Stone-Hell on the Borderlands Session #5, 20 JUNE 2023

 

 Well, Having to adjust party composition and invite new players to the game. Real life work schedules & medical issues becoming an obstacle. As we age as a player base for the OSR; or is it Vintage Gaming now ,  this becomes more of a problem for your VTT games. Plus honestly, its easier to bail on folks you do not see face to face as often and that's fine. its the nature of the beast as well as aging. This left us short our regular four but since the group camped out in game I NPC'ed an exiting player's character for this session. I had each player if they had a suggestion for a new player go through the motions and tossed out a general invite. Scheduling issues and an applicant that seemed a bad fit and we have a player in the wings for next session. But anyway, on to the recapping ...

   From my In-Between Session tab in Discord: The party having retreated to the Ruined Gate House settles in to camp and set up their watches for the evening. Campfire was easy to gather outside of the Ruins in the sheltered valley but a thick mist began to gather and cover the ground early on in the evening giving it an unreal unnatural otherworldly appearance as the sun set far in the West towards the direction of Kendell Keep. Dusk being 6 in these late Spring & early Summer months but noticeably darker earlier because of the sheer sides of the Valley blocking the sun early. There were no noticeable encounters or movement until the very wee hours of the predawn when all was still very dark and the ground covered in mist. Small figures in Leather Skull Caps and Pointy dark red and green hats crept towards the Archway south of the ruined gatehouse carrying fire wood bound into faggots and carrying small sacks. Emerging from the dark archway later carrying neither the returned to the Western edge of cavern concealed easily by the thick mist which came nearly towards their chests ... you recognize them as the Kobolds of Stone-Hell shortly after herd animals gather near the copse of trees to the rear of the ruined Gate House as the croaking of frogs and the flutter of wings can be heard from the direction of the Marshy Swamp and the Old Military Road.

  Party opts to go North. Obvious activity by rascally kobolds to the South of our campsite we observed so let's go North. They approach and the archway to the North in the cliff face and I roll wandering Monster check as they travel across the Valley. No wandering but describe the misty valley floor and chill morning air as they inspect the entry to the corridor noting the dried leaf litter and broken cast off items in the Hall before them. They opt to send hte Dwarf Fighter Duo of Stonus & Gottri ahead ahead while the Elf Balmortis (NPC atm) & Jeri the Druid hang back in the sunlight. A littered room with a burning message upon the Western wall is revealed to the exploring Dwarf Duo

A quick discussion about the importance of the note and refining how we are going to handle Darkvision. A black and White shadowy view of surroundings and not infravision as thermal imaging. The note burns as if eldritch in nature as well as having color of blue-green flames which stands out to their Dwarf Sight. Further exploration reveals a faint red glow from the western corridors and a hall to the East while a single swollen door stands here. Jeri approaches the Dwarf Duo and with the Battered Rusty Lantern light filling the room the fiery message fades into invisibility. Shuttering the lantern reveals the message is only visible to creatures with Darkvision. The Dwarf Duo are intrigued...

  Party opts to explore eastward and discovers a room converted into an old campsite with lots of trash about the room as well as firewood scattered. Ration wrappings are left about, they decide to search the chamber for secret doors as well as hidden features. They discover two 6" pieces of chalk which burns in fiery luminescence in darkness to the Dwarf and Elf Darkvision. The Dwarf Duo keep a piece of Chalk apiece and dub it Flame Chalk.

[ Well my in game note had "Flame Chalk Message" as it's title and it stuck immediately ]

   They breach the door in the main entry chamber afterwards and inspect the chamber from the safety of the door. The floor is covered in a thin layer of slime and glistens in their lantern light while boxes, crates and barrels are mold covered about the room. The room reeks of mildew and staleness. Jeri inspects the room and searches for secret doors on the northern wall then rifles through a few crates they then decide to head further westward in the small complex of rooms.

   Our nameless party travels west after a short discussion on what to do and Stonus grumbles they have found no real treasure as of yet, no gold to fill these pockets brudders ! The dull glow is as they suspected a fire beetle and it is feasting upon a mountain goat kid but they surprise it and it hisses at them. Upon urging from the groups Druid Jeri they opt to fall back and not engage it. Jeri muses upon enchanting it next trip to the area and making it an ally and pet for exploration as well as eco-friendly light source. The Dwarf Duo concede it was too poor to clobber for shiny gold coins as it had no pockets. They head towards the waterfall at the western portion of the Valley.

