|
Author
|
Comment
|
Roland Delacroix
Here for a while
(1/1/03 8:15:21 pm)
Reply
|
For your perusal - TPK session
Second to last game my (average 6th level) party entered the south gate, after ample warning. When they initially scouted it I placed 2 mountain giants outside playing bowls. When the party still consodered assaulting it I mentioned the conspicous pile of Master crafted boulders they were using. When they STILL considered it, i had 2 massive gargoyles walk out the door for a smoke and to chat with the giants about how crowded it was inside. The party got the point.
So, they assaulted the main gate, killed most everything abd retreated when the Dwarf was turned to stone by the Basilisk. They had him StF'd and returned, this time DETERMINED to assault the south gate. They did, wasted everything there, and proceeded to hang about for 10 or so rounds. This is what happened after, in 2 parts (it took 2 weeks, between the x-mas break, so 2 writeups):
|
Roland Delacroix
Here for a while
(1/1/03 8:16:26 pm)
Reply
|
South Gate Assault - Part 1
Alana, Doko, Middlec, Reveln, and Percy…
After defeating a rabid basilisk within the Crater Ridge Mines, our heroes beat a hasty retreat. The party fled back towards the main hall. Upon arriving they saw that the passage north was blocked by a unit of several dozen Troglodytes. Wary, the party tiptoed out the main gate, but the Troglodytes did not seem interested in anything past their domain. With Doko, the dwarven priest turned to squat stone statue, in tow they began the long journey back to Kelvin to have him restored to his original taciturn form.
On the road to Kelvin, the group was attacked during the night by a pack of ravenous wolves. The beasts snuck into camp catch a quick meal of horse-flesh. Though the pack was easily driven off, one unfortunate mount was killed and dragged off into the darkness to become the wolves’ midnight snack.
Once in Kelvin, everyone reviewed the local laws, so as not to run afoul of the authorities.
Percy had some friends at the Mage College who could cast a spell that would revive the stony dwarf. But though it would have been quicker to travel deasil through the city to the arcane campus, city regulations required our heroes to circle the city widdershins.
Doko was rejuvinated, and the day was young, though late enough to prevent the start of the return journey. Consequently, everyone relaxed a bit. Percy spoke with his friends at the college, and managed, for a price, to replace many of the magical items the party had lost in its fight with All Consuming Evil. Doko and Reveln returned to the Church of Karameikos, and spoke with the church elders about Reveln’s young charges. One of the young hobgoblin paladin hopefuls, who had been slain, was brought back to life with the blessings of the high priest. Middlec exchanged stories and songs with the other bards at the Kelvin Bardic Conservatory, and Alana spent a indulgent evening at one of Kelvin’s most luxurious inns.
The next morning, rested, relaxed and ready to take the fight back to the ochre cultists, they left Kelvin. Without even stopping in Verge, they continued straight on to Crater Ridge. Echewing the mine entrance that they had previously entered, the party decided to try their luck with other mountain gate. Arriving this time, however, there were no giant bowlers. Sneaking up to the massive doors, Doko and Reveln flung them wide, unchalleneged… Only to face a crossbow wielding sharpshooter on a platform hung from the ceiling.
Percy readied a spell, and when the arblester next showed his face, it was neatly burnt off by the wizard’s arcane energies. But too late! The alarm had been rung, and the minions of the cultists burst forth from corridors and doors alike. Warriors, gnolls and rotting undead pressed forward, lend by an ogre, an unholy knight, and several priests to surround the group on all sides. Magical fires, whirling axes, slashing swords, flying arrows and the blessings of Heironeous all combined to slaughter the enemy as Middlec’s battle hymn spurred her comrades on to victory. Only one priestess escaped.
Witht the battle seemingly over, Percy and his cat familiar, Schrodinger, turned invisible, and moved on to scout out the nearby passageways. In the meantime, the others searched the bodies of the slain both for treasures and for clues to the secrets of the Elemental Evil. But it took too long, for while Percy and his cat were off wandering, the chanting resumed, and the priestess returned with reinforcements!
|
Roland Delacroix
Here for a while
(1/1/03 8:18:01 pm)
Reply
|
South Gate Assault - Part 2
Alana, Doko, Middlec, Reveln, and Percy…
As the last of the guard bodies was stripped of possessions and the armor and weapons were stacked into piles ready to carry out, the sound of armored footsteps could be heard coming from the side passage. The cleric who fled from the earlier battle had called reinforcements and came back to claim her halls. Standing next to her were a huge badger in adamantine armour, and even larger pillar of swirling wind, and an aged human cleric, also in ocre robes.
