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Post by venger on Apr 10, 2011 20:58:30 GMT -5
Paavo: 34249 --Dan: 2999 Friedrich: 35898 (6th level fighter) Trommer: 30675 Colby: 29676/10746 (5th level magic-user) Ingrid: 7047/7047 (4th level cleric) Marcusss: 15753 ~ Finnious: 7925 12955
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Post by venger on Apr 10, 2011 22:00:38 GMT -5
[Why Would the Devil Sweep the Room?]
Drumbeats continued to sound, a buzzing drone heralding the arrival of giant wasps whose size the party greatly underestimated at a distance. After waiting for the large group of humanoids to pass, the party descended from the roof and headed eastward, past strange weathered carvings and alien faces that stared blankly from the stone edifices.
Rather than negotiate the winding alleyways, they headed straight for the main thoroughfare, a broad avenue of cobbled stone. Passing between ancient stone pillars carved with coiling serpents, they arrived in a large plaza. Two serpent-men wearing ornate robes guarded a golden arch entering a half-buried structure. One was armed with a halberd, the other with snakes.
The serpent-men hissed something unintelligible and the party pressed the attack. Combat was fierce, serpent-men were slain, Marcus delivering a massive critical. Trommer narrowly dodges a spell that surely would have turned him into a slithering creature. One of the creatures was wearing a gold ring. Trommer is now wearing it. The robes were taken.
The serpent-men seemed to be under the influence of some kind of narcotic. They each had a pouch containing yellow (lotus) flower buds. Paavo sampled a little.
To the east, could be seen a dark cave in the crumbling cliff-face. To the north, marshy swamp and a large lake.
Stairs led down through the golden arch. Without delay, the party descended.
A large room with faded murals depicting scenes of worship, filled with bats, the floor slick with guano. Many tracks but Trommer could not determine much. The northern exit lead to a pillared gallery also full of bats. Disturbed by the light, they began to move. Trommer did not see any traffic through this area, so the party retreated to explore the other passage.
The passage zigged, the passage zagged. An inscription in an ancient language went uncopied/untranslated. Of the words, Colby could only decipher "Zargon" and "life."
A cunning spear trap dealt Trommer a vicious critical (x3 damage) for 3 damage, destroying his new robe. It alerted the bugbears, what little good it did them. The party made short work of the guard post, recovering 27 platinum and 6 adamantine coins.
The passage continued to twist and turn, a particularly long stretch ended in a staircase down into a large cavern. Rubble and debris from the room above had fallen from a fissure in the ceiling. A jade statue lay broken.
Bugbear sentries, alerted by the light of the party, fired arrows and readied for charge. The party annihilated them.
Beyond was seen a set of stairs leading upwards 10' to a massive temple with heavy doric pillars. The base of the temple is carved with high relief sculpture panels with scenes depicting the dieties in combat with demons and sea monsters.
An investigation of the rubble in the other cavern was pursued.
Another sentry, alerted by the noise of the party, exited through a passage to the south. The party gave chase, entering a room full of compacted garbage heaps. Through a set of swinging double doors into another room - a guard post, with more bugbears. The battle is fierce, 2 bugbears escape with a strange shackled humanoid.
The room is filthy with offal, food scraps, bits of armor, scraps of leather, broken weapons (useless), discarded boxes, broken furniture, shreds of cloth, various nameless disgusting pieces of assorted garbage and a motley collection of disconnected bones.
Paavo pursues. Colby follows with the light. The party follows the light.
The passage winds around and descends another flight of stairs, finally entering a massive cavern through which runs a stream. Trommer can find no sign of the bugbear's passage.
A sibilant voice hisses something from the cavern and the party immediately attacks. Marcus is not as lucky as Trommer, and is struck by the yuan-ti's spell. He transforms, mind and body, into a serpent.
The abomination quickly succumbs to the swords and axes of the party. Around its neck is a key. Tossing the corpse in the stream, the party searches out a secret door hidden in the cave wall.
Stairs descend into a 30'x30' chamber, a nest of rags and a leather pouch containing glass beads. The party makes an exhaustive search of the room for secret doors and finds a sliding panel.
It leads into a room curiously swept of dust and debris. A crude, man-shaped stick figure has been drawn in Ochre on the south wall. The figure seems to have wings and a tail. A passage leads out of the room. Another sliding panel is discovered opposite the first.