[ Entering new sections or new levels triggers a Wandering Monster Check, nothing the dice gawds are being merciful this day ]

   They inspect the cascading waterfall and notice steam comes from the cave moth where the water begins at the top before plummeting down 80 feet into the pond below. The estimate it is 30 feet deep at its bottom due to the incline from the edge of the pond, it is very warm to the touch and they again note the large vegetation surrounding it. Jeri the Druid decides to climb the cliff face towards the mouth of the water fall's cave.

[ MeH, two climbing checks using STR as it is a rough cliff face ]

   Jeri scales the cliff face then realizes he cannot see in the dark of the cave then yells down to the party to try and join him, a rope hangs about 50 feet from him and he tries his best to anchor himself once they reach it. Both Dwarf fail their STR Checks, the Elf NPC makes his handily and he has an 8 STR. I require a quick DEX Check to avoid and damage from the 20 feet tumble into the pond below with Stonus making it thus springing off of the cliff wall and plunging into the water below feet first, no damage. Gottrri botches this as harshly as the first roll and takes d6 as he bounces down the side of the cliff face and falls flailing into the water below. 4 damage of his 10 hit point  total is a really rough beating .... both Dwarf are in Plate Mail and immediately sink into the water. I determine its not really super deep where they fall and only require a CON Check to avoid drowning as it is calm water and they only need to crawl/swim or grasp onto the cliff face edge to get tot he shore line. There was momentary concern they would indeed drown trying to check out a Cave. Randomly climbing 80 foot cliffs can definitely do that though, just saying.

   Balmortis has the Lantern which he lights, the Dwarf decide to stay on the shoreline and not attempt to climb up again so Jeri and Elf friend explore the cave. It is hot and humid with steam roiling off of the pool in the cave. Jeri spies a Brass Hemi-Sphere in the center of the Pool and decides to investigate. He is rewarded with a d2 roll for scalding damage upon entering the roiling water. They engineer an attempt to dislodge the Hemi-Sphere using rope and it does not budge, this continues for several turns until they abandon the idea and then descend the cliff face.

[ I allow a +4 to the Roll descend, successes ]

  A quick dialogue about what to do next with the idea floated to descend into Stone-Hell but they decide to check out the Southern Chambers where the Kobolds had been spotted earlier in the day in the pre dawn hours. Being soaked in the waters of the pond they are a bit chilled, there are no Wandering Monster Encounters and when they get to the entry to the southern archway are greeted by very cold air and an uneasy feeling about the area but venture in anyway. Their breath clearly visible as they do so. They discover several faggots of sticks on the southern wall of a chamber which has exits to the East & West with small piles of bones heaped in the corners. The Dwarf Duo check the bones in the top corners and the Druid and Elf join the party and check the southern ones. after a few rounds they decide to head to the west and shine their lantern which is oddly dimmed in these chambers not emitting as much light as it should giving the place a vey ominous feeling. This relative calm is then shattered by the emergence of Skeletal figures in tattered robes from the Western Chamber whose eye sockets are filled with an unholy Blue-Black light who attack the party. It is a short and quick combat with a failed Turn Attempt [ 4 on a 2d6, woohoo ] and everyone resorting to the old ultra-violence. After defeating the Skeletons it is noted their eyes quit glowing but they still moved so the party; still without a name, spend a few rounds stomping and slashing at the bones until they stop moving.

   The eternally dim rom is searched and nothing found except for bits of bone and burnt ends of black candles. The atmosphere is described as perpetual black light even without ye' olde battered & rusty lantern light which is dimmed in the other chamber. The guys are rolling horribly again this evening. They venture Eastward...

   Another chilly room is discovered with a 5' tall by 8' wide Cenotaph with a hemispherical top which is covered in unusual writing as well as the walls of the room with its defaced bas-relief images. A liturgy of profanity is scrawled upon those walls as well but the identity of the images in unintelligible. Some poking and prodding by spear tip and searching of the Cenotaph is done discovering it is cool to the touch but everyone fails their search rolls horribly. It is what it is ...

   Returning to the entry chamber they inspect where the faggots were stacked and discover small footprints presumably by the Kobolds, there is no sign of he other burdens they were carrying however and the Druid Jeri searches for Secrets while the Dwarf Duo and Elf watch for more approaching Skeletons. They leave chilled and slightly unnerved by the experience but none the richer. They cross the the Valley and head to the passages behind the large copse of trees by the waterfall. On their way they discover a Cave which is the lair of a 600 lb Black Bear judging by the tracks observed by the Druid.

