5.5E to Cyberpunk RED Species Part 3 - World of Warcraft 2003-2006 and Extras

Now the World of Warcraft book for 5.5E is out, it seems like it would be amiss to not extend what I was doing with my Cyberpunk Waterdeep game to it as well. As well as a couple of species I missed before. This post covers Classic/Vanilla and Burning Crusade, but the various subtypes include more modern expansion. Overall, I would say there is a lot of reskinning here. As whole lineages that would be in Warcraft are lifted and only slightly remixed.

Draenei

Man’ari are just the Infernal Tieflings lineage pasted on the Draenei species.

Over 7 feet tall

Change Darkvision. You have Darkvision with a range of 20 yards/metres.

Change Eredar Lineage. You gain the LUCK 2 benefit of your chosen lineage. At LUCK 6 and LUCK 8, you learn the spell listed for your lineage. You always have it prepared and can cast it once per Long Rest.

INT, WILL, or EMP is your spellcasting ability for the spells you cast with this trait (choose the ability when you select the lineage).

Draenei Lineages

Draenei

LUCK 2 - You have Resistance to Necrotic damage and know the Spare the Dying cantrip.

LUCK 6 – You also know the Healing Word spell.

LUCK 8 - You also know the Prayer of Healing spell.

Krokul

LUCK 2 - You have Resistance to Poison damage and know the Poison Spray cantrip.

LUCK 6 - You also know the Ray of Sickness spell.

LUCK 8 - You also know the Hold Person spell.

Lightforged

LUCK 2 - Resistance to Radiant damage and know the Sacred Flame cantrip.

LUCK 6 - You also know the Guiding Bolt spell.

LUCK 8 - You also know the Aid spell.

Man’ari

LUCK 2 - You have Resistance to Fire damage and know the Fire Bolt cantrip.

LUCK 6 - You also know the Hellish Rebuke spell.

LUCK 8 - You also know the Darkness spell.

Change Heroic Presence. When you cast a spell granted by your Eredar Lineage and don’t have Heroic Inspiration (immediate reroll after seeing the results of a dice roll), you gain it. Once this happens, it can’t happen again until you finish a 1-hour rest or Long Rest.

Duergar

Dwarves in WoW D&D are just normal Dwarves, not subspecies based on the four different types/clans. As the Duergar were indicated in Heroes of Faerun to be sutiable to play in 5.5E, I am including them here. They are just a lineage type for Dwarves, but their write-up in Monsters of th Multiverse is like the Eldrian in having a few traits swapped out.

Replace Stonecunning and Dwarven Toughness with Duergar Magic and Psionic Fortitude

Change Darkvision. You have Darkvision with a range of 60 yards/metres.

Change Duergar Magic. With LUCK 6, you can cast the enlarge/reduce spell on yourself with this trait, without requiring a material component. At LUCK 8, you can also cast the invisibility spell on yourself with this trait, without requiring a material component. Once you cast either of these spells with this trait, you can't cast that spell with it again until you finish a long rest.

 INT, WILL, or EMP is your spellcasting ability for the spells you cast with this trait (choose the ability when you select the species).

Change Dwarven Resilience. You take half damage to Poison and toxin damage. You also have Advantage on rolls you make to avoid or end the Poisoned condition. 

Psionic Fortitude. You have advantage on rolls  you make to avoid or end the Charmed or Stunned condition on yourself.

Elf

Notably, High elves reuse the Player’s Handbook’s High Elf option. A bit of a cop-out, but so is Nightborne and Night Elves being 1 starting cantrip off being a Drow and Wood Elf respectively.

Elven Lineages

Blood Elf

LUCK 2 - You know the Prestidigitation cantrip. Whenever you finish a Long Rest, you can replace that cantrip with a different cantrip from the Wizard spell list.

LUCK 6 - You also know the Detect Magic cantrip.

LUCK 8 - You also know the Arcane Vigor spell.

Night Elf

LUCK 2 - You add half your LUCK stat to Stealth. Once per turn, in addition to any actions taken this turn you can roll to hide while in Dim Light or Darkness.

LUCK 6 - You also know the Longstrider spell.

LUCK 8 - You also know the Pass Without Trace spell.

Nightborne

LUCK 2 - The range of your Darkvision increases to 40 yards/metres. You know the new Arcane Pulse cantrip.

LUCK 6 - You also know the Faerie Fire cantrip.

LUCK 8 - You also know the Darkness cantrip.

Void Elf

LUCK 2 - Your Darkvision increases to 40 yards/metres, and you know the Mind Sliver cantrip.

LUCK 6 - You also know the Entropic Embrace spell.

LUCK 8 - You also know the Misty Step spell.

Arcane Pulse (Nightborne Evocation Cantrip): As an action, you release arcane energy in a 3 yards/metres radius, originating from you that does not affect yourself. Each creature of your choice in the area makes WILL + Resist Torture/Drugs roll. On a failure, it takes 2d6 Force damage and its MOVE drops by 2 until the end of your next turn.

Entropic Embrace (Void Elf Level 1 Necromancy): You cast this as a Reaction when you roll with Advantage or Disadvantage and both dice show the same number. For 1 minute/20 turns, you’re wreathed in shadow: you automatically succeed on WILL rolls to maintain Concentration, your space is now considered to Low-Light, and once per turn you can deal an extra 2 Necrotic damage to a creature you damage or restore an extra 2 Hit Points to a creature you heal.

Gnomes

The gnomes in the WoW D&D book are otherwise just Rock Gnomes. The Deep Gnomes/Svirfneblin are from Monsters of the Multiverse, but were indicated in Heroes of Faerun to be playable in 5.5E. Though I wonder if they will be updated in time. Their lineage as it would be in 5.5E is still split up as it was in 5E, but otherwise should be treated as one. Mechagnomes don't share any traits with normal gnomes and seem to be based on Warforged.

Deep Gnome

Change Darkvision. You have Darkvision with a range of 60 yards/metres.

Change Gift of the Svirfneblin. With LUCK 6, you can cast the disguise self spell with this trait. From LUCK 8, you can also cast the nondetection spell with it, without requiring a material component. Once you cast either of these spells with this trait, you can't cast that spell with it again until you finish a long rest.

Change Svirfneblin Camouflage. When you make a Stealth roll you can make the check with advantage. You can use this trait a number of times equal half you LUCK stat, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Forsaken

Creature Type: Undead

About 4-7 feet tall or about 2-4 feet tall

Change Darkvision. You have Darkvision with a range of 20 yards/metres.

Deathly Endurance. You have Resistance to Necrotic damage.

Change Everlasting. You are immune to the effects of Fatigue, Drowning and Asphyxiation, dehydration or malnutrition. You don't need to sleep, and magic can't put you to sleep. You can finish a Long Rest in 4 hours if you spend those hours in an inactive, motionless state, during which you retain consciousness.

Touch of the Grave. When you deal damage to a creature, you can deal half your LUCK stat as extra Necrotic damage, regaining Hit Points equal to the extra damage dealt. You can use this once per Long Rest.

Will of the Forsaken. You have Advantage on rolls to avoid or end the Charmed or Frightened conditions.

Tauren

About 8-9 feet tall

Change Horns. When you hit with a Brawl attack and deal damage, you add 1d6 Piercing damage to the total after deducting SP.

Change Goring Rush. Immediately after you take the Run Action and move at least 6 yards/metres on your turn, you can make a Brawl attack once per turn, in addition to any actions taken this turn.

Change Hammering Horns. Immediately after you hit a creature with a melee attack, once per turn, in addition to any actions taken this turn. You can make a Brawl attack that dos no damage, but the creature must make a DEX + Athletics or DEX + Dodge/Evasion roll (their choice) to avoid being pushed 3 yards/metres.

Change Tauren Lineage. You choose one of three tauren lineages below. If your lineage calls for a roll, the DV equals 11 plus your BODY or WILL stat (chosen when you pick the lineage).

Mulgore Tauren - You can replace one attack with a magical war stomp (as long as you aren’t Prone, flying, climbing or swimming). Each creature of your choice in a 1.5-yard/metre radius, originating from you that does not affect yourself. Must succeed on a WILL + Endurance roll against a DV of 11 + STAT or become Prone and fail DEX rolls until the end of your current turn.

Highmountain Tauren – When you take the Run Action, you can ignore Hold Actions and automatic attacks from other creatures as you move through their space. Each Medium or smaller creature whose space you enter must succeed on a DEX + Athletics roll against a DV of 11 + STAT or take damage equal to your BODY and have the Prone condition (a creature can take this damage only once per turn).

Taunka – You have a natural 4 SP on all locations and Resistance to Cold damage.

Troll

About 7 feet tall

Change Bloodied Frenzy. While you’re Seriously Wounded, you have Advantage on attack rolls.

Change Darkvision. You have Darkvision with a range of 20 yards/metres.

Change Troll Healing. If you become Stabilized and undertaking rest and light activity for 1 hour, you heals HP equal to half your BODY stat.

Change Troll Lineage. You choose one of the following lineages:

Amani Troll - Whenever you spend LUCK in combat, you gain a bonus equal to half the LUCK spent to your next Stabilization roll.

Darkspear Troll: When you take the Run Action. Ice, rubble, snow or undergrowth doesn’t reduce your MOVE or impose Athletics rolls until the end of the turn.

Zandalari Troll: If you roll a 1 on a roll, you gain Heroic Inspiration (immediate reroll after seeing the results of a dice roll) at the end of the current turn.

The Zodiac and the Deadly Venoms - Overview, Leo and Capricorn

 This was supposed to go up two weeks ago and contain three NPC, but it's a massive pain to create and double check all the equations for this, even with an auto-calculating character sheet to do much of the work for me.

Mutants in the Now is a retroclone of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles & Other Strangeness, one that has since diverged to become a bit more of its own thing. But something it shares with TMNT&OS is a need for the GM to make all the NPCs themselves once they run out of the 20 or so from the three published books. While MitN does make it easier than its predecessor by having simplified NPC stats, it’s still a lot harder than an OSR monster which is mostly deciding HD.

The Zodiac and the Deadly Venom Gang

The Overview

Proteus has never seen a market it didn’t want to get into and has no scruples about toadying up to whatever government to get access. So, when Roman Pike decided Proteus needed to embrace the Asian Century and break into China’s yet unthought of demand of biogen pets and food, he went straight to developing Proteus’s guanxi (networks of personal trust). First heading to the Guangzhou local government and offering to partner with anyone who would be willing to work on the GOO-P mutagen. This, as expected, led to the meeting with the Guangdong provincial government, the national government and then to the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).

