit and then taking a spear to the gut (courtesy of a trapped door), and eventually made their way to a unusual grotto filled with brilliant streamers of gold and silver mist.
Rath inhaled the gas and shrugged off its effects, and he entered the cave solo while the others waited outside. Rath soon encountered a mysterious woman and engaged in conversation. She revealed little, evading questions about the tomb or her role therein and only hinting that she had been in her grotto a very long time. Rath, good thief that he was, noticed two sacks lying behind the woman and inquired about them. She sadly waved an arm toward them. The dwarf then touched the smaller of the two sacks and the other sack and siren immediately disappeared—spirited away to parts unknown (or oblivion) by Acererak’s magic. Investigation of the sack revealed four potions in metal, stoppered vials.
Rath related his experience to his companions as the shimmering mists in the cave behind him began to fade away. The group then forged ahead, moving to an area that would prove one of the most dangerous of the evening…
Stay tuned, gentle reader.
What follows is Spoiler City. Don’t read if you intend to enter the ToH as a player!
Our current player–character breakdown:
Adrian P. (covering for Mike F.)
Ceralt, 14th-level Fighter
Phelan, 9th-level Magic-user
Ken H.
Dendyr, 14th-level Cleric
Steve C.
Rath, 7th/8th-level Dwarf Fighter/Thief
Forethal, 9th-level Cleric
Will W.
Quint, 12th-level Ranger
Brandice, 4th/6th-level Drow M-U/Thief
Our brave PCs emerged from their battle with the “false Acererak” ready to continue their search for the real McCoy. A bit of backtracking (a dangerous thing in this place) led them back to the remains of the Chapel of Evil, there to bed down the night, rest, and recover spells. While there, they tested the archway of glowing orange mists in various ways, but didn’t tempt fate by stepping inside. Sound did not carry through the mist, nor did sight. (One character in the party, thinking evilly, animated the skeleton discovered earlier in the chapel and ordered it to step through the arch. He then ordered it to return, but it couldn’t hear his commands … presumably it stands there still.)
The party investigated the mummy preparation area, and Dendyr the cleric soon discovered the halves of the One Key hidden in the stone vats, and also the hidden ochre jelly! The jelly reared up and attacked, but was swiftly dispatched by Ceralt the fighter and Quint the ranger.Next the party came to a long, open pit in the corridor. Many spikes dotted the floor. After some discussion, Brandice the drow mage-thief levitated across and affixed a rope to the far end. Each PC then would step down into the pit, walk across using the rope for balance, and climb up the other side. Simple! Dendyr crossed first, only to unleash a volley of spikes upwards as he stepped into the final third of the distance. Twenty-one points of damage later… time for a new plan!
A harsh turning point came for the group at the Jumbled Chamber (my term), a room of battered furniture, trunks, coffers, funerary items, and hideous greenish curtains depicting undersea life. Dendyr, Quint and Brandice busied themselves examining the walls behind the curtains, while Rath the dwarven thief-fighter checked out the (empty) chests.Moments later the precariously balanced room responded to their movements, sending the characters flying. This happened several times. Finally, as the bruised characters were desiring to move on, Phelan decided to yank down one of the long curtains. Rrrrip! tearing the enchanted curtain reverted it to its natural state—an enormous quantity of green slime that fell in a sheet to cover a 10 by 20 foot area. In but a moment, Phelan and Dendyr were buried under mounds of green slime and destroyed, eliminating the group’s 14th-level cleric and 9th-level wizard in one fell swoop!
The band of adventurers trudged ahead, bypassing a spiked pit and then taking a spear to the gut (courtesy of a trapped door), and eventually made their way to a unusual grotto filled with brilliant streamers of gold and silver mist.
Rath inhaled the gas and shrugged off its effects, and he entered the cave solo while the others waited outside. Rath soon encountered a mysterious woman and engaged in conversation. She revealed little, evading questions about the tomb or her role therein and only hinting that she had been in her grotto a very long time. Rath, good thief that he was, noticed two sacks lying behind the woman and inquired about them. She sadly waved an arm toward them. The dwarf then touched the smaller of the two sacks and the other sack and siren immediately disappeared—spirited away to parts unknown (or oblivion) by Acererak’s magic. Investigation of the sack revealed four potions in metal, stoppered vials.Rath related his experience to his companions as the shimmering mists in the cave behind him began to fade away. The group then forged ahead, moving to an area that would prove one of the most dangerous of the evening…
Stay tuned, gentle reader.
