It is actually [10:00] As I have been overestimating the trip, but it’s too late now and maybe Dounil is sparing his horse with his gear. They walk their horse through the moat and tie them in the tower. NRE [10:10] 1/6
Advancing down to room 32 takes 2 turns at exploring speed
in the upper level, which is interrupted by an encounter caused by some
material shifting [10:30] 3/6
It takes 4 and a half turns to reach the junction with and
another 2 and a half to reach the door. And two rest turns for a total of 9
random encounter rolls. NRE [12:00]
With a count of 3, the door is opened, revealing a door to
the north. With another count of 3 that is opened and the alert and fearless
guard starts making a low hooting sound and blocks the corridor.
R1 - With a successful Initiative roll (as the guard was
waiting for them, Dounil’s roll was not automatic) he Fray Dices (7) the guard
with a couple of stabs and edges forward.
Another guard blocks the corridor 20 feet ahead, making the
same noise. 1/4 rounds till the rest arrive.
R2 – As this is a separate encounter, new Initiative, the guard goes first and
stands still, daring the party to advance. So Dounil does so and the fray dice
take care of another level 1 fighter. 2/4 rounds.
R3 – As the guard is standing his ground, the party step
forward another twenty feet in case something happens. 3/4 rounds.
R3 – The guard is howling, causing the rest of the guards to
begin marshalling. Technically this should happen in Room 33, but Dounil has
just chopped two guards up without slowing. That ends with a Fray chop,
unfortunately that means at 4/4, the remaining three guards are joined by 6
others and a sergeant who take a turn to fit themselves. 1/5 rounds for the
rest.
R4 – The party vs 3 guards. The guards go first for this
encounter. Two hit Dounil for 2 damage, HP 7->5. Dounil only slays one with
wild swings and retreats behind Zert. Zert misses, Spugnoir quails for he waits
to cast his Sleep spell if case there are more. Furnok puts on his ring of
invisibility and awaits the passage to clear. 2/5 For the rest.
R5 – The remaining 7 foes equip themselves and the mass
begins to advance down the corridor. The three in the front and the spears
behind split their attacks between Dounil and Zert. None hit.
Dounil’s sword swings and slays 2 in the front, leaving the
sergeant and his spears behind him. Zert’s attack on the sergeant misses by 1
but would have hit a guard. 3/5 rounds.
R6 – The spearmen and sergeant attack and begin a retreat so
they can surround the players on party on two sides in Room 33. Dounil wounds
but fails to kill the sergeant, moving up. Zert misses as well. 4/5, a whole
minute of fighting has occurred.
R7 – The forces of the moathouse strike, while the remaining
forces of 6 guards, a sergeant a lieutenant and worse of all, the armoured
figure of the New Master arriving and donning weapons to attack in R8. 4
attacks to Dounil and 3 to Zert. None hit Dounil but one hits Zert, doing 1 out
of 2 HD.
Spugnoir acts, seeing the forces assembled, casts Sleep. 10
of the 12 guards collapse being level 1 Fighters for 9 turns. Leaving two
awake, two sergeants at level 2, a Level 4 Fighter and a level 5 Cleric.
Furnok slips through the gaps into the room. 5/5 rounds.
R8 – Things take a dire turn. While the remaining 4 foes are
donning and preparing (no mention of Lareth preparing but let’s say not). The
sergeant strikes Dounil with his mace for 1 damage HP 5 -> 4.
Lareth boasts that the party has made a fatal error in
thinking they could defeat Lareth the Beautiful, The Dark Hope of Chaotic Evil.
And casts Hold Person on Dounil, who only just escapes with his first saving
throw so far.
My dice are awful, Dounil slays the sergeant but no one
else.
Zert reveals his true colours and turns to Spugnoir, slaying
him with a single blow now his most dangerous spell is exhausted.
Furnok moves behind Lareth and backstabs him. But despite
the invisibility, the -1 AC is too strong.
R9 – The lieutenant moves to fight Furnok, but the fading
invisibility is too much for him (rolled 13 not 12)
The two sergeants and two guardsmen attack Dounil but only
the old maceman hits for 1 damage HP 4->3.
Lareth laughs and casts Hold Person again, this time Dounil
fails.
Dounil knows that if he is stuck, he dies. He uses the Defying
Death rules from Black Stream Solo Heroes, taking his level in damage dice to
break an action other or puzzle otherwise impossible. As this is his first time
today, he rolls d4s. 1d4 is 2 and so he takes 1 damage to break free. HP
3->2.
