Warlock's Stone

[Ginger]

Quick recap:

We're at the Warlock's Stone. It's actually a dungeon. We have so far dispatched 12 huntsman (evil anti-Rangers), 15 4th level clerics, 9 orcs, Strengel (a bugbear), and Lord Zeal (ogrillon Big Bad Evil Guy). Phineous has cast all of his Sleep spells, to great effect. Brother Lewis has cast 2 of his 3 spells. Paavo still has his Lay Hands power to use. We're all low on HP, and we have no idea how many more bad guys are coming for us. Probably at least 5 more clerics.

Lord Zeal had a devastating gauntlet of evil. He smashed for 12 damage per hit, and it let him regenerate 5 HP per round. When held high, it caused Fear on everyone, which caused us serious heartburn. He also had a sweet whip with entangling and electrical damage.

[Friedrich]

Lots of fun today. Huge battle and we are all still up. And Scott, Finneous definately did live today. In fact he was quite the difference maker. His stealth and sleep spells may well have made the difference between victory and defeat.

Hope you feel better!!!

[venger]

Finnious: 5032 (makes 4th as thief)/5032 (makes 3rd as magic-user)
Paavo: 9769 (stilll 3rd)
Friedrich: 10861 (still 4th)
Mr. Trommer: 8711 (still 3rd)
Colby: 10861 (makes 5th level)

Marcus: makes 3rd level
Brother Lewis remains 1st level

As discussed, Lee is unavailable next week so we'll need an alternate venue if we're going to play.

[agesilaus]

Sounds like y'all had a great session! I look forward to next weekend.

[Wolfgar]

Here is some more recap.

We decided to rest at the edge of the forest rather than go it at night. Friedrich took the opportunity to rest and level up. We checked out our magic items. Through a perceptive check we discovered that we have a potion of growth. Finnious also identified Trommer's sword to be unbreakable and always clean but no apparent bonuses.

As we rested that night a group of men found our camp. Sir Derwood and his men, who patrol the moors, joined us having heard of the heroes of Willowsby. He is ranger from the Thistlewood. He attempted to dissuade us from entering the forest or going to the Warlock stone. We ignored his (and the DM's) warnings. We gave them the ponies since we didn't think they would do well in the forest.

We headed into the woods at day break. Made good time once we found a trail to follow. We were attacked by 3 large spiders and an ettercap. The spiders attempted the entangle us before coming out of the trees. Paavo and Marcus were caught but the rest of the party took out the spiders with arrows and a Sleep spell. The wounded ettercap fled through the trees.

We continued along the path and avoided an orc patrol before finding a black river. We followed the river south which lead into the clearing of the Warlock stone. The Warlock stone is a huge boulder with a Stonehenge-like structure at the top and the river of blood pouring out the side. Finnious scouted around the edge of the clearing while we discussed our approach strategy. We waited for night.

Finnious sneaked up and cast a Sleep spell on the guards at the entrance. We bound them. Then attempted to enter the door. Three minutes of pounding got the door open and wasted any chance of surprise. After that it was basically a continuous fight into the dungeon.

We are at a break in the action but more troops are on the way - there was a horn blast which probably alerted everyone. I think our options are
-retreat and come back once the place has been fortified
-look for some place to hide while we get back some hit points and spells back
-find a defensible position and continue to wreak havoc on their numbers when the next waves shows up.

At this point the main goal is to kill the priests so that they cannot complete the ritual. Or possibly find and destroy the black cauldron.

BTW, I guess we had Finnious convert all of his spells to Sleep since he has used it 4 times now - 1 spider, 4 guards, 8 orcs, and 2 priests.

[venger]

Some highlights:

Several of the party outfitted themselves in the hooded cloaks of the slept/bound huntsmen to hilarious result.

The successive failed attempts to open the front door ruined what would have been a pretty good surprise attack. Then it really was a running battle as you chased a fleeing cleric through the dungeon, battling guards along the way.

As for the Fear- that was awesome.

Marcus, Paavo, Mr. Trommer, Colby and three evil clerics were all caught in the Fear effect. Only Paavo and one of the evil clerics made their saves.

Marcus and Mr. Trommer ran basically the same direction (determined by die roll) at the same speed (platemail) and ended up back in the entry hall.

Colby bolted into corridors unknown and when he came back to his senses found himself surrounded by a group of huntsmen in cougar-hoods drinking in their makeshift barracks. Fortunately he was wearing one of the wolf-cloaks found earlier and rolled a 97% reaction roll. Unfortunately the impromptu story he told them involved a bunch of heroes invading the Warlock Stone and battling Lord Zeal, so they rushed to sound the alarm...

On the way back to the party, Colby ran into the now unfeared clerics and successfully bluffed them. Until his backstab for like 2 damage and hasty retreat from their clubs.