The Chinese government had been experimenting with GOO-P before, but mostly with trying to discover, contain and dispose of whatever lifeforms had been contaminated by it. Proteus’s willingness to work with a local partnership was a massive boost that cut through the bureaucratic infighting.

Thus, Project Shanxiao was born. Shanxaio being the monkey-like spirits of the southern Chinese mountains, driven away by fireworks and so conflated into the Lunar New Year celebrations to scare away the Nian. A name considered to be well chosen for what the Chinese government sees as ferocious semi-human beasts.

What is Project Shanxiao?

An experiment to produce elite mutant warriors for demonstrational purposes. Showcasing the potential of GOO-P to change ordinary animals into extraordinary warriors, showing rapid mental development and unlock hidden talents like psychic powers. Each mutant is one of the members of the Chinese zodiac but codenamed after one of the western zodiac to symbolize the harmony that the international partnership can produce.

It’s a glorified vanity project that has churned though dozens of test subjects and created a bunch of violent boondoggles. The brief for what each zodiac should display were justified post-hoc, based on what talents they did display after selection, mutation and training. But the partnership has increasingly used them for internal prestige and wet work. With miscommunication and disagreements between the partnership, giving the Zodiac quite a lot of freedom in what they do on their missions.

What each side wants out of it:

Proteus: That it earns enough favour for the national government to keep granting Proteus licenses to import and sell GOO-P related products into the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Secondarily, it gives Proteus access to massive amounts of GOO-P and mutants delivered to them by the PLA. Allowing Proteus to shuffle anything note-worthy into its own laboratories. Any research that develops out of the partnership is tertiary and if none is forthcoming, they will drip-feed it from their other laboratories.

The Partner, Pearl River Biological Gene Technology Co., Ltd (珠江生物基因科技有限公司): Pearl River Biogenetic (PRB) to most people, wants whatever Proteus has and especially what it’s hiding. GOO-P is hard enough to get without the Chinese government confiscating and obscuring any discoveries. The money is reward enough, but PRB wants to become a market leader in their own right. The method is twofold; turn their motley collection of grad-students, medical supply factory managers and businessmen into an organisation that can establish its own international facilities to study and exploit GOO-P away from the government eyes. And to get at whatever research Proteus won’t share. Where this is by preventing promising discoveries leaving their shared laboratories, wooing Proteus staff into PRB or just corporate espionage.

Edit: this turned out to be a real Chinese company (广州珠江生物遗传技术有限公司) so I made a new name.

The Administration: The PRC wants the importation of Proteus’s strange and outright frightening products to be regulated and safe. Not just for the benefit of the consumers, but to prevent any social instability that could come from people experiencing panic or exposure from discovering what GOO-P can do. The PLA want experimental results. Mutants can be created from common livestock and vermin, grow quickly to human proportions and learn exceptionally fast. They have visions of mutant armies: trained, grown on demand, indoctrinated but totally expendable. Not to mention any potentially safe human-enhancing properties.

As the organisation is defeated, it is narratively and game-play beneficial that the more diffuclt and best of the Zodiac are saved for last. So while these NPCs can be fought in any order, after a certain number of victories (indicated by Upgrade 1 and Upgrade 2) the NPC gains new Traits. Any new traits replace the pre-existing ones of the same name and wholely new traits are added in addition.

Xiwangmu, codename Leo

Personality: Nominally the leader of the Zodiac, Xiwangmu is an aloof and self-centred predator with big plans that certainly don’t involve Proteus, PRB or any team-members she considers dead weight. Retaining much of her demeanour from her birth as a Bengal tiger. She spends her days either training for missions, executing them with precision and violence or meditating in an imitation of a martial artist. It is during these periods that makes her plans while everyone thinks she has achieved inner peace. She dresses in infiltration gear or a traditional male martial arts uniform when off duty.

Background: Trained by Proteus’s security and the Chinese government alike, Xiwangmu quickly recognised a fundamental disjunction in the partnership between Proteus and PRB. One that she was delighted to find extended to monitoring her missions. As she focused on completing the mission above the bilingual bickering, the monitors found it easier to give her autonomy.

Plan: Xiwangmu plans to cut the partnership loose and in everything she does, she tries to advance that plan. When she discovered V.Viper had formed the Deadly Venoms, she seized control rather than report it. When Huoshu displayed his amazing technological skills, she pressured him into building encrypted receivers for burner phones. She steals while on missions and stashes it with the gang. Mutants she encounters get sorted into two categories; useful and disposable. Disposable mutants or their remains get reported in, maintaining trust. Useful mutants get away with an obligation they must repay. Likewise, as she frequently encounters the criminal underworld, she is always happy to remind those she hasn’t targeted, that she’s always available to deal with mutant problems via one of her burner phones.

Tactics: Xiwangmu’s first action will be to kill the lights if possible, trying to gain the advantage with her Nightsight. If the enemy is melee-focused, she’s stay back, leaping about as she throws weapons to wear them down. They she leaps forward to fight with claws and fists. Trying to wear down each enemy and perform a Knock-out before attacking the next, unless she can opportunistically pick off a weak foe. The sword will be used an enemy has a blade of their own. If the enemies have ranged weapons, she goes straight into melee.

Plot hooks: She is willing to work with anyone via the Deadly Venoms in her schemes to undercut Proteus, PRB or the local underworld, but she will always try to maintain authority. Even minor challenges trigger an aggressive response that seems out of place for her feigned composure.

If it looks like the Zodiac are on their way out, she’s burn the partnership, literally if possible and escape with as much GOO-P, allies and electronics as she can. But she is still a tiger and will defend her place in any organisation, responding with even greater escalations than what she has suffered.

Xiwangmu is looking to the future, she is interested in finding the perfect male Bengal tiger to mutate into her presumably perfect mate. This takes up quite a bit of her personal time, combing through zoo and wildlife records and planning a fanciful international heist that could easily draw attention. She hasn’t even thought of the possibility of a human-mutant and would take a fair amount of convincing.

Mental: 17 (+3) Physical 18 (+4)

Other Traits: AFF 10 (+0) PRO 24 (+6)

Defence 22 Morale 16 + RESOLVE Save +7 WILL 3 Intiative +8 HP 42 SHT 76 Size 11

Resistance *

Resolve *

Armor *

Move 87 (Jump 72 Running Jump 144) Lift 360

Values: Independence, Survival, Strength

Anthropomorphic Traits: Movement: Biped, Prehensility: Prehensile, Speech: Vocal

Major Traits: Aggressive, Enhanced Scent, Nightsight, Rake

Minor Traits: Claws (ascent, hooked, retractable), Enhanced Hearing, Float, Inspirational (Claws: Knockdown), Teeth (slaying), Spring Leap, Whiskers

Skills: Competency 50%, Athletics 80%, Bargain 40%, Burglary 75%, Camouflage 75%, Meditation 60%, Sneak 80%, Stalk 80%, Track 75%, Vigilance 80%

Unarmed Maneuvers: Strike +10  (claws 2d10+3d8 Edged, teeth 5d8 Edged), Bully +3, Grab:+10 (claws 3d10+3d8 Edged, teeth 6d8 Edged), Knockdown +4, Knockout, Reposition +4, Press +8 (1d12)

Jian: Strike +10 (1d12+3d8 Edged, Hand Counter, Press Flex, Hack)

Throwing Knife: Range +9 (1d10+3d8 Edged Thrown Ammo, Pain, Spin)

Boss: See MITN p.101

Heihuquan: Add a die of damage to Xiwangmu natural weapons or strength when performing a melee strike (already included).

When Xiwangmu repositiosn a foe, Xiwangmu inflicts prone on them. When Xiwangmu inflicts prone on a foe, Xiwangmu may reposition them.

Tiger Blood: When Xiwangmu  uses aggressive, she gains +PHY T-HP.

Eye of the Tiger: Anything Xiwangmu picks up and can throw one-handed counts as a Knife, Basic if sharp or otherwise 1d8 damage and Blunt.

Upgrade 1 - After 4 Zodiac members have been defeated

Mental: 17 (+3) Physical 18 (+4)

Other Traits: AFF 10 (+0) PRO 24 (+6)

Defence 22 HP 45 SHT 85

Move 96 (Jump 9 Running Jump 144) Lift 380

Skills: Competency 60%, Athletics 85%, Bargain 45%, Burglary 80%, Camouflage 80%, Meditation 65%, Sneak 85%, Stalk 85%, Track 80%, Vigilance 85%

Unarmed Maneuvers: Strike +10 (claws 2d10+3d8 Edged, teeth 5d8 Edged), Bully +3, Grab:+11 (claws 3d10+3d8 Edged, teeth 6d8 Edged), Knockdown +4, Knockout, Reposition +4, Press +8 (1d12)

Jian: Strike +10 (1d12+3d8 Edged, Hand Counter, Press Flex, Hack)

Throwing Knife: Range +9 (1d10+3d8 Edged Thrown Ammo, Pain, Spin)

Grenade: +6 3d12 Explosive, Throw AoE, Compact, Disposal, Load Hack Heavy

Press the Mountain: When Xiwangmu rolls the maximum value on two seperate damage dice for a melee strike, Xiwangmu inflicts the prone status.

Self-Centered Mind: Xiwangmu can take a moment to spend 1 Will to automatically gain the Focus State

Upgrade 2 - After 8 Zodiac members have been defeated

Mental: 18 (+4) Physical: 20 (+5)

Other Traits: AFF 12 (+1) PRO 28 (+7)

Defence 23 Morale 18 + RESOLVE Save +9 WILL 4 Initiative +9 HP 52 SHT 97

Move 102 (Jump 10  Running Jump 160) Lift 420

Skills: Competency 70%, Athletics 90%, Bargain 50%, Burglary 85%, Camouflage 85%, Sneak 90%, Stalk 90%, Track 85%, Vigilance 90%

Unarmed Maneuvers: Strike +12 (claws 4d10+1d8 Edged, teeth 2d10+3d8 Edged), Bully +4, Grab:+12 (claws 5d10+1d8 Edged, teeth 2d10+4d8 Edged), Knockdown +5, Knockout, Reposition +5, Press +10 (1d12)

Jian: +12 1d12+2d10+1d8 Edged, Hand Counter, Press Flex, Hack

Throwing Knife: +12 4d10 Edged Thrown Ammo, Pain, Spin

Grenade: +7 3d12 Explosive, Throw AoE, Compact, Disposal, Load Hack Heavy

Empress of the Jungle: When Xiwangmu has no SHT, she can maintain a Grab for free.