This leads into a square chamber. The walls show scenes of a ritualistic sacrifice of a Human victim and several Snake Man victims by a group of gowned Snake Priests. In the background, there is a hazy image of a tall winged Lizard Man wearing a silver crown. In the center of the room is a stone block upon which rests a golden mask with a demonic countenance. The mask is taken. The stone blocked is shifted and under it is an alcove containing a sack full of bones.
The bones are poured out and 4 skeletons arise, awaiting Colby's command.
"Sweet," says Colby.
A narrow passage leads to another such room, the frescoes are intact also and show images of a giant winged Serpent Man devouring huge numbers of Humanoids, Serpent Men and Dinosaurs. A 5'x5' shaft descends from the room into darkness, beyond the lantern light.
Backtracking to the unexplored passage, the party traversed a long corridor ending in a set of bronze doors. Beyond is a ruined hall, cavernously large, lined with pillars. 4 sets of bronze double doors line the sides of the room. A set of stairs lead up out of the room to the north, another set lead up to a ceremonial podium flanked by rotted tatters of an ancient tapestry, ruined beyond recognition. All that remains of the altar furniture is a crumbling marble podium. In the south wall there are a pair of doors that are hidden from view by what remains of the drapes.
The doors behind the draperies are opened, revealing a large square room. The walls of this room are covered with flaking plaster. Visible will be a few faded images of Serpent Men in jeweled robes and at least one picture of a gigantic winged Serpent Man. A portal in the east wall is ignored in favor of the bronze doors to the south. One valve of the south doors is jammed closed, the other opens after some effort.
The hallway beyond descends a short flight of stairs and ends in a small room, filled with broken pottery. 4 ash-filled urns remain intact. They are estimated to be of considerable worth and the skeletons are tasked to carry them.
The only exit from this room is a large bronze door, sealed with a valve, etched with a rune. The party rests, recovering spells and hit points. Magic is detected, some items detect as magic: gold ring, demon mask, bag of bones, glass beads, the door with the rune.
The rune is translated - the Sepulcher of the Immortal King.
Undaunted, the party opens the door. Beyond is a hallway.
Trommer notes that the door does not have a handle on this side. The door is judiciously spiked open.
A bare stone room contains two piles of ash and bone flanking the only exit. The ash and bone animate, becoming skeletal guardians. They are hemmed by Paavo's protection from evil and must attack the straggling skeletons. The protection is mostly voided in a crush of melee. The skeletons get some hits in, soak up a tremendous amount of damage from edged weapons and then die. The rings animating them melt into black oily slag.
The sounds of spellcasting come from deeper within the sepulcher. Friedrich charges, everyone else follows at the same pace, arriving in time to see:
A giant, mummified, dessicated cross between a gargoyle and a Lizard Man. If it stood, the creature would be 10' tall with huge, parchment like bat wings springing from its scaly but withered back. The monster sits amongst its pile of treasure, eyes glowing malevolently, it fades from sight.
Colby launches a web at its location, snaring nothing. There is a tense moment, then everyone starts eyeing the treasure hoard. A heaping pile of gold, silver and platinum interspersed with glittering gems, jewelry and objets d'art. The wealth of an Immortal King.
The complex rumbles, as if undergoing some seismic event. The party begins to loot under the supervision of Ingrid's Detect Magic, scooping aside coins and jewelry in favor of anything enchanted.
Golden Flask Jeweled Tiara Two-Handed Sword (ornately scabbarded) Staff (Iron) Book (Large Spellbook-like Tome) Metal Flask (Iron) Ultralight Chainmail Spear (etched with runes) Carpet (a blue dragon in each corner facing a green globe)
The rumbling grows in intensity and a vaguely man-shaped avalanche pours through the stone wall. Everyone crowds in near Paavo for protection and the earth elemental smashes some skeletons.
Thwarted, it begins to rock the floor, sending characters sprawling.
Amazingly, the Immortal King loses control over his conjuration (rolling an 04%) and the elemental howls triumphantly, immediately heading to destroy its tormentor.
The party follows. The earth elemental cuts corners and disappears from view. The party hurries after. From down the hall can be seen a brilliant flash of light and a wave of heat roils down the passage. More spellcasting and the sound of grinding stone. The party stops as at the edge of the light is a roiling cloud of ghastly yellowish-green vapor billowing toward them.
The party retreats, closing the bronze doors and sealing themselves in the room full of broken pottery.
Colby begins to swap out a spell. After 12 minutes the door pops open of its own accord and the cloud begins to pour in. The party quickly opens the door bearing the rune indicating that it is the "Sepulcher of the Immortal King" and they run down the hall before anyone can succumb to the deadly cloud.
They do not spike the magical door open behind them...