He swears that Zert will not live to see this day out and
attacks. By changing the rolling surface to something with more bounce. Dounil
does 1 HD in fray dice, slaying the mace-wielding sergeant and 4 HD of actual
attack. Zert and both sergeants perish.
Furnok activates the ring of invisibility again and slips
behind the lieutenant to backstab. Only thanks to the +4 bonus in OSE does
Furnok hit, but 9 damage converts to 2 HD out of the lieutenant’s 4. One more
point and the lieutenant would have died outright.
R10 – Bloody is the battlefield. The guardsmen attack Furnok
alongside the lieutenant. Fearing engaging Dounil, leaving Lareth to cast one
more spell with a snarl. Furnok’s luck runs out and he dies.
Lareth casts Cause Blindness which Dounil fails to save
against, rolling 1d6 for Defying Death Dounil rolls a 1. No damage, No
Blindness!
Dounil must swing and swing well. The fray of 5 kills one
guard and couldn’t affect anyone else anyway as they were higher in HD than
Dounil. But the 10 from the successful hit is enough to cut up the other 1 HD
Fighter, the remaining 2 HD of the lieutenant and 1 of Lareth’s 5 HD.
R11 – It comes down to this. Lareth takes his right hand,
which holds his terrible Staff of Striking +3 and attacks, triple charging it
to ensure overkill. But an attack roll of 5 +3 +3 is 2 points short to hit AC1
and that is still a lot.
Dounil’s blade skitters off the armour, but his magic silver
spear (MU Fray) strikes true. Lareth HD 4->3.
R12 – Lareth’s roll of 3 is still too close for comfort to
being able to hit Sooner or later Dounil’s luck will run out. Dounil roll 17.
That’s enough to penetrate the magical plate. Fray of 2 is 1 HD damage, regular
damage of 2 with bonuses becomes 6. That’s HD 3->0 and Lareth doesn’t get a
chance to negotiate.
Dounil bandages and recovers for a turn HP 2->4. He now
has the grisly task of killing the remaining sleeping guardsmen, fortunately
D&D alignment in this time can be clearcut. And all this within 10 minutes
of kicking down the door, [13:10].
Looting takes plenty of time. 18 x 6sp + 18 x 3gp + 18 x 3
pp + 2 x 12sp + 2 x 6gp + 2 x 6pp + 2 x 50gp necklaces = 132sp, 66gp, 66pp,
100gp of necklaces from the garrison alone.
The late lieutenant’s 29 gems are detailed on page 26 of my
module and are: three amethysts, eight pieces of fine coral, nine red garnets,
six pearls, and three tourmalines. Or 2900gp in total (29 in coin weight).
1500gp of jewellery.
Of his enemies and erstwhile companions, Dounil compiles
Spugnoir’s 7sp, 9gp, 11pp, and three zircons at 50 gp each with Zert’s 20gp
from his purse. Rummaging through pockets and cloak linings to ensure no secret
messages about betrays and such. Magic items include: a scroll of protection
from magic, ring of invisibility, dagger +1, staff of Striking +3 (20 charges)
a box on Lareth’s arm he doesn’t know and plate mail +1. He spends his one
spell of Identify Magic on the staff. [15:00]
The worried mounts and supplies in Room 34 are a boon for
Dounil, who was thinking of how he would carry everything out. Dounil then
explore Room 32, trying to see if this was the final area. After 23 turns or
nearly 2 hours of edging with only his infravision to guide him, he emerged
into the open air. [16:50]
The return is simpler at 8 turns and he loads up the bodies
of Spugnoir and Fornuk to bury them outside. Fortunately, the horses are used
to bandit bloodshed, so it’s not too much work to get them to pass the bodies
and carry two more. But it is [20:00] before Dounil retires.
Lareth’s chamber in Room 35 are lavish and Dounil
provisionally counts to 20800gp of treasure and 9pp in coinage. Dounil gorges
himself on the food and luxuries inside for the night, rolling the
armour-stripped bodies into a corner of Room 33.
Day 18
Dounil contemplates resting until healed after waking at
[7:00]. But he realises he left the horses tied up in the tower with limited or
no food.
He realises he cannot carry all the reassure and takes only
the gems and coins, lance and the lieutenant’s plate on the light warhorses. He
identifies the phylactery of action. [8:00]
He picks his way back to the Moathouse based on his map (his
secondary profession). [10:00]
Rescuing the horses, he rides back to Hommlet as the head of
a train of horses deeply unfit for baggage. [13:30].