Yang, codename Capricorn

Personality: Yang is a sheep who has let his rage and bitterness fester in his heart. Yang hates everything about his situation and longs to break out and make his own way with the only means he knows will work; violence and money. Yang has been treated as a background figure his whole life, but being passed over for the Aries codename was the last straw. Yang in Mandarin covers sheep and goats but it just represented his powerlessness position. Somewhere deep down in his genes, he feels a slight amount of care for the Gemini twins, as they have always followed him and led him to assign them as his flock.

Background: A Finn-Dorset sheep is not a particularly ferocious basis for a mutant warrior, but Yang has been a perfect example of what Project Shanxiao intends. Turning a farm animal into a gun-tottering killer. As he lacked anything special besides being a fingered bipedal sheep, Yang was shunted into a commando training program that he excelled at. His resentment began as he and the other non-charismatic animal mutants were treated as the generic background to the partnership’s demonstrations. This was sharpened by the contradicting education he received, for every lecture about Chinese Communism, he got contradicting literature from Proteus. The trouble was, Yang was smarter than everyone thought and understood that the criminal underground offered the best bet for a nobody with brains and a gun.

Plan: Yang has and will continue to be dutiful to Xiwangmu and the partnership. Doing whatever he is told and working on his alternative plans. As people tend to assume he’s not a person and talk carelessly, he has filed away all kinds of information he repeats to Proteus or PRB about each other. Wheedling “covert” missions and assignments where the partnership has facilities. The Zodiac complete the job as bluntly as possible and then split up to maximise their free time, Yang taking the Gemini twins to manage his growing criminal empire.

Tactics: Yang never fights alone if he can help it. With a line of Unnamed goons at the front and Gemini Three and Four shooting from the midline. He moves from cover to cover, taking shots at whoever is under fire from the Geminis or the most dangerous. If he has access to a bigger ranged weapon, he’s use it on the biggest target. If either Gemini becomes engaged in mele, he will make a charge to separate them. Using his walking cane sword, spending a moment as normal to transform it between a Short Staff and Dueling Sword. Then he will disengage and back up to cover.

Plot hooks: Yang and the Gemini twins are the only mutants in his organisation. Founded by aggressive take-overs of small-time outfits, Yang is willing to expand only if he can line up a mission or long-term assignment. Sometimes he will just grab 10 minutes to make a call to associates, hear what is happening and issue orders. These orders are typical for organised crime and impersonal to anyone’s suffering.

He has two types of gangs; the kind who help the partnership find mutants, run interference and by proxy help the Zodiac. And the kind which robs the partnership of things Yang tells them about and so help Yang.

Yang is trigger-happy and a stone-cold killer, but he’s also a lonely sheep in a flock of self-centred special forces. A bit of kindness from another mutant of similar experiences will get him to open up about a lot of things. But if he thinks he has a social link, he’ll try and enmesh that link into his criminal plans. A proxy that can quicken the day he vanishes into the underworld to becomes a kingpin.

Mental: 17 (+3) Physical: 17 (+3)

Other Traits: COG 18 (+4) DET 24 (+6) STR 18 (+4)

Defence 17 Morale 20 Save +7 WILL 6 Intiative +8 HP 44 SHT 80 Size 10

Resistance: Blunt 2, Resistance 4 against hazards inflicted by stepping on them (like hot coals, caltrops, etc.)

Armor *

Move 84 (Jump 8 Running Jump 34) Lift 200

Values: Wealth, Respect, Independence

Anthropomorphic Traits: Movement: Biped, Prehensility: Prehensile, Speech: Vocal

Major Traits: Enhanced Scent, Nightsight

Minor Traits: Cold Tolerance [23F], Enhanced Hearing, Fluffy, Hooves, Horns [Blunt], Reduced Sleep, Ruminant Digestion

Skills: Competency 40%, Bargain 70%, Finance 70%, Sneak 75%, Snoop 75%, Stalk 80%, Track 80%, Vigilance 80%

Unarmed Maneuvers: Bully +9, Knockdown +4, Pummel +8, Strike +7 (hooves 3d8+1d6 Blunt, horns 1d10+2d8+1d6 Blunt +D on strikes unless a charge performed this turn)

Style Suppported: Brace, Recovery

Sword, Dueling +7 1d10+2d8+1d6 Edged, Hand Disarm, Counter, Lash Hack, Pain

Staff, Short +7 3d8+1d6 Blunt, Hand Counter, Disarm, Press, Pummel Flex, Spin

Heavy Pistol: Ranged +7 4d8 Bullet Ammo

Traits

Linchpin: See MITN p.101

Powerhouse Prey: Yang may perform a charge against a foe in melee with him as a moment.

This unbalances them as if Yang had just moved into melee with them. Unlike a normal charge, this only affects one target.

When Yang charges a foe, he gains +A on all saving throws in melee until the start of his next turn.

Parential Instinct: When entering melee with an ally with a lower size rating and a foe for the first time in a fight, add 1 to escalation.

Who Dares Bleat: When taking the Focus action, Yang automatically gains the aiming state.

Upgrade 1 - After 4 Zodiac members have been defeated

Mental: 17 (+3) Physical: 18 (+4)

Other Traits: COG 18 (+4) DET 24 (+6) STR 18 (+4)

Defence 18 Morale 20 Save +8 WILL 6 Initiative +8 HP 51 SHT 91 Size 10

Resistance: Resistance 2 Blunt, Resistance 4 against hazards inflicted by stepping on them (like hot coals, caltrops, etc.)

Armor *

Move 87 (Jump 9 Running Jump 36) Lift 210

Values: Wealth, Respect, Independence

Anthropomorphic Traits: Movement: Biped, Prehensility: Prehensile, Speech: Vocal

Major Traits: Enhanced Scent, Nightsight

Minor Traits: Cold Tolerance [23F], Enhanced Hearing, Fluffy, Hooves, Horns [Blunt], Reduced Sleep, Ruminant Digestion

Skills: Competency 50%, Bargain 80%, Finance 80%, Sneak 85%, Snoop 85%, Stalk 90%, Track 90%, Vigilance 90%

Unarmed Maneuvers: Bully +9, Knockdown +5, Pummel +10, Strike +9 (hooves 2d10+1d8+1d6 Blunt, horns 3d10+1d6 Blunt +D on strikes unless a charge performed this turn)

Style Supported: Brace, Recovery

Sword, Dueling +9 1d10+2d8+1d6 Edged, Hand Disarm, Counter, Lash Hack, Pain

Staff, Short +9 3d8+1d6 Blunt, Hand Counter, Disarm, Press, Pummel Flex, Spin

Heavy Pistol: +8 4d8 Bullet Ammo

Rocket Launcher: +8 4d12 Explosive AoE, Disposable, Load

Traits

Challenge: When a foe moves into melee with Yang, he gains 1 temporary WILL.

Veterans Only Get Headshots: +A to hit with a Bullet type weapon when the target has a status.

Upgrade 2 - After 8 Zodiac members have been defeated

Mental: 18 (+4) Physical: 18 (+4)

Other Traits: COG 20 (+5) DET 24 (+6) STR 20 (+5) END 20 (+5) 

Defence 18 Morale 20 + RESOLVE Save +9 WILL 6 Intiative +8 HP 54 SHT 100 Size 10

Resistance * Apply the highest Resistance of Boss or Blunt 2, Resistance 4 against hazards inflicted by stepping on them (like hot coals, caltrops, etc.)

Resolve *

Armor * Apply the highest Armor of Boss or Linchpin

Move 87 (Jump 9 Running Jump 36) Lift 210

Values: Wealth, Respect, Independence

Anthropomorphic Traits: Movement: Biped, Prehensility: Prehensile, Speech: Vocal

Major Traits: Enhanced Scent, Nightsight

Minor Traits: Cold Tolerance [23F], Enhanced Hearing, Fluffy, Hooves, Horns [Blunt], Reduced Sleep, Ruminant Digestion

Skills: Competency 70%, Bargain 90%, Finance 90%, Sneak 90%, Snoop 90%, Stalk 100%, Track 100%, Vigilance 100%

Unarmed Maneuvers: Bully +9, Knockdown +6, Pummel +10, Strike +10 (hooves 2d10+1d8+1d6 Blunt, horns 3d10+1d6 Blunt +D on strikes unless a charge performed this turn)

Style Supported: Brace, Recovery

Sword, Dueling +10 3d10+1d6 Edged, Hand Disarm, Counter, Lash Hack, Pain

Staff, Short +10 2d10+1d8+1d6 Blunt, Hand Counter, Disarm, Press, Pummel Flex, Spin

Heavy Pistol: +8 4d8 Bullet Ammo

Rocket Launcher: +8 4d12 Explosive AoE, Disposable, Load

Traits

Boss: See MITN p.101

AD&D Solo Adventures - The Village of Hommlet Part 18

Day 238 (3rd of Fireseek CY 577)

I forgot to add the XP for the potions, 750/16 = 46.875 x 1.1 and 1.05 is 51FXP and 49MUXP.

The next day they paid the usual amount, 4sp and 23gp (deluxe service with water to get the stink off) before they make their rounds of Nulb. They donate the linen to the Waterside Hostel, ensuring their cooperation at east for a little bit more. They donate the brandy from the Room 136 chest and the white wine to the river-pirate Tolub, who’s in port for 2 days, as token of thanks for keeping the town going but really to see if they could poison him on the spot without risking their alignment. He’s suspicious of a gift from a man who’s only previous interaction with him was to fence gems. And is some sort of hero now. But after having a fellow bargoer drink it and when the man did not die, he declares it’s high time someone paid him a tribute. Everyone knows they went to Mother Screng to pay for herbs, but Y’dey gives Celest the healing, HP 7 -> 8. They leave the platinum with her.

Going to Hommlet with the wagon will take 3 days each way. Otis charges the fee as a means of keeping up appearances, but rations are required. 14 days of rations and fodder are bought for 20gp in exchange for the brass stand and 10gp. An early morning trip to Mother Screng heals Celest, HP 8 -> 10.

The road is cold and alternatingly snowy and slushy, adding 2 more days onto the journey. On this day they surprise 3 gnolls at 30 yards. In the surprise round, they leap off the wagon and move 20 yards, flinging their spell Fray, wounding a gnoll, HD 2 -> 1. As they couldn’t charge the whole distance. In the first round the Celest is first and Dounil last. She kills the wounded gnoll and another. The gnoll does not hit and Dounil kills it.

