Highfell Journals Session #1 (24 SEPTEMBER 2024)

   Leaving games on a cliffhanger usually means pausing play in the dungeon/adventure. I do this allot and actually prefer not to but I work with a 2 and a half hour gaming window which lends itself to doing just  that. This can cause problems with the next session if there is a player missing but we are flexible. We pick up after the Surprise Round by a group of tipsy goblins.

    Initiative is not kind to the party and they lose Initiative several times. The party is stretched out in the 5' wide hallway with Wolf Crest & Bristerhahn searching a bed room. The Men-at-Arms Aulbert & Hurbert are at the font with Galandar in the hall in front of the open door observing the Elf & Human Fighter search, well the Fighter is preening in front of a mirror but says he is searching. The Monk Alaric stands watch at the rear of the party at the top of the stairs to the bottom floor. The goblins wound Aulbert and he is slain by a dart tot he back by his employer Galandar. Firing into melee and scoring a natural 1 - 4 results in automatic damage to a party member in melee with your target in Dragonslayer RPG. We use macros in ROll20 so the damage is determined with the roll to hit so it is easily applied quickly. The Monk Alaric also misses terribly resulting in a sling bullet to the prone Man-at-Arms. The Fighter Bristerhahn exits the bed chamber on his turn of order after a flurry of missiles to begin melee'ing with the goblins. The following rounds result in a slain goblin and they fail their Morale Check and Flee. Another goblin is slain while fleeing from the Fighter Bristerhahn and he is doing some terribly high damage output with his Two-Handed Sword. I foresee dynamic fights in the future with lots of carnage. I cannae remember but I think another goblin is slain by the Man-at-Arms Hurbert as well.

    A free attack is gained by anyone adjacent to an opponent who shifts, disengages or turns their back to their opponent. This combined with Push Past where PCs; or opponents, can move through spaces occupied by a friendly member or allies as long as they are not adjacent to an enemy. Pretty much once you are engaged you are in combat and getting out gives your opponent a free attack upon you. No bonus to hit you however unless combat conditions dictate they get one already. This makes failed morale check an opportunity for more carnage. This is a bit more battle board-like for my personal taste but workable.

    Bristerhahn gives chase as well as the rest of the party, charging into and through a clean and well-kept bedchamber and up the stairs to the 3rd floor. I make an error; among several others this game as I am a bit distracted as of late with personal drama, and only account for a single move instead of a double move action. I have been playing BX style for so long that the options of a two-part action round as opposed to the phased BX round. They should have 'Double' moved instead of moving up the stairs but I had mentioned they were all a bit tipsy and appeared to have been drinking as they PCs encountered them. It is what it is and the Fighter slays another goblin as it "running" (stumbling) up the stairs.

     He enters into a chamber where the last goblin is standing in front of a male human in black robes adorned with silver sigils. It is hurriedly pointing at the stairs where Bristerhahn and the others are running up after it into the room. The figure immediately begins chanting the incantations to a spell of some sorts as Initiative is rolled and the rest of the party empties in to the room. I overlook that there should be another 4 but they are overlooked. It is yet again, what it is...

    This combat is a learning experience in the order of action based upon who is closest to the combat and as the PCs have managed to make themselves in an L shaped touching the goblin and Magic-User I start from both ends and work to the middle then the person on the stairs. I accidently allow a Push Past that is technically a blocked movement. Makes sense really but I ignore it and we go on.

    The Monk Alaric attempts to trip the goblin which is in melee with the Elf Magic-User Galandar ( Should I use the level titles instead of the generic Magic-User ? ) and fails but fumbles so the goblin actually gets an additional attack but fumbles itself and falls prone. The original attempt of the attack anyway. The Man-at-Arms Hurbert disrupts the unknown Mage and the goblin is slain on the ground by an arrow shot (+4 to Hit Prone and Point Black Bonuses) from the stairs by Wolf Crest. The confined interior of the cottage has been more of a challenge to the party than the occupants so far. 

    The opponents slain and the party observes they are in some sort of library, a ladder leads up to a trap door above. A soft light emanates from a glass globe hanging from the ceiling illuminating the chamber. Bookshelves and writing tables filled with tomes, manuscripts, and scrolls line the walls, their surfaces covered in dust. I ask for actions and Wolf Crest takes off to inspect the door leading from the chamber for traps while the Elf Channeler Galandar begins to inspect the bookshelves contents. I ask f or a d6 drop from him and roll for the thieves search discreetly. Hurbert stands guard the top of the stairs and I think Bristerhahn is actually afk while the Postulant Alaric inspects the desk. After discovering no discernible traps upon the door the Elf Wolf Crest announces he is opening it and does so as the other s scatter to safety in case of explosion or something, it simply opens to a room with allot of windows and appears to be a alchemical laboratory of some sort with another door in the eastern wall. Bristerhahn joins Wolf Crest in searching the chamber as the others continue searching and inspecting the library.

    The lingering odor of burnt charcoal and rare, pungent ingredients, heavy throughout the chamber, and the thick layer of dust covering the chamber’s surfaces, reveal that those windows have not been opened in a long time. soft light emanates from a glass globe attached to the ceiling, like the library. A long wooden workbench, covered with glass and earthenware alchemical equipment, fills the area along the north wall. Two small stools in front allow for seated access to it. Among the equipment are a small but life-like statue of a dragon and a wooden rack filled with bottles. More bottles, along with small pots and many books and scrolls, fill a bookcase in the southeast corner of the room. Nearby, a wooden door to the east is closed. Wolf Crest immediately starts rummaging through the potion supplies while Bristerhahn begins to assist in searching the chamber. The others continue looking around the library. I ask for some specifics on how  they are searching and get  minimal descriptions. I note how much time is declared. A wooden desk and matching chair reside in the southwestern corner near the door to the library. The padded seat of the chair is covered with red-dyed leather. Wolf Crest begins figuring out how to take the chair & desk out of the building to sell in Thatchum. Atop the desk is a heavy leather tome covered with bizarre alchemical symbols, several pots of (now dry) ink, and an ivory-tipped cockatrice feather quill which Wolf Crest puts behind his ear until he can give it to the Channeler Galandar. An ornate Dragon statue is found upon a table as well and taken, shoved into a small sack. The potions in the potion rack on the table are taken as well but I am not sure but I think they are tossed in a sack as well. I'll roll for damage potion vials next session, say a 2 in 6 chance they are damaged.

