Dwarf OSE+ Dark Citadel Session #34 (4 DECEMBER 2024)

     34 sessions really...

    I almost stopped making recaps of this particular campaign this week but then reminded myself. It's a fucking game, never take any of this seriously. Various reasons why but mainly no one reads them and they started a a  Why I as Dungeon Master make decisions in my games and how a table actually works. The reasoning of rulings, The interactions and odd quirks of the gaming folks. I am blunt and unapologetic by nature. I think I have gotten away from the reasoning's for my rulings but I have had fewer rulings to be made as the campaigns settles into a pattern. But anyway,

    We started with one player out and another who was unavailable last week to pop in. It's a simple X and Followers leave while Y and Retainers follows information that leads them to pass X on Road on their way to the adventure location. Its hokey and cheesy but works to keep a table going in the same direction. Sometime reason and logic take a back seat to the actual fantasy of the game. The reality of the rotating availability of players is one of the reason I prefer fantasy RPG over simulationist attempts at hard coding reality and physics into escapist hobbies. It's fantasy, wing it and make it work. 

    SO, the Brotherhood of Expendable Strangers gathered in the second level of the Lost Dwarf Mine and observed their options as they bandaged and took inventory of resources. Having three options and being mildly wounded and low on healing they went Southwest until the mine passage narrowed to and smaller opening. It was moister in the air just slightly and Redrum poked his head through the narrowed opening and observed a group of large Toad-like creatures who Croaked a challenge and threatened him with Spears but did not immediately advance, The Party had been Surprised but did not receive an immediate attack. They however were unable to understand what the toad men were saying. And these were large Toad Men (Superior/Greater Bullywugs) who averaged about 5 and a half foot to 6 foot in height and being broadly 3 foot across with large warty pot bellied creatures armed with Broad Spears and Shields, several had stalactite/stalagmite clubs hanging from rough leather thong belts. The PCs charged in shouting Dwarf War phrases and engaged the large Toad Men. They were however unaware of the other Toad Men camouflaged to the other side of the opening who leapt to the rear of the party as they engaged the others pinning them between them. Gremmin and his retainer Gro however had remained in the other passage and attacked the rear of these other Toad Men Guards. This was a pretty straight up Hack & Slash encounter and lets face it my WED Crew are murder hobos at heart and love a good scrap. The battle is sort of back and forth with the Toad Men consistently able to hit them and inflict serious damage upon their Cleric. Rolling random in front of players and they are hammering at Ryxxor who at one point has 4 hit points and two attacks who deal d6 apiece. They pull it off but exhaust their healing. 

    After every combat by OSE rules you need to take a 1 Turn rest. I allow a few extra actions typically some sort of minor spell casting since they do not typically actually engage in melee during the combat plus a few other actions which is mainly to not slow down a game session. I am tempted to copy the Dragonslayer RP rule that it is a CON check every 5 Turns if you do not take the1 Turn Rest or suffer a -1 to all rolls. The Dwarf cohort having above average CON across the board would be terribly tempted to risk the roll I believe. But as they are resting  I roll a Wandering Monster Check and it is an encounter. I allow a roll for Surprise for the Toad Men as the PCs did not declare a guy on watch and were taking other minor actions in addition to their rest, so I rule distracted. Since the scene the pair of Toad Men come upon is the other 6 slain and a group of Dwarf lounging around taking swigs of wineskins and binding wounds they must make a Morale Check which they Fail. SO they are observed and then the Toad Men bolt and run back in the direction of from which they came. I get minor disagreement on not being able to immediately act but I think no one was paying attention to the fact they were surprised. Now here is where the PCs do something I did not think they would, they immediately give chase....

    Chasing after the Toad Men they enter a room where a rough crafted well dominates the center of the chamber with 3 much large Toad Men a full head and shoulders taller than the previous ones are waiting. A passage exits to the south and there is some Loud serious Croaking at the Party's entrance from the Larger Toad Men and I have them declare actions and ROLL FOR INTITIATIVE ! The Larger Toad Men leap to the attack and all of them miss which was fortunate as unlike the regular Toad Men these have a STR Bonus on Damage and score Double Damage on their leap attacks in addition to the +1 Bonus to Hit. That could have dispatched one or more of the front line but their Superior Armor Class holds out and a general melee ensues. The fleeing Toad Men alert other areas and after a few rounds the party observes several 4 to 5 Toad Men at the exit from the Well Room as well as behind them from the direction they came themselves. They are surrounded. Losing Imitative on the round that the other Toad Men leap into the battle results in the party being completely intermixed with the creatures and not having a defined front or back line. We are not using a grid for every battle but this might have been handy for one but the creatures have a manervourability advantage with the ability to take great leaps. Prior to the round the reinforcements come I use analogy to the sound of the Guk Train as many of the players have played EQ, actually we were all in the same guilds off and on for years. The grounds is muddy and sloppy with the webbed feet of the Toad Men making the slop slop hop !

    This is another meat grinder of a fight. But after utilizing the War Chant ability FTR Option from Namman they gain bonuses that stack upon a previously cast Bless. Striking is cast but honestly has minimal effect on damage output for Redrum. Gremmin uses all of his Rune Stones he had inscribed and puts a good portion of the Toad Man horde to slumber. It was a rash action that paid off in dividends for the party and they stand victorious. I cannot remember if there was a healing spell cast that was the last of the party's or not, I let a bit of time slip by before writing this recap. They rest and then spread out and investigate this section of caverns discovering these old mines end in offshoots and muddy sleeping areas for the Toad Men. There is no treasure upon any of them however and they return to the Well Room refilling their flasks and determining its depth. It is determined it is 30 foot deep but after 10 foot it opens up.

    This is where I figure things are gonna go sideways as Gremmin drinks a Potion of Water Breathing and ties off to some rope and takes a plunge. Diving and Swimming into an underground lake he finds that it comes out near a set of underwater caves where he counts 5 more Toad Men as well as a Giant Frog of some sorts with them as a sentry beast. HE is stealthy and I roll a 6 on a d6 chance for him to be noticed and he is not. After determining the size of the lake and it is fed by an underground river, seems to be allot of those around here, he returns to the party which debate their next course of action but the water hazard is particularly worrisome since they have but one Potion of Water Breathing left in the party in Redrum's possession. There is some discussion but they end up falling back to the upper works of the mine and taking their ropes with them where they have been pinioned for scaling small cliffs. They hole up in the first old miner barracks where they had slain the wolf. I am not sure what they do with the mess that is a slain adventurer laying in the chamber but its amusing to think they just step over it as they set up camp.

    Gonna pick up this upcoming WED and see if they assault submerged lair of the Toad Men of the Old Dwarf Mine or explore elsewhere. We shall see....

    Game Well, Game Often Y'all