Day 239 (4th of Fireseek CY 577)

Nothing but snow in the trees

Day 240 (5th of Fireseek CY 577)

A merchant’s caravan passes, Dounil debates selling some stuff to them, but Celest warns they could be evildoers in disguise. The merchant caravan is late, cold and wary of two armed travellers with random assortment of odd wares. No one relaxes until 30 minutes after they last see each other.

Day 241 and 242 (5th and 6th of Fireseek CY 577)

Nothing encountered, they arrive in Hommlet in the late afternoon as it grows dim. Hommlet is happy to see them for their reputation has grown since their early days, though now no foe on levels 2 and below will be surprised to see them unless attacked via stealth or wandering. They will rest the night, sell their loot and see if they need to begin training. Three private rooms are already occupied, the fanciest ones. 10ep a night will cover the rooms, 4gp for the stables and they eat the remaining rations and drinking the brandy in the silver flask in a feast.

Day 243 (7th of Fireseek CY 577)

Dounil and Celest present themselves to Rufus and Burne, who eagerly await what treasures they can bring and have a surprise of their own. Trainers to speed up training as per the module and a member of the exchequer from Verbobonc, who comes bearing Dounil’s promissory notes and to officiate more, so Hommlet can do the exchanges without running out of money. On the topic of money, my calculations for selling the magic items in OSE end up being; Chainmail +2 15000 x 2, battle axe +1 5000 x 2, mace +1 6000 x 2 = 26000gp of profit. A lot more than in just AD&D as it is double the creation cost, which is about twice the selling price in AD&D, and none of which is in coinage of course. Those will go the Verbobonc for their vaults, so 1,787FXP and 1,706MUXP.

After a debate with the discord, that’s a bit excessive, so I keep to just the gold values. Now this does dramatically reduce the raw XP to 13000 and means we must deduct an unknown amount from the previous XP Celest got from the Shield +1. I split the difference, I ignore all the treasure brought with them now for XP, deduct any XP over the minimum level threshold and rounded down the rest for both characters and hopefully that makes up for what she should have paid. And I half Celest’s old promissory note she got from that magic item for good measure.

That’s enough to make Celest a level 3 Fighting-Woman.

So, this list here:

A gold chain (200gp), 2 bronze rings, set with a triangular stone of jet (worth 50 gp). A bronze medallion with a raised triangle (20 gp). A jasper (50 gp), a gold ring (25 gp) and a gold brooch set with a triangular piece of jet (150 gp). A gold box set with ivory (350gp). Ten gp for the brass stand not included previously, Romag’s velvet ceremonial garb embroidered with triangles of gold thread with precious stones (8 jaspers and 28 hematites, totally 50 x 8 and 28 x 10 for a total of 680gp total), a silver flask on the table is worth 40 gp, 90gp of incense and unguents (30 gp of encumbrance). Silver bracelet (170gp + 6 x 10gp azurites. A copper belt (35gp). A necklace of 12 large gold coins (130gp). Four bronze rings set with a jet stone (50gp x 4), 4 ornamental dagger (15gp x 4), and 2 big and perfect agates (100gp and 500gp). Two triangles (20gp x 2), a bronze ring with a triangular setting of jet (50gp), a rock crystal (50gp) and four tourmalines (100gp x 4). Two hanging lamps (30gp) and a bronzewood rod (5gp).

All gone for XP purposes but kept for cash. Which of course is immediately amended for her training. This costs her 800gp as the two weeks under Rufus is halved with the extra trainers. 2495gp in this brand-new promissory note.

For 7 days Dounil rests while Celest trains, regaining HP, 8 -> 15. Spending 70ep and 14gp for both of them on board and stabling, and 70cp and 140sp on food and drink. Celest’s maximum HP increase to 16. She visits Canon Terjon who heals her three times for 30gp total and a 100gp donation to the castle, HP 10 -> 14.

He mulls over the reaction the traders had, when they reacted with interest to the brass furnishings from the Earth cleric’s room and then shock at the bronzewood stick. He asks for an audience with Rufus and Burne who list to his idea the traders work for the temple somehow. Why they don’t like the traders for how they are happy to undervalue and sell faulty goods, there is no proof. They’ve served the village for over a year.

It is one more night before they return to Nulb.

Day 251 (15th of Fireseek CY 577)

The road is slushy, but 5 days of time requires 10gp of rations and fodder. On the first day out, they encounter 3 wild boars rooting for grass under the snow. A friendly reaction roll means they don’t bother each other, Celest’s elfin half wonders if it’s the same boars as before.

Day 254 (18th of Fireseek CY 577)

They encounter 6 bugbears, stumbling upon each other at a distance of 20 yards. The bugbears were heading towards Hommlet to waylay them, but the bad weather works both ways. Celest first, Dounil last.

R1, Celest leaps forward, now able to sword Fray the foes. She slashes back and forth but never quite lands a hit on the slippery ground; a bugbear goes HD 3 -> 1. All bugbear weapons bounce off her armour. Dounil also has trouble keeping his footing, do 1 HD to another bugbear, HD 3 -> 2.

R2, same order, Celest kills the wounded bugbear and brings the other wounded one from HD 2 -> 1. None of the bugbears can get a hit through. Dounil is still slipping on the slush, his swings slay the wounded bugbear but his main attack is not hitting.

R3, Heroes go first but Dounil only by a pip. They slay 3 bugbears and wound one more, HD 3 -> 2. The bugbear fails morale and flees.

R4, bolts of magical Fray from the two half-MU half-elves blast the fleeing bugbear in the back dead. There is of course no treasure.

Day 255 (19th of Fireseek CY 577)

A quiet, if tense day as they make their way to Nulb. And as night falls, they still must pay Otis his wagon rent of 170gp. Then the horse stabling and the rooms at the Waterside, -4sp 6ep and 20gp for the good treatment. They can live it up for a bit while the blood and treasure flow.

Day 256 (20th of Fireseek CY 577)

Elmo of course accompanies them to the temple; he asks if they want the wagon and they say they will see what hasn’t been ruined by a couple of weeks in a dungeon. Elmo said a little gnome has been hanging around town, selling various things from the temple so who knows. Once again, they leave in the dark and arrive by [9:00].

They descend by the western staircase again at [9:30]. They debate going straight down to level 2, as they have been spending a great deal of time on level 1. But the arrow in the floor intrigued them, so they will check once more then descend finally. It takes 10 turns to reach the curtained entrance to Room 145. 40 minutes in they encounter 10 brigands and a level 2 leader (always) scouting the level for the intruders. The intruders are surprised for even they could not plan to meet the heroes here as they left the north-east passage via the door 20 feet ahead.

SR, Clest is the one who hits but their Fray slays 3. Celest’s mighty swing kills the leader and 2 more brigands.

R1, Celest first, Dounil last, 4 more brigands die to her. The brigand fails morale and flees up the tunnel. Dounil slays him with a magical Fray, a silvery bolt. They find 46gp after a minute of searching (2/10). It is only 10 minutes later as they pass through the secret door that they must rest [10:30].

On the eve of their passing through the mysterious curtain the separates the arrow floor of Room 148 from Room 145, the central chamber, they meet another force of Brigands scouring the level for them, 9 and a leader. They surprise again, the dice making a mockery of my decision that all enemies are on alert unless unexpectant encounters.

SR, the heroes do 9 HD, slaying all but the leader. R1, they go first and do him in as well as a side-effect of their Fray. 43gp found (4/10 rounds left before I deduct a turn) [11:10].

They advance beyond the curtain into the Earth Temple proper. They see the mysterious silver-embedded gates which vexed them before. This triggers the earth elementals to rise from their slumber, one behind them, one in front of them to the south and two on the eastern sides. They stand motionless as the pair reach the top of the earthen pyramid that dominates the centre of the room, with unwholesome looking bronze manacles and a bronze box on the top. Unfortunately, the pair get their 6^th turn for their rest at the same time the elementals get their 1 extra turn of waiting for their blood offering.

They have no option but to fight at [11:40]. Dounil at least pulls out his Staff of Striking, as these earth elementals are big.

Round 1, seeing the way back out is blocked by the elemental to the north-west, they try and batter it down first. Celest first, Dounil last. Double magic Fray does 2 HD, HD 16 -> 14. Celest misses and the elementals by some amazingly bad dice, miss Dounil and only one clips Celest, doing 5 damage, HP 14 -> 9. This is getting very bad very quickly. Dounil expends 3 charges on his staff (17 left) ensuring he does 4 HD damage, HD 14 -> 10.

Round 2, the heroes go first and focus on the one back out. One magic Fray is absorbed by the elemental earth, HD 10 -> 9 and though both hit, Celest is alarmed to see her Longsword +1 does no damage. Dounil spends 3 more charges (14 left) and HD 9 -> 5.

The elementals do 10 damage to Dounil, HP 22 -> 12 and 4 damage to Celest, HP 9 -> 5.

Round 3, the heroes win initiative by 1, so they will be out of there. Their magical Fray followed by another 3-charge strike destroys the elemental to their north-west and they move to escape, so we check the evasion rules. Both sides are assumed to be running at full speed, the pair move at 60 feet a round but so do the elementals, so two of the closest elementals get an attack each against one of the two. Despite the superior AC, Celest is hit for 3 damage, HP 5 -> 2. The next round they escape the room and the elementals cease to follow.

The pair do not stop until they have reached the nearby corridor which caps off the extra rounds to make a full turn, they realise they are not being pursued, and they have no random encounters 2/6 [11:50]. They rest and bandage, a whole week’s worth of HP gone in 3 rounds, HP 12 -> 14 and HP 3 -> 5. Celest asks for a healing potion, and they decide to double it. She chugs two of the things, HP 5 -> 8. Mark off another turn, NRE 3/6 [12:00].

The real question is now do they descend or do they turn back to Nulb and pay Elmo out of the treasure gathered from the two bands of brigands. No, they will descend even if it’s a single room to gather anything. They’ll even take the weapons the brigands have left behind, as something to justify the pain.

Two turns later, they have moved back through the gaol and are resting beside the inanimate zombie bodies. Not a nice place, they decide they will take the straight corridor to level 2 at triple speed, NRE x 3 [12:30].