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Post by Wolfgar on Apr 11, 2011 9:07:48 GMT -5
Is it time to ask Ukko for help? There is a 30% chance he will send one of his maidens if one of his faithful are likely to die when facing a powerful evil. Do you think someone should get a reaction adjustment from high charisma when dealing with one's deity?
First thing to do is draw this sword and see if it has any special abilities. Is Trommer proficient in long sword or bastard sword?
I can never keep this straight. Someone proficient in bastard sword can use a two-handed sword. But you cannot double specialize in two-handed weapons. So if Paavo uses the sword he would only get his single specialization bonuses (+1/+2). Is this right? Is there anyway to get the double specialization bonus in this case (like only doing bastard sword damage)? Paavo needs help hitting.
If the Immortal King decides to show its face and attack us, I think Trommer and Friedrich should split the potion of speed. And Paavo has that potion of strength he could share with Ingrid. No point leaving something to waste if we are going to die.
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Post by Ginger on Apr 11, 2011 9:39:48 GMT -5
While chatting after the game, I noticed that Eddie forgot to account for the Earth Elemental making his save vs. the fireball. Given that screw-up, hopefully we'll get some extra mercy.
I think you should count the 2-handed sword as a bastard sword for the purposes of specialization.
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Post by venger on Apr 11, 2011 9:43:45 GMT -5
Is it time to ask Ukko for help? There is a 30% chance he will send one of his maidens if one of his faithful are likely to die when facing a powerful evil. If ever there was a time. Do you think someone should get a reaction adjustment from high charisma when dealing with one's deity? Hah, 30% is pretty ridiculous already for divine intervention. Is Trommer proficient in long sword or bastard sword? Trommer is a longsword specialist. I can never keep this straight. Someone proficient in bastard sword can use a two-handed sword. But you cannot double specialize in two-handed weapons. So if Paavo uses the sword he would only get his single specialization bonuses (+1/+2). Is this right? Is there anyway to get the double specialization bonus in this case (like only doing bastard sword damage)? Paavo needs help hitting. I have no problem with you getting double specialization bonuses while wielding a two-handed sword. I always thought that was an arbitrary rule. You're already penalized by having no shield. No point leaving something to waste if we are going to die. You have a ton of magic items: potions, scrolls, lucky horseshoes, etc. Someone can put on the gauntlet!!!
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Post by venger on Apr 11, 2011 10:10:52 GMT -5
While chatting after the game, I noticed that Eddie forgot to account for the Earth Elemental making his save vs. the fireball. Given that screw-up, hopefully we'll get some extra mercy. Sure. How's this? Colby wonders if maybe the strange word "Setci" written on the magic-user scroll found with the wand is its command word.
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Post by Ginger on Apr 11, 2011 10:32:32 GMT -5
While chatting after the game, I noticed that Eddie forgot to account for the Earth Elemental making his save vs. the fireball. Given that screw-up, hopefully we'll get some extra mercy. Sure. How's this? Colby wonders if maybe the strange word "Setci" written on the magic-user scroll found with the wand is its command word. That'll do!
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Post by Wolfgar on Apr 11, 2011 13:32:31 GMT -5
I guess re-running the combat was out of the question. At least let the earth elemental get a couple more hits in. Anything to soften up this guy. I have no idea what the wand does but it will be hard pressed to be more destructive than a 16 HD monster that does 4d8 per hit.
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Post by venger on Apr 11, 2011 14:20:16 GMT -5
Mistakes were made. I re-ran the scenario and the outcome is no different. Went something like this:
Round 1: Party dispatches the guardians of the sepulcher. Immortal King awakens.
Round 2: Immortal King casts Haste. Party races down hallway.
Round 3: Immortal King casts Teleport.
Round 4-14: Immortal King spends the next turn casting Earth Elemental. Ingrid casts Detect Magic. The party sifts coins and treasures. (time-keeping grows a little vague as you weren't in combat and I wasn't entirely cognizant of Conjure Elemental's casting time, but you found a lot of magic items so I'm not gonna lose sleep on it. )
Round 14-16: Elemental moves/charges and is stymied by PfE.
Lee points out the chance for all such summoned elementals to turn on their controller. I roll an 04.
Round 17-19: Elemental takes off back toward Immortal King. Party pursues, but loses sight.
Round 20: Immortal King is somewhat surprised to be confronted by angry earth elemental, who appears out of the wall at melee but only hits him for minimal damage.
Round 21: Immortal King (hasted) moves 24". Earth elemental moves 6".