May 24, 2008
Monster Roles
Wizards recently posted an interesting Gamer-Zero video that does a good job of defining monster roles:
I may not be thrilled with all the implementation decisions made in the past few months, but 4e does look interesting. I very much like the idea of multiple variations of zombies and such. There can't be too many toys in the writer's toy box, in my humble opinion. Variety is the spice of life, they say. Time will tell.
I may not be thrilled with all the implementation decisions made in the past few months, but 4e does look interesting. I very much like the idea of multiple variations of zombies and such. There can't be too many toys in the writer's toy box, in my humble opinion. Variety is the spice of life, they say. Time will tell.
May 09, 2008
Running the Tomb, Part 4
As mentioned previously, in April I had the pleasure to DM an old-style Tomb of Horrors session with friends (including two active members of the Goodman Games clan).
What follows is Spoiler City. Don’t read if you intend to enter the ToH as a player!
Our current player–character breakdown:
Mike F.
Ceralt, 14th-level Fighter
Phelan, 9th-level Magic-user
Ken H.
Dendyr, 14th-level Cleric
Valdamane, 10th-level Paladin
Steve C.
Rath, 7th/8th-level Dwarf Fighter/Thief
Forethal, 9th-level Cleric
Will W.
Quint, 12th-level Ranger
Brandice, 4th/6th-level Drow M-U/Thief
Having triggered a bolt of lightning from the blue altar, Brandice and Quint were fortunate enough to make their respective saving throws and each took only(!) 20 hp damage. The altar now began to pulse with a strobing blue-red inner light. Dendyr marched over and cast dispel magic on the altar, dimming the light instantly.
Rath discovered a circular marking on one wall, beneath which was a carved slot. The group recalled a verse of the mocking riddle left by Acererak in the first grand corridor:
If shades of red stand for blood the wise need not sacrifice aught but a loop of magical metal – you’re well along your march.
The heroes inserted the ring they claimed from the chest room into the slot, and immediately a rumbling sound was heard. Meanwhile, behind them, the altar once again began glowing with a red, throbbing light, pulsing ever faster. A triangular slab of stone sank to the floor, revealing a passage beyond. Wasting little time, the party pushed one by one into the opening, the last character barely getting inside the corridor before a violent explosion sounded from the chapel behind them and sent a spray of burnt wood fragments into the tunnel!
The party walked down a flight on stairs into an average-looking corridor. Doors that appeared before them were opened cautiously, and Brandice triggered off several pits. At this point the players were carefully following the clues, and they were focused on the next line:
Two pits along the way will be found to lead to a fortuitous fall, so check the wall.
When a third pit was discovered Dendyr busied himself searching for secret doors around and inside the pit, but found nothing. The party turned a corner and came to a door secured with massive padlocks. Phelan cast a knock spell on the door – to no effect! With no other options, the stronger characters hacked away at the door and buckled it in half. From beyond came the sound of frightened people running away and was seen a distant red glow … torchlight?
The party emerged into a corridor with smooth alabaster walls and a floor of polished grey marble. As they walked toward the light, the floor suddenly shifted forward! As this point, I began a slow countdown… Every player immediately stated that their character was reversing at top speed, and the group managed the turn about and avoid a grim slide into molten lava! (On hindsight, I as DM should have had the players made some dexterity checks for slipping, running in place, and such, to put a bit of fear into the proceedings, but such is life…)
The PCs trudged back to the pits, confident that the answer had to lie there. A different hero discovered a secret door inside the third pit, and soon they were on their way. A short tunnel lead to another corridor with a flight of stairs, and the party also luckily discovered a secret door right at the top of the stairs. Walking down the stairs, they encountered masses of magical webbing barring their way, but a few swings from Brandice’s flaming sword soon took care of that obstacle. Near a door, Dendyr discovered a huge mace that glowed with a faint golden light.
Beyond the door lay a door containing a crypt room filled with ruined furnishings and a lich-like figure reclining on a couch of solid gold! A voice demanded to know who dared disturb the rest of Acererak!?