They are halfway down the spiral staircase in ten minutes. Tough fortune did not favour them; they met yet another brigand band on their way up. Seven brigands and a leader, seen at other ends of a long and empty corridor so there was no surprise.

R1, Celest, the brigands and Dounil. Celest stays back firing off her magical Fray to force the bandits to make the 60 foot charge, a brigand die. The brigands respond by moving into shortbow range and opening fire, three abreast. Magical shields armour certainly saves the pair. Dounil retaliates with his own magical Fray, killing one more brigand.

R2, same order, Celest moves up to charge next round, her Fray killing another brigand. Shots rattle off her defences, Dounil does the same but his Fray fizzles.

R3, same order. Celest charges forth, killing the leader and 2 brigands with her sword. The brigands somehow pass morale and keep fighting, Dounil’s charge finishes them off. Another round of searching finds 44gp. The descent itself is uneventful, 1/6 [12:40].

Halfway through the next turn, they arrive in the intersection with Room 246, a bending corridor turning southwest and southeast. They turn southwest and the corridor turns due south, NRE [12:50].

Another turn of movement with no additional encounters, brings them to Room 245, a vast former reception hall by the appearance, never cleared of bodies from the fall of the temple and dominated by a dry fountain and a life-sized dirtied stone minotaur on a throne. The 60 feet of movement carries them right up to inspect the statue. Which is not a statue at all but a very patient minotaur guard. He does surprise with his 90% undetectability.

SR, Dounil is in the front, so he takes the attack, the bite misses but the flail hits, 1 damage luckily enough, HP 14 -> 13.

R1, heroes go first, though the minotaur being HD 6 is too powerful for their sword Fray. The magic Fray does 2 HD damage and their main attacks both hit his AC 4. The minotaur dies. While Dounil bandages back to 14 HP, Celest searches the body and throne, finding a bag of hard stones, which turn out to be gems and a scroll. This does alert the guards in Room 242 but they think little of it, they hate the minotaur and the trap on the secret door will get the expected pair if they find it. The added combat rounds add to another turn [1:10].

The question is asked again, do they proceed through the door to the far southwest or return to Nulb, moderately triumphant? They turn back, deciding to see if any of the carpets remain amid the treasure heap they made.

Advancing at triple pace, they spend 5 turns moving and 1 turn resting [2:10]. On the way back to the stairs up, they fight 2 ogres looking for a vague description of a humanoid. It could be the heroes, Wonnilon or unknown. No one is surprised and the heroes get the initiative.

R1, at quite a distance they open with magical Fray, doing 2 out of 4 HD damage to one ogre. They ogres then make the whole distance on the charge but miss only thanks to the magic bonuses.

R2, the heroes go again and while Celest blasts the wounded ogre with her magical Fray, Dounil dispatches one with his sword on the way to split the ogre’s skull. No treasure.

On level 1 there are two highly confused gnolls wondering why everyone in the Earth Temple are dead. They are quite surprised to see Dounil and Ceelst and die in the surprise round. They also have no treasure.

In Room 137, only 10 carpets and rugs remain, Wonnilon has removed about 5 in his own treasure-seeking. He’s also removed many of the weapons from various corpses and the treasures in the rooms to the east of the main earth temple. If the pair bother to remember to check. But they are too scared of the elementals to notice Room 148 went around Room 145. They each take 1 rug or carpet to hoist them back to Elmo.

At triple sped and going to the eastern staircase, on turn takes them to the door to Room 130, another turn to 10 feet from the t-junction where they rest. Ceelst asks Dounil why he doesn’t turn on his ring of invisibility anymore. Dounil mentally kicks himself for forgetting after the several week trip to and from Hommlet. He retorts Celest hasn’t worn her hood up, making her cloak of elvenkind ineffective. And that’s why they haven’t used them when opening doors. Two more turns at triple speed takes them into the old above ground temple, NRE x 4 [2:50].

Another turn to leave the temple and another to get to the edge of the ruin, NRE x 2 [3:10]. Elmo is happy to load up the cart and leave earlier than before. He is very business-like as he questions them what they saw in the earth temple itself. The elementals sound like a real issue and he doesn’t know if they were resummoned or the forces of law and good could not remove them prior. But there is now only 3 of them.

The haul this day was 133gp and 16sp when they cart the furnishing to the general store. The pirates buy them as it’s nice to have something soft between them and a deck. Y’dey and Murfles alternate praise for their daring and scolding for their foolishness, healing Celest to 9 HP. Elmo and Otis get their 110gp. Otis and the Waterside get more again as they order some material comforts. That uses up all their treasure, and they need to get 6ep from the hoard to cover it. They really begin to think Elmo or Otis could dial back their rates for appearances sake. FXP 219 and MUXP 208.

The bag contained 13 agates of various type, next time they go to Hommlet they will have them evaluated and exchanged. Casting Detect Magic reveals the scroll is Protection from Elements (all). Useful but they pair don’t see a reason to tangle with the earth elementals again unless they absolutely need to stop the temple. But they know it will be useful. Will calculate XP from the magic item next session.

AD&D Solo Adventures - The Village of Hommlet Part 17

Still day 236 (1st of Fireseek CY 577)

As the guards came from the south, they continue along the corridor that went east that Room 133 branched off from. Turn 1 gets them out into the corridor at a good clip, 2/6, NRE [14:20]. On the second turn of movement, they reach a south-west passage that Dounil said matched the map for the north-east going passage from Room 125. They finish the turn at the door to Room 149, where they just avoid rolling any encounters and Dounil steps on the pit trap and drops, taking 1 damage from 10 feet, HP 17 -> 16. Celest asks if he can climb up but Dounil can’t, worst, the pit begins to flood. Dounil must cast Levitate to escape, which he does. Though this was all observed from the spyhole in the door and now there is no surprise chance against the guards.

Feeling wet, sore and irritated, Dounil is the one to throw open the door to Room 149 and the pair face 14-armed men, arranged in two rows. The heroes are not surprised, and I rule the guards prepared their actions so go first.

R1, Celest is missed by one point by a javelin from the front rank, who change to swords after throwing. Dounil is missed by one point by two crossbow bolts. Breaking on their armour and shields. One of the leaders’ javelins hits Celest, doing 2 damage, HP 14 -> 12. Dounil does 4 HD damage with his sword Fray, battering away at the line. Celest does none, reeling. Their main attacks though do 2 and 4 HD damage respectively, Dounil focusing on getting to the leaders and Celest hewing at the guards. 8 guards are dead and a leader goes from HD 3 -> 1.

R2, the guards here don’t even get to check morale because the pair go first, Dounil finishes off the remaining guards, cancelling out Celest’s Fray as she is below the HD level of the leaders. Dounil finishes off the wounded leader and Celest does in the other. A bandage and riffle through the pockets and weapon racks find nothing except money, they will have to cart this stuff back to the cleric chamber for testing later. Two bronze medallions with a raised triangle (20gp x 2), 12sp 64ep, 16gp and 6pp. HP 16 -> 17 and 12 -> 14, the random encounter is 10, which is the patrol from this room and so discounted, 3/6 [14:30].

On a hunch, Dounil looks at the three doors, one in the southwest of the door they came in and one in the north-west corner, going north. He opens the southern one and edges along the corridor, as there was a lip around the other trap. After 20 feet (counts as half movement) he stops bac onto the middle. Going to the door beyond takes 2 turns but he establishes the door opens into the ghoul area they cleared, Celest probes the floor with her feet, finding the floor trap on the third turn and allowing them to cross it and rest 1/6 [15:10].

They advance north but find themselves going west, Celest points out the corridor that branches south 30 feet along ends in a slanted wall. They investigate and Dounil finds the secret door and shortcut. Back to the corridor where they just were. They also ee a north-west diagonal passage and follow that, 4/6 [15:40].

Unfortunately, 10 feet along in that passage, they find 4 ghouls, which they had hoped they had all slain. The heroes are surprised. Fortunately, their magic armour and shields lowers their AC so far, the ghouls can’t hit.

R1, the heroes go first, Dounil’s Fray misses but in total they do 8 HD, just enough to wipe out the ghouls. One has 5gp.

More of a brief encounter that will be deducted next time they have an odd-minute rest. Another turn of movement, rest and movement again up the corridor brings them to a junction and an encounter with 5 gnolls. The gnolls are complaining the temple seems dead and disappointed in the offer made by the fire temple below. But neither of the pair understand gnoll or know they came via the back entrance to level 2. No surprise for either. Heros in initiative.

R1, the Heroes do 6 HD, slaying 3 of the gnolls outright. The last gnoll passes morale and screams a cackling battle cry as it charges to break through. It does not hit.

R2, Celest kills it and now everyone knows they are here 3/10 rounds 1/6 turns [16:10]. Elmo left 10 minutes ago, so they are either going to have to walk home in the dark or sleep in the temple.

To see if there is a safe sleeping area, the move slowly west into Room 152, spending half the turn advancing and down the steps. They see the turnkey and the bugbear torturing the victim and the screams do drown out their footsteps (roll of 3). They have surprise.

SR, their Fray wounds the bugbear HD 3 -> 1, as they focus their attacks on the turnkey, slaying him.

R1, Celest kills the bugbear.

This and the half a turn of movement neatly cover 10 minutes of time and so I’ll just add a turn to the counter 3/6 [16:30], no random encounters come to assist.

There is the victim on the rack, a man. Two women in cell a, and two orcs in cell b.

By the light of the charcoal brazier, Celest busies herself with looting and freeing the man on the rack while Dounil interrogates the rescued captives. Celest finds a bronze ring with a triangular setting of jet (50gp), 5sp, 1ep, 23 gp, 1 pp, a rock crystal (50gp) and a lump in the turnkey’s surcoat which is she needs to cut, turning out to be four tourmalines (100gp x 4).

The women are local country folk, (I assume either Woodfolk or from Nulb) and want to go home, the orcs were just wandering monsters and say they will fight if it means getting revenge on the temple, being opposed to their lawful natures. Dounil has an idea, He asks the orcs if hy know anything about the temple and then he has an offer, the orcs sensing work and maybe loot, tell Dounil about the entrance below to the 2nd level, found in Room 153, just one further turn up.

Dounil though knows they need to get out of the dungeon. He offers the orcs all the weapons they and armour they can carry, if they abide by two terms: they will assist in escorting the party out of the temple and back to Nulb and they will immediately leave the Nulb area. If they refrain from attacking or robbing anyone on the way there or out, they will not be pursued or hindered by the pair. The orcs were hoping for fighting inside the temple, but as the alternative is to be left here, they agree. The pair rest to reset their time, NRE [16:40].

