D&D 5E (2014) A playthrough of The Shattered Obelisk (spoilers)

[MockingBird]

So my group started chapter 5 under leveled. They are now level 6 but Talbundreth suggested level 7. I'm just letting it go for now unless they just get steam rolled. I didn't want to go through levels too fast. By the next session I should have them at the suggested level.

 

[Zaukrie]

I only have three players, so not sure how I'll handle the upcoming parts....

 

[Rabbitbait]

A good session last night. Into the room with the broken table. One of the characters plays a blind fighter with the blind fighting feat. He entered the room and I had the scene play out for him and only for him. The others saw an empty room, he saw a room teeming with battling dwarves and mind flayers. He freaked out at being able to see, so that was quite cool. The monster was pretty hard work as well.

Then they proceeded after a short rest into the room with the statue and the cultist. One fireball later and the drow came down to check out what was going on, saw the opportunity and joined in battle. A running battle then occured with the cultists retreating while fighting all the way to the encephalon cluster. The drow had communicated that they wanted the cult leader alive so they were trying to subdue him, but the cluster was just moving through and slamming the drow. 2 attacks per round, two deaths per round.

We play on roll20 with dynamic lighting so it was fun as each character turned the corner hearing them go "What the f*** is that thing?".

They finally defeated the enemy with 2 characters down. They healed them up and we left it there. The cult leader is still alive but unconscious.

 

[Rabbitbait]

It was a particularly difficult battle for me because I was juggling so many NPCs and monsters.

 

[MockingBird]

A good session last night. Into the room with the broken table. One of the characters plays a blind fighter with the blind fighting feat. He entered the room and I had the scene play out for him and only for him. The others saw an empty room, he saw a room teeming with battling dwarves and mind flayers. He freaked out at being able to see, so that was quite cool. The monster was pretty hard work as well.

That sounds awesome! Really great idea with a cool character concept. I enjoyed the whole ghostly battle that tells the story of what happened in that room.

 

[Rabbitbait]

No particularly exciting update from me as I've been out with covid for a few weeks and we had to cancel a couple of other sessions because of life.

We have made our way through the temple and are now down in the crypt. All very old-school dungeon crawl with one near TPK and lots of fun. I have had no issues so far that could not be remedied on the spot.

 

[Ryezen]

No particularly exciting update from me as I've been out with covid for a few weeks and we had to cancel a couple of other sessions because of life.

We have made our way through the temple and are now down in the crypt. All very old-school dungeon crawl with one near TPK and lots of fun. I have had no issues so far that could not be remedied on the spot.

What fight did the "near TPK" occur in? Just curious, as my party is in the Crypt now.

 

[Ryezen]

One issue I had with the Crypt is that area 17 states that the mummy doesn't rise if the party has purified the crypt, but the crypt purification -requires- that the mummy be defeated for the crypt to be purified. The room description for the haunting in the hallway (area 16) -just outside area 17- specifically states: "There is a crypt haunting here (see “Crypt Hauntings” in the “Crypt Features” section) that manifests when a creature steps within 5 feet of the door to the architect’s tomb (area P17). Defeating the mummy in that room quells the haunt."

How is the party supposed to have already purified the crypt (so that the mummy doesn't animate) when the purification requires that all hauntings be put to rest, and the mummy is one of those?

Sometimes I wonder if they even run these published campaigns a single time before release.