The lich soon saat up and began gesturing with his hands. Dendyr still clutched the mace, which now glowed brightly and the lich seemed afraid of the weapon. Pehlan triggered a round of magic missiles at the undead horror, but they were harmlessly absorbed by a glow that surrounded the lich-being. The fighters Ceralt and Quint joined dendyr in the front ranks and surrounded the figure, raining blows upon it.
The creature flailed out with its claws, tearing at Ceralt. Soon a mighty strike with the glowing mace sent the lich to the floor. The foul creature clutched at Dendyr’s leg and swiped at him, and he responded by swinging down the glowing mace in a vicious arc – rolling a natural 20! The mace struck the lich’s skull in twain, and the creature fell lifeless to the floor. Moments later the mace itself shattered harmlessly.
At this point we decided to break for the night. The players, aware of a secret door that leads deeper into the tomb, realize that their quest is not yet at an end….
What follows is Spoiler City. Don’t read if you intend to enter the ToH as a player!
Our current player–character breakdown:
Mike F.
Ceralt, 14th-level Fighter
Phelan, 9th-level Magic-user
Ken H.
Dendyr, 14th-level Cleric
Steve C.
Rath, 7th/8th-level Dwarf Fighter/Thief
Forethal, 9th-level Cleric
Will W.
Quint, 12th-level Ranger
Brandice, 4th/6th-level Drow M-U/Thief
Having triggered a bolt of lightning from the blue altar, Brandice and Quint were fortunate enough to make their respective saving throws and each took only(!) 20 hp damage. The altar now began to pulse with a strobing blue-red inner light. Dendyr marched over and cast dispel magic on the altar, dimming the light instantly.
Rath discovered a circular marking on one wall, beneath which was a carved slot. The group recalled a verse of the mocking riddle left by Acererak in the first grand corridor:
If shades of red stand for blood the wise need not sacrifice aught but a loop of magical metal – you’re well along your march.
The heroes inserted the ring they claimed from the chest room into the slot, and immediately a rumbling sound was heard. Meanwhile, behind them, the altar once again began glowing with a red, throbbing light, pulsing ever faster. A triangular slab of stone sank to the floor, revealing a passage beyond. Wasting little time, the party pushed one by one into the opening, the last character barely getting inside the corridor before a violent explosion sounded from the chapel behind them and sent a spray of burnt wood fragments into the tunnel!
The party walked down a flight on stairs into an average-looking corridor. Doors that appeared before them were opened cautiously, and Brandice triggered off several pits. At this point the players were carefully following the clues, and they were focused on the next line:
Two pits along the way will be found to lead to a fortuitous fall, so check the wall.
When a third pit was discovered Dendyr busied himself searching for secret doors around and inside the pit, but found nothing. The party turned a corner and came to a door secured with massive padlocks. Phelan cast a knock spell on the door – to no effect! With no other options, the stronger characters hacked away at the door and buckled it in half. From beyond came the sound of frightened people running away and was seen a distant red glow … torchlight?
The party emerged into a corridor with smooth alabaster walls and a floor of polished grey marble. As they walked toward the light, the floor suddenly shifted forward! As this point, I began a slow countdown… Every player immediately stated that their character was reversing at top speed, and the group managed the turn about and avoid a grim slide into molten lava! (On hindsight, I as DM should have had the players made some dexterity checks for slipping, running in place, and such, to put a bit of fear into the proceedings, but such is life…)The PCs trudged back to the pits, confident that the answer had to lie there. A different hero discovered a secret door inside the third pit, and soon they were on their way. A short tunnel lead to another corridor with a flight of stairs, and the party also luckily discovered a secret door right at the top of the stairs. Walking down the stairs, they encountered masses of magical webbing barring their way, but a few swings from Brandice’s flaming sword soon took care of that obstacle. Near a door, Dendyr discovered a huge mace that glowed with a faint golden light.
Beyond the door lay a door containing a crypt room filled with ruined furnishings and a lich-like figure reclining on a couch of solid gold! A voice demanded to know who dared disturb the rest of Acererak!?
The lich soon saat up and began gesturing with his hands. Dendyr still clutched the mace, which now glowed brightly and the lich seemed afraid of the weapon. Pehlan triggered a round of magic missiles at the undead horror, but they were harmlessly absorbed by a glow that surrounded the lich-being. The fighters Ceralt and Quint joined dendyr in the front ranks and surrounded the figure, raining blows upon it.