Escorting the rescued people, they must retrace their route to Room 149, where weapon racks are plentiful and then out. Dounil at the front, then the orcs, the humans and then Celest. Four turns to get to Room 149 and the wounded prevent them from moving above exploration speed. The humans are given a torch from the wall, though Dounil still has his bullseye lantern for colour vison work. This is obvious though and the pair quietly agree with the orc’s grumbling about losing their infravision.

On turn 3, as the heroes are explaining how to get around the pit trap on the floor, Celest is ambushed from behind (surprised) by 5 gnolls, who had travelled to the temple to join their brethren and found only bodies scattered about the place. No hit though from the flurry of throwing axes.

R1, amid the yelling and confusion as only Dounil, the man at arms and the orcs are armed (flail, battle axe and bastard sword) behind now the women. Celest, then the gnolls and then the rest go. Celest kills 1 gnoll. And the rest fail to hit her with axe or sword. Dounil decides he won’t push and fires off his spell Fray, killing another gnoll. The orcs shove the humans aside and charge, one hits and kills another gnoll.

R2, In the swirl of melee, Celest kills the remaining two gnolls. The orcs are disappointed to find no money but eagerly strap on more weapons with the gnolls’ belts, 3/6 [17:10].

Inside Room 149 the orcs help themselves to chainmail, shields and fold even more weapons and armour into bundles they tie with belts to the spears. Now encumbered, they still all move only as fast as the wounded man. It will take 5 turns to leave the level and get into the main temple. The party must rest in the corridor on the western side, leaving 3 more turns to go [17:40].

It is 3/6 [18:10] when they reach the surface. There have been no random encounters. Two turns to exit the grounds and confirm there is no Elmo or horses, NRE [18:30]. Only a large owl which flies away when it sees them. The pair hope it’s Elmo’s owl from the brigand attack. The party rest outside the walls and the half-elves and orcs fan out to avoid the torchlight.

It is [18:40] when they reach Nulb, and it is dark and cold. They tell the orcs the bargain is fulfilled, and they are free to do s they wish elsewhere. The orcs leave; happy they can return with loot and their lives. The humans are taken to Mother Screng, who fusses about payment but winks at the pair for their good deeds.

Otis and Elmo ae happy to see them, the owl was indeed Elmo’s animal companion. As for the payment, the heroes tell him of the immense fortune they left in a locked iron chest and a room of evil luxuries.

What they brought with them was the Ring of Shooting Stars, two bronze medallions with a raised triangle (20gp x 2), 17sp 65ep, 39gp and 7pp, a bronze ring with a triangular setting of jet (50gp), a rock crystal (50gp) and four tourmalines (100gp x 4). The Platinum pieces and 30 gold pieces cover Elmo’s daily fee. And he said he will hep them move the chest at no charge. They quietly toast toe death of the Earth temple for hopefully forever. As they know the apprentice is Nulb snitch.

The total monster and magic treasure XP since the attack in Nulb is 263 FXP and 251 MUXP. At the current rate, the characters gain 125 Solo XP for every 2000 XP won in the base module. Treasure wise, they bought with them only 52FXP and 50MUXP.

Day 237 (2nd of Fireseek CY 577)

They spend another 4sp and 46ep the next morning for the bill of the night before, everyone knows their money is good in Nulb, though many worry about more retaliation from the temple.

As they ride for the temple, they debate yet more logistics. Elmo is having his horse pull Otis’s cart, which he is renting out for another 10gp a day as a cover. They grumble it’s an expensive cover. The party hope to clear and gather than material of the floor, then Detect Magic on it all to see what is worth. Elmo thinks they will crash the market in second-hand weapons by next Needlefast. Once they come up, Elmo will return with them to load the chest and spare furniture onto the cart. Though he may need to hitch all three horses to it at the description of what they left behind.

Arriving, they unhitch the cart at the foot of the temple side doors and Elmo says yet another goodbye.

The pair make their way down the left-hand stairs and beeline for the jails and where the passage to level 2 is supposedly located. It will take them about 2 hours of careful movement, going from [9:30] to [11:30], with two resting turns. At [10:10] they have a random encounter in the north-going corridor approaching the door going north-east towards Room 149. Five ghouls, still coming out of the nooks and crannies of the temple even though there are no ghasts to lead them. They surprise the party at 70 feet distance.

SR, the ghouls advance and attack, it’s three against 2 in the 10-foot corridor but none hit.

R1, Celest then the ghouls then Dounil. Celest kills 3 ghouls. The back two surge forward and fail to hit either, Dounil kills 1 and wounds the other, HD 2 -> 1.

R2, Celest goes first and ghoul goes last, ghoul is killed but her sword Fray as she side-steps. They find 22gp.

Moving with great care as they pass partly up the corridor that serves as the jail, they duck into the noted corridor and after a long passage find themselves resting at the top of a spiral staircase. They want to thoroughly explore what was left and check if the jail cells house prisoners, so they retrace their steps, moving silently in a vain attempt to not alert anyone to their metal-shod feet. It takes 30 minutes and 3 turns to reach cell c and f [11:00], NRE x 3.

Seeing 3 prisoners in cell c while cell f is empty, they whisper to them, but the prisoners don’t move. When checking the door, they find it is not locked. Upon opening the door, the prisoners suddenly roll over, Celest swears and the dead faces that yet still move as the 3 zombies stumble to their feet. Dounil says to be careful, he knows from bitter experience zombies care more dangerous than one might think. Good thing they always go last in initiative.

R1, while the zombies take half damage from sharp weapons, Celest’s 2 HD of Fray damage wounds 1 HD 2 -> 1. The AC of 8 means even’s awful roll of 2, modified to a 6 hits them. Half of 8 HD of damage is enough to destroy 2 of them. The zombie hits with might but fails to get through Dounil’s AC.

R2, Celest’s sword Fray catches the zombie as it stumbles back and destroys it. A search fins nothing.

Next turn they find a bound gnome in cell e (locked) and two more cells with three prisoners curled up in each. Recognising a pattern, they ready themselves and open cellblock b and then a, triggering two fights one after the other.

Cell b, round 1, Their use of magic for their Fray to get around the half sharp weapons damage rule hits a snag where Dounil’s Fray fizzles, but they do 2 HD after their main sword attacks, destroying one of the 3 zombies. The zombies fail to hit.

Round 2, magical Fray and then swords destroy the remaining two.

Cell a, round 1, magic Fray and swords destroy all zombies, nothing is found on any bodies.

There are no random encounters, but since the fighting and the searching has taken 10 minutes of time from the ghouls to now, I am going to tack on a turn to the tracker and say they must rest here [12:30], NRE.

The door to the gnome’s cell is locked. But the heroes have the key. The turnkey’s key is never mentioned in the text as being on him in Room 152 or in his possessions in Room 151. So, I assume it was on his person and was looted last session. Removing the gag let’s loose a rush of thanks and words. This gnome was Wonnilon and he is an adventurer of the fighting persuasion and was captured while exploring the temple. They took his gear and he would be willing to serve with any fellows who could assist him in replacing or finding said gear. For an equal shar of the treasure of course.

Dounil and Celest asset the options. This is another body to assist them with their expedition, but they already must pay for two lots of training apiece and have been slowed down in the past by having to carry fellows who proved to be untrustworthy or slow (in-universe reasoning for why it’s taken them so long to level up). They decide to be Neutral Good about it; they offer to recover his gear with no strings attached. Then he can roam and hunt treasure to his heart’s content, as they have cleared out many foes here. But Celest warns him if they are not back in 2 hours, he should make his escape.

Celest explains as they round the corridor, out of earshot, that that is to stop him finding the chest. They pause at the junction with a door to the north and south. They go north into Room 146 and the turn ends before they turn west down the second set of stairs down, 1/6 [12:40] NRE.

As they step down the stairs and onto the floor, the whole floor and part of the wall tip forward, as they combine weigh more than 100 pounds. Dounil takes 1 damage, HP 17 -> 16, Celest takes none as she was cushioned by Dounil. They are attacked by 24 giant rats and neither get their shield or Dexterity bonus, making Dounil’s AC 2 and Celest’s AC also 2. They also lose initiative. Of the 12 which attack Dounil, 1 hit and no damage. Same for Celest and neither infected. On their turn, Dounil’s misses, but his wild swings kill 4 rats, and Celest’s more deliberate swings kill 12.

R2, as another 24 giant rats emerge (out of a total of 144), the heroes regain their shield and Dexterity AC bonuses. They also win initiative; 14 giant rats die and 18 attack. None hit as they need 20s to do so. It takes 11 rounds in total to slay all the giant rats, with Dounil’s HP being 6 Celest’s HP being 9. Dounil had to defy death twice. Dounil casts levitate to get himself out of the pit and first takes Celest’s bags then uses rope to haul her to the lip.

The rest of the time till [13:00] is spent bandaging and scraping the disgusting bloody mush off their boots with their swords, 4/6 NRE x2. They don’t even try and search the wider room. They just stump up the stairs, avoiding the noxious pit, Dounil’s HP 6 -> 8 and Celest’s HP 9 -> 11. Celest must take first in the lineup for the future. Shoving their way into Room 147, they encounter the three bugbear gaolers. The heroes are of course, surprised.

SR, Celest is hit twice but Dounil is not, HP 11 -> 8.

R1, heroes go first, Dounil gets a few swings with his sword Fray but Celest takes revenge with magic and sword, killing 1 bugbear and wounding another HD 3 -> 2. Bugbears miss.

R2, Bugbears go first and hit Celest for 1 damage, HP 8 -> 7. The pair kill them back. While Celest heals, Dounil searches the bodies; 45sp, 42ep and 30gp altogether. The remaining three minutes are spent on the random encounter, as brigands open the door to check if anyone is still alive on the level, no one is surprised.

R1, heroes go first, as they slam into the 7 brigands and level 2 leader. 5 HD of damage kills the leader and 3 brigands. The brigands fail their morale and begin to back off, offer terms that they saw nothing. Celest is out for blood though and Dounil is happy to fight humans with normal HD. No brigand hits.

R2, the pair go first and kill them all. The looting rounds out the turn and they find 55gp, 4/6 [13:10]. 