Paavo and Friedrich had a heck of a fight on their hands, Friedrich totally demolishing the bugbear (the SAME bugbear from the orc caves).

It was pretty touch and go with Lord Zeal even after he went down, as I recall he almost got up again but for some persistent and determined stabbing.

[Ginger]

I guess the next question is whether we should try experimenting with the gauntlet. It seems to have an awesome Fear power, awesome striking ability, and regenerative powers. It's probably evil, though. I'd suspect that none of our good characters could attempt to wield it, so that leaves Marcus. But Marcus with the gauntlet could probably kill us, so maybe we shouldn't do that.

[Wolfgar]

Paavo can do a quick check to see if it radiates evil. (OOC: It has to be evil otherwise it would unbalance a low level campaign.)

Before we start playing with it we should decide where we are going. Do we head towards Lord Zeal's chamber or the room that the last group of huntsmen came from? I think everyone should don a black robe or an animal headed cloak to confuse whoever is looking for us.

[Ginger]

Nov 8, 2010 8:34:07 GMT -5 Wolfgar said:

I think our options are
-retreat and come back once the place has been fortified
-look for some place to hide while we get back some hit points and spells back
-find a defensible position and continue to wreak havoc on their numbers when the next waves shows up.

At this point the main goal is to kill the priests so that they cannot complete the ritual. Or possibly find and destroy the black cauldron.

I'd expand that to:
-flee, either back down the path we came (somehow avoiding the dozen orcs out there) or via a new path, maybe south through the bogs.
-find a corridor to defend while they counter-attack in force, where our tanks can neutralize their superior numbers
-advance through the dungeon and hope to fight them in manageable groups.

I think we might be able to run away, although the only path we know of has a dozen patrolling orcs, and we're not in much condition to fight them. We also know there are a group of boar huntsmen, who are at least as good at tracking as Mr. Trommer, so I don't know if we can elude them.

We could try to go south-west, where the forest is only one hex deep, but we've never been there.

If we press on, we could try subterfuge, with me and Finneous hiding in shadows and wearing cloaks.

[Wolfgar]

Nov 7, 2010 22:18:23 GMT -5 venger said:

As discussed, Lee is unavailable next week so we'll need an alternate venue if we're going to play.

I can host this weekend. Did you happen to grab the character sheets? If not I could go by some night and pick them up (and the figures, dice and maps) assuming Lee is still in town.

[venger]

Nov 9, 2010 22:14:16 GMT -5 Wolfgar said:

I can host this weekend. Did you happen to grab the character sheets? If not I could go by some night and pick them up (and the figures, dice and maps) assuming Lee is still in town.

Awesome, thank you -- maybe email the address/directions again for anybody who might have forgotten?

I have character sheets for everyone but Friedrich, which I'm assuming Chris has. I've got all the maps, notes, etc.

I have the party miniatures as well as some assorted others.

We might need additional dice but I think we can manage with what I have.

[Friedrich]

Yeah, I have Friedrich's sheet. I transfered him to another sheet cause his old one was falling apart. I also have a couple sets of dice that I will bring over too.

[venger]

Somehow fitting the campaign should end where it began.

You guys need a plan.

With combat over, Colby is able to fill in details of the map.



Finnious' elven senses detected something concealed behind one of the tapestries in the center room where you fought the bear-hooded men, who tried to go for the horn.

[Wolfgar]

Given that the tapestries showed the use of the Cauldron and it is close to the river of blood and the altar the priests were praying, my guess is that it is a concealed door leading to where the Cauldron is located. One option could be that we go there and see if we can destroy it before making a hasty retreat before we are overrun by reinforcements. It could also be a hiding place.

I don't like our chances tying to make a stand somewhere else. So far the map appears to show a mirror image on the other side. If we are lucky we have taken out 3/4 of the huntsmen and priests. But that would still leave another leader like Lord Zeal.

[Ginger]

I'm worried about fighting a group of those Boar-hooded huntsmen in the woods. Maybe we can try to fight them on favorable terms somewhere in here and then flee when we're less likely to be accurately tracked.

Otherwise, there must be a Patriarch or some higher level cleric around here. Colby was asked by the Jaguar guys if he'd warned someone in particular. I forgot the name, but it was probably another leader-type, who would take us out in our present state.

[Wolfgar]

I am less worried about being followed into the forest. I think we can handle a group of huntsmen or a band of orcs. It is the leaders or clerics with special powers that I am worried about. I doubt they would send their clerics to chase us down. They need to get back to the ritual.

We may want to grab the studded leather off the huntsmen we have killed. We could leave the platemail armor somewhere in the woods and move faster in leather if we are fleeing. Trommer would have to carry Friedrich.