[ I have not been making rolls for identifying most natural critter tracks by the Druid or a Ranger if the Party had one. Here is a level of knowledge I assume each Class has within its own sphere, mining undergrounds environ and architecture for Dwarf, Nature and Magic spirituality for Elf kind etc This is expanded slightly based upon whatever secondary skills they may have chosen at creation ]

   They enter another leaf littered hall that gives way to a chamber with rough hewn log benches, a discarded quiver lays near one of the benches but nothing of real note, they explore the passage leaving the chamber and discover a door which they force open and the room beyond has a frothing racoon. It is wild eyed and foam drops from tis mouth as it rights itself up from thrashing upon the ground and rushes towards the party. It is felled by a hurled Spear from Stonus. Upon inspection by Jeri he determines it was rabid, chalk up a Rabid Racoon for the Party. They note the old rotted adventurer equipment in the chamber and head west towards some rubble in the hall.

   The sagging ceiling was described and instead of inspecting with Dwarf Ability spears are hurled at the ceiling. I am not sure what was up with this but I describe rubble and plaster falling and the groaning of stone upon stone, Stonus Does it again in the main chamber and more stuff falls from the ceiling, the Druid is ready to head for the hills and leave but the Dwarf Duo wants gold and pushes on towards a door in the sagging chambers and are startled [ not surprised its regular initiative ] by a Large Spitting Cobra. Its a quick decisive battle for the pair and the Cobra is defeated soundly. The head retrieved for the Druid who stores it in his bakpack, they are unable to fore the door. It appears stuck from the sagging ceiling and Stone produces an axe and begins to hack upon it and I rule it will take d4 Turns to breach the old door in this manner, it is loud but attracts no Wandering Monsters.

[ One of my players disagrees with ruling that if you fail your open doors check you have to wait until next level to attempt it again much in the same way I do Secret Door Searches. I decide you simply cant physically force it but if you produce a reasonable method of breaching it, argue for a better combined attempt Ill allow another roll or whatever. Or, you can hack it down with fire-axes, breach-axes or use another method such as a battering ram. They are totally gonna be dragging around a a battering ram son I can feel it. They have a haversack full of tools atm and I would have allowed the use of a Saw upon the old gapped doors to cut open a section to allow egress as well ]

  A long passage to some sort of audience hall is found, an open pit with a bottom filled with spikes an a stone throne covered in graffiti. They search the stone throne and find a button upon the arm of the throne, failing their Stone Tricks Roll I do not describe any extra features which may inform them of its purpose but they assume it was the control for the open pit trap in the chamber. They spread out and search for secret doors and discover one leading North, a small chambers with smashed and destroyed old boxes and shelves as well as a large 10 x 15 stone table. The table is searched as well as the ceiling above it by the party and it is allot of terrible terrible rolls, Stonus decides to flip the table and it takes both of them todo so but I allow it. I think also allow listen at doors checks for everyone in the room with the NPC Elf hearing the tinkling of glass and coins which gets the Dwarf Duo reexamining the large table. I allow a reroll and they finally discover a hollow leg by describing tapping upon the legs, they failed their roll so they see no method of opening it via latch but hammer and spike are produced and they open it the old fashioned way. Brute Force, they find a cache of silver coins, a potion vial and a rainbow enameled brass ring. Happy they have some coin and possible magical items they retire from the Valley and return to Kendell Keep.

[ Uneventful Wandering Monster Checks ]

  We end the session with Balmortis inspecting the items and for ease of reference I let them know they have discovered a Potion of Extra-Healing, some Flame Chalk as well as a dormant magical ring of unknown properties. The Elf mentions they could have a Sage look at it before departing the Keep. Allot of Valley exploration was accomplished but not allot of treasure, there is opportunity for setting up bases within the Valley but they Party seems largely uninterested in that besides sleeping in the ruined Gate House which seems to be more defensible. I am surprised they have not explored other options in the Valley but they have had shit luck with Search Rolls so far which is statistically unusual given that I allow Dwarf to Use Stone Tricks and Construction for Secret Doors and they had an Elf in Party as well, 2 in 6 for 3 of 4 Party members. It is what it is I guess 

   I have added about 4 Sub-Levels to the Valley and the Search Rolls have knocked a couple of those out of the loops already, gotta level to get another crack at those. Plus other stuff, I can foresee the Druids Focus getting all Buggy real soon with a horde of Fire Beetles and as soon as th Fighters level they are gonna get tougher with 3rd level being hte First level I allow Fighter Options for them, for Demi-Humans Ill allow more Dwarf Options as well if they prefer. We shall see, until next time

Game Well, Game Often

 

#OSR #OSE #VintageGaming