After bandaging, HP 7 -> 9, they move into the large processional chamber that is Room 148, they can seem the triangles on the floor even in the dark. They decide to head the other way, turning right to the west after heading south, resting 10 feet down the corridor, [13:30] NRE x 2. Another turn of moving south allows Dounil to draw a line on his map through to the bend that came after Room 149, 1/6 [13:45]. They keep going south-west to reach the junction leading up to the prison cells, 2/6 [13:55], NRE x 2.

Returning to Wonnilon, he asks if they found his gear. They have not and he said the turnkey took it. The description of his gear does not match what they took off the turnkey yesterday, so he must have stashed it somewhere. Wonnilon said he the turnkey came up from the south when he appeared. That matches the torture room in Room 152, but there was no office there. Dounil stares at the map, OSE permits roll under saves for ability scores and I decide that passing on for intelligence (roll of 8 out of 13) clues Dounil into there being a larger than normal blank space between this corridor and one off in Room 148. It would touch the top or bottom corridors though, so he spends 1 turn search cell a. This is it’s because it is the narrowest point. Celest searches cell c as the turnkey comes from that direction. The description of the eastern cells says after careful inspection, they find the tiny slit of the spy hole and the metallic sound of the cover, 3/6 [14:05] NRE.

The know the hidden area is the length of the cells, so they star with the southern wall first. Not finding anything on the first 2 10 spaces, they move onto the next. Celest would rather Defy Death to escape this puzzle, the first time this day so she rolls d4s and loses 2 HP, HP 9 -> 7. Therefore, they find the secret door 4/6, NRE [14:15].

It takes 3 turns to search Room 151 and a turn of rest, 2/6 [14:55] Unfortunately, they are ambushed by 5 gnolls investigating if anything remained on this level or they should go home.

SR, the gnolls miss with their throwing axes.

R1, the heroes charge in and kill 3 gnolls, the remaining two pass morale and fail to hit.

R3, Dounil goes first, killing 1 gnoll and wounding the other. That gnolls fails morale and flees, pursued by Celest, who uses her magic Fray to kill it at range. Two more minutes are spent arguing on whether they explore below or the processional chamber. They agree to do either option after they have healed, 3/6 with the left-over time to round up to [15:00].

They find the turnkey’s chest, which is opened with the keys, and they take the contents for themselves, as Wonnilon said to find his equipment, which is nearby. They do wonder if this was his money, but they decide to return it to him if he proclaims his money was lost. He does not, only become enthused at the sight of his equipment. He is quite happy to hear about the wine, and food rations also present, saying he’ll move the bodies, so it looks like the pair fought outside in the corridor and reseal up the secret passage. He does not mention the money even then.

The haul from the chest is: 411cp, 151sp, 90ep, 55gp, 27pp, and a small wooden box with two potions.

The heroes bid farewell and move quickly towards their past haul in Room 137. They move at triple speed, not advisable after a day where foes could have shuffled around or come wandering in. I roll twice on the wandering monster tables for the three turns it takes to reach their treasure pile with a rest on the way, NRE x 7 [15:40]. Putting down the potions, Dounil stands back and casts Detect Magic. The bevy of light excites them both. Chain mail + 2, mace + 1, battle axe +1, 3 potions of healing (though one is in the chest brought from Room 136), a potion of speed and a scroll of two cleric spells (animate dead and prayer).

The battle axe is used to smash open the lock from the wooden chest from Room 316, though Dounil tries not to let it break the inside contents. They decide they should probably go via Hommlet tomorrow; they might be rich enough to level up and anyway they need to liquidate so much furniture and jewellery.

They pile the magical items, gold and jewellery into the chest. Dounil’s casting of magic disc means they can make a run for it at triple speed but at double encounter rolls. None happen, 4/6 [15:50]. They put the chest in the wagon and signal to Elmo with a wave. They discuss with Elmo the possibility of going back for more, He’s willing to give them an hour more but no longer. They rest and at [16:00] descend back for to Room 136. At [16:40] the pair arrive back at the furniture pile; they use the rope from the Room 136 chest to sling the bullseye lantern and the linen around the brasswood stick and hang the lamps from the brass stand. Each carried lengthways across the shoulders. The rugs maybe later. This turns out to be even more awkward than the chest would be as they must travel in single file and stop to rest. It is [17:30] when they reach the wagon and Elmo is not impressed by the haul, he still must bring the horses around and hitch them, luckily there were no random encounters below but as the wagon is hitched a cry ring out.

11 bandits are out, maybe raiding, maybe trying to convey a message to the clerics below, but they see the wagon and move to intercept. They are surprised and 120 feet away.

SR, Celest unslings her bow and nocks an arrow. Dounil advances 60 feet.

R1, Celest first, Dounil last. Celest fires, her failed Fray means her shot was not spectacular enough to kill multiple people, but she kills a bandit with her main attack. Four bandits fire at each with their light crossbows and none hit, the leaders advance to attack Dounil, both miss. Dounil uses his sword Fray on the second in command who is level 3 and directs him main attack at the level 5 leader. He wounds the second, HD 3 -> 2 and the leader HD 5 -> 1.

R2, Celest goes first again, her bow Fray only killing another bandit. Dounil cuts down the second in command as a narrative casualty of his duel with the leader, who he kills. The bandits pass morale and fight on, none hit Celest or Dounil.

R4, Celest, bandits and Dounil. Celest kills 2 bandits, no bandit hits anything and Dounil charges forward to kill the rest.

After all of that, they beat a hasty retreat towards Nulb, hoping they encounter nothing on the roads, they do not. 11pp covers the ranger brothers’ fees. The XP from going and monsters slain is 372FXP and 355MUXP.

AD&D Solo Adventures - The Village of Hommlet Part 16

 Still Day 227 (28th of Sunsebb)

We return to our heroes in peril.

But Dounil does have his Ring of Invisibility, somewhat compensating for AC of 7. There are now 10 brigands in the corridor, 3 to enter each room and attack and 2 more to follow each of those sets up. They are footmen and the sets of 3 are being led by the lieutenants. The brigands roll better initiative, even over Celest’s bonus.

R1, no blows penetrate Celest’s armour. The lieutenant’s morning star does 1 damage to Dounil, HP 12 -> 11. Celest fails to penetrate the lieutenant’s armour by 1 but kills the 2 footmen in the minute-long back and forth. Dounil slays all assailants.

R2, Winning initiative, the heroes act with Celest going first as usual. She slays the brigand lieutenant before he can act. Dounil run into the corridor, planning on reversing course and activating his ring if he is severely outnumbered. The Fray against 4 level 0s does the work required.

R3, Celest exits her room and they advance to the stairs, the Waterside Hostel full of the brigands: 5 guards with shortbows, 4 crossbowmen, 2 sergeants (with throwing spears) and the leader. The 4 archers are outside watching the windows. The pair are surprised, not by there being foes but the hail of prepared and aimed crossbow bolts and arrows. Dounil is skimmed by a bolt 1, HP 11 -> 10.

Celest fires off a spell Fray as they reload and fire again, killing a crossbowman. The new rain of bolts, arrows and throwing spears begins. Dounil catches an arrow on his shield and is hit by a throwing spear, HP 10 -> 8. Dounil in retaliation uses his magic Fray to kill one of the 1 HD sergeants.

R4, Celest knows they will be caught out here, she charges down into the assembled forces. She is the same level Dounil was when he first fought the brigands. She kills the 5 guards. The brigand sergeant and leader attack her, the crossbowmen keep firing and the archers are called from around the back. They will arrive next round. Neither brigand can get through Celest’s armour and shield. Dounil is skimmed by another bolt, HP 8 -> 7. Dounil throws himself into the fight as well, doing 4 HD of damage and killing the crossbowmen.

R5, As the heroes go first it’s not worth relating how they slew every brigand but the leader, whose platemail deflected their blows. Likewise, Dounil’s shield reflected the longsword.

R6, Celest by spell Fray and a good roll does 5 HD to the leader, HD 6 -> 1. The leader does 2 damage to her, HP 8 -> 6. Dounil fails to hit.

R7, Dounil starts first for a change and promptly blasts the leader with a bolt of arcane energy at point blank range, killing him.

Then all there is to do is clean up and heal. Nulb is used to violence and the atrocities from the temple. The proprietor is compensated by selling the equipment of the brigands to the pirates. Dounil and Celest continue to pay for lodgings and food and shut themselves up in their rooms to bandage and heal. Mother Screng is summoned for foul-smelling herbs (cover to cast her magic) and everyone wisely does not mention that Dounil is clearly the half-elf who earlier in the year slew the prior hostel owner and employees.

The routine is set, after bandaging, HP 7 -> 9, 6 -> 8, Y’dey heals Celest first as she will recover fastest, HP 8 -> 9. She also surreptitiously brings the money from the hoard. 170cp per day. Including hot water to wash out the wounds, clean the clothes and enjoy life a bit in midwinter and 20gp for Otis. Elmo wisely does not ask for pay and is assumed to be living with his brother. Having done nothing (or some it sems) for his employers. And so, marks the end of the year CY 576.

Celest is healed on the 2nd of Needfast. Nulb cannot and does not enjoy such festivities, but it is known that there are fewer bandits on the roads now. Dounil is healed by the 7th of Needlefast, He and Celest joke they don’t know if this is an omen for the Feast of Fools of Saint Cuthbert’s Day of Trials. Celest used the 5 days to peruse Glyrthiel’s spellbook. She learns Friends (AD&D), laughs at finding Read Magic, Shield, Sleep and Unseen Servant (AD&D). Though she jokes about being a more powerful Magic-User than Dounil now for knowing Sleep and Charm Person, learning the last two spells almost wrecked her, rolling 70 out of 75 and 74 out of 75 respectively.

The bill comes to 1190cp for the hostel and 140gp for Otis. Otis gets 14pp and the hostel gets 119sp.

Day 236 (1st of Fireseek CY 577)

They settle the bill again for the previous night (-34sp and 20gp) and many eyes watch the three ride out to the temple that morning. All parts of the Earth Temple are now on alert and no surprise is possible. They arrive at [9:00] and Otis takes the horses, he’ll return to Nulb at [16:00] to beat the darkness.

On the way, Celest mentions that their promissory notes will expire this year. Dounil agrees they should swing by Hardby and Verbobonc to pick up their dues. Rufus and Burne will likely extend any of their notes to use them for training. Elmo said his last report will mean more people should be coming to Hommlet to assist, the next time they visit.