Round 22: Earth elemental catches a delayed blast fireball (which should have been +1 to all dice) and makes its save. It moves 6" more.
Round 23: Immortal King magic missiles. Earth elemental moves 6" more.
Round 24: Immortal King magic missiles again. Earth elemental expires.
Round 25: Immortal King casts Cloudkill.
Round 26: Party, moving at a 6", would traverse the 400' from the treasure room, to the guardian room, through the crematorium, down the 200' hallway, by this point reaching the short flight of stairs leading up to room 53B.
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Post by venger on Apr 11, 2011 14:31:49 GMT -5
To lay it all out on the table:
This dungeon module and the city-adventure module above are as non-linear as they come. Despite the copious secret doors, regular doors, tricks, traps and myriad of paths, you somehow managed to unerringly navigate your way to the sepulcher of the Immortal King.
Paul Jaquays gives a DM some tactics and general play advice regarding this high-level adversary, but makes no excuses for placing this mega opponent in a module designed for players level 2-4.
The players have it within their power to defeat this monster, all the tools have been provided and, barring some unlucky dice rolls, I expect the party to be triumphant.
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Post by Ginger on Apr 11, 2011 14:59:47 GMT -5
So we just need to wait for the Haste to kill him...
Did he have Teleport Without Error? Did you roll to see if he killed himself?
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Post by venger on Apr 11, 2011 15:30:42 GMT -5
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Post by Wolfgar on Apr 11, 2011 15:47:17 GMT -5
Fair enough.
It seemed like we took a fairly straightforward route. The only secret door was behind some drapes which seemed oddly out of place. Basically we followed the only route available to us until we reached the room with the caved in ceiling. After defeating the bugbears we were going to investigate the temple but were drawn on by the alarm from the southern passage. We killed more bugbears and then chased after bugbears with a prisoner. The yaun-ti attacked. We killed it and found its lair. Then we explored for a while until we found the secret door which lead directly to the Immortal King.
Assuming it is at least a 14th level spell caster and it has used 7 spells (1 7th, 3 5th, 1 3rd, and 2 1st), it still has at least 26 spells left. That should be plenty to mop up 6 characters of 5th level or below.
Of course if it is only 14th level then its haste would have warn off by round 19. Which means he couldn't have run that far from the elemental...
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Post by venger on Apr 11, 2011 17:34:14 GMT -5
As I recall: You found a concealed door in a cave wall near a stream, once inside that secret area you spent an hour searching for secret doors. Then inside that secret secret area you entered a big hall with 8 doors and stairs up, but instead of even looking at any of those you went behind the altar and moved the drapes and searched again. I actually made them secret because you guys were careening toward disaster. After you moved the drapes and I said there was nothing there, Lee goes "let's check for secret doors." Assuming it is at least a 14th level spell caster and it has used 7 spells (1 7th, 3 5th, 1 3rd, and 2 1st), it still has at least 26 spells left. That should be plenty to mop up 6 characters of 5th level or below. To this I will say two things: It has both Hold Portal and Wizard Lock memorized. Friedrich and Trommer could kill it in one round of specialized attacks.
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Post by Dead Greyhawk on Apr 12, 2011 7:10:50 GMT -5
From the peanut gallery: This is a very old school adventure, and the hallmark of this adventure type is that somethings you have to just run away from. That said, your paladin has a Charisma of 17.
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Post by Wolfgar on Apr 12, 2011 7:30:18 GMT -5
Unfortunately there is only one way out and the Immortal King is in the way. And he isn't in the mood to talk for some reason.
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Post by venger on Apr 12, 2011 10:22:32 GMT -5
Maybe he woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning.
At any rate, I realize the Cloudkill has expired based on the revised scenario.
Ingrid strongly recommends handing the fire resistance collar to whomever might withstand such an intense fireball blast. Same with the lucky horseshoe.
I'll inventory your character sheets and post your magic items if that'll help.
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Post by Ginger on Apr 12, 2011 11:15:29 GMT -5
I've got the fire resistance collar. I'm happy to give it to Trommer or whomever could best use it. I also have the lucky horseshoe, which someone can use. For levity, I'm sure Eddie and Chris will get a kick out of this. www.wired.com/magazine/2011/03/pl_thewire/
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Post by Wolfgar on Apr 12, 2011 11:39:44 GMT -5
An inventory of magic items would be helpful.
Given that the Cloudkill has expired, where do we pick up? Is Colby still memorizing Read Magic? Has the door to the pottery room opened yet?