The creature flailed out with its claws, tearing at Ceralt. Soon a mighty strike with the glowing mace sent the lich to the floor. The foul creature clutched at Dendyr’s leg and swiped at him, and he responded by swinging down the glowing mace in a vicious arc – rolling a natural 20! The mace struck the lich’s skull in twain, and the creature fell lifeless to the floor. Moments later the mace itself shattered harmlessly.
At this point we decided to break for the night. The players, aware of a secret door that leads deeper into the tomb, realize that their quest is not yet at an end….
May 06, 2008
Running the Tomb, Part 3
As mentioned previously, a few weeks back I got to run a brave bunch of folks through the infamous Tomb of Horrors.
What follows is Spoiler City. Don’t read if you intend to enter the ToH as a player! I mean it!
Let’s jump right back into the action:
The party found themselves teleported from the arch and into a small, rectangular room occupied by a broken gargoyle statue. Dendyr’s divine magic revealed no traps. Brandice (M-U/Th 4/6), against the advice of his companions, dared pick up the statue’s sundered arm in an attempt to rejoin it to the statue.
They were about to leave, when Ceralt (F 14) lingered and discovered carved hollows in the gargoyle’s upturned palms. Ceralt placed three gems into the palms—the 100 gp ones fit perfectly!—and watched as the hands animated and the fine gems were ground to powder. That was enough! He told the party that any more gems wouldn’t come from his pouch, and the group soon exited, having come extremely close to finding a magical item that would help in the trials ahead…
Soon they crawled their way into a massive hallway, bedecked with ancient frescoes of creatures holding colored spheres, wooden doors, and another ominous mist-filled doorway. Hesitant to sample the archway, they turned their attention elsewhere, and soon the thieves sniffed out devious spear traps (nearly spearing a party member in the process). Dendyr marched the length of the hallway using his magic to seek out pits and such. Brandice did a bit of prodding and soon discovered that two painted spheres were illusionary and covered open spaces. After some debate, the party selected a sphere and crawled into the round opening, eventually emerging from a narrow tunnel into the Tomb’s “chest room.”
The two thieves approached the chests, Phelan (M-U 9) and Dendyr (C 14) close behind. Rath (F/Th 7/8) flung open one chest (staying carefully behind it as he did so), unleashing a spray of darts in all directions! Beyond the trap however sat an ornate ring that detected positive for protective magic.
Brandice, displaying his typical (read: near-mindless) daring moved on to the next chest, and unleashed 12 angry asps into the room. The venomous snakes milled about, striking at any PC that happened near. Rath stomped and struck at the vile serpents whilst Phelan beat a hasty retreat (something that often allows 1st-Edition magic-users to cast spells another day). Soon Brandice went down under multiple fang strikes, and shortly thereafter Dendyr too went down in agony, dying.
A side note here: Old Softy that I am, I typically give poisoned PCs 1d6 rounds of non-combat life to reach magical aid before dying. Even the most poisonous serpents—I’m thinking the tiger snakes and sea snakes here, but I’m no snake expert—don’t kill you instantly, and in this case the snakes were “asps”—a rather general term that has typically been used in history to refer to African vipers and cobras—so a few rounds of life weren’t out of the question.
Second, odder side note: A long time ago, in a galaxy ... well, you get the idea .. when I was in high school, I had the snake chest image above made into a silk screen design and I colored it black, red, and green. That was a favorite t-shirt for a while! Now back to our program.
The characters retreated and soon Dendyr and Forethal (C 9) were able to magically eliminate the poison taint from our heroes, and the cleric and drow thief were saved from certain death. Deciding (wisely) that the remaining chest wasn’t worth the effort, the PCs returned to the remaining unexplored sphere and swiftly emerged into a grim chapel.
The horrid chapel held all manner of weird items. The heroes split up and explored the room, the thieves and Quint (Ran 12) heading up toward the weirdly glowing altar while Dendyr approached a skeleton in rusted chainmail. Nearby, orange mists surged from yet another clouded archway. Rath, while vaulting a railing next to the altar (something every PC was trying studiously to avoid touching) caught his trailing foot on the worm-eaten wood rail and very nearly fell face-down onto the altar. Brandice experimented with the newly found ring and the altar, whilst Ceralt and Rath moved to investigate the walls and pews.