He causes quite a shock, and questions are raised in
suspicion about what happened to his fellows. He replies with honesty and is
forced to repeat it with more detail to Rufus and Burne. He claims his
companion’s goods in the Inn, much to Oster Gundigoot’s concern who lodges a
complaint about it to Rus and Burne. The lords tell Dounil he can have the
horses but not what was left in the rooms. They also tell Dounil that he has to
lead a party back to the underground to ensure there and no more monsters and any
supplies and weapons are secured for the domain.
Nira Melubb bluntly tells Dounil he cannot make change for
all the gems, 24 of the assortment and no more, but the necklaces as well.
2500gp of value becomes 192pp and 80gp He gets 30gp for the plate mail with the
creepy twins, alerting them that the moathouse was cleared.
5 x 100gp of gems, 3 x 50gp and 139sp in the bag and 2955gp
of coins stored with the lords.
1115 for combat + 13.9+175+2780 = 4083.9/8 = 510.4875 x 1.1
and 1.05 = 561 FXP and 536 MUXP
Still not enough to level to level 2 in either class.
It will costs Dounil 8gp per day for fodder plus 2gp for the
room. He pays 5 days in advance with a 50gp gem. Still that day he leads the
lords, the teamster and Elmo back down the hidden passage. He loads his
warhorses and mule cart with the rest of the treasure, food, weapons and
armour.
Day 19
Five days later, having recovered for 3 of them HP 4->7,
casting detect magic on the interesting-looking weapons and armour, directed
the disposal of the bodies and sealing of the ghoul tunnels. It is 8 days until
the Assassin arrives.
Rufus and Burne suggest he could leave the warhorses with
them and they trade him his warhorses for riding horses and supplies at no
charge. They advise riding north and donating the phylactery of action to the
church of St. Cuthbert in Verbobonc. Some 90 miles distance, where there will
be more services and wealth. With three encumbered riding horses, Dounil must
walk. Halving the speed again.
At 12 miles a day, it will take him 7 and a half days across
wilderness. The road to Verbobonc is maintained but passes through hills and
over plains for a net zero change. Round up down to arrive at Verbobonc by the
end of day 27, with a rest day on day 25.
Day 20, he sets off at [6:00], Not Lost, NRE, 7 days till
the Assassin arrives
Day 21, he gets lost wandering through a section of track
the grass has grown over some gullies, NRE, 6 days for the Assassin.
He heads east instead of north-east, deeper into the Kron
Hills
Day 22, Using his map-maker secondary skill, Dounil realises
he is off course (rolled 1 on getting lost again) and course corrects, NRE, 5 days
till the Assassin arrives.
Day 23, Now riding in the right direction, Dounil has a
random encounter with Dwarves
85 with additional leaders levelled at 4, 4, 6 and 7.
Spotted at 30 yards by them, giving Dounil a start.
They want to know why a lone man with three over-burdened
horses is travelling alone in the hills. They are Indifferent, may negotiate.
Dounil takes the opportunity to try and sell them on the
silver he is carrying, looted from an evil stronghold as he begins to relate
his tale. The dwarves will buy it for 50%, of its value. Dounil said he would
rather take it to Verbobonc. They are uncertain but tell him he’s welcome to
try. They depart assured he is not a threat. 4 days till the Assassin arrives.
Day 24, Dounil is worried now he is off the trail and needs
another day to catch up, he only was given supplies for 8 days. He arrives on
the road by days end, but is confronted by another random encounter, 9 Griffons
at 30 yards away and an uncertain amount up. Who of course see his horses as a
meal.
Dounil has only seconds to spar, he cannot fight the
griffons, so he takes the knife and cuts the saddles and bags, the horses
running free and wild. He throws himself on the ground, trying to get beneath a
tree.
The griffons pursue the horses but now Dounil cannot carry
his treasure or his equipment.
He is forced to use his shovel to dig away from the road, burying his treasure
and his plate armour. He uses his mapmaking secondary skill to mark the
location on his scrap log. He takes only the gems (5 x 100gp 2 x 50gp 1 x 1000gp),
the ring of invisibility and the phylactery of action. In with the 139sp and
33cp in the bag. He still must walk to Verbobonc, but it won’t take him any
more time. 3 days till the Assassin arrives.
