Barrowmaze, Duchy of Aerick Session #1 (14 FEB 2024)

     Well, I have been running this one for a few sessions but figure I can write up Recaps for all of these games I am planning on running that are not going to be live streamed. Those will recap themselves I guess. But I started with folks wanting to return and give the Barrowmaze another shot, but this time with Chaotic & Lawful Evil Characters acting outside of the normal adventuring guidelines. Not heroic or even disreputable but plain vile and evil. I figure it was an attempt at using Command Undead versus Turning which has been lackluster and even with groups of Paladins and Clerics ended in humiliating defeat and death at the claws and fangs of the Undead. I figured why not.

    We have already played a few session and they delved into the Barrowmaze but for a single session and  then from their campsite in the Blackened Forest set out to why children were going missing from the outlying farmlands and discovered  a ruined old Temple to Solis currently inhabited by Froglings; Boglings or Bullywugs if you prefer, and began clearing them out and ended up moving in under tenuous circumstances. They charmed the Chieftain of the tribe and worked out a deal using the goblin language. The party consists of Malikai a Chaos Knight of Imperiosa, treating basically as a Lawful Evil Anti-Paladin, Aduj a Goblin Witch-Doctor, Goblin Magic-User / Cleric which started at 2nd level in another campaign I had end early, The Countessa , a Human Necromancer level 2 also from a failed to start campaign where I let PCs start at 2nd level, Gyl the Goblin Thief and Olved a Chaotic Evil Fighter. SO far this has worked out well and they have lost the majority of their initial minions. I had Goblins and Orcs with them as minions of Kelek in this Chaotic High-Fell Idea that did not get much traction so they bailed on the crotchety old sorcerer and headed South the Barrows to get rich from looting tombs meeting some other near-do-wells along the way. They have snuggled right in well with the Froglings whom now favor most of the party, Olved rolled Nat 12 on Reaction Rolls so they look up to the human Fighter as a role model of anger and carnage, que parallels to the cartoon with WarDuke leading Bullywugs & Orcs around. It works and they have access to Retainers from humanoid tribes. There will be friction between races but early on it is simply tension but they are sending Orcs to recruit from a local Orc tribe in the Blackened Forest whom the Froglings do not Trust.

    But anyway, after getting settled in and having the Countessa ventures into Helix with Olved to get supplies they return and plot to explore the Barrowmaze. The Froglings are aware of it and allow a couple Frogling to be hired out as guides to the Barrowmaze and the party uses a make shift raft to travel. This allows them a direct access to the Barrow Mounds and they travel there via raft and Frogling guides, they encounter an Insect Swarm in the Moors but avoid it and put aground in the Northern area of the Barrow Mounds. They scale atop one of the Barrow Mounds closest to where they left their raft and find it is a covered mound but spy several others nearby and can vaguely see the Great Mound they have entered previously. They opt to go to the one nearest and find a sealed Barrow. They crack it open with a Sledge Hammer and Spikes and enter cautiously. discovering the bottom is wet and has knee high water in it which is more of a problem with the pair of goblins they have with them. Gyl wades into the chamber cautiously while the rest of the party whom refer to themselves as the Black Hand Company linger on the stairs, the dry stairs. 

    Natural environmental hazards are things PCs do not really encounter enough of in OSR games imo. This reduced movement by 1/2 and the inability to see beneath the dank water really put them in paranoia. Eventually they ALL enter the chamber slowly and investigated rusty portcullis to the East and West which resulted in Zombie rising from the water to the East and lumbering towards the portcullis there. On the West side they observed sarcophagi nearly submerged in water. Being separated from the half dozen zombies by a barrier they did not take it too seriously which sounds like folks not raised on Romero Zombie flicks. There is Spear thrusts and hurled daggers which i impose a -2 to hit on as well as not allowing Point Black Shots for missile weapons but Aduj the Witch-Doctor successfully Commands them and has them battle each other. Olved & Gyl begin searching while the combat rages until, the Portcullis falls into the chamber from the Zombies' pushing upon it and the combat taking place resulting in bodies being forcibly put against it. I rule Mordikai and the Countessa must make Saves versus Wands of be hit by it as it falls and Pinned under the water. They both fail. So as the undead continue to batter each other they are rescued by the fellow plunderers who total 30 STR required to life the submerged dislodged portcullis. Minor d4 damage was suffered but they survived the encounter completely soaking wet for their troubles.

    They use the zombies to aid in lifting the other Portcullis ( 60 STR Total Required with allowing Zombies to count as 10 STR apiece ). Then using the Commanded undead to lift and move the stone caps upon the sarcophagi into the water and then having him re-command them to maintain control but one was not so they turn the zombies upon them reducing their total number to a three. Inspection of the interior discovered ruined books and scrolls but a single scroll tube containing a magical protection scroll was reclaimed from the dead. The Countessa taking the  time to animate one of the skeletal remains as a skeletal servitor and add more disposable minions to the party. 

    Searching the northern section of the chamber they find a secret door revealing a flooded chamber with an urn and locked steel box on a ledge at the far end. After recovering these they all head to the dry stairs but leave the commanded zombies behind the Secret door. Commanded undead like Turned Undead I have ruled are effected for 1 Turn per Level of the Cleric although I do not put a limit on the number of attempts a Cleric may make. Gyl inspects the box and attempts to lock resulting in a poison needle jabbing his hand, he makes his Roll versus Poison and does not suffer an agonizing death but is unable to pick that lock. They take several Turns and bash it open using sledgehammers and spikes revealing a single pair of Black Leather Glove's which end up in the hands of the goblin Thief as the wearer feels "more nimble".

