Dwarf OSE+ Dark Citadel Session #2 (17MAY2023)

 

   Well, sometimes things do not go as planned and the Die really are trying to Kill You. Virtual or Otherwise ....

   With a player running late and most of our In-Between-Session stuff taken care of via Discord throughout the period between sessions our party was actually excited to return to the Depths of the Dark Citadel. A Room at the Silver Unicorn Inn procured for nearly a Month and various items of loot liquidated into nice DragonSpire Hold Gold Crowns they; the unnamed adventuring party of Dwarf from Dur-Annis que snickering, acquire a ladder from the Carpenter with no RP at all as opposed to the text threads of selling other loots during the week. I figure they are wanting to get into the meat of the ruins and gain some loots. Being low level they are broke after 10 minutes of play after taking care of replacing lost Shield, paying for Rooms, and Paying for feeding themselves through the 6 day gap between sessions.

   Rather than do a 1:1 time between sessions I have been making it 2:1 giving everyone 48 hours between daily post for stuff that can be taken care of via text on our Discord Channel via threads. Roleplay can be at length for selling stuff and acquiring information in DragonSpire Hold. I go light on the random encounters in town, they build relationships with Elias Babyngton proprietor [Consistent 8s on Reaction Rolls] of the Silver Unicorn Inn selling him the broken horned ivory unicorn state and speak often with Katrina Stout-Rack. The Alchemist of Craftsman Alchemical who was a bit aloof and cold [Consistent Reaction Rolls of 6] and lastly Grimfall of Grimfall's Forge whom the party formed a bit of connection with as he was a Dwarf. He bought their "gently used" Hobgoblin Chain Mail and they garnered a bit of lore about the Dark Citadel. Grimfall recalled taking a Boat to the Temple of Thaneduhr in those lost Dwarf Halls of the Dark Citadel ...

   Between session they hire on one of the Stable Lackeys  from Audi Stables named Charles Whalley. He comes equipped with patchwork gear left at the Stables over the years from passing merchants and adventurers who did not return from the Ruins. He is enthusiastic and cheerful not believing there are goblin & orc lairing so close the City. Those torches and fires seen rarely are just bandits afterall.

   Being very direct in their approach they keep an alert look for the Bandits encountered previously they head directly to the old Chapel with their newly purchased Ladder. Retrieving the high hanging Holy Symbol of Thaneduhr they discover it is crafted of Silver. A very good find indeed ! Quickly securing the Ladder in the Chapel they enter the old guard room and find it occupied with a trio of goblins whom they dispatch with little problem. Goblins reinforced their lookouts room. [ Rolled a 1 on Restock , Monster & treasure but only the bodies are searched and the hidden sack of copper & silver coins goes undiscovered ].

   Descending into the depths with the Lantern Light held aloft by Charles the Lackey from Audi they are in a bit of luck and the rest of the entry area is unguarded. [ High Rolls on Restock in previously explored rooms ] An alcove left unsearched previously is searched by the Party and I allow a percental roll (This megadungeon I found uses percentiles for room searches allot so I go with it) while simultaneously allowing them to search the Alcove for Secret Doors or Hidden Compartments. Being Dwarf I allow them to use the Construction Tricks for Secret Door searches so everyone has a 2 in 6. 4 of 4 Failures, the dice and fate are not looking well upon these adventurers this evening but they do discover a Jade Eye that once adorned a destroyed Dwarf Statue. Inspection reveals it is of 100Gp Value. already doing so much better than previously loot wise.

    Exploration reveals a locked door they cannot breach, failed open door checks [Auto-Fail as it is Locked] & the Fighter/Thief fails his pick locks as well. They continue towards the Great Hall they discovered previously and cautiously head down its length discovering a great Tapestry hanging above at the mid point of some weight and value but decide to maybe take it down later on their egress from the Ruins. A side passage leads them into a Goblin Guard Room, they could have tried for surprise but they had the light of the Lantern from the Hireling for their War Dog, Donkey and Human so I check to see if THEY are surprised and they are not so its a declaration phase and melee is initiated. They notice others in the darkness behind the Goblins and see many smaller eyes one of which runs to the norths behind the Guards chased by a Goblin matron cursing as she does. The combat is short, just a few rounds, and the goblin guards are slaughtered as the goblins above were however the goblin runt has alerted the Goblin King and his Bodyguards to Stinky Dwarf Invaders !