    As the Channeler Galandar is looking through individual books from the book shelf Wolf Crest announces he intends to open the door and begins Searching for Traps, finding none he opens it as Bristerhahn observes from the open door and the rest of the party is on the other side of the door in the library. It appears to be some sort of  herbarium. A heavy, sweet, flowery scent fills the room and it instantly over rides the musty burnt alchemical smell of the potion laboratory. This corner room on the top floor contains many tables filled with various potted plants (now dead due to lack of care) grown by Bartholomew Krimm for use in potion-making. The room is dry and dusty compared to the first and second floor of the cottage. a ladder attached to the wall ascends to an open trapdoor which enables entry into the attic. Thick green vines  hang from it, and a mossy growth the color of beets or red cabbage covers the table near the southeastern window. Wolf Crest begins tossing through the dead plants in pots in the chamber while Bristerhahn advances to observe from the door. The others stay back in the library. I call for a percentile roll from Wolf Crest and a Save vs Spell at -3 for Bristerhahn. The Elf makes his natural racial resistance while the human fighter succumbs and falls into a deep slumber. As this happens the Purple Moss begins to move slowly off of the table and towards the open door where Bristerhahn is laying, the vines twitch and reach for Wolf Crest whom has his back to it; it misses, and he leaps over the Purple Moss between him and Bristerhahn and slams the door shut as he found it. Galandar joins him to drag the slumbering Bristerhahn into the library, the Postulant Alaric closes the door to the Potion Laboratory. They rouse him from his slumber with meaty slaps to the face.

    There is discussion on leaving the cottage and some voice the desire to claim it as a household for themselves. Observing no one has gone up the ladder from the library Wolf Crest ascends and checks for traps on the trap door above. He pokes his head up into the space above, The attic is a large, open area spanning the entire length and width of the cottage. Leaves lie scattered on the floor, brown and withered from decay, and the faint scent of some sort of resin remains in the room despite the open window on the north end. The dismembered skeletal remains of two humans also lie on the floor, their equipment and gear scattered around them. I describe the sound of rustling leaves and how the large vine covered plant is quivering about 5 to 7 feet away and that here is the fluttering of wings. HE immediately slides down the ladder.

    I note that there was no declaration of closing the trap door above and describe that seven multi legged insectoid creatures with leathery bat wings and large proboscis flitter into the library from above and begin to circle and then dive down on to the party. I discount the need for a Surprise Roll and roll for Initiative. The party loses and miraculously no one is hit by the creatures. Bristerhahn be gins slashing through the air with his mighty two handed sword and arrows are notched and fired as well as a sling bullet, Galanadar's Sleep spell puts the majority of the creatures to sleep. One does land upon the Monk and it begins to sickly suck his blood but Wolf Crest fires an arrow from a mere 6 feet away shooting the creature off of the Postulant and nailing it to the opposing wall. 

    Beginning to feel fatigue and as our time is coming to a close for this session they decide to descend to the second floor of the cottage but beforehand begin to take books from the library first. Taking as many books as they can stuff into their sacks and the empty sacks taken from the mysterious Mage. Wolf Crest notices a secret compartment in the book shelf. Inside are a pair of simple wooden scroll tubes containing Arcane Spells. An active search is initiated and an Iron Key is found as well in a secret compartment. Removing a pair of bookends results in them polymorphing into a pair of fairies. They buzz around the chamber hurling words unknown to the PCs and they begin to tug at Alaric's hair. A torch is lit and food offered to the creatures who fly out and down the stairs presumably hurling curses and insults at the PCs in an unknown tongue.

   Descending into the former bedroom of Bartholmew Krimm they decide more time to search and a bottle of wine if found by two empty bottles left by the goblins. The Postulant Alaric offers to pass the bottle of wine amongst the party but Bristerhahn snatches it and turns it up greedily drinking the entire contents. I call for a WIS Check as dictated by the adventure which he failed so consumed it all, then a save versus poison which he handily passes, he is not drunk and declares it is the best wine that ever touched his lips. The Elf grumbles.

    Exiting they enter the area where the goblins were lounging earlier and were slain. The bodies are all missing and a trail of blood trails down towards the stairs. I describe this and add you hear a slow thump thump thump coming down the stairs. The party ignores it, begins searching the chamber and inspecting the desk as well as a portrait whose eyes watch their every move. AS Alaric lifts it from the wall it scowls and its eyes and face appear to be enraged as he turns it against he wall and leans it so they can avoid it s disapproving scowling. Galandar searches the desk and discovers a plethora of writing supplies for students of the arcane. Various well decorated wooden and ivory scroll tubes are available, 6 of each !

    It's a good time to call it as it is at the end of our scheduled time. WE agree to meet again next Monday for another session and log off. The differences in this from a strictly BX retroclone are numerous and we are relearning our style of play on the fly. Everyone however seems to be really enjoying the system and the Fighter seems like a heavy hitter from the start despite the lower To Hit at first level. THACo is 20 in Dragonslayer RPG versus the standard 19 in most Retroclones.