Day 25, Dounil must rest but is met on the road by a trading
band of Gnomes. He is surprised by them as they round the bend some 40 yards
away. But he hails them in Gnomish. They are uncertain and maybe fear an ambush
by the mysterious raiders which have so plagued the land.
Dounil explains he is an adventurer and his exploits. The gnomes seem
interested and when he shows them the iron ring given by the rescued gnome,
they are much more eager to believe him.
Faced with the difficulty of his predicament, they discuss
buying the silver treasure set and melting it down to remove any evil. At 80%
of course, payment delivered to Hommlet. Dounil digs up the treasure and
dutifully hands over the silver set. 2 days till the Assassin arrives.
Day 26, he sets off, worried he is missing a day of food. He
is neither lost and NRE. He reaches the edges of the Kron Hills and the river
valley stretches out before him. 1 days till the Assassin arrives.
Day 27, In settled (and flat) country, Dounil is thinking
about finding food when he randomly encounters a migrating tribe of xvarts,
which have been drawn from somewhere to I presume head towards the Temple. No
doubt travelling at night and pillaging food along the way. There are 40 of
them (1 on 1-10), neither side is surprised and they see each other at 140
yards away. Though they fear humans, they severely outnumber Dounil and so
attack. Dounil attempts to evade such a mass. Using the ring of invisibility,
which has no effect on Evasion rules.
Dounil’s speed without his plate armour is 120 yards and the
Xvarts is 60 yards. A roll of (56) means Dounil escapes. Now he is tired and
hungry. In this land it is inevitable he will encounter civilisation. While
their food stores have been pillaged by the night-moving Xvarts, a 50gp zircons
buys food and lodging for the night. Dounil doesn’t quibble on price but says
his horse was killed by the Xvarts and eaten, along with his valuables as a merchant.
The Assassin arrives in Hommlet and begins to make inquires
with the traders and locals.
Day 28
Dounil sets off again, reinforced with food. He is not lost,
NRE. He reaches Verbobonc by nightfall and is among the last to be admitted
through the gates. He pays his last 50gp zircon for food, room, bath and laundry.
The Assassin rest the horse for a day compiling everything known.
Day 29
Dounil requests an audience with Wilfrick F10, Viscount of Verbobonc.
He is admitted later due to Elmo’s description and the letter from Rufus and
Byrne. He presents the phylactery of action as a gift to the church. Wilfrick
thanks him and asks what reward did Dounil desire and he could potentially grant?
Dounil requests that when he returns with magical armour
worn by Lareth be cleaned of symbolism and refitted so he could wear it.
Wulfrick tells Dounil to return with it and when ready, return to Hommlet for further
well-paying work if he desired. Dounil exchanges his remaining gems for coins
and buys a riding horse. 1500 x 90% = 1350-75 = 1275gp in platinum pieces for
ease of travel (127pp +5gp coin weight). FXP 175 MU167
Dounil reaches level 2 in Fighter. HP 7+3.5 = 10.5
The Assassin leaves in a rage, riding to Verbobonc to cut
Dounil off, at 48 miles a day, the Assassin will reach Verbobonc in 2 days.
Day 30, Dounil leaves and is not lost, NRE, he chose to ride
south then south-east to avoid the Xvarts, if they still were present. He and
the Assassin miss each other by a 30-mile campaign hex. He camps where he
buried the treasure, off the road. The Assassin reaches Verbobonc and moves on,
having fulfilled the contract to pursue the Hommlet lead.
Day 31, Dounil digs up the sets of armour begins the ride
back to Verbobonc, arriving by nightfall. He pays for room and stable at 4gp.
Day 32, He sells his plate mail and has the castle armourer
resize Lareth’s suit for him. Taking 1 week. Each pair of days where he is not
needed to be measured, he carries back treasure at 2000gp per trip, doing so 3
times. Not lost and on the third trip back, he meets some merchants on the road
who buy his treasure at 80%. 60/2 = 30 + 4000 + 2000x0.8 = 5630/8 = 703, FXP 773,
MUXP 738
He levels up to Magic-User level 2. HP 10.5 +1.5 = 12 + 1 for CON = 13
He learns the level 1 spell; Floating Disc.
Day 39, He is finally outfitted in his plate mail +1 and his AC is now 0. 5630gp of money in Verbobonc (he donates it to the Viscount in exchange for a promisary note, good for Velune. 9800gp (yet to XP) still buried and 3200gp (yet to become XP) awaiting him in Hommlet with the rest of the money.
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