Eventually (and predictably!) Brandice finally touched the altar … sending a 40-foot streak of lightning (base damage 40 points) shooting down the central isle! The blue bolt blasted through Brandice and Quint and ended just before reaching the startled (and extremely fortunate) Phelan.
Whew! See my next installment for the last part of my session report!
What follows is Spoiler City. Don’t read if you intend to enter the ToH as a player! I mean it!
Let’s jump right back into the action:
The party found themselves teleported from the arch and into a small, rectangular room occupied by a broken gargoyle statue. Dendyr’s divine magic revealed no traps. Brandice (M-U/Th 4/6), against the advice of his companions, dared pick up the statue’s sundered arm in an attempt to rejoin it to the statue.
They were about to leave, when Ceralt (F 14) lingered and discovered carved hollows in the gargoyle’s upturned palms. Ceralt placed three gems into the palms—the 100 gp ones fit perfectly!—and watched as the hands animated and the fine gems were ground to powder. That was enough! He told the party that any more gems wouldn’t come from his pouch, and the group soon exited, having come extremely close to finding a magical item that would help in the trials ahead…
Soon they crawled their way into a massive hallway, bedecked with ancient frescoes of creatures holding colored spheres, wooden doors, and another ominous mist-filled doorway. Hesitant to sample the archway, they turned their attention elsewhere, and soon the thieves sniffed out devious spear traps (nearly spearing a party member in the process). Dendyr marched the length of the hallway using his magic to seek out pits and such. Brandice did a bit of prodding and soon discovered that two painted spheres were illusionary and covered open spaces. After some debate, the party selected a sphere and crawled into the round opening, eventually emerging from a narrow tunnel into the Tomb’s “chest room.”The two thieves approached the chests, Phelan (M-U 9) and Dendyr (C 14) close behind. Rath (F/Th 7/8) flung open one chest (staying carefully behind it as he did so), unleashing a spray of darts in all directions! Beyond the trap however sat an ornate ring that detected positive for protective magic.
Brandice, displaying his typical (read: near-mindless) daring moved on to the next chest, and unleashed 12 angry asps into the room. The venomous snakes milled about, striking at any PC that happened near. Rath stomped and struck at the vile serpents whilst Phelan beat a hasty retreat (something that often allows 1st-Edition magic-users to cast spells another day). Soon Brandice went down under multiple fang strikes, and shortly thereafter Dendyr too went down in agony, dying.
A side note here: Old Softy that I am, I typically give poisoned PCs 1d6 rounds of non-combat life to reach magical aid before dying. Even the most poisonous serpents—I’m thinking the tiger snakes and sea snakes here, but I’m no snake expert—don’t kill you instantly, and in this case the snakes were “asps”—a rather general term that has typically been used in history to refer to African vipers and cobras—so a few rounds of life weren’t out of the question.Second, odder side note: A long time ago, in a galaxy ... well, you get the idea .. when I was in high school, I had the snake chest image above made into a silk screen design and I colored it black, red, and green. That was a favorite t-shirt for a while! Now back to our program.
The characters retreated and soon Dendyr and Forethal (C 9) were able to magically eliminate the poison taint from our heroes, and the cleric and drow thief were saved from certain death. Deciding (wisely) that the remaining chest wasn’t worth the effort, the PCs returned to the remaining unexplored sphere and swiftly emerged into a grim chapel.
The horrid chapel held all manner of weird items. The heroes split up and explored the room, the thieves and Quint (Ran 12) heading up toward the weirdly glowing altar while Dendyr approached a skeleton in rusted chainmail. Nearby, orange mists surged from yet another clouded archway. Rath, while vaulting a railing next to the altar (something every PC was trying studiously to avoid touching) caught his trailing foot on the worm-eaten wood rail and very nearly fell face-down onto the altar. Brandice experimented with the newly found ring and the altar, whilst Ceralt and Rath moved to investigate the walls and pews.
Eventually (and predictably!) Brandice finally touched the altar … sending a 40-foot streak of lightning (base damage 40 points) shooting down the central isle! The blue bolt blasted through Brandice and Quint and ended just before reaching the startled (and extremely fortunate) Phelan.
Whew! See my next installment for the last part of my session report!
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