    Returning to the surface they scan for other mounds and make their way further westward and find another Sealed Barrow Mound. Excited for more plunder they have Olved begin cracking open the capstone with sledgehammer and iron spikes. Doing this alone requires three turns and thusly as it makes more noise additional Wandering Monster Checks. Their luck has run out on not being bothered by wandering monsters and they encounter a group of tomb robbers ! I roll a dozen and then apply leader types as 3rd level Fighters. NOTE TO SELF: Make Encounter Cards with pre-rolled Tomb Robbers. I make the necessary reaction roll and it comes up very low so they are stalking the party with the intent to do harm and then the PCs spying them in the clearing mist fire upon them at range with Bows while taking cover at the cusp of the barrow gaining more AC while the casters and others fall back down the far side and receive total cover and concealment from the advancing Tomb Robbers.

    This becomes a protracted battle as the Black Hand Company fire from cover and the Tomb Robbers have 4 Crossbowman who fire from distance. There are shouts from each of the Tomb Robber Leaders to each other and to their subordinates and they learn their names are Carl with a C and Karl with a K, I make a few roll for possible magical items on the leveled characters and Carl with a C is packing magical Shield & Broad Sword. I mistakenly apply a bonus for the Chain as well but we can simply call it a DEX Bonus after the fact. The added AC though makes Carl a very tough cookie to crack and Olved spends the entire melee tangling with the other Karl. Eventually tough the party sans the pair of Pole Arm Orcs are slain that the Countessa brought along, always partial to her pork arm candy, as well Mordikai's War Dog, he calls it the Hound of Chaos but its a War Dog, as well as the Skeletal Servitor. But the minion numbers idea is working for them so far and well when used in hand with the Command ability of the Goblin Witch-Doctor. There was a moment when Aduj on his Dire Wolf mount rode out and was the only target available for the Tomb Robber crossbowmen but he fled back behind the Mound and they all missed. Well, they missed every shot that encounter luckily for the Black Hands ! While this battle raged the Countessa out of spells would stalk between fallen tomb robbers and with a great rock in her hands climb upon their chest straddling them and bash in their fasces with this large rock. In the end it was the Dire Wolf and everyone scoring a hits in the same round that resulted in Cal, Karl and Company being defeated after the Tomb Robbers won every other Initiative. Covered in gore and blood they discussed their options before going back to Mound Plundering.

    Gathering up the loot and mundane equipment was a great boon for the group as the Tombs Robbers had the tools of the trade as well. Lots of prybars, sledgehammers and shovels that they claimed and since they traveled here on a large raft were confident they could take it all back with them. They also decide to finish breaking into this tomb and after completing that task hearing something odd nearby. A clicking and hissing then a snipping, so hey descend into the depths rather than inspect plus they left an unconscious opponent bandaged a possible prisoner. Hitting 0 Hit Points in the lottery in my game. So opponents ate zero are technically unconscious and in 10 to 12 hours "could" wake up at 1 hit point. They bandaged a single prisoner and killed the rest. Karl would be taken back as a source of information and then given to the Water Fiend the Froglings worship as a god.

"Don't worry, Karl's got it under control" manic chuckling

They are playing villainous characters after all ...

    The Hall below is but down a Five Foot stair well and lining the corridor in alcoves are Marble Statues of Beautiful women in mournful repose. But, they have gems for eyes. Investigation in the Hall is left to Gyl who then eventually joined by the Countessa whom he hands down the Gems he gathers and Olved advances farther into the Tomb and inspects the alcoves for Secret doors. They find no actual tomb but the Wiley goblin climbs the statues and prys their gem stones from above, I allow it and note that climbing them for a skilled thief requires not Skill Check for Climb Walls (CW). They are all small smoky Ruby gems except for the last one which has Black Opal eyes instead of Ruby. Gyl directs the others to leave and insects this statue more closely than the others and while finding no Traps for certain does detect a line along the check of this one where all the others have been smoothe marble. Gyl covers his mouth with a scarf ? and prys them out releasing a poisonous cloud. Having taken the particular precautions he has I allow no need for a Saving Throw versus Poison. The Trap having been designed for in front of the statue and the gas being heavier than breathable air and he is atop it's head. The noxious fumes dissipate and they return to the Mound's exterior. 

    Gathering up their large quantity of booty with the Countessa grumbling her Orcish arm candy should be picking this up the Black Hands observe a three foot long scorpion feeding upon the dead ! They opt to leave it alone. Being its an animal it continues doing tis thing and hisses at folks as they get too close but otherwise is content to its feast a plenty. Luckily for helpless Karl it did not choose him but he is a walking sacrifice anyway. Momma said be a farmer but Karl had to be a brigand, thief and finally a tomb robber, Poor Karl but Momma tried.

    I recently made a combined Roll20 for all of my OSE stuff I plan to run online and with a discord for the players in those games. I am shrinking my concentric rings of connectivity and there are styles of play I do not like so I am not interacting with that, there are players who like to dungeon crawl and have chuckles and that's good enough for me. Having a player base of like minded players is soothing and honestly makes my job as a DM much easier and this will allow me to run multiple parties in a very hodge-podge world. I am not interested in making a unified theory o how all of this interconnects too much and the players I have gathered seem ok with that. Not currently having a regular job has opened up gaming at early hours and I keep my craft faire stuff on the weekends as well as family and travel stuff. The Spring holds lots of real world adventure but Monday through Friday I make the time when not obligated to grandfatherly roles to do more of this.

    Observations taken from this session are make more encounter cards, work on pacing, slow down Declaration phase so less talk over and in general have more fun.

ANyway, Game Well, Game OFten

    

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