   Now, the party faces another 6 Goblins; a head taller than the previously dispatched goblins, as well as a pair of Wolves and behind them the Goblin King Kiliax ! Quickly describe how the goblins are better equipped and the Goblin King; he gotta be the king right cuz he is wearing a Coppery Crown on his noggin, with his bejeweled fingers and a bright shiny golden necklace with bloodstone centerpiece obviously of Dwarf Craftsmanship looted from these very ruins. The party decides to shoulder up and melee it out and this is where the dice decide to not cooperate in a Heroic Struggle but a long protracted battle. Hindsight, they could have fallen back but hey did not and after a few rounds that option became a bigger maybe we should have but they fought and whittled down the foes. 

  Having passed TWO MORALE checks the Goblins are gonna to fight until death [Its an OSE Core Rule so,] and they do have the advantage but a shift in the battle has goblins start dropping and the Dwarf Party has everyone wounded but after the Goblin King Dispatches the Party's War Dog they dig in their heels and decide to fight it out. Shields are Shattered [ FTR/PAL/RGR option but the Acolyte thought they were a Martial Class as well and could have shattered their shield, quick ruling of Nope ] and the Max HP House Rule at First aids the party in this encounter but not enough. When the Dice Turn on You they Turn HARD. Party members & Goblin Bodyguards start dropping until it is a single Dwarf against the Goblin King & his body guard and then but a single Dwarf & the last Bodyguard... I dub him Nilbog the Nimble whom had managed to last forever against Gillius whose Attack Rolls were atrocious this evening so we describe the goblin as jittery and agile compared to others as they missed him consistently.

   Hazzik tries to parley and rolls exceedingly well so he listens and was gonna allow the Dwarf to retire from the dungeon with his fallen allies and keep all the Goblin Females and Treasure to himself but Hazzik says "Until we meet again ..." Nilbog being a Goblin thinks this is a direct threat to kill him in the future and reinitiates combat and emerges victorious. The party is wiped .... TPK

   I had set up a merchant to come from Dur-Annis to purchase Dwarf artifacts and Relics at 75% from the party rather than sell them to the human merchants of DragonSpire Hold and allow the introduction of Henchfolk or replacement characters, I didnt figure it would be a replacement party but they obstacles in the dungeon prevented the party from coming at the goblins from unforeseen directions, bad search rolls and not searching in the right place and inability to overcome a locked door. Some say I am a bit harsh on the Locked Door part but if a simple force door check overcomes a Lock what's the point of a Lock ? Locked Doors are more reinforced imo so prevent easy access. Both for players and their Foes.

   Your new party of stalwart Dwarf will arrive with Ergal Bronzefist on his agreed upon return to Dragonspire  Hold. After several inquiries at Silver Unicorn Inn his face grows dour and he buys the entire party a round of Mead.

"We were hoping to bolster the numbers of our Brethren who have not been seen in over a month. I fear the worst but if you stay and venture to those dark ruins I will pay you each 50 GP to return the remains of Gillius, Thyguar, Jaxx & Hazzik of Dur-Annis. Our numbers grow slimmer as our beards grow longer he says as he lifts his Mug to drink them slams it upon the table after quenching his thirst in one long guuuuuuulp.

 

 A Restock of the Upper level of this section of the Ruins is in order. The new party will start with a Bonus Quest to discover the fate of the previous party [50 GP apiece as well as a 150 Bonus XP Upon Completion] and since it was an early campaign wipe I think I will add a Scroll of Cure Light Wounds to each Divine PC next session. Ergal has deep pockets but he is miserly as our many a Dwarf. The option to use a Battle-Axe two-handedly for Dwarf was not used and I allow Cleave with a Two-Handed Weapon so that might have been a big bonus but he Party opted for Durability with Martials using Shields ( All armor Classes were 1 to 3). Stat rolls were above average again so two weeks and we will see if the Dwarf Theme OSE group gains traction...

 

Game Well, Game Often ...

 

#OSR #VintageGaming