Reveln and Alana, both still seeping blood from earlier wounds, chose not to fall back and meet with their companions, but both raised their blades and charged forward into the heat of the enemy. The giant Badger met their charge as the cleric hung back to throw divine power. Riveln and Alana’s blades struck out at the badger hoping to send it to its grave, but its awesome turned the fighters axes. Tooth and claw of the badger matched the blows, further weakening the warriors. Suddenly a firey wind appeared behind Alana and gave the fighter a bone chilling gaze of malevolence. Alana stuttered, but her will was girded by the Paladin beside her and kept her axes swinging.. The elderly cleric pointed his finger at Reveln and his ringing voice resounded through the caves. “FLEE this place.” Reveln, ran like a little baby from his enemies.
Midlec came bursting through the double doors and into the fray only to be met by a creature made of swift moving and flowing air. With arm like appendages it ravaged her body. Just then the slow moving, bulky form of strode panting through the doors to her aid. But again the specter came back with a vengence, and this time brought it’s “A” game. Doko gazed upon a face so horrible was going to have to buy new britches. Unable to move, Doko saw the air monster reach out and pick Medlec over his head and slam her body lifelessly to the ground, but that was not the worst of it. The specter was raising his blade-like talons and plunging them, again and again into Doko’s body. It was the last thing he ever saw.
Meanwhile, Reveln had shaken off the magical command and returned. His charge nearly severed the badgers head, and Allana’s axes finish the job. The elder cleric moves up to strike Reveln down. The clerics mace crumples Reveln’s breastplate like tin foil and the paladin slumps to a bloody heap. Seconds later the other cleric points her finger at Alanna and the fighter finds herself frozen in place, unable to move. As the red-haired cleric moves forward to slit her throat she whispers in Allana’s ear. “Know now, you will serve us, Bitch!”
|
Roland Delacroix
Here for a while
(1/1/03 8:29:43 pm)
Reply
|
Just thought
I would share for posterity. The party took it well. They only entered because the fighter, Alanna, really wanted to. They knew it was probably too much for them, and they knew that they were strung out very badly in a dangerous place. The fighter and Paladin were in CRM 80-81, the Bard in 78, and Doko the dwarf cleric was in the hallway east of 78. The wizard, Percy, was so far down teh hallway he never even heard the battle.
Choranth fled the battle west after the party slew all the guards. The party moved North to explore, then east, about 10 rounds in all. Meanwhile Coranth got Fachish (he failed a Listen check earlier, badly). Fachish and Choranth summoned the Large Ar Elemental, Planar Allied a Breathrinker in, and summoned a Badger whom he had given admantite breastplate to during a Planar Ally earlier (summon individual monster variant, DMG). They then buffed, moved forward and caught the party completely by surprise. (no surprise round, but they didn't expect a response)
Any comments or questions are welcome. And ya'll can find the rest of our wtiteups at my RttToEE yahoo page, here: groups.yahoo.com/group/MyRttToEE/ We also usually have character sheets posted too, but they have been taken down. This weekend the new party will go up.
|
Kelashein
Here for a while
(1/7/03 7:09:09 pm)
Reply
|
Re: For your perusal - TPK session
By the way, Roland: how did your chase scene work out?
|
Roland Delacroix
Here for a while
(1/7/03 8:44:42 pm)
Reply
|
badly
Never happened! I was so dissapointed! Because of the TPK we had a whole new party come in. Percy, the only surviving member, gave them the run-down on what happened off-camera, between games. The 4 new characters showed up at Riffillian, stayed for a night, and moved on to investigate the CRM side gate (where they almost had another TPK).
Because they never mentioned what they were doing in town in-character, and they were only in town one night, the town assumed they were the normal transients. The next morning they started heading towards the CRM for the first time when they saw the 'chase' wagon coming back into town for more orders from Tal. Seeing the wagon driven by a guy in an ochre cloak, they turned around and followed. The wagon was parked outside Tal's and was loaded with 8 humanoids in cloaks and a large creature, also cloaked. A successful Spot check and the Rogue noticed that they were Gnolls, an ogre, and also saw a pile of Alchemist fire in the wagon.
The party went inside Tal's just as the ochre cloaked human left. They started a conversation about Thrarizidun, trying to get Tal to slip up. Tal had an amazing Bluff check so didn't slip, but NOW he suspects this party might become a problem. Unfortunatlly he just put his muscle on stand-down because he heard the last party was killed. I figure he'll need a day or two to get his forces together again, which incidentally takes some pressure off my stressed-out party. Then i'll do the chase, it's something i'm looking forward to. I'm thinking of making it an easier encounter too, exciting with alchy fire flying, and leaping from wagon to wagon, grappling-holding heads to whirling wheels, that sort of thing, but not deadly by any means.
|
|
Okay -- Your Turn
Email This To a Friend
Topic Commands