No encounters on the way to the temple or crossing the grounds. Dounil has prepared two counts of Detect Magic and Levitate, Celest has prepared Charm Person again. Advancing down the stairs, they intend to go around where they had been and see if they can come up from another side to complete the eastern side of the ever scrawled and expanding map, probably should deduct 16 gp and 5ep for spare paper and drawing implements. They advance 180 feet before having the rest, NRE x4 [10:00].

Another turn brings them to a junction with a branch going north-east, 1/6 NRE. They take it and another turn of movement brings them into Room 132. Seeing another detritus-strewn room, Dounil casts Detect Magic rather than investigate the piles, revealing a Ring of Shooting Stars. Eager to find something and not to have wasted the magic, they advance to retrieve it, with Celest keeping watch for traps or hidden monsters around them. This was not above them though so on their way out are they ambushed by 18 stirges, which do surprise them.

SR, Dounil is hit by 3 who latch on and suck 3 HP’s worth of blood, HP 22 -> 19. Celest is hit by 1 who sucks 1 HP, HP 14 -> 13.

R1, heroes get initiative and do 10 HD of damage. The 8 stirges flee to the ceiling and the pair get out as fast as possible. Dounil was hoping for something to improve his AC but gladly takes such a source of spells, although limited by the fact they always return before nightfall. They bandage outside, stemming the bleeding, HP 19 -> 21 and HP 13 -> 14 [10:26].

Advancing further, they return and progress up the northward corridor, turning the corner only after Dounil activates his ring to find it progresses northward again. They stop to rest as the corridor takes a sharp western turn and goes south-west, neither think to check for a secret door., NRE x 4 [11:06].

Three more turns take them to the junction where the passage off Room 125 joins the one from Room 130. They turn eastward again, to see if they missed anything in the guards’ room that could have identified them to the temple (no, it’s because they have left enough trail behind them over the last year), NRE x 3. The third turn takes them right into the refurbished Room 130, where the new guards have spent Needlefast eating whatever supplies were left by the last lot and awaiting their coming. The heroes are surprised.

SR, the five guards (not yet up to full strength) pile on with javelins while the fighters emerge to do the same. From the leader Dounil takes 2 damage and from a level 2 fighter, Celest catches the javelin in her armour padding. Dounil takes another 2 damage from one of the level 0 guards, HP 21 -> 17.

R1, Celest goes before anyone else and the solo rules work in her favour as she does 7 HD of damage, killing all the guards and a level 2 fighter. The fighters drop their javelins and draw longswords, none hit Celest but the lone leader cuts Dounil, HP 17 -> 16. Dounil does 3 HD back, HD 4 -> 1.

R2, Celest kills the other level 2 fighter. The leader hits Dounil, HP 16 -> 15 and Dounil kills the rest.

Another bandage and a turn searching the room. HP 15 -> 17 and they find no evidence but piece of parchment, reading in Common: "Remember to check AUGURY CHAMBER to see if Belstro was lying!" This is not productive [11:51]. They decide to rest and I’ll round it to [12:00].

They found no new jewellery or symbols, but the advance pay: 20cp, 35sp, 78ep, 74gp and 69pp. They discuss whether they can wear the robes of the earth temple over their armour. Unaware that others do so, they assume it would be too bulky and reveal the armour underneath.

They spend a turn to advance to the door to Room 133, push it in and be confronted by the alert guards. The heroes have the initiative and since the 4 guards are all level 0, that’s all she wrote 1/6 [12:10].

R2, Arriving in Room 134, the guards were not alerted but surely, they would have heard the fighting. So they are ready but not yet behind the mantle. Celest goes first and while she cannot make it across the room to the mantle, she does use her magic Fray on the crossbowmen and duel the swordsmen. As they are all level 0-she kills 2 crossbowmen and 2 swordsmen. Dounil’s advance is the same, the crossbowmen falling to his magic. The half orc crossbowmen would have surrendered but not for being last in the order.

R3, the guards in Room 135 are still putting on their gear, so when the heroes advance to the boundary between Room 134 and 135, they cast their magic Fray on the level 0 foes, killing 1.

R4, the guards planned to hurl some javelins and roll the whole barrel of lamp fuel at the pair, smash it and ignite it. Unfortunately, Celest goes first, like a whirlwind she advances to kills 4. Dounil kills another with some swipes but misses with his main attack. The Commander and the Lieutenant from Room 137 arrive and attack Dounil, who curses being obvious in plate. Luckily both miss.

R5, the heroes go first again. Initiative is one of the crucial elements of OSR as it can be so swingy at lower levels. Celest only manages to kill the remaining guard. Dounil does 1 HD damage to the Lieutenant, 3 HD -> 2 HD. They miss.

R6, Celest again then the cultists and then Dounil, her magic Fray does 1 HD to the Leader, 5 HD -> 4 HD. The Lieutenant switches targets and hits Celest, HP 14 -> 13 HP.

R7, Celest first again and she manages to slay the Lieutenant in a flurry of magic and skill. The Commander finally lands a blow on Dounil, 17 HP -> 15 HP. Dounil returns it with sword and magic, 4 HD -> 1 HD.

R8, a bolt from Celest kills the Leader.

R9, the heroes rush for the locked door, only to find it is stuck. The door jamming against something halfway up. They barred it from the other side, and it takes another minute to stand around and wonder what to do to decide to try and break it down 2/6 [12:20].

But first they spend 5 minutes bandaging. HP 15 -> 17 and HP 13 -> 14. And the rest of the turn searching bodies, they debate using the barrel of oil to burn the door down but that might take too long. They do find the leader had a nice battle axe which would make a find door chopper and a bunch of swords to ruin against it. They are more enthused by the money; the total for the day is 206cp, 1716sp 47ep, 1597gp and 95pp, 3/6 [12:30].

Dounil starts work on the door while Celest alternates between helping and keeping watch. Dounil hops he will get Knock someday to avoid problems like these. In turn 1, 99 damage from Dounil and 44 from Celest, and NRE, 4/6 [12:40].

It is the fourth round on the next turn before they are able to break the door down, NRE. This poses a problem. There is a secret entrance to Room 137 that the inhabitants could have escaped from at any time. But the text does not state they will do so until Romag feels they are losing. But it seems ludicrous they will just wait to fight the foe. So, I decided they get two rolls on the random encounter table to see if they recruited spare allies for the fight. NRE x 2 though means it’s going to be by the module. If the fight lasts longer than 6rounds, the heroes will get the penalty for not taking a rest until they reset the clock by doing so.

As the axe (which Dounil notes has held up well) finally breaks/dislodges the door bar, Celest kicks the door down as Dounil swaps to his sword and they charge in. There is of course no surprise.

Initiative for round 1 is Celest, Romag, Dounil and Harstch. Celest charges Harstch because he is in the front and uses her spell Fray on the way. She does no damage as her bolt deflects but her sword slays him on the spot. Seeing half of his forces slain on the spot, Romag casts Darkness and flees. Tragically for him alone, cleric darkness does not affect Infravision in OSE, which I had kept erroneously calling Darkvision, and AD&D is silent on the matter, referring to the lighting as pitch-dark. So Dounil charges after him, dealing 4 HD of damage despite his own spell Fray (Dounil thought he was stronger) bouncing off Romag. Romag is killed outright and I am sure I did something wrong here. Or maybe the game just isn’t set for effectively 8 players vs 2.

Somewhat disappointing fight aside, there is plenty of time to get 15 minutes of rest amid the luxury and bodies, the fountain of fresh water in Romag room is especially handy, NRE [13:00].

They pile up the hefty stuff of the latest series of rooms and search for loose gems and coins, a somewhat lengthy process. The carpets might be worth something, but if they are descending to stealing the linens, they have passed the point of having to haul away every weapon for resale. It takes them 5 turns to search the room, each occupying 1 square. Followed by a rest. There are no random encounters in the hour, and I suspect something may be wrong with these dice [14:00].

The ends of the turning corridors are oddly extended and so they decide to search for secret doors as well, Celest finds the door with a roll of 1 to the wider passage of Room 144. Otherwise, they spend the next 4 turns hauling non-broken weapons and armour into a pile and then resting.

On turn 1 though, they are interrupted by the patrol form Room 149 as I finally rolled a random encounter. 1 Level 3 leader and 6 guards. Rolling for surprise and the guards surprise them. Only magical armour saves the pair from being pin cushioned by javelins and crossbow bolts.

R1, promising as both heroes go first. They charge forth, engaging with the shield wall of three guards. The Fray alone cuts through them, but they don’t have the movement to bring their attacks to bear, so it looks like they just brush them aside. Another volley of crossbows and the leader’s javelins fail to penetrate their magical armour.

R2, heroes go first and sweep the foes with their sword Fray. But they rolled awfully with main attacks, so it’s a good thing they rolled just enough of 6 HD of damage. Otherwise, no random encounters and tack on an extra turn to finish looting and moving the new bodies as well 1/6 [14:10].

In fresh coinage and jewellery, the last couple of bloody hours have produced: A bronze medallion with a raised triangle (20 gp). 36sp, 20ep, 34gp 30pp, a jasper (50 gp), a gold ring (25 gp) and a gold brooch set with a triangular piece of jet (150 gp).

Treasure items include Romag’s velvet ceremonial garb embroidered with triangles of gold thread with precious stones (8 jaspers and 28 hematites, totally 50 x 8 and 28 x 10 for a total of 680gp total), a silver flask on the table is worth 40 gp, and holds good brandy by the smell, another two bottles of fine white wine (4gp) and 90gp of incense and unguents (30 gp of encumbrance). They don’t trust the drink and will see if they can sell it to the pirates as suggested by Dounil. The ink, quills and parchment they will keep for themselves, despite the 7ep and 40gp of worth.

They debate keeping the evil tome of human sacrifice as a magical curio or solution to a future riddle but burn it instead with the lamps.

Furniture incudes: 15 carpets and rugs (120sp), 2 hanging lamps (30gp), a brass stand (10gp), a bronzewood rod (5gp), an iron chest and a key.

Trying the key in the lock works, and they never encounter the poison trap. That gets them two bags of coins with 183ep, 240gp and a gold box set with ivory (350gp). A bullseye lantern, tinderbox, mysterious potion and a scroll. This adds to the linens, weapons, non-fouled clothes and 9 candles.

Faced with this haul, two people already at their weight limit without becoming over-encumbered have no way of carrying even the coinage, let alone the furniture. But they pile the money and small items into the chest and lock it again. On subsequent trips, they’ll take the furniture.

An arbitrary cut here as this is already overdue, the rest of the session will form the next post this week.