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Post by venger on Apr 12, 2011 13:34:31 GMT -5
An inventory of magic items would be helpful. Given that the Cloudkill has expired were do we pick up? Is Colby still memorizing Read Magic? Has the door to the pottery room opened yet? I'll go with door closed, Colby finishes memorizing at the start of next session. Technically you don't know the cloud is gone. Or that he cast Haste. Why was Colby memorizing Read Magic again? I'm blanking.
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Post by Ginger on Apr 12, 2011 14:12:04 GMT -5
I was hoping to skim the sweet new spell book to see if there was some ass-saving spell I could read from it. Can you tell us what I find? A spell book is only 36 pages, it shouldn't take more than a round to just read the headers. I have a comprehend languages spell memorized, which I'll cast if I see the book is not in Common.
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Post by venger on Apr 12, 2011 14:14:23 GMT -5
You're opening the book?
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Post by Ginger on Apr 12, 2011 14:16:15 GMT -5
Well, when you say it like that... I hadn't really considered that they'd be explosive runes (or worse). When Ingrid detected the book as magic, she would have seen a rune written on it, right?
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Post by venger on Apr 12, 2011 14:30:06 GMT -5
If someone had written a glyph or an explosive rune on the cover of the book, yes, she would have seen it. But it would've exploded too...
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Post by Wolfgar on Apr 12, 2011 20:52:33 GMT -5
If this is the spellbook of the Immortal King, why would he want to destroy it by putting an explosive rune on it? It is not like he has other copies hanging.
Besides, just picking up the book should have been enough to set off the explosive rune or glyph.
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Post by venger on Apr 12, 2011 21:24:27 GMT -5
Yeah, what's the worst that could happen?
Colby: book scroll: Lightning Bolt, Haste, Confusion, Magic Missile @ 7th Level cloak, crimson bent wand (Sanci?) azure potion (insubstantiality) scroll - Protection from Demons scroll - Unceasing Vigilance of the Holy Sentinel potion of Raw Mana bag of bones Soulsink - dagger of life-stealing Feldspar's wand (Lithos) bracers AC 8 gold talisman (Stigga) magic oil gold bowl - Contact Other Plane horseshoe +6 to any save, once collar of fire-resistance
Ingrid: potion of growth warhammer, magic (I have no idea where this is from)
Trommer: The Gauntlet Durandal, unbreakable longsword hex bag, non-detection cherry potion (feel good) Lord Zeal's shocking whip spear, magic carpet, magic gold ring, magic, worn loud magic horn flask, blue liquid
Friedrich: magic staff gold flask gold mask - demonic glass beads bloodstone talisman - sustenance sigil of unbending illusions morningstar - dead sun rising potion of levitation white potion - (jittery) fine axe, +2 when thrown
Paavo: potion, red (earthy) "strength" ultralight platemail PfE salts, 9 uses bastard sword, oathbreaker two-handed sword, ornately scabbarded metal flask potion, blue, fishy incense, blue Stone to Flesh scroll
Dan "Demonslayer" Danbury: Shieldbreaker mace
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Post by Wolfgar on Apr 12, 2011 21:39:25 GMT -5
Ingrid's warhammer is from the cabinet where we got Colby's cloak and the potions.
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Post by venger on Apr 12, 2011 22:09:47 GMT -5
OHhhh yeah. It is.
Nice lookin' hammer.
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Post by Wolfgar on Apr 13, 2011 8:03:39 GMT -5
And Dan has Shield Breaker.
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Post by Wolfgar on Apr 13, 2011 8:36:25 GMT -5
Here is what I am thinking.
I say we ignore the book for now. Colby should stay back and use his magic missiles and the one on the scroll. If things look bad then drink half the potion of gaseous form and escape through the collapsed passageway. Hole up somewhere, read the book, find the well of life, come back for our dead bodies.
Paavo will drink half of the potion of giant strength.
Friedrich and/or Trommer should drink the potion of speed. Note it only lasts 5-20 rounds for a full draught, half that for a half draught. Or we could use the Haste spell on the scroll which lasts 10 rounds. Paavo and Dan have terrible CON's so they would stand be out of the area of effect.
Leave anything you don't want burned behind.
Paavo takes the two-handed sword and a torch and leaves everything else behind. Friedrich takes Ingrid's warhammer. Trommer takes Soulsink and Oathbreaker. I am not sure what we will need to hit this thing. The more options the better.
Open the door.
Then do the three fighters charge 24" and hope to catch it? Or do we send Paavo out first to find it with his detect evil and let Trommer and Friedrich charge to his rescue?
Ingrid stays back in hopes of healing